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ironladders · 2 months

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so i had a thought about ashrah and syzoth and i really dont know how to feel about it so i want your input. and keep in mind i am still new to MK lore and dont understand the ins and outs of it like most other people do. but i read that in past timelines at least, demons of the netherrealm were dead bodies reanimated by quan chi. so i was wondering, how do you feel about the idea of ashrah having been syzoths wife in her past life, probably unbeknownst to her. does it make sense, the implications of it, etc.

hi sorry i was in figure drawing when i got this ask & that class lasts 6 hours 🫠 art school was a mistake

anyways: this is so good and yet evil oh my god??????? it probably wouldn't work in canon unless stuff got retconned, but the implications here are so interesting to me regardless and you could do so much stuff character-wise (especially for ashrah) with this concept.....

first off, don't worry about not knowing extensive details about mk lore. it's bound to be confusing for someone new to the franchise, and even then plenty of us who've been here for a while don't entirely know what's going on either. i had to look up half the shit i mention in this post just to make sure i'm not off by a bunch

syzoth would have the biggest mental breakdown ever if this were a thing. poor guy can't catch a break

this would be a lot for ashrah, if she were to find out or otherwise put the pieces together. i mean, her whole thing is wanting to be fully human, and yet in this idea, she's not aware that she once already was human. that would be absolutely wild and 100% turn her entire world upside-down if she were to ever find out that truth.

the angst in this idea would go crazy. I LOVE IT. i think that syzoth would be reluctant to get close in any way with ashrah (at least initially) because, even if he doesn't know about how some demons are dead people brought back to life, ashrah physically resembling + sounding like his dead wife would mess with his head SO much.

poor ashrah, too; she's trying to learn what it means to be human and make friends with all these new people, and everyone in the good-guys group seems to be willing to be open with her--except for syzoth. and she has zero clue why. of course, because of their similar pasts and common struggles, they'd probably be drawn to each other anyways, but it'd be 10x more depressing than in canon

i imagine in this concept, shang killed her and then gave her corpse to quan chi. i don't think shang tsung would've given syzoth's family the dignity of dying in the living forest, tbh, i personally believe he dragged them off somewhere far away to die (which is also how i imagine syzoth went so long without knowing they were dead in the first place. easier to keep him in the dark about his family's fate if he's not aware of where they are). alternatively, ashrah could be put in a similar boat to old-timeline hanzo, who was a vengeful spirit of the netherrealm after being killed by bi-han, and then continuously manipulated by quan chi. i guess she would have to be somehow turned from a spectre to a demon, but i'm sure they can figure it out with magic lmfao

you're sort of right about the reanimated/reincarnation thing, it just doesn't apply to every type of demon. (more lore explanation under the cut bc i rambled a lot and it got a bit long oops) (if you read up on all this already and this information is useless to you i sincerely apologize in advance)

the lots of different demon types in mortal kombat: imps, oni, the enenera, cambions, and other miscellaneous ones. iirc there was also gonna be another class called "elder demons" (like elder gods but not really???? i guess???) in an older game but that was scrapped.

there’s technically a difference between the oni and other demons, because quan chi in the old timeline was an oni before he turned into a demon after mastering sorcery. so i guess oni are like… lower than demons??? or something?????? i’m not actually sure what the difference is between the two tbh 😓

we know that the enenra are created from the souls of slain mortals, so they'd be an example of an undead person coming back as a demon, as mentioned in this very sad scenario. the only enenra that we've actually met in canon is smoke, who was explained to be one after dying as a child via his mk9 ending

it's really fucked up lol, some cult kidnapped & sacrificed him when he just a kid

so that would be one example of how in this au/scenario/thing, ashrah could've had a human life once and not be aware of it. this tracks pretty well with mk9 smoke not remembering his previous life or death, until his early memories came back to him after so long.

the only issue is that smoke was reborn as an enenra right after he was killed, and after he took out his revenge on the cultists, he woke back up in his human body with no memories of his previous life. so i assume this would apply to any other enenra: they die, come back and do their thing, then go back to their original bodies right where they died with no memories of their old lives. they don't minecraft respawn in the netherrealm, which is where ashrah is from. but if pre-death ashrah in this au was dragged to the netherrealm and then killed, then brought back as a demon that's further manipulated by quan chi's dark magic, i guess it could work?????

(speaking of the enenra: in one of his mk1 intros with ashrah, smoke mentions dreaming of the enenra. so either tomas already died in this new timeline & just isn't aware of it, OR he's gonna kick the bucket soon and come back as an enenra. either way, we should probably prepare his funeral in advance lmfao).

there have also been demons that aren’t enenra, but are still dead people reincarnated by quan chi, as you mentioned. they're really obscure characters -- i had to look them up to make sure i wasn't making this up in my head lmfao -- but in the show mortal kombat: conquest there's siann, mika, and sora. they're undead corpses of the netherrealm that were brought back to life as demons via quan chi's magic

they lived they served cunt they died

from my understanding (i haven't watched mk:c, i just read their wiki page) they were basically being forced to work for quan chi otherwise he threatened take away their living forms, which sucks. also mika might have a crush on quan chi….. for some reason???

the difference between these three and the enenra, though, is that they seem to actually be aware that they're undead lol. but maybe that's just because quan chi keeps threatening them with being corpses again if they don't follow his orders (again, haven't watched mk:c). who knows! their wiki page isn’t that long and doesn’t give me much info so i don’t have much to go off of 🤷🏻‍♂️

ashrah in mk1 does have a canonical demon type; she mentions that her and her sisters are cambions in an intro with kitana, hence how sareena can seamlessly change between her human-ish and demon form. i don’t thiiiink cambions are “reborn”/undead the same way the enenra would be? in irl folklore “cambion” is used to refer to either a changeling — which makes sense given sareena — or a demon-human hybrid. i really doubt ashrah’s the latter, though, so i suppose she just... spawned into existence as a cambion one day. or maybe she has demon parents running around somewhere. idk bro

i guess what i’m trying to tie together here is that in the “ashrah is a reborn dead person but doesnt know it and unfortunately said dead person is syzoth’s dead wife” nightmare scenario you’ve presented to my inbox, it could go a few ways:

she’s an enenra

same situation as the mk:c girls

hanzo-esque situation (although he's not a demon so. idk)

the second one is probably more in line with what you're thinking of, except that unlike the mk:c girls, ashrah would be kept in the dark that she's a reanimated corpse of a human woman.

and, i said this earlier, but i'll say it again: this would be a wild twist for ashrah character-wise. imagine: she’s fighting for her absolution, fighting to be a human and rid herself of her demonic nature, and then it turns out all along that at one point, there was a time ashrah was human. she had a human life and appearance once, and it was all ripped from her one day and she had no idea. even if her previous life wasn’t related to syzoth or anyone else on the roster, that would still suck. but on the other hand, i think it would give her even more incentive to purify her soul & finally kill quan chi. she'd be hurt, angry, want vengeance for the human woman she once was. the woman that was wrongfully murdered for a sorcerer's selfish gains. the possibilities are endless!!!

i dunno what else to put here or how to end this off, but i've got so many thoughts now... oughh

#not art #ask #ashzoth #angelscales #ashrah #syzoth #iiii am too tired to tag the rest of the ppl mentioned here LOL

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askfallenroyalty · 1 year

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It occurs to me that we never saw kris or suzy in the epilogue (though I think the latter was mentioned once? Idk). Did uh… are they doing decently?

// the darkworld arc had been abandoned/retconned. while there IS a UT-universe version of Kris and Susie (assuming Frisk isn't Kris in UT, tho Kris is still very much their own person regardless) in AFR, we will only know Susie in the redraw. (again... assuming UT Susie is Suzy and not a sister like the catty and catti situation.)

x-x we just know too little about DR we don't even know how the universes mirror each other and the timelines are all WHACK. its a nightmare to write for or even theorize about. i esp dont wanna think about how they'd change in the time skips of AFR.

anyway in the redraw we'll see a LOT more of Susie as Frisk's whole journey is about befriending her. i didn't add her and MK into the epilogue because we need a proper foundation that the redraw will provide. at that point, my Susie would diverge from canon Suzy heavily as her story would be quite different.

uh. speaking of that arc...

So. My original plan for the rewrite was for Gaster and Riverperson to have worked together in the prime timeline. then gaster got yeeted from time, leaving his work behind. Then, Chara would run away to the underground looking for a purpose and an escape from Asriel's BS and the island. (though, thinking on it, logically Mt.Ebott wouldn't be on monsterland... as that's exiled from humanity. so idk about that anyway)

Anyway exploring true lab Chara accidently uncovers an artificial darkworld and gets stuck as a ghostly narrator again, this time as a cherub with Feylow. Frisk, Susie and MK would be the party and they'd have to make their way home together. I've heavily considered this portion being a fangame-only material, for better play-value.

but uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

ughhhhhhhh.

ugghghh.... gaster.

The story itself can keep gaster to a bare minimum. The guy is scattered across time. he's not directly involved at all. at most we know he did SOMETHING to chara in the prime timeline with their soul and now things are on the fritz (what caused this AU) up until fake DW, where they're possessed again.

(˘･_･˘)

I just don't want to play with DR canon at all anymore. darkworlds are inherently going to tie into that. and granted, in UT canon there's entry #17 that implies a growing darkness... it's not a stretch that Gaster could of done this. And he DID have a DT extractor, and the timeline is vague but the similar wording (and how old the core is) could imply he was around Chara's time. None of this is a stretch

buuuut working with Darkworld, even if it's a fake one, is too close to DR canon and we just don't know much yet. when i first did the darkworld, i thought it'd be a fun excursion into the same chapter 1 area... but i got too into the improv and imagination side of things without understanding the original at all. (and bad improv) it didn't really hit me that DR was it's own game and lore until Chapter 2, and I realized just how early on we are into that game's story.

I just... I can work with what I've got, I can avoid DR canon as much as I can but ultimately, I'm working with 2/7ths worth of puzzle pieces.

I don't wanna do any of this. Gaster used to be a "free for all" in the fandom to do whatever timeline/lore thing you wanted to pull of cause he was free real-estate. but now DR is treating him more and more as a character and I don't wanna touch the guy as he's going to be jossing the story.

idk what to do in all honesty. The darkworld portion IS important, Chara goes through major character development that the Continue Arc is built on. But I've been struggling with Feylow as a concept, and well, this. what the hell am I going to do.

#ooc #tbd #not art #pain and suffering

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fluffypotatey · 3 months

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Some questions. For asks that have knowledge no one in universe of ispp would know, ex: things that Invilves the knowledge the VAs aren't real, do you want us to send to this blog or the sideblog

2) can you jump around the timelines? Like some asks set when ispp is new, when it's actually popular, pre mk involvement, some post mk

3) will you pretend to be the same person with the same views? Bc you're pretending to be pro same universe in the sideblog (according to the deacription), but like in this blog sometimes you answered back like you were also anti same universe. Would it the same for the sideblog

hey thanks for the questions!

1 - anything that involves more knowledge about the au than the fandom is aware of will be discussed here. i wanna keep the sideblog mostly in-story and not break the 4th wall too much (although if want to add anything about the au thru the blog, you can send asks like they are transcripts from interviews from other characters besides Macky or his not-real production crew)

if the ask is written in a way that delivers itself as someone from the au, then send it in the sideblog and either my character will answer it like it’s a conspiracy theory or something else will respond to it (idk but i think of something)

2 - i think jumping around timelines will be fun! it keeps with tumblr’s own kind of style of posting since we see a lot of posts that are 10 years old. however, please make sure you add a time-stamp for when you ask or submission is taking place (you can even tag the time-stamp for the submission! i’ll prob add that to the guidelines)

i think for in-story timeline, we should keep it similar to the show’s (imma try and map this out later), but also how about we mirror the years for when lmk got released (2020) and the present (so whenever s4 ends at)

3 - i think imma stay as the one character just for my own sake. tbh i am stretching myself a little thin since i have uni priorities and unfinished fics i wanna complete and internships to look for, so there will just be one in-universe character who reblogs (sorry for all the anti-same universe fans 😔 )

but y’all are free to reblog submission posts and stuff on the blog with your own kind of ‘fandom’ opinions. just make sure to tag it #unreality ;)

#i need to stop thinking 2020 was a year ago T^T #looked up lmk’s release date and was like ‘noooooo’ *checks again* ‘nooooooo’ *does the math* ‘NOOOOOOOO’#lmk 6EarM4c au #asks #also i need to think of a tag for the in-story character 🤔 either her name pr blog name or some characteristic

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evasivaardilosa · 8 months

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New new pinned post because the last one is so old it hurts

I’m C. Or EA. Or Eva. Any is fine. She/her

I am an adult and this blog contains 18+ content, both sexual and violence. I used to tag the former but I got lazy, and the later should be expected anyway since this is a MK blog

My personal tag is “ea talks”. I do a sort of gaming liveblog tagged as “gaming logs” (don’t expect smart strategies or quality content - I am a dumbass and I have fun like this). I also do a sort of liveblog of my fic writing which I tag as “writing logs”

(Feel free to block any or all of these tags if this sort of content doesn’t interest you!)

Talking of fics! My ao3 is here

I ship way too many ships to list and I am always open to new stuff. My favorite characters are the Lin Kuei guys (gender-neutral), all timelines

Ask me my opinions on stuff, I love sharing my opinions on stuff. Hopefully I have something interesting to say

I also have a thing for minor characters/npcs - Hydro and Harumi and the Krypt Guy are my favorites

English isn’t my first language, and I sometimes don’t get the newest release right as they come out (in the US), so please be nice and don’t come at me with spoilers. I try to always tag and use readmores when appropriate

I have a blanket permission here, if anyone is interested

I block antis and anyone posting this sort of stuff (from the tamest “this ship is disgusting” to, of course, actual harassment). I also have little patience for discourse and character bashing

#ea talks #this ended up just the same points as the previous one but updated

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fennelockley · 2 years

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hi! hi!!! okay okay, im so sorry if this is annoying but ur the first person i've come across who seems to have actual knowledge of the moon knight comics and as someone who liked the show and wants to get into the comics but is So bad at figuring out where to start, do you have suggestions on what moon knight runs i should look into first?? no pressure at all!! just looking for some recs :)

Of course! Give me any reason to start yabbering about Moon Knight and I'll take it haha and dont ever apologise, if you have any other questions no matter how many, chuck them my way and I'll do my best! As I said, I get to talk about Moon Knight?? Hell yes!

I will admit though, I've only been reading the comics for about 4 years though so if anyone notices anything else worth mentioning, please do reblog and add on your own commentary!

---

The hard thing about Moon Knight is that each writer address the character differently. Some only focus on Marc/Mr Knight, some do focus on the system, and some dont even focus on character building at all and only focus on the story. And the new comics will be nothing like the old ones (where Moon Knight wasnt even a system, just a bunch of alias' Marc took on to cover his tracks).

From my own personal opinion, I think itll be a good starting point to read the comics that focus on the characters, and obviously the fandom favourite stories....

MOON KNIGHT 2016

Jeff Lemire

Top of the list! If you read this after the show, you'll find that it holds quite a few similarities (and it's where the panels from my last post came from!).

As a whole, it focuses on the system coming to terms with their lives and Marc finally finding peace within it, their relationship with Khonshu and how they realise its toxic, coming to grips with reality and how their diagnosis affects their perception... honestly, I personally believe this will give you a best understanding of the characters and the reality they face! (And bonus, it will obviously show and talk about Jake Lockley, so if you're still new to him, this is a great way to get to know him!)

There is a 4th alter that appears in this story temporarily, but it will make sense in the context of the story.

MOON KNIGHT (2017) issue #188 - 200

Max Bemis

Okay - before the fandom jumps down my throat here, I will start off by saying this run isnt perfect. Far from it actually, and I wouldnt take it too seriously nor would I base my understanding of Moon Knight off of it.

However, I am recommending it because the story is very similar to that of Harrow and Ammits, and it's obvious where the show took inspiration from. So it's worth reading just for that, but as I say, take it with a pinch of salt.

From the Dead: Moon Knight (2014)

Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey

Another great run, focuses alot more on an outside plot rather than the system, but the characterization is brilliant.

The rest become abit watery and rely on past stories/older understandings of Moon Knight. But it will also be worth checking this link out:

https://www.comicbookherald.com/moon-knight-reading-order/amp/

As it holds every single Moon Knight run in order, itll give you a better understanding of the placement of stories.

Moon knight does also appear in other character arcs such as the Punisher, Avengers, Defenders. Theres even stories where Moon Knight becomes the host of the Phoenix Force, and an alternate timeline where he merges with Spider-Man to become Arach-knight.

I would be careful with team ups however, as alot of the characters tend to be pretty ableist towards Moon Knight and use him as the butt of "crazy" jokes.

I'd personally go with with the Punisher team ups, because he tends to have a healthy respect for MK and MK will usually throw any snark back at him.

Okay that's alot and I still feel like I havent covered alot, If anything else comes to mind I will add on, and if anyone else has something to add please do!

Good luck with the reading! If you've enjoyed the show I'm certain you will enjoy the comics! Any more questions do feel free to ask :D

#moon knight #marc spector #steven grant #jake lockley #moon knight comics

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jadethest0ne · 3 years

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In need of Refueling, Chapter 6 - Back-up

Summary: “You?! Why would I trust you? You have brought me nothing but failure. Time and time again; nothing but disappointment!”

His father’s words might have been a result of his possession by the White Bone Spirit, but whether or not they were his true thoughts, Red Son vows to prove them wrong. To do so he seeks to attain a power strong enough to destroy his father’s immortal enemy. After all, he’d much rather throw fire at his problems.

Word Count: 1548

Ratings/Warnings: Teen and up; injury, burns, angst and hurt/comfort, toxic thoughts caused by toxic parents, Panic Attacks (this one was just added)

Notes: I'm not sure if it was clear or obvious, but I'm writing this story as if this is all the characters' first in-person encounter with The True Fire of Samadhi - including Wukong. I know many people include The Fire in his backstory, but I'm creating a kind of canon-divergent timeline for this story - both for LMK and JTTW. At the very least, I'm keeping Wukong's backstory ambiguous since we don't know much about how LMK will interpret it.

Credits: Big thanks to @painted-arachnid and @simplyfornardo for helping me bounce ideas off of them. And also thanks to @lemonsqueazie for providing me with “Journey to the West” lore. I don’t know much about the original novel or other iterations, but I still tried to keep some things compliant with the lore. You should check all of them out, since they’re really great content creators with neat ideas!

Read on AO3

———-

MK sees the fire begin to consume the Monkey King. He tries to say something to his mentor. Plead. Shout. Anything. But no words come out. His breath is knocked out of him as Monkey King does some weird motion with his arms, and suddenly MK is thrown through the air at a rapid speed. There’s a ringing in his ears and he feels wetness on his cheeks. The ringing becomes louder, until he realizes that it is his own voice yelling. Another voice breaks through the noise.

“Kid!”

Monkey King? MK thinks; hopeful.

“Kid!” the voice repeats. “MK!”

MK blinks the tears out of his eyes and sees a pink chubby snout cross his vision.

“...Pigsy?”

The noodle shop owner breathes a sigh of relief, but his face is still shadowed with deep concern. “MK! Are you okay?! What happened?!”

Mr. Tang’s bespectacled head pops into view. “We found you in a crater in front of the noodle shop. It’s a wonder you are still alive,” he says pushing his glasses up his nose, reflected light blinking off of them.

“Yeah! It was a pretty epic crash!” MK’s heart lightens a bit further, seeing his best friend, Mei join the other two.

But anxiety once again takes hold of his heart. ‘What happened?’ MK leaps out of what he now recognizes as his bed, nearly butting heads with Pigsy, who was hovering closest to him. He wobbles on his feet, head swimming slightly, having gotten up too fast. Pigsy helps steady him, and MK grasps at the pig’s shirt. “Monkey King! He-he’s in trouble! I gotta- I gotta help! He-- Red Son came! DBK has him-- I -- I think- he’s hurt! He tried to protectmeandI I- gotta- I need to go--.” The words spill out too fast. He’s not sure he’s making sense. Everything seems to spin together and it feels like his whole body is buzzing with energy. His breath hitches and he feels like he’s choking--

“Hey there, MK! Slow down. Breathe!” Mei puts both of her hands on either side of his face and gently pulls his head so only she is in view. She places her hands over his ears, filling them with a soft static sound. Her eyebrows are tilted in concern, but her smile and voice are carefree and calm. He focuses on the muffled white noise and on her.

MK takes a couple of fast, hiccupy breaths, before he begins to breathe deeper, and slowly calms down. Mei waits a few beats before taking away her hands and asking, “Can you tell us what happened, but slower this time? We’re here for you, dude!”

MK blinks a couple of times and pulls in a longer, deeper breath before nodding slightly. He wipes away the wetness under his eyes and begins.

“I- I saw Red Son. He- he was going to Flower Fruit Mountain. And he wanted to get to the Monkey King. He-- he had this weird new power. He said he wanted to defeat Monkey King and bring him to DBK.”

“Beat the Monkey King?!” Pigsy gave an incredulous look. “He couldn’t have been serious!”

MK shivers a bit at the memory. “Yeah, but he was different this time! The fire he had was blue, and was really strong. He-- I-- I got in the way, and Monkey King-- I think he got the Monkey King-- Why would he send me away like that if it weren’t serious!” MK’s breaths come quicker, but before he can start hyperventilating, Mr. Tang puts a grounding hand on his shoulder and squeezes slightly to get MK to focus on him.

MK looks to the scholar who has an unreadable expression. He asks cautiously, “Can you describe the power he had? That blue fire?”

“Um…” MK tries to focus on what it was like and not on his last view of it as it swirled around his mentor. “It-- it was blue,” he repeats. “It lit the beach - the water on fire! The Monkey King could ward it off, but not put it out.”

“What was it called? Did it have a name?” the scholar prods.

MK nods as he recalls Red Son shouting a name out loud. “The True Fire of… somebody…?”

“The True Fire of Samadhi?” Mr. Tang prompts.

MK nods more vigorously. “Yeah! That was it!”

“Hmm…” Mr. Tang puts a hand over his mouth, eyebrows knit together. “That actually may be a real problem.”

“How?” Pigsy asks. “The Monkey King’s immortal, ain’t he? And MK said he could repel it. How could fire hurt someone like dat?”

Mr. Tang sighs, lips pursed as he chooses his words carefully. “The True Fire of Samadhi is not a natural fire. Like MK said, it can’t be extinguished by normal methods. And…” He hesitates with his next words, eyes flicking over to MK and back to Pigsy. “And… it’s one of the few things that could potentially cause harm to an immortal like the Monkey King.”

The silence that follows is almost too much. Or maybe there wasn’t silence and MK had just stopped hearing. So he was right. The Monkey King was in trouble and--

“It’s my fault,” MK whispers. He can feel the other three staring at him. He forces his gaze downward. Tears build up and drip at his feet. “It’s my fault!” he says more loudly. “I let Red Son trick me into leading him there! I distracted Monkey King! I got in the way, and he- he took a hit for me! If it weren’t for me then-”

“Then Red Son would’ve found another way to get to him,” a gruff voice finishes sternly.

MK looks up to Pigsy, tears still dripping. “But- but I got in the way. If I hadn’t been there, if it hadn’t been for me-”

“Then we wouldn’t have this information to help the Monkey King now.” Pigsy again, does not let him finish that train of thought. He gives MK a determined but gentle gaze. “It is NOT your fault MK. And we ARE gonna do somethin’ about this! Together!”

“Right!” Mei chimes in, wrapping an arm lightly around MK’s upper back, not quite grasping, but letting him know it’s there. “If the Monkey King is in trouble, we’re going to help him get out of trouble!”

“Tang, you got any more info on dat fire?” Pigsy turns to the scholar.

“I’ll have to dig out some old books and scrolls, but I’m sure I do,” Mr.Tang affirms.

“Good! We can also get some back-up from Sandy.” Pigsy turns to Mei. “Mei, you stay here with MK, while we get the big guy!”

Mei nods in response.

MK’s nerves settle a bit at the support from his friends, but a pit of fear still bubbles in his stomach. “I can’t let you guys do that! What if the fire gets you, too! I have to--”

“YOU will stay here,” Pigsy points a stern finger at MK, “and wait until we get back. We’ll go together to DBK’s lair.”

MK shrinks a bit under the intense glare of his boss. But Pigsy’s face and voice soften. “We’re not gonna let you do this alone. And I am not gonna let you get hurt by that fire either. Okay?”

MK’s shoulders sag in defeat, but he nods.

“Good! Now sit here until we get back,” Pigsy says, guiding him to sit back on the bed, before leaving with Mr. Tang.

It’s difficult for MK to just stay there and sit down. His body still feels like it is buzzing. He needs to move, to do something. As he watches his two pseudo-caretakers leave, he only becomes more anxious; not only with the worry from before, but with the dread of waiting. The energy bubbles up and he squeezes the edge of his bed with enough strength to cause the wood to crack. But he pays no mind to that. The Monkey King could be in DBK’s clutches already. He needs to go. Now! Seconds before he feels as if he’s going to literally shoot out of his seat, the mattress shifts as the weight of his friend sitting next to him is lifted.

“What are you doing?” MK asks the girl.

Mei simply strolls over to the window, opens it, and puts one foot on the ledge leading out to the fire escape.

“You are obviously going to go after him on your own. So I’m coming with. Duh!” She looks at him like it’s the clearest thing in the world. Which, to be honest, it is.

“I can’t let you do that,” MK attempts, but he knows it is a losing battle.

Mei knows this, too and gives him a smirk. “Come on. Either I make sure you stay here like Pigsy says, or I’m coming with you. And since you’re going to go either way, I’m definitely not leaving your side. Ever.” Mei hardens her gaze, all the while keeping a playful smile around her lips.

MK can’t help but smile back. “All right, let’s do this.” He gets up off of the bed and joins her by the window.

“Together!” Mei holds up a hand.

MK grasps it in his own. “Together!”

They both leap out of the window.

start || <– previous // next –>

#lmk #lego monkie kid #red son #mk #in need of refueling #pigsy #tang #mei #panic attacks #jadethest0ne #jadethestone #fanfiction #my writing

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midethefangirl · 4 years

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Your thoughts on the Edenians in Mortal Kombat? Love you btw 🖤🖤

Thanks for the ask. I also love your OCs by the way and I hope to see more of them 💜.

I wish there was more input on the Edenians in the new timeline. I also wish they were given their independence 😩. One thing I loved about the Midway continuity is how every character was given a basic insight on their goals in Mortal Kombat at least. This is one thing that the new timeline failed to do in respect to the new characters. To answer the question, here is my opinion on each Edenian:

My favourite Edenian is Tanya as she was the first female Mortal Kombat character, along with Sonya Blade, that caught my attention. When I played first MK game (MK 4), I was intrigued by this innocent looking Edenian who turns out to be working for Shinnok all along (as I would learn seven years after). Her diplomacy and will for self-preservation also caught my interest.

Kitana: I love Kitana as well. However, my problem is how she was handled in the new timeline. In my opinion, she is one of the characters NRS screwed over. Since infancy, she grew up believing Shao Kahn was her father only to find out that he wasn’t what she thought he was. To make things worse, he had requested that a clone be made to replace her if she dared defect from his side. She joins Raiden side, only to get killed by her mother. In MK 11, her past self is brought back due to Kronika’s time shenanigans. She defeats Shao Kahn and is reunited with Lui Kang...until Aftermath rears its ugly head.

Sindel gets resurrected by Shang Tsung, Fujin and Nightwolf, you’d expect a happy ending, right? Sike, her mother has been a moustache-twirling villainess all along and Kitana ends up being a slave. You know, I feel bad for her as she has been poorly written by incompetent writers. Hopefully, she’ll get a better fate in the reboot, if it does come.

I hate how flat her character arc in MK 11 fell and how her revenant could work with Kronika after knowing the latter was working with Shao Kahn. I’d also have preferred she ruled Edenia like in the old timeline, rather than becoming Kahn of Outworld but it is what it is.

Jade: also love her and her devotion to Kitana. I wish there was more we knew about her other than those two. Unfortunately, she got an upgrade from being Kitana’s bodyguard to being Kotal’s woman. Again, screw NRS.

Sindel: a loving mother and a tragic character in the old timeline...until NRS came and turned her into Shao Kahn 2.0. I’m no longer mad that she’s a villain, I don’t mind that, it’s how poorly the retcon was done that angers me. I’m not really a fan of her but she had an interesting story in the old timeline.

Mileena: a really tragic character in the NRS continuity. She’s not really my cup of tea but imagine being used by a tyrant as a replacement, wanting to take over the realm after said tyrant is dead only to be betrayed by those whom you thought you could trust. Amongst the ones you think you can trust, one is using you to gain independence for her realm, the other is hoping you die so he can reclaim his position as the son of Argus while the one who is really loyal to you is killed. To make things worse, you’re killed by a bug lady under the orders of Papa Smurf of Montezuma (who is no better than SK in my opinion). Man, I really feel bad for Mileena.

Rain: I don’t like him. Neither do I get the hype around him.

Ermac: I am not really a fan of him but I hate how NRS made him a perpetual jobber. This is an entity who defeated Sonya, Johnny, Jax, Kung Lao and Kitana who were being mindcontrolled by Onaga in the old timeline. RIP, fam.

Sorry if this answer is a mess here. My brain is kind of fuzzy today.

#mortal kombat #my thoughts #edenians #tanya mortal kombat #kitana #jade mortal kombat #rain mortal kombat #sindel #ermac #mileena #tw: flashing images #just putting that out there for those who are photo sensitive #ask

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123abcdrawwithme · 5 years

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all spg albums poorly described by me bc i can

album one: steam man band: michael reed voice: GUYS HOLY HECK LOOKIT MY ROBOT FRIEMDS THEIR SO COOL OHMA G AD clockwork vaudeville: now when you say you bought yourself a pickle- sound of tomorrow: the jons audible lenny face as he says “in the nude” on top of the universe 2009 ver.: RABBIT FUCKED A TOASTER AND UPGRADE KILLED THE SPINE THE GIRLS ARE OFF THE SHITS on top of the universe 2011 ver.: alternate timeline where the jon and rabbit kill the spine and deny him ice cream i am not alone: poor one out for upgrades 1 (one) song, shes trying her best ice cream parade: i don’t even know where to begin with this one brass goggles: LOCAL ROBOS ARE FEELING EMO SO THEY HAVE A SING ALONG out in the rain: splish splash they was havin’ a bash electricity is in my soul: okay but whomst the hell is that electronic voice who sings the “la la’s”? serious question who tf is it???? steam man band reprise: michael reed voice: GUYS MY COOL ROBO FRIENDS ARE GETTING AN ENCORE HOLY HECKIE blind minstrel’s ballad: ominous captain albert alexander: listen,,,, he beat spider hulk in an arm wrestling match,,,, hes really cool,,,,,, the 2¢ show: steamboat shenanigans: some say they sang so hard they really did make it to the moon and across the stars ;) one-way ticket: CHU CHU I LOVE U ju ju magic: jonathan giraffe what tHE FUCK ARE YOU SINGING ABOUT HONEY? ARE YOU OKAY? me and my baby (saturday night): the spines a hopeless romantic and he loves to treat his girl and his siblings support him little birdie: jon makes friends with a bird or some shit idfk rex marksley: the spines a hopeless romantic and sings about his cowboy crush and his siblings support him automatonic electronic harmonics: they want to feel cool,, let them feel cool,, prelude to a dream: hey michael i thought you were supposed to be the human friend whats all this about not being a human being?? mike? m-mike?? make believe: FUCK SOCIETY, TRANS RIGHTS BITCHES *EPIC KAZOO SOLO* honeybee: ah yes that one song we won’t ever let them forget bc were all emo scary world: the morse code says spoopy the suspender man: rabbit voice: yeah theres this guys who sold his soul or whatever how fucked up was that, anyway i want to wear a dress :3c that’ll be the way home: THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL THAT’LL the ballad of lily: oh boi we about to have another character song on this album airheart: character song 2 electric boogaloo circuitry: y’all good? mk iii: curtain raiser: beebop voice: STEVETHY SOMEONES TRYING TO PLAY THE ALBUM steve voice: oh fuck steam powered giraffe: HEHE NAME DROP mecto amore: this is some rabbits in love again shit but with WHAMST hatch fever: hatchy is here and the album version does not capture how feral hatchworth performed this on stage a way into your heart: spg as a whole @ their fans: we love you all so much thank you for the support over the years :) <3 me through tears: bitch,,,,, <3 ghost grinder: rabbit and the boys on their way to the graveyard at 3 am to party with rabbits dead gf please explain: i stg everytime i hear hatchy sing “gum in my gears” i think he’s saying something else and i’m sure you can fill in the blank, but the thing that gets me is thats so on brand for him to say dsfdfg she said maybe: rabbit is just young old dumb and full of love these days isn’t she? go spine go: almost 6 minutes of hatchworth and rabbit being two year olds and poking fun at spine roller skate king: everyone sleeps on how good this song is wtf i’ll rust with you: me knowing full well this song is about rabbit outliving her gfs throughout the decades bc shes a robot: oh,, so thats why theres so many love songs by rabbit on this album,,, rabbit you good?? wired wrong: the spine you good?? fancy shoes: hATCHWORTH YOU GOOD??? steam powered giraffe reprise: we interrupt your regularly scheduled robot angst hours with that good weeb shit™ turn back the clock: okay back the robot angst bleak horizon: our lovelys saying goodbye saying they’ll be back to bring smiles on our faces soon as we close out to some ominous as fuck shit teasing vice quadrant the vice quadrant: the vice does tight: okay so the vice quadrants fucked up and the robots are very concerned by this on a crescendo: ominous foreshadowing thats so ominous i had to look up what this song meant lore wise bc i just thought it was the robots just dancing and having fun steamjunk: my dear sweet honey darling is traveling through space and I’M WORRIED ABOUT HIM starburner: low-key robo angst bc their worried about their souls being damned or some shit but its cute progress and technology: david YOUR RANGE wink the satellite: wink voice: YOU WAS MY BABY MY FUCKIN CINNAMON APPLE burning in the stratosphere: oh fire fire: this is the most haunting shit i have no joke for this sky sharks: hoo boi the sky sharks certainly won’t be killing us all today, but climate change sure will daughter of space: PREBBY SPACE GODDESS HNNNGNNGNG star valley night: honeys you know you can just wait for it to be night time right? then you can go play in the star valley at night- commander cosmo: BITCH YOU GOOD? where is everyone?: THERE SHE IS MY BABY gg the giraffe: MY DARLIIIIINNGGG SING IT HONEY the pulls: wink my darling y’all ok? soliton: corpse man and space goddess sing a really nerdy analogy about love and its gorgeous where i left you: wink seriously are you okay? over the moon: rabbits just done but shes gotta sing it and go all out with how done she is bc shes extra it’s cosmic: is the “alright!” rav?? also is this love song supposed to represent them causing more fuckshit and destroying the universe and just not realizing it bc their in love?? idfk man it bops hold me: whether from the perspective of holly or rabbit i weep openly at this song the speed of light: david: this is where the astronaut turns evil won’t tell you why tho ;) literally every lore buff: *listens to this song and tries to theorize wtf happened* rav to the rescue: local green space twink rescues his space bf more at 11 starlight starshine: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO the space giant: three steampunk robots fight a giant starbaby in guitar hero to save a satellites crush; a planet thats a huge apple i have zero jokes for this is already too absurd oh no: oh OH OH? O H. OOOH OH??????????? o h... oh no.... necrostar: evil pissrock possessed evil dead guy and is ready to cause fuckshit while the robots sing about how scared they are at the end super space blaster centi-asteroid invaderpedes 2: cute interactions with the robots! i hate this title tho whale song: wholesome shit to distract you from all the lore and foreshadowing at the end Music from steamworld heist: automatonic electronic harmonics, on top of the universe, electricity is is my soul, honeybee, and brass goggles: me minding my own business playing steamworld heist: *walks into a bar where spine rabbit and hatchworth are performing one of these songs* me: HOOOOOGH heist ho!: yeah thats piper for ya starscrap: hi i’m in love for rabbit? prepare for boarding: GET IN BITCHES WE’RE GONNA OVER THROW THE PATRIARCHY the red queen: capitalism? demolished. what we need are some heros: the spine projecting his love for cowboys onto the player characters the vast frontier: hatchworth: I’M A BAD BITCH YOU CAN’T KILL ME the stars: they made it lads they made it over the moon and across the stars.... also how’d they keep singing for that long aren’t they tired? quintessential: malfunction: wow i can’t believe spg ended transphobia i don’t have a name for it: love? i guess??gd fgdsghfdg blue portals: the idea of hatchworth going through the blue portals when i know they’re made out of blue matter is terrifying overdrive: they want to seem cool please play along and pretend their green screen work is cool the ballad of delilah morreo: this came right the fuck out of nowhere but fuck its here now and its fantastic love world of love: wonder what other balboa park songs they’ll bring back, like never gonna give you up :) only human: i’d die for you hatchy salgexicon: they deadass wrote a song about their dnd campaign sleep evil sleep: i guess we’re all evil BC WE KEEPING SLEEPING ON HOW GOOD THIS SONG IS TOO photographic memories: walter worker chelsea? come get ur mans- leopold expeditus: hatchworth: hey guys checkout my fursona dream machine: this song keeps me up at night with the endING I JUST WANT RABBIT TO BE HAPPY AND ARTSY BUT THE WAY IT ENDED WITH THE VICE QUADRANT RELATED TEASER MAKES ME THINK RABBIT PICKED UP A SATELLITE FREQUENCY FROM WINK ABOUT HOW NECROSTAR WILL KILL RAV IN THE FUTURE DEADASS I’M NERVOUS WHAT HAPPENED

#steam powered giraffe #spg #this took forever please just take it #not art

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alphagirl404 · 5 years

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You guys have no idea how happy I am that Mortal Kombat 11 is coming to the Switch. Like, REALLY stoked. I’ve been a fan of the series for a awhile but this would be the first MK game that I’ll actually get to play.

Some background:

I was first introduced with the series back in 2012 when I saw gameplay video of MK9 from Smosh’s gaming channel (back when I use to watch Smosh). I was initially shocked by the series violence and strayed away from it for a short while. It never left my mind, though.

One day I just so happen to stumble upon the MK9 story mode on YouTube. I figure ‘why not’ since I had nothing better to do. The story was okay, in my opinion, and I really like the characters. Then I decided dig deeper. Before I knew it, I’m watching MK parody videos on YouTube, liking MK fanart on DeviantArt, reading MK fanfiction, watching the 1995 movie and Legacy, and learning all the facts about this franchise. I realize that there’s more to MK than just the gorefest than I first thought. It had interesting lore and great characters. I only fell in love with it even more when MKX came out.

But there was one problem I had: I couldn’t play the games. Not because I wasn’t allowed too, because I didn’t own them or have the consoles to play them on (I was always more of a Nintendo person growing up). I had to rely on YouTube to watch the stories and whatnot. Not to mention I was more familiar games in the new timeline and still learning about the old one (except for maybe MKvsDC, if that counts). Because of my limited experience, I was somewhat hesitant to talk about it because I was afraid I would be labeled a ‘fake fan’. (I can relate this to other franchises as well).

Now that an MK game is coming to a console I own I hope I could gain some credibility as a MK fan. Even if it’s probably not much.

Anyways, I just wanted to express some feelings. Though if you did read this, thanks.

#mortal kombat #mortal kombat 9 #mortal kombat x #mortal kombat 11 #mk #mk9 #mkx #mk11 #shut up alpha

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torterragarden · 5 years

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mortal kombat 11 every time closer, any character or concept you'd want more than other? :eyes emoji:

Oof good question! I really, really hope the Kombat Kids will be back. I thought they were really fun and likable and I’d be really interested in what they could do if they focused on a new generation of heroes rather than relying on old faces so much. Not that I don’t love those old characters, but instead of just retreading the same ground it’s nice to feel like we’re moving forward in the story and the Kombat Kids helped with that. Given that Cassie was the hero in the end of MKX I’m thinking it’s likely she’ll return? Maybe? I really hope she does, she’s my fave and it would make my url relevant again hghgdf I’m not sure how good the chances of returning are for the rest of the Kombat Kids, but I’m going to hope for it

Apparently this game’s story is gonna be messing with timelines a lot which honestly I’m really excited for cause I love time travel and alternate timelines and all that good shit, it should be really interesting! Especially if characters can confront themselves from other timelines like we’ve been seeing, and it would be a good way to bring back fan favorites who are dead or otherwise shelved. I really love that we’re getting Dark Raiden in this, I’ve been hyped for that since the end of MKX hghf I love Dark Raiden and I love how shamelessly Edgelord that prologue with Shinnok was it’s just ghgdfhkj THE BEST. I had also hoped that Liu Kang and Kitana would be the final bosses of MK11 because that would have been a super interesting direction to take things and imagine the ANGST when Raiden has to confront Liu Kang!! but I’m also okay that they’re not the bosses. Kronika seems like she could be a cool antagonist because unlike most villains we’ve had so far she’s not bent on destruction, she’s kind of... Lawful Neutral, or maybe Lawful Evil who thinks she’s Lawful Neutral. So like, that’s different at least! I am a little bit :// about the idea that she’s like, apparently been behind everything since the beginning and yet she’s only being mentioned now hgghfkd it reminds me a bit of that retcon in MKX that placed D’Vorah in the MK2 events and it just didn’t work lol but it’s maybe not quite so bad, since at least Kronika is an elder goddess working in secrecy so it is reasonable that no one would have known of her, whereas with D’Vorah they were just like “oh yes, remember how D’Vorah was totally there the whole time? no? well she was trust us”. So yeah I’m intrigued by the role Kronika will take in the story and it’s cool to finally have a female boss character in MK after like two decades lmao. And Liu Kang and Kitana will likely still be a major part of the story as both heroes and villains (if those alternate timelines come into play). I do worry that the story could get a bit convoluted and lbr NRS doesn’t have the best writing team when it comes to their story modes but at the very least I’m sure it’s going to be an entertaining ride so I’m looking forward to it

As far as gameplay goes, I’m not sure I like this whole Fatal Blow (or whatever it’s called I’m tired and forgetful) thing? I feel like that’s going to be a very frustrating thing to deal with because it can turn a match around so quickly, which I know is the Point but it’s. idk I feel like that’s something they’ll have to fine tune a lot to make sure it’s not too broken. Also, while the details on the gore look fantastic I haven’t been that impressed by a lot of the Fatalities we’ve seen so far because they seem to be more focused on making them gorey than on making them actually creative. I mean I get it, it’s Mortal Kombat, over the top gore is their Thing and I love it, but I’m also gonna need a lot more Style to those kills. Sometimes the most memorable Fatalities are not the most gore-heavy ones and I hope they’ll keep that in mind (and of course ideally I would want Fatalities to be both gorey and creative). Also hope that they’ll bring back Brutalities cause those were fucking fun, and something like Animalities or Babalities just for the laughs you know

This ask was answered by the Should Be Sleeping Gang and is probably really incoherent so sorry lol but thank you for sending me an ask about MK I’m literally always happy for an excuse to talk about it

#ask #zzxid

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whatamidoingwithmylifeman · 3 years

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MK 11 Nozomi vs Canon intro fight dialogues part 1

Hey o, finally got part one of the Nozomi intro fight dialogues done. Same rules for the replaced guest character apply like the first time.

tw/cw: small implications of abuse and trauma

@yuvononik

enjoy below the cut

Barka vs Nozomi

Baraka: You took Shariah away!

Nozomi: She was left for dead! I saved her!

Baraka: Why should I trust what Quan Chi’s spawn says?

Baraka: You are not welcome here in Outworld, Nozomi

Nozomi: I think your Kahn would beg to differ.

Baraka: Kitana doesn’t speak for Tarkata!

Baraka: I know your dirty tricks, Goddess

Nozomi: Comparing me to that bastard necromancer isn’t a reliable source of information.

Baraka: Your personality and eyes are the near image of him!

Cassie vs Nozomi

Cassie: You don’t dress too fancy for a Goddess

Nozomi: Why should I? I’m only a Demi Goddess

Cassie: Stop the presses. We have a humble God.

Cassie: Wait so you’re like Kronika’s granddaughter?

Nozomi: She must not know I exist!

Cassie: Don’t you think it’s a little too late for that?

Cassie: You’re with the good guys, right?

Nozomi: As long as the “good guys” don’t hurt my children, then yes.

Cassie: Give me names, and I’ll make it an official SF order to bring no harm to them.

Cetrion vs Nozomi

Cetrion: My sweet niece, have you come back?

Nozomi: To try and close void again

Cetrion: Ah. So you aren’t going to stay

Cetrion: What does your mother say of your proposal?

Nozomi: As long as Rain makes me happy, then she’s fine with it.

Cetrion: Well if she’s fine with it..

Cetrion: The One Being calls to you.

Nozomi: Oh no! Not again!

Cetrion: Again? What do you mean again?

D’vorah vs Nozomi

D’vorah: The lost world’s demi-goddess

Nozomi: Not really lost if I never intended for it to be found

D’vorah: Kronika will merge it with this one in the new timeline.

D’vorah: Why refuse Kronika’s offer?

Nozomi: Kind of hard to accept someone's offer when you're being held prisoner in a cave

D’vorah: You should not blame Kronika for the One Being's rashness.

D’vorah: This one does not fear you.

Nozomi: Good for you? Look I really don’t care.

D’vorah: Not the reaction this one was expecting

Erron vs Nozomi

Erron: You and Rain sure are quite the match.

Nozomi: What do you mean, Black?

Erron: Two demi-gods with daddy issues.

Erron: You really ripped Kotal a new one.

Nozomi: There are two types of people I can’t stand. Argus and liars.

Erron: Give me one good reason to pray to you.

Erron: Y'all really have it in for Argus, don’t you?

Nozomi: If you don’t want to do so, then don’t.

Erron: You’re not good at this god thing are you?

Frost vs Nozomi

Frost: Since Michiko’s my mom, does that make you my platonic grandma?

Nozomi: Stardust Frost, I’m not old!

Frost: Aren’t you ageless?

Frost: What can you offer me Nozomi?

Nozomi: Love. Safety. Revenge.

Frost: I already get love and safety from mom and Reiki. But about the revenge thing.

Frost: Mom warn you about me?

Nozomi: Yeah. She said not to keep you up past 9, otherwise you get really cranky.

Frost: Very funny, grandma!

Fujin vs Nozomi

Fujin: You’re the one helping Michiko in her quest for vengeance!?

Nozomi: I am the Goddess of Revenge.

Fujin: You have another goal in mind. What is it?

Fujin: Nozomi… is there a reason you weren't there in the fight against Kronika?

Nozomi: No reason you need to worry about

Fujin: Nozomi, talk to me.

Fujin: Raiden cares a great deal about you.

Nozomi: Even after helping Michiko in her quest for vengeance?

Fujin: He understands why. He doesn’t blame you or Michiko.

Geras vs Nozomi

Geras: Nozomi, creator of the world below

Nozomi: And what of it?

Geras: Creationism was always your destiny

Geras: The One Being, The Morai, and The Reapers

Nozomi: Enough with the trying to make me remember that life!

Geras: I am sorry you had to meet him like that again.

Geras: Kronika will give you anything you wish.

Nozomi: She didn't seem to care about me when I was trapped beneath the sea of blood

Geras: Even Kronika cannot oppose the One Being

Jacqui vs Nozomi

Jacqui: Where’s your mom?

Nozomi: She said she had some family matters to attend to

Jacqui: Shouldn’t you be with her?

Jacqui: Kronika might not be finished

Nozomi: Lucky for us, I got my mom on our side

Jacqui: So is she gonna be our secret weapon?

Jacqui: Haven’t seen you since you found your dad’s decapitated body

Nozomi: Out of all the deaths I have witnessed, why did that one bother me the most?

Jacqui: I’m sure your dad’s out there somewhere.

Jade vs Nozomi

Jade: I found your mother’s temple

Nozomi: So Michiko has told me

Jade: Your mother was quite the informant

Jade: Will you help Kitana Kahn?

Nozomi: I don’t think I’m the right Goddess to ask

Jade: Then who do you suggest?

Jade: Are you really Raiden's daughter?

Nozomi: Platonically I am.

Jade: Platonically?

Jax vs Nozomi

Jax: I hear you’re related to Kronika, Shinnok, and Cetrion

Nozomi: Unfortunately, yes, and yes

Jax: Family get togethers must be a nightmare

Jax: You’re a weapon of mass destruction

Nozomi: I lose my shit once, and everyone calls me unstable

Jax: You lost your shit more than once Nozomi

Jax: I hope your union with Rain straightens him out

Nozomi: There’s no point in the union if I’m going back to my world.

Jax: Have you talked to him about this?

Johnny vs Nozomi

Johnny: I’m confused. Is Quan Chi or Rai-dude your dad?

Nozomi: Biologically or?

Johnny: With as protective as Raiden is of you, I'm going to assume it's Raiden.

Johnny: Earthrealm’s savior has arrived!

Nozomi: Oh, what a pleasure it is to meet the famed Johnny Cage.

Johnny: Finally! Some recognition.

Johnny: You control lighting!?

Nozomi: ehh, sort of.

Johnny: Are you sure you aren’t Raiden’s daughter biologically?

Kabal vs Nozomi

Kabal: Nozomi? What kind of name is that?

Nozomi: It means hope.

Kabal: That all? Could’ve sworn it meant more

Kabal: What deal did Kristy make with you?

Nozomi: Who said she made one with me?

Kabal: Bullshit! Kristy wouldn’t lie to me!

Kabal: You can bring people back from the dead?

Nozomi: Yes. Why?

Kabal: Do you make em revenants like your dad?

Kano vs Nozomi

Kano: Heard you were the Devil of Deals.

Nozomi: And Debts! Name your price.

Kano: Now we’re talking!

Kano: Well color me gobsmacked. You and Rain?

Nozomi: What of it?

Kano: Kind of thought it’d be you and that old sorcerer

Kano: What are you here for sheila?

Nozomi: Has nobody ever taught you not to cross a devil?

Kano: Guess yer about to teach me that lesson?

Kitana vs Nozomi

Kitana: If it wasn’t for you.. Mother would still be..

Nozomi: A corrupt, money grubbing, backstabber that lies through her teeth?

Kitana: Thank you so much for your help Nozomi.

Kitana: My revenant and Liu’s is really attached to you huh?

Nozomi: I blame my dad.

Kitana: Well that, and Liu Kang himself thinks of you as his sister.

Kitana: Are you leaving soon?

Nozomi: Once the portal’s fixed.

Kitana: Liu Kang and I will miss you

Kollector vs Nozomi

Kollector: Are you also a collector, Nozomi?

Nozomi: Yeah. Of debts.

Kollector: You and I would make great business partners

Kollector: What is Shariah’s status?

Nozomi: Her wounds are healing tremendously. Nyx is keeping her company.

Kollector: If that Saurian tries anything with her..

Kollector: How is it Mileena, Tanaya, Skarlet, Nyx, and Phantos get to see Shariah, but I can’t?

Nozomi: She requested them. And I know they wouldn’t try to take anything from my world.

Kollector: So she’s still mad at me?

Kotal Kahn vs Nozomi

Kotal Kahn: So you're the Nozomi Raiden has bragged on so much.

Nozomi: Leave it up to dad to be the embarrassing one.

Kotal Kahn: Dad? I did not know Raiden had a daughter.

Kotal Kahn: Is Shariah doing alright?

Nozomi: Didn't think you'd care.

Kotal Kahn: She helped Jade free me.

Kotal Kahn: Do you also practice the dark arts?

Nozomi: I practice all sorts of magic. Wanna see a card trick?

Kotal Kahn: Your character slips my mind day by day.

Kung Lao vs Nozomi

Kung Lao: My hat tricks, your card magic.

Nozomi: Together we’d make great great entertainment for a kid’s birthday party.

Kung Lao: Or anybody’s in general!

Kung Lao: You dated Shang Tsung?

Nozomi: Yes?

Kung Lao: Hate to break it to you Nozomi, but Rain’s not an upgrade.

Kung Lao: Are you going to leave once the void is sealed?

Nozomi: It’s what I intended to do from the start

Kung Lao: You’re the best sister ever. Please don’t go.

Liu Kang vs Nozomi

Liu Kang: Madam Nozomi.

Nozomi: Liu, you know you can just call me Nozomi

Liu Kang: Well I haven’t seen you in so long, I feared you’d think me a stranger

Liu Kang: You have poor taste in partners.

Nozomi: Oh? What are you, some expert?

Liu Kang: You met Kitana. I rest my case.

Liu Kang: Are you really going to leave us once the void is sealed?

Nozomi: That was my plan from the start, Liu Kang.

Liu Kang: You’re my favorite sister. Please don’t leave.

Mileena vs Nozomi

Mileena: How’s Shariah doing?

Nozomi: You and Tanya just saw her!

Mileena: That was an hour ago! I need a new update now!

Mileena: I’m glad it is you who Rain will wed.

Nozomi: Why?

Mileena: You make him the happiest!

Mileena: Tell me, does my sister actually like me?

Nozomi: She worries for you and Tanya everyday

Mileena: You mean it?

Nightwolf vs Nozomi

Nightwolf: Why do you hate that spot in the Netherrealm anyway?

Nozomi: Something bad happened there.

Nightwolf: Great Spirit Nozomi, are you alright?

Nightwolf: You’ve met the Great Spirit before.

Nozomi: No, she's met the Great Spirit

Nightwolf: You are her Nozomi.

Nightwolf: Raiden spoke a great deal of you.

Nozomi: Oh? Enlighten me?

Nightwolf: Like a father bragging about his daughter.

Noob Saibot vs Nozomi

Noob Saibot: Quan Chi spoke a great deal of you, daughter of Fuyuka.

Nozomi: I doubt it.

Noob Saibot: He’d sang your praises to everyone in the Netherrealm.

Noob Saibot: Tell me why Michiko hates me.

Nozomi: I don’t think she hates you, Bi Han.

Noob Saibot: I have seen that rage in her eyes before. There is no mistaking it

Noob Saibot: As Quan Chi’s daughter, you will take over the Brotherhood of Shadow.

Nozomi: Shouldn’t that technically go to Melantha instead of me?

Noob Saibot: Shinnok’s daughter has chosen to stay in Orderrealm.

Raiden vs Nozomi

Raiden: Out of all the gods, you led Michiko against Flamus and I?

Nozomi: You and Flamus need to atone for what you did to the Karasugawas!

Raiden: I cannot blame your anger or hers.

Raiden: I hope Rain will be a good husband to you.

Nozomi: He was my best friend and greatest boyfriend.

Raiden: Should he hurt you, lighting will strike more than twice.

Raiden: Are you going to leave?

Nozomi: Once the void gets closed again.

Raiden: You know there are a lot of people here that will miss you Nozomi.

Rain vs Nozomi

Rain: Nozomi are you really going back to the world below?

Nozomi: You can come with me Rain!

Rain: But wouldn’t it be better here?

Rain: Is it true you do not have followers my cosmic queen?

Nozomi: I have no need or want for them, love.

Rain: All the realms should worship you and your generous beauty.

Rain: I don’t feel comfortable with you going to Orderrealm alone

Nozomi: I’m just visiting my cousin Rain.

Rain: Melantha isn’t the problem. It’s Hotaru

Scorpion vs Nozomi

Scorpion: So you’re the reason for Michiko’s wrath against the gods!!

Nozomi: I am the Goddess of Revenge! Why does everyone forget that?

Scorpion: Because that is not the impression you give Goddess.

Scorpion: Tell me, why does Michiko hate me?

Nozomi: She’s just afraid Reiki would leave her for you.

Scorpion: Reiki leaving a wonderful woman like Michiko? That’s impossible.

Scorpion: I am sorry for acting so hastily back then.

Nozomi: Because of you, we almost didn’t find Charu!

Scorpion: Hurting anyone else was never my intention.

Shang Tsung vs Nozomi

Shang Tsung: We’ve danced this dance a thousand times.

Nozomi: And yet you still miss the steps.

Shang Tsung: Forgive me, I’m still learning.

Shang Tsung: You and the Edinan demigod?

Nozomi: Rain was my friend for as long as you were.

Shang Tsung: Should we hurt you, his soul will be mine.

Shang Tsung: I’ll miss you when you leave.

Nozomi: You’re usually not this direct Shang.

Shang Tsung: I have no need to be elusive with you.

Shao Kahn vs Nozomi

Shao Kahn: That sword will be mine!

Nozomi: I’d like to see you try and take it!

Shao Kahn: I’ll enjoy cutting you up with it when I do.

Shao Kahn: You took Sindel away!

Nozomi: She never loved you in the first place.

Shao Kahn: You’ll pay with your life!

Shao Kahn: It’s a shame your mother isn’t here

Nozomi: Mother doesn’t need to waste her time with you.

Shao Kahn: A shame she won’t get to see her precious daughter die!

Sheeva vs Nozomi

Sheeva: Thanks to you Sindel is reunited with her daughters.

Nozomi: I know what it’s like to live so long without a mother.

Sheeva: I hope you and your mother get a chance to catch up.

Sheeva: How is Shariah doing?

Nozomi: Her wounds are healing tremendously!

Sheeva: That is good to hear.

Sheeva: So you are also a devil?

Nozomi: Of deals and debts.

Sheeva: How many are in your debt?

Sindel vs Nozomi

Sindel: I thank you for waking me from my corruption

Nozomi: It wasn’t an easy task.

Sindel: I imagine it was not

Sindel: If you are to wed an Edinan then it would be wise to do so in Edenia.

Nozomi: Queen Sindel, I’m not staying long

Sindel: Please stay in this world with all of us Nozomi.

Sindel: How is she?

Nozomi: Shariah is healing pretty quickly.

Sindel: Shao Kahn will pay for this.

Skarlet vs Nozomi

Skarlet: So you’re the famous blood-bender?

Nozomi: You’re the Skarlet Michiko has mentioned?

Skarlet: How have we not befriended each other already?

Skarlet: My sister, how is she?

Nozomi: Shariah is healing well.

Skarlet: I shall visit her soon.

Skarlet: If Reiko bothers you again, I’ll deal with him

Nozomi: I might have to take you up on that offer

Skarlet: I’ll bloodbend him til he breaks in two.

Sonya vs Nozomi

Sonya: Did you honestly make a deal with Kano?

Nozomi: Heard he was a crosser. Thought I’d teach him a lesson

Sonya: You are some sadist.

Sonya: What’s Kronika’s deal with you?

Nozomi: She thinks being nice to me will make up for what her husband did.

Sonya: I didn't know she was married.

Sonya: From the way Raiden spoke about you, he seemed really proud.

Nozomi: So I’ve been told.

Sonya: You should stick around, for his sake.

Sub-Zero vs Nozomi

Sub-Zero: So you are the one who saved Michiko all those years ago?

Nozomi: She was so scared when I found her.

Sub-Zero: Did she ever tell you why?

Sub-Zero: Is Michiko going back with you?

Nozomi: That is for her to decide

Sub-Zero: So that is a no?

Sub-Zero: You control all the elements?

Nozomi: Their khaotic forms.

Sub-Zero: What are you Nozomi?

Shinnok vs Nozomi

Shinnok: My dearest niece, it’s good to see you again

Nozomi: I’m only here to seal up the void Shinnok

Shinnok: Won’t you stay?

Shinnok: So you’re marrying Rain?

Nozomi: Yup.

Shinnok: He will know death should he bring you harm.

Shinnok: Nozomi, your father has told me this isn't the first time you have been held captive in my realm

Nozomi: I don't want to talk about the first time.

Shinnok: Nozomi. Who else hurt you?

Quan Chi vs Nozomi

Quan Chi: Starlight. You and your mother’s return fills me with such joy.

Nozomi: Didn’t think you really cared.

Quan Chi: When you left, I nearly died again.

Quan Chi: My daughter, are you not happy to see me?

Nozomi: Your return could mean Isaac’s return!

Quan Chi: Nozomi, what did he do to you?

Quan Chi: If Rain hurts you, I will see to it he is tortured beyond death.

Nozomi: You’re actually accepting of the engagement?

Quan Chi: I trust your judgement.

Hotaru vs Nozomi

Hotaru: Madam Nozomi.

Nozomi: General Hotaru.

Hotaru: Here to see Lady Melantha I presume?

Hotaru: Nozomi, I love Melantha. I’m not going to hurt her.

Nozomi: One mark on her, and your soul won’t live another life.

Hotaru: You have my word.

Hotaru: Melantha wept when she heard you were going to leave.

Nozomi: I have no reason to stay.

Hotaru: Leave, and I will hunt you down and kill you for making my beloved Venus cry.

Reiko vs Nozomi

Reiko: If it isn’t the gorgeous blood bender.

Nozomi: An engaged blood bender, Reiko.

Reiko: Not for long.

Reiko: Honestly, why settle for that demigod?

Nozomi: Cause he isn’t a scheming little shit!

Reiko: That tongue is sharp. I like it.

Reiko: May I have this dance?

Nozomi: You can have a seat.

Reiko: Only if you take one on my lap.

Meat vs Nozomi

Meat: Is Shariah here?

Nozomi: Yes she’s healing- son is that you?

Meat: I want to see her. Then we’ll talk.

Meat: Are you mad at me for leaving?

Nozomi: I just want to hold you again.

Meat: Your hugs were my favorite.

Meat: No flesh please. I don’t want any.

Nozomi: Anything, just please don’t leave again.

Meat: Then you stay too.

32 notes · View notes

abundantchewtoys · 4 years

Text

Homestuck^2 Bonus re: Catnapped part 2

My reactions to this bonus chapter are under the cut!

Page 9

Ahahaahahahahah.

So Jasprosesprite^2 is claiming a place at the table as Creator. That sneaky cat.

Well, she IS half Rose, so she has some claim to the name. And it appears that in this timeline, it is going to be the carapacian that will stir up trouble.

Which is ironic - Jane was so focused on the trolls becoming trouble, and everyone assumed the carapacians would just be slaves to propaganda. But we forgot they are also very democracy-obsessed, thanks to the influence of WV. :D

Pffff, but she actually articulated her cat smiley during the broadcast.

So yeah, Ataxia is definitely a type of figurehead, but one of some clout in the Troll Kingdom.

Pfff, Roxy erected a palace in honour of Fefeta. That is just perfect.

And hey, Eggmop's being involved in the proceedings here too! Seems like she just rolls into rebellions naturely.

It's really fitting that carapaces would back Jasprosesprite^2 so easily - they naturally prefer Kings and Queens. Though WV would have something to say about it. :P

I wonder how the meeting of the regional meeting with Crocker's administration will turn out.

But pffff, Rose just plain refused to acknowledge Jasprosesprite^2 in her writings. Not really mature.

Then again, what "historical journals" do they refer to? If it's just the GameFAQ walkthrough... :P

---

Page 10

Wohohohoh! Jasprosesprite^2 is sounding a bit more down-to-earth, actually! Guess seven years to get used to her state as catperson can do that.

That paintings of the Carapace Queens is a nice touch. Where did Jake get that coat. ... He's still cold, isn't he? Hahahah. Winter's not his season.

So it appears the entire legislature of Earth C is kind of a joke, and by extension its entire culture is a bit of a "spaceship culture" grown from bits and pieces of unearthed B2 Earth archeological evidence. I'm... not really surprised.

But it would seem it would have been Terezi that was most qualified to write better laws. Alas, it was not meant to be. What's great here is that the second troll, the one in shades, is apparently the same Cliper that Jane sent to the cakemines in the Meat timeline, hahah.

... Also, I wonder if that carapace "MD" brought that red flag due to being a bit literal-minded. :P Love the fact that his outfit is so assorti with the rest of the pallet of the palace.

Good to see someone new calling Jane out on her xenophobia. Let's see if Jasprosesprite^2 can be more successful than Karkat.

---

Page 11

Hah, okay, Jasprosesprite^2 actually wants to endorse Jane once she gets at least a semblance of training. That's actually the best compromise to make here.

Her words also seem to refer to Candy Earth C, but I wonder if Jasprosesprite^2 can see into that timeline or not. She'd definitely realize Jane needs to be handled carefully if so.

MD is a female carapacian, whoops, my bad.

And Cliper is named so because of his clipboard, hahah. ... His horns are a form of paperclip, aren't they?

...

The three pillars of good rulership are "women, wine and song", oh my god. Midnight Crew reference secured! This makes me even curiouser for the "Diamonds, Dames and Dads" bonus story!

... I really hope Jasprosesprite^2 will actually be giving Jane some SOUND advice though.

---

Page 12

Ooooh, right, she was able to conjure those panes with her sprite powers!

My first thought on seeing a rainy sky is Rose's old home. Will she draw an allegory using Mom Lalonde's alcoholism as some sort of symbolism? Somehow I doubt it.

Batter-up!

---

Page 13

Hah! She teleported the lot of them elsewhere, for th bootcamp. :D

Cool, sprites for MD, Swifer & Cliper!

And it appears Cliper actually has his troll sign out and about. Is he a jadeblood? Is his sign part of the Extended Zodiac??

... Yup! http://hs.hiveswap.com/ezodiac/truesign.php?TS=Virza So he is, or he would have been, a Jadeblooded Derse dreamer and Hero of Mind! Cool. Well it explains why he's bureaucratically inclined.

---

... THE NEXT PAGE IS CALLED "PROBLEM SLEUTH^2" I... CAN'T.

OH BOY. Is bootcamp taking place in the world of Problem Sleuth? Or, well, Problem Sleuth 2? We know the sequel story was a thing on B2 Earth. It seems like a wild idea, but we know these panes can connect between some weird places.

---

Page 14

WHAT THE FRICK. THINGS I DID NOT EXPECT BUT FULLY ENDORSE.

HELL. FREAKING YES.

Look at that theme! Now the door is open for PS meeting the Midnight Crew. Just. Man, if you're not backing this shit yet. YOU. ARE. MISSING. OUT.

So... Do we, like, assume this takes place in the far, far future of Meat Earth C? Or in another galaxy entirely, in the same universe?

I mean, is PS then an exile, but for what session???

But. Yes. This must take place after PS proper. Cause his compensation has become spectacular. And he's redecorated. Love the key/gun difference. And it was summer in PS proper, now, it's winter.

... Wait. It was winter on Earth C just now too. Hmmmmmmm...

I do not know where this is going, but in this exact moment I don't care.

It's been more than eleven years since I read PS for the first time, shit.

---

Page 15

Pffff. Yep, his telephone got an upgrade. He's not in the mobile era yet, though. His computer will probably only appear when acknowledged.

---

Page 16

Hah! They're in Midnight City. So... Is this Alternia, or the fictional counterpart of the MSPA site on B1/B2 Earth? :D

I don't care. PS in the Midnight Crew universe. I am. Fulfilled.

---

Page 17

Hell. Freaking. Yes. Just this. Page 10 of PS. I'm grinning like mad.

---

Page 18

Pfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff.

"retired protagonist"

"Ace Dick is the one with the yacht"

I LOVE THIS INTERMISSION.

---

Page 19

Aww, that was it.

Pffff, they're in a bar. And Jasprosesprite^2 is looking kind of like she's drawn in Andrew's PS style here.

Ace Dick is here and envious of all these tall people. This is great.

Jane is not amused with Jasprosesprite^2, and well, she's kind of right in that Jasprosesprite^2 seems to have brought them all just so she could drink. ... Wait that's a glass of milk, pffff.

But maybe she has a plan that involves a crash course on good leadership involving a criminal gang busting the place, making Jane having to think on her feet.

---

Page 20

Well, isn't this just an eyesore for sights.

... Pffff, yup, Jasprosesprite^2 can see into the Candy path. And she's just as smug and cryptic about it as we've come to expect from sprites.

She's also definitely trying to flirt with Jane, dear god.

---

Page 21

Oh my god, yes. Swifer/Cliper dialogue. Moirails!

Historical discussion on the state of Earth C pre-Creator incursion! Insight into how important Kanaya was to trolls! Insight in how important Swifer now is!

...

Oooooh! Jasprosesprite^2 is hangling for how Jane is feeling now Dirk has stopped influencing her! That's what I wanted to know, too!

God, I think think Jasprosesprite^2 could actually be this useful!

---

Page 22

OH SNAP! Dad Crocker looking for Jane? ... He's going to end up with the Midnight Crew.

He's going to lift that portal with his mangrit and end up teleported with the Midnight Crew. DD's going to take a shining to him. Again. This will spin off into the Diamonds, Dames and Dads bonus chapter.

... Okay, but I think we can all agree Dad should meet PS. He had his sleuthing interests, AND they can compliment each other's fedora.

---

Page 23

HOPY SHIT. HOPY SHIT.

Mr. Crocker: Engage Hardboiled Mode.

---

We'll stop reading now, but I have to wonder if this will even get resolved in the next part?

And do the other bonus stories all relate to this one??

The treatise could be something Jane has to learn about, or it could be related to PS' cheat I referred to, or even WV's own Quad-Kingdom thingy!! The Dads bonus chapter speaks for itself. A Threat, Sensed could follow PS.

I mean, if Homestuck^2 leads to more PS shenanigans, I'm here for this ride. (The fact that MSPA.com used to have all those PS bonus pages as well is funny.)

Crack Theory: the PS2 story on B2 Earth, which focused on the female characters, will turn out to have been inspired by Jane, Jasprose & Swifer's shenanigans here. ... I know MK was featured on the front page of PS2, but I think the Midnight Crew will be the mobsters they encounter.

#homestuck^2 #homestuck^2 bonus #jasprosesprite^2 #swifer eggmop #jane crocker #cliper borden #problem sleuth #problem sleuth^2 #dad crocker #midnight city #reaction #spoiler alert #catnapped

0 notes

terryblount · 5 years

Text

Mortal Kombat 11 – Review

Mortal Kombat is more than a game: it is the closest thing we as gamers have to a counter-culture. It is an I.P. that has consistently laughed in the face of censorship boards by never compromising on giving fans the unfiltered carnage of close combat. This was literally (part of) the reason why there exists an ESRB rating system today.

What’s more, this violence is not just for looks – it is also about skill. The genius of Mortal Kombat’s formula has always lain in demonstrating the player’s fighting ability through how sadistically they can crush their opponent. You don’t just K.O. an opponent in this game; you FINISH THEM!!!

Is it weird to admire the way blood is animated in a game?

I am quite pleased to say that this 27-year-old spirit of Mortal Kombat is alive and well within the eleventh arrival. Let’s not beat around the bush here. This is essentially the perfect fighting game, and players and pros alike will surely regard it as one of the best this series has ever produced. This is because Mortal Kombat 11 manages to include every modern convention that works, while being mindful of the old-school novelties that cemented the I.P. in gaming culture.

Time and time again

In the single-player ‘kampaign’, Earthrealm yet again comes face to face with an apocalyptic threat. The story opens with a now corrupted Raiden (see MK XL) decapitating the elder god Shinnok as a message to anyone who dares to threaten his domain. This was was a most serious error in judgement as Shinnok turns out to be the son of a new character, Kronika – the guardian of time itself.

“But know this–the arc of the universe bends to my will.” – Kronika

Needless to say, Kronika is rather unhappy not just about her son being reduced to the usefulness of a bowling ball, but also due to the balance of good and evil now being uneven. She vows to restore equilibrium in the timeline up to the events of her son’s beheading, but is also aware that Raiden and the Earthrealm gang could present a troublesome thorn in her side in any dimension.

Kronika therefore merges the past and present together, and teleports an army of Netherrealm’s most formidable villains, like Baraka and Shao Kahn, from the past into the present as her insurance policy. As per usual, the player will represent the fight for Earthrealm’s fate from the perspective of Johnny Cage, Kotal Kahn, Kung Lao, and other classic and contemporary characters.

I get that the whole time travel motif has been done to death, but the team at NetherRealm have once again shown their practiced hand for storytelling. They have wisely used the motif of temporal distortion as a McGuffin to re-imagine and bring back some of the franchise’s most beloved figures for the modern gaming climate.

Johnny squared!

This makes for a deeply interesting plot with some exciting and unexpected alliances forming or breaking between characters from different time periods (because their major clashes haven’t happened yet). More than that, Netherrealm sets up the opportunity to introduce characters like Cetrion and Geras who have fighting abilities centred on the manipulation of time.

Overall the story really oozes the kind of cinematic quality that would make Marvel Studios sweat bullets. The combination of excellent graphics, captivating voice acting, and the return of favourite characters will most definitely have new fans engrossed, and old fans spiralling into nostalgia.

In with the old, out with the new

Objectively speaking, Mortal Kombat 11 plays it extremely safe. This game demonstrates the old adage that players are bound to enjoy what lies in their comfort zone, and it is not necessary for sequels to reinvent the wheel. Instead, MK 11 goes for the ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, but make it a whole lot prettier’ approach.

Indeed, MK 11 plays just as slick and precise as every game Netherrealm has developed thus far. What can be perfected has been tweaked, but a whole slew of small changes collectively add up to an experience that will still feel fresh and engaging to long-time players. Not much is new here, and I am very happy about that.

You get to see quite a lot of Sub Zero’s face in this game.

So aside from the single player campaign, the ‘Klassic Towers’ mode also makes a return in which the player must defeat a sequence of opponents to ascend up the tower. Except for infinite modes, these always end with Kronika as the final boss. Defeating her also gets you a brief cut scene that fills in some story details specific to the character you happen to be playing much like Tekken or Street Fighter.

You will not find the ‘Living Towers’ of the previous installment as Netherrealm has ditched this mode in favour of the ‘Towers of Time’. These differ from Klassic Towers in that opponents get more challenging as you approach the top, and players are also permitted to activate certain modifiers (they unlocked as loot) either for one match, or for the duration of the entire tower.

As an example, you can assign Jade one or two of Cyrax’s cyber webs to fire at her opponent stunning them momentarily. Alternatively, the match might have a vampire modifier in which the player’s health bar drains constantly to the opponent’s, so it is best to finish the match sooner rather than later. These towers can certainly get infamously punishing, but the game drowns you in rewards for completing them.

Lemme smash! This is who you will be playing in the Krypt. Note the three currencies in the bottom of the screen.

The Krypt is back again, of course. This time the event plays out on Shang Tsung’s island (see MK 2011) during which you open chests, smash vases and crush meteorites for some sweet loot and unlockable goodies. The Krypt also adopts a third person perspective now which only makes the act of swinging around Shao Kahn’s colossal hammer at vases and statues all the more gratifying.

Light puzzle solving is also a way of collecting some treasures, and it is clear that the developers really want the player to enjoy exploring for goodies to make your game more interesting. I have always been intrigued and, a little creeped out by this subsection of Mortal Kombat games, so it’s nice to see it return here. It’s really beginning to feel like a crucial component of the experience.

Kompletely Unreal

I have never been shy to express my admiration for the Unreal Engine, but what Netherrealm has achieved on a visual level in this game is outright astounding. Here we have a super modified version of the Unreal Engine 3 no less, throwing around particles and rendering high definition textures like it is trying to put Frostbite and Unity out of business.

Even though certain sections of the game have been mysteriously capped at 30fps (most of which can now be fixed by a mod), this game flows on the PC like butter down a centrefold’s butt cheek. In contrast to Mortal Kombat XL, the vibrant graphical tone of MK11 really throws the bountiful details of the visuals into sharp relief. I feel like the unique cast of characters that has always defined this series finally get the representation they deserve.

Damn this game is beautiful. This allows for particularly dramatic cut scenes.

The environments and fighting arenas have also been given the deluxe visual treatment through dramatic lighting and environmental effects. I found the arenas to have an enigmatic and refreshing feeling to them, and a particular favourite of mine became the decaying Shaolin temple where the corpses of dead monks observe your match. I clearly have issues.

They are noticeably the tightest fighting planes that Netherrealm has implemented within one of their games, but this has the pleasing outcome of somehow making the action feel closer… more immediate. The close-quarter combat also places more importance on finding openings in the opponent’s technique rather than just flying from one combo to the next.

Combos are still just as important, but it is clear that MK 11 wants shorter, more potent moves to play a bigger role too. This means that the one guy with supersonic thumbs you always get paired with online is less safe than he thinks this time round. You know who you are!

The fatalities and other post-match tomfoolery have, naturally, also been given an obvious graphical upgrade. Seriously, seeing brains being splattered and bones being shattered in this level of realism is not at all for the faint of heart. Be that as it may, I nevertheless have a hard time imagining a more beautiful, albeit visceral fighting game.

The very definition of fighting chance

As I mentioned, the roster of fighters is a mixed bag of old and new characters including the original 7, but like all the other yobs on the internet, I feel like some characters leave a conspicuous absence. Where the hell is Goro!? I also miss, Takashi who had a snappy and responsive feel in his fighting that appealed to my playing style in the previous game.

Perhaps old Goro will get his chance with DLCs, but the roster is still a bit smaller than I would have liked. It is once again too obvious that most of us will be expected to fork out more of our hard earned cash as extra content later down the line. Netherrealm has chosen quality of quantity, but this rather anemic roster just smacks too much of leaving room for microtransactions.

At least Geras more than makes up for my four-armed favourite being conspicuously M.I.A. His time-travelling abilities allow him to execute a punch, blink back in time, and execute another attack before my opponent could even find a moment to move. I also liked the beefy, warlock look he had going on which looks particularly slick during fights. Definitely my favourite new character in this game.

Geras warping back in time behind his opponent. Cannot remember who the other is… uhm was…

It also helps that the developers have really gone the extra mile to give MK 11 a truly comprehensive and helpful tutorial segment. They even included a lesson on frame times and hit advantages – something I usually ignored and left to subconscious strategy until I actually paid attention to it in this game.

Best of all, for the really nasty combos and chained assaults the game will actually demo the move on screen with button prompts. I am embarrassed to admit that some combos in previous games took me upwards of an hour to get right. With this new system, it was ten tries tops. As such, newcomers to Mortal Kombat, and fighting games in general, will undoubtedly feel more welcome than ever before.

On the subject of techniques, MK 11 has swapped out X-ray moves for a new system called ‘Fatal Blows’. Like X-ray attacks, they are once-off, deadly attacks taking you microscopically close to your, or your opponent’s, cracking jaw and rupturing internal organs. Except there is one crucial difference: Fatal Blows can only be activated in the last third of your health.

In other words, if the player has only been maintaining a slight lead with their opponent throughout the fight, the last section becomes indescribably tense. You can no longer rely on short-distance techniques or longer combos to win because if you allow even one opportunity to have a Fatal Blow performed on you, you’re toast.

Let us have the talk

So what exactly is the deal with this grind getting everyone all upset? Well, the manner in which MK 11 deals with in-game currency makes us all want to gather our raincoats for the inevitable microtransaction storm that is surely going to hit soon. At the time of writing, MK 11 has very little to offer in the way of DLC on Steam.

Still, something tells me that this will change soon not just because this is the nature of our industry, but because fighting games are also particularly lucrative opportunities for monetisation. They always have been because it is so satisfying seeing no grey blocks on your roster, or adding some cosmetic personality to your favourite fighter.

This is my only major issue with MK 11 because it feels like there is simply too much being gated off from the player when you start the game. Every time I completed a fight, the game goes through a huge pomp and circumstance to inform me of all the different currencies I just earned. Not that the handouts are even that generous mind you.

You read that correctly. This time there is not just the Koins used to unlock outfits, fatalities and modifiers for tower modes. Even in the Krypt, you now have to juggle multiple kinds of currency units like hearts and soul fragments if you want all off the riches the hidden content has to offer. Oh, and the Krypt chests are randomised so your friend may find a liquid metal suit for Sonya Blade in the same place you get concept art…

Playing around with some of the unlockable skins and finishing moves.

Even though I have never really cared much about cosmetic items in the games I play, I don’t like the sense of gaminess MK 11 creates with the endless pop-ups eagerly informing me how much I have earned. I am playing because I am having fun, and this just feels like Netherrealm is trying to force me into some scheme inevitably leading to microtransactions.

FINISH IT!!

In case that last section threw you off a bit, I want to state again that Mortal Kombat 11 is essentially fighting game perfection. This game is completely saturated with the kind of creative vision that has been the worked into the design of my favourite fighting games. This game looks great, sounds great and feels great.

If Netherrealm vow never to turn the superfluous currencies online into an evil plot of monetisation, I will not need another fighting game for the next ten years at least. Combined with an excellent story, this will become an essential classic in your Mortal Kombat collection.

Remember to check out our Mortal Kombat 11 performance analysis!

Tight and refined combat

Tutorial section

Story

Excellent visuals and sound

Design of new fighters

Temporal fighting abilities

Somewhat limited roster

Too focused on currencies

Playtime: About 28 hours total. 10 hours on the single player campaign with much of the remaining time spent online.

Computer Specs: Windows 10 64-bit computer using Nvidia GTX 1070, i5 4690K CPU, 16GB RAM – Played using an Xbox Controller (Thanks to my friend Niel for lending me his!!)

Mortal Kombat 11 – Review published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

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