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simply-zhouye · 3 years ago

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Zhou Ye: The Wonderful Ideas of Lotte Girls // Esquire Fine photoshoot & interview ~ a really wonderful interview with Yezi!

Read rough translation of interview below: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/lY3oBM51ytlua7S8ZRdmlw

The lively character is like jumping candy, and the crisp voice is like summer honeydew. It can be a cute angel or a rebellious girl. Who wouldn't like a beautiful and free girl? We met Zhou Ye at a claw machine shop, and she caught the one she wanted five times!

Zhou Ye didn't laugh when shooting the magazine blockbuster, but she liked to laugh privately.

In the eyes of the people around, she is a simple and lively little girl, born optimistic, loves to joke, and loves to share all the fun and delicious. After catching up with the good-looking drama, she will also be ambitious to everyone, even if she encounters any troubles, she It will be resolved soon. She denied the title of "Girl's Heart"-when she was not working, she liked to lie at home and chase dramas, and science fiction and fantasy were her dishes. She enthusiastically gave an example. There is an American drama called "Stranger Things". It is about a little boy who disappeared in a small town in the United States. Everyone went to find him and found that there was an entrance to another world, exactly the same as this world. , But there is no one in that world. Such a story attracts her even more.

A few days ago, she took a four-day holiday, "very satisfied!" During the holiday, she made appointments with a few good friends for dinner, went to the playground, and watched dramas. If the vacation is longer, she would prefer to go home and stay with her family. Playing with mom and dad, playing with grandpa and grandmother, the family finds a beautiful place to go camping, and if you don’t go out, you can play mahjong with the whole family. She can stay away from looking at her mobile phone for a day.

Asked this girl who is not so girly what she wants, she said, "Now I want to accomplish everything in the moment, and every day will be better than the day before!"

Therefore, Zhou Ye, who hopes to be more progressive, raised his face and chatted with us about serious matters.

Before, people often said to me, "I like your performance of "Youth", but now everyone talks more about "Shanhe Ling". Let’s start the conversation with "The Order of Mountains and Rivers".

Gu Xiang in the play is a girl who is cold on the outside and warm on the inside. She helped Cao Weining, Zhang Chengling, and the singing sisters, but it didn't mean that she trusted them. She just felt that these people were very pitiful. Because Gu Xiang was picked up by her master when she was a child, she felt sorry for them and wanted to protect them.

She is defensive to everyone, and she will not trust anyone easily. In terms of character, Gu Xiang and I are a bit like. Both are more lively. What we don't quite resemble is our life experience and living environment.

When I first finished reading the script of "The Order of Mountains and Rivers", I loved Gu Xiang from the bottom of my heart. Gu Xiang grew up in Guigu where she was killed and beaten everywhere. Although she was lucky enough to meet Wen Kexing, the master who protected her, the rivers and lakes were sinister and Gu Xiang never really relaxed. Therefore, she can only protect herself by fierce methods. She looks acrimonious, slurs and curses, and she has to fight or kill at every turn. She looks very fierce and cruel, but her heart is really innocent and special. Kindness. When encountering people like Cao Weining, Zhang Chengling, and the singing sister Hua, Gu Xiang will rescue them and help them beat the gangsters.

Many audience friends felt that the ending of Gu Xiang and Cao Weining was too miserable when they watched "The Order of Mountains and Rivers". Gu Xiang originally didn't know what the outside world was like. After she came to the world, she met Big Brother Cao, and the two people who loved each other were about to be happy. Unexpectedly, on the day of the wedding, Gu Xiang lost her lover so much that she would fight herself Life. I am also uncomfortable with this ending. It is not easy for them to get to this day. Why can't they live well? If I were to write an ending, it would definitely be two people living together happily forever.

For me, playing Gu Xiang should be more difficult than playing. This is my first time shooting a costume drama, and also my first time shooting a martial arts drama. "Shanhe Ling" really has a lot of martial arts, because it tells the story of the rivers and lakes, so I joined the group some time before I started, and learned some moves from the martial arts masters.

In retrospect, the scene of the wedding was the most memorable. I had been shooting for three days in a row. I had been beating, killing, and hanging off Wia, and I would beat off some hair accessories from my hair. I didn't dare to hang on Wia at first, and the costume was so thick that I could easily trip on my feet. But I can’t take care of this when I shoot. This is Gu Xiang’s most emotional scene. I feel the same for Gu Xiang and can’t help crying. Until the end of my cry, I can’t tell whether my face is tears or saliva. , I hope that through this scene, everyone can feel Gu Xiang’s pain.

For me at this stage, whether it is a role that is more similar to myself or a completely different role, I am willing to give it a try. If the character of a character is very pleasing, I will have a sense of substitution when I read the script, I will like it, and I will really want to play it.

In fact, my interest in acting began after I was in college. When I was a child, I learned piano, and I was not very sensible at that time. I thought it would be fine to play the piano every day after growing up and collect tickets. After being admitted to the Beijing Film Academy, we often watch movies. When the directors see their favorite movies, they will think "I can make such a great movie in the future". I am in the acting department, so I hope I can do it in the future. Acting in a particularly powerful movie may be the influence of the school atmosphere. I still remember that I watched some old movies when I was in school. I really liked "Scent of a Woman" and Marlon Brando. He played "The Godfather" very well.

In the film school, we had a lot of opportunities to meet the director and the crew. We tried again and again, and slowly met scenes that were willing to use our young actors, and started the road to filming. I will definitely read the script several times before filming. In addition to my own role, I have to read the whole story, write a short biography of the character, and talk to everyone at the script reading meeting. For example, when shooting "Ah Cradle", I often consulted sister Haiqing and the director. In the filming of "Youth in Youth", I would also ask the director: The girl I played has such a good family, why does she bully her classmates? The director told me that because her parents had very strict education for her, she was required to be particularly good since she was a child. She was under tremendous pressure and kept suppressing it, so she vented the pressure by bullying her classmates.

When taking the play, I don't worry about people comparing my previous works or achievements, as long as my requirements for myself will not change. My request is to do my best to shape each role. Every time I finish filming a film, I will have a certain evaluation of myself, and I will also look at other people's evaluations of me, as well as the opinions given to me by my predecessors, to integrate these. Every time, I hope I can do better next time.

Up to now, I have been shooting for a few years, and I feel that I am not a talented actor, and I have to be a model worker. However, the sisters who brought me to the management team said that my biggest change and improvement is that I am more independent than before. When I first started filming, I would hide in the room and cry by myself every time I joined the group, especially wanting to go home.

Now I am more comfortable with the life of the crew than before. When I first joined the group, I still felt a little homesick. I hope to finish the filming soon, and become familiar with everyone. After work, I will play with the actors in the same group. When I was resting, I was playing with werewolf killing or something, so happy, I didn't want to kill it. I didn't want to be successful when I was filming "Shanhe Ling", and the same was true when filming "Ah Cradle". As actors, it seems that we can go to different places every time we film. In fact, there is not much time to spend in the local area, but we can eat a lot of local delicacies.

As I said just now, I want to do everything right now, and the current week is the best week.

Do you often dream? Please share a dream that is more imaginative.

Zhou Ye:

I sometimes dream. Once, I dreamed that I received an acceptance letter from an owl, took the Hogwarts Express train to the magic school to learn magical magic, visited Hogsmeade Village, and met so many new friends. .

What is your dream day like? How to spend it?

Zhou Ye:

At this stage, my dream day is to sleep in late, and after waking up, I will lie in bed and watch a drama or hang out with my friends or watch a drama.

How to arrange the dream holiday? Stay at home or go out to play?

Zhou Ye:

Of course, it is best to have two days, so you can stay at home one day and go out to play one day!

What about the journey of your dreams? With whom, where to go, and how to play?

Zhou Ye:

With your family, you can go to the beach or play paragliding.

What is your dream job announcement?

Zhou Ye:

Go to Universal Studios to shoot hahahaha, I really want to go!

What kind of "dream skills" do you want to have?

Zhou Ye:

Teleport!

Which era is the dream era? why?

Zhou Ye:

Now, now is the best time. Grasp the moment.

#zhou ye #hqs:zhouye #photoshoot #esquire fine #magazine photoshoot #gu xiang #word of honor #shan he ling cast #hogwarts

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army-in-the-stars · 3 years ago

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Jungkook for VOGUE Korea From the age of 15 to now, how Jung Kook has evolved and remained the same. Those who work in the public eye come under a lot of different influences, making it hard for them to formulate their own worldviews. The same is true of those who have had to mold themselves from a young age to achieve a certain goal. But Jung Kook is different. His pursuits outside BTS suggest that he has very clear ideas about what he wants to do and show that he can seal himself off from outside influences. This is one of the things we like about Jung Kook. How has he managed to foster his own ideas? Jung Kook, who listens attentively while making eye contact, replies, “I don’t have clear answers like, ‘This is how I’ll live!’ But what’s clear is that I want to decide for myself how to live my life. Perhaps there will be an afterlife, but who knows? This is the only life I’ve got, and it’s short. I’d never do something that everybody agrees is wrong, but where various ways are acceptable, I want to live on my own terms. I settled on this fairly early on.” Curious about Jung Kook’s thoughts on life’s fleeting nature, I respond, “They say that life is short, but art is eternal. What is eternal to you?” Jung Kook says, “Let’s assume that what I do is art. Would this be the most important thing? Isn’t life itself more important? The time I’ve lived is distilled in me. So, life is finite but also eternal.” Jung Kook is preoccupied with all sorts of art, not just music. Some fans want Jung Kook, the Golden Mangnae (youngest of the family) of BTS, to showcase his talents in other areas more, such as painting, photography and video editing. Jung Kook humbly says, “These are just some of my other interests, and I don’t feel the need to develop all of them.” But multitalented individuals must surely hear an inner voice urging them to make use of such talents. It must be difficult to ignore the desire to express oneself in various ways besides music. “I have realistic as well as idealistic goals,” says Jung Kook. “I used to be greedy and did what I wanted to do without giving it much thought. But the way one thinks changes over time, as does life in general, and relationships, too. These days, I’m more realistic. What I need to do is more important than what I want to do.” On top of this, Jung Kook doesn’t like to reveal his creations until he is fully satisfied with them. “They’ll never be perfect, but they at least have to be at a level I’m happy with,” he tells me. “I’ll work hard, and one day I’ll be able to unveil them to the public. Right now, I don’t have the mental energy to spend on improving them.” Over the past couple of years, it has not been easy for Jung Kook to work — even on his hobbies, like painting and photography. “If the stage set is the same every time one performs, there’ll be less excitement for the performing artist and the spectator alike,” he says. “I need to keep seeking change and challenge myself. The same goes for photography and painting. I carried a camera with me when we worked, but we couldn’t move around much due to Covid-19, so the photos all looked pretty similar. And going on risky trips that weren’t really necessary wasn’t an option.” Instead, Jung Kook found joy in books, portals into other worlds. He is making an effort to read more books in his spare time in order to become better at writing lyrics. His current fascination with writing lyrics links up with his other artistic pursuits. “My lyrics reflect my speech and individuality,” he explains. “This is another area where I can express myself.” Hopefully, Jung Kook will soon be enjoying a change of scenery. He was thrilled by the chance to visit the UN General Assembly to sing “Permission to Dance” in September 2021. “Every time we prepare an album and record a performance on stage, I have the same mindset,” he says. “But there was something extra when we filmed a video with dancers on the lawn in front of the UN General Assembly. Having fun dancing and singing together outdoors made me feel that better days were on the way. I felt that the day was drawing near when we’d be able to meet ARMY up close, or the day when I could go out alone at dawn and enjoy tasty snacks.” I ask whether it is even possible for a superstar to go to a late-night restaurant alone, but Jung Kook smiles and says, “There’s always a way.” BTS has changed Jung Kook’s life dramatically. In 2014, BTS went out on the street in Los Angeles and invited random passersby to attend their free concert. This was being filmed as part of a TV show, but they worked hard to promote their group by handing out flyers. Since then, BTS have skyrocketed: In 2021, tickets for their concert at SoFi Stadium, near LA, sold out in minutes. Comparing then to now, Jung Kook is tongue-tied. “I always wonder why people love and adore us,” he admits. “I’ve thought a lot about how I arrived at this point. Firstly, I was lucky to have talented team members! Secondly, we have a CEO who really loves music. Apart from that, perhaps the synergy of BTS’ songs, lyrics, messages, performances and public appearances attracted more and more fans? Lately, it’s become even more difficult for me to wrap my mind around the situation. I guess it’s because I’m unable to meet the audience members in person. I need to work harder to prove that I’m worth their support.” Jung Kook is also very mindful of BTS’ positive influence. “As I get older, I feel more pressure,” he confesses. “I’m not particularly great; and I’m not that good and virtuous. I’m a very ordinary person, and I’m often scolded by the other members for my immature behavior. If the world sees us as having a positive influence, then I need to try to adjust and match my actions and thoughts to those values.” ARMY has been putting BTS’ positive messages into action. Their environmental projects, like saving rainforests and whales, and their fundraising for vulnerable groups such as refugees and LGBTQ people have been astonishing in terms of their scope and speed. ARMY seems to have become a global cultural movement that goes beyond the fandom. Jung Kook is amazed and intrigued by ARMY. “I’m just someone who loves to sing and dance, but ARMY is achieving greater things for us,” he says. “I can’t thank them enough for their support for us, but they’re also doing such wonderful things. I’m deeply moved by ARMY, which started as a group of BTS supporters but has evolved into a real force for good. I’m inspired by them.” Jung Kook wanted to find a way to repay ARMY, the group’s proud flagbearers, but found himself at a loss. “It seemed there was nothing special I could do,” he says. “I’ve come to the conclusion that being good at my job, as I’ve been doing, is what I can do for ARMY.” Jung Kook has approached his work with excitement rather than apprehension. It’s not that he’s been free of anxiety because each album was a success or because he is loved by the fans, but because he has believed in himself and his groupmates. “We did our best with every album and on every stage,” Jung Kook says. “Nobody can be perfect, but I’ve been able to enjoy it because I do everything that’s required of me. That’s why I can accept an occasional poor result.” This seems to be Jung Kook’s attitude toward life. “I understand that hard work and the outcome are two separate things,” he explains. “I’ve learned how to accept the result. Of course, having the ambition to improve myself is another matter.” As Jung Kook debuted at age 15, he must surely have matured more than any other BTS member. On the other hand, they tell him, “It’s great that you haven’t changed at all.” What about him has changed the most and how has he remained the same over the past decade? “I was warmhearted and trusting as a child, and I still am,” he admits. “Until they break my heart, I give my all to those I love. My groupmates all acknowledge this. Sometimes, I worry about what’s going to happen, but I’m lucky enough to have my groupmates beside me, which is reassuring. But if I depended on them too much, it would be like hiding behind them, so I need to be able to stand on my own.” Except for this, he adds, everything from the way he speaks to the way he thinks has changed. I believe that another thing that remains the same is his energy. Jung Kook shows no signs of tiring during the photo shoot for Vogue , which proceeds at a fast pace and without a break. He raises the energy of the set, moving with the rhythm of the background music and approaching groupmates to massage their shoulders or straighten their clothes. As Jung Kook puts it, after an incredible 10 years, what will the next 10 be like? “Permission to Dance” contains the words, “We don’t need to worry. ’Cause when we fall, we know how to land.” I ask Jung Kook if he has thought much about how to land. “Obviously, many people are more successful than me, and as I get older and time goes by, my career is bound to taper off,” he reflects. “But I don’t think about landing. There are lots of things I still want to do. I want to continue expanding as an artist and achieve even greater things.”

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thevisoryposts · 3 years ago

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Why Sean Matsuda is so important to me.

If you ever ask me who my favorite fictional character of all time is - well. It's Static/Virgil Hawkins. Bit of a red herring there, right? Yeah, Virgil definitely hits a lot of elements that not only resonate with me as a character, but with me as a person. But. If you asked me who my second favorite fictional character of all time is - it's Sean. Now nobody asked me this in particular. Luke is coming out this month but nobody has really brought up Sean in lieu of him again. This is just me getting a thought out. And it's something I think should be openly said. Now I could say I like Sean a lot for the very surface reasons. He's a cool black dude. (Well mixed. But it still counts) And let's not kid ourselves - black excellence is a generic but very strong reason for attachment for blerds like me. He's got the drip, he plays B-Ball. He blows bubblegum when he's done a slick thing - he's a very conventionally stylish character. But the same goes for Static. Same goes for Lucio. So what makes Sean stand out to a point I'd say he's important to me?? It's the fact that he tries his best, despite his shortcomings. I think the one criticism that used to always bother the hell out of me about Sean...is saying that he's one of the weaker fighters in lore - no, actually he's the weakest Street Fighter. And as of where the III series stands today, that's...mostly true. But that not what's gotten me upset. (Even though it IS annoying that his story/growth has never progressed.) What upset me was that people used this as an excuse to say he was a trash character. That he was useless. A nobody in the world of Street Fighter. And it's when they said that, I've come to realize... I was unintentionally contrasting it to myself. The thing is. I heavily relate to Sean on this aspect. For this one characteristic alone, I probably relate to him more than I do Static. I grew up being shit at a lot of things. Writing. Video games. (Fighters especially) And it continues today. Currently I would >still< describe myself as shit at Apex Legends. And I doubt it'll be the last thing I'm horrible at. But I imagine two to three years down the line I'll read this and go 'Hah. Wow. I remember I WAS pretty bad at that. Improved a lot since then.' And I'm not saying that like I'm some special genius that always achieves what he sets out to do. I'm not gonna say I'm the only one that'll go through that sort of feeling, that experience. And neither is Sean. Sean is an unremarkable human in his world. Sure, his family (As of V) does come from a generation of Jiujitsu Badasses - but he's still unremarkable. He's not a progeny, he doesn't have some sort of special power - there's nothing that tells you he's destined for greatness. Except that he wants to be and that he'll work towards that. This is where he greatly differs from people like Dan Hibiki - Dan thinks he's the man, and there's nothing he EVER needs to improve on. He's godlike, fam. You need to get with the program. Where as someone like Sean who's been practicing Ansatsuken in way less time than Dan has, has already begun to surpass him because he knows he's bad and he's doing something about it. Sean's remarkability comes in the fact that despite having setbacks, despite people treating him like garbage, despite competing against people much more talented than him (And experienced) Sean realizes he can grow and close the gap somewhere down the line. Now yes. People love an underdog, I hear you saying. It endears Sean to you. To see him struggle, because that makes the triumph all the more satisfying. Yeah, I don't disagree. But I also think that's a massive oversimplification of this character. Sean might never rise to the absolute top. He might never beat Ryu. He might never ever be considered the strongest fighter of their world no matter how hard he trains. But what he absolutely will do...is be the best version of Sean that he could.

We live in a world today where people feel they need to see 'excellence' right out the gate. You need to be extremely skilled to get their attention or be worth their time. Otherwise they'll consider you 'trash.' These people are 'Dans'. They've likely given up or they are viciously lying to themselves (and others) thinking 'Appearance is all that matters.' Bump that. In Ken's SFIII ending, Ken offers Sean the championship trophy as a consolation prize. He's effectively giving Sean the chance to brag that he's the new U.S. Champion to his friends, but Sean declines. Why? Because the only person he needs to prove something to, is himself. Yes. I'm sure Sean does want to impress a few people (Like Ken for starters) just like any of us would. But the moral of the story is here that the way you stay motivated, the way you combat discouragement, is that you live to your own goals. I can think back on my accomplishments with pride - I became a good writer. I became a skillful gamer. And I got there because I had the love to do those things for me. Not to prove people wrong. That's just the icing on the cake. And I've realized recently this is the secret to what keeps Sean going. It's what makes him special. It's what makes him one of the best Street Fighter characters. And it's what makes him important to me. And I hope there are people out there that feel the same way. To realize Sean is an icon not just for 'Falling down seven times, standing up eight.' But that he's an avatar for believing in yourself...and fortifying that belief with striving and reaching your own personal objectives. If you've read this far, I'll take your penny. Peace.

#Sean Matsuda #Street Fighter #Street Fighter Sean #A thought piece #dan hibiki #ken masters

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theartofdreaming1 · 3 years ago

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As usual, my thoughts regarding this week’s prompts and random thoughts on chapters 25-27 are below the cut.

heart

The imagery that really caught my attention this time was Peeta pointing out the changes in the moon to Katniss: The only indication of the passage of time lies in the heavens, the subtle shift of the moon. So Peeta begins pointing it out to me, insisting I acknowledge its progress and sometimes, for just a moment I feel a flicker of hope before the agony of the night engulfs me again. - So for one, we see another example of Peeta focusing on the small details in life (which I’ve previously hypothesized to being an important element in his recovery from his hijacking) as well as Peeta being the one to give Katniss hope, even if it’s just for a brief moment. Also, it’s a nice parallel to Katniss looking at the moon and desperately wishing for it to be “her moon” back in chapter 23. As a nocturnal person, I also love watching the moon from my living room window🌙

mind

Hmmh, I don’t think that Katniss and Peeta’s win was predetermined - although I do believe that by introducing the romantic angle, they significantly improved their odds. A Career winning the Games is not really that special and exciting, since it happens so often (although Careers generally satisfy that excitement for violence/blood/gore, that plenty of Capitol people seem to share). As a volunteer from District 12, who achieved an extremely good training score and proved herself to be very capable in the arena already, Katniss definitely had an edge by playing into the classic underdog story, which offered another exciting “narrative” for the Capitolites to follow - that, coupled (heh) with the romance angle Peeta introduced? Katniss (and Peeta) definitely had the entertainment (and excitement through novelty) factor on their side. Ironically, Cato’s chances of winning were not as good as he expected, precisely because he was playing it by the book.

soul

Poor Peeta (and Katniss), it hurts that their relationship was in such a rocky place by the end of the book. Especially those weeks right after the end of Book 1, when there were still cameras around District 12 and they had to pretend while hurting must have sucked big time🥺

Chapter 25

Ugh, the muttations are just so unsettling... *shudder*

Honestly, I’m just so impressed by Peeta’s presence of mind to draw that X on Cato’s hand, after he had just most of his calf ripped off, only to be grabbed and put in a headlock by Cato! He and Katniss work insanely well under pressure

God, Cato’s death is just so gruesome and awful... In the end, his “gift” from the Feast doesn’t help him win at all, but instead ends up prolonging his suffering a cruel amount... I wonder if in general these “gifts” come with a string attached (aside from the expected danger of trying to get them, I mean) - because the Gamemakers also intend for Katniss’s “gift” (medicine for Peeta) to force an even more cruel outcome on her - saving him from blood poisoning only to be forced into killing him herself... 🤔

I’m not sure if this is exactly medical protocol, but I’m terrified that if he drifts off he’ll never wake again. “Are you cold?” he asks. He unzips his jacket and I press against him as he fastens it around me. - Katniss is terrified of the idea of Peeta dying; at the same time, Peeta worries about her freezing - I can’t with these two 😩

Peeta begins to doze off now, and each time he does, I find myself yelling his name louder and louder because if he goes and dies on me now, I know I’ll go completely insane. He’s fighting it, probably more for me than for him - Katniss can’t lose any more people she cares about 😢; on a different note, Peeta fighting his unconsciousness “probably more for [Katniss] than for him” points out one of the crucial elements Katniss brings into Peeta’s life - she is that someone for whom he will fight - including for his own life and well-being - even when it feels easier to give up... Having that person in your life that keeps you going can make all the difference - if Katniss hadn’t had Prim and promised her “to really, really try” to win (and later also made Rue the same promise), I’m not sure she would have made it this far; it’s the thought of Prim anxiously watching her after Rue’s death, that forces Katniss to keep going, to not give in to despair after that particular traumatic event - Peeta, on the other hand, didn’t really have that kind of person in his life, as he will point out on the beach in CF (and Katniss acknowledges herself that the only person who will be devasted if Peeta dies is her)... that is not to say that neither Katniss nor Peeta aren’t fighters on their own - but it helps to have someone that inspires you to not give up

the adrenaline pumping through my body would never allow me to follow him, so I can’t let him go. I just can’t. - We’ll see the mirrored version of this by the end of Mockinjay

Pity, not vengeance, sends my arrow flying into [Cato’s] skull. - Another act of rebellion, technically (sure, this can be spun as Katniss killing Cato so she and Peeta may win - before Peeta dies from blood loss - but we know better - Katniss’s motivation was compassion for her supposed enemy)

We inch down to the tail of the horn and fall to the ground. If the stiffness in my limbs is this bad, how can Peeta even move? - Peeta is tough as nails, yo!

Before I am even aware of my actions, my bow is loaded with the arrow pointed straight at his heart [...] I drop my weapons and take a step back, my face burning in what can only be shame. “No,” he says. “Do it.” [...] “I can’t,” I say, “I won’t.” - In spite of her initial reflex, Katniss chooses Peeta/ chooses not to kill him; it’s a recurring theme in their relationship (despite her wariness of others, she chooses to open up to Peeta eventually; although she vowed to never marry and have children, she’ll choose to have a family with Peeta); also, my psychology-brain just noticed how this moment illustrates how harmful thoughts/impulses don’t have to determine your actions and are not an indicator of who you are - it’s about what you choose to do

“You’re not leaving me here alone,” I say. Because if he dies, I’ll never go home, not really. I’ll spend the rest of my life in this areny trying to think my way out. - Again, makes me think of MJ; also, I think that from this point onwards, Katniss and Peeta are officially linked together forever; the bond they forged during this traumatic experience will connect them to each other until the day they die

“On the count of three?” Peeta leans down and kisses me once, very gently. “The count of three,” he says. - My heart😭

Chapter 26

... while our muscles are immobile, nothing is preventing the blood from draining out of Peeta’s leg. Sure enough, the minute the door closes behind us and the current stops, he slumps to the floor unconscious [...] Through the glass, I see the doctors working feverishly on Peeta, their brows creased in concentration [...] I’m not sure, but I think his heart stops twice. - Peeta was in such a bad shape by the end of the Games; I’m still kinda salty that the movie really glossed over this fact :/

... they’re taking Peeta but leaving me behind the door. I start hurling myself against the glass, shrieking and I think I just catch a glimpse of pink hair - it must be Effie, it has to be Effie coming to my rescue - when the needle jabs me from behind. - Oh geez, in Catching Fire Katniss will also get sedated in a hovercraft because she’s upset about being separated from Peeta 😢 (also, Katniss thinking that Effie is coming to her rescue 😭)

While she [Lavinia, the avox] adjusts my pillows, I risk one question. I say it out loud, as clearly as my rusty voice will allow, so nothing will seem secretive. “Did Peeta make it?” She gives me a nod, and as she slips a spoon into my hand, I feel the pressure of friendship. - Katniss is so considerate of Lavinia’s situation, and Lavinia’s giving her a gesture of comfort and support; they’ve never been able to have a proper conversation (Katniss doesn’t even know Lavinia’s name), but still they managed to build up such a bond - compassion certainly is a strong thing to behold 😭 (and this whole scene is just through and through about compassion, with Katniss asking how Peeta is doing!)

Home! Prim and my mother! Gale! Even the thought of Prim’s scruffy old cat makes me smile. Soon I will be home! - Katniss is so excited to see her home and her loved ones again

I want to get out of this bed. To see Peeta and Cinna - Aww, the two people she grew closest to over the course of the past weeks (Haymitch will be added to that list in just a smidge)

Or do I hear a man’s voice yelling? Not in the Capitol accent, but in the rougher cadences of home. And I can’t help having a vague, comforting feeling that someone is looking out for me. - Thank God for Haymitch!

And behind one of them [doors] must be Peeta. Now that I’m conscious and moving, I’m growing more and more anxious about him [...] “Peeta!” I call out, since there’s no one to ask - Katniss is sick with worry over Peeta; romantic feelings or not, she cares so fricking much for him by now!

I run for them [Effie, Haymitch, and Cinna] and surprise even myself when I launch into Haymitch’s arms first. When he whispers in my ear, “Nice job, sweetheart,” it doesn’t sound sarcastic. - These reunion scenes are so intense and heartwarming! And then Katniss asks about Portia and Peeta because their presence would make this scene complete

when I asks for seconds, I’m refused. “No, no, no. They don’t want it all coming back up on the stage,” says Octavia, but she secretly slips me an extra roll under the table to let me know she’s on my side - It’s moments like these that help humanize Katniss’s prep team - they might be shallow, they might be completely oblivious and ignorant, but they aren’t that bad [of course, the prep team chattering about their mundane lives while talking about the event that ended with the deaths of 22 children shortly after, leaves a bad taste in our mouths]

I immediately notice the padding over my breasts, adding curves that hunger has stolen from my body. My hands go to my chest and I frown. “I know,” says Cinna before I can object. “But the Gamemakers wanted to alter you surgically. Haymitch had a huge fight with them over it. This was the compromise.” - God, the idea that the Gamemakers wanted to give a boob job to an unconscious, malnourished 16-year-old girl makes me sick 🤢 (Also, what’s the flipping deal about boobs?! As a pretty flat-chested gal, I’ve always been annoyed that there are barely any bras my cup size that are not push-up ones; I’m not self-conscious about it, so stop making me pretend that I’m bustier than I actually am!)

“I thought it’d be something more... sophisticated-looking,” I say. “I thought Peeta would like this better,” he [Cinna] answers carefully. Peeta? No, it’s not about Peeta. It’s about the Capitol and the Gamemakers and the audience. Although I do not yet understand Cinna’s design, it’s a reminder the Games are not quite finished. - Ugh, that sinking feeling when Katniss and the reader realize that the Games are still not over... Sidenote: Peeta flirted up a storm with grimy, bloodied Katniss and complimented her when she wore Cinna’s first, absolutely badass costume (”You should wear flames more often”)... Katniss’s girlish outfit has nothing to do with Peeta and she knows it... Cinna could have dressed Katniss up in a trash bag and Peeta would have been smitten - although a trash bag by Cinna would probably still look pretty good ;)

“How about a hug for luck?” Okay, that’s an odd request from Haymitch but, after all we are victors. Maybe a hug for luck is in order. - Aww, Katniss actually wouldn’t have minded giving Haymitch a hug just because - sadly, this is about survival tips instead :/

But what was it Haymitch said when I asked it he had told Peeta the situation? That he had to pretend to be desperately in love? “Don’t have to. He’s already there.” Already thinking ahead of me in the Games again and well aware of the danger we’re in? Or... already desperately in love? I don’t know. I haven’t even begun to separate out my feelings about Peeta. It’s too complicated. - Poor Katniss... she didn’t have the time and peace of mind to sort out her feelings regarding Peeta before they all got tied up and muddled with her need for survival. Now she’ll be having an even harder time trying to untangle that mess :(

Chapter 27

Then there’s Peeta just a few yards away. He looks so clean and healthy and beautiful, I can hardly recognize him. But his smile is the same whether in mud or in the Capitol and when I see it, I take about three steps and fling myself into his arms [...] He rights himself and we just cling to each other while the audience goes insane. He’s kissing me and all the time I’m thinking, Do you know? Do you know how much danger we’re in? After about ten minutes of this, Caesar Flickerman taps on his choulder to continue the show, and Peeta just pushes him aside without even glancing at him. - Man, their reunion here always gets me - it would be so fricking good if Katniss didn’t have to worry about their potential doom 😒😔 - she barely has time to just be happy to see Peeta alive and well before slipping back into survival mode while Peeta is just genuinely thrilled to have her in his arms, completely unaware of the pressure and immediate danger Katniss experiences in this moment... It hurts so bad

I’m with Katniss - How did the previous victors endure rewatching those horrible moments from the Games?! I guess because they had to, but oof... I think I’d just completely shut down, blocking out the footage shown, ugh

But I do notice they omit the part where I covered her [Rue] in flowers. Right. Because even that smacks of rebellion. - In such a callous and cruel place as Panem, any act of compassion can be regarded as rebellion, it’s crazy. In a place filled with apathy, hedonism, greed, and cruelty, the most radical things you can exhibit are love, kindness, and respect!

A wave of gratitude to the filmmakers sweeps over me when they end not with the announcement of our victory, but with me pounding on the glass door of the hovercraft, screaming Peeta’s name as they try to revive him. In terms of survival, it’s my best moment all night. - Again, another instance where Katniss’s genuine feelings/reactions to Peeta are get muddled with her need for survival

The one thing I never do is let go of Peeta’s hand. - irrevocably linked with each other

Despite Haymitch’s running interference, I’m determined to see Peeta privately. - Katniss just wants to have an honest and open talk with Peeta 😢 (I get where Haymitch is coming from, and maybe in this instance it’s the right call, but we’ll see a similar situation in the beginning of CF when Haymitch advises Katniss not to tell Peeta about President Snow’s visit and that time, it doesn’t go so well...)

Then Peeta’s there looking handsome in red and white - for someone who isn’t sure whether she’s into him or not, Katniss sure mentions how good Peeta’s looking a lot 😏

“Well, there’s just this and we go home. Then he can’t watch us all the time,” says Peeta. - 👀👀 Peeta is so thirsty here; reminds me of when he pulled Katniss close to him in the cave before they set out to hunt... He clearly believes she’s also “already there” regarding their relationship; he’s never this “suggestive” (can’t think of a better word right now) with her once she lets him know that she doesn’t really know how she feels about him - I feel a sort of shiver run through me and there’s no time to analyze why - Katniss totally isn’t averse to what Peeta’s suggesting here, either (though there’s probably also a healthy amount of fear mixed in with the thrill of being wanted - letting people in can be terrifying)

I can feel Peeta press his forehead into my temple and he asks, “So now that you’ve got me, what are you going to do with me?” I turn in to him. “Put you somewhere you can’t get hurt.” And when he kisses me, people in the room actually sigh. - It’s me; I’m people 🙋🏼‍♀️ (also, the “turn in to him”?!?!! it just suggests such a closeness, I can’t-)

Katniss burying her face in Peeta’s shirt when she’s afraid she might cry learning that he lost his leg 🥺 (how awful it must be to be constantly on display while you’re dealing with your private feelings, ugh)

“... The moment when you pulled out those berries. What was going on in your mind... hm?” [...] It seems to call for a big, dramatic speech, but all I get out is one almost inaudible sentences. “I don’t know, I just... couldn’t bear the thought of... being without him.” - It might not be a super eloquent way to put what she was supposed to say, but this way, Katniss is being perfectly honest (and frankly, if she’d had the chance to properly process her feelings, she would have been able to voice this sentiment with less hesitation)

I go back to my room to collect a few things and find there’s nothing to take but the mockingjay pin Madge gave me. Someone returned it to my room after the Games. - For one, Katniss didn’t think of that pin (again), but also - was the pin returned to her simply because it’s standard procedure or did someone (like Plutarch, for example) arrange for Katniss to get the pin back, to keep her connection to this symbol going?

I stare in the mirror as I try to remember who I am and who I am not. - Poor Katniss! She’s been through so much, experienced so many traumatic events in short succession recently (aside from the trauma she already had), already had problems defining her identity beyond sheer survival, and now the Capitol also keeps pushing an identity onto her and a romantic relationship, when she hadn’t even had the chance to figure out how she felt about that yet

“... Haymitch has been coaching me through the last few days. So I didn’t make it worse,” I say. “Coaching you? But not me,” says Peeta. “He knew you were smart enough to get it right,” I say. “I didn’t know there was anything to get right,” says Peeta. - Oh boy. It’s always so painful to see Peeta realize that he’s been completely out of the loop; again, we’ll see how Katniss and Haymitch adopt a similar strategy in the beginning of CF: banking on Peeta’s good social skills and eloquence and keeping him in the dark. In a way, it’s a sort of compliment they pay to Peeta for being good with people, but, by not telling him, they are also using him for their purpose (which is motivated by caring for and wanting to protect Peeta, but still). Peeta is right to be upset about it - he has always been very clear about not wanting to be used as a piece in anyone’s games, really. And, as we will see later in CF, they are way more effective as a team when they are open and honest with each other.

“It was all for the Games,” Peeta says. “How you acted.” “Not all of it,” I say, tightly holding on to my flowers. “Then how much? No, forget that. I guess the real question is what’s going to be left when we get home?” he says. “I don’t know. The closer we get to District Twelve, the more confused I get,” I say. He waits, for further explanation, but none’s forthcoming. “Well, let me know when you work it out,” he says, and the pain in his voice is palpable. - It’s just so goddamn painful😢 They’ve both been done so dirty by that forced star-crossed lovers of Distrct 12 routine. (Sidenote: I appreciate that Peeta actually gives Katniss the chance to explain herself here - still, it’s too much to deal with on the spot so I can understand why Katniss ended up dropping the ball, even though it’s frustrating to read.)

That it’s not good loving me because I’m never going to get married anyway and he’d just end up hating me later instead of sooner. That if I do have feelings for him, it doesn’t matter because I’ll never be able to afford the kind of love that leads to a family, to children. And how can he? How can he after what we’ve just been through? - Oh Katniss, you certainly are skipping a couple of steps here; I’m pretty sure there are some options in between dating and being married with kids you could look into. Also, she’s just assuming that this is what Peeta wants, but she doesn’t know that at all - As someone who also has this stupid habit of imagining how whole conversations could possibly transpire and then resigning myself to the hypothetical outcome of said imagined conversation instead of actually having them: Don’t do that. ‘Never assume - it makes an ASS out of U and ME.’

I see Peeta extend his hand. I look at him, unsure. “One more time? For the audience?” he says. His voice isn’ t angry. It’s hollow, which is worse. Already the boy with the bread is slipping away from me. I take his hand, holding it tightly, preparing for the cameras, and dreading the moment when I will finally have to let go. - Ma babies! They are both so hurt and both just want to be with each other 😭 But they’ll need some time apart, to figure things out before they can do that.

#thgagain #thg #hunger games #everlark #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #my sketches and drawings #thg meta

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teawaffles · 4 years ago

Text

There’s No Business Like Show Business: Chapter 3

“Fred. How’s their acting like to you?” Jack asked in a low voice.

They were seated at the edge of the stalls. They could also see Bond from where they were, completely focused on the stage.

“I’m not an actor myself, so this is just my personal opinion — but I think they’re awfully good,” Fred replied.

Jack gazed at the stage with a serious look in his eyes.

“I think so too. I won’t discount the fact that their sets and props look a little homemade, maybe due to a lack of budget; but when it comes to acting, each one of them is highly skilled. I can tell that the performers are all deeply familiar with the intent of the script.”

They were no theatre professionals for sure, but they possessed an eye for the true essence of their art.

The creases near Jack's eyes deepened as he quietly groaned.

“And best of all is that lady.”

“Yeah, I thought so too,” Moran agreed. With Fred included, all of them were focused on the lone person on the stage.

As Jack had pointed out, Maya, the chairwoman, was the standout actress even among the highly-skilled members of her own company.

Although she only held the lead role in “The Little Match Girl”, and was relegated to supporting roles for the other stories, the delivery of her lines, the movements of her body and hands, and even the slight shifts in her gaze — each and every one of her actions was perfectly under her control. They had seen a glimpse of this when she’d stood before her fellow company members previously, but this person on stage was completely different from the one who'd spoken to them at the entrance.

Even accounting for the fact that she had written the script herself, this level of sophistication in acting was not one which could be achieved by some run-of-the-mill actress. Moreover, the lines and pauses in the script had been carefully crafted to make it easy for the audience to relate to the stories.

From then on, the three of them enjoyed the rest of the play in silence, marvelling at her exceptional talent. Eventually, the rehearsal came to an end.

“——That concludes our performance. Thank you very much for coming.”

After her closing words, the company lined up on stage, silently waiting for Bond’s comments. While there had not been any flashy moments during the performance, almost all of them had sweat on their foreheads. Each breath they took revealed the depth of their concentration.

“…………”

For a short while, Bond stared at the stage without saying a word. Growing uneasy at the silence, the company members lowered their gazes slightly.

After what seemed like an eternity, Bond cleared his throat, and adjusted his posture. Seeing that, the company members straightened their backs.

“——If I were to summarise my thoughts, I think your acting has already reached a high standard. I’m sure all of you have put in much time and effort to achieve this.”

Their faces beamed at his compliment. But Bond would not allow them to be satisfied with that alone.

He rose from his seat.

“But that’s also why some bad habits have stood out to me. For example, the witch in ‘The Little Mermaid’: there were times when your movements were too exaggerated. I know that you wanted to emphasise her sinister nature, but the way you did so may turn off the audience.”

“Y-Yes……”

The actress who’d been singled out hung her head, perhaps out of shock. But Bond ignored this, and pointed to another woman.

“Now, you played the main character in ‘The Red Shoes’. I watched your steps after putting on the shoes — have you properly studied dance? It’s true that even some stage professionals may think that it’s alright to just mimic the real thing, but if you really want to make your performance more authentic, you must take the time to learn how to do it properly. Your audience will not be satisfied unless you show them a level of skill that will astonish even people in that profession.”

“Understood!” she responded with vigour.

“Next up is you: the way you project your voice——”

Then Bond singled out each of the performers in turn, highlighting in detail what they needed to work on. He only needed to watch their play once to spot areas for improvement at such a fine level of detail — his eye for the arts gave them all a sense of the former professional’s brilliance.

At last, Bond finished addressing every member of the company. But he then swept his gaze over the entire theatre.

“In addition…… this isn’t your fault at all, but your success today was only possible due to the small size of this theatre,” he said, with some distress. “If we were in a bigger venue, the hall would be wider and deeper to accommodate the larger audience. In other words, I’m afraid that with your current performance, your voices simply would not reach the entire audience.”

Maya paled.

“So, in order to accommodate the size of the venue……”

“Yes. The worst-case scenario would be that you have to rework the entire play. By the way, when is the opening night?”

“T—Two weeks later.”

The entire room was enveloped in silence. Even from where they were seated, Moran and the others felt the weight of their despair: all the hard work they had put in thus far, might just have amounted to nothing.

Even Bond, who had revealed this harsh reality, dropped his gaze and grimaced.

“Well, there are a fair number of productions that focus only on the stage, and do not account for the size of the audience, so you may not have to change——”

“——No, we’ll do it.”

Maya sharply interrupted his proposal.

“You’ve seen how I am; I’ve always been timid and hesitant…… but theatre is the one thing I will never compromise on. Especially now — this is a rare opportunity for us. For my fellow company members, for the people who’ve supported us this far, I want to show them something I’ve put every effort into making.”

“…………”

At her words, the rest of the company nodded in silence.

Even with the actual performance only two weeks away, Maya and her company had steeled their hearts and chosen to start again from scratch. That stubborn determination surprised Bond, and even Moran and the rest.

“U—Um…… Mr Bond, I actually have something I wish to discuss with you……”

Out of the blue, Maya’s voice had grown soft.

“U—Um, if it is alright with you, just for the next two weeks, could you sit in during our rehearsals? A—Ah, actually, just whenever you have the time would be fine……”

Bond chuckled.

Even after being told about all those problems, they refused to stand down, and even continued to ask for help. Their mental fortitude sparked hope in him, and he couldn’t help but let out a grin.

Bond shot the party in the stalls a questioning look. Moran looked to Jack and Fred in turn, before giving him a thumbs-up.

With that, the former flames of passion within Bond burned even hotter. He faced the company members with a determined grin.

“——Okay. But I will be especially tough on you all, so be prepared.”

Then, he called out to Fred.

“Fred-kun. I would like your help as well — is that alright with you?”

“Understood,” he replied, standing up.

“Bond, I’m always happy to teach knife-wielding.”

“And you can always ask me about gun handling.”

“Now that would be helpful,” Bond smiled at Jack and Moran’s jests, then turned back to the stage.

“Well then, everyone — for the next two weeks, let’s do our best together.”

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

“During a performance, you must be always be aware of three things: the audience, the other actors, and yourself. If the feeling of being ‘watched’ becomes too strong for you, first direct your attention within yourself. Then, you will be able to focus on your acting once again.”

“I don’t advocate the idea of getting into a role. In the end, acting is just a skill: what you should focus on instead is how you are moving.”

“Although an effective way of bringing out emotions is to dredge up your past memories, I would advise you to avoid that. Recent memories are too concrete and vivid — if you must do so, use memories from your distant past. And be careful: if you frequently immerse yourself in negative emotions, you will hurt yourself on a spiritual level too.”

In a small theatre in Whitechapel, Bond’s instructions came forth ceaselessly.

He stood on stage together with the company members: carefully reviewing their movements, even acting them out himself as an example on occasion, and putting in every effort to raise the level of their production.

The remaining two weeks were short, but with their foundations already strong to begin with, Maya and her company steadily honed their acting skills to perfection.

One week left until the show. His work as an instructor had finally ended for the day, and he let out a sigh as he sat in the stalls to catch his breath.

“Good work today — fancy a sip?”

Having watched the proceedings from the stalls, Moran handed him a bottle of water. It was a beer bottle — very Moran-like — and Bond accepted it with a smile.

“Thanks, Moran-kun.”

Bond gulped down a single mouthful of water.

“So, how’s the play going?”

“At first I thought we would be hard-pressed for time, but they truly exceeded my expectations. I think we might just make it. ……Scratch that, we will make it.”

Moran nodded.

“That’s right. And they seem to be well-liked by the residents around here. I really hope they can pull it off.”

As Moran gazed off into the distance, a thought just occurred to Bond. He cocked his head.

“Come to think of it, you really didn’t have to tag along with me all this time, you know?”

Ever since the day Bond had agreed to lend his support to the company, his other colleagues had stopped over from time to time to cheer him on. However, Moran had made it a point to come to the theatre every day without fail.

Moran scratched his cheek in embarrassment. 

“……Well, it’s not like I have anything else to do when there aren’t any missions. As a senior member of this organisation, I’m just here to see how my junior works.”

“Even though you’ve been skipping out on chores at the mansion?”

“D—Dammit, I told you before: I always do my share of the work, you know.”

Bond had said that half-jokingly, but his words flustered Moran nevertheless. It seemed he had not been entirely wrong about that.

Bond returned his gaze to the stage.

“……Thank you, Moran-kun,” he said quietly.

“Hmm? Didn’t you already say that earlier?”

“This one means something different,” he said, with a hint of mischief in his voice. Moran raised an eyebrow in bemusement, but the presence of a caring senior alone warmed Bond’s heart.

Just then, they heard the sound of the theatre doors opening.

As the two men turned to look, they saw a portly middle-aged man with a magnificent moustache standing at the entrance.

Maya hurriedly bowed in his direction. “T—Thank you so much for your help thus far! What brings you all the way here?”

From her formal manner, it seemed this was the very noble who had asked them to stage the opening act for his theatre.

“Ah, you’ve been working hard, I see,” he said as he stroked his moustache, a big smile on his face.

“Yes; with your assistance, we’ve been able to prepare for the performance in time. I’m sure the audience will be satisfied with——”

“Well, about that.”

The man interrupted Maya, still all smiles.

“——Your performance has been cancelled.”

“What?”

No one could believe their ears.

Her expression brimmed with confusion.

“U-Um, what do you mean……?”

“What does it mean? Just pretend our conversation back then didn’t happen. That’s all.”

The man made another simple pronouncement, then smiled as if nothing was wrong.

“Honestly, it’s just as well that this has happened, since I’ve also been troubled over your debut. So what I’m saying is, your company doesn’t have to turn up. That’s alright with you, isn’t it?”

The entire company was still in a state of shock. Then, Bond addressed the man directly.

“Now hold on just a moment. What do you mean, you were troubled? Then why did you ask them to perform? What’s more, isn’t it a little late to cancel the performance at this juncture?”

Hearing that, the man sighed in displeasure.

“Who are you, anyway? Someone connected to this company? I’m not happy to be asked so many questions at once.”

“Then I’ll summarise it for you. If you were going to cancel the performance so easily, why bother requesting Maya and her company to perform anyway?”

At Bond’s question, the nobleman shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, that’s simple. I just felt like it.”

“……What?”

Those shocking words froze him to the core.

“I’d heard about a reputable theatre company in the slums. Since there’s this notion of noblesse oblige anyway, I thought a performance would be a good topic for conversation and approached them. But then I grew to realise that the thought of poor people stepping onto the sacred stage of an official theatre just didn’t sit well with me. So yesterday, I finally decided to put an end to this madness.”

“How could you……”

He had asked Maya’s company to perform on a whim, and then cancelled their act on a selfish whim as well. And this was all decided just ‘yesterday’. Even though they had been putting in every effort into their play.

The nobleman continued.

“That’s all I had to say. You poor folk are living off the graces of the nobility, so be grateful that I even bothered to come all this way to talk to you. Now that I’m finished here, I’ll be leaving. The smell here is simply an assault on my senses.”

Right before he walked out, the man spat out one last line.

“Well, at least you all had a nice dream, didn’t you?”

“………!”

A violent rage surged within Bond. Somehow, he managed to grit his teeth and hold himself back. If he were to retaliate right now, he would be inviting unnecessary reprisal on Maya and her company rather than himself. So all he could do was look daggers at the nobleman’s back as he left.

The theatre was enveloped in a mournful silence. Everyone seemed to have lost their verve, and no one uttered a word. Bond was shaking with frustration.

Amidst the heavy atmosphere, just one man — Moran — gazed upon the situation with composure.

Finally, Maya, the chairwoman, mumbled in a thin voice.

“Um, I’m so sorry. I think, I’m not feeling too well……”

Then, with a hollow expression, she headed to the dressing room, her footsteps shaky.

#moriarty the patriot #yuukoku no moriarty #yuumori #english translation #forbidden games

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fyeah-bangtan7 · 3 years ago

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RM: “I hope I’m on my way somewhere”

There are two gears in his life that RM shifts between: when he has to pick up speed as the leader of a worldwide hit-making group, and when he makes his way back home and slowly cracks open some artist’s catalogue. Let’s take a look at the time in between, at the young artist’s journey to seek out his own canvas.

Do you still work out? Your stature looks very different. RM: It’s been around one year? Since I started doing it four times a week without fail. It’s like my lifeline. (laughs) Since, if you exercise, your body gradually improves. I like to feel like I’m doing something and getting better. If you look at other people posting their progress, you can see their bodies change dramatically, but I’m not very strict about my diet, so it’s not like that for me. (laughs) Still, I can feel my frame changing bit by bit.

I saw in the ��ARMY Corner Store” video uploaded to YouTube for the 2021 FESTA celebration of your eighth anniversary that your life is focused on doing work and making appearances these days. Has following that repetitive routine led to any changes in your life? RM: My daily routine has become very clear-cut. Now that it’s been exactly a year since I started doing this mid-last year, I kind of think, So is this how people live? I have to go to work and come home, then there’s things I need to do there, and things I have to keep up with like exercise. And same for checking out exhibits. And so I thought my nature itself has changed a lot over the course of a year, but I don’t know whether it’s good for me as a creator.

Why’s that? RM: There was so much that happened with BTS, but with the current situation, sometimes it felt like those things were just things happening on my phone. When I’m listening to other music or watching something I’ll sometimes think about how I would do it, but my life is what it is right now, so I can only draw on things from my own life.

In that case, how did it feel to keep up the energy for your Grammys performance and for everything related to “Butter”? RM: I was really happy that we added one more thing to our list of accomplishments. I think our team really needed the work itself. It made me realize we still have things left to achieve. And I want to thank ARMY above all others for making all of this possible. I’m Korean, so I’m no stranger to finding joy in accomplishment. (laughs) It was really satisfying and nice. It would’ve been better if we got a Grammy, but so what if we didn’t? In the end, getting it means you have one more trophy at home, and after that your daily routine repeats.

How was writing the lyrics for “Butter”? Your performance with SUGA works to kick the energy of the second half of the song up a notch, but I also think, strikes a balance to improve the song as a whole. Your short rap feels like a fusion of American pop and BTS’s distinctive style. RM: That’s the part I spent the most time on. Even though the song’s in English, I thought we should make it feel like our own, so we kept the original but put a little of our own flavor in at the end.

I felt that fine-tuning turned out well. It’s short, but I think it would’ve been a very different song without that part. RM: It’d feel like something’s missing if it weren’t there, right? (laughs) I felt like we absolutely had to have it in there. There’s something different about us from American pop stars. Our DNA is different.

How was making “Permission to Dance”? You can count on one hand how many BTS songs have a message as positive as in that song. RM: Right. They talked about putting some rap in “Permission to Dance” while we were working on it, but we said it would never work. I have more fun when I’m singing and dancing than anything else. I think this song was one of the few times that I felt like I was just having fun while singing and dancing on it. It feels amazing to give into the song with your whole body and just laugh instead of thinking about it too much. I think that’s the power of the song. I wasn’t stressed preparing for it like I was with “Butter.” When it came to “Butter,” I had to think about what we should show off and how I could do that. I’m always careful not to be a problem within the group dynamic. But I didn’t really have to worry about that with “Permission to Dance.” Honestly, I felt like I only needed to add just a dash of the enjoyment I felt.

After the unimaginable continued success of “Dynamite” and “Butter,” this song feels a little more laid back. RM: Oh, this is really fun. Just like that. And there’s a line in the lyrics that says, “We don’t need to worry / ’Cause when we fall we know how to land.” The message is universal, but you could say it’s also something BTS has been saying all along.

You talked about “2! 3!” on “ARMY’s Corner Store,” saying, “2015 to 2017 was a tough time for us and our fans.” Were you able to say that because you ended up knowing how to “land”? RM: What I do can be thought of as a sort of business—a person-to-person kind of business. That’s why I want to be as honest with ARMY as I can be, almost obsessively so. They say it can’t happen in the world of K-pop, and there’s an aspect of good faith to that because I don’t want to worry the fans, but I want to tell them about the things we’ve been through as much as I can. Another reason I talked about those times was that I wanted to pay off my debts to a lot of people. To pass over this story like it never happened would be like saying “that’s not us.” And because it’s in the past. I think that, since it’s in the past, and since we’re doing all right now, and since those days were clearly necessary, I think we have to be able to talk about just how difficult a time that was.

It feels like that was something you wanted to convey to your fans, too. RM: Sometimes we’re artists whose souls are full to our very cores, sometimes we’re meticulous office workers, and sometimes we’re part of the hyper-patriotic “do-you-know club.” We’re many things all at once—that’s why we talked about persona and ego. It’s sort of painful and lonely to want to talk about these things to this extent, but I guess that’s who I am. I want to express myself in full.

Would you say that the song “Bicycle,” released during 2021 FESTA, shows who you are as a person? You talked about your everyday emotions using a bicycle as a metaphor. RM: I’ve faced a lot of pressure while making music throughout my life to move ahead a little more or make music that stands out better, from minor things like my rap technique to bigger things like trends. I wanted to be good at rapping and I wanted some recognition. In that sense, you could say “Bicycle” is somewhat defiant. I wanted to release a song to celebrate FESTA, but the subject matter is really important to me specifically. Bicycles hold an important place in my heart, so that’s just what I ended up writing about. The song’s something like a compass, telling me where I’m at right now, I feel like. My present-day life is the input, so that was going to end up being the output one way or another.

There’s a part in the lyrics where you say, “When you’re happy, it makes you sad.” I imagined you riding your bike and contemplating your life. RM: My feelings kind of go to extremes whenever I ride my bike. My personality used to run to both extremes sometimes, but it also comes back to me again on its own when I ride a bike. When I ride my bike, I’m free from the pressure of the things I’m supposed to feel and think about. I don’t care if people recognize me, and that’s the closest I get to feeling free, mentally and physically—when I’m riding fast and feeling like I’m up on a cloud.

In my case, there’s a big bookstore in my neighborhood, and there’s times when I’ll walk all the way there by myself and think over what kind of person I am while choosing which books to buy. Somehow it makes me think of that. RM: I read a book by Lee Seok Won from Sister’s Barbershop recently. He was contemplating why he likes bookstores. He remembered how not only is it noisy, but everybody’s staring at their books and not looking at anyone else, and there’s a kind of freedom in that. I really sympathize with that. So I make time to go to the bookstore and spend a little more time reading.

I end up talking to myself just by looking at all the book covers at the store. In a way, it’s contemplation on contemplation, but it seems to be an especially necessary time for you. RM: I think I’d be pretty bored without it, since I’ve been too sheltered lately. Read! Work out! Go to galleries! Ride my bike! (laughs)

So writing “Bicycle” was an experience that you had to go through anyways, even though we’re not sure where you’ve come from, where you’re at now, or where you’re headed to. RM: Exactly. It was exactly that kind of milestone of a song for me, and I think I kept that in mind to some degree when I released it for FESTA. I agreed to do something at first, but then I asked myself what I should do and that came to mind immediately: Let’s just do something about bikes.

Even the music has deep connections to all the music you’ve ever listened to, from folk to the hip hop and Korean indie scenes. RM: You’re right. I drew on music from the people who’ve had an impact on my life—artists I’ve been listening to lately, like Elliott Smith and Jeff Buckley, and groups like KIRINJI.

It’s interesting how the end result is a song whose style is difficult to attribute to any one era. Neither the sentiment nor the sound is retro, nor do they reflect current trends. RM: I, and our team, are, you could say, at the forefront of pop, so after I made “Bicycle” we wondered whether we should go with it. But that’s actually why I ended up doing it this way instead. Because that’s what my life looks like right now. It’s good for me just to get to know myself this way, but I don’t want to trap myself, either. On the other hand, I’m interested in artists from all around the world who are totally different from me. There’s even people who make music on a whim and who don’t care about the genre whose music I’m interested in now. It’s—how should I say this? Anyway, I’m at some place in my life, I guess. (laughs)

Last year, in an interview with Weverse Magazine, you said, “I’m just 27 in Korean age.” I think “Bicycle” might be your own response to that statement—the song of someone who grew up listening to Drake in Korea. RM: You got it. Exactly. Drake’s the one who made me think I could sing, too, back in 2009 (laughs) and that’s what brought me all the way here. In the past I wanted to do something just like Drake—he influences Western music as the musical style he’s after changes. But because I don’t live my life the way they do, I can’t make the exact same music as them.

And for that reason, I figured it’s the kind of song that would end up on the playlists of people like you, as it has a style that can express that sort of person’s overall feelings more than any specific genre can. RM: That’s how it usually turns out eventually. I sometimes think this way: Can’t I put “Bicycle” on the same mixtape as some songs that are made totally off the cuff, like I just talked about? I wish I had that kind of flare or image when I made songs, but nowadays I’m really slow at making them. I can’t think of lyrics as well as I used to, either. I have more avenues to absorb new things, and yet the output coming from inside of me is ridiculously limited, and extremely slow. They say there’s plenty of stories of artists from the past going up to their canvas and being unable to pick up their brush and screaming, “Who am I?” That’s sort of how I’m feeling. I’ve been working on a mixtape since 2019, but I haven’t finished that many songs.

Well, maybe it’s because the direction you want to take with your lyrics has changed. That is, that you’re trying to express the ideas you’ve built up inside yourself, instead of your experiences or social commentary. RM: That’s why I can’t write lyrics as fast as I used to. I don’t know what I’m doing, so I have no choice but to just write first. And that’s why I think Yoongi is such an amazing person. I mean, how does he make that many songs, and so well? Maybe it’s because he takes a producer’s point of view, but I can’t do that. Not only am I jealous, but I also think the starting point when I’m making music has to be the lyrics. I just—I hope I’m on my way somewhere. But that’s how I always feel (laughs) so when I listen to my stuff from two years ago now, it already sounds old.

You’re featured on eAeon’s “Don’t,” which boasts impressive lyrics as well—lyrics that start with the color of waves and end with an image of pebbles. It seem like it’s your interest in art that allows you to keep developing such visual images. RM: I can’t say for sure, but it’s likely a strong reflection. I had seen an article where an artist said that pebbles are the perfect form: a rock worn down over and over in a series of incidents and coincidences, made into some round shape in the end. It said the artist collected pebbles for a long time, saying pebbles are so perfectly smooth without any edges, although they’re neither perfect circles nor ovals. Also, I absolutely love Lee Qoede. I saw a quote in a book about his art: “Let’s become entangled. Let us stand united. Let’s not argue. And let’s become pebbles in the new leadership narrative of my country.” He wrote it in a letter while he was working during the country’s liberation period. I thought it was, what, a very modern way to express things, for someone who lived through the chaotic political circumstances of 1948 to want to become a pebble. I felt like his words still have meaning—like they live on. I guess those two artists’ use of the word “pebble” made a very lasting impression on me.

I was impressed how the relatively large waves give way to the image of small pebbles, and then you end the flow with lyrics like, “Don’t take that name away, the one only you know,” and “I hate being just any wildflower,” about a small presence that is defined by others. RM: Yes, it was fun. I once thought how people’s relationships are like crashing waves, and I think that mixed together with my thoughts about pebbles and it came out all at once. There’s a sentence I wrote down a long time ago while I was thinking by the sea. I thought, Is there any color in the waves? When people talk about waves crashing in, what waves are they talking about? The blue waves, or the white waves? I went completely overboard with emotion when I was thinking that (laughs) but again, that’s just me. So I wrote this one sentence—“I wonder what color the waves are”—and listened to the music eAeon gave me, and it sounded to me like fog rolling over the ocean. It was really easy to start writing the lyrics since the sensory perception of that sentence overlapped with what he gave me. It was a so-called “aha moment” (laughs) and whenever that happens, the lyrics come out of me all at once. It only took about an hour and a half to write the lyrics. I thought of more lyrics later on, but I ended up sticking with the first ones.

What are you looking for that you’re thinking that much? RM: In the end, it’s really important for me to ask about who I am, and I want to express who I found myself out to be, but I’m having a really difficult time because I don’t know if what I found is right. So for now, “Bicycle” is also the result of collecting the selves I found who I think represent the best of me. Even while making a song like “Bicycle,” I have to convey—how do I put this? It’s just about me, this kid from outside the big city—an essence that I can’t get rid of, I guess. I can’t let go of the kid who used to perform in Hongdae. It’s not really something I want to express or hold onto; it’s my essence, so I don’t really have a choice. (laughs)

You’ll just ride your bike, anyhow. RM: Exactly. Exactly that. (laughs)

#bangtan #rm #m:weverse magazine #210730

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akatsuki-shin · 4 years ago

Text

Review: 天官赐福 Tiān Guān Cì Fú (Heaven Official's Blessing)

Notes:

(Very) long post ahead

Contains spoiler

This is my personal review and does not represent the entire audience, you are free to agree or not agree with what I’ve written here

Feel free to reply/send me a message if there are things you want to discuss

Summary:

The most beloved Crown Prince, pride of the Kingdom of Xianle with abundance of talents and achievements, Xie Lian, ascended to Heaven and became a martial god at the young age of 17 on the path to fulfill his dream "to save the common people".

Three years after his ascension, he saw his kingdom beginning to decline and in order to save his beloved country, Xie Lian defied the rules of Heaven and descended back to the mortal realm. Nevertheless, instead of saving them, his interference ended up accelerating the fall of Xianle, annihilating the once prosperous nation under the war of rebellion and a mysterious, horrifying plague.

The people who once praised and worshipped him day and night now condemned him, his devotees left him, they burnt his temples and divine statues, and Xie Lian himself was ultimately banished from the Heaven.

He ascended for the second time a short while later, but was banished once more very soon after. Since then, he lived among the mortals - surviving by collecting junks as he was now branded as the "God of Misfortune", the "Scrap Collecting Immortal".

800 years later, Xie Lian ascended again for the third time. Though having neither temples nor devotees, he accepted his responsibility as a martial god and carried on with his duties until one day, there came a certain, incidental encounter with a mysterious youth clad in red.

STORY: 7/10

TGCF overall is an (almost) complete, satisfying read with well-written twists and development.

Unlike the two previous MXTX's novels, the main pairing here (HuaLian) did not have to go through complicated misunderstandings and is a beautiful representation of love and devotion. Of course, this means there is a lack of conflict between them, but considering all the trials and tribulations the characters have gone through, this lack of conflict feels like a relieving fresh spring amidst the painful and exhausting journey throughout the entire five books.

The best and my most favorite plot twist is the Earth Master Ming Yi having been dead for a while, and the "Ming Yi" we know turns out to be the Black Water Submerging Boats, He Xuan. I'm the kind of person who always suspects characters, but even my furthest suspicion was "only" him being the Reverend of Empty Words, not He Xuan.

Truthfully, prior to reading this novel, I've seen Shi Qingxuan's "MING-XIONG, I'M SORRY x9999" post before without context, and I thought Ming Yi was going to die a tragic death because of Shi Qingxuan. Turns out it's kind of the opposite, huh? Nice one, really.

I also like how each character's "end" feels satisfying. Especially for the villains, they didn't necessarily have to die some tragic, vengeful death, but was provided with an ending that perfectly fits their background story and deeds. For example, in most stories, a character like Xuan Ji would be most likely be given some well-deserved punishment as her death, given everything she's done. But no, in the end she was given a reality check and was finally able to let go of her hundreds of years grudge. And then Qi Rong - I will talk more about him later on in the "Character" section.

One part I really love is the Extra Chapter about the Cave of Ten Thousand Gods. The chapter itself overall is mostly nonsensical and chaotic, but it was just so touching when HuaLian created a "Little Hua Cheng" statue to accompany Xie Lian's "Crown Prince who Pleased the Gods" statue, especially when this Little Hua Cheng statue gave Crown Prince Xie Lian statue a flower, and then Crown Prince Xie Lian received it, lifted him up and carried him in his arms. This one was maybe a bit biased because as much as I love the current HuaLian, I have a special soft spot for the young Xie Lian carrying, cradling the little Hua Cheng back then in the past. ;v;

Though, with all due respect, I must say that TGCF is actually below my expectation.

The biggest issue I have with TGCF is... What is Xie Lian's motivation? What drives him to move forward in the story? What is even the whole story's purpose?

I'm not quite sure how to word this properly, but let me give some examples.

When you read Harry Potter, you know immediately that Voldemort is the bad guy and he must be defeated.

When you read the Lord of the Rings, you know immediately that the One Ring must be destroyed to prevent Sauron from regaining his power.

Or, in MXTX previous works...

In SVSSS, it was clear since the beginning that Shen Yuan's mission is to fix the "Proud Immortal Demon Way" if he wants to survive.

In MDZS, it was clear that Wei Wuxian, together with Lan Wangji's, needs to unravel the mystery behind that fierce left arm. All of their past stories and WangXian getting together in the end are just something they discovered along the way, not the initial "motivation" that drives the character to move forward.

What about TGCF? The Xie Lian who ascended for the third time actually looks like he just wants to go along with the flow, carrying out his duties day by day with responsibility. When Bai Wuxiang later, later, later on appeared to haunt him again, it didn't seem like Xie Lian has any ambition to hunt him down or exact a revenge, just that he wanted to forget about Bai Wuxiang and never recall anything about him ever again. The main character looks like he's not being driven by anything, just...carrying on where the plot takes him? It's just missions after missions and whatever huge things happening in between is just something they accidentally passed by along the way.

At this point, the only purpose of the story I can think of is bringing Hua Cheng and Xie Lian together. The romance is great, I have no complain. But if it's just that, no need to jammed-pack 250+ chapters just to make two people getting together?

Speaking of which, I also think that the way new characters keep being introduced all the way to almost the final showdown of the story feels info dump-ish, because the background story needs to be dropped there along with the characters, but then most of these characters fade away immediately after.

For example, the previous Civil God before Ling Wen, who looks like he’s going to pose some real trouble, but then was easily defeated and was never mentioned again afterwards. And this is especially true for He Xuan; after such a huge arc where he committed such extreme things, after that he was barely mentioned again, even having his “strong impression” leveled down by the joke about him being the poorest Calamity and owing lots of debts to Hua Cheng.

Basically what makes TGCF a long story is because there are too many stories about the side characters in addition to the main characters that are dumped out of the blue instead of slowly being revealed along the way.

Though, I love how the story gradually unravels the "Four Famous Tales" because initially, I thought it wasn't something crucial, and I wished they could've done this for other characters, too.

There is a little bit of plot holes here and there, as in who actually cut open Jian Lan/Lan Chang's baby and made it a ghost, and for what? Even if it turned out that she just met a bad guy or nobody important, at least provide an explanation in one paragraph? Especially because important side characters like Feng Xin and Mu Qing are involved here, so I'm pretty sure us readers need some explanation.

And more importantly, how can Jun Wu become the Emperor martial god? There's no mention about him ascending, only that he annihilated a dynasty of gods before sitting on the throne of the Great Martial Hall. But how can he, like, emitted god-like aura and not some evil aura? Is it because he used to be a god? But he's a ghost? Explanation where???

The gags and comedies are pretty fun, but honestly, the more I read, the more they ruin the atmosphere and suspense, added with the uncalled PDA between Hua Cheng and Xie Lian even during the most important moments. Honestly, I was bored the fuck out of my life from the moment they start fighting Jun Wu with those divine gundams, and only start gaining interest again much later on when Hua Cheng dissipated into butterflies.

Not saying the story's bad. Just... It's not up to my expectation... Characters being inserted here and there with a bunch of background story, gags and a show of PDA being flaunted during crucial moments. And when Mei Nianqing started telling the truth about the Kingdom of Wuyong, that's just plain info dump right there, seriously...

CHARACTERS: 7/10

Interesting characters, but only a few bore a lasting impression on me. Other than the main characters, which are Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, the only side characters (minus Bai Wuxiang as the main villain) who left quite some impression on me were probably just Feng Xin and Mu Qing.

Pei Ming is okay, at least he is still memorable until the end, and his character improved, too.

He Xuan, after having been introduced with such extreme, after his arc is over, was easily forgotten just like that.

Mei Nianqing, is borderline Deus Ex-Machina with a huge chunk of info dump that could solve everything, then he stopped being useful for the rest of the story.

Shi Qingxuan... Honestly, he's almost annoying, too noisy. I don’t hate him (and I kind of like him initially), but the way his character was being handled and presented post-Black Water arc feels disappointingly lazy and he was just there to make the party more merry.

Xie Lian himself, as the protagonist, how do I say this... This is maybe due to the translator's writing style (not MXTX’s fault), but whenever he screams in all capslock, it feels too extreme and borderline OOC? Of course, the original novel written in hanzi couldn't have included capslock.

What's great about him, though, is that despite all he'd gone through, he can still retain a pure heart and could not be swayed to be evil, just as he himself said "Body in the abyss, heart in paradise".

Now Hua Cheng, he is overall a super interesting character and I personally love this type of male characters. But he seriously is way too OP, almost like the original Luo Binghe (Bing-ge) a.k.a. too ideal, too perfect, no flaws, always capable of easily finding a way out in every single peril. I only forgive him for being like this because he dissipated into butterflies at the end of the battle with Jun Wu, making me think "oh, finally he's actually not invincible".

Still, his devotion to Xie Lian is very well written, very well presented, and his "I am forever your most devoted believer" is just downright the most powerful line in the whole story.

Now I promised to talk about Qi Rong, yeah? I haven't the slightest idea why it is even necessary to have Qi Rong as the Night-touring Green Lantern. I mean, yes he is there to make up the number of the Four Great Calamities, but that was for the characters who live in that world. As the novel's reader, I don't see any particularly important roles there for Qi Rong other than being an annoying meme fodder despite his actually pretty-cool first foreshadowing and appearance? Even his issue with Lang Qianqiu does not seem to give that much impact on the overall story, it could've just passed simply being explained in several pages.

Though I'd say he's got the best character development compared to others. Instead of dying as some hateful villain, the way he ended up deciding to protect Guzi at the cost of his own life can already be expected from miles away, but still bittersweet and touching nonetheless - how this crazed, mental person could still love when being presented with such pure, innocent feelings to the point that he acknowledged Guzi as a his own son.

By the way, E Ming and Ruoye are cute, I take no criticism.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS: 8/10

I can't really describe this with words, but MXTX's overall writing technique has greatly improved since MDZS.

It feels more "solid" to read instead of scattered here and there.

The info distribution has improved (fewer info dump compared to before), the story's no longer switching between past and present all of a sudden.

Description of characters and environment are sufficient, the plot is progressing steadily.

Several issues I have with this aspect though, the Prologue being ten pages is just way too long, I don't think I need that much information being stuffed right to my face right from the beginning.

There are excessive use of "Turns out..." every single time an explanation is going to come.

"Xie Lian didn't know whether he should cry or laugh" is honestly has been used probably more than 50 times just in the last two books. Although I'm reading a translation, I'm pretty sure the original Chinese version is being repetitive with this phrase, as well, because the translators couldn't just whip up any other phrase from thin air and put it in someone else's novel.

Almost half of scene transition is always caused by some sudden, external disturbance like "All of a sudden they heard someone's coming", "All of a sudden X visits their room", etc.

OVERALL SCORE: 7.3/10

Worth to read, satisfying overall. The main pairing's love story is just so well written and sweet. As long as you can withstand the violence and gore, though. 😂

TGCF highlights perhaps one of the ugliest natures of mankind: Being nice to someone as long as they're beneficial, and immediately throwing them away once the benefit was no more.

Once that person does not seem to be beneficial anymore, everyone would leave them instantly, even turning on them and start spitting on them without even trying to understand the reason why said person "stopped being beneficial".

Both as a Crown Prince and a martial god, Xie Lian and the Crown Prince of Wuyong were praised, revered, worshipped by the citizens of Xianle and Wuyong respectively. Because they were always helping, always fulfilling the people's wishes. But how easily it was for those very same people to turn on Xie Lian and the Crown Prince of Wuyong when they encountered misfortunes, completely turning a blind eye to the laborious effort both characters have been putting to save them from annihilation, even if it was visible in broad daylight.

It is also worth to note another trait of mankind that this story underlines: To always find a scapegoat or blame others for one's own misfortune and failure - be it another human being, another group of people, the government, even the gods - after having taking their generosity for granted.

Which is why I think the true villain of the story is not Bai Wuxiang, but those citizens of the ancient Wuyong who were now nothing more than resentful spirits eternally burning within the lava of Tonglu Mountain - a well deserved punishment after what they did to their Crown Prince.

#Tian Guan Ci Fu #TGCF #Heaven Officials Blessing #HuaLian #Xie Lian #Hua Cheng #Review #Danmei #MXTX #Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

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little-miss-kitti · 5 years ago

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Your scent

*Ahem* *Ahem* Hello, I tried writing something long...

Not sure if I got Victor’s characterisation correct, so plz feel free to leave feedback <3 I kind of wanted to explore how he would handle the advances of Chik (who we know has made advances on him in the past) after realising he’d fallen in love with MC. Just a lil scenario my brain cooked up ehehe~ hope you like it x

Disclaimer: ITS A LIL BIT NSFW(ish)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Victor could say with great confidence that being CEO never got easier. Thankfully the board meeting that afternoon had gone pretty much according to his expectations, due in part to the preparation he’d done overtime. What he hadn’t expected was to find Chik relaxing leisurely his couch when he entered his penthouse late in the evening, clothed in a tight black dress that exposed too much skin to be comfortable on a chill winter evening. A sly, teasing smile, that had no doubt seduced many men, had crept across her lips at his obvious confusion.

“So, this is what a CEO’s home looks like?” She commented in a pensive tone, eyes wandering around casually. “Your penthouse is quite beautiful.”

“Yes, I’m very fortunate.” Victor said curtly, irritation sparking in his chest. “May I ask what you are doing in it?”

Chik wasn’t fazed by his tone and replied lightly, “Waiting for you, of course.”

Victor was the only one who knew the door code to the penthouse, aside from you and Goldman when you needed to drop files off. But neither of you had reason to tell her. The building manager must have been persuaded to give her the key. He’d settle that problem later.

Deciding that it was important he keep his composure, Victor loosened his tie slightly and went to sit on the sofa opposite, maintaining his air of business.

“Is there something you would like to discuss?” He asked, using the level tone that usually reminded everyone in the room who had the authority. “I assume that’s why you’re here.”

“Why so formal? You can relax with me.” Chik said silkily. “I’m not here for my agency. I’m here for…personal reasons.” The obvious point in her tone left no mystery to her objective, and Victor tried not to show his disgust when she leaned forward deliberately onto her crossed legs to give him a not-so-subtle view of her cleavage.

He didn’t find it difficult to show his disinterest. “Is it personal funding you’re after? With the popularity of your last series I find it hard to believe you’re in need of financial support—”

He was cut off by an indignant scoff. “Jesus, Victor.” Chik rolled her eyes and pushed herself to her feet.

The clicking of her heels on the marble floor as she made her way towards him grated on his already frayed nerves, and he clamped his jaw to keep himself from saying something that might affect his relationship with the agency.

“I know you make it a point not to play around with women, but,” she slid her knees onto the couch on either side of his thighs, straddling his lap. The stench of her perfume was sickeningly overpowering. Wetting her lips, she gazed down at him under long lashes. “Don’t you think you’ve kept me hanging a little too long?”

Victor looked up at her in his unaffected way, attempting to identify what it was that made her so decidedly unattractive to him. Was it that arrogant confidence in the curl of her lip that said she could get whomever she wanted whenever she wanted? Was it the shameless way she’d let herself into his apartment – without removing her shoes – on the assumption that he would give her the attention she so obviously craved? Or was it simply the fact that he was in love with another so completely different to the woman straddling his lap, that he found himself comparing her every move to the one he wanted on top of him.

Victor had seen a lot of confidence throughout his career; most of which unfortunately seemed to stem from the arrogance of constant success with the absence of hard work. Maybe that was one of the reasons you had managed to pique his interest. You’d shown him there was innocence in the confidence of knowing you had the ability to excel, and your unwavering determination to give it your all to make it so. He’d thought your determination to challenge him naïve at first, but humoured your attempt for his own entertainment. When you rose to the challenge, he reluctantly acknowledged your work-ethic and competence as a manager, though noted there was still much room for improvement. It was as he spent more time with you, Victor began to realise why your subordinates loved and respected you so much. It was different to the fearful respect and distant admiration his subordinates had towards him. Rather, yours bantered and laughed with you easily, but respected your decisions and authority as a superior they relied on and looked up to. Your patience and kindness spoke volumes that his curt tone and sharp criticism never could.

After a while it began to affect him too.

Many women had pined for his attention over the years, using their beauty and expected corporate inheritance to flaunt themselves like peacocks in a futile attempt to catch his eye. But you he could read like an open book, so it had been easy to see you had no ulterior motives from the start. In that sense there was something refreshing about the innocence of the friendship that blossomed naturally between you. And the more you revealed of herself, the more he wanted to know.

He’d quickly realised just how fun you were to tease and found great amusement in the vast expanse of your reactions to his playful banter. Sometimes you snapped back with a witty response that had him smiling for the rest of the day, and other times (much to his delight) you could be so lost for words and do nothing but turn your face away with an indignant huff to hide your hot blush. It was in those times that Victor found himself most in danger of acting unpredictably. Even his display of physical affection towards you had become increasingly daring. It started with a gentle pat on your head, then the affectionate tucking of a strand of hair behind your ear, then the graze of his lips against your forehead or eyelids in a way that left you both unsure whether or not it could be defined as a kiss; and one time, you were being so cute that he only just managed to catch himself before he’d taken your face in his hands and kissed you full on the mouth.

And yet at the same time you seemed so oblivious to his affections that Victor felt like he was driving himself into a hole. Surely, he’d made his feelings obvious enough. But then again, even Victor hadn’t realised just how gentle he’d become with you until recently. And you were a dummy, after all.

He was recalled abruptly to the current situation when Chik, tired of waiting for a reaction, ducked her head impatiently and began to press firm kisses to his neck. Disgusted, Victor quickly debated whether it would be ruder to push her off, wipe his neck with a tissue and call security; or just tell her straight that he was not remotely attracted to her or her body. As he decided, Chik’s hand snaked its way down his chest to rest on the crotch of his suit pants. The contact sent a wave of revulsion coursing through Victor’s body, and he grabbed her wrist with ungentlemanly strength. Thinking she’d achieved something, Chik lifted her head victoriously and cast him a smug smile.

“You’re turned on, aren’t you?” she purred against his ear. “Let me help. No one will be able to satisfy you like I can.”

Victor was very much turned off, and if he’d let her continue her aimless palming of his crotch, she would have soon realised he was as limp as a dead fish. The only hands he wanted on him were yours. More than he cared to admit, he allowed his thoughts to stray to the ways he could please you, the way he’d dreamed of hearing you moan his name, and he’d realised his longing to feel the warmth of your body against his. But you weren’t his yet. Perhaps you would never be his, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let another woman fill the position he’d reserved solely for you. Deciding his relationship with the agency could go to hell if they encouraged this manner of behaviour, Victor stood up abruptly, throwing Chik from his lap. She stumbled to catch her footing on the floor and looked at him apprehensively, apparently not quite sure whether to feel confident or concerned.

“There is and will only ever be one woman permitted to sneak into my house uninvited.” Victor said coolly, his voice dangerously low. “And you aren’t her. I will see you to the door.”

Astounded by the silent ire she saw simmering in his dark eyes, Chik realised quickly that he wasn’t just being thoughtlessly dismissive like before. The space in Victor’s heart was now truly taken.

He’d fallen in love.

Accepting her defeat with grace, Chik followed the direction of his extended arm towards the hallway. She paused at the door, slipped a hand in her purse and held up the penthouse key card between her index and middle finger. “You might want to leave this in the hands of someone you trust.”

Victor took it. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He said as he opened the door.

Once Chik was gone, Victor went straight to the laundry room. The overpowering stench of her perfume still clung to his clothes, and knowing it was the scent of another woman repulsed him. Unbuttoning his shirt, Victor tore it from his body, wiped the side of his neck with it, and tossed it straight into the washing machine. The immediate pang of loneliness that stabbed at his heart was unwelcome, and Victor realised just how much he missed the subtle sweetness of your scent. The way he would catch it on the breeze when you walked past, hanging lightly in the air for only a moment and then gone before he could relish it. Or the way the smell of your shampoo made him achingly aware of how close you were. It was then that Victor found himself dialling your number.

You picked up on the third ring. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Just making sure a certain dummy remembers that she has a report due in three days.”

There was a lengthy pause. “Crap.”

All previous notion for the call was forgotten as a deep frown furrowed across Victor’s brow. “Don’t tell me you completely forgot about it.”

“Then I won’t say a thing.” You replied quickly. “I’ll hang up and get straight onto it— bye!”

The line went dead before Victor had time to reply. Dropping his arm, he looked down at his phone in disbelief. Why, oh why, of all women on this earth, did he fall for a dummy?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

AHHHH thank you so much for reading <3 It’s my first time writing something so long so I apologise if it got a lil messy ehe

#mlqc #mr love queens choice #mr love li zeyan #mr love victor #mlqc li zeyan #mlqc victor #mlqc chick #love and producer #mlqc fanfic #mr love fanfic #victor #li zeyan

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shy-lee-chu · 4 years ago

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BTS Discovering That

You Are Ticklish~

Side note: Contains NSFW'ish themes, and mentions of sex. If this kink isn't your thing than feel free to stop reading. Don't forget, my inbox is open for requests~ and please reblog and give me feedbacks so I can improve myself~ love you💙 -Chu

And oh, I was just about to forget..! This reaction is for @anon-giggles , she says she loves my work and so I love hers too. Don't forget to check out her fanfics too, they are quite good I think~ thanks for reading 💙💙💙

Namjoon:

You two were reading your books at your shared bedroom like the nerd couple you were, and you've been reading for almost an hour so namjoon got bored but you were so focused on the chapter you were currently on, you really wanted to know how your book ended and you almost looked like you were in a trans. He stared at you and smiled to himself about how cute you looked. Suddently, he wanted you closer to him so he stood up and laid next to you in the bed, he tried to swoop his arms around your back but you were focused on your story so much that his feather-like fingers catched you off guard and before you even try to supress your giggles building up in your throat, a silly smile was all over your face and your breath hitched without you even realize. You didn't want him to understand that you were ticklish. You tried to hide this information desperately since you started to date. Because you have withnessed him tickling almost all of the members to death a lot before and the idea of him using this playful torture method on you as well, made your blood run cold. Unluckily he noticed the slight change on your mimics, he smirked to himself when he watched your lips shape into a supressed little smile, it was too late for you to hide it from him... He cocked his head to the side and asked mischeviously:

"Sweetheart, is everything okay?"

You tried not to lose your temper about it and answered as cool as possible, you still had a little hope that you could get away from him without being tickled but... You were wrong.

"Yeah joonie, why are you asking?"

You tried to supress your smile by biting on your cheek and you did your best to keep reading that book of yours but your mind couldn't seem to focus on words anymore. You were too nervous and you waited for his next move.

"Oh nothing, you just seemed a little bit giggly all of a sudden"

"I am n-not giggly, w-why would I be giggly namjoon?"

You tried to sound serious but you felt your voice shake and stutter. He chuckled with a deep voice than you felt his index finger, drawing a little, tiny, baby circle on your bare side under the shirt -oh- so slowly, you couldn't help the little giggle out this time. You cursed yourself mentally and blushed for that.

"Oh? What was that? Is somebody.... Hmm how do I say it?... A little... Ticklish?"

This words made you drop the book and look into his mischevious eyes. You could read what was on your mind from his eyes, you understood that this was the end of the road, goodbye world, goodbye friends...

"Namjoon, p-please."

You tried to beg but , he quickly marked the page you were on and turned you around, so you were on your back now. Than he straddled you and pinned your arms above your head pretty quick. He was strong you could feel it from how he grabbed your wrists. He really wanted to tickle you, he was so happy that he discovered that you were actually ticklish. Now it was time for him to have some fun.

"We've been dating for almost two years! How dare you hide something like this from me? Ah I am so disappointed jagi~"

He mocked and spidered his fingers all over your tummy, making you squeak and pour cute giggles out of your mouth. It tickled a lot more than you've expected.

"Nahahahamjohohooniehehahahahaha! Wahahait nohohohahhahaha!!!"

You squirmed from left to right and tried to get away from his evil fingers but, haha! You failed every single time miserably. Namjoon was just hovering above you and smirking to your desperate reactions. It made him feel so powerful to watch you squirm and try to get away. You looked so innocent, and so ticklish~

"You know how much I enjoy tickling baby ! Why did you hide this from me? Well you know what? Actually whatever.... you are going to get what you deserve now as a PUNISHMENT!"

"Well... j-johohonie this is why I tried to hide w-WAIT NO P-PLEASE I BEG YOU!!- "

He than went crasy over your midsection, scratching your underarms, poking your sides and ribs and sometimes kneading the area... having quite fun since your reactions were so amusing to him.

"Tickle tickle tickle, my pretty, helpless, ticklish baby~!"

"JOONIEAHAHAHA! STOHPAHAHAH~ PL-AHAHAHAHAH PLEAH-HAHAHAH!!"

"Stop? But baby we just started~ "

you tried to form sentences and plead but you could barely breathe from how bad it tickled all you could do was stomp your feet wildy on the bed and arch your back. He was cooing at you with a deep voice, his teases were wrecking you alone by itself. You squirming wildly and arching your back only lead you back to the bed and your cute torture continued over 20 minutes, he was mean but playfull at the same time, he leaned down and started to plant butterfly kisses all over your ribs, he also nibbled your ribs.

"Mmm~ you are so delicious. I never knew that ticklish people have tasty ribs~"

He than decided to take things to another level and lean down to blow a deepsarpberry at your belly button, he nuzzled his face there as he did so, letting his hair dance on the sensitive skin back and fourth, his free hand went up to your armpit and gave no mercy, he scribbled away randomly and that was when tears started to roll down your cheeks because of how hard you were laughing and your laughter went silent. He quickly understand you needed air and stopped. Massaged you to get rid of the ghost tickles...

"Well well well... You were ticklish huh? Why have I never noticed that before? Oh and by the way don't think you are in the clear yet honey! I am not anything near done with you yet!!"

He said cockily, smirking at you. You rolled your eyes but than smiled back when he wrapped his arms around you and hugged you this time. You couldn't hate him no matter what. And you two fell asleep in eachother's embrace.

Seokjin:

You were playfully wrestling with him. Actually it was more like you've jumped on his back and started to yell like a madman. He just laughed at how childish you were and spinned you around. You giggled cutely at first because it was one of your favourite activities, being childish with your boyfriend.

"SEHEHEOKJIN PUHUHUT ME DOHOHOWN!"

"NO, YOU STARTED THIS! NOW YOU HAVE TO STAY THERE AND SPIN FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!"

You two yelled back and fourth playfully. But than you started to feel dizzy because he had been spinning you around a little too fast~ you patted his back, signing him to stop. You weren't really feeling good.

"B-BABY I AM G-GOING TO TH-THROW UP STOOPP!!!"

He slowed down and waited for you to calm down on his wide shoulders he was still smiling at you but he was also worried on the inside.

"You alright jagi?"

"Yes , I mean... I guess am much better now... Thank you..."

You jumped down from him and shook your head from side to side.

"Geez... That was seriously so crasy~"

He smiled to you and tried to pick you up once again in his arms but he tried to lift you up from your armpits. It tickled a little and you jumped away from him. Your reaction suprized him very much but soon that suprized expression turned into a little smirk and you could see his hands shaping into little, teasy claws. To be honest, you didn't need to be told twice and started to run as fast as you can. Anywhere away from him. He started to run after you. So the chase started... You both ran around the house untill you two were out of breath. You legs couldn't carry you anymore so you collapsed on the floor. Jin had a little more stamina, he approached you slowly, he was also tired but that didn't stop him from achieveing his goal; "tickling you"! He giggled at you on the floor and started to drag you to the nearby couch, pulling you from your ankles. You and him were still panting so you didn't fight but.... You didn't want to be tickled as well. You panicked. Your flustered face made him smirk and chuckle at you, who's on the floor.

"Wh-where are you dragging me? L-let me go, please!"

You tried to grab the furniture on your way but your hands slipped due to the tiredness. And jin didn't say a word he just dragged you on the floor and finally he sat on a couch, your back was still on the floor than he took your feet in his lap and locked them between his thigs, his feet were on your tummy, slightly pushing to keep your back on the ground.

"Y-you don't have to do this Seokjinie~ Please let me goho!"

You pleaded with puppy eyes, you were so ticklish and the anticipation made it even worse.

"No no no jagi, I ran all around the house. Just to tickle you ! And I am not going to let you go unless I am satisfied !"

He talked to you and smirked calmy, you made eye contact and shook your head as "no" but he wiggled his fingers right above your feet. Than without a warning , he lightly scribbled on one of your feet to seek reaction, you curled your toes and laughed loud, you didn't expect to laugh this much from such light tickling. You closed your mouth with both hands and this made him smirk even wider. Oh boi... You were dead now...

"NOHOHO J-Jinie pleahahahse dohohon't"

You squirmed but no avail, his slender fingers had already started their assault on you vunerable and ticklish area tickling up and down, he show you no mercy, scribbling your both feet at a goddamn speed and using his manicured nails as well, you'd swear you were losing your mind little by little by every second. Nothing was working, curling your toes, kicking your feet. Squirming your soles away from him, his fingers followed them no matter what you do.

"NOHOHOAHAHAHAHA PLEAHAHAHASE NOHOHOT THEHEHEHERE PLEAHAHA!"

"Yes there! It makes you laugh so much... Hmm, you know what?... Wait... What if I-..."

"NOHOHAHAHAHAHA GOHOHOHOD STAHAHAHAP STAHAHAHA-!"

You went hysterics because he decided to attack your poor toes and under them by pulling them back with his only one damn hand, thanks to it's size he firmly kept them in place and made you cry out with pure ticklish agony. Your laughter became bubbly and you were hiccuping while you laugh and he was enjoying his torture so much as you could tell from his laughter and the silly smile stuck on his face. He let you go but not before he made sure that you couldn't take even a single stroke anymore. He even used his toes to tickle your tummy and it provided him a good reaction out of you, you howled with laughter..

It all was a little too much, but you both seem to enjoy it even if it was mean.

"M-meheheanie~"

You pouted. You were still giggling due to the ghost tickles on your feet.

"Ah, sorry jagi... You were so cute, I got carried away haha~"

He decided to pick you up and place you on his lap, turned the tv on to watch a movie togeather after your tickle marathon, he caressed and played with your hair untill you were quick asleep on his lap. He smiled softly at you and kissed your forhead. Blushed a little as you giggled in your sleep...

Yoongi:

You both were so tired after a long week of work and finally you had some free time to be lazy on the shared bed of yours togeather, it was almost noon but you two didn't seem to get out of the bed yet. You loved sleeping and so did yoongi but you two needed to get up somehow, yoongi was the first one who opened his eyes and turned around to see your sleepy face, he giggled to himself and shook you to wake you up.

"Baby, it's almost noon, we're missing the day come on. We need to wake up"

He shaked you sleepily but you groaned and turned around, your butt was facing him now. That made yoongi a little annoyed but you were too cute so he giggled at your half sleepy half angry state.

"Come on Y/N-ah! You can't sleep for eternity!"

He didn't know what he was about to withness when he poked your back but his pouty face turned into a deadly smirk when you giggled a little in your sleep.

"Oh, so we are ticklish huh? I see... I think I know how do I wake you up now..."

He talked to himself before pushing you on the bed and sitting on your butt, than he pinned your arms under his legs, he wiggled his fingers and cracked his knuckles loudly when he finished rolling your shirt up to expose your back, his soft fingertips wasted no time with gently tickling your shoulderblades, he traced the word "Ticklish" over and over to the both sides, earning sleepy chuckles from you. That made him smile as a start. He was really gentle with tickles and they were comforting at the same time for now but things were about to go south for you....

"You are so sensitive baby girl, how the hell I didn't notice this before?"

He said with his deep, sleepy voice.

He kept tickling gently down your spine, his soft hands made you feel like there were more than just his hands tickling you. You started to squirm and wake up little by little and you realized that he was on top of you and you had no way out. You cursed yourself for not waking up in the first place and your laughter started to get louder and more shrill as he made his was down to your lower back

"AHAHAHAHISH! YOHOHONGIHIHIHI STOHOHOP! NAHAHAHAT THEHEHERE!"

you squirmed and screamed as you feel his nails teasing your sides from the back but not touching your lower back yet. He noticed that you get more ticklish on the way down your spine and he wanted to save the best for the last. So he just teased your sides and ribs , going up and down and keeping you on your toes but not killing you... At least yet...

"Hmm so, you get more ticklish all the way down here."

He gently trailed his finger down your spine and pulling right before it touches the lower back, earning a loud, flustered squeal from you. The fact that he was able to read your body language like a book made you gulp and get more flustered if that is even possible.

"That is really fun actually you know? You can't even get out, all you can do is flailing like a fish out of water~ I guess I am going to use this weakness of yours in the future a lot~"

He smirked and than stopped teasing, there was a quick silence than he scrathed and spidered his fingers all across your lower back this time, pretty determined to make you cry and scream with laughter. You stomped your feet and tried to stop him with pleads and apologies but nothing seemed to be working.

"YOHOHOHONGIEHAHAHA- STAHAHAHAP PLEAHAHAHA I AHAHAM I-AHAHAHA SOHOHORRY!! SOHOHOHORRY! PLEAHAHAHASE~ NAHAAHAHA!!!"

You laughed hystericly and your head kept shaking from side to side and you couldn't even control your laughter anymore, he sneaked his fingers to your sides and armpits from the back and chuckled darkly as you tried to escape him non-stop... He could torture you without effort, it was fun... really fun. He was sure for one thing now, you were awake. He went on and on with his sweet torture for some time which felt like thousand years to you, he wanted to finish this tickle session strong so he bent down and blew raspberries on your back and his hands squeezed your sides and ribs, letting your hands go but you were laughing way too intense to move even a single finger as he did so, you were out of breath and crying with laughter once he was done with you. He gave you some time to breathe properly again than jumped out of the bed and also picked you up.

" That was fun, but now let's have a shover together kitten~"

An exhausted smile appeared on your lips and you wrapped your arms around his neck, unable to stop blushing while he carried you to the bathroom.

Hoseok:

He decided to take you out on one of your usual date nights, those nights where you watch a movie togeather and maybe go to a luxury restaurant. He loved spoiling you and showing you affection by those simple nights and you loved it too.

Now you two were out of the cinema, his arms wrapped around your waist, you two were giggling and hugging occasionally like cheesy teenage couples. People passing by laughed and smiled at you two, you were looking so happy yet so silly. You than headed to the restaurant, it was kind of a ritual. You've always went to the same restaurant and sat down at the same place, this time was no different.

"Hey jagi, come here sit please~"

He said in a low tone while pulling your chair back for you to sit, you sat down still giggling at him and he happily pushed the chair back to it's place. He was so funny and he always found a way to make you smile and laugh, he was really a sunshine. Finally he sat down across you and you ordered your dishes. He held your hand and smiled to himself , thinking that he loved every single bit of you and he couldn't wait to find out more about you and get to know you more. He didn't know that he was going to discover something that was going to cheer you up both it the future and he could use as a weapon against you. So the food came and you started eating. You chatted as you ate but than he unconsciously touched your thigs under the table. You bit your lip and tried not to giggle but unluckily he noticed the slight change of your behaviour, he cocked his head to the side and sneakily squeezed your thigh, you squeaked and jumped in your seat than covered your mouth with both hands and he chuckled, feeling powerful over you. And a little mischevious.

"Tsk tsk tsk jagi... You are squeaking like a toy! How emberassing! Ah~ we don't want the other customers to hear you squeaking and giggling do we? Sshhh jagi you must keep quiet!"

"H-hohohobihihihi hahaha ! Nohohahhaha! Pleahahase, I cahahant!! STAHAHAHhahahaha"

He wishpered a tease and kept spidering his fingers up and down your thigs, making you unble to control your laughter and squirm in your seat cutely. He continued and stopped after the other customers really started to watch you this time. He winked at you and turned all of his attention to his food. He was really happy that you were ticklish, he would never ever stop tickling you, he thought to himself.

"So you are extremely ticklish hm? That information is going to come handy in future. And what I mean by future is...."

He looked at his watch and hummed.

"Probably 2 hours later~ I would prepare myself if I were you beautiful~"

He was talking in a low, teasing tone that made shivers go down your spine. You rolled your eyes and tried not to lose your temper about it but even swallowing your food was too hard for you now. But than finally the atmosphere soon warmed and you talked about your day again, it made you forget what happened five minutes ago but he was planning what he was going to do to you when you arrive home in his head. He just made you forget by talking, he was planning to catch you off guard. Soon you two finished eating and you thanked him for the meal. He held your hand like the gentleman he is and you two togeather walked to his car and he drove you two home. You entered the house and once you put down your stuff and hanged your coat you felt a couple of hands resting on your shoulders and a warm breath right next to your ear, he growled.

"I guess, I have an unfinished business with you young lady hm~?"

You gulped and turned around. You stared into his eyes with a tint of pink across your cheeks.

"H-hoseok please n-not that anything but that!"

He chuckled at you.

"...."

"....."

Than after a couple seconds of staring you started to run around the house like a madman, you never ran faster before. He was chasing you but actually he was letting you go on purpose, he wanted you to be exhausted so you couldn't fight back when his hands were finally on you.

He cornered you in your bedroom after a long chase and you were just pleading non-stop to be set free, he approached you with claw hands closer and closer, you were alredy giggling before he even touched you.

"Hohohobihihihi plehahahase!"

He shook his head from side to side

"There is no escape from me and my evil , tickling fingers I want you squirming and laughing under me RAWR!"

he jumped on you and tackled you to the bed, he immediately began squeezing your thigs and you squealed as a start than dissolved into ticklish laughter, you were so tired but still were squirming madly, you seriously hated being this ticklish. It could get you weak in seconds.

"Aww what's wrong jagi? Are you too ticklish to take it? You can't handle it? Adorable!"

He was also laughing at you as he tickled, you tried to grab his hands but he was much stronger and you just decided to hit him with everything you can, tears started to form in the corner of your eyes and he noticed that, he pulled your hands down and pinned them under him and smirked at you

"Ah and you are hitting your boyfriend now! How rude!"

He said and now he focused on your hips and thigs at the same time. He tickled your inner thigs , he squeezed them and went up to your hips again, brushing his fingertips lighlty to make you cry and howl with laughter , this went on and on and by the end of the night, you were panting like a dog with the most red cheeks on the entire planet. He smiled and let your hands go , than hovered above you again.

"I don't know about you jagi but you look even more beautiful when you are tickled and exhausted, I need to do this more often~"

He wishpered and chuckled, than kissed you. He kissed you slowly and passionately. No need to say that you guys ended it steamy that night.

Jimin:

Jimin and you were cooking in the kitchen, the room was filled with the smell of delicious food, you had some ramen with some steak and it was a hard work to cook all of those togeather, you were running around the kitchen and trying to be all quick, jimin was also having trouble not burning the steak and preparing vegeatbles at the same time. But you guys were having fun and you enjoyed doing something togeather once a while.

"Baby! Pass the salt! Jiminie!!"

You yelled and he nodded passing you the salt without even looking at you. You took the salt and sprinked it on top of some egg. Another side dish that you've wanted to eat along with the ramen.

"Y/N , baby I need the salt now, pass it quick!"

He reached out and made grabby hands but.. he reched for your side and squeezed it gently as an accident instead of reaching for your hand and you jumped to the other side and fell on the floor, his action caught you off guard.

"H-hehey! Th-that's not salt!"

You whined and couldn't help the tiny giggles escaping your mouth before you could even close it. He stopped for a second, your cute giggles were amusing to him. He smirked and giggled to himself that he found out one of your weaknesses and this one was a huge weakness of yours he could tell~ he chuckled but didn't stop looking at the steak he was cooking.

"What was that jagi? Did I just hear you... Laugh? "

He suddently changed his voice into a deeper one and almost purred as he spoke and teased. You blushed madly and didn't say a word, you were focused on the ramen and the other side dishes but you were dying inside, you tried so hard not to giggle when he was tracing your back and tummy when you were watching movies togeather or you bit your lip every time he caressed your side in public and you pushed his hands away slowly, not to arouse suspicion when he was massaging your thigs in a ticklish way . But now your ultimate weakness was exposed and you felt your hearbeat racing, and you'd swear he could feel it too.

"What's wrong jagi? Did cat get your tongue? Why are you so quiet all of a sudden?"

You stuttered and tried to talk back for the first time.

"I a-am tring to make this r-ramen more delicious b-baby I am busy. Sorry I didn't h-hear what you said c-can you repeat it?"

You mumbled but the food was ready, he knew it, you knew it... You didn't have any excuses left to escape. He smirked and turned the oven off and turned his attention to you and your deadly ticklish body, his new discovery made him lick his lips in hunger. Just the thought of the laughter and the giggles he will earn from you with the simplest , feathery touch of his fingers.... Ahh man, he was dying just to pin you down and wreck you as he pleases. And so... He took teasing steps towards you, turned you around and pushed your back on the kitchen counter, of course there were no food behind you, and pinned your arms over your head.

"I believe that my ears heard a little laughter as you "passed" me the salt am I right Y/N?"

He giggled and used his free hand to turn your chin towards himself.

"N-no jimin w-wait , what are you doing?"

"One simple question jagi... Are you... Ticklish?"

He teasingly walked two fingers from your hips to your sides and all the way up to your armpits. His eyes were sparkling with excitement as your tiny body squirmed and ticklish laughter poured out helplessly, you had no choice but laugh for him, you were trapped!

"N-Nhahahaha I ahaham nohot! Y-you are wa-wahahahasting your time"

You tried to lie but obviously he wasn't buying it.

"Tsk tsk tsk... What a bad liar! How dare you lie to me! I have to punish you and teach you a lesson about lieing to your boyfriend now~"

He darkly chuckled and you felt his fingers getting under your shirt and slowly stroking your navel and sides.

"wh-WHAHAHAT AHAHAhahabohout ThehehHEHE FOHOHOOD?!"

"I guess... It can wait a little as we have some fun..."

With that being said he went full on spidering, poking and prodding your tummy, slowly moving up to your ribs and armpits and searching for weakspots but luckily, your sensitive body never failed to amaze him, you were cackling wherever and whenever he touched, you were so so sensitive and it was so much fun to torture you... At least to him.

"Aish, what a ticklish baby under me! Too bad that you have no strenght to escape or stop me right? You just can lay there and laugh! That's really adorable! Tickle tickle, laugh and suffer my sensitive pray!"

He teased so mean and lowered his head, suddently there were raspberries placed strongly on your belly and bellybutton as his free hand scratched your hollows, switching from side to side mercilessly

"Actually this would be a good way to make you laugh when you are grupmy~ what do you think Y/N hm~?"

He was teasing meanly knowing that you were too weak to answer and you focused on laughing, he was half smiling half smirking at you, your reactions and your suffering body were priceless. He stopped right before you were about to pass out from his skilled fingers, he than picked you up and took you to the couch to snuggle, he just hugged you tight and your tired body happily accepted it, you feel your eyes closing up.

"J-jimin, food..."

You mumbled sleepily and he kissed your forehead and patted your hair.

"It can wait jagi, you need a good rest. I almost tickled you to death and I am so sorry my love"

He wishpered and giggled quietly than rubbed your back to help you sleep a little, he waited and also took a quick nap himself as you slept and you two ate the things you cooked after you woke up, but since than it was a must for you to be tickled every day even just for two seconds.

Taehyung:

It all started when jungkook took Taehyung's soda and drank it all himself. Taehyung got mad at him and pinned him down with a rush and started to tickle him out of his mind, everbody knew that jungkook was incredibly sensitive so it wasn't hard for Taehyung to make him go hysterics. He was so mean and he teased the poor maknae mercilessly, making him regret laying his hands on Taehyung's soda in the first place.

"WAHAHAHAHAHA HYUHUHUHUNGIHIHIE! SAHAHHAAHARRY I AHAHAHAM SOHAHAHAHARRY PWEAHAHASE!"

"Is our maknae too ticklish to take it? Aww too bad! What a better way to teach you not drink my drinks again~ Tickle tickle tickle poor kookie, there is no escape for you!"

Jungkook squirmed under Taehyung and howled with shrill laughter, the scene was so cute for everyone. Everyone was smiling from ear to ear, except one person... Except you... You were flustered beyong belief, the maknae's suffering and his useless attempts of escaping the evil , slender fingers made you blush and feel sorry for him. Seeing him being ticklish like this also made you feel ticklish in a way that you don't know. You had to bite your lips to suppress ticklish giggles that your butterflies caused in your tummy, you were hugging yourself and watching jungkook with a flustered expression and your boyfriend was having too much fun making the younger male suffer under his skilled hands, being the oldest among 3 siblings, Taehyung was highly experienced about tickling and he mastered the art of tickling anyone to death. Bangtan knew it and they always avoided getting in tickle fights with him. They all were at least once being tickled by his cruel fingers and you could tell from their faces that they all know very well how much it tickles the maknae as they coo at him, some of the members ,such as hoseok and jimin, had a sour expession , they felt pity for jungkook. The rest were enjoying themselves so much, they were smiling and giggling ear to ear and some of the members helped taehyung tease jungkook further. Almost everyone seemed to be having fun, but you and your butterflies and your flushed cheeks were stopping you from enjoying the scene, you couldn't help yourself imagining how bad those slender fingers would feel on your body, you were sentive, maybe a bit too sensitive for this. Soon you needed some fresh air to calm yourself down and you quietly sneaked into the bathroom. You washed your face and stared at yourself in the mirror for some time, than you started to mumble about the things that just happened.

"Did h-he really have to tickle him in front of everyone? Oh my GOD, he gave him no mercy!! What if he finds out that I am ticklish as well? NOO I am taking this secret to my grave! AHHH WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? WHY AM I EVEN BLUSHING?"

you were lost in your thoughts but you didn't know something, Taehyung had been watching your every single reaction before you left, he tortured the maknae so long on purpose. He noticed that something was wrong with you when he heard a tiny squeak, he raised his head up and saw you hugging yourself and blushing. He avoided eye contact but kept torturing the maknae, watching you from the corner of his eye. He smirked to himself and watched you crumble into flustered pieces whenever he made him laugh with ticklish agony, you were so much fun to play with. He continued untill you got out of the room, and he stopped as well when you went to the bathroom. Poor jungkook was about to pass out from laughing so hard without breathing properly.

"N-nohoho mohohore! I cahahan't tahahake it anymohore!Ahh I can feel my abs appearing now"

"Let this be a lesson kookie, Don't mess with your hyung's soda or else you know what's coming for you! And by the way you already have abs. You don't need me tickling you to death."

He scribbled his fingers quickly on his abs again and giggled at the maknae as he curled into a ball, cackling once again

"MeheheHEHEan!"

Tae stood up and told the other members that he had to use the bathroom, he wanted to torture another pray. A pray that was too innocent for their good. He chuckled quietly and licked his lips, his hands were so itchy, he wanted to tickle you and see for himself how ticklish you were. So he quietly climbed up the stairs and found which bathroom you were in. He first listened from outside and your words caused a cruel smirk appear on his face

"What if he finds out that I am ticklish as well?..."

BINGO! Now nobody could save you from the upcoming torture. He giggled quietly and walked behind you calmly, caressing your hair and speaking in a low tone. You were more than suprized when he walked in from the door out of nowhere. Your heartbeat raised once again.

"T-t-taehyung!? I thought y-you were with the bo-boys!"

"I was baby but... I got concerned when you walked out with a blushing face, you seemed so nervous what happened love?"

You could sense the mischievousness in his voice and you completely understood what he aimed when you made eye-contact with him from the mirror. This made you gulp and him chuckle.

"N-nothing w-why? I-I am absolutely f-fine"

You stuttered amd answered but the devilish grin on his face and the blush on your face was making everything harder for you to hide your fear. The nervous atmosphere heated up even more all of a sudden as he pinned your body between his body and the bathroom wall, you squeaked and looked him in the eyes, almost pleading for him to let go.

"Oh~ what a cute squeak! Just like I heard when I was tickling kookie~"

He smirked and stroked your neck gently while you were still pinned between him and wall, you couldn't help but scrunch your neck to the side and puff your cheeks out cutely to prevent giggling his smirk grew wider.

"I bet you are soo ticklish, actually too ticklish for your own good. Am I wrong love?"

He chuckled

"Let's give it a try and find it out shall we?"

And before you could even protest you were being lifted up on his lap and forced you to wrap your legs around his waist

"Wait Tae, where are we go- Mhmm~!!"

Before you could even protest Taehyung crushed his lips on yours and started to kiss you, he muffled your voice and distracted you at the same time, your mind went more and more jelly with each kiss, soon you found yourself in a bedroom and thrown on the bed as he locked the door behind you two and smirked. You backed away in the bed, feeling ticklish alredy.

"D-don't you d-dare K-kim T-taehyung!"

"I don't dare what love~?"

"Y-you know what it is!"

"Hmm do I? I don't know baby you need to be more specific, what do you exacty don't want me to do?"

He approached you slowly and you backed away in the bed untill your back hit the head of the bed, you gulped.

"D-don't you d-dare tickling me! B-back off! "

He chuckled and searched for the drawers than he pulled out a cuff and spinned it with his one hand

"I don't know baby, well you never told me you were ticklish! In fact you always said no when I asked you so, I believe you deserve this treatment anyway, don't worry it's not gonna hurt~"

He jumped on you and cuffed your hands to the bedpost before you could even blink your eye. The only thing you know was that you were cuffed to the head of the bed and now your back was on the matress now. He sat on your thigs and cracked his knuckles, than lightly trailed his fingertips up and down your sides, you started to giggle and squirm.

"B-bahahaby n-nohoHOHOHOHO! DOHOHhohohon't doho this toho mehe!"

"Shhh, lay there and laugh for me baby, nothing can save you from this right now, be a good pray and laugh. Than maybe I will show mercy but for now..."

He digged in your ribs, poked and clawed everywhere, he didn't even miss the gaps in between your bones, your nerves were alight with ticklish sensations, your laughter got super loud in a second and you were screaming and squirming under his tall body and cruel fingers, just like jungkook did minutes ago

"NOHOHOHO AHAHAHA! YAHAHAHA IHIHIT TIHIHICKLEHEHEHES! PLEAHAHAHASE!"

"You look so helpless and that's adorable, I can't believe you've hid something like this from me for this long! Laugh for me! Laugh more! I will tickle all of your sensitive spots!"

He teased and tickled non-stop, making you snort cutely and stomp your feet on the bed, he was having too much fun to stop at the moment. It had been only 5 minutes but it felt like hours to you. Soon he moved down to claw at your tummy and sides, he was so gentle yet it was so so so cruel, it was actually way too much for an overly sensitive body like yours. He leaned down soon and started to kiss and nibble your tummy and sides, his hand travelling yo your armpits and scratching gently.

"NAHAHAHA TAHAHAE I CAHAHAHNT NOHOHO MOHOHORE STAHAHAP! STAHAHAHAHA-NAHAHA!"

you screamed but he didn't stop, he only slowed down and got faster again when he though you could breathe properly again. Your torture went like this on and on... Needless to say that he left no spots untouched. You wanted to get your hands down and to stop him but it was impossible thanks to the cuffs that he used. You just laid there and took it untill you started to laugh shrill and tears rushed down your face. Taehyung was nibbling and kissing your neck as his hands fluttered around your sides and inner thighs when your laughter turned to silent. He took this as a sign to stop and cuffed you immediately, he giggled.

"You are really fun to tickle you know?"

He snuggled by your side, you were just too tired to talk back so you happily accepted his embrace and hugged back, you two fell asleep on the bed in the room that you were locked in.

Jungkook:

Jungkook and you decided to clean his attic on a saturday evening, you grabbed everything you needed and went up to the attic, it was dusty and made you both sneeze and cough a coupe times when you first entered there. Jungkook finally found the window and opened it so there was finally oxygen in the dark attic.

"You alright baby? You look like you've swallowed all the dust in the room"

"No kookie I am fine *cough* B-but it's really dusty here we gotta be quick and clean it all up"

He giggled and patted your hair, he nodded and handed you the bucket full of water so you two started cleaning, you spent hours there. Finding his old memories, dusting them off. Playing with his old toys, comparing his childhood photos with himself now. You had so much fun and also you swalloved lots and lots of dust. But you didn't care because it was a great opportunity to spend time with your boyfrined and get to know eachother more as you smiled at the memories togeather and thanked for everything that happened back then so you were finally here now. You just kept on doing the cleaning; dusting, wiping the floors etc. and soon you've noticed some christmas decorations at the corner, his mother must have been keeping them there for the next christmas. You got interested in them and started off with dusting the artificial christmas three. It blew out a huge wave of dust and caused you two to cough your lungs out as soon as you touched it. You waited for the dust to fly out from the window and you also wanted to check the other decorations out, but as you were walking towards them your feet tangled to something and you fell down on the floor and rolled around yourself with the little momentum, you tried to wiggle but you soon realized that you were almost wrapped in a mummy by the Christmas lights surrounding you. You tried to squirm but no avail, you were tied down so damn securely with just a few rolls on the floor. You had no other chance but to call for help.

"Kook! B-baby help I am stuck I can't move!"

You yelled and soon a sweaty and dusty jungkook appeared from the other side of the room.

"Yeah baby what do you wa-"

He stood there and widened his eyes, than he fell on the floor and laughed uncontrollably, he thought your clumsiness was way too funny he laughed and laughed on the floor untill his abs hurt and there were tears in his eyes. He wiped them off and panted.

"How did you even managed to wrap yourself up like that oh my god what am I going to do with you jagi?"

He smiled but you were pouting

"N-not funny jungkook let me out please, I can't even move a single finger!"

You squirmed like a worm again to show him how much you're stuck and this made him laugh at you again but than he stopped and crouched down right next to you.

"Let's see if I can get you out from this trouble..."

He focused on the wires, he sticked his finger between your tummy and the wire and wiggled it slightly, this caused you to snort a little and puff your cheeks, it tickled. Luckily he didn't notice it. He continued sticking his fingers at a random place on your body and pulling the wire to himself, he was searching for a weak spot to untie you. Your hands were tied above your head and your armpits were exposed, soon he finally sticked his fingers carefully between your armpit and the wire and wiggled it there but you couldn't seem to hold it in anymore, you started to giggle and squirm. It really tickled this time.

"B-bahahaby! N-nohohot thehehehere!"

Jungkook cocked his head to the side, raised his eyebrow and smirked. He never knew you were ticklish.

"Oh don't tell me that you're ticklish..."

You gulped and gave him puppy eyes, you had nowhere to run and you could do nothing to stop him. You were tied way too tight for that. You started to plead.

"Please jungkook no! I can't even move. Get me out here please!! Don't do that I beg you!"

This plead caused him to chuckle and he stickled his both fingers under the wires at both of your armpits, this time he wasn't wiggling them to get you out, this time he was stroking your armpits softly and tickling there, he was so gentle with your hollows, it felt like thousant feathers were gliding up and down. He stroked, tapped and poked the skin while watching you squirm helplessly. Needles to say that you were a flustered little puddle on the floor, trying to move away or do anything to stop him but... It was useless. You laughed really loud and blushed, being helpless and tied like that made you more sensitive and shy. You begged in between your fits of laughter.

"BAHAHABY N-NOHOHOHO! L-LIHIHISTEN TOHO MEHEHEHE! STOHOP ! STAHAHAHAP!"

he was giggling at you and showing his famous bunny smile. Your laughter was like music to his ears, he really loved tickling you and it looked like this was the first one of many many tickle sessions that you two will have in the future.

"Aww you really are so ticklish! Look ! You are flailing like a fish out of water! Tickle tickle~ coochie coochie coo~!!"

He cooed with a gentle voice but soon he got bored tickling your armpits, he sneaked his fingers in your ribs and poked you there rapidly he than poked there with one hand and kneaded your ribs with the other.

"Which one tickles more jagi hmm? Do you like the pokes or the kneading better, I guess kneading makes you laugh louder, I will tickle every inch of your body~ you can't move can you? Aww~ you are all at my mercy!"

He smirked and moved down to your tummy, your shirt was riddled up a little bit, giving him opportunities to blow deadly ticklish rapberries from the gaps and nibbling there with his lips. He pretended like he was eating you and his hands poked your ribs and neck, adding more tickles to the sweet torture of yours. He smirked into your tummy and didn't speak, he never thought tickling you like this would be so much fun.

"YAHAHAHAHAAA KOOKIEHEHEHE NOHOHO PLEHAHAHAASE I WOHOULD DOHO ANYTHING AAHAHAHA JUHUST STAHAHAP IHIT ! MEHEHEHERCY!"

You squirmed side to side and soon he stopped but the evil wheels in his head won't stop turning.

"I haven't tried all of your spots yet! There is one more that I want to tickle"

He grabbed your shoes and pulled them off and sat on the floor right front of them making you gulp and try to kick but you looked like a mermaid on earth.

"J-jungkook no! Don't you dare!"

"What? I am not doing anything!"

He made eye contact with you and drew his index finger all the way up from your heels, made you squeak and flinch. He giggled at that and cracked his knuckles and his neck. You got more flustered. He wiggled his finglers threateningly and landed them on your socked feet, scratching randomly on your immoblie feet. You started to howl with laughter and roll side to side. This made him chuckle darkly and coo at you.

"AHAHAHAHA YOHOHOU JEHEHEHERK! STAHAHAHA-"

"Oh calling me a jerk! How dare you!"

He pulled your socks out and smirked.

"Oh look my paint brushes from my art class!"

You gulped

"I- k-kookie, my beautiful baby. Pl-please... We can talk about it... You d-don't have to d-do this... L-let me out please I can't take it anymore"

You begged but he shook his head side to side as no.

"Oh you just called me a jerk and now you want to be released? Not a chance in hell jagi~ oh and look! What a beautiful canvas!"

He grabbed two paintbrushes and glided them up and down your soles, you swear you were losing your mind with each bristle hitting your sensitive skin. They went up , down and side to side. Keeping you on your toes constantly, at this point you were too weak, even to beg and you could just lay there and take it. You tried to beg but your sentences were being interrupted by your own fits of laughter every single time. And than little tickle monster jungkook focused under your toes and your arches, made you cry with laughter and go silent this time. He stopped finally, right when you were about to pass out. He finally found the weak part of the wires and untied you, than cuddled you close in his lap, kissed your cheeks lovingly.

"I never thought that tickling could be this fun. Your laughter is my favorite symphony~"

He wishpered and let you take a quick nap on his lap, with a pink blush on your cheeks. He caressed your hair and held you tight.

#tickle community #tickle #taehyung #tickle tease #kim taehyung #tickling #bts tickle #bts tickle fic #ler bts #bts jin #bts jungkook #tickle fic #tickle blog #imagine #tickle fanfic

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ohnobjyx · 4 years ago

Text

A sudden snow storm

Part 2: March

(Okay, second time I’m writing this post, as soon as I finish it, I’ll post it).

Disclaimer: I try to keep things objective (if I include my personal opinion, it’s in cursive and in brackets), but I’m biased because of the XZ friendly content I’m usually exposed to and by my own views of their situation. Open to discussion, but please make sure you’ve enough information to do so.

First of all, let’s keep in mind that I present here a rather negative part of the C- society. That’s because we are placing a magnifying glass on a small part of the fandom, so by no means all C-fans are like this. These are all a minority.

However, in the midst of so negative things, we find the reason why I think XZ will overcome this. He is overcoming it.

Targeting his endorsements

So, taking it from the first part, antis and haters were furious because they believed that XZ’s Studio had paid w/ibo to take his hashtag down of the hot search list. Some of them started to say that the only acceptable outcome for them was that XZ retired from the entertainment industry.

That night, Olay was to air a livestream with a product that XZ was going to endorse, and antis realized that they had a new way to express their anger. They turned to the “live comment” option of the livestream and flooded it with hate comments about XZ. Their comments and their interventions during the event made it impossible to progress adequately, and the announcement of XZ endorsing the product had to be put off.

So when they realized what they could do, antis and haters started to announce that didn’t just reject the products endorsed by XZ, they also rejected the brands that worked with him. In the face of such controversy and boycott, more and more brands chose another spoke person temporarily for their commercials and banners, removing XZ’s from their websites. Some of the companies even terminated their contracts with him, fearing the boycott from the antis.

From March, the antis centered themselves around the topic “Not buying products XZ endorses”, making his value go downwards at least for that time.

Douban

By the 3rd day ao3 was down, the reality sank in and people turned to douban, were C/QL, The Joy of Life, Jade Dynasty were in the top 3, all of them series were XZ is lead actor or secondary actor. The antis placed bad reviews on each drama XZ acted in, to the point of bringing down the score of C/QL from 8’5 to 7’9 in a single day (we are talking of around 1′5 million reviews in total), affecting every project he has worked on since the beginning of his career as an actor.

Public scorn

XZ as well as XZ fans became the objective of public scorn. From the 1st of March, some of the accusers apologized for “the problems caused”, and the one that had led the report posted a public apology and deleted every post related to the reporting. However, it seemed obvious to the rest of the users that they were apologizing against their will, and that they still thought they weren’t wrong, but it was done in an effort to preserve XZ’s public image, as well as their own image as XZ’s fans.

The conflict ceased between XZ’s fans and cp fans, now uniting in an effort to do damage control. They agreed to bring down the tone of the discussion, and once things cooled down a bit, XZ Studio posted a public apology, asking people to support their idol rationally, to speak and act carefully, as well as saying that XZ was currently quarantined at home.

With the attention on the antis, they started to dig up the dirt of XZ’s fans. It’s a sad truth that some of his fans had taken sometimes unreasonable measures to give him the spotlight, such as:

Making him the center of attention in a tv drama in which another actor was the male lead. They took over the community in w/ibo and started to remove all of the other actor’s fans from the group.

Some fans attacked WYB, so XZ wouldn’t have to “share” his success from C/QL with him. They reported WYB for not having a “host degree” (whatever that is). This was shot down by a statement from Hunan TV, by the way.

(By the way, WYB’s antis also tried to attack him using this incident, saying that his company and he had paid millions to create the smear campaign against XZ, to bring him down so WYB wouldn’t have to “share” endorsements with him... but these were all deemed ridiculous by most people, and it is).

Attacking whoever says that they don’t have any interest in XZ’s works (a professor was asked to have a look at his works, and he refused, so XZ’s stans started to attack him).

(A lot of people resented XZ’s fans for the 2/27 incident, and wanted a scapegoat. You can’t chase hundreds of people on the Internet, it’s easier to make a celebrity your target, which also hurts the people who offended you in the first place. It’s a “you take away what I love, so I’ll hurt what you love” kind of thinking. However, “professional” antis... they have their own agenda, which I’m not completely sure of what it is).

XZ Studio’s apology didn’t do much and the drama continued to unfold. Maybe XZ’s Studio wanted to wait for the storm to pass, and since acknowledging the issue would give it importance, they waited until they couldn’t put it off anymore. I don’t know if this was actually right or wrong, but people weren’t satisfied with this apology.

XZ’s fans would try to argue with the antis, and thus keeping the image of obsessive fans, even if many of them were actually right.

Fanfiction writers, mostly from the BJYX fandom, would receive insults and attacks from antis and XZ’s stans still pursuing their original stance, so a lot of content has disappeared.

(To this point: I don’t like RPS. I don’t read RPS fanfics. I didn’t like seeing them and adjusted the filters in ao3 so I could only see fanfics from CQL. But attacking the authors this way is also terribly wrong).

To take responsibility

XZ had previously signed contracts with several companies, with WJJW being the main stockholder. Since he was under so many companies, none of them wanted to take responsibility of the incident and try to solve it. Thus, it was left to XZ’s Studio and his public relations team to try to fix this problem.

Investors, directors and brands’ representatives all thought that this would take at least half a year for XZ to recover from this blow. It also depends greatly on how his next work is received by the general public. He still has the support from his fans, but that alone wasn’t enough in the face of such boycott.

Though the reaction of the entertainment industry will be detailed below, it’s also noteworthy that in the first days, some people (the MC from his 爱不是si interview, a critic) posted that XZ should step up and say something about the matter. There were only a couple of cases, and the positive responses outnumbers them, but since they are public figures, it attracted a lot of attention.

(I’m not so surprised that they’d choose to side with the public opinion... but to add oil to flames like this doesn’t seem very kind to me. But, again, this a very competitive industry).

XZ’s fans public welfare project

So, in the midst of this situation, which was very serious at the time, XZ’s fans public welfare group was founded with the support of XZ’s Studio.

It served to contrast with the disruptive, obsessive behaviour of the sasaengs, and proved that idols can use their influence to unite a large group of people to serve purposes that are beneficial to the society.

It came in a “good” moment, because if nothing else, XZ can’t afford that the first that comes to mind to the general public when they see him or his fans is this small group of people, who are the representation of the worst part of fandom culture.

(Since this project has the support of his studio, he must know of it and must have given his approval. But he is not the one to actually initiate the project, that was a collective effort from his fans, to do welfare projects in his name. He collaborates with welfare projects, he has done it before, and did it again in June. This a reflection of a more positive part of fan quan culture, which will be explained in part 3).

However, because he was in the middle of great controversy and criticism, this move was also considered “hypocritical and insincere” by the antis. Nonetheless, the influence such a large group of people have is undeniable (in promoting local commerce in this case), and the local representatives thanked them for their support. They kept on with their projects these months, usually promoting agricultural products from impoverished provinces. They were also praised by the media for the results they achieved.

For those who are inclined to doubt whether this was a move to improve his image, here it’s a compilation of charity and public welfare projects that XZ’s fans pushed forward in 2019, collecting money for numerous projects and 620.000¥ as epidemic relief effort during the coronavirus period, that started in December 2019.

This group also became a source of controversy in later months. It seems some people will never be satisfied, no matter what we do.

Support

However, people did realize (I think) that most of his fans gives him support silently. There are of course fervent people who jump to defend him, but that kind of behaviour is discouraged by XZ’s studio (what I said in this post that ignoring the antis is the greatest way to defeat them).

When seeing those comments and false rumours from the antis, fans tried to contribute posting positive things they had seen XZ doing or remembering his gestures with the people around him. Even people who weren’t his fans, also supported him. For example, a lawyer analysed the incident and declared that the fanfic had indeed violated Chinese laws (for damaging his reputation).

(However, there is an opinion that I agree more with: not liking a content doesn’t give you the right to manage it. That’s the responsibility, the duty and the right of the platform that hosts it. If you find a content unsuitable for that platform, you can report it to the platform and they’ll take it down if it’s indeed unsuitable. But to report it to the authorities seems overdoing it for me).

And now, no matter how important it’s the support from his fans, fact remains that his fans are people who don’t know him personally. Fans only get to see his public persona.

So it was extremely important and a very good sign that people from inside the industry expressed their support.

People he had worked with (actresses, actor, directors) posted comments praising him or expressing their dismay for his situation. One of them praised him in a direct livestream. Later in May, a screenwriter and director also posted a bewildered comment of why he was being attacked like that (to name a couple of cases).

I think that this was essential to his “recovery”. It’s a true give away of XZ’s character that well-known people step up and speak for him, especially if we take into consideration that they are facing a group of unreasonable antis and a very competitive industry, where one down it’s one less to compete with.

(For transparency reasons: some of them would actually be benefited if XZ’s reputation is recovered, like his coworkers from OOL. This is also a dangerous move, because it may turn the antis’ attention on them. But it’s also true that there were people who were “neutral” to this: supporting XZ didn’t bring them any benefit in the short term).

It was also a good sign that while brands still avoided his image, tv programs didn’t shy away from his image. Happy Camp emitted a video in which XZ appeared, so fans interpreted this as a sign of silent support from the program and the tv channel.

This was also very important. There have been cases before, when an actor was being seriously criticized by the public, that tv stations refused to work with him. In the case that an episode had already been filmed, they used photoshop to erase his image and simply cut the episode so all of his interventions and interactions with other participants were deleted.

(To those who are curious, this man had been a very successful actor for many years. He’d been “happily” married and has a 20 years old son. But when it was revealed that he had been keeping a mistress for two decades, he fell out of public favor. Quick.)

(See that space there, between the girl with cargo pants and the man in blue suit? Such are the miracles of Photoshop.

We are talking here about a week’s time. The episode was filmed on Friday and due to be aired next Friday. His affair was found out that week. In less than a day, the post-production team successfully deleted his every trace in the episode. So, if they believe it necessary, they can be very resolute and decisive).

So if an actor has really committed a mistake, the entertainment circle will not hesitate to take away their support. It’s also a way to say that they disapprove of what that person did.

XZ’s very brief appearance in Happy Camp was an auspicious sign for his future, meaning that he will work again in the industry since tv stations don’t refuse to work with his image, and that his dramas will likely be aired in spite of everything (I’ve never been happier to be wrong, since I thought this would take longer to pass).

It was also positive that in spite of everything, the sales of the products he endorses remained high and in the lead, in March, and the trend continued all the way to July.

←Part 1: First snowflakes | Part 3: Why does it snow?→

#gg's situation #part 2 of 7 #my post

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maxparkhurst · 4 years ago

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How did you create your characters? What was your process?

TMI Tuesday: How did you create your characters? What was your process?

// <offers out a chair> You’re going to want to sit for this. It’s going to be a LONG story. For those who’re looking for a short answer: I’m actually in the middle of creating these two. Edits and tweaks are always being made to make them appear real and true. And it’s thanks to everyone on here and in-game that they’ve progressed so much.

Now for the long version.

Evolving as an Author:

Maxinora and Augustine Parkhurst are a culmination of ideas inspired by a myriad of things. The process of creating them isn’t linear. It has a lot of pit falls, unexpected twists and turns, and a ton of hills. To understand how we got the current versions of these two, we need to go back a couple years ago.

It’s the summer of 2012. In efforts to get me off of his account, my Dad gifted me my own. This was when I made my first ever serious roleplay character- a hunter named Evelon Holmwood. Well, at the time I spelled it like Evavllyn but...Yeah. We’re going to gloss over that fact. Now, Eve was my pride and joy for the last several years. I played this character nonstop, refusing to play or write about anyone else. In retrospect, I used this character more as therapy than anything of creative merit.

Eve’s story was basic at best. But I got better with story-telling the older I got. Unfortunately, her story got so convoluted that I had hard time salvaging anything from it. Now, you’re probably asking: How does this relate to Max? Fear not. I’m getting there. It was around this existential crisis that a mutual friend of my boyfriend and I convinced us to leave WoW and hop on SWTOR. My boyfriend was more than eager to make the switch but I was skeptical. Leaving WoW meant leaving Eve. And was I ready for that?

He assured me I was and helped me make a character on SWTOR. This was the first iteration of Max. A bounty hunter from Nar’Shadda named Maxinora Fenrik. My intentions was to make her a lowkey copy of Eve. At this time, I wasn’t very confident in my writing abilities and liked to stay in my lane. But, the more I roleplayed this character the more she took on a life of her own. She evolved past Eve and exceeded my expectations. Playing a new character bolstered my confidence and while I no longer play SWTOR -due to OOC reasons- I still have fond memories with this character. I enjoyed this character so much that I reused several components of her design when making Max. Some which include her name and being blind in one eye.

I flipped between the MMOs when Legion dropped. Expenses started to pile up and between the two subscriptions I didn’t have the time to play both. In the end, WoW won my affection and I made a Blood Elf because I had friends on Horde Side. Rorien Hawkthorne was her name. A drunk artist and master assassin. She’d be the second iteration of Max. She had an older sister complex, an affinity for being melancholy, and it was my first experience with playing a character who could kept secrets- or tried to at least. Another new character under the belt and I was feeling a little more confident in my story telling abilities. I’d probably would’ve kept playing that character if not for OOC drama happening in a guild I was in. The fallout had me jump back to the Alliance where I indulged in creature comforts. It was back to Eve.

Tumblr made an entrance in my life around then as I ventured forth with a refreshed look on my hunter. I salvaged what I could and made a half-decent story. A lot of her misadventures are still posted up on her blog @evelonholmwood On the side I made the third iteration of Max. A fire mage and blacksmith combo by the name of Rowan Celwick with her younger brother Thomas Celwick. They were just two orphaned kids trying to make a life in Stormwind. Rowan was an arcane drop-out and blacksmith wannabe and Thomas...Was...Well? Thomas? A glorified side-piece? A way to garner pity for Rowan. I didn’t place a lot of emphasis on them or their characters. My main focus was Eve. But these two would be the underlying foundation of Max and Auggie’s characters.

I eventually took a hiatus from WoW and focused on more personal writing. The details are boring so I’ll gloss over it by saying that creating a character completely from scratch was the final push in the right direction for me. Fast forward several months to a year aaaaaand BOOM! Pandemic.

Writing is an escape for me. It’s one of my best coping mechanisms during trying times. And when nothing else works, I over indulge in some Warcraft. So, I resubbed. There was hesitance when re-entering the RP scene. I didn’t leave Eve’s story off on an convenient note. For lack of better phrasing, I wrote myself into a hole I couldn’t get out of. So, with the help of my boyfriend, I decided it was time to give Eve her happy ending and shelf her for good.

Which put me in a dilemma! Who was I going to RP? Well, you remember the Celwicks? They became my newest project.

The Creative Process:

I knew the Celwick story was weak and read much like a middle-school fanfiction. Revising was a must. But there were integral pieces to their story which I enjoyed:

Familial Sacrifice

Juxtaposing concepts

Intertwined Fates

These were themes I could work with and evolve. Keeping these in mind, I started to deconstruct the Celwick story line. They were no longer Gilnean but Kul’tiran. This prompted a name change from Celwick to Parkhurst. And I won’t lie, I like the sound of Parkhurst better than Celwick. Thomas became Augustine and Rowan became Maxinora (Mainly because I actually HAD the name Maxinora and not Rowan). The little changes got me hyped for the characters.

Next, I started to trim away the unnecessary details that bogged down the narrative. Things that either didn’t fit or made the timeline too convoluted were replaced. Pyromancy was a great example. The age I wanted Max to be wouldn’t yield to her understanding of Pyromancy. At least, not to the level I WANTED it to be. SO, I turned it into lament’s magic. Alchemy. (I also always wanted to play an alchemist since watching FMA)

A girl with two professions seemed excessive as well. I had to look at why I wanted her to be both an Alchemist and a Blacksmith. The answer was simple. I just liked the juxtaposition of an intelligent woman being rough and tumble. Which made me ask: Was Blacksmithing necessary to achieve that imagine? The answer was no. To pay respect to her previous iteration, I made their parents blacksmiths. It also let me keep themes of fire in her concept. The change in profession brought on a change in her appearance. I made her a little more slender to fit with the alchemist appeal.

Max’s aesthetic was brought on by my previous characters. Rorien inspired more internal facets of Max while Fenrik inspired outward appearances. Max’s auburn was strictly a decision made on the fact that I had one too many character’s with black hair. There wasn’t any other reason for it.

Designing Max was easy. The real challenge was with Augustine. Up until that point, all I had to go on for his character was Tommy Celwick and...Well. There wasn’t a lot there. He wasn’t much more than a poorly used trope and I considered doing away with him all together. But I realized that I REALLY liked the trope and I liked what he did for Max’s character. So, I buckled down and made myself think through all the reasons why Thomas Celwick -AKA Augustine Parkhust- needed to exist.

I decided that I needed him in order to present themes in Max’s story. He was the foil to her character. Cynic older sister? Meet optimistic brother. He also appealed to not only the three themes listed above, but also the newest one I wanted to explore: two sides of the same coin. Max and Augustine are simultaneously the same, having similar traumas, and yet different. If for nothing else, Augustine could help propel Max in the right direction. Be her moral compass, you know? With a bit of half-assing here and there, I managed to get a decent character out of Augustine. Took the cliche nerdy brother idea, physical design and all, and ran with it. Shortly after I made their Tumblr account. In no way did I expect this BOY to take on a life of his own. Like, Auggie knocked on my brain’s door and was like, “Yeah. No. I’m not a side character. Give me my own story...”

Which will bring me into my final point!

The Characters Write Their Own Story:

I’ve never been able to sit down and plan a story. My mind doesn’t work in such a structured fashion. It wanders and explores. When I’m creating, I’m watching. Watching the scenes play out before my eyes as these characters take what I’ve given them and grow into something almost independent of me. The basic pieces of Max and Auggie’s back story, along with character design, were purposeful. Yes. But everything that came after was THEM.

It’s cliche, I know, but I can’t describe this experience any other way. These two grew outside of my influence and now dominate a space in my brain. They talk, work, and interact without me. I mean...Not REALLY. But...It feels like that. It feels I’m watching through a keyhole and just recording what I see as their story plays out.

I guess a better analogy is me being the director. I’m watching the movie in the stands as two actors improv. On good days, I’m in control and rework scenes until I’m satisfied with the results. Try this. Move here. Say this. On bad days, I don’t see anything. My actors went home. The lights are off. Show’s cancelled for the day. These days make me sad...But they’re worth it because on the BEST days...The best days Max and Auggie run the whole show, and I am watching through the keyhole as their story unfolds little by little.

It’s truly magical.

The last part of their creation was the voice. Character voice, for me, is like building muscle. You need to work out. Start small and work your way up in weight. Every little piece I wrote made their voices stronger; and that’s including asks and threads. Interacting with other characters helped to flesh them out as people. And while it was hard and intimidating at first, it’s started to become easier.

Wrap-Up

My method is messy and untrained. I don’t claim to have any secrets. My knowledge of writing is mediocre at best. But I’m having fun. And that’s were the real magic of any character comes in. Fun. Because if you aren’t writing about something that sparks your soul- either with love, happiness, hatred, etc- then it’s nothing more than a forced, hollow husk. Writing is meant to evoke emotion. At least in mind. And want to express complex emotions and share them. In a perfect world? My characters -any of my characters- resonates with someone. They become the escape someone needed. That’s the ultimate goal.

It’s thanks to all of you that Max and Auggie have come this far. It’s from their interactions with others that they’ve managed to evolve into something incredible- especially Augustine. He just kept shining brighter and brighter until I felt obligated to make him an in-game character. So, you all are just as much a part in the creative process as me. Thank you!

And a special thanks to my boyfriend for always being a sound board for my rambling ass <3

THANK YOU FOR THE ASK, ANON! Sorry I posted an essay...<3

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things2mustdo · 4 years ago

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Last year I gave up my Krav Maga self-defense training when I was in the middle of changing jobs. I never picked it back up.

While I stay quite busy splitting my time between my three main sources of income, last month I began to feel like something was missing. I was getting too comfortable with my daily routine– bored, too.

So I decided to start training in martial arts again, this time signing up for a Muay Thai gym. It’s already reinvigorated my sense of drive across other areas of my life. Here are the top 5 reasons you should start a new hobby today.

1. It breaks up your current routine

As humans we search for a sense of regularity. We often find it in our daily activities.

For example, my days typically consist of working from home in the morning, primarily on my computer, lifting weights, and then training a few clients in the late afternoon and evening. I enjoy this routine, but flying on autopilot has its dangers.

You aren’t as sharp. Everything is too calculated and expected. By training in Muay Thai every other day I have something new to look forward to. It also has changed my lifting routine, to accommodate for the added exercise and fatigue.

2. It pushes you outside of your comfort zone

When I stepped into the Muay Thai gym for the first time I didn’t know what to expect. It was a lot different than the place I used to train Krav Maga at– more serious, less friendly even.

The seasoned fighters looked at me with a sense of superiority. And they were superior. But rather than backing down, being nervous, and quitting after one day– I took this as a challenge.

I was far from comfortable training that day. I wasn’t able to execute crisp Thai kicks or jump rope like a boss. But being too comfortable can be a bad thing. You’ll cease to explore new opportunities and your growth with falter across the board.

By throwing yourself at something new, that you’re inexperienced at, you’ll be pushed outside of your comfort zone. This is a good thing. You must stay accustomed to living at the edge of your comfort zone to ensure steady growth and progress.

3. You’ll learn new skills

This point is obvious. By taking Muay Thai, I’ll learn a host of new fighting skills.

4. It gives you a new area to set goals for

The habit of setting and achieving goals is the most important habit a man can build. By entering into a new hobby, you now have a whole new area of your life that where you can practice setting and accomplishing goals.

For my Muay Thai experience I’ll start small. My first goal is to be able to execute a Thai kick with my left and have it feel as natural as with my right. I’ll work my way up to bigger goals as I improve.

This is the beauty of starting at something from scratch. At first you’ll set one small goal after another. This cycle will build momentum, and before you know it, you’ll no longer be a novice. More importantly, this momentum will carry over to other areas of your life and give you the confidence to crush more and bigger goals.

5. You’ll meet new people

Another obvious point. When you try something new, you’re bound to meet new people. Whether these turn out to be man friends or cute girls depends on the hobby you choose, but either way meeting new people is always a positive thing.

Potential Hobbies

I’ll leave you with a short list of potential hobbies for you to try today:

1. Martial arts/self-defense: Muay Thai, Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, Krav Maga 2. Cooking 3. Salsa Dancing 4. Lifting weights (you should already be doing this) 5. Yoga 6. Writing 7. Mountain Biking

Check out my new #1 Amazon Bestseller, The Book of Alpha. It’s full of direct, actionable advice for the man who wants to better himself.