#god they'll do anything other than communicate like normal people <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[bluegiragi]

learning moment (part 1)

early access + nsfw on patreon monster!AU masterpost

more explanation under the cut

I think that so far, Soap has clearly demonstrated himself to be the more emotionally intelligent one of the pair, but it doesn't mean he doesn't still get frustrated at times. He's also just an emotional guy, and is working himself up a bit. This is a difficult topic for him to want to remain calm over, and there's a lot of factors contributing to his reaction.

One big factor is that he is a werewolf and he sees things through the eyes of his human side and wolf side. The shades of grey that Ghost sees in the Mexico operation just isn't there for Soap - to him, Ghost's 'pack' was under attack and he successfully defended it (this 'pack instinct' is something he shares with Price). The fact that his wolf now considers Ghost his in some way also contributes to his upset over having to read about what happened to him in such a clinical way. Werewolves can be kind of irrationally territorial, and although Soap is used to reading reports just like this, the fact that it's concerning Ghost (in probably the most vulnerable state of his life) is raising his hackles.

It's not a fight, because at the end of the day, Soap isn't mad at Ghost, just at his circumstances. But he's basically just asserting some emotional boundaries here with Ghost (who is, for what it's worth, I'd say a bit surprised and mostly bemused here.)

[deathbydarkelves]

Do you have headcannons for night elf weddings??? There's a little canon for them, but it seems very Normal, and doesn't really seem to take advantage of what makes night elves a unique culture? Like, I imagine them more akin to traditional Buddhist weddings tbh. But, yeah, got off track. Would love wedding headcannons for night elves, or any other races too!

I’m glad I read this while I was at work, because as a result of not being able to respond right away, I had time to think it over and thus solidified a lot of the vague ideas I had :)

And yeah I completely ignore the canon one we got because it’s lame and boring <3

The whole thing is initiated with a hunt...

Technically anyone may join the hunt, but usually it’s just the betrotheds. And since polyamory is so common, that means the hunting party ranges anywhere from two people to A Lot of People.

But first, a priestess communes with Elune and requests permission for the hunt and by extension the wedding as a whole. If she permits it (she almost always does), a druid then enters a trance which may last up to a few hours to determine what animal the gods and other powers want hunted. It can be just about anything, as long as it gives the betrotheds a challenge and forces them to prove their ability to work as one. Deer, wolves, bears, sabers, hippogryphs, owlbears… smaller things too, like otters, pheasants, and quail. Not only do they have to kill the animal, but they have to find the specific individual the druid saw. So even if you’re “only” hunting a humble pheasant, you still need sharp eyes to make sure it’s the one you need, sharp ears to hear it in the undergrowth, and quick reflexes to claim it. So, while a hippogryph is certainly much more physically impressive, no animal is really seen as greater or lesser than another.

There are certain associations made with different animals, naturally. Something as dangerous as a bear is often seen as the gods either challenging what they believe to be a very capable pair/group... or a very incapable pair/group. Either way, taking that bear is a feat.

The standout exceptions are owls and chimeras. To be tasked with hunting an owl, a creature so closely tied to Elune, is considered one of the highest possible honors anyone can receive. And as for chimeras, well… marriages initiated with the hunting of a chimera are really only spoken of in legend. Or in crowded bars, by drunk patrons, who totally have a sister who hunted a chimera for her wedding.

The length of the hunt depends entirely on luck and the ability of the betrotheds, but it’s basically expected for you to practice hunting together after deciding you want to marry. Most hunts take a couple days to a week, but some stretch for months (either due to the animal's secrecy, or because... the betrotheds should have practiced a bit more). Once the animal has been claimed, the wedding truly begins. Death is part of the cycle of life, thus the animal’s death ushers in the next part of the betrotheds’ lives. The animal is butchered, with part (a stag’s antlers, a quail’s flight feathers, etc.) being set aside as an offering for the gods and ancestors. Then it’s cooked, and the next part of the wedding — the feast — begins.

The feast lasts eight days and seven nights, with food and alcohol provided by all the attendees. There may be other recreational substances too, depending on how rowdy everyone wants to get lol. Gifts are given during this time as well.

After the feast, at dusk on the eighth day, is the ceremony proper. It starts with the betrotheds giving thanks to their ancestors, the gods, and spirits. Incense is burned, shrines built and honored, and the offering saved from the hunted animal is given as well.

If the betrotheds have children in mind, they'll pay special attention to Goldrinn in hopes of pleasing him and preventing him from cursing their children with thor'drinn.

Then the betrotheds give their vows, and receive tattoos (usually on the upper chest) symbolizing their connection to each other.

I designed some quick, simple ones a while ago to get the idea across, but people will spend years deciding on a design. The only stipulation is that every other person in the marriage is represented by a solid circle, while the bearer of the tattoo is represented by a hollow circle. The solid circles hold a piece of each person’s spirit, and the hollow circle is where the bearer’s spirit can pass through to reach the others. These things can get really complicated. They can also be extremely individualized — not everyone in a polycule has to like everyone else, after all, so each person’s might have a totally different number of circles, etc. (They can also be added to or reduced over time. Magic makes tattoo modification a lot easier lol)

Many people’s tattoos incorporate something related to the animal that gave its life for their marriage, as well. It’s typical to leave a space in your design just for that. But, ah… I drew these before I decided on the hunting thing lol (granted, the second one does resemble a stag's antlers somewhat, so there ya go!)

After being tattooed, the newlyweds then bathe in a moonwell together, or at bare minimum in blessed water. This is to clean their tattoos, speed up healing, and serves to wash away the remnants of their past, unwed life.

And that’s where things officially end. It’s, um… widely understood you don’t bother the newlyweds after this point :P

((Moonwells are magic and self-cleaning and this is just an accepted role of them, alright, it’s fine. Not everyone does that, but... generally speaking, people are gonna do what people are gonna do.))

EDIT: I haven't thought much about other races' weddings, but I can tell you the hunt initiating things is a holdover from dark troll traditions, and many modern troll weddings start with a hunt as well :) Tauren do a similar thing, though they conclude the wedding with a hunt (and subsequently a feast) instead.

EDIT 2: My friend brought up a good point. What if the betrotheds are, for one reason or another, unable to hunt the animal themselves? In that case, many get help from trained hunting animals capable of taking the prey they've been tasked with. A fox for a quail, a saber for a deer, etc. Otherwise, they may invite capable friends or family members on the hunt.

[jaythelay]

I thought my whole neighborhood and even city was pro-dump as hell, and sure there's alot of Very Loud R's out there, there's a gunstore with "God Guns Dump" that looks so tacky and in everyway antithetical (might as well say Water, Fire, Slime) and a buncha signs, the occassional mega maga supporter trailer home.

But since the Kamala v Dump debate? Slowly, I'm seeing more and more signs for Kamala. I've not seen anyone flip, but I have noticed compared to Kamala signs, the Dump ones are almost always edited to remove Pence, not even adding Vance, 'cept one dude who censored Pen and drew over it with Van, funny guy.

My point is, Dems were deafeningly silent in my neighborhood, it's just a house, hell I don't even have a sign, but seeing dems pop up with theirs makes me want one. And I feel like that's what happened. Someone put one out, another put theirs out, and it snowballed.

Point being that I have never seen a sign for a dem before. Not once. Never since moving here, never since moving from the south, and yet this state is securely Blue, definitively, Blue. Only now (however long the debate was) am I seeing signs.

Dump supporters are loud. Their signs are meant to intimidate, meant to inspire a fear of one's future and for one's health. It's meant as a warning to others not to "tread on them" and that goes as far as simply existing anywhere. Literal Nazi signs plastered half by dumb mother fuckers and half by knowing mother fuckers. It's purpose is clear, intimidation, normalization.

Don't let them intimidate you. They're loud because they don't know enough to lack confidence. The reason dems seem less loud in these moments is due to having more knowledge and thus more hesitations and inhibitions. An R doesn't believe they'll ever be targeted for their sign, no matter how much they larp about sleeping with a gun under their pillow, none believe a sign will cause anything towards them, other than the Larp that enables them further. Some, however, are willing to cause harm, and their sign is the warning.

So when they put out a Dump sign, recognize they've not got the same fears, inhibitions, or reasonings as someone blue putting out a sign, which has an actual chance of vitriol occuring. When you see R signs, what you're seeing is confidence in their position, and seeing a woman of color going ahead of Dump has them extra spooked. The normalization of their beliefs slipping more and more.

I'm not saying to put a sign out for anyone mind you, but I am saying if your neighborhood has a few signs, you might cause a ball to continue rollling, joining in. Maybe not you personally, but others.

To put it simply, in a way that I really enjoy, during Covid we had some 3 nearby neighbors with flags on their mailboxes. One of then had some kinda hateflag, if not a dump related one, it was pretty apparent racist stuff, with 2 neighbors across from them having a "hate has no place here" flag on theirs.

These conversations people have with these methods is rather interesting, but to me, dems have always come off as the silent majority, scared to speak too loudly lest they be judged for not knowing enough on the spot or assaulted for their beliefs. An R has devoted confidence in everything they've been told and could remember, and it's usually turned to baby food for ease of digestion. Dems actually, like, have to research history and compile evidence to believe something.

What it comes down to is this:

You'll see more Dump flags because in politics, it's basically a threat. It's meant to challenge those around them negatively. It's purpose is to feel all encompassing, overwhelming. It feels this way because this communication isn't one leftists have much interest in. It's rather extroverted in theory, to put out your beliefs loudly and annoyingly, to push out harmful beliefs. Dems just by and large don't do that the way R's do. They don't want to give a bad image to their beliefs and "being a dick" with yardsigns is the default mentality because of R's.

All that said to reach this: There's likely a ton of Kamala voters genuinely too scared to put a target on their back, or to make their beliefs something they wear on their shoulders, and it feels more true seeing a growing number of signs spread linearly throughout my neighborhood. This form of communication, yard signs, is rather new to our generation, something rather loud, obnoxious, even egotistic feeling. But R's use it to burden those around them into thinking, being political at all, means to be like they are with Dump. In actuality, no. But once ya see someone else simply putting a sign up? You're far more open towards it because you no longer see the worst impression, there's not hundreds of flags on a dirty broken down property, there's just a Kamala Walz sign by the mailbox. Simple as.

Because of that, I sincerely believe we'll soon see more Dem signs come future elections. This is a conversation people avoided having because it only felt like wrestling a pig in the mud, and ya don't wanna get caught doing that! But seeing a subdued nature to it all, that's normalcy, and something dems can latch onto. A simple sign can say so much about a neighborhood. Bring such peace or uncomforting fear, and thus far, R's have had a lot larger experience with such communications to silence others.

Again, if ya don't feel safe, don't put up a sign, but if you do? I really reccomend it. You might be surprised to see more dem signs pop up over time. Of course you'll see R signs far more often, this is a conversation game they owned before us, but it's rather easy to take hold of it again.

We need to start having more yard sign conversations. Because even now, Dump is everpresent and thus normalizes his actions. Kids seeing Dump signs will HAVE to consider that maybe what he's doing has no longer term impacts after all, I mean, there's a lot of signs for him after all.

Putting up a normal ass Kamala sign would put into perspective the insanity of Dump Trailer Homes and what he's saying becomes less normalized. A neighborhood only feels majority R due to Dems not being loud.

For now. There's a potential storm coming. Disconnect, feel, be, and exist, there's no job for anyone to do, just patience, and fear during which is an exhaustive, if these are the last of our good days, live them fully.

With the election being so close I wanted to make this post. I’m really fucking scared right now. I live in a very red area where there is a trump vance sign every few feet and zero Kamala signs. As a very closeted trans masc person (thankfully I am very femme presenting so that’s not a worry), I’m too scared to get any gender affirming things (mostly a binder right now).

Im also even more scared that I will just be shot randomly since even though I’m not trans presenting I’m very obviously queer.

So as a result even though I’m hoping it doesn’t happen, if trump wins, I will be deleting this and all other social media accounts I have (including my ao3 account), since they all include political views/support towards marginalized groups. Please stay safe if you are in the us and if you are 18+ and care about people’s future and happiness please please please go and vote for Kamala Harris.

[cienie-isengardu]

Not only do I not regret asking you to "RELEASE THE RAMBLES!", I'm sending you requests for more. Below is a list of questions that I asked @bihansthot , and enjoyed their answers, but because you are so thorough, and answer in such depth, I'm re-asking them to you.

Brace yourself, it's a list. I didnt have time to sort thru them, I just copied and pasted, so if any are questions you already answered before, please feel free to include the links.

"LET US BEGIN!"

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In the spirit of potential future writing,  I'm trying to find a building that  would make a good substitution for Lin Kuei temple.

I've tried looking up ancient Chinese military barracks/forts, and have found some stuff,  but is all exterior.  Anyone know of any locations (or several I can cobble together) that would make good inspiration fodder?

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So, uhm, religion? What's the Lin Kuei's take on that one? I know they are aware of Gods, they team up with/ encounter Raiden all the time,  and have literally worked for/against Shinook, so I know they recognize higher powers... but I  guess the question is,  do they care?

Do they have a religion,  or spiritual practice that resembles religion? Or do they have a more practical approach "gods exist,  but we just consider them very strong people"?

Which segues into... do they recognize and participate in holidays, or things like birthdays? Or are all their celebrations work related (I.E. successful missions or levels of combat mastery)?

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Food.  What foods do they normally eat? What foods do they like?  What foods don't they like? What foods do they absolutely love so much they'll stop what they're doing to get it?

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If you had to match the Lin Kuei with a dynasty,  what one would it be? (I know the 2021 movie has the opening in the Ming dynasty, so the Lin Kuei is at least that old,  but given that movie Bi Han hasn't aged in 400 years, and was taken is a child,  its probably much older) (and also know the game probably cherry picked random Chinese things it liked).

What do you think the Lin Kuei's view on artistic culture (probably not the right word) is? I know they are heavily militaristic,  but in the game,  Kuai Liang offers Hanzo tea and he properly prepares it the Japanese way, that says they have something of an education other than just related to fighting?

Lastly,  in the movie,  everything Bi Han does is "for the Lin Kuei", but the Lin Kuei is on Earth (assumedly),  and he is working for a guy who wants to enslave Earth, so what do you think the deal is?

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Question about the Cryomancers. I know the game lore says that they are supposed to be rare, but I also know that the Lin Kuei have had at least 5 (grandpa, papa, older, and younger Sub Zero,  and Frost). 4 of which are part of 3 generations that inherited it even with mixed blood (I'm assuming Mama Sub Zero wasn't Cryomancer since they left her alone).

That's a lot of generations in a row for a rare trait... So do you think the Cryomancers as a group have figured out they're being hunted and have chosen to live in hiding?

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Lin Kuei society question? I like writing so I also like world building and I think about these things.

Is Lin Kuei society ever covered? I know there is a Grandmaster, a handful master assassins (Sub Zero's, Sektor, Cyrax, etc) and the  movies always have a bunch canon fodder lesser assassins.

And they live in the very isolated Lin Kuei Palace/Temple in Arktika (or wherever it used to be)

But is Lin Kuei (we'll call it "village") ever covered?   Do they have willing servants, kidnapped slaves, or a mix of both? Are there women (non fighter women,  I know there's Frost) or do they employ strictly male help? If there are women, what's their role, and are there children born there? What about Elderly? What about resources,  is everything (from food, clothes, weapons, and the raw materials to create them) grown or manufactured on sight by skilled laborers or do they import/interact with the outside world? How vicious or civil is this society, could you be killed for looking at Sektor wrong or do they value your services to a degree? What's the degree? This is obviously a combat culture,  but is everyone expected to know martial arts of some variety, is it optional, or do they prohibit it among the servants/slaves? How strict are they on things like clothing, food, alcohol,  drugs, "luxuries", or pleasures? Money? If they interact with the world do they recognize and use $$ currency, commodity currency, or a mixture? Internally are the Lin Kuei payed or just provided for? What about illness or injury,  if you're not a master and it a serious injury/illness are you taken care of or do they just give you a quick death?

Etc. That's all the questions I can think of,  but please feel free to answer questions I didn't ask,  if you think of anything else.

Thank you for this wonderful list to talk about! I’m gonna split the answer into smaller parts, for better focusing on each aspect but also so I don’t feel bad for keeping you waiting for ages, lol. For now let’s focus on asks about the religion!

So good questions! I do think they have some spiritual practice(s) because in martial arts the state of a mind is as important as the physical body and religion is one of many ways to shape someone’s mindset from a young age. I do, however, think that Lin Kuei does not worship the gods. They are aware that the gods exist (with Raiden as the thorn in the side) and may even respect their supernatural powers and battle skills but it never has stopped Lin Kuei from desecrating holy places, murdering people and stealing stuff for the best price. So, it seems to me that whatever religion the members of the clan follow, by nature it is rooted in nontheism.

Of course, there is also a chance that Lin Kuei worships some forgotten deity or deities (as a remnant of their ancient connections with Outworld / realms conquered and destroyed by Shao Kahn?) or may even practice ancestor worship which seems like a good way to uphold a widely understood tradition that plays an important role in the discussed community.

The closest thing to religious practice was seen in Mortal Kombat X, when Sub-Zero and his warriors seemed to pray together before statue of god / deity / ancestor / legendary warrior / personalized thing they value the most (sadly, my knowledge about Asian religious practices or faiths is very limited so I don’t have idea if the statue is supposed to represent any real god/religious symbol).

At the same time, it could be just a bluff since Grandmaster was aware of Cage’s team infiltrating the Lin Kuei territory and used this moment to lure them into a trap. Additionally, Mortal Kombat X comics presented once Kuai Liang sitting before the same statue albeit in a completely different (devoid of reverence?) position.

Of course, if we take into account Mortal Kombat Armageddon, the game states that Lin Kuei Temple placed in Arctika was actually once the Temple of Delia (the great sorceress & wife of god Argus) that at some point get abandoned and re-used by Sub-Zero’s clan.

(In the background, we can see a statue of Delia that Lin Kuei does not worship but did not remove for whatever reason. Mixing both old and new games, we can only wonder if MKX!statue is also the remnant of someone else's faith/religion?)

Beside that, Kuai Liang was pretty vocal about Lin Kuei not worshipping the Elder Gods, what was seen in MK11’s intro dialogue with Cetrion

Sub-Zero: The Lin Kuei do not worship the Elder Gods.

Cetrion: We seek gratitude, not worship.

Sub-Zero: I see no distinction.

and personally did not have any reason to pray to the goddess:

Sub-Zero: Why should I pray to you?

Cetrion: Why does a bird flap its wings?

Sub-Zero: I asked a simple question.

In all fairness, in MK11 Kuai Liang seems the most passive-aggressive toward the Elder God while Frost is focused on her ambitions and Noob!Bi-Han just wants to be left alone when bothered by Cetrion. Similar thing happens toward Raiden. Despite gratitude for saving him, Kuai Liang does not spare the god criticism (can’t serve both Elder Gods and Earthrealm, isn’t fit for his role of protector) and in MKX outright says he does not fear divine beings:

Raiden: Sub-Zero...

Sub-Zero: I fear no gods, Raiden.

Raiden': That's why you shall lose.

Surprisingly, Kuai Liang’s interaction with MK11!Fujin sounds less accusing than with Raiden and Cetrion and it is connected closely to their ties with Bi-Han. And maybe Kuai Liang did seek in the past Fujin and other elements to make a peace with them, like he planned to do so in Mortal Kombat 4 Limited comics?

"I came here to make peace with the gods of the elements that you fought [...]"

Anyway, the accusingly behaviour toward Raiden and Cetrion could be just Kuai Liang’s personal dislike for gods and serious authority issues, which makes sense considering how much he suffered because of their meddling and conflicts.

But honestly?

The available examples of Lin Kuei attitude toward gods, demigods and supernatural beings suggest how little the warriors - especially cryomancers - care for them.

Like, we have Bi-Han in Mythologies, who asked Quan Chi about details of mission:

Sub-Zero: If it's so precious, why don't you get it yourself?

Quan Chi: I cannot enter the temple until the four elements within its walls have been defeated. And I am not on the best of terms with the gods of your realm... especially your god of thunder.

Sub-Zero: Tell me about these elements.

Quan Chi outright said he and earthrealm gods weren’t friends and Bi-Han, reading between the lines, could get the idea that he may end on bad terms with Thunder God. Yet he was interested only in elements (lesser gods than protector of realm?) guarding the temple.

Then Bi-Han beat down four demigods and met a displeased Raiden after Quan Chi got the Shinnok Amulet. His reaction? No fear, like meeting an angry god was a normal occurrence.

Rayden: Do you realize what you've done??

Sub-Zero: I was just earning my living.

Rayden: Your clan's ignorance and greed will cost this entire realm. You must now set things straight.

Sub-Zero: Quan Chi could simply be a lunatic sorcerer. I've never heard of an elder god named Shinnok or of a place called the Netherrealm.

Rayden: Well, you'd better start believing in both, because you're going to the Netherrealm and you're going to bring the amulet back. We must act quickly. I have no dominion in the Netherrealm... You are reality's only hope.

Sub-Zero: I'll do it, Thunder God... but only because I have no choice.

And once he came back from Netherrealm, where he was fixing what he messed up in the first place on Raiden’s order, his abrasive attitude did not change much:

Sub-Zero: Here... the amulet.

Rayden: Impressive, Sub-Zero. Perhaps you will reconcile your reckless past after all.

Sub-Zero: That's it? Not even a thank you?

Of course, to some degree Raiden’s words did have an impact on Bi-Han but even the god’s warning about his soul tainted with evil did not stop him from coming back to Lin Kuei. Bi-Han’s attitude and/or approach to gods seems to change somehow once he was reborn as Noob, but that is a different matter for different times.

Anyway, Mythologies!Bi-Han and MK11!Noob act less aggressive toward gods than Kuai Liang. But then we have Sub-Zero from from the MK novel by Jeff Rovin, who not only is not afraid of gods but outright insult them:

“Wait! Be warned, Shang Tsung. He is cursed!”

“Cursed? By whom?”

Ruthay wailed, “By the immortal Yu.”

Shang Tsung felt cold spiders crawl up his spine. “The demigod Yu?”

“Yes… he who is said to dwell in the underground caverns of Horse Ear Mountain… which is sacred to the goddess Kuan Lin. He who protects the canals… and the tunnels… and looks after all who use them, human and animal.”

“What did our brash friend do to Yu?”

“He… killed a man,” said Ruthay.

“What man?”

“A toll-taker… one who had given up a life of crime… one who had been a partner of the man… you… seek.”

“And how did that crime come to the attention of the spirit of Yu?” Shang Tsung asked.

“The man was killed… slowly disemboweled with a sword… while accomplices forced his wife and his son to look on! After his murder… the man’s remains… were dumped into a canal!”

Shang Tsung raised an eyebrow. “Is that all? I was expecting something truly terrible!”

“It was!” Ruthay shrieked. “When he disposed of the body… in that way … he profaned one of the sacred waterways… of Yu!”

Shang Tsung smiled now. “Then he is definitely the man I want,” he said. “Anyone who is impudent enough to insult a demigod won’t be afraid to attack a member of the White Lotus Society, or the gods who watch after them. I will send Hamachi, Ruthay. When he nears his goal, see through his eyes and guide him!”

Book!Sub-Zero was impudent enough to insult a demigod which is why he was one of Shang Tsung’s favorites. And to be clear - book!Sub-Zero did not regret insulting the demigod at all. Even more! He found humor in it!:

He dwelt in a cave two hundred feet up the face of a cliff by the sea. The mouth of his home was barely wide enough to accommodate a slender adult, and was accessible only by climbing the sheer wall of rock, a feat that was impossible for most adults and daunting even to the few arachnids and marsupials that tried it.

Maybe some of them were even sent by Yu, he thought with a smirk, little assassins who would chastise me for having spilled blood in his precious canal.

The less abrasive attitude toward gods was shown by Cyrax, who talked a bit with Raiden over Bi-Han’s remains. He wasn’t outright antagonistic but wasn’t overall respectful either. He talked with Thunder God like he would talk with any other human being that wasn’t actually Scorpion. Frankly, from the named Lin Kuei only MK9!Smoke actually addressed Raiden in respectful manner, with proper bow and the name of lord

albeit did he do so because he respects the divine beings or just out of gratitude for saving him, hard to tell for sure.

So yeah, it seems like no matter what kind of timeline or age or medium of the story, Lin Kuei does not fear gods nor pray to them. And the clan has a long history of dealing with Raiden, so the Lin Kuei had first-hand experiences with supernatural beings. Somehow, cryomancers are the most impudent warriors when it comes to dealing with or criticizing the gods.

Interestingly, as much as Lin Kuei warriors don’t care for gods, most of the known to us named characters believe to have - and to care - for their own souls. Sektor and MK11!Frost embraced the Cyber Lin Kuei idea but Kuai Liang, Cyrax and Smoke were opposed to C.I. project out for concern for their souls among other things. Even Bi-Han, to some degree became concerned about his soul after trip to Netherrealm.

Believing in souls is usually a sign of belief in the afterlife, albeit after all of them went through (the change into cyborgs, death and change into Revenants) this is less a matter of faith (religion) and more first-hand experiences. And let's not forget that regularly dealing over the centuries with Shang Tsung who steals people's souls on a daily basis makes it really hard to not believe spirits are real.

Also, an interesting matter of Lin Kuei practices that could have a religious/spiritual ground and/or be an example of ancestor worship is the clan’s funeral rites. I don’t think we actually saw any Lin Kuei to bury their own (especially after warrior’s failure?) and for sure MK9!Cyrax and Sektor did not bother to take care of Bi-Han’s remains. However the sources provide examples of Lin Kuei keeping corpses, most likely of their own leaders or warriors.

And so, we could see human remains:

put in two coffins on each side of statue

hidden / kept in a block of ice(?) in chamber of Fallen Lin Kuei in which Frost’s frozen body was also laid, but on the altar

Cyrax’s cyber body was kept and guarded by Sub-Zero (and this is like the only thing that Kuai Liang and Cyber Sektor so far agreed on)

and even Cyber Sektor’s remains, even if just for pragmatic reasons, are kept in what seems to be respectful manner:

It could be just Kuai Liang’s good nature to honor fallen of his clan (I’m still not sure if Lin Kuei Palace is the new place for Sub-Zero’s clan or the ancient hideout) but even in MK Conquest TV series, after Grandmaster was killed by then-currently-Sub-Zero, there was the farewell ceremony with clothes on display (cause there was not much left of body after freezing and shattering) while new leader gave the speech promising to punish the guilty.

Which makes me think that Lin Kuei did honor their fallen warriors (especially those exceptional, deserving). Such custom and apparently common belief in soul could also support the ancestor worship - both as some ancient, mythical ancestor(s) connecting warriors into one clan (family) and tradition to follow in the footsteps of forefathers (Bi-Han taking place of his father [old timeline] or grandfather [current timeline] or Kuai Liang taking Bi-Han’s place as Sub-Zero).

My general conclusion about Lin Kuei is that its members believe in souls, have respect and use of spiritual matters (meditation?) and maybe ancestor worship. Whatever the religious / spiritual practices they have over the centuries, it is not something they will share, as the Lin Kuei by nature are secretive people who keep personal things mostly for themselves. The people that joined the clan (Cyrax and Smoke) maybe kept their old, eventual religious beliefs but overall, Lin Kuei warriors did not fear, care for nor pray to gods. They may respect god (Raiden, Fujin) as a person but not because of their divine nature. And even that would not stop them from criticizing said god. Which is pretty much how Kuai Liang and Raiden’s relationship looks like. Grandmaster is grateful to Thunder God for saving him but he won’t blindly follow his authority.

(Kuai Liang has serious authority issues, hasn't he?)

As for holidays, I can’t really see Lin Kuei to follow any specific religious (theistic) special day cause they don’t care much for gods in the first place. Unless they worked undercover and needed to act as normal human beings, religious holidays would mean nothing to them. The warriors may however celebrate their mission success, combat mastery or promotion between themselves or in secret, I think. Like, Lin Kuei did forbid friendship because it was considered warrior’s flaw yet we know some members either were blood-related (Kuai Liang, Bi-Han, previous Sub-Zero - father or grandfather, depending on which timeline is correct) or considered each other a family (Kuai Liang and Tomas Vrbada) and most named characters worked in duos so they have both opportunity and knowledge about each other to celebrate important matters. If they managed to remember anything from previous life, that is. Because from ancient to at least Great Kung Lao’s times most(?) adepts were kidnapped from biological families at a really young age (something around 6 years old). And Mythologies: Sub-Zero takes that even further:

Its warriors are chosen at birth to be raised apart from the workings of day to day civilization and are stripped of their former lives. Only the clan knows their existence. Each of them posses certain skills and abilities that set them apart from normal men. These abilities are passed on from generation to generation and honed throughout the experiences of life.

So, celebrating birthdays doesn’t sound like happening much, unless those with family around could allow themselves such luxury. The clan may however celebrate the day of becoming a fully trained and sworn warrior? Or the fallen warriors? Who knows.

Also, something worth thinking about: in Mortal Kombat Conquest TV series, when the Grandmaster presented newly appointed Sub-Zero to the rest of the clan, he “celebrated” the cryomancer's first official performance as the execution of two men who failed their mission. So, yeah, celebration of something special in (old) Lin Kuei does not necessarily mean anything nice.

(The next part of answer most likely will be focused either on food or architecture / origin of Lin Kuei. Let's hope I will get it written sooner than later)

<><> EDIT <><>

RELIGION <> ORIGINS / ARCHITECTURE <> FOOD <> FOR THE LIN KUEI <> ART <> CRYOMANCERS <> LIN KUEI SOCIETY <> MONEY & MATERIAL GOODS

[misstartrekandel]

3rd Wheel

707 x reader

Aanndd it's based off this picture I found on tumblr

However instead of selfies its video diaries :) and yes this was originally posted on my wattpad, so of you see it on there that's why, no plagiarism here

Saeran faced the camera his twin had given him. It was recording but it took him a moment to find the right words.

"A part of my "recovery" is expressing myself through journaling. However my...brother...and his..girlfriend- suggest it would probably be better to talk about my feelings than to write them. Something about better verbal communication so Sae...so Saeyo...Saeyoung gave me this camera...but MC came up with the idea first...I've only been here for- maybe two weeks...since I left..Mint Eye-"

The name of the place seemed to drag him back where he was weeks back. The pain and loneliness he felt still left the same sinking feeling in his chest, not fully able to forgive his brother but also feeling betrayed by the one person he thought cared about him. He slammed his hands on the desk the camera was placed and then soon stopped the recording and stormed off from his room, not exactly going anywhere but simply to leave behind the device that brought up those emotions.

------

He pushed record on his camera and brushed the crumbs off the corners of his mouth. "So today MC made us cookies. They tasted good. I liked them. I like her too. She's..nice. I don't know how my- how he got so lucky. I just-" He pressed his hands to his temples "I guess I just wanted to say that the cookies were good. Chocolate chip. I hope she makes more...."

------

Instead of the camera showing Saerans bedroom as it normally does, this time it was an area with concrete floors and cages full of animals.

"So Saeyoung wanted to get a cat. I feel terrible about any one of the unfortunate animals he picks today. MC will treat it okay, but Saeyoung...he just can't be trusted with cats. But he insisted. And MC agreed. So here we are."

He angled the camera to show the large collection of felines surrounding him, then to his sibling and his girlfriend examining one of the kittens.

"Really Saeyoung? I mean, I just..- don't people normally get either the cutest cat or the ugliest one? That is the most..umm..boring cat in here. Especially for your taste."

Saeyoung grinned as he picked up the grey tabby and held the pet to his chest. "Ah well I'm pretty sure the author of this is so used to seeing other authors use either an incredibly messed up cat or a perfect one and really just wanted your average house cat. You know to be original."

Both MC and Saeran looked at him quizzically, however neither of them had the the ability to reply to his comment about his choice of pet, and with 707s girlfriend being quite familiar with being left speechless, decided to simply leave and go to the adoption worker.

"Oh...oh okay she just left umm okay hold on." And he turned off the camera.

-----

"So today I got some rather exciting news. According to.. S-Saeyoung I'm going to be his "best man". Basically MC is going to be my sister!...in law? Sister in law? Sister in law yeah...they're gonna get married. I guess weddings are a big deal. They're taking several months to prepare this...I can't believe that he's able to commit to her when he-...sorry MC said that a part of my recovery is to forgive and forget. Apart of moving on so I...well I guess if anything I'll be happy for her. But I don't want to wear that jacket...."

----

The cameras view showed Saeran in a tuxedo, hair still unkempt, and a white table cloth, with a piece of uneaten cake.

"They finally got married today. They're so gross...anyways MC looks really pretty, her dress is long, I've never seen one like it. We stood at this post thing with a priest or whoever who said they could get married. It was very long and not very exciting. Eventually we got cake though and that was nice. Its not too bad at all actually. Look at them dancing. They're terrible at it."

He changes the view of the camera to the newlyweds as they clumsily danced hand in hand.

"They'll be gone for 3 days for a 'honeymoon'. Which is better for me...they're uhm...loud sometimes so...ahem I should go now."

-----

"Right now MC and I are making a gift." He points the lens to her and she lightly smiles and waves, still decorating the small box in her hands.

"Wanna show what we will put in the box?" Said camera man asked, and MC grinned and held up a stick with two lines on one end.

"We decided it was best to put this in a box before we put it in a jar of candy, you know because if not that would be incredibly gross." She explained, then dropped the object into the gift box.

"We're watching all of the Avengers movies tonight, mainly for me to catch up. He will probably eat the entire jar before the first movie even starts so I'm sure I actually won't be able to see anything..." Saeran said with a hidden grin "But it's okay, I think I would rather see Saeyoungs reaction than any movie so..."

"OMG I'M GOING TO BE A DAD??? YOU'RE GONNA BE A MOM?! AND YOU'RE GONNA BE AN UNCLE OH MY GOD-"

"Jesus Christ Saeyoung shut up you're so loud. I knew this was gonna happen that one night I couldn't sleep because you two-"

"Be civil. You're brothers. And Saeran do not finish that sentence."

-----

"Look at this!" The younger twin pointed to his sister in laws stomach, then touched a certain area and made a noise of excitement once he felt the babies movement "They move! They move! I didn't know they could feel me! Saeyoung come here! Your kid is kicking!"

-----

Idk this was surprisingly hard to write. I wanted to show Saerans recovery but also not move to fast and make him OOC (if it wasnt clear this takes place over a long period of time). Kinda failed at that. It was a cute idea but I think I bit off more than I could chew with his character, especially since Cheritz can't exactly show all of his character development, and I'm not sure what it's like to get over being brainwashed and drugged. I just really love stories where my Choi boys are united :)

Thank you for reading this junk~