#Wu Chi Liu

[69liu69]

cj:"Woozie, why are you out practicing kung fu in the snow?"

Woozie:"MMHHHMMM... Mainly, Mr. Li wanted to exercise, so he pulled us and asked us to accompany him."

[annachum]

Shang Chi and Leiko Wu ( MCU )

[taekwondolifemagazine]

The Tai Chi Master (2024) is High Flying Fun

November 2, 2024 (NYC)– The Tai Chi Master (2024) is High Flying Fun.  The Tai Chi Master (2024) is the newest Chinese martial arts epic hitting US markets next week.  This Hi-YAH! Original, action packed epic will be available on Digital on November 12, 2024. Here is a synopsis and review of this Well Go USA Entertainment release.   SYNOPSIS: In the strife of the Song Dynasty’s end, Zhang…

[lynn-w3st]

MK: Preference #5

Prompt: Raiden, Johnny, Kung Lao, Bi Han, Smoke, Rain, Szyoth, Shang Tsung and MK11 Hanzo Hasashi (Scorpion) react to the reader that is like Wonder Woman. Hope you enjoy.

Quick Summary: The reader is a full blooded Edenian and the Goddess of Outworld. Liu Kang made you a protector of Earthrealm.

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Earthrealm Trio: Raiden, Johnny & Kung Lao

Raiden

This adorable pookie fell in love with you the moment you came to visit Liu Kang to tell him about the new information on Shang Tsung.

Raiden heard tales about you but he never in his life would he have the chance to meet you but was in pure awe at the sight of your beauty, abilities and unique combat skills.

He admires your skills and fighting spirit, the way you hold yourself with confidence is amazing and he can’t help but fall in love.

During your daily visit to Wu Shi academy, he would madly blush whenever you would happily cheer him on when he’s training against one of the monks or with Kung Lao.

He can’t never get enough of your beauty and compassion, he sometimes wonders why a goddess such as yourself would fall deeply in love with a simple farmer like him.

Raiden would watch in awe when you would fight in battle. The way you gracefully and calmly take down your enemy. He thinks your lasso of truth is badass and awesome.

Being the wholesome and gentle pookie, he gets very flustered and shy when you give him compliments and tease him. He loves you with all of his heart and he knows that it is forbidden to love an Edenian goddess.

This precious pookie would do anything for you and his deep unconditional love for you is what makes him train harder and vows to protect you even if you can handle yourself.

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Johnny Cage

Knowing his cocky and flirtatious personality, this man instantly fell for you for the first time he met you in Outworld during the tournament. (He doesn’t mind you stepping all over on him.)

Johnny at first would try to convince you to act on one of his new movies that’s he is making. He calls you, Wonder Woman since you remind him of a certain Amazon demi god from his favorite childhood cartoon.

He finds you sexy and hot especially when you fight in battle especially when you use your lasso of truth on your enemies to gain information about Quan Chi’s whereabouts

Johnny will literally worship the ground you walk on. This man is such a big simp to you that he is willing to do ANYTHING for his beautiful future wife (you). Will constantly flirt with you at any given moment he has.

Star boy would faint and feel his heart beat at the amount of compliments and teasing he gets from you. Your mommy rizz makes him very blushy and hot under his collar.

Please this is man so desperate for his mommy that he treats you like his Queen and would shower you with love and gifts.

Johnny loves your confident nature but often gets worried as he notice that you dislike showing any vulnerability since being Earthrealm protector & a goddess can be very difficult and overwhelming.

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Kung Lao

Funny thing you guys both meet one day at Madam Bo’s tea house after Liu Kang sends you to oversee his and Raiden’s kombat skills.

At first you both would have some friendly rivalry competition to see which one of you would win and pay for a dinner at Madam Bo’s. (Of course you come out victorious because you are the Goddess of Outworld.)

But as the days passed, Kung Lao had soon developed romantic feelings for you but was soon shock to discover that you were the literal goddess of Edenia/Outworld.

He brags to Kenshi and Johnny whenever you compliment his combat skills or often times he would brag about you to the other combatants & the way you gracefully fight.

This pookie of a man secretly has a bit of rope kink as he often blushes when you choke an enemy with your lasso of truth.

Kung Lao sometimes would feel insecure about himself since many overshadowed him with Raiden. He’s feels like he always going to be the second best but you show him that he’ll always be your first best.

He gets jealous whenever someone else flirts or compliments you, he feels like he isn’t good enough for you as you are this very beautiful goddess. That doesn’t stop him from loving you and caring for you.

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Bi Han (Sub Zero)

He meets you through Liu Kang, as you were given the honor to meet the new Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei. Of course he was wary of you from the beginning considering that you are the goddess of Outworld, protecting Earthrealm.

Like Johnny Cage, this man secretly has a mommy kink. The Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei is a simp for a very strong and loyal woman such as yourself to have as a wife.

But after witnessing some of your combat skills, he was impressed to say the least the way you would defend yourself and others, but of course his ego and pride admit it.

Bi Han thinks that Liu Kang is wasting your true potential and unlike the Fire God, he would support you and make you stronger.

He admires your confident personality and fighting skills. Worships you by treating you like an empress and gifting you expensive gifts for you like jewelry, clothes and etc.

It takes him sometime for him to admit his feelings for you since his ego won’t allow him but when the courting process starts, he doesn’t allow anyone disrespect you. He often times compares you to Tomas (which isn’t fair since you are an Edenian Goddess)

Bi Han has a bit of rope kink considering that you often use your lasso of truth on any enemies like General Shao or Rain to know more about Shang Tsung’s schemes.

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Tomas Vbrada (Smoke)

Like Bi Han, he met you through Liu Kang as you were tasked to brief them over a mission. To say the least it was love at first sight for him.

He was in awe and astonished when he first met you. He was very honor to finally meet a beautiful Edenian goddess of Outworld.

Tomas gets extremely shy and flustered when you would compliment him or when you tease when he refers himself as the “ King of Smoke” in which you find cute.

Smoke admires your combat fighting skills and has heart shaped eyes when you would take down your enemies with your lasso of truth in which very unique and interesting.

Often times, he would deeply worry for you considering that you have the fate of both realms on your shoulder, he wants to help you and is willing to share your burden.

Smokey bear would often make excuses to come visit you daily and would enjoy your presences. He would happily talk about his day while you listened with a soft smile.

Tomas wants to spend the rest of his life with you but he knows it will be impossible as you are a Goddes. His loyalty and love for you is unbreakable, he is willing to go to the end of the realms for you. He loves you very deeply and worries for you safety everyday.

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Zeffeero (Rain)

Zeffeero would be your most dedicated follower and head priest. He is very proud to be your head priest as he views you as a gift from the divine and a l blessing in his life as his goddess.

He would actually start courting you, he is very old school so he will probably send gifts and offerings to you in your temple. Rain is Outworld’s best mage so he would gift you the most beautiful and exotic gifts.

Rain will actually flirt with you and devote himself to you. You are his saving grace and as he will soon be your soon to be husband.

Zeffeero admires your fighting and magical abilities and finds the lasso of truth very interesting as he would have rope kink. He would imagine himself being held down by you and would even be bad as he loves you.

Since you are a powerful witch yourself, Rain would often ask if you don't mind training him so he can admire your skills.

He notice how much you hate to show any emotional vulnerability by putting up a fake smile but will remind you that it is ok to be vulnerable and seek support as being the literal Goddess of Outworld & the new protector of Earthrealm can be very hard.

Rain loves you so much as he is willing to support you and will do anything for you. Zeffeero is your most dedicated worshipper as he happily serves and protects his love.

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Syzoth (Reptile)

Like Raiden, Syzoth is deeply in love with you but often times he wonders why would you fall in love and marry with a freak monster like him.

This cutie of a man gets very flustered when you speak with him or engage in a conversation with him. He can’t help but fall in love with you as you were his savior.

Szyoth would get extremely flustered and cover his blush face when you would give him a compliment considering that you are a goddess of Outworld and his lovely savior.

Please he would do anything for you as his gratitude that you saved his life and forgave him and guided him to a new life. He has a bit of a worship kink considering that you are a Goddess and his new purpose in life.

Johnny teases the hell out of him when you would give a complete him. He very deeply admires your confidence and headstrong attitude. Your combat skills were unique and as he would blush when you would use the lasso of truth in your enemies in battle.

Syzoth deeply worries for you as he sees how much you dislike being emotionally vulnerable and often reminds you that he is there for you and will do anything for you.

To say the least Szyoth can't image a life without you as you are his world and new purpose. He loves you and will protect you

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Shang Tsung

This sassy man has beef with both you and Liu Kang but he secretly hates loves you as he often enjoys bothering and annoying you with his sassy attitude. Please you are his mommy.

Shang Tsung would be annoyed with you considering that he could never lie a single soul to you because of your lasso of truth. He finds your combat skills very attractive.

As much as he tries to show off that he is powerful, he does not hesitate one bit to kneel before you because you are his mommy and worship the ground you walk.

He has a very strong femdom kink and often flirts with you and visits you to just get a reaction out of Liu Kang and maybe to court you and try to make you join him.

Shang Tsung would purposely lie when he is tied up by your lasso of truth, he enjoys feeling the tight sensation of your rope. He has a very big rope kink as he doesn’t mind you stepping all over him and making him submit to you, you are his sexy Goddess.

This man will literally worship the ground you walk on. He is such a big simp to you that he is willing to do ANYTHING for you.

Liu Kang would often times have to send you away on missions since Shang Tsung always flirts with you and send you gifts.

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MK11: Scorpion

Hanzo Hasashi

The new Grandmaster of the Shirai Ryu would be both in awe and honor to meet the Goddess of Outworld but would take time to trust you. Considering what Quan Chi did to his family.

He first judges on Raiden’s choices and decisions on letting a Goddess aide them but after some time, he came to view you as a fellow warrior and ally as time passes

Hanzo admires your confidence and loyalty and often finds your abilities attractive and very useful especially your lasso of truth. (This sexy man has a rope kink as he does not mind using it on you in privacy. 😉)

He knows how you hate being emotionally vulnerable so he remind you that it is ok to be vulnerable and he's always there for you. Being a Goddess can be very challenging.

His own students often tease him when he would get flustered when you compliment with him, this man has a bit of a mommy kink for you and worships you in secret.

He gets very hard when you take down your foes and use your lasso of truth on them to gain information. In that very moment he had deeply feel fell for you and started to court you as he secretly worships you.

Hanzo loves you with his whole being and is such a gentleman towards you and will do anything for you like cooking dinner, giving you a massage or simply cuddling with you.

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Please let me know if you guys have any questions or concerns. I’m very sorry for being inactive as much in making MK1 content it’s been a rough month for me.

I’m currently dealing with some very serious family issues and it’s been taking a mental toll on me lately. Plus I’ve been feeling gloomy.

Sorry for the inconvenience and I hope you guys enjoy this fanfic and have a lovely day.

[izzabela]

I have a request, can you write a different scenario for the Lin Kuei trio x female reader where each of the brothers goes on a mission and part of their mission is to get close to another female person/outworlder to gain information and the reader stumbles upon it mistaking it as cheating and runs off heartbroken and each of the brothers tries to find the reader to explain to them what really happened?

That was a mouth full, sorry 😅

It's Not What You Think! - Lin Kuei Siblings x fem!reader (scenario fic)

in which you stumble upon each brother in a... sleazy scene, and you're left at a loss for words

a/n: OH THIS WILL BE FUN, i adore funny plots, so this is no different than my other fic

ship[s]: bi han, kuai liang, tomas x fem!reader (scenario fic), jenshi mention

warning(s): suggestive ending(s)? no "y/n" bullshiyet, anti-betrayal, post-story mode, johnshi mention

Bi Han

Bi Han was furious, to say the least.

Though it had been almost two years since the events of the timeline's intersection, both Shang Tsung and Quan Chi were still at large. They both fled to different areas all across the realms, and at one point, Shang Tsung had appeared in Earthrealm for a bit to try and thieve Sento from one of the champions that defended Earthrealm.

Liu Kang, distressed with this revelation, left for Outworld to speak with Empress Mileena personally, pleading with her to have one of his own people find Shang Tsung in a secret mission. Of course, Mileena agreed (with the promise it wasn't another secret espionage), and the Fire God immediately called upon Bi Han for this task.

While he was known to take a decent amount of time on missions, it was for the sake of meticulousness and being thorough. His tactical brilliance allowed his missions to end more cleanly, making sure no loose ends were out to bite him in the neck later, so Liu Kang knew he would be ready for anything.

Fuck. That.

His wealth of knowledge in stealth, skills in death, and the art of killing were minuscule against the situation he found himself in. Shang Tsung's trail led to the red light district of Sun Do, and he was in the middle of the grimy, sleazy streets where the lowest of both men and women worked for keeps. It sickened him that he would need to get intertwined with such people in order to learn more about the villain who had burdened him with more stress, but he had no choice.

He knew you would understand, as you saw how fierce he was for you and your safety. After all, you two had been dating for one whole year, your bond was too strong to be broken. He did his best to make you happy, keep you happy, and by his side- this would be no different. He let out an annoyed gruff, adjusting himself to make sure his arms were out, and his already low-cut attire was able to show more. He loosened his bun and walked into this newfound battlefield, hoping his ice would quell the horrendous fire of disgust that burned in him.

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Although you were a mortal, you had many connections to the semi-immortal people of Edenia, many of them being royalty or figures related. Some names include: First Constable Li Mei, Supreme Commander Kitana, and the Matron Superior Tanya.

You remembered the first time you met them, all of them stumbling out the portal and onto the gravel of Wu Shi Academy. Unable to move them, you advised all the available healers and medics to set up camp right where they fell. Your talent in hydromancy was one thing, but your healing capabilities were another level of amazing. You were healing more people than most of the monks, and that gave you time to build rapport with these new faces.

That was two years ago, and now here you four were, in the busy streets of Sun Do, eating at a restaurant while talking about your lives.

Unbeknownst to Bi Han, you were drinking and enjoying the cheery atmosphere of the city, all four of you clearly having a blast to be away from the crushing responsibilities of life. However, your joy was short-lived when, past some restaurant-goers heads, you saw a familiar head of black hair, although his bun was loosely tied up and more of his hair fell over his face.

"Bi... Han?" You called out, abruptly standing up and following the familiar figure.

The man you have been dating for a year was in Sun Do, but not for leisure. You knew him a man rare with days off, so this was unexpected.

Li Mei and Tanya's head snap up, their vigilant eyes scanning the area, but you saw where he was headed. You decided to follow your instincts, and left the women clamoring your name as you pushed and shoved your way to where you saw him.

"Wait!" Kitana exclaimed, "Do not be so hasty, you do not have the means to defend yourself!"

Their worries and cries were drowned by the adrenaline building in your veins, and you turned the corner to quietly follow your dearest lover. Yes, you were a healer, but you were trained by Liu Kang as well, so you had some means to fight back. For this case, you decided to ensue a defensive position, watching him quietly.

You hid behind lazily stacked boxes, barrels, and the crowd that filled the street. Finally, the street cleared up, and you saw the most horrifying scene yet.

An escort in skimpy clothing, and her breasts practically about to fall out, was all over your lover. She lazily dragged her fingers across his chest and down close to his crotch, but it draws back to his black-silver mask. His eyes are hardened while she teases him amusingly.

"Everything comes at a price, cryomancer~" she draws out the "r" seductively, "If you so badly need it, monetary gains must be met."

Your breath hitched, and burning tears welled your eyes as anger began to affect your mastery of water. Your eyes began to burn, and blinking didn't help. You wipe them and rise from your hiding spot, but make a loud scene to reveal yourself. Both Bi Han and the escort lock eyes with you, and your tears began to leave your eyes. If Bi Han squinted hard enough, he could see vapors rise from where your tear stains were, your anger acting as a stove and reacting with your tears.

"Oh, how curious..." she drew out, "A lover, perhaps?" Her head rested on his chest and nuzzled into it.

Your heart shattered when Bi Han threw his arm over her shoulders, his other hand under her chin and turning her head away from you.

"A woman like her could not match my own status," and she smiles evilly at the response, taking his arm and leading him into one of the businesses that the escort worked.

Your cries echoed in the street, and you felt the warm arms of your friends pick you up from the dirty road. Your head immediately burrowed into the nearest shoulder, that being Tanya, who takes you into her arms and hugs you tightly. Li Mei glances at the opening in the wall, the "door" being a cheap beads and fabrics. She wanted to go after the Earthrealmer, but she'd have to leave a bookmark in this case.

"I don't want to be here anymore... but I do not wish to go home," you whisper hoarsely.

The women look amongst themselves and decide to take you to the palace, where Kitana explained to her sister and she graciously let you stay for as long as you need. While Li Mei could not enter further, Kitana took over completely as Tanya went to be by Mileena's side. You cry into your friend's lap, "why" and "how could he" leaving your lips angrily as you feel your grip on your magic grown unstable.

"My friend..." Kitana begins softly, "I do not know why Bi Han would do such a thing... but you must know that you are stronger than you let on. You defend your friends ardently and with loyalty, which is a rare type of strength unseen in many millennia, and I know you will grow stronger than this."

You continue to sob in her lap, and Kitana makes eye contact with her sister and Tanya, who stood outside of the room. They wanted to enter, but Kitana shakes her head and gently shoos them away. Tanya sighs, closing the door gently and leans on her lover's shoulder.

"It pains me to see her in such a state," she expressed, her hands locking with Mileena's.

Mileena was hurt seeing you in agony, but it hurt her more not being able to tell you the truth. She decides not to speak, your cries and sobs doing the talking for all four of you as the night let on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bi Han beat the shit out of the escort as soon as he got the necessary information out of her. Along with her, he made sure to leave every one of these disgusting lowlifes in the wake of the Sun Do police force, so they could arrest every single one of them for prostitution and harboring dangerous illegals.

He escaped to the roofs, watching the Constables bust through the opening and taking every person in the building into police custody.

"Round them up!" Bi Han heard Li Mei's command, "No one is above imperial law."

With this, Bi Han bolts to the portal at the center of the city, practically crashing through it to get back home. He missed you dearly, wanted to explain everything, and hold you in his arms again. He wanted to apologize, rub your back as you sobbed, and kiss your lips to wipe the dirt that covered his.

Landing like a uncoordinated goose, he's flat on his back and meets the eyes of his brothers and Liu Kang. The Fire God extends a hand to him, lifting him up back to his feet.

"An... interesting entrance from our most skilled Grandmaster," he noted, "But no less welcome, my friend. I assume you found something."

He doesn't bother answering to him, though, and he simply grabs Liu Kang's collar. Kuai Liang is quick to grab his arms and hold him back, while Tomas guards Liu Kang's front.

"Did you mean to tell me she was there as well?!" he practically screams, "She was in front of me, almost compromising me!"

Tomas seems to realize what his brother was talking about, quickly filling him in on information he clearly missed, "Did she not tell you she would be in Outworld that night? She wrote about it in her letter to us!"

Bi Han digs into his memory and remembers the paper that lay on his desk. The stress that ate him alive made him forget about this date you set aside, and the words you had used to describe how excited you were to see your friends again.

"Fuck..." he cursed softly.

Kuai Liang let go of his brother before he demands Liu Kang to open the portal again. He sighs, smiling softly as he waved his hands to open a fiery gate.

"Explain to me your findings when you come back with her," he says, mentioning your name, "It has been a while since I have seen her as well."

He nods and rushes through the portal, meeting the blue sky of Edenia and the entire Umgadi force surrounding him. He looks across the steps and sees you and Tanya hugging, talking about something before you let go from the embrace.

He called your name and your head snapped to his voice. Your eyes are wide and tears are threatening to fall, but you look away and turn completely away from him. Tanya takes this into consideration and glares at Bi Han, ordering the priestesses into a protective and offensive rotation.

"Recall them, Matron Superior," Bi Han demanded, "I would like to speak with her myself."

"That is for her to decide," she hisses, "She is a friend to the crown, and any threat seen against such will be treated as so."

The priestesses are ready to attack, but you slip away from Tanya and walk to Bi Han yourself. Bi Han and the other priestesses are still, and you close the distance between your lover with eyes downcast. He removes his mask and wants to hug you, but you hold your hand up to stop him.

"Tell me..." you begin slowly, your teary eyes meeting his worried ones, "What were you doing that night? With a woman like her... saying those, awful things to me..."

Bi Han doesn't know what to do with his hands, wanting so badly to take you into his chest and tell you what he said meant nothing, it was to keep his front up, to save you and Earthrealm. But he puts his hands to his side and begins to speak.

"Liu Kang had me follow a trail, one that led to Shang Tsung. That snake was out of my grasp, shifting shape and getting away. However, I got some information on him thanks to that... whore."

You take note on how disgusted he looked, his head turning away from you as his face morphed into something indiscernible. He looked lost, disgusted, and most of all, defeated. You frown at him and take his hands in yours, and he uses this to hold you in his tight embrace.

"I did not mean a single thing that night," he said, feeling your chin wobble on his shoulder, "You were the only thing on my mind, and you still are. You consume my very being, everything I do is for the sole purpose of your happiness- nothing more or less."

You nod slowly, your hand placed on his cheek as you rubbed your thumb softly.

"Your word is my code- and just one thing uttered from your lips will silence me forever," his eyes shone with unshed tears, trying to keep up appearances in front of Tanya.

You just hug him, quietly crying in his arms as he hugged you back, his grip tightening on your waist. The weight he had on his chest finally left, and your presence was like a cleansing waterfall that washed away his sins.

You hear Tanya recall the formation, telling them to return to their posts. You didn't care what was happening though, as long as Bi Han's arms stayed around you as your tears fell.

=====================

Kuai Liang

Kuai Liang sat in a booth seat along with Johnny and Kenshi, in "casual" conversation as they scanned the area for anything out of the ordinary in this tightly packed club. Music blasting, alcohol flooding his nose, and the feeling of sweaty bodies on him made him seethe with anger and disgust.

The three Earthrealm defenders were in a club in Los Angeles, your native town, and the last known location of both Quan Chi and Shang Tsung. Ever since the timeline convergence, all the realms have been busy trying to clean up the miscreants mess; for some reason, it let them to this huge club on the West Coast of the United States.

Liu Kang debriefed the men, saying that one of the Sisters of Shadow were in Earthrealm, in bars all over California to take the naive souls of men and women alike to fuel the black magic that Quan Chi practiced. In order to get close to them, and perhaps find the sorcerers once and for all, Liu Kang sent the three of them on this mission.

It pained him to be in your hometown without your knowledge, and it hurt him even more that he had to get close with another woman for the sake of Earthrealm. But that was the main reason he was here, to protect your future with him and the future of Earthrealm- in order to ensure that you two would have a home to come back to in the end. In order to carry out this mission flawlessly, he did not tell you, and that killed him inside.

You two had met just a year prior, you being plucked out of fighting in illegal fight clubs to serve Liu Kang as a future Champion. You accepted rather easily, thinking this was all a dream, but as you trained with them, you realized it was anything but.

Kuai Liang was drawn to your fighter spirit and spark for protection, not to mention your flawless beauty and grace as you fought. He saw you as an equal, and you were touched on how he didn't look at you like a failure. Of course, due to your history of betrayal and mistrust, you didn't place your love or faith in him quickly. However, with every kind word, gesture, and gift he offered you, every look of concern and worry, and his attention to you, your walls melted against his fiery love and you gave yourself to him.

How he hated to break your trust after such a life of turmoil, but he hoped you would understand. You knew of his loyalties, his fierce protection and eager to serve Earthrealm. He prayed to the elder gods every night the mission's length increased, hoping you'd understand. Tonight, it was put to the test.

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You sat at the bar alone, your friends having gone to the dance floor with a group of guys clearly fiending for one-night release. You sighed and swirled your drink in the cup, a mini vortex forming.

One minute, you were playing for keeps in illegal cage fights, the money barely enough for your shitty apartment in the bad side of L.A., now you were an elite fighter and Champion-to-be for a Fire God.

Crazy right?

Even crazier you found love in your master's great friend, Kuai Liang. You were already off-put on Liu Kang's kindness when he took you in, Kuai Liang made it no better. The way he took his time with training you, spending time with you, and waiting for you to trust him made your hardened heart soften. It had been a long time since someone was so patient with you, let alone accepted all of you.

So, when you recognize his iconic black bun in the crowded sea of sweaty bodies, you knew something was up. Kuai Liang was not one for the social scene, and clubbing was strictly off limits for him as a personal thing- what the hell was he doing in L.A. on a Friday night?

You decided to follow him, closing your tab and silently stalking him. From where you stood in the club, you could see where he sat. with Kenshi and Johnny in one of the booths near the dance floor. Your head followed his general path, and the sight before you made your heart stop.

Kuai Liang was letting another woman touch him, and her face was scarily close to his. She whispered something to your man, and he said something in her ear that illicit a horribly high-pitched giggle from her. You were fuming, and decided to confront them in the act.

"You bitch!" Grabbing onto her shoulder roughly, "The hell you think you're doing?!"

Kuai Liang's shocked face matched yours, but with his mission in mind, he grabbed onto the woman to protect her, not you. Was it possible a heart could break even more? Because if you thought it was broken, this completely shattered it.

"K-Kuai-," but all he does is huff and grunt at you.

"Who do you think you are?!" he shouted, people around you watched the scene unfold, "Creating a fucking scene..."

He never cursed, especially around you. He knew how to hold his tongue, and he never raised his voice at you even if he was pissed beyond the realms' saving. Your face morphed into hurt, betrayal, something Kuai Liang promised you to never do. Yet here he was, failing you.

"Silly girl," the woman hissed as she kicked your abdomen, "Leave us!"

You groaned as you picked yourself up, immediately escaping the messy scene and fleeing out of the club. Tears blurred your vision as you crashed into people on your way out, only having yourself to console the agony you were in.

Kuai watched as you left, and he swore he would make it up to you. No matter how long it took.

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Kuai Liang was an assassin. He was trained in the meticulous art of killing people swiftly and without noise.

So when Johnny and Kenshi found him, blood all over his dress shirt and pants, the demon's mutilated body slowly dissipating, they knew not to push his buttons.

"All of the information I gathered has been written down," he said without turning to his friends, handing them some paper.

"A-alrighty then, Kuai..." Johnny said nervously, a chuckle matching his tone.

"Go back to the Temple, there is something I need to do before heading home," he said calmly as he cleaned up, "Do not wait for me, explain to Lord Liu Kang the dilemma as well."

Kenshi nodded, and the couple looked at each other before turning their gaze to the clearly pissed-off man, watching him storm out to find you. They had a feeling on what was happening, but they didn't press further as they set off for the temple. Kuai Liang was outside the club, searching recklessly to find you in the summer night. Just a couple of blocks away, he heard your distinct cries in an alleyway, and he followed them and up, your body curled up in the fire escape of an apartment building.

Quietly, he tries to get to you and be by your side, but his kunai drops from the hidden hilt in his pants, giving away his position and it scares you. Your head snaps up and you get into defensive mode, your brows furrowed in anger as you snarled at him.

"What in the elder gods' names do you want, Scorpion?"

His hands are up, but he still tries to close in on you by slowly walking to you. You're cornered, and the crying has made you too exhausted to move.

"I know what you saw was, to say the least, alarming..." he begins, "However, please allow me to explain."

More tears welled in your eyes, "I trusted you, Kuai Liang. You knew my story, I gave you my heart- I confided in your warmth!"

Kuai Liang squats to your height, arms down as he watches your tears fall.

"How could you..." you sob again, your head thrown up facing the sky.

Kuai Liang watches your tears fall, and he gently used his hands to wipe your tears. He's surprised you don't shake away from him, so he used this opportunity to explain himself to you. From Liu Kang's plan, Quan Chi's legion of deadly female demons, up to now, he explained in great detail and softness for you to register despite your wails.

"Oh darling," he begged softly, "You know my promises to you- they're written in blood. If you so wish it, I will shed it for you- if it meant see you smile once more."

You wipe your tears and ask him with shaky words, "Swear on your family, swear that what happened meant nothing to you."

His hand wraps around yours and your foreheads touch, his warm breath on yours, "I swear to the elder gods above and the honor of my late father- she is dead to me."

You smile almost evilly, "Prove it."

Safe to say, your evening ended with more cries, but not in pain this time. Still, Kuai Liang would do anything to never see you cry so sadly like that- even if it meant more blood being spilt in your name.

=====================

Tomas

Tomas, Kuai Liang, and Bi Han were in a neighboring village, just a mountain away near Fengjian, in an undercover mission that lead to Shang Tsung. Liu Kang got word from Raiden, who had visited home for a brief moment, that his people were talking about a strange man coming to and from the village for something unknown.

Not wanting to waste an opportunity, he called upon the Lin Kuei Grandmaster and his second-in-hands to try and apprehend him once more (not mimicking the Ying Fortress situation). What the brothers didn't know, though, was that the trail would lead to a small club, a front for Shang Tsung's hideout.

It was a music club, with weekly performances from many female singers and dancers from the neighboring villages in the region. Tomas, who knew you were an active and avid singer, hoped to the elder gods you weren't here to witness what he was doing.

In front of the long stage, he sat in a rounded booth seat with an "entertainer" by his side as she talked his ear off about every performance that went on. She was in a horrible costume, those Qipao costumes that the Westerners sold as costumes in cheap Halloween stores, her pale skin glowing softly under the warm light of the club. Tomas played into his role of a "traveling" foreigner, needing rest in this village and simply needing time to "destress" from his journey.

Tomas was dressed in some jeans and a gray shirt, a backpack on his other side to really sell the look. In his ear, provided by Sektor and Bi Han, was an earpiece to hear the commands of his brothers. He knew the woman next to him was connected to Shang Tsung, but all he was worried about was you.

He prayed to the elder gods that you would not worry. He prayed that you would believe in him, stay confident in him as he completed his mission, and hoped that you would forgive him when he eventually needed to tell you this entire debacle. He sighed, beginning to play his role into getting more information out of the woman.

He whispered dirty jokes, laughed quietly with her at her horrendous attempts of humor, and even held her close. While this was for the betterment of the realms, he would rather die than finish this mission. He was getting some useful information from her, and he could hear Kuai Liang and Bi Han talk to him over the earpiece, but his focus was brought away as he saw his prayers ignored.

You were here. Performing. In the middle of his mission as he was smack dab in the center of your sight. At first, he saw you smiling happily as your voice filled the room, but when your eyes met his, your will to perform left.

The Shang Tsung affiliate was all over Tomas (though you didn't know), kissing up his neck as he continued to hold her. People around you two were beginning to grow tired of the act, clamoring for you sing or begone. You tried to continue, voice slightly shaky as the lyrics left your mouth, but you were ultimately pulled backstage by the show manager. Behind the curtains, the sight broke your heart more and more.

Tomas's hand was locked in hers as she took him away, and a flirty smile was on his face as they both walked away from your direct line of sight. Too angry at what you witnessed, and growing depressed, you retired for the night and left to head back home.

Tomas was the most affectionate of his family, and you were drawn to his optimism despite the pain he had endured. Just like his brothers, he was loyal to an alarming degree, but you knew why. Having him lost his family, leaving his home country, and being put in a new place, he longed to have someone of his own.

Sure, his brothers were great, but you were the final piece to him. Your kind personality, joyful nature, and loving demeanor made him fall instantly, and you loved Tomas just as much. You were surprised to see how a man such as he, going through what he had gone through, still remained joyful and optimistic.

What he loved so much about you, though, was your talent in singing. Whether singing while cooking, bathing, or holding him, Tomas found your voice a safe haven. He vowed to always keep you happy, smiling, and most importantly, singing.

After this, though, he'd have a hard time hearing your bird song once more.

It was gone, along with your heart and the man you loved so dearly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tomas stood over the bloodied woman's limp body, hunched like a hunted taken-down animal. He called his brothers to enter the room, and they too were met with the horrendous sight.

"By the elder gods..." Kuai Liang breathed, "Tomas, what in Earthrealm-."

His pupils were dilated heavily, his grey irises overtaking his eyes. He was breathing heavily, and his grip on his karambit made his knuckles turn white. He was seething, his hunter's instinct turned on and on high alert. He shoved past his brothers, not without Bi Han stopping him.

"Foolish brother," he hissed, "Why did you kill her? Lord Liu Kang needed her alive."

He breathed calmly and turned back to his brothers, who both stilled at how calm his demeanor was speaking to him, "She is alive, brothers. Take her immediately to Lord Liu Kang, I have personal matters to tend to."

Bi Han grabs the collar of his shirt, shaking him, "We have our duties to fulfill. If you so wish to abandon your role, the Lin Kuei will hunt you- I will hunt you."

Tomas takes his brother into his knees, his blade gently pressing into the kill spot on Bi Han's neck. Kuai Liang's breath hitched while Bi Han shook his head to stop his brother.

"I will accept whatever may befall me, but I need to do this, Bi Han," and he turns his head to see his youngest brother's face.

"Please," he begged.

He nodded, sighing in relief as he bolted out of the back room. Kuai Liang scoops the woman into his hands, while Bi Han watched in awe at his brother's will. He left the back room to find you, hoping to set things right.

He searched the village for your house, and saw you crying in the balcony in the back. You were fiddling with a leaf that fell from the large tree that hovered over the balcony. To get to you, he had to climb to see you.

"Love..." you heard him say behind you. You gasp as you shuffled away from him, but he doesn't relent.

"Love, what were you doing there?" he asked gently, coming closer, but you held your hand up.

"No, Tomas," you said defiantly, "You tell me what you were doing there. With that woman all over you, with your hands on her equally as eager, with me right in front of you..."

More tears fell as you sobbed more, and Tomas's heart broke even more at the pain he put on your heart. He silently fell onto your balcony and sat with his legs crossed over themselves. He reached for your hand, and you surprisingly accept it. He gently rubbed his thumb over it, slowly explaining everything.

"So, the club I performed every couple of months, was a front for s multidimensional threat?" you asked gently, wiping your tears.

Tomas nods, his hand cupping your cheek, "My love, no one could beat you. Hearing your voice break, your eyes look at me like that..." your hand held his, "Everything about you controls me, your voice a siren's song."

You smile weakly and kiss his cheek, "Listen to me, then, as I call you to me."

You lead him into your bedroom, and your voice commands the rest of the night as you two stay entangled in one another.

=====================

guys my ipad is lagging after typing all this, long ass fic

still, i hope you enjoyed, especially you anon!

i'll see yall in the next fic!



[elffees]

Rewatching MK12 storymode before getting into Khaos Reigns and the beginning always gets me. It is kind’ve hilarious but also sweet that Liu Kang went all out for his former mentor and best friend.

When recruiting Johnny and Kenshi, LK basically planned to just knock on the door and say let’s go. The only reason there’s a fuss is because Johnny and Bi Han are in the same room.

But to recruit Kung Lao and Raiden, Liu Kang had several Lin Kuei members participate in an ELABORATE SKIT with Madam Bo, and instructed them to pull their punches and PLAY DEAD, all to “test” KL and R’s abilities and character before recruiting them.

But it’s Kung Lao and Raiden. There’s not much need to “test” their character. If he was really worried about that, then it would’ve made more sense for Kenshi, who is part of the yakuza, and Johnny, who’s an arrogant hollywood star, to have their moralities tested. Not the two doe eyed farm boys.

Liu Kang wanted to make sure his former mentor and best friend were 100% prepared to participate in the tournament. A mix of favoritism + overprotection given he does not “test” Johnny & Kenshi at all. He wanted to see KL and R’s progress first hand, and wanted to ensure they’d have a chance at survival in the tournament.

In MK9, Kung Lao gets killed by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, and in MK11 Raiden sacrifices himself and gives his divinity & life force to Liu Kang. Both essentially died, for Earthrealm or for Liu Kang himself.

So Fire God Liu Kang wanted to make double, triple sure that there was as little chance of that as possible in his new timeline, so he went above and beyond when recruiting Kung Lao and Raiden.

And when they succeed he is SO PROUD AND EXCITED, expression literally nothing but smiles, as now he can finally reunite with them. Introduce himself and the concepts of “Earthrealm”, “Gods”, and the Wu Shi Academy to the ones who introduced it all to him so long ago.

Like the way Liu Kang introduces himself to Kung Lao & Raiden vs Johnny & Kenshi is both hilarious because of how different he treats the two interactions but also sweet in how much he still cares about his former mentor and best friend across timelines.

[dalekofchaos]

Mortal Kombat fancast(new)

Simu Liu as Liu Kang

Glenn Powell as Johnny Cage

Charlize Theron as Sonya Blade

Ken Watanabe as Raiden

Henry Golding as Sub-Zero/Noob Saibot/Bi-Han

Andrew Koji as Scorpion

Manu Benett as Kano

Rory McCann as Goro

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as SHang Tsung(Old, WHO ELSE???)

Tony Leung as Shang Tsung(Young)

Bill Skarsgard as Reptile

Iko Uwais as Kung Lao

Aldis Hodge as Jackson "Jax" Briggs

Elodie Yung as Kitana/Milenena

Zoe Saldana as Jade

Harry Shum Jr. as Sub-Zero/Kuai-Liang

Justin H. Min as Smoke

Brian Tee as Sektor

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Cyrax

Scott Adkins as Baraka

Conan Stevens as Kintaro

Dave Bautista as Shao Kahn

Eugene Brave Rock as Nightwolf

John Cena as Stryker

Jon Bernthal as Kabal

Michelle Yeoh as Sindel

Jade Cargill as Sheeva

Nathan Jones as Motaro

Doug Jones as Ermac

Because of Tumblr's stupid 30 picture limit, I cannot add more pictures, so here’s the rest.

Larry Lam as Rain

Jonathan Patrick Foo as Chameleon

Karen Fukuhara as Khameleon

Jet Li as Fujin

Sonoya Mizuno as Sareena

Brenda Song as Kia

Javicia Leslie as Jataaka

Anna Diop as Tanya

Jai Courtney as Jarek

Karl Urban as Reiko

Mads Mikkelsen as Shinnok

Hoon Lee as Quan Chi

Benedict Wong as Bo Rai Cho

Lewis Tan as Kenshi

Yvonne Chapman as Li Mei

Emma Myers as Frost

Peter Mensah as Drahmin

Derek Mears as Moloch

Charles Melton as Mavado

Ron Yuan as Hsu Hao

Alexandra Daddario as Nitara

Gordon Liu as Shujinko

Constance Wu as Ashrah

Donnie Yen as Hotaru

Daniel Wu as Dairou

Mahershala Ali as Darrius

Matt Smith as Havik

Dominic Sherwood as Kobra

Kristen Stewart as Kira

Tony Todd as Onaga

Ian McKellen as Argus

Eva Green as Delia

Tom Hardy as Taven

Mark Strong as Daegon

Ron Pearlman as Blaze

Jessica Henwick as Skarlet

Milly Alcock as Cassie Cage

Delainey Hayles as Jacqui Briggs

Mackenyu as Takeda Takahashi

Ludi Lin as Kung Jin

Winston Duke as Kotal Kahn

Tao Okamoto as D’Vorah

Jensen Ackles as Erron Black

Dafne Keen and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Ferra/Torr

Tony Jaa as Tremor

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Geras

Emily Blunt as Cetrion

Tilda Swinton as Kronika

[the-monkey-ruler]

The Westward (2018) 西行纪

Director: Chung Chi Hang / Mai Ching Lok Screenwriter: Zheng Jianhe / Li Yaoqiong / Yang Yi / Zhang Chunfeng Starring: Xia Lei / Wu Lei / Zhang Jie / Shen Dawei / Xie Tiantian / Feng Junhua / Liu Beichen / Jiangju Genre: Drama / Animation / Fantasy Country/Region of Production: Mainland China Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 2018-07-18 (Mainland China) Number of Seasons: 4 Number of episodes: 70 Single episode length: 15 minutes Also known as: Journey to the West / Journey to the West animated version / 西行纪 / 西行纪动画版 Type: Reimanging

Summary:

Sixteen years after Tang Sanzang and his apprentices were given to heaven, the world did not improve. Now the whereabouts of the sacred scriptures are unknown, and the heavenly troops searched wildly, starting with the battle of Tianyu Mountain, the Wolf Demon Bailang retrieves the Tang monks and apprentices who learned the scriptures of the year, and the team gathered on the road of stills ... The legend of Journey to the West is here.

Source: https://movie.douban.com/subject/27148208/

Link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhGI9FE9wWspCaFcIJrnlYYpxjoo0VQCw

[blackraged]

MORTAL KOMBAT 1 Thoughts Pt1.

[❌❌contains SPOILERS❌❌]

I've been waiting for this for such a long time and we finally got it. Now with MK1 being practically a full reboot, A LOT of changes are to follow. So here are my current thoughts in order how the story went:

Chapter 1

Kung Lao and Raiden being practically brothers is my fave thing in the world.

Half of the MK1 boys are full on babygirl and honestly? I love that for them. Except for Shang Tsung because that feels very much illegal.

That last scene with Madam Bo felt like a fcking fever dream.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN KUAI LIANG IS SCORPION? WHAT THE FCK DO YOU MEAN?? WHERE IS HANZO?? That feels very wrong. Only Hanzo is allowed to say "gET OVER HERE" that is HIS iconic line. I'm not sure if I like this change.

I KNEW the boys were pulling their punches. I KNEW IT. The entire fight felt so awkward and staged. For a short moment I legit thought NRS pushed down on their fighting animation.

Chapter 2

Sooo...Johnny is a failed Actor now? What happened to the glamour? That's not very Cage behavior.

Okay but I love love LOVED Liu Kang literally showing up in front at Johnny's Door all serious, and Johnny being Johnny.

What made NRS choose to paint Kenshi as a former Yakuza?? I mean the idea isn't too bad, because it would make sense for him to be searching for Sento to free his family. But I still prefer his revenge timeline more. Hell, even him being a cocky arse warrior trying to fight anyone and everyone made more sense.

Chapter 3

Idk why but I half expected Kano to show up in this chapter. The trailers made it look like he was at the Wu Shi academy

Liu Kang practically pathed the way for human Raiden to be champion and it shows. I'd like to think it's out of respect for former God Raiden from before, who practically raised Liu Kang and was a father figure to him.

General Shao is so fine, I can't. He was hot before, but now he's so....so..... y'know?

Liu Kang really wanted to give Kitana the loving Fam she deserved qwq

Everyone is so mean to Li Mei :(( I feel so bad for her

Reiko tho😳😳😳

Raiden has a cruuush~ Raiden has a cruuush~ unexpected but cute. I wonder what Liu Kang thinks about this.

Chapter 4

Johnny and Sonya are forever iconic...but Johnny and Kenshi? I didn't know I needed it until I had it. Their bickering is GOLD. They're so married.

Wealthy merchant Baraka???

Props to Quan Chis new look. He looks like a clown escaped asylum. Very uncanny.

Are they...are they trying to redeem Shang Tsung? No,that would be way too obvious. Plus that intro scene with Krusty Kronika makes it super sus.

Called it.

Chapter 5

KENSHIS BLINDFOLD WAS PART OF JOHNNYS ARMOR. Y'all NRS knew what they were doing. I am eating this up

I adore Reptiles human form. Very baby girl, very cute.

So if Tarkat is transmitted via physical contact, wouldn't that mean that the guys would have it too when they fought the prisoners in this chapter? You even see Johnny react in Chapter 4 to that fact when Baraka told them. Could it be that it's not infectious since they're clones/experiments?

So help me out here... Baraka is strong enough to rip the cages open that seem to be made of the same metal as their cell door, but failed to open that? Plot, I know, but c'mon.

REPTILE IS EVEN MORE BABY OMGGGGG. Pls let me hold him,, poor baby boy,, his sadness is literally tugging at my heart strings.

I love how honorable Baraka is. This is great character improvement. For a beast (visually) to be showing mercy. It's like he accepts who he is now but still holds onto that human (edenian) side of him.

Stopping here for tonight, but will continue tomorrow. So far it's going great but I have a hard time remembering which of some stories in this timeline are kept the same as from the previous timeline.

I'm still pleasantly overwhelmed by the amount if babygirls.

[aj1dordinary]

Chuffed to Bits

A/N: Y’all it’s finally happening, the story is moving along and the love interest is introduced. Also it gets a little angsty, but not too much. When I write, emotions are like whiplash so hope that’s cool. Enjoy!

you sat shrouded in darkness. you found out moments ago that walking was useless as the scenery never changed. every now and again you could hear whispers and know who they were coming from. johnny, kung lao, even liu kang as they wished for your steady recovery. you would answer, but your response echoed out into the unknown. that was until it started to get brighter, and brighter, and —

“5 more minutes, please.” you groan and roll over on a soft surface.

“she’s awake. go alert lord liu kang and the others.” an unknown voice said.

you grab the sheet that you were wrapped in before pulling it over your head in attempts to block out the blinding light peering down on you.

you heard a rush of footsteps barge into wherever you were staying, before the same sheet was ripped away from you.

“hey! i was using tha—“ you were silenced with a warm and fairly tight embrace.

finally coming to your senses, you blinked a few times to clear the gunk from your eyes. blurry vision began to clear, transforming silhouettes into familiar figures.

you first addressed the grown man who hugged you tightly like a toddler.

“johnny, you’re gonna break my ribs at this rate,” but you hugged him back with the same fervor.

“3 days. You left me by myself for 3 days and you know I need adult supervision!”

“3 days?” you question and it seemed like liu kang had answers.

“y/n, i am glad that you are alright. tell us, how do you feel?” liu kang stepped forward.

“honestly, probably the best I’ve ever felt in forever,” then the reality of johnny’s words hit you.

“3 DAYS?! I WAS IN A COMA?”

“Something like that.” kenshi’s voice resonated.

you damn near scramble off the bed to reach his side.

“kenny! are you okay?” you grab his arms and forcibly turn him around to get a good look at him. you place your hand on his face when you still see the fabric across his sockets.

“do you even take care of yourself?” he chuckled, before grabbing your arms and lowering them. “honestly though, probably the best I’ve ever felt in forever.”

you scrunched your face up, dissatisfied with his response. “but your eye—“

“johnny finally gave me sento, and it has restored my vision, in a way.”

your face straightened out and a wide grin took over instead, you pulled him in for a hug also. “that’s amazing!”

a cough broke you out of it. you turned to the source and saw kung lao whistling and looking around the room. you narrowed your eyes and smiled before walking over and entering an embrace with him also. with your face smashed into his chest, you mumble, “and to what do I grant this occasion?”

“i carried you back all the way like your knight in shining armor and I—

“I think it’s time that we fill you in on what has occurred since your last encounter.” liu kang finished.

in your embrace with kung lao, raiden had come behind and placed a hand on your shoulder, “i’m glad you’re ok, y/n.”

you pull away from lao slowly before you opt to walk beside liu kang. also among the group, you spot syzoth who you wave at before he disappears with baraka and a demonic looking woman.

“well considering we’re back at the monastery, I’m assuming that we snuck back fairly well.”

“um, no.” johnny interjected.

“of course not, without me nothing gets done without a show.” you sigh dejectedly.

they filled you in on how they ran into quan chi and his warriors and with the help of an ex-demon, ashrah, made it out alive. but that wasn’t all, and you had to roll your eyes as johnny made the sound effects for each scene. furthermore, when they made it back to the outworld mainland, had to fight through general shao, li mei, and other member of the army who labeled them as terrorists. only then, did they make it back to Wu Shi before they got you and Kenshi some help.

“well, after you killed those hunters—“

you stopped in your tracks, a bad habit, which caused raiden to bump into you. he catches you before you tumble. you place an arm on his chest to let him know you were ok, but the raging headache said otherwise.

“please don’t remind me.” you whimper.

“okay…” liu kang accepts, but his face scrunches up as he thinks of another way to bring up your new condition.

“how about you tell us how you ran into them the first time?” raiden offers. since he was not there, he needed to be filled in as well.

“i was in the forest trying to meditate as liu requested as a part of my training. but my attention span is only so long so I gave up after a while. heard trouble and went looking for it i guess. got me into an altercation with a big ass tiger. long story short, i guess I let their big game hunt get away.”

“is that why you looked so frazzled when I found you?” raiden asks.

you give him a look and he mutters a “sorry.”

“so you saved a big house cat and got rewarded for it?”

“would this be a bad time to have you look in a mirror?”

johnny and kung lao spoke at the same time.

“huh?”

as you rounded the corner, Kenshi faced you to a mirror that hung on the wall.

“johnny, I so quit.”

———————————————————————

you huddled under the covers as a storm raged outside. it was a true reflection in how you felt on the inside.

upon the discovery of new appendages, you damn near fainted on the spot. this had to be a trick, but as you pulled at them and felt pain, you knew you were condemned to life as a furry. the tail grew from your tailbone and was striped as a tiger’s would be. the triangular ears that moved like a sonar through your locs took in too much noise. your nails, which had been short and brittle for most of your life, had grown long and were sharp in a natural stiletto style. you were reduced to a house cat.

as the thunder boomed in your sensitive ears, you thought back to liu kang and geras’ conclusion.

“it seems like what johnny speculated is true. though I am a god, these forests have been around just as long as I have. there is no telling what is lurking in them. in addition to kung lao’s knowledge of his culture, it is very possible you encountered a spirit who wished to reward you for your tenacity and courage.”

“I did not consent to this.” you whined as you tried to flatten your ears on your head, but they kept popping back up.

“i don’t know, I think it’s kind of cool.” kenshi reached out to run behind your ears. but tigers don’t purr. so to everyone’s amusement and to your displeasure, you chuffed. the minute the sound came out, you slapped his hand away.

“do I have to lecture you about touching black people’s hair?!”

“so what now?” you turned to liu kang who was not doing a good job at hiding how funny he thought your new tendencies were.

“tame the beast.”

so much for that as you trembled as the lightning struck outside. you were formidable earlier in training, as for liu kang who suspected a much larger threat approaching, training was never over. in addition to new appearances and tendencies, it seemed you also took on a few other aspects like strength, agility, and speed.

it wasn’t until you were paired up with kung lao for the umpteenth time that things started to go awry. with your new abilities, kung lao was going to push you to your limits and that he did. he left almost no time to recuperate which left you feeling vulnerable and weak. that was until you felt a tug at your tail and pain shot up your spine as you wailed. it happened all too fast as the wail formed into a growl and rage filled your head. you were present mentally, but you could tell physically you had changed. you look down to see kung lao terrified between your han-, paws? you did not move, not wanting to scare anyone else. kung lao shuffled from beneath your still form. you did not look at him but could sense that he wanted to say something. you couldn’t look at anyone knowing they were most likely looking at you in fear or scrutiny, like you were a bloodthirsty monster. so you ran.

you went to the forest to cool down, slowly feeling your size shrink back to normal. a low grumble made itself known overhead, a storm was approaching.

“y/n! have you guys checked over there?” your ears whirl over to make out the location and the person, johnny. seemingly joined with raiden and liu kang.

“perhaps she is closer to the temple, it’s about to rain.” liu kang declared.

“i’m sure she just needs a little time to process everything.” raiden said in order to convince johnny to come back with them. johnny let out a defeated sigh before his footsteps got farther away. a raindrop hit you on the cheek, though you almost couldn’t tell with your tears.

you didn’t want to get rained on, surely as a cat, it would be the last thing you wanted. so with your agility and soft footsteps, you leaped from tree to tree, eventually from rooftop to rooftop before you made it back to your assigned room undetected. just as you entered, it started to pour which is where you are now.

under the sheets, left by yourself to face the storm.

knock, knock.

whoever it was didn’t wait for a response before slowly opening the door. however, once all the way open, let out a somewhat excited sigh at the sight of a lump under the covers.

“johnny is going crazy right now and we left a blind man to try and calm him down.”

kung lao, though you didn’t respond. however, your stomach did when the smell of food wafted into your now superior nostrils.

“you missed dinner, so I was gonna leave it by the door, but the wet footsteps told me you might be here.”

“you? not devouring the plate on the way here? maybe you’ve gained some self restraint after all.” you mumble as your face was smashed into the pillow.

lao chuckled before approaching the bed.

“could you atleast look at me when I say this?”

your tail swirled with interest and you raise your face out of the pillow just enough to peak at him.

“all the way.” he crossed his arms. you sigh before picking yourself up and pushing back the blankets. your tail snakes around you for self comfort before you look at him.

“i’m sorry.”

“not your fault.” your eyes went back to the floorboards, already feeling the tears well up.

“but it is. i accidentally pulled your tail and caused you to lash out. i totally would’ve understood if you scratched me to ribbons.”

“don’t say that! that’s the last thing I would’ve wanted!” you throw yourself back into the pillow.

“okay, okay. wrong phrasing. all i’m saying is that I take full responsibility for the way you reacted. i’m not hurt by it, no one else is hurt by it, so you shouldn’t be.”

you felt the bed dip and the plate clink against the nightstand.

“you know, my mom always did tell me if I kept messing with the cat, I would get scratched.”

“shut up.”

“okay.”

another loud boom of thunder had you grasping for the covers again.

“can you tell raiden to turn this thing off.” you try to jest as if you weren’t scared.

kung lao didn’t respond, so you turn your face to see what was up. he was staring at your hand which had his shirt bunched up in it instead of the covers. you squeak and push him off the bed as you pull back the covers and get under them again. not only scared, but embarrassed.

“I should probably leave and let you eat. raiden’s gonna question where I am if I don’t get back by curfew.” he stumbles over his words.

“you’re gonna go out there?”

it was coming down so hard that you couldn’t even see out the window. the wind was howling and the sky was dark. it was a really bad storm.

another growl from your stomach made you reach for the plate king Lao brought you. the bite mark in the chicken let you know lao’s self restraint was not as strong as you had thought it was. you still began to eat anyway.

“yeah, maybe not.”

“stay here.” “ok.”

the benefit to being the only woman in a monastery was that you got almost an entire wing to yourself.

you finish as kung lao finished making a pallet on the floor from the extra cushions he found in the closet.

he was just about to lay down when you threw a pillow at him.

“what was that for?” he feigned pain as he rubbed his head.

“are you seriously sleeping on the floor?

“yeah. why?”

“your back’s gonna be in knots in the morning.”

“as a thanks for bringing food, you can get ‘em out in the morning.”

“see I was gonna offer you a spot in the bed, but your mouth ruined it.” you end the conversation by turning away from him and getting real comfortable under the sheets.

“wait—“

“nope.” you cut it as you sigh contentedly.

“please?”

you hiss through your teeth and roll over only to be met with his form towering over you with a blanket and a pillow in his grasp. to makeup for the stutter in your heartbeat, you roll your eyes, but move over nonetheless.

the bed dips again but much heavier since he put his entire weight on it. you can feel his back touching you as he respectfully turns the other way. the storm is still going strong outside and there is a comfortable silence between you. surely, you thought, kung Lao is the type to go to sleep fast as your ears flutter hearing his breath even out.

but then another flash of lightning through the window followed by a bang of thunder makes you quickly toss the other way, now staring at kung Lao’s back. he must’ve felt the shifting because he sleepily reaches a hand back, feeling for you, before he pulls you closer to him. for comfort, you place an arm around his middle.

you’re still as you process your next move. he’s definitely sleep again, his back expanding and collapsing at an even pace. you find yourself matching the pace. he’s extremely warm too. you try hard to not press into him further as if you were attempting to steal that quality from him. you nose is close to the back of his neck and you can smell the hint of soap, but also the musk of the earth that reminded you that he was a farmer before this life.

you hadn’t even noticed how low your eyelids had dropped or that the storm was passing, giving way to the night sky and the stars. you decided not to fight against the drowsiness before succumbing to sleep. kung Lao had that stupid smirk plastered on his face even in his sleep as he heard and felt the reverberation of chuffing behind him.

[soulofamy]

Parallel Sparks

this is a chapter out of a fic i discontinued but this chapter alone, by itself, is one of my favorite things i have ever written tbh. its meant to portray the parallels between syzoths budding relationship with ashrah and his blossoming relationship with his deceased wife

Syzoth's head had not stopped spinning nor has his stomach stopped churning since he learned what Liu Kang truly was. He was instructed to prepare for an assault on Ying Fortess in order to capture Shang Tsung and Quan Chi but he found the task at hand difficult to focus on. Instead, he contemplated the implications of what he had learned. Was the prejudice and destitution he had faced his whole life something Liu Kang could have stopped? Could Liu Kang have done anything to avoid Layara and Kaiyon's deaths? More questions arose, one after another, threatening to cause him to burst. He needed to hear another opinion. He needed to know his reaction made sense. He needed to seek out Ashrah.

He made his way over to the Wu Shi Academy's armory and was welcomed by the sight of her sitting alone as she sharpened her kriss. Though her gentle hands masterfully maneuvered the blade against the grindstone, he could tell by the distant look in her eyes that her thoughts were somewhere else. Cautious not to startle her, Syzoth cleared his throat as he approached her. She glanced his way before a kind smile graced her lips. 

"Hello, Syzoth," she said before her attention returned to her blade. 

"I'm not interrupting you, am I?" he asked cautiously.

Ashrah shook her head. "Not at all. I've done this countless times," she said as she slowly moved one of the blade's edges along the spinning stone. "I find I do my best thinking while maintaining Datusha." The stone halted and she lifted her kriss up to inspect its blade before reaching for a cloth to clean it. "If I had to guess, you are here to discuss what we learned about Liu Kang."

"Is it that obvious?" Syzoth replied.

"It was quite the revelation," she pointed out as she lowered the opposite edge of the blade back down onto the grind stone. "I know that I can't stop thinking about it myself." 

Syzoth released a slow breath. "It's given rise to so many questions that I fear I will never get answers to. I have to wonder what else Liu Kang has not told us."

"You don't trust him now?" Ashrah inquired, her attention now fully on Syzoth. Though the sound of stone grinding metal no longer echoed, the buzzing inside of Syzoth's head was happy to fill the silence. He sighed and took a seat on a nearby stool.

"I'm...not sure," he confessed. "I don't know what to think."

Ashrah was silent for a moment as she contemplated. "...does this impact your resolve to fight in the upcoming battle?"

"No," he was quick to respond. "Shang Tsung must pay for what he did." He tapped his closed fist on his knee. "What he plans to do. Quan Chi as well. I just...never imagined this would escalate as much as it has. Something inside me tells me there is more to come."

"So let it come," Ashrah responded.

Syzoth tilted his head but said nothing.

She shifted where she sat and inspected her kriss before standing up. "If there is one thing I have learned, it's that the universe will always be larger than my understanding of it." Syzoth listened to her with slight skepticism in his eyes before standing up to meet her. "Imagine my surprise when I learned of what the realms had to offer. I felt like I had been lied to, and the uncertainty of it all was terrifying. But I knew I would not achieve what I wanted without facing that uncertainty head on."

Syzoth nodded and his gaze drifted to the side in contemplation. What if I don't know what it is I want? he thought to himself. He wanted Shang Tsung to suffer. But further than that, Syzoth was unsure what sort of future he wanted for himself. Syzoth felt himself approaching a crossroad, but each path was shrouded in darkness. How could he look to the future when so much of his past was unresolved?

"Focus on the task ahead and everything will fall into place," Ashrah said, as though she could read his mind. Syzoth looked back at her and found that she was holding out a hand for him to shake. "Luckily for you, you won't have to be alone on this journey. Whatever uncertainty comes our way, we can face it together."

Syzoth stared at her hand for a long pause, then looked up at her face. He met her gentle gaze and his shoulders relaxed. For one so new to humanity, Syzoth was impressed that she seemed to know just what to say to put him at ease. He reached out to take her hand before smiling. 

"Together," he echoed. 

---

"Unhand her, you brute!" 

That was Syzoth's cue, while in his reptiloid form, to roar and encircle himself and Layara in a ring of acid. From up above, their fellow performer, Kaelos, stood in a heroic pose with a rope in hand. As always, this skit ended with Kaelos flying through the air to save Layara from Syzoth. He grabbed Layara from within the acid ring to deliver her to safety. The crowd erupted in cheers as Kaelos slayed the savage Zaterran-Human mutant, winning the heart of the fair maiden. 

The carnival had seen a spike in patrons ever since debuting this skit as a part of the whole show. While Syzoth was at least relieved he was no longer forced to beg on the streets, he found the role that he was forced to play to be exhausting. Just as the rest of Outworld saw him as inferior, so too did the rest of the carnival. Other performers were given roles that inspired respect and admiration. Kaelos was often given the role of a warrior prince. Syzoth was always relegated to being a villain or threat to the skit's protagonist. His victim was always the beautiful maiden, played by Layara. She was the only one in the carnival who showed him kindness, but their roles in these skits made him wonder if, deep down, she, too, viewed him like the beast everyone else seemed to think he was.

After one of their shows, Syzoth sat to the side of the performers' lounge area, primarily in his humanoid form but with his tail exposed. He held it in one arm, and his other hand held a file. The carnival owner wanted him to maintain his scales so that they appeared sharp and so that they shimmered in the light. If Zaterrans didn't already judge him, surely this sort of odd maintenance would have earned judgement from them. The rest of the performers typically sat together during their off time. Syzoth preferred not interacting with them more than was required of him. They had already made it clear that they didn't accept him. Many of them were favorites among patrons for their talents and gifts, resulting in their boosted egos. Syzoth was never anyone's favorite. He didn't need to be. As long as he did the job he was paid to do and as long as he minded his own business, he knew he would avoid trouble. 

Being quiet and minding his own business often meant that Syzoth could hear most of what went on between the other performers. People often assumed he was not listening. For how little Syzoth cared for them, that might as well have been the case. Today, things were different. 

"Let me pass, Kaelos," he heard Layara say. Syzoth glanced up from where he sat to see that Kaelos was towering over her, blocking her path to the exit. He was a tall, lean man with pale skin. From what Syzoth was able to deduce, this man embodied what an attractive male Outworlder would look like. He didn't quite understand why though. His dark hair, shoulder length hair reminded Syzoth of the plant fibers used to make bedding by Zaterrans. His eyes were the same color as the berries commonly found in Zikandur once they had rotted. It was a mystery to Syzoth why patrons fawned over him. 

Layara's shoulders were stiff as she tried to stand her ground. It was easy to see that she was uncomfortable with the way that he stood so close to her or the way that he looked down at her with arrogance in his eyes. 

"Say you will allow me to take you to dinner tonight first," he tried to bargain. The scales on Syzoth's tail stood up and he wrinkled his nose at the proposition. 

"I may not be well versed in warmblood mating rituals," Syzoth began to interject, surprised that his mouth seemed to be moving all on its own. His gaze moved back to his tail and he continued to groom it as he spoke. "however, I can't imagine coercing someone into spending time with you is a good way to gain their favor or admiration."

Without looking up, Syzoth could feel Kaelos's angry eyes trained on him. "What would you know, Zaterran?"

Syzoth hissed with amusement. It would take more than Kaelos's scowl to intimidate him. "Clearly a great deal more than you, judging by the fact that I can tell your advances are unwelcome but you can't."

"What did you say to me?" Kaelos asked as he turned to full face Syzoth. 

Syzoth glanced up to see that Layara was making her silent escape, but not before mouthing 'thank you' to him. He looked back down at his tail and dusted it off before standing up. The closest thing he had to a friend was now safe, Syzoth decided he had accomplished his goal.

He gave Kaelos a stiff smile. "Nothing at all." Without giving Kaelos an opportunity to escalate, he shifted his tail back into obscurity and left to collect his belongings. "Have a good evening, everyone," he said as he made his way out for the night.

The next morning, Syzoth walked to the carnival. The air was calm as he passed by the market place. People passed him by without a second glance, and vendors tried to call his attention to the goods they wanted to sell him. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary but inexplicably, he felt his skin crawl in anticipation. He got the sense he was being watched. His eyes shifted about him as he tried to locate the cause of his suspicion.

Wham

A howling pain ignited at the side of Syzoth's head following the strike of a rogue fist. His hand shot up to cover his now bruised eye and he turned to face his assailant. 

"Tenji?!" Syzoth asked, incredulous. The people in the surrounding area had stopped to watch what appeared to be the start of a fight. 

Tenji was another performer in their carnival, one who Syzoth interacted with very little outside performances and rehearsals. Notably, he was often seen at Kaelos's side. "What was that-" his words were cut off by his own agonized groan as the back of his knees were kicked, knocking Syzoth down. Syzoth looked up from his position with gritted teeth to see Zyron, the assailant who had kicked him from behind, circle around to meet Tenji as he approached Syzoth. The two moved to either side of him to grab hold of his arms. Syzoth's eyes scanned over the now large crowd that had gathered around to watch with embarrassment before looking up to see Kaelos walking up to him with a smug expression. No one in the crowd seemed willing to come to Syzoth's defense. 

Syzoth gave a disapproving hiss but said nothing as Kaelos stopped to stand over him. 

"I wonder if I can somehow make you look like more of a freak than you already do," Kaelos snickered. 

"I'm warning you," Syzoth growled. His attempt to stand up for himself was met with a sharp kick to the stomach. 

"Shut up," Kaelos spat. Tenji and Zyron were quick to express their approval and to egg him on. Syzoth was unable to respond, the wind had been knocked out of him. For a brief moment he contemplated shifting into his reptiloid form but the murmurs of the surrounding onlookers was quick to silence him. He could only imagine how quickly he would go from being seen by them as a victim to being seen as deserving of this treatment. 

Kaelos reached down and threw back the hood Syzoth typically wore over his head to grip his hair. He yanked Syzoth's head back and forced him to meet his conceited gaze. "Do you still think yourself smarter than me?"

Syzoth gritted his teeth as his control over his breathing slowly resumed. Rather than dignifying the question with any sort of answer, he spat in his face. Kaelos flinched backwards and he removed his hand from Syzoth's head to swat away the acid-infused saliva that now singed his skin. "My face!" Kaelos whined before looking back at Syzoth with murder in his eyes. "You'll pay for that, you freak!"

Without a second to brace himself, Syzoth began to endure each of Kaelos's enraged blows, some to his stomach, others to his head, others to his face. His body ached and burned. His heart threatened to shatter his ribs. The longer it persisted, the less he felt himself care what the onlookers thought of him. What good would their positive perception of him be if he was dead?

Without thinking about it, Syzoth's tail appeared behind him and made quick work of tripping Tenji and Zyron, forcing them to let him go. The horrified gasps of the onlookers were not enough to stop Syzoth from completing his metamorphosis and letting out a vicious snarl. Kaelos's smirk was quick to be replaced with a look of fear as he staggered back. With a rapid turn, Syzoth used his tail to bat Kaelos into a stone wall, leaving blood where his head had connected. As he slid down, Syzoth approached him with bared teeth slathered in acid. Kaelos looked up at him with a weak, dazed expression before holding up his hands defensively and whimpering. Tears had already begun pouring down his cheeks.

"Let me tell you the difference between the two of us," Syzoth growled. "There are countless men in Outworld who could do your job. You are nothing short of expendable. But the carnival will never have anyone like me. You risk your job and your life by being a bully. But for defending myself, I most certainly do not." He let out an angry huff from his nostrils and shortened the distance between their faces. Kaelos flinched and shut his eyes. "Touch me again, and you won't live long enough to regret it."

Syzoth shifted back into his humanoid form and decided to go back to the inn he was staying at while in this village. There was no way he could go to work that day and not be questioned. His whole body ached. Green bruises marked his skin and his eye was almost swollen shut. Emerald blood trailed down out of his nose and down his chin. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the thought of how Layara would perceive him after this scuffle also loomed over his head. One thing at a time, he thought to himself. Right now, he wanted to rest. 

He wasn't sure how long it had been since he arrived at his room before there was a knock at his door. His heart began to race. He went to the constable. Of course he did.

"Syzoth?" a familiar gentle voice called from behind the door. His shoulders relaxed and he hesitantly went to open it, finding Layara on the other side. "Oh good, you're here. I was worried that-" she started before her eyes widened and a gasp escaped her. "Dear Argus..." she frantically looked him up and down. "What happened?!"

Syzoth was unsure how to respond at first. He licked his lips and his gaze wandered to the side. "...I was hit by a carriage on my way to work this morning."

Layara frowned as she stared up at him but she said nothing. Syzoth had never been a good liar. 

"...can I come in?" she asked. Syzoth grew nervous but he found himself unable to deny her. Bashfully, he stepped aside and allowed her to enter the room before closing the door. She turned around to face him with crossed arms and a look of concern. "What really happened?"

No one ever looked at him that way. No one ever cared for his wellbeing. He couldn't fathom why the most beautiful woman in the carnival of all people seemed to. He also could not deny the sincerity in her eyes as she looked up at him. 

With a sigh of shame, Syzoth looked to the side before answering. "...Kaelos..." was all he said. 

Her look of concern turned into one of anger. 

"He did this to you?" 

Syzoth braced himself to be made out as the villain. 

"That son of a..." she muttered. 

He looked at her with curiosity. She's taking my side...

"Why did he do it? What led up to this?" she inquired. To Syzoth's surprise, he was less ashamed of talking about it now. 

He let out a bitter huff before recounting what had happened, including everything that Kaelos had said to him during their encounter.

Layara frowned before looking to the side. "I see." She shook her head. "I feel like it's my fault now. I'm sorry, Syzoth."

Syzoth stood up straight and shook his head. "Please don't say that. I don't put any of the blame on you," he insisted. "I would happily come to your defense again, no matter the risk."

Her apologetic look slowly became a shy, endeared smile as she looked up to meet his gaze once again. His heart thrummed in his chest as they fell silent. She looked at him with sympathy and concern once again. "Your poor eye..." she murmured as she raised a hand up to his face. 

Syzoth wasn't sure if it was his tender wound or his tender heart that led him to reach his own hand up to meet hers. He brought their hands down to their sides and to his surprise, she kept hers in his grasp. 

"We don't have to face people like him alone. We don't have to let self-entitled bullies step on our backs," she said to him as she met his gaze. "We could depend on each other. We could face them together." Syzoth felt his eyebrows raise at her proposition before a smile grew on his lips. 

"Together," he echoed. 

[stanwixbuster]

did frame by frame for the dw trailer because i'm ill so here you go come get your officers:

SHU

Liu Bei/Zhang Fei/Guan Yu: the second shot confirms our favourite boat fights at Chi Bi. Final shot looks like an aged-up version of Guan Yu.

WU

Lu Su/Cheng Pu

Lu Meng(?): fairly certain that's him on the right but we don't get another good shot of him.

Sun Jian: i have to. i have to go.

Sun Quan/Zhou Yu: Gang Ning is visible in the bottom left. Lu Su and Cheng Pu are also visible behind Zhou Yu. I have a feeling that this is the same cinematic as the panning shot of Lu Meng/Cheng Pu/Lu Su. This definitely looks like the prelude to Chi Bi.

WEI

Cao Cao/Xiahou Dun: Dian Wei and Xu Chu are in the first shot, and Zhang Liao is in the second.

Dian Wei: rip. Looks like the ending of Wancheng.

Xun You: my boy. Interestingly looks to be wearing the exact same outfit as DW9 with some colour swaps. Cheng Pu appears to be the same.

OTHER

Zhang Jiao: hi

Dong Zhuo: Looks like they're ditching the silly side to his design and I really hope they make him an actual terror and not a punchline.

Hua Xiong: with this and Cheng Pu + Xun You I think it pretty much confirms everyone from DW9's made it in*, including the unique NPCs.

Yuan Shao: includes a shot without his helmet, shock and horror. The second shot looks to be at Hulao after the three brothers join. There's a generic officer hanging around them here and in the first shot of the three brothers earlier, which is interesting.

Diao Chan: queen

Lu Bu: honestly stunned they didn't give him a more prominent shot.

Unknown: this guy doesn't turn around so I can't tell who he is. He's playable against the Yellow Turbans, and seems to be in Lu Bu's colours and using claws as his weapon. On second look it might be Hua Xiong again?

Unknown: the PC seems to be mourning someone who's dying in a burning building. No idea who this could be or if it's another fictional addition. Seems feminine, could be a female relative of the PC?

Other things of interest

Zhao Yun didn't show up at all, not even in the background

The Guan babies didn't show up once

Cao Cao no longer seems to be voiced by Douglas Rye, fucking rip

This confirms you can play as regular officers and not just the PC; unsure if that's freeplay-exclusive

The music whips

We've seen our PC fighting with the Yellow Turbans, fighting with Shu, fighting with Wei, and fighting against Liu Bei at Chi Bi, which makes me think there is a lot of choice to how you can progress in this

Since we know Jin is deconfirmed and we haven't seen any late-game battles, and there seems to be a lot of branches to replay, I'm wondering if the game ends as early as Chi Bi; my current bet is on Fan Castle

*Because of the early ending I'm betting that Xin Xianying has been cut

[stuff-diary]

American Born Chinese

TV Shows/Dramas watched in 2023

American Born Chinese (2023, USA)

Creator: Kelvin Yu (based on the graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang)

Mini-review:

I loved this so much! Sure, it has its flaws, but its strengths far outweigh them. The show feels refreshing and almost groundbreaking thanks to the way it takes inspiration from Journey to the West and Chinese culture. With these elements, the show gets to tell a fantastic story about coming of age and finding your identity. It also tackles the topic of representation head-on, with a beautiful monologue by Ke Huy Quan in one of the last episodes. I can't think of many TV shows that talk so frankly about this, and American Born Chinese deserves big kudos for that.

But the main reason why this show is a hit is its cast. For starters, we have legends like Michelle Yeoh, the aforementioned Ke Huy Quan and Daniel Wu. Obviously, they are as great as anyone would expect from them. But the young cast also delivers: Ben Wang's comedic timing is perfect, and Jimmy Liu pretty much steals the show with an incredibly charming and adorable performance. On top of all this, the action scenes are fantastic, with amazing choreographies and very stylish and cinematic direction. Also, I thought this was supposed to be a limited series, but I guess it's not? I'm not complaining, cause I really enjoyed it, but I hope it's doesn't end up being cancelled.

P.S. Why the f**k is Disney+ not promoting the hell out of this? They have Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu from Everything Everywhere All At Once, plus Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed the Shang-Chi movie, and they are doing nothing to promote it. It's seriously baffling.

[leahsfiction]

i love this ancient-ass poem from the Shijing, it's frank and slightly morbid in the same way as many english-language folksongs i've been exposed to

In the Wilds There Is a Dead Doe

tr. Wu-chi Liu

In the wilds there is a dead doe In white rushes it is wrapped. There was a girl longing for spring; A fine gentleman seduced her.

In the woods there are tree stumps; In the woods lies a dead deer, Wrapped and bound with white rushes. There was a girl fair as jade.

“Ah, not so hasty, not so rough! Do not move my girdle kerchief; Do not make the dog bark.”

further reading: 野有死麕 - Ye You Si Jun: original text with dictionary links, cross-referencing, & james legge translation (ctext.org)

[sareenademon]

I love the idea of Sareena being Bi-Han 's first everything. And he probably never forgave her for what she did.......because why would she want to sell them out? Was the Lin Kuei not enough for her? Was he not enough for her to change her mind and decide to stay?

He fought his father over her and whether she was good enough for him as a consort. His father. A man he would never step to otherwise. But he did.....for her. Did everything they did together mean anything at all to her, because it meant everything to him. Was everything just one big joke to her?

Sareena does love him back, but at the end of the day, she's a soldier. She had a mission and carried it out to a T. Because after all, where would she go if she failed? Back to the Netherrealm? Go looking for Ashrah? Hope that the Lin Kuei would forgive him after she got found out? She had no choice. And she just hopes that Bi-Han will understand that someday.........and maybe forgive her.

(I'm hurting my own feelings with this, not gonna lie......)

Exactly! It’s so sad for both of them.😭

Sareena would love nothing more than to be his wife and them lead the Lin Kuei together but she doesn’t deserve that she’s a treacherous demon.

Also when she was dragged back to hell, Quan Chi wiped all memory of Bi Han and the Lin Kuei from Sareena’s memory. 😭😭😭

Sareena became pregnant with Bing Xin when she was a spy in the Lin Kuei. Bi Han never found out about this and Sareena didn’t know until she was back at the NeatherRealm.

All Sareena remembers is giving birth to a halfbreed demon. She named her offspring Bing Xin. Quan Chi used infant Bingxin to keep Sareena obedient to him.

Bing Xin is the realm’s first Ice Demon. He’s also incredibly powerful because Quan Chi wanted to use Bing Xin as a weapon.

Ashrah helping Sareena and Bing Xin escape together and sheltering them at the Wu Shi.

It’s obvious to everyone that Bing Xin is Bi Han’s son but Ashrah doesn’t want to tell Sareena because Ashrah and Liu Kang believe Bi Han isn’t a good influence for Sareena and Bing Xin.

[arosthorn]

Liu Bei and the Jade Man story from the Shiyi ji

The Shiyi Ji is a collection of supernatural stories and anecdotes compiled during the Six Dynasties period attributed to Wang Jia.

Liu Bei's Empress Gan was from Pei. She was born into humble circumstances. A physiognomist in the village said, 'This girl will later have high rank. Her rank will exceed that of a Gongyi concu­bine.’ When she grew up, her appearance was especially beautiful. When she reached eighteen, she had jade-like skin and tender flesh. Her attitude was bewitching and her countenance seductive. Liu Bei ordered her to go behind a gauze curtain. Those who gazed at her from outside the door thought she re­sembled gathered snow' in the moonlight.

The region south of the Yellow River presented a jade man three feet tall. Liu Bei took the jade man and put him beside the queen. During the day he discussed military plans and at night then he embraced the queen and amused himself with the jade man. She always proclaimed that what is the honored virtue in jade is that its virtues are like that of a gentleman, so since it is in the shape of a man, how could it be played with.

The empress and the jade man were pure white and equally smooth of skin, so that those who looked at them were almost confused. The empress was not only jealous of the favorites, but was also envious of the jade man. The empress always wanted to destroy it and admonished Liu Bei saying, "In the past Zihan did not consider jade to be precious and the Spring and Autumn Annals admired him for it. Wu and Wei are not destroyed, how can you put seductive pleasures in your heart? Any kind of infatuation will raise doubts. Do not enter into this again. " Liu Bei then cast aside the statue of the jade man, and the favorites all retired. At this time, the gentlemen presented a memorial in which they referred to Empress Gan as a Matron of Spiritual Wis­dom.

Translation by Larry C. Foster, ‘The Shih-i chi and Its Relationship to the Genre Known as Chih-kuai hsiao-shuo’.