#BRING BACK ACTOR JUN

[monamipencil]

svt reactions to you tripping publicly and embarrassing yourself? :3 i feel like it'd be really funny, can already imagine woozi pretending like he doesn't know you and speed walking away😭

lmfao- thanks for this lol,

seungcheol — this guy is so protective that he'll fight floors for you. so if he's beside you, he'll catch you before you fall. and in case you do fall, immediately helps you and hugs you to ease the embarrassment. but would laugh later lol.

jeonghan — he laughs and is worried for you at the same time. he just goes "aigo aigo aigo," all while laughing. he helps you up, and checks for any wounds before he starts laughing but if someone judges you, he'd shoot daggers with his eyes.

joshua — such a gentleman. helps you up, sits you down somewhere and checks if you are hurt. he does not care about other especially if you seem hurt. but if you are not hurt, he'll laugh, shaking his head. would definitely bring this up in future.

jun — initially shocked. then, you are not escaping his teasing. forever. even says about it to your future children. you'd start laughing along with him, so it isn't that embarrassing anymore. helps you up while laughing his ass. you both can't look at each other without bursting into laughter. asks if you are hurt, 2 hours later.

soonyoung — so worried. instantly lifts you up and checks if you're hurt. he stifles any laughter cause he doesn't wanna embarrass you further lol. just comforts you over some food or drink. but if you laugh, he would too. he also would fall to make you feel better 😭😭

wonwoo — so confused. one moment you were walking with him, the other you're on the floor. like now, what are you doing on the floor? helps you up with a small smile. tries to go on after knowing you're not hurt, but you're too embarrassed. he lets you hide your face into his arm and kisses your forehead, telling you that it's fine.

jihoon — lmfao, you're so right anon. he gets embarrassed for you and probably considers walking away. but well, you're the love of his life and he doesn't frankly care about others. helps you up with a big smile and then comforts you. he acts like he's disowning you, just to tease you lol.

minghao — gets worried when you trip and fall. is by your side, instantly, helping you up. then he checks what you tripped on. nothing. you tripped on air. gives you judgy eyes before snorting a little. he doesn't care about others, and he's just worried about you endangering yourself. then he hugs you after a scolding sesh <3

mingyu — he's probably the one that tripped you by accident. intentionally trips too, falling by your side. so that you're not embarrassed. loves you too much to not share your pain or embarrassment. you start laughing and he does too. and everyone thinks you both are crazy. but hey who cares? you're both in love. and that's what matters.

seokmin — poor baby is so alarmed. drops everything to help you up and makes sure you're not hurt. hugs you and laughs after knowing you tripped on nothing. also one to pretend to fall to ease your shame. you cannot convince me that he won't bring out his musical actor side. helps you up in his arthur façade. "are you hurt, my queen?"

seungkwan — laughs before anything else. brings out his nagging mother side after. helps you up while scolding and lightly hits your head. laughs and coos if you hide yourself in his embrace cause he adores you. but turns this into blackmail material if you ever say smthn against him lol. "oh yea? remember the time you tripped on air?"

vernon — doesn't even notice that you tripped and fell. too busy in his own world and probably walks away, unintentionally which makes everything more embarrassing 😭😭 but when he notices you, he's like "why are you on the floor?" he just helps you up, not even noticing those people staring. would not know till you said that you fell.

chan — could give less fucks about others. another one to drop everything and help you. even suggests piggy-backing you if you're hurt. kisses your knees or wherever it hurts and rubs the spot. lovingly nags you and laughs a little, noticing your embarrassment. reassures you that it's fine.

[sleepyparalysisdmon]

Spell

The three times Jun tries to convince you that he loves you, and the one time it (sort of) works.

Word count: 1.3k

Warnings: reader is insecure

This is part of the Three Times series. This one is inspired by this reaction.

One

Jun’s world comes crashing down at approximately 3pm on a Sunday afternoon. He’s just come home from lunch with some of his group members to find you on the phone in your shared bedroom. You don’t realize he’s home and he’s plotting to scare you. He hovers outside of the bedroom door, waiting for the right opportunity. 

“I know,” you sigh. “I try not to be jealous.” 

His ears perk up. You? Jealous? You continue. “I know. His costar is so pretty. I wonder if he finds her more attractive or likes kissing her more.” 

Jun swears his heart stops beating. You’re going to find him in the hallway floor deceased from heartbreak. He rushes into the hall bathroom because what the hell is he supposed to say to you? Why would you think that? He splashes some cold water on his face in hopes that it will shock his system and bring some sense back.

There’s a light knock on the door. “You okay, baby?” 

“Yeah!” He cringes. He’s an actor, so why was that not convincing at all? He puts on his best smile when he opens the door and yours matches his. 

“How was lunch?” You lean up to peck his lips but your words are replaying in his head. How could he want to kiss his costar more than you when that little peck made his heart race? 

“Okay, nothing crazy,” he mumbles, finding himself clinging to you. 

“What’s gotten into you?” You giggle into his chest when he refuses to let you go. 

“Shh,” he soothes. “I missed you.”

You’re giggling again and he feels so warm yet totally devastated at the same time. “Jun, you saw me a few hours ago.”

“Too long. I need you to come with me everywhere.” You’re giggling like he’s joking, but he’s really not. You shove him away playfully. 

“Come on, you big baby. We can catch up on your drama today.”

“No!” He cries out. His reaction was too big and he flushes a little when you give him a confused look. “Why don’t we watch something different? Maybe an anime?”

You narrow your eyes at him. He starts to sweat a little, but finally you shrug. “Okay, if you insist. Go get comfortable first.”

A few short minutes later he pulls you into his lap on the couch. He doesn’t care for the anime. He finds himself kissing you, because how dare you think he doesn’t like it. He’s determined to prove it now. 

Two

A few nights later, he’s free for a date night. It’s supposed to be casual and he’s not surprised when you come out in jeans and a sweater. But he melts when he sees the red lipstick you’re wearing. He even whines when he sees it. “What? You don’t like it?” You ask him, lips falling into a pout.

He gives you absolutely no time to assume the worst. “No, I love it. I’m supposed to be looking at your eyes when you talk though, like a good boyfriend.”

A grin spreads across your lips. “It’s okay, you can look at both my eyes and my lips. It’s supposed to be smudge proof, in case you’re wondering.” 

Jun groans again. He’s distracted most of the date. Between watching your lips move when you talk and testing how smudge proof the lipstick really is, he’s glued to you. He can’t believe you don’t think he likes this. 

In the car, late that night, he tugs you into his lap, lips pressed harshly to yours. You giggle against his lips. “What’s gotten into you?” 

“I just like kissing you. Is that a crime?” 

“It’s the lipstick, isn’t it?” You smirk down at him. 

“Oh, it’s nice, but that’s not it. It’s just you.” He means it and he hopes you can tell. But he sees the smirk twitch a little bit downwards. He pulls you back in harshly to wipe the expression off your face. 

Three

The next night, he can’t sleep. He’s found out about his next filming schedule and it reminds him of your comment the other day (not that he could ever forget about it). He doesn’t have a script yet, but he’s nervous to find out how many kissing scenes he might have. He considers dropping out of the show but knows you’d never let him. 

Still, he’s watching you doze in and out of sleep next to him, wishing he understood why you doubted his love for you. The moment his mind isn’t busy with something for work, it’s on you. Your eyes blink open sleepily at him as his thumb trace over your bottom lip. You place a little kiss on the tip of the finger and he’s melting. “What are you still doing up, baby? You have to work tomorrow.”

“Just thinking about you,” he says. 

You hum, cracking a smile. “Oh? Anything in particular?” 

“Yeah, about how I’m missing your kisses while you’re too busy sleeping,” he grumbles. You snort, opening your arms to him. 

“Come here, you big baby.” 

He scrambles into your arms, half on top you. Like yesterday in the car, his kisses are intense and it has you giggling, even when he crawls on top of you. “Jun!” You giggle louder as he wedges his face in your neck to kiss you there even though he knows it tickles. “What has gotten into you lately?” 

“I just love you, that’s all,” he excuses, pressing kisses all over your face. 

“What am I going to do with you?” You’re still giggling, cupping his face. 

He smirks. “I have a few ideas.” You giggle into the next kiss but let him continue nonetheless. He doesn’t want to go back to filming when he could be here with you. Quitting his job sounds better and better with every little giggle you let out. 

Four

It’s Saturday night and he’s home late after an event. He squeezes you tight and presses numerous kisses to your face when you offer him a plate of food. He alternates bites of food with kisses from you and when he’s done eating, he pulls you into his lap, clinging to you. 

“What’s gotten into you, baby?” 

You aren’t giggling this time. You sound serious. He stays where he is, hiding his face in your neck. “Just love you. That’s all.”

“Baby, you might be a great actor, but I can see right through you. You’ve been off all week. You know you can talk to me.” 

The soft brush of your hand through his hair makes him finally pull away to look up at you. “You know I love you, right?” You nod, a small smile gracing your lips. He frowns at you instead of matching you. “And you know I love kissing you more than anyone else in the universe, right?” 

Your mouth dips into a frown. “Where is this coming from, Jun?”

“I… may have overheard you on the phone the other day. I’m sorry for eavesdropping, but it’s been on my mind lately. I always mean it when I say she’s just a costar. I would never kiss her if it wasn’t in the script and I definitely don’t find her more attractive than you.” You’re staring at him with sad eyes and he wants nothing more than to hear your little giggle again. “I promise you have nothing to worry about.”

“I’m sorry, Jun. I know it’s your work. It shouldn’t make me feel insecure.”

“It’s okay if it does. I’ll just be extra loud about my love for you until you get it. I’ll even quit!”

You slap his shoulder in a split second, raging. “You will not! I’ll be so mad if you do over something so stupid.”

Jun’s heart swells. “Fine, have it your way for now.” He puckers up his lips again and you roll your eyes before giving in. 

[absolutebl]

Because your opinion means a lot: Any chance you feel like sharing 5 upcoming BLs you're most excited about and why? And maybe as a bonus, something you think many BL watchers will love but that you will hate?

Ooooo, how exciting what a fun one. You sure you want this from me? I have very odd taste.

The 5 Upcoming BLs I'm Most Excited About

(this forced me to put together the 2024 Announced BLs list which is coming soon)

1 Spare Me Your Mercy

Increased rates of deaths in terminal patients has a police captain investigating the palliative care doctor with whom he's fallen in love. Their relationship deepens but the mystery persists, driven by mistrust.

Why? It's adapted from the novel Euthanasia by Sammon (Triage, Manner of Death) but more important, it stars some old guard BL actors: Tor Thanapob from Hormones as the doctor and (fuck me YES) Jaylerr from Great Men Academy and goddamn Grean Fictions as the captain!

2 Wandee Godday

GMMTV and AllThis Entertainment producing a very pulp offering with new pair, GreatInn doing high heat, boxer meets surgeon. It features a one night stand, fake relationship, and all the cheesiest of tropes. Also features Drake, Podd, and Thor+ pretty boy (be still my heart).

Why? This is totally my kind of BL even if it isn't GMMTV's style of BL, and it's GREAT, so I'm in.

3 The Next Prince (ZeeNew)

Domundi brings us more ZeeNew in a fantasy/historical set in a palace where Zee plays a knight and Nu a prince - YES PLEASE.

Why? I did not expect this pair to stick so I really hope this happens. Give us the Little Pink Riding Milk BL we deserve!

4 Lover Merman

Fantasy BL about a man who falls in love with a merman.

Why? I don't think it will be good but I LOVE merfolk.

5 Me and Who

Domundi for WeTV brings this adaptation of Wickedwish’s novel of the same name. It depicts a young man who dies and is reborn into the body of a billionaire heir. The heir happens to be engaged to a handsome man.

Why? I flipping LOVE this trope but I never expected to see it drive a BL.

10 I am cautious of but VERY intrigued

JAPAN'S Although I Love You and You AKA Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka

From YTV releasing 1/11 about Soga, who, after a divorce and relocation to Osaka, seeks solace in dining at 26-year-old Sakae's restaurant. Unbeknownst to Soga, Sakae sees him as more than just a regular customer.

TAIWAN's Love For Love's Sake

Based on the Manhwa Love Supremacy Zone by Hwacha, this will star actors Lee Tae Vin, Cha Jun Wan, Oh Min Su and Cha Woon Ki. The plot of the drama is based on Tae Myung Ha, a young man who is dropped into a game based off of a novel that he knows. His mission is to make another player, Cha Yeo Woon happy. Cha Yeo Woon is Myung-Has favourite character in the novel. But then the game starts going completely different from the novel.

City of Stars AKA Fueangnakorn

Star Hunter started filming this 12/23 about an actor falls in love with a programmer and the narrative intends to “explore the ramifications of being public figure in the social network era who must endure critics, bullying, and defamation.” Looks like another Lovely Writer, Call It What You Want sort of thing.

My Stand-In AKA My Stand In

Chinese IP ALERT! Adapted from the novel Professional Body Double (职业替身) by Shui Qiang Cheng (水千丞) stars Up (Lovely Writer) and Poom (Bake Me Please).

OMG Vampire AKA OMG! Vampire (LeeFrank)

Frank and Lee Long Shi are back only vampires now. So many vampires.

The Rebound (MeenPing)

VIU Basketball based romance staring Meen (a national basketball player, so yay for that).

We Are (PondPhuwin)

GMMTV's university friendship Bl featuring PondPhuwin, WinnySatang, AouBoom, MarcPawin - basically ALL in the good kind of messy friendship group (so more My Engineer and less Only Friends). Looks a bit like the Kiss series but everyone is gay. I'm IN! Trailer here.

Love Upon a Time (NetJames)

Domundi announced for 6/7/2023 then delayed to 2024. NetJames in a historical BL! Also feat Tonnam (Dr Sing from Triage).

Jack & Joker (YinWar)

DeHup brings us be gay, do crimes. Yin, War, Mark and a few other familiar faces doing Leverage but gayer. Yes, thank you, I will have that.

My Love Mix-Up Thai Remake (GemniForth)

GMMTV. Hum, well I do love this pair and I did like the original and maybe this time these characters will actually kiss? I'm actually fine with this pick-up. I kind of enjoy seeing different countries remake the same IP. Especially if it's IP I'm mostly unfazed by.

[otakusparkle]

Identity V New Story and Diary Release

A major story update depicting the new manor's past will begin in November! Today, we're releasing a preview trailer for that update🎪

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to our noisy circus!"

Let's bring that nightmarish carnival back to the manor.

In addition, Acrobat (Mike Morton) Seiyuu/Voice Actor is Fukuyama Jun

Notable role

- Joker/Protagonist/Ren Amamiya (Persona 5)

- Kimihiro Watanuki (XXXHolic)

- Matsuno Ichimatsu (Osomatsu)

- Koro Sensei (Ansatsu Kyoushitsu)

- Okumuro Yukio (Ao No Exorcist)

- Roulacase Finral (Black Clover)

- Ayasegawa Yumichika (BLEACH)

- Sakaguchi Ango (Bungo Stray Dogs)

- Togashi Yuuta (Chuubibyou Demo Koi)

- Julius Kingsley (Code Geass)

- Lelouch Lemperouge (Code Geass)

- Hanamura Teruteru (Danganronpa)

- Kishitani Shinra (Durarara!!)

- Yanagi Akane (Horimiya)

- Misaki Yata (Project K)

- Grell Sutcliff (Black Butler)

- King (Nanatsu No Taizai)

- Kazuma (Noragami)

- Leon Cromwell (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken)

- Hanabusa Aidou (Vampire Knights)

- Takanashi Shouta (Working!!!)

[horangboosadan]

ROCK WITH YOU [8/10]

episode eight: so let me listen to all your emotions

pairing: idol!lee chan x gender neutral!actor!reader

genre: established relationship, fluff, angst, best friend!jun, actor au, smau, on screen lovers off screen besties, intentional lowercase

synopsis: after the release of your most recent drama, the world decides that you and your co-star/best friend would be the perfect couple. the influx of positive reactions are great for your career, his career, and the drama. however, it tears at you to lie to your fans and appear dishonest towards your boyfriend. being a k-pop idol, revealing your relationship can come with unforeseen consequences. how do you tackle the onslaught of people who want the inside scoop of you and your co-star, and your boyfriend in denial about his jealousy without compromising either relationship?

wc: 2.1k

masterlist

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the sound of the code being punched and the melody that sings when it's correct jolts you out of your half-sleep state. the creak of the door opening and the click of it closing has you shake your head. the soft footsteps making their way in your direction has your brain hurt as your mind filters through a million thoughts that have so far kept you from sleeping since you came home.

maybe it’s for the better―you get a chance for your circadian rhythm to adapt back to where it’s supposed to be.

“i brought food,” says chan as he enters the living room. he smiles; a huge grin that seems to lighten every load on your shoulders and clear your mind of whatever fears were coursing through it. the grin stays all the way over to the couch, only disappearing as he leans down to press a kiss to your lips. “i missed you.”

“i missed you, too.” you return his smile. “and i love you for bringing food because i haven’t really eaten anything all day.”

he sets the bag of food on the coffee table and seats himself next to you on the couch. “thought so. i wasn’t sure you’d even be awake.”

“somehow, i was too exhausted to even sleep,” you say. you’re half joking, but you’re aware of the slight nervousness in your voice. chan usually picks up on it, but you’re not sure if he’ll chalk it up to exhaustion or realize that there is something on your mind keeping you from resting.

“then we eat and go to sleep. we both need it.” he kisses you, and starts to take the food out of the bag.

your heart hammers in its cage. there’s a nagging feeling at the back of your mind telling you there isn’t anything to worry about, that you’ve been seeing things in his messages because you want to, because you know you won’t stand up for your own discomfort when it comes to the whole leaning into a romantic interest in jun. however, the moment chan says anything, you’ll do something. maybe seungkwan and vernon were wrong.

yet, there’s that pit in your stomach that keeps telling you that chan isn’t his normal self. his unusual long time in answering texts, his lack of trying to find time to actually talk after your first week away, his short answers, and his sudden lack of emojis whenever he said ‘i love you’ or ‘i miss you’. a part of you wants to tell yourself your just reading into it, that your exhaustion is taking over, but your gut says differently.

you’ve always trusted your gut.

“tell me about your trip,” says chan as he hands you a pair of chopsticks, already broken apart and ready to use.

you shake your head. “hmm, it was nice. a lot of bad weather, but that was the reason we shot there in the first place, apparently. the cast is nice, the crew was nice, and everything went very smoothly, but mostly i couldn’t enjoy myself due to a lack of sleep and breaks. i had a few on set, but my role is big enough that i didn’t have as much time to sit down as i wanted to.” you stop talking by starting to eat, figuring it can be a good excuse to not say anything else.

chan doesn’t say anything, but he’s looking intently at you. his gaze makes you feel loved, but it also feels piercing, as if he can see right through you. see your worries. see your exhaustion. “eat up, okay? you look like you need a good nights sleep.”

“thanks for the compliment," you say and huff jokingly.

“i didn’t mean it like that!” he says quickly. he takes your free hand with his and uses his thumb to caress the back of your hand. “you always look good, okay?”

you pout and look down. you both know it’s an act, but you like doing it. you like having him dote on you, which is exactly what he proceeds to do as he cups your face with both hands and lifts your head so you look at him. “you’re the most gorgeous, beautifulest, prettiest, handsomest, whatever adjective you want, person in the world.” with each adjective, he presses a kiss to your lips, and he continues after until you stop pouting and your lips draw into a smile.

“and even more so when you smile,” he adds and kisses you again.

it helps. it helps you regain energy, and it helps some of those worries slip away. whatever this jealousy thing is―if vernon is correct―you know that you’re not going to lose chan because of it.

all the tension in your veins seeps out. the thought of how much chan loves you, of how much you love him, fills them with warmth instead. a soft, cuddly warmth that doubles when chan puts an arm around you and drags you into his side.

you eat like that for a while, snuggled up together. chan feeds you bites of food, and you’re pretty sure you’re gonna fall asleep. however, as the food runs out, your worries haven’t disappeared enough for you to let go of them.

“i’ll clean up, okay? just get ready for bed and i’ll see you in there.” chan lets go of you. the warmth of his arm disappears and he gets up to start gathering the trash.

he doesn’t get far before you grab his hand and pull him back down onto the couch. “not yet,” you say.

chan laughs and pulls you in for a hug. “you missed me that much?”

you lightly punch at him, not letting go of the hug as you nod. maybe you are holding him back for another reason, but you did really miss him that much. so much you don’t want to let go of him, so much that you couldn’t be happier with the knowledge that you have all of tomorrow to spend together.

“yeah, i did,” you say as you pull out of the hug, “but there is something else.”

chan cocks his head. “something’s wrong?”

you grimace and shrug. “i don’t know.” the words won’t come. you don’t want to startle him, to scare him, to have him withdraw because he doesn’t want to discuss it. what if seungkwan’s right and he feels stupid for his feelings and therefore won’t talk about them? but you’ve been together for two years already, you know how to be honest with each other.

“okay, so, i just need to know how you feel about this whole dating rumor between me and jun,” you say. “i know you said you’re fine, but i want you to be completely honest.”

“i’m fine.” chan smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “i mean it. it’s fine. i know that it’s not true, and whatever the world may think, i know the truth.”

you want to believe him. you want to just say, ‘okay, let’s go to bed’, but you know he’s not telling the truth. “you don’t have to be fine with it.” you swallow, trying to keep your voice level, clear, and without the shake to it you can hear so well. you’re an actor, you should be able to do this, but somehow, without a camera, you never manage to. “i mean it. you don’t have to be fine with it. i wouldn’t be. i would hate seeing you with someone else. i would hate it even more if everyone wanted you to be with someone else. babe, i get jealous of you flirting with carats on lives and fancalls.”

the silence is loud. chan avoids your gaze, looking instead at his hands as he fiddles with the strings of his hoodie. you take his hand, intertwining your fingers and squeezing. “it’s okay.”

his voice is barely above a whisper when he speaks. “it’s stupid,” he says, and your heart breaks.

“it’s not stupid.” you use your other hand to lift his head up to look at you. “i am telling you, whatever you’re feeling, it is not stupid.”

“i don’t like it. i don’t like feeling this way, i don’t like seeing everyone talk about you, i don’t like all the comments about the two of you. they even asked on my live, about you and jun. i think i did well not to make it obvious, but i hated it. but it’s so stupid to feel this way when i know you and jun, and i know you’d never think of each other that way.” he sniffles. a tear runs down his cheek. you wipe it away. “seeing people talk about you as if you’re with someone else makes me feel like i don’t matter.”

you pull him close in a tight hug. he buries his head in the crook of your neck. “baby, i’m sorry,” you say. his arms tightens around you, holding you as close as possible. you don’t pull away, waiting for him to decide when he doesn’t need a hug anymore.

it lasts for what feels like forever and the blink of an eye at the same time. a mixture of feelings spread out through your body. you can’t tell what it is, can’t tell how you’re feeling as chan pulls out of your hug. somehow, you know what you want to do next;

make sure all these rumors and theories and whatever they are stop.

“i love you, you know that, right?” you ask. you lean your forehead against his.

“i know. i love you, too.” he kisses you. you kiss back, keeping him close before he pulls away.

it’s still a short kiss, but it has you remember all the things you love about him. the way he smiles, the way he talks, the way he dances, the way he laughs. all the things that had you fall for him in the first place, the reason why it hurts you so much to see him hurting.

when you pull away, you only have one thought on your mind.

“do you wanna tell the world?”

it’s a big question. going public about your relationship could jeopardize your careers. it will have more consequences for his as an idol than yours as an actor, and it would put you both in the limelight for something other than what you want to be there for. you’ve worked hard to keep your relationship private, to keep your private life out of the public eye. but that one kiss and this whole conversation made you realize that you love chan enough to risk it.

chan pulls away. he takes your hand in his and intertwines your fingers. “i want everyone to know how much i love you,” he says. “but are you sure?”

you shrug. “i don’t know what might happen if we do, but you’re hurting so much because of all this talk about me and jun that i don’t know how else to battle it. there’s still so much of it that im not sure if it will blow over when the drama ends.” you take a deep breath and smile. “and i love you so much that i’m willing to risk whatever consequences may come.”

“really?” there’s something hopeful in his voice, something ready to agree. “you’re absolutely sure?”

“yes. i love you and i want the whole world to know.” you kiss him. “it’s not like we’d be announcing it right this second, and we can still think about it, but maybe that’s the next step.”

chan grins. “i love you, too.” he presses a kiss to the back of your hand, fingers still entwined. “does this mean i can openly flirt with you at all times?”

“i guess.” you laugh. “but the deal is you stop overusing that smirk emoji.”

“i love that emoji. it gets the point across.”

“well, i don’t need it to know what you’re trying to say, though. i know exactly what’s on your mind.” you smile, a giddy feeling now coursing through your veins. “also, you have to stop saying sleep whenever you don’t actually mean to sleep.”

chan fakes a shocked look. “what? you want me to say sex every time? even in front of other people?”

you hit him lightly. “i don’t want you to talk about it in front of other people at all,” you say and start to get up from the couch. “c’mon. let’s clean up, go to bed, and maybe i’ll have enough energy to sleep tomorrow.”

chan pulls you back down by your hands still entwined. “we can always sleep now,” he says, and kisses the corner of your mouth.

there is no one in the entire world you love more then lee chan, and he continues to make you love him more every single day. even with the nervous tension that comes with revealing your relationship to the public, the prospect of your future together looks brighter than ever.

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boo talks

a written chapter for a change. they finally talked! i really like this chapter but my god is the change between doing texting and actually writing it out hard at times (i think i rewrote this like three times before i was happy with it, and im still not actually sure im happy with it...) anyways, im currently on christmas break from uni (finally done with exams and at least one went well and we'll see), which may mean more one shots and hopefully a christmas themed one? idk, but i hope...

[hyunjinners]

✧:･ﾟThe End Justifies The Means → Ahn Jun-ho x reader˚₊· ꒰🌀꒱

꒰ 命 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 ꒱┊Although Jun-ho was in danger of defecting, he couldn't help but visit his lover, whom he was afraid he wouldn't be able to see for a long time.

꒰ 命 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 ꒱┊Ahn Jun-ho x Fem!reader

꒰ 命 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄 ꒱┊fluff, angst (?)

꒰ 命 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 ꒱┊some blood, mention of death, maybe some bruises from my baby Jun-ho 🥺🤏 (takes place in season 2)

꒰ 命 𝐖.𝐂 ꒱┊2,1k

꒰ 命 𝐀/𝐍 ꒱┊First chapter of the profile! I was a little insecure about posting because English is not my first language, but with the help of a translator, I hope my writing doesn't get so old-fashioned lol ^°^

I finished watching D✰P a while ago and I couldn't help but fall in love with Jun-ho (although I started watching because of another actor, who plays the 'villain')

I tried to leave the chapter with a more Jun-ho perspective, I hope it turned out well. I hope you like the chapter and don't forget to share and say what you think of the chapter. Stick with the chapter and have a good read! 💙🌊

⊹₊˚ʚ❛Masterlist❜ɞ

IT'S been a few days since Jun-ho deserted the army for a greater cause. From the beginning he was aware of the danger he was putting himself in but his head still throbbed every time he…its first and also fails. It cost him his life. A life that could have been saved if not for his carelessness. He thinks about it every day and once he had a thin thread of hope, hoping that he could at least reveal the truth even if he couldn't bring that life back, he couldn't help but grasp the thin, dangerous thread.

He was tired but he wouldn't confess. In addition to working on a plan to reveal the flash drive's catastrophic contents, he was also exhausted from running away whenever he had any chance of getting hold of it. Jun-ho wasn't stupid, he knew how things work and that's why he was cautious and smart in every detail of what he did so as not to be tracked.

However, more than physically tired, he was emotionally and mentally exhausted. He's been through a lot of hard things since he gave you one last hug keeping his promise that he'd be back soon - which was to be expected as they were both aware that not everything is smooth sailing - but he wasn't expecting such a weight to be placed on his shoulders.

He missed you. Every single day. He thought about calling you all the time but his pride got the better of him, thinking he might sound desperate - or maybe the faint feeling that maybe you cared about him too much to the point of making your heart ache. He cared more about you than himself.

And it was this very thought that made him have a slight hesitation at the thought of visiting you. Jun-ho was aware that you knew everything and that you had certainly received a visit from your superiors only to upset you even more. But he needs to see you, feel you. He needed your hug, your words of comfort, your kiss, your way of being. But at the same time that he looked forward to it, he understood that it was risky. But everything good is worth the risk, isn't it?

You were sitting on your apartment floor staring at - or at least trying to - your laptop screen finishing a college essay. It wasn't really working for you, as everything you did, every key you clicked was a thought going through your mind leading you to think of Jun-ho.

You had received a visit from the superiors of Jun-ho, your boyfriend, just over three days ago. You initially wanted to appear strong, not just in front of men, for herself maybe. You really tried, but you couldn't hold back the tears. What if he got hurt? What if I unintentionally hurt other people? What if I can never see him again? These were some of the thoughts that came to mind.

Jun-ho was more than just a childhood sweetheart, more than your boyfriend, he was your soul mate, the perfect being that was specially predestined for you. You didn't believe much in legends or reincarnation, but you knew they were meant to be connected, perhaps by fate, or the red thread that believed to unite you. He was different, unique, perfect. You couldn't live without him and he was aware of that. So what's the point of him doing this to you?

You felt that if he made a misstep you probably wouldn't see each other any time soon. It's been almost two years apart, imagine years being separated by simple and useless bars? Pieces of metal that could destroy relationships for the simple fact of arresting a person who only wanted to reveal the truth that many so-called "superior" feared.

You didn't know about the pen-drive's contents, in fact, almost nobody did. But, if they're not measuring efforts to take power for themselves, even if it might cost Jun-ho's life, so you knew it wasn't anything too nice or light. Definitely a problem. A problem that Jun-ho-your Jun-ho got into because he couldn't stand still when he saw an injustice.

He's always been like that. From childhood, from when you grew up and your father didn't approve of your relationship with him, but he still didn't give up. Because he was stubborn and kind and above all he had a good heart. You love him for small but significant things like that that shape his personality and character. You've always seen it, since when you were just two little beings running around the neighborhood, at the same time, whenever there was a chance, Jun-ho would protect you, even if it sometimes cost him scolding. Always when they did something stupid, he took over, because he wanted to protect you from all the evil in the world. Because he always loved you.

Only now the roles were reversed. And this situation wasn't like when you were a kid, it's just riskier. You wanted to protect him from all harm, from all these evil people who only thought about their own noses and reputation. His heart ached whenever he imagined everything he had gone through so far because of people like that, for all the times - even if hesitantly - he called you because he wasn't feeling well with all the pressure and nagging from his seniors.

Your soul felt that he would look for you just like the nights he called you. And you've just been waiting, be it the doorbell sound or even the phone ringing. 

And like a cue to fate, your doorbell rings. A slight fright invades you, but you don't let go, just getting up towards the door. When she opened it, a tall man had his back turned while wearing a navy blue sweatshirt that covered his head with a hood, preventing anyone from seeing him. He looks frantically up and down the building's hallway, as if expecting someone to suddenly grab him.

"May I help you?" He turns when he hears her voice. It was him. Jun-ho, who had been missing for days. He stares at you for a while, until he raises his finger towards his mouth, asking for silence. He deftly pushes you aside, stepping inside and locking the door behind him. You still stare at him in bewilderment. Not just finally seeing him, of course that was part of it, but he was different.

His hair had grown out a little since I last saw him - he'd shaved it off for the army - he was more robust, his arms were strong and steady, his face had some fresh bruises. You put your hands over your mouth in shock. Her eyes water at the sight of him hurt and tired. He holds out his arms, cradling you in a tight hug.

You reciprocate by squeezing him as if you can no longer see him. She didn't want it to be his last hug, so she held him tight. He didn't seem bothered, on the contrary, he deepened the hug, hiding his face in the crook of her neck. You felt your uneven breathing tickle your neck, but it didn't bother you. I knew he needed this. You needed this, you needed him.

He pushed you away when he felt your jacket wet, not out of annoyance but concern. I didn't want to see you cry, you didn't deserve this. None of that. No one really deserved it. He felt in his skin how much the greed of people who identify themselves as superiors just because of a position or a social position, it can harm people who just want to survive in this difficult world where they fight by their own arm, not stepping on other people to ascend.

He gently runs his fingers - now not as soft as before - pass over her soft skin and now wet from the tears that flowed down through the mixture of feelings that squeezed her chest like longing, anxiety, maybe a little fear. "Don't cry, my love…I'm sorry. I didn't want you to go through this." "Where are you Jun-ho? Do you- do you know how worried I was? I was so, so scared that I would never see you again." You didn't want to sound so desperate, but your voice gave it away. Your face that was now covered by your own hands, rested on his firm chest, which just hugged you again while stroking your hair.

"I'm sorry. Really. I…I'm here now, okay?" He kisses her forehead. He missed her smell, her embrace. The way you cried together and for him.

"Oh Jesus! Look at you, oppa!" Now calmer, you caress Jun-ho's face that was stained with blood in some small cuts, in addition to the slight mixture of green, yellow and purple tones that painted almost imperceptibly in the region of his eye. "Who was the idiot that did this to you? Argh! Come here" you take him to the couch in the living room, running to the bathroom to get the first aid kit and coming back as fast as you can. You disinfect your wounds as carefully as you can, as if your skin is incredibly sensitive. He lets out a low chuckle, watching you in his concentration.

"What is it? Did I hurt you?" You look scared. He cups the right side of his face with his hand, taking advantage of the closeness to place a tender kiss on her lips. "I think it's cute that you're worried about hurting me even though I'm all torn up like that, that's all." You smile toothlessly upon hearing his statement. It was obvious that the situation was concerning but you could still see how hard he was trying to make you comfortable and calm, even though it was a mess outside.

"You'll be fine, won't you?" Her expression changes as she whispers to him, fear apparent in her voice. "I will. I promise you, I will come back to you safe and sound." The ghost of a smile is exposed on her face. "I don't want to ask what's on that flash drive but I'm sure you're doing it for a good reason. I want you to know that you are strong and that you will get through this. I believe and trust you and I know you will do the right thing with the power you have in your hands. Just don't, please leave me. Do what you have to do but…come back to me. I need you." You intertwine your hand in his. Tears form in Jun-ho's eyes causing his voice to crack a little when speaking.

"Thank you for trusting me. I don't deserve your love. I will never leave you, I love you. It's complicated, I don't want you to get involved. Just wait for me." He gets up towards the door, but stops as soon as he hears her announcement.

"...your boss visited me. He asked me to call if you showed up. What should I do?" He turns. A few seconds pass as he just stares back at you.

"Call him."

"What?"

"You can call. I need to talk to him."

"What if you get caught?"

"I won't, I know what to do." He had a plan, you could feel it. You obey, picking up your cell phone and after dialing the number passing it to him. You didn't know what was coming, and you hated more than anyone else just to watch and not be able to do anything, but everything in your power you would do. By Jun-ho.

꒷꒦ ⊹ ๑ ❛original by:: @hyunjinners ¡ Like×reblog❜ =͟͟͞♡ ‧ ˚ ₊

[alloveydovey]

Dramas baby

No Gain, No Love, 2024 (kdrama) 9/9.5

Wanting to climb the corporate ladder (and seeing how the company she works for favors married people), FL marries ML, who works in her neighborhood convenience store and with whom she really doesn't have a good rapport.

Kdrama gods saw me disappointed with Love Next Door and threw me in for a surprise with this drama. It's not that I was expecting it to be bad (never with the Shin Min Ah as the lead) but I wasn't expecting to get as into it as I got while watching. It felt like going back to when I'd watch a drama in two/three days. No Gain, No Love nailed the rom-com vibe that I feel other dramas like Love Next Door and others from this year haven't been able to pull off as well. I was missing so much this concept of the leads not really knowing each other (kinda). It makes everything feel more organic. It was funny and very romantic, and the sob side of the story was well-developed. Probably one of my favorites from 2024 so far.

Extra: Spice Up Your Life, 2024 (kdrama)

They definitely had a great premise to create at least a 10-episode drama with this, but I assume that if they did that then we would prefer Ja Yeon as Yeon Seo with Gyu Hyun as Ha Jun and perhaps that would have ruined their story in the main drama so I get it. They were cute as hell and a nice add-on to their story.

What Comes After Love, 2024 (kdrama) 8.5

Korean FL moves to Japan and falls in love with Japanese ML. We suddenly see them again years later, broken up. By chance, they get to work together and we get to understand why they broke up.

Kentarooooooooo. Always obsessed with him, but what got me hooked was obviously Lee Se Young and her amazing acting. It was insane watching the interviews and them in some way or another expressing that even though they had an excellent relationship, the language barrier was still present. I thought, well, for sure, this might affect their performance together, right? And then I went to watch it to discover they had the biggest chemistry I've ever seen in a drama???? The story itself is not a big deal; it's really the actors that bring the drama to life. Seriously, chemistry 12/10

Mr. Plankton, 2024 (kdrama) 10

ML is a drifter who discovers he doesn't have much time left. FL, his ex-girlfriend, is about to marry into a significant family when she discovers she has premature menopause and therefore cannot become a mother. When ML sort of kidnaps her on her wedding day, they begin a jorney in search of his biological father... and something more.

Perfect. It has been some time since I gave a drama a 10, but I am leaving all of my flowers here. It was probably a surprise because, from watching the production pictures and behind the scenes of the actors, I didn't assume it'd be such a ride. Even less an emotional one. As a strict rule, I try to avoid sad-ending dramas. When I started this though (apart from spoiling myself lol), I kind of knew the ending was going to be a sad one because no character kidnaps another one and gets away with it with none repercussion—unless he’s going to die, then TV usually allows it because he’s a lost cause and you have to give in to the extremes lol. I thought it'd be an okay drama. Woo Do Hwan needs to chill with the hot shit, Lee You Mi is the best, and obviously Oh Jung Se is a king. I swear I'll watch anything with that man in it—instant killer drama.

The Judge from Hell, 2024 (kdrama) 9

A literal judge from hell makes a mistake and is forced to spend one year on earth as a real judge, killing souls who deserve to go to hell. A detective quickly catches on to her… side activities. In the end, both of them join forces to defeat Satan... or something like that.

When it first came out, this drama was so hyped up that even I, who wasn't interested in it, waited unpatiently for it to end so I could binge. Everyone was praising Park Shin Hye and the story, which was well-deserved. Shin Hye did amazing here. The story, for me at least, has its ups and downs, but it's overall a fantastic watch. It's funny how love stories always go hard when they're not the main focus of the drama. The chemistry was on point. Shin Hye is an absolute queen.

It Started with a Kiss, 2005 (taiwanese-drama) 8

FL is kind of obsessed with ML; ML can't stand a dumb girl. Mistreatment, mistreatment, mistreatment. Kiss! More mistreatment, soft mistreatment, ML grows fond of FL. Confusion, unrequited love, and everything that goes on with the mischevious kiss storyline.

I kind of don't like the mischevious/playful kiss story. I watched the Korean version and wanted to kill the ML (like I truly hated him), then I tried watching the Japanese version but I couldn't even get past the first eps. Finally, I saw all over TikTok that the Taiwanese version was the best one and that the ML was a lot softer in this version and decided... why not? I should be studying for exams but I'm gonna waste my time watching this oldie drama instead. I'm glad I did, though. I binged the first season and people are right. ML is mean but he's a lot softer in this version or at least you can tell he really likes FL. Plus, the chemistry they have is 10/10. It sort of gave me the same vibes I felt while watching Princess Hour for some reason. The characters in this version reminded me a lot of the ones there. Also, I watched the first episode of the second part, "They Kiss Again," and damn, they kiss indeed. This reminded me of how much I love watching oldies. I may postpone the second season for later.

A Witch's Romance, 2014 (kdrama) 7.5

A 39-year-old vicious journalist gets tangled up with a 24-year-old guy who is taking a break from med school after losing his girlfriend. After a couple of compromising situations, they start developing feelings for one another but there's that 14-year age gap stopping them and someone else showing up to kill the mood.

I was studying for exams and wanted to watch something lighthearted and romantic that wouldn't require much thought. I read all sorts of negative reviews about this one, and for some reason I can't get into a lot of Park Seo Joon's dramas, but I decided to give it a try. According to reviews, the leads didn't have chemistry and the plot was a hot mess. The plot thing... yes. It's not the worst I watched though and I'll be honest, it wasn't the plot the reason I started it for; I just wanted to watch some sexy romance. But even that was hard to do when the leads kept getting separated and they kept suffering so much because of it. The chemistry was 100% for me. It was just that after the second/third episode, they decided to simmer it down and never turn it back on.

Brewing Love, 2024 (kdrama) 8/8.5

A sensitive ML and a hardcore FL meet by chance and then for work. He feels everyone's feelings; she bottles up everything. Oh, and they make beer.

I'll be honest, despite binge-watching this whole drama in three days, as I kept watching, I kept thinking I wasn't sure I was into it that much. It just felt like another bland romance drama. Kim Se Jeong and Lee Jong Won changed my mind a bit, though. First of all, Se Jeong is charming as hell in romcoms. I beg for her to keep on doing them because she's truly great at them. Also, it was a nice change to have a more passive ML, and Jong Won was great in this. The couple's dynamic was cute as hell, and it was probably what kept me watching. The second couple was also adorable as hell. This is truly the year of second couples!

[cheolism]

how is jun and his lovely roommate/love of his life doing 🥺🥺

drabble sequel to good things from bad days

but can be read alone!!

1k words

genre: romance, fluff, adoration and love. marriage proposal gone wrong!!! sunshine! junnie x grumpy! reader

notes/warnings: marriage is insinuated. a cat is on the counter but jun is going to wipe it after, i promise. couple banter. you have two cats named after the roly poly by t-ara.

Jun rushed about the kitchen, never staying in one place for more than a second. Time was his master, he the servant. He had tried to delay you by asking you to go to the little Chinese restaurant the two of you frequented, the one you've been going to for eight years, the one he stopped at on that fateful night where you drunkenly confessed your love.

You had sighed, but agreed. He knew you would. Jun knew that every sigh, eye roll and scoff was just a layer of you, and that beneath that layer was the person he loved with all his heart. Your grumpiness was just another part of you for him to love.

He spun around, aiming for the silverware cabinet. Roly, however, had tucked herself right behind his feet. Jun cursed loudly, pitching forward and bracing himself against the opposite counter in an attempt to catch himself without injuring the cat.

Roly just peered up at him, amber eyes watching him as if to say really?

Jun used his foot to slide Rollie down the wooden floor of the kitchen, ignoring how she promptly turned around to swat at his ankle. He went back to the silverware drawer, withdrawing two pairs of chopsticks.

Jun grabbed yours, wooden ones he had purchased at a farmer's market with little pink flowers carved into the thick handles. He then, slowly, carefully, as if he was handling his heart with his bare hands -- and he was -- reached into his pocket and withdrew the ring.

He took a moment to appreciate it. It was in a vintage style with a thin golden band and a jade jewel surrounded by a golden face. It was elegant and simple, and Jun wondered how such a tiny thing could hold so much gravity.

Jun then slipped the ring around the chopsticks. He wrapped them in a napkin before doing the same with his own so you wouldn't be too suspicious.

"Okay, girls," Jun murmured, trying to swallow his nerves. "Just act cool. There's nothing going on. Absolutely nothing."

Roly and Poly just blinked at him from where they sat on the floor.

Jun set the napkin-covered-chopsticks on the bar just in time for the front door to open. He turned his back to the bar, placing a wide smile on his face and hoping his past as a child-actor was coming in handy.

You were huffing as you carried in the food alongside your work bag. Jun hurried forward, taking the food from you and swooping down to press a kiss to your nose. "Hello, darling!"

"Junnie," you murmured back, angling your face towards him. Jun took your silent request and pressed a slow, gentle kiss to your lips. You hummed, nodding, as if he had gotten an answer right on a quiz he didn't know he was taking.

"How was the drive?"

You scoffed, setting your bag on the couch. As soon as she heard you, Poly came running from around the kitchen bar. She let out a high-pitched "mrrp" as she did so, intent on reaching you.

Jun felt his heart swell as you reached down and grabbed Poly, bringing the long-haired cat into your arms. Poly was remarkably shy, even for a cat. It had taken her two months to get used to the two of you, and even now she continued to be hesitant around Jun. But you? She adored you.

Just like Jun.

He crossed back to the kitchen, setting the food onto the bar. Jun listened to you chatter to Poly, adoration dripping from your every word. He ignored Roly as she jumped onto the bar, grabbing the wet wipes the two of you kept in the kitchen for this exact reason.

"Why don't you love me like you love Poly?" Jun dramatically sighed, taking out two glasses from your cupboards.

You walked towards the kitchen, pressing kisses to Poly's head. "It's because she's so cute! Yes! My Poly girl is so! Cute!"

"And your Junnie boy isn't?"

You pressed one last kiss to her forehead, pausing and looking up at him over the rim of your glasses. "I guess."

"You guess?"

Jun set both glasses onto the counter, letting his jaw drop in false shock. "I can't believe I signed the lease to this house with you! I make your meals! I make sure you're well-fed and showered! I take out the trash! And for what? A cat to replace me?"

You cooed at Poly one last time before setting her on the floor. Then you crossed into the kitchen, opening your arms and winding them around Jun's middle. You pressed yourself to him, burying your face into his chest and pressing a kiss over his heart.

"A cat can never replace you," you mumbled. "She can't brush my hair like you do."

Jun laughed, pushing you away. "You jerk!"

Your answering giggle was soft and quiet, as it always tended to be. Jun had a sixth sense for your laughter, however, and mentally recorded it and tucked it deep into his heart.

He can't wait to marry you.

Jun turned his back to the bar, picking up a glass. He went to the freezer, shoving it underneath the ice machine.

Then you gasped, loud and cutting through the serenity. "Roly!"

Jun spun around just in time to see Roly batting your chopsticks, still covered in the napkin, off of the counter. She watched, content with her chaos, as Jun sprinted around the bar, panic so thick that he was drowning in it.

You were already bending over, bypassing the chopsticks and napkin. He watched as your fingers found the ring on the ground, enclosing around it. You straightened, quiet, opening your palm and staring down.

You were always so good at hiding your expressions. You weren't like Hansol, who wore his heart on his sleeve. Your face was stern, almost, considering, as you held the ring up to the light.

But then you turned your face towards Jun, and he could see the tears beginning to fall from your eyes.

"Junnie? Do you have something to ask me?"

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed, Episode 37 part two

(Masterpost) (Pinboard)  (whole thing on AO3)

Warning! Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Inquiring Minds

Wei Wuxian asks the kids if any of them can perform inquiry so he can ask Song Lan who fucked him up like this. Sizhui does a good job, but he has to whisper to himself while he plays, because he is not a mensch like Lan Wangji (yet).

Song Lan says that Xiao Xingchen is the culprit, and the kids immediately ignore apparently-murderer Xiao Xingchen who's sitting next to them, and instead have a seminar on how inquiry works and the niceties of guqin-language translation. 

During the whole conversation, they talk about Song Lan being killed, not just mostly-killed, incidentally. And that's not a translation error; I'm actually able to recognize the phrase "shale ta." (My small collection of Chinese-words-I-can-recognize-when-I-hear-them is entirely Wuxia-based, including useful words and phrases like wo shale ni (I'm going to kill you), dianxia (prince/lord), and dalisi (the court of judicial review).

They all continue to ignore Xiao Xingchen while Sizhui asks Wei Wuxian's third question, which is "who controls you." Song Lan's answer this time is "that dude behind you." That dude, who we are perhaps beginning to suspect is not really Xiao Xingchen, smirks and snaps his fingers.

Song Lan responds by breaking out of the rope and summoning his sword and fuchen (horsetail whisk) to his hands.  

He brings his sword to Wei Wuxian's neck and Wei Wuxian tells the kids to back off, saying that all of them put together are not a match for Song Lan. Which is true, judging by the juniors' sword moves, which consist entirely of standing still and pointing.

Not-Xiao-Xingchen says that the adults are going to talk so the kids should go outside. Wei Wuxian tells the juniors to scram, and reminds them not to breathe in a lot of poison while they're out there. Gee, thanks, Laoshi. 

(More behind the cut!)

Sizhui lingers, and Wei Wuxian tells him he's the most sensible and that he should take charge of the others. He tells Sizhui not to be afraid, and Sizhui says he isn't. 

He also says that Mo-qianbei and Hanguang-Jun are alike. Wei Wuxian denies this, saying they're opposites. Almost like yin and yang, in fact, needing each other to create a balance. 

Sizhui thinks in a voiceover that he doesn't know why, but he thinks they're alike; that if either one of them is there, he doesn't need to be afraid. They are mostly not alike, I think, but they are both devoted parents to Sizhui, so he's right about that. 

His recognition of Wei Wuxian is growing, and I like that he's able to ponder this stuff in the midst of all these life threatening situations. It's actually fairly accurate to life as a teenager, in which the big work of figuring yourself out is always going on in your head, no matter the circumstances.

Dear Slim, I wrote you

Once the kids are gone, both of the adults can drop their aliases, and speak demonic-cultivator to demonic-cultivator. 

They stand around while not-Xiao-Xingchen, who is obviously Xue Yang, delivers a heap of exposition about making zombies and his new Yin Tiger Seal and...*yawn.* 

Anyway, he lured Wei Wuxian here so he could resurrect someone for him. Wei Wuxian says nope, listening briefly to the spirit-trapping bag that Xue Yang hands him and saying that this person is super duper dead, and wants to stay that way. 

Xue Yang insists, reminding Wei Wuxian that the kids are hostages.

During this whole conversation, Song Jiyang, who plays Xiao Xingchen, does a great job playing Xue Yang - possibly helped along by using the same voice actor for overdubbing? - including by embodying many of Xue Yang's annoying mannerisms. 

On my first watching, I found Xue Yang very very annoying, right up until the point that the show flips the script and manages to make him sympathetic and tragic, which is quite a trick, considering that he's a psycho and also a dick. On subsequent viewings I still find him annoying but I like his fighting style a lot, and what he brings to the story generally.

When Xue Yang starts cackling, Wei Wuxian greets him by name and tells him he should stop pretending to be someone he isn't. Xue Yang responds by taking off his eye cover and then by taking off his face, which is a mask that's way more convincing than poor Mo Xuanyu's craft-store paper-mache thingy. 

Xue Yang picked up some good disguise tricks during that summer he spent in Changsha interning for Zhang Rishan.

The mountain of exposition continues, covering a wide range of topics

Skull nails

how Wen Ning is hard to control

Yin Tiger Seal 1.0

Yin Tiger Seal 2.0

other pieces of Yin metal

Xue Yang's mysterious friend who is good at acting, i.e. Jin Guangyao.

Wei Wuxian being the founder of demonic cultivation

Xue Yang murdering the Chang clan

Xue Yang murdering Song Lan's sect

Murder Turtle

The Yin metal sword

The conversation does clear up some confusion about the Yin metal pieces from back in the day. Everyone thought there were only four, but Xue Yang is a Wuxia fan and knows that whenever something from a previous generation is hidden away for the good of the world and then is found by a later generation, there are always five of it. (See: Legend of Fei, Word of Honor)

During this conversation, Xue Yang shows a sincere admiration of Wei Wuxian, saying that he himself only figured out some things about Yin metal, but Wei Wuxian was able to learn without a teacher and create the Yin Tiger seal. It's...kinda sweet. He follows it up by explaining his "murder everybody" philosophy, which makes it a little less sweet.

Fight Club

Mercifully, this near-endless conversation is interrupted by Song Lan crashing through the wall like the Kool-Aid guy, followed by Wen Ning in full multi-punch-man mode. 

Wei Wuxian tells the boys to take it outside, and then he and Xue Yang go out to watch the fight. Xue Yang was never able to control Wen Ning, he says, because "some things recognize their masters too well." Wei Wuxian says that Wen Ning is not a thing. He doesn't deny that he is Wen Ning's master, however. As if he could.

Xue Yang responds with some linguistic subtlety that is lost in translation and then draws his  Xiao Xingchen's sword and takes a swipe at Wei Wuxian, who easily ducks the blow. 

Xue Yang explains that he doesn't want to kill him, just capture and enslave him. Then the fight is on, with Wei Wuxian dodging, blocking, and spinning, while whining about having low spiritual energy in his new body. 

Wei Wuxian calls for a substitute to do his fighting for him. Xue Yang says that Hanguang-Jun is busy fighting his little friend. (I find it hilarious that Xue Yang consistently refers to Su She as his little friend.) He's barely finished saying this when Lan Wangji comes sailing in, deflecting his blow and striking a pose for Wei Wuxian.

Sometimes you succeed in recoloring a super foggy, blue-tinted gif, and sometimes you just give up.

Lan Wangji immediately yoinks Xiao Xingchen's sword off of Xue Yang, and tells him he doesn't deserve this sword. Boy howdy, Hanguang-Jun, you don't know the half of it. 

Xue Yang summons his own sword out of thin air and Sword Superfan Lan Wangji says "Calamity Befalls" because he knows the names of ALL the swords. The guys in his Discord are going to be so excited that he got to cross blades with two famous swords in one day.

Before the fighting starts, Lan Wangji tells Wei Wuxian to hit the bricks, saying "you are not needed here." I love that grown-up, mellower, affectionate Lan Wangji is still a salty bitch. 

Wei Wuxian bails while Lan Wangji and Xue Yang bust out a bunch of their best moves, with the actors doing a lot of the stunt work themselves.

This sword move by Wang Haoxuan is pretty great. Useless, like Wei Wuxian's spinning, but hawt.

And Wang Yibo is grace personified when he’s on wires.

While the sword fight is going on, Wen Ning and Song Lan are having a frowning contest.

They are also beating the crap out of each other.  

The juniors watch the punch-up with keen interest; Jingyi is particularly happy about it. Jin Ling isn't smiling but he seems pretty entertained for a guy who's dad was killed by one of those same punches.

Wei Wuxian sees the fight and reflects that he's not needed there either. But that the juniors do need him, and he gets a happy little smile, finding a context in which he can be useful. 

The juniors all flock to him like ducklings and he teases them about his terrible congee.

When they see Lan Wangji fighting, the little Lans all preen. Jingyi announces that Hanguang-Jun is the best, and asks Wei Wuxian to confirm it. Wei Wuxian is surprised to be asked, given that he's just a random guy who is obviously fucking their favorite teacher. 

Jingy is offended when Wei Wuxian doesn't immediately agree, but Wei Wuxian contemplates for a bit, thinking about all the ways that Lan Wangji is the best, particularly his dick, and chuckles to himself while agreeing with Jingyi.

Lan Wangji backs up these assertions by pausing for a moment in his fight to knock out a whole group of zombies with one strum of his invisible guqin...zombies who dared to menace Wei Wuxian. 

Grave Disturbance

Wei Wuxian collects the kids and goes to find A-Qing, saying she has something important to communicate, and that she's not on Xue Yang's side. He also tells the kids that the dude fighting Lan Wangji is Xue Yang. He doesn’t explain why or how, though. 

They all go into the coffin house/morgue, where Wei Wuxian says they're safe because they haven’t seen any zombies since, like, four minutes ago. Seems logical.

A-Qing pops up from behind a coffin and starts tapping it. She makes it super incredibly obvious, through hand signals, that she wants someone to open the coffin, and most of them, including Wei Wuxian, are too dumb to understand this.

Fortunately Jin Ling is paying attention, and explains what she wants. Wei Wuxian tells everyone to back up, in case the coffin is trapped, and then opens it by leaning directly over it.

Xiao Xingchen is in the coffin, and this time we know it's the real Xiao Xingchen because Wei Wuxian has a flashback about him. 

A-Qing somehow knows it's him in the coffin, despite being blind and not reaching in to touch him. She cries tears of blood because that is exactly how human tear ducts and eyeballs work.

Since she's mute, Sizhui suggests using inquiry to talk to her. She's...alive? Does inquiry work on alive people? Whatever. Wei Wuxian says that Inquiry won’t help, and that he's going to use Empathy instead, because what this show needs right now is a two-episode-long flashback. Jin Ling objects, saying it's too dangerous, but Wei Wuxian says to STFU and let's get cracking.

Then he tells us about his favorite mango drink. At least, if you are watching on Viki, where some of the original ads are included with the episodes. The combination of an abrupt, somber episode ending, followed immediately by a cheerful in-character advertisement, is never not hilarious.

Soundtrack: Stan by Eminem

[dangermousie]

Watching Lee Jun Ki (the man is 41!!! How?!) tear it up in Arthdal made me think about Moon Lovers that came out in 2016 and brought me back to kdramas after a long long hiatus. I was fucking obsessed beyond anything.

Objectively it was wildly uneven (many supporting characters were acted/written - ehm, tho my biggest annoyance of a character had a hell of a payoff so maybe not.) A remake of 2011 cdrama Bu Bu Jing Xin, which was one of my favorite dramas, it took elegant restraint of the Chinese version and turned it into full blown shoujo opera. Very different and yet so very gloriously designed for my personal specs.

90% of the reason this drama became my obsession was Lee Jun Ki playing Wang So as the epitome of “I can fix him” trope - the man stole the whole damn drama. In the original, the Fourth Prince is an understated bureaucrat, elegant and quiet and restrained (except for a few shockingly effective scenes.) Lee Jun Ki’s Fourth Prince is all feral damage, thorns and violence and yearning. With his mask and his hair and his need for love, he’s the purest of shoujo heroes and how could I resist?

It’s a wildly different take in a wildly different tone and it works. I love both Nicky Wu’s Four and Lee Jun Ki’s equally.

They also changed the FL’s attributes - in the original, Ruoxi is sharp and smart and observant and a perfect lady at least outwardly (and Liu Shi Shi played her to perfection.) But that type of character would have been out of place in the story of Moon Lovers and would have never gone for LJK’s Four. So IU’s take is quite different but unfortunately it doesn’t work nearly as well as the changes in ML character.

There is also the fact that I adored Kevin Cheng’s Eighth Prince and shipped him with FL hard in first half of BBJX and one of the reasons the narrative is a tragedy is Eight’s arc. Kang Ha Neul is a stellar stellar actor but his Eight evoked nothing in me but a desire to brain him from the very start.

Ultimately, BBJX is a quiet, exquisitely contained masterpiece - a tragedy of two people who loved each other and who were compatible in so many ways but where it was still not enough, where the ending is as tragic as it’s inevitable. Four is the architect of his own (and Ruoxi’s) emotional doom and it could never be otherwise. And I wept non stop for the entirety of the last ep. You can love with all your heart a person who also loves you with all their heart and it can still not be enough.

Moon Lovers is not that deep. Sweet girl and damaged boy are not the same. But it’s still gloriously tragic even if in larger than life shoujo-glorious way and I will always love it for both bringing me back to kdramas and giving me basically the deepest desire of my drama id on screen.

PS it’s hard to find a good quality mv of BBJX due to it having come out in 2011 but this one is not bad at all:

[ikjun]

AL'S DRAMA RECS VOL.1: these recs will solely focus on the writing of the shows, which to me comes down to two things: how well does the plot accomplish what it set out to do in the beginning? and how compelling are the characters written, no matter if their character arc means they become better or worse through the story or even remain who they are? my favourite dramas usually succeed in giving us a satisfying answer to both questions and these are the ones you will see on this list!

★★★★★ dramas (aka the greatest hits):

SECRET FOREST / STRANGER (2017-2021): the pinnacle of all dramas. follows the duo of no-nonsense prosecutor hwang si-mok (the acting star turn of he century by cho seung-woo) and police detective han yeo-jin (the ever-exceptional bae doo-na) investigating a murder case that blows open several scandals in the prosecution. season 2 follows several cases leading to an internal investigation on police bribery. it just does not get better than this and i fear it won't ever will. this drama has the understated styling of nordic noir, the classic shenanigans of an unlikely leading kdrama duo, and one of the tightest scripts ever seen in any tv show ever. | genre: thriller, melodrama, crime procedural

MY LIBERATION NOTES (2022): following the yeom family's three siblings living in the small town of sanpo on the outskirts of seoul, and the stranger moving into the house next door to theirs, this story navigates questions of sibling-hood and family, the purpose of life, as well as the sacrifices we make for the relationships in our life as well as our own happiness. this show earned its hype from the central love story between mr. gu and yeom mi-jeong (son seok-ku and kim ji-won acting the house down) but every one of the three main storylines is well-paced, gives the main actors moments to shine and grow, and ties neatly into the overarching plot to render you either moved or comforted, or even both. | genre: slice of life, melodrama

VINCENZO (2020): at this point are there still followers on this blog who haven't at least seen me talk about vincenzo? the writing of this show is maybe the peak of genre-blending done in kdrama, a culmination of years refining this skill to sharp perfection in a biting black comedy. vincenzo cassano (song joong-ki), consiglieri of a mafia clan he got adopted into, goes back to south korea to recover a frankly unholy amount of gold and fights a gigantic conglomerate (babel) to get there. if you watch past episode four, you will finish this drama, because everything ensuing from then on is just one iconic story beat after another. | genre: black comedy / satire, crime, romance

HOSPITAL PLAYLIST (2020-2022): a medical drama beyond reproach. this show is on this list for the way it wrote its characters and achieved the most satisfying character arcs in any kdrama, maybe, ever. a group of five friends in their fourties all working at the same hospital and navigating their professional and private lives, this drama doesn't shy away from eclectic backstories (and the leads all playing music together in a band) as well as truly heart-tearing moments of friendship and romance. never have i seen character growth done as well as i have seen it in the characters of yang seok-hyeong and kim-jun-wan. | genre: medical, slice of life, rom-com

D.P. / DESERTER PURSUIT (2021-2023): d.p. to me is a no-notes kind of show. it depicts the work of the military police pursuing army deserters through freshly enlisted ahn jun-ho (jung hae-in playing years below his age and leagues above many his actual age) who ends up empathizing and working to help and save the deserters he and his team partner han ho-yeol (an exceptional koo kyo-hwan) are meant to bring back to the army instead of incriminating them further. d.p. is much better for its tone, its writing and the risks it takes in its no-nonsense approach than some of the drivel revered solely for being more flashy and showy in this genre. | genre: military drama, action

★★★★☆ dramas (aka near-perfection):

PRISON PLAYBOOK (2017): the perfect prototype of the bromance as romance formula and one of the best found family dramas that really focuses on that. star baseball player kim je-hyuk (park hae-soo in his career-defining role) loses his career and lands in prison after he assaults the ex-boyfriend of his younger sister to protect her. the show centers on je-hyuk's time in prison, where he reunites with his childhood best-friend-now-prison-guard lee jun-ho (a supreme jung kyung-ho) and assimilates himself with the people he meets in his cell. this show hits all the beats so well from a stellar supporting cast to a great comeback kid narrative for je-hyuk from his time in prison to being released. glaring flaw: the age-gap / childhood friends romance, the conclusion of hanyang's story arc, who gets the short end of the stick while being the one out gay character in the show. | genre: black comedy, found family, slice of life

GOBLIN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD (2017): the defining kdrama for many. it may be the one drama that really delivers in answering its plot's defining question twice over and then some. goblin kim shin (gong yoo), cursed to immortality, gets his life upended once a grim reaper (lee dong-wook as wang yeo, a performance never to be seen or repeated again since) and the young woman (kim go-eun as ji eun-tak) who turns out to be his fated bride enter his life. an immortal man resigned on life finds purpose while knowing he will fatally die once the woman he falls in love with cures him of his curse. glaring flaw: the age gap romance between eun-tak and kim shin. could she have not been in college at least? | genre: melodrama, romance, fantasy

CRASH LANDING ON YOU (2019): the romance drama that could, and did. based on a real life incident, ceo yoon se-ri (son ye-jin, an acting veteran near beyond reproach imo) accidentally crash lands in north korea after a paragliding flight gone wrong. there she meets active duty soldier captain ri jeong-hyeok (hyun bin, thank you for your service) and has to stay with him and his military company. the fated love story starts there, but neither of them know they have met before, and already changed the courses of each other's lives before doing so again. minor flaw: is this drama romanticising the military? or is depicting of that on screen just that and nothing more? that is up to you to decide. | genre: melodrama, romance

HOMETOWN CHA CHA CHA (2021): the series remake of a korean rom-com film of the early aughts, this remains my favourite romance drama over all. dentist yoon hye-jin (shin min-a blessing our screens) moves to rural gongjin, a seaside village where nothing happens at all, after her professional life in seoul goes up in flames. it's not all sunshine in gongjin either as ye-jin meets hong du-sik (kim seon-ho),a handyman who is called chief hong by everyone and fixes all the big and small fires in the village. the two start as enemies that eventually fall in love. the romance is well-handled and paced and the second lead (lee sang-yi) is the best i have ever seen in a show, especially because of the arc written for him. minor flaw: the plot is not as tight as the respective character arcs, so sometimes sacrifices are made for the sake of a more emotional scenes. | genre: rom-com, slice of life

THE GLORY (2022): when you put the revenge in revenge drama, this is what you can get. song hye-ko returns to small screen brilliance in an incomparable performance as moon dong-eun, a woman who decides to infiltrate the lives of her school bullies and take them down one by one. this show delivers on plot even more than on characters, following through on every step of moon dong-eun's revenge without shying away from how gruesome or painful that path of vengeance can be. dong-eun gets help from plastic surgeon joo yeo-jeong (a delightful lee do-hyun), and the main cast is rounded out by lim ji-yeon and jung sung-il as dong-eun's grown up tormentor and her reluctant husband respectively. minor flaw: the show does spend a big chunk of its time on the group of school bullies and their interpersonal relations, which sometimes takes time away from the main plot. | genre: psychological thriller, revenge drama

♡ more specific genre watches (beware: usually crime):

LIFE (2018): written by the writers of secret forest, life is another thriller with understated direction and a more sombre tone. i would have put it in the greatest hits category, but watching it with other people made me realise how niche it actually is in genre. a corporate hospital thriller, the show revolves around the newly-minted ceo of sangkook university hospital, gu seung-hyo (a once again flawless cho seung-woo) and a dedicated ER doctor (lee dong-wook, stellar as ever) who depict the two sides of the patient care vs. profit conflict in the hospital. i can't even say more about the show because every other plot point is basically a spoiler. sharply directed and written, this is one of the best genre pieces i have ever watched, and is mildly reminiscent of hbo prestige television of the decade before. | genre: medical drama, corporate thriller

THE WORST OF EVIL (2023): are you even surprised? this was the drama of 2023 for me, one of the most stellar scripts i have seen. the worst of evil is very firmly a noir show and you have to treat what you are watching as such. it is heavily entrenched into its genre tropes and arcs, even more than most crime shows i have seen, and that can be off-putting for people unfamiliar with the genre, but if you are up for it, you will not be disappointed. opportune violent crime detective park jun-mo (ji chang wook, korea's finest new gen action actor) infiltrates a drug ring lead by jung gi-cheol ( fantastic and emotional tour de force by wi ha joon) and the lines begin to blur when neither of them knows if what they bargained for is actually what they want. the show lets its main plot dictate the pace, focusing on park jun-mo's descent into crime, and it is all the more better for it. | genre: noir, crime thriller, action

BEYOND EVIL (2020): the story about dejected and grieving small-town detective lee dong-sik (baeksang-awarded veteran actor shin ha-kyun) being partnered with elite detective and spinster seoulite han joo-won (child actor prodigy turned actor to watch du jour) has made its waves online for its very apparent gay subtext, but to reduce beyond evil to this would be a crime in itself. following lee dong-sik and han joo-won as they are tasked to solve a reoccurring serial killer case, the framing plot then fans open the age-old wound of dong-sik losing his twin sister and being blamed for her disappearance with joo-won having taken an obsessive fascination with the case. the two crime cases are exceptionally interwoven and the stories of the people in the small town of manyang, and how they all somehow tie back to dong-sik, is the perfect example of turning the small centrepiece of a plot into the binding force of every thread. | genre: procedural, psychological thriller

OUR BELOVED SUMMER (2021): i put this into the genre-piece category because obl is majorly focused on its main trope. romantic dramas can easily be trite to me, as this obvious list of crime shows doesn't tell you, but our beloved summer is one of the few that did everything right. it plays out the best trope ever done - exes to lovers - and does not back down from embracing the whole shebang to the nth degree. high school / college sweethearts choi woong (known beloved actor on ye-xiu tumblr dot com, choi woo-shik) and kook yeun-soo (the ever great kim da-mi) have to unite to replicate, or rather continue, the viral high school documentary they filmed years ago. the show shimmies its way from one moment of reconnection to another, culminating in the best kdrama kiss to ever be put to screen, and concludes in one of the most satisfying and, yes, romantic endings ever. the things a show can do when it just sticks to its main narrative, huh. | genre: rom-com, coming of age

[retracexcviii]

Noé + Vanitas + 2nd Noé

Hello there. Today I bring you a kick coloring from the last drawing Jun shared on Twitter about the stage-play (it has two actors for Noé since the 1st one got covid last year. He is okay now).

Do you remember last year when I told you that I should keep this place updated and post at the same time that in Twitter because I had some things unshared back then? Well, now the tables have been turned. And now you know all the things I made meanwhile I have in Twitter like 5 art to post... I'm a disaster.

Anyways, I hope you like this one since I really enjoyed doing it. I'm not used to coloring tbh, I prefer to take tiny things as chibis to color them, but with this one I felt charmed and I couldn't help but painting it. Don't get used, or yes...

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Jason L. Riley

Published: Jun 26, 2019

A political scientist found that fewer than 1 in 3 of 346 such allegations was genuine.

When I asked Wilfred Reilly about last week’s appointment of a special prosecutor in Chicago to take up the Jussie Smollett case, he was cautiously optimistic. Mr. Reilly is author of a new book, “Hate Crime Hoax,” in which he details how the initial publicity for supposed hate crimes tends all but to disappear if the allegations are exposed as fake.

So does the sustained press coverage of Mr. Smollett—the television actor who was accused of staging an attack on himself back in January, only to have all 16 felony counts against him abruptly dropped for reasons that prosecutors have never made clear—represent progress of sorts?

“It’s the archetype of a hate crime hoax. It’s one of the most flamboyant examples of the genre,” said Mr. Reilly, himself a Second City native. An openly gay black man residing in one of the country’s most liberal and diverse metropolises is set upon by two white Donald Trump supporters who brandish bleach and a noose while shouting racial and antigay slurs? “It was a situation so extreme and bizarre that I think we would have had to look at how much racial progress the U.S. had actually made had it really occurred.” The appointment of a special prosecutor, and the possibility of bringing new charges against Mr. Smollett, is a good sign, Mr. Reilly added, “but will we see the same amount of coverage when the hoax involves a less famous person?”

Mr. Reilly is a professor of political science at Kentucky State University, and his interest in hate crimes dates to his graduate-school days, when he became aware of several widely reported incidents in the vicinity of his hometown that turned out to be fake. In 2012 a popular gay bar in suburban Chicago was destroyed by fire, and the owner cited homophobia as the reason. The same year, black students at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside reported death threats from hate groups and found a noose hanging from a dorm room door. Ultimately, the owner of the bar pleaded guilty to arson and insurance fraud. And a black student at the university fessed up to sending racist threats and planting a noose.

More incidents followed, and Mr. Reilly’s skepticism grew. “This phenomenon of fake hate crimes did not appear to be small-scale or regionally based,” he writes. A gay pastor in Texas accused a Whole Foods store of selling him a cake with a slur written in icing. The store produced video evidence that the pastor was lying. A white woman in Oregon disfigured her own face with acid and claimed a black man had attacked her. Later, she admitted fabricating the entire story. After signs that read “blacks only” and “whites only” were found at bathroom entrances on the University at Buffalo campus in upstate New York, a black graduate student confessed to posting them.

Mr. Reilly eventually compiled a database of 346 hate-crime allegations and determined that less than a third were genuine. Turning his attention to the hoaxes, he put together a data set of more than 400 confirmed cases of fake allegations that were reported to authorities between 2010 and 2017. He allows that the exact number of false reports is probably unknowable, but what can be said “with absolute confidence is that the actual number of hate crime hoaxes is indisputably large,” he writes. “We are not speaking here of just a few bad apples.”

The author’s bigger concern, and rightly so, is the growing politicization of hate crimes, especially when they are directed at underrepresented groups and regardless of whether they in fact happened. The sad reality is that there is no shortage of individuals and entities with a vested interest in exaggerating racial tensions in the U.S.—from civil-rights organizations to corporate diversity officers to professors of race and gender studies.

These alleged incidents are invariably seized upon by politicians and activists looking to feed a sacrosanct belief among liberals that discrimination and oppression are the main drivers of inequality. “In the mainstream media we hear almost constant talk about scary new forms of racism: ‘white privilege,’ ‘cultural appropriation,’ and ‘subtle bigotry,’ ” Mr. Reilly writes, yet “a huge percentage of the horrific hate crimes cited as evidence of contemporary bigotry are fakes.”

If “Hate Crime Hoax” merely offered examples to illustrate the extent of this phenomenon—and the book offers nearly 100—it would be providing a much-needed public service. But Mr. Reilly has a larger point to make. The Smollett case isn’t an outlier. Increasingly, it’s the norm. And the media’s relative lack of interest in exposing hoaxes that don’t involve famous figures is a big part of the problem.

--

Here's another database cataloguing - as of this post - 508 fake hate crimes.

==

If you don't already assume that any such incident is a hoax until proven otherwise, I don't know what else will convince you.

It's notable that a hate crime hoax only works in a society that is already deeply intolerant of victimization and discrimination based on these types of characteristics.

The existence of hate crime hoaxes is therefore indicative of how successful we've been at eliminating this type of victimization and discrimination, because the perpetrators seek to exploit the society's desire that it not happen, while tacitly admitting that there are too few legitimate examples for them to leverage.

That is, the demand exceeds the supply.

[frankencanon]

MDZS Fanfic AU Idea:

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

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

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

---

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

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

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

---

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

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

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

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

---

This AU was largely inspired by two things:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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

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

---

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

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

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

---

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

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

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

---

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

The outposts are hidden in brothels, btw.

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

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

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

---

Last updated: 04/04/2023.

[blodgmonster]

Thoughts on live action Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Not that anyone actually wants my take.

It's solidly in the middle. Not as horrible as that wrteched movie. Obviously, it's not as amazing as the original series. It was never going to be. It was NEVER going to be as good as the original. You can't top perfection. I don't hate it. I don't love it. Below the cut (for spoiler free...ness) are my likes and dislikes. Probably not all of them. I'm sure I forgot some.

LIKES

Iroh. His characterization was good and I like that it kind of addressed the fact that he's a war criminal. Our beloved war criminal.

Azula. I've always adored her and was worried they'd wreck her. Obviously, I want to see her blue fire, but she was clever and badass, and we saw her insecurities. And went she lightning bent? * chef's kiss * That's my girl. Also, glad they didn't have her grinning like a sociopath when Zuko got burned.

Kyoshi. They leaned HEAVILY into the fanon interpretation of her and she wouldn't have yelled at Aang but she was badass.

Aesthetics. The show looked good.

Jun and Nyla. Perfect

The line "You are the fire in which her iron was forged." Fantastic.

Yue. Less wishy washy, more proactive. Also, a waterbender who sometimes chills in the spirit world. Good for her. And no love triangle.

Big fish fuckin things up!

Sokka. The actor did a good job.

"Kick his ass." Sokka being fully supportive of Katara

Katara bringing all the women to the battle.

Having Zuko's crew be the division he got his scar for was a cool touch.

DISLIKES

Zuko fought back against Ozai in the Agni Kai? I think NOT. That's the whole point. Ozai attacked a CHILD who refused to fight back. That shows the depth of his evil. Why erase that?

Did Aang just...leave my boi Hei Bai raging and in pain?

Aang never learned waterbending!? Didn't even try? Why???

Where was Katara's rage? Yes she's hopeful and motherly and in touch with her feelings but she's also fucking angry and she's right and it's great. But cutting that, they made her one dimensional.

Cutting Sokka's character growth, wherein he learns to respect women. "It was problematic." Yeah, dude, that's the point. He was in the wrong and had to learn that.

Suki. They made her...less than somehow. Less capable. Less strong. Ogling Sokka? Unnecessary. Saying he brought the world to her? Lame.

BUMI. WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT? Bumi was so BITTER and CRUEL to Aang! It made me so mad. Yes, he's unhinged but he's also a playful genius

Aang was kind of wooden. They cut his joyful, playful nature. But that's at Aang'd core. Why cut that? And he sides with PAKKU when he says Katara can't fight? EXCUSE YOU? No. He calls him Master Poophead and teaches her himself.

Cramming all the spirit world stuff into one episode was weird. Koh, Wong Shi Tong, and Hai Bei all in one go? And having Gyatso there only to have him leave? What was that? And they stripped Koh of his purpose, telling Aang who Tui and La were.

What was Mai's wig? Good Lord. The wigs in general were meh, but hers was particularly heinous.

Kyoshi and Kuruk yelling at Aang. Too much yelling.

[demonsfate]

i definitely agree with you on Jin being a good boy again. Whether they explain it accurately or not it's up for debate but looks like they are at least trying to fix the mess. Funny thing is I've seen many Kazuya stans say it doesn't make sense and Jin shouldn't be the "Hero" lmao. Oh well!

I am glad they're trying to fix the mess. I'm glad that Harada had finally conceded and just let Jin be a good boy. Because upon looking up stuff, it's funny - none of the writers wanted Jin to be bad, they argued that he had to at least be doing a Wrong thing for a Right reason (the writers fucked up that execution, but I can't really blame them too much for the position the director put them in). And Jin's voice actor didn't like it, either. Funny enough, Isshin is so insistent on Jin being a Good Boy, he apparently doesn't even like DJ LOLLLLLL. Which is hilarious because even I still love DJ, haha! But anyway. Harada apparently once stated that aside from Heihachi, Jin was his favorite character. I think this was many years ago - maybe back in 2011. But in a recent interview, he does say he relates to Kazuya more than Jin. Whilst that may not indicate if he still favors Jin, buut... it does make me feel if it's possible that Harada doesn't like Jin as much when he realized he's forced to keep him as a Good Boy. Because I'm pretty sure Harada seems to enjoy villainous characters more, or at the very least - ones that are more "problematic."

Another interesting thing is he used to speak about how the Mishimas were actually like his own family - how he and his family constantly fights amongst each other. Which is fucked up. Like when you create characters like the Mishimas to be inspired by your family, you must have a fucked up family. BUT. He has also said that after becoming a father himself, he began to understand/respect [his] parents and family more. Which makes me wonder if that's why Heihachi was so retconned in Tek7 - since he spoke of this in 2016. If that's why they tried to make Heihachi more sympathetic and understandable in Tek7 rather than being a power hungry bastard. Because there may have been some personal bias in Heihachi's previous depictions, but after Harada found out what it's like to raise his own children and apparently now has newfound respect for family - he wrote Heihachi to be a more "human" character to reflect on this. Since he spoke of family, maybe it's also the reason why the Mishimas are no longer really depicted as bastards anymore. (Before, Jin was the only good Mishima. But now we have Lars, and Jinpachi, and in a way, Lee, and Jin being good again and also Tek8 is seemingly hinting at the Mishimas having a Noble Past)

I might be over-psychoanalyzing Harada too much, but I just thought those were interesting statements he had regarding the series and his own personal life, and it's making me wonder how much (if at all) his own life and experiences influences his decisions for where he wants to take the story.

Now let me return to the actual topic of this ask...

I know I've talked about those stans plenty of times. But Christ. The funniest thing too? Is that when they bring up how evil Kazuya is behaving - especially in 7 or 8, they'll just say "OH, THE GAME IS TRYING TO MAKE HIM LOOK BAD. THEY'RE FORCING THE VILLAIN ROLE ONTO HIM." Yet when you point out that Jin was poorly written in Tek6, and how he doesn't behave anything like what he was, they'll just say "WELL, IT STILL HAPPENED IN THE STORY. JIN STILL DID ALL THAT AND THEY CAN'T GO BACK ON IT." Like it's such weird weird hypocrisy and it drives me up the wall. And it'd be one thing if they didn't think Jin should be the hero - but they literally BELIEVE that Jin should be the villain still, and Kazuya gets redeemed, and he and Jun... kills Jin??? Sorry but saying the parents should kill their child is weird and fucked up to me haha. But LIKE. Even if we're speaking 100% canon events, WHAT makes Kazuya more redeemable than Jin? Because he "didn't start the war"??? He's still committing just as many atrocities, if not MORE. It's just wild how toxic fans will think when defending their character and putting down another.