#like in general. it feels like mk11 had much more stuff to it

[sundimus]

beat the newest mortal kombat game and hmm.

[sennamybeloved]

Sorry I know I already sent an ask but would it be possible to know some trivia about you and Mileena? As a fellow villain liker I am dying to know about you guys! - flowerhound

awww oh my god ;; these asks are so fucking sweet, thank you SO much for them. it genuinely means a lot that someone is this interested in what i have to say about my girl. of course you can have some trivia about us.

(also, i apologize that it took me a minute to get to this! wasn't ignoring it, just trying to perfect my answers :>)

this specifically discusses mk9 - 11 mileena! mk1 is excluded for now.

in mk9 - mk11, my self insert is a genetic experiment done by earthrealm's government, combining humans with animals to create ultimate war machines. however, very few of the experiments were successful, and those that were escaped when the laboratory they were created in fell apart. i was combined with a fox, of course :)

i joined the tournament to cope with how hollow my life had become after leaving the lab. i was raised to fight and knew nothing else, so, kombat soothed me. imet mileena around this time, who attempted to capture/kill me, but ultimately failed, because i won her over with flattery. more specifically, i called her face beautiful, which is something she'd never been called before. so, she spared me, and we began to talk.

at this point, i didn't have a name; only a subject number that was assigned to me in captivity. so, mileena named me "phantom" after my fur and uber-cool stealth powers. it stuck, sooo, self insert name origins!!!

other story stuff is kinda blurry. i aided her during her rebellion in mkx + the comics, helped her escape captivity before we got executed, and convinced her to "settle down" somewhere away from all the drama and politics. mileena's idea of settling down still involves terrorizing people, however, she isn't like... actively wanted for war crimes anymore. so that's cool.

on the topic of general realtionship stuff, mileena is..a lot to handle. she is aggressive and childish in the same breath, meaning that she deals with everything (both good and bad) in a way that is either inherently harmful or downright frustrating. aside from the fact that she is a literal murderer, she is bossy, whiny, petulant, and a couple other things that most people would find annoying--however, i absolutely do not find her annoying. in fact, i find all of these qualities extremely endearing! even the whole murder thing.

she's extremely clingy. she wants my undivided attention and doting affections all of the time. i'm busy? nonsense! there is no reason i shouldn't be paying attention to her.

[CW: POSESSIVENESS/JEALOUSY] not only is she clingy, but she is also protective, possessive, and a tad bit obsessive; she wants me and only me, and wants me to feel the same about her. fortunately, i do, however, that does not stop her from threatening to eat those who get sweet on me. she wants everyone to know that i am claimed by her for life, and she will stop at literally nothing to prove that.

she masks it pretty well, but she is actually extremely insecure about her appearance and origins. she finds her own face to be repulsive, hence why she always wears a mask, and envies those with traditional beauty, like kitana. i, on the other hand, think she's gorgeous just the way she is, and i am not shy about telling her that. she adores my praise, so, i keep it coming.

our primary love languages are physical touch and words of affirmation. we are stuck to each other like glue, always purring compliments in the other's ear.

mileena has eaten people for me. she will continue to eat people for me. i cannot stop this from happening.

mileena loves all of my hobbies. every time i pick up something new, she wants to hear all about it. she's a great listening, surprisingly, but only when it comes to me. she has great retention when it comes to my hobbies and my hobbies alone. she loves watching me draw, adores listening to the music i make, loves proofreading my writing. she's even tried picking up some of my hobbies for herself!

i take her friendship in mk11 as canon. one of the few things she has patience for is sewing. she tailors her own clothes, fixes up my clothes, but most importantly, she makes teddy bears. she has an entire collection of teddy bears, both big and small, some created by her whereas others were stolen and scavenged. she adores them. me and her throw little tea parties with them sometimes.

she doesn't have lips, so she can't kiss me. instead, she licks me. like a dog. like this.

she also bites. it is NOT gentle, but it is out of love, so i don't really mind it.

she is actually pretty marvelous at helping me cope with my anxiety. this is because she takes everything i say at face value instead of second-guessing and trying to convince me otherwise, so she's able to meet me where i'm at.

we both kinda suck at singing, but we sing together sometimes. she has my very diverse taste in music.

[evasivaardilosa]

Sorry for showing up like this literally months after my last post, after making you all think you got rid of me /jk

But I have been playing again (there is a post coming about it some day maybe) and I just reread what I had written for Second Chances 2.0 (for those who are new or who have forgotten, it’s my fic project vaguely based on Invasions s1 in which the invading Scorpion is Hanzo from his ending of the MK11 timeline, who couldn’t restore his own timeline like Liu Kang and the others did, and who then gets a redemption arc and moves into the MK1 timeline permanently, and anyway it ends as Harumi/Hanzo/Kuai (or as I call them, Scorpion x3, even thought this is not Scorpion!Harumi sorry queen) (+baby Hanzo from the MK1 timeline as their adopted son because why not)) and I don’t fully remember some ideas I had because I was once again dumb and didn’t write them all but it doesn’t matter because I just had a galaxy brain idea for the ending that I know I hadn’t thought of before

So, it was always going to end with Scorpion x3 fighting Bi-Han and his boytoy Sektor because of the Cyber Initiative and stuff. But I think I was going for a sorta open ending on this front, like they stopped Bi-Han for now but he will eventually do more shit, probably. Well, but what if Kuai is really, really pissed at Bi-Han. More than usual, I mean. Maybe he hurt Harumi or little Hanzo for those sweet parallels. Or maybe it’s just Kuai’s past life ptsd from the Cyber Initiative, which was already a thing when I started writing. So Hanzo can see - because he knows this man as well as he knows himself - that Kuai is really fighting to kill.

And Hanzo just stops him. And he starts telling Kuai not to do it, and it sounds to Kuai like it’s some generic speech about how killing is bad and he’s your brother and etc but actually Hanzo is just trying very hard not to shout that he can’t kill Bi-Han because he will come back much stronger and harder to kill, been there done that. Like believe me, Kuai, it can get much worse than this. You don’t want it to become worse.

Ofc just kidding (partially), it would be because he knows that no matter how angry Kuai is at the moment, how much he wants to break all ties with his brother, he will regret doing this.

I just think it would be neat for Hanzo to save Bi-Han’s life for once, and it would be character growth for Hanzo to have learned from all those times he fucked everything up by killing a guy that everyone told him not to, even when said guy really deserved to die. And ofc I like giving MK1 Bi-Han a chance, I really like the doomed from the start feel that canon gives for him but I like the idea that he can still go a different path. And by letting him live I open the questioning if maybe, if og Bi-Han had lived, could he also have gone a different path?

Also then MK1 Kuai gets a mini Scorpion arc, having his family threatened by Bi-Han (not killed because I am nice) and fighting him and intending to kill him. Getting to be “saved” by someone who has gone through this and learned from his mistakes

[tristinai]

I told myself I'd write today. So I did. Just...not the thing I was expecting to write lol.

Cue rant under the cut:

I think the general problem with reboots, and why you don't see many reboots taking large departures from the original, is that there is this fear of pissing off the fan base by doing something too "new". The best example I can think of is when the Ghostbusters made that all-woman team in a reboot and that movie was dragged all over the internet/Hollywood/etc before anyone gave it a chance. I'm not sure if that was the pivotal point within Hollywood entertainment that reboots began taking less risks when retelling their stories but there seems to be this fear of becoming too controversial or doing things too different whenever a property is rebooted. We notice this not only in film but in TV, Games, Comics, etc. The prevailing attitude seems to be low risk = high reward and the studios releasing this rebooted content trust that few changes and high nostalgia in a product brings in a higher return than taking beloved characters and moving them in new directions.

Honestly, I am kind of surprised that MK1 has as many changes as it does and that's why I like the game so much (going on 130h of playtime right now because Invasions is so addictive >.>). It's one of the few rebooted things I've seen/played that felt like it was trying new stuff with a lot of beloved characters. But I would definitely argue that while there have been some controversies (people seem pretty unhappy with Hanzo and Kuai Liang in the new timeline and not just the shippers), the changes in MK1 still feel very "safe". Switching the champion from Liu Kang to Raiden, the two characters whose friendship/relationship has dominated previous games, is literally just giving them the exact same dynamic they have always had but reversed. It's basically the same package but with different color wrapping paper. Controversial take: NRS should have worked the story so you could pick Raiden, Kung Lao, Johnny, or Kenshi as your champion and each would add a slight variation to the main story (but not a significant change, maybe just give each character different lines/scenes in the following scenes). Player choice would have been nice and it would have encouraged people to replay those chapters. Plus, it would have been neat to see how each champion reacted to their role: would Kung Lao have been more arrogant? Would Johnny have used his title to double-down on his flirting? Would Kenshi have tried to use his champion title to try and reclaim Sento from Johnny? The variation would have been nice and if done well, players would get to play the champion they connect most with and completionists would have gone back to replay these chapters multiple times to unlock more items/view more cut scenes.

Plus, even if NRS wanted only 1 champion, the ending of MK11 Aftermath suggested that Kung Lao was going to be champion. I think even the start of MK1, where Kung Lao's arrogantwith Raiden, could have set up a more interesting arc for Kung Lao as champion. His role in the game could have been learning humility by the end of it and instead, we have Raiden who…doesn't really get character growth in his role as champion. Raiden starts as humble and ends as humble and while his Towers ending hints at the anger that previous versions of him struggled with, we don't see it in the main story. Maybe Raiden learns to be more confident and trust in his abilities? I'm really blanking on it right now since I haven't played the story in months but I still feel that Kung Lao had a better setup for growing into the role of earthrealm champion.

Regarding other changes they could have gone with, is there seriously no man in the MK universe whose doing it for the D? Nearly every male character got a glow up in MK1 and they're all just standing around, surrounded by all that man pretty, like, "We're all straight. Every one of us. No gay thoughts, only hetero feelings". Not even Mileena and Tanya is new as they are canon in MK11 (Tower ending). It's just wild to me that in a male-dominated roster when we know that gay/bi men make up a few percent of the world's population, you don't have ONE queer male. Johnny throws some flirty lines at male characters in his intros so maybe he's the closest NRS will go to the taboo and forbidden not-hetero male character, but it's like for every hint of queerness Johnny oozes, he's also got 10+ lines reaffirming he's all about the ladies XD

To wrap up, I think the risk factor of changing characters/story arcs too much and allowing queer males anywhere within a fighting game is why even with these reboots and opportunities to do something different, NRS will stick to the status quo as much as possible. MK1 offers some interesting departures from the way characters were depicted in previous games but NRS knows enough about their preferred straight, male gaming audience to deliver to what caters to that demographic. I think the comparison with BG3 is interesting because that's a game where it feels almost like you're playing the game wrong if you don't flirt with the queer options in a playthrough. But ultimately, these are two different demographics of gamers. Plus, Larion studios knew who their community was (us weirdos who play tabletop games on a Saturday night instead of hitting the nightclubs/bars) and delivered a player-choice driven experience, which should allow players to explore who they are through the game's protagonist. NRS is more about delivering a testosterone-driven male power fantasy with brutal combat, sexy ladies, and beefed up men (why do straight guys like this????) in a fighting game. If you're queer and playing MK games, NRS might throw a nod in your direction with a cute Johnny quip or a blink-and-you'll-miss-it Taleena moment but they ultimately don't give a shit what their queer fans want since we are outnumbered by loud, obnoxious, pissed off men screaming WOKE and threatening boycotts any time any of us queers get a bit of recognition in media.

I am sorry this is so long ^^;;;

MK1 is such a bizarre experience bc on one hand some characters have benefited a lot from the "universe reset" (Baraka, Reptile, even arguably Shao who is less than a muahahaha conquer villain but someone who actually seems to care about his realm?). Others kind of raise interesting questions, like Shang Tsung : is he doomed to be bad or can he be good for a change? (In the story he choses to become a snake-oil salesman before joining the imperial family + there is an Union of Light Shang Tsung so him being good is a thing that could happen).

But then, instead of using that full reset NRS just leaves some things the same? Like. It's a reset. In 2023/2023. That was the perfect moment for implementing some (maybe not lots) changes. Perhaps starting making Johnny canonically bi? Just a small ripple towards a bigger change? Instead of getting stuck in same old ways?

YOW EXACTLY

Things i loved about Mk1 change:

Mileena and Kitana sibling relationship

Rain's character design

Tanya and Mileena!!!!

Sindel being badass empress and outworld thriving in peace under her reign

Baraka and Syzoth on the good side!!

Kenshi's yakuza past

Geras and Liu Kang's friendship! Liu Kang actually treating Geras as his equal 🥺 and Geras being so loyal to him 😫😭

Shang Tsung's zitsy behavior

Lin Kuei brothers 🥺

What i hate:

Hanzo being a kid and essentially everything about him being handed to Kuai Liang

Kung Lao being the second best again

Raiden and Kitana romance

Mileena and Tanya having the barest screen time

Controversial opinionated rant down below

I hated that they essentially just switched Liu Kang and Raiden's places. I started MK1 right after MK11 that i was furious to see Raiden chosen as the champion (IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MY BOY KUNG LAO LET HIM SHINE ISTG) and then flirting with Kitana with Liu Kang's exact line (I hope we meet again under different circumstances)??? Tf??

I understand that some plot elements are too good to change but character romances? Don't replace one side of the pairing, then try to serve it to the audience again! Reboot should give us more variety of character designs, stories, dynamics, and relationships. Give us the genderbent, queer, poc characters BC YOU'RE NOT EVEN SACRIFICING ANYTHING when we literally have infinite alternative timelines you can recall classics from. For example, we have our human Raiden and old man titan Raiden. We can do variety. I wanna see female Fujin, i wanna see Scorpion Harumi and fighter Suchin, i want actual deserved queer representation in Kung Jin, and i. wanna. see. canon Johnshi!

My hypothesis is that NRS is gonna bring in mk children through dimensional travel so that they don't need to age up our current characters. I'm saying this to push my point further that we don't need to repeat romance plotlines (dont come at me. I have bais just as you have bais for ur fav old pairings)

Listen, i loved Sonya and Johnny in previous games, her and Cassie were a huge part of Johnny's character arc, but since Johnny is already maturing by the end of mk1, i don't see a point in Cageblade anymore (very controversial but it's my blog so i will yap as much as i want) We are not erasing anything by possibly making Johnny queer. Johnny and Sonya can be married in different timeline and Cassie is still their child. If anything, we are enriching the character, expanding the universe. Really, I don't wanna buy the exact same game story in different graphics. I don't want to see Suchin die again just to serve Kenshi and Takeda's dynamic.

And don't even get me started again on heteronormality of the game. We have 6 realms that have diverse variety of biological and sociological configurations AND YOU'RE TELLING ME THEY ARE ALL HETEROSEXUAL?? NRS is a fucking pussy for not having enough queer representation. They think they can give us vague "blink, you will miss it" moments and move on. There are so many high selling good games with good lgbtq characters. Literal 2023's the game of the year, BG3 is so fucking gay that it's off to space and you're telling me that NRS is just going 🥺👉👈 but our fans 🥺👉👈

Anyways, NRS can eat shit and Johnshi for the president 🤘

[cienie-isengardu]

Not only do I not regret asking you to "RELEASE THE RAMBLES!", I'm sending you requests for more. Below is a list of questions that I asked @bihansthot , and enjoyed their answers, but because you are so thorough, and answer in such depth, I'm re-asking them to you.

Brace yourself, it's a list. I didnt have time to sort thru them, I just copied and pasted, so if any are questions you already answered before, please feel free to include the links.

"LET US BEGIN!"

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In the spirit of potential future writing,  I'm trying to find a building that  would make a good substitution for Lin Kuei temple.

I've tried looking up ancient Chinese military barracks/forts, and have found some stuff,  but is all exterior.  Anyone know of any locations (or several I can cobble together) that would make good inspiration fodder?

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So, uhm, religion? What's the Lin Kuei's take on that one? I know they are aware of Gods, they team up with/ encounter Raiden all the time,  and have literally worked for/against Shinook, so I know they recognize higher powers... but I  guess the question is,  do they care?

Do they have a religion,  or spiritual practice that resembles religion? Or do they have a more practical approach "gods exist,  but we just consider them very strong people"?

Which segues into... do they recognize and participate in holidays, or things like birthdays? Or are all their celebrations work related (I.E. successful missions or levels of combat mastery)?

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Food.  What foods do they normally eat? What foods do they like?  What foods don't they like? What foods do they absolutely love so much they'll stop what they're doing to get it?

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If you had to match the Lin Kuei with a dynasty,  what one would it be? (I know the 2021 movie has the opening in the Ming dynasty, so the Lin Kuei is at least that old,  but given that movie Bi Han hasn't aged in 400 years, and was taken is a child,  its probably much older) (and also know the game probably cherry picked random Chinese things it liked).

What do you think the Lin Kuei's view on artistic culture (probably not the right word) is? I know they are heavily militaristic,  but in the game,  Kuai Liang offers Hanzo tea and he properly prepares it the Japanese way, that says they have something of an education other than just related to fighting?

Lastly,  in the movie,  everything Bi Han does is "for the Lin Kuei", but the Lin Kuei is on Earth (assumedly),  and he is working for a guy who wants to enslave Earth, so what do you think the deal is?

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Question about the Cryomancers. I know the game lore says that they are supposed to be rare, but I also know that the Lin Kuei have had at least 5 (grandpa, papa, older, and younger Sub Zero,  and Frost). 4 of which are part of 3 generations that inherited it even with mixed blood (I'm assuming Mama Sub Zero wasn't Cryomancer since they left her alone).

That's a lot of generations in a row for a rare trait... So do you think the Cryomancers as a group have figured out they're being hunted and have chosen to live in hiding?

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Lin Kuei society question? I like writing so I also like world building and I think about these things.

Is Lin Kuei society ever covered? I know there is a Grandmaster, a handful master assassins (Sub Zero's, Sektor, Cyrax, etc) and the  movies always have a bunch canon fodder lesser assassins.

And they live in the very isolated Lin Kuei Palace/Temple in Arktika (or wherever it used to be)

But is Lin Kuei (we'll call it "village") ever covered?   Do they have willing servants, kidnapped slaves, or a mix of both? Are there women (non fighter women,  I know there's Frost) or do they employ strictly male help? If there are women, what's their role, and are there children born there? What about Elderly? What about resources,  is everything (from food, clothes, weapons, and the raw materials to create them) grown or manufactured on sight by skilled laborers or do they import/interact with the outside world? How vicious or civil is this society, could you be killed for looking at Sektor wrong or do they value your services to a degree? What's the degree? This is obviously a combat culture,  but is everyone expected to know martial arts of some variety, is it optional, or do they prohibit it among the servants/slaves? How strict are they on things like clothing, food, alcohol,  drugs, "luxuries", or pleasures? Money? If they interact with the world do they recognize and use $$ currency, commodity currency, or a mixture? Internally are the Lin Kuei payed or just provided for? What about illness or injury,  if you're not a master and it a serious injury/illness are you taken care of or do they just give you a quick death?

Etc. That's all the questions I can think of,  but please feel free to answer questions I didn't ask,  if you think of anything else.

Thank you for this wonderful list to talk about! I’m gonna split the answer into smaller parts, for better focusing on each aspect but also so I don’t feel bad for keeping you waiting for ages, lol. For now let’s focus on asks about the religion!

So good questions! I do think they have some spiritual practice(s) because in martial arts the state of a mind is as important as the physical body and religion is one of many ways to shape someone’s mindset from a young age. I do, however, think that Lin Kuei does not worship the gods. They are aware that the gods exist (with Raiden as the thorn in the side) and may even respect their supernatural powers and battle skills but it never has stopped Lin Kuei from desecrating holy places, murdering people and stealing stuff for the best price. So, it seems to me that whatever religion the members of the clan follow, by nature it is rooted in nontheism.

Of course, there is also a chance that Lin Kuei worships some forgotten deity or deities (as a remnant of their ancient connections with Outworld / realms conquered and destroyed by Shao Kahn?) or may even practice ancestor worship which seems like a good way to uphold a widely understood tradition that plays an important role in the discussed community.

The closest thing to religious practice was seen in Mortal Kombat X, when Sub-Zero and his warriors seemed to pray together before statue of god / deity / ancestor / legendary warrior / personalized thing they value the most (sadly, my knowledge about Asian religious practices or faiths is very limited so I don’t have idea if the statue is supposed to represent any real god/religious symbol).

At the same time, it could be just a bluff since Grandmaster was aware of Cage’s team infiltrating the Lin Kuei territory and used this moment to lure them into a trap. Additionally, Mortal Kombat X comics presented once Kuai Liang sitting before the same statue albeit in a completely different (devoid of reverence?) position.

Of course, if we take into account Mortal Kombat Armageddon, the game states that Lin Kuei Temple placed in Arctika was actually once the Temple of Delia (the great sorceress & wife of god Argus) that at some point get abandoned and re-used by Sub-Zero’s clan.

(In the background, we can see a statue of Delia that Lin Kuei does not worship but did not remove for whatever reason. Mixing both old and new games, we can only wonder if MKX!statue is also the remnant of someone else's faith/religion?)

Beside that, Kuai Liang was pretty vocal about Lin Kuei not worshipping the Elder Gods, what was seen in MK11’s intro dialogue with Cetrion

Sub-Zero: The Lin Kuei do not worship the Elder Gods.

Cetrion: We seek gratitude, not worship.

Sub-Zero: I see no distinction.

and personally did not have any reason to pray to the goddess:

Sub-Zero: Why should I pray to you?

Cetrion: Why does a bird flap its wings?

Sub-Zero: I asked a simple question.

In all fairness, in MK11 Kuai Liang seems the most passive-aggressive toward the Elder God while Frost is focused on her ambitions and Noob!Bi-Han just wants to be left alone when bothered by Cetrion. Similar thing happens toward Raiden. Despite gratitude for saving him, Kuai Liang does not spare the god criticism (can’t serve both Elder Gods and Earthrealm, isn’t fit for his role of protector) and in MKX outright says he does not fear divine beings:

Raiden: Sub-Zero...

Sub-Zero: I fear no gods, Raiden.

Raiden': That's why you shall lose.

Surprisingly, Kuai Liang’s interaction with MK11!Fujin sounds less accusing than with Raiden and Cetrion and it is connected closely to their ties with Bi-Han. And maybe Kuai Liang did seek in the past Fujin and other elements to make a peace with them, like he planned to do so in Mortal Kombat 4 Limited comics?

"I came here to make peace with the gods of the elements that you fought [...]"

Anyway, the accusingly behaviour toward Raiden and Cetrion could be just Kuai Liang’s personal dislike for gods and serious authority issues, which makes sense considering how much he suffered because of their meddling and conflicts.

But honestly?

The available examples of Lin Kuei attitude toward gods, demigods and supernatural beings suggest how little the warriors - especially cryomancers - care for them.

Like, we have Bi-Han in Mythologies, who asked Quan Chi about details of mission:

Sub-Zero: If it's so precious, why don't you get it yourself?

Quan Chi: I cannot enter the temple until the four elements within its walls have been defeated. And I am not on the best of terms with the gods of your realm... especially your god of thunder.

Sub-Zero: Tell me about these elements.

Quan Chi outright said he and earthrealm gods weren’t friends and Bi-Han, reading between the lines, could get the idea that he may end on bad terms with Thunder God. Yet he was interested only in elements (lesser gods than protector of realm?) guarding the temple.

Then Bi-Han beat down four demigods and met a displeased Raiden after Quan Chi got the Shinnok Amulet. His reaction? No fear, like meeting an angry god was a normal occurrence.

Rayden: Do you realize what you've done??

Sub-Zero: I was just earning my living.

Rayden: Your clan's ignorance and greed will cost this entire realm. You must now set things straight.

Sub-Zero: Quan Chi could simply be a lunatic sorcerer. I've never heard of an elder god named Shinnok or of a place called the Netherrealm.

Rayden: Well, you'd better start believing in both, because you're going to the Netherrealm and you're going to bring the amulet back. We must act quickly. I have no dominion in the Netherrealm... You are reality's only hope.

Sub-Zero: I'll do it, Thunder God... but only because I have no choice.

And once he came back from Netherrealm, where he was fixing what he messed up in the first place on Raiden’s order, his abrasive attitude did not change much:

Sub-Zero: Here... the amulet.

Rayden: Impressive, Sub-Zero. Perhaps you will reconcile your reckless past after all.

Sub-Zero: That's it? Not even a thank you?

Of course, to some degree Raiden’s words did have an impact on Bi-Han but even the god’s warning about his soul tainted with evil did not stop him from coming back to Lin Kuei. Bi-Han’s attitude and/or approach to gods seems to change somehow once he was reborn as Noob, but that is a different matter for different times.

Anyway, Mythologies!Bi-Han and MK11!Noob act less aggressive toward gods than Kuai Liang. But then we have Sub-Zero from from the MK novel by Jeff Rovin, who not only is not afraid of gods but outright insult them:

“Wait! Be warned, Shang Tsung. He is cursed!”

“Cursed? By whom?”

Ruthay wailed, “By the immortal Yu.”

Shang Tsung felt cold spiders crawl up his spine. “The demigod Yu?”

“Yes… he who is said to dwell in the underground caverns of Horse Ear Mountain… which is sacred to the goddess Kuan Lin. He who protects the canals… and the tunnels… and looks after all who use them, human and animal.”

“What did our brash friend do to Yu?”

“He… killed a man,” said Ruthay.

“What man?”

“A toll-taker… one who had given up a life of crime… one who had been a partner of the man… you… seek.”

“And how did that crime come to the attention of the spirit of Yu?” Shang Tsung asked.

“The man was killed… slowly disemboweled with a sword… while accomplices forced his wife and his son to look on! After his murder… the man’s remains… were dumped into a canal!”

Shang Tsung raised an eyebrow. “Is that all? I was expecting something truly terrible!”

“It was!” Ruthay shrieked. “When he disposed of the body… in that way … he profaned one of the sacred waterways… of Yu!”

Shang Tsung smiled now. “Then he is definitely the man I want,” he said. “Anyone who is impudent enough to insult a demigod won’t be afraid to attack a member of the White Lotus Society, or the gods who watch after them. I will send Hamachi, Ruthay. When he nears his goal, see through his eyes and guide him!”

Book!Sub-Zero was impudent enough to insult a demigod which is why he was one of Shang Tsung’s favorites. And to be clear - book!Sub-Zero did not regret insulting the demigod at all. Even more! He found humor in it!:

He dwelt in a cave two hundred feet up the face of a cliff by the sea. The mouth of his home was barely wide enough to accommodate a slender adult, and was accessible only by climbing the sheer wall of rock, a feat that was impossible for most adults and daunting even to the few arachnids and marsupials that tried it.

Maybe some of them were even sent by Yu, he thought with a smirk, little assassins who would chastise me for having spilled blood in his precious canal.

The less abrasive attitude toward gods was shown by Cyrax, who talked a bit with Raiden over Bi-Han’s remains. He wasn’t outright antagonistic but wasn’t overall respectful either. He talked with Thunder God like he would talk with any other human being that wasn’t actually Scorpion. Frankly, from the named Lin Kuei only MK9!Smoke actually addressed Raiden in respectful manner, with proper bow and the name of lord

albeit did he do so because he respects the divine beings or just out of gratitude for saving him, hard to tell for sure.

So yeah, it seems like no matter what kind of timeline or age or medium of the story, Lin Kuei does not fear gods nor pray to them. And the clan has a long history of dealing with Raiden, so the Lin Kuei had first-hand experiences with supernatural beings. Somehow, cryomancers are the most impudent warriors when it comes to dealing with or criticizing the gods.

Interestingly, as much as Lin Kuei warriors don’t care for gods, most of the known to us named characters believe to have - and to care - for their own souls. Sektor and MK11!Frost embraced the Cyber Lin Kuei idea but Kuai Liang, Cyrax and Smoke were opposed to C.I. project out for concern for their souls among other things. Even Bi-Han, to some degree became concerned about his soul after trip to Netherrealm.

Believing in souls is usually a sign of belief in the afterlife, albeit after all of them went through (the change into cyborgs, death and change into Revenants) this is less a matter of faith (religion) and more first-hand experiences. And let's not forget that regularly dealing over the centuries with Shang Tsung who steals people's souls on a daily basis makes it really hard to not believe spirits are real.

Also, an interesting matter of Lin Kuei practices that could have a religious/spiritual ground and/or be an example of ancestor worship is the clan’s funeral rites. I don’t think we actually saw any Lin Kuei to bury their own (especially after warrior’s failure?) and for sure MK9!Cyrax and Sektor did not bother to take care of Bi-Han’s remains. However the sources provide examples of Lin Kuei keeping corpses, most likely of their own leaders or warriors.

And so, we could see human remains:

put in two coffins on each side of statue

hidden / kept in a block of ice(?) in chamber of Fallen Lin Kuei in which Frost’s frozen body was also laid, but on the altar

Cyrax’s cyber body was kept and guarded by Sub-Zero (and this is like the only thing that Kuai Liang and Cyber Sektor so far agreed on)

and even Cyber Sektor’s remains, even if just for pragmatic reasons, are kept in what seems to be respectful manner:

It could be just Kuai Liang’s good nature to honor fallen of his clan (I’m still not sure if Lin Kuei Palace is the new place for Sub-Zero’s clan or the ancient hideout) but even in MK Conquest TV series, after Grandmaster was killed by then-currently-Sub-Zero, there was the farewell ceremony with clothes on display (cause there was not much left of body after freezing and shattering) while new leader gave the speech promising to punish the guilty.

Which makes me think that Lin Kuei did honor their fallen warriors (especially those exceptional, deserving). Such custom and apparently common belief in soul could also support the ancestor worship - both as some ancient, mythical ancestor(s) connecting warriors into one clan (family) and tradition to follow in the footsteps of forefathers (Bi-Han taking place of his father [old timeline] or grandfather [current timeline] or Kuai Liang taking Bi-Han’s place as Sub-Zero).

My general conclusion about Lin Kuei is that its members believe in souls, have respect and use of spiritual matters (meditation?) and maybe ancestor worship. Whatever the religious / spiritual practices they have over the centuries, it is not something they will share, as the Lin Kuei by nature are secretive people who keep personal things mostly for themselves. The people that joined the clan (Cyrax and Smoke) maybe kept their old, eventual religious beliefs but overall, Lin Kuei warriors did not fear, care for nor pray to gods. They may respect god (Raiden, Fujin) as a person but not because of their divine nature. And even that would not stop them from criticizing said god. Which is pretty much how Kuai Liang and Raiden’s relationship looks like. Grandmaster is grateful to Thunder God for saving him but he won’t blindly follow his authority.

(Kuai Liang has serious authority issues, hasn't he?)

As for holidays, I can’t really see Lin Kuei to follow any specific religious (theistic) special day cause they don’t care much for gods in the first place. Unless they worked undercover and needed to act as normal human beings, religious holidays would mean nothing to them. The warriors may however celebrate their mission success, combat mastery or promotion between themselves or in secret, I think. Like, Lin Kuei did forbid friendship because it was considered warrior’s flaw yet we know some members either were blood-related (Kuai Liang, Bi-Han, previous Sub-Zero - father or grandfather, depending on which timeline is correct) or considered each other a family (Kuai Liang and Tomas Vrbada) and most named characters worked in duos so they have both opportunity and knowledge about each other to celebrate important matters. If they managed to remember anything from previous life, that is. Because from ancient to at least Great Kung Lao’s times most(?) adepts were kidnapped from biological families at a really young age (something around 6 years old). And Mythologies: Sub-Zero takes that even further:

Its warriors are chosen at birth to be raised apart from the workings of day to day civilization and are stripped of their former lives. Only the clan knows their existence. Each of them posses certain skills and abilities that set them apart from normal men. These abilities are passed on from generation to generation and honed throughout the experiences of life.

So, celebrating birthdays doesn’t sound like happening much, unless those with family around could allow themselves such luxury. The clan may however celebrate the day of becoming a fully trained and sworn warrior? Or the fallen warriors? Who knows.

Also, something worth thinking about: in Mortal Kombat Conquest TV series, when the Grandmaster presented newly appointed Sub-Zero to the rest of the clan, he “celebrated” the cryomancer's first official performance as the execution of two men who failed their mission. So, yeah, celebration of something special in (old) Lin Kuei does not necessarily mean anything nice.

(The next part of answer most likely will be focused either on food or architecture / origin of Lin Kuei. Let's hope I will get it written sooner than later)

<><> EDIT <><>

RELIGION <> ORIGINS / ARCHITECTURE <> FOOD <> FOR THE LIN KUEI <> ART <> CRYOMANCERS <> LIN KUEI SOCIETY <> MONEY & MATERIAL GOODS

[plasticnightmaredoll]

The full-length trailer for "Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 2" DLC has been released and

AHHDBGHGAHGFFF!!!!!!

😍😍😍🤩🤩🤩😲😲😲😭😭😭🥺🥺🥺😁😁😁

id Software, why are you giving the fans what they want?!

Why does this look SO DAMN GOOD? 😫😫😫😫

I don't know if anything should be this epic?

But "The Ancient Gods Part 2" looks like iconic af already.

And with that, I have some thoughts!

My experience with "The Ancient Gods" and Doom's reboot game series

While I have played "Doom Eternal" and "Doom" 2016 a few times each, I haven't played "The Ancient Gods Part 1" yet. I do know some of the key plot points, though, namely the Dark Lord regaining his body so the Doom Slayer can kill him once and for all. I just haven't had the time, energy, or patience to play the DLC, mostly because my current job is kicking my ass, I'm super stressed, and I feel like I'm rushed on my days off. I don't have much time after work to do anything save for exercise (on a couple days), showering, and eating. It's not prime time for gaming. At all.

Also, I have been kind of hooked on survival horror games as that is technically my favorite genre of games.

I'll play "The Ancient Gods," both parts, at some point in the near future, but not sure exactly when.

The end?

Something I noticed in the trailer is it seems to indicate that "The Ancient Gods" is the conclusion to the Doom reboot story.

But that can't be right, can it? As far as I know, the Doom reboot games have done very well, and, also as far as I know, id Software hasn't pissed off a good chunk of their fanbase by doing dumb shit (like NRS and MK11)

I'm guessing this isn't truly the end. I mean, at the end of "Doom Eternal," it was said that the Doom Slayer's fight is well....eternal. And can you really destroy hell? Banish it for good? I have my doubts 🤔

They could do spin-offs, too, I suppose, since they have created a Doom Universe for the first time ever. It's a thought 🤷‍♀️

And, uh, id Software may respect their fans and their creation, but they in business to make money, and if Doom is bringing in the cash then the logical thing to do is...make more Doom. 💲💲💲💲

The Dark Lord is here!

Why the hell is this bitch hiding inside a robotic armored suit???

Get the fuck out of there and fight me like a (demon) man!

But seriously, this is the Dark Lord of Hell, so why is he not fighting the Slayer one on one WITHOUT the robotic armored suit????

HE SCARED OF THE SLAYER?

HE WEENIE?

I can't say I'm very intimidated by the guy....not after seeing this. Doesn't mean I think the game is going to be bad. I think it's hilarious that the Dark Lord is appearing in battle like this.

Lord of the Rings?!

I can't be the only one who thought of "Lord of the Rings" here.

Asgard?

This reminds me of the Bifrost Bridge and Asgard in general. I mean, it's a place that seems to be floating somewhere with waterfalls running over the edge into the air below.

I am MCU Trash and ...

The final battle for "The Ancient Gods Part 2" reminds me of the final battle in "Avengers: Endgame."

I MEAN, AM I WRONG?

Now, I know what some might be thinking:

"But this is so derivative! id Software just copied 'Endgame's' epic battle instead of making up their own 😑"

Well, here's how I see it:

Marvel hasn't placed a copyright/trademark on "Endgame's" final battle, so if anyone wants to style a fight/battle based on it, it's not illegal.

People copy each other's works all the time. Well, it's not like people copy stuff ALL the time. Sometimes, a creative idea references a previous creative idea. Writings inspired by other writings, art inspired by other art, movies inspired by other movies, songs inspired by other songs...So, this is nothing new.

If id Software wanted to have an epic final battle against the forces of Hell, it makes sense that, instead of making the Doom Slayer do EVERYTHING, there would be forces coming to fight alongside him. I'm sure plenty of beings have beef with Hell, and when someone stands up to fight against it, then it would be time to rally the troops to join the guy and kick some goddamn ass. I can't think of any vastly different ways to style/choreograph this fight. I mean, yeah, id Software could have been a little less obvious with their references/inspiration, but, I don't think it's a big deal.

If you're going to make a fictional epic battle modeled after another fictional epic battle, then "Avengers: Endgame's" final battle IS that battle.

I know some people see the MCU as trash, but I strongly disagree. I have enjoyed the vast majority of it so far, and am excited to see more.

Some people think "Endgame" is overrated and doesn't deserve to be in the top 5 highest-grossing films. Well, that's just your opinion, Guys, and I disagree with you. 🤷‍♀️ It's a 3-hour movie that feels more like 2-2.5 hours, which is an accomplishment in and of itself! I have seen movies 2 hours long that felt 10 hours long -- and not in a good way. I have seen movies 3 hours long that felt like 3 fucking hours. So, I think "Endgame" deserves some credit here.

Some think "Avatar" and "Titanic" are more worthy, especially since they have won various awards, including Oscars, and "Endgame" didn't win much. Ok, so, the Oscars are fucking bullshit anymore, just political garbage and barely anything to do with quality or talent. Winning awards doesn't always mean the world, either. "Avatar" and "Titanic" are both HIGHLY overrated in my opinion. Amazing visual effects, terrible stories. I won't go into detail because y'all wouldn't like my thoughts anyway.

"The Ancient Gods Part 2" has a fucking amazing final battle and I don't care what anyone says! It's DOOM all the way to the max! I mean, we're taking part in a massive assault on Hell for the first time in the Doom franchise. How is that NOT awesome?

The release date is what?!

As far as I know, id Software didn't advertise the release date for "The Ancient Gods Part 2" until the official full-length trailer was released on March 17th.

And we find out in said trailer that this DLC is coming out TOMORROW.

MARCH 18th.

WHAT OMG AJJHSAHAahgAHFAF?! 😲😲😲😲😲😲😲😲

How....is id Software allowed to be this fucking LEGENDARY?

Final Thoughts

I really hope this isn't the end for the Doom reboot series. I mean, they took the time to build a little universe in Doom Eternal, so it seems like a real shame to end the story now.

I can't get over the final battle between Hell and... The Forces of Good? Not sure what else to call them. But it's pretty much what I would expect of such a thing in a Doom game. It's grand, epic, cinematic, awesome, incredible, insane, brutal, chaotic, and pure carnage.

I seriously wonder how "The Ancient Gods Part 2" will end.....will there be a teaser/hint at future installments?

[aftermathdb]

DEATH BATTLE Review: Miles vs. Static

It feels good to be back.

So, two young Black teens from alternate dimensions that eventually came over to a major one, and were both based off of Peter Parker Spider-Man?

Starting to see why this was chosen over Miles vs. Midoriya.

Miles′ Preview.

So the hosts go over the many differences between the main universe and the universe of Earth-1610. Like brand-names, certain terms, and the price of a burger and fries. But most notably…

Peter Parker was dead.

Enter: Miles Morales. Your typical kid that had some nice, if a bit overbearing parents, and an Uncle Ben Arron, who was a super-criminal.

So on one of his heists, a spider got in his bag, so when Miles visited… Well…

So, as the newest Spider on the block, Miles can do whatever a Spider Can.

And we get into a bit more detail, with a Wiz and Boomstick segment, and a bit more on the webshooters, which Boomstick comments that it would be great for getting a beer without needing to leave the couch.

(Good God! Boomstick’s smile is horrifying!)

(God… There’s that smile again…)

(Thank God it’s over. No more creepy Boomstick smile).

Anyways, with all these powers, Miles proved that he was a worthy successor to the mantle of Spider-Man.

And we get our first notecard of the season

They also go over some feats too.

While this feat isn’t technically comics canon, it checks out when comparing it to Peter’s feats. Which is a reasonable comparison since Miles has gone toe-to-toe with the OG Webslinger.

And with all that said, Miles has proven that he is indeed a major successor, and possibly a better Spider-Man than Peter.

Oh, and for those of you wondering, Miles migrated to the main universe after his own universe blew up. It’s a long story, and I didn’t have the time to get shots of it.

Static′s Preview.

The hosts go over how much of a nerd Virgil is before going into the bigger details about his life and the circumstances about him getting his powers.

So after a firefight gone wrong, and a whole lotta death, Virgil found out that he got metahuman powers. And became Static.

With these powers, Static has all sorts of electrokinesis, mechanokinesis, and powers over the electromagnetic spectrum. And became one of, if not the most well-known heroes in the Dakotaverse…

Quick history lesson, Static started out as part of Milestone comics, which were then merged with DC.

After that, Static became a part of the DC universe, thanks to this guy

(Right here) gaining cosmic powers, and migrating Milestone’s characters over to DC’s universe before the previous universe got blown up.

And we get a Wiz and Boomstick segment that’s just kinda… More of a joke setup than anything really substantial.

I hope to God that I got those nationalities right.

Anyways, Static can use his powers to see a person’s Bioelectric aura, and do all sorts of crazy stuff with his powers.

From reattaching limbs with electricity, to matching Superboy’s telekinesis.

He’s even pulled these off in the cartoons:

And like other DC rresidents, he can dodge lightspeed attacks. Because DC just likes it when characters can do that.

Static once pulled this off in the cartoon:

While not technicallly canon, Static has, as mentioned before, matched Superboy’s telekinesis. So it’s reasonable to say that he could pull this off too.

No matter how you Watt-ch it, Static has proven himself to be a hero worthy of any universe.

The Battle Itself.

Luis and Zack are our main animators. Miles will be voiced by Kirikai and Static will be voiced by Zeno Robinson. JT Music writes “Watt’s Up Danger and Chris Kokkinos lead on audio.

So the fight starts off right in the middle of it. Apparently, Miles thought that Static was either Electro or Electro-adjacent, and attacked him. Leading to Static retaliating.

I’ve seen worse stories, but it would have been neat-ish to see the initial start.

Anyways, we get some really neat Spider-verse like effects throughout the battle.

And we even get to see the Shoulder-Touch in action.

Kinda recently noticed that Miles dabs here.

Anyways, since this works on Electro, it works on Static. Which takes him by surprise.

Static brings up his shield, and it’s here that Miles struggles to keep up with him.

But, thankfully, the Spider-Sense is still in play.

Miles dodges Static’s incoming disc and they start fighting on the side of the building. But Static disrupts Miles’ Wall-Crawling abilities and forces the fight to the top

For the record, there are a lot of Spider-Verse shout-outs and recreations here. Which, as a fan of the movie (Or the Spider-Mythos in general), is really really cool.

So Miles also uses his invisibility to break Static’s ride.

So Static makes that power moot.

And after a brief clash, Static is left short an arm

So, we all know how this works by now.

Verdict + Explanation.

So, back to the nightmare-inducing portrayals of Wiz and Boomstick, it’s noted that they were about even in speed, and that in a physical fight, Miles would take the win.

But with Static’s electric powers, he was ultimately above what Miles could pull off.

Now, Static’s abilities were pretty good counters to what Miles has. In a way, this is a lot like Sasuke vs. Hiei, in which one of them has an edge in a certain category, they’re about even in another, but the other has perfect counters to what the first one could do. Miles’ Wall-Crawling and invisibility would be countered by Static’s abilities, and his equipment could also be countered as well.

Now for the obvious: “Spider-Men fight Electro all the time! Why is Static different?”

Well, for one, Electro doesn’t come anywhere near as close to what Static could do.

And secondly… Electro’s an idiot.

Cutting back to Nightmare Boomstick and Nightmare Wiz, and Wiz’s Multiverse Manipulator, we get our final rundown of what happened.

Overall impression.

So, aside from Wiz and Boomstick’s nightmare faces, this episode was a pretty good way to start us off. Now, I’m not a fan of hip-hop, or anything of the sort (More of a jazz and rock fan, personally), but the battle goes down pretty well. The action is great, the explanations are sound, and they do a lot to make us feel nostalgic for the old Static Shock show (Which I actually re-binged recently, mostly because I wanted to learn more about him).

The music was fitting for the episode, and it felt pretty neat for this section overall. And the concept of the matchup was a lot more interesting that Miles and Midoriya‘s “We took up the torch” comparisons.

What can I say?- I’m a fan of the more obscure matchup. It’s probably why I still want Dinobot vs. Zuko.

My own preferences aside, it was great to see Static in a fight like this, mostly because it would probably be difficult to find an opponent for him that isn’t Electro.

Then again, I was hoping that Static would come after Black Lightning so that I could write a chapter where he geeks out at meeting both OG Spider-Man, and Black Lightning. I guess I can still do that even with Static coming first, but still, this kinda ruins part of the joke if he’s already met the Spider-Man… Spider-Men…

Overall, I’d say that the only thing this season needs is a less horrifying Wiz and Boomstick. Not even the Mortal Kombat fatalities make me freak out this much. This is like the Sonic Movie all over again. If this is the price of getting more episodes in a season, then I’d say no thanks. Bring back the old Wiz and Boomstick designs please. It’s probably a little late for the next few episodes, but until then… Good grief, not even Frost’s MK11 fatality freaks me out this much…

8.8/10

Next Time…

Speaking of Mortal Kombat…

Sindel Injustice 3 DLC Confiirmed?

Is there a fight that you want me to review? - Send an ask/request, and I’ll look into it!

Do you want to read my fanfic based around DEATH BATTLE itself? click here!

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next time for…

Scream Queens.

[earthrealmlesbian]

Cassie and Jacqui for the all the questions?

1) Who rocks the Ferris Wheel seat and who flips out and begs them to stop? They'd shake it together! Nothing crazy but enough to get the operator to grumble at them and enough to get each other to have a laughing fit.

2) Who is always horny and will have sex at any time, at any place and at any time? Cassie has a pretty high sex drive, higher than Jacqui's at least. She's not one for having sex in wild places however. Jacqui may not have as high of a sex drive but when she IS in the mood she's got a lot of stamina and is pretty open to trying new things.

3) Who is more into taking showers/baths together? Who tries to make it relaxing and who tries to make it sexy time? They both prefer showers and by some stroke of luck both enjoy them hot so they often shower together. Both actually like to make it sort of sexual? They like to tease each other in the shower whether or not they're actually going to really go at it once they get it. Juuust enough to get each other to shiver without committing to a long night. Lots of sensual touches and flirting.

4) Who likes to walk around the house naked and who tells the other to go put some clothes on? Cassie is usually in a training bra and boxers when they're at home. Jacqui usually stays a little more dressed unless it's hot but neither are embarrassed about that sort of thing so Jacqui wouldn't bother asking her to put on more clothes.

5) Who sleeps on the couch when they get into a fight? Heading for the couch is Cassie's default reaction at the beginning of their relationship. She saw her dad do it often enough that it just seems practical. Jacqui isn't into it at all. She has a hard time sleeping without Cassie and she doesn't like letting their rare disagreements fester overnight anyways.

6) Who takes photos of the other while they sleep? (This one got heavy cuz I needed to rant. My bad.) Both!! Cassie takes significantly more though. Side note: It's NOT cuz she's some haha fucking millennial that can't get off her phone either. SF members die all the time. Taking pictures with everyone is a coping mechanism for Cassie. Some of her friends are literally here today, gone tomorrow. She wants to immortalize the people in her life while she can. (my canon now nrs. Y'all did Cassie dirty in mk11) She wants pics of every single one of a Jacqui's expressions. Just in case. Jacqui understands.

7) Who said “I love you” first? and who ends their arguments in a fight with “Because I love you”? Cassie said it first and either will throw out an impassioned "because I love you" here or there. These two grew up together and I can see them falling in love so slowly and subtly that it took them awhile to even notice their friendship changing. When they did they probably were both a little nervous to outright say it since it would change their relationship forever. Cassie took the plunge but I can't say it was particularly smooth. They were enjoying a rare off day spent leaning against each other sipping drinks and taking in the view when Cassie awkwardly piped up with "Hey….wouldn't it be something if this were like a date or whatever?" Jacqui fucking cackled because wow, what a way to broach the subject. (All Cages are embarrassing when they're in love)

8) Who likes to wear the others sweatshirts? They both wear each other's stuff ALL THE TIME. It doesn't help they have a lot of similar undershirts and training bras. Jackie has a few oversized letterman jackets and Cassie steals them constantly.

9) Who wakes the other up in the middle of the night to tell them a cool dream they had? Who has the most nightmares, and who sings them back to sleep after? They've got a big workload between training and missions so they value sleep too much to wake each other up for weird dreams. Nightmares are a good reason though. Cassie has a lot of them actually. She can usually get back to bed on her own but if it's really bad she'll bite the bullet and wake Jacqui up. Jacqui will rub circles into her back and occasionally hum one or two old lullabies her dad made up as kid. Usually they just lay there quietly though.

10) Who is more likely to cheat? (at games) Cassie is more likely to try. Johnny is a filthy fucking cheat and taught her every trick in the book. It's incredible really. Unfortunately For her, Jackie was usually right there taking lessons too and is absolutely merciless in calling out Cassie's antics. Cassie can't even breathe funny in the direction of her cards and Jacqui is on her.

11) Who makes fun of the other for having a crush on them, and who has to remind them that they are in a relationship? Cassie is a brat so she likes to tease about it. She always regrets it because without fail Jacqui will bring up the "what if this were a date?" line.

"Oh, you have a crush on me? Embarrassing."

Jacqui doesn't miss a beat. "Not half as embarrassing as when you confessed by--"

"WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT."

12) Who starts a food fight in the kitchen? Cassie for the most part though Jacqui makes sure they don't make too much of a mess because who wants to deal with that kind of clean up? She usually finds a less messy way to indulge Cassie when they're making something sweet together like french toast or cupcakes. She'll chase Cassie around with an icing covered spoon threatening to smear it on her. They're always a sticky mess by the time they get back on track but the kitchen is spared and they like to kiss the sweetness in each other's lips so that's a big bonus.

13) Who initiates duets? and who is the better singer? Unfortunately, Cassie likes to sing. She's not good but by the gods does she try. Jacqui is a great singer though. She's down to belt out a duet with her girlfriend regardless of how Cassie sounds.

14) Who starts the hand holding? Who grabs the others butt? Who slides their arm around their waist? Who likes to put their fingers in the belt loops? They're very physically affectionate so really it's just a matter of who initiates any of these things faster on any given day. They reign it in on base but out and about or at home is fair game. Jacqui does this little thing when Cassie is straddling her lap where she'll pat her ass in rhythm like she's gently playing the drums and Cassie thinks it's SO funny. It's an idle thing like people drumming on tables in thought but for some reason involves her ass. Cassie can't complain.

15) Who writes the others name on their wrist? Neither but Cassie is a doodler so lots of mushy sketches during boring meetings. Johnny genuinely thinks it's the cutest thing he's ever seen.

16) Who is more seductive when they are drunk? and who is louder in bed? Cassie is embarrassing as hell about it so we're not even gonna go there but Jacqui manages to make up for it and then some. She's doesn't get terribly explicit, just purrs out honey sweet words that promise a good time. Cassie is the louder of the two.

17) Who is more protective? Cassie but Jacqui would be if she didn't make a conscious effort otherwise. She always felt like her dad could be overprotective and it's tempting for her to match that energy. Still, she doesn't want to smother so she tries to let Cassie handle herself.

18) Who talks to the other while they are sleeping? Jacqui will sometimes. Usually about upcoming missions that are stressing her out or any plans for future outings she'd like to have with Cassie. Mostly to remind herself to ask about it later. Stuff like "Hey, Thursday should be slow we should go visit uncle Raiden at the temple." or "Jin and Takeda tried that new Thai place last week and won't shut up about it. We should get in on that." ( hello domestic nonsense I live for you)

19) Who drives and who has the window seat? Both are capable so it's kinda whoever grabs the keys first.

20) Who falls asleep in the others lap and who carries them to bed? They fall asleep on each other on their couch all the time. If they're tired enough they usually just stay there. If they both want to drag themselves to bed but are struggling to do it Jacqui will often get it together first and carry Cassie to bed.

21) Who cuts the others hair? Jacqui's hair requires a fair amount of maintenance and she really prefers to handle that herself. Sometimes Cassie needs help touching up the shaved parts of her style and Jacqui is more than happy to.

22) Who is super bad at sexting? and who sends them encouraging messages throughout the day? Neither are bad at it actually. They don't do it often but they'll indulge here or there. They do tend to be really flirty with each other over text just....in general. Both well shoot sweet, positive messages to each other as they have time throughout the day.

23) Who thinks they are not good enough for the others love? and who’s more afraid of loosing the other? Who thinks they keep messing up, only for the other to tell them they don’t need to worry?Both are absolutely certain they are good for one another They've been inseparable since children and that's not going to change now that they're adults and in a relationship. Still, Cassie does sometimes feel overshadowed by her parents. Like she's good but not great. On days like that, she feels good enough for Jacqui but like she could be doing better. More. Jacqui is quick to set her straight. Jacqui tries to keep how protective she feels under wraps but she's definitely the one that stresses the most on losing the other. She's just quiet about it.

24) Who starts random slow dancing with the other in the kitchen? Who holds the other just above the ground and kisses them? Slow dancing in particular? Jacqui. They sometimes bop around the house to pop songs when doing chores but it's usually Jacqui that switches the playlist, slows things down and tugs Cassie in close for a dance. If they still have a lot to do after she'll kiss Cassie silly while holding her up to put some playful energy back in the room.

25) Who says shitty puns and sex jokes just to see the other giggle and blush? Gods help Jacqui Briggs. She's dating the daughter of Johnny Cage and there's not a moment she gets to forget. It's bad enough that growing up she had to hear Johnny tell all manner of awful puns and jokes. Now she has to hear her girlfriend repeat her own variations of the same ones. Sometimes, and she she hates to admit it, they're actually pretty funny.

26) Who kissed first? Jacqui. After Cassie's awful "crazy if this were a date?" moment Jacqui had to sit through 5 minutes of Cassie fumbling through a confession and "I love you" before she lost her patience and stopped the rambling with a kiss.

27) Who orders take out at two in a morning? and who wakes the other up at three in the morning to go downstairs with them to get a glass of water because it’s too dark? Cassie does the ordering. Jacqui always gives her a "Are you serious? We've got food in the fridge." look but always makes sure to give Cassie her order anyways. Jacqui has the sense to keep a big bottle of water on her bedside table so nobody has to get up.

28) Who writes poems/stories and love songs about the other? Do they sing the songs the write for them? Jacqui likes to sing and took up song writing on a whim because of it. She's pretty good. Cassie gets really flustered when she realizes Jacqui has a new love song to sing to her. She feels like she's getting swept off her feet all over again with each song.

29) Who does some crazy stunt to try and impress the other and who ends up driving them to the emergency room after it backfires? They're already impressed with each other. Still, they're a healthy amount of competitive with each other so both are occasionally tempted to do some flashy stuff to one up the other. Trial and very painful error have taught them not to test their limits too far thankfully.

30) Who is embarrassed when they have to wear their glasses and who thinks they look super cute? Cassie used to be embarrassed about her glasses but the feeling faded a lot with adulthood. Why should she be embarrassed when her girlfriend thinks she she's cute as hell in them?

Thanks for the ask!

[kaediisarchive]

Hey Santa here, hope you are having a great day. What made you RP Skarlet, what was it about her that drew you in?

          Hi Santa! Thank you so much for the question <3

          So when MK9 came out, I was a teenager and was just now entering that phase where I started to get decent at video games. Like, cognitively I could actually think about gameplay and stuff instead of just button mashing like a kid. I had played MK Armageddon before, it was my introduction to the franchise, but at that time I was too young to really comprehend how the game worked, y’know? But then here comes MK9, and my upgraded teen brain was like “ah hey this is actually cool and really fun to play and I can pull off some neat moves” but at the same time, there was always a challenge of finding characters that worked for me. Sonya was my first “main” in the sense that I played well with her and thus wanted to play as her most of the time, but at the same time, I felt like I wasn’t really get my best self out of it. 

          I’m making this sound way more complicated than it was lmao but down the line the DLC characters come out, and I instantly gravitate towards Skarlet. Just the idea of her character, this person who could manipulate blood, sounded extremely cool to me! I was already hooked on the concept in general thanks to Avatar: The Last Airbender and their episode on bloodbending, so to have a character in this video game I loved to play be able to do that was so cool to me. But then I started playing as her, and I realize that her gameplay was perfect for me! She became my instant main, and I’m not trying to brag, but I think I got really, REALLY good with her. At least compared to my little circle of teen gamers, that is. In band in middle school and high school (our school district is tiny so the two were combined), we would take turns bringing consoles and stuff to play on before competitions or sports events, and I would fucking BODY the highschoolers. So, my sense of accomplishment in that regard only served to further how attached I got to Skarlet, both as my main in terms of gameplay and her character as a whole.

          When I got into roleplay, I quickly learned that I had a type of character I gravitate towards the most. Badass assassin women, mostly. And Skarlet fit that perfectly, so she was one of the first characters I picked up to roleplay. I didn’t join tumblr until like 2016 and I didn’t bring her to tumblr until around 2018/2019, but I’ve been writing her since like 2013/2014. MK11 did a lot to change her, but I can’t help but cling to the headcanons and ideas that I’ve had for almost a decade now because that’s all I had of her in the years that were dry of Skarlet content. And let’s face it, they didn’t really flesh her out AT ALL in her introduction, so I really took that opportunity to imagine whatever I wanted and shape my portrayal of Skarlet my own way without having to stick tight to canon. Which was a blessing at the time, and probably a little bit of a curse now considering how much I do not vibe with the new canon introduced in MK11 to be honest, but I don’t care. It’s roleplay, I don’t have to adhere to shitty decisions if I don’t want to lmao.

          One thing I am sad about though is the change in her gameplay from MK9 to MK11. She’s a completely different character in terms of playstyle and I will never not be upset about it. She was fast af and so damn good at mixups and combos (in my experience at least) but now she’s waaaay slower and she’s a zoner which is the complete opposite of how I like to play, so it’s really just not fun to play her in MK11 and that’s BIG SAD fam. But a good thing is I know that there are people who love to play zoner and have a great time playing Skarlet, so that’s great for them! I’m just a bit sad that I can’t like I used to anymore. But oh well, I still play MK9 so I can still have that classic experience whenever I feel like it.