#cagcd

♫

He's still so Goddamn handsome.

Observation was made almost absently as the General regarded the man who, at one point, had been her husband from the other side of the room. In the fifteen years or so--no, fuck that. She knew how long they had been separated down to the second thanks to how it felt like a part of her soul had been wrenched out from the core of her being when signature had been put to paper, signaling the surrender that haunted her in a way that no words could ever do justice. Not a day had gone by that she had felt that the split was the right thing to do, not really. Would she have been able to move on if Cassie hadn't bound them together, keeping them in near-constant contact?

...no, and admitting that to herself every time she laid eyes on him had become her penance.

She should have fought harder, dug deeper--found some way, any way, to find the balance between her career and her family. She should have been able to find the courage to be open and honest about how she felt, said things aloud instead of forcing him to guess. She should've... at this point, she was going to should herself to death, wasn't she? A deep inhale was taken in, held as blue eyes moved back to the map in front of her. She didn't have time to mourn over her fuck-ups, not when there was so much at stake--but what good was it all if she was just going to go back to an empty, damn near barren apartment when it was all said and done?

A low sound of irritation and she pinched the bridge of her nose. She couldn't keep doing this--not to Johnny or Cassie, or herself for that matter. One way or another, this needed to end no matter how vulnerable it left her. When she spoke, it was with the reverberating authority that no one in the Special Forces would dare to disobey.

"Give Cage and I the room."

For her part, Blade kept her eyes on the maps before her with an iron discipline that she knew the others would take as a sign of irritation--but Johnny would see right through her. He knew she wasn't avoiding eye contact out of displeasure or anything of the sort. Rather, it was her way of ensuring that no one could see what he did when the room was emptied and she was allowing her eyes to rise up to meet his own. Sonya Blade didn't wear her heart on her sleeve--she wore it in her gaze, and the look she gave him gave away far more than she would've been comfortable revealing to anyone else.

Longing.

@xmaneater @cagcd

OOF. scrunched features and swatting of arms is the only response given as thumb presses tape against her forehead and crown snaps back the moment he finally lets go. a grunt met with a beat ... two ... three .... gwen snatching the paper off with a twitch of brow and a roll of hues.

( GHOST - SPIDER'S SURVIVAL TIPS NO. 1 ! NEVER MEET YOUR IDOLS ! YOU'LL BE SEVERELY DISAPPOINTED IN BOTH THEM AND YOURSELF ! COME BACK NEXT TIME FOR MORE , GHOST - SPIDER'S SURVIVAL TIPS ! )

❛ somewhere. peter parker is laughing at me. i just know it. i can hear him now. oh. my god ... " seems like dealing with johnny is a real ... CAGE MATCH for you , isn't it gwennie. " uuuuuuuuuuugh. ❜

Thematic Headcanons.

Syzoth has become quite the curious soul when it comes to Earthrealm. That being said, ever since Johnny explained 'exotic leather', he's had a few nightmares here and there about his skin being stripped and made into particular Earthrealm accessories. It haunts him that a simple mortal would even think of wear the scales of those similar to him.

There was a time where he looked at an online catalogue with Johnny, where he was presented with images of crocodile leather. Clothing, handbags, hats, shoes--- Syzoth couldn't believe it! It drove him to hiss and cower the first few times. Now the thought just causes inner panic, as if there will be a human awaiting to take his own skin at any moment. However, on the outside, he remains calm.

Soft zephyrs and rustling leaves as a means for ambiance, paired with chirping cicadas and distant owl calls. This time of night offered a pleasant atmosphere for those who wandered either with a destination or just plain aimlessly. And yet...there was one who remained unaffected. One who could only walk the side of a semi-empty road. There was the occasional car that would pass on by, but not a single one stopped even for a glance.

This being all by his lonesome, was a face all too familiar with Earthrealm, and yet, the time he spent away from it felt like an eternity. A being who once fought to protect it from the tyrant Shao Kahn, only to lose the life he had with a simple snap of the neck. A dull shiver runs through the man's spine; the thought remained bitter...

This man's demise would become so much more upon resurrection by that of Quan Chi. A desire for vengeance against his now former mentor. And who was this man? Of course, this was none other than Kung Lao; back in Earthrealm after so many years.

As he walked this lonely roadside, lights would soon appear in the distance. There was an abundant amount of them with many tall buildings, indicating a city up ahead. Not a single pause was given to marvel; there was no point... This was a man on a mission.

Silent and staring forth through an iron mask, he seeks no break as he continued onward. This scenery that was presented to Kung Lao was nothing in the slightest to China. He was instead in America, and simply put, on the search for a particular person from his past: Johnny Cage. What little he knew after all these years was his affiliation with the Special Forces. There was no way in hell the razor hat wielder was going to walk up to one of their bases the way he was. Being killed on sight, though not as bad the more it was thought upon at first, wasn't what he wanted.

Based on what he already knew about the actor, his home must be located somewhere.

...This trek was becoming tiresome, and yet despite his current energy, he quickens his trip to its final point by means of teleportation. He fades through a blue portal, from one side of the city, to a bit more of a familiar part, where sat a luxurious condo before his very eyes. Now to approach, but the former Shaolin remained still. Breathing became a tad heavy underneath the mask as if fear was suddenly creeping up on him. A foot slides backwards but he steels himself mentally.