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battyaboutbooksreviews · 4 months ago

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🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in December 2024 🌈

Find these books and more here.

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Happy reading!

❓What was the last queer book you read?

[ Release dates may have changed. ]

❤️ Sugar-Coated Kisses - Echo Lark 🧡 Christmas at Watson Memorial - Clara Ann Simons 💛 Warm-Blooded - J Greene 💚 It Takes Three To Tango - Jem Wendel 💙 The Black Curse - N.A. Moore 💜 Heavenly Tyrant - Xiran Jay Zhao ❤️ Encrypted Hearts - E.V. Bancroft 🧡 Dangerous Devotion - Robin Jo Margaret 💛 Sew in Love - Rhea Fox 💙 Saint - Chani Lynn Feener 💜 Her Ladyship's Christmas Companion - Theresa Meiningen 🌈 A Sky of Emerald Stars - A.K. Mulford

❤️ Inked in Blood and Memory - Allison Ivy 🧡 The Key - Jo Morgan Sloan 💛 Home Between Homes - Flynn Woods 💚 A Kiss for the Holidays - C.S. Autumn 💙 Loving the Linebacker - Amaya Knight 💜 Close to Home - Allisa Bahney ❤️ Christmas Shelter - Eva Gonzay & Julia C. Brown 🧡 This Isn't Everything You Are - J. Marie Rundquist 💛 Keep It in the Dark - Justin Arnold 💙 Santa & His Elf - Bink Cummings 💜 On the Subject of Kittens and Mittens - Katie Silverwings 🌈 Winter's Whisper - M Bonneau

❤️ Boyfriends - refrainbow 🧡 Innis Harbor - Patricia Evans 💛 A Complementary Connection - Eskay Kabba 💚 Point of Sighs - Melissa Scott 💙 Bind You by Blood - Shepard DiStasio 💜 The Resurrectionist - A. Rae Dunlap ❤️ Fractured Dreamer - A.K. Adler 🧡 The Husky and His White Cat Shizun - Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou 💛 Becoming Disabled - Jan Doolittle Wilson 💙 A Caress of Water - Nico Silver 💜 How to Survive As a Villain 1 - Yi Yi Yi Yi 🌈 The Silent Concubine - Qiang Tang

❤️ Hadrian - Harlowe Savage 🧡 A Series of Rooms - A.J. Barlowe 💛 Inklings of Invisibility - S.L. Dove Cooper 💚 The Cobbler and His Elves - C.B. Wren 💙 A Nightclub for the Holidays - Arden Coutts 💜 Armor of Dusk - Jess Galaxie ❤️ Twisted Shadows - Allie Therin 🧡 A Deception of Courts - Ben Alderson 💛 Trial Run - Carsen Taite 💙 How to Flirt with a Witch - Tiana Warner 💜 Roughed Up - Kate Hawthorne 🌈 House of Crimson Curses - Ruby Roe

❤️ Sister Snake - Amanda Lee Koe 🧡 Roland Rogers Isn't Dead Yet - Samantha Allen 💛 The Rivals - Jane Pek 💚 Private Rites - Julia Armfield 💙 The Christmas Switch - Briar Prescott 💜 Ribbonwood - Ruby Landers ❤️ Shifting Lanes - Joanne Kwan 🧡 Twice-Spent Comet - Ziggy Schutz 💛 A Crush for the Holidays - E.L. Ough 💙 Resist - Lasairiona Lewis 💜 Free from Falling - E.L. Massey 🌈 The Legendary Master's Wife - Yin Ya

❤️ Tide Breaker's Curse - Ivy H. Marikova 🧡 Twist Her - Terri Ronald 💛 How to Fuck Like a Girl - Vera Blossom 💚 Dog Days of Christmas - Krystal Wolfgang & Kimberly Wolfgang 💙 Warmer, Colder - Alexia Onyx 💜 Salt in the Wind - Jenna Pine ❤️ What We Carry With Us - Joseff McKenneth Goodwin 🧡 Reinvention - Karol Yan 💛 Christmas Carols - Maxime Jaz 💙 I'm Not Your Pet - Fae Quin 💜 Something Extraordinary - Alexis Hall 🌈 I Might Be in Trouble - Daniel Aleman

❤️ Deck the Palms - Annabeth Albert 🧡 Don't Get It Twisted - Wren Taylor 💛 Ice & Sweet - Charlie Novak 💚 Speak EZ - Elle E. Ire 💙 The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish - Xue Shan Fei Hu 💜 Horns For Hell - Rafael Nicolás ❤️ Flamboyant Fictions - Ian Fleishman 🧡 Where the Heart Is - Jenni Simonis 💛 Sorry I Kissed Your Dad - Achilles King 💙 Merry Weihnachten - E.J. Noyes 💜 An Alpha for the Holidays - Emily Axon 🌈 The Blessed - Anne Shade

❤️ Our Sinful Love - Amy H. 🧡 Gambler's Conceit - Adara Wolf & R. Phoenix 💛 Fate and Flambe - Leena Metcalfe 💚 Figure You Out - Hannah Danielle & K.F. Starfell 💙 Amaranthine - Aricka Alexander 💜 Twisted Loyalties - Barbara J. Webb ❤️ Echoes of Us - Alex Cross 🧡 The Shadowbearer's Curse - Jasmyn Morning 💛 Too Many Beds - Various 💙 We Are the Beasts - Gigi Griffis 💜 Unspoken - N.N. Britt 🌈 Rainbows After Storms - Luka Kobachi

❤️ The Shutouts - Gabrielle Korn 🧡 Robin's Worlds - Rainie Oet & Mathias Ball 💛 What the Woods Took - Courtney Gould 💚 Rescue Me - N. Slater 💙 Seb & Ailin - Michele Notaro 💜 The International Love Story - Jonas Noelting ❤️ Waterlogged - Nance Sparks 🧡 The Guardians - Sheri Lewis Wohl 💛 The Changeling's Faerie Prince - K.D. Ellis 💙 Until at Dawn We Wake - Charlotte Dalwood 💜 How to Get a Life in Ten Dates - Jenny L. Howe 🌈 Hammajang Luck - Makana Yamamoto

❤️ The Rules of Royalty - Cale Dietrich 🧡 Tired of Waiting for Tomorrow - Allison K. Garcia 💛 One Last Run - Bryce Oakley 💚 Reckless Hearts - Jax Calder 💙 Christmissed - Blythe H. Warren 💜 How Could You - Ren Strapp ❤️ Blackened - Tyler Briggs 🧡 Gratification in Gluttony - Nik Knight 💛 The Mogul Meets Her Match - Julia Underwood 💙 How to Be Heard - Roxane Gay 💜 The Case of the Missing Maid - Rob Osler 🌈 Shades of Us - D.L. Sims

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bl-bracket · 2 months ago

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Actual Confirmed List for Deserved Better

There's been several changes so I decided to just make a new post. Now that submissions are closed, there won't be any changes to the list, but if you're curious why a character doesn't show up in the prelims, this is where they are!

Reminder that ALL characters from The Untamed are in the prelims, regardless of number of submissions, since too many characters would have qualified anyways

Joe (My Stand In)

Black (Not Me)

Chay (Kinnporsche)

Yu Xi Gu (HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count)

Boston (Only Friends)

Non (Dead Friend Forever)

Uea (Bed Friend)

Third (Theory of Love)

Mhok (Last Twilight)

Kenta (Pit Babe)

Dean (Pit Babe)

Bison (The Heart Killers)

Tonkla (4Minutes)

Big (Kinnporsche)

Intouch (Until We Meet Again)

Gram (Not Me)

Sky (Love in the Air)

Bas (I Told Sunset About You)

Tang Yi (HIStory 3: Trapped)

Cao Weining (Word of Honor)

Gu Xiang (Word of Honor)

Xiang Haoting (HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count)

Mark (Love Mechanics)

Taemrak (Wandee Goodday)

Tharn (The Sign)

Joke (Jack & Joker)

Fadel (The Heart Killers)

Korn (4Minutes)

Namnuea (Wedding Plan)

Juyeong (Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo)

White (Dead Friend Forever)

Kan (Spare Me Your Mercy)

#bl bracket #deserved better

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quitealotofsodapop · 9 months ago

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Mei is both proud and very unhappy with the grounding. True, she didn't know her little buddy was actually Sun Wukong's son until about ten minutes ago, but her parents got to meet her little brother figure, and they think he's adorable! Wukogn makes sure to warn them of potential baby layers, tho, new powers and all. Luckily, that's not something new to the Ao Long household considering how Mei holds a certain Ring.

That conversation has to be one of the msot awkward Wukong has ever had up to that point tho, calling up Ao Lie's great granddaughter to tell her that her daughter, whom she hadn't even realized knew him, had gotten his son, who nobody even knows he has, into a bit of trouble and now DBK is free and all the parents to the kids involved in freeing him are coming together for a tea party to figure out, essentially, what's next.

Wukong, astral projecting: Hello, yes, Mrs. Long? Lovely to speak face to face, I knew your grandfather you know, but that's not why I'm calling. Um, so it's about your daughter.

Yi Li: What!?

Wukong, getting nervous: Uh... yeah, see, she and my kid have gotten pretty close. Mr. Tang is his tutor, you see, and they tend to have their lessons at the Noodle Shop she works at. Well, I let Mei take my little Xiaotian out with her for some of her delivery runs aaaand... next thing I know, the Demon Bull King is free.

Ye Li, already suspecting: Oh no... dont tell me, it was her!?

Wukong: From what I understand of the events, she was pretty involved and stuff... so do you mind coming over for some tea with me and the Demon Bull Family so we can kinda... figure out our next steps? They've called a bit of a truce for now after meeting my kid.

Ye Li: Of course! Just give us a few minutes to clear our schedule and we'll be right over... oh and please tell my daughter she's grounded.

Wukong: Alright then! See you there! *turns to unseen person as he begins to fade out* Hey Mei your mom says-

prev post. @soniclozdplove;

+an earlier ask;

Ao Yi and Long Cháo have long accepted that their baby girl is a lot more... firey than a normal water dragon pup. But they never believed in locking her up or forcing her to suppress her boundless energy.

So when Mei came to them wanting to get a part-time job as a delivery job so she could have "real life" experience, they were fully supportive.

They think it's really cute how she's bonded with her boss and some of the regulars. Mei especially mentions a little demon monkey named MK who's obsessed with the Monkey King, and is about to become a big brother. The Ao-Long's only met MK and "Mr Qi" once when they decided to visit Mei at her work. The little boy was so excited about going to school and becoming a big brother - even though "she's taking a long time." Mr Qi just laughed and explained that he was a little overdue. The dragon couple thought the two were an adorable parent and child, but Ao Yi swears she recognises Mr Qi from somewhere...

Wukong, astral projecting in: "Heeeeyyyy Mrs Long." Ao Yi: "Sun Wukong? Why, I haven't seen you since I was a pup. What brings you here today?" Wukong, stalling a bit: "Well it's about Mei- she's not in trouble don't worry! Well maybe a little in trouble... she was doing a delivery when she and her little stowaway came across my Staff and DBK's resting site. Iron Fan and Red Son included." Ao Yi, going pale: "She didn't." Wukong: "She didn't - but Red Son did. And then MK managed steal it off of him. Mei grabbed him and bolted before any fighting could happen but they got chased." Ao Yi, frustrated and worried: "Oh sweet- Cháo! Our daughter somehow helped release an ancient demon king!" Long Cháo, running in: "Is she ok!?" Wukong: "Oh yeah she's fine. Nobody got hurt. DBK was a lot more forgiving once he properly met MK-" Long Cháo, piecing together the lore: "Wait isn't that the same MK who gets tutored by Mr Tang? Isn't Mr Qi... pregnant?" Ao Yi, raises brow at Wukong: "Yes. Yes he is." Wukong, laughing nervously: "HAHA! Yeah! Surprise! I uh... have a kid and one on the way. Long story." Ao Yi: "Great-Grandfather did say you had an Egg with you throughout the Journey. I had assumed he was rambling, but this explains so much..." Wukong: "Yeah, I've been keeping it a secret for a long time. Ao Lie was always so protective of me... Anyway, my dao isn't so great right now so I need to wrap this call up. You guys wanna meet up or something to talk about this in-person? I just want my Xiaotian to know some folks connected to the "old gang" now that his powers are developing. Plus DBK needs a lot of history filled in for him." (*the dragon couple share a look and smile*) Ao Yi: "I see no issue in having a few lunch meetings. It's not every day I get to talk about Great-Grandfather's journey." Long Cháo: "Xiaojiao is grounded though, right?" Ao Yi: "Without a doubt."

The familys (+occassionally Tang, Pigsy, and Sandy) start meeting up for brunch afterwards. Ao Yi and PIF are glamourous girl besties the second they meet, and their husbands bond over their difficulties in courting them. Wukong is glad to have people to hang out with outside of FFM, and to rebuild the relationship with his brother and sister-in-law.

Mei house sits the day the parents are all out for dinner. Red Son is still trying to take over the city in a misguided effort to make his parents proud, so attempted sword-theft still occurs and Mei's own dragon abilities start erupting. MK yells with joy at his bestie being a fellow "Superhero!". Red Son gets grounded.

#marbled stone egg au #lmk mei #long xiaojiao #lmk mei's parents #sun wukong #lmk mk #qi xiaotian #lmk dbk #lmk demon bull king #lmk pif #lmk princess iron fan #lmk red son #lmk tang #lmk pigsy #lmk #lego monkie kid

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poetry-protest-pornography · 5 months ago

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Hi, i hope you'll soon be able to feel a little more peaceful <3

As for the suggestion, Tang Yi/Meng Shao Fei on a quiet morning a few days after Tang Yi's release?

Thank you, darling <3

And thank you for the prompt!

This... got a little away from me, lol. I miss these two. (@thisautistic is it you running a rewatch in january? i think a rewatch is in order)

Anyway! Here's a soft reunion morning for our favorite grumpy cat reformed mafia boss and his golden retriever cop boyfriend!

----

Waking Up, Together Again

Tang Yi wakes up warm for only the fifth time in as many years, and for some reason it hits him all at once: he is free, now. Free, and wrapped up in Shao Fei’s arms, with a pleasant ache and tiredness in his muscles, a lingering buzz of arousal that still manages to catch him by surprise – they’ve done little else since his release than relearn each other’s bodies, alternating between desperate, hungry sex, and slow deliberate love making, it’s almost absurd that he’s even thinking about another round.

But then, Shao Fei stirs behind him, his arms tightening around Tang Yi and pulling him impossibly closer as he nuzzles his face into the back of his neck, a long, content hum and a tease of warm breath making Tang Yi shiver. Shao Fei presses a lazy grin into Tang Yi’s shoulder and then follows it with a long kiss to his shoulder blade.

“Good morning,” Shao Fei mumbles, trailing kisses lazily where he can easily reach without moving more than an inch away from Tang Yi.

“Morning,” he replies, wriggling until Shao Fei relaxes his grip enough for Tang Yi to turn in the circle of his arms. He brushes some hair away from Shao Fei’s beloved face, not bothering to restrain his smile at the mess on top of his head, or the pillow creases on his cheek. He wants to wake up to this same face every day for the rest of his life. Tang Yi settles his hand on Shao Fei’s cheek and runs his thumb along his cheek, eyes moving over his features as though he needs to memorize them (not that he could ever forget the curve of his lips, or the slope of his nose, or the length of his eyelashes; five years apart, only seeing each other through glass, and not a single detail forgotten or softened).

When Shao Fei smiles at him, placing his hand atop Tang Yi’s and turning to kiss his palm, the only thing to do is say “I love you” and lean in to place a mostly-chaste kiss against his mouth, laughing into it when Shao Fei pulls him back in a deepens it.

They part, but stay close, noses almost touching on the pillow they’re now sharing. “So, what do you think about getting out of bed for more than ten minutes today?” Shao Fei asks, and even though a moment ago he had been thinking that they ought to do just that, with his lips still tingling from that kiss, and a whole naked boyfriend right there in his arms, he is suddenly rethinking the idea.

“Hmm,” he hedges, wrapping his arm around Shao Fei’s back and tracing absently at the soft skin under his fingertips. “That depends. What did you have in mind for this excursion?” he teases, walking his fingers over Shao Fei’s hip where the blanket has slipped almost entirely off, a little curious, but mostly hoping to push Shao Fei into making the exasperated face he makes when he finds Tang Yi’s stubbornness endearing against his own will. Shao Fei rolls his eyes ever so slightly, and Tang Yi nearly crows in victory.

“I miss cooking together,” he says quietly, and a startling wave of affection washes over Tang Yi; the times he wished for those moments in his kitchen together in the years they were apart too many to count, and the longing he felt then slams into him all at once, his grip on Shao Fei’s hip suddenly firm, needing to remind himself thi isn’t an elaborate dream. “I thought we could make breakfast.”

The smile Shao Fei shows him now isn’t shy, despite the careful way he’s speaking, and the adoration and assuredness in it warms Tang Yi all the way through, his hand relaxing to slip around Shao Fei’s back once again, nudging him closer still. “Nothing would make me happier today.”

Shao Fei grins and rolls on top of Tang Yi, and it takes them another half hour plus a shower to make it to the kitchen, but neither of them regret it.

----

send me a character or ship and a few words and i'll write you a drabble! help me create my way out of my existential dread induced motivation slump!

#history 3: trapped #tang yi x shao fei #history 3 fic #my fic

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bunnakit · 1 year ago

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BEFORE / AFTER COLORING 🌸

thank you so much for the tag @maxescheibechlinichacheli !! i've only been making gifs since september but seeing the before and after coloring is one of my absolute favorite things.

PHAYA & THARN | THE SIGN 🌸 i absolutely love the pink tones in this scene and tried to boost them as much as possible (though for whatever reason it doesn't look quite as nice as the first time i made a set of this scene)

CHEN YI & AI DI | KISEKI: DEAR TO ME 🌸 the purple and orange lighting of chen yi's room is always fun to color and i love the way it creates this almost neon effect on ai di's hair

THARN | THE SIGN 🌸 it took all my willpower not to just keep using scenes from the sign. i wanted to use the garuda scene but set myself a personal challenge not to, and the glow effects in this scene were too much to resist

PISAENG & KAWI | BE MY FAVORITE 🌸 my babies. i miss them so much. i love the pink tones in the background of this scene and the way it makes this loving moment so soft.

JIM & WEN | MOONLIGHT CHICKEN 🌸 we all know im a slut for p'aof. the lighting in moonlight chicken plays such a huge part in setting the mood of the show and this is one of the best scenes to showcase that imo.

PISAENG | BE MY FAVORITE 🌸 debated using this bc of the flashing lights but i love pisaeng and i love that he's awash in all the colors of the rainbow as he struggles with his own identity while watching a gay couple live his dream.

JANG JAEYOUNG | SEMANTIC ERROR 🌸 give. him. the. lip. ring. back. i really just wanted to make a gif for semantic error and originally tried with the alley scene and all the neon but it's such a static scene it didn't work too well, so i went to find some lip ring jaeyoung because we were robbed.

TAN & BUNN | MANNER OF DEATH 🌸 my loves. i wanted to use a scene where i had to do quite a bit of color correction - i used a very minor amount in the moonlight chicken gif but this is such a dark, blue toned scene (as so many scenes in MoD are) so i thought it would showcase it a lot better.

TIN & TOL | TRIAGE 🌸 this is a much more subtle one but i figured it was good to show the whole spectrum. this scene is so soft and comforting, i absolutely love it and there aren't enough triage gifs in the world.

TANG YI | HISTORY 3: TRAPPED 🌸 this made me insane. this gentle, worshipping kiss lives in my head rent free. i just wanted to look at it again, to be honest, and they have such beautiful skin tones. i think the vast majority of my gif making friends have been tagged but in case you havent here's some no pressure tags (i know quite a few of you are dealing with some shit irl) @sparklyeyedhimbo @kinnbig @aikinn @panncakes

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shuuenka · 12 days ago

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floating lights, big and small talks

Summary: The problem with family celebrations and holidays like the New Years, was the fact that, well - his family was miles away and he was in The Great Huang capital city.

Wu Chun Tian x Fei Bai Bing focused.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/63910963

Notes:

Trigger warning: author never experienced chinese new year and is pulling up stuff out of her ass, and countless c-dramas she watched. That is to say, ever since finishing my pieces for CNY new years I had some scenes jumbling around my head, and wanted to put them to words. It is mostly just silly fluff, as my previous written work were anything but downtime filler. Enjoy. I was listening a lot to this song while writing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYm5p_n-Nb8 jiejie meaning older sister 大人 (daren) - way of addressing government official shichen - measurement of time, shichen - aprox. 2 hours

If anyone asked him to describe Fei Bai Bing truthfully, he’d say she's a smart young miss, full of innate grace and often wilful. And he supposed, with a glint of amusement, that this free spirit part, encouraged by alcohol, was on the forefront tonight.

The stall owner looked at him and he could only shrug hopelessly, as he held two almost identical lanterns up for the girl to inspect. It was the third lantern stall they checked out within the last half shichen.

“For the amount of laughs at the expense of your cousin taking a long time to shop,’’ he commented looking over at the people moving along the street stalls. “you’re sure in no haste.”

Fei Bai Bing held the third lantern up to compare to the other two. It was smaller than the two held, shaped like a rabbit, it looked rather cute.

“I promised a gift for Lan’er,” she mumbled. He had to strain his ears a bit to hear her words over the chatter mixing in the street.

Well that settles it, he thought. Night was still young and there was time before midnight strikes and new year begins. He didn’t actually feel inclined to rush her, so he relaxed his stance and ignored the stall owner, turning his back to him. To be honest, he didn’t think he’d be spending his new years like this - if anything, he was prepared to stroll alone and then go to bed. And maybe for the first time in many weeks catch up on some sleep.

The problem with family celebrations and holidays like the New Years, was the fact that, well - his family was miles away. How long was it? Almost four, no - five years since he left Port Fuzhou and made his way to The Great Huang with Prince Lian Bai Ai. He missed his family more on days like this. On the days where families gathered together and celebrated, where they strolled the streets tougher and laughed together, he'd be reminiscing about his childhood in Fuzhou. There was nothing more beautiful than watching lanterns fly over the sea. His mom would try to remember poems about new years celebrations, while his dad would try to find the best spot for them to watch lanterns from. Wu Chun Tian would be excited to have guessed so many stall owner riddles as he could along their way to the seaside. He’d hold hands with his younger sisters, making sure those two excited demons didn’t run off on their own.

He wasn’t sure if he should call himself lonely - for a long time Liu Yan Bang’s family was taking care of him and even earlier today he shared a new year's meal with them. But it still wasn’t the same, he thought a few hours before he was strolling back to his own house. He was full after a hearty meal prepared by Liu Yan Bang’s mother, yet still thought back to the special dinner his mom would prepare for the New Years.

His musing was interrupted upon reaching the threshold of his own house. To his surprise he saw Zhou Tang Sui, Meng Ba and Li Yi Ling sitting on steps to his home, just as the light of the winter afternoon was dimming. A combination he didn’t think he’d encounter, taking into the account Zhou Tang Sui and Li Yi Ling were supposed to be at their own homes, having celebrations with their families.

As Meng Ba and Li Yi Ling explained, they had made an appointment to get drunk on new years eve and they thought he might like to tag along and share a cup. He scoffed at the underlying message of also making sure they don’t end up drunk in an alley alone.

“Dinner’s over and I didn’t want to hear the elders of the family lecture, so I sneaked out.” Zhou Tang Sui shrugged.

Before long they were seated on the balcony floor of one of the Chang’an bustling restaurants. He had to admire Meng Ba’s tenacity to have a good dinner and drink, as a spot here sure had to be reserved in advance. He didn’t waste the good will of this jiejie and graciously accepted the food.

‘’Oh, isn’t it the pretty boy from the guards?” Meng Ba suddenly leaned on the balcony, pushing him aside and almost knocking a bowl of noodles out of his hands. He clicked his tongue, as he wiped soup off his face and looked in the direction she was pointing at. Meng Ba leaned further against the railing and shouted, ‘’Hey! Heey! Look up!”

Predictably many pairs of eyes shot up when hearing a woman hollering from the balcony. He even heard a child asking their parents why this weird lady was shouting for the whole Chang’an to hear - a sentiment he did share. He scanned the crowd and among them two familiar eyes of the Fei cousins pair, were looking up to their balcony.

“Not even noticing us on a bright night like this? Imperial Guards sure take in just about anyone!”

“Are you picking a fight?!” Fei Jing Rui flared up.

“Come and try me!” Meng Ba teased back, a grin matching the tone, a finger gesturing for the youth to indeed, come along. With renewed energy Fei Jing Rui ran inside the establishment and before long both him and Fei Bai Bing were sitting at their table.

He protected his noodles from the storm that was Meng Ba and Fei Jing Rui trying to match their strength, yet again, against the poor table. The rivalry between the two was something he never anticipated would happen, but as of now it was ongoing and he did forsake keeping any score.

Fei Bai Bing sighed, as she sat next to Li Yi Ling, who was busy getting into cheering mode. Zhou Tang Sui smartly moved the dishes to the side.

‘’Don’t break a table…” he mumbled under his breath.

When asked how come they were out in the streets alone, when Marquis Fei and his family would celebrate the dinner at their mansion, she answered they got a permission - surprising as it may seem. “I worked hard at being filial this month,” she said with a quirk of her lips.

‘’Oho? You must’ve been on your best behaviour.”

The two adrenaline-filled rivals went through couple of rounds of arm wrestling before a waiter went up to their seats and timidly asked if they should prepare wine.

Wu Chun Tian should’ve expected Meng Ba to bring along the strongest wine from Luolan and ask for it to be cooled. He shared a knowing look with Zhou Tang Sui, flashbacks from some hard nights in Minli went through his mind, as he watched Meng Ba pour the alcohol. He had to admit though, it was hell of a good wine though.

Somehow as the night progressed, a card game ended up being played at their table, further fueled by Fei Jing Rui’s and Meng Ba’s competitive spirit. He wasn’t surprised though to see both Li Yi Ling failing at getting any win, and Fei Bai Bing slowly building up a fortune out of coins at the table. Zhou Tang Sui, having absolute worst luck at card games, opted for sitting on the side and looking over Fei Jing Rui’s shoulder.

A click resounded to his left, as Fei Bai Bing put down the drowned cup of the wine.

‘’I almost forgot,” she said, standing up and grabbing her furred cloak.

“Huh?” he gulped down the alcohol in his mouth.

“I need to buy a lantern,” she said, her steps a bit uneven as she pushed towards the stairs to the exit.

‘’Wait,” Wu Chun Tian called out after her. He scoffed in amusement, as he went after the girl and waved to Zhou Tang Sui.

“I know you’re fierce, but you’re still tiny and it's the middle of the night,” he said, as winter night breeze hit his warmed up cheeks.

She shot him a look but didn’t stop.

And soon enough they found themselves browsing through the lantern stalls. The lantern, as tipsy young miss Fei explained “has to be cute and well made, not tacky and not too big, but not too small either. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

So here he was, standing in the third stall they checked, Fei Bai Bing’s face now looking again between fish and a bird shaped lantern in his hand. Her cheeks were stained with red blush, matching the red of her lipstick. As he glanced down he noted that she wore more jewelry than usual. Gold accessories in her hair reflected the light of lanterns around them and jingled when she cocked her head to the side. Her face contorted in a small, focused frown.

“Why didn’t Fei Lan come along with you two?” he asked. Between all Fei kids, and there were a few, Fei Lan was the youngest and one that the two Fei cousins got along with the best. He did have a chance to meet the girl, and the thirteen year old reminded him of a small shaking rabbit. She was very shy and couldn’t meet his gaze, but this was something he got used to dealing with most people.

“She got sick before the new year, so she couldn’t come,” Fei Bai Bing replied. “So I promised we will bring back a cute lantern for her.”

He nodded along.

“Let’s take the rabbit,” she looked up at him, finally happy with the choice. As they paid the owner, the man regained his merry mood.

“What now?” he asked.

“I don’t want to go back yet. Originally we were going to take a walk and I want to see more of the city. And try some food too.”

He nodded and let her steer along the streets. He liked walks with Fei Bai Bing. His initial partnership with young miss Fei who had ties with Xiao Lou Tai was simply a business partnership. To be honest she had a terrifying ability to have a good read on him and his intentions, so he never was quite sure how to proceed. But as the time passed, her insight along with the information she procured, was invaluable. Being able to bounce off his theories out loud with somebody who didn’t get lost in the links in his thought process was a blessing.

Short meetings over a tea in the city turned into longer dinners, and walkabouts in the streets. Between shared information, the conversation flowed, and before he realized that he was finding time to meet up with young miss Fei to check out newly opened restaurants or shops in the city. By now he knew she preferred salty over spicy and ducks over chicken. She would push too spicy things over to his plates. She was allergic to anything that had osmanthus in it. She could fit about a bowl of rice and no more, but would gladly devour a plate full of mooncakes around Autumn Festival.

He supposed it was endearing when she haggled along in the market for the trinkets from afar, very much used to walking the streets and knowing prices.

‘’You’re very sure about the direction we’re going,” he teased. He more-or-less recognized the path towards one of the plazas.

“I think the views will be nice from the bridges by the Peony Pavilion, don’t you think?” she replied, as she let the newly purchased lantern light their way. Even among the constant stream of people, her steps didn’t falter. “I didn’t have a chance yet to watch lanterns in Chang’an like this.”

“No?” he prompted as they turned the street.

“In Nanjing grandpa Zhao would take us out to walk around the city but my father stopped doing that a long time ago, before me and my sister were born, so we only have dinner at home, sit in the gardens and watch from there.” she explained.

“Leave it to Fei Xin to be the most boring man in Chang’An,” he sighed and shrugged his shoulders. Fei Bai Bing laughed in response.

“I think staying in Nanjing spoiled me a lot,” she stated. “I didn’t have a handmaid walking with me all the time, so Yi Ling and I did whatever we wanted. I played pipa with a theatre troupe and sang along with the actors. It was a really lovely time.”

“It sure sounds more free than Chang’An,” he agreed.

“I think I am stubborn and I don’t want to lose that small freedom I never knew I could have,” she summed up.

He took a good look at the girl walking step in step beside him. She cocked her head to the side in silent question. Her cheeks were still red, but he couldn’t decipher if it was from the winter cold or the Luolan wine. He for sure still felt the effects of the alcohol.

“If you ask me,” he started. “Whether it’s haggling along with shop vendors over the last melon seeds or sitting on a banquet by the Empress’ side, both places fit you well. I wish to say ‘do as you wish, but I know it’s not so easy. So those small freedoms you’ve won, I think are worth keeping.”

She hummed along, stewing over his words.

“Wu Chun Tian, how does the city compare to you? To Fuzhou or Minli?” she asked suddenly.

He hummed along, putting his hands inside his sleeves. They were strolling for a moment and his hands easily got cold.

“It’s busier,” he decided. “More dangerous, sure. If I was to choose between the three, I think I like Fuzhou the best. But Minli Harbour along with Luolan clans and all port folks, is something else really.”

“Do you ever wish to go back to Fuzhou?”

He blinked and glanced down to meet her gaze. Does he? Just today he was thinking that he missed his family, and he sure did. Nostalgic memories kept popping up, as he watched families along the Chang’an streets, melancholy spreading in his heart. He was momentarily distracted with Meng Ba’s dinner time, and he did appreciate the fun he had with his friend, but when he turned over in his brain a question even he didn’t ever ask himself, somehow he had a conclusion on his tongue.

‘’After all of this time here, I’m not sure who would I be there,” he said softly. “I can’t imagine myself going back to a calm and easy life in Fuzhou, nor do I actually want to.”

It felt good to finally express it in words.

He wasn’t yet sure of ultimate goals in life. He wanted to be an official, and he got that. Now that he was an official, he supposed doing well here and supporting his Prince was another step forward on his path. Slowly but surely a plan on how to effectively put Lian Bai Ai on the throne was forming his head - was that not worth pursuing? More knowledge, more power to make the moves he wished to make. He was too greedy for the things he wished to see through.

“Easy does not fit you,” Fei Bai Bing nodded. “Ultimately, you should do as you will.”

She smiled, echoing the sentiment he expressed to her not too long ago.

“We should get the lanterns to fly at midnight,” he quipped, hearing the voice stating the hour. Between the hearty dinner at the restaurant and their shopping, it was getting late.

They made their way to another stall. This time around the purchase went quite quickly, as Fei Bai Bing wasn’t fretting over the details of a lantern. Afterall, they will just let it go to the sky along with hundreds of similar ones.

“Miss, how about a mask? I see you’re still without one,” the stall owner leaned in and then made a wide gesture towards a bunch of hand-painted masks for them to see. “All the best quality! Best in whole Chang’an.”

He sighed at the vendor pushing masks into their hands and calling him a dashing gentleman - right before meeting his gaze and then quickly looking away.

“Hmm, why not,” Fei Bai Bing smiled. He noticed a glint of mischief as she was browsing through the masks. He took a peak over her shoulder commenting that indeed they looked well made. Other patrons loudly complimented the work of the owner, passing along beautiful masks.

Fei Bai Bing turned around and with a smile held up a mask up to him.

“Hey now,” he scoffed.

“I think it’s perfect.”

“It's a little too on the nose, don’t you think?”

She shook her head and pushed the mask against his face, and he had no choice but to accept the red painted tiger mask. She had a triumphant look on her face as he tied it around his head. As it was not very comfortable to wear it on his face, as his line of sight got quickly obscured, he turned it over to the side.

He was pointing out other masks on the stall, hoping they’d find something to fit Young Miss Fei. He shot down her idea of wearing a rabbit mask, stating she’s too fierce an innocent animal like this, which in result he got smacked on the arm - case in point he’d say. She finally put on a mask of a lion on her face.

He was completing the purchase, joking along with Fei Bai Bing, as he heard a voice calling out to him from the crowd behind.

“I was right, it really is you!”

He turned around and much to his displeasure, he saw Chang Su standing before him.

“You’re so tall, you sure stand out from the crowd,” the young man dressed in yellow silks laughed. Wu Chun Tian wondered if he should even acknowledge his presence, Chang Su was very good at filling silence with useless chatter. If he moved along, maybe he would not even notice. “It’s such a nice evening this New Years, here I was strolling and I didn’t think we’d have a chance to meet. You’re as elusive as a stray cat on a street.”

Wu Chun Tian crossed his arms and looked down at the man. He shot an apologetic look to Fei Bai Bing, who was quietly observing Chang Su. From behind her mask he couldn’t see her expression.

“Do you have any business with me?” he interrupted.

It was more than three years after the Yunxi Pass battle. Three years after he was shot by the same man he held affections for, and left to rot. He wished to never cross paths with Chang Su again, but unfortunately his wishes were not to be granted. He still met him in Minli Camp after he got better and Meng Ba had taken him and his fellow soldiers back. He had to hear talks about the hero that saved lives in Yunxi from people who didn’t know that Chang Su never had any idea how to break the enemy lines.

After that, the stalemate war in the region was broken and Lian Bai Ai was allowed to come back to Chang’An, thus allowing Wu Chun Tian to finally enter the Academy, take the examination and enter the officialdom.

The same man found his way to the Capital after the peace talk with Luolan began. He couldn’t say he was very much surprised to see him in company of 4th Prince, clearly showing his and Chang family support for this side of the conflict for the imperial throne.

“A-ah, yes. I just now thought, how about we go and share a drink?” Chang Su asked. “On my tab!”

Wu Chun Tian noted that Chang Su didn’t even bother to acknowledge Miss Fei, as if she wasn’t entering his vision. He scoffed.

Chang Su wasn't any different from the man who months back he appeared before Wu Chun Tian and asked for forgiveness. Somewhere between Wu Chun Tian stating he would not forgive him in this life, or the next, or hundreds down the line, Chang Su popped back like a bug you can’t squash.

“No,” he replied curtly and turned back to Fei Bai Bing. He was about to suggest they should go along if they don’t want to miss a good spot, before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“I just want one more conversation, Wu Chun Tian,” Chang Su was unrelenting. He pushed his hand off.

He turned around with a glare, subdued anger flaring up again. How many more conversations Chang Su wished to have? Those conversations where, with ignorance of a child, he’d say that ‘while he’s not proud of what he did, he wishes to bury the hatchet and make peace.’ Conversations where he’ll admit his mistake, and in the same breath say it was beyond his control. Words meant to appease a child and apologies that had no genuine sentiment in them.

Enough.

“Calling me by my name is reserved for friends and family. You are neither of these, Lieutenant Chang. You can use Minister Wu or Wu-daren, that much I can agree on. Mind your words next time, although I do not wish to cross paths with you more than required beyond our official duties.”

Frozen expression on Chang Su’s face truly felt vindictive.

He felt a tug on his belt and saw Fei Bai Bing’s hand.

“Let’s go, it’s almost midnight,” she said, and without waiting for an answer from either him or Chang Su, started walking up the stone staircase. As she was still holding onto the leather of his belt, he felt inclined to go along. “I don’t want to miss the lanterns.”

She didn’t speak through their trek up to the Pavilion. Then as they were almost at the entrance, she started, as she took off the mask of her face, “I dragged you here, apologies. But you seemed to be in a bad mood and conversation seemed to be going nowhere.”

“That much is true,” he agreed. The quiet walk, breathing in the cold air, managed to help him clear up his mind and settle the irritation. It was a very nice evening until the nuisance in the form of Chang Su appeared. “Now then, you can let go of my belt.”

“Hmm, I should, shouldn’t I,” she mused. “Worst case scenario, you will lose me and wander off on your own.”

She loosened the grip on his belt so that the leather slipped through her fingers.

“Why would I do that,” he scoffed, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He caught her hand in his, and seeing a group of children with lanterns in their hands, he brought their hands up. The loud bunch ran under the impromptu bridge, and then he was able to see the girl across from him, peering at him curiously. ‘’We’re going in the same direction, why would I stray off?”

He softly yanked her forward so they fell step in step again, until he let go of her hand.

“I think I can live with that,” she let out a small laugh.

He held their lanterns in his other hand as he navigated them through the crowd. The pavilions and restaurants over the river held many guests, who were getting more excited with the promise of midnight striking soon. Wherever he’d look he could see lanterns, lighting up the streets as if it was day. As they stepped over the red bridge, his gaze got caught in lights dancing on the river.

Fei Bai Bing picked up a brush she bought from the stall owner.

“It’s only fair to make wishes, no?” she quipped as she passed it to him. With quick movement placed words over the paper of the lantern, and passed back the brush to the girl.

He watched as she took her time writing, filling up space on all four sides of the lantern. He curiously peeked over, only to be met with her finger pushing him back on his forehead.

“No peeking,” she said.

“Come on,” he urged. ‘’It's not like if you tell me it won’t come true.”

She looked at him, eyes squinted. Before he could make another attempt, he heard cheers and saw people around him lighting up their lanterns and releasing them to the sky.

“Fly them first and then I’ll tell you,” she promised. He relented and they both lit their lanterns.

Accompanied by loud shouts and fireworks going off, their lanterns joined the lights in the sky. He took a peek at the girl standing beside him instead, studying her peaceful expression. She held a soft smile, taking in the view of hundreds of lanterns reaching the darkness above. People moved past them, children ran along, families cheered and laughed, but he felt as if it was just him and Fei Bai Bing, standing side by side at the railings of a bridge.

“For my mother to get better,” she started counting down. “For my sister to not lose hope and for the rest of my family to be well. For Jing Rui to get a promotion he works so hard for. For Yi Ling to find a sword she won’t break. For Zhou Tang Sui to be less stressed. For Meng Ba-jiejie to finish peace talks successfully,” and then she turned to meet his gaze. “Oh, and of course for you to stay alive.”

“Hm?” He raised a brew. “Why is the wish for me so drastic?”

“Because you’re stubborn and a trouble magnet,” she replied, as if it was obvious.

“I prefer the term a goal oriented risk taker,” he argued.

Her lips deepened in smile, “Case in point.”

“Okay. What did you wish for yourself then?”

“For myself?”

“You counted down so many people, so what about you?” he peered.

“I’m not sure,” she shook her head. “What did you wish for?”

“For my family to live well in Fuzhou, for all my friends to remain healthy and for me to stay as fortunate as I was,” he replied. He prodded deeper, ‘’spectacular topic change, but I’m still curious about your wish.”

She gave out a slight scoff and looked back to the sky. Moments passed in silence before she spoke again.

‘’I didn’t write it down, so it may not happen. But maybe… maybe to see some more. Beyond the gates of Chang’An. See the edges of heaven and corners of the sea. That kind of more.”

He nodded.

‘’That’s a good wish.”

She met his gaze and smiled with corners of her eyes crinkling.

If anyone asked Wu Chun Tian to describe Fei Bai Bing, he’d say she's a smart young miss, full of innate grace and often wilful.

And lethal.

#OC Writing #orignal character #series: The Long Ballad #wu chun tian #fei bai bing #shuu ocs tag #oc #oc x oc #my ocs #my writing #fluff #its just lots of random fluff

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deng-yi-deng · 4 months ago

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Cdrama: what I watched 2024

This year I got suuuuper picky and also pretty much stopped watching cdramas. Will this be my last wrap-up post ever? Tune in next year! Normally I keep a running draft review going that I can just post at the end of the year, but this year I forgot - which really signals my waning interest in cdramas generally - so my reviews are kinda vague.

No shade to folks who loved the big popular romance dramas but I completely gave them a pass. As a result, I had a great drama year - nothing under a 4/5 for this viewer!

Best drama this year: Heroes 天行健 (2024). Y'all slept on this one. Watch it now!! Even better than JoL2. Yes, you heard me. Shoutout to @lyxurious for reccing it to me. She has the best taste 💜

Mostly spoiler-free reviews of what I watched in the order I saw them under the cut

Follow Your Heart 颜心讥 4/5 (iQiyi)

(score includes extra credit for LYX bias)

Easy-watching, low-stakes, funny, and sweet. If I'm honest, one of the better plotted dramas that Luo Yunxi has been in. You know him as the beautiful crier, but his rom-com is not to be trifled with. Luo Yunxi is great as Jiang Xin Bai, the face-blind detective, but I was so happy to see Song Yi (Yan Nan Xing) in something where she wasn't playing a helpless girl or demure lady. It's the most enjoyable role I've seen her do apart from RuoRuo in JoL. Her comedy chops are also very solid, and she and Xixi were very cute together. The plot does falter a bit in the last 3/4 and slows down as they focus on the other couples, but then picks up and ends happily. Some great comedy characters - Jiang Xin Bai's mom is hilariously over the top - and fabulous performances by guest actors who play "Yan Nan Xing" when she shape-shifts. Also some good fight scenes! This is one I'd re-watch to de-stress.

Judge Dee's Mystery 大唐狄公案- (4)?/5 (Youku, Netflix)

Overall good, with movie-quality visuals, but I was disappointed by the last two mysteries which were simple and lacked oomf - I think the drama was split into two parts due to the new <40 rule, which would explain the fall off in momentum. As such I'm going to reserve a rating until the second half drops. Some of the individual mysteries - especially the one with Zhang Ruoyun - were fabulous. Acting was great from all the leads - don't believe anyone who tells you Ma Rong was annoying, she was not. The gender swap the writers did for that character totally worked for me. And I absolutely bought Zhou Yiwei as Di Renjie (though tbf I've only seen the Detective Dee movies).

Looking foward to s.2 (or part 2 however you want to count it)

Joy of Life 2 庆余年 4.5/5 (iQiyi)

Lots more people have reviewed or commented on this so I will be brief - I enjoyed the focus on politics and the machinations of the emperor, so this season really worked for me. I also thought Wu Xingjian did a great job as Yan Bing Yun, taking over from XZ. I loved the interactions between Fan Xian and Wang Qinian, adorable. There was one scene where the emperor and Fan Jian were talking/ploting/negotiating and the dialog and acting were so aaagh. so clever. I was kicking my feet and squealing. It is nice when a drama does not assume its audience is stupid. And of course we can't forget the 'power point' Fan Xian and Fan Si Zhe give about treasury bonds. Worst part: Uncle Wu doesn't show up until nearly the end ;_; looking forward to LOTS of Uncle Wu in s.3

Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 2 To the West 唐朝诡事录·西行 4.5/5 (iQiyi)

Better than season 1 in production quality but particularly in terms of the mysteries themselves. Where s.1 gave us Scooby-gang like "the demon is just a guy in a mask" solutions, the mysteries here have a bit more to them, and plenty of cultural interest as they journey farther into the west, ending up in Dunhuang! Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming still have unbeatable chemistry, but I feel like LLF got the spotlight a bit more this season. I love them both, but hope my man Wuming doesn't get the short end of the stick again. Let's please not forget who the disciple of Di Renjie and all-around genius is?

S.3 they should head back to Chang'An and maybe??? get back to the original mystery of who is the worst royal in the capital!

Heroes 天行健 5/5 (Tencent, YouTube)

Some of the best and most entertaining storytelling in a cdrama that I've watched. The setting at the very end of the Qing, with the turbulence and uncertainty works perfectly to explore the question of who really is a hero, and for whom. And the fights! There are so many!! sometimes more than one per episode!!!! The characters are well written and well-acted. This drama cements Qin Junjie as one of my favorite actors now (having previously only seen him in Fox Volant). Also one of the few guys who can rock the queue and still be handsome. We follow three groups of characters as they try to find the pieces to a puzzle that will lead them to a treasure. One group is the old guard (royalty, the establishment), one the outsiders of the jianghu, and the third are the rebels - the new China. The stories and character relationships are woven together really well, and the pacing of each episode pushes you forward to the next, always wondering what will happen. I seriously did not think they could keep each episode as interesting as the last but they did - with twists that were surprising, but logical in hindsight. Each 'hero' is trying to find their place in the world and do what they think is best for their people - by following the rules, by breaking them, and by making new rules. It's as much a competition between philosophies as it is between individual groups or individual people. This drama is intelligent, but first of all it's entertaining. It understands exactly what it is and what it's trying to do and is very self-aware. Please please pay special attention to the opening credits because they change...(also kudos to the composer who so ably channeled Enrico Morricone when necessary.)

I Am Nobody 异人之下 4.5/5 (Youku, YouTube)

Though this came out in 2023 I didn't manage to watch it until the end of the summer (2024) and I'm glad I did. Pure fun. Hilarious, great concept and characters, well done all around. It gave me major KO One flashbacks - mostly because of the style of humor and the focus on 'teenagers' - but was completely it's own thing. Great characters with sweet and sometimes heartbreaking backstories. Bao Bao you deserve all the hugs forever 😭.

Highly recommended if you enjoy fun comic book style fights, clever storytelling, and slightly sophomoric humor with lots of heart.

Dramas I dropped:

Not as many this year, since I didn't even try any of the big popular idol dramas. Eternal Brotherhood lost me around the 2/3 mark but I can't explain why! It had a great plot, and I love Yang Xuwen, but maybe I just got distracted? When the second half comes out I'll probably try it again.

Kill Me, Love Me had a spectacularly plot-packed first couple episodes and then they put on the brakes. That kind of uneven pacing, and focus on secondary characters led me to drop around ep 9. Which was sad because I like all the actors and the plot seemed good, but I lost interest.

#cdrama #what I watched 2024 #cdrama recs #Follow your heart #judge dee's mystery #heroes (2024)#strange tales of tang dynasty #i am nobody

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