#cryptidafter

[fincalinde]

thoughts on Su Minshan??

I actually recently did a post on SMS, so feel free to stick another token in the slot machine that is my askbox if you want. But I suppose I can build on it a little. There's one thing I brought up in there that probably does deserve more attention, and that is ...

Why, oh why, does fandom assume that SMS is unmarried when it is literally impossible that he would be single and childless? Like, this blows my mind.

Things that are clearly established by canon:

1. The jianghu operates under a clan system rather than a genre-typical pure sect system. Bloodlines are crucially important and the leadership of clans is generally passed from father to son or another close male relative, though women do rarely also obtain positions of power.

2. This system was introduced a couple of centuries earlier by Wen Mao, but is now so embedded that XXC and SL's shared vision of a merit-based sect where bloodlines are irrelevant is considered a distant and idealistic dream.

3. XXC receives numerous invitations to join clans due to his stellar reputation, and turns them all down due to this principle. He could have taken an important role in these clans but would never have been able to inherit or lead. Despite his incredible reputation, during the period of time in which he is travelling the jianghu in his pre-eye gouging days, neither he nor SL take a single disciple. This strongly indicates that even someone of literally impeccable standing couldn't even begin to get an independent merit-based sect off the ground.

... but I am supposed to believe that SMS somehow achieved this? That he left the Lan and founded his own sect with a gang of disgruntled tone deaf pals and that's the end of it? Absolutely not. He founded the Moling Su (the name itself is a big clue) in the traditional manner. He probably did involve some of his own blood relatives from the off to bulk his numbers, but even so, he's clan leader and the first thing a nascent and highly vulnerable new clan needs is heirs. SMS is absolutely married and a father to multiple children. Those children are the literal future of his clan and its very existence depends on them.

Of course his wife and children aren't explicitly mentioned by the narrative, because he's a supporting character whose function in the narrative revolves around his loyalty to JGY and his grudges against [insert list here], and his home life is irrelevant. Su-furen is either at home in Moling holding the fort; or, less likely, she's amongst the cultivators he brings to the Burial Mounds and could even potentially be intending to meet up with JGY and his cohort of loyal disciples during the collective flight to Dongying. It's just a level of detail that isn't relevant, especially to our viewpoint character, WWX, who is notoriously not detail-orientated when it comes to this kind of thing.

[yuanzhous]

NO HAN YING DAMN IT the typo ruined everything looool

while I am STARKLY against hanging him, I feel very honored to be known as the ultimate han ying enjoyer 😂😂🥺🥺🥺

going to keep spreading the good ying'er word

[thepurplewombat]

Character ask meme: Lan Xichen

Allright my precious boy is up to bat!

a song that reminds me of them: Okay so I don't usually associate songs with specific characters, but usually ships. However, after giving the matter some thought, I came up with a couple: It's all coming back to me now by Celine Dion for when ghost/fierce corpse a-Yao returns to him. Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are for post-canon Lan Xichen, and I'd Lie For You And That's The Truth, also by Meat Loaf for just, like, the general vibes of him and JGY up until the last few days.

what they smell like: Something crisp yet soothing.

an otp: Xiyao always and forever

a notp: I don't really see the appeal of any ship with LXC other than XiYao. I can cope with most of them - I've even read some decent Lancest - but I have an especial dislike for xisang and xicheng, and I am not a big fan of 3zun because, idk, the vibes don't work for me? I don't know, I just can never really get my teeth into 3Zun, I find it kind of off-putting.

favorite platonic/familial relationships: Ugh big brother LXC is so chef kiss. The way he gently ribs his stuffy baby brother and just wants him to be happy always and forever aaaargh it makes me go feral. I have been known to read fics explicitly tagged Not JGY-Friendly because I was informed they have excellent Lan brothers content, and since JGY is my poorest little meow meow, that's a big deal.

a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with: Himbo Lan Xichen. Like, come on, he's a sect leader, he is apparently the only person in the entire gorram Sunshot Campaign that realised that they needed a fucking spy , and he's the greatest cultivator of his generation. Come on people. You can be intelligent without being an asshole, you know. Just because he's nice and he drank his Respect Meng Yao juice every day doesn't make him a himbo (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

the position they sleep in: He goes to sleep on his back in proper Lan posture, but he wakes up cuddling his blankets and/or sprawling so as to occupy maximum real estate.

a crossover au i’d love to see them in :SVSSS would be great, because he could use a magic mushroom to make A-Yao a non-dead body, but idk I kind of want him to cross over into like, the most mundane cozy romance you've ever seen in your life? Like, I would like to read a story where literally nothing bad happens ever at all. I want a story where LXC falls in love with this beautiful boy, and the beautiful boy falls in love right back, and it should have an epilogue where they have the world's biggest golden retriever and six cats and a little house in the woods or something.

my favorite outfit they’ve ever worn: That one he stole from LWR for his little Teacher/Student roleplay session with JGY is great, but honestly he always looks fantastic.

[thelonewolf48]

And let's not forget that both Aunt Patt and Khun Pin are living in the palace and have certain status because the Sawetwarit allows them to!

I think the way Aunt Patt has been foreshadowing this and reminding Pin how she should be grateful, to not do something to displease the Sawetwarit, to be humble around them, to obey them, to SERVE them...

One wrong move and the Sawetwarit can and would kick them out and strip all their privileges!

I think this fear and gratitude also come into play with Aunt Patt reasoning to marry Pin as soon as possible before Anil's parents find out the truth.

What if Anil's parents are offended? What if they feel disappointed? Not only of Pin who (in the book) Princess Alissa treats and openly says Pin is like my daughter! What if they hate Aunt Patt? What if they feel betrayed? Why didn't Aunt Patt teach Pin better?!

I'm sure all these fears are what ultimately pushed Aunt Patt to break her beloved niece heart!

The Loyal Pin & Class Dynamics

I’ve been having conversations in the group chat about The Loyal Pin, specifically about one of my favorite aspects of the show which are the disparities in social class between the characters and how they influence their relationships and behavior.

The social and political power and influence of the royal families is something that isn’t exactly hidden but it’s been stewing beneath the surface and has only fully emerged in episode 12.

I will preface this, as always, by saying I’m no expert and I don’t claim to be. I’m just a girl who likes delving into the crunchier themes of the media I enjoy. I’m not well-versed on Thai history so I won’t be exploring that side as much (people smarter than I have discussed a lot of the cultural aspects of the show. @hallowpen has been writing up some lovely informative posts about each episode that I highly recommend checking out!) this is mostly an examination of characters from within the framework the show has established.

Being a show set in 50s/60s Thailand, it’s easiest to see how the status of women is far from what we expect today. The men are the ones who dictate how the women should live their lives, from what kind of education they receive to who they’re arranged to marry. That said, the princesses are afforded more privileges than the other women around them. Anin is allowed to study abroad and further her education but marriage is an expectation even she can’t escape. It’s a running joke that her father doesn’t think any suitor is good enough for her but her being unmarried isn’t a real consideration (though we know she's definitely going to push back hard lol).

Contrast Anin’s situation with Pin, who is essentially a handmaiden with limited social mobility and almost no agency over her own life and choices. Pin does receive an education and seeks out employment but, again, it’s always been expected that she marry. Pin is constantly pressured by suitors like Kuea, who has repeatedly used his association with Prince Anon and his own status to gain favor with those who have pull over Pin (specifically Princess Patt). Pin has rejected his advances openly but her word isn’t much against social/cultural expectations. Kuea and Pin are of the same social standing, therefore, from an outside perspective there's no reason they shouldn't be together.

Outside of Anin and Pin, we’re presented with countless examples of women forced into unfavorable positions because they’re not given the same respect as the men. Ueangfah is forced into a marriage with Ram, who's not only shown interest in pursuing other women but is pushy and demanding in his advances. The way he aggressively pushes Pin to speak to him when he thinks she’s a servant is enough to illustrate how he views himself and - more importantly - those he deems as less important.

The men are the active pursuers and the women are expected to be passive participants.

Even more could be said about the men refusing to save On from drowning because they aren’t allowed to touch a woman vs. Kuea and Ram grabbing Pin when nobody’s around to stop them. They're both such blatant shows of power and control but I digress.

I want to touch on Princess Patt for a minute because I think she's been given an unfair shake with some of fandom after the last episode. Princess Patt is entrusted with making sure that Pin leads a successful life which ultimately means not straying from the status quo. I don’t think she, especially as a woman who was in love with another woman, takes any joy from being the one to put a stop to Anin and Pin’s relationship. It may not be ideal but, to me, her behavior is clearly coming from both a place of love and few other options. She can’t allow Pin to be in a relationship with a woman. It’s simply something that doesn’t happen during this time and would only put Pin in a bad, potentially dangerous situation in the future.

Let’s also not forget that Princess Patt has to do her job! She can’t refuse Kuea as a romantic partner for Pin when - as stated earlier - there's no legitimate reason they shouldn't be married (again, speaking from the lens of arranged marriages being the accepted social norm. Anin's mother chastised her for trying to bring in Western customs; love and marriage are simply not synonymous here).

Anin giving Pin such extravagant gifts is a huge red flag for anyone that’s observing it. Those gifts aren't taken lightly and it’s certainly not something you’d do for someone who’s of lower social standing. Princess Patt understands that better than anyone, having been put in a similar situation. All it takes is the wrong person to catch sight of that and it’s a problem. We've been given countless examples of people questioning Anin and Pin's dynamic because of how they behave towards each other. Even Ueangfah's mom called attention to Pin wearing one of the hair pins she’d given to Anin. Pin and Anin’s relationship is risky and they’re being very unsubtle (Both Pin and Anin even acknowledge this in the latest episode). Prince Anan said it best; he understands that love can’t be denied but not everyone else will accept that.

I also want to touch on Prik for a moment and the way she’s often used by the people around her for their own personal benefit because she’s a servant. I have no doubt that Anin cares for Prik but she also has no qualms about putting Prik in uncomfortable situations in order to get what she wants. Prik isn’t allowed to refuse! I know it’s easy to forget that because Prik is often willing to go along with Anin’s plans but she has to follow the instructions of the royal family. I’m by no means saying that Anin is a terrible person for this, she’s only doing what’s normal for her, but it’s another example of the class dynamics at play. Prik must do what is asked of her or face some sort of repercussions. She may test the waters here and there (eating the lunches Pin made for Anin, for example) but I’d say those are things with pretty low risk. Prik may have more leeway with Anin but she’s not going to test Princess Patt or any other member of the royal family. Seeing her stuck in the middle in episode 12, unable to intervene, was tough to watch.

Similarly, Pin is in a tough position that Anin doesn’t seem to fully realize. Anin is a princess who’s used to getting her way. She seems to wholeheartedly believe she can marry Pin and bulldoze all obstacles in her way (and we love her for that <3). But, in doing so, she makes things tougher for Pin. Giving Pin that ring focused suspicions on Pin. That was the catalyst to Pin being married off faster. Pin isn’t afforded the same grace as Anin. She can’t get away with being rebellious the way Anin can. I can only imagine how much pressure Pin is under to perform her duties as expected while also having such deep feelings for Anin. There’s a reason Pin is far more mature and levelheaded in comparison to Anin. She can’t afford to be reckless.

Her decision in the preview for episode 13 makes sense given where she’s at. She and Anin live vastly different lives and, as much as they might wish outside factors didn’t matter, they do have an impact. Pin has to think about her future and what it might be. It’s a really heartbreaking path but she isn't a princess. Anin may believe she can protect Pin from anything but Pin has been forced to see the reality of her circumstances.

Anyway, these are just thoughts that have been bouncing around in my brain! I’m really glad I decided to keep watching this show and I’m eager to see what the next few episodes bring.

[sirenofthegreenbanks]

2024 tumblr top 10

created with jetblackcode’s tumblrtop10!

i’ve seen this as a tag game one of my mutuals participated in and it is such a cool idea and i wasn’t tagged TVT that i’m inspired to blatantly steal kick off my own! (insane and amazing that all of these are original posts. i wasn’t expecting that.)

tagging @aiyexayen @cryptidafter @intertexts @ayjada @geneticcatalyst @gingabish0ujo @specialability​ @baiwu-jinji​ without any obligations attached <3 use the link at the top to let a machine find your top 10!

1. 731 notes - Jul 18 2024

the actor of flint is really putting his entire cunt into reflecting the tense duality of total emotional unavailability and...

2. 383 notes - Apr 30 2024

voice actors my beloveds. audio drama actors my belovededs. voice actors audio drama actors sometimes u are one and the same my...

3. 351 notes - Apr 15 2024

4. 259 notes - Apr 17 2024

5. 248 notes - Apr 7 2024

6. 237 notes - May 24 2024

7. 216 notes - Apr 20 2024

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9. 204 notes - Jul 18 2024

obsessed with flint and vane having so much presence that they seem to be a lot larger than they actually are. put next to some...

10. 194 notes - Apr 5 2024

[takonxmz]

Last line meme

rules: share the last line you wrote, then tag some people and have fun

tagged by @wishthefish !

Something has to give. But for now, he decides to put it all off for Future Meng Yao to tackle. For now, he drinks the last dregs of his fourth morning coffee and gets back to work.

yes I'm writing a xiyao fic no I am not a writer 🤡

idk who hasn't done this yet?! tagging 5 people @galadhir @ratheralark @evilhasnever @cryptidafter @oyasumiaow because I think tumblr only let's me tag 5 people in a row 😅

[scarefox]

Pick your faves from my faves game!

Challenge: make a poll with five of your all time favorite characters, and then tag five people to do the same. See which character is everyone's favorite.

got tagged 2 times by @enigmaharper and @bisexualboysbroadcast

This is going to look so random haha... but there might be a pattern in there who knows (also I list more than 5 because)

alright, that aren't even all but let's keep it at that

I don't know who has already done this but I tag: @braceletofteeth @slayerkitty @maleficent-cannoli @cryptidafter @scrollll

[technicallyverycowboy]

2024 Tumblr Top 10

tagged by @cryptidafter​.

1. 220 notes - Jan 11 2024

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gently weeping over korn's version of a redo going back to his and tonkla's first time, where he could make a different choice...

4. 72 notes - Oct 2 2024

5. 64 notes - Apr 10 2024

6. 60 notes - Aug 23 2024

one thing i really like about 4 minutes (and sammon's writing generally) is how much it focuses on good or bad decisions over...

7. 59 notes - Jun 27 2024

in looking at Claudia's death, i think it is potentially helpful context to know that Anne Rice's daughter died of leukemia in...

8. 53 notes - Mar 11 2024

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i cannot emphasize enough how much i respect the decision to wrap up the evil professor x plot in pit babe in the first twenty...

10. 50 notes - Feb 22 2024

Created by TumblrTop10

[playboyy-events]

Playboyy First Watch, Episode 1

Hello first watchers! Welcome to week one, aka meet (most of) the boys. With the help of @cryptidafter and @technicallyverycowboy, we created a cheat sheet for everybody who is new to the show and needs help keeping track of who is who within the extensive cast.

Warnings for this specific episode only behind this read more. If you need anything answered about the warnings/events in Playboyy, please don't hesitate to ask. We plan to post granular warnings for each episode since the longer Playboyy goes on the heavier the material gets.

Just one warning this week: mild homophobia!

[feng-huli]

Last line meme

Post the last line that you wrote! I was tagged by @thebansacredbanned 😺💜

Technically, the last things I'd written were probably the singular unfinished sentences and sparse bullet points for two different fic ideas (Eunuch Li/Jin Yan with Emperor Tai'an observing, and some dead dove Ye Ya/Yueji dungeon yuri), but being tagged encouraged me to write a couple more paragraphs in a WIP that's actually in progress:

Now that was an interesting thing for Chi Wang to have kept from him. Had he truly expected Jin Xuan not to discover the identity of his captive? Or had the prince suspected that it may affect his course of action? His Majesty wouldn’t take kindly if he found out that the son of Lei Mengsha and Li Xinyue was being tortured in the One Hundred Ghosts’ dungeon, Jin Xuan knew. He lightly touched the boy’s feverish skin, but Lei Wujie made no attempt to set himself on fire again.

For context, it's a canon divergence taking place around episode 3.

Tagging: @cryptidafter @finalfantasyx and whoever else wants to!

[thatswhatsushesaid]

for once i saw a thing going around on facebook that i thought looked kind of fun, so let's bring it here instead:

tagging 12 people since i listed 12 movies: @twistinthekaleidoscope @holy--milk @thepurplewombat @watertightvines @ratheralark @chaos0pikachu @crithir @cryptidafter @needsmoreresearch @skalidris @jin-zixun @sunriseverse

[yuanzhous]

ZZS for unhinged character bingo!

Zhou Zishu! My scrumblo shitto! Easily one of the most chatacters to ever

[autisticbokutoenthusiast]

catch-up tag!!

tagged by @cryptidafter

fav colour: blue <3

last fun activity: throwing some 2 pound bowls on the pottery wheel

song stuck in my head: what good is a heart by mustafa and seed of a seed by haley heynderickx cause im in my meloncholic acoustic bag ig

fav food: runny egg yolk!!!! eggs over easy with toast, egg and soldier, soft boiled egg in my soup, fried egg in a rice/noodle bowl, etc i love it

sweet/spicy/savory: literally combo of all. if there isnt 10 million flavors in each bite i give up cause im just weird like that

last thing i googled: average height of humans lol

current obsession: acoustic songs fsjkdlfj but also jeffsatyrs lovely sonicnorthkim fic where north is pregnant. spend all day ricocheting between that and playboyy wap fmv i loveeeee it

something you're looking forward to: im seeing my first opera soon!! i wanna get those special lil glasses to see it so i feel fancy

tagging: @le-trash-prince @jeffsatyr @bokuto-my-beloved @im-gonna-regret-this

[sirenofthegreenbanks]

Rules: you will be given a word. then you share one sentence/excerpt from your wip(s) that starts with each letter of your word!

tagged by @cryptidafter with JUMP. thank you, this looks super fun! <3

J

Just—living. Without a cause. Without duty. Without the yoke, at your neck.

U

Under all that confidence, that veneer of competence. Under the smiles, the masks, the lies.

M

Maybe if he hadn’t lost his parents in the ashes and soil of this country, maybe if this hadn’t once supposed to be a place of refuge, interim but profound, filled with a young, afraid family’s hope. Maybe then, he could just turn his shoulder and leave. Maybe then, he could rip himself free.

P

Pulsating more vividly than any past horror could hope to.

tagging @aiyexayen @intertexts @ayjada @yuanzhous @yeliuxi with SPOON.

[orchisailsa]

Last Line Game!

I was tagged recently by not one but two wonderful mutuals, the lovely @minnarr and the inimitable @ripeteeth !!!

rules: share the last line you've written, then tag some people, and have fun

“Stop it! We don’t have time for that!” he protests, but it’s utterly unconvincing since he arches his back and allows his feet to be kicked apart a little wider without even nominal resistance.

What fandom is this from? I'm not telling. 🤭 But I will say I'm working on three WIP's right now, so it could be either: - Horrible Machiavellian Sociopaths (affectionate) (Qi Ye) - Escape Room Gays (The Spirealm/Kaleidoscope of Death) - Van Life Polyam Disaster Triad (Mysterious Lotus Casebook)

Tagging: @jaewritesfic, @howlingmoonrise, @philologicalbat, @saki-the-cup-bearer-blog

@nyxelestia, @sunriseverse, @cryptidafter, @fanghuas, @sugarbabywenkexing

[blue-grama]

Catch-up tag game

tagged by @cryptidafter

fav colour: cerulean, in part because I remember learning the word from Crayola back in the day. Cerulean, good word.

last fun activity: I got to window-shop at a couple little hipster boutiques this weekend and watch my tween kids discover snarky greeting cards. No higher humor.

song stuck in my head: NONE AND LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY

fav food: any culture's take on food inside a carb (bao, empanadas, hand pies, etc)

sweet/spicy/savory: sweet

last thing i googled: ballot dropoff box [my city]

current obsession: Love in the Big City is great! I'm also never over the traumatized crown prince, sad doctor and tiger chef combo of Netflix's Kingdom.

something you're looking forward to: Halloween is a huge deal in my neighborhood, so I'm looking forward to seeing all the trick-or-treaters.

tagging ahh I don't know - @nozunhinged, @reptileofdoom, @kennyomegasweave