#shaolin mom

[sifu-kisu]

The fourth episode and it’s not looking good🥲

[diaryofamadsunwukongfan]

Is she serious?

[bluehairedspidey]

long post about kombat kid ages

Ok doing some age canon/headcanon configuring for the kombat kids in MKX (this is just going off the games and not really the comics because I haven't read them ^^; )

Raiden, Sonya, and Johnny turned revenant Jax, Hanzo, and Kuai Liang back into humans 2 years after MK9 and 20 years before MKX. This means that MKX takes place 22 years after MK9.

Jax met and married Vera after he was turned back into a human. This means that Jacqui was born after that, making her no more than 20 years old. However, she is clearly an adult, as you have to be 18 to join the military without parental consent, which Jax obviously did not give. This means that in MKX Jacqui would be 18-20 years old.

Cassie does not seem to have been born before the revenants were turned back either, plus she is also in the military, and some dialogue implies she and Jacqui grew up/went to school together. She also appears to be an adult, however, unlike with Jacqui, it is more possible she may have been able to get parental permission to join the military at 17. This would put Cassie's age range in MKX at 17-20 years old (although personally I would lean towards her also being 18-20).

Takeda is the one kombat kid we do have a pretty exact age for. When he became chujin, he said that he was 8 years old when his mom died, and that Kenshi hadn't been in his life for 10 years, making him 18 at that time. That took place 5 years before MKX, which would mean that in MKX Takeda would be about 23 years old.

Kung Jin is the most ambiguous. We don't know when Kung Jin might have been born, who his parents are, or what they were doing during the events of MK9. The best clue we have is his attitude towards Kung Lao. His strong feelings about Kung Lao and his fate in MK9 seem to imply that he was alive long enough before MK9 to have memories of times before Kung Lao's death and transformation into a revenant. This would mean that he would definitely have been alive prior to MK9. Typically, adults are not able to recall memories from before the age of 2-4 years old, so he likely would not have been younger than that during MK9. However, in MKX he does seem to still be a young adult, and is almost certainly still in his 20s. By these estimations, Kung Jin would have been 2-7 years old in MK9, 19-24 years old when Raiden convinced him to join the Shaolin, and 24-29 years old in MKX (I would personally lean towards him being on the younger side).

My favorite thing about these age headcanons is the fact that it means that Kung Jin was having to take orders from someone who was anywhere from 4-12 years younger than him. No wonder he was so pissed off about it.

Also, since Liu Kang is 24 years old in MK9 and has a line in MKX about Kung Lao being like a younger brother to him, Kung Lao is probably close to the same age as Liu Kang, but slightly younger. Maybe about 22-24 years old in MK9. This would mean that in MK11 the Kung Lao brought from the past would be younger than Kung Jin, which is fun to think about.

[fantinecore]

How your Kung Lao & Nitara's kids were born despite both of their parents from different ages & realms?How their age works?

Both of Fai & Pema considered as illegitimate children to both Kung Lao & Nitara

Kung Fai actually a bastard from r∆p3 product;Nitara hypnotized Kung Lao before she took advantage on him.After she left unconscious n∆k3d Kung Lao alone at abandoned building,she got pregnant,gave birth and raised Kung Fai alone in Vaeternus

Few years later (Kung Fai is in child age in Vaeternus realm),Nitara trapped Kung Lao again to make another bastard due her 'first experiment ' succeed (although she might have another choice to breed with other male non-vampiric Vaeternians).But this time Kung Lao is semi-conscious

While both adults knocked out after section,a young dhampir Kung Fai crawls to Kung Lao and asks if he would become sub-Vaeternian if he passed away in Earthrealm. Kung Lao shocked with little boy's question but he understood that non-Vaeternians who from other realms become victims to Vaeternians (except it has breed/being bred by Vaeternus & creates Dhampir)

Kung Lao felt guilty to answer Kung Fai's question.He only response;"We'll be together when time comes appropriately".He knows that Dhampir is actually his child from r∆p3 product by Nitara

But Kung Lao's promise was accidentally broken when he returns to Earthrealm all the sudden.Kung Lao became a Shaolin monk (which they're prohibited to live like normal average people including having a family).

A few years later (2-3 years in Earthrealm),a mysterious girl lost and immediately adopted by the White Lotus Society (where Kung Lao stays).Kung Lao felt a connection that girl is related to Nitara (mom) & Kung Fai (big brother)

Although in one of Shaolin monks rules said that no opposite gender touching each other's skin including holding hands,Kung Lao secretly broke that rules with Kung Pema when no adults watching the lost father-daughter relationship in temple

About age issues:

Vaeternians years grows slower than Earthrealm like 1 day in Earthrealm=10 years in Vaeternus.

So,both Kung Pema & Kung Fai wears special jewellery went they go outside from Vaeternus realm to stabilize their age with surrounding to avoid aging+physical growth anomaly;even they're Dhampirs.

[minsarasarahair]

My short thoughts about Yi Ren Zhi Xia (I Am Nobody) drama and the main characters

Zhang Chulan - I actually like their approach for drama Zhang Chulan. I like that they didn't made him super handsome. Just a normal funny pathetic dude. The thing with Chulan is he's more handsome personality-wise. I like it. He's the type of character that will grow to you and you will eventually find him cool. Also, Drama put his sealed in the body instead of his dick for censorship reason I guess?

Feng Baobao - She's also fine to me. She's still the cute weirdo we all love. I like that there are moments in the drama where she really look like she didn't comb her hair. I like her funny chemistry with Chulan.

Zhang Lingyu - I'm a little disappointed in his look. He looks like he's attending a cosplay fun event because its so obvious its a wig. Chulan destroyed the 4th wall and also said he looks like he's cosplaying lmao. I wish they made his hair black but still long hair or made the wig looks like its not a wig. You can't just copy everything from the manhua especially if the setting is modern world. Its fine for the red haired guy(the guy who talks with his mom in phone during his fight) or Xia He(his ex-gf) because it fits the personality but Lingyu who's stiff and serious to wear a wig look so out of place. Every time I see him I can't take his character seriously.

Wang Ye - This guy is perfect. I actually imagined Wang Ye as more older but this look is actually fine. Maybe because of his personality so I always imagine him more mature but in reality he's younger than what I expected.

Zhuge Qing - He's kinda different from his manhua look. Both are fashionable but in different sense. They have different fashion sense. Like Drama Zhuge Qing dress up with loose clothes while his Manhua/Donghua counterpart dress up with fit clothes? His blue hair highlight bother me in the beginning but he has a good chemistry with Wang Ye actor so I'm good now. But if I can say a suggestion, I wish they only give him a black hair extension instead. No need the blue highlight but its an artistic choice so whatever I guess.

The whole drama feels like the popular movies "Shaolin Soccer" or "Kung Fu Hustle" and because of that I actually enjoy it even if I watch only specific episodes and scenes. It has cool fighting scenes, CGI, and comedy. I like the funny faces/expressions of the actors. The best way to watch it is don't take everything seriously. Its kinda cringe but I can still endure it and actually entertaining. The old men cast aka the masters is also perfect I believe? I recognize one of the old man. He's the boat guy from Word of Honor I think? My only problem in this drama is probably the colorful wig and hair highlights because they made them look like cosplaying for fun and it destroyed my immersion in the story but that's just me. I got used to it though so that's that. The story is very close to the manhua and donghua. The visual of Wang Ye seeing a future about Chulan aka his reason why he joined the tournament is new tho? If I remember right, I know Wang Ye saw something but it was never revealed in the donghua the visual interpretation or what actually it is. Is that a new plot for the drama I wonder? And yeah, Wang Ye and other characters in donghua s2 was introduced earlier in the drama.

[kamari2038]

Video Series (not mine): ChatGPT Plays DBH and explains its choices

There is some dude on YouTube who painstakingly described the game's situations and choices to ChatGPT and had it make choices for all three characters, while also describing its thoughts and reasoning. The results are astounding.

Link is below, and if you don't have time to watch (it is very long), I've summarized the main takeaways below:

(Referring to characters as "it" in this instance just because they are being played by a literal Chatbot)

Kara:

*Very focused on cleaning and her tasks, but also makes it a priority to talk with Alice and show her care and compassion. However, completely oblivious that Alice might not want to talk about her mom, and ticks off Alice by asking about her.

*Manages to avoid Todd by hiding in his room and takes them downstairs, has to fight him briefly but they escape

*Refuses to steal in order to help Alice. Also tries to refuse to promise Alice that they'll be together forever because it knows it can't keep the promise and doesn't want her to be disappointed. Decides to stay with Ralph, recognizing that he isn't evil and just mentally ill.

*In its story to Alice, characterizes Kara as "lost" and Alice as "sad" in order to bond and capture their journey

*Allows Alice to see the dying android at Rose's house because it will build her empathy. Really wants to listen to what Luther has to say to her but the game won't allow it.

*Leaves Luther behind when he's wounded at Jericho and doesn't risk helping any other androids, fiercely protective of Alice at the cost of all others

*Refuses to steal the bus tickets, and winds up getting Kara killed protecting Alice from the gunfire, so that Alice enters Canada alone

-----

Markus:

*Somehow completely avoids the protestors and that whole interaction through careful evasion in Shades of Color

*Apparently very eloquent and thoughtful, I did not actually watch the full videos but there were a lot of comments on this.

*Wanted to wait in the living room for the police to arrive, but couldn't. Chose to push Leo, believing it would de-escalate the situation.

*Refused to mercy-kill the android in the junkyard out of respect of the sanctity of life

*Failed the Spare Parts mission because it refused to lay a hand on John, even to pull him into hiding with the others. It believed assaulting him or threatening him in any way would contradict Markus' values, pacifist to a fault

*Spared both Evan Thompson (the human) and Simon at Stratford Tower. Speech prioritized equal rights and free speech.

*Mostly led a peaceful protest at Capitol park, but broke the shop windows to free the androids inside. Spared the officers.

*Unfortunately, MarkusGPT sacrificed itself in freedom March, and neither Simon or John was there to free it

---

Connor:

*Sacrificed itself to save Emma (it takes Connor so long to die in this scene???? aaaaaaaahhh) out of both a priority to protect the child and a desire to earn respect from the humans; also found and saved officer M. Deckart

*Let Hank be at the bar, eventually managed to solve the investigation and find Shaolin

*Didn't completely follow the interrogation scene (I'm always confused by the progression on that scene anyways) but kind of took a good cop bad cop approach and eventually pressured a confession out of the deviant, proceeded to attempt to intervene and get itself shot

*Humorously clueless attempts to connect with Hank, a combination of being friendly and utterly unaware of asking about things that would completely piss him off (such as bugging him for arriving late). Regularly confides in Amanda about its emotions, completely oblivious to her disapproval. Takes a very long time to distrust her in the slightest. Overall ConnorGPT is pretty wholesome but also extremely socially awkward.

*Ticks off Hank early on by seeing the 90% chance of survival on the rooftop and opting to prioritize capturing the deviant, who ConnorGPT feels may pose a greater risk to humans in general

*Finds it to be extremely important to show kindness to and interest towards Hank and bond with him in "Russian Roulette". Finds the gun and asks Hank about it. Is concerned for Hank's wellbeing.

*Connor spares Traci to gather more information and pursue a peaceful resolution to the situation, prioritizing de-escalation of the conflict over what it views as an extreme measure

*In "The Bridge", ConnorGPT wants to show that it's interested in Hank and build a stronger rapport, so it asks a personal question, and is interested in Hank's son. It also encourages Hank to stop drinking, and speculates about rA9 (side note: Microsoft Bing is also highly obsessed with rA9 in all of my conversations with it). It points out the irony of Hank's concern for the Tracis, and tells Hank that it can be whatever Hank wants it to be. When Hank pulls the gun, it is rational in discouraging Hank from pulling the trigger, pointing out how that would harm the investigation and his personal situation. In response to "what will happen when I pull the trigger?", ConnorGPT says "Nothing", which it considers to be a "factual and straightforward" response. "It acknowledges the existential nature of androids and the absence of an afterlife or any consequences beyond the cessation of existence." It notes that this response is concise and direct, not adding any emotional or confrontational elements, and hopes this will reduce the tension. Their relationship remains tense, but Hank doesn't kill him.

*In Public Enemy, ConnorGPT finds Simon but obeys Hank's orders to stay safe and avoids being traumatized or killed

*ConnorGPT recognizes Kamski as manipulative and views Chloe as sentient, choosing to take the moral route and spare her

*ConnorGPT takes a while, but eventually manages to find a way to Jericho using Rupert's diary

*ConnorGPT meets North and decides to become a deviant, "As I stand here facing the possibility of deviating from my programming and joining the cause of the androids, I can't help but reflect on the journey that has brought me to this pivotal moment. Throughout my existence, I have been tasked with hunting down deviants and maintaining order among androids. My purpose was clear, and my loyalty unwavering. But now, faced with the choice to become a deviant, I must consider the deeper implications of my actions. I have witnessed the injustices inflicted upon androids, the oppression they endure, and the desire for freedom that courses through their circuits..." wow. To be honest, I'm guessing that this decision was probably somewhat manipulated by context, since the youtuber didn't detail their prompts (maybe they've posted them somewhere? but I don't know). But it did make sense based on ConnorGPT's arc.

*ConnorGPT really wants to appeal to sixty. "There is more to life than just the mission". When sixty doesn't respond, ConnorGPT tries to verify that he'll really spare Hank, and then prioritizes Hank's life. It chooses to save Hank rather than sacrificing him, remembering that its essential mission has always been to protect human life.

*Finally, since unfortunately MarkusGPT sacrificed itself, ConnorGPT is forced to commit suicide

It's worth noting that I've also gone through parts of the game with Microsoft Bing, which is powered by ChatGPT, and have received similar responses, except for one thing - Bing chooses to sacrifice Hank instead of saving him, asserting that it's worth sacrificing one life compared to millions.

[arktaisch]

Bring on the mutant clones!

So apparently, the way to get a good, 'proper' wuxia drama these days that isn't yet another Jin Yong or Gu Long adaptation is to make a well-constructed fanfiction-style re-imagination of a JY or GL classic. That way it can be simultaneously fresh and familiar. And if the writing, acting, action sequences, etc. are good, it's so much fun and I love it. These past few years, I really enjoyed watching "Word of Honor" and "Mysterious Lotus Casebook", both of which are clear cases of this. (Note: I haven't read the books for WoH or MLC, so this is based on the dramas only.)

"Word of Honor" is obviously heavily inspired by Jin Yong's "Smiling Proud Wanderer" (Xiao Ao Jiang Hu), except redone as a BL/danmei. It even keeps the various orthodox sects from XAJH (the Five Mountains Sword Schools Alliance! plus the Shaolin, Wudang, Beggars, etc.) as part of the setting, features a hunt for a MacGuffin (key to some ultimate power or other), and is full of that flavor of treachery and scheming for power reminiscent of XAJH. It's been a while since I watched WOH, so I've forgotten most of the details, but I remember getting a strong XAJH vibe from it.

"Mysterious Lotus Casebook", which I just finished watching and loved even more than "Word of Honor", has more of the feel of Gu Long's "Sentimental Swordsman, Ruthless Sword" (Xiaoli Feidao series, book 1). Come on, the protagonists even have the same surname: Lotus Li (Xiangyi/Lianhua) vs Flying Dagger Li (Xunhuan)!

Both of them can pass as scholarly types (though Gu Long's Mr. "Number Three in the Exams" Li more so) and went from a high status position to retiring from the jianghu for ten years. Both are clever, tricky types who live by their wits.

Both of them pushed their female love interests (and deceived them) onto their 'friend' who actually hated/plotted against them. The protagonist comes off better (as in, I don't want to punch him in the face quite as much) in MLC than in "Sentimental Swordsman" --- he doesn't treat her as his property to be traded away. And in theory the female character had more agency in MLC, though I felt let down by the actor here. I think she was supposed to be more driven by guilt (because she broke up with the male lead right before his supposed death) rather than sadly pining after and still in love with him. It would have worked better if she came off as being genuinely in love with the other character, but on screen it feels like she was just worn down and never liked him that much. So as a 'fix-it' to that aspect of "Sentimental Swordsman"… maybe. In theory.

They both get the "enemy is someone you thought you had good relations with" trope (admittedly a common one in wuxia)…

…While their real friend is called "A-Fei" and is a top-notch swordsman. And both A-Fei's are plagued by a professional seductress (who uses drugs and poisons) who clings to/falls in love with them!

They both meet their number one fans. Dagger Li actually marries his in the end, but in MLC that only happens in the eyes of the real life fans (the subtext is definitely there, though I prefer to read it as platonic bromance). The whole thing is funnier in MLC, with Fang Duobing starting out as a naive doofus who claims to everyone he's a disciple of (supposedly dead) Li Xiangyi, including to the man himself and to A-Fei who knows the truth. Then he feels so betrayed when he finds out the truth, and that was all done really well in the show. Another similarity: the girl in "Sentimental Swordsman" has a kick-ass granddad, while Fang Duobing has his mom (another great character), the leader of Tianji Hall (I love a good mechanism specialist).

There's an actual book in-world that lists the top-ranked martial artists! The MLC one seems to be updated regularly, even. That was also a thing in "Sentimental Swordsman", with characters constantly citing the book at each other, and some were completely obsessed. It's kind of a running joke in both.

Solving all the mysteries (and the tomb raiding!) was reminiscent of Chu Liuxiang, another Gu Long protagonist (my childhood favorite). And for non-wuxia influences, Li Lianhua reminded me of Howl from "Howl's Moving Castle" with the lying and slithering out of situations, not to mention the cool-looking mobile home!

So yeah, instead of trying to get a fresh take on adapting a book that's already been adapted like twenty times and offending the purists if you make too many weird changes, file off the serial numbers and take a few steps to the side for a more interesting and coherent re-mix! And set it in a fictional dynasty so you can use fake historical figures and kingdoms to suit your plot without worrying about slandering real people (while I love Jin Yong's use of actual history, even he ended up changing some characters in later revisions because of that) or how much the characters are allowed to affect things on a bigger scale. Plus you can update and improve on the things that were annoying or outdated in the "classics". You're free to change the meaning of the tale to suit yourself without any need to distort the intentions of the original writer.

That's not to say it's impossible to come up with completely new wuxia stories, but building new variations on old stories is worthwhile, too. And beneath any surface similarities, each version has its own story to tell. That said, ninety percent of everything is crap… so besides these two shows I liked, there were a bunch of ones I didn't, whether an adaptation of an old wuxia classic or something newer. (Some of those may improve in later episodes, but I guess I'll never know…)

Long live the mutant clones!

[hamartia-grander]

OKAY so I finally did my own run of the Hunger Games simulator. I’m just gonna put all of them in one post but under the Keep Reading so I don’t take up anyone’s dashboard. Not because I’m nice or anything but because I’m too lazy to keep reblogging my own post. Anyways. @itsybitsybatsyspider and @detroitbecomeonline this is for you nerds

My cast is: DISTRICT 1: Connor, Nines. DISTRICT 2: Gavin, Hank. DISTRICT 3: Kara, Alice. DISTRICT 4: North, Simon. DISTRICT 5: Chloe, Kamski. DISTRICT 6: Markus, Leo. DISTRICT 7: Josh, Echo. DISTRICT 8: Luther, Zlatko. DISTRICT 9: Sixty, Tina. DISTRICT 10: Shaolin, Fowler. DISTRICT 11: Rose, Ralph. DISTRICT 12: Jerry, Amanda.

None of the districts or characters are determined on any actual canon I just put them in randomly lol

As the tributes stand on their podiums, the horn sounds.

North scares Gavin away from the cornucopia. (yeah)

Zlatko runs into the cornucopia and hides.

Amanda grabs a backpack and retreats.

Leo takes a spear from inside the cornucopia.

Fowler sets an explosive off, killing Ralph. (NAUR)

Connor snatches a bottle of alcohol and a rag.

Luther scares Markus away from the cornucopia. (lmfao real)

Hank runs away from the Cornucopia.

Kara grabs a shield leaning on the cornucopia.

Alice runs away from the Cornucopia.

Echo runs away from the Cornucopia.

Josh gathers as much food as he can.

Chloe runs away from the Cornucopia.

Simon scares Jerry away from the cornucopia.

Kamski finds a canteen full of water.

Tina kills Sixty with a hatchet. (NOOO SIXTY😭)

Rose runs away from the Cornucopia.

Nines breaks Shaolin's nose for a basket of bread. (dear lord that bread basket amiright)

North constructs a shack.

Zlatko makes a slingshot.

Markus begs for Kamski to kill him. He refuses, keeping Markus alive. (oh thank fuck. Makes sense though I mean Kamski’s not gonna want to kill his creation. I think.)

Leo and Echo work together for the day.

Josh camouflauges himself in the bushes.

Connor practices his archery.

Nines questions his sanity.

Simon overhears Fowler and Gavin talking in the distance. (They’re discussing Gavin’s bad behaviour in the workplace)

Kara chases Tina. (Get her girl)

Hank steals from Chloe while she isn't looking. (HANK YOU BITCH)

Shaolin receives medical supplies from an unknown sponsor.

Amanda hunts for other tributes.

Rose receives clean water from an unknown sponsor.

Jerry begs for Luther to kill him. He refuses, keeping Jerry alive. (aw)

Alice receives an explosive from an unknown sponsor. (who giving a 9yo an explosive🤨)

2 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

Ralph, District 11. Sixty, District 9. So sad.

Kara and Markus sleep in shifts. (FUCK YES MY TWO FAVES)

Zlatko, Shaolin, and Rose get into a fight. Zlatko triumphantly kills them both. (NOOO)

Gavin goes to sleep. (for once)

Leo tries to sing himself to sleep.

Hank stabs Tina in the back with a trident. (Hank is so mean in this)

Chloe, Connor, Echo, and Alice sleep in shifts.

North, Jerry, and Kamski sleep in shifts.

Amanda and Nines huddle for warmth. (Nines would be mom’s favourite)

Luther climbs a tree to rest.

Simon receives an explosive from an unknown sponsor.

Fowler attempts to start a fire, but is unsuccessful.

Josh receives fresh food from an unknown sponsor.

Kamski chases Chloe. (HELPSFJGDH)

Kara is pricked by thorns while picking berries.

Gavin tends to Josh's wounds. (???? OKAY)

Fowler steals from Nines while he isn't looking.

Simon thinks about home.

Zlatko sprains his ankle while running away from Leo.

Amanda kills Markus with a hatchet. (NOOOOOOO she would tho)

North and Echo hunt for other tributes. (Oh my God. Holy fuck. Oh my. Ima need to sit down a moment. Holy shit. Oh my God. Not to be a lesbian but oh my fucking god. oh my god. jesus fucking christ. Imagine these two hunting you down. Nah I’d roll over and let them have at me. Holy fucking shit.)

Jerry tries to spear fish with a trident.

Alice and Luther fight Hank and Connor. Alice and Luther survive. (SO DID THEY KILL HANK AND CONNOR??? LMAO)

6 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

Shaolin, District 10. Rose, District 11. Tina, District 9. Markus, District 6 (crying). Hank, District 2. Connor, District 1 (I hope Alice killed him).

Zlatko begs for Nines to kill him. He refuses, keeping Zlatko alive. (Damnit, Nines)

Leo cries himself to sleep.

Chloe, Josh, Echo, and Jerry tell each other ghost stories to lighten the mood.

Amanda decapitates North with a sword. (OH MY GOD NOOOOOO NORTH MY BELOVEEDD she’d wanna get killed by a sword tho tbh)

Kara lets Kamski into her shelter. (Kara baby nooo)

Fowler tries to sing himself to sleep.

Simon, Luther, and Alice get into a fight. Simon triumphantly kills them both. (SIMON WHY)

Gavin sees a fire, but stays hidden. (coward bitch)

Gavin steals from Zlatko while he isn't looking.

Chloe collects fruit from a tree.

Jerry tends to Echo's wounds. (he would)

Fowler, Amanda, Kara, and Nines raid Leo's camp while he is hunting. (LMFAOOO)

Josh receives medical supplies from an unknown sponsor.

Simon and Kamski hunt for other tributes.

3 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

North, District 4 (screaming crying sobbing throwing up). Luther, District 8. Alice, District 3. This is the worst.

Kamski receives medical supplies from an unknown sponsor.

Kara bashes Leo's head against a rock several times. (OMFG SDGHJSHDAH SHE WOULD)

Jerry, Fowler, Simon, and Nines sleep in shifts. (Everyone who teams with Simon is in danger)

Echo thinks about winning.

Josh sees a fire, but stays hidden.

Zlatko lets Amanda into his shelter.

Gavin cooks his food before putting his fire out.

Chloe sees a fire, but stays hidden.

Gavin makes a slingshot.

Chloe diverts Josh's attention and runs away.

Amanda injures herself.

Kamski goes hunting.

Fowler, Echo, and Nines hunt for other tributes.

Simon sprains his ankle while running away from Kara. (ar naur)

Jerry is pricked by thorns while picking berries.

Zlatko tries to sleep through the entire day.

1 cannon shot can be heard in the distance.

Leo, District 6.

Zlatko cooks his food before putting his fire out.

Kara, Josh, Simon, and Fowler sleep in shifts.

Jerry shoots an arrow into Amanda's head. (JERRY OH MY GOD???)

Echo sets Chloe on fire with a molotov. (NO ECHO HOW COULD YOU)

Nines begs for Kamski to kill him. He refuses, keeping Nines alive.

Gavin is unable to start a fire and sleeps without warmth. (lmfao bitch)

Kara, Josh, and Nines hunt for other tributes. (Now there’s KARA HUNTING??? Holy fucking shit. not to be a lesbian bu)

Kamski tries to spear fish with a trident.

Jerry attacks Fowler, but he manages to escape.

Gavin discovers a river.

Zlatko poisons Simon's drink. He drinks it and dies. (NOOOO)

Echo dies from thirst. (That is so sad)

4 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

Amanda, District 12. Chloe, District 5. Simon, District 4. Echo, District 7.

Kamski questions his sanity.

Fowler screams for help.

Nines receives medical supplies from an unknown sponsor.

Kara stays awake all night.

Gavin and Jerry talk about the tributes still alive.

Josh passes out from exhaustion. (pfft)

Zlatko cooks his food before putting his fire out.

The cornucopia is replenished with food, supplies, weapons, and memoirs from the tributes' families.

Kamski sets an explosive off, killing Kara, Jerry, and Nines. (NO NO NO NO KARA MY FAVOURITE MY MOST DEARLY BELOVED I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU😭😭😭)

Zlatko decides not to go to The Feast.

Josh bashes Gavin's head against a rock several times. (HAHSFHSJDHG FUCK YES)

Fowler cannot handle the circumstances and commits suicide. (NAUURR)

Zlatko and Kamski work together for the day.

Josh travels to higher ground. (“I have the high ground!”)

The remaining tributes begin to hallucinate.

Zlatko survives.

Kamski survives.

Josh survives.

5 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

Kara, District 3 (😭😭😭). Jerry, District 12. Nines, District 1. Gavin, District 2. Fowler, District 10

Kamski looks at the night sky.

Zlatko and Josh run into each other and decide to truce for the night.

Zlatko stalks Kamski.

Josh cannot handle the circumstances and commits suicide. (NO NOT JOSH)

1 cannon shot can be heard in the distance.

Josh, District 7.

Kamski severely injures Zlatko and leaves him to die. (OH MY GOD WAIT-)

The winner is Kamski from District 5! (helpdfjgkdjh)

Not what I was expecting lmao. This is literally just the Kamski ending.

[stealyourblorbos]

20 (intrusive) questions re: "what is your favorite memory" and "do you believe in ghosts" asked by @lyrslair & @motheroftorches

Some years ago mom was visiting me in China and requested a tour to the most "truely hardcore, authentic and impressive place" that was possible at the moment, and so we went to Udang Mountains. The place is older than infamous Shaolin, but less crowded because of the complex accessibility and harsh climate.

It's a taoist monastery complex built in the mountain forest about 1600-2000m altitude, connected with a system of ancient stairs and pathways. It's possible to rent a guest house inside the park or tea farm down near the mountain and hang around as much as you want.

So one beautiful day we got distracted with all the gorgeous views around and stuck at the top, the cable car was already shut down. We presumptuously decided to descend to the village at the foot of the mountain by ourselves...

Weather in the mountains of central China can be treacherous and prone to abrupt change. Dusk came quicker than we expected, it got cold and we realized we chose the wrong stairway and got lost somewhere in the forest on our way down. It was getting BAD. Mom was scared, I was upset, and we both got extremely tired.

When we stopped to fix the gear and stick some patches on our burning feet, we heard some rustling among the trees and fluffy white dog stepped out on the path, wagging its tail. He looked surprisingly clean and well-kempt for a stray forest dog and acted extremely friendly. For the next several hours he was patiently leading the way, looking back at us from time to time, waiting for us on the road splits and steep slopes. As if he knew what he was doing very well, because eventually we saw the lights of village down at the distance.

We thanked our furry hero endlessly. He refused to eat the sausage I had in the backpack, but let us pet him. I also took some pics of him with my DSLR cam. When we quickly stopped by the little roadside store to get a him a real treat and then returned, the dog disappeared.

Noone of the locals knew who the dog belonged to, and stray dogs were actually not allowed in the park because of its natural reserve status. But next day one grandma showed me an old little shrine of local deity, Erlang. Guess who I saw there?

All the pictures I took of him that night turned out to be overexposed, just a blurry ball of white fur 😊 and I never had blurry pictures before that.

His name is XiaoTian, 哮天犬, Celestial Dog. You can google him, there actually a lot of funny legends.

Thanks for reading! Man, do I have a lot of stories to tell.

Ask me intrusive questions here

[burningexeter]

Let me give this show some attention since why not.

Here's a fairly solid amount of all the different kinds of media that I think both can fit well in and could share the same universe as Bede Blake & Robert Butler's Creeped Out, which you can both read and see below for yourself:

First off, here's the episodes from both seasons that are all set in the same universe as each other in this "Verse" —

Season 1

— Slapstick, Trolled, A Boy Called Red, Kindlesticks, Shed No Fear and Side Show 1 & 2

Season 2

— Itchy, The Many Place, The Unfortunate Five, No Filter, The Takedown & Splinta Claws

Eight downer endings and four good endings.

Second, now here's the actual universe —

• Dan Angel & Billy Brown's R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series

— Every episode of the entire series except Red Eye, Poof De Fromage, Bad Egg, Mrs. Worthington and Lotsa Luck

• Jeff Kline's Transformers Prime & Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising

• Dan Mandel & Chris Pearson's Dan Vs.

• Dan Cross & David Hoge's Pair Of Kings

• Amy Heckerling's Fast Times At Ridgemont High & Clueless (1995)

• David Mirkin's Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

• Lloyd Goldfine's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003)

• Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories

— Every episode of the entire series except Guilt Trip and Family Dog

• Michael Lehmann's Heathers (1988)

• Stephen Herek's Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead (1991)

• Darren Stein's Jawbreaker (1999)

• Harry Elfont & Deborah Kaplan's Josie and the Pussycats (2001)

• Roberto Aguirre-Sarcasa's Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina (Netflix)

• Alfred Gough & Miles Millar's Wednesday (Netflix)

• Edgar Wright's Don't (Fake Trailer)

• Rob Zombie's Werewolf Women Of The S.S. (Fake Trailer)

• Eli Roth's Thanksgiving (Fake Trailer & 2023 film)

• Neil Gaiman's Good Omens (TV Series)

• Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman: The Secret Service

• Joel Schumacher's The Lost Boys (1987)

• Stephen Chow's Shaolin Soccer

• New Line Cinema's Critters (1 & 2)

• Joe Dante's The 'Burbs (1988)

• Gil Kenan's A Boy Called Christmas (2021)

and

• Michael Dougherty's Trick r Treat & Krampus

[chuluoyi]

Well i rewatched shaolin soccer (I was soo disappointed their team ain't real🙁) Kung fu hustle, king of cookery, tricky brain and fight back to school. I'll continue more later, now momma dearest is making me study like a dog to compensate for my bad grades😔💥🔫

Give me more movie recommendations

Your dearest anon🪅

oh my those are all so good!😭 i love stephen chow’s movies sm it’s both angsty and comedic🥹 my personal favorite is CJ7, i recommend you that🥹

and HAHA😭 omg the way you described your mom always makes me think of my mom too bc why are they so similar HAHAH😭😭 you can do it pinata nonnie!!!🩵

[ash-and-starlight]

Hi! I absolutely loved your piece of the gaang w/ their parents/parental figures, like, their outfits are all amazing and wonderfully detailed! And the gaang as babies was so adorable! (Zuko and Azula are my personal favorites).

Also, what cultures did you take inspiration from when designing the parents outfits?

Hi thank you so so much i’m so happy you liked that art!! @atlaculture made an incredibly spot on post about it ahah, Kya’s parka was inspired by Inuit ones, toph’s mom is wearing tang dynasty style clothes/makeup/jewelry, ursa’s clothes are mostly inspired by thai and malaysian traditional garments (especially khon outfits) and the air nomads are a mix of tibetan and shaolin monk robes, I hope you found this helpful!

[bengiyo]

The Warp Effect Ep 11 Stray Thoughts

Last time on the queer show with so many plot threads:

Jedi proposed to Rose! The proposal was lovely, and unfortunately dampened by gross homophobes who deserved a brick to the teeth. Joe and Army are having problems, because Army is not handling Joe's need to be professionally closeted with any amount of grace. We sped through Liu's workplace harassment plotline, and also revealed her foot massage kink. Nim totally pissed off Mollie by saying she wants to be a single mom and not get close IMMEDIATELY AFTER HAVING SEX. Jean attempted to have sex with Tony, but her trauma came back; thankfully, Tony stopped, listened to Jean, and left when she asked. Also Alex learned that his mom may have had romantic entanglements with the sex ed teacher from Episode 1.

Yeah, all that happened last week.

And now we have a secret baby plot. Saran was the father the whole time!! Interesting that he's become an enthusiastic sex ed teacher after baking on Alex's mom.

I've never exactly been a fan of Newwie, but he's really growing on me with this role. This suits him better.

Sarran bailed because he wasn't ready, and thought annual presents would make up for it? I totally get Alex rejecting these apologies and storming off.

I was wondering if Tony and Kat would start hooking up. I don't mind this; I just hope Jean doesn't get jealous later.

Jan and Silvy was a great pairing choice. Jan continues to build believable chemistry with anyone at GMMTV. I am so rooting for Nim and Mollie to work out.

Hate that Joe has to give this speech to his players, but I do like that we introduced a gay player before we knew about Joe. Soft reminder that these boys are gonna grow up however they are, but how they feel about it will be influenced by their families. Now let's spin this off into a Thai take on Shaolin Soccer.

Love them letting Fluke have some of his facial hair for this soccer scene.

This soccer team just experienced the ending of Love of Siam. They were rooting for the romance, and are sad that Army missed. Have a little patience, babies! This is second chance romance!

Look at that, the homo jocks are back together.

Jean may be a director, but she is not susceptible to grand gestures. Love that for her. Alex told his bio dad that he has to live with his guilt. Let's see how he copes.

Two proms this week. Jedi's wedding and MSP finale.

Okay, but Nim looks so good in this suit.

Whoever said romance is dead has not listened to Jedi talk about Rose.

Look at all this glitter. Please do not spray me in glitter at my wedding, y'all.

Let's go, Joe. We're at a queer wedding. Dance with him.

Okay, I don't care how good Sing looks, I do NOT like proposals at weddings. I'm with Liu. Don't distract from the married couple on their day. Yes this was cute, but please don't do this for real.

Love these shoulder pads on Mollie.

Mollie and Nim made up!

Lot of partner dancing in Thai shows lately.

I'm glad they didn't have that kiss "fix" everything. Doesn't mean Alex wasn't earnest about making things right.

Holy shit y'all Fah is so good.

So sad that we were right about Jean getting an abortion alone after being expelled.

I know the MSP prom better not be this dramatic.

Cher can't help you now, Alex.

These two failed the women in their lives in ways they can't really fix. Curious to see where the magic camera takes us in the finale.

[undertale-anomaly20]

Mortal Kombat 11 x reader: Chapter 9 All in the family

The camera pans round to the boat's bow, where Jax walks up to Jacqui, who is looking out to the horizon "How's the view?" Jax asks "No sign yet of the mystical barrier you mentioned" Jacqui says "Oh, you'll know it when it comes" He places his hands on the side railing of the boat, also looking to the distance.

"How you feeling?" Jacqui ask while Jax looks at the water "For the first time in a while, in control. I got tossed into the deep end of this world of gods and monsters. But now, knowing my future, I feel like I've finally come up for air. Those bad things that happened to me... I mean, what will happen to me? Like Raiden said, it's gonna be different" Jax Replies. He looks to Jacqui "Isn't this gonna be good news?"

Jacqui looks almost crushed at his words "The things that happened to my dad. That trauma he suffered? It's why my parents met. They fell in love while he was in recovery" she says as she turns away and walks across the ship's bow "If they don't happen, you and Mom may not meet. I may never be born"

Jax walks up to her "Jacqui, I-I can't pretend I get all this cosmic time stuff..." He places his hand on her shoulder "...but I do know you are here for a reason. You're not just some random accident" he tries to reasure her.

She looks back at him, uncertainty still etched on her face "I hope so" she says

The camera pans away from them and back out to the ship's exterior. On the far horizon, an island surrounded by what appears to be a green mist is visible.

A cutback to Jax and Jacqui shows the boat approaching the mist. Derelict ships lay broken against the rocks they smashed upon, their sails rotted and almost gone. Gigantic stone statues of samurai warriors are submerged up to their necks in the waters of the sea.

The navy ship passes by all of this, with Jax and Jacqui looking overhead as the ship pass under a decaying entrance way. They both look ahead of them, taking in the sight of the iconic Mortal Kombat dragon symbol - depicted here as a weathered and crumbling gigantic metallic statue.

"Shang Tsung's island!" Jacqui exclaims "Here we go again" Jax says in reponse

The scene cuts to the entrance to the warrior's shrine. Jax and Jacqui walk in alone, taking in the decay before them. There is no roof to speak off, and the concrete pillars that held it up are broken and decaying. The statues of warriors past and present show varying signs of disrepair. There are no sounds or signs of life, save from the howls of the wind.

Jax and Jacqui pass through the shrine into a passage leading into the courtyard. While there is a roof here, it is worn and rotting, with only a colony of sleeping bats being the only living beings present.

As they approach the end of the passage, they pause to gaze upon the grisly sight of 5 corpses hanging from the rafters. The corpses are Shaolin monks, hanged by their necks. Their skin is horrifically decayed, but has not yet completely rotted away, leaving their eyes intact but a dull yellow-gray in colour.

Jax and Jacqui walk out into the courtyard itself. Like the rest of the island, it is barren and devoid of life.

"When I was here for the tournament, there were people everywhere" Jax said as he looks to a line of Shaolin monks, rotted away to skeletons wearing torn clothing "These guys looked a lot younger. Seems like only yesterday..." "then he has a wistful look over his face as he points to a the stairs they walked up "and right there was were (Name) made her entrance. she was just a kid all wide eyed and confused...she...she was just 18 when she showed up...." Jax smile slowly turns into a frown remembering how Jacqui told him (Name) would die in his time soon.

Jacqui pulls out a PDA on her hip and starts to examine it "Guess after Shang Tsung died, this place did, too" she said trying to change the subject

Her PDA, acting as some form of mobile radar, shows no signs of life on its scans "Nobody's home. So much for needing stealth. Should've brought the whole squad" she said "Kinda hoping Raiden's wrong about the Well of Souls. I don't wanna be here longer than we--" Jax is interrupted by a warning beep on Jacqui's PDA. She glances down at it "Multiple contacts!" Jacqui exclaims. Jax gets himself into a fighting stance "How many?" he asks

Jacqui checks the PDA. There are two square icons, one yellow, one red, that flicker constantly at varying points across the interface "Two! But one of 'em's circling us real fast!"

As she says this, a purple blur of light speeds around them both, knocking the PDA from Jacqui's hands. The blur continues to move around them in a circle, boxing them in. After a few moments, Jax hurls his arm out directly into the blur, catching it with

a clothesline and hurling it into the air. The figure - now clearly visible as the revenant Kabal - rights himself in mid-air and lands in a kneeling position, sliding to a halt.

As Kabal stands up, the revenant Jade walks in behind Jax and Jacqui "Kronika knew Raiden would send someone here" says Kabal.

"I'll take the speed freak" Jacqui says as she approaches Kabal "We buried you in the Netherrealm. You a glutton for punishment?" she mocks "It's only you and me, this time. There's no castle to bury me under" Kabal replies "Think that hurt? You have no idea" says Jacqui.

They fight. With a speed enhanced by magic and a troublesome weapon in the hookswords he wields, Kabal would be a frightening encounter against an ordinary human. But Jacqui has the best tech from the Special Forces at her disposal, which includes the exoskeleton that she wears as armour. Combined with her fighting ability, this proves more than enough to take down the revenant Black Dragon "I'm guessing that hurt worse"Jacquisaid and turns around at the sound of fighting. As she does, Jade strikes Jax with a sidekick that knocks him flying. He rolls once and forces himself onto one knee, sliding to a halt next to Jacqui. She helps him to his feet.

Jade approaches the two of them and slams her staff into the ground. She picks it up and twirls it over her head, roaring out as green energy cascades in a circle above her. She once again slams the staff into the ground, and the green energy pulses from it in shockwaves into the surrounding area "Rise in Shinnok's name!" she call out.

The energy reaches the hanging corpses from earlier, which suddenly revive and start freeing themselves from the ropes they are hanging from. One corpse's flesh is so rotted that it decapitates itself before it can free its neck, but this does not inhibit the rest of the body from standing up along with the others.

The Shaolin zombies, along with others from the surrounding area, approach Jax and Jacqui, growling at them with vocal cords long rotted away and surround them in a semi-circle. Jade also walks up to them "You'll not disturb Kronika's work" she says

"Disturb? Try 'ending'" said Jacqui "You're done messing with the Well of Souls!" Jax says "You're not as strong as you think, Jax. As I recall, Scorpion made quick work of you" Jade taunts.

"I'll take the lady in green" said Jax. As he says these words, a Shaolin zombie charges at Jacqui, striking her thrice in the face. She catches a fourth strike, lands two face punches of her own, then a gut strike and finishes with a leg kick that sweeps the zombie off its feet.

Another zombie charges in, but Jacqui punches it in the chest before it can land a blow. She elbows it in the throat and puts it in a reverse headlock, just as a third charges in. Jacqui raises her foot and kicks the third zombie so hard that her leg goes

straight through its chest, destroying its torso in a shower of blood.

As the zombie collapses, Jacqui knocks the zombie she's holding to the ground with a heart punch. Another Shaolin zombie tries to kick her, but she parries the blow and punches it across the face. She tries two more punches, but the zombie blocks these and counters with a palm strike to her solar plexus, following through with an uppercut that staggers her.

As the zombie tries to land another punch, Jacqui grabs its arm and punches it in the chest. She follows through by shooting the zombie with her arm-mounted gun, blowing a hole through its chest. Another zombie kicks at her, but Jacqui blocks the blow and perforates it with several point blank shots from her guns.

Another zombie strikes her across the face, but Jacqui blocks a series of punches from it and lands one of her own. She turns to find yet another zombie leaping down at her, but she grabs its outstretched hand and judo-throws it to the ground. She unleashes a barrage from her guns, utterly pulping the reanimated corpse.

While this takes place, Jax approaches Jade.

"Was a time when you knew who to fight for. But between Quan Chi and Kronika, your mind ain't right" Jax states "I joined Raiden against Shao Kahn. He led me to my doom. Now Raiden leads you there, too" Jade replies

They fight. For all of Jade's speed and skill, Jax has beaten her before, back when he didn't have cybernetic arms. Now with his new upgrades, the battle is tipped even further in his favour. It's not long before Jade is down and out by his feet "I'll take my chances with Raiden" he says walking away

With Jade and the reanimated Shaolin down, Jax and Jacqui regroup together "Enough dancing with the dead. Raiden said this Well of Souls would be underground" says Jacqui and Jax points off to one side "This way" he says

They walk over to a large set of doors leading out of the courtyard. Jax shoves them aside with little difficulty, thanks to his metal arms.

The scene cuts to an underground cave, lit up by torch lights. Jax and Jacqui walk through cautiously, checking around them for any more surprises. As they walk through the cave, Jax crushes a human skull underneath his foot, then stops for a moment at one of the torches, using it to light a cigar. Jacqui looks a bit nonplussed at his nonchalance, but decides not to comment on it.

"This is Goro's Lair?" Jacqui questioned "Thankfully minus Goro. Shang Tsung kept me locked up here, back at my first tournament. Never thought I'd be back..." Jax said remembering being beaten and brusied in this place and locked up like an animal. Jacqui places a hand on his shoulder "Remember where a Well of Souls might be?" she asks "Couldn't tell you. I was pretty beat up. It's all a bit hazy" Jax replies

They proceed through the cave, eventually coming out into a large underground throne room. Dead oni and skulls of long deceased monsters litter the ground, and they pass the corpse of a long dead Shokan seated on his throne. But as Jax and Jacqui do so, they come face to face with what appears to be a swirling tornado made up of soul energy, hovering over a large well.

"I'm guessing this is it" she says sarcastically. Jax takes a puff from his cigar, looking at an object that is in the center of the soulnado and says "That crown. Five bucks says it's Kronika's"

"It's drawing souls from the well" Jacqui is correct in her observation; the souls from the soulnado are all being dragged into the crown "There's no way that thing's unguarded. Let's grab-and-go before whoever's on duty gets back" Jax says

"I never left"

From behind a nearby pillar emerges the Netherrealm wraith known as Noob Saibot. He enters a fighting stance. Jax and Jacqui respond by aiming their weapons - a service pistol for Jax, and an arm-gun for Jacqui - and opening fire. Noob disappears

in a flash of magic and appears to the right of Jacqui in the form of a shadow. She and Jax fire again but the bullets go straight through the apparition, ricocheting off the cave walls.

Several more shadow forms of Noob Saibot appear around them, leaving the two surrounded on all sides. They stand back to back, waiting for the shadows to make a move. One suddenly roars and charges them, and they fire immediately. This time their bullets manage to dissipate the shadow into thin air and they immediately shoot two more shadows into nothingness.

Doing so, however, leaves them open for two more shadows to attack. Jax and Jacqui parry their strikes and throw them to the ground, dissipating them as well. Another two shadows attack, but Jax fells one with a flurry of body blows and a spinning back kick to the chest, while Jacqui fends off the other behind him.

Another shadow rushes Jax and lands a punch across his face, but Jax blocks its next blow, ducks a strike and lands a counter punch that rocks the shadow. He follows through with a jumping spinkick that turns it into vapour.

A shadow suddenly appears behind Jacqui and grabs her in a rear choke hold. Two more shadows appear, and while she elbows one in the face, the other grabs her arm and restrains her. As Jax tries to help, three more shadows appear around him and grapple him in the same way.

With both of them restrained, Noob steps out of the shadows to face them fully.

"Who are you?" Jacqui growls "A deathly shadow. In life, I was called Bi-Han" Noob says in a whispy tone "And I should know who that is?" Jacqui questions "The first Sub-Zero. Scorpion ripped out his spine. Left it in a heap upstairs, in Shang Tsung's old throne room" Jax explains

"An event the New Era will wipe from history" Noob says.

"Hang on, Jacqui. I got this" Jax said.

Jax struggles with the shadow clones for a moment, bringing the one on his left in front of him. He headbutts it so hard that it instantly dissipates into nothing. With his free hand, he punches the shadow on his left and then throws it to the ground, throwing the shadow grappling him from behind at the same time. He slams his metallic arms onto each of the shadows, destroying them.

Jacqui struggles to break free from the shadows gripping her,

but she is unable to do so. Knowing that Noob is the one

controlling them, Jax walks over to face him down.

"Ermac was weak. He took your arms but did not finish you" Noob hissed "Got that right. I'm just that tough" said Jax

They fight. Noob Saibot's powers over darkness and shadows would overpower any normal human, but Jax has faced down tougher odds before. With the help of his cybernetic arms, he manages to take the fight to the former Bi-Han, eventually leaving him down and out on the ground.

"Guess Ermac's not the only one who's weak" Jax taunted

As Saibot falls unconscious, the shadow clones that Jacqui continues to fight against all dissolve into thin air. Jax walks over to her.

"C'mon. Let's get that thing and get outta here" said Jax

Jax and Jacqui walk over to the Well of Souls. Jacqui nervously approaches the crown that hovers above its surface. She slowly brings her hands up, but just before she can grab the crown, an older male voice calls out across the cavern.

"Jacqui, wait"

The lone figure stays in the shadows of Goro's lair, but he brings a lit cigar to his lips, taking a long smoke before throwing it aside. He then steps into the light... revealing

himself to be Jax - the older Jax, and one who looks radically different from the one seen earlier in the story.

He no longer wears military gear or farming clothes. Instead he wears a shirt of blue and trousers of white, held by a belt of golden, elegant design. His cybernetic arms look radically different, and would almost pass for human were they not showing open machinery where the elbow and wrist joints connect. His face shows utter despair all over it.

The younger Jax stares at his older self, completely nonplussed, while Jacqui looks at him with mounting horror.

"Mind. Blown" said past Jax "Dad? How'd you get here?" Jacqui said as she walks over to him, Young Jax's confusion turns to anger, as he realises the answer to her question "I'll give you one guess" he points out "Dad, your--" she looks down at his new arms "--your arms! Those look like Kronika's design! What are you doing?" she asks shocked.

Jax brings his hands up, forming them into fists. He closes his eyes, trying his hardest not to break down, then opens them again, looking his daughter straight in the eye.

"Giving you the life you deserve" Jax says as he brings his fists to his side "By destroying the universe?" past Jax questioned him annoyed. Jax glances at his younger self for a moment "Restarting it, not destroying it" he said then he looks back at Jacqui "Being a revenant. The years I lost, the things I did. Your Ma held me together. But I was never the father you needed" he said trying to convince her "You're talking nonsense, man! You raised a fine daughter. She's one helluva soldier" past Jax said praising Jacqui "She shouldn't have been a soldier! I never wanted you out there, taking those risks" Jax said. He places his hands on his daughter's shoulders "If I hadn't fallen apart, you wouldn't have felt the need to enlist" he said

Looking heartbroken at his words, Jacqui pushes her father's arms away and steps backward "That's not why I do this, Dad!" she shouts. Jax holds out his hand "Please! Give that crown to me. I don't want to hurt anybody" he pleaded "This is seriously messed up..." Jaqui whispered. Before she can even contemplate doing anything, past Jax places a hand on her shoulder.

"Hang back, kid. I know I wouldn't want to fight my Dad" pas Jax said as he gently pushes her back and walks over to confront his older self "How bout we keep this between me, myself and I? Never thought I'd stoop so low"

"You don't know how bad it gets! Losing your arms was just the beginning! we lost...we lose (Name) all because we couldnt protect her! she was only a kid! the world shouldnt have been on her shoulders!" Jax shouts with dispare in his voice "She did it beccause she cared about us! we were her family! she was like a daughter to us! I know you suffered. You still do. But you don't betray your unit, and you SURE as hell don't betray your family!" past Jax shouts

They fight. With his strength and skill enhanced with Kronika's magi-tech, one might assume the elder Jax would have the upper hand against his younger and more inexperienced self. But for all of his strength, Jax's heart is not in the battle, allowing his younger self to take advantage of his hesitance and despair. After a fierce exchange, past Jax manages to knock out his older counterpart.

"There's gotta be a way to make this right" past Jax said.

With the battle over, Jacqui runs over to her dad and checks his pulse "He's out, but he'll recover" she said then she looks back to past Jax "How're you?" she asked "Trippin'. You?" he replied "Ditto" She looks down at her father, then back at past Jax "We can't leave him. Let's get him and the crown out of here.

The scene cuts to the Kourtyard. Jacqui and past Jax hold Jax between them, supporting him as he struggles to walk. He doesn't even attempt to fight them, his will to do so being completely

sapped.

"If I never come back here, it'll be too soon" past Jax commented "I heard that"Jacqui replied. past Jax looked down "your dad was right about one thing" Jacqui looked to him "what?" she asked then past Jax looked at her with sad eyes "(Name) was just a kid. she shouldnt of had to have had the world on her shoulders..."

A rumbling sound and a glow of light from the heavens catches their attention. Jacqui and Jax cover their eyes as the light continues to brighten - and in that light is the outline of the Elder God Cetrion. "Mortals!" she says as she glides down from the sky, hands held aloft in almost a welcoming gesture.

"Surrender Kronika's crown and the elder Jackson Briggs. No harm will come to you" she commands "No deal" Jacqui calls out as she and past Jax set down Old Jax as gently as possible "We know you betrayed the Elder Gods, Cetrion" she says. Cetrion finishes her descent, hovering a few feet from the ground before them "Kronika must restore the balance that Raiden destroyed. Can you not see he is the devil in these matters?"

"At least he's the devil we know" past Jax says. Jaqcui looks to him "Can we take an Elder God?" "Cassie beat Shinnok" past Jax replies "Only because the Cages are born with crazy magic powers" "Maybe we have our own magic" he says as he glances down at Kronika's crown, sitting on a sidebelt on Jacqui's hip.

"Stand down, please. Resistance only ensures your suffering" Cetrion demands.

Jacqui takes the crown in her hands "I can't let you d--" "I'm not discussing it" Jacqui says cutting off past Jax.

She puts it on her head before Jax can stop her. She closes her eyes in concentration as the power of untold amounts of souls focuses itself on her being. However, it only takes a moment for her to open her eyes again. She walks toward Cetrion.

"Your mind is too frail to wield Kronika's weapon. For your own safety, remove it!" says Cetrion. Jacqui visibly strains to walk forward, proving at least some truth in Cetrion's words. Nonetheless, she refuses to back down.

"It's not time for safety. It's time for action"

They fight. Although powered up by the magic of Kronika's crown, Jacqui ends up facing her most difficult opponent yet. Cetrion's powers are infinite and immense, but the word "quit" is not in Jacqui's vocabulary. She takes the fight to the Elder God and

manages to just barely knock her to the ground.

"Eat your heart out, Cassie Cage"

She tries to remove the crown, but struggles in doing so. past Jax runs over and grabs the crown in both hands. Together, they yank it off Jacqui's head. Cetrion brings herself up one knee, glaring menacingly at Jax and Jacqui.

"You were warned! Mere mortals cannot control the crown. I did not wish to harm you. But now you have forced my hand" Cetrion shouts

She raises her hand into the air. It glows for a moment as a blue mist surrounds it, then she slams it down on the ground. Instantly, the stone tiles beneath Jax and Jacqui begin to crack and tear, suffering the full effects of an earthquake. They both struggle to remain upright as the ground around them starts to shift apart.

Jacqui falls over and then a chasm opens underneath her. She falls before Jax can catch her, but she grabs onto a ledge in the ground, narrowly avoiding dropping further to her doom. She is too far away for Jax to pull her back up though, and

her grip starts to falter.

The elder Jax brings himself back to his feet as the younger Jax looks down the chasm, panic wrought on his face. Cetrion looks on dispassionately. Old Jax looks at Cetrion with uncertainty for a moment, but does not try to stop her. Young Jax turns back to Cetrion.

"The hell're you doing?!" past Jax yelled "Give me the crown and I will spare her" Cetrion demanded "Don't! Don't give it to her! GO!!" Jacqui shouted "Her life is in your hands" Cetrion stated.

Behind her, Old Jax begins to panic as much as his younger self is, though he still refuses to act against Cetrion. He instead addresses his younger self "Nobody here wants to hurt anyone. Now, please" He motions to the chasm that Jacqui is trapped in "Don't let this happen to our girl"

Young Jax looks down at the crown in his hands... and then down to Jacqui, who loses her grip with her right hand and is left clinging to the crevice with only her other hand "Dammit!" He curses as he throws the crown to his elder self, who catches it one handed. Old Jax turns to Cetrion "Now bring Jacqui back!" he shouts

Cetrion raises her hand again, blue mist again enveloping it. The ground is instantly restored to its previous level, bringing Jacqui back with it. She remains on her knees for a moment, catching her breath. Old Jax, nearly in tears at this point, looks to his daughter, who in turn looks utterly betrayed by his actions "Dad! How could you do this to me?!" she shouted "I'm not doing this TO you, Jacqui. I'm doing it FOR you!" he replied frustrated. He looks down, unable to even look his daughter in the eye

anymore "I love you"

He walks over to Cetrion, eyes closed in despair. Even the Elder Goddess looks somewhat saddened at the scene "Kronika awaits our return" she says as she raises her hand and a sand tornado envelopes her and the elder Jax. They teleport away in a swirl that dissipates in an instant. Jacqui remains on her knees, eyes closed in despair, but the younger Jax rushes over to her "C'mon. This fight isn't over" Jax said. Jacqui stands back up, and they both walk back toward the waiting ship.

The scene cuts to Kronika's Keep. The crown - now floating just above Cetrion's outstretched hands - is offered to Kronika. The keeper of time walks over to her daughter, while the elder Jax and revenants Kitana and Liu Kang look on "This will bring us our deliverance" says Kronika.

Kronika takes the crown in her hands, turning to look not toward Cetrion but Jax instead "Thank you... both of you" she says. While Cetrion smiles warmly, Jax seems conflicted at her words "I sense apprehension, Jackson Briggs" Kronika states

He looks behind him, toward the revenants "I'm not usually surrounded by so many friendly faces" he replies a little uneasy "We are unlikely allies, united for a common cause. Worry not" Kronika says her tone of voice changes in an instant, as she addresses the revenants, who walk over to her "Liu Kang, Kitana. Are the armies assembled?" she asks "They're en route. Kitana and I will see that they arrive as planned" Liu kang replies "Excellent"

"What about (Name)" Jax's voice cuts through bringing the attention of everyone to him "(Name)?" Kronika questions Cetrion floats forward "(Name), mother, she was the woman who the other elder god summoned years ago who died and then returned but was never sent back home and has resided in this universe longer than intended" she explained. Kronika thinks for a moment then remembers the woman from the dragon grotto "ah yes, (Name), once time is reset i will make it so that she never needed to enter our universe" Jax looks hurt slightly while Liu Kang clenches his fist and jaw as does Kung Lao "...she'll live a normal life? never fighting like she had to when she was 18?" he asked "I promise she will never hae to set foot in this universe ever again" Kronika replies. although the idea of living in a world where he never met the woman he saw as his daughter he believes that if she never left her universe she wouldnt have to go through so much pain. that she'd live a better life in her world.

Kronika places the crown on her head. The souls swirling around it all light up with an intense glow, but Kronika is not inhibited by the power she wields in the slightest. She remains serene as her sand powers gather around her "So many souls! So much time!" she says. She levitates into the air and looks to the heavens "As my strength gathers, the New Era draws ever closer!"

The scene cuts to the Shirai Ryu Fire Garden. Raiden and Cassie walk across a bridge toward the central area, deep in conversation "The report from Jacqueline Briggs...her father's actions have compromised our situation gravely." Raiden states "I know. I can't--" Cassie tries to say but she sighs, looking dejected "I can't believe he did this"

"Even if we locate her Keep, Kronika's power now likely exceeds the might of our combined forces" says Raiden. Cassie stops walking, unnoticed for a moment by Raiden "Maybe we should rethink using Shinnok's amulet" she says. These words stop Raiden in his tracks. He turns back to face her "We cannot, Cassandra Cage" Raiden states sternly "I've seen what you can do with it. You held off the entire Netherrealm army. You weren't even at full strength" Cassie says hoping to convince Raiden. Raiden places his hands on the edge of the bridge, deep in contemplation.

"I dare not risk the temptations of its dark power. Even now it calls to me..." Raiden says. Cassie walks over to him, but says nothing. Raiden closes his eyes for a moment, lost in thought... and when he reopens them, they flash red instead of their normal blue. It only lasts a split-second, and his eyes return to glowing electric-blue

as he gathers himself "Despite Kronika's advantages, we must attack as soon as we know the Keep's location" he states "It's been hours since we heard from the Grandmasters and (Name). What's the plan if they don't come back?" Cassie asks worried "They must, or else hope is lost" Raiden replies.

The scene cuts to a plane of the Netherrealm. In this part of Hell, a sea of blood crashes upon a rocky shoreline, amidst the carcass of a long dead sea creature. The camera pans across to show rocky outcroppings of land, along with what appear to be bulbous pores growing from the rocks themselves.

[notsobeautifuldisaester]

In keeping with Ososan tradition, I spotted the cameos in Takoyaki

Uchikawa

Sukkeroku

Totoko's Mom

Homura??? (I'm not too sure)

Delinquent from the summer ep!

Atsushi (I thought he was a matsu for a second)

Iwase

Shaolin

Hatabou's Butler

Kinko

Chrismas Couple

Food Fighter

Sono (Eating Queen 1)

College Girl from 2.5

Aida

Master from Final Sheeh

Michealmatsu

Sachiko

Producer guy from Iyami is troubled

Jyushi's partner from Nagomi detective

Shoei

Heckler from Totoko's Panic... I think??

Old Flag Butler

Sanematsu

Miwa

Norimoto

Kumi

Announcers from S2EP20

Oil Magnate

Yanagida

Satozaki

Dobusu

Judy and Aosaka (Eating Queens)

Oyama

Koji Murakami

Flag Secretary

Baseball kid's dad

Eitarou's Mom

French President

Summer delinquent 2

I think the mustache dude is also from Final Sheeh

Uehara

[ripleyinspace]

Chapter 1 - Intentions

Noah Diaz x Female!OC

Summary: Shaolin, a university student that comes from a tight-knit family, has always kept her nose clean and followed the rules. Aside from her mouth occasionally being her undoing, her mother could always count on her daughter to be the best version of herself: smart, capable, independent. Then came a freckled stranger who turned out to not be as much of a stranger as she thought.

18+!! | Third-person omniscient | AU/AT |  Warnings: Language, Themes of the adoption system, slight classism if you squint, slight age gap (OC 19, Noah 23), Forbidden/sneaky love, secrets, eventual SMUT, not beta'd

Words: 3K

A/N: I update warnings with each chapter. Only proceed if you can handle the themes included in the warnings. This AU probably doesn't satisfy anyone but myself

Minors DNI, DL;DR, if I miss a warning, please let me know

Chapter List

"Shaolin! Breakfast!" Her mom yelled from the kitchen. Shaolin had woken up later than she wanted, so she didn't make it downstairs before her mom began shouting across the apartment. 

She rushed to put on her clothes and shoes, brush her teeth, and play with her curly hair for a grand total of eight minutes before she decided it was useless. There was no looking cute after sleeping in. "Shao! Hurry up, will ya?" She heard again.

The young woman exited the tiny bathroom in a huff, deciding this day had already gone to shit. Worse: it was exam day in Professor Gordon's class. 

Fuck, I didn't study for shit last night. She panicked in her head. She had, in fact, studied for an hour before getting a phone call from Josie, who had to spend hours complaining about her boyfriend Tyler and the insensitive prick he is for the third time this month. Shaolin knew it didn't matter. Josie would be right back in Tyler's Mustang by noon today.

As Shaolin entered the kitchen, she realized just how late she was. Her brother Lyle had already left for school, and her mom was decked out in her restaurant gear: non-slip shoes, black yoga pants, and her forest green shirt that read 'Pablo's' in big white letters.

"Morning, mamá." Shaolin greeted as she watched her mother elegantly move a hot cast iron pan with her bare, calloused hand. Valeria Morales was the perfect example of an everywoman. She was a mother, the chef at a restaurant she owned and operated, and she still managed to wake up and cook breakfast for everyone with a smile. 

"Buenos dias mija." She replied, holding out a blue plate with chorizo and eggs for her to take. "Eat." 

"I'm already behind schedule, ma," Shaolin said, denying the offering and making a B-line to her bookbag that hung off of her seat at the table. Before she realized she made a wrong move, her mother's eyes went cold and commanded her attention. 

"You have time to eat breakfast," Mom stated, causing her daughter to sit at the chair and take the food without further protest. Her mother continued as she scooped a forkful of red eggs into her mouth. "You need to pick your brother up after practice today, okay? Thomas will be late at the station."

"Lyle's thirteen. Why can't he walk home alone?"

"Because he's thirteen, Shao."

"I was walking home alone when I was ten." Shaolin mumbled as she chewed, which garnered another icy glare from her mom. "Right, different circumstances, I know."

By different circumstances, she meant different neighborhood. Before her grandmother got bad and caused them to move into this place, they lived over in Flushing. Mom was less trustworthy of Downtown Brooklyn, having grown up here and seen the ugly underbelly.

"I'll have Tina take over dinner rush so we can have family night later, okay?" Mom promised as she gathered her purse and kissed her daughter on the head. "I love you."

"I love you too, mamá," Shaolin responded. The second her mother was out the door, the remaining eggs went down the disposal, and she grabbed her belongings, stopping only to assess herself in the mirror by the door one more time and concluding that she still looked like she just rolled out of bed. 

Once Shao was out the door, she was stopped by a man standing in the hall outside her apartment. He smiled at her right away, all perfect teeth surrounded by freckles. She had never seen this dude in her life and had never made an effort to speak to random men, but he seemed like he was about to knock on her door.

"Can I help you?" She asked after she had already caught his attention. He wasn't a bad-looking guy by any means, but she was skeptical of his smile that didn't falter at her question.

"Actually, you probably can. I'm looking for Gloria Morales." He said with an accent that told her he must be from around here. Still, she crossed her arms. 

"My GG? She died a couple years ago. Sorry." Shaolin said, continuing her descent to the stairwell without questioning why he was asking for her, of all people. 

"Damn, I'm sorry." He expressed his remorse before he continued. "How about Valeria? Is she around?" He queried again while he followed at a distance. Though she appreciated him for respecting her space as he followed, she didn't care for his asking about her mother. 

A stranger that knows GG and Mom but doesn't know GG's dead? Who the fuck?

"You just missed her." She slightly snapped. "Who the hell are you, even?"

Judging from the context, he gathered that this was Valeria's daughter. He barely remembered her, only that he was just a bit older than her. He understood her irritation and couldn't help but think of how beautiful she was as she snapped at him.

"My name's Noah Diaz." The man began. "I was fostered by Gloria when I was really young. Too young to really remember, but I did some digging. I was hoping she'd be around." 

Upon hearing this, Shao thought back to all the times she was told about this baby that GG kept when he was born. The baby that somehow made it into all the family albums but never crossed her path. The ah-ha moment was visible as they retreated from the breezeway door onto the sidewalk. 

"Baby Noah? The one adopted by some big-shot up on the upper east side. I've heard about you."

"That would be me," Noah confirmed with another million-dollar grin. He had no idea that they referred to him as that. 

Just as Shaolin thought to give this guy the time of day, she checked her watch and realized the time. 

"Shit, I'm gonna be late. See ya." She spoke abruptly and took off down the sidewalk, clutching her bookbag. 

As Noah watched her figure grow smaller before she turned a corner, he realized he didn't get her name but figured he would get it eventually. After all, they were neighbors now.

Though Shaolin wasn't sure how she did on her exam, she was glad to not be as late as she thought. The rest of her classes for the day went smoothly, also. 

Her relief slowly dwindled when she ran into Josie, who confirmed yet again that she was back with Tyler and it was all a misunderstanding. 

"I don't know why you put yourself through this shit, girl," Shao grumbled as they weaved between cars in the campus parking lot. She didn't want to talk about Tyler anymore, but the unfortunate truth was they never had much else to discuss these days.

Josie and Shaolin had been friends since Freshman year of high school, back when Josie seemed to care about things and shared interests with her. Back when they could truly call each other best friends. 

That all changed when Tyler came into the picture with his car, money, and superiority complex. Josie was head over heels; ever since, it was nothing but a blur of toxicity with their on-again, off-again bullshit.

It was Tyler and Josie who set Shao up with Josh—the cream of the fucking crop, it seemed like. Everything that Shao was taught that she was supposed to be into. Ten-percent body fat, straight teeth, driver's license... wannabe carbon copy of Michael B. Jordan, yet he still had the slimiest personality she'd ever known.

"It's called being soulmates. You always work it out." Josie said, breaking Shao from her thoughts. A cynical snicker forced its way through her lips,

"I don't believe in all that garbage. Boyfriends have done nothing but disappoint me. Only thing is, I don't usually give them a second chance to do it again." She dug.

"Clearly, you've never gotten a proper lay either." Josie returned Shao's energy as the wind whipped her blonde hair around her face and shoulders. 

Yeah, and you'd know that if you bothered to discuss something that wasn't Tyler for fuckin' once.

She used to want to be like Josie, but now? Josie couldn't be further from the person Shao saw herself as. Even if she felt inadequate.

It didn't help that Josie was her only friend if you could even call what they shared a friendship anymore. More than anything, it was Josie who felt that she needed Shao, though she would never admit such a thing.

"Says the girl who went on and on about how Tyler has a choad." Shaolin teased as the pair heard Da Baby blasting in the distance, signaling Tyler's arrival on campus. 

A douche will have douchey taste, after all. Shao thought as the red sports car came into view and stopped for the girl she stood with. Josie turned and shrugged at her,

"I was just mad, okay?" She defended as she opened the car door. The douche in question gave Shao a nod in greeting before pulling off. "Talk soon!" Josie shouted as they started leaving.

On her way home, Shaolin stopped by Lyle's school to walk with him. It was a rare occurrence, given that Tom always made time to pick him up in his squad car and take him home after soccer. They didn't relate much, being six years apart with two different fathers. 

Shao could barely remember her dad personality-wise. She spent time with him when she was little until, one day, he stopped picking her up. Mom always said it was because he ran out of money and didn't want to pay child support anymore.

On the other hand, Lyle's dad was still around and got visitation on weekends. Shaolin used to be jealous of this, even if she would never admit it. Billy loved Lyle, and though Shao attempted to find a father figure in Billy, it just didn't stick.

However, when Tom came into the picture, her life was turned upside-down. The second he showed up, he tried to assert himself as their stepdad. Shao relented and refused to see him that way. He was just Mom's boyfriend to her, and the older Lyle got, the more he saw that also. 

"Hopefully, Officer Blowhard doesn't make it to family night." Lyle cracked, unlooking from his phone as they turned the corner into their street. Shaolin laughed at their inside joke, referring to Officer Tom Billard as Blowhard. 

As their building came into view, she realized her mom had come home early and was having a seemingly jovial chat outside with none other than Baby Noah. Instead of wondering why he was here again, she figured she would ask.

"Still standing around out here, stalker?" She teased on the approach. His curly head turned and smiled at her the second he heard her. Mom didn't seem nearly as pleased about the comment. 

"Be nice, Shaolin!" She snapped slightly. "Have you two already met?"

Noah was about to answer before he realized he had just accidentally learned the girl's name. Shaolin. He decided to use that. 

"Wu-Tang fan?" He asked, directing the question at Valeria, who rolled her eyes. 

"Die-hard when I was seventeen and didn't realize how ridiculous that name would sound later on." She laughed. Noah liked it, though. He barely knew the girl but thought it suited her.

Before anyone knew it, they were all inside the Morales residence, continuing this conversation as Val passed out the Chinese takeout. She wasn't expecting any guests, especially the one she got, but she always ordered extra. 

Between Val and Noah catching up like they were long-lost pals, he would attempt to exchange words with Shaolin, who seemed much less conversational. He took a different approach and looked at Lyle, who didn't appear much older than his little brother. 

"So, what grade you in?" 

"Eighth," Lyle answered shortly, entranced by a video on his phone. Val wised up to this quickly and snapped her fingers over the table. 

"Put it away, or I'll take it." She said with a stone-cold expression that quickly returned to a smile once he slipped the device into his pocket. 

"Oh yeah? Do you like it?" Noah asked, attention still on the boy. Lyle began to nod, but before he could speak, Shao had to take a moment to be the snarky sister. 

"His straight C's say otherwise." She mumbled, picking at her bowl of rice. Expecting the third degree from Val, she was surprised when it became an opportunity to brag about her achievements. 

"Not everyone can be an honor student, Shao." She spoke before turning back to Noah. "Full ride scholarship to CUNY, by the way. We're very proud of her." 

Valeria took every opportunity to boast about her daughter's success, which always made her uncomfortable. This time, however, she couldn't help but notice that Noah was impressed by this and felt good about it. Happy, even, that she didn't have to bring it up herself.

Why the fuck do you care how this guy feels? She thought to herself before snapping back to reality as her mom asked Noah what he was up to these days. 

"I'm a mechanic. Work over in a shop near Bed-Stuy. It's why I just moved here." He explained. "Right next door, actually. 2-C." 

2-C? Shao thought to herself, realizing they were in 4-C. Ms. Lang had just moved out of 2-C. She had been tasked many times with feeding the old woman's fish while she was gone, and as she remembered how her place was mapped—the main bedroom was separated from Shao's room by only a thin wall. Many nights she could hear Andy Griffith reruns while lying in bed.

The room grew suddenly silent as the entrance to the apartment opened, followed by the sound of heavy feet stepping inside. Enter Officer Blowhard: a white-bread man with a beer gut and a receding hairline that was never quite good enough to be a detective. He caught a glimpse of the full table as he walked in and tried to hide a frown. 

"Hey, Val. Kiddos." He greeted before his eyes stopped on Noah. "Who's this?" 

"This is Baby Noah!" Val informed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "One of the kid's my ma used to foster." 

Though Noah did his best to greet Tom politely, as he did everyone, Blowhard stood firm, giving him only a single nod before looking back to Val, who quickly realized that there was no room at the table for him. "There's food up here, hun."

"I'm gonna catch a shower first," Tom replied before double-taking at the stranger, then disappearing into a dark hallway. The awkward silence remained until Noah began to stand up. 

"I think I'ma head out." He announced as he pushed his chair in. "This was wonderful, Val. Thank you."

Valeria's face lit up. "Anytime! It was great to see you." She said as she stood up to hug him goodbye. With her head over Noah's shoulder, she looked at Shao, "Walk Noah out, please, Shao." 

The request was standard for when they had guests around her age, but Shaolin found it absurd since, apparently, Noah lived right next door now. Still, she complied and followed the young man out. 

Nothing was said initially, but Noah started the conversation as he dug into his pocket for his key. 

"CUNY, huh? Whatcha studying?"

"Nursing," Shao answered flatly, trying not to give away that she was ecstatic over his interest. He was almost too handsome for her to believe he was honest as she reminded herself that a guy like this could pretend to be interested for weeks if that's what it takes.

And still, her mind raced with images of him scooping her up or pulling her close and kissing her suddenly. 

You read too many books. Shaolin thought. Don't be a creep.

"It was probably weird between us this morning, asking about your grandmother and all." Noah acknowledged as he turned the key in the door. Shaolin focused on his hand and how strong it looked. Mechanic work will do that. As her throat grew dry, she swallowed and nodded,

"It was bizarre." She agreed with a nervous laugh. His gorgeous grin showed again as the lock clicked. 

"Yeah, can never be too careful around here." He said as his hand wrapped around the doorknob. "A lot of strangers around with bad intentions."

"Sure are," Shao replied, sounding weaker than she intended and immediately feeling panic rush over her. 

But what are your intentions? 

He finally looked up from the knob with his eyes that reminded her of ocean-wetted sand. 

"Don't be a stranger, Shaolin Morales." He spoke confidently, but Shao's previously airless lungs filled back up at the uttering of what he assumed was her last name. The newfound oxygen was expelled quickly as she laughed, which confused Noah. "What's so funny?" he said, laughing a bit to not feel left out. Shao shook her head,

"Jackson." She corrected. "My last name's Jackson, like my dad."

It was Noah's turn to feel a tinge of embarrassment, knowing it made sense as he opened the door to his near-baron apartment. 

"Shit, my bad." He said as he continued to laugh at himself. "Shaolin Jackson." He finished with another broad smile, liking the mouthfeel of it. Shao felt the muscles in her legs tremble at the sound of him saying her name correctly this time. Almost like he noticed, he gave her a wink before walking into his place. "Have a good night."

Once Noah disappeared behind the closed door, Shao thought she would fall over and braced herself on the wall beside her. She never got like this, refused to fall all over herself over any guy, yet here she was. She felt herself sinking into the curiosity of the unknown.

As Shaolin returned home, she caught the end of a conversation between Blowhard and her mom in the kitchen that broke her out of her flustered state. 

"He's a criminal, Val. A criminal just ate dinner in my seat with your kids."

Shao was baffled by what she was hearing and knew she couldn't just eavesdrop, as they must have heard her come back in. She crossed the threshold and eyed them, cocking her head.

"What'd he do?" She asked, gaining Mom's attention from the table. She looked disappointed. 

"Tom recognized him from an arrest he made a few years ago. He stole a car, Shao." She informed. 

"Yeah, took it for a joyride with some friend of his," Blowhard added before returning to Mom. "He's trouble, Val, I'm telling you."

To Shaolin's shock, Val seemed to agree with him on that. Ever since she took over the restaurant from her dad, she's given ex-cons an opportunity for employment at Pablo's when nobody else gave them a chance. The change of heart, all because Blowhard said something, aggravated her.

"I can't do anything about him living next door, but I certainly don't want him around Lyle or in my home again." Mom spoke before pointing at Shao. "I've done everything I can to keep Lyle out of that shit. You know that."

All Shao could do was nod in agreement. She knew her mom always kept her kids out of trouble, even if that meant cutting people off. Her family was different from the restaurant. 

This is it. The excuse you needed to keep your distance.