So I read this post, which inspired me to write this ramble.
When I write a fanfic, I always write Walburga to be the one with power in her and Orion's relationship, with her even sometimes going as far as to groom him (yuck!) because she's older than him by 4 years, so was maybe manipulative enough to convince him to marry her to keep things 'pure'. Walburga loved having power, and what other way could she have lordship unless it was through her husband? Taking it from him, even. Regardless of gender, there's a power dynamic. If Orion was 16, Walburga was probably 19-20. This goes against another headcanon I've made, but food for thought.
When I write Tobias it can get complicated, because I want more than just 'abusive dad'. There is the possibility that Tobias very much loved Severus, but they weren't on speaking terms because of the whole magic thing. I don't think we're even aware of the real reason they didn't get along. We can assume it was magic, but what if it was something else? What if Tobias occasionally got in trouble with the police? What if he was bad with money and the landlord was threatening to throw them out if they didn't find a solution? Maybe the biggest problem Tobias had with Eileen isn't the fact that she was a witch, but the fact that she presumably hid it from him? Deceived him? "If this is what you're hiding from me, what else are you hiding that I don't know about?" I also headcanon/believe that Severus was autistic, so maybe Tobias was really lost on how to communicate with him.
The Black Family Itself (Mostly headcanons)
I like to believe Sirius was raised to be a carbon copy of Walburga by Walburga herself, but she was too successful,which ended up back firing on her. He inherited all her rebellious traits because he was modelled after her. I like to believe Sirius' obsession with tormenting Severus started out of his own insecurities, but soon began to become a power thing. Sirius enjoys feeling power, at least I like to believe so.
Just because Sirius surrounded himself with 'mudbloods' doesn't mean his family's views on them magically disappeared from his mind. He could easily be keeping any rude comments to himself. He did maintain his friendship with James out of rebellion as well, not to say they weren't true friends.
I like to believe it was Pollux's side of the family that inherited the madness, and thus it spread to Sirius and Bellatrix. Both of them had to deal with the pressure of being the oldest, and being the face of their families, so they must always be ready. Always high strung, smug and confident. I think that Bellatrix was specifically married to Rodolphus because she was the strongest out of her siblings. The Lestranges didn't treat women well, so if it ever came down to it, Bellatrix would set Rodolphus straight before he could ever lay a hand on her. She's ruthless, and all too willing to go off the deep end if it means getting what she wants. She and Walburga have that in common.
Cygnus II having Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa during his school years (+ Pollux having Walburga) actually sets up a tone for an interesting, yet messy story. The fandom dismissing it as Rowling getting her maths wrong is actually so boring, and they refuse to experiment with what's written in canon. If you guys are interested, I have experimented. (Not to be that person that advertises, but my name is CruelBritania on Ao3). I think Cygnus ended up being a little distant, but also involved with his daughters. He wanted to live his life freely, but also be there for his daughters. Being a teen dad is chaotic, and I guess his relationship with Druella was messy, because she kind of resented him for not being there enough. Cygnus isn't treated seriously because his parents had to help him raise his children. Even at an older age, he's immature. He never truly knows what to do, and always runs to his parents for help. Bellatrix was closest to her grandparents anyways, but Andromeda grew to resent his absence. Narcissa was a mommy's girl, so she didn't really care.
Regulus is the opposite of Sirius, which makes him an Orion copy. He doesn't rebel out of lack of control, but because he genuinely believes he should. That's why he died the way he did. Sirius was erratic, whilst Regulus was calm and collected. Regulus the embodiment of what a Black was supposed to present themselves as.
Arcturus didn't approve of the whole Voldemort thing, but Regulus was obedient to his mother. As I said, the Blacks loved power. Infiltrating the Death Eater circle was Bellatrix's and Narcissa's husband's job, not a heir's. He was suspicious of Voldemort, and what his intentions could be for the future of magical Britain. Being a descendant of Salazar Slytherin and speaking parseltongue doesn't make you special, it makes you worthy company.
The very second he learned Regulus took the mark, Arcturus knew it wasn't going to lead to anything good. He had to embrace that his family's long history was coming to an end. He watched as his family's influence became forgotten as The Boy Who Lived rose to fame. Magical Britain became more open to muggle influence.
I think the family having sexist views isn't too out of place, but I don't believe they were against the women having independence. For example, Elladora and Cassiopeia were unwed for their entire lives. The women of the family possibly acted like Genghis Khan's daughters, which is to get married to a prince and then send them off to war, while the daughter rules the kingdom in her husband's absence. In this case, infiltrate a family and spread their influence through their husband regarding their occupation. If I remember correctly, the Black family were known for being influential. The women were just as important as the men. Not enough to be heirs, but still very important.
I don't think the Black family took the Hogwarts house thing too seriously. Yeah, they were competitive, but at the end of the day, these are just traits that they valued. They still married into non Slytherin families if the surnames are anything to go by (Macmillan, Potter, ect.). When Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor he wasn't disowned for it, unlike Marius who got burnt off for being a squib. Who even knows if Marius was killed or given away? Phineas and Cygnus were brothers, so maybe Phineas ended up caring for Marius. Who knows?
I believe that not all of them had extreme views on muggles and muggleborns. Some of them preferred to be segregated, others didn't mind their presence so long as they remembered their roles in life, while a handful did believe in exterminating them. Racism comes in levels, after all. Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa are classic examples of this, with Andromeda learning that her family's beliefs on muggles are ridiculous, and even going as far as to marry one. They were normal every day people, in a 1950s white power kind of way.
I headcanon that the hatred the Blacks had for muggles wasn't too bad until they started losing some family members to them (marriage, witch trials, ect.), and only then did their resentment for muggles become more prevalent. How is it that some family members were able to have enough empathy to fall in love with mudbloods and blood traitors? Support muggles? They have madness, but they're not all heartless.
Here are some of the headcanons I've made:
I'm gonna start by saying this is a chapter I wrote on this fanfic I'm writing. I'm really happy with this chapter and I'm wondering about the opinions of whoever reads it. The story is on the Archive of our Own website. It's about Fem Severus Snape who raises the son of Sirius Black and doesn't become a death eater. One of the ships is a one-sided Sirius Black/Severus Snape, where Sirius has an obsession with Snape but she doesn't return his feelings. If anyone wants more context I'm gonna slyly suggest (advertise) reading my story. Spoilers: The son in question is named Caesar and Sirius doesn't know it's his son, but believes it's Regulus' son. Caesar was adopted by Snape.
Have yet to see more obsessed Sirius so I'm writing them myself.
Sirius was at home alone, sitting in the living room in silence downing some whisky. The home in question used to be owned by his uncle Alphard, and while Alphard was a purist and dark wizard, he loved his nephew very much, or maybe he hated Walburga that much. As a final middle finger to his older sister he gave everything he owned that wasn't directly connected to the Black lordship to her most disgraced child. It was weird of Alphard to leave him some gold and a home, but he was always the strange one in the family.
Sirius never understood his dear uncle. Alphard and Regulus had the same doppelganger, and Sirius himself had the face of Sirius the 2nd, and was less like either of them. Walburga also made sure he was a walking copy of her. That didn't stop Sirius from theorising, it helped with his investigation skills.
Sirius always hated the leash she kept on him, and Alphard saw that. Alphard discreetly rejected his own father's ways, in what, Sirius had yet to discover. Alphard taught him well, guiding him on how to piss off his own mother. Sirius did every step in understanding glory. He made it his mission to show her who should be in control by doing the opposite of what she wanted, and while a lot of his punishments included the cruciatus he grew accustomed to them. He even grew to enjoy them. This is love isn't it? Walburga did that to show him she loved him.
So Sirius pissed her off even more. He made friends with a Potter, who came from a light family, and joined Gryffindor house, the breeding ground for blood traitors and mudbloods everywhere. What was great about James is that he wasn't like any other light child Sirius came across, there was a familiarity with him. Sure, he turned out to be equally as dark, but you'd think he'd at least try to be light. Remus as well, who was alright for a half blood. Those were Sirius' thoughts at the time. Who knew there was a beast underneath Remus? Sirius secretly admired Moony, the creature could cause so much destruction, and Sirius honestly believed he should let Moony take control more often.
Why did any of this matter? He was going over what his nephew had told him. He knew what he should do, but didn't understand the steps. Even if the answer was clear it was hard for him to get to the point of it.
I was taught that I was showing love. Sirius thought to himself. I know that everything is wrong now, but how much of it was?
"It's not real love you felt for mum." came a voice in the back of his mind. It sounded like Caesar. His nephew. "I read about it. I've seen it. I've felt it. My eyes don't spark up like yours do when I think of my dear Lavender." Sirius didn't recall his nephew saying those things. "There's no way a crush looks like that. I don't doubt that you loved her, but there was no way everything was love."
The intruding voice said it like an echo.
"Grandma didn't love Grandpa, now did she? She only loved the ownership, the power. She claimed him ever since she first saw him, just like Pollux saw Irma. Just like Cygnus saw Druella." He felt a chill. "Just like you saw mama."
Sirius did claim her, this was true. He decided she was his. His darling. A strong woman to break, and when she starts accepting him into her heart he treats her well. It made sense at the time. Surely it still does. Petunia loves hurting him, she likes the pain too. It wasn't bad for them.
"You're just like them. Your family. Insane, carrying some kind of sickness or oddity. And each curse has a counter to it."
As eager as Sirius was, there was no way he'd bed anyone by the age of 13. Sirius didn't hate muggles. Severina was half blooded, his heart decided she was the one, there was no way. Besides, Petunia... The feelings he felt for her were natural. She made him submit.
"Thankfully for her, too bad for you, someone got to her first. Loved her before you could."
Oh, Regulus. Regulus! That dear little brother of his. Death was announced in the daily prophet, Sirius recalled reading the words. They didn't know who the killer was. And then came Orion's passing. Sirius wasn't invited to the funeral but it was right there on the daily prophet. Right after Regulus' own announcement. Sirius didn't understand why it was important for everyone to see, but it was important for him.
How was it for Regulus? Loving her? Was it natural or was it something else? Did he hurt her? There was no way, Walburga hardly saw the point in Regulus, he had Orion's weakness. What was that weakness?
That's why Regulus never had to apologise. He never hurt anyone, physically. James' wife says otherwise, she believed he broke Sev's heart. Nothing Evans said could be trusted, she wasn't that smart, but she knew the most about Severina's past self. She knew that Severina and Regulus went out. She approved. He must've been good to her if Evans approved.
All Sirius did was hurt her, he would know. He enjoyed doing it. He even made up a nickname for the best memory, she never cried afterwards. He hasn't seen her cry since their first year. Looking back, maybe that was best. He didn't deserve that privilege. Seeing a happier version of her was more preferable. She didn't damn him, but she hid her contempt. He saw it in her eyes but with how unreadable her face was he didn't see it, too busy enjoying her presence.
Sometimes it was like looking at a different person.
What else did Sirius do, to have his own nephew confront him about it? He now concluded the pain part, but there was something else. Something else. Something else.
Wait, that night.
That full moon.
He wanted to share his secret with her.
His best friend, Prongs saved her. That was his fault.
She almost died. He almost lost her, that was him. Sirius could never murder his own wife, but that night said otherwise and Dumbledore did nothing about it. He just made it worse. They all deserved to rot in Azkaban.
"That's right, you're getting there. Keep thinking, old man." came Caesar's voice.
I almost killed her.
"Bingo."
"I almost killed her." he said out loud.
If Sirius didn't understand the saying of blood going cold he definitely did now, as the image of those scared black eyes replayed in his mind.
Yes, I fancasted Aya Cash as fem Snape while she was in her Stormfront attire.
Coming from a card-carrying Kitana stan who also thinks Jade is super dope:
You forgot the part where Kabal accuses Jade of torture and we have no reason not to believe him.
Seriously, you are the second person I've seen hold Jade accountable for anything. Kitana deserves every bit of condemnation she gets (and possibly more) for how cruel she can be, but Jade gets off easy because people only see the Super Chill Bestie and not someone with very low regard for Tarkatans and their lives.
Having said that, what /do/ you admire about Jade and Kitana? I'm not sure what would be more dope than "at least somewhat racist" and "despot in training" are crappy. (Personally, I think it's super badass that Kitana defeated Shao Kahn, gained a masculine title, and led armies into battle. And Jade, well, who wouldn't want Jade as their bestie? Other than a Tarkatan, obviously.)
This is a mouthful, I know, but it's been driving me nuts and I'd be remiss not to address the seamy side of my favorite dynamic duo.
P.S. God tier username. Britney Spears and the Spice Girls were my jam as a kid, and I'm glad to see someone else remembers them. My sister and I had the Scary Spice doll with the tongue piercing lol
Thank you for the compliments on my user name, I listened to them a lot growing up.
When writing the headcanons I had to try my best to not be distracted by the fact that I'm a Mileena stan, and even then I will hold Mileena accountable, so Kitana and Jade do not get a free pass.
There's many occasions where they've shown that they are pretty terrible, and even though they are cool characters, they are unlikable people. Golly, I'd even say that they are hypocrites. They call everyone else out for their ego when they themselves are egotistical. To be fair, it's not just them that have a holier than thou attitude, but quick reminder that Sonya beat them both one on two in MK9 and they both continued showing hostility towards Earthrealmers and a sense of underestimating others.
Kitana is more Outworld than she is Edenian regardless of blood, and if she grew up thinking her father to be Shao Kahn then how did she even know she was Edenian? How did Jade know?
Edenian supremacy is just wild because their realm got conquered and are living in servitude to Shao Kahn or any big bad that comes along. Jade's parents literally gave her away for their own skin.
I pictured the alliance Kitana had with the Tarkatans not going well because she clearly still holds some discriminating views against them. It doesn't help that the Tarkatans are only shown to be servants meaning they (Kitana and Jade) grew up with the mentality of looking down on them.
The only thing I admire about Jade and Kitana is that they are fun to play as and have nice wardrobes, but that's it. I'm supposed to be rooting for her, yet she has a poor attitude. Don't get me wrong, a lot of the good guys have flaws that I can't look over. It's hinted that Sonya abused Cassie by randomly attacking her and Jacqui with arm bars (what the...), and she also looks down on people who don't have similar interests as her (from what I've interpreted). She's also terrible at parenting. I also headcanon that Cassie joined the special forces in order to impress Sonya, not because she actually wanted to.
I could say a lot about the characters, not just Kitana and Jade. And don't get me started on Kotal Kahn, he is such a clown. He and Jade deserve each other, honestly.
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. Slight mention of sexual oral practise.]
I think every single character in Mortal Kombat is prideful and egotistical, the best example would be Jade in my opinion. With that being said I think the way they treat Johnny is a bit unfair. A lot of these will fall in line with my Neurodivergent Johnny headcanons and theory post, I suggest checking that out for context. I know the intros aren't canon and are more what if scenarios, but they mean something.
I have a lot of things to say regarding his character, for starters he gets invited to a tournament and sees it as a chance to show people he isn't just some actor but is legit in his martial arts. Good for him, (I've seen posts that demonise this and say it's pretty selfish as if we shouldn't be allowed to be selfish when situations call for it. Bro didn't like that people were calling him a fake and wanted to prove that he wasn't, there's nothing wrong with that.). When he shows up at the tournament half of the contestants are wearing costumes, can't blame the guy for not thinking it was real at first. There's a lady dressed as a hot soldier (I understand that it gets retconned), a bunch of ninjas standing around, and his opponents are wearing alien makeup.
First of all Johnny doesn't know about the existence of other realms, second of all it's the 90s and he's a Hollywood actor meaning he's no stranger to makeup and practical effects not to mention stunts. He probably figured it was something comic con related (as I've said in another post) and while questioning it he went along with it. He had no reason to think that Reptile and Baraka were real creatures.
When Johnny is told to finish his opponent he responds with "Yeah, right.", and I gotta say, it took me years to find out there was a sexual innuendo to that. Dude straight up thought they were demanding him to perform 'you-know-what'. That was just an example of what's to come (I'll be using the word 'example' lot). (Hollywood must be a wild place even in fiction).
First I'll start with his interactions. He's not very good at bonding with people. In mk9 we see a lot of this. I get that Johnny has his problematic moments, but in comparison to the other characters he's an angel. I'm the sort of person to sweep them under the rug, but I have to address them.
Examples:
"And I'm taking you down. I'm taking you down. I'm taking you out. I'm taking you out. And I'm taking you out... for dinner." I genuinely interpreted this as Johnny being playful. To be fair, I first saw this interaction when I was a child (say 7-9) so the fact that I could see myself doing that probably had to do with my immaturity. But everytime I rewatch it I only have fondness and not annoyance because I found it adorable just how proud he was of himself. I also appreciate how open he is about how he feels towards Sonya, I stan an honest man. However, it seems a lot of viewers saw this as him being stupid or something along those lines. If this was any other character they would be told to go to horny jail, but Johnny is met with hostility from most of the fandom.
"Nice hat :)." Johnny to Raiden in mk9. "You should be more respectful of Lord Raiden!" Liu Kang says to Johnny right away. SonicXD commented on this in his mk9 sucks video, I don't need to say anything. Johnny wasn't interested in saving Earthrealm at first, he straight up told Raiden and Liu Kang that they should call the military if Shao Kahn was that much of a threat (he was speaking facts tho). Also, I think he was still questioning what he got himself into, so Raiden and Liu Kang approaching him probably made him think he was surrounded by insane people. And then he finds out that it's all real and that he's not allowed to leave.
There's also when Johnny saved Sonya from Kano. How that went down was that Johnny was trying to escort her. By the way, this is minutes after he realised that he was in a death match and not some comic con related fighting tournament, everyone was waiting for him to kill Baraka and it dawned on him just how serious they were. So Johnny got worried for Sonya's safety by that alone. But it's also understandable on Sonya's end: here comes this guy trying to chat her up (get into her pants) and not getting the hint that she's not interested, and then tries to convince her that he needs to be by her side.
Cyrax got annoyed just by hearing him talk, you can see it on his face. I saw it as friendly banter on Johnny's side but Cyrax didn't. "Not everyone gets to rumble with a celebrity. Ready for a beat down, Sunshine? Here it comes." I think Cyrax was gonna kill him by that alone if it wasn't for Raiden's disapproving dad stares. Every single Lin Kuei is super serious so I think Cyrax didn't take it as banter.
Next is Jax. Johnny Green, Jax Purple: "So what's the deal with you and Sonya anyway? She is smocking hot." "It's not like that. I'm her CO." "Honey like that under my command-" "You'll wanna stop talking now." "...So if it's not like that- Then you won't mind if I-" "That's it!" And then Jax proceeds to beat him up.
Now I understand that Johnny was talking too much, and was a tad bit slimy about his hornyness, but he didn't want to get between her and Jax if they were a thing. He just has no filter. Now following my Neurodivergent headcanons for him this may have an occasion where he wasn't reading the social cues. Jax says "You'll wanna stop talking now." but Johnny has no intentions to stop talking nor does he want to stop talking. Johnny doesn't answer immediately, perhaps confused about the reply and ultimately deciding to ignore it. I too choose the wrong times to start talking to people, and most of the time I don't realise it unless it's pointed out. Happens way often than I'd like to admit.
I know that a lot of the characters call Johnny a clown or see him as a joke (Spawn, Kotal, Shang Tsung) due to how he operates, but I don't see that as the case. There's one specific quote in mk9's story mode that he says to Raiden: "Sure, let's go and ruin someone else's life." This is why I think Johnny was very aware of what was going on. He's also very open about his ego, he doesn't hide it like everyone else, and yes they are hiding it.
Now don't get me wrong, he does randomly antagonise people, but he's in a tournament so he can do that. And it's not like he was getting personal for most of them. I think the only time he says something personal is when he feels like he's being personally attacked.
"We have something in common?" - Johnny
"I too was once young and foolish." - Nightwolf
"But I looked good doing it." - Johnny
What Nightwolf said sounded like a backhanded comment to me. Uncalled for. This is the same guy that intentionally risked the invasion of Earthrealm just to teach Scorpion a lesson or something. Johnny can tell that Nightwolf is like the others, very serious and tolerant, so he's surprised that Nightwolf can even manage to see himself in him.
Relationships: Even in the intros it's shown that he has a better chance at friendships with the villains than with the good guys. It's more like they (good guys) are tolerable of him, especially Jax. I think Sub Zero allowing Johnny to get away with calling him Grandmaster Blueberry Ice is out of respect rather than fondness. This section can extend to interactions, as I think a lot of people misinterpret him as a person, which extends to a lot of things he says such as statements and nicknames.
Johnny asks the other characters if he can make movies based on their stories, meaning he's (in a way) asking for permission. Johnny could've easily made a movie about their lives without asking them, make money, and get away with it because it's not like they would even watch his movies (they hate him), especially non-Earthrealm characters. But he's respectful. So I guess he understands boundaries to a certain degree.
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"Heard you gave Cage a shiner." - Young Jax
"He pushes every damn one of my buttons." - Old Jax
"You, me and everyone else." - Young Jax
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"Not surprised I have a kid, but you." - Jax
Why can't he have a kid, Jax? He's so condescending about it too.
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"Actions speak louder than words." - Liu Kang
"Yeah, that's why I make action movies." - Johnny
"With fake fighting." - Liu Kang
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"We come from different worlds, Johnny." - Liu Kang
"Aren't you from Earthrealm too?" - Johnny
"I mean I come from the real world." - Liu Kang
Liu Kang is such a bully.
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"The answer remains no." - Scorpion
"But you'll be co-starring with yours truly." - Johnny
"Exactly." - Scorpion
I think a true friend would consider it.
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"What kind of name is Kabal?" - Johnny
"Got a better suggestion, Cage?" - Kabal
"For now on you're Carlos." - Johnny
Never change, Johnny. Kabal clearly finds Johnny annoying, but was able to humour him enough to answer with a question of his own, perhaps encouraging Johnny's curiosity.
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"Looking forward to a kindler, gentler Outworld." - Johnny
"Why? Because I'm a woman?" - Kitana
"Well that, and you're banging Liu Kang." - Johnny
I have a lot of opinions about this one. On Johnny's part I interpreted this as him giving her a thumbs up on becoming the new Kahn, and since Kitana is supposed to be on the good side she is expected to rule fairly. You know, like a good person. But then Kitana made it about feminism, so Johnny delivered a line to counter it. I honestly think Kitana was reaching at something that wasn't there and Johnny picked up on it. I'm probably making excuses for him, but that's my take. Her response annoyed me so much.
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"So you were to defeat Shinnok." - Kitana
"What is with people? Is it so hard to believe?" - Johnny
"Yes." - Kitana
Kitana this is literally you:
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"If it's tail you want I can get that." - Kano
"Johnny Cage doesn't pay for it, Kano." - Johnny
"A scrubble? Note the date and time :D." - Kano
Kano is so pleased.
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"You stole my face for Ninja Priest!" - Kano
"Art imitates life, Kano." - Johnny
"Taking my cut outta of your hide." - Kano
A call back to what I stated in the relationships, Johnny didn't ask for Kano's permission for inspiration on a character.
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"Why a Russian fan club?" - Johnny
"Just going where the fans are." - Kano
"You have a showman's instincts there Kano. :D" - Johnny
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"I won't play your lackey, Cage." - Baraka
"Really? 'Cause I'm feeling a BFF vibe here." - Johnny
So this one is pretty wishy washy, but thought it would be beneficial to this post. I would lowkey enjoy a storyline where Johnny is buddy buddy with Baraka, who is reluctant to accept friendship but slowly gets used to it.
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"Oh, dude! I love westerns!" - Johnny
"The bullets are real, Cage" - Erron Black
"So are my fists." - Johnny
I'm pretty sure Johnny was just admiring Erron for what he is, kind of like meeting a nun in real life after years of only hearing about them... something like that. But Erron interpreted it as Johnny not being in the real world and treating everything as a joke.
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"Where is your fear?" - Noob Saibot
"Must've left it in my other pants." - Johnny
"We will find it." - Noob Saibot
Aww, Noob Saibot is so nice~ [Delusion] I love how Noob doesn't go out of his way to insult Johnny or belittle him, unlike some other characters.
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"Hey there, Tall Dark and Gruesome." - Johnny
"An apt description." - Noob Saibot
"Do you not get I am mocking you?" - Johnny
I headcanoned that Noob/Bi Han would take things literal, but he's also very analytical. I'm sure he was able to pick up on Johnny mocking him but didn't mind it, meaning he might have interpreted it as a nickname, which Johnny gives everyone. Wishful thinking, there could've been a lot of banter between these two.
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"You are more smug than usual." - Fujin
"I'm the new assistant thunder God." - Johnny
"Raiden should not have healed you." - Fujin
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"You know the evil overlord bit's played out." - Johnny
"What would you suggest?" - Shao Kahn
"Right now it's all anti-heroes." - Johnny
Is that kindness, Shao Kahn?
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I think they did Johnny dirty in MK11, not gonna lie. To be fair, his storyline also didn't make sense in mkx thanks to discovering his new powers even though he's shown using them in mk9. If he was playable in mk9 story mode and his powers were usable, then the mkx part where he mysteriously saves Sonya because of the green light doesn't make sense. I think he should've been able to always use his green glow, that way Hollywood critics thinking he's fake has another tone to it. His green glow can be spotted in his movies, which is why viewers think he uses special effects, which led him to try to prove himself in the tournament.
I think the problem should've been that he couldn't control it, also as a call back to his mk9 ending. I think it's even referenced in an intro with Raiden. "Seek out the Wu Shi for instruction."
It also would be funny if everyone else was aware of it, but only Johnny wasn't. Like they all assumed he could use the green glow out of choice, but he didn't know or notice that he would go green. The fact that it happened during fights means it would only ignite in stressful situations or on instinct. He was also wearing shades for the majority of mk9 (because he likes shades), in fact he always wears shades so I think he's the only one who didn't notice the glow.
Johnny says "Yeah, those things are real." when referring to Baraka's blades, meaning he didn't feel that they were real. I'm not sure what that means, but it gives insight to his power level. Johnny defeated Shinnok. I get that Johnny 'softens him up' but he still defeated Shinnok, so I think he should've been able to at least handle Sindel. The reason Shao Kahn was defeated in mk9 is because the Elder Gods possessed Raiden which is how Raiden defeated Shao Kahn. They nerfed Johnny's character and I am not happy about that.
Now, with his upbringing and history. I think Johnny had narcissistic parents, and depending on who he got his powers from it was an inherited narcissism (don't know which parent had the powers, someone will probably say his father but let's not assume).
I think there was taught narcissism on Johnny's behalf. The thing about growing up with narcissistic parents is that you grow up thinking that their behaviour is normal, so he must've not seen anything wrong with the behaviour he learned. We also need to take a good look at his personality. He's a bit childish in terms of maturity, and this is common in individuals who grew up with a narcissistic parent. Johnny talks as if he's a teenager rather than the average 25+ year old man. To his credit he doesn't throw tantrums or lash out when his odd behaviours are called out (unless I missed something), but dude is childish. Only lashes out when his face is even slightly ruined and even blindly attacked some Black Dragons for getting a scratch on his face. However he is also very independent, from what I know. And he's a bubbly man, even when he changed, that's a character I can appreciate. I think him and Joey from Friends would be friends, even though I haven't watched Friends to confirm this.
Morality wise Johnny doesn't have wicked intent. In his mk9 story mode he says he's not gonna kill anyone when told to kill Baraka, realising that it's not an everyday tournament. He's okay with fighting people for sport (let's establish that tournaments are basically a sport) but not killing people. The tournament is like a perverted form of kill or be killed, one Johnny was forced into participating in some form (I'm talking about the killing and fighting for Earthrealm part). I don't think Johnny likes killing people or anything dead related. In mkx story mode he rolls a head off the helicopter in a fit of heeby jeebies and disgust.
"Have you killed anyone?" - Terminator
"Yeah, but they were all bad." - Johnny
"Why make that distinction?" - Terminator
Like a rationale of what he's experiencing.
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"Discard your jesters mask." - Kotal Kahn
"What you see is what you get, Feather Head." - Johnny
"I thought you merely played the fool." - Kotal Kahn
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"You revel in childishness." - Kotal Kahn
"Gotta stay sane somehow." - Johnny
"How are you a warrior?" - Kotal Kahn
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"He was insufferable. Just like you." says Fujin about Johnny's great-great grandfather. Dude might've been a mega narcissist. Narcissism is taught and learned. Another example would be old Johnny and young Johnny:
Young Johnny - "Dad always said "Hungry people eat lunch, humble people serve it."
Older Johnny "Dad was an a**hole, Hollywood made us an even bigger one."
So based on those facts alone, Johnny comes from a long generation of egotistical people. Then we have Hollywood. I think Johnny got into Hollywood not just because of creative thinking, but I think there's also a sense of longing there. Narcissistic parents, ignore, abandon and degrade their children. Along with making movies being a hyper fixation, their abandonment played a part in his need for spotlight. Johnny divorcing Sonya for her neglect might be more personal because it was a reminder of his parents.
I heard that there's a lot of narcissists in Hollywood, so with Johnny surrounding himself with people like that...(yikes!) The thing with narcissists is that they are always out for themselves. An autistic person struggles with social interactions, while a narcissist will manipulate the social interaction. Johnny (and Kung Lao) doesn't do that. He very much cares about the people around him and doesn't see them as tools.
Now back to his family.
"Grandma Carlton told you my secret?" - Johnny
"(Snicker) Johnny pee pants?" - Cassie
"I had one accident! One!" - Johnny
Judging from how Johnny both asked the question and responded, I theorise it came from a place of trauma. For his mother to tell Cassie the story as if it's a funny story and give him a nickname is suspicious. I think I already mentioned this in another post but I would like to elaborate. Me personally, I don't think anyone pissing themselves is a laughing matter. People don't piss themselves for no reason, or at least most people don't. Humiliating their child is a narcissist's past time. While his mother may not have played a part in humiliating him, she still found it funny enough to tell Cassie, who also for some reason found it funny.
(I have mixed opinions on Cassie and I might get in on her in another post. I don't know how many of these I'll be making.)
Going back to the interactions between young and older Johnny, I think older Johnny hates his younger self. Movie making is something Johnny loved, cash grab or not creative thinkers like doing creative things.
I think I mentioned in another post that it's something he learned, so I'll like to continue that theory. Johnny wasn't that much of a bad person, sure he has flaws, but he's not evil or anything. So older Johnny's reaction to his younger self eagerly trying to convince him to make movies and stuff was kind of unnerving.
It should've been something he could smile fondly at, but instead he reacts as if his passion has been beaten out of him. He finds his younger self annoying, just like everyone else. Everyone else = Sonya, Jax, and pretty much everyone else. As a person who likes coming up with stories and wants those stories to be known, I feel crushed by this conclusion of analysis. Poor Johnny.
Another fact about Neurodivergent people is that no matter what they will always be the same person no matter how much their opinions and belief change overtime, they will still have the same personality. Johnny still likes making his jokes and still gives people nicknames, but he lacks creativity in creating things. I guess applying his need for action into training the Kombat kids and working with the Special Forces counts as a slight change.
I'm coming close to an end so I'll sum it up by saying that Johnny shouldn't have got back together with Sonya. I don't ship them and I'm making it clear that I hate them together. Even before mk11 I thought the ship didn't make sense and it needs to be a character that doesn't tolerate him but actually enjoys his company from the beginning. It took me everything not to write that Johnny is a national treasure that should be protected.
Why do you only have one post on your blog? Did you just join tumblr?
Yes. After deleting my last account months ago I succumbed back into the wormhole that is tumblr.
I originally uploaded this on tiktok, and it didn't get much appreciation, so I thought I'd try it here.
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.
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?
No one has written Bimbo reader with Mortal Kombat and I'm disappointed. So I'm doing a test run.
"I need to die looking good."
When you accepted an invitation to a tournament you didn't think much of it. This wasn't the first time you competed in something. Whether it was cheerleading, ballet, gymnastics, or a beauty pageant, you weren't new to competition.
It turned out to be something comic con related, but everyone was super serious about it so it was lucky that you had your bunny outfit.
Assuming it was a dance battle you made the first move, which involved a spin with your leg, and your opponent was down with a broken leg which caused you to scream. As much as you liked the movie Carrie, you did not like blood. You were stuck though, but at least you got to look at some cute participants.
You were going to die, if you weren't lucky, so you took it upon yourself to always look your best. The only kindred spirit you could find was Johnny Cage, who borrowed your hairbrush in efforts to woo Sonya. When no one else was around the two of you were complaining about everything around you, and how mean everyone was being.
Throughout what transpired, you found out that you are ridiculously lucky. Well, until-
"You broke my nail!"
"It was a mistak-"
"Fix my nail!"
Shang Tsung had witnessed many terrifying creatures, but hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. So the invasion had to come to a hold, and with him taking care of your broken nail with the finest pedicures in Outworld, you were given an early meeting with Mileena.
You were so taking her out to a shopping trip.
Even with all the bloodshed, you could appreciate that some good things came out of it. Like new friends, and an actor no less.
Johnny got you both modelling gigs and even with her mask the cameras made her look good. And so long as his daughter was happy, Shao Kahn was kept at bay from invading Earthrealm.