#mortal rush

[starry-bi-sky]

Okay so this is almost a direct copy-paste of my earlier reblog but only the Xin Yuan parts, because its long enough to be its own post and i want to share it! It deserves it's own post <3 typical starry stuff to write a 2k word long reblog, unfortunately.

I say almost because I went through to proof read and ended up adding more stuff.

I've been cooking on this idea for the last two days since I saw the Xin Mo!Shen Yuan post but??? I can't find anything on Xin Mo's backstory or how it came to be -- which means that's free fucking plot right there baby. That's a sandbox and im making LIFE SIZED CASTLES. I'm so excited.

The idea of Shen Yuan transmigrating centuries before the events of PIDW as Xin Mo -- but when he wakes up, he's not the sword. He wakes up in the body of a young boy named Xin Yuan. Now it makes sense for this boy to be a demon, but the drama, the intrigue, the spice of Xin Yuan being a human child.

SY wakes up as a boy below the age of ten, and the System tells him where he is, and SY is excited to meet his favorite protagonist -- only to gradually realize that he's like, a thousand years or so before the events of the novel. The rant he gives the system is legendary.

Bc what's the point of getting dropped into PIDW if he's never going to meet his favorite character??? This is a scam! BUT he settles into his new life, he's like, some orphan street rat or some other tragic airplane-esq backstory.

The system gives Shen Yuan his first mandatory quest: become a righteous cultivator. Which was like, kinda his plan/hopes anyways, except! There's like?? No official cultivator sects anywhere? The Cang Qiong Mountain Sect hasn't even been established yet, and there are pockets of cultivators running around, maybe some groups or schools popping up and then sinking back down, but nothing's really taken root!

If he asks someone how to become a cultivator, there's no straight answer. No "oh you can go to X to do that". He's pissed! How can he become a cultivator if there aren't any schools around to teach him? Deus ex machina, that's how.

Out of sheer luck, SY manages to help save a rogue cultivator, and promptly gets adopted by said rogue cultivator, who gives SY the name 'Xin Yuan'. He is ecstatic. And you know what? It's actually pretty fun!

He's getting to travel the world of PIDW in its early stages, and gets to see the building blocks for the eventual main story. He's discovering all this local flora and fauna that are foreign to his old world and unmentioned in the book, and he's learning cultivation! Granted, its unsafe, newly(ish) discovered cultivation, but it counts!

Wistfully, he thinks about perhaps he'll do something grand and get his name carved into legend. Something that would eventually help the protagonist later down the line in his quest for revenge.

The system remains silent to his thoughts.

But Xin Yuan doesn't take much stock in that daydream anyways. It's nothing more than fantasy to him; wish-fulfillment. He does discover however, that he is positively brimming with spiritual energy. Overwhelmingly so.

It's both a blessing and a curse, as it puts a strain on his meridians if he's not careful, and leaves him prone to qi deviations for the exact same reasons. He already has a heart demon or two from a few traumatic experiences in the past.

(bc hey! angst a day keeps the writer sadism at bay, and all that)

I'll say he's about... eight when he gets picked up by the rogue cultivator, who I'm calling Lin Kai bc he deserves a name. They travel around PIDW up until Xin Yuan is twelve, where he goes through a traumatic experience that results in a heart demon.

It's after that that Lin Kai decides to put a stop to his wandering, and find a place to settle down to raise Xin Yuan in. Coincidentally! They settle down in a nice mountain region that's thriving with spiritual energy. The mountains at the time were called something different, but they will be eventually known as the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect

Coincidentally, the mountain Lin Kai and Xin Yuan end up on is Qing Jing Peak. XY does not realize that the mountain he's on is Qing Jing. The System does not tell him. But he likes it there, more than he was expecting. And as much as he's traveled around, he really does enjoy being in one place.

He has a tendency to go down the mountain and help the village setting up down there, and when he's a teenager he starts venturing out more and more.

Xin Yuan forgets sometimes that he's in a novel, especially after settling down on Qing Jing peak. The system becomes remarkably quiet since there's no quests for him to do and not a ton of opportunities to get B-Points. He cultivates with Lin Kai, helps tend to the garden they're growing, goes down to the village to play with the other kids.

There's one boy he's best friends with, a boy whose not all that good with words, named Liu Zhihao. He's got potential for cultivation though, so Xin Yuan drags him up the mountain when he can so that Liu Zhihao can sit in on lessons with Lin Kai. He drags him all over the forest at the foot of the mountain to go look at bugs and animals.

(One time, when they're fourteen and Liu Zhihao has been learning cultivation for a few years now, Xin Yuan drags him out of bed late one night to go look at the stars. Xin Yuan tells Liu Zhihao about ascension -- something that still feels like a far off dream to many in this time -- that night, while they're sitting on the wet grass.)

("We should ascend together." Xin Yuan tells Liu Zhihao, jade eyes gleaming. Never let it be said that Xin Yuan doesn't love deeply, no matter what kind of love it is. He was always so lonely as Shen Yuan, Liu Zhihao is his best friend. "We'll become immortals, and then we won't ascend until the other is able to.")

(Liu Zhihao stares at him silently, his face unreadable. Then, quietly, he asks; "Promise?")

("Promise.")

When he starts adventuring outwards, further away from the mountain and the village, Liu Zhihao sticks to him like rice. Not that Xin Yuan's complaining, that's his best friend after all, and Liu Zhihao has become a formidable cultivator. He deserves to show off his skills.

He starts making something of a name for himself by the time he's, like, 18 -- although that name is in its baby steps, along with Liu Zhihao. They're slowly growing renown.

Perhaps XY uses his knowledge of PIDW and cultivation in general to help make advancements in the cultivation field. Although the system prevents him from sharing too much, it doesn't mean he can't practice it himself. Perhaps he's one of the first cultivators to develop a golden core. One of the first known immortal cultivators. One of the first to have a spirit sword.

(Although I don't know the logistics of any of this since my knowledge on xanxia/cultivation stuff in general is all still pretty new and google wasn't all that helpful lol.)

Either way, its my excuse to eventually make Xin Yuan come across as ethereal to other people. Peerless beauty SY for the win. Hs wifebeam is too strong, Xin Yuan has a line of suitors following after him and he's completely unaware of it. The rest of history is not.

Demon realm stuff has been stirring up since Xin Yuan was a kid, but at the time it was rare and in the beginning stages. Its been steadily ramping up and the system is sending him on more and more treacherous quests -- some of them mandatory, some optional. SY doesn't often take the optional ones unless it comes with a sufficient B-point reward.

for all intents and purposes though, he's a wandering rogue cultivator with Liu Zhihao, going from place to place to either help a town or village, or to discover more creatures or artifacts (although there aren't that many). Just all around living his life. He participates in a few major quest lines that are sure to get him mentioned in legend, even if it's a background character way.

(Unbeknownst to him, rather than being a side character in these legends, he's named directly. You can't become one of the first immortal cultivators and NOT get name dropped for clout.)

He has a spirit sword named Shā Mó, (杀 shā - to kill/weaken/counteract/reduce) (魔 mó - evil spirit, demon, possession). He routinely goes back to QJP to see Lin Kai, or to rest when traveling has worn down on him and he wants nothing more than to sleep somewhere he knows he'll be safe in. It becomes more frequent as Xin Yuan becomes more famous. Liu Zhihao often comes with him.

it all comes to a head though when the rifts between the demonic realm and the human realm become too great, and the balance between both realms becomes unstable. A demonic emperor's influence, wanting to merge the two realms so he could conquer both to satiate his own greed.

Typical evil king stuff. This comes to a climatic head in a great battle between every cultivator available and the demon emperor's army. Xin Yuan was one of the many who helped lead the charge.

In the end, it was Xin Yuan who ends up defeating the demonic emperor, but the rift that the emperor used to cross between worlds is destabilizing as well. Except instead of trying to close, it's getting bigger and bigger, threatening to swallow the heavens and earth and demonic realm whole.

You know how Yue Qingyuan's soul is bonded to his sword due to a qi deviation? Let's take it a step further >:)

Xin Yuan uses himself and Shā Mó to close the rift. However, it takes all of his spiritual energy to do so, as well as him filtering the demonic qi into his body to redirect it back to the demon realm.

In the end, Xin Yuan and his beloved sword Shā Mó fuse. Xin Yuan's soul becomes trapped in the sword. His physical body is unable to handle the immense amount of power it takes to close the rift, and is destroyed. He is immortalized in legend by his grieving cultivators.

(Liu Zhihao ends up ascending alone. He ascends with the hope that one day he'll see Xin Yuan again, even if it's in the face of someone else. Lin Kai does not ascend, too weighed down by the grief of losing his son.)

Xin Yuan, now Xin Mo, falls into a stasis. He's very confused and disorientated when he regains 'consciousness'. The system has been silent for most of his life, only popping up to give him mandatory quests, hints, points, or to answer any questions.

But once he wakes up, it cheerfully pops up again, congratulating him on completing the origin story of Xin Mo. SY freaks the fuck out. he'd shake the system screen if he could, but he doesn't have arms. or legs. or eyes for that matter.

He can sense his surroundings, but its all like imprints to him. He can sense the energies, but he can't see anything. It's all very disorientating and horrifying after years of being human. Like a sensory deprivation chamber.

The closing of the rift and the cycling demonic qi tainted both Sha Mo and Xin Yuan irreparably, and it did some kind of damage that resulted in SY needing to feed in order to use the spiritual powers. Kinda like how Xuan Su uses YQY's life force for it's spiritual energy, but instead of feeding on his own lifeforce, Xin Mo feeds on others.

The rest is history. Xin Mo is originally tied to the story of Xin Yuan -- believed to be all that remained of the man after he sacrificed himself to keep the realms separate. It's believed that the force of the realms closing permanently infused Sha Mo with demonic energy, turning it into Xin Mo.

But, like many stories do when faced against the tide of time, things get lost; chipped off; changed. Xin Mo is steadily separated from Xin Yuan, especially once it becomes clear how parasitic the sword really is, until they are all but separate entities themselves and the origin of Xin Mo's creation all but forgotten.

The years blur together when Xin Mo is not being wielded, and at first Xin Yuan was agonized by the fact that he stole the lives of all his wielders. He knows it's only a novel, but his decades spent in this life have softened him, and he's grown attached to the world around him.

But time erodes the mind like water erodes stone, and he becomes numb to it, then eventually anticipating of it. He forces himself to remember what he knows of PIDW's plot, and kinda fixates back on his old obsession on Luo Binghe. But while PIDW stays in his mind, his memories as Xin Yuan fall to the wayside.

Not forgotten, per se, but... tucked away. The system prevents him from forgetting fully.

Xin Mo isn't fully a demonic sword either i think, but instead harbors an ugly cocktail of both spiritual and demonic qi. Special circumstances and all that. Everyone just assumes he's a fully demonic sword because that's usually at the forefront, his spiritual qi weakened from the initial fusion and from years of not being fed spiritual qi. It's part of the reason his wielders always end up destroyed by him, other than the whole, yk, 'overwhelming qi' thing.

Nobody would recognize Xin Mo's human form as Xin Yuan other than some truly ancient demons. Of which Meng Mo might. But even that's iffy because there's a lack of surviving paintings of Xin Yuan, but also because of XM's demonic appearance and supposed lack of connection to XY.

Xin Mo has never spoken to his wielders before, not in the same way he does Luo Binghe. He tells Luo Binghe this, and he also tells Luo Binghe down the line that he is both spiritual and demonic -- something he also never told his wielders because there was no point to it.

okay okay i've got to end it here because its already gotten ridiculously long -- of which im both apologetic and unapologetic for -- but i DO think the Shang Qinghua and Shen Yuan meeting (and reveal) would be fucking hilarious. Especially if SY has learned how to pop between sword form and human form by then -- although i guess it doesnt matter either way because SQH's reaction is still the same.

And that reaction is internally screaming and going "hey what the FUCK?? WHY DOES XIN MO HAVE A HUMAN FORM??? WHAT IS THIS??? SYSTEM??? EXPLAIN???"

meanwhile from his place on the sword hilt xin mo is squinting at Shang Qinghua in bewilderment and going "aren't you supposed to be dead" but doesn't pay too much mind to it because its not like its going to change anything.

...up until he catches shang qinghua going "WTF" silently from his little corner while all eyes are off him. One moment SQH is standing beside his king, and the next he's been tackled to the ground by one wild-eyed, human-shaped Xin Mo.

everyone, including SQH, thinks Xin Mo is going to kill him. It is a surprise to everyone when he does not, and instead dissolves into deranged, uncontrollable laughter after spitting out some phrase in some ancient tongue and watching SQH's eyes grow wide in recognition.

[magicianrabbidsupremacy]

So which of my special interests do you fw?

[gods-perfect-idiots]

something something blood-soaked hands cradling your face something something

anyway here's the post btw

[hollowbananer]

Bugsona

[naamahdarling]

.

[failyaoi]

JUST KILL ME VRO

[pyrodolls]

Hiiii!

I love havik sm, and your fics are the best istg 🫶🫶

If you can do you think you can do a continuation of the yandere fics you've been writing but with havik?

Ty<3

yandere havik x reader hcs

warnings: violence, gore, toxic relationship, regular yandere tendencies yk

summary: hcs of yandere havik x (gender neutral) reader

a/n: AWWWW THANK YOU ANON!! also i got quite a lot of yandere havik requests. all of you are SICK in the head. (me too tho so it’s ok) anyways i’ve been wanting to write a yandere havik for so long bc most people write havik as aggressive and controlling all the time, but i think he’s chill to the people he’s acquainted to. BUT YANDERE HAVIK?? LETS FUCKIN GOOO CONTROLLING HAVIK!! anyways next is yandere syzoth stay tuned

there was a sickening, almost deranged look on havik’s face the moment he first saw you. as soon as he saw you, there was nothing that could stop him from making you his.

it was like he was consumed by a powerful drug, and he was completely and irrevocably enamored by you.

he longs to have you by his side. he’s so obsessed with you, he wants to cut you open and crawl inside of your skin. you’re just so enchanting, how could he not be in love?

love, is what it looks like. but for havik, it’s more of an obsession than true love. sure, he wants to hold you in his arms and be with you for the rest of his life, but he doesn’t exactly have the emotional capacity to truly be in love.

if you had a problem going on and you were emotionally distressed, he would automatically resort to violence and would be driven to destroy whoever hurt you. but he doesn’t exactly know how to comfort you. he can, but he’ll just awkwardly pat you on the back.

for now, you were just allies. but havik is determined to slowly turn it into something more. it would be so slow you wouldn’t even notice the change. in his eyes, that is the smartest way to win you over. if you’re used to his affections, you won’t leave.

well, it’s not like he would even let you leave if you fell in love with him. he would convince you to stay with him. he would convince you that he can provide you safe haven and you will someday be blessed by chaos by his side.

but if you ever rejected havik’s affections, he just wouldn’t accept it. he would assume you were just lying or having a bad day. after everything he did for you, there was no way he can live without you in his life. so he just wouldn’t accept that you rejected him.

but if you accepted his affections, havik would never hold back again. he would be completely unhinged and expect you to accept it.

he would also keep you very close to him. havik knows he has a lot of enemies that would target you, so he will always protect you. you’re his, therefore it is his responsibility to keep you untouched from harm.

you’re just so beautiful. so delicate. you would still look oh so beautiful if you were all bloodied and ruined… but havik wouldn’t let your body get ruined, as much as he wants to see it. he wishes you had the same powers as him, so your body parts don’t have to stay in the same boring spot all the time and you can enjoy the chaos of it.

speaking of chaos, havik wishes to share his lifestyle with you. no gods, no government, no order. to live a life of liberation with you is a life well lived in his eyes. if you don’t agree with him, he will make you agree. you are either with him or against him. and defying him would be a mistake. you should know to follow his ideals in order to lead a better life on his side.

havik would feel ecstatic if you were to get your hands dirty with him. he would be happy to engage in kombat with you any day, especially if you two destroyed the oppressors together.

if not, that’s okay. he can do the work and you can sit and look nice next to him. even though he would want to see you work towards freedom, he would not mind if you only supported him.

havik is convinced that chaos will benefit your life, and that he is the right partner for you. he cannot accept anything else for you. he knows what is best for you, believe him.

if anyone were to defy his vision for you… if anyone were to dare try and win you over.. he would eliminate them in gruesome manners. even if he has to do it right in front of your eyes just to prove a point. that he would fight for you. he deserves to be with you because he kills for you with no hesitation. how could you not accept him if he shows you his potential to truly dedicate himself to you?

why would anyone even dare try to court you? he is right there by your side, why can’t everyone else see that? are they so blind to think they can have you when havik claimed you first?

overall, he knows you belong to him. he does give you the freedom to choose *how* you express your affection to him and how you fight for freedom with him, but he is convinced that he is what is best for you.

havik can’t imagine the rest of his life without you, his precious little doll, by his side. so cute, so delicate. and all his. you’ll always stay with him and fight with him, won’t you?

[iamumbra195]

If the Graveyard kids were demigods, which Greek god would they be the child of? (Riodanverse AU)

For Ashlyn, I believe she would just be another of Apollo's kids, keeping to herself most of the time. Nobody really paid her any mind because out of the dozens of Apollo kids, there wasn't anything particularly remarkable about her. She wasn't the Head Counsellor or anything. She liked it that way. Ashlyn discovered she was a demigod when she was young and spent two full years at the camp to fully prepare for living as a demigod in the mortal world before becoming a summer-only kid. Her sensitivity to sound is one of the strange abilities she inherited but isn't fully able to control, which is why she wears enchanted earplugs that keep sounds at a more tolerable level. Beyond that, she was a pretty average Apollo kid. She was good at the basics like Archery and Music but not beyond that of a normal Apollo kid. The only thing that really stood out was her dancing. It was her special interest, incorporating it into her daily life as a demi-god as often as she could. Her fighting style was based on ballet in canon and she preferred fighting with her legs over her hands--even going as far as putting a weapon in her shoes so she could still use her legs to attack. So she is an average demigod overall. Until one day she discovers that she was one of the few to inherit Apollo's nosokinesis, the ability to create and control diseases (like her ability to open rifts and trap people in them in canon). There's also the fact that her name literally means 'dream' or 'vision', so considering the fact that Apollo is literally the god of prophecy, I think being a child of Apollo fits her very well.

For Logan, I feel that for a long time, he would just be another unclaimed kid. He didn't know anything about his real parents and his grandparents were always super cagey about it until he was older and got attacked by a monster and they finally took him to the camp. He still doesn't know who his biological mother was. Then one day after being pushed too far by bullies, he snapped just like in canon, and was claimed by Ares, the god of war. Much to his and Barron's (another child of Ares) dismay because what the fuck do you mean this dickhead is my half-brother?! He had initially believed that his parent was related to his love for space and astronomy or maybe even his intelligence and love for math but Ares?!

For Aiden, I think being a child of Hermes suits him best. I've done some tests and got answers like Ares or the Big Three, which I don't think those really fit him. But for some reason, I like the idea that he has the favour of/is a legacy of Hades or Hecate from his dad's side while being completely unaware of it until much later (the unexplained connection his dad has to Maverick). Children of Hermes tend to be more hyperactive than other demigods and are often referred to as a jack of all trades and I think those things really suit Aiden. When he was younger, his parents sent him to camp year round in hopes that it would help him and he came back with dyed blond hair, red eye contacts and a reckless streak a mile wide.

For Ben, I believe that this kid is and always will be a child of Apollo. His deep love and talent for singing and music, his rage and hurt at having this taken away from him. His knack for medicine despite only having experience through taking care of Aiden. He only discovered he was a demigod after his voice was destroyed so he never learned that he could heal people with his voice/singing until one of the others, maybe Taylor, were fatally injured and he had no supplies to save them so as one last attempt to comfort them, he breaks his years of silence and sings for them. To his complete astonishment, they started healing and were able to stay alive long enough to get the medical help they needed. He felt pressued to sing and use his voice after that because it could heal people but Aiden or one of the others nipped that in the bud and told him he didn't have to do anything he didn't want to. The idea of him also having premonitions when something bad is going to happen is cool, especially if it's the reason why he ends up catching little details the others fail to notice (a little nod to Canvas Ben for being so goddamn observant). His relationship with Aiden is also cute because children of Apollo and children of Hermes tend to get along, although not all of them do (Aiden and Ashlyn lol).

For Taylor and Tyler, I believe the twins would be children of Hephaestus. In some cultures, identical twins are treated as one entity/soul that was separated into two people and the same could be said about the Hernandez twins in this AU. Although they are different people with different interests and goals, that is how they are perceived as mortals. On the divine side of things, however, they are seen as a single soul split into two. That's why their connection goes far beyond that of regular mortal twins. Their abilities also reflect this. Taylor is a brilliant craftswoman and has a way with technology that separates her from the rest. She's also extremely fire-resistant, which proves to be useful considering her brother has the ability to manipulate fire. Tyler, on the other hand, has the basic skills needed to be a mechanic due to growing up with Taylor but it isn't instinctive in the same it is for Taylor. He is one of the few children of Hephaestus to have pyrokinesis, something he had to learn to master on his own because there wasn't anyone to teach him. They complete each other.

Although Aiden and Ashlyn spent a year or two in the camp, their paths never crossed and they were just another faceless person in the crowd of campers until they officially met when Ben and Aiden began to go to her high school in her sophomore year. Aiden clocked her as a demigod as soon as they met at the bus and was excited to meet another one of them outside of camp. He was also curious to know if she figured out what she was yet and if not, he could protect her from monsters and lead her to camp! Ashlyn recognized both Aiden and Ben as demigods but preferred to avoid mixing her mortal life with her mythological one so she avoided Aiden's needling to the best of her ability. When Ben finally told Aiden that she was another child of Apollo at camp, Aiden doubled down on the pestering which irritated Ashlyn beyond belief. Unfortunately for her, this wasn't the last she was going to see of him.

Mid-way through the first semester, Ashlyn received a prophecy from the Oracle stating that she and five others were to go on a quest. It was a shock to her and everyone in the camp because she was pretty unremarkable yet she was the one that had to go on the quest? It was ridiculously vague beyond the fact that she specifically had to go to Savannah with a group of five others. So she had to pick five other members for her team.

Nearly everyone tried to volunteer and because Ashlyn didn't particularly care who went along, names were drawn out of a bowl. With her luck, Aiden and Ben's names were both drawn out of the bowl, along with the Hernandez twins and Logan. She wasn't particularly happy with those chosen but she supposed it could be worse. Especially when she considered the fact she could've been going with him.

Barron was throwing a fit about how an unclaimed coward like Logan couldn't have possibly been picked but Tyler told him that no one would even want to go on a quest with him considering the only thing he cared about was glory and honour for himself.

And so, the six of them packed their things and started their journey to Savannah, Georgia where it all went to hell.

[bonecuisine]

Yeah, no context for any of you

@helsensm

[cinnamonest]

missed ur writing sm glad ur better

Thank you!! It has honestly been miserable the past month, this has been the worst and most terrifying medical experience of my life.

In almost 26 years I've never been allergic to anything, not even pollen/seasonal allergies, and all of a sudden I'm swollen all over gagging for breath, my fingers and feet and lips turned purple, I couldn't walk, my face looked like a pufferfish... then it came back again and again so I had to keep going back to the hospital. Apparently I had a "prolonged viral reaction" (I didn't even know that was a thing), so even after the worst was over, I was covered in hives for weeks.

Whatever the allergen was, I pray to God I never encounter it again.

[clockwork-carstairs]

speaking my truth that the city of bones movie deserved better ✊ i remember watching it as a kid back in 2014 and people can say what they want but they NAILED the ya urban fantasy vibes in that film, plus some of the clary and jace moments were just so sweet………no matter what there will always always be something so nostalgic and dreamy about it to me

[aenslem]

STARGATE UNIVERSE (2009–2011) ⤷ Light

[mk-oc-imagines]

Date Night

Fandom: Mortal Kombat

Pairing: Bi-Han x Johnny Cage - ColdStar

Characters: Johnny Cage, Bi-Han, Madam Bo - other characters mentioned

Warnings: None

Tags: Fluff and First Date Awkwardness, Perhaps OOC

Part: One - Shot

".." Dialogue | '...' Thoughts

'I hope this isn't a mistake.' Johnny rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped foot into Madam Bo's teahouse, looking around the lower floor that was quite full with patrons. 'Damn it...Perhaps I should have called in advance. Does Madam Bo have a phone here?"

"Ah, Johnny Cage!"

Johnny nearly jumped out of his skin as Madam Bo approached him, smile on her face. "What brings you to my teahouse?"

"Uhm...." Johnny cleared his throat, tugging at the collar of his simple button up. "Is there any table for two, one that is secluded? With the most privacy?"

Madam Bo arched a brow, placing her hands on her hips. He did not answer her question and they both knew it, but Johnny did not want to talk about it to anyone. Not unless the other party agreed.

"Come with me." Johnny followed her onto the upper floor, where she led him into s far away corner that was bit in the shadows, far away from the rest which garnered no reason why would anyone look over.

"Thank you, Madam."

"It is my pleasure, Johnny Cage. Now, while I'm here with you, do you have anything in mind that I could make you?"

"Jasmine Tea for two and some snacks, please and thank you." Madam Bo gave him a smile, which he returned. Only when she walked away did he take a seat, pulling out his phone and sending a quick text message.

I'm on the upper floor, in a far corner. Found us something secluded. Text or call me when you get here so I could wait for you.

The response is quick, which makes Johnny grin.

Do not worry about me. I can find my way.

"Happy thoughts I take it?"

Johnny pocketed his phone and looked up at Madam Bo, who carried a tray with two tea cups, a steaming kettle and a plate full of sweet snacks, setting it on the table. "Yes, you can say that."

"Leave the tea sit for a little longer. This one is special type of Jasmine, reserved only for special moments."

"Madam Bo-"

Madam Bo tapped Johnny on the head, wagging her finger at him. "Now, now, I wasn't born yesterday. You, my dear, wear your emotions out in the open. An easy book to read if you will."

Johnny rubbed the back of his neck, flush to his cheeks. "That obvious?"

"Truly. I'll be tending to the rest of the patrons. If you need anything, wave me down or come find me."

With that, Madam Bo left Johnny alone and he had no idea what to do now. Nerves started to set in, his leg bounced and Johnny checkes his phone. No new message.

This was their first official date - Wait. Can he even call it official if no one knows about it? They both agreed to keep it under wraps for the time being. Johnny had to convince his manager that he wanted to take pictures of Fengjian for his upcoming project. Needless to say, she was a bit skeptical but let him go.

He wondered what kind of excuse Bi-Han had to do in order to get her. Johnny figured the Lin Kuei would not bat an eye st their Grandmaster leaving but Kuai and Tomas? They knew Bi-Han like the back of their hand.

Taking the sweet snack and nibbling on it in thought, Johnny thought he was going to bolt if he had to wait any longer.

"Dining without me?"

Jerking in his seat as if he was caught doing something illegal red handed, Johnny looked up at Bi-Han, who was wearing jeans and a hoodie, hair done into its usual bun.

Putting the entire snack into his mouth and chewing quickly and swallowing, wiping his hands on his trousers, Johnny stood up, smiling at Bi-Han awkwardly. "Sorry, I uh... Nerves got the better of me. How was the way here?"

"Pleasant."

They looked at each, awkwardness hanging in the air. Johnny usually greeted his date with kiss or a hug but he was unsure with Bi-Han.

"May I?"

"Oh, yes, yes, of course!"

They took a seat across from one another, Bi-Han poured them both tea, sliding the cup towards Johnny, who raised it up in a toast, Bi-Han mimicking him with a quirked brow. "On our first date."

"On our first date."

They both took a sip, Bi-Han's brow furrowing slightly. "It is not often Madam Bo serves this type of tea. What exactly did you tell her?"

Johnny choked and coughed, covering his mouth with his sleeve. "Nothing really. She read me like and open book."

Bi-Han looks at him, then his lips pull into a small smile, shaking his head with a chuckle. "She is right about that. Before I agreed to have a date with you, you were obvious in your advances. Cyrax offered me to get rid of you permanently."

"Talk about your clan having your back."

"I am their Grandmaster, it is expected. Me, Cyrax and Sektor grew up together, for the three of us it is different kind of loyalty."

'Must be nice.' Johnny thinks. 'To have someone to be there for you trough thick and thin."

"What about you, Johnny?" Bi-Han spoke up, taking another sip of his tea. "How did you get into Fengjian?"

"Made up an excuse, that I need to take some pictures of scenery for my upcoming movie. I guess it wasn't easy for you too to get here?"

Bi-Han shook his head, taking one snack and taking a small bite. "Not really. Had a mission here. If I want to stay a few more days, it is my decision."

Taking a sip of his tea and a snack, Johnny drummed his fingers against the table, a pit growing in his stomach. "Do they... Do they..."

Bi-Han waited, running his finger over the rim of the cup. "Does Tomas and Kuai Liang know?" Johnny managed, nerves taking over once again. He can imagine how everyone else would react if they found out about the two of them but Tomas and Kuai Liang? They would probably hunt him down and make him 'disappear'.

"No. They do not. They were also aware of your advances. I do not think they would ever dream of us..." Bi-Han gestures and Johnny understands.

"I...have a hard time understanding too...Why?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you agree?"

Bi-Han paused, looking into Johnny's eyes, searching, which made the latter swallow thickly.

"You are easy to talk to. For me, conversations do not come easy. When we started to exchange letters, it was a break from my Grandmaster duties I started looking forward to. All I wanted to say went on paper, without anyone else reading it, just the one who it is intended for. If it were not for those letters, I would not be speaking to you the way I do now. We would be only sitting in silence."

Lump got lodged in his throat and Johnny reached over, taking Bi-Han's hand into his own, Bi-Han going stiff, looking at their joined hands.

"I love hearing you talk. What else is there? Tell me?" Johnny spoke lowly and Bi-Han inhaled shakily, carefully holding Johnny's hand back.

"You are making jokes and making light of a situation that warrants in. But when it is serious, you get serious - as shown when we were thrown into Netherrealm. You fought well, saved my life and in turn, I saved yours. But ultimately, it was the letters that insinuated everything."

Nodding his head, Johnny pulled back with a smile, drinking his now lukewarm tea, pouring himself another cup.

For the rest of the evening, Johnny was the one who did the talking, less for himself, more for seeing Bi-Han's small smiles and chuckles.

-----

Johnny was not used to silence but this was pleasant.

He and Bi-Han walked side by side down the dirt road, Bi-Han had his hands in his pockets, while Johnny was fidgeting with his.

They came to an intersection a small sigh leaving his lips. "I guess this is where we part ways." They turned to look at each other, Johnny noticing how Bi-Han's gaze was soft. "I enjoyed tonight. Thank you."

"I enjoyed tonight as well. Thank you, for... This experience."

Johnny laughed softly. Leave it to Bi-Han to make it formal. "See you soon? Also..."

"Yes?"

"Can I get a hug?"

Johnny hoped he did not overstep. He promised Bi-Han to takes things slow, let them know each other first before doing anything. He was already pushing it back then when he held Bi-Han's hand unexpectedly at Madam Bo's -

"Come here."

'Oh.'

At first, the hug was awkward, both of them tense, Bi-Han not knowing where to put his hands but then they eased into it and it was the warmest hug Johnny has ever received. "Thank you...." Bi-Han whispered into Johnny's ear. "For not giving up on me."

It was Bi-Han who pulled away, their touches lingering just a tad bit longer. "Well...um...See you soon?"

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Bi-Han."

They parted and Johnny couldn't help the fluttering in his stomach and the way his heart was beating rapidly.

[cienie-isengardu]

Bi-Han rolled a -100 for intelligence in that scene when he outright told Kuai he let their dad die.

Bi-Han underestimated Kuai's loyalty to him because he must've really thought bragging how cool it was he let their dad die was gonna make his brother revere him. It's surprising given Kuai made it clear he loved their dad and Bi-Han somehow thought admitting he let him die would make his loyalty to him absolute.

I don’t think Bi-Han telling Kuai Liang the truth about their father’s death has anything to do with intelligence or desire to brag.

For me, that scene was Bi-Han’s frustration at its breaking point - the story mode did not present us much of Lin Kuei brothers interaction but even within the limited space it showed that Bi-Han couldn't do anything, not even just complain for waiting who knows how long without Tomas and Kuai Liang constantly talking about their Father and what the man would want from them. And yes, complaining may be inappropriate, even childish for Grandmaster to do, but for all we know Bi-Han just wanted to vent in frustration to his brothers in the privacy only to be frustrated even more by them bringing father into discussion.

And this pattern is repeated during their mission. Whatever Bi-Han will say, be it a remark about glory (a trivial detail) or wish for breaking from the past, Tomas and Kuai Liang will again and again either bring up tradition or talk about what their father would do.

Sub-Zero let their father die for what he thought was Lin Kuei’s best interest and in theory he should be finally free from the man’s influences. Including man’s teaching Bi-Han considered part of the reason why Lin Kuei was shackled and bound to unfair servitude.

Instead, even more than before everything revolved around the dead man to the point Sub-Zero outright asked if their father’s ghost possessed Kuai Liang (and Tomas?).

Because apparently his brothers didn’t have anything on their own to add into discussion - and frankly, they did not provide any real counterargument why Lin Kuei should stick to the centuries-old servitude to Earthrealm that didn’t come down to “tradition” and “father said so” - two things that Bi-Han already was in process or rejecting.

And then, when Bi-Han finally made his mind about allying with Shang Tsung what Kuai Liang did? Of course he talked about father

and I think this was the one too many mentions of father, the proverbial last straw that broke the camel's back. Telling the truth was not part of any great scheme, it wasn’t even about Kuai Liang itself, but it was a moment of catharsis for Bi-Han alone. 

We don’t have an idea when the previous Grandmaster died - Bi-Han could lie to his brothers about that accident for days, weeks, months or even years. The act of letting father die and lying about that burdened him, maybe even trapped more than he was before and Shang Tsung’s offer provided him both an occasion to cut off Lin Kuei ties with Liu Kang and finally to admit what he had done. The catharsis though doesn’t come from the act of admitting committed crime, because Bi-Han had no regrets about that at this point, but because he was so done with lying for Kuai Liang’s comfort and peace of mind...

...all so his younger brother could be safely tucked in his delusion about Lin Kuei’s honorable traditions; that Bi-Han if not loved then at least missed and grieved after their father as he and Tomas did; that they all were the happy family - still family - when Bi-Han’s wish for change overshadowed his sentiments for parent long ago.

I think that scene is just the breaking point of Bi-Han’s frustration - a frustration we were both told by Scorpion (“I knew Bi-Han's frustrations ran deep. But I never thought they could inspire such madness”) and showed in interaction between brothers preceding Sub-Zero’s betrayal. I doubt Bi-Han even planned to tell Kuai Liang truth, especially at this moment, but my guess is he just couldn’t take anymore hearing only father this, father that, again and again and again. Every person has a breaking point and I suspect the last Scorpion’s remark about father and how he would turn in his grave - especially this one about his death - is what made Bi-Han to spill out the truth straight into Kuai Liang’s face, cutting deep with the remark I lied because you couldn’t and still can see the truth.

It was no planned and probably the most sincere Bi-Han’s moment, because finally he was speaking his mind bluntly, finally escaping the trap of a lie he told Kuai Liang and Tomas to spare them from the brutal truth, but a trap that turned against him, because his brothers holded even more stubbornly to tradition and father’s teaching. Only unconsciously increasing Bi-Han’s frustration. 

Did Bi-Han believe that Kuai Liang and Tomas would support his claims? It sounds like a foolish assumption on his part, but I guess he still wanted his brothers on his side (even if the man has a problem with communicating that, I think?). Definitely wanted them more than he cared for father. And well, if Kuai Liang did not bring father in that moment, who knows, maybe Bi-Han would kept the lie alive for much longer?

[hualianbot]

[mrstsung]

I'm doing this shang tsung MY WAY!

Which ignoring canon that he was in. And placing him in my version of mortal kombat. (Which aligns more to the original timelines)

So a young shang tsung,who was once an earthrealm warrior,felt betrayed and was cohersd by shao kahn to join his court in outworld and fight on "his side" so to speak.

As for the dark magic/soul magic. He was always curious,but only curious. He only dived deeper because he was 1. Forbade to without so as much as a decent explanation on why it's "forbidden" and 2. Because he was trying to help earthrealm in any way possible,by any means. But he was again told no. So in his mind. It's like "wtf do you want me to do? It's like i bring a solution and you don't like me playing by the rules you created,which i try to follow yet. I get it spat back in my face" type deal. Course there's nuance to this and it's mainly raidens falt for not telling shang properly and handling things better. And yes,shang was his chosen and student before great lao. Great lao came in a tad bit later. Then came the tournament. He was actually trained by the shadow priests,who worked for shao kahn but revered shang. As they saw a prodigy in him. And magic aside. That man was a fucking excellent warrior,deadly as is. Add sorcery to him and he's a beast. <3

But anyways

Like i have a whole backstory more on shang tsung and i feel alan lee's shang is a good baby days shang tsung. Freshly cursed,freshly courtly mage,etc.

When we get tagawa's shang,is only after he gets his island. Which i hc was given to him by shao kahn as a gift. He wasn't gonna use it. So it was shang's dominion. In doing so he kinda fucked up because now,shang tsung was a lord of his own realm or pocket dimension. He has full jurisdiction and power over his island. The island's natural soul well was fortified to work in shang AND ONLY SHANG TSUNGS favor. He made the island self sufficient. (More on shang's island in another post) now. Only after spending years there,gaining knowledge,power,secrets,etc and a bit of forcefed defeat. Does our lovely sorcerer become more of the shang tsung we know and love. Wisdom and decades even centuries of knowledge gained.

Now back to young shang.

Young shang(alan lees shang/ mk12/mk1 shang) is a tad more prideful,maybe even jovial,always ever confident but in a youthful way. A spirit never breaking no matter how many times kicked down. These traits are amplified in his youth. He gets chiller and more relaxed and composed as he becomes more and more like out like elder shang tsung (tagawa's shang tsung/mk 95/mk11 shang) so that being said. Not too much difference,yet the aura is different and more of someone genuinely scholarly. Tagawa's shang is already a master,to get to that part. We need more development.

Now Lee's shang has great potential but i doubt that nrs ever would give him that genuine opportunity given how the script and story is being written. It feels its holding him back. And that kills me because it's such an amazing talent.

Now a young shang tsung to me is ever the curious. Not that ever stopped. But in his youth,he was always asking why or how. He wants to just know. He has to know. That can bite him in the ass or save his ass. Either way that is a core trait.

Shang tsung not being given an opportunity to join earthrealms warriors is a crime and honestly really really stupid on nrs.

It's rushed and they know it but they dont care because $$$ and micro transactions...

Anyways. Young shang tsung to me also needed a lot of reassurance not because of that lack of confidence,nah it's more of a reminder of "is this good? Is this wise? Am i crazy for feeling this or is this pride getting in the way?" He is confident in skills,he is not with other aspects more so he just doesn't want to disappoint. And Because he doesn't want to screw things up for the long run. But as trial and error happens,he gets more confident in his decisions.

He has his moments too and showing vulnerability and humanity in antagonists is very important. But not done in a backhanded slap to the character and audiences intelligence. Which unfortunately mk12/mk1 kinda does unfortunately.

And honestly,i felt bad for him. More than i ever did.

In conclusion,young shang tsung should be shown and given an opportunity to show with that an insight into shang's mind,heart,and things we actually don't see.

And some things in mk12/mk1 shang i absolutely am like "YES YES YES!" but because of everyone else,it's hard to enjoy because everyone else is insufferable.

Genuinely. Insufferable.

Like compared to shang tsung who gets something real,raw,human,believable,grounded,and interesting.

Nobody else in the story feels like characters,they feel like action figures playing along. And in a way that feels forced and fake to fit a boxed in trope. The script and writing feels ai generated.

Shang tsung seems to be the only one given some kinda agency and not even 100% either. It's not the greatest and it has flaws but by comparison it's great. Comparing that shang to every other shang tho? Kinda rushed and sloppy. And a disappointment. But it sucks because i want to really like that shang tsung.

So i jusy said fuck it. Im rewriting that shang.

Young shang tsung,mr. Alan lee. You deserve better. And honestly i think it's a wasted opportunity to have a shang centric game for once. It would be different,fun,and a change of pace.

*kisses forehead* lemme save you from shitty narrative and writing shang. Plz.