176 posts
You have been Warned!
I don't like him.
Warning: Terrible Shots
Arcturus and Melania were an odd couple that no one expected.
She was quiet and easily slipped by people, but also great at being diplomatic, and could've made a good lawyer or spy. That of course went hand in hand with Arcturus' aspiration to be a court judge in the ministry.
She had a kind heart, with a peculiar sense of humour, and just an overall warm person to be around. Arcturus was quite possessive of her, and got jealous easily, but he was covert about it. He didn't show her. A bit of a yandere, honestly. Any man he felt a little competition with? Critically injured, or never seen again.
Arcturus treated everyone he came across with respect, even mudbloods, which is why he was never suspected of being insane. He was recognised as one of the normal or civil Blacks.
Melania came from the Macmillan family, who were known for being a long line of Hufflepuffs. They were fairly middle class, but not to the same level as the Blacks.
The Black family didn't approve of Arcturus marrying her, but he stubbornly continued courting her, and they stayed together. It took 5 years for Melania to gain Sirius II approval, but it didn't stop the other family members from looking down at her. Out of all her inlaws, Lycoris was nicest to her, with Regulus I being second place. Being an unseen middle child, Lycoris understood what it's like to be visible when people wanted something from you, and confided in her. Regulus I was the baby of the family, and seen as harmless with the agonising need to prove himself. Melania couldn't help but see him the same way, and Regulus kind of hated her for it.
She didn't like playing favourites, but Lucretia was her favourite. Melania loved having a daughter to dote on and spend time with. She didn't love Orion any less, but found it hard to understand his interests.
Lucretia and Walburga didn't get along as children as they were constantly compared to each other: With Lucretia being the well behaved one, and Walburga being the spoiled brat. Melania would set up play dates for them whenever Violetta was unavailable to look after them, but Walburga hated visiting.
Orion inherited Melania's hardworking nature, and focused on his work, never thinking of dating. When Regulus I died, Arcturus started to worry and tried to match Orion with a suitress. Pollux took advantage of this, and convinced Arcturus to have Orion and Walburga wed. Melania was against it due to Walburga's beliefs on muggle hunting, and what that could mean for Orion's future children, but Arcturus' mind was set.
She was a very kind grandmother, and didn't voice disapproval over Sirius' ending up in Gryffindor. She tried to be a mediator surrounding Sirius' growing rebellion.
She occasionally volunteered to look after Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa since Cygnus and Druella were still in school. Melania worried that Pollux and Irma would poison their minds, and she had been correct to find that it had been the case with Bellatrix.
The Prewetts were lower classed, and everyone was horrified to find out that Lucretia became engaged to one. Melania convinced Arcturus to give his blessing, reasoning that if they could marry for love then their daughter could. She used the fact that Orion was an heir against Arcturus, thus being the only one they should truly worry about. It's thanks to her that Lucretia wasn't burnt off, especially after Molly Prewett married into the Weasley family.
A lot of the family members believe that Melania cursed the bloodline, and that Arcturus was a fool to fall in love with her.
Edit: I assumed Lycoris was a boy's name and always thought he or she was male. I like the idea of Arcturus, Lycoris & Regulus being a trio of brothers. I thought it would be funny if there was a doppelganger trope within the family.
Callidora, Cedrella & Charis. Walburga, Alphard & Cygnus. Bellatrix, Andromeda & Narcissa. Arcturus, Lycoris & Regulus.
The Trix vs The Wizards of the Black Circle
Part 1 Pics: https://www.tumblr.com/scaryspears/756931828588462080/in-it-to-win-it-2007-background-cheerleaders?source=share
BONUS, Football Players:
Part 1 Pics: https://www.tumblr.com/scaryspears/756840972701384704/bring-it-on-2000-background-cheerleaders-part?source=share
Part 2 Pics: https://www.tumblr.com/scaryspears/756841686060122112/bring-it-on-2000-background-cheerleaders-part?source=share
(Long post)
Notes: I originally wrote this in youtube comment section and decided to post it here. Watch Cynical Warlock's Rewriting Kung Lao video, its super interesting.
Kung Lao seemed pretty badass in MKX, and I'm talking about the old man version that's not seen in the storymode. I first interpreted MKX version of Lao appeared more humble and secure, no longer needing to prove himself as Liu Kang's equal. He even gave me the impression that he could be a mentor figure, appearance wise, whereas Old Liu Kang didn't give me that same vibe. Also, Kung Lao has a special hat that he uses as a weapon... How does he not outshine Liu Kang?
We do see his hat origin in MK1, so we can assume that it's similar to the past timelines on why he uses it. With that being said, he's great at coming up with random weapons, and very effective ones too. In another timeline he might be a weapons specialist, maybe even a maker. He even has another version of the hat that looks like daggers have been glued onto it, which we see in the game (I think it was a variant), and that might have been his first hat before he made a perfected version.
I think if MKX had better writing, then Kung Lao could've been brought back from the dead (like Sub Zero, Scorpion & Jax) and become another mentor figure to the combat kids instead of just being another yes man revenant who obey's revenant Liu Kang.
Both Liu Kang and Kung Lao were playable in MKX, they could've at least brought one of them back. Since they made Liu Kang king of the Neatherrealm, it would have to be Kung Lao.
Just as Sub Zero has a sort of friendship with Johnny, Kung Lao could be the same, separating him from Liu Kang on who they keep close to them. Personality wise, he's less harsh and strict than Liu Kang, and is more friendly, so I can picture him and Johnny having a friendship.
He can teach the combat kids that weapons can be formed from anything, basically ensuring that no one becomes a copy paste of their parents (Cassie & Jacqui), and has something unique about them, like having knives in their shoes and doing capoeira to cut the opponent or something (idk).
Just like Johnny, he isn't treated or spoken to very nicely by Sonya and some others because they keep mistaking his current self to his past self. He doesn't like it when people do this (I certainly wouldn't), but he is mostly civil with cutting remarks every now and then. Think of it as visiting a toxic family you've been in low contact with, and they occasionally make jokes and jabs about you copying your golden child sibling, and how you'll never be like them or escape their shadow. Even though you stand up for yourself, you're still seen as being bitter and jealous.
Another reason why I think Johnny and Kung Lao have a shot at friendship is because Johnny doesn't mention Liu Kang once, or anything linked to the past, or even his personality. Kung Lao is also said to "smile too much" according to Ferra, meaning he has a tendency to smile when he's about to face off with an opponent. Remind you of someone we know?
Here's how he can be introduced: The combat kids have a mission, however, the combat kids cannot go with weapons, at least weapons that are seen. In this au Johnny is with the Wu Shi instead of the Special Forces (as seen in my Havik post), so he sends the combat kids (mainly Cassie and Jacqui) to meet Kung Lao. The combat kids find out that Kung Lao, while still maintaining his teachings, has left the Shaolin and works as a weapons maker in some random town or city in China, and lives in solitude (a metaphor for no longer seeking the validation of others). Instead of giving the weapons straight up, he tests every single one of them. He ends up letting them have the weapons of course, and watches them go on their day.
MK11 made him so cocky to the point he was a Johnny Cage clone, and Kung Lao never struck me as the cocky type during MK9. It was actually Liu Kang that came off as egotistical to me, and the fact that he rebels against Raiden kind of proves that. Liu Kang went against a literal god. There's even an ending that shows he will be corrupt if he replaced Raiden. Earthrealm's champion, ladies and gentlemen.
I never viewed Kung Lao as cocky, so his MK11 version was a complete 180, and the fact that NRS continued that into MK1 disappointed me. Kung Lao is impulsive, but not always. He is capable of being reserved and calculating. While Kung Lao is also quite ruthless, Liu Kang is the hot headed one that refuses to listen to reason at times.
People make all kinds of jokes about Kung Lao and him getting his neck snapped, when Shao Kahn went about it cowardly. I'll elaborate by saying Shao Kahn snuck up on him, it wasn't face to face. In the words of Kendrick Lamar, "when I catch flight, it's gon' be direct". Shao Kahn is Drake in this situation, sneak dissing. When people make fun of Kung Lao's neck snap they're technically meat riding Shao Kahn.
I'm talking about the one from the Midway era, not Havik.
I don't understand the Dairou hate. I understand that he is a forgettable character, but once I heard his backstory I didn't think he was so forgettable. His backstory is similar to Scorpion, but for Dairou I think there's no complicated magic involved, which makes him seem boring in comparison.
I think Dairou has some potential. I mean, he used to believe in the Seidan beliefs until he was wronged, punished for killing the man that killed his family. Leaves prison a changed man, becomes an assassin before joining the resistance, unknowingly working for the guy that ordered the hit on his family.
Scorpion's only objective is avenging his family and clan, but Dairou's is about being against the authority that wronged him. Being against Hotaru's extremist views, and becoming a puppet of Darrius.
I think most of the hate comes from the fact that none of the 3D era characters are given enough attention, thus are not given enough to work with. NRS' idea of 'continuing' the story is having Dairou become the new Havik, and have his motives be driven by anarchy.
So I watched Baby Reindeer. I'm going to be honest, I wasn't interested at first, but it gained a lot of attention by Tiktokers. I don't have my own Netflix account, so when my mum travelled and I had access to her TV, I took a chance while I could. 7 episodes, 20-30 minutes each.
I feel like the suspense was ruined since I knew it was a stalker situation, but I guess I was patient enough to see what would happen. I heard people talking about how Martha was scary, or how they found Baby Reindeer to be a horror, and I must admit that it wasn't the same case for me. When I think of horror I think of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or Ichi the Killer. If we're going to argue about realistic situations when I'm going to throw in Audition 1999, a film about a man ignoring red flags and suffering the consequences of chasing after a woman he had no business chasing. Perhaps I have tainted my mind of so many disgusting images that I didn't register that I was watching a horror.
Speaking of ignoring red flags, I understood that Donnie was a victim, and I understand that trauma can affect how a person views the world and how they may navigate certain situations. I know Richard Gadd was sort of confronting himself when retelling that story, and how it's to investigate his psychology. But I also understood that he was an idiot.
A part of me genuinely thought his gender had something to do with it. How men will see a situation vs how women will see a situation. The Man vs Bear situation influenced that thought process of mine. But the episode that opens up about him being groomed and taken advantage of cancelled that out. Maybe he kept underestimating Martha because he sees a poor little woman who needs help.
Martha is a dangerous person, yet he entertained her, sort of. It was clear that he wanted to set boundaries, but didn't know how to, especially if her feelings were going to be hurt. Somehow Martha found her way around it, and when he did set a boundary for sure she started lashing out. She became worse, and yet somehow he was still able to hold sympathy for her. I think that sympathy is forgiveness, but not the kind that demands you to run with caution, the kind that convinces you to give one more chance.
One act of kindness was punished. Is punished. While I can relate, a vengeful part of me scolds him instead. Martha attacked Teri. I hated how Martha was made out to be someone to sympathise with. She threatened and hurt people, and is shown to be a bit of a racist and maybe a homophone, meaning she's an overall unpleasant person. I don't care if she has mental health problems, that doesn't make her innocent or someone I should sympathise with. Do you know what's also mental health? A 36 year old man stabbing a 14 year old boy to death in Hainault. That actually happened.
As soon as a mentally unwell individual starts harming people it's wraps. Donnie contacted the police, but didn't tell the police about Teri. He went along with his dead-end-job coworkers about not reporting what Martha did at the bar to the police because it would be bad for business. The same coworkers who looked through his email and sent that inappropriate message to Martha, making things worse for Donnie. He willingly associated himself with bad people, and willingly put himself through sticky situations. Also, faking who he is on a dating app? Scary. Yes, Donnie is a victim, but he's a massive idiot. Like people who continue to let others suck the life out of them even though they know they shouldn't. Dogs returning to vomit.
I didn't psychoanalyse him while watching the show, but now that I think about his actions, he's just as bad a person. Yes, he told off Martha after she attacked Teri, but it shouldn't have ever gotten that far in the first place. Richard Gadd was honest about not being a 'woe is me' character, and how his younger self made many dumb decisions. I also know that info on stalking was quite limited at the time, such as the fact that giving them attention makes things worse. Donnie saw her at the bus stop, spacing out, and instead of leaving her there to suffer he got her home. But even that act of kindness, Martha still contacted his family to send threats. She didn't stop being a horrible person. No good deed goes unpunished with people like this. No matter what way it is framed, Martha is not a poor little misunderstood creature, she's a monster.
Conclusion: Baby Reindeer, while an entertaining watch, just made me angry. It makes me think of people who are naive and are forced to learn the hard way. No matter how many times they learn, the lesson doesn't hit.
Warning: This is a long post, so read if you have the time.
I love Havik in the 3d era, and I guess it's because there's so little of him that sets him up for mystery, but I mainly love his face. The way half his face is ridden of flesh and his eyes glow as if he's some kind of Skeletor adjacent creature. I always look at him and go "How did it get to this point?", but in a way where I'm laughing about it, 'cause what did bro do to his face?
I hope Titan Havik will be a great break from the cartoonish evil that is Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung, Quan Chi and the others. (Don't get me wrong with Shang Tsung, I love him, but his belief system is equivalent to a power ranger villain. He's basically Valtor if he was successful. I'm not talking about MK1 Shang btw.)
I also can't picture Havik working with or for villains like Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung, and Shinnok. Havik wants to spread chaos, yes, but I don't think he views this as enslavement and feeding off misery. Another thing I'd like to note is his voice and delivery, courtesy of George C. Cole. Havik is calm, patient and almost kind. Shao Kahn actively sounds dominant, Shang Tsung is calm but cruel and impatient, with Quan Chi being condescending.
In the small glimpses that I've seen Havik through the later games (before MK1) he seems like a pretty chill guy. Now get this, Chaos is his way of life because that's the world he comes from. Chaos is basically the equivalent of freedom, so Havik wants to share that freedom. In Deceptions Konquest mode he describes water in a way you only expect from a scholar with a love and sense for nature, and I interpreted this as him believing everything should go naturally. In a Christian perspective, humans are naturally evil, and it's in our nature to be attracted to wicked things. Havik wants us to embrace who we are, and our deep desires.
In Noob Saibot's MK9 ending he meets Havik and shares an 'understanding' with him. Havik helps him with taking over the Netherealm before saying goodbye and returning to the Chaosrealm, no back stabbing or anything. Next there's Joker's ending in MK11, and we all know how Joker is. But there's also Mileena (before NRS let fans bully them into making her dlc), whose bloodlust is fuelled by her Tarkatan blood, a trait she cannot help because it's instinctual. Finally, in MK: Deception's Konquest mode he agrees to train Shujinko if Shujinko helps him in return, and he does but in his own way. Experience instead of practice. Havik doesn't come off as evil but chaotic neutral.
Wasted Plotential
I try not to complain about anything these days because I know NRS are gonna disappoint us anyways, but if I was to really complain about things then I'll start with the storymode, and with the previous games.
MKX could've just been about Sub Zero and Scorpion finding out about Quan Chi and stopping Shinnok. How? Idk, Johnny uses the amulet to trap Shinnok, the Special Forces find Sektor's files and reveal them to Scorpion, who gets his revenge and yada yada. Helps them free Sub Zero and Jax, blah blah.
Scorpion defeating Shinnok is more believable since he's stronger and cooler (sorry Johnny), and has more familiarity with the Neatherealm. (What was the point of building up Johnny just to nerf him in MK11?)
Johnny and Sonya get divorced earlier on because of their differing views on the world (and parenting), so Cassie becomes a UFC fighter or a pro wrestler (as a reference to Johnny's quote in his MK9 chapter about possibly winning a belt in the tournament). I remember coming up with an idea where Jacqui leaves the Special Forces and gets trained by the Shirai-Ryu, but saw an AU fanart design where she was trained by the Lin Kuei, which sounds so much better since it separates her from Takeda. Jacqui shares strong ideals with her father but his overbearing reluctance caused her to be more rebellious and find another way to defend Earthrealm without him possibly intercepting. Instead of being a Jax variant she shares more similarity to Human Cyrax (technology + ninjutsu assassination), and that can introduce a little beef with Frost and have them both deliver lines that feel more personal since they have the same teacher, but have different morals that make them butt heads. Johnny ends up leading the Kombat kids with the Wu Shi instead of the Special Forces, edging Sonya to check on Cassie more often by trying to be involved with their missions. (During MK9 Johnny was glued to Raiden's side and his focus was more on the tournament than on Sonya. After Cyrax defeats him it's Raiden that checks on him.) Instead of Cassie saving the day, have Scorpion save the day because Shinnok is Quan Chi's master, and Scorpion needs to fix his mess. Also because Scorpion would have better control with his powers and has more experience.
The next game can introduce Havik, with the chaos happening in small ways at first, like trees slowly decaying and technology acting against them. Havik is a lesser evil than Shao Kahn, Quan Chi and Shinnok, but he's nothing Scorpion or Sub Zero have handled before since he's less predictable and isn't paranoid about someone threatening his power. Bro just wants to spread some joy and laughter (sarcasm). I'm pretty sure Havik wouldn't even have an army, and I doubt his minions will be anything like the aggressive jobbers that are seen in Outworld. With Shao Kahn it's power and being served, but with Havik it would be everyone serves each other, meaning they will inflict pain on each other and themselves = This game can be about the heroes and villains turning on themselves, by being more honest and less co-operative.
The Special Forces start being wary of the Wu Shi, Sonya interrogates Dark Raiden on information he could be withholding about the realms, Raiden counters back with how she is trying to enlist the Kombat kids behind his back when they are already content with their current positions.
Frost has stolen Sektor's body parts from the Special Forces, and plans to cyberise herself with them. Jacqui and Cassie are sent to stop Frost's cyber initiation plans. Cassie defeats Frost, but Jacqui has the need to rehabilitate her, which sets her at odds with Cassie who doesn't believe Frost is worthy of it, and that they must follow Raiden's orders.
Noob Saibot is working under revenant Liu Kang, but just like his MK9 ending, he starts plotting against him and the other revenants. Noob confronts Hanzo about his loyalty to Quan Chi, and how Hanzo worked with him even after Noob was killed. Noob's revenge is forcing Hanzo to shift between himself and Scorpion, ensuring that the Lin Kuei and Shirai-Ryu will never have peace with Hanzo continuously reliving the past and trying to kill Sub Zero.
Kung Lao reports that the head of Shinnok is missing, and Liu Kang accuses Kung Lao of having something to do with it, and so the revenants turn on themselves. A civil war begins in Neatherealm.
Hotaru meets up with the heroes and tells them that Havik is behind their plight, and offers Seidos help if Earthrealm helps them with the resistance in Seido. Kung Jin and Takeda are sent to aid and they witness the injustice and lunacy of Seidos rules. Kung Jin being Kung Jin speaks against this, and Hotaru has a problem with it, Takeda tries his best to keep the peace. Kung Jin defeats Darrius, Dairou and whatever. Although Hotaru keeps his word about the help thing, he is overbearing when it comes to the rules and their strategy, even getting in the way of the Special Forces.
Skarlet teams up with Tanya to find Mileena's soul (Because why not?They're sisters). Ermac doesn't have it, so they must find it through the Neatherealm. They meet Noob, who admits that he consumed it, but points out the location of the Flesh Pits for a calling of clues. Skarlet combines her power with Noob's to give life to the clones encased in glass (blood + shadow). The clones unleash chaos throughout Outworld, but Skarlet is not finished in her revenge.
Johnny reveals to Dairou that Darrius is behind his family's murder, and sets him free to let him get revenge. Sonya argues that he's made a terrible mistake, but Johnny says that she let Kano live and how that keeps screwing everyone over.
Johnny decides to get a drink at a bar, and Havik will show up, calm and collected. Johnny compliments his costume, and Havik expresses that his fake-ness is an interesting weapon.
I don't know what else.
Theory
I think Havik's hero equivalent would be Johnny Cage, which is where he would come in as the hero instead of defeating a former elder god. Havik isn't Godlike, I'd say his power level is identical to Edenian/Outworld, and if Sonya can handle defeating Kitana and Jade at the same time, then Johnny can handle his own against Havik. Just like Havik, Johnny has a separation from the other heroes concerning his traits and/or beliefs, even sometimes clashing with Cassie, who is always noted to be much like him in personality. Johnny has an easy going attitude that pisses off just about everyone around him, to the point . I think he would be the first to pick up on the odd energy surrounding everyone.
First off he likes to give everyone a nickname, much to their displeasure. Very adamant on giving them those names, but Havik would arguably (probably) be more accepting. I'm quite certain that Havik's name is a title given to him or a name he's made up himself. There are some fans who speculate that he doesn't even have a name given at birth and made up 'Havik' to be his name, suggesting that the name is somewhat earned through experience.
Chaosrealm doesn't have a real name, like Edenia and Seido, it's simply called Chaosrealm. They don't have a name for themselves, simply a representation of what they embody.
"Grandmaster Blueberry Ice, eh?"
"Only Johnny Cage may use that name and live."
Johnny's humour is fuelled by his insensitivity, even while fighting on the side of good he is self-serving, superficial and has a self confidence that almost everyone is eager to stomp on (he's basically a normal person). Even when he clearly doesn't mean to be insensitive (speaking the truth or what's on his mind), people still get offended by what he's said and express some form of aggression. Hell, Bi Han kicked the hell out of him just for touching his arm in MK1.
Now I'm going to get really technical here: In MK11 Skarlet was present and you could tell she was a stand-in for Mileena, which is shown in her sibling rivalry with Kitana. Now let's say Joker was a stand-in for Havik, and in his ending he voices his displeasure about the roster "But these nincompoops? They didn't really get me. Not even that pretty boy, Ninja Mine. Goodnight, sweet Prince!" meaning Joker saw some potential in Johnny Cage. Saw something that suggested that they are similar.
Johnny Cage's humour aside, there has to be something else.
Now let's get into Johnny's MK9 ending: Johnny starts to have spasms where a burst of energy would escape him and destroy everything around him, so he is sent to Seido to learn how to better control it.
Next, to Havik and Johnny's Armageddon endings: Johnny becomes enlightened, freed from vanity and leaves the acting business. What seemed like the joys of life before became meaningless to him, and wanted no part in the shallow lifestyle. Then there's Havik, whose dream for chaos becomes absolute.
(As a bonus let's compare Johnny's ending to Hotaru's, where everyone was forced to bow to Hotaru or be changed into someone they're not. Havik gets the worst end of it by being turned into Hotaru's 2nd in command. What's even funnier is that in the Armageddon intro I can spot Hotaru as the one who impaled Li Mei, but Li Mei is on the side of good while Hotaru is suspiciously on the opposite, despite being against the forces of evil. Why would he be on the same side as Havik when they are enemies? I would also like to point out that Johnny was fighting Darrius, a man resisting the Order of Seido.)
I already wrote something similar to this in another post I made like a year ago, but I'm gonna say this anyway. Johnny found out by himself that all the luxuries and fame that he sought in life weren't worth it. In his MK11 ending he ends up going on adventures with Cassie after coming to this realisation, choosing a life where he can always spend time with those he loves, not ruling over the world or being a dictator. There's chaos within Johnny, but there is a want or need for peace and stability.
Johnny should've been the one that was super pissed about being in a death tournament. Up until that point Johnny has never killed anyone, yet suddenly is expected to in exchange for his own life. How does he, a Hollyweird actor, fit into all this? He got tricked into this yet was able to adapt. He's fine with it, or pretends to be, handling it better than everyone else around. The "Sure, let's go and ruin someone else's life." quote from MK9 always runs through my head when I think about his dedication to defending Earthrealm and trusting Raiden.
When the tournament took place Johnny didn't really know Raiden personally, but Johnny trusted him. Johnny had no reason to be loyal to Raiden, yet he was, unlike Liu Kang who ended up losing faith and rebelling. Johnny has all the recipes to let his ego get to him and potentially betray Raiden, but he never does so.
If Havik and Johnny were to have anything in common, I would say it's a strong sense of faith in what they believe in. Johnny fights for the betterment of Earthrealm, Havik fights for havoc.
I'm very certain that even though Johnny changed over the years, the people around him still hold a dislike towards him to some degree. My first candidates for this are Sonya and Jax.
Read this if you can be bothered: [No matter what, Jax cannot stand Johnny, even at an age where they're more familiar with each other.]
Sonya and Jax are basically the order to Johnny's chaos. Being around them has also influenced (turned) him into someone he wasn't, which was a self hating Special Forces aid (What are is credentials?). It was Hotaru's Armageddon ending but slower.
The reason I haven't listed Kuai Liang is because... I think Kuai Liang has a bit of a friendship with Johnny. He's fond of him, but he won't admit it. He even helps Johnny in sending the Kombat kids into a fake mission with the Lin Kuei.
When it comes to the MK storymode I feel like I'm the only one who personally doesn't have a problem with it. Such as, how it played out and ended.
I only have one complaint, and that is Titan Shang Tsung. It's not the fact that he's in the story because I love Shang Tsung, but it actually has to do with his physical appearance. I'm not talking about his face model. Our Shang (Liu Kang's timeline) is clearly quite young, like mid 20s, and we pick up on his immaturity quickly. Titan Shang Tsung in the last game looked like he was in his early 40s, probably because that's around the age Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa was when he played Shang Tsung in the 90s.
Tagawa was so great in his role that he reprised it for the game, and MK1 even imitated his vibes. Alan Lee does a great job as young Shang, when I first watched the intros and storymode I did a double take, but could tell there was something different.
What I'm getting at is, Titan Shang Tsung should've appeared a little different. At first I thought Titan Shang should have a pointier nose and maybe longer hair or something, but that would've taken away the point that Our Shang immediately saw himself. So instead, I think Titan Shang should've appeared older, maybe taller. Old enough to pass as Our Shang's father, but look similar enough that we can tell it's Titan Shang.
Alan Lee is great at Shang Tsung, but I think they could've at least done some kind of voice modulating thing that makes him sound more refined and mature, since Tagawa and Alan have a different pitch to their voices. I understand that each game has a different take on the characters when it comes to vibes and characterisation, but they felt too similar. Titan Shang felt like more of an evil twin brother rather than an older and much powerful version of self.
Our Shang feels like he was made for Gen Z, like come on he's a scam artist that's funny as hell, and bro is trying to do NFTs, he's so memeable. I'm pretty sure we all bumped into him in high school/secondary school at some point. MK11 Shang feels like that one person you're not sure whether or not you should trust, like a scary business man. That is the point of his aura, but you get what I mean. Our Shang seems like he is easy to irritate, MK11 Shang is so reserved and collected, when he does show irritation he appears like a King about to execute someone who just committed treason. When Our Shang kills someone it's like watching Amber as Ghostface, when she wasn't being loud and acting like the joker.
All I'm saying is, there should've been a completely different air Titan Shang carried, like Titan Kitana and our Kitana.
Edit: Why does Titan Shang have claws too? He wouldn't use them, he's already got his golden acrylic thingies. Our Shang stabbed Reiko like he walked out of a slasher flick, Titan Shang wouldn't do that.
I really wish MK1 expanded on the what if scenarios and timelines. We know of their existence, but we don't know them intimately like we've seen with Liu Kang's timeline, or even momentarily with Shang Tsung back in mk11.
I really wanna see more Good Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, Kano-Sonya and Janet Cage. Hell, even Ninja Meme Johnny. We never hear most of the other versions speak, we only see glimpses of them or just have them on screen for like a minute.
The fact that there's a version of Johnny that showed up in the final battle dressed as Ninja Mime means that he is literally a ninja mime, and I kinda wanna see a story behind that. Maybe being talkative annoyed everyone so much that it made him feel bad and study the art of silent kung fu or something.
I want to see some Janet Cage in a story mode, I get a vibe from her that she feels more inclined to prove herself. Is she the only genderbent version in her universe or is everyone genderbent? Is she trans? She's an action star, but she didn't want to be the sexualised female heroin or sidekick, so acts cocky and obnoxious to prove that she's more than a sex symbol, her ego as some kind of defence mechanism against the sexism in Hollyweird. But that kind of takes away the point of Janet's character (because she's Johnny).
I would really like to see Shang Tsung interact with good Shang Tsung, see how many versions of himself he can hate. Is good Shang Tsung's Liu Kang evil too?
Why does Shang Tsung have clones of Kitana if he has an evil Kitana working for him? Why would evil titan versions of the heroes help Shang Tsung? Wouldn't it be a hassle to try over throweach other because of greed and stuff?
Why are evil versions to begin with? What is their backstory? Cross-over characters... I have so many questions (genderbent ninjas, character with another's aesthetic for example: Lizard Queen).
We have evil versions of the characters, but no evil Johnny (except John Khaner). Missed opportunity to have an evil Johnny, could've made it a Jill Roberts situation where there's a timeline of evil Johnny that only cares about the fame because of some deep rooted issue. In fact, I've already mentioned John Kahner, I want to know how he became Kahn.
Back to the Mileena clones of Titan Shang Tsung, re-watching the fight I saw that they were all colour coded (red, blue, yellow, pink), so they have a rank or Shang Tsung cares about differenciating them so that they're not so much mindless killers that just do his bidding. Do they have other names? Do they all secretly want Shang Tsung's approval? Do they conspire against one another? Is he their father figure now that Shao Kahn isn't in the picture? Do they have a sister bond with each other? Is Kitana their mean older sister?
Now that our timeline has Mileena and Kitana as actual sisters, is there a timeline where Mileena and Skarlet are sisters? A timeline where Shao Kahn is a good, loving father and husband? I have so many questions.
Is the Vampire Diaries fandom dead? If not, I'd like to say a few things. Before we start, I would like to say that I am a Twilight fan who loves making fun of Twilight, so my opinion is unfairly biased, but I digress. Here is my rant disguised as an analysis.
I was fairly young when the Vampire Diaries was aired, and growing up I would often confuse it for Twilight, since they were both vampire centred pieces of media that came out during the 2000s. I was a Twilight kid growing up, even if I didn't understand the plot, I liked cool scenes and stuff.
As a teen (say age 12-13) it was recommended to me a few times by my sister since I liked vampires, but I wasn't really into watching seasons long shows (especially since I was watching anime at the time, which tends to be long as hell), so I ended up doing some investigation before watching a few episodes. I didn't like the sound of the plot, it sounded like the beginning of a porno with a vampire kink added, not something I wanted to subject myself to. Girl has to decide between two brothers who are oh so hot, and the reason they can't be a threesome is literally because they are brothers. I skipped the first season, and then the second season and went straight into Klaus and his hybrids because that was the only worthwhile season for me. I skipped a bunch of scenes and episodes, but you get the idea.
Stefan is into Elena because she looks exactly like his ex-girlfriend who strung along his older brother. Elena finds this out but is still into him. These clowns. I also can't take Stefan seriously because of his eyebrows.
Damon and his dynamic with Klaus and Elijah was the only thing that kept my attention. Not just because I was thirsting over Ian Somerhalder and Joseph Morgan, but also because I loved watching their chemistry through the screen, only to be reminded that it was about Elena and her constant stringing of the Salvatore brothers. The whole show literally could've just been about Damon going against the Mikaelson family and I would watch the hell out of it. Any interaction Damon had with Mikaelsons was such a cinema moment.
I didn't find anything else going on to be as interesting, but I used to ship Jeremy with Tyler. Like, why was he so pressed about Jeremy Gilbert? Always antagonising Jeremy as soon as he saw him, that's some fruity behaviour.
A lot of people love to point out the pedophila of Twilight - as they should - but Tvd had blatant pedophilia. You're telling me that Damon, who was turned at age 25, is trying to (and has) pipe a bunch of high schoolers who are 17-18, and no one batted an eye? I can understand if his emotions were turned off, as learned from the first season, but with his emotions on? Still going after high schoolers??? Ian Somerhalder was also 30/31 when the show started airing, and Nina Dobrev, Candice KIng, and Kat Graham were all 20-21. That's quite the age gap. Not saying he's a pedo, I'm just saying it's a little icky. Let's also address the way Rebekah had a relationship with Marcel despite being his adoptive aunt.
Elena and Marcel are victims.
The worst part is that Damon doesn't act like a teenager, he's so obviously an adult, and hangs with adults (Liz Forbes, Alaric, Jenna, Carol Lockwood, Mason Lockwood?). He even refers to the others (except Alaric) as nicknames you would use when referring to children. Sometimes he comes off as parental, which would've been funny. Unfortunately the story is about a girl having a brother fetish.
I'm aware that a lot of the fans love Katherine Pierce, and I must say, she's a great villain. But she pissed me off so much, getting so angered by people who don't even pay taxes. I get that she was turned at age 17, but home girl you could do better. It was also how Elena and the others handled Katherine. Ya'll are American enough to support Confederacy, nothing should scare you. Why don't ya'll just beat her ass? That would've been entertaining to see.
You're also telling me he saw Bianca Lawson and still chose Katherine. Nothing against Nina Dobrev, but I would move on quickly if I saw Emily Bennett.
Kind of mad that they killed off Mason, and there was potential when they brought him back. You're gonna have boring ass Alaric, but not hot werewolf Mason Lockwood. Sure, let's have a bunch of vampires walking around, but 2 werewolves is asking for too much. Could've focused less on Matt Donovan and just have the show be more interesting with Damon and Mason learning to be mutual with each other if it means protecting their loved ones.
Also, the show was just... so boring. The camera quality, and the background music that sounded like something only a person who's never listened to mainstream music would listen to. I was being tortured. It was so mid.
I am going to lay out a scenario written by me, using dialogue that had potential.
Such as Damon going out of his way to get the tomb opened only to discover that Katherine isn't there, therefore becoming disillusioned with her and Elena by extension. Since a lot of viewers said Bonnie and Damon have chemistry (they do, I just don't ship them) I'm just gonna say that he should've sworn to protect her from then on, thus sealing the deal he made with Emily Bennett to protect the Bennett line and becoming her guardian. Damon still continuously butts heads with Stefan, causing Elena to think he's still romantically interested in her, when in reality Damon is just looking out for them in his own way (the typical, hardcore Damon way).
Since Bonnie goes into conflict with her friends anyways, she starts to withdraw from them. As they keep asking her to do spells for them, Damon steps in their way. It also would be cool if they kept his powers in the show, that way he can use his crow to report to her. Damon killing Jeremy to hurt Elena can actually just be misinterpreted by her self centred mindset, because he really did it to get back at him for hurting Bonnie. I might be messing up the timeline because I don't remember things very well, but that would've been great.
Bonnie doesn't go to the Mikaelson ball because she doesn't trust the family, so Damon attends as a sort of spy. Damon turning Abby into a vampire also has to do with the fact that he's supposed to protect the Bennetts. Damon is fine with dying but isn't going to let Stefan die, nor is he going to break his deal, so it was a tough decision on his end. While he does kill Abby she also lives, kinda. It takes a while for Bonnie to come to terms with this even though she's rightfully angry.
Back to Season 4 and 5 and stuff, I think it's around this time that the Originals started airing. Damon becoming more involved with Jeremy is his parentified side of him trying to guide him but is misread as him using Jeremy to get close to Elena.
Bonnie is waiting for college to start, and Damon suggests going to New Orleans because there are tons of witches there so she can get guidance on her powers, which is how Lucy can be reintroduced. (They had Lucy show up for like one episode just for her to never show up again.)
Marcel had a great entrance, and Klaus' went all colonist on him. Marcel got me curious about the Originals but then they pulled a Twilight on us and brought in Hope, that turned me off from the series so I don't know what goes on. I am aware that Klaus terrorised a few witches. So let's say Damon and Bonnie go to New Orleans for a little vacation + training for Bonnie before college starts, and they both find out what's going on in New Orleans. Damon meets Marcel, and while their personalities do kinda clash, they bond over their mutual distaste for Klaus, with Marcel even opening up about his past once he sees how protective and dutiful Damon is towards Bonnie.
Together they must find a way to bring an end to the Originals without killing every other vampire in existence. It could also be a thing where Damon reflects on his past as a confederate soldier and questions himself (this needs to be addressed).
Lucy trains Bonnie and Davina. The reason Damon is uncomfortable around Mikael drinking vampire blood is because of his time in Augustine. And Kol has met Damon, but doesn't remember him until one fateful bar fight. (I heard that someone had an idea where Damon and Kol met in a bar fight, but the idea was scrapped). Also an opportunity to get Kol have an infatuation with Bonnie, I remember that glance in the hallway.
I, ladies and gentlemen, have come up with a fanfiction that I will never write. I bet it's a better storyline than whatever happened in canon.
I’ve been thinking about what julie plec did to Kat Graham and the treatment of the character Bonnie Bennet over the last few days and years later it still makes me sick. I was writing about it a few days ago for reasons and seeing her speak on Kat today enraged me.
Via deadline
The racism, misogynoir and antisemitism she was subjected to on that show is unbelievable.
“She has always been very gracious”
“She’s very kind as she kindly passes”
“and put the less good parts behind her”
The statement is a joke the “less good parts”she’s referring to are violent racism, antisemitism and discrimination. To anyone who didn’t know better this simply reads as a nice and polite statement. Here she’s admitting to repeatedly contacting Kat to reprise a role that was traumatising and rejoin a toxic work environment after Kat had repeatedly declined. Reducing her mistreatment to “less good parts” and praising how graciously she’s declined going back for further harm is vile.
I always figured that Howleen's redesign was some kind of character development that was being shown physically. The last time I saw her she was acting childish and her outfit was messy, in a way that made her look like she was on Nickelodeon or Disney (she was so me). It made her look like she wasn't on par with the others, which would make sense because she's a side character that pops up every now and then, but there are minor characters whose designs have been given that Monster High runway fashion, and we don't see that with Howleen.
The new design was like a sign that she was ready to embrace maturity, and wear her style in a way that didn't look like it was all over the place. Ready to step out of her sister's shadow and make a name for herself. You can see that she's still an artist, she's just ready to grow up (she gave me graffiti vibes even though I never saw her with a spray can). We can see that she's still Howleen with the fish net tights, the paw prints, and her head being covered. She also gives me 'Rihanna' vibes, and I see that with both designs. I can't explain, but if you get it then you get it.
The new hairstyle suited her, and I honestly thought it was weave/a wig. I'm not sure if this is common with African American families since I'm British, but in my family it's expected that your hair must always be well taken care of and nicely done once you're old enough to take care of it yourself. That includes wearing weave, since it's much easier instead of constantly braiding or doing something other with your natural curls. I never understood why people had a problem with the hair change, since weave is very common within the black community. Her skin was also made darker for some reason, so it's not like they completely white washed her either.
I'm obsessed with cheerleading. My Spidersona is Spider Cheer, I just suck at drawing so I can't draw her, which means I can't show you guys. But I was thinking of writing a fanfic where Miles ends up on the Visions cheer team due to his spidey sense alerting him to catch one of the flyers from hitting the ground. What do you guys think?
Notes: The Reader was inspired by Carrie. Why? I wanted to do a black reader with super powers, but I didn't want to write her like other black readers have been written with 42 Miles. I just can't relate with how they speak or the situations. This isn't to say she will be a sweet, precious thing, just odd.
You had a bunch of issues. First, you were a target for harassment, verbal most of the time. Vandalism was rare, but it did often happen. Your locker would be painted with unkind words, and a pencil would be missing from your pencil case and you could never point out who took it but you always had a suspicion. It wasn't too bad, depending on who you compared yourself to, but it still hurt. It was still bothersome.
You had to wonder what made you such a great and easy target in the first place. Your habit of wearing the same clothes everyday, sleeping in class, and taking things too literal. Even worse, you were too gullible. A genius would've just said these were your autistic traits, but too bad you didn't know that at the time. The many times you attempted to be different didn't work out, always setting a standard. So you gave up, counting the days until graduation. Hoping that it would come sooner than expected.
There was only one worthwhile thing in school and that was art class. Not too many people present. You weren't amazing with drawing or art in general, fairly decent, but it was the only class with any peace in it. The least judgemental lesson. In every art class you sat behind Miles Morales, and you would find yourself staring at his back. At his pretty braids.
You always liked boys with long hair, and Miles was no different. This day was no different, quiet as always and slow. It would be most preferable if you didn't make your crush obvious.
"Are you going to keep staring at me or are you gonna look away?" You heard him speak. He didn't even have to look over his shoulder.
You blinked hard, "Hmm?"
"You're staring. Stop." he didn't sound angry from what you could hear, but his tone wasn't pleasant either.
You immediately did as he asked. You tried to focus on your sketches, drawing pictures of magical girls from your favourite childhood cartoons, then drawings of more serious things. The Prowler had been on the news again, reporters painting him in good and bad light. He saved two teenagers from a burning building, others say he caused the fire. But teenagers always did stupid things, and you would know from being one. Just thinking about it made the windows crack a little.
"Look at the windows!" one of the boys spoke, pointing.
Everyone else, except Miles, either got up to have a closer look or sat in wonderment from their seat. You feigned surprise as best as you could, you've long since learned that you weren't good at faking expressions. The teacher ordered everyone to start packing up, safety being the number one priority. There was no reason for the windows to break by themselves, and you contemplated if you should stop.
As you stared at the window you slowly started packing your equipment, watching the cracks reach the corners and edge until every single one of them smashed entirely. It was like lifting an eyebrow, some could do it naturally and others couldn't.
"Alright, everyone out!" the teacher called.
Your classmates were already rushing out of the room, but only Miles remained sitting while you stood looking at the broken glass on the ground.
"[LN], Morales! Time to go!" the teacher called.
You left the room, but halfway through the door you heard Miles say behind you, "Serena had a party last night."
You started fiddling with your top, dreading what he would say. "Okay."
"What were you doing that night?" he asked coolly.
That party. That damned party.
"I got invited, and then I left." that was the truth.
"So you weren't there, when Jordan..." he grabbed your arm, "Threw his drink at you."
That's not all that happened. They threw food at you, and your clothes became stained. You dressed special for that day, hopeful, unfortunately expectant.
"I..." you tried to pull your arm away.
"How did that fire happen?" he turned you to face him. You averted your eyes. Miles' eyes were beautiful but the way they bore into your soul was most unkind.
You had heard that artists were weird. They either did weird things or had something weird about them. Maybe this was another occasion. You tried to forget about these powers. Even though you have embraced that there was something wrong strange about you.... you couldn't help the need to be decently normal deep down. Now these powers just had to bite at your behind.
"What fire?"
"Don't play stupid, you've seen the news. Serena and Jordan are now in the hospital, the others might still be in a coma."
"How is that my problem?" you asked, your cruel side demanding attention.
Miles was mildly impressed with your response, the grip on your arm loosening. "It isn't," he admitted, "I just know the fire wasn't natural."
"I don't know what happened to them."
He let go of your arm, "Fine."
You walked away.
If you ever wanted to grab the attention of Miles Morales, you didn't want to grab it like this. You weren't sure if your classmate suspecting you of arson should be something to worry about.
"I can't blame her if she did do it, I mean I don't think I should go around killing my classmates, but can you believe they decided to live stream it?" Miles removed the screwdriver from his claw.
Miles' uncle, Aaron, sighed, "Kids as old as you run wild, boys most of all. Girls are different, they go out of their way to plan stuff. I don't know what to tell you."
"I worry about her, tio. She really didn't do anything to... warrant that behaviour."
This, Aaron knew what to say to. "Sometimes people don't need a reason to do something, they'll just do it. That hazing thing was a classic example of that." he tossed a drill to Miles, "Was there a chance she got any clue what they were planning?"
Miles shook his head aggressively, "I don't think she understands basic human interactions even if she tried, I've seen how she is. All they did was smile in her face when they invited her. Smiles are a good thing, and it takes her a while to pick up on the fact that she's getting made fun of."
"Look out for her, then. If she really has something to do with that fire like you suspect, then this could turn bad. Women can be crazy, Miles."
"Okay. I will, tio."
Some days passed since the minor interrogation with Miles, and though he seemed to pretend you no longer existed, you could feel his eyes on you. You tried to be on your best behaviour, and you've had better control of your powers ever since he brought up the incident. You didn't want to be suspected of a single crime.
Upon this suspect-tion came sleepless night, which led to sleeping in class.
"[Name]." sounded faint, like the screams that only felt regret from fear and not guilt.
"[Name]." it was louder this time. A warning for your attention. You search through the heat for where it was coming from.
"[Name.]" This time there was no mistaking it, this voice was not from the dream.
Wherever you were, there was no escaping that fire. Although you had gotten so used to the dreams, you couldn't help your eyes tearing up. You made sure to turn your face away from whoever had shook your shoulder.
You weren't sad or scared, but you couldn't help it. Something about being unable to regulate your emotions.
"[Name.]" the person hadn't left, and now that you were no longer as sleepy you recognised whose voice it was.
"Hey, Miles."
"Hey." he greeted.
He hadn't moved back to his seat, so you looked up to his face, waiting for him to potentially say more, this time not averting your eyes.
He did have more to say, "You're a Tokyo Mew Mew fan." he looked down at your sketchbook, which was still open.
You quickly covered it with your arms, glaring at him. Daring him to say something about your long lasting interest.
"I'm going comic con this Saturday. Do you wanna come?"
His face, and his eyes, were kind. But you couldn't help suspiciously being on edge.
"I don't know." left your lips quicker than it usually did.
He didn't appear disappointed, judging by the lack of expression on his face. He glanced to the side, "Class finished five minutes ago, by the way."
So that's why it was so quiet.
"Can I walk you to lunch?"
Yes. No. What was the correct answer?
"I don't know." you couldn't come up with a better response.
For whatever reason he smiled, or smirked(?). For better or for worse.
"Come on, I'll make sure you get there safely."
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Feeling cute, might do a part 2.
This is mostly based on my last Twilight fancast post I made, which was just Bella, Edward and Jacob. I've decided to think of more actors to add in the mix, might have to make separate posts for all the characters, though.
Bailey Bass as Bella Swan
Jun Shison as Edward Cullen
1. If bro can play a kitsune in a human's body I'm pretty sure he can pull off Edward. We just need to know if Jun Shison speaks English.
2. Also, Edward needs to be an evil dick just because of vampire reasons. He needs to be mysterious and in a good way, not the way the movies portrayed him awkwardly.
Dakota Beavers as Jacob Black
Don't make him cut his hair, and he needs to be Native American.
Also, get rid of the whole imprinting thing if they're just going to make it gross.
Julia Rehwald as Alice Cullen
I read short hair and small frame, and I thought of her.
Evan Rachel Wood as Rosalie Hale
I found out she was around 16 when playing Tracy from Thirteen, which might make this fancast iffy since I'm using her teenage self for the gif, considering the other actors I fancasted are 18+. But I remember watching the film and thinking that she looked like she would make a great Rosalie, which is ironic since Nikki Reed also starred in Thirteen. I know she's quite old, but I think we should find a look-a-like that looks like her younger self.
Tanner Buchanan as Jasper Hale
1. I was trying to find handsome but creepy blond actors. Wasn't really able to find any, so bare with this. I think Tanner could manage being mysterious and creepy.
Chosen Jacobs as Emmett Cullen
1. I remember reading some human version fanfics of the main characters, and in some of them Emmett would be Bella's older - and sometimes twin - brother. With that in mind, if Bella's black/mixed, then Emmett is too because why not?
Antony Star as Carlisle Cullen
1. I think Carlisle's human body should be older, and thus also be played by an older actor. I know Antony Star doesn't have those same vibes that Carlisle does, but he does give off a stern exterior when playing Homelander in some scenes, and I wanna see that is Carlisle.
Emmy Rossum as Esme Cullen
1. I don't know what to think of Esme other than the fact that I know that she's taller than Bella and randomly gave some info that she lost her baby very soon. I figured she was older when she was turned, just like I envisioned for Carlisle, but somewhat looks very young (I mean, a person is still young even if they're in their thirties).
Wood Harris as Charlie Swan
1. I'm looking for old head vibes. Man from the old hip hop vibes. "Guy that listens to Tupac regularly" vibes.
2. Also, let Charlie be a temporary supernatural hunter that protects Forks.
Zahn McClarnon as Billy Black
Chace Crawford as James
James is described to be very plain looking, despite the fact that he had the vampirism that was supposed to make him look more appealing, so I was thinking about The Deep whilst reading the book.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Laurent
I think Edi Gathegi really stood out as Laurent, more dark skinned villains please.
2. Since Laurent is hinted to come from thanks to his accent I decided to pick an actor that is from New Orleans. I don't know why, I just decided to. Maybe I memorised some kind of misinformation about there being French speakers, I don't know.
3. If they really do make a Twilight remake and they toss Laurent to the side I'm actually gonna be so mad, because Laurent's appearance was promising, and then they chose James' boring arse.
Sophie Skelton as Victoria
I loved Rachelle Lefevre's performance as Victoria, so I want that same vibe of "seemingly innocent but clearly has a hidden agenda/motive". I know it's been a while since she's been in any films (from what I know), but I think she can pull it off. Since Laurent is hinted to be French I think it would be great that they let her be British when playing Victoria. (There's no they, but play along.)
Not my edit, not my tiktok.
Let's give Horsie some appreciation.