#YICHEN MY MAN

[dearmyloveleys]

I’ve watched so many xianxia/wuxia cdramas about heroes but none quite embody a hero as much as I find Zhuo Yichen to be. If Ep25’s conversation between him and Lilun about hatred and how you allow it to consume you hasn’t convinced you, Ep26 cements this. He is so truly selfless, a great martial artist, puts the good of people first, and most importantly he learns. He is not without flaws, but he accepts the faults in his worldview without resistance. Even when his greatest nightmare of turning into a demon comes true, he accepts it albeit with pain and grace. He never falls into self-pity and hatred to the point that it blinds him (unlike Lilun), even when the world he protects curses him and gives him more than enough reasons to. He forgives the demon who killed his family, because he learns.

His sacrifice in Ep26 means so much to his character — recognising that Zhuyan shouldn’t have needed to pay for things beyond his control, coming face to face with his heritage and dying for it so he can save everyone, willingly letting go of the sword he once only wielded for vengeance and asking for it to turn into a weapon of saving grace (to rescue Baijiu). And he does all these with nothing but an embracing acceptance and reasonable tears. Yichen never once calls himself a hero, but I find that he is one of the greatest to have graced the cdrama screen.

[highlynerdy]

One of my very favorite things (in a long list) about Fangs of Fortune is the relationship between Bai Jiu and Zhou Yichen.

Like. Everyone in this story has oodles and piles of trauma that informs how they interact with the world. Our Demon Hunter boy especially. Losing his brother and father is definitely going to change his outlook on life and other people.

He is very standoffish and curt to almost everyone. So it's especially moving to see him be so kind and gentle with Bai Jiu.

Zhou Yichen assures him that it isn't his fault after the fight with the solider zombies. And that he is valuable and needed. And more than that, wanted.

The tenderness of him wiping Bai Jiu's tears away is so touching. Especially from him, someone who has long thought of himself as an oddity and an outsider. It's just that simple act to make Bai Jiu stop blaming himself.

Like. Our little doctor is always looking for Zhou Ge. And takes him over everyone as his safety and support. Over the bad ass demon or the assassin. Or even the goddess.

And it's very telling that Zhou Yichen doesn't lose his patience like he often does with others. Even when Bai Jiu is grabbing him or pulling his hair or shrieking obnoxiously loudly (oh how I love them using Lin Ziye's puberty voice for comedic effect).

When ZYC asks why Bai Jiu is always holding onto his bells. And he finds out it's because Bai Jiu finds comfort and security in knowing he's nearby??? My gods, my heart! It's just. They're all so broken. And even still, they muster up the courage and the care for the smallest and most innocent member of their group.

Gentle affection and tiny smiles. For a broken and scared kid from a broken and cynical man. So. Damn. Good.

[sooniebby]

Crack headcanons— my OCs dick size/thick of slender..Yall better like this…

Yubin — 6, slender

Riki — 5, thick (he also has a knot attached to it)

Jun Jie — 5, thick

Eun Jae — 6, slender

Kimura — 5, slender

Nalin — 6, slender

Soojin — 7, thick (he’s also pretty tall, 6’2)

Levi — 6, thick

Vincent — 7, slender

Mikey — 6, thick

Keita — 6, slender

Xavier — 8, thick

Yuta — 8, thick

Yichen — ��. 9.5… thick… (he’s a big man already he’s like 6’6, obvs he big down there too!)

Yichen biggest dick and tallest OC!! Let’s go for my baby girl!!

Now when it comes to boobs… Yichen, Vincent, and Xavier wins.

Ass? Yuta only—everyone else flat I’m sorry yall 😞

[kseniyagreen]

Episode 28 spoilers.

Shame on me, I thought this drama couldn't get any more romantically queer...

So we have the story of the mermaid and the man who seduced and used her in hopes of saving his wife and child.

And then we have our found family, who are faced with the choice of saving their "child" but sacrificing ZYZ, who has the core that everyone wants.

I see...

Actually, a very important theme about family dynamics. Even when we love everyone in the family, deep down there is always a desire to be that special someone, the most precious one that won't be exchanged for anyone.

I already know that Ying Lei plays a role here, but I'm sure he spoke these words specifically from his heart. This is his personal pain - the one everyone loves, but he seems special to no one. And even his own father sacrificed his life for ZYZ.

Ying Lei is mostly comic relief in the drama, but I'm starting to worry that his ending will break my heart.

And now ZYC is being pushed to choose between his "child" and his "mermaid".

I can hear something cracking inside of ZYZ at that moment.

If ZYZ ever asked the void on a dark night if ZYC would prefer ZYZ never exist and so his brother be alive - he got his answer here.

I'm certainly glad that ZYZ heard once again how much Yichen loves him - to the point of being willing to fight his friends and take the blame for not saving his adopted younger brother on his soul if they can't find another way. But I'm certainly angry that they put Yichen through all of this.

[alipeeps]

Episode 16

I'm ready for the pain. *whimpers* Bring it on...

.......

Whyyyy is Zhu Yan's (much shorter) hair fully grey when he was younger? Is my boy vain? Did he start colouring it as he got older? 😂

Okay so young Li Lun is a sulky bitch. I'm getting "teenager forced to come on a family holiday and determined to hate it just because" vibes...

Why do I feel like I know the dragon mountain god somewhere?

*goes to check MDL*

Meh, he's done this and My Journey to You (which I only got a few eps into before getting distracted) and two movies that I've not seen. So, no idea why he seems familiar.

Though for some reason (his styling maybe - with the braids and the hint of moustache?) he is giving me Nie Mingjue vibes...

Ahahahaaaa they knew in advance that Zhu Yin was skanky!! 😁

Gotta say (I have mentioned it before) I am loving the narrative device they keep using in this show where they flash back to a previous scene and show more of it/detail that we didn't get shown the first time around that completely reframes the current scene and shows that they were expecting this and had stuff planned in advance...

But wherrrre is my boy Bai Jui during all this? Ying Lei asked this earlier and Zhuo Yichen said he should be with Pei Sijing... I took that at the time to mean they still had no idea that Sijing is the spy and thought he was somewhere safe with her... but could it mean that they do know/suspect and they maybe sent Bai Jiu after her, knowing she would spot him and (trusting she wouldn't actually hurt or kill him - which is a big risk tbh?) would have to stay and guard him, thus keeping Bai Jiu away from the fight *and* taking Sijing out of the fight?

Aiya... Ying Lei living up to his potential as a mountain god...

Uhoh, dragon boy is fighting back with his weather-controlling powers.

And Li Lun is just standing there not doing shit. 😂 Like... dude... they are all occupied with either holding the area or spell-casting inside it. You could just walk up and stab em and they wouldn't be able to do much to fight you off...

Oh shit no... dragon dude is not controlling the weather... he's making it night time rather than day...

Which means... blood moon

Oh SHIT!

Welp Zhu Yan pulling in all the malicious qi has at least dealt with the creatures outside the gate... but on the other hand you've now got a MUCH bigger problem!!

Well fuck

So the Baize token was what was shackling Li Lun and that's why he wanted it broken... bullshit about breaking the barrier between the wasteland and the mortal world so demons could be free was just the lie he sold Zhu Yin to get him on board (just like the lie he sold Qing Geng - this is his modus operandi)

God this is glorious imagery...

Goddamit though, Zhu Yan has absorbed all the malicious qi and very clearly lost control but all he does for the longest time is just hover there... he doesn't immediately go on an indiscriminate rampage. I can only imagine him spending all that time hovering just... trying to cling to control...?

And the first person he *does* go for is Zhu Yin, who betrayed him and his friends.

Ugh the dismissive ease with which he shrugs off the mountain god's power...

Oh man, the slow deliberate malice in the way he moves...

I shouldn't be finding this expression hot AF, right?

OMG look at how distressed he is - even after everything Li Lun has done - at seeing his friend be sealed...

So... it was *again* a blood moon that caused Zhu Yan to kill Zhao Wan'er? But... where did the blood moon suddenly come from? Or did it appear *because* Zhu Yan started absorbing malicious qi?

The *sound* in this scene... no music at all... just silence and the over-loud, almost distorted-sounding sounds - slosh of the water from Wan'er's footsteps, her breathing, the washing of the waves....

So. Fucking. Atmospheric.

But wait, in this memory he attacks Wen Xiao and (it looks like?) ?breaks her neck? (Or does he just knock her unconscious?) That didn't happen though in the other depictions we've seen of this scene? Is this memory faked/altered? In fact... how the fuck can Li Lun be showing her a "memory" of shit that went down after he was sealed? He wasn't there to see any of this? I call bullshit! Unless... he somehow stole this memory from Zhu Yan?

Oh SHIT is the blood moon where he killed Wan'er the same one in which he attacked Demon Hunting Bureau?!!

This song by Hou Minghao is so melancholy and haunting... and even more playing over this scene...

Oh what the fuck Sijing actually fighting on the side of the good guys? Or is she...?

Also wtf happened to her boss who was outside the gate. Why has he not gotten involved in the latest shenanigans... he wants Zhu Yan's core still, doesn't he?

Oooh baby bro enters the fray!!

Using Ying Lei's blood to fire up the sword?!

Oooh divine blood, demon blood & the Bingyi clan blood on the sword = maximum effort!

Ooooooh is he faking? I've been slightly spoiled about Zhu Yan giving him immunity to his one word spell... are we gonna get another flashback showing that that already happened and Zhuo Yichen is once again pretending to be in a coma to get the upper hand?

Fuck WHAT?!! You end it THERE?!!!

And it's fucking 3am, I cannot watch another episode, I will have to go to bed and SUFFER until tomorrow!!

[randomingoftherandomness]

Fangs of Fortune Fic Request:

Instances of ZYC feeling hot under the collar because of ZYZ'S flirtatious remarks. He endures until one he snaps. Basically ZYC kisses ZYZ first ti shut him up.

P.S really enjoying your fics.

A/N: I took some liberties with this prompt :) I hope that's ok.

P.S thank you for reading!

🎀 currently still accepting fic requests 🎀

--

1.

Zhuo Yichen has never been one to revel in the spotlight and now as the Commander of the Demon Hunting Bureau, the fact that attending these big banquets is part and parcel of the job description just curdles something in him.

Give him ten demons to hunt down and fight, and it would still be preferable to suffering through the saccharine platitudes being lobbed his way by men who have never held anything heavier than a pen. He has to stop himself from reaching for his sword when Mr Fan's pointed gaze tells him to ease up when a particularly portly man stinking too much of booze and women's perfume sits too close.

Before Yichen can react to the slurred flirtations of a man double his age, Zhao Yuanzhou has sidled up to his side, sliding an almost possessive hand around his waist.

Yichen stiffens. Head turning to ask him what the hell he is doing, when the great demon darts in close, whispering into his ear, "Play along, hm?"

He manages a stuttering, "What?" before Zhao Yuanzhou is putting on the airs of a drunkard, wrapping himself around Yichen.

"Xiao Zhuo-daren, my arms have been bereft of you! Why must you stray from my side!" He bemoans loud enough that people from two tables over have stopped in their conversation to peer over at them. Yichen barely has time to react beyond catching the flailing demon and caging him in a panicked embrace, when said demon peers up at him and practically purrs, "Don't you love me anymore? Laopo?"

Mr Fan chokes on his wine in the periphery of his vision, but Yichen's only fully aware of how the syllables have just so easily danced off Zhao Yuanzhou's tongue. More than that, he is breathless in the realisation that he doesn't hate being called that.

"Maybe it's time you take your leave, Zhuo-daren." Mr Fan croakily suggests. Yes. Perhaps it is.

2.

They're stuck.

To more accurately describe their predicament, Yichen and Zhao Yuanzhou have found themselves, unfortunately, pressed together back to front when they attempted to both pass through a narrow opening in the wall at the same time.

Unfortunately, being the desperate word here because Yichen can feel himself reacting to the way the demon's body is furnace up against his body.

And then there is the way he can feel every exhale of the demon's breath against his nape; a warm tickle of air that sparks a fire between his thighs. This problem is not helped whatsoever by the soft grunt that Zhao Yuanzhou practically breathes through his lips right to the shell of his ear.

Damn, why did he have to tie his hair back today of all days?

"Stay still!"

Zhao Yuanzhou chuckles, the sound shifting the heavy quiet around them. "Why Xiao Zhuo-daren, one would think my proximity to you would be much more welcomed than it is not."

Then, just as suddenly as he finds himself in this predicament, he finds himself free when the demon lord shifts and they have come loose.

"Oh."

Tucking his sword over the tenting of his robes, Yichen burns as he wilts under Zhao Yuanzhou's dark gaze. "Shut up."

3.

He finally snaps over tea.

Well, tea and cakes, in the company of their friends while they're enjoying a moment of peace between their cases. When asked later what is the thing that did it for him, Yichen will non-committally say that it was the perfect moment and speak no more about it. But he will know and Zhao Yuanzhou will too, that it was just the straw that broke the camel's back when the great demon called him beautiful in a way that was every part sincerity wrapped up in a veneer of a tease.

Yichen might have broken one of Wen Xiao's teacups when he grabbed Zhao Yuanzhou by the front of his robe, hauling him bodily forward to slide their mouths together in an inelegant and almost painful first kiss.

There's too much teeth and Zhao Yuanzhou might have bitten back in retaliation. The angle is all wrong and for a beat, Yichen feels the creeping sense of awareness of what he has just done start to creep in when a gentle hand reaches up to hold him by the nape, guiding him to tilt his head one way, and then.

Sparks fly behind his eyes at the pleasure that surges in his veins when Zhao Yuanzhou kisses him with a tenderness that surprises Yichen and delights him in equal measures.

At some point, he has to pull back for air. Panting shakily into the press of lips that he is bereft to stray too far from.

"Fucking finally..."

Pei-daren's voice cuts through the cloud of his happy haze, but only for a moment because there are hands on his ass and he is being bodily carried like a princess, tucked so tenderly against Zhao Yuanzhou's body as he moves them both in the direction of his quarters.

"Pei Jiejie, you said a bad word!" Yichen hears the pubescent screech of Xiao Jiu and the accompanying tinkle of bells.

"Doesn't make it any less true."

He will have time to die a little from the embarrassment of losing his cool so very publically, but for now, he allows the great demon to carry him, kissing his face as he goes.

[romchat]

Fangs of Fortune (Ep. 25): Quick thoughts on the visuals

Pretty sure that last scene of Fangs of Fortune's Episode 25 made me feral and has not given me a moment of peace since I saw it (where's the fanfic, y'all???), but it did highlight for me something distinct about Director Guo Jingming's visual storytelling that isn't often discussed: his actor blocking.

Like in My Journey to You, Guo often uses how the actors are positioned in relation to the set and one another to reveal something about their characters, and he then shifts them like pieces on a chess board to signify changes in their mental state and/or relationships. This directing choice really gives his scenes a sense of movement and tension because the characters literally end up in different positions than where they started. We see the change on screen as much as we hear it in the script.

At the beginning of the scene, we see Li Lun looming over Zhou Yichen, reveling in the latter's apparent defeat over being harassed for being a demon.

Even though Li Lun eventually kneels down, it is menacing and just as much a power move as when he was standing up.

But we instantly feel the switch in the flow of power within the conversation when the distance between the two actors gets smaller. It's like Li Lun is both compelled and repulsed by Yichen's defense of humans and his criticism of Li Lun's indiscriminate violence towards them.

So we know that Li Lun has lost control of the situation when he stands up again and leg kabedons Yichen, pinning him roughly against the wall. Unlike earlier in the conversation, he now has to resort to brute strength to repress Yichen, and we see that realization on Li Lun's anguished face.

SIDE NOTE: That little grunt and exhale of air from Yichen at that move? Sorry, my mind wandered. Moving on...

Up until this point, Yichen has been relatively calm, but when Li Lun goes too far by calling him a coward like Zhu Yan (big mistake to insult his man!), Yichen demonstrates his power and blasts him away from into the water.

Not only is Yichen now looming over Li Lun, they're literally not on the same level, the latter isolated and cast in darkness. His resentment and crimes have sunk him to such a level that Yichen can only see him as pitiful.

Li Lun's switch to Bai Jiu's form in the background as Yichen walks away reinforces this. As a child actor, Lester Lin is significantly smaller than Yan An, so the use of his body makes Li Lun look even weaker.

SIDE NOTE: What a devastating use of rack focus from Li Lun to Yichen, showing how his manipulation won't work on Yichen no matter how painful it must feel to see Xiao Jiu. The shallow depth of field weakens Li Lun's image (and therefore power) even further.

Finally, I love how this scene ends with Yichen walking past Li Lun who remains immobile in the water but eventually drags himself in the other direction. It's the perfect bookend to the start of the scene. Yichen moves beyond that barrier (Li Lun's body), looking forward into the future despite the challenges he will face, while Li Lun's stays behind, most likely choosing an even more self-destructive end to his tragic story.

God, I love this director even when his writing drives me up a wall.

[zhuoyichenpretty]

ep 24 commentary (brain fried edition)

my head is a little empty after ep 24 tbh!! brain is not braining after all the zyc hurt no comfort (-:

some scattered thoughts here and there, painstakingly corralled like cats out of my vacuous brain and into a list (spoilers):

ZYZ is really emo this episode poor dude like he is having a hard time keeping it together it seems. Every other word out of his mouth is depressing as shit, which is saying a lot considering how depressing he usually is already (': I kind of wanted this episode to pick his brain more, give him room to emote in the aftermath of all that. But it almost feels like the character refuses to be alone, like he might spiral if he has too much time to get in his own head. I'm still so curious to know, though, what he thinks about the state of their promise in light of how far ZYC went trying to save him. “He has us,” ZYZ said to WX. When the time comes, I wonder how he'll reconcile that with what he’s asked of ZYC.

PSJ and Ying Lei bonding! shenanigans! I did laugh thank you guys. Also, not that the team didn't operate separately before, but I really get a sense of how much ZYC held things together with how apparent his absence is. It's obvs heartwarming seeing how hard everyone is working to save him (PSJ especially for me bc I love their mutual tacit trust and respect and all the ways they're alike and different), but ultimately it's still so angsty (':

Kind of love the couple instances where ZYC has been referred to as fragile/weak/of delicate constitution (depending on how you wanna translate it) like that's a very interesting quality to assign to basically the tank of your team. Even if the comments are made facetiously, it just reminds me of how often we witness his mortality, and of course how everything about the styling, aesthetics, and content of the flashbacks to his childhood reinforce a characterization of vulnerability at the very heart of him. I saw someone mention how the Cloud Light Sword responded to ZYC's tears and to that vulnerability rather than brute strength, and I totally agree. I love how this "fragile" characterization plays into the whole fate weapon deal. ZYC's strength is (imo) unconventional, and it is his sensitivity, his compassion, and his deep capacity to feel that the sword acknowledges, resonates with, and empowers. Almost like it protects his tender heart rather than making it something he needs to overcome to get stronger.

One thing I will never get over is how incredibly they styled TJR as baby!Yichen, adult ZYC, and Bingyi. What do you mean this is all from one drama and not three separate productions. Insane. I'm out of my mind with how gorgeous every change in costuming is.

A tangential note is I've seen people mention (paraphrasing very much here) ZYZ's demon form being nicely subtle in its eerie inhumanity and tbh I have a similar feeling even just about human adult ZYC imo. Especially when his hair is down and he's got that thick eyeliner on and we get a close up of his contacts, if you told me from the start that he's half-demon half-human or something I'd believe it. Along the same vein, baby!Yichen reads completely human to me, and Bingyi of course completely demon. Something something the Cloud Light Sword bridges the gap something. This point is unintelligible and not narratively based but I had to make it because I've been thinking "wow ZYC elven" for days now.

Saw a tag about yuanyi getting us through some dark times but man they are PUTTING me through some dark times rn help?/

Been trying to put off talking about the baby Yichen scenes because wow I cried immediately. Well, no, I was like "yay! I love seeing baby Yichen!" and then they crushed me into demon dust lol. And then WX had to tell that absolutely precious story about when she got sick and ZYZ had to go like "actually ZYC was probably lonely as fuck" and yeah that's fine I didn't need my heart anyway.

Ending on this point so I can put a pretty screencap here: There is so much gravity to just the short scene of Bingyi removing his mask and dropping to his knees with that anguished and fatigued expression. TJR's acting is the gift that keeps on giving (me angst).

so sorry if anything here didn't make sense, i currently have the same thousand-mile-stare as Bingyi the more i think about how this all might end and how long I'm gonna have to wait to find out.

[silver-and-stars]

Fangs of Fortune ep.26

Chongwu fckers : "let's make sure the crowd hates YC and want him dead cause we don't want him to die so he can kill ZYZ" ???? Wen Xiao, girl, blow that flute and get us rid of those 2 fckers.

WHAT?! Why did they cut the hug ? Let me see them hug ! They deserve that ! WE deserve that !!

Look at them talking in YC bedroom, under the moon, in front of a bed, having a heart to heart, closer than ever. (Now kiss) For the first time ZYZ is understood (I'm not crying) and YC tells him he would regret killing him. IT'S LOVE !

Yeah girl, I get it, I too get so distracted by how beautiful ZYZ is. I don't get how she has smooch that very handsome and very devoted man yet.

100% had forgotten about the Wilderness, but good for it. OMG THE MOM IS BACK ! Go get your son lady ! Divine tree VS evil tree. Pretty sure that would shake Bai Jiu enough to break open that closest. OMG imagine if he gets out of that closet thanks to the mom, like when she was finding him during their games of hide-and-seek !

LiLun for once leave them alone. (the kid really sells it though. good actor !) And stop hitting Ying Lei !

Wenxio clinging to Pei Sijing, go girls. So Yichen was like "How about I die so that ZYZ get stay alive (even if he dooms the world)?" "don't die please" URG MY KOKORO !!! "Promise me you won't die." "I can't because my life is in your hands" (NOW KISS)

"Call me aunt and you shut up" lol Yeah, don't let them tell you what to do.

The talking stone is a spine… a dragon spine ? YingLong's ? Bingyi's ? Is it Bingyi that is lonely af ? Can't they make a new sword from the spine if it's Yinglong's ?

Don't do it Yichen ! You are too pretty to suffer and too pretty to die ! What about the one word spell? ! The baize magic ? CAN'T THEY STOP THAT ?! Thank you Pei Sijing for trying.

Yep, that red light mixing with Bingyi's blue magic. ZYZ isn't leaving is man behind.

Ooooh it did work and didn't at all at the same time. Well at least they are frozen together ! Time for a flashback to their shared past-life then ? Was Wenxiao the Nuwa goddess (or Bingyi's wife since he did manage to overcome his grief and have descendants) ? What is written in the box ? (please don't tell me he dies at the end and she or she and ZYZ read it. I'm ready for ZYZ diying, kinda, no I'm not, but I'm 100% not for YC) They better unfreeze, there is still much to do. Wenxiao, girl it's time to play a sick solo on that flute !

[roninreverie]

Tiny break from my regularly scheduled fanfic art to draw up some STRQ parents, featuring the Ooblecks.

Strangely enough, it was this post about snail color dyes that made me be like... I need a blue, snail-man named Tek in this story right now... but where?! I never named Bartholomew's dad, and they've got slime-based Semblances, so BOOM! It was all downhill from there!

Spoiler-free versions of my character notes for these guys under the cut:

Phyllis “Merryweather” Xiao Long:

Tai’s mother.

Is kind of the unofficial community leader of Patch's social circles.

Her maiden name is in reference to the fairy from Sleeping Beauty.

Her first name is a RvB reference that started as a joke placeholder and accidentally became permanent. 🤣

Yichen Xiao Long:

Tai’s father.

Ran a dojo on Patch.

His name is based off of Chinese characters “Yi” 奕 , meaning “great: and “Chen” 辰 meaning “early morning/ sun/ dragon of the Chinese zodiac�� which is in reference to Taiyang’s own name meaning “great or little sun dragon” (—buuut IDK Chinese so all this is speculative Google searching on my part).

Sheila Oobleck:

Bartholomew’s mother and Phyllis’ best gal pal.

She loves gossip and wears yellow. She crashes any car she gets behind the wheel of.

Her name is PURELY and INTENTIONALLY a RvB reference! Semblance is strictly cosmetic, like Bakugo's mom.

Tekhelet “Tek” Oobleck:

Bartholomew’s father.

Archaeologist, studies ruins. Wears Blue.

Semblance would probably be related to the slime from snail trails. His name is a color Blue, based on a stray tumblr post (see above) I saw about blue dyes, Tyrian purples, snails, and Jewish historical fun facts.

Zariyah “Gale” Rose:

Summer’s mother.

She was kind and gentle, had an angelic singing voice, and baked a mean batch of cookies.

Her Semblance was akin to a “gentle breeze”.

Both her names are a reference to “wind”.

Ryley Rose:

Summer's father.

His Semblance allowed him to grow seeds into flowers just in the palm of his hand (though they died shortly after). If used on seeds in the ground, his Semblance instead helped the vegetation grow stronger and healthier than it ever would have on its own.

His name means “rye clearing” in homage to his Semblance and “growing crops” as a farmer. 

Heron Branwen:

The twins' father.

He is the leader of the Branwen bandit tribe.

His Semblance is "Positive Outlook" - a precognitive ability to alter probability and bring about the most beneficial outcome through visions of differing scenarios.

Ardent:

The twins' mother.

She was said to like tea and birdwatching; had red eyes, an explosive temper, and was good with a sword.

I always thought her Semblance might have something to do with shadow-based teleportation.

Her name is one I use in fics sometimes because it's unique-sounding. It means "burning; enthusiastic, passionate" and I believe is also a shade of Red.

[sooniebby]

yichen pulling up to reader's house wearing a baggy t shirt, jogging pants, and sandals and reader not taking him seriously when he's like "im the shaman you hired" sounds hilarious

Wait—

You couldn’t believe it. You raised an eyebrow at the supposed “shaman” at your front door. He was tall, maybe 6’5? He simply walked inside your house and began looking around.

“Uh… hey, man, if you need some money I got a couple of dollars…” You said, walking after him.

The man looked at you before turning back to staring at the glass door that led to your backyard. “If you want me to find this ghost, I’d advise you to let me do my job.”

You frowned. Okay, attitude?! You stormed after him as he opened the sliding door and walked outside.

It was cold. The moon light from above shined down on you both as you watched this “shaman” look around. You weren’t even sure what he was looking for.

The ghost was inside the house..

“Really, sir..”

“Yichen.”

“Yichen… you can’t just come in my house like this. I’m waiting for the actual shaman. And almost everyone knows the shaman is an older guy.”

Yichen was crouching down when he suddenly stood up straight. You felt yourself stiffen, wondering what suddenly got his attention. He turned his head over to you.

But he wasn’t looking at you.

He was looking behind you…

You could feel the familiar chill. That feeling of something trailing its hand up your back to rest on your neck, threatening to choke you.

You didn’t know what to do, could this ghost even come outside?

It all happened so fast. The glass doors shattered as a shrieking scream was heard. You could faintly hear the sound of footsteps on the grass as something rushed towards you.

Yichen grabbed your hand and spun you away from whatever coming. He pulled something out of his pocket and it turned into a long stick with a blade at the end.

And that blade was used to slice something in half. The thing was moving so fast, you couldn’t even make out what it was. But what you could make out was the feeling of blood splatter over your face.

You coughed, disgusted that some of the blood got into your mouth. As you spat it out, you glanced up at Yichen, noticing you were in his arms.

His face was also splattered in blood as well. You could see the blood was a black substance. He helped you steady yourself before his weapon suddenly disappeared back into his pocket.

“You were wrong. It wasn’t a ghost. And the old shaman died, I took over for him. Now, if that’s all, my payment?”

He held his hand and stared straight at you. You suddenly felt odd. You could get a nice look at his face now. His hair was no longer covering his face as much as before.

His eyes were a dark brown that somehow looked pretty with the light specks of light brown mixed in with it. His long black hair was unruly and a bit curly at some ends but somehow it suits him.

Yichen’s eyebrow raised as he noticed your staring.

“My payment.”

You couldn’t help but blurt out. “You’re hot! Why are you a shaman?”

Yichen stared at you for a moment before sighing.

“If you’re done being weird, my payment”.

Dick. A handsome dick… speaking of dick… if he’s that tall…?

You shook the thought away. “I’ll send it electronically.”

Yichen seemed to hate the idea but he simply sighed. Once he used his shirt to wipe the blood off his face, you got a decent look into his abs, he was leaving.

“Wh.. wait! Can I get… your number?” You asked just as he was about to leave.

Yichen didn’t turn back to face you.

“Just focus on giving me my payment. And possibly learn the difference between ghosts and monsters. I would’ve came faster if I had known such a dangerous creature was living in your home.”

And then he was gone…

Shit… no way in hell were you going to leave it at this…

You quickly pulled out your phone and searched:

“How does one get cursed on purpose”

[lgcyichen]

【 CURSED GREEN HAT 】              ✎... starter for @lgchxneul

wearing a green hat doesn’t exactly have a positive meaning in chinese culture. it traditionally implies that a man’s partner is being unfaithful, a mocking symbol from ancient times. although yichen is very much a “single pringle” and doesn’t pay much attention to superstitions, knowing the saying still poked at his pride a little whenever he wore his green dino hat. naturally, he ditched it midway through the event, likely leaving it in a random corner to serve as impromptu decor.

“you know, i feel so much better now that i’m not wearing that burdensome hat. my head feels lighter.. and cooler too,” he remarked, hands on his hips as he scanned his group mate from top to bottom. “at least you don’t have to walk around with an ugly hat. by the way, who are you dressed as? i'm obviously in team super mario bros so which one are you in?” he asked, in a way that immediately outed him as a 'pokémon noob.'

[seyoonlgc]

A new project? The company was looking for eligible male trainees? Hell yeah, of course, he would be auditioning!

Seyoon straightened his shirt, smoothed down his jeans, ran a comb down his messy blonde hair, and waltzed into his interview session. He chose a morning slot because the sun gave him POWER and he intended to outshine his competition to the best of his ability.

"Good morning," he greeted, bowing his head with a smile. "I am Kim Seyoon, here for my interview!"

Why are you interested in being in NEWKIDS NEWDREAMS? [135]

Let's start with a refreshing bit of honesty then, shall we?

I want to be famous, wanna be a star, and be in magazines. Also want to see the world, drive nice cars, and have groupies-

No, that would be too much honesty.

"This project is a debut opportunity and will give me a chance to fulfill my dream of becoming an idol. As a hopeful trainee, I would be kicking myself if I didn't try to take advantage of every opportunity I am presented!" If this project was called OLDMEN OLDFARTNIGHTMARES, Seyoon would still be auditioning. As a man who worshipped at the altar of beauty, Seyoon was very well aware of just how fleeting youth was. He only had a few years to make his debut happen, otherwise, all of these past years spent on training would have been a waste of time.

"While we don't know much about the project, I do think the concept would fit me, judging by the name alone." Seyoon laughed. "To me, New Kids sounds like the company is looking for younger trainees. People who give off a bright, energetic vibe maybe. I think I am a good fit for that!" If there was one thing Seyoon did not lack, it would be stamina. He was constantly bouncing off the walls, and if they observed him in the practice room, they'd definitely see that aspect of his personality.

"Also...I guess I just want a chance to be seen at my best," Seyoon admitted brightly. "I want my parents, grandparents, and younger brothers in Canada to hear the new songs I learned. And my high school friends, scouts buddies, and fried chicken shop regulars too." My mother also. I want to be so goddamn famous that she could not avoid the sight of my face because it would be everywhere. I want her to know despite the fact she won't acknowledge me, I exist.

Considering the current confirmed members, what can you add on and off the stage? [160]

"Off-stage...Uhhh...I mean, I know all of the people in the group and get along with them? BK and I are friends." Fellow partygoers, yeehaw. "I've worked with Noeul on different things before. Misaki and I are buddies, we were also dormmates before. I love Wenjun so much- Sorry, am I answering this question wrong?" Seyoon tapped on his temple, prompting his noggin for more useful tidbits. "Right. I got in a workshop about commercial acting and was pretty good at that so maybe when we are not performing as a group, I could pick up commercials or minor acting roles to boost our popularity?"

"On stage-wise, I can bring my energy, enthusiasm, and good singing! From what I can remember in the practice rooms, BK and Noeul are good rappers. Misaki is a strong dancer, and Yichen is an excellent performer. Wenjun sings beautifully but no group could stand with just one great singer, right? There was always room for another! Oh, also, I am from Canada and fully fluent in English. Do we need an English speaker?"

which skill do you want to be known for & why? [163]

"I would like to be known for my singing because that's where my talent lies, I believe." Seyoon rubbed the back of his head. "I've been singing since I was a child. No lessons, of course, we couldn't afford those since my parents ended up having more kids than they initially planned, and my grandfather on my dad's side was not in good health. I was always in some sort of choir though. Both in schools and at the church. My stepmom always told me I had a far-reaching voice." He made quotations with his fingers. "I think what she meant was she could always hear me from all the way at the back of a room. But if I debut, then those words could take on a different meaning - my voice would be far-reaching because it will be heard by more people and maybe touch some hearts." He laughed. "Seriously, the moment I make it into a permanent group, I am going to call her and tell her that she's predicted it...That she had special powers and knew all along."

what kind of concepts are you good & bad at? [86]

"When it comes to concepts, I think I can do cute, energetic...dark too. Oh, I don't think I will excel at elegant. I am not going to lie - I am not really the princely type." Instead, he was a questionable man who hid his unwashed shorts under his bed and constantly had mud on his shoes. "I think that has to do with growing up on farmland. Sometimes expensive restaurants and formal events can make me feel out of place. I can learn, though! Just put me through a few classes and show me an example of how I should behave. I am a fast learner, I promise."

what kind of group would you ideally want to be part of and why? [87]

"Group-wise, I think being known for great live vocals would be nice because I love those performances the most." He thought about it harder. "To be honest, I just really want to be in a group that is...successful." Would he risk sounding too ambitious with that? "I enjoy groups that have great live vocals. The ones with strong stage presence are amazing too! Ultimately it won't matter, though, if the group doesn't last. Ideally, I would want to debut in a group that has longevity. One that is versatile, can adapt to the trends, and stay relevant for as long as possible."

Seyoon just wanted money. Sometimes he wondered if it was wrong of him to be focused on the financial aspect when a good number of the other kids were entirely invested in their dreams. He supposed everything would be different if he was like some of the other trainees in this company. CEO connections, famous parents. Waving around their black cards while waiting for their chauffeurs in their well-tailored coats. They had more opportunities. If this whole idol situation failed, they could start businesses, go back to school, or even just lie around because their parents could afford to feed them for the rest of their lives. Ugh, sometimes he felt so envious of those people that it hurt.

And that was the end of the interview.

"Thanks for the chat," Seyoon said, bowing first to show his respect, then straightening his back to do a big over-the-head heart. "I am sure there will be a lot more trainees interviewing after but don't forget me, okay?" He grinned. "I really want this!"

[randomingoftherandomness]

i got attached to the bunny girl so a short what-if if wen xiao brought her back to the bureau and she just,, hung around bc the rest of them are too busy with the whole omg big demon zhu yan thing (outsider pov w her looking at zyz and zyc interactions would be delightful asw!)

A/N: Bunny girl is the MVP for the biggest hit to my feels ;A; but yes! I hope you'll like my take on this :) Thank you so much for the fic request, Nonnie!

--

It isn't as if she has never seen the demon lord Zhu Yan. When she was just a kit, her mother held her tight when the great demon sauntered through the fields of the wilderness, whispering about how she should be obedient and eat her vegetables, or else Zhu Yan would come to eat her in her sleep.

That had been a lifetime ago.

She would like to think that she has outgrown some of her more jumpier natural instincts, but the second her eyes meet Zhu Yan's beguiling gaze, she freezes up so completely that Jie Jie looks around her for a minute before realising the cause of it.

"He inspires such fear in you?" Jie Jie giggles, sliding their hands together when she quickly ducks behind her. It's a miracle she hadn't spilt any of the ink she was just grinding for Jie Jie in her haste to hide. "Alright, alright, the big scary demon isn't going to hurt you. He isn't even looking our way."

She quickly peeks at where Lord Zhu Yan has stalked off to, mildly placated when she sees him draping himself on the settee closest to the dour-looking beauty that is Zhuo Yichen in his morning coat. It's a less severe, stormy grey robe that catches in the mid-morning light and makes the man look his age.

Lord Zhu Yan smiles when his presence is finally acknowledged by the other man. A curious curl of his lips and undisguised glee invites Zhuo Yichen's quiet little huff and a slap to the back of a wandering hand that snakes too close to him. She is a little surprised to note that Lord Zhu Yan allows the mortal to react as such, even more so when the demon merely laughs, undeterred and reaching over again.

There is a pinch to the corners of Zhuo Yichen's rosebud lips. The kind that comes when someone is trying very hard not to smile.

He allows Lord Zhu Yan's second attempt to slide his hand over his wrist. Allows himself to be tugged closer into a conversation that was all hush and the soft rustling of their robes spilling over each other.

"It isn't polite to eavesdrop, Mei Mei." Jie Jie gently taps her finger to her wrist, smiling sweetly as she gestures to her inkwell. "Leave the lovebirds be."

She feels her cheeks warm a little, but obediently moves back to Jie Jie's side to resume her task of grinding ink for her. The tips of her ears twitch, picking up on the telltale sounds of lips on skin.

Maybe it's best that Jie Jie did not know what Lord Zhu Yan intends to do with his consort this afternoon in their quarters.

[deconsacro]

quick hc for airplane/shang qinghua. obviously, his mama didn't name him 'airplane shooting towards the sky,' and shang qinghua is a name he made up for his own character, which means his original given name, for hc purposes, is in my court. so the above are my hc's for the man the myth the plane in his original timeline.

for the family name, i'm choosing 宋  Sòng, a common surname. he didn't have a unique family name, you could certainly find many others like him.

for the given name, we're going with 亦辰 (Yìchén) - it means universe, which feels appropos for someone who accidentally becomes the absent god of a universe he comes to inhabit.

so yeah. song yichen was known to few people. 'great master' airplane shooting towards the sky was known to many, and shang qinghua is now known to the cultivation world and the demon realms.

... this is also probably irrelevent unless i ever find a shen yuan or a mobei

[lgcxnoeul]

He visibly deflates when Yichen doesn't play along, lower lip jutting out into a fleeting pout. He shakes his head at the Yichen's optimistic perspective. His drink looked murky, but he did have a tendency of exaggerating anything. At this point, he was praying that drink went down smoothly. He tilts his head, foregoing pinching his nose after the staff rejected Yichen's request and downs the drink like a he was enjoying a cold bottle of water. Besides the unavoidable bitterness, he didn't think the herbal undertone was too bad. "Ugh." His nose scrunched in disgust, shoulders lifting when a shiver runs down his spine. "I better live at least another year longer after drinking it all. People don't drink that regularly, right? My sinuses do feel clearer..."

He desperately wanted a gallon of water to rid himself of the aftertaste, or ten pieces of mint gum, which he felt would have helped better. However, their next challenge was awaiting them and with no mention of another punishment, he felt his shoulders losing the tension. He helps the staff with positioning the placard, options hidden behind stickers the two of them would remove. "I feel like this might be either bring us closer, or show how truly different we are?" He states with a soft laugh, peeling the sticker for the first set of opposing choices. "Sunset or Sunrise?" He reads aloud, humming softly when he meets Yichen's gaze to respond along with the man. "Sunset!"

"we don't have to drink it if—" yichen began, wanting to say they wouldn't have to drink whatever was given to them if they passed this round. but alas, the sound of the bell signaled their failure. "never mind." he tilted his head back, hands on his hips, and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. it was such a simple game, but they had lost, and now he had to drink some weird concoction created by the staff. a disgusted look was obvious on his face when someone served them the mysterious drink on a tray.

he took his glass and sniffed it, only to pull back with a gagging expression. yichen turned his back to the camera to save his remaining dignity from the ugly expression the drink had caused. "can i pinch my nose while drinking?" he pleaded with the staff, only for his request to be rejected. "i think we should drink this normally," he suggested to noeul, smiling through gritted teeth. he had been stepping out of his comfort zone and holding his groupmate's hand for what felt like an hour, only to lose the game and now face drinking something horrible as punishment. "this is a healthy drink. it's good for your body. you'll probably live another hundred years after this."