#Zen ryu

[natasha-in-space]

I apologize in advance.

[katriaarts]

youll never guess what i started a replay of

[electroboo]

NEW STYLE - PARADOX LIVE 4TH ANNIVERSARY

[shizukais]

[biblicallyinaccurateangels]

[dollarstoreparadise]

bitches be like "nooo i don't have any family trauma" and then their favorite game is mystic messenger

[amanemisagf]

[pharawee]

Your hand's quite warm.

[goofbell]

mystic messenger 2024 compilation

[intr0verted-weird0]

[25shadesoffebruary]

[natasha-in-space]

It's a common sentiment among the fandom that Zen is like a protective older brother figure to them in other routes (and I am totally a part of that sentiment), but I genuinely can't help but think about it on a slightly deeper level. Like, Zen would get a certain level of catharsis out of a familial relationship with someone that gives him a chance to be the supportive, caring sibling figure he had to mourn over in his youth (and one he arguably still mourns on some level, hence his deeply personal grudge against Jumin that is really just him projecting his older brother's apathy onto Jumin). In a way, this is a chance for him to give something he's always wanted to someone else. And there is a great sense of closure that can be achieved in that. I think that growing close to you in that platonic way can help Zen out more than you would think at first glance.

His parents were consistently dismissive and unsupportive towards him. Like every child, he still yearns for their love and acceptance on his bad days, but it doesn't cause him too much pain.

Zen never had their approval in the first place, so it didn't pain him as much to lose something he never really had in the first place. He does want his parents to accept him at one point in the future, and he does leave a door open to them for that, but he is not going to change for them or try to fit into their suffocating standards to get this approval. He's content on his own.

His brother, though? That's a different story completely. It hurts so much more to have someone you've relied on and trusted suddenly withdraw the love and support you grew dependent on. To the best of our knowledge, his brother was the only person he was really close to on a genuine level. It's no wonder his brother's refusal to support him scarred him as much as it did. Unexpected betrayals hurt way more than expected ones.

Zen was not expecting his parents to provide him with any support, but he fully believed his brother would. No wonder he left once he had a falling out with him. There was nothing else holding him back in his home. Only misery and constant personal attacks.

So I do think playing the role of a caring older sibling he mourned deeply would be a great help to him, in my opinion. Maybe it'll even help him move past his old inner scars. Find a feeling of contentment that will replace the old ache in his heart.

I don't know. Older brother Zen just makes me emotional. He is protective of you because his own safety and discomfort were always dismissed, and he had to learn to fend for himself. He's a bit nosy with you because he knows how he used to hide things to avoid being talked down with, and he never wants you to feel so alone. He is very supportive of you because it's something he hasn't had before.

Lowkey feel like he would get all misty eyed if you were to lay your head on his shoulder and say that he's like a brother to you.

[yoosung-ah]

RFA's Shades of 24/7 Despair: a mosaic

bonus:

[patokascribbles]

i took like 20 minutes to edit ibuprofen onto mystic messenger VN images. here they are.

[electroboo]

NEW STAGE VISUAL - PARADOX LIVE 5TH ANNIVERSARY

[sapphireicecream]

🏋️🐺