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keyotos · 1 year

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swear to be overdramatic and true

summary ⎯ different wedding scenarios w/ the hsr men. like they are all different. none of you are getting married in this tho. modern!au

includes ⎯ dan heng, gepard, blade, sampo, & jing yuan

notes ⎯ i want to go to a wedding so bad after tiktok kept on showing me crazy rich asians-esque venues (i love crazy rich asians)

dan heng

⎯ you promised him you’d go for the food (dan heng is not one for parties), you ended up staying for everything else.

⎯ a close friend of yours was getting married and invited you to their wedding. you were so excited and ready while dan heng was like ehhhggggg

⎯ dude is not a party-goer. but you really put your all into convincing him to go. you brought out puppy dog eyes (didn’t work), pros and cons list (didn’t work), 15 slide google slideshow (didn’t work), and finally: begging on your knees (worked).

⎯ so now, you guys are here: sitting at a table by yourselves (everyone else was dancing/mingling) and sharing a slice of wedding cake.

⎯ secretly, dan heng loved weddings. he loved the joy everyone felt and he really did enjoy the food.

⎯ he would never tell anyone this, but he was taking notes for his future wedding (preferably with you). he takes note of the theme, the food, the venues. he’s very observant of these things.

⎯ the one thing he did not like about weddings was the partying afterwards. call him boring, but after sitting in a cathedral for two hours got him exhausted.

⎯ but he could make exceptions for you. you seemed to love the party aspect of weddings: you bounced to the music and you waved your fork around like a microphone when there was a song you liked.

⎯ dan heng wished he could have your loud and exciting spirit and love for after parties, but he found himself done for the day. so now, the two of you were eating cake while most people were on the dance floor

⎯ dan heng felt bad about it; he felt like he was holding you down from your happiness because he was not the party type. he didn’t want to burden your enjoyment.

“if you want to dance, you should dance,” dan heng let go of the arm he had wrapped around you.

“what?” you furrowed your eyebrows. you took another bite out of the shared cake.

“you don’t have to worry about me. i’ll be fine. you have go have fun,” dan heng repeated himself with utmost seriousness. you almost burst out with laughter.

“i don’t need to dance to be happy,” you chuckled and interlocked your fingers with dan heng’s, “as long as i have you around, i’m perfectly content,” you grinned.

⎯ yeah. dan heng definitely enjoys weddings.

dan heng returns your smile and wraps his other arm around you once more. he pulled you closer to place a kiss on your temple. as long as you’re around, dan heng is more than perfectly content. he is overjoyed.

gepard

⎯ you two are executives for a wedding planning company; it’s not your company, it’s pela’s. you two are friends of hers and just so happen to work there together.

⎯ you two are the best in the wedding planning game. you two are also rivals.

⎯ you guys are practically trying to outdo each other with every plan. the theme, the decorations, the music: whatever it is, one of you is striving to be better than the other.

⎯ you and gepard bicker so much that some of the maintenance people think YOU GUYS are the married couple.

⎯ gepard blushes so hard that you would think he just had a heat stroke. he quickly brushes of the comment and gets back to work.

⎯ you two are just so… different. but you’re the SAME. whoever’s idea it was to put you two together on an assignment needs to be fired bc most of the time you two are bickering 😭

“why would you make that the theme?” you questioned gepard, “that doesn’t match the wedding venue at all.”

“technically it is apart of the venue. they have two,” gepard corrected you. smartass

and also, “don’t you dare move that. it’s perfect where it belongs,” you ordered.

“it’s actually not,” gepard counters, “it’s not centered.”

⎯ you end up getting so frustrated that you have to walk off the scene and run to starbucks.

⎯ but there are some points where you see gepard in a different light. like when he helps you set up the fairy lights. also when he helps you lift heavy things.

⎯ oh yeah and the fact that he caught you when you fell from a ladder.

you didn’t know how you managed to slip from a ladder, but you did. you thought you were about to face imminent death until you felt strong arms wrap around your thighs.

“what were you thinking?!” gepard exasperatedly asked.

“uhh, that i could reach it?” you brushed him off, trying not to acknowledge the position that you were in at the moment. you were also trying to ignore how fast your heart was beating, but that was blamed on adrenaline.

⎯ even though you and gepard argued for half of the time, there were a few (many) accidents, and someone spilled punch on the ground; the wedding venue ends up looking nice thanks to you and gepard!

⎯ at the end of this tiring and long day, you sat down at one of the tables and ate a few bites of leftover cake. that is until gepard randomly comes up to your table.

gepard extends his hand to you, “would you like to dance? as a way to celebrate the happy couple?”

you raise an eyebrow and give him a sly smirk, “you deign to touch the hand of your opposition?” you joked.

“i’m full of surprises,” gepard looks away from you to scan the venue, “just like this venue. it's beautiful by the way. you did well.”

you take his hand into yours; gepard’s hand is calloused and warm. “give yourself some credit,” you pull him out to the dance floor, then you pull him closer to you, “shall we?”

blade

⎯ you two are some WEDDING CRASHERS

⎯ you first suggested the idea as a joke; you’ve been wanting to go to a wedding after your tiktok kept showing you wedding venues.

⎯ you never expected to actually be wrecking a wedding so soon. you didn’t even know how blade found a wedding to crash.

“are there apps for these things?”

“um… no????”

⎯ you two sneak in undetected and you arrive just in time for the after party!!

⎯ you guys end up sitting in some randos’ seats that never showed up. so for the time being you two were the married couple mr and mx anderson.

⎯ luckily, the people you sat by had no idea what the andersons looked like. they had questions, and surely they will be confused by the end of this night, but you will never see these people ever again!! so you guys answered their questions

“how’s your newborn? we heard you guys just had a baby,” the couple next to you pointed.

⎯ psa for my gn!readers or male!readers, you guys just had a surrogate

⎯ BABY??????? you nearly choked on your food. chivalrously, blade took the opportunity to answer for you.

"we did," blade smiled and rubbed your stomach, "we're hoping for another one soon," he smirked when he looked at you.

⎯ your eyes popped out of your skull and you turned to him. you took the rest of your food down with a gulp and you turned to face the couple across from you.

⎯ once they left, you elbowed blade in his ribcage. or, you tried to anyway, you doubt he felt anything from it.

"what was that?" your eyes went wide. you tried to hide your embarrassment.

"what was what?" blade asked. his tone with filled with mock-confusion. the bastard knew what he was doing.

"please, don't make me say it out loud," you hide your face in your hands, trying not to smile. to say you haven't thought of a domestic life with blade would be a lie.

blade rubbed your shoulder and then slid his arm over your waist, pulling you closer, "it was funny," he chuckled.

you unmasked your face to punch him in the shoulder, "it was mortifying," you laughed.

blade planted a kiss near your ear, "'m sorry," he was not, "let's go dance. enjoy yourself. before the next one comes," he added. you almost shoved him off of you after that.

⎯ blade is NOT funny.

sampo

⎯ here you were surrounded by so many couples, yet you are alone. you are alone at the bar and you've had waaaaay too many margaritas to be thinking straight.

⎯ you were almost about to leave when a mysterious blue-haired man slid into the seat next to yours.

⎯ sampo had been watching you for the entire wedding. maybe watching wasn't the right word: he had been observing you. that is not the right word either. simply put, he was entranced by you. you were stunning; you lit up the entire room. it's strange how someone like you had no one by your side.

"care if i bought you a drink?" sampo asked, leaning towards you.

"i think i'm too drunk to drink," you slurred. you were tired and single and lonely. not even this random man could console you.

⎯ when you laid your head down and groaned, sampo was a little concerned. he was concerned for two reasons: for your wellbeing and for what he might've accidentally gotten himself into.

⎯ sampo has fallen victim to hangovers multiple times and, judging by how wasted you are right now, you are about to be the next victim.

⎯ he asked the bartender to get you a glass of water. now, he just had to wake you up. or cheer you up.

“hey, you might wanna drink think,” sampo pushed the drink towards you.

you raised your head up, surveyed the drink, and then pushed it away. “nice try buddy. i know you put something in that.”

⎯ sampo’s jaw went agape. he completely forgot about that possibility. of course you wouldn’t take a drink from a stranger that randomly came up to you.

“uh, how about we just get you another glass of water,” he grabbed the cup back and ordered another one, this time with you watching. once you made sure nothing happened to your drink, you gulped it down.

“thanks,” you set the glass down. “i’ll be needing that in the morning,” you groaned.

⎯ even when you’re miserable you’re beautiful, sampo thought

“i get it,” sampo laughed. you two exchanged names and you started to tell the story of why you were so drunk in the first place

⎯ when you finished, sampo remembered every detail of your story. he wanted the sound of your voice to be imprinted into his brain; he wanted the sight of you burned into his eyes.

⎯ and by the end of that night, after you two exchanged phone numbers, sampo was sure to make his dream a reality.

jing yuan

⎯ best couple alert??? you guys are just there for fun and relaxation

⎯ everyone knows you two are the couple that’s getting married next. just the love that you two have for each other is enough evidence to prove their theory.

⎯ you two are there for the reception, the actual wedding, the after party. like you guys EAT WEDDINGS UP.

⎯ it’s a sweet and silent love. it doesn’t overshadow the wedding couple, but everyone can tell that it’s prevalent and it’s most definitely there.

⎯ everyone can also see the immense love jing yuan has for you just by looking at his expression. as a general, most would think his mind is preoccupied on strategy and tactics. that is not true though; jing yuan would argue that, half of the time, his mind is on you. he wonders about you, thinks about you, wishes about you.

⎯ and his actions?? the way he always pulls out a chair for you so you can sit before him. the way he carefully tugs you to the side if someone were about to hit you. the way his hand rests coyly on your thigh.

⎯ don't get me started on when you two start dancing.

cliche as it is, sometimes i does feel like the world is shining it's light on the two of you when you two dance. you two aren't master dancers or anything. with jing yuan's lifestyle, there is no time for trivial activities such as dancing, but for you he'd always make an exception.

⎯ you two are both awful. omfg you guys actually suck at dancing. like get off of the dance floor LMAO. since you two probably have very busy lives, there isn't much time for fun like weddings. that's why the two of you try to embrace weddings and other fun activities as much as possible

"you keep stepping on my feet," jing yuan laughs. he tries to guide the two of you to an empty slot on the floor, but fails.

"i'd be able to dance properly if someone stopped knocking me into others," you jokingly retorted. even though jing yuan was a general, all his poise and prosperities was washed away on the dance floor.

"i highly doubt that," he twirled you. you leaned closer into his chest this time, melting into his body. he was warm; a good contrast to the chill of the room. even with his shitty dancing skills, you think that you could never be sick of him.

⎯ yeah u two are definitely getting married in the near future. jing yuan is sure of it. after all, he's already gotten a ring.

#tana writes (∗´ ᨔ `∗)#honkai star rail #hsr #honkai star rail x reader #dan heng x reader #dan heng x you #gepard x reader #gepard x you #blade x reader #blade x you #sampo x reader #sampo x you #jing yuan x reader #jing yuan x you #giggled when i wrote some of these lol

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wistfulweaverwoman · 2 years

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Could you share your thoughts on Madge?

The screenwriters/director apparently felt she was irrelevant, but she must have a deeper meaning to the series, right?

Oh wow, thank you for the question!!!

So yes, Madge's character sure does have a deeper meaning!

On the most surface level of the story Madge acts, in part, as a characterization for Katniss. As we all know, Katniss is a pretty unreliable narrator. She seems to be under the impression that she's just like Gale but here's a prime example of why she's not. Madge is Katniss's only friend, other than Gale. And she's not just a merchant kid, she's the daughter of the mayor. While Gale has a narrow viewpoint and see things much more in black and white(she claims he understands the socioeconomic differences are just the Capitols way to divide 12, but he has a really tough time extending empathy to people he doesn’t relate to, unlike Katniss who is incredibly empathetic when she takes time to put herself in the shoes of others), Katniss actually has a more nuanced understanding about the Seam/Merchant dynamic which later extends to deeper understanding to the other tributes and even Capitol citizens all really just being victims to their circumstances. With the director ditching (mostly, Gale still has a few choice words about merchants) the whole Seam/Merchant narrative her role is vastly diminished.

The pin that Madge gives to Katniss as a district token (and later the symbol of rebellion) is so much more important in the books because of who it used to belong to, Maysilee Donner, who was Madge's aunt (her mom's twin), Katniss's mothers best friend, and partnered with Haymitch in his games. It's most likely Haymitch's own experience in surviving the arena with Maysilee as a team that gives him the idea to partner Peeta and Katniss. Without Madge most of these connections are lost.

In the metanarrative Madge represents a lot more. She, through the symbolism of her name, offers salvation through sacrifice. She gives Katniss the pin:

"His eyes land on a small, circular pin that adorns her dress. Real gold. Beautifully crafted. It could keep a family in bread for months."

And then she basically risks her life to bring pain medicine for Gale, who hasn't been particularly nice to her:

When she opens it, there’s not a squad of Peacekeepers but a single, snow-caked figure. Madge. She holds out a small, damp cardboard box to me. “Use these for your friend,” she says. I take off the lid of the box, revealing half a dozen vials of clear liquid. “They’re my mother’s. She said I could take them. Use them, please.” She runs back into the storm before we can stop her.

Madge (and Mags) is short for Margaret, which is derived from the Greek word for Pearl (pearl is derived from the Sanskrit word for Pure). Peeta and Katniss are Pearls as well, so I'll expand on the pearl theme beyond just Madge.

Pearls themselves are created through sacrifice, traditionally the life of the oyster is forfeit for the gem. In some asian cultures the pearl represented the journey of the soul or spirit along the path to perfection (The Hunger Games trilogy is a retelling of Dante's Comedies- which represents the souls journey towards Paradise- the pearl symbolically represents Katniss’s inner arc). In ancient burials, mourners placed pearls in the mouths of the deceased. Since pearls apparently contained the principles of life, they hoped they could assist the dead on their journeys beyond. Mourners also decorated burial gifts and clothes with pearls.

Pearls are mentioned a LOT in the books. Here's a few quotes:

‘Well, if you put enough pressure on coal it turns to pearls!’” Effie beams at us so brilliantly that we have no choice but to respond enthusiastically to her cleverness even though it’s wrong.

He unzips the bag, revealing one of the wedding dresses I wore for the photo shoot. Heavy white silk with a low neckline and tight waist and sleeves that fall from my wrists to the floor. And pearls. Everywhere pearls. Stitched into the dress and in ropes at my throat and forming the crown for the veil.

As coal pressured into pearls by our weighty existence. Beauty that arose out of pain. Peeta rinses the pearl off in the water and hands it to me. “For you.” I hold it out on my palm and examine its iridescent surface in the sunlight.

I sit back on my bed cross-legged and find myself rubbing the smooth iridescent surface of the pearl back and forth against my lips. For some reason, it’s soothing. A cool kiss from the giver himself.

Katniss putting the pearl to her lips as both the mourner and the dead. We can actually infer that the pearl is a placeholder for Peeta.

But what exactly does the pearl represent beyond the obvious? There's the biblical symbolism and then there's literary symbolism.

There's a ton of Christian symbolism in these books, probably the most obvious being the Christ-like sacrifices that Peeta makes, he sacrifices his body to provide the life saving bread, and again in the arena which after spends three days in a cave, followed by his resurrection. The trilogy follows the Divine Comedies, Katniss as the heart and caught between Gale (the body) and Peeta (the spirit).

You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord.

Above from the Bible, below from The Hunger Games

It was the boy. In his arms, he carried two large loaves of bread that must have fallen into the fire because the crusts were scorched black.

Below is a quote from the Bible (Revelations) describing the 12 gates of Jerusalem. It could be written off as a coincidence, 12 gates, 12 districts, except that the 8th gate is the Cotton Merchants' Gate, which correlates to District 8, which is the district that manufactures textiles and uniforms.

And the twelve gates of the city were twelve pearls; each single gate was made from one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

In literary symbolism Pearl, (the daughter of Hester Prynne in the Scarlet Letter), represents several things. Pearl was the physical manifestation of Hester's sin (adultery), the pregnancy therefore making it apparent she had sinned. At the same time Pearl was a blessing, as without her she would have most likely committed suicide.

“… Had they taken her away from me (Pearl), I would have willingly gone with thee into the forest, and signed my name in the Black Man’s book too, and that with mine own blood!”

This is similar to Katniss's thinking at the beginning of Mockingjay

Peeta. If I knew for sure that he was dead, I could just disappear into the woods and never look back.

Below is a quote from the end of The Scarlet Letter:

"Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father’s cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor forever do battle with the world, but be a woman in it. Towards her mother, too, Pearl’s errand as a messenger of anguish was all fulfilled."

And another quote from the near end of Mockingjay:

I lean in and kiss Peeta full on the mouth. His whole body starts shuddering, but I keep my lips pressed to his until I have to come up for air. My hands slide up his wrists to clasp his. “Don’t let him take you from me.” Peeta’s panting hard as he fights the nightmares raging in his head. “No. I don’t want to . . .” I clench his hands to the point of pain. “Stay with me.” His pupils contract to pinpoints, dilate again rapidly, and then return to something resembling normalcy. “Always,” he murmurs.

I delve a bit into the Divine Comedies in this post.

#anon ask #madge #madge undersee #pearl #devine comedy #mags #wistfulweaverwoman

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chaethewriter · 1 year

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got a sweet asian chick

Jack Champion x South(east)Asian!reader

In which you and Jack have been dating for a while, and the two of you mutually agree to take the next step: meeting the family.

Word count: 4k

Warning: not proofread, english isn't my first language, rushed, lots of mistakes?

tagged: @viivvriv @genesis4545 @norrisgf @darkcrusadestrawberry @drxwstxrkxy

A/N: here you go Riah!! Enjoy reading everyone.🫶

"I think I'm sweating through my pants." Jack Champion was a confident man, usually able to mask his feelings with his goofy and silly behavior, but right for this instance, that silly demeanor was thrown out of the window as he stood in front of his home's mirror with shaking legs. He wore a black suit, the blazer a wrap plaid one as he topped it off with a black tie and dress shoes. "Baby, are you sure I shouldn't wear.. uhm.. your traditional clothing?" His lips were pursed as he forgot what it was called when he watched himself in the mirror. He was a white american, an entire different race than you and your family. Of course, that shouldn't matter at all, but he felt incredibly nervous. He was raised by his mother with respect and turned into a true gentleman, but he was afraid. Afraid he would fuck this up and make a fool out of himself. This was his first time meeting your relatives, after all. He felt nervous meeting your parents too, but they were quick to like him. Well, your mom. Your father was still protective when it came to you and boys, but that's how fathers will always be. Currently, the two of you were getting ready for your cousin's wedding. The loser of a cousin finally proposed to his now-fiancee, and you couldn't be happier for them. He was like a brother to you. This led to you asking Jack to be your date for the wedding, since he is your boyfriend and all. You understood that if he had declined, you had a huge family after all. You didn't even know 75% of the people, and you probably knew at least a hundred relatives. But to your surprise, Jack had agreed to accompany you, seeing it as the next step in your relationship. You saw your future in his eyes, after all. To say you were beyond excited was an understatement, finally sharing your culture with your boyfriend in the way it should be shown. Jack did know the basic stuff from visiting your home and eating with your parents, but they always tended to tone it down. This time, he could get the real experience. You were getting ready in his guestroom, as you had a ton of stuff to prepare for and needed all the space you could possibly use. From the other room, you replied to his question as you fixed your saree, "Jaanu (beloved), I'm sure of it. I would rather you introduce yourself as you, Jack Champion, my silly boyfriend. And that suit definitely screams your name." You looked at yourself in the mirror with the proudest look on your face as a few strands of your hair framed your face. The brown-beige colored shameen draped saree hugged your body as the jewelry on your wrists and neck were the cherry on top. Your earrings completed the outfit as a whole as they matched your makeup look. You bit your lip in satisfaction. You felt so beautiful in your own skin. But would Jack feel the same way?

"Wow," Jack stood in the dooropening, staring right into your reflection in the mirror as his jaw practically dropped to the floor. He was so used to you wearing acubi fashion: cargo pants, crop tops with half-zipped hoodies, that this side of you was such a shocker to him. Not a negative one, though. He walked up to you, still mesmerized by your beauty. His eyes checked you out from head to toe as he stood behind you, checking every curve and decoration on you. He slowly moved his hands to your waist, gripping your skin as he pushed you against him. The back of your head hit his chest as a blush covered your cheeks. You watched his expression through the mirror and his eyes held nothing but adoration and love, "You're so pretty. You're always so pretty and breathtaking, priya (beloved)." He had a funny American accent when he whispered the last part, but you couldn't help but blush. He took his time learning about your culture and your ways. Even though he was a busy man with his acting job, he always made time for you. Jack Champion was the man of everyone's dreams. And he was yours.

Your parents had picked you up from Jack's house, his mom begging him to take a lot of videos and pictures for her to relive the moment before the two of you had left. She couldn't help but make the two of you pose in front of the house, taking a ton of pictures of her son holding your waist as your hand were resting against his chest. Like the gentleman Jack was, he opened the cardoor for you to get seated. While in the car, you seated next to Jack in the backseat, your mother spoke up, "My dāmāda (son-in-law), how are you feeling? About the wedding?" A blush crept up on your cheeks at that nickname. Your mother took a liking to your boyfriend, and you couldn't be happier about how accepting she was. You had a feeling it happened after he told her about his job at such a young age, but the more he was around, the more she grew to like him for who he was. Your father thought different about it, though, as a grumble left his lips at the way your mother called your boyfriend. He did earn a smack from your mother in return. Jack brought his right hand to your thigh to caress it as his other hand moved to hold onto yours, his thumb rubbing your skin, "I can't lie. I'm pretty nervous, but also excited to get the real cultural experience with my girlfriend by my side." He was so cheesy, but you couldn't help but smile at his words.

From the rear mirror, your father watched how lovey dovey the two of you were being. Even though you tried your best to be as discreet as possible, your father would rather not have Jack in his car at all. Let alone him being so acceptable of the touches you shared. "Please keep your hands away from my d- ow priya (beloved)!" Your mother had slapped your father before he was able to finish his sentence. You shook your head as you gave Jack a reassuring smile, taking both his hands and holding them in your lap. He gave you a smile in return as he played with your fingers, something he did whenever he needed to calm down. You leaned closer to him as you pulled one of your hands away from his grip to stroke the strands of hair out of his eyesight. The two of you were acting like a cheesy, newly wedded couple, but you didn't care. As long as he was by your side, everything would be okay.

Being the gentleman Jack was, he had gotten out of the car the moment your father had parked to go ahead and open your door for you. You had blushed yet again at this action. You were easily swooned when it came to him. You grabbed onto his exchanged hand as you grabbed your sari with the other to lift the fabric off the floor as you stepped out of the car. A blush had covered Jack’s pale skin as he watched your every move. You looked, no, you were someone out of a fairy tale. You were beyond beautiful, breaking the scale as you were above it. “well thank you, my prince Naveen.” The both of you knew that ‘prince charming’ would have been the usual phrase, but you didn’t like that. Prince charming didn’t have any personality and Jack was the complete opposite of that, so you had decided to settle on Naveen, who was also your favorite Disney prince. Very ironic, considering your ethnicity. “Y/N!!” You were almost knocked on your butt at the sudden force running into, if that weren’t for Jack holding you by the small of your back. “My sweet boni (wild berry)!” You engulfed her in your arms as you held her against your hip, “for sure has been a while, hasn’t it?” You got a nod in response as she wrapped your arms around you, “missed you!” She had exclaimed, before she made direct eye contact with Jack, who had put on the brightest smile as he waved at her. She shyly waved in return, thinking the older boy in front of her was quite handsome.

“I knew she would be here. Assalamu Alaikum, bhanjee (sister’s daughter).” One of your hundred aunts came up to you, putting her hand on your arm as she leaned to press her cheek against yours. You smiled as you greeted her in return, “Wa’alaikum Salaam, auntie.” You felt Jack shift as his grip on the small of your back tightened. You put your cousin down, before putting your hand on Jack’s chest, the other hugging his arm close to you. “Auntie, this is my boyfriend, Jackson.” Your aunt had looked at the boy from head to toe, making him shake in his shoes. He put his hand on his chest as he nodded his head to greet her, “It’s nice to meet you, miss. And just Jack is alright with me.” You had looked at your aunt for approval, as she still analyzed his figure. “Aren’t you a tall handsome boy! What do your parents do, hm? Please call me auntie!”

If you could crumble through the ground, it would have happened right there and then. “Oh thank you, auntie! Uhm my mom studied bio-“

“Oh doctor!! When are the two of you getting married!”

A heavy blush had covered Jack’s cheeks as you basically pulled Jack with you towards the venue, “Auntie we are going to greet the others, please excuse us!” As you speed walked off with your boyfriend trailing behind you.

“I am so sorry for her,” you bit your lip as you looked down in shame. The two of you were still so young and for your auntie to start talking about marriage, “I’m sorry if you felt uncomfortable with that question.” You saw your future in him, even though the two of you were still so young, and you didn’t know if Jack felt the same way. Instead of an awkward response, a laugh had erupted from him, “It’s okay darling. After all, you having my last name doesn’t sound so bad now, does it?”

You had smacked his chest, “We aren’t even twenty, Jack!”

The two of you had walked around greeting other relatives, some you knew and most you didn’t. It was the usual ‘I held you when you were just a baby!’ and ‘I remember when you just learned how to walk’ moment, where you awkwardly smiled in response. The moment they saw Jack, they had all interviewed him like true interviewers whenever he was on press tours. He didn’t mind though, as he would try his hardest for you. Their defensive behavior disappeared the moment he had told them he was an actor, your relatives linking this to being rich. Word spread about you bringing in your white famous boyfriend, other people coming up to the two of you to ask you questions about your relationship. You already felt your social battery draining and the ceremony hadn’t even started yet, so you pulled Jack to the side as another storm of relatives flooded in, late as always cause everyone could never be on time. Luckily for them, the soon-to-be-married couple already counted on this. Once Asian, always Asian. “I have never seen a family this big before.” He had leaned down to whisper that in your ear, his lips pressed against your ear as his hot breath fanned against your skin. His hand was holding your waist as he pulled you closer, “did I already tell you that you look incredible tonight, babe.”

Your hands traveled to his chest, gripping onto his blazer as you looked around, “isn’t this kind of inappropriate of you to do at the wedding of your new family, sir Champion?”

His eyes sparkled as he pulled his face away to flash you a grin, “I can’t help it, mrs. Champion. I like the physical contact.” You chuckled in response, pressing a quick kiss against his plump lips before pulling yourself away from him, the only physical contact being your arm hooking into his. So far, you had mostly met aunties, uncles and distant cousins. Jack didn’t know what was about to come. The scariest part of meeting an Asian family: the older cousins. They were probably running late as always.

“Before you can call me mrs. Champion, you still have some obstacles to win, Jackson Champion.” You weren’t going to lie, you were incredibly worried about him meeting your grandparents and older cousins. You were one of the youngest, so they were extra protective when it came to you. “Which is?”

Before you could answer your dear boyfriend, one of your relatives had gotten on stage with a microphone in her hand, “Namaste, family, friends. We have come here together,” She did her introduction speech, before telling everyone to sit at one of the hundreds of round tables in the huge venue. You smiled at your boyfriend and pulled him along, looking for any familiar faces you could sit with. “(Y/N), here!” You heard your name being called as you looked around. Among the crowded tables, you spotted a few heads peeking out from the crowd. Your older cousins. All sitting together. Holding one chair free for you. You didn’t tell them about Jack coming. You gulped as you headed their way. This was it, the true judging of your boyfriend.

“well good day, rats.” You smirked as they all stood up to engulf you in a hug, or a handshake. Jack stood there awkwardly, waiting for you to introduce him. “Now who is this?” one of your cousins spoke up, walking over to one of the only white people in the room, being sweet Jack.

“guys, this is m-“

“how couldn’t you tell us?! You have been seeing someone all along?!”

“If you could shut up and let me speak, thank you.” You took a step towards Jack, hugging his arm in your chest as you smiled sweetly, “This is obviously my sweet and handsome boyfriend, Jack.” Your older cousins gaped at one another. Even though they had figured it out on their own the moment you walked in with a white boy, they still couldn’t believe it that their little cousin would grow up so early. “Your type differs so much from us, that’s not in a bad way of course! Nice to meet you Jack, I’m ….” Your only first female cousin had spoken up, making the decision to walk up to him with her hand extracted. Jack felt much more at ease, a bright smile on his face as they shook hands. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

You gave your other cousins a look, telling them to be nice to your boyfriend. They all groaned, but agreed. They didn’t want you unhappy, after all. All your cousins had greeted Jack, who felt delighted as he felt them opening up to him. You all took a seat, as you secretly stole a chair from the table next to you for Jack to sit down next to you. He put his hand on your thigh as your touch made him feel at ease. You smiled and put your hand on his. The table was decorated with flowers and a beautiful woven cloth, on top all kinds of snacks to eat from. Your relative prepared for her next speech, waiting for everyone to settle down in their seats, as you pulled a few bowls closer to the two of you. You faced Jack, who looked down at the three snacks. “What are these?” he had asked out of genuine curiosity, excited to try it. “So this is aloo tikki, it’s like a fried potato patty. This is banana chips, it’s basically fried overripen bananas. This last one is samosas, it’s my all time favorite. I’m sure you had this before, it’s the potato filled pastry.” You explained as you pointed to all the dishes, given them their easiest description for him. Jack took notice how it was all fried, in oil. He was sure he needed to go to the gym tomorrow, because of all the delicious food he will eat. He first went for the safe option, the one he already knew, the samosas. “warning baby, these are much spicier than the ones I made for you.” You got up from your seat, “let me go get you something to drink, alright? I’ll be back soon.”

“So Jack, what do you do?” one of your cousins had asked him once you went off to the other side of the venue.

“I’m an actor. I have been doing it since I was a child, and now I made my passion my career.” Jack explained, turning to your cousin as he used his hands while talking.

Your other cousin chimed in, “In what movies do you play? Like genre?”

“So far, horror and science fiction. My most recent role was one in scream s-“

Before Jack could finish his sentence, your female cousin chimed in, “OH MY GOD! YOU’RE THE HUMAN KID FROM AVATAR!” She almost fell off her chair as she did so, standing up from her seat and pointing at him, “You’re the bug! The one with the bug name!” her accent clear as she spoke out of pure excitement. In the meantime, your other cousins just stay quiet as they watch their cousin scream like a true Asian mom on the phone. God, this was embarrassing.

Jack tried his best to hold his laughter, “Yes, I play spider yes.”

“Do you plan on playing in romance movies?” the vibe suddenly got dark, as all your cousins stared right into his eyes. It made him nervous, but he knew he couldn’t do more than tell them the truth. “It would be interesting to be in one, as it’s different from what I usually do, but if (Y/N) feels uncomfortable with that thought, then I won’t. I don’t want my relationship to be in danger. There are a lot of other genres with good movie plots.”

Once you had returned with your drinks, it looked like your cousins had opened up just a tad. You didn’t know what they had talked about, but it must be good. You brought him a glass of water to neutralize his tastebuds as you brought a cola for yourself. He didn’t expect the spice to hit him this hard, his mouth on fire as he teared up. Your cousins had laughed at him as he sipped his water, holding onto your hand as he did so. You gently rubbed his cheeks as you grinned, “Now where is my Champion?”

The ceremony had started soon after. Your cousin looked so beautiful in her attire, almost making you tear up as your hand clasped over your mouth. Jack scooted closer to you, wrapping his arm around your shoulders to bring you closer, his other hand rubbing your hand. It might be wishful thinking, but that could be Jack and you in a decade. Oh, how you couldn’t wait to see what the future had in stock for the two of you. Thank god that you wore waterproof mascara, because you bawled your eyes out the moment they had exchanged rings. “baby, it’s okay I’m here.” He had whispered as you sniffed, trying to get it together.

After the ceremony, the dancing began. First it started out as performance dancing, with professional dancers in cultural attires as they put on a show. Jack had taken his phone out to film the happening, so fascinated by the different approach of a wedding. Soon, couples gathered on the dance floor as the professional dancers left the floor. Thee newly wedded couple danced in the middle as the other pairs danced around them. You had gotten up, taking his hand in yours as you pulled him off your chair, “now come on!”

“babe, I don’t know the dance moves-“

“But you know how to dance! Come on!”

You pulled him on the dancefloor, for the sake of your social anxiety and him being in the presence of your huge family, you had decided to stay at the side. “Come on, lets just have fun. Doesn’t matter what we dance, you take the lead Champ.” He grinned at you as he took you in his arms. At first he was a little stiff, twirling you around and moving you from side to side. But as time passed, he grew more comfortable: more himself. The dances got more ‘Jack’ when he did his iconic dance, making you laugh as you threw your head back. The two of you forgot everyone around you as you were only focused on one another, enjoying the moment with the brightest smiles on your face. A sight captured by many.

Eventually, the two of you left the dancefloor, as food would be served soon. You went to the restroom to fix yourself up, Jack following you like a lost puppy as he held onto your hand. You were inside the restroom, touching your makeup and hair up as Jack stood outside, your hands linked together through the door crack. Then you proceeded to return to your table, food already ready and served. It was a plate filled with fresh roti: masala potatoes and chicken, eggs and green beans filling your nostrils. A side of madame jeanette to go with it. Jack had pulled your chair out for you to sit on, before taking a seat himself, “what’s this?” He had asked as he analyzed the plate in front of his nose.

“So this is my favorite dish actually, it’s roti with a bunch of side dishes you eat this with.” You explained as you opened the little wipe packet they gave you to go with, since it’s a dish you’re supposed to eat with your hands. You gave it to Jack as you opened your own wipe, “this is a dish you eat with your hands, so that’s what the wipes are for.” He copied your ways, wiping his fingers down with the wipe as well.

“Okay, so you rip some of the flatbread and you hold it like you’re going to scoop something, then you grab a little bit of everything and put it in your mouth.” You explained as you followed your own instructions, adding some of the madame jeanette to it as well. He had seen you done that, “What is the yellow sauce?” He asked as his eyes focused on his plate. He wasn’t used to eating at all. Of course he ate pizza and chicken wings with his hands, but this still felt different. This felt more cultural. You watched him struggle to split the potatoes in half without letting it fly through the sky. It was kind of cute?

Your gaze returned on his expression as you answered his question from earlier, “It’s spicy, I am not sure if you can handle it. Do you still want to try?”

He nodded, eager to do anything that has to do with your culture. Eager to learn.

“Say ah?”

“huh?”

“I said ‘ahh’ silly.”

“ahh?” Jack had opened his mouth in confusion, not knowing what you meant by it. You then fed him your portion, making him blush a dark shade of red as you pushed the food inside his mouth with your thumb. You pulled your hand away, looking at his expression with a bright grin. As he chewed, his eyes widened when the spice hit his tongue. It felt like his tastebuds were burning off. He had swallowed though, since the taste was exquisite. If only he could taste it better without the distracting spice. You quickly brought the glass of water to his lips, your hand under his chin as he eagerly gulped his drink done, his hand on yours to keep the cup steady.

This sure was an experience to tell at home.

#jack champion headcannons #jack champion imagine #jack champion x reader #jack champion is taking my brain over #jack champion #ethan landry headcanons #ethan landry #ethan landry x reader #chaethewriter

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ryin-silverfish · 10 months

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Chapter 18: What a Swine!

-A few pages into the chapter, and I found the first hook to go on a giant tangent: according to Gao Cai, Gao Village is located in the Kingdom of Qoco. I have no idea why Yu translated it as such, since the original Chinese name——Wusi Zang(乌斯藏, a transliteration of dbus gtsang) sounds nothing like that, but in short, it's the Ming dynasty name for Tibet.

-However, a quick glance at this map would show you that the real Xuanzang didn't cross Tibet during his journey; rather, he went the long way around the Himalayas, travelling on the Central Asian Silk Road. In the Ming dynasty, if you wanna go to India, you could actually take the route through the Himalayas and Nepal, but it wasn't there in the Tang dynasty (because there were a couple of hostile kingdoms in the way; Tuyuhun, Tubo, etc.)

-Sidenote, I absolutely love how JTTW '86 adapted this chapter, with SWK getting his flirt on and the legendary "Pigsy Carrying His Bride" sequence that had made its way into many subsequence adaptations.

-JTTW Research had written pretty comprehensively about Pigsy's origins, from the Daoist deity Marshal Canopy to his ties with Marici, an import deity with a boar mount who's also associated with the Dipper Constellation. As such, I only had one tidbit to add about possible inspirations for his character in folklore that predated the above.

-The earliest tale about a lusty pig demon could be found in the Tang dynasty Xuan Guai Lu(玄怪录). Guo Yuanzhen, a historical general during the reign of Gaozong and Wu Zetian, came across a mansion in his youth during travel. The whole place was lavishly decorated, as if preparing for a wedding banquet, but eeriely empty save for one crying woman.

-Turned out, she was the unwitting soon-to-be bride of a god called "General Wu"(乌将军), who demanded a beauty as his wife every year from the locals, and because they would pay a hefty sum to "buy" said bride, her own father sold her out to be this year's sacrifice. Furious, Guo disguised himself as a guest, pretended to offer General Wu some venison, then cut off his hand with the meat knife.

-Wounded, the General fled, and his severed limb turned into a pig's hoof once the sun came out. Soon, the bride's family and village elders came to the manor, ready to collect her body for the funeral, and were so freaked out by what Guo did that they were ready to sacrifice him to General Wu too, since the "god" was known to summon storm and hails whenever he didn't get his bride.

-Guo scolded them for being so damn guillible because no real gods would demand human sacrifices or, y'know, have pig hooves as hands, before gathering the young men of the villages and following the trail of blood to the pig demon's abode, where they proceeded to smoke it out and kill it with an assortment of arrows and farming tools.

-The woman, after calling out her terrible parents, pledged herself to Guo and became one of his wives, and all was well.

-Honestly, Pigsy's evolution from his folklore origins to JTTW Zaju to JTTW novel seemed to be one in which he became increasingly sympathetic; from basically being a more lusty version of Guanyin's goldfish, to an opportunistic kidnapper who took advantage of a pair of star-crossed lovers' family feud, to an ex-deity turned reformed demon who kinda got screwed over by his in-laws.

-Final note: Pigsy bragged that even if they could get the "Monster-Routing Patriarch" to come down from the Nine Heaven and exorcise him, he could still claim to be an old buddy of the guy. Which…wasn't wrong, considering that "Monster-Routing Patriarch" was the title of Emperor Zhenwu, Lord of the North, who was worshipped alongside Marshal Canopy as one of the Four Saints of the North Pole.

@journeythroughjourneytothewest

#journey to the west #jttw book club #xiyouji #jttw reading group

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crab-milk · 10 months

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What is lion dancing? You've mentioned it before, but I don't think I've seen it before

I'm particularly new to the world of lion dancing myself, but I hope this could also help! Lion dancing is a Asian tradition that blends puppetry, martial arts, and dancing that has been around 206 BC. Although it originated from China, countries like Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and South-East Asian countries have their own respective forms of lion dancing. There's actually quite a few types out there, but they can be identified by their martial art forms, lion heads, or nationalities. I'm probably going to info dump now so I'll cut it here for others to read if they'd like.

Before we get into that, I have to clear some common misconceptions. Lions are NOT dragons. Dragons are puppets that generally have 6 or 9 people holding it up on poles and are long (龙 lóng - do you get the joke lol). Foo dogs are technically lions, but the terminology was derived from white people who mistook lions as chow chow dogs.

To clear further confusion, the reason they're called lions is because allegedly, when China started trading with the western world, lions and their pelts were only reserved for the wealthy. Poor people spread word about what lions looked like, and it somehow turned out that way. There's a lot of mythology surrounding why people do lion dances, but the shorter version is that the lion scares off demons and ill-intentioned spirits from villages. It's now a tradition at openings of businesses, weddings, funerals, and festivities.

Most people are generally used to seeing southern Chinese or Cantonese lions. Traditionally, all of these lions are male and have different variations, again based on nationality or style of martial arts that it's derived from. There are northern lions, which have a male and female (red and green bows respectively), as well as Japanese and Korean lions, which are mostly comprised of wooden masks and long fur.

I'll mostly focus on southern Chinese lions, but they're all pretty neat! I mostly practice Fut-San lion dancing, which is a pretty common form. They notably have a ":3" face and the style of martial arts (wushu) is considered a very common standard for southern Chinese lions. Recent variations of these lion heads also have pom-poms as they are derived from Beijing opera costumes. Each lion also has a pointed horn on the top. They can also have fluffy or wiry fur for its eyelids and mouth, but there exists variations with bristles instead, which may signify that the lion is based on a historical military figure (kind of similar to how Beijing opera singers do specific makeup for specific characters).

These are generally more common in other countries. South-east Asian versions of the lions are extremely decorated, intricate, and distinct.

Hok-San lions are also pretty common. They are distinguished by having a "snake" horn which means the horn curls into a circle at the end and a ":)" face.

Despite their differences, all southern lions have a mirror in the front to ward off evil spirits, some horn with a bow attached, and a beard. Traditionally, the mirror is there to scare off spirits who look into it. The horn is generally added after the lion is almost finished being made, and the bow on the horn is added ceremoniously to bless the lion and honor the gods. It is highly recommended people don't touch them, save for the practical reasons of dirtying the mirror or tearing off the delicate horn, but also to avoid getting bad luck from ill-intentioned spirits.

That aside, I'd like to finally to talk about what to do when you see lions! If you have red pockets of money, the lion eats them up (and the performer in the head puts everything in their sweaty shirt). Sometimes, lions go and play with the audience, so feel more than welcome to pet them or play fight with them! Each performer has their own distinct personality that they play in the lion and as a result, have a lot to share with the audience!

I could go on and on, but I'm afraid this is really long for no reason. I hope this info dump helped!

#i saw an opportunity to info dump and took it #sorry lol #lion dancing #info dump #silence crab

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shenaiweddings · 25 days

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If you're looking for something truly unique, Shenai Weddings offers a variety of vases, stands, and decorative items that can be combined with flowers, candles, or lighting to create a standout centerpiece. From bird cages and flower balls to cylinder vases and candle holders, our versatile options allow you to craft a centerpiece that’s truly different and memorable. Whether you prefer the rustic charm of logs and crates or the timeless elegance of brass pots and lanterns, we have the perfect décor to complement your event.

#asian wedding decor #wedding décor london #asian wedding #mandaps decorations london #gujarati weeding in london

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15-lizards · 1 year

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hello 👋 do you have any south east asian pics in your folder? clothes or fabrics or hair. please can you assign them asoiaf houses or regions for funsies? i’m south east asian and i’m dying to see it 😍

Yesss I love southeast Asian fashion let’s go!

THIS IS SO OLD VALYRIA TO ME Thai fashion you will always be famous. The simple but elegant silhouette, the gauzy and silk fabrics, the intricate patterns and ofc all the of the detailed gold jewelry!!! Just imagine it giant dragon shaped crowns and ear cuffs and wrapping bracelets inlaid with gems and passed down as family heirlooms it’s too good. And the outfits themselves are perfect for the muggy and hot Valyrian weather but are still able to to exude elegance and give off a sense of power by the rich who are wearing them bc wealth is in the details!!

Vietnamese clothing my beloved I think this kind of fashion would be see on the outskirts of YiTi, (but not actually in YiTi bc ancient China is what I think of) so the close proximity would mean outfits are pretty similar. Loose pants/skirt with a loose shift, and then any number of extra skirts and robes (silk and embroidered for the rich, cotton and plain for the poor). But unlike YiTi there are not extra belts and drapes and other complex additions. Also hats!! these kind of circular hats for everyone bc the rich ladies need to keep pale skin also they live fairly close to the Red Waste

Myanmar is kinda of giving me Volantis honestly. Many can afford to dress finely bc they’re the richest of the free cities and a trade port, so skirts and sleeves are nice and long and jewelry is made from the finest metals. But since the weather is very humid and sticky, clothes are thinner and there are never more than two layers, with the under layer being made of something breathable. And outer layers are loose enough to catch a breeze. Since the city is very old and very crowded, the general vibe feels very cramped, leading people to wear a long silhouette, instead of a wider one

Traditional Laos clothing reminds me a lot of the Tokars worn in Ghischar and Slavers Bay. A simple straight skirt and sleeveless top (but well made and well decorated) with the addition of a long drape of fabric over one shoulder. The more expensive and longer the fabric is, the richer you are. Also lots of gold jewelry for an elegant look, probs inspired by Volantis since they’re rlly close (though maybe a little bit simpler than Valyria cause slavers bay is never going to reach that level of power soz)

And Indonesia is rlly giving me the islands and lands around Tyrosh and Myr. It’s a costal area in a hot climate so I feel like there is just a lot less need for a ton of coverage. Simply cut wrap skirts and dresses but the patterns man the patterns!!! So beautiful and have fringe and are just so unique 🫶 ALSO headdresses are very important for like religious ceremonies and weddings and such and it probably isn’t hard to get one since the Tyroshi are insane ab fashion (to me) and Myrish artisans are the best in the world so yeah

#asoiaf #ASOIAF hair and clothing #I can’t believe I haven’t used south East Asian clothing yet #my bad y’all #it’s so gorg

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beautifulsnake2162020 · 23 days

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Outline for Hualian adopted daughter fanfic

Disclaimer: This is not the actual story - but this is a rough draft of things that will be contained in the story.

This story is born from my brainfart post.

Working Title: Hualian adopted daughter fanfic (In other words no title yet)

OC name: Meng Ai (Last name Meng is Dream and her first name means love);

Like Hua Cheng she is severely bullied because of her heterochromia. Her left eye is blue, and her right eye is amber colored (or whichever color you would use to describe Xie Lian's eyes. The point is that she and her Baba Lian have the same eye color for one eye). Initially I want to give her a red eye just like her Baba Lang but I scrapped that. I realized if she and HC had the same red eye color then someone may connect her already to him because of his signature color being crimson red. And I wanted to give her a contrasting yet similar feature to her Baba Lang. His eye was red and her eye is blue. His path to power is full of violence, and her path is more peaceful (more or less);

She got her blue eyes from her biological father (see this article on how it is also naturally occurring among East Asian ethnicities. It's not the best article but my fanfic writing brain just needed to know if it was possible) and her mother is where she gets the same eye color as Xie Lian's eyes (her mom and XL don't have any blood relation). Don't worry her biological parents are nice;

She got her biological father's ability to see and talk to ghosts.

Hualian adopts her when she's 8 years old but the brainfart scene wherein they first meet happens when she's 6 or 7;

When she grows up (there will be a time skip) long story short she helps (though she didn't know she helped) Lang Qianqiu reconcile with XL;

And yes she and Lang Qianqiu will have a love story with Hualian (mostly San Lang 🤣) being protective over their little girl;

She's the only one who could get away with kissing her Babas on the cheek. This is how she shows affection and it's when she starts doing this as a little girl that they both know that she has become comfortable with them and the three of them had formed a family;

Depending on the situation one Baba is the disciplinarian while the other Baba is the one who spoils her. If it's on academic things (ex: Calligraphy, Languages, Mathematics, etc) then XL is the disciplinarian and HC is the spoiler. If it's on things like managing people, reading people, manipulating people seeking opportunities, interior decorating, etc then HC is the disciplinarian and XL is the spoiler;

She excels in the Guzhong, has a beautiful singing voice, and from her biological mother she is good at sewing, embroidery, and could generally easily pick up anything to do with a needle, good writer but not a very good poet;

I know this is not with a Guzhong instrumental but in a scene wherein they are privately celebrating Hualian's wedding anniversary she performs Hong Jue/Red Supreme for them. This is what I imagine her singing voice to be. In my story because she loves hearing her Babas talk about their love story and their love for each other (so much that it has become their bed time story for her) she composes and performs that song for them.

That's all I got so far.

Tagged:

@anonimgato1507

#Hualian #hua cheng #xie lian #hua cheng x xie lian #xie lian x hua cheng #lang qianqiu #lang qianqiu x female oc #fanfiction #fanfiction idea #WIP #tgcf #heaven official's blessing

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supersizemeplz · 1 year

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Loaded Teas & Introductions

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II x Black PlusSized Reader

A #supersizedfic mini. I heard this mashup on TikTok and fell in love. But the initial one shot is inspired by a comment I seen if hearing it and seeing the love of your life. So here’s the mashup and I hope you enjoy. Excuse any typos.

Its this one thing that caught me slippin..

It’s this one thing, I want to admit it..

It’s this one thing and I was so wit it…

The soles of the regularly worn sneakers met the pavement in rhythm to the instrumental of the mix that played. Yahya smirked at the smooth blend of the two songs. Greeting the few people he passed, he made his way to his favorite spot for loaded teas. The headphones on his head made him feel as if he stood inside the song. The words floated around him as he moved his shoulders softly whilst nodding.

Pushing the glass door open, he was hit with a rush of cool air and the aroma of faint sweetness. Light bounced off the tiled floor to add to the brightness of the room. Soft tones danced on the walls and matched the relaxed decor of the establishment. He pushed back a headphone from his ear and softened his music. A smile graced his lips.

“Sup, Ya. How’s it going man?” The asian barista greeted him with a smile. His dark hair was pulled into a bun atop his head as he stood behind the counter. The soft blue uniform hugged his body comfortably, showing off his toned figure. Short sleeves hid the top of the colorful artwork that adorned his left arm. “The usual or would you like to try our new flavor?” He raised an arched brow for added affect.

“A new flavor?” Ya smirked. “You know I’m down for whatever magic you make, brother. Let’s w switch it up.” Xen smiled, clapping his hands together before getting to work.

Ya turned to lean against the counter as he waited for his order. Catching up with his old colleague like usual. He laughed at a joke that Xen said as he looked to the door that notified the entry of another customer. His eye caught her hips hugged by the sundress she wore. But when he caught that smile..

“Whoa..” He breathed the words just loud enough for Xen to hear. “She’s beautiful.”

“Who?” The barista raised an eyebrow and followed his line of sight. A smile caught his lips and he sat the finished drink on the counter. “Ohhh, beautiful she is. Why don’t I introduce you to her?” He lifted a hand to the smiling woman that had bent down to coo at the toddler of a customer close to the door.

Once she stood, her eyes found them both at the counter. She smiled bigger as she approached. Ya couldn’t help but return the expression. As she got closer, he noticed the light catch the glint from her septum ring. “Xen. How is the world treating you today, brother?” Her full lips were glossed and he took in every word she spoke.

“I’m doing amazing, actually. I got a workout in before my shift, I have a date tonight, and my good friend came to see me.” Xen gave a gentle tap to Yahya’s shoulder. “Yahya, meet Yana. She’s good friend of Samaria. She was a bridesmaid at our wedding.”

Yana held out a hand, meeting his eyes for the first time. Ya felt his heart skip a beat as he accepted her soft touch, losing himself in a trance. The song he was listening to earlier was hushed and on repeat. He felt like this was a scene in a movie. Her lips moved but he didn’t hear the words leaving them.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Yahya.” Her words finally broke through with a giggle. Ya snapped from his admiring with a nervous chuckle, rubbing his neck once he freed her hand. Mumbling a ‘Sorry’.

“Uh, you can just call me Ya. If you’d like?” He grinned, standing up straight. Xen coughed to cover his laugher, getting a quick side eye from Ya. Sending him off to fix her usual order with a smirk. Yana had amusement in her eyes as he nodded, repeating the nickname.

“Ok, Ya. I like that name. It rolls off the tongue..” She looked up at him through her lashes. “How long have you known Xen?”

“We were good friends in college. Shared an apartment together the last two years of college.” He explained. “He’s the reason I got through Calculus II.”

“He is a wizard with numbers.” She added in. Getting a theatrical bow from Xen. They all laughed as he placed her drink on the counter by Ya’s. She thanked him with an excited squeal as she paid. After declining Xen’s offer for it be on the house. “I always look forward to my drink for the day.”

“Me too. I hate I can’t get over here more often.” Ya took a sip of his. Giving a hum of approval. “But i make sure to find time out the week to come over and visit.”

After a few minutes of conversation, the bell dinged to introduce a group of customers. Moving both Ya and Yana off to the side by themselves. She looked off for a moment and he got a glimpse of her close up. Her features were soft and he wondered if her skin felt as soft as he imagined. The scent of her perfume was soft and similar to strawberries. He loved it.

“Sorry, if I’m being to forward but..” He cleared his throat before straightening up. Mentally encouraging himself. “Would you allow me treat you to dinner sometime? Just a night of me proving myself to you.”

#yahya #yahya abdul mateen ii #oneshot #black reader #plussized reader #black plus size reader #one shot

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