Rodolphus really didn't want to marry any of his cousins. It wasn't that they were unattractive, it was just that he was determined to find a wife himself. It wasn't against family values to force persuade someone into marriage, but no one was stupid enough to marry their daughters off to the Lestranges, knowing how they treated their women.
He liked to believe he knew what he was getting into when he saw Bellatrix wink at him that day. He liked to believe he was satisfied on their wedding day. He was certain to be content when she got her mark. They were kindred spirits.
They were on the same page, but Bellatrix was a Black through and through. Rodolphus hated to admit it, but Bellatrix outdid him in cruelty. Put him to shame.
He didn't think it was possible, but she became worse. She had been decently fine before, but after Azkaban not so much.
He had no clue what it was, but she was more insane. Not once seeing the curse that the mark ended up being. They could've done it by themselves, with no Dark Lord. No one to boss them around. No mark to expose them and ruin their lives.
They were both stuck, but Bellatrix thrived in being stuck.
Don't let this innocent, sweet face fool you. Ted knew a tad too much about danger and the like. No matter how well he dressed, Andromeda knew a rough boy when she saw one. She could relate to terrible parents, he could relate to pretending.
The countryside was a safe haven for them both. Perhaps a city would've been better, to avoid too many questions, with everyone around them being too busy with themselves to spare them a single glace, but the countryside was quiet. Besides, the location was one that would allow them easy access to all their magical needs.
Their daughter, would want more. Expressive as her clothes. Ted embraced whatever danger was ahead, even if he desperately wanted to run from it.
By far the biggest peacock- The biggest conniving, cold, cat-like man she's ever met.
He was perfect.
She and Lucius were very alike, in both how they presented themselves and their beliefs of course.
The only difference was that Narcissa wasn't supposed to be heard. She was raised to be someone's wife, and she made sure to be a great one. Lucius was so full of himself that he wouldn't be able to pick out his own ideas from her's.
This marriage wasn't out of the ambition of being married, but to outdo everyone in her family. Narcissa was determined to be the best. Lucius was determined to have the perfect family.
Draco wasn't the kind to be disowned. Narcissa wasn't the kind to go insane. Narcissa wasn't the kind to make a terrible spectacle of herself. Lucius knew his wife was cunning, those Slytherin traits of theirs went hand in hand. But then again, there was more mystery to her, he felt like. Perhaps it was a Black family trait, to not expose too much of yourself.
So I watched Baby Reindeer. I'm going to be honest, I wasn't interested at first, but it gained a lot of attention by Tiktokers. I don't have my own Netflix account, so when my mum travelled and I had access to her TV, I took a chance while I could. 7 episodes, 20-30 minutes each.
I feel like the suspense was ruined since I knew it was a stalker situation, but I guess I was patient enough to see what would happen. I heard people talking about how Martha was scary, or how they found Baby Reindeer to be a horror, and I must admit that it wasn't the same case for me. When I think of horror I think of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or Ichi the Killer. If we're going to argue about realistic situations when I'm going to throw in Audition 1999, a film about a man ignoring red flags and suffering the consequences of chasing after a woman he had no business chasing. Perhaps I have tainted my mind of so many disgusting images that I didn't register that I was watching a horror.
Speaking of ignoring red flags, I understood that Donnie was a victim, and I understand that trauma can affect how a person views the world and how they may navigate certain situations. I know Richard Gadd was sort of confronting himself when retelling that story, and how it's to investigate his psychology. But I also understood that he was an idiot.
A part of me genuinely thought his gender had something to do with it. How men will see a situation vs how women will see a situation. The Man vs Bear situation influenced that thought process of mine. But the episode that opens up about him being groomed and taken advantage of cancelled that out. Maybe he kept underestimating Martha because he sees a poor little woman who needs help.
Martha is a dangerous person, yet he entertained her, sort of. It was clear that he wanted to set boundaries, but didn't know how to, especially if her feelings were going to be hurt. Somehow Martha found her way around it, and when he did set a boundary for sure she started lashing out. She became worse, and yet somehow he was still able to hold sympathy for her. I think that sympathy is forgiveness, but not the kind that demands you to run with caution, the kind that convinces you to give one more chance.
One act of kindness was punished. Is punished. While I can relate, a vengeful part of me scolds him instead. Martha attacked Teri. I hated how Martha was made out to be someone to sympathise with. She threatened and hurt people, and is shown to be a bit of a racist and maybe a homophone, meaning she's an overall unpleasant person. I don't care if she has mental health problems, that doesn't make her innocent or someone I should sympathise with. Do you know what's also mental health? A 36 year old man stabbing a 14 year old boy to death in Hainault. That actually happened.
As soon as a mentally unwell individual starts harming people it's wraps. Donnie contacted the police, but didn't tell the police about Teri. He went along with his dead-end-job coworkers about not reporting what Martha did at the bar to the police because it would be bad for business. The same coworkers who looked through his email and sent that inappropriate message to Martha, making things worse for Donnie. He willingly associated himself with bad people, and willingly put himself through sticky situations. Also, faking who he is on a dating app? Scary. Yes, Donnie is a victim, but he's a massive idiot. Like people who continue to let others suck the life out of them even though they know they shouldn't. Dogs returning to vomit.
I didn't psychoanalyse him while watching the show, but now that I think about his actions, he's just as bad a person. Yes, he told off Martha after she attacked Teri, but it shouldn't have ever gotten that far in the first place. Richard Gadd was honest about not being a 'woe is me' character, and how his younger self made many dumb decisions. I also know that info on stalking was quite limited at the time, such as the fact that giving them attention makes things worse. Donnie saw her at the bus stop, spacing out, and instead of leaving her there to suffer he got her home. But even that act of kindness, Martha still contacted his family to send threats. She didn't stop being a horrible person. No good deed goes unpunished with people like this. No matter what way it is framed, Martha is not a poor little misunderstood creature, she's a monster.
Conclusion: Baby Reindeer, while an entertaining watch, just made me angry. It makes me think of people who are naive and are forced to learn the hard way. No matter how many times they learn, the lesson doesn't hit.
Reader and Shang Tsung banter (slight friendship). I don't think Chaosrealm exists in the new timeline, or is at least inaccessible, so reader is descended from a Seido outcast. Their ancestor was a bit like Darrius, so that's the closest to Chaos she's gonna go.
This prompt is for @valyrra, hope you enjoy. Sorry if there's not enough Liu Kang.
You watched Liu Kang stand next to keeper Kitana. They were talking, smiling at each other with the utmost care in their eyes. You could pull any man you wanted, but you couldn't help the worry and jealousy you felt as you stared at them. This was Liu Kang's Kitana, one where he came from.
Your titan self was almost identical to you, and when you spotted her she was standing next to her partner from her timeline, something you always did when your partner was around. And that was Liu Kang, but it wasn't the appropriate time to get his attention.
There were multiple versions of you, and yet only two were titans. There was one with Kung Lao, the other with Johnny Cage. You loved Johnny, but seeing the difference in your love life sent a punch to your gut.
You tried to distract yourself by applying makeup, keeping your attention to your mini mirror. But a certain sorcerer had to have your attention.
"Isn't it a shame. It's always the ones you hold dear."
"Shut up." you rolled your eyes at Shang Tsung. "Didn't you get your crown snatched?"
Shang frowned but waved his hand dismissively, "It wasn't a pageant crown, it wasn't as important as it was made out to be." he spoke sarcastically.
"You still lost a crown." you waved your lipstick at him.
"I'm sure he doesn't mean it like that." said a different Shang, a Light variant of him. He had a gold circlet crown that proved your point. "I'm sure he's just..." he stared hard at his other self, who returned the stare with a tiny sneer, "A bit concerned."
"Very concerned." Shang crooned, "You aren't your usual lively self."
Light Shang blinked at you, "You feel upset, why?"
You looked at them both, then at where your Liu Kang was talking with his Kitana.
"Look at them." you hissed and then pouted.
Light Shang glanced at where you were glaring and a small smile went on his face. "Princess Kitana and Lord Liu Kang. They are always good allies."
You huffed, "Sure."
Light Shang held interest in his eyes, "Is this timeline's Liu Kang courting you? He looks at you with a lot of affection."
"We are intimate."
"I doubt he gets squeamish." said your Shang, inspecting his nails.
Light Shang had a slight blush on his cheeks and avoided eye contact. "You both enjoy each other."
"We don't just enjoy each other, he takes me out to places and listens to me when I talk. And I just love the way he talks to me, you know." you playfully slapped his arm. "His voice all deep and smart sounding." you purred.
Shang rolled his eyes in disgust while his good counterpart accepted the information in stride.
"But now he's seeing his ex-girlfriend." you continued, "What if he leaves me for her? I've never been in anything long term but I don't want it to end so soon."
Light Shang was sympathetic, "I am confident Liu Kang's feelings for you haven't changed."
"It's not often for a person to find another that's fluent in yapping." your Shang supplied unhelpfully. Light Shang shot him a look of disapproval. Shang looked up and his glee returned, "I guess I spoke too soon."
You all looked up. Liu Kang was standing in front of you, his expression stern enough to match his mood.
"Comrades." he addressed both Shangs, and then his attention went solely on you. "My flower, may I speak with you?"
"Fine." you got up, walking with him to somewhere private, but you refused to touch him.
"You were speaking with Shang Tsung."
His eyes were angry looking, but two could play that game.
"I was. Weren't you speaking to Kitana?" you crossed your arms at him, "You seem close with her."
It was then Liu Kang realised where your mind was going, "That was eons ago."
"You didn't seem to be acting like it. It looks to me that eons have turned into a day." you fixed him a stern look of your own, "And Shang Tsung is my rival, there's nothing going on between us."
"Flower," he started, taking your hand, "There is nothing I'm starting with Kitana. We are simply allies now."
He was expression was soft, and the rosy parts of your heart went all gushy. "You really mean that?"
He started kissing your hand, and then his kisses went up your arm, to your shoulder and then your cheek. You giggled, and Liu Kang was pleased to have a positive response from you.
"I would never do this to Kitana."
This time his lips were on yours and you gave in. You were able to push him away before anything got serious, "Not here, Darling. We will need secure privacy."
He chuckled, "Of course, only I can see your delicate parts." he was possessive, which wasn't usual of him.
And then you realised something. "You were jealous of Shang Tsung." your heart skipped a beat, "Aww, darling." you grabbed his face, and he flushed as you delivered a bunch of kisses on it.
He has marks on his face now, but he didn't wipe them away. Not that he ever did unlike your ex boyfriends. That's another thing you loved about Liu Kang.
You hugged him eagerly, "There's nothing to be jealous of."
"I am very relieved to hear that." he admitted, returning the hug. He didn't let go.
"Are you two going to be having alone time all day?" Shang Tsung, asked. His hand was raised sass-ily in contempt.
"An hour should suffice." you answered.
Shang's face screwed up, "I'll pretend I didn't hear that and just tell everyone that you're both very busy."
He wasn't wrong. You both were about to be very busy.
I once saw a fanart of Johnny Cage and Cassie celebrating Hanukkah (I think) together (Sonya was there too). I can't remember if it was Hanukkah specifically, but it was a Jewish related celebration. Now I can't unsee Johnny Cage as Jewish, and desperately headcanon him as such.
Any thoughts?
“Apocalypse in Pink” part 2 (see part 1 here), from the August 1983 issue of SPECTAGORIA Magazine. Sera Clairmont’s celebrated underground fashion magazine was always scratching at the bleeding edge of culture, deftly navigating the trends of the Reagan ‘80s by simultaneously coopting and corrupting its materialistic obsessions. Never was that theme on visceral display than in this controversial issue. Apocalypse in Pink found Clairmont’s “Barbie dolls” trying to keep their glamour and their plastic smiles in the flames of a Capitalist Cold War simultaneously obsessed with materialism and annihilation; an America that, Clairmont wrote, “relentlessly asks women if we’re beautiful enough, if our clothes are fancy enough, if our pursuits are ambitious enough, and at the end of every night, if we know where our children are.”
In true Spectagoria fashion, what begins as stylish playful “nuclear Barbie” iconography gradually descends into horrific flames and melting pink plastic bodies, with only the womens’ smiles in tact on their smoldering skeletons at the end of the issue.
Reportedly, this issue was sent to Spectagoria subscribers in a package that included a pink lighter and a note that read, “when you’re finished reading, finish the job.” When burned, the magazine was said to ignite in a dazzling show of hot pink flames that sparkled and crackled, a performance art to complete the issue’s vision. As a result, Apocalypse in Pink is one of the most rare and coveted issues of the magazine, with no complete copies known to exist.
Most who have studied Spectagoria lore conclude that the exterior of the magazine was likely coated in a chemical powder that created the fantastical pink flames. But such a magic show has been meaty fodder for those who believe the rumors of occult powers and dark witchcraft surrounding the publication…
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NOTE: Spectagoria is an ongoing work of fiction created by me. This alternate reality horror story is part of my NightmAIres narrative art series (visit that link for a lot more). NightmAIres are windows into other worlds and interconnected alternate histories, conceived/written by me and visualized with synthography and Photoshop.
If you enjoy my work, consider supporting me on Patreon for frequent exclusive hi-res wallpaper packs, behind-the-scenes features, downloads, events, contests, and an awesome fan community. Direct fan support is what keeps me going as an independent creator, and it means the world to me.
When it comes to the MK storymode I feel like I'm the only one who personally doesn't have a problem with it. Such as, how it played out and ended.
I only have one complaint, and that is Titan Shang Tsung. It's not the fact that he's in the story because I love Shang Tsung, but it actually has to do with his physical appearance. I'm not talking about his face model. Our Shang (Liu Kang's timeline) is clearly quite young, like mid 20s, and we pick up on his immaturity quickly. Titan Shang Tsung in the last game looked like he was in his early 40s, probably because that's around the age Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa was when he played Shang Tsung in the 90s.
Tagawa was so great in his role that he reprised it for the game, and MK1 even imitated his vibes. Alan Lee does a great job as young Shang, when I first watched the intros and storymode I did a double take, but could tell there was something different.
What I'm getting at is, Titan Shang Tsung should've appeared a little different. At first I thought Titan Shang should have a pointier nose and maybe longer hair or something, but that would've taken away the point that Our Shang immediately saw himself. So instead, I think Titan Shang should've appeared older, maybe taller. Old enough to pass as Our Shang's father, but look similar enough that we can tell it's Titan Shang.
Alan Lee is great at Shang Tsung, but I think they could've at least done some kind of voice modulating thing that makes him sound more refined and mature, since Tagawa and Alan have a different pitch to their voices. I understand that each game has a different take on the characters when it comes to vibes and characterisation, but they felt too similar. Titan Shang felt like more of an evil twin brother rather than an older and much powerful version of self.
Our Shang feels like he was made for Gen Z, like come on he's a scam artist that's funny as hell, and bro is trying to do NFTs, he's so memeable. I'm pretty sure we all bumped into him in high school/secondary school at some point. MK11 Shang feels like that one person you're not sure whether or not you should trust, like a scary business man. That is the point of his aura, but you get what I mean. Our Shang seems like he is easy to irritate, MK11 Shang is so reserved and collected, when he does show irritation he appears like a King about to execute someone who just committed treason. When Our Shang kills someone it's like watching Amber as Ghostface, when she wasn't being loud and acting like the joker.
All I'm saying is, there should've been a completely different air Titan Shang carried, like Titan Kitana and our Kitana.
Edit: Why does Titan Shang have claws too? He wouldn't use them, he's already got his golden acrylic thingies. Our Shang stabbed Reiko like he walked out of a slasher flick, Titan Shang wouldn't do that.
Snape is half blooded, everyone in the hp fandom should know that by now. So him calling Lily a mudblood isn't a big deal, right? I'm saying this as a black person that doesn't say the n-word because it's more of an American thing (I'm British), but grew up watching a lot of black centred forms of media. With all this consumerism I've come to recognise that anyone who is black can say the word.
"Mudblood" refers to a wizard or witch that comes from a muggle background, it not only refers to muggleborns but also halfbloods. In terms of the blood dynamic I'm using points of history, like how black people were looked down upon but if they were half black and/or lighter skinned then they were sometimes given better treatment. I think someone can explain this better than I can, but I think you guys understand where I'm getting at.
So Snape saying “I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!” is like saying "I don't need help from bit** a** nig*as". I'm censoring because I don't want to be banned or something.
No one has to agree, it's just something I can't help thinking about and I'm wondering about everyone else's views on this.
Also, the mudblood slur doesn't have the same significance as the n-word. Muggleborns taking the mudblood slur would've been a power move, but no. They just can't stand that word.
I headcanon that American muggleborns (Ilvermorny students) and halfbloods took notes from the black community and use the word for each other. Anyone with no lick of muggle in them gets the sh** beat out of them. Harry Potter and the halfblood Crip.
Thank You for listening to my Ted Talk.
Yes, that is what I was going for but I'm unfortunately too soft and I rushed everything, eager to share it on this website. I mean she's an alien for crying out loud, it's alright to make them naive but I want a gruesome sense of curiosity. I wanted her to not make sense, and at times be contradictory. I took some notes from Neferpitou's character when writing the reader.
Getting back on track, when she killed Stormfront she took the chance to let her urges get the best of her. The need to put anything that moves in your mouth and see if it's edible like a matchstick.
Reader herself is not a human but a creature so I wanted to treat her like one. She's unearthly, an unending mystery that has a whole bunch of stories the more you cut her open. She can live up to 1000s if not 100s of years, we do not know how long she's been a baby among those years. A lot of people don't realise she is a child yet get surprised when she does many mature things as if a part of them knows. She's so young yet so old.
She has the desire to make as many people happy as she can but will welcome any disadvantages. She doesn't mean any harm, but will switch between holding back and using her natural instincts if she finds it fitting for the situation. She needs to be overpowered but in a way where only another unearthly thing can counter it. She's willing to turn into a monster for the people she loves and will grow to care about (Starlight, Kimiko, ect.).
I'm into the whole sweet, innocent reader having a terrifying side. And by terrifying, I mean Adult Gon levels of terrifying, especially if the reader is a monster or mythical being of some kind.
It's something I rarely come across and I wrote that simply for the sake of feeding my own desire.
Hope you enjoyed it though, any other thoughts you would like to share?
These are my thoughts and opinions on Mortal Kombat that a bunch of people probably won't care about, but I thought I should post them here. Now I will be using past games as reference, even though every character's interpretation/counterpart is different, they still play part to the canon storyline.
[Warning: This post is very long. Revealing cosplay.]
I always saw Mileena as eccentric rather than crazy. The eating people thing? She's not human and is a fang faced creature, we are not to be surprised.
Appearance: Now before Mkx the female characters were sexualized for marketing purposes, but a lot of the fandom recognises Mileena to be the go to when it comes to sexualization. Even when Mkx took the designs more seriously Mileena still has that flare of... marketing. In mk11 that goes out of the window. Now mind you, I like the costumes and skins for Mileena in this game, I'm a sucker for kimonos, and that kimono still has a titty window and comes off as more revealing than Kitana's. Even when you put Mileena next to Kitana, knowing what she looks like without the mask, she's still seen as the 'hotter one' out of the two.
I think it's just the fact they babied her. And when I say they babied her I don't just mean her childish attitude that is significantly different to mk9, I'm talking about her face model. In another post I headcanoned that Kitana is 17-19 in human years because I genuinely believe she looks like she's around that age. In the previous games Kitana and Mileena both look like they are in their mid to late 20's which is how they were able to get sexualized.
Because of the redesigns I think it retconned the interactions that took place between the characters.
Ships
I find it bizarre that most of the male roster roasts the hell out of her, yet have an undertone of flirting based on interactions I've seen. Now, that's probably me being delusional and pulling at strings just to make a ship happen, but it's there.
Mileena + Kung Lao (If I'm feeling bold), Liu Kang (If I'm feeling bolder), Kuai Liang, Hanzo (childhood ship), Takeda ("You can look but you can't touch"), Stryker (watched Sonic XD's mk9 sucks video), Erron Black (I mean he did date Nitara and Skarlet), Bi Han/Noob Saibot
Out of all these ships I've listed I feel the most strongly about shipping her with Bi Han. It's mainly because of a post I saw, which was based on a meme.
Kitana: Am I ugly?
Liu Kang: No.
Mileena: Am I ugly
Bi Han/Noob Saibot: Yes.
Mileena and Bi Han are dating in this meme, btw. I think it was built on the fact that Bi Han can see her for the tarkatan she is but it doesn't disturb him. I don't think he goes out of his way to mock her, either, he's merely analytical of her. Following one of my headcanons, he takes things literal, meaning he has no intentions of harming her emotionally.
Yes, I ship him and Sereena, but I like to try new things.
"We have met before." - Mileena
"In the Netherrealm, where I consumed your soul." - Bi Han/Noob Saibot
That wasn't supposed to sound sweet, but it did. To me. There's also this video.
They both have sibling problems and were killed unfairly. Mileena's crown was snatched from her while Bi Han was made a slave alongside Scorpion. You know, the guy that killed him. They fought Kabal together.
Oh, and they can both teleport :).
It could be argued that Noob has a better chance with Skarlet since she reminds him of Sereena, but I like her interactions with Sub Zero.
I'm starting to think I should write a yandere Liu Kang/Kung Lao x Mileena (one sided), I mean Kung Lao wanted Kitana too so he could see Mileena as some kind of replacement.
Family:
I think Shao Kahn does feel some kind of fatherly attachment to her, although I headcanon that he's a narcissistic father. In Mk11 story mode he was ready to kill D'Vorah the second he found out she killed Mileena. Protective dad. I think some of it comes from the father-daughter bond he has with Kitana. While Shao Kahn did say that he kept her around just to appease Sindel, he had no need to do that after her death, so he technically adopted Kitana just because he could. And then teenage rebellion kicked in and he had her replaced by Mileena.
"Where's this boldness been hiding, Kitana? Had you shown it before, I'd have no need for Mileena." I think Shao Kahn did care for Kitana but not in a way that his mind can fully address. But he prefers Mileena, as she's the version of Kitana that won't betray him. Even though Mileena was created as a replacement he still recognised her as an heir, and his daughter.
I also think Shao Kahn can't produce children... I mean I still see Skarlet as his adopted child. Dude's straight up just picking up daughters.
Shao Kahn being a dad:
"Raiden chooses champions poorly." - Shao Kahn
"This from the man who chose Mileena?" - Liu Kang
"Do not mock my daughter!" - Shao Kahn
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"Those who betray me suffer, Black." - Shao Kahn
"Our contract died when you did." - Erron Black
"You should've served Mileena." - Shao Kahn
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"You'll pay for Mileena, D'Vorah." - Shao Kahn
"This one did Outworld a service." - D'Vorah
"And so shall I." - Shao Kahn
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"With Sindel's return our family is complete." - Shao Kahn to Mileena
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"Daughter, you have returned." - Shao Kahn
"To reclaim my place at your side from Skarlet." - Mileena
"First prove yourself her better." - Shao Kahn
Yeah, he's a narcissistic parent.
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"You didn't teach me blood magic." - Mileena
"Sorcery is Skarlet's gift, not yours." - Shao Kahn
"You'd never know, you never gave me a chance." - Mileena
That sounds like sibling jealousy, Skarlet was certainly adopted.
-----
"Back from the dead, I see." - Rain
"You must answer for scheming against Mileena." - Shao Kahn
"Your daughter got exactly what she deserved." - Rain
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Bonus: Kitana
Kitana is just so out of pocket. Now to be fair, she reacted in a way that is understandable. If I found out someone cloned me and I was face to face with that clone I would freak out too. But it's what happens afterwards. Kitana claimed that Mileena attacked her when it was the other way around.
Now if we follow the events of mk9 and not the events that came before it, Kitana never got to even know Mileena, so that comment was uncalled for. Not only that, but Mileena was welcoming towards Kitana upon first meeting her. While she was created to replace Kitana, that was not her priority when she woke up and saw Kitana for the first time. It's very clear that Kitana has absorbed Shao Kahn's narcissistic habits.
Now with some interactions:
"You're more my sister than Mileena." - Kitana
"So why must we fight again?" - Jade
"Where there are siblings there is rivalry." - Kitana
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"I don't suppose you have a sister." - Kung Lao
"There is only Mileena." - Kitana
"Thank you. I'll pass." - Kung Lao
I think Kitana actually carries pride over being the pretty one. I also think she took pleasure in making Kung Lao uncomfortable.
-----
"You will be queen of the damned." - Noob Saibot
"That honour is Mileena's" - Kitana
Out of pocket, no one said Mileena's name yet Kitana brought her up just to insult her.
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Skarlet and Mileena should've had a bond of some kind that wasn't antagonistic. I already wrote a post about this some years ago on my old Tumblr account, but I deleted it so I have to start over with this post. In Skarlet's original story (before the retcon) she was created in the flesh pits and even appears a few times during the mk9 story mode, so by that alone Mileena and Skarlet have a connection.
In the retcon Shao Kahn is the one to teach Skarlet blood magic, but I always saw sorcery as Shang Tsung's speciality since Shao Kahn has his kingly duties to fulfil so I think it would be much more fitting if Shang Tsung taught her under Shao Kahn's orders, that way her and Shang Tsung have a bond of their own being teacher and student to compliment the fact that he created her back in mk9.
Now, Kitana has Jade so it was an opportunity to have an evil doppelganger situation with Mileena and Skarlet. They both like gore, they both hate Kitana because Kitana was mean to them, and they both don't like Jade. They both also have a thing for Sub Zero, which means they have similar tastes. They should get along. And for them to not get along I think it should've been the normal sibling dynamic where they would easily get into fights and do little things that annoy the other, but deep down are fond of each other. Something that counters Kitana and Jade's you're like a sister to me that you don't see real siblings experience.
If we're gonna follow the fact that they should get along, then Skarlet could've been the cool older sister. She had a boyfriend (Erron), she is good at what she does, and she's just as feral as Mileena but is more laid back. I can picture her helping Mileena with her makeup and her training. The sister that Kitana never was and refuses to be. On Skarlet's part it could be a thing where she remembered how it felt for Kitana to belittle her and for Jade to shun her for not being Edenian, and decides that she refuses to be the same to Mileena.
I have said a bunch of times that Shao Kahn sort of adopted Skarlet or sees her as a child of his. He took her away from the streets because she showed fire, and that's how a lot of adoptions go from what I heard, there's something about the kid that sparks something in that parent. But I think because Skarlet doesn't have royal blood and is a street urchin is what doesn't make her worthy of the title of daughter in Shao Kahn's eyes even if the bond is potentially there.
As much as I would love them to get along, Skarlet is jealous of Mileena. The fact that a clone was able to be given the title 'daughter' in a blink of an eye in comparison to Skarlet who had been serving him for more than centuries. "Shao Kahn needs no more Kitana clones!" is her way of saying that she wants to be recognised, loved and appreciated. "A pity you will never be his daughter." from Shang Tsung wasn't just any statement, he can see that this street urchin orphan who will not be mourned wants a parental figure in her life, and that unfortunately became Shao Kahn. There could've been the potential that it would be Shang Tsung, but we all know what he's like, he would see her as nothing more than a student who wants something more.
Skarlet lusts for power, and I theorise it is because she's trying to fill a hole, which is common in people who lack certain things in their life such as emotional stability and parental support. Having power will give her that sense of control over her life, supposedly.
Following my headcanon that Skarlet desiring Skao Kahn is a sign of her insanity, her need for security, appreciation and love has been perverted by the very thing that gives her power. Poor Skarlet.