#Han's actually the sensible one

[juniperdugong]

Super Weird - Vernon

WC: 867 || Genre: Fluff || CW: Suggested bullying (?)/ reader being an outcast || Vernon x GN!reader (established relationship)

A/N: For all my weirdos because I'm a weirdo and Vernon is too, ain't no denying it, just a buncha freaks in masks huh?

"Do you think I'm weird?"

Vernon looks at you, eyes squinting in confusion and his expression shifting into a scowl seeing that you're completely serious, "Whaf dar haw ah yo tarking abo-?" (What the hell are you talking about?)

His mouth is filled with the last and biggest spoonful of food that you knew you couldn't finish so - as the routine goes - you gave it to Vernon. He furiously chews at a pace that you know probably isn't safe and with a large and rather painful-looking gulp his mouth is free of obstructions. "What did you just say?" his tone sounds more lightly confused but his face gives quiet anger more than anything.

"Hansol you heard me. Do you think I'm weird?" You speak very monotonously, a trait the two of you shared.

"Of course you're weird." He says it like it's a matter of fact. His expression completely drops into the deadpan face you're used to. He ignores how perplexed you look as he brings the dishes to the sink.

"And you're okay with that?" You ask out of genuine curiosity, you know that most people would outcast someone they think is weird - it's something you've often experienced at school and work. So if he thought you were strange then why would he stick around?

"Why wouldn't I be?" He looks up at you almost accusatorily as he scrubbed the dishes and put them to dry.

"I mean- It doesn't bother you at all that I'm abnormal or weird? I know people talk about how I sound or that I'm too... strange and stuff. It isn't lost on me but if you also know that then why do you stick around?" You let your words spill just wanting to get down to the root of the issue while escaping the heavy-handed approach of blurting out "Why would you want to be with someone you find weird?".

"Nope." That was his reply. His. Entire. Answer. Just "Nope." and then he picked his phone up from the table and went to sit in the living room. You know he saw your face as it contorted into even more confusion and bafflement but he ignored it!

You did the only sensible thing, of course, and immediately trailed him and sat right next to him, snatching his phone out of his hand as he opened up a game. You had his attention and yet he seemed confused? As if he wasn't the one who completely dodged your questioning before.

"Yes?"

"You have nothing else to say?"

He gave himself a moment to think, you thought for a millisecond that perhaps he's finally found a more appropriate answer, "Nope."

"Huh?" You shake your head completely bewildered. "You know I'm weird and you still want to be with me, why is that?"

"It's probably because I love you or something weird like that-" He turns to you as a blush sets in. Chuckling he gives a small pinch to your cheeks, fighting the cuteness aggression he feels, "Don't think about it too much though, that's a fact you should already know about by now... I would hope you know about by now..." He tilts his head as he says that last part as if questioning if you really did know about his love after all this time.

Vernon's love for you was something you never questioned, even though he wasn't exactly the best at physically expressing it he always made sure to assure you through words, actions, or gifts. It was a bit odd honestly, like he had some sort of psychic powers to know what your needs are. Maybe...

"I think you're the weird one actually-" you start thinking out loud.

"Yeah? Maybe."

"And you accept that, Han?"

"Mhm." His answers are blunt and to the point, you have to wonder if he's just saying this to satisfy your curiosity- "I'm not just saying that by the way. I know that I'm weird, babe."

"You a wizard?" He squints as he looks at you, waiting for clarification, "You read my mind like one."

"Nope, I'm just a really good boyfriend I think." He relaxes into the couch, pulling you onto his lap and retrieving his phone from your grasp.

"So we're both just weird and we both just have to accept that?"

"Looks like it, babe."

"huh..." You ponder on it for a moment as your eyes look around your shared apartment. Shelves filled with knick-knacks of yours, pillows in the shape of cartoon characters, anime on the TV currently... "Yeah, okay." You retract your worry as quick as it came, it was an absurd thought that you let yourself get caught up in any way. You wrap your arms around his neck, leaning your head against his shoulder as you watch him play his game.

"Hansol?"

"What?"

"Why am I seeing a half-naked man on your screen right now?"

"That is my current boyfriend, Sylus."

You look at him and raise an eyebrow, he meets your nebulous expression with a peck on the lips. "You are weird, Han."

"I know baby. It's honestly weirder that you heard me say all of that and that's your only reaction."

A/N: Hahaha totally not something to sate you guys as I continue working on the Cheol angst fic... (Please help me I'm 3000 words in and still haven't gotten through half of my bullet points) Tbf I did say it was gonna be long though... First Vernon fic though! Plus comeback around the corner, yeah let's all talk about all the whiplash that's been going on in Caratland rn...

Please Reblog and Comment (They act as power-ups for me)

Taglist (OPEN): @bemybabiibish @bath1lda @porridgesblog

[restinslices]

Angst Idea: Headcanons or one shot is up to you; but the idea of Bi-Han’s kid died awhile ago prior to the games events(probably do to a rival clan wanting to take out the next heir of the clan) and it fuels a lot of his resentment towards liu Kang and stuff. It’s not until he meets one of the versions of his kid from a different timlime( probably during Khaos regins or during one of the many invasion seasons) and he ends up desperately trying to connect with this version of his kid even if it’s not really his original version of them.

Oh this is delicious.

I'm writing this on the tumblr website so I can’t check the word count, soooo to prevent this from being stupidly long, Imma split this into two parts (if ya’ll want the next part).

CW: Angst, child death, non canon storyline

(He so damn fine. The red flags just looking like flags~)

Bi-Han knew he had his faults. He was ill tempered, dishonest, untrusting, held grudges, the list could go on and on. All those flaws disappeared when he was around a special someone, tossed in the wind and floating about, waiting until he was away from them.

He wouldn't blame anyone for assuming he'd be a strict father who took issue with everything his child did. He knew Kuai Liang and Tomas assumed he'd be just like that, only to be surprised when he proved himself to be the gentlest of souls when it came to his baby.

"Aw man!" The seven year old pouted as they kicked at a rock, "okay, you hide next and I'll try to find you!". Hide and Seek had been their favorite game for years now, for reasons he didn't know. He just chalked it up to one of the many things they found intriguing that he personally didn't care for. They covered their eyes with their hands, "one! Two! Three-!

Bi-Han's rough hands pulled theirs from their eyes, "playtime is over". He had already let them skip out on the last hour of their lessons. He had to be somewhat sensible and at least get them to bed on time. "We'll play again tomorrow"

"But I wanna play now"

"Yeah? Well-"

A gasp followed by a squeal left them, which honestly could've meant a number a things. Children were excitable by nature but he swore they had more energy than any normal child did.

"Daddy look!" his eyes followed where they pointed, eventually seeing…

A butterfly.

A butterfly?

That's what got them excited? "Isn't it pretty?

Not necessarily. It was just a butterfly. A little insect with wings. Whatever caused them to squeal, he didn't see it. But he also wasn't a child anymore. His mind had been reigned in by the reality of being an adult long ago, his childish wonder dripping out of him until there was nothing left. "It's a butterfly"

"But isn't it pretty?". He shrugged. "You don't like butterflies?

"I don't care for them"

"Why not?

"I just don't. Come on, let's go home"

His extended hand went ignored, his child instead choosing to slowly approach the flower the butterfly sat on. "I think you should start liking butterflies. They're small, but small things keep us happy". Ugh, what cereal box did they read that from?

"I'll considerate it" he said, trying not to sound as uninterested as he actually was. "Let's go home"

"Hey dad" you looked over at him, "I'm gonna make history when I'm Grandmaster. Wanna know how?

Hmm... Your intellect maybe? You'll be known as the wisest Grandmaster the Lin Kuei have had so far. Or maybe your strength. You'll crush the bones in someone's body without even thinking. Or maybe you'll be fast enough to kill 1000 men within the blink of an eye. Or maybe-

"I'm gonna be happy"

Happy? How would being happy make history?

"Grandpa was pretty grumpy sometimes. You are too. Maybe Grandmasters are always grumpy. I won't be though. I'm gonna be the very first happy Grandmaster. You wanna know how?". You fully turned to face him, arms outstretched "like this. I'll have open arms"

As smart as Bi-Han was, you had fully lost him by now. "Open arms?

You nodded, "yeah. That means I won't be all angry and violent all the time. I'll be kind. That's what I wanna be when I grow up; kind. I think everyone would be a lot more happier if everyone was kind. Everyone doesn't have to be sad and angry". The butterfly began to flutter away, catching your attention. "Maybe I'll inspire others to greet the world with open arms. You think I can do that?”

No. As harsh as it sounded, Bi-Han knew what you wanted was impossible. People would always yell, fight and kill. The world would continue to be ugly because that's just how the world was. There was no "greeting the world with open arms". That wasn't realistic. No Grandmaster was happy because being a Grandmaster meant carrying a heavy burden. You'd see.

But he couldn't tell you that. You looked too sweet and innocent, eyes full of light when thinking about a future that couldn't be.

"I think... " he began, setting his hand down on your shoulder. "I think you can do whatever you set your mind to"

That smile was worth the lie.

"Can we play one more round of hide and seek before we go home? Please please please? I won't even choose a super good hiding spot, and we can use the clap rules! Please please please please pleeeeeasssee?”

No! You need to get to bed!

"Alright, fine"

Dammit Bi-Han. Just one more round, then you'd be off to bed. Then he swore he'd be more strict with you.

"Close your eyes!”

Yeah yeah, he knew how the game went. He closed his eyes before covering them with his hands (because you always sword he was peeking if he didn't cover his eyes), then counted loudly. 1, 2, 3, he shouted each number until he got to 10. "First clap!”

Clap clap!

East.

His feet carried him while his eyes scanned the area. The faster he found you, the faster you could both be inside. He wouldn't admit it, but damn, he was tired. A mix of both physical and mental exhaustion, but he tried his best to hide all that from you.

"Second clap!”

He waited a bit.

Silence.

"Second clap!" he shouted louder. Still, all he got was silence in return. There was no way you didn't hear him. You always heard him when he called for you. "Clap or we're going home!".

More silence.

Then a ear piercing scream.

"DAD, HELP!”

You were a jokester, yeah, but this was no prank. You'd never play like this with him, and that scream, it was of genuine horror. It was a tone he had never heard you use before. A tone that scared the hell out of him, and caused him to run in the direction where he last heard you clap.

He kept running, calling out for you, heart thumping faster than it ever had before. A snake. Let it be a snake that frightened you. Or a spider. Anything but you actually being harmed. “WHERE ARE YOU?!”.

“DAD!”.

He was getting closer.

He could hear you crying.

All these stupid fucking trees were in his way. He kept having to finagle his way through them, which only added to his panic. Seconds wasted on trying not to run straight into one. “I’M COMING!”.

“DAD!”

“I’M-“ he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw you. A nightmare. That’s what he wanted this to be. This couldn’t be real. You couldn’t actually be laying on the ground, blood seeping from the several stab wounds you had. How? He had just saw you!

Someone had been watching you. How hadn’t he noticed?!

“I have you” he ran to your side, heart tearing into two when he heard you cry in reaction to him sitting you up. “Daddy’s here. I have you”. Who would do this to you?! Who would attack a child just trying to play with their father?!

“I’m scared” you managed to get out in between your heavy breathing. So was he.

“Don’t be. I have you”.

“I don’t wanna die”.

“You won’t! I’ll get you home!”. You blinked, but it lasted too long. He had to get you home now! “Stay awake. I have you”. That’s all he wanted you to do. Just stay awake and let him get you help.

Your breathing changed almost at an instant. Your hyperventilating slowed, which was the exact opposite of what he wanted. “Dad…”.

Bi-Han watched as you let out your last breath.

Your eyes were still open, but they lacked the warmth from earlier. They were lifeless now, no light in sight. A smile no longer graced your face. There was no talk of open arms. There was no big speech like there was in the books he read as a child. You were just gone.

“Baby” he whispered, “wake up. Don’t- this is an order from your Grandmaster! Get up! GET UP!”. He shook you with all his might, but the dead didn’t follow orders. He rocked back and forth, your blood staining his clothes, his forehead on yours, letting out the most gut wrenching sobs he had ever let out in his entire life. When his mother died, he was sad, but he was comforted by the fact that she had lived a beautiful and long life. You were so young. You still had so much of the world to see. Shit, maybe you actually could’ve led some unnatural era of peace. He didn’t fucking know. All he knew was that it would never happen now.

His baby was gone. His beautiful sweetheart with a laugh as beautiful as the clouds in the sky, was gone.

You were just a corpse now.

~~

When Bi-Han found out that Liu Kang was the creator of this timeline, he wasn’t shocked like the others. He hadn’t seen it coming, but he felt something stronger than shock.

He felt rage.

As creator of this timeline, not only had he chosen to have the Lin Kuei remain mediocre, but he must’ve known that you would be killed.

“That’s not true” he tried to tell Bi-Han, “I am no puppet master. I had no idea that your child would die, and I didn’t plan for it to happen”.

“Then bring them back”.

“I can’t”.

Bullshit. He could do anything! He just refused to!

Liu Kang… he was the true traitor yet everyone was angry with Bi-Han?! He hadn’t meant for Sindel to die, but why was everyone upset by her death? What about his child? No one demanded justice for them! Even when their death was fresh, all these people who cried for Sindel, their “allies”, did nothing. Liu Kang could’ve burnt their rival clan down to the ground, but no! Bi-Han had to carry the weight of his grief, and somehow think straight enough to make a plan of attack. When he looked up from your corpse and spotted the pendant of his rival clan nearby, gods, he wanted everyone to die. And Liu Kang had the nerve to advise him to think on it first?! No!

“The innocent men, women and children-”

What about his child?!

That grudge was the wind beneath his wings, carrying him away from everyone he once called an ally. But it also carried him to what appeared to be his own destruction.

He was in an unfamiliar timeline now, woozy from the fight he was just in. Fine, maybe he should’ve made a better decision, but at least he was doing something! Liu Kang would probably have him be inactive as always!

But now he was in an even worse spot. In unfamiliar lands with a madman ranting about his need for anarchy. Black tendrils with sharp points came closer and closer to Bi-Han, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t afraid.

Then, there was a noise. A clattering on the ground.

Before Titan Havik could react, a sudden wave of ice filled the nearby area, freezing anyone with their feet touching the ground. Ice crawled up the nearby machines, but thankfully it didn’t stick the way it did to flesh.

“Move move move!”. Ugh, of all variants, it had to be Jonny Cage?

Johnny Cage in a military uniform? He needed a nap.

“How long do those bombs last?” Johnny asked, rushing over to Geras and freeing him from his confines.

“Long enough for us to get out of here!”.

That voice…

He was upside down, but he could still recognize the child approaching him. He heard that voice in his dreams and nightmares. Of course he’d recognize it.

“Hi dad”.

His baby.

TUMBLR PLS STOP DELETING RANDOM SHIT! THIS IS SUCH A RANDOM ASS GLITCH-

[mazeinthemiroh]

In desperate need of how SKZ would spoil their girlfriends and the gifts they’d get for them like…I feel like lixie’s love language is gift giving so he’s the type to drop half his paycheck on his s/o😩✋🏾

how stray kids would spoil their s/o

genre: fluff

warnings: none

please like and reblog if you enjoy! feel free to request anything <3

bangchan

not only will channie spoil you

he will literally refuse you buying ANYTHING

i just keep thinking of that one clip when he and felix were arguing about who got to pay for stuff at the convenience store... oh the chaos...

like he's so petty about it but it's like a need for him

he needs to buy you stuff

let him buy you stuff!!!

it's just a tendency for him. ingrained in his personality for sure; not something he can control

lee know

he honestly doesn't really think about it at all

in his mind, what's his is your

you want his money? take his freaking money lmfao

spoiling you and treating you to things comes as second nature to him and something he doesn't take much consideration to

it just feels right to buy you stuff you want, and he doesn't give it a second thought tbh

it's just really not that deep to him 🤷

changbin

this man has his wallet out permanently istg

just waiting to pay for things, credit card ready to swipe asap

he's always buying you stuff

just because

like there is no reason for it

maybe he likes being a provider, sure. or perhaps he likes you depending on him to an extent

idk whatever is going through this man's brain, i just think it's in his nature to want to spoil his loved ones

hyunjin

hyunne likes indulging your hobbies

if you are a bookworm, for instance, he will spend not only his money but his time carefully picking out books for you to enjoy

or if you are an artist like him, he will buy you all sorts of paints and pencils and sketchpads. you name it, he's getting you it!

also he has expensive taste, so when he wants to get you a fancy gift he is not stingy with that credit card of his

with him, if he's in love, why should he limit that love? if one way to show love is to get something you've been wanting for ages, why shouldn't he?

han

he would much rather he spend money on you than the other way round

not for traditional reasons or anything like that. more that he feels guilty, like he's not giving enough

he's a very generous soul but sometimes in relationships, he likes to just sit back and relax

and then he feels like he's not putting enough effort in so he over-compensates by spending a tone load of money on you

you reassure him that he is fine the way he is and doesn't have to do that but now it's become a habit he very much enjoys

felix

you are so incredibly right anon

i mean for felix is feel like all love languages fit him because he is basically the human incarnate of love but yeah

gift giving is one of them

felix loves buying gifts i know i have said this so many times in every single felix related content i write but he just can't stop buying stuff for other people

he loves spending money in general, so what better way to do that than spending money on gifts for the person he loves most?

seungmin

he's quite sensible with his money and only usually really buys something if he needs it

but spending money on you is a bit of a different story

he doesn't limit himself nor does he ask if you actually need that item you've been wanting to be. if you want it, you got it.

will literally ask for your wishlist and buy you everything off it, i'm not exaggerating

he's not one to beat around the bush, our seungmin! he goes straight to the point, as he should 💅

jeongin

jeongin is a reallyyyy good gift-buyer

he's perfectly balanced, really. he likes getting you gifts here and there, some of them are personal and others are expensive. he likes to get both kinds of gifts so that your heart is touched but also you get something a little fancy from him too <33

much like felix, he likes spending his money. and he feels he isn't being wasteful with it when he is buying you stuff because it makes you super happy aww

[heartbinn]

IN THE BATHROOM

or— taking a bath/shower with straykids!

Bangchan—!

-definitely bath baby. If by himself, he'd take showers, but if you two are in at the same time, expect a fluffy and slightly romantic bubble bath.

-you two would just stare at eachother, or, rather, he would stare at you, admiring you, and sometimes praising your looks.

-its free moments like these when he gets to express how he feels about you, and each time, he slowly falls more and more in love.

-it's very very rare that you two would get touchy while together, unless you want it. Channie either wants to appriciate the moment, or is too shy to do anything.

-you two would soak about atleast an hour, but really, its your choice when you get out. If you do, he follows you. Please give this man big hugs.

Leeknow—!

-do i even have to say anything..

-obviously shower. He'd argue back, wanting to use shower time for himself, but when you agree that he can wash you, its game on for him.

-and he'd make sure its sensible too, wouldnt just wash you but practically massage your body until he hears even the slightest sound from your mouth. He'd grip at your skin gently, squeezing anywhere he finds a little bodyfat. He loves your body and he kets you know.

-of course, you'd argue to wash him too, and after he finally says yes, he'd tease you about it until you dont want to do it anymore. Its just his way.

-maximum 20 minutes in the shower, he'd rather have you in bed.

Changbin—!

-oh he'd be embarassed.. he'd look at you over his shoulder with that little smile he has, and would spend just 15 minutes figuring out of he wants a bubble bath, so you cant see anything, or a shower, so you can see everything.

-well, even so he couldn't decide, you just dragged him to shower beacuse it's easier.

-and could you look anywhere but his muscles? Well..yknow the answer but really no. When you finally reach up and squeeze his bicep a little, he would jump from being sensitive, almost that he'd fall over.

-so babygirl, dont let him break his bones. Take a clear bath next time~

-overall about 25-30 minutes of bickering over eachother until one of you almost slips.

Hyunjin—!

-now.. its either he'd be really really really romantic during a bath or.. just straight up a menace.

-if he feels romantic, he'll have rose petals and shi floating in the water with a glass of wine like sudhsjdhusjdhdb baby

-but then..... if he feels lazy or just tired, he'd have fun in poking at your stomach and side, especially if you're ticklish. From here, when you wanna leave, he'll either pull you back and apologize or tease you for 'not handling his habits.

-don't blame you, he'd be annoyed too. But he just loves how you get all fussy at him.

-he'd come crawling back though

-baths either last two hours or two minutes, you can guess why.

Han—!

-another menace, kinda worse but better.

-absolutely baths. Dont make him convince you to wash his hair, he'd whimper intentionally, enjoying your red face. Its all fun until you pull on his hair. He loves teasing you but knows when to shut up.

-but he's still so cute. Give him little spikes while he has conditioner on his hair and watch him get whiny. Cutie.

-but he'd wash your hair in return too, suddenly understanding why you love massaging his scalp soooo much.

-baby boy, baths last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.

Felix—!

-shower boy like ugh so cute just standing there

-he probably wouldnt go in with you but just join you without a word. He's still respectful, doesnt look down if he hasnt seen you naked before, and only with permission.

-once he actually does get permission, he wont keep his hands to himself at all.

-so you either never get intimate in the shower, or every day. Even if you do, he's careful to hold you and himself both steady not to slip or fall, but eventually you'd get used to it.

-well, depending on what you let him it can be 10 minutes or 10 years(jk but about 30 mins, he'd switch to the bed after one round)

Seungmin—!

-if you manage to get in the shower with him, you deserve a reward.

-bro is an absolute menace, he'd lock the door, and would have long long showers himself.

-when you do get in with him, he'd be quiet and embarassed, just muttering to himself, until you help him wash his back or something. He'd hold you for some moments while the water just falls at you both.

-wont say anything but genuinely loves these moments. He's a quiet boy then.

-depending on his mood 5 to 15 minutes.

I.N—!

-the exact opposite, he wants you in the shower with him.

-like he'll actually beg you until you agree. He'd wash you, you'd wash him, everything would be smooth and movie like. Lets hope none of you slip.

-but he'd get tired from the warm water and you next to him, so showers are not longet than 10 minutes.

-after, you'd just cuddle next to a soft movie. He's a normal silly guy but has so much in him to love.

[cityofjieun]

★ . . . . -ˏˋ 2KIDS ROOMˊˎ | EP. 3 - JIA x HAN

date: february 2022 era: maniac word count: 1.4K

a/n: this took a lot longer than i planned and i'm not sure if i like it but if i don't post it now i literally never will. 2 ji is a realtionship thats very dear to me so i hope i did them justice. please lemme know what you think 🙇🏽‍♀️

THE 2KR INTRO PLAYS, FEATURING A COMPILATION OF THE TWO GIGGLING AT EACH OTHER’S EXPENSE, THE OTHER MEMBER USUALLY STARING BLANKLY OR STRUGGLING TO NOT RETURN THE SMILE.

HAN: [sitting on the couch by himself, looking off camera] are you going to come over here so we can start or are you going to stall a little longer?

JIA: [OFF CAMERA] i’m waiting for manager-nim to find the clause in my contract that says i wouldn't have to film with han-ssi outside of group schedules... i think this is a mistake.

HAN: [GIGGLING BUT LOOKING TOWARD THE CAMERA] do you see how difficult jia-nim is… aish, she’s caught the celebrity disease.

JIA: and you would know all about that, oppa-nim [ SITTING DOWN ON THE COUCH ] i mean, you caught it before you were even famous.

HAN: okay, moving on!

꩜

SEUNGMIN: han and jia.

FELIX: they’re like oil and vinegar.

CHANGBIN: in what way??

CHAN: they don’t mix necessarily, but they still go together well.

[ FELIX HUMS IN AGREEMENT ]

꩜

JIA: [ CLAPS ] chidongz 2kids room!

HAN: i still don't know how to feel about that?

JIA: you learn to live with it, i mean it’s a cuter way of calling us rodents…

HAN: [SIGHS]

JIA: anyways, when was the last time we hung out, han-ssi?

HAN: i remember we watched that j-drama you saw on tiktok together but i can’t exactly remember when that was. i see you so much that it kind of blurs together.

JIA: honestly, we are together a lot. you are a homebody, so we don’t actually go out as much as i wish we would, but we usually hang out together at the dorms.

꩜

HYUNJIN: have you noticed that they always tend to end up at our dorm?

JEONGIN: which is interesting, because you'd think jisung-hyung would just come over to ours more because jieun and lino-hyung are there and he could kill two birds with one stone.

[ THE TWO LAUGH]

MINHO: ??

HYUNJIN: that gives him too much credit, it's too sensible.

MINHO: [POINTEDLY IGNORING HYUNJIN] i think it's because jisung-ah thrives in his own personal space, while being home for too long might make jieunnie feel a bit trapped.

꩜

HAN: but we did go out recently to... [TRAILING OFF] umm… what was it…

JIA: [CUTTING HIM OFF] so the time we spend together means nothing.

HAN: stop.

[ THEY STOP LOOKING AT EACH OTHER SERIOUSLY FOR A MOMENT BEFORE JISUNG BREAK INTO LAUGHTER FOLLOWED BY JIEUN ]

JIA: anyways! we went to a cafe in hannam-dong i really wanted to try. i saw it in yoon seung-ah’s vlogs. they’re known for their bagels and that location specifically has a pretty view of the river so i wanted to take insta pictures.

HAN: OH! and we got lost trying to find it?

JIA: because you insisted, we didn't need directions. HAN: [ROLLS EYES] hey, we found it eventually, didn't we? JIA: after wandering around for an hour! by the time we got there the wait was insane.

HAN: [UNDER HIS BREATH] yeah and the bagels were a bit mid for how long we waited.

JIA: we wouldn’t have had to so long if some had gotten up when i told him to originally AND actually used his phone maps [WACKING HIS SHOULDER TO EMPHAZISE HER POINT]

[THE TWO START TO BAT AT EACH OTHER BEFORE THE SCENCE CUTS]

JIA: i think we should go on a trip together next time we have a vacation. we’ve never gone anywhere just the two of us like that it could be fun.

HAN: a vacation with you….

JIA: what’s that supposed to mean???

HAN: i’m kidding i’m kidding

JIA: yeah sure.

HAN: you are very J so you would make a whole itinerary, wouldn’t you?

JIA: i think having a general plan of what you want to do make sure you get to make the most of you time

HAN: hmmm sure...where would we even go?[THINKING] Japan could be fun. Lots of great food, and it's a short trip. What about you?

JIA: [SMILES] Japan sounds fun. But I'd say Europe. We could explore so many different countries and cultures. I’d love to be able to use my french.

HAN: oh, i have an interesting question, what would we do if the other disappeared.

JIA: oh, this gets a bit serious.

HAN: [SERIOUS] it's funny because i think with any other member, i think i’d want to let them have their space because obviously if they run away, it's for some reason and they want to be alone. but i think if you were so upset that you’d isolate yourself, i’d have to check on you immediately. [ TOWARDS THE CAMERA TO AVOID EYE CONTACT WITH JIEUN ] she isn't someone that likes to be by herself, alone time isn’t really something she seeks because she thrives around others, so i think if she's going out of her way to be by herself like that something is really wrong.

JIA: [A BIT STARTLED AT HIS SERIOUSNESS, AS WELL AS THE SLIGHT READ] aww ji…[POKING HIS ARM] i think i'd obviously want to respect the fact that hanji wanted time alone, but i'd have to check in at some point. [SHE PEEKS AT JISUNG BEFORE CONTINUING A BIT BASHFULLY] i know we have very different social batteries, and hanji is pretty good about just letting me know when he needs some time to himself. but i think if he was to go off and not respond i’d be worried.”

꩜

CHAN: honestly, i think out of everyone, jieun has opened up to han the most, besides seungmin.

FELIX: which is interesting because they’re so different.

[THE FOUR MURMUR IN AGREEMENT]

SEUNGMIN: i think they get on so well because they’re aware of how different they are.

CHANGBIN: oh absolutely. the two used to clash a lot, and i think they came to a point where they had to understand how they were different, and what accommodations they need to make to understand the other better.

CHAN: wahh changbin, you're so insightful.

꩜

[SENTIMENTAL SILENCE]

JIA: this may be the only time i every admit to this, but sometimes i wish i were more like you in some ways

HAN: in what ways?

JIA: i mean, like you said earlier i’m not one who enjoys being by themselves. i think when i'm alone for too long i begin to think too hard and get into my own head. honestly, i think not being able to properly spend time alone with myself is a bit unhealthy. i kinda admire the fact that you are capable of being on your own and enjoy your own company.

꩜

MINHO: i’ve been trying to get jieunnie to understand that it’s not wrong to want to be around others and have companionship, it's an innately human thing, you know.

HYUNJIN: she’s a lot like changbin-hyung. he likes to just sit in my room with me to just be there.

JEONGIN: [GIGGLING TO HIMSELF] well, that's because it's you and changbin hyung…

HYUNJIN: …

꩜

JIA: skz-gi behind the camera look like they want us to start wrapping up

HAN: any final words?

[JIA HUMS, SEEMINGLY WEIGHING SOMETHING BACK AND FORTH IN HER MIND, BEFORE SIGHING AND GRABBING ONE OF JISUNGS HANDS]

JIA: i know i don’t say this often but thank you.

HAN: what for?

JIA: being my person i guess? you have always worked really hard to understand me, as well as help me understand myself. i’m so grateful to have a friend like you in my life and i’m so happy i get to live out my childhood dreams with my best friend.

HAN: jieun...

JIA: hey, let me finish. thank you for growing with me thus far, and I'm so excited to see where we go... together.

HAN: jieunnie..

JIA: if you cry so will I

HAN: thank you for understanding me as well. i know i haven't always been the easiest to deal with but y

[ THE TWO SIT IN SILENCE FOR A MOMENT, SOAKING IN JIEUN'S BEFORE JISUNG CLEARS HIS THROAT. THE SOUND MAKES JIEUN SNICKER FOR A MOMENT BEFORE THE TWO DISSOLVES INTO SILENT TEARS. THE VIDEO CUTS TO THE TWO, LESS TEARY BUT NOSES OBVIOUSLY A LITTLE STUFFY]

JIA: well, this was fun.

HAN: should we take our picture and head out?

JIA: yes please [END]

©︎ cityofjieun, all rights reserved. pls, do not copy or repost my work.

[esuemmanuel]

For someone who is extremely sensitive, solitude is more attractive than anything else, because in solitude one is safe; there are no words or attitudes of others that hurt, that is why I love solitude and that is why I take care of it. It has never been easy for me to ignore others, that is why I prefer to exclude myself and shut myself away. In here, in my hiding place, no one touches me, no one reaches me and I don't bother anyone. Sometimes, I would like to stay here forever, just with myself and my imaginary friends; they will never make me feel bad. I don't know how I got here or how I managed not to disappear. I have been hurt by many things, many people, and yet I am still here, what am I looking for? what do I hope for? what do I want? what? "For many, solitude is sad. For me, the world is sad." In solitude you don't have to pretend anything, since you don't have to impress anyone, nor convince or be liked. In solitude you are simply you. Instantaneous, transparent, authentic, sincere and real, while in the world, in front of others, you always have to give in, and this means hiding, covering up, taking care of yourself, and pretending; pretending a lot, pretending just enough to "keep the party in peace". Actually, I don't like being approached by people, not when their intentions are not kind, let alone good. If you're going to approach me, do it with your heart in your hand. If not, don't even dare. And it's not a threat, it's just that… I do feel, I do hurt, I do care.

Para alguien extremadamente sensible es más atrayente la soledad que cualquier cosa, pues en ésta se está a salvo; no hay palabras ni actitudes ajenas que duelan, por eso amo la soledad y por eso la cuido.

Nunca ha sido fácil para mí ignorar a los demás, por eso prefiero excluirme y encerrarme. Aquí dentro, en mi escondite, nadie me toca, nadie me alcanza ni yo incomodo o molesto a nadie. A veces, quisiera quedarme aquí para siempre, solo conmigo y mis amigos imaginarios; estos nunca me harán sentir mal.

No sé cómo es que he llegado hasta aquí ni cómo le he hecho para no desaparecer. Me han dolido muchas cosas, mucha gente y, sin embargo, sigo aquí, ¿qué busco? ¿Qué espero? ¿Qué quiero? ¿Qué?

"Para muchos es triste la soledad. Para mí, es triste el mundo."

En soledad no tienes que aparentar nada, ya que a nadie tienes que impresionar, tampoco convencer o caer bien. En soledad eres, simplemente, tú. Instantáneo, transparente, auténtico, sincero y real, mientras que, en el mundo, frente a los demás, siempre tienes que ceder y esto conlleva ocultarte, cubrirte, cuidarte y fingir, fingir mucho, fingir lo suficiente para "mantener la fiesta en paz".

En realidad, no me gusta que se me acerque la gente, no cuando sus intenciones no son amables ni mucho menos buenas. Si vas a acercarte a mí, hazlo con el corazón en la mano. Si no, mejor ni te atrevas. Y no es amenaza, es que… yo sí siento, a mí sí me duele, a mí sí me importa.

[cellarspider]

6/30 The road to hell

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We return to the movie equivalent of an incompletely-assembled Ikea PAX / BERGSBO wardrobe surrounded by chips of particle board and eight thousand extra screws, Prometheus.

If that analogy made sense to anybody, congratulations! You too are succumbing to The Madness.

Content warnings for terrible archaeology, terrible chemistry, and blunt force trauma to the audience with a piece of exposition.

Increasingly extensive alt-text ramblings include the logistics of securing items in moving craft, linguistics, atmospheric science, colorblind-friendly diagram design, swearing about orology, and cursing the crew for their fictional crimes against archaeology.

Many on Tumblr are familiar with Chekhov’s Gun, a piece of writing advice that calls for economy of storytelling: if you mention a loaded gun in your story, it should go off at some point. Sergius Shchukin phrased it this way: “Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say in the first act that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third act it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there." 

So Prometheus takes the rifle down off the wall and smashes you over the head with it, just to make sure you saw it.

CH: “Wow, nice place.” D: “It's actually a separate module with its own self-contained life support. Air, food. Anything Miss Vickers would need to survive a hostile environment.” CH: “Okay, so she lives on a lifeboat.” MV: “Yes. I do. I like to minimize risk.”

Gee. I wonder if Vickers’ lifeboat living quarters will become relevant later.

Then, Chekhov’s rifle hits us with its next flurry of blows.

“Charlie, look. It's a Pauling Med-Pod. They only made a dozen of these.”

Gee. I wonder if the Pauling Med-Pod–-yes of course it’s going to be relevant later

You want a movie where a literal Chekhov’s gun gets fired off, along with Chekov’s crossword puzzle, Chekov’s ketchup packet, Chekhov’s swan, and Chekhov’s farmer’s mum, Chekhov’s everything all weaving back together again in a beautiful symphony of hilarious violence? Watch Hot Fuzz! Do it! Just watch Hot Fuzz! Not Prometheus!

I have said it before and I say it now, this movie is TERRIBLE at providing the audience with plot-relevant information. It hits you like head trauma. It bellows at you like Hans Zimmer has his entire orchestra hiding behind your chair, ready to let loose with an Inception Noise.

Vickers is here to make David mix drinks and to be a Corpo Ice Queen who demands that the team not make any direct contact with any alien life they find while they’re here. She doesn’t think they will, though. She thinks Weyland was delusional. But she’s the one in charge of the company money, so she’s the boss here.

Which begs the question of why she’s here at all, rather than back on Earth. This is actually a plot point, but because it’s not explicitly called out like the LIFEBOAT with the PAULING MED-POD, and everyone else has acted like loons anyway, it does not stand out. It just seems like another dollop of irrational behavior in the unpalatable stew of these characters.

However, Vicker’s demand that no direct contact be made? Very sensible! In fact, this was the point in the movie where I distinctly remember thinking in the theater “wait, they don’t have a first contact protocol already?” 

Like, Vickers doesn’t think that anything’s going to happen, but there’s enough of a chance that she’s giving orders not to engage. The sum total of their formal first contact attempt was yeeting a cultural message packet at the planet while in-transit to see if they got any response. The only one who appears to have been preparing was David–he basically spent the last two years learning comparative linguistics, with the aim of acting as a translator, should they get that far. That’s a sound choice, though its actual implementation is going to leave me incensed later.

But that still doesn’t answer the question of what they’re planning to do. Weyland certainly believed that they were going to meet aliens here. He’s arrogant enough to have demanded this whole project happen, and he didn’t have anything to say about what should be said if they made contact without him? 

This is, possibly, a plot point. But everything else that happens around this in the next five minutes is pure, howling madness.

Because they’re immediately descending into the atmosphere of this alien world.

This is too fast. In Alien, they landed on-planet to check out a possible distress signal, and it was a goddamn pain in their collective ass that they were only doing out of legal responsibility. In Aliens, they were a bunch of hopped-up marines ready to go shoot bugs. 

These are, again, scientists. The team leads are archaeologists! Aerial archaeology is a thriving field today that’s only going to get more useful as technology improves! There is no sense that they’ve done any scans, they don’t even know what the atmosphere is made out of, something we, right now, can already determine about exoplanets. Really! We can! 

We are explicitly told, in fact, that all this is happening within the same day as everyone waking up. The events of this movie appear to happen over two days, maybe three at the max.

And now, Spider yells at cloud. Or rather, the atmosphere.

The movie claims that if you spend two minutes on the surface without an oxygen supply, you’re dead. Why? Atmospheric CO₂ is over 3%.

Now, 3% CO₂ is not a fun time, and you will definitely experience weird physical and cognitive effects. But if you hang out in 3-5% CO₂, you’re going to be pretty okay for anywhere from four hours to over a month. 

What I've heard consistently is speculation that the movie meant carbon monoxide levels at 3%, which, yeah, that'll kill ya. In fact 2-3 breaths of 1.28% CO makes people pass out and die within under three minutes. 0.01% CO is enough to result in headaches and memory problems, as one redditor demonstrated to the internet back in 2015. 

But no. For whatever reason, the movie script says “CO₂”. Consistently.

And now, we get to the bit that had me screeching under my breath in the theater. Most people who saw Prometheus lost their sympathy for the human characters about 5-20 minutes after this point. I was ahead of the curve. I hated these characters before it was cool. Because they see a structure. They see what looks like roads.

Holloway, who I remind you all, claims to be an archaeologist, demands they set the ship down on one of those roads.

Let me tell you all a story. A few years before this movie first blighted me, I signed up for an archaeological field course. The university offering it didn’t have a dig permit lined up for the year I went, but their campus was in an area that had seen continuous human habitation for at least 15,000 years. They scouted out a bit of lawn, we cut the turf, and started digging. 

A week or two into the dig, we realized that the top layers were probably modern infill, dirt that had been trucked in from somewhere and completely jumbled. We started hacking away at it with mattocks to get down to the actual archaeology, which was delayed by a day or two when I struck 1940s asphalt. 

Like, literally struck it with my mattock. It felt like biting down on aluminum foil, but spread out over my hands to my shoulders. The professors rented a small mechanical digger to tear up the old car park, and also some of the plywood on the sides of our trench by accident. I have never seen a bunch of professors so gleeful about being turned loose on heavy machinery.

But finally, we got to what we were there for. A bunch of 13th century houses, and a Roman road.

I remember we made sure there was photo documentation that captured every fucking pebble on the medieval surface of that road, before we dug in. We were encouraged to sketch it, too. We took precise GPS coordinates of where the edge of the road started. We sifted through the road surface as we dug it up, finding dozens of tiny artifacts, because centuries of people had tossed little bits of trash onto the road, lost things out of their pockets and pouches, all the random little events that might happen on a stretch of road two minutes' walk from the parish church. 

I remember one student found the metal tag off of a horse’s bridle, that would’ve been used to identify it with its owner’s mark. Another found an 800 year old silver coin, tarnished on one side and perfectly, shiningly pristine on the other. It was beautiful.

And over and over, we were told: “A road is a find.” A road itself is history. A road is a place shaped by human hands, where humans have lived their lives. We can learn a lot from roads.

And that was what I was whispering at the screen in the theater, increasingly incensed. “A road is a find. A road is a find. A road is a find!!”

I was ready to reach through the screen and strangle that motherfucker Holloway from this moment on. The movie had lost me fully. Not because of this moment in isolation–if the rest of it had been consistently competent, I would have sighed and done my best to hold onto suspension of disbelief. But the drip feed of problem after problem had taken me from open and interested in the movie to actively spiteful in about 30 minutes or less.

So, fine. The movie seemed determined to make me watch a bunch of unprepared morons stumble to their deaths. Usually, this sort of movie doesn’t appeal to me. I don’t find much use for the kind of movie where you’re supposed to feel antipathy toward the main cast, as a free pass to watch them suffer. It’s why I still haven’t seen Alien Covenant. But I had been unexpectedly ambushed by just such a movie, and I was rooting for whatever horrors awaited them.

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Citations for alt text rambling:

1. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/bane-vs-pink-guy--2

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions 

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulonimbus_incus 

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n_line

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Everest

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympus_Mons

[amethystina]

"Han fattas mig."

One of the compliments I often get on my writing is just that — my writing. My word choices, my sentence structure, my imagery, my rhythm, my originality, etc. Now, I never thought I'd reach a point where I’d become that good at the craft itself, especially not in a language that's not even my native tongue. Partly because of imposter syndrome but also because I'm usually such a perfectionist that I never thought I’d dare to write something that doesn't strictly and stiltedly follow the rules.

Sentence fragments? Words used in unusual contexts? Odd or highly specific imagery? No can do!

Except, clearly, I can. I should, even.

And I want to share one of the monumental pieces of writing that made me realise that. And it’s not even a whole work. It's just one sentence, really:

"Han fattas mig."

Now, that probably looks a bit weird to those of you who don't understand Swedish, so let me explain.

That's a quote from the children's book Ronja the Robber's Daughter written by the famous Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. It was published back in 1981 and while I didn't actually read the book as a kid, I DID watch the Swedish live-action movie many times. But, even then, it took until my adult years to fully grasp the utter and heart-breaking brilliance of that quote.

For some context, the book/movie is about Ronja who, surprise surprise, is the young daughter of a robber chief. That quote is said by her father, Mattis, when one of the old robbers of their clan suddenly dies. Now, this old robber, Skalle-Per (uh... I guess the translation would be Bald Pete?), is clearly a father figure for Mattis. A wise old man who, while gloriously snarky, is also incredibly nurturing and emotionally mature. Which stands in stark contrast to Mattis who is the somewhat traditionally dominant, macho man. He HAS to be, on account of being the chief for a clan of rough and tough robbers. They, in many ways, complete each other, where Skalle-Per is kind, thoughtful, and sensible while Mattis is brash, violent, and impulsive.

Now, predictably, when Skalle-Per dies, Mattis throws a full-on tantrum. The kind that shows just how inexperienced he is with dealing with emotions without Skalle-Per to help him work through them. And, since the whole problem is that Skalle-Per is now dead? Mattis has absolutely no idea what to do.

He starts pacing back and forth, crying, flailing his arms, and yelling things like: "He's always been here! He's always existed, and now he doesn't!" And no amount of calming words from his wife soothes him and, eventually, he says that line:

"Han fattas mig."

And there is no direct translation I can give you that fully conveys the amount of raw, almost childlike, grief in that one sentence. This sentence was the one that made me realise that following the rules doesn't matter because, strictly speaking, this one doesn't. The words used are unusual to the point where they're even a little odd at first glance but, once you look deeper, also so incredibly impactful.

The rough translation would probably be "I miss him" but, as said, that doesn't convey the sheer desperation that those words do in Swedish. First of all, it throws the words around, completely changing the focus and weight of the sentence. "Han" is "he" and "mig" is "I." So saying "I miss him" reverses the order where the emphasis SHOULD be put on "him" but the main subject of the sentence now becomes "I" (i.e. less about the loss and more about how "I" am feeling). In “Han fattas mig” the “he” is the most important part.

Second, you have the word "fattas" which, yes, directly translated means "missing." But not the kind of missing that we Swedes normally use for grief. We have another word for that called "saknar." If you miss someone who has died, you'd say: "Jag saknar honom." Which is basically the same as the English “I miss him.” The word "fattas" is for a completely different context — a much more mundane one, with almost no emotional stakes. It's what we use when a piece is missing or something is lacking a required component. Kind of like you would say: "This stew is missing something" when it doesn't taste the way you want it to. But it can also mean "lost" as in "there's one puzzle piece missing."

So when Mattis says those words, he doesn't say "I miss him." He's saying: "He is a part of me and he is now missing," and "he is a part of me and I lost him," and "he is a part of me and now there is a hole where he used to be."

He is saying: "I will never be complete again."

Because "fattas" is also the word we use when something is missing and the thing won't be complete until you add it/return it/get it back. And, in this case, since the man in question is dead, you know Mattis will never get that chance. He will never be whole again. Which, sure, is a rather terrifying take on grief, but also not an untrue one. Grief will lessen over time, but the loss will still be there.

And this isn't me doing some sort of complex linguistic analysis — I don't have to. Because it's all there. It's so simple yet so effective. And yet, somehow, no one had really thought to use the word "fattas" to describe grief before. Because it's just a simple and mundane word we use for entirely different things, not big, painful emotions, right? Except Astrid Lindgren did. And while she no doubt did so to make it easier for children to grasp the concept — since most kids can relate to the feeling of losing something in the context of "fattas," which is much more direct and real than the elusive emotion of "saknar" — it also changes how an adult can view grief and loss.

Not even "I lost him" can fully encompass the absolute BRUTALITY of the grief found in the sentence "Han fattas mig."

And that is why I give fewer and fewer fucks about the rules. Now, obviously, I doubt I'll ever come up with something as brilliant as this sentence (it honestly rocks me to my core sometimes) BUT it's worth trying. It's worth being creative and experiment with the words you know and in what order you place them. Just maybe, you'll end up with something really cool. That's not to say you should ignore any and all rules, but it's okay to play around. It's okay to do the unexpected.

I think it's important to remember that. Writing is creative. We write to express things — to find ways to describe and explain complex emotions, grand adventures, and sweeping love stories. It connect us and gives us a way to share our experiences, thoughts, and feelings. And, sometimes, the set boundaries won't be enough. Sometimes, we might just need someone to look at how we describe grief and go: "I can make it simpler and, at the same time, so much more painful."

And it doesn't always have to be complex. It doesn't have to be difficult words and purple prose. Sometimes, all you need is three words so easy that a child can understand them and, somehow, you will describe a sense of loss so deep and so fundamental to that character that you KNOW that they will never be the same ever again.

So experiment. Be bold. And, above all else, have fun.

And, one final heart-wrenching fact to wrap this all up: The actor who played Skalle-Per — Allan Edwall — was in almost ALL of the movies/shows based on Astrid Lindgren's books. He played different roles, of course, but he was a staple — synonymous with her works. And, when the actor died back in 1997, Astrid Lindgren was asked how she was handling the loss and her reply was the same as Mattis’s:

"Han fattas mig."

[cienie-isengardu]

I feel like a lot of Kuai's clothes were just Bi-Han's hand-me-downs when Bi-Han got too big and they just threw it at Kuai since Kuai would be growing into it.

Not all of them were but I imagine a good portion of his clothes used to be Bi-Han's, especially before puberty.

I feel that will depend a lot on the timeline, socio-economic situation of Lin Kuei and how big the age gap is between brothers. 

For example, if in the new timeline Sub-Zero and Scorpion’s family is treated like a true Royals, then Kuai Liang as the second-in-line to the “throne”  is less likely to wear hand-down clothes, unless the cloth has traditional importance, like it happens with some items passed down from one generation to another. And that could be as much about Grandmaster and his wife’s wish to give only the best to their sons as much as a matter of prestige and upholding their social status. 

However, if despite the importance of the Grandmaster's role in leading the clan, Lin Kuei is in fact a large family unit first and foremost, with close personal bonds, I can see the clothes being handed down as a common practice - especially if the clan resources are limited. I mean, we hardly have any idea what Lin Kuei economy is based on in time of peace and there is something to say about Sub-Zero’s delight about spoils of war to which Scorpion did not disagree with the sole idea of spoils, only that they must first win the war.

Like, is Lin Kuei big enough to be a whole nation, with its industry, farming, cities and trade or do they live in isolated, self -sufficient society hidden from everyone else? Because to make clothes in the traditional way, you need specialized workers to hand -woven material in the first place, which takes time and a lot of hard work. The Lin Kuei brothers’ uniforms were most likely individually tailored which makes sense, as they are Grandmaster’s sons but also grown up and skilled men that worked hard to to be recognized as the warriors of the clan, but back in the time when they were children? It would be easier to store Bi-Han’s clothes until younger brothers grow up enough to wear them than to lose the limited material resources, as Kuai and presumably Tomas would outgrow the new clothes in a few months.

(Also, I’m speaking here from my family experiences, in which the clothes for babies and children were passed down between so many people over the course of years. So I’m here for Lin Kuei being the close-knit family that doesn’t mind hand down clothes between all the children as a way of supporting each other and providing the needed items. If Grandmaster’s family is a bigger unit, Bi-Han too could wear the hand down clothes before he grew up enough to get his own sets.)

Additionally, if Bi-Han and Kuai Liang (and Tomas) were close in age, the passing down of clothes feels natural and sensible. However if Bi-Han is older than 6-10 years or more, I don’t think his parents would store his baby/childhood clothes to collect dust and take up space in the closet, unless they planned to have another child at some point. 

As for the previous timelines, I think the situation is more complicated, because both Kuai Liang and Bi-Han were children forced into Lin Kuei. And a clan that kidnapped children to turn them into killers doesn’t sound like someone who would care what Bi-Han and Kuai Liang wished to wear or after whom they got their clothes.

The clan definitely provided its adepts with the necessary daily life items, but there is a question how much any of them actually owned anything? If adepts got the second-handed clothes and things were passed down between all children, both Kuai Liang and Bi-Han had a small chance to be given a choice what is given to them (unless the original timeline!father had a say in that regard). Could Bi-Han keep his old clothes, as in, have a place to store them for Kuai Liang when he was big enough to wear it? Could he even hand down his clothes in the first place, or would the clan treat it as mandatory equipment and "losing" anything were punished? I feel that in both original and alternative timelines none of the boys have a control over the clothes provided them by clan and if Lin Kuei practiced passing down clothes from one adept to another, as a cheaper and more pragmatic way in regard to fast growing up children, Kuai Liang may not necessary getting old Bi-Han’s clothes.

​

[rtrixie]

So what's your opinion of the new 'far right' party in Germany called 'Union of Values' started by somebody who sounds like a card-carrying member of the ultra-moderate CDU.

It’s something like the third or fourth party that has tried to establish itself in between CDU and AfD (albeit the first that wasn’t founded by disgruntled ex-AfD people who felt the party went too far right for their sensibilities), all of the previous ones disappeared straight into obscurity.

Werteunion used to be a group of conservatives in the CDU, which stuck around for years and years even after Merkel opened the borders and the CDU made it clear time and time again that they’re no longer welcome - these people have no political instinct whatsoever.

Party leader is Hans-Georg Maaßen, who used to be the head of Germanys political intelligence that among other things designated the identitarians as extremists, and another big figurehead (supposedly, it’s unclear what position he actually intends to hold), is Markus Krall, who habitually mistakes Twitter likes for real world political support for libertarianism.

This whole thing is the definition of politically useless when we have a real right with the AfD, but at least they are open to cooperating with them.

I don’t see it becoming relevant, even less so when their target demographic tends to vote Freie Wähler (essentially a provincial boomer party for people who don’t want wind turbines in their neighborhood that’s part of Bavaria’s governing coalition and at 2-3% in many other states).

Also AfD is steady in the polls despite the Wagenknecht party and recent “scandals”, so their support is less volatile than it was assumed for the longest time, and so the potential to poach voters from them should be rather limited as well.

[adragonsfriend]

Stars & Wars: Star Wars is Jane Austen, Actually

I have only read three of Jane Austen's books so there are lots of repitions and I may be missing some comparisons, but:

Anakin is Willoughby and/or Marrianne Dashwood (Sense & Sensibility) and/or Lydia Bennett (Pride & Prejudice)—Indecisive, generally good-hearted, stuck in his feelings, often disregards older sibling’s advice, dooms himself to a bad relationship because of his attachments, literally cannot get his priorities straight, constantly going through it

Obi-Wan is Elinor Dashwood (Sense & Sensibility)—Sensible, loves younger sibling a lot, knows what acting good looks like and does it pretty much all the time, tries to teach this to younger sibling, perhaps a touch repressed about own feelings, secretly always going through it

Padme is Marrianne Dashwood (Sense & Sensibility)—good hearted and very capable of good sense, a little stuck in her feelings, will realise a little late that her romantic partner has issues

Qui-gon is Mr. Bennet (Pride & Prejudice) and/or Mrs. Dashwood (Sense & Sensibility)—okay parent, cares a lot about the kids, missing lots of important things going on with the kids, often models bad habits for the kids

Beru Whitesun and Owen Lars are Mr. & Mrs. Gardiner (Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle) (Pride & Prejudice)—good hearted, competent people, care a lot about the kid, good life partners who are well matched and love each other

Bail and Breda Organa are also Mr. & Mrs. Gardiner (Elizabeth’s Aunt and uncle) (Pride & Prejudice)—good hearted, competent people, care a lot about the kid, good life partners who are well matched and love each other

Palpatine is Mr. Wickham (Pride & Prejudice)—pushes young vulnerable person to distrust and lie to the people who care about them and to make reckless decisions, in it for personal gain, incredible actor, ultimately liked by no one hated by everyone

Luke is Emma Woodhouse (Emma)—bored kid makes problems for local community through attempted enrichment activities, ultimately figures themself out through a combination of fuck around and find out and guidance from elders, ultimately competent and good hearted

Leia is Elinor Dashwood or Elizabeth Bennett (Pride & Prejudice)?—(not sure of this one), very cool, able to put her personal feelings aside, maybe a touch repressed, still grieving, very sensible and good hearted, willing to argue an/or insult at anytime

Han is Mr. Darcy and/or Mr. Bingley (Pride & Prejudice)—thinks he is above the rest of these fakers, is actually an extremely loyal friend and a bit of a simp, thinks leaving people he cares about is a good idea, comes back

C-3P0 is Mary Bennett (Pride & Prejudice)—likes rules, would prefer if everyone followed the rules, would like to have one single friend who could follow the rules.

R2-D2 is Kitty Bennett (Pride & Prejudice)—likes causing chaos, has a friend who is much worse, somehow always gets (follows friend) into situations

Yoda is Mr. Woodhouse (Emma’s father) (Emma)—eccentric old man with health issues, cares a lot about the kid, kid cares a lot about them, tries to give kid advice but is not listened to, turns out to have been right about several things

Mace Windu is Elinor Dashwood (Sense & Sensibility) and/or Charlotte Lucas (Pride & Prejudice)—very competent, working very hard within the system they are given, people ignore that they have feelings, all of their friends are more chaotic than them not because they wouldn’t like to also be chaotic sometimes but because someone has to be sensible around here

[meraki-yao]

25 Books for 2025

Thank you for tagging me rika!!! @almightaylor

To be honest I'm more of a re-reader than a reader but either way I do want to read more actual book this year, so these are the ones on my list:

The Odyssey (Currently Reading)

The Iliad (New)

Sense and Sensibility (New)

Pride and Prejudice (Re-read)

RWRB (I wanna annotate it :D )

The Bane Chronicles (Re-read)

The Red Scrolls of Magic (Re-read)

The Lost Book of the White (Re-read)

The Dreams of the Red Chamber (Chinese, New)

Cliffside Song (Chinese, New)

You Will Get Through This Night (New)

The Song of Achilles (New)

What if (New)

Finding Your Element (New)

Dear Childhood (Chinese, New)

Hello Cutie (Chinese, Re-read, don't get it wrong it's a fairytale collection)

Child Walk Slowly (Chinese, Re-read)

Encyclopedia of Chinese Philosophy (Chinese, New)

Encyclopedia of Chinese Literature (Chinese, New)

I think I'll leave the final 6 spots open and see what's to come!

No pressuring tagging: @lfg1986-2 @luainthewild @mylucayathoughts @pippin-katz @via-cognita @elianzis @made-by-han @wagrobanite @o0anapher0o

[annaofthenorthernlights]

💖 What is your primary writing goal for this year?

🛳 Are there any new ships you want to write for? (Platonic, romantic, or anything in between.)

🤔 Are there any new characters you want to write about?

🍄 Are there any fandoms you've never written for but want to try?

💥Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're most excited to write? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

Thank you for the interesting asks! It´s not that easy but I try to make this a sensible post... lol

💖 Not to stress about how much I will achieve. I want to write out of pure joy for writing sake. Indulge in my blorbos along the days, weeks, months - I hope I do justice to all of them.

🛳 Well, there is one ship completely new to me to write about: Marianne Dashwood/Colonal Brandon from Sense and Sensibility (1995 adaption) for @janeuary-month 2025, and if assigned, for Valentine´s day gift exchange on AO3 2025. Another ship that´s not that new but I have not explored very deeply yet, is Alicent Hightower/Larys Strong from House of the Dragon (TV, season 1).

🤔 A very new character are for one Marianne Dashwood and Colonal Brandon (see above). And then, there is my OC Constanze, Baroness of Liebenstein for my post Frozen 2 fanfic "Love can bear uncertainty" (Hans redemption & arranged marriage au). This WIP is a result from writing my post Frozen 2 fanfic "Love can see beyond" (part 2 of my series The sight of love on AO3), where Anna and Kristoff are travelling to the Southern Isles. There they learn that Prince Hans was assigned into an arranged marriage. Now, while Hans and Constanze were mere side characters in about 2-3 chapters, I grew very fond of the vibes I got from working them into the fic. I then decided to give them their "own fanfic".

🍄 Sense and Sensibility (see above)

💥For this I would like to share a snippet to introduce my OC, Constanze (see above for new character). While the WIP is still in a very chaotic state of drabbles and ideas, I have grown very fond of my OC here (and how I see the development of her engagement and marriage to Hans). I could go on, rambling about how I see her, and Hans, and what ideas I have... but this would be too much.

Note: In the prologue, her mother dies in childbirth bed, and mysteriously, her mother´s lover dies in the same night...

This snippet is happening 18 years later, and is also the beginning of chapter 1:

The girl was called into her father´s study, and she stood in the door, kneading her handkerchief in her hands. He seldomly called her to his office. Actually, only when he had to lecture her about a report that had been brought to his ears. Like when she´s stollen herself away to spend time in the stables or strolling along the pastures, instead of studying languages or historical matters. But today, the old Baron glanced at her from over his reading glasses and leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers together with his elbows braced on the armrests. “Ah, Stanzerl dear, come in, and please sit down.” He turned to his secretary and motioned him to leave because they were done for the day. He then turned to his daughter, recognizing with a faint pang that she had her mother´s eyes, but her features had no resemblance of his line of family otherwise. The sting still sat somewhere deep inside him, but after all those years, Rudolf of Liebenstein had learned to push it far into the abyss of his subconsciousness. It was not her fault, after all… He sighed and considered the options he had to tell her about her future. But the truth left him little space to move. “Remember I told you that we´d receive important visit from an ambassador?” “Yes, father. That must be soon, I reckon?” “Yes, dear, indeed. Actually, tonight.” “Oh.” “I hope you understand that I need you to show yourself from your best side.” The young woman blinked irritated. “But father, don´t I try to do that all the time?” “Yes, dear.” He shifted uncomfortably on his chair, his fingers tapping more tensely now. “But tonight is overly important.” “I see. May I ask why, father?” He took a deep breath and then told her.

[flightfoot]

I'm going to play devil's advocate and say two controversial statements: people are unfair to the Miraculous Order and they weren't entirely wrong.

The order in general and Fu and Su Han as its only representatives are treated in a generally unfair manner, I am convinced that this has to do with the mentality that any institution is by nature corrupt, wrong, and must be destroyed.

Kwamis are dangerous, they are essentially little chaotic gods that can cause chaos and destruction if they get out of control. Plagg literally wiped out the dinosaurs. Plagg can cause an extinction for shits and giggles. And the rest are no less dangerous. Tikki being one of the most sensible we saw her lose control over a piece of candy. All the Kwamis become unruly during the chapter that they can see Master Fu again but that is especially noticeable with Wayzz because he normally appeared calm and serene. Fu destroyed the order due to misuse of the Miraculous.

Miraculous being restricted and having safety features is, in the first instance, a good thing in general. That doesn't mean that they, as sentient creatures, don't deserve better. Marinette's treatment of them is better and correct, but the security features and restrictions were not something bad or illogical nor do they indicate that the order was hungry for power. Both Fu and Su Han point out that they are supposed to be used for the benefit of humanity at large and we see the opposite with the alternate world.

And seeing the consequences of the others Marinette and Adrien and that Gabriel literally lost his sanity in a visible way, I think we can also say that his rules and others features like age restriction are GOOD.

Did they need to change? Yes, of course they did. But somehow the benefit that is given to other characters never seems to be given to the Order.

Fu was a child, he should never have been hungry, especially not as part of his practices and trainings . It was also very common at that time. The two facts are not mutually exclusive, nor was it done with malice.It also seems to be omitted that they SAVED Fu. I remember he saying that they pushed him with the grimoire and the Miraculous box and instead of looking for some explanation that was at least charitable It is ignored and only talked about how evil they were and how that incident shows that they were rotten.

The way Su Han is treated also omits that as an adult he is doomed to be useless. Fans looking for psychological explanations to talk about how horrible the order is don't like to talk about how they appeared several centuries later in an unknown world that had moved on without them and how disorienting and terrifying that must have been.

The part about not wanting to move forward and being morally superior has also been proven to be a lie. The guardian who appears at the end of the NY special smiles when he is offered the chance to work together, Su Han always ends up giving in to what Marinette wants and agreeing with her that her method is better (even when I think he was the one who was right about knowing CN's identity) and has currently trained Luka and spent time with him. If anyone is a moral center and someone who adapts well it is him.

We don't really have that much information on them, but most of the headcanos analysis, and theory doesn't even use what we actually have because they start from the idea that they're some kind of secret bad guys.

I'm not gonna argue that the age restrictions are a problem, I do agree that given what we've seen happen when those are lifted prematurely, it's best to have them in place.

I don't know about the Order being "secret bad guys" exactly, but they ARE sketchy.

While getting Fu to take the miracle box and grimoire and seemingly buying time for him to escape is good, it doesn't mean that the Order is all that great. They're not EVIL, and they at least believe themselves to be good, but have a very flawed way of going about it.

The negative perception of Su Han isn't just because of how he's treated Marinette (and I'm actually kind of annoyed at how easily he folds to he whenever pressed), it's also the way he treated Fu. It's messed up that he, as an adult, seemingly regularly mocked Fu, a then-12-year-old, with the insult "chicken-legs".

They're not villains, and they're not wrong about the Miraculous being dangerous, but they haven't handled the responsibility they've declared for themselves very well.

[ambeauty]

13 books to get to know me better

Tagged by my sister @jonskory

1. To All The Boys I Loved Before (Series) by Jenny Han- I read after I watched the first movie and completely fell in love. It made my heart flutter in the best way. The books are of course so much better!

2. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn - the first time I ever felt completely represented in a fantasy series. I was blown away with how Tracy tied in Black American culture/history/folklore into an Arthurian tale. Pretty masterful

3. New Camelot Series by Sierra Simone - I love poly ships and these 3 were so magnetic and passionate! Hated the age gap but it made up for it in plot. The twist you never see coming 😭

4. Queen Move by Kennedy Ryan - a beautiful story with childhood friends to lovers with actual adult characters with real life traumas and history that was relatable and sexy!

5. Sinner by Sierra Simone - Shocking but in the best way! Idk what else to say. Read it and prepare to have your jaw dropped.

6. Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Gaudin - Never did I ever think a historical fiction would have me in a grip like this! This story is so good! The sci-fi, the enemies to lovers, the action! It’s all there 😮‍💨

7. Tiny Pretty Things by Dhonielle Clayton - I loved the tension and the stakes of this one! Netflix show butchered tf out of this book it was soo good.

8. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones - This book was intense! But the drama had me by the neck! So many different emotions while reading this. Mildly traumatic but for the most part just beautiful story telling.

9. The Coldest Winter Ever by Sista Soujah - should’ve never been reading this smut at the age I read but it was a wild story with even wilder scenes. The sequel that came out decades later pissed me off because the plot of this was actually good.

10. One of us is Lying by Karen McManus- Good mystery and great ships! Loved the twists and turns and the slow burn ship at the center. Book 2 is not as good.

11. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell - Love everything about this HP inspired wizard romance! Books 1&2 are it… idk what happened with 3!

12. Burn for Burn by Jenny Han - This series was not what I was expecting but it was so interesting and well told with the usual JH sensibilities

13. Permanent Record by Mary Choi - Hardly ever have a plot where the fmc is the star! This was so fun and poetic.

Tagging whoever wants to partake 🥰

[jadeddays]

Shuffle your favorite playlist and post the first five songs that come up. Then copy/paste this ask to your favorite mutuals. ♥

emopop song about feeling like an alien on earth because of your depressive tendencies?? in kpop no less?? Okay but firstly, my emo girl sensibilities just Enjoy it but I also ascertain that had he not been born too late (he's baby, only 23 and this song is 3 yrs old) I think Han would have been SUCH a hit with sad girls on myspace in 2008 like he's truly Babygirl....

I also hate to admit it. I also should just forget. my favourite thing about this, other than it being relatable for sad girl trust issue reasons, is certainly the fact he wrote it after one member left the group which 👀 but also bc he was literally so scorched earth about erasing the guy he had his group go back and re-record a bunch of their songs without the member who left, which isnt that common in kpop so like you know it was personal.... and for good reason! the member who left with no notice was accused of meeting up with fans and being. Let's say Creepy. so he really did betray his trust.... there's some tea for you, since you have been doing your posts about the metal scene 😇

GO ON AND CLOSE. THE CURTAINS. I dont know why this song has always had a grip on me but it just does- also! very majimako to me!

Dido!!!!!!!!!!! I have loved dido since I was a kid, I had 2 of her albums and i literally listened to them so much that they were scratched beyond repair- and then i bought them again. i feel like barely anyone remembers her outside Eminem putting the sample of her in his song Stan but I think she has this really nice, calm feeling to her music. I do always remember amy winehouse saying she made funeral music though, which was mean, but funny. I love this song, though- great break up song thats actually about reclaiming yourself, so I love the vibe.

Yeah this is the song where screaming cowboy meme came from and also the guy from that meme is australias equivalent of bruce springsteen. But the song is silly and fun! good for at least one listen to see where the meme came from lmao it's also about inclusivity lmao

thanks for the ask!!!!