#Sun Jialing

[lostinadrama]

𝐌𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 (2024)

[chineseredcarpet]

Sun Jialing for Huawei Pocket2 brand event

[cnladies]

SUN JIALING 孙嘉灵 | Halloween 2024

Sun Jialing: more photos here Halloween 2024: more photos here

[olivierdemangeon]

SHANGHAI FORTRESS (2019) ★★☆☆☆

[thekingsavatar-fan]

New merchandise: in-game avatars in traditional outfits (Wushuang style)

taobao/tmall links: [badges] [tapestries] [standees] [signature boards] [3d picture frames]

sourced: @swankitty

[pandabakajanai-blog]

New stuff!! I’m happy

[quotablefanfiction]

“What’s his deal?!” “Why are you so caught up on this?” Sun Zheping sighed, putting the rest of the account cards back. Zhang Jiale didn’t answer, because he was already creating the “Ye Qiu’s being weird again” chat group.

some pros deal with Ye Qiu’s oddities in different ways (chp. 1)

In the Eye of the Camera by TheDefenestrator (AO3) The King’s Avatar/Quánzhí Gāoshǒu – Teen #Alternate Universe #Canon Divergence #Humor #Fix-It

Ye Qiu won’t appear for a match, but he’ll appear for press conferences. Due to his family, there’s a lot of difference.

[saxifactumterritum]

[ID: a digital drawing of Sun Zheping and Zhang Jiale from the webnovel The King's Avatar, talking animatedly over noodles in a canteen. Its detailed, things on the wall and details on their clothing, and flooded by warm yellow light from a window. End ID.]

☺️hi

[audriel]

fourteen: behind the scenes

this story can be said a character study of Fang Rui and his relationships (tbh when is it not lol).

in truth, in the earliest draft, there's only one relationship that's become the focus, but as it typically happens, the character and the story tend to take a life of its own. but ultimately what brings it to completion is the Secret Santa prompt. as per en's request, the two characters chosen to become the main focus in their relationship with Fang Rui are Ye Xiu and Yu Wenzhou, with two more from the Chinese Glory team. so special mention to en (empatbelas) since they’re the reason this story gets completed.

Huang Shaotian: in comparison to the other three, there's no obvious interaction in the novel that suggests that they are closer than the typical familiarity between top gods of the League. it doesn't help that Huang Shaotian (and Fang Rui himself) is friendly with everyone. Huang Shaotian among the first to comment in Fang Rui's weibo post, then Fang Rui joins Happy's bullying of Huang Shaotian during the pre-match handshakes in the playoffs. until the prequel 'Summer of Blue Rain' that is.

not only Fang Rui shows up in Blue Rain, he also calls Huang Shaotian, Shaotian. again, considering how naturally friendly they are, it might not be enough as an evidence of their closeness. however, it's important to note that both spend time together in Blue Rain, and considering how tight-knit Blue Rain is and how social the two are, it's not impossible that they are more than merely colleagues and rivals, but friends that chat and hangout together outside of games.

Zhou Zekai: in the novel, there's only one notable interaction outside of games between the two, which is when they encountered each other after Samsara-Happy first regular match of Season 10. then there's a mention of a familiarity that's typical between pro players that debut together during the finals, but it doesn't suggest Fang Rui is as close to Zhou Zekai as Wu Yuce or even Zhou Guangyi, though it's interesting to point out that he called the latter Old Zhou, likely because he called Zhou Zekai, Little Zhou. however, then there's the prequel.

there's a pattern in the prequels: For the Glory and the Expectations of the Mediocre. all the stories tends to revolve around first meetings: Ye Xiu-Su siblings. Ye Xiu-Han Wenqing. Ye Xiu-Wu Xuefeng. Sun Zheping-Zhang Jiale. Yu Wenzhou-Huang Shaotian-Wang Jiexi. Wang Jiexi-Fang Shiqian. Yu Wenzhou-Huang Shaotian-Zhang Xinjie-Xiao Shiqin. Zhou Zekai-Fang Minhua. and based on the characters that become the focus, they are all play important roles for each other: partners, rivals, tacticians. they are equals.

and in the latest prequel, in what supposed to be Zhou Zekai and Samsara focus, suddenly a wild Fang Rui appeared. and he's not a mere cameo, unlike his previous appearance. he actually has an actual interaction, genuine exchange. and for people who's quiet and introverted like Zhou Zekai, they tend to stick close to people they're familiar with when they're getting into new place aka the League. Fang Rui might be the first friend he made outside Samsara, and quite possibly, his partner and/or rival in the future (or BB just plain adore FR, which is... fair, me too).

Yu Wenzhou: before the prequel, it's less likely for Fang Rui to be close to Yu Wenzhou, in comparison to Huang Shaotian. although there's a notable interaction in the playoffs when Lu Hanwen attempted to play dirty, the keyword here is 'attempted', making Fang Rui rolled on the ground laughing as he gestured wildly towards Blue Rain team. the one being shown having a reaction towards him is Yu Wenzhou (though this also points out how good of a relationship he has with his old team that he dares to openly tease them right in the middle of the match, it's the playoffs too).

then there's the prequel, while Fang Rui appears to mainly summon Huang Shaotian for his new silver weapon, he stays behind and calls Yu Wenzhou, Wenzhou. Unlike Huang Shaotian, Yu Wenzhou is more reserved and not to mention he's Swoksaar successor and future captain, even young as they were, I don't think any ordinary newbie (as per timeline suggests that the Challengers League conclude around the same time of S3, Fang Rui should only have less than a year in the training camp) would have that kind of familiarity with Yu Wenzhou. i come to believe, as reflected in this story, that in actuality Fang Rui is closer to Yu Wenzhou than Huang Shaotian.

Ye Xiu: and lastly, putting the most important relationship and the one that started everything. as i fall in love with Fang Rui, i recall vividly all his scenes and his interactions with others. his dynamics with Ye Xiu particularly caught my eye. Wei Chen is the first who can keep up with his trash talk in Happy, but ultimately after they officially enter the Glory Pro Alliance, it's Fang Rui. Su Mucheng is undeniably his best partner, but Fang Rui is Ye Xiu's partner in trash talk and in close range offensive. there are plenty of instances of these two working together in dealing damage in close range (i can give the receipt, if anyone wants it). these are some of my favorite interactions:

"Nice snipe." Fang Rui's Boundless Sea said in the public chat.   "I can't stay rusty forever :)" Ye Xiu replied with a smiley face. -Chapter 1163

"Clearly explain? You didn't explain at all!" Fang Rui said. "I saw that he was looking at them himself!" Ye Xiu said. "What use is looking at them himself! Are the rules that easy to digest? You need to properly teach him how to exploit the loopholes in the rules." "You shut your mouth, is exploiting loopholes and whatnot something that a respectable pro player should do?" "But there will always be a few sneaky players that do this. To defeat their sneaky tricks, you first have to understand how they'll be sneaky!" said Fang Rui. -Chapter 1164

"The ones who should be strictly criticized are the two players who went up next. Two players, and you couldn't take down the opponent's one player? Especially the third player, the great general anchoring the group arena, Fang Rui! The team didn't spend so much money to get you over here just so you could be a useless dim sum! You couldn't even take care of a Wang Jiexi?" Ye Xiu berated him. The tone of that "couldn't even take care of a Wang Jiexi" was deafening! Ever since Wang Jiexi had entered the Alliance, the reporters had never heard this kind of sentence before. "Yeah yeah yeah." To the side, Fang Rui confessed, ashamed, "I messed up, I couldn't focus my spirits to play well. Someone like Wang Jiexi, I should at least be able to fight ten of him." "That's a bit much!" Ye Xiu said. "Eight?" Fang Rui said. "Mm." Ye Xiu nodded. -Chapter 1195

“What do you mean? We purposefully gave you a shot at him, y’know?” In the chat, Fang Rui replied to Wei Chen. “Look at what wonderful people we are, giving you a chance to show off in front of your disciple. Where’s your gratitude?” Ye Xiu added. “Fine, thank you, you dumbasses,” Wei Chen retorted. -Chapter 1415

At such a crucial moment of time, Happy’s team members were still relentlessly trash talking Wei Chen, reminding him that it wouldn’t look good if his junior to defeated him. “You’re twice his age!” Ye Xiu reminded. “More than,” Fang Rui corrected. “If you get cut down so easily then that would be quite the embarrassment,” Ye Xiu said. “Indeed.” This time, Wei Chen didn’t reply. Naturally, this wasn’t because he was alright with being mocked like this, but it was because he couldn’t spare any effort into arguing with these two -Chapter 1416

“If you were my opponent, I definitely wouldn’t have fallen for that,” Fang Rui said honestly to Ye Xiu. “Nah, you definitely would have,” Ye Xiu replied back honestly. “Definitely wouldn’t have.” “Definitely would have.” -Chapter 1525

“How’s it going there? If you’re still holding on, type 1,” Fang Rui messaged. “11111111111,” Ye Xiu typed a line of 1s, showing that he was doing great. “Wow, amazing! What are we even here for?” Fang Rui replied. He was actually very shocked. -Chapter 1618

those interactions never fail to bring a smile to my face. their exchange is easy, comfortable. while at the same time when they do it during games, neither loses their focus. there also are times when they use it to cover their real intentions or use it as a mental attack, making their opponents second guess. then, i thought of the teams they left behind. 

i cannot imagine Excellent Era with Liu Hao and Wind Howl with Tang Hao responding positively to their trash talk or their overall playful, not so serious exchange, not realizing it’s also their way to lighten the team’s mood. i imagine how lonely it has been, how difficult and uncomfortable it might be, and yet here they are in Happy. another person, their teammate who can actually give as good as they get, without getting offended or losing focus in game. it’s like finding someone who can get your jokes. if i’m that happy in that situation, i bet Ye Xiu and Fang Rui are too.

and i want to particularly highlight these two interactions:

"Good joke. On the other hand, look at how sincere I am," Fang Rui said to Ye Xiu after leaving the stage, and was met with a kick. -Chapter 1139

"You useless dim sum! Are you looking for death! Hurry up and kneel!" Ye Xiu hit Fang Rui on the head. "My mistake, my mistake!" Fang Rui was weeping and crying. The others didn't know whether to be angry or amused. This communication issue was really a big problem! -Chapter 1208

my memories might be faulty, but i really, really cannot recall Ye Xiu being as physical with others as he has been with Fang Rui (besides Su Mucheng, but like that’s only once too, i think cmiiw). that’s display of another level of comfort right there

this also brings me to the other dimension of trash talk (and dirty playstyle).

Fang Rui had completely ruined the tense atmosphere in the stadium. The peak-level match had suddenly turned into an in-game 1v1 in the Glory Arena.  -Chapter 1605

Fang Rui received a warm welcome from Happy’s fans. As they cheered, he strutted around as if Happy wasn’t the team falling behind right now. He walked onto the stage, waving his hands towards the crowd as if he had won. It was only until the referee rushed over and berated him did he go into the player booth dejectedly. The crowd laughed. The tense atmosphere from Zhang Jiale’s 1v2 had lightened considerably. [...] The public chat had been very calm previously, but Fang Rui’s presence changed that. “How mighty! 1v2!” Fang Rui gave praise towards Zhang Jiale. “It’s not over yet!” Zhang Jiale replied.  “It pretty much is,” Fang Rui said. [...] You could say it was dirty, but that explosive burst of qi was very heroic. You could say that it was tyrannical, but hiding behind a wall and gathering qi was very dirty… In any case, Happy had won this round. It was a clean victory, chasing back the advantage that Zhang Jiale had gained. If Fang Rui’s previous interactions with the crowd had eased the crowd’s tension, then his dominating performance this round was a tranquilizer to Happy’s fans. -Chapter 1491

these excerpts can be said to be the best examples of how much a mood maker (or destroyer) Fang Rui can be. he can only pull this off if he is perceptive, he’s sensitive towards people’s moods and knows how to influence them. so it’s not a stretch to say that Fang Rui is a master at people’s psychology. and interestingly, this exchange sounds a bit familiar…

"Our captain is mighty." "If you've got the time to spout useless words, why don't you use it on moving your character instead?" The praise that he had typed into the public chat was only met with Ye Xiu's disdain. [...] Liu Hao would never forget the icy contempt that Ye Xiu showed towards his well-meaning compliment. To Liu Hao, calling out a beautiful play by a teammate was a way of boosting the morale of the team, but Ye Xiu maintained that his praise was too excessive. -Chapter 1279-1280

why is there such a difference in response from Ye Xiu? is it because of it’s directed towards an opponent instead of teammates, as it can be disruptive? Ye Xiu’s explanation in that very same match is that Liu Hao is always unable to put one hundred percent of his attention into the match. there are far too many other things he’s concerned about. is that all, or is there something else?

my first and main guess, is that Ye Xiu has a higher and better regard for Fang Rui. this started from their first official interaction in the novel.

"In the end, it's the experienced players who are harder to deal with!" When Ye Xiu saw Fang Rui's decision, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. [...] In the end, it's the experienced players who are harder to deal with! Fang Rui came up with the same evaluation. -Chapter 1110

what’s also interesting in this chapter is that this shows their thoughts, and their thoughts are strikingly similar. this also might be BB sowing the seeds early of how Fang Rui would have fit in Happy under Ye Xiu easily.

“He’s not wasting the foundation that Mo Fan lay down for him. What a reliable guy!” Ye Xiu sighed. -Chapter 1447

Reliable, such an assessment coming from Ye Xiu should be a huge compliment. after all, this is the man who believes that Glory isn’t a single-player game. 

“You gonna be okay?” Ye Xiu grinned as he asked Fang Rui. For the other Happy players who didn’t know that Fang Rui wasn’t himself right now, it didn’t sound like anything was wrong. The team had four senior members. Apart from Su Mucheng, the other three weren’t exactly the most serious people. It was common for them to talk trash about each other. But Fang Rui knew that these seemingly normal joking words had real meaning today. “Even if I’m not, I’ve got to go. The team really can’t do without me,” Fang Rui said proudly. The others on Happy didn’t find anything wrong, but Ye Xiu could hear what Fang Rui was implying: Yes, we don’t have any other choice. No matter how things are, I have to go. Ye Xiu didn’t say anything more. He wasn’t completely clear how Fang Rui’s condition was, but he knew that Fang Rui was a responsible player. He wasn’t going to play if he didn’t think he could win. It could only mean that he could still fight. He didn’t want to go before probably because he only wanted to fight if it was necessary, and right now was the time. -Chapter 1655

Responsible. 

THIS. this might be what sets Fang Rui apart from Liu Hao the most: he’s a responsible player. he always sees the big picture, he thinks of the ultimate goal: victory, and he never forgets he needs a team to achieve that. his trash talk and his playful demeanor onstage and offstage, his silence when he’s not feeling the best, his voluntary choice to step up when needed… are all in consideration of victory, and being as perceptive (and former vice captain) as he is, he knows how important morale is. Liu Hao can preach as much as he wants that he wants to boost the team’s morale, but Ye Xiu isn’t buying it, he knows Liu Hao’s doing it for himself, not for the team, not really as he’s always concerned about other things irrelevant to the game, to victory.

it’s no wonder that Ye Xiu finds it easy to trust Fang Rui despite having less time to build a rapport with, especially compared with the rest of Happy who has been building the team with him from scratch, and even when he’s not exactly close to Fang Rui. i say this with confidence because it’s noted that Ye Xiu needed to open a new chat window to pull Fang Rui to Happy, which means their only contact is limited to around official matches or All-Stars.

Ye Xiu’s trust and reliance in Fang Rui shows up many times throughout the novel, but it’s notably obvious in during the playoffs.

“I would’ve been fine even without your help,” Fang Rui suddenly said. “Huh?” Steamed Bun replied. “Not you, Steamed Bun,” Ye Xiu typed a reply as fast as he could. Though he knew that Fang Rui was talking to him, but if they let Steamed Bun misunderstand, then things would go downhill very fast. “We’re counting on you, Steamed Bun,” Fang Rui also broke out into cold sweat, hurriedly pitching in and making sure that Steamed Bun was focused and happy. [...] Ye Xiu and Fang Rui’s hearts calmed. Let him be as wasteful as he wants; it’s better than going completely out of it. “It’s all up to you!” Ye Xiu once again made sure Steamed Bun focused, but his words had a second meaning. Fang Rui understood, knowing that Ye Xiu was actually talking to him. As for Steamed Bun, the other cheerfully gave an acknowledging reply. Fang Rui didn’t dare tell him the truth of the matter. -Chapter 1474

Ye Xiu is trusting the handling of Steamed Bun, the most difficult to understand player in Happy, the greatest wildcard and variable in the game, to Fang Rui.

then there’s the playoffs against Tyranny.

Back on the battlefield, Happy had regrouped under Ye Xiu’s orders. They clearly didn’t want to continue fighting with Tyranny here. They wanted to reset the battle and fight in a different place. During this gradual process, Happy’s players began to regain their calm. Even Ye Xiu had felt distressed over the loss of Fang Rui. He wasn’t nearly as calm as he appeared. The others were even more so. -Chapter 1565

before finally Fang Rui is sent out of the game, until the very end Ye Xiu tried to save him, even when Fang Rui himself told the team to leave him. In that scene, Ye Xiu is even shown to be visibly distressed, which says a lot.

"Du Ming's in really good condition today. Be careful," Ye Xiu said to Fang Rui. "In better condition than me?" Fang Rui scoffed. "Haha," Ye Xiu laughed. "What's 'haha' supposed to mean!" Fang Rui could feel the disdain from Ye Xiu's laugh. "You're getting paid the most out of all of us. Please," Ye Xiu said. -Chapter 1605

the please tacked on really shakes me to the core, i can imagine it's more so for Fang Rui. that proud and stubborn Ye Xiu, needs to resort to something close to begging in desperation. i may be reading into things, but another interesting point in this scene is how Ye Xiu is not hiding his disdain. Ye Xiu is really careful in revealing his emotions, particularly negative ones. and yet here he is, doing so. for me, it’s like the mask is off, the guard is lowered, in that single moment.

“But… No matter what the map is, have you thought about not letting Fang Rui go onstage?” Chen Guo said. Ye Xiu fell silent.  -Chapter 1635

Just two of them were left. Su Mucheng stood behind Ye Xiu, watching him reclassify the recordings, articles, images, etc. from before and save them. “How do you feel?” Su Mucheng suddenly asked. “How do I feel? You mean about Fang Rui?” Ye Xiu said, without turning his head.  -Chapter 1636

By then, Ye Xiu had returned to Happy’s area. He also had to decide on the next person Happy was to send up. But this was not an easy decision. Even though Ye Xiu did not lose in spirit to Zhou Zekai, not even he could suppress the opponent’s confidence. Zhou Zekai would continue his fight-to-the-death attitude and launch an aggressive offensive. Happy needed to send up someone with lots of experience and ability to quickly adapt to changes to tango with Zhou Zekai. Fang Rui! He was the most suitable choice. When Ye Xiu thought this, his gaze wandered in Fang Rui’s direction. But just as he did so, his heart sank a little. Fang Rui was also looking back at him, but his gaze gave off an abnormal sense of calm. Ye Xiu understood Fang Rui. Even though he was the epitome of playing dirty, he was definitely not the kind to bully the weak and avoid the strong. Fang Rui must also understand how crucial this coming match was. In these moments, judging by Fang Rui’s usual personality, he probably would have already volunteered to play next without being asked. But now, not only Fang Rui did not speak up, but he still stayed silent when he caught Ye Xiu’s eyes. Ye Xiu immediately knew that Fang Rui wasn’t at his best. The burden from last match probably hadn’t been completely erased by the two days’ worth of rest. Fang Rui staying silent was his way of not hurting Happy’s morale. But at this moment, he decided to stay silent after he exchanged looks with Ye Xiu. This was because he knew Ye Xiu would understand him right away. -Chapter 1651

Mo Fan, who hadn’t contributed anything last round, looked even more dejected when he returned. The comforting from his teammates were completely ignored. “Don’t worry,” Ye Xiu looked towards him. Mo Fan walked right past him. Those words were too light. How could he casually wave off such a devastating defeat? “Your teammates are still fighting,” Ye Xiu continued. Mo Fan turned his head. Ye Xiu was no longer looking at him. Mo Fan followed Ye Xiu’s gaze to Fang Rui, who was still holding his clenched right hand up in the air. “So we haven’t lost,” Ye Xiu turned his head to look at him. -Chapter 1655

Fang Rui patted Qiao Yifan, and his attitude was also very sincere. “Without me, you guys will be the ones working very hard.” Everyone laughed. But after laughing, they felt that these words, although shameless, were true. Fang Rui’s strength, Boundless Sea’s strength, were stronger than the new players and new accounts of Happy. Without him, the rest of them really would have to work very hard. “Then we’ll work harder.” Ye Xiu nodded. -Chapter 1675

the first to the last scenes are Ye Xiu not denying Fang Rui’s strength and importance to the team. it also shows Ye Xiu’s tendency to look to and for Fang Rui. i want to remind you of the scene when Ye Xiu was checking on everyone’s state before the playoffs, and kept wondering of Fang Rui’s whereabouts until Su Mucheng told him that he went to bed early. Don’t also forget this infamous scene:

It was a shocking performance, but as Ye Xiu watched and watched, his original smile grew a bit heavy. He glanced at Fang Rui’s booth again, and seeing that there was still no movement, he quickly walked over. [...] Even though Ye Xiu was still smiling, that heaviness from earlier still hadn’t faded. When he saw Su Mucheng looking at him, he returned the gaze, answered Su Mucheng’s doubts. -Chapter 1634

Ye Xiu is the first to notice the abnormality of Fang Rui and the first to make a move to check on Fang Rui. he's also the one who doesn't buy Fang Rui's act.

this trust and understanding go both ways.

"It was well done," Fang Rui nodded. "But it wasn't easy, no?" "What?" Chen Guo was puzzled. When she looked at Ye Xiu, she discovered that he didn't look too happy about his win. Even though Ye Xiu wasn't the type to show his emotions easily, his expression wasn't very relaxed despite winning. Chen Guo realized her perspective of the match was too shallow. She looked at Su Mucheng, and from Su Mucheng's gaze towards Ye Xiu, she could see… worry. [...] "It wasn't easy," Ye Xiu said.  -Chapter 1273

The trophy. The gleaming golden trophy, symbolizing the greatest Glory, was finally given to Happy. Ye Xiu accepted it with both hands. But immediately afterwards, the trophy slipped between his fingers. “Ah!!” As the crowd cried out in surprise, to Ye Xiu’s left and right, Su Mucheng and Fang Rui swiftly reached out to support the trophy. -Chapter 1727

It’s Su Mucheng and Fang Rui who are the first to react and help Ye Xiu to support his tired fingers to lift up the trophy, and Fang Rui himself is unlikely to have fully recovered by then too.

whoops it grows into such a long analysis into Fang Rui and Ye Xiu’s relationship. i’d also point out that Ye Xiu’s trust and reliance on Fang Rui is not baseless, besides the legendary play that heralds Fang Rui’s return to godhood. it’s been pointed out that Happy’s excellent record is due to Fang Rui as much as Ye Xiu’s. (not core player my ass. sorry my beloved dimsum, but we’re gonna agree to disagree)

Fang Rui growing accustomed to his new playstyle was an indispensable contribution to Happy's recent strong performance. After being thrown off by Ye Xiu's unspecialized Lord Grim, the various members of the Alliance now faced another playstyle that they couldn't immediately understand, that caused them just as much difficulty as Lord Grim. -Chapter 1225

this, alongside the brief mention that player(s) from abroad seems to disdain these kinds of dirty tricks from Wei Chen, makes a strong argument that if Ye Xiu has his pick in the national team roster, he will certainly have Fang Rui.

meanwhile, it is merely my speculation that Fang Rui is the one replacing Han Wenqing. however, i feel it’s not without basis. the numbering on the national team, for one. then there’s the distribution of class and ability. I’ve read some analysis, and many are leaning towards Fang Rui as one of the candidates. more so if Wei Chen’s comment of dirty playing is being disdained is true and not mere exaggeration, Fang Rui’s not being the first choice is much higher and for Ye Xiu, who needs to work miracles as the Team Leader in the short time, for him choosing Fang Rui is a no brainer: a player that is unpredictable and unfamiliar to opponents, and a teammate whom he trusts and relies on, with whom he can pick for both individual and team competition. 

i kinda have to add the last one because the younger members of the national team are not very known for their teamwork. and Fang Rui, both as a player and as Qi Master, is incredibly versatile. he has high adaptability. case in point: him fitting in the grassroots, online game background Happy with surprising ease. for this reason Happy is nigh invincible in online games and robbing BOSSes compared to other pro players. this shows that that online game style is not easy for pro players with a formal training background, and yet here Fang Rui who debuted in the Fifth Year easily fitting in like he’s been with Happy from day one.

that’s why i headcanon Fang Rui as a diplomat’s son, who is used to moving to different countries, learning different languages and cultures. it’s also why he’s so perceptive when it comes to people and language (read: loopholes). in the national team, he will be the unofficial vice captain to Yu Wenzhou and right hand to Ye Xiu. while they have single rooms during training, they will have roommates during the actual competition abroad, which i think will make more sense, in the case of anything going wrong (lateness, forgetfulness, you name it). so it’s likely for Ye Xiu and Fang Rui to room together. yeah, i definitely have some ideas for the World Invitationals, writing them is another matter.

thank you for reading this long author’s-note-turned-meta! i’d love to hear more from you about this story (and my note).

[soullistrations]

First Lines

I was tagged by @mithrilwren to share the first lines of my last ten fics! Thanks again for tagging me! I....really have not written a lot so my last ten is most of my fics. also included the two fansongs I uploaded bc...poetry right?

Recipe for Disaster (Sanji and Zoro get kidnapped by fine-dining pirates)

“That is not a fucking loquat.”

2. War Paint (double drabble about sokka, suki, and eyeliner. i'm sensing a dialogue theme)

“Ow!”  “If you weren’t fidgeting, I’d be done by now.”

3. coordination (and other 'c' words) (Sun Xiang/Jiang Botao/Zhou Zekai threesome fic. They have sex. For teambuilding reasons.)

Sun Xiang is beating himself up again. He’s doing a good job of hiding it — he has his head down, scribbling notes as Jiang Botao shares his observations on the day’s scrimmage. Nobody’s noticed the tightness around his eyes, or the grimace when Jiang Botao praises him for breaking free of the others’ encirclement and rejoining his team’s formation so quickly. Nobody, that is, except Jiang Botao.

4. Reignite (one of two songs on this list--this one is for Zhang Jiale, and though the sound mixing on the track really sucks it's one of my favorite things i've made)

Is this all there is? Six years, and I’m going out with a whimper, not a bang - and here I thought we’d be eternal

5. burning up (for you, baby) (Caleb/Essek, the M9 have a beach day and Essek gets a sunburn)

The successful completion of a world-saving quest calls for a week in the sun: relaxation, rejuvenation, relocation (while the heat of Trent’s still-ongoing search dies down). With amulets slung over bathing wraps and under wide-brimmed hats, the Mighty Nein make their way back to Nicodranas, pay their respects to a grateful Yussa, and hit the beach.

6. The Way Back Home (ostensibly a collection of SPN songs I've written over the years...but i've only posted one so far)

I once saw you looking at the stars and you told me they were friends that you once knew. Well, I've been looking at the stars Wondering if one of them is you, Wondering if one of them is you.

7. because you're by my side (a very ampersand-y Chu Yunxiu & Su Mucheng fic where cyx has seasonal depression)

Thursday was phone call night. It always had been, since just after the first Season Four match between Misty Rain and Excellent Era, when Chu Yunxiu insisted on showing one of the only other girls in the league the best spots to eat in Suzhou. That next Thursday, Su Mucheng had called to complain that Chu Yunxiu had ruined her on jianbing, because how was she supposed to find any that tasted as good as the ones they had last weekend? And ever since then, it was a weekly tradition.

8. even if we're just dancing in the dark (lookit i was jamming to the song of the summer before it was cool on tumblr) (jk but this one was a lot of fun) (it's a magic au where Zhang Jiale gets rescued from prison by Ye Xiu)

Ping! Twenty-eight. Ping! Twenty-nine.

9. pics or it didn't happen (oh my god this fic was so long ago) (Outsider POV fic where Baozi opens a knock-off McDonalds and chaos ensues)

Happy’s Brawler spotted working at McDonald’s knockoff! Posted by ExcellentAutumnLeaf at 23:48 L-O-f*cking-L, it looks like Team Happy’s finally collapsing under the weight of its own shamelessness!

10. i am no icarus (I invented so many Italian nobles for this fic) (Princess Isabella and Countess Livia get together to upend the balance of city-states in Northern Italy.)

Vicenza had clearly spared no expense when it came to decorations, Isabella thought, watching the streets of the city pass by the window of her carriage with a sardonic eye.

This was a fun look back, thank you! I'm tagging @bisexualshakespeare, @granny-griffin (hi this is theetwinkleboy) and anyone else who wants to participate!

[syncogon]

[QZGS Prequel TL] Ch 11: The Hopes of the Ordinary (3)

(info post and links for the official QZGS Prequel, For the Glory / 巅峰荣耀)

summary: The third and final part of the 2022 new Samsara prequel chapters.

wordcount: 3.7k

Written by Butterfly Blue, translated by Syncogon.

This is Part 3/3.

PART 1 HERE 

PART 2 HERE 

********

One week later. 

Glory Professional Alliance Season 4 Round 7, Samsara finally ended their losing streak and achieved a hearty victory. As captain, Zhang Yiwei was in a good mood. Even though their opponent today wasn’t very strong, he believed that the meeting he’d held on the last rest day morning was useful. After all, he’d been paying attention to everyone’s mood this week, and as far as he could tell, ever since that day, everyone was feeling positive and working hard. 

“Keep it up!” he said to his teammates. 

But after that in Round 8, Round 9… Facing off against Excellent Era and Tyranny, who were currently at the top of the leaderboard, Samsara was instantly beaten back down.

Then in Round 10, Samsara met the team that had fought their way into the finals against Excellent Era last season—Team Hundred Blossoms.

“Hold it hold it hold it hold it…” Zhang Yiwei muttered under his breath. It was the critical moment during the team battle. But Cloud Piercer’s health couldn’t withstand the opponent’s barrage, and he died in an instant. 

“What’s wrong, didn’t I tell you to watch my health!” When he saw Cloud Piercer fall, Zhang Yiwei slammed his mouse on the table and furiously typed out a message.

For now, Fang Minghua couldn’t pay it any mind, since the match hadn’t ended yet. But it didn’t last for much longer. 

“What’s wrong with you today? No, not just today. Your performance has been off these days.” After the match, Zhang Yiwei didn’t even wait until they returned to their prep room before he started tearing into Fang Minghua. 

“I…” Fang Minghua wanted to explain himself, but a hazy feeling rendered him unable to form words.

Zhang Yiwei was already beginning to list out all of Fang Minghua’s mistakes during this match, like stringing beads one by one. 

“Well, it’s not just that.” Suddenly a voice came from the side. It was Team Hundred Blossoms. As the victors, they took a little longer to exit the stage, and now they ran into Samsara in the player passageway. The Samsara players all looked toward the source of the sound, and saw that the one who’d interrupted was Hundred Blossoms’ captain, Sun Zheping.

“Don’t go pointing fingers at one person. It’s not like it’s an individual problem,” Sun Zheping said. 

“What do you mean by that?” Zhang Yiwei looked at Sun Zheping. They had entered the Alliance in the same year, but the Sun Zheping of today was already strong enough to wrestle the greatest gods like Ye Qiu or Han Wenqing. 

“In the end, you guys are just overall weak,” Sun Zheping said. 

“You…” Zhang Yiwei had no idea that Sun Zheping would speak so directly, so mercilessly. 

“Right?” Sun Zheping twisted his head to look at his partner, Zhang Jiale, who was much more popular than even him. 

“I don’t know.” Zhang Jiale wasn’t happy about this, but when he looked at Samsara his words were very sincere: “The above statement represents Sun Zheping’s individual opinion. If you’d like to PK in real life, please only target Sun Zheping.”

The other members of Hundred Blossoms revealed expressions of agreement, all of them hastening their steps to leave with Zhang Jiale. 

“Tch.” Sun Zheping was unimpressed. 

“See you.” He actually waved goodbye at them, before catching up to his teammates and leaving.

Samsara’s members stood around awkwardly. No one would be happy hearing an opponent say “you’re not strong enough,” yet none of them could step forward and retort. They watched Hundred Blossoms leave, watched as Sun Zheping caught up and whacked all of his teammates before walking with Zhang Jiale at the front of the team.

Everyone looked on in envy. 

Samsara didn’t lack enthusiasm, didn’t lack effort, didn’t lack teamwork. What they lacked was someone with absolute strength, someone who could stand on the battlefield and take on the world. 

Such a person… Everyone exchanged looks, and they all knew it wasn’t any of them.

“Let’s go.” Zhang Yiwei suddenly spoke, his tone much heavier. 

He was Samsara’s captain, using the best character in the team. He was supposed to be that Samsara player that the opponents most dreaded. But when Sun Zheping said that they were weak as a whole, that statement without a doubt included himself too. And in fact his weakness was the most obvious, because he was Samsara’s captain, the team’s core, the one who would be compared to the likes of Ye Qiu, Han Wenqing, or Sun Zheping.

With a bitter smile, Zhang Yiwei shook his head. How could he compare. Never in this whole lifetime could he compare. 

He turned back, looked at Fang Minghua. 

Fang Minghua immediately stopped in his tracks.

“What about that Sharpshooter that you mentioned could help us? When will he come?” Zhang Yiwei said. 

Everyone was stunned.

Fang Minghua’s jaw fully dropped.

“Captain asked you a question.” Tong Lin patted him.

“I’ll reach out, see when he’s free,” Fang Minghua rushed to say. 

Zhang Yiwei nodded without saying much else. He continued to walk on ahead. The rest of Samsara hung back, gathering around Fang Minghua.

“So this person actually exists?”

“What’s his name?”

“How old?”

“What kind of person is he?”

Curious, the teammates all began questioning Fang Minghua. 

“His name is Zhou Zekai, his username is his real name, he’s seventeen. Personality, how to put it…” Fang Minghua thought for a bit, then said, “Absolute strength, a good person, talks very little.” 

“So the strong stoic type.”

“But that’s just in-game…”

“Minghua, have you fought him in the Arena?” someone suddenly asked.

Fang Minghua made an awkward face, and everyone else looked at that person like he was an idiot. 

“Oh oh oh,” that person remembered. Fang Minghua was a Cleric, a standard, professional Cleric firmly in charge of healing. How irresponsible it’d be for him to run off and 1v1 in the Arena! If the captain found out, that’d mean a whole new round of reprimand. 

“Alright, let’s move along here! Think about Captain’s feelings!” said Tong Lin, stepping forward. Everyone looked over and saw Zhang Yiwei standing lonely in front, truly a cruel sight. They all hurried to catch up. But Tong Lin himself hung back with Fang Minghua. 

“So these days when you’ve been playing in-game, you’ve usually been playing with him?” Tong Lin asked. 

“Only during free time, and I haven’t been playing too much,” Fang Minghua said.

“I’m not trying to scold you. I’m just saying that these past few weeks, you’ve gotten stronger,” said Tong Lin.

“Me? Stronger?” Fang Minghua’s eyes grew wide. He couldn’t help but look toward his captain. Just earlier, Captain Zhang Yiwei had been criticizing his recent poor condition, and in the match that had just ended, Fang Minghua himself felt that there were a few places where he hadn’t been able to keep up with Captain’s rhythm. 

Tong Lin smiled, but didn’t explain further. He just clapped Fang Minghua on the shoulder: “Hurry and call your friend over, I’m looking forward to it.”

“Okay.” Fang Minghua nodded.

In the blink of an eye, another week passed. 

Glory Professional Alliance Season 4 Round 11, Samsara versus Blue Rain.

Among the shining rookies that had emerged this season, it was Zhang Xinjie who currently had the best statistics. But the most eye-catching rookies were the ones from Team Blue Rain. 

This was because the team that Zhang Xinjie had joined was Team Tyranny, which had always been a strong team. Captain Han Wenqing was a presence that, for many people, didn’t lose to Battle God Ye Qiu. Without a doubt, Zhang Xinjie had a platform that was very advantageous for his growth. 

Blue Rain, meanwhile, had been devastated last season after the departure of Captain Wei Chen. They hadn’t even made it to playoffs. But after just ten rounds this season, with two new rookies put on the roster, Blue Rain was once again in the running for the championship.

Rookie Yu Wenzhou inherited the team’s core, Warlock Swoksaar, and became Blue Rain’s new captain. But then, just as everyone thought that he would be Blue Rain’s new generation ace player, Blue Rain sent out an even greater surprise. 

Blade Master wasn’t originally a class in Blue Rain’s main roster. But with the addition of this other new rookie, Blue Rain’s main roster now had a position for a Blade Master, and it was the brightest and most brilliant position. 

Huang Shaotian, Blade Master Troubling Rain. After a few rounds of competition, everyone recognized that he was Blue Rain’s sharpest spear, vanishing into shadows, waiting for opportunity, ending it all in a single slash. All while sending full screens of trash talk into the chat. 

Apparently his abnormal chattiness had already drawn the attention of the higher-ups of the Alliance. But it would be unfair to mute only a specific player, so it was said that they were currently discussing banning all dead characters from sending messages. From this it could be seen just how terrifying Huang Shaotian’s trash talk was. For other people, death was the end. For him, he could use the power of words to continue to attack the opponent. 

According to unofficial reports, the Alliance had recently sent out a survey to all of the pro players asking if they found this level of trash talk disruptive. As it turned out, only one person responded “no”.

Keeping in mind that this survey was sent to Blue Rain along with all the other teams, this meant that even Huang Shaotian’s teammates all responded “yes.” As for who was the individual who said that they weren’t disrupted, the source said that it was unknown. 

As of today, the rule change was still under discussion. But for the Samsara who faced Blue Rain this round, it didn’t matter. They weren’t even able to turn Huang Shaotian’s Troubling Rain into a corpse in the first place. Instead, in an instant where the attackers and defenders switched, Huang Shaotian seized the opportunity and instantly knocked out two of Team Samsara. 

Cloud Piercer, Laughing Song.

One was Samsara’s core, one was the indispensable healer.

At that moment, it could be said that the match was already over. Team Samsara swiftly fell in defeat. 

Blue Rain won easily. Yet Samsara was already numb to defeat. 

Captain Zhang Yiwei, in particular, was ashen-faced. 

He could only look up to the first generation’s Ye Qiu or Han Wenqing. They had never been teammates. 

Sun Zheping and Zhang Jiale, debuting the same season as him, had swiftly risen to the top and left him in the dust. 

Last season’s rookie Wang Jiexi had been an unstoppable force as he ground many of his seniors, Zhang Yiwei included, into dust. 

And then this season, another rookie. When Troubling Rain’s lightsaber had slashed toward him, he’d been slow to react. Even Fang Minghua had fared better than him—he vaguely remembered seeing Fang Minghua squeeze out a few heals even under the disruption of Huang Shaotian’s attacks, trying to help him stabilize the situation. But his own performance had just been too, too poor. He hadn’t managed to do anything effective.

“Four-step Gun Fu? Not enough not enough not enough!!” 

During the slaughter, the endless stream of chat messages became knives stabbing into his heart. 

“Captain.” Seeing Zhang Yiwei still sitting there blankly, Samsara’s members surrounded him. 

“I’m fine.” Zhang Yiwei waved his hand and stood up.

“This round, we lost again,” he said.

Everyone was silent. 

“Are we really… just not strong enough?” Zhang Yiwei said. 

Everyone thought back to Sun Zheping’s brutally honest words last round. They could only smile bitterly.

Blue Rain’s players walked toward the center of the stage, greeting the audience and joyously soaking in their victory. Samsara could only look on from afar with envy as they walked back toward the player passageway. 

There weren’t many in the audience looking at them. It could be said that even other members of the audience were receiving more attention than them. 

Fang Rui, as a trainee in Blue Rain’s training camp, was currently exultantly discussing this victory with his friends, mocking their opponents with abandon. 

“That Sharpshooter is trash! If that’s the level of the Alliance’s current best Sharpshooter, then let’s be real, I could do that too!” Fang Rui lamented. 

But before his companions could agree, there was a commotion from behind. 

“What happened, what happened?” Fang Rui loved excitement, and in an instant his attention had shifted. He leaned over to see what was going on behind him—bumping right into someone hurrying past. 

“Ow.” Fang Rui, with his body half-twisted, almost fell over. Fortunately, his hands were fast as he grabbed onto the back of the seat. Instead of admitting his own fault in suddenly popping into the aisle from his seat, he accused the other party first: “What, are we just walking into people now?”

“Sorry…” The person who bumped into him apologized as he quickly grabbed Fang Rui to steady him.

“What’s going on?” Still interested in the commotion, Fang Rui continued to look around, but he didn’t discover anything big, just a few young women in the audience pointing in this direction. Their target, it seemed to be the one who’d just bumped into him. So Fang Rui studied this person, and instantly grew jealous.

How could someone be this good-looking? 

Fang Rui was vexed. 

And this person was still holding him up, looking thoroughly embarrassed. 

“Alright, you come with me,” Fang Rui said to him.

“Ah?” That person was taken aback.

“We can go this way too.” Fang Rui took the lead. 

“This way?” That person looked at the direction Fang Rui was walking. Toward the stage?

“I’m with Blue Rain, I can take you through the player passageway. You coming or not?” Fang Rui was starting to get impatient.

“Oh,” that person answered, and caught up.

Those female audience members were just pointing out to each other an unbelievably attractive pretty boy they’d found in the audience. They didn’t try to do anything else, and once they saw he was going the opposite direction from them, they presently began to leave the stands. 

Seeing this person beside him let out a long sigh, Fang Rui was unimpressed. “Seriously? Not like they did anything.” 

That person scratched his head and smiled a little, without saying anything.

“You also came to watch the match?” Fang Rui asked.

“Yes.” This person nodded.

“For which team?” Fang Rui asked. 

“Uh…” From this person’s hesitation, the answer was self-evident.

“Too bad,” Fang Rui said sympathetically. 

“It’ll get better.” The other person suddenly said this.

“Better than Blue Rain?” Fang Rui said doubtfully. “Next year when Blue Rain has me, they’ll be even more terrifying.” He shook his right hand around. 

The other person smiled again without saying anything.

“But supporting Samsara, that’s pretty brave. Say, what do you like about Samsara?” Fang Rui asked.

“A friend there,” the other said. 

“Then there’s nothing more to say.” Fang Rui nodded, acknowledging this reason. 

“There’s the competition stage, want to go up and take a look?” As they passed the stage, Fang Rui suddenly had an idea. 

“Okay.” This person nodded. 

The two of them walked onto the stage. There were already workers here, methodically tearing everything down.

Fang Rui strode toward the center of the stage, striking a bold stance as he swept his gaze around. 

“Next year, it’s my turn,” he proudly bellowed. 

“Fang Rui!” Then, someone loudly called his name. 

Fang Rui instinctively shrank down as he turned to look—it was someone from Blue Rain.

“I have to go! You just keep heading that way toward the exit.” In a rush, Fang Rui pointed out the path, before hurrying to rejoin Blue Rain. 

“Thank you,” he heard that person say from behind him. 

“What’s your name?” Fang Rui turned, jogging backward as he called out. 

“Zhou Zekai,” that person said. 

“Go and debut, and remember me when you’re famous.” Fang Rui waved toward him, then turned and dashed off. 

Zhou Zekai stared after him, lifting his hand and waving.

He was the only one left onstage. He looked all around him, at the empty stands—by now, the audience had already mostly left. This allowed him to relax, and he let out a deep sigh. Then he turned around and looked at the competitor booths where the pros played. He wanted to go closer to take a look, but when he saw how the workers were already rushing to disassemble everything, he ultimately stayed back. 

At this moment, two people had suddenly run onto the stage wearing Samsara uniforms. They ran straight toward Samsara’s competitor booths, where the computer and seat were already partially taken down. The person in front instantly grew even more panicked. He began to find a worker to ask something. The one who was with him looked down and did a sweep of the area, and then shook his head at his companion. Then, his gaze fell upon Zhou Zekai, who was looking at them.

Zhou Zekai smiled. 

Fang Minghua was caught off-guard, but he still gave the person a polite nod before he went over to the panicking Tong Lin.

“What’d they say?” he asked. 

“They’re asking.” Tong Lin looked toward the worker, who was off to the side making a phone call.

“They’ll find it,” Fang Minghua comforted him.

“The card doesn’t matter, but there are two important things in that account, they can’t be lost or ruined by someone else,” Tong Lin said. “No, I need to report it lost right now.” 

Tong Lin scrambled for his phone. Meanwhile, Fang Minghua turned, and saw that the youth who’d been standing in the center of the stage was now walking toward them.

Fang Minghua looked at him.

“Fang Minghua.” The person walked closer and actually called out his name. 

“Ah? You are?” Fang Minghua hesitated.

“Zhou Zekai,” the other person said. 

“Ah?” Fang Minghua’s eyes widened. After last week’s match, he’d already mentioned to Zhou Zekai that he hoped he could visit Team Samsara when he got the chance. But he’d never imagined that they would meet right here. 

“Why are you…” Fang Minghua only managed three words before he was interrupted by Tong Lin’s cry of joy.

“You found it? Thank you so much, where can I pick it up?” A delighted Tong Lin was speaking to the stadium worker. 

“He needs to come here, he’ll bring it over right now, please hold on for a moment,” the worker said. 

“Thank you, thank you!” After giving his profuse thanks, Tong Lin only now noticed Zhou Zekai standing next to Fang Minghua.

“Your friend?” Tong Lin asked Fang Minghua.

“This is the Sharpshooter that I wanted to introduce to the team,” said Fang Minghua.

“Oh?” Tong Lin began sizing up Zhou Zekai. 

“Hello, I’m Zhou Zekai,” Zhou Zekai introduced himself.

“Team Samsara, Tong Lin.” Tong Lin extended his hand, and they shook. 

“I hear your Sharpshooter is really good?” Tong Lin then asked. 

“I’m okay,” Zhou Zekai said. 

“Did you bring your account card?” Tong Lin asked. 

“I did,” Zhou Zekai nodded. 

“’Scuse me, are you taking this all down right now? Will we be in the way if we use the computers for a few minutes?” Tong Lin turned and asked a nearby worker. After obtaining permission, he sat down in front of a computer. 

“Come on, let’s have a round,” Tong Lin said. 

“Oh.” Zhou Zekai walked over. 

Two minutes later. 

“Huh?” Zhou Zekai found that his movements were suddenly no longer having any effect. 

“Internet’s down.” Tong Lin stood up. He looked toward Zhou Zekai, looked toward Fang Minghua behind him. Fang Minghua was trying to suppress a grin. He had never doubted Zhou Zekai’s strength, and after seeing him directly fight against a pro player like Tong Lin, he felt even more confident. 

“Whose account card is this?” called a worker who’d just arrived, as he raised a Glory account card. 

“Mine, mine.” Tong Lin rushed over and retrieved the account card with deep gratitude. 

“You played well.” Fang Minghua took the opportunity to praise Zhou Zekai. Even though they’d only played two minutes of an incomplete match, the strength that Zhou Zekai displayed was unquestionable. 

“I’m okay.” Zhou Zekai still used this same phrase. 

“Let me ask you,” Tong Lin said to Zhou Zekai, after returning with his account card. “Three-and-a-half-step Gun Fu, is that your limit?”

Zhou Zekai thought about it seriously for a moment. “Should be able to go half-step closer.”

“Three-step Gun Fu.” Tong Lin looked overwhelmed with emotion. “I was too conservative.”

“Hehe.” Fang Minghua grinned like an idiot. 

“Need some big adjustments,” Tong Lin muttered. 

“Ah?” Fang Minghua didn’t follow, and he saw Zhou Zekai wearing a similar expression of confusion.

“Not you,” Tong Lin said, waving the card in his hand. “I’m talking about the things in here.” 

“What things?” Fang Minghua asked. 

“You’ll find out later. No, all of the Alliance, all of Glory will know.” Tong Lin smiled. He gripped the account card in his hand. Within it was the result of his blood, sweat, and tears, the Silver weapon, dual revolvers Wildfire and Shattered Frost, specially built for Cloud Piercer. This youth standing before him, his three-and-a-half-step Gun Fu already surpassed the vast majority of pro gunner players, let alone the fact that he believed he still had a half-step’s room to improve. 

Wasn’t this exactly what all of Samsara had been hoping for all along? As he thought about this, Tong Lin suddenly began to tear up. 

“What’s wrong?” exclaimed Fang Minghua, alarmed. 

“I see the future,” Tong Lin said. 

Fang Minghua immediately understood. From the first moment he laid eyes upon Zhou Zekai’s Sharpshooter, he had also thought of the future. He patted Zhou Zekai’s shoulder, and Zhou Zekai smiled. 

Team Samsara, ready for takeoff.

[end]

[lostinadrama]

𝐌𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 (2024)

[f-f-friend]

Last Ten Opening Lines

Rules: post the first sentence of your last ten fics. If you haven’t written ten fics, share as many first-sentences as you have.

It's been a while since I published fic so let's see what I've got! Tagged by my love @wifiwuxians

1. Macau has not seen his brother in weeks. – maybe we can play house for the weekend [VegasPete, KinnPorsche the Series, WIP. 8.6k words so far]

2. You fall in love with a tornado. This is called a whirlwind romance. – whirlwind [Blossom Duo, The King's Avatar, 222 words]

3. Zhang Jiale doesn’t win the championship in Season 5. – better than win or lose [Zhang Jiale/Wang Jiexi, The King's Avatar, 2222 words]

4. The Five Great Experts of the esteemed Blue Brook Guild are a pretty cool bunch of people, if they say so themselves. – xu boyuan hangs out with his idol to talk shit about ye xiu [Xu Boyuan/Huang Shaotian, The King's Avatar, 3k]

5. They say without your soulmate, you will still be able to live a complete life. – How much do I like you? You'll find out~ [Huang Shaotian/Yu Wenzhou, Soulmate AU, The King's Avatar, 5k]

6. Huang Shaotian, scrolling through Weibo after a tedious training session, comes across a fan edit and gets a bright idea. – Huang Shaotian WILL put flowers in Zhang Jiale's hair or die trying (this is not a love story) [Huang Shaotian/Wang Jiexi/Zhang Jiale, The King's Avatar, 9k]

7. The Moon and its army of stars chased the Sun down into the horizon. Team Hundred Blossoms, holed up in their practice room, paid it no heed. – they're just like that couple from titanic! only no one dies [Blossom Duo, The King's Avatar, 7k]

8. At 800 years of age, some might say Xie Lian has outgrown learning. – steps to joy (for a very long time) [HuaLian, 1k]

9. Wei Wuxian’s husband keeps his room simple and uncluttered. – Wei Ying, [WangXian, 1k]

10. Misfortune enjoys company; This is why it never comes one at a time, but one after another, queueing impatiently at the door of whomever it has decided to infect. – certain as the sun [Nieyao Beauty and the Beast AU, incomplete, 9k]

BONUS: My fave opening line of any of my fics ->

Minhyuk had enjoyed twenty-five years of being totally irresponsible. – Superhero Love Story [Minhyuk/Hyungwon/Kihyun, Monsta X, incomplete, 33k]

this is from when I was still writing RPF for monsta x... but it's some of my best writing and I still love the superhero concept to this day

--

As for tagging can I just tag whoever wants to do it? I hardly talk to anyone on here anymore ;; Just feel free to do it and say I tagged you <3

[cloud-piercer]

Hi Halcy, first of all I just wanna say that I LOVE the way home you gave Zhang Jiale in your work, it’s beautiful, touching, and absolutely reasonable. And what path do you think Sun Zheping would have? Having to leave everything is the first obstacle in his life that cannot be solved by just crashing it. Do you think he’d also be full of rage resentment ang confusion? and how would he forgive himself and come back? really would like to hear your idea >3

anon today I learned ask messages do not show up on mobile tumblr...

ANYWAY what a good question! definitely I think there would be that resentment over his hands failing him coupled with a sizable dose of whatever the opposite of acquiescing to fate is. he might have half of season five to reconcile himself to the fact but I think that bitterness lingers, especially if he's putting on a brave face for his teammates so its just quietly festering in the background

how he'd forgive himself is an interesting route to ponder - afraid I can't give you anything more concrete than 'not what zhang jiale did' bc fortunately or unfortunately he does not seem to be the type of guy to find zen in nature... but it would certainly be long, and I don't think it would complete without him sitting in front of a Glory screen again. maybe what he needs is another hyperfixation?

[thekingsavatar-fan]

Tapestries from this [post].

MiaoMiao: [1] [2]

Thank you for the links @opossum-art

[lazykatie]

Game, Set, Love: A Yu Qing Romance - Chapter 9

As the next day dawned bright and clear, the sun's golden rays reached the bustling tennis courts of the school. Qi Lin stood at the sidelines, a small basket of towels and drinks by her side, her gaze fixed on the matches unfolding before her.

On one court, Jiale and Zhou Zhi faced off in a high intensity match, capturing the attention of many spectators. Qi Lin watched with a smile as the two players showcased their skills, the crowd divided in their support for the competitors.

"Come on, Zhou Zhi! You've got this!" cheered a group of Zhou Zhi's supporters.

Qi Lin couldn't help but smile at the support for her classmates, the friendly rivalry adding to the excitement of the match. She made a mental note to congratulate both players after the match.

Turning her attention to the other court, Qi Lin observed Xinglong and Qiao Chen engaged in a tense battle. Xinglong appeared to have the upper hand, his aggressive play style putting pressure on his opponent.

As the match drew to a close, Xinglong unleashed a powerful return, securing his victory. Qi Lin approached him with a congratulatory smile.

"Great job out there, Xinglong! Here, have a drink and a towel," she said, offering him the refreshments.

Xinglong accepted the offerings with gratitude.

"Thanks, Qi Lin." he replied, a hint of exhaustion in his voice.

Qi Lin then turned her attention to Qiao Chen, who had fought hard despite the odds. She approached him with a towel, offering words of encouragement.

"You did your best out there, Qiao Chen. You should be proud of yourself," she said, handing him the towel.

Qiao Chen nodded, a grateful smile on his face.

"Thanks, Senior Lin. Your words mean a lot," he replied, wiping the sweat from his brow.

As Qiao Chen was about to rest, his eyes caught sight of Lu Xia nearby.

"Hey, Lu Xia!" he called out, jogging over to him and casually wrapping his arm around his shoulder.

"Congrats on making it this far. Senior Yan is going to be a tough opponent. But don't sweat it if you don't win. Just give it your best shot," he advised, his words flowing freely as Lu Xia listened, his expression remaining blank as he removed Qiao Chen's arm from his shoulder.

"Thank you, Senior. But, I'm not planning on losing," Lu Xia stated confidently, setting down his racket bag on the nearby chairs.

At that moment, Qi Lin joined the conversation, reminding Lu Xia of their shared motto.

"Lu Xia, remember our motto?" she asked, to which Lu Xia nodded in affirmation.

"Let's aim for the top!" they declared in unison, their eyes gleaming with determination.

Qi Lin offered some final words of encouragement. "Just give it your all out there. From what I've gathered, Ah-Yan uses data tennis strategy similar to mine but on a far more advanced level."

Lu Xia nodded in appreciation. "Thanks, Jiejie Lin," he replied gratefully.

"Anytime. Now, go warm up for your match," Qi Lin instructed, returning to her position to observe the ongoing matches.

Meanwhile, Zhou Zhi and Jiale were still locked in the last set of their intense match. Despite Jiale's relentless energy and athleticism, Zhou Zhi's calm and composed demeanor remained constant.

He stayed focused and determined, refusing to let Jiale's flashy playing style throw him off course. With each stroke of the racket, he chipped away at his opponent's defenses, inching closer to victory with every shot.

In the end, Zhou Zhi's skill as a player shone through as he won. His victory elicited cheers from his supporters.

Qi Lin stood there in awe, amazed at him more than ever, more specifically when they had a match together on her first day at Yu Qing

FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Qi Lin stands on one side of the court, gently touching her injured wrist, a constant reminder of her physical limitation. Across from her, Zhou Zhi exuded confidence, his movements fluid and precise, a testament to his skill and experience.

In their school uniforms, they look out of place on the tennis court, the borrowed rackets from the club lockers feeling unfamiliar in their hands. Despite the makeshift setup, the determination in Qi Lin's eyes is unmistakable as she prepares to face off against a formidable opponent.

From the first serve, Zhou Zhi's shots are aggressive and well-placed, pushing Qi Lin to her limits. Qi Lin fights to return each ball, her determination evident in every stride, but she struggles to match Zhou Zhi's speed and accuracy.

As the match progresses, Zhou Zhi's dominance is undeniable, with each point stacking up in his favor. Qi Lin's frustration grows with each missed opportunity, her injured hand hindering her ability to execute her shots with precision.

Despite the pressure, Qi Lin refuses to give up, rallying with all her strength to stay in the game. However, Zhou Zhi's relentless onslaught leaves her feeling overwhelmed and outmatched.

Qi Lin heaved heavily from exhaustion as the final point was scored. It was a resounding victory for Zhou Zhi, 6-0, leaving Qi Lin feeling defeated but also awestruck by the skills and techniques demonstrated by her classmate on the other side of the court.

This match between her and Zhou Zhi brought her to a realization that she is far, very far from recovering her injury and it would take a long time before she could go back to the scene.

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

Snapping back to reality, Qi Lin approached both players, congratulating them and offering drinks and towels as a gesture of sportsmanship.

"Thank you, Qi Lin," Zhou Zhi said appreciatively, accepting the drink and towel.

Jiale echoed his sentiment. "Yeah, thanks. That was a tough match," he added, wiping his face with the towel.

After taking a few sips, Zhou Zhi suddenly asked, "Qi Lin, why are you on the courts instead of in front of the bulletin board?"

Jiale chimed in, "Yeah! Are you actually here to cheer for me?" He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

"Sure, you can say that," Qi Lin replied with a sweat drop at her classmate's teasing.

She set the basket down on the seats, taking out her notebook from it.

"Today is the last day of the qualifying matches, and I want to assess your techniques," she explained, flipping through the pages and jotting down her observations.

"The main players are about to be determined by this set of matches," she continued, writing her assessment of Zhou Zhi and Jiale's match.

"OH NO! We have another Ah-Yan!" Jiale exclaimed, slightly freaked out by Qi Lin's diligent note-taking.

"That's what I said before," Zhou Zhi smirked at Jiale's reaction.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Qi Lin said, still focused on her writing.

"But Ah-Yan's notes are a lot more detailed, including personal information. I, on the other hand, just write things related to tennis like your play style, shot patterns, signature moves, stuff like that."

~Grrrrr~

Qi Lin suddenly looked up, wondering where the sound of a rumbling stomach had come from.

Jiale blushed, realizing it was his stomach making the noise.

"Hehe. I'll be back! Nature is calling!" he said, excusing himself in need of a bathroom break after the intense match.

As Jiale scurried off, Qi Lin and Zhou Zhi were left alone on the bench. They exchanged glances, and then burst into laughter at Jiale's hurried departure.

Once their laughter died down, Zhou Zhi turned to Qi Lin, a curious look in his eyes.

"So, what do you think of my play?"

Qi Lin paused for a moment, considering her words.

"I think you're a natural counterpuncher, just based on what I saw."

Zhou Zhi nodded, urging her to continue.

"You excel at absorbing your opponent's power and redirecting it with precision," Qi Lin elaborated.

"I noticed how patient you are during rallies, waiting for the right moment to exploit any weaknesses. That patience is a huge advantage."

Zhou Zhi listened attentively, appreciating her insights.

"However," Qi Lin added thoughtfully, "sometimes you can be a bit too patient. It's almost like you're toying with your opponent."

Zhou Zhi raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.

She then murmured, pouting slightly, "Like what you did to me back then."

Zhou Zhi chuckled, recalling their past match. "I didn't mean to toy with you. I just want to see what you've got."

Qi Lin smiled, her playful pout turning into a grin.

"Well, you kinda got something out of me. But going back, maybe try mixing in more aggressive shots at unexpected times. Keep your opponents on their toes."

Zhou Zhi nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "That's good advice. I'll work on that. Thanks, Qi Lin."

"Anytime," Qi Lin replied warmly. "You're already a fantastic player, Zhou Zhi."

As Qi Lin and Zhou Zhi continued their conversation, Siyang arrived for his match against Dayong, drawing the attention of a crowd of admirers.

Qi Lin couldn't help but flinch at the squeals of Siyang's fangirls, the memory of their recent misunderstanding still fresh in her mind.

Zhou Zhi noticed her discomfort and attempted to reassure her.

"Don't worry, Qi Lin. It's all in the past," he said, offering her a comforting smile.

Qi Lin nodded, grateful for his support. However, her attention was soon drawn back to Siyang as he prepared for his match. She watched with anticipation as the game began, trying to take notes on Siyang and Dayong's strategies and techniques.

The match began with Dayong serving. He mixed up his shots, alternating between powerful groundstrokes and delicate drop shots, keeping Siyang guessing with his tactical approach.

Siyang, however, was unfazed by Dayong's tactics. With every powerful stroke, he asserted his dominance on the court, dictating play with his commanding presence and aggressive shot-making.

He moved effortlessly from the baseline to the net, showcasing his all-court prowess and putting pressure on Dayong with his relentless aggression.

Cheers erupted at Siyang's winning point, prompting Zhou Zhi to joke to Qi Lin, "If you were playing, I think you'd get more fans cheering for you, boys and girls alike."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, you know," she said with a grin, not looking up from her notebook.

She then added, "Besides, I couldn't even get a compliment out of you, much less from other strong players."

"Why not start training again? You can join us during our practice," Zhou Zhi suggested.

"No, thanks. It's not time yet. I just want to focus on my academics since we're already going to college," Qi Lin replied.

Zhou Zhi nodded, understanding her stance.

"I'm going to watch Lu Xia's match. Are you coming?" Zhou Zhi asked.

"I'll just stay here. I already have a feeling on what the outcome on the other side is," Qi Lin answered, gesturing towards the ongoing match.

"Suit yourself," Zhou Zhi said before returning her attention to the match.

----- To be continued -----

Previous: Chapter 8

Up Next: Chapter 10

cross-posted from wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/359772976-game-set-love-a-yu-qing-romance