#ming protection squad

[leawesomesloth]

Holy trinity of buffoonery

[respectthepetty]

Ming needs to be protected at all costs solely so I can see more of the actor. I only got a two-second glimpse of him in the last episode and he was going through it. Let the man play happy! LET HIM SMILE AGAIN!

09.10.23

[lumau]

I wanted to finish another drawing during @polyshipweek (inspired by various prompts, including Cinnamon Roll Protection Squad from Nozle's ship dynamics meme), but it didn't get past the sketch stage. I'll still share it, together with some hcs (slightly nsfw and kinky ones included) for an AU in which these five got entangled with each other in more ways than just crime solving.

Tang Fan:

Firmly believes that he is the littlest cinnamon roll of all cinnamon rolls and behaves accordingly. Would do anything for his friends. Now that he has more than one brat tamer at his disposal, it does not make him any less needy. The only one he is secretly afraid of is Ding Rong, knowledge that Wang Zhi is frequently using against him. With his dramatic antics he suffers the most prettily, so he is the most common to get wrecked (and makes it everyone's problem). Doesn't accept anything less than three bowls of noodles as aftercare.

Wang Zhi:

The actual cinnamon roll, but in denial (no one should dare to imply that towards him). It is not always easy to encompass the conflicting facts that he is both the youngest of the group and the 2nd most powerful man in the dynasty. Is making strides towards learning what he wants and deserves, but easily bristles when his inexperience becomes apparent. Has developed a habit of showing up at anyone's door at any time out of the blue and has no qualms to take up the most space in bed, even though he is by far the smallest. He has become the biggest flirt and the most touchy-feely once he learned how nice it is to have such a big, loving family.

Ding Rong:

Nobody really knows what he does most of the time. He is married to his job, aka Wang Zhi, a room full of meticulously sorted jars and 2 1/2 skeletons. Anyone who wants to get it on with Wang Zhi needs to get past Ding Rong's intense glare first. When they all get together, he is both the one who makes sure that everyone has all the oils, towels and implements they need, as well as the service top who is the last man standing at the end of a long night. He is also the kinkiest of the lot, his intricate knowledge of the human body combined with his sadistic tendencies make him light up as soon as any kind of edge play is mentioned. Might start to silently cry when held tightly for longer than 30 seconds.

Jia Kui:

After his retirement plan got forcefully cancelled, Jia Kui still doesn't quite know why he's here (tbh, same), but somehow, to his even greater bewilderment, everyone seems to love him (also same), even though he rarely talks and is mostly just there. He finds it kinda nice, though. Jia Kui gives the best of hugs and likes to join Sui Zhou in the kitchen, where they bond over cooking and military trauma.

Sui Zhou:

Similar to Jia Kui he isn't quite sure how he got roped into this new, big family life, but their community helps him to cope with his ptsd. It's hard to take his nightmares too seriously when burried amongst a heap of blissfully snooring men. He is appreciated by everyone for his cooking skills and his generosity, loyalty and his unobtrusive, pleasant company (as well as his great physique). He has learned that he does not mind sharing Tang Fan, in fact, it gives him fuzzy warm feels to know he is enjoying himself.

One would think that with five handsome guys there is a lot of action in the various bedrooms - however, given the stressful lives they lead, usually everyone just passes out as soon as they find a moment to lie down. With their youthful energy Tang Fan and Wang Zhi are the two most likely to initiate anything. The times when Sui Zhou and Jia Kui happen to get it on together are special highlights and have the others watching in awe (because clearly, they are a sight to behold!). In his efficiency Wang Zhi has tried to schedule regular sexy times, but after the third attempt failed due to some emergency or imperial affair getting in the way, he has now resolved to simply send out carriages to pull everyone away from whatever they are doing whenever he's in the mood. He has also now reserved a much bigger private suite at Huanyi Lou for such occasions.

[yersang-dreams]

Hmm..

[Platonic]

Can you do Xiao from Genshin Impact who has a younger sister [Reader], and his sister‘s personality is similar like Clara from (Honkai Star rail? But without Svarog— let’s just say Xiao is reader‘s protector)

Xiao with Clara Reader?! I immediately got excited reading this since I love Clara and brotherly Xiao! And as for the Traveler it can be seen or read as Lumine or Aether, I didn't know who to pick between Lumine or Aether so I just went with Traveler.

AU: None

Characters: Xiao

OS/HCS/IMG: Head-Cannons

Genre: Platonic and Fluff!

Xiao had been taking care of you ever since the Adepti was created by the Geo Archon, Morax

Since Xiao is your older brother, you're also an Adepti but Xiao always insists that you stay out from battles and everything dangerous

And how Traveler met you was wholesome I guess?

You were running from your brother, barefooted— You soon bumped to them, Traveler asked who and why are you running away

You just shouted that your brother is stubborn and wouldn't let you join his fights so you're just finding some hilicurls to fight yourself

Sadly before you can even find a hilicurl camp, Xiao found you with Traveler as he apologized to them for the trouble—

Paimom got curious as she asked who you were to him, so much that he had to look out for you

They were both surprised when they found it from Zhongli that Xiao and you were siblings and basically inseparable

Xiao would share his almond tofu with you even gift you charms and pouches that you liked during the Latern Festival

If it isn't Latern Festival season then he sometimes asks Zhongli to buy some toys for you since he knows that it looks odd because an Adepti asking to buy toys from the toy vender?

He will sometimes let you join the fights as long it's the weak ones like huricurls, it's fine but strongs ones like the Jade Chamber incident. Awh hell nah, he ain't allowing that, he will ask Hu Tao or Zhongli to watch you over so that you don't get hurt

He cherishes and loves you alot 'kay? can't have you hurt or he'll go feral

You're just practically too sweet precious to get hurt, although sometimes he's a little worried cause you walk on the ground. BAREFOOT

And who are the people part of the [Name] Protection Squad? Xiao, Traveler, Paimon, Hu Tao, Zhongli, Shenhe, Ningguang, Ga-ming, Ganyu, and Xianyun

And the president of the NPS is Xiao as he proudly established it, maybe the Traveler or Xianyun or Ningguang are the Vice President

Zhongli and Ningguang would try to get you to wear shoes for a while since you're always walking barefoot and that's makes them worried af—

But they never did because of your puppy eyes<3

[clairedaring]

more my stand-in thoughts and other ramblings about joe/zhou xiang best boi

!!!!!!!!!!! POSSIBLE NOVEL SPOILERS WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!

as my stand-in begins to air, even though we're only two episodes in, the series itself has already established very clearly and explicitly that ming is a HUGE RED FLAG and he's not... the nicest guy.

and as we are told by the narration of joe, this time he had with ming was not a dream as he had though but rather a nightmare and that it was ming who led joe to his death (literal translation of his last line in ep 1, iqiyi engsub you lack accuracy i hate you).

and while i am just one among the joe's protection squad, i feel like i don't share this overwhelming opinion i've been seeing of people thinking joe 2.0 should pull a 180 change or to be as bad as ming or to become some kind of monster and take his revenge on everyone who's ever hurt him as if this is some makjang kdrama.

i once wrote a bit about my thoughts on why joe/zhou xiang is such a compelling protagonist and what separates him from other 188 novels' main characters. but since that piece was written before my stand-in had aired and i think the characterization of joe has been slightly changed in comparison to the novel, so i want to take this chance to elaborate a bit more on my point in that post as well as update it to fit with the series version of zhou xiang.

so, like i've mentioned,one of the traits i love most about joe/zx is this inherent kind-hearted nature of his and i think the series has not only just done well in this aspect, but also greatly amped up this quality in the series portrayal of zhou xiang.

you can seeeeee it through joe's acts of services for this STRANGER he had just met. be it offering ming a ride to the BTS station or cooking for ming even though they didn't fuck.

however, i do agree with my friend @dragonsandphoenix's observation that with the series, since they're trying to speed through joe 1.0 and ming's relationship, the series has joe falling much quicker (literally him using the L word on ep 2 pls joe) than zhou xiang did, considering it took mingjoe only 2 ep before they started their period of domestic life and yanzhou 17 chapters to do the same thing.

i feel like this specific adaptation change in regards to characterization can cause audience to be even more protective of joe than novel readers already were of zhou xiang. one of my biggest fears for this adaptation (i say one of bc novel readers would already know my biggest fear of one specific scene) has always been the doormat allegations against joe. but like i've also said before, it's that specific trait that 'joe has the ability to fight back but he simply won't because he refuses to hurt others and his soft heart has him in pain whenever he sees others hurt' about him that i hold so dear. even in the series, we know joe has the physical capability of taking sol down... and the man did give sol a deck to his neck making him passed out.

... but it's also the same joe who would take care of sol after accidentally decking him.

did anyone watch ep 2 started counting how many times JOE apologizes in this episode... literally in the car scene, he said sorry to ming TWICE because he was scared he had hurt ming's feelings for his assumptions (right ones at that). or when the hot water dripped from the lid of the pot, joe immediately said sorry and checked to see if ming was hurt.

whether it is in the novel or the series, joe/zhou xiang is just really the type to sacrifice himself for the sake of others, he's never been able to put himself first and puts others' feelings above his (⁠っ⁠˘̩⁠╭⁠╮⁠˘̩⁠)⁠っ

which is why i was pleasantly surprised reading professional body double. because one would generally assume that after all the miseries thrown his way, he would become a bitter person, full of grudge and resentment against people who had hurt him, but he doesn't. that just isn't who joe is.

while joe's bad experience in his 1.0 life does change how he navigates his social life and the relations he has around him, it doesn't change the inherent kind hearted nature nor the optimistic outlook on life he once had. i love that for joe in his 2.0 life because his first and foremost goal was to restart a life happily and we gradually got this journey of self-respect and joe 2.0 finally being able to put himself first and fight for the things/people he love.

while there are obviously bad consequences to the "antagonists", i like that it has never been the direct result of joe 2.0 actions but it's more karmic. although i'm very open and would glad to see the antagonists getting even worse consequences than what happened in the novel (which i think was pretty mild) i think i'd rather be interested to see more of series!joe being happy and successful (big emphasis on successful because if i don't see joe with his 20+ blockbusters he deserve i'm suing for emotional damage)

in regards to the wife chasing arc in the second half of the series, i think this part will be rather controversial since there are diverse opinions on how audience want the wife chasing arc to be executed, or from joe 2.0's perspective: his responses/actions to being chased by ming again. and trust me, i do want to see ming grovelling in pain and suffer just as much as the next joe's protector. but at the same time for me it'd just be... ooc of joe to intentionally and/or maliciously inflict pain on ming. granted i do have some qualms as to ming's chasing method that i hope the series will adjust, i do think that zhou xiang's approach to being chased by yan ming xiu was rather sufficient without the need to give zhou xiang a 180 personality change, so i really hope that doesn't change.

all in all, while it's probably quite early to tell how the second half will progress and whether it does/doesn't diverge from his journey in the second half, i just think it was very in character for zhou xiang to make the decisions he does in the novel in his second life (except for one noble idiocy move that lasted like a day) and hopefully joe 2.0 also does in my stand-in for his new life. *sighs* joe is just truly best boi... i love him... look at he... that's my baby angel （づ￣3￣）づ╭❤️～

[tumblerhearamber]

The Evolution of Chinese Military Formations

Chinese military formations have undergone significant changes throughout history, adapting to new weaponry, tactics, and strategic needs. This evolution reflects the dynamic nature of warfare and the continuous pursuit of military advantage.

In ancient China, the basic infantry formation was the "five-man squad" or Wu (伍), which formed the foundation of larger units. These squads would combine into platoons, companies, and eventually entire armies. The Han dynasty (202 BCE - 220 CE) saw the development of more complex formations, including the "fish-scale" formation, which provided excellent defense against cavalry charges.

During the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE), cavalry became increasingly important, leading to new formations that combined mounted and foot soldiers. One notable formation was the "Heavenly Kingdom Army" array, which utilized a mix of heavy infantry, archers, and cavalry in a flexible, multi-layered structure.

The Song dynasty (960-1279 CE) brought about significant changes in military organization and tactics, partly due to the introduction of gunpowder weapons. This period saw the rise of specialized units and more sophisticated formations designed to maximize the effectiveness of new projectile weapons.

Here's a comparison of basic formation types across different periods:

Period

Primary Formation

Key Features

Ancient

Wu (五人伍)

Five-man squad, flexible

Han

Fish-scale

Defensive, anti-cavalry

Tang

Mixed arms

Cavalry and infantry combined

Song

Specialized units

Incorporation of gunpowder weapons

The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) further refined these formations, developing the "mandarin duck" formation, which integrated firearms with traditional weapons. This formation typically placed gunners in the front, protected by shield-bearers, with melee troops ready to engage in close combat.

In the modern era, Chinese military formations have continued to evolve, incorporating lessons from global conflicts and adapting to technological advancements. Today's People's Liberation Army utilizes a variety of formations based on combined arms doctrine, emphasizing flexibility and rapid response capabilities.

Key factors influencing the evolution of Chinese military formations include:

Technological advancements in weaponry

Changes in strategic priorities

Lessons learned from conflicts

Adaptation to diverse terrains

Influence of foreign military doctrines

In conclusion, the evolution of Chinese military formations reflects a continuous process of adaptation and innovation. From ancient squad-based structures to modern combined arms tactics, these changes demonstrate China's enduring commitment to military effectiveness and strategic flexibility.

[joshuamyra]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Final Fantasy VHS

[bdbdhdjdhdh]

My Hero PSLE: S3E13 "Death-pacito"

"My mother's name is Smiling, and my father's name is Laughing." "Are you kidding?" "No, that's my cousin! I'm Joking!"

-Joking

"You know the Anodyne isn't the source of my powers, right, just a booster for it, so what makes you think you can defea-" *gets stabbed again*

Aiya shuddap lah. Xiao Ming already winning liao, and clearly you're the only one half-dead here.

Are ya winning son

Oh nvm somehow Ma Xiao Tiao and Rainslasher are also half-dead because they got hit when Izanami was mad-raging-randomly-hitting-but-actually-can't-see-where-he's-hitting. It's like Johnny English when he's wearing the VR headset and then he whacks people with the baguette in real life because he doesn't know-

Well it must surely be some gigachad move by Ma Xiao Tiao to protect everyone else or something idk.

Then anyway Xiao Ming made sure that Izanami cannot even stand up anymore, then threw him into a random prison cell like Banda and Yaba did with my babygirl Enji.

And then he was just half-dead already, "AIYA TF YOU WANT? JUST MATI ME ALREADY LAH!"

"Oh, uh...*clears throat* right now is currently extremely nsfw and not suitable for children aged 18 and under, so kids, I'll go take you fish bombing somewhere else, ok?" Grandmaster have to say it in the sibeh sus way sia.

"Ok...fine..." Xiao Hua and others have to go, otherwise he will use his reality warping power on him.

"Hah! Have fun, KIDDOS!" The furry people and Six shouted from the back of the proverbial room.

"Oh, yeah, you're kids too, come with me," Then now Grandmaster remember liao.

"AIYA MATI LAH!" So they also have to go.

And then Ma Xiao Tiao, Freya, Aniya, Juqla and friends went to go and summon a divine temple to store the Seven Deadly Sins in and then give it a password instead of math puzzle so that only they can access it from then on.

Anyway. Now that the kids are away, Xiao Ming and adult gang can finally do something sibeh sus.

"Ok firstly I take this away from you," *proceeds to snatch the Anodyne away from Izanami, he doesn't even bother fighting anymore at this point*

"And then I begin our Q&A session,"

"WAITWAITWAIT WHAT DO YOU MEAN-"

"Aiya it's simple lah, I just ask you a few questions, you answer me truthfully, but if YOU DARE LIE TO ME-then 我就不客气了 ok? I wanna all your Exuvian secrets,"

"WHY ME THO? ISSIT BECAUSE OF I'M AN EXUVIA?"

*Xiao Ming stares at Izanami* "你说呢?"

"Um, before you have your fun with him, Izanami, I need to ask you one question." Rainslasher finally said something after being quiet the entire season. "It's regarding the supposed third and final part of the Trilogy-*sighs deeply like some exasperated old man* Izanami, do you know a god by the alias of the Heavenly Lord of Dragon Warriors?"

So Izanami also really sick of it at this point: "Well, a lot of Exuvias I know go by something something heavenly lord of something something warriors, so idk man,"

"Oh, ok, also, one more thing, Xiao Ming, for the next, third and final part of the Trilogy-I think it's best if we don't bring the entire squad. Bring just about a few people or so, trust me on this one," Rainslasher said, and then he went to go and join Grandmaster and kids in fish bombing.

"OK! Now that that's settled, WE CAN FINALLY HAVE OUR FUN TOGETHER NOW!"

"WAIT WAIT STOP I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY-"

"Nah, too late, you should have done that the moment we summoned you,"

[silverloreley]

Oh, this! When I mentioned, near the start of the drama airing, that it was giving me similar feels as when I first read Wuthering Heights, that’s what I meant: both mains are terrible and self-destructive and can and will destroy each other while being in love because love isn’t really enough when the situation is such a mess.

The censors forcing the show to play down TTJ's evilness factors heavily in some viewers seeing him as a poor innocent meow meow and justifying him way more than they do Susu who is harder to understand (as someone else pointed out, bullying is more common and immediately relatable than violently losing your whole family at once), leading to Susu hate and, consequently, to “protection squads" that counterbalance it. And yes, there's a bit of black-and-white thinking at play here, it's a problem with lots of fandoms.

What I want to say is... They're both complex, they both fuck up, they both do stuff they should not, push and pull in wrong ways. That's what makes the show compelling, actually. No real good, no absolute wrong. Even when the characters think so (XL's obstination, LSS's never questioning the instructions she received, TTJ's copycat habits and inability to grasp the meaning of some things...) it's complicated but they don't see it! And that's okay, that's how people are sometimes! I mean, there are some weird plot holes and odd choices, I guess those are mostly due to the fact the drama writers must have read the novel and tried to pull together things to get around censorship so a few things and ideas got lost in the transition.

Now, even not taking into account the novel (which I have not read), we can guess there may be another way for the Evil Bone to be removed/nullified: Ming Ye showed us he had made the cube thing able to purify demon blood, didn’t he? The fact he was unable to try it on Sang Jiu means little, there is something. Or was, and it can be made again, perhaps? It's a possibility that's shown and not explored (and about unexplored stuff, what will be of the poisoning plotline? he was cursed/poisoned and had two days of fever and that was it? or is that going to have consequences? wtv, that's not the point here).

Except, every single character learned nothing from the Dream. I mean, none of them got the point, any point. TTJ didn't see the wrongness of the Devil God, only his power, and ended up not seeing it as a love story where people could have avoided the tragedy if they communicated properly, this latter is the same with Susu, plus she didn’t recognize the whole slippery slope from normal to evil can just happen even without an evil bone; Bingchang... shit, do I have to talk about her? I don’t want to. Even XL should have gotten something from it, although his role was marginal at best, and yet, nothing stuck. I wonder why the arc was so long if it actually meant precious nothing to anyone. And this is another bit of the show that's very human, very realistic even in the fantasy context we're in: people are complicated and don't always think things through.

That's it, that's all we need to see. What story would be interesting if people weren't pulled in different directions and didn't get things wrong at times? Straightforward tales with good and evil set apart cleanly are nice, sure, I like them at times, but, as an adult, I like to see a bit more complexity in stories, it's more compelling and challenges my ability to analyze facts and people.

Which is why I'm liking this show so damn much. LOL

Li Susu's protection squads popping all over the place, as if we shouldn't recognize her assassination plot as a wrong way to go about this whole mess 🙄. As if she herself won't admit she was wrong and will apologize for the Nails later on.

The greatest thing about tteotm is that both of them did fuck up. And Susu isn't a saint. She actually has a lot of malice in her soul (cough, Ye Xiwu, cough).

Her growing understanding that things aren't so black and white as she thought they were, is her whole character development. She has to start wrong, in order to become a better person. That's how good protagonist characterisation works.

So yeah, actually people saying that she's naive and acts stupid are right at this point in the story.

Like, same goes for TTJ. I actually feel quite irritated by people claiming that he's all good and healed now. Even though he's clearly still on high from all of the sensations the Dream gave him, and he's basically using Ye Xiwu as a current conductor for pleasant feelings. As if him getting drunk on it is a good thing. As if him getting addicted to the woman who abused him in the past is in any way normal and an 'uwu, what a perfect simp husband' situation.

I wish more people would appreciate how the writers are struggling to make him a twisted individual, even with the cenzors breathing down their necks. How he gets suspicious. How he acts as a good Emperor because it's a logical thing to do, or he just takes those actions based on his own trauma. How he says quite clearly that he doesn't care if other people love him. How his past experience with copying others behavior in order for people to like him, becomes useful in learning how to be a perfect Emperor.

How he didn't 'give up' on revenge. It's just that revenge doesn't feel like much. What makes him feel right now are: power and Ye Xiwu. And I loved how in episode 23 it was again pointed out very clearly. I love how he kept his sweet, loving smile on his face, while telling Xiwu to not dare ask for Xiao Lin's pardon. How delighted he was while killing the assassins.

The progress ofc is there. For both of them. But with a 300 days time limit, it's just simply not enough.

The writers should do something more about TTJ, though. They should let him do one unhinged thing, that will push Li Susu over the edge.

It will still be a foolish plan that will backfire right away, but at least then we could support all of her wrongs much easier.

As I've said many times before, I love Susu as a character. Let your female protagonists make mistakes, let the narrative and the audience criticize their naivety and fuck ups. It makes them so much better.

[alexhziee]

First Thoughts on Novoland: Pearl Eclipse

I’m currently on episode 14.

Definitely one of the dramas that I was eagerly waiting for this year and it did not disappoint (so far). Even though I promised my heart to stop watching dramas that are going to be heart wrenching but I just can’t help myself, I mean its Yang Mi THE Queen Yang Mi back on historical/wuxia drama. 

STORY

The drama starts with the backstory of where it all began, the Pearl Tax. After the rebellion of Prince Yi, the newly established Emperor Chu Zhong Xu decreed the “Pearl Tax” which was supposedly to barter using the pearls that not only benefits the fishing villagers but also bring in more funds for the newly established emperor but High Ranking officials used this decree to mooch of the people by doubling the amount stated by the original decree and imposing punishments and quotas. 

The first episodes starts off at the middle of the ocean and how the fishermen “harvest” the luminous pearls for the Pearl Tax, by harvest meaning tying children in a rope, throwing them in the ocean to lure the merfolk and when they surface, choke the children death to make the merfolk cry then collect the pearls that was formed from their tears. But harvesting the pearl through method is proven lethal as the merfolk are protected by sharks and practically the ocean. 

So far from the first episode to the latest (Ep 14) the story is very gripping and very full which makes it very entertaining but not too overwhelming. I know it's just the first week but I’m already losing my mind, replaying OSTs, trailers and other snippets just to get a glimpse of what's to come and I’m so exited.

We definitely get to see the main relationships of the drama from the Master-Disciple relationship between Hai Shi and Fang Jian Ming and also Zhou Ying, brotherhood relationship between the Emperor Chu Zhong Xu and Fang Jian Ming and Hai Shi and Zhou Ying, the cute interactions with Zhou Ying and his crush on Zhe Liu to the tormenting/confusing/toxic? relationship between the emperor and his Consort Shurong.

I know that this was based on a Novel but I have not read it nor have I watched any of the novoland series (if they have any relations), so I’m not really sure what to expect and am just going with the flow so I might be reading some of this relationships or interactions wrong but this is just based on my observation. 

The Jifeng Pavillion is basically the CIA and private death squad of the emperor, they are his spies and personal assassins and is led by his most trusted friend Fang Jian Ming. They are loyal to their master Fang Jian Ming who is in turn most loyal to the emperor. Master Fang only has two disciples, Fang Zhou Ying and Fang Hai Shi and they are addressed as “Young Master” since they took Fang Jian Ming’s family name which makes them somewhat of a family. I really love the close knit relationship between these three.

 Although Fang Jian Ming can be strict, he always shows compassion to his two disciples, caring and protecting them, teaching them lessons and morals as well. And I need to mention the “brotherhood” between Hai Shi and Zhou Ying and their cute banters just like real siblings. But its very clear from the beginning that the two disciples have quite different views on their master, Zhou Ying sees Fang Jian Ming as a father/older brother figure while Hai Shi already feels something else from the moment they met. And so they are very different in interacting with their master. 

I’m really loving the progression of the relationship between Hai Shi and her Master Fang Jian Ming. We definitely get to see that despite their Master/Disciple relationship, there is something going with this two (or am I the only one who sees that LOL) Hai Shi has become quite vocal about her “other” feelings towards her master, although not directly at times but she is often just openly acting like a schoolgirl to be honest and it was quite cute. But two of my favorite lines from Hai Shi were when he was drying her when she got caught in the rain and when they were playing Go when she came to say her goodbyes. 

“You are not much older than us…. I’ve counted carefully….Being several years older made a big difference when we were young, while it doesn't as we get older”

“ You are special to me, so please don’t take any step further either for old times’ sake or out of concern. Don’t do it. One misstep and I might say or do things I shouldn’t. When that happens, I’ll have to spend the rest of my life far away from the capital and we’ll never see each other again.”

We’re only in the first week and the tormented/Forbidden lovers theme is already so heavy. So far I don’t see many annoying characters although the tormented Emperor was definitely a strong character that does not leave a nice after taste at the beginning, his character is “slightly” getting better in the following episodes despite his temperamental outbursts. Just like Zhou Ying said, he could be a great emperor since we clearly see that he has empathy for his people but he does have violent outbursts and anger issues that he should definitely address.  

But he does have a close relationship with Fang Jian Ming, the only man who has the guts to defy his orders. Not gonna spoil much on their relationship but from what I have seen they have quite an interesting story. 

PRODUCTION

It's definitely a S+ Production. CGI is really good and definitely above average for most dramas. And don’t even get me started with the cinematography and the fighting choreographies on this drama. From their training grounds to Hai Shi’s examination, the choreo’s were just so beautiful and will definitely get you at the edge of your seat. 

I need to mention separately the action scenes on Episode 13 and 14, the battle on Well Town and the battle for Huangquan Pass. Hai Shi is a skilled fighter but an even greater Archer. From hand to hand combat to close and long distance archery, the fighting choreography for Hai Shi was extremely well crafted and always on point. The Battle for Huangquan Pass alone surpasses so many dramas in terms of cinematography, choreo and just plain intensity. So kudos to the team for such an amazing episode. 

The costumes on this drama are just to die for. I love every single outfit Hai Shi has from her men’s clothes, women’s clothes to her battle armor. Not a fan of some of the hairs and I specifically mean the two hairs for William Chen (lol) on the earlier episodes and Xu Kai Cheng’s hair on episode 12. And glad that we get to see William Chen’s hair in a neat bun lol. 

CAST

Queen Yang Mi is a perfect fit for Hai Shi and no one can convince me otherwise. She really does shine in this kind of badass female warrior role. She can be cute for a second then a badass warrior in the next just like Fu Yao and Bai Qian.

First Drama with William Chan and so far I kind of like him while I can’t say much for Xu Kai Cheng. No hate against him and I’m sure he is a great actor and has good dramas it's just that I have not watch a lot of his works to be completely sold by him and those that I have actually watched did not do him any favor in my eyes but I’m optimistic and has high expectations on him on this drama. 

OVERALL FIRST IMPRESSION

An incredibly solid first week! I’m loving the pacing of the story and the chemistry of the cast. Production, Costume, Acting, Cinematography down to BGM is on point and well executed. Definitely looking forward to upcoming episodes but let’s see after the 2nd week, I might put it on hold to wait for it to end before picking it up again ‘cause the suspense is not good for my heart LOL. 

Would I recommend this? Yes! Even though I don’t often recommend ongoing dramas cause the future is uncertain, I have mixed feelings about this. The production alone really sold me into the drama then the cast and then the story but a part of me is already preparing my heart just in case.

[avenirdelight]

Captains | PART 2

Tyrone Mings & Eric Dier

Part 1 | Part 3

They both had gotten the call up.

Eric and Tyrone had gotten called up. Tyrone had received the call a few days ago and on the official squad announcement yesterday, Eric Dier’s name was written among the list of players that would defend England on World Cup Qualifiers in September.

She and Tyrone had kind of moved on from the talk that they had last week after the match against Spurs. Well, she hadn’t really forgotten about it, because she was anticipating that the two men would meet again at the camp. And now it was really happening. The excitement from yesterday afternoon had been replaced by this weird mood that was just hanging in the air, begging to be acknowledged. Because as much as both of them pretended that everything was alright, they knew it wasn’t.

Tyrone would leave tomorrow. There would be no time to talk about the matter except now. So she had been contemplating it all day long. But she was scared. She knew if she brought it up, it would definitely get into Tyrone’s head. There was nothing that she wanted more than for him to do good in this camp. She wanted nothing to bother him, so she was in a dilemma whether she should try to talk about it or just leave it.

And Tyrone was just doing the exact same thing. It was painfully quiet in his room. He was moving between the walk-in closet and the bedroom to pack his things for tomorrow. She had asked if he needed some help but he said no, so she went to the bathroom to tidy it up; Tyrone wished he’d said yes when she offered help, because right now they weren’t talking and it felt horribly awkward. The bathroom wasn't even that messy, she could’ve done it in ten minutes, but it had been half an hour and he was still hearing sounds of bottles of skincares clashing with each other.

She had been trying to stall for some time, but she was getting more and more suffocated. She kept recalling last week’s scenes in her head and the thought of it possibly happening again really gave her the biggest horror. She knew she would regret it if she didn’t put on any effort to try to prevent it from happening again. So after taking a very deep breath, and praying that everything wouldn’t go wrong, she dropped everything she was doing and marched herself to the bedroom where he was.

“We really need to talk about it,” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

He glanced at her. He didn’t even look surprised or want to question what she meant by ‘it’, so she assumed that he was thinking about the same thing too. But he sighed, as if he was annoyed by what she was trying to do.

“I’m leaving for camp tomorrow, can’t we just leave it this time?” he asked. “Everything would be fine.”

“Can you guarantee it?” And when Tyrone didn’t answer, she continued, “Ty, I just don’t want it to be like this forever. For my ex-boyfriend to keep being a topic in our conversation? We don’t want it, do we?”

Absolutely not. But Tyrone didn’t say it. He just silently locked his suitcase and put it by the door.

“I just feel like there’s something that you aren’t telling me.” She said it before she couldn’t even stop herself.

It had been in her mind for a whole week. Tyrone didn’t like Eric? She was fine with that, she had some people that she really didn’t want to be involved with too. But she felt like there was something more into it. Something that made Tyrone look like he really wanted to fight Eric on the pitch last week. She didn’t want to be another factor that made Tyrone resent Eric even more. Not that she was trying to protect her ex-boyfriend, but holding grudges to someone was not a good thing and there could be a time where it could explode. She was protecting Tyrone.

“What do you want me to tell you? I’ve told you everything,” Tyrone said as he grabbed his laptop from the top of the drawers. “All the stories, you know them all already. I don’t think I need to tell you about that all over again.” He sat on the bed leaning back on the headboard and stretched his legs before putting the laptop on his lap and turning it on.

She sighed, fidgeting with her hands. “Just tell me how to get him out of your head. I just hate the way you tense up every time I bring up something from the past, as if you always assume that he got something to do with it,” she started to sound upset. Tyrone stole a glance at her and he could only see the side of her face, covered by some strands of hair. She looked very serious.

“Not everything in my past is about him, you know. It was just me, it should only be about me,” she continued. Tyrone just couldn’t miss this hint of sadness in her voice and suddenly he felt like he was being punched right on his stomach. He never knew she felt like this. The guilt crept on him so quickly and at that very second he knew that he would need to man up and face this; acknowledge his own feelings and search for a better light for this matter he’d been avoiding.

They both fell silent. She glanced at Tyrone and the man was still doing things on his laptop. It annoyed her how he didn’t even look like he cared about this, like he didn’t even see how much this was hurting her. Irritated, she got herself out of the bed and walked back to the bathroom; this was stressful, maybe a bath would be nice.

But she stopped in her tracks when two words slipped from Tyrone’s lips.

“I’m insecure.”

She quickly turned her head. His fingers weren’t typing anymore and he just stared blankly at the screen.

“There, I said it,” he mumbled.

She didn’t respond, as she tried to convince herself that she heard the right thing, that he was insecure. She tried to come up with any possible reason that might cause his insecurity, but she really couldn’t find any.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

Tyrone shrugged, he still looked reluctant. But her curious eyes kept staring at him, desperate for an explanation.

“He knows you longer than I do. He definitely knows you more, knows your family more than I do,” Tyrone finally explained. “And the fact that he’s someone I know, that I don’t have a good relationship with, by the way, just makes me feel worse.”

“That’s not fair!” she exclaimed as she walked closer to the bed, glaring at him. “You can’t compare it like that. Of course he knows me longer than you do, but what does it have to do with us?”

“I don’t know. What if you think that he was better than me? That he was nicer and did everything better than I do?”

She sighed. “Yeah, why would you think I’d compare you to him?”

“‘Cause I know you wouldn’t settle for less than best. You can’t settle for less than best.”

He finally looked up at her. Her heart broke when she saw all the sadness in his eyes, proof that he really meant every single thing that he said. She wished he could’ve told her sooner, because it upset her knowing that all this time, Tyrone was hurting and she never even guessed about that.

She walked to his side of the bed and sat beside him. She put one hand on his knee and gently caressed it. Their eyes locked and Tyrone took a deep breath.

“Tyrone, are you not the one I tell ‘I love you’ to every day? Are you not the one I come home to every Tuesday? The one I cheer on in matches every weekend?” she asked, but Tyrone didn’t answer. “I’m completely yours. Don’t you trust me? Am I not doing enough to make you feel my love? Do I—“

“No, no, no, no,” he cut her off, shaking his head. He put aside his laptop and took her hand on his. “Baby, I trust you. I know you love me, I really do. It’s not about you. It’s just me.”

“Then, baby, you don't have anything to worry about, I promise. You have nothing to be insecure about. You, Tyrone, are the one who owns my heart. You are more than I could ever ask for.”

His hand went to the side of her face, as he brushed off some strands of hair. He held her face and caressed her cheek, making her melt to his touch.

“Do you think I’d be here if I don’t think you’re better than him, or every other man I’ve met before?”

Tyrone shook his head. “No,” he said. “I’m sorry. I should’ve known better if it was just all in my head. I’ve been so stupid, haven’t I?” he asked.

“No… It’s okay, it happens. I’m happy that you’re telling me about how you feel,” she smiled, making him do the same. “Ty, I know we’ve only known each other for not even a year, and everything seems to happen so quickly, but we have all the time in the world to get to know each other better, to love each other better.”

Tyrone nodded. “Okay, baby. I promise I’ll do better.”

“You’re doing just fine,” she put her hand on top of his. “But maybe just try to let it go, yeah? I’ve let it go long before I met you. You should too.”

—

there would be a part 3 of this. i wrote 3300 words for this second part, but i decided to split it into two and make a part 3. and i’m sorry that there’s no eric in this part:’)

My Masterlist🤍

[evienyx]

Imagine a servant from the Fire Nation comes to the Jasmine Tea with the Gaang (without Toph) and Iroh also being in the Jasmine Tea there and when the Gaang asks what the Fire Lord is like they're just like Servant: oh Fire Lord Zuko? well he is... The Gaang waiting in anticipation: He is?... Servant: Oh! He is such a Dork! and kind as well! The Gaang: HUH?!

Servant: Yeah, that’s why he let me take a vacation! My family lived in the colonies but they recently moved to Ba Sing Se, and when I asked Fire Lord Zuko for an extended vacation and a permit to travel to the Earth Kingdom, he was like, ‘Of course’

Servant: Everyone loves him. Agni, the ZPS are so lucky, they get to hang out with him all the time!

Gaang: ...The ZPS?

Servant: The Zuko Protection Squad! Fire Lord Zuko doesn’t know about it, of course, but it’s rather official. Miss Keeli, Guards Ming, Lee, Tyne, and Anzo, Seamstress Pim, Lady Mai, Lady Ty Lee, Chief Hakoda and his wife Lady Kya, Lady Suki, the Advisor, Lady Toph Beifong, Swordmaster Piandao, Princess Azula, of course-

Gaang: *active meltdown in progress*

[brightmiraii]

RELATIONSHIP & SHIPNAMES WITH SEVENTEEN || PART 2

GIFs are not mine! Credit to the owners!

Hayley's masterlist || Part 1

HAMING/THEHAY (MINGHAO x HAEUN)

Minghao and Haeun act like twins, they’re always dissing each other (no one – besides maybe Seungkwan depending on Hao’s humour – can diss Haeun. “Only I can do it” – Minghao, Xu), but everyone knows they love each other so much, it’s only their own way to express it. Every curse word he knows, it’s not a lot by the way, is thanks to Haeun (including “iMMA“) , she also teaches him English and he teaches her Chinese they are almost done with each other during their lessons lol. Hao tends to compliment Haeun in Chinese so she wouldn’t understand (MH (in Chinese): I think you’re amazing. HE: Are you dissing me? MH: Yeah, you’re ugly. HE (screaming): jUN OPPA MINGHAO IS BEING MEAN TO ME). He’s another member of ‘Protect Haeun At All Cost Squad’ and is ready to fight anyone who disrespects his sis. Aside from all the dissing battles, Haeun just loves how caring and considering Minghao is and she tries to take good care of him (especially when he hurt his back, she was so concerned it was cute).

HAGYU/MINGLAY (MINGYU x HAEUN)

Definitely Mingyu is a member of ‘Protect Haeun At All Cost Squad’, he is in charge of making sure Haeun is fed, healthy and not on a crazy diet. Mings goes with Hayhay whenever she’s about to start a diet just to know what she has to eat, what she couldn’t and stuff (because maybe or maybe not Haeun had already lied about some previous diets and ended up fainting while practising). Mingyu is so whipped for Haeun that he is capable of stopping anything he’s doing to pay attention to her and it’s highly possible that Mingyu’d be seen giving Haeun a piggyback ride. The girl just loves how Mingyu is a (giant) puppy, how his hugs are so comfortable (highkey they cuddle a lot) and his silliness never fails to lift her mood.

SEOKEUN/DHAY (SEOKMIN x HAEUN)

Seokmin considers himself as Haeun’s personal ray of sunshine, he “fights” with Jeonghan about who is Haeun’s mother in Seventeen. They are constantly spotted eating anywhere they go, pretty much every time, not gonna lie. It seems like Seokmin jokes around just to break Haeun’s shell of shyness. If he can make her laugh out loud he feels like he owns the world, because he thinks her laugh is one of the most precious sounds on Earth. Everyone loves Haeun, that's a fcking fact. This girl just loves Seokmin’s voice and definitely looks up to him in this matter, also she loves his smile and feels more confident to joke around without being afraid of not entertaining people because she knows he has her back.

SEUNGHA/HAYKWAN (SEUNGKWAN x HAEUN)

Let’s be honest, Seungkwan was probably the member who was most awkward with Haeun at the beginning, but it quickly evolved to a, what people see, ‘love and hate relationship’ due to every single time they expose each other on air. On camera they really seem to hate each other like “bitch you better stop exposing me now or else I’ll shove my shoe down your throat and it won’t be nice”, behind the scenes, though, they care a lot about the other maybe in a more tsundere way (contrary to Hao). Despite Haeun complaining about Seungkwan never shutting his mouth, she adores his voice when he sings, and how he puts his everything into music.

EUNSOL/HAYNON (HANSOL x HAEUN)

He is so soft on her, even his family thinks so to the point where they basically adopted her during holidays whenever she couldn’t spend those times with Mark. Hansol is another member who probably knows Haeun the best along with Joshua, they talk in English a lot (especially during her early days when Hayhay almost looked like a foreigner that couldn’t speak Korean at all) and it’s somewhat comforting. She found in Hansol another source of home, he truly felt like another brother to Haeun, as caring and loving as Mark. If they had a fan account, they would definitely post something like “Haeun/Hansol appreciation post”.

CHANEUN/HAYDI (CHAN x HAEUN)

One fun fact before we start this: Chan and Haeun used to have a crush on each other before she joined Seventeen, but any feeling was forgotten as soon as they became best friends and realised nothing more serious would work between them. Said that, it is a fact that they are the closest (even more than the American line) due to the smallest age gap and their passion for dance. Chan truly respects Haeun for being so eclectic in dancing styles since she can go from classic ballet to almost b-boying (with a wild Jun freaking out), and Haeun admires him for maturing so quickly and being such a great dancer. They share a lot of secrets and worries, they’ve seen each other cry plenty of times and always dances together, including couple choreographies, because they just know nothing wrong or weird will happen.

[calacuspr]

This England team has shown us all what the power of sport really means

There have been a few times in recent years where the entire nation has appeared united and optimistic – and almost all of them have been connected to sport.

The World Cup in Italy in 1990, the EURO 96 in England and the London 2012 Olympic Games all come to mind as moments that will endure as epochs that transcend everything else going on in the world.

England has been particularly divided in recent years as the Leave and Remain factions argue; the challenges facing the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic; and the economic struggles that so many have encountered pretty much since the financial collapse a decade ago.

At Calacus, we work with organisations who see the value of sport to positively transform society and the England team has shown that throughout the build-up to EURO 2020 and beyond, they have brought the nation together in a way little else can.

Granted, it helped that England did so well, reaching the final of the tournament. It is hardly a new phenomenon that the squad is so multi-cultural, with players with family heritage from around the world.

While the aftermath of the defeat to Italy has shown the unpalatable side of society, the way in which the England manager and players have conducted themselves has been a masterclass in authentic communications.

STAY TRUE TO YOUR VALUES

Taking the knee has been part of football tradition in England for more than a year now, highlighting inequality and promoting diversity.

The England team have been criticised by many, with the Conservative MP for Ashfield, Lee Anderson, announcing that he would not watch “his beloved England team” while the players took the knee; Home Secretary Priti Patel suggesting that it was nothing more than “gesture politics.” and Prime Minister Boris Johnson refusing to criticise those who booed the team.

Given the racism that the likes of Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling and others have suffered, particularly from online trolls, it’s remarkable that politicians sought to condemn them and accuse the team of Marxist tendencies and BLM affiliation rather than a compassionate plea for solidarity and equality over division.

England defender Tyrone Mings said: “Everyone’s entitled to their opinions. The home secretary is one of many, many people who oppose us taking the knee or refuse to defend it . . . we [have tried] to educate and inform the minority who refuse to acknowledge why we take the knee and want to boo it.”

Notably, the boos faded as the EURO 2020 tournament progressed and the team got to the later stages and it speaks volumes that many of those politicians who criticised the team then tried to associate themselves with them through staged photography that fooled no one.

CELEBRATE INCLUSION

This England team are no strangers to speaking up for those who don’t have a voice.

Marcus Rashford has campaigned for an end to child hunger and has twice forced the government to make u-turns over free school meals.

Raheem Sterling, one of the stars of the tournament for England and who has been vilified himself by media and fans alike, has fought hard to call out bigotry in the fight against racism.

EURO 2020 started during Pride month and saw players wear rainbow laces and captains use rainbow armbands, despite some mixed messaging from UEFA.

When England played Germany in the round of 16, captain Harry Kane joined his counterpart Manuel Neuer in wearing a rainbow armband with England's official Twitter account saying: “@HKane will join @DFB_Team 's Manuel Neuer in wearing a rainbow captain’s armband for tomorrow’s game at @wembleystadium to mark the end of Pride month, as the #ThreeLions stand in allyship with LGBTQ+ communities around the world.”

Kane himself explained: “From our point of view, it is a show of solidarity with the German national team from all of us at the England national team to be united in trying to kick out all inequalities there are. We’re on a huge platform on a big stage so it is obviously a great opportunity to do so.”

Jordan Henderson has shown himself to be a captain on and off the field, supporting local charities during lockdown as well as leading his Liverpool team to success over recent years.

He is thought to be one of the main drivers behind the team planning to donate its EURO 2020 prize money to good causes.

Their donation – which could be in the millions – will be made to NHS charities now that the football tournament has concluded.

The team made a statement last May which said: “Following positive discussions with the FA, the England senior men's squad are pleased to confirm that a significant donation from their international match fees will be made to NHS Charities Together via the #PlayersTogether initiative.

“This contribution will be taken from a fund already set aside to support a variety of worthy causes using all match fees collated since September 2018.”

While England supporters still let themselves down by booing national anthems at times during the tournament, it shows the progress that this England team has prompted that Joe White, an England fan who co-chairs Gay Gooners, Arsenal’s LGBT+ supporters group, attended the England v Germany match at Wembley Stadium “in full makeup.”

They wore red lipstick, shimmery eyeshadow and mascara along with a rainbow flag and England flag painted on their face to complete the look.

They tweeted: “This is a really small and personal point but today was my first game at Wembley in full makeup and overtly queer (as opposed to just camp). Absolutely no issues from fans and some lovely chats.

“Despite being absolutely petrified pre game, really proud of our fans”

Henderson responded: “Hi Joe great to hear you enjoyed the game as you should. No one should be afraid to go and support their club or country because football is for everyone no matter what. Thanks for your support, enjoy the rest of the Euros.”

How refreshing that the LGBTQ+ community can now support the national team with no fear of abuse or intimidation and that the Three Lions Pride can display positive banners – understandably celebrating Henderson’s goal against Ukraine.

ENCOURAGE TEAMWORK

England manager Gareth Southgate arguably had one of the most talented England squads in recent memory.

The team’s headquarters at St George’s Park became a centre of fun with photocalls featuring the likes of Bukayo Saka jumping into a pool on a flying unicorn inflatable and Ed Sheeran playing a special concert for the team not to mention a preview showing of Top Gun Maverick and call with its star Tom Cruise.

While early on, there was uproar among fans over players who had been left out of the starting XI or even the squad, with flair giving way to pragmatism, Southgate showed how much the team ethic mattered to him.

After the 4-0 victory over Ukraine, Southgate paid tribute to the members of his squad who had not featured much during the tournament.

He said: “I am thinking about the players who I had to leave out of the 23 because they have been such a massive part of what we’re doing. It is so difficult to keep a group of this size feeling valued and yet those guys have been phenomenal about how they have sacrificed themselves for the group.

"I feel the responsibility keenly. But it is these challenges that make us."

Not once during the tournament did any stories leak of disgruntled players, while the players reflected the afore-mentioned values by resisting well-trodden paths of nationalism that previous encounters with the likes of Germany may have engendered.

In fact, this England team have shown dignity in the face of criticism and the very definition of what it means to be a team – there are no egos, no vested interests.

Where once supporting England meant violence and xenophobia, this England team has inspired a new identity with a commitment to diversity, inclusion and a more tolerant society, which is a credit to them all.

SHOW REAL LEADERSHIP

It was quite telling when, during the celebrations following England’s win over Denmark, former international Gary Neville said: “The standard of the leaders in the past couple of years in this country has been poor but look at that man there... he’s everything a leader should be: respectful, humble, tells the truth, genuine. He’s fantastic, Gareth Southgate.”

Southgate has been humble, engaging, honest and resolute that he knew what he wanted to do and would not waver, even when senior politicians criticised some of the decisions made by him and his management team.

Ahead of the tournament, in an essay on patriotism, titled Dear England, Southgate linked football and national identity and underlined why the game means so much more than just sporting excellence.

“I have a responsibility to the wider community to use my voice, and so do the players. It’s their duty to continue to interact with the public on matters such as equality, inclusivity and racial injustice, while using the power of their voices to help put debates on the table, raise awareness and educate.

“On this island, we have a desire to protect our values and traditions – as we should – but that shouldn’t come at the expense of introspection and progress.”

Southgate has been calm and assured throughout his tenure, ensuring that he and the team are consistent in their focus, messaging and conduct. There have been no scandals, no drama and every press conference or media opportunity has been assured and engaging.

FACE ADVERSITY HEAD-ON

Losing on penalties is part of football, but it’s also something that England have encountered at a number of major tournaments.

The backlash after England’s defeat was brutal, with the three players who missed penalties, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka all targets of racist abuse.

Some MPs also used the defeat as an opportunity to tell players to keep out of politics, such as Andrew Rosindell, who tweeted: “We are all proud of our England team, who have had the support of the whole country over recent weeks, but please focus of football, not politics. If you win for England, you win for everyone!”

Home Secretary Priti Patel expressed her outrage at the racism, prompting Mings to again address her double standards.

He said: “You don’t get to stoke the fire at the beginning of the tournament by labelling our anti-racism message as ‘Gesture Politics’ & then pretend to be disgusted when the very thing we’re campaigning against, happens.”

Soon after the game, the mural in tribute to Rashford was vandalised, prompting hundreds of positive messages and fans voicing their support for the Manchester United forward.

Rashford tweeted: ““I’ve grown into a sport where I expected to read things written about myself. Whether it be the colour of my skin, where I grew up, or, most recently, how I decide to spend my time off the pitch.

“I dreamt of days like this. The messages I’ve received today have been positively overwhelming and seeing the response in Withington had me on the verge of tears. The communities that always wrapped their arms around me continue to hold me up.

“I’m Marcus Rashford, 23-year-old black man from Withington and Wythenshawe, South Manchester. If I have nothing else I have that. For all the kind messages thank you. I’ll be back stronger. We’ll be back stronger.”

CONCLUSION

The England team have shown without doubt the power of sport to unify – and while EURO 2020 is now over, we have the Olympic Games coming up where athletes will come together in the spirit of competition and camaraderie.

As Southgate put it: “The reality is that the result is just a small part of it. When England play, there’s much more at stake than that.

“It’s about how we conduct ourselves on and off the pitch, how we bring people together, how we inspire and unite, how we create memories that last beyond the 90 minutes. That last beyond the summer. That last forever.”

While the positivity has proved to be a brief moment in time, the England squad showed society how to empathise, respect and engage in a way that has been in short supply for so long.

[theaestheticdiariesx]

DongFeng Headcanons

Headcanons coming to you from @m-mimima and @lovesasusaku12 . Because we love the DongFeng couple and need more than what the show gave us. Though we were blessed with a lot.  

Both Dong Hua and Fj are super thirsty for each other and some of the women try to shift into FJ. Dong Hua catches on pretty quickly and questions them about all the things they did/do. He usually is still pretty ice face unless FJ is around and then all of his attention is on her. Everyone is confused af about this powerful, stoic god who is putty in FJ’s hands. 

Fj likes to hang out with new immortal General Ye, but she always makes sure that DH is around and flatters him a bit more than usual. Dh likes Ye, just not around his wife. 

Fj becomes more mature, but she is still FJ through and through. She still loves to play pranks and is super flustered when DH calls her Fu Ren. 

If anyone tries to bully Fj or say anything about DH or her family, she reminds them who her husband is. She is pretty powerful on her own, but there are some people that don’t listen to her. DH always shows up and silently supports her. 

After the ending of pillow book, DH and Fj finally get married. Dh personally issues a statement saying that he will destroy anyone that dares to stop or interrupt the ceremony. Needless to say, the ceremony goes well and they are finally together “officially”. 

DH being a baby and calling FJ back for slight injuries. She doesn’t really mind and loves to be around him. 

Zhi He dies when she comes back for visits and sees Dh and FJ together and tries to get in between them, but Dh stops her and is like why are you coming in between me and Fu Ren. FJ always gets flustered when Dh calls her Fu Ren. DF love to sit together at banquets and she serves him food and he ignores everyone but her and likes to tuck flowers in her hair. Fj gets sad thinking about Aranya, but DH reminds Fj that the failed fate brought them together. 

DH and Fj have three kids, two boys and a girl. DH slightly favors his little girl because she is basically a mini FJ. Fj and baby girl usually fight over who gets to sit in DH’s lap (in fox form). 

Dh is forever sad at missing Fj’s pregnancy with gun gun. So he keeps FJ close during her subsequent ones and is a super attentive husband. He likes to burns summons from the heavenly king for meetings, so FJ just goes with him. But he pays more attention to her and stops meetings to get something that FJ wants, and guilt trips fj with him missing Gun gun’s time. He hugs gun gun a little bit tighter and dotes on him too. 

The third pregnancy (baby girl) is the hardest on FJ. At night, she likes to grab DH’s hand and tells him to tell his restless child to stop and let her rest. He replies with “this one takes after their mother in being restless” but dies happily on the inside. 

Dongfeng babies are usually well behaved and the entire Bai family is astounded. But since they are the kids of two trolls,they love to pull pranks and never get caught. DH loves to join in the pranks. 

The babies join Dh in the meetings. He loves wearing the baby in slings and curl up against him when they are older.  If anyone gets too rowdy, then he points to the baby sling and tells them to settle down and not wake his kids. 

DH loving his family and having family dinners even after the kids grow up. He loves having his family surrounding him because he has been alone for way too long. He also makes sure that all of his family is protected. He doesn’t hover, but makes sure that they are okay. 

Dijun loves to spoil his daughter and carries her everywhere either in his arms or sitting on his shoulders. He teaches his daughter how to play Go and she eventually beats LS (as a small baby). Dh tells her to call LS “nephew” because he lost. Zhong Lin comes to tell him that FJ is calling the baby and DH is like *___*, I’ll take her. 

FJ uses her babies to get out of trouble. They usually just show up and say “Grandpa” and BOOM, forgiven. #noshame 

The DF babies are both mentally and emotionally smart. They are well behaved, but very naughty. They and BQ’s kids cause so much mischief. They love to prank Si Ming, who just accepts his fate. 

Everyone likes to cling onto FJ and she is all “I love you all, but i have stuff to do. When did i become the responsible one?” =_=“.

The sky kingdom is a lively place due to all the little ones (Df, BQ, and LS and Cheng yu’s kids). The girls have tea parties at Tai Chen Palace and FJ makes them pastries and DH provides the tea and hangs out for a bit with them. 

Zhi He dies every time she comes to visit and sees the df babies. She knows that she can’t do anything to them bc Dijun will not stand for it. Whenever Zhi he tries to pull anything, the babies call her Grumpy Old aunty instead of just aunt. She also dies seeing the (df) baby girl looking a lot like a mini fj. 

Xiao Yan joining the babysitting squad (He is always supervised with the kids). Dh’s baby girl develops a baby crush on Yan yan and Dh loses his mind and tells her no she doesn’t like him like that. Dh stays a little jealous of Xiao Yan and FJ is ???. 

DF’s daughter grows up to be a beauty (after her mother) and Dh threatens any suitors with his sword (he’s not subtle about it). LS uses his friendship with Dh to threaten away his daughter’s suitors. 

[joshuamyra]

In 2065, Earth is infested by alien life forms known as Phantoms. By physical contact Phantoms consume the Gaia spirit of living beings, killing them instantly, although minor contact may only result in an infection. The surviving humans live in "barrier cities" protected by energy shields that prevent Phantoms from entering, and are engaged in an ongoing struggle to free the planet. After being infected by a Phantom during one of her experiments, scientist Dr. Aki Ross (Ming-Na Wen) and her mentor, Dr. Sid (Donald Sutherland) discover a means of defeating the Phantoms by gathering eight spirits, unique energy patterns contained by various lifeforms. When joined, the resulting energy wave can negate the Phantoms. Aki searches for the sixth spirit in the ruins of New York City when she is cornered by Phantoms but rescued by Captain Gray Edwards (Alec Baldwin) and his squad Deep Eyes, consisting of Master Sergeant Ryan Whittaker (Ving Rhames), Neil Fleming (Steve Buscemi)