#<- guy from beijing

[crehador]

brother crab's fall 2024 first impressions: touhai

alright after one ep i guess i can see why this one didn't find an english licensor (yet) lol

it's not. terrible. i feel like maybe it'll pick up a bit more once we meet the rest of the main cast. the animation is unspectacular to say the least, the budget's just not there, but i don't need everything to look super slick and polished so i could live with that

mc's backstory is pretty much what you'd expect it to be, going heavy on the dark/gritty/crime elements. can't complain since that is what it says on the bag, but i'm hoping the actual mahjong itself will remain the focus of the series

i'll stick with it for a few more episodes at least, see if anything changes

[trans-ralsei]

me to ex-boss: how's you? ex-boss: loads have changed since you left. there's three wars to cover now so life is a lot more difficult. you? me: um. can i come back um. i'm at a copywriting gig that i'm not happy with feeling kinda meh about. how's the team? ex-boss: ...

[bibleofficial]

i love having hong kongers & mainlanders in close contact like literally i’ve these 2 hongkongers in my group project for a class & then i live w 2 mainlanders so ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) i’m learning so much

[scoupsakakitty]

Hii I love your content! Was wondering if you could write about svt 14th member having a crazy and dangerous male sasaeng that breaks into her hotel room when they’re on tour?

Intruder in the Dark | Seventeen x 14thMember | angst

The night in Beijing was eerily quiet. The tour had been exhausting, and the entire Seventeen team—members and staff alike—were fast asleep in their hotel rooms. Y/N had passed out almost instantly, exhaustion washing over her as soon as she lay down. The dim glow of the bedside lamp flickered slightly, casting soft shadows across the room.

Then came the noise.

A soft click. The unmistakable sound of a door handle turning. It wasn’t loud, but in the silence of the night, it sent a strange shiver down her spine. Half-asleep, Y/N assumed it was just one of the boys. Maybe Woozi had misplaced his key card again, or Mingyu had come to steal snacks. It wouldn’t be the first time.

She turned onto her side, pulling the covers up, too exhausted to even check. But the sound didn’t stop. The door creaked open, slow and deliberate. Y/N’s brows furrowed. That was odd. The guys didn’t usually hesitate like this. They just barged in, announced themselves with little regard for volume, and left just as chaotically.

Something was wrong.

The air in the room shifted, a presence thickening the atmosphere. Y/N’s heart began to pick up speed. She held her breath. Maybe it was just staff. But no—staff never entered unannounced in the middle of the night.

The door clicked shut.

And then, footsteps.

Slow. Measured. Too cautious to be anyone familiar.

Fear gripped her, ice-cold and suffocating. Her breath hitched as she squeezed her eyes shut, feigning sleep, hoping—praying—that whoever it was would just leave.

But they didn’t.

The footsteps approached the bed. Closer. Closer.

A dark silhouette loomed over her.

And then, a voice.

“I finally found you.”

A nightmare come to life.

Y/N’s eyes shot open, and she froze in horror. The man standing before her was no stranger. She had seen that face before—too many times. The same twisted, obsessive eyes that followed her at airports, at venues, lurking in the shadows, always watching. A sasaeng.

Her sasaeng.

She gasped, scrambling backward on the bed, panic crashing over her in waves.

“No—No, no, no—”

The man grinned—a slow, sickening curl of his lips. “Shh, don’t be scared. I’m here now.”

Her stomach churned. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be real.

She did the only thing her body allowed her to do.

She screamed.

Loud. Desperate. Terrified.

The man lunged, his hand clamping over her mouth. “Shh—”

Y/N thrashed wildly, clawing at his arms, kicking at him with every ounce of strength she had. Panic fueled her, adrenaline surging through her veins. She bit down hard on his hand, tasting blood, and he yelped in pain, yanking his hand away.

She screamed again. “MINGYU! SEUNGKWAN! JOSHUA! HELP!”

The hallway outside was silent for a moment. Too long. Too terrifyingly long.

Then—

Footsteps. Rushed. Heavy.

The door burst open with a deafening bang.

Seungkwan and Joshua were first, eyes wide with alarm. Their gazes darted to the scene—the trembling Y/N, the sasaeng inches from her, the sheer terror in her expression.

“GET AWAY FROM HER!”

Joshua lunged first, shoving the man back. But the sasaeng fought back, pushing Joshua off and taking a wild swing. Chaos erupted. Seungkwan yelled something incomprehensible, grabbing the nearest object—a lamp—and hurling it at the intruder.

It shattered on impact, sending the sasaeng stumbling.

Y/N scrambled off the bed, her entire body shaking. She bolted towards the door, but before she could reach it, the man recovered, grabbing her wrist in a bruising grip. She screamed again, her voice raw, as she tried to wrench herself free.

Then, another voice.

“LET HER GO.”

Mingyu.

A second later, Mingyu barreled into the room, eyes blazing with fury. He didn’t hesitate. He tackled the sasaeng, sending them both crashing to the floor. Fists flew. The sound of knuckles connecting with flesh, grunts of pain, the scuffle of limbs.

The other members poured in. Security wasn’t far behind.

Outside in the hallway, Jeonghan, DK, Vernon, Dino, Woozi, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Jun, The8, and S.Coups had already been startled awake by the noise. Vernon, still groggy, frowned and asked, "Is that Y/N?"

And just as he spoke, the door to her room flew open, and Y/N came running out, tears streaming down her face. Without hesitation, she fell into the arms of the remaining ten members, shaking uncontrollably.

“What happened?” Jeonghan asked, voice laced with concern. “Are you hurt?”

“Someone broke into my room,” Y/N sobbed, gripping onto them. “A sasaeng. Mingyu, Seungkwan, and Joshua are fighting him—”

They didn’t need to hear more. Without another word, DK, Vernon, Dino, Hoshi, and Jun stormed into her room, faces set with fury.

S.Coups and The8 sprinted downstairs to get security, while Jeonghan, Woozi, and Wonwoo stayed behind with Y/N, holding her tightly as she trembled in their arms.

It took three guards and the entire force of Seventeen to restrain the sasaeng. He thrashed, screamed, but he was overpowered. Staff members called the police. The man was dragged away, his crazed eyes still locked on Y/N as he disappeared down the hall.

And then—silence.

Later, as Y/N sat on her bed, still shaking, she whispered, “I don’t want to be alone.”

Mingyu, standing beside her, nodded without hesitation. “You won’t be.”

He lay down next to her, staying alert, but as she curled up beside him, he gently ran his fingers through her hair. Slowly, her breathing steadied. And then, a soft sound—a tiny, barely audible snore.

His heart clenched. Grief. Rage. But also relief.

She was safe.

After the rest had left, they gathered outside her door, whispering angrily about what had just happened.

“We can’t let this happen again,” Hoshi hissed.

“This was way too close,” Jeonghan murmured.

“The security in this hotel is a joke,” S.Coups growled. “How did he even get in?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Wonwoo said coldly. “It won’t happen again.”

Dino, still visibly shaken, suddenly sat down right outside her door. “I’m staying here tonight,” he declared. “No one gets past me.”

No one argued. Instead, they each took turns pacing, talking about reinforcing security, making sure Y/N felt safe, and ensuring something like this never happened again.

For tonight, Dino would stand guard.

And for always, they would protect her.

[cheriladycl01]

Winning Gold in Life - Lando Norris x BritishOlympicFigureSkating! Reader

Plot: You and Lando will try to coordinate his helmet designs to your figure skating outfit, so that you guys can match and win together.

"You looked amazing out there baby!" Lando grins picking you up and spinning you around as you got to the edge of the ice rink by the gate to leave.

You orange dress that had the Mclaren Logo all up the sheer see-through sleeves and on the back as if it were a tramp-stamp flowed around you hips as he spun you.

"Ah that was so nerve-racking having you watching me!" you exclaim, leaning your head into the crook of his neck. You both sat on the stands waiting for the results.

"Y/N, that was an fantastic performance. Think we have a chance for Gold!" your coach says coming over to you handing you your coat and gloves like she normally did after you'd been out on the ice.

"Thank you Maddie, I just hope it was enough!" you nod nervously. Lando rubs his hand up and down your legs in a comforting manor before pulling you into his hold.

"You did do well, no matter where you come... I'm going to be proud of you for just going out there today!" he whispers in your ear and tears start to build up in your eyeline. Some of you eyeliner and mascara had already started to melt off your face but Lando couldn't stand to see himself make it worse.

"Ohhhh, don't cry baby!" he laughs seeing your little pouty expression that he found adorable. You look at him is his thumbs wipe under your eyes trying to fix the black and brown makeup that had started to streak and make you loosely resemble a Panda.

As you waited for the results to come in, you anxiously bite your lips until you hear you name said by the Chinese commentator before the English one making you look at Lando and your trainer.

"Was that my name or am i tripping?" you ask looking between them and Lando has a huge grin on his face.

"That was your name baby, GOLD!" he exclaims and you crouch down into a sort of squat in shock. Tears streaming down your face.

"Y/N come on! Onto the ice!" you trainer grins and you take Lando's hand dragging him so he's as close to the barriers between the ice and the stadium seats as possible.

You see the camera on you and the other two medalists who you immediately pull into hugs, you'd gotten close to them since you guys landed here in Beijing.

You stake out to where the podium is and stand on the top place, getting help from someone to get up onto it. You smile at your flag, proud of what you've done for team GB.

The medal gets placed around you neck after the others and you get handed your flowers as you all stand listening to the British National Anthem, your hand on your heart and medal while you look up trying to keep the tears at bay.

You skate back and see Lando is filming your arrival making you make a silly face at the camera before showing your cold medal to him and the camera with a big cheesy grin on you face.

"Darling I'm so proud of you!" he smiles pulling you in for a hug and kisses your forehead as he takes a second to observe you.

"I love you so much, having you here for support was everything!" you admit, knowing you probably wouldn't have done as well if he wasn't here cheering you on.

"Well, now that you've got your first gold. I think it's time that I got my first win..." he smiles.

"Yeah? Will that be in Bahrain with your new matching lid" you grin at him and he nods.

"Need my good luck charm with me, if I'm going to win!"

And that was how you found yourself once again in the fuel scented paddock that you'd become accustomed too over the few years you'd been dating Lando for.

"Things have been looking promising babe! You guy's sandbagged hard!" you grin, knowing there was a lot more oophm to the car than what they'd let on in February's pre-season testing.

"Zac's orders. We'll be up there with Red Bull and Mercedes this year!" he grins and FP1 and FP2 proved that. He had a mega performance having the quickest time in the first and going third fastest in the second.

Sunday came around far to quickly for your liking and you were sat in the paddock in shorts and Lando's Mclaren Shirt for the warm weather Bahrain had brought. You even had to go to the merch stand to by yourself a McLaren hat because the darkness to you hair had started to burn the top of you head.

It was an embarrassing interaction, you asked for a Lando Norris McLaren hat but it was so busy and so loud they'd mistaken it for a Lewis Hamilton Mercedes hat so you were strolling through the paddock with that on your head.

"Ahhh, well if it isn't my biggest fan Y/N Y/L/N!" Lewis says catching you as he strides past on his scooter stopping to talk to you.

"They made a mistake at the merch shop. I didnt have the heart to correct them..." you chuckle and he laughs as well, he pulls out a pen starting to sign it while it was on your head.

"For my biggest fan" he laughs and you cant help but laugh as well. Only seconds later do the media catch on to the two athletes conversing and pull them up on it.

"Hey guys, how are we doing today!" one of the interviewers asks making you freeze a little like a deer in headlights.

"I'm doing great, just you know spending time with a fan!" Lewis jokes making the reporters laughs and turn to you.

"Yep, big fan of his work. Ppppft whose that Lando Norris guy in pole position. I don't know him..." you joke back knowing Lewis and Lando had the front row locked out.

"Y/N, all jokes aside it's great to see you back in the paddock now after all the training ... which clearly paid off congratulations" she smiles and you blush a little nod liking to brag or show off.

"Thank you, my team and I worked really hard. I obviously had the power of Mclaren and Lando on my side and I'm happy to have achieved Gold after my not so good attempt in 2018!" you cringe remembering when you were so much younger and naive that you hadn't performed as well, just missing out on a bronze medal.

"Well all the best to you and Lando!" she grins before keeping Lewis and letting you dash off back to McLaren.

2 hours later and you were anxuously biting your nails watching Lando catch up to the lead of the race after a slow pitstop and reclaim his P1.

It wasn't until the last lap, where DRS was enabled that he could overtake Charles and take back his P1 having an advantage on the final turn and straight for him to cross the finish line in P1.

His first F1 win.

You didn't have the most graceful reaction for a WAG, that was for sure but seeing Lando win after working so hard towards his goal, you couldn't contain your emotions.

You ran up to him, and you jumped on him not caring about the wetness of his suit from sweat and you were wrapping your arms around his neck and legs around his waist as his gloved hands came down to support you holding just under your bum.

"You are amazing!" you cry pulling up his visor so you can see his own eyes that are full of tears.

You later watched on as he celebrated his podium with Charles and Lewis, and you saw the elated and happy expression on your face that you would do anything to keep on their permanently as your favourite thing about him was his smile.

That was your man... and he was forever your man.

y/user

Liked by landonorris, maxfewtrell and pietra.pilao

y/user: Life recently! Winning Gold in all aspects of life ... McLaren Papaya inspired drip, and Lando getting a new lid for 2023 (I’m not allowed to show you guys till race weekend) <3

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landonorris: my gorgeous baby! I love you 🥰❤️

-> y/user: I love you more! Thank you for all your support recently 🫶🏼❤️

mclaren: when the drip is dripping 😦🤭🧡

-> y/user: always 🧡

fan1: it’s so cute how Lando and Y/N always match🥺

fan2: Y/N show us the lid we won’t snitch!

maxfewtrell: thank you for making it to the merch drop. We miss seeing you!

-> y/user: missing you too Max 🫶🏼

pietra.pilao: beautiful, gorgeous girl

-> y/user: no you 👆🏼☺️

-> pietra.pilao: let’s date ❤️

-> y/user: YES! Spa days for life 🫣🫶🏼

fan3: P and Y/N’s friendship is so funny 🥺🧡

Instagram Story Caption

Back to training, without my mans 😭🫶🏼

Taglist:

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[incorrectbatfam]

I love your blog it always makes me laugh <3 could you do the batfam+superfam at thanksgiving or something??

Clark: Bruce, Selina, Kate, glad you guys could make it! Alfred's helping Ma and Pa in the kitchen. Come on in.

Jon, poking his head out: Where's Damian? I wanna show him my new issue of One Piece.

Kon: Never mind that, where's Tim? He said we'd go Black Friday shopping together.

Bruce: The kids are coming separately. They're just picking up some last-minute groceries from your mom's list.

Kate: Smells great in here. Very cinnamony.

Lois: I've been on a scented candle kick recently.

Kate: Ooh, show me.

Selina: I'm going to freshen up from that long drive.

Clark: Kara, Natasha, Chris, and Kenan will be flying in after they take care of a minor alien invasion in Beijing. Biz is out by the barn serving the animals their Thanksgiving feast. Cider?

Bruce: Don't mind if I do. Hey, I think I see Dick's car.

Dick: Heyo everyone! Babs and I brought the pecan pie Mrs. Kent asked for.

Barbara: This was the last one left at the store. Can you believe that? Oh, Jason's right behind us.

Jason: Waddup Thanksgiving fuckers, guess who brought pecan pie?

Dick: Language! And I thought we agreed Babs and I would bring it. I texted the group.

Jason: Then it might not have sent because I didn't get anything.

Tim, pulling up: Hey everyone! I brought Bernard and pecan pie. All I'm missing is my other boyfriend.

Jason: Seriously?

Damian, climbing in through the window: Greetings, family unit. I have acquired the pecan pie.

Tim: You too?!

Duke: Hey, sorry Cass I are late. We were stuck in some pretty nasty traffic. On the bright side, we got the pecan pie.

Barbara: You have GOT to be kidding me.

Steph: *walks in with a pecan pie*

Steph: *sees the others*

Steph, turning around: I'm going back to the store.

[winterrhayle]

an incomplete list of things that i am very very very very very very very intrigued and excited about being visually portrayed in the tlc adaption:

BIOELECTRICAL MANIPULATION. HOW will they portray this??? because its animated i could imagine them doing some like visual effects like squiggly lines or something (kinda into the spiderverse spidey-sense esque) OR they could show it in the way it would look irl, by just showing the impact of the manipulation on the person however i would imagine that this would be really really difficult to show as the audience needs to know when someone is acting by their own accord and who is acting due to manipulation,, this is so intriguing to me genuinely

LUNAR FASHION ! specially in the scenes during winter at levana and kai's wedding, i think the clothing and hair and makeup would be so fun to look at as the aristocrats' clothing is so ornate, and as its animation there really aren't any limits to what they do with that

cinder's vision, with her constant information trickling in with the orange lie detector, heart monitor, internal portscreen etc etc, i kinda imagine them doing a lot of scenes from her POV, where we can see what is happeining through her eyes, and this would be specially interesting in particular scenes like when her cybernetic and natural vision are fighting against eachother to try and figure out how levana really looks, and the scene where cinder is doing some insane multitasking fighting the guards + wolf soldiers while escaping artemisia palace and jumping into the lake

the character designs for the fully modified wolf soldiers, i've always found them kinda difficult to picture personally so i would be very interested in looking at how they're portrayed here

general scene setting like : new beijing market, the artemisia and new beijing palaces, cress' sattelite, the rampion, the abandoned paris opera house fight scene, farafrah, benoit farms, etc etc etc, you get the gist. i feel like tlc has so much potential with these visuals specially because theyre in the future, so the fashion could go in any difrection, and you'd see futuristic things around like the hover cars and maybe like, subtle things like people scanning their wrists (with their ID chips) to pay for things im yapping i know but i just love the world building so much

winter's hallucinations, it would be interesting for it to switch between what she sees, eg a scene where the walls are bleeding and they could do some like spirally camera work around her and then it could cut to another characters POV, like jacin where you can see how it really looks, it would be cool juxoposition and it would be really helpful to get into winters head (as she has the shortest time on paper out of all the characters :(((( SIGH)

they could do a cool thing with the selene / cinder connection, i said yelled my ideas in the tags of this post here, its in all caps sorry lmaooo i got a little excited

anyway these are just off the top of my head there are definitely more,, but if u guys have any more please please please please share i would loveeee to hear

[ladykailitha]

Of Butterflies and Backstrokes Part 3

Hey, darlings! We are back again!! Next week I'll start uploading this on Mondays instead of Tuesdays so that Hellfire can be posted on Fridays so that it doesn't get swamped by the WIP Wednesday overflow. See here for further explanation.

We introduce the kids and Eddie finds out what happened to Steve.

Pt 1 Pt 2

~

Steve could feel a migraine coming on the second he saw Tommy Hagan coming toward him purposefully.

Which meant another parent had complained about him. He fought the urge to take off his glasses and rub the bridge of his nose in frustration.

Steve held up his hand when Tommy got to him and went to open his god damned mouth. “I’m going to stop you before you even get started, Tommy. If Joyce doesn’t give a shit, than neither should you!”

“Beijing was two years ago, Steve,” Tommy huffed angrily. “So what, you hit your head. Get. Over. It.”

“Yeah, I hit my head so hard I blacked out,” Steve snapped back.

Tommy scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I know I was there.”

“Yeah, and you didn’t even fucking medal, Tommy,” he growled. “I nearly drowned. This wasn’t just some little slip in the shower. I hit my head so hard they weren’t sure my vision would come back, asshole. It was traumatic. I don’t know why you can’t understand that!”

Suddenly Carol and Nicole were pulling at Tommy’s arms, muttering soothing words to get him to back down. Tommy glared at him for a moment before he shook the girls off and walked away even more pissed than when he came over.

“Sorry about him,” Nicole said after Carol hurried after him to try and calm him down. “Not all of us think like that.”

Steve just shrugged. He was used to Tommy’s anger about what happened. It was like salt over a wound every time he started up about it. Because, yeah, before all this Tommy and he were friends. Damn good ones, too.

“I think he’s still messed up about the accident,” Nicole muttered. “He feels guilty that he was forced to compete while you were in the hospital. Which lets be honest is probably why he didn’t do well. So if you lay off the medal thing, I’ll try and convince him to drop the pool thing.”

Steve shoulders sagged in defeat. “Yeah, I guess. He started it though.”

She laughed and then shook her head. “Never change, Steve Harrington, the absolute bitch that you are.”

Steve just grinned at her. She shook her head again and walked away. Just as she was leaving Robin came up and put her hand on his shoulder.

“You might have report him to Joyce,” she muttered. “I know you don’t want to, but it looked like he wanted to hit you.”

He chewed on lip and let out a sigh. “If he hits me, I’ll report him then.”

Robin just sighed, she knew it was fight she wasn’t going to win. Steve still had loyalty to Tommy even though they weren’t friends anymore. Well...to be more accurate, he was loyal to a former teammate from his last Olympics.

Hell, there was only one teammate that Steve didn’t owe loyalty to, and he had made it quite clear no one was allowed to even bring that guy up.

“Come on, dingus,” she said instead. “We have the babes class.”

Steve perked up and grinned. The infant and toddler class was his favorite. He loved the squeals of laughter when they learned to love the water as much as he did. He loved the tears of shock and joy when parents saw their little swimming away in the water for the first time.

~

Eddie was gearing up to run for Joyce when he saw Hagan get in Steve’s face.

“Hagan at it again?” Murray sneered.

Eddie turned to look at his supervisor. The older man had his hands shoved in his pockets and was watching the scene with the dull fascination of someone who’s seen this shit go down one too many times.

“I have so many questions,” he admitted, “so I’m not sure I can answer that for you.”

Murray turned his dull attention to Eddie and blinked at him a moment. “How do you not know?”

“I heard Beijing and team,” Eddie said with a shrug, “so I assume it has something to do with the 2008 Olympics. But, man. I’m a poor kid from a trailer park. We don’t always have a TV, you know?”

Murray blinked at him a moment. “Huh. So you really don’t know. Interesting. Very interesting.”

“You going to tell me about it?” Eddie asked in a huff, “Or are you just going to stand there and look smug about knowing something I don’t?”

“At least tell me you know that Steve and Tommy were in the Olympics,” Murray said, rolling his eyes.

“Well I do now!” Eddie huffed. He was getting really irritated with Murray and if he didn’t tell him what was going on, he was going to snatch that stupid looking toupee right off his fucking head.

Murray grabbed his wrist and pulled him with him. Eddie let out a squawk, struggling to keep his feet. He was short little bastard, but apparently he was strong. They stopped in front of a display case and it were several photos, trophies, and certificates.

There smiling in the center picture were Tommy and Steve in swim caps that had their names and the American flag against the dark blue. They looked so happy. Steve was holding up a gold medal and Tommy was holding up a silver. Underneath it read the caption: “Two Hometown Heroes Bring Home Medals”.

“That’s cute.” Eddie tilted his head at the picture. “So what happened in 2012?”

“Steve slipped and fell in his first event,” Murray explained, “hitting his head on the side of the pool.”

“Jesus Christ.”

He did vaguely remember there being talk of an Olympian who got hurt badly and couldn’t compete. But he didn’t know it was Steve.

“Is that why he stays to the kiddie pools?” Eddie asked, feeling numb.

Murray rocked back on his heels. “Uh huh.”

Eddie nodded and then excused himself back to work. His dislike for Tommy grew with each step he took away from that display case.

Whatever guilt he did or did not feel, Tommy still had no right to harass Steve about his fears. That was a shit thing to do, especially since they were supposedly friends before all this.

~

Steve didn’t know why he agreed to this.

He sighed.

Yes he did. It was a favor to Joyce for putting up with all his bullshit. So here he was on a Saturday morning, helping her get ready for her youngest son’s eleventh birthday party. Why they wanted a swim party literally three days before they started the beginners class, he didn’t know. But he was going to try and make the best of it anyway.

He opened up the door that led to the kiddie pool and got out tables to place on the far end of the room away from the water. Joyce came in with balloons and streamers, which Steve helped her put up.

He was helping her carry the last of the food in when he saw it. He stopped dead in his tracks and watched as the new guy, Eddie, doing laps in the pool.

Joyce, who was carrying the cake, stopped next to him. “He’s good, huh?”

Steve shook his head head to clear out the cobwebs. He nodded and followed her back into the kiddie pool room. He mixed the soda and Kool-aid and then went to change. But again he saw Eddie had changed from a regular breaststroke to the butterfly.

His throat dried on the spot, which was a miracle considering that it was fucking humid in the pool area.

God, if he was judging his form, he would have given him an 8.7. It was rough, to be sure, but it was better than Tommy’s and butterfly used to be his specialty. The door to the hallway swung up and Nancy and Jonathan came in with Robin right behind them.

That shook him out of his daze and he trotted to the men’s changing room. He quickly changed and showered before he went back out there. He couldn’t have his heads in the clouds. He was lifeguarding kids today. He needed to focus.

And so he did. It was just like swimming. He cut off the noise in his head. The roar of his thoughts were pushed back, he could deal with them later.

Just then the kids arrived.

Will first, surrounded by his friends, Dustin, Lucas, and Mike, his step-sister Ellie, and her best friend Max.

Six kids in all. Which is why Joyce needed an extra pair of eyes. And three extra arms at this point.

Will stopped in front of the cake in awe. It was shaped like a dolphin, the kid’s favorite animal of the moment. It would probably change next week. But for now, it was perfect.

“Mom!” Will cried. “It’s awesome!”

Joyce gave him a hug. “I’m glad you approve. Now you and your friends go get changed. Robin will be helping the girls and Steve will be watching over the boys. For the duration of this party you will obey them like you obey me, okay? This is really important.”

“Because being around a large body of water is dangerous,” Ellie said solemnly, nodding her head.

Joyce smiled down at her. “That’s right. Now go on. The sooner you get changed, the sooner the party can start!”

The kids turned on their heels and dashed into the changing rooms where Robin and Steve were waiting.

The two girls came out first. Ellie in a purple bathing suit with pink flowers on it and Max in a red and black two piece halter top swim set. Ellie had her hair pulled back in a high pony tail, while Max had braided pigtails.

They each had a cupcake while they waited for the boys.

Soon enough all four boys came barreling out with Steve shouting behind them. “Don’t run or you can’t swim!”

They slowed to a fast walk, so Steve let out a pained sigh as they crowded the food table. Dustin was in a floral Hawaiian print board shorts, Lucas’s were blue with rogange stripes on the side. Mike was wearing red swim trunks, and the birthday boy was was wearing neon green trunks.

They looked new, which meant that Joyce was able to spring for them. Even with two incomes, Joyce and Hopper combined still made less then the assholes they paid to coach their precious darlings. Especially on a cop’s salary.

Eddie came up behind Steve. “What’s going on here?”

Steve nearly jumped out of his skin. “Jeez!”

Eddie cackled. “Sorry, I thought you saw me.”

“It’s Joyce’s son Will’s birthday party,” Steve said, keeping his eyes on the rowdy kids. “She asked Robin and me to watch them. Well...she is paying us for this. But it’s still a favor.”

“Why not Jonathan or Nancy or any of the lifeguards?” Eddie asked, toweling his hair.

Steve took his eye off them for a second to look at him and nearly swallowed his own tongue. He was only in black board shorts. He had two tattoos on his chest, a spider and some demon head. Water slid down the tattoos, past his navel to pool on the top of the shorts. He gulped.

“Because the party runs until noon,” Steve explained once he got his eyes back in his head. “And as it’s a Saturday in the middle of the hottest part of the summer, it’s all hands on deck. And since we trainers don’t have classes on Saturday for that reason...Plus no eleven year old wants his big brother there with his girlfriend. It’s ‘uncool’.” He used air quotes for the last word.

“So you and Robin get the fun of watching little hellions run around like chickens with there heads cut off.”

Steve nodded and turned back to watching the kids. They were screaming and splashing around.

Eddie patted him on the shoulder. “Better you than me, man.” He looked up at the clock. “And that’s my pool time for the week. See you on Monday, Harrington.”

Steve pursed his lips and nodded. Afraid that he was going to blurt out something about Eddie’s swimming.

Shit.

Steve was just going to have to show up with Robin next week for the staff swim. He closed his eyes and then opened them when there was a large splash.

“Hey, no pushing!” he barked.

~

Tag List: CLOSED

Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15

1-@mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @cryptid-system

3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @justforthedead89 @irregular-child @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @forgottenkanji

5- @anne-bennett-cosplayer @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten @genderless-spoon

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman

7- @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lingeringmirth

8- @gutterflower77 @a-lovely-craziness @just-a-tiny-void @w1ll0wtr33 @beelze-the-bubkiss

9- @chameleonhair @sadisticaltarts @dreamercec @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @mac-attack19

10- @aol19 @eriquin @tartarusknight @gloomysoup

[digitalagepulao]

Prodigal son terror

Li Jing in a fury grabbed his halberd, leapt on his horse and galloped out of the headquarters. He was astonished to see Nezha with his Wind-Fire Wheels and Fire-Tipped Spear. He swore loudly, "You damned beast! You caused us endless suffering before your death, and now that you've been reborn, you're troubling us again!"

"Li Jing! I've returned my flesh and bones to you, and there's no longer any relation between us. Why did you smash my golden idol with your whip and burn down my temple? Today I must take my revenge!"

since I'm on a Nezha streak, might as well do my design for him on the Expedition AU! given that i've chosen to give characters a closer likeness to their region, it's only fitting i do the same with import deities like Guanyin, Subodhi and Nezha.

he's a complicated figure to place in the timeline because he gained popularity as a deity much after, only really arriving in China by the time the Journey would have been set. FSYY was written closer to when JTTW was written down, and he was retroactively inserted on the Zhou Dynasty period.

so deciding what to even do with him is dicey. but then i said fuck it, mythological rules apply here, he was around for the events of FSYY, and it and JTTW are set in the same universe. and for the sake of having some fun, i decided to get funky with his concept.

Nezha had the likeness of his family when he was alive, as described in FSYY, but once he was reborn with a lotus body he gained Indian traits instead. this is to be a nod to his status as an import deity and his origin as Nalakubara, and as the centuries roll by he may present himself to mortals closer to the locals' appearance wise.

as for his looks, i drew inspiration from multiple sources. read more for my rambles <3

his armor is closer to reconstructions of Zhou dynasty-period armor, skipping over extra parts simply because his lotus body is so indestructible, there's no need for a full set;

there are two red Chinese knots with jade beads dangling from the armor ties. they are said to ward off evil spirits, which felt like a good fit for a guy known to banish demons. i picked a six-petal flower pattern, which represents reunion, unity and a bright future;

i included lotus petals and leaves on his outfit as they are common in Beijing Opera outfits for him, and his makeup is a call to it as well;

The pink from the cheeks and eyeshadow seeps into his ear shell, as to convey the way sometimes, you get so angry even your ears blush;

Another thing i referenced from Opera is the two red ribbons on his sidelocks, though I changed them to two bulbs of lotus roots;

Four petals drawn close to his urna as both to make it look like a lotus but also form five petals, which is an auspicious number;

His hair crown is a fancy princely [knot] with a lotus motif and a pearl in the center, as he was the Pearl Spirit before becoming Nezha;

I was going to go with elf-like ears but I thought I could do better, so I went for stretched earlobes instead. you can't see it that well but hopefully the very large golden earrings imply it well enough xvx;

His cheek dimples are common sight on religious images of him and it was a cute touch imo;

Younger Nezha wears a golden robe because of his title as General of the Central Altar in Daoist belief, and the center direction is connected to yellow or gold, and yellow robes are usually meant for emperors and their sons, which is a minor nod to his self-assureness and boldness;

The Cosmic Ring has spiralling grooves on it both to catch blades on it for defense but also as a callback to Opera props;

On his waist is the embroidered ball weapon he was attributed with in earlier myths, he was also meant to have the leopard skin bag Taiyi Zhenren gave him, bjt it was going to be obscured by the text so i omitted it;

A few depictions of him gave him a halo of fire, which was real cool so i added it as well.

[c-rowlesblogs]

so someone reblogged a Gao Hang piece to my dash and I was like oh cool! That guy who does paintings that look exactly like oldschool 3D graphics; I love that guy! So I went looking for more of his paintings to add to the post, for people who might not realize it was paint instead of 3D art, and I found lots of great stuff! Like "For home defense 2", 2020:

and "Hand study", 2023:

and... um... hm.

"The fake picture fooled every American", 2020. From the instagram post he made for this painting:

gaohangart: I always wanted to discuss about the power of language and the right of speech: You should trust a Chinese looking man like me rather than Google. When you search Tiananmen Square on Google all you get are pictures of the Tank Man. This isn’t Tiananmen Square. The Tank Man was a fake picture and people give so much fuck about it. However it has entertained all of us. You see? Speech could be anything, but not all speeches are worth being listened. What’s really important is that we are viruses to earth and we are not working hard enough. You see? Another one.

The photo he's referencing is one of the most famous photos of the 20th century, taken by Jeff Widener of the Associated Press on June 5th, 1989 in Beijing. It depicts a man blocking a column of tanks, the day after the Tiananmen Square massacre:

the photo is real. The guy in it is real. It's one of many photos taken of this real guy by multiple other real guys from different news outlets. There is video footage of this guy. The reason why Gao Hang believes the photo is fake might likely be because this photo is ruthlessly censored in China, where he is from. I think the thing about people being "viruses to earth and [...] not working hard enough" is supposed to be an example of another kind of speech that's "not worth listening to", but I'm not totally sure what he means by it.

And when someone in the comments asks him for what the truth is behind the photo, this exchange happens:

commenter: what's the history of the tank picture then? That's wild to hear gaohangart: It depends on who you trust and what you believe you see. Quantum theory you know.

Quantum theory, you know.

I don't know what the takeaway is here. Go looking up more of a cool artist's work, be confused and dismayed at the power of censorship and the weird twists people's brains can have in them? But there it is.

[flyingfortress1]

Tidbits about Sledge from China Marine:

He had a horse- mentions it in a throwaway line

couldn't shoot a dangerous dog because he was a "sentimental dog-lover" in his words (honestly same)

loved Mozart and other classical music

Loved philosophy

Loved history- look this man's a nerd, he was more interested in the historical sites of Beijing like the Forbidden City than all the other guys who focused on women and drinking (good for him honestly lol- probably better that way tbh too)

Was not a party guy- getting those vibes, introvert maybe?

hated vodka

Was not a drinker- his dad schooled him early about the problems with that, so Sledge to his admission, only really had like a beer or two at most usually

Went to a party out of spite/to prove he was right

Got sepsis from the sores on his fingers- he got better tho, but did have to wear a sling

Kinda a prankster honestly on two occasions with some buds

learned a bit of Chinese from a guy called How (hope I'm spelling it right) who was a paid houseboy for the Marines- he was Sledge's age, and was better with learning English than Sledge learning Chinese- they became friends and How showed him all the cool historical spots

Loved Chinese food- like all the Marines, tried to eat at local restaurants instead of the sea rations/gallery/shitty cafeteria food they were given on barracks- honestly I'd do the same. They even recruited a guy who got leave to bring back like boxes of takeout just to avoid the food if they couldn't leave the garrison.

has some beef with rear echelon guys- not unique between combat vets and non-combat guys

Interested in learning about other cultures- he became good friends with Dr. Song- a chinese doctor who was head of a hospital in Beijing- and the Song family, plus their resident Catholic priest, Father Marcell.

Was apparently a really fun professor post-war, he took his students on birdwatching walks as part of his classes- would have loved to see him on Rate My Professor

Huge nature nerd- could always name birds, plants, insects etc he saw- ended up taking birdwatching after the war.

Got offered tea by a captured japanese officer- what a wild trip that must've been.

Got accidently reported missing at one point on Pelelui- nearly gave his parents a heart attack- they literally aged with worrying about their sons in combat

had beef about people complaining about 'minor' things compared to his time in combat- something shared by other of his buds

his dad called him Fritz- also had a pep talk about him not getting bitter like in point 20, avoiding alcohol

has beef w/jocks- gets respect from former bullies? due to combat experience.

He met his wife at a friend's wedding (she was a bridesmaid) and they so infatuated by each other they could barely concentrate on wedding duties- funny but sweet.

became a good shot at dove hunting because he didn't want to make the dove suffer, just one clean kill or nothing pre-war

got his bachelors in business and sold insurance for a bit before realizing bio/nature was his thing lol

got his phd in zoology in 62- go you sledge

[futazolam]

Joe had a allergic reaction on his eye (you can notice it from my photo from Shanghai) and had to wear sunglasses for the photo shooting in Beijing yesterday, but he ask the al di to post a explanation for Chinese fans he’s not being rude 🥺

(Also al di says all 4 guy are the nicest people with all the good personalities)

[welcometothejianghu]

Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 鬓边不是海棠红/Winter Begonia

Winter Begonia is the tale of the intertwined lives of a wealthy, westernized businessman and a bratty, dramatic Peking Opera performer as they navigate the historical landscape of 1930s China.

It is a slow historical ramble of a show, to the point where I couldn't really say it has a single plot. Events just happen in their lives, and the show follows them with a pleasant steadiness. Characters go away, and sometimes they come back. Interpersonal conflicts rise and then get resolved. Sometimes you just get to sit and watch part of an opera happen. The last third of the show develops a slightly more cohesive narrative, but even then, it's still mostly a loose constellation of events related to larger goings-on in the culture.

So if you're looking for tight plots and fast-paced action, you'll want to look somewhere else. But if you're the kind of person who likes to wrap up sometimes in a gentle warm blanket of a beautiful show, I have five reasons you should give this one a try.

1. Oh, they're in love

Perhaps the most notable thing about Cheng Fengtai and Shang Xirui is that they spend the entire show smiling at one another, staring longingly at one another, and/or making each other laugh.

A lot of danmei couples depend on having at least one partner who, if not outright tsundere, is at least stoically long-suffering -- which is romantic, sure, but also exhausting in real life. These two read about as married as any danmei pair I've ever seen because they make one another smile all the time. They're incredibly touchy and affectionate from basically the moment they meet. They're not just in love, they actually like one another.

Now, don't get me wrong: These two are both absolute exhausting gremlins who deserve one another so they don't have to be anyone else's problems. But they're good-natured enough about their respective gremlin natures that when one of them lets loose with his rascality, the other tends to think it's hilarious.

They don't even have the mandated danmei breakup! They're never mad at one another for more than the length of an episode. Most of the time they're just refreshingly normal about one another (or, you know, about as normal as two drama queens can be). And when they're being not normal about one another, it's because the circumstances they are currently enduring are not normal either.

They're so in love that by the time you get to the last episode, everyone in their lives is like, gee, those two sure are in love. For the main couple in a Chinese-censored BL adaptation? That's pretty darn in love.

2. The costumes!!!

Of course I have to gush over the costumes. Several major characters are professional opera performers, and their wardrobes are just stunning in complexity and detail -- and accuracy, apparently.

But they're not even where all of the wardrobe budget went! Everyone looks great, from the dapper upper class to the household servants to the street performers.

I also can't get over how everyone looks so cozy in their winter outfits. The show really wants to hammer home how cold Beijing is, and so most non-opera clothes are either heavily quilted or furry. Not a single outfit in this show is slimming (except maybe for some of the gorgeous gowns Cheng Meixin wears). It's all about conserving body heat, which means a lot of people walk around basically wearing mildly tailored quilts all the time. I love it. I envy it.

3. Oops! All bottoms!

This is a show of very soft men. It helps that very many of them have spent their whole lives playing female roles, but even those that haven't tend to be pretty darn soft.

(And I'm not even talking about the way people keep handing Cheng Fengtai babies and he loves it.)

Du Luocheng and Shang Xirui are absolutely what happens when you get two soft gay guys who are kinda into one another, but they're both too lazy to top, so they just become best friends instead.

Fan Lian stands as a testament to how you can be the only heterosexual in the show and still be soft as hell.

The old married gays. Softness level: off the charts.

Chen Renxiang's role is that of the opera frenemy, and he's incredibly soft about it. (This actor is also apparently in the Sha Po Lang live-action adaptation! Maybe someday it will be released...)

Opera underling La Yuehong hardens up later in the show, but even when he does, there's still a tragic softness to it.

Even the baddies are soft! Pretty much all the rival opera bitches fall into the "love to hate" category -- and nearly all of them win at least some sympathy from you before they leave the story for good.

There's one more soft boy whose presence surprised me, and that is Xue Zhicheng/Kujo Kazuma, a sympathetic Japanese character. Every other Japanese character in the show is sinister somehow -- not surprising, considering the drama is set during the brutal Japanese occupation of Beiping/Beijing.

But this little guy is a gentle, well-meaning opera fan who just wants to watch his favorite performers! When his actions cause trouble, it's only because he's so well-meaning that he couldn't see how anyone could disapprove of his attempts at cross-cultural undertanding. He even comes to the rescue a few times, at significant personal cost!

Moreover, the show uses him to make it clear that there's a difference between the Japanese occupying force and Japanese people and culture. In fact, the show is pretty critical of people who conflate the two and use interest in the latter as evidence of support of the former. That is not a level of nuance I've seen from other dramas set in this time period, and I was pleased to see it.

In conclusion, the critial war shortage in 1930s Beijing was not food or medicine or ammunition, but tops.

4. A whole lotta ladies

Again, not even counting the fact that one of the two main guys, many of his buddies, all of his heroes, and several of the antagonists professionally dress as women.

The most notable of them is Cheng Fengtai’s wife, Fan Xiang'er. They've been married for years by the time the show starts, and they have a son together. Theirs is an arranged marriage that they've managed to make work so well that they've actually wound up liking one another ... most of the time. Remember what I said earlier about his being exhausting? She knows that better than anyone.

(Sidebar: If you are uncomfortable with a love story where one of the participants is canonically married to someone else, this may be one you want to skip. That said, there are several male characters in this show who have multiple wives and/or mistresses, so the metric of what counts as infidelity in this setting is ... loose.)

Beyond her, though, there are many more female supporting characters in this show, from all different socioeconomic levels, in all different kinds of situations.

A caveat: Some of the women (one in particular) are at times frustrating as hell because they're too often written as jealous shrews who believe all the terrible gossip they hear and act on it without having actual adult conversations with anyone first. I dislike this trope, mostly because it relies on making some smart women artificially very stupid for the sake of forwarding the plot. I have little patience for situations that could have been solved five episodes ago if somebody had just been willing to ask clarifying questions.

That said, I can't be too mad about that, because there are many, many more women who are not written like that. Some of them are good and loyal! Some are sneaky and self-interested! Some are callous and manipulative! Some are meek and traumatized! Some make terrible decisions! Some make terrible decisions but, like, you get it! You know, just like in real life?

The answer to better representation is almost always more representation. When a character is the only one of whatever they are, everything they do is kind of an indictment of that category, especially when that category has a history of stereotypical negative representation. When there are several others, the characters stop being representatives of that category and start being just plain characters.

5. It just feels good to watch

Don't misunderstand: This is not a happy fun time show where everything in sunshine and roses all the way down. There are plenty of tense and emotional parts. Not everyone we like makes it out of the drama alive. Not all love stories get a happily ever after. People disappoint one another all the time. Awful things happen when soldiers occupy civilian populations. Poverty is a bitch.

But the show itself remains a nice viewing experience. It's absolutely a feast for the senses, what with all the music and costumes and sets and props and old-fashioned cars and everything.

The story is very straightforward. It's never trying to do any complex schemes or mislead you before some big reveal. I imagine this could be a good show to put on in the background while you're doing something else. You're never going to be too desperately confused about what's going on if you zone out for a minute -- and if you are, just hang on for a bit, because by next episode, it'll probably be onto whatever storyline comes next.

I have not read the novel, and I cannot judge anything against its standards. However, my friend who has read parts of the novel tells me that the adaptation is much preferable, because in the novel, you get to hear everyone's internal narration -- and everyone's internal narration makes it clear they're all bratty, insufferable assholes. That is not the case here! Or, rather, they are often bratty and/or insufferable, but from outside their heads, it's a lot more charming.

Finally, it's legitimately a very good love story. Shang Xirui is the only person in Cheng Fengtai's life who loves him for who he is, not what someone else needs him to be. Cheng Fengtai goes from being enraptured by this beautiful little weirdo to basically wanting to wife him. They spend a lot of time taking care of one another, sometimes in the only ways they know how. They're capable of operating independently -- there are several episodes where their storylines diverge completely -- but they'd prefer not to. They've just each found their soulmate, and that's all there is to it. (The red thumbprint in the palm is about the most romantic thing I've ever seen.)

I'm a little surprised by how little I hear English-speaking fandom talk about this one, especially since (see below) it's a widely available, high-budget show that even has a Shang Xirui figurine, and there's no question about how in gay love these two are. But if you hop over to AO3, there's only 257 works total in the Winter Begonia tag, a scant 57 of which are in English, and if you've tried looking into the Winter Begonia tag on Tumblr, you know it's pretty quiet 'round here.

I can't be sure, but I'd assume that's partly because this is both a) a relatively low-stakes drama, and b) so enmeshed with actual historical events and concepts that you'd have to do at least a baseline amount of research before making any fan media. I would imagine that for some folk, this is a barrier to entry.

And it is 49 slow, gentle episodes long. I saw Tumblr posts asking which episodes are important, because the posters don't want to or can't commit to watching the whole thing. But the answer is ... all of them? none of them? There's no plot you'd be getting or missing with specific episodes. There are very few things I can think of that would even qualify as spoilers. It's just a walk through a couple very eventful years in the main pair's lives. I understand if folk aren't up for that, but if you are, this is really a gem.

Have I convinced you to give it a try?

I would say that Winter Begonia is perhaps the most easily watchable of any c-drama I've come across. Here's where you can find it:

iQiyi

Viki

Amazon Prime

YouTube

We watched most of it on YouTube, where the subs were perfectly fine. However, there was one episode where we had to switch platforms because the English subs were all out of synch, so we went to Amazon and they were fine there too. Other than that, I don't really have a sense of which translation experience is the best. Try them all!

(PS: If you feel like putting on a tinfoil hat, I'm just going to say, they look at one another like that in real life, too.)

[moononmyfloor]

Riverside Code at Qingming Festival (清明上河图密码) : Nightlife at Bianjing City

Fireworks

Firework-driven Puppetry

Once thought to be a lost art and rediscovered in the 1990s, this is a special form of puppetry that has a 13-15 meters tall bamboo "tree" with tiers to which wheels of gunpowder and puppets are attached, so when the fuse is lit, the puppets start moving around along with the spiralling fireworks.

Molten Iron Flowers

Originating in the Northern Song Dynasty, Henan province, datiehua the craft of striking liquid iron with sticks to create showers of sparks.

.

Peddlers

The character design was designed based on "Picture of a Peddler" by Li Song, a painter from the Song Dynasty.

This is a round fan painting on silk with light ink and color, now in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing. The whole picture depicts an old peddler carrying a load of goods on his shoulders approaching the village, with many women and children competing to by the goods.. Depicting the life of the working people as an aesthetic object is a common practice in ancient Chinese art.

.

Roadside Stalls and Lanterns

Small taverns that have official alcohol selling license and retail to diners and wholesale to major restaurants or simply earn money as foot shops.

Rolling lantern dance

Folk dance that originated from Zhejiang Province, it has been passed down from generation to generation and is a competitive dance performed every year.

Flying Star Lantern

Due to its elaborate design, it's used especially in the palace banquets and temple fairs during the Lantern Festival.

Horse Riding Street Lanterns

Social public welfare lighting kicked off the most in Song dynasty. There were street lights installed by temple gates, by bridges and by waterbodies.

Seven-Star Lotus Lantern

Used by nobility, representing hopes for longevity.

.

Gōulán wǎ shě - Fixed Entertainment Venues

Equivalent to modern day amusement parks, there were many of these situated at the corners of Song Dynasty capitals, open all around the year and especially bustling with people during the holidays. These places had all sorts of entertainment in one place, and the show featured some as below:

Skeleton Fantasy Show

A nursing mother sitting next to a skeleton puppeteer with a skeleton puppet, again based on a famous painting by Li Song, it's been lost to time what exactly does this macabre but wholesome picture depicts, the drama interprets it as some kind of Song Dynasty folktale stage performance.

Quack Eyedrop Seller

In the Northern Song Dynasty, goods were prosperous and there were many profiteers, which lead to street-skits being made to parody/mock the rampant fake merchants and warn the people of counterfeit goods. These skits were very popular and became the subject of paintings. There are two paintings by unnamed Song Dynasty artists in Beijing Palace Museum, showcasing a skit about a quack eyedrop seller. The guy wearing red is the "doctor", with numerous little bottles with eyes painted on them.

Women's Wrestling

OK now this is the COOLEST discovery in this entire post, and one thing that the show failed to properly represent, for reasons you'll understand in a second. Did you know that in Song dynasty women were allowed to do sumo half naked in public??? Because the shirtlessness and skin-to-skin contact is an important feature in sumo, it's said that the emperor allowed women to do the same and that he himself enjoyed women's sumo performances too! And in the Royal Palace, even concubines particioated in sumo competitions with each other! And obviously in modern day women are back to covering up which is such a shame. The dramas only shows two little girls wrestling and they are all covered up too which is understandable, I'm thankful that they included this feature so I could at least look it up and find all this delightful information.

Chinese Circus

Aerial acrobatics at the Entrance, Using feet to manipulate objects, Stilt-Walking

Intangible cultural heritages, click the link to read in depth.

[In stilt performances, Usually there are two forms: "Wen Xiao" and "Wu Xiao". Wu Xiao emphasizes tricks, Wen Xiao focuses on theatrics and making jokes]

Puyang Daxian "Shirtless" Opera, Mulian "Ghost" Opera

Shadow Puppetry, Bloody Shehuo

[Bloody Shehuo is the most gruesome among Shehuo performances, which are supposed to represent punishing evil and bringing good fortune to the new year.]

.

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Riverside Code at Qingming Festival ( 清明上河图密码 ) : Qīngmíng shànghé tú mìmǎ Cultural Meta Masterpost

[cheriladycl01]

Surrounded by Ice - Kimi Raikkonen x FigureSkater! Reader

Plot: The Iceman just surrounds himself with Ice in every aspect of his life

A/N: Just a short little Kimi drabble, more exciting stuff coming soon, just been swamped with Uni!

Credit to summerblueringo for the GIF

"How does it feel to bring home a gold medal for your country, again?" the interviewer asks and a big grin appears on your face.

"I mean, i love the sport and I've worked hard to get where I am. I think this year there were many other contestants who also deserved gold and everyone who took part today were amazing!" you keep smiling, it had been a really amazing set for you today. You'd even broke some records while here.

"And now what is your plan?" they ask holding the mic closer to you.

"Well my husband is waiting for me, just over there. So i think he wants to give me his congratulations" you say pointing out our stoic looking husband who was waiting in the background, keeping to himself watching the world go past.

"Ah yes, Kimi Raikkonen! The Ice Man, who arguably married Queen of the Ice" he jokes making you laugh a little. You had heard similar jokes many times since you'd married Kimi.

"Yes, obviously being here in South Korea for the Winter Olympics has been amazing, and I'll be sure to train hard for 2022 but now I'm needed to go support my lovely lovely husband in his fast cars" you exclaim, knowing that the Australian Grand Prix was round the corner.

"Ah yes, it's looking like a good season for Ferrari! And we can tell from your outfit today they already have your support"

"My support is for whatever team my husband is in, so Ferrari have had my support since Kimi has raced with them!"

You left the interview thanking your team before finding Kimi waiting for you quietly.

"Home?" you ask and he nods silently grabbing your hand and pulling you out of the arena.

"You were fantastic today!" he smiles, holding you and pulling you into a kiss.

"Yeah? You liked the new twist i did?" you ask, your routine today being one of the hardest you'd ever done. You mascara had infact started to run, from the sweat building on your forehead throughout the day.

"I like everything you do"

You guys both went back to the hotel, packing up all of your gear that had been here for the past month you'd stayed in Korea for. Once you were sure you hadn't left anything behind you made your way to the airport.

Kimi now only had a month until Australia, his personal trainer had come with you to Korea to help him train while he was out there supporting you.

Now, you'd train while you were travelling with Kimi. Finding ice while on the road with him was always difficult, but finding places to just work out and keep your fitness up was never hard as you'd train alongside Kimi. It was one of the ways to spend extra time with him during the season when he was most busy.

In the free month before Australia you started your research on where you could go in Melbourne to skate, you found somewhere that Kimi was happy with you going too as it wasn't too far from the hotel you'd be staying in or the race track for if anything went wrong.

"Will you watch me on the Sunday though?" he'd asked you as you were both lying in bed the night before you were due to fly to Australia.

"When have I ever not?" you ask, turning over in bed to look at him.

"Hmmm, I can for sure think of one time..." he smirks looking over you.

"If your talking about China, almost 10 years ago that doesn't even count!" you laugh, poking his cheek a little.

Your husband never failed to amaze you, his striking blue eyes and his soft blonde hair was what initially drew you in. But it was your first interaction with him that made you fall for him fully.

It was the Autumn of 2008 and you were 22 and you had just won your second Gold Medal in China, you'd stayed there for the months after the games as they left the Beijing Olympic Park open and it seemed like a good place to stay and to train.

You managed to get tickets to other sporting events in the months you stayed there such as Snow Boarding, Golf but the best one was when the Chinese Grand Prix came about.

You were active on the socials you had back then, and so it wasn't hard for Sauber BMW to reach out to you and give you a guest pass.

You'd been walking round the paddock, just investigating when you'd bumped right into the Finnish Ferrari driver. He had just stared at you while holding a tight grip on your wrist so you didn't fall over.

You remember him asking if you were okay, and some other questions that you hadn't heard fully as your brain had gone foggy at the sound of his soft, yet deep voice.

It was a little embarrassing, when he'd tried to speak Finnish to you, and then decided on English, but with no reply he was left stumped and awkwardly standing there.

He'd soon left after that but you were on each other's minds for the whole day. You tried to keep up conversations with the BMW drivers Robert and Nick but your mind kept drifting the the Finnish Driver for Ferrari.

He found you after the race, and just stared at you for a while before you made the first move speaking to him. And the rest was history.

You spent the next 5 years together as partners, it was convenient for someone like Kimi who raced all through the year apart from summer and winter to end up with someone in a sport who only competed for a month in the summer and winter. It meant that they also still got a break with each other.

After 5 years, Kimi let the big question unload and now you'd been married for 5 years.

"Of course, my love! You know that!" you smile, pulling him closer to you. You tuck yourself into his surprisingly warm embrace, considering his nickname was 'Iceman' he was the warmest person you'd ever had the privilege of meeting.

"I was thinking ..." he breathes, his voice a little higher and whiny than normal.

"Mmmmm, you don't do that often?" you tease, a hand running up and down his back.

"Well, I'm the ice man, your the Ice Queen... i was thinking maybe it's time we have an Ice Baby?" he whispers in the softest most unsure tone you'd ever heard.

"You think now's a good time?" you ask, and thinking about it... it was. You yourself had two years before the next Olympics in 2020, and Kimi was at a point in his career where he could leave and live comfortably if he needed and wanted to.

"I haven't told you this, but they want the Sauber kid in my spot. I'll be going to Alpha Romeo next year. I feel like I've done what i can and I've had my time in the sport... and we aren't getting any younger. Especially me..." he jokes, being 44 now.

"Mmmmmm I think now is the perfect time" you smile.

Flash forward to the Austin Grand Prix and you were 6 months pregnant. You'd already announced it and so many people were excited for you and Kimi, through the season he had loads of interviews. All against his will of course but people saw a different side to him when he talked about you and the soon to be baby.

It was a great race for Kimi in Austin, he pulled through with his first win of the season, valuable points that helped contribute towards his position in the drivers standings.

"So Kimi, first win of the season today! How are you feeling?" an interviewer asks, he was sat in a panel with some of the other drivers in a debrief.

"It was good to get a win, this season has been tough. We've had an interesting year with veteran drivers like myself, Seb, Fernando and Lewis being pushed by newer or younger drivers who are proving to be good competition like Charles, Max and Pierre" he answers.

"There have been rumors that you wont be here with us next season?" he pushes and Kimi roles his eyes.

"If I'm not it's not an issue... racing is my hobby that i get paid to do. I'll leave when i want to" he admits without letting anything slip that Ferrari wouldn't want to come public knowledge.

"Lets move on to you Lewis..."

And for the rest of the interview all he could think of was coming back to you.

Once your daughter was born in January before the start of the 2019 season and Kimi moving to Alfa Romeo everyone on the grid wanted to meet her. So of course, you were obligated to come to Australia for pre-season testing. Your 3 month old being so intrigued at the busy rush of everything around her.

She was a fan and driver fav around. Everyone had a picture with her and introduced themselves as her uncle and that they would look after her. People like Lewis, Seb and Charles all came with little gifts for her, Seb even had someone make her a custom team Ferrari top so she could fit in with her father and her Uncle Sebastian.

"Today was amazing!" you sighed as you leaned into your husband who currently held your daughter against his bare chest.

"Mmmm, I think you should both take a break though, at least until Summer break and join me afterwards" he smiles, knowing that the heavy time change from Monaco to Australia wasn't good for your or the baby.

"Well, I may as well come to Bahrain with you... its on the way back. But I will leave after that" you smile, pulling him in for a kiss.

"I love you, thank you for giving me this life" he smiles looking between you and his daughter.

"I wouldn't have it any of way" you grin.

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @stupidandunnecessary @clayra-g @daemyratwst @honey-belden @moonypixel @lauralarsen @vader-is-hot @ironcowboycopnickel @itsjustkhaos @the-untamed-soul @beebo86 @happylittlereader @ziejustme @lou-larcher5 @thewulf @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @chillyleclerc @chanthereader @annoyingmoonballoon @summissss @evieepepi08 @havaneseoger08 @celesteblack08 @gulphulp @fandom1ruined2me @celebstories @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhh @georgeparisole @dakotatankbig @youcannotcancelquidditch @zzonsbeek @tallbrownhairsarcastic @mellowarcadefun @ourteenagetragedy @otako5811 @countingstacksandpanicattacks @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @hopexcroc @mirrorball-6 @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @lilypadlover @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @the-fem1n1ne-urge @21stcenturytaegi @dark-night-sky-99 @spideybv28 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @kapsylia @laneyspaulding19 @lazybot @malynn @cassielikereading @viennakarma @teamnovalak @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @jlb20416

[mariacallous]

As someone who wrote a book about Beijing’s relationship with Africa close to the beginning of its boom, I have long been accustomed to fielding questions from Western reporters about China taking advantage of far weaker countries with a practiced skepticism.

Isn’t Beijing’s assiduous courting of the continent nothing more than a bid to control Africa’s vast storehouse of mineral wealth? Isn’t its would-be generosity in the form of enormous infrastructure loans a cleverly disguised trap to handcuff African countries with debt, the better to dominate and exploit them?

The counterpart to questions like these, whether explicit or implied, was that the poor and weak of the world could be sure that with the United States and its Western allies came business ties, economic engagement, and a baseline of respect for their vaunted principles—supposedly universal values like justice, fairness, transparency, human rights, hostility to corruption, and respect for law.

The naiveté of this sort of framing always made me wince because as a historian and journalist, I know well how often Washington has cast aside high principles in favor of geopolitical advantage or expediency. Across the decades, there have been examples on every continent, such as the overthrowing of Iran’s Mossadegh government in 1953, support for brutal and corrupt dictatorships in Latin America and the Caribbean throughout the Cold War, and support for one-man rule in Africa like the Mobutu regime, whose eventual toppling in a long and costly continental war after three ruinous decades in power I covered as a reporter.

But throughout all this, and under both Republican and Democratic governments, Washington managed to sustain the beautiful music of values at just high enough of a pitch to remember, or at least to continue hoping, that U.S. power could never be completely separated from timeless virtues. Until now, that is..

It is far too early to know exactly how U.S. President Donald Trump’s putative peace overture to Russian President Vladimir Putin will pan out or even what the terms of any American offer to Ukraine will be in support of. Waves of shock and disbelief have already washed over both sides of the Atlantic at the United States casting its vote at the United Nations General Assembly alongside countries like North Korea and Belarus against a resolution that would have merely stated the obvious: naming Russia as the aggressor in its war with Ukraine. Even Beijing and Tehran refrained from supporting Moscow.

In many ways, however, I find this less shocking than Trump’s language and demands, reflected in early drafts of negotiating positions exchanged with Kyiv. The United States was demanding not only to be reimbursed for its military support for Ukrainian sovereignty, but it was also seeking the equivalent of scalping fees to profit from it. Yes, Washington, pushing a novel mercenary form of mercantilism, was asking for a 100 percent markup or more for its assistance to a country that had been invaded and is facing a clear existential threat.

With French President Emmanuel Macron at his side this week, Trump’s head bobbed as he droned on about himself boastfully. “I do deals. That’s what I do. I’m a deal guy,” he said. What I would like to know is where are all the critics of China in Africa now? Has Beijing ever proposed anything so crass and one-sided or bereft of any consideration of virtue?

I don’t write a paragraph like that lightly, and it is certainly not to flatter China. These words were written in a kind of anticipatory mourning for the country that I was born and grew up in, the United States that I have tried to believe in even at its worst—something that I, as an African American, believe I have intimate direct knowledge of.

Yes, it is shocking to see a second term Trump unbound from the need for reelection, freed from criminal liability by the Supreme Court, and broadly enabled by supine Republican majorities in both houses of Congress hastily lay waste to a postwar alliance system in favor of what he seems to prefer: a concert of strongmen. But what shocks me more, what jolts me to the core, is the apparent abandonment of any pretense of higher ethic or honor in association with power and profit.

In the scheme of things, my own sense of loss, though, is a minor consideration. If this is what America First is going to mean, then this will increasingly come to mean America alone. The early signs of this are already proliferating, despite the studious efforts of Macron, and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba before him, to appear to get along with Trump and to agree in public as much as they could without compromising themselves or their nations’ interests.

In his first major statement after his party placed first in Germany’s recent election, Friedrich Merz, who has openly mused about whether the United States would long remain a democracy, said, “My top priority, for me, will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that we can gradually achieve real independence from the U.S.A. I would never have thought that I’d be saying something like this on TV, but after last week’s comments from Donald Trump, it’s clear that this administration is largely indifferent to Europe’s fate, or at least to this part of it.”

More recently, the Trump administration has reportedly begun discussing eliminating Canada from the exclusive Five Eyes intelligence consortium that links the United States with the country, as well as the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.  A United States without principles is less indispensable than before, though. The question to ask today is: In a world where the United States threatens Canada and Greenland with annexation, how long will it be before allied countries like these even wish to share intelligence with Washington?

Similar questions will soon arise all over Europe, which the United States, notably beginning under the previous Trump administration, has assiduously pressured to avoid sharing militarily sensitive technologies with China. In a world of increasingly narrow calculations of national self-interest, how long will it make sense for Europe to forego lucrative sales to such a large market? One of the first places to look for an answer will be the Netherlands, whose unrivaled lithography machines are used to etch the most advanced semiconductors. It has deferred to the United States at a cost to itself by withholding this cutting-edge equipment from what could be the world’s largest market.

Thus far, I have written mostly of the interests of the rich and powerful countries of the North Atlantic, but Trump’s rash changes of course go much further. How else to understand the overnight demolition of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the apparent abandonment of U.S. commitments to global development that goes with that? Day by day, power is being severed more and more deeply from any sense of duty or responsibility toward others that goes with privilege.

What the political and institutional forces that are empowering Trump seem insufficiently alert to is that the international credit and goodwill that took the United States decades to amass can be wiped out in a matter of months, perhaps never to be reconstituted. The Biden administration’s four years may come to be seen as a brief parenthesis where Washington tried to reassure its partners and the world that it still stood behind its friendships and clung, however imperfectly, to its proclaimed values—and then came the resumption of a kind of self-indulgent and destructive nihilism.

Despite Trump’s constant hints at a desire to reign as a king or to perpetuate himself in office beyond the end of his second term, the odds remain that this aspect of the U.S. Constitution will hold, and he will depart the scene. In the meantime, Putin and perhaps Chinese President Xi Jinping will indulge and flatter Trump, all in the knowledge that he is doing their work for them and setting the stage for a greatly diminished America in the future.