Kuai Liang - Blog Posts

i really liked your headcanons about johnny cage and general shao. could you write one for bi-han?? that would be most interesting

Thank you for the kind words! I’ve had a lot of fun making headcanons for MK1 characters. Compared to Johnny, I don’t have that many headcanons for Bi-Han, but I do have some on his childhood and familial relationships. Sorry if this turns out really long. Hope you enjoy!

Bi-Han was very close to his mother. She would comfort him whenever his father was very harsh towards him during training and reassured him that he would be a great leader and makes the Lin-Kuei strong. Her death was the catalyst for Bi-Han believing his father was unfit to lead the Lin-Kuei since she was killed by a vengeful former member. 

His father loved and cared for Bi-Han but his duty to train him to be the rightful heir to the Lin Kuei overshadowed that. He would train his son until near exhaustion, which led to Bi-Han being mostly isolated from the rest of the family in his early and late teens. He would tell him a great leader has to be strong and perceptive enough to lead. Bi-Han admired his father as a leader though rarely considered him his father- mostly calling him “Grandmaster” compared to “father.” His admiration turned to anger after his mother’s death and realizing how involved Liu Kang is in Lin-Kuei’s business. Bi-Han saw this as a weakness since Liu Kang wasn’t an official leader and perceived it as against his training and philosophy. Years later, his father was suffering a terrible illness. His father’s death occurred during a battle against rogue Lin-Kuei members who believed him to be too weak to continue as Grandmaster. By the end of the battle, Bi-Han found his father under rubble with a stab wound to the abdomen. Bi-Han decided to leave him to die so his father wouldn’t suffer from the illness and his belief that he is capable of succeeding as Grandmaster. 

Bi-Han and Kuai Liang were very close as little boys. There’s a headcanon where Kuai Liang was born too weak to wield cryomancy- he was even close to death. Liu Kang healed Kuai, giving him his fire powers. Being two years old at the time, Bi-Han was unaware of the situation’s severity though felt protective towards his little brother when he held him. Before mastering his pyromancy, Kuai’s body couldn’t handle cold temperatures or the frequent colds he’d get. Bi-Han would sleep with his sick brother to make sure he didn’t overheat or in case he needed help. While their parents were anxious about letting Kuai Liang fight, Bi-Han saw his potential to be a great fighter and his right-hand man when he became Grandmaster.

Although Bi-Han was very harsh towards Tomas, he saw his adoptive brother as family. The reason why he sometimes treats Tomas badly is because of resentment and jealousy. Bi-Han resented Tomas since his father gave him “leniency”- welcomed Tomas to the Lin-Kuei almost immediately- and acted more fatherly. He was also jealous of Kuai Liang and Tomas’s growing brotherhood during the bulk of his intense training. In a way, Bi-Han felt like he was being replaced. He tries to not hold it against Tomas though his unresolved anger gets in the way. 

I forgot to say in my last reblog that I don’t think Liu Kang was at fault for everything that had gone wrong. Though he’s a god, Liu Kang is capable of making mistakes like a human. I do believe that there are events that can’t be changed such as the clans fighting, Tarkatans, etc. I actually wrote a theory post a while back on why I think Tarkatans couldn’t be erased. Basically, I believe Liu Kang tried getting rid of Tarkatans but couldn’t due to Time Keeper rules. So, he changed it into a disease that is pretty hard to contract. I think that Liu made a bad call giving Shang Tsung and Quan-Chi meaningless lives (as he put it in the story mode). I wish he specified his intentions with Shang and Quan-Chi’s life. It’s hard to tell if he gave them hard lives in hopes they’ll grow kinder or he gave them average lives and, unfortunately, he had no control with their lives getting worse (Quan-Chi being in the mines and Shang having a hard time making a living). Liu Kang definitely didn’t have a hand on Bi-Han’s betrayal because he didn’t expect the cyromancer to betray his brothers for his own interest. General Shao’s arrogance returned because of Shang’s manipulation. 

I’m the type of fan who sometimes overanalyzes things, especially when things aren’t explicitly explained. Because of this, I question which occurrences in the New Era are due to Liu’s interference or if it's meant to happen (a canon event). For example, Liu Kang interfered in Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn and Quan-Chi’s lives to make sure they didn't become their previous selves. He made sure Mileena was Kitana’s blood sister and not a clone. He also had the Lin-Kuei act as Earthrealm’s defense instead of continuing their assassination system that was for their own interest. That’s Liu interference. A mix of Liu’s ability to manipulate outcomes and his cryptidness definitely leads to questioning what else he’s done, at least for me. Time is a very complex matter so it leads to more questions than answers. I hope in the next story there will be an explanation on Liu Kang’s limits and what he specifically did to create the timeline. 

I don’t think I explained my reasoning on why I think having Kuai and Harumi together makes me feel like Kuai is kind of like “Hanzo with a different name” very well. 

My main reason for saying this is because they got together during a Tower Ending instead of the story. It feels rushed to add this relationship in 90 seconds so it feels like the writers did this to fulfill a checklist (have a Scorpion and Harumi together). I think I would like this relationship if the expansion story focused on them and I see why and what made Harumi and Kuai love each other. They could be in the beginning of their relationship and seeing their dynamic would be enough. But they are married so it wouldn’t happen exactly like that. I guess I’m the type of person who only really feels for a ship if I see their growth. From what I remember, all that has been mentioned about their relationship is that they are childhood friends and have mutual respect for each other, which is a good starting point though not enough for me to feel anything other than neutral. I’m very for the “Show don’t Tell” idea of storytelling.

I am looking forward to seeing Harumi in the story and what you listed about her makes me interested in her as a character. I hope she’s a badass who will be added to the main roster in future games. We need more female fighters.

I see your points on why you think Hanzo is an adult, but I still think Hanzo is underage. Not by a lot though, I think he’s at least 16-17. 

His arms are bigger than most teens but he’s been training and before that he had the minimum amount of skill to steal. Smoke stopped him because he’s trained longer but I am certain an average person would not defend themselves as well. In the image I added, you can see his muscles are smaller compared to the images you included. This shows that training and eating more (like you said Hanzo was starving before joining the Shirai-Ryu) were major reasons his muscles are larger, not age. What I’m trying to say is that it’s possible for a slightly underage guy to look like an adult due to physical fitness and eating right (I expect the Shirai-Ryu to have a healthy regiment). I think a time skip happened between my image and yours, but they are probably at least a few months to a year apart since Bi-Han doesn’t seem like the person who would wait very long. After all, he hunted Kuai and Tomas after Titan Shang Tsung was defeated.

Also we have to consider some things. Compared to a front view, a side view of muscles will look larger because of perspective (the second image you added proves it since his arms are slightly slimmer compared to the first image). Hanzo is flexing as well which makes muscles look larger. I also searched up what muscular guys (16-17 years old) look like and they look very close to Hanzo’s physique. 

With his voice, I agree that it’s deep though guys in my high school sounded very similar when they were 16-17 because of puberty. A deep voice doesn’t always equal being an adult. Also, it hasn’t been confirmed if the voice actor that did those grunts will be Hanzo’s in future appearances. They could’ve been another va who’s voicing another character that did those grunts because NRS didn’t want to hire a new va just for grunts. I’m going to wait for the voice actor hired for Hanzo’s official appearance in the games to see if Hanzo is a late teen or adult. 

I agree with you about adults being born shorts. Everyone grows at different rates and it doesn’t physically show someone’s maturity. I still somewhat considered it (though not as much as other points I mentioned) because the media usually use height to show age, especially in animated projects. Short adults or tall teens/kids are rarely shown unless for comedic reasons. I’m not saying Mortal Kombat is like that but I still keep it in mind in case they do use height = age formula. 

Although I see your points on why you think Hanzo is an adult, I’m going to assume he’s underage until the game confirms his age or at least gives strong enough hints to make an educated guess. 

Thank you for replying back to me! I appreciate your pov because it evolves mine at the same time. I enjoy our conversations. I apologize for taking the expected, life got a little hectic. Sorry for going into crazy specifics near the end. It was the only way I could think of to better explain my points. Also, I noticed in your tags that you don’t like being a Liu Kang apologist or something along those lines. I’m curious as to why. 

My Thoughts on MK1 Hanzo

(Spoiler Warning: Smoke’s Tower Ending is discussed)

I saw Smoke’s tower ending and was surprised to see Hanzo in the new timeline, let alone as a child. Although I’m open to how the writers will handle his character, I’m kind of disappointed that they went this route. When I learned that Kuai Liang would be Scorpion in the new timeline, I expected Hanzo to either not even exist or live a nice life with Harumi and their son. Instead, Kuai Liang is married to Harumi and Hanzo is much younger than them, which is so weird. I really hoped Hanzo would have a happy life and only be involved in the games through mentions at least.  Also, this decision paints Liu Kang in a bad light. It’s no secret Liu Kang made sure his allies had a good life while making some of his enemies’ lives (Shang Tsung and Quan Chi) insignificant to prevent them from turning into their past counterparts. So, it makes me wonder why Liu Kang didn’t think to give Hanzo a good life or at least watch over him. It’s shown that Hanzo is a starving orphan forced to steal for essentials. I have no doubt Liu Kang knows about Hanzo’s past since he met the older and kinder Scorpion in MK11 and Raiden has disclosed Hanzo’s past in MK 9. Plus when Liu Kang fused with the Hourglass, he most likely became aware of what happened in MK9 and MKX. He gave Shao Kahn the chance to be a better man by being the Kingdom’s general- a risk that didn’t pay off, yet didn’t give Hanzo what he always desired- his wife, son, and the Shirai-Ryu. It feels so out of character for Liu Kang to not make sure Hanzo had a good chance at life. 

If I had the opportunity to write Hanzo’s character, it would’ve been very different. I would’ve made him a former Lin Kuei member(he would be 5 or more years older than Bi-Han) who held the Scorpion title until he retired to Japan- where met Harumi and had their son. Hanzo would’ve also been the one to train Kuai Liang in his fire powers in the latter’s childhood. In his honor, Kuai would take the Scorpion mantle after Hanzo retires. Hanzo could also help Kuai and Smoke form the Shirai-Ryu but Harumi helps in recruiting and training while he takes care of their young son. 

Though, I still hold some faith that NRS will write the new Hanzo well. I guess I’m just disappointed because I wanted Hanzo to finally live a happy life where his family stays alive. He was one of my favorites in the MK9-MK11 era so I can’t help but feel a connection towards him.

My MK1 Fatalities Tier List (Main Roster)

Note: The placements are based on the average rating of both fatalities. For example, if I gave a character an S and a B then they would go to an A rank since that would be the average. Also, if rankings are next to each other then I will round up to the higher rank. For instance, I gave Li Mei an S and an A for her fatalities so she would go to the S rank since I'm rounding the overall rating to the higher one.

Here's a more detailed ranking (where I add + and -) if you are curious:

Ashrah

Fatality 1- B+

Fatality 2- B

Baraka

Fatality 1: B-

Fatality 2: S

General Shao

Fatality 1: C

Fatality 2: B-

Geras

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: S

Havik

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: B+

Johnny Cage

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: A

Kitana

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: A-

Kenshi

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: A

Kung Lao

Fatality 1: C+

Fatality 2: A

Li Mei

Fatality 1: S

Fatality 2: A+

Liu Kang

Fatality 1: S

Fatality 2: S+

Mileena

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: C+

Nitara

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: C+

Raiden

Fatality 1: B

Fatality 2: A

Rain

Fatality 1: A-

Fatality 2: B-

Reiko

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: A

Reptile

Fatality 1: S

Fatality 2: B

Scorpion

Fatality 1: B

Fatality 2: A+

Shang Tsung

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: S

Sindel

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: B+

Smoke

Fatality 1: C

Fatality 2: C-

Sub-Zero

Fatality 1: B+

Fatality 2: B

Tanya

Fatality 1: B

Fatality 2: B+

Kameos (Bonus):

Cyrax: S

Darrius: C-

Frost: C

Goro: A

Jax: B

Kano: C

Kung Lao: C

Motaro: C+

Sareena: A

Scorpion: B

Sektor: B+

Shujinko: A

Sonya: C

Stryker: C+

Sub-Zero: B

MK1 Character Writing Review

I'm curious about other fans' opinions on MK1's character writing. Personally, I think it's improved most characters but there are some issues.

Ashrah: I'm happy she's back because Ashrah was the 3D-era character I wanted to return. I really like that they kept her story from the 3D era but improved it. I'm curious to see if she'll get corrupted by the Kriss in the next game.

Baraka: His story improved immensely. I never cared for Baraka in the previous games since he wasn't developed enough and was just one of Shao Kahn's henchmen. Baraka being a victim of Tarkat makes him more sympathetic and interesting. I hope he gets a happy ending but I think he'll die in the later games.

General Shao: I'm a bit disappointed in how he was written. I was hoping we'd learn about his past and how it affected his personality. Shao was born with a weak body, so I expected his father to be abusive by forcing Shao to go beyond his limits. This would cause Shao to believe being strong is the only thing that matters. Hopefully, the next story portrays Shao as more than a stock villain.

Geras: I really liked this version of Geras compared to MK11's since he's more than Kronika's minion. He's loyal to Liu Kang but they are friends/partners, and Geras wants to protect Liu Kang's timeline because he believes in its potential.

Havik: I was really interested in learning about Havik, his powers, and the Chaos realm. I was disappointed that Havik was a minor character and his powers weren't explained. I heard that there will be a story taking place in Seido/Order Realm so I'm crossing my fingers that we'll have a great story for Havik and other Order/Chaos realm characters.

Johnny Cage: His backstory and personality didn't change that much which I'm glad for because MK9-11 Johnny had one of the best character arcs in that era. I really enjoyed his bromance with Kenshi and his comedic moments were really fun (my favorite was the Alien reference).

Kenshi: Kenshi's story was already good but it was improved upon and explored further. Kenshi wanting Sento to protect his family from the Yakuza and bring back the Taira clan made me sympathize with him, and actually seeing how he loses his sight was horrifying and broke my heart. His bromance was Johnny was one of my favorite parts and I hope they are in future games together.

Kitana: I found Kitana kind of bland. Unfortunately, with her old goal of wanting to be an Empress going to Mileena, she lost what made her interesting. She felt more like Mileena's sidekick rather than her own character. Maybe that'll change in future games since she's a part of Mileena's council.

Kung Lao: Kung Lao was likable and enjoyable. I don't have much to say other than that. I want the next story to explore his ego/arrogance and why he has that attitude. Although I really like Raiden as Earthrealm's champion, I sort of wish Kung Lao was the champion since he's wished for that opportunity for so long.

Li Mei: Li Mei is an okay character. She's kind of boring since she's a "follow the rules" character. Her and Sindel's friendship was the most interesting aspect of her. Li Mei's powers are really cool though, and I'm a big fan of Kelly Hu (her va).

Liu Kang: Having Liu Kang as Earth's protector and Time Keeper made his character more interesting compared to him being the "Chosen One." I am slightly disappointed in the way he was written. I expected/wanted Liu Kang to be a neutral good character where he's willing to do bad things to keep the peace. They kind of did that with Liu Kang creating meaningless lives for Shang Tsung and Quan-Chi, but he was never called out for those decisions. I also wanted the other characters to start questioning Liu Kang about why there are still tragedies occurring and why doesn't he intervene. Though we get it in the battle intros, I wanted it explored in the story. The writing for how Liu Kang's time powers was also pretty unclear. The power's restrictions were never specified so it's not obvious which events in the timeline are Liu Kang's mistakes or not.

Mileena: Adored her in this game! I love seeing Mileena happy for once with a loving family and a good life. I expected her to be overtaken by Tarkat the whole but was happy to see her with a regular mouth for most of the game. Having her as Empress is really interesting and can't wait to see more of that.

Nitara: I really wanted to like Nitara, yet she's so bland. I thought we would learn about Vaternius, and see Nitara being a truly neutral character. Compared to the other 3D characters in the game, she was the most disappointing.

Raiden: This version of Raiden is way more likable than previous iterations. He's nice, humble, handsome, and strong. He's literally the perfect man! I'd like his anger issues from the previous iterations to be developed in the next story. His anger would get out of control after a tragedy and he feels like being more ruthless is more beneficial to protecting everyone.

Rain: I don't have much to say about Rain. He's kind of boring and was sidelined in the game. Maybe he'll have some kind of connection to Delia and Argus, which will introduce them to the new timeline.

Reiko: Reiko's okay. The only thing I'm really interested in is his relationship with General Shao and it's mostly me wondering whether Shao is capable of caring/loving someone.

Reptile: Love this rendition of Reptile! Like Baraka, Syzoth is more complex and isn't only Shao Kahn's minion. He has one of my favorite designs in the game and his backstory shows the issue of internal racism. The only thing I'm iffy about is his family that was murdered was his wife and son since that is very similar to Baraka's backstory to losing his wife and children to Tarkat. Plus, it's kind of weird that he moved on with Ashrah relatively quickly. I would've preferred if his family were his parents or siblings.

Scorpion: At first, I was a bit iffy about Kuai Liang being Scorpion but think it was a good choice since it makes the rivalry between the Lin Kuei and the Shirai-Ryu more personal. I'm excited to see how his and Sub-Zero's story moves forward.

Sindel: Good queen and mom Sindel is best Sindel! She was very likable! I had a feeling she would die in the story though her soul being absorbed into Ermac was unexpected. I'm interested in where this story will go.

Shang Tsung: I really enjoyed how sassy Shang Tsung was, and was glad he was the main villain after so long. The only thing I'm disappointed in is we didn't see more of his backstory. Also, the idea of Shang Tsung being evil all along NRS was going with was pretty lame. I wanted to see whether Shang Tsung was truly born evil or if was he made that way because of his hardships. It being the latter would've been intriguing because it means Liu Kang technically created Shang Tsung.

Smoke: Smoke is a sweetie, but didn't have much going for him. I was really interested in Smoke when he was in MK9 so I expected him to have his own chapter and develop. Maybe the Lin Kuei/Shirai Ryu war will give me that.

Sub-Zero: I hoped Bi-Han would be an interesting antihero instead of a generic villain. His betrayal is fine, but I wish he was more indecisive or slightly regretful of his choice since he lost his brothers. For example, when he slashed Kuai Liang's eye, I wanted to see him be regretful and sorry for hurting his brother. We didn't get that, which is one of the biggest disappointments of the story.

Tanya: I'm neutral with Tanya. Personally, her role and personality are too similar to Jade's. She felt like a totally different character who happened to have the same name as the original Tanya. Changing a character's story is okay, yet there should be some part of the original iteration that stays. I do find her and Mileena super sweet and I hope they live a happy life.

I miss them dearly < ♡

shit hurts like hell fr

Some old sketches and stuff i have done about my MK1AU where Hanzo is in the Lin Kuei as Tremor

May try to make a post about more info of this AU later hehe

Bi-Han: I for one, think you and Hanzo are perfect for one another

Kuai: I feel like there's going to be more

Bi-Han: Because you're both fucking losers

Hanzo: There it is

Raiden: Master Hasashi and his boyfrien-

Hanzo: He is not my boyfriend!

Kuai Liang: I'm not his boyfriend!

Raiden: ...

Kuai Liang: He doesn't understand!

Hanzo: Why would he understand?

* Kuai Liang gets up *

Kuai Liang: Set's go, love.

Hanzo: Yes, baby.

Kuai: I have been giving signals for over a year and no response...

Hanzo: Try to be more obvious? For example "hi, i love you".

Kuai: Ok, maybe it will work. Hi Hanzo, I love you.

Hanzo: Yes, like that! And if the person doesn't notice, he must be very dumb.

Kuai: Hanzo???

Kuai Liang: I swear I will kill Bi-Han

* Hanzo showing up with a black bag and shovel *: When?

Kuai Liang: sometimes you take things too seriously

Kuai Liang: Hanzo, I'm going with you.

Hanzo: Thank you, Kuai Liang.

Bi-Han: I'm going too, Hanzo.

Hanzo: It is not necessary.

Sub-Zero: What would you say if I came home with six dragon cubs that I found in the forest?

Scorpion:

Scorpion: What's in the box?

Sub-Zero holding a box: ...

Scorpion: Kuai Liang, what's in the box?

Sub-Zero: I think you know-

Kuai Liang, Hanzo and Johnny:

Bi-Han stans are some of the most delusional and nonsensical MK stans I’ve ever seen. That, and most times the CONSTANTLY have to bring down other characters, especially Kuai Liang and Tomas(sometimes even their dad that we have not seen), to make him seem decent. I agree that his disapproval of Tomas dosent make him evil, but they be DRAGGING IT😭

Edit: I meant SOME stans y’all, bcs I obviously can’t speak for an entire group of the people. Don’t mind the reposts! Also, for the record, I fw Bi-Han😚

Happy Chinese New Year!

They are performing at the Shaolin Temple

Idk how people can defend Bi-Han still, it’s no wonder they gotta make his dad, Kuai and Tomas look bad so he can look DECENT😭

Tomas: That the Lin Kuei won't aid us is unforgivable. Bi-Han has corrupted them totally.

Bi-Han orders the Lin Kuei to stand back and not help against Titan Shang Tsung.

But when the battle is over, the Lin Kuei immediately begin hunting down Tomas and Kuai Liang. To the point they're separated from allies.

That means Bi-Han and the Lin Kuei were watching as Kuai Liang and Tomas were fighting for their lives and did nothing.

Only waited till it's over to attack them. Do you know how sad that is for Kuai and Tomas? Their brother and old clan just threw them like trash and started hunting down like preys when the danger was over.

Something not quite right

a/n: I’ve decided that, instead of simply putting my thoughts and headcanons and ideas as simple and quick drafts, to just instead start actually writing it all.

summary: Kuai Liang’s (Sub-Zero) last thoughts about Hanzo during the timeline resetting.

warnings: hurt/no comfort (?), canon character death, probably not properly tagged, angst. not necessarily written as couple, could be considered as platonic and viceversa.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

It was all happening so fast. The world, disappearing around them. The trees, the sky, everything, all turning into nothing in mere seconds. Had Kronika won? For the Elder Gods, he begged not.

Maybe Liu Kang had won? Maybe he was now restarting everything with the Hourglass. Restart everything. All back to zero. Would he remember his life? Would he remember his family? His parents, his brothers, his friends and the people important for him. Would Kuai Liang be able to remember any of them? Probably not. But if he didn’t remember anything or anyone, what about…

Hanzo.

It felt weird. Knowing he would probably not remember him. That didn’t seemed all that fair, did it? After all their years of rivalry, of hatred. It took them more than 10 years to finally feel comfortable by each other’s side, to be able for Hanzo to let go of his rage. To manage it in a healthier way. And now, all of that effort would end up in the trash. Like garbage. It suddenly all felt useless. All that effort spent in helping each other and themselves, it would now all be thrown away.

And it made him feel indignation. On Hanzo’s behalf. On Bi-Han’s behalf.

This just wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t they all just have normal, peaceful lives? When had it all went to shit? Kuai Liang felt like a petulant child throwing a tantrum because he didn’t got the toy he wanted. But it still didn’t felt fair. Why couldn’t they just have peaceful, calm lives?

Bi-Han didn’t deserve to get blamed and murdered for crimes he didn’t commit. Hanzo didn’t deserve to have his family murdered, get tricked by that sorcerer and have his rage be misguided for years. Didn’t they deserve a happy ending too? When did things get so complicated?

‘I wonder what you would think, Hanzo. Would you be angry too, if you were still here?’

Maybe, in this new timeline, things will be better. Maybe Bi-Han won’t suffer for something he didn’t do. Maybe Smoke won’t die this time. Maybe Hanzo…

Or maybe they wouldn’t even know each other this time. Or maybe this whole train of thoughts was useless after all.

It's not a smoking brothers trend, but...

Rating: PG-13

Relationships: Kuai Liang (Sub-Zero) & Frost

Size: 2021 words (4+ pages)

Tags: Hurt/comfort, drabble, drama, post-canon mk11, stepfamilies, parental feelings, difficult relationships with parents.

Who would have thought that the best student would become his daughter? The daughter who rejected her father...

Крупицы снега, что неугомонно кружились вихрем, лишь изредка падали на напряжённые плечи мужчины, ставшего причиной их беспокойного танца. В своём хаотичном потоке они всячески огибали хрупкую на вид, словно фарфоровая статуэтка, девичью фигуру. Короткие пряди голубых волос встяхнулись, а тонкие брови нахмурились ещё сильнее, от чего на бледном личике образовались совсем ненужные, неподходящие этой юной красоте, морщинки. Еë глаза… Он помнит еë голубые глаза. Вечно унылый и недовольный взгляд, и те короткие моменты, когда в зрачках появлялся озорной блеск, что сопровождался этой довольной ухмылкой. Сколько бы она не прятала лицо под маской, он чувствовал еë улыбку, чувствовал как иней медленно сходил с тоненьких пальчиков, а руки расслаблялись. Она улыбалась так редко и редко улыбалась ему, но даже смотреть со стороны на радость ребёнка ему было приятно. Она всё ещё была для него ребёнком. Той самой малышкой, что в метель устало плелась по сугробам, продрогшая до костей и вся в крови. Эта была не еë кровь, он всегда знал об этом. Ей было двенадцать, ему около тридцати. В то время он не особо хотел иметь детей, но приемника... Кто же мог подумать, что лучшая ученица станет ему дочерью. Дочерью, отвергшей отца. Би-Хан сказал сразу, хорошего от неë не жди, но разве он послушал? Что ему оставалось делать? Выкинуть голодную девочку в сугроб, чтобы еë растерзали волки? Разве он мог так поступить? Он помнит, как принёс дрожащее тело в дом, она молчала, не сопротивляясь ни единому действию. Он помнит сколько непонимающих взглядов ловил на себе в тот день. Помнит, как бережно взял еë детскую кисть в свою, аккуратно стирая засохшую кровь с пальчиков, улыбаясь со всей мягкостью, что смог выдавить из себя, будучи потрясённым такой картиной. Он помнит, как она отказывалась есть, отказывалась мыться, находиться одна. Она огрызалась подобно дикому волчонку, если кто-то пытался с ней заговорить.

«Куай Лян!», - она кричала, подрываясь со скамьи и бежала по длинным, спутанным коридорам, что ещё не до конца запомнила, расталкивая на своём пути мужчин, крупнее еë в три раза.

«Куай Лян», - она хватала его за рукав платья, гневно смотря в глаза стоящему рядом Би-Ханю и только, когда он терял интерес к ней, переводя взгляд на младшего брата, она успокаивалась, кутаясь лицом в льняные ткани, стоя позади своего учителя.

Он не двигается, лишь выпрямляет спину, смотря на девушку, что явно была готова к очередному бою, о котором, должно быть, мечтала всё то время, прошедшее после событий на фабрике и ложных обещаний Кроники, что так пришлись ей по душе. Интересно, что теперь ей наобещали в каком-нибудь Чëрном драконе, какой-нибудь Кано и новая подружка из Внешнего мира. Мужчина стискивает зубы об одной мысли об этом. Она предала клан, предала Лин Куэй и этого ей было мало. Она предала его. Своего учителя. Своего Гроссмейстера. Своего отца.

- Я не буду драться! – шум не от одной метели не смог бы заглушить его громких, резких слов. В ответ он слышит лишь смешок. Еë глаза больше не кажутся ему живыми, это не глаза человека, глаза киборга. Он был готов сорвать все те пластины со своего тела собственными руками, лишь бы не стать одним из них. Она сама пошла на это. Еë упрямый нрав всегда был сильнее любых уговоров, а он даже не знал. Когда узнал было поздно, было больно и так отвратно смотреть на это…это тело. Это тело, что когда-то обнимало его; куталось рядом с ним в тëплое плюшевое одеяло, когда он читал с ней все те яркие комиксы про супергероев, некогда тайно подаренных девочке младшей Кейдж. Тело, что всё чаще с годами упиралось коленом ему в грудь, прижимая к земле, одерживая новую победу. Он поддавался, а она радовалась и смеялась. Он не мог не сдержать улыбки.

Она вскидывает брови, меняя боевую стойку. Он обучил еë этой стойке, она лишь немного доработала, подмяла под себя, так скажем. Вот же девчонка, никогда не следовала правилам до конца.

- Ты боишься проиграть? Боишься, что я докажу кто должен быть Гроссмейстером Лин Куэй? – и вновь этот девичий смех, но отнюдь не той чистоты, что он помнит. Едкий, пробирающий до самого мозга, не тот приятный звон, теперь это похоже на ужасный скрежет тупого ножа по металлу. Так смеются те, с кем она повелась.

- Ты всё ещë считаешь себя частью клана? – он соврет, если скажет, что эти слова не вызывают у него никаких эмоций. И пусть взгляд его усталый устремлён в механические зрачки, а лицо расслабленно, лишь треснутые губы сжались в тонкую линию, он чувствует как сердце, что в груди сжалось до боли, обливалось холодной кровью, а руки тряслись, сжимаясь в кулаки.

- А ты успел изгнать меня? – словно в издёвку бросается она словами, выпрямляясь и делая шаг мужчине на встречу. Взывает. Разозлить пытается, хотя не к чему, сама же бросится. Слышит он механический звук еë тела всё чаще, понимает, что рассеивается вихрь, а снег уже и не падает ему на плечи, наоборот, на голубые волосы ложиться, в белый непослушные концы окрашивая.

- Изгнать? – он хмыкает, пожимая плечами. – Ты сама отреклась от меня, Фрост.

Имя, что с его уст слетело, заставило девушку против собственной воли на шаг отступить, что с трудом ей в первый раз дался. Да как он посмел?Она? Отреклась? Да, может быть, но ведь не по своей воле! Он вынудил еë сделать это. Он сдерживал еë силу, еë таланты. Обещал ей столько всего, а в итоге не дал ничего. Хотя, конечно, кто в здравом уме отдаст такое звание в руки девчонки, что подобрал на улице? Он сам-то получил его по чистой случайности, удобно и быстренько сориентировавшись после того, как, обожаемый им, Скорпион вырвал хребет старшего братца. Мерзость. Он не заслужил своего положения, а вот она...она… Она не отреклась от него просто…просто могла получить то, чего так отчаянно желала всю жизнь. Она бы получила, если бы не вся эта команда, собранная неким Богом Грома. Чушь какая-то. Кроника дала ей тело, дала бы и власть, признание, уважение, если бы не Куай Лян. Если бы не Куай Лян еë жизнь была бы лучше…ведь была бы? Если бы Куай Лян не взял еë тем вечером на руки, укутав в свою мантию, и не отнёс в поместье клана. Если бы через силу не напоил душистым чаем, вкус которого она помнит по сей день, крепкий, сладковатый, с нотками черники и мяты. Если бы не он, то что было бы с тем ребёнком? Она помнит, как он смотрел на неё…Так не смотрел никто. Она не помнит взгляда матери, но помнит эти расслабленные черты лица, мягкую улыбку и полуприкрытые карие глаза, в коих могла прочитать все те строчки старых книг, что он отдал ей однажды.

- Я не…я…, - она шепчет, опуская глаза, осматривает мужчину, его смятую одежду, его напряжённое тело. Он так глупо старался скрыть своё волнение, а она так глупо пытается скрыть смущение. «Я отрекалась», - незачем было отрицать, ведь на самом деле всё это было так. Сколько бы она не врала самой себе, а смысла в этом становилось всё меньше. Она не отрекалась, она просто ушла. Просто нашла утешение в других. В ком-то, кто был более расположен к ней, кто одобрял все еë действия, какими бы те ни были. Кто мог еë понять, кто мог похлопать по плечу и потрепать по волосам, кто…кто никогда не чувствовал, как больно было ей вставать с разбитым лицом и держаться на исцарапанных коленях; как стискивала она зубы, когда лëд неоднократно глубоко царапал еë детские руки; кто никогда не знал сколько слëз пролила она в подушку, чувствуя себя ничтожной и неполноценной; кто никогда не садился следующим утром на край еë кровати, нежно поглаживая дрожащие плечи и не просил проснуться пораньше, чтобы отвести к, любимой еë сердцем, речке; не сравнивал еë с бурным течением и не смеялся с того, как шугалась она холодной воды спросонья, совсем позабыв о том, каким родным холод стал ей за последнее время. Никто не когда не мог оценить еë по достоинству, никто, даже Куай Лян, ведь он еë переоценивал. Может не в боевых навыках, может не как члена клана, но как члена семьи. Своей семьи…семьи, что она уже погубила однажды, что теперь губит дважды. Она смотрит в его карие глаза, кусает раскрасневшиеся губы. Если она больше не чувствует боли, тогда почему её сердце болит сильнее, чем в тот день, когда она последний раз взглянула на свою постель и, кем-то оставленную рядом, миску с фруктами. Она знала, кто их оставил, но даже тогда не коснулась ни плода, ни ягодки. Должно быть они сгнили так же быстро, как сгнила её надежда, как сгнило еë сердце и чувства. Он молчит, а она не может заставить себя произнести хоть слово. Он разжимает ладони и пара ледовых осколков падает на замёрзшую землю. Он разворачивается, чтобы уйти, а она чувствует, как кровь вскипает где-то внутри, как расширяются еë глаза и сужаются зрачки.

- Ты не можешь уйти! Ты не можешь так поступить! – она кричит, а он даже не обернётся. Она стискивает зубы, направляет руки, чтобы ударить льдом ему под ноги, но так не решается сделать это, лишь продолжает стоять на одном месте, смотря в широкую спину.

- Но ты ведь ушла.

- Я…я…, - она никогда не чувствовала себя так глупо перед ним. Опустив руки, морщит нос, сжимает губы, и моргает часто-часто, лишь бы глаза не защипало слезами. Она даже не знала, может ли теперь плакать.

- Ты?

Он задаёт вопрос, а в ответ тишина и лишь тихие всхлипы, что девушка отчаянно пыталась заглушить даже сквозь маску. Ему так хотелось подойти ближе и приласкать еë, положить эту маленькую головку на своё плечо и погладить по спине, прошептать, что всё в порядке, что она сильнее, чем думает, что всё получится, стоит приложить больше усилий, да только они не в еë серой спальне, которую он неоднократно предлагал как-то украсить, на что она отнекивалась, уставившись в голубоватые традиционные узоры на обоях.

Она молчит, бросив на него гневный взгляд, полный боли и отчаяния, ненависти и осуждения, преданности и страха, что он вновь старался разглядеть в ярко-голубых глазах.

- Ты не можешь уйти…, - она невнятно бормочет, снимая с лица маску и он впервые за долгое время видит эти округлые румяные щёчки, малиновые губы, что та всегда красила блеском, еë лицо было всё так же красиво.

- А разве ты можешь? Уйти, ничего не сказав, примкнуть к Кронике и даже после всего… Разве я дал тебе недостаточно? – он смотрит так обеспокоенно, глазами просит, молит правду сказать и, казалось, не было никогда никакого Гроссмейстера, не было учителей и учеников. Были лишь Куай Лян и Фрост. Были лишь две одинокие души, отвергнутые этим миром. Две души, что друг в друге спокойствие искали, искали любовь, коей не могли получить и любовь, которую хотелось отдать. Искали, да только в упор не видели, не хотели, не могли.

Метель и вовсе утихла, а лёд растаял и было так тихо, будто и нет никого, а они всё стояли, молча смотря друг на друга. С большим трудом сглотнув ком в горле, вновь чувствуя, как солëные капли стекают по щекам, она смиренно поклонилась своему учителю, словно в тот день, когда он первый раз привёл её на площадку, чтобы провести тренировку. Он не смог сдержать удивления, невольно вскинув брови и приоткрыв ссохшиеся губы, но он поклонился в ответ, принимая те извинения, что девушка смогла ему дать, с трудом себя пересилив. Это многого стоило, но было совсем не нужно. Только потом она позволила себе выпрямиться, не в силах больше держать нахлынувших эмоций, чувствуя как слëзы льются с новой силой. Каким бы усталым не был девичий разум, тело могло держать еë столько, сколько потребуется, но это не остановило мужчину от того, чтобы подбежать, схватив девушку на руки, позволив ей уткнуться носом в многочисленные одежды, игнорируя, как металл чужой экипировки царапал кожу на щеке. Он нежно берёт еë руки, что уже успели вцепиться в мантию, в свои, поглаживая грубыми пальцами холодный материал с такой любовью и лаской, с какой растирал израненную спину подростка, обрабатывая мелкие порезы на бледной коже. Носом ткнется в мягкие волосы, вдыхая нежный душистый аромат таких взрослых духов. Это больше не его малышка Фрост, с которой он валялся в снегу, делая снежных магов или лепил снеговиков летом. Не пугливая девочка, что он успокаивал материализуя снежинки, что парили над еë личиком в темноте комнаты. Это больше не его девочка. Ему было горько признать это, но она никогда не была его дочерью, тем не менее он всегда хотел быть для неë отцом.

- Ты когда-нибудь простишь меня? – она спрашивает, а он прижимается щекой к девичьей макушке.

- Когда-нибудь и ты меня простишь…

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Ха, думали я английский знаю? Нет, конечно)