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chimaerakitten · 7 months

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I’ve been thinking today about off ramps in long running stories, especially book series.

By that I mean like, places where a person could stop reading and have a satisfying ending even if they’re not yet at the actual ending. (Someone tell me if there’s an established Tvtropes name for this I’m missing.)

Now, a lot of book series will have an off ramp at the end of book 1, because many first books are written without promise of a sequel. Like sure, there might be a sequel hook, but the actual second book is still up to publisher whims in most cases. So you can read All Systems Red or The Thief or A Madness of Angels and have a perfectly satisfying ambiguous-end sci-fi story or middle grade fantasy romp or inverted murder mystery revenge quest without ever picking up book 2. This is definitely an off ramp but it’s not necessarily the interesting or revealing kind because again. Whims of the publisher.

There’s also stories that have an off ramp after every installment. Leverage is famous for this—they had a philosophy of having every season be a satisfying ending, which says a lot both about the writers and about the story they were trying to tell.

But I think the most interesting ramps are the ones where by design or by circumstance, there’s a single off-ramp somewhere in the middle. One spot where unless someone tells you there’s more, you’d never be unsatisfied with leaving halfway through.

Sometimes these will be signaled in some way, where there’s a big timeskip after the off-ramp, or the series changes names or has a spin-off, or the POV changes, or after book 3 the author publishes a short story collection before hopping back in to novels, or the series suddenly jumps from being only novellas to a chunky 120k novel. (The Raksura books, Percy Jackson/HoE, Matthew Swift/Magicals Anonymous, and Murderbot all do one or more of these)

But sometimes off ramps aren’t visible in series order or marketing. Sometimes they’re organic to where a story happens to leave off at the end of an installment.

The queen’s thief has one of these after King Of Attolia. I know this was a satisfying ending because for seven years I thought it was the end. My local library didn’t have A Conspiracy of Kings, so I thought it was a trilogy. And you really can leave it there! KoA ends with Gen back in his element and recognized as king, the main internal threat to Irene neutralized, and peace on the peninsula. The Mede aren’t yet the immediate threat they are in the back half of the series, since up through KoA they’re mainly represented by the magus’s vague warnings and Nahuseresh, whom Irene thinks circles around. There’s no real reason to assume the Mede are a threat within the scope of the series. Now I absolutely prefer getting the whole story, but KoA is a damn solid off-ramp for anyone who feels like exiting there.

And that’s one kind of off ramp where the end you get is pretty similar in tone (mostly happy) to the one you get if you go on to the rest of the series. I’ve also read books where you can off ramp successfully right at the lowest point in the series and get a tragedy out of a series that ultimately ends happy, or leave at a high point and get a happier end than the main one, or exit at an ambiguous point and continue on with ambiguity. The Giver sequels make it pretty clear what happened to Jonas and Gabe at the end of the book. but you don’t have to read them or have that question answered if you want to.

I don’t have a really solid conclusion to draw here except that I think the positioning of off ramps says a lot about authors and stories, and choosing whether or not to take an off ramp says a lot about readers.

#I know multiple people who refuse to recognize the giver sequels #which has always been odd to me because I quite liked them and never thought Jonas died in the first place #meta #the queen’s thief #tqt #Murderbot #the kitten rambles #murderbot’s off ramp is after exit strategy if that wasn’t clear #Raksura’s is after siren depths #this post partially brought to you by #the realization that one can stop reading Temeraire at the end of book four #and get a tragedy where the horrors of empire cannot be stopped #and will crush anyone trying to change things

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deadtiredghost · 4 days

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The scuffed Leo post you've all been waiting for

and by you all i mean the 30-or-so followers i have... how? idk. i just woke up one morning and bam. Thank you guys! Glad to have you around. it will only get worse from here :]

#tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt leonardo #i cant do a leo post without some slight reference to how much they need therapy sorry #added some 2003 leosagi because i include canon ships in my memes sometimes #leo has a type and its swords #Leo's ideal first date: sword to sword combat #mutant mayhem leo is the only odd one out so far but we'll allow it cause its not insufferable yet #2007 leo #2012 leonardo #2003 leonardo #rottmnt leonardo #1990 tmnt #batman vs teenage mutant ninja turtles #mutant mayhem leonardo #bayverse leonardo #i even snuck some idw Leo in there #haha funny

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lilidawnonthemoon · 5 days

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lilacjunimo · 1 month

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saw someone on twitter imply that one king of queens promo photo would be tech and phee and so now we have this

#tbb tech #tbb phee #tech bad batch #phee genoa #techphee #the bad batch #tbb fanart #the bad batch fanart #pls be gentle #im closing my eyes as i press post now for this one #which is crazy because ive literally posted drawings before #idk why this ones given me so many nerves #very odd #but its done!!#if you've seen previous renditions of this drawing no u didn't #ok ok time for the positives #i love how i made her shift his goggles with her thumb #from the start i knew i was gonna make phee do that #and i wanted to just use two colors for the whole drawing #and i did at first #tech blue phee red #and then i added a little red to tech and a little blue to phee and i was so AAAAA about that #the background also has a purposeful purple tint to it which i love #ok ok and also i love phee's hair #and her foot that's sticking outwards #woah this is a lot more rambly than i anticipated #oh well #that's what tumblr's for #also as i look at it now its very pixely which leaves me ???? but that's that and thats how its gonna be i suppose just dont try to zoom #ok thnx bye

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drawingwithdonnie · 10 months

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Artfight attack I did against @blaiddraws featuring the loveliest of worm guys :] they are playing tag and wormmet is LOSING /lh

The ghost worm au is BY FAR my favorite submas au ever so to say I was ecstatic to draw this is an understatement,, wormmet and wormgo my beloveds <3

(also if it's unclear, the "ksh-sh-sh" is laughter)

OH AND MY ARTFIGHT IS ZELDONYX!! FEEL FREE TO ATTACK ME BC I WILL ALWAYS DO REVENGE !!!!!!

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clotpolesonly · 4 months

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Declan and his guns

Dream Thieves ch 2 // Dream Thieves ch 22 // Call Down The Hawk ch 38 // Mister Impossible ch 37 // Greywaren ch 25

#declanedit #trcedit #tdtedit #Declan Lynch #TRC #TDT #he has a gun in his dorm room #he has a gun in his car #he has a gun in the childhood bedroom he hasn't lived in since before his father died #he has a gun taped to the underside of his kitchen table #he has a warehouse or storage locker with yet more guns #what are the odds he has one in his bedside table and another under his pillow and another in his glove box and another in his trunk and #everywhere he might be attacked he has something to defend himself #and there's nowhere that that isn't a possibility #i'm surprised he doesn't have one on his person at all times #the only reason he doesn't is that it would raise eyebrows and he can't afford that #quote posts

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am-a-disappointment · 3 months

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New on the list of stuff I'm probs overthinking in malevolent, in ep 31, one of the voices in Arthur's head calls john his "golden boy' but the only time john had ever been called that was by kayne when arthur was unconscious so why would he, arthur inside his own nightmare, built on stuff he knows abt and feels, call john a name arthur has never called him and probs wouldn't cuz its not very in character for him?

#one could argue that arthur himself has probs been called such a thing if he is blonde as the show seems to suggest so thats why it was #quick on the tongue but its just odd #cuz the nickname seems either mocking which in kaynes case it was or loving #im thinking....m #malevolent #malevolent podcast #malevolent spoilers #my posts #arthur lester #john doe

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fluffypotatey · 10 months

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*smashes in like the Kool-Aid man*

PENDRAGON SIBLINGS YOU SAY????

I have. So many Feels. About Themst™

The complexity?? The layers?? The angst?? Hello??????

Their relationship is just So Much, because you are right, it's all tangled up in miscommunication and missed opportunities, and so many problems that can be sourced back to Uther "War Crimes" Pendragon, who wouldn't know a healthy relationship if it bit him on the ass.

If Merlin and Arthur are two sides of the same coin, then Arthur and Morgana are edges of the same blade.

Because it's the lonely childhoods, the shared grief, the friendship, the vulnerability, the fondness, the teasing, the envy, the jealousy, the almost romance, the protectiveness, the betrayal, the loss, the hurt, the refusal to let go and the desperate hanging on, and the love, the love, the love.

Indifference is the true opposite of love.

Hate is love that's gone rotten.

“If Merlin and Arthur are two sides of the same coin, then Arthur and Morgana are edges of the same blade.” oh fuck….

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH FUCK

WAIT HOLD ON WAIT LEMME PIGGYBACK ON THAT BESTIE @0hheytherebigbadwolf (tagging you bc it will be a couple days after you sent this ask)

(Also, for anyone wanting background context on what me and bestie are bouncing off on: voilà)

OK OK SO

we are all familiar with King Uther being the greatest (worst) dad of all time, correct? places such high expectations on his “only son and heir” whilst never officially acknowledging Morgana as his daughter until the very end?

F+ father of the year :)

he is not above sending his children into the dungeon if they disobey him as seen here:

(Jfc he even put Morgana in chains like wtf)

also, he is not above using emotional guilt towards them when he deems it necessary (aka one of the only times he actually acknowledges them as his children)

UTHER (1x02 Valiant) I trust you will make me proud.

UTHER (1x08 The Beginning of the End) I’ve treated you like a daughter. Is this how you repay me?

UTHER (1x12 To Kill the King) You are the daughter I never had.

UTHER (2x08 Sins of the Father) You would believe a sorcerer’s lies over the word of your father?

not to mention that when Arthur or Morgana try to reason with him or argue with him since they are the only ones with the status to do so, he pulls rank

UTHER (1x12 To Kill the King) May I remind you that you are speaking to your King [...] Take care, child, or I’ll have you restrained.

UTHER (2x08 Sins of the Father) I am your king and your father. You will show me some respect!

UTHER (2x06 Beauty and the Beast) We live in dangerous times, I cannot allow you to undermine my authority.

UTHER (3x10 Queen of Hearts) You have caused this to happen, Arthur. My decision is final.

ngl i could include more but i have already spent hours searching for shit (YOUTUBE WILL DIE BY MY HAND THAT STINGY BITC—) but y’all get what i mean: Uther is an abusive fucker and it has messed up the conditions of Arthur and Morgana

now, about the double edged blade…..

as previously established, Uther is a fucking dick and wants his children to obey him but also adore him. with this behavior, the Pendragon siblings react in two ways: with anger & contempt or submission and remorse

way #1

i’m gonna start with Morgana because anger is the easiest to pick out throughout the show. in the first episode of the first season, our introduction to Morgana’s character is her lecturing Uther about executing the man Merlin witnessed upon entering Camelot (such a warm welcome for Emrys, mh?)

MORGANA I just don't think chopping someone's head off is cause for a celebration. That poor mother. UTHER It was simple justice for what he'd done. MORGANA To whom? He practiced some magic, he didn't hurt anyone. UTHER You were not around twenty years ago, you have no idea what it was like. MORGANA How long are you going to keep punishing people for what happened then?

early on, it is easy to pick up on Morgana’s resentment and anger at Uther, who she believes is blinded by his fear of magic and his need for control (which she isn’t wrong about). also, we find that she isn’t one to back off when poking the bear (Uther). she does it constantly in seasons 1 & 2

MORGANA (1x03 Mark of Nimueh) Why would she kneel on a cold stone floor morning after morning when she could make these things happen with a snap of her fingers? Like an idle king!

MORGANA (1x08 The Beginning of the End) How can this child be your enemy? He's just a boy. UTHER He is a Druid. MORGANA Is that such a crime?…What have these people done to you? Why are you so full of hate?

UTHER (2x04 Lancelot and Guinevere) How many men would you have me sacrifice to save a servant? MORGANA As many as it takes!

to be honest, i wouldn’t be surprised if screaming, arguing and berating Uther about his morals and ethics is her way of proving that she is not weak or submissive to his actions. i mean, Morgana grew up in a household the complete opposite from her time in Camelot. Gorlois, the man whom Morgana considers to be her father and one and only family member, was said to be “just” and “kind” and someone that Uther even considered a good friend who openly kept him in check. Morgana, until the age of ten, understood parental love and empathy unlike Arthur, who spent his whole life without any good or healthy substance of it.

the culture of Camelot and Uther’s wrath is not something Morgana was ever able to fully acclimate to as Uther himself pointed out in 1x12. She “was at odds with [him] since the beginning” and could never picture herself as a Pendragon (point further proven in 4x05: she looked revolted when Queen Annis compared her to Uther) because she didn’t share in their idea of magic = evil and a king = absolute control.

ironic in terms of future plot events, isn’t it :’)

way #2

compare that to Arthur: man’s respressed af. keeps all his emotions under lock and key if they are anything but haughty and serious. y’all, Arthur even says it himself how he “[can't] disagree with Father [Uther] in public.” whenever Arthur finds himself at odds with Uther, he holds his tongue and waits until he can disobey secretly (2x05 when he leaves to rescue Gwen, 1x08 when he helps Morgana sneak out Mordred in the dark of the night, 2x08 when he sneaks out to meet Morgause for more info about his mom, etc). it is only the rare moments when Arthur feels impassioned enough to speak up without fearing any retribution does Arthur talk back at him (so satisfying 👌)

ARTHUR (1x03 Mark of Nimueh) [Morgana’s] right, Father. You hear the word magic, you no longer listen.

ARTHUR (2x08 Sins of the Father) This is what fuels your hatred for those who practice magic. Rather than blame yourself for what you did, you blame them….You hunted her kind like animals! How many hundreds have you condemned to death to ease your guilt?!….You speak of honour and nobility! You're nothing but a hypocrite and a liar!

ARTHUR (3x10 Queen of Hearts) You can't forbid my feelings any more than I can. I won't deny them any longer, I love her. I love Guinevere.

we can even compare how the two react to Uther’s violence towards them

(ahahahahahaaaaa what a wonderful dad)

on the left, you see Arthur’s face right when Uther crushes the morteus flower needed to heal Merlin (his manservant/friend/????) and on the right, is Morgana after Uther discovers she was harboring a Druid child in her chambers and she refuses to listen to his reason.

notice how both faces are remarkably similar 👀

however, Arthur’s look of shock and dismay come from his hope that Uther would do the right thing. that he would help save Merlin’s life from dying of poison. that he wouldn’t use this as a method to teach Arthur “what it means to disobey and cross the king.” he truly did hope, just like he always does with the people he holds close. Arthur cannot help but hope and trust that those close to him will not betray him and yet so many do. hence the remorse

looking at Morgana, her shock comes from the fact that this might be the first time Uther reacted to her words and actions in a physical manner. my suspicion is that most of the time, all Morgana previously got was Uther reprimanding her and yelling at her to stop questioning his methods (bc, let’s be real, she was the favorite child.) never has he lifted a finder on her like Arthur and i have proof (cue transcript!)

AND! and, Arthur is constantly warning Morgana about not angering Uther any further because of the consequences she might face (consequences this boy is very familiar with) when Uther deems it necessary to “teach” his children obedience.

UTHER (1x04 The Poisoned Chalice) You have to learn there's a right and a wrong way of doing things. I'll see you're let out in a week. Then you can find yourself another servant.

UTHER (3x10 Queen of Hearts) You have caused this to happen, Arthur. My decision is final [...] This is for your own good. - UTHER She will die. The enchantment will be broken. You'll see I was right.

UTHER (2x08 Sins of the Father) I am protecting you from your own foolishness!

so educational 🥰 but see, because Uther presents his punishments as lessons, Arthur himself views them as just a fucked up but meaningful way of his father’s concern because “yeah, I am the first born son and only heir to the throne. of course I need to learn not to do silly things like disobey, talk back to him, be my own person.” <- I’m paraphrasing here

Arthur does and has never seen a way out of the life thrust upon him by Uther (see 3x06). succeeding Uther as king, marrying a noblewoman of high standing for heirs and alliance strength was always expected of him. Arthur never saw a way out of this. even when he and Gwen were in their secret relationship phase, Arthur had to remind himself that this would never last. he loved her and knew she loved him, but there was always that reminder (that sounded a lot like Uther) in the back of his head telling him that it would never last so long as he was prince. he had a duty (constructed by Uther) to serve Camelot and going against his father would mean (in his eyes) that he is going against Camelot (as Uther always presented it to be).

so unlike Morgana, he did not kick and scream but stood firm because that was what he believed was stronger. if he stayed in his lane and did his part, then he would be a good king, maybe even a better one than his father, for Camelot. however, the show proves that differentiating himself from Uther actually made him the better king and more respected, but this is not the meta for that. I am getting side tracked.

OK: so we’ve established parental issues between the two siblings. now onto their very complex, complicated yet beloved dynamic

sO, as i mentioned in this post (because i am lazy and too tired to copy/paste the evidence from there), these siblings do care for one another. they just go about it in the most hilarious and repressed and in-denial way (hilarious to me 😤)

when we meet them, it’s established that these two have known each other for some time. enough for them to bicker and have banter, you know, as you do with a Pendragon. also, should add, neither character are ever aware they are blood-related until s3 (because of some weak-ass bitch named Uther), so you have that very, uh, interesting subplot in s1 that everybody forgets about until you rewatch it. (honestly, I have so many questions. number 1: why???? number 2: it’s only in s1—was it scrapped??? is it like it never existed???? what was its purpose to the plot??? bbc explain yourself—)

however, despite how much it is shown that they do care for one another, they’re relationship in s1 is still undefined and vague as if they also don’t know how to accurately define what the other means to them. it’s very similar to the whole “i really love this person so much but is what i’m feeling platonic, familial, or romantic?” because….you know, guy and girl besties who are close are typically expected to grow romantic feelings for each other, so tbh i would not be surprised if both mistook their love as romantically inclined in the beginning bc, reminder, neither of them were aware they were siblings until much later.

[and this is ALL i am saying on this subplot. i do not want to cause any negative discourse, so if anyone has a few choice words about it, either keep it to yourself or feel free to talk about it with people you know. personally? not a fan of the ship and never will be, but i am not here to post about that.]

anyway, have some featured receipts showing Arthur and Morgana slipping up and showing how much they care for each other.

SEE!!!! LOOK AT HOW THE CARE!!!! SEE HOW THEY WORRY FOR THE OTHER AND WISH TO PROTECT THEM FROM HARM!!! (and see how even when they’re on opposite sides there is still that same love. just more warped and corrupted T^T)

^worried/protective Morgana

^Arthur’s face after Merlin informs him that there’s an intruder heading to Morgana’s chambers

Morgana is very aware of Arthur’s trusting nature. Arthur is very aware of Morgana’s empathy and righteous nature. they understand each other so well which is why Morgana knew just how to harm Arthur in later seasons and why Morgana’s betrayal hit Arthur so hard. it’s also why he never stopped trying to reach out to her in s4 & s5. as @merlinemrys said in this lovely post, the show’s driving force is love. love of all kinds. whatever conflict it is, love is there at the center of it all and, in Arthur and Morgana’s case, it does not save them (just like how love does not save Merlin or Arthur from what lies ahead, as the op of the post pointed out).

that is what makes their relationship/love be like a double edged sword!! that is why they are edges of the same blade!!! they protect and fight for what they believe in and for the people they love, but the same blades cut deep and twist their wounds into a lasting scar.

it is because of Arthur’s love for Morgana that he cannot help but hope and mourn the woman he once knew. it is because of Morgana’s love for Arthur that her feelings of hatred are so strong and ugly.

like honestly,

look at them T^T compared to before

their relationship is so tragic T^T because we knew them before it all went wrong. we knew they cared and understood each other. we knew that for some time, they only had each other to rely on for a friend, a crutch, a breather for when the royal life was too much. both of them were fighters and strive to honor their values. both of them had once leaned on the other for support, had wanted nothing but happiness for each other.

fuck, they didn’t even get the chance to really be siblings because they found out too late, and by then Morgana was on a war path and Arthur only found out at the last minute.

like fuck, man

two sides of the same blade: forged with love, yet used for blood

screencaps brought to you by me, @sourdough-morbread, and farfarawaysite

#i will spare you the gorey details of me trying to fine decent screencaps & screenshots for this fucking post or else i’ll get pissed again #(i am considering whether it is worth it to go to war with youtube)#special thanks to my bestie mor for being there for me at the gorey times and helping me find more screenshots #fucking love you bestie 💕💕💕💕#also only including s1-2 bc i am tired and they are the ones where we get pendragon siblings not trying to kill each other #forgive me for always bringing up uther and the pendragon sibs’ upbringing with him it will happen again #also after hours of rereading transcripts and rewatching clips of bbc merlin: it is so obvious that uther cared and treated Morgana like hi #own child more than Arthur. like jfc he let’s her get away with so much stuff he is way for gentle with his words towards her #when he realizes that he was too cruel or rude like bro…..where tf was that for arthur #it just adds to the complicated sibling dynamic because there is the added jealousy and resentment of knowing a parent loved another more #literally most of Morgana’s time with Uther was her at odds with him and yet he views her as his child more #well no ducking dur that Arthur ‘i-would-do-anything-to-receive-my-father’s-love-attention-and-pride’ Pendragon resents Morgana for #always being the one Uther goes easier on and finds ways to turn a blind eye for like wtf #also during my research i was reminded of how done dirty Gwen’s story was by bbc #loses her father to a king fearful of magic barely gets to mourn him bc she now has to keep up the smithy and her maid job; reunites #with her brother who’s been AWOL for some years and still they don’t get a moment to talk about their dad and mourn TOGETHER #her storyline is pushed aside by s4 bc now she’s fulfilling the role of Arthur’s love interest and oh yeah they still need to incorporate #the lanceot/guinevere scandal and then banish her for some episodes without even letting her brother be mad about it like ?????#anyway #continued saga of fluffy rereading transcripts -> uther: ‘it’s been a long time since Ygraine…since anyone’ me: ducking liar >:(#[sir leon begins the slow clap] king you dropped this 👑IT IS 1AM HELP 😂#place your bets on where my laziness for evidence came in! (I honestly don’t know lol scavenging evidence is all a blur)#spent 2 days on this post lol #me: ok i think that’s enough evidence for this argument…………ok maybe ONE more won’t hur—#me after day 2: ….am i done???? am i free????#pendragon siblings coming behind me with a steel chair: nah mate!#me: FUCK THERE’S MORE #bbc merlin #merlin meta #pendragon sibs

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hikariale · 3 months

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love overflow!

"want to place that hoodie you took off by our pillow and eventually eat rice from its warmth. i know. that's not something that's easily understood, but i won't give up and i'll keep telling you how i feel!"

headcanons about peculiar habits formed out of love

characters: jade, jax briggs, shang tsung, skarlet, tanya

content warnings: mentions of injury and gore, smoking, timeline ambiguous but written with the original timeline in mind, ask to tag!

Jade will gossip with you. She takes her job extremely seriously and tends to distance herself from unprofessional things, so even the way she interacts in casual settings can feel uptight. Though she claims she has no vested interest in gossip, she always seems to know the juiciest things. Being in touch with court intrigue is just another duty of protecting Kitana, so she always has an ear to the floor. Technically, since they're palace secrets, telling them to an outsider is unthinkable and borderline treasonous... But if you press her, it's rather easy. She has her own opinions, even if she pretends to be above it all, so once you break the dam, you'll get the entire flood. Being able to confide in someone without courtly pretences is a treat to her, so she actually looks forward to you asking her about it.

Jax won't smoke around you if you aren't a smoker. He doesn't quit smoking, but the only time you will see his lighter is during camping trips. His clothes still smell of smoke, but if you spend the entire day with him, you're more likely to learn what kind of laundry detergent he uses. He doesn't want you to be stuck inhaling his secondhand smoke because he knows that it is objectively bad for people, so even if you say it's alright, he will probably abstain. If you are a smoker, he may have casual banter with you over your respective brand picks. Still, he won't knock it until he tries it, so you may end up swapping cigs one day. Though it's his biggest vice, he will unquestionably kick it if you ask him to. And if you're both smokers, he will try to keep both of you accountable and responsible with intake.

Shang Tsung will never treat you like a glass doll, but he will micromanage your health. Unless he takes care of things with his own hands, he won't feel satisfied that everything is in order. In some ways, it's a blessing. But depending on your tolerance for unconventional treatment, it can be a bit of a curse. The good news is that you could be sliced down the middle and thrown into a pool of acid and still live to see the next day. The bad news is that, if he cannot prevent your death, he will rouse you from your eternal slumber. The words "favourite person" may not seem to mean much from him, but the key term is "person," as opposed to "subject" or "pawn." A person may be physically cloned, but Shang Tsung knows better than anybody that clones are not the same person.

Skarlet will take the blood from your wounds like a keepsake. Though it might make you uneasy, she doesn't have any ill will. In her mind, it is the same as keeping a photo of you in a locket. No matter the severity of the injury, Skarlet can keep you from bleeding out, so you could joke with her that she's taking a blood tax for her services. Depending on the situation, she might even crack a smile! It is hard for her to explain why she takes your blood when she doesn't really need it for anything, but just be assured that she could distinguish your blood from anybody else's. Even if yours was a single drop in a bloody ocean. That attachment is, in its own morbid way, the red string that she's tied between the both of you.

Tanya will just lie on your behalf. You don't want to go to a meeting? You can't because your ceiling caved and you had to stay home all day to deal with the issue. Someone is giving you unwanted attention? Better luck next time because Tanya will make up a list of reasons about why that person shouldn't try to approach you anymore long enough to be a legal document. It would be nice if she let you know ahead of time, but she will set a wedge between you and your petty inconveniences as soon as she hears about them. You can fight your own battles, but if she doesn't think it's worth your time, she will swiftly sweep and smother them under a rug. If it is something that has been causing you a lot of duress, she might go the extra mile of stomping on that spot as you walk along your merry way.

#one disclaimer: the video linked has some flashing images so please exercise caution if you have any photosensitivity issues!#mortal kombat #mortal kombat x reader #mk9 #mkx #mk11 #jax briggs #shang tsung #skarlet #jade mortal kombat #tanya mortal kombat #ahhh i wanted to write something short and sweet. i love expressions of love that are a bit odd and hard to explain #i've been very busy... i hope you all had a nice valentine's day!#i might do more of these if the mood strikes me since i really like things like this but who knows #though you definitely won't see anything from me between 18-25th because it wouldn't feel right to post #fandom creations during the strike. i hope whoever reads this has a nice day! <3 until we meet again

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