#Jacqui's Random Writings

[scaryspears]

MKX's Kung Lao an essay

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.

[ohmybooknessblog]

The Thicket Noelle West Ihli Purchase link: https://amzn.to/3Fvjb02 Someone might hear you. No one will listen. Norah ignored her brother's screams that night. Because nothing in the haunted attraction was supposed to be real—let alone deadly. Later, security footage will reveal that the killer walked right through the crowded plaza, his clothes stained red. Desperate for answers and tormented by survivor's guilt, Norah returns to the scene of the crime. And to her horror, the chorus of screams is louder than ever. Thrill seekers, including some of her classmates, are still eagerly lining up to purchase tickets. But the killer hasn’t chosen his hunting ground at random. And, like everyone else, he’s planning another visit. "One of my top choices for horror novel of 2021." -Anthony Avina, author of Identity "One of the baddest final girls I've ever encountered ... this nail-biting thriller plummets into your worst dreams and doesn't stop." -M. Taylor, Bibliovino "Creepy, suspenseful, and heartfelt." -Lisa Davidson "Loved it . . . not just as a serial-killer thriller, but as a look into our own psyche." -Jacqui Corn-Uys, Reedsy "Noelle’s writing is clean, crisp and descriptive . . . I could feel the corn of the maze rubbing against my legs." -Janine Pipe, Cemetery Dance Magazine #halloweencountdown #halloweenfun #halloween2022 #halloweenchillsandthrills #halloweenbooks #halloweenreads #spookyseason🎃 #spookybookathon #reads #readers #reading #books #spookyseason2022 #spookseason https://www.instagram.com/p/CkUGFT6LoVh/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thedaveandkimmershow]

Okay so yesterday was technically a travel day but, as you'd expect, it started at the breakfast table on camp time with Kimmer who, in that moment, realized

"My dad would've loved this."

And yes. He would've.

Not even here with us. Or even at this specific camp or any of the camps at which we stayed.

He would've loved this.

The act of camping. The experience of it. Family. Friendship. Being in that moment of community a little. Being in those moments of solitude a little. Being inside the outdoors and being conscious of it.

A little.

Most of all, just being.

It's harder to do in the city, is my point.

And he would have loved.

This.

Yesterday was technically a travel day but, as you'd expect, we're near to where kimmer's aunt and uncle once lived, the place they called home, and we're near to where Kimmer's aunt is staying. So our first stop, leaving at 8:30, was in the opposite direction of where we're meant to go and, by 'n by, we pull into the drive of Kimmer's aunt's and uncle's old place where she sets about cleaning, clearing, and organizing their shed which has been pretty piled up inside with a random collection of this 'n that. She needs to get all of it into a state where she can easily determine, during her next visit, what stays and what goes.

Now, while she set about that project, I drove to a family laundromat we used once before, shortly after the death of Kimmer's uncle. This is yet another divergent experience from my Boy Scout days. Back then, whatever clothes you packed on a camping trip were the clothes you had for the entirety of that trip in whatever condition they were in or had become. But hey! Welcome to the modern world where you can Google map the nearest laundromat and return your clothes to a state of cleanliness they would otherwise not achieve until you got home.

The laundromat experience, by the way, is an interesting riff on camp time. It's definitely in the city, of course, but once you have a load of laundry going and there's nothing to do until it's done... you're just sort of being during those minutes whether it's reading a story (not news, not op-eds), whether it's writing, or whether it's just settin' and thinkin' or, as is sometimes said...

Just settin'.

Eventually I'm back at the homestead where Kimmer's showing off her hard work that is not only considerable but completely serves her purpose. She definitely did Future Kimmer a huge solid.

So now we're packing up to head out and I'm finding I'm doing that thing I do whenever I think I'm leaving some place for good: taking photographs of the place with an urgency that's misplaced. I'm sure I'll be back. Kimmer definitely will be back within a month.

Hmmm.

So what this really is... is a need to document. To preserve this place in my memory, to preserve the choices of people who purposefully crafted, who intentionally decorated, who made this place just. so.

My need is to document the people who invested the place with a personality that can both be seen and felt.

Yeah. That's definitely it.

And then the packing's done, the photos are taken, and we're on our way to see Jacquie who welcomes us in a courtyard shaded with a plentiful amount of trees.

We're there from around 130 to 215. Right at the beginning, though, when Jacquie spots Kimmer, a look of O-shaped surprise comes over Jacquie's face before Kimmer envelops her in a great big hug. And then I take my turn enveloping her in a great big hug.

We walk over to the shaded end of the table in the courtyard where Kimmer does some touch-ups with nail polish on some of Jacquie's fingers and some of Jacquie's toes.

We take a lot of pictures, of course. The pictures, these individually framed instances often capture more than what's there. It sets in amber some of the old Jacquie. Her smile. Her laughter. Her body language. She's definitely one of those human beings who would communicate just fine through a silent movie.

The conversation isn't a typical conversation of course. She makes clear statements that often trickle away in mid-sentence and we pick up wherever she left off until we can bring our words to the next place, the next topic, the next vibe, with which her brain can and does re-engage. Until her words run out and we pick up where she left off again.

And so on.

And so on.

Sometimes she has questions.

"How do you know my name?"

"How did you find me?"

"When did you get here?"

At which point the burden of conversation is on us and we carry it, toss it back and forth a little. It's not super hard for us to do. I just have to remember to focus on the present, to pretty much remain disconnected from previous events. Even if they happened only two days ago.

I definitely have to pay attention to questions or topics that don't register on her face... so I know to simply move on.

The true reward of these visits are moments that conjure the quintessential Jacquie. Moments where she looks you straight in the eye and begins with "Ya know..." as if launching into some grand story.

My favorite Jacquie, however, is the one who smiles and chuckles to herself, tilting her head down a little before smacking your arm with the back of her hand just before letting you in on the joke.

It's only a moment, though. A simple one. A powerful one. But her memories cannot sustain.

They just can't.

It's still meaningful to us, though. Because we do want to know that the essence of this woman we've known for most of our lives is still in there.

Even if we don't know exactly where.

A little aside: early in our visit, we were joined by Geraldine, an elderly African American woman who stopped by to listen in for a little bit before sitting down, making herself comfortable, and occasionally contributing a few words into our stream of conversation that seemed appropriate to her.

I do hope we see her again. She was very sweet. She was very attentive. She was very dignified.

And maybe I don't see that combination enough.

Yesterday was technically a travel day but, as you'd expect, we got a tiny bit distracted. We had, of course, managed some work at Jac & Dave's old place, gotten our laundry done, and spent meaningful time with Jacquie. So now we were on our way west to Laguna.

Except...

Except we were gonna stop for tacos along the way through town. We were gonna stop along the way... until Kimmer mentioned a better taco opportunity at the Soboda Casino Resort that is, technically, a few miles in the opposite direction. And since the tacos sounded yummier that way... that's the way we went.

The opposite direction.

When eventually we found our spot in the casino's parking lot, I thought maybe we were in trouble because almost immediately a motorized cart pulls up. Instead of being in trouble, though, we're being offered a ride. So on we hop, transported from a faraway spot in the parking lot to the very front doors of the casino through which we mosy, pass all the slot machines, until we arrive at a restaurant along the far wall at which are made the most heavenly tacos and molita (in pork and beef variations) followed by a pair of bottled Modellos.

Now, we are here for lunch. But we're also here to continue some business planning. As it turns out, part of our trip has turned into a business retreat in a number of parts, in different locations, on various dates.

When we finish off our impromptu business meeting... okay yes. It is time to head west to Laguna. By the time we arrive in the neighborhood, however, looking to meet up with Kimmer's cousin Derek and the boys to celebrate her nephew, Kyle's, birthday at Ruby's diner... by the time we're in the neighborhood, we're running a little longer than expected so Derek lets Kimmer know over the phone to meet them at Ruby's.

We're already heading north on the Pacific Coast Highway, though, so we turn around and head farther south to Ruby's with Derek and the boys pulling in shortly afterward around 630.

Okay so this... is an early birthday celebration for Kyle. Over the years, we've done this particular dinner at this Ruby's in lots of different ways with lots of different friends. My favorite time's probably the one on the roof with a bunch of friends and family including Kyle's cousin, our daughter, Linzy.

Still, no matter how we do it, the milkshakes are the stars of the show every time. I think the boys had chocolate chip mint this time while I had black cherry topped with chocolate sauce. And since this is Ruby's, the amount of milkshake is always more than the glass into which it's poured.

So they pour the extra into a metal cup and serve that up, too.

😁😁😁

It's around 8 by the time we finally check into Moro Campground overlooking Crystal Cove. It's dark out. Nighttime. And, while you can't see as many constellations like at Lake Perris, the sky is still quite astonishing.

We do have plans for the night, though, so we dive right into setting up the campervan for our overnight. Then we hit the showers which are a lovely kind of hot.

And then...

The main event of our evening: Uno.

Now I won't lie. Uno is the most competitive game we all play together. It's the most ruthless, screw over your neighbor relentlessly... game we play.

It's also boisterous. Loud. With just a hint of mockery and taunting. With definitely obvious whining and complaining and faux tantrums. With a lot of fun and laughter.

At one point, Kimmer throws down her last card, the one she's been hiding under the table, and declares herself the winner. Unfortunately for her, Kyle penalizes her four cards because the rule is you've got to declare "Uno!" when you're down to just the one card.

"But I forgot!" explains Kimmer.

Alas... no. She did not win. Instead she had to draw four new cards as opposed to dancing in the endzone.

We all gave her a hard time about this until finally she declared

"Okay I didn't forget. I cheated. Because I didn't want him to take my Fudging card!!!"

Only she didn't say "Fudging".

Whoops.

The "he" to which she referred, by the way, was me. Because I was holding a card that would enable me to swap cards with any player of my choosing. So I was waiting, biding my time, for someone to get their hand down to one.

Which turned out to be Kimmer.

Now, I won't say she did any additional cheating by taking random peeks at the cards I was holding or even the fact she kept declaring to one and all which nasty cards I was holding. I won't say she cheated in those ways because we all did that.

And we couldn't all be cheaters. Could we?????

Anyway. We had the best time playing Uno.

Afterwhich we kicked the boys out and went to bed around midnight.

The end.

😁😊❤️😉🙂

[briannaswords]

!! ~Morri🗡️ (@memento-morri-writes)

(also, you should know that every single time I see your url, I read it as "brianna swords". I'm sorry, but my brain refuses to read it correctly.)

Hi Morri!

It's okay it's a pretty common mistake😂😂

I'm going to introduce you to Jacquie Forster from my newest WIP 'Shades of Grey'.

To me, Jacquie is one of my most fascinating characters because she is so layered. On the surface, she seems like your average, jealous mean girl. She's continuously bickering with her 'best friend' Georgie and is extremely jealous of both Georgie and her other friend Maya as she feels like she is in a competition with them for Sadie's attention and losing. However, underneath her mean jokes is a deep longing to be understood and a fear of being alone because of how she was so often left out by her primary school friends. When she is nasty, she's not trying to be, she's just desperate to be included.

Other random facts about Jacquie:

Her favourite position to play in netball is Wing Attack.

Her least favourite is Goal Keeper.

She's very insecure about the colour of her hair.

She's still in touch with a couple of her primary school friends.

She's very good at computer science.

If you're interested in learning a bit more about Jacquie and her friends (Georgie, Maya and Sadie) here's my introduction post to Shades of Grey.

[the-pinstriped-hood]

Rosalie got off the ship taking her back to earthrealm. Trading in some koins for actual cash she swapped her usual Gear for a semi nice top and Jeans with boots. "It's just for a few hours Rosalie....you just have to keep your mouth shut and participate. I cannot believe I'm doing this..." Making her way to a fancy restaurant by foot, she was led to the large table filled with people laughing and enjoying themselves. Hoping to blend in wasn't going to happen as Cassie Cage piped up and the table fell silent. "I thought you weren't coming..."

Rosalie breathed in before exhaling. "Erron kinda banned me from my work until I had some actual socal interaction." She sat down next to her. Kuai Liang gave her a wary look. "And you are?"

"Nobody special, just came on Cassie's request I join you." Her aussie accent was noticable. "Why is she here, Cage?" Hanzo asked.

"She saved me once. Figure I'd test her to see if shes the real deal when she says she's a good girl." Cassie threw Rosalie a playful smile. Rosalie forced herself to smile and leaned back. "So then Takaeda and Jaqui? They're actually getting hitched?"

Cassie nodded, sipping her soda. "Yep. You're invited to the wedding too if you just wanna stick around..."

Rosalie mulled it over. "I'm under dressed Cassie and I've still got to-"

"Yeah I know, work work work.....you're working too hard to get a good rep, Rosa. You gotta live a little."

"you're talking to a 56 year old, Cassie. I can live however long I wish. I get people to actually like me then I'll lighten up."

[jacquisrandomwritings]

The Spark of Happiness

A few notes.

The character’s name is pronounced Loo-lee-nah. The species is pronounced Ver-lah-guh-me.

Lulina carefully walked through the dense woods, the tears streaming down her face. She had grown accustom to this place since being forced to here long ago. Every day since then, she has been crying. She couldn’t help it. It was in her nature.

She was a Virlagmy. A being with a body of a four-hooved creature, the torso of a human, antlers, deer-like features, and in a constant state of crying. They are beings of strong emotions. From happiness to anger. No matter what emotion they feel, they are always crying. Lulina was no exception. She was a Virlagmy with a strong emotion of fear and depression. She was chased away because of her emotions.

She looked down at her pale wrists as she walked. On them was a swirl like pattern that reached to the ben of her elbow. It was a reminder. A reminder of who she was. She was a monster. I mean, that’s what everyone else had decided to call her. A monster. Her tears fell onto her wrists as she entered a clearing. She lightly ran her fingers over the patterns on her skin as she stopped walking. She then sobbed as she fell to her knees. These patterns were all she had left.

She gasped as her ears and head perked up. There was someone nearby. She carefully stood and was ready to run in case of danger. She heard a twig snap behind her and turned around to look for the source. She could barely just make out the shine of a spear peeking out from a bush. She was quick to start running in the opposite direction as the clouds above started to block out the stars and moon. She jumped and maneuvered her way through the fallen trees and rocks, her heart racing. She knew these woods like the back of her hand. She had just reached another clearing with a large tree in the center of it when her vision suddenly flooded with the ground. She grunted and groaned as she tried to stand. She looked down to find that her feet had been caught within a lasso.

She started to panic as the area slowly covered in a darkness from the clouds above. She then looked up as she saw the torches coming towards her. She tried to remove the rope but struggled. She was soon surrounded by humans illuminated by the light of the torches. Her hands were forcefully tied as she heard the panicked whispers.

“We need to protect our town!!”

“This beast is the one causing the problems?”

“Are you sure this will fix everything?”

“This is the monster!! We must kill it for our freedom!!”

Now the fear hit her hard. Her eyes widened as they started to agree. She was then dragged as a burly man walked up with an axe. She squirmed as he readied the axe. She closed her eyes tight as nothing but darkness surrounded her.

“Please stop! I am not a monster!”

The sound of a heavy thud filled the air. It was then followed by metal hitting flesh or other metal. Lulina opened her eyes as she watched a dark blur go around and attack the humans that captured her. They all eventually ran off, leaving the mysterious figure and Lulina. She still watched in fear as the figure slowly approached her. With a slash from a dark colored sword, her feet and hands were free. She was quick to stand and back away as the clouds moved. She gasped at the sight before her. It was another Virlagmy. One that, she could recognize.

He was the son of the chief of her original home. A tribe that lived far from the woods she now resides in. How could she tell? Only the chief’s son had the body of an elk. Everyone else from her tribe had the body of a moose. Well, except her. That was partially the reason for her exile. She had the body of a deer, and was an odd color. The tribe was known for their dark colored pelts. From a dark brown, to a deep blue. She was lavender.

She was quick to bow her head to him as he stepped forward. She could feel the air around them become thick and tense. She swallowed hard as he saw his hooves enter her line of sight. A soft wind blew as the last cloud covering the moon finally moved. Neither spoke. Lulina blinked a few times as she felt something surged through her. She, could feel what he was feeling.

A Virlagmy could not feel another’s emotion, only influence. So, why was it that she could feel what he can, yet feel her own emotions? She was still scared to look up at him. Eventually, he gently lifted her chin to look at him. At that moment, she could see how they contrasted.

His belt of pure black with skin a dark cocoa color, both scarred from battles or training. His antlers seemed more thick and sharp, extended about four feet from his head, and were dark in color. She was quick to close her eyes, afraid to look him in the eye. She froze and tensed as she felt his breath on her face. “It’s safe. You’re safe.” His voice was soft, and calming. She held her breath as she slowly opened her eyes. Pale pink met with dark gold. This was the first time she has ever really been face to face with another of her kind. His face was rather angular with rugged features. Her feet shifted slightly as her fear grew. She had no idea what he was going to do. She watched him carefully as he scanned her over. He then sighed as he pressed his forehead against hers.

“I honestly thought you were gone forever,” he whispered. Now she was confused. She felt another surge of his emotions. She blinked a few times once again. It soon started to make sense. She had sensed his anger, which was from the humans trying to kill her. She had sensed his fear, which came from the thought of never finding her. She had sensed his sadness, which spawned from the feeling that she was dead. Everything he was feeling, she could sense.

“Why would I matter? I’m an outcast,” she said as her own depression sunk in. “You mattered to me. You were the one thing different from that tribe. When I saw you cast out, I could feel nothing else but pain and anger. Father tried to use that to his advantage of making me a great chief. So I went against him and ran off as soon as my training was complete. I had to find you.”

His words were true. She could feel it. Yet, she was confused. Someone was actually looking for her? Someone, actually wanted her around? She didn’t want to believe it, but it was true. Someone wanted her around. She didn’t know what to feel at first, before reality struck.

“I can’t go back. You cannot take me back. They will not, accept me,” she said, closing her eyes. He knew her words were true. She couldn’t go back. The only way she could, was if she had become a powerful being. She was far from that. All she was, was different. “If you are not there, then I shall not return. I choose to be here with you,” he said, looking at her. Her eyes shot open in surprise. He was willing, to sacrifice his life in the tribe, to be with her. Everything he has spoken was the truth. Her mind started to swirl as she grew dizzy. This didn’t feel real. Then, for the very first time, she felt it.

She felt the small spark of happiness.

[into-the-daniverse]

While my pirate brainworm is still up and running, what're some general pirate culture headcanons you have? Either for your own pirate crew or across pirate life in general.

Hoh boy I am vibrating sfdjkls thank you I am kissing you on the mouth (and working on my pirate oc list as we speak lmao)

Generally, I imagine there to be dozens of pirate crews in the Arcanaverse, just based off of how big the map is and how diverse the terrain is, but I write about only three of them (currently, at least, I have been thinking about a fourth rip my fucking brain). Most of these crews follow what's called the Pirate's Code, and while they all govern themselves for the most part, they do answer to the Pirate Queen over everything.

Brief disclaimer before I go into more detail about the system but not all pirate crews follow the Queen or her Code, nor do they have to, however this means they are not protected by her, and as such, are subject to attacks from her or any other crews at any time.

Gonna go ahead and throw the rest under a cut lmao

So sticking to my own crews and how I navigate them, there is a hierarchy between them, and all crews answer to the Pirate Queen — which is a title that has been handed down for hundreds if not thousands of years at this point.

Saoirse, the Pirate Queen's quartermaster, and the original Queen, Niamh, created the title and the Pirate's Code originally just for the Queen's crew to follow, but over the generations it became more of a doctrine or creed for any crews that wanted the Queen's protection to follow.

I... still have not actually ironed out the exact details of the Code, but one of the most important bits of it is that any ship/crew that operates under it and is loyal to the Queen is not allowed to attack other ships/crews under the Code. 

This is why Rodrigo and Jacqui are safe from the Sea Palace after becoming pirates, because Syd is also sworn under the Code, and he can no longer hunt them for the Palace without risk of the Queen coming after him for breaking the Code.

Any ship that does operate under the Code has to have a symbol sewn into their flag that shows they follow the Queen, or she and any other crew will take it as free range to attack their ship.

Obviously, one of the draws to being a pirate is operating without rules lmao, so there are crews that do not care about the Code, but they have just learned to steer clear of the Queen’s ships or risk certain and absolute death. 

Any ship that is under the Code and the Queen will meet on a set of islands at the Southern-most corner of the world called Ethari, where they take part in the Quinquennial Pirate Meeting, led by the Queen, where they discuss any transgressions that happened over the past few years, new trading routes, or any major changes that may need to be made to the Code.

That was a lot of information about the piracy system as a whole, lmao, but when it comes to the culture of each ship it tends to vary by crew.

Meredith’s crew, the crew of the Pirate Queen, typically have stricter rules to follow, and you do not necessarily need to be someone well-versed in fighting or piracy in general to become part of her crew. She upholds more of a curfew, and everyone is expected to pull their weight or be left at the next city’s dock. Her crew is the largest, so they aren’t all extraordinarily close, but they do all respect her and operate well together.

Rodrigo���s crew is much more lax, and he doesn’t really have many rules aside from don’t be a fucking asshole and don’t bring random people on board — but that one is more Jacqui’s rule as Rodrigo has definitely brought questionable people on board and ended up abducted at least once because of it. Jacqui runs the ship more than Rodrigo does, but Rodrigo does lead the fights, and there are a lot of those. His crew is pretty big, but they are very close, and consider each other as family.

Syd’s crew is a fairly small ragtag bunch of weirdos, most of whom aren’t even human, with one common tie: the Sea Palace. They function more as coworkers than family in comparison to the two other crews, and they operate much more stealthily, their prime objectives are always missions to complete for the Scholars of the Palace, usually by killing someone, stealing artifacts, or trafficking. 

Out of the three, Rodrigo’s crew acts the most like a “stereotypical” pirate crew, in that they attack randomly and without reason, and are the most prone to violence.

Meredith is more methodical, and she rarely outright attacks ships, perferring to simply board and “toll” them, taking some kind of payment for allowing them to pass.

Syd does not attack any ship that he has not been ordered to by the Palace, and he does not care about any kind of reward outside what he is supposed to retrieve. 

Syd being the exception, all crews have a general disdain for any government or royal navies from neighboring countries and cities, and tend to target ships like those the most.

[notchainedtotrauma]

What is your top 5 artists of all diciplines, series and random things you like to do on a rainy day? ❤️

So for the first one, when it comes to top 5 artists:

Fred Moten. I think all that beauty, a book I mentioned previously, is a masterpiece of erudition, language, writerly grace and virtuosity, and based on this book alone (knowing that I adore Fred Moten’s poetry in general), he’s one of my top poets.

Outkast. This is a toss up between Missy Elliott (an absolute multidisciplinary genius, a fellow Cancer and someone from the state I adopted, that is Virginia, therefore ALSO a Southern rapper) and them. I choose them right now because ATLiens. I just...I’ll need a book to explain the Afrofuturist feel, the adequate melancholy, the way The Love Below rocked me and Speakerboxxx (yeah Speakerboxxx) brought me to my knees crying (Church did something to me I cannot explain), the way ATLiens ripped my guts out of me...

Alexis Pauline Gumbs. She’s not only my favorite poet, she’s one of my favorite theorists and the work she did with and around Black feminist citation is Nobel Prize worthy and no I didn’t misspeak.

Saidiya Hartman. She’s my favorite Black feminist theorist of all times. Solely because of Wayward Lives Beautiful Experiments. I have never seen theoretical writing this DAMN gorgeous (I can’t even call it academic writing, because the book is a literal nonfiction NOVEL), nor writing (from a straight person) that was this respectful and loving of gender non conforming Black lesbians or any Black member of the LBGTQI+ community for that matter. And yeah, I know this said artists, but just look through my Saidiya Hartman tag and you’ll understand why I place her there.

Nydia Blas. She might be my favorite Black female photographer capturing young Black female intimacy, even above photographers I put above her technically and in terms of affect, such as Carrie Mae Weems and Deana Lawson. Her photographs of young Black teenage girls (and young Black girl children) do something to me that only LaToya Ruby Frazier is able to match affect wise.

I don’t watch TV (because of my emotions, or rather my nerves) so this top 5 is just a top 5 of different types of series.

The triptych of the three poetry books based each on one Black feminist theorist by Alexis Pauline Gumbs, composed of Spill (Hortense Spillers) M (M. Jacqui Alexander) and Dub (Sylvia Wynter). She basically decided on each of those theorists because none of them have ever written a coherent book (Hortense Spillers and M. Jacqui Alexander have both released a collection of their essays, but no single monogram about one topic). She sat with a phrase from their work every morning and wrote a poem from that, and had three poetry books published from the whole experience. I now can safely say I have every book in the series.

The Notion of Family by LaToya Ruby Frazier, which is an autobiographical work of documentary photography that spans a twelve years period. LaToya Ruby Frazier basically decided to photograph her family and her town Braddock, which used to be a prosperous mining town with an overwhelmingly Black population, that became impoverished because of the mining industry going obsolete. And so she collaborated with her mother she didn’t originally live with (because her mother was unstable and thought it better for her child to be raised by her own mother) to create those gorgeous and extremely affecting photographs of what racialized socioeconomic degradation can do to a (Black) family and to a (Black) town.

Grogu/Baby Yoda and his relationship with Din Djarin. No, I’m not paying for Disney + and I’m not watching The Mandalorian but I love to go on YouTube and watch any snippets featuring Grogu and especially featuring him interacting with Din Djarin. Which means that I’m absolutely infuriated at the recent developments (fuck a plot).

The series centered around Cindi Mayweather by Janelle Monae. I get why Janelle Monae felt she had to shift gears with Dirty Computer but I still feel like Cindi Mayweather hasn’t told us all her secrets yet and I think the lore rich story Janelle developped has so much potential that hasn’t been unlocked that it would be sad to throw the whole story arc away. So I hope we get to see Cindi (and maybe Mary, as a new love interest ?) again soon.

Nydia Blas’ series The Girls Who Spun Gold, who is about the interactions between a group of Black female teenagers she decided to gather in a group to empower and lift them up. She knew all of them because she had lived around them in Ithaca, New York and decided to photograph them as they grew up around each other.

When it rains, those are five things I like to do.

I love to sleep. There’s nothing like the sound of the rain falling to lull you to sleep.

I like to have a cup of hot, sweet lemony green tea. 

I love to read poetry as I listen to the rain fall against my windows.

I love to listen to sad, melancholy tinged music.

I love to look at visual art that deeply moves me.

[whiptrip]

@sasorikigai​ sent in:  Favorite themes to write & wishlist?

I love delving deep into the emotional side of things -- be it from a place of anguish or joy, I really enjoy looking at the bigger picture of a character and being able to map out how they got to where they are now, and how their past affects their relationships & future.

And after that, I love bringing characters to their very extremes -- of their morals, of their limits, of their will, and just seeing what happens. You know, the good old 'corner a character and see how they act knowing there's no way out' deal.

And after that, I just love long term plotted threads, no matter what the content -- one of my fondest memories was a thread where we just kept sending each other like 2 pages worth of text, haha, where in my muse did his best to try and reach and save theirs before time ran out.

As for a wishlist -- there's so much, haha, and I'm aware that a lot of it won't be coming true any time soon ( as I'm particularly picky with writing partners / rules ), but it's fun to daydream! So let's go by parts:

CHARACTERS: -- another Takeda / Kenshi would be great. writing both DOES kind of scratch that itch, but I can't exactly roleplay with myself, now can I? ( Well, I can, but that'd just be weird. ) -- J....Jacqui....... Wife................ Love of our lives.... -- more of the Kombat Kids in general, else I might pull a Kenshi and roleplay them myself too. They have such an interesting dynamic between them and the older generation of Kombatants! And Takeda needs friends his age or he'll end up like Kenshi. >:\ -- ( but lets be real, more characters in general. if only mk wasn't such a niche fandom... )

PLOTS: -- TAKEDA: it was Takeda that told Hanzo where the Special Forces would be keeping Quan Chi, and had they arrived earlier, he would've fought on Hanzo's side against SF -- now the consequences of that... / Takeda overhears someone speak ill of Hanzo in his general vicinity? He WILL fight you over a single stray thought. / Takeda just enjoying life... take him to the movies, let him get take out, take him clothes shopping, this guy needs more normalcy in life

-- KENSHI: two thoughts -- never enough hanzo & takeda interactions, of couse, BUT Kenshi just being an awkward but well meaning sociopath in general. Him interacting with and getting along(n't) with the Special Forces, him interacting with random people through his search for the red dragon... he can be undercover, he can be searching for information, he can just be that interesting stranger you cross paths with. He's pretty versatile for a blind guy with a sword!

-- QUAN CHI: kill him people, just do it.

[savewritingnsw]

Save Writing NSW

An open letter to Create NSW and the NSW Minister for the Arts

We, as writers and active members of the literary community, were dismayed by Create NSW’s decision not to grant Writing NSW Multi-Year Organisations Funding in their latest round, despite the fact that Writing NSW was recommended for funding.

This decision demonstrates the ongoing devaluation of literature within the Australian arts funding landscape. We know literature is the most popular artform in the country, with 87% of Australian reading some form of literary work in any given year, yet in this round Create NSW offered only 5.7% of their ongoing funding to literature organisations.

The decision to defund Writing NSW carries a particular sting. Writing NSW is the leading organisation representing writers in a state with a long literary history and one that is home to many of Australia’s leading publishers, writers, literary agents and other core participants in the Australian literary industry.

Writing NSW is an important stepping-stone for writers at the beginning of their careers, providing high quality professional development programs, and it also employs emerging and established writers to deliver and lead these programs. For decades the organisation has provided high-quality courses, seminars, workshops, festivals, events, grants and literary prizes. In putting such programs at risk, Create NSW is jeopardising both an entry point and an ongoing support system for writers.

Macquarie University research shows that the average income of an Australian author from their practice is $12,900. The current economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic makes the situation of writers even more precarious. Writing NSW offers key employment opportunities to writers, through teaching, publication, speaking engagements and both curatorial and judging positions. The removal of these opportunities will mean many writers will not be able to maintain the other income streams that support their writing careers.

The removal of $175,000 from a single source would be catastrophic for any business – not-for-profit or otherwise. For a government funding body to enact such a blunt economic withdrawal in the midst of a global pandemic and without concern for the economic flow-on effect to hundreds of industry professionals is deeply distressing.

We call on Create NSW to reverse this decision and ask them to reveal their future strategies for arts funding and how they plan to rectify the disparity in funding between other funded artforms and literature.

As writers, we will never accept the loss of a vibrant, essential cultural network such as Writing NSW.

What you can do We invite anyone affected by Create NSW’s decision – writers, publishers, literary agents, illustrators, readers alike – to co-sign this letter. You can copy and customise this letter to draft a version from your own point of view on this matter to send to a Member of Parliament.

To co-sign this letter, add your name here: shorturl.at/dERX6

Signatories

Pip Smith, Writer, creative writing teacher Sam Twyford-Moore, Writer and arts administrator Fiona Wright, Writer, editor, critic, reader Gabrielle Tozer, Author, writer, editor Brigid Mullane, Editor Jules Faber, Author, Illustrator Dr Christopher Richardson, Author and academic Liz Ledden, Author, podcaster, book reviewer Kate Tracy Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Writer, reviewer, reader Julie Paine, Writer Nick Tapper, Editor Belinda Castles, Writer and academic Simon Veksner, Writer Amanda Ortlepp, Writer, reader, reviewer, High School English Teacher Bronwyn Birdsall, Writer, editor Robin Riedstra, Writer, reviewer, reader, English teacher Dr Delia Falconer, Writer, critic, academic Robert McDonald, Author, writer, creative writing teacher Dr Kathryn Heyman, Author Wai Chim, Author Kirsten Krauth, Writer, editor Tricia Dearborn, Poet, writer, editor Dr Mireille Juchau, Writer Gail Jones, Writer Dr Jeff Sparrow, Writer, editor, academic Linda Jaivin, Writer, editor, translator Adara Enthaler, Poet, editor, literary arts manager Keighley Bradford, Writer, editor, arts and festival administrator Nicole Priest, Reader and aspiring writer Shamin Fernando, Writer Andrew Pippos, Writer Bianca Nogrady, Writer and journalist James Bradley, Writer Ali Jane Smith, Writer Dr Eleanor Limprecht Idan Ben-Barak, Writer Jennifer Mills, Writer Nicole Hayes, Writer, podcaster Michelle Starr, Writer/journalist Phillipa McGuinness, Writer and publisher Vanessa Berry, Writer and academic Blake Ayshford, Screenwriter Emily Maguire, Writer Sarah Lambert, Screenwriter Anwen Crawford, Writer Sarah Bassiuoni, Screenwriter Jackson Ryan, Writer, journalist, academic Simon Thomsen, Journalist, editor, other wordy stuff Ivy Shih, Writer Miro Bilbrough, Writer, filmmaker, screenwriting teacher, script editor Graham Davidson, Writer, artist, festival director Christos Tsiolkas, Writer JZ Ting, Writer, lawyer Susan Francis, Writer, teacher Suneeta Peres da Costa, Writer Dr Harriet Cunningham, Writer, critic, journalist Adele Dumont, Writer, reader Sheree Strange, Writer, book reviewer, book seller Phil Robinson, Reader Ashleigh Meikle, Reader, writer, book blogger Naomi RIddle, Writer, editor Cathal Gwatkin-Higson, Writer, book seller Hannah Carroll Chapman, Screenwriter Angela Meyer, Writer, editor Steve Blunt, Reader, supporter Ambra Sancin, Writer, arts administrator Michelle Baddiley, Writer, reader, archive producer Dinuka McKenzie, Writer, reader Catherine C. Turner, Writer, reader, freelance editor and publisher, arts worker Hilary Davidson, Writer, poet, academic, reader Dr Eleanor Hogan, Writer Nicola Robinson, Commissioning Editor Kim Wilson, Screenwriter Jane Nicholls, Freelance writer and editor Lisa Kenway, Writer Virginia Peters, Writer Sarah Sasson, Physician-writer and reader Dr Joanna Nell, Writer Laura Clarke Author / Copywriter Nicole Reddy, Screenwriter Anna Downes, Writer Sharon Livingstone, Writer, editor, reader Lily Mulholland, Writer, screenwriter, technical editor Benjamin Dodds, Poet, reviewer, teacher Markus Zusak, Writer Alexandria Burnham, Writer, screenwriter Sam Coley, Writer Marian McGuinness, Writer Selina McGrath, Artist Adeline Teoh Natasha Rai, Writer Catherine Ferrari, Reader Jessica White, Writer & academic Zoe Downing, Writer, reader, creative writing student Amanda Tink, Writer, researcher, reader Lisa Nicol, Children's author, screenwriter, copywriter Aurora Scott, Writer Gillian Polack, Writer, academic Susan Lever, Critic and writer Denise Kirby, Writer Michele Seminara, Poet & editor Meredith Curnow, Publisher, Penguin Random House David Ryding, Arts Manager Catherine Hill Genevieve Buzo, Editor Hugo Wilcken DJ Daniels, Writer Linda Vergnani, Freelance journalist, writer and editor Tony Spencer-Smith, Author, writing trainer & editor Dr Viki Cramer, Freelance writer and editor Petronella McGovern, Author, freelance writer and editor Jacqui Stone, Writer and editor Talia Horwitz, Writer, reader & writing student Sophie Ambrose, Publisher, Penguin Random House Rebecca Starford, Publishing director, KYD; editor and writer David Blumenstein, Writer, artist Rashida Tayabali, Freelance writer Sheila Ngoc Pham, Writer, editor and producer Rosalind Gustafson, Writer Alan Vaarwerk, Editor, Kill Your Darlings Gillian Handley, Editor, journalist, writer Karina Machado Isabelle Yates, Commissioning Editor, Penguin Random House Michelle Barraclough, Writer Natalie Scerra, Writer Melanie Myers, Writer, editor and Creative Writing teacher Emily Lawrence, Aspiring Writer Nicola Aken, Screenwriter Jennifer Nash, Librarian, writer Clare Millar, Writer and editor Kathryn Knight, Editor, Penguin Random House Linda Funnell, Editor, reviewer, tutor, Newtown Review of Books Stacey Clair, Editor, writer, former events/projects producer at Queensland Writers Centre Virginia Muzik, Writer, copyeditor, proofreader, aspiring author Lisa Walker, Writer Sarah Morton, Copywriter, aspiring author, Member of Writing NSW Board Laura Russo, Writer and editor Vivienne Pearson, Freelance writer Justin Ractliffe, Publishing Director, Penguin Random House Australia James Ley, Contributing Editor, Sydney Review of Books Alison Urquhart, PublisherPenguin Random House Debra Adelaide, Author and associate professor of creative writing, University of Technology Sydney Magdalena Ball, Writer, Reviewer, Compulsive Reader Anna Spargo-Ryan, Writer, writing teacher, editor, reader Charlie Hester, Social media & project officer, Queensland Writers Centre Mandy Beaumont, Writer, researcher and reviewer Chloe Barber-Hancock, Writer, reader, pre-service teacher Dr Patrick Mullins, Academic and writer Wendy Hanna, Screenwriter Chloe Warren Dianne Masri, Social Media Consultant Jane Gibian, Writer, librarian, reader Dr Airlie Lawson, Academic and writer Karen Andrews, Writer, teacher, reader Tim Coronel, General manager, Small Press Network and Industry adjunct lecturer, University of Melbourne Tommy Murphy, Playwright and screenwriter Evlin DuBose, Editor, writer, screenwriter, director, poet, UTS's Vertigo Magazine Tony Maniaty, Writer Emma Ashmere, Writer, reader, teacher Alicia Gilmore, Writer Suzanne O'Sullivan, Publisher, Hachette Australia Jacqui DentWriter, Content Strategist Rachel Smith, Writer Intan Paramaditha, Writer Cassandra Wunsch, Director TasWriters (The Tasmanian Writers Centre) Meera Atkinson Eileen Chong, Poet, Writer, Educator Debra Tidball, Author, reviewer Beth Spencer, Author, poet, reader Lou Pollard, Comedy writer, blogger Bronwyn Stuart/Tilley, Author and program coordinator, Writers SA Gemma Patience, Writer, illustrator, reviewer Amarlie Foster, Writer, teacher Dr Felicity Plunkett, writer Angela Betzien Drew Rooke, Journalist and author Michael Mazengarb, Journalist RenewEconomy Katrina Roe, Children's author, broadcaster, audiobook narrator Liz Doran, Screenwriter Arnold Zable, Writer. Tom Langshaw, Editor, Penguin Random House Brooke Maddison Monica O'Brien, ProducerAmbience Entertainment Jacinta Dimase, Literary AgentJacinta Dimase Management Jane Novak, Literary AgentJane Novak Literary Agency Sarah Hollingsworth, Arts Organisation ManagerMarketing and Communications Manager, Writers Victoria Barbara Temperton, Writer Sandra van Doorn, Publisher Red Paper Kite Alex Eldridge, Writer Karen Beilharz, Writer, editor, comic creator Esther Rivers, Writer, editor, poet Jane Pochon, Board Member, lawyer and reader Zoe Walton, Publisher, Penguin Random House Eliza Twaddell Alison Green, CEO, Board Member, Pantera Press Emma Rafferty, Editor Sarah Swarbrick, Writer Dayne Kelly, Literary Agent, RGM Léa Antigny, Head of Publicity and Communications, Pantera Press Jenny Green, Finance, Pantera Press Sarah Begg, Writer Mark Harding, Writer, Brand Manager, Social Media and Content Specialist Shanulisa Prasad, Bookseller Katy McEwen, Rights Manager, Pantera Press Olivia Fricot, Content Writer/Bookseller, Booktopia Jack Peck, Writer, Open Genre Group Convenor, Writing NSW, Retired Kathy Skantzos, Writer, Editor Serene Conneeley, Author, Editor Kerry Littrich, Writer Merran Hughes, Creative Cassie Watson, Writer Lisa Seltzer, Copywriter, Social Media Manager and Marketing Consultant Gemma Noon, Writer and Librarian Tanya Tabone, Reader Laura Franks, Reader, Editor, Writer Dani Netherclift, Writer Who to contact We urge you to join us in advocating for Writing NSW and the state of funding for Australian literature, by contacting Create NSW, your NSW Member of Parliament, and the NSW Minister for the Arts.

Chris Keely Executive Director, Create NSW Email: chris.keely@create.nsw.gov.au

The Hon. Don Harwin, MLC Phone: (02) 8574 7200 Email: office@harwin.minister.nsw.gov.au

Who to else to contact

The Hon. (Walt) Walter Secord, MLC Shadow Minister for the Arts Phone: (02) 9230 2111 Email: walt.secord@parliament.nsw.gov.au Ms. Cate Faehrmann, MLC Greens representative for Arts, Music, Night-Time Economy and Culture Phone: (02) 9230 3771 Email: cate.faehrmann@parliament.nsw.gov.au A full list of names and contact details for NSW State MPs is available here.

[hell-on-training-wheels]

For the random questions meme, please? - 13, 17, 22, 58, 72, 99, 106, 107, 123, 124, 140, 143, 165 and 200

Hi anon! Thank you for the ask!

13: Favorite food to pig out on.

Most definitely pizza, but a number 2 contender belongs to a local hub called Sweet Caribou that makes the best French Macaroons.

17. Name/author of the last book you read cover to cover. Do you recommend it?

Well the last book I read was required reading. It was a CPA training manual. No I would not recommend. Twas’ boring.

22. Last show you binged watched?

My crochet friend Stephanie and I binged watched Worst Cooks in America. Its girl time I look forward to, watching tv, crocheting and drinking lots of wine.

58.Favorite YouTube Channel

H20Delirious. I love his antics and the shit talking he does with his friend Cartoonz when they are duking it out to MKX or MK11. Their Dead by Daylight vids are also fun.

72. Real or Fake Christmas Tree?

Both. I do love a fresh cut evergreen to make the season bright, but I hate needles so I also love my fake tree when I just can’t deal that year. :P

99. Favorite Costume you wore for Halloween?

I went dressed up as Anna from Frozen and volunteered at a booth at the Performance Arts Center giving out candy to kiddos. It just came out that year too so there were tons of little Elsas and it was so cute to see their faces light up like they just ran into the real Anna. I felt like a performer at Disneyland and it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. 

106. Favorite type of cookie.

Chocolate Chip. Yuuuuummm...

107. Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream. 

Strawberry with real chunks of strawberry in it. ^_^

123. Random boy’s name

Jasper. Cause I’m working on Shaolin Mom. Among two other projects.

124. Random girl’s name

Jacqui Briggs. Just got done writing a bit of dialogue for her.

140. Have you ever left a movie theater before the movie was done?

Yes. I went to a showing of Avenger’s by myself and the people behind me were so obnoxious that I couldn’t stand it anymore. Luckily, I had already seen the movie so I wasn’t too despondent about leaving. Still pretty annoyed, though.

143. Have you ever gotten a song you dislike stuck in your head?

More times than I can count anon. Last song I can recollect was probably ‘Mr. Mistofelees’ when I took a gander at a relatively unknown horror movie called ‘Cats’. Scarier than IT: Chapter 2 and Hereditary combined.

165. Name one item from your bucket list. 

Travel coast to coast by car across the U.S.

200. How long have you been on Tumblr?

Since 2015 I think. I forgot how to check lol.

Thanks for the ask!! *hugs*

[sasorikigai]

send me a character and i’ll list: || @psychcdelica​ || accepting 

favorite thing about them: How much she has grown in MK11; for so long, I’ve had this impression that she has been shadowed by her parents (Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage) and she was literally Cage 2.0 without distinguishable and unique traits, but her growth and development in MK11 entirely changed my perception about her. 

least favorite thing about them: Her attitude in MKX. She was only bratty, but without anything to support the cause of her arrogance and confidence. 

favorite line: "You're the bug? I'm the windshield."

brOTP: With any one of Kombat Kids (Jacqui Briggs, Takeda Takahashi, Kung Jin)

OTP: I blame @heamatic​ for this, but Hanzo x Cassie and Kuai x Cassie. They are ships I have never fathomed of writing, but they have grown so much during the span of MKX - MK11 and I think they really work, especially the former. In canonical aspects, Cassie x Frost. 

nOTP: Maybe Cassie x Ermac with any of those Black Dragon members. 

random headcanon: She frequently suffers nightmares and PTSD stemming from the times when she defeated Shinnok. She dreams of Johnny meeting his horrendous, gruesome death, and having inflicted grave injury on his back, which was a result of fighting the Netherrealm God. 

unpopular opinion: She has certainly grown up to be formidable, indispensable warrior in MK11, and to me, she is one of my all-time favorite female kombatant because of it. 

song i associate with them: Carbon Based Lifeforms - Abiogenesis, suggested by my dear darling @heamatic​. 

favorite picture of them: 

[nevaryadl]

maybe Jacqui for the character meme?

I LOVE HER FUCK

favorite thing about them

That she’s so badass and her father’s kid but also her own beautiful self. Also a lady meleer? Hell yeah.

least favorite thing about them

Her mk11 arcade ending FUCK YOU NRS.

favorite line

“So you don’t want to wrestle me to the ground?” Honestly it was such a cute and flirty line. And her and Takeda flirting is just so goddamn cute and perfect.

brOTP

Her and the rest of the Kombat Kids just... friendship ;A;

OTP

HER AND TAKEDA, THEY ARE THE M/F SHIP I STAN. JUST *Will Smith pose*. But her and Cassie is also top fucking notch.

nOTP

Her and Erron or Kano. Stop it, y’all are fucking nasty.

random headcanon

Trans Lady!

unpopular opinion

I don’t think I have one, I’m with people in thinking her writing is wishy washy and tends to sway between being good and being hollow and bad. 

I’ll say this because I haven’t seen it but her ‘future skins’ suck ass, they got her in heels for some ungodly reason, it’s revealing and meant to be sexualized and just is.... ugh. Her hair is nice though.

song i associate with them

Skipping.

favorite picture of them

The first time we saw her redesign, they did her so good

[mothercetrion]

OTP ask for Jacqui and Takeda?

these two are literally perfect. thank you for the ask!!!!

1) Who rocks the Ferris Wheel seat and who flips out and begs them to stop? They work together to rock the seat as much as possible. The ride worker is the one that begs them to stop because they’re about to break the ride.

2) Who is always horny and will have sex at any time, at any place and at any time? Neither of them is super horny, but Jacqui is more likely to suggest that they have sex in general. 

3) Who is more into taking showers/baths together? Who tries to make it relaxing and who tries to make it sexy time? Jacqui adores baths and takes this time to just… be lazy. Takeda likes them too, so he oftentimes gets in with her. He makes it sexy on occasion, but most of the time they just relax.

4) Who likes to walk around the house naked and who tells the other to go put some clothes on? If it was legal, Takeda would never wear clothes. Ever. He’s very comfortable with himself and spent a lot of time naked in the Shirai Ryu. Jacqui is very far from used to it.

5) Who sleeps on the couch when they get into a fight? Takeda. Their fights rarely escalate to that, and he doesn’t necessarily get so mad that he needs to distance himself… He knows that Jacqui could use some alone time, and the bed is more comfortable. Jacqui always goes to the couch to drag him back to bed.

6) Who takes photos of the other while they sleep? Takeda. He thinks that Jacqui is, like… the prettiest woman ever. Models wish they were as pretty as Jacqui. His phone is filled with photos of her. She thinks it’s sweet and will pose if she’s awake.

7) Who said “I love you” first? and who ends their arguments in a fight with “Because I love you”? Takeda said it first. He was going off on a tangent about Jacqui’s impact on his life, and he eventually ended wit “what I’m trying to say is… I love you.” Jacqui was so touched. He’s also the one to end fights with “because I love you” if she’s about to do something with the Special Forces that he worries is too dangerous.

8) Who likes to wear the others sweatshirts? Jacqui adores Takeda’s sweatshirts. He gets them big specifically because she likes to wear them, and he wants her to be comfortable.

9) Who wakes the other up in the middle of the night to tell them a cool dream they had? Who has the most nightmares, and who sings them back to sleep after? They both love waking the other to talk about dreams, and they’ll ramble a while about what they dreamt about. Jacqui rarely has nightmares, but Takeda has a lot… and they’re pretty bad sometimes. She won’t sing, but Jacqui will definitely hold him close and hug him to help him calm down and get back to sleep.

10) Who is more likely to cheat at games (cards, board games, etc.)? Takeda. He can be either super sneaky or super obvious; there’s no in-between with him. Jacqui has asked him to teach her some cheating tricks.

11) Who makes fun of the other for having a crush on them, and who has to remind them that they are in a relationship? Neither of them really tease for having a crush… but sometimes they’ll say something along the lines of “I wish I could do _______ with someone” and then they realize that they can! Because they have a boyfriend/girlfriend to do that stuff with!

12) Who starts a food fight in the kitchen? Jacqui. They’ll be cooking and then she ‘accidentally’ gets batter in his hair… It quickly turns into a war.

13) Who initiates duets? and who is the better singer? They both initiate duets. They probably do karaoke a lot together. Takeda is the better singer, but not by much!

14) Who starts the hand holding? Who grabs the others butt? Who slides their arm around their waist? Who likes to put their fingers in the belt loops? Jacqui initiates the hand holding. She loves physical contact of any kind. She’s also prone to grab Takeda’s butt, much to his surprise every single time. Takeda wraps an arm around her waist if they’re ever in public. Jacqui grabs his belt loops a lot if they’re laying there together.

15) Who likes writes the others name on their wrist? Neither of them writes their name, but they probably doodle on each other’s wrists when they’re bored. 

16) Who is more seductive when they are drunk? and who is louder in bed? Neither of them is seductive, really, but they are more confident. Jacqui’s louder, but she still isn’t very loud.

17) Who is more protective? Both of them are protective of the other. They work together to keep themselves safe. Power couple!!

18) Who talks to the other while they are sleeping? Takeda. He calls her beautiful a lot when she can’t hear him. If something’s on his mind, he tells her when she’s asleep to get it off of his chest. 

19) Who drives and who has the window seat? Jacqui drives. She does it a lot more often, plus… Takeda is a terrible driver. Dear god.

20) Who falls asleep in the others lap and who carries them to bed? Jacqui falls asleep in Takeda’s lap a lot. She occupies his lap often, sitting it in or laying on top of him if they’re relaxing together, so she falls asleep there a lot. Takeda has a bad habit of falling asleep too, but if he manages to stay awake until time for bed, he’ll gladly carry her to bed.

21) Who cuts the others hair? Neither of them. Jacqui pays someone else to cut her hair, and Takeda cuts his own hair. She loves watching him cut it though.

22) Who is super bad at sexting? and who sends them encouraging messages throughout the day? Neither of them sext seriously, and Jacqui is more likely to do it as a joke. Takeda loves texting her at all, and he’s the king of encouraging messages!! “You can do anything you set your mind to, i love you SO much baby” followed by like… a bunch of heart emojis. He’s a softie.

23) Who thinks they are not good enough for the others love? and who’s more afraid of loosing the other? Who thinks they keep messing up, only for the other to tell them they don’t need to worry? I honestly don’t think one of them feels unworthy of their love? I don’t know why but I feel like they assure one another that they love another so often that they aren’t worried about it. But Jacqui is definitely afraid that her life and her father is gonna make their relationship strained or even cause it to end. For that same reason, she feels that she messes up sometimes as a girlfriend. Takeda is quick to assure her that he’s never been happier in his life, all because of her.

24) Who starts random slow dancing with the other in the kitchen? Who holds the other just above the ground and kisses them? Takeda is a sucker for romantic stuff like that, so he does slow dances a lot. Jacqui is just as fond of dancing as he is. Takeda loves holding her up off of the ground and kissing her nose.

25) Who says shitty puns and sex jokes just to see the other giggle and blush? Takeda. Dear god he’s practically spoon fed puns by both Cassie and Johnny, and they’re all bad. Jacqui cracks up whenever he gets on a pun spree.

26) Who kissed first? Takeda. They were watching a movie, but it was god awful so they were just quietly chatting to themselves. At one point, Takeda leaned forward and kissed her cheek, and Jacqui smiled and said that he missed. He immediately kissed her lips then, much to their delight.

27) Who orders take out at two in a morning? and who wakes the other up at three in the morning to go downstairs with them to get a glass of water because it’s too dark? Jacqui orders take out because her sleep schedule is shit. Neither of them wakes the other up to walk with them to get water, but if he’s up, Takeda will offer to walk with Jacqui. 

28) Who writes poems/stories and love songs about the other? Do they sing the songs the write for them? Takeda writes poems, but they’re so bad that he doesn’t share. Neither of them really sing songs for the other unless they’re doing karaoke. 

29) Who does some crazy stunt to try and impress the other and who ends up driving them to the emergency room after it backfires? Takeda once dedicated a whole day to trying to learn how to do a backflip, just to impress Jacqui. When he broke his collarbone, she spent the entire drive to the hospital yelling at him for being a dumbass. 

30) Who is embarrassed when they have to wear their glasses and who thinks they look super cute? Neither of them has glasses, but Takeda loves looking at Jacqui in sunglasses.

[earthrealmlesbian]

Cassie and Jacqui for the all the questions?

1) Who rocks the Ferris Wheel seat and who flips out and begs them to stop? They'd shake it together! Nothing crazy but enough to get the operator to grumble at them and enough to get each other to have a laughing fit.

2) Who is always horny and will have sex at any time, at any place and at any time? Cassie has a pretty high sex drive, higher than Jacqui's at least. She's not one for having sex in wild places however. Jacqui may not have as high of a sex drive but when she IS in the mood she's got a lot of stamina and is pretty open to trying new things.

3) Who is more into taking showers/baths together? Who tries to make it relaxing and who tries to make it sexy time? They both prefer showers and by some stroke of luck both enjoy them hot so they often shower together. Both actually like to make it sort of sexual? They like to tease each other in the shower whether or not they're actually going to really go at it once they get it. Juuust enough to get each other to shiver without committing to a long night. Lots of sensual touches and flirting.

4) Who likes to walk around the house naked and who tells the other to go put some clothes on? Cassie is usually in a training bra and boxers when they're at home. Jacqui usually stays a little more dressed unless it's hot but neither are embarrassed about that sort of thing so Jacqui wouldn't bother asking her to put on more clothes.

5) Who sleeps on the couch when they get into a fight? Heading for the couch is Cassie's default reaction at the beginning of their relationship. She saw her dad do it often enough that it just seems practical. Jacqui isn't into it at all. She has a hard time sleeping without Cassie and she doesn't like letting their rare disagreements fester overnight anyways.

6) Who takes photos of the other while they sleep? (This one got heavy cuz I needed to rant. My bad.) Both!! Cassie takes significantly more though. Side note: It's NOT cuz she's some haha fucking millennial that can't get off her phone either. SF members die all the time. Taking pictures with everyone is a coping mechanism for Cassie. Some of her friends are literally here today, gone tomorrow. She wants to immortalize the people in her life while she can. (my canon now nrs. Y'all did Cassie dirty in mk11) She wants pics of every single one of a Jacqui's expressions. Just in case. Jacqui understands.

7) Who said “I love you” first? and who ends their arguments in a fight with “Because I love you”? Cassie said it first and either will throw out an impassioned "because I love you" here or there. These two grew up together and I can see them falling in love so slowly and subtly that it took them awhile to even notice their friendship changing. When they did they probably were both a little nervous to outright say it since it would change their relationship forever. Cassie took the plunge but I can't say it was particularly smooth. They were enjoying a rare off day spent leaning against each other sipping drinks and taking in the view when Cassie awkwardly piped up with "Hey….wouldn't it be something if this were like a date or whatever?" Jacqui fucking cackled because wow, what a way to broach the subject. (All Cages are embarrassing when they're in love)

8) Who likes to wear the others sweatshirts? They both wear each other's stuff ALL THE TIME. It doesn't help they have a lot of similar undershirts and training bras. Jackie has a few oversized letterman jackets and Cassie steals them constantly.

9) Who wakes the other up in the middle of the night to tell them a cool dream they had? Who has the most nightmares, and who sings them back to sleep after? They've got a big workload between training and missions so they value sleep too much to wake each other up for weird dreams. Nightmares are a good reason though. Cassie has a lot of them actually. She can usually get back to bed on her own but if it's really bad she'll bite the bullet and wake Jacqui up. Jacqui will rub circles into her back and occasionally hum one or two old lullabies her dad made up as kid. Usually they just lay there quietly though.

10) Who is more likely to cheat? (at games) Cassie is more likely to try. Johnny is a filthy fucking cheat and taught her every trick in the book. It's incredible really. Unfortunately For her, Jackie was usually right there taking lessons too and is absolutely merciless in calling out Cassie's antics. Cassie can't even breathe funny in the direction of her cards and Jacqui is on her.

11) Who makes fun of the other for having a crush on them, and who has to remind them that they are in a relationship? Cassie is a brat so she likes to tease about it. She always regrets it because without fail Jacqui will bring up the "what if this were a date?" line.

"Oh, you have a crush on me? Embarrassing."

Jacqui doesn't miss a beat. "Not half as embarrassing as when you confessed by--"

"WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT."

12) Who starts a food fight in the kitchen? Cassie for the most part though Jacqui makes sure they don't make too much of a mess because who wants to deal with that kind of clean up? She usually finds a less messy way to indulge Cassie when they're making something sweet together like french toast or cupcakes. She'll chase Cassie around with an icing covered spoon threatening to smear it on her. They're always a sticky mess by the time they get back on track but the kitchen is spared and they like to kiss the sweetness in each other's lips so that's a big bonus.

13) Who initiates duets? and who is the better singer? Unfortunately, Cassie likes to sing. She's not good but by the gods does she try. Jacqui is a great singer though. She's down to belt out a duet with her girlfriend regardless of how Cassie sounds.

14) Who starts the hand holding? Who grabs the others butt? Who slides their arm around their waist? Who likes to put their fingers in the belt loops? They're very physically affectionate so really it's just a matter of who initiates any of these things faster on any given day. They reign it in on base but out and about or at home is fair game. Jacqui does this little thing when Cassie is straddling her lap where she'll pat her ass in rhythm like she's gently playing the drums and Cassie thinks it's SO funny. It's an idle thing like people drumming on tables in thought but for some reason involves her ass. Cassie can't complain.

15) Who writes the others name on their wrist? Neither but Cassie is a doodler so lots of mushy sketches during boring meetings. Johnny genuinely thinks it's the cutest thing he's ever seen.

16) Who is more seductive when they are drunk? and who is louder in bed? Cassie is embarrassing as hell about it so we're not even gonna go there but Jacqui manages to make up for it and then some. She's doesn't get terribly explicit, just purrs out honey sweet words that promise a good time. Cassie is the louder of the two.

17) Who is more protective? Cassie but Jacqui would be if she didn't make a conscious effort otherwise. She always felt like her dad could be overprotective and it's tempting for her to match that energy. Still, she doesn't want to smother so she tries to let Cassie handle herself.

18) Who talks to the other while they are sleeping? Jacqui will sometimes. Usually about upcoming missions that are stressing her out or any plans for future outings she'd like to have with Cassie. Mostly to remind herself to ask about it later. Stuff like "Hey, Thursday should be slow we should go visit uncle Raiden at the temple." or "Jin and Takeda tried that new Thai place last week and won't shut up about it. We should get in on that." ( hello domestic nonsense I live for you)

19) Who drives and who has the window seat? Both are capable so it's kinda whoever grabs the keys first.

20) Who falls asleep in the others lap and who carries them to bed? They fall asleep on each other on their couch all the time. If they're tired enough they usually just stay there. If they both want to drag themselves to bed but are struggling to do it Jacqui will often get it together first and carry Cassie to bed.

21) Who cuts the others hair? Jacqui's hair requires a fair amount of maintenance and she really prefers to handle that herself. Sometimes Cassie needs help touching up the shaved parts of her style and Jacqui is more than happy to.

22) Who is super bad at sexting? and who sends them encouraging messages throughout the day? Neither are bad at it actually. They don't do it often but they'll indulge here or there. They do tend to be really flirty with each other over text just....in general. Both well shoot sweet, positive messages to each other as they have time throughout the day.

23) Who thinks they are not good enough for the others love? and who’s more afraid of loosing the other? Who thinks they keep messing up, only for the other to tell them they don’t need to worry?Both are absolutely certain they are good for one another They've been inseparable since children and that's not going to change now that they're adults and in a relationship. Still, Cassie does sometimes feel overshadowed by her parents. Like she's good but not great. On days like that, she feels good enough for Jacqui but like she could be doing better. More. Jacqui is quick to set her straight. Jacqui tries to keep how protective she feels under wraps but she's definitely the one that stresses the most on losing the other. She's just quiet about it.

24) Who starts random slow dancing with the other in the kitchen? Who holds the other just above the ground and kisses them? Slow dancing in particular? Jacqui. They sometimes bop around the house to pop songs when doing chores but it's usually Jacqui that switches the playlist, slows things down and tugs Cassie in close for a dance. If they still have a lot to do after she'll kiss Cassie silly while holding her up to put some playful energy back in the room.

25) Who says shitty puns and sex jokes just to see the other giggle and blush? Gods help Jacqui Briggs. She's dating the daughter of Johnny Cage and there's not a moment she gets to forget. It's bad enough that growing up she had to hear Johnny tell all manner of awful puns and jokes. Now she has to hear her girlfriend repeat her own variations of the same ones. Sometimes, and she she hates to admit it, they're actually pretty funny.

26) Who kissed first? Jacqui. After Cassie's awful "crazy if this were a date?" moment Jacqui had to sit through 5 minutes of Cassie fumbling through a confession and "I love you" before she lost her patience and stopped the rambling with a kiss.

27) Who orders take out at two in a morning? and who wakes the other up at three in the morning to go downstairs with them to get a glass of water because it’s too dark? Cassie does the ordering. Jacqui always gives her a "Are you serious? We've got food in the fridge." look but always makes sure to give Cassie her order anyways. Jacqui has the sense to keep a big bottle of water on her bedside table so nobody has to get up.

28) Who writes poems/stories and love songs about the other? Do they sing the songs the write for them? Jacqui likes to sing and took up song writing on a whim because of it. She's pretty good. Cassie gets really flustered when she realizes Jacqui has a new love song to sing to her. She feels like she's getting swept off her feet all over again with each song.

29) Who does some crazy stunt to try and impress the other and who ends up driving them to the emergency room after it backfires? They're already impressed with each other. Still, they're a healthy amount of competitive with each other so both are occasionally tempted to do some flashy stuff to one up the other. Trial and very painful error have taught them not to test their limits too far thankfully.

30) Who is embarrassed when they have to wear their glasses and who thinks they look super cute? Cassie used to be embarrassed about her glasses but the feeling faded a lot with adulthood. Why should she be embarrassed when her girlfriend thinks she she's cute as hell in them?

Thanks for the ask!

[jacquisrandomwritings]

The Lamb of Death

This, honestly, is the only thing I have been able to write in the pass few days. I don’t really know what this is about, or if there is a true moral. I just wrote.

So... here ya go!!

She didn’t understand why she was there. She didn’t understand what was happening. She didn’t understand how this came to be. All she knew, was that she was going to die. She knew that her time was arriving. Yet, she remained alive. They had beaten her, tortured her, and starved her. Every day, they asked her the same questions. Where are the others? What did you do to that child? Where is the prince? At this point, they had become mumbles of noise to her. Except one. One always pulled her back to reality. It was a simple question, which she didn’t know the answer to.

Why?

Why? Why, what? What did they mean by, “why?” It was the simplest question, and she struggled to find the answer. Why? Why, why, why? Why, was she there? Why, were they torturing her? Why, was she the one here for the others sins? What could be the meaning of “why?”

She was currently resting against a wall, chained to it by wrist and ankle. Her skin looked as though it was wet paper clinging to bone. Her hair was shiny strings atop her head. Her eyes, once full of life and joy, were dull and sunken in. She practically looked dead. She probably should be. Yet, her heart was still beating and she was still breathing. She wanted to die. She should die. Something was keeping her alive.

Something wanted her alive.

She wanted to cry, but she couldn’t. She had no tears. All she could do was reminisce. She was a barmaid. Her bubbly personality and voluptuous appearance gathered a crowd. She would listen to the stories, and lies, of the patrons in the tavern. It was interesting to hear about the adventures of others. It fascinated her. It always made her wonder what it was like in the outside world. She never had a chance to. She was too busy with her work at the tavern.

One day, a group of women came into town. Everyone was on edge. These women had seemed off and recluse. They barely spoke or approached anyone, only ever speaking to sleep in the inn. She didn’t quite know why everyone was tense around these women. All she knew, was that everyone wanted them out. When that day finally arrived, the royal guard had come. The women fled that evening before, leaving a mess of a room. It was her job to clean it. So they had taken her in, think she was a part of that mysterious group of women. She pushed, pulled, tossed, and kicked. All the way to the castle dungeon. That was when the torture began.

They had tried everything to make her talk. With every truth she gave, they perceived it as a lie. Eventually, she just decided to no longer speak. She had started to block them and their words. Yet, the question of “why” always pulled her back.

Her eyes grew heavy as her body tried to make her rest. She couldn’t. Every time she had fallen asleep, she was awoken by the guards and brought in for her daily torture. She eventually couldn’t fight it back and had fallen asleep. Upon arriving in the dream world, she had found herself laying on the floor. Looking up, she found herself surrounded by cloaked figures. She looked around and tried to stand, but something kept her down. “Please. Tell me what I did,” she pleaded. They said nothing as she got on her knees. “Please! I want to know what I did!” she cried, “I want to know why I am here! I want to know why they are doing this! I want to know what they mean! Please, answer me!” They said nothing as a few of them moved to the side. She looked forward, seeing another cloak in the distance. The tears started to stream down her face as the other figures faded away. She watched as the other figure slowly approached.

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT I DID!! PLEASE!! TELL ME!!”

She fell forward, catching herself with her arms. She sobbed as her body shook. She just wanted answers. She just wanted to know why this was happening. She just, wanted some answers. She slowly opened her eyes to find the mysterious figure crouching in front of her. A pale hand then gently lifted her chin to look up at them. Though she couldn’t see their eyes or face, she could feel their intense gaze. “Please. What did I do wrong?” she sobbed. A deep and throaty chuckle filled the empty space.

“You? You did absolutely nothing. It is the others who are at fault,” came the demonic voice. “So why am I the one being punished for their sin?” she asked. “Because they are the fools. They were trying to see me, by sacrificing someone of royal blood. Seeing you get caught in their mess, it infuriated me. I’ve been watching you, keeping you alive. You deserve a chance to live, and take revenge upon them,” it said. She blinked a few times as the words processed in her head. “I, I don’t want revenge,” she stated. They were rather surprised by her response. “You do not wish to seek vengeance on them?” they spoke.

“I just want to be free.”

Silence filled the space once more as the figure seemed to have frozen in place. She watched as they pulled their hand away and slowly lowered their hood. She gasped as she was finally face to face with this mysterious being. It was a face of sharp features with a pale complexion. Eyes made of a night sky stared down at her with a sense of curiosity and wonder. She nearly jumped when they gave her a sharp-toothed grin. “I knew I picked you for a good reason,” they chuckled. “Wh-Who are you?” she managed to say. “Someone who shares the same goal as you, little lamb.”

She was then abruptly woken up by the guards opening the door. She weakly looked up as they walked in with the royal official, the doctors, and the executioner. She hung her head low once again as the questions began. It was honestly just sounds to her. Like a babbling brook, or the chatter of the tavern. She was numb to it. They unchained her from the wall and forced her to look at the official. She could see his mouth move, yet heard no words. She watched as they sighed and looked away. When they looked back, they asked the final question. “Why?”

This time, she finally had the voice and courage to speak. “Why?” her raspy voice replied. “Yes. Why?” they responded, “Why, are you doing this? Why are you protecting kidnappers? Why are you protecting witches? Why are you choosing to not help us?” She looked at them as the questions ran through her mind. “Why am I here? Why am I being the one tortured? Why am I the one here for their sins?” she retorted. The official’s face burned with rage. They raised their hand and slapped her, knocking her to the ground. She coughed as she laid on the floor. She stared forward, spotting a wispy, dark figure. It walked up to her as the official paced the room. A white, toothy smirk appeared on the figure’s face.

“This is never going to be concluded. Execute her,” they eventually said. Her eyes widened as the executioner came close. “Please! I’m innocent!” she barely managed to say. The official said nothing. She looked up at the executioner in horror as he readied his axe. She then looked to the wispy figure with a look of help. It just smiled at her as her eyes grew heavy.

She fell asleep as she felt her body go limp. In her dream, she found herself where she was before. The pale figure was holding a hand out to her, offering her a help. She hesitantly took it as the figure pulled her to her feet. “Please. Tell me who you are,” she pleaded. “My true name is Raleath, but the rest of this land knows me as the God of Death.”

She was abruptly woken up, just as the axe started to come down. As it collided with her neck, it shattered. Gasped fill the room. She felt her muscles regain life, slowly pushing herself to her feet. She managed to stand on her feet as her shadow stretched and showed up on the wall behind her. When she looked to everyone in the room, she noted the fear they all wore. She then glanced behind herself to see that her shadow was the similar shape of Raleath.

She looked down at her hands as she felt something flow through her. Her finger tips tingled. She felt, strong. She felt, powerful. She felt, free. She let out a low laugh as her once lovely chocolate brown eyes turned into a vibrant purple. Her fingertips glowed as her laugh grew louder. Her laugh gradually grew into a cackle as her body burst into flames of purple. Everyone watched in horror as she was devoured by the flames. They slowly came to an end, revealing that she was okay. Yet, she was different now.

Her figure had returned. Instead of the starved body that they had made, she was now back to her curvaceous figure. Her olive skin now looked as if it was glowing and renewed. The strings that were once her hair was replaced with long, luscious locks of ebony. She looked down at her body to find her stained and tattered prison dress gone and replaced. An over bust corset of deep purple and black with a skull adornment in the center of the bust line. Hugging her hips was a black belt with a book hooked to it, along with holding up her long, deep purple skirt. She looked back to the others as the shadow flew off the wall and collided with her.

A headdress made of metal with large horns appeared on her head as a scrapped cape hung from her neck. “I’m, free,” she laughed. She spun around in delight. She was actually free. She could leave in peace. She faced the others with a huge grin on her face. “Wh-Who even are you?” one of them muttered. She laughed as smoke appeared around her feet.

“I was just a barmaid, from a small town. Now? Now I am Mina, the Lamb of Death.”

With that, the smoke consume her and she disappeared from sight.