Tumgik
#skillz don't look
biomic · 8 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
REAL TOKUSATSU IS BACK
Tumblr media
711 notes · View notes
technovillain · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
*sustained coughing and sputtering* Gave every Motherlobe background character with a speaking role a fun new design!!! Feel free to ask me questions/talk to me abt them/tell me I am insane and did a good job!!!!!!!!
604 notes · View notes
nostalgia-tblr · 8 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
44 notes · View notes
Text
Tumblr media
46 notes · View notes
thisisapaige · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
my arms emptied, the skies emptied
the billboards emptied
my arms emptied, the skies emptied
the buildings emptied
-florence + the machine, “my love”
45 notes · View notes
anaalnathrakhs · 1 year
Text
Heute ich habe gegessen eine Schokolade der Morgen, Mittagessen war mcdonald’s medium Pommes da mein Lehrer ist gegangen dort und ich und meine Mitschülerin geteilt, und das Abendessen war eingefroren Pommes und vegetarier Nuggets, da ich versuche mein Fleisch Verbrauch reduzieren. Ich zudem habe zwei Brot Stücken gegessen und ein Ice Tea getrinken.
4 notes · View notes
etherealstar-writes · 3 months
Text
I WANNA BE YOURS | LIONESSES X READER | PT 12
Tumblr media
pairings: lionesses x reader
summary: in which you're accidentally added to a random group chat, not knowing they're all actually famous footballers, and obliviously end up having many of them competing for your love and attention.
part: twelve
part one here
✦ ——— ✦ ——— ✦
THE NATIONAL DIVING TEAM
the REAL karate kid HOLD ON I FELL ASLEEP AND THIS IS WHAT I WAKE UP TO Y/N BAE WHAT IS THIS 😭
Tumblr media
elton OMG LESSI MY MEMES SKILLZ ARE FINALLY RUBBING OFF ON YA
Tumblr media
stairway still cannot believe this tho y/n 😔
neev neither 😔
willybum the betrayal 😔
the REAL karate kid y/n just so you know, we are not okay 😔
lotte 😔
the imposter aka y/n ❤️ so um ....
neev Y/NNN YOU'RE ALIVE HOW WAS THE DATE
the imposter aka y/n ❤️ he never showed up got stood up 😔
elton oh
stairway that is so sad
willybum that truly is terrible to hear
the REAL karate kid very sad
neev that really sucks
meado you idiots! atleast be nice and pretend to actually feel bad! ignore them y/n i'm really sorry to hear that he didn't deserve you at all
the imposter aka y/n ❤️ thank you beffy 🥺 it's fine gonna thrive in my single life forever i guess 😔✊
stairway well y/n i'm free tonight 👀
the imposter aka y/n ❤️ so am i 👀
willybum absolutely not we have our semis tomorrow you're not going anywhere
the imposter aka y/n ❤️ that is very unfortunate georgia 😔 maybe one day
stairway 😔
the imposter aka y/n ❤️ you know now that i'm getting better at my woso knowledge do a few of your teammates just not like messaging? bcuz there's a few not on this chat
neev hold on a sec you're right! chloe, esme, kirby, turner and zelem aren't even in the chat
staiway you forgot to add them ??
the imposter aka y/n ❤️ and you guys just realised 😭😭
elton shhhhh i'll add them now
elton added ona batlle
elton oh nuggets
the REAL karate kid HELP
elton i am walking and eating a donut and i accidentally clicked on the wrong person
willybum added katie
willybum do not trust ella to add people to this chat anymore
the imposter aka y/n ❤️ omg hey ona!
kie oh my days
ona batlle hello! :) i am not on the england team?
earpsy you qualify to be here anyway don't ya worry
the imposter aka y/n ❤️ ona, may i just say you are very peng
stairway Y/N.
neev peng 😭😭
ona batlle i am not sure what that means but i can only assume that it is good so thank you!
the imposter aka y/n ❤️ do you think i'm peng?
ona batlle yes sure! of course!
stairway 😐😐
katie ur ugly
elton hey katie! nice to see you too
katie i was talking to you
elton that is not nice
katie neither is being friends with you
elton i am not sure where this attitude has come from
willybum i love this new zelem
katie i hope you fall in the shower
willybum i take that back
katie HAHAHA HELP
neev WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING
katie HAH WILLYBUM THESE NAMES 😭😭 and i'm not katie zelem
meado i cannot believe how you guys keep doing this you added katie mccabe not zelem
elton OMG IT WASN'T ME IT WAS LEAH I DIDNT DO IT THIS TIME
rusty metal you literally added ona earlier ...
willybum changed the name katie to mccard
mccard was that name really necessary? really?
willybum yes.
the imposter aka y/n ❤️ OMG THE KATIE MCCABE ILY
mccard hello y/n ❤️
willybum absolutely not stay away from our y/n mccabe
the imposter aka y/n ❤️ OMG CAN WE ADD STEPH CATLEY TOO I LOVE HER
the REAL karate kid HUH
stairway hey hey hey you're supposed to be the lionesses' biggest fan what is this betrayal
neev yeah 😔😔
mccard added steph
meado STEPHYY hey girl!
the imposter aka y/n ❤️ OMG OMG NO ONE MOVE
steph katie did you add me here to get attacked bcuz i'm aussie? and heyy beffy!
mccard not this time :)
steph national diving time?! help 😭😭
the imposter aka y/n ❤️ omg hi!! ily you're amazing
steph aww thank you y/n!!
stairway look toone what have you done everyone's stealing y/n away from us now
elton how is any of this my fault?!!
the REAL karate kid it is
neev it is
lotte it is
willybum it is
earpsy it is
brightness it is
daily it is
stairway it is
rusty metal it is
meado it is
mccard it is
elton
Tumblr media
i hate you all so much
✦ ——— ✦ ——— ✦
part thirteen here
609 notes · View notes
daze4all · 23 days
Text
Tumblr media
HSR Happy Anniversary Gift Drabbles-Not Alone in this Universe- Found Family!Astral Express Crew
Invitation Code: GU8T0T3A6N
youtube
1. Imagine you board the Astral express...for the anniversary as new trailblazer! Found Family! Astral Express 2. Imagine MC!Trailblazer x Genshin Impact! MC! Traveller Reader Meet Drabble TBA 3. Dating Scenarios Astral express Guys Dan Heng, caelus, Welt Dating Scenarios TBA
Intro: Happy Anniversary Honkai Star Rail where will our trail take us next? Found Family! Astral Express x Reader Platonic Fluff 1. Stelleron/Aeon! Reader x MC!Traiblazer -No Longer a Newbie- Loufu- MC! & reader Bond over similar unknown origins... 2. Veteran! Gamer! Welt - Shall I Show you How it is Done?- Penacony- Old man shows off seniority and skillz 3. Bodyguard! Dragon! Dan Heng! x Reader- Keeping Warm in the Cold- Belobog- Only one room trope, heat, sleeping together..
Background: (Reader a stelleron, secret aeon, somone who has a 6th sense of other worlds like trailblazer, or with amnesia or missing memories) boards the express so caelus is no longer the newbie and they get together and figure out this strange world together and thier origins)
Intro
Pom Pom is happy you are here as he toddles back and forth with balloons and a cake balanced precariously on the tray. Everyone bedecked in the room with streamers with banners to welcome you.
"Am I really home? " you venture tremously.
After decades of searching for family and a home, you had found it with the Astral Express family. Tears welled up in your eyes as they accepted you without a past or future as one of their own.
A trailblazer among the stars.
Everyone is welcome to the express no matter their past or future Mother! Himeko hummed, welcoming, sweet, and gentle.
"Let's take a picture to commemorate" Middle kid! March cheers camera ready
"I brought the cake!" Cheers. Chaotic! Trailblazer Caelus
"Don't you dare smash it on someone's face like last time" warns Older Brother! Dan Heng watching trash raccoon trailblazer carefully ready to defend any victims of cake slinging.
"I'll cut it to make sure everyone gets there for share" Father!Welt says holding the knife aloft as both his glasses and the knife gleam ominously causing everyone to shrink away worriedly "
"Who wants the first piece? Oi why is everyone backing away? "miffed Father! Welt adjusts his glasses.
"I do~! Both Middle!March and Youngest! Trailblazer rush over to quarrel over who gets cake first but decide by deadly game of rock paper scissors as Older Sibling! Dan Heng sighs and faces palms in the corner. The parents chuckle and everyone is eager to happily munch on cake.
"Ah but first blow out the candles new trailblazer!" invited Mom! Himeko warmly as she lights them with her fire path powers to the oohs and ahhs of everyone on the Express.
"One
TWO
THREE!"
"Welcome to the Astral Express family!"
Happy anniversary/birthday trailblazers~! It's been a fun wild ride and I look forward to our trailblazing adventures ahead.
To the stars and beyond!
Or do you want to join another way and date one of the crew? Upcoming: One-shots for dating the express guys during travels
Also shamelessly for those who return or join the Trailblaze since I'm doing this free advertising for fun here's my code~
Also, feel free to friend me as need the credits to build my characters ~ plus fun chats over who to simp for lol !
Invitation Code: GU8T0T3A6N
Tumblr media
73 notes · View notes
yuzuocha · 2 months
Text
THE HORRORS OF GACHA. [HC]
Tumblr media
gacha they would play and how they play. this is based off of the gachas i played, so apologies kek
warnings ‣ uhhahahha this may or may not be completely self-indulgent because i need writer motivation juice to finish up my more serious fics — enjoy this semi-crack hc that prolly makes zero sense
lmao (inspired from moot @anxiousgoddest bc this is kinda crack-ish) also my xavier bias may have leaked a bit too much in this lol. or maybe its just my proseka and ak bias bc i haven't played hsr in a while and it shows
Tumblr media
xᴀᴠɪᴇʀ・project sekai
— you didn't think he'd get into project sekai to THIS extent.
— you piqued his curiosity when he heard you spewing out curses such as 'I FLICKED THAT' or 'OH, ONE GREAT? YOU'RE FUCKING KIDDING' from the floor above his apartment.
— later on a date in destiny café he asked you what game made you fume like so. after a couple of minutes of embarrassed apologies and silent profanities at your apartments' thin walls, you told him about project sekai and its game mechanics.
— "tapping to the beat is very simple in concept, but it gets difficult?" you nod.
— "is it free to download?" you nod vigorously. caleb doesn't play it anymore and tara focuses on toya more than the actual game itself. you'd kill to have a buddy to discuss one of your favorite games, especially if xavier is that person in question.
— you two ended up skipping the claw machinery for plushies in favor of staying in the café and playing project sekai. you did slightly dread about how long you had to wait for him to catch up to you in terms of skill, rank and unlocked songs, however.
— "why is the speed so slow? oh, i can change it?"okay, maybe you don't have to wait as much.
— "i just have to skim through the archives to get the items needed to unlock songs, right?" huh, he's getting to know the ropes quickly.
— "i'll choose this one." he chooses expert and you almost laugh. while expert isn't difficult per se, it's nothing short of impossible to a rhythm game beginner, right?
— WRONG, WRONG, ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY WRONG.
— aside from the beginning where he hit a lot of greats and missed a couple of notes, he was improving by the second while playing the chart and ended with a combo in the hundreds.
— "this is pretty fun and helps with hand-eye coordination," he said as he full combo'ed the song on his second day of playing.
— "the game said i unlocked something called 'ranked matches'. what is that?" day three.
— "i've full combo'ed intense voice on expert, it was very fun." week one.
— god dammit, just why does he have to be good at everything besides cooking and staying awake ??? not even a month in and he got the 'mad skillz' achievement, something that took you over six months to get.
— now he plays it while you're at the meow café playing kitty cards, and your urge to throw your phone across Linkon City has only increased with the amount of all perfects and full combos he piled up.
— it didn't help that his gacha luck was so good despite him being so disinterested in the cards too. you still haven't forgiven him for pulling the entire colorful festival banner within 30 pulls while you got nothing from over 200...
ᴢᴀʏɴᴇ・arknights
— it all started when you were too lazy to reach for your phone and took zayne's instead to search something up. you got distracted by the small amount of apps and tabs he had until you came across an icon that looked surprisingly familiar... a fourteen year old girl with brown hair and ears? arknights??
— you bolted to your phone to immediately send a picture of this monstrosity to caleb, but damn zayne's good vision and movements — you couldn't even touch your phone. never have you seen zayne so flustered; he must've known you were planning to frame him over an app with an underaged girl as its icon despite you knowing the contents of said game.
— you had to stifle your laughter while zayne was explaning why the game was on his phone as if he was presenting a medical thesis — that much detail should suffice.
— according to zayne, he's actually someone who played this game ever since its release. he liked the strategic aspect of it and it was a stress reliever of sorts.
— he also played it because the main plot device for arknights, originium, reminded him of you and protocores, but he won't ever admit to this.
— post-interrogation (?), you took a look at zayne's account; and for someone who claimed that it was just a casual stress reliever, the claim was absolutely ridiculous.
— level 120. all medals obtained. all stories, challenge modes and game modes cleared. all of the operators maxed out and mastered. the six star operators only had the necessary potentials and masteries too — was he a cardiac surgeon or an arknights dev??
— also, just what about arknights is relaxing?? it's notoriety for its difficult gameplay amongst gacha games was nothing to sneeze at, and zayne's a doctor in real life! why in the fucking hell would he want to take a break from his job by playing as a doctor?!
— you ended up surmising that normies couldn't possibly understand geniuses.
ʀᴀꜰᴀʏᴇʟ・star rail
— you two were waiting for the release together ever since the pre-registering and beta testing, let's be real.
— but GOD, rafayel's so laughably terrible at this game despite it not requiring much skill.
— what's even worse is that he's a whale. a big one.
— even when you explained how seele was destined to fail in long-term meta due to her gimmick's trigger conditions, rafayel slammed his credit card down for her, claiming it was "good investment" and that you were just one of those meta-haters.
— and fastforward to addition of the newer characters, you completely steamrolled rafayel's claim. granted, seele was hardly what you'd consider as terrible by any means. but to rafayel, who plays with quote in quote "only the best of the best", it was pretty funny seeing him scowl at DHIL a couple months later.
— seele's been gathering dust since, by the way.
— rages over chests. he couldn't find that one chest at cloudford and the divination commission and he was about to break his pc. this ain't even genshin with hundreds of chests per region. though, in his defense, cloudford was really annoying with all of the contraptions, and it was easy to get lost in the divination. no seriously fuck that shit
— don't get me fucking started with simulated universe. while he eventually learned how to manage through the stages, the process in getting there was quite painful for him to experience and for you to watch.
— one thing that didn't change, though, was his ridiculous luck in terms of artifact-pulling. crit rate, crit damage, energy regeneration, atk increase – you're convinced the game knows that rafayel's a huge spender and they're rewarding him for his services.
— well, he'll manage somehow, even with his all-dps team with zero sustain or support. heh.
Tumblr media
taglist! | @kttriangle | @sncrly0urs | @anxiousgoddest (im adding you here just to annoy you btw <3)
tysm for reading! comment down below or message me if you'd like to be a part of the taglist, and if you can, please do consider reblogging! it helps out a lot ;; w ;; and and!! my inbox is open for requests! PLEASE SEND SOME ASDJQVEJWHE I NEED THEM
yuzuocha © 2024 — all rights reserved.
Tumblr media
99 notes · View notes
atarathegreat · 10 months
Text
TR Boys Crackhead Headcanons
Kazutora Hanemiya
Man spreads because why should you have space on the train
shoves puzzle pieces together that don't match because "this part fits, see!"
broke his own finger just to feel what it was like
moves furniture so people bump into it on purpose
crops everyone else out of photos he's in and doesn't even use the photos for anything
sometimes wears shoes on the opposite feet just to see who will notice
has and will break granola bars on anyone's bed
Mitsuya Takashi
learned to bake so he could put laxatives in cake (fuck around and find out)
hates who his sisters hate
definitely shit talks kindergarteners with Luna
wore a matching dress with his sisters to the movies, pummeled the guy that tried laughing at him
doesn't stop the conversation when he enters the public restrooms
Nahoya Kawata
walks down the upward escalator
smacks everyone in the back of the head because he feels like it
had court once, laughed on his way out because he was falsely found not guilty
has and will drink milk from cereal bowls without having cereal
sits and stares at Souya without blinking until Souya gets uncomfortable
knocked out a guy's teeth and kept them to send back to him via mail
Souya Kawata
Prefers to sleep in a pile of stuffed animals
the bed hasn't been slept in for three years
actually writes poems and hangs them around the city, ended up on the news for it
Cries to ASPCA commercials
Gets angry when Nahoya falls asleep on the couch, drags him back to bed by his feet
completely believes he could solve true crime
Keisuke Baji
Sharpens his teeth with a nail file
tried wearing contacts once but didn't soak them in contact solution so he only dried his eyes out
calls everyone babe platonically
if he can't find both shoes he only wears one
has a scrunchy collection
thought he was spiderman once and jumped off a roof
will shake his ass when standing still (mad tango skillz)
Kokonoi Hajime
Has a book of rare coins
has a button collection
uses chalk hairdye
plucks his eyebrows too thin
can ballet dance
TikTok feind
Manjiro Sano
Calls in sick to places he doesn't work
Got fired from three places he didn't work at
always orders kids meals
has a tantrum until Kenny cuts his hair
uses clear nail polish regularly
has debated getting a trampstamp
does his hair straight up before fixing it so he can look like a unicorn
Ken Ryuguji
has gone bald, does not work for him
draws in tattoos on the side of his head
has a collection of fake earrings that he tried once (Howls Moving Castle theme)
keeps flavored lube in his room just so he can taste it when he wants something sweet
Taiju Shiba
Thinks he can pull of orange (makes him feel like a baddy)
carries an eyebrow pencil everywhere
fights random females for fun
punches himself in the face for being late to things
had frosted tips in middle school
has staring contests with himself
Hanma Shuji
eats ice cream with a fork
eats soup off a plate
has a closet full of plaid clothing, irons it before wearing because "who tf fights with wrinkles in their clothes"
swears by hair gel
tried hairspray once, didn't taste nice so he threw it out a window
after being dubbed the Reaper, he wore a grim reaper outfit
will kiss and the homies and say no homo
Chifuyu Matsuno
plans to name his first child after his cat
has a Baji shrine next to his Peke J shrine
reads his Yaoi books in public and has outburst when things don't go how he wants them to
locked himself in a pet store and threatened to kill himself if he didn't get a cat, his mom beat the shit out of him for it
screams "real or cake" before biting literally anything
Tetta Kisake
puts milk before cereal
writes cursive only to annoy others
once slept on the roof of his house to make his mom feel bad for yelling at him
has a dog name Roscoe (it's a female)
definitely has little man syndrome
thinks girls are into his "mysterious" vibe (literally just doesn't speak to anyone and has RBF)
once pretended to be gay thinking he would get into a girls slumber party
Hakkai Shiba
the only girl he can talk to is his sister (that's just a fact)
moves the family photos around to see if Yuzuha will notice
is regularly on discord but he pretends to be a girl so he can troll guys
swings from trees like hes a monkey because he thinks its faster than running
worked at a haunted house and crawled across the floor like some messed up spider, he was playing as a scarecrow, it was a childrens haunted house
Takamichi Hanagaki
tries to scale buildings by the fire escapes
copies the others fighting styles hoping to look just as cool
eats a raw egg every morning
crops himself out of photos so no one can find him
unironically calls Hina his little princess
colors in the boxes to crossword puzzles
218 notes · View notes
mi-dori · 3 months
Note
Hello can we get a Kitana x reader fic where the reader is insecure about her skillz in terms of fighting and sneaks off every night to train but it leaves her tired and slow in the mornings. Eventually Kitana finds out and tells the reader she has nothing to be insecure about?
Hello! I'd be more than happy to deliver this fic to you! It's been a while since I've written fro Kitana so here goes...
Game: Mortal Kombat
Warnings: Slight upset Kitana
Tumblr media
As the Princess of Outworld, Kitana was trained by the best umgadi when she was little. She grew up with that knowledge, making her one of the best fighters in outworld. She is respected in terms of status and fight and even managed to become the commander of outworld's army when Mileena became empress.
While she had all of this going, she was also a very competent lover to you, always taking care of you, ensuring you're protected and safe and loved. Although Kitana was the Princess, she treats you like one and though she protects you and always reassures you that you're safe, you still felt guilty that she does all the protecting in the relationship. However, you weren't that skilled in combat which made you quite insecure in that area.
Every night, as Kitana was asleep and almost most of Outworld was asleep, you would sneak out and head to the training area where you would train until sunrise and head back before anyone could see; but these late training sessions were beginning to give away due to the bags under your eyes and the tiredness written n your face. Kitana was beginning to notice this and something certainly wasn't right.
Kitana had her princess duties to do, and as soon as she hits the bed, she's in a deep slumber, all of her tiredness hit her at once.
"Y/n, may I talk to you?"
Right now, you're currently seated in the tailor's room, watching the tailor make dresses for Milenna and Kitana. "Sure honey," you walked out with Kitana and she folded her arms while looking at you.
"Have you been sleeping well?" Her eyebrows were raised and she was looking at you with such an intimidating look.
"I-Yeah I have." Kitana wasn't buying that. Those bags under your eyes couldn't have been there on there own.
"You know I'm not buying that. Sweetheart please. What's going on? You are my lover, you need to come to me whenever something is wrong."
You sighed. You couldn't delay the truth no longer and with the pleading look in her eyes was making it hard for you not to say.
"...I've been training... at night..."
"Why? Is there some tournament I'm not aware of?"
You sighed frustratedly which made her look at you with even more concern. She took your hand in yours. "No there isn't a tournament! I just... I'm bad... at fighting... my combat skills aren't the best... I just.... I feel bad that you do all the protecting in our relationship when you're literally a princess." Kitana's eyes widened as she couldn't believe her ears.
"Are you insecure about your combat skills?"
"...yeah"
"Oh my... sweetheart," she sighed while chuckling lightly, "there's nothing to he insecure about. I protect you because I want too. Besides, you don't need to fight to protect me. Laying in your arms is all the protection I need so please... don't go out at night training and neglecting your sleep."
She kissed your hand before kissing your lips. "Promise me okay?"
"I promise."
She smiled before dragging you off to your shared bedroom. She took the rest of the day off from her duties and spent it with you, holding you close as you cuddled together.
53 notes · View notes
biomic · 24 days
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
HIS ASS IS NOT HACKING
103 notes · View notes
chlorine-and-daisies · 3 months
Text
god if "they're not talking" meant crowley and aziraphale were going full on "love is war" in season 3 it would be so funny
aziraphale in bastille-level regalia (now corporate approved?) scribbling in his diary about how he absolutely will not give into the wiles of this demon even if crowley is a good kisser there's no way he, Mr. Supreme Archangel, can confess first
crowley trying very hard to be suave and make it look like he's just fine on his own but the floor of the bentley would be covered in crumpled up engineering plans for getting aziraphale back
of course every plan would backfire
like, muriel would invite aziraphale to a beautiful old library, and crowley would come too, but aziraphale wouldn't even look at him bc he'd be too busy reading (point: aziraphale)
aziraphale would spread rumors that the supreme archangel is not actually allowed to eat sushi and is Very Much In Need Of Saving, but crowley just texts beelzebub going ask what's-his-face if this is real and they'd be all yea my hubby said nah (point: crowley)
and yes some of aziraphale's schemes to "foil crowley's plans" would definitely involve his magic skillz
and the culmination where crowley enlists fujiwara chika muriel to break into heaven in a grand gesture but aziraphale actually ends up being the one to confess first and return the kiss from the final fifteen
if we had just a few scenes to make "love dramatic" mvs with before the inevitable makeup it would be so funny
i'm not saying i Want it to happen, i don't actually think it's in character or consistent with the plot, but the idea of it! the possibilities!
24 notes · View notes
altraviolet · 4 months
Note
so im neck deep in reading echo garden - hi, hope ur doing well, holy hell what is this beautiful piece of writing and worldbuilding omg? i originally wanted to ask you something like; 'what's your inspiration for your worldbuilding, what ideas did you come up with, pull/build from etc'
..but instead i wanna try and ask you a different question/for advice, if that's okay? (your writing went and gave me a mild crisis, congrats you've reached peak 'make-ppl-feel-things-thru-writing' skillz. :}) how do you even 'do' worldbuilding? because i'm doubting myself, reading your story lol. i know the whole.. 'we get inspiration from literally everything around us', 'there's no such thing as a truly original idea' etc,
but i'm just now breaking free of the thought that i have to.. produce something big and unique and grandiose? (for others? it's a weird attention-y 'ey look what i made' thing.) like, honestly, i fell in love with your worldbuilding but feel.. envious? like, 'oh, damn, i wish i was this good.' which, yeah, I KNOW is silly.
I don't know.. how to worldbuild/craft (whatever term) something that feels like mine? I keep comparing to others, and keep feeling like whatever bits and pieces come to me isn't good enough. Isn't unique/cool/giant/'oh-so-new-&-different' enough. like I have to somehow reach that impossible 'true original idea', without using any inspiration at all (otherwise it's not 'mine') - when everything's already been thought of before by countless people.
I'm sitting here in a really weird, silly, downright stupid at this point, circular loop and I don't know how to get out of it. I think not understanding what worldbuilding is, or how it works or even how having ideas works, might be why I've screwed myself here? And the internet's weird.. impossible standard for idea-having.
I have tiny pieces, the barest little foundations, I just don't know how to grow them into.. something, anything. (is maybe the thought that I ought to grow them in the first place one of the reasons I'm having trouble? and it's.. okay to not? that just because they're tiny, or simple, or mundane, doesn't mean they're worth less than 'bigger & better' chunks of ideas/worldbuilding?)
Hi! I'm doing okay, thanks. Vacation could be structured more to my liking, but family & obligation something something.
Anyway. Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying Echo Garden. Especially the worldbuilding, which is one of my favorite things to do. It seems like you're feeling a lot of mixed and heavy things about it. I don't know if I'm any authority to help you with that, but I'll give it a shot. Let's go through what you've sent me, albeit out of order. I'mma put this behind a cut, because it got very long.
>what is this beautiful piece of writing and worldbuilding omg? Thank you! I appreciate that. Here I would like to stress that this writing has taken me almost 4 years and hundreds and hundreds of hours, and hundreds of thousands of words to accomplish. If you think it is beautiful, I am happy to hear that! I will be honest: I am very proud of what I've done. But what I'm stressing here is that it was not effortless. It is beautiful, but it has taken a lot of work.
>i fell in love with your worldbuilding but feel.. envious? like, 'oh, damn, i wish i was this good.' which, yeah, I KNOW is silly. No, that's not silly. That's legit. Envy or jealousy are totally normal things to feel in any given situation. If the situations were reversed, I'd feel the same way. When I see people who have things or skills I wish I had, I feel it. This might be a good time to drop a little story about when I first thought about writing TF fic. Please do me a favor and go read this ask, you can skip down to the bold words that say NOTE THE WARNINGS AND TAGS BEFORE READING. Here I talk about how I didn't write for a year because I read a fic so good I knew I could never be that good.
tl;dr and/or moral: it's ok and natural to feel envious. Don't let it stop you from writing, though. If I had let TGWP stop me from writing, you'd never have Echo Garden. That'd be a shame, I think. I'm glad I decided to try writing, even though I knew I couldn't do something as good as what I admired. I did something else.
>how do you even 'do' worldbuilding? because i'm doubting myself, reading your story lol. i know the whole.. 'we get inspiration from literally everything around us', 'there's no such thing as a truly original idea' etc, I'll come back to your first question eventually, but I wanna address the latter statements: "We get inspiration from everything around us," yes, this is true. Being a sponge, being observant of the world, will help you build a 'library' of ideas. Artists have a term for this that escapes me at the moment, but the idea is, if an artist draws 1000 trees, and within those, 50 different kinds of trees, they now have an excellent mental tree 'library' to reference when they need to draw a tree. And since it's super easy to find irl references of trees, one might ask, what's the use of the mental library? It gives the artist the basics and a ton of variations on The Concept of a Tree. In a similar way, observing the world, reading stories, listening to music, absorbing creative works, etc will also add to your mental library. You can call on these things when worldbuilding later. Quick example: if you know the ins and outs of a hospital, because you're a nurse, you'll have a fantastic basis for a realistically operating sci fi hospital on another world. Take a concept relating to the hospital, as we know it on Earth, and change it. What if patients can regrow internal organs but not limbs? See what that does to the organization of the hospital. The staff, the pharmacy, the stock, the medical supplies. What changes? Organ donors aren't needed anymore. Would this mean an actual reduction in the species's understanding of how those organs work? An irl nurse won't have to do a ton of research to get the basics which are drawn upon to answer those questions.
This line of questioning took me to something I want to expand upon later, but for now: What kind of cultural issues could arise from this species's healing ability? Is someone who was forced to grow a new liver due to an accident "less than" someone who has their original liver? Hold onto the fact that we just went from hospital -> biology -> culture. "There's no such thing as a truly original idea," I disagree with this statement, though I know it is a very, very popular one. I think it is true that plots and archetypes are commonly used over and over again. I think there are still original ideas out there, though. I pride myself on it, to be honest. Some of the worldbuilding you like so much comes from ideas that I've not seen in either TF canon or fanon. They tend to be smaller details that feed into bigger systems, once you take them to their logical endpoints. More on that later.
>I keep comparing to others, and keep feeling like whatever bits and pieces come to me isn't good enough. Isn't unique/cool/giant/'oh-so-new-&-different' enough.
All I can say here is that comparison is the thief of joy. If we're talking strictly fanfic, it shouldn't be this stressful on you. People love tropes for a reason. Don't be afraid to use them. Echo Garden itself has a few. "Enemies to lovers" never quite felt like the correct term, but it is recognizable and there are tons of fans of it. Remember the thing about me not writing for a year cuz I thought I wasn't good enough. Don't do that. Comparison is the thief of joy! >like I have to somehow reach that impossible 'true original idea', without using any inspiration at all (otherwise it's not 'mine') - when everything's already been thought of before by countless people.
Again, I do think there are truly original ideas still out there. You have a unique view of the world. Writing is one way to share it. All your experiences, your education, your hardships and your victories shape who you are. No one else will be looking out the same eyeballs. With practice, you can find ideas. I'll explain how I do it. Maybe that will help you, too. Though you do have, by your own words, little pieces: I have tiny pieces, the barest little foundations, I just don't know how to grow them into.. something, anything. Little pieces are a good place to start. And if they stay little, that's fine. Having a ton of little pieces layered on top of each other is what contributes richness to your world.
My goal with all the above was to address the emotional aspect of your ask. I haven't gone through everything, but I'd like to get to your core question. I am going to answer it literally, in a way that might not help you, then try to break it down into something that might be helpful.
how do you even 'do' worldbuilding?
I think. All the time. I am one of those people who has a laser focus and is able to make connections between unrelated ideas. I am always, always thinking. It's not really daydreaming. It's thinking about a single idea and then taking it for a ride down a million "what if?" paths. Put it this way: I think watching astronomy lectures is fun and I loathe parties. Fun for me is world building: building literal worlds. Playing with ideas. So how do I 'do' worldbuilding? Mostly in my head. Once I get some ideas that make sense, I write them down so I don't forget them. If I'm lucky, I'm at home at my computer and can type them fast. If I'm not, I'm at work, and I scribble them on pieces of paper. It can be anything, from a huge plot point to a teeny tiny detail.
How do I think? If I'm world building from nothing (as opposed to solving a problem or building on top of previously thought of stuff), I just... think of things that fascinate me. For Transformers, that's their biology and how it links to culture. It's their alienness. The possible geology of their world. I freaking love just thinking about that!
Once you have a fascinating idea, you push it. What does that mean? Do you recall, in the nurse/hospital example above, I noted that, while we started with 'hospital setting,' it moved to how that healing factor could be interpreted in the culture of that species? That was what I mean: taking the idea of 'alien hospital' to 'what does this mean about their biology?' to 'what does this mean about their culture?' And to be honest, this is how I do a lot of world building. Culture comes from biology and geology. This is a personal theory I have, I'm sure anthropologists have a better definition of culture. But that's the one I use for worldbuilding. What is the consequence of your fascinating idea? That is the key for me. That is how I worldbuild.
If I'm worldbuilding on top of previous stuff, it's sometimes a bit harder or easier, depending on how the previous stuff narrows your possibilities. But in that case, I usually try to be as logical as possible. Here's an example for Echo Garden:
canon facts: the Lost Light has a fuel furnace and an engine room and a bridge
me: hmm, okay, the LL has utilities and facilities, kind of like a small town. someone has to tend to those things. I'm sure some mechs have specialized knowledge that makes them a better fit for maintaining/upkeeping certain things than others. We saw Blaster on the bridge acting as a communications officer of sorts. Hmm, he's probably the best bet for keeping comm-related stuff clean and running. Hmm, that fuel furnace... I bet it's really hot in there, lol. I bet it's complicated in there. They probably have to color code the pathways to the different furnaces. I bet most mechs wouldn't like being in there because it's so hot. I wonder who'd get stuck with that chore. Well... Rodimus is fireproof, basically, and Trailbreaker could protect himself with his shield. So they can do that chore.
It feels rambly when I write it out. I suppose it could be. I do this very quickly in my mind, though. I pull from everything I know: canon, fanon, things I know from my own life experiences. This 'pulling' happens all at the same time. So, going back to that 'mental library,' as you can see, that's a powerful thing for me to have for my worldbuilding method.
Okay okay, so how can I make all that into something actionable by you? Good question. I suppose I will answer it with more questions!
Precisely define what it is you want to worldbuild. Is it cultural (language, food, clothing, music, etc)? Is it biological (bodies, adaptations, appearance, etc)? Is it environmental (geology of the world, or the inside of a space ship)? What exactly do you want to accomplish?
Once you have selected your Topic, think about all the things related to that Topic. What are the usual characteristics of Topic? Which of those characteristics can you change to fit your world? Example: food in TF. Food is often energon or engex. Food in real life is a huge part of culture. If your goal is to showcase a character making a special dish, maybe pick an irl dish you like, and see how its preparation would change if it was made out of a pretty, glowy energon-y substance instead of whatever it's made of on Earth.
If you haven't worldbuilt to your satisfaction, try another avenue. What else about Topic can you think of? What are your personal experiences regarding Topic? Maybe go do some research on Topic- you might find a neat little tidbit to incorporate into your writing.
Once you've worldbuilt Topic to your satisfaction, link it to the rest of your world! What does Topic existing do to your environment? To your characters? It's okay if Topic isn't a huge deal. That's totally fine! It's lovely to just have little worldbuilding details hanging around in the background. Remember- layering lots of tiny details really helps make a world feel rich and lived in. In the event that Topic is a big deal, repeat step 2 to discover how it affects your world.
Once Topic is happily integrated into your world, repeat the process! Take breaks, listen to music. Zone out. See if your brain can make some weird connections while you're not even really thinking about it. Be open to something that sounds kinda nuts at first. Maybe there's a way to pull it off! Or maybe not.
Side note: if you think of a really cool idea but it doesn't fit into the story you're writing right now, stick it in a file for later. Mmm, delicious ideas file, ready to be cannibalized for your next story.
So... yeah! That's how I worldbuild. Thinking a LOT and connecting ideas together and then pushing them to logical extremes/conclusions.
If you have any specific questions about anything I've written, feel free to ask. I don't think my method will work for everyone, but hopefully you can put your own spin on it and find a method that works for you.
Best of luck and happy worldbuilding :)
21 notes · View notes
dballzposting · 5 months
Text
What Yajirobe does all day up there in Korin's tower is one of the biggest mysteries in dragon ball and so that's why I'm glad that in DBS they showed us that they play limbo
Korin definitely has found ways to pass the time because he's lived there for thousands of years probably and I'm not really curious about what he's up to. He's doing Korin things. Mind your business
When I was watching dragom ball I remember loving so much what I was seeing with those two but I was never able to really put into words what I was seeing .. I'm going to try but I'm going to miss a lot so please use your own heart and memory skillz to rember how awesome dragom ball was okkkk.. ❤
Why did that beautiful user draw him licking that damn cat. That was so (as one blessed user wrote in the tags:) Evocative.
I've since found out that TeamFourStar had some... interesting takes when portraying those two so I suppose that the madness of intimacy between them is not a new thing to many people... but it was NEWS TO ME so let me throw my hat in the ring a minute ...
I definitely don't think that they become how TFS did it and I definitely don't think that they settle like an old married couple.
But does he lick that cat?
Loose collection of extensive thoughts (6500 WORDS) about Yajirobe and Korin:
Master Korin is an old hermit. Like any old wise hermit, he's a crazy bitch. Hes got his idiosyncrasies. But by-and-by he can hold his own and is much more balanced and stable than some other hermits out there.
Before Goku, the last person he had up there was Roshi, like... 800 years ago? I think that was the number.
Hes been up there for probably Thousands of years. Being a hermit.
WHAT'S HE DO? He stands around. He watches Earth. He naps. He grooms. He meditates. He stays sharp. He reads little books probably (fun books). Probably has a flowerbed he waters. Makes little origami figures maybe. Weird sculptures. One pebble at a time.
Doesn't really matter.
Hes a sensible fellow. He's got good advice and he's got astute eyes. I think that when Roshi was up there for three years, he got comfortable enough to start pulling out the nudie mags (back then they weren't magazines but drawings). And Master Korin would BOP him on the head with his stick - telling him that he will never be a great warrior with a distracted mind, that he will never have a pure heart if he continues on like this-!
Korin wont allow filth like that up there. Classy depictions are one thing but lewd obsessions are another. And he tells Roshi to throw the drawings away. And well Roshi doesn't. He just hides them.
And eventually we absolutely get to the point where Korin will look at them too. Yes yes very nice. Woah. WOAH. Hand me that one there. WOAH! Eloquent handiwork here. Impressive. Nice. Very nice.
And then Korin hits him on the head and tells him again to dispose of them.
Korin wont allow that filth up there except he totally will and does. It's more than that "he doesnt give a shit" - hes a wise old hermit and he knows better than to try to control the flow of life. So he has a lot of grace when it comes to accepting events and other people's natures. When Roshi first arrived, he wouldn't tolerate it because Roshi was there to train and could still be saved. But after a while it became clear that Roshi was going to keep looking at those sexy drawings, and Korin isn't interested in the unrest of endless animosity. He says his two-cents and he will keep saying it but he cannot afford to keep getting angry. He cannot afford to lose his composure every time. This is just the way it is. And he bops Roshi on the head with his stick about it. And he isn't surprised when Roshi keeps pulling the drawings out again.
He sighs about it and shakes his head and mutters. He still cares enough to do that. He isn't a zen buddhist about it or anything. He isn't too fatalistic. He does work towards a better world.
About that better world ... He will work towards it, but he also is perceptive enough to know when to give up. For example, he admitted after Goku defeated Piccolo that he didn't really think that Goku could have really done that. He let Goku try because ... That's Goku's will, and because, well, it's a nice thought, isn't it? But if Goku had died, Korin would not have been surprised. He was willing to accept the inevitable.
But he didn't admit that until after. During, he cared enough to go against the odds and to aid the cause of good. Korin is a wise old hermit who knows how to read the tide but he DOES play a team - the side of virtue, unequivocally. Hes got opinions.
Korin doesn't just let any bastard up there and and he absolutely has standards. Hes a little bit snarky or feisty because hes an OLD CAT! But hes also pretty reasonable. And he can be nice enough.
When Yajirobe first showed up there, Korin was accommodating. And he was even impressed by his strength.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
And later he tried to offer him tea. Becasue that's what you do when you have company.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
And we see them talk a few times in filler shots. And they're both chill about it.
OK wait there was one scene that was so funny where Korin was telling Goku about how one has to be pure of heart in order to go see Kami-Sama. And how Goku fit those qualifications perfectly. UNLIKE YAJIROBE
Tumblr media
^ he just went out of his way to YELL at him like this ... CHECK OUT HIS FANGS. ME-OWCH!
That's Korin. He's got quick eyes. He knew to yell at Yajirobe. He knew that Yajirobe deserved it
Yajirobe was only there because he had to bring Goku up there (twice). Okay sidebar
YAJIROBE:
He shows up in the story when it has taken an abysmal turn. A nosedive toward devastation. And we're following Goku who has snapped out of shape from circumstance. And we're watching him navigate this. And navigate he does becasue he is still alive. And it's bizarre, becasue we're seeing something that usually isn't in stories; usually stories are what is dramatically satisfying, stories have direction. But at this point in the narrative, Goku is just ... alive. He almost died. Hes starving and trying to do something about it, lest wait for death. Krillin is still dead. What's to be done, but to....do. it's.....peaceful, in a harrowing way. Unobserved. And then Enter Yajirobe. Hes not a diamond in the rough necessarily, but we are definitely digging around in the rough, or you could even say we're in the shitter at this point- and hes no diamond, but he's more than dirt. He's a shard of obsidian in the rough, maybe. Hes something. And we find him and we're still in the rough.
To elaborate further: this little dip in the story speaks of survival and persistence. Bear with me. When it comes to Yajirobe and Goku's character, there is between them an interesting tango of physical health VS higher moral spirit. First, because this part of the story is a flagging physical existence underscoring an absence of higher hope, we meet the hedonistic, physically adroit, and survival-minded Yajirobe to attend to that necessary foundation. This is a virtue that Yajirobe offers our hero now, and later on too as their characters progress through difference scenes (more on that later). This simple Yajirobe contrasts with the pure-hearted Goku who struggles to retain his character in the overwhelming mess of his enraged and wounded spirit, but through this Goku must also find a way to persist (this isn't resolved until Mr Popo beats that attitude out of him). So Yajirobe's character first teaches of treating the most basic realm (physical survival which extends into persistence of being), and then highlights through contrast the extent of our hero's honor and prowess (which, you could take as a direct contrast, or you could take as a comparison, saying that emotional/spiritual expression and sustenance is just as key for survival as saving your skin is; persistence of being is resilience of character). Yajirobe's debut being at this miserable point in the story is what creates his character for us - the shining obsidian in the rough. He's a survivor.
He is able to keep up with Goku. He swims as fast as he and runs as fast as he. When they fight each other they both remark in their heads that this is one of the strongest guys that they've ever faced (Goku had kicked him with his full strength and Yajirobe stood back up all the same...!). And he eats Cymbal like it's no big deal, against even Goku's protests.
Tumblr media
we receive no indication that Yajirobe has received any formal training. It seems that Yajirobe has acquired his abilities by just .. practice. Out here Livin it. He got that katana from somewhere but he's just out here surviving.
The wikis identify him as the ronin (masterless samurai) archetype, right down to his outfit. This is awesome.
He is truly built different. He's fully human and entirely different. He's selfish but not malignantly. He's oriented toward his own safety, survival, and comfort, and he allocates all of his resources toward these goals, and in this he is effective: he doesn't waste time procrastinating or playing the hero (WITH SOME NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS..!!!!) He's built different and doesn't need or WANT friends. He doesn't want to be bothered. He wants the freedom to be alone. If he wanted to settle down in one area then he would have built a house. But he hasn't, presumably because before long a mailman would find him and connect him to a greater society. So Yajirobe is just out here hunting and sleeping and staying on the move. He's completely happy and self-actualized to do so.
Yajirobe can be lazy and cowardly but still, not quite ... to be cowardly implies you are going against your greater want or virtue. He never intends to be anything but SAFE, so he's not cowardly, just smart and goal-oriented. To be lazy implies that aspects of your life suffer because you don't put any resources toward them - and he never intends to be anything but well-rested and content, so hes not lazy, just comfortable. Furthermore: Yajirobe doesn't put off hard work when it's in his path. He doesn't procrastinate. He really does want to make his life enjoyable, so he doesn't burden himself by half-assing something multiple times. He saves himself the resources and the headache by doing it right the first time. If he has to swim an ocean, he'll do it. If he has to run for miles, he'll do it. If he has to fight a dinosaur until it's dead, he'll do it. He is indeed effective. He doesn't like to waste his own breath, but he is not afraid to use it to max capacity if the results will be worth it. And when he was trying to outrun Goku to earn some damn peace and quiet (and to retain the one-star ball), he was truly willing to run for this, until he found a cart of hay bumping along a lonely road. Then he was like SCORE and took a nap on it and let it move him along for him. It was definitely much more slow then running, but it was comfy, and convenient, and Yajirobe is opportunistic that way. HE WONT WASTE A CHANCE TO SLEEP!
Yajirobe is really good at securing his own survival. In DBS, in the bad future timeline, he survives like a cockroach! He really is just built different. He's a beautiful bastard
Again I want to comment on his appearance in the story ... Even when shit gets crazy and you don't think that you could sink any lower, you could always meet a guy with a katana who is HUGELY skilled when compared to the general populace but you didn't know about him because he didn't want to be found. That is always possible. Anythinf is possible
He does what he must and he takes rests when he can and he defends his own and he hides from the bullshit and he is CONFIDENT in all of this. He doesn't cut corners, and everything he does, he does with conviction. If he shows up late, he's not late - he showed up exactly when he meant to. If he doesn't want to do something, he won't. You could always try to convince him of course and you might succeed with a compelling enough argument or incentive (Ex: he didn't throw the baby Trunks out of the window because he didn't want to invoke Vegeta's ire. Ex: He'll do anything for a Yajirobe Snack in fact that's why he climbed Korin's tower for the first time), and that's all good and fine. He wont act like his mind wasn't changed if it was. Well he may try to fight against it due to an internal conflict of interest but who doesn't hedge a bit at times like that ... Whatever he does or doesn't do, he wont feel shame. He womt feel shame. He wont feel shame.
Yajirobe doesn't know shame. This is key. Well actually more astutely he doesn't know embarrassment. Embarrassment is inherently a social thing, and he just doesn't subscribe to it. He doesn't CARE if he does what's unexpected or rude. He does exactly as he intends to for whatever reason he has. He doesn't care how he fits into a general society! He'd be more angry than embarrassed if you forsake him in a social faux pas context. He doesn't feel that much shame either, but that's not necessarily a social thing, and he can feel it sometimes. If he fails to honor himself adequately he would feel shame, I think, as his one priority is always to protect number 1 (himself). Sometimes that shame may come from losing a fight, or not hiding well enough, or being stupid enough to get involved - and other times, not honoring himself means not acting on the nagging pull in his chest to INTERVENE and DO SOMETHING. I mean, he can handle a lot of life at once - he lives here, and he knows how to earn his keep here, and he has the right to be curious and hover around fights, and he has the right to have opinions about it.
He's always standing around and crossing his arms protectively and responding with animosity .... hes always making snap judgements that are completely true ... he doesn't care who you are or what your name is. You can't talk to him that way.
Yajirobe represents something special to me .... he represents an organism who is successful in being with itself and standing up for itself. Convincingly. I think that that's so beauriful and importsnt ...
Ok anyway.
So Yajirobe ascends Korin's tower becasue Goku is beaten to shit and he tells Yajirobe that theres beans up there and so Yajirobe commits to this tower. And he totally makes it. And when he gets up there Korin is impressed at how Yajirobe climbed the entire tower with Goku on his back.
And then later after Goku defeats Piccolo Daimao for real, Yajirobe carts his ass up there AGAIN and if I recall he just did that out of his own volition. WHY? BECASUE IT WAS A MATTER OF SURVIVAL. He serves those sorts of imperatives.
Yajirobe intervened two other notable times earlier in the story for the sake of Goku's survival: 1.) When he swiped his cadaver from the scene of the first Piccolo Daimao battle and revived him in a river, and 2.) When he tried very very VERY hard to convince Goku to NOT drink that super special water that was most likely poison but would possibly make Goku stronger. The latter example felt less like a character caring about the death of another and more about a debate of greater philosophical importance, like they were discussing the true rules of the world: must one put their life on the line to free their soul, or is it always better to be rational about the preservation of one's physical health? This scene was the culmination of Yajirobe's purpose in the story.
Worth mentioning: When Goku did ascend to Kami's Lookout, we get a scene where Yajirobe is sitting on the railing of Korin's tower and staring up into the sky. He admits that he's looking up because he feels like Goku might fall down at any second, and he wants to be there to catch him if he does.
^That's what I was referring to earlier when I said that Yajirobe offers Goku the much-needed virtue of survival and that there would be "more on that later." Goku is always meeting different characters who teach him different skills or perspectives, and at this late point in the story, you would expect that he meet another wise hermit type who is truly above and beyond. But instead we go backwards and touch base again with the most basic of necessities, and it's applicable in context because Goku's spirit is so wounded and confused by grief that he needs that physical anchor as to not lose himself entirely. He's Goku though and quickly reorients himself and is able to apply that virtue of persistence to all of him, and his argument trumps the unambitious Yajirobe's as the purpose of the story.
Anyway. Back to the point of my post...
As you know, Yajirobe stays in Korin tower for forever and ever. He attends the 23rd Budokai, in DBZ he trains with Kami, he hangs around during the first Vegeta battle, he delivers the Senzu Beans and then stays at Capsule Corp for the remainder of the Android Arch - ETC. But by and by. For the most part. We see him up there in that damn tower with that damn cat eating those damn Senzus!
It's no big mystery by now:
Yajirobe avoids hassle and wants to be comfortable. It's safe up in Korin's Tower. Very removed. Very quiet. There is only one (1) other guy up there and he's not THAT annoying. He mostly just waters the plants and grooms himself out in the open and takes cat naps. And when Yajirobe first sees Korin licking his little furry cat balls out in the open like that, he thinks in his head: "That's disgusting. I would never do that." But then two years up in Korin's Tower later and how do YOU think that Yajirobe is bathing?? :cry laughing emoji:
So ... Why does Master Korin LET him stay? Let's break it down:
As mentioned at the beginning of the post, Korin likes to hang out in a place of agreeable temperament. He won't turn rude for fickle reasons. He likes tea and naps and peace. Yajirobe likes those things too and spends most of his time advocating for those things.
Korin is a Crazy Old Hermit Cat Bitch. Completely insane. He's petty and all of his reasons are fickle but he doesn't think that they are. Like any good old hermit, he has no qualms with YELLING at Yajirobe. He can handle Yajirobe. He probably bites him
Korin is first and foremost an old martial artist hermit. He subscribes to a greater harmony in and with the world. His role, and only role, is to assess those who are worthy. While Goku is at Kami's Lookout and Yajirobe stays behind with Korin, Korin tells Yajirobe that he will never ride Kinto-un. I mean anybody could have ascertained that but it's uniquely Korin's role to tell him that. But Korin doesn't just sit idly by. He wants to instill virtue in the next generation of warriors. He keeps certain secrets and skills away from evil hands, and he does what he can for the side of good. And Yajirobe is some young punk who is clearly worthy in strength to scale that tower twice with Goku on his back in such a short time, but is of a wretchedly bound spirit. And Korin is a mischievous little cat hermit bitch and can't help but to see potential, or even a game when there is one: he's not going to turn down this opportunity to try to turn virtuous this bastard soul, whether subtly or not.
Furthermore: Yajirobe isn't evil. Korin can't bring himself to banish someone who isn't truly evil and who has scaled the tower with his own discipline.
Over time it becomes clear that Yajirobe isn't changing and Korin has to accept him as a person and not as a student, and honestly that's great because Korin is kind of lazy too ... He didn't want to be training this whole time like DAMN. FINALLY he can just CHILL... Yajirobe's virtue is NOT Korin's problem and that's such a relief. And eventually Korin becomes content to just watch Golden Girls DVDs with Yajirobe. Because Korin is a cat who appreciates sleepy time with a warm body.
Korin Can't Kick Him Out if he Wanted To becasue Yajiorbe is just going to Keep Coming Back because the Peace and Solitude is too Tempting and well Who is Korin to Deny Fate its Sick Little Games
And don't think that Korin doesn't mess with Yajiorbe becasue he absolutely does. He'll walk up his back and use him as a ladder. Or he'll put a flagon of ale on his stick and make Yajiorbe try to catch him for it. I truly cannot figure out if Yajirobe would give up when it becomes arduous becasue he doesnt want to waste his energy being mocked, or if he keeps at it becasue He Wants That Ale God Damnit. But wither way it'd be fun for at least 30 minutes.
So. Ummmmmmm.
Back to the thesis. DOES HE LICK THAT CAT?
Well...
I will say that I do think that they both keep a respectful physical distance for a while. Out of courtesy for themselves. Korin is a self-respecting cat hermit who is too wise to be trifled with and who doesn't want anything to mess up his fur. Yajirobe is a self-respecting vagabond who knows that his body is a temple and who won't tolerate arbitrary annoyances done to it.
I will say however that early on we have that scene where Yajirobe was stashing Senzu Benas on his person and Korin saw the lump in his clothes and thought that Yajirobe was hiding a tasty treat. And it's Korin's damn tower and he wants those damn treats so he PUT HIS PAWS ON HIM and TORE HIS CLOTHES OPEN. Very rude. Screenshots below
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
CHECK OUT HIS CLAWS IN THE SECOND ONE.
Korin is a QUICK read of character (of course he is...!) and after only knowing Yajirobe for a few days he KNEW that if he was stashing anything it was yummy food...! He was so sure of it and he so wanted it for himself that he tore his clothes off for it. He's such a crazy bitch
This is not a good example of them respecting the other's personal space but my sense is that it's becasue this is right at the beginning and the dynamic of Korin being a wise hermit and Yajirobe being an irreverent youth is apparent. Korin can put his paws on him. He can do what he wants. It's his tower. And Yajirobe is just some kid.
But I'm arguing that this dissolves over time. Yajirobe stays over the years and he DOESN'T CHANGE. He MATURES but he doesn't CHANGE. He lives his whole life that way and at some point you have to start taking him seriously, right? And Korin is not keen on blatantly disrespecting people. He's a reasonable guy. He respects others' free will and he respects their decisions.
He'll judge you, but he'll accept you. He won't expect anything from you other than what's wonted for you.
So he and Yajiorbe sleep on opposite sides of the tower because neither really wants to burden themselves with getting too close. They are exactly like diplomatic roommates. They eat meals together, they chat, they argue, but they have none of the obligations of intimacy. They are not responsible for or are interested in the other one's feelings.
And it continues this way for as long as it's due. But you know that Yajiobe is up there for literal years. And that there's not much to do up there but to interact with the only other bloke there.
OK LISTEN: A bit of a sidebar but not really because it is deathly relevant: They've always spoken candidly with each other. Neither of them are ever changing. Korin because he's already so old and this is just who he is and Yajiorbe because he's already perfect. And on DAY ONE they both got a read on the other's character that holds up TO THIS DAY.
PLEASE LISTEN: They both formulated opinions about the other on DAY ONE that never change. They never change becasue they are already dead accurate. Both are living authentically and both are students of nature in their own ways and both are incredibly perceptive for it - Korin KNEW that Yajirobe would never give him anything more than the spoken "-sama" and a courteous physical distance, he KNEW that he would never ride Kinto-un, he KNEW that he was somebody that you need to just YELL AT in order to get through to - and Yajiorbe KNEW that Master Korin was a crazy cat bitch, he KNEW that he was full of mystical shit, he KNEW that he was unreasonable in the way that everybody in the world except Yajirobe is.
No matter what time, no matter how long they've known each other - if you go up to visit it will go the same way. You're standing there talking to Master Korin and having a pleasant chat. Then he thinks to say something to Yajirobe, or to get his attention, or even to summon him or what have you - and he interrupts your perfectly pleasent mild-mannered chat to turn his head and YELL in some direction. Throws his arms back and YELLS. Attaching pic for reference
Tumblr media
Just completely goes from sweet-old-grandpa to HARSH-YELLING-THAT-PROBABLY-HURTS-THE-THROAT.
He goes like
"YAJIROBI!"
and says it with an "i" and not an "e" becasue that's how he mispronounces his name in the Japanese dub.
And Yajiorbe obviously doesn't enter the room or anything. You hear banging from the kitchen and Yajirobe yells back
"WHAT?"
And Korin yells back and Yajiorbe yells back and this is how they do it. Yelling back and forth like somebody's sweet old grandparents who completely hate each other.
Let me freestyle something hold on
"GET OUT HERE WE HAVE A GUEST"
"AND WHY'RE YOU SCREAMING AT THEM FOR??"
"I'M SCREAMING AT YOU YOU DIM-WITTED BASTARD. GET OUT HERE SO THAT I CAN STOP"
"YOU COME IN HERE! I'M MAKING DINNER!"
"WELL STEP AWAY FOR A MOMENT AND COME MIND YOUR MANNERS!"
"YOU MIND YOURS AND I'LL MIND MINE! I'M MAKING DINNER!"
"WHAT?"
"I SAID I'M MAKING DINNER!"
"YAJIROBI! GET OUT HERE!"
"YOU DEAF ALREADY?"
"YOU KEEP MAKING ME YELL LIKE THIS AND IT WON'T BE LONG!"
"WHO'D'YOU THINK YOU ARE, BOSSING ME AROUND IN FRONT OF THE GUEST?"
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU UNGRATEFUL FREELOADER!"
"FREELO- I WAS GOING TO SHARE, BUT YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN DAMN DINNER!"
"MAKE IT FOR THREE, BECAUSE WE HAVE A GUEST!"
"WHO'S HERE ANYWAY?"
"IT'S GOKU?"
"WHO?"
"GOKU!"
"OH!"
[Sound of clutter and clanging. Enter YAJIROBE carrying a mixing bowl. He is stirring it with a wooden spoon.]
"Hey Goku, long time no see!"
END SCENE.
Anyway.
So That's Yajirobe and Korin. They perfectly read and completely accept the other. Neither modifies his own behavior or hamstrings himself in any way for the sake of coexisting with the other. This is just who they are. And it works out.
For decades.
I want to point out that when their relationship advances to new tiers of depth or intimacy, it must not be thought of in that manner. There are no "tiers" and we are not "advancing." They are both objective and no-nonsense people. As such, the progression of their relationship is by nature without a shred of suspense.
There are no subtle desires that are held onto until deemed appropriate to express; there are no reality-checks that yield results that startle.
They keep their space because they want to. They talk because they want to. They play games becasue they want to. Korin will claw up Yajirobe's back rather than walking up him horizontally (a known ability that he has) when using him as a ladder because he wants to. They sleep in the same space because they want to. They cuddle because they want to.
It's a long time until they cuddle like cats, but pointing it out in any manner that may evoke the word "eventually" is already giving it too much prominence. Understand that it's a gradual thing like all things and does not matter in the slightest.
ARE THEY SELF-AWARE ABOUT THIS? Yes and no.
Yajirobe doesn't care enough to do self-reflection about shit like that. One day he was barely trusted to water the Senzu plants and another day he was touching the cat's toe beans. So what. They still yelled at each other to SHUT UP every day in between. What's changed, and why does it matter? Yajirobe attaches no importance to gestures of intimacy or camaraderie - he just appreciates warmth and comfort. He trusts that cat to cuddle up and take good naps with him. All is well. So what?
Master Korin definitely meditates about the state of the world and is so aware about everything. So he is aware each and every day what is going on between he and Yajirobe. He knows when he settles down to groom that this is the first time in hundreds of years that he has settled into the crook of someone's bent elbow or neck. He knows it. And he doesn't care. Why should he? It's a fact, an event, like all things. It's nice. It's comfortable. Yajirobe can be trusted to respect his boundaries and to interact with his body in a manner that is acceptable and predictable. In the spirit of being sensible, for the cause of engaging with a greater unity - the path of least resistance right now is napping with Yajirobe.
So that's that.
Take a water break my dear ... I'm not done with you yet.
They do respect each other's personal space. But there is a point where Yajirobe picks up that damn cat.
DETAILS ON THE EVENT OF YAJIROBE PICKING UP THAT DAMN CAT:
That cat is a crafty son of a bitch and he can MOVE. His training with Goku was facilitated through Goku trying to catch him.
And Yajirobe isn't keen on grabbing that cat gratuitously. He has definitely taken many passes at him however when they play / "train" / Korin is being a nuisance on purpose and Yajirobe has had enough (like when he was tempting him with that flagon of ale and eventually Yajiorbe DOES capture that cat...)
And if one is in the other's way: Korin will just walk up and over Yajirobe (which Yajirobe HATES), and Yajirobe will either punt the cat out of the way or yell at him to move (both of which Korin HATES. Especially the kicking. It always starts arguments).
But listen. There is a point where picking up that cat becomes the path of least resistance. It will garner the least resentment and spend the least amount of time.
We get to the point where if Yajirobe is standing up at the stove trying to make his own damn dinner and that damn cat is in the way, he'll just. Pick him up and move him.
Like if Korin were blocking the flour cupboard and Yajirobe was trying to make a roux for the max and cheese then he would just. Pick up the cat. And move him somewhere else.
And Korin would be all like RRREEAAAQHQHJ like a cat does, but when he's set down he's fine. It didnt take long. He wasnt held or airborne long. Obviously it's startling to be GRABBED and FORCIBLY RELOCATED but it's over soon enough and hes cool as soon as it's over.
But still. If he didnt want to be picked up, then why did he let it happen? Couldnt he have darted out of the way?
HOW is Yajirobe able to pick up the cat?!:
On some level Korin knows that it's not a big deal. And that it's just Not Worth the energy expenditure to get away. Like how pigeons walk rather than fly away because it takes a lot of energy for lift-off: Korin COULD dart away, but he doesn't care too. He has a reason for blocking the flour cupboard (doing something, just chilling, I don't know) and he's not gonna abandon it so quickly just to prevent Yajirobe's grubby hands from touching his fur. Yajirobe isn't a big deal. Hes been there for years. He doesn't matter. And though it's an affront to be grabbed and moved, it doesn't actually take long, and Korin doesn't have to actually do anything, and he is free to express himself during, so hes not really being inconvenienced much. Deep down he knows this.
Yajirobe has gained some speed and precision during his time here. I suppose this isn't relevant here because it's not like hes trying very hard to grab the cat, but it's worth mentioning. He can be precise. He just grabs the cat. See Yajirobe didn't come here to train but like I've been saying Korin is a bit whimsical and mischievous so he's gotten his hermit due and has sharpened Yajirobe's abilities by little gambits and whatnot.
So yknow we do get to the point where A.) Korin is comfortable/trusting enough to have his guard down (and Yajirobe is not a big deal or difficult to have around) and B.) Yajirobe's movements can be hard to read/catch/predict sometimes.
WHY does he pick up the cat?!:
Yajirobe is no-nonsense and he doesn't like to waste his own time. He relocates the cat, and he does it right the first time. He's not gonna be all like "Move it furball" and then have to keep saying that because Korin moved to a random spot that is still in Yajirobe's way but just in a different way. He knows where he needs the cat and so he puts him there.
This is efficacy in the form of keeping the peace. Yajirobe doesn't care if he disrespects Korin, and when he does he means nothing by it; but if kicking the cat / punting the cat / pushing him away with his foot would cause such a fight, then he won't do it. He doesn't have the time for a fight. He's making mac n cheese.
Worth mentioning that both are probably really bored all of the time. If he doesn't grab that cat often, then this opportunity may be an enticing piece of stimuli.
So yeah he grabs that cat.
Ummm. What else is there to say........I mean I mean FURTHERMORE:
Yajirobe keeps coming back to Korin Tower. He never wanted a friend, and he never asked for a friend, but he has found someone that he becomes very comfortable with. And if Yajirobe is about personal comfort and pleasure and peace - it is very, very nice to have someone who accepts you, will have you, and who is sometimes even happy to see you. That makes relaxing easy. That makes life enjoyable. Of course he keeps coming back.
Master Korin probably appreciates the fact that there is somebody whom he knows consistently over the years. Usually when he meets someone, it's like starting over every time - but he's had years of conversation and memories with Yajirobe that they can both draw on. Korin can tell a joke and know that it'll land, and they probably have inside jokes too. And it's not like Korin has ever had, or has ever expected to have, a roommate who can be sensibly considerate. Yajirobe knows the foods Korin likes and he considers this when he goes hunting and gathering. He knows what'll piss him off and is sometimes inclined to use this knowledge for good, to keep the peace. Yajirobe may be rude, but he really is reasonable - he will do what feels nice and he'll do what needs to be done. And he doesn't mince words either. He says what he means and nothing more.
So.
DOES HE LICK THAT CAT?
Probably ....
Like I don't see why not ....
VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT THAT I FORGOT TO WORK IN:
Do ... you know the madness of isolation? Not only that but isolation with another. Yajirobe and Korin definitely develop their own language. And since they are the only ones there, everything they do is through no one's judgement but their own. And they were already pretty comfortable with the weirdness of the world to begin with. The monotony of isolation absolutely dulls and then erases any conventions for normalcy that you had. AND WHAT WAS THERE TO BEGIN WITH? They were both already completely anti-social. At first Yajirobe wouldn't lick that cat becasue he has self-respect but he's up there so long that he grows so comfortable with Korin that he has jurisdiction over and no qualms with licking that cat. HONESTLY IT'D BE WEIRD IF HE DIDN'T?
It'd be weird if he didn't. It'd be weird if he wore judgement like a hat. It'd be weird if he denied himself anything. He licks that cat.
And the cat lets him.
Korin has just as much self-respect as Yajirobe does. He allows himself life's pleasures. He would enjoy the pleasures of trust and comfort, and he would enjoy being licked.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Korin is a wise old hermit who is a crazy bitch who has found someone who invokes him to yell "SHUT UP" to without a moment's thought for his own elegance of image. Yajirobe treats Korin with the irreverence of a mortal and it has nothing to do with a disrespect for Korin and everything to do with a respect that Yajirobe has for himself. They don't hate each other but they have disliked everything about the other's unchanging nature since day one. They feel the comfort of friendship when around each other and Yajirobe is eternally motivated to climb that tower (or use a hovercar if it can reach that altitude). Honestly Yajirobe probably just stays there becasue it's a hassle to have to climb up it again every time and he knows that that's where he'll end up anyway. Korin is a cat and he likes to be licked. End post
STAY GORGEOUS !!
23 notes · View notes
shirtlesssammy · 1 year
Text
Dean Winchester's Multiverse Adventures
"Every notebook on this particular shelf tells a version of how you die. You specifically: heart attack, burned by a red-haired witch, stabbed by a ghoul in a graveyard, and on and on... But which one’s right? That depends on you, on the choices you make." Billie says this in Supernatural season 13, Advanced Thanatology. The books are impersonal portals into Dean's own personal multiverse.
When Mary Campbell talks to John about her experiences in the gateway between worlds, she tells him that she saw "everything - every possible version of myself." In the space between the worlds, she sees herself - her beginnings and endings, her triumphs and failures. First of all, it's pretty impressive that she's not insane after this. Mary's always been stronger than we gave her credit for. But the space between the worlds sounds shockingly personal.
In Supernatural, we got a multiverse which brought us back versions of long-dead characters, and we made our way to those worlds through god-level powers. Angels may have brought us there during the Kripke era (or it may have been Zachariah's illusion skillz?). Jack's impending birth split reality - ostensibly because he was so powerfully strong. However, I propose that there is no time and space when you're talking about god-powers. Jack became God and his heaven is apparently lousy with portals to other worlds. Jack became God and his birth was riddled with portals to other worlds. Is it the godhood, or a future story that will tell us exactly why he's the key to world traveling? When you're dealing with time and space, your ending exists alongside your beginning, after all. This is a rich area to explore! The void could be where the god-powers live - the special view into the multi-verse that let Chuck see it all.
Anyway, I digress. Dean Winchester's driving through Heaven. He's heavily traumatized. The man just died, after all. In doing so, he left Sammy behind to stumble through life on his own (abandoning Sam is its own kind of trauma). He lost his best friend in the most agonizing way. And I think the Dean we saw in the finale was terrified to meddle in those larger patterns of destiny - those cosmic forces that ripped so much of his selfhood from him. He's trying to find himself and who he should be (hello, job application), he's trying to convince himself that "what's dead should stay dead" (Cas sacrificed himself and they need to accept that and live their lives), and it all feels...terrible (beer bottles everywhere). Maybe because he's looking for something new once he gets to Heaven, maybe Chuck's obsession with Dean and his car gave them extra powers, maybe future!Dean gives himself those powers and we don't even know it yet...Dean finds those cracks in Heaven's armor that lets him slip through to other worlds.
It's one thing to think of Dean slipping blithely from world to world, with his view of his other selves a bit myopic. He could take a trip to Squirrel World, and a trip to Dean Smith Verse, and that one world where everyone's a mermaid. After all, he's only seeing a sampling of AUs, just like he did in Supernatural. Right??? But Mary says she saw every version of herself when she was in the space between the worlds. Think of what that must have been like for Dean! Just stepping into that void is enough to see everything. He doesn't even need to put a toe into another doorway to know himself more than anybody should. He knows himself more than he would from reading through Death's books because the void between the worlds also shows his lives. He's dead and therefore more tear-proof in the void. I propose that he saw it all and retained it too. And being Dean Winchester, he probably focused on the worst aspects of himself.
The Dean we see in the Winchesters finale carries a sorrow that I think can provide a rich well to explore in (hopefully) future Supernatural properties. I think it's important to understand that the Dean we see would have also experienced Mary's revelation: he must have seen every version of himself. His family history spiders out from there - Dean's heard his own story out of Chuck's mouth often enough to follow the threads. I think Dean saw all of his lives and wondered if he really was cursed, or broken. I think he mostly saw sorrow. There can be no peace - no pacification in Heaven - with that weighty burden.
Dean Winchester knows all about death. He's died over a hundred times and that was just in his OWN world. What Dean doesn't understand - the frontier he's so rarely pursued - is living. In future multiverse adventures (please, please, please) I think he's going to finally learn about that.
85 notes · View notes