#me: i want to make a post about johnny and kenshi's relationship

[mothercetrion]

I really like the relationship between Johnny and Ashrah. like, a lot, and I think it's a very underrated relationship between the characters. full thoughts under the cut because it gets long (and also has MK1 spoilers!).

they get along for the duration of the story mode, with Johnny flirting with her/talking about her looks significantly less than he does any of the other women he has met (Kitana, Mileena, and Sindel, notably). he still does on occasion, but it doesn't feel as often? to me?

Johnny is the one to invite Ashrah and Syzoth to come back to Earthrealm with him, Kenshi, and Lao. when Johnny gives her what she views as a ridiculous disguise at the festival, she openly says as much, and Johnny insists that it looks good on her. it's about as flirtatious as he gets when he's speaking to her in the story.

A: You couldn't steal a more functional hat? JC: What? It hides your face. And honestly...it suits you.

I'm sure it's more of a nod to her more well-known design, but…still. it feels so much more genuine than his normal compliments, if that makes sense? no cheesy nickname, nothing drawn-out or overly dramatic. short and sweet. very unlike Johnny and incredibly endearing (and noticeable) as a result.

and then, once they're in Earthrealm, he's the one to introduce Ashrah and Syzoth to Liu Kang. he attributes the safe arrival to Earthrealm to them, which is true, but hearing Johnny openly credit them for their help was quite nice.

their story mode interactions end here, but their pleasant relationship continues in their intros. granted, Johnny does flirt with her (he is Johnny, after all), but it's a lot less than it is with the other girls on the roster. their intros are actually incredibly sweet and show off their close bond.

A: You fought bravely against Shang Tsung. JC: That's just life imitating art, sweetheart.

Johnny calls her "sweetheart" in this one. typical Cage flirting and hyping himself up.

A: I will fight without fail until I am absolved. JC: You are truly a wonder, woman.

more flirting…and a not-at-all-subtle "Wonder Woman" reference. a mix of Johnny's typical media references/possible flirting and a nod to Ashrah's VA (Susan Eisenberg, known for voicing Wonder Woman) from NRS. checks out.

JC: It's hard to believe there's a demon inside there. A: My true face would horrify you, Cage.

they talk about Ashrah's demonhood and how human she looks, something Johnny notes within seconds of their meeting. I feel like this intro also implies that Johnny thinks she's beautiful? "under there" being a beautiful face and Ashrah's "true" face potentially being horrifying to him, unlike her more human face.

JC: Your kriss would look outstanding on my mantel. A: I could never part with Datusha.

Johnny needs a replacement for Sento since he gave it to Kenshi! he thinks Datusha is neat, just like he did Sento. not a surprise here either.

JC: I love redemption stories. A: Yet mine is not for sale.

JC: C'mon, a tour would really help my story research. A: No living creature should visit the Netherrealm.

A: Your Hollywood is rife with evil. JC: You don't need your kriss to know that.

they talk about Johnny's movies, life in Hollywood, and Ashrah's story being made into something that Johnny makes. it makes sense with Johnny's character since he's interested in everyone else's stories for his movie, but talking about Hollywood generally is interesting to me.

A: So you were once married? JC: Amazing anyone would let me go, right?

Ashrah talks to Johnny about a very personal part of his life, possibly in an effort to get to know him more? or perhaps just asking him about it after hearing it from someone else. it's not revolutionary that she would ask, considering that it's brought up in other intros, but it's still interesting nonetheless.

JC: I've been in recovery too, y'know. A: We all have our inner demons.

this intro is one of my favorites for Johnny. he mentions doing "steps" to her briefly in the story mode, and he mentions his "recovery" here. I am extremely curious about what he's gone through in his career to warrant what sounds like therapy of some kind. regardless, he knows what it's like to want to be a better person, and he tells Ashrah that, supporting her own journey to goodness in his own way. it's a new layer to him that I would love to know more about. regardless, for some people, talking about their vulnerabilities so openly can be challenging, so it's clear that he doesn't want Ashrah to feel alone in her efforts. it's sweet.

A: You have poor taste in disguises. JC: [groans] When will you forgive me for that hat?

…and Ashrah still gives him hell about that disguise.

the vast majority of their intros are friendly with minimal flirting in sight. if so, it's much more subtle than his usual manner. Johnny is much more genuine with Ashrah than he is with the other women on the roster, and I think a lot of that is because of their time together in the story mode. they get to know one another and even have some things in common, things to bond over to strengthen their relationship.

anyway, I think Johnny and Ashrah are really close <3 and I think it's sweet.

[n3ptoonz]

I have a pre-relationship request that’s more on the cute side. Can you please write Bi Han, Kenshi, Johnny, Liu Kang, Raiden and Kung Lao reacting to the reader (who is a new kombatant) who has been feeling weary from the training and falling asleep on the men’s shoulder? It can be under different scenarios, whatever you think works the best :)

this is so cute!! i'll be happy to write this😁

no warnings, pure FLUFF <3

Sub-Zero

Being a new kombatant came with a lot of responsibilities. However, for lack of better word, it felt like more of a responsibility being around Bi-Han than any other. He knew not to work you as hard as his recruits, so with the kindness left in his heart he offered to help and train with you. He was quite impressed with your quick learning and determination too. So one day after a long session--this was his way of saying he thought you were good enough to train with him that long--you sat together to cool off in a comfortable silence. After a while he began to ramble on about duties and such when he turned to feel the weight of your head on his shoulder. He was honestly going to wake you up, but then felt you deserved the rest. Anybody who passed by him earned a mean glare if they even tried speaking to him and possibly waking you up, but shh! You didn't hear that from me!

Kenshi Takahashi

After being assigned to work with Kenshi, it's natural that you were nervous. You heard many stories about the blind swordsman, and now you were actually in his presence. Sensing your hesitance to really give your all out of nervousness, he always made sure to let you know you can give everything you got, so gradually over time you two became comfortable during and after training sessions. You've learned a lot from him: from stances, to breathing patterns, to how to efficiently piss Johnny off if he bothered you with his droning on about being in Hollywood, it was no question that you two connected on another level. After a particularly challenging session, he paid no mind to you falling asleep on his shoulder. You earned it. He'd carry on with his own conversations while making sure he didn't budge. It could also be something he brags about to Johnny, cause why the hell not?

Johnny Cage

When you were first introduced to the fighting scene by Liu Kang, you expected to meet all types of esteemed warriors and established individuals that wore their honor on their sleeves. When it came to Johnny, it was weirdly charming. He was the first to offer to train with you because you looked strong. He'd play around with the whole "I'll go easy on you" speech until you showed him what you're capable of. Now, he took you seriously. The Johnny Cage that came to light when he wanted to prove a point was always present when you showed up, but you admired it nonetheless. You liked that he didn't view you as some weakling that could be talked down on. So post intense sparring match with you out like a light once your head laid upon his shoulder, he just quietly laughed it off and patted your head. "You're lucky we tied." he whispered.

Liu Kang

Of course, anybody's heart would be thumping in the presence of a God. The God of Fire himself kindly offered to take you under his wing, seeing great potential in you and your future. Liu Kang took this role very seriously, so while he explained you were hand picked, you immediately snapped into a warrior's mindset. Being a new kombatant was the highest honor in your eyes, especially while being backed by a literal God. Though he will have no issue reminding you to just view him as another friend--glowing eyes and all power aside. Being your Lord eventually felt no different than simply speaking to a superior you could say what's up to. He admired your love for training and being quick on your toes, so no wonder you fell asleep on him. Working with a God is no joke!

Raiden

Getting to train with the champion of Earthrealm was surreal to you. Although when you met Raiden, you didn't think he'd be so sweet and chill. Most of all humble. Letting him know you were new here made him so happy, especially now since he didn't have to deal with Kung Lao's blabbering about if he was champion. It didn't take long to start training longer and harder, but sometimes it may have been a little difficult to keep up. He is the champion for a reason! There'd be a plethora of opportunities to learn from each other and understand each other better through fighting. It was a breath of fresh air to learn you both viewed kombat as a means of expression and art. Falling asleep on his shoulder after a long day made his own tiredness disappear. He was honored that you felt so comfortable and relaxed around him--this much was clear when someone walked past him grinning ear to ear.

Kung Lao

A new kombatant for him to train with?! Let's go! Kung Lao was a man that needed no introduction. Once he eyes laid upon you, he could sense your strength from across the room. He wore his pride on his sleeve, but it honestly didn't bother you much. He was the same man who came this close to being champion of Earthrealm and had his own set of great skill. He loved training with you. You were able to keep up with him in a short amount of time and even develop your own flair being around him so long. In a way he kind of felt like your mentor. The evening that you trained so hard and sparred so well and eventually fell asleep on his shoulder, he expected as much. As a matter of fact, he would joke about it all this time after every session, half of him thinking it probably wouldn't happen. But regardless he found it adorable and wore this moment like a badge of honor.

a/n: lowkey i have no clue if i've reused the same sentiments for some of these characters but hey im used to writing in the format so yall gonna have to deal with it 😤 hope this was what you had in mind!

[buggyjuggie]

I know this might be a weird request but I saw on one of your old post and it was mentioning a swap AU with kenshi and Johnny, I wanted to do something kinda similar and it be instead swap, be opposite personality (ex johnny instead of being confident and cocky hes timid and insecure) I'm new to MK so im not sure how opposite kenshi would be but I hope you understand, if you have any questions feel free to ask me again!

──★ ˙ ̟Johnny and Kenshi Swap personalities AU

( There’s little hints of johnshi here but can be read as just platonically)

「 ✦ Kenshi ✦ 」

* So because this is swapped personality but not positions Kenshi i imagine is in a higher rank in the yakuza than normal.

* Because of his cocky attitude he takes more jobs and is more confident about his missions.

* He still doesn’t like doing them but he hides his guilt using his personality.

* I feel 50/50 about the idea of him being a show off for example in MK1 Johnny tends to show off his wealth, fame, movies, everything but i feel like even in this AU if Kenshi did it would make him look insane on one hand he’d do it because of the amount of time he’s spent in this bussines has at least semi desensitised to it but im not sure at the same time cuz i dont feel like it’ll fit his character so idk let me know what you think.

* When Kenshi broke into Johnny’s mansion i want you to imagine the scene where johnshi + Kung lao are walking to Baraka’s village and basically take the dialogue and put it here Kenshi just straight up shit talking Johnny to his face

* After losing to Johnny, Kenshi is absolutely pissed because he’s never failed a mission.

* Johnny and Kenshi’s relationship initially starts off very hostile they bicker argue and insult each other but trough training at the academy they slowly start to put that behind them and it evolves to a sort of rivalry less hating each other and more competitive if that makes sense.

* Kenshi was surprised when Johnny gave him Sento while yes he’s cocky and acts childish Kenshi still feels guilty for all the lives that he has taken while being a part of the yakuza, Kenshi doesn’t feel like he deserves this until Johnny explains his reasonings and slowly starts to put the past behind him and starts hope for a brighter future.

「 ✦ Johnny ✦ 」

* Because his personality is different in this AU instead of being knows for action movies Johnny is most known for horror and historical films.

* His social media presence is small but he’s still got big fanbase that likes him for his mysterious aura.

* Because of his now more silent personality when Johnny drops movie quotes in conversations it tends to sound more ominous and makes people scared of him.

* Johnny and Cris break up still for the same reason as normal : Johnny’s spending habits and perhaps some looked over alcohol problems.

* Did not understand at all what was going on when Kenshi broke in. Whas this a movie ? A prank ? Or is it real ? Dont look at him because he doesn’t know either.

* Johnny keeps sento to himself not because of it’s monitory gain instead for it’s history and doesn’t give it to Kenshi because he think that he’s untrustworthy.

* Eventually after being in the Wu Shi academy for long enough he starts to slowly open up to the people around him.

* Kenshi tends to rile him up so after a while when he gets annoyed he’ll talk shit back to Kenshi and they’ll be off just bickering (like love birds WHO SAID THAT)

* As for the dreaded Mileena poking Kenshi’s eyes out™ i imagine it goes pretty much the same Johnny realises that Kenshi saved him. Even trough all the bickering and rivalries that they had Kenshi still choose to sacrifice his sight for him.

* After the incident Johnny gives Sento to Kenshi as a token of his appreciation of the man and the sacrifice that he committed.

「 ✦ Random hc, these can be read as platonic or romantic ✦ 」

* Because Kenshi was part of the yakuza since he was young he didn’t have many chances to see any type of movies so when Johnny suggest to watch something Kenshi is on board,he’s really excited and keeps talking and making comments while watching.

* Kenshi’s favourite movies tend to be action and thrillers.

* Yes Johnny did show Kenshi the movies he played in but only because he was forced to after loosing a bet. Kenshi just talked about how hot Johnny was.

* Because Johnny doesn’t flaunt his fame like in MK1 his mansion is diffrent. It’s smaller, has simple designs, the awards that he’s won in his carrier are stored on a shelf in another room, all the items he bought are expensive but in the modern art type of way aka simple shapes, basic colours, some of them are small and don’t take up too much space.

* Johnny and Kenshi have different aesthetics when it comes to clothing Johnny tends to wear more basic and neutral colours while Kenshi if he’s not on some sort of mission wears more vibrant clothing.

* Ok i know this one is basic and practically canon to the fandom but still i gotta do it. Johnny buys Kenshi blindfolds, they tend to differ in colour so Kenshi can match them to the outfit that he’s currently wearing some of them have embroidery on the front(?) to make them fancy.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Happy new years !!! I wanted to get this out before new years in my time zone so I’m a bit late lol. This one was a bit hard to write and get idea and I’m REALLY hoping that i didn’t make the character OOC if i did please let me know so i can improve but yeah hope you like this :3

[aj1dordinary]

GRWM to participate in a life or death brawl!

platonic!Johnny Cage x platonic!gen-z!reader; neutral!Kenshi Takahashi x neutral!reader; platonic!Raiden x platonic!reader; platonic!Kung Lao x platonic!reader; platonic!Lui Kang x platonic!reader

@one-green-frog @whore-of-many-hot-men xox

thank you guys for showing love to my very first piece! i look forward to providing you with as much content that i can pump out! now that i’ve essentially finished the general background info, I’m gonna try to follow the storyline as closely as possible while also developing the lore for !reader. bear with me pls! don't know about any relationships taking place, but that may change. anyway, enjoy! xox

“hey guys! welcome back to my channel! as you all know, johnny and i decided to take a little vacation in between some of his big projects. that doesn’t mean that you miss out on all the action though so here’s a quick little get ready with me in this rehab facility he checked us into!” you poke your tongue out and shoot a peace sign to the camera before turning it around and showing the beautiful scenery of the monk academy.

“y/n! check this shit out!” johnny wails, he began showing his improved skills by throwing punches at a wooden dummy and with an uppercut, knocked the head a good 5 yards away. 

you whistle and track the trajectory of the dummy head with your phone. you’d managed to ration out your battery life despite filming and posting an abundance of johnny’s new life of martial arts. 

johnny runs over after to see the video for himself and as you play it back for him, he notices someone looking on with great disdain. 

“kenshi, man! I’m telling you, if you wanna piece, all ya gotta do is ask.” he makes a show of it by flexing his arms and posing as if he was back on the red carpet. 

kenshi rolls his eyes and lets out a puff of air, “i dont want anything you have to offer, john.” he crossed his arms and turns his attention toward the other guys that lui kang recruited to be the power rangers of earthrealm. 

you learned that kung lao and raiden were their names. you had to stop johnny from getting himself cancelled as he tried to make references to Godzilla when the men clearly were not of that origin. but they were cool people, you’d have to make a mukbang with them one day for sure. you paused, realizing you were no better in terms of geography.

“oh really? not even sentō?” speaking of being an antagonistic asshole, johnny removed the sword from his back and waved it around, trying to perform swift and severe moves as a ninja would. he made it a goal to make the sounds as well. 

you just stood at the ready, phone already recording and the sound picking up the popping of bubblegum in the background. a week in and you traded in your black flats and pantsuit for the same training attire that the guys were wearing. you were by no means throwing any punches, but you’d be damned if you didn’t match for aesthetic purposes.

kenshi stopped in his tracks, “oh i think you done did it now, johnny baby…” you twirl a curl of hair between your fingers, lowkey focused more on the rippling muscles and raging testosterone that put itself on display for you.

“now, now. if there is gonna be a brawl of any sorts, its going to be the one that decides who our champion of earthrealm will be.” 

“ahhh, the all-knowing, all-powerful always has such perfect timing,” you coo. “what’s hopping kangaroo?” 

“ah, i’ve been managing the behind the scenes of the competition. making sure all is in order for whomever our champion will be.” he smiles genuinely before bowing before you out of kindness. you would be rude to not return it.

“which is totally going to be me.” kung lao says affirmatively before throwing his makeshift razor-hat. it passes just over your head before getting imbedding in the side of a building.

“watch were you throw that thing! you kill my assistant, you replace her!” johnny pokes at his shoulder.

“nice to know that you value and care for her…” raiden chips in. 

“word.” was all you said in agreement.

“right…” lui kang claps his hands together, looking over the lively bunch in front of him. part of you wonders if he was beginning to regret his choice in heroes.

“as I was saying, today is the day. whoever comes out victorious in the matches will be earthrealm’s champion and will go on to battle against outworld warriors to defend the title. we will start with johnny and kenshi.”

“y/n, watch me beat his ass real quick.” 

“best 2 out of 3?” you say as you join lui kang on the sidelines. he simply nods.

“round 1… fight!” you say before banging the gong.

“beat his ass, johnny! wooooo!” you jump and cheer from the sidelines. 

“finish me johnny cage~” a robotic voice chimed from your phone. the sideline goes silent before you mutter a quick “oops” to check what the fuck just happened. 

you’re accidentally livestreaming. the voice being someone who donated. well, gotta get paid someway. you turned the phone back on the action, watching as donors flooded the chat, saying how sexy johnny looked when he was fighting and the whole nine yards.

“chat thinks you’re so cool right now. don’t disappoint!”

and how could he? with a swift uppercut, kenshi called it quits for the first round while he regained his balance and strength. 

“you’re not done yet johnathan carlton!” you call. he runs over as you take a gatorade bottle and squeeze the contents into his mouth and a little bit on your hands before smacking the shit out of him. “you get out there and you finish it!” he nods without a word before bumping your fist. when he turns to get back in the ring, you deliver a swift slap to his ass for encouragement.

“does that actually help?” raiden comments. he wouldn’t lie, he was tickled by the nonchalant relationship you and Johnny exhibited.

“nah. he just has a really nice ass.” you say, body language unwavering.

it definitely wasn’t helping. he was getting his shit handed to him this round. so much so, he tagged you in.

“whyyyyy am I here! i’m so quitting after this!” you scream as you block many of kenshi’s attacks. johnny, who claims he is just taking a breather, now acted as cameraman as he and the chat giggled at your attempts to evade kenshi.

lui kang had a smirk on his face as he watched the growing potential in you. Despite your obvious fear, you were evading kenshi’s offensive moves quite diligently. He eventually spoke with the goal to guide you.

“compose yourself, y/n. you’re bouncing all over the place, use that momentum for something else.”

you were desperately running out of air from running around the ring, but you couldn’t let up or else kenshi would deploy his frustrations about johnny on you (mmmmm). despite your fear, you heard lui kang’s voice and man, does this god have a voice of reason. you had to obey. so you placed your trust in it and stopped before quickly ducking.

 In doing so, you felt a gust of wind fly over your head, surely a devastating blow from kenshi. you then turned and blindly threw a punch. surprisingly, you made contact, square in the middle of his chest. he gasped for air as the assault caused it all to exit his lungs and drop to his knees. he looked up at you with a fire burning in his eyes. you did not wait to continue and tagged johnny back in.

“now who’s the kangaroo?” lui kang smiled.

“you must think you’re so funny.” you respond, completely stale-faced.

johnny ended up losing the second round, before recovering and winning the final round. quickly though, he was thrust into battle with kung lao where he lost. 

“a brawl between old pals,” you start. “how you feeling kung fu panda?” you put the camera directly up to his eyebrows on a 0.5x setting, getting an insane shot of his forehead.

“first, you’re no better than johnny,” you gasp. “second, i’m feeling really confident.” he finishes. 

“and you ray ray?” you proceed to give him the same media coverage.

“i’ve been waiting for this day for a while.”

“oh he’s so gonna beat your ass”

and you should’ve bet money on it too as raiden came out victorious. 

“so these outworlders, they hot? mutated? what exactly should we be expecting God-Almighty?” johnny asks but not without you delivering a swift elbow to his side for his crudeness. 

“outworlders do have an enhanced strength compared to humans. some also have powers like me.” lui kang demonstrated with his possession of fire.

“so what’s raiden got that can go up against people like you.” kenshi spoke up, finally seeming over the bitterness of his loss earlier. 

“i am always prepared. raiden, i bestow upon you the element of lightning. i ensure that it will aid you tenaciously. i am certain earthrealm will remain in good hands with you.” He hands the amulet over and raiden immediately demonstrated his new abilities by electrocuting the shit out of some training dummies. 

“ok one, he just literally roasted the fuck outta y’all and two, can he charge my phone with this new ability.” 

“can you be serious for one moment?” kenshi grumbled.

“oh im sorry, i thought someone who’s ass i kicked earlier had something to say?” you retort.

he was ready to respond again, but lui kang redirected the conversation.

“it is time. we must depart. outworld is expecting us.” he begins to move his hands in the same circular motion as before and another portal beings to open up.

“y/n! y/n! Look!” johnny points as if he was kid asking his parent capture his performance.

“i got it johnny, damn! it’s not like this isn’t my whole ass job.” you roll you eyes as you break your slowly dying phone out again. before entering the portal, lui kang turned to you,

“i trust that you won’t be getting yourself in trouble?” he raised an eyebrow, his playful demeanor replaced with a serious one.

“don’t worry kangaroo, i’ll be doing the PR work for both johnny and i. count on me to clean up any mess these boys make. it’s all in the job description.”

his face screwed up in thought before he nodded.

“Let us show these outworlders what we are made of.” he led first through the portal.

-end-

I will update as much as I can but just know I am a college student with other commitments. bear with me!

[borderlandsresearcher]

I have some things to say...

CW: Rant, bisexual erasure

Mileena x Kenshi shippers are so problematic. No one disagrees that Mileena is bisexual. We all know she is, it's canon. But the issue is that NOBODY in this fandom seems to give a shit about the obvious wlw relationship between Tanya and Mileena in MK1.

People have never had an issue with others shipping Baraka and Rain with Mileena, because Taleena was never fully confirmed. But now that it is, people are finding any excuse to ship Mileena with a man. These people prefer to ship her with people she has zero chemistry with than with a woman. They are pulling ships out of their asses at this point.

Your first reaction to a wlw ship like Taleena should NOT be "this is bisexual erasure" because the writers didn't force a relationship between characters who don't know shit about each other. I can't make a post about Taleena without someone going "ERRRMM she's bisexual FYI 🤓" , as if being with a woman doesn't make her bisexual??? Is she only bisexual if she's with a man because that's what makes you comfortable??? Because that sounds like bi erasure to me...

What's even grosser, is that these are the same people to fetishise Johnny x Kenshi without batting an eye, but SEETHE at the thought of two women being together. It's not at all surprising that a lot of these people are straight women.

Mileena x Kenshi has absolutely taken over this fandom, and it is so fucking heartbreaking to see. Ship whoever you want, I don't care. But clearly something is going on here and it breaks my heart. Acknowledge that Mileena is bisexual, but also celebrate that we FINALLY got a somewhat decent wlw relationship in the media for once. It's already so hard to find this representation, so please do not take it from us!!!!!!

+there's a billion other characters you can be shipping. That's why this ship feels targeted, because it is so specific and strange....

- Yours truly, a fellow queer

[thecollectivefixation]

A deep dive into the MK1 cinematics (PT1?)

Hi, I'm a nerd and I like breaking apart scenes for small details and hidden meanings that adds to the overall story. For my first official post on The Collective Fixation blog, Mortal Kombat 1 is going to be topic subject today. I’ll be talking about random scenes in the game and trailer that I found really cool and some of the relationships between characters. (I actually blame my family for introducing me to MK1 the other month and I’ve literally not stopped thinking about it so lets get into it hehehe.)

!WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Ok MK1 is definitely in my top three list of best looking cinematics in video games.

This scene from the trailer was my favourite because it uses the lighting in the building as a medium for foreshadowing. Scorpion (Kuai Liang) being in the warm, bright lighting while Sub-Zero (Bi-Han) being in the cool, dark lighting. The light side referring to Liu Kang as he is first seen with light around him as he ascends down and Shang Tsung representing the dark side as he steps out of dark shadows revealing himself in the trailer. Foreshadowing the betrayal and the two sides of the story that occurs further on in the story.

When Smoke first gets introduced he is seen under red light which can indicate danger or a sense of evil, paired with the dramatic shift in music from calming to almost a startling shift into a intense music. This convinces the audience to think that he is the antagonist in that current moment. The extreme close up on his face shows off his emotions, which is difficult to do since he has the mask on, so actors have to get creative with their facial expressions. We see this with the intense look Smoke has when surveying the area, indicated with his eyebrows and eyes. Also the camera pans left to show off more red light on his face. The camera is below his face making a low camera angle, low camera angles most commonly indicate a sense of power, strength and intimidation to the subject in frame.

(Side note: Live Laugh Love low camera angles, you see them so much in this game and I love itttttt)

The film codes (technical and symbolic) in the scenes between Johnny Cage and Kenshi Takahashi play an important part in the growth of their relationship. When Kenshi is revealed to the audience, the camera pans up from his feet to his sword to his face leaving in at a low camera angle. This increases dramatic tension by slowly revealing to the audience what Johnny sees. When taking in account of the music changing to a upbeat fighting kind of soundtrack the audience makes the conclusion of you guessed it danger, antagonist.

(Ofc cause he isn't the actual villain in the game but as the time he is lol)

(Side note: i love the way the game developers made it so the cameras seems hand held or on a dolly and not fixed in place, seems like we are in the game/story experiencing everything with the characters.)

Not that important but I love how the light from the pool reflects off both Johnny and Kenshi, its all about the details.

Now lets talk about THE SLOW MO BETWEEN JOHNNY AND KENSHI. Gotta admit, it caught me off guard a little, because normally a slow mo is used to focus on a character’s emotional reaction to a person, place or event in that current moment. And after thinking long and hard, I have come up with a conclusion on why the directors made this decision.

To show the tension between Johnny and Kenshi. Kenshi at the beginning of the story does not like Johnny or his ideals, its shown between dialogue when talking about their reasons to becoming Earthrealm defenders and Kenshi disapproval. And is the base of why they interact in the first place, because Kenshi wants Sento and Johnny wont give it over. The slow mo focuses on kenshi’s facial expression of aggravation and intensity about his fight with Raiden and about Johnny’s bad sport man ship in the previous scene with Johnny vs Raiden when Johnny’s ego was talking was basically he talked down Raiden’s abilities. This contrasts Kenshi’s ideals of honour.

(side note again, I haven't done a full deep dive on their characters nor have I done a deep dive on a character so I may have gotten some stuff wrong but I haven't fully played the entire game yet I'm like halfway rn so yea)

Ok that’s all for now, I’ll maybe talk about more scenes once I fully play through the game. Feel free to share your options because I love talking about these kind of things.

-Bookworm

[1-up-chump]

I agree with absolutely everything you said in that post about MK 1. The most annoying thing is that now this line will develop further if they don’t make new restarts. The only good moments for me are the relationship between Johnny and Kenshi, and the appearance of my beloved Smoke (who again remained in the background)

Yeah. Its like they just really out here doing whatever they want. Mortal kombat is dead.

Now we have shmortal blombat, the cheap knock off that only people who love mainstream stuff will like and then forget for the next big thing. People are shallow, people are mindless consumers to whatever the corporates will churn out. Art kinda died a bit. Wouldn't be surprised if most of the plot in mk12 was ai generated and then edited to make a little sense.

At this point i want a HARD reset. No soft reboot, no retcons. Just a whole new series like they should've fucking done.

I want spin offs more than anything but with how things are going they'd basically just abandon any integrity the characters used to have. Bet they somehow would make kung lao a bad guy in the future or some shit like that bc they hate him THAT much

Im sad and tired and going to find comfort in the old stuff so have some gifs to lighten the mood

[shockapella-sweet]

Going offline + quick question

I haven’t updated my poor MK fanfic, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?, in approximately 92-and-a-half dogs years, so I’ll be remaining offline until I’ve finally written up the latest chapter. For those who’ve been waiting patiently for an update, I hope you’ll like the chapter that I’m cooking up (please expect Kitana gunning for Kotal Kahn during the main course, Smoke being milliseconds away from going absolutely befok on Hanzo, and poor Raiden praying that he and his guests will make it to dessert).

I’m very aware that I’ve got asks/messages/tagged posts that I haven’t answered nor replied to yet – thank you for your unending patience, and apologies for not answering/replying in the longest time. You guys deserve medals for waiting so long. And chocolate. And medals made out of chocolate.

Before I go, however, I just want to ask you ducks something – well, it’s more of asking for your opinion: a while back, I wrote in this post about potential Mortal Kombat fanfic ideas. One of them was about retelling MK11′s story mode, with the inclusion of various missing characters such as Mileena, Kung Jin, Takeda, Kenshi, Reptile, Smoke, Stryker, Ferra/Torr, etc., and with the aim of filling in some plot gaps, revising existing plot points, and going into depth with regards to characterisation.

Now, a month or so back, I thought that I would actually like to get this fic off the ground. It would be much more dramatic than GWCTD? (with a tiny sprinkling of humour, but not so much that it takes away from the drama), and it won’t take the plot of Aftermath into account (on the basis that I haven’t played or seen Aftermath, and also because I heard it was quite rubbish).

Most importantly, I want to focus on the characterisation aspect. Like, there are many plotlines that I want to explore and expand on, with the aim of giving all the characters a chance in the spotlight.

For several examples, how Cassie’s really coping after losing her mother; how present!Johnny appreciates past!Sonya more in light of present!Sonya’s death (and the grieving he goes through while putting on a strong, humorous front), and how the latter learns to love past!Johnny; Reptile, overcome by hopelessness because no one – not even his beloved emperor, Kotal Kahn – can restore his race, being persuaded by Kronika to join her forces (along with Ferra/Torr) because she has the power to bring the Zaterrans back; Mileena being brought back from the past and either gets redemption by working with Kitana (but also Ko-Ko, her enemy), or working with Shao Kahn (but she does not trust that literal backstabber, D’Vorah); Kenshi and Ermac’s mysterious connection, as well as past!/present!Jax’s desire for revenge, putting a strain on Takeda and Jacqui’s own relationship; Cetrion – and maybe even Geras – questioning Kronika’s intentions to rewrite the timeline, wondering if it’s all worth getting her mother’s approval but sacrificing her morals and free will in the process, and (potentially) exploring her relationship with Raiden ... and of course, all the other Shaolin Monk-bonding/SubScorp vs SubSmoke/“How the hell did I end up falling for your future self when your past self is a Black Dragon scumbag, Erron/Kabal?” stuff that I have in mind, as I mentioned in the other post. Plus, also giving charries like Kollector and Skarlet some actual purpose instead of just existing to be beaten up.

But ja, do you guys think that this would be an interesting fic to read? If it sounds like there’s something in it, then I’d love to hear your thoughts. Of course, all the ideas above are subject to change, but I can assure you that it’s not going to be a word-for-word rehash of MK11.

And if it wasn’t obvious, yes, there will be ships. You know, your typical CageBlade, Jakeda, Jax/Vera, Liutana and potential Raiden/Cetrion (I swear, this pairing’s growing on me), with an equal amount of slash à la SubScorp, SubSmoke, StryKabal, Erron/Jin, KenMac and maybeeeee Kotile. Because I have a few or million OTP feels to get out of my system, so there. XP

So please, I’d love to hear your opinions on it before I start writing something like it. ‘Til then, be good, keep well and keep safe! ^3^

[spacehologramcollection]

Kombat Krew Marriage ceremony headcanons;

Part two of the proposing to their S/O, so the actual ceremony and all that jazz. So, this was very long, so I’m going to do a part 2 with the rest from the original post, and add some of the Kombat ladies in there. There’s more under the cut, it was just very long! Kano is in here, but its just a shit post. Enjoy! GIFS do not belong to me, I did not make them, they belong to their creators. 

Johnny Cage;

·         Depending on how old he is, will depend on what type of wedding you get. If its post- Cassie and he’s more mature; he’ll want something a little smaller, but just as lavish. If he’s not mature and he’s younger, expect something wild, large and full of paparazzi.

·         He’d want everything to be over the top, expensive and lavish at all times.

·         You can have whatever you want for the big day. Money is of no object.

·         Your dress/suit is the most expensive thing known to man, there is no limit on it.

·         Cassie is going to be your Maid of Honour, she’s been waiting for an opportunity like this. She’ll actually calm her dad down, she knows what you like and what you want, so she’ll steer her dad in that direction.

·         In his wilder days, he’d want something expensive for the venue. He would try and hire out something stupid, like the top of the Empire States building, or the Eiffel Tower.

·         In his mature days, he’d want something like a beach wedding; far away, in a warm place, with very few paparazzi… he can upload the photos to his social media when he wants.

·         He looks fly in his suit, promises in his vows this will be the last time he does this.

·         Jax and Kenshi are his two Best men. All of them looking fly as fuck in their suits. All with matching ties.

·         He would ask Sub- Zero and Scorpion to provide the entertainment, they declined, even after the promise of cake and food. With Sub Zero stating that Johnny is entertainment enough.

·         The fucking ring is obnoxious either way.

·         First Dance song; Thinking out Loud- Ed Sheeran, the full routine, you’ve both taken Dancing Lessons. You’re about to show everyone the fuck up.  https://open.spotify.com/track/34gCuhDGsG4bRPIf9bb02f

 Kabal;

·         He’s a laid-back guy, so once you say yes to the proposal, it’s up to you what you want.

·         There is a ‘We’ in Wedding, so he will have some input, but he wants you to have the best day ever.

·         Whatever his Princess/Prince wants, you will get. He’s actually really excited and wants most things to be kept under wraps. He wants to be surprised on the day.

·         He does want input on the cake, god he wants input on that. He has a sweet tooth, so its only natural he wants to help decide that.

·         He’ll help send the invitations, opts to put a fuck ton of glitter on them, why? Because he kind of wants them to be forever reminded of your day. Glitter gets everywhere and stays for a life time, says it’s a metaphor for your relationship.

·         His Pre and Post burn ideas will change.

·         Pre-Burn, he’d want something mid-sized, but isn’t against somewhere public. He won’t do it at the Black Dragon Fight Club. Kano suggested it, along with suggesting Officiating it. Kabal struck him off the Guest List. He’d want something like a fancy hotel. Of course, you’re both staying over the day before and the night of it.

·         Post-Burn, he wants something small, the guest list is very limited. He feels like a monster every other day of the year; his wedding day doesn’t change his own self-appreciation. For his Post-Burn venue, he’d want maybe a small, secluded alcove, somewhere without a lot of people.

·         Imagine him in a tux with a bowtie. Oh god I died.

·         His worries melt away when he sees you in your dress/suit. He doesn’t feel like a tit in a suit, he feels like the luckiest man in the world. He forgets that there are others in the room. He just focuses on you and how perfect you are.

·         He thinks you’re perfect. (To be fair Riptide by Vance Joy would probably be playing as you walk down the Aisle, because of the lyric “I swear she’s destined for the screen, closest thing to Michelle Phiefer that you’ve ever seen” I headcanon he’s a sucker for some Indie music, so… Don’t @me)

·         He’d prepare his own vows Post-Burn as well. And would tear up a little.

·         His Best man situation would depend on which route he took, if he went straight, it would be Stryker. If not, it would be Erron. Him and Erron always had a friendly rivalry.

·         The rings are actually pretty simple, not overly-gawdy, and it fits perfectly.

· Kabal has two potential first dance songs for his Pre-Burn; 

·         First one is Ophelia - The Lumineers  https://open.spotify.com/track/5NORWMFC27ywGSZxi8uquP       The second Pre-Burn one is; San Luis- Gregory Alan Isakov. https://open.spotify.com/track/7gDNQLV9cr8449LFrQbk5J

·         First Dance song Post-Burn; Big Black Car- Gregory Alan Isakov. https://open.spotify.com/track/3Kj2EWpIBnvETsYq4cq0IH

 Erron Black;

·         He’s really into planning it. It gives you both a chance to get closer. He never thought he’d get married, so he’s totally down for being involved in it.

·         He won’t wear a suit as expected, more like one of his uniform skins from 11. Suits and Tux’s ain’t his thing.

·         He’ll want to have a proper Country Wedding. It’s what feels familiar. Or, he’d maybe consider getting married in Outworld. Kotal officiating of course.

·         But a Barn, some mason jars, and some very strong booze. Is his go to.

·         BBQ style wedding breakfast. That’s the only thing he’s dead set on.

·         Also, he’d want a band playing, live music. There better be some country on there. Or he will raise hell.

·         Hope you can stand the fucking banjo.

·         He’ll let you do whatever you want with your Wedding Party and all of that. Your dress/suit is your choice, but he’s going to pay for it.

·         Depending on where he is in his life, will depend on who’s there/ his Best Man/men.

·         If he’s in Outworld, Kotal is officiating and he’s got no other choice, but to have Ermac as his Best Man. Which is the equivalent of having 10,000 best men. ‘We are so happy for you Erron Black’

·         In his Black Dragon Days, Kabal is his Best Man. They may fight, argue and sometimes hate each other. But they are friends deep, deep, deep down. He’s better than Kano.

·         He actually scrubs up pretty nice. You’re surprised on your big day to see what he looks like without the poncho, bandana and layer of grime. It’s not something you’d always want him to be like.

·         He’s speechless when he sees you. You’re sure if he were wearing his hat, he’d tip it in surprise. But you can tell by the way his eyes light up, he’s loving how amazing you look. He commits it to memory and mouths how lucky he is.

·         The rings are ornate, they’ve got each other’s initials in them.

·         First Dance; Bless The Broken Road- Rascal Flatts https://open.spotify.com/track/0gKo3I4FCEY40X37Gdkcaf

I really struggled with his, because country music is not my jam, but I felt this would fit. Either that or some Johnny Cash.

 Sub Zero (Kuai Liang);

·         He feels terrible, but the Wedding Ceremony has little to no wiggle room, in some places. You’re marrying into his Clan. So, the Ceremony, Venue and Vows are pretty set.

·         Bi-Han (Going off of his 11 ending) has to Officiate, and it is tense for Kuai. “Do you, Y/N, Take Kuai, The Lesser Sub Zero, to be yours? Even, when his hotter, older brother, is stood right here.” He threatens to say that, but he opts to keep it classy for the ceremony, embarrassing for the speech.

·         His Best men are going to be Scorpion and Smoke. It’s obvious.

·         He lets you pick out your dress/suit, he would want a little bit of blue in there somewhere. Just because it’s the Lin Kuei colours. He’s not overly bothered if not. But something borrowed, something blue, just wear his headband somewhere, even if its in a covered-up place. Kill two birds with one stone.

·         He won’t get to wear a suit, he has to wear his Formal Grandmaster uniform. His tits are sort of out, bit less side-boob though. This is a wedding guys, he has to keep it classy.

·         It’s very Formal.

·         Johnny Offers his services as Entertainment, you’re not sure if he’s joking or not. So, you have to reiterate the point, that’s not happening.

·         Kuai has amazing handwriting, so he’ll handwrite all the invitations, he doesn’t trust technology which drives you up the wall. You could have an instant RSVP, but no, you gotta wait for people to basically send a fucking raven. God Dam it.

·         The Ceremony is obviously at the Lin Kuei temple. Prepare for some cold, you may need a fucking cloak rather than veil. It is freezing.

·         He wishes he could give you the wedding of your dreams, but he is a Grandmaster and it comes with certain strings. But, can you really complain when you’re getting to marry him? No.

·         He is shooketh when he sees you. He smiles a lot. He cannot believe he gets to marry you. You’re to become his spouse, his partner, the wife/husband of the Grandmaster.

·         You get a ring, he gets a ring, their both just simple bands, both have the Lin Kuei symbol engraved in the centre. Yours has a sapphire in the centre.

·         He will tie a knot in his uniform or switch his headband up. To either your favourite colour or if you have family crest, to your family crest colours. Just to reiterate the point, he’s taken and he’s yours.

·         He hasn’t prepared public vows, PDA and anything like that makes him uncomfortable. But he will tell you them during the first dance. Whispering them to you.

·         First Dance Song; (I struggled with this one, a lot as well. Hanzo, Kuai and Erron. Sort your music tastes out) I Stand By me- The Florence and the Machine version. https://open.spotify.com/track/5XSU59wtE5CRCAEyHmmGy4

·         I think it would fit your relationship with him perfectly, the right pace for a song, and the lyrics are cute as fuck. This could work for Hanzo and vice versa, his could fit Sub. God dam it, I am bad at this.

Scorpion (Hanzo Hasashi)

·         He has been married before, so he understands the process, the planning and what is expected.

·         He kind of wants this one to be different, but he knows, like Kuai, he has obligations to fulfil. It has to be traditional, but that doesn’t mean he can’t shake things up a little. I mean, he’s a little more adventurous nowadays.

·         You’ll still have to have the traditional ceremony. Which would probably take place in the Fire Gardens? (I’m not sure about this, if you guys know, please tell me)

·         He does let you choose your dress/suit and party. That part is up to yours. But you are marrying into the Shira Ryu, so, you would need to have the ceremony.

·         Takeda, Kenshi, Sub and even Johnny are clawing to be his Best Men. Sub’s not overly bothered, but on the inside, he’s like please let me have this.

·         He can’t decide, and he knows anything he says, will result in more arguments. So, he has all of them. Problem solving.

·         Like Sub Zero, he cannot wear a suit, he has to be in his finest Yellow fucking Ninja outfit. God dam it. Less tits and side boob than Sub though. So, there’s that.

·         If someone screams ‘Get over there’ when you’re walking down the aisle, they will be fucking speared. No. Don’t do it.

·         He’s lost for words watching you walk up the aisle. It’s like your redemption and his future. A second chance at happiness, his future and everything he’s ever wanted, longed and feared for.

·         He’s nervous, but he doesn’t let it show. He’s prepared the things he has to say over and over again. Practised it a lot, so why does he have a lump in his throat?

·         He flashes you a smile as you reach him, takes your hand into his and starts speaking so elegantly. Some of it will be in his native tongue, but its fine, because he’ll have prepared you for it.

·         He hand forged the rings, melted the metal himself, helped cast them and even engraved them himself. He’s proud of them, let him have his moment.

·         There both simple bands, nothing too fancy, little tiny scorpion simple on the inside though.

·         Throughout the whole day, he cannot take his eyes off of you. You’re this shining fucking light and he adores you.

·         First Dance song; (He doesn’t really have a particular music taste, so he’ll let you pick, I’m just suggesting this) Only Love- Ben Howard. https://open.spotify.com/track/2uhEKg8kIzpdvz4gyy6x8W

·         I’m suggesting this because of the lyrics mainly. It’s also got a nice and slow pace, something you can both sway to, because he cannot fucking dance. But, Kuai’s could work for him and vice versa. His could work with Kuai.

Kano;

·         Trashiest wedding ever. I’ve already said all of this but…

·         It’s so shit. Like you’re getting married at the Black Dragon Fight Club.

·         He is not wearing a suit, hell, he’s not even wearing a shirt.

·         The smoke machine broke, so he’s just got Kabal vaping.

·         Erron is telling jokes to ease the mood, it’s not easing the mood.

·         He turns up late and drunk.

·         Just say fucking no and run off with Erron or Kabal. Just fucking do it. Leave him standing at the Altar.

[generalasshattery]

How the Kombatants propose

Erron Black

He doesn’t ask, or he most likely won’t. He doesn’t care for the romantic gesture thing, and marriage isn’t something that matters to him in the slightest. If you’ve managed to push yourself into his heart, he’s going to treat you well and doesn’t need a ceremony to prove it. He may lament loudly to you about marriage fucking up a perfectly good thing... but if it is important to you, and he knows he might lose you if you aren’t offered that security, he’d be willing to reconsider. He’ll ask you one night while you’re hanging together, but in the most casual way imaginable, and he doesn’t seem to worried about what you say either way.

“I reckon you want to do the marriage thing. Should I find a preacher?”

Hanzo Hasashi

Hanzo won’t be ready to propose for quite some time, he has a lot of personal demons to fight before he’s prepared to get married again. Even when he’s emotionally ready, he still waits. He waits until he knows he can make a proper home for you, when he knows he can keep you safe, and that he can devote to you the time you deserve from your husband. When he finally proposes, it’s a moment only for the two of you. It’ll be a dinner date at home and you’ll know somethings up because he’s clearly been practicing the things he’s saying. He doesn’t usually do the sweet words thing, but he makes an effort to try to put his feelings to verbally. It’s far from a poem, but he means everything he says with his whole heart and it’s every bit as moving. When he finally asks, he faces you like the warrior he is, preparing to accept whatever fate you offer him.

“I could give to you every word I have, and there’d never be enough to tell you what you mean. I promise I will keep you safe, that I will be there in every way I can, and that I will wake up every morning with the only concern on my mind to make you happy. Will you be my (wife/husband/spouse)?”

Kabal

Pre-burns it’s the first time you actually see him nervous, though it takes a while to figure out why. Though he’s made a few jokes to gauge your reaction, there’s no telling how long it’ll take for him to really thing about marriage. He doesn’t make a lot of plans for the future so it wasn’t a thing he thought much about until something you did made him realize how much he adores you. It might not even be a big thing you did, it could be a dirty joke you tossed his way or getting excited about something nerdy, one of those things that make you seem so special to him. When he proposes, he’s got a gorgeous ring, but something a little wild about it. Maybe an unusual stone, or a fun design, something that brings home the quirkiness of your love. He asks you while you two are having a great time, preferably in public. He wants you grinning before he even busts out the ring, and when he does he lets the ring and the pose on one knee do most of the talking.

“Be my weirdo forever?”

Post-burns he is much more concerned about the future, and he is making decisions early on about how he pictures his life with you. He knows within months if he wants you to be his spouse, and he works on being the sort of man you would want to marry. The ring he picks is much more personal, it’s something he knows you would absolutely adore, in fact the whole night is all about you. He takes you to your favorite restaurant and to whatever thing you like best (a movie, trip to the museum, park, bar, whatever he knows you just get so excited about), but he waits until your home to ask. He’s no longer bold enough to do a big gesture in public, but before you can start getting intimate with each other he gives you the proper experience. He gets down on one knee, opens the box, and asks you. He’s sweating bullets and it sounds almost as though he’s pleading with you.

“Will you marry me, please?”

Kenshi

He knows you’ve been thinking about it, and honestly he has been too. By the nature of his abilities, the two of you have an extremely deep bond, so the relationship tends to move quickly, but he still wants somethings done properly before he’s ready to begin his life with you. So he makes sure you get to know Takeda well, and that you two get along (though he had no doubt you would). He makes it a point to get to know your friends and family too, it’s important to him that you two can participate in each other’s worlds. He asks you the way he knows you’ve been thinking about, it might be cheating, but if there’s going to be a benefit to dating a telepath it’s that he knows your dreams and fantasies. Kenshi is most definitely the sort of partner that wants to give that to you, so whatever you’ve been dreaming of he does, even if it’s not usually his speed. Proposal at the stadium? He’ll ask Johnny to help. Something quiet and reserved? He’ll sit with you while you watch the sun go down, and ask you with the perfect words. He totally asked Takeda and Jacqui help pick out the ring.

“I want to live like this forever, I want to have these moments where I get the chance to make you happy. Where I can hear the joy in your voice, and I can picture the smile on your face. Will you marry me?”

Kuai Liang

Kuai Liang is a man that keeps a schedule for his life, even if he doesn’t write it down he knows exactly what his plans are everyday and he likes to adhere to them. He’s disciplined, even about his feelings for you. When the two of you became close, when he knew he had feelings for you, he was making plans. Not even intentionally really, but given he’s busy and he refuses to be the sort of man that neglects his responsibilities (even emotional ones), he knew figuring you into his life was important. For quite sometime he’s had marriage aims for you, and he’s made sure to behave accordingly. He’s had all the conversations with you about how your lives would fit together, what sort of family (if any) the two of you would build. It’s far from a surprise when he asks, not that he made you wait for it. No, it happens right when it is supposed to, and he is surprisingly sweet in the way he does it. He takes you for a long walk, where the two of you talk again about your future, and right before you return home he asks.

“It seems we are in agreement, then, and I see no reason we should wait any longer. Shall we officially begin our future together?”