#nothing like family. nothing like big brother yu the best brother in the whole world

[chiricat]

let's dance, nanako! 🎶

#yu narukami #souji seta #nanako dojima #nanako #p4 #persona 4 #p4g #cat’s art #persona #godddddddd they make me so sad. i WILL cry if i think about them for too long #nothing like family. nothing like big brother yu the best brother in the whole world #LIKE GODDDDDDDD ESPECIALLY THE MANGA #doodle request from ig #i forget to answer my asks ahhhh apologies... i might do one big answer post idk #anyways. tldr P4 dancing is a great game

[vrishchikawrites]

Anon asks - There was another idea I had seen on @crossdressingdeath's tumblr where JC's reputation was ruined because of his behaviour and WWX's attempts to protect him from the consequences of his behaviour. The concept happens pre Qiongqi Path where JC attacks WWX to the point it injures and frightens him. A passerby sees WWX startled and asks him what's wrong but WWX dismisses it as nothing. Said bystander ends up thinking that JC had sexually assaulted him resulting in the cultivation world gossiping about JC being a rapist when really he isn't. Overall, the cultivation world gossips about the other shitty things JC had done and because he did alot of pretty bad things, he can't defend himself and resorts to victim blaming WWX. That however only has him dig a deeper hole for himself. WWX, on the other hand is left confused as to why everybody was pitying him all of a sudden when they used to hate and/or fear him. By the time the truth comes to light, the cultivation world thinks JC had deserved it anyway with it ending with JC hated just for him being himself and public opinion on WWX flipping. If you don't mind, can you make it light-hearted?

(Probably not as light-hearted as you would wish. It is a bit complicated. Be a little gentle because I wrote this twice and ended up fleshing it out much more. Is this a short prompt or a long one? who knows. writer is tired. she will sleep now.)

Everyone has personal boundaries, even people who are usually tactile and social. Boundaries exist even between family members who love and trust each other.

Wei Wuxian is a veteran fresh from war. He has survived bloody battlefields, spent days dealing with one hostile enemy after another. Even before that, he had spent his days constantly battling resentful ghosts and monsters in a place he can’t bear thinking of now. Before that, he had survived torture at the hands of the Wens. And before-

Better not to think about it.

So, when Jiang Cheng presses up against him threateningly, his face twisted and eyes furious, Wei Wuxian can’t help but flinch. He takes a step back and puts some distance between them quickly. Jiang Cheng has grown increasingly bitter and discontent in these past few months and Wei Wuxian is getting tired of dealing with it. He doesn’t want to be in such close proximity with a man seething with fury.

Unfortunately, that reaction proves to be a mistake because Jiang Cheng follows him, “What? Are you too big for us now? Turning away from me in disgust now that you’re a war hero and the best of us?” Jiang Cheng is so close, their noses almost touch and Wei Wuxian feels his hair stand on end in response.

“Jiang Cheng,” He says lowly, something unsettling stirring in his chest. He feels almost anxious. His heart is racing and the proximity makes him feel like he’s trapped, “Back away.”

“Back away?” Jiang Cheng snarls, “Who are you to command me, Wei Wuxian? Do you know what people are saying about YunmengJiang? Do you know who-”

“Back away,” Wei Wuxian says tightly, his skin crawling, “Now.” His hard-earned instincts are sounding alarms. He feels threatened and provoked. He feels the resentful energy in him respond to the danger.

“What are you going to do? Send a few ghosts at me?” He sneers, “Try it! We’ll see how brave you are under the wrath of my Zidian.”

No. Wei Wuxian isn’t going to just stand here and let Jiang Cheng pick up Yu-furen’s habits, He’s just about to react, to give Jiang Cheng the thrashing he clearly desires when he realizes they are outside. He glances beyond his Sect Leader’s shoulder and sees a small group of three clad in bright white looking at them with wide eyes.

He bites back his angry retort and masters himself. He’s not going to squabble with Jiang Cheng in front of Lan disciples. His relationship with Lan Zhan is strained as it is.

“We’re in public,” He says, hoping that concern for his Sect’s reputation would move Jiang Cheng if concern for Wei Wuxian doesn’t.

Jiang Cheng looks over his shoulder and sneers at the Lan disciples before rolling his head, “Lans, of course.” He snarls and pushes Wei Wuxian away roughly, “I’ll deal with you later.”

Wei Wuxian takes a deep breath and watches his brother leave.

The Lan disciples are still looking at him with heartwarming concern. He waves at them with a smile and watches as they start like little ducklings and bow to him before fleeing.

Cute.

---

“We have to do something!” Lan Zhanxiao insists, “Did you see how he looked? Wei Wuxian was clearly trying to-”

“Shh! Keep your voice down!” Lan Lishan reprimands.

“Don’t say his name!” Lan Guan whispers urgently, looking around in a panic. There are already a few curious and interested eyes glancing in their direction. Wei Wuxian is a notorious name, after all. Even non-cultivators are interested in the man who had just a material impact on the war. It is hard to tell if they would’ve won without that powerful unorthodox cultivator on their side.

“We can’t just stand by and do nothing,” Lan Zhanxiao, always the righteous one, continues. He doesn’t care about the people around them, “If Wei Wuxian is hurt and we do nothing to prevent it, aren’t we culpable as well?”

“This is Wei Wuxian. Who would dare?” Lan Guan asks incredulously, “He is one of the most powerful cultivators in existence.”

“Is he?” Zhanxiao demands, “Doesn’t everyone know he’s very loyal to Jiang-zongzhu? Would he take a step against him? Even if it meant saving himself?”

“He should be building his own sect,” Lan Lishan says reluctantly, “He’s the Grandmaster of his cultivation form. It may be an unorthodox method, but it is still something new and entirely unique.” He would know. Lan Lishan is an avid student of history and cultivation theory. He knows that most cultivators with unique abilities tend to form their own sect to pass their teachings down.

He shudders at the prospect of cultivating resentful energy but Wei Wuxian has mentioned it is a technique people with absent or damaged Golden Cores can use.

The potential is almost limitless.

“See what I mean?” Lan Zhanxiao points out, “Hasn’t he been isolated from other cultivators because they fear his methods? If Jiang-zongzhu is really hurting him or…” He grimaces and lowers his voice, “That expression, Shan-ge, it reminds me of jiejie. What if Jiang-zongzhu is… doing something inappropriate?”

They all exchange alarmed glances, “You don’t think…?” Lan Guan breathes, horrified.

“He was scrambling to get away,” Lan Zhanxiao says, “And Jiang-zongzhu kept pressing-”

“We can’t talk about this here,” Lan Lishan says firmly, “Come, let’s leave.”

Unfortunately, they leave chaos behind.

---

Rumors are a powerful entity in the cultivation world. They are born in tea and wine houses, spread from one tradesman to another and spread to the far reaches of cultivation society in a matter of months.

The rumors about Jiang’ Wanyin’s treatment of a war hero are no exception to this rule. People gossip about it with their friends and neighbors, share the news with vendors while on errands, and the rumors continue to grow. With every retelling, the story changes, growing increasingly distorted and vile.

“The entire business is unpleasant,” A small clan cultivator says to one of his tradesman friends, “Jealousy really alters a man.” He speaks about old rumors then, speculations about Wei Wuxian’s parentage, Madam Yu’s wrath, and the Jiang heir’s relatively lackluster growth in comparison to his prodigious shixiong.

“Surely not,” Another cultivator scoffs, “Who would dare raise a hand against Wei Wuxian? Did he not decimate a large Wen battalion with just his flute and some music?”

“Merchants at Lotus Pier say Wei Wuxian always looks wan and tired these days. He has grown pale.” One woman whispers to her companion, “He spends more time in wine houses with ghost maidens than in the comfort of his rebuilt home.”

“It seems so improbable!” A young cultivator protests, “Why would Jiang-zongzhu provoke the sleeping dragon like this? Wei Wuxian is stable now but who knows when he will give into resentment?”

“Lan disciples saw it.”

And that’s the crux of the matter. If the rumor didn’t originate from Lan disciples, it might not have traveled so far. Lans are known for their honest and forthright nature, after all. What cause did they have to lie? And no Lan spoke carelessly, so their words must be the whole truth, without any exaggeration.

Because Lans are the source, everything they say is taken as fact. If one Lan disciple finds Jiang-zongzhu’s behavior horribly inappropriate then it must be. If another Lan is worried about Wei Wuxian’s safety, there must be a just cause.

The rumors spread and propagate, and soon almost the entirety of the cultivation world is aware of them.

---

Gossip is forbidden at Cloud Recesses. Disciples are usually discouraged from meddling in other sect business. Rumor-mongering is punished severely, with all parties involved facing the wrath of the disciple whip.

But Lans are raised to be righteous and compassionate. If someone is in trouble, a Lan must act. He must offer a helping hand and take the victim away from danger.

When the rumors reach Caiyi Town and land on the ear of one Lan Ruyao, he hesitates. He asks around, gets more information, and then rushes back to Cloud Recesses, intent on knowing it all.

Lan Ruyao seeks the three disciples that are the cause of it all and demands an explanation, his mind disturbed with worry. What he hears gives him no comfort for he cannot discard their concerns. The behavior they describe is alarming and their observations are precise, without any emotion clouding their judgment.

Lan Lishan narrates the incident in detail, describing every action with no embellishment or exaggeration. He speaks of Wei Wuxian’s retreat, of Jiang Wanyin’s insistence, the threat of whipping, and words spoken with cruelty and disrespect.

Lan Ruyao’s mind is disturbed as he retreats, absentmindedly assigning some lines to the junior disciples. They have erred by being so indiscreet but their cause is righteous. They don’t deserve severe punishment.

He meditates on the matter for an entire morning, trying to decide on a course of action.

You see, Lan Ruyao is Lan Wangji’s peer. He has known the Second Jade for many years, and while they are not close, they are of the same clan. The entire cultivation world may believe Lan Wangji hates Wei Wuxian, but Ruyao knows better. The Second Jade wouldn’t have been so insistent on bringing Wei Wuxian to Gusu if he didn’t care.

Lan Ruyao suspects both of them hold each other in some esteem. They have saved each other’s sides many times and seem to get along well when they’re not quarreling. He believes that they are friends.

It would be unwise to keep this from Lan Wangji.

Decision made, he quickly requests a private meeting with the Second Jade. The request is granted promptly and soon Lan Ruyao finds himself before his peer, readying himself for a difficult conversation.

The Second Jade listens to his piece without any interruption, his expression blank and beautiful as white jade. But his golden eyes are twin chips of flint, coldly furious.

Indeed, they are friends.

Lan Wangji summons the three junior disciples and questions them thoroughly. His demeanor becomes frostier as the interview progresses, his spiritual energy gaining a deadly edge when the juniors murmur of ‘inappropriate behavior.’

“You have my gratitude,” Lan Wangji says finally, bowing to him and nodding to the juniors, “Rest assured, I will address the matter directly.”

---

“Lan Zhan, wait!” Wei Wuxian protests as Lan Zhan drags him away by the elbow, his uncharacteristic behavior taking him by surprise, “Don’t take him so seriously, Lan Zhan! You know he’s a temperamental brat.”

Lan Zhan doesn’t say anything until they are a fair distance away from Jiang Cheng and the Lotus Pier. Wei Wuxian tries to get an explanation for such unusual behavior but his companion is entirely silent, guiding him towards a crop of trees that offer some semblance of privacy.

“How long have you borne this?” Lan Zhan asks once they stop walking, his golden eyes bright and fierce, “How long have you endured without speaking a word to me or your friends?”

“All my life,” He rolls his eyes, “You know Jiang Cheng has a temper and says careless things, Lan Zhan. Don’t worry, I know how to handle him.”

“All your life?” Somehow, Lan Zhan seems stricken, “Wei Ying!”

“Aiya, Lan Zhan,” Honestly, he is moved by Lan Zhan’s concern for him. They have spent so many years just quarreling and being distrustful towards each other. The concern is a pleasant distraction from the wretched state of their relationship, “Don’t worry about it. I can deal with everything Jiang Cheng throws at me.”

“How can you be so callous about your own well-being?” Lan Zhan asks, his tone betraying his dismay, “Do you not care-” He visibly bites back those angry words and calms himself, his voice taking on a gentler note, “Did you think I would not help? That your friends wouldn’t offer you shelter or protection?”

Really, this is a bit of an overreaction, isn’t it?

“Do I really have any friends left, Lan Zhan?” He asks casually but the reaction he receives is anything but casual. Lan Zhan’s eyes widen as though he has been struck, “Aiya, please don’t look like that,” Wei Wuxian feels a stir of panic because Lan Zhan looks almost hurt, “I’m just being a brat.”

“Have a care,” Lan Zhan says, “Your dismissal of this matter doesn’t put me at ease.”

“Lan Zhan,” He sighs, “I’m used to it. You saw how we were at Cloud Recesses. Did I look unusually troubled then?”

“You’ve become… accustomed to it?” Lan Zhan asks, once again looking uncharacteristically stricken. Wei Wuxian feels a stir of concern in his stomach and reaches out, placing a hand on the Second Jade’s arm, “You’re accustomed to it.”

Not knowing what to do in response to such open emotion from Lan Zhan, he looks for something to distract him. Immediately, his mind remembers an old promise, “Let’s focus on something more pleasant. It’s about time you saw Lotus Pier in its full glory, Lan Zhan! I want to show you all of my favorite places, including all of the trees I climbed!”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan’s voice is low and pained.

Wei Wuxian’s smile softens as he tugs on the Second Jade’s arm, “Don’t think of unpleasant things, Lan Zhan. It’s a beautiful day and we haven’t seen each other in months! Let’s be happy, alright?”

Wei Wuxian feels a jolt of surprise as Lan Zhan raises a hand and covers his fingers, squeezing gently. The touch is warm and reassuring, and it sets Wei his heart racing.

Lan Zhan studies him for a long moment before dipping his head elegantly, his grip on Wei Wuxian’s fingers still firm and steady, “If Wei Ying wishes it,” He promises, “I will make it so.”

Oh.

---

It all comes to a head at the Discussion Conference. Wei Wuxian is accustomed to being the center of attention these days but the quality of that attention is different now. Instead of wary glances, he sees eyes filled with sympathy and tentative smiles of welcome.

Wei Wuxian being Wei Wuxian, ignores the nagging suspicion that lingers at the back of his mind and smiles brightly back at them.

That seems to make things worse because the looks of sympathy seem to somehow intensify. He even sees a few women blink their limpid eyes and turn away, as though disguising tears. Somewhat alarmed, he glances at Jiang Cheng and winces.

His martial brother is bristling with anger. There’s a thundercloud-like expression on his face as he meets every eye in the room with a clear challenge.

If glances towards him are filled with sympathy, those towards Jiang Cheng are filled with contempt and disapproval. Between that and Lan Zhan’s protective hovering, Wei Wuxian is at the end of his patience.

He needs answers and he needs them now before the situation can escalate somehow.

Baffled by the situation, Wei Wuxian looks around and finds the most reliable source of gossip he can find. “What is going on?” He demands as soon as he is at Nie Huiasang’s side, “Why are people glaring at Jiang Cheng like he’s a fierce corpse?”

Nie Huaisang waves his fan, his expression a strange mix of amusement and grim satisfaction. For one, his old friend doesn’t hide behind his usual prevarications. He glances around the room and seems to catch someone’s eye. Wei Wuxian follows that gaze only to blink as Lan Zhan walks sedately towards them, expression stern and disapproving, “Do you know what’s going on, Lan Zhan?”

The Second Jade remains silent, his eyes fixed on Jiang Cheng. Wei Wuxian sighs in frustration and glares at Nie Huaisang, “Nie-xiong, what?”

His curt tone is enough to snape Nie Huaisang out of his musings. The man smiles wryly behind his fan, “Ah, Wei-xiong,” He waves his free hand, “There has been some speculation about your relationship with-”

“Why don’t you speak up?” A loud voice asks and Wei Wuxian turns around, “Why don’t you defend Wei Wuxian, Jiang-zongzhu? You’re going to let people slander your loyal Head Disciple so boldly?”

It’s Wang Jin, the Sect Leader of Runan Wang Clan. The man’s face is twisted in rage and disgust as he stares at Jiang Cheng. Wei Wuxian frowns, ready to step forward and stand by Jiang Cheng in such a hostile environment.

Lan Zhan’s hand on his arm stops him.

He looks at the Second Jade questioningly but the man just shakes his head, “Wait.”

“Why should he defend him?” An annoying Jin pipes up, his voice sharp and mocking, “We know what Wei Wuxian is! He may pretend to be loyal on the surface, but he is nothing but a faithless dog-”

“Jin Zixun!” Nie Mingjue snaps, “I will not have you insult one of our men in my presence! He fought and bled on our side.”

Nie Mingjue’s words silence him and Jin Guangyao speaks up soothingly as Wei Wuxian frowns, studying the scene with keen eyes, “Let us all calm down. I’m sure Wang-zongzhu means well.” He smiles placidly, “There have been rumors, just a bit of gossip about Wei-gongzi speaking ill of Jiang-zongzhu.” Wei Wuxian tilts his head to the side, mind whirling.

He refuses to be angry. There’s something about this situation that has his instincts rattled. He needs to focus.

“The Hanguang-jin himself said they were lies. Wei Wuxian has never spoken ill of Jiang Wanyin!” Well, that’s not entirely true. He is certain he has called Jiang Cheng a temperamental brat in Lan Zhan’s presence more than once. “Jiang-zongzhu should know better than to-”

“Why does Jiang-zongzhu need to do anything for that man?” Jin Zixun demands and Wei Wuxian feels a stir of amusement. All of this drama on his account? He’s honored.

“What kind of Sect Leader is he?” Wang-zongzhu asks, fuming, “If he doesn’t even defend his own Head Disciple? Has he not brought glory to YungmengJiang? Doesn’t the Sect owe him a debt of gratitude?” Wei Wuxian winces and Jiang Cheng’s expression turns stony, “If you want to talk of rumors, why not discuss the other rumors?” Wang-zongzhu turns to Jiang Cheng with a scowl, “Is he not your brother in all but blood? Didn’t the former Jiang-zongzhu raise Wei Wuxian as his nephew? Is this how YunmengJiang treats its brightest disciple? How will you face Jiang Fengmian, Jiang-zongzhu?”

Wei Wuxian bites back a groan as Jiang Cheng’s expression darkens with fury. This is the absolute worst thing to say to his martial brother.

“Why is he so concerned about this?” Wei Wuxian asks, almost to himself.

Nie Huiasang leans in and whispers in his ear, “His sisters were… assaulted by the Wens.”

Wei Wuxian feels a shudder crawl down his spine and shakes his head. Those disgusting wretches deserved the death he inflicted on them.

He still doesn’t understand what this has to do with him.

He glances at Lan Zhan, he is looking at the scene with his usual frosty expression, giving nothing away. He looks ahead to see Jiang Cheng ready to erupt and frowns. “Lan Zhan, I need to… help, somehow.”

“Wei Ying needs to do nothing.”

He’s about to protest when Jiang Cheng finally snaps, “Glory to YunmengJiang? He has brought nothing but devastation to it!” Wei Wuxian flinches and Lan Zhan steps forward and to the side, pointedly placing himself between the two Jiang Sect cultivators, “YunmengJiang has always been glorious. My ancestors bled and fought for it! We earned our glory through centuries of cultivation and diligence! I owe him a debt? Wei Wuxian owes me the lives of my parents! He provoked the Wens to save Lan Wangji’s life and I lost my family because of it!”

“Jiang-zongzhu, perhaps-”

“Shut up!” Jiang Cheng interrupted Jin Guangyao, “How I treat my Head Disciple is none of your business.”

“It is very much our business if you’re abusing him,” Nie Mingjue says and it silences everyone.

Wei Wuxian is… dumbfounded. He feels like he’s just a mass of confusion at this point because nothing about this situation makes sense. “Abuse?” He whispers harshly to Nie Huaisang, grabbing his arm to drag him away to a quieter corner, “Nie Huaisang, what is going on? Jiang Cheng doesn’t abuse me!”

“Does he not?” It is Lan Zhan who speaks, his expression solemn, “Truly, Wei Ying? Does he not abuse you?”

“Of course, not-”

“So he didn’t threaten you with Zidian?” Nie Huaisang asks, “Or try to physically intimidate you while you were clearly trying to step away?”

Wei Wuxian frowns, “Well yes, but that is just him being angry! He does that all the time.”

“That is no comfort to us.” Lan Zhan says stiffly.

“Didn’t he push you away several times? We have accounts from people who saw you fall to the ground.” Nie Huaisang’s expression is unusually stern, “Didn’t he seek to isolate you from everyone? Didn’t he keep telling you Wangji-xiong hated you?”

“Wangji-xiong gave every impression of hating me.” Wei Wuxian firmly denies, “Let us not attribute that particular error to someone else.”

“Indeed,” Lan Zhan nods graciously, as expected. He wouldn’t be Lan Zhan if he didn’t accept his own mistakes without hesitation.

“Wei-xiong,” Nie Huaisang tucks his fan away and he sees Lan Zhan focus on that, his eyes suddenly sharp, “He has been saying the same thing since you were at Cloud Recesses. He has always dragged you away from Lan Wangji. You saved Lan Wangji and Jin Zixuan’s lives. Why is he so intent on our Second Jade, hmm?”

Wei Wuxian shakes his head, “You’re making this unnecessarily complicated.” He says, “On the surface, all of these actions appear wrong but the intent behind them isn’t cruel.”

“Your love for him blinds you.” Wei Wuxian narrows his eyes sharply at his old friend, “If er-ge treated Wangji-xiong like that, you’d be furious. Just the threat of da-ge whipping would have you reaching for your flute.”

“Huaisang-”

“Did you think we wouldn’t feel the same way?”

Wei Wuxian studies him and Lan Zhan, realizing they are utterly serious. Concerned and a bit baffled, he looks at Jiang Cheng over his shoulder, only to find him nose to nose with Wang-zongzhu. “Heavens,” He breathes and steps forward, determined to intervene.

“You think what?” Jiang Cheng’s voice is full of disgust, “You… you think I have… that I’m some disgusting cutsleeve?!”

Wait, what?

“How dare you?! I would never touch a man!”

“Is that what he’s focusing on?” Nie Huaisang asks incredulously.

For once, Wei Wuxian has nothing to say.

---

It takes a few weeks for fresh rumors to make their rounds. People now know that Jiang Wanyin hasn’t behaved inappropriately with his martial brother, but that doesn’t make much difference.

The cultivation world, in general, still believes that Jiang Cheng’s behavior is abhorrent. Wei Wuxian is tempted to point out the hypocrisy of their words but knows it is futile. Once the masses make up their minds about something, few can persuade them to think otherwise. Jiang Cheng’s reputation has been tainted forever and there’s little they can do about it.

Unfortunately, this issue has also cemented the break between Wei Wuxian and his Sect Leader. There’s nothing that can repair the relationship now. He feels a pang of loss but he had already resigned himself to that when he had given away his Golden Core.

Fortunately, it seems he has some options available.

“Come to Gusu with me,” Lan Zhan says, his tone softer, his voice imploring, “Please.” This time, Wei Wuxian can’t mistake his intent. Lan Zhan’s reaction to the entire mess made one thing very clear to him.

Lan Wangji cares about him.

Isn’t that something? Never in his life did Wei Wuxian think he would be in such a position. He had always assumed Jiang Cheng would be by his side and Lan Wangji would stand against him. But everything is different now.

Wei Wuxian thinks of his childhood home, thinks of a life that has been irrevocably changed, and sinks in those memories for a brief moment. Despite what everyone thinks, there have been some good times. He doesn’t regret the course his life took when he was welcomed to the Lotus Pier by Jiang Fengmian.

He lingers, briefly, on regret,

Then, he shrugs it off and looks into the golden eyes of his future with a grin, “I’ll come to Gusu with you, Lan Zhan.”

And that’s that.

#short prompts #wei wuxian #lan wangji #mentions of abuse #anti jiang cheng #nie huaisang #too tired for tags

[tomorrowsdrama]

2020 Year in Thirst Pt. 2

Sometimes, I will watch a drama for the plot/premise/substance and be rewarded with a surprise hottie, and it’s the best feeling ever!  It’s like finding money in your pocket that you didn’t know about.  The following list of dramas can be described as:

Came for the plot, was rewarded with a surprising side of thirst

1. Flower of Evil

Brief Summary: Lee Jun Ki plays Baek Hee Sung and Moon Chae Won plays Cha Ji Won, his wife who is also a detective.  What Ji Won doesn’t know is that her husband, Hee Sung, is actually Hyun Soo, a man on the run from a murder that he did not commit and also a suspected accomplice to a series of murders committed by his father in the past.  Oh yeah, his dad secretly tried to groom him into being his protege/murder partner.  Because of how he was raised, HS believes that he has no emotions and is simply putting on an act as the perfect husband and father.  His “parents” are in on the ruse and are actually the ones who forced him into assuming their comatose son’s identity.  Anyway, of course things from the past start to catch up with HS and his wife is somehow assigned to investigating his old murder case.  She of course feels betrayed, but also conflicted as she discovers her husband is not who he said he was and a prime murder suspect.  Things get even more complicated as the real murderer re-appears with fabulous long hair and tries to frame HS for the murders.  In between all of this are delicious make outs between the couple and at least one instance where they banged so hard, HS was wiped out the next morning.

Surprise Thirst Factor: I checked out this drama fully expecting to drop it because the promos were so misleading and unappealing. But boy was I in for a pleasant surprise!  Not only was the drama super addicting, it also had some nice eye candy in the form of Lee Jun Ki being a completely unrealistic house husband who satisfies in the housework (The man cooks and does the laundry!), childcare, and bedroom and Kim Ji Hoon’s glorious mane of beauty making viewers have a moral crisis over lusting after a homicidal maniac (who turned out to be a real loser without murder daddy around to clean up his mess.  It’s ok, we’ll always have his hair).

Yes, work that hair honey.  It’s the only good thing you’ve got going on for you (the character, not Kim Ji Hoon)

The chemistry between Lee Jun Ki and Moon Chae Won was fire and the make out scenes were soo believable.  Like yes, these two beautiful people are really into being married to each other and understandably want to make out all the time. 

He’s the primary caretaker for their daughter and it’s just *swoons.*  Not all thirst traps come in the form of sexy abs (although I would not mind if he wanted to flash some).

2. Six Flying Dragons

Brief Summary: The story of young Yi Bang Won (who later becomes King Taejong) and the founding of the Joseon Dynasty.  As short as it sounds, that really is an accurate summary of the drama haha.

Surprise Thirst Factor: I started watching this drama because I heard it was a great sageuk and I’m a big fan of Yoo Ah In.  Even though I’m a fan of his acting, Yoo Ah In doesn’t necessarily get my hormones raging so I wasn’t expecting to be so thirsty while watching Six Flying Dragons.  But then.  BUT THEN.  Byun Yo Han showed up in all his scruffy tortured deadly killer glory and my hormones woke up and said hi, hello, who are you, what’s your name, what’s your sign, can I get your number?  The deadlier and more tortured his character got, the sexier he became to me.  Sorry Yoo Ah In, you’ll always be my acting boo, but Byun Yo Han’s got my thirst.  Byun Yo Han looks so good when he's sad and/or covered in blood, it makes me feel like a sadist for thinking that I wouldn’t mind if the drama made his character cry some more.

3. Ever Night S1

Brief Summary: As a child, Ning Que witnessed his entire household get massacred because of a prophecy that the child of Hades will be born from the house and bring about the Eternal Night.  Somehow, he managed to escape and was the lone survivor.  He finds a baby buried in a pile of dead bodies as he’s fleeing and names her Sang Sang.  The two orphans grow up inseparable from each other and do whatever it takes to survive in the harsh, cruel world.  Ning Que earns money by becoming a deadly mercenary and Sang Sang takes care of the household affairs.  At one point, Ning Que becomes a disciple of the powerful Fu Zi and somehow gets entangled in the struggles between the Holy Sect and Demon Sect.  A bunch of beautiful women fall for Ning Que, and the drama tries its hardest to convince us that he has chemistry with and reciprocates the feelings of one of them (i.e. Mo Shan Shan), but anybody who was even half paying attention knows that the only one for Ning Que is Sang Sang.  They are the OTP of all OTPs and take “ride or die” to a whole other level. Oh also, their height difference is the stuff manga dreams are made of. Ning Que is a “good guy” but also not a “good guy” in the sense that he is not above doing whatever it takes to seek revenge and is only out for himself and Sang Sang (and later, his older brothers and sisters from the academy).

Surprise Thirst Factor: Chen Feiyu is an attractive person but I could not in good conscience thirst after him because he was literally born in the year 2000.  It did not help that he was only 18 when he filmed Ever Night and looked every bit his age.  My thirst may have no shame, but it does have its own set of principles and one of those principles is thou shalt not lust after those born in the new millennium!  Luckily for me, Second Brother is played by Dylan Kuo who is a beautiful, elegant, tall man

and Brother Chao is exactly the type of rugged and manly that I am into.  

(you don’t have to be)

who looks better when wet

AHEM. Yeah.

Sixth Brother is also not so bad with his scanty pounding work attire,

4. Novoland: Eagle Flag

Brief Summary:  Asule is the prince of a tribe in the grasslands who is held as a royal guest (i.e. hostage) in the Eastland Empire.  There he meets his two future best friends, Yu Ran, a free spirited princess who is descended from a race of bird people, and Ji Ye, an emo neglected/shunned son of a concubine who is probably the best fighter in the empire.  Ji Ye loves Yu Ran who is a ball of sunshine to his Johnny Raincloud dark emo self.  Yu Ran loves Ji Ye back.  Asule loves both his friends and will do anything to protect them.  The world decides to fuck over best friends Asule, Ji Ye, and Yu Ran for no reason as they try their best to just live a peaceful life away from all the political scheming and fighting.

Surprise Thirst-worthiness: I was completely content with enjoying Eagle Flag purely for its story and substance.  It’s seriously a wonderful, yet heartbreaking drama and the scale of the production is amazing.  No cheap $10 costumes here.  Also, the direction is beautiful/artistic and not the run of mill “let’s shoot it and complete it as fast as we can.”  The two main actors were cute, but not really my type.  Then the drama decided to give Ji Ye the “Sexy Bloody Tormented Killer Makeover” and all of a sudden your girl was rushing to MDL to check Chen Ruo Xuan’s birthday and calculating his age.  I am simple, predictable, and consistent when it comes to my thirst and give a character some scruff, long hair, angst, and some bloodlust and I’m all yours.  I am literally:

Is it wrong that when Ji Ye showed up looking like this ready to kill his mother’s torturer

I thought, yes, can we have him kill another? 

5. Run On

Brief Summary: Im Siwan plays Ki Seon Geom, a national track runner from a rich family who is a bit of an oddball and marches to his own beat.  Although his words can sometimes be construed as rude since he has no filter, they are also completely honest and have no hidden meaning.  He also has his own personal code that he lives by and he will stick to it no matter how negatively it may impact himself.  He meets Oh Mi Joo, a translator with her own strange quirks and sparks fly as Mi Joo is assigned to be his interpreter.  

Surprise Thirst-worthiness: I kind of watched this drama by accident.  I had read about Im Siwan starring in a new drama but nothing I saw from the description or promos for Run On appealed to me.  Nor did it give me any information about what the drama would be about.  Then one day, I just happened to be browsing Netflix for something to play in the  background and decided on Run on since I thought I wouldn’t be that invested.  What a happy accident that turned out to be because I’m so in love with this drama right now.  This is a case where the thirst does not stem from the character’s physical appearance, but from the intensity/charisma the actor brings to the character and the character himself.  Ki Seon Geom is so odd, but so appealing at the same time and Im Siwan is so magnetic in the role.  Prior to Run On, Im Siwan wasn’t really my type physically.  In fact, I always scratched my head whenever people called him handsome in dramas (I know, I know, forgive me).  So color me shocked when I found myself swooning all over Im Siwan in the second episode of Run On.  Now, it’s like I have “Im Siwan is attractive” glasses on and he looks attractive in everything to me.  I want to gobble up all the dramas he’s been in.

#flower of evil #lee jun ki #six flying dragons #byun yo han #ever night #novoland eagle flag #run on #jtbc run on #im siwan #kdrama #cdrama

[tuancore]

Purple Hearts || { Part 2} :

Starring- Jinyoung x reader.

Genre- Angst | Non- Idol AU , Disorder AU

Summary- I will continue to love you for as long as I'm breathing but I won't let my love come in between your happiness.

*GIF not mine, credits to the owner*

You ended up beside your brother on the table where he and BamBam were munching chicken as if they have straight away come from stone age after fasting for a whole damn century.

"Woah Woah! You guys are that hungry", You spoke eyes lingering on their plates and mouths.

"Chicken unleashes hunger Noona" BamBam smiled dabbing with two chicken legs between his slender fingers, "Thanks for showing the practical of that self-quote", You said, passing him a non humourous smile.

"Nuh-uh it's not self-quote, it's my stomach's motto", He smiled heavenly looking up to the open sky where stars were glimmering everywhere, "Oh My cute stomach..".

Confused you and Yugyeom followed BamBam's gaze to the sky asking, "Is your stomach up there?".

Ignoring your rhetorical question, he praised "Chicken-ie and tummy, what a couple?".

"Noooo they should be soulmates, feeding our stomachs chicken sounds like match made in heaven", Yugyeom joining BamBam staring at the stars.

You shot both of them a wierd look before walking away from there, because if you stayed with them for one more second, you'll end up in the mental asylum. No doubts they are best friends.

You were about to ask for another glass of orange juice when the sudden call of your name made your steps halt, turning around you found yourself smiling widely walking towards the person, hugging her.

"Aigoo, You're looking so ravishing dear", She muttered hugging you gently, "I thought you won't come and meet me so I decided to look for you myself".

"Aunt Park—".

"I think I've told you to call me Eomma", She cut in with soft smile, "That would be a little informal, don't you think?", You fired back a smile plastered on your face.

"Who cares about that? I am like a second mother to you, Am I not?" She asked with a pout.

"Of course you are!" You pouted back, pulling the lady's cheeks, "But I would prefer aunt better for now".

"You've been saying the same thing for seventeen years now, but I'll not budge you anymore. Because after getting married to my son you are going to call me Eomma anyways till then I'll wait", The lady chimed with hopeful eyes which almost scared you.

"Marrying your son?", It came out of your lips in a whisper but she was quite good at catching it.

"Of course, you will be the only one marrying my son", She laughed.

"What if he get himself a girl who is more suitable for him than me?", You know you shouldn't ask such types of questions to his mother but you couldn't help it, your mouth was blurting your thoughts without processing.

"I think— No actually I believe that there's no girl who's more suitable for Jinyoung other than you", She assured rubbing circles on your palm.

Her words piercing through your heart, your heart started to race making your mouth go dry. Jinyoung's mother has known you since you were just eight after your family shifted to his neighbourhood.

Like any other bestfriends, you and Jinyoung were inseperable. You never had a real friend because of your father's business as he kept on moving from one place to another. However when you met Jinyoung, you both instantly hit it off which was not only surprising for you but Jinyoung as well.

One day playing with him in his backyard in his treehouse, he started crying and you asked whether you did anything to hurt him, but he hugged you tightly pouring his heart out.

"You know you are like my first real friend", he stated pulling your cheeks, displaying all your side teeth, his eyes still watery.

"Why? Didn't you have a real friend before?" You managed to speak. Shaking his head he expressed, "I don't know. All the boys and girls in my class always say that I'm too rich and that they don't want to be my friend they also make fun of me because I can't interact with anyone without....what do we call that?".

"That what?", You croaked out with your cheeks still in his grasp, "That when you don't..like you shy around and your voice comes out in parts".

"Shying around?" You answered in excitement.

"No you silly, it was a big word I don't remember", he said leaving your cheeks but held your ears but never pulling them, "Whenever they see me they laugh and throw things at me I don't like that, it makes me cry".

"Nope! You shouldn't cry anymore....I'm your bestfriend, I won't let anyone hurt you in anyway, you don't have to cry I'll protect you from those small evil kids!" You declared with a serious expression.

"Promise me that you'll always be my bestfriend and will always stay by my side", He asked extending his pinky finger towards you which you gladly accepted intertwining your pinky finger with his, "I'll always be with you, trust me".

Shaking your shoulders lightly, Mrs. Park asked "What were you thinking?".

"Umm... nothing".

"Oh well why are you alone over here? I thought you and Jinyoung were together", She asked furrowing her brows waiting for your reply.

"Actually he was with me but I had to come because— Yu—Yugyeom was looking for me", You somehow managed to get that lie slip.

____________

After the celebration ended, there were only Jinyoung's family members and his close friends who stayed back as Jinyoung requested them to.

"Go away, don't even dare to come near me you both with chickens in your mouth!" You shouted at Yugyeom and BamBam who were unbelievably still consuming different chicken items.

"Looks like they were starving the entire day", Jaebeom laughed from behind shaking his head slightly occupying the empty seat beside you.

"Day? They are clearly among those stone age men which we have studied during our history classes", You sighed rolling your yes back.

You were close with all of Jinyoung's friends. They knew about Jinyoung and Somi being friends but never did they expect Jinyoung to fall in love with Somi.

"Attention everybody!" Jinyoung's loud voice cut through everyone's gossips, he stood right on top of the staircase of his mansion while others were downstairs. Since the party was already over there was no need for family members to stand in night breeze.

"I would like to announce something very important", He beamed with one of the brightest grin you've ever seen, everyone's face was filled with confusion while you can exactly tell what he was going to do, even when your heart was bleeding but your face had one of the beautiful smiles.

"Today is probably one of the best day of my life", His voice laced with sheer excitement although he was trying to come out to be a little calm, "Since you all have always bugged me for not being in love with anyone....So today I want you all to meet the love of my life, the girl I've loved for a long time now, she's always supported me, has always been there for me, helped me, cared for me.....and....and my parents and my friends know her very well".

With that everyone's eyes were on you which made you want to run away and hide yourself in the farthest corner of the world and never come back, but you tried your very best to keep that smiling facade.

"He's definitely talking about you", Jaebeom stated proudly from beside while Yugyeom and BamBam smirked at you same goes for Jackson.

"And there she is....", He pointed in your direction, everyone clapping happily, "The Love of my life.....Somi", slowly the clapping dying down at the mention of Somi's name.

Somi stood up from her seat which was right behind your table, Jinyoung's parents had a frown on their faces while Jaebeom, Jackson, Yugyeom and BamBam looked pale, their souls leaving their bodies as they were handed with the most shocking news of the time.

Jinyoung pulled Somi towards him kissing her knuckles lovingly gifting her the softest look ever. Although your heart hammered against your chest you stared at them with a neutral gaze.

"I know you all might be shocked that I'm introducing her out of the blue, but yeah she is the one for me, she's the one that I need in my life, she's my girl and we've decided to get married in three months".

You were aware that this was going to come sooner or later, you smiled widely as soon as your eyes locked with Jinyoung's. Jaebeom held your hand under the table trying to calm you as your body trembled slightly.

"I love you Somi", He said aloud resting their foreheads together while their hands were intertwined with eachother, the diamond ring shining on Somi's ring finger.

"I love you too Jinyoung", She replied softly.

Jinyoung's mother watched you intently, she noticed the wide smile on your face which your were brilliantly faking for his son's sake when in real you were beyond hurt. That's when it clicked her, the way the glow of your face died down when she talked about you and Jinyoung getting married and your negative replies only proved her assumptions correct.

"You shouldn't have done this to yourself", she mumbled, still her eyes fixed on your form.

Part 1 | Master list | Part 3 |

______________________________________

#got7 imagines #got7 jinyoung #got7 x reader #jinyoung imagines #got7 angst #got7 bambam #got7 jackson #got7 jaebeom #got7 mark #got7 youngjae #got7 yugyeom #jinyoung fluff #jinyoung angst #jinyoung x reader #jinyoung fanfic #jinyoung x you

[disasterbialert]

So, I finished The Untamed and ok ok I think I have collected most of my thoughts about it. (I’m late, so I guess these thoughts don’t really matter, but I wanted to put them somewhere and here seemed like the place.) SO here’s a post absolutely NO ONE WANTS and imma do it anyway cool cool.

Firstly: love. This entire show is about love. Obviously other things too ok I’m simplifying for the sake of my point. But importantly it is about love. The love for our families, found, made and blood. The love of soulmates, romantic and platonic. The love of humanity, of the people known and unknown, love for them purely because they are human and are therefore deserving of love. The love inherent in honour and duty, the sacrifices made for that love. Loving someone—bravely, in the face of every adversity, despite being told it’s wrong. Learning to be true to that love, learning to love faithfully, learning to love, to show love, to be loved.

Bless the tireless translators. Y’all. The work you do is often thankless but y’all are so valued. Thank you.

The music. I actually don’t have the words for this, I can only thank the composers and musicians for the gifts they have blessed us with. My heart my heart my heart.

The costumes, set, props and cinematography are all so exquisite. I’m not an expert in any of these fields but I can see the care and detail paid to each facet of this show. What an absolute visual joy. Stunning.

And now, the characters.

I’ll start with the ladies. They deserved so much more. We deserved to have more than just one by the end, but I understand this wasn’t their story (still hurts tho).

Jiang Yanli. Proof that kindness is powerful. Her heart holds entire worlds. She is not weak (don’t even try me I swear to the gods). She holds her family together. She takes care of her siblings. She feeds their bodies and their souls. WWX is right—JZX does not deserve her but that’s because nobody does. But Jiang Yanli deserves to be happy, therefore her marriage to the Flower Peacock is valid purely bc it makes her happy. She stands up for what’s right, she will not compromise her morals, she will defend her family to her last breath (and so she does💔). She does not harden herself, she does not have to. Her patience and kindness, her softness, her gentleness—things that are seen as weaknesses or inferiorities—are what put her above all around her. She is gracious, she is strong, she is loving, she is determined, she is brave. She deserved better.

Wen Qing. A queen. A powerhouse. The most brilliant mind. A lightning-quick and sharp-bladed tongue. She loves Wen Ning so much and her love is powerful, just as Jiang Yanli’s. Her dedication and devotion to her people, her true family, not just a name, is incredible, inspiring. Why? Because she’s not perfect. So she learns. She grows. She becomes herself. When she’s at the Burial Mounds, she essentially adopts WWX as another younger brother, caring for him because she knows he won’t care for himself, and she does so out of love and respect. But she never replaces Jiang Yanli. She is keenly aware of all she perceives WWX loses because he aids them. Hence the pivotal, crucial: I’m sorry and thank you. She walks to what she knows is her own death with her head held high and her hand in her brother’s, offering love and support and what protection she can to the end. She does not flinch. She does not bow. She fights with all of her and surrenders with grace not reflected by those she surrenders to. Honestly I could write an entire thesis on Wen Qing but I’ll cry too hard so I’ll just leave it here that she deserved better, she deserved to live, she deserved to be free.

Mian Mian. Mian motherfucking Mian. Here is a woman who stares injustice full in the face and says no fucking way, says over my dead body, says you and what army old man. Strips the robes of the hypocritical off her own damn body, throws them at the feet of a false god and walks out, back straight, head held high. She makes her own way in the world, carves out her own life, finds love and happiness and lives. She does not compromise. She does not bow. She fights and she wins and she is glorious. And she lives she lives she lives.

Yu ZiYuan. I may be in the minority here but that’s ok. No I don’t approve of her abuse, just gonna nip that one in the bud right out of the gate. Was she fair? No. Was she cruel? Yes. Was she an incredible fighter who fought for her family, for her home? Who showed raw courage and furious strength in the face of insurmountable odds? Who loved a man with her whole bitter heart, loved her children with that same fractured heart? Was clearly the subject of spiteful rumour and vicious gossip and did not let it defeat her? Refused to bow to anyone? I do not like her, do not like how her bitterness made her cruel. But seeing her wield her blade, take wound after wound, witness the death of her love, then take her own blade and rob the monsters invading her home of the satisfaction of taking her life, took her own life with her own hands because that’s how she did everything in her life so why the fuck wouldn’t she do it in death too, who crawled her way to the man she loved, laced their fingers together so he wouldn’t die alone, so they could both die held? How can I not respect her.

Ok. The lads.

Jiang Cheng is a man-child idiot with the emotional expression range of a loquat, an inferiority complex the size of the moon and self-worth issues going back farther than the Big Bang, and I love him, ok? He loves so hard and so much and it is heartwrenching that he cannot communicate that. Some of his best moments are actually in the background, which is both funny and terribly sad. His rage is at times ridiculous, at times frustrating, at times all he has left, his joy is bright but brief, his grief is devastating. Watching JY greet WWX after the 3 months in the Burial Mounds. The entire temple scene. Crying on his knees. We were to be the Heroes of Yunmeng. Take care. Fuck me right in my feelings ok.

Wen Ning is so fucking precious and I would die for him for all eternity. What an absolute gift his character is. I honestly can’t write much more about him because I’ll cry. But special mentions to his interactions with A-Yuan/Lan SiZhui and the incredible scene where he reveals to Jiang Cheng the truth about his/WWX’s golden core. Unparalleled emotional intensity. The equal parts tenderness and fierceness of his love is breathtaking.

And the loves.

Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen. There is a lot of tragedy in The Untamed. There is great sadness in the main plot line and even in the small side plots. The Ballad of Song Lan and Xian Xingchen (as it’s come to be known in my head) is for me the most devastating and poignant. They just wanted to do good, to wander the world together and do their part to make it a better and safer place. It’s noble, yes, but it’s also so human, so close to home. Because we all want that, to know that we can do some good before we leave this world. They do not want to be involved in the petty squabbles, the undignified and cruel vying for power and dominance. They simply want to live and be. The fact that both of their deaths are pointless, could have been avoided, are the faults of poor timing and terrible terrible luck and cruel turns fate is almost what makes it sadder. Xue Yang screams that XXC is not better than him, that his righteousness and the righteous way he has attempted to live his life is all for naught. And then he is immediately proven wrong—XXC’s heartbreak means he can’t become XY’s puppet. SL is free from XY’s control and avenges himself and XXC. Which is also somehow just as devastating. That XXC and SL were so close, so very close to being together, to living, to making it, but didn’t. Nothing grand or heroic about their deaths—just the unknown and unpredictable nature of life. There is no rhyme or reason, no big important plan, no fate or destiny. They both simply die as we all one day will. And it is their potential cut short, the love and life they could’ve had, that hurts the most. They are not Lan Zhan and Wei Ying: they do not get their second chance, their reunion, their happily ever after. The look shared between SL and LWJ—the shared grief, the recognition, the understanding—and LWJ’s brief and unelaborated-on comment to WWX ‘how fortunate’ speaks volumes. How fortunate you came back/I found you/that’s not us when it could’ve been. That final shot of SL walking away and the brief out-of-focus moment of XXC walking beside him—particularly when it’s echoed with the parallel of WWX and LWJ—chokes me every time.

Wei Ying and Lan Zhan. Soulmates in every sense of the word. Their song. Their bunnies. Their child. The years they were robbed of. The yearning. The pining. The loyalty. The growth. The love the love the love. The loss the loss the loss. Every Lan Zhan. Every Wei Ying. Every glance. Every soft breath. Every gentle touch. The tenderness. The intimacy. The quiet acceptance. Their love story is one of the ages and, on a personal note as a queer person, what a gift it is to see a queer love story like this. (even when censored as a bromance, which like I mean, they tried but the glances alone are +9000 gay pining but whatever and yes I am making a joke because I’m crying don’t look at me)

TL;DR: I am so thankful The Untamed/CQL/MDZS and all of its adaptations (the source material included obvs) exists. I am so thankful to the writers, translators, casts, crews, creators. I am thankful for the community of fans that exist that love it as I do, who share that love and passion—whether through passionate discussion, rich fanfic or mind-blowing fanart. I am thankful I live in a time where content like this exists and can be shared. I learned a whole lot and I’m so grateful there aren’t even words. Love y’all. I’m gonna go be soft now. 💙

#Bee gets real soft #Bee gets a little bit too deep into feelings #this is...long #long post #im so sorry #i just have... a lot of feelings #the untamed #CQL #MDZS #wangxian #lwj x wwx #this is a lot #im SOFT #DONT LOOK #yall can go ahead and ignore this whew #excuse me i need to go be soft #Bee maybe waxes poetic??? #bee watches the untamed #and cries #a lot #song lan x xiao xingchen #jiang yanli #wen qing #mian mian #jiang cheng #wen ning #yu ziyuan #tagged: and they were soulmates

[kuriboo]

Aerial Twist

Fandoms: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga), Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V Words: 2,090 Characters: Kaiba Mokuba, Akaba Reira, Izayoi Aki Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Family, this is post arc v and pre 5ds, and takes place in the early duel monsters manga, Arcadia Movement, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future, Panic Attacks, Trauma, we use dub names here but only most of the time I apologize in advance, Links in Notes

When Kaiba told Mokuba he was meeting with the CEO’s younger brother, Mokuba felt a little insulted. Even if they were the same age, Mokuba was KaibaCorp’s VP, and Riley held no position within the Leo Corporation. This was glorified babysitting while the ‘grown ups’ talked.

He never should have underestimated them.

The vice-presidential position included a lot of duties in its job description, but babysitting was not one of them.

To be honest, Mokuba felt a little insulted. He oversaw a lot of important projects within KaibaCorp, and usually wasn't involved with any big meetings with other corporations. Either that was Seto’s thing, or they both were too important and busy to get involved. So when Seto told Mokuba he was needed for a meeting with the Leo Corporation, he was surprised. When Seto told him he was seeing the CEO's younger brother, he wasn't happy. As the VP of KaibaCorp, Mokuba was aware of the hierarchies of many of the corporations his brother did business with. Even if he and Riley were around the same age, Riley held no position within the Leo Corporation . This was glorified babysitting while the ‘grown ups’ talked. 

What did a kid their age who didn't help run one of the biggest companies in the world do? Before Seto acquired KaibaCorp, Mokuba spent most of his time being bullied and being rescued from bullies by Seto. Sure, he liked to duel and play capsule monsters and stuff, but that didn't mean Riley would. He'd never met Riley in/person before, so he didn't know what to expect. 

Eventually, Reiji Akaba brought Riley into Mokuba’s office himself. He introduced himself as well as Riley to Mokuba. Then he bent down to Riley's level and calmly told Riley they would be spending time with Mokuba until he returned. Once he was sure Riley was okay with that, he left to attend his meeting with Seto.

The two of them were alone. 

"I'm Mokuba." Mokuba had no idea whether to offer Riley a handshake or not. Riley stared at him blankly, not seeming to expect one." To be honest, I don't know what we're supposed to be doing,” Mokuba admitted. Talk business? Play with cars?

Riley shrugged. "Don't know." 

Well, great, this was already going well. 

Unfortunately Mokuba couldn't give up on this meeting altogether. Seto had warned Mokuba to leave a good impression with Riley; leaving a good impression with Riley meant leaving a good impression with Reiji, and good impressions were everything. Mokuba had to do his best to like, make friends and interact. Ew. He had to think of something.

"Do you like dueling?”

"Uh huh." 

"Do you want to duel now?" 

This was a more difficult question for Riley to answer. It took them over a minute to think. "Okay." 

Well, for being such a hesitant duelist, Riley sure was a good one. Not better than Mokuba, of course. He liked the occasional Ritual Monster (Hungry Burger was a given), but he was mostly a dragon user. It was hard not to be a fan of dragons when your brother was Seto Kaiba. At least Mokiba had some monsters to help set himself apart. But while Mokuba’s deck used a lot of special summoning, Riley's was on a whole other level. Fusion, XYZ, they had it all. Mokuba wouldn't be surprised if they had any Ritual Monsters in there, too.

Mokuba still had the upper hand, obviously, but he never should have underestimated his opponent.

The duel never got to end. 

At the sound of glass shattering, Mokuba immediately was alert. The glass came from the big window in his office -- it was supposed to be bulletproof, and he didn't work on the ground floor, but somehow this wasn't the first time this had happened. He'd been kidnapped enough times to know a kidnapping attempt when he saw one. Who was after him? Why now? He was the middle of very important work with a business partner. At least they should wait until Mokuba was alone. That’s Kidnapping 101! He turned to the window, but he couldn't immediately see anyone there. 

Mokibar looked towards Riley. They were staring at the broken glass, their hands covering their ears. Tears were forming in their eyes as they dropped to the floor. 

This was all going to leave a really bad impression on the Leo Corporation.

At least both of them still had their duel disks. Maybe they could duel their way out of this. 

Vines covered in thorns stretched through the hole in the window and into Mokuba’s office. Someone climbed up and jumped into the room. The way their face was covered by a mask prevented Mokuba from knowing if he recognized them or not.

"Who are you?” Mokuba demanded.

"I am the Black Rose Witch.” 

A stranger, then. Mokoba forced himself to relax. “If you want to meet with me or my brother, you'll have to make an appointment with our secretaries. Both of us have very busy schedules; as you can see, I'm in the middle of an important meeting.”

“I don't need an appointment with the likes of you," the witch said, as they turned their face in Riley's direction. Tears were falling down Riley's face uncontrollably, but they seemed to be trying to pull their hands away from their ears. “Besides, this meeting does not seem so important." 

Mokuba rolled his eyes. So the witch thought they were above everyone else, but that was nothing new to him. He grew up with Seto Kaiba. "So if you don't want an appointment, what are you here for, then?" 

“I am here on behalf of the Arcadia Movement.”

"Arcadia?" Mokuba blinked. He hadn’t been expecting that, though the plants made more sense now. "The psychic duelist group?" Cult, more like, but he had no interest in calling out his would-be kidnapper on that and aggravating them. Of course he knew about Arcadia. KaibaCorp knew about everything. 

“Psychic duelist?" Riley whispered. They didn't seem capable of much more than that. Mokuba was barely close enough to hear them.

"Duelists that can summon duel monsters and card effects to the real world,” Mokuba explained. "My brother doesn't believe in that stuff, but I'm not him. I mean, we do actually know a psychic duelist. Though they don't really call themself that.” He glared of the witch. “What do a bunch of psychic duelists want with me, anyway?"

“I told you, you are not the one I seek!” A violent wind started whipping through the room. There was no way the wind outside was this strong!

Mokobe reflexively lifted his duel disk in front of him. Yeah, that'll help a lot against a psychic duelist. "Then what do you want?"

“The Arcadia Movement is here for Riley Akaba.” The witch took a step towards Riley and Mokuba. The wind picked up, pulling cards from their duel disks and sending them flying around the room.

"The Leo Corporation apparently does a good job of making sure Riley is never alone, like a possession to be guarded. That's why we're here to free you. Of all the people you were to be around, Mokuba Kaiba, despite being the vice-president of Kaiba Corp, was determined to be the least threat, which is why we are here now.”

“Hey!” Mokuba  allowed himself only a moment to feel hurt by that. He knew he had to be the one to act, he was used to these situations while Riley still didn’t look like they were doing too well. This was weird, though. Mokuba was used to the one being kidnapped, but not so much to being there during the kidnapping while not being the target. What was he supposed to do? What could he do? He jumped in front of Riley, putting himself between them and the witch. "Not on my watch! You'll have to get through me to get to Riley.” 

The Black Rose Witch seemed unphased by Mokuba’s declaration (though it was hard to tell under their mask). They held up a card. "Ivy Shackles!" 

Mokuba felt himself thrown towards the side of the room. He couldn't stop the scream that flew out of him. He didn't feel himself make contact with the wall, but the next thing he knew he was next to it, tangled up in a bunch of plants. This must be the Ivy Shackles, huh? 

Riley turned to look at Mokuba. Tears were still falling down their face, slowly now. Yeah, this was going to leave a great impression. At this rate, Kaiba Corp would never get to speak to the Leo Corporation again, Shakily, Riley stood up on their feet. As they looked at Mokuba, he saw something change in their eyes. A darkness appeared that he hadn't seen before now.

The witch took a step towards Riley. 

Riley's head snapped back in the witch's direction. One remained in their Extra Deck; Riley looked down as if as if he were listening to something, then drew the card out of their duel disk. "Psychic duelist... " They stared at the card as they held it in their hand. “Dark Rebellion Supreme King Dragon, I need help.” 

A huge dragon curled itself around Riley, roaring; there was bavely enough room for it in Mokuba’s office. Riley placed one of their hands against it. It was as real as the Ivy Shackles of the Black Rose Witch. The dragon bent its head towards Mokuba. Mokuba flinched, not knowing what to expect, but the dragon used its mouth to tear away the Ivy Shackles and free him.

The Black Rose Witch took a step back. “You’re..." 

“I don't need your help. I don't need to be freed." They bared their teeth, scowling at the witch. "I want to be here! I want to be with my brother and my friends. This is what I want!” 

Dark Rebellion Supreme King Dragon stepped around Mokuba and Riley before roaring at the witch, swiping at them with its claws. Pretty soon the witch was retreating, even though Mokuba had the feeling they could have fought back. He wondered if they would come back, if they would go after Riley again.

Mokuba looked to Riley again. He could still see that darkness there, but it was disappearing. Now he couldn't believe the way he'd looked down on them , how incompetent he'd thought they were when they first walked into his office.

"I'm not being watched because I need to be guarded. It's because I'm dangerous.” 

“Uh, thanks," he said weakly.

The door to Mokuba’s office flew open. "What happened?" Reiji ran into the room; the commotion must been able to be heard in Seto's office, then. Reiji ran to Riley's side to check on them. He did not appear phased by the giant real dragon in the room that disappeared the second Riley saw him. 

“I am so sorry, we should have better security than this,” Mokuba immediately said. "I did my best--"

Reiji silenced Molaba with a look. His expression was hard to read. "I am not mad with you." Reiji was able to quickly  tell that Riley was unharmed. 

“Someone tried to kidnap me," Riley told Reiji. "But Mokuba and I were able to chase them away.” 

Mokube really hadn't been able to do much besides getting smacked around, but at the moment he didn't have it in him to protest. 

He blinked, and Seto was by his side. His brother had come, too. "Mokuba, what happened?" 

“It was Arcadia.” A wave of exhaustion was hitting Mokuba. He hadn't realized it until it really hit him that they were safe now. 

Selo frowned. He looked closely at Mokuba. "This meeting is over. You need to get checked out”

“I'm fine," Mokuba protested. He wasn't so weak that he needed to be helped with every little thing. Reiji and Riley Akaba were right there. This was embarrassing.

Seto rolled his eyes. “You’re covered in scratches and you hit your head against the wall. I won't let you take chances with your health like this, Mokuba." 

Did he hit his head against the wall? Mokuba didn't remember that happening, but his head did hurt. The scene melted away for a second. For just a moment it wasn't KaibaCorp’s president checking on his vice president after an attack during a business meeting. It was Seto and Mokuba alone in the world, Seto checking on Mokuba after a bully came after him. Mokuba tried not to tear up. He hadn't thought about those days in a long time. He’d hardered up since those days, a conscious effort to become more self-reliant. Seto had changed since then, too. 

But in all the time that had passed, Seto still had Mokuba’s back when he needed it. In all that had changed, they hadn't lost each other.

#yugioh #yugioh 5ds #yugioh arc v #tater writes #tater.txt #this takes place in the miracle synchro fusion universe for anyone that cares about that universe ig

[mountphoenixrp]

We have a new citizen in Mount Phoenix:

               Mitsuka Yamamoto, who is known by no other name,                              a 21 year old daughter of Tsukiyomi.                               She is a designer at For the Fairest                            and a hotline volunteer at Bohdisattva.

FC NAME/GROUP: Yu Jimin �� Karina / aespa CHARACTER NAME: Mitsuka Yamamoto AGE/DATE OF BIRTH: April 11, 2000 PLACE OF BIRTH: Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Kanto region, Honshu, Japan OCCUPATION: designer at For the Fairest, hotline volunteer at Bohdisattva Counseling Center HEIGHT: 1.67m DEFINING FEATURES:

A beauty mark on the left side of her chin, under her lips’ left corner

Big, almond shape, sharp eyes; shiny long hair, lips with a rounded Cupid’s bow

PERSONALITY: Mitsuka is, first and foremost a sensitive, creature. She’s compassionate, empathetic, and openly affectionate to almost all living beings, probably except for cockroaches and rats. Most of the time, she’s the mom friend in the group who takes delight in taking care of others, showering them with compliments, and being there when the time is rough. Once she deems someone is worth her time and attention, she will be the ride-or-die type of companion, and they can rest assured that no force in the world could shake her commitment for them.

 An artist at heart, Mitsuka is highly creative and self-motivated. She never hesitates to express her avant-garde ideas, also constantly encourages others to express themselves freely. While appearing to be wild and eccentric at times, she’s exceptionally good at reading people and is quick to set boundaries, mostly to protect herself from potential evil intents. She’s got the same protective energy around the people she cares for, for one of her worst nightmares is seeing others in pain or danger without being able to help them out.

This Japanese demigoddess does not like to be ordered around and will give intense responses both physically and mentally if forced. Not fonding of any sort of confrontations, she will avoid getting into arguments or any form of conflicts at all costs. If she is hurt, Mitsuka tends to withdraw and keep silent rather than directly verbalizing her feelings. In extreme cases, she will forget the person’s existence rather than waiting for any apologies. Having said that, when she’s forced to fight, she can be formidable.

HISTORY: TW: mention of death

“It’s the night of a full moon, when I met your father, under a wisteria tree.” Miyoung smiled gently as she looked at Mitsuka, her eldest daughter, who was sitting across from her with eyes wide open in doubt.

“But you said you met dad at an international conference?”

Miyoung shook her head, her tender smile was intact, although there was a louder command for her daughter’s attention implied in her voice. “We’re not talking about your elder brother’s dad, Mitsuka.”

To the twenty-one-year-old Mitsuka, nothing could hold a candle to Paris in summer, when the city’s beauty is at its peak, and life is just an ethereal painting of happiness. At first, it looked intimidating, how perfect everyone and everything in this city of lights, love, and fashion appeared to be. But at the end of the day, its glamourous culture and historical legacies are why she left Japan, despite her father’s deep disappointment and her mother’s great worries.

Being born and brought up in Chiba city, Mitsuka was a rather normal kid. Her family wasn’t the wealthiest in their neighborhood, but they had a two-story private house with a garage and a lovely garden in a high-security residential area, and it only took about half an hour driving to her father’s brewery located in Tokyo.

Her mother, Lee Miyoung, had traveled back and forth between Korea and Japan for her marketing business. She met Mr. Suda Yamamoto at a business conference, and he asked for her mother’s hand while she was in her third month of pregnancy, a year after his first wife’s death. Unlike most of her friends and their fathers, Mitsuka and hers had never truly got along. She didn’t remember receiving much affection or attention from him, partly because he was indeed busy all the time, and probably because she preferred to stay in her own world.

Makoto, her father’s only son from his first marriage, had always been the superstar in the family. Even though she couldn’t help but envying Makoto sometimes, she quite liked him because of his patience and kindness. Sadly, they couldn’t spend much time together, for Makoto’s study and extracurricular schedules were crazily hectic, and he usually looked exactly like their father whenever he came home after work, totally exhausted.

One night, Makoto stopped coming home. A drunk driver took his life away, when it was only one month before the national university entrance exam took place. For an eight-year-old girl, seeing her father bawling his eyes out next to her brother’s coffin was terrifying. It was also the only time she saw her father cried. After that, she rarely saw any signs of emotions on his face but occasional frowns.

Mitsuka’s adolescence was generally peaceful, except for throwing fists at some bullies at school from time to time, and constant confrontations with her father about her dream of being a fashion designer.

“He’s just afraid that you won’t be able to make a living with that job,” Miyoung explained to Mitsuka the reason behind her father’s vehement opposition to her wish, to which Mitsuka replied without a second of hesitation.

“He’s just afraid that no one will take care of his brewery,” she corrected her mother, for the first and only time in her whole eighteen years of life. “And designing is not just a job, it’s my passion, mom. It’s what I’m living for.”

Since her pre-teen years, Mitsuka had already learned to make clothes, starting from the clothing for Mini, her family’s cat. Her targets soon expanded to small accessories such as scarves and handkerchiefs for herself and her friends, and at the age of sixteen, she started her small business of making cosplay costumes and cosplay makeup for local clients. It was still a humble start compared to some other starlets in the industry, but fortunately, it was enough for her to win a scholarship to study fashion designing in Paris.

Due to her younger brother’s devastating case, her parents were adamant that she should never dream of going to Paris, or even out of the town without their permission. Mitsuka, for the only time in her life, told her parents a great lie, that she would be obedient enough to give up the scholarship, stay in Chiba, and try to get to the business major that her father wanted her to study. Meanwhile, she secretly packed her bags. Then, in one late evening, with the help of some of her close friends, she secretly fled to the airport and took her flight to Paris, leaving a long apologizing note to her parents.

The moment she landed in France’s capital, her phone blew up with texts and calls and voice mails from her parents, especially from her mother. The next thing she knew was her mother barged into her dormitory and almost flooded her room with tears and begs for her to come back.

After hours of comforting and persuading and finally threatening, Mitsuka managed to stay. However, from the moment she sent her mother off back to Japan, she couldn’t go through a day without picking up her mother’s calls or at least answering her messages, which turned out to be her best remedy to cope with the pressure of living alone in a big city whose language and culture she was so fascinated but still very much a stranger to.

Three years of hardship has proved to be fruitful. She earned the degree with flying colors and a thought-out plan for the next steps. Her mother, being the best mother on earth, took a long flight to have a cozy celebration dinner with her dear daughter. But besides celebrating her daughter’s graduation, Miyoung had another reason to pick a quiet, rather seclusive restaurant for them this time.

“I guess now is the best time to let you know the truth,” Miyoung looked into her daughter’s sparkling eyes, smiling a woman whose biggest secret is finally revealed. From that expression, Mitsuka dared to guess that whatever her mother was about to say, it was going to be ultimately important.

“Mitsuka, you’re not Suda Yamamoto’s biological daughter. Your father is Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, the moon god, and that means you are a moon demigoddess.”

“...”

“...”

“Okay, I am… WHAT?!?”

---

[ So that’s why I’m here, in Mount Phoenix. ]

Mitsuka finishes her diary entry with a small drawing of a phoenix’s figure below the final sentence. As she reads the long pages again, Mitsuka still hardly believes what is written is true, that she’s a child of Tsukuyomi the moon god, and that said moon god is right here on the island, in a human vessel, probably isn’t aware of her existence at all. But again, she’s indeed allowed to access the island as a Japanese demigoddess, has just done cleaning up and decorating her apartment, and has got accepted to work at two jobs – one for her dream and one for her hobby. Things sound even better than the best life she’s dreamt of in Paris.

[ But we will see. ]

PANTHEON: Japanese CHILD OF: Tsukuyomi POWERS:

Lunar Solidification: She’s able to solidify moonlight into tangible items of her wish, from a hairpin to a sword. The quality and object lifetime is depended on how much energy and concentration she’s spent on creating them.

Lunar Empowerment: Her moods and physical health are influenced by the moon cycle, as she will be more lively and physically stronger when getting in contact with moonlight, and will be exceptional jovial, even hyperactive, during full moon periods.

Lunar Healing: She’s able to heal herself and others using the moon’s energy. She can only perform this power at full moon nights.

STRENGTHS:

She’s selfless and she has a penchant for spreading her love, attention, and care around, even to strangers and stray animals.

She can read people well, and often uses what she’s learned for self-protection and self-adjustment rather than attacking others.

A feisty lady, she knows what she wants and how to gets it, mostly in the most peaceful way possible.

She has a good aesthetic sense and a gift for visual arts, so she’s willing to help beautify almost everything around her, sometimes even without being asked.

WEAKNESSES:

She can get hurt quite easily if she deems her love and care are rejected. At such times, she tends to withdraw to her shell and sulk rather than communicating directly.

Her moods can and will change in a matter of seconds; she’s learning to control her emotions better

She tends to have emotional outbursts, or nervous breakdowns from time to time, especially during New moon periods.

It’s easy for her to feel lonely, and she intends to get attached to people, animals, places, or anything she likes quite fast

#kpop rp #krp #aespa #yu jimin #aespa karina #mp; welcome

[poetatertxt]

32 + sangcheng!

32. “Keep your eyes on me.” 

Jiang Cheng has a secret.

It isn’t a very cool secret. He doesn’t bite his nails or lose sleep over it; he doesn’t lock it away in a box. It’s the kind of secret held in plain sight—a secret of nonadmission, made in the simple absence of telling.

Jiang Cheng has a secret and it is this: he can sing.

The Jiang’s aren’t the most artistically-inclined family on the block. Wei Ying’s paintings look like splattered tea; A-Jie’s dancing is just satisfactory. Jiang Cheng can’t bake to save his life. 

But there’s one thing they all share: the voice. A familial art passed from elder to younger, cultivated in lullabies, poetry, and spoken tales, until each carried a separate piece of a full choir. Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan bookend their quintet, while the three Jiang children fill the middle: Jiang Yanli in mezzo soprano, Wei Wuxian in tenor, and Jiang Cheng in baritone.

Jiang Cheng isn’t sure if he’s good. He’ s not showy like Wei Wuxian, who always gets the leads in school musicals, or carefree like A-Jie, who sings wherever she goes. Jiang Cheng’s music is a skill he’s never bothered to share. There are few reasons to sing beyond family lessons. So he doesn’t.

Until Nie Huaisang.

“There’s a new karaoke place,” he says over lunch one day. “Over next to the bowling alley. Do you want to go?”

Jiang Cheng shrugs. “It’s up to you.” He pauses, glancing. “Are you going to finish those?”

Nie Huaisang sighs and shoves the tray across the table.

Now Nie Huaisang—he’s artistic. In fact, Jiang Cheng is positive there isn’t a single unimaginative bone in Nie Huaisang’s body. He breathes art from the way he moves—elegant and graceful, a dancer’s body—to the way he laughs—musical and bright, like a glass struck gently. 

The very sight of him makes Jiang Cheng want to simultaneously hide and bask in his presence. It’s maddening.

One wouldn’t think them to be friends. At a glance, one certainly wouldn’t think them to be boyfriends. Where Nie Huaisang is crafty and sweet, Jiang Cheng is blunt and sour. He doesn’t play word games or listen to gossip. He just is.

Jiang Cheng, the expert at being an expert of nothing.

But he loves Nie Huaisang. Really, he does—a terrifying kind of love in its greatness and newness, like discovering the universe’s vast landscape. He loves the way Nie Huaisang wrinkles his nose in thought, or the way he secretly snorts when he laughs too hard. He loves everything about him.

Which is why, when Nie Huaisang pushes to go to karaoke, he agrees.

Jiang Cheng does his best not to quail under Nie Mingjue’s heavy gaze as he picks up Nie Huaisang from his house. They may be about to have their five month anniversary, but the elder Nie brother terrifies him no less than when he first discovered Jiang Cheng leaving a love letter in the mailbox. 

An unfortunate memory, that one.

“You look good,” he tells Nie Huaisang. He’s dressed for the occasion in green pants and a cream sweater big enough to hang over his palms. Jiang Cheng wants to squeeze him. “Cute.”

Nie Huaisang flushes gently. He’s a perfect match for the sunset like this: pink-tinged, soft and pale. Jiang Cheng aches to kiss him, so he does. And then again. And again.

“Stop,” Nie Huaisang mumbles against his lips. He’s laughing already, bright and sweet. “Karaoke, remember? We have to make it there first.”

Jiang Cheng sighs, but acquiesces. “I didn’t know you were big on singing,” he says. “I thought you preferred oil paints. And ballet. And cake decorating.”

“I do.” Nie Huaisang jabs at a crosswalk button. “But I also like to sing.” He slides a sideways glance. “What about you?”

What about him? Jiang Cheng looks back, steadfast. “What?”

“What do you prefer?”

A loaded question. Jiang Cheng is getting better at answering those. 

“I like,” he decides, following Nie Huaisang’s lead across the street, “to watch others perform.”

“But you don’t perform yourself.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Jiang Cheng snorts. “Why do you think?” He gestures at himself with his free hand, ignoring the sudden bitterness in his throat. “Who would want to see this?”

Nie Huaisang gazes back at him. “I could think of a few,” he murmurs softly. “But only if you want to.”

An open invitation—a way out. But will Jiang Cheng take it? Will he hide this secret away for another that may never come?

“We’ll see,” he tells him. “We’ll see.”

The karaoke place is shiny and bright. Gaggles of girls cluster around the front sign, their laughter echoing into the establishment. There are neon road signs hanging and black and white tiles; there’s a food bar, formica and chrome, with a glowing sign above. Jiang Cheng’s never been into a retro joint before, but he’d like to think this place exactly fits the bill. It’s visually loud.

“Wow,” Nie Huaisang breathes. “We should take Wei Ying and Lan Zhan here next time.”

The idea of going anywhere where Wei Ying can show off gives Jiang Cheng a premature migraine. “Or not,” he mutters, and steps up to the counter.

The place is pay-by-the-hour. Jiang Cheng pays for two (“my treat,” he tells Nie Huaisang, “since you paid last time,”) and a whole order of fried chicken to take in with them. 

“Room Six,” the attendant girl says. She smiles, passing the key. “Enjoy!”

The room is small. Cozy. There’s a squeaky plastic booth, a table for their food, and a giant TV with eight microphones that can be turned on and off at will. 

Jiang Cheng gulps.

They start off slow. Nie Huaisang turns on some slow ballads to croon while Jiang Cheng digs into the fried chicken. It’s pleasant like this: gentle piano keys, Nie Huaisang’s sweet tenor, the disco lamp’s slow spin at the center of the room. 

And then Nie Huaisang has an idea.

“Do they have pop music in here?” He scrolls with the remote. “Jiang Cheng, get a microphone. I want to sing a duet.”

“Huh?” He squints up from his chicken. “But..”

Nie Huaisang’s eyes go big, his bottom lip jutting out. “You.. don’t want to sing with me?”

Jiang Cheng hesitates. Sets down his chicken. Stands.

“Fine,” he mutters, shuffling forward to take the proffered mic. Nie Huaisang beams. “I’ll do it.”

He doesn’t look when Nie Huaisang picks a song. There’s a strange bubbling rising in his stomach; his palms, tingling, begin to sweat. 

It’s not a big deal. Really. It’s just..

The lights dim. The disco lamp begins to spin steadily again—faster this time, with bright spots of lemon and rose. Heady bass thrums between them into the room.

Nie Huaisang turns, smile playing at his lips.

Keep your eyes on me.. 

It’s one of Nie Huaisang’s favorites. Jiang Cheng isn’t one for indie pop himself, but he’s heard it enough to know the lyrics. He watches Nie Huaisang sing for a moment, voice wrapping like a caress in the dark, and finally—pushing past his nerves—sucks in a breath to join.

You make me focus

When you love someone the rest just falls away..

Nie Huaisang’s eyes widen. His lips part, eyelashes fluttering, but he rallies surprisingly quick. Before Jiang Cheng can stop—does he really sound that bad?—Nie Huaisang joins in again, layering over his baritone in dulcet tones.

It all just falls away..

Jiang Cheng’s heart thrums in his chest. It’s.. strange. Letting go feels like stepping forward off of a railing or letting go of a tire swing: a freefall, weightless and exhilarating, that makes his bones sing with an unspoken voice. He can’t stop looking at Nie Huaisang, who can’t stop looking at him, and they sound so good together— 

More, his heart whispers. I want to sing with you more.

When the song finally comes to an end, Nie Huaisang is close enough to kiss. So he does.

Nie Huaisang sighs against his lips. “You should have told me.”

Jiang Cheng’s blood pumps through his veins. “What?” he breathes.

“You..” Nie Huaisang’s blushing again, golden eyes bright like faraway stars. “Jiang Cheng, you sing beautifully.”

And it shouldn’t mean much. He’s no performer—not like Wei Wuxian, flashy and bright, or A-Jie, solemn and open. He’s just Jiang Cheng.

But the way Nie Huaisang glows through the darkness, excitement all over his beautiful face, makes Jiang Cheng want to sing for him again. And again. And again, until all the notes in the world have been given new life through Nie Huaisang’s ears.

So he does. He chooses another song—a solo, one of Nie Huaisang’s favorites again—and cradles his head close, rasping into the mic, until they’re kissing instead of singing and the backtrack trails away, leaving them lost in the darkness together. 

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #sangcheng #jiang cheng #nie huaisang #YES IT'S AN ALLIE X SONG AGAIN.. I DO WHAT I WANT #Anonymous

[paodequeijofeliz-blog]

Let me tell you a good story

Bloodbound Fanfiction (characters and main story belongs to Pixelberry Studios).

Pairing: Kamilah Sayeed and MC (Annie)

Information:  this takes place after Bloodbound 3, here I’m recreating how Kamilah and MC would meet if she had never gone to Raines Corporation right away.

Summary: Thirty years after meeting Annie for the first time, Kamilah is now a wife and a mother. During a regular family dinner, she decides to tell her daughter and their new son-in-law the story of how she fell in love with Annie after an unusual meeting through the hallways of NYU.

Warnings: none.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5

Let me tell you a good story - Part 4

March 2nd, 2048.

           “Do not laugh”. – Anna pointed a finger at Drake. – “I was still confused.”

           “Not laughing, I swear. It is completely reasonable that you thought she worked for Ms. Sayeed.” He nervously took a long gulp of soda.

           Kamilah was taping her fingers on the table, a sweet melody playing in her head. Nothing could disturb her peaceful life anymore. She was sitting by a beautiful wife, someone who still held her heart. In front of them, there was the most intelligent and sweet child in the world, named after Kamilah’s brother Lysimachus. Even Drake, the goofy human, was a delight company. He was the perfect balance for Lysia’s seriousness.

           “Are you ok?” Annie’s touch woke her up.

           “I’m perfect. Why don’t you go fetch the dessert while I continue for a while? I left a surprise for you in the microwave.”

           Anna jumped into the kitchen with impressionable speed. If there was one thing she loved, that was Kamilah’s volcano chocolate cake, a masterpiece perfected over years and years of repeatedly baking it.

           “Child.” Both Lysia and Kamilah said at the same time when they saw Annie’s reaction.

           “You know, it creeps me out when you two do that.” Drake scratched his arm, having goosebumps.

           “You should see when they fight!!” Anna yelled from the kitchen. “It’s like watching a couple of clones!”

           They were interrupted by someone opening the door. The flash of a sparkle on Lysia’s face told Kamilah who the person was faster than anything else. The human girl opened the biggest smile she could, but remained sat on the chair, not even losing her posture.

           “Uncle Adrian!”

           “Hi, sweetie. I’m sorry to be late, there was an emergency to solve.” He placed a soft kiss on Lysia’s forehead before shaking Drake’s hands and smiling at Kamilah. “Am I interrupting?”

           “Not at all. We were talking about the past. Actually, little brother, you arrived at the perfect moment. Now you can help me remember this part of the story.”

           “Which story?”

           “Ti storu uf ru we fil in luv.” Anna came back carrying the cake, a big piece of it already missing. Her face had chocolate all over the mouth, nose, and chin.

           Kamilah sighed. At this point, there was no need for translation anymore. Adrian only laughed and carried on. “The story of how you two fell in love? Oh, boy. Rough times. You think Kamilah is a tense person? Should’ve seen her realizing her feelings for Annie. I thought New York wouldn’t survive it.”

           “Adrian, why don’t you continue for us? We were just getting to the part you entered the story.” The vampire queen said over the table while cleaning Annie’s face with a napkin. “And you, behave. The last time you ate so much chocolate, you cried for the entire night with a stomach-ache.”

           “Yu crid the whole niti withy stumachache, bla bla bla” she mocked her wife, taking another big bite of dessert. Kamilah solemnly ignored this part.  

           “Ok, ok. Let’s see… So, after that dinner and the job proposition, Kamilah wanted to either kill or kiss Annie, it was still unclear.”

           “Hmm, both.” Answered Kamilah, watching her wife out of the corner of the eye.

 August 29th, 2018

           The sky was already dark.

           The sky is always dark when Kamilah is looking through the window. The same old dark sky she had seen for years. But, tonight, something feels different. The sight that usually calms her down, the peaceful shade of black marked by the city lights, it was suddenly not enough. There was an irritation growing inside her chest, heavy and dangerous like a bomb ready to explode. The reason of it was worse than the feeling itself. She had felt anger many times before, with better motives. Right now, Kamilah knew deep down it was stupid to be so bothered by something that small. Finally, not being able to stand her own company anymore, her fingers called the same number it always does at moments like this.

           “Hey.” Adrian’s voice surged on the other side of the line.

           “Why hasn’t she given us an answer yet?”

           “What? Who?”

           Kamilah sighed. She was so tired. Angry. Frustrated. “Why hasn’t that mewling tiny stupid woman answered our business proposal? It has been a week, Adrian. There’s a limit for my patience. I don’t have time for this.”

           “Hm, you’re mad.” He just acknowledged it, his voice a little surprised. “I didn’t know this matter to be so urgent. In fact, I remember vividly that you were the one saying not to rush things when I suggested hiring a historian. She must have given you quite the impression to make you so eager to close the deal.”

           She snorted, and Adrian was sure her eyes rolled as well. “It’s not about her. It could be anyone. I just want to put things in motion.”

           “Right.” He didn’t buy it. “Well, my friend, then I’m going to tell you the options we have, since you clearly won’t quiet down until something is done.”

           Kamilah fixed her posture immediately, ready to jump into a plan.

           “Fist: you can call one of the historians on the list I sent to you last month. Call all the fifteen options, if it suits better. They were all graduated in high profile universities and sustain the best curriculums in the country.” Adrian gave it a second of silence, and since she didn’t make a sound, he continued. “Second: throw away the idea of working with one of them and just make a deal with one of us. I don’t know any of our group who is a historian, but most of them know a lot about the past and maybe will even understand the mission better than an outsider.”

           Silence again. And then, the distant sound of Kamilah’s high heels hitting the floor, like she was impatiently trembling her leg. Adrian knew that sign. It meant none of the options were good enough for her. “Or… Third: if you do believe she’s worth it, you can always go over there and demand an answer.”

           Her eyes widened.  

           “Can I do that?”

           “Sure.” He laughed. “As long as you don’t hurt, yell or kill the poor woman.”

           That was it. The solution. She wanted the mission to start already, and if Kamilah wanted anything, no one could stop her from getting it. Much less a professor who hadn’t done the courtesy of giving a simple answer. After a couple minutes, the Egyptian found Anna’s address on the university website and head there without thinking twice. In a blink, she was already ringing the intercom, but it seemed to not be working.

           “Kamilah?” Annie was dangerously leaning on the window. “What are you doing here?”

           “We need to talk. Open the door.”

           The grumpy and ordering tone made Anna frown, but she didn’t argue. From the street, the Egyptian could hear her mumbling things in Portuguese while getting down the stairs. Even though Kamilah couldn’t understand it, she was sure it was cursing. Without saying a word to each other, they climbed the stairs to the third floor. Annie’s place was thoroughly clean and covered with the pleasant scent of vanilla. A mess of books and papers had taken over the living room, where a dining table was set: a dish with a weird sandwich, a glass of cheap wine and an opened notebook. It looked like she was working late.

           “Take a sit. Do you want to drink something? I’ve got wine, rum, whisky, gin, coffee… Water.” The sweet tone on her voice disarmed Kamilah for just a second. The professor seemed extremely tired, but even like this, she wasn’t able to be rude.

           “No, I… I’m fine. Thank you.”

           “What happened?”

           Kamilah’s arms crossed over her breasts. That confused look on Annie’s face was genuine. How could she not know why Kamilah was there? That was the last drop. It unlocked all the irritation that had been burning on the Egyptian’s chest for days. “Did you hit your head recently? Or do you suffer from diseases such as Alzheimer?”

           “Wh…What? I… No…”

           “Why the hell do you think I am here, Ms. Mali? Do you believe I am a woman who has the time to sit around waiting for you to make a simple decision? To answer a yes or no question? Look at me. Do not stare at the floor. Raise your eyes.” Kamilah approached her with such a fast movement, Annie barely saw it happening. In a second, she was standing before her, lifting the professor’s chin to make their eyes meet. “It is not polite to just disappear once a business proposal is showed to you. I do not tolerate this kind of behaviour. If you’re too much of a child yet, then maybe we were wrong to approach you in the first place.”

           Anna didn’t stop her. Didn’t move either. Kamilah saw something growing on the professor’s face, some sort of weakness she wasn’t expecting to find. Her expression was flickering between insecurity and sadness. Finally, an answer came.

           “I can’t stay.” A whisper. The palpable shame in her tone. “I’m leaving.”

            “What do you mean by that?”

           “I mean… I got fired. I’m leaving the country. I’m sorry.” She shrunk her shoulders. Somehow, the woman was getting smaller. More fragile. “It happened on Saturday morning, right after that dinner. I know it’s no excuse and should’ve called you sooner. I’m really sorry. I just thought that now that I’m no longer related to the NYU, my name and reputation wouldn’t be of any value to you. I guess… I was embarrassed to let you know and go through the whole ‘well, then we don’t want you anymore’ conversation. Either way, I am sorry. For not answering, for making you come here, for everything.”

           Kamilah was not at all prepared for this. She went from almost tearing the professor’s throat opened to drowning inside her sorrow and beautiful features. Without much thinking, the Egyptian brushed some hair behind Annie’s ears in a soft movement.

           “Are you leaving the country because of visa issues?”

           “Yes. Not the main reason though… Even if they granted me a permanent visa, I don’t have money to stay. I was a recent teacher at NYU, my payment wasn’t that high and most of it went to cover the costs of the postdoctoral course. Now I’m trying to finish some papers quickly and I still need to buy the plane tickets.”

           “I don’t care about NYU.”

           Annie’s eyes came back to Kamilah only to find an unreadable face. “What?”

           “It’s not relevant if you’re related or not to a University. That doesn’t change my stand.”

           “But…”

           “We still want you.”

           The professor was speechless, staring in disbelief.

           “Answer me, Annie. Will you accept the proposal?”

           Kamilah’s arms uncrossed and her hands went to rest on the hips. She saw a thousand of emotions running through the professor’s eyes in a second.

          “What about my visa?”

         “Not a problem I can’t solve. As for the money part… Adrian will discuss this with you. He’s responsible for the bureaucracies. But I can guarantee, regardless of how the conversation goes, it’s going to be way more than what NYU was paying. So, there won’t remain any obstacles forcing you to leave.”

         Anna smiled. Not because of the money. She just noticed that Kamilah had come in person not to fight, but to persuade her to say yes. That made her wonder what the Egyptian’s thoughts were right now. “I did answer, you know. When I got home, after dinner.”

        “Oh?”

       She pointed at the computer on the desk. “It’s in the draft emails part. I was going to send it on Monday morning.”

       Kamilah arched one eyebrow. “And what was the answer?”

       Instead of giving her the pleasure to hear it, Annie decided to contour the table and send the draft email that was waiting there all along. Inside Kamilah’s pocket, her cell phone immediately buzzed. She gave it a quick glance before smiling and walking towards the door.

        “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Ms. Mali. Don’t be late.”

#kamilah x mc #kamilah sayeed #bb kamilah #choices kamilah

[razberryyum]

The Untamed and The Living Dead movie Thoughts

SPOILERS AHEAD!

If you haven’t watched the movie, it’s best not to proceed cuz you will be spoiled.  

OR, if you have already watched the movie and love it completely, AND you stan Yu Bin and will not put up with any criticism about his performance, it’s also best not to proceed cuz you’ll most likely be annoyed/upset with me. Let’s just agree to disagree right now and move on with our separate happy lives.  

Overall Rating for The Living Dead: 3 Lil Apples out of 10

Yeah, I know that’s pretty harsh…I waffled between 3, 4 and 5, but I had to settle on a 3 in the end because I don’t think I’ll ever rewatch this movie and there were just so many problems I had with it, that I realized I can’t say I liked the movie much at all.  

Before I go on, let me first address the big white elephant in the room: no, WangXian does NOT cameo in The Living Dead nor are they even mentioned in any capacity that would assure us they are still together and happy in the movie’s timeline. At one point Wen Ning does mention them in the same sentence, but only in relationship to himself (that they saved him) and the past. For those of us desperate for confirmation of WangXian happily ever afterness in the world of CQL (“us” meaning me only most likely), we get no assurance whatsover. This is especially disappointing since the movie apparently take place years later after the events of The Untamed so it’s really sad that we have no idea if they are together. Of course in the world of the novel, we know they are absolutely together, happily married, everydaying everyday, but it would’ve been nice if we were given some tiny morsel of comfort for WangXian of The Untamed.  

Not only does Lan Zhan not make an appearance, he’s only mentioned by Wen Ning once, as I indicated above. As for Wei Ying, he’s mentioned a few times and he kiiiiinda makes a cameo…but honestly, I wish they didn’t even attempt that cameo cuz it was so bad. It’s basically the backview of some extra dressed as Wei Ying and dubbed over by someone else that’s not Lu Zhixing-laoshi. Or if it is, the dub was so bad that it didn’t even sound like him anymore.

That’s actually one of my main problems with the movie: the dubbing or sound mixing just sucked. Every time there was dialogue it sounded very obviously that it was on a different track. I didn’t even feel like the characters were saying the words because their voices sounded detached from them. Whereas in The Untamed, I sometimes would completely forget that with the exception of Nie Huaisang, everyone’s line reads were performed by voice actor because the voices were blended so well within the scenes. I don’t know the technical terms of all this dubbing stuff so hopefully I’m making some sense.

Another big problem was the CGI. Holy crap was it bad. It was so bad at no point was I able to immerse myself into the action scenes…I didn’t feel anyone was in danger because they were being attacked by a bunch of obvious and bad CGI. One of the worse scenes that they showed THREE times was when the sister (Xiao Qing) being burned up in CGI flames. First of all her acting was horrendous (why was she covering her ears while she’s being burned alive??) and then the fake fire just made me groan out loud. I didn’t even want to look it was so embarrassingly bad.  

I’m trying to figure out when they shot this movie…in order for them to be able to release the movie so soon after the show, the filming had to overlap with The Untamed’s filming, right? So I guess budget was still tight, probably even tighter than the main show, since CQL probably didn’t start actually seeing the money it made from ads, etc until towards the end. Either way, it feels like they didn’t put much money into this movie, especially not the effects. And if I’m going to be honest, I think they probably just had their second…nay…probably third unit direct it. Or at least, they had their third unit decide on some of the casting cuz some of the performances were…OOF. One thing I really appreciated about The Untamed is that even with most of the background actors, there was hardly a glaringly bad performance. I’ve said before the worse really was the actor who played Wen Ruohan, which is a shame cuz he’s more than an extra, but overall all the performances by the supporting characters ranged from decent to strong with hardly a weak link. Here, in this movie, I would say most of the performances from the new cast members were very mediocre. In fact, the only truly consistently good performances from beginning to end was Zheng Fanxing (Sizhui) and that cute little girl in the beginning:

I was kind of sad when she got killed off cuz she was adorable and definitely a MUCH better actor that the dude who played her older brother…at no point was I remotely convinced he was scared so on the other hand I was happy he died. But I thought she was going to burn to death or something because it didn’t seem like a good idea to have her hide in a wooden cupboard with a lite stove…that was so stupid and weird. Btw, what the hell was with that cat screeching sound effect?? Sounded like someone was throwing a cat, but like WHY?  

As for the three new players introduced for this movie—Gao Han as Xiao Yi, Wang Yifei as Xiao Qing and He Longlong as Zhou Zishu—I’ve never seen their work before, and nothing about their performances in this movie makes me interested in what they will do in the future. To be fair, Gao Han tried…you can totally tell he was trying REALLY hard in some of his scenes, but for the most part, he either overacted or strangely enough, underacted. He was just really inconsistent. I know Zhou Zishu was supposed to be a red herring so the fact that he started out looking sketchy AF was supposed to be a ruse since our narrator was entirely untrustworthy, but even in the context of that false narration, he was really bad. As for the sister played by Wang Yifei…just look at her performance as she’s being burned up again.  

By the way, I’m gonna say this now: if Wei Ying and Lan Zhan don’t even get to share a fucking real hug between them throughout the entirety of The Untamed, then I don’t think some generally unimportant-in-the-greater-scheme-of-things couple should be allowed to freaking KISS in anything related to the world of CQL.

I understand it’s all about the censorship, etc etc, but if any hetero couple deserved to share an onscreen kiss, it would’ve been Shijie and Jin Zixuan, and since even they were deprived of that, then these two nobodies should not have been granted this privilege. Seriously, fuck whoever decided to stick that moment in the movie. That’s just fucking unfair and really annoyed me. There better not be any more of that kind of nonsense in the Nie brothers‘ movie.  

The last I’ll say about performances is that sadly, I felt as if there was something off about Yu Bin’s. I totally understand that this is a different Wen Ning than the one we saw in the show—he’s older, more mature, since God knows how many years have passed already—so I don’t mind that he’s more serious. But at the same time, he was just so uneven that I couldn’t get behind his performance at all. He was always one key off, if that makes any sense, so it almost felt like someone else was playing Wen Ning entirely, someone who is completely unfamiliar with that character. And his work in the…whatever fuck that place was…Yin Metal purgatory?? (and for those who are familiar with Guardian, that place was giving me bad flashbacks to Dixing)…was kind of cringey overall.  

I wanted to love seeing Wen Ning be a badass wise uncle, so I actually feel really sad that I couldn’t enjoy his performance in general. However, what I absolutely did enjoy was seeing uncle and nephew bonding and working together…  

…just wish those moments weren’t marred by all that bad CGI.  

Wen Ning’s new look gave me pause though: not that I didn’t appreciate the whole metal look, but I kind of couldn’t figure out why Wen Ning added the chains back to his ensemble when he got rid of them back in The Untamed already.

I mean, if the black veins on his neck don’t attract attention, walking around wearing heavy, clangy chains sure would probably alarm people as well, I think.  

Last thing on Wen Ning: again, not that I didn’t appreciate his newfound ability to hulk out, but yikes, that whole effect was ruined by yet again bad CGI AND a really goofy score. Sounded like something they “borrowed” from Naruto.

Except for that one piece of music, I did like the score for the rest of the movie, especially in the opening credits since it definitely evoked a sense of creepiness. The images in the credits were good too. I can easily imagine that being the OP creds to a horror anthology.  

As for the story, I was fine with it. I liked that they related the family to Nightless City because apparently they are the ones who helped make Nightless City nightless? Here I thought it was the surrounding lava but I guess there were lanterns lighting the place up that I just somehow missed completely.  I liked the plot twist with Xiao Yi and his “sister”…although I did guess there was some incesty thing going on in the beginning…just didn’t think I would be right and wrong at the same time. I thought they would relate their relationship back to Wen Ning and Wen Qing somehow, considering the sisters shared the same name…this was before the “incest” part was confirmed of course…but they never really did so having Wen Qing share the same name as Xiao Qing felt like an oddity in the end. It’s also odd how they used the same phonetically sounding last name of “Xiao” since of course I immediately thought of Xiao Zhan (different characters). Like, couldn’t they come up with completely different names? Overall, the plot wasn’t bad, as mysteries go, at first I couldn’t figure out why the Yin Metal all of a sudden had all these new powers and why the metal wielder, Zhou Zishu, would become a ghost puppet himself, but with the plot twist, all of that was explained so I was fine with it. The last shot of “Xiao Yi” in the Yin Metal purgatory made me guffaw; yeah, that didn’t look suggestive AT ALL. 

The Living Dead actually makes me look forward even more to the next movie, The Fatal Journey. I’m hoping that since it’s potentially about the Nie brother’s past and Jin Guangyao, that perhaps there will be less need for CGI as it will focus more on just dialogue and story-telling. Not to mention, again, apologies to Yu Bin fans, but those three actors are generally stronger performers, so with them at the helm, I’m expecting/hoping for greater things.    

Since I’ve been mostly negative, I wanted to leave on at least one positive note: Sizhui is still an adorable puppy. His dads, wherever they are, whatever they’re doing during the movie, must be so proud of him. 

#The Untamed #陈情令 #CQL #The Living Dead movie #Wen Ning #Lan Sizhui #Mo Dao Zu Shi #魔道祖师 #WangXian

[tinyavenuesailor]

A Loveless Engagement

NOT Beta’d(but I really wouldn’t be against volunteers)

An arranged marriage? Jiang Cheng should have seen this coming. Ever since Hanguang-Jun had made that bold declaration of love and proposal to Wei Ying, his mother had made herself busy with setting him up with marriage interviews. So what if Wei Ying scored the most eligible young master and had a wedding that surpassed even Shijie ’s and a love with his now-husband that was envied by all.... To hell with all of it! If it wasn’t for the fact that his brother was so blissfully happy in the arms of Lan Wangji, he would have given him a solid punch to the stomach for the unfair luck he was blessed with. He either must have done a great act for the sake of humanity - which Jiang Cheng couldn’t even joke about, just the thought of it was ridiculously implausible - or been cursed in his past life to even out his luck.

The Yiling Patriarch sneezes somewhere in an alternate universe.

It didn’t matter in the end. His brother was married to a respectable cultivator, who would take care of him and treat him well. That thought didn’t sit so well with his mother since that respectable cultivator was the second Jade of the Gusu Lan Sect. You can’t have a servant of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect marrying higher than the master, that was what Jiang Cheng assumed her thoughts to be heading towards. Jiang Cheng has never been against arranged marriage. It was only a matter of time with his track record of successful unsuccessful marriage interviews. His mother already had a list of suitable partners no doubt but to his surprise, this wasn’t an arrangement made by his mother but his father. It was rare for Jiang Fengmian to involve himself in his son’s affairs, business or personal. This had piqued Jiang Cheng’s curiosity when he heard of the news the first time. 

Having Nie Huaisang seated across from as his potential cultivation partner was just not the result he expected. 

Jiang Cheng sat in silence as his parents with Nie Mingjue discussed various things going on and off topic about their engagement. So far, he understood that it was Nie Mingjue and his father who had worked out the engagement between the two. Nothing had been set in stone yet and there was still room to dissolve the entire thing and pretend like it never happened. Madam Yu was hoping for the latter, no doubt. Jiang Cheng had already overheard his mother’s disapproval on the arrangement during one of his parents' several arguments. The rumours of Nie Huaisang’s reputation has even managed to spread to the Lotus Pier, his mother wouldn’t take this lightly. 

Nie Huaisang was seated next to his brother acting obedient and frail. He kept his head tucked down, a good countermeasure to avoid any glares he may get from his brother or Madam Yu. Jiang Cheng would manage to catch Nie Huaisang’s eyes every now and again but the contact would be broken after a second by Nie Huaisang. After the fourth or fifth time, Jiang Cheng’s patience was beginning to thin.

“Nie Huaisang,” Jiang Cheng tried to keep his tone even between clenched teeth. Nie Huaisang went still in his spot and the other guardians around them stopped their discussions at the young master’s interruption. “Would you like to show me around the garden?” 

Nie Huaisang answered with a tight smile unable to avoid him anymore, “I never knew you had an interest in nature, Sandu Shengshou.”

“He doesn’t” Madam Yu answered for her son. 

Jiang Fengmian gentle face didn’t waiver even under the rising tension. It was a risky move bringing three of the most prominent cultivators with the shortest tempers in the cultivation world together. He didn’t need to give Nie Mingjue any reason to feel guarded against them. “A tour around the garden is a great way to get to know each other.”

“B-Brother?” Nie Huaisang looked to his elder brother for rescue. He wouldn’t let his young, pure brother out of sight in this critical moment.

“You always loved to run away to the gardens; I’m sure you know the best spots to show Jiang Wanyin,” Nie Mingjue only spared a glance towards his younger brother. Jiang Cheng witnessed the price of Nie Huaisang’s days of escaping practice finally paid back to him in full.

Jiang Cheng strolled along the garden path with Nie Huaisang beside him following his pace. They were finally out of the watchful eye of his parents and Nie Mingjue; lifting off any restraints they were previously shackled under. Now that they were able to speak to speak without reservation they stayed in bitter silence. Jiang Cheng wished he had thought this through before he got them in this situation.

They used to be friends back on their days at Cloud Recesses. After Wei Wuxian left, they had time to grow closer. It was rare for them to be separated from Nie Huaisang that year. Jiang Cheng remembers enjoying his company but the big why evaded him. After they returned to their respective homes and lost contact, their friendship fizzled out. They would see each other at important functions, they were both from prominent sects it was inevitable but nothing more was said to each other than a simple greeting or small conversation. Jiang Cheng was always more concerned about learning his duties as the future Sect Leader. He was uninterested in idle conversations and preferred to shadow to father. He now regretted not attempting to take up a few conversations with Nie Huaisang when they crossed paths. He wouldn’t have to be busting his brain on what they spoke so vividly about those years ago. Jiang Cheng’s eyes drifted down towards Nie Huaisang. “So, what have you been up to lately?” Nie Huaisang stopped playing with the fan in his hand and looked up in query at Jiang Cheng. “What?” Jiang Cheng felt guarded with Nie Huaisang’s unreadable expression concentrated on him.

“You’ve never been one for small talk,” Nie Huaisang turned his attention back to his fan.

“We haven’t had a good talk in years, isn’t it natural to try and catch up?” 

“Because we’re engaged?” Nie Huaisang stopping in his tracks. The Nie Huaisang he was acquainted will those years ago was shy and undeniably a coward. He flinched from a shout and squealed at the sight of a monster or corpse. Meeting those hazel eyes, he felt uneasy for the first time around Nie Huaisang. The other cultivator sighed and continued walking without him.

Jiang Cheng stood there in a daze. It was hard to shake the feeling of discomfort when he struggled to decipher the look in Nie Huaisang’s eyes. When he began to follow Nie Huaisang he travelled a small distance behind opting to let Nie Huaisang lead the way so he could watch his movements from behind. 

Soon they came upon a lake and Nie Huaisang stopped at the shore. Jiang Cheng places himself beside the cultivator and waited. Waited for whatever the cultivator needed to say. 

“I come out here to get away,” Nie Huaisang started. “It’s peaceful.” Nie Huaisang had yet to look at him even with Jiang Cheng’s full attention. Jiang Cheng had wondered why his father chose Nie Huaisang before. Taking his time to take in the present cultivator in front of him maybe he had underestimated his father. Nie Huaisang had a gentle and pure aura surrounding him. It was odd for someone from the Qinghe Nie sect, whose methods were known for their violence but not bad. If he hadn’t been born into the head family of a cultivation clan he would have been praised just for his looks and grace. Nie Huaisang beauty surpassed most of the young masters and mistresses of the cultivation world. If his cultivation was higher then, he would have a far better reputation. He remembers the days when people used to look down on his Shijie, calling her mediocre. Jiang Cheng wasn’t one to fuss too much about one’s cultivation’s level. Nie Huaisang’s physical features and cultivation level were exactly Jiang Cheng’s type. Was it coincidence or did his father have a better understanding of his preferences than he thought?

“I apologize for my behaviour.” Nie Huaisang sighed. Jiang Cheng snapped up and furrowed his eyebrows at the man. “My brother didn’t inform me that he was arranging my engagement to you. I honestly, wasn’t expecting anything of the sort since my brother still has his own love life to be concerned about.”

The cultivator released another heavy breath. Does Jiang Cheng comfort him at this moment? How would he even do that? “The news was sudden for me too.” That was the best he could have done with his the years he’s experienced with his Shijie.

Nie Huaisang did a dark chuckle under his breath, “Must have been to be engaged to the famous headshaker.” So he knew of the whispers about him. The three ‘I don’t know’s, the good-for-nothing. Considering how widespread the gossip was, it had to pass by Nie Huaisang’s ears once or twice. If the words bothered Nie Huaisang, he was a master at concealing it. Jiang Cheng could find no trace of anger or hurt lingering on his face. “Your mother doesn’t seem pleased with me either. Would even dare to say she’s against the whole arrangement.” He wasn’t wrong, but this was Madam Yu. Jiang Cheng contemplated explaining how very few occasions he’s seen his mother look pleased.  Nie Huaisang released his third heavy sigh since they reached the lake. The question weighing on his mind grew stronger and stronger until it forcefully stumbled out of his mouth.

“Are you unhappy with this engagement?” Nie Huaisang snapped his head towards him with his eyes wide. Jiang Cheng hesitated only for a moment before continuing. “If you are then I will talk to my father to cancel it.” Jiang Cheng doesn’t care whether his future partner is arranged or chosen by him. He just doesn’t want to be a part of a tragic relationship, one where they could grow to hate each other. He can’t end up like his parents. Couldn’t stand to put himself through that torture.

Nie Huaisang lips curved up into an unknown smile, “Tell me Sandu Sengshou, have you ever thought to marry for love?”

The answer was already on his tongue but Jiang Cheng dared to reconsider. Maybe the expression on Nie Huaisang’s face made him want to meet the cultivator’s expectations but he couldn’t lie in the end and answered with a cold, “No, never.”

Nie Huaisand ducked his head and chuckled, “Neither, have I.”

Jiang Cheng took a sharp breath in, “Never?”

“Having a love like Hanguang-Jun and Wei Wuxian’s, the thought is indeed beautiful.” Jiang Cheng agreed. His brother was an idiot who acted like a disgusting fool, always wanting his husband to dote on him like a spoilt child. Despite how their affection made Jiang Cheng sick there was no denying that they loved each other completely. It was a love most envied and sought out for themselves. But for him, “But that kind of thing just isn’t for me.” Nie Huaisang shoulders sank. For a split second, Jiang Cheng pitied him. Pitied that a person like Nie Huaisang already shared the same thoughts as him. Had given up on finding their ‘true love’ before even trying. Lost hope that there was any such happiness waiting for him. 

“You are a very beautiful man, Nie Huaisang,” Jiang Cheng tried to save the cultivator some face. “I’m sure quite a few have already fallen for you. Surely one can be satisfied with being loved.”

“You talk as if you don’t have a few cultivators chasing you.”

“I know you aren’t one to turn your ear away from prime gossip,” Jiang Cheng clenched his teeth.

“Sandu Shengshou is well-known for his skills,” Nie Huaisang smirked up at him, “and temper.” There was a strange feeling rising up in Jiang Cheng when he heard the soft sound of laughter from Nie Huaisang. It wasn’t similar to the annoyance he felt when he needed to hit Wei Wuxian, it tugged 

“Rather than being loved, I’ll be satisfied with being content,” Nie Huaisang chewed his lips and flickered his eyes to meet Jiang Cheng’s. “I believe it possible with you.” The words almost missed Jiang Cheng’s ears under the soft voice.

“Oh.”

“So, Sandu Shengshou I’ll ask you, how do you feel about this engagement. Can you be content with me?”

“My name,” Jiang Cheng started after a period of silence. “You should call me by my given name from now on.”

Nie Huaisang flicked his fan open and hid his smile, “How bold of you, A-Cheng.” He said the words slowly savouring the taste on his tongue.

A light pink colour dusted Jiang Cheng’s cheeks. “There’s nothing bold from what’s naturally expected,” he paused, “Sang.” 

“That is so,” Nie Huaisang closed his fan and tipped his head, a small teasing smile playing on his lips. The insides of Jiang Cheng twisted and gnawed at the graceful gesture. Such a simple movement shouldn’t look so beautiful. Nie Huaisang inched closer and wrapped his arm around Jiang Cheng’s so their bodies were squeezed together, “Please treat me well, A-Cheng, I’ll be bothering you from now on.” 

So, this was the start of their loveless engagement.

Extra:

“Was this your plan?” Nie Mingjue asked Sect Leader of the Jiang Yunmeng Sect.  

Jiang Fengmian shook his head and replied “I had no intention of forcing them if it was against their wishes. Jiang Cheng is acting completely on his own wishes.” Nie Mingjue shoulders relaxed and he looked back out into the garden. Unbeknownst to the two young cultivators below, their guardians have moved to a private room which overlooked the garden where they could observe them without being a hindrance. Nie Mingjue watched in curiosity as the famous short-tempered young master of the Jiang Sect allowed his younger brother to wrap his arms around him and listen patiently to whatever Nie Huaisang was running his mouth about. 

“Are you sure he’s not doing this to impress you?” Madam Yu snapped at her husband. Nie Mingjue ignored the tension between them, it was no secret about the strain in the relationship between the two. He’ll rather not to get involved in whatever disagreement they were in the middle of.

“That is a possibility,” Jiang Fengmian kept his famous smile, “But my lady doesn’t A-Cheng  like he’s enjoying himself?” Madam Yu pressed her lips into a thin line as her face darkened. It wasn’t obvious at a glance to those who were not familiar with Jiang Cheng but with enough observation, you could see that Jiang Cheng was indulging in the company of Nie Huaisang, he hung off each word the said and gave his own responses to entertain the other quite contradictory to his one or two sentences said at social gatherings.

“They do look good with each other,” Nie Mingjue mumbled to himself. He watched his little brother speak with a glint of life in his eyes that warmed his elder brother’s heart. “So when do you want to announce the engagement.”

#sangcheng #chengsang #nie huaisang #jiang cheng

[neirawrites]

Editing notes

so, i went through the entire Phantom Limb manuscript line by line and here are some thoughts I have on it:

WIP intro

It’s less of a sprawling catastrophe than ABW, but it needs work. So much work. 

Add more. Of everything. 

All the feels. I don’t care if it has a few plotholes or badly written parts, it hits me right in the solar plexus every time (yes, i stared crying again. no, i am not ashamed. yes, i know i should be)

Danica had a twin brother I decided to add recently, and I want to explore her relationship with her crappy parents more, to emphasize the “found family” aspect of the story. 

Alma’s quest to be “the perfect gay” is explored in one very well written paragraph, but i need to drag it around the novel more. I can do it better now that I’m over that idea myself. I have read a lot of lgbt books in the past 9 months and i have never seen that idea discussed, but I can’t be the only one who dealt with it. 

Do I add a scene of her talking to her parents? Maybe a flashback. 

also, i mention her being into photography like twice. where is the sad scene of danica looking at her old Instagram or something like that? I need to add more. 

Also, more Danica and music. I don’t know how I even menaged to sideline that? 

I love Kristian with all my heart, but his subplot is kind of a mess, especially his relationship with Zana and it has the potential to be so much more. The whole manner in which he leads them to Edin is a comedy level contrivance and the cute Instagram girl who read the book pointed that out too (did you know a cute girl likes my writing? not relevant, but daaaamn). There is too much telling and too little showing, especially when it comes to his and danica’s friendship and his relationship with Fatimir. A few flashback scenes might help a lot. 

I need more Irena. I don’t know if the novel does, but I do. She has like 3 lines and doesn't even show up outside one chapter, but I kinda love her. Also, I should check with SOC people if I can even put her there because it’s obvious she works for them and can I even do that? 

Ozren is almost perfect just the way he is, just putting that out there. Maybe a bit more on how it feels to be Roma in Bosnia, but I don’t know if i’m the right person to tell that story given that i am whiter than travnički sir. 

They sure do a lot of guessing. The phrase “I guess” shows up 38 times in a 70,000 word novel.  

I don’t think I put the right thought, through, though once in this novel and I’m just gonna find an editor to scream at me. 

On the new years eve, i purposely walked home at like 3 in the morning, to feel the weather so I can portray it in the last scene, only to write that it was raining? I could have been stabbed and this is how I repay myself? For shame. (the evening was very nice, very warm for that time of the year)

Sooo many tiny inconsistencies. I even left the old name for my villain in one place and the number of people she killed is a pure mess. honestly, after so many years of writing, I expected better from myself. 

One of the biggest issues is the ending. Alma is dead, that’s the first piece of information we get and that won’t change (spoiler alert for a book you will never read). And in the last two chapters she says goodbye to her friends and to Danica. I don’t want to make it into “sad gays go quietly into the night” and I want to make it very obvious this sucks and it’s not fair and they deserve their happy ending, but at the same time, the entire plot of the book is about the ghost fighting to go forward, to the real afterlife and how yes, they are dead and nothing can change that, so I don’t want her to sound too bitter or too sad. because the ending is at the happier place than the beginning. Alma gets to more forward and Danica has hope for the future, her music back, in some form, her loved ones, the potential for a happy ending, even without Alma.  it’s a delicate balancing act and I don’t know if i can make it work. 

just more of everything; descriptions, music, sarajevo, past events and dreams of the future. send me more bosnian/ex yu songs I can reference.

I don’t sound like a middle aged american journalist who visited sarajevo for two weeks in 2005 with his lovely wife Shannon as much as I was scared I would, but that can still change.  

The epilogue will take place at Pride, but I don’t want to get rocks thrown at me for attending, so we shall see about it. Maybe someone can livestream it for me. 

But, the best part is that I found my perfect Zana casting. Who is not Bosnian, but a big fan? who has been to sarajevo more than once and seems very invested in our history? who is a humanitarian famous all over the world? who is gorgeous and very charismatic? who knows one of my bosses? that’s right: Angelina Jolie will play Zana Rahimi. Or Zana Marjanović, if she’s not available. 

Thank you for listening to my ted talk. 

The fun part is over, now I actually have to write :(

#writeblr #writing #editing #phantom limb

[smite-headcanons]

A Summer Headcanon for Every God

-Achillies isn’t one for fun in the sun, but at least he’s going out. You’ll see him hanging around the open air bars at the beaches, usually the center of attention in group or another.

-There will be a mysterious rise in the frequency in which you’ll hear ‘Uptown Funk’ while near Agni. Big fan of the chorus.

-”BEES!” AMC continues to shout, elated at both the seasonal uptick of bees, and the half price sale of sweet tea at his local market. Nothing spectacular happens to him, but he is still happy.

-Ah Puch is busy dragging Hades out of his den, determined to get him to enjoy the sunshine with him. Hades simply wants to wait until Fall, and complains and moans the whole time they’re out. Baron’s along for the ride, seeing it as a personal challenge to give this man a good time.

-Amaterasu is on... a less than stellar family vacation with Izanami and Susano. The rental agency gave them the wrong kind of van, her mom and brother are fighting about directions and the radio, and somehow they ended up picking up the Nene Kappa along the way. This is not worth a crummy picture at the Grand Canyon.

-Similarly, Anhur, Bastet, and Ra are also on a family trip. It's on a boat. They're guiding the sun. Dad won't let them vacation.

-Anubis can be seen napping out on the porch, curled up in the sun like a good boy. Osiris and Isis get a laugh everytime he starts dreaming. The videos each have a couple thousand hits.

-Ao Kuang is NOT a fan of the Summer season. Summer means his (surviving) kids are back from school, which means they're always up to the crack of dawn, need to be fed and taken care of, and Ao doesn't get to sleep in.

- The whole Aphro family is on vacation. Argus and Cupid are building sand castles and running around, and every few minutes he brings particularly pretty shell to his mom and grandma. ""That's nice dear,"" Aphrodite and Hera say in unison, before glancing at each other. There was a silent pact to sip mimosas rather than The Tea on that trip, and both were abiding. Ares and Vulcan are both actively debating on the proper way to grill a few feet in the background. Ares denounces any claim of Vulcan ever being a chef.

- Apollo is spending his summer at Bacchus' place. The grapes are in harvest, the wine is flowing, and the party is never ending!

-Who the fuck knows what Arachne is doing? What do spiders even do in the summer? She's probably off eating flies or some gross shit.

-Artemis is, obviously, enjoying the Summer warmth and bounty. She's wracking up plentiful kill, her huntresses are training in the nice weather, and all is good.

-Artio is actually using the chance to do some studying, before the season turns cold and she goes into hibernation. She sees herself somewhat as the diplomat of her pantheon, and takes it upon herself to learn more about the others. As of now, she's spending a lot of time learning about Greece at Chiron's place. Like, a lot of time. Studying, I'm sure.

-Athena is off cursing someone again for one of her 'social experiments.' She'll enjoy the discourse in a few hundred years between people debating her reasoning.

- Summer time is bath time for Suku! Once Awillix made sure her darling is all squeaky clean, it's time for all warm jungle running in the world!

-Bakasura enters all the eating competitions he can. Hot dogs, water melon, you name it! It's going in his mouth.

- Suns out, Guns Out for Bellona and Nike! If you ain't training you ain't gaining! Monday through Sunday, it's all gains! And maybe a little kissing! Yeah!

-Cabrakan is hitting the beach and the spotlight this summer. Surprisingly, he made it as 'Mr.August' in next year's ' All-Mighty Model' Calendar

All-Mighty Models' calendar. Joining him will be Raijjn as June, Chaac as July, and Cu Chullain as September. There was plenty of fan outcry when Tyr was moved to December, despite having already having a shoot prepared.

-Camazotz and Cerberus are pretty much chilling while their masters are fighting each other, getting their whole 'Secret Life of Pets' going on.

-Summer is just another part of Cernunnos' job, and he's working over time. Everything needs to be in pristine condition for Autumn.

-Chang'e and Hou Yi have a whole world trip planned. They want to see all the hot spots! The Egyptian Pyramids, Nordic Valhalla, the Shinto Temples in Japan, etc. They're going full tourist mode.

-Chernobog is joining the entire Nox Family on Holiday! And by Holiday, I mean wandering around the house, occasionally glancing outside, and quietly cursing the sun until Fall arrives. Nemesis and Discordia do eventually head out for a nice beach day, but Thanatos never leaves the basement.

-Chronos and Janus are another pair of gods that don't go on big or extravagant vacations. But, with the powers of time and space... Movie nights are nice.

-Beware of Da Ji if you're heading to the beach... This isn't a lead in to anything funny or witty. She's just harvesting kidneys.

-Erlang Shen and Sun Wukong are running a summer training camp with their proteges. Sun Wukong is handling Ne Zha, while Erlang is disciplining Jing Wei. Both are in an intense rivalry to be the best fath- I mean, trainer.

-Fafnir, of all people, is the one running a lemonade stand. Pulling in that fruit money!

- Fenrir absolutely HATES the summer season. You know what happens to big, fluffy dogs when it gets hot? You get Skadi holding you down while Loki shears your fur, and your siblings laugh at you. They shear everything but his head and tail. It's humiliating, but at least it's cool.

-Freya is watching Bellona and Nike work out while she does her own reps, silently resenting them for not inviting her.

-Ganesha and Vamana are still doing that whole meditation thing, but like, outside now.

-Geb is burning up! Due to global warming! It's a mess! Yeah!

-Guan Yu and Hachiman are being horse bros, hanging out at Guan's stables, riding horses, feeding horses, raising horses. Just. Just a whole lotta horse.

-He Bo got stuck house sitting for his sister while she went on a vacation with Hou Yi. He's waiting for the sitcom Hijinks that the Jade Rabbit will bring.

-Hercules is sobbing. He got kicked out of the 'All-Mighty Models' shoot after the 'Hunkules Bulge Scandal.'

-Hun Batz is hanging out at the jungle, and, surprisingly, having a good time with Xbalanque. Both are having fun being stars on their respective Ball Game leagues.

-Kali can be found at the local carnival, scowling at all the children and carnies. She never has a good time, but she always seems to end up here...

-Khepri is traveling the world, being a good boy, regardless of the season.

- Kukulkan and Medusa have a bet going on. They keep sneaking into various reptile houses, and are waiting to see how long it takes for one of them to get caught.

-Kumbha still sleeps. But warm.

-Kuzenbo is looking for his child. He swear, he just had him here in the parking lot!

-Mercury is busy organizing his trophy room. You need somewhere to put all those summer games medals!

-Neith is a happy girl. Summer means Comic-Con and other conventions. Conventions mean cosplay. Cosplay means fun÷

-Nu Wa is staying at home, video chatting with Susano. @blondberserker could probably give you an idea of what these consists of...

-Odin refuses to leave Valhalla, and because he's being a huffy baby, Ullr has to stay with him. He had plans!

-Poseidon is going through his annual rendition of 'A Little Mermaid.' So far, all his actresses for Ariel have drowned.

-Rama is going hiking, eager to break his record time for crossing all the mountains in Tibet. 'Coincidentally,' Ravana is also there, eager to race him from start to finish.

-Ratatoskr doesn't have Fenrir's luxury of anyone liking him enough to shave him, so he's moving to colder climates. His desire to cause trouble puts him in very Scrat-esque situations.

-It's feeding time for Scylla! With all of the summer harvests, more sailors are going by to trade, many who aren't aware of the monster's tale. It's gonna be the time of her life!

-Summer is a bit of a boring time for Serqet. The desert gets hotter, fewer people walk through, and less people get stung. So, it's the BBC for her.

-Let's face it. Sobek is the absolute best boy, who deserves the absolute best summer. All the fish are easier to get with the heavier rains, and the sun is so warm for him 5o curl up in. You go, you funky little scaly dude. @sobek-support

-Summer is just Sol being extra pissed because she's still in a chariot.

-Sylvanus and Grover are basically playing a Capitan Planet at this point, thought It's been nowhere as near as successful. Turns out kids aren't nearly as inclined to help you out if you're a strange old man

- Terra's hanging out with Pele this summer at the beach, where Terra actually has an excuse to be in a stone bikini. They don't do too many extravagant things, and mostly just walk the beaches, eat together, and chit chat.

-We all already know how The Morrigan feels about the beach...

-Thor and Zeus are both doing a creepy ass bar crawl at the beach places, and have a wager to see who can get the most ladies home. Fortunately, neither have been successful.

-Books... What else do you expect from Thoth besides 'light' summer reading?

-Xing Tian isn't a fan of the beach either. He always gets stared at because of the gaping maw on his chest, and his flamey nipples always burn off any shirts he wears. So he stays at home, moping a bit.

-Ymir just fucking melts and dies.

-Thong Kui. Get that image out of your head.

@smitecreatorday

#smite #community creator day #smitecreatorday

[artemissarrows]

Sweet Combat: Gender-bending, delightful, and queer-adjacent, but not actually queer 🥊🥊🥊

So aside from BTS, another K-pop/C-pop celebrity I love is Luhan, formerly of K-pop group EXO. (If you want to learn about why he left, I recommend the Contract Disputes episode of the podcast “Ask Me About Kpop,” I love digging into those details and such!) He’s now an independent artist/actor/general celebrity promoting in China.

Luhan stars alongside his real-life girlfriend Guan Xiaotong in Sweet Combat, a sweet rom-com centered around a school that trains women in MMA. Luhan’s character is the first male to attend and he ends up being trained by three seniors—including Guan who is the best fighter at the school--as a first-year. I really loved it and totally miss it now that I’ve binged through all of the episodes. Some mild spoilers, but nothing related to the last few episodes, and also this is a rom-com, it’s pretty easy to decipher who will end up with who after the first few episodes ^_^

This show has such a good heart, and celebrates gender diversity.

By and large, this show comes down on the right side of things: people should help each other, bullying is bad, manipulating people is bad, and celebrates chosen family. Luhan’s character is poor, has to take care of his two small siblings though he’s still only college-age himself, and has to work 2 jobs to support them while he’s in school. His friends all pitch in to help make sure he’s OK and his kids are OK when he has MMA practice and cook him food. It’s super sweet! We also see one character who starts off bullying Luhan begin to change for the better and understand that bullying people to hide your own insecurities isn’t the way to be truly strong.

It also does generally deviate from strict male/female gender norms, and appropriately punish characters who don’t approve of people crossing gender norms. That being said, it does all of those things within a decidedly heterosexual context, where actual queer relationships are seen as outside the bounds of “normal” society (ie, we don’t see any). If this were a real girls’ fighting school, I can guarantee you that there would be a LOT of queers there.

Fang Yu, the lead female character, was forced to be a boy before her brother was born by her grandfather. Grandpa’s also a sexist jerkwad, and we all see it.

Fang Yu comes from a wealthy family, and her parents died when she was very young (absent parents is definitely a theme here). Her family owns a big corporation, and her grandfather is extremely concerned with succession. To that end, he forced Fang Yu to wear boy’s clothes and to be a boy before her brother was born—and then made her switch back once her younger brother came into the family (Fang Zhou is one of my fave characters in the series!) When she came back to school as a girl, all of the other kids in school called her a monster, which deeply scarred her. She also recalls looking at girls’ clothes longingly and not being able to wear them.

This whole situation is super interesting to me, although I wish I knew more about the cultural context under which it operates. Grandpa is clearly so concerned with who’s going to take over the company, and it must be a boy—how could a girl be as good at business???? We really sympathize with Fang Yu and her desire to prove herself through her MMA. She’s better than most of the boys, and she knows it. It’s also an interesting twist on the enforcement of gender norms. Instead of forcing her to be ultra-girly or something like that, Grandpa forced her to be a boy—thereby show that he knows she can be good at business, but only through the performance of masculinity. Wow, dude’s got some issues.

There’s another rich kid and business partner of the Fang family who tries to woo Fang Yu, and he was one of the kids who called her a monster as a child, and still thinks she is one (he literally said so). I have to wonder if that’s connected to her prowess in MMA, which is less common as a pursuit for girls, stereotypically.

Luhan (uh, Ming Tian, I guess) exudes positive, non-heirarchical masculinity.

Luhan’s character is a really positive version of what masculinity can be, in strong juxtaposition to Fang Yu’s grandfather, who uses his power to abuse and bully others (bullying’s a strong theme here, which is cute). Luhan and his two little siblings’ parents are gone, but he is so tender toward the little ones and takes care of them so well. 

He’s perfectly content for three senior women to coach him in MMA. He’s also just a kind person who doesn’t want to hurt anyone, sees the best in others, and is extremely smart though people sometimes underestimate him. He turns into the senior women’s coaches as the show goes on, and excels in both his analytical approach to improving their skills, as well as that balance of supporting and pushing.

And he always considers Fang Yu his equal (if not his superior in martial arts!) and treats her as an equal co-partner in their relationship. He’s perfectly willing for his feelings to be squished on her behalf and I sometimes wished he would be more honest about his desires—although this *is* a rom-com so if everyone were honest about their feelings we’d have no more show. Anyway.

I find it so telling that folks were criticizing him for being too feminine after seeing the show trailers. Absolutely not, he’s an upstanding dude…..even if he occasionally wears his own Luhan Studio merch on the show, I can forgive him.

Fang Yu’s best friend is butch AF and she’s soooooo hot

Fang Yu’s best friend is Cheng Yanan, the head of the boxing club at their university and all-around badass. She’s also butch as hell, and everyone’s 100% accepting of it in the show. Literally no one says anything. This makes me incredibly happy! 

She’s not gay, though. There are straight butch women for sure—and her love interest is incredibly sweet and another character I really like—but that’s maybe a bit unrealistic. But there is a scene where a girl at her school writes her a love note after seeing her on a run which is played for laughs….but seriously, Yanan is the shit.

Ugh, stop.

Queer adjacent thing 1: absent parents and chosen families

This isn’t an exclusively queer things, but felt like it was getting close. There’s a distinct lack of two-parent families in this show—we actually don’t see any on screen at least. Everyone has at least one parent who is absent or deceased. Instead, the friends all rely on each other for support, childcare, and general camaraderie. It’s also a college age thing I suppose, but also feels like a queer thing. Queer young people learn to rely on one another when our families don’t accept us—or even if they do, we recognize and support members of our community.

Queer adjacent thing 2: Sun Hao buys a suit from a gay store

Sun Hao, the second male student in the MMA school after Luhan, accidentally buys a suit from a gay kink store—it’s very flamboyant and played for laughs. I’m a bit sad about that, but so it goes. Gender diversity is apparently OK but sexual diversity isn’t? Or also, it’s fine when women are butch because masculinity is better, but when men act femme they’re stepping down in the world so why would they do that. Sigh.

Hello, gay panic!

 Non-queer thing I also loved: Sun Hao and his mom

Sun Hao’s mom runs a noodle stall, and she and he have a really wonderful and close relationship—they talk all the time and support one another. It’s extra-cute and I love it.

My only gripes: anime-styling in live-action & copious Adidas product placement

This show is apparently based on a manhwa or Korean comic, and unfortunately it shows sometimes and not in a good way. The director can never decide whether to make the MMA realistic or whether its magical realism MMA/normal life + magic, and it switches back and forth between things that look very naturalistic and weird-looking SFX. There are also some characters who are a little too stereotypically anime-y (looking at you, Song Xiaomi!) But since these moments were occasional and not all the time, I could live with it.

Also they must have signed something that says that Luhan always has to wear something with the Adidas logo on it….because he literally always does. Okay, we get it.

But those are small potatoes. This show is great, go watch it for its cuteness, great character relationships, and enjoy that it’s reasonably progressive on gender stuff.

#sweet combat #LuHan #exo luhan #guan xiaotong #mma #c-drama

[polar-stars]

I’d like to request something regarding the Hayama siblings. Like maybe how Kaori reacted to Akio becoming Hiraku’s assistant?

Sure! Thanks for requesting something ;w;

This will also be tackled in Shokugeki no Hiraku, but rather from Akio’s perspective. So here we’ll go into Kaori’s perspective. 

The New Akio

“Kaori?”The young girl paused and put down the knife with which she had just cut lemongrass. With a questioning look she turned around, in the direction from which the voice had come from.In front of her stood a slightly older, bespectacled woman whose chestnut hair was already showing traces of mouse-gray and snow-white. She looked puzzled.“What is it, Granny?” Asked Kaori.“Oh well, I’m just surprised. Seeing you down here. "A small smile showed on her face. "After all, since you’ve of the entrance exam for highschool division, you spend all your time learning in your room. So that’s what makes me wonder what made you come out again. ”She glanced around the kitchen. “But I think I can see what’s going on.”The table in the kitchen was nicely set. Kaori had picked out the porcelain dishes and to do justice to this fine art, she had picked out a purple tablecloth with pretty patterns. She had also a placed a perfectly matched bouquet of beautiful flowers arranged in a talented manner on the table. Adding to that she set the coronations out of her garden on the windowsill.And it just took her granny a look at the ingredients Kaori had gathered to know what she was cooking.“His favorite soup?” Chuckled her granny.

A timid, small smile now appeared on Kaori’s lips as she answered. “He finally comes home after the Stagiares today after all. Mom has already told me that this really is not a simple hurdle and he worked hard as always. He deserves a reward. And of course a nice welcome. Besides …. "She moved away from the kitchen counter and took a colorful flyer from the table which she held up with sparkling, brown eyes. "His invitation to Autumn Leaf Viewing has arrived!”Her grandmother took the flyer out of her hand and expertly adjusted her glasses. “Oh, that’s right. The much anticipated meeting with the Elite Ten. ”Kaori turned back to the lemongrass and began to cut. “I think he might want to get in touch with the second years rather than the third years. After all, they will be here a little longer and could be good allies. The best choice is Shinomiya Noboru. After all, he is the son of the famous Shinomiya Kojiro. I bet he is going to be the next first seat. Like his big brother and his big sister before him. ”Her grandma laughed and put the flyer back on the table. “You’ve made quite the studies on the Elite 10 didn’t you.” Kaori slyly smirked. “Naturally. After all, I have to know who to defeat later. ”Kaori’s grandmother looked at the young girl and her precise movements for a long time before mumbling. “You really are very ambitious, Kaori.”Kaori pushed the lime grass aside and started cutting the ginger. “I learned from the best.” She explained and added with a warm smile. “Mom and Dad are both truly fantastic. And Akio as well. He works so hard and is on the best path to follow in their footsteps. I can only take that as an example. ”-Time passed and the time for Akio Hayama’s arrival approached.Kaori was sitting on the sofa, reading a book about medicine while the finished soup on the stove simmered.Then she finally heard a key lock being turned and immediately Kaori jumped up and put the book aside. Even her grandmother Jun, who had read e-mails on the computer, looked up.Kaori quickly left the kitchen to get into the hallway. Just in time when the door opened and her big brother Akio Hayama entered.“Onii-chan!” Exclaimed Kaori and ran towards him. “Welcome Home!”Despite smiling, Akio looked out of breath and…..unfocused. “Hello, Kaori! How are you? ” He turned his head away again.Kaori’s smile weakened a bit. “Fine, and you? How were the Stagiares. ”“Nice to hear.” Akio explained hastily and patted her head absently. “I’m fine and the Stagiares were good too.”Then he rushed past her.Kaori was sure he would go to the kitchen and she was already looking forward to his surprised expression. But all he did was call “Granny Jun, I’m back!” into the kitchen and then walk upstairs.Kaori cocked her head in confusion. Why was he in such a hurry?When Akio had disappeared upstairs, Jun stepped out of the kitchen. “What’s that about?” She asked, giving Kaori an equally confused look. Kaori could do nothing but shrug her shoulders.A few seconds later, Akio came downstairs again, his laptop in his hand and his hair ruffled.He looked at Jun. “Granny, unfortunately I have to go again. I have something important to do. I’ll come back later, okay?”“What…? But Akio?” Stammered Jun, but Akio did not seem to hear her in all his rush.So he also hardly noticed Kaori’s dumbfounded look.She shook her head before shouting loudly. “Akio”That’s what her big brother actually got, but the only reaction she got was an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Kaori. But I really have to go. We’ll talk later, okay?”And he was out of the house again.And left his completely confused family behind.Kaori looked down. Jun saw this and started in a comforting tone. “Kaori …” But then Kaori suddenly said. “He did not see the flyer at all.”She whirled around and quickly returned to the kitchen where she took the flyer off the table. Then she went back into the hall and explained to Jun while passing. “I’ll see what it’s all about.” And then she too was out of the door.-She followed him and the path led her to one of the many Shokugeki arenas on the Totsuki.Immediately a proud surprise glowed in Kaori. Did he-?She watched as her brother entered the arena and did the same a few minutes later.She had walked only a few steps as she already spotted him standing by the railing in the audience area.“Akio!” She exclaimed, trying to drown out the noise of the rest of the audience. She was successful as Akio turned around and gave a suprised: “Kaori?”“What are you doing here?” He asked as she got closer.She put her hands on her hips. “I am trying to understand what this means! You just arrived and you’re leaving again?”“Oh Kaori, you know …” Akio wanted to start, but he was interrupted by the voice of the moderator down in the battlefield. “Hello, hello everybody! My name is Kawashima Hideyoshi and I am today’s host!”Kaori heard a rapt, female outcry through the hall while many of the boys clenched their fists annoyed.“Today we have a really exciting Shokugeki on the plan! Kozuki Yu, master of Vietnamese cuisine! Against the genius Yukihira Hiraku, returning fresh from the Stagiares! ”Kaori’s eyes widened and she turned slowly and questioningly to Akio. “…. Yukihira Hiraku?” Akio bit his lip. “…. you are not with us because you want to watch a Shokugeki from Yukihira Hiraku ?!”Akio sighed. “…. Kaori, Listen …… I … I’m not just watching it.” Kaori only raised an eyebrow.Akio looked to the side and scratched his head. It became clearer and clearer that the whole thing was making him feel uncomfortable.“I …. I would also like to keep an ear open in the audience to see who intends to challenge Hiraku-sama….” Kaori winced “….I’ll have to create a plan for him and organize a schedule. ”He turned back to Kaori. The state of shock almost written on the face. “What …” she whispered. “Why do you care?”Akio swallowed. “Well, you know ….” He then tried to smile. “I am his new assistant.”The crowd cheered as Hideyoshi declared the Shokugeki’s begin through his microphone in his usual cajoling manner and in this roaring audience, there stood a young girl who’s entire world had just been shattered through one single sentence.“You’re what?” She rumbled. A few of the other guests gave her an annoyed look, but she did not care. Her brother had just been broken.Akio raised his hands reassuringly. “Kaori, please! I can explain that.”Kaori crossed her arms and lowered her weight on her right foot. “Well I’m curious about that explanation. What made you throw away your position as top of the 114th just like that. What’s about your dream of becoming first seat?! ”“I have not been the top of my generation for quite some time now!” Akio replied. “As long as Hiraku-sama is at this school, I have no chance for the first seat!”Kaori’s expression darkened. “Hiraku-sama …” she repeated contemptuously. “So that’s it ….. You just give up.” “Kaori …” Started Akio and wanted to get closer, but Kaori interrupted him.With a cool look she held out to him the colorful flyer. “Here’s an invitation to meet with the Elite Ten.”Akio had just taken it from her as she already said in a sharp tone. “Since he also participated in the Autumn Elections, I’m sure Eizan Shigeo will be there too.” She turned around. “Why not talk to him. I’m sure he has some more dirty work lying around for you. ”Then she ran away, not paying attention as Akio called after her.At home, she rushed past the worried Jun with the words. “Eat without me. I have to study.”Even Jun’s shouts she ignored and went straight to her room.

#Shokugeki no Soma #Shokugeki no Kimiko Stuffz #AkiSako #Lea is writing

[minhschinalitblog]

Ten Interesting China’s Novels

Journey to the West 

 Journey to the West is a classic Chinese mythological novel. It was written during the Ming Dynasty based on traditional folktales. Consisting of 100 chapters, this fantasy relates the adventures of a Tang Dynasty (618-907) priest Sanzang and his three disciples, Monkey, Pig and Friar Sand, as they travel west in search of Buddhist Sutra. The first seven chapters recount the birth of the Monkey King and his rebellion against Heaven. Then in chapters eight to twelve, we learn how Sanzang was born and why he is searching for the scriptures, as well as his preparations for the journey. The rest of the story describes how they vanquish demons and monsters, tramp over the Fiery Mountain, cross the Milky Way, and after overcoming many dangers, finally arrive at their destination - the Thunder Monastery in the Western Heaven - and find the Sutra. (Amazon.com)

1984

 Winston Smith toes the Party line, rewriting history to satisfy the demands of the Ministry of Truth. With each lie he writes, Winston grows to hate the Party that seeks power for its own sake and persecutes those who dare to commit thoughtcrimes. But as he starts to think for himself, Winston can’t escape the fact that Big Brother is always watching...  A startling and haunting novel, 1984 creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the novel’s hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions—a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time. (Amazon.com)

When Red is Black

 When the murder of a woman is reported to the Shanghai police while Inspector Chen is on vacation, Sergeant Yu is forced to take charge of the investigation. The victim, Yin Lige, a novelist known for her banned book, has been found dead in her tiny, humble room off the stairwell of a converted multi-family house. It seems that only a neighbor could have committed the crime, for the building is kept locked at night. But there is no apparent motive. Sergeant Yu tries to unravel the reclusive woman’s past and begins to realize it may have larger political implications. The Cultural Revolution might be more than 30 years in the past, but its effects can still be felt at every level of Chinese society. (Amazon.com)  

War trash 

 Ha Jin’s masterful new novel casts a searchlight into a forgotten corner of modern history, the experience of Chinese soldiers held in U.S. POW camps during the Korean War. In 1951 Yu Yuan, a scholarly and self-effacing clerical officer in Mao’s “volunteer” army, is taken prisoner south of the 38th Parallel. Because he speaks English, he soon becomes an intermediary between his compatriots and their American captors.With Yuan as guide, we are ushered into the secret world behind the barbed wire, a world where kindness alternates with blinding cruelty and one has infinitely more to fear from one’s fellow prisoners than from the guards. Vivid in its historical detail, profound in its imaginative empathy, War Trash is Ha Jin’s most ambitious book to date. (Amazon.com)

Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze

  When Young Fu arrives with his mother in bustling 1920s Chungking, all he has seen of the world is the rural farming village where he has grown up. He knows nothing of city life. But the city, with its wonders and dangers, fascinates the 13-year-old boy, and he sets out to make the best of what it has to offer him.

 First published in 1932, Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze was one of the earliest Newbery Medal winners. Although China has changed since that time, Young Fu's experiences are universal: making friends, making mistakes, and making one's way in the world. (Amazon.com)

The Dark Forest 

 In The Dark Forest, Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion-in just four centuries' time. The aliens' human collaborators may have been defeated, but the presence of the sophons, the subatomic particles that allow Trisolaris instant access to all human information, means that Earth's defense plans are totally exposed to the enemy. Only the human mind remains a secret. This is the motivation for the Wallfacer Project, a daring plan that grants four men enormous resources to design secret strategies, hidden through deceit and misdirection from Earth and Trisolaris alike. Three of the Wallfacers are influential statesmen and scientists, but the fourth is a total unknown. Luo Ji, an unambitious Chinese astronomer and sociologist, is baffled by his new status. All he knows is that he's the one Wallfacer that Trisolaris wants dead. (Amazon.com)

The Russian Concubine

 A sweeping novel set in war-torn 1928 China, with a star-crossed love story at its center.  In a city full of thieves and Communists, danger and death, spirited young Lydia Ivanova has lived a hard life. Always looking over her shoulder, the sixteen-year-old must steal to feed herself and her mother, Valentina, who numbered among the Russian elite until Bolsheviks murdered most of them, including her husband. As exiles, Lydia and Valentina have learned to survive in a foreign land.  Often, Lydia steals away to meet with the handsome young freedom fighter Chang An Lo. But they face danger: Chiang Kai Shek's troops are headed toward Junchow to kill Reds like Chang, who has in his possession the jewels of a tsarina, meant as a gift for the despot's wife. The young pair's all-consuming love can only bring shame and peril upon them, from both sides. Those in power will do anything to quell it. But Lydia and Chang are powerless to end it. (Amazon.com)

Please Don’t Call Me Human

 Now Wang Shuo, easily Chinas coolest and most popular novelist, applies his genius for satire and cultural irreverence to one of the worlds sacred rituals, the Olympic Games. In Please Don’t Call Me Human, he imagines an Olympics where nations compete not on the basis of athletic prowess, but on their citizens capacity for humiliation and China is determined to win at any cost. Banned in China for its rudeness and vulgarity, this astonishing, tripped-out novel is filled with outlandish antics that have earned Wang Shuo his own genre, hooligan literature. (Amazon.com)

   Where the Mountain Meets the Moon 

  In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.  Grace Lin, author of the beloved Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat returns with a wondrous story of adventure, faith, and friendship. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Her beautiful illustrations, printed in full-color, accompany the text throughout. Once again, she has created a charming, engaging book for young readers. (Amazon.com)

The Three-Body Problem

Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision. (Amazon.com)