#so my answer would be: Favourite Game: Sequels Favourite Character: Prequels

[aquamarineglow]

So I have a theory and I want to test it out, so please choose the option that best represents your feelings for the Professor Layton Series.

Firstly, is your favourite game part of the sequel trilogy or prequel trilogy?

Next, does your favourite character appear in the sequel trilogy or prequel trilogy? Or both?

If you have multiple favourites you must pick one. Sorry.

For Context:

Sequel Trilogy: Curious Village/Diabolical Box/Unwound Future

Prequel Trilogy: Last Specter/Miracle Mask/Azran Legacy

Obviously this poll only includes games from the main series so if your fav character is from the spinoffs, movie or crossover then please pick your favourite from the main games.

Also, it would be great if you could include your favourite game and character in the tags if you want!

[kazuichii]

Honestly, my favourite hobby at this point, is start a project, be super into it, make a few chapters or comics about it, write down ideas for scenes and character arcs and then never finish it. Rinse and repeat. If the story is lucky, I will eventually get back to it and make progress.

However I kind of made a rule for myself, that anything I release will eventually have an ending.

That is why I have so much in my notes and computer storage and barely anything on Tumblr or on ao3.

I love being a creative person :)

Anyway, I'm gonna be writing down some story ideas I have for a lot of fandoms, and y'all can tell me which one y'all are actually interested in.

So I can figure out if something is genuinely worth my time to sit down and finish.

Legit I only finished one fic in my entire life, and even then it took my friends to nudge me to finish it.

Ugh.

Anyway so here are fandoms that I created fanstories ideas for:

1. FNAF Security Breach (found family, after fire)

2. FNAF Security Breach (specifically Sun and Moon X reader)

3. FNAF (all FNAF games in one media, also found family, angst, hurt, world take over, kinda, romance)

4. Poppy Playtime (Smiling critters, prequel and after life)

5. Poppy Playtime (grieving mother)

6. Undertale (Papyrus the king of resets)

7. Wreck-it Ralph (prob won't ever write this, but an actual sequel that would work in my mind for Wreck-It Ralph, with an oc as a villain)

8. Ninjago (evil ninja au, Morro is the green ninja) this one is pretty old

And a bunch more little stories...that I prob won't ever write but I'll mention them anyway, just so you know the intensity of how much I made over the years.

Danganronpa 2 in Alice in borderland

Danganronpa 2 (ship specified living on a farm) this one has 10 chapters, am I insane?

Genshin (Unaware) possibly the only fic on ao3 I will never finish

Undertale au... Bodytale

TMNT (a bunch of oneshots)

I will get more thorough if anything grabs the attention of anyone, or you can also send asks. I'll gladly answer.

Bye bye for now

[2802mi]

How I would make an adaptation of MK1 (1992) that would not stray from its original direction

INTRODUCTION

Upon seeing story mode of the recent MK reboot (2023) , somehow called MK1, I started thinking more and more about my favourite MK story, which is original MK from 1992. I asked myself, what does MK 1992 have that further games and movies depicting the Earthrealm Tournament did not have? The answer is actually simple, but I don't think many people are aware of what made MK 1992 so distinctive.

When you pay attention to the original story of Mortal Kombat 1992, you actually realise, that original MK is a standalone story. MK2 and further show us heavily modified version of how events of Earthrealm Tournament played out, including the existence of Outworld and changing it from secret tournament that you hope to leave alive to a game between two dimensions where you fight not for yourself but Earthrealm or Outworld. Also, you get characters like Jax, Sektor, Cyrax or Sheeva included in the Earthrealm Tournament, which does not feel right. The proper adaptation of MK 1992 story should focus on basics I present below, which are:

-The only characters are the original 7 player characters + Goro + Reptile + Shang Tsung, so no Cole Young, no characters from sequels or Mythologies.

-No mention of Outworld, no mention of Netherrealm, the only place of action is Shang Tsung's island, maybe some locations in Earthrealm showing the invitation of our heroes.

-Characters have limited abilities, no further than their special moves in games and fatalities, both censored and uncensored versions of the game. Which means no Avengers stuff like Sub-Zero freezing entire area or Johnny Cage surviving falling from >50m of height.

-Characters depicted have their stories and motivations based of their bios and endings in the game and not their sequels or prequels, so no retcons like Sub-Zero working alongside Scorpion to kill the good guys or Raiden suddenly loving Earthrealm and defending it despite his arcade ending being launching Armageddon.

-Adaptation would be either as a comic book or animated series. Characters' and stages' appearances based strictly off the arcade game, so The Pit does not look like its counterpart from MK2, as depicted in MK9. In case of animation, the voice actors for characters would be: Sub-Zero -> Steve Blum, Scorpion -> Patrick Seitz, Sonya -> Tricia Helfer, Johnny Cage -> Andrew Bowden, Kano -> Michael McConnohie, Shang Tsung -> Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Goro -> Gary Anthony Williams, Raiden -> Richard Epcar, Reptile -> Steve Blum, Liu Kang -> Tom Choi

Now I can start the story and show you how I would depict the Earthrealm Tournament based solely on MK 1992.

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

The first scene would be the writing of the invitation to the Mortal Kombat Tournament on the ancient scrolls, taking place soon. After that, we see Sub-Zero reading it in the Lin Kuei headquarters, with his gaze totally cold and unaffected. We can only hear a voice, reminging him, that 'he must stay focused on his mission, for which he will be rewarded with a bounty exceeding all the previous'. Next scene is Johnny Cage, returning home from his film award ceremony, noticing the scroll on his table, wondering, how did it ever get there, but upon reading what was written, he decides to take that chance. Later Raiden holding his scroll with invitation with his face showing total indifference, as Mortal Kombat tournament is nothing unusual or exciting to him. Scorpion and Sonya and Kano were not exactly invited and they will arrive to the island through pure coincidence like Sonya and Kano, or by sheer hatred and hunting Sub-Zero (Scorpion's case).

Liu Kang, however, is seen among other members of White Lotus society, holding his invitation with a serious, somewhat worried and anxious look on his face for he is actually acknowleged with the gravity of his situation: he is heading off to Mortal Kombat Tournament, which was originally held by Shaolin Monks, whom he belongs to, but centuries ago Kung Lao was defeated by Goro. The tournament then was taken by Shang Tsung, who corrupted it. Liu Kang knows it's his task to win the tournament and defeat the evil Shang Tsung and Goro, the undefeated champion as for now. Yet he accepts his fate as the best fighter among his Shaolin peers and after bitter-sweet goodbye, he is sent off to represent the Shaolin Order.

Liu Kang, Sub-Zero and Johnny embark the same ancient, wooden ship, which will take them to the mysterious island. Johnny is the center of attention: he is not yet aware of how dangerous his next days are going to be. He tries befriending other kombatants, who usually do not recognise him, even though he is a talented and awarded actor. He notices Sub-Zero on the deck, standing totally still, speaking to absolutely no one, staring at the ocean. After he tries speaking to him, the mysterious Lin Kuei assassin punches his stomach and throws him across the deck, his eyes turning from numb to cold anger. Cage was wondering if he will die by Sub-Zero's stare alone. Liu Kang runs up to the actor and lifts him off the ground, asking, if he is okay. Johnny is surprised by Shaolin's hospitality. They befriend each other and spend the following hours just by talking. Cage was happy to see that Liu Kang was actually a fan of his movies, despite living in the isolation. Kang was very curious about life in Hollywood, the mindset of movie star and the career in overstimulating society. Sadly he realised that his new friend is not aware of the true nature of the tournament - he will know later, and scream in fear.

The ship fianlly reaches its final destination - the island, which was very beautiful and full of colors and life, with plants and trees seen nowhere else in the world. The only thing that was odd, was that two motorboats, one civilian, one military, could be seen crashed on the beach.

Some kilometers away, a man can be seen running away from armed soldiers, led by their leader: Sonya Blade, who knew it was now or never to finally catch the man, who's alias was Kano. However, she and her team was ambushed by Shang Tsung's private army, which made her doubt her perception of reality. They were surrounded by men wearing oriental clothes and armor and aiming at them with very outdated weaponry. After quickly analysing the situation the team has gotten into, Sonya decided not to throw their lives away in vain and they surrendered.

This chapter/episode ends by Raiden casually descending from the sky and heading directly towards the host's palace. The last shot/panel depicts Scorpion jumping off the ship and following footsteps on the beach, further hunting for his prey - Sub Zero. He has found him - and now he will do everything to kill him.

CHAPTER 2: THE TOURNAMENT BEGINS

This chapter begins by the official inauguration of Mortal Kombat tournament. The host is dressed very rich, with his blue robes covered in gold and diamonds, much to Liu Kang's disgust of this display of vanity, confirming what his superiors told him about the host. He introduces himself as Shang Tsung - although no one can really be sure if that is his real name or just a nickname. His appearance is plain disgusting: balding, with thin white hair on his head, saggy skin and creepy looking face he announces that 'it has begun'. Asked about the prize which comes after victory, he only utters with a really unpleasant voice 'your continued existence'.

Kang and Johnny after the inauguration decide to train, as the following day, the fights begin. Cage has been heavily underestimated - having thought of him as living in another world, unprepared and inferior to Shaolin martial arts, Kang was bested by Hollywood star by simple leg sweep. Even though Liu Kang was the best among the Shaolin and chosen by the Secret White Lotus society to wrestle the tournament back from corrupted Shang Tsung, it mattered not in the face of having lost just the friendly sparring by being too relaxed and not taking the opponent seriously. The sudden realisation hit him harder than any fist could: he can actually lose. Even worse, he may actually die by the hands of fearsome Sub-Zero, who gave off the feeling of a killing machine. Or anyone else. It clouded young man's mind for a while with anxiety and fear, but he knew that to win, he must be in control of himself. So after few moments, he asked Cage to continue their training. It was a really constructive lesson for White Lotus' chosen, as Johnny Cage has trained with many martial arts masters, who taught him really well. Despite seeming like an unserious person who is just an actor, kombat revealed his true talent and skill as a disciplined fighter.

Sonya's team and Kano have been transported to some unknown location. Shang Tsung waited for them. The host informed them that he will not let them go - some abstract concept like international law or human rights was something foreign for him. In fact, hearing about 'human rights' from Blade, he laughed out loud unpleasantly. They were his property now - if they wanted to be free, they had to fight in the tournament. Tertium non datur. Kano with no problem agreed - Sonya after speaking with the rest of her team decided that she will fight and win the freedom for them all, asking for one more thing - fight with Kano and with her winning, taking him away to prison. Tsung agreed to that, hoping for more bloodshed in his tournament.

Sun has finally set. Everyone went to better or worse sleep. Except one man - heavily focused on his mission, Sub-Zero left his designated tent and immediately started infiltrating the island. Armed with short dao, he was sneaking around the palace and looking for ways to enter. He memorised every single one - as well as the tracks which host's armed guardians were using. When the time comes, they will prove useful to him - after finishing the task and escaping from the island. During his return to the tent, he was grabbed by his throat and thrown into the ground. The demonic voice only seethed 'MURDERER'. It narrowed very little in Sub-Zero's mind. He killed too much people to remember every single one of them, much less care about them. Yet he recognised the robes and the deformed face - it was Scorpion. He could not believe it. Did he kill him? If yes, did he come back to the living? Is he undead? Too many questions, and as no clear answer could be given, Lin Kuei assassin decided to be sure this time his past target was eliminated for good. He reached his dao and waited nervously for Scorpion's move. Quickly the fight broke up between the two, with one being totally quiet, and second screaming about finishing him, taking off his head, burning him alive, for all he has done. This time there were no fatalities - the fight was interrupted by Shang Tsung himself. Not pleased with another intruder on the island, he quickly examined him and sensing the pure hatred in his heart, directed towards Sub-Zero, he offered him a chance to challenge the cold-blooded killer in Mortal Kombat - in return, Scorpion is forbidden from even touching his object of contempt.

CHAPTER 3: BLOODSHED

Sonya did not want to talk to anyone in the Kourtyard - everything pissed her off, everyone was a rival or a potential obstacle to her freedom. Especially the sight of Kano, whom she wanted rotting in prison after all these years of chase, was making her angry. She was stressed very much, knowing that her and her teammates' freedom depended entirely on her.

Suddenly, the drums started playing. The very first pair of kombatants entered the arena. It was the first time Raiden could be seen - a seven feet tall, with glowing blue eyes his dominating presence could make anyone run away. But it was too late for his unnamed opponent, who despite his effort, lost both round very quickly and beaten thoroughly, asked for mercy. There was none. Raiden raised his hands and shouting some irrecognisable words, which sounded like 'GIMMIMAMONEYYYY' he shot a spark from his palms, resulting in loser's head exploding.

'Raiden wins', said Shang Tsung, watching this spectacle with much delight.

'Flawless Victory.'

'Fatality.'

The host raised his right hand and closed his eyes, with his face becoming relaxed and losing a couple of wrinkles. Raiden, rumored to be a god of thunder, looked at him with contempt, as if he knew something about this elderly man that others did not. With a disgust on his face, he cleaned his white clothes from blood. Decapitated body was taken off the arena, as new fight took place. An unfortunate fighter from Middle East, at least he looked like it, lost his fight with Sub-Zero. The Chinese assassin also killed him, ripping his head off. With spine. That was too much to bear for Johnny, who realising that he dies if he loses, threw up. His life is in danger, he might die on some weird island no one knows about and no one will ever solve the mystery of JC's death. Kano, the kombatant of the third fight, ripped a heart off his rival on arena. He looked directly in Sonya's eyes as he did it, hoping to intimidate her. Now it has truly began.

'The next is Johnny Cage! A disciplined and famous around all the world actor, who will surely show his skills on this arena against his opponent and not die like the previous ones!' Shang Tsung laughed and started clapping his hands. Johnny, now wondering if he lost his mind, entered the arena, thinking of how that old prick knew of him and even worse, if that old man can read his mind. 'There is something truly terryfying about the host', he thought. Nevertheless, his opponent looked even more stressed than he was, so he decided to be calm and win his survival, at least for now. When the fight ended in Johnny's favor, Tsung yelled

'FINISH HIM!!!'

Cage looked at his defeated rival, who's eyes watered and were begging for mercy, even though his mouth was deadly silent. Johnny Cage had his mind in pieces, about what he should do now. He decided to do the right thing in the end. He kicked the loser in the chest and shouted back to the host 'I will not kill him!', which enraged the old man, who only said in return 'Johnny Cage wins.' After descending from the arena, he felt like he will faint from all the stress. Liu Kang approached him and placing his hand on his shoulder, he only said to him 'You are a good man. And a hero, even if you don't know it yet.'

CHAPTER 4: THE LEGENDARY SEVEN

The Shaolin was right. Johnny's act was indeed heroic, saving that man from death. It was the first act toward cleansing the corruption of this once noble tournament. Even more, it was the first time, when someone openly defied the intimidating Shang Tsung, who despite looking physically weak due to his age, presented a very threatening aura. He only smiled seeing kombatants lose their lives, repeating this weird gesture of raising his hand and closing his eyes. When someone was not killed however, the old man looked at the victor with pure hatred. Liu Kang became seriously worried. Could it be possible that there was some kind of ritual in play? Is it just the way this man seeks pleasure from looking at carnage and death? Is he cursing their dead bodies? Does he defile their souls? Or even worse, does he steal them? White Lotus members shared rumours of some dark magic taking place during the tournament, but these were just rumours which were unconfirmed, as surely there would be some kind of visual sign of sorcery. Maybe that gut wrenching feeling that everyone got when they saw Tsung raising his hand after each fatality could be the sign of it? He came up to Johnny sharing his worries, to which Cage just replied 'just like Hollywood. These soul-sucking execs and producers sometimes too get too drunk on their power and--' he did not finish as Kang looked at him with some kind of grave disapproval. Hollywood's prodigy quickly realised why, and corrected himself, explaining that it's just the atmosphere of working with producers and the show business. 'When this ends, I invite you to the Shaolin order. It is of no use for someone like you to waste himself on these charlatans', ended their conversation Kang.

They came up with a plan - that whatever Shang Tsung is doing with the dead, it's surely something horrible and is used as a means to spread corruption to this tournament. Which is why they have to convince everyone else to refrain from killing their enemies, no matter how much they cared not for them or hated them. After the surprisingly rich and pompous dinner the host organised for the remaining seven kombatants, which were Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Kano, Raiden, Cage and Liu quickly went to enact their plan. They decided to come up to Sonya first.

'What do you want from me?' She quickly and laconically asked, seeing two men approach her. Her guard was already up, fearing confrontation.

'Relax, babe' said Cage, in his nonchalant manner, but upon seeing her face flush with red, the Shaolin quickly stated their business.

'We ask you not to kill Kano tomorrow if you win the fight. And anyone else for that matter.' Her eyes were now unnaturally big, looking at him with sheer disbelief. 'You expect me not to kill him? That scumbag? Do you know how many people he killed? How many women he raped? What if I have no choice but to put down this dog for good--' but was interrupted by Cage, who replied with 'Bend this motherfuckers knee backwards if you want to eliminate him for good' Sonya smiled at this suggestion, but listened further to what this handsome, although kind of giving an immature vibe guy had to say. 'Whatever shit is happening here, me and Liu-Liu are sure only Shangsy is benefitting from it. I mean, not to sound like some kind of conspiracy theory wack, but have you seen his face, looking at fatalities?'

'You believe in fairies and wizards with magic hats, Cage?' Sonya asked.

'Maybe? I am not an expert. But his pleasure alone of staring at death like it's Marilyn Monroe herself on the bed is disturbing, so just spare Kano's life just to spite that old creep.'

After hearing this argument, Sonya finally truly smiled for the first time since she had started pursuit of this dangerous criminal. Her posture became relaxed, her face stopped being stiff with anger and revealed that she is in fact a beautiful woman. Seeing that hers and theirs interests align, but also they are genuine, honest men, she decided to stick with them and aid them. After a short consultance among them, they decided to go to Sub-Zero, as speaking to Kano was not an option, Scorpion may be hard to talk to, and Raiden obviously looks at them with contempt and disdain so they will decide if speaking to Japanese ninja and thunder god even makes sense.

They waited for the Lin Kuei near his tent. Seeing that he returns and is constantly looking around him, seeking danger, they approached him openly and firmly, after Johnny said to Kang 'I knock you speak', as if they were going to principal's office in school. Liu started to enjoy his humour, Sonya had yet to get used to it.

'Sonya Blade.'

'Liu Kang.'

'Johnny Cage!'

After this short and direct greeting, Sub-Zero, the menacing assassin who killed at least 6 people here since the start, quickly looked at them and analised if they are armed and if they were working with Scorpion. No marks of the Japanese clan could be seen on them and Kang's face looked Chinese, so it calmed down the Lin Kuei a bit. He crossed his arms and standing in complete silence, he waited for what they had to say. After quick glares exchanged between the trio, Sonya decided that she will speak to him.

'Sub-Zero, we know that professionally you are an assassin. We ask you firmly that you kill no one else in this tournament.' The only answer was one eyebrow raised by him, which was enough for Blade to read it as listening what she has to offer.

'I know that you are not here to win this tournament. Whatever you are here for, I don't care about it at all. I am here against my will and as you saw how this tournament looks, you know it's rigged and mainpulated. Shang Tsung wants you to kill people so he benefits from it. How exactly, we don't know. The most important thing is, that he serves only himself and we must defeat him if we want to get what we want. However we don't want to cross your path and for you to stay in our way to our goals. Can we agree?'

Finally, they heard Sub-Zero utter his first words.

'Stay in my way and I will kill you. Otherwise, I agree to the deal.'

Blade has not seen the former sentence as the threat, only as the insurance for the Lin Kuei assassin. It was the latter that mattered.

Later, having approached Scorpion, he listened carefully and they thought he would agree, but he could not be convinced of not killing Sub-Zero. That is why he is here for. When he was speaking about the Chinese warrior, his eyes looked dead inside. Johnny seeing the 'blue one' and the 'yellow one', as he codenamed Sub-Zero and Scorpion in his head, could not ultimately decide which one was more intimidating.

Liu Kang decided to speak with the Thunder God. Having approached him, he said in unsusual for him, cocky manner

'Raiden. We ask you to stop killing your opponents in the tournament.'

'Consider to whom you speak, mortal. Who do you think you are, that you do not call me Lord Raiden and bow to me? Why should I care whether more or less of you die?'

Liu smirked and looked at Johnny. Cage knew that this face meant. 'Watch me', he could read from Kang's smile. The Shaolin's chosen continued.

'We are here on equal footing, during this tournament. You are here no more and no less powerful than we are. Which means, you are vulnerable to death. It is entirely in your interest that we agree on not killing each other.'

'You speak like you could actually win. I have met many arrogant men like you - all dead by my hand, in mere seconds. This tournament is no exception.'

'Your victory is not guaranteed. You are in your human form, which could be damaged or destroyed, and in this rigged tournament, I would not risk it making me your mortal enemy. All I ask is we fight on a fair ground when the time comes, and whoever wins, spares the opponent.'

'You are not in any position to demand anything from me, you pathetic weakling. I will kill you after I punish you for your stupor in the kourtyard.'

Liu Kang knew that it is his last chance in life to wrestle the tournament back - if he dies, he dies. Failure was not an option.

'Then may the best man win.' Liu said it to the god's face, and they have gone to train Sonya for her fight tomorrow.

CHAPTER 5: THE LADDER

The fight between Sonya and Kano will take place in palace gates. The beautiful scenery will soon be dirty from blood and sweat. Sonya hoped that it will be mainly Kano's blood and not hers. Liu Kang teached her that during tournament fights, what matters the most is the balance and avoiding relishing in anger and hatred, which betray you ultimately. After both she and criminal got introduced on stage, she set her guard up and waited patiently for announcement. Which was hard, as Kano tried to psychologically throw her off the balance, yelling at her, 'BITCH I WILL KILL YOU. I WILL RAPE YOU. I WILL RIP YOUR HEART. I WILL HOLD IT AT IT WILL STILL BEAT. I WILL WIPE THE ISLAND WITH YOUR ENTRAILS'.

'FIGHT!' happily announced Shang Tsung.

Kano screamed as loud as he could and ran to Sonya, hoping to take her down to the ground and make advantage of their weight difference. Kano was behaving like a rabid dog. He threw punches in blind berserk rage, hoping for one lucky blow that will knock her unconscious and then he will humiliate her. He has landed several blows on her, so round 1 was in his favour. Things have gotten very bad for Sonya. Is she loses, she dies. However, her nemesis seemed to lose the steam. He was not as fast as in previous round and his blows were not as hard. She took advantage of his weakness and impressively ended the round two, smacking his face by throwing him using her legs while handstanding. Even Sub-Zero, watching this fight, nodded in approval. Round 3 was all or nothing - Kano regained some of the energy, however his nose was broken and he is losing blood right now. He ran and jumped like a cannonball, pushing Sonya to the ground. He grabbed her by the throat and started choking her and slamming her skull. She has mere seconds to do something or she dies, with the man she hates on top of her. Nothing could be more humiliating for her, and perhaps that thought alone made her fight for her life - she put a finger in his eye and his hold of her dropped. She quickly started punching his face just so his balance is thrown off and regaining vision is impossible. Then, the unexpected happened - Kano grabbed his knife and tried to slash her. Fortunately for her, his show off backfired, as he threw the knife at her and missed. It was time for her surprise - she activated the blaster in her gauntlet, knocking the criminal to the ground.

'FINISH HIM!'

Sonya hesitated. It was her chance - he would kill her. Or maybe, he would rape her on stage and Shang Tsung would force everyone to watch. The thought of that alone created a conflict in her head whether she should just kill him and not risk any further encounters. Finally, having heard Johnny's 'BEND THAT MOTHERFUCKERS KNEE BACKWARDS', she smiled and stepped on. With full force, she twisted her boot on Kano's knee and watched as he squirmed and yelled, with helplessness this time, 'FUCKING PSYCHO BITCH WHORE CUNT I WILL--', after he passed out. Blade quickly checked if all her teeth are still intact and with utter contempt, she spat at defeated opponent.

'I have defeated the challenger, Shang Tsung! I demand you give him to me and give back my freedom!'

'You will demand NOTHING! Freedom is granted only after you defeat everyone!'

Sonya quickly realised that she may be trapped here forever, as even if she defeats Liu Kang and Johnny, then she might not win against Raiden - who will pop her head like a bubble gum. Her satisfaction with the victory was very short-lived.

It was too much for her. She went to the beach and did not want to talk to anyone - sitting alone she could let her emotions out - she started crying, hoping that waves will deafen the pathetic in her opinion, sign of weakness. She wanted just few tears out - but she could not control it. Maybe she is truly so pathetic that she does not deserve freedom?

'Miss Blade, maybe we can negotiate', she heard.

She didn't turn her face to him - even though it was Shang Tsung, who could backstab her or have his men abduct her, she didn't care. As long as he didn't see her face covered in blood and tears, everything was fine.

'What do you want from me? I am your bitch anyway, I know you will never give me freedom. So fuck off.', She told him.

'Yes you are.' Even though she never heard him swearing, that confirmation that he indeed sees her as his property made her even more angry. Shang Tsung continued, 'I am here to offer you freedom. As you see, our interests align, and a deal could be done. I just need you to do me a favour, if you are interested of course.'

'Cut the bullshit and tell me already. I have no time for your elaborate introductions.'

'I need you ma'am to defeat Liu Kang.'

'He's just a Shaolin boy, are you scared of him? I thought a man so powerful like you could handle him himself.'

'I like my life as it is now, ma'am. Mr Liu seeks to defeat you - never trust these boys from the Shaolin order. Do you think yours and his goals are the same?'

'We want you to fuck off and that's all, creep. You will not get into my head.'

'He was sent here to depose me - and he is focused on his mission alone. All you have done - your ridiculous agreement is only because that little boy is afraid of dying. If the Shaolin told him to kill you, he certainly would. I think they even taught him that specific technique of theirs, where you cause as much pain as possible before killing. Are you certain that he actually has any honour? I would disagree. He only cares about his order - about you, not at all. I, however, want to prevent him from causing you further pain - if you defeat him and send him home, be it alive or dead, I will grant you freedom and for your men.'

'How should I know you will keep your part of deal?'

'I hold all the best cards already, Miss Blade. You can disagree, but you still fight Liu Kang tomorrow. Then, even if you win, you would have to face many more challenges, and I don't think that Mr Sub-Zero, or Mr Scorpion will hesitate to kill you. They were born killers.'

'I can handle them.'

'Or be it Lord Raiden. Have you seen a man win a fight against a god? Because from what I see, he is really enjoying this tournament - as he knows that no one can challenge him. Not even that snotty Shaolin who is arrogant beyond belief.'

Shang Tsung saw the change in Sonya's mood - he has broken her. She finally agreed to fight Liu Kang and not yield, in exchange for her freedom. Which may finally not be obtained at all, as she didn't trust Tsung - but she had no choice. When the host disappeared, she felt that weird feeling that she feels no pain and body damage, at least physically. Psychologically, she was ripped to pieces.

The fight took place in Shang Tsung's palace, full of ornaments and red carpets and columns. He preferred it that way - he wanted to be sure that she and Kang won't plot against him. Fight between them was bitter - both knew that they are fighting for their people first, and that their friendship was perhaps something temporary. Sonya however, could not force herself to brutalise Liu like Kano - even though she fought for freedom since she enlisted in the Special Forces, she valued friendship - she also saw that Liu is conflicted in his soul and certainly pulls his punches. Seeing no further sense in her life, Blade made the decision - she set herself to recieve a punch in the jaw from Liu Kang. Angry Tsung, seeing that she failed him, yelled to Shaolin that he must finish her. Sonya started begging the victor to do it - as she feels empty, broken and without any honour left, having made a deal with that 'old psychopath'. Liu Kang stared at her with utmost shock - she betrayed him, yet she looked at him with utter shame and resembled not the Blade he has met earlier, full of pride and determination. Frustrated enough, the host grabbed his sword and pulled it out, saying only 'I will finish you myself then.' Unexpected happened. That 'snotty, arrogant boy', hugged her and replied to him 'I WILL NOT LET YOU KILL HER', as if he wanted to get slashed by the sword instead of her. Shang retreated and ordered the guards to take her away. Sonya returned the hug, telling to Liu that 'Thank you. You are my good friend. Please defeat him.' She looked like she would sob in any second.

'I will save you. I will beat him and I promise you I will wrestle your freedom back. Be strong.' he assured her. Then, the guards went in and took her away.

CHAPTER 6: THE LADDER, PART II

Although the fight did not end in the old man's favour entirely, the results were satisfying enough - he has seen the Shaolin's chosen with a conflict in his heart. He is not as strong as he considered himself to be. That conflict was certainly a chance to exploit and break him before he poses any further threat. Shang Tsung also thought about Johnny Cage - he is also dangerous, but others don't see it, which amused the host. Johnny's aura suggested that he has a true warrior's heart - despite behaving like an immature manchild. There was also something unusual about his aura itself - it manifested some kind of 'green energy', whatever that was. Shang immediately realised what must be done - he has to pit Liu Kang against Johnny Cage so he has only one threat to deal with against of two. He knew that Scorpion and Sub-Zero were not that much of a threat - and also knew that Raiden can be dealt with. In fact, he needed Raiden the most. If only he could kill him - and take his soul - the soul of the god - then he would become a god himself. He would ascend to the pantheon of gods and have a greater influence than ever. That would come with a risk, of course. Taking a god's soul could be too much to bear for Shang Tsung, and rip his body to pieces. But risks are to be taken if you want to have what you want.

The host approached Sub-Zero when he was meditating and started analising his soul - something was not right about him. He needed to investigate immediately. Could it be that this man had his special abilities? After all, his nickname, 'Sub-Zero', indicated that he was a cryomancer, a very rare type of human. The Lin Kuei clan surely have to be proud of him, although considering he is a thief and an assassin, they can't boast about him too much, even though there are legends around all the world about this 'Sub-Zero'. Shang Tsung started talking to the cryomancer and offered him a life of luxury and riches and all he would wish for - in exchange for abandoning Lin Kuei and service to Tsung. After all the elaborate arguments and depicitons of what the assassin could have - the only reply was

'My loyalty is to Lin Kuei only.'

Even though that reply angered the host deeply, as Sub-Zero could be a very powerful asset, it was only a ploy to read his mind - something Shang could easily do with others, sensing their auras and using them against people. But cryomancer's souls are harder, much harder to read - the only thing that could be sensed was that something is very off. Did he choose to side with Liu Kang? Why exactly is he here for? The Lin Kuei surely are not that stupid enough to send their best assassin into a tournament which they know is rigged by its host. Whatever Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei are plotting, it is for the best that he is dealt with.

'Tomorrow you will fight Scorpion. If you take my offer, I can rig the fight so you win easily and don't die.'

Having heard no reply at all, be it verbal or nonverbal, Shang Tsung vanished. Sub-Zero however, despite being always cold and calculated, knew that his mission must be done quickly - the sorcerer is very powerful and even worse, he suspects him. He thought about this snake's offer - would it be truly worse than what he wanted, which was a retirement and peaceful life? After a few moments, he made his choice. He will complete his task, flee the island and end the life of an assassin.

The fight took place in the kourtyard. The choice was not a coincidence - Shang Tsung knew that Scorpion wanted to kill Sub-Zero. Not only kill, but humiliate him also, so everyone sees the fall of the legendary Lin Kuei. Scorpion, seeing his nemesis on stage, almost leaped at him before the fight even started - he had every reason to hate him. Some time ago, the Lin Kuei marked the Japanese ninja to be murdered. They wanted be sure that the job was done, so they sent Sub-Zero after him and ordered the decapitation of the rival's clan member. Scorpion now roams the Earth as an undead spirit of vengance - he is here only to kill that blue bastard who separated him from his loving wife and child, who he will surely never see again - he is not a human anymore. He is a dead man walking, existing to avenge his death. Which can be done now. After the host calls the fight to begin, Sub-Zero stands calmly and waits for his clearly unbalanced emotionally foe. He tries to read his moves. When there is a chance, Sub-Zero strikes at Scorpion with his slide attack, which takes his enemies by surprise - but this time, the surprised one is the Lin Kuei assassin himself, as yellow ninja completely disappears, like he was made of ash. Blue warrior gets hit in the back of the head by teleporting enemy, which makes everyone awe. The fight is now balanced, as both kombatants have their supernatural abilities. It worries Sub-Zero deeply - what else can Scorpion do now? After bloody fight between the two, Scorpion reaches his Kunai and throws it, targeting his enemy. He yells 'GET OVER HERE' and starts pulling the string, hoping to pummel him to death. The last chance. With the rest of his power, the cryomancer shoots an ice orb into the spectre - and freezes his body so he can't move. With his last breath he kicks Scorpion in the jaw, knocking him out and winning the fight. This time, Shang Tsung does not pressure the assassin to rip the spine off - he needs the undead for his bidding and who said that Sub-Zero can't later 'accidentally' meet Scorpion who will gladly slit his throat? The Lin Kuei looked at Liu Kang and Johnny - he had a deal with them. He will surely fight both of them or one of them soon. They are not to be underestimated. But they seem like honorable men, who defied the host earlier - so he spares Scorpion now, and they spare him in case he loses the fight. Having made his choice, he stops choking his rival and raises his fist with pride, signaling to his for-now allies, that the deal is still in effect.

Next fight is now between Liu Kang and Johnny - taking place in The Pit. Shang Tsung certainly knew what he was doing - he pitted them both here, so they fight on a narrow bridge with spikes below, which must result in death of either movie star or the Shaolin. Before the fight, Johnny winks at Liu. Also, he notices something strange on the moon. Looks like Santa Claus. Not that it matters now, but it was very funny to him. As a surprise to Liu, he beats his friend effortlessly, leading to a double flawless victory. Not wanting to throw Cage off the bridge, sending him to a dishonorable death by spikes already dirty with corpses, he tries to punch him so that he falls flat on bridge. Unfortunately, Cage slips. Liu quickly grabbed him and even though technically it would be a fatality, he pulled him back on the bridge. He knew what Johnny did - he yielded the fight, but didn't tell anything to his friend. Needless to say, he did it perfectly. 'No wonder he has won so many acting awards', Kang thought, but didn't admit it. He said to Johnny

'You are a hero and a friend for sure, but a dumb one.'

Johnny just winked. 'I already did everything what I wanted in life. You however, have that saggy bony ass to kick - for your Shaolin bros. Don't fail it!' he winked again.

'Mr Liu, I think that fight has been done unfairly, very unfairly. You jeopardise my tournament and make mockery of it. I think that a punishment is in order.'

As the punishment, Kang was sent to the bottom of the Pit. The smell of rotting corpses there was unberable, so unberable that he almost puked. He noticed easily the way out - the door leading to stairs. Dumbened by the odor, he tried to escape - only to get kicked in the stomach and flying few meters. He has never seen that guy before, not before, not during the tournament. He looked a bit like Scorpion and Sub-Zero, but... green? Liu was trying to focus, trying to figure out whether this ninja is not one of them, but he only yelled

'YOU HAVE FOUND ME'

'NOW PROVE YOURSELF!!'

He was unlike anything before. Never has Liu Kang fought someone so fast, so strong, so unpredictable. He had to watch out for both Kunai attacks as well as slides similar to those used by Sub-Zero. The mysterious warrior could also disappear and appear somewhere else, just like Scorpion. In fact, he could be both of them at the same time. Could it be so improbable, after everything they saw here on the island? But the time for thinking was later. For now, he had to defeat his opponent, who could be victorious. Shaolin count on Kang. Johnny and Sonya count on Kang. Liu Kang counts on Kang. Failure is not an option. The teared skin on chest and back brought much pain to our Shaolin - he had to focus, use that pain and not panic. After a battle against much skilled, faster, stronger, unpredictable fighter, Liu somehow emerged victorious. How? He does not know himself. Could it be the importance of his quest? Could it be the power of friendship? Could it be sheer luck? He thought on luck as the most probable, considering that his skin is full of wounds by the sharp nails of the green ninja and is out of breath. He has proven himself just like was asked by the mysterious man. He came up to him, bowed and asked 'I defeated you, even though you proved to be a serious challenge. I want to know your name.'

'You have defeated Reptile.' the ninja said and tried to stand up, but could not because of sprained ankle.

CHAPTER 7: ICE AND THUNDER

Having returned from the Pit, everyone was shocked to see Liu Kang so wounded and struggling to move. Raiden smiled. He relished in the thought of killing the kombatant soon. He already knows how he will do it - he will use his powers to reduce him to ash - so that every single human bows to Lord Raiden as they should. He was bored with the tournament - as the god among men, he defeated them without any trouble. Why should he be limited to humans, when he could just depose Shang Tsung himself and make a tournament for gods? For him, the sorcerer was a waste of breath who tries to appeal the thunder god, surely because a god taking part of a tournament raises the prestige of the event.

Kang was angered to hear that he will fight Sub-Zero very soon - this time, it's the first challenger of the seven kombatants, who is not his friend - it's up to debate whether the assassin will honour his part of the agreement and not just slay him. Also, he was a very skilled, adapting fighter - but also he is here clearly for something else rather than victory in the tournament. He decided to go to Johnny, asking whether he could train him further.

'Have you seen Ninja Mime?' asked the actor.

'Does it have anything with fighting? Because if not, then stop'

'Yeah it does. Can you please let me finish? Besides, you should watch it when you come back from the island, maybe show your Shaolin bros'

'Why for? I don't get it. You are already popular in America. You want to export yourself to Chinese Market?'

'Liu-Liu, don't take this as an offence, but you are like a book when you fight. I can read you easily.'

'So what? I have won every fight so far!', Liu Kang now became unreasonably cocky.

'I beat your ass fair and square China Boy', Johnny became irritated by Liu's ignorance, especially because he knew that even if Sub-Zero spares him, Raiden will not. Shang Tsung will not.

'During the sparring. That does not count.'

'Dude you want to win? Then take my advice. In my movie, the titular Ninja Mime was unpredictable - he did what everyone thought he would not do, and presented himself as wacky and goofy, and yet kicked everyone's ass. Why? Because his enemies underestimated him and thought of him as not a threat. Be like water, just like Bruce Lee said. You kinda look like him, you know?'

'But how do I become unpredictable?'

'Be like me.'

The fight between two Chinese men in the palace was a torture to watch for Shang Tsung. Looking at them, both waiting for the other one to do something, was boring. It was tiring. Tedious. Frustrating. They both stood still and have not moved one bit. Then Liu Kang started stepping slowly forward. He also learned about other martial art, called 'the drunken fist', but as he did not want to embarass himself, he started to pretend that his leg is hurting very much and that he is immobile. He put all of his heart in the act - making Sub-Zero believe that he can strike, only to have this round won by Liu, who surprised him by casting a flame from his hands. Next round Sub-Zero got the upper hand by waiting so much time that Liu lost his temper and tried to knockout the assassin. It resulted in round 3 lasting without a single punch for two hours, as both of them knew that patience is the key. They stood still, both with their guard up. The breaking point was when they both fired their orbs, resulting in vapor covering the room. This was when both of them fought fiercely, ultimately leading to Liu Kang's victory. To his surprise, the Lin Kuei assassin got up and bowed to him. Sub-Zero knew that now Shang Tsung now will have to focus on rigging the tournament to eliminate Liu Kang and that gives the Lin Kuei the time and space to do what he was sent here for, as now no one can challenge him to the fight.

Few days later, it was finally announced that Liu Kang will fight the god Raiden. Johnny was very worried about this fight. Even though he believed in his friend, he knew that Raiden is no joking matter - even for someone who laughs about everything. The fight will take place in the Warriors' Shrine - where every kombatant got his statue. In the middle, there was a statue which depicted a giant muscled man with four arms. Liu Kang, having looked at the statue, thought 'I haven't seen him before. That must be the legendary Goro, who defeated Kung Lao. I better be prepared for him.'

Raiden arrived to the fight an hour late - he knew he will not be disqualified as Shang Tsung needs him, so he did not need to bother. Kang bowed before the fight as always to show the respect to the thunder god who will now kombat him - in return, he got none of that respect back. The fight started poorly for Liu Kang - a god in human form who was taller than him by about a feet (around 35cm) wiped the arena with him by just flying and tossing him around. Raiden toyed with him like a sadist who tortures bugs before frying them with sunrays. Round 2 was in favour of Liu, who pretended to be afraid and scared and waited for Raiden to fly to him so he could grab him and use his weight against him, tossing him to these statues. One of these tosses hurt thunder god's back badly - he was now struggling to walk and kick and every punch he threw made him fell pain. Shaolin then ended the round by punching Raiden's chest as hard as he could. Something cracked in Raiden's psyche - during round 3, he started teleporting whenever Liu tried to punch him. Liu Kang decided than to change his tactic, as he is dealing with a god - a cowardly one for sure, but still powerful. He started to stand still, hoping for Raiden to try his flying-yelling gimmick once more so he can throw him to the ground and defeat ultimately. Raiden however, started walking slowly to Shaolin, trying to make advantage of being much taller and having further arm reach. It's now or never - Liu Kang pointed at his chest and asked loudly 'HEY WHAT'S THAT ON YOUR CHEST?!' and when Raiden looked down and leaned forward, he was hit with an uppercut to the jaw - so fast and powerful - that he made few steps back and collapsed. Knowing it's the time, Kang quickly ran and placed his foot on god's throat.

'I told you about the risk of arrogance - I could kill you now just by crushing your throat. Yield.'

'FINISH HIM!!!' Shang Tsung screamed so loudly it pierced everyone's ears. He knew that now even though totally unexpected, this outcome is now even more beneficial. Liu Kang kills Raiden, Shang Tsung steals Raiden's soul and becomes a god. That boy just needs to push his heel further down.

'Yield. SAY IT!!! You challenged me and you lost, I won.'

'I... I y-yield.' exclaimed defeated Raiden. He lost. He has lost. He has lost. He will go mad soon.

'I want you to remember this fight forever. Just so you remember that you are not invincible. That if you ever come back to corrupt this tournament, I WILL beat you into submission again.' After making this threat, Liu took the heel from the throat and bowed respectfully after the fight. Raiden just went up, took his hat and put it back on his head, and flew away, humiliated forever.

'Send me to the Mortal Kombat current champion, Shang Tsung. I defeated all the challengers and by the rules, I DEMAND YOU GIVE ME GORO!' Kang started talking to Tsung with voice full of determination.

'You will not fight him yet. You have a next fight in three days.'

Johnny immediately ran up to his friend and told him 'You are now truly unpredictable warrior, Liu-Liu. You showed that jobber god his place. Though I never thought I would see a god defeated by gimmick I used in 'Ninja Mime', I am talking seriously'.

'I learn from the best' replied the Shaolin and smiled.

Meanwhile Tsung checked the underground of his palace to examine if the surprise he has for the kombatant soon is ready. Looked like it was. He hoped that it will kill him, or at least cripple him. That boy became too dangerous.

The next fight took place in the Kourtyard again, with everyone nervously awaiting that secret kombatant. Everyone was shocked. It was a mirror match, although no one could explain, how is it possible to have two Liu Kangs on the same arena. The original proved better than a copy, which resulted in copy laying on the ground and turning into dust. Who knew if that was the only sorcery made by Shang Tsung? Can he make the clones of other kombatants? Could he make a clone of himself? Now his magic abilities were confirmed, only making him more menacing as both the fighter and schemer. And yet, Liu Kang was not given a fight with Goro yet. He has three other challenges coming up before he has a chance to try to defeat the giant.

CHAPTER 8: RIGGED TOURNAMENT

Next fight was postponed very greatly, although no one knew, why. No one even bother to ask the host of the reason. Meanwhile night before the fight, much more happened. The guards started dropping dead - someone killed them. Whoever did it, made it flawlessly. No footsteps could be found, but the fact alone that someone breached the palace without noticing was very worrying for Shang Tsung. He realised that he is being hunted. By whom exactly? He hoped that it's not Raiden, no matter how delighted he was by seeing him defeated. Maybe these Special Forces came for Sonya? Maybe the Lin Kuei? Their Japanese counterparts? Now not only the lavish luxurious lifestyle was endangered - but the sorcerer's life itself. He has to solve it before something truly terrifying happens.

He runs quickly to the Warrior's Shrine, patiently waiting for his armed men to come. His breath was heave, heart pummeling, skin full of sweat. Then, he felt a chill on his body. To be more exact, all his body was now frozen to the bone. A punch shattered his body and frozen head taken. Sub-Zero now knew he has to run. NOW. He completed his task - he assassinated Shang Tsung, as ordered by one of his wealthy enemies. Now it's time to escape, while he has time. Unfortunately for him, it ran out.

'I have always heard the legends about the assassin cryomancer', said Shang Tsung. He somehow is in a jump distance from Sub-Zero, grinning devilishly as never before. 'I know you are the best of the Lin Kuei - and needless to say, you performed very well, both on the Kourtyard, and now, enacting a flawless assassination. The problem is, I have survived every single one assassination. Had you taken my offer, you would have lived peacefully. Maybe under my heel, but you would be safe under my influence. Now that I know you were sent here to kill me, I hereby end my hospitality I had for you. Shame on you, Sub-Zero.'

After this monologue, Tsung snapped his fingers, ordering Reptile to kill the cryomancer. The fight was now to the death - even though the assassin proved to be a very formidable warrior and fighter, he was bested by sorcerer's bodyguard.

Reptile looked at Tsung, waiting for an order.

'Let him go.' said the old man and again snapped his fingers, making Sub-Zero completely unable to move. He was now stiff like these statues. 'I know Scorpion is somewhere here. He will soon find you, bore you to death with his monologue about vengance and then, finish you for good. Have a nice day.' Shang Tsung laughed loud and left with Reptile. As he said, soon after Scorpion came up to his nemesis, handed to him on a silver platter. He walked around him, thinking of best way to enact revenge. Should he use his spectre powers and burn him? Or maybe he should rip his head with his spine? Or just torture him, mutilating his body? Suddenly, Sub-Zero punched Scorpion and tried to run away, seemingly breaking away from the spell Shang Tsung cast on him. Scorpion though reappeared in front of Sub-Zero.

'To the death.' said calmly cryomancer and reaching for his short dao, he fought to death with his nemesis one last time. Severely wounded after previous fight, he was bested this time and waited for Scorpion to kill him. The spectre took off its mask, now revealing that there was only a skull under. Scorpion exhaled a huge flame at Lin Kuei warrior, burning him to death. His revenge was now complete. Unfortunately for him, he will never rest again.

Liu Kang was shocked to face a duet of Sub-Zero and Scorpion, always having thought of them as mortal enemies. But, as the kombat further proved, they were clones, just like his mirror match was. Next fight, with quasi Sonya-Kano duo only proved that further. The third endurance match was something he feared greatly - he knew that Tsung will pit him against Cage-Raiden clones duo. He didn't know if he will beat them - he knew that no tournament would allow clones, but that is now that psychopath's event - he freely does whatever he wants, playing with other people's lives like they are toys.

When that fight came, it was clear that the host uses psychological wafare against Liu Kang. He brought Sonya Blade, now in chains, looking like she didn't eat for a week. It angered the Shaolin and thought of beating the sorcerer with a stick. The clones came to the palace, much to the Johnny's disappointment that his clone looks so ugly. He hires better body doubles than whatever was now standing in front of Kang. The fight was very tough, even though a cloned Raiden was much weaker than original. Also the cloned Cage did not have not only his charm and looks, but the original had skills and talent that the doppleganger did not. After emerging victorious, Liu Kang just stood and stared at the sorcerer, speaking firmly

'I think Goro is hungry for a fight. Either allow me to fight him or yield the tournament!'

Shang thought carefully before he said anything. His gimmicks were now limited. He lost kombatants, his clones. He has no other choice.

'You will fight Goro. TOMORROW AT THE DAWN!'

The perspective of fighting the Goro himself made Liu Kang very anxious. The Great Kung Lao was bested by him - so why should he, Liu Kang, a 24-year old Shaolin boy be any different? Even though he won every fight in the tournament, he knew that nothing was guaranteed.

Suddenly during the night, both he and Johnny were surrounded by men in dark clothes, who reached for their daggers. Among them, one had red glowing eye - it was Kano.

'Son of a BITCH' whispered Johnny.

'How are you even walking?' asked Liu Kang.

'Well, the Shangy knows somethin' 'bout the Chinese medicine, mate' Kano laughed. 'Allright boys, KILL THEM'

Both Liu and Johnny knew that their best option was to escape, as fighting bare-handed against multiple opponents armed with daggers is going to end in their deaths. By pure luck and clear mind, they escaped, knowing that now they will be searched for. Friends decided to hide and pick the assassins one by one, having no chance in open fight. Liu Kang was barely controlling his anger. By now, he wanted to slit Shang Tsung's throat open, for making this island a living hell, despite how beautiful it was. Torturing Sonya, making up rules just to remain the host, sending clones to fight, it was all disgusting to the Shaolin. They defeated the assassins by surprise, leaving only Kano.

'It's me and you boys', he smiled, as he attacked them both with his knives. They had to be careful - one successful slash could kill them. Kano was also stronger and faster than usually - not only he has his knee miraculously healed, he looks younger than he used to and his muscles are more defined. Now it was Johnny's time to shine - he came up to Kano, and punched his testicles so hard, that Kano collapsed on the ground and couldn't move. Johnny pummelled his face - out of sheer anger that because of this scumbag, Sonya is now tortured in Shang Tsung's palace. That he tried to kill them. He spat at him, as he detested him completely.

CHAPTER 9: THE FINALE

It was the dawn, finally. It angered Tsung to see that Shaolin brat alive - what he didn't know was that Cage went to free Sonya from imprisonment. Even if he knew, he wouldn't bother - he will lose the tournament soon, if Goro fails. Walking with Liu Kang to the Goro's lair, he started talking.

'It will be great honour for you, Liu Kang, to be ripped to pieces by him. He is hungry for you.'

'How could you know?'

'Your Shaolin masters never told you how Goro defeated Kung Lao? Of course they wouldn't tell you, otherwise you would never come here'

'So? How did he die?'

'He tore all his limbs, slowly and ate him alive. Goro told me that Lao cried for mercy and begged to be spared, like a pathetic weakling he was. The legends are not true. Your hero Lao was a weak man, both in heart and the body. You are no match for him'

'You are afraid, Shang Tsung.'

'Of you?'

'Yes. You are afraid that I will win. That sending clones against me was not sufficient and your assassins failed. That no matter who I fought, I won.'

'Nobody who has challenged Goro, has lived after.'

'You are afraid that I will. You cannot hide it.' said Liu Kang, looking Tsung in his eyes. He knew that he has to be sure of himself, if he intends to win.

Finally, he entered the Lair. The sorcerer was right. Many bones were thrown around, although it was not sure if these were kombatants or just Goro liked to eat human meat. Finally, Goro and Liu Kang met. After bowing to Goro with respect, he told him

'Goro, I am here to challenge you in Mortal Kombat. You will be defeated.'

'I am very pleased to hear that.' exclaimed Goro. Even though he was a monster, an ancient human-dragon hybrid, there was something noble and high-class about his manners.

'Before we fight, I want you to ask one thing. You fought with King Lao himself. How did the fight end?' Liu hoped for an honest answer.

'He was a great warrior. He had been fighting fiercely and honorably. Even though I finished him, he looked me in the eye when I snapped his neck. He was brave till the end.'

'Why did you kill him?'

'Shang Tsung asked me to.'

'Five hundred years ago?'

'Exactly.'

It made Liu Kang feel uneasy, fearing that Shang Tsung may end up even harder to beat than Goro. What ultimately matters now, however, is defeating Goro.

'Worry not, Shaolin. I will give you a warrior's death.'

For Liu, it mattered not whether he died or not. If he fails now, he can die anyway. He started casting flames at Goro, which only angered him. Halfdragon tried to stomp him to the ground, without much sucess. Liu knew that fighting Goro in close distance means death - he is even taller than Raiden by a huge margin, he also has four arms, rendering many techniques he learned useless. But then, Shaolin saw the giant jumping. When he landed, the ground trembled and Kang fell on the floor. He was grabbed by the throat and was told 'It is fine. When you die, you will be remembered as the Great Liu Kang, who progressed that far in the tournament.' He interrupted Goro by casting a flame targeting his eyes. Monster screamed in pain, holding his face with one hand, and using three others to hit the man. Liu attacked his knees, knowing that if he manages to do that, then he will make Goro immobile. When one of the knees popped, Liu started casting fireballs at him, hoping to enrage the monster, who is now partially blind and with only one leg working. However, Goro hit him in his head with backhand - Liu is now feeling dizzy, trying to hold himself on both feet. He finally gathers all strength he has and using the Flying Kick, he kicks Goro's jaw. Goro is defeated.

In the same time, Johnny Cage is now the action man - not just playing one of these. After taking away Kano's knives and equipment, he sneaks to the palace and fights off the remaining guards one by one, using his skills from the movie sets. He proves himself capable by his skills in use of naginatas, bows, and arts of distraction. He found her. Releasing her from hostage, he tells her

'Liu Kang is fighting Goro now. If he makes it, then Shang Tsung is defeated for good.'

Sonya has smiled for the first time in many days, as she is tortured in both physical and psychological ways. When freed, she however quickly returns to life and her former self, telling Johnny

'I am not your damsel in danger. We both go and free my men. You up?'

'Hell yeah I am!'

They go to the dungeon in which Sonya's men were held and they both prove themselves to be a really working team, despite looking like from two different worlds. He turned out to be a mature man, who can be serious and practical when the time comes, she on the other hand has a sens of humour, even when they are fighting Tsung's guards.

In the Lair, Tsung is surprised to see Goro laying unconscious on the ground. Liu Kang looks at him with a stare full of passon and desire for that final confrontation.

'Shang Tsung!' Liu yelled. 'I have defeated all your kombatants. You are alone now. No one can fight your fight. Be a man, and face me in Mortal Kombat!'

It was a very dangerous move to make. He was directly after his fight with Goro and was hit in the head - he is certainly not in the best condition to fight him. On the other hand, it's now or never. If he does not fight him now, that coward will certainly make more clones. Send more assassins. Heal Goro and throw him again against him. He can't let that happen.

'You are sure? You cannot win this fight. I have the sould of Great Kung Lao - of all other great fighters and warriors - their souls only make me more powerful. You will become one of them. I will use your soul to kill more Shaolin. It's your last time to yield, boy.'

'I am sure. You enslaved my friend. You sucked the soul of Kung Lao. You tried to kill me in dishonorable ways - only because you are a coward, who is afraid to fight! Why would you need all these souls if you have no bravery of any of them!

When Shang Tsung tried replying, Kang interrupted him, saying 'No more talking. FIGHT!'

'So be it.' replied Tsung and summoned a fire skull, directed at Liu Kang. It was so fast that Shaolin couldn't dodge it - it knocked him on the ground. Sorcerer laughed loudly, although with uncertainity in his voice. 'The supposed champion, who loses to an kind, elderly man? Are you sure you do not want to yield?' Hearing that Liu says something, but very quietly, he decided to approach him, hoping for his opponent to yield, even though on his knees and breathing heavily. Which was a mistake on his part, as young man only faked his condition - he got up on his feet quickly and punched the sorcerer in his face with great force.

'Nice one, child. You are not the only one with tricks though.' said the host, changing his appearance to Scorpion.

'What?!' asked Kang, fearing what his enemy could also do. He became even more determined to defeat him. His hopes of shapeshifting being just the facade have failed - Tsung copied abilities as well, so he constantly teleported as Scorpion, much to Liu's frustraton. He didn't fight Scorpion in this tournament, so he cannot use tactics from the fight. He has seen how Sub-Zero defeated Scorpion however, so he stood and patiently waited for that cowardly sorcerer to finally attack. When there was an occasion, he kicked Tsung in his stomach with full force. That unfortunately, didn't make him lay on the ground. He changed his form to Raiden, hoping that if he uses his quasi powers, then he will toss Kang to the ground and kill him. That also failed, with Shang changing his form to other kombatants, sometimes in the middle of the blow. Managing to strike the Shaolin's prodigy a copule of times, he changed into his basic form and started summoning fire skull one after another, so Liu gets killed by them. However now with Kang knowing of these skulls, he actually managed to dodge them.

'You see, you can't win! Surrender and I will spare you, boy!'

'You are sweating.' calmly replied Liu Kang, throwing the sorcerer off the balance. He knew he can win. He knew that he must win.

Then, Tsung changed his form into Goro. Liu hoped that it was the best he could do and not turn into some demon form.

After a long fight with gimmick using Shang Tsung, they both realised that this is the end and one of them ends up defeated. The host changed his form from one to another, but he could not decide which should he use. Liu Kang however decided that it's now or never - and by the Flying Kick he knocked Tsung on the ground, barely conscious.

'SAY IT! YIELD!' yelled at the defeated.

Victor noticed that sorcerer's body is convulting and shaking - at first he thought that he damaged his brain, but then he realised that the trapped souls escape the body - among them, the one of Kung Lao. The ancient warrior manifested himself in a form visible to Kang and saying not one word, he bowed to him, and spread into air.

Liu Kang then found Johnny and Sonya, who managed to apprehend Kano and contact with a ship near the island - the trio was finally saved, and the tournament returned to the Shaolin. Shang Tsung died of old age - as he lived more than five hundred years, these souls were his life support. Raiden was not seen around mortals ever again, and there were rumours about Scorpion being seen in Japan. Kano ended up in max security prison. Sub-Zero's loss was mourned among other Lin Kuei assassins, who pledged to hunt down Scorpion and avenge their brother. Sonya was promoted in the army. Johnny Cage has made a movie 'Mortal Kombat', with many successful sequels. Liu Kang studied the previous Mortal Kombat tournaments, restoring pride and honour they had once.

THE END

[rene-of-the-blackouts]

Woohoo!

D, L, and Z for the ask game if you please, friend!

Thanks so much! I love those! Be warned, I a lot of memories were unlocked while answering XD

D: What's the most personal fanfic you've written?

Huh, that's a good one! I did look at my old fic list for that, lol. (Did I write this cringe? XD Gosh, I did. Oops.) I did write some personal flash fiction (original, not fan fiction), but that doesn't work, lol. I also have one post canon (maybe slightly divergent) fic for mangahood, which would fit very well, were it finished XD But since it's too personal, I'm not sure it will ever be lol

If we stretch the understanding of the word personal, I do have the one that was my first ever fic on ao3. It was a huge step out of my comfort zone for a multitude of reasons, but I did that and the fic still exists even though I'm not in the fandom anymore.

L: Which of your fanfics was the most emotionally challenging to write?

Oh, the one where I killed one of my favourite characters of that time:"( I still cannot get over it ig, even tho it was years ago. Literally 6? Or something? I still remember how heartbreaking it felt. And the plot twist. It was twisted!! (Why have I started thinking abt it...)

But yeah, while I do love angst and normally eat glass on a daily basis, I hardly ever kill characters. Like literally. That was the one and only time it happened to a main character. I'm not doing it ever again!!

Z: ls there a story you've written that doesn't seem to get much love?

A tricky one, huh. I have no idea whether my old fics get any activity because I'm on that website anymore and haven't been like, since 2018-2021 (I tried coming back but not for long). And I'm not going back, like ever, tho I do want to rewrite them and post on ao3 anew. One day. In another life XD

Other than that, I have only one fma fic series, but to answer the questions, I guess the sequels/prequels to the main story? I don't fully get why the engagement level is so different. If people like the first part, why not check the rest? lol

Anyway, that evolved into a lot of rambling and little answering, sorry XD

(Not much info, but in case someone is curious, the fandom in first two answers is Miraculous (which I haven't watched since like 2019, sooo I am so very behind and not involved at the moment, but I do plan on catching up. I've heard of some reasons to eat glass there, so...)

[daisychainsandbowties]

hi! ik you’re probably busy and stuff so don’t sweat it if you can’t answer, but i recently read your star wars warrior nun au, and i absolutely loved it. i haven’t watched the movies and stuff in a suuuuuper long time, and your fic really brought that love back, and i was wondering if you would be able to tell me what order i should watch things or which books to read and stuff? again, dw if you can’t respond!

oh! i can absolutely do that. keep in mind that this is going to be my own personal watch order based on how canon works best and resonates thematically for me 🥰 i’ll just make a list i think.

you will notice that i’m not going to say that you should watch things in order. frankly, i don’t think that’s the best star wars experience, but! there should be loads of articles online detailing how to watch chronologically if you decide to do that.

anyway, here we go!

1. the original three! that’s A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. i really truly think that this is the best starting point even on rewatch. just… something about having this as the centrepiece works so well. everything else orbits it and contextualises (and recontextualises) it.

2. the prequels, starting with The Phantom Menace. the prequels are a tragedy 🙂 yes, a very fun tragedy with my best boy obi-wan at centre stage, but it works because you’ve seen the original trilogy and you know what’s going to happen but you’re transfixed by it anyway, by the fire as it eats at the fabric of the story.

3. at this point, you can watch The Clone Wars (the animated move & series) if that’s your jam. i haven’t seen those but i’ve heard incredible things about them. (if anyone wants to chime in on where they think TCW fits in here, that’d be appreciated!)

HOWEVER where i tend to go next is the Kenobi series! it’s perfectly poised between the prequels and the originals. plus i really loved it 😌

4. then Andor. good god. it’s a masterpiece. there’s a second season coming, but it flows beautifully into

5. rogue one. my personal favourite star wars movie. it’s just… stunning, beautiful, tragic. in the timeline it fits between Andor and A New Hope.

6. i really recommend either playing or (if that’s not your thing) watching a youtube playthrough (i recommend no commentary, but that’s up to you) of Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor. my fic is based on these games, but very, very loosely; you won’t be spoiled for Luminous Beings by watching this. there’s a great book set between the two games called Battle Scars. it’s a lot of fun.

7. then the Rebels tv show followed by the new show, Ahsoka!! Rebels is wonderful (i am only halfway through) and i’m gleefully intrigued by what i’m seeing of the Ahsoka show so far. i definitely would recommend also watching The Clone Wars before this, because it sets up Ahsoka’s character!

8. the mandilorian is really good! it’s set after the originals but before the… sequels. might as well address those 😔

8. the sequels - starting with The Force Awakens (a Good movie, actually) - are… complicated to me. i loved the promise of the first one but the others REALLY let me down. the last two are decent action movies with some good characters (finn’s plotline in the second movie is genuinely really good, just too sidelined for my liking. they could have done so much more). basically, you can watch them, and i think you SHOULD watch The Force Awakens, but as star wars movies the last two i… really don’t like.

(there’s a ton of canon games and books and tv shows i’m forgetting after this, but i’d say for me personally this is the structure and the star wars stuff that i really like to revisit over and over. Knights of the Old Republic is an amazing, if old, video game set waaaaay back before the prequels. it’s great if you like viddy games)

i appreciate the faith in my opinion 🥰 and the love for Luminous Beings. i hope this is helpful!

[ijustkindalikebooks]

My lack of Youtube aside, I really love this tag and wanted to do for my own reading so far this year! I found the questions from Fangirl Fury however this tag was created by Ely and Chamie over on Youtube a long time ago to show your favourite books of the year, these are the books that stand out to me so far.

Best Book You’ve Read So Far: I am torn between Sea Of Tranqulity and The Kiss Quotient. Very different in style, they may be however these two books have such great characterisation and a writing style that just pulled me in. I loved every moment of reading these books and I'd highly recommend both reads to anyone.

Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far: I mean I know technically it's a prequel, but I'm going to say Day Of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon. The way she has created the world and how her characters linger in my mind long after the book has finished leaves me thinking I need to know more, I need to know what happened after this and I think that's a sign of a great, great book.

New Release(s) You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To (AKA here’s a glimpse at my TBR pile): Amari and The Great Game is a book I can't wait to read after the first one was just so good, I'm waiting for it from the library currently. When Women Were Dragons and Seasonal Fears are coming on holiday with me, I need to read those books as I've been looking forward to them for so long.

Biggest Disappointment: How To Kill Men And Get Away With It - The main character in this book was so awful and literally *hated women* I was like please let this woman get caught so I can stop reading this book. I also feel Death On Gokumon Island is not a bad book but no one warned me how slow it is. Great finale to the book though.

Biggest Surprise: I don't really have any surprises that come to mind, I feel like when you know your taste, you tend to give more books five stars (I don't take pride in how few five stars I give, I think that's generally a bad sign you still don't know what you like, call me controversial) but as someone not really into romance so much, maybe The Kiss Quotient and how much I loved it.

Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of the Year: The Last Devil To Die by Richard Osman comes out later this year and it's definitely a book I want to read as soon as possible. The Fall Of Whit Rivera by Crystal Maldonado is also on my list too and whenever Silverborn comes out, I will be there. But the one I've got on preorder is the BTS book 'Beyond The Story' - 544 pages of photos, their history and QR codes that link to videos about their time as a group.

Favorite New Author (Debut or New to You): New to me, I would say for Helen Hoang, and I can't wait to read more of her books. Debut books I've read so far this year that stand out are 'Everyone's Invited' by Sara Soma - a non fiction book about feminism, Careless by Kirsty Capes is brilliant and the characterisation is incredible, Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris also stands out.

What books would be the answer to these questions for you? I'd love to know!

Vee xo.

[catofthecanals289]

For the ask game: V: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose? &&& F: Share a snippet from one of your favourite dialogue scenes you've written and explain why you're proud of it. <3

V: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

really obscure answer incoming but to stand outside your virtue. I'd write a sequel. I've adored this fic for so many years

F: Share a snippet from one of your favourite dialogue scenes you've written and explain why you're proud of it.

“Cause I’d miss you too, if you weren’t alive anymore. I’d miss you so much, I’d never forgive myself for losing you.”

Looking down, Nolan bites his lip, meeting Travis’ eyes.

“And me. You’d never forgive me either, right?”

Placing another kiss to the corner of Nolan’s mouth, Travis shakes his head.

“I’d forgive you,” he whispers, voice so soft and gentle it makes Nolan shiver with warmth. “Even if you couldn’t, I would. I’d forgive you.”

This is from my fic Twice As Many Stars (who is surprised, no one) and I am proud of this part because ther eis this song I love and this was inspired by a line from it. and the fic deals a lot with trying and guilt and feeling like a burden and all that sutff and the main character Nolan has been carrying this trauma wiht him and basically he hasn't forgiven himself for a choice he made that lead to a part of that trauma. So forgiveness is important too.. even if it has like double menaing here because of course what Nolan did is nothing that should need to beforgiven. But I'll stop rambling now

[merinnan]

Fic Tag Game

Grabbed from @hils79, because it looked like fun.

Name: Merinnan, which I’ve gone by for... fifteen years now, I think? Prior to that, I mostly used Calicia (and sometimes Zoi).

Fandoms: Like Hils, I’m only going to list the fandoms I’ve actually written fic for.

Star Trek: My very first fandom, and the one I’ve written the most fics for (so far - I suspect that DMBJ will overtake it. It certainly already has in terms of word count). I was (and am still) primarily a DS9 fan, and was a huge Kira/Dukat and Garak/Bashir shipper back in the day. Most of my Trekfics are DS9 fics, but I also dabbled a little bit in TOS and TNG, and had one or two crackfic crossovers that involved Voyager characters. Discovery has tempted me with a few fic ideas, but I haven’t written anything for it yet.

Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon: aka, the show that first had me seriously questioning my sexuality. Look, Haruka and Michiru are #goals, don’t judge me. This is also where my Zoi name came from, after the first season villain Zoisite, whom I cosplayed several times. Unsurprisingly, my main ships are HaruMichi and KunZoi. Despite this fact, neither of my published Sailormoon fics are HaruMichi.

Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040: A short-lived fandom, but one I still liked enough to write a fic for and get the OST CD.

World of Warcraft: I wouldn’t say I’m really part of the fandom, per se, but I’ve been playing since the dying days of Burning Crusade, am a huge lore nerd, and started writing a crossover fic that is currently on indefinite hiatus. I do plan to come back and finish it, but first RL got in the way, and now I have to try and remember where I’d actually been planning to go with it.

A Court of Thorns and Roses: That crossover fic I just mentioned? Yeah, this is what it’s a crossover with. ACoTaR fandom went sleepy for awhile, but it’s back up and kicking now that A Court of Silver Flames is out - if any of you are still following me, it’s great to see everyone active again! To the surprise of no-one who knows me, I’m a big Nessian shipper.

Mo Dao Zu Shi / Chen Qing Ling / The Untamed: I came to this fandom via ACoTaR, actually, after a certain person (hi, @rhysand-vs-fenrys!) wouldn’t stop gushing about it :-) This is the fandom that really and seriously got me back into regular fic writing again after 15-ish years. I’m a multishipper here, and have written / am writing WangXian, NieLan, XiCheng, XuanLi, and XiSang.

Guardian / Zhen Hun: MDZS fandom led me to Guardian, which, along with DMBJ, has devoured my life in a way that hasn’t happened since my Star Trek days, and I love it! WeiLan is my major ship, but I’m also quite fond of the DaMian life raft.

Zhu Yilong: Yes, I’m going to list a person as a fandom. Zhu Yilong is one of the stars of Guardian, and is both incredibly pretty and an incredibly talented actor. So much so that I have suffered through some truly terrible dramas just to watch him in them. I do not write Z1L-fic, since RPF of living people is a personal squick of mine, but I am working on a massive crossover fic of most of his characters.

Mo Du: Guardian led me along to more of Priest’s works, such as Mo Du, which is now officially my favourite book, and I adore the main WenZhou ship. The Mo Du fandom right now is pretty tiny, and I’m still working on my first fic for it, but I hope that it will grow with the donghua due out this year, and the drama having just started filming.

Daomu Biji / The Lost Tomb: I initially came into this fandom because of Zhu Yilong, who played Wu Xie in the Reboot / Reunion / Chongqi drama, and then I got sucked into the fandom pit of all of the books and dramas and spinoffs, and it’s wonderful and fantastic. I have written so much for it, and have so much more planned. PingXie and PingXieSang are my main ships here, but I’m also a HeiHua fan, and very much enjoying the RiSang pool noodle that @kholran created.

Tropes: Hurt/Comfort and crack are my major ones.

Fic I spent most time on: A toss-up between Endings and Beginnings and Reunion, both DS9 fics. Endings and Beginnings is an alternate ending to the show, while Reunion is a Gul Dukat-centric fic set around, oh, season 5ish? Both were written for and initially published in print fanzines, so in addition to time spent writing, there was a lot of back and forth for editing, etc.

Favourite fic(s) you’ve written: Look, I honestly couldn’t say. I like most of the fics I’ve written, and there are several that I’m really proud of and really like.

Fic I spent least time on: Silent Graves, a super angsty DMBJ/Lost Tomb Xiaoge fic. I think I wrote it in like 15 minutes.

Longest fic: Cat’s Paw, a DMBJ/Lost Tomb PingXieSang canon rewrite fic I co-wrote with @xantissa, at  247 826 words. For fics written by just me, not with a co-writer, then that would be Nevermore, my WIP MDZS/CQL XiCheng Pacific Rim AU, at 22 276 words and counting.

Shortest fic: Every entry in my DS9 Drabbles series, with each one at exactly 100 words. Although if you count them as a quintdrabble, then Indiscretion (a DS9 missing scene vignette about Gul Dukat, set during the episode of the same name) at 169 words.

Most hits/kudos/comments/bookmarks/subscriptions: The answer to all of these is either Cat’s Paw or Nevermore, so I’m going to give the next highest.

Hits:  Those who fear darkness have never seen what light can do, a DMBJ/Lost Tomb PingXie supernatural AU fic co-written with xantissa.

Since this fic also takes the highest kudos, bookmarks, and subscriptions after Cat’s Paw/Nevermore, I’ll skip to the next fic along on each of those.

Kudos: Stars fall like diamonds, a DMBJ/Lost Tomb PingXie missing scene fic from Reboot/Reunion/Chongqi.

Bookmarks: A Knight in Bloody Armour, another DMBJ/Lost Tomb PingXieSang supernatural AU fic (but a different supernatural AU) co-written with xantissa.

Comments: Ears and Other Related Calamities, yet another DMBJ/Lost Tomb PingXieSang supernatural AU fic (of a different again supernatural AU) co-written with xantissa.

Subscriptions: The Rescue Job, a Guardian WeiLan Leverage AU, currently at one chapter complete and posted out of a planned five chapters.

Fic you want to rewrite/expand on: We have plans for a prequel and a sequel to A Knight in Bloody Armour, and a spinoff fic for The Zhang Identity (a DMBJ/Lost Tomb PingXie AU that is complete but not yet posted. It will be posted in April as part of the Small Fandoms Big Bang).

Share a bit of a WIP: This is from an as-yet-unnamed post-canon fix-it fic for the Guardian drama:

It was hurting again. Zhao Yunlan curled up into a tight ball under the hospital blankets, trying to ignore it enough to try to get back to sleep. He knew it wouldn't work, because he couldn't remember a time when it ever did, but it was always worth a shot, right? He squeezed his eyes shut and held himself tightly for a few...moments? Minutes?...before grabbing his stuffed cat and clutching it while he forced himself to breathe deep, slow breaths the way the doctors back in Spring City had taught him.

Eventually, the pain died back down to its usual dull ache, the one that was bearable and let him play, and watch TV, and do school lessons with his mother. One day, she said, they'd find a doctor who knew what was wrong, why he hurt all the time, and the doctor would give him medicine that would keep the worst pain away so that he could go to an actual school and meet more kids than the ones who lived in their apartment block or who frequented the same playground that he liked to go to.

Zhao Yunlan tried closing his eyes again, seeing if he could go back to sleep, but he was far too awake now. He sighed, sitting up in bed and looking around the room. Again. It was just like the hospital rooms in Spring City, and in Kiyota City. He figured that if the doctors here in Tomorrow Mountains couldn't help, his parents would take him to yet another city, and the hospital rooms there would probably look the same, too.

Then, over the faint beeping of hospital equipment, and the quiet murmurs further down the corridor of nurses at the nurse station or seeing to other patients, he heard a soft sniffling sound, like someone was trying not to cry too loudly. He picked up his stuffed cat and looked at it.

"What do you think, Dead Cat?" he asked it. "Should we go and find them?"

Dead Cat didn't answer, of course, but that didn't stop Zhao Yunlan from assuming that it agreed with him, and slipping out of bed. His feet touched the cold tile floor with barely a sound, and, still holding Dead Cat tightly, Zhao Yunlan padded over to the door. He looked up and down the corridor, then left his room to track down the sniffling noise.

He wasn't surprised that it came from the next room. He was surprised that it came from another kid, a boy who looked to be about his age, huddled in bed and wiping his eyes.

"Hi," Zhao Yunlan whispered. The other boy looked up in surprise, then stopped to clutch his chest as he began to cough. Once he'd finished coughing, Zhao Yunlan and Dead Cat were perched on the end of his bed.

"I'm Zhao Yunlan, and this is Dead Cat." He held up Dead Cat, moving one of the paws to wave hello. "What's your name?"

The boy wiped his eyes again. "Shen Ye."

I tag: ALL OF YOU! Are you a writer who hasn’t done this yet? Consider yourself tagged if you want to be.

[greywayfarer]

Could you give some insight into ephram character and what his opinions of all his family/life as a prince? Does he care about anyone else in his family or is he only here for Seneca’s attention and has it always been this way? That chapter of Seneca and ephram in the water talking about what life could have been like is just so well written and so good for my heart 😍 dude seems really complex and I’m here for it. like he wishes sometimes that he could have met Seneca without the bs of being a prince of nasria but gets annoyed when Seneca will got to the healers office (rather than the other way around)…he clearly wants Seneca’s attention and affection on him but has no problem beating his ass into the ground, in front of everyone, likely knowing that this will make Seneca’s pissed at him/distance himself…what exactly is his game plan here haha also random question but will the mothers of the princes play a role / make an appearance in this story as they did in your prequel/sequel?

This is something I have been thinking about. I'm not a big fan of having a love interest point of view in the story as I love to keep what they are thinking secret and it adds to the reader 's (at least for me in my own reading experience) experience of being right there with the main character's own experience. That being said, once the story is completed, I'm going to have a post on tumblr asking you guys what parts of the story you would like to see from Ephram's point of view and I will do one/several one shots for you guys.

That being said, I can answer some of your questions now. Does he care about anyone else in his family or is he only here for Senec'a attention and has it always been this way? Yes and no. He of course care nothing for Conrad, other than a dark amusement. He enjoys a friendship with both Isen and Rydan, but as the most important years of his life was spent away in battle, it is nothing particularly deep. Same goes with their father, he loves and respects the man who had shown a great example of what a King should be, but again its like in a distant way of relations who you see several times a year and you get on well with. It's very different with Seneca. Seneca has always been his focus point. Right from hero worshiping the brother who everyone knew was the favourite, wanting to be the centre of attention for him and now, older and understanding his feelings better, Seneca is number one.

He clearly wants Seneca’s attention and affection on him but has no problem beating his ass into the ground, in front of everyone, likely knowing that this will make Seneca’s pissed at him/distance himself…what exactly is his game plan here? This must be acts that are at odds with some readers, Ephram clearly wants Seneca but he can hurt and humiliate him at the same time with no regret. Don't forget what culture and family they grew up in, they are actively encouraged to always compete with each other and, later, kill each other. They spar constantly and Seneca had beaten Ephram years ago with Seneca having no remorse. Ephram needed to prove to Seneca that he was different from the over confident teenager he had fought. That he was a worthy adversary to fight with and he could give just as got as he got, if not better. Now Seneca has no choice but to take Ephram very seriously and Ephram has what he as always wanted: Seneca's attention.

[indiaalphawhiskey]

K, V, & X !! thank you xx

Thank you for the questions! 💕

K: What���s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

The easiest way to answer this is to give you the summary of the old WIP I had to let go of. 😉

Three Sixty Seven (Read more here.)

After nearly ten years under the spotlight, rockstar Harry Styles has become accustomed to finding refuge behind the walls of tattoo parlours. New songs, new cities, new shops – his growing collection of ink serves as the perfect armour to keep his soulmark hidden from prying eyes, and people who’d gladly take advantage. 

But fate, it turns out, has a sense of humour, because no matter how hard Harry hides, it finds him anyway – right there, in the tiniest tattoo shop in all of London, in the form of one, Louis Tomlinson. And it’s supposed to be simple – boy meets mate, they fall in love, and live happily ever after. But when has love – even the kind that’s written in the stars – ever been simple?

Or, a tribute to a world where love is moulded entirely by destiny – and all the complications that come with it.

V: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

Damn, wow, this one is a hard one. Off the top of my head, I think I would have to say I’d love to write a companion fic to Pull Me Under by Zarah5.

The entire fic (save the coda) is written from Louis’ perspective, but that fic actually has one of my most favourite characterisations of Harry ever, so I think it would be amazing to write the fic from his POV.

X: A character you enjoy making suffer.

I think, because I’ve always felt like Harry and I are similar, I do enjoy putting him through the wringer. I think it’s been a lot easier for me to write out his flaws and help him surpass them because of the catharsis that comes with watching someone you connect so deeply to find their way out of trouble.

🍟 Fanfic Ask Game

[grigori77]

2019 In TV - My Top 10 Shows

This past year may have sucked balls in a lot of ways, but we certainly never got short-changed when it came to our TV.  There was an absolute WEALTH of truly cracking TV around, both on regular networks and on the various on-demand platforms, and so here is my pick of the best, my absolute favourites of 2019.

10.  WATCHMEN

Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof brings us a blinding sequel to comic book legend Alan Moore’s legendary graphic novel with a delightfully trippy, ruthlessly efficient rug-puller that seems pretty tailor-made for HBO.  Old faces return in interesting ways, while there are some cracking new “masks” on offer, particularly Regina King’s Sister Night and the always-brilliant Tim Blake Nelson as morally complex antihero Looking Glass (in some ways very much the show’s own answer to Rorschach).  It never goes where you expect it to go, and refuses to give easy answers to the questions it raises, effortlessly paving the way for more next year ...

9.  THE BOYS

Amazon offers up its own edgy, thoroughly adult superhero property with this darkly funny antiheroic gem based on the cult Garth Ennis comic, expertly adapted by Supernatural creator Eric Kripke.  Karl Urban dominates as Billy Butcher, the foul-mouthed, morally bankrupt “leader” of a makeshift crew of mercenaries, hitmen and psycho killers devoted to “taking care of” superheroes when they inevitably go bad.  Season 1 ultimately serves as an origin story, showing how the team come together, laying quality groundwork for the incoming sophomore tour that promises to open the already fascinating world out significantly.

8.  PREACHER (SEASON 4)

More Garth Ennis, namely this blinder of a closing season for AMC’s consistently impressive adaptation of his best known series for Vertigo comics.  Surprisingly epic, deliciously subversive and constantly, darkly hilarious, this thoroughly non-PC series from showrunners Sam Catlin, Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen (yes! I Know!) certainly went out on a high note, providing its loyal followers with perfectly-pitched bow-outs and sometimes heartbreaking goodbyes for all its players, especially its dynamite leads, Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga and, in particular, Joe Gilgun as unapologetic bad boy vampire Cassidy.  A worthy end to one of my all-time favourite TV shows.

7.  THE WITCHER

While it’s clearly taken its look from the wildly successful video games, Netflix’s second most ambitious long-form offering of the year takes its lead from the fantasy book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski that started it all.  With its somewhat episodic set-up and decidedly twisted narrative timelines, it take a few chapters to get the hang of it, but there’s plenty to draw you in, from the exotic world-building to the frenetic action and compelling collection of richly crafted characters.  Henry Cavill is the titular hero, lovably grouchy mutant monster-hunter Geralt of Rivia, but the real scene-stealer is co-star Anya Chalotra as roguishly self-serving mage Yennefer of Vengenberg.

6.  CARNIVAL ROW

One of the year’s two big sleeper hit TV surprises for me was this inventively offbeat allegorical Amazon fantasy series from The 4400 creator René Echevarria and screenwriter Travis Beacham. Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevigne are the star-crossed lovers at the heart of this intriguingly dark and dirty murder mystery thriller set in Victorian London-esque city-state the Burgue, in which humans struggle to co-exist alongside a struggling disenfranchised underclass of fae (fairies, fawns, centaurs and the like).  The racial turmoil undertones are writ large throughout, but this is far more well-written and lavishly appointed than you might expect on first glance, and almost ridiculously addictive viewing.

5.  LOVE, DEATH + ROBOTS

My other big TV surprise was this wonderfully bizarre sci-fi anthology series of animated shorts from Netflix, mostly adapted from an eclectic selection of short stories from a wide range of top-notch literary talent including Peter F. Hamilton, John Scalzi, Marko Kloos and Alastair Reynolds (a particular favourite of mine).  As you’d expect from the brainchild of Deadpool director Tim Miller and producer David Fincher, this is edgy, leftfield stuff, frequently ultra-violent and decidedly adult, and the wildly varied nature of the material on offer makes for a decidedly uneven tone, but there are some absolute gems on offer here, my favourite being Suits, an enjoyably simple tale of salt-of-the-earth farmers on an alien world utilising clunky mech suits to protect their settlement from rampaging giant xeno-bugs.

4.  THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE

The show with the biggest cinematic wow factor in 2019 had to be this long-awaited prequel series to Jim Henson’s classic fantasy movie masterpiece, created for Netflix by, of all people, Louis Leterrier (yes, the director of The Transporter, Now You See Me and Clash of the Titans, if you can believe it). The technology may have evolved in leaps and bounds, but there’s a wonderfully old school vibe in the delightfully physical puppet effects used to bring the fantastical world of Thra and its denizens to life, so that it truly does feel like it’s based in the same world as the film.  This was EASILY the most visually arresting show of 2019, packed with exquisite character, creature and set design that perfectly complements the awesome work done by Henson and Brian Froud on the original, while the writers have created a darkly rich narrative tapestry that makes Thra seem a more dangerous place than ever.

3.  THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY

I was a HUGE fan of My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way’s magnificently oddball alternative superhero comic, so when I learned that Netflix were adapting it I was a little wary because I knew how spectacularly hard it would be for ANY showrunners to get right.  Thankfully Steve Blackman (Fargo season 2) and Jeremy Slater (The Exorcist TV series) were the right choice, because this perfectly captured the outsider nature of the characters and their endearingly dysfunctional family dynamic. Ellen Page, Tom Hopper (Black Sails, Merlin), David Castañeda and Emmy Raver-Lampman are all excellent as the more “functional” Hargreeves siblings, but the show is roundly stolen by Misfits star Robert Sheehan and Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn’s Aidan Gallagher as nihilistic clairvoyant Klaus and the old-man-in-a-child’s-body sociopath known only as Number Five. Consistently surprising and brilliantly bonkers, this was definitely the year’s most wonderfully WEIRD show.

2.  STRANGER THINGS (SEASON 3)

Writer-director duo the Duffer Brothers’ ultra-nostalgic 80s-set coming-of-age sci-fi horror series remains the undisputed jewel in Netflix’s long-form crown with this consistently top-drawer third season expertly maintaining the blockbuster-level standards we’ve come to expect.  This year the cross-dimensional shenanigans have largely been jettisoned, replaced by a gleefully nasty through-line of icky body horror that would make major influences like David Cronenberg and Stuart Gordon proud, as perennial teenage bad boy Billy Hargrove (the fantastically menacing Dacre Montgomery) becomes the leader of an army of psychic slaves under the control of the Upside Down’s monstrous Mind Flayer.  The kids are all brilliant as always, Winona Ryder and David Harbour really get to build on their strong-yet-spiky chemistry, and the show is almost effortlessly stolen by Joe Keery as one-time golden boy Steve Harrington and series-newcomer Maya Hawke as his nerdy new foil Robin Buckley, who were very nearly the cutest couple on TV in 2019.  Another gold standard season for a true gold standard show.

1.  GOOD OMENS

Sadly, legendary author Terry Pratchett died before he could see the adaptation of one of his most beloved novels (and one of my all-time literary favourites too) see the light of day, but at least his co-author Neil Gaiman was around to bring it to fruition with the aid of seasoned TV director David Mckinnon (Jekyll, Doctor Who, Sherlock), and the end result sure did him proud, perfectly capturing the deeply satirical voice and winningly anarchic, gleefully offbeat and gently subversive humour of the original novel.  David Tennant and Michael Sheen could both have been born to play Crowley and Aziraphale, the angel and demon nominally charged with watching over the young Antichrist in preparation for his role in the End Times, even though they would both much rather the world just went on quite happily the way it is, thanks very much. This is about as perfect an adaptation as you can get, the six hour-long episodes giving the surprisingly complex story time to breathe and grow organically, and the result is the most fun I spent in front of my TV this year.

[bluescreening]

Book Recommendations: Dystopias

A lot of people find dystopian fiction depressing. I actually find them uplifting, since it makes the real world seem a whole lot brighter! Well, I can’t promise that the world right now is actually any better than them, but we can dream. Here are some of the best. All blurbs written by me unless otherwise specified.

Also, this post deleted itself halfway through me writing it. Ah, the things I struggle through for you people. The reviews I painstakingly re-write. The show must go on.

The Handmaid’s Tale (and The Testaments) by Margaret Atwood - The Republic of Gilead is ruled by right-wing Christian extremists, and freedom for women is a rare commodity. Offred’s value lies in her reproductive ability, stolen from many other women by high levels of radiation. She must find a way to escape before she outlives her usefulness.

I know, I know, it’s typical, but hear me out (or scroll down for more original ones). This book is heartbreaking, it’s beautiful, it’s terrifying and most importantly it’s very applicable to modern society. I’m sure you’ve all heard people go on for ages about how it technically excels, but I want to talk about how Atwood never once falls into the trap of showing characters getting stronger by making them more masculine. Offred and the other female characters all embrace their femininity in different ways, and they are all strong while also being women, something many young adult writers seem to think is impossible. I expect nothing less from this great author. The Testaments went through the same prejudice as all sequels from reviewers, but I think it was wonderfully done and answers plenty of questions about Gilead and the world watching it.

Chaos Walking (The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men) by Patrick Ness - There are a couple of strange things about Prentisstown. There are no women, and everyone can hear each other’s thoughts. Even the animals. Todd Hewitt is the youngest one in town, and he’s determined to find out the secrets of his home.

Ah, Patrick Ness, the only author on the planet who can reliably make me cry. And hoo boy, is there lots of crying to be had in this series. Emotional turmoil ahoy! No but seriously, once you get over the way the main character’s accent is written (which made me pass by this book more than once) the story told throughout the series is deeply heartfelt, frightening and above all human. Topics from war to gender to segregation to what it means to be human are all covered in a way suitable for youngsters while also managing to be compelling and intense to adults. A slightly offbeat dystopia, but one with worldbuilding that cannot be scoffed at.

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) by Suzanne Collins - Panem is divided into 12 districts, who each provide cheap labour for the illustrious Capitol. Each year 24 children are forced to fight to the death to quell uprising in the districts. That is, untill Katniss Everdeen comes along to shake things up.

Everyone knows the Hunger Games. But if you’ve only watched the films, I strongly suggest you read the books. The media industry did what the Capitol did, and threw out the real story to focus on a romance that isn’t even real within the context of the books. If you have read the books, check out The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. It’s a prequel, focusing on how President Snow got to be... like that. Despite mixed reviews I really enjoyed it, and it was very nostalgic for me, considering I was pretty much obsessed with Panem for several years.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - Montag is a firefighter, but not in the normal sense. His job is to burn books, protecting the people from the knowledge within. A meeting with a teenager called Clarisse has thrown his worldview into disarray, and his wife is going insane.

This book is standing in for all my old dystopias - 1984, Animal Farm, We - for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I recently realised 1984 creeped me out as a kid because of how r*pey it was and I need to re-read and re-assess whether I like it or not. Secondly, because I think it’s really quite poignant in the current information age. We have access to the internet to co-ordinate, learn and educate each other. The sum total of all human knowledge is here. If we didn’t, would we be able to rebel as we do now? Or would we simply go along with what we are told, because we have never been told otherwise? Also, Ray Bradbury is a legend and is likely to pop up in my upcoming short stories list quite a lot. Bear in mind that this is a very thinky book so don’t pick it up as a light summer read, pick it up for introspection and criticism of censorship in our society.

Vox by Christina Dalcher - Women are limited to 100 words per day, at risk of a near-fatal electric shock if they overstep. Girls are swiftly losing the ability to speak, read and write. Dr Jean McClellan is going to change that if it kills her.

One big criticism of this book is that it’s too similar to the Handmaid’s Tale. I have to agree to a certain extent, but there are some key differences that make it a worthy read on its own. The pace, for one thing, is a lot faster, with more action which might make it a great option if you haven’t got the patience for Atwood’s style. It feels a lot more like a typical young adult dystopia without losing any of the moral punch of HT. Also, it emphasises the importance of communication for rebellion a lot more than HT. I think its message needs to be said again and again, and that the stylistic and plot differences not only make it accessible for more people but also lend themselves to a more personal story. Let the reviewers whine. It’s one of my favourites.

The Broken Trilogy (Broken Sky, Darkness Follows and Black Moon) by L. A. Weatherly - Amity is a Peacefighter, charged with competing in dogfights with other regions’ representatives in lieu of actual war. But corruption has its teeth deep into the Peacefights, and there is a tanged web of espionage, rebellion and... astrology?

Yep, that’s right folks, this is a dystopia in which your star chart determines whether you live or die. Sure, it sounds goofy, but surprisingly enough it works extremely well as a premise, and who are we to talk trash about insane government officials? Amity is a deep, exciting character, and she’s joined by a really compelling cast including a secretive astrologer and Amity’s love interest. Unfortunately, the love story feels quite forced, but fortunately the rest of the story is so good you can struggle through. The first book is a slight trek to get into, but once you do, there’s a hell of a cliffhanger waiting for you. I shall say no more.

And that about wraps up my forays into dystopian fiction! As you can probably tell I’m obsessed so expect a second post when I’ve collected a few more. Might have to divide it into feminist and other :/

[seeinganewlight]

Fibonacci numbers: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34

1. is there a book you think everyone should read?

i mean i want everyone to read if we were villains because it’s my favorite lmao

2. is there a book you wish you could delete from the collective memory?

LOL SO MANY. but uh would i be me if i did not say anna and the french kiss?

3. what is your opinion on book clubs? are you part of one or would you join one?

i love book clubs! in fact, i help run one with @laststop​ and @southerland​, teatimereadings which you can check out on insta! i’m also part of literasian and wiltedrosebookclub

5. how do you get your bookish news?

mostly through twitter!

8. is there a book that deserved a sequel but didn’t get one?

uh tbh i want an iwwv prequel (sorry for the lack of creativity in this answer lol)

13. is there a book or book series you only read because you felt like you had to and not because you were genuinely interested in it?

probably all for the game....no one actually pressed me into it, but a bunch of my friends were reading it so i wanted to as well but i definitely wish i hadn’t read it and i would not encourage anyone to read it

21. do you annotate your books? do you have a fixed system?

i do! it depends on the book and why i’m annotating it. some books i’ll highlight all in one color, but others i’ll have specific colors for certain characters. it kind of just depends on what i’m in the mood for!

34. would you rather forget your favourite book(s) forever but never read a bad book again for the rest of your life OR remember your favourite book(s) but only ever read mediocre books for the rest of your life?

i gotta go with mediocre books for the rest of my life. i love my favorites way too much!

book asks 📚

[ladyherenya]

Books read in December

I set myself some reading goals for the end of the year -- finish any books I’d already started, read the books I'd already borrowed, and to read ebooks I’d bought before buying any more. But I guess most of those books just weren’t the right genre? A few exceptions aside, this month I read a bunch of other things instead.

Also read: The Frost Fair Affair and Holiday Brew by Tansy Rayner Roberts, and Sweetest in the Gale and 40-Love by Olivia Dade.

Reread: Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn and Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston.

Total: thirteen novels (including two audiobooks and two rereads), three novellas, and three story/novella collections.

Favourite cover: The cover was what caught my attention for Finding My Voice and Old Baggage.

Still reading: Between Silk and Cyanide by Leo Marks, Or What You Will by Jo Walton and The Disorderly Knights by Dorothy Dunnett.

Next up: A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis.

*

Queen’s Play by Dorothy Dunnett (narrated by David Monteath): In 1548, Francis Crawford of Lymond arrives in France, incognito in order to protect Scotland’s queen, seven-year-old Mary. I enjoyed this, even though I am not very interested in the antics of the French court and thought The Game of Kings benefitted from having more characters who I found wholly likeable and/or who matter, personally, to Lymond. Dunnett is an impressive storyteller -- vivid descriptions, lively dialogue, nuanced characters and twists that take me by surprise. Moreover, those satisfying puzzle pieces explain the plots and intrigue, give insight into personalities and develop the narrative’s themes (here, the consequences of power). 

The Kinship of Secrets by Eugenia Kim: In 1950, four year old Inja lives with her grandparents and uncle in Seoul, while her sister Miran is in America with their parents. War delays the family’s reunion. This is a fascinating portrayal of two sisters growing up in different countries, and an incredibly poignant story about a family separated. Compelling, and beautifully written, and despite moments of intense grief, hopeful. I liked how, in the end, Inja and Miran didn’t have all the answers.. But I wonder if I’d have found the ending more satisfying if I had a deeper understanding of who they both were as adults.

Teacup Magic series by Tansy Rayner Roberts:

Tea and Sympathetic Magic: Stephanie Burgis recommended this novella as something similar to her Harwood Spellbook series and it certainly has a similar appeal: romantic fantasy, bordering on comedy-of-manners territory. Like Georgette Heyer but with magic and diversity and an intention to challenge problematic and outdated attitudes. Charming and cosy, like a good cup of tea rather than a frothy hot chocolate. Miss Mnemosyne Seaborne, a reluctant guest at a houseparty. She joins forces with the other guests after an unexpected abduction occurs. Entertaining, and even though it was too short for me to really become invested, I immediately wanted to read the sequel.

The Frost Fair Affair: After her previous adventures, Mneme has new friends, a suitor and a campaign: overturning the social conventions which prevent women from travelling by portal. After someone in Town steals her political pamphlets, she gets caught up in a mystery. I enjoyed this oh so much! I found myself caring a lot more about Mneme and her relationships; I liked the mixture of intrigue and danger, and how in the cause of dealing with these, Mneme learns more about the man she hopes to marry; and the Frost Fair, on a frozen river, makes a delightful setting. I'd love to read more.

Belladonna U(niversity) series by Tansy Rayner Roberts:

Unreal Alchemy: Oh, this is my new favourite! Urban fantasy about Australian uni students who are connected to an indie rock band, Fake Geek Girl. These stories are funny, geeky and romantic, with great chapter titles and lots of fandom references. They employ different points of view and different narrative styles in a way that’s really effective. I love the characters and how important and intense their non-romantic relationships are. Between them they have a variety of romantic/sexual relationships and feelings, but friendships and familial relationships, like the one between twin sisters Hebe and Holly, also drive the narrative. The first collection contains four stories/novellas.

Fake Geek Girl -- Ferd moves into the Manic Pixie Dream House; Holly and Sage argue about the future of the band.

Unmagical Boy Story -- Viola has feelings about her best friend losing his magic, transferring colleges and making new friends.

The Bromancers --  The band and frriends spend a weekend at a magical music festival.

The Alchemy of Fine -- A prequel about the band’s origins.

Holiday Brew: This collection is more serious and less overtly fandom-y than the first, but arguably still very meta (especially if you consider Viola, Jules and Ferd as a response to the trio in Harry Potter). I sat down intending to read just one of these stories -- and ended up reading them all.

Halloween Is Not A Verb -- Holly invites various people to their mums’ place for Halloween.

Solstice on the Rocks -- A short story about university graduation.

Kissing Basilisks --  Begins on New Year’s Day, is compelling, and picks up the non-band-related narrative threads from Fake Geek Girl.

Missing Christmas by Kate Clayborn: This novella is loosely connected to Beginer's Luck but stands alone. It's sweet. Business partners and best friends Jasper and Kristen pay a last minute trip to a client and get trapped by a blizzard, which pushes them to reconsider the boundaries they’ve drawn in their relationship. I liked the moments which showed that they’re an effective team because they know each other so well and can communicate through subtle body language. 

Finding My Voice by Marie Myung-Ok Lee: Ellen is a Korean-American teenager in her final year of high school. Her story is about applying for college, gymnastics training, Ellen’s relationships with her best friend and her first boyfriend, dealing with racism at school and with her parents’ expectations that she will follow her sister to Harvard. It’s very short, first published in 1993. I was aware of all the places where a YA novel written today would be allowed to give more details and to expand the story, but it was still interesting.

The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan by Sherry Thomas: I’ve borrowed this several times this year, only to return it unread each time, and I was starting to wonder if I really wanted to read it. But once I actually sat down and focused, I quickly realised that I definitely did! I became completely engrossed in this Mulan retelling. It’s a tense adventure. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions, particularly the elaborate courtesy of formal conversations, and the way Mulan and her companions value loyalty and camaraderie. I thought this was a very believable take on the whole girl-disguised-as-a-boy thing too.

Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce: In 1940, Emmy wants a newspaper job but is instead typing up letters for a women’s magazine and discarding mail from readers whose problems are Unacceptable. Frustrated that Mrs Bird won’t offer advice to so many women in need, Emmy's tempted to take matters into her own hands. Her optimism means she makes some naive mistakes, some of which made me wince, but it’s also an incredible strength. She's delightful company. I really like how much of this story is about her friendship with Bunty and I enjoyed the insight into women's magazines and the Auxiliary Fire Service.

The Lonely Hearts Dog Walkers by Sheila Norton: Recently separated, Nicola moves back in with her mother, starts as a teaching assistant at her daughter’s new school, gets a puppy and joins a group of dog walkers, who embark upon a mission to save the local park. This was very low-angst and, once I realised the sort of story it was, kind of predictable. I can recognise the appeal of this brand of realism, but personally would have preferred more humour or more emotional complexity. Were Nicola a colleague, it’d be easy to find things in common to discuss, but her story wasn’t quite what I was looking for.

Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett: When Josie and her mother return to Beauty to look after the family bookshop, Josie has plans -- keep to herself, finish high school, secure a photography apprenticeship, move to LA. But after Josie accidentally breaks a store-front window and her childhood friend Lucky takes the blame, Josie’s priorities change. I enjoyed this more than I expected to. I particularly liked how Lucky subverts people’s expectations, and how Josie’s family works at communicating better with each other.

Old Baggage by Lissa Evans (narrated by Joanna Scanlan): It’s 1928 and Mattie Simpkin, a now-middle-aged militant suffragette, lives in Hampstead with her friend Florrie Lee (aka The Flea). Mattie gives lectures about the suffragettes but realises she’s not reaching the younger generation. So she starts a club for “healthy outdoor fun” for teenage girls. Mattie is wonderfully forthright -- amusing, engaging and informative when it comes to things she’s passionate about -- but she’s also fallible.  A really delightful yet bittersweet story about friendship and loss and the opportunities available for women. I liked its awareness that being able to loudly be yourself is a privilege not everyone has. 

There’s Something About Marysburg series by Olivia Dade:

Teach Me: Rose is unimpressed -- not only must she share her classroom with the new history teacher, he’s been given her Honors World History class. There’s something particularly satisfying about people who have been hurt and lonely finding support and love in each other. I like that they get to know each other over many months. I like Martin’s relationship with his teenage daughter and Rose’s relationship with her ex’s parents is so touching that one scene made me cry. And it was interesting seeing the US school system from the perspective of experienced teachers; I appreciated the details about their jobs.

Sweetest in the Gale: a Marysburg story collection contains three novellas about couples in their forties.

Sweetest in the Gale -- Griff is worried when Candy, a fellow English teacher, returns for the new school year uncharacteristically sombre and subdued. A really sweet romance about people who are navigating loss and grief.

Unraveled -- Maths teacher Simon is assigned to observe and mentor the new art teacher, Poppy. I enjoyed the threads of mystery.

Cover Me -- After a concerning mammogram result, Elizabeth marries an old friend so she’s covered by his health insurance. Predictable as anything, but that made it a safe position from which to explore serious and sobering topics.

40-Love: I’m not interested in tennis or holiday resorts; I was disappointed that this novel wouldn’t show Tess being an assistant principal; and even though some of my favourite fictional couples have a significant age-gap, I’m wary about age-gap romances (and socially-programmed to think it’s odd for a woman to date a much younger guy). But I liked the other stories in this series and I was curious. It’s Not really My Cup of Tea, but I was convinced that Tess and Lucas were both capable of making their (somewhat unconventional) relationship work. An interesting exercise in challenging my social-programming.

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn: After watching Bridgerton (not always to my tastes but mostly fun), curiosity prompted me to read the opening of the second novel, and I was so entertained by Kate Sheffield verbally sparring with the viscount, whom Kate is determined to prevent from marrying her younger sister. I continued to be entertained up until the viscount acts a bit too entitled on his wedding night (that’s unattractive, if outrightly problematic). Which left me in rather an uncharitable mood for the final act, so I can’t identify if the drama of dealing with past traumas didn’t meet the standard of the earlier comedy or if I just hold such scenes to differing standards.

[inspector-montoya-fox]

#8 - A Starry Eyed Encounter

Setting: this is our second outing in Asia but it’s extremely different. whereas Fire in the Sky was set in rural China and had sprinkles of Chinese culture on top, A Starry Eyed Encounter basks in prestige and elegance. i might as well start by saying that this is my favourite episode in the game. i love everything about this episode, its subtle orientalism and its storyline. the missions are fun, the sky is beautiful, there are enough twists, turns, balconies and tunnels to get lost in. everything feels authentic and charming, and there’s excitement because it’s a ball and everything coincides with it (meaning, everything has to be perfect and we destroy every last bit). also, there’s a nice balance and blend of nature and “man”-made structure. unlike the Canada levels where nature dominates the landscapes, here there’s a mixture. and i know this type of analysis belongs in the Themes section, but sweetie, lemme just lay this down right here, right quick for y’all: the walls keeping the jungle outside represent Rajan and his mental state, his need to present himself in a certain way. the lush palace is Rajan’s friendly image he projects, one of a great host, but his low temper and roots keep growing like the jungle outside. he’s made a fortune and built this amazing palace as a global entrepreneur and social elitist, but he can’t shed his past, how said fortune came from filth, growing up on the streets, how he belongs in the wild. this theory is further proven by the fact that the next level is full-on jungle and vines and rain and mud, etc. which represents Rajan when all hell breaks loose and he reaches his boiling point. this squeaky clean, pristine state of both Rajan and the palace mask his true nature, and set up the stage for his second level. in many ways, A Starry Eyed Encounter is a prequel because it plays out as too easy, and that kind of optimism is put into perspective as the narrative progresses forward.

Characters: basically a clusterfuck because it’s a party and literally everyone shows up. i’ve mentioned before how introducing every single character in the very first part of the game’s second level was a brilliant idea. SP managed to subvert expectations by supposedly revealing all the villains during the ball, just to then keep pulling off reveal after reveal. Neyla as the alternative romantic interest, the Contessa as an Interpol connection, Arpeggio as the petite bird that would 100% be the final boss. but let’s focus on Rajan. as i’ve already said, the palace is a mere illusion, its grandeur and glory representing what the tiger wants to be seen as. i love how A Starry Eyed Encounter and The Predator Awakes both pose as a test to see how angry Rajan can get - and he can get pretty mad (to the point where he summons lightning). but for now, Rajan isn’t shown. there’s the recon mission, and then some cutscenes of him talking with Bison but that’s just it, we don’t get any Rajan in this episode. no, this episode is dedicated to Carmelita, i think. i’ll go into detail in the Themes section but the dominant theme in this episode is romance. there are two dance sequences in A Starry Eyed Encounter and they both focus on getting with Carmelita, the theme of romance also giving this episode a softer edge. the game’s first two episodes are actually very vanilla: a quiet Paris night, and a prestigious ball in India. sure there’s climax within those episodes, but there’s no aggression or character development (brought on by high stakes). it’s like a honeymoon period before shit hits the fan. A Starry Eyed Encounter and The Predator Awakes might be a pair because of Rajan, but it’s actually the latter in combination with the two Contessa levels that are the game’s best. you’ll notice a fluctuation in narrative: everything goes as planned in the first two episodes (good) but Neyla’s betrayal throws the gang off their game in the next three episodes (bad) until Canada during which the gang manages to gather all Clockwerk parts (good) just to face complete chaos by the end (bad). and surprisingly (and to SP’s credit) the game doesn’t end on a good note. they actually had the balls to cripple Bentley and leave it at that, but also manage to not make it seem like they were just setting up the sequel. Sly 2 is very well a game on its own, even though it ends on a cliffhanger. amazing, but i digress. every character in the game minus Dimitri is in this episode but actually there’s not a lot of character development as seen by the analysis above.

Themes: uh, romance theme !!!!!!! outstandingly so, considering we’re on the brink of losing everything as 2/3 of the gang is about to get arrested in the next episode. but a first-time player isn’t aware so it’s all fun and games as far as they’re concerned. yes, this is pretty much a romance episode, complete with an erotic episode title card of Sly and Carmelita dancing intimately. even the fact that they’re drenched in soft blue and their characteristics/outline don’t have a 100% opacity shows how it’s a good time, time to forget about the spice shipments, the Clockwerk parts, let’s have fun whilst on the job, no need to worry, things certainly won’t go to shit, right? the narration hits its absolute rock-bottom in terms of love triangle storytelling by steeping to the most basic of tropes, having Sly use Neyla to get to Carmelita (something that will later come to bite him in the ass, when Neyla uses Sly to get Carmelita arrested). other than that, the romance theme doesn’t necessarily mean kissy-kissy, but can also mean romantic backdrops, items, etc. for example, the sky being violet and lilac, a mission to acquire a tuxedo, the ball, y’know what i’m talking about. it’s all very humble, pure and simple, but enhanced by Rajan’s wealth and the palace’s elegance. let’s talk about the masks theme (i call it that instead of deception or appearance v reality, because those themes are predominantly connected to Flight of Fancy in my head and i don’t want to do that theme-heavy episode dirty because its themes are its strongest asset). lots and lots of “masks” here. we have Sly dressing up as a tuxedoed cavalier in disguise, we have Rajan acting as a gentlemanly host, Contessa as a proper prison warden and Interpol agent, Neyla as the cryptic connection - nothing i haven’t already mentioned. what truly enhances the deception and the “masks” is the ball. a fancy dance, the opulence making it all fuzzy and blurry, very Florence + the Machine circa Ceremonials sans the gothic aspects, if you catch my drift. basically, it’s called the masks theme because it also includes the party aspect, this aura of pleasure and leisure which is also seen in The Black Chateau. there’s also the class theme, or class distinction. we often overlook the fact that the guards represent a hoard of employees, working mercilessly under the big bad. there’s something to be said about when one dies a replacement is easily found, but it’s just a game. well, in A Starry Eyed Encounter, this distinction is a bit more noticeable. there’s a ball going on, where all the elites and socialites are gathered, protected by the palace walls and the palace itself, surrounded by pleasures and artifice. at the same time, there are guards stationed within the guests’ rooms, patrolling rooftops and making sure everything is perfect for the ball. in other levels, they ensure the security of their employer’s operation, but here they’re responsible for the party, something way less important and dire. what really made me notice it is the moment you complete Elephant Rampage and a flashlight rhino guard escorts the prized elephants back into their room, it seemed like such a downgrading job, moving elephants, probably stepping into their shit as well because Sly frightened them, in comparison to Rajan and his guests drinking and dancing inside. i don’t know, maybe i’m exaggerating, but it definitely reminds me of that Rick and Morty episode where they spoof The Purge, when the villagers fight each other and the elitists are dining inside, maybe it’s just me.

What I Like: this is my favorite episode as an overall entity, so i’ll mention what i like most about it. the sky’s colour, the rapid tanpura music when you get spotted by guards, dancing with Carmelita, that turquoise 3D globe projection in the boardroom, the goofy voice of that guy that doesn’t allow you to enter the ball with the bulged-out eyes, the destroyed bridge next to the safehouse that leads you to a clue bottle and a treasure, and most importantly Steal A Tuxedo. i think Steal A Tuxedo and Spice in the Sky are my favorite missions from the entire game. ugh, idk, this episode is just so perfect. i sent a confession to @slycooperconfessions​ a while back saying how when i was a kid i always wanted to be invited to the ball, and that still stands today. i wish i was there...

What I Don’t Like: nothing. maybe Battle the Chopper, but other than that, nothing.

Quote: when Carmelita says You look familiar to me, are you in law enforcement? and Sly answers I often deal with police while on the job.

[nuttmeg13]

Star Wars/Reylo Tagging Game

Thank you so much for the tag @dyadinthefxrce!!!!

Rules: Answer the 25 questions and tag some people you think might like to play.

1. When did you start shipping Reylo?

I’m suuuper late to the party. I think I casually started shipping them maybe last november? so november 2019. But then after I saw TROS i was super on board with it and have full out been shipping reylo ever since!

2. Favourite Reylo moment?

ummmmmm, i have a few

1. the scene in the hut where they touch hands. that whole scene is just *chefs kiss*. first of all you get the sense that we are coming into that scene after they’ve already been there for a while and it feels so intimate? like they’ve been bearing their souls to one another for longer than we are privileged to witness. ben’s face is soft and kind and i think in that moment we are seeing ben stripped of the kylo mask. and his words “you’re not alone” (!!!!!!) and her response, “neither are you” (!!!!!!) both of them are so lonely and they’ve finally found someone who they can really connect with. i just love it.

2. the throne room scene. it’s just!!!! a couple who fights side by side! the visuals of that scene are just stunning.

3. the reylo kiss! (duh)

3. Three words to describe Reylo?

comfort, understanding, equal

4. Favourite thing about Reylo?

the fact that two of the loneliest people in the galaxy found each other and are literal soulmates. that despite all that is going on around them they found connection and love

5. Favourite character?

ben solo

6. Favourite droid?

bb-8

7. Favourite planet?

probably naboo (it’s so pretty!)

8. Favourite spaceship?

the millennial falcon

9. Favourite alien species?

probably the ewoks. they were my favorite when i was a kid because i thought they looked like teddy bears lmao

10. Favourite actor/actress?

adam driver

11. How did you get into Star Wars?

my mom is a big star wars fan and i grew up watching the original trilogy and then when the prequels and sequels were coming out it was family tradition to go and see them in the theaters together. i honestly don’t remember a time without star wars in my life

12. Most memorable Star Wars moment?

moment in the movie or moment being a fan? in general star wars has been something i’ve always enjoyed with my family, so for me i have a lot of family memories tied up with it. i guess the most memorable is just all the family time (idk if that answers the question really)

13. Anakin Skywalker or Darth Vader?

anakin skywalker

14. Ben Solo or Kylo Ren?

ben solo 

15. OT, PT or ST?

probably the sequel trilogy (may or may not be bc of kylo/ben lskdjflsd)

16. TLJ or ESB?

the last jedi. it’s my favorite star wars movie tbh

17. ROTS or ANH?

i think revenge of the sith? tbh it’s been a while since i’ve seen either one of these so idk

18. ROTJ or TFA?

return of the jedi

19. TPM or TROS?

okay so i’m gonna say tros slkdjfslkdjf. i know i know. BUT i really liked parts of it! okay! yes it’s flawed but i’m sorry, there were still some positives that I am holding onto

20. Rogue One or Solo?

rougue one, but tbh i haven’t seen solo lol

21. Favourite quote?

“you are not alone” “neither are you” yes this is two quotes but i don’t care. i realize there are much grander quotes in star wars that i could have put here, but deal with it. these are what i have chosen

22. Favourite meme?

probably baby yoda (i haven’t even seen the mandalorian lsldkfjskdf)

23. Favourite gif?

I cannot chose just one so here are three :)))

24. If you could change one thing about the Skywalker Saga what would it be?

eheh okay I would 1000% have found a way to let ben live while still keeping his heroic moment of saving rey 👀

25. Top 3 Star Wars movies?

1. the last jedi

2. return of the jedi

3. the force awakens

honestly these could change once i rewatch all the star wars movies. which needs to happen soon bc it’s been a while. the last jedi will remain at number one though thank you very much

I tag: @batmantaking-hobbits2gallifrey ​ @itspileofgoodthings​ @sheliesshattered​ @benyavin​ @illbeoutofthewoods​ @theamiableanachronism​ @catefrankie @nite0wl29 @magpie-trove and anyone else who wants to do it!