#apologizes for the vent

[mrstsung]

I want this shang but only the version in my head. Only the version i handcrafted away from the narrative and the hype schlock that was mk12/mk1. The version that is his humble beginnings,freshly cursed by the gods,former warrior of earthrealm,having a falling out with his former friend and mentor lord raiden and cohersd by shao kahn to serve under him thus betraying earthrealm. The version i handcrafted and carefully made with love. Tho it can apply to any and many of the various iterations of shang tsung over the years. I feel a young shang's misadventures is long overdue or at least a proper backstory that isn't overtaken and overshadowed by corporate meddling. (I would absolutely love to have mr.tagawa's input more on this personally,and his opinions and thoughts on my backstory for shang. But alas maybe some day)

But anywho. A young shang tsung would be nice but better written or given at least a better script.

Because mr. Alan lee is such an amazing talent. And i feel he deserves so much better as shang tsung,one of THE if not THE MOST iconic antagonist of the mortal kombat series. (As with many other actors and VA for said character.)

Like this shang's aesthetics(minus the claws gauntlets tho they are growing on me but they could look better. Maybe more snake or dragon motifs?),the charm is there,the feeling,the attitude,the actor does an amazing job,but the problem is....legitimately....everything else. When your "antag" is better than everyone else,and i mean that genuinely. Better than the script and plot,better than the protags,better than the other antagonists,etc. Then....it's not good. Of course i love shang and want a win for him once. Especially now he has legitimate reasons why he does what he does,why he is how he is,and you genuinely feel sorry for him,and want to hug him,give him a friend,ffs you just go "ah fuck man, you good?" Yeah. He actually has something shown at least. Not my personal flavor. However for canon to be bold enough to do so is shocking. But what pisses me off as a fan of both mk and shang tsung. Is that...

1. It took them waaaaay too long to make that happen.

2. It doesn't feel sincere even when they did.

3. It feels rushed and plot convenient. And centering shang's whole backstory around liu kang instead of well....shang tsung. At least it feels that way. It doesn't feel like the character has agency. So it feels like a half assed apology for doing shang dirty.

So that's why i don't like the story that shang is centered around. Now if we take the character,the concept of a shang tsung down on his luck,barely surviving off of scraps,even tho he serves a powerful kingdom and emperor with a cushy job as a court mage. That i would love to see. That's exactly how i always saw his og backstory, if you want him to rectify mistakes ACTUALLY FUCKING DO IT AND NOT BACKTRACK FOR STATUS QUO FOR YOUR "PROTAGS OR HEROES" TO WIN!!!! Like holy shit dude. Like crap,the Fanfics are better than canon writing and nrs knows it! They seem to even try to copy what we as fans to but fail so hard. But it's sad it feels so half assed when a "professional gaming company" is supposed to make this. But i feel its corporate meddling,and Hollywood greed that prevents this series,at least storywise and narratively from reaching its true potential.

Sorry for this vent. But this character I'm very very passionate about. But mostly this game series. I love this game. I love playing it. Almost all the games. It's my childhood as many others. And I'm not gonna stand for mediocrity and slander to one of my faves.

But anyways. Enough rambling. Back to shang.

Like mk12/mk1 shang tsung isn't bad at least looks wise. No more different than anyone else. But it still bothers me they all look "samey" and not in a memey,jokey,fun way. It looks sloppy next to him. Ignoring everyone else around him,looking at shang individually. Omfg he's a cutie. He's smug,he's the shang i know n love but just....younger. like in His 30s or so. Around my age. Which is cool. But....i still kinda wish his old man shang wasn't a ruse. I ignore it was a ruse tho so it doesn't count. In fact like i said. I'm rewriting the whole thing period.

Will it be kinda self indulgent? Maybe a bit self inserty,Yes. But i don't care. Because he deserves better than that.

We owe it to mr.tagawa. to shang's character. To all the voice actors and actors and amazing talent over the 30+yrs mk has been around. We deserve a good story,a better story,and even more so,a better fucking game. To play. To learn. To have fun with. Without paying and arm and a leg to even access it. Period.

Shang tsung baby you deserve better. So so so much better.

[idolomantises]

Twitter does fascinate me, because I feel like tumblr has been a lot more accepting of people who draw women with big boobs, who draw adult art on the side, and who aren't afraid of being sensual and intimate.

But twitter seems to be actively terrified of anything that could turn them on. For years I've been harassed for my art. Way back in 2020 I was called out for "sexualizing" Ankha, but this was the image they were referring to.

This fear of adult works and porn has to end man. Queer artists shouldn't be harassed or labeled as bad, untrustworthy people because they want to draw women with curves or big chests, or draw some NSFW art on the side.

[hoofpeet]

This girl has so much problems

[aces-jacket]

it's okay to make mistakes

[nook-kid]

Reminder to all regressors that your blog is your safe space ! ! You can post whatever you want, change themes however many times you feel like, take breaks for how long you need, etc. without apologizing ! ! First and foremost your blog is for you, don't forget that !

[spiltcandycoatedpunkblood]

so was that legitimately fake outrage at Watcher being "greedy capitalists" that people are now gonna go watch the try guys who are doing the exact same thing?? where's the outrage at their wealth and how they spend their money? why does Keith get people just watching him eat at expensive restaurants, but it's terrible seeing Steven go to expensive restaurants to eat food? it's got nothing to do with "the try guys did it better!!!" it's the fact that you got so outraged because of how much the economy is in shambles and people can barely afford food, let alone another streaming service, and now suddenly it's a great thing seeing the try guys be able to improve their situation with one!! I thought the whole point was that we didn't need another one!! what is it???

it's just obvious that they've both done similar things, but people are taking more issue with the creators of colour for daring to grow and move forward. EVEN AFTER THEY ALTERED THINGS AND GENUINELY APOLOGISED even whilst being fucking eviscerated online. and instead of being helped and understood by their white friends, they get fucking shaded by their friends with a sofa joke and "not to name names" bullshit

what is it with people of colour being left in the dirt by their white friends and/or costars???

[hel7l7]

See how stupid your excuse sounds now that the damage is already done

[artbyblastweave]

Funniest thing I've seen recently, and not funny in a ha-ha way, more funny in a "the endless entropic void gnawing at my will to live" way, was somebody asking around for alternatives to Neil Gaiman, in the light of Neil Gaiman's ongoing fall from grace. As though what we're currently sitting through isn't the collapse of the carefully curated "Good Guy Neil" image that caused people to parade Gaiman as the same kind of preferred progressive alternative to, say, Rowling. As though we won't be in the same goddamn situation in a few years or months, with some number of the new progressive sci-fi/fantasy darlings- not all of them, to be clear, but at least some of them- when their impeccably-curated marketing implodes in on itself and they're revealed to be the same kind of sex pest or abuser. Can you not see the wheel to which you are strapped. The game of human pinball you are condemning yourself to with this mindset. Maybe you do see, and you're just resigned to taking it one soul-crushing disappointment at a time, one "I never would have guessed" after another. I mean I think we all need to get resigned to that one way or another, sun's gonna go out before it stops happening

[inkly-heart]

please don’t be sad little sprout, you are loved 🌱 🖤

🌱

[kenneduck]

I've been struggling for months (like since last year) with drawing and focusing and energy, and I just am hitting a low mentally. I just want to draw how I used to? I could focus and get so much done, but now when I draw... it feels difficult? Hard to do? Like... None of the shapes or lines feel right. I don't know what is wrong with me, and so AH.

I feel hella imposter syndrome too with how much support I've gotten since starting Sidlink art last year... but I just... can't do anything. I feel terrible.

And I know sometimes things go through waves, and I get advice on how "it'll pass", or "don't push yourself" and it's like. Drawing IS my job. It's my life. I feel like a part of me is missing, and it's so hard.

I don't know if I'm scared of making mistakes? I know I dealt with months of medical issues, and that is getting smoothed out, but it didn't fix anything with my focus... I just feel guilty and like I'm a loser. None of my art feels GOOD enough. And when I try to draw... it just all feels bad. Like... I don't know. I should be better?

And I've felt this since last year... so I just feel WORSE knowing it should pass... because I can't handle more time like this. I didn't used to be like this. I miss having so much energy and focus on drawing.

[fishing-lesbian-catgirl]

I can imagine anything guy image: “I can spiral into tears and convince myself I’m the worst person alive over anything”

[pixlokita]

Trying to talk to people again but you’re still too scared to do it properly

Baby steps

[nyipi]

I love unrequited love like mad and all the apology tour fanart but alastor ship ver. are great, i eat them up like spaghetti but if i ever see genuine critique on alastor (ace, implied aro) for not liking the other character back and putting blame on him -> it's block on sight 😊

I eat hanahaki fics for breakfast, the guilt-trippy nature in apology tour isn't my problem. if the guilt-tripping is just for a tasty narrative, i'm good,

my problem is if it actually reflects your belief that the aro/ace character is at fault while the other half of the ship is a precious baby for catching feelings and did nothing wrong.

I don't want genuine blame being put on the aro/ace character for just, not being able to give what the other wants. It sends me into a spiral of feelings i cannot explain as an aroace.

[jewishvitya]

I feel like people see "abuser" as like... a variety of person. A category of its own. A kind of human. Not a label for someone who has a pattern of behaviors with reasoning and internal logic that a lot of people can fall into without meaning to, and it's possible to unlearn, even if it doesn't undo harm.

There has to be sinister villainous intent, otherwise... I don't know, my hurt isn't enough?

If I admit they're not a different kind of human, I'll have to accept that I'm capable of just as much harm.

If there's a kind of person that's evil and we can "remove them from society" then we'll be left with The Good Ones.

I don't know.

[hermit-frog]

Louis, what do you mean it's not on him? Louis? What do you mean, it's just as your fault? LOUIIIIS? what do you mean, please, please stop this bs. yes, you'd brought her home to fill your growing emptiness and ease your guilt, i get it, but she was alive. she had to leave because of him, because of the abuse, and your neglect. you were so suffocated you didn't have her back until you had and almost died. she came back, broken but alive. she had figured it out, she made it work for herself. and he hated it. she came back to you, for you. but lestat views you as his property, still does. this bitch had abused both you and your daughter for years, he had almost killed you (not knowing if you'd even survive the fall), because if he can't have you, then no one can. if he can't force you, then he'll break you, like a child. both you and Claudia were oppressed to the point y'all had to take action in self-defense and flee the country, you have spared him, Louis, Loooouis. he came back for the trial, he rehearsed it, he watched her burn without even trying to save her. he only views her as his extension, her good qualities are because of him, his blood, and not whom she is apart from him. very logan roy of him to “admire” claudia's murder attempt, and defiance. if it's no about lestat, then it doesn't matter, then it's a mistake, a disappointment. if she's her own person, then she must leave or die. he makes her louis' lapdog, because my hysterical wife can't deal with an empty nest, abuse and depression, my housewife won't "pay attention to me", which i have 100% right to, as her husband (he complains to his, also abused, mistress). i mean, come on. Claudia had achieved her happiness/freedom twice, only for it to get snatched away from her at the last second. by Lestat, by the coven and Armand, and Lestat again.

Louis, he gave you to your and your daughter's murderer like you're a goat. he still thinks he owns you and has the right to make decisions for you, to punish you, to let you “learn”, like you're a child-wife and he's the all-knowing father. you stayed with this said murderer for years, not knowing the truth, because it was withheld for you as a lesson, he doesn't see you as an equal. you have wronged, Claudia, yes. many times. you have chocked her to save your abuser because you no longer know how to live without his suffocation, it terrifies you to get out of the boiling water. you're free but you keep drowning, in your guilt, in your attachment, trauma bond, punishing yourself. don't take the equal fault. y'all were forced to flee. do you hear me? both of you were forced to leave. she was forced to leave three times because of him! Looooooouuuuiissss aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

they could've delivered this differently, i understand that this is loustat hurricane of a toxic abusive patriarchal relationship + the focus on that both Louis and Claudia are black and lestat as their white master, good exploration on that. and Louis as a character to say shit like this also makes sense (from his pov), his mother, his role in the family, scapegoat, all that., come back, separate, come back. like i said, he's used to this. but the takes on this scene online.....

am i overreacting?

[pupyr0arz]

Reader confronts stalker Gaz

Kyle plans your conversations. He keeps scripts, and the ones about you are his favorite. They keep him company, what he thinks you might do and say and how you’d smile at him gently soothing him out on missions. He could probably talk about your life, up to marriage and maybe kids, for hours.

What he doesn’t have a script for is you sitting down right besides him at the bar with that expression on your face. Kyle knows he’s been caught out the second you pull out the stool, you’re a creature of habit and you never sit this close to the middle of the bar. It’s Friday night, the night you like to come and have a few cocktails before retiring to your home, and Kyle’s new favorite day of the week. Alcohol shows sides of people hidden to everyone under the sun, and ever since you got those tacky, ugly blinds Kyle has been aching for some vulnerability. Something he can pretend is privately shared between the two of you, shine and clutch close without having to grapple with the guilt of intruding, stepping too far away from what can be waived off.

Maybe it’s the lack of you, the sudden deprivement of something hes quickly coming to cherish as much as the blood in his veins, that makes him sloppy. You’re not as neat as you usually are, messy shirt under a jacket, boot laces untied. Your face is cast in shadow and dim lights, and all Kyle can manage to think about as his eyes trace the agitated crease of your brow is that you look like something that belongs in a museum.

“Who,” you hiss, speaking lowly in tight, furious syllables, “the hell are you?”

It’s said in anger, but the words are for him and that sends a little thrill through him. Kyle cherishes each part of you you give him, like anyone who deserves you should.

Kyle, sweetheart. Your secret admirer. No one special. Your soulmate.

“I’m sorry?” He coughs politely, feigning confusion. Kyle leans awayl trying to sell the image of someone being wary of an angry looking drunk stranger, but he’s already mourning the proximity.

“I know you’ve been following me, asshole.” You don’t let him, half standing to shove your face into his, and he’s more pleased than he should be, but your hands are curling into a fist and you smell like alcohol. “I’ve seen you.”

Shit. Now he couldn’t deny it fully. You couldn’t have had more than a glass, were you drinking at home? The drapes must’ve been deliberate, you trying to cut him out of your life. It sends a pang of hurt in his chest—why do you withdraw so suddenly now? It seems like everything about the world demands him to tug you closer, and now you’re running away?

Kyle averts his eyes, lifting a hand in a placating manner. “I have a generic face.” He lies guilelessly, ignoring how you practically breathe smoke at the deflection. Your rage is incandescent, and as much as Kyle loves to stare into the face of your emotions, he isn’t willing to have you get spooked enough to try anything extreme.

Though, with the way you’re cocking your fist back, you’ve got a different idea in mind. Kyle isn’t too mad at you, he’s happy you’re not that scared of him and he likes the idea of you defending yourself if an actual creep ever showed up. He can work with this, though, and he turns into the blow, taking it poorly on purpose.

It’s not exactly how he wanted to get your number, but he’s willing to take anything he can get.