#i dunno guys i just feel there can be so much more for shang than “all evil” or “ all good” it's boring

[arttrampbelle]

Shang tsung doesn't need to be a "good guy" to be sympathetic or do nice or "good" deeds.

Y'all should understand that not everyone needs to be a hero to be redeemed.

That's some bullshit propaganda that y'all tend to fall for.

It's like that feeling of "if you pray to jesus,all you're sins in OUR eyes will be forgiven" type indoctrinated shit. Like no shade thrown,even as someone who is spiritual myself. I find people thinking that a villain in a story should become a hero in order to be redeemed,kinda suspicious.

Shang tsung,to me,has ALWAYS BEEN NUANCED. And already had benevolent qualities and traits. Y'all just only see one damn part of it because the writers suck at showing them properly.

Not to mention if a character isn't obnoxiously nice or mean,y'all don't pay attention to them.

It's like most of mk fans I've noticed,at least as of late. Feels like I'm talking to 3yr olds in media literacy.

So no. Shang tsung needs to be a NEUTRAL CHARACTER. not good,not evil,just self serving and even quite helpful as a tournament master as he is supposed to fucking be.

He is supposed to be that "keep your friends close,keep you enemies closer" type. He is the "the enemy of my enemies are my friends" type. He's scary intelligent,cunning,a master martial artist,a brilliant alchemist,and one badass mofo you do not wanna cross.

But most of all,he is courteous,a gracious host on his island,and his punishments are as great as his rewards. He does keep his end of the bargain,but he also gets compensation.

If anything you need to worry about earthrealms warriors more than him. Half of them now(due to piss poor writing) are hiding behind heroic deeds and false statements of peace yet they have unclean hands too.

With Shang tsung you know what you are dealing with,it's on the table. If you cant read the obvious,you are indeed a foolish one.

No matter what iteration of shang tsung you have. One thing is clear,made clear,and that is when you deal with him. You deal with the devil so to speak.

So if you're not smart nor prepared. That's on your ass honey. Not his. Do not blame him for your stupidity.

But if you know how to play the game,play chess with the serpent. And know these archetypes. Then you may have a better shot. But that's all on you.

Either way,in your favor or not. Do not blame him for telling you exactly what is needed to be said,not what you wanna hear. Honeyed words or not,there's always a sliver of truth and bitter pill of truth in his words. And he's good at making either people hate his guts or bow and worship him.

THAT IS WHY HE'S DANGEROUS. not because of magic,or experiments and other trival bullshit.

Nah.

It's because shang tsung is good at talking. Good at trades and making you believe whatever is what he wants you to see.

Even if it may go against him. He wants you to fuck up,get angry at him,attack,be unbalanced,so he can fuck your shit right up!

Holy shit this mans whole ass moveset is zoning and keeping you in a certain place in the stage even!

It's part of his whole damb character.

I could go on and on. But do not blame to serpent for telling you information for questions you ask him. You're the one who chose to bite his apple of enlightenment and knowledge so to speak.

Which is why the gods,titans,etc want these kombatants,warriors to be stupid. So they are easy to control,to get what they want.

Like it's glaringly obvious that mortal kombats story has these type of tropes and symbolism in it. But people are too blind,for various reasons. To see it.

I could get deep. It's a videogame,i know. It is what it is.

But the more i look at mk12/mk1 shang tsung. The more i feel its a missed opportunity to showcase these themes better for him.

Like holy shit dude. Shang tsung pointing out the hypocrisy of the gods. And whispers in our earthrealm warriors ears. And maybe convincing a few to join his side. Or even better. Our heroes,kung lao and mortal raiden to question liu kang and not blindly follow like fucking idiots. Sure just trust this dude right? Bruh.

Shang tsung is the only one with a brain once again. And i hate them making everyone else so stupid to make him seem better in the shithole plot of theirs. If you can call it a plot.

It burns me,that it's a waste of potential.

But i digress.

Anyways. Shang tsung,way more than an evil conjurer of tricks my dudes. Waaaaaay fucking more.

[mrstsung]

My rankings for shang tsungs.

These are just my opinions.

💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚

1995 shang tsung: come on guys. How can you be a mk fam and not like him?! He's the og. The shang tsung. Everyone literally imitates his shang after this movie. Not even joking. But yeah top tier for a reason.

Mk11 shang tsung: the closest 2nd his cary reprisal of the character in mk11. Good lord we will never get that ever again! He wa sso damn good in that game. The story being mid as it was,he was worth it all. Unf i love him sm

Mortal kombat legends shang tsung: underrated as fuuuuuuck! Like if the script didn't suck and they gave him more time and didn't cheapen him out. He would've been the best shang tsung in animation. Honestly,im so damn mad man! Them jammies. I want them.

Mortal kombat conquest shang tsung: also underrated. This shang had everything against him and he still kicked ass and was boss as fuck! Pulled no punches. And yet all the punches.

Mortal kombat 9 shang tsung: classic. How can you not love him. He's lower on the list because he dies so damn stupidly. Ugh.

Mortal kombat 21 movie shang tsung: cool shang. But not nearly as good as he could be. But he's higher because he at least is intimidating like shang. And has the charisma and charm still.

Mk12/mk1 shang tsung: *sigh* low tier only because the story sucks and his narrative in the story sucks. He should've been given a better narrative. If he had some intimidation factor to him. If alan lee was given more than crumbs. Maybe maybe he would've been higher. Shang is smarmy yes but not "THAT" smarmy. Like he has grace still,it feels like a joke and not actually something interesting added to the table enough. Alan i love you but no. I feel like he needs to not copycat mk11 shang aka cary hiroyuki tagawa. And honestly try to be his own shang tsung HONESTLY. I dont feel his shang being genuine enough to believe it. But also he's still cute so he's lucky. But i still can't place him high because his shang hasn't earned it. And honestly it's hard to replace cary. He set the standards sooooo high for me. So any other shang is good just always missing something. But then again,the writers suck. So not his fault. Still there can be hope....maybe....if nrs and wb like quit being weenies.

Og comics shang tsung(aka the crappiest version imho and for good reason): the og comics were before anything established so it gets forgiven for that. But it's not very kosher so....yeah. bottom tier. Entertaining,yes. Good? No. However....it is mk history,and is important to know your roots. So still important to read.

Honorable mentions: mk legacy shang tsung. Honestly deserves a spot because it's refreshing and cary once again reprising his role. But i can't have a full analysis yet. I have to watch his version there in full,tho i heard it wasn't good till he showed up so....i dunno maybe I'll try to find the episodes with him in it and see for sure. But bald shang is interesting af to me. Another honorable mention is defenders of the realm shang tsung. Ah the cheesy cartoon. A guilty pleasure of mine. Mk shouldn't be a kiddie cartoon but it did. But ironically it had more love put into the character development than any of the games every did. Especially sonya. Weird af. But welcomed. Shang tsung was exactly what you'd expect,bad guy got beat up. And only in like 2 or 3 episodes. Lol. But eh,it is what it is. He was fun.

That was my tier list. Now i didn't go into detail too much as it's late here. But this was also for fun too.

[moontheoretist]

MCU timeline, if they actually cared about the characters as much as we do:

Phase 1 (setting up the universe)

- Iron Man - Incredible Hulk (+ Bruce’s DID is included and well represented, Hulk is not shown as a monster which cannot control himself so much he hurts everybody around including Betty, in fact he is shown to avoid hurting anybody who isn’t actively shooting at him, Dr Samson and Rick Jones are a must for this origin story, post credit can stay the same) - Hawkeye (includes: his childhood with an abusive father, his brother Bradley, his past in the circus so basically his origin story, his deafness, him being conscripted by SHIELD, and post credit scene with him choosing not to kill Natasha) - Black Widow (includes: her childhood in the Red Room, the fall of USSR and change in Russian politics, KGB being dissolved, Natasha’s breaking of her programming, her leaving the Red Room thanks to meeting Hawkeye, the assassination of Dreykov’s daughter, What Happened in Bucharest, Natasha joining SHIELD, and post credit scene with her taking place of the PA which was supposed to apply to Stark Industries) - Iron Man 2 (+ more info about Howard’s abuse of Tony, Natasha is there, but it’s not her first appearance, and also she isn’t shown as if she knew she was in a movie) - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger (I think that his stupid behavior in CW is completely set up by his origin story, so I wouldn’t change anything if we wanna have that conflict with him being more concerned about Bucky than literally anything else going on) - Captain Marvel (because her existence makes Fury think about Avengers and explains why Fury wanted to create them in the first place, also action happens mostly on Earth) - Avengers (+ Jane Foster and Darcy are part of the science team and greatly contribute to the plot as scientists, because I am fed up with women being sidelined)

And because Avengers has a post credit with Thanos we should get some movies in space now related to Thanos first, before Iron Man 3.

Phase 2 (we learn about the ultimate badguy)

- Guardians of the Galaxy - Thor: The Dark World (but hopefully better written, + no damselling of Jane) - War Machine (Rhodey’s only movie, Tony is busy doing whatever) - Hawkeye 2 (how Clint dealt with everything which happened during Avengers, how SHIELD agents treated him, introducing his family?, maybe bringing back Barney and showing his relationship with Mockingbird and stuff like those) - Iron Man 3 (without the ableist meta message that all disabled people just wait to become murder machines, but still introducing Extremis) - Black Widow 2 (could be the same story as we got in 2021, introducing Yelena Belova) - Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch (includes: their childhood, how their parents died (Yugoslavia being bombed by NATO, but I doubt Hollywood would ever wanna say it out loud), them growing in orphanage, possibly attending university (universities for citizens in Serbia are free and because Sokovia is based on Serbia, and it is a slavic country we can assume they have that system as well, and there are also social support programs available from both the government and possibly the university as well), the difficulties of a life in which they have to cover their costs of living themselves, because they have no parents, American army stationing in Sokovia, twins getting radicalized, protesting against foreign influences in their country and joining Hydra, experimentation, if they were trained by Hydra to use their powers or not and how were they trained, Sokovia being shown to be normal country instead of breaking apart state which Americans see each time they think about it) - Falcon (Sam’s origin story, his mission in Afghanistan and stuff - I don’t know his origin story, so I dunno what to say here) - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - TV show about the consequences of the movie above. Possibly something akin to Agents of Shield. What happened to the agents, how world reacted to Natasha’s “fuck you”. - Ant-Man (introducing Hank Pym) - Avengers: Age of Ultron (Ultron is Hank Pym’s like in the comics, but in some versions of this Tony helped or provided tech so he still wpuld feel quilty afterwards, + no dying Pietro)

Phase 3 (everything gets complicated, but they prevail)

- Incredible Hulk 2 (what happened to Bruce and Hulk and how they dealt with the idea that Steve literally had his well-being in his ass by inviting Wanda and Pietro to the team, what is going on with Thaddeus Ross and Betty Ross, we meet Jennifer Walters) - Black Panther (different one than the one we got, introduces T'Challa and his family) - Spider-Man: Homecoming (could be earlier, just after Avengers, but *shrugs* this story is written in such a way it is better after Iron Man 3 and Age of Ultron) - Captain Marvel 2 (basically setting up why she didn’t participate in Civil War, my idea was to depower her, but not take her powers away, so she could have some more down to earth stories instead of stories set in space, maybe even explore her alcoholism that way) - Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch 2 (deradicalisation, becoming heroes) - Captain America: Civil War (Accords are better explained, Matt Murdock or Jennifer Walters show up to do exactly that, RAFT is explained as American prison not related to the UN, Steve this time has valid concerns about the Accords, but he still goes ape shit over Bucky, still lies to Tony about his family, because those traits were all set in his origin movie) - The Wasp (Hope’s origin story) - Hawkeye 3 or Hawkeye TV series - Black Widow 3 (something something about Ross hunting her, but Red Room was already taken down, so different story is here instead) - Ant-Man 2 (Wasp is here too, but this is Scott’s movie, previous Ant-Man and The Wasp) - Black Panther 2 (about Kilmonger and T'Challa’s scuffle for the throne) - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (didn’t know where to put it, because it is mostly unrelated to any other movies with this story about Ego, but it develops Nebula more, so let’s be here) - Doctor Strange - Thor: Ragnarok (I am not opposed to Planet Hulk, but I am more inclined to not put Bruce into a movie which is supposed to be about Thor and Loki so… more time for Brunhilde) - The Winter Soldier (solo Winter Soldier movie) - Avengers Infinity War/Endgame (it makes no sense to make two movies if we can have one, the snap was used as a plot device more than actual defeat of the Avengers, so it can last less than 5 years and also no time travel which then you have to explain why TVA didn’t put everybody in jail for that, Tony doesn’t die and Carol and some other powerful people (LIKE HULK, Hulk is NOT less powerful than Thanos or fearful or something) take down Thanos instead and Tony finally retires and is left alone by everybody goddammit)

Phase 4 (new era, some heroes retire, others take their place, while different ones just get the grip of whom they truly were all along, and also we get a new ultimate bad guy and possibly set a stage for his defeat) <- this one not really well set up, because we don’t know most of the movies and TV shows which appear in this phase so dunno how to set them.

- Spider-Man: Far From Home - Photon (origin story of Monica Rambeau) - War Machine 2 - WandaVision (or Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch 3, adjusted, so it would not repeat some facts and would only remind about the most important stuff. Also, Pietro lives in this timeline so no Bohner guy lol, he is just insufferable brother-in-law to Vision, and weird uncle to kids) - The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (but with Steve who didn’t go back in time, because there was no going back in time in this timeline, he just finally is learning what accountability is and has to forfeit his shield, because it’s time to retire) - Falcon 2 - Winter Soldier 2 - The Wasp 2 - Loki TV series (Loki survives Thanos and is taken by the TVA, it basically doesn’t force the story to make him quickly develop feelings in the first episode and bypasses that issue, + more Loki Variants, all genderluid and presenting in various ways in the show) - Incredible Hulk 3 (Bruce and Hulk finally start communicating and Hulk becomes gradually smarter, and we meet Bruce’s another alter Grey Hulk and the circus with getting along starts all over again, because Grey Hulk hates Green Hulk xD, is setting up She-Hulk) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings - What If…? TV show - Ms Marvel TV show - Eternals (feels like should be in different phase) - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness - Thor: Love and Thunder (about Mighty Thor - Jane) - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (about Shuri?) - The Marvels (Captain Marvel 3 basically) - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quntamania (setting mutiple Kaangs I suppose) - Moonknight TV show - She-Hulk TV show - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - Blade (feels like should be in different phase) - Fantastic Four - Avengers (in which they fight Kaang?)

I was going with the idea that every superhero should get at least 3 movies ONLY about them. As of now, I managed to put 3 only for a few, and some were swapped for TV shows instead to fill the place and better show the character and what they’re up to, because TV shows have more hours than movies.

I know there are supposed to be TV shows for Armor Wars, Iron Heart and Secret Wars, but I dunno when, so no idea where to put them.

[dukeofriven]

Shang-Chi starts off with a fluid bang, an uptempo fight scene like nothing ever seen in a Marvel film before—and then immediately dies, every scene having less and less energy than the one before it until it collapses into that dullest of Marvel touchstones, the 45-minute climatic battle of muddy CGI to defeat a boring villain (the actual, interesting villain of the film being neutered after the first hour in favour of a vaguer, more nebulous threat of ‘some gross dragon thing I dunno’). The lead is a cipher who walks through the film in a sort of uninterested daze: he starts the movie a badass-combat fighter and finishes the film the same way, having required no personal growth to achieve it, only some extra training of unclear goals since at no time is it clear exactly what his or anyone’s power cars are: he wins and loses the fights at the whim of the narrative rather than exceeding or meeting his skill level. Any entertainment in the film is predicated entirely on how much you do or do not enjoy the comedic stylings of Awkwafina: I had never seen her before this movie, and ended the film loathing her (the film’s dumbest moment may be her learning archery in the course of a few days, despite it never previously being established that she had any physical training at all. As anyone who has ever tried to pull a real bowstring knows, that is not something you can just pick up and pull: a properly strung bow is physically draining to draw, much less draw and aim. The film sets-up that Awkwafina is skilled as a driver: this is then dropped in he second half for, again, the seamless transition from driver to archer.) At the heart of the movie’s weakness is that the film is about a man with a much more interesting female character pushed behind him. Iron Fist was about bland Danny instead of the fantastic Colleen, Ant-man was two hours of hyper-competent Hope being passed over for bumbling dolt Scott (for reasons), Captain Marvel spends at least half its run-time going ;But what’s Nick Fury doing right now—what’s he feeling and thinking and doing let’s really dig in to that,’ both Guardians films saddled poor Gamora with babysitting a bunch of man-children who will not grow up, and Black Widow had to DIE before anyone would give her a movie. And now in Shang-Chi we have a man who ran off to San Francisco and is happy being a car valet meanwhile his sister had to train herself to be a combat master because her father forbade her from learning and then she escaped his evil clutches and had to survive by running and underground fighting ring in Macau: in every way the story is clearly telegraphing that she should be our protagonist because she has so much going on, she has motivation and drive and skill, but instead we keep our focus on a guy who has so little on-screen presence that he’s out-acted by Ben Kingsley funny animal companion who is a small faceless butt. Shang-chi is mediocre and forgettable. Folks who wanted the first Asian-led Marvel flick deserved better than whatever this tedious mess was supposed to be. If you’ve not seen it, don’t bother: it’s not the worst film in the MCU (that’s still a brawl between narratively-terrible Dark World and the technically-incompetent Captain Marvel), but it’s not a movie anyone would ever have a reason to watch twice, except for the soporific powers of watching Simu Liu spend the better part of two hours trying to keep himself awake.

[marcholasmoth]

OSRR: 2738

today was a good day too!

woke up later, joel brought me breakfast, and we went exploring in nassau!

we walked around instead of being part of an excursion. we started in a group of six of us, but after going through the pirate museum and down to some piers, joel and i lost everyone else, so we wandered around ourselves. i was able to find snow globes for myself, along with something nice for my mom! sure it's not gold, but i'm certain she'll love it. if she doesn't, then i have a piece of fancy jewelry. wild.

in the places i walked, i had the urge to touch most things, so i ended up feeling a lot of textures of plant life, which was a really nice experience. i liked understanding how my brain was working and why it needed that specific thing as input, and i was happy to have a wide variety of things to touch. i've been calling the little catalogue in my head "textures of nassau." which is a cool-ass memory journal just. in my head. joel got some pictures of me touching things.

after going to all three effy shops on the main street, joel and i headed back to the ship. we both took a lot of pictures, him on the fancy camera and me on my phone. but i gotta say, the pirate museum was really cool. the bahamas has a lot of history in terms of piracy and really anything involving merchants (rogue and otherwise), but really there is such a rich history there and it was a wonderful place to explore for a bit.

after returning to the ship, i went to take a nap. joel thinks it's weird that i don't like wearing pants. it's uncomfortable for me. i dunno. lounge pants aren't much better than jeans, and leggings are the best led coverings in terms of things, but i'd still rather not wear pants at all. or sweatpants like the soft ones i have, those fucking rock. but yeah. i only recently realized it was "weird" to not like pants. i dunno. it's fine.

after my nap, from which i was awoken by joel, i put my clothes back on and went to dinner. it was five of us at the table for dinner tonight, and after we decided to go to our respective rooms to put on warmer clothes to go watch the movie up on deck. which was shang-chi and the legend of the ten rings, which i quite enjoy, so i grabbed my sweatshirt, put on my lounge pants, and went upstairs. our of me, joel, lisa, and john, i was the only one who made it through the whole movie. not to say by the time i was done i wasn't cold, because i was in fact slightly chilly, but i went on a brief walk to get more to munch on. i grabbed bc chocolate ice cream, saffron rice with vegetables, and cashew butter chicken, all of which was delicious. i really like the marketplace up on deck 16. i like that they're open later than other things.

anyway, i returned and ate my food, rinsed the dishes, and sat down to watch free guy with joel, which was spectacular. i loved it. it was so cute! i loved it. so much. it was also so cool?? like??? this idea as a concept for a movie is SO cool. fuck yeah.

joel, of course, fell asleep halfway through.

he has finally rolled over so i can sleep comfortably. good day. :)

[purplesurveys]

724

From Head to Toe

What kind of shampoo and conditioner do you use? My shampoo is Dove and my conditioner is a local brand. What's your favorite color and brand of eyeshadow? I don’t do eyeshadow. I don’t know the first thing about makeup so whenever someone puts eyeshadow on me I just tell them to go with whatever shade they think would suit me, and thankfully they’ve always made good judgment calls lol. Ever use tinted mascara? I don’t think so. Do you think liquid eyeliner is too much or just right? Man, there’s more to head to toe than just makeup :/ I love liquid eyeliner, it’s the only piece of makeup I was ever invested in and had several of at one point. Lipstick or lip gloss? Lip gloss. I find lipstick too bold and the few times I wore it didn’t feel right for me.

One cosmetic product you can't live without is: Couldn’t care less, honestly. What lotion would you want to have a lifetime supply of? Am not a lotion girl either. The only reason I constantly have lotion is because everyone gives them as gifts, so with me it’s like while I use lotion regularly, I don’t have a go-to brand because I have various kinds haha. Innie or outie? Am an innie. Where is your biggest birthmark? The one behind my left shoulder is the most noticeable one. Are your toenails painted? No, they aren’t. Are your feet ticklish? The back of my feet used to be but through the years other parts of my body have become more ticklish.

Yummy in the Tummy

What's your position on sushi? Love them. Love all seafood. With sushi, the more unfamiliar the fish the better – I always love trying out new kinds. I do think sashimi is a tad bit better though. What about mushrooms? I can’t call myself a mushroom connoisseur haha I know so little about them cause they aren’t really a part of our cuisine. Is truffle a kind of mushroom? I like that, but that’s about it for my mushroom appreciation. Spicy food? You’re not Asian if you can’t handle spicy food and we’ve all been raised to enjoy them. I know only a handful of people who don’t like spicy food, but they’re picky enough eaters as it is so they don’t really count. Johnny Depp is taking you out! What restaurant do you choose? Idk, I’ll let him take me wherever he wants to eat. He deserves that after the shitfest that was Amber Heard. Favorite drink to order at the bar? Like I said in a previous survey, I’ll flock to the Long Island Iced Tea if they have it on the menu. I forgot my back-up whether it’s Screw Driver or Cosmopolitan, but it’s def one of those. For cheaper, more relaxed bars, I’d get a Zombie. Favorite wine? Hate wine. Favorite beer? I hate beer for the most part but we had had to cross paths in the past because some bars I’ve been to only served beer, blech. That said, I found myself enjoying Red Horse the most, followed by Pale Pilsen.

Favorite drink to cool off with? Just good old ice-cold water. Favorite drink to sip by the fire? I don’t really do that. Favorite midnight snack? Mi Goreng instant noodles. What's a food both you and your animal companion enjoy? Burgers. Filipino dogs or askals are accustomed to eating human food with no negative consequences because it’s how they’ve always gotten by, living on the streets; and since my dog is part askal he also loves his human food and started shunning dog food at a super early age.

Favorite snack when you're watching rented movies? I don’t rent movies but uhhhh I like having Potato Corner with me when I’m watching in the cinema, but I don’t typically eat anything if I’m only watching from home. What do you cook well? Nothing. Favorite food at a BBQ? Thanks, Tumblr; today I learned BBQ can refer to an event. Haha seriously though, I just learned that now because we don’t do that here.   Favorite soda when you were a kid? Always hated soda. Dessert you're craving right now? Red velvet cookie sandwiches sound so fucking good right now. Favorite fruit to put in a smoothie? It’s a big nope for me on smoothies, sir.

Good Times

Who do you know that gives the best hugs? Laurice. I don’t even have to think about this. She hugs everyone that enters Skywalk so she’s pretty much a master at the craft. Who took you on your most romantic date? I’ve only had dates with Gabie. Who do you know that can give a good back rub? I dunno. I’m ticklish, so I don’t like the idea of being massaged anywhere. I feel like I’d just flinch the second I feel someone’s hand on me. What's a song you and all your friends sing along with? Does it have to be sing? Super Bass is universally memorized as far as I know hahahaha. But if we’re going with sing, Edge of Glory is very well-loved too. When it's just you and the girls/guys, what movie do you put in? My friends and I don’t really do movie days/nights because we’re constantly busy with academics. The one time we watched a film, though, it was The Devil Wears Prada. Best party you ever threw? I’ve never thrown a party for myself. My best big party remains to be my 7th; my parents really pulled out all the stops for that and it’s still memorable for me until today. 7th birthdays are a bit of a big deal in Philippine tradition (I never really knew why lol) so my party was organized in a way an 18th birthday would be, but some parts were obviously tweaked to be fitting for a 7 year old – it was held at a ballroom in Makati Shang, my mom used plush flowers for my 7 roses, all the kids that were invited had to be in gowns, etc.

Who was with you on the coolest road trip ever? I haven’t had a cool road trip yet. The few road trips I’ve had with friends I was the sole driver, and I was always left feeling completely pooped at the end of the day -__- Who was with you on the coolest camping trip ever? I’ve never camped before. Who would you take with you on a luxury cruise? My girlfriend, but you knew that already. I suppose going on a cruise with my college friend group would be chaotic fun too haha. Who was with you the last time you got into trouble? I got in trouble in a PE class, so I was with my classmates. Who's got your back in a fight? The top three people I can think of are Gabie, Angela, and Andrew. Who makes you feel gorgeous on a bad day? Also my girlfriend. Who makes you laugh until you cough blood? That’s...graphic lmao, but I’d go with either Aya or Jum. Who would you take with you as a date to your sister's wedding? Again, Gabie. Name the first five friends that come to mind. ^ Her, Kate, Laurice, Andrew, Angela.

Hobbies and Interests

What keeps your mind and hands busy when you're not at work? If I don’t have to be doing any work you can usually find me lounging with my phone or laptop. What bars or clubs would we expect to find you at? Nothing you know. I typically go to the bars along the street where my university is since they’re close enough, it’s a lively and popular hub for college kids, and the drinks are cheap. I’ll sometimes go to BGC for drinks but that is extremely random; I probably go there twice or thrice a year. What magazines do you or would you subscribe to? Haven’t thought about magazines in a looong time. If you started a book club, what genre would you be covering? Anything nonfiction I suppose. The only time I’ll cover fiction is if a book is historical fiction. If you could be president of a club or organization, what would it be? My own org’s. I had the opportunity to be president this year but I passed up the chance since I didn’t want my senior year to become too hectic, especially since I was running for honors and I had joined another organization. I went for a certain vice presidency position instead. What causes would we see you protesting on behalf of? Anything to do with women’s rights, anything anti-Duterte or anti-Marcos, anything to support the working class if they are being abused. Do you like to shop for clothes by yourself or with friends? I like having a second opinion. Yoga at home or at the gym? No yoga. Where would you want to work, if you could? WWE.

Odds & Ends

Did you wish on the last shooting star you saw? That hasn’t happened in a very long time. I would though, just to feel like a kid again. Are you a fabulous host? I haven’t held the responsibility of being a host yet hahaha I’m too scared to start. I’d rather hand the job to my friends who I know can do an exponentially better job than I would. Why won't jeans ever go out of style? Because they aren’t limiting and are incredibly versatile – mom jeans, ripped jeans, bell bottoms, skinny jeans, what have you – so it’s been easy to have them adjust to whatever style is trendy any time, any decade. Is the truth really out there? Ugh, get out philosophy questions it is 3:07 AM. Assuming you ever have kids, what will you name your daughter? Your son? Olivia for a girl. Still clueless about boy names. Has anyone ever crossed oceans of time to find you? No? Admit it, you loved Dirty Dancing. I’ve never even seen it.

The Name Game

Who's the first friend you call when you wanna go out? Laurice or Angela, depending on who is free or what I wanna do – if it’s to have drinks I call Angela, if it’s to get a lunch at Area 2, Laurice. Who's the first friend you call when you wanna hang in for the night? I don’t do that. If I have plans to hang in the evening I have to have every detail mapped out – who I’ll be with, what we’ll do, whose house we’ll be staying at – days in advance because my mom is strict and because I’m Asian lmaooooo Who do you call when you're freaking out? Gabie, always. Only she knows how to calm me down. If Gabie’s the one I’m having issues with, I go to Angela. Who do you call to try something new with you? Anyone who’s down to try the new thing, honestly. Who do you call when you need bail money? Myyyyyyy dad, probs. My mom would kill me. Who would kick someone's ass for you? My girlfriend. Who would lie to keep you out of trouble? ANGELA. Sometimes when I’m at home I’ll get a text from her saying, “If my mom calls you, tell her I’m with you studying” even if she’s somewhere either drinking or hanging at Hans’ condo. I’ve pulled the same shit with her too whenever I’m at Gabie’s place. Who would make you go to the gym, even if you're too tired? I don’t think anyone would be able to pull that off. If I’m too tired already, don’t force me to do anything. Who would come take care of you if you were sick? Realistically my dad. But I wish Gab can do it, too. Who would help you host a posh dinner party? Jofab probably. The guy can cook. If we were any closer, I’d recruit him to make some damn good steak and pick out the music to play. I’d also ask Laurice to come up with the decor, since she’s good at that stuff. Who would help you clean your house before you had houseguests? Out of all the people I know, only my mom could make an area completely spotless. Who would enjoy watching Disney movies with you? Gabie. But really, how are you? I’m doing okay, but I really must head to bed after this survey lol. Did you make sure to get in some "you" time today? I’ve had tons of that this whole month. I gotta say I’ve been needing it and it feels really good. How many loved ones did you get to talk to today? I think 11? – four in my immediate family, my dog, my lola, Tito Rocky, Gab, Angela, Andrew, Leigh. Gonna treat yourself to something tonight? Sleep. What would you like to dream about tonight? I’m not hoping for anything but my recent dreams HAVE been part odd and part hilarious so I’m kinda excited to see what my mind has in store for tonight. Did anyone hurt your feelings today? Nope. Do you have a furry companion to cuddle up and read a book with tonight? I have a furry companion but he hates staying on beds, so I’m ruling out cuddling.

Before we part...

What's your name? Robyn. What's your sign? Zodiac? Taurus. Ever had Chicken Guadalahara? No, I’ve never even heard of it. Always willing to try, though. Daquaris or Margaritas? Margaritas, but only because I don’t think I’ve tried the first one before. Ceasar's or Bloody Mary's? Neither. I’ve never tried Ceasar’s and Bloody Mary is just so fucking nasty to me. Mexican food or Italian food? Italian. I very rarely crave Mexican, but Gab and I will often have dates at Mama Lou’s, our go-to Italian restaurant. Ocean, lake, or river? Ocean.

Cabin in the woods or beachfront home? Beachfront, for sure. I don’t think I could ever get tired of the beach/sea/ocean. Karaoke or dancing? Neither if I’m sober, both if I’m drunk. All or nothing? All.

[backpfeifenguy]

All in your head chapter 2

“Care to explain what happened out there?” Robin asked, his tone stern. Oh, ain’t no way he’s letting you stay on the team after this.

“I screwed up and took a hit,” Beast Boy replied grouchily. “Explanation over.” You can’t tell them the truth! They’ll stick you in a mental hospital!

“You screwed up?” Cyborg scoffed. “Fighting the god-damned hunter from Bloodborne? I’ve seen you play that game, B; you know the Saw Cleaver’s attack patterns inside and out.” Translation; you’ve wasted way too much  of your life playing videogames for your excuse to check out.

“What, so now I’m not allowed to make mistakes?” Beast Boy demanded. “I can’t fuck up once, one single time, without everybody jumping up my ass?” Yeah, fuck these guys!

“That’s not what we meant and you know it!” Robin shouted.

“No, you’re right!” Beast boy snarled. “Next time I should just dress up like a villain and beat up the whole team!” Yeah, hit’em where it hurts! “Or maybe I could quit the team over a stupid argument, right Cyborg?” Keep going, don’t let up! “Reconnecting with family members that just happen to be dangerous psychopaths worked out great for Star!” He glared at Raven. (no) Yes! “Or maybe I should just jump-start the apocalypse!” At that, he saw Raven flinch slightly. Wow. You’re a dick.

“We were only concerned for your wellbeing, friend Beast Boy.” Starfire said in a small voice.

“I…” Beast Boy sighed. “I know, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said all that stuff about you guys.” Well duh! Asshole. “I’ve just been in kind of a rotten mood lately.”

“I get it,” Cyborg shrugged. “We all have bad days sometimes.” You more than others. “So how about you fill us in on what’s eating you?”

“I dunno dude,” Beast Boy muttered. “I just kinda feel like I can’t do anything right.” Because you can’t! Just today you slept in, wrecked your toothbrush, nearly died fighting Control Freak, and were a dick to your friends!

“Well, we all feel like that sometimes,” Robin said, his tone solemn and his face telling Beast Boy that he wasn’t especially comfortable with the subject matter. “Just remember; it’s all in your head.” Heh.

With that, his friends left the infirmary. Except for Raven. “Beast Boy, we need to talk.” Panic!

“Sure thing Rae,” Beast Boy replied, forcing himself to sound relaxed. “We ended our conversation early this morning anyway.” Yeah, play it cool man, don’t let her know what’s going on! Hell, YOU don’t know what’s going on!

“And we can pick up where we left off later.” Raven said plainly. “Right now there’s something more important I need to talk to you about.” Does she know?

“Oh?” Beast Boy cocked an eyebrow. “And what might that be?” Oh god, the eyebrow. So lame.

“When we were fighting Control Freak, I felt a disturbance in your aura.” Raven explained. She knows! This is bad!

“Well, I did get opened up with a giant saw.” Beast Boy chuckled. Play it off, make a joke about it! Don’t let her know the truth!

“I felt it before you were hit.” Raven replied bluntly. Fuck! Lie to her, now! (no) Do it!

“A giant saw coming at you can be kind of scary.” Beast Boy shrugged. Kind of a weak lie, dude. Still, it’s built around how pathetic you are, so at least it’s got that.

“It wasn’t fear.” Raven said matter-of-factly. “I felt confusion, frustration, a lot of unhappiness, and even some acceptance, but no fear, so sense of self-preservation at all” She took Beast Boy’s hand and looked him in the eye. “Beast Boy, did you want to get hit?” She knows everything! (good) Deny everything, throw her off the trail, do something!

“Are you nuts?” Beast Boy scoffed, snatching his hand away. “Why the hell would I want to take a hit like that?” That’s it right, deny everything.

“I was just making sure you were okay.” Raven said in an unusually conciliatory tone.

“And you decided to do that by calling me crazy?” Beast Boy retorted angrily. “Real nice.”

“I wasn’t calling you crazy.” Raven replied calmly. “Or at least, that wasn’t my intention.”

“Whatever.” Beast Boy muttered sullenly. “Can we please just change the subject?”

“Fine,” Raven sighed. “I believe we were discussing which character you liked better?” Wow, she didn’t put up much of a fight, huh? I mean, she thinks you might be going crazy and she just drops it?

“Well, I like Crowley, but I think I prefer Aziraphale.” Beast Boy answered. “He doesn’t really know what he’s doing, but he still manages to help people. That feels… right.” You only like him better because you never know what you’re doing. The difference is, you’re not much help.

“I can see that,” Raven replied. “And I certainly like Aziraphale as a character. But it’s how hard Crowley has to work that appeals to me.”

“How hard he works?” Beast Boy asked, genuinely perplexed.

“He’s a demon.” Raven elaborated. “It’s not completely black and white, but the fact is that doing good isn’t easy for him.” She seemed contemplative. “He had to go against his nature to do the right thing, and that feels… special to me.”

“He reminds you that where you come from isn’t where you’ll end up.” There was a moment of silence, during which Beast Boy wondered where he’d got that from, before he began to suspect that it might have been his own.

“...Well put.” Raven said simply.

“It happens every now and then.” Beast Boy shrugged.

“You saying something insightful?”

“Yep.” Beast Boy chuckled. “Occasionally.”

“You’d tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?” Raven asked, her tone unusually earnest.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Beast Boy insisted. “Except for the injury, of course.”

“Are you sure?” Raven asked, looking him dead in the eye again.

“Relax,” Beast Boy said, darting around the promise. “I feel better already.” It was only a moment later, after Raven had left the room, that he realised that he really did.

Cyborg was pleased to see his best friend in higher spirits; the Grass Stain had a way of being unhappy that worried him enormously, and that was without getting carved up. “Hey, B!” He exclaimed cheerfully. “You up for a couple rounds?”

“What’s the game?” Beat Boy asked, throwing himself onto the couch.

“Oh, you know what the game is.” Cyborg replied, grinning hugely.

“MORTAL KOMBAT!” They shouted as one.

“My boy Sub-Zero is taking you down!” Cyborg boasted.

“No way dude,” Beast Boy scoffed. “You know how this goes. Everybody have fun tonight!”

“Everybody Shang Tsung tonight!” It wasn’t just Beast Boy and Cyborg who sang the green shapeshifter’s parody of Wing Chun Tonight, it was everyone in the tower: Starfire belting it out full force, Robin chuckling and rolling his eyes, even Raven joining in, muttering it from behind her book.

“Man, you sure do love you some Shang Tsung.” Cyborg smirked.

“Gee, I wonder why.” Beast Boy deadpanned, expertly handling the shape-shifting sorcerer.

“Don’t you get enough shape-shiftin’ already?” Cyborg asked.

“It’s not the same,” Beast Boy shrugged. “I can’t do people.” You can imitate any animal except a human being.

“Whatever man,” Cyborg shrugged. “You only take him to be a troll anyway.” Yeah, he’s kind of right.

“A troll who just won the first round!” Beast Boy crowed.

“You got lucky!” Cyborg scoffed.

“Oh yeah?” Beast Boy demanded. “And what about this?” He executed a flawless combo.

“Okay, that was pretty good.” Cyborg conceded. “But this is better!” With that, he launched a combo of his own.

Cyborg ended up winning the second round, so the game carried into the third and final, which Beast Boy one by a magic pixel.

“Hey Cy, you know what happens now, right?” Beast Boy grinned.

“Aw, no man! Don’t do it!”

“I’mma do it!”

“Don’t you do me like this B!”

Beast Boy hit a few buttons, and Shang Tsun possessed Sub-Zero, forcing him to rip his own head off. “I did it.”

“Best two out of three?” Cyborg suggested meekly.

“No can do,” Beast Boy replied, his eyes fixed on the clock. “I’ve got a date, and I should really be getting ready.”

“Oh, so you had time to get a lucky win, but not defend the title?” Cyborg muttered. “I see how it is…” He chuckled. “Seriously though, have fun.”

“That’s the plan!” Beast Boy laughed, running for the bathroom.

Well, I think I speak for everybody when I say we all saw coming. “You’re dumping me?” Beast Boy whimpered. “But why?”

“I’m not dumping you.” Janet insisted. “It’s not your fault.” It’s your fault; she’s the brilliant, adventurous blonde beauty, and you’re the you. “It’s me; I just can’t do this anymore.”

“Can’t keep doing what?” Beast Boy asked, confusion warring with misery. Can’t keep pretending that your ugly face doesn’t make her want to puke.

“This, all of this!” There was a slight edge to Janet’s voice. “You’re part of this whole world that I can’t be a part of. Sometimes I won’t hear from you for days, weeks even! And then when you come back there’s always some new scar you don’t want to talk about, or you flinch when I say a certain word, or duck when a car backfires.” Beast Boy realised with a shock that there were tears in her eyes. “And then there’s this latest thing. You nearly died.” Fighting Control Freak no less. “I’m sorry, but it’s just too much; these last three months have been great, but I can’t be a soldier’s wife.”

“If that’s really how you feel, then I guess this is goodbye.” Beast Boy sighed. It was always going to end like this and you know it. Just be grateful she’s getting out alive; getting close to you isn’t exactly healthy. (no) What’s the score at now? Both parents and a girlfriend, right? With countless near misses for your closest (no) friends and your adopted family, of course. Not to mention civilians, no telling how many of them have gotten hurt because of you, and hell, even a few villains have come close; Adonis might be a piece of shit, but it’s still pretty fucked up that you nearly killed him just because you can’t (no) control yourself. What was it you said again? “I’m not a man, I’m an animal!” Well, when a wild animal is allowed near people, those people get hurt. You know that, but you can’t help it, can you? You still want her to stay around. Selfish (no) prick.

Beast Boy didn’t talk to anybody when he got home; he just went up to his room in silence, turned on his stereo and played music loud enough that he couldn’t hear himself cry.

“It’s not enough that I love you, there’s all these things I have to prove to you…”

[ithefuturist]

EUROPE INITIATION - PART 3: PARIS

It’s hard to pin down when my French awakening started.

It might have been in 1992 when as a  little boy I watched the Roland Garros Ladies Final on tv with my father. While watching the match I heard him cuss like like a sailor as Monica Seles and Steffi Graf slugged it out in a thrilling final set which Seles eventually won, 10-8. This match was bananas! And I also learned my first French words from the match:

Égalité = deuce, but literally “equality” or “tied” (when the game is at 40-40). This term would then later come in handy when I learn about about egalitarian societies. 

S'il vous plaît = literally means “please” or “if you would please” but in tennis speak it’s basically used by the umpire to tell the crowd to “Shut up please. And thanks!” So picking it up as a young boy whenever I hear someone being loud or plainly saying something ludicrous I would precociously say, “S'il vous plaît.” “Shut up please. And thanks!” 😁

I also learned to count in French but only with the numbers 15, 30 and 40. Teehee! 😁  

Well, on second thought, my French awakening may have happened on another occasion. It might have been through Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Mostly through the music, I must say. Tom Hulce’s version of “Out There” is a long time favorite and of course Lea’s Eponine singing “On My Own” is quite remarkable. (Side note: while I was in Paris, I stayed near the river Seine and the Notre Dame cathedral and literally heard the bells of Notre Dame and couldn’t help but hum, well,  The Bells of Notre Dame. It felt so surreal! I also imagined Quasimodo ringing the bells himself! Haha!)  

But then there was French art. Claude Monet’s work has always fascinated me. So maybe Monet was the one responsible for my French awakening.

There was also French cinema. In my teens, the Embassy of France would hold a French Film Festival at the Shang and I would queue up every year to see some of the best French movies. Three films particularly moved me: 

Jean Renoir’s La Grande Illusion (The Grand Illusion) probably the best war film ever made 

The wonderfully acted La Vie rêvée des anges (The Dreamlife of Angels)

Indochine starring the amazing Catherine Deneuve 

There’s a lot to draw from, and as I look back I couldn’t pin it down to a single moment in time where my deep fascination to anything French began. I can tell you this - the moment I arrived in Gare de Lyon and as I emerged from the train station and into Paris it didn’t feel like I was in a foreign city. It almost felt like I’ve been there before, many times over. It almost felt like I was coming home. 

****

Picture story time! They’re not chronological - yet again - coz Tumblr.

****

This was at the train ride from Barcelona’s Sant station going to Gare de Lyon in Paris. Funny story - I booked a first class seat because, well, who doesn’t wanna be comfortable when they travel right? At the train station I was asking someone where the first class lounge was and I got weird reactions or I dunno maybe somebody pointed me to a set of chairs that were in some corner somewhere - I don’t remember. But what I learned was - first class train seats in Europe aren’t any special. Also, you literally have to carry your own luggage into the train. I actually asked a fellow passenger while we were about to board if that was normal. He laughed. So to the uninitiated (me), first class train ride does not equal first class airplane ride. I got over that unmet expectation coz baby I was going to Paris! Woohoo! Nothing else mattered at that time! 😁(UPDATE: after researching this over on YouTube it looks like this depends on the train you’re taking. It’s like PAL business class (meh) vs. Qatar or Emirates BC experience (wow!)) 

This was at the summit of the Eiffel Tower. Got the “VIP skip the line” ticket but still had to queue up for hours. As far as I’m concerned, going up the summit isn’t worth it. I feel like queueing up that long for anything is a waste of time. And then going down, you still have to queue up for the elevator as well. So just to go up and down the Eiffel Tower becomes a half day affair at least. My good friend Mona told me they should have offered me the option to rappell down the tower LOL! Between wasting time and something fun/dangerous, I would have taken the latter option easily. 

My favorite piece of art from the Louvre. 

This was the Japanese garden in Monet’s estate in Giverny. It’s like being in his famous Lilies painting. It’s quite an experience. Book the trip at Viator! 

Isn’t Paris beautiful? Alex brought me here to see this view. Actually, he brought me everywhere in Paris. Memorize ko na nga ang Paris guys kasi nilakad namin lahat. Haha! But I’m glad he did coz I really now feel like I couldn’t get lost in Paris. He also taught me how to use the Metro - and if you ask me, the Paris Metro is easier to navigate (and waaaay cleaner) than the New York subway. 

Venus de Milo. In the world of art - the powers that be dictate what’s valuable. Kinda like hype machinery. Just like the Cambell soup “art” by Warhol - madami kasi syang friends na alta who backed him up and hailed his work as “art”. I think same story sa Venus de Milo pero with this one it was during a time when civilizations were upholding their cultures by amassing (and salvaging) art. The French needed to collect significant pieces of art - and if I heard the story right - when they found the Venus de Milo they declared it as “the one” - the piece of art that they have that they can be proud of. In a way, it’s significant na rin but if you ask me about its artistic value - I’ve seen a lot of better sculptures but we also have to remember that art is also something that describes a moment in history so we couldn’t deny Venus de Milo’s significance. Ok na rin. Choice naman nila yan. Haha!

iPhone only. Didn’t even get to use my G7X camera. Used and abused the portrait mode feature of the iPhone. 

Thumbs up pose again. Note to self in the next travel photos - surf’s up pose naman for variety. LOL! 

Dilaw na dilaw. 

To be fair, I like this photo from the inverted pyramid at the Louvre. Pero naka thumbs up na naman. Ugh.

When in Paris - Vuitton. 

Don’t I look giddy here? Romanticism guys. Cupid bringing Psyche back to life. The placement of the sculpture at the Louvre was perfect too coz it gets natural lighting that makes it look even more dramatic. I was totally in awe of this sculpture! 

Eiffel Tower again. Still not Facebook banner levels. Oh well, next time.

Sacre Coeur. Sacred Heart. 

I thought I was being bold when I decided to go for this shot. I would later find out that a lot of people do this. Yung nakatayo sa gitna ng daan. K. 😂

I tried doing an emotive pose here. But still not Facebook banner quality. Check out the flip flop too.  

Monet’s garden. In fact, I got to go inside his house! BFF levels! Just kidding!

This was another attempt. But so casual. Pambahay look. Hahaha!

This was taken from the window of Monet’s bedroom. Nice no?

Eiffel Tower at night taken with an iPhone. 

French countryside. Nag traditional French lunch lang. 

This window type of photo is very Paris. 

Versailles. I highly recommend going to Versailles to understand the French better and why aesthetics is an intrinsic part of their culture. Their King literally wanted the French to be the best dressed and best looking people in the world. He even cared so much about his hair - hence the pictures of people with wigs back then. And then there’s the Palace of Versailles which he wanted to be the grandest palace ever. Na achieve naman nya. Daming gold. 

Montmartre. Mainit!

Uso na pala selfie dati pa. 

Outtake at the Notre Dame. 

Dior store. Nice no?

Louvre. 

Versailles. Gold talaga yang mga yan guys. HAHA!

Seine. 

Bawal daw pumasok si Sia dito guys baka ano daw gawin at makabasag. LOL! Waley. 🤦‍♂️

And that’s all that I could share to you guys! Thanks again to Viator for helping me make my vacation seamless. 

[shanlightyear]

Happy Sleepover Saturday, doll! Since you mentioned how strongly you feel about Disney princes, care to share your thoughts on some of them? :D

Oh gosh. I hope you realize what you’ve gotten yourself into. 

I’ll give you a run down under the read more:it’s gotten extensive. haha

Flynn Rider. Number one. Come ON. He’s dashing, debonair, and a generally charming guy. He has a sense of humor and wit, and a pretty cool guy when it comes right down to it. BUT here’s the thing that really stakes his claim in “Shanlightyear’s Comprehensive List and Ranking of Disney Princes” is that he changes! For the better!! FOR LOVE!!! At best, he changes because he’s realized that helping this girl is the most incredible thing he’s done and it feels good to help people and it’s new and exciting and also, he’s not entirely sure if he can give up Rapunzel so he stays with her! (seeing some kind of tough guy realize that this person they’re in love with is important and watching their walls break down is like a weak-point of mine, tbh.) At worst: he’s changed because he realizes that a life of crime and stealing things isn’t the most glamorous thing he can do with his life and time. But even then, that’s a pretty big step tbh. 

Prince Phillip/Prince Eric/Aladdin/Kristoff are all kinda tied for second for me? They’re handsome and cute guys who can crack a joke, and all save their respective princesses in really badass ways. They all care so much and it’s a really cool visual representation to see Phillip go up against a dragon, or Eric against Ursula, or Aladdin wit his way out of a fight, all to be a hero and *earn* their place and their princesses respect. I think I really really like their visual development and *artsy* symbolism and the way they earn the love of the audience. It worked on me. haha

The Beast/Li Shang are up next. I feel like because their movies are mainly about the ladies, they’re really just there to boost up their respective love interests? Which isn’t the worst thing. Like, example: The Beast’s sour attitude was really framed to show Belle’s patience and compassion. And sure, he gets better in the movie, but that was always a little more owned up to Belle? *I should mention that I have no issue with this, but I think a few people might?* I have literally no problem with either of these guys, but in the larger image, they’re really there to frame the main character of their movies. And the reason why they’re here instead of lumped in with the second place, is because there’s really nothing *spectacular* about the way they save the day at the end. The Beast has it out with Gaston, but that feels more of a love thing rather than protection, and Shang just kinda... helps... Mulan. I dunno. 

Prince Naveen is just kinda... meh for me? I know that he changed for love like Flynn, but I don't feel like it’s not all the much of a dramatic change? He’s still a prince by the end, and the best thing about it is that he’s less of a dick? He’s still adorable and laid-back but something about the way his arc ended never sat right with me. and By extension, Cinderella’s Prince Charming is kinda the same for me, too. I like his personality (or what i’ve seen of it) but there’s just not enough of him to really get a good handle. And it’s not like he slayed a dragon or anything. So. yeah. 

Snow White’s Prince Charming is like... cardboard. He’s just... “pfft” 

[mrstsung]

Some random questionnaire.

I did this for shang tsung. From Shang's perspective.

Enjoy.

💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚

• 1: Name: Shang Tsung

• 2: Age: 10,000. (Physically in his late 30/early 40s? Dunno.)

• 3: 3 Fears: i fear nothing. (He actually does fear of growing old. Vulnerable. And honestly like his life wasted potential. He wants to feel important. He fears losing one of the few people that cares about him. He'll never admit some of this tho aloud)

• 4: 3 things I love: My island,my wife,my servents,the powers i weild and the souls i have mastered. Winning against strong opponents. Crushing the weak and defying the impossible. Nothing much.

• 5: 4 turns on: my wife. Power. Wealth. Anything i desire. But i do love strong willed women. But also someone soft and kind and gentle. Someone to tend to me as i tend to her....so pretty much...my wife.

• 6: 4 turns off: well i don't really like someone of poor manners. Like a certain mercenary i know.... also as much as i love sassy women,too much sass and you may receive a swift glaring response from me. For the most part i am open,but i have my principles my dear.

• 7: My best friend: well formerly it was prince goro and kintaro of the shokan. Only recently has he been resurrected. Well i guess my wife can be considered a friend as well. She was before i gained favor back from the shokan.

• 8: Sexual orientation: i preference women darling. Take that as you will.

• 9: My best first date: well it's been so long. But as for the first date with my now beloved wife. It was a simple date. And how lovely it was.

• 10: How tall am I: 180cm(5'11")

• 11: What do I miss: my freedom

• 12: What time were I born: why do you wish to know? *glare*

• 13: Favorite color: viridian green. Crimson. Gold. Black. Many rich and bold colors. Tho violet is quite nice.

• 14: Do I have a crush: yes. On my wife.

• 15: Favorite quote: my wife's oath to me when she took up as my pupil,and her wedding vow to me. "In life and in death,i am eternally yours" . She has a way of pulling at this old sorcerer's heart strings. Such a darling isn't she?

• 16: Favorite place: my wife's arms,our bed. Maybe the gardens.

• 17: Favorite food: there's this spicy noodle dish that's absolutely delicious. I quite like the heat. Honestly i don't think there is a time where i didnt love her cooking.

• 18: Do I use sarcasm: who i? I would never *cheeky laugh*

• 19: What am I listening to right now: well obviously you asking questions.

• 20: First thing I notice in new person: their energy. And *smug laugh* their soul.

• 21: Shoe size: honestly i haven't checked in a while.

• 22: Eye color: dark brownish black

• 23: Hair color: black

• 24: Favorite style of clothing: comfortable but luxurious. Like myself.

• 25: Ever done a prank call?: no,but my wife has. Quite amusing to say the least

• 27: Meaning behind my URL: pardon? (Shang's my fave and one of my mk fat ass crushes.)

• 28: Favorite movie: Don't tell mr.cage. but his fists of the dragon movie,despite his abrasive personality. Is quite good. A lot of accuracy and well done techniques. (Look i wanna give Johnny more movies than just ninja mime. -_-)

• 29: Favorite song: i have many. (Honestly i dunno what his fave would be)

• 30: Favorite band: I'm not certain.

• 31: How I feel right now: slightly annoyed but my wife wants me to do this. So i shall. *sigh*

• 32: Someone I love: my wife

• 33: My current relationship status: i am a married man.

• 34: My relationship with my parents: I honestly for the life of me can't remember. They are long past. But i....nvm.

• 35: Favorite holiday: Don't really have one.

• 36: Tattoos and piercing i have: i don't have any.

• 37: Tattoos and piercing i want: i wish not to taint perfection. (Honestly shang aint a tattoo dude or a piercing guy. He doesn't mind others having them. But as for himself? Nah)

• 38: The reason I joined Tumblr: pardon?(i joined to make friends and share content but ya know)

• 39: Do I and my last ex hate each other?: i honestly don't remember them before my wife. As i said,it's been too long.

• 40: Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts?: plenty.

• 41: Have I ever kissed the last person you texted?: most certainly.

• 42: When did I last hold hands?: this morning? Why do you wish to know this again?

• 43: How long does it take me to get ready in the morning?: depends on the situation

• 44: Have You shaved your legs in the past three days?: wait...let me look.

• 45: Where am I right now?: right here? Are you blind?

• 46: If I were drunk &amp; can’t stand, who’s taking care of me?: *points at me* my wife

• 47: Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level?: depends. But reasonable is preferable.

• 48: Do I live with my Mom and Dad?: no. Do i look like a child?

• 49: Am I excited for anything?: for this to end

• 50: Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to?: my wife. I trust her deeply.

• 51: How often do I wear a fake smile?: whenever i engage with enemies. Never to my wife.

• 52: When was the last time I hugged someone?: this morning,to my wife.

• 53: What if the last person I kissed was kissing someone else right in front of me?: my wife would never. However i would very heavily question the one who kissed her. The question would be if they wish to die today.

• 54: Is there anyone I trust even though I should not?: too many

• 55: What is something I disliked about today?: this questionnaire

• 56: If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?: honestly I'm not sure. Hopefully nobody who wishes me dead,they may need to get in line. *heheh*

• 57: What do I think about most?: my wife

• 58: What’s my strangest talent?: i can meditate under water. What can you do?

• 59: Do I have any strange phobias?: as i said fear to me is an annoyance. But i am not keen on certain insects. Not all of them. Just...certain ones.

• 60: Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?: depends on who's camera it is.

• 61: What was the last lie I told?: I'm not sure (this one)

• 62: Do I prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?: in person or over my soul gem amulet i gave my wife.

• 63: Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens?: ghosts? Yes. Most certainly they exist. Aliens? Im not sure but it is possible.

• 64: Do I believe in magic?: i am magic *green flaming skull appears*

• 65: Do I believe in luck?: yes but i also believe in making your own as well.

• 66: What's the weather like right now?: peaceful. For now.

• 67: What was the last book I've read?: my studies book.

• 68: Do I like the smell of gasoline?: not really. My wife strangely does. *heheh* such a peculiar one she is.

• 69: Do I have any nicknames?: most call me by my name or proficiency. But my wife calls me....*whispered mutter* bao bao. But you didn't hear anything! *flustered*

• 70: What was the worst injury I've ever had?: oh too many to count. But none of that matters to a soul eater like myself.

• 71: Do I spend money or save it?: both

• 72: Can I touch my nose with a tongue?: i wouldn't partake in such childish behavior. *tries to anyways* 

• 73: Is there anything pink in 10 feet from me?: *cheeky laugh* well i can think of one or two things. *shang eyeing me up n down*

• 74: Favorite animal?: serpents,cats/tigers,and dragons.

• 75: What was I doing last night at 12 AM?: sleeping?

• 76: What do I think is Satan’s last name is?: we've met. Very intriguing they are. Still no match for me. 

• 77: What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it?: my wife's voice

• 78: How can you win my heart?: you wish you could. But alas that has long past. My heart beats for only my wife.

• 79: What would I want to be written on my tombstone?: if that ever could happen. It would simply say,I'll meet you soon.

• 80: What is my favorite word?: my wife's name

• 81: My top 5 blogs on tumblr: i still do not understand this. (Tbh i don't really have faves)

• 82: If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say?: your soul is mine!

• 83: Do I have any relatives in jail?: no. And none of them are living anymore. Next question.

• 84: I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power?: my dear,you wouldn't gain powers. You would surely die. But if such a thing was possible. I'd imagine it would be plant or nature based.

• 85: What would be a question I’d be afraid to tell the truth on?: if i had to say. "If you were afraid to die. Why?" Plz don't ask me this.

• 86: What is my current desktop picture?: i have no such thing. But if i would it wpuld either a peaceful background or my wife.

• 87: Had sex?: why do you wish to know? Would you like to partake? *sinister smile?*  (no shang! We are not doing that!)

• 88: Bought condoms?: my wife has them for us.

• 89: Gotten pregnant?: *loud laugh because this is funny* heavens no! I can not do so obviously. And my wife and i,that is our business only.

• 90: Failed a class?: never. (He has but his pride prevents him to talk about his early days)

• 91: Kissed a boy?: no. Im not interested. Besides,none catch my interest nor any have manners enough.

• 92: Kissed a girl?: plenty.

• 93: Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain?: *looks lovingly at me* my wife.

• 94: Had job?: i was the former shao kahns advisor and personal champion. Was. And its was horrible. Never again.

• 95: Left the house without my wallet?: no

• 96: Bullied someone on the internet?: mr.cage. *smug laugh*

• 97: Had sex in public?: no. Semi public? Yes.

• 98: Played on a sports team?: does kombat count?

• 99: Smoked weed?: sometimes

• 100: Did drugs?: sometimes but not much anymore.

• 101: Smoked cigarettes?: tobacco? Rarely but yes.

• 102: Drank alcohol?: yes

• 103: Am I a vegetarian/vegan?: no

• 104: Been overweight?: no

• 105: Been underweight?: only once. In my youth,long before i was taken from earthrealm,forced to serve that pompous tyrant shao khan.

• 106: Been to a wedding?: yes. My own

• 107: Been on the computer for 5 hours straight?: no

• 108: Watched TV for 5 hours straight?: sometimes with my wife. But only my wife.

• 109: Been outside my home country?: plenty of times

• 110: Gotten my heart broken?: * gets quiet* .....yes.....

• 111: Been to a professional sports game?: again do kombat tournaments count?

• 112: Broken a bone?: yes

• 113: Cut myself?: yes

• 114: Been to prom?: no

• 115: Been in airplane?: yes

• 116: Fly by helicopter?: yes

• 117: What concerts have I been to?: none to my recollection

• 118: Had a crush on someone of the same sex?: not really

• 119: Learned another language?: plenty

• 120: Wore make up?: only a few times but only during ceremonies.

• 121: Lost my virginity before I was 18?: why do you care about this?

• 122: Had oral sex?: yes

• 123: Dyed my hair?: no

• 124: Voted in a presidential election?: no,i do not engage is such realms affairs

• 125: Rode in an ambulance?: no

• 126: Had a surgery?: yes

• 127: Met someone famous?: does mr. Cage count?

• 128: Stalked someone on a social network?: .....do you wish to know.....because you may not want to know.

• 129: Peed outside?: yes?

• 130: Been fishing?: only in my youth

• 131: Helped with charity?: yes

• 132: Been rejected by a crush?: *sigh* yes

• 133: Broken a mirror?: yes

• 134: What do I want for birthday?: peace and quiet from others. Now be gone!

      *slams door*

[purplesurveys]

667

Have you ever tried to walk on a moving vehicle and fallen over?: I’ve lost my balance while walking to an empty seat in jeepneys. Cos what usually happens is that the jeepney drivers resume driving as soon as you’re aboard the jeep, and so they don’t give a crap whether you’re already sitting or still on your way to a seat haha.

As for falling over, it’s probably happened to me as a kid when I still rode the school bus. We were always rowdy in the afternoon and would walk all over the bus, so I’m not ruling it out.

What is your favourite kind of bread? Is there any of that in your house?: BRIOCHE is the shit, yo.

Do you own any equipment to make cocktails, like jiggers or shakers?: Nah. My family – save for me lmao – isn’t big on drinking, so there’s never been a need for us to get equipment. We literally only have one bottle of Jack Daniel’s and like two bottles of wine in the house hahaha, a far cry from what I usually see in my friends’ houses.

How many times have you seriously injured yourself?: Can’t count them on one hand, that’s for sure. I’ve sprained my left foot from tripping in school (in front of an ongoing protest, to make things worse), had a toe or two caught in a bike’s pedal crank, a foot infection from the sea, scraped the skin from my palm when I had to use the bass drum in high school, shocked (also) my palm trying to plug something, and tripped multiple times as a kid and made my knee bleed.  

When was the last time you were a passenger in a car and sat in the back?: Sunday. My siblings and I were at the back, but it was also to drop my sister off at her dorm so the second half of the ride was just me and my brother.

Did you attend Sunday School as a child?: Bleck, no. Despite being forced to attend almost every single Sunday mass since I was 4, I’m glad my mom never made me attend anything beyond that.

What is the longest your hair has ever been?: It’s reached my hips many times - that’s the longest I let it be, because my hair tends to be dry and it’s not the prettiest sight when too much of it is happening lmao.

What about the shortest? (not including being a toddler or baby): When I was 4, 7, and 10 my mom had my hair cut all the way up to my ears because my hair is quite frizzy and she didn’t like that I didn’t have the tendency to tie my hair up in a ponytail. Naturally her response was to just have all my hair cut off lol, bt those three years were miserable as I hated the look and it made me feel like a boy. The third time she had it cut was the last one on my watch; I started tied my hair up in a ponytail every day if it meant she was hands off of my hair and how I wanted to look.

Have you ever smoked a cigarette?: LMAO y’all are gonna be SO disappointed. I smoke socially now. It started in January when I was out with high school friends and at one point literally every one of them headed out to have a smoke break; and I didn’t like being left alone inside the bar so I went out with them. I figured I was getting all the health effects from the secondhand smoke anyway so I asked for a cigarette and asked them to teach me how to use it. The rest is disappointing history.

Are/were you in the school band, and if so, what instrument did you play?: No, definitely not musically inclined.

Who does the grocery shopping in your household?: My mom. Sometimes my dad would do it when he’s home, but even then my mom provides the list of which things to buy.

What is the best thing you’ve ever bought at a thrift shop?: Not sure if it counts as a thrift shop but I once found a newer edition of the WWE Encyclopedia in a bookstore that solely sells donated/used books. I never get to see wrestling merch in real life – much less in thrift stores – so I didn’t even need to think when it came to buying it. It ended up being super worth it; those books typically cost P1,500 to P2,000, and if I’m not mistaken I got it for like P450.

Have you ever ordered an unusual drink at a bar?: Nah, I have my usuals. There was only one time I bought an uncommon drink and it was in Makati Shang – I barely remember anything about it but I do remember that it was topped with egg whites lol. Think I bought it just to feel fancy for once, even though my usuals were also in the menu.

What is your favourite thing about summer?: The beach, mainly. I’d mention getting the chance to rest, but I’m on my last year of college and have literally run out of summer vacations at this point.

When was the last time you went to your local library?: Just a kind disclaimer that we acually don’t have public libraries, because the government could not care the fuck less. As for my college’s library, I last went maybe a month ago? to pick up a book that had a chapter in it that I needed to read for a class.

Do you have any friends who work in retail?: I don’t think so.

Can you do a proper cartwheel?: Nooooooo. But I tried so many times as a kid. I also nearly broke my arms so many times as a kid, so there’s that.

Have you ever been pulled aside by security at the airport?: Not me, but my mom. We were in Shanghai and both my mom and the guards couldn’t figure out what it was inside her bag that kept making the machine beep. While I’ve forgotten what the thing was when we did find out, I do remember that it was such a stupid, small issue and the guards were being unnecessary bitches throughout the whole thing.

Are you a fast-thinker or a slow-thinker?: More on fast. I hate mulling over on anything for too long.

Do you watch The Simpsons regularly?: No. I always watched Family Guy more often.

If you were to donate to charity today, what would you donate to?: PAWS! They’re an NGO focused on animal welfare. I’ve always wanted to volunteer but just never have the time to.

What is your favourite card game and when was the last time you played it?: I dunno what it’s called anymore but Angela taught us a card game where we toss cards onto the the table and when the last two cards add up to a certain number, we race to see who can slam their hand onto the pile of cards haha. I’ve always been a slow adder so I always lose, but it’s still a fun game.

Would you consider yourself to be good at spelling and grammar?: Relatively better than a lot of Filipinos, yeah.

Who was the last person you cuddled with?: Idk, I only ever do this with my girlfriend.

Have you ever spoken or performed on stage in front of a large audience?: I’ve done both.

Did you ever go to summer camp when you were younger?: Nah, I doubt my mom would’ve let me go anyway as a kid. I did go to a sports clinic – I did swimming when I was 9.

What is your favourite seasonal candy? (only available at certain times): Meh I’m not a big candy fan. I can give you seasonal menu items, though hahah. I love McDonald’s’ McSpicy and curly fries and KFC’s Double Down. They haven’t been bringing McSpicy back for a long time now though :/

Are there any television shows you own in entirety on DVD or VHS?: I have a bootleg collection of the 80s show Perfect Strangers.

How far away from your house is the nearest gas station?: I’d say 10 minutes, but this is because our house is situated at the very end of our village. If we lived near the main gate, it would probably take like three minutes to get to the first gas station nearby.

Do you know anyone who is fluent in a second tongue?: Virtually all Filipinos are bilingual, and those who are trilingual closely trail by. In the city, most if not all know English/Filipino, but there are so many others who know English, Filipino, and the local language of their province, e.g. Bikolano, Ilonggo, Ilokano, Cebuano. Language is kind of a big deal here that you’re considered boring if you only know English and Filipino hahaha.

When was the last time you had a bubble bath?: Maybe a year ago.

Have you ever been pressured into doing drugs? Did you say yes or no?: No. At least not yet, lmao.