Tumgik
#especially that part about god killing for respect that's pretty much his attitude
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lucifers-rubber-duck · 2 months
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oh my god! I just read the modern time one and it gave me an idea!! hazbin crew with a modern reader that is just so chaotic. but like not even a dangerous chaotic and they could probably be killed by any demon but they just have no regard for their safety at all. if a demon makes them mad, the yell at the random demon (even if it's like Alastor or something, they just don't care) calling it something stupid. or if they so much as encounter a slight inconvenience they act like their dying all over again and then within a few seconds goes back to normal like nothing happened. but is overall just entertaining to have around the hotel
Characters: Charlie, Vaggie, Alastor, Husker, Angel, Niffty, Sir Pentious & Lucifer.
Warnings: None.
A/N: We need more Chaotic!Reader in fics, let Reader be a drama monarch and be extra! Thanks for the ask!
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𖤓Charlie
• She lost the count of how many times she apologized in your name to random demons on the streets and stores every time you two go out together, you simply have no filter.
• If a demon annoys you you'll scream at them, if they look at you in a way you didn't like you'll flip them off, you just don't care about your own safety and the fact that you're being rude for no reason and that kills her.
• Every week you'll have a behavior exercise where she'll make you be nice to a member of the hotel or simply do good deeds around hell, she even made you apologize to a demon that you fought in a clothe store once, that's your last favorite part of living in the hotel and you make that clear.
• But your behavior does come in handy sometimes, like when some random thought it would be nice to mess with Charlie and shit-talk her hotel, you threw your hot coffee on them making them run away with an angry grin. She didn't scold you that time but didn't say it was acceptable.
• “There are better ways to… resolve those types of situations, but I'm thankful that you stood up for me, that's another good attitude to have!”; “Whatever you say princess, you can thank me by buying me a new coffee.”
𖤓Vaggie
• Sometimes your way of acting annoys her, a lot, you're just so headstrong and so she is so you two just clash with each other a lot, and neither will give up so easily.
• You would make things that annoy her, like poking her or just making a few rude comments, and that would work because she would always have to hold herself to not put her spear on your throat and silence you herself.
• I imagine Charlie putting you two in one of those “get along” shirts, that didn't end up very well and you two almost threw punches with each other.
• The only moments you two middly get along is when a random attack happens at the hotel, what for some reason actually happens at least once a week, and both of you team up to beat the shit out of the demons, you two would he too tried to fight after.
• “You weren't so bad this time Vagina.”; “Don't make me add another one to my kill count.”; “To your what?”
𖤓Alastor
• You not being scared or intimidated by his presence annoys him like nothing else, he doesn't enjoy not being in control, he likes when people fear him and plead for their lives so your lack of care for his power makes his smile be a little more forced everytime.
• He dislikes your attitude towards him, but mostly dislikes how modern you are, you have no respect for him or the older demons, you're always using slangs he doesn't understand and is always so full of modern technology, he especially doesn't like the VoxTek phone you always carries with you.
• He's pretty verbal on how much he dislikes you, just how you are about him, he wouldn't be as aggressive like Vaggie when showing his dislike, he's more the type to give sarcastic comments than throw punches. There was only one occasion where he used his magic to make your phone get all glitchy with his presence.
• I also think he would like to try and correct you on things just out of spite. Sitting with your legs crossed? He'll tell you to sit properly. Bad posture? He touches your back with his staff making you fix it. Even when you're literally just doing your duties at the hotel, he'll tell you that you're doing it incorrectly to make you mad.
• “That's not how my mom taught me how to do it, you should try another way dear, maybe like that you'll actually be useful for something.”; “Oh, kiss my ass old man, come and do it yourself if you're so bothered by it.”
𖤓Husker
• Hates your guts 90% of the time, he hates the way you're just so careless like you aren't literally in Hell, he wonders how you didn't get yourself killed or had a beef with the wrong people already, you look like the type that would face against a Overlord.
• But he does like having you around the bar sometimes, he won't admit it of course, but he always offer you a drink after he sees you do something that annoys Alastor in the slightest.
• He also saved your ass a few times. When Charlie gives the hotel staff permission to have a night for themselves and go to a club, he just knows you'll enter a fight, doesn't matter how well the night is going, you always manages to get in trouble so he had to keep and eye on you all the time.
• After that fight at the club happened, just Like he tough it would, he has to carry your slightly bruised and heavily drunk body, putting one of your arms around his shoulders and holding you to make sure you don't fall while you state how annoyed you are that he got involved on your stuff again.
• “I could take that motherfucker, get my ass back there so I can show them.”; “And I wish I could take a break from you but we can't always have what we want, can we?”
𖤓Angel
• Do I even have to say he's the one that mostly enjoys your presence? He likes your attitude, your way of dressing, your personality, it matches his and you two can be just the most annoying pricks together.
• Your favorite activity when going out to do whatever is to silently judge sinners on the way, you and him would point at a random sinner while talking about their looks and shit-talking them just because you two can.
• If a sinner ever gets annoyed at you two Angel just knows that you're not going to stay quiet about it and will most likely try to fight them, and as the good friend he is, he's always there to help you out in a fight with some fire power.
• He makes sure to not talk about his boss though, he knows that if you learn about how horrible he's treated by him you'll want to go there and have a conversation with him yourself. He will make sure that you're far away from Valentino with your careless attitude.
• “You know what toots? You should meet my friend Cherri, you two were made for each other.”; “If she's anything like me then I know she's no good influence, when can I meet her?”
𖤓Niffty
• She enjoys your attitude, probably thinks it's attractive and will call you a Bad Boy (in a gender neutral way).
• She's probably giggling every time you're creating chaos or getting into a beef with another demon, you're just her type to be honest and she'll for sure start flirting with you in her own weird way.
• The only way I see her not liking your attitude is if you're openly getting things dirty, like not cleaning the dishes when it's your turn or not bothering to throw the trash in the trash can, the only thing that she likes more than people with bad attitudes e keeping things clean so that's the only way you can really annoy her with your way of act.
• “Hey bad boy, I made you a gift, hehehhehe~”; “How… peculiar… What are those?”; “The mother bugs I killed on front of their children and turned into a necklace.”; “.... Riggghtt…”
𖤓Sir Pentious
• The first time he interacted with you was when he attacked the hotel trying to fight Alastor and you commented on how noisy and weak he looked so let's say he was not very pleased with you at first.
• He's still very annoyed with you at first when he started living at the hotel and would give you the silent treatment, or at least try, he's not very good at just ignoring your rude comments, especially if it is about his looks, you just find his hat funny.
• After you two, forced by Charlie and her exercises probably, started to know each other he would start to like you, you two would just be so extra together, he's a theater kid and you're chaotic neutral energy what could possibly go wrong?
• Definitely tries to act a little bit like you after you two start hanging out, be it by trying to act a little more rude and confident or by trying to use more modern slangs and expressions. You can appreciate the effort.
• “So, wasn't I simply the coolessst ever?”; “If you use the word ‘cringe’ again I'm hitting you on the head with a brick.”
𖤓Lucifer
•If his first impression of your headstrong and somewhat cocky attitude is when you're being rude to Alastor or just your simple existence making the Radio Demon annoyed, he'll already like you.
• He would be surprised at first while interacting with you on how much you just didn't care, you would talk to him like he was a long-term friend instead of the king of Hell that you just met a while ago, are all people on earth like that?
• You would have to be a little patience with him, because he would ask you tips on how to act around people, you're younger and came from a newer generation, he can learn one thing or two with you, especially about the right ways to say insults, you don't need him saying “I'm going to fuck you” again.
• You remind him of Charlie's emo phase, he will chuckle every time you do something that reminds of her smug attitude in that period of her life. Don't be offended if he calls you emo, that's the only word he knows to describe your personality.
• “You remind me of my daughter you know, there was a time she acted just like you, I kinda miss that time if I'm being honest.”; “Are you… complimenting me or insulting your daughter?”
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xjulixred45x · 7 months
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Big Bro Gojo! Reader find out about Megumi and Tsumiki. Ft Kugisaki and Itadori!
This part is pretty long!
First part for context
first of all, thanks to @shootinglove14 for giving me the idea for this adorable drabble, thanks sweetie!
Now, moving on to the topic, I think Big Bro Reader would know about Megumi's existence shortly after he has his talk with Satoru (after the breakup of KFC) and confesses that, that Touji told him that he had a son, as if He would wait for his brother to tell him what he should do. Big Bro at first, I'm not going to lie, is too angry at Touji for almost killing his little brother to think clearly, so he tells him to do what he thinks is right.
which in Satoru's mind translated to: "do what your brother would have done" and knowing that under normal circumstances Big Bro Reader would not hesitate to take in a child in need (ESPECIALLY if Big Bro already has children of his own) Satoru He decides that he will do the same.
so, he goes to get Megumi (and additionally Tsumiki), takes them with him and introduces them to his older brother as the children he had been telling them about :D (completely ignoring the fact that he warned him with, like, 5 minutes of before they arrived and that it was supposed to be just ONE SON)
but as soon as Big Bro Reader sees them, any kind of dislike towards Touji or resentment IS CRUSHED and replaced with pity when he sees how small they are, he very much regrets having thought the way he did when he saw how they lived, and begins to treat them like his normal friendly self, almost like his own children.
As Megumi and Tsumiki grow up, Big Bro reader is a very important figure in their lives, mainly because he has the tact that Satoru doesn't have, he is cuddly without being annoying, he is much more respectful, how could they not love him? especially in the case of Megumi, who tries to help him with his abandonment issues.
With Tsumiki he becomes close through things like housework, Reader is a deconstructed man, he helps his wife and Tsumiki in everything he can😤 and even teaches her some tricks that he has learned in the Gojo house (cooking, laundry, embroidery, self-defense, the man is a box of surprises).
overall Tsumiki sees her friendly personality supported by someone like Big Bro reader who is almost the same. She sees him as a great man and definitely a good example of a man, father and husband.
Megumi, as I already said, likes Big Bro Reader more in the sense that he has much more tact and respect for what others say, that already gives him many points, but he also gets attached very quickly to him because of how good he is. general that he is, but he doesn't take shit from anyone. Big Bro reader will be gentle, yes, but he can't stand disrespect and is definitely someone who can hold a grudge, can empathize with it.
but Big Bro's fatherly and uninterested attitude was definitely what made him love him so much, they can bond through things like board games, Big Bro teaches him how to be a gentleman, go out to parks together with the Divine dogs, teach them Gojo clan techniques, etc.
By the time they grow up, they see Big Bro Reader as a kind of secondary father, but if Big Bro already has children, they will be their guardians and help Reader take care of them. when Tsumiki happens, Reader is the FIRST to run to the hospital and comfort Megumi, he is the one who occasionally prepares her a homemade lunch for school, he is the one who Megumi goes to visit when she has the opportunity (aside from Tsumiki) to tell him of his day.
Big Bro reader is one of the few people (if not the only one) who feels like he will never abandon him, and gives him a genuine and warm feeling of security that he wishes he had before. He loves it very much.
Megumi becomes an unofficial part of Big Bro's family, his wife even has a guest room tailored to his tastes (and for his divine dogs), she has some of his favorite snacks in the pantry, and MY GOD, when he comes over of surprise and Reader's children are going to greet him with "welcome home Megumi-nisaaaaaan!" Megumi could DIE THERE AND DIE HAPPY.
They even leave him a space at the table (Big Bro's wife always gives him extra portions because according to her "he is very thin") and he can feel calm. simple peace of mind.
Gojo's brother is amazing.
and eventually thanks to this and being the fucking sensei's brother, he would also meet Nobara and Itadori.
Itadori would meet Big Bro reader before Nobara, he would probably even be either 1- one of the people Itadori would go on his first missions with or 2- one of the few people Gojo trusted to let him know that Yuji wasn't dead.
Let's go for both.
Itadori was VERY surprised to see the difference in attitude between his Sensei and his brother, but he still saw that Big Bro Reader was someone very respectable, even adorable! always bragging about his family and Gojo-sensei also started showing him his own photos of his nephews/nieces (Big Bro's children) and even some photos from when they were young, it was very wholesome.
I can see Big Bro joining Itadori in his movie marathons (especially after the incident with Junpei), inviting him to his house to meet his family, even staying for dinner. For Yuji everything is so...NEW, a whole family, functional and happy, how does he do it? but ends up thanking him very much for the experience (even giving him a hug that Reader gladly returns).
Itadori goes with Big bro reader if he needs more sentimental or emotional advice, since Big bro is something like his guide in that sense, his reference point for what he would like to have, and although Itadori is a walking green flag , sometimes doesn't understand certain situations, and wants to become as friendly and supportive as big bro reader.
Imagine Itadori and Megumi babysitting Big Bro reader's children! I imagine that they are half angels and half Gojo(xd) so they would have to be very careful with that. Megumi would absolutely LOVE to see children drawing pictures or talking about their family, if they draw him a picture of him, he will cry (even if it is the ugliest thing ever drawn, he will hang it on the refrigerator, NO BUTS)
Itadori stays more with Big Bro reader's wife (if she is there) and helps her with things like shopping bags and wanting to know more about the children to be a better babysitter with Megumi (although he knows them better so not much problem).
And when Big bro reader comes Back and the kids go running to give their dad the "welcome home!" Call, Itadori swears his heart MELTS.
Sensei's brother is very kind. Is what he thinks whathever the topic of Big bro is bring up.
Nobara would probably meet Big Bro after Itadori's "death", and at first she didn't think much of him (except that he dressed VERY well) until she learned that he was Gojo-Sensei's older brother. and honestly? She didn't believe it.
It couldn't be!! IT HAD TO BE A JOKE! How did someone like his sensei have someone so friendly as a brother? Or was Reader hiding his own idiotic side? It took photos from when they were young and a lot of insistence for her to finally believe that they were even related.
Definitely at first she was a little alert because of the friendly way Big Bro Reader acted, but eventually she was able to let her guard down when she realized that he wasn't planning anything shady, on the contrary, he wanted to be with them in a difficult moment like what he was doing. It was losing a partner. Nobara could respect him for that.
and he believed that he must be the proudest man in the world, because he always showed off his family, especially his children. At first Nobara found him somewhat annoying, but it didn't take long before she got on the train of enthusiasm for the achievements of Big Bro's children.
If Big Bro has a bad fashion sense, Nobara is ON A MISSION to change that, no ifs and buts. They won't go away until you at least know basic color theory.
Overall Nobara is happy to be a girl around Big Bro reader and have good mental support at this school. Sensei's brother is great.
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Thank you for reading!❤️
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11queensupreme11 · 5 months
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If anyone from the prophesized 7, outside of Percy, were put in Percy's situation -- who is most likely to survive the ROR Gods and who ends up being dead eventually? I like to think Nico has a high chance of survival, JUST BECAUSE, he's the son of Hades and his father happens to be well respected. Annabeth as well, she seems to be careful enough? Leo and Piper are definitely goners though. Piper especially, her attitude isn't going to work here!
it really all depends on if their godly parent is willing to take them in or not tbh
anthonius: 5/10 survival. athena won't want to take him in. sees him as too inferior due to being half-human and not logical enough for her tastes. might be taken in by zeus, but hera's temperament puts him in danger. he's smart tho so he might survive
piper: 0/10 survival. aphrodite would take her in but sees her as inferior due to being a half-breed. she'd treat her with poisonous sweetness and piper would return with her own sneering behavior and we all know how dangerous aphrodite gets when pissed. piper's definitely not lasting the day
leo: 10/10 survival. i see ror!hephaestus as somewhat similar to pjo!hephaestus tbh, just a lot less affectionate and caring. he'll take leo in but would pretty much ignore him. leo has free reign to do whatever in the palace tho so he'll just build stuff to pass time. hephaestus will get intrigued by his inventions and slowly but surely, they'll bond over that. he'll learn to see leo as his son and care for him
as for hazel, frank, and jason.... well, if i tell you, it'd spoil some stuff i have planned about the romans in ror
nico's not part of the seven, but you included him anyway, so i'll just do it too
nico: 8/10 survival. hades will happily take him in! persephone won't care for him, but will pretend to be a caring mother because that's what hades expects from her. his sibs will be nice too. i docked 2 points away tho because nico tends to run away a lot and he'll definitely try to run away once he realizes how much of a platonic yandere hades is, he'd def try to run away and might get himself killed by the monsters/demons in helheim 💀
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lovelyxhorrors · 4 months
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The Disaster Mission With The Insect Mancer and the Gravity Maifoso - Part One
An action and funny drabble for @the-silver-peahen-residence involved our two muses; Chuya Nakahara from BSD ( Peahen-mun's muse ) and my OC, Pete Gnat. There are some moments of seriousness in the first part but things get more hectic in the second part.
----- Summary ----
Chuya and Pete were assigned on a mission. But this unlikely pair don't like each other for reasons and so they will cooperate with together without any further incident.
----
The collaboration between the Lovely Horrors and Port Mafia is still ongoing. Sid is in discussions with the boss while everyone has their missions. Matt is usually paired with Ryunosuke, Charlie with Gin, Shrika with Higuchi, Jason with Tachihara, Lex with and a few others.
But this pair-up is the worst thing that Chuya Nakahara has to deal with. He doesn't know much about the other Horrors. He heard they're pretty good at their jobs, especially with hunting and killing. Hell...some of them are pretty reasonable like Sid but they shouldn't be messed with. If Chuya had to describe this.
Matt is just crazy. Shrika flirts with him to the point where he blushes all the time and he can't get any job done. Jason is a wild guy which is not surprising since he's a werewolf. Charlie is quiet and he can't really tell what she thinks, Cobin hates everyone equally with that smug attitude of his, and oh Lex creeps him out even with those bandages! He is told not to look at his face but goddamn..that guy's face looks fine!
He can handle them as they can be managed and reasoned with. But by god! What did he have to pair up with Pete of all people! What is the boss thinking?!
Okay...sure...Pete looks after Yumeno and he really takes care of him which he really respects. Yumeno tells Gin and Ryunosuke that they're having a wonderful time and he's being homeschooled. Chuya has no problem with it. Not at all.
But the bugs. THE BUGS! Those slimy creepy little shit crawlers scare the living shit out of him. He remembers when one crawled up his leg, a freaking huge black centipede! That happened when Chuya restrained Pete whom he didn't know that this punk is a skinny-ass blondie that look like an emo! Chuya can't help but laugh knowing this scary-ass monster is a punk. H
Then he felt something crawling up his leg, Chuya froze and slowly looked down at his pants before pulling one of them up to see one. He can't believe that he screamed like a little girl. Never that he yelled like that. Thank god, nobody is there to hear about it.
Ever since then...any bug he sees, he makes sure to walk away from. Fast. Freaking bugs remind him of Pete. Hell...he even uses his ability to make them go away instead of squashing them with his bare hands. He hates Pete! He is a second guy below Dazai!
"Can't believe I am stuck with you," Chuya muttered.
"Can say the same thing," Pete said.
Pete doesn't like Chuya. To him, he is always angry and likes to get on his nerves with his insults. He even teased him about his body build whenever he came out of the suit. Always ask him why he is so skinny at his bones and he needs to eat more. This guy always pokes fun at him and his costume. Hell, most of the time Chuya is in a bad mood. It gets worse when he runs into the ADA and Dazai. He is in the worst mood making Pete have to deal with it. When he gets really irritated and stressed out, he smokes! It bothers him so much! Oh when he drinks, he gets drunk easily making him pick him up on Matt's orders. Just why?! It's like dealing with a drunk uncle.
For now, their job is surveillance and he hopes that this mission is just boring. Another normal day at least, Boring enough for Chuya to cool off and have him not do anything stupid.
"Ugh...." Chuya sighed as he is drinking his coffee milk. "Hey, anything yet, bug brain?"
Pete ignores the nickname but answers, "Nothing yet."
"Tch. This is boring." Chuya sighed as he keeps sipping his drink.
"Do you prefer problems or no problems?" Pete said.
"Doesn't matter to me, it means there is no action going on. Means no fighting!" Chuya groaned.
"Really?" Seriously. Pete thought, looking at him with a look.
"Yeah." Yeah, seriously. Chuya frowns at him before looking up at the sky. "Anyway...I got a question."
Ugh. Here we go. He's probably asking something stupid. Pete thought.
'Why the hell do you wear a suit?"
Really? Pete thought but he answered, "Because I felt like it."
"Isn't that hard or something? Wouldn't you get overheated inside of that thing?" Chuya asked.
"Not really," Pete said.
"And why's that?" Chuya asked.
"Because the bugs help." Pete answered simply.
'The what?" Chuya blinked.
"The bugs help," Pete repeated. Chuya felt a shiver down his spine, he shivers in disgust. "You're saying....that there are bugs inside your suit?"
"Yeah. Didn't you know that?" Pete answers, but he can't help but smile at Chuya's pale expression.
"That's....really gross!" He yelled, taking steps back away from Pete, "What the hell?!" Chuya commented, pointing at him angrily, "Why won't you transform into a monster like Shrika and Jason?!"
"Because I don't have that ability," Pete stated the obvious making a face.
"And why not?"
"Because it just isn't! Why? Do you want to me turn into a bug monster?" Pete said. Now thinking, Chuya had to imagine Pete as a bug monster with those claws, bug-like features, and all that. "Nevermind." Chuya doesn't want to think about that.
Pete sighs. Good.
"But I gotta ask."
Oh god. What now?
"What got you into the fraction of Horrors, anyway?"
What kind of question is that?
"Because I kill."
"Heh. Everyone can kill, bug brain" Chuya scoffed. "What I am saying is why you join the fraction like that. I'm going, to be honest, here, you don't strike me as a type that enjoys killing."
"Huh?" Pete said. Inside his suit, he looks confused.
"Your friends." Chuya begins, "Not sure about Sid but so far, Shrika likes to drop people from the sky, Jason likes to maul people, Cobin likes to spray bullets at people that pisses him off and Charlie likes to strangle in her trap for some reason. I don't know about Lex who uses freaking light lasers, and....don't get me started on your leader, Matt."
"From what I have seen so far, your friends kill because they felt like it. You on the other only kill when it's needed."
"Okay, what are you getting at here?" Pete is getting annoyed with this.
"You're the most sane out of all of them." Said Chuya. Pete looks over to Chuya looking confused as he said this. "Why?" Pete asked.
"Why?" Chuya can't help but laugh, "Because you kill those corrupted pro-heroes because they hurt Yumeno." He said. "And after you are satisfied with that, you don't seek out in fighting or rather kill other people for the kicks of it. From what I heard based on you what do, you go for the surveillance for your fraction letting others know where your enemy is. You're more like a bodyguard than a killer." Chuya taking a sip of his drink.
"What's your point??" Where is this guy going with this?
"My point is that your teammates are freaking monsters. You...even with that creepy bug suit on, you're the most human out of everyone in there. Hell...even the low-ranking members of your fraction; the Followers who took the HYDE pills prefer dealing with you and Sid." He said. Pete narrows his eyes at this before turning his head away to glance towards the sky.
"I mean...if you ask me...you're probably more suited to becoming mafia material."
"Forgot it. I'm not interested in anything like that." Pete quickly said.
"Sorry, sorry. You don't have the guts to become a mafioso anyway." Chuya shrugged him, annoying Pete even further.
Who the hell would want to become a gangster?! Pete made a face but his monstrous appearance didn't show it. Only the inside.
"So that's why I'm asking," Chuya asked. Pete exhales deeply, "Do you really want to know?"
"Yeah."
"Because they asked me to." Pete answered as if that was the only answer. This made Chuya blink and looks at Pete in disbelief. "Ha?! Wait...so you joined because they asked you to? That sounds way too suspicious." Chuya frowns.
In Pete's mind, he recalls a memory.
He is laying on the floor inside his own childhood home. There were two bodies in the closet with flies around and a small body buried outside the backyard. He felt empty as he stares off into the distance. Sometimes..he dreams only to wake up in a dark room. Surrounded by trash bags, boxes, and decaying things while his bugs are buzzing around. He didn't want to do anything nor want anything. He became a demon for the sake of revenge but now...he feels empty. Then something breaks inside his house.
Light beams through the plaster wall making his eyes wince.
He had his bugs attack but all bugs were killed immediately with the use of knives.
"Hey....are you the one living in this house?" A young man with red eyes and scars asked him cheerily.
----
After recalling that memory, Pete responds, "It's true. I was in a dark hole surrounded by filth. I was laying around on the floor and making sure my bugs keep everyone away from me. That's when Matt came in and he ask. Well...after fighting him and defeating me, he asked me to join. So I join the Horrors." Pete gives him a short version. Chuya looks dumbfounded by this before raising a brow at this, he shakes his head with his arms crossed
"Man...that sounds like you were depressed and Matt got you out of it."
Well...you make it sound like that. It does sound depressing.
"You can say that," Pete answered. Because of Matt, maybe he didn't have anything but follow Matt and Sid since he has nothing else to live for. Until now.
"What about you?"
"Huh?"
"It's only fair to ask since you're so curious about me," Pete said. "Why did you join Port Mafia?"
Chuya sighs loudly not wanting to argue with that point, so he goes to explain, "You know Dazai Osamu?"
"The detective guy that is with the ADA. Yeah, I met him." He asked, recalling the man back at the aquarium when he is confronted about Yumeno. Chuya nods, "Yeah...that's him. That bastard got me to join. Not by choice anyway."
Pete looks over at him as he listens. Chuya goes on to give a bit of his backstory about himself. He is part of a group called the Sheep; a group consisting largely of teenagers down on their luck that maintain their own territory. They begin to attack Port Mafia and other organizations. Along the way, Dazai was sent to combat them, or rather...he kidnapped the Sheep's members to get Chuya to work for them temporarily in order to save them. To do that, he has to help them with something. Along the way, Chuya tells the members of Sheep that he is doing this for them and is told things will work out. However....the Sheep in betraying him while compelling Chuya to join Port Mafia.
"Dazai came over when I was poisoned and weak. With his squad with orders to kill them all. To protect them, I will join Port Mafia so he can spare his life. Hell! Bastard gave me that choice if I want to save them..." He tightens his fists.
"Even if they betray you?" Pete asked. Chuya shakes his head, "They didn't betray me...rather....they were scared of me because that bastard manipulated them into thinking I betrayed them." Chuya growled.
Pete never thought Dazai would do that. Hearing that his ability is to cancel other abilities from Yumeno. "Hold on...I don't understand. He's part of the ADA why would he do something like that?"
"Hmph. Isn't it obvious, you didn't know that Dazai is a former Mafia member? A former executive?" Chuya replied making face the city. Pete blinks. Actually, that makes sense, why would Dazai approach him at the aquarium. But he has a feeling there's more to the man but he used to be part of the Port Mafia??
"I........I'm sorry that you went through something like that."
"Huh?" Chuya blinked.
"I am sorry that you were forced to join them after being betrayed by the other group you care about. It sounds like you didn't have a choice. The only choice you made is that you did it in order to protect them while wanting to live at the same time. Maybe your friends will understand....someday." Said Pete.
Chuya blinked at Pete and his....empathy. It's genuine and human. Dazai is right. Pete is more human than most of the Horrors. He doesn't know his life but based on his answer, it sounds like he had it rough. He closes his eyes as he sighs.
When the Entomancer looks at Chuya but he didn't expect his expression. The mafia executive looks at Pete with such annoyance as if he just offend him and shit in his cereal.
Huh?
"What?" Pete wondered if he said something wrong. "What's wrong?"
"Tch! What's wrong?! It's what you said that's wrong! I don't need your damn pity! Heck! I bet you're laughing inside!" He looks away with his arms crossed.
"I'm not." Pete said, looking at him in confusion. "What do you want me to say???"
"I don't know! Anything else besides that!?" Chuya exclaimed. "Besides...you shouldn't apologize for something you weren't there for! Now you make feel me bad!"
"Uhh...okay...uh....that sucks?" Pete asked making Chuya groan. "Forget it. I thought maybe I can kill some time by talking to you so I get something out of you or something but damn...I never thought you had the most boring reason to join a killer fraction."
"So you asked me that question just to kill time?" Pete said, looking at him with a face. Chuya shrugs.
Why does Pete even bother???
"Looks like you two aren't killing each other!" A chirp is heard making Chuya and Pete turned to the familiar voice. Chuya blinked. "Hold on! How long have you been standing here?!" He pointed at the person in question with his finger. Shrika.
Shrika tilts her head with a coy smile. "A while." She giggled.
"What is it?" Pete asked, getting straight to point.
"So far....from our end, there are no problems from the sky. Higuichi went back to report so I came here to check up on you two! So how is it going?"
"No activity yet," Pete said, thanking god that there is no activity! He can't imagine if he and Chuuya got into a battle right now. But the fates decided to laugh at him when his bugs picked up something.
"What?" Pete narrows his eyes to which Shrika picked, "Something wrong, Pete?"
"Grrrr.."
"Looks like you did find something." Shrika said.
"Finally some action!" Chuuya grinned making Pete slump his shoulders inside, wishing he can go home already. "Hey bug brain! Let's go! Where are they at?!"
I hate this job....Pete growled.
"At the far right downtown...." Pete tells him to which Chuya grins before he jumps off.
"Wow...he seems excited. Aren't you going after him?" Shrika said.
"I don't have a choice..." Pete answers and follows.
-----
Once the disastrous duo got to the scene...rather Chuya beat him to it as he had things taken care of. Pete didn't like how he got information out of people when most were being knocked out or ended up being dead by accident. Though...Pete did make sure none of their enemies escaped from their location as some of their enemies were now paralyzed.
However...that wasn't the problem. The problem is Pete trying to calm him down and prevent him from killing their enemies. He had to remember that Boss Mori wanted some of them alive.
"Hey! Knock it off! You're going to-"
"You know what?! I'm sick of you telling me what to do!" Chuya yelled.
"I'm just saying if you want to get things done right. You need to keep some of them alive for information!"
"Oh! So now you want to act smart?! The hell is your problem!"
"I got no problem! You're the one who has the problem! Your gravity manipulation is hurting my bugs!"
"Your bugs?! Oh sorry!" Then Chuya makes a face, "NO, I AM NOT! If you care so much about them, tell them to get out of the way!"
"Uhhhh...." The enemy gang members are staring at the two dumbfounded as they are sweatdropped. Are these guys for real? Forget Chuuya Nakaahra, but that bug monster is arguing with him. Are they working together or fighting each other!?
"Damn, bug! You know what?! I think we should fight. I never fought someone who controls bugs! This is the time I will beat you up for real!"
"You're joking right?" Pete can't believe what he's hearing. Then again...there are times when Pete wants to set Chuya straight. Maybe this is a good time to do that, right now.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Chuuya activated his ability, surrounding his own body in a red aura. Pete breathes as he imbues his own suit in green aura. "Fine then! Let's see what you got-"
A swish is heard as the enemies look to see Chuuya's leg raised to the side and the head of the monster flying off. The spectators gasped in fright. He kicked this monster's head off. The monster's body drops to its knees. The head rolls over to the enemy leader who widens his eyes at this, takes a step back, and falls on his ass.
"OH SHIT!"
The enemies look between the mafioso and the monster arguing then before they know it. The headless monster rose from the ground and then several tendrils came out. Upon a closer look, the tendrils look like enraging centipedes with clicking noises. The enemies were now horrified and almost sick to their stomachs.
What kind of monster is this?
"Bastard...." The monster spoke. "You want to play like that, fine!" And then the windows begin to shatter, as a swarm of insects fills the area.
"Everyone get down!" Said the enemy leader as all of them dropped to their knees. They need to find a way to escape.
"Damn godfather wannabe bastard!" Pete's head is now picked up and is placed back on the suit, fixing it. Then with a raise of his hand, the swarm surrounds Chuuya. With a growl, Chuuya stomps his foot, bringing up rubble and hitting the bugs.
"Bring it, you fucking bug!" Chuuya shouted.
The enemy leader has no idea what's going on but he is not planning to stay here to see who wins. "We gotta get out of here!" He tells his men. They hightailed out of there as they heard crashing and cursing.
Pete bum rushes at Chuuya, grabbing him by the throat and pins him against the wall but Chuuya kicks him hard. Pete spits out a flying roach from his mouth to which Chuya yells in fright and gets out of the way.
"YOU SICK BASTARD! YOU THREW A COCKROACH AT ME?!" Chuuya yelled before bringing up a floor using his ability and throwing it at him. Pete easily smashes the floor and went at Chuuya with punches before striking him with a centipede. The two fight inside the warehouse to the point where it collapses upon them, creating a crash. Both emerged from the wreckage. Pete is missing an arm and a tusk. Chuya rolls his shoulder and is missing his hat. He growls.
Before they went at it. A voice stops.
"What do you think you two doing?" A grave voice stops them. Both turned their heads to see Sid and Gin who is sighing and shaking her head.
"You're supposed to bring down a group messing with your operations. What is this?" Sid asked.
Pete and Chuuya looked at each other, then saw the entire mess and pointed at each other, "HE STARTED IT!" They said in unison. Gin sighs loudly, "You guys."
"He kicked my head!"
"He spat out a cockroach at me!"
The two blame each other as they point at each other, listing what they did to each other. Sid stares wondering if Pete and Chuuya are acting like 5-year-olds fighting. Gin had enough, "QUIET! Just....enough. We're going back and you two explain to the boss what you did. Shrika and the rest already round up the enemy." She said, telling them.
Pete and Chuuya slumped their arms but both looked at each other with a glare. The girls turn their backs and lead.
--- At Port Mafia headquarters ----
They are waiting for their meeting with Boss Mori who is taking in reports from fellow Port members. Soon, it's going to be their turn to explain why a warehouse has collapsed on their turf.
Both are still roughed up as they are dirty. They grumble at each other.
"I hate you." Pete said.
"Like-fucking-wise." Chuuya said.
Another day has ended.
To be continued.
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lordelmelloi2 · 1 year
Note
favorite and least favorite traits about iskandar
For best, Genuinely:
I appreciate his uplifting attitude. I really enjoy that he's the kind of person who you can ask to go out and do anything with, he's always excited to try new things, he's always excited to learn and experience new things, and he'll drag you out there and make sure you get something from that experience. Really makes you feel like if fate!Iskandar had just left the throne behind and became a traveller he would've been immensely happier. Part of me wants to say that's something IRL Alexander would've wanted, too
He sticks up for people, sometimes even in a contrarian way and it makes you have to reconsider your point of view. He's always pointing out stuff that people don't think of as obvious about the situation, he has a keen sense of when something might be wiser to consider -- which is great for people who get hung up on details a lot
He gives people respect where it's due ... most of the time. But he is generally pretty respectful towards people but most of all he's very insistent on people's humanity, and he approaches everything from that sense too. No matter what. From his messy insisting that Artoria's kinghood was flawed and that she deserved to not be burdened with everyone's problems, from his attempt to give Faker a real name, from the way he quickly comes up with a way to save Matou Sakura in F/AZO once he became aware of it... he is very human. Sometimes unbearably so, both for himself and for others
His sentimentality. There's a sickeningly longing sensibility he has sometimes where I feel like he's hiding his deeper emotions far too much, the way before the final battle in F/Z he's reading the Iliad, there's a time in Fate/Extella where he says to Altera that he can't let Gilgamesh see him being emotional because he wouldn't get it, and I feel like that aspect of his character is why I enjoy him so much -- I want to see what's underneath. I want to know Why he gets like that, I want to know the inside of him like that. That's also partly why I started reading up on his past and became hopelessly attached to him as an existence lmfao
For worst:
The aggression. He can be bull-headed sometimes (pun intended) and come on way too strong, be way too aggressive with people, or try to start fights where there are none. That drives me insane sometimes. He literally just wants to fight, sometimes, he's got such a competitive streak for no reason at times.
Just going to put the whole aspect of him constantly being war-hungry here. It does not have to be like that. I also feel like F/Z Iskandar had a character development where he even maybe didn't want people to go to war for his sake so easy but we aren't really going to get that either anymore at least within FGO imo
His stubbornness. Good lord when he has his mind set on something it is difficult to get it off. Like you can tell this guy was spoiled sometimes
His recklessness. Oh my god he literally does things without thinking through so much it's not even funny and we're literally just lucky a good portion of the time, especially because we can fall back on Iskandar being well-prepared in general, but there's a number of times in both the IRL Iskandar and the Fate!Iskandar's stories that he does something that's reckless as fuck and it falls through and screws everything up
The alcoholism... A lot of the traits that are Iskandar's absolute worst are worsened by the alcoholism. And he's not going to stop. The aggression gets worse, the violence gets worse, the stubbornness gets worse, the recklessness gets worse, ...
the fact that he kills people lol. IRL Iskandar did Genocides. IRL Iskandar also killed people in a fit of rage multiple times. When Hephaestion passed away he got Much Worse with killing people. Eumenes' was actually almost on the chopping block because he did not get along with Hephaestion at the time, and he had to make alms to the late Hephaestion just in order to survive.
So overall I would say that Iskandar is a really great guy but... his violent side can be a massive detractor. Like a really... really bad one. That's why I think the relationship I have w/him for Me Personally is so complicated lol
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icharchivist · 10 months
Note
I do respect your subconsciousness's desire to run a coffeeshop with Belial, really, I do
And I do think that it could work. He's probably great at decorating in general, that seems like something that'd be up his alley, even when it's not explicitly to poke fun at billionaires - but for the record, I respect that, commend it, even.
He would definitely know how to attract attention and retain customers, having no issue flirting with people and whoring himself out to that effect. Starbucks writes customer's names on a cup? He writes a compliment or, for regulars, something a bit more saucy. You know all the teenage girls in the area drop by specifically so they can squeal at him.
Let's assume his demeanour in the Q-Pot crossover isn't indicative of how much poison he would actually add to any orders, but I guess that's just something you'll have to keep an eye on.
Other than that, if you can survive him trying to fluster you constantly or trying to name the menu items after innuendos you're probably fine. Occasionally he needs a push in the right direction, before he takes the flirting too far or otherwise causes problems. I imagine he would try to experiment with flavours a lot and inevitably make some apple flavoured drinks, because that's a whole thing with him.
But the worst part is, and this is definitely something he would do and you can't change my mind on this, when he's come up with a new mixture and wants you to try it, instead of giving you the cup, he will take a sip and then try to shotgun the drink into your mouth via a kiss.
If you can survive all of that, though, including him intentionally trying to get under your skin to annoy you and even manage to keep him a bit domesticated on the side with praise and pets and pushing back when he gets too much, you're gonna be fine. Probably.
THANKS, i do not respect my subconscious on this but i appreciate!!
and oh my god you gave it a lot of thoughts, i love it.
I also think he'd be great at decorating in general, the guy should have a really good sense of style to decorate inside. In the dream, despite the wacky theme, the coffeeshop looked really good by the end of it, so, he can even turn a joke into something so sophisticated that whoever he's joking about has to run off in shame because they'll never live up to the beauty Belial made of their ridicule.
He would COMPLETELY know how to attract attention and restain customers, so true. Remember Lucio's attitude in the MayDays where he gets customers going "there's no harm in looking [at my body]" and stuff? Belial definitely inherited this type of bullshit. But he'd know how to use his charms with different approach. As long as he doesn't suddenly decide to make some chaos, he'd really retain a good business, especially with all you say. Hell yeah people would come to the shop just to see him being pretty.
AND LET'S HOPE FOR THE POISON. i'm trying to keep him in line i swear. Watching over Belial so he doesn't kill everyone because he's bored is a job all in itself.
And you're so right with the rest of it. I don't know if i'd always manage to survive his flirting, but we can try to save the innuendos at least. he'd probably tell the customers all his *personal* names for the items and mentions that if they dare calling the items that, they'd get a discount from him. This is a nightmare. You're right about the apple stuff though, he'd call it the special Belial juice. We still can't figure out how to make him change the name. This is doomed.
AND. AND ???? YEAH THE WORST PART THING IS. WELL. OH GOD. *buries face in hands* i'm not immune i'm not immune i'm not immune i'm no- THE WORST IS THAT I CAN SEE HIM DO THAT AND IM IN DANGER.
But, yeah, in the end. It's survivable. except for the worst part coming to kill me. But he can be manageable as long as he doesn't get into kill mode. Can't say there isn't anything nice about the whole scenario of having him in a coffeeshop being like that.
This is fantastic nonny. And also so much. How dare you add to my dream which was incoherent in nature in order to make it coherent and workable and nice to experience? somehow!!!
Thank you again <333
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jiminrings · 3 years
Note
i just reread ll (after seeing that yoongi pic on twt..... loml) AND UGH IM SO MAD AT THAT FIGHT WHY DID HE SAY THAT AND OH MY GOD WHERE IS OC SLEEPING OMG DID SHE STAY THE NIGHT AT TAEHYUNGS (not like that ..... nasties 😑) WHATS GOING ON. WHAT IS JUNGKOOK GONNA DO WHEN YOONGI OR SEOKJIN FIND HIM WHAT IF YOONGI KILLS HIM OR SMTH
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cold senior!y/n x stem major!koo masterlist :D
you leave jungkook alone in your dorm after a fight — but at the same time, he gets left alone with yoongi and jin, who still aren't sure what to think of him especially now
aka part two of the ll couple's first fight
"i think i'm gonna crash."
seokjin yawns and says out loud without the knowledge that he's speaking out loud, his hands fumbling for the dorm keys amongst the numerous keychains he has a knack for collecting
"you drank one cup of coffee, jin," yoongi snorts because as far as he recalls two hours ago, jin even made him drink his remaining coffee because he couldn't take any more
yeah well sCREW jin for trying to stay awake the whole day alright!!!! he made a roadtrip out of scouring each individual part he wanted to add to his fancy PC setup he's been saving a pretty penny for
he doesn't say it at all but yoongi carries immense happiness in tagging along with errands even if it serves him no purpose <3 sometimes he just likes being a keychain to his best friends and he's happy!!
"yeah, hot coffee — the worst," jin elaborates his dislike for hot coffee even if both you and yoongi heard it a hundred times before
he's noisily trying to find the right key and he's surprised you haven't woken up and just oPENED the door for them, but he's cluelessly and thoroughly entertaining yoongi aka the guy who hAS his own key yet refuses to use just so that he could see his friend suffering some more
at this point, your neighbors probably think you’re getting robbed but thankfully jin finally manages to put in the right key, a satisfactory sigh leaving him when it finally clicks and turns the right way
the dorm is dark and noT dim like what they’re used to, probably something to be blamed to the hellfire of rain that’s going on outside
jin’s carelessly removing his shoes by his own feet, only stopping when yoongi harshly pinches him on the side before he does it to himselF on the inside of his arm
“ow! what was-“
he soothes the sore spot on his side because yoongi can reallyyyyyy put his two fingers close without pinching and therefore make it hurt even more, eyes all around the place before it stops on a familiar figure
a familiar figure, sure. welcome? not exactly.
"huh. you're still here? are you staying the night?"
seokjin asks out loud to jungkook who’s standing by himself beside the couch with his hands bunched, worried eyes fixed on them
"where's y/n?"
yoongi asks and it’s made evident how the both of them have different intentions to acquire for, but they all boil down to you nonetheless
jungkook’s throat dries because it hasn’t even been an hour that he’s left alone in yoor dorm, not expecting it either that your two friends would come home this quick
"that's the thing,” he mumbles and yoongi picks it up first, slithering around jin to confirm if he’s really hearing jungkook
what does he mEAN that’s the thing???
"y/n left."
jungkook’s with the two of them now but oddly enough, he doesn’t feel cornered even if the two of them are positioned as if they’re trapping him
he feels more alone than he is cornered, fresh tears stinging at the back of his eyes that he doesn’t want to show yoongi nor jin
"what did you just say?" yoongi asks more in confusion than in disbelief, narrowing his eyes at your boyfriend
"why would she leave at this hour and at this weather? not to mention, leave you alone with us."
jin raises a valid point to put into everyone’s head how bizarre the situation is and not to spook jungkook out, but it sounds like the latter to him which is why he snorts at the startled look
"calm down, kid. we're not gonna rough you up if that's what you're thinking," he reminds him because they’re not tHAT unhinged when it comes to you, walking to the refrigerator to down the nearest water bottle, ".... not unless??"
he still carries a playful edge to him because as much as he’s worried about you, atleast one of the three of them in this room should be far from having a breakdown to level the others
yoongi’s not done with his questioning streak because he presses further, sitting at the couch in your exact seat that makes jungkook gulp
god it’s now just hitting him that you left
"why did she leave?"
"w-we fought."
there’s slight hesitance in his tone because he’s not exactly surE if he should be telling that he fought with you to your friends, but he sets aside the possible consequences because after all, it’s you that they’re conversing about
yoongi nods to himself, having a hunch that the both of you must’ve fought and when he looks up at him, he only belatedly realizes that your boyfriend’s now blonde
"what did you do?"
he goes straight for it, startling jungkook
he’s not necessarily offended that yoongi asked him what he did because if you ask him, this is really aLL his fault
"i-i'll get to that but uh shouldn't we look for y/n first?"
...
..... okay that was understandable
yoongi knows where he’s coming from, nodding to acknowledge him
"not the first time this happened," he admits quietly and that leaves jungkook speechless, watching him intently which is why it made sense that yoongi’s not out of his mind panicking just like he is, "y/n left the dorm when she and seokjin fought."
yoongi says it even quieter and jungkook gets why, because as low as his mumble went, seokjin still managed to hear it
it must’ve been a sore spot that jin doesn’t want to tell him all about, atleast right now, because he looks down to his feet as if he’s been burnt
"it was a serious fight, but it was long ago,” he mumbles under his breath and the reminder of their fight which he’s tried to bury in the back of his head throws him off his feet slightly, “she doesn't really leave when it's just a petty fight or something."
yoongi somberly smiles at jin as some sort of apology for bringing it up, not wanting to put salt on the wounds as he just redirects his attention to jungkook
"i'm asking you for the last time, jungkook — what did you do?"
there’s no direct pressure behind his words but the three of them know that it would drastically help if he just said so
there’s no moral compass that he tries to steer because he himself wants to tell yoongi and jin, even if it means having to put the little respect and love they have for him on the line
jungkook doesn’t sugarcoat and retells all the way from what happened with the hoseok situation until he finishes with what happened merely an hour ago, almost scared to look up at the both of them
jin humorlessly chuckles and shakes his head to himself, still perched against the kitchen counter
"low fucking blow, kid."
surprisingly, yoongi became the lenient one
jungkook’s head aches because the two of them switched attitudes in a matter of minutes!!!! jin is the one that sounds like he hates being in the same room as him and yoongi is the one that tolerates hin generally
he could oNLY assume that the retelling of the events must’ve hit jin one way or another, somehow connected to what the two of you fought about long ago
yoongi takes the liberty to speak after jin’s remark, nudging jungkook by the knee to sit beside him
"y/n's hurt, of course, because as much as she had flings and casual fucks and whatnot," he trails around but doesn’t look to jungkook who’s wide-eyed thy he’s even letting him sit beside him, “you're her first boyfriend."
...
....
...... what
“i am?”
jungkook asks in confusion and the regret creeps up to him not a second later, the ringing in his ears blocking out the rain and even jin’s announcement that he’ll call you
he nods and kook knows that he’s not only saying this to pull at his tail, simply because he’s aware that yoongi doesn’t joke around with him
with jin entering his room to call you, that leaves him alone with yoongi and it barely registers in his head that this is the first time it’s only the two of them after that time when he threatened to give him a knuckle sandwich and the sort
"was starting to entertain and like the idea of you in y/n's life — our lives, y'know?"
yoongi initiates conversation and kook gets startled even more, tripping over his words because he can’t grasp at the situation fully
"i'm sorry, yoongi. i-i really am."
"hate to say this but," he clicks the roof of his mouth with his tongue, fiddling with his bracelets, "i know you are."
???
jungkook’s confusion at your friend’s words is what distracts him from his remorse, not believing his ears
yoongi believes him??? he knOws that he actually feels sorry for having done what he did??
"y/n doesn't like being accused, i think no one really does," he starts off carefully, “it's not my story to tell but it's for you to understand that y/n, y'know...."
jungkook swallows the lump on his throat for whatever yoongi’s gonna say next, a furrow in his brow as he chooses his words
“she doesn't come from a past wherein assurance is at face value,” he clears his throat, "that's all i can tell you."
jungkook nods and he tries to contain his thoughts because he doesn’t want to assume. he’s only gonna take what you give and he’ll willingly wait for that time you tell him all about his past
he does have a clue about your family because he asked that one time if he’d be meeting your parents because you’re a senior and you’re graduating soon, but you only shaked your head no and said “yoongs and jin are enough” for your ceremony
yoongi feels sorry, but he’s not sure for who :(
all he knows is that his heart aches, even if it’s for the boy in front of him that he swore he’d hate, but is now unconsciously worming his way into his heart
he’s no stranger to what jungkook feels because he felt the same type of territoriality and the insecurity that came along with it — the one he used to have over you, in that platonic soulmate sense he didn’t realize at the time
"it's not my place to tell you either, but sooner or later, insecurity will consume you, jungkook."
the guy in question nods eagerly because yoongi manages to address the struggle he has in his mind, acknowledging the issue at-hand fully
"y/n can't baby you forever,” yoongi sighs, “but you can't be ditched whenever she feels like it either."
:O
did...
did yoongi just take his side.....
jungkook kNOWS in the back of his head that yoongi’s neutral, but it all just registers in his head that for the first time, yoongi’s on his side, even in a sense
"talk it out. just sleep in her room for the meantime. fix it in the morning,” he starts to gather himself to stand, pausing to look at jungkook in the eye, "i'd hate to see my soulmate hurting."
the thing is, jungkook knows that yoongi’s your soulmate :-)
you told him that once and as much as you explained that it was only platonic, jungkook quickly understood it, much to your surprise
he knows he doesn’t know the entirety of you, but he knows that when he looks at yoongi, he’s looking at you too :)
yoongi gives him the ghost of a smile, making jungkook blink twice
"sooner or later, the two of us need to talk."
jungkook’s contented with that, smiling back at him
"good night, yoongi."
"good night, jungkook."
( ♡ )
ok.,.,.
“don’t come home, it’s pouring. or go back to your dorm, whatever. i don’t care.”
okay you dO in fact care!!!
it’s been more or less two hours since you left the dorm and you know this because jungkook’s been texting you without fail, only stopping twenty minutes ago that makes you look at the time
it’s 11 o’clock :O
either he’s asleep like he usually would be at this time, or he walked home
in fact, you don’t even know if jungkook is still at your dorm
your phone rings all of a sudden that it makes you flinch, scrambling to see who it was and you don’t know if it’s disappointment or relief coating you when you saw that it was jin
"and where is my favorite girl at this time of the night?"
you could only chuckle as you share a glance with the person whose dorm you crashed in, sending an eager greeting with his mouth full
"i'm at taehyung's. we're eating brownies right now."
when you knocked on tae’s door just two hours ago, the only thing he greeted you with was with a towel!!
he didn’t ask why you’re practically soaked in front of his doorstep because for whatever it is, it must probably be in good reason
truth be told, you didn’t even knOw where you were supposed to go but then tae popped into your head as the only sane person you know that would let you in at this time of the night without prior notice
it was a simple “jungkook and i fought.” to which he only nodded to, turned on the tv for you, and started baking brownies
"mhmm. what kind?"
you chew on the chocolate fudge, slightly chuckling at what jin’s insinuating
"the kind that doesn't leave you disoriented."
he hums at that and you could picture him swiveling on his gaming chair he bought just a week ago, his phone tucked to his ear closely
"the same kind that makes you able enough to come home tonight?"
"yeah,” you breathlessly agree, fiddling with the matching bracelet you have with jungkook, “same kind."
you could only assume now that they've seen jungkook and he's still saying there, all alone but with them
your heart warms at the thought that indirectly, jin’s making you come home to reunite you with jungkook, knowing that there’s an impending conversation sooner or later
"want me to pick you up? you'll get a cold."
"i'll borrow tae's umbrella. i'll come home when we finish the brownies."
the both of you know that it’s code for you just wanting a little more time before you come back, and also because you really wanna dO finish the brownies that tae warmly made for yoy
"mkay," jin smiled at your response, "i'll lock the door but just send me a text and i'll open it for you."
"won't you be sleeping?"
"i'll stay up. i'm not sleepy."
jin replies just as quick, a complete 180 to what he said when he initially came home that he wanted to crash because of the hot coffee he drank
you wordlessly thank him and he acknowledges it, happy to atleast know that you heeded his concern for you to come home tonight
"get home safe. love you."
it’s not only minutes later than you thank taehyung immensely and promise to take him to the aquarium as your thanks, finding yourself in your dorm that seokjin ushers you into with a peck on your head
you rush to your room and you’re greeted with the airconditioning turned on, seeing a lump beneath your comforter that you automatically know it’s jungkook sleeping
you're still damp from the rain but you change quickly to the first set of clothes you can grab from your drawers, not wasting a second longer
you sneak into your own bed, the same one that’s carrying jungkook
his sleep hasn’t even been the deepest and the moment he feels a shuffle beside him, he’s woken up immediately
“i’m here.”
jungkook realizes it’s you with the way your voice is soft and the way you hold his arm when you climb into the covers, wordlessly embracing him from behind
"i'm sorry. it's all my fault,” he says sincerely as he turns his body so he could face you, caging you in with his arm
"i'm sorry i stormed out on you."
he feels you nuzzle to the crook of his neck and it calms him down, the familiar scent of you enough to make his eyes close without fear
it only hits you now that this is the first time the two of you cuddle, much less share a bed
"love you."
it’s barely audible but it leaves you nonetheless, not expecting a reply in return but you get one anyways from a sleepy yet overwhelmingly-content jungkook
"i love you the most."
.
.
.
as always, lmk what you think!! i love answering asks :D what do you want to see from the lunchbox lovers next? send them here <3
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Anonymous asked: I have always appreciated your thoughtful views on the defence of the British monarchy, and as a university historian it’s reassuring to see someone using history to make invalubale insights to a controversial institution. I wonder what are your own thoughts on the passing of Prince Philip and what his legacy might be? Was he a gaffe prone racist and a liability to the Queen?
I know you kindly got in touch and identified yourself when you felt I was ignoring your question. I’m glad we cleared that up via DM. The truth is as I said and I’m saying here is that I had to let some time pass before I felt I could reasonably answer this question. Simply because - as you know as someone who teaches history at university - distance is good to make a sober appraisal rather than knee jerk in the moment judgements.
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Contrary to what some might think I’m not really a fan girl when it comes to the royal family. I don’t religiously follow their every movement or utterance especially as I live in Paris and therefore I don’t really care about tabloid tittle tattle. I only get to hear of anything to do with the royal family when I speak to my parents or my great aunts and uncles for whom the subject is closer to their heart because of the services my family has rendered over past generations to the monarchy and the older (and dying) tight knit social circles they travel in.
Like Walter Bagehot, I’m more interested in the monarchy as an institution and its constitutional place within the historical, social, and political fabric of Britain and its continued delicate stabilising importance to that effect. It was Walter Bagehot, the great constitutional scholar and editor the Economist magazine, who said, “The mystic reverence, the religious allegiance, which are essential to a true monarchy, are imaginative sentiments that no legislature can manufacture in any people.” In his view, a politically-inactive monarchy served the best interests of the United Kingdom; by abstaining from direct rule, the monarch levitated above the political fray with dignity, and remained a respected personage to whom all subjects could look to as a guiding light.
Even as a staunch monarchist I freely confess that there has always been this odd nature of the relationship between hereditary monarchy and a society increasingly ambivalent about the institution. To paraphrase Bagehot again, there has been too much ‘daylight’ shone onto the ‘magic’ of the monarchy because we are obsessed with personalities as celebrities.
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Having said that I did feel saddened by the passing of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. After the Queen, he was my favourite royal. Anne, Princess Royal, would come next because she is very much like her father in temperament, humour, and character, so unlike her other brothers.
I have met the late Prince Philip when I was serving in the army in a few regimental meet-and-greet situations - which as you may know is pretty normal given that members of the royal family serve as honorary colonel-in-chiefs (patrons in effect) of all the British army regiments and corps.I also saw him at one or two social events such the annual charitable Royal Caledonian Ball (he’s an expert scottish reeler) and the Guards Polo Club where my older brothers played.
I’ll will freely confess that he was the one royal I could come close to identify with because his personal biography resonated with me a great deal.
Let’s be honest, the core Windsor family members, born to privilege, are conditioned and raised to be dull. Perhaps that’s a a tad harsh. I would prefer the term ‘anonymously self-effacing’, just another way of saying ‘for God’s sake don’t draw attention to yourself by saying or doing anything even mildly scandalous or political lest it invites public opprobrium and scrutiny’. The Queen magnificently succeeds in this but the others from Charles down just haven’t (with the exception of Princess Anne).
However, many people forget this obvious fact that it’s the incoming husbands and wives who marry into the Windsor family who are relied upon to bring colour and even liven things up a little. And long before Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle (very briefly), or Lady Diana Spencer, were the stars of ‘The Firm’- a phrase first coined by King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II's father who ruled from 1936 to 1952, who was thought to have wryly said, "British royals are 'not a family, we're a firm,” - it was Prince Philip who really livened things up and made the greater impact on the monarchy than any of them in the long term.  
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Prince Philip’s passing belied the truth of a far more complex individual: a destitute and penniless refugee Greek-Danish prince with a heart breaking backstory that could have been penned by any 19th Century novelist, and also eagle eyed reformer who tried to drag the royal family into the 20th century. At the core of the man - lost scion of a lost European royal dynasty, a courageous war veteran, and Queen’s consort - were values in which he attempted to transform and yet maintain much older inherited traditions and attitudes. Due to his great longevity, Philip’s life came to span a period of social change that is almost unprecedented, and almost no one in history viewed such a transformation from the front row.
Prince Philip would seem to represent in an acute form the best of the values of that era, which in many ways jar with today’s. He had fought with great courage in the war as a dashing young naval officer; he was regularly rude to foreigners, which was obviously a bonus to all Brits. He liked to ride and sail and shoot things. He was unsentimental almost to a comic degree, which felt reassuring at a time when a new-found emotional incontinence made many feel uncomfortable. Outrageous to some but endearing to others, he was the sort of man you’d want to go for a pint with, perhaps the ultimate compliment that an Englishman can pay to another Englishman. This has its own delicious irony as he wasn’t really an Englishman.
There are 4 takeways I would suggest in my appraisal of Prince Philip that stand out for me. So let me go through each one.
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1. Prince Philip’s Internationalism
It may seem odd for me to say that Prince Philip wasn’t English but he wasn’t an Englishman in any real sense. He was a wretch of the world - stateless, homeless, and penniless. That the Prince of Nowhere became the British Monarchy’s figurehead was more than fitting for a great age of migration and transition in which the Royal Family survived and even flourished. That he was able to transform himself into the quintessential Englishman is testimony not just to his personal determination but also to the powerful cultural pull of Britishness.
He was born on a kitchen table in Corfu in June 1921. A year later in 1922, Philip, as the the great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria and nephew of Constantine I of Greece, was forced to flee with his family after the abdication of Constantine. He grew up outside Paris speaking French; ethnically he was mostly German although he considered himself Danish, his family originating from the Schleswig border region. He was in effect, despite his demeanour of Royal Navy officer briskness, a citizen of nowhere in an age of movement. From a very young age he was a stateless person, nationally homeless. Indeed, Philip was an outsider in a way that even Meghan Markle could never be; at his wedding in 1947, his three surviving sisters and two brothers-in-law were not permitted to attend because they were literally Britain’s enemies, having fought for the Germans. A third brother-in-law had even been in the SS, working directly for Himmler, but had been killed in the conflict.
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Even his religion was slightly exotic. He was Greek Orthodox until he converted to Anglicanism on marrying Elizabeth - what with his wife due to become supreme head of the Church and everything  - but his ties with eastern Christianity remained. His great-aunts Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine and Tsarina Alexandra are both martyrs of the Russian Orthodox Church, having been murdered by the Bolsheviks; Philip’s mother went on to become an Orthodox nun and a “Righteous Among the Nations” for saving a Jewish family during the Nazi occupation of Greece, spending much of her time in squalid poverty.
His parents were part of the largely German extended aristocracy who ruled almost all of Europe before it all came crashing down in 1918. When he died, aged 99, it marked a near-century in which all the great ideological struggles had been and gone; he had been born before the Soviet Union but outlived the Cold War, the War on Terror and - almost - Covid-19.
The world that Philip was born into was a far more violent and dangerous place than ours. In the year he was born, Irish rebels were still fighting Black and Tans; over the course of 12 months the Spanish and Japanese prime ministers were assassinated, there was a coup in Portugal and race riots in the United States. Germany was rocked by violence from the far-Left and far-Right, while in Italy a brutal new political movement, the Fascists, secured 30 seats in parliament, led by a trashy journalist called Benito Mussolini.
The worst violence, however, took place in Greece and Turkey. Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, what remained of Turkey was marked for permanent enfeeblement by the Allies. But much to everyone’s surprise the country’s force were roused by the brilliant officer Mustafa Kemal, who led the Turks to victory. Constantinople was lost to Christendom for good and thousands of years of Hellenic culture was put to the flames in Smyrna.
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The Greek royal family, north German imports shipped in during the 19th century, bore much of the popular anger for this disaster. King Constantine fled to Italy, and his brother Andrew was arrested and only escaped execution through the intervention of his relative Britain’s George V. Andrew’s wife Alice, their four daughters and infant son Philip fled to France, completely impoverished but with the one possession that ensures that aristocrats are never truly poor: connections.
Philip had a traumatic childhood. He was forged by the turmoil of his first decade and then moulded by his schooling. His early years were spent wandering, as his place of birth ejected him, his family disintegrated and he moved from country to country, none of them ever his own. When he was just a year old, he and his family were scooped up by a British destroyer from his home on the Greek island of Corfu after his father had been condemned to death. They were deposited in Italy. One of Philip's first international journeys was spent crawling around on the floor of the train from an Italian port city, "the grubby child on the desolate train pulling out of the Brindisi night," as his older sister Sophia later described it.
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In Paris, he lived in a house borrowed from a relative; but it was not destined to become a home. In just one year, while he was at boarding school in Britain, the mental health of his mother, Princess Alice, deteriorated and she went into an asylum; his father, Prince Andrew, went off to Monte Carlo to live with his mistress. "I don't think anybody thinks I had a father," he once said. Andrew would die during the war. Philip went to Monte Carlo to pick up his father's possessions after the Germans had been driven from France; there was almost nothing left, just a couple of clothes brushes and some cuff-links.
Philip’s four sisters were all much older, and were soon all married to German aristocrats (the youngest would soon die in an aeroplane crash, along with her husband and children). His sisters became ever more embroiled in the German regime. In Scotland going to Gordonstoun boarding school, Philip went the opposite direction, becoming ever more British. Following the death of his sister Cecilie in a plane crash in 1937, the gulf widened. As the clouds of conflict gathered, the family simply disintegrated. With a flash of the flinty stoicism that many would later interpret, with no little justification, as self-reliance to the point of dispassion, the prince explained: “It’s simply what happened. The family broke up… I just had to get on with it. You do. One does.”
In the space of 10 years he had gone from a prince of Greece to a wandering, homeless, and virtually penniless boy with no-one to care for him. He got through it by making a joke of everything, and by being practical.
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By the time he went to Gordonstoun, a private boarding school on the north coast of Scotland, Philip was tough, independent and able to fend for himself; he'd had to be. Gordonstoun would channel those traits into the school's distinct philosophy of community service, teamwork, responsibility and respect for the individual. And it sparked one of the great passions of Philip's life - his love of the sea. It was Gordonstoun that nurtured that love through the maturation of his character.
Philip adored the school as much as his son Charles would despise it. Not just because the stress it put on physical as well as mental excellence - he was a great sportsman. But because of its ethos, laid down by its founder Kurt Hahn, a Jewish exile from Nazi Germany.
Hahn first met Philip as a boy in Nazi Germany. Through a connection via one of his sister’s husbands, Philip, the poor, lonely boy was first sent off to a new school - in Nazi Germany. Which was as fun as can be imagined. Schloss Salem had been co-founded by stern educator called Kurt Hahn, a tough, discipline-obsessed conservative nationalist who saw civilisation in inexorable decline. But by this stage Hahn, persecuted for being Jewish in Nazi Germany, had fled to Britain, and Philip did not spend long at the school either, where pressure from the authorities was already making things difficult for the teachers. Philip laughed at the Nazis at first, because their salute was the same gesture the boys at his previous school had to make when they wanted to go to the toilet, but within a year he was back in England, a refugee once again.
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Philip happily attended Hahn’s new school, Gordonstoun, which the strict disciplinarian had set up in the Scottish Highlands. Inspired by Ancient Sparta, the boys (and then later girls) had to run around barefoot and endure cold showers, even in winter, the whole aim of which was to drive away the inevitable civilisational decay Hahn saw all around him. To 21st century ears it sounds like hell on earth, yet Philip enjoyed it, illustrating just what a totally alien world he came from.
That ethos became a significant, perhaps the significant, part of the way that Philip believed life should be lived. It shines through the speeches he gave later in his life. "The essence of freedom," he would say in Ghana in 1958, "is discipline and self-control." The comforts of the post-war era, he told the British Schools Exploring Society a year earlier, may be important "but it is much more important that the human spirit should not be stifled by easy living". And two years before that, he spoke to the boys of Ipswich School of the moral as well as material imperatives of life, with the "importance of the individual" as the "guiding principle of our society".
It was at Gordonstoun one of the great contradictions of Philip's fascinating life was born. The importance of the individual was what in Kurt Hahn's eyes differentiated Britain and liberal democracies from the kind of totalitarian dictatorship that he had fled. Philip put that centrality of the individual, and individual agency - the ability we have as humans to make our own moral and ethical decisions - at the heart of his philosophy.
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At Dartmouth Naval College in 1939, the two great passions of his life would collide. He had learned to sail at Gordonstoun; he would learn to lead at Dartmouth. And his driving desire to achieve, and to win, would shine through. Despite entering the college far later than most other cadets, he would graduate top of his class in 1940. In further training at Portsmouth, he gained the top grade in four out of five sections of the exam. He became one of the youngest first lieutenants in the Royal Navy.
The navy ran deep in his family. His maternal grandfather had been the First Sea Lord, the commander of the Royal Navy; his uncle, "Dickie" Mountbatten, had command of a destroyer while Philip was in training. In war, he showed not only bravery but guile. It was his natural milieu. "Prince Philip", wrote Gordonstoun headmaster Kurt Hahn admiringly, "will make his mark in any profession where he will have to prove himself in a trial of strength".
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2. Prince Philip and the modernisation of the monarchy
In his own words, the process of defining what it meant to be a royal consort was one of “trial and error.” Speaking with BBC One’s Fiona Bruce in 2011, Philip explained, “There was no precedent. If I asked somebody, 'What do you expect me to do?' they all looked blank. They had no bloody idea, nobody had much idea.” So he forged for himself a role as a moderniser of the monarchy.
He could not have had much idea back in 1939. Back then in Dartmouth in 1939, as war became ever more certain, the navy was his destiny. He had fallen in love with the sea itself. "It is an extraordinary master or mistress," he would say later, "it has such extraordinary moods." But a rival to the sea would come.
When King George VI toured Dartmouth Naval College, accompanied by Philip's uncle, he brought with him his daughter, Princess Elizabeth. Philip was asked to look after her. He showed off to her, vaulting the nets of the tennis court in the grounds of the college. He was confident, outgoing, strikingly handsome, of royal blood if without a throne. She was beautiful, a little sheltered, a little serious, and very smitten by Philip.
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Did he know then that this was a collision of two great passions? That he could not have the sea and the beautiful young woman? For a time after their wedding in 1948, he did have both. As young newlyweds in Malta, he had what he so prized - command of a ship - and they had two idyllic years together. But the illness and then early death of King George VI brought it all to an end.
He knew what it meant, the moment he was told. Up in a lodge in Kenya, touring Africa, with Princess Elizabeth in place of the King, Philip was told first of the monarch's death in February 1952. He looked, said his equerry Mike Parker, "as if a ton of bricks had fallen on him". For some time he sat, slumped in a chair, a newspaper covering his head and chest. His princess had become the Queen. His world had changed irrevocably.
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While the late Princess Diana was later to famously claim that there were “three people” in her marriage - herself, Prince Charles and Camilla - there were at least 55 million in Philip and Elizabeth’s. As Elizabeth dedicated her life to her people at Westminster Abbey at the Coronation on June 2, 1953, it sparked something of an existential crisis in Philip. Many people even after his death have never really understood this pivotal moment in Philip’s life. All his dreams of being a naval officer and a life at sea as well as being the primary provider and partner in his marriage were now sacrificed on the altar of duty and love.
With his career was now over, and he was now destined to become the spare part. Philip, very reasonably, asked that his future children and indeed his family be known by his name, Mountbatten. In effect he was asking to change the royal family’s name from the House of Windsor to the House of Mountbatten. But when Prime Minister Winston Churchill got wind of it as well as the more politically agile courtiers behind the Queen, a prolonged battle of wits ensued, and it was one Philip ultimately lost. It was only in 1957 that he accepted the title of “Prince.”
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Even though he had almost lost everything dear to him and his role now undefined, he didn’t throw himself a pity party. He just got on with it. Philip tried to forge his own distinct role as second fiddle to the woman who had come to represent Great Britain. He designated himself the First Officer of the Good Ship Windsor. He set about dusting off some of the cobwebs off the throne and letting some daylight unto the workings of the monarchy by advocating reasonable amount of modernisation of the monarchy.
He had ideas about modernising the royal family that might be called “improving optics” today. But in his heart of hearts he didn’t want the monarchy to become a stuffy museum piece. He envisaged a less stuffy and more popular monarchy, relevant to the lives of ordinary people. Progress was always going to be incremental as he had sturdy opposition from the old guard who wanted to keep everything as it was, but nevertheless his stubborn energy resulted in significant changes.
When a commission chaired by Prince Philip proposed broadcasting the 1953 investiture ceremony that formally named Elizabeth II as queen on live television, Prime Minister Winston Churchill reacted with outright horror, declaring, “It would be unfitting that the whole ceremony should be presented as if it were a theatrical performance.” Though the queen had initially voiced similar concerns, she eventually came around to the idea, allowing the broadcast of all but one segment of the coronation. Ultimately, according to the BBC, more than 20 million people tuned in to the televised ceremony - a credit to the foresight of Philip.
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Elizabeth’s coronation marked a watershed moment for a monarchy that has, historically, been very hands off, old-fashioned and slightly invisible. Over the following years, the royals continued to embrace television as a way of connecting with the British people: In 1957, the queen delivered her annual Christmas address during a live broadcast. Again, this was Philip’s doing when he cajoled the Queen to televise her message live. He even helped her in how to use the teleprompter to get over her nerves and be herself on screen.
Four years later, in 1961, Philip became the first family member to sit for a television interview. It is hard for us to imagine now but back then it was huge. For many it was a significant step in modernising the monarchy.
Though not everything went to plan. Toward the end of the decade, the Windsors even invited cameras into their home. A 1969 BBC fly-on-the-wall documentary, instigated by Philip to show life behind the scenes, turned into an unmitigated disaster: “The Windsors” revealed the royals to be a fairly normal, if very rich, British upper-class family who liked barbecues, ice cream, watching television and bickering. The mystery of royalty took a hit below the waterline from their own torpedo, a self-inflicted wound from which they took a long time to recover. Shown once, the documentary was never aired again. But it had an irreversible effect, and not just by revealing the royals to be ordinary. By allowing the cameras in, Philip opened the lid to the prying eyes of the paparazzi who could legitimately argue that since the Royals themselves had sanctioned exposure, anything went. From then on, minor members of the House of Windsor were picked off by the press, like helpless tethered animals on a hunting safari.
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Prince Philip also took steps to reorganise and renovate the royal estates in Sandringham and Balmoral such as intercoms, modern dish washers,  generally sought to make the royal household and the monarchy less stuffy, not to have so much formality everywhere.
Philip helped modernised the monarchy in other ways to acknowledge that the monarchy could be responsive to changes in society. It was Prince Philip - much to the chagrin of the haughty Princess Margaret and other stuffy old courtiers - who persuaded the Queen to host informal lunches and garden parties designed to engage a broader swath of the British public. Conversely, Prince Philip heartily encouraged the Queen (she was all for it apparently but was still finding her feet as a new monarch) to end the traditional practice of presenting debutantes from aristocratic backgrounds at court in 1952. For Philip and others it felt antiquated and out of touch with society. I know in speaking to my grandmother and others in her generation the decision was received with disbelief at how this foreign penniless upstart could come and stomp on the dreams of mothers left to clutch their pearls at the prospect there would be no shop window for their daughter to attract a suitable gentleman for marriage. One of my great aunts was over the moon happy that she never would have to go through what she saw as a very silly ceremony because she preferred her muddy wellies to high heels. 
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A former senior member of the royal household, who spent several years working as one of Prince Philip’s aides, and an old family friend, once told us around a family dinner table that the Duke of Edinburgh was undoubtedly given a sense of permanence by his marriage into the Royal Family that was missing from earlier years. But the royal aide would hastily add that Prince Philip, of course, would never see it that way.
Prince Philip’s attitude was to never brood on things or seek excuses. And he did indeed get on with the job in his own way  - there should be no doubt that when it came to building and strengthening the Royal Family it was a partnership of equals with the Queen. Indeed contrary to Netflix’s hugely popular series ‘The Crown’ and its depiction of the royal marriage with Philip’s resentment at playing second fiddle, the prince recognised that his “first duty was to serve the Queen in the best way I could,” as he told ITV in 2011. Though this role was somewhat ill-suited to his dynamic, driven, and outspoken temperament, Philip performed it with utter devotion.
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3. Prince Philip’s legacy
One could argue rightly that modernising the monarchy was his lasting legacy achievement. But he also tried to modernise a spent and exhausted Britain as it emerged from a ruinous war. When peace came, and with it eventual economic recovery, Philip would throw himself into the construction of a better Britain, urging the country to adopt scientific methods, embracing the ideas of industrial design, planning, education and training. A decade before Harold Wilson talked of the "white heat of the technological revolution", Philip was urging modernity on the nation in speeches and interviews. He was on top of his reading of the latest scientific breakthroughs and well read in break out innovations.
This interest in modernisation was only matched by his love for nature. As the country and the world became richer and consumed ever more, Philip warned of the impact on the environment, well before it was even vaguely fashionable. As president of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the UK for more than 20 years from 1961, he was one of the first high-profile advocates of the cause of conservation and biological diversity at a time when it was considered the preserve of an eccentric few.
For a generation of school children in Britain and the Commonwealth though, his most lasting legacy and achievement will be the Duke of Edinburgh Awards (DofE). He set up the Duke of Edinburgh award, a scheme aimed at getting young people out into nature in search of adventure or be of service to their communities. It was a scheme that could match the legacy of Baden Powell’s scouts movement. 
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When Prince Philip first outlined his idea of a scheme to harness the values of his education at Gordonstoun by bringing character-building outdoor pursuits to the many rather than the fee-paying few, he received short shrift from the government of the day. The then minister of education, Sir David Eccles responded to the Duke’s proposal by saying: “I hear you’re trying to invent something like the Hitler Youth.” Undeterred he pushed on until it came to fruition.
I’m so glad that he did. I remember how proud I was for getting my DofE Awards while I was at boarding school. With the support of great mentors I managed to achieve my goals: collecting second-hand English books for a literacy programme for orphaned street children in Delhi, India with a close Indian school friend and her family; and completing a 350 mile hike following St. Olav’s Pilgrimmage Trail from Selånger, on the east coast of Sweden, and ending at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, on the west coast of Norway.
It continues to be an enduring legacy.  Since its launch in 1956, the Duke of Edinburgh awards have been bestowed upon some 2.5 million youngsters in Britain and some eight million worldwide. For a man who once referred to himself as a “Greek princeling of no consequence”, his pioneering tutelage of these two organisations (alongside some 778 other organisations of which he was either president or a patron) would be sufficient legacy for most.
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4. Prince Philip’s character
It may surprise some but what I liked most about Prince Philip was the very thing that helped him achieve so much and leave a lasting legacy: his character.
It is unhelpful to the caricature of Prince Philip as an unwavering but pugnacious consort whose chief talent was a dizzying facility in off-colour one-liners that he was widely read and probably the cleverest member of his family.
His private library at Windsor consists of 11,000 tomes, among them 200 volumes of poetry. He was a fan of Jung, TS Eliot, Shakespeare and the cookery writer Elizabeth David. As well as a lifelong fascination with science, technology and sport, he spoke fairly fluent French, painted and wrote a well received book on birds. It’s maddening to think how many underestimated his genuine intellect and how cultured he was behind the crusty exterior.
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He didn’t have an entourage to fawn around him. He was the first to own a computer at Buckingham Palace. He answered his own phone and wrote and responded to his own correspondence. By force of character he fought the old guard courtiers at every turn to modernise the monarchy  against their stubborn resistance.
Prince Philip was never given to self-analysis or reflection on the past. Various television interviewers tried without success to coerce him in to commenting on his legacy.But once when his guard was down he asked on the occasion of his 90th birthday what he was more proud of, he replied with characteristic bluntness: “I couldn’t care less. Who cares what I think about it, I mean it’s ridiculous.”
All of which neatly raises the profound aversion to fuss and the proclivity for tetchiness often expressed in withering put-downs that, for better or worse, will be the reflex memory for many of the Duke of Edinburgh. If character is a two edged sword so what of his gaffes? 
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There is no doubt his cult status partly owed to his so-called legendary gaffes, of which there are enough to fill a book (indeed there is a book). But he was no racist. None of the Commonwealth people or foreign heads of state ever said this about him. Only leftist republicans with too much Twitter time on their hands screamed such a ridiculous accusation. They’re just overly sensitive snowflakes and being devoid of any humour they’re easily triggered.
There was the time that Philip accepted a gift from a local in Kenya, telling her she was a kind woman, and then adding: “You are a woman, aren’t you?” Or the occasion he remarked “You managed not to get eaten, then?” to a student trekking in Papua New Guinea. Then there was his World Wildlife Fund speech in 1986, when he said: “If it has got four legs and it is not a chair, if it has got two wings and it flies but is not an aeroplane, and if it swims and it is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it.” Well, he wasn’t wrong.
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Philip quickly developed a reputation for what he once defined, to the General Dental Council, as “dentopedology – the science of opening your mouth and putting your foot in it”. Clearly he could laugh at himself as he often did as an ice breaker to put others at ease.
His remarking to the president of Nigeria, who was wearing national dress, “You look like you’re ready for bed”, or advising British students in China not to stay too long or they would end up with “slitty eyes”, is probably best written off as ill-judged humour. Telling a photographer to “just take the fucking picture” or declaring “this thing open, whatever it is”, were expressions of exasperation or weariness with which anyone might sympathise.
Above all, he was also capable of genuine if earthy wit, saying of his horse-loving daughter Princess Anne: “If it doesn’t fart or eat hay she isn’t interested.” Many people might have thought it but few dared say it. If Prince Philip’s famous gaffes provoked as much amusement as anger, it was precisely because they seem to give voice to the bewilderment and pent-up frustrations with which many people viewed the ever-changing modern world.
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A former royal protection officer recounts how while on night duty guarding a visiting Queen and consort, he engaged in conversation with colleagues on a passing patrol. It was 2am and the officer had understood the royal couple to be staying elsewhere in the building until a window above his head was abruptly slammed open and an irate Prince Philip stuck his head out of the window to shout: “Would you fuck off!” Without another word, he then shut the window.
The Duke at least recognised from an early age that he was possessed of an abruptness that could all too easily cross the line from the refreshingly salty to crass effrontery.
One of his most perceptive biographers, Philip Eade, recounted how at the age of 21 the prince wrote a letter to a relation whose son had recently been killed in combat. He wrote: “I know you will never think much of me. I am rude and unmannerly and I say things out of turn which I realise afterwards must have hurt someone. Then I am filled with remorse and I try to put matters right.”
In the case of the royal protection officer, the Duke turned up in the room used by the police officers when off duty and said: “Terribly sorry about last night, wasn’t quite feeling myself.”
Aides have also ventured to explain away some of their employer’s more outlandish remarks - from asking Cayman islanders “You are descended from pirates aren’t you?” to enquiring of a female fashion writer if she was wearing mink knickers - as the price of his instinctive desire to prick the pomposity of his presence with a quip to put others at ease.
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Indeed many people forget that his ‘gaffes’ were more typical of the clubbish humour of the British officer class – which of course would be less appreciated, sometimes even offensive, to other ears. It’s why he could relate so well to veterans who enjoyed his bonhomie company immensely.
But behind the irascibility, some have argued there also lay a darker nature, unpleasantly distilled in his flinty attitude to his eldest son. One anecdote tells of how, in the aftermath of the murder of the Duke’s uncle and surrogate father, Lord Mountbatten,  Philip lectured his son, who was also extremely fond of his “honorary grandfather”, that he was not to succumb to self-pity. Charles left the room in tears and when his father was asked why he had spoken to his son with so little compassion, the Duke replied: “Because if there’s any crying to be done I want it to happen within this house, in front of his family, not in public. He must be toughened up, right now.”
But here I would say that Prince Philip’s intentions were almost always sincere and in no way cruel. He has always tried to protect his family - even from their own worst selves or from those outside the family ‘firm’ who may not have their best interest at heart.
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In 1937, a 16-year-old Prince Philip had walked behind his elder sister Cecile’s coffin after she was killed in a plane crash while heavily pregnant. The remains of newly-born infant found in the wreckage suggested the aircraft had perished as the pilot sought to make an emergency landing in fog as the mother entered childbirth. It was an excruciating taste of tragedy which would one day manifest itself in a very princely form of kindness that was deep down that defined Philip’s character.
When about 60 years later Prime Minister Tony Blair’s spin doctors in Downing Street tried to strong arm the Queen and the royal household over the the arrangements for the late Prince Diana’s funeral, it was Philip who stepped in front to protect his family. The Prime Minister and his media savvy spin doctors wanted the two young princes, William and Harry, to walk behind the coffin.
The infamous exchange was on the phone during a conference call between London and Balmoral, and the emotional Philip was reportedly backed by the Queen. The call was witnessed by Anji Hunter, who worked for Mr Blair. She said how surprised she was to hear Prince Philip’s emotion. ‘It’s about the boys,” he cried, “They’ve lost their mother”. Hunter thought to herself, “My God, there’s a bit of suffering going on up there”.’
Sky TV political commentator Adam Boulton (Anji Hunter’s husband) would write in his book Tony’s Ten Years: ‘The Queen relished the moment when Philip bellowed over the speakerphone from Balmoral, “Fuck off. We are talking about two boys who have just lost their mother”. Boulton goes on to say that Philip: ‘…was trying to remind everyone that human feelings were involved. No 10 were trying to help the Royals present things in the best way, but may have seemed insensitive.’
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In the end the politicians almost didn’t get their way. Prince Philip stepped in to counsel his grandson, Prince William, after he had expressed a reluctance to follow his mother’s coffin after her death in Paris. Philip told the grieving child: “If you don’t walk, I think you’ll regret it later. If I walk, will you walk with me?”
It’s no wonder he was sought as a counsellor by other senior royals and especially close to his grandchildren, for whom he was a firm favourite. His relationship with Harry was said to have become strained, however, following the younger Prince’s decision to reject his royal inheritance for a life away from the public eye in America with his new American wife, Meghan Markle. For Prince Philip I am quite sure it went against all the elder Prince had lived his life by - self-sacrifice for the greater cause of royalty.
This is the key to Philip’s character and in understanding the man. The ingrained habits of a lifetime of duty and service in one form or another were never far away.
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In conclusion then....
After more time passes I am sure historians will make a richer reassessment of Prince Philip’s life and legacy. Because Prince Philip was an extraordinary man who lived an extraordinary life; a life intimately connected with the sweeping changes of our turbulent 20th Century, a life of fascinating contrast and contradiction, of service and some degree of solitude. A complex, clever, eternally restless man that not even the suffocating protocols of royalty and tradition could bind him.
Although he fully accepted the limitations of public royal service, he did not see this as any reason for passive self-abnegation, but actively, if ironically, identified with his potentially undignified role. It is this bold and humorous embrace of fated restriction which many now find irksome: one is no longer supposed to mix public performance with private self-expression in quite this manner.
Yet such a mix is authentically Socratic: the proof that the doing of one’s duty can also be the way of self-fulfilment. The Duke’s sacrifice of career to romance and ceremonial office is all the more impressive for his not hiding some annoyance. The combination of his restless temperament and his deeply felt devotion to duty found fruitful expression; for instance, in the work of Saint George’s House Windsor - a centre and retreat that he created with Revd. Robin Woods - in exploring religious faith, philosophy, and contemporary issues.
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Above all he developed a way to be male that was both traditional and modern. He served one woman with chivalric devotion as his main task in life while fulfilling his public engagements in a bold and active spirit. He eventually embraced the opportunity to read and contemplate more. And yet, he remained loyal to the imperatives of his mentor Kurt Hahn in seeking to combine imagination with action and religious devotion with practical involvement.
Prince Philip took more pride in the roles he had accidentally inherited than in the personal gifts which he was never able fully to develop. He put companionship before self-realisation and acceptance of a sacred symbolic destiny before the mere influencing of events. In all these respects he implicitly rebuked our prevailing meritocracy which over-values officially accredited attainment, and our prevailing narcissism which valorises the assertion of discrete identities.
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Prince Philip was Britain’s longest-serving consort. He was steadfast, duty driven, and a necessary adjunct to the continuity and stability of the Queen and the monarchy. Of all the institutions that have lost the faith of the British public in this period - the Church, Parliament, the media, the police - the Monarchy itself has surprisingly done better than most at surviving, curiously well-adapted to a period of societal change and moral anarchy. The House of Hanover and later Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (changed to Windsor), since their arrival in this country in 1714, have been noted above all for their ability to adapt. And just as they survived the Victorian age by transforming themselves into the bourgeoise, domestic ideal, so they have survived the new Elizabethan era (Harry-Meghan saga is just a passing blip like the Edward-Wallis Simpson saga of the 1930s).
There was once a time when the Royal’s German blood was a punchline for crude and xenophobic satirists. Now it is the royals who are deeply British while the country itself is increasingly cosmopolitan and globalised. British society has seen a greater demographic change than the preceding four or five thousand years combined, the second Elizabethan age has been characterised more than anything by a transformational movement of people. Prince Philip, the Greek-born, Danish-German persecuted and destitute wanderer who came to become one of the Greatest Britons of the past century, perhaps epitomised that era better than anyone else. And he got through it by making a joke of everything, and by being practical.
I hope I don’t exaggerate when I say that in our troubled times over identity, and our place and purpose in the world, we need to heed his selfless example more than ever.
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As Heraclitus wisely said,  Ήθος ανθρώπω δαίμων (Character is destiny.)
RIP Prince Philip. You were my prince. God damn you, I miss you already.
Thanks for your question.
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cienie-isengardu · 3 years
Note
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).
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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.
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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.
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(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?
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"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
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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
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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
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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:
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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.
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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
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hetalia-reacts · 3 years
Note
ALSOALSO, as i am a jojo fan, heres my obligatory jojo ask to get your jjba master list started:
part 1 dio boyfriend headcanons! or if that's too difficult, caesar zeppeli bf headcanons 🙏🏼
I’ll do you one better and do both hehe
Dio Brando
Dio is a bastard by nature I’m sorry
Whether it’s when he’s younger or older it doesn’t matter, he’ll always sort of be an ass towards you if you’re dating
But that’s only because that’s his true self
He’s high and mighty, teasing, and overall kind of evil
It’s a different kind of teasing with you though
you get mercilessly teased in a light hearted, joking way
He’ll mockingly tease you for being too short or too tall to kiss him comfortably, or feign annoyance when you ask him for his time all the while trying to hide his smile and doing what you wanted without any resistance
Not like others who have to deal with being called useless, stupid, or annoying and having to deal with his anger and conniving attitude
Dio is surprisingly honest with you if you’re dating and if he’s serious about you
He tells you about the mask, his past, and his hatred of Jonathan
He even tells you his whole plan to get rid of Jonathan and maybe hopes you’ll encourage him or help him execute it
He really holds nothing back from the one he loves the most
Takes you on amazing dates
Of course it’s always because “you’ve annoyed him so much and he wants you to stop pestering him”
If you actually stop ‘pestering’ him, Dio gets really concerned and demands to know what’s wrong with you
He may jokingly mock you for your kisses and desires to spend time with him but he honestly doesn’t mean it so don’t stop giving him your attention
Dio can get kind of excessive in his dates as he will buy you anything he even thinks you want
His dates are also spontaneous, he never tells you beforehand and just shows up unannounced
It’s sometimes annoying but also so endearingly like him that it’s hard to stay mad
You will also never properly speak with Jonathan if he can help it
You will meet his adopted family, as it is a tradition to meet the others family, but never will he leave you alone with them
Dio would rather die then let Jonathan infect you with his stupidity
Or have you be questioned by Jonathan
That would be insult to Dio to know Jonathan thinks he would ever treat his beloved poorly
Especially after what he had to experience and witness from his Father
it makes his blood boil thinking anyone thinks he would be anything like his Father
After he becomes a vampire he expects you to become one too
But because he is incredibly soft for the one he loves, he gives them a legitimate choice in the matter
Choosing not to become one makes him incredibly sad and for once he won’t hold back in telling you his honest feelings, but he lives the rest of your life with you and never has another serious partner again
Choosing to become one makes him incredibly happy and for once, he shows you a completely unhidden vulnerable side to himself
To him, asking you to join him in being a vampire it akin to him asking you to marry him
Would somewhat properly marry you though if that’s what you really desired
Dio just wants you to be happy with him, but that doesn’t mean his changing his personality for you
You will forever have to deal with his God complex and teasing
But know that he loves you dearly
Caesar Zeppelli
Caesar is such a FLIRT
And dating him only makes it worse
You will have to deal with the unbridled, unrestrained brunt of all of Caesar’s flirting and charms
Please know Caesar spoils the hell out of you
He takes you to fancy restaurants, buys you fancy clothes, expensive jewelry, expensive food
just anything high quality he thinks you would like
If you don’t like that, you’ll essentially have to beat it into him because he’s always wanted to spoil his beloved
He honestly just really wanted to be someone you can rely on for everything
Money, shelter, love, protection, anything
Caesar is always there for you
Even if Lisa Lisa disproves of him leaving to go to you, he would do it just to care of you
Really wants Lisa Lisa to like you though
She’s his respected teacher and he really wants you and her to get along
Constantly talks about you to others and complements you to your face all the time
He honest to god doesn’t mean to be obnoxious about your guy’s relationship, but it’s hard not to tell others about how in love he is
Especially because him being in love love is really rare
Of course he flirted with pretty girls before and is a Casanova, but you’re the real deal, not just some fling
He’s very open with you about his past, both his serious past and his romantic past
Totally understands if you’re mad at him for not being totally faithful in the past
But promises he’ll prove himself worthy of your love
It’s hard to say no to that
Trains you in hamon
Says it’s for your safety and it is!
But he also just wants a proper reason to spend time with you that Lisa Lisa won’t complain about
Protects you from the truth for as long as he can though
He doesn’t want to scare you so he lies about the purpose of hamon and neglects to tell you that vampires really exist
Even when telling you about his serious past he chose to omit some truths
Begs everyone else to lie to you as well
You probably find out about vampires and the masks regardless because Jospeh can’t keep his misfortune to himself
Caesar spends the day trying to kill him, rip Joseph you will be missed
This makes him more determined to teach you hamon and now he spends just about 24/7 with you, training you in the ways of hamon and comforting you so you don’t worry about him or your own safety
He just wants to make sure you’re comfortable and never worry about him
Caesar would literally do anything to make sure you live a happy and secure life with him
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criminalmutantsins · 3 years
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Top 10 Favorite Young Justice Characters
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10. Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle
Starting off the list is Blue Beetle. Young Justice introduced me to him, and I was hooked. He’s probably the most mellow and calming voice. His arc and relationship with Bart (friendship or not) were my favorite aspects of S2. They bounced off each other in every scene. I was very disappointed when Jaime and Bart were sidelined so much, and hope S4 changes this (particularly with Bart).
Jaime in the number 10 spot since he doesn’t really have much of a memorable personality. Still love him to bits though.
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        9. Will Harper/Red Arrow
Funny enough, I did not like Will. He was an asshole in S1; S2 kind of changed my mind about him but not enough since he didn’t appear as much. What really changed my mind was the episode “Private Security” (S3 Ep.4). I started looking back into Will’s storylines and, I have to admit, his is probably one of the best character development.
The first season had him unwillingly living a lie and betraying the people he cared for. In season 2 he was so consumed into finding the original Roy for five years, not even caring or focusing about his own life. I felt really bad for Will because he was probably going through an identity crisis and thought he couldn’t live his life without finding Arsenal. Probably felt guilty.
Seeing him living his own life and being happy with his daughter was so heartwarming. I smiled every time Will appeared in the latest season (totally ignoring the Will x Artemis fiasco), especially with Lian. I’m very proud of him.
I feel bad for putting him so low, yet I adore the next characters more.
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 8. Garfield Logan/Beast Boy
I have been a massive Beast Boy fan since Teen Titans so you probably can imagine how excited to see him. His origin story was unique and his brother-sister bond with M’gann was very sweet. It was pretty weird seeing how much younger Gar was than Dick, but I got used to it. I was bummed that Gar wasn’t in S2 as much; however, S3 truly made up for it. 
After watching Beast Boy being a great leader in S5 of Teen Titans, I wanted a leader-like and more mature version of him. Young Justice truly delivered with Gar being the leader of the Outsiders. It’s nice to see him treated with respect rather than as a joke because that was my biggest gripe with Teen Titans. Though it was weird seeing him not crack a joke at all.
Gar’s story with his mom was heartbreaking to see. I literally cried seeing his reaction to revisiting his trauma in S2 and S3; I just wanted to hug and tell him how awesome he is. My only complaint with Gar in S3 was that the Outsiders weren’t established until near the end of the season.
His voice actor being Greg Cipes also gives him extra points (He’s a chill guy and radiates BB energy).
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 7. Dick Grayson/Nightwing/ Robin I 
Sorry to all the hardcore Nightwing fans.
I love Dick (don’t get any ideas), but he doesn’t get enough development in the spotlight. One of the things I really wanted to see from him is his growth as a main leader, and his journey to becoming Nightwing. I was really bummed when these happened between the first two seasons.
To be honest, I don’t have as much to say about him other than straightforward qualities I enjoy about him.
1.His Voice (it’s so soothing)
2.His Personality (very charismatic)
3.Very Handsome (Probably in the top 3 my most handsome YJ Men list)
I put him higher than the others since he made a lot of contribution to the story and his new words (gotta love that aster!)
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6. Megan Morse/M’gann M’orzz/Miss Martian 
If I made this list during S1, M’gann would have probably been in my top 3 (maybe even No. 1), but S2 didn’t give her any brownie points.
I really liked S1 Miss Martian because of her kind heart, awkward girl next door personality. Her trouble fitting in the beginning reminded me of when I was going through a time in high school; seeing her having trouble as well helped me feel not so lonely. M’gann powers were (still are) my favorite since I am a big fan of mind-like powers. I would feel so powerful. Watching her identity crisis(?) arc was great too. I’ve had trouble feeling comfortable in my own skin as well as my social anxiety (I’m a mess) and I could understand how scared Megan was of her friends’ thoughts on her true form. 
Oh boy. Season 2 basically ruined her. Learning what she would do to enemies was terrifying to see and left me wondering what happened to Miss Martian that made her step this far. What she almost did to Superboy was almost unforgivable. You do not try to manipulate with your boyfriend’s mind when you guys have an argument! Shame on you M’gann. If Superboy hadn’t forgiven you then I wouldn’t have either.
Good thing S3 somewhat redeemed her. Her kind heart was noticeable again and she refused to do that mind trick again (thank god). Very excited for the Superboy and Miss Martian wedding! Please creators, I beg of you to not skip over it. I want to cry my eyes out in happiness!
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 5. Kaldur’ahm/Aquaman/Aqualad 
Now we’re in the top 5 with Aqualad (*ahem* Aquaman) starting it off.
Creating Kaldur was the best decision the creators ever did. I love him with all my heart!
He added diversity to the original team and was a great leader. S1 was not his breakout season, though the second season definitely was.
Kladur played the villain so well that he deserves an automatic Oscar. I never doubted that he was with the heroes, but he didn’t disappoint. My favorite part about Aqualad’s performance was when he rose from the ocean slowly like a cliché villain (he made it work), and the line he said right after he “killed” Artemis; it sent me chills. Love it! 
Pretty disappointed that he didn’t appear as much in S3. Very happy that he is a part of the LGBTQ+ community and is in a happy relationship. I’m a part of the community and loved that there was finally some representation in one of my favorite shows. Even so, I have to criticize how rushed and sidelined it was. I hope Kaldur and Wyynde’s relationship gets development.
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 4. Kon-El/Conner Kent/Superboy
Like Will, I did not like Superboy at first. Mainly angry and volatile characters were never really my cup of tea. I do understand why he was upset and felt bad for him; I just handle anger the direct opposite as him. My love for Conner started growing around the end of S1. He was very sweet towards Miss Martian (bless him for not caring about her appearance) and his anger was in control.
Season 2 pretty much switched my opinions on him and M’gann. It was awful what M’gann almost did to him. That scene with him being so sad that what she did ruined that special bond they had almost made me cry. I wanted to give him a hug. He grew so much too since I don’t think he would have handled the whole M’gann drama as well in S1. A lot of furniture would’ve been broken.
I gotta admit something. I almost put Conner near the bottom (maybe no. 7). A comment in a poll in Amino changed my mind. I wrote a poll asking other fans who did they prefer SB or MM. At that point I said SB, though I didn’t think much of it. Someone (specifically yjfangirl) responded “Superboy has the best development in the show.” This had me thinking about how far SB has gone. In the beginning, Conner was an angry guy who felt alone and rejected by the person who he was meant to emulate. Now he is happier and living for himself rather than to be the next Superman. He’s getting married people! A little detail I noticed when rewatching S3 was Superboy mentioning to new characters that they weren’t obligated to be a hero because of their abilities. I adored this! The main reason why Superboy was created to be Superman if the original ever died, and another one of Luthor’s puppets. But he strayed from that pressuring path and is doing his own thing. Conner doesn’t want other people to feel like he did. What an absolute pure soul.
Also, yjfangirl, first I want to say Hi (*waves*)! Then say thanks for writing that comment. It made me really think about the bigger picture with SB and my love for him as grown exponentially. You probably didn’t mean to do that, but I still want to thank you. 😊
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 3.Wally West/Kid Flash
We’re in the elites now.
I don’t know how to explain it, I just love Wally. He makes me laugh, and his character growth was great. At first, Wally was this cocky flirt who didn’t take the hero work as seriously. That changed in “Cold-hearted,” one of my favorite episodes in the series. This was when I really started seeing more of Wally than being this dumb flirt. It was great seeing him actually caring about helping people since I believed for a long time that he wanted to be a superhero to just have powers rather than actually protect others. The regret in his eyes when he thought his impulsive behavior killed Perdita helped me see who he really was- this somewhat arrogant speedster who had a kind heart. Episodes that can make me change my perspective on characters are truly special.
I was very upset that he wasn’t in S2 a lot. I understand why since he gave up the life, but I was still bummed. Seeing him being so loving and protective towards Artemis was amazing. Spitfire is my favorite ship and I will not give up on them. All I want is a happy ending! The penultimate episode of S3 was a hint that it will happen. Watching the S2 finale was heartbreaking, I cried watching him disappear, his love for Artemis being the last things he said. Artemis’ reaction did not(I just wanted to hug her). 
I have more to say, though I’m leaving it for another post. 😉
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 2.Bart Allen/Kid Flash II/Impulse
Picking between Bart and Wally for second place was tough. Took me a while to decide; I’ll talk about it later on.
The moment Bart made his appearance, I absolutely adored him. He is amazing and I live for his hyper, fun attitude. His arc and relationship with Jaime were my favorite aspects of S2. What can I say, their chemistry is great to see.
That scene when he was meeting the Flash family was so adorable. His excitement was infectious and spoiling his dad and aunt’s births was hilarious! I watch it occasionally whenever I need a good laugh or reason to smile.
Unlike most time travelers- at least the ones I’ve seen- Bart was very involved with what was going on and befriended his biggest enemy- evil and weirdly huge future Blue Beetle. He was pretty careful about disclosing very important information and took things very seriously. You never know if disclosing everything was the thing that brought the world to chaos.
What I found interesting was his choice on how to interact with everyone. He seemed pretty gloomy in the future, but decided to portray this cheerful, devil-may-care attitude to be more likable. I understood (still kind of do). I had terrible mental health issues and I pretended to be happy in front of loved ones because I thought they wouldn’t care about me anymore. Bart got some brownie points for that.
I was dissatisfied when his role was greatly reduced. I wanted the creators to go further with Bart by revealing his past and how it affected him. He was pretty much comedy relief. You couldn’t imagine how disappointed I was, especially with it involving my second favorite character. Season 4 better change that.
I know that you shouldn’t assume a character’s sexuality, yet I really hope Bart is gay. There needs to be more clear representation and Bart can be one of them. I’m also a Bluepulse and Bartuado shipper (fine with either one as long as Bart’s bond with each of them stays strong).
Anyway, I mentioned that I would explain why I chose Bart for 2nd place over Wally. It mostly stems from wishful thinking. I really want S4 to have Bart as a main character since I believe the future will be strong plot point in the season. Development could surely happen such as Bart opening up more about what he went through. Let all those feelings go.
I’m going to write an article on my hopes for S4 when a release date is announced. Bart and Wally will most definitely be talked about.
 …..
We are finally near the end!
And my No. 1 favorite character is…
Drumroll please!
..
.
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1.Artemis Crock/Tigress/Artemis
That’s right people!
Artemis Crock, original member of the Team and daughter of villains!
She is such an inspiration to anyone who wants to go their own past without their parents’ support.
It’s hard to describe how much I love Artemis. She’s brave, strong-willed, and a kind person. It’s crazy how great of a person she is after all the terrible things that happened to her. I look up to her because I don’t have a healthy relationship with my parents (verbal and mental abuse) and there are times I don’t feel strong enough to stand on my own. I want to carry the amount of strength Artemis has as my own.
After all that happened in S2, it was amazing to see Artemis come back to the team and train the new generation. It must have been hard to walk away from a safe, comfortable life for a chaotic, dangerous life. I admire that in everyone, but I hold more respect for Artemis since “the life” “killed” Wally. I wanted to hug her so bad.
She’s also one of the kindest people in the show, the events in S3 being the best example. When Zatanna was crying about her dad, Artemis was there to comfort her. It was so sweet! Roy and her also took in Halo and Terra like they were a part of the family; the archer treated them like the best big sister. That rainstorm scene was heartwarming to the core.
Wouldn’t Artemis be an amazing mother? Lian and her have a strong bond like a mother and daughter; I loved it, and Lian is in good hands with Roy and Artemis. Though Jade deserves a chance to be a mother. Artemis also seemed to enjoy taking care of those kids in that S1 episode. Wally too. You guys know what I’m guys insinuating. 😉
Get ready for some fanfics on that someday.
My favorite Artemis-centered episode was the second to last episode of S3. I was waiting for this episode centering around Artemis missing Wally and learning to move on. It was great yet heartbreaking. Nothing bad happened. That Will and Artemis kiss never happened. Everyone makes a mistake. No matter how terrible it was.
Anyway, seeing Artemis and Wally living their lives and having a baby gave me life, even if it was fake. It was a vision of the future. I will believe this until there is confirmation that Wally will not come back.
Did anyone else cry when Artemis was so desperate to, but Wally wouldn’t let that happen (the real Wally would do that)? They are a great example of a healthy relationship with all the love and support they have for each other. I want that.
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ready-to-obeyme · 4 years
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[OM!] All Demon Brothers + Undateables as Babysitters (Part 1)
Scenario: For the sake of the exchange program (probably), the entire cast is now in charge of taking care of kids ranging from infants to pre-K children at a daycare with you. Headcanons on what type of babysitter they would be + whatever cute shenanigans that may occur
Note: Baby fever!! Inspiration is the entirety of Gakuen Babysitter/School Babysitter. It is literally the cutest anime I have ever watched in my life and I highly recommend it if you want a cute feels-good, slice of life!! Some of the kids I may have based off of them, but you don’t need to watch it to understand this! :))
why do i always make my headcanons so long
Part 1 has the 7 Demon Brothers
[Part 2] has all five Undateables
--
Lucifer
This was probably Diavolo’s idea so he has no choice but to go along with it, much to his dismay
He already thought humans were fragile, and now they were going to take care of the smaller, younger ones? 
His face scares 90% of the kids on his first day as a babysitter, which kind of hinders his job because every time he tries to help them clean up or change diapers, the kids start crying 
The other 10% who are not intimidated by him claim him to be the Big Bad and play fight with him all the time, and considering his attitude, he’s a pretty perfect villain in their make-belief play so he’s won their hearts IMMEDIATELY 
Generally a pretty strict baby-sitter who is listened to without having to repeat himself; his power and authority is unyielding (and also he’s just plain scary even if he doesn’t mean to be, and lowkey he likes the power he has because the kids remind him of Mammon sometimes) 
It’s honestly a big debate whether he should just give up and ask for help or power through, but if he’s just babysitting with you, pleads with you to please help him because he’s so lost and why do they scream so loud and not that he would ever admit to it, but he is a tiny bit hurt that he can’t seem to have the kids trust him
Once he’s told that he should smile more and speak more gently, he implements it with mixed results (at first), but it’s a significant improvement from the first few days
During a moment of rest, he’s sighing when a baby crawls up to him and sits in his lap without warning, and he’s a goner 
Literally has the hardest time trying to train his face not to look so pleased or happy, but his smile is so soft (and he will not hesitate to kill any of his brothers that see him like that, but for you and the undateables, he’ll just be embarrassed) 
Loves infants and how trusting they are of him despite how scary his face may seem sometimes-- the epitome of unconditional love and he’s just… very tender
Probably ends up being the respected babysitter who’s super cool to all the kids but slightly unapproachable (unless you’re a babyyyy) but eventually climbs the ranks in terms of babysitters because he vouches for them if they do need him
Mammon
The kids have decided that he is the biggest kid on the playground and now to assert dominance, they must beat him up
Which is what they do-- or as much as they can with their tiny fists and miniscule strength and the fact that Mammon is a literal demon
You just stare at Mammon as he cries on the ground, whining at how the kids ganged up on him and you’re just like…. They’re literally <4 years old. 
Despite that part, Mammon gets along with all the kids really well!! 
He talks to them as normal and calls them ‘brats’ but they all know he’s soft for them so they kind of take advantage of that? But only a little bit because they don’t like seeing Mammon cry either
You forget who comfort the other more at this point, the kids or Mammon
Mammon is the best person to call for if the kids want to play around because he’s pretty animated himself and goes along with whatever the kids want to do 
You might have to reign them in a little yourself, because you’re not quite sure Mammon really knows what’s actually dangerous for them
“Mammon, please only carry one kid at a time please, you’re scaring me”
“Huh? You know I can carry all four of them on my head--”
“Please”
Suuuper popular with the kids even though he kept complaining about them to anyone who would listen that he had to look over these tiny humans
But the moment any of the kids ask for his help or do something cute, he’s the FIRST one to go and help because ‘you need the GREAT Mammon’s help? Guess you can’t help it after all…” and he just likes the fact that he feels reliable to these kids
He might… actually save money to buy these kids Christmas gifts?? Will maybe cry if they bring little Valentine's Day candies (that their parents probably told them to give but shhh let him dream)
Leviathan
May or may not be hyperventilating as he hypes himself up to go into the daycare and meet the kids
He tried to brush it off to his brothers that they’re just kids and he doesn’t care if they like him or not because it doesn’t matter to him because he’s just an otaku-- but my god he hopes they like him 
Little does he know, the fact he lets them play on his game consoles (whether or not they actually know how to play) wins them over immediately and breaks the ice
They find him super interesting to talk to and he ends up a pretty popular babysitter because he talks to them like adults (yes, even to the babies) 
Catch him giving a bottle to a baby while talking to them in baby-voice (that he adopts not on purpose) about his favorite TSL season 
One of the biggest reasons why the kids love him is because he really listens to them even though their rants and blabbing doesn’t always make sense
When he does talk about his interests (or it slips out, as it does), the kids are genuinely interested in what he has to say and that’s when his mission to convert all of these kids to watching anime and reading manga started
“Reading manga is going to help them develop reading comprehension!!”
Probably brings his entire stash of (kid-friendly) manga-- probably the magical girl anime with Ruri-chan-- and has the kids dig in 
It does have some negative repercussions because kids aren’t exactly good at handling precious material, so things do rip and break and Levi had to excuse himself to go outside and mourn his lost
But the fire of his mission burns brighter than the sadness over what he has lost (besides, he would never bring limited edition/1st edition things outside his room so these things are replaceable) 
If Halloween rolls around, the kids will exclaim that they want to be [insert character] from TSL or another anime and Levi may shed tears of happiness right there and then
Will make it his side quest to make costumes for ALL the kids-- especially if they can’t afford their own and will encourage them to be whatever they want to be!!!
He’s literally leading an army of newly-created weebs/otakus that look up to him in the daycare and the power he has over these kids is so formidable some of his brothers are actually a little jealous HAHA
Satan
Acts casual about the whole thing and is actually casual about it
He hasn’t necessarily spent much time with kids, but he figures he’d be able to do it-- and he’d be right; considering how natural he is with people in general, I doubt kids would be much different, especially if he talks to them like adults and respects their opinions 
Is definitely the type of babysitter some of the kids end up having a little baby crush on, considering how charming and prince-like he can be with his gentle tone of voice 
Not that he’s perfect-- some kids are just brats and he does get angry at them but he only needed to snap once before the troublemakers all learned not to mess with him
Despite that, he would most likely be the ones to keep an eye on the troublemakers, because it may be a sign of a troubled home (not always, but… well, he would know best, wouldn’t he?) and he’d want to reach out to them if he can help them in any way
What he loves to do with the kids-- and you can probably guess-- is have Story Time!!
The kids are so excited to circle around him before naptime and listen to him read storybooks, doing voice overs and dramatic/animated readings; the kids are so intently listening and giggling at the funny parts
At first, he attempted to bring all his books over to the daycare, but he had to put some back when you tell him these kids are literally three and probably don’t have the reading comprehension required to read Quantum Physics-- so he provides picture books instead; anything he procured from the human world
Really encourages the kids to try their best to read and, if he has the time of day, tries to teach them basic things like the alphabet, how to spell out each words etc (you may call him…. Sensei) 
Adores their imagination too because he knows adults could hardly compare at times and he encourages them to make up their own stories and he’d help them write it down 
Uses a lot of tactic like these to encourage their education and their development-- he loves books and the impact they’ve made on him and he wants these kids to be able to experience the same things
Asmodeus
A little hesitant at first because kids can be super cute and great for pictures but… they can also be super gross and kind of mean; and he’s seen both ends of the spectrum so he’s not really sure what to expect
Then one of the kid compliments his hair clip shyly and shows their own similar hairclip and he’s sold because obviously they have the cutest kids in the world
Hair undone? He’s there
You wanna try out painting nails? Oh hun, he’s got you-- free make-overs for EVERYONE-- except maybe the infants, he doesn’t wanna ruin the natural baby smell and softness they have going for them
He wants to encourage ALL the kids to express themselves so he sometimes brings old clothes he doesn’t wear anymore so they have a fashion show/runways
ALWAYS encourages the kid to wear what they want because gender norms who???
If ANY and I mean ANY parent comes up to him and talk about him letting them wear non-gender conforming clothes he WILL go off on them because they are LITERALLY KIDS-- let them express themselves and have fun
Kinda grossed out by snot and diapers tho so you’re gonna have to help him with that; and since the universe knows that he hates getting dirty, he’s probably the brother most likely to get peed on while changing a diaper
You have to force him back into the daycare after that incident because he refuses to come out of the bathroom after changing into clean clothes 
But he is so captivating that the kids usually don’t cause trouble when he’s around, and also similarly to Levi, he talks and listens to them blabber while he’s doing their hair so it’s always pretty soothing 
Probably ends up in charge of the creativity hour and cooing over everyone’s art project, encouraging them to sprinkle as much glitter as they want, use as many colors as they want-- as long as it makes them happy! 
Beelzebub
Considering he’s the sweetest and physically the strongest, he’s actually pretty concerned about hurting them, and asks you to help him adjust to this new role so that the kids will be okay (you know he’ll be fine, but if saying yes to helping him will make him feel better, you say it)
Beel keeps to himself as a babysitter for the first few-- oh idk-- hours before some of the kids figure out how STRONG he is and he’s the best thing since sliced bread
The kids start to literally hang from him, testing how strong he really is, and are all delighted that he can hold all of them in and from his arms; he’s a little worried he’ll drop them, but since the kids are so excited about it, decides to lift them only a little high just to please them
Happily, he eventually gets used to knowing how to deal with them, and it helps that the kids are so polite to him
He’s the ultimate Big Brother figure to them, much to his surprise since he’s used to being the younger brother, and it makes him really soft inside that these kids actually look up to him and rely on him 
During free play, he has definitely carried at least six kids on his back when they play horsey and not break a sweat and throws the babies up in the air playfully (and carefully) and let them pretend they were flying
He’s their protector, making sure that they’re playing safely, even though he went a little too ham on the protection, grabbing a kid by the scruff of his collar because he was running and beel was afraid of him falling and scraping his knees
“It’s okay Beel, they can handle it--”
“Are you sure?? But they’re so tiny and fragile--” 
Changes diapers pretty handily after the first time; has definitely tried the baby formula and ate the entire bottle by accident before feeding a baby
Makes sure the kids are nice to each other, especially siblings, and that they eat; you tell the kids that if they eat their vegetables they’ll grow as strong as Beel, and that’s the FASTEST you’ve ever seen picky kids eat them in your LIFE
Belphegor
“Alright, nap time, everyone!”
“Belphie, they just arrived;;;”
Honestly just thought this entire thing was a hassle because kids in general take a lot of work and he just doesn’t want to put that sort of effort into something he didn’t sign up for
But since you’re there, he may as well try to be proficient enough to be well-liked enough to not cause a fuss and be able to babysit with you
He’s the type of babysitter who converses with the kids and pretends he doesn’t know something so the kid tries to teach him-- and honestly this give the kid a chance to be confident in their skills and also lets Belphie not do as much work to keep the conversation alive so win-win
As you can probably guess, is definitely in charge of enforcing nap time… by napping with the kids-- gotta learn by example right?
There are probably mats that the kids lie on but whenever Belphie lies in the middle of them, they all end up rolling and curling near his side; when he wakes up he’s always surrounded by a sea of kids and he’s so confused and he can’t move unless you wake up the kids for him 
The most efficient babysitter out of all of them because efficiency means less effort and time taken to change a diaper, clean up a spill, or wipe a kid’s nose 
Doesn’t understand why the kids keep wanting to interact with him but he’ll always indulge them in the end regardless of his nonchalant attitude
He actually finds a lot of them endearing when they talk about the things they like to do and about their daily life because it’s always interesting to learn about their perspective on things
When it’s creativity hour, the kids like asking him to doodle something on their paper (it can be a small chibi or caricature or just some animal) and it always makes them super happy; you watch him crack a smile as he sees the kids try to copy his drawing right next to it
If any of them are interested in stars, will gently show them the constellations in books and watch as they fascinate over them as he did before
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thesquishyrogue · 3 years
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Rogue's relationships with the rest of the mercs
Scout:
Almost like a brother-sister relationship. They're always goofing off together, joking around, getting on Spy's nerves. Just being the chaotic force of the team. Scout constantly convinces Rogue to play baseball with him, especially after seeing that they both use bats as a weapon (albeit Rogue's has nails driven through it).
Scout: "Aw man, sick bat! Say, you ever actually played baseball? If not I could teach ya. Though, you should probably use a different bat. I'll let ya borrow one of mine!"
Soldier:
He's definitely sort of a weird uncle figure to her. She's always giggling at his ridiculous antics, and he's surprisingly protective of her. Although at the same time he's always impressed by her ability to fend for herself, and fight off men larger than her despite her size.
Soldier: "Hell yeah, look at her go! Kicking ass just like a true American! She makes me proud!"
Pyro:
Oh my goodness. These two. Rogue almost always puts on a tough attitude, especially around the other guys. But around Pyro? They're probably the only person Rogue will be a softie towards. They're constantly seen platonically hugging and cuddling, and Pyro loves when Rogue covers their mask in stickers. They always return the favor by covering her face. Once they come off she treasures them. The others will always comment on how adorable the two are, usually followed by Rogue telling them to fuck off.
Rogue: "If anything were to ever happen to Pyro, I would kill everyone in this room and then myself."
Pyro: (灬º‿º灬)
Demoman:
Their relationship is quite explosive, to say the least. When Demo isn't trying to get Rogue to try some of his alcohol (which always results in Rogue gagging and choking from the bitterness) they're always assisting each other on the battlefield. Mostly in the form of Rogue catapultng Demo's bombs at enemies with her slingshot. They always share a laugh when a BLU team member is blown to bits.
Demoman: "Boom, right in the head! Look at all that blood! Yer aim is getting better and better, lassie!"
Heavy:
Just looking at these two stand next to each other is almost laughable. With Heavy being incredibly larger than everyone and Rogue being incredibly smaller, he practically dwarfs her. He's extremely gentle with her though, and takes care of her in sort of a protective big brother kind of way. Whenever the team is lounging around, she's often either cuddled into him or resting her legs in his lap. He doesn't mind it. He's also let her beat him in arm wrestling numerous times. She knows he lets her win, but she still take the opportunity to boast to the other mercs about it.
Heavy: "Little girl is so strong. You've beaten me again."
Rogue: 😏😏😏
Engineer:
He's also like an uncle figure to her. But unlike Soldier, he's more of the chill laid-back uncle that she can go to for advice. And she often does. Sometimes when she's bored she'll go into his workshop and talk with him as he plays his guitar or she helps out with whatever he's working on. Even if that help is something as simple as just handing him tools, he appreciates it. He appreciates the company too.
Engie: "Alright darlin', can you hand me the screwdriver?"
Rogue: "Uh... which one?"
Engie: "The Phillips."
Rogue: "Uh..."
Engie: "The pointy one."
Rogue: "Oh! Yeah sure I knew that."
Medic:
Like with Engie, Rogue will often go into the infirmary to talk with Medic as he works (she also makes sure he takes a break once in a while and doesn't overwork himself). He also does what he can to help with her depression once that's out in the open, prescribing her any antidepressants he can get his hands on. Though when she first joined the team and he gave her her first annual exam, he was astounded by how many fractures and injuries he'd found that were just left to sloppily heal on their own. The sadistic doctor was actually kind of worried for her, though honestly impressed by her high pain tolerance.
Medic: "Goodness fräulein, this is the fifth fracture I've found! How are you even walking?"
Rogue: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Sniper:
Despite having quite good aim from using a slingshot for years, Rogue was quite inexperienced with guns (not including when she killed her old caretaker at the end of her fighting days). So naturally, Sniper took it upon himself to teach her. He educates her on different types of guns in order to find what works best for her, and the two partake in target practice together. Of course, the two end up bonding during the lessons. She tells him all about her life in the ring, and he tells her about what life was like back in Australia. One thing that Rogue wasn't anticipating, however, was how strong the recoil of a gun can be. She was so unprepared she was thrown right onto her ass in shock.
Sniper: "Crikey! You alright there, mate?"
Rogue: "Yeah I'm fine... fuck, what was that?!"
Sniper: "Recoil, love. Did you not know guns did that?"
Rogue: "...no..."
Spy:
Although she and Spy certainly took the longest to warm up to each other, the two are as close as can be now. Once they finally accepted each other, Spy took her under his wing as his apprentice. He helps her perfect her thieving skills and educates her on how to take tough situations in stride. She really looks up to him, and they almost have a father-daughter relationship. And of course, when her depression comes to light, he's her biggest means of support. He's always available when she needs him and he does whatever he can for her.
Spy: "You make me so proud, mon cheri. You've captured the intel once again, our training has really paid off. Great job."
Rogue: "Thanks dad."
Spy: "Excuse me, what was that?"
Rogue: "....nothing."
Bonus!
Miss Pauling:
Miss Pauling is literally the first woman Rogue has ever been close to in her life. Throughout her entire childhood she's been surrounded by creepy older men, and even though things are different now with the mercs... they're still men. There are just some things Rogue isn't quite comfortable talking to them about. But with Miss Pauling, going to her for help with things like clothes shopping and feminine problems almost feels natural. Hell, there were so many things Rogue didn't even know about periods until Miss Pauling explained them to her. And of course Miss Pauling takes the time out of her busy work day as often as she can to make sure Rogue is stocked up on sanitary items, and whatever else she needs. Rogue is always extremely greatful for it. And while part of her sees Miss Pauling as sort of a mother figure...another part sort of has a crush on her. Yeah, Miss Pauling was pretty much Rogue's bisexual awakening. But she hasn't said anything about it, one because it would just be awkward and two because she knows Scout also likes her, and she doesn't wanna stand in his way (but little does either of them know, Miss Pauling is a lesbian 👀)
Miss Pauling: "Rogue, honey, you don't even know what a pad is? Or a tampon??? What- what do you do when you get your period?"
Rogue: "What, you mean that weird time of the month that I start bleeding? I just... live with it I guess? Maybe put toilet paper in my panties if it gets too messy-"
Miss Pauling: "Rogue. Come with me, I'll get you stocked up on the things you need. And we'll get you some new panties too."
Rogue: "But don't you have things to do?"
Miss Pauling: "This is more important. You shouldn't have to suffer every month just because no one ever properly taught you about periods. I'll help you out."
Saxton Hale:
Rogue thought he was obnoxious upon first meeting him. Called him a "corporate clown" to the other mercs. But, she had to  earn his approval in order to join the team, so Miss Pauling insisted that she be on her best behavior around him. But, even when on her best behavior her spunkiness still shined through, and Saxton noticed it real quick. However, that spunkiness only raised his interest. He commented on how he, "Hadn't met such a scrappy sheila in a long time." Truth be told, she reminded him a lot of Maggie, but he wasn't about to mention it. During their one on one meeting, he demanded that she punch him in the face to test her strength. After a short hesitation, she did so. Saxton was impressed that she actually hit him hard enough to dislocate his jaw and bust his lip, and gave her the job on the spot with the promise that she keep up that energy (and learn to use some weapons, of course). Miss Pauling and the mercs were shocked to see the two of them come back with Saxton's arm slung around Rogue's shoulders and his face dripping with blood, and the two of them laughing with each other. She took back what she said about him being a corporate clown. Although, the only thing she still doesn't like about him is how he treats Miss Pauling, considering how close she is with her. She has a mind to call him out on it, but Miss Pauling begs her not to.
Saxton: "Let's see just how strong a little gal like you can really be. Go on, hit me RIGHT here! Hard as ya can!"
Rogue: "Uh...Mr. Hale, I really don't-"
Saxton: "Oh don't wuss out on me girly, you want this job or not?!"
Crack.
Rogue: "Oh my god- Mr. Hale! I am so-"
Saxton: "Now that's what I'm talking about! You pack a hard punch for such a cute little thing!"
Rogue: "You're bleeding..."
Saxton: "Consider yourself hired!"
Administrator:
Doesn't trust her. Not one bit. She only respects her because she has to, and even then her "respect" is so shallow that anyone could see right through it. She hates the way she berates, overworks, and oftentimes gaslights Miss Pauling, and the fact that even all the other mercs seem to be intimidated by her concerns her greatly. She knows something's going on with her behind the scenes, and she's determined to figure out what. In the few times she actually saw her in person, Rogue definitely smarted off to her more than once, despite Miss Pauling practically begging her to watch it. The Administrator, however, almost finds it adorable. Almost. She kind of views Rogue as a bratty child. A bratty child with skill and talent that is essential for her team. And for that, she lets the sassiness slide...for now. Luckily these two don't butt heads often though, considering the Administrator is rarely seen.
Administrator, over the loud loudspeaker: "Well done, let's see some more."
Rogue, mumbling: "Bite me..."
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Text
With 4th of July finally coming to an end.... it’s time! Time for the story we’ve been planning! That being said:
Danganronpa V4: A New Ending
(Title pending?)
Pairing: Hajime x female reader
Summary: a whole new killing game, with a different group of participants, and a whole new character
The first chapter will come out soon, and when it does, you’ll find the link here!
Here is all our people starring in this story!
Y/N L/N, The Ultimate Forensic Scientist
A spunky young girl with a spunky young attitude. She tends to keep to herself, but isn’t necessarily shy. From her school file, it’s highly assumed that she somehow stumbled across a crime scene as a child, how she actually got there is unknown. Although no older than 13, she was easily able to point out evidence that the forensic specialists already in scene missed before she was quickly escorted away.
Seemingly unbothered by the corpses she witnessed, she then pursued her newly found interest in crime scenes and how to process them, along with collecting evidence.
Her quick learning caught the attention of many, including Hope’s Peak. They offered to pay for her entire schooling if she attended, and she agreed. As Y/N got dressed and ready for her first day at Hope’s Peak, she could have never guessed she would be forced to fight for her life along with 15 others, and put her talent to use.
Hajime Hinata, The Ultimate???
A hotheaded teen who seems to have amnesia, being unable to remember his talent. His uptight nature puts off some of the others, but a few seem interested in him, some even offering to help him discover his talent.
Although he’d never say it, he feels self conscious due to not knowing what his job is supposed to be.
Admires most, if not all, talents, especially the ones that directly make society run better.
Not much can be said about him, he’s still trying to figure out who he is.
He remembers getting ready for the start of the school year, walking out of his home, and then everything going black. Then he woke up on this island, and now has to keep himself and those he cares for alive.
Kokichi Ouma, The Ultimate Supreme Leader
A spry young boy who refuses to really speak of his past. It’s unclear what in his school file is even the truth. He claims to be the supreme leader of an evil organization called DICE, an organization with elegidly 10,000+ members. Hence his talent title. Almost everything that comes out of his mouth he claims to be a lie, so it’s hard to tell what he is actually like.
While he doesn’t ever go into detail of his organization, it seems to be one of the only things he actually cares about and wants to get back to.
He seems hardly bothered by the idea of a killing game, even saying, hopefully joking, that he’d make the first kill. Most are unnerved by his presence and stay away.
Mukuro Ikusaba, The Ultimate Soldier
A quiet, stern girl who does not speak unless absolutely necessary. The older fraternal twin sister of Junko Enoshima, a fashionista famous in Japanese magazine’s. Mukuro seems completely indifferent to anything unless it’s about her sister, to which she grows immediately passionate, almost like a different person. Doesn’t speak about why she and her sister have different last names, claiming it shouldn’t matter.
While not thrilled at the thought of a killing game, she shows extreme faith that her sister will find and rescue her. Most people avoid her, she is the ultimate soldier, after all. Out of everyone, she’d be able to kill the most efficiently.
Doesn’t mind that people avoid her, she likes the quiet anyway.
Makoto Naegi, The Ultimate Lucky Student
A simple, average teenager who lives a simple and average life. He was randomly selected to go to Hope's peak, so he doesn’t really possess any actual talent.
Although talentless, he does seem to possess a decent level of smarts and gets along with everyone easily. No one really fears him, he’s too small and sweet to be capable of murder.
While he doesn’t pose a threat to others, he poses a threat to the mastermind, or anyone who lays their hands on his sister.
Komaru Naegi, a normal student
Komaru possesses no actual talent, much like her brother. However, she is different in the sense that she wasn’t even accepted into Hope’s Peak since she wasn’t quite of age to even be considered as a possibility.
She remembers being taken hostage after she and her parents sent off her older brother, only to awaken on an island, her brother right beside her.
She wants to trust everyone, and takes relief in having her brother by her side.
Shuichi Saihara, The Ultimate Detective
A shy boy who hides his eyes behind a black cap. He seems rather insecure, despite having the talent that poses as the most useful in the current situation. He is quiet and doesn’t like interacting with others, but seems to get more comfortable as time goes on.
He doesn’t like the idea of the killing game, obviously, but he’s mostly worried that some of his classmates will take it seriously.
K1-B0, The Ultimate Robot
Created by a man called Professor Idabashi, a prominent figure in robotics engineering. He created K1-B0(has told others they can call him Keebo) as a culmination of his work.
Keebo doesn’t quite understand human emotions perfectly, but he has a decent idea which is impressive in of itself.
Much like Mukuro, he has faith that he will be saved by a family member. Seeing as he refers to Professor Idabashi as his father. He says he has a tracker, and that when the professor realizes he is missing, a search team will be sent.
Toko Fukawa, The Ultimate Writing Prodigy
An extremely shy and timid girl who does speak to many people. Those she does speak to tend to be weirded out by her... odd and even perverted nature.
She had written multiple books and does seem to be extremely smart, her only issue being her timid nature.
Accused most (if not all) the boys in her class of being perverts.
Angie Yonaga, The Ultimate Artist
Angie loves art in any form, obviously because of her ultimate.
However, she also stands out due to her belief that she is the Devine interpreter for the god Atua, a god she says her people worship.
Angie believes Atua will have his way, and that the killing game is part of something bigger.
Rantaro Amami, The Ultimate Adventurer
A chill, laid back boy who believes in keeping the peace. His calm and collected personality is soothing, leading most, if not all, of the other students to trust him and listen to what he suggests.
Some seem off put by how calm he acts, but most understand that he’s just really good at staying calm and knows that panicking won’t always help.
Often tells tales of his travels to distract those who are afraid.
Nagito Komaeda, The Ultimate Lucky Student
Yet another lucky student, chosen to attend Hope’s Peak at random like Makoto. However, he seems to also have an.... interesting relationship with luck.
His luck has caused death and destruction around him, but he still manages to stay calm and even cheerful in the face of a literal killing game.
Nagito believes hope will prevail no matter what, so he chooses to pretty much just “go with the flow.”
Byakuya Togami, The Ultimate Affluent Progeny
A stuck up and condescending teen who makes it very clear that he does not approve of being trapped on an island like this. This isn’t a funny prank or initiation.
He is rather rich and will inherit the Togami company, after competing against 14 other siblings to “take the crown” and earn the inheritance. He was the youngest of the sibling, or candidates, and is the first youngest to ever come out on top.
Gonta Gokuhara, The Ultimate Entomologist
A.... sweet young man who loves anything and everything bugs. He isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but he has a good heart.
(Jsvshsv I don’t know what to write for Gonta I’ll finish his later)
Mikan Tsumiki, The Ultimate Nurse
A clumsy and frightened girl who somehow manages to find herself in compromising positions constantly. On accident.
With her and Y/N present, people are at ease, seeing they have practically a full medical team in case something were to happen.
While she often does more worse than good due to her clumsy nature, she has a good heart, and people know that.
Kiyotaka Ishimaru, The Ultimate Moral Compass
A stern and strict boy who believes in respect and following rules contstantly. He is probably one of the only students who respects the killing games headmaster, Monokuma.
While not thrilled about the idea of a murder game, he sticks to the idea that it is a prank from upperclassmen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And that’s our introductions! Sorry some were shorter than others!
Stay tuned!
-🐝
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thecaptainhelm · 4 years
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Shut Your Mouth Pt.2
hahaha, daminette part two, wasn’t a one shot, gn gn gn.
Marinette sighed as the shower warmed up, rolling her neck and relishing in the light feeling of accomplishment. Ever since Hawkmoth had been defeated, a mere two days ago, things had been tense. Hawkmoth, now known as Gabriel Agreste, was arrested along with his assistant Nathalie Sancoeur who had since retired as Mayura the year before. It was a stroke of luck to discover that the Guardian had the ability to forcibly renounce a broken Miraculous. Something Gabriel hadn’t known, granting them extra time as he futilely tried to ‘fix’ the brooch. While that happened, she managed to finally convince Chat to at least keep him as a suspect if not out of suspicion, then to actually strike him from their list. It didn’t take long rack up evidence against him, especially after learning from the Bats of Gotham. 
The battle was quiet, in the early hours of the morning, where the city forcibly cut the power to the Agreste mansion, and it only took one Venom for each while they slept defenselessly. It took only a few minutes to find evidence that he was at least working with Hawkmoth, and when they found the miraculous pin and brooch, it was confirmed that he was, indeed, Hawkmoth with Nathalie working as his henchwoman Mayura.
Soon, with what was probably the fastest trial of the century, Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur were declared guilty and sentenced to serve life in prison and an insane asylum respectively. It had only shocked her for a moment that Mayura pleaded guilty and asked to be sent directly to rehab for mental help, by reason of insanity wrought by grief. What did surprise her was that she was the one to take the miraculous and give them to the Agreste couple as an anniversary gift, ultimately setting off a chain of unforeseen consequences.
That was a whole other cake she didn’t want to bake just yet, so she decided to finally just take a moment to breathe for what felt like the first time in five years. 
So it was only normal that her smartwatch chimed on the hook of the shower caddy, a picture of a frowny eagle glaring right at her. She cursed her luck, yeah, no breaks was still her usual routine. It must be real hard for the universe to break out that particular habit.
Then she remembered that she set this particular picture and ringtone for the one person who had never called.
Robin, the vigilante that she might have, kind of, definitely made an enemy of.
Who was also her crush, so that was just. Great.
In her defense, she was a human being, and human beings were capable of amazing feats. It was just that her amazing feats were more amazing bouts of stupidity. Seriously, why did she do it? Just where did her common sense escape to make her think that was even a remotely good idea, because she wanted to go there and never come back.
She had kissed-- no! She made out with Robin, the most notoriously ill-tempered member of Batman’s team. The only reason he didn’t deck her in the face was because, because, well she didn’t know! Was it mercy, a misplaced feeling of pity, perhaps?
No, actually, it was more likely that he was frozen stiff with rage. Marinette couldn’t blame him, heck, she’d be angry too, suddenly getting passionately smooched in the middle of livid rant. 
She had planned on giving him her contact information for the longest time, since they'd come to the understanding that they only wanted to do what was best for everyone, the kind of understanding that only leaders could have. And to maybe get closer to him as much as professionalism allowed. So, it stood to reason that she had to go ahead and ruin that, too. She really couldn’t believe herself sometimes, who randomly kisses someone, hands them their number, and then trots off back to work? Marinette Dupain-Cheng apparently.
In fact, it was about time he called. She had pretty much an entire year to prepare herself for what was sure to be a concise and frigid rejection, maybe even a “Stay for away from, lest I stab everyone in this room and then jump out of a window out of utter disgust”? She might as well get it over with and then move on to be alone for the rest of her life.
She wiped the water out of her eyes and squinted at the text message, before jumping out the shower with a loud curse. She hurriedly dried off and put on her clothes, before heading to the Miracle Box, rereading his message.
Emergency evac, one person, requesting Pegasus’ portal twenty kilometers horizontally above sea level precisely fifteen minutes after this message. Coordinates attached.
The message was sent ten minutes ago. How long was she catastrophizing for?!
Max was partying along with the rest of Paris while she took a breather in her art studio. Even with the full fifteen minutes she wouldn’t be able to find him in time. Shit, would she even be able to transform in time?
She grabbed the glasses from the box and Kaalki appeared in a proud flash. 
“No time, there’s trouble,” she panted. “Ready?”
“Hmph, of course,” Kaalki tossed her head. “Let’s go, shall we?”
“Kaalki, transform me!” She eyed the time, two minutes left. She memorized the coordinates as she searched for a suitable place for him to land, and realized she was going to have to catch him in her storage closet.
One minute left. She opened the door and cleared space in the center of the room.
Thirty-five seconds. She stood on an old chair that she moved into the center of the room.
Twenty seconds, and she called, “Voyage!” and threw the portal up towards the ceiling.
Zero. She braced for impact and caught a body that plummeted through in a free fall.
“Ow,” she closed the portal with a groan, amidst the shattered pieces of what used to be a pretty sturdy chair.
“Don’t complain, it could have been worse.” A deep voice rasped.
Wow, to think she missed him, that asshole.
“Shut up, Robi-- oh my god your arm! Get up, getupgetupgetup!” She hauled him up as gently as possible, annoyance giving way to concern.
Robin was, putting it lightly, a mess. He had lost his mask, his eye was swollen shut and his face was bruised with cuts all over, and he was sticky with blood practically everywhere she looked. It was his arm that she was most concerned about, however. It was set in a splint, but he must have been in a rush because it was set wrong, his thumb facing perpendicular lyaway from his body.
“I am fine,” he sagged into her, weary. “I just need a place to stay for the night.”
“If you weren’t so grievously injured, I’d throw you out for that,” she remarked. “But guess what? It’s your lucky night monsieur, and I’m a trained field medic.” Robin looked at her, maskless, and she had to dart her eyes away from his maskless face.
“Oh, so Ladybug finally started replacing her subpar lineup? About time, either she benched them or Hawkmoth would kill them at some point. They were woefully incompent.” Yep, this was definitely Robin, no doubt about it with that attitude.
She called off the transformation and was somewhat pleased when he reflexively jerked his head away. She pulled him into a princess carry and made her way back to the bathroom, inwardly delighting at his reaction. She would never let him live this down.
“It’s me, Robin. Ladybug. Pegasus couldn’t make it, so you’ll have to do with me instead of a random stand-in.” She raised her brow, not that he could see it.
“Unless that bothers you, Boy Wonder?”
“...I’m not,” he mumbled.
“Hm?”
“I’m not Robin anymore.”
What. What.
“What?”
“I’ve retired, effective as of nine months ago today, Robin’s cape has been hung up for the next generation.”
Relief didn’t come yet. “Oh, so you’ve taken on a new mantle? Or are you finally the next Batman, though it would take some time to fill those shoulders. Literally, I mean that literally, um.” She observed his downcast expression and once again started walking to the bathroom. When had she stopped?
“I’m not taking over anything,” he said sullenly. “I can’t. Not after what I did.”
“Come on, it couldn’t have been so bad,” she opened the door with her heel as she backed them towards the stool by the sink. She set him down carefully, taking full stock of his injuries.
“It was. Batman’s cowl has always represented a strict moral code, one that I’ve always...struggled to adhere to.”
Marinette bit her lip as she kneeled in front of him. He didn’t say anymore, and she couldn’t think of anything to say. She sighed and brought out her med kit from the towel cabinet. She was always like this with him.
With Robin (now not Robin?) she had always drawn a blank. She could read his emotions somewhat well, had a good grasp on his moods, and could have genuinely insightful conversations with him. It was only at crucial moments like this that she struggled. Even with Adrien she had always known what she wanted to say, but Robin was different. Everything about him screamed “one chance only” and that caused her mind to go blank. It was so unbelievably frustrating that she could scream.
Marinette handed the glasses to Kaalki and nodded towards her purse hanging on the door handle. The kwami zoomed towards it and soon disappeared into it with the miraculous.
“Robin,” she called gently. He didn’t move. “I’ll have to cut your shirt off, okay? I need to see where the blood is coming from.”
“It’s not mine.The blood.” He kept his gaze away as she froze.
“Well, we’ll have to reset that arm,” she tried again. “It’s not...it’s not looking good, to say the least.”
He looked towards his mangled right arm and nodded. 
It took some time to undo the splint and she tried not to think about where he had been for him to only have rotted wood and prison rags on hand. She cut his shirt off at the sleeve and down his middle, pulling it off and exposing a painful canvas of mottled bruises, scrapes, and cuts. She handed him her towel and he stuffed it in his mouth without a word. She gently untied the splint.
“Are you ready?” She gazed at him resolutely. He nodded and braced himself as best he could.
“On my count, one, two--” She re-broke his arm a count early on purpose.
“Arrghh! Ffuk!!” He jerked out of her grip.
“Hold still!” He spat out the towel and glared in response.
“Mizq dhiraei allaeaynat 'aw aidbitha!!!” She only understood ‘rip’ and ‘arm’ but she got the gist of his screaming.
“Alright it’s done now, I’m setting it, so stop moving,” She couldn’t help but sigh under his vicious scowl.
“Tsk. Be grateful that I can barely discern your features Ladybug. You’re on my shit list and I don’t feel like kicking your ass today.”
“Wow, thanks for saving me Ladybug, I could have died if it weren’t for you!” Marinette couldn’t help but snark at him.
“...tsk!” Yep, that was as good as she was going to get in his condition.
After years of fighting akuma victims she was able to observe the complex and hidden emotions of her opponents and the civilians that she rescued. And right now, her experience was telling her that Robin had more than his pride ruined. His self-confident, courageous, and taciturn nature seemed to be regressing as he fell back into what was probably a self-defense mechanism. For him to be like this instead of exhausted in his current state told her that he must have been through a lot since she last saw him.
She started to gently clean the blood off and noted the bruises underneath definitely came from an intense melee battle. Most of them were in places that made her cringe just looking at them. At least he doesn’t have any other broken bones, or stab wounds. Lucky him.
Robin put an ice pack to his face in the meanwhile and wouldn’t look in her direction.
It was quiet for a while. “So, what should I call you, then?” And she had to open her big fat mouth, didn’t she? Now it was awkward. It was awkward, and he hated her, and she was never speaking again, ever.
“Damian.” Uh oh.That didn’t sound like a moniker.
“Um, nice code name?” She started disinfecting his cuts and scrapes, trying not to panic.
“I no longer require such aliases.” Ok, process that later, heal Robin now. Process. Later.
“Ro--, Damian, uh, well,” She sighed.  “My offer still stands, you know?”
He made a quiet noise. 
“Last time I saw you, I mean. I had left in a rush,”-- after kissing you senseless-- “but I’m always here to listen if you want to talk about what happened.”
Robin, or Damian now, she still wasn’t used to that, froze. His brows furrowed and he strangely went red in the face, before sighing, slumping against the sink.
“I...the blood’s not mine. It hasn’t been my for a long time, but it might as well be for how long I’ve carried it. I’m not a good person so much as to blame myself completely, but I do recognize some of the fault as mine. I’d gotten help, and I was making progress, but it wasn’t enough. I started falling back into old habits and I hated it. I tried and I failed, and I kept trying and failing for months and I…” He gained a look of despair, the first real emotion she’s seen on him since he dropped in.
“I couldn’t do it anymore. I just kept disappointing everyone and I hated it so much,” he dug his fingers into his matted hair.
“So, I left. I decided to go on a journey to try and repent, and it was working, at least I thought it did. But, then I had stumbled upon a Shadows base and I…” He peered unseeing at the floor.
“It was like I lost all sense of reason. I lay siege to the entire facility and found my way to the next base. It all turned into an endless cycle, all the way until I reached headquarters and inadvertently met up with high ranking members of the Justice League, teaming up to diminish their power. We were successful, but a candidate for the position of the Demon’s Head activated the self-destruct module. Everyone was scrambling to get out and suddenly my mind felt clearer than it had ever been.” He took  a deep breath and Marinette moved closer to offer some comfort. He leaned towards her gratefully.
“The Justice League had already had an escape route, but the Shadows were in disarray for some reason. After I was sure my old comrades were out, I locked all the doors, and dived down to a ceremonial bathing chamber.”
“And that’s where I came in,” she whispered. I think I’m starting to like him more than I should. What is wrong with me?! Who made me this way?! She had some complaints in regards to that.
“You saved my life,” he inclined his head in an informal bow. “Thank you, Ladybug.”
“...Marinette.” She croaked suddenly. She was left reeling from his info dump and her intense, romantic feelings. So, why not go for a confession? 
Damian whipped his head up in disbelief.
“My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Enchanté, Damian.” She smiled at his bewildered state, wiping away a bit of blood under his chin. She opened her mouth to say more, but didn’t get the chance.
Damian leapt up, furious. “You fool! I knew you were a space cadet, but I didn’t think your brain drifted beyond the stars! How utterly moronic!”
“Wait, why are you so mad?!” She panicked. She kind of had a spur of the moment idea to kiss him on his split lip, but that was looking less and less likely to happen.
(Damn it.)
“You told me your name!” he shouted.
“Yes, and you told me your’s?” She retorted. 
“Have you forgotten Hawkmoth?! Your enemy that can read the minds of the emotionally disturbed should he decide to possess them!” He started to hobble out of the bathroom, still half-treated and mostly in pain.
Oh. 
Oh!
“I have to leave, now! If I can stay calm long enough to reach the trains then I’ll be moving too fast for a butterfly to suddenly get me.”
“Uh, Damian?”
“No, it might already be enroute to someone else and might even already be on board,” He winced and stumbled on the tassel rug in the hallway.
“Woah, hang on a second Damian,” she grabbed him before he could fall, but he pulled out of her grip.
“We don’t have time for this, I can guarantee that I would be one of the worst akumas you’ve faced in your hero career, nevermind the insider information I hold within my mind.”
“Yes, but listen to me,” Damian moved towards the small sitting area, not listening to her. 
Again.
“This safehouse should be around one hundred kilometers from the city limits, you’re safe for now, but Hawkmoth’s estimated rate of growth was--”
That’s it!
Marinette grabbed his jaw and slammed it closed. She had had enough.
“This isn’t a safehouse, we’re in my art studio,” she snapped. She could see the rage begin to build to new heights in his eye.
“No, shut your mouth, and listen!” A vein in his forehead started to pulse, but he didn't move to speak.
Good.
“Hawkmoth has been defeated as of last week, and the trial was concluded a couple days ago. Going by what you told me, you've been out the loop for almost a year, so you don’t know that my team and I had closed in on Hawkmoth’s trail some time ago and were able to build a solid case that’ll go through in a court of law,” She carefully let him go.
“So, you’re safe, I’m safe, and Paris is safe too.” She’d already started to calm down in the middle of her explanation, and idly noted that she should probably take an anger management class.
And sign up for therapy. Lots of it, preferably.
Damian nodded slowly as he rubbed his jaw and she couldn’t help her wince.
“Sorry, did I handle you too roughly? Come here,” she started to pull him back towards the bathroom. He resisted.
“No, it’s fine, no damage just from that much force,” he tugged his arm away but she quickly moved behind him and began to push him through the bathroom door.
“Well, I’m not done treating you, so get back in there.” He grabbed the door frame and pushed back, and her calm demeanor left as quick as it came. Was it even truly there to begin with?
“I said,” she picked him up and threw him back on the stool where he grasped for stability.
“Come here.” She leaned in close to his bruised face, and wow, the one eye that she could see was so very, very green. “I’m not done with you, yet.”
“...okay,” he whispered. He kept his head down.
It didn’t take long to finish disinfecting the rest of his wounds, and soon she started applying ointment to the worst of his bruises. She had enough, but she was definitely going to be restocking in order to play his nursemaid for the next week or so. She rose to her feet and started packing away her kit.
“I’ll give you some pain meds for the night, I’ll leave you to take care of the injuries under the rest of your clothes. Come find me in the kitchenette. I’ll make something for us, though it won’t be anything fancy.”
“That is fine.” Marinette frowned at the strange husk in his voice. Did someone try to suffocate him? Why hadn’t she noticed until now?
She kneeled beside him and reached around him for the water bottle she had left in there earlier, but noticed him twitch and start to blush. Did he get a fever too?
She observed his red face and clear, but dilated eyes. Merde, did she embarrass him from earlier? She knew he had a large ego, but it was his own fault for being stubborn.
“Here, get yourself some water from the sink,” she handed the glittery black bottle to him and hurriedly strode out of the bathroom, calling,
“Holler if you need me!” 
Completely aware of the flustered state she left Damian in. Though not for the reason she thinks, at least.
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