#Zen ryu

[natasha-in-space]

I apologize in advance.

[katriaarts]

youll never guess what i started a replay of

[biblicallyinaccurateangels]

[shizukais]

[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]

[yoosung-ah]

Mystic Messenger - a perfectly sensical, grounded, and normal romance game - out of context

[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.

[my5tics]

YOOZENVEN !!!

[patokascribbles]

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

[sapphireicecream]

🏋️🐺

[awbublie]

wait my mc lore just dropped 🙀🙀

mc lore is here >.< fret not!!

they are a glorified self-insert i am shameless and will insert myself into my favorite media!!!

though she isn't a complete rip-off of me, maybe like 60% me

though i do love napco figurines

(edit: im so stupid and thought mx stood for mexican😭😭😓)

relationship charts!!!

caught mc on a good day!:

essentially means mc got a higher score than 60 on a test and just got a sweet treat.

feeling like contributing to society, she helps this rando return a phone.

seven:

both work with computers, he's just levels ahead of them.

inferiority complex kicks in til he starts helping her with assignments and omg im in love with this man.

likes his jokes and his robots are sooooo cool, "you think you can make one look like this? :3" insert image

calls him so he can practice his english and she can practice her korean.

the flirty banter really kicks up and they get their hopes up

gets butthurt day 8 when he turns them down.

jaehee:

desperate for female friends mc is overly-sweet and clingy.

jaehee is overwhelmed and explains in order for them to be proper friends time is needed.

they are now bonding over coffee beans and how mc brought some from her last Mexico trip

i WANT THEM TO LIVE TOGETHER SO BAD

yoosung:

misses her siblings so he's the closest to a little brother.

finds out guys don't typically like that when you tell them that, especially if they are older.

they make up and bond over their no-life life

trains in LOLOL for the next couple days bc DANG IT SHE WILL PLAY IN HIS LOBBYS!!!!

share shoujo recs

zen:

when he flirts at first, her heart flutters.

till jaehee gives her the warning, and atp jaehees word is bible

finds him silly but like in a older man kind of way

finds his costumes interesting and asks about the type of fabrics they use

during 707 route, she leans into the whole big sister zen and LOVES IT

jumin:

not too big with rich people and was quick to form an opinion

finds out ab Elizabeth and everything that they had thought gets thrown out the window WHAT A NICE MAN!

til shes asking about the area and he says something along the lines of "why move to a country you know nothing about? You are simply asking to fail. "

YEAH HES RIGHT BUT HE DIDNT HAVE TO SAY THATTT 😭😭😭

is bitter for the next 2 days before she gets over it

caught mc on a bad day!:

felt with the daddy issues (we cannot control our fathers we have nothing to do with our father's errors they do not define what we do or who we become we can disagree with them and still love them)

the professor was moving too quickly during class, her computer was working, she fell behind and her brain is fried. it feels like it's been happening more and more....honestly it feels easier just to rot in bed sleeping.

getting a random message just worsens her mood. "i cant even help myself and im supposed to help you?" rolling over to try to make sense of the class notes.

saeran:

got kidnapped and had their laptop open

"you follow me on github?"

mc BEGS for him to teach them everything he knows

ends up becoming an intern and moving their classes online

but wait...this guy is lwk kinda cute....

and he's taking the time to teach me??? >.<

blind to their situation mc follows instructions and fufills small tasks

saeran gives her badge "ID:10T"

cleaning his code to filling up the office waterbottle, all in payment for bootcamp-saeran™

V:

reminds her of a teacher she had once, ick

finds him to be kind of a doormat, but so is she

doesn't enjoy seeing how others might view her

(707 route bc i forgot to mention him there) can't help but feel sorry for him, she may not trust him but i mean cmon they can't help but feel bad dude lost his fiance and now seems like he can't keep his life together

rika:

again, desperate for female friends, but this one IS SO DIFFERENT

this is like when you make eye contact with someone of a similar group and you kinda expect automatic friendship but they are cold to you

mc is either ignorant of mint eyes operations or is slowly being indoctrinated, they don't meet rika very often.

they form a kind of bitterness towards her, rooted in her insecurities

"how can someone be so loved?" "how can someone just 'create' a world of their own" "whats so special about her, i'd be able to do something like that too"

by only hearing of her through saeran they feel so insignificant to her influence, it weakens them