#RIP Tian Chen

[kennys-friend]

Mama Liu liked the posters I made 🥹❤️‍🩹

[rebelscumbabe]

I think the hardest thing about Tian-Chen's death is seeing how much she meant to everyone.

The way Sara brings the dress to Kristi and Jade.

The way Boyd runs to hold her the minute he's free.

Ethan needing to give her her blanket and doing so at her funeral.

How Jade sits with her body so she's not alone and promising to bring her out of there when they get free.

Kenny not wanting to hear his mom having passed and every scene with him after.

Kristi cleaning up her body for Kenny.

Donna running into town not wanting to believe it.

Tian-Chen was the mom of that town. She was the heart of the town. Her being tortured to death wasn't only to break Boyd, it was to rip the hope from everyone in town. Maybe the people from the bus wouldn't care. But everyone else does. And I think her death is the worst one they've faced. Most certainly the most emotional one.

[scentedluminarysoul]

From season 3 is brutal. I cried a lot during episode 2

I really liked that Julie addressed Jim dropping the ball and not being the parent she and Ethan need. He just left his kids alone to fend for themselves and they almost died. Yes, he did have the realization that Tabitha went to the lighthouse alone precisely so that if something happened to her, their kids would only lose one parent. But Jim immediately ran off and tried to get himself killed.

What Julie addresses is the parentification she experienced, when she had to be Ethan's parent at age 15. It's not okay.

Fatima. What the fuck. She's so growing a monster baby.

I can't state enough how much I love that Donna and Clara are fat women who just exist and their weight is never brought up and they're never insulted for it, even amidst a fold shortage. Chef's kiss!

I don't need to talk about Harold Perrineau's performance. It's Harold Perrineau.

But honestly, everyone is just so good and raw and human.

I wonder where Victor ran off to

Anyway, my guess is that the town feeds not on hope, but despair. If it fed on hope, it wouldn't try so hard to break Boyd. And Kenny. The joy of finding food only to back to town and have every bit of happiness ripped away. I hate that Tian Chen is gone, but I get it, storywise (Ricky He's performance was great!)

Yeah. It's despair.

[coffeestainedcamera]

Okay, I never thought I'd be complaining about getting two impeccably directed fight scenes but more mystery progression before the latest illegal cliffhanger, please? Ah well.

Spoilers below cut bc yeah, turns out there are still things to spoil!

RIP to Wang Juan, too competent for the writers to keep alive. Also, important source of mangst for officer Xiao. Can't forget that.

Anyways, very curious about the twins now. Does Xixi only control people when in physical contact with them? If so, is Tian Chen the one who remotely possessed Qiao Ling last season? But her mannerisms, like making Cheng Xiaoshi apologize for the bug, remind me of the killer. But we haven't had many moments of her brother speaking, so I wonder what his personality is like. Very intriguing spanner in the works and makes me wonder if the photo incident was a trap. Maybe both are gleefully cooperative with Qian Jin?

Also, very curious about Lu Guang's sudden recovery. The power of love is an incredibly strong thing, but I don't think it can let one jump down a few floors, commandeer a speedboat, and perform acrobatics while recovering from a grievous stab wound. I'm still leaning towards him being possessed by future Cheng Xiaoshi and thus being able to power through, but feels like something is missing.

Coming to think of it, how would he know where Cheng Xiaoshi is? I'm not sure if he had access to the wire's tracker but he sure arrived at a convenient time. Additionally, his "Finally, I caught up" line and the massive drama of the moment makes me wonder if he experienced this before. Plus, all the insistent remarks about his maturity are very interesting. Another potential piece for my theory about him desperately jumping across timelines to save Cheng Xiaoshi from something, but how would he be able to do it? His power only is of an observer. Hm.

[themovieblogonline]

FROM Season 3 Episode 2 Review: Boyd’s Breaking Point and Major Twists

Yo, FROMily, grab a snack, and buckle up because FROM just hit us with another wild episode! I’m not saying this show thrives on throwing curveballs, but every time you think you've got it figured out, BAM!—you're left dazed, confused, and wondering what the heck is going on. Today, we’re diving into FROM Season 3 Episode 2, and let me tell you, Boyd (Harold Perrineau) is carrying the weight of this twisted little world on his back. This dude’s in the trenches—and I mean, real trenches. https://youtu.be/0KCxDotZPQ8 This episode kicks off with Boyd and Jade, the odd couple we never knew we needed. Jade's finally manning up and facing the aftermath of Tian-Chen’s death. And who’s still standing there, emotionally wrecked? Boyd. Let’s be real, Harold Perrineau is putting on a masterclass in "emotionally tormented sheriff stuck in a nightmare town." Boyd’s still reeling from having to watch the peoplecreaturemonsters torture Tian-Chen, and it’s taking a toll on his sanity. As much as Boyd wants to protect the town, this episode paints a clear picture—he’s running on empty. The way Perrineau delivers those scenes? It’s like watching a slow-motion car crash, but you can’t look away. You just feel for the guy. Someone hand this man a very stiff drink of Sable bourbon. Meanwhile in ‘WTF is Happening’ Land... While Boyd’s spiraling, Jim and Kenny are over here discovering a magical patch of vegetables—because why not? Honestly, at this point, FROM has no rules. Like, who even knows where this random lake came from, but hey, at least the town’s got some fresh veggies now! Meanwhile, Tabatha is out in the real world living her best “I’ve just escaped a nightmare town” life, trying to get Henry to believe her. But instead of “Hey, let’s talk about this spooky-ass town,” Henry's more concerned about his son’s lunchbox like it's some kind of holy relic. Monsters, Manipulation, and Mayhem Let’s not forget the highlight of the episode—Kenny. My dude is DONE playing it safe. He’s got the vodka, he’s got the rage, and he’s ready to burn those peoplecreaturemonsters into the ground. And honestly? Same, Kenny. Same. This is the type of energy we needed after watching his mom suffer. It’s about time someone went full Die Hard on these monsters. But Kenny isn't the only one on edge. Even Boyd’s done pretending there’s a way out—his big plan? Catch one of those creatures. (Boyd, please tell me you’re joking.) There’s a powerful moment when Boyd shares the final words of Tian-Chen, “Take care of him. He’ll be alone now.” Perrineau’s delivery? It hits hard—like a punch straight to the gut. Damn you, FROM, for making us care about these characters only to tear them away. But it’s that kind of pain that keeps us coming back, episode after episode. What the Heck is Fatima Eating!? Now, we have to talk about Fatima, because, honestly, this girl is dealing with some next-level pregnancy cravings. Rotten crops? Really, Fatima? You can see the demon baby’s influence on her, and it's gross. She’s practically shoveling compost down her throat like it’s some kind of delicacy. Yo, Ellis, get your girl to Kristy STAT because something ain’t right with that baby. Julie Has Time Today Oh, and speaking of people who are over it—Julie. She finally rips into Jim for always playing the absentee dad. Jim, buddy, you’ve been coasting on “I’m doing my best,” but Julie’s here to remind you that your best ain't cutting it. It’s about time she let him have it, and it’s low-key satisfying to watch her lay it all out. No more playing mom, no more pretending things are okay—Julie’s done with the bullshit. Final Thoughts on Episode 2: So, FROM Season 3 Episode 2 gave us some answers, but more importantly, it gave us a deeper look into the fragile state of the town—and Boyd. Harold Perrineau really stole the show with his haunting portrayal of a man at the brink. But as always, this show loves to dangle clues in front of us, only to snatch them away before we can grasp what’s really happening. I’m still trying to piece together what’s going on with these monsters, but trust me, I’ll be back next week—more confused, more invested, and, probably, more traumatized. Read the full article

[mxtxficrec]

hello, everyone! it doesn’t look like there’s currently a fic rec blog for all three mxtx fandoms, so here i am to fill that niche (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ i hope to rec fics that everyone will enjoy! 

[deepfriedscallops]

War God: A Compendium

Figured I have to finally make a post for A War God From Another World so that readers (mainly *I*) aren't going crazy with all the worldbuilding that's just become a monster to manage. This will get updated as the fic progresses (since I'm already brainstorming for the next major arc lol).

Cang Qiong

*Note: the previous generation of peak lords use 心 ("heart") for their titles.

Qing Jing Peak Lord - Jiang Xinqin - 蔣心琴 ("zither")

Bai Zhan Peak Lord - Wang Xinying - 王心櫻 ("cherry")

Qian Cao Peak Lord - Zhou Xinbei - 周心北 (“north")

Qiong Ding Peak Lord - Huang Xinwen - 黃心文 ("literature")

An Ding Peak Lord - Han Xinjing - 韓心精 (“refined")

Liu Qingge - Liu Kang* - 柳康 ("peaceful/healthy/bountiful")

Shang Qinghua - Shang Zhen - 尚真 ("genuine" lol)

Wei Qingwei - Wei Zhixin - 魏志信 ("purpose" and "trust")

Mu Qingfang - Mu Liwei - 木歷維 ("era" and "thought")

Qian He City Arc

Tang Wenzhao - 唐問曌 ("to ask" and "to illuminate/reflect")

Guo Lexin - 郭樂心 ("joyful heart")

Guo Shirong** - 郭实荣 ("truth" and "honorable")

Gongyi Meiyu - 公仪媄宇 (“beautiful” and “universe/roof”)

Tianlang-jun - “Wei Tian” - 魏天 (“sky”)

Other Side Characters

Fan Ping - 範平 ("peaceful")

Chu Zhouyi - 楚周義 ("cycle" and "justice")

Shuang’er / Shuang-jie / Madam Shuang - 霜儿 (“frost”)

Chen Huan’er - 陳焕儿 (“lustrous”)

Location Names

Qian He City - 千河城 (“thousand rivers”)

Jin Hua*** - 金花 (“golden flower”)

Luoyang**** - 洛陽 (“Luo (River)” and “sunny”)

* A bit inspired by Yang Kang (LotCH) in which in that novel, the protagonist Guo Jing and the antagonist Yang Kang were named from a poem referencing the Jingkang Incident (靖康), a historical event in the warring period between Jin and Song. Kang is also often coupled with jian in jiankang (健康), meaning “healthy.”

** Guo Shirong hasn’t been named directly in the text yet, but this is the name of the child ghost in the Qian He City arc.

*** LQG’s hometown, which isn’t too far from Huan Hua Palace but still within view of the Tian Gong Mountains.

**** Literally just ripped from Luoyang, the oldest city out of the Four Ancient Capitals. This is the de facto capital city in PIDW, since Airplane did pull some real locations for his worldbuilding (i.e. the Luo River) so therefore I say so because I can’t be bothered to wring the last of my creative juices to name places.

[skullsandwineglasses]

Ancient Love Poetry (2021) - Episodes 1-3 First Impressions

This is not bad so far. I’ve seen a lot of mixed reactions about this drama, but it’s actually pretty decent. I heard that it’s being ripped apart by audiences in China, but some people on reddit mentioned that the drama is actually good, but people are just critical of Zhou Dongyu and Xu Kai. AvenueX was skeptical of the drama, but I find that her reviews of xianxia dramas can be kinda harsh. The drama hasn’t finished airing yet so there aren’t many ratings and reviews on MDL, but the drama currently has an 8.3 on there, which I think is a pretty decent rating even though it’s likely to change as more people finish the drama. Most of the dramas that I’ve enjoyed also average at around an 8.3 on MDL. 

Plot

The plot is pretty fast-paced. The leads develop feelings for each other really early on. The opening does a good job of establishing the personalities of the characters and drawing you into the story. A drama will successfully draw me in if it raises enough questions and establishes enough plot points to make me curious to see what will happen next.

The FL has a different background from the FLs in other xianxia dramas. Shang Gu is destined to become the leader of the 4 realms, but she’s been spoiled by her guardians Zhi Yang and Tian Qi, so her powers are underdeveloped. The FLs in other xianxia dramas tend to start off as a nobody/underdog, but Shang Gu starts off as the most highly regarded figure in the realm. She’s basically a princess. Her guardians are played by Li Ze feng and Liu Xue Yu respectively, and they’ve always had such strong performances as supporting characters in other dramas, so it was a pleasant surprise seeing them both here. Their characters have great brotherly chemistry, and they provide comedic relief. 

The ML is your stereotypical stoic, brooding, emotionally suppressed, and powerful immortal. He has no interest in women, that is until he’s tasked by Zhi Yang and Tian Qi to be Shang Gu’s mentor in order to help her unlock her powers. All the women in the immortal realm crush over him, but he couldn’t give a rat’s ass about it. Very typical. 

Chemistry

The ML and FL’s relationship reminds me of Bai Zhi Hua and Hua Qian Gu’s teacher-student relationship in Journey of Flower, which was the first xianxia drama that I watched. But, unlike Journey of Flower, Bai Jue and Shang Gu are less like teacher-student, but more like bickering enemies who eventually develop feelings for each other. 

My issue is that they develop feelings for each other too soon. And so I don’t really feel much chemistry between them, even though I want to. Bai Jue teaches her a few moves, helps her unlock her inner powers, they accidentally touch and get too close physically, and bam, feelings start to form. These are immortals who are thousands of years old. How are they able to develop feelings so easily and quickly? Especially Bai Jue who’s know by everyone to be lofty, emotionless, and misogynistic? 

There was only one moment when they were able to emotionally bond, and that was when Bai Jue misunderstood Shang Gu. Shang Gu was trying to fulfill the challenge he gave her, but he mistakenly thought that she was greedy. When he realized he misunderstood her, he began to soften towards her. But this event alone wasn’t convincing enough to make me believe that someone as cold as he is could fall for a spoiled and obnoxious girl like Shang Gu. 

They could have made it so that his character secretly enjoys Shang Gu’s loud antics because it makes his home more lively. That’s usually how they do it in other xianxia dramas where the bubbly FL is the manic pixie dream girl who uproots the ML’s quiet lifestyle and he falls for her against his better judgment. But no, they don’t do that in Ancient Love Poetry, so Bai Jue falling for Shang Gu felt forced. 

Acting

I’ve loved Zhou Dongyu since seeing her in the 2010 film Under the Hawthorn tree. But because I’ve seen people criticize her in Ancient Love Poetry, I was prepared to be disappointed. But honestly, it’s not that bad. Even her costuming isn’t that bad. She’s not impressive, but then again, it’s not an impressive or complex role. A lot of actresses are capable of playing her type of character, and a lot of actresses already have. But Zhou Dongyu delivers, and she does well with what she’s given. 

Xu Kai isn’t terrible, but he could definitely be better. Like what I mentioned above, his character is the stereotypical xianxia ML. And so there have been plenty of actors before him who have shown how to portray a cold, stoic, and resistant character who’s slowly moved by the FL: Cheng Yi in Love and Redemption, Wallace Huo in Journey of Flower (although he also got a lot of flack at the time for being expressionless), and Chang Chen in Love and Destiny. The key to playing this kind of ML is that you’re emotionally suppressed, which means that you try to be emotionless, but there are moments when you can’t hide your emotions and they break to the surface. It’s all about the internal struggle where you pretend to act one way but feel another. As an actor, you need to be able to convey subtle and nuanced microexpressions that reveal how your character truly feels. 

Granted, Bai Jue is a little different from Bai Zhi Hua and Sifeng who forbade themselves from falling in love, but Bai Jue is more like Jiu Chen and Ye Hua who just have never known love before and is now experiencing it for the first time. But for all of these MLs, the common thread is that they undergo a change in character. In these first 3 episodes of Ancient Love Poetry, we keep being told by other characters in the drama how Bai Jue has changed “so much” since agreeing to mentor Shang Gu, but I don’t see this change in Xu Kai’s portrayed of Bai Jue. 

On reddit, I’ve mentioned how I've seen Xu Kai in The Legends and Arsenal Military Academy and IMO, Xu Kai doesn't really do well in roles where he has to be stoic and emotionally reserved. But he did really well in AMA where his character was a flirty, spoiled rich kid who eventually matures during his time at the academy, and it made me realize that he's capable of acting when given the right opportunity. His character was full of life and the complete opposite of his character in The Legends. He can be really expressive when his character warrants it, but when the character is supposed to be brooding, he doesn't bring enough nuance to his expressions and instead defaults to being flat and unmoving.

I also feel that Xu Kai’s performance was a little better in The Legends than in Ancient Love Poetry, but then again, I’ve only seen 3 episodes of ALP. I don’t know if it’s because his costar was Bai Lu and he felt more comfortable with her, or if it’s because Bai Jue is a character who’s supposed to be old, experienced, and wise, and Xu Kai is still too young to pull off that kind of role. He also looks incredibly young. He’s my age, and I’m just in awe of how clear his skin is and how it still looks like he has some baby fat. I’m also not a fan of his costuming. I like how Zhou Dongyu’s hair frames her face to make her look more delicate, but Xu Kai’s wig seems to flatten his head. I also think he looks better in dark robes like in The Legends, or his leather trenchcoat in AMA. He looked more rugged. But his white clothes in Ancient Love Poetry takes away from his character’s demeanor as a powerful immortal, and unlike Wallace Huo who’s older and thus is able to pull off dainty and delicate white robes, Xu Kai’s baby face doesn’t really pair well with it. 

Other notes:

The CGI is probably some of the better CGI that I’ve seen to date, and I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty impressed. Objects magically appear and disappear almost seamlessly, and characters teleport smoothly. 

Still waiting for the OST to come into full effect. It probably won’t happen until later in the drama when there’s more angst and emotion, but I also find it weird that they don’t have an opening theme? It’s just Zhou Shen singing some vocal effects, but no actual song. 

Overall, I’m going to keep watching. I’m a sucker for xianxia, and I love comparing the similarities and differences between different dramas, so I’m looking forward to seeing how this goes and whether it’s as bad as people say it is. 

[heretherebedork]

BL - Where Are You Now?

Shows you’re currently watching as they air/get subbed?

Favorite current main couple?

Favorite current side dish?

Show you’re hate watching?

Show you’re pretty sure isn’t going to end the way you want?

Show that’s way better than you expected?

Show that’s disappointing you?

Show you absolutely can not wait for the next episode?

Show that’s pretty much what you expected?

Anything else you’re watching tangential to BL?

(stolen from @you-had-me-at-bl because I have no life)

1. Shows you're currently watching as they air/get subbed.

A Tale of a Thousand Stars

And that's YOU!

Brothers

Dear Uranus

Diving Into Love

HIStory 4: Close To You

Killer and Healer

Lovely Writer

Meet My Angel

Padayon

The Most Peaceful Place (I... think that's the title? O2 didn't translate the title this time)

Stranger's Kiss

The Cupid Coach

Word of Honor

Hey, you know how I say I have no life? I mean it.

2. Favorite current main couple?

Phupha and Tian. This... this should not be a surprise to anyone. I love them so much more than I should. What darling boys. What amazing pining. What emotional pain and comfort. I love them so much.

Gene and Nubsib are a very close second because I adore Gene so much more than I should. The finest example of introversion and getting into a bit of a rut and being in the closet by choice ever. Love him!

3. Favorite Current Side Dish?

... Kaow and Khun from Brothers. Look. I am a sucker for adorable, soft boys and they are the softest and belong in a much, much better show.

OH HAI AEY AND MHOK. Welcome to favorite side pairing! I have no idea wtf you're going to do but I cannot wait.

4. Show you're hatewatching?

MEET MY ANGEL. MEET MY FUCKING ANGEL. Meet my Angel, my fucking BOOT TO THE HEAD bury your gays and AIDS and Christian preaching. SO BAD. It's horrible and has horrible messages and I am watching it so you don't have to, please don't watch it.

The Cupid Coach because WTF. What the actual fuck.

5. Show you're pretty sure isn't going to end the way you want?

Killer and Healer. Oh, Killer and Healer is going to rip my heart out, stomp on it and laugh as it bleeds out. Especially over Yu TangChun and Zhan Junbai. Ooooh, that's going to hurt SO BAD.

Also, Stranger's Kiss is going to be Julius/Nico and not Prince/Nico and I find that very disappointing.

6. Show that's way better than you expected?

This is hard because I tend to just think shows are going to be good? I think it has to be HIStory 4. It's a lot less... what it is... than I thought. I knew I was going to watch it (ANSON CHEN) but I'm also genuinely enjoying it and looking forward to it. I might even rewatch it.

7. Show that's disappointing you?

Brothers, because it seemed to get better for like an episode and then just...crashed and fell apart and I am disappointed in them. Also, to an extent, Padayon. I really had higher hopes for the writing from the first episode but it hasn't been that good.

8. Show you absolutely can not wait for the next episode?

A Tale of a Thousand Stars and Lovely Writer are the two that I am currently going wild over. I love them so MUCH.

9. Show that's pretty much what you expected?

A Tale of a Thousand Stars. Look. I knew I was going to love this show, I knew what it was gonna be, I knew I was going to go wild and it has lived up to everything I wanted. So, yeah. Exactly what I expected but in all the best ways.

10. Anything else you’re watching tangential to BL?

I'm slowly going through a lot of things on GagaOOLala, so... all of that? It's just me watching anything that promises a happy ending, basically.

[ujuro]

Rip to the produce camp girls I liked that got eliminated

-wen jie

-yuan jiayi

-sun ruyun

-is lin jiahui out I think she’s out

-the funny girl from the rap group I can’t remember her name though was it anshi

That is all xiening for number 1 and make tian jingfan chen qiannan and hua chengyan rank higher you fools

[veronica-nardi]

Black and White Episodi 7, 8, 9

Non so dire quanto io mi stia godendo questo drama. Mi sta intrattenendo al 100%, mi sta divertendo, e oggi mi ha anche dato qualche vibrazione emotiva.

Mi tolgo il dente e lo dico subito: un poliziotto passa anni a lavorare sotto copertura nel Clan della città, sua moglie e il suo figlioletto sono in America ad aspettarlo, il capitano gli promette di procurargli dei nuovi documenti quando avrà portato a termine quest'ultima missione. Lui lo fa, passa tutte le informazioni, gli forniscono i documenti, finalmente può tornare a casa, e cosa succede?

LO BECCANO, LO PRENDONO A SPRANGATE E LO GETTANO IN MARE COME UN TOPO.

È il primo personaggio che muore ed era l'unico che non doveva morire. Anche se avevo i miei brutti presentimenti al riguardo, ci sono rimasta malissimo! (#ionondimentico)

Rip poliziotto eroe.

A parte questo, questi episodi si sono alternati tra azione, confronti mafiosi e cliché amorosi.

Vedendo le puntate ho capito una cosa che già sospettavo: tra i due poliziotti il più intelligente è Chen Zai Tian.

Perché lui sa come cavarsela, sa mercanteggiare, sa districarsi nelle situazioni difficili, è un ruffiano, un paraculo, è bravo a capire le persone. Gli ho fatto un applauso quando ha messo su una messinscena per incastrare il finto colpevole di un omicidio portandolo a contraddirsi da solo.

Wu Ying Xiong invece è tutto il contrario. Se nelle prime puntate avevo definito Chen Zai Tian il cazzone di turno, ora mi sto seriamente domandando se il vero cazzone non sia Wu Ying.

Anche i muri sanno che bisogna avere un mandato per procedere alla perquisizione, ma lui si presenta a mani vuote dal Clan più ricco e potente della città e pretende di perquisire in giro, con i mafiosi che si irritano non poco e il povero Chen Zai Tian che prega tutti i santi di riuscire a uscire vivo da lì e che tenta di salvare il salvabile.

Wu Ying Xiong è il classico eroe che agisce sempre d'impulso, che lotta per la giustizia e vuole svelare la verità a tutti i costi. È una testa calda, che si butta a capofitto senza pensare a una strategia o alle conseguenze.

Dopo essersi preso a cazzotti con uno dei mafiosi, non contento, decide di arrabbiarsi con Chen Lin, la ragazza che gli piace, riempiendola di parole dure e crude.

In seguito, i due poliziotti vengono invitati a presentarsi al cospetto del Boss in persona. Zan zan zan. Mi aspettavo di vedere un Padrino seduto in poltrona col sigaro tra le mani, invece mi sono trovata davanti un uomo tranquillo intento a cucinare una bella bistecca.

Se Wu Ying Xiong non osa toccare il cibo del nemico, Chen Zai Tian non fa tanto lo schizzinoso e mangia che è un piacere, arrivando anche a scambiare una piacevole chiacchierata col Boss.

Capite perché dico che Chen Zai Tian è il più intelligente? (Oltre che il più simpatico).

Per quanto riguarda la sfera amorosa, su Xi Ying c'è poco da dire: questa ragazza per me è la noia. Gentile, educata, pacata, timida, diligente, buona, responsabile. Ho scommesso che alla fine Wu Ying Xiong si metterà con lei, ma mi chiedo come ciò sia possibile se lei rimane così.

Chen Lin invece mi piace di più. Mi è piaciuto come abbia risposto per le rime a Wu Ying Xiong quando viene a farle la morale, ricordandogli che lei non ha scelto in quale famiglia nascere, che mentre le sue amiche giocavano con le bambole lei imparava a usare le pistole, che avrebbe sempre voluto vivere una vita normale. Sa benissimo che cos'è il suo Clan, ma sono la sua casa e la sua famiglia, e lei li difenderà sempre.

Non sono sempre d'accordo con quello che dice Chen Lin, ma almeno è un personaggio più attivo e interessante rispetto a Miss Noia.

Ora, l'ormai triangolo che si è venuto a creare tra i due poliziotti e la ragazza è tutto un cliché. Ecco quello che è successo:

In una scena la ragazza sviene e Chen Zai Tian la porta in salvo, ma lei crede sia stato Wu Ying Xiong e lui non lo nega (BASTARDO)

Tra Chen Zai Tian e Chen Lin c'è un certo feeling, ma Chen Zai si ferma dal fare qualcosa con la ragazza perché sa quanto piace al collega (LA LEALTÀ)

Dopo la sfuriata contro la ragazza, Wu Ying Xiong le porge le sue scuse e la porta al cinema, ma l'appuntamento è solo una scusa per sottrarle il cellulare e usarlo come pass per entrare in una stanza segreta per cercare dei documenti. Quando si rende conto del giochetto, Chen Lin si arrabbia non poco, portando Wu Ying Xiong a sentirsi letteralmente uno schifo, perché le sue scuse erano sincere e a lui la ragazza piace veramente, ma il lavoro lo costringe ad agire in un certo modo.

Vedendo quanto sia giù di corda il collega, Chen Zai Tian va dalla ragazza e dicendole che l'idea del cellulare è stata sua e che lei è molto importante per Wu Ying.

A parte il fatto che adoro come Chen Zai Tian si comporti da vero amico, aiutando il collega e spingendolo a chiamare la ragazza per scusarsi, tutta questa faccenda mi sa di cliché e di roba prevedibile.

Sono sicura al 90% che tra Chen Zai Tian e Chen Lin accadrà qualcosa alle spalle di Wu Ying, cosa che porterà Chen Zai Tian ai sensi di colpa e a una bella lite tra i due, ma alla fine sono sicura che diventeranno best friends forever.

La dinamica del cellulare preso sotto inganno lo trovo un cliché, per non parlare del fatto che lui sia un poliziotto e lei la figlia del Boss mafioso della città. Cioè, dai...

Ma per me non è un problema, ho già detto che non ho pretese su questa serie e che la vedo solo per divertirmi, quindi va bene così.

E comunque non rimprovero Wu Ying perché alla fine quello è il suo lavoro, fare il poliziotto significa anche questo. La stessa Chen Lin alla fine riconosce che non ha fatto nulla di sbagliato. Se giochi contro dei criminali e un Clan di mafiosi, non puoi pretendere di vincere giocando sempre pulito.

Spero solo che la dinamica lui che la ferisce - lui che si scusa, non si ripeta una terza volta sennò diventa ripetitivo.

Siccome non ho ancora elogiato abbastanza il mio eroe, concludo con il pezzo che più ho adorato della puntata. Chen Zai Tian riesce finalmente a trovare la ragazza che tre anni fa è stata gentile con lui quando tentò una rapina per avere del cibo; lavora in un fast food e Chen Zai Tian si presenta da lei e torna sul posto tutti i giorni finché la ragazza cede e acconsente a uscire con lui.

Non è un'uscita romantica. Chen Zai non è innamorato di lei, vuole solo che diventino amici. Con un sorriso e un semplice gesto gentile, quella ragazza gli ha fatto capire che tutti meritano una vita migliore, ed è grazie a lei se è riuscito a risollevarsi.

Entrambi senza genitori o famiglia, cresciuti da soli, decidono di diventare ognuno la famiglia dell'altro e di guardarsi le spalle a vicenda. Non nego che questa scena mi ha quasi commosso.

Li shipperei anche, ma si sono autodefiniti una famiglia, quindi è un po' come se fossero fratello e sorella, e poi c'è già la figlia del Boss per Chen Zai Tian.

E comunque Chen Zai Tian lo sto amando sempre di più a ogni episodio, è la mia nuova cotta del momento.

[lemonysharkbait]

Participants pt. 5

As usually, sorry updates take so long, but here’s part 5! 

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

GREY

Rain spattered against the dark concrete, puddling in cracks and soaking Grey’s shoes. The rain had none of the warmth of spring but this drop-off was somehow colder. Grey pursed his lips, huddling under the awning of a clandestine casino.

He didn’t recognize these men but they had given the correct sign. They were part of the She’s operation. A petal flowed past Grey’s foot, caught in a stream of rainwater. The men had insisted on ripping open the boxes of flowers that the illegal shipments of blood came in and tossing the flowers onto the sidewalk.

“If it’s good, I’ll grab the rest of the boxes.” Grey said in an attempt to hurry this up. He was chilled to the bone.

One of the thugs raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth, telling off Grey for something or other. Grey didn’t really listen. He knew they were all bark. Well, She Li’s men could also be bite, but he had dealt with shady groups enough to know when they were serious and when they just wanted to sound good.

Grey waited patiently, stoney faced.

Finally back in the delivery truck, the drop-off done, Grey cranked the heat and headed back to the flower market. He was glad Guan Shan hadn’t come along this time to make the drop-offs. He would have mouthed off at the guys at the casino, started a scene, possibly gotten himself beat. He actually hadn’t seen the redhead since they made one drop-off together about three weeks ago. Actually for that matter, he hadn’t seen He Tian in awhile either. Maybe Guan Shan did become his participant.

Grey shook himself from his thoughts, guiding the delivery truck into its cramped spot in the back of the flower market. Inside, the market was empty. Grey shuddered at the quiet and dim stillness. Chen, the owner of this stall and the main contact for smuggled blood, wasn’t in the back portion like normal. Grey made his way to the front where the display coolers stood holding the remnants of Valentine’s day flowers. Little paper signs with handwritten prices advertised deep discounts.

“Chen? I’m here to return your truck keys.” Normally she was out back in the truck’s parking spot, smoking, or she was inside yelling in a mixture of Mandarin and English into the speaker of her bulky office phone, a phone so old it still had a cord.

Grey was about to dial He Tian to see if he knew what to do when the back door burst open. Chen streamed in, soaked to the bone but somehow holding a dry and lit cigarette. Her signature apron was missing and Grey noticed she was wearing street clothes instead of her flower market uniform.  

“I’ve been waiting for you,” Chen snapped.

Grey handed over the keys. “Sorry, I didn’t see you outside.”

“This rain,” Chen waved her hand holding the cigarette vaguely, “it’s bad luck, a bad omen to have this rain and that snow we had last month.” She shook her head and took a drag of her cigarette.

Something had Chen worked up. She never smoked inside (put that out! You’ll ruin the flowers) and she spoke all business, not caring to gossip or small-talk.

Grey’s phone buzzed. “Well, my ride is here, see you next time Chen.” Grey moved to leave but Chen held him in place with a solid look. She took another drag on her cigarette, calculating something. Grey waited.

“Some of my smugglers are acting strange. Their prices for a simple request quadrupled. They’re smuggling something and it’s not blood.” She looked at some point behind Grey, eyes unfocused. “I don’t think it’s drugs either. Something is going on and I can’t tell if it’s vampires or people or both.”

A silence hung and Grey was about to make to leave when Chen snapped to. “I shouldn’t ramble, you’re a peon when it comes to these matters. You’ll catch hypothermia dressed like that, your feet are all soaked. Stay inside until it’s spring. There’s nothing good come from these early rains.”

HE TIAN

Vampires.

What were they but parasites? He Tian pressed his head against his apartment’s cool glass windows, thinking about the taste of Guan Shan on his lips. Sometimes, he was so soft and pliant, all his hard edges gone for a moment. This thirst wasn’t going to lessen. 

The light from his phone felt blinding. He scrolled through his contacts half-heartedly, no participant sounded good today. Nothing sounded good. The only thing he wanted was to hold the redhead close and breath in the smell of him. He wanted to drink from him. 

He curled his lip at the thought. It was such a selfish impulse. But none of his contacts sounded good tonight. He had the urge to throw phone, frustrated and thirsty. Compose yourself, He Tian. You dug yourself into this, into being around him. Too late to find your way out now.

A blood bag would have to do for tonight.

GUAN SHAN

Come over now.

That’s it. That’s all the message said. Guan Shan practically felt his phone burning through his jacket pocket. 

He had been fooling around with He Tian in the office room at the Blue Crow when the text came through. His face dropped when he saw it and he made up some excuse to go. It had been a week since he had almost gone to jail as the fall guy for She Li. He still didn’t understand why He Tian had saved him, or how. But ever since that night in He Tian’s apartment, they couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other. 

Guan Shan told himself it wasn’t anything. Didn’t mean anything. They never talked about it– whatever it was. Still, He Tian looked awfully concerned when he left and Guan Shan was sure He Tian knew who he was meeting. 

--- Guan Shan parked his motorcycle in the middle of She Li’s massive driveway, purposely making it difficult for anyone to come or go. The doors opened when he walked up. Not a good sign. One of She Li’s many attendants took Guan Shan’s helmet and ushered him into a dim room lit with a fireplace.

She Li was there, draped in a chair and holding a lit cigar.

Guan Shan repressed a shiver as unnaturally golden eyes scanned him up and down. This was the first time they had met since Guan Shan escaped going to jail. She Li did not seem pleased. The vampire stood. He wasn’t much taller than Guan Shan, but he was bulkier and his slink carried the menace of an animal unhinged.

“I always knew you were a bit of a slut.”

Guan Shan tensed but didn’t say anything. He couldn’t know, could he?

“You reek of He Tian.”

“I work with him.”

“Mm, that’s not what I’m smelling.” She Li crowded in close. Guan Shan made a conscious effort to stand his ground.

“You do have a knack for tangling yourself up with powerful vampires but I didn’t think you’d tangle yourself in his sheets so quickly.”

“We didn’t– what do you want She Li?”

She Li exhaled smoke, “I’m not surprised though, you obviously have influential ‘friends’ to pull off what you did. And how else would you get those friends than with that body of yours?”

It was as if She Li had access to Guan Shan’s innermost fears. He couldn’t fathom why He Tian had helped him. It wasn’t for the Blue Crow. It wasn’t for anything Guan Shan could do. It had to be, well– what had they just done together?  

She Li slinked to his chair and took another puff of his cigar, tapping the ash into an ashtray that was probably worth more than what Guan Shan made in a month. “I have orders to keep He Tian busy. I thought you might help but seems like you’re all I need to keep him occupied. Get close to him and tell me anything that seems important.”

Guan Shan felt the eager presence of vampires behind him, silent predators excited for a taste. She Li motioned at the vampires, “Go ahead, you can drink.”  

“I don’t know them–” Guan Shan felt cool fingers at his neck.

She Li sauntered over, clearly intoxicated by the scene before him. By some cue Guan Shan missed, the two vampires behind him, the ones waiting to drink from him, wrenched his arms behind his back and forced him to his knees in one smooth motion. She Li crouched, gripping Guan Shan’s chin, forcing eye contact. “I know them. They’re not diseased.” his voice dropped low so only they could hear, “Tell me, how did he taste? I hope he was good. Because even though this is all working out in my favor, I’m still pissed that my plan didn’t go through. We live by our plans. Our reputations are by our plans, and you fucked that all up.” He looked at Guan Shan for a moment before releasing his chin.

She Li discussed business while the two vampires fed. There were others in the room, Guan Shan could feel the tension of want, his blood stoking jealousy. But all he could think about was how he didn’t want to lie to He Tian.

JIN YI

Jin Yi loved the way Zheng Xixi looked after him as though he was in need of something. As though he wasn’t a vampire, several hundred years old and the son of one of the most powerful vampire families in all of Beijing.

He loved the way Zhang Xixi was all business when they first met. That first meeting, Zhang Xixi, dressed in his cop uniform, took careful notes in his notepad and asked careful questions about the car crash. He didn’t seem at all bothered by the fact that Jin Yi was a vampire. The other cops were ancy, a few steps too far away, their hands near their guns, their eyes darting towards Jin Yi surreptitiously. To be fair, there was blood everywhere.

A semi-truck was driving too fast and hit a patch of ice, It plowed into stopped traffic. Jin Yi had stumbled from his car, mostly unscathed. Others weren’t so lucky.

The paramedics tended to everyone but Jin Yi, carting away the injured and handing blankets and waters to the rest. The police nervously skirted around him, unsure of what to do. Jin Yi sat cross legged and shivering on the side of road away from the rest, bemoaning that today of all days he decided to wear a thin and casual getup.

He was plucking dead grass and contemplating how to get ahold of someone to come get him when raised voices caught his ear. A new cop was fighting with the others. They were motioning in his direction, obviously fighting about the safety of having a vampire near people with cuts and open blood. Jin Yi wanted to tell them that bloodlust didn’t work like that. There was no appeal in drinking from the sick or weak. But instead, he stood and stuffed his hands in his pockets, ready to walk along the freeway until he found somewhere with a phone.

The newcomer cop huffed and turned, marching towards Jin Yi with a blanket and a bottle of water. The other’s yelled something at the newcomer but he ignored them.

Jin Yi raised his hands, palms out, the universal gesture of backing down. “I’m just leaving, don’t worry.”

“No don’t leave. We need your statement. Here. I’m sorry they didn’t give you these sooner.” The newcomer cop handed over the blanket and bottle of water. Jin Yi took them, dumbfounded. This guy was a little gruff in his demeanor but hot hell was he easy on the eyes.

“I’m officer Zhang Xixi,”

Zhang Xixi. Jin Yi rolled the sound of his name around his head, waiting to be able to say it out loud. Zhang Xixi launched into a list of dry questions. Jin Yi took note of his features.

Jin Yi already had a thing for uniforms and Zhang Xixi fit in his well. It was tight in all the right places. He was about the same height as Jin Yi, maybe a touch taller, but more muscular. His hair was a reasonable cut and deep chestnut.

“Jin Yi?”

Oh, and his eyes were the most interesting hue, somewhere between sleight grey and silvery blue.

“I asked why you didn’t move out of the way. It looks like you were able to.”

“I didn’t see him coming.”

“You didn’t see the semi-truck barreling towards you?”

“I was thinking about sparklers.”

“Sparklers?”

“Yeah, how do they explode and spark in your hand, but it’s not too much?”

Zhang Xixi’s face betrayed nothing, just the same strait and even stare, but Jin Yi could feel a twinge of confusion and something else. Bemusement? Annoyance? Zhang Xixi looked back down at his notepad and scribbled something down.

“Any injuries?”

“Nope.”

“What’s that?” Zhang Xixi pointed with his pencil at Jin Yi’s abdomen. His once white t shirt was marked with blood from little cuts.

“Just some small cuts. I heal fast, they’re fine.” Zhang Xixi stared at Jin Yi for a moment, his emotions clearly signaling annoyance at something, although Jin Yi couldn’t figure out what he had done.

Zhang Xixi flipped his notepad closed and stuffed it in a pocket. “Follow me.”

They walked further away from the crowd and towards the clump of cop cars that was keeping traffic away from the accident.

Jin Yi wondered for a moment if he was being arrested for something, but he wasn’t handcuffed and Zhang Xixi’s emotions were at ease other than a slight perturbance at something.

Zhang Xixi unlocked what must have been his cruiser and opened the passenger side front door, reached in and grabbed something. A first aid kit.

“Sit down.”

Jin Yi made to sit where he was standing.

“No– in the car.” Zhang Xixi motioned towards the passenger side front seat. Jin Yi happily obliged. He sat with his feet planted on the concrete outside of the cruiser and obediently took his shirt off when Zhang Xixi ordered him too.

It had been a long time since anyone had taken care of Jin Yi this way. Zhang Xixi cleaned the cuts, working with precise purpose. This close, Jin Yi could fully smell his scent– an intoxicating mix he had no words for. But more than anything, Jin Yi enjoyed the emotions– or lack of emotions– rolling off the stoic cop. There was no fear. No suspicion. No disgust and no revulsion. Zhang Xixi’s emotions were just those of someone doing their job.

Jin Yi was smitten.

He couldn’t get the stoic cop out of his head. So, he did what he did best and snooped. He found out Zhang Xixi wasn’t just a cop, he was detective. And he hadn’t dated anyone seriously in long, long time.

There was a chance.  

He Tian, Jin Yi’s horrendous excuse for a best friend, bluntly told him not to bother.

“He’s a cop. Vampires and cops do not get along, Jin Yi. Also, you don’t know if he’s into men and also, you’re not a man. You’re a vampire. Fat chance anything will ever work out. You’re more likely to get yourself sent to jail than you are to land a date.”

Crushing reality aside, Jin Yi knew it was about the stupidest thing he could do. But, he did it anyways and called the detective to leave tips.

Then one day, Zhang Xixi called him. Jin Yi was over the moon, even if the call was just to see if he had any information in connection with a case.

They started meeting up and over the course of three agonizingly slow years, they became lovers.

It was more than Jin Yi could have dreamed of. But, he was greedy and he dreamed of more. He dreamed of endless days away from everything in a quaint town where nobody knew them and nobody cared that they were together. He looked over at Zhang Xixi and sighed.

A place like that doesn’t exist.

“What are you staring at?”

“You.”

Zhang Xixi pursed his lips, “You’ve seen it all before.”

Jin Yi opened his arms from where he was lying on the bed. Zhang Xixi finished pulling on a pair of sweatpants he had in his hand and crawled into Jin Yi’s arms. “I could look at you forever and still see new things I love about you.”

Zhang Xixi sat up and gazed into Jin Yi’s eyes, “That’s cheesy.”

“It’s true though,” Jin Yi laughed. He dragged his fingers along Zhang Xixi’s back, relishing in the comfort of his weight. “So you know why I want you to quit everything and hole up here with me. I’ll give you all the money you need, anything you want to occupy your time, and we could fall asleep together every night.”

Zhang Xixi’s warm breath tickled. He was thinking, Jin Yi could sense it as much from his body as from his emotions. “What we have now is good.”

“What we have now is tiring.”

“What we have now keeps both of us safe.”

“I don’t think it will much longer.” Jin Yi ran his fingers through Zhang Xix’s hair, reaching for his thoughts in the deep chestnut strands.

“Something has been brewing in the She family for awhile now. They’ve been keeping it quiet but eventually violence will break out, it always does. And when it does, I don’t want you to be there in the middle of it.”

Zhang Xixi planted a whisper of a kiss on Jin Yi’s cheek. “I’m a detective for the police force. I’m going to be right in the middle of whatever happens.”

Jin Yi groaned and clutched him tight. “At least tell me the damn updates you have.”

Zhang Xixi smiled, “It’s not much and it’s kind of odd. The more we learn about the murder victims, the weirder it gets. They were all nasty people with bad habits. A lot of the people on the team are starting think we have a serial killer on our hands who’s doling out vigilante justice. Something still just isn’t sitting right though. I think we’re missing something obvious but I just don’t know what.”

“Mm,” Jin Yi chewed his lip, “I don’t have anything helpful for you. Everything with She Li has been quiet since the Guan Shan framing incident was resolved. Guan Shan’s back at the Blue Crow– the bar has its grand reopening in a few days, He Tian’s going to throw a party. And I don’t tell you specifically about the illegal stuff I’m involved in, so that’s about it then. You make such a terrible cop.”

“I know.”

“Consorting with the enemy.”

“I know.”

Jin Yi was glad a semi truck had plowed through traffic and totaled his car all those years ago. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Even so, even with the words off his lips and Zhang Xixi in his arms, Jin Yi felt a foreboding, had felt it since the redhead had shown up. And he had a strong idea why.  

[themovieblogonline]

FROM Season 3 Episode 2 Review: Boyd’s Breaking Point and Major Twists

Yo, FROMily, grab a snack, and buckle up because FROM just hit us with another wild episode! I’m not saying this show thrives on throwing curveballs, but every time you think you've got it figured out, BAM!—you're left dazed, confused, and wondering what the heck is going on. Today, we’re diving into FROM Season 3 Episode 2, and let me tell you, Boyd (Harold Perrineau) is carrying the weight of this twisted little world on his back. This dude’s in the trenches—and I mean, real trenches. https://youtu.be/0KCxDotZPQ8 This episode kicks off with Boyd and Jade, the odd couple we never knew we needed. Jade's finally manning up and facing the aftermath of Tian-Chen’s death. And who’s still standing there, emotionally wrecked? Boyd. Let’s be real, Harold Perrineau is putting on a masterclass in "emotionally tormented sheriff stuck in a nightmare town." Boyd’s still reeling from having to watch the peoplecreaturemonsters torture Tian-Chen, and it’s taking a toll on his sanity. As much as Boyd wants to protect the town, this episode paints a clear picture—he’s running on empty. The way Perrineau delivers those scenes? It’s like watching a slow-motion car crash, but you can’t look away. You just feel for the guy. Someone hand this man a very stiff drink of Sable bourbon. Meanwhile in ‘WTF is Happening’ Land... While Boyd’s spiraling, Jim and Kenny are over here discovering a magical patch of vegetables—because why not? Honestly, at this point, FROM has no rules. Like, who even knows where this random lake came from, but hey, at least the town’s got some fresh veggies now! Meanwhile, Tabatha is out in the real world living her best “I’ve just escaped a nightmare town” life, trying to get Henry to believe her. But instead of “Hey, let’s talk about this spooky-ass town,” Henry's more concerned about his son’s lunchbox like it's some kind of holy relic. Monsters, Manipulation, and Mayhem Let’s not forget the highlight of the episode—Kenny. My dude is DONE playing it safe. He’s got the vodka, he’s got the rage, and he’s ready to burn those peoplecreaturemonsters into the ground. And honestly? Same, Kenny. Same. This is the type of energy we needed after watching his mom suffer. It’s about time someone went full Die Hard on these monsters. But Kenny isn't the only one on edge. Even Boyd’s done pretending there’s a way out—his big plan? Catch one of those creatures. (Boyd, please tell me you’re joking.) There’s a powerful moment when Boyd shares the final words of Tian-Chen, “Take care of him. He’ll be alone now.” Perrineau’s delivery? It hits hard—like a punch straight to the gut. Damn you, FROM, for making us care about these characters only to tear them away. But it’s that kind of pain that keeps us coming back, episode after episode. What the Heck is Fatima Eating!? Now, we have to talk about Fatima, because, honestly, this girl is dealing with some next-level pregnancy cravings. Rotten crops? Really, Fatima? You can see the demon baby’s influence on her, and it's gross. She’s practically shoveling compost down her throat like it’s some kind of delicacy. Yo, Ellis, get your girl to Kristy STAT because something ain’t right with that baby. Julie Has Time Today Oh, and speaking of people who are over it—Julie. She finally rips into Jim for always playing the absentee dad. Jim, buddy, you’ve been coasting on “I’m doing my best,” but Julie’s here to remind you that your best ain't cutting it. It’s about time she let him have it, and it’s low-key satisfying to watch her lay it all out. No more playing mom, no more pretending things are okay—Julie’s done with the bullshit. Final Thoughts on Episode 2: So, FROM Season 3 Episode 2 gave us some answers, but more importantly, it gave us a deeper look into the fragile state of the town—and Boyd. Harold Perrineau really stole the show with his haunting portrayal of a man at the brink. But as always, this show loves to dangle clues in front of us, only to snatch them away before we can grasp what’s really happening. I’m still trying to piece together what’s going on with these monsters, but trust me, I’ll be back next week—more confused, more invested, and, probably, more traumatized. Read the full article

[jinkistarlight]

exo tag

tb @seilace ! i did this all at like 2 am rip

First Bias(es): Suho | Kai | Xiumin | Lay | Tao | Kris | D.O | Chen | Luhan | Sehun | Chanyeol | Baekhyun

Current Bias(es): Suho | Kai | Xiumin | Lay | Tao | Kris | D.O | Chen | Luhan | Sehun | Chanyeol | Baekhyun

Favorite subunit: K | M

SHIPS:

OTP(s): SuKai | SeHo | KyungMyeon | SuYeol | BaekHo | SeKai | KaiSoo | ChanKai | KaiBaek | SeSoo | ChanSoo | BaekSoo | ChanHun | BaekYeol (I’m kinda heavy handed with this ship so.. hahaha…) | SeBaek | TaoRis | KrisLay | ChenRis | XiuRis | KrisHan | TaoLay | ChenLay | LaySeok | LayHan | ChenTao | LuChen | XiuChen | XiuTao | XiuHan | LuTao | KrisHo | SuLay | SuTao | XiuHo | SuChen | KrisKai | KrisHun | KrisSoo | KrisYeol | BaeKris | LaySoo | KyungTao | KyungSeok | KyungHan | ChenSoo | ChanLay | TaoYeol | XiuYeol | LuYeol | ChanChen | BaekLay | BaekTao | XiuBaek | LuBaek | ChenBaek | ChenLay | JongTao | XiuKai | KaiHan | ChenKai | SeXing | TaoHun | XiuHun | HunHan

BROTP(s): SuKai | SeHo | KyungMyeon | SuYeol | BaekHo | SeKai | KaiSoo | ChanKai | KaiBaek | SeSoo | ChanSoo | BaekSoo | ChanHun | BaekYeol | SeBaek | TaoRis | KrisLay | ChenRis | XiuRis | KrisHan | TaoLay | ChenLay | LaySeok | LayHan | ChenTao | LuChen | XiuChen | XiuTao | XiuHan | LuTao | KrisHo | SuLay | SuTao | XiuHo | SuChen | KrisKai |KrisHun | KrisSoo | KrisYeol | BaeKris | LaySoo | KyungTao | KyungSeok | KyungHan | ChenSoo | ChanLay | TaoYeol | XiuYeol | LuYeol | ChanChen | BaekLay | BaekTao |XiuBaek | LuBaek | ChenBaek | ChenLay | JongTao | XiuKai | KaiHan | ChenKai | SeXing | TaoHun | XiuHun | HunHan

SCENARIOS:

Go to the Theme Park With: Suho | Kai | Xiumin | Lay | Tao | Kris | D.O | Chen | Luhan | Sehun | Chanyeol | Baekhyun

Road Trip With: Suho | Kai | Xiumin | Lay | Tao | Kris | D.O | Chen | Luhan | Sehun | Chanyeol | Baekhyun

Lazy Sundays With: Suho | Kai | Xiumin | Lay | Tao | Kris | D.O | Chen | Luhan | Sehun | Chanyeol | Baekhyun

Disney Duet With: Suho | Kai | Xiumin | Lay | Tao | Kris | D.O | Chen | Luhan | Sehun | Chanyeol | Baekhyun

MUSIC:

Favorite Album(s): MAMA | XOXO | Growl | Miracles in December | Overdose | Exodus | Love Me Right | Sing For You | Ex’Act  | For Life

Favorite Music Video(s): What is Love | History | MAMA | Wolf | Growl | Growl 2nd ver | Miracles in December | Overdose | Call Me Baby | Love Me Right | Love Me Right (romantic universe) | Lightsaber | Sing for You | Monster | Lucky  One | For Life  |

Favorite Non - Title Track(s): Two Moons | Angel | Machine | Baby, Don’t Cry | Black Pearl | Don’t Go | Let Out The Beast | 3.6.5 | Heart Attack | Peter Pan | My Lady | Lucky | XOXO | Christmas Day | The Star | My Turn To Cry | The First Snow | Moonlight | Thunder | Run | Love, Love, Love | What If.. | My Answer | El Dorado | Lady Luck | Beautiful | Transformer | Playboy | Hurt | Exodus | First Love | Promise (EXO 2014) | Tender Love | Drop That | Unfair | Girl x Friend | On the Snow | I Like You | Heaven | White Noise  | Artificial Love | Cloud 9  | Stronger | They Never Know | One and Only  | Falling For You  | Twenty Four  | What I Want for Christmas  | Winter Heat

Favourite OST(s): Chen - Best Luck | D.O - Scream | Baekhyun - Beautiful | Xiumin - You are the One | Suho - Saving Santa | Chen - Everytime  | Chanyeol - Stay With Me  | D.O - Don’t Worry  | Xiumin, Chen, Baekhyun - For You

Favourite Ex-Exo Track(s): Time Boils The Rain | There Is A Place | Bad Girl | That Good Good | Adventure Time | Promises | Medals | Lu | Football Gang | Our Tomorrow | Tian Mi Mi | Your Song | One Heart | Yesterday | T.A.O | M.O.M | Feel Awake | Crown | Alone | Cinderella Girl | Reluctantly | Underground King | I Am The Sovereign | Hello, Hello

tagging ↠ @ttyls

[ecopoeticsatchicago]

Week 2 Writing Assignment

A clearer image because Tumblr makes it blurry:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JUgDxgwB0qL5DjWVyNBFQwiGenssKSpC/view?usp=sharing

A Wild   FLOWER   in an UNTHOUGHT ENVIRONMENT

is just as sweet as a   rose   from the finest gardens .

NOT EVERY place needs to BE exploreD .

unknown things we should Protect From Light .

I took the assignment to “make a text using garbage as archive” more literally than the rest of you, though I did not know that until I logged in to submit these notes. My decision to use actual scraps of my garbage to make an (understandably short) archive poem was influenced by the work of Cecilia Vicuña’s interdisciplinary work and several poets from a class I took last quarter, Technical Seminar in Poetry: The Poem That Forgot It Was a Poem. We read Emily Dickinson, who composed poems from old letters and envelopes, and Susan Howe, who ripped masking tape from historical archive pages (you know that annoying thing where you rip tape off of paper and the text comes off with it?) and layered them together into disjointed poems. After taking a class on unconventional poems and the economy of writing from archive, my first thought upon seeing “garbage as archive” was to literally use garbage as my source, and impose the spatial and linguistic limitations that come with archive poetry upon myself.

I was inspired by Vicuña’s exhibits wherein, as Hannah Chen writes, “trash was defamiliarized into art.” In my reading response I talked about the theme of deconstructing arbitrary barriers we place between categories like space and time; Vicuña seems to extend this to art itself, her work straddling the line between visual art and text. I wanted to emulate this with my piece. It conveys a certain scrappiness reminiscent of Vicuña’s work that is not only linguistic but also visual; the words are different formats and colors and sizes and it looks like trash. But I hope that there is something beautiful about this structural haphazardness, a kind of beauty or purpose that materializes out of dematerialized and “useless” waste.

In terms of the poem’s actual content, I felt very limited by what was written on the things I throw away. I could not compose anything that involved abstract emotions or “deep” themes, because the vocabulary was just not present in my discarded receipts, snack and medicine packages, or math homework. The process emphasized for me how all language is, in a sense, a limited archive; just as there were ideas I couldn’t express because my trash labels didn’t have them, there are always emotions, experiences, etc. the current lexicon cannot capture perfectly. Language is imperfect, and being a writer requires a certain scrappiness, being willing to make do with the words you have.

P.S. A neat touch you might not notice is that the “Protect From Light” was cut from a box, so I chose to keep the top intact so that the words were literally protected from light.

-Bradley Tian

[facondevie]

Three survivors from the Nanjing Massacre remember their experiences very vividly; all three have memories of brutal deaths. Wen Sunshi was raped by a Japanese soldier and would have been killed otherwise. After that she was released and went into hiding in a cellar for several months, then returned to live with her parents. She remembers seeing many people murdered by the troops. Chen Jiashou escaped to a refugee camp after the Japanese invasion, but eventually was taken by the soldiers. As they started to shoot everyone she faked dead to survive, and then later on was captured again by the soldiers and had to work in a Japanese factory. She also witnessed several deaths during the massacre. Chen Deshou recalls seeing bombs and fires and witnessed his aunt being stabbed to death after fighting with a soldier so she wouldn’t be raped. He refers to the soldiers as “Japanese devils”.

“Testimony of Wen Sunshi

My name is Wen Sunshi, this year I turn 82 years old. My house was originally in the Xiaguan district of Nanjing. I was married in 1936 of the Chinese lunar calendar. My husband’s original surname was Guo, but because my family had arranged the marriage, he changed his name to Wen—my surname.

When the Japanese entered the city on the December of 1937, many retreating Chinese Nationalist troops attempted to cross  the river to escape, with some even coming to my house to board. When the sky was getting dark, my entire family took refuge at the nearby [Hutchinson International].

The refugees at the [Hutchinson International] were many. One day, six or seven Japanese troops arrived, all of them armed with guns, knives hanging by their waists. They took six or seven maidens from the crowd of refugees. I was among those taken. There was also a maiden I recognized, her name was Little Qiaozi. One Japanese soldier forced me into an empty room. I can remember him being chubby, with a beard. Once we were both in the room, he used a knife to force me to take off my pants—I would be killed if I didn’t. I was thus raped in this manner.

After the rape, the Japanese soldier turned to me and said ‘opened path, opened path’ and I was released. In order to avoid the Japanese soldiers coming again to hurt us, that night, the manager of the [Hutchinson International] ferried us—about eighteen maidens—to the cellar of the Egg Beating room. Those among us also included several maidens who had escaped from the Suzhou prefecture of Jiangsu. I hid in that cellar for several months, with the owners secretly sending me food. Only after the situation was deemed ‘peaceful’ did I return to live with my mother and father. I had lived in the [Hutchinson International] for more than a year before I had returned home.

My husband knows that I was raped by a Japanese soldier, but empathizes with me. He passed away a couple of years ago. In my home, I can’t bear to tell my sons and daughters, and I’m worried that other people will find out and look down upon me.

At that time, my cousin was only eighteen-years-old. He was taken away by the Japanese troops and never returned. I personally watched as the Japanese troops massacred many people. We had a neighbor, elderly Ms. Zhen, who was about eighty-years-old. She thought that because she was old, she could remain at home and be fine. In actuality, she was brutally murdered by the Japanese, with her stomach slashed open. There was also a tea specialist, who couldn’t bear leaving his home. He was also murdered by the Japanese.

Testimony of Chen Jiashou

My name is Chen Jiashou. I was born on September 16, 1918. When the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Nanjing in 1937, I was living in a small Nanjing district with my Uncle, Mother and Father, my two brothers and my sister. At that time, I was only 19 years old. I was an apprentice. After the Japanese invasion, I, along with several other people, collectively escaped to a refugee camp by Shanghai Road. At that time, since the refugee camp had run out of food, I ventured out to replenish the supply. But because of some casual remarks I made while lining up, I was taken by some nearby Japanese soldiers and brought to a pond adjacent to Shanghai Road. Having not stood there for more than two minutes, I watched as a group of armed Japanese soldiers hustled several lines of about two hundred Chinese troops toward the edge of the pond, surrounding them with weapons to prevent them from escaping.

At that time, I was also ordered to stand among the front line of Chinese soldiers. I was only 19 years old, and terribly frightened.

Thus, the instant the Japanese soldiers opened fire on us all, I immediately fell toward the ground, faking my death. Struck by the flying bullets, my Chinese comrades all piled up on my body. Right up till it got dark and the Japanese soldiers had all left, I lay under the dead bodies, not daring to move. Only then did I climb out from under the pile of bodies. It was thus how I became a fortunate survivor of the Nanjing massacre.

I was captured again by the Japanese near Sanhe Village, and sent to work at a Japanese-occupied silk factory near nowadays’ Nanjing medicine factory. It was at this time that I witnessed more Japanese atrocities first-hand. One time, after I finished transporting ten barrels of gasoline to the Japanese military depot near the train station, Japanese soldiers brought me to a basement. Aside from large wooden boxes, the basement also contained a bed. The two Japanese soldiers ripped off the bedsheet covers and indiscriminately opened fire upon it. On the bed lay four women, all dead.

Another time, as I came back from transporting provisions, I walked near the main hall of the Nanjing medicine factory. I saw a few hundred ordinary citizens collapsed on the road. Driving a truck, the Japanese troops evidently saw them as well, but simply paid no attention and pretended not to see them. They drove directly over the people, transforming the place into a bloodbath.

I will never forget a memory like this:

One day after work, I walked to the entrance of Changshan Park. A man surnamed Tse heard the sound of a Japanese truck, so stuck his head out to take a look. Coincidentally, he caught the eyes of the Japanese troops, who immediately disembarked and tied Old Tse up, forcing him to kneel on the ground. One of them took out a bayonet, and violently hacked at Old Tse’s head. Unfortunately, though the back of Old Tse’s neck was sliced through, his head hung on by the remaining front part of his neck—he was still breathing  and alive, collapsed on the floor. Seeing this, the Japanese soldiers then raised their leather boots, mercilessly kicking him around the Changshan Park’s grounds. It was only then, with his head severed and his body trashed, that Old Tse passed away.

I will never forget the violence, the atrocities and the aggression that the Imperial Japanese soldiers enacted during the Nanjing Massacre.

Testimony of Mr. Chen Deshou. 

Interviewed by Yanming Lu. 

Chen: My last name is Chen, spelled with the ‘ear’ and ‘east’, De is the ‘de’ from virtue, and Shou is the ‘shou’ from longevity. My name is Chen De Shou.

Lu: What year were you born?

Chen: 1932

Lu: You were born here in Nanjing?

Chen: Yes, in Nanjing.

Lu: What type of work did your parents do?

Chen: My mother was a housewife, my father was in clothing, he owned a clothing store.

Lu: What did your grandparents do?

Chen: My grandfather was a tailor, he also made clothes.

Chen: My grandmother too.

Lu: So your family ran a tailoring shop?

Chen: No, a clothing shop, a clothing store.

Lu: Do you remember what it was like in your family store at the time?

Chen: Yes.

Lu: Can you talk a little about it?

Chen: Life in our household was a full one. There was my paternal grandfather, my paternal grandmother, my parents and a younger brother. My mother was pregnant. My father’s sister also lived with us, and she had two kids who came to live with us. Life was very hard. In 1937, at that time, Japan, the Japanese troops . . . they were setting off bombs, throwing bombs, see at that time, they wanted to . . . to . . . hiding from the planes. Around December of 1937, there were so many people, they fled to escape the troubles. Why didn’t our family go? Because our family was in the clothing ordering business, and my father got a contract to make uniforms for the soldiers, uniforms that were for the local army. This money though, was stuck, so there was no cash, and without the money, you couldn’t escape, right? So we didn’t leave, we lived in this house. Where was our house? It was near Nanjing’s Sanshan Rd, in what is now the street just behind the Gan Family Courtyard. My house was #4. . . .

Life was pretty happy and full. Now on December 13, there came change that turned our world upside down. At that time, at the end of the alley, at the end of the alley we lived in, it was called Tian Qing St. The Japs started a fire, they started a fire at the end of the alley, and the blaze was fierce. My father, being a warm hearted man, he went out to put out the fire. And he never came back. From the moment he left that day, he never came back, he was gone. So only my grandparents, my mother, my aunt, the young and the old, were left at home. On the morning of that day, a Japanese devil took a bayonet, a rifle, and with the bayonet he came in. When he came in, we thought everything was as usual, my grandfather even brought out candies for him, telling him to eat, and treating him as a guest. He said he didn’t want that, he said one sentence: “I want a woman.” My mother was pregnant, with a big belly, so he didn’t want her. He dragged my aunt, and at the time she was nursing my little girl cousin. The house we lived in had 3 rooms, each behind the other, we were in the third, in the third room. He took my aunt, and dragged her from the third room to the second room, he was going to humiliate her, he was about to rape her.

My aunt was an educated woman, she would rather die than submit, so she struggled, she struggled with that Japanese devil. Then the devil picked up a knife, and stabbed my aunt, piercing her 6 times, in her thigh as well, she was bleeding there as well as from her chest. At the time when he dragged her to the front, my grandmother, and I was an obedient little boy, she brought me forward, so I witnessed my aunt’s death with my own eyes. I was 6 at the time, only 6, but I was old enough to remember things. My aunt handed my little cousin over to my grandmother, and said, ‘Mother, my heart aches, please give me some sweetened water.’

So my aunt, my grandmother, my grandmother carried my little cousin to the back, and poured a bowl of sweetened water, from the third room to the second and back to the front. When she got there, my aunt had already stopped breathing, she didn’t get to taste the bowl of sweetened water her mother brought. So, just like that, my aunt died. And then that very night, my mother, she gave birth to her child, at that time she gave birth. Giving birth at that time, when there was no one there to help, was extremely difficult. So we stayed at home.

At this time, we kept my aunt’s body in the second room, within that room’s entry we put down a door, and her on it, she lay there close to 3 days, we had no other choice, grandfather was old, around 70, he was an old man. We had no one in the house who could work, we couldn’t get a coffin, right. The child my mother bore didn’t have anything to eat, in a few days our household  food ran out. The Japanese devils, were really hateful to the extreme, see, he could kill without batting an eyelid. He could rape and kill without batting an eyelid. And then, on the third day, a Japanese soldier arrived—this was a soldier, not a Japanese devil. He had a short gun on him, a short gun. And then he also spoke Chinese, he could understand my grandfather, and he could talk so my grandfather understood. He said that back in Japan he was a shop keeper, not a soldier, he was conscripted, he didn’t have a choice, he was conscripted here, and from the looks of him he wasn’t a soldier, he was a petty official. He took my grandfather out to the streets, found a couple of youths, and then found a  few able bodies and went with them to a coffin shop and brought back a coffin to our second room, that is the room before ours, and put my aunt in the coffin. We couldn’t bury her, so we had to put her on the ground open to the sky, like that. And then he took my grandfather, and went out, to a rice shop and a soy sauce shop and found some food, then put it in a bag and carried it back to us, and so we survived this hardest of hard times, see.

Now the Japanese devils, they wouldn’t let a single woman off the hook, right. After my mother gave birth, she put the bloodied paper on the floor. When they came they’d want to see it, and after they saw it, they knew she’d had a baby, they didn’t want her and they’d leave. This harassment went on everyday, there was nothing we could do.”