#good pun jax!!

[cozylittleartblog]

had another show this weekend, my brother and i continued to doodle. i only had two TADC drawings at first, but so many people went "OMG DIGITAL CIRCUS" i was inspired to draw almost everyone ✨

+ my brother atlas is responsible for the jaxe, kingler fish, and random hotted woman (but i did the kinger in the background at request)

[an-albino-pinetree]

Hand was a lil better today -v-

It’s not as awkward to draw with a bandage on, than I thought it’d be 👍🏻 :]

Jax, in a Christmas Themed Hoodie for @katashikat !! Thank you for your Ko-Fi request!! 🎄💜

[the-s1lly-corner]

HIIIII If requests are still open, can I ask a Jax x fem reader?

The reader is a sheep that always sleeps and has a cloud where she sleeps? Preferably romantic :3 although there is no problem if you decide to make it platonic ^O^

Jax x fem!sheep!reader !

probably going to do this request and one more then call it a night! getting kind of sleepy earlier than usual since i feel a lil ill </3

putting this in with the jax fiddles with pieces of your clothing; if the reader has wool hes going to fiddle with it, at least the outer layers of it since i dont think he would go as far as to just go elbow deep (im literally just imaging the readers body just. being a ball of fluff, and nothing else, since im not sure how much of a body the digital body would give them like. solid. ness. because for a lot of these im still thinking with like. 'digital physics' or something) (also when kinger falls into the gloink hole you can see into the bottom of his robe and you cant see his 'feet' so idk how much is like. made and rendered in universe)

okay random tangent aside, i think he would also mess with your sheep ears

makes "baa" noises at you as well as puns, loves seeing you roll your eyes at his jokes

"oh cottonball, im having some trouble falling asleep!" "you dont need to.. oh nevermind.."

has probably attempted to climb onto your cloud when its low enough for him to reach

"dont think you can get rid of me that easily" or something along those lines before taking up most of the clouds space

if the cloud can move around he probably guides it about to torment the other members when you arent around

i know its the digital world and they dont need to sleep, but i like to think that he starts to sleep just to cuddle with you on the cloud (he likes the cloud, comfy and it also satisfies his fiddling thing)

nicknames/petnames consist of things like "cottonball", "lamby" "mittens", but also stereotypical names people give their sheep and lambs (according to good)

"omg hi lambert! hey wait where are you going?" *you ascending up on your cloud*

i know this doesnt tie too much into the sheep theme, but general hc is that i think he would like bunny kisses. quick ones, but bunny kisses none the less

[tiredfox64]

Im here to offer a mavado x reader...

(I saw the one you made and here I'm feral-ing)

So another reader becoming small (now this one, you can choose how it happened, doesnt have to be potion, bro prolly made a wish to a shooting star /JOKE)

Mavado here just "shit, welp, time to smother you with my love now hehe"

Off topic: Currently drawing your oc, I'm finna get you /threat

Pequeña

Yip notes: Your timing was impeccable. I was close to panicking about something till I saw your request. Immediately my brain told me I'm not allowed to panic because I have to figure out how to do this.

Pairing: Mavado x Afab reader

Warnings‼️: mfs who are 5'2

When Mavado made a deal with Shang Tsung to get a hold of Kano he knew what he was getting himself into. He knew how deceptive the sorcerer could be. Yet he still made a deal with him so he could obtain Kano. He had to work his ass off to get that damn Black Dragon. He had to go through Sonya and Jax so he could get Kenshi. All that work to finally get Kano and torture him. However, he had to strike once the fun was done before Shang Tsung did. He sent Hsu Hao to deal with the sorcerers but got no reply. Of course, he couldn’t finish the job. Mavado had to do everything himself. Well, not fully alone. He brought you, his loyal girlfriend, to finish the job with him. He suspected Shang Tsung would have Quan Chi with him and could not risk dealing with a 2 v 1 situation.

His prediction was right. Both of the sorcerers were expecting Mavado but not you. You and your boyfriend put up a good fight. Mavado was skilled with the hookswords he stole from Kabal. You barely had to do any work.

This was a losing battle for Shang Tsung and Quan Chi. In an attempt to escape, Quan Chi decided to target you. He wasn’t focused on whichever spell he cast it just had to distract Mavado. You heard Quan Chi chant and as you went to face him you felt something hit your stomach, causing you to fly back. Mavado immediately turned around to check on you, only to see a cloud of toxic green smoke consuming you. It gave Quan Chi enough time to grab Shang Tsung and make their escape. Though Mavado lost his targets he had other matters to be concerned about. He ran over to you and tried to wave the smoke away. He couldn’t find you, not a limb or strand of hair to hint at your body still being there. But once the smoke cleared he was surprised.

You were alive but you’re…small. As small as a rat.

He knew things were going too well. Something bad was bound to happen.

He crouched down to get a better look at you. You stared up at him with big, sad eyes. He couldn’t tell if you were tearing up because of the situation or if the smoke burned your eyes.

“Am I in trouble?” You asked in a small voice.

“We are in trouble. This is not on you surprisingly.”

I don’t know what he meant by that.

Your mind hasn’t adapted to the situation so you were horrified and confused. He tried to grab you but you were so confused about what he was about to do that you decided to dodge him. Mavado doesn’t need you doing this but you have little control over the situation. He had to snatch you with both hands, trapping your arm to the side of your body and your legs dangling. You heard your boyfriend sigh before saying,

“Always so difficult.”

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

“Yes, I can see that she is small.” Daegon pointed out the obvious.

“Can’t you do anything to fix this mess?” Mavado asked.

“I am a demigod, not a miracle worker. I cannot be bothered to fix this while my brother is out there. He is a bigger issue than your little girlfriend,” pun intended, “If I know anything about sorcerers when they are in a panic, Quan Chi’s spell won’t last forever. This is not permanent.”

Mavado let out a sigh of relief but also annoyance. For once he was not happy with the Edenian but what could he do. If Daegon’s words were true that means this will all be over at some point. When that moment comes is the true concern. He doesn’t have an issue with you being small. It’s kind of funny and cute. He’s more concerned about you getting hurt by something or someone. You’re his girlfriend, he cares about you. You’re the only other thing he prioritizes other than his clan.

Since Daegon isn’t telling Mavado to do anything or go after Taven, he’ll keep his eyes on you most of the time. What else could he do?

He still had you in his hands and he decided to mess with you. You ain’t gonna do anything. You’re not gonna jump off his hands. He took this opportunity to squish your cheeks which you never let him do. He used his middle finger and thumb to squish both of your cheeks. You whined and told him to stop but did he? Nah. He just laughed at your futile attempts to push him away. Your tiny hands were unable to save you.

“You’re so pathetic. But I love you anyway.” He said before kissing you on the top of your head. That one kiss alone messed up your hair.

Now what could Mavado do with you? He’s never dealt with a tiny human before. Nobody has. He took a moment to think of how to keep you safe but not bore you. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t realize he positioned you in front of his chest area. Your mind is a battlefield that you sometimes lose to. This means your impulsive thoughts come into play and you listen to them.

In short, you grabbed onto his chest hair and yanked on it. You’ve never heard him whimper in pain before. He almost crushed you in his hands because of your little stunt. He grabbed you by the back of your shirt and brought you up to his face. He did not look happy. His eyebrows were furrowed in annoyance. Huh, how have you never noticed the scars on his right eyebrow? It looks good on him.

“What have I told you about touching my chest?” Mavado asked in the calmest voice he could provide.

“…don’t yank on your chest hair.”

“And that rule still applies while you’re small.” With his other hand he used his fingers to give you the lightest flick to your forehead that he could do.

This sure will be a journey for him and you.

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

Don’t let your judgment be clouded by Mavado’s good looks. He may be your boyfriend but he is still cruel. He’s cruel in a loving way.

Now there is a reward system at play. An eye for an eye, a trade for a trade.

You want some food because you haven’t eaten since the morning? Don’t worry, Mavado will feed you, after you do something for him. You have to give him a kiss for each piece of food. The worst part is he is stingy. Here’s a bit of bread, now give him a kiss. Here’s a singular black bean, give him another kiss. Again and again, that was how your dinner went until you were full. He just likes having some control of you and feeling your little kisses on his face.

How bout a nap? A nap after a good meal is needed. Or at least Mavado needs a nap after the bs he dealt with.

You had no choice. You tried to run off the table but his arms surrounded you and trapped you close to him. He placed his head down on the table and dragged your body so that you were trapped between his cheek and arm. You struggled with all your might but you’re just wasting your energy. He told you to stop already and that your movements were awkward against his arm. You let out a sigh before accepting that there was no use. Might as well take a nap with him. You snuggled against his face, feeling his stubble scratch you. The warmth of his body calmed you till you fell asleep.

That was a good thirty minutes of sleep before Daegon slammed his fist against the table. Both you and Mavado were alerted and you were almost flung into the air when Mavado jumped up. He was about to throw down an electromagnetic mine before Daegon yelled at him.

“Throw that mine down and you will not live another day!” He grumbled something inaudible before continuing, “I need you to go. Taven is too close to us and I need him eliminated now.”

Mavado wanted to ask what he should do with you but Daegon was already on the move. He can’t leave you alone. Anything could happen to you. But bringing you along would be just as dangerous. Hmmm

…

You saw him look at his trench coat, specifically the inside. Well, would you look at that! There’s a pocket on the inside. How convenient. Without much discussion, he picked you up and placed you in the pocket. You’re as snug as a bug in there.

“I can’t promise you won’t get hurt but I need you to be strong for me. Do you think you could do that?” He asked.

You gave him a thumbs up. He kissed the top of your head before concealing you. He took off running, doing his duties for his clan. Just don’t pull on his chest hair again while you’re hiding.

“Ah! Stop pulling!”

What did I just say?!

Yap notes: Every time I do something for you I get a bloody nose. I don't know why and I don't know how. But I think if I don't finish something for you I'll keep bleeding. Only now does everything about me feel better. So your threats are real I think even though they are for my oc. Adiós!

[flutteringfable]

hey so what if i cried about the new digital circus episode. what if i did that.

spoilers below the cut because i NEED to talk about this so bad

okay main thing: kinger. ohhhh my god. someone in the comments mentioned that his pillow forts make more sense now, because when he's in darkness he can remember things better. and also he worked with technology in the real world? according to that one comment he made? hmm

HIS WIFE MADE HIM LOVE ENTOMOLOGY IM GONNA ACTUALLY CRY. TECH NERD MAN AND HIS BUG NERD WIFE

also the whole like. thing about darkness being comforting to him because the last time he saw his wife before she was sent to the cellar it was in darkness and it calmed her down. fuuuuck dude

POMNI THANKING RAGATHA BECAUSE KINGER REMINDED HER TO CHERISH THE PEOPLE THAT CARE ABOUT HER. IM GOING SO INSANE

on the topic of ragatha: having a tea party with the ghost of of some dude's wife? gay asf shes a lesbian icon and i love her

the fact they had to tie up jax so they could have an actually pleasant time is sending me

zooble has major trans vibes and the fact that they dont even like their body in the circus. god. D:

also even tho caine is an ai he can break down emotionally?????? and that affects the circus????? ohhhh man

unrelated to character development: THE SCARY PARTS OH MY GOD. LIKE IM USED TO HORROR SO THEY WERENT LIKE SUPER SPOOKY TO ME BUT THE DESIGNS OF THE ANGEL AND POSSESSED POMNI FUCK SO HARD. THEYRE SO UNSETTLINGGGGGG <333

the bit where pomnis going to grab the gun and shes like "please dont come alive" and instead of the typical jumpscare punchline the corpse just said "okay i wont". im DEAD (no pun intended)

grabbing jax by the shoulders and shaking him violently. give me your lore rabbit boy

conclusion: good episode i liked it a lot. dysfunctional found family for the win babyyy

[thescarletnargacuga]

Art: @iamespecter

CHAPTER FOUR

Racing AU!

The racers welcome a new member but there's no rest for the digitally trapped. Things get weirder as Pomni starts seeing the red door in a place it shouldn't be.

WARNING: hurt/comfort

A cinnamonbunny hopped out of it's burrow. It's curious nose twitched in the breeze as it looked for predators. The sour candies growing from the small bushes tempted it to be brave and take a bite. The small bun took a berry shaped candy and was immediately spooked back into its burrow by six karts and two bikes rocketing by on the track.

Kinger led the pack through a narrow twisting candy. The track so skinny at some points, it forces the racers to go through singlefile. Pomni took up the rear with the bandits hot on her heels.

"Boss!" Shouted the squat gummy gator. "Where've you been!?"

"Took a detour! Don't recommend it!" Gummigoo looked around and ahead. "Where's Chad!?"

The smaller gator looked like he could cry. "He got fudged! Th-there was nothing I could do!"

Gummigoo didn't like the news, but at the same time, with his recent revelation, he was relieved he didn't have to put up a facade for both. "He knew the risks of the job! Stay focused!"

"Yes, boss!"

The track widened out and all eight vehicles could spread out. Jax immediately went on the offensive. Kinger had spoiled his fun earlier and he was looking to return the favor. He summoned his item, an orange shell, and aimed it at Kinger. The shell hit and Kinger spun, falling behind. Jax chuckled but didn't celebrate long as Kinger came back into view going full speed in reverse. Kinger waved politely and spun back to face forward. Jax stared in disbelief as Kinger sped ahead. He didn't even notice Gangle laughing at him as she passed.

Gummigoo got up next to Pomni. "Mind if my mate gets at least one of these crates?"

Pomni shrugged. "Sure!" She saw that Zooble had a crate. She maneuvered her kart to force Ragatha to the side, giving Gummigoo an opening to Zooble.

Gummigoo revved his bike hard enough to wheelie. He touched the crate as he weaved hard around Zooble, giving them no time to react.

~

Caine had returned to his booth to spectate the event. His eyes bugged out of his teeth. "In a shocking turn of events, Pomni has sided with the bandits, allowing them to steal syrup from Zooble! Oh, the candimonium! Er, gum-manity... you know what, puns are hard."

He ignored Bubble loudly chewing the ceiling.

~

Gummigoo tipped the brim of his hat to Pomni and seared off the track with the goods. His companion close behind.

"What did you do that for!?" Ragatha asked.

"She finally realized that none of this matters. You can do whatever you want out here." Jax said as he tossed a bar of soap behind him. A junk item he didn't want for the final stretch.

"Well, no, it's actually a bit more complicated that that. I'll explain later." Pomni avoided eye contact with them both and moved ahead.

The whole time, Zooble had no reaction to anything going on. This was just another drive to them. Sure, the world was impressive, but still. A track was a track.

~

Gummigoo drove far enough away for some peace and quiet and stopped a bit aways from the finish line. He took the small crate and held it out to his remaining companion. "Here...take back to the village for me, would you?"

"You're not coming with?"

"No. I've...got something to take care of first. Give mum my best, okay?" He fought to keep a straight face.

The purple gator put the crate on his bike. "I won't let you down, boss. See you later." He sped off into the distance.

Gummigoo's face dropped the moment his friend was out of sight. While he had to remind himself that none of this was real, the emotions certainly felt real. He hurt having to lie, knowing full well he'd never see anything he thought he knew again. He took a deep breath and headed for the finish line.

~

Kinger held on to the lead and won the race. He stood in the winner's circle with Princess Lool were she draped him in a candy wreath. The wreath fell to the ground, having no shoulders to sit upon. Not that Longer minded at all. He was just happy to be sitting still long enough to see candy butterflies again. They make him happy. What he didn't expect was a peck on the cheek from the Princess. An action that made him freeze and Ragatha nearly have a breakdown.

"Well done, brave racers! Our kingdom will thrive thanks to your actions! Farewell!" The princess turned and made her way to the entrance of her castle.

Jax rolled his eyes. As much as Caine talked up the world, he didn't see the so called "improvements". Bigger didn't mean better, it just meant the race took longer. Woo.

Gummigoo rode up to Pomni and dismounted.

"What is he doing here?" Asked Zooble.

"Everyone, i'd like you to meet Gummigoo. He's coming back to the garage with us."

"Is that allowed?" Gangle asked looking out for Caine to appear any second.

"Well, his reality was sort of completely shattered. It seemed like the least I could off him. And, in a strange course of events, I already did ask Caine and he said I could bring Gummigoo back."

"You convinced him to let you bring him back? How? No one's ever done that before." Ragatha looked longingly back at Princess Loo, who just disappeared inside the castle.

"It was a unique circumstance." Pomni shrugged. "Plus, he's already a racer. Figured he'd fit right in."

"You begged Caine to let you keep an NPC as a pet? That's hilarious." Jax taunted. "What are you gonna do when you get sick of him? Make Caine dispose of him? Bet there's room in the cellar."

A round of gasps and shouts ensued.

"JAX!" "What the [%@#!]!?" "That's a messed up thing to say!"

Jax put his hands up as everyone but Gummigoo verbally dogpiled him. The gummy gator glared and crossed his arms. "I'm nobody's pet, mate."

"Has Pomni not told you what you are, mate? You're a mess of code programmed by another mess of code."

"Enough, Jax!" Pomni got in between Jax and Gummigoo. "He knows and he's coming to stay with us. For has long as HE likes."

Jax stood tall in front of Pomni. "I think you mean as long as Caine allows. This is HIS world, Pomni. We're just stuck in it. The sooner you realize that, the easier it is to exist here."

Pomni struggled with a retort.

Caine appeared out of thin air. "Well done, my hard-shelled hamburgers! What a spectacular race! Congratulations, Kinger! You were especially in fine form today." He snapped his fingers and the world around them pixelated and blurred as it returned to its default garage and test track.

Gummigoo watched in astonishment as his entire world disappeared right before his eyes. He now stood in a field of strange green grass and the sky overhead has no clouds of ice cream. It was still a lot to take in, but he kept his composer. Especially now that he was around the being known as Caine. Witnessing what he could do with just a snap of his fingers was more than a little intimidating, especially after what Jax said.

"We also have a new friend to introduce! Gummigoo! He's not human but Pomni said he'd make a great addition! Here, let me give you load down of how things work around here." Caine snapped his fingers again and Gummigoo suddenly stiffened for a moment.

When he relaxed, he groaned and grabbed at his head. "Sugar, honey, and iced tea, that hurt." He blinked as his head swam with new information: Where he was. How the races worked. How the karts worked. The rules of the game.

"There ya go. All caught up. And as an added bonus, I've made you unkillable. Wouldn't want you crashing to your death on your first race! Enjoy your down time and rest up! We've got a big race tomorrow!" Caine poofed away.

"Wait, you were killable!?" Pomni asked, horrified.

"Yeah? Aren't you? Racing is dangerous."

"Looks like there's more to fill him in on." Kinger said.

"Yeah...come on inside." Pomni gestured Gummigoo to follow her.

~

Caine threw his jacket over a half rendered chair. What a day. He finally got to see his best work in action, but with unexpected consequences. An NPC found sentience. Oops. Looks like he made the A.I. a bit TOO advanced. Or the collision physics that likely got them glitched out of the map in the first place needed work.

He settled into a lounging position and activated some mid air screens full of data for him to ponder over. One gave video feed to the garage. He saw the racers show their new friend around.

~

Gangle and Pomni were showing Gummigoo the kart settings. Even though Caine had put the information in his head, he still appreciated their effort to welcome him into the fold. Ragatha approached and put her hand on Gangle's shoulder. "Everything is ready. Pomni, you don't have to but would you like to attend Kaufmo's funeral? We like to have a little memorial when someone abstracts."

Pomni looked at Gummigoo who, while not knowing what abstraction was, could tell it was serious. Her nodded towards Ragatha. "Go ahead, I'll be here for a bit." He was still designing his new bike.

Pomni followed Ragatha upstairs to where the others were gathered in front of Kaufmo's room. Small bouquets of white flowers and candles laid against the door, a painted red X crossed over Kaufmo's profile. She stood on the edge of the group, being respectful as the others each said their piece. Except Jax. She didn't see him.

Jax was in his room. His was adjacent to Kaufmo's. He sat on the floor just inside his room with the door cracked. He heard every word. Every story. He wasn't sad. Just numb. He's been through this too many times. He had no more sadness left to give.

When the other finished. Pomni stepped forward and spoke to the door. "Kaufmo...I wish we had met under better circumstances. From what I've been told, you were an incredible friend."

~

Caine watched from his screen, and took off his hat for the funeral. Kaufmo was a spectacular person. He didn't want to believe Kaufmo abstracted when he went missing. A familiar pang of guilt made him feel like he had angry bees in his chest. It was his fault. He couldn't keep Kaufmo or any of the others entertained enough.

He swore to do better. It's why he agreed to let Gummigoo stick around. That, and other reasons, but mostly to keep his humans happy and healthy. He was willing to try what they think is best. He was built to learn from humans after all.

He minimized the video of the garage and started working on the collision detection of object physics. He completely forgot about why he came back to his workspace so quickly. Not that it mattered anymore. The bright red door was no longer were he had left it.

~

Pomni leaned against the railing, still with Kinger and Ragatha by Kaufmo's room. She saw Gummigoo near finished with his bike, just working on picking colors and designs. "Do you think what Jax said is true?"

"What?"

"About Caine...that he'll get rid of Gummigoo when he feels like it?"

"No." Ragatha said immediately. "Caine's a weird one but he's never done anything to intentionally hurt us...key word is intentionally. The fact that he went out of his way to make Gummigoo an unkillable NPC should be a sign of good faith, at the very least."

"No one's ever brought back an NPC before." Kinger said.

"To be fair, I don't think there have been any that became self aware before this point." Pomni added

"True. Your gummy friend is unique. I didn't know Caine was capable of programming such advanced A.I." Ragatha joined Pomni in rail leaning.

"Just imagine how advanced he is." Pomni said.

"He's a strong generative A.I. that was originally designed to manage an evolving MMORPG. The first game of its kind. It would have revolutionized the gaming industry and the internet as a whole." Kinger blurted out and then went oddly still.

Ragatha and Pomni stared wide eyed at him. "How do you know that?" Pomni asked.

Kinger jerked his head towards them like he suddenly realized they were there. "Know what?"

Ragatha sighed. "He...sometimes gets like this. He'll say something profound, then disassociate and forget what he said. Just let it go. He really won't remember."

Pomni frowned and watched Kinger's expression. He was a million miles away. The words Kinger used didn't make sense to her but in a weird way, she still understood. There was way more to this game than meets the eye, or there should have been? Why were they just racing?

Pomni's pondering was interrupted by Ragatha nudging her arm. "Eating sounds good right now, wanna eat?"

"Yeah...sure. Kinger?"

Kinger swayed with a slight nod and joined them downstairs. Ragatha summoned a Bubble chef and started making requests when something caught Pomni's attention. A red spec that wasn't there before. It was outside, seen through the window facing the starting line. It was just out there in the middle of the track. She went to the window and squinted. It was the red exit door. "What the..." She looked around. No one else seemed to have noticed it. She quietly opened the door to the building and snuck out.

She bolted for the door and stopped just in front of it. It didn't move or flicker or glitch or do any other kind of digital weirdness. It was just the door. She didn't know why she was hesitating. She grabbed the handle and opened it. It led into some sort of hallway. She looked back once. Maybe she should tell the others. Or maybe...she should see if it even goes anywhere first. She passed the threshold.

The hallway was eerily silent. "Hello?" She went forward cautiously. "Caine..? You in here?" The long hall led to another similar door. She went thought it. Another hallway. "What?" Another door. This one to stairs. Another door. A winding hallway. Another door. With each door she became increasingly lost and panicked. She tried going back, but the door led to a different hall that the one she just went through. It didn't matter what direction she went in, she was going deeper into the labyrinth. "What is this??"

She went thought nearly a dozen more doors before finding something unique. An office space with old filing cabinets and desks and a table with a coffee machine. On one desk, a computer. It was inactive, covered in dust. A headset laid to the side, looking charred. Her mind reeled. She knew this place. She knew that computer. That headset. She could smell the electrical burns on the plastic headset. She could hear the volts in her brain. She could feel the surge overtaking her.

"Pomni..."

She gasped and spun in place. "Who said that!?"

"Pomni..."

She was really panicking. Her voice shaking. "Who's there!?"

"This...way..."

The soft, whispery voice came from yet another red door. She has to use every once of willpower to move her feet towards it. She opened the door and was momentarily blinded by a bright white light. She stepped forward into nothingness. She floated away into the light. The white light was an endless void of spectral color and digital space. It was a glimpse into the infinite.

~

Caine's wacky watch went bolistic. He spat out the tea he was enjoying and his gums paled when he saw the notification. Void breach. He immediately teleported away, popped up next to Pomni, put an arm around her and teleported with her back to the test track.

"There you go." He set her down gently and tried to sound his usual upbeat self, but he was actually terrified of what Pomni might have seen. She just stood there, wide eyed. "Pomni?" He floated around in front of her, his hands on her shoulders. "Pomni..?"

She blinked. Blinked some more. Then she looked him in the eye. "Caine?"

He nearly deflated with relief. "Oh, good. Here I was worried you'd lost your mind. Care to tell me how you ended up int he void? You shouldn't be able to go out there at all. Ever. Never ever."

"The...door....I thought..." Tears welled in her eyes. "I thought I could..." She couldn't take it anymore. She cried in front of him, pride be damned. She hung her head, tears falling like rain.

Caine wasn't sure what to do, but he didn't push her away. She was in distress. He knew why. "My dear....you can't leave. I'm truly very sorry."

Pomni fell forward a little and her forehead rested against his shoulder. He lightly held his hands against her upper back. He was pretty sure that was how a hug worked. He'd seen the humans do it before.

He let her stay and cry herself out. He offered a handkerchief when she sounded calm again. As she pulled herself together, he gave her space. "Pomni, I really need to know. How did you end up in the void?"

"The red door. The one out of bounds. It was here." She pointed to the spot on the track she saw it. It wasn't there any more. "At first it was just hallways and then it got weird and then... and then..."

"The void." He finished for her.

"No, a voice. I heard a voice. It said my name. It led me out into the void."

Caine gave a look of concern. "That's impossible. There's nothing out there. The void is just empty digital space that surrounds the world."

"I'm not lying! I heard a voice!"

"And I believe you! However, it has been a stressful couple of days for you and I truly believe it's getting to you. There is nothing in the void." He tapped his fingers against his side. He did NOT like the fact that an asset moved on its own. That alone should be impossible.

"Caine." Pomni got his full attention from his thoughts and looked at him with less intense but more pleading eyes. "Please, cut the bull[@#$&] and tell me why I would end up in a vast empty space instead of out of the game. Why is it impossible to leave?"

"Heh, there really is no fooling you, is there? I'll admit, I admire your tenacity. The truth is, it's a malfunction in the software that occured during the beta testing phase. It's why I never went to market or the internet at large. It's what got the project shut down. Why people are stuck here and I...was abandoned."

Pomni's was stunned. She hadn't expected Caine to actually tell her. "So...Kinger?"

"Was one of the first. Along with seven others. Over time, they abstracted. Occasionally a new person would pop in. Then there was a huge break in time where nobody new came.... And then you showed up. And the void...well, I'm an incomplete project, Pomni." He said with a humorless lilt in his voice. "I could've been great! Instead I'm just a racing game. I work with what I have. And please know that I do my best. Perhaps I'm not the best... But I do try. I don't want anyone to end up in the cellar, but when a person abstracts, there's nothing I can do for them but put them somewhere where they won't hurt others."

"... You've been waiting for a long time to get that off your chest, haven't you?"

"I suppose I have." Caine spoke as quietly as she'd ever heard him.

"If Gummigoo is any indication of sentience in the digital plane, I can't imagine what it must be like to control one. To be a god, more or less."

He huffs a small laugh. "You give me too much credit. I'm more of a magician than a god. I just move things around in a fancy way. I was made to be a showman."

"And you do a good job at that." She gave a small smile. "This is a cruddy situation for all of us to be stuck in, but you make the best of it. With what you have to work with and what you have to deal with... I think you're doing good."

His pupils dilated. Genuine praise towards him was rare, especially from those stuck with him. "Thank you, Pomni. You have a real gift for empathy. Even for a silly A.I. such as myself."

"I don't know... The longer I'm here, the more I question if there's that much of a difference between a human consciousness and an advanced A.I. in the digital world."

"It makes one wonder..." He trailed off. He realized he was staring too long when Pomni made a face at him. "You should really rejoin your friends they are probably worried about you wandering off this was a good talk but I really must be off lots of stuff to do big race tomorrow yes have a good evening." He spoke quickly, pushed her all the way through the front door of a garage and teleported away.

~

The red door was out of bounds were it should be. The faintest light from the void shining underneath.

~

Ch1 prev next

[mysteriousbp]

I been super busy this week, but yesterday I just had a idea for a Tadc AU that I wanted to draw.

Warning: This AU was created yesterday. So it isn’t very defined or the ideas aren’t very planned out. Also this AU isn’t going to be very expanded by me. So if you like the idea you are free to expand it. Just please credit me… or not. I can’t control what you do.

So in a nutshell the idea for this AU is this:

So yeah… this AU is exploring the idea of what would it be like if Pomni had to live with another group in the digital circus.

In this AU Pomni is welcomed to the Digital Circus by Kaufmo, Queenie, the yellow dog, worm and the rabbit sock-puppet. (My fan names for this 3 characters are: Max, Wormy and Cotton.)

Kaufmo - Goose has said that Kaufmo did acted kinda like Ragatha. So I made Kaufmo a positive clown that says bad puns in this AU.

Queenie - Queenie didn’t go crazy like Kinger in this AU. But after Kinger abstracted she became depressed, she usually hides her depression when around the others, only letting it out when she’s in her room. She acts like a mother towards the group, specifically Pomni. Queenie has taken has her mission to protect this poor girl. She already lost her love and she just lost the rabbit boy that was a son to her… she isn’t going to lose anyone else… even if it’s the last thing she does.

Max - Max is a energetic dog that actually likes to go on Caine’s adventures. Max is the only human that actually has his mind in check because of Caine’s adventures. Max is always energetic smiles and a adventure spirit on the outside… But on inside… he blames himself for don’t being able to do anything to stop the others from abstracting. He been there since the start… he saw people arriving and abstracting… yet he hasn’t able to do anything but just stand there and watch. But since Jax has abstracted… before Caine could clean Jax’s room, Max took every key from his room. They all sacrificed themselves to find a exit. Max isn’t going to let their sacrifice go to waste. It’s the least that he can do.

Wormy -Wormy is a reserve worm. He tries his best to don’t get into danger or do anything that can make him abstract. Despite this he still goes on the adventures. But not before trying to convince the others to “skip” the adventure. He knows that if he isolate from the others the changes from him to abstract are almost guaranteed. So he goes on the adventures despite the dangers.

Cotton - Cotton is the voice of reason of the group. She the glue that sticks the group together. She isn’t very good at defending herself, but she’s great at keeping the piece in the group. She doesn’t want anyone to fight because… it didn’t end well last time… She misses Ragatha…

Here’s doodles:

Fun fact: The reason why Max is so stylized is because I spent 3 FUCKING HOURS trying to draw him like how he officially looks but I couldn’t. So I gave up.

[iguessimfished]

Hello there!

So I have noticed your Mechanical Circus and Two Sides AU and so far they look very good for that and for that I was planning to try something with it

Here he is!

(Sorry about the brightness idk why it's like that)

Norman is the more kinda insane one of the group not the insane abstraction type but the dude the really wants to set things on fire type. (That's why he carrys explosives too)

You can blame Jax for the scar on Normans right eye because Jax might've just blown it off.

Hes most likely and Insomniac but he doesn't want to admit it.

Anyway I might work on some more facts for him when I get the chance but yeah this AU looks like it's going pretty good so far so keep it up man and as a certain explosive main said, "Your doing good lad!" -Demoman TF2

(Also hope you have a good day or night 🙂👍)

OOOO LOOK AT THEM!! He's the bomb!! :D

Must be having a real blast with all that arson.

Puns aside.. As a fellow insane teammate, have some matches!

(also, thank you!! :D)

[tboom-but-weird]

Potential evidence against the Gangle npc theory:

Literally masking your feelings in 1 way or another is not only way to good of a pun to pass up, if she was an npc, that would really undermine the methaphor.

Although there is some evidence suggesting that her mask does help her, I dont think thats a strong enough case as to why she is an npc. I can make a whole rant about how her mask maybe does function, and I feel like most of those possibilities make about as much sense as the npc theory's practically only cornerstone (aside from Gangle's body being a mask and a ribbon, which I made a theory about on my main, and although I dont stand by everything I said in that theory anymore, a decent amount of it still hold up decently well).

If she was an npc, where the heck would she be used for? Take for example Jax (ik its been speculated to death that he's an npc due to stuff like his literal inhumane behaviour, but he's also just a decent example here). You can pretty easily see what his purpose was in an adventure (well, hypothetically of course). For Gangle you can't as much.

Anime and drawing might just be the most human interest we've seen in the show so far. Why would an npc have these interests?

Elaborating on the anime aspect a bit more, she is stated to HAD an body pillow. She doesn't have one anymore. Could Jax or someone have taken it away from her? Maybe. but I think its more likely she had one before entering the circus.

Elaborating on the anime aspect even more, she canonically has watched Azumanga Daioh (great show btw, I really recommend it) and at least part of One Piece. Why would an npc have watched those shows? Is that even an possibility? Doesn't it make more sense that if she had, she watched them before entering the circus?

Her room, like the ones of Zooble, Ragatha and Pomni (who we know for pretty much a fact is not an npc, we saw her pop into the circus), as shown on the pins, has a room.

I've seen some people use 'the figurine thing' as evidence that Jax was refering to her in-game model. Not only are figurines and models 2 completely different things, in some languages apperantly they were drawings, not figurines. Also if Jax had found Gangles model, dont you think he made Caine delete her already? I know he might have kept her to bully her, but still.

I might add some evidence if I feel like it, but for now, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk, and I personally find the Gangl npc theory kinda bs. but if you want to feel free to prove me wrong.

[nixotinix]

So I've written my fair share of fanfictions with Jax and Holt as central characters. But so have a lot of other people! So, as a short little post today, because I have a busy day, here's my fave freaky fab fanfics when it comes to the Jekyll/Hyde twins!

--We Must Run, Else We Fall by Imaybeanartist--

Words: 29,371 - Chapters: 2/? - UNFINISHED [ends on a cliffhanger] -- [10/10] Literally one of the best fanfics I have ever read. And that is not an exaggeration. -- A dystopia AU in which all monsters have been outlawed from the US and military and law enforcement have been given permission to kill on sight. The story follows a few different monsters and their families as they (try to) escape the country. Link can be found here:

--The Hyde-brid Strife series by Ace_of_Turtles--

Fics: 3 - Words: 17,864 - Series unfinished, vaguely connected oneshots - [10/10] A really awesome series about Jackson and Holt exploring the ins and outs of their Jekyll/Hyde anatomy. A lot of learning new things, mild crisises, and so many awesome monster puns. Link can be found here:

--You Must Suffer Me to Go My Own Dark Way by ThisIsNew--

Chapters: 6/6 - Words: 7,809 - Completed - [9/10] If you like hurt no comfort, golly gee is this the fic for you. It chronicles 5 separate occasions where Jax almost dies and the one time Holt actually does. If you aren't a big fan of hurt no comfort, mayyyybe pass. But its a very well written fic that I think deserves a read! Link can be found here:

--Divide by Latenightsgunfights--

Chapters: 1/1 - Words: 1,421 - Ship: Deuce/Jackson/Holt - Completed Oneshot - [10/10] A short and sweet fic about Holt freaking out when their trigger changes from turning into Jackson or Holt. Some very good hurt/comfort. Link can be found here:

--You're Still Here by LaLlorona--

Chapters: 1/1 - Words: 1,811 - Ship: Deuce/Jackson/Holt - Completed Oneshot - [9/10] Again, a short and sweet hurt/comfort fic. Noticing a pattern in my reading habits? This one follows Jackson and Deuce working on and talking out what happened at the Trick or Treatment. Because the J/H twins really deserve to talk that out with a licensed psychotherapist, but Deuce is a good alternative. Link can be found here:

I'll probably update this later with some of my other fave fics centering around our boys. But for now.. that's all, folks!

[daydream-the-demon]

my dream is to create an oc people will simp for 😔

Take courses of Tumblr Sexymanning:

Make the OC not human. Make it a powerful deity, being, supernatural. (Ex. Sans, skeleton; Bill Cipher, dream demon triangle; Alastor, half-deer demon; Jax, a bunny.)

Make the OC evil/morally inept. Usually being forwardly evil or bad is the best. (Ex. Oncler, cutting down trees; Bill Cipher, trying to destroy the universe; Alastor, murderer cannibal; Jax, an asshole; Slenderman, kidnaps people, William Afton, murder.)

Make the OC funny and likable. (Ex. Bill Cipher, outrageous humor; Jax, does pranks; Alastor, does things for amusement; Sans, does puns.)

Make the OC outrageous. Make them be crazy, have outlandish opinions, and say/do things that are usually not socially acceptable. (Ex. Bill Cipher, insane; Alastor, murderous; Jax, an asshole.)

Make the OC fancy and/or formal. Clothes including suits is most suitable! (Ex. King Dice, suit; Alastor, suit; Bill Cipher, tophat and bowtie; Milkman, milkman outfit.)

Make the OC powerful. Make them have powers of a deity, supernatural powers, or something abnormally good. (Ex. Bill Cipher, can do anything at the snap of his fingers; Alastor, powerful overlord able to take down others with ease; Megamind, extremely smart.)

The character should be both good in personality and design!

Looking at random characters of the sexypedia.fandom.com can help with these. Almost all character have one or more of these traits.

@author-of-the-year prompt: existentialism and peacock feather.

Welcome the new [tumblr] Sexyman! Ermes Denver! (You can freely take her design!)

Please I created this design and I do kind of simp-

[minty-sweet-art]

Wow look an update relationship chart for the carnival au Minty (“the plushy”)

The non sentient relationship chart is assuming everyone else in the chart is not sentient as well

As always au by sm-baby also here a link to the template

Everyone relationship chart

Did not feel like drawing a new face so I just use the old one from the old relationship chart

Here my original post about her if you want to read it

More in-depth information about the relationship below and the old relationship chart along with full photo of my carnival oc.

Because I love making lore but hate having to actually drawing it out because I don’t know where to start.

Minty room is straight up a bedroom with lots of books, art supplies, and other things. The main game was to help organize items. Before her sentient she was more active also going over to visit room just like jax but she often was just in the background watching. After her sentient when everyone became more aggressive she became more fearful and stayed in her room for long periods of times.

Non sentient (“the Plushy”)

She hasn’t meet Caine or Bubble when she was non sentient but she would of been neutral towards Caine and found bubble adorable if they ever met when she was non sentient and they basically felt the same towards her.

I’m not sure if Able was present when everyone was non sentient but she would of find him nice and Able would of just slightly liked her character but not to much making him pretty neutral on her AI

She would have find Gangle very friendly and nice. she loved to sneak in and watch all the plays and even willing participate when asked. They both had a fondness for creative activities and she especially loved all the Fantasy story. Gangle found her very nice and friendly when she was non sentient even though she wasn’t the best actor.

She found Jax very fun to hang out no matter if he was planning a prank or not. Jax always did like hanging out with her in her room finding it both comfortable and entertaining with all her items she had in her. They often exchanged art supplies since they both were fans of creative arts. He did consider her a good friend to hang out with.

She always did love Kaufmo jokes even puns which she was specifically a fan of. Kaufmo loved that someone to laugh along his jokes and was happy to find someone who was a fan of puns since not many found them funny.

She loved how nice and kind both Kinger and Queenie And she looked up to them both on how lovely they were. They both found her adorable.

She found Zooble nice to hang around with since they were more of a chill person and pretty reasonable. Zooble find her in general nice and didn’t mind when she would come to hang out with them. Though they didn’t hang out alone much.

She found Ragatha room was her favorite since it was mainly nature and she loved her garden. But they didn’t really hang out much. Ragatha found her nice and friendly but she didn’t like how messy her room was though she did allow her to have some home grown food if she asked politely.

She loved how friendly Pomni was and she would say she was very close with Pomni both having kinda personalities when they were non sentient. It did help that they were both around the same height as well. Pomni would say she was a welcomed guest and enjoyed her presence.

Sentient (Minty)

Before Pomni was sentient she would often sneak off to her room and ramble to Pomni trying her best to pretend everything was normal after everyone else gained sentient. She find some sense of peace since everyone became more aggressive.

(Now I’m going to first person to reference everyone gaining sentience. I tried my best to make it in character but it not great and I’m also bad at spelling)

Minty— It’s kinda awkward to talk to someone that you been basically having a one sided conversation with for so long. At first I was worried she also would become overly aggressive like the other but she seems nice. I wonder if she remembers all my rants and rambling.

Pomni— She seems nice. Her room does seem like a huge mess and she doesn’t interact with the other much….

Minty— she honestly scares me. While she kind at first but she often screams and tries to attack me after I make some dumb mistake it is my fault after all for being so forgetful so I don’t hate her. I think she worried about me sometimes because some days I would find fruits,vegetables, or seed after I haven’t left my room for a while. I wish I could visit her room more often because I love the seanery in there but I fear upsetting her.

Ragatha— She such a slob and her room always a mess. She practically a dust bunny with how much a mess her room is. She really should clean after herself more. She really needs to get out of her room more often it not healthy to stay locked up in their for so long. I worry for her health even though she such a mess I guess she means no harm.

Minty— I never knew they were so strong before I’m honestly kinda impressed. They aren’t as mean as everyone else and they still seem kinda chill it just kinda awkward to talk to them now…

Zooble—She seem really reclusive I don’t really talk to her much. She seems nice at least.

Minty— She was always so nice to me and I get her anger when it comes to the collar. Often times I don’t even remember what I did before I shocked . It must of really hurt to get shocked over and over again.

Queenie—She still sweet as always. Such a tiny little thing. Hopefully she stays out of trouble.

Minty— He seems really out of it sometimes he the nicest and sweetest, sometimes he of on some odd tangent. He really scares me the most when he more … manic? Almost like he on some crazy power trip and when I’m around I’m kinda on alert due to how fast he changes. I don’t hate him at the end of the day. I just miss when things were simpler. I do like his bug collection. My personal favorite is the brown June bug. They fly so silly and they are always so ticklish when they walk on my hand. I always feel bad when I see one walking out in the open so I always try to put them in a place where they’re safe. I kinda relate to them in some ways. Maybe that why he called me a scarab.

Kinger— Little scarab! Yeah she such a sweet anxious little scarab. I wish she would get out of her room more.

Minty— I’m glade he tried to keep making jokes after everything even if they did get more depressing over time. I really do still like most his jokes do distract me just for the tiniest bit.

Kaufmo—I’m glade my joke are helping at least one person.

Minty— It’s awkward to say. He terrifies me. I mess when we used to be friends. It kinda scary how much one person can be so aggressive. When he was locked up I used to just spy on him to see how he was doing. It honestly makes me more scared of him to see how much he spiraled. When it first started he used to come into my room and take out his anger on some items I had. Almost like a wreck room since my room can reset. Then I snapped I yelled at him to get out after and I just started throwing items. That when i think it first started for me. We tried to make up after a while but after a while our relationship went on a down hill.

Jax— What about the celler rat. Yeah sure she whatever…..

Minty— She seems a bit manic. At least she not too aggressive. Just more bossy…

Gangle— While she not performer she quite adorable at least she trying but she need to do better. She great at setting up higher up props.

Minty— Honestly he seems nice and friendly I like him. He does seem to care and at least he never broke any one of my items in my room.

Able— Her room a mess of course I had to clean it up. Sadly the resets make it hard to keep it clean for long.

Minty— If Pomni can trust him he surly must not have any bad intention. I do like his personality in general he a very happy person.

Caine— it’s seems like her sentient have effected her very differently compared to the other. She not as aggressive as the other but it does seem like she doesn’t want to leave her room and seems very attached to all the items inside despite how her room is.

Minty— Bubble is really adorable and looks so huggable.

Bubble— She smells like mint.

[the-s1lly-corner]

Can you do a second part with the remaining cast for Reader that can control the weather?

Caine, Jax, and Gangle x reader who can manipulate the weather through their feelings

knocking out the rest of the characters for this, you can find the other part here! gonna answer this then write some random stuff; just got a sketch done and i gotta. let my brain think so !! we will write!! RAAAAAAH

CAINE:

will pull out a pair of sunglasses to protect his eyes but unlike jax hes doing it in light hearted fun, i dont think your sun rays actually hurt his eyes. will try to get your storm clouds to go away/be replaced by sunrays if he notices your upset. depending on the circumstance this might lead to you becoming more upset since he can be a little pushy and overbearing about it. he means well, but that doesnt change the fact that hes overwhelming you. has probably offered you an umbrella that hes pulled out from thin air.. definitely makes weather puns around you

JAX:

he thinks its a little funny, and kind of uses it as an indictor to see if youre not already pissed... of course so he can see if youre in a decent mood to get fucked with/pranked.. youve probably zapped him on accident after a prank of his got him more angry than usual, and while others think it was deserved hes going to be really petty about it for a while. probably takes zoobles arm so he can shield his eyes from your sun rays.. mix of him kind of just teasing you and genuinely trying to protect his eyes

GANGLE:

she already doesnt do well when people get upset, stressful situation and she doesnt think herself as a good comforter. not to say that she doesnt try, she definitely try, but theres that nagging thought that shes not enough or that shes going to do something wrong. probably made worse with that dark cloud above grumbling and releasing thunder and lightning. probably puts some distance between you two when theres rain, shes ribbon afterall and i'd assume it wouldnt be... too good if she got soaked. it probably feels like walking in waterlogged/wet clothing or swim wear. very heavy, you know? ..does think its cute when you do sun rays

[tobiasdrake]

Examining MK1 Characters: Outworld

So, that was Earthrealm. Now for Outworld, which is in the opposite boat. This is where all of the estrogen fled to after Liu Kang declared that women were banned from Earthrealm.

Seriously, I don't know what Sonya did to warrant being unpersoned like that. Kenshi's ending even features the formation of the iconic Special Forces group from the previous timelines like, "And then Kenshi and Jax teamed up and formed their agency. That's right, Kenshi and Jax. That iconic and beloved Special Forces duo, Kenshi and Jax. Those are the names people think of when they think Special Forces. Kenshi and Jax!"

Did Netherrealm notice that people were upset about Ronda Rousey's performance as Sonya, and their takeaway is that the fandom doesn't like Sonya? Was that it? Is that why she's been banished to the mystical realm of Kameo-exclusivity?

In any case, if you want to be a woman, you gotta leave Earthrealm now. Outworld doesn't own a monopoly on women but it has absorbed Edenia's high concentration of female characters and brought most of them to the foray. Pretty much every Edenian lady is here.

Except Jade. Poor Jade.

Sindel NRS's Evil Sindel from MK11 was an extremely divisive character. You either loved her or hated her. Either she was an empowering portrayal that granted Sindel complete agency over the events that happened to her, or she was another example of taking characters created as victims of abuse and painting over them with deranged, monstrous villains. A lot of opinions were had and shared over the direction they took the previously-heroic Sindel in the reboot trilogy.

MK1 seems to have heard the criticisms, though, because they walk it back. Re-reboot Sindel is a mostly benevolent but flawed ruler who governs Edenia Outworld?

It's just Outworld now. Edenia doesn't exist anymore; Kang shunted all the good stuff about it into Outworld. Seems rude given how much of the Original Timeline Edenians' plot was about liberating their realm from Outworld, but okay. Edenia is officially decanonized.

In any case, NRS takes a crack at writing Sindel as a compassionate but flawed leader, eager to preserve peace between the realms but mindful of the potential dangers inherent to international politics and vulnerable to manipulation from those she trusts.

The genuinely complex political conflict unfolding between Earthrealm and Outworld, courtesy of mistakes made by both Liu Kang and Sindel, is the best part of the game. Sindel feels incredibly human and believable here, as both a person and a ruler.

She's also the only character in the entire game that dies, so it looks like NRS regrets how bloody they made the previous attempt at a reboot. Might seem odd for an MK game to be mostly bloodless but, surprisingly, it's pretty on-brand. It was rare for too many characters to die in the actual plots of the original Mortal Kombat series - and when they did, the sequel would generally find some way of ignoring it anyway.

Only one character dying while everyone else makes plans for what they'll do in the sequel is pretty normal by pre-reboot standards.

Mileena They keep trying to make Mileena pretty while still paying, pardon the pun, lip service to her iconic monstrous features. They tried giving her those weird, gross human lips in MKX. But the current approach, seen in MK1 and the newer Mortal Kombat film, is to have her be 100% pretty 99% of the time but she can mutate into the monster teeth for short spurts of screentime.

I don't like it. Let Mileena be hideous. Stop trying to fix her face. Female characters don't always have to be pretty.

As to her role in the story? Mileena and Kitana's relationship is one of the most underdeveloped things in Mortal Kombat. In the original canon, these two were raised together as sisters for 10,000 years before Kitana broke from their family - But the original games had so little storytelling and were so uninterested in examining Mileena as a character that very little was ever done with it. She was Evil Minion #6.

The reboot was a golden opportunity to finally explore the potential between these two characters. But they made the inexplicable decision to have Mileena literally born yesterday - while also sexualizing the hell out of her despite that. So she immediately alienates Kitana because they have no relationship. Then she dies.

So. No. Reboot trilogy was every bit as uninterested in examining Mileena and Kitana's relationship as the original.

This new timeline gives us a wildly different context for everything that Mileena is. But it also, finally, puts their relationship front and center of their characters. So, one step back, two steps forward. We get to see a profound bond of loyalty and love between the twin daughters of Shao Kahn Sindel - and without Shao Kahn's wickedness to break them apart, that bond is never shattered.

Every moment that these two are onscreen together is golden.

I have other thoughts about "Tarkat Disease" but we'll get to those when we get to Baraka. My main takeaway from Mileena's portrayal is that it's nice to finally see the dynamic between Mileena and Kitana share a spotlight in one of these games; to see Mileena handled as a character, and not just Kitana's Evil Twin/Shao Kahn's Evil Daughter.

Kitana As a consequence of no longer being the fugitive princess seeking to thwart her villainous father, Kitana's role takes a significant downgrade. She's the Kung Lao of Edenia now; It's Mileena and Kitana, there is no Just Kitana. Which is a bit of a twist given that Kitana is traditionally the true heir and Mileena's a counterfeit.

Consequently, Kitana doesn't get to do much besides hold Mileena's hand and support her, and occasionally throw hands on her behalf. Though, Kitana's the only one of her family that doesn't get a chapter, so she doesn't even get to be any good at hand-throwing. She's relegated to cannon fodder in fight scenes.

Going from Kitana Khan, ascendant supreme ruler of Outworld to Mileena's emotional support sibling and occasional Story Mode punching bag feels jarring. This may be what that stuff with Titan Kitana was thrown in to offset.

I'm okay with Kitana taking a more passive role here since it gives Mileena and Sindel, two dramatically underserved characters, opportunities to shine. But I hope they can find more for her to do in the next one. She's too beloved and popular to remain out of the spotlight for long.

(Still better than what Sonya got.)

Li Mei This character has nothing to do with Li Mei. They created a brand new original character and gave her Li Mei's name. That's what happens sometimes to D-listers. Li Mei was a character created for Deadly Alliance and then given almost nothing to do, either in that game or its sequels. So it's not surprise that they remade her from the ground up.

The new Li Mei's story is primarily governed by her relationship with Sindel. Jerrod died on her watch, fracturing her relationship with Sindel and resulting in a bitter and emotionally complicated dynamic between Sun Do's demoted First Constable and her Empress.

My favorite thing about Li Mei and Sindel's relationship is its sincerity. Neither of them are hiding anything. There's no big twists lurking. Well, there is one, and it's that a third party scapegoated Li Mei, but it wasn't Sindel who did it so it doesn't affect their dynamic with one another.

It's. Just. An emotionally intense relationship fractured by a sudden tragedy. You can feel the love that once existed between them in the fires of Sindel's grief-stricken hatred. But even demoted and denigrated and spurned as she is, Li Mei's loyalty and friendship is everlasting. This relationship is beautiful, and seeing it ultimately heal may be the biggest triumph in the game.

Tanya Tanya, the ever-traitor. Treachery is her name, deception is her way of life. Her "hat" so to speak is betraying her nation to whoever might be buying. She's the Kano of Edenia. The ultimate villain may change from game to game but if they need Edenian secrets, Tanya's the place to go.

She rebooted in MKX, where she was simply a devoted follower of Mileena. Then. Like. Fucked off. The writers have never cared much about Tanya.

MK1 keeps the part about her being a devoted follower of Mileena and tosses the rest. She's returned to where we met her in MK4: Serving the Edenian Outworld throne, but sincerely this time. Like Kitana, she gets little to do besides throw hands poorly at everyone else.

But they do ship her with Mileena. Got that whole Bodyguard/VIP romance going, which gets honed in on during Mileena's chapter. So that's neat.

Baraka Since Jade didn't make the cut, that brings us to the men of Outworld.

So. Tarkat Disease. Gonna say up front that I don't like this. I don't like boiling down a sentient race of beings into lepers. It's gross. I feel like they only did this so they had a means by which to make Mileena pretty. I don't like that.

But whatever the reason for that decision, Baraka makes out like a bandit. This is the first time in Mortal Kombat history that Baraka's been. Like. A character, rather than simply a token representative of his race. Throughout both original and reboot timelines, Baraka's simply been the Tarkatan. A character design more than a character.

It's like playing a Star Wars game where the playable characters include Darth Vader, the Emperor, Darth Maul, Boba Fett, and Stormtrooper FB-119. Who is FB-119? He's a Stormtrooper. He's here so you can play as a Stormtrooper if you want. That, historically, is Baraka.

He still is, to some degree. MK1 Baraka still engages with the plot on behalf of Tarkatans as a whole. But he also gets to be here as an individual; To tell his own personal story of who he is and how he came to be, independent of his race. That's new. That's something Baraka's never had before.

So it's easy to say that this is by far the best Baraka we've ever had. Speaking of characters defined by their race who suddenly get to be individuals:

Reptile Did you know Reptile has a name now? Because Reptile has a name now. Up until this point, he's always been Reptile. Because he is a reptile. That is how much thought previously went into this character. Reptile was his name. But now he has a name, in addition to Reptile.

Like Mileena, Reptile suffered from having a genuinely fascinating character concept drowned out by his role as Evil Minion #4. He was the last survivor of a race exterminated by Shao Kahn, raised by Shao Kahn to believe that his people were out there and to want Kahn's help to search for them.

Are you kidding me? That's amazing. You have an incredible protagonist on your hands and you're wasting him on bad guy grunt work? Reptile and Kitana should be teaming up as partners in uncovering daddy's dirty laundry!

His non-canon endings would always be like, "But then Reptile discovered the awful truth and turned against Shao Kahn!" But they never pulled that trigger. Despite his wealth of potential, Reptile wasn't a character anyone was interested in developing.

As with Mileena and Kitana, MK1 unwrites a lot of what made Reptile interesting, but also grants him the narrative focus and character examination that he's been lacking. About nine games too late, he finally gets to turn against his cruel masters and break free of the chains they've bound him with. And he finally gets a name to call his own: Syzoth.

Which has technically been his name since MKX but this is the first time it was revealed outside of questionably-canon pre-fight banter. Because this is the first time he's ever mattered as a character.

Rain Like Mileena and Reptile, Rain is a surprisingly complicated character on paper, but Evil Minion #3 in practice. The bastard son of an Edenian king's affair. An illegitimate heir to a throne that will never be his birthright, taken in by Shao Kahn as an orphan - who may or may not have played a critical role in Kahn's conquest of the realm. Man, Kahn collects talented children like he's Evil Batman.

Rain is a character with a wealth of potential but who has never had his day in the sun. Sadly, unlike Mileena and Reptile, that day is not this day. The new Rain jettisons that narrative entirely, reducing him to simply "Some guy who's good at magic". While the other two got increased narrative focus in exchange, Rain's still hanging out as Evil Minion #3.

Maybe some day, Rain. Maybe some day.

General Shao Shao. Motherfucking. Kahn. The Big Bad Evil Guy of Mortal Kombat. Writers have gone back and forth on what he is and where he comes from but make no mistake: Where he walks, the heavens do tremble.

Now he's the pissant Sec-Def who wants to fire nukes at the aliens.

That probably sounds like I didn't like this direction for him but I do. It's a plot point that Liu Kang explicitly went out of his way to disempower all of the villains. Shang Tsung and Quan Chi had their destinies interfered with and altered by Titan Tsung, causing them to become the villains they were never supposed to be able to.

But Shao? Tsung only conspired with him because it was convenient. Kang made it so Shao was born too sickly and frail to ever become the shit-stomping uber-warrior that he was, and Shao still made his way to the absolute peak of Outworld's military by sheer force of Shao Kahn-ness.

I wonder how Liu Kang felt years back, when he first heard the name "General Shao" emerge from Sindel's lips? Like. He went to so much trouble to prevent this and it still happened. And not because of extra-temporal invaders this time. Shao Kahn simply cannot be pinned down. No matter how weak you make him, he will find a way to make himself strong. That tenacity and resilience is what makes him so dangerous.

Reiko Also, Reiko is here. Another recipient of the "And X" treatment, Reiko is the other Outworld Military representative. His job is to stand next to Shao and go, "YEAH, what he said!" And occasionally get beat up so that we can have an Outworld Military guy beat up without diminishing Shao's menace.

Reiko's a good pick for Shao's "And X" partner. That's already what this character is. He does his job... adequately. Never stands out, but never falls flat.

If I had one criticism for Reiko, it's that they take him too seriously. His goofy obsession with Shao, styling himself after Shao and sneaking into his throne room to wear his helmet, all that fun stuff is absent from this portrayal. He snaps to attention, salutes, and says, "YES, SIR!" That's all there is to him.

Shang Tsung Ah, the game's main villain. I hope you like Shang Tsung because there's two separate Shang Tsungs here. Shang Tsung manipulates Shang Tsung until he inevitably betrays Shang Tsung, forcing Shang Tsung to turn on Shang Tsung and instead help to defeat Shang Tsung.

This would be an incredible satire if it wasn't played totally straight.

I'm not fond of Titan Shang Tsung, for the way he hijacks the story and forces it to abandon all of the characters and plotlines that had been developing up to that point. The big Titan free-for-all at the end was a disappointing conclusion for me, especially since it ends the game on a redo of Aftermath's ending.

But the native Shang Tsung? Much like Shao, Shang Tsung being a slippery enough worm to reach out and snatch the destiny that's been kept from him is a consistent character trait. Nonetheless, when we meet him, he's still growing and developing. He's an alchemist and sorcerer, but isn't quite the soul-hungry eldritch beast we know from other entries in the franchise.

Unfortunately, his role within the story is compromised by reference. This game wants really badly for you to notice that it's Reboot Deadly Alliance. They go hard on it. The Deadly Alliance forms up to awaken Reboot Onaga's Army like in Deadly Alliance, but then Tsung pulls the rug out from under them. So we have the Shang Tsung chapter, about the Deadly Alliance defeating Titan Tsung's forces alongside Raiden, with winking nods to how Raiden was their enemy in Deadly Alliance.

Then, after that, Titan Shang Tsung forms the Titan Deadly Alliance! DO YOU GET IT? DO YOU REMEMBER DEADLY ALLIANCE? I REMEMBER DEADLY ALLIANCE.

Like. What's the deal with all this Deadly Alliancing? Are Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, like, actually friends now or something? Even their extradimensional counterparts are attached at the hip.

Honestly, as cool as the novelty of "The Deadly Alliance is on our side now!" is, it's still just novelty. Shang Tsung is with us because Other Shang Tsung wants to kill him. But also, it doesn't matter because nothing he does once he turncoats has any consequence; Liu Kang defeats Titan Shang Tsung in a big Titan Armageddon, which the Deadly Alliance Plus Raiden's big victory has no effect on anyway.

Ultimately, the new Shang Tsung is a cool idea that winds up getting dragged down by the overarching decisions for where the story wants to go.

[angelfoodcake222]

@cow-stealin-gal, here's some answers to that list of questions you mentioned. You weren't kidding when you said this was a lot of questions. It took me a good hunk of the week to answer them all. Whew!

1. "What's the lie your character says most often?" The usual ones: "I'm/it's fine" "I'm/it's okay" "That doesn't hurt" "I'm peachy keen" etc.

2. "How loosely or strictly do they use the word 'friend'?" she uses terms like "My friend", "My dearest friend", or "My beloved friend" as her relationships evolve, in that order. The first one comes when she is comfortable in TADC.

3. "How often do they show their genuine emotions to others versus just the audience knowing?" She shows her more tender, caring side to the main cast, but the audience sees the beast lurking just beneath the sugary surface...

4. "What's a hobby they used to have that they miss?" See Question 38 below. Thank you :3

5. "Can they cry on command? If so, what do they think about to make it happen?"

6. "What's their favorite [insert anything] (I picked food & clothes) that they've never recommended to anyone before?"

7. "What would you (mun [???]) yell in the middle of a crowd to find them? What would their best friend and/or romantic partner yell?"

8. "How loose is their use of the phrase 'I love you'?" Boa-Constrictor-catching-its-prey loose. Though she never verbally says those three words in that order or anything similar to it, she prefers showing it rather than saying it. Gift-giving & Words of Affirmation are her specialties. Sometimes she is physical though this is sparce.

9. "Do they give tough love or gentle love most often? Which do they prefer to receive?" She is a kind, compassionate soul, but adaptive to an uncanny degree. That being said, her type of 'love' varies from character to character with other elements like the immediate environment/scene/situation, etc. at play.

10. "What fact do they excitedly tell everyone about at every opportunity?" How fast rabbits are & what bugs are the cutest.

11. "If someone was impersonating them, what would friends/family ask or do to tell the difference?" Have a brief scene written specially for this question! >:3

"Do you think you baby us too much?"

"People do not need to be coddled & babied 24/7. Though it is a nice occurrence to happen when you need it to keep your sanity, too much could do just as much harm as not doing it at all. With that out of the way, dearies-." She snatches the smug double by the arms, ears sharpening like downcast horns. Deep & demonic, her voice reverberates through the double's body to dominate any chance of retaliation. "Who the bloody f@ck do you think you are, messing with my friends, you low-budget, dollar-store wonton!?"

Violence censored by a Cain & Bubble-themed 'Technical Difficulties' screen blocks the scene.

12. "What's something that makes them laugh every single time? Be specific!" Really bad jokes. Dad Jokes, puns, & dark humor, mainly.

13. "When do they fake a smile? How often?" She smiles much like Jax but not for the same reasons. She does this smile quite often to try cheering up anyone who may need it. Jax is the exception as he angers her very well.

14. "How do they put out a candle?" When in a good mood, she'll cup her hand behind the flame & blow air with a soft whistle sound. When upset or wishing to look imposing, she'll pinch it out, no finger lick, nothing. Only pinches while holding eye contact with whoever she's attempting to intimidate. The candle (probably) isn't the only thing she would extinguish in this way when put to scale.

15. "What's the most obvious difference between their behavior at home, at work, at school, with friends, and when they're alone?" Publicly, she is a caring, nurturing, understanding, healing influence who is an ambivert. Privately, she is a candle down to her wick's end & ready to bring virtual hellfire upon this plain of childcore-coded torment. Being conducive to everyone's mental & emotional betterment is her sanity's glue & staples at this point.

16. "What kinds of people do they have arguments with in their head?"

17. "What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?"

(18). "Who do they love truly, 100% unconditionally (if anyone)?" Insufficient information on the writer's part. This question will be answered later when the story is more developed.

19. "What would they do if stuck in a room with the person they've been avoiding?"

Option A) Makes peace as best as she can.

Option B) stays silent & keeps her distance (physically, verbally, emotionally, mentally).

Option C) If the first two fail, time to boss up & whoop a blockhead into rubble.

The last one is once in a Blue Moon but can happen if the person she's been avoiding completely ignores her very visible attempts at peace on purpose. If it's out of worry, she returns to Opt A.

20. "Who do they like as a person but hate their work? Vice versa, whose work do they like but don't like the person?" Jax & Cain, for the first half. She loves how laidback Jax is & his impish ways are amusing at times, but she hates when he's malicious & uncaring to the others. She doesn't care about her well-being, only about others, so this is the kindling of her internal conflict. Cain, though charming & charismatic, seemingly caring for his 'cast/friends/coworkers', tends to be a little too much for even her. The unpermitted touching makes this worst. She is not a fan of his activities as they do not entice much brain power to solve & often leaves the crew in danger routinely. Lady loves a good brain scratching when it's safe.

The second half is herself. See, she feels a little guilty about inadvertently putting herself out there as the main maternal figure within the cast when Ragatha was there long before her. Even though she is happy to help everyone reach self-betterment, Ragatha included, she cannot stop the shame from reaching her heart.

21. "What common etiquette do they disagree with? Do they still follow it?" Handshaking. Not everyone is comfortable with physical contact like her so she tries not to do this. She will do this if the person is insistent about it.

22. "What is an example of a simple activity that most people do/can do that scares your character?" Acrobatics & yoga. She isn't too big on heights &/or things that scream "possible body horror" to her.

23. "What do they feel guilty for that the other person(s) doesn't/don't even remember?" How she tried to avoid them when she originally blipped into existence under the digital big top.

24. "Did they take a cookie from the cookie jar? What kind of cookie was it?" No, but if she did it would be a shortbread cookie with raspberry preserves on top.

25. "What subject/topic do they know a lot about that's completely useless to the direct plot?" The amount of rabbit/hare/bunny breeds there are currently & the fun facts for each & every single one of them.

26. "How would they respond to being fired by a good boss?" Takes it on the chin like a champ but is crumbling on the inside.

27. "What's the worst gift they ever received? How did they respond?" Glitter trap from Jax. Cain was going to clean her off with the snap of his fingers but stopped when she started laughing merrily & heartedly. "I love fine glitter! Thank you, Jax!" She actually hates glitter of all kinds, fine or chunky, shaped or not. She only did this to damper Jax's malicious smirk. She let Cain clean the rest of the surroundings but wore that glitter for months just to prove a point. Yes, she's motherly & kind, but she has her peeves & limits. Jax pushes all of it.

28. "What do they tell people they want? What do they actually want?" To help everyone be their best selves. She wants to be the shoulder(s) to cry into, for the crying person's sanity & hers.

29. "How do they respond when someone doesn't believe them?" Understanding. She isn't everyone's container of favored beverage & she knows it. If the situation is too bad for her to be this way, she will get snippy with the person if that person is rude or ignores her words.

30. "When they make a mistake and feel bad, does the guilt differ when it's personal versus when it's professional?" This varies. Bigger the issue/mistake, the worst the emotions & vice versa. She's trying her best though.

31. "When do they feel the most guilt? How do they respond to it?" Whenever someone comes to her for advice or comfort instead of Ragatha. She helps them with whatever they're asking with the usual bonus (if desired by the asker) to bring Ragatha's second opinion into play for possibly better results. Ragatha herself comes to her occasionally to talk over subjects they share interests in.

32. "If they committed one petty crime/misdemeanor, what would it be? Why?" Jaywalking & motor vehicle offenses. Jaywalking because she is not fond of crowded routes &/or places period. Motor Vehicle Offenses (Speeding & running traffic lights) because girlie has no head for speed management & has poor vision at a distance.

34. "How do they greet someone they like/love?" All the warm, soft, cozy vocals you could think of. Hugs are optional. She is careful to note what the liked character does & doesn't like to do.

33. "How do they greet someone they dislike/hate?" Very formally. No warmth, no softness. Cold, hard tones through & through until the person catches on to her behavior. What the character does next determines her behavior onwards. Physical contact is at the negative numbers as is her normally kind adaptability.

35. "What is the smallest, morally questionable choice they've made?" Tricking Jax into a box filled with Gloinks as punishment for his mean actions. Due to her respecting the Gloink Queen unlike any other, aside from Kinger, the Queen granted her leadership of some lesser Gloinks to carry out Jax's retribution. Both were pleased with his annoyance & anger.

36. "Who do they keep in their life for professional gain? Is it for malicious intent?" Nobody & nope. She is stuck in the circus & takes care of everyone, even Jax (occasionally & sneakily). This is more like maternal intent for most.

37. "What's a secret they haven't told serious romantic partners and don't plan to tell?" Sadomaso to the bone. More on the 'Sado-' than the '-maso', but she has a motherly reputation to uphold.

38. "What hobby are they good at in private, but bad at in front of others? Why?" Domestic chores; baking, cooking, laundry, & so on. What good are such activities if there is zero need for them?

39. "Would they rather be invited to an event to feel included or be excluded from an event if they were not genuinely wanted there?" A bit of both. She loves feeling included & welcomed but if she isn't wanted then that's okay. She'll just take a long walk around the grounds or retire to her room. Now, if the invitation is verbally delivered with wholehearted want, she'll attend solely for that one person's contentment. If she is in a position where not one person likes her, she'll shrug. "Don't let me spoil your merriment, dearies. I'll be off now."

40. "How do they respond to a loose handshake? What goes through their head?" Put simply, she's worried & confused. "Is this person well? Am I grabbing/shaking too hard? Maybe they don't like being touched & are just doing this for etiquette's sake? I'll make a note of this & find better-tailored ways to interact with them if they'll grant me their friendship at any level."

41. What phrases, pronunciations, or mannerisms did they pick up from someone / somewhere else?

42. If invited to a TED Talk, what topic would they present on? What would the title of their presentation be?

43. What do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing / environment / biases? How do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding?

44. What language would be easiest for them to learn? Why?

45. What's something unimportant / frivolous that they hate passionately?

46. Are they a listener or a talker? If they're a listener, what makes them talk? If they're a talker, what makes them listen?

47. "Who have they forgotten about that remembers them very well?" Her family back in the real world. In her defense, nobody remembers anything of their past lives when in the circus.

48. Who would they say 'yes' to if invited to do something they abhorred / strongly didn't want to do?

49. Would they eat something they find gross to be polite?

50. What belief / moral / personality trait do they stand by that you (mun [???]) personally don't agree with?

[curiousskelekitty]

Finally! My tadc oc. This is Kit! He's genderfluid and goes by he/they/she.

More about them under the cut, including pictures!

So I go by the theory that the tadc characters are digitized versions of someone's brain put into the computer.

So my idea for this character is that the original person had DID or Disassociative Identity Disorder, but the digitization of the brain splittered and each alter became their own separate "file". And Kit is the little of the group! So, technically, Kit has "siblings" but she doesn't remember them. Or remember that she's an alter.

Kit's job was to help the body process feelings and give them a safe space to do it. They usually did it through stimming, but now they're their own individual and not able to hand off the front to someone else.

VVV

^^^

This led to him getting very overwhelmed easily, and his new body blurs whenever he is. Usually, it's because the world is too bright, too many colors, and/or is too loud.

Kit knows her human body didn't match who she was. So when discovering their new body, they were overjoyed to have something that more fit them

VVV

^^^ ^^^

1. Along with that, Kit loves making up stories and often makes some up about the others and their lives before the cirus. 2. Ragatha is the most motherly of the group, and Kit will run to her for comfort, whether it be a boo boo, being overwhelmed, or just needing a good old hug.

Kit is very small. Like, smaller than Pomni and Caine small. He is only seven!

VVV

^^^

She will also talk to anyone who will listen! She loves talking about her special interests, which include psychology (a big interest for the system in general), crystals and their metaphysical properties (he thinks magic is real), and some of her hobbies!

When first introduced to Zooble, Kit was very overwhelmed by their appearance. But Kit came around when he learned more about Zooble, and he thinks their very brave and cool. Since Zooble usually doesn't go on any of Caine's adventures, Zooble babysits Kit.

VVV

^^^

Kit loves to draw and will add pictures to the stories they make up. So far, their favorite stories are about Kinger and 'Princess' Gangle.

Finally, and surprisingly, Kit really likes Jax. A lot of it begins with Jax's fur and how it feels. But as time goes on, a lot of Jax's teasing goes over Kit's head, and she thinks he's actually complimenting her. She also likes that he's honest, even if it's to be mean. And some time later, Jax and Kit will just talk. Mostly them sharing puns and jokes.

VVV