#Cís

[laconicaddict]

word to the wise, listen to people who stick what's left of their neck out for you

[mpregemiledurkheim]

i feel like more rap men should speak from a feminine POV because their culture and society doesn't allow them to express tender, complex, subtle emotions through their literature as a man

[hauntedmilkshakeghost]

Lilac and steel!!

I love you so much 😩😩😩

[captainamsel]

Ma Xiuying from the Radiant Emperor duology!

Design/research notes under the cut

The characters read 馬秀英 (Pinyin: mǎ xiù yīng), her personal name, and 孝慈高皇后 (xiào cí gāo huáng hòu), her name as Empress.

There's certainly no dearth of material on Chinese clothing history out there. That is, if you can read Chinese, which I can't, so everything I have is from secondary and tertiary sources and/or relies on translation software. Fortunately, we're dealing with historical fantasy here, so some anachronisms are not only allowed but encouraged.

While Shelley Parker-Chan takes many liberties, the books are still set in a very specific time period, which is both a blessing and a curse. Most readily accessible resources will tell you about dynasties, which can span hundreds of years, and the duology takes place in a transitional period. So how to dress a Semu girl from the Yuan dynasty who lives with Nanren rebels wanting to revive the Song dynasty and who later becomes the first Ming empress?

Let's go through them one by one. The best resource was this book which is on the Internet Archive. I disregarded Mongol and Semu influences for the design since clothing is very much political and a way to either stand out or fit in with the surrounding society, see for example Wang Baoxiang wearing a topknot in Khanbaliq. Ma, I imagine, would want to fit in with the Nanren around her, so she's pretty much wearing the attire of Han women under Yuan rule. For the hair I went for something that looks youthful while being plausible, though I found very little on hair in this period, so who's to say.

The next one is from a specific scene in the book, so there is some description to go on: red, long sleeves with gold embroidery, high hair, red and gold ribbons. Since this is the scene where Ma declares herself queen and future empress in front of the Red Turban, it has to be a very deliberate dress. It therefore takes inspiration from Song aristocrats' broad-sleeved gowns as well as from 翟衣 (dí yī), the highest ceremonial gown of both Song and Ming empresses. (Some examples for 翟衣 are in this post, which also features the bird shaped crown I just had to include, and this post.) Her hair still has the loops, but it's much more sculpted.

Finally, Empress Ma! This is mainly based on the two actual portraits I could find of the historical figure that Ma is based on, with elements taken from other portraits and paintings. It includes 凤冠 (fèng guān), the phoenix crown, 霞帔 (xiá pèi), the sash, and 禁步 (jīn bù), the jade belt. This video shows how Ming dynasty layers are worn, but it refers to a much later period so it's not quite the same as Ma's.

(Some additional, historically irrelevant notes: I realized too late that a right-to-left timeline might be more appropriate. Oh well! Also, how the colours photograph frustrates me, I swear I did not make her this deathly pale. And finally, some of the characters look a bit smudged because my cat spilled water on them. I did what I could to save them.)

[la-muerta]

Xiao Shunyao 肖顺尧's performance of his original work, 《山 (Mountain)》

Look, I'm not kidding when I say this song changed my entire brain chemistry. It's such a perfect fusion of old and new, both in terms of musical style and lyrics.

So the lyrics first. Co-written by Yang Haolong and Xiao Shunyao, it also incorporates two poems: 《满江红·怒发冲冠》 (often attributed to legendary Song Dynasty general Yue Fei, although the authorship has been contested) and 《七律·长征》 ...which was written by Mao Zedong 💀 so I'm not really going to talk about that bit lol other than that it's an interesting juxtaposition of poems since the Mao Zedong poem is about the Long March (military retreat by the CCP).

But since 《满江红》 is in 词 cí form, it's meant to be sung. Instead, he does the first verse of the poem as a lyrical recitation (0:23 to 0:37) and the second verse (1:55 to 2:25) in the 高拨子 gāo bō zǐ singing style of Beijing Opera, which is usually used by warrior characters. Honestly my favourite part of the whole song because the resonance and clarity of his voice is just *chef's kiss*.

And the combination of Beijing Opera, rap, lyrical recitation, and that rockstar growl?! Insane, what a vision. I also love that he used the 韵白 yùn bái style of narrative speech for the beginning because it reminds me of 说书人 or storytellers you see in c-dramas (used for the backstory exposition in the beginning of both The Untamed and Mysterious Lotus Casebook).

[oceanbluuu]

慈 （cí）

noun. / adj. Kindness, Gentleness

[surrealsubversivo]

Cecília

Eu não consigo parar de pensar em você.

A sua mãe agora sorri de orelha a orelha e diz para todos que você chegará em breve; as paredes do seu quarto tem gosto de seu nome e o seu berço parece um poço de poesias para todos molharem as mãos, pacientemente, e se curarem um pouco desse mundo tão triste.

Você não vê Cecília? Você é tudo o que esperávamos.

As pessoas na rua já lhe conhecem, as senhoras da missa nos domingos dizem “se chamará ce-cí-li-a” com as sílabas cantarolando e pulando de janela a janela. Os pássaros parecem saber que você está a caminho pois não param de aparecer aqui em casa. E Deus deve estar sorrindo cada vez que alguém tenta desvendar com quais características você vai nascer.

Todos estão tentando descobrir a cor dos seus olhos ou a dos fios de seu cabelo. Mas, eu não me importo com essas coisas. Honestamente, só quero sentir o calor da sua vida em meus braços. Apesar, de algo me dizer que você terá cabelos negros e olhos castanhos como o de sua avó. Os espelhos irão refletir o quão o seu coração é lindo, e as pessoas irão ser abençoadas por você estar aqui: vivendo e existindo.

Cecília, te escrevo em segredo, e possivelmente você nunca lerá esse texto. Deixo no papel o meu coração, como quem deixa nos joelhos orações. Espero que as minhas palavras de amor persigam você e te encontrem nos momentos que você precisar.

Minha pequena flor, esse é um mundo doloroso, onde por vezes as pessoas irão lhe machucar. Ciça, ninguém consegue escapar disso, ninguém sai ileso. Eu estarei aqui para te segurar quando a sua mãe precisar e tentar arrancar sorrisos do seu rosto quando os seus dentes começarem a crescer. Mas, infelizmente, terão momentos que você irá se sentir só: e descobrirá que a palavra “só” apesar de pequena, carrega um vazio imenso.

Cecília, eu estarei na porta ao lado, quando tudo parecer não fazer sentido. Você pode bater, que estarei do outro lado lhe esperando. Quando alguém partir o seu coração, você pode correr para os meus braços como fiz com a sua mãe há alguns anos atrás. Quando você receber notícias que não lhe farão bem, pode vim até mim que irei lhe mostrar as músicas que eu costumava ouvir quando isso acontecia. Quando os vinte e poucos lhe atingir em cheio como tem me atingindo agora, eu prometo que irei lhe entregar o tipo de sabedoria que só o tempo consegue oferecer.

Pequena luz de nossas vidas, você irá descobrir, também, que aqui fora há mais cores do que aí dentro. E que existem azuis em todos os dias no céu e amarelo nos sucos de laranja. Você irá sentir a chuva pela primeira vez tocando a sua pele, e perceberá a graça que é estar viva. Terão braços para te segurar quando você cair e amigos esperando por você na escola e por todo esse caminho.

Cecília, vem logo, pois preciso te ensinar as coisas que já aprendi.

Preciso aprender as coisas que só você saberá me ensinar.

Amo você

[linghxr]

Who knew! These characters are pronounced differently in Taiwan

It feels like every week I learn that a Chinese character I thought I knew well actually has a different standard pronunciation in Taiwanese Mandarin. Here are 12 examples that really surprised me.

Format: 简体（繁体）普通话读音 | 国语读音 Simp. (Trad.) Putonghua pron. | Guoyu pron.

【1】 会（會）huì | huǐ - a moment

一会（一會��yíhuì | yìhuǐ - a moment / a while / in a moment / now...now... 等一会（等一會）děngyíhuì | děngyìhuǐ - wait a moment! / after a while

I think you can hear huǐ in Mainland China too, but dictionaries list the standard pronunciation as huì.

【2】 寂 jì | jí - silent / solitary

寂寞 jìmò | jímò - lonely / lonesome / (of a place) quiet / silent 寂静（寂靜）jìjìng | jíjìng - quiet

【3】 怔 zhèng | lèng - to stare blankly; to be in a daze

怔怔 zhèngzhèng | lènglèng - in a daze 怔住 zhèngzhù | lèngzhù - dumbfounded; stunned

【4】 筑（築）zhù | zhú - to build / to construct / to ram / to hit

建筑（建築）jiànzhù | jiànzhú - to construct / building

【5】 缚（縛）fù | fú - to bind / to tie

束缚（束縛）shùfù | shùfú - to bind; to tie up; to fetter; to shackle

【6】 赐（賜）cì | sì - to confer; to bestow; to grant / (literary) gift; favor

赐福（賜福）cìfú | sìfú - to bless 赐予（賜予）cìyǔ | sìyǔ - to grant; to bestow

【7】 蹈 dǎo | dào - to tread on / to trample / to stamp / to fulfill

舞蹈 wǔdǎo | wǔdào - dance / dancing 赴汤蹈火（赴湯蹈火）fùtāngdǎohuǒ | fùtāngdàohuǒ - lit. to jump into scalding water and plunge into raging fire (idiom) / fig. to brave any danger / to go to any lengths (for a noble cause)

【8】 辱 rǔ | rù - disgrace / dishonor / to insult / to bring disgrace or humiliation to / to be indebted to / self-deprecating

侮辱 wǔrǔ | wǔrù - to insult / to humiliate / dishonor 自取其辱 zìqǔqírǔ | zìqǔqírù - to embarrass oneself (idiom)

【9】 驯（馴）xùn | xún - to attain gradually / to tame

驯服（馴服）xùnfú | xúnfú - to tame / tame / docile 驯化（馴化）xùnhuà | xúnhuà - to tame / to domesticate

【10】 雌 cí | cī - female

雌雄 cíxióng | cīxióng - male and female

【11】 酪 lào | luò - semi-solid food made from milk (junket, cheese etc) / fruit jelly; sweet paste made with crushed nuts

乳酪 rǔlào | rǔluò - cheese

【12】 惋 wǎn | wàn - to sigh in regret or pity

惋惜 wǎnxī | wànxí - to regret / to feel that it is a great pity / to feel sorry for sb

息 is also pronounced differently, but I was already aware of that.

Definitions are adapted from MDBG.

[fwoopersongs]

丑奴儿·书博山道中壁 - To the tune of Ugly Girlie · Written on the wall along Mount Bo’s path

by 辛弃疾 (Xin Qiji, 1140 to 1207)

少年不识愁滋味 shào nián bù shí chóu zī wèi A youth, once unacquainted with the tang of sorrow,

爱上层楼 ài shàng céng lóu liked climbing tall towers…

爱上层楼 ài shàng céng lóu liked climbing tall towers

为赋新词强说愁 wèi fù xīn cí qiáng shuō chóu to craft fresh lyrics by contriving sorrow,

而今识尽愁滋味 Érjīn shí jǐn chóu zīwèi now acquainted with a myriad flavours of sorrow,

欲说还休 yù shuō huán xiū suppresses the urge to speak…

欲说还休 yù shuō huán xiū suppresses the urge to speak,

却道天凉好个秋 què dào tiān liáng hǎo gè qiū remarking instead, 'It's a cool day, what a fine Autumn!'.

.................................................................................

N O T E S

(I’m trying something slightly different for the Song Dynasty folks. Digging is fun but very tiring for my Tang ladies and gentlemen LOL.)

A note on the title: The tune pattern / cipai 丑奴儿 is the same as 采桑子, for which it was more popularly known. This likely originated from one or two popular tunes from the Tang Dynasty's Royal Academy with similar names like 采桑 Picking Mulberry and 杨下采桑 Picking Mulberry 'Neath the Poplars. Given that the alternative name is something so iconically done by girls, I couldn't quite get the idea that 丑奴儿 is something like the equivalent of 'rascal' for girls LOL. So Ugly Girlie it is xD (sorrynotsorry).

So in the post for his poem, 青玉案·元夕- Green Jadeite Platter · Fifteenth Day of New Year, we’ve talked touched briefly on Xin Qiji’s childhood raised by his grandfather in Jin territory, how he rebelled and returned to Song, only to be met with obstacle upon obstacle, and eventually withdrew from politics, settling in Shangrao in his 40s. The year is 1181, and for the next twenty years or so, he continued to live there. We can get to know this period in his life from a couple of other poems, so let’s talk about that another time! :D

Why 上饶 Shangrao is relevant for our poem today, if you’d take a look at the photo below, is because Boshan i.e. Mount Bo is relatively nearby. And even today, it’s a place recommended for travel and sightseeing holidays (and every single one of the five articles I opened mentions Xin Qiji lmao).

Source 

He visited Boshan often and was friendly with the monks at Boshan Temple. How friendly was he? They set aside a reading room for him - I couldn't find any photos, but wikipedia implies that the temple has marked out the place which can still be visited. He also wrote about them quite a bit, and so then it makes a lot of sense that he would casually brush a little reflective lyric there.

I was laughing at his self awareness with the whole ‘climbing tall towers and forcing some feelings to write better lines’ (what a mood!) wondering if he’d ever written about going up on a tower literally, possibly before this point in life. Well…

鹧鸪天·欲上高楼去避愁 - To the tune of Day of the Partridge · Perhaps the tall tower is a place to dodge sorrows by Xin Qiji

欲上高楼去避愁 | Perhaps the tall tower is a place to dodge sorrows. 愁还随我上高楼 | But still, these sorrows, up the tall tower they do follow. 经行几处江山改 | The landscape where I've passed has utterly changed, 多少亲朋尽白头 | and many are the friends and family with white in their hair. 归休去 去归休 | Go retire and return, retire and go home. 不成人总要封侯 | Must every man naturally achieve their merits and title? 浮云出处元无定 | The drifting clouds have never been asked their place, 得似浮云也自由 | we ought to be as those clouds that drift so freeeeeee.

(Yeah, sounds like he’s had it and is ready to go.)

On the baidu page for the main poem of today, a dude named Zhuo Renyue who lived during the Ming Dynasty commented in his anthology where this piece was included, 'Earlier it was forcing (himself) to speak, afterwards it was forcing (himself) not to speak.

So gently wry and ironic!

[spacecadet-ticklesinspace]

Hablar en Español

Summary: Steven looses a bet with Jake and has to speak in Spanish the entire day.

Warning: An introduced character near the end of the story is a racist stereotype used to prove a point and does not reflect the author's personal beliefs or opinions ❤️

(This is my first time making a fic like this ❤️ If I could have some feedback on this fic, it would be very much appreciated ❤️)

Marc yawned as he made his way in to the kitchen, thankful it was finally the weekend. Over at the table sat Steven stirring a bowl of cereal while Jake skimmed through a newspaper.

The oldest knight nodded to his two companions. "Morning."

Jake flipped the page of his newspaper. "Morning hermano."

"Steveo." Marc greeted as he ruffled his hair. "You sleep well?"

"Ci. Buena tardes."

The eldest knight stopped and looked at him. "Steven?"

Steven looked up at Marc then over at Jake.

The older American then turned his attention to the middle counterpart as well. "Jake?"

Jake looked back at the youngest. "It's buena dia Steven. Tardes is afternoon."

Steven looked down at his feet. "Lamento."

Marc threw up his hands. "Okay, will one of you tell me what is going on here."

Jake turned another page of his newspaper. "Someone lost a bet."

Marc lifted an eyebrow. "Oh?"

With a huff, Jake motioned back to Steven. "Tú explicas."

The youngest wilted then replied. "Tengo hablar español todo el dio."

"Again, it's día." Jake turned another page. "And it's pronounced ablar, not hablar."

"Una h!"

"H is not pronounced."

The youngest growled and crossed his arms. "Esto estúpido."

"Eres estúpido."

Marc held up his hands. "Alright, alright, alright, let me get this straight. Steven lost a bet he made with you."

Jake nodded. "Sí."

"And now Steven? You have to talk in Spanish for the rest of the day."

The youngest slumped back in his chair. "Cí."

"And if he decides not to?"

"Mi cabez que ser fallecido."

Marc bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Ihi dohon't think that means what you thihink ihit means."

"Que?"

"You are not fallecido Steven." Jake tugged on one of Steven's curls as he made his way to the sink. "Your cabello will be teñido.

Steven pulled his head away. "Que tu cara p-parece fallecido!"

Jake shrugged. "Don't care what my face looks like hermano."

Steven groaned and dropped his head on to his arms. "Español apesta!"

Jake narrowed his eyes at the youngest. "Tomar de nuevo!"

For a moment, Steven looked confused at Jake's response. "B-es la verdad!"

Marc placed a hand on Jake's arm. "Explain what you mean Steveo?"

"Forma de hablar apesta!"

Marc released Jake's arm. "You mean your Spanish speaking skills suck."

"Cí!" The youngest shrank back. "Q-qué hice?"

"You dropped off 'mi'."

"Acuerdo?"

Marc stepped closer to him. "'Mi' means 'my'. So when you dropped it, the sentence went from 'My Spanish sucks' to just 'Spanish sucks'."

The youngest's eyes went wide. "No! No! No! No quise decir es!"

Marc lifted his hand before Jake could respond. "Es?"

". . . E-eso?"

"Yes. Eso."

Steven's shoulders relaxed a little as he smiled. "Gracias."

"Happy to help Steveo."

"He needs too much help," Jake muttered.

The smile on Steven's face immediately dropped as he turtled into his shoulders.

Marc shoved Jake's shoulder. "Anyway, we need to do a grocery run later. We're out of almost everything."

"No quiero mi."

Jake crossed his arms. "It's---!"

Marc stopped him. "Mi is my."

Steven's brows furrowed.

"So, what's 'to go'?"

". . . Oh! Ir!"

"Bueno." Marc leaned against the counter. "You can stay home if you want, but if you want your veggie stuff . . ."

Steven groaned and thunked his head on the table.

"You don't have to talk much. Just get in and get your stuff."

Steven wilted as he turned his head. "Fino."

Jake scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Ignore him." Marc sipped his coffee. "Jake es un cabeza de puta."

Steven snorted.

Jake growled then stormed away. "My head is not poop!"

With a grin on his face, Steven hurried away to get ready. "Gracias Marc."

Meanwhile, Marc hid a grin in his coffee cup. "De nada."

An hour later, the three scurried into the store.

"Steven, puedes agarrar un cochecito?" Marc asked.

The youngest stopped.

"Steven?"

"U-un cochecito?"

A light clicked on for Marc. "A trolley."

"Oh!" Steven took off. "Por supuesto!"

Jake sighed. "Don't baby him so much hermano."

"Baby him?"

"Ci! If he doesn't understand, he needs to just figure it out."

"But how will he learn if you don't help him to understand what he doesn't know?"

"He doesn't want to learn."

"What makes you say that?"

"If he wanted to know, he would have put in the work to understand."

Marc studied his counterpart. "Is that how you learned?"

"Ci."

"And how did you like getting treated that way."

Before Jake could respond, Steven returned. "El carrito."

"Gracias Steven."

"Marc?"

"Que?"

"Qué estás hablanda español?"

"Why am I speaking in Spanish?"

Steven nodded.

Marc shrugged. "Just wanted to."

Without another word, Marc directed them to the back of the store for their paper goods. He noticed as they made their way down the aisles, Jake seemed to be actually trying to help Steven understand Spanish instead of just snapping at him. For a bit, the middle knight would point to an object and ask Steven to get it. In response, the youngest would fetch the object before tentatively putting it in the cart. Jake would then give him a nod before searching for the next object.

However, the problem came when Jake would reask for one of the objects already in the cart.

"Steven, pásame los limpiador."

The youngest knight looked up at Jake in confusion. "Que?"

The middle knight huffed. "Limpiador."

Steven looked between Jake and the cart. He hesitantly reached in before pulling out the lemon juice Jake had picked up.

"Los limpiador. Not jugo de limon!"

"Que limpiador?"

Jake snatched up the cleaner from the cart. "Limpiador Steven. You literally put this in two minutes ago!"

The youngest turtled into his shoulders. "Lamento."

"Forget it." Jake threw the cleaner back in the cart. "You're not even trying."

Marc stepped forward. "That's not fair Jake. Those are easy to mix up."

"If he were paying attention, he would have remembered."

"He just learned that word Jake. He needs a little reminder to make it stick."

Jake scoffed. "Stop defending him hermano. He'll never learn."

A tense silence settled over the trio.

Marc turned to Steven. "Steven, go get the produce please."

The youngest quietly crept off.

The eldest knight then turned his attention back to Jake. "Why are you such a jerk?"

"He doesn't care hermano. Loosen up."

"But you're literally making him speak in a language he doesn't fully understand. He's going to struggle and need some help."

Jake rolled his eyes.

"You know what." Marc shoved him away. "Just go get the frozen stuff."

"Fino."

As Jake stomped away with the cart, Marc turned his attention back to the produce section. He took a couple of deep breaths before searching for Steven. It wasn't his fault he was so angry.

He eventually found him doing the oddest thing. The youngest would pick up one of the items on shelf, mutter something to himself, look at his phone, then mutter to himself again as he put it back.

Marc moved a little closer, but before he could get close enough, an elderly woman with gray hair tapped Steven's shoulder. She kindly smiled at the youngest before continuing a conversation. The two started talking back and forth with each other as Steven stuttered along.

Curiosity pulled Marc a little closer to the duo.

The older woman picked up a head of lettuce. "Uno cabezas de lechuga."

Steven nodded. "Cí. Uno cabezas de lechuga."

"Bueno." The lady picked up a second one. "Cuantos?"

Steven blinked.

The lady moved the first one up. "Uno."

Understanding dawned on Steven's face. "Dos?"

"Ci!" The lady picked up a third. "Cuantos?"

"Uno, dos, tres."

"Ci!" All three went into the reusable bag Steven had brought with him. "Tres cabezas de lechuga."

Steven showed her something on his phone. "Ayúdame . . . por favor?"

"Desde luego!" The lady squinted before picking up some potatoes. "Y esto es?"

"Papas."

"Ci. Cuantos tu?"

Steven paused and looked at the potatoes then back at the lady.

"Uno? Dos? Tres?"

Steven held up five fingers. "Cinco?"

The lady gently squeezed Steven's shoulder as she helped him count out the needed potatoes.

While the two finished, Marc stepped closer. "Steveo?"

The youngest turned. "Marc! Papas y cabezas lechuga!"

"Good job Steven." Marc gave the elderly woman a smile. "Gracias Señora."

"De nada sobrino," the elder woman squeezed his arm then gave Steven a hug before setting back off.

"Hey Steven?"

"Ci?"

"Why are you so determined to finish this bet?"

The youngest turned back to the shelves. "No nada."

"You have a long weekend. If you got your hair dyed today, it would be mostly faded by the time you go back to work. If not, we can always dye it back."

"No quiero teñirme pollo."

"You don't want to dye a chicken?" Marc bit back a smile. "Do you mean pelo?"

Steven huffed. "Soy estúpido!"

"You're not stupid Steven. It takes practice to learn a new language."

Steven sniffed. "Yo desear comprensión."

Something clicked in Marc's head. "You want to understand?"

"Ci."

"Why do you want to understand?"

"No sabo Jake, nosotros estamos cerrar." Steven fiddled with the straps of his bag. "Yo impresiono Jake, puedo acercarme más."

Marc softened. "You want to get closer to Jake by showing you understand his language?"

". . . Ci." Steven's shoulders sagged. "Yo estúpido."

"You're not stupid Steveo. That's actually extremely sweet."

The youngest looked up.

"It shows you care so much about Jake that you want to communicate with him more." Marc gently squeezed his arm. "Most people wouldn't go through all the stress of learning a language for someone unless they care a lot about that person."

"Perro qué Jake estó enojado?"

"Why is Jake mad?"

Steven nodded.

"Jake only knew Spanish when he was introduced to the world so he had to learn English fast to communicate."

"Por qué?"

"Because not everyone is as accepting of those that are different from them."

"Eso rudo."

"It is rude."

"P-perro genitales!"

Marc snorted. "I think you mean genial. And you're right, it is cool. However, you aren't showing that to Jake."

Steven cocked his head.

"Steveo, what is the biggest thing that helped you and Layla bond?"

"Nostros hablar el Francés."

"Yes, and since both of you speak French, sharing that language helps to strengthen your communication, right? Just like with me and Jake?"

"Ci."

"Now, I don't speak French well right?"

Steven shook his head.

"But that does that mean that I don't try to learn so I can improve?"

Steven shook his head.

"That's right, I have Layla teach me it brings us closer together because I show her that I have a desire to understand her more."

"Perro yo comprensión como eso!"

"Two rs is dog.

"Oh, pero?"

"Yes. And I can see you want to learn, but do you also see why Jake is so upset by the way you chose to learn?"

"Un poco."

"You're doing this because you lost a bet. Jake doesn't think you're serious about learning because you care. He thinks you're doing this because you're forced to."

" . . . Oh."

"I can see you definitely care." Marc ruffled his hair. "But I would have chosen a different way of showing that to him instead of just loosing a bet."

Steven's shoulders slumped. " . . . D-debería hablar Jake?"

"I wouldn't talk to him right away. Give him a little space first." The eldest knight headed off. "I'm going to grab a couple things. You going to be alright on your own?"

Steven nodded. "Ci."

"Alright. Call me if you need me."

"Cosa segura hermano."

With that, Marc headed off back down the aisles. He found Jake aggressively taking things out of the freezers and putting them into the cart.

"Jake?"

"What?"

"Can I talk to you?"

Jake shrugged as he slammed another item into the cart.

"Look, I know why you're pushing Steven so h---."

"He doesn't want to learn."

"He didn't choose the best way to show you---."

"He showed me enough." Jake glared. "He showed me he's only going to try if it benefits him."

"That's not the full story."

"What do you mean?"

"He has another reason."

Jake paused. "And what would that be?"

"He thinks that by impressing you with his desire to learn after loosing this bet, he'll get closer to you."

The younger knight was quiet.

"I know he didn't go about it the best way, but Steven does care." Marc squeezed his arm. "And he does want to get closer to you."

Jake still didn't say a word.

"Take a breather and finish up here. I'm gonna go grab some things and I'll meet you up front."

A moment later, Marc headed off to the right aisle. It didn't take long to find the needed bread items and headed back to the front of the store for the youngest.

Marc found him studying something on his phone. "Steveo, vamos."

The youngest hurried up to him. "Donde esta carrito?"

"The trolley? Jake's bringing it up."

Steven froze. ". . . Debería hablar él ahora?"

"Talk to him now?" Marc ran a finger through his curls. "Let's see how he acts when he gets up here first."

The youngest nodded.

A few seconds later, Jake came storming up to both of them with the buggy.

Marc tensed at his younger counterpart's movements. "Jake, you alright?"

The younger man grabbed Steven's arm and herded them all to a checkout line. "Vamos, actualmente."

Steven studied his older counterpart. "J-Jake . . . Que pase?"

"Después hermano."

Marc opened his mouth to respond, when he was cut off by another voice. "Thought I told you to go back across the boarder!"

Jake froze while the other two turned. An older man, dressed in jean shorts with cowboy boots and matching hat, stood glaring at the group.

"What are you? The three amigos?"

Marc stepped in front of the other two. "Who wants to know?"

"A fellow American." The man's oversized hat tipped to one side as he pointed to Jake. "Something he clearly ain't!"

Jake kept his gaze on the cart handle. He looked one more comment away from snapping at the older man.

Marc raised himself to his full height. "He has as much right to be here as you do."

"Says who?"

"Says a man who willingly volunteered to sacrifice his life for everyone to have the freedom to live."

"I ain't the enemy here! They're taking our jobs! They're invading our land! They're attacking our people! You should be attacking them, not your own people!"

"Just because you have a few people who take advantage of the situation doesn't mean everyone will. There are some people here looking to live a simple life just like you me."

The man scoffed.

Meanwhile, Jake studied the man's boots.

The man glared back. "We gonna have a problem?"

Jake gave the man a glare, but didn't comment.

"I'm warning ya!"

Marc kept one arm slightly raised incase the man lunged. "Hey, knock it off."

"Why should we respect 'em if they aren't respecting us?"

"Respect is earned, not given."

"I ain't respecting no one who isn't an American."

"Eso rude," Steven muttered.

"Quiet," Jake hissed.

The American took a step forward. "What did you say to me!"

"Nothing," Jake replied.

"No! What did you say to me!" The man tried to stalk forward but Marc's arm kept him back. "You can't tell me to shut up! It's called freedom of speech!"

"This isn't América."

"Are you calling me stupid!"

"Pero eres estúpido!" Jake snapped.

The man's face turned red. A moment later, he caught Marc by surprise by shoving him backwards before rushing toward Jake whos arm shot up to protect his head.

However, before the man could lay a hand on Jake, a reusable shopping bag filled with lettuce and potatoes swung around and connected with the American's face. "Callarse l-la boca gringo!"

The man turned his attention to Steven.

The youngest froze. "Oh bueyes!"

The American's fist connected with Steven's lip before he then tackled him to the ground to get in a few more blows.

Marc jumped forward. "Steven!"

Both he and Jake yanked the guy back while several nearby bystanders helped to wrestle him to the ground. Steven even scrambled back over to pin his feet to the ground.

Once the man was restrained, one of the clerk's piped up from the nearby register. "The coppers are on their way!"

"Why are you arresting me!" The man growled. "I'm one of you!"

"Save it for the police!" A man, presumably the manager, helped several of his clerks yank the man to his feet. "Now kindly take him to the front until the officers arrive!"

While the man was pulled away kicking and screaming, Jake grabbed the youngest knight by his shoulders and shook him. "What were you thinking! Estas loco?"

Steven stayed quiet as Jake yanked his chin up to study the bruising.

"Respóndeme Steven!"

" . . . Nada habla a mi hermano de esa manera," the youngest mumbled.

"Qué?"

Steven moved forward and wrapped his brother in a hug. "Lamento Jake. Te amo . . . lamento, fui un idiota."

It took a moment for Jake to respond, but eventually he got his arms up to return the hug. "I love you too hermano."

Steven buried his face into Jake's shoulder.

Meanwhile, the older knight couldn'thelp but tease. "That was the clearest I've heard you speak."

"Yo practiqué," Steven responded with a chuckle.

"Oho really?" Jake playfully pushed him back and pushed his own hat down over the youngest's eyes. "Tú practicaste?"

Steven lifted the hat up to beam at his older counterpart.

Marc smiled as he joined the two. "Are you alright Steveo? That guy split your lip pretty good."

"Eso bien, pero adolorido."

"Ihid imagine it is pretty sore." Marc gently moved the youngest's chin side to side.

Thankfully, one of the clerks from before placed a zip lock bag ice pack in Steven's hand. "The store owner has taken care of your groceries."

Jake nodded. "Gracias."

"Of course. We hope you'll come back again, and don't let that wanker be a representation of our store."

"Bueno." Jake herded the two toward the door. "Gracias Señor."

After gathering their bags, the three started their walk back to their apartment.

"Jake?" Steven asked.

"Yes Steven?"

" . . . Puedes tú enseñar español mas?"

"Teach you more Spanish?"

"Ci!"

"Of course hermano." Jake smiled as he gently nudged the ice pack back up to Steven's mouth. "But after we get tu labio healed."

Steven chuckled. "Sure thing mahate. Let's pop by thehe barber's shohop while wehere at ihit."

[ohh4ck]

武侯祠 Wǔ hóu cí , sichuan

[ephaporia]

What if Anime Characters (Especially Japanese) have Chinese, Korean, and English names - Sarazanmai ver.

Those kanji names can be translated into Hanzi (Chinese) and Hangeul (Korean) based on en.wiktionary.org

1. Kazuki Yasaka (矢逆 一稀)

Etymology: Kazuki's Kanji name (一稀) = 一 means "one"; 稀 means "rare/sparse/unique/thin" * Chinese Name: 矢逆 一稀 (Shǐnì Yīxī) → If he has a Chinese name, I'll name him 石一稀 (Shí Yīxī). * Korean Name: 시역일희 (Shiyeok Ilhee) → If he has a Korean name, I'll name him 석일희 (Seok Ilhee). Such a rare Korean surname due to match his Chinese/Hanja name) * English Name: Based on one of his kanji names meaning, I'll name him Ace because Ace in Latin word means "one" (just like Kazu "一") or "unity". It’s often associated with intelligence or being the best since he is the protagonist of this anime. So, his English name is Ace Yasaka

2. Toi Kuji (久慈 悠)

Etymology: Toi's Kanji name (悠) = 悠 means "leisurely/ distant/ permanence/ eternity" * Chinese Name: 久慈 悠 (Jiǔcí  Yōu) → If he has a Chinese name, I'll name him 邱悠 (Qīu Yōu) (I can't find a Chinese surname that sounds like Jiǔ or Cí. I just have to find some surnames that sound almost the same as them (even though not very similar). But, reverse with Kazuki's, I want to match his Korean name 구 with a common Chinese surname that in Korean is read as 구). * Korean Name: 구자 유 (Kuja Yoo) → If he has a Korean name, I'll name him 구유 (Goo Yoo). * English Name: I'll name him Kian/Cian based on his kanji name meaning. Idk what kind of 1st alphabet I should use to name him? K or C? Just like the same case of Krystal/Crystal. Kian or Cian in Gaelic Irish given name means "ancient" but they also mean "distant", even "Grace of God". So, his English name is Kian Kuji/Cian Kuji.

3. Enta Jinnai (陣内 燕太)

Etymology: Enta's Kanji name (陣内 燕太) = 燕 means "Swallow"; 太 means "great" * Chinese Name: 阵内 燕太 (Zhènnèi  Yàntài) → If he has a Chinese name, I'll name him 陈燕太 (Chén Yàntài) * Korean Name: 진내 연태 (Jinnae Yeontae) → If he has a Korean name, I'll name him 진연태 (Jin Yeontae) * English Name: Based on one of his kanji names, I'll name him Howin in Chinese origin which means "a loyal swallow". So, his English name is Howin Jinnai

4. Reo Niiboshi (新星 玲央)

Etymology: Reo's Kanji name (玲央) = 玲 means "tinkling of gem-pendants"; 央means "Central" * Chinese Name: 新星 玲央 (Xīnxīng Língyāng) → If he has a Chinese name, I'll name him 辛玲央 (Xīn Língyāng) * Korean Name: 신성령앙 (Shinseong Ryeong-ang) → If he has a Korean name, I'll name him 신령앙 (Shin Ryeong-ang) * English Name: Since his kanji names are already in English but with some Japanese pronounciation (which 'L' is read as 'R'), So, his name is definitely Leo Niiboshi (also, his zodiac is Leo, right?)

Updated:

Sonething was wrong with the hangeul for 央. It must be 앙 (ang), not 영 (young). But... Yeah... It's too late, huh?

5. Mabu Akutsu (阿久津 真武)

Mabu's Kanji name (真武) = 真 means "true, real"; 武 means "samurai, warrior, soldier" * Chinese Name: 阿久津 真武 (Ājiǔjīn Zhēnwǔ) → If he has a Chinese name, I'll name him 金真武 (Jīn Zhēnwǔ) * Korean Name: 아자진 진무 (Ajajin Jinmu) → If he has a Korean name, I'll name him 김진무 (Kim Jinmu) (Same case as Kazuki's, but this time, Kim 김 is the most common Korean surname). * English Name: Based on one of his kanji names, I'll name him Miles because in Latin origin it means "soldier" but in English origin means "merciful". So, his English name is Miles Akutsu (Coincidentally, his 1st letter name is the same "M" as Mabu).

6. Sara Azuma (吾妻 サラ)

Sara doesn't have Kanji name because her name is in Katakana name. But, Sara (サラ/皿) means "dish". * Chinese Name: 吾妻 沙罗 (Wúqī Shāluó) → If she has a Chinese name, I'll name her 吴沙罗 (Wú Shāluó) * Korean Name: 오처사라 (Ocheo Sara) → If she has a Korean name, I'll name her 오사라 (Oh Sara) * English Name: Don't ask it, it's definitely Sara Azuma. It's already English name.

7. Chikai Kuji  (久慈 誓)

Chikai's Kanji name (誓) = 誓 means "oath/vow" * Chinese Name: 久慈 誓 (Jiǔcí Shì) → If he has a Chinese name, I'll name him 邱誓 (Qīu Shì) * Korean Name: 구자 서 (Kuja Seo) → If he has a Korean name, I'll name him 구서 (Goo Seo). * English Name: Based on his kanji name meaning, I'll name him Arlan. The same origin as Toi's Kian/Cian, Arlan in Gaelic and Celtic (even in Hebrew) origin means "pledge or oath". So, his English name is Arlan Kuji.

8. Haruka Yasaka (矢逆 春河)

Haruka's Kanji name (春河) = 春 means "spring (season)"; 河 means "river" * Chinese Name: 矢逆 春河 (Shǐnì Chūnhé) → If he has a Chinese name, I'll name him 石春河 (Shí Chūnhé). * Korean Name: 시역춘하 (Shiyeok Choonha) → If he has a Korean name, I'll name him 석춘하 (Seok Choonha). * English Name: Based on one of his kanji names, I'll name him Euell/Ewell (it is pronounced as [YOO-eh l] just like 'Yule Log' maybe). The meaning of Euell or Ewell in Old English origin is "Spring; source of a river". Same case with Toi, idk which letter should I choose to name? 'u' or 'w' for his English name? So, his English name is Euell Yasaka/Ewell Yasaka.

9. Otone Jinnai (陣内 音寧)

Otone's Kanji name (音寧) = 音 means "sound/voice/tone/timbre"; 寧 means "peaceful/tranquil/serene/rather" * Chinese Name: 阵内 音宁 (Zhènnèi Yīnníng) → If she has a Chinese name, I'll name her 陈音宁 (Chén Yīnníng) * Korean Name: 진내음영 (Jinnae Eumyoung) → If she has a Korean name, I'll name her 진음영 (Jin Eumyoung) * English Name: Based on one of her kanji names, I'll name her Irene. Irene is a feminine name of Greek origin that means "peace", derived from the Greek word eirēnē of the same meaning. So, her English name is Irene Jinnai.

[dongzhou3kingdoms]

This is the first time I have seen Taishi Ci depicted with a long beard like Guan Yu in a fictional media Any sources for him that describe him with that beautiful beard?

"Cí was seven chǐ seven cún [~1.78 m] tall, with beautiful beard, muscular arms, good at shooting, and his shots did not miss target."

It has always been a little odd that Taishi Ci gets portrayed without a beard. Thank you Wo Long for doing one with a beard

[merrymorningofmay]

my mom is the conductor in our church choir and on easter they always sing the paschal troparion in different languages (based on what my mom likes music-wise and what her small non-professional choir can pull off without too much tweaking)

it's gotta be my favourite part of the service so i wanted to share them! (if i butcher the romanization here or there sorry + let me know the correct spelling please)

the chant goes: christ is risen from the dead, / trampling down death by death, / and to those in the tombs / bestowing life.

greek (hristos anesti)

georgian (krist’e aghsdga) (my favourite one tbh)

mandarin chinese (復活節讚詞 / fùhuó jié zàn cí)

well, ukrainian, of course (khrystos voskres)

and while i was looking up these ones i stumbled upon a couple others which i liked so i gotta pile them in for good measure :')

arabic (al massih qam) (i believe the rest of what he sings is the stichera?)

finnish (kristus nousi kuolleista)

irish (tá críost éirithe as na marbh)

happy easter everybody!!

[die-lian-hua]

what your user name means or what it refers? Sorry if you answered this already

I did mention it before but it was ages ago so no problem!

It’s a reference to a type of Chinese sung poetry called Cí. each poem is structured around a tune to be sung, there are many tunes and this one 蝶恋花 means “butterfly loves flower”

I chose it bc I was very obsessed with huxiao and I’m also still very obsessed with Li Qingzhao, a very prominent poetess from a time when women weren’t allowed to write poetry, and she mostly composed Cí poems

another idea I had was 一剪梅 (basically means a branch of plum blossoms) for obvious reasons but there’s a very popular song in China with a lot of covers that uses this tune as a title and I didn’t want to confuse ppl or end up getting my art lost amidst results so I went with this one!

I hope this inspires anyone to read Li Qingzhao’s poetry bc they’re all very touching and emotional, I reread them a lot

[halyyhpa]

Kỉ niệm với 9A7 lại ùa về và điều đầu tiên xuất hiện trong dòng hoài niệm ấy là cái tên “Gia Long”:)).

Chẳng biết từ bao giờ, khi trong bọn con trai, có thằng mắc lỗi gì, nó sẽ đổ lên đầu một bạn có tên là Gia Long, “Cô ơi, là bạn Gia Long làm ạ”. Bạn Gia Long đó vốn hiền lành, ít nói nên chẳng thèm phản kháng.

Mọi người trong lớp khi ấy cũng cảm thấy khó chịu vì cái việc đổ tội oan này. Nhưng rồi nó bắt đầu trở thành trò cười thực sự khi mấy lần thầy cô tưởng Gia Long làm thật. Thế là các bạn bật cười khiến thầy cô phát hiện ra và cuối cùng, tội của ai thì người đó chịu.

Câu chuyện đó cứ thế tiếp diễn, khi câu hỏi “… là ai?” được đặt ra trong phạm vi lớp tớ thì cáu trả lời sẽ luôn là Gia Long. Và rồi khi sinh nhật của Gia Long đến được Zalo thông báo ở trên nhóm lớp, có một bạn nhắn rằng: “Hôm nay sinh nhật cả lớp à?”. Cí lẽ từ đó mà câu “Gia Long là cả lớp - Cả lớp là Gia Long” ra đời.

Kể từ đó, lớp 9A7 ai cũng nhận mình là Gia Long.

“Này, Gia Long”.

“Mày gọi tao à?” - Cả lớp.

“Cô ơi, Gia Long làm ạ”.

“Tao làm cái gì?” - Cả lớp

Có một bạn đánh trêu Gia Long.

“A, mày đánh cả lớp à?”

Tớ có thể khẳng định nhận là từ những thành viên nhí nhố đến cán bộ lớp và cả tớ đều ít nhất một lần từng nhận mình là Gia Long. Bởi vì thế mà cái tên đó trở nên rất “nhạy cảm”. Gọi một cái là có khi cả lớp quay đầu lại.

Tớ còn nhớ một lần trong tiết Công nghệ, cô giáo đang giảng bài thì có bạn nói chuyện, cô nhìn thấy và xuống tận nơi hỏi bạn ấy tên là gì, tất nhiên câu trả lời là Gia Long (Thực ra với các thầy cô dễ tính, thầy cô bộ môn không nhớ mặt, nhớ tên thì mới có thể đùa vui như vậy được). Khi đó cả lớp bắt đầu nháo nhác:

“Tao nói chuyện bao giờ? Mày đừng đổ tội cho tao”.

“Cô ơi, đây mới là Gia Long mà cô” - Mọi người bắt đầu chỉ trỏ loạn xạ, vì cả lớp là Gia Long mà.

“Cô ơi, con mới là Gia Long” - Có người chỉ chính mình.

Dường như cô giáo đã trở lên hỗn độn và không biết ai mới là Gia Long thật:

“Ai là Gia Long đứng lên xem nào”.

Và cả lớp đứng lên.

Đến lúc này cô cảm thấy rất buồn cười vì cái lớp này rồi nên quyết định bỏ qua và cho cả lớp nhồi xuống.

Cũng một lần trong tiết Công nghệ, khi cô trả bài kiểm tra học kì và yêu cầu cô gọi đến tên ai thì đọc điểm người đó để cô điền vào sổ. Khi đến tên Gia Long thì cả lớp trở nên ồn ào vì mỗi người đọc điểm của mình.

“Tôi hỏi điểm của Gia Long cơ mà”

“Vâng, con là Gia Long ạ” - Cả lớp với cùng câu nói.

Khi này cô đã thật sự “bất lực” nên đã nói:

“Trong lớp này, anh Gia Long là anh nào mà khổ thế?”

Với thầy cô bộ môn đã đành nhưng đây lớp tớ còn đùa trò này với cô giáo dạy môn chính, môn Văn, cô Yến. Ban đầu cô cung hoang mang không hiểu điều gì đang diễn ra nhưng khi hiểu ra là “cả lớp là Gia Long” nên cô cũng bắt đầu hùa theo.

Đợt đó ôn thi nên cô hay giữ những bạn học chưa tốt ở lại sau giờ học để bổ trợ thêm. Trong đó có bạn Gia Long. Khi cô đọc đến tên bạn ấy, như mọi khi cả lớp cười và trêu đùa nhau, cô cũng góp vui:

“Gia Long ở lại là cả lớp ở lại nhỉ?”

Lần nọ khi cả lớp đang bận rộn thiết kế áo lớp, chọn slogan để lên áo lớp. Tớ cũng không bận tâm về khâu này cho lắm, chỉ đợi các bạn ra thành quả thì mình góp ý, đánh giá thôi.

Nhưng rồi bỗng một lần ngồi ăn trưa, câu slogan quen thuộc được treo trên tường lớp “We are one” hiện về trong tâm trí tớ. Câu này phù hợp để làm slogan trên áo lớp, vì nó mang ý nghĩa về sự đoàn kết, thống nhất của một tập thể. Nhưng tớ vẫn cảm thấy câu này bình thường quá, không được đặc sắc lắm. Chi bằng đổi thành “We are Gia Long” cho đúng chất 9A7 lúc bấy giờ. Khi câu nói này nảy ra trong đầu tớ, tớ cũng phải tủm tỉm cười suốt trưa hôm đó. Và chia sẻ câu nói đó lên trên nhóm lớp như một câu đùa vui (tất nhiên không ai lại mặc áo in tên một bạn nào đó trong lớp cả). Mọi người vui vẻ hưởng ứng câu nói này của tớ. Tuy câu nói ấy không được in lên áo lớp, thay vào đó là câu gốc “We are one”, nhưng thi thoảng có vài bạn cũng nhắc lại câu nói đó với ý trêu đùa.

Câu chuyện về cái tên Gia Long là như vậy đấy. Mặc dù bạn Gia Long có thể mờ nhạt, ít sôi nổi trong lớp nhưng cái tên Gia Long của bạn ấy lại vô cùng nổi bật, 9A7 là những người hiểu rõ nhất, vì là cả lớp mà. Để rồi đến bây giờ cái tên ấy đã đọng lại nhiều kỉ niệm, niềm vui, điều thú vị trong tớ đến thế.