#mk hypocrisy

[writer-kermit]

Cognitive Bias in the Mortal Kombat Fandom

❥ GENRE: EXPLORATORY ESSAY

❥ COMMISSIONED OR SELF MADE: SELF MADE

❥ W/C: 1,314 (W/O SOURCES)

ঞ SUMMARY: The world is changing, and so is our perception of media. So why are we against these changes? What if everything remained the same from the beginning?

ᰔ KERMIT'S NOTE: I haven't made an exploratory essay since 2022. Mostly because I was afraid of what people might perceive me as. But for a while, I gathered the confidence to start writing more essays based on my personal views. Maybe that will help my writing skills. If you wish for more content like this, feel free to ask! Thanks for reading!

ʚ TAG LIST: @fsfghgee @laismoura-art @loiola00 Thank you for giving me the courage to write again 🫶

ʚ WARNING: Spoilers (maybe???) Racism, Misogyny/Misogynoir, and other graphic content.

Before I start, I just want to say that I only know Mortal Kombat through NetherRealm Studios, so I will be referring to them more than Midway. Now, I’ve only been a fan of Mortal Kombat for two years. I first started getting into it when my friend showed me a video of the Mortal Kombat 9 gameplay in 2022. Since then, I’ve been consuming so much of the MK media. From video games, to animations, to fanfiction, you name it! However, as I delved deeper into the Mortal Kombat rabbit hole, I noticed that there is a strong “bias” within the fandom. Now don’t get me wrong, there isn’t anything bad about having biases. In fact, some biases can improve problem solving skills by identifying different patterns and thinking accordingly to solve the problem. But since I’m talking about Mortal Kombat here, there won’t be as much problem solving. When it comes to NetherRealm Studio's interpretation of Mortal Kombat, fans and critics are quick to have some sort of cognitive bias. 

So why specifically cognitive bias? What even is a cognitive bias? Well, cognitive bias is a systematic thought process caused by the tendency to simplify (or fully reject) information through a filter of personal experience and preferences. But if cognitive bias helps with problem solving, how can it be harmful? In most cases, cognitive bias can contribute to poor and unfair judgment, especially when that judgment can affect the way we consume media. From my experience in Mortal Kombat, fans have the most bias between different characterizations; whether that’d be race, gender, or sexuality, plot, and even the companies itself.

Race/Ethnicity: Black female characters such as Jacqui Briggs, Tanya, Cyrax (MK1) are more prominent to be discriminated against based on their appearance, motives, and depiction throughout the MK series. Unfortunately, this isn’t just a Mortal Kombat problem. In fact, black women in different media are heavily underrepresented and often looked down upon. In the scholar work “Art Imitates Life: The Representation (Or Lack Thereof) of Black Women in Video Games” by Bug Gadson, the author makes an important claim that because of the systematic racism built on white supremacy and misogynoir (racism and misogyny), the “historical evolution of Black feminism in the United States not only developed through [black stereotypes],” but also how the media consume these types of harmful portrayal and use it to characterize all black women (Gadson, 2021). This is almost ironic because Mortal Kombat is known for its diverse characters. As a black non-binary student, it’s very painful to see racist comments of these black characters on Reddit, YouTube, and even Tumblr.

Gender: Along with racism, misogyny in the Mortal Kombat fanbase is no secret. As Mortal Kombat progressed over to NetherRealm Studios, women have grown to be less sexualized and played more dominant roles throughout the series. Because of this change, most fans complained that the women were ‘unattractive’ and threatened the NRS developers to revert to their revealing attire. One example of this outrage is when YouTube commenter, TrueUnderDawg made a petition on his Twitter and YouTube community post to enforce “cyber-swimsuits” for female Cyrax and Sektor, further engaging with the sexualization of female characters in video games. With Sektor and Cyrax being gender-swapped in MK1’s DLC: Khaos Reigns, fans believed that the gender swap was only implemented to add more relationships within the new timeline. While it’s true that Sektor and Cyrax were intended to pursue romantic relationships, I believe that it doesn’t overall deter their characterization. In fact, any form of relationship can build up motives and create a sense of agency for that character. For Sektor and Bi-Han's relationship, both share goals and concepts of building the Lin Kuei, so even if there is a gender swap, their relationship does make sense to a point (it’s also hypocritical to criticize Bi-Han/Sektor to justify Bi-Han/Sareena as both ships have their flaws). Tumblr user @fsfghgee made some pretty good points on Bi-Han and Sektor, so I recommend looking at them for more information.

Sexual Orientation: Since 2015, there has been a new splurge of canon and implied relationships in Mortal Kombat. In addition, there have been a handful of LGBTQ+ characters. Examples being Sindel, Mileena, Tanya, and Kung Jin. However, it didn’t stop fans from creating their own LGBTQ+ ships; with the most well-known ships being SubScorp (Scorpion x Sub Zero), Johnshi (Johnny x Kenshi), JadeTana (Jade x Kitana), and many others. With the new changes in MK1 (and Khaos Rain and Tanya’s relationship), most fans were claiming that NRS were erasing queer characters and relationships. For reference, I am pansexual. So, my personal view on ‘cis relationships’ might be different. While I do believe that NRS’s interpretation of relationships can be improved, it does have greater potential than Midway (sorry older fans). What really pisses me off is when fans were so quick to call “queer erasure” when non-canon ships weren’t implemented in the game. I’m not trying to say that NRS shouldn’t have more LGBTQ+ representation, but being blatantly cisphobic to the already canon ships within the series takes away actual queer erasure that purposefully diminishes the existence of the queer community throughout any other media platforms.

Writer’s Perspective: Ed Boon and Dominic Cianciolo are the main writers and directors for Mortal Kombat in NetherRealm Studios. As of 2023, they released a reboot of Mortal Kombat named Mortal 1 Kombat. After the dissolvement of the previous timeline (MK11), newly demigod Liu Kang resets the universe to create a more peaceful timeline. With the significant changes in the story, it’s almost difficult to adjust to the new storyline. Personally, I don’t like all the changes either. And I think it’s even more difficult to find someone who does like all the changes. Nevertheless, I believe that providing different perspectives can accommodate and even further regulate the story. It’s important to take note that the earlier timeline is nearly irrelevant to MK1. So rather than trying to implement older lore, why not use what is already canon and interpret our own theories? For example, let’s take Hanzo, who is a child in MK1. Hanzo’s survivor guilt could parallel Tomas (Smoke). Rather than accepting the death of his clan, Hanzo’s emotions could turn him to be vengeful and become more irrational and radicalized. Another example could be Bi-Han/Noob Saibot (The corrupted version of Bi-Han). His irredeemable actions and hatred towards his family could symbolize the corruption of leadership and foreshadow his ultimate downfall. Now here’s a side note: I know some fans believed that Bi-Han should’ve gotten a redemption arc, but this man openly claimed that he is willing to kill his OWN FAMILY to remain in power. So, like... I don’t know if he could redeem himself if tried. That being said, there is nothing inherently wrong with ‘maliciously evil’ characters if written correctly. However, there is a difference between ‘bad’ characters and ‘bad character writing’ (AHEM AHEM KOTAL KAHN AHEM).   

Overall Thoughts: I want to make it clear that there is nothing wrong with criticizing Boon and Cianciolo and giving them feedback to help them improve future games. However, there is a difference between constructive criticism and harassment. The NRS developers aren’t blocking people in different media because they can’t handle criticism, they’re blocking people because they are continuously being harassed and receiving death threats. Regardless of these changes, Mortal Kombat is still an enjoyable game and shouldn’t be torn apart by its own hypocrisy. There is nothing wrong with having bias. Sometimes, biases can help us interpret different information in a nuanced way. But know that change is necessary for the world to function, even if some of the changes can kind of stink. 

[mrstsung]

Ok look so i caved in and said fuck it. If I'm gonna have mk12/mk1 shang tsung.

I'm gonna write him my way. Fuck canon at this point. So nrs can suck it. I'm taking him from NRS.

Anyways. Here's some edits of my husband.

One pink edit and one reg sparkle edit.

He still makes me go *agshfjjflhlhlkl* and *exasperated squees* 💖💖💖💖

*DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION!*

[imminent-danger-came]

*me crying* No you don't understand. MK ran away from LBD in 2x05 ("Run along now, destiny will find you soon enough"). He tried to run away from the curse in 4x07. But in 3x10, when everything was on the line, he ran towards Mei. He ran towards her to save her.

[kyri45]

*Wukong give MK hug prison because MK killed himself*

Also Wukong planning to killed himself twice in the show:

People should give him hug prison too

Mr hypocrisy everybody

[neerons]

We love our men and their bullshit ❤️

[kirbybecomesastarwarrior]

So how evil would you say Morgan is?

In Morgan's last post, I mentioned one of the biggest changes in KBASW AU (to mix the anime & game lore...) is Dame Morgan the one who gave Hyness the Jamba Heart.

(I hinted at her ability in this post... when I said she's a black hole, I meant that.)

She was the one who created the dimensional rift that dropped the Jamba Heart at his & the cult's doorstep. Dame Morgan being very well aware that Hyness was in the position of the book of Legend made sure the circumstances a line with everything the book says.

And of course, she waltzes right in (pretending she just happened to pass by), "Could it be the Jamba Heart, and it's chosen you, imagine the great power you can do with that, only you could, this is your destiny... "

And presents herself "as a former star warrior who's become weary lost soul after the war just trying to find purpose." Needless to say, Hyness welcomes her with open arms. The raw power of an ex-gsa-soldier, he couldn't pass up this ...

The events of Star Allies are very different... The best way I can describe is (without spoilers/ this is a reference to Kirby Star Allies' game). The "Story Mode" doesn't happen but Star Allies Guest Star mode is happening... (Minus the boss battles MK & King Dedede since aren't there ... they have someone else to fight ~)

"Where's Kirby & the main gang during this..."

"Forgotten Land" is happening... and when Dream Friends are confronting Morpho Knight so is Kirby in the Isolated Isles (the Extra Mode), Morpho is testing Kirby and his friends all at the same time.

Basically (this Boss battle is happening), while everyone was fighting Morgan snatched the Jamba Heart away. However, one person notices and tries to stop her... Leading to... this zesty confrontation with Zan Partizanne and Dame Morgan.

Keep reading for spoilers~

Zan Partizanne was able to realize that it was Morgan who delivered the Jamba heart to their doorstep once she saw (Morgan) create the dimensional rift to snatch it away.

And as any true villain does... Morgan comes after Zan Partizanne's entire life & entire existence ( as well as the hypocrisy of the cult) and rubs her mistakes in her face leaving no crumbs.

And this is why Morgan's so dangerous. She takes advantage of everyone's very human flaws and calls people out on them... she knows how to play a good mind game. (via. Joker in the Dark Knight)

THE THREE MAGE SISTERS ARE MEANT PARALLEL TO UTHER'S & HIS THREE STUDENTS: Zan Partizanne - Sir Arthur/ Flamberge - Dame Morgan/ Francisca - Sir Nonsurat...

With a very key difference, the Mage sisters genuinely care for one another, Uther's students hated each other. Which is why the blind loyalty they put into Hyness sickened her (at least Uther had class but this bumbling moron's way to scrap at the bottom of the barrel.)

Dame Morgan is one of the most complex characters in the story. (Uther & Morgan's dynamic is basically Azula & Fire Lord Ozai...) She's very much out to get what she deserves, in a sense she played by the rules of the world but it was never enough.

Now she's out to make her own way, rule her own life... TO TAKE IT!

She's evil yes but you get why she's like this.

I also want to explain a bit more her power with the Jamba Heart, and how she was able to negate "insanity..." She's the middle man of the deal... that reaps the benefits. Getting that generated dark heat energy for herself. And it also helps that now she has her own personal sponge for that (*cough* Dark Matter *cough*).

And of course, after this, she departs for Dreamland... And this is where things get really interesting!~

I hope you all enjoyed Dame Morgan aka Morgan Le Faye.

[lucagray813]

Shadow - Chapter 3

Title: Alive & Living

Rating: T

Word Count: ~10,000

Characters: Wukong, Macaque

Relationships: Macaque/Wukong

Summary: Wukong just wants to help but he's slowly coming to realise it's not that straightforward. Macaque is just doing his best (and effortlessly wooing Wukong while he's at it).

Additional Tags: Developing Relationship, Acquired Disability, Slice of Life, DBK is called Niú, PIF is called Gōngzhǔ

CW: Brief mentions of: self-harm, disfiguring scars, alcohol

Link to AO3 Version

Chapter Navigation: First | Prev | Next

----

Wukong was almost impressed at the lengths Macaque was going to to not pick up the artefact on the table in front of him. He'd managed to distract Wukong more than once with idle chatter and very embarrassingly had even got him with a "What's that over there?" before legging it.

He'd had to physically drag him back to the vault and now he stood beside him, arms crossed as he watched Macaque just stare at the artefact as if it was going to lunge for him at any moment. Which it wasn't going to - he'd even demonstrated what it did before trying to hand it to Macaque before this whole song and dance had kicked off.

The artefact was simply a small cylindrical chunk of metal that extended into a staff at the wielder's discretion. He'd deliberately chosen it because it didn't rely on the user's magic or do anything to the wielder and if Macaque would just pick it up he would see there was nothing to worry about.

He was perhaps being a little insensitive to Macaque's fear but they'd been at this for nearly an hour and his patience was running thin. He was sure Macaque's attempts to escape this exercise had only given him more time to get worked up about it.

He sighed in exasperation, "Macaque, you're overthinking this. It's like ripping off a plaster - don't think, just do it!"

Macaque snapped at him, "Because that's always worked out so well for you!" He continued to grumble under his breath some unflattering words about hypocrisy and general insults directed at him.

Wukong tried to find his patience. He understood this was easier said than done. The Lady Bone Demon had instilled a fear of magical artefacts so powerful it persisted even after her demise. Macaque had attempted to use a number of them to escape his debt to her and so much as touching one caused the magic she had weaved into his to cause him excruciating pain.

But she was gone and so was her magic, the only thing stopping Macaque was himself and Wukong maybe wouldn't be pushing so hard if there weren't so many artefacts here that he could use to help him with his muted senses but he had to get over this fear first.

He placed a hand on Macaque's shoulder, "C'mon, you can do this. I know you can do this. Here."

He moved his hand to pick up Macaque's, intent on guiding it to the artefact but he was met with trembling resistance once his hand hovered above it. He was however physically much stronger than Macaque but he only managed to force his hand down half an inch before it landed on a small dome of shadows.

"Wha...? Macaque!"

Macaque pulled his hand back and cradled it to his chest, "Look, there's no need for me to do this. I can just go for the rest of eternity without using another artefact that I didn't create - no big deal."

Wukong threw his hands up, "Yes, big deal! Even if we didn't have a small mountain of artefacts you might find helpful right now you still might need to use one in the future." He started to pace, "Just picture it - it's the end of the world and me and MK are pinned down by the big bad but you're able to slink away to the artefact needed to stop them! But instead of saving the day you're stood there paralyzed with fear!"

He turned to face Macaque sternly, "Are you seriously going to let the world end? Are you going to let me and MK bite it?" He pointed to the artefact on the table, "You can save us - you just have to reach out and grab it."

Macaque did not reach out and grab the artefact, instead he buried his face in his hands, "Wukong, shut up. This isn't helping."

He could tell Macaque was just as frustrated with all this as he was - probably even more so as he got the joint delight of being frustrated with himself and Wukong - but he was just winding himself up the longer this went on.

All of a sudden Wukong was hit with a brainwave and an absolutely genius idea came to him. He walked away from Macaque until he found another innocuous artefact a short distance away - this one an orb that he knew just repeated back anything you said to it. Without giving it any more thought he turned and with a, "Hey! Think fast!" he threw it straight at Macaque.

In hindsight, he perhaps threw it a little too hard but he needed to throw it fast enough that Macaque couldn't stop him. Unfortunately, all Macaque had time to do was raise his head just to be struck straight between the eyes.

He had the good grace to wince at the audible sound of it cracking against his skull before it knocked him and the chair backwards and on to the floor. For a moment it felt like everything had gone still and then Macaque let out a truly terrifying growl as he jumped back to his feet. His face was a picture of fury, his tail lashing angrily behind him, the artefact he had thrown had magically appeared in his hand and he was winding it back clearly planning to get Wukong as good as he'd got him, spitting vitriol all the while.

He waved his hands wildly, "Wait! Wait, Macaque! Look! Look! You're doing it! You're holding the artefact!"

Macaque paused in confusion, before his head whipped around as if to look at what had hit him. He immediately dropped it and backed away and Wukong wailed as he made his way forward to pick it up, "No! You had it! You held it and everything was ok! Here, try it!"

He stood in front of Macaque and held out the artefact in the palm of his hand. Macaque swallowed thickly but with only a slightly shaking hand he slowly placed it on top of the orb. Wukong's elated grin was wiped off his face before it could even form by Macaque's fist cracking him straight across the jaw.

He reared back and brought a hand to his throbbing mouth, "Ow! What the hell!?"

"That's for throwing this stupid thing at my head!" He shook said artefact and Wukong belatedly realised he had let go of it once he'd been hit.

Indignantly he responded, "As if you even felt it!"

"Oh trust me, I felt you throw a rock a hundred miles per hour straight at my head! I can still feel it, you bastard! Surprised the damn thing didn't shatter on impact."

Ah. Well, y'know, maybe the punch in the face really wasn't that uncalled for because now he was looking at it - it did look like he'd actually done some proper damage. Hmm, they should probably get that looked at once they were done here.

"Alright, so now we're even! But the important thing is my plan worked! You just had to stop thinking so much! And look, now you're holding it no problem! You're welcome!"

Macaque, as ever, did not join in on his enthusiasm, "It's not even on, Wukong. It probably doesn't even work after being used to cause blunt force trauma."

Wukong bounded over to him, "Well then let's try it then! It just repeats back things it hears - nice and easy!"

He saw the reluctance on Macaque's face but he was determined not to give him any time to freak out. He gently placed a hand over the artefact and took Macaque's other hand in his, "We'll do it together. On three?"

Macaque looked very wary but he closed his eyes and nodded and as Wukong counted them in Macaque's grip on his hand became bruising but it was completely worth it to see the orb glow faintly in their hands and Macaque only had time to let out a shaky sigh of relief before Wukong had grabbed him and started swinging them in circles, "You did it! You did it!" He laughed joyously, "I knew you could!"

When he finally stopped spinning them he just couldn't resist the urge to place a firm kiss against Macaque's cheek, and then another, and he just couldn't stop until Macaque finally pushed him away with a laugh, "Calm down, jeez. It wasn't that big a deal!"

"It totally was! You conquered your fear!"

Macaque huffed, "I faced my fear. I didn't conquer it."

"Same difference! You sourpuss! C'mon, you should be proud of yourself!" He could already tell whatever Macaque was going to say next was going to be an attempt to downplay what he'd done so he shook him, "Nope! I don't want to hear it! I'll just be proud enough for both of us!"

Despite being huffy about it Wukong was certain Macaque was loving all this praise and while Wukong hadn't forgotten that they needed to look at Macaque's head, he didn't want to let the momentum slow. So he let go in order to grab the original artefact and pushed into Macaque's hands, "Do it again!"

In the blink of an eye there was a staff in Macaque's hands and Wukong cheered as he went and grabbed some more items to which Macaque dutifully activated. It was only when he brought over an artefact that should improve his sight that Macaque faltered, "Er, maybe that's enough for one day? I really should go stick an ice pack or something on this." He pointed at his forehead for emphasis.

He pulled out the puppy dog eyes, "Please? Just this last one and then we can be done for the day - promise!"

Macaque very reluctantly took the enchanted glasses from him and Wukong couldn't help but hold his breath as he waited for them to put them on. As soon as they were, he asked excitedly, "Do they work? Can you see me?"

He nodded but Wukong's elation was cut short by Macaque taking them off, "Wait! What are you doing? Do they hurt or something? Don't worry, we've got loads more to try if they do!"

Macaque didn't look reassured as he looked down and away, his response was quiet, "Can we be done for today?"

Very thrown by the sudden change in mood, he acquiesced, "Uh, yeah, sure. Are you ok?"

His nod did nothing to comfort him, especially when he turned his back to him, "Yeah. I... I need a minute. I'll get you back at the house for dinner?"

Wukong reached out to him, "Macaque...?"

"It's fine. I'm fine. Just need a minute." He looked over his shoulder, "Please."

He dropped his hand and brought it to hold his arm, "Yeah, okay. I'll see you at dinner?"

He nodded once more before sinking into the shadows.

---

Wukong berated himself as he prepared dinner. He couldn't have just left it. No, he just had to keep pushing! Fuck. Everything had been going so well and now Macaque was upset and he didn't even know why.

If his hands weren't busy they were anxiously tapping as he waited for Macaque to reappear. He kept looking over his shoulder hoping to see him come in. It was as he was serving up that he heard the sound of Macaque clearing his throat behind him.

He swung around quickly, but anything he might have said caught in his throat as he took in Macaque, standing there a little awkwardly wearing those same glasses from earlier. He could only stand there stunned as Macaque coughed, "Er, dinner looks good?"

Wukong felt his eyes get a little wet, "You can see it?"

"Uh, yeah. Tofu and noodles, right?"

Something wasn't right. This should be a happy moment but Macaque looked tense and was trying to pretend he wasn't, "Macaque...?"

Instead of answering, he walked up to him, eyes trained on his face. He stopped in front of him and brought a hand up to tentatively rest on his cheek, his voice wavered slightly, "You're face is as dumb as I remember it."

Wukong let out a surprised laugh and brought a hand up to cover Macaque's, leaning his forehead to rest against his, "You're the actual worst, you know that?"

He felt Macaque's nod, "Yeah, I know." He leaned back, "C'mon, let's go have dinner. Let's rewatch that movie from yesterday so I can actually see these special effects you were raving on about."

Throughout dinner, Wukong let himself pretend that everything had worked out. So what if he thought this would be a much more momentous occasion? Maybe Macaque just didn't want to make a big deal about it. And so what if Macaque didn't put any of his sauce on his dinner? That was okay, he did that every once in a while, the same thing every day could make you sick of it after all.

But once there was no food to distract them he watched Macaque from the side of his eye.

He was tense. Like, really tense - his tail was wrapped tightly around his own waist, his arms wrapped around his knees with claws digging into his thighs and he seemed to tremble minutely occasionally. The most damning piece of evidence though was the way he kept closing his eyes tightly for minutes at a time before forcing himself to open them and watch the TV.

Wukong felt his heart sink, "Macaque...?"

They were both startled by the sharp, "What!" that followed. Macaque immediately tried to backtrack, "I- I didn't mean that. Sorry. I... Just was really caught up watching the show. Sorry."

"Macaque... Take the glasses off."

He just hunched in on himself and resolutely stared at the TV, "It's fine."

Wukong was aggrieved, "Why do we always have to do this? Why can't you just talk to me? What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on. It's fine."

Wukong grabbed the remote and pointedly turned off the TV, "You either take them off by choice or I'll take them off myself. What's it going to be?"

He was prepared to use force if need be and he more or less assumed he would have to but he was pleasantly surprised, and slightly wary, when Macaque willingly took them off his face. He played with them in his hands and Wukong waited him out.

He was absolutely not prepared for the quiet sniffle before Macaque brought up a hand to wipe at his eyes, he moved closer intending to lay a hand on him to try and comfort him but he flinched before his hand got anywhere near him. Concerned he quietly questioned, "Macaque...?"

There was a terrible shameful look on his face as he responded, "It's too much."

He didn't need to ask for clarification but he paused before he answered and considered Macaque - the tension in his body, the stress in his tone earlier, the need to block out what was happening, it was all actually much more familiar than he had realised.

He scooted back to the other side of the couch to give him space, "Do you remember way back when I found that cursed bell artefact? And we couldn't get it off me and we couldn't get it to stop ringing?"

Macaque looked a little unsure, "Er, maybe?"

Wukong nodded, "Well, I remember it and not just because it was super annoying but because you were totally losing your shit over it. I can't remember why you didn't just portal away but I had to try and physically stop you from ripping your ears off."

In hindsight it was actually super stressful, seeing Macaque so distressed and not knowing how to help, but at the time he really couldn't understand why Macaque was being so dramatic about it, even got annoyed that he was having to try and calm him down when he was the one with the curse.

But that wasn't the only time Macaque's hearing seemed to cause him trouble and the result was usually the same - one very overstimulated Macaque who couldn't stand to be around anyone until he felt better. It happened a lot less frequently as time went on, generally only happening when he was really tired or low on magic but he remembered always being really put out whenever it did happen because anything he did to try and help only seemed to make it worse.

He liked to think he would do a better job at helping with something like that now. His younger self liked to strong arm solutions, rarely accepting that backing off was the correct course of action. Obviously, he should have just removed any triggers, let Macaque be and made sure everyone else did the same. Maybe checking in occasionally and making sure he had everything he needed. He could definitely do that now.

"Is it like that?"

Macaque sighed tiredly before leaning forward to deposit the glasses on the table, when he sat back he had a defeated look on his face, "It's a close enough comparison."

"Why did you wear them for so long then? Did you think if you just grinned and bore it you would magically stop feeling bad?"

Macaque wouldn't look at him, "No..."

"Then why do it? Why put yourself through this?"

Macaque just held himself tightly and said nothing and Wukong wondered if being able to see after so long had just been worth the discomfort. He could possibly see the world clearly for the first time in god knows how long and he just hadn't wanted to give that up. Sure he used regular glasses on occasion to read for short bursts but Wukong was willing to bet they couldn't compare to what an enchanted pair could do.

So he conceded, "Sorry. I know it must be hard not having your senses work properly. I just... There's got to be a better way, right? We can work on it together - try another artefact or modify one?"

For whatever reason, his words just seemed to make Macaque feel even worse but he nodded regardless and Wukong felt at a total loss. Maybe this conversation would go better tomorrow once Macaque had had a chance to recover from being overstimulated. He desperately wanted to hold him and reassure him but he knew that wouldn't help.

Still he tried to put as much sincerity into his voice as possible as he promised, "We'll figure this out. Together."

----

Predictably, they slept in their own beds that night and Wukong felt in no way sad or pathetic as he tossed and turned without Macaque beside him. It's not like they slept together every night but it was definitely more often than not and he slept better when he was here with him.

After a few hours of restless sleep he eventually got up and decided he would start looking into the solution for Macaque's problem. He made his way to the library and started brainstorming and jotting down ideas.

Obviously, there were more artefacts to try. It was possible that one just hadn't agreed with Macaque but Wukong had a feeling this was going to be a problem regardless of the artefact - after all even normal, non-enchanted glasses could make Macaque feel nauseous after a little while.

He wondered if the solution might be in the seals they had put together to limit the range of Macaque's hearing. Being able to tweak his senses to be more or less sensitive as required might be an option. Maybe having twenty-twenty vision all the time was a bit too intense but surely any improvement on what he could currently see was better than nothing?

So modifying the enchantments was one option but he also pondered if redoing the enchantments using Macaque's magic would help things as well. It would definitely take a while to figure it out but Macaque's magic had always been a bit funny when interacting with another's - maybe that was a factor in this.

He had started playing around with the enchanted glasses and trying to figure out how they worked when Macaque made his appearance and despite how exhausted he seemed he had a grim determination on his face.

But before he could voice any concerns, Macaque had asked him to fetch the other artefacts he had found so he could try them on and he couldn't help but hesitate, "I could go get them... But honestly you're looking a little rough there. Maybe we should wait a bit before trying the next one? There's no rush, right?"

He was sure if he was in Macaque's position he would've torn the vault apart to find the answer to his affliction so he could understand being keen to crack on but this could honestly take a while and it was probably going to take a bit of a toll on Macaque while they figured it out. Short attempts followed by long breaks to recover sounded sensible. He supposed it really wasn't his call to make but he really didn't want to see him suffer needlessly.

If nothing else he'd possibly be without his sleeping companion for even longer, if he was stressed out from trying artefacts, and while it was hardly the end of the world the thought of it made him want to sulk.

With a lot less of a fight than he would have expected Macaque relented, sitting heavily in the chair beside him and instead asking him what he was working on. That led to some good back and forth discussing ways forward and Wukong found he was actually kind of excited to work on a project like this with Macaque.

Not just because of the end goal, although obviously that was a huge motivator, but it was nice to have a challenge like this, to have something that really put his brain to work and between the two of them they would leave no stone unturned.

As the weeks went on however it became clear that Macaque did not share his enthusiasm and he just seemed to get more and more miserable the more they worked on it. He was clearly trying not to seem as unhappy as he was but Wukong knew him well enough to see this whole thing was really getting to him.

He supposed he couldn't blame him - it could be frustrating, tedious work with no pay off and attempts often left Macaque feeling terrible and overstimulated. But, of course, Macaque was resisting all attempts to properly discuss how all this was affecting him.

So slowly but surely Wukong had tried to disengage them from the project a little. It wasn't outright abandoned but it eventually became a once a week sort of effort, with Wukong messing around with things privately when he had some time alone, and it was telling how little Macaque fought him on his not so subtle suggestions they take longer breaks.

His mood massively improved as well and Wukong had his suspicions that Macaque wasn't nearly as bothered by his muted senses as he had assumed. He guessed it didn't really seem to be detrimental to Macaque's day to day and any specific issues he came up against he either found a work around for or he could just ask Wukong for help with it.

But then why had he been so determined to see this through?

He wasn't given too much time to dwell on it because in an effort to distract Macaque from the fact he was deliberately slowing down progress of their joint project he had started suggesting they have days out and date nights.

Macaque had been, perhaps justifiable, a little skeptical of the idea at first and to be fair their respective ideas of what qualified as fun could differ greatly but seeing as he was trying to distract Macaque he tried to suggest things he thought he would like and encouraged him to tell him what he would like to do.

Wukong had played it safe so far. His first suggestion had been to check out the jungle that MK had visited a couple weeks back to help out with a strange curse that had taken over a large chunk of it. MK had saved the day, obviously, but he hadn't been able to find a way to undo all the damage which apparently included some mutated animals and plants - which Wukong thought might be cool to check out.

Once they had gotten there, he had doubted the wisdom of this plan. They were more or less here to sightsee but that was pretty difficult to do when you couldn't actually see. He had decided he would just have to be Macaque's eyes! And so, he had described everything he came across in as much detail as he could.

With his ears and his shadows however Macaque was way better at pinpointing odd shaped or sounding flora and fauna that Wukong would have missed and they soon settled into working together to discover everything they could.

He found that he didn't really need to describe every little thing. If he just pointed out things he thought were interesting then that seemed enough for Macaque. He could after all figure out the shape of something from the shadows and he could see some of their colourings. Wukong could just add a little detail like pointing out that mutant lemur that had a funky multi coloured star shape on its forehead and that would be enough to spark a conversation about whether that was purely a result of the mutation or not.

Wukong in no way underestimated Macaque but he could admit to himself he had worried about how enjoyable he could find things without most of his senses. This trip had done a lot to reassure him that while Macaque might be missing out in some regards, he was still able to participate and enjoy himself. All their focus on finding ways to help him had sort of made him lose sight of that.

It had been a successful trip - they'd taken in the sights, bickering had been kept to a reasonable amount, and they'd challenged each other to races, fights and scavenger hunts. It had been fun! And they both near enough collapsed straight into bed together once they got back.

And so it continued - there were loads of places that they wanted to experience or that they already had and wanted to share with the other. It was like going on a zero stakes mini adventure! But beyond discovering the world Wukong really wanted to do things he knew Macaque would enjoy and to that end they were going to see a show.

He had dithered over whether to keep it a surprise or not. Going to see a show was like proper date night material, right? He could have made a whole thing about it. But as he sat on his tablet scrolling through the sheer number of options he felt increasingly unconfident he could pick what Macaque would like the most.

So he decided just to ask, "You want to go see a show this week?"

Macaque paused whatever he was listening to on the other side of the couch and responded, "What kind of show?"

"I have no idea. I've been going through what's on in the city but there's too many options!"

Macaque shrugged, "Just pick one. We can always leave if it's shit."

Yeah right, if he picked a bad show he was never going to hear the end of it, "Just help me decide. Here listen, these are the most popular ones at the moment."

They went back and forth for a while deciding what to go see. Neither of them were concerned with the when or how - Macaque could easily sneak them in. Although, maybe they should check the place out before hand to find the best seats? Ah, they'd figure it out later.

And they did - one handy invisibility spell combined and a slightly modified nimbus so it had a backrest and they were sitting dead centre above the audience with the best seat in the house. They'd settled on an upbeat musical number to Wukong's surprise.

He had tried to offer the much more serious looking period piece but Macaque had just scoffed at him, "If I wanted to sit and listen to you complain for two hours I would just put on Monkey King Reimagined again."

To Macaque's regret, Wukong hadn't been able to resist ranting about how much he hated that movie. He'd gone on for so long that eventually he'd just portaled away and Wukong never even got round to defending his ability to watch classical theatre.

Ah, well. They could go another time - it's not like there was anything stopping them watching as many shows as they pleased. Admittedly, given the choice he would rather watch something that wasn't too depressing or thought provoking.

It was just as the show was about to start that he realised what they were missing, "Ah! Macaque! We need snacks!"

"You mean, you want snacks."

"No! We need them! Snacks are an integral part of watching a show!"

Macaque just rolled his eyes, "You're thinking of movies. Snacks and theatre aren't the done thing. Just make yourself some with your fur."

He whined as he shook Macaque's arm, "You know that's not the same! They have the taste and texture but they don't actually fill you up! C'mon, just open a shadow portal for me!"

Macaque was clearly gearing up to argue with him but as the lights dimmed he just sighed and opened a portal large enough for Wukong to stick a hand through and drag through a couple bags of peach chips, he whisper shouted, "Wait, I need-"

He was cut off by the bottle of juice that was thrust into his face as Macaque shushed him, "Shut up and don't say anything else until the intermission."

A tough ask for sure - Wukong was the kind of guy that liked to do a running commentary as he watched anything and to be fair Macaque was pretty tolerant of it most of the time but he supposed it wouldn't kill him to keep his mouth shut for an hour.

He wasn't quite a hundred percent successful - unable to resist the urge to quietly gush about something on stage. It was the all out kind of spectacle that Wukong loved - bright colours, energetic movements, some well placed jokes and quips.

He would glance over occasionally to Macaque to see him smiling or laughing but oddly at some point he had closed his eyes and Wukong wondered if they should have looked to see if there was an audio description service the theatre offered but he supposed it didn't matter when Macaque was clearly enjoying himself.

But during the break as he described the costume changes to Macaque he thought maybe he should suggest they go grab a pair of glasses they'd been working on so he could actually see them. Back in the day, Macaque had loved every element of theatre - including the outfits, makeup, background sets, props - all of it and it sort of bummed him out that he was missing out on a lot of the finer details.

Especially when he couldn't seem to adequately describe something but something told him not to say anything. All of this, was at least in part, to get away from the stress of trying to restore his senses. They were having a good time, he didn't need to get hung up on how Macaque could be having an even better time.

It had been a good night out and they happily discussed it all once they got back - arguing over the best part and comparing their favourite songs - but there was a strange feeling bubbling up in Wukong's chest and as the conversation naturally lulled, he couldn't stop himself from asking, "You think you'll ever get into doing shows like that again?"

Macaque hummed, "Never say never but I think my theatre days are behind me for the most part."

He tried not to keep his tone light, "Really? Because I heard someone had been putting on shows at the youth centre."

Macaque laughed, "Well, I did say for the most part but a little shadow play for a crowd of kids is hardly what I'd call a show. Do you remember some of the plays we put on back in the day? Some of them took literal years of planning and prepping. Ugh, just thinking about it makes me tired."

"Aw, c'mon, don't be such an old man! You could totally join a theatre troupe and just perform - leave all the behind the scenes work to the kids!"

Macaque was bemused, "You really think I'm capable of just performing?"

He thought about it for half a second before he scoffed, "Yeah, you're right. You're way too much of a control freak for that."

"I believe the word you're looking for is perfectionist. As if I'd let any show I'm part of be anything short of spectacular."

Control freak. How could he have forgotten how obsessive Macaque used to get over every single detail? He was sure he must have micromanaged people to the point of insanity but credit where it was due, he always put on a good show.

Still he teased, "Surely if you're a good enough actor then you can carry the show no matter what."

"Well obviously but if someone is coming to watch a show - they're there to see a show not just one damn good actor."

His smug face allowed no room for doubt who that "damn good actor" was. With a little less levity he asked, "Don't you miss it though? Being up on stage?"

Macaque shrugged, "Nah. Not really. I get plenty of opportunities elsewhere to flex my dramatic flair." He then laughed, "I drive Red Son nuts with it every time I visit."

He smiled briefly at the thought but he pushed, "It's not the same though. You're really sure you don't miss it? Like not even a little bit?"

Macaque appraised him for a minute before an infuriating grin spread across his face, "I'm really sure but I'm getting the feeling that you, on the other hand, really want to see me back on stage."

For some unknown reason, he felt his face heat up and petulantly he crossed his arms and turned away, "What? No! I just don't want you to be missing out because you think you're too good to play nice with others."

He could hear the amusement in Macaque's voice, "Oh? And here I was thinking my biggest fan might appreciate a private show."

He was not proud of the way his mind immediately fell into the gutters but he yanked it back out with both hands and shook it for good measure. He hoped the rosy glow of his cheeks was mistaken for general embarrassment over being sappy or sentimental.

The truth was though, he realised, that he actually did want to see Macaque up on stage - to see him in his element and loving every moment of it. How long had it been since he'd seen him perform? To see him glow with joy and pride as he took a bow as the crowd went wild? How long since he'd heard him sing?

Swallowing his pride, he admitted, "Well, I guess, I... I mean, it would be nice to hear you sing again. Sometime. Maybe. If you wanted to."

Macaque was clearly eating this up, "Aww. You want me to sing just for you?Want me to serenade you, hm? What were you thinking? Yuèliang dàibiǎo wǒ de xīn? Xuǎnzé? Or are those a bit too modern for your tastes? Oh, maybe you'd prefer I write you an original piece?"

God, he hated this guy. Almost as much as he hated the way his treacherous heart sped up at the thought of Macaque genuinely singing him something romantic.

Macaque, of course, could hear it and he leaned into his space as he cooed, "Aw, who would've guessed that the big, bad Monkey King wanted to be courted? And so sweetly too?"

He absolutely did not want to be courted! Romance was for losers! He had never, ever even entertained such a ridiculous notion! But no matter what he said he was never going to live this down - denying it or storming off would only add more fuel to the fire. There was only one way he could possibly recover from this in the long term.

He sat up tall, "I want an original piece. And I want live music and a fancy get up to go with it."

Macaque chuckled, "Of course, you do." He leaned up and placed a brief, chaste kiss on his lips, "As you wish."

Wukong wasn't sure if he was relieved or not when he retreated back to the other side of the couch. He definitely didn't love how satisfied he looked with himself but he was distracted by Macaque mentioning off-handedly, "I'll need some help making outfits and such. You up for that?"

He coughed and tried to compose himself, "Uh, yeah, sure. I can do that."

Macaque continued smoothly, "I hope you don't mind waiting for a little while - been some time since I picked up an instrument, let alone composed something."

Wukong leapt on the chance to change the subject somewhat, "I've basically learnt how to play pretty much every instrument there is since I retired! We could play together!"

Macaque grinned, "Oh? Your skill extends beyond hitting the gong at the end of the song?"

He couldn't believe that with everything that had been going on at the time Macaque had still managed to pick up on that little tidbit. He crossed his arms huffily, "My musical talents would have been wasted on that crowd."

"That's because any talent, musical or otherwise, that you might have disappears as soon as you step foot on a stage."

Wukong was on the back foot for the rest of the evening. He just could not get the upper hand and bring Macaque down a peg. He was going to have to find some way tomorrow to get even.

Despite his pouting however he did deign to let Macaque share his bed with him. Even more benevolently he allowed Macaque to rest his head on his chest while Wukong idly ran his hand through his hair, quietly he asked, "You really think your theatre days are behind you?"

Macaque hummed, "On a grand scale? More or less. The lights for one thing are way too much to deal with but it's just a lot of high energy and emotion that I don't think the shadows love either."

He frowned as he buried his face in Macaque's hair, who gently pointed out, "This is bothering you a lot more than it's bothering me."

He explained, "I know. I just... You used to really love all that stuff and I don't want you to be forced to give it up."

Macaque huffed, "You're so dramatic, you know that? If I want to put on a show I still can - it just wouldn't be a big production to a crowd of thousands. And honestly, I think that's for the better. Sure, the actual performance was always great but the amount of stress that went into making it happen? I'm too old and tired for it. Just like you're too old and tired to wreak havoc anymore."

He couldn't stop his knee jerk reaction, "I'm not old!"

Macaque just scoffed. He was right though - he was old and he was so unbelievably tired. These little adventures they'd been going on recently had been just the right amount of excitement for him. Gone were the days he forever chased after new heights.

Maybe the physical changes Macaque had experienced added to his disinterest in putting on showstopping performances but just being old and tired was likely enough on it's own. Both of them lived at a slower pace these days.

He kissed Macaque's head, "Yeah, I get it. I get front row seats if you're in any sort of show though, right?"

"You'd have to fight the kids at the youth centre for it and I don't like your odds."

"Ah, kids love me! If anything I'll just end up stealing the show!"

The lighthearted bantering persisted until sleep claimed him.

----

Overall, time off the island was well spent and they were at no risk of running out of things to do or see anytime soon. On the list of potential date ideas he hadn't suggested yet however included going on a double date with Niú and Gōngzhǔ but he just hadn't quite worked up the nerve to ask

He thought it could be a lot of fun - Niú was an absolute riot after he'd had a couple casks of wine - but while he was definitely on better terms with them these days, there was no denying who their favourite monkey was and honestly he was a little worried he'd go and all three of them would give him a hard time.

Macaque's friendship with them was something that had developed while he was locked away beneath Five Phase Mountain but he'd never actually asked him how it had come about. It had always struck him as a little bizarre though because Macaque and Niú had barely even tolerated each other during the Brotherhood days.

But his relationship with Niú was as genuine as it was with Gōngzhǔ - he spent as much time with them individually as he did with them together. Though Wukong strongly suspected that it was Gōngzhǔ's influence on Niú that had changed him for the better in Macaque's eyes.

Maybe that was the best way to ease into the idea - get Macaque to share with him what he'd missed and what they got up to when they hung out. He wondered if they knew about Macaque's physical changes or if they even suspected anything was amiss.

If they did surely they would be looking into it too? Maybe they had even roped Red Son into looking for a technological solution. Wukong doubted that's where the answer lay but every avenue was worth exploring.

Although he was somewhat horrified by the image of a half cyborg Macaque. He had a feeling that he'd never go for that though - it didn't fit his image at all. He supposed he could just cover it with a glamour but still being half robot was-

His musings were cut short by the back of Macaque's hand none to gently smacking him on the nose, "Wukong, I can hear you thinking and I'm trying to snooze here so would you kindly knock it off?"

He laughed slightly as he snuggled against Macaque's back, "Sorry, my thoughts went way off on a tangent... Hey, you would never think about becoming, like, half-robot, would you?"

He was promptly ignored.

----

In preparation for whatever romantic event he'd signed himself up for he had started practicing his sewing again. Sure, he could magic up whatever he or Macaque wanted or he could just buy it but those were such boring options. Besides, he had a real knack for seamstressing and he hadn't had an opportunity to really work at it for centuries.

If it gave him an excuse to take Macaque's measurements and feel him up for tailoring then that was just a bonus. A bonus that Macaque was exceedingly tolerant of.

There were a lot of things he enjoyed that he realised he'd let fall by the wayside. Picking up various instruments again had also been a lot of fun - the monkeys liked to join in too with that one. Whether it be dancing, "singing", or trying to make their own music to go with it - it was a chaotic ear sore but everybody had a good time.

Well, bar Macaque, who tended to disappear when the monkeys really got going. Although, sometimes he would just sit close to him and reduce the range on his hearing to block out most of the riffraff.

Macaque was away for the day however and he found himself reclined on a branch of his peach tree, idly strumming on a pípá he'd unearthed from the palace, as he let his thoughts wander.

Wukong was not a particularly romantic person by nature but as he considered this song that Macaque was working on he couldn't help but picture how it would go. The most likely outcome was that Macaque used it as an opportunity to trash talk him in a new, creative way but he also wouldn't put it past him to make a legitimate, sappy love song just to embarrass him.

He wasn't sure he actually hated the idea of a genuine expression of how Macaque felt. Sometimes, it was like pulling teeth trying to get either of them to even say a nice thing about the other. He knew deep down they both loved each other a truly disgusting amount but saying as much was handing the other the chance to make fun of them on a silver platter.

Their actions generally betrayed how they really felt but as embarrassing as it felt to admit it - he did sort of like the idea that they could have a moment where they just let themselves speak about how they felt about each other without being little shits about it.

And the more he thought about this scenario, the more he realised there was something else he wanted too. If they were going to be open and honest, then they should go for broke and take off their glamours - no hiding what they really looked like.

If he was being truthful, it was something that had been playing in the back of his mind for a while, but how did he go about making it happen? Because he had to face it, he had a lot less on the line than Macaque by revealing himself.

For one, Macaque wouldn't really be able to see the difference. He would probably be able to sense that his glamours were off and he would perhaps appreciate the gesture but his shadows wouldn't necessarily reveal his scars to him, and he wouldn't be able to feel them as he ran a hand over them. Maybe he would notice how his eyes had changed colour? But that would probably be it, Wukong would have to describe what was different.

Secondly, the body he was hiding behind his glamours really wasn't that different from the one Macaque knew. Sure, there were a couple notable changes but overall the only thing truly dramatic about them was how he personally felt about them. And even then he'd come to terms with a lot of it, he really just hid them because he had an image to maintain.

Macaque, on the other hand...

Wukong didn't know how he had changed - he knew about his ruined eye, of course, had seen glimpses of it even, but he didn't know what else Macaque was hiding or how Macaque felt about how he looked now. If Macaque didn't feel comfortable letting him see then he wouldn't push it but admittedly the thought that he didn't trust him with the truth did sting.

He knew it was much more complicated than that but some small part of him refused to listen to reason. It was stupid. How they chose to appear to the world didn't make a difference to what they meant to each other and yet, he desperately wanted to see Macaque for who he truly was and for him to be seen in return.

Well, there was really only one thing that he could control about the situation. He took a breath in and as he let it out, he felt his glamours melt away - from his position all he could see was the scarring across his knuckles as his hands moved over the pípá.

There was some curious chirping from the monkeys currently lazing around him but inevitably it was a change met with very little fanfare. He'd just have to wait for Macaque to get back to see if there was any reaction to be had.

He had been sat watching TV when Macaque returned and the slight pause as he looked at him oddly was the only indication that he'd even noticed. Immediately falling back into routine as if nothing was different.

That was... Fine. Great even. It shouldn't be a big deal. This should be a totally normal thing for either of them to do. No need to make a fuss about it.

He managed maybe half an hour before he couldn't take it any more, "You're really not going to say anything?"

Macaque regarded him coolly, "What is it exactly you want me to say?"

He threw his arms up, "Something! Anything instead of just ignoring it!"

"No, you did this because you wanted something from me and I don't know what that is. Anything I say or do now is going to be wrong."

"I don't want anything from you! I did it because I-" He cut himself off, and took a breath, "No, ok, look, I've wanted to do this for a while but I just... didn't know how to bring it up, alright?"

"You're still expecting me to respond in some way though."

"Well, yeah, but not in a specific way. I just don't want you to ignore it. It's sort of a big deal, y'know?"

"Is it?"

He'd convinced himself that it wasn't but now that he was here he was realising that it absolutely was. He hadn't taken them off since he'd completed the Journey and it mattered to him. It really mattered to him because he wanted Macaque to see him, the real him.

But, of course, Macaque couldn't see him, not really, and that wasn't his fault.

How had even been expecting Macaque to react after springing this on him with no warning? Tenderly look at his red eyes and scarred face before dropping his own glamours and admitting he'd wanted to do this for just as long? In what universe was that ever going to happen?

"No... No, it's not. Sorry, I was being dumb. Got worked up over nothing."

Macaque said nothing for a long moment before he asked, "Were you expecting me to drop my glamours in response?"

He hunched in on himself, feeling guilty, "No. I mean, I... I hope one day you might want to but I just... Forget it, it was dumb. I'm sorry."

Macaque sighed before he moved to sit beside him, tail curling around his, "Tell me about what your glamours were hiding. I can vaguely see red on your face where there isn't normally any but that's about it. Tell me."

And he did and it was unbelievably cathartic to talk about the things he'd hidden and why. He'd never spoken to anyone about the furnace before, or the fear the circlet had instilled in him even long after it was removed, or the number of times he'd bitten off his tongue while trapped under the mountain - anything a welcome distraction from the nothingness that awaited him every waking hour.

Just seeing his various scars wouldn't have revealed the real him to Macaque. Not like knowing the stories behind them and how they made him feel did. He felt rung out by the time he was done, tiredly leaning against Macaque's shoulder as he admitted, "I think I needed that a lot more than I realised."

Macaque kissed the top of his head, "I could tell."

A little contritely, he offered, "Sorry for dumping all that on you. I... Well, if you ever want to return the favour... Not that I'm saying you have to. I just... Y'know..."

Macaque sighed, "You want to see me without my glamours."

It wasn't a question but he responded anyway, "I won't lie and say I don't but I don't want you to take them off just because of me. If you don't feel ready for me to see or talk to me about everything... I get it."

"Wukong..." He seemed to fight with himself for a moment, "My scars aren't like yours. They're not just a mark with a story. They're... I don't even need my eyes or to be able to feel to know they've disfigured me. Trust me, the glamours are best staying in place."

If he didn't need his eyes or touch then his scars must have changed the shape of his body. His shadows would be able to pick up any physical change in shape - like, pockmarks or gouges or a missing appendage.

With a depressing amount of certainty, he asked, "You're not just talking about your eye, are you?"

He felt Macaque shake his head, "No. The Lady Bone Demon really did a number on me." He laughed without humour, "Put it this way - I'm not winning any beauty contests any time soon."

Quietly he asked, "What did she do?"

Eventually, Macaque responded, "Close your eyes and give me your hand."

He did and Macaque guided him to his right arm. At first he thought Macaque had forgotten to roll up his sleeve or something but when he realised that wasn't the case he forced his eyes shut tighter in an effort to stop himself from looking.

There was no fur on his arm, and the skin wasn't smooth, it felt almost... warped. Macaque explained unprompted, "Remember, when she "lent" me some of her power? Back during the whole Samadhi Fire fiasco? Well anywhere her ice touched is like this. My arm, my side, my head... my face..."

He took a breath and slowly moved his hand up, giving Macaque a chance to stop him. It came to rest on his cheek and Wukong could feel the damage. He followed it round to the side of his head and his breath caught when he reached his ears. All three of them, "burnt" by the Lady Bone Demon's magic.

He used the last of his restraint to say, "Macaque. If you don't want me to see, put your glamours back up now." He paused for five seconds to give him the chance to do so and then he sat up and swung a leg over Macaque's so he straddled his lap. He was a terrible mix of disappointed and relieved that Macaque had taken him up on his offer to restore his glamours but still he brought his hands to either side of his face, unconsciously gentler on the right.

His chest roiled with fury, injustice and agony but spitting vitriol at the Lady Bone Demon would achieve nothing. He would wait until he was alone, somewhere where it didn't matter what crumbled under his hands, to work through those emotions. He chose to focus on who was in front of him, that was what was important right now.

But what could he say? That he wished that he could undo all the damage? That he would give anything for none of this to have happened in the first place? That he hated how much he had suffered because of events that he had put in motion? It may have all been true but what good would saying as much do? He couldn't change what had happened, neither of them could.

He felt Macaque tentatively lay his hands on his thighs and of all the feelings that he invoked in him, one was almost overwhelming in it's intensity.

It was almost punched out of him, "I love you." He felt Macaque's grip tighten at the gentle declaration, "And I..." He took a breath, "If this is how you want me to see you then... That's ok. But I need you to know that how you look doesn't make a difference to how I feel about you. You don't have to hide any part of yourself, not out of fear that it would make me love you any less, at least."

Macaque looked down, an almost guilty expression on his face, "Wukong... I... I want to believe you but..."

It hurt but he could understand. His words meant little, he'd proven that to Macaque time and time again when they were younger.

He placed a soft kiss over Macaque's ruined eye, "I know. Actions speak louder than words. So I'll prove it to you. Every day from now until the end of eternity. I won't run, I won't falter, we're in this together. No matter what."

Macaque wrapped his arms around him and buried his face against his chest, and Wukong didn't hesitate to hold him back just as tightly, a little wetly he heard Macaque whisper, "You don't know how badly I want that to be true..."

He swore to himself he was going to prove to Macaque it was. He was going to make good on his promise of forever. No matter what.

--Chapter End--

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LMK Fanfic Masterlist

[quitealotofsodapop]

Ok but what, exactly, are their reactions to baby Yubei? We know their general opinions but when Yellow Tusk and Peng are first released, there's this baby m9nkey jsut sitting in Azure's paws. A baby moneky that is apparently Wukong's blood daughter, they he had apparently carried. Had been carrying since he sealed them to begin with they soon learn

Azure is pretty much handed baby Yuebei by MK and Mei since he was the only adult around + MK was panicking at the loss of his mentor, dads, and Sandy. Azure figures out quickly from Yuebei's smell that she's Wukong's cub - he also smells Macaque on her, which surprises and disappoints him. The hut on FFM also gives him a clearer picture - many of Wukong's maternity clothes are still lying around the house, theres baby bottles, and a little sun and moon-themed nursery. All things that point towards his two former sworn brethern no longer being the same fighters he knew back then. And even worse, the King he often cared for loving another.

Yuebei's kidnapping was an unexpected, but welcome, addition to the plan. In Azure's palm held the greatest bargaining chip in all of the Heavens - the daughter of Sun Wukong. Containing many the same powers as her birth parent, and ones undiscovered yet.

When the MKrew escape the Scroll, Wukong is snarling like a beast at Azure until he sees that tiny puff of black fur held between his claws... his face goes pale and he drops to his knees like he did to the Jade Emperor millennia ago when his mate was threatened. He instinctively submits to ensure his cub's safety. It was no great feat for Azure to trap the Monkey King back into the Scroll after that (in the show it just took a snap of his fingers). The gang are less accomodating though - MK comes charging at the Brotherhood even as his body contorts painfully from his true monkey side breaking through. Yuebei is pretty much his adoptive baby sister, and he isn't going to let some creep take her as collateral!

Like in canon, their attempts to fight the Brotherhood are in vain. MK flies away screaming for his mentor and his fellow cub. Macaque hears his distress darn near across the country and comes running.

In the immediate aftermath of their release, Peng and Yellowtusk are mega confused why there's a baby monkey in Azure's hands rn?? Until they learn that it's the child of their "traitorous" former brother. Yellow Tusk's face drops, while Peng is amused by having the perfect the hostage. The elephant is the one to point out that the baby monkey can't be allowed to be near any of the fighting less she get seriously hurt (and they lose their hostage).

Azure likely has Yuebei trapped in her own Scroll column (a strangely hefty one he notes), for the time being, and releases her when he's fianlly sitting on the throne.

I'm honestly surprised that the Brotherhood didn't have a bigger reaction to Red Son - given that they likely never knew that their bro DBK had settled down and become a family man. Then again in this au, they don't get to have much of a chance to react.

Azure: "Demon Bull King. It's been many years-" DBK, sees Azure holding Yuebei hostage: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH OUR GODDAUGHTER!?" *immediate boss fight ensues*

Red Son ends up not just alerting the Celestial Realm about the Brotherhood's escape, but also tracks down Macaque to tell him exactly what happened to baby Yuebei. Macaque is understandably pissed, despite him and Wukong going through a rough patch. You better believe that the Warrior is seconds from beating down that palace door himself if it means Yuebei stays safe. But he has to focus on finding MK and Wukong rn first.

Macaque does lay it in to MK for a while though, not only out of anger for his poor judgement, but to force him to see his own hypocrisy.

Macaque: "Why would you give the baby to a stranger!? Why couldn't have you waited until I got back?! Or found DBK or the Vixen!?" MK: "I panicked ok!? I just wanted my family back!" Macaque: "I though you said on Camel Ridge you didn't have a family?" MK, still crying: "YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! I'm just some... thing dumped here. I don't even know who created me!" Macaque, angry tears: "Neither do I! Do I cry about it? No! Because I have a troop! I have a mate! And by the gods, I have cubs of my own now!" Macaque: *pulls MK into a suffocating hug* "And like it or not, that includes you too bud." MK: *starts crying harder, like a little kid again*

Eventually the second fight with the Brotherhood becomes more of trying to stop Macaque from skinning the lion then and there, at least until he hands over Yuebei. Azure given them the choice; Yuebei's life - or the Jade Emperor's.

You can imagine what they choose. Nezha can't even disagree with their choice. (Nezha: "If he lays a claw upon her head, not even the Buddha could stop what I'd do to him.").

Cue MK and Macaque dipping into SWK's Scroll column to get their Monkey King back. And for both of them to have character-shaking revelations.

And ofc back in the Celestial Realm, Azure is sitting upon his conquered throne with Yuebei on his knee. The power of the Emperor corrupting his mind to think of a world where she's his heir, and Wukong his consort, things he only dreamed of half-heartedly. These thoughts become even more frenzied as the other two uncover copies of Wukong's medical reports from Gold Star's office (shared via Lao Tzu); explaining to all three of them just how long Yuebei has been cooking for + Macaque didn't sire her. This reinenforced the corrupted Azure Emperor that Wukong was *meant* to be his Queen, otherwise, why else would Yuebei be born just shy of his release?

(Hint: It's cause Macaque came back and Wukong started trusting others again.)

Yellow Tusk is horrified by Azure's behavior, while Peng just wants to see their leader happy. The palace staff brave enough to stay (notably the Orchard Maidens) are terrified for the baby's and the world's safety.

Yuebei this whole time, is getting increasingly angry at not being able to see her parents or troop, and is about to darn near explode if the "bad kitty" doesn't let her go. Or if the "shiny birdy" doesn't stop teasing her.

[ibest14]

Many people ask me what my opinion is on Mortal Kombat 11? After 5 or 6 years of the game's release, the truth is that I have some things to say.

I have a love and hate relationship with this game, because it made a lot of mistakes and it showed some nonsense and unnecessary things

1 - Retcon Sindel doesn't make any fucking sense, since in (Mortal Kombat 9) it was explained and shown that Sindel committed suicide and put a protection field on earth so Shao Kahn can't invade. But then in Mortal Kombat 11 they show us that the milf has practically always been evil which doesn't make any fucking sense. If Sindel really was evil why the hell then does she commit suicide and put a protective field on earth? it doesn't make any fucking logical, plus in Mortal Kombat 9 at the end of her Tower. They say that she restores her kingdom (edenia) and that she was just being controlled and manipulated by Quan Chi's dark magic and there is no timeline bullshit here because the Sindel from Mortal Kombat 11 is the same as the one from Mortal Kombat 9 and Mortal Kombat X. So she supposedly committed suicide and by committing suicide she put up a force field to protect the earth from Shao Kahn. if she was evil what the hell would she do that for? She would just stay with Shao kahn suck his dick every fucking day for over 10,000 years. fuck!!!!

2 - Kotal x Jade: Practically the most stupid and senseless love relationship ever seen in videogames, where the fuck did this come from? for God's sake!!! this is bullshit!! fucking bullshit!!! the Osh-Tekk were never mentioned in the previous games, moreover! they are creations of Mortal Kombat X, besides it was never mentioned that Jade had a relationship with someone in the past. So putting a character created by NRS and putting him together with a classic character is bullshit. Also for God's sake!!! he's a fucking genocidal!!! he wanted to kill all tarkatans simply for helping Mileena. Kotal is just a false god and a frustrated despotic who is too proud and arrogant to admit that he's not much different than Shao kahn. If Jade had to have a love relationship with someone it would make much more sense for it to be Kung Lao, some will say it could also be with Smoke but the truth is I'm not a fan of that ship, but it also makes more sense than Kotal X Jade. The only relationship that could have made sense with Kotal and Jade is a teacher - student relationship, something like: Bo Ra Cho - Kung Lao - Liu Kang. They could have done something about Kotal being her mentor or something and that would have made a lot of sense. But no! It ruins it with a love relationship between an Osh-Tekk and an Edenian girl needlessly pulled out of the depths of ass.

3 - Kung Lao: I would like to know if any NRS writer hates this character to death? Or if when he was a child his older brother humiliated his favorite character with Kung Lao in some of the Midway era games? I have never seen such disrespect, hatred and mistreatment towards an MK character in NRS as that shown to Kung Lao, the character went from being a great hero in his time to a fucking jobber like Krillin from DBZ, but with the only difference that Krillin was given a good life, an honorable job, a wife and a daughter. But what does Kung Lao get? Well… only humiliation, mistreatment, broken necks and unnecessary hatred from the rest of the characters on the roster, accusing him of being arrogant and just being a minor and unimportant shaolin as if they were better than him. And then Kung Lao is the Arrogant one according to them, anyway! Hypocrisy.

but that's not all, NRS ruined his entire characterization and story. in the Midway era: Kung Lao, was a humble pacifist, but with a healthy pride (A / N: since he was the descendant of a fucking champion of more than 500 years) who was not interested in the whole Chosen One thing and all that shit, the monks wanted him as champion and he simply gave them the middle finger and said: go fuck yourself, I'm not interested in that, I just want to make my own life, live in peace and be happy. what's more, he didn't even live with the monks, the guy was like a kind of Sasuke from Shippuden before fighting Itachi, a quiet guy but with immense potential. Lao was only dragged into Mortal Kombat by the events of MK2 and after the death of Liu Kang in MKDA. But NRS ruined that and turned him into the loyal partner against crime who doesn't fuck, has never had a girlfriend, who only serves to make the protagonist look cool and who is only jealous because he is not the chosen one. Besides, they make him arrogant, going against what he was in Midway. My God!! This man defeated the fucking Deadly Alliance + Kitaro and Motaro alone, without anyone's help.

If it weren't for Shao Kahn breaking his neck, in a cowardly attack from behind, which was too low even for him being an emperor. Kung Lao would have won.

Lao showed his worth and skill. Kung Lao is on par with Liu Kang and even with a little more concentration, training and not being too confident (A/n: like Gohan SSJ2 against a desperate Cell) he could even be superior. But since that would eclipse their overrated Chinese boy scout, they prefer the idea of ​​the jobber. Now his arrogance may be excessive in NRS but it's not that big of a deal, but the writers like to make the character hated and you can even see that in the dialogues, they practically treat him as if he were Frost herself they had in front of them and not an ally.

Sonya mocks him by calling him just a partner and useless, as if she wasn't also Jax's partner against crime at one time, because the last time I checked, Jackson Briggs was his leader and she was just his partner. In short, Hypocrisy.

Hanzo (Scorpion) reprimands him for being arrogant and I wonder who was the one who, out of pure arrogance and letting himself be carried away by anger, killed Quan Chi even when they told him not to and practically condemned the Revenants to never be saved again? In short, Hypocrisy.

And those are just examples, but I'm not going to detail dialogue by dialogue.

But one of the worst is that his supposed best friend doesn't defend him. In fact, when he resets the era at the end of the game and meets the Great Kung Lao, Liu Kang tells him that: you are very humble, not like the Kung Lao I knew.

It was unnecessary to say that, since this Kung Lao doesn't know who the Other Kung Lao is.

That he supposedly wasn't your best friend? Now that he's gone, you practically let out everything you think and instead of keeping the memory of the good, loyal friend you had despite all the humiliation he received, you simply start bringing up his flaws behind his back? It seems that he wasn't your friend after all.

That and the writers couldn't keep their hatred towards Kung Lao in their pockets even at the end of the game's DLC.

Kung lao was always my favorite character and that of many, I even like him more than Liu Kang and in the end I hate what NRS are doing with him and in MK1 they don't even give him a break since he doesn't become a champion and in almost all the endings of the guest characters like Homelander and Omni-Man they kill him first. If NRS is going to keep humiliating him, it's better to kill him and give him an epic ending or demote him to be a character with the same importance in the story as Li Mei. Kobra, Mavado, Kira, Bo Ra Cho or even Reiko that you almost never see in the games.

[tamaruaart]

Honestly I want you to go more into detail about the dynamic your ocs share:>

Hohohoho thank you doppel, ama have FUN with this one!

So for this, I decided to Choose Wukong and Zhaoyan's dynamic, mostly because it's really lore heavy.

The whole shtick of their dynamic is:

"Opposites who you'd think could never be similar to one another, until you realize how similar they actually are when you start reading in between the lines."

From the surface, yeah, they'd never get along (again). Zhao's a relaxed magic lady. While Wukong is a loud demon. And also, the Chinese Zodiacs of the monkey and tiger are specifically stated not to get along very well haha

(Not to mention fashion wise they're also supposed to be opposites, with Zhao's fashion being elegant and feminine while Wukong's literally in armour most of the time)

And just the fact they get on each other's nerves a lot. Zhao's bitch-y-ness and hypocrisy (reasonably) get on Wukong's nerves. And Wukong's recklessness and just the general fact he's pretty frustrating, get on Zhao's nerves.

But they're actually a lot more similar.

Both in looks (orange hair, golden eyes), association with the sun (Wukong's aesthetic with the sun and the tiger's association with weather elements in Chinese culture. Zhao's being the sun), but also in their flaws.

Both run away when they make mistakes. And it's gotten to the point where they're even running togheter methinks.

But the difference is, Wukong stops running and actually starts facing his flaws. While Zhao just chooses to live her life alone, as the witch doesn't have the will to try and rekindle everything that's happened.

But when MK comes along, she HAS to face her problems. And though she doesn't realize it, it's the best thing that has happened to her. Because it also gets her closer to Wukong, and they start realizing their shared flaws internally and they become one of my fave duos

Because they still dislike each other of course- But now it's more lighthearted. But that development is SLOW, I think in Zhao's story they only start progressing in like, late season 3.

I also love their dynamic in general- The wine aunt and Apple Juice uncle as I love to call it! It's my favorite trope afjjfkfmkfk be it platonic or romantic (Zhao and Wukong AREN'T supposed to be in love but I'm actually neutral about it because some of my irl friends ship it)

And yeah that's it about em lololol, there's a LOT of (admittedly poorly executed) symbolism in their dynamic and I really like talking about them :D

Feel free to send in more asks lmao

[rottonfishie]

In Monkie Kid season 4 in the original series MK called Azure Lion out on his hypocrisy and he also said "Come on! Come on! Come on, Uncy Lion! You're the big hero, right?! Then prove it! Show me!" He also said to Azure Lion: "That's what you were pretending to be right? My friend? To care about me? When really you were just using me to get what you wanted! To turn me against my own mentor!" What would Bai He or the Ivory Girl say to Qi Xiaton (Sorry if I spelled his name wrong) in your AU?

"Come on! Come on! Come on, Xiaotian! You're the Saviour, right!? Then prove it, show me!"

"You say we're one in the same? No, no, we're nothing alike. I have people who care about me, I have a reason to fight! You aren't a Saviour. you're a monster!"

[girlactionfigure]

🟧  Sunday afternoon - events from Israel  

ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

♦️LEBANON.. The IDF announces it eliminated in an airstrike yesterday in Beirut Nabil Qaouk, commander of Hezbollah's Preventative Security Unit, and deputy head of the group's executive council.

♦️LEBANON.. Lebanese media: The fate of Hashem Safieddine, the current Hezbollah council head and expected successor to Nasrallah, remains unknown.

♦️IDF ATTACKING LEBANON.. Air force attacks continue all the time in all of Lebanon.  Relatively low intensity compared to the past few days.

♦️GAZA.. IDF installing huge observation poles on the Philadelphi border corridor.

♦️GAZA.. Destroyed: an underground route about a kilometer long in a civilian area.  In the tunnel, several rooms and facilities were found that were used byHamas to hide for extended periods, as well as weapons storage.

♦️GAZA.. airstrike against a group of Hamas operatives operating out of a former school in the northern Gaza Strip a short while ago. Hamas terrorists were using the Umm al-Fahm School in Beit Lahiya to plan and carry out attacks against IDF troops and against Israel.

♦️SYRIA.. air defense systems activated in Homs, Syria - which has been a frequent target of the IDF.  Syrian media reports that before noon the IDF attacked positions of the pro-Iranian militias in the area of ​​Wadi Hana near Al-Qusayr in Homs.

🔹LEBANESE PM.. Prime Minister Najib Mikati at a press conference: ready to implement UN resolution 1701.  The number of displaced people may reach a million.

��US ADMIN SAYS.. The Biden administration continues to call on Israel to refrain from a ground operation in Lebanon - and claim that such a move would harm attempts to weaken support for Hezbollah inside Lebanon, per the Washington Post.

🔹NOTING CHANGING TONE.. in the international press: (Amit Segal)

1. Israel has the most impressive army in the world

2. Israel is winning the war on terror

3. Israel exposed the hypocrisy of Biden's & UK’s Starmer’s policy

4. Were the hawks in Israel right and is it possible to achieve a complete victory?

Articles in the Daily Telegraph ->

Israel has exposed the lie at the heart of Starmer and Biden’s foreign policy - https://archive.md/6peFD#selection-2369.4-2369.81

Israel has proved it has the most impressive military in the world - https://archive.md/Ge9kB#selection-2369.4-2369.70

 ❗️AIR TRAVEL.. the EU Aviation Safety Agency really did issue an airspace warning for Israel warning airlines away from Sept. 28 until Oct. 31.  “Considering the current conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, there is a high risk to civil aviation. The conflict involves rockets, missiles and drones launches from Lebanon with Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire, including systematic activation of air-defence systems… Although, until now the Civil Aviation Authority of the State of Israel has been efficiently managing the risks to civil aviation in its airspace through a tactical deconfliction, it is considered that the current intensity of the conflict represents an overall high risk to civil aviation.”

Official statement:  Ben Gurion Airport is open for takeoffs and landings. Those leaving Israel should take into account there may be difficulties in their return to Israel (due to flight availability.)

▪️ECONOMY.. The price of fuel at the beginning of October will be NIS 7.16 per liter, a decrease of 0.13 per liter.

▪️WAR POLITICS.. Arab MK Ahmed Tibi: from the Ra'am-Ta'al faction “Israel excels in assassinations. Killings do not bring security, agreements bring security. The worst thing about the killings is when families and children are killed.  There is no worse criminal situation than those not involved being killed.” 

[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.

[weaverpop]

Seems like mk is the problematic one of the relationship

Does nezha not have his issues?

Oh he does. Mk is def not the only problematic one, it’s just his issues are more of a reaction to the recent trauma. Going through almost two years worth of it non stop will do that to someone. Nezha’s are a bit more… deep rooted. They tie in very heavily with his relationship with Jing because of everything that’s happened in the past. It’s already been established that he is also protective of Mk, willing to get hurt for him (see prev post).

They learn to be more open with eachother after mk starts going to therapy, and Nezha actually opens up about this. It doesn’t prevent fights from happening though.

It would def start about Nezha’s hypocrisy. Telling Mk to stop being so protective, only to turn around and do the same thing. Then it escalates as Nezha wants to get the last word in (leftover from fights with Jing), and things get heated. Until Mk cuts himself off mid yell, takes a breath, and tells Nezha that they both needed a moment to calm down.

He went on a Walk, and left Nezha to his own devices. Nezha is unhappy, but takes the time to cool down and reflect. He feels terrible once he realized Mk is right, and tries to make it up to him by… attempting to make dinner. It doesn’t quite work out as planned, and Mk come whom to a house smelling like burnt chicken and rice. He finds Nezha crying in the kitchen and is alarmed, thinking he’s hurt.

Nezha, once calm, apologizes for the fight and says he’s sorry about the burnt dinner. Mk is just happy he’s ok, and they order a pizza and cuddle while watching lord of the rings.

Again, not the last fight they’d have, but it’s def not a one way street.

[myremnantarmy]

𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥

Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Mk 12:13-17

Some Pharisees and Herodians were sent

to Jesus to ensnare him in his speech.

They came and said to him,

“Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man

and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion.

You do not regard a person’s status

but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.

Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?

Should we pay or should we not pay?”

Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them,

“Why are you testing me?

Bring me a denarius to look at.”

They brought one to him and he said to them,

“Whose image and inscription is this?”

They replied to him, “Caesar’s.”

So Jesus said to them,

“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar

and to God what belongs to God.”

They were utterly amazed at him.

[xenonmoon]

aw

oh wait

wait

so are you telling me Marlene nagged MK for all those years refusing to call them any name other than Steven (during Moench) and Marc but the moment the kid wanted to change her name she said "ok sure"?

is this- character growth, as she learnt from the mistakes of her past and tried to do better this time or just hypocrisy

I'd like to think it's the first and there was an attempt but I have little to no trust on this writer