#mdzs network

[fistfuloflightning]

“You look better without the hat.”

XianYao prompt from the lovely @limitbreaker23 (you’re enabling me so badly, I swear)

#mdzs #xianyao #wei wuxian #jin guangyao #meng yao #art prompt #mdzs art #my art #tol and smol #it’s all about the ✨height difference✨ #im already getting fic ideas that would unfortunately require me to actually reread the book (specifically the sunshot campaign) #something something after the war jgs still doesn’t acknowledge meng yao and he somehow ends up in lotus pier or somewhere adjacent #peaceful living doesn’t suit his tastes and he starts picking up dirty work from local sect leaders #assassinations—information theft—spying #he pretty much starts building a jianghu-wide spy network and hiring himself out to the highest bidder #not sure where I’m going with this #but either wwx is hunting him down on behalf of yunmeng jiang #or he becomes his information dealer #fic ideas

[niccoguedes]

MDZS x WE BARE BEARS

© hazeilus (illustration) + dodoscreamb (1st ideia) on twitter

#mxtx mdzs #mdzs wei ying #mdzs fanart #hazeilus #mdzs wwx #mdzs we bare bears #cartoon network #lwj x wwx #lwj fanart #run run run #panda #polar #grizzy

[brehaaorgana]

Okay I know ppl have written "wei ying gets taken in by another clan entirely," and I do love a good lan clan adoption early on and LQR being a better person for it but. Nie clan finds and adopts WWX, and WWX is able to prevent Nie Zongzhu's saber from being tampered with or does something that allows him to survive that one night hunt. If the timelines I've seen worked out are right that hunt probably happened after the Gusu studies? So WWX is fully into his whole genius baby stage at that point.

What if he prevented Nie Zongzhu from dying really early (even if he didn't save him entirely - like maybe he couldn't prevent some permanent damage...), & got invested exploring resentment energy due to nie clan sabers? What if saving Nie zongzhu is something Wen Qing secretly helps with which is why Mingjue doesn't hate all the Wens nearly as much? Ughhh.

I might write something on this idea.

#mdzs #i dont know how jgy fits into this at all but i demand more nhs being amazing and nmj loving his baby brother(s) #...weird ships i might be into: nmj x wq or nmj x jyl #i also want huaisang's mama to still be alive. maybe nie zongzhu is too weak to fully lead so huaisang's mom is secretly running things #i want nie er furen being the pretty thing with a massive spy network shes grooming huaisang to take over #wwx being loved for his ingenuity and his fierce loyalty and protectiveness!!! #maybe he still gets a jian to honor his parents #maybe suibian is a remelt of his mother's sword #idk i feel like wwx should get to thrive far away from madam yu and jfm lol

[mxtxnet]

Hello MXTX fandom! To celebrate Wei Wuxian's birthday month, MXTXNet will be hosting a month long event that will run from October 1st to October 31st. Though October is definitely the month to celebrate our beloved and spooky demonic cultivator, the prompts are for all of MXTX works and their adaptations.

You've only watched Heaven Official's Blessing? That's fine! You've only read SVSSS but want to participate? You're welcome to. You've only watched MDZS Q because you don't like pain and suffering? Some of these prompts work for it as well! Want to mix and match? We're excited to see it!

What we want is for you to have fun and make content for your favorite MXTX adaptation so we can share it here at MXTXNet.

Gifsets, edits, fanfic, videos and fanart are all welcomed. More info under the cut.

Everyone is welcomed to participate, simply use the #mxtxtober tag so we can find your post.

Please reblog to spread the word!

RULES:

Event runs between the first and the thirty first of October. Do as many prompts as you like. We'll reblog late entries as well!

Create content of any character from any MXTX novel or adaptation - donghua, live action etc.

You are free to create NSFW content for the event, we only ask that you tag it correctly.

All fanfiction must have relevant warnings, pairings, and summary visible. All fics that exceed 500 words (and all NSFW fics) should be listed under a read more.

Please use the #mxtxtober tag

If you're interested in joining our server and meeting others in the community, please send a DM to @mxtxnetqueue with the message "I'd like to join the server" to receive an invite! (Must be 18 years of age or older)

Have fun!

Our network rules can be found here, and reserve the right to not reblog posts that do not abide by them.

Still have questions? Feel free to send us an ask!

*Event inspired by the twitter art event happening here

#wohdaily #theuntameddaily #asiandramasource #asianlgbtqdrama #svsss #mdzs #tgcf #the untamed #cql #event: mxtxtober

[sasukimimochi]

Prompt for day 20 - Feathers (see other prompts here)

.✦The Thing With Feathers.

Subnautica Below Zero / MDZS crossover ✦. Word Count - 1001

Wei Wuxian climbed into his sea truck and sighed, immediately falling into his sleeper cabin with music quiet and low. He’d been chased across the purple vents biome by a Chelicerate just so he could gather up a few more lithium for his equipment and base, only to have to get out of his sea truck to squeeze under that gigantic vent garden where another one was hanging above because Lan-Zhan sent him another set of coordinates to check out.

The artifact he’d found hadn't even been anything too useful- and he didn’t have a reinforced suit so when he got too close, he got a free lobster broil- except he was the lobster. At least they were one step closer to getting Lan-Zhan his own body, but why did all of these artifacts have to be smack dab in every annoying or dangerous location on this oceanic planet?! He didn't like the sea enough for this.

Well…he didn’t hate it. In fact he rather enjoyed its beautiful side. But it didn’t like him back, and he just was running low on reserves with little progress made in the investigation on Yanli and Jiang Cheng’s whereabouts. 

He just wanted a break, then a clue. It'd been too long since the last one he’d found. He wanted anything- anything at all that would give him a clue to say his siblings were okay. That it was a ruse led on by that damn corporation, that they were both okay and just hiding somewhere and not-

Ring— Ring–

He sighed softly. “Lan-Zhan…”

Another call... It could be important- if it was another artifact he should at least get the signal before he got some rest. Well, if what this was could be considered rest. Bundled up in a wet suit was not the ideal way; he missed wearing more casual clothing.

 He answered the call, trying his best to mask how tired he was. “What’s up, Lan-Zhan? Got another coordinate?” He rolled over and sat up in his cot so he could properly listen, pushing his damp hair to the side over his shoulder. He still couldn’t quite get used to hearing the alien’s voice inside his head, but it was a somewhat welcome distraction right now.

“Our searches have been… useful, but… I have no evidence as to the fate of my people. The network I hoped to rejoin may no longer exist. I cannot feel it.”

Wei Wuxian sobered up somewhat as he listened to him speak. Lan-Zhan had many moments like this- he wasn’t even sure if the other knew this was from a place of insecurity, as he seemed to have lost touch with a lot of human behaviors after living the way he had for so long. 

“There could be a million reasons for that. Like…what if the network had a system update? They’re on version 2001.4 and you’re still on version 14.2.”

“That would make me incompatible. How would I even begin to plan my upgrades?”

Wei Wuxian chuckled quietly, leaning over to rest on the side of his sea truck. “Okay, that’s not what I meant. Bad example. You still know how to get home?”

“Mn.”

“So don’t give up. Go there. See for yourself what happened!”

“You are expressing optimism but it is not supported by probability.”

Wei Wuxian sighed and smiled soon after, “Hope isn’t based on statistics. It’s born from a drive for something better. There’s a poem Yanli loved– Hope is human. Hope is…uhh…oh right– ‘Hope is the thing with feathers!’”

“This does not match any fauna I can find in your PDA.”

Wei Wuxian laughed, “It’s a line from a 19th century Earth author. Emily something.

‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul - And sings the tune without the words - And never stops - at all -

I promise we’ll get answers one way or another, Lan-Zhan.”

There was a stretch of silence for a moment, before he heard his companion add one last thing:

“Adding ‘Hope’ to your database.”

Wei Wuxian’s eyebrows rose as a small notification did indeed pop up on his PDA after the call ended.

Hope is an animal of unknown origin. According to Wei Ying and a poet named Emily Dickinson, it is described as having feathers. My database found the poem Wei Ying was referring to:

"Hope" is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul - And sings the tune without the words - And never stops - at all - And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard - And sore must be the storm - That could abash the little Bird That kept so many warm - I've heard it in the chillest land - And on the strangest Sea - Yet - never -in Extremity, It asked a crumb - of me.

The presence of Hope seems to inspire humans to persevere in the face of adversity. Perhaps humans keep a Hope with them at all times.

From this notation, Hope appears to be a hardy avian creature. It is capable of surviving at sea and in cold climates. Having "kept so many warm," Hope might be observed to produce exothermic chemical reactions.

Assessment: find and maintain Hope.

Wei Wuxian’s expression softened and he gently thumbed the edge of his PDA. Classic Lan-Zhan… he laughed quietly as he laid down in his cot, staring at those last words. Find and maintain hope, huh? His heart was in the right place.

He would miss him…

His smile faded somewhat as he thought of their eventual separation. Of course he wanted his own body back, but…what would he do after it all? Where would he go? It's not like he had a ship to leave on, and who knows if he could go back to normal life after this.

He sighed quietly and put away his PDA. He would cross that bridge when he got to it. They were together now, for who knows how long.

He had plenty of time to think about it after he got some rest.

See my other MDZS projects here, or check out the links at the beginning for the other prompts.

#My first writing prompt for the challenge! i do prompts out of order so this is my second one haha #Sasu's Writing/Drawing Challenge 2023 #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #mo dao zu shi fanfiction #the grandmaster of demonic cultivation #wwx #wei ying #wei wuxian #lwj #lan wangji #lan zhan #subnautica #subnautica below zero #sbz #mdzs x sbz #hope is the thing with feathers #hope #“Hope” is the thing with feathers #emily dickinson #poetry #wangxian

[frankencanon]

MDZS Fanfic AU Idea:

TL;DR: Lan Wangji and most other Lans regularly sneak around disguised as rogue cultivators so they can break Lan rules in secret — until the other sects find out...

Throwback to that one idea I had way back when of a Canon Divergent AU of The Untamed where it turns out that the Lan Sect actually *can't* follow all 3.5k rules all of the time... and so in desperation they were forced to come up with the idea (excuse) of establishing a spy network where they would be required to go undercover without the fancy headbands or the vibrant white clothes or, most importantly, the excessively rigid rules...

Liu Haikuan (LXC) in 'The Long Ballad' & Wang Yibo (LWJ) in 'Legend of Fei'

---

(Not because they need a spy network or anything — the spy network is just an excuse. In reality, too many Lans were breaking too many rules and having to be punished all the time, and it was risking ruining their reputation.

Afterall, if even the Lans can't follow all of their rules, how can they expect the guest disciples to? Something had to change...

And so, instead of simply changing the rules or easing up on them a bit (the obvious, rational choice), they instead established a spy network where Lans under too much pressure from following so many rules would be allowed to roam free, virtually uninhibited, on the sole condition that when they returned they would bring with them some new information about what's going on in the world...)

---

Only the other main sects know vaguely of the Lan Spy Network, and even then only because the Lan Sect seemed to have an endless well of information that they definitely shouldn't have and no one for the life of them can figure out how or where they're getting all this information from...

So, obviously the Lans must have some sort of spies — though, considering their well-documented inability to blend in (what with their white clothing and headbands and strict rules that must be followed at all times without exception) the other sects were under the impression that their spies were animals or something, rather like the Wen birds.

If not animals, then civilians or rogue cultivators that were employed by or indebted to the Lan.

(Under no circumstances were they expecting the Lans themselves to be the spies.)

---

This AU was largely inspired by two things:

That scene in the library where Lan Wangji told Wei Wuxian to "piss off." —People don't typically slip up and just say a word or phrase that they've never even thought of or said before... More likely, LWJ has said it before, but was trying to restrain himself from doing so while in "Lan-mode".

A while ago, I watched this other historical drama that also starred Wang Yibo (LWJ's actor), except that I didn't realize at first that it was him because he looked so different... different clothes, different hairstyle, different behavior... They were both historical dramas, but he looked like two completely different people! To the point that I didn't even recognize him!

For reference, here's a side-by-side comparison of Wang Yibo in The Untamed vs Legend of Fei:

If you saw Guy-on-the-Right walking around town all smiley and smug you would NOT think, "Is that the great Hanguang Jun?! What is he wearing?!" No, you would instead think, "Wow, that rogue cultivator is pretty hot..."

I imagine they still keep their headbands on their person when in disguise, just hidden away so they're not visible... Most likely either wrapped around their wrist or their ankle and then hidden away under an arm cuff or a boot.

Little baby Lans are introduced to ~Undercover Work~ slowly, first by being brought out in pairs with an older, more experienced Lan while they're still young enough for their subdued behavior to be dismissed as just a "shy, well-behaved child" — but old enough that they won't slip up and say something they shouldn't, like, "Hi, I'm Lan Zhan."

Lan Wangji was of course first brought out by Lan Xichen, who reassured him that, "Yes, you can run if you want. Yes, you can shout and make noise. Yes, you can slouch. Yes, yes, yes..."

---

Whenever someone goes undercover, the other Lans will tell Outsiders that the reason they're unreachable is because they're "in seclusion".

While Lans do actually go into seclusion at times, it's not nearly as often as the other sects are led to believe. Far more likely, they're actually running around ~undercover~ and in-disguise, while seclusion is just being used as an excuse as for why no one can see them or get into contact with them.

---

Regular check-ins are of course required to keep track of everyone, much like a "Warm Body Count" in a college dorm.

Additionally, I forgot to mention this before but there are of course some rules that they are still expected to follow, namely the ones that everyone would be expected to follow — such as, for example, no murder.

No assault, no kidnapping, no destruction of public property... Just the stuff that most people would agree should never be allowed. (At least, not without good reason.)

---

Not all of the Lan disciples know about this. Su She, for example, has no idea.

It's only the inner disciples who are genuinely expected to follow all the rules all the time that are given this option of running away for a bit...

(They know that if they allowed everyone in the sect to be in on it, they would never be able to keep it a secret from the Outsiders.)

---

There are actually far, far more Lans than the other sects realize. This is because at any given time over half of all Lan disciples will be off premises either on official night hunts, wandering about in disguise, or on rotation keeping vigil at one of their many secret outposts.

Speaking of the Lan outposts, there are many all spread out throughout the cultivation world, including at least one in every single major sect's territory.

It's there that undercover Lans can check-in, pass along informative, get medical care, seek asylum, and so on and so forth.

These outposts are connected by secret tunnel systems that the Lans carved themselves, and only in extremely outstanding circumstances are Outsiders ever given any information at all whatsoever about the outposts — and even then, it is only the main family themselves that are permitted to deign to share that information.

The only time a member of another major sect ever heard anything about them is when Lan Xichen himself told Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang that if they ever found themselves in an extreme emergency scenario where they desperately needed medical help or asylum but for whatever reason had no where else that they could safely go, to seek out a specific place...

The mark he drew on their arm would signal to their people that they are under their protection and they would be granted asylum.

However, if they ever dared to tell anyone anything about what Lan Xichen had told them... Then the marks on their arms would become corrupted and they would not only be blacklisted from the outposts, but any attempt to enter would be met with lethal force.

---

The outposts are hidden in brothels, btw.

Brothels are special in that they tend to operate under an unspoken agreement amongst both the staff and the customers to never speak of what or who they see behind closed doors.

A sort of, "you don't see me, I don't see you" kind of situation.

Thanks to this, they don't have to worry about any witnesses speaking up about what they see; Injured, bleeding cultivators can stumble in the doors and through the halls, and enter rooms that they never come out of, and the other patrons will say nothing.

---

Last updated: 04/04/2023.

#lan wangji #lan sect #lan zhan #lan xichen #hanguang jun #zewu jun #cql #mdzs #the untamed #mo dao zu shi #fanfiction #fanfic #headcanon #au #canon divergent au #canon divergence #lwj #lxc #lz #wang yibo #lan qiren #fan fic #fan fiction #cql fanfic #cql fic #mdzs fic #mdzs fanfiction #mdsz fanfic #mo dao zu shi fanfic #the untamed fanart

[stoopid-turtle]

My Turtle Origin Story

Hi. I'm a rando on the internet. I make stuff up for fun and giggles. Nothing I say is real. Everything is fake. I'm fake. I bet you're fake. Fakity fake-fake.

Here's the intro post for this whole thing.

That being said, I got into The Untamed after reading MDZS last year. I'd never watched a c-drama before, though my wife and I have watched some k-dramas and j-dramas before. I was fascinated by a BL adaption in a country where gay relationships are censored.

I'm a nerd at heart, so I wanted to learn more about just...what this was about. How did this get made? Was it just for $$$? Did the people behind it take it seriously or was it a big joke? A cash-grab on a wildly popular web-novel? How was it received? How on earth was it discussed when the main relationship is a gay romance?

So I started watching the behind the scenes footage (bts) and interviews. And reading a bunch. And watching more. And reading more. Basically, I immersed myself into the swamp trying to figure this whole thing out.

My big fear going in was that there'd be a bunch of no-homo stuff in the bts. That nobody took it seriously. That the male actors were icked out by the minimal amount of subtext they did.

So I found it refreshing from the start to see that wasn't the vibe behind the scenes. Honestly, it reminded me a lot like the vibe with Xena. Back in the 1990s, an explicit lesbian couple just wasn't a thing on TV. The network wouldn't allow it.

So the show got as close as they possibly could with what ended up being referred to as "subtext". Xena went way further than The Untamed (Xena and Gabrielle are canon soulmates who have multiple kisses and swear a life commitment to each other). But behind the scenes was a cast and crew who genuinely wanted to show as much of the romance as possible. Who wanted to push the envelope as far as they could go. After a couple seasons, with the actresses' chemistry, they knew it was an epic love story, and they treated it as such.

Were there jokes? Yeah. The actresses had a running joke of flubbing a scene by saying "Now come here for a cuddle". There's a fantastic outtake of Lucy Lawless jokingly going in for a kiss at the end of a scene. But it wasn't a mocking atmosphere. It was sincerely felt and experienced, and it meant a lot to little gay me to see that in Xena. It felt similar to see the same spirit in the Untamed background. Much like Xena (the show) included an episode where she commissions Sappho to write a love poem for Gabrielle, The Untamed snuck in little hints with chickens and historical gay erotica. They took it as far as they feasibly could without the two male leads actually physically interacting much. (I'm putting aside the whole mess where they tried to make WQ a love interest)

There was an immediate difference between Xena and the Untamed behind the scenes, though. The actresses in Xena were close friends. They attended each other's wedding. Had great chemistry. But nobody ever thought they were a real couple, for various reasons. There is 0 chance they are or were ever a couple. Even with all the gay jokes behind the scenes, it's obvious.

As soon as I started looking up TU bts, Youtube started recommending this mysterious bjyx stuff to me.

"Aha!" I thought. "Is this what they call 'fanservice'?"

(I'm sorry. I know I'm not funny)

Okay, so I've been in fandom before with fictional characters. I've always been aware of real-person fiction and had mixed feelings about it. I've also known that some bands do gay fanservice and that BL live-action stuff often comes with fanservice. I'd never really seen it, though.

Still, what I could see in the videos wasn't THAT fanservice-y. A lot of bickering. Singing. Fighting. Lewd jokes. Making faces at each other. Completely nonsensical conversations. Not a lot of, like, handholding or kissing stuff like I'd expect from fanservice.

At the same time, the videos seemed to make wild leaps sometimes in showing that these two - GG and DD - were a thing. Much like the Xena actresses joked with each other about their characters being a couple, GG and DD and others joked about WWX and LWJ being a couple. Sometimes the videos seemed to conflate moments like that--clear jokes--with actual coupleness.

So I kinda dismissed them at first. I mean, it's part of fandom. Some people get into it. Not for me.

But I was still interested in the actors. I wondered how they got the roles. What they thought of them. What they thought about the gay elements.

So, again, reading and whatnot.

It's impossible to read about this stuff without coming across bjyx and turtles. That's where most of the background is discussed in English, honestly. So I read that. Usually kinda putting aside whatever they were trying to imply. Just trying to figure out more about the political situation. The vibe of the actors.

But as I watched and read, these bjyx candies

just

kept

coming.

Some easily dismissed. Some kinda compelling if you squint. Some that required some thought.

I watched a bunch of DD's other stuff (I guess my bias is for him? I adored DD from the start). Took note of his, um, clear lack of interest in women. I mean, yeah, as an idol, I'm sure he didn't want to cause a scandal by acting too familiar. But he seemed even more standoffish than that warranted. It was often commented on by...well, everybody around him.

And then I hit a bts scene that left me gawking. I said I wouldn't link the bts, so I'll just describe this scene. I've only come across it twice in two different bts compilations with slightly different translations, but the gist is the same.

GG and DD are in Cloud Recesses clothes. They're on a brightly lit green screen stage. The camera is shaky and the sound isn't super-great. (I've watched this so many times, I don't even need to look at the video to write down the interaction. I have it memorized)

DD: So flirty. (The translator notes that he's using northern slang here and I think that it came across differently to GG than he intended)

GG: *sarcastic thumbs up as if to say, "Um, rude, but ok"*

DD: You don't like it? *a moment* So beautiful. (the translator notes that this literally means "fairy-like")

GG: *a little swoon. then he stops* No, this word doesn't fit.

DD: Why doesn't it fit?

GG: It just doesn't fit WWX.

DD: I'm not talking about WWX. I'm talking about XZ.

GG: *shy smile with adorable nose crinkle*

DD: So beautiful.

Okay, I was floored. There went my whole, "joking about the role" ambiguity. DD was just straight-up flirting and GG was just straight-up accepting and enjoying it.

That kinda rearranged my brain.

Okay, so they were flirting with each other. But fanservice, right? Maybe the bts were staged?

So I read some more about the context of the releases and the boys' reactions to some of those releases. And I read more about what CP fanservice typically entails (shared endorsements, overt physical interaction, an abrupt ending when promo was done).

None of these matched up with what I was watching.

But still.

Like, seriously?

A huge TV hit based on a BL series, and the main leads are actually dating? That's...that's a story. That's the plot for a book. It's not something that really happens. Come on, now.

Then I came across the other candy that left me gawking. Old cow eats young grass.

I'm not gonna link. If you know, you know.

That's not even fanservice. That's just a couple bickering with each other.

Once I turned that corner, looking at the array of candies...even with the ones I don't take seriously, it just became...well, there's this thing about preponderance of evidence at a certain point. It doesn't mean any one candy is absolutely true. But it definitely indicates a more general truth. BJYXSZD

This is all fiction, though, and I'm a stoopid turtle.

Onward to the next post: Consuming Candies Pt 1: DD and GG are le Gay

#bjyx #yizhan #clowning around #i'm so long-winded #don't listen to me #i yammer on abt Xena of all things

[bloody-wonder]

mid-year book freak out tag

years go by... i still read books...

1. Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2023? moby dick! i totally did not expect to like this dusty tome so much but it was just too perfect a mix of tropy revenge tale, sea adventure mockumentary, and making stuff up and putting it into categories that caused pleasant vibrations in my neurodivergent brain. i have watched so many whale documentaries after reading this, you guys have no idea🐳

2. Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2023? flamefall is the second book in the aurelian cycle and it’s the best sequel i’ve read so far this year. the addition of a slow burn mm master/servant story line improved things considerably, not to mention that it was my favorite character’s time to shine. this series is sooo good, please read it guys you won’t regret it i swear🙏

(ngl i’m a bit annoyed that fourth wing, this fireborne sjm-ified, is doing numbers out there and meanwhile there’s no fandom for the aurelian cycle to speak of😒)

also i simply have to mention defekt, book two of litenverse. i found the first book quite boring despite it’s shortness but the sequel has a sad lil guy🥺. highly recommend for fans of black mirror, severance or the murderbot diaries. you don’t reeeally need to read book one btw, i think you can just read the description and then jump straight to the good stuff

3. New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To? i want to read witch king but i keep putting it off cause everything i hear about it sounds suspiciously like *american author does mdzs* and idk how i feel about that😬

4. Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2023? i’m looking forward to system collapse the most bc it’s gonna be set chronologically after network effect and it’s longer than the other murderbot novellas too. very excited to see murderbot and art bicker again hehe

5. Biggest Disappointment? ig it’s the warrior’s apprentice😬 many people recced the vorkosigan saga to me as “the lymond chronicles in space” but based just on this first(-ish) book i have to say miles is uhhh,, not lymond😐 lymond’s key traits are that he’s queer and a cunt and baby miles is simply not that (yet). of all the other books that people mentioned on my overcompetent scheming bastard post this was the last one i hadn’t read so i was a bit disappointed that it didn’t pull me in like the lymond chronicles. however, of all the books mentioned there it’s also the only series i can see myself continuing any time soon so. it wasn’t all too bad ig🤷‍♀️

i was also somewhat disappointed by assassin’s apprentice but i will make myself push through the realm of the elderlings just bc i’m so intrigued by the fool👀

6. Biggest Surprise? apart from the life changing experience that was moby dick i gotta admit i didn’t expect to like the goblin emperor, what with it being one of those cozy hopepunk fantasies where people are nice and decent to each other🙄 but it really did grow on me by the end, it indeed made me feel cozy and soothed. now i wanna try katherine addison’s older darker stuff that was apparently so controversial she had to change her pen name or smth👀🤭  

7. Favorite New Author? so i read another book by christopher rice and can confirm that he’s now one of my favorite authors. the man’s early 2000s gay thrillers are very melodramatic and refreshingly juicy - you can really tell they were published in ye olden pre-twitter times

8. Newest Favorite Character? cyrano savinien hercule de bergerac. after just reading that first act where he monologues about his nose for three pages straight and then spends all the money he has to hijack a theater and cause a scene by duelling a guy on stage while insulting him in ballad form i thought wow but this is one of my sexy fucked up guys who like to swish their swords and run their mouths! please enter the mind rotation chamber, monsieur🙌

9. Newest Fictional Crush? power sur eater🐉 you guys are sleeping on the aurelian cycle and on the Glory and Tragedy of My Boy who has done nothing wrong ever in his life and i love him😭 seriously, if you’d like to watch a character like draco malfoy go through jaime lannister’s arc you gotta read this series

also csevet aisava? the guy who put sexy in bureaucracy?? it’s a crime that he and maia didn’t kiss tbh

💕Best Ship💕 the relationship of griff and delo in the aurelian cycle was SO dramatic and full of rawest scenes! kinda reminded me of captive prince at times, bc of the whole master/servant element. and the ending? “i will grow old in love, let them sing of others”?? i am Emotion🥺

10. Book That Made You Cry? furysong made me cry my eyes out like every ending to a ya series should. have i mentioned you should read the aurelian cycle btw? but also both moby dick and cyrano de bergerac made me laugh AND cry as only really good books do. there’s a part in moby dick about seeing whales in mountains and stars that made me remember i am a human being and was a small and happy human being once - like that scene in ratatouille when anton ego tastes ratatouille and the nostalgic memories hit him and he becomes not evil anymore. that was nice but i cried like a little bitch😭

11. Book That Made You Happy? re-reading twittering birds never fly without skipping all the yakuza plot scenes made me realize how hilarious this manga actually is! yashiro can obviously crack a joke but this time i discovered the comic relief goldmine that is nanahara

skjdvnksjdvk like?!

12. Favorite Book Adaptation You Saw This Year? i have a LOT of criticisms about martin crimp’s “free adaptation” of cyrano de bergerac but ngl it was fun to watch the play come to life on stage (even tho there were no swords, a crime😒) and even more fun to watch christian kiss cyrano on the mouth like god intended

13. Favorite Review You’ve Written This Year? so this year i actually started reviewing stuff on goodreads for the first time and it’s quite fun and really useful for refreshing your memory on what you thought of a book. i try to go for short and witty over in depth and analytical so i suppose the best examples of the reviews i have written so far would be the ones of moby dick and the goblin emperor

14. Most Beautiful Cover? the og red cover of fireborne slaps! the revolutionary red? the minimalist black dragon? the main characters’ profiles formed by its wings?? talented brilliant show stopping. idk who made the decision to redesign the covers after the first book but that decision was utterly stupid🤨

15. What Books Do You Need To Read By The End of The Year? i need to finish some series (the diviners, the dreamhealers, the broken earth), then like i said i want to read witch king and also i’m doing the classics challenge again so i have to at least finish reading roxelana and re-read the picture of dorian gray (the uncensored edition👀). i have looked up my old mid year tags and was pleased to discover that i since have managed to read all the books mentioned there EXCEPT for you love me which has been a staple in my reading plans since 2021 so i’m gonna put it on this list again to honor the tradition lmao

overall i have to say my reading year is going well but i still miss the exhilaration of discovering new books worth obsessing over like it kept happening in 2019-2021 with the secret history, captive prince, all for the game, mdzs and lymond. last year i used to think i wasn’t doing a good job of finding books like this but now i’m starting to suspect that i have actually read ALL the good books and there aren’t any left :( but that’s absurd right?? or isn’t it?! anyways tell me what you’ve been reading so that i can maybe get intrigued by something and prove myself wrong on this🙏📚

@figuringthengsout @counterwiddershins @fugitoidkry @magpiefngrl @sugarbabywenkexing @fandomreferencepending @pemberlaey @oliviermiraarmstrongs @hello-jumping-in-puddles @thehalcyonharbinger @pinkasrenzo @beeblackburn @weirdsociology @veliseraptor @theodoradove @sixappleseeds @doh-rae-me @venndaai 

talk to me about books guys! if you want to!!

goodreads │ old mid year tags 2020 2021 2022 

#book tag #now i can rec good whale documentaries! #if anyone's interested #btw has anyone read both witch king and mdzs? care to comment on my concerns??

[layzeal]

Please continue your “bitching” about the poll because SAME

Your ship is not canon! We have not white, multi format, survivor of censorship, with spice, RIGHT HERE and you want to vote for bland wlw? -.-

lsdjkfkldsfjs no okay but i really didn't mean that as like, a ship war or something 😭 idk anything about that couple! i haven't watched the show!! and i rly don't think the purpose of the poll is about which insufferable ship is "better" or whatever and canonicity shouldn't even count for much because hey! sp/irk isn't canon either and it deserves to win the poll more than anyone!!

but GOD.... putting down wangxian genderbend as if it's lesser lesbian media just made me SO MAD, especially when that media is in fact being written by lesbians About the lesbian experience. you really want me to believe the CW network is doing that??? mdzs seriously did SO much for me both in the source material and in fanwork to help me come to terms with my own sexuality by not being afraid to really delve into matters that are taboo in mainstream queer media that it rly was upsetting to have it be diminished just because "hur durr it's a genderbent au of TWO MEN" like yeah and it's awesome. what about it

#WLW WANGXIAN GET BEHIND ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #not but yeah my post isnt about the poll itself it's about that comment #if super/corp wins hey good for them! but do NOT put down fanmade wlw media to claim that your queerbait one is houlier than thou yk

[silver-soliloquy]

1, 3, 10, 25!

:D

How many books did you read this year?

Okay so this depends fully on whether we're counting comic book volumes as books, because I binged an ungodly amount of Hellblazer this year. If no, 32. If yes, uhhh...55.

3. What were your top five books of the year?

I did a lot of rereading this year! But in terms of new stuff: the Thief and Queen of Attolia were fantastic and I really need to read the rest of them, Witch King was great, and I really liked the Stepford Wives

(top 5 rereads: Ashes of Honor, Spinning Silver, Good Omens, Network Effect, Nimona)

10. What was your favorite new release of the year?

god, did I read any? Oh, Stars, Hide Your Fires! Absolutely lovely. And Witch King, I so hope there's going to be sequels!

25. What reading goals do you have for next year?

Finish my Toby Daye reread + get to the new to me ones FINALLY; finally read MDZS; take another run at Lord of the Rings, because I once again stalled out in Moria this year. Maybe read some Austen? Also read more scifi and horror, because I am hugely enjoying my forays into both! ...and finish Hellblazer, because I've come this far and I want to see if Constantine's ever gonna get a boyfriend, dammit

#ask #geistsidekicks #thank you!! #v sad I didn't have a new Toby on my list :( but I reread a bunch and soon I'll have THREE new ones to read! #reading Chimes at Midnight now <3 best beloved #book blogging

[the-surreptitious-albatross]

9 Fandom Peeps to Get to Know Better:

Thanks for the tag @bbcphile!

3 Ships You Like: feifanghua, fanghua, and feihua- there, done! Ah, I jest, let's just count that as one ship since I love them in every configuration. Two others : sangcheng from MDZS and claurenz from Fire Emblem: Three Houses

First Ship Ever: As a thing I was actively invested in? Probably kurofai from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, which I read when I was in university. I'd been reading fanfiction since middle school, but mostly gen stuff, and it took me a long time to get on board with the concept of shipping.

Last Song You Heard: "Long Wave" by Dessa. I've been listening to her album "Bury the Lede" a lot recently.

Favourite Childhood Book: Being a reader was a defining trait for a me as a child, and I've loved lots of books; I've never at any time been able to pick just one favourite. But for the spirit of the question, let's go with Lord of the Rings, since I was about 11 when I first read it and it rewired my brain. For a book actually aimed at children, I'll also throw in Tuck Everlasting since I really loved it and still occasionally reread it- it holds up.

Currently Reading: I'm rereading Network Effect by Martha Wells to refresh my memory of it before I read the newest Murderbot book. I'm also reading volume 2 of the Seven Seas translation of Sha Po Lang/ Star of Chaos.

Currently watching: Immortal Samsara, Nirvana in Fire, Heroes (2022), The Blood of Youth, The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2017) and rewatching Mysterious Lotus Casebook with a friend.

Currently consuming: I'm drinking some peppermint tea at the moment.

Currently craving: I'd love a Skor bar. It's been a while since I've had one and I do enjoy a Skor bar.

Tagging: Whoever wants to do it!

#sorry i never know who to tag for these things and i saw a bunch of people have been tagged already

[dabideku-tododeku-bakudeku-2023]

Hi....If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

Thanks for asking! I have a lot of favorites but narrowing them down to ten will be a challenge. I will try though!

Top 10

Ten: Howl's Moving Castle (Book)

Nine: The Lion King (2019) (Movie)

Eight: Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (Anime)

Seven: Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (Anime Movie)

Five: Heaven Official's Blessing/TGCF (Donghua/Anime)

Four: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation/MDZS (Donghua/Danmei)

Three: Naruto/Shippuden (Manga/Anime)

Two: The Hobbit (Book)

One: The Lion King (1994) (Movie)

Number one may be of shock but it was the first movie I remember loving as a kid, and even now, I can watch it in different languages and STILL understand what is going on purely from memory! Now I also didn't include My Hero Academia in this, although I have been obsessed with it lately, and that is purely because I actually have not read or watched it yet! I have gotten my knowledge and love for it through osmosis and fervent research!

Gundam Wing was the first anime that I fell in love with, and Endless Waltz was the first anime movie I watched and bought. Naruto/Shippuden was my first obsession, and the source material for my first fanon Yaoi ship.

The Hobbit was my first full-length novel. I read it in the 4th grade, and after taking a test on it, I got 17/20 questions right, which was a surprise for my teachers!

MDZS and TGCF are the first Danmei/Donghua I got into, and that was literally about 6 months ago!

There are plenty of other media I like. The Magic School Bus was my favorite cartoon growing up. Then there is Emergency (circa 1970's). I like the Alien franchise a lot. Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is another anime I love. I am also a big fan of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives from the Food Network. Card Captor Sakura is good to watch. There are countless others, the ones I listed are simply the most influential ones to the person I am now.

Tell me, what are your faves?

#Favorite media #Top Ten List #Shocker! #TLK (2019) #TLK (1994) #Gundam Wing #GW Endless Waltz #Naruto #Naruto Shippuden #Howl's Moving Castle (Book) #The Hobbit (Book) #Questions #Answers

[meruod]

⊹₊ I AM A MF FLOWER ₊⊹

HI! Introductory post!

I'm going to use this platform more as another space to exhibit my art and interact with certain niches!

I will divide my content between ORIGINAL (OCS, personal, etc.) and FANARTS (fandoms | FNAF, BNHA, QSMP, DSMP, DC, MARVEL, MDZS, SVSSS, TGCF, 2HA, AFTG, BSD, DGRP, HSTWT, ORV, PJO, TOH, SU, TCF (among others) | Some I only consume content and I haven't made fanart yet, but I DO plan to start exploring this year).

I'll probably post some old art here to maintain some standard between social networks, but I also want to explore more fandoms here.

I'm more frequent on INSTAGRAM, but I'm going to leave my LINKTREE in this post because I still don't know how to add my external links any other way lol.

LINKTREE | https://linktr.ee/meruod

And that's it!

#artists on tumblr #meruod

[morkofday]

8 Shows to Get to Know Me

thank you for tagging me josi @wanderlust-in-my-soul​​ ♥ am always happy to talk about shows that are important to me~

(tried to write these down in order from oldest to newest! meaning: when they came into my life and changed me)

I. Merlin (2008-2012)

one of the first shows i ever watched from a streaming site (aka illegally online haha), tho i did start watching it while it was airing on our tv. i adore the atmosphere, the world, the characters, and the whole journey throughout all five seasons. it feels whole. the fandom here is also amazing, even if i mostly watch it from afar ♥

II. Theory of Love (2019)

am not really sure when exactly i watched this for the first time, but i have vague memories of the last ep or the special ep only having just aired. it was one of my first introductions to bls - to good and more thoughtful bls - and i loved it with my whole chest. after rewatching it a year ago, i can still say it’s one of those shows that has rearranged something permanently in me. 

III. Sense8 (2015-2018)

the show that feels like it was made for me. it’s just so full of things i love: fantasy, mysteries, action, character bonds, found family, love, acceptance, understanding, and even psychological themes. i love each of the characters very dearly and enjoyed all of their relationships with each other. i also loved what this show did with intimacy, both the emotional and physical kind, by showing how it can be a source of great comfort. 

IV. The Untamed (2019)

my first ever cdrama that opened up a whole new world for me. it became one of my first ever big hyperfixations, one of my great loves. it let me dive into the world of other cdramas and so even more great shows. and it brought me to many new things and ppl here on tumblr after leading me into editing and so to the mdzs network ♥

V. The Lost Tomb 2 / Explore With The Note (2019)

i cannot really pack dmbj into only one show bc each of the adaptations has given me something to chew on, but tlt2 is always my baby. it is the show that made me love pingxie, the show that made me insane about their story, and the show i would die for. it gave me serious brainrot for such a long time, and even if it’s not the best one of the adaptations, it’s still very, very dear to me.

VI. You’re My Glory (2021) 

i never thought a romance show would get to me but this one did in so many ways. it taught me some precious lessons and i think it changed how i see accomplishments, dreams, and working hard to reach personal goals. it gave me hope and strength, and it just made me believe in love that is comfortable and adjusts to your needs. 

VII. Bad Buddy (2021)

the show that changed me about a year ago. the show that somehow opened up a lock inside of me, that allowed me to feel new things, that comforted me and understood me. idk if any bl can ever feel as much home as bb does. little did i know that when i started watching this silly bl during the christmas it was still airing, it would consume me, heart and soul, and then lead me here, wrapped up in this bl world. 

VIII. Vice Versa (2022)

if there’s one show to define me right now, to define me for the past year, it’s vice versa. it’s everything to me in every sense. it’s a show i go to when i want to cry, or smile, or feel warm, or happy, or sad, or delighted, or comforted, or loved. it’s a show that feels like a hug, a show that heals me in all the ways i need to be healed. it means so much to me. and it doesn’t hurt that it’s still one of the most beautiful bls i’ve ever seen ♥ (i could write essays of vv, tho at the same time it feels like the jane austen quote, “if i loved you less, i might be able to talk about it more”)

some honorary mentions: 

The Long Ballad (2021), Not Me (2021), My Country: The New Age (2019), The Blood of Youth (2022), and 3 Will Be Free (2019)

tagging: @leonpob​ @stormyoceans​ @dimpledpran​ @hils79​ @psychic-waffles​ @ardentlytess​ @oswlld​ @sanoreo​ ♥

#tag game #this was a lot of fun ^^ #tho choosing shows was extremely difficult #especially when i don't remember all of them lol #but these came to me first so here we are! #also fun to see that msot of these shows #are from 2019 #a good year huh #edit: i apparently do not know how to count

[sagetsukimura]

was musing about Naruto worldbuilding and Chakra and the 'magic system' and accidentally walked into a wall labeled 'MDZS' and went

...

huh.

I mean, with any decent magic system there are gonna be alternate means/applications taken by people in different areas. There are differences between them of course, but they are similar enough that any discrepancies could be chalked up to having differing vocabulary. I'm sorry, Chakra networks, Meridians? Spiritual and Physical energy? I could swing it, just you wait and-

And yes, the clash between genres is staggering, but somehow that's just making it more appealing. Let's throw some Shonen Anime into that political intrigue, some in-depth thought about the nature of people and how difficult it can be to be 'good' into that coming-of-age story development. I want cultivators to be baffled that they never considered walking on water. I want the ninja to lose it over the idea of FLYING SWORDS. I want a more in-depth analysis and application of the magic systems and how they relate and differ. I want WORLDBUILDING BY SMASHING TWO VERY DIFFERENT SETTINGS TOGETHER AND WATCHING THE CULTURE CHOCK. Throw everything into a bottle and SHAKE. See what falls out

Cloud Recess meeting Team Seven. God.

Vathara and Corisanna have spoiled me with crossovers between worlds you would never consider mixing simply via possible links between magic systems.

So that's there's this idea now. No idea how I would go about it. But it's in my head now, and there's the brain itch to map everything out world-building-wise anyway. No plot, just worldbuilders' disease

#naruto #worldbuilding #chakra #magic systems #mdzs #the untamed #fanfiction #writing #crossovers

[sio-writes]

Meet the Author: Sio-Writes

Since I've seen so many intros going around, and my own pinned post doesn't have much about me, I thought I'd tell you all a little about myself for anyone who's curious!

I go by Sio here, and my pronouns are they/them. I'm 28 and I live on the East Coast of the US (in just...the worst state out of the 50.) and I've only ever been outside the US on a cruise to the Bahamas, but I want to travel as much as possible when I'm able.

I'm definitely queer, but my personal label tends to, uh, vary? Based on how I feel that day mostly, lol

I started writing in, like, third grade, age 7, and that's even longer than I've been doing art! I rediscovered writing a while back, specifically the monster community on tumblr (back when it was so small) and it's been two years and I keep consistently getting ideas, so... Here we are, lol.

I looove horror movies, especially the artsy ones like Susupira or Raw, but I'm really not picky, even the popcorn flicks like Saw and Hostel scratch an itch in my brain. I'm also a massive fan of Junji Ito and atmospheric horror games like Detention.

I love to read most fiction genres, but fantasy and sci-fi (both hard and soft) are my darlings. I'm currently trying to get through Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes before the movie comes out. I used to read a lot of published romance novels (Last year I gobbled up all 22 Ice Planet Barbarians in like a month) but the options on Kindle Unlimited are, uh, Limited (hah.) So I've turned to tumblr and AO3 for my romantic reading needs. I also have to read for work and school, so a lot of non-fiction like Systems Design, Network Management, Super Hard Space Math, that sort of thing.

Speaking of, I'm currently enrolled in my Master's degree for Aerosoace Engineering! It's been an uphill battle (I tried the online thing and my ADHD brain went 💫 no 💫) But I'm hoping to start in-class again come August.

I work as an assistant systems engineer for a small construction firm, where I spend all day reading architecture plans and deciding where the security cameras and tvs shohld go. I really love it but I have Imposter Syndrome bad so I'm constantly worried they're gonna randomly fire me one day.

Lastly, I like to flit in and out of fandoms, so I have a lot that I like but I'm not neck-deep. They're like Avengers, MDZS, Steven Universe, Utena, Solar Opposites, Naruto, anything Ghibli, OFMD, and a ton more.

And, like, feel free to ask me anything? I love to help others as well as talk about my work, upcoming fics, literally anything. I want to be friends with all of you!

Aaand I think that's it? That's as much as I can talk about myself anyway. Thanks for reading!! ❤️

#not writing #personal #About me #Writblr intro #Intro post #Writblr