#bygone duology

[my-ace-life]

Interests Intro

I know I’m making a big assumption that anyone cares about what content I’m consuming, but when I hyperfixate on something, oh boy will I never shut up about it. So, to spare my friends and family from my extensive rants, I will be posting here about it. Feel free to not read any of this and get to the juicy stories on other parts of this blog, but to get a comprehensive view of my life as an asexual person, read ahead to see what content catches my interest!

Disclaimer: there will be a lot of discussions of old emo and pop punk bands in this section, and no I will not apologize for it.

That being said, here is a list, current to Nov 2023, of a bunch of stuff that I'm into:

Music - format: Artist {favorite album and/or “song”}

Fall Out Boy {Folie à Deux - “(Coffee’s For Closers)” and American Beauty/American Psycho - “The Kids Aren’t Alright” and Save Rock & Roll - “Miss Missing You”}

Sleep Token {Take Me Back To Eden - “Euclid” and “Chokehold”} Who gave them permission to include the lyric “So if your wings won’t find you heaven I will bring it down like an ancient bygone” in “Euclid” ??? Gives me goosebumps every time I listen

The Vaccines {“I Always Knew”}

Troye Sivan {There pretty much isn’t a song of his I don’t like, so I will just say that my favorite from his new album is “Still Got It” and I will always listen to “10/10” from In A Dream}

Wasia Project {“Remember When”}

I listen to a smattering of Kpop and Jpop bands: Official Hige Dandism, Gen Hoshino, Eve, The Oral Cigarettes, BTS, and Red Velvet

TV/Movies

Hell’s Kitchen (Maybe this makes me a bad person, but I love watching Gordon Ramsey yell at people at the end of a long day)

Heartstopper (because I am basic)

New Girl (a classic)

Red, White, & Royal Blue (also because I am basic)

Young Royals (because sometimes you need to witness a love story that will shake you to your very core)

DreamWorks’ Voltron: Legendary Defenders & She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (they are a set and no I will not be taking criticism on that)

Video Games

Five Nights at Freddy’s (I know way too much about the lore of this series. It's borderline a problem.)

Oxenfree (I haven’t played the second one yet but the first one has a very special place in my heart)

Pokémon (I’m a Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl stan but I understand that is probably an unpopular opinion. I just really love Luxray, okay?)

Books!

Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse: The original Shadow & Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology. The magic system is really unique and I love how Bardugo writes her characters.

Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

The Simon Snow Trilogy by Rainbow Rowell

Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz. This book (and the sequel) always destroys me emotionally, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Rook by Daniel O’Malley: The only adult science fiction book series I enjoy reading

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao: It’s like Pacific Rim combined with Chinese folk stories. It’s so cool.

#Interests

[onekisstotakewithme]

5, 18, 20, 22!

5. What’s a fic idea you’ve had that you will never write?

I was talking to you about this earlier, actually 😅 but the HIMYM story where Ted actually accepts Victoria's ultimatum and moves to (Denver?) with her. Barney and Robin get engaged, and Ted, being Ted, decides to go to Barney and Robin's wedding (to support his old friends? to try and win her back? to let bygones be bygones? who knows!)... and he still meets Tracy there.

(The other fic idea I've had that I probably won't write is a duology where one of Mrs. Landingham's sons survived Vietnam - each half of the duology focuses on one of the twins, and the timeline ripples. it's silly but).

18. What’s one of your favorite lines you’ve written in a fic?

I'm doing two, because I always use the same one but it just makes me cackle every time:

from 'ye who are weary, come home':

“... Fine. Radar and… whoever he wants to bring.” He pauses, and reconsiders. “Unless it’s Randy.” “Randy is… his brother?” “Randy’s a goat.” “Right. So he’s not invited?” “If we bring Randy, Charles will turn himself over to the Chinese,” BJ says flippantly, and Peg, after considering this for a second, nods as though it’s completely normal.

And then...

“Danny, I’m going to run for President.” She sees his eyes light up, and holds up a hand to stop whatever exclamation he’s about to make. “No, let me finish.” “Okay.” "I… I want to run for President. I want to help whoever I can in whatever way I can, and... I guess I’m asking you to jump off that cliff with me.” Danny’s eyes are soft, a familiar smile slowly spreading across his face. “You want to run for President.” “Yes, and I need you to tell me now, right now, if you meant it, if you really think I should do this. Or tell me that you were kidding, and we’ll just forget the whole thing. But if you’re in, I’m in.” “I really convinced you?” “No,” she answers, and it’s the truth. “You just did what you do best – you brought the truth into the light. I did want to do this, on my own. You just helped me realize it. Because… you’re my outside perspective, and my first line of defence, and the last voice in my ear. And you said I should do this, so… let’s do it. Let’s jump off the cliff.” Danny is quiet, his eyes glittering with emotion, and before CJ can say anything else, he pulls something out of his pocket, and presses it into her hand. “I had this made,” he says quietly, bending his head to hers. “I’ve been waiting to give it you, but I just… knew.” CJ looks down at what he’s given her, and feels her eyes well up with tears. It’s a campaign button. Cregg for America. CJ blinks back tears, staring down at this simple proof of Danny’s love, Danny’s unwavering belief in her. “Told you,” he says, humour evident in his voice. “I can be pretty persuasive.” “Shut up.” “I love you too.”

20. What’s a favorite title for a fic you’ve written?

Off the Record (it's the perfect title for a missing scenes fic, imo - it's off the record/offscreen).

happily ever after... and after (evocative, hits the exact theme I want)

Water from a Stone (it's a kidney stone fic... it's supposed to be a LITTLE punny).

22. Do you know how your fic will end before you start writing?

Usually! I typically write long fics with a set ending in mind. Sometimes (*side eyes plane crash*) it's a generic idea but the specifics are open to be explored as I write, but most of my fics, I know where they're going!

... Though not always.

#thanks sarah <33

[phantom-le6]

Film Review - Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms

Staying with Warner Brothers animation for one last review while taking a break from superheroes, it’s time to take a look at the second film in the Mortal Kombat Legends duology.

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

A couple attempts to protect their infant son, Liu Kang, from pursuing Tarkatans, who are sent to prevent the infant from fulfilling his destiny of defeating the Emperor Shao Kahn. They tear the father apart and mortally wound the mother, and then prepare to devour Liu Kang, but are stopped by Lord Raiden, who kills them all. The dying mother asks Raiden to tell their son that he was loved by his parents before passing on, and Raiden takes his leave with Liu Kang to train him for his purpose.

 Following the events of the previous Mortal Kombat tournament, Shao Kahn declares war on Earthrealm in retaliation for Shang Tsung's defeat at the last Mortal Kombat tournament on the inter-realm island. Princess Kitana, Kintaro, General Reiko, and Jade lead the emperor's first wave invasion force of Outworld laying siege against a Shaolin monastery but they are repelled by Kung Lao, Jackson “Jax” Briggs and Kurtis Stryker. At the onset of their assault, the Outworld commanders are confronted by Johnny Cage and Jax’s partner Sonya Blade.

 When Cage and Blade are soon joined in stymying the incursion force by Liu Kang and Raiden as negotiations fail, Kahn appears himself, petitioning Raiden to participate in a final Mortal Kombat tournament to decide the fate of their world once and for all. The thunder god agrees and he ventures to the realm of his overseers, the Elder Gods, to put forth his commitment to this ultimate contest.

 Meanwhile, just as plans for the final competition are being drawn, Scorpion reawakens back in the Netherrealm after having died a second time upon Shang Tsung's island. He is confronted by the maddened Elder God Shinnok over the death of his favoured servant Quan Chi. Shinnok wants Scorpion to go to Earthrealm to use the key embedded in is soul to retrieve the final piece of the Kamidogu, but Scorpion refuses and flees to Earthrealm to escape. Shinnok then hires the Lin Kuei clan to retrieve Scorpion. Back in Earthrealm, Lin Kuei members Smoke and Kuai Liang (the new Sub-Zero and brother of the original) are summoned by the grandmaster to hunt down Scorpion. They are horrified to witness their missing peers having undergone cybernetic biomodifications as a means to strengthen the clan, and that they are expected to do the same. In response, Smoke and Sub-Zero rebel, with Sub-Zero being the only one to flee successfully.

 Back at the Shaolin Temple, Raiden returns to his troops after making arrangements to hold and participate in the tournament while relinquishing his immortality. Once the Earthrealm warriors heads out for Outworld, Scorpion makes his presence known to Raiden. He mentions how the key to Shinnok's prison had been bonded to his soul and came to the protector of Earthrealm for advice about its purpose. Raiden informs him about the key’s relation to the Kamidogu, which is a supreme magical relic from a bygone era that could doom all the realms if reassembled.

 At the start of the tournament, Cage is defeated by Kytinn warrior D'Vorah; Sonya defeats D'Vorah and Li Mei; Kang defeats Jade; Stryker defeats Baraka; and Jax successfully defeats Kintaro by ripping his arms out of their sockets.

 Back on Earth, Scorpion is being pursued by the now cybernetic Cyrax and Sektor in a dockside shipping yard. The trio are soon interrupted by Sub-Zero, who is out for revenge against Scorpion for killing his brother, but even he is outmatched by their superior enhancements, and the arrival of a cybernetically Smoke tips the balance further. With their enemies overwhelmed, the three cyber-Lin Kuei apprehend Scorpion and make off to the Temple of Elements. At their destination, they force Scorpion to open the gate leading to their prize. As they prepare to eliminate him once upon accessing its gateway, they are interrupted again by the vengeful Sub-Zero. Scorpion tries and fails to explain to Kuai Liang why he killed his brother, but succeeds in forging a temporary alliance with him against the Lin Kuei. The two are still no match for their robotic assailants and are left for dead upon their acquisition of the artifact as the mountainous hall collapses on them.

 As the second half of the final tournament is underway, Lao and Stryker are killed by Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung. Kitana rebels against Kahn instead of fighting against Raiden only to be beaten into submission. Kang defeats Shang Tsung regardless of a setback and spares him.

 Within the Netherrealm the Lin Kuei realize too late their employer was Shinnok, learn of his plan to revive the One Being and bring an end to all of creation, and they subsequently betrayed and killed for their services.

 During the final stage of the tournament, Raiden loses his battle against Shao Kahn and dies in the process, enraging Kang to defeat Kahn and win the tournament. Celebrations are cut short however as Shinnok finally succeeds in resurrecting the One Being, who appears to use Shinnock as a vessel for his power. With the aid of the Elder Gods, Sub-Zero, and Scorpion, Liu Kang engages in combat with the One Being while Johnny, Jax, Kitana, and Sonya protect civilians from Kahn’s remaining army.

 In the aftermath of the battle, Kang manages to absorb the One Being's power and uses it to separating the realms into their original state, including Kitana’s realm of Edenia. Sonya and Johnny share one final kiss while Liu and Kitana hold hands in hard-earned peace. As they do so, the sky is filled with lightning, possibly implying that Raiden is not truly dead.

Review:

When I reviewed the previous Mortal Kombat Legends film, I stated that any film of this franchise has to nail three key elements. First, including the tournament the computer game series is based around along with enough exposition for a new audience to understand what it’s about.  Second, a respectable level of Fatalities to honour the key thing that separates Mortal Kombat from other fighting games.  Three, accurate representations of the characters from the source material. Scorpion’s Revenge did better than the live-action reboot on the first count while not quite getting enough exposition in, it brought the Fatalities and other game elements in very well, and it got the characters very close to the source material.  How, then, did its sequel do?

 The answer on elements 2 and 3 is about the same; if anything, the Fatalities of the first film are probably topped in quantity and certainly topped in terms of sheer goriness by those in this film.  That along with the numerous elements thrown in from the extensive lore of the games makes this film a real delight for any MK fans who have played a lot of the games.  On the first element, that of exposition to explain the tournament and keeping that as the film’s overall focus, that’s where Battle of the Realms falls short.  As I see it, there’s three reasons for this.  First, it’s a sequel.  Second, the film’s commentary states the film makers were condensing a huge amount of lore and a lot of characters into just two 80-minute films, so some things went over-board out of necessity.  Three, as Warner Brothers’ DC productions often show, the studio often supposes people already know their franchises from other formats, meaning they often fail to sufficiently consider first-time audiences.

 The reality is that much like the Injustice computer games that are made by the same people behind Mortal Kombat, film is not the right story-telling medium to get such a huge level of lore across. Unlike general superhero films, things like the Injustice Elseworld or Mortal Kombat have grown and developed in serialised formats that have a lot of time to develop long, in-depth stories. When forced to adhere to the time-constraints of a film, you lose the depth and time that story needs, and it gets diminished as a result.  I honestly believe Warner Brothers need to remake both projects as shows, either for general TV release or to go straight out on Blu-Ray like the films (I don’t want to buy into a streaming service for such things, thank you very much).

 Otherwise, the film is good and worth a watch if you like Mortal Kombat done to a decent standard in film format.  However, for me, it’s still not nailing what I want from a non-interactive audio-visual re-telling of Mortal Kombat, and doing that is my challenge to Warner Brothers.  TV series for actual TV or Blu-Ray, not a streaming show or web-show at all, that fully shows what Mortal Kombat is and focuses fully and solely on the tournament.  Oh, and a bit more tournament organisation being made apparent would also be a good idea; like the first one, the tournament scenes felt like a total free-for-all with no sense of round-by-round progression.  End score here is 6 out of 10.

[claudiablanche]

✧ ━━ the courts of switzerland present CLAUDIA BLANCHE VON SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN of GERMANY, the FIRST PROTECTOR of the TEUTONIC ORDER. the TWENTY-FIVE year old has been GUILEFUL and ABSOLUTE before the break of war but has now become HAUGHTY and POWER-HUNGRY. SHE is often remembered by her likeness to ELIZABETH DEBICKI and THE THRUM OF FARAWAY DESTRIER STALLIONS IN WARS BYGONE ; CALLOUSED PALMS SLIDING BENEATH A TORN SILK BODICE ; THE INVIGORATING WEIGHT OF A JEWELED CROWN RIGHTFULLY CLAIMED. the rumour mills of europe claim that her allegiance lies with HERSELF and that she is for WAR.

FATAL FLAW.

what retributive, wrathful seeds you have sown in your gardens of dark / how cruelly you have seduced your child to bite the fruits they yield.

tw: physical abuse

Before she was Prinzessin Claudia, announced for the first time in twenty-five years to an awestruck court that had believed her dead, she was Ritter Helena of the Teutonic Order, an iron-clad maiden who, on an ivory steed, single-handedly blooded and seized masses of territory for the Holy Roman Empire. There were other names, too, given to her for this particularly glorious era—War-Monger, Sun-Bringer, First Protector of the Empire, Prophet of the Father—but it was Helena by which Konrad called her. And where Claudia would have happily pierced his gut clean with her Christened blade, a younger, blinder Helena answered to no other name but the one he gave her. 

After all, before she would conquer men and kingdoms in his name, she would conquer needlework and morning mass first as young Freiin Lena: knees rubbed raw from praying at an altar she’d rather spit on, mouth twisted permanently in rebuke, knuckles bruised purple and red by thin-lipped teachers who’d have subjected her to worse if it weren’t for the Emperor’s enduring favor. This is where she learned obedience—eventually, anyway. Before Konrad dragged her out to the battlefield for play, he taught her control and composure: the rhythmic precision of embroidery, the patience needed to recite page after page of Latin scripture, the necessity of being able to sit at a table without upending it in a fit; staining her gown in shades of spilt wine; cutting herself on the shattered glass. The maids who cleaned up Lena’s messes would whisper amongst themselves derisively: Now what kind of lady is this? What feral little thing has the Emperor plucked so lovingly from the filthy loins of war? Why does he continue to spoil her, when she presents nothing but unbridled fury, but monstrous rage? 

And all the while, Konrad himself would watch Lena struggle, and cry, and snarl, with nothing but absolution in his eyes. Her wilderness, her chaos, her hurt—where did it all come from? Ah. He knew. 

For before she was a Freiin, she was nothing at all. They said he’d found her tucked away in the rubble of a ravaged land, a weak babe fussing and keening for survival. They said merciful, pious Konrad had sensed something in her: a greatness, a divine calling, an affection that compelled him to rescue and take her under his wing. She was less than a daughter, but greater than a subject. She was given her own land and title, but denied the luxurious spoils other children of imperial favor enjoyed. In fact, she remained shrouded from the public eye for years to come: locked away in some undisclosed tower, unheard from and unspoken to. 

It was harsh of him, perhaps, to begin at such a young age. Some would say cruel; others insisted it was a stern kindness needed to lift her into glory. To the little girl in the tower, it was simply how the world worked: in endless jabs and cuts, in broken bones and shorn hair—fighting tooth and nail, slammed to the ground over and over until it no longer frightened her to fall. Before she ever wore a gown, she wore armor; before she ever held a needle, she held a blade. Konrad’s best generals taught her, then would bring squires and older boys to drive the lessons home: in barracks, in stables, in dead black fields—

Day after laborious day, year after unrelenting year; he was teaching her, slowly, how to fight—but more than that, he was teaching her wrath. It was important to the Emperor that his weaponry was not only functional, but doused in a rich, dark fury that would ensure her success. He sowed these seeds of rage deep, deep within her: every split lip, cracked rib, denied privilege, clear prejudice a means to cultivate something truly, truly dangerous. 

And he did. Perhaps, more than he has anticipated.

For now, Claudia is a woman truly worth fearing. The years have aged her like honey wine: she is a valkyrie on the field, a vixen in the courts—and carries with her at all times an inaccessible air of perfect, stoic control. Those who see her now, the poised princess returned to a joyous Germany, seated calmly at a table with nothing but a pair of cold blue eyes for accessory—they would not believe she is, deep down, made of molten ire. They would not believe the havoc she wrecked in the wake of the discovery of her birthright: the broken jewelry and splintered bed frames and torn shirts—and Konrad’s blood, caked beneath her nails from the one good swipe she got in before they finally subdued her. Since then, her anger appears to have dissipated, smothered out as she’s matured into a regal womanhood; but in fact, it sits like a fire in the pit of her stomach, both an engine and hazard. 

She has grievances, an appetite for vengeance, an inability to forgive—and with all of that, an increasingly volatile, out-of-control temper to match.

TASTES.

what blood i cannot spill on fields of war, i lick from a lover’s lips / what violence i abstain from in daylight, i pursue beneath exotic moons.

tw: sex, unequal power dynamics, internalized misogyny

The Princess of Germany is, by unanimous agreement of anyone who is asked, an unconventional one. She is a knight, and a war hero, and stands at a height so great she—quite literally—towers over any suitor who would dare court her. Indeed, princess, for as short an expanse of time she has occupied the title, is one Claudia has decisively outgrown. Her most curious, and scandalous, point of unconventionality, however, has to do with her choice of companionship; or lack thereof. 

At twenty-five years of age, Claudia is young for a knight, but old for an unmarried maiden. Predictably, she has refused any offers both prior and after her return as princess—and given her intentions to continue serving on the battlefield, has made it clear that marriage is and likely never will be a serious consideration. A declaration so bold would fare worse for someone positioned less uniquely than she, but such is Claudia’s stance on the matter—and so it has been respected. 

Of course, being unwed does not mean the young woman is without an appetite. In fact, Claudia is an extremely sexual being: she is austere, unromantic, and wholly uninvested in anything but her own future—but possesses an energetic carnality and sophisticated sense of eroticism all the same. Men, however, do not interest her: in youth, they were her foul tormentors and fixed enemies; in war, her brothers in arms and family; and in womanhood, they have proven themselves to be her cunning keepers, her foolish kings, and her negligent gods. Men have consistently wounded her, betrayed her, or simply failed to measure up. No, Claudia finds them entirely unappealing, and more importantly, untrustworthy. If she had once harbored affections for any man at all, the feeling has been cleanly discarded of; at the very least, she refuses to acknowledge it. 

Which leaves women. Women, with their soft voices, smooth skin, long hair—graced with an anatomy Claudia is familiar with, knows how to work with ruthlessness. They are not loud and brutish as men are—but rather, speak with their eyes and hands. Many are intelligent, and know the same truth as Claudia: that this world was not meant to carry them safely into and out of the world. So we must carry each other, and ourselves instead. Claudia even loved one such woman, a long time ago. But just as there are beautiful, precious women in the world, there are even more worthless ones. Conniving women who would see her ruined; desperate women who plead with her in the mornings to be saved and loved and lavished; unmemorable, meek, resigned women who have lost any agency of their own to better their luck. Women who take it like whores and don’t complain.

Then again, it’s oddly thrilling, isn’t it? To bruise her up, to hold her down until she shakes, to push her legs apart and tear her to pieces until she looks at you the way women look at men: helplessly, adoringly, fearfully. It feels briefly powerful to be wanted like that, to know you can hurt, and hurt, and hurt—and she won’t hurt you back.

REFINEMENT.

joan’s downfall: not knowing when to stop kissing God’s wrist, and start biting it. / who needs martyrdom? this is my empire. i strike the flint. i set the torches.

Claudia is a study in duology: she carries herself with both the graceful severity of a knight, and the coy entitlement of an imperial heir. Perhaps she is an unconventional one, but Claudia, in many ways, is a princess. She wasn’t ever pampered or swaddled in opulence, but raised all the same to believe she was deserving of it: every strike against her cheek, every bitter night spent shivering in the dark an unspoken promise of her worthiness. At some point, she understood why things were made so difficult for her: it was because Konrad believed she could do more, be better, rise to extraordinary heights. If an Emperor saw as much radiant potential in her—why oughtn’t she see the same in herself? Besides, few can say with Claudia’s same self-assuredness that they have worked hard enough to deserve anything they please.

Claudia, therefore, is not shy about her desires and standards of quality. She is neither spoiled nor overindulgent, unlikely to splurge on useless merriments, but is unabashedly particular with what she does feel is necessary and proper for a woman of her standing to possess. The few material goods she holds dear have each been carefully curated and adjusted to her exact liking. Her stallion is a white destrier, purebred and an unparallelled companion in warfare; her diadem a halo of luminescent gold, embellished with tasteful sets of Chinese jades, Portuguese sapphires, Russian alexandrites, each piece of jewelry imported from a different corner of her someday-empire. Her selection of gowns remain remarkably slim and extravagant for royalty, but each dress is tailored to immaculate perfection, cut from fine silks and dyed in rich shades royal purple, deep cerulean, vivid crimson. The same quality of care, if not more, is given to her armory and weaponry—each piece of iron casted and crafted under her watchful eye.

Some may call it vanity, but Claudia answers to dignity. She has always believed in excellent living: holding oneself in high regard the same way one is held to high expectations. When all is said and done, it would be unfitting to adorn a future Empress in anything less than the very best her Empire can offer.

#bgintro #( hi everyone! excited to be here hehe )