#Lan Ha Bay

[travelella]

Lan Ha Bay, Cat Ba Island, Vietnam

Ashim D’Silva

[lindaraquelitatravels]

[vietnamguidebook]

Quan Lan Island: The hidden gem in northern Vietnam

Quan Lan Island is a hidden gem of Vietnam’s stunning Halong Bay. Located in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh, this beautiful island boasts pristine beaches, clear blue waters, and a laid-back atmosphere that’s perfect for a relaxing getaway. Quan Lan Island is known for its natural beauty, with white sand beaches, clear waters, and lush green forests. The island is also steeped in…

[multifandoms4]

Secrets

Lando Norris x Leclerc!Reader

Word count: 1.2k+

You and Lando have been together for about a year now, but no one knows. You kept your relationship a secret because of how the press can be and more importantly your older brothers. You love your brothers but sometimes they can be a bit much, like now. Lando had accidentally left a hickey on your neck and your brothers saw it before you could hide it. And now, they were practically interrogating you.

Charles was pacing around the room, Lorenzo was just sitting and staring at you and Arthur was asking you questions. "Who have you been seeing?" "How long has it been going on?" "Why would you not tell us?" You kept silent and didn't answer any of their questions which only made Charles more angry. Your phone started to ring, but Charles grabbed it and saw it said “Baby❤️” then answered it. “Hey baby, when are we meeting up today?” Lando asked before Charles could say anything. “You’re dating LANDO?!” He yelled at you then he started yelling at Lando who just hung up on him.

You looked up at Charles to see him fuming. “Cha, please listen-” “No, I asked one thing of you years ago and that was to never date another driver. And what do you go and do? Exactly that.” You could feel the tears building up as Charles shows his anger and disappointment towards you. Eventually you got up and walked to your room and started to pack a small bag of clothes. You grabbed your keys and looked at your brothers, “You may not agree or be happy about me being with Lando but it is my choice and I love him. So when you are done throwing a tantrum, come talk to me then.” You grabbed your phone and left.

Lando was parked outside and opened your door for you. “Thank you Love.” You murmured and gave him a small kiss. He closed the door once you were in the passenger seat and got in the car. The ride to his house was mostly quite and he didn’t know what to do. “I’m sorry that I caused us to be caught.” He whispered. Lando felt terrible that your brothers were rude to you because he had left a hickey by accident. “It’s okay Lan, the truth would have to come out anyways.” You told him. “I just want to forget about it.” You whispered. He nodded and when you got to his house, you changed into a hoodie of his and laid down.

He got into a pair of sweatpants and laid down with you. Lando pulled you into his arms and you buried your face into his neck. “They wouldn’t let me explain and all I could see was Charles’ anger and disappointment.” You whispered. He pulled you closer to him and held you there. “I’m sorry baby, I wish I could do something to help.” He said and you could tell he was upset at your brothers. “Just being here is enough.” You told him and slowly drifted off to sleep. Right before he went to fall asleep, your phone started ringing. He saw it was your mother and answered it.

“Hello Mrs. Leclerc, this is Lando Y/n’s boyfriend. She is currently sleeping.” He waited for her response afraid she was going to yell at him. “Can you please tell Y/n that I want you and her here tomorrow night for dinner. I’ll keep her brothers at bay but I would like to meet you.” Lando was shocked that was what she called about. “I’ll let her know, thank you so much Mrs. Leclerc.” He replied. “She seems to really trust you if your who she went to when she’s upset. I’ll see you two tomorrow.” She ended the call and Lando finally drifted off to sleep.

Once morning rolled around and Lando took you out for breakfast, he told you “Your mom called last night and told us to be at dinner tonight.” You slowly put your fork down. “She did what?” “She called and I didn’t want her to worry over you so I answered and told her you were fine. Then next thing I know, she’s invited me to your family dinner tonight.” You smiled at him “At least maman seems to be happy I’m dating you.”

~time skip to dinner~

Lando had went out and bought your mom her favorite flowers and he was nervous to say the least. You opened the door and yelled out “We’re here.” Then you heard footsteps which turned out to be your mother. “How are you doing dear?” She asked you. “I’m fine maman, really.” She smiled then turned to Lando “These are for you Mrs. Leclerc.” He handed her the flowers. “Oh they are so pretty! Come on in, dinner is almost ready.” You gave Lando’s hand a squeeze and followed your mom.

Your brothers were already sitting at the table and you could tell they were not happy. “Lando, these are my other two brothers Lorenzo and Arthur.” You pointed to them and they just stared back at him. “Guys this is Lando.” You said trying to get someone to talk. Once you realize that they weren’t, you went to the kitchen to help your mom. “You can come with me if you want.” You told Lando. He nodded and grabbed your hand. His hands were a little unsteady due to nerves. “It’s okay baby. The only one whose opinion matters is me and of course my maman’s.” You joked with him. He gave you a smile and a laugh. You smiled up at him and pulled him down for a quick kiss.

Dinner had gone smoothly thanks to your mother but she truly loved Lando and that was all you could ask for. Both of you were currently sitting on the patio in the back yard. “I told you you had nothing to worry about.” You teased Lando. He rolled his eyes playfully and you laughed at him. “You’re always right aren’t you?” He joked with you. “Something along those lines.” You remarked and pulled him into a kiss. It lasted a few minutes before you pulled away and rested your head on his chest. Arthur and Lorenzo really like Lando once they got to actually talk to him but Charles seemed to hold onto his anger. At least until now.

He was watching you and Lando and he could see how good you are for each other. He looked down and started to feel guilty for yelling at you over this when you had always been supportive of his relationships. Once Lando decided to call it a night, Charles stopped him on his way out. “I know I’ve been rude all night but you make my sister happy and you seem to treat her right. That’s all I can ask for.” Lando nodded “Thanks man, that means a lot to me.” Charles pulled him in for a hug and it made you happy to see that.

After Lando left, Charles apologized to you about how he acted and handled the situation. “Definitely could have been handled better.” You joked with him. “I’m just glad that you came around and aren’t going to try to kill him every chance you get.” You smiled and gave him a hug. “How long have you two been together anyway?” Charles asked as you walked to your room. “About a year now.” You stated and shut your door. “A YEAR?!” Charles shouted and it made you laugh.

—————

Author’s note:

Hey, this is my first time writing an image so please ignore any mistakes. I’ve been wanting to write things for a while but finally decided to do it. If you have any feedback please let me know but please don’t be rude about it. Hope you enjoyed it!

[tea-cat-arts]

Ranking mxtx couples by whether or not I think they'd be good parents

(I'm 90% sure I'm forgetting someone)

Yep, next question (S)-

Wangxian: tried and tested good dads. I wish them luck with the whole “trying to get wwx pregnant” thing 

They have some shit to work through, but after that I think they'd be fine (A)-

Ling Wen/ Bai Jin: if we're just going off the original publication, I would put them in a much lower tier, but since the revised edition added that thing about them raising orphans together and said orphans turning out alright before unfortunate circumstances, I'm putting them up here. I think they'll be alright once they work through the miscommunication

Xiao Xingchen/ Song Lan: They obviously have a lot of trauma they're working through, but I'd like to think they and A-Qing will be a loving family in the long run 

One of them would be a good parent, the other wouldn't be a bad parent (B)-

Jiang Yanli/ Jin Zixuan: there's no canon reason for me putting them this low. Jin Zixuan just gives off a mediocre parent vibe to me (and we all know Jiang Yanli is the best)

Yushipei: Yushi Huang has good mom energy, and Pei Ming has been shown to be a not terrible mentor. I'd want the misogyny fully beaten out of him with a mace before I'd think he should have kids of his own though 

Lang Qianqiu/ Little Guy: at the very least, they're making sure Guzi is fed, clothed, washed, vaccinated, and has access to education. Neither of them know what they're doing, but I think Little Guy is good at faking it. I wish them luck in their upcoming custody battle  

You know what, surprise me/ I'll hear you out (C)-

Bingqiu: My first instinct is “no, do not bring kids into this,” but then I remembered tharnShen Qingqiu has a surprisingly decent track record? Like, Ning Yingying and Ming Fan both turned out a lot more health than they did in the original novel, and though I wouldn't call him in a good place, Binghe is doing a lot better than Bingge. The wild card for me here is Luo Binghe because I have no idea how he'd be with kids

Quanyin: Yin Yu had a decent track record until he was pushed into snapping. I think rn, he needs a couple centuries of being a babygirl before he's ready to parent again. No idea how Quan Yizhen would do though 

Born to “dual income, no kids, rich uncles/aunts” (D)-

Fengqing: Feng Xin is canonically a bad dad. I know he's working on it, but it is what it is. Mu Qing has been shown to be decent with kids, but I think he’d have a melt down if he had to deal with the mess constantly. 

Hualian: I mean, Xie Lian has raised three kids at this point and one of them became a god, another became state preceptor and then sorta complicit in a genocide, and one became god AND committed genocide + he babysat a ghost king for months and didn't even realize that's what he was because it was a miracle if he remembered to feed him… so, a mixed bag. Hua Cheng may be schrodinger’s child hater, but I'm intrigued by the idea of him raising kids just because I want to know how his own childhood would influence his parenting abilities. They should probably just stick to babysitting for now though 

Mingling: Liu Mingyan is too busy writing gay porn to be dealing with kids, and I just can't imagine Sha Hualing as a mom

Please don't bring a kid into this mess (F)-

Beefleaf: Do I need to explain this one?

Mobeishang: Shang Qinghua should not be put in any position where he has to teach someone about consent (Binghe’s early attempts at flirting being a prime example of why that's a bad idea). I also think Mobei Jun is still working on the whole “why hitting people is not cool” thing. 

QiJiu: I think the original timeline is a prime example of how they're just not in a place to be raising kids 

Jun Wu/ Mei Nianqing: Xie Lian would like a refund on his adopted father figures. They had one kid and he only made it to age 20 because he was cursed to not die

[stiltonbasket]

I almost never post TGCF on this blog, but this concept has been plaguing my mind for a solid week, so here goes.

Consider an AU where, for various reasons, Bai Wuxiang never really notices Xie Lian. Xie Lian finds little Hong-hong'er long before the Shangyuan Festival where they met in canon, which means Xie Lian never stops to save a falling child during the parade (though baby Hua Cheng was already smitten by then). Xie Lian never ascends, since the demon of Yi Nian bridge never appears at the bridge after the festival; and the Xian Le-Yong'an civil war still takes place, but ends in Xian Le's favor within a few years.

Eighteen months into the war, Feng Xin disappears during a raid.

Xie Lian and the rest of his men search for him for months; but eventually, they're forced to report him as missing, assumed dead. At some point, Xie Lian returns to the palace and is sought out by Jian Lan, who was in a secret relationship with Feng Xin before he went to war—and who now has no one to legitimize their unborn child, although Feng Xin knew that she was pregnant and was planning to marry her during his next leave.

As the king's sole child, Xie Lian is under immense pressure to marry and father an heir to succeed him in case he dies in battle. In addition, he blames himself for Feng Xin's apparent death; and when Jian Lan comes to him for help, Xie Lian offers to marry her and accept her child as his own for Feng Xin's sake. This way, Xie Lian gets to maintain his cultivation path, and Jian Lan and her baby become members of Xian Le's royal family.

The war ends six months after the baby's birth: and eventually, Feng Xin returns alive from Yong'an, having been imprisoned there for over a year. When he gets back to the capital, he learns about Jian Lan's marriage to Xie Lian and is understandably distraught; but he makes peace with the situation relatively quickly, because 1) he knows that Jian Lan's life would have been ruined if someone hadn't stepped in to marry her and 2) Xie Lian has given him and Jian Lan his blessing to continue their relationship in secret.

His only stipulation is that they keep the relationship secret, because any speculation about the new Crown Princess's fidelity could call her child's legitimacy into question. And while Xie Lian would never object to an amicable divorce and co-parenting situation so that Jian Lan could marry Feng Xin, a divorce would be detrimental to all three families involved and damage the new baby prince's future prospects.

It's surprisingly easy for the three of them to work out an arrangement, since Feng Xin is expected to spend most of his time close to Xie Lian (and by extension, to Jian Lan as well). Fenglan get to be together, baby Xie Yan grows up being doted on by his mom and two dads, and Xie Lian is blissfully free of any obligations to continue the family line now that he has successfully "fathered" a son.

This goes on without a hitch for over ten years, until one of Feng Xin's old war injuries acts up and forces him into retirement. He still spends 100% of his time with the royal family, but he no longer accompanies Xie Lian when the latter is away from Jian Lan and Xie Yan.

Enter young army general Hua Cheng, who won the right to serve as the Crown Prince's bodyguard after a very intense trial by combat.

And so begins a long year of Hua Cheng absolutely losing it because of how badly he wants to be with Xie Lian. He knows that Xie Lian would never betray his wife, and has no intentions of breaking up his beloved's family: but he manages to keep it together until the day Xie Lian and Jian Lan announce that they're expecting their second child, because he catches the "unfaithful" Crown Princess kissing Feng Xin in a deserted hallway right after the congratulatory banquet.

Xie Lian was just trying to have a nice night in with Xie Yan when a sobbing Hua Cheng dragged Feng Xin into his room and started begging him (Xie Lian) not to give in to despair at his wife's and best friend's betrayal. Hua Cheng does get a complete explanation about The Arrangement, but he's very distressed about not being able to beat Feng Xin up to his heart's content.

(He and Xie Lian get together a few months later, after which Hua Cheng surrenders the title of Most Heartbroken Man Alive and becomes the Smuggest Man Alive.)

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

Propaganda for each:

Xin Mo - Luo Binghe's sword that possessed his mind demanding blood sacrifices via controlling his obsession and was powerful enough to rip through space, time and alternate universes. The culprit behind the fuck to save the world trope in svsss.

Fangxin - the sword Xie Lian was stabbed with during the One Hundred Swords incident and that Bai Wuxiang gave to him to use after. It has an elegant black blade and has arguably been used more against its owner than any other enemies.

E'Ming - Hua Cheng's cursed scimitar forged through sacrificing his right eye during his ascent to Mt. Tonglu's kiln in an attempt to save the lives of people that had accompanied him in the quest. It notedly acts like a puppy towards Xie Lian, cries, demands pets and attention and has a massive praise kink canonically.

Xiu Ya - Shen Qingqiu's prestigious and highly acclaimed sword with an impressive sword flash and that SQQ complains often about not being allowed to fly on due to Airplane's low fantasy worldbuilding.

Xuan Su - Yue Qingyuan's sword tied to his life force after a cultivation incident in his youth. Badass enough to subdue opponents even unsheathed, canonically considered the most impressive cultivation instrument. The only thing that makes seeing three inches of it exciting.

Suibian - Wei Wuxian's sword named by Jiang Fengmian as a joke, it sealed itself the moment it was taken away from its master never to be drawn again (or so everyone thought). It is noted to be powerful because only high level spiritual instruments are able to seal themselves like this. The catalyst to the golden core reveal.

Bichen - Lan Wangji's stunning and powerful sword that can cut through anything including trees that its master cut down due to gay panic after kissing his blindfolded crush. Its claim to fame in the fandom has little to do with its remarkable strength, though.

[wangxianficrecs]

Follower Recs

~*~

Life is Very Long

by Vamillepudding

T, 12k, Wangxian

Summary: Wei Wuxian is a good for nothing, possibly evil, possibly fake uncle. But he's Jin Ling's good for nothing, possibly evil, possibly fake uncle. So it stands to reason that when Jin Ling starts to suspect that Hanguang-jun is mistreating his husband, he immediately recruits Jiang Cheng for a rescue mission.

~*~

Clothes Like Clouds, Face Like Flowers, Half Soaked in Tears and Blood.

by JaenysBloodcourt

T, 9k, Jin Guangshan has a harem including Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, Meng Shi, Wen Ning | Wangxian

Summary: At the time, the Forbidden City seemed like the perfect place to escape Yu-furen and not earn her wrath. Or, the one where WWX is a concubine in Jin Guangshan's harem, he hates it, and Lan-Pin's pretty face finished rocking his world.

~*~

Flowers Blooming in the Dark

by TheLegendOfChel

T, 64k, Wangxian

Summary: When Wei Wuxian, the god of death, meets Lan Wangji, the god of vegetation, the last thing he expects is to be swept off his feet. Unfortunately, the rest of the world is less accepting of their courtship. Denied permission to marry, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji elope. The other gods, furious with this blatant act of disobedience, declare war on the underworld, and vow to punish Wei Wuxian for kidnapping the honorable Hanguang-jun. Wei Wuxian finds this rather unfair. If anything, Lan Wangji is the one who kidnapped him!

~*~

bespoke

by cafecliche

G, 3k, Wangxian

Summary: The bundle of mail from the Qinghe Nie Sect arrives in Cloud Recesses late one evening. All but one piece of the pile is a stack of invitations to this year’s Cultivation Conference, wrapped in light blue string. The last is a short, handwritten list wedged between two envelopes, unnoticeable until it flutters to the floor. (Or: the juniors stage a tiny, benevolent rebellion.)

~*~

🔒 you've got to find a way, say what you want to say

by Quixiote

T, 12k, Wangxian

Summary: Every month, a man comes into the post office with a letter that cannot be sent to the person they are intended for. Or: The Saga of The Letters To The YiLing Patriarch as told by DushanYou sect Post-ivator Bai Ju

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for these hard-working authors if you like – or think others might like – these stories.)

[enchanted-wildflower]

On animism

One of my teachers at university told us something today, that I believe to be relevant to animism and therefore also witchcraft:

He explained that in the West we see everything as occurences, whereas in some languages the same happenings are described as actions. Meaning that in the West we tend to imply that there is no agency involved in whatever happens, while some other languages tend to imply that someone activily causes things. His example was that in the West rain is understood as something that just happens, no one causes the rain. Whereas in Mesoamerica it was believed that it rained because some god was crying.

While the idea of a literal crying god causing it to rain on earth might be outdated, I find it really interesting how these two perspectives - events vs. actions - might shape our relationship with the world. If rain is not just an occurence, but someone acting with agency, rain becomes another part of the community we live in. The community then doesn't only consist of humans anymore, but of everything that surrounds us. Suddenly there are all these new players that actively affect your life with their actions. Other-than-human persons that you can interact with and with whom you have to keep a friendly relationship. If the tree in front of your house isn't just an object, but a being with agency, you actually have to be at least respectful and might even want to build a relationship with them, get to know them, learn from them.

I think that's really the core of animism. Descriptions of animism are often reduced to the believe that everything has a soul, but I think believe doesn't even factor into it. You don't need to believe that there is a non-physical aspect to rain, mountains, stones. It's about how we interact with them. I don't even have to ask myself the question if the tree in front of my house has a soul in order to learn about and from them or to interact with them. In my opinion animism is something that is done, not thought or believed. It's a perspective.

Listening to my teacher also reminded me of the following part of Braiding Sweetgrass (great book btw) which explains all this really well:

A bay is a noun only if water is dead. When bay is a noun, it is defined by humans, trapped between its shores and contained by the word. But the verb wiikwegamaa - to be a bay - releases the water from bondage and lets it live. "To be a bay" holds the wonder that, for this moment, the living water has decided to shelter itself between these shores, conversing with cedar roots and a flock of baby mergansers. Because it could do otherwise become a stream or an ocean or a waterfall, and there are verbs for that, too. To be a hill, to be a sandy beach, to be a Saturday, all are possible verbs in a world where everything is alive. Water, land, and even a day, the language a mirror for seeing the animacy of the world, the life that pulses through all things, through pines and nuthatches and mushrooms. This is the lan- guage I hear in the woods; this is the language that lets us speak of what wells up all around us.

[...]

This is the grammar of animacy. [...] In English, we never refer to a member of our family, or indeed to any person, as it. That would be a profound act of disrespect. It robs a person of selfhood and kinship, reducing a person to a mere thing. So it is that in Potawatomi and most other indigenous languages, we use the same words to address the living world as we use for our family. Because they are our family.

To whom does our language extend the grammar of animacy? Naturally, plants and animals are animate, but as I learn, I am discovering that the Potawatomi understanding of what it means to be animate diverges from the list of attributes of living beings we all learned in Biology 101. In Potawatomi 101, rocks are animate, as are mountains and water and fire and places. Beings that are imbued with spirit, our sacred medicines, our songs, drums, and even stories, are all animate. The list of the inanimate seems to be smaller, filled with objects that are made by people.

[...]

The language reminds us, in every sentence, of our kinship with all of the animate world.

- Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (2013), p. 78-80.

[jentry-chau-stan]

Platonic Yandere Mr. Cheng

Mr. Cheng is desperate for any semblance of his Daughter to be alive. While realistically he understands you are not her, you are not Xiao Lan, the Mogui whispers in his ear about your mannerisms, your hobbies. It feeds into Cheng Lan's growing obsession about you. You may not look like her but you feel like her. Your Qi can not be a coincidence. So out of curiosity he begins to look into you and your life.

Even all these centuries later Mr. Cheng remembers the deal he made with the Mogui. How Bai Suzhen told him the cost of bringing back his Daughter would be his Soul. Back then he was hesitant, now he simply lives with his choice having come too far to ever turn back. Daoists do not always believe in Reincarnation but Mr. Cheng can not deny how he feels around you. You remind him so much of his bǎobèi, it's not possible for you to be anyone else.

The deal was painful. Mr. Cheng remembers when he and the Mogui combined, his Soul being stolen by the Demon and his body fusing with this creature. He is aware of his looks, how he no longer appears as the sweet old man he once was and how that might scare you but he reassures himself it is necessary. It's for your protection. If he is powerful he can keep you safe. Besides once you know it's your BaBa you will eventually settle down and listen to him regardless of how he looks.

Mr. Cheng stalks you relentlessly, obsessive about your safety due to what happened to his Xiao Lan in her last life. He decides to follow and learn more about you himself instead of letting the demons employed under him watch you because he is afraid they will mess up or hurt you. He trusts only himself to take care of you. Only himself to properly protect you.

He observes your mannerisms. The way you talk, the way you move, what you're interested in. The more he learns the more he deludes himself into thinking your Xiao Lan, you're his lost daughter. It doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl or neither. It doesn't matter if you're African, Asian, Caucasian, European, or Latin America. He doesn't care. He believes you are Xiao Lan.

He kept Xiao Lan's hair pin, never parting with what he considers his greatest treasure after all these centuries. It is carefully kept over where his heart once was on his robe. But one day wanting to see it in your hair he decides to leave it on your desk to see what you would do, if you would remember it. As Mr. Cheng observed you inspect the hair pin, he is overjoyed when you eventually put it in your hair. You don't seem to have an attachment to the hair pin like he hoped but when you wear it, it seems to affirm whatever thoughts he has about you being his. He takes it as a sign you remember and that you're ready to return home with him.

Your Qi is powerful but contained. You don't seem to have a third eye or a seers spiritual sight but you can sense things others cannot. Sometimes you pause and look behind you, possibly searching for him. You seem to have a basic understanding of Qi even if you aren't consciously using it. He knows you feel the connection as well, he can sense it. It's why you look for him when he's watching you.

When he takes you it's in the middle of the night when you are sleeping. Less struggle that way. Less possibility of you getting hurt or your false parents attempting to rescue you.

Xiao Lan was always a fan of flowers. She loved the Spring time when everything was in bloom. She'd spend hours playing outside in the warm sun while picking and playing with them. When you wake up, you're in another dimension. A plane of existence Mr. Cheng has complete control over. There's a traditional Chinese home that mirrors his old one and a Garden outside that stretches for Eternity. It's like a miniature version of the Great Beyond, but he controls everything. Make no mistake, this place may look safe but Mr. Cheng Lan can change that at any time. If his delusion were to break this Haven would become your Hell.

The house is stocked with toys Xioa Lan, his precious bǎobèi loved when she was alive. Art supplies, Books, Calligraphy sets, Chinese yo-yos, Scrolls, Toys, and all sorts of fun and unique things he couldn't afford when they were both alive. The closest is full of traditional Qipoas and other Chinese clothing. The bathroom has combs of all shapes and sizes along with new fancy hairpins. He spared no expense for his bǎobèi, he's been waiting for this day for a long time.

You're panicked when you wake up. Obviously terrified for your soul and life, fearing the demon that took you had bad intentions. Mr. Cheng tries to soothe you but you're too scared to listen and lash out so he gives you space despite how much it hurts. He only intervenes when you escape the house and attempt to run away in the garden.

You lament about your old life. Your old friends, your old family, any old hobbies or things you enjoyed that he won't bring here (video games, movies, anything involving technology). For the first year Mr. Cheng allows this to give you time to grieve but after the year is up he changes the subject or leaves you alone. Whenever you tell him to leave he does, only returning when you call on him. The isolation eventually begins to wear on you and despite hating him you need companionship. Your mind will break without it and so you give in. You get used to his presence and slowly you begin to bond some thing Mr. Cheng has waited life times to do again.

His claws are Dangerous but with you they are oh so gentle. He may be firm with you but he is never rough. He is your father after all, it is his job to discipline you but he would never even imagine hurting you. Even if you Attack and Attempt to hurt him he will never hurt you back. He is more powerful than you know or could ever understand, your punches, kicks, and hits do not physically harm him. Though your crying greatly upsets him and he often uses his magic to force you to sleep so he can hold you close after you have a fit.

Mr. Chengs skin in his demon form is like the texture of tar. The Mogui, keeps Cheng's original body trapped inside itself to preserve his life force and soul. But despite his looks, his skin doesn't hurt you like hot tar would. His skin feels strange against your skin, sticky almost. But it rarely ever actually sticks. Occasionally parts of the goop will get stuck on your clothes something the creature always gets embarrassed about. But otherwise the tar type texture is solid. Over time you begin to notice it heavily depends on his emotions and the amount of magic he's used. The tar becomes more hot and less solid when he's angry and more cool and solid when he's content. He avoids you on days his skin or magic could harm you, shielding you from that side of himself.

The longer you're together the more Mr Cheng comes to understand you don't seem to have any memories of your past life. While uncommon with Reincarnation Mr. Cheng accepts that you do not remember, believing his daughter was too pure to remember her death and was simply given a fresh slate when she was reincarnated into you. He will tell you stories of your past life to remind you of your bond but will not be frustrated with your lack of memory. He will just make new memories with you. Despite his willingness to make new memories he does sometimes get nostalgic. He will talk about old times as if you remember them and will get secretly frustrated when you don't know what he's talking about. He remains calm on the outside but on the inside he is frustrated. Despite finding you again, sometimes it's like speaking to a stranger.

It's a pampered but isolated life. Mr. Cheng will give into your every whim and desire except letting you free or giving you access to the modern amenities of the world. You will live how you lived before and nothing will change. To him it's almost like Xiao Lan never died, after all she's right in front of him. Over time you'll notice you haven't aged and while Mr. Cheng hasn't said anything about that, you know it's his doing. He will continue to keep you young and healthy and safe away from the worries of the world. Eventually a time passes you will forget your old life and only remember him. Personally he can't wait.

[mdzsxperience]

☾ Lan Wangji's names etymology

Here's a complete post on the etymology of our beloved Lan Wangji's various names. I've always appreciated how authors would give out names that fit their characters so well, which is why I chose to share this.

▷ Lan Wangji Master Profile.

Birth Name - Lan Zhan 藍湛

Lan 藍 (lán) – blue. In Chinese, Lan 藍 is literally blue.

Zhan 湛 (zhàn) – clear, deep. In Chinese, Zhan 湛 from 湛蓝 (zhànlán), azure blu

Lan Zhan’s formal name Zhan 湛 means deep or clear, without impurities. It is often prefixed to the front of the word “blue” to describe the color of sunny cloudless skies, azure. Wangji’s birth name 湛 (zhàn) derives from the 诗经 (Classic of Poetry), one of the Chinese ‘Five Classics’ dating back to the Zhou Dynasty and a core pillar of Confucian thinking, studied by scholars to this day. The common meanings of this word are “deep” or “crystal clear”. The phrase 湛清 (zhànqīng) is often used to describe a transparent personality or state of mind that is in its purest form, with no distractions or obscurities. The name is really perfect for Wangji, as the phrase 湛深 (zhànshēn) can be used to describe a person displaying profound knowledge and/or mastery of skills in a complex field. 精湛 (jingzhàn) also means to be deeply proficient and skilled at something, normally used to address masters and pioneers. Interestingly, 湛 has another pronunciation, dān, which means “happiness” or “indulgence”. A third, rarer way of pronouncing the word is chén, which means “to sink” or “to make extinct”. I think the multifaceted nature of the character 湛 perfectly embodies the deep and complicated being that resides within Wangji.

Birth name is rarely used by anyone other than close family members, teachers, and elders in the family, clan, or sect. Using it implies either a certain type of intimacy or a certain type of seniority over the person being spoken to. Side Note: The fact that Wei Wuxian addresses Lan Wangji as Lan Zhan so early on in their acquaintance would be considered rude.

Courtesy Name - Lan Wangji 忘機

Wangji 忘机 (wàngjī) – to be free of worldly concerns (a Daoist phrase) Wang 忘 means to forget. It may have negative connotations in English because it’s associated with a passive disease and loss of treasured memories. In Chinese, actively forgetting can also be a positive renunciation of worldly troubles, so the character is somewhat more romantic than an English speaker would assume. Ji 機 / 机 is typically used in common speech to refer to machines, mechanical things, opportunities, and worldly things that have many parts intricately connected with each other. In more metaphysical discussions, it implies the intertwined destinies and sophistication of the mundane. To forget the secular calculations and intricacies of the world is to live freely and without distractions; as an antonym of precision, it has heavy Taoist flavors because of its seclusive connotations.

There’s an interesting story behind Lan Wangji’s name. It comes from the last line of a poem by acclaimed Chinese poet Li Bai. The sentence reads “我醉君复乐 陶然共忘机” (wǒ zuì jūn fù lè, táo rán gòng wàng jī), which translates to “I become drunk and you’re merry; in our happiness we forget about all worldly matters”. In my mind, this scene perfectly brings to life Xianxian enjoying a jar of Emperor’s Smile with Wangji in the Cloud Recesses after his resurrection when he is no longer concerned with the vanities of the world. “Wangji” is a Taoist phrase that means “to hold oneself aloof from the world”. The direct translation is “to forget about worldly crafts”. Chinese fans often describe him as “一尘不染” (meaning not be soiled with even a particle of dust) and “不食人间烟火” (a Taoist phrase now used to describe a person who has otherworldly qualities, who does not associate himself with ordinary temporal matters).

The courtesy name, in The Untamed, is given early on. In many wuxia/xianxia novels, characters don’t receive their courtesy name until they are adults. This is a name friends, acquaintances, and peers (those of equal standing) use.

Title - Hanguang Jun 含光君

Hanguang Jun 含光君 (Hánguāng-jūn) 含 (hán) – to hold, to bring 光 (guāng) – light 君 (jūn) – honorific for a gentleman or man or noble character

Hanguang Jun is a title that praises Lan Zhan’s integrity. Jun 君 is a character (literally “lord”) with multiple meanings, but here it is attached to the end of a name to show respect. Wangji’s title directly translates to “noble bearer of light”. 含光 (hánguāng) is also the name of one of three of the most powerful swords in Chinese history/mythology, said to have been under the care of Shang Dynasty emperors. Its blade is described to be invisible, and a mortal cannot see it being wielded with their bare eyes. Later interpretations during the Warring States period described the three swords as symbolic stages of a person’s journey to finding the Taoist path, with Han Guang being the final stage of ‘preparedness to enter the Way’ (入道合体之状). The characters HanGuang 含光 separately and literally mean “hold/envelops light”, and in the novel, it is taken from a widely circulated legend about several of the main characters, which specifically goes like this about Lan Zhan: 景行含光藍忘機 (JingXing HanGuang Lan WangJi). The first two characters are taken from an ancient collection of poems, and describe a person of upright and faultless disposition. The next two characters, Han Guang, refer to a harboring of light. For me, it’s not the light part that’s interesting, but the state of harboring that defines the most significant cultural nuances. It is (or at least was) considered a form of virtue in China if you don’t flaunt your brightness in other people’s eyes; so the polite thing to do, if you’re brilliant as flames, is to shield that light so you aren’t so in-your-face about it.

The title is just what it says on the box. It is used to express respect, but also a certain amount of distance.  Side Note: The young disciples of the Gusu Lan call Lan Wangji Hanguang-Jun because it would be disrespectful for them to address him as Lan Wangji, as they are not of equal standing. When Wei Wuxian returns from the Burial Mounds, he addresses Lan Wangji as Hanguang-Jun because he wants to distance himself from their earlier intimacy to prevent being questioned about his methods. 

Extra thought:

I must give props to Lan Wangji’s actor Wang Yibo. Early reactions from the Chinese audience had some unfavorable reviews that criticized his lack of facial expressions, but later retracted their opinions, because they realized that he was actually doing a superb job with his eyes and his body, considering the limitations. The script gives him very few lines in most episodes. You can see how he looks directly at anyone in the eye unless he’s about to kill you, or (later on) if you’re Wei Ying. If you don’t know him well, he seems unconfrontational with those cold shielded eyes, but as soon as you step over the line (sometimes a line named Wei Ying), you’ll feel the sharpness of that fierce light in his eyes like a blade to your throat. Just ask Fairy the spiritual dog...

Author Note: I am not an expert in Chinese at all, English isn't my native language either - I hope everything is correct.

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[ completed ; 17/07/2024]

★ ⁺. ໒꒰ྀི｡- ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১ ૮꒰˶ᵔ ᗜ ᵔ˶꒱ა ˖⁺‧₊˚

[dailyoverview]

The Cát Bà Archipelago in northern Vietnam is made up of 367 islands that span 100 square miles (260 sq. km) in the southeastern edge of Lan Ha Bay. The largest island — also called Cát Bà — has roughly 13,000 inhabitants, with an additional 4,000 people living on floating fishing villages off the coast as seen here. The island is the adventure-tourism capital of Vietnam, with places to mountain bike, rock climb, hike, and more.

20.800000°, 106.999722°

Source imagery: Maxar

[mr-president]

HIT THE SLAY BUTTON 🚨🚨

i was and am absolutely sick and floored that i couldn’t find a single drag queen jamie headcanon or design. i, frankly, absolutely despise designing things, especially fashion, so i grit my teeth and went into agony to deliver this concept.

seriously, how can you not look at this kid and go “a DRAAAG QUEEN???” anyways…here’s my design notes

if i’m referring to jamie in his drag persona, i’ll be using she/her pronouns as is customary with drag queens. and forgive me for any historical or chinese errors; i cannot read or write chinese i can only speak it, and my buddy vinnie stopped answering my questions after a while.

tentative drag name: xiao long bao—yun and yang are known as the white dragon (bai long) and blue dragon (lan long) respectively, but jamie’s title is a pun: “dragon” or “long” is the title, but the entire word “xiao long bao” jsut means soup dumpling. and that’s fitting to me as a nickname for jamie, but imo, it’s not a good drag name. it’s cute and it’s fitting, but it’s not vogue, it’s not a performance name. PLEASE GIVE ME IDEAS IM BEGGING YOU

jamie really seems to like having chinese inspirations in his normalwear, so it made sense to me to have his drag persona be very inspired by hanfu (i believe this is uhhh tang dynasty; the one focused on very ornate patterns with the cross-body robes and emphasis on a waistline; though normally every chinese character pulls from song-dynasty tradition). since i’m not very imaginative, this look was pulled straight from Guangzong drag queen Yuhua Hamasaki

in that traditional chinese hairstyle, jamie has 4 loops in the back with the crown and 4 major pieces of clothing, and with every swig, the loop gets untied and a piece of clothing gets taken off (numbered in order of taken off) the top of the clothes is a zhiju (2, 直裾), dark purple with a reddish iridescent pattern, with a the red xiapei (霞帔) scarf on top. it’s tied with a “horse face skirt”—mamianqun (1, 马面裙) —giving that very long dress/skirt sillohette. underneath that is a jinru (3, 晋襦), another cross-body but shorter robe that’s red and hides the typical drag queen bodysuit (4) that she can then breakdance in.

i debated the logistics of breakdancing in drag heels, but turns out elektra fence has done it on drag race before so. i don’t need to justify its plausibility.

the other two designs are kind of jokes; i’ve (against my will) been forced to see that darkstalkers felicia jamie mod, and i think it’d be a really cool if this actually was a drag thing of his, especially with my hc that yang kind of treats jamie like a beloved stray cat. and felicia’s a performer and singer; i’m sure he could do it. i did adapt some things from felicia’s design; instead of an actual tail (or even a prop one)—which could fuck up jamie’s breakdancing routine—she ties her hair at the end, where it’s dyed white to act as a “tail.” i also hope you enjoy the paw high heel concepts i came up with.

i like jttw, it’s probably my favorite legend of all time and i blame sun wukong for 40% of my personality. but quan yin is absolute fucking mother, and we must pay tribute, so like with his usual routine, jamie strips and reveals the lotus dress underneath her robes.

yun and yang are surprisingly supportive of jamie’s drag hobby, and they’re willing to participate in performances or just show up to support; hence, i think they open up the quan yin act with a fight between sun wukong (yun) and the liu er mihou (yang) before jamie comes in and breaks up the fight by distinguishing the two. the reason for yang’s pensive expression is that, because sun wukong and liu er mihou look exactly alike, then yang has to look like yun, something he despises. would require heavy convincing, but i think he’d eventually budge.

i think jamie’s drag attitude (and attitude in general) reminds me a lot of wesley snipes—an actor typically in hypermasculine action films, who played a very flamboyant drag queen. i’m referencing his role as noxemma jackson in “to wong foo” of course; everything about snipes as noxemma absolutely reeks of jamie, and i could see this being a major inspiration and influence for him

i thought a bit about jamie on rupaul’s drag race, and i concluded that he would fucking hate it. drag queens are viscous, and jamie’s good at quipping insults back, but he’s also used to being able to throw hands afterwards. i can imagine he’d say things like “even the most aggressive, dangerous street fighter cannot match the viciousness of these girls.” i also think he would not like rupaul because rupaul is racist and the judges don’t like cultural performances.

ah yes. the lesbian fucking love drag queens. drag in general—they show the fuck up. jamie in drag would summon every dyke with a 50 mile radius immediately, tips and drinks in hand to be given.

anyways, someone please tell me i’m not insane for this idea that is totally canon, peer reviewed, no notes.

[rarepears]

Nie Huaisang, Lan Xichen, Jin Guangyao, and Nie Mingjue all reincarnate together into PIDW, and become disciples around the same time as Luo Binghe.

The drama of this is of course enhanced by the facts that NMJ & JGY died "early," but NHS & LXC lived to the end of their natural lives as cultivators, and so some of their perspectives and opinions on events have naturally changed with age. (tfw the passage of time renders you unfamiliar to your once-loved ones)

Eventually they talk about their feelings and reconcile and such, and this ends up derailing the plot of PIDW severely as the rest of the PIDW characters confusedly observe quite possibly the weirdest disciples Cang Qiong's ever seen

NMJ on Bai Zhan, with no clue what's going on because he died first and NHS & LXC haven't told him anything

NHS on An Ding, thoroughly enjoying what's pretty much a vacation to him at this point and possibly running an interpeak illicit goods market (definitely not to distract himself from any of the emotions having NMJ & JGY alive and nearby would be causing him, Everything Is Fine) I haven't decided if he'd get involved with the whole og!SQH and MBJ situation tho

LXC on Qiong Ding, because I feel like he'd see himself in Yue Qingyuan and lowkey hate him for it and I think that could be interesting

JGY on Qing Jing, because he's the objectively the funniest/most interesting character to throw into the mess that is SJ and LBH. The way I imagine it, he's doing the most direct derailing of the plot, because he mostly accidentally gets right in the middle of the thing that is going on between those two

I feel like as I wrote this it became more serious than I originally intended so just know that I'm mentally picturing this like a fic that's interspersed with outsider POV of the 4 of them being completely deranged about eachother

(Also I'd feel bad taking away LXC's brother so LWJ and WWX + friends are busy doing hot girl shit being rogue cultivators. I think WWX should be a half demon so he gets to keep the cultivation and steal some of LBH's protagonist energy. If this was a fic then the rest of the Untamed gang would be perfect to use for side characters during off-peak missions)

*grabs popcorn and sits down to hear more*

Nie Huaisang is having too much fun waiting the two idiots called his shizun and shizun's poorly kept secret of a boyfriend go flailing around on these terribly unromantic dates BUT THE TWO WERE TRYING SO HARD that it was cute. He wonders if he should do something to help the poor idiots out... Should he?

Maybe he should...

(Watch Shang Qinghua and Mobei Jun suddenly have a number of sex pollen accidents over the next few months....)

Lan Xichen would be an old man and a good voice of reason for Yue Qingyuan. Although he's head disciple and a very good one at that (if only because his Big Brother instincts can't be held back and he MUST interfere to help prevent history repeating once more), Lan Xichen has made it very clear that he would never accept becoming sect leader.

Also don't forget Liu Mingyan in the background writing about a 4 person sex orgy. At least, that's her personal theory for why there's so much UNRESOLVED TENSION between these four sus male disciples. And also, because it's fun.

It's even funner when you consider that Nie Mingjue is out of the loop of Cang Qiong stuff even on Bai Zhan because he tags along on so many of Liu Qingge's missions that he's probably spending like 8 months of the year outside of the sect.

(Nie Huaisang gets "assigned" to missions that happen to take place near Nie Mingjue's hunts.)

Meng Yao is Meng Yao and he still craves the approval of Male Authority Figures That Could be his dad. Also Meng Yao still likes to climb up the social hierarchy and power. AKA Luo Binghe growing mushrooms in the corner at seeing ANOTHER QING JING disciple THE SAME AGE AS HIM being given SO MUCH ATTENTION AND APPROVAL by shizun.

Luo Binghe develops a complex over Meng Yao of course.

(Shen Jiu approves of Meng Yao because he understands these characters very well and know how to manipulate (cough kill or injury them physically or mentally) them easily. Plus Meng Yao is actually competent.)

[More in #Nie Huaisang Lan Xichen Meng Yao and Nie Mingjue reincarnate into PIDW and are Cang Qiong disciples at the same time as Luo Binghe is AU

[scarlettohairdye]

Yooooo guess who forgot it was WIP Wednesday until, uh, [checks clock] 4:36pm! Anyway, have a small revelation from "autumn flower," the eventual wlw t4t WangXian fic I'm writing for Fandom Trumps Hate!

Did you know there's more than one way to mask? Lan Wangji sure fucking didn't before right now.

On approximately day three Lan Wangji reads an essay about body language and masking, which knocks him so thoroughly for a loop that he has to do a full-length yoga routine and have a snack before he re-reads it. He knew, he knew he frequently masked socially in public, and that one of the reasons he chose his current career path was that it was something he could do mostly solo; team-based work has always been incredibly exhausting for him. The effort it took to navigate other people's slippery words and opaque feelings was worse than the actual work. He hadn't considered that he might be masking more than that. Slowly, cautiously, in the privacy of his own home, Lan Wangji... Relaxes. He reminds himself that there's no one here who will judge him. BaoBao and Xiao-Bai absolutely won't care. He's not even making a long-term decision, he's just trying something. He lets his head tilt when he watches something interesting on TV. He stops holding his wrists rigid when he reaches for something. He lets himself cross his legs at the knee instead of keeping them parallel at all times. He plays with his hair when he gets the urge instead of pressing his hands, unmoving, to his thighs. His shoulders drop from their habitually perfect posture to something no less upright but less... Square. It feels so good. A tightness between his shoulder blades and at his lower back that no amount of stretching could touch disappear practically overnight. He walks past his bathroom mirror and startles at his reflection, because he's never seen himself look anything other than stiffly and rigid, while the person in the mirror looks almost comfortable.

[antidotefortheawkward-art]

A little late but happy Trans Day of Visibility!!!

[ID: A monochrome chibi drawing of various figures from Chinese folklore with pride flags painted onto their faces. From left to right are Taibai Jinxing, Sun Wukong, Taishang Laojun, Guanshiyin Pusa, Lan Caihe, Bai Suzhen, and Qing She. Guanyin has nonbinary flags and Lan Caihe has genderfluid flags, but everyone else has trans flags. Above them is written "Happy TDOV 2023!" End ID]