#halcyonandon

Is it TRULY that ridiculous an outfit swap if both parties are completely working it?

// By the Elder Gods. I am SO sorry this took so long to digitize. Have some Liu Kang titting about on the TL for your troubles. 

Liu Kang stops the actor at the door, passing him his iconic glasses before Johnny can even think to go darting out into the flash and substance of Hollywood’s film scene without them. His hands, bereft of their fire settle upon Johnny’s shoulders with the implication that with all the things packed into the actor’s day that a moment to breathe need be one of them.

Since I already got an ask about this ship, here's the NRS/Games version of LiuLao for the meme!

General:

Rate the Ship:   Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs

How long will they last?: If given the chance, a long, long time.

How quickly did/will they fall in love?: They've had their whole lives to love each other.

How was their first kiss?: Frenzied, fervent, a little scared. But full of love.

Wedding:

Who proposed?: Liu Kang

Who is the best man/men?: Hmm... Johnny and Jax would be good best men. Raiden's the dad of the grooms.

Who is the braid’s maid(s)?: Sonya, Kitana and Jade would make a KILLER bridesmaid party (literally)

Who did the most planning?: Kung Lao

Who stressed the most?: Liu Kang

How fancy was the ceremony?: Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big. (It was a simple affair, but guys. Dudes. They're friends with Johnny Cage, it can't be THAT simple.)

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding?: Shao Kahn, uhhh fuck. Skarlet ("She threatened to suck me dry, Liu Kang!"), Reptile

Sex:

Who is on top?: Liu Kang

Who is the one to instigate things?: The nice thing about being in the young, reckless prime of their lives is that they can go tit for tat.

How healthy is their sex life?: Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now (That poor, poor broom closet.)

How kinky are they?: Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head ( They've both got a penchant for hair pulling and all around healthy appreciation for pain. It's simple, Liu's got a rack, Lao wants to ah. Make use of the space between pecs. Also, broom closets are great places to experiment with making your buddypalswornbrother's toes curl and his muscles sore with how thoroughly and lovingly you just drilled 'im)

How long do they normally last?: As long as the other can keep up.

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms?: If their legs can still hold them up after, then the other has F A I L E D

How rough are they in bed?: Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it. (These two can take a lot of punishment, I tells ya.)

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do?: No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally?: It feels irresponsible to have a child when their duty is first and foremost to the realm.

How many children will they adopt?: None, unless you count the students

Who gets stuck with the most diapers?: When they're babysitting, they swap off for duties each time

Who is the stricter parent?: Liu Kang

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school?: Both of them

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)?: Lunch is communal at the Wu-Shi, everybody helps

Who is the more loved parent?: They're not parents but... Kung Lao

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings?: Sonya probably sends them for Cassie (because otherwise she'll knock the lights out of everybody there), just to see the moms get in a tizzy. It's hilariious.

Who cried the most at graduation?: The two of them are big babies, they're crying at EVERY graduation and holding each other

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law?: Kung Lao

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking?: The duties are equal! But Liu Kang will usually handle the side dishes while Kung Lao prepares the main dish

Who is the most picky in their food choice?: Hmm... Liu Kang. He's not a big eater.

Who does the grocery shopping?: They grow their own food.

How often do they bake desserts?: Not as often as Kung Lao wants, he has an AWFUL sweet tooth a la @bastardsunlight

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater?: The boys are vegetarians! Chomping on greens like there's no tomorrow.

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner?: They both surprise each other, just cause.

Who is more likely to suggest going out?: Johnny Cage, those two don't even know what going out IS

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking?: Kung Lao, because he decided to do some fancy trick to show off and didn't pay attention to his pot. Liu Kang too, because he didn't stop it before it started.

Chores:

Who cleans the room?: They each clean their rooms, some better than others

Who is really against chores?: Kung Lao

Who cleans up after the pets?: No pets allowed! (Liu Kang, who smuggled yet another little baby bird into his room)

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug?: Kung Lao

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over?: They're both pretty chill about it, the temple's a much easier place to clean than a mcmansion.

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning?: Shaolin vows of poverty (and also the fact that they do not have couches) prevent this from ever being a possibility

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths?: Liu Kang, he is VERY meticulous about his hair. It's his pride and joy (Please do not tell the elders-)

Who takes the dog out for a walk?: They both tend to the animals.

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays?: Iiiii do not know anything about the Shaolin and holidays.

What are their goals for the relationship?: To stay alive, fight their way back to each other in the swirling storm of an inevitability that threatens to martyr one, and lose the other to legacy.

Who is most likely to sleep till noon?: Kung Lao, if Liu doesn't hunt him down and wake him up.

AND

[We are family.mp3 blaring in the background]

So I heard Yang’s got a couple of sons-

Here we see the mom friend getting fed up with Liu Kang martyring himself at every opportunity as Kung “glad that’s not me!” Lao documents

“You will not test my faith.”

This got me asking the question of what extent Liu Kang’s faith reaches when compared to someone who’s more prone to expressing doubt, friend or foe. Doesn’t matter.  Now the thing about the Mortal Kombat universe is that the gods ARE real. They have an ‘active’ relationship with the Earthrealmers through Raiden and Fujin. So the faith aspect comes less from a religious context and more from the trust and belief that accompanies having faith in someone or something to do right by you. Even characters like Quan Chi have their own twisted version of faith, trusting Shinnok to reward his loyalty and service. Liu Kang himself doesn’t expect a reward for his faith in the NRS adapation, he seems to practice his beliefs because they extend to him the comfort and explanations that lot of people who engage in this seek. Belief systems are often how people make sense of the world and how they cope with their struggles. This is how Liu Kang deals with his. Faith, or a break from it, seems to be the primary way he reasons with his surroundings in all these different versions of his character. 

More under the cut:

The reminders are a lance through his heart, digging deep with the acknowledgement of what he has lost and the pain that’s taken the place of the love housed in his heart. 

 “These men possess more honor than you could ever hope to have. For you Shao Kahn, are stagnant. You do not improve with time, nor do you at least possess the excuse of degeneration to explain the pursuits forgone and the desolate landscapes lands of the realms which you have bled dry before your next conquest. You have not ventured from your comfort zone, challenged yourself as they have, instead you delight in the rivers of blood which comprise your throne of promises unmet, riches in fool’s gold. You ask me what I will do, Emperor?” He is bleeding, but he is not broken, and he is angry, angrier than he's ever been and somehow it is not enough and more than enough all at once. Visions of himself in different times, places and people form and with them the fates of these men. 

Is this what Lord Raiden felt?

No, it is different. I am different.

The flames rise in his palms, but they do not stop there. Fire wraps around his arms, becomes his breath, all that he is but not all that he will be. He is changing, as the universe wills from all things, but this is different, this towers over even the great Shao Kahn. He knows why he was chosen, resents and embraces it across spaces and times. 

"I will avenge them." More than one voice speaks this declaration. Time won’t erase this threat and nor will he, it’s not his place, but this will come to an end. This will be the last time that these men, two sides of a similar coin will fall to the hand of the Emperor, he wills it.