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yichens · 3 years ago

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pingxie thoughts (and prayers) pt. 4

it’s been a long time, my comrades. but finally i am here again! tho idk if anyone really cares but i do love to just. spit out random words about these two. so take this and enjoy some heartache~ let’s go

(previous post here)

About Pingxie and touch

Compared to any other drama adaptation in the DMBJ series, Ultimate Note has possibly given us the biggest amount of very touching (hah) moments between Pingxie. They feel close, warm, and intimate at times (Reboot is its own story but it also separates Pingxie for almost half the drama so let’s leave that out of this). In these moments, the otherwise very scarce physicality between them is shown. More so, all of it happens so easily (compared to TLT2 for example. oh what a year of longing can do to the relationship am I right guys).

As I finally got to episode 16 (the very bad, absolutely horrible episode that breaks my heart in so many ways and that I want to burn like it’s starting to sprout too many heads), I got an idea. I figured out what happens in that episode when it comes to Pingxie and their comfortably solved physicality. What changes, is the direction of their touch. It’s like a switch – and Xiaoge’s memory loss is what causes it to flip.

(more explanation under the cut!)

Before Xiaoge loses his memories inside the jade meteorite, we mostly see him as the one who controls when Pingxie touch each other. I like to even think that this is the way Wu Xie wants things to be: he’s fine with touch anyway, Xiaoge is the one with unspoken (or even undiscovered) lines. Considering this, there are very few occasions where Wu Xie reaches out first when it comes to touching. Most of them happen during the very first episodes where he tries to get Xiaoge to tell him why he disappeared and why he hasn’t contacted Wu Xie after coming back or that one single reassuring shoulder squeeze we see after the night of trying to survive the snakes. At least I cannot remember much else, correct me if I’m leaving out something significant.

On the other hand, from Xiaoge’s side? There are so. Damn. Many. Times. Most of them have the sense of helping or protecting (mainly) Wu Xie but these touches are always prolonged and very meaningful (tho I guess that is also just. part of Ultimate Note’s Pingxie agenda, I see yall over there, I know what you are doing. Pls don’t stop).

To name a few of those moments: The times Xiaoge covers Wu Xie’s mouth with his hand, him keeping Wu Xie from tripping and falling, him holding Wu Xie when he’s suffering of that fungus, him catching Wu Xie as he inevitably does fall, him sharing his blood to keep Wu Xie safe from the ticks. He is even reaching out for Wu Xie when their group is traveling through the jungle and they come upon the path with the statues that can be used as sonar weapons. He is weak himself but as soon as Wu Xie stumbles, his first instinct is to reach out. To touch. To support.

(sorry it’s very hard to get decent screenshots of this split second scene bc the whole of iron triangle moves around so much so enjoy this very worried looking zql instead. also pls don’t stare at a-ning, she doesn’t like that.)

And let’s not even talk about their night in the collapsed tent. Or him instinctively protecting Wu Xie from the jade servants. Or him twitching in the background when Wu Xie steps on the pressure plate placed in front of the Heavenly Queen Mother’s duplicate in the Palace. He expects danger and he is ready to move closer to Wu Xie to pull him aside. And then there’s him trying to figure out if it would be alright to come closer, to touch Wu Xie, when he’s in pain after discovering his uncle’s secret. There is something so fragile about Xiaoge throughout all those scenes where Wu Xie is finally hearing the truth from Chen Wenjin. He doesn’t know if he should be closer, offer his touch as support – or leave completely. Bc in the end, it’s him who has brought this pain upon Wu Xie. He knew and couldn’t share the truth, so what right does he have to try and comfort Wu Xie now?

(this post isn’t about pangzi but i am always so grateful that he exists as the link between these two idiots. while xiaoge hesitates, pangzi is there to act. for him, touch is easy, safe, comfortable. it’s his language. am overjoyed that he’s teaching that to the other two, dull as they are.)

That hesitance leads to the bandaid scene which feels like one of the most meaningful touches there is even if it’s so small and brief (and ridiculous, my god. there is this one amazing analysis post about that moment but I cannot really remember by who, am sorry). It’s Xiaoge reaching out after all the staying back. It’s Wu Xie settling into it, into this care shown to him, after pushing others away. It’s Xiaoge actually using his touch as something more than protection, a tool of keeping someone safe. He wants to take care of Wu Xie. He’s even packed those bandaids for him, the sappy fool.

(as a side note, i really question their way of just putting the bandaid on the already spilled blood like cmon, as if that’s gonna stick)

It’s a lot for someone who doesn’t usually touch people. I am so happy to see it. Wu Xie is so happy to see it.

And then comes the damn jade meteorite.

During episode 16, it’s almost ridiculous how much touching we get. That’s basically my fill for like,,, a month. But also it’s just. Not good. Because it’s so painful to see, as this is Wu Xie finally reaching out to Xiaoge, touching him all over, holding him close, when there’s nothing else he can do for him.

For Wu Xie, touching means comfort – and that’s what he needs for himself in that moment. He’s basically all over Xiaoge from the moment he comes out of the meteorite to the moment we see the Iron Triangle in the hospital. Wu Xie carries Xiaoge on his back and seems distressed when Pangzi asks him to switch. He keeps hovering, hands on Xiaoge’s back. His first question to Panzi when he wakes up in the camp after passing out in the desert is to ask for Xiaoge’s whereabouts. He holds Xiaoge while they sit by the highway and then keeps reaching out to him while they sit at the back of the truck. He even rubs Xiaoge’s neck/shoulder while he’s at it – and still I ache.

Wu Xie becomes extremely physical the moment he thinks he’s lost Xiaoge (again!). He’s witnessing the strongest person he knows being helpless and weak, being unable to fight for himself, and his first reaction is to fill all the space there is to fill with his own self. This sudden necessity of touch somehow tells a lot about them. Until this point, touching has been easy, a positive surprise to Wu Xie even; after the jade meteorite, it’s a lifeline. Something to make things feel real, to reassure Wu Xie that Xiaoge is there, is breathing, is alive. That he can heal and come back.

After Xiaoge wakes up, all the touching continues. Wu Xie remains desperate but now also has his guilt to bear: he needs to leave Xiaoge alone to encounter the world and only meets him again when Pangzi brings Xiaoge to Wushanju.

That’s basically a stranger Wu Xie is now looking at. Xiaoge cannot remember anything which also means that all the progress that happened between them has gone down the drain. Xiaoge regards touch the same way he possibly did before – as something that is meant to be violent. He doesn’t show that bc when has Xiaoge really shown any discomfort but Wu Xie must know.

And still Wu Xie’s first instinct is to touch, to take Xiaoge’s face between his hands and be impossibly gentle with him. He seems almost awkward in Xiaoge’s presence until this moment but the touch still comes so easily to him. It’s an instinct and possibly the moment Wu Xie realizes what he’s to do now; it’s his turn to reach out, to keep touching, because Xiaoge will not. He has lost all the memories he has of these people closest to him. He doesn’t know their closeness anymore, isn’t aware of what is appropriate between them. Wu Xie has to lead now, to be the one to show where their lines go.

And so he does (and forgive me if I cannot remember everything): He reassures Xiaoge by the lake when hope feels lost by grabbing his shoulder. He holds Xiaoge’s arm to keep him from spilling more blood to fight the poisonous spiders. He touches Xiaoge very gently when they inspect his tattoo (on all occasions). He’s there when they look at the picture Xiaoge saved from the burning house. He grabs Xiaoge’s shoulder again in reassurance when they watch Pangzi mourn Yun Cai. He holds Xiaoge close, desperately, when he gets hurt in the Miloutuo cave. He offers simple touches that convey happiness and laughter and closeness and trust and loyalty.

It’s a cycle of touching. And slowly Xiaoge reaches out too, starts being his protective self. I think it even startles Wu Xie when they’re in the training rooms of Fairy Huo and Xiaoge grabs him mid movement. Xiaoge is still there to help him, to protect him. Xiaoge is still getting used to being with these two people who he barely knows but he still has the instinct to protect them and use his touch for it. Wu Xie’s call gets answered. It just makes me utterly sad how big of a step back the memory loss is for them, and seeing Wu Xie struggle with it so much, seeing him crack himself wide open… It hurts even more.

So, what I get out of this is: Pingxie have this two-way movement going on when it comes to touching. When all is fine, it is simple, mostly from Xiaoge’s side towards Wu Xie bc that’s where the line between them lies. When something happens, it becomes more important, more desperate; and then Wu Xie’s real colors shine through as he pushes closer to Xiaoge. The memory loss just comes to hinder this, tho it also shows how Wu Xie works as a teacher when it comes to Xiaoge and the way he can touch and be touched.

They push and pull each other, in a sense. It keeps them moving, getting close. Touch becomes what they are – and I think we see the proof of their final progress in Reboot where they don’t even have to see the other to trust the other’s touch.

(extra pic of xiaoge bc somehow i got startled by the fondness on his face in this scene. it’s when wu xie is naming the ppl in the picture taken before the paracel island team left for their journey. also xyl pretty.)

(as a final note, gotta say that i had this post in my drafts for like a month bc i couldn’t bother taking all the screenshots. my laziness has really reached its peak. thank you anyone who read this, you’re a dear ♥ also there’s another one! coming! soon-ish)

#dmbj #ultimate note #pingxie #wu xie #zhang qiling #help me lord #i will choke #on this ep #ep 16 is a curse #pingxiethoughtsandprayers

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accio-victuuri · 4 years ago

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The GG & Li-Ning & Xianjiang Cotton Situation

I was asked to give my opinion. This is also for other bxgs who may have the same sentiment. You don’t have to agree with me but i hope you respect whatever it is I choose to share here. This is my blog and my space. I maintain this out of my pure enjoyment of the fandom and all the good it has given me. So let me address some of the points.

Li-Ning boasts their use of XinJiang Cotton

My simple answer here is, of course they will. This is not something new. Li-Ning is a celebrated olympic medal winning gymnast. A billionaire. You don’t get to that place in CHN w/out supporting the government’s agenda. In this case, that there is no injustice and persecution going on in Xinjiang. This brand, boasting about China made cotton, in their terms, shows patriotism and support for their country. This brand’s literal goal at first was to provide a local brand for Chinese athletes to wear in the Olympics. This is also not the first time that Li-Ning had been called out along w/ other international brands due to questionable ethical practices.

I find it very hard to believe that the timing of GG’s massive Li-Ning ad campaign, coinciding as it has with these Western brand boycotts, was a coincidence.

Let’s get this out of the way. Whether the boycott happened or not, Li-Ning is guaranteed an insane amount of sales because they hired Xiao Zhan. This is the same man who always sells out products in seconds. Who took KXZ to 200% growth and so on. I can talk about stats all day but this massive campaign for him is a no brainer. GG is expensive and a guaranteed success. Any brand who hires him will be stupid to not launch an all out campaign across all cities. Li-Ning knows what they are doing by hiring him. For years, they have been trying to appeal to Gen Z. Especially now that youth in CHN are more and more into the “guochao” (国潮) - National trend. Integrating traditional chinese culture and fashion w/ domestic brands. This ties in with the whole movement of erasing the connotation that made in china is of inferior quality. GG was a good choice. He appeals to the younger generation (19-25) and the working class ( 26 and up ) who buys goods. I would imagine even GG’s team did their research and knows this trend is going on too. This will not be the last you will see of this type of endorsement from him or Web. The rumors on this collaboration was going around as early as, March 15 I think? I was literally asking another bxg if GG’s ad will be pushed back a day or two because of what was happening. or what will this all implies. He was always gonna come out and endorse this brand boycott or not.

I am not removing the possibility that these local brands have a hand in the boycott. It’s a very valid concern. or that, it was a convenient perfect storm for them. A perfect storm of EU, US & CAN sanctioning CHN. The sudden attack on brands’ statements against Xinjiang cotton from a year ago. The whole agenda of controlling the people’s view on what is happening. All of these are connected. sure. There are many things behind the scenes that we will not know but we can make an educated guess of. Li-Ning is not the only domestic brand that had a positive push because of this.

On 3/25 Li-Ning’s stock closed with a high of 10.74% , plus an added 9% on the 26th when GG was announced as ambassador. The same thing happened with Anta and others.

I find it very hard to stomach seeing Li-Ning ads on my dash, regardless of GG’s presence in them. Without condemning him for taking this endorsement deal, and without judging what he is or is not personally aware

I will just be addressing GG’s alleged part in all this. I say that cause we don’t live in his brain and won’t know what he’s thinking. You can all try and project your values on him but he is a whole person of his own. I have hopefully given some view on why GG accepted to endorse this brand in the previous point. GG has spent most if not all, of his life in China. He has repeatedly said that he was brought up traditionally. Tho his father was very encouraging in him participating in the arts and widening his knowledge. He had Foreign professors at CBTU. He is part of the generation that knows what’s going on outside by using the internet. He’s smart. I would guess that he is aware of the country he is living in vs what it’s like outside of it. But at the end of the day, his loyalty will always be with his country. I hate to break it to you all but he will continue to live and thrive as an Actor even without international support. Tho it is great that he is a source of National Pride with how people outside of China love him.

Now, about his support for Xianjiang Cotton. I wanna start by showing this:

It’s a post from People’s Daily wb which boasts all the c-ent top stars that voiced their support of XJ cotton. The sense is, hey people look at your idols supporting the cause. Look at their Patriotism. What do you think will happen if GG was not on this list? Knowing that he is a top star in CHN. Knowing he was just in hot waters post 22*? Knowing that he is actively being endorsed in CCTV which is a National Channel. Are we still surprised that he posted that support? I was just honestly waiting for him to post if anything. I talked before about how C-ent celebrities are expected ( and actually it’s in their law ) to be more morally upright than the lay people. This is prime example of that.

Another one is this from CCTV Wb. I’m including this for you all to have an understanding of how this whole thing is being played out in CHN. This is the type of online narrative that is going around and I would think GG is seeing. The sentiment is,

“No matter what hardships, ups and downs and blows go through in our country, her people will always come from all directions and stand up to speak justice and do just things.”

It’s also showing all the hot searches that is related in support of XJ cotton and defending CHN’s innocence.

Also this video that was heavily circulated showing mechanized picking of cotton vs the allegations of manual.

This is the kind of narrative that is going around, as expected. I don’t really fault GG or condemn him for doing what is best for him. What is the best for an individual does not always mean it’s the best for all. In talks like this, I always try and put myself in their position. I mean, who the hell are these people trying to attack my country? the country that has provided for me. I wanna say I understand where they are coming from but understanding does not mean agreeing. I see these A LOT. ALOT ON WEIBO. The China vs. Everyone story. It’s the notion of, they are attacking us and we must protect the country. Also keep in mind that news is heavily regulated.

You know what type of news the CCP would love for them to get a hold of? The rising attacks on Asians in the US. Oh boy they would fuckin love that! Making America the big/bad asian-hating boogeyman in the eyes of their people yet again.

Okay, now we’re down to the final part of this. Why do I share the promo pics for Li-Ning. Where do i draw the line.

To me it’s simple. It had GG in it. I was waiting for this to come out, and tbh, would you all even know about this brand’s practices if the boycott didn’t happen? No. This is a bjyx blog where i share things about them. That includes ad, dramas, pictures and videos. I understand if people don’t feel comfortable w/ Li-Ning ads and others, so just don’t like those posts. Did I buy anything from the collection? No. Did I buy multiple copies Web’s single Youth in Times ( like i do with his other singles )? No. That’s where I draw the line in this. I know we’re all gonna be put on a tight spot again once Faith Makes Great comes out. Once I saw that leaked pic, Ooohhh! I just know. Also if BAH adds some propaganda about CHN’s war on drugs. I am just waiting. I am ready. I know what my values are. I will not allow other people to dictate who I am. I know what type of content I’m only gonna be sharing.

I see this very forceful air of asking bxgs to take a stand on this ( always bxg, never the other side. always us of course even if we are the minority) and it really puts me off. I read someone say that they will not say anything because they don’t owe strangers on the internet an explanation. Which is true. I have separate spaces that I share my views on world/local issues. Accounts that show my actual name and around people I know in real life. That’s what I choose to do for myself. I started this blog for myself and i still find it very bizarre that people follow this account. I am not some sort of KOL, let’s get that straight. This is just a blog where I talk about things if i want to and SCREAM about GG and Web too much. I will probably not answer any follow up questions on this cause i feel like I have addressed a good chunk of it.

Just know that whatever I post on here in support of GG and his projects does not equate to my entire political/moral stand regarding this event or any. It’s really good that we have conversations like this cause it’s an important one.

Whew! That was a long post! 😅

#ask response

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disasterbialert · 5 years ago

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So, I finished The Untamed and ok ok I think I have collected most of my thoughts about it. (I’m late, so I guess these thoughts don’t really matter, but I wanted to put them somewhere and here seemed like the place.) SO here’s a post absolutely NO ONE WANTS and imma do it anyway cool cool.

Firstly: love. This entire show is about love. Obviously other things too ok I’m simplifying for the sake of my point. But importantly it is about love. The love for our families, found, made and blood. The love of soulmates, romantic and platonic. The love of humanity, of the people known and unknown, love for them purely because they are human and are therefore deserving of love. The love inherent in honour and duty, the sacrifices made for that love. Loving someone—bravely, in the face of every adversity, despite being told it’s wrong. Learning to be true to that love, learning to love faithfully, learning to love, to show love, to be loved.

Bless the tireless translators. Y’all. The work you do is often thankless but y’all are so valued. Thank you.

The music. I actually don’t have the words for this, I can only thank the composers and musicians for the gifts they have blessed us with. My heart my heart my heart.

The costumes, set, props and cinematography are all so exquisite. I’m not an expert in any of these fields but I can see the care and detail paid to each facet of this show. What an absolute visual joy. Stunning.

And now, the characters.

I’ll start with the ladies. They deserved so much more. We deserved to have more than just one by the end, but I understand this wasn’t their story (still hurts tho).

Jiang Yanli. Proof that kindness is powerful. Her heart holds entire worlds. She is not weak (don’t even try me I swear to the gods). She holds her family together. She takes care of her siblings. She feeds their bodies and their souls. WWX is right—JZX does not deserve her but that’s because nobody does. But Jiang Yanli deserves to be happy, therefore her marriage to the Flower Peacock is valid purely bc it makes her happy. She stands up for what’s right, she will not compromise her morals, she will defend her family to her last breath (and so she does💔). She does not harden herself, she does not have to. Her patience and kindness, her softness, her gentleness—things that are seen as weaknesses or inferiorities—are what put her above all around her. She is gracious, she is strong, she is loving, she is determined, she is brave. She deserved better.

Wen Qing. A queen. A powerhouse. The most brilliant mind. A lightning-quick and sharp-bladed tongue. She loves Wen Ning so much and her love is powerful, just as Jiang Yanli’s. Her dedication and devotion to her people, her true family, not just a name, is incredible, inspiring. Why? Because she’s not perfect. So she learns. She grows. She becomes herself. When she’s at the Burial Mounds, she essentially adopts WWX as another younger brother, caring for him because she knows he won’t care for himself, and she does so out of love and respect. But she never replaces Jiang Yanli. She is keenly aware of all she perceives WWX loses because he aids them. Hence the pivotal, crucial: I’m sorry and thank you. She walks to what she knows is her own death with her head held high and her hand in her brother’s, offering love and support and what protection she can to the end. She does not flinch. She does not bow. She fights with all of her and surrenders with grace not reflected by those she surrenders to. Honestly I could write an entire thesis on Wen Qing but I’ll cry too hard so I’ll just leave it here that she deserved better, she deserved to live, she deserved to be free.

Mian Mian. Mian motherfucking Mian. Here is a woman who stares injustice full in the face and says no fucking way, says over my dead body, says you and what army old man. Strips the robes of the hypocritical off her own damn body, throws them at the feet of a false god and walks out, back straight, head held high. She makes her own way in the world, carves out her own life, finds love and happiness and lives. She does not compromise. She does not bow. She fights and she wins and she is glorious. And she lives she lives she lives.

Yu ZiYuan. I may be in the minority here but that’s ok. No I don’t approve of her abuse, just gonna nip that one in the bud right out of the gate. Was she fair? No. Was she cruel? Yes. Was she an incredible fighter who fought for her family, for her home? Who showed raw courage and furious strength in the face of insurmountable odds? Who loved a man with her whole bitter heart, loved her children with that same fractured heart? Was clearly the subject of spiteful rumour and vicious gossip and did not let it defeat her? Refused to bow to anyone? I do not like her, do not like how her bitterness made her cruel. But seeing her wield her blade, take wound after wound, witness the death of her love, then take her own blade and rob the monsters invading her home of the satisfaction of taking her life, took her own life with her own hands because that’s how she did everything in her life so why the fuck wouldn’t she do it in death too, who crawled her way to the man she loved, laced their fingers together so he wouldn’t die alone, so they could both die held? How can I not respect her.

Ok. The lads.

Jiang Cheng is a man-child idiot with the emotional expression range of a loquat, an inferiority complex the size of the moon and self-worth issues going back farther than the Big Bang, and I love him, ok? He loves so hard and so much and it is heartwrenching that he cannot communicate that. Some of his best moments are actually in the background, which is both funny and terribly sad. His rage is at times ridiculous, at times frustrating, at times all he has left, his joy is bright but brief, his grief is devastating. Watching JY greet WWX after the 3 months in the Burial Mounds. The entire temple scene. Crying on his knees. We were to be the Heroes of Yunmeng. Take care. Fuck me right in my feelings ok.

Wen Ning is so fucking precious and I would die for him for all eternity. What an absolute gift his character is. I honestly can’t write much more about him because I’ll cry. But special mentions to his interactions with A-Yuan/Lan SiZhui and the incredible scene where he reveals to Jiang Cheng the truth about his/WWX’s golden core. Unparalleled emotional intensity. The equal parts tenderness and fierceness of his love is breathtaking.

And the loves.

Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen. There is a lot of tragedy in The Untamed. There is great sadness in the main plot line and even in the small side plots. The Ballad of Song Lan and Xian Xingchen (as it’s come to be known in my head) is for me the most devastating and poignant. They just wanted to do good, to wander the world together and do their part to make it a better and safer place. It’s noble, yes, but it’s also so human, so close to home. Because we all want that, to know that we can do some good before we leave this world. They do not want to be involved in the petty squabbles, the undignified and cruel vying for power and dominance. They simply want to live and be. The fact that both of their deaths are pointless, could have been avoided, are the faults of poor timing and terrible terrible luck and cruel turns fate is almost what makes it sadder. Xue Yang screams that XXC is not better than him, that his righteousness and the righteous way he has attempted to live his life is all for naught. And then he is immediately proven wrong—XXC’s heartbreak means he can’t become XY’s puppet. SL is free from XY’s control and avenges himself and XXC. Which is also somehow just as devastating. That XXC and SL were so close, so very close to being together, to living, to making it, but didn’t. Nothing grand or heroic about their deaths—just the unknown and unpredictable nature of life. There is no rhyme or reason, no big important plan, no fate or destiny. They both simply die as we all one day will. And it is their potential cut short, the love and life they could’ve had, that hurts the most. They are not Lan Zhan and Wei Ying: they do not get their second chance, their reunion, their happily ever after. The look shared between SL and LWJ—the shared grief, the recognition, the understanding—and LWJ’s brief and unelaborated-on comment to WWX ‘how fortunate’ speaks volumes. How fortunate you came back/I found you/that’s not us when it could’ve been. That final shot of SL walking away and the brief out-of-focus moment of XXC walking beside him—particularly when it’s echoed with the parallel of WWX and LWJ—chokes me every time.

Wei Ying and Lan Zhan. Soulmates in every sense of the word. Their song. Their bunnies. Their child. The years they were robbed of. The yearning. The pining. The loyalty. The growth. The love the love the love. The loss the loss the loss. Every Lan Zhan. Every Wei Ying. Every glance. Every soft breath. Every gentle touch. The tenderness. The intimacy. The quiet acceptance. Their love story is one of the ages and, on a personal note as a queer person, what a gift it is to see a queer love story like this. (even when censored as a bromance, which like I mean, they tried but the glances alone are +9000 gay pining but whatever and yes I am making a joke because I’m crying don’t look at me)

TL;DR: I am so thankful The Untamed/CQL/MDZS and all of its adaptations (the source material included obvs) exists. I am so thankful to the writers, translators, casts, crews, creators. I am thankful for the community of fans that exist that love it as I do, who share that love and passion—whether through passionate discussion, rich fanfic or mind-blowing fanart. I am thankful I live in a time where content like this exists and can be shared. I learned a whole lot and I’m so grateful there aren’t even words. Love y’all. I’m gonna go be soft now. ��

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a-very-fond-farewell · 5 years ago

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The forbidden crack! Untamed prompts: 22/?

Drama AU [this is just an idea tho, no plot basically]: “Did you find a bitch in me?”

[JC-focus crackships galore baby! title is from a Marina Diamandis’s song (“Hermit the Frog) but that’s probably not important for the non-plot so... yeah]

“So... wait a minute.”

“Hit me.”

“I’m still confused.”

“About?”

“Wen Qing... why should I know about your ex’s exes?”

“Because he’s a bisexual menace and I don’t want him to ruin this for me.”

“Jiang Cheng is not going to sleep with me.”

“What do you know tho? He’s that powerful.”

“Babe, I’m a lesbian.”

“And he has dated everyone in our circle of friends and their significant others.”

“Big lesbian energy, you’re absolutely right.”

“Thank you. I taught him well.”

or the only au where there’s only drama and no plot and JC went from experimenting to actively turning people gay or straight just because.

[attn: in this au Jin GuangShan is not, I repeat, not a bitch and did not, in fact, have other kids aside from Jin ZiXuan bc I say so. don’t make me complicate this non-existent plot more, please]

[under the cut for more!]

ok. got it. JC knows he’s no saint. hell, he doesn’t even qualify as a decent human being, alright. he’s that socially abominable. but things have escalated to a point where he doesn’t even know what to do. maybe become a hermit, lock his dick and call it a day. yeah, that should do the trick. because he really doesn’t know when it all started... no. that’s a lie. total bullshit. it was Nie HuaiSang.

so, SO, he may have been 16. sweet bush child with no future nor name. a great big sister, a stupid big bro, an overachieving mother, a distant father, the usual. save for fucking Nie HuaiSang and his stash of porn. and JC was straight. and he just wanted to check if the link his high school friend sent him was a jumpscare or not. he closed the tab right after the first moan echoed in his room late at night, he forgot to put the jack in and his earphones were possibly all the way back in his backpack on the kitchen table. fuck his life. and also fuck HuaiSang for being into weirdly sensual artsy porn on top of that. fuck his life. fuck the replay button too.

coincidentally, HuaiSang was his first kiss, first head, first everything only one year later and JC still talks to the jerk to an extent, but not because he wants to, okay? they were experimenting, but JC was still straight. he wanted to do good on his first actual relationship with a woman, whatever that meant for him at the time. HuaiSang was okay with that, the lying bastard. JC may or may not have grown fond of him by the time their graduation came, but they never got around to talk about it because they were stupid and young.

also, HuaiSang’s brother had caught them once and JC had known there and then why his non-boyfriend had decided to cut things loose afterwards. that jock was scary as fuck.

then. THEN. university came and Wen Qing was the one reminding JC he was still very much as straight and unbendable as he could get. it took him three years to not yell at her in frustration and ask her out: the sexual tension between them fueled by rivalry over good grades and the scholarship program they both wanted to have access to for their masters.

she had been the one asking him out. JC was lying about having the balls to do it, obviously. the fact that she also discovered to be a lesbian while being with him could have burned less, all things considered, but JC knew he had made love to her and that was enough for him. letting her go had been the right thing to do and they still talk everyday and she loves his nephew and everything is fine.

JC is FINE.

it only took him the two remaining years of his masters to get over her, but. FINE.

he’s not gonna talk about her brother. it happened only once. okay maybe once that particular night, at a bar and they were drunk and Wen Ning was nothing like his sister and the boy always had a slight crush on him and he was the one suggesting it, okay?

Wen Ning was kind and gentle and kissed way better than his sister and maybe after two years JC could get over it and move on and they could still be a family after all and that last stall in the staff toilet had been where JC’s bottom cherry was popped and oh gods that felt so good...

“actually, Jiang Cheng, you’re lovely. but I think I’m actually really straight so... I’m sorry. I hope we can still be friends?”

yeah. JC’s not gonna talk about fucking Wen Ning.

maybe the fact that his brother Wei Ying got married so soon was the reason why. it has to be.

JC hated, HATED Lan Zhan. he hated how much in love they were. how softly they moved around each other. how much he wanted some of that as well.

and since he was THAT petty he had to flirt with Lan Zhan’s brother (Lan Huan) because of it. the man was terrifyingly good looking and a gentleman. so much he didn’t want to give in to JC’s requests... because he already had a boyfriend.

JC knew nothing about said boyfriend aside from the fact that he was apparently a snake, whatever Wei Ying meant by that.

Lan Huan looked very intrigued, but he’s also very loyal and JC admired him for that. he didn’t want to have that conversation tho, the one where Lan Huan politely asked him to stop being so charming in his periphery, so JC decided to hide for a month or two and maybe extended that period of time and never show his face again while he’s at it.

Lan Zhan would have also had his head on a fucking plate if he dared touching his precious older brother so, there’s that as well.

so he dated a bunch of people after swiping them on apps left and right, got the hitch out of his system and felt miserable about it.

Nie HuaiSang came back into his life like, the day before JC started working for a new company and asked him out for a drink. HuaiSang was crushing for a man too young for HuaiSang’s comfort because he usually liked older men and this boy was fresh out of his bachelor and JC’s friend was well in his late twenties and didn’t have a job yet and...

JC shut him up with a kiss and they felt slightly less lonely afterwards, until they actually talked about their issues and decided to stop being messy and grow out of their bad habits.

JC still fells sick at the idea of being someone else’s “bad habit” though.

Wen Chao was a mistake.

Wen Chao’s girlfriend was a mistake.

Wen Chao’s brother was a mistake.

Their bloody uncle was a mistake.

Their father was an even more spectacular mistake.

JC has yet to find out how he survived the year of his thirtieth birthday, honestly. that shit had been wild as fuck.

YanLi and her husband offered JC to look after Jin Ling more often in order to make him feel some sense of safety, he knew that much. at the time, JC hated the fact that ZiXuan worried over him and that his own sister didn’t know how to help him either.

people at work had started to treat him differently as well, now that they knew how messy he was. he started getting treated for depression soon after being promoted to supervisor, his workaholic tendencies saving him from himself after years of sleeping around and drinking too much for his own good.

A-Su was YanLi’s friend from university and was kind enough to ask him out one day. she stayed with him for a year before apologizing to him, saying she wanted something more: a family, a future, something JC could have not given her anytime soon.

his brother and Lan Zhan adopted a boy and JC became an uncle for the second time. A-Yuan was difficult to look after, having survived stressful living conditions in his early childhood, so Wei Ying appreciated the extra hand when JC offered it to him and his husband.

looking after children forced him to be not so angry all the time and now Jin Ling had a cousin he could play with and was very glad his Jiujiu was feeling better.

when Lan Huan came back into his life, JC had forgotten about even attempting to win him over in his early twenties. it felt life a lifetime had passed.

they started as friends this time around, but JC felt nothing for him and he was okay with that. they were good uncles to A-Yuan and that was enough.

what really caught JC off guard was when Meng Yao stumbled upon him one day in midwinter, crashing on JC and sending his briefcase up in the air. the older man was apologetic and kind and gods forbid JC still needed some of that in his life. even if it was the other who had crashed into him, JC offered to buy him coffee since Meng Yao’s cup was now sadly rolling out frame on the snowy path.

to his utter astonishment, Meng Yao accepted.

JC took his time with him, willing to slow down and really get to know this new man who seemed so welcoming and easily approachable... yet so impossibly far and unreachable.

Meng Yao confessed cheating on his previous partner with his best friend five years prior and how he felt undeserving of another chance with someone as kind as JC. he revealed how therapy helped him work on his tendency of manipulating others and that this was the only reason why he wanted to be honest with JC and tell him the truth. so that the younger man could make up his mind if Meng Yao could be granted a chance with him.

this heartfelt confession startled JC in the beginning, especially bc Meng Yao seemed adamant about not sleeping with him for the foreseeable future, unless they talked it out some more.

on JC’s thirty-fourth birthday, one year after meeting Meng Yao, JC asks him to marry him during a pleasant dinner the older man has planned for him.

to his horror and absolute joy, A-Yao accepts.

JC didn’t mind not having been intimate with him until then, nor he would have minded if A-Yao never happened to change his mind on the matter. JC felt safe with him, even when he saw him reminiscing the past with grief painting his features behind his fake smile. JC knew he could give him happiness and so he asked him to meet the Jiangs for the first time to announce the good news.

all but Wei Ying and his husband have arrived the even JC brought A-Yao home, their car stuck in traffic. they start eating without them, with the couple’s permission. YanLi and ZiXuan didn’t bring A-Ling this time around, not willing to leave too soon and waste a chance to really get to know the new member of their family. JC’s father seemed pleased to meet with A-Yao, exchanging pleasantries and conversing about common interests...but JC’s mother is weirdly cold and distant that night.

once dinner came to a end, finally Wei Ying arrived, apologizing profusely for making the lot of them eat without them. however, nor he or his husband could take their eyes off of A-Yao...and neither could JC’s fiancé.

“if you still have some dignity to spare, I suggest you leave this very moment,” said Lan Zhan, the most he has ever spoken in one breath in front of JC. to which, to JC’s astonishment, A-Yao answered by giving JC one last look and the saddest smile he had ever worn...before leaving the house and never look back.

confused, heartbroken, humiliated...JC didn’t know what to feel when Lan Zhan explained to the lot of them what Meng Yao had done to Lan Huan after eight years together. cheating on the kindest man alive with an old acquaintance of his that to that day remained unnamed bc Meng Yao refused to reveal their identity.

JC’s mother didn’t have to tell her son that she had known all along something was off about A-Yao: JC could feel it in the way she was looking at him, sitting next to him on the couch. she had a sixth sense for venomous people.

the following year, JC is pretty sure it passed in a blur. he remembers working less hard than what he was expected to do, been consequently and rightfully demoted in his company. others gossiped about him being so proud for nothing in the end, which aggravated his mood.

to his surprise, his mother was the one suggesting him to take a break somewhere nice. to clear his head for a month or two before deciding what to do with his life. Wei Ying booked him a trip to Taiwan the following day and in less than a week JC is on a plane to take a long vacation there.

one night, roughly a week after his arrival at the hotel, JC was staring blankly at the skyline in deep thought. he had done the tourist-y shit, eaten all the foods in the best restaurants, brought presents for his family. and now he was bored out of his mind. the same, old questions swirling in his mind: did A-Yao lie when he said he loved him? did he lie just so he could have a fresh start and forget about the past? did he leave bc he felt guilty for his past with Lan Huan? was he serious when he had accepted JC’s proposal?

that’s when Mo XuanYu came barging into his life like a hurricane.

the younger man, seven years his junior, spotted him from an adjacent balcony and proceeded to talk to him as if...trying to de-escalate a suicide attempt from his part.

“sir, please. I’m sure there’s more to life than this. I don’t know what happened to make you feel this way but...everything will be fine in the end. I promise you. I was there. It’s okay. please don’t jump over the balcony.”

JC had no intention of jumping, just to be clear, but something in his eyes must have caught the kid’s attention and...was that a steward uniform he was wearing? did he work for the hotel? JC was none the wiser but that was the first time someone had reassured him so wholeheartedly without even knowing him and it felt...weird.

he started tearing up and the younger man panicked, promising to keep him company all night if necessary, reaching out with a hand to touch JC and reassure him from the other side. JC grasped it gingerly in his own and let himself be coaxed back to the realm of the living by such gentle soul.

JC hated himself for sleeping with him not even a week after their encounter.

but it just felt so good to let himself be guided by hand to the most hidden and wonderful places. away from the tourist crowd, eating delicious food with someone smiling prettily at him. yet he hated himself more for thinking about someone else in bed with him, at least in the beginning.

Mo XuanYu seemed to know anyway, and even encouraged him to just do whatever he felt like with him. casual hookups didn’t have to be meaningful, the younger man had said, and it wasn’t even the first time someone used him as a rebound either. still, something ugly stirred in JC at that.

so he decided to stop thinking about himself for once and shoved every bad memory away. all to pour his affection into someone else and cater to his lover for the following month and a half. borrowed time of a stolen season, during which JC doted on the younger man and learned to listen.

some of the stories Mo XuanYu told him felt slightly familiar, almost as if they had a friend in common and didn’t know who it might have been. after his shift, the younger man would ask to eat with JC and share his frustrations, repaying him in kindness with sweet kisses and even sweeter smiles that felt a little bit too brittle in the morning, when he was bound to leave.

by the end of JC’s trip it was clear to him that he had grown fond of the other man, too much for his own good. but during a vacation, away from home, surrounded by new and exciting things...anyone would have worn a mask to forget their normal life, that reality they would have eventually been forced to come back to.

by the end of his vacation, JC had figured out who their common friend was and remembered how distant Nie HuaiSang had felt falling in love with Mo XuanYu. how sad the younger man’s emotional unavailability has made him feel.

and when they parted ways at the airport, JC kissed him goodbye and never saw him again. the memory of Mo XuanYu’s brittle smile engraved forever in the back of his mind.

back to work. back to his bad bitch persona. it felt good to focus on his job and nothing else for a year or two, keeping others at distance while bossing them from his office as he regained his boss’s trust. being promoted a second time gave him the confidence he needed to move on with his life and by his thirty-seventh birthday he could finally see a future for himself.

therapy was helping a great deal and even his siblings seemed to notice his progress, praising him for his willingness to seek help and his hard work.

A-Yuan and A-Ling included: the kids were growing up too fast, involving their uncle in their school projects and plans for mischief any chance they got to see him.

Lan Huan caught everyone by surprise one day in autumn by confirming YanLi and Wei Ying’s suspicions about his breakup with Nie MingJue, Nie HuaiSang’s older brother.

the older man didn’t tell them why he had stepped back from his engagement with the man, aside from saying that the both of them had found out something concerning about their past and common acquaintances. the discovery making them feel so disheartened to the point of braking their engagement of mutual accord.

JC felt bad for the man, knowing how much it hurt to lose someone so dear. not that they had had been able to discuss over the matter much, not even after A-Yao had left. it would have been awkward to talk about their common ex and his penchant for secrets and hurting other people’s feelings.

but they understood each other well enough and started talking more, out of their common interest in their nephews and their well-being.

five years later, JC was forty-two and content with his life. A-Ling was close to thirteen and A-Yuan quickly approaching fifteen. he could see them growing up and out of his reach, but their affection for him never wavered. until one day A-Yuan called him in the middle of the night, startling him awake.

apparently, his best friend JinGyi had called him for help after being beaten up by his foster mother and A-Yuan didn’t know what to do. calling his parents would have only alerted and worried Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, who were probably still asleep and hadn’t even noticed their son had sneaked out in the middle of the night.

panicked and worried, JC called Lan Huan instead and they left for the hospital. and something hurt at the sight of such a young boy lying still on a bed too big for him. something else clicked in JC’s brain at the sight but it would have taken him several months to realize what exactly.

furious and restless, Lan Huan spend months looking for the woman who had hurt the child, eventually destroying her in court until he pried a confession out of her. social services immediately alerted as JC inquired over the possibility of giving the child a permanent home himself.

not even a year later, JC was able to welcome the kid in their new house in the quietest part of town. it took a while for the boy to adjust, worrying over JC eventually changing his mind and letting him go. “who even adopts someone close to be of age?” JinGyi had asked, frustrated and certain JC would grow bored of him.

but JC was there to reassure him every step of the way, telling him family was forever and not something easily dismissible. he repeated it until the boy seemed satisfied and called him “dad” for the first time one inconspicuous evening at dinner. if JC cried on his pizza, well, nobody has to know.

Lan Huan was glad to listen to JC gushing over his son, more than supportive and borderline enthusiastic to listen to every little progress and new success.

JC knew this was enough, but he would lie saying he hadn’t felt loved by the other man. yet, he didn’t dare hope he could have another chance at happiness at almost fifty years old. Lan Huan himself close to fifty-five and well settled into his career as a lawyer...too much to consider a valuable partnership with someone like JC.

his therapist had bashed him for ages over such insecurity, but JC could only smile at him and shrug. many people didn’t find their happy ending and he still had JinGyi to look after. which seemed a good way to spend the rest of his life.

so it came as a surprise when, one evening, as JC overlooked at Lan Huan building a piece of furniture with JinGyi in their living room, he started crying with love and affection.

“why are you crying Jiang Cheng?”

“I’m happy.”

he really was.

he still is to this day.

[they don’t marry, but they do spend the rest of their life together anyway]

I need a break, this took days to make D:

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tonyglowheart · 5 years ago

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Some thoughts on character naming conventions & cultural significance of name-shortening

I’m noticing a growing trend of people referring to characters from The Untamed by given name only (my theory is this is because of Netflix. Is it because of Netflix?), and while I’m starting to get more used to it and am also actively interrogating my own emotional reactions to it, I do want to provide some of my thoughts on cultural notes regarding naming conventions.

Point the first: Although in English-speaking culture(?)/American culture, naming characters by given-name-only may be the most neutral form of addressing a character, in Chinese, naming a character by full name (e.g. “Wei Wuxian,” “Lan Wangji”) would actually be the most neutral form of addressing a character/someone.

While you can call characters/people by given name only, this usually indicates usually a high level of personal familiarity (like Lan Xichen calling Lan Wangji by “Wangji” for example), or maybe a high level of disrespect/disregard (like in MDZS/CQL when characters refer to Wei Wuxian by his birth name “Wei Ying” as a sign of disrespect [e.g. we see Jin Ling do this, btw]).

Point the second: Additionally, and importantly, if a character’s given name is only one character, it would NOT tend to be called alone. I know Netflix has a habit of subbing people’s names as given-name-only, so then you get names like “Cheng” and “Ning” and “Qing”; however, in CN a single character name would not tend to be shortened alone. I’m not saying no one ever does this, but that more commonly, as a nickname/familiar form of address, something would be added to amend the single character. E.g. a “Xiao” (Little) or a “Lao” (Old, tho in this case not necessarily meaning the person is literally “old”), or “A-” as we see in canon (though I think Netflix also omits this :/), or “-er”, or doubling, etc.

One form we see in canon is “A-[x],” so e.g.: A-Yuan, and A-Ning (which Wen Qing calls Wen Ning), and A-Xian (which Jiang Yanli calls Wei Wuxian). (I think we may also see JYL call WWX “Xianxian”? so an example of doubling, too, though I’d say this version is more used “for kids” or more “cutesy” version)

In terms of name-shortening, “full-name neutral” is possibly why the prevalence in acronym shortening (the other may be the prevalence of danmei fandom on twitter [character limits]? and esp predating CQL growing bigger on tumblr? but this is anecdotal on my part, it’s also easier to type acronyms on a phone lol). Because acronyms preserves the whole name, essentially, within the structure. If you’re calling a character by given-name-only just as a way of shortening the name/for convenience, then imo you run into issues of imposing English/American naming conventions on Chinese characters, and that’s where I personally run into feeling like there’s possibly a respect issue at play towards the source culture, :’)

TL;DR : I would say “when in doubt, default to canon naming conventions,” except I think since Netflix does drop surnames in subs even though the characters are saying them, and puts in given-name-only when familial/honorific forms of address are used (like “Yanli” instead of Shijie), that might have set a certain Anglocentric/ Americentric precedent in people’s minds on the naming...

In which case, I recommend “when in doubt, default to full names.”

Now, I’m not saying you HAVE to refer to characters by full name only or else you’re a Bad Terrible Person, or that you are doing things The Wrong Way if you find given-name-only easier for you, nor am I saying you HAVE to use acronyms to shorten character names, (since yeah, that is an EN adaptation to pinyin also anyway), (and like, I can’t control what other people do lmao)

But I did want to provide some cultural notes for people who maybe don’t know or haven’t considered that there even would be cultural issues at play with naming conventions, and would (hopefully) like to learn more about & immerse more in the source culture instead of just going with their comfort zone, which...at worst ends up coming across as Americans/Anglophones imposing their culture on others without really taking the time and effort to respect the source culture

Edit: lol uh *suddenly remembers this thing* o yeah here’s a terminology reference someone wrote up that gives a lot of information on naming and relationship terms & forms of address

Edit 2: follow-up ask regarding use of acronyms

Another Not-quite Ask Response to an anon I got which I was going to go back to and answer “formally,” regarding name use and third person “internal” narration. (tl;dr, Chinese has all these third person self-referential pronouns/pronoun structures that I think ppl are much more likely to think or refer to themselves as, if they’re not just outright referring to themselves as “I” in terms of internal narration. imo third person narration, someone is much more likely to refer to themselves as 本人(”benren,” meaning vaguely “this person”) as a more general term, or any variation of these kinds of self-referential third-person forms of address, vs by name.) Which is to say.. I think it's a moot point as far as how it would translate, so it's not like "but how would a char refer to themselves?" rly helps. Most if not all Chinese media I've seen uses full name for narration, bc as I said, that's the most neutral form of address. If you wanted to "compromise" for English then ofc I can't stop you. But naming habits very quickly is becoming a "no brown m&ms" issue, of "does it seem likely you're trying to write respectfully, or just treat it like a China: Through the Looking Glass situation."

(under the cut if you want some more expansive thoughts/discussions)

[cut]

So. This is where I go a bit more stream-of-consciousness/a lot messy maybe, and also share some more personal feelings on this. uhh strap in if you plan to read through this I guess :’D

My reason for bringing this whole thing up is, in honestly, fueled by a quite visceral initial discomfort with seeing given-name-only forms of address in tumblr posts that keep cropping up, and especially single-character-only being bandied about all over the place. Honestly, seeing “””Ning””” and “””Cheng””” and “”””Qing””””” etc give me similar *Kill Bill Sirens* feelings that the “””””Childe””””” translation for gong’zi that Tencent does gives me lol.

I’ve been in the process of interrogating also my own reactions of discomfort, and while some of it IS down to familiarity in form - in that I just wasn’t familiar with seeing given-name-only’s, and that I do kind of feel like I can accept it a bit more now that I’ve seen it around and gotten a bit more used to it - but another thing that I think became important to me was my reflections on how this reflects a sort of culture clash, with different cultural norms coming into play, and also how much this kind of hits home personally.

So one hand, you may say that for an English-speaking/Western audience, it’s perfectly valid for them to engage with the source media in English according to their familiar conventions, which is the given-name-only convention. However, as an Asian American, my first impulse on seeing a lot of given-name-only bandied about was that this was a form of address was too casual/presumptive and perhaps unintentionally disrespectful.

Within a sort of meta-Doylist perspective, I think it reads to me as odd because with fictional characters, an audience member wouldn’t necessarily HAVE a personal familiar relationship the way the characters within the media have with one another. You’re essentially a third-person observer on “someone” else’s life if we’re getting really meta-texual lol. It’s different than if you meet someone in person and they/their friends introduce themselves as “Xiao’Ling” for example because their friends call them that. And a sort of example of where we DO get a familiar form of address as an introduction is with A-Jing, who is just introduced as A-Jing and is just A-Jing. (and ofc there’s an interesting cultural discussion to be had on her lack of family name and how that familiar form of address indicates her relative social status, too, since the idea that she’s family-less and is of relatively lower social status as a “blind” beggar and so more people would feel free to address her by a familiar form of address vs Lan Wangji who is the second son of a major clan and so it would be kind of insulting for people to be casually calling him “Wangji,” even)

Now, the specifics of arguing “how close are you with a character” is a point I’m willing to soften on, since like... this is quibbling something that I can’t really argue on or fully pin down to explain other than “it feels weird” (tho I was venting about some of my Kill Bill Sirens feeling with another Chinese friend and they mentioned “it’s disrespectful, isn’t it?” regarding given-name only and that kind of got me thinking), and getting into arguing “well you’re not as personally close with a fictional character to be allowed to call him by given name” is. not a kind of argument I ever want to be having lmao. and also I can see there being cases where, for example, you’re getting really emotional over a specific character and it doesn’t ping my radar - although for me, I think in these cases, I tend to default to birth names lol. Like when I’m especially emotional over Wei Wuxian, I start sobbing over Wei Ying, and I think I generally tend to call Lan Wangji as “Lan Zhan” anyway lol.

(Actually, no, I just tried calling a bunch of characters by given name only and it’s just weird to me to think about addressing characters by given name only, lol, it DOES feel too presumptive/familiar :’) it hits on uncanny-valley cultural notes to just do so casually D: this is like calling your...e.g your high school teacher by given name (like when a teacher is just Ms. [xx] but after you graduate they’re like you can call me [first name] but you just can’t?), like that just? doesn’t Work Like That? D: I think the only reason “Wangji” works for me is because Lan Xichen calls LWJ that, and it’s a cute moment, and I feel like I’m invoking LXC’s love for his brother when I do that :’) this. does get more into personal preference yeah but I do think it’s also tied into cultural concepts of respectful forms of address, especially across rank/age/level of familiarity)

But also I mean. this whole though process is a work in progress for me, too, in terms of me interrogating my own emotional reactions, and in terms of me trying not to cross over into “policing” how people engage in fandom. And like... being more honest with myself about it, yeah the acronym structure - which, although I am now more used to - is still an English-specific adaptation, and one which CAN be open to discussion/alternatives. And again, I’m not saying that you HAVE to use acronyms either, as that IS an English adaptation to pinyin anyway. But that I think there is good reason for it, and it’s not just something someone made up to personally target people or whatever.

But the other part where respect is brought up for me is a matter of respect for Chinese culture. Now, I do understand not everyone may be wanting to immerse within the source culture in that way. And I, with gritted teeth :’) say... FINE. because I can’t control what other people do ofc. But again for me, this hits home quite personally, because I DID grow up experiencing a lot of microaggressions with Asianness being dismissed as “weird” or “too foreign” or “too difficult to understand.” It’s the reason why Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans have to have “English names” that we go by, because sometimes even the pinyin of our names are “too difficult” for people to want to try to pronounce.

And listen, I’m maybe more defensive of some of these cultural notes than a Chinese person in China would be, who may be charmed or amused by what to THEM would be “funny foreign habits”; but I’ve also been threatened more for my Asianness than a Chinese person in China would have, and I have also had to work harder to reclaim my heritage from a prevailing culture which is now more centered within my identity but which simultaneously works hard to erase my heritage from me, and at the same time also alienates me from truly “belonging” without me fighting for it. So... yeah when I did see people casually say “well this is what I think works for me,” I...on one hand want to be like “okay I understand and respect that,” as I recognize to be good fandom etiquette! but on the other hand it reminds me too much of Americans going, like, “this is too difficult, do you have an English name?”

where it feels more like a matter of people aren’t putting in the effort to learn a name that is foreign to them, aren’t putting in the RESPECT to learn a different culture and thinking it’s fine to just impose their own (like this does, for me, trip into the “mmmm cultural imperialism, hm? not cute” kind of territory :’) )

And I am aware that many people may NOT realize that there ARE cultural issues at play with the naming, and that some people (lmao like me) might be sensitive to some of this.

But like. I felt strongly about it lol, and at the very least, I wanted to try to provide some food for thought that people hopefully would take :’)

And ig sort of lastly, I am ofc open to discussion on this topic! I am, after all, a single Chinese American with my single Chinese American perspective on this specific cultural topic! But I do ask of you, if you find yourself reacting to this emotionally in some way, please try to sit with the emotions yourself for a bit? I mean I know I’ve been guilty of reacting emotionally, and reacting by speaking first before pausing a moment to process the emotions. But like I’m putting it out there already that this IS also an emotionally charged topic for me, and overlaps into emotionally-charged issues relating to cultural imperialism and my own experiences as Chinese American. So I ask that if you do have a specific emotional reaction, to please pause and let it distill a little before unleashing it on me :’) This is one of those *John Mulaney voice* things I’m sensitive about :’)

And also if you do use “given name only” this is not a personal attack on you, I am not saying you’re a horrible American cultural imperialist for doing so, nor am I saying you’re being maliciously thoughtless and disrespectful. (I’m also learning more and more that there are certain cultural things I’d taken for granted/had assumed has become more common concepts in English, such as “face,” which actually are still utterly foreign to some people.)

I am just personally tired but also opinionated to a fault and want to share my thoughts on where I’m coming from, culture-wise with this.

#the untamed #chen qing ling #roz speaks #this is literally just on how to address by name this doesn't even touch on forms of respectful address across generations #like Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen wouldn't call their uncle by name and how we see LWJ only call LXC Elder Brother #and how the juniors refer to WWX as ''Senior Mo'' and then ''Senior Wei'' although I actually dk if Netflix keeps this either #I single out Netflix bc I think the other tl's I've seen do mostly preserve this? and I think it does tell important cultural stories #and affects how characters interact with each other #mine

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restingdomface · 5 years ago

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Disabled and medical quirk post

Nie Huaisang has pica (urge to eat things that aren’t food). Mine flares up really high when I smell gasoline, and my brain goes ‘that’s a tasty treat and you should drink it’ but I’ve never given into the urge cause then I would die, but I think that NHS in modern AU would buy really dusty non-scented non-lotioned tissues and just. Eat them. When he’s stressed. Like. It’s a weird urge I know but y’all. Some of my friends smell old dusty books and think it’s great, I smell old dusty books and I’m all ‘if the pages were softer I’d eat it but hard paper gross’ and that’s. That. In canon AU he just. Licks. Books. Sometimes. Too hard, can’t eat that, but it’s tasty lollipop.

Nie Mingjue is that one guy with ‘that old battle scar that got infected and I nearly had to cut it off but magic medicine exists so someone called me an idiot and healed it for me’ that can tell when it’s about to rain. Or, maybe the scar is on his chest, so he can grab his tiddies like the girl from Mean Girls and be all ‘it’s probably raining right now’ and it’s very distracting. All the boys like him :)

Lan Wangji is the eczema problem child. Oatmeal baths as a kid and tons of nasty smelling ointments slathered all over his arms when it’s bedtime and scratching his elbows till they bleed but it feels so good you can’t stop and also that rash LOOKS like a really close gathering of pimples that haven’t reached the surface of the skin yet but it’s actually an eczema rash and that’s just what it looks like and he’s afraid to show anyone his biceps when it first develops because he thought it was some sort of weird arm pimple gathering but. It’s not??? It’s???? A rash??? Hurts to touch but doesn’t itch as much. The pain serves to help keep from itching tho so that’s. A positive, I guess :/

Meng Yao: Oh what that? I don’t know lol sometimes I take surprise naps it’s fine. Oh? I was shaking the whole time? Yeah I guess that explains why all my muscles hurt. Good to know. I’m gonna go take a less surprise nap now. *limps off while everyone makes concerned noises behind him*

Lan Xichen: Pee is stored in the balls.

Wei Wuxian: I don’t like eating bland food. It makes solid stuff come out. What? My stool is supposed to be solid? Lol ew wtf. No I don’t know why it’s coming out a different spot than the pee shut up I just assumed I was bleeding out the backside or something. It’s NOT supposed to be red?? Wait, wait, hold on a second here-

Jiang Cheng be over there like *eats his own hair and bites nails till they bleed* ‘I’m perfectly healthy, nothing can bring me down’. *gets a cold and almost dies*

Lan Sizhui gets long term memory loss whenever he gets sick enough. The memories eventually come back, but for a while there after a flu or a cold, he’s wandering around like an amnesiac and has to be moved back into the Jingshi cause he’s confused and one time thought he was a toddler again. Needs papa’s love and attention. Also the seasickness thing. No boats or he’ll upchuck all over you.

Lan Jingyi gets anxiety about things and it gets so bad he literally makes himself sick. But then when actually confronted with a scary thing he’s all ‘I’m brave!’ And then just sorta screams and runs away or throws something. Brave boy indeed.

Jin Ling gets the stomach flu regularly and it takes medical intervention to stop the puking. Jiang Cheng is now immune to watching someone throw up. Y’all even KNOW how many times he’s rubbed little backs while JL’s body refuses to hold down even water? Yeah. So much. He’s absolute whiny baby the whole time, constantly asking for food and JC can’t deny him just cause he knows it’s coming back up in twenty minutes. Uncle Meng Yao couldn’t handle watching someone puke and he’s a sympathetic puker and so. That’s not. Who he goes to. When tummy hurts.

Jiang Yanli is 100% fine until someone hurts her family and then all the energy goes bye bye and she immediately disassociates from this bullshit. Same girl, same.

Jin Zixuan ate something that did not agree with him and is going to need everyone to vacate the area because his tummy issues are not fit to be around rn. But if anyone asks, he’s fine.

Wen Ning: Listen. Sometimes a body part falls off. Sometimes an old organ escapes the clothing. It happens. I’m sure it’s fine.

Wen Qing is overworked and can y’all stop for like ten minutes plz.

#the grandmaster of demonic cultivation #the untamed #mdzs #wei wuxian #lan wangji #jiang cheng #lan xichen #jin ling #meng yao #lol all my aus are with him staying as my so lol okay #lan jingyi #juniors #nie huaisang #nie mingjue

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trensu · 5 years ago

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Episode 27: The One where I Want to Punch Basically Every Sect Leader in the Face. Repeatedly. With a Chair.

And we start off back in the rain, AKA OUR ENDLESS TEARS

Wwx is like, do you remember our promise?

And lwj flashbacks TO THEIR LANTERN SCENE FROM THE ONE WHERE LWJ FINALLY SEES THE LIGHT

WE GET TO SEE LWJ’S PRECIOUS BABY FACE AS HE FALLS HEAD OVER HEELS IN THAT FLASHBACK

IT HURTS SO GOOD

Wwx: i wished to stand with justice and live without regrets. But tell me now, who’s strong, who’s weaker? Who’s right and who’s wrong?

Lwj: wei ying!

Oh god, his voice! HE’S DISTRESSED

Wwx: is this the promise we pledged our lives to keep?

THEY BOTH LOOK SO HEARTBROKEN RN

Oh, look, lwj is doing the deathgrip of gay yearning on bichen again. We haven’t seen that in awhile AND I WISH WE WEREN’T SEEING IT NOW

Okay, but for real, how can lwj look so hurt here when the actor is literally doing nothing with his face??

I know i’ve mentioned that before, BUT C’MON, HOW?? HOW DOES THAT EVEN WORK??

Wwx: my only regret is that i didn’t stop the jin clan who took living people as bait

I REGRET YOU NOT TAKING DOWN THE JIN CLAN TOO

WE COULD’VE AVOIDED SO MANY PROBLEMS IF WE’D JUST KILL OFF 90% OF THAT CLAN, OMG

And now wwx is all, i missed my chance to protect wen ning before so now i MUST leave to save him

BC WWX IS THE BEST MOST HONORABLE PERSON IN THE WORLD

Oh no

Oh noooo

He’s pulling out his demon flute. We’re gonna get THAT SCENE

Wwx: lan zhan, if i finally have to fight them, i’d prefer to fight with you

Wwx: if i am doomed to die, at least i can be killed by you. That would be worth it.

HE SAYS THAT BC HE TRUSTS VIRTUOUS LWJ TO STOP HIM IF HE REALLY IS IN THE WRONG

AND I AM SCREAMING IN PAIN RN

BC LOOK AT LWJ’S FACE

HE’S LISTENING TO HIS SOULMATE TELL HIM THAT HE WANTS HIS DEATH TO BE AT HIS HAND

Oh god, he’s doing the bichen deathgrip again

He tears his gaze away from wwx and turns to the side TO LET THEM ALL GO PAST

EYES LOWERED AS HIS HEART BREAKS INTO A MILLION PIECES

HE’S CRYING OH GOD HE’S CRYING

THERE ARE TEARS GOING DOWN HIS FACE, OH GOD WHY IS THIS HAPPENING

HE DIDN’T EVEN CRY WHEN HIS HOME GOT BURNED AND HIS FAMILY WAS MISSING AND/OR DYING

And now he drops his umbrella to the ground AS HE TRIES TO DROWN HIMSELF IN THE RAIN

*HYSTERICAL SOBBING*

THEY PACKED ALL THAT HEARTBREAK INTO THE FIRST 6MIN OF THE EPISODE, WTF, SOMEBODY STAB ME

And after all that emotional torture we get Plot Stuff happening

Blah blah wwx at the burial mounds blah blah sect leader banquet blah blah

Ugh, gross, they’re letting the idiot sect leaders talk again

They’re all blah blah wwx is evil blah blah he murders ppl blah blah we hate him blah blah

SHUT UP YOU BUNCH OF WALKING HUMAN-RIGHTS-VIOLATIONS

This whole part here is so difficult to watch. They’re literally just trash-talking my PRECIOUS SUNSHINE BOY

Jc, lwj, and lxc look visibly uncomfortable with what’s going down and they kind of sort of tried to defend wwx but they didn’t present a united front or hold their ground

Instead they let yao and ouyang run their stupid mouths

Anyway

Here’s little itty bitty bits of almost wangxiantics in the middle of this mess

Jgs: yeah, jc, i know wwx is your trusted bro and all but idk if wwx actually respects your authority. Do something about it, maybe

Lwj: *subtly glares at jgs*

And then everyone joins in on dragging wwx’s name through the mud bc apparently that’s the hot new thing in the cultivator world

If you look closely while this is happening, you can see that lwj legit GRINDS HIS TEETH with how much he’s holding back. MY POOR BB HAVING TO SIT THERE AND LISTEN TO EVERYONE DISPARAGE HIS SOULMATE

Jgs: wwx totally doesn’t respect you, jc, my bro. Everyone here heard him say how much he thinks you suck or whatever

Lwj: No I didn’t.

OOOOH, LWJ IS ANGRY AS HELL

HE’S OUTRIGHT GLARING AT JGS

Jgs: what??

Lwj: i never heard wei ying say that, nor did i see him disrespect clan leader jiang

HANGUANG-JUN I LOVE YOU, LOOK AT YOU DEFENDING THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE, I’M SO PROUD OF YOU

And ugh, disgusting, jgy steps in to be all “oh, well, wwx said so many awful things that day, who can possibly remember the specifics?”

Lwj visibly swallows here, as if he’s choking back a response, and his lips are all pursed.

HE’S FURIOUS. HE’S ROILING WITH IMPOTENT ANGER, WHICH IS THE WORST KIND OF ANGER, TBH

That’s all the wangxiantics we get from that terrible awful sect leader banquet

THOSE SECT LEADERS NEED TO GET PUNCHED IN THE FACE

LIKE, A LOT

WITH A CHAIR

OR A TABLE

YOU KNOW WHAT, LET ME JUST TAKE BICHEN AND BEAT THEM ALL WITH IT

OR BETTER, YET, I’LL USE BAXIA. I WON’T EVEN CUT THEM UP. I’LL JUST BEAT THEM WITH THE BROAD PART

*ANGRY YELLING*

Oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute!

This isn’t a wangxiantic

But it is an EPIC MOMENT that should be commemorated.

Because here we get…

*drum roll*

MIANMIAN BEING A BOSS

Jz: blah blah wwx kills our people indiscriminately blah blah

Mm: not indiscriminately

Mm: indiscriminate is not accurate

And everyone around her is like, confused and offended because they’re assholes

Mm: in this specific case, if the overseers did abuse the Wen prisoners and kill wen ning, then what wwx did was not “killing indiscriminately”

Ouyang: nah, the overseers said they never abused/killed anyone

Mm: OF COURSE THEY’D FUCKING SAY THAT. THEY DON’T WANT TO FACE PUNISHMENT, YOU IDIOT

(okay, she didn’t call him an idiot outright or swear, but it was totally there in her tone of voice and also ouyang is an idiot so there)

Mm: you all think you’re so smart and voice your opinions so loudly

Mm: I SECEDE FROM THIS BULLSHIT. FUCK THE JIN CLAN AND YOUR STUPID CLAN POLITICS

And she throws down her jin robes and mARCHES RIGHT OUT OF THAT SHITHOLE WITH HER HEAD HELD HIGH

MIANMIAN PLEASE MARRY ME

Lwj watches her do that and two seconds later follows her out bC HE RECOGNIZES BADASSERY WHEN HE SEES IT (and also she defended the love of his life)

And that badass moment ends

But the banquet of idiots keeps going

The jin clan needs to learn how to shut the fuck up

God, they just go on and on and on

Why are they torturing me like this

OH WAIT, WE’RE OUTSIDE THE BANQUET HALL NOW

We see lwj and mm standing together on a terrace, talking to each other

BUT WE DON’T GET TO HEAR WHAT THEY SAY TO EACH OTHER AND THAT HAUNTS ME TO THIS DAY

WHAT DID THEY SAY

TELL MEEEEEEE

Oh, side note to let you all know this direct quote from nmj - “that girl really has a backbone.”

Okay nmj, i’m slightly less angry at you now. I won’t try to beat you with bichen or a table or a chair.

(but now i kinda wish mm would join the nie clan. I think she’d do well there and also i want to see her carry a gigantic saber)

We get some chitchat with the Official Bros™ but idc let’s move on

(tho i do appreciate the look nmj gives jgy, like, HOW DARE YOU TALK TO ME lolol)

Ooooh, now we’re getting lan fam time

ANGRY lan fam time, uh oh.

Lqr: lwj, have you regretted it? I didn’t punish you when you broke into the Forbidden Chamber bc i thought you’d self-reflect

Lqr: you shouldn’t have gone to qiongqi way and let wwx go. Should you make one mistake after another?

And lwj is kneeling in front of him this whole time with a blank face

Lqr: what’s the use of getting you to memorize the Great Big Book of Lan Fam Rules?? Tell me, what is rule 52?

Lwj: No association with evil

He answers immediately and without any inflection to his voice.

Lqr: did you forget what happened to your father???

AND WE FINALLY GET A REACTION HERE

Lwj practically gasps and lifts his gaze to meet his uncle head-on

Lwj: my mother, she…!

Lqr: hold your tongue!

And just like that, lwj shuts down again; expression flat and gaze lowered

GOD, THIS CLAN HAS HURT HIM SO MUCH THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE

I MEAN, THEY MUST’VE, FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO JUST DISCONNECT LIKE THAT

THAT IS NOT THE BEHAVIOR OF A NORMAL WELL-ADJUSTED PERSON

Basically the entire lan clan needs to go to therapy, like, STAT

Oh, i just noticed, lwj has his fists clenched at his sides. He’s clenching them hard, too. I think they’re trembling a bit, actually…

Lqr: i’ve been taking care of you since you were a kid; you’re like my son.i was strict bc i wanted you to stick to the right path and avoid your father’s tragedy

Lqr: that’s what i wanted to say to you. I hope you choose the right path. You may leave.

Lwj still bows respectfully before taking his leave

And i’m sure y’all are wondering, hey trensu, why did you make us endure that angry lan fam time that hurt us deep in our soul?? That wasn’t wangxiantic at all!

That’s where you're wrong, my friends!

It’s actually SUPER wangxiantic bc lqr kept drawing parallels to lwj’s dad the practically whole time

You know, the dad that married their mother who murdered some guy and had the whole world turn against her.

(Sound familiar?)

The same mother that dad loved with his entire being and did what he could to keep her safe from the ramifications of her actions? By marrying her? And hiding her in the cloud recesses?

YEAH, HE’S EQUATING WANGXIAN WITH LWJ’S PARENTS’ TRAGIC ROMANCE

Bc, you know, that’s a totally hetero comparison to make lol

Oh, now we get to see our favorite Disaster Het be less of a disaster

We’re not going into detail here bc we’re not here for hetero shenanigans, yuck (actually, i’m apparently weak to Pining Idiots of all kinds bc this whole jzx/jyl scene is giving me tender feelings)

BUT

I do want to add that OMG FOR REAL LWJ AND JZX HAVE SO MUCH IN COMMON WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR LOVE LIVES, IT’S FANTASTIC

I NEED 10 MILLION FICS OF THEM COMMISERATING OVER THEIR SHARED DISASTER-NESS

Also, how the HELL did jzx end up being the one who was able to express his intentions clearly? He was all “please don’t go to the burial mounds, stay here with me so i can protect you from all who would want to hurt you”

DAMN IT LWJ, IF YOU’D JUST SAY THAT TO WWX, HE’S UNDERSTAND WHAT’S GOING ON.

YOU CAN’T JUST BE ALL “COME TO GUSU” WITH NO EXPLANATION

Jzx accomplished this before you did, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED.

Huh, okay, i guess i did go into a bit of detail with that hetero nonsense. Oh well.

Now we’re at the burial mounds again with wwx

AND WE SEE A-YUAN PROPERLY FOR THE FIRST TIMEEEEE!!

ANY A-YUAN MOMENT IS BY DEFAULT A WANGXIANTIC, GUYS, TRUST ME.

AAHHHH, WE SEE A-YUAN DO THAT LEG-GRABBY THING HE DOES!!!

HE’S SO CUTE. TOO ADORABLE.

I LOVE YOU A-YUAN

Lol, wwx is all if you don’t let go i’ll plant you like a turnip

And a-yuan plops himself down in the dirt like YOUR THREATS DON’T WORK ON ME, OLD MAN, I LIKE BEING IN THE DIRT

Then he asks wwx for 3 elder brothers and 2 elder sisters, awwww. He thinks wwx can grow them in the garden (like cabbage patch kids!!!)

Plot stuff happens

Blah blah wwx and wq share moment blah blah jc shows up blah blah

Lol

Jc sees that glowing talisman door thing and is like THAT SIGN WON’T STOP ME BC I CAN’T READ

And then whips it down with zidian

Now we get some feelings-laden Yunmeng bros time

A-yuan shows up and leg-grabs jc and it’s ADORABLE

But jc yells at him bc he’s a JERK

Wwx scolds jc and then is a Dad to a-yuan: don’t put your hand in your mouth, you were just touching dirt!

Awww, we get to see jc fight back a smile at this! HE WANTS TO BE AN UNCLE, I JUST KNOW IT.

Plot plot plot stuff happens

More plot stuff happens

And the episode ends with us still in the burial mounds with the yunmeng bros

And you know what, i’m just gonna focus on our BAMF mianmian moment bc quite frankly the rest of the episode either had me in tears of anguish or spitting mad. There was no inbetween.

I’m gonna end up having blood pressure problems at this rate.

I’m too poor young to have blood pressure problems.

The Jin clan better pay for any medical bills I get because of them, I'm just saying

Return to Masterpost

#WangXiantics #wangxian #the untamed #cql

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brydeswhale · 4 years ago

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Fic Preview Time!

Bc I might as well tease you guys since I actually haven’t been writing that much lately.

1. Untamed death row exoneration fic

So, I was writing this one before the US government went on it’s little killing spree, but it started to be topical and real, so I put it on a backburner, but I'm getting back to it.

The house wasn’t huge. Wei Ying knew that, intellectually. Compared to the house he’d grown up in, it was modest. Compared to the entire lake that had been in his backyard as a kid, the small pond and five trees in the backyard were cute.

But he couldn’t help it, as soon as A-Yuan left the house, just walking from room to room to room, in and out. He tried to be careful and close the screen door, but sometimes he’d forget and one or two rabbits would hop in and surprise Lan Zhan in his office.

Lan Zhan never scolded him for it. He’d just pick the rabbit up and put it in his lap.

“You’ve got to go to therapy,” Jack came by with a bottle of wine the first day, patted A-Yuan on the head, and let his wife give Lan Zhan a salad with nuts and artichoke hearts. “I’m going to give you this right now, and that’s all the booze you get until you send me a picture of the appointment.”

“I can buy my own alcohol,” Wei Ying laughed at him.

Jack just smiled indulgently at him.

“Trust me,” he said, gently. “You want to do this. For your kid.”

So he had an appointment on Friday, and until then he was walking the house the same way he’d paced his cell.

Wen Ning was in his room, working on something A-Yuan had asked him to do. Qing-jie was working on finding whatever job a woman who was snatched from the gentle grip of a first year med school could get.

Wei Ying tried to lie down at the edge of the pond. Several goldfish swirled around, looking at him expectantly, and he waved apologetically.

“Lan Zhan told me you guys are on a diet,” he pointed out. The fish, disgruntled, fluttered their fins, and drifted away.

The sun went behind a cloud. The lilies floated in the wind.

He slept.

The sun shone off the wine bottle, still unopened, on the kitchen windowsill.

So it’s not really about the death penalty, per se, it’s more about exoneration and also humans and trauma and stuff. Really heavy and it makes me sad.

2. Unnamed Teen Wolf vampire fic

So this isn’t REALLY a Vampire The Masquerade crossover, but it kind of IS, because I played that LARP for ten years and I still don’t understand(because I’m stupid) so it incorporated a lot of their brokenness, lol. Basically, it’s Scott getting kidnapped by vampires, who then decide to keep him and won’t give him back based on him being their precious darling.

A hunter came up behind him, but Scott felt, smelled, heard him, and, with a twist, threw him into the lights. They smashed, and several of them died, much to the delight of the captive. Her grin, briefly delightful, suddenly terrifying as two delicate fangs appeared, brought a cry of terror from the hunter as she dragged him up, and Scott found himself stepping forward, hands outstretched helplessly.

“Don’t kill him!”

She paused, and her pout returned.

“But I’m hungry,” she complained. “And he’s not exactly a good guy, wolf, he steals kids.”

“Just,” Scott wanted to agree with her, wanted, suddenly, to just leave the bastard there. She was right. He was a kidnapper and probably a murderer.

(“Some of us are human!”)

“Just, please,” he begged. “Just leave him. Help me save Siobhan.”

She looked him in the eyes, hesitating, then bent her head and sank her teeth into the hunter’s neck.

Scott felt himself drop a little. That was that. He didn’t know why he’d expected to persuade her otherwise.

“Fine,” she stood up, letting the hunter fall into the broken glass of the lights, blood dripping down her face. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. You could turn a cat from a mouse with those eyes. He’ll live, he just needs some juice.”

...

Maybe it wasn’t the shadows that had taken his breath from him. She’d thought the blood was someone else’s, but she could see it seeping out from under his fingers.

“Are you okay, wolf?”

“Scott,” he reached for a shirt, and pulled it on with jerking, shaking fingers.

“My name’s Scott McCall,” he clarified for her raised eyebrows, then collapsed in a heap beside a pile of laundry.

She let a note behind. It was what you did, right?

She wrote it out on thin, lined paper, and pinned it to the fridge under a cute, pig shaped magnet. Then she picked him up, and stepped into the darkness.

...

“You’re awake!” The girl walked in carelessly. She wore draping scarves over a loose, not very long dress, and long, flashy necklaces. Her curls didn’t quite seem to match. “Took you long enough.”

“I can’t- I can’t stay here,” he was trying to get up, and he realized that someone had taken off his jeans and replaced them with loose, soft pyjamas. He was wearing a matching shirt.

“You took my pants?” He held himself up with one hand, and noted, as if from far away, that it was shaking.

“Don’t worry about your maidenly modesty,” she pulled out her phone and used the camera to reapply lipstick in a bruised purple. “Seamus wanted you to be more comfortable. That’s all.”

“I have to go,” he shook his head. “I have to- How long have I been here?”

“Almost four days now,” she said, pushing him back into bed. “Stop that. You nearly died about five times.”

“My friends,” he tried to move, but she was stronger than she looked. Her hands were cold, and she smelled strange. Dull, and still.

“I left a note,” she seemed utterly unconcerned. “I put it on your fridge. Cute magnets, by the way.”

“I’m Jewel,” she told him, clambering up to sit cross legged on the bed beside him. “Jewel Cleary.”

“Scott-“ she interrupted him carelessly.

“I know, Scott McCall, you told it to me while you were dying.”

That explained it. They didn’t know he was an alpha.

“I wasn’t dying,” he tried to explain. “I’m an alpha. I would have been fine, you didn’t have to bring me here.”

“You nearly died three times in this very bed, boyo,” a huge, decaying mountain of a man, whose bulk spoke of power beginning to fade, and who had laugh lines at every corner of his face, came in with a steaming tray. “And now you’ll stay in it and eat your dinner and rest until you look a bit less of a corpse.”

“I’m Seamus,” the man handed the food to Jewel, then helped him sit up. “Tho most call me Shea, on the belief that my true name will call all manner of calamities down upon us. You’re Scott McCall, who saved our Jewel, and it’s a pleasure, indeed it is, Mr. McCall.”

He was saved from replying by Jewel putting the tray under his nose and both of them beaming expectantly over a bowl of stew and a cup of something dark and hot.

It was… very good. And he fell asleep again as soon as he finished.

3. Another Chapter In Mysterious Fathoms Below

So this fic is actually stalled because I’m writing Uma giving a Ted Talk style speech on what it was actually like growing up in a concentration camp run by a totalitarian dictatorship and I’m stumped on it, also the mystical stuff that's coming in. But I'm back on track soon, so hopefully this will come out soon.

“Davy Jones’ Locker!”

“Don’t curse, dear,” Merryweather had scolded absently, trying to clear up supper dishes.

“Don’t-What? Merryweather, look at the bloody stars!”

Harry grabbed her arm, pushing her to look up at the sky. It was just past dusk, soft and velvety blue, with early stars cheerfully popping into place. She followed Harry’s finger.

There should have been two stars there. One was newer, and that one had taken its place, although it’s bright shimmer was somewhat reduced.

Where the other should have been, there was black emptiness. Somehow, the sky looked cold and empty without it, and its mate seemed to shiver in the blackness.

“The second star,” she whispered. “Oh, Harry, what’s going on?”

…

“I was born in a prison, and on that day, from the moment I came screaming and bloody into this world, I was sentenced to life without parole. Like everyone born on the Isle Of The Lost, all my friends and my enemies, I was born to starve, suffer, and die, for the crime of being born to the losing side.”

“My first memory is of vomit. I was sick, because the food that came to the Isle came off garbage skows. Now, I don’t mean that the ships that transported the food were garbage skows, repurposed for bringing food to our prison, I mean it was garbage. The leftovers, the trash, rags and rot. Every bite we took was Russian roulette, and that day, I guess I lost.”

She smiled, and turned slightly again. She had never managed to stay still, even when she slept, she kicked and pushed out against the world. She had crawled early and walked early, she had swum from the moment of her birth.

“I don’t mean for you to think this was some kind of unusual event. I had food poisoning several times a year. The alternative was to not eat. There were no gardens, no farms. The ground was rocky and hard, and even if we’d managed to till it, the earth was leeched of life, to keep the barrier going. It was fed from the very island.”

From something more than the island. From something that had been since long before the Beast and his doll had been even thought of, something that had reigned before princes and queens.

Ursula drank her daughter’s face in. Sweet and pretty, crowned and gowned, just as she should have been. She traced the curve of her cheek, and pretended that this was something else, something from another world, where Uma was all that she appeared, and pure, and soft.

…

They were making their way through grey fog, as fast as pixy dust could swing them. The Pan stood at the bow, staring into the mist. When Harry approached, he turned, eyes glowing with a terrible fire.

“It’s begun, impossible child,” he said, cheerfully.

Harry swore at him, savagely, and sat on the rail, listening for the sounds of planes and guns.

…

“Look how she lights up the sky,” she could hear Naveen singing, singing somewhere far away.

She stumbled out of bed. He must have been singing to Jimmy, and Jimmy was probably missing her.

But when she got to the nursery doorway, it was gone.

The air was rich and humid, sweet with flower and sour with decay. Dragonflies hummed, their jewel-like bodies gleaming in the last of the sunlight as they danced over the glimmering water. She took one step, and another, the ground not giving way, but welcoming her in, wrapping water and earth around each foot. The trees swayed overhead, moss waving in the wind.

A place of death. A place of life.

3. The next chapter in Five Wolves Sansa Never Had

So this was a fic that stemmed from my irritation that Sansa lost her puppy. This chapter is called “Ned, you fucked up big time” and its about Ned trying to replace Lady with a sickly puppy who actually IS a dire wolf. Knowing what I know about dire wolves now, this is HILARIOUS.

He almost bought a doll, but Jory had shaken his head furiously, and he’d stepped past the toy shop, to a man selling what he called “exotic beasts, fit for the King’s own menagerie”.

Of course, the quiet little pup certainly wasn’t the dire wolf the man advertised him to be, but something in his golden eyes and quiet nature had reminded him of Lady, and he’d paid far too much for the little creature.

Far, far too much, it seemed now.

Sansa hadn’t been grateful. She’d sullenly put it in her lap, and told him he couldn’t replace Lady, and needn’t have tried. Then she’d gone to her chambers, ignoring Arya, who wanted to play with the little creature.

At first he’d thought it was simply a quiet pup, like Lady had been. It had had little appetite, and messed in Sansa’s chambers, but she had been used to that from Lady’s infancy and hadn’t complained. He’d heard it when he accidentally eavesdropped on Jeyne’s complaints to another maid.

But after some days it had become clear that the little beast was dying. Food and water ran through it, ending in messes on the floor, it slept for hours, and when it woke, it cried weakly. It couldn’t walk, and Sansa would carry it out to the gardens, lay it on a blanket, and sit and embroider, only getting up to change the linens under the poor thing, or to persuade it to take a sip of water or a bite of food.

Ned tried to broach the facts of the matter with Sansa, but she had only glared stoney-faced at him, until he found himself faltering and retreating. He’d thought of sneaking in at night and smothering the creature, but it felt too much like murder, and he finally gave up, leaving the little creature alone to die in peace.

The one good thing about the matter, which was the rift between Sansa and Joffrey. The Prince found the puppy disgusting and wasn’t quiet about it, and Sansa found his rudeness distasteful, and tactfully avoided the boy. By the time he was able to put them on a ship, sickly pup and all, she was distant enough from Joffrey that her protests were only quiet, pointed remarks about how he had made her fit to be a princess, and now didn’t find the price she brought him high enough.

It reminded him, chillingly, of how Lyanna had argued with his father, and he found himself unable to embrace her when she left.

…

Stark had sent one of his daughters with a Braavosi swords master and the other with a sickly puppy, as if he thought that Stannis hadn’t enough to do, and would appreciate some further inconveniences.

The younger daughter had no idea how to behave, and put the entire castle into uproar after uproar. But if he had hoped that the eldest daughter, who had lived up to her reputation as far as being a pretty child, who curtsied precisely the right depth, would balance the little urchin by behaving and staying in her place, he was, well, mildly disappointed.

“The dog will be placed in the kennels,” he told them on the arrival.

The girl shook her head.

“No, my lord.”

He had paused, and the entire parade of noblewomen, septas and servants had stumbled in its tracks.

“No, Lady Sansa?”

She met his eyes, and he was reminded, uncomfortably, of her father.

“No, my lord,” she reiterated. “He shall not go to the kennels. He is the symbol of my house and he will remain with me.”

“It’ll probably die soon, anyhow,” the younger girl told him. “It’s been dying since father bought it, it’s an ugly little thing.”

For a moment, Lady Sansa was unable to school her expression to proper demureness, and a cold rage turned her eyes from sky on sea blue to springtime ice as she glanced at her sister. It only lasted for a heartbeat, then she was back to cold courtesy.

Stannis ignored their silent squabble, and looked more closely at the creature. It lay limply in her arms, eyes unfocused, and breaths shallow.

“At the very least,” he allowed. “We ought not to bring whatever sickness that is amongst the dogs.”

Later, he found the girl seated by her hearth, trying to feed the little creature a soup of broth and bones, while her ancient septa slept in the window seat. The pup ate but little, and the girl rubbed a hand over her eyes before she saw him and stood to curtsey again.

“Forgive me, my lord, I did not see you.”

“I brought this,” he held up a small pot. “I purchased it for a sick hound, once, and it brought the creature strength enough to heal.”

She thanked him very prettily, and he mixed a spoonful with the broth she was trying to feed the pup, showing her the portions carefully and appreciating her careful attention. Between them, they got the poor thing to finish the broth and eat a little meat, before it fell asleep in a rabbit fur lined basket.

“Thank you, my lord.”

He took a closer look at the child. He’d never thought much about the girl who would marry his goodsister’s bastard, but he could see now that she had bright, intelligent eyes, despite her clear exhaustion, and that she carried herself very well.

“It must have been a shock,” he said, abrupt in his discomfort. “When your father told you why he had to break your betrothal.”

She hesitated.

“My father,” her voice was very soft, and uncertain. “My father has not-“

He stared at her, irritable and disbelieving.

“Did your father not tell you why you were being sent here?”

He knew he sounded skeptical, but the idea that Eddard Stark would not have told his eldest child why her very excellent marriage pact was being broken seemed truly ludicrous. Stark wasn’t stupid, and he was a man of honour. It would only serve him well to keep his eldest daughter in his confidence.

The girl blushed in embarrassment.

“He-He told Arya,” she said, slowly. “That is, I believe he told her. She hasn’t said anything. To me. But he speaks to her. He likes her.”

Stannis frowned.

There had been another father, once upon a time, that father had made sure there was a space in his mews for a crippled bird, and as much fresh and good food for her as any flighted creature, all because his son had hoped she might fly again. Even if that son was not as handsome, or charming, or bright as his brother.

“Your father has been foolish,” he told her, coldly. He had not the talent to speak to children, but she seemed to understand that he meant no harm to her. “He may as well have sent you riding an aurochs blindfolded.”

“No matter,” he continued, and sat down in a chair by the hearth, motioning her to the opposite seat. “Listen to me. It’s a very long story.”

…

“…His Grace, the King, has explained all to me, my Lord Father.

I am very glad to hear that you have escaped your confinement. Perhaps we shall see each other again soon.

Your Obedient Daughter,

Sansa Stark, lately of Dragonstone”

There was something cold about the letter, Ned thought, running a hand through his hair, for all that it was prettily written, with no ink blotches or crossed words, but he couldn’t quite tell what made him think so. He set it aside, with a group of others he planned to answer later, including word from White Harbour and the Wall.

Stannis had overstepped, he thought. Sansa was too young to know the truth of her betrothal, that her former betrothed was a bastard born of incest, that Jon Arryn had been murdered. But Stannis had never been known for tact.

His son had become a king. The Riverlands and the North called him so. So did some among the Vale. Word had come to the Stormlands, just as he managed to convince Renly to wait for the proper order of succession.

He put it aside for now. Robb was a boy, he could be persuaded to see sense.

“Sansa has chainjed her hair again. She just brayds it and pins it back under a hood like the new Queen does except she hardly spends any time with the queen. She and Stannis are always together with the Prinsess. All they do is play kivuss, and talk over maps and books.

“I found a secret passij in the cellar of the kassle. It goes to the dungeon.

“Are you alright, Father? I herd one of the men say you lost your leg. I miss you very much.”

He smiled fondly over the mis-spelled words, imagining Arya roaming a new castle, learning all the new haunts and secrets.

“My Dearest Arya,

“I have not lost my leg, but it was very badly infected. I hope you are well, and you are behaving for your hosts…”

…

The black wolf didn’t die, to everyone’s surprise. To their further astonishment, he thrived, with an ever-growing appetite and a newfound strength to match. He began to grow, and developed a certain cool dignity, to match his mistress’ adolescent gentility. She named him “Prince” and embroidered a collar in silver-grey thread and white shell beads.

Stannis wasn’t, precisely, surprised to find that the elder of his new wards was quick and clever, or that she knew already the names and banners of nearly every house in the Seven Kingdoms, and the relevant histories of said houses. His wife was pleased with her sewing and manners, and engaged a musician to teach her and Shireen the high harp and the lute. The girl’s septa kindly took Shireen under her wing, along with the younger Stark girl(when she wasn’t playing at swords with her water dancing master or dragging Shireen and Patchface into trouble) and their maid. She couldn’t really do much more than teach them etiquette and sewing, but she meant well, and she was too old to do anything else, so Stannis allowed it.

Sansa and Melisandre had begun a polite war. Word had been that the girl prayed as much in the sept as her father’s godswood, but she was little interested in opening her faiths any further, and clearly disliked the Red God’s followers for their fanatic disavowal of the older faiths. The small folk had been afraid that she was a witch, with her black wolf as a familiar, but when she proved kind and generous, they apparently decided that she was a good lady, whose wolf was a sign of favour by either the old gods, or the new.

#disney descendants fic #disney descendants #teen wolf #teen wolf fic #a game of thrones #a game of thrones fic #asoiaf #asoiaf fic

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slashtakemylife · 5 years ago

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Wangxian Arrangied marriage + Bodyguard AU prompt

You’ll find many similarities between the previous generation and mdzs’ main generation but is because of reasons

The 5 great sects joined to defeat Xue Chongai(?) with the help of rogue cultivator Baoshan Sanren, once he was defeated BS and her cultivation partner Lan Yi were able to secure the Yin Iron, however BS had no intentions of staying in the earthly realm and LY was going back up into her mountain with her, thus at the end of the war it was given the task to protect the Yin Iron to their adopted daughter, Cangse Sanren, she had fallen in love with a servant from the Jiang clan and was not planning to go back to the mountian with her mothers, thus they created their own sect.

(LONG A/N: The sect will be named the Wei sect because the author [me] of this has doubts, preferebly it would be her sect but if it’s hers then it would be the Cangse Sect, right? But... she is Sanren just like Baoshan Sanren, is it a title? Is it her name? Cangse is her last name right? She just shares the Sanren with her teacher but then is it a title? Idk someone please figure it out also how does Cangse Wuxian sounds? I’m loving it but I’m more used to Wei Wuxian and since I’m making this because I don’t plan to fully out it into a fic then take whatever path you like to imagine but for better understanding we’ll keep it as Wei)

A few years pass and Wei Wuxian, their son, heir and chief disciple has taken his task of protecting the Yin Iron so dutifully in fact he has begun studying resentful energy (RE for short from now on) and has now even succeding in controlling it to some extend, for this RE is not inherently bad, so wwx is in no danger of spiraling into mental collapse but it is naturally very powerful so wwx needs to learn to control it and not exceed his abilities otherwise it can blow up on his face, (and he has accidentaly blown up some stuff).

One day, when wwx is finally in marriagable age, they receive a letter from the Wen sect with a marriage proposal. The Wen leader that fought alongside the rest of the clans died a few years later after the war so for the last years it has been ruled by his son Wen Ruohan and he is offering his son Wen Chao to marry wwx, wwx’s parents are a bit weary because under WR’s rule the Wen sect has become a bit more hostile and he has several times in the cultivation conferences shown his interest in the Yin Iron, now it seems he wants an in into the sect through marriage, (since the Wei sect kept the Yin Iron then the Wen sect is not as powerful).

They send back a message saying they have already booked an arranged marriage for his son. Having said this it is also near the time wwx is sent to Cloud Recess to study, a few weeks into the schooling, CS and WeiC go over to CR to talk to Lan Qiren, they explain the situation and mention him that shortly before wwx came to class, back at their home while night hunting they detected an intruder that was there to kidnap wwx, luckily they caught him even before wwx was able to see him, CS and WeiC then have decided to ask for help from the Lan clan.

The Lan’s are well known for their self restrain and cleansing techniques, so in order to keep the Wen’s plan away and also as a way for wwx to be able to control RE better thanks to the Lan’s ways, they want to engage wwx to Lan Wangji since he is closer of age and since wwx is the sole heir to the Wei sect, that would mean lwj would have to move to the Wei sect.

(wherever that is, um Yiling? yeah I’ll say Yiling because why tf not? No Burial Mounds tho, because I say so)

Also a a second task, they want someone strong enough to protect wwx if the Wens ever try to do something again, one of CS’s request is that this not be told to wwx, she spoils him too much and doesn’t want him to feel worried that he is being targetted so for wwx this should just be a marriage agreement, lwj on the other hand will know why and his duty to protect wwx.

LQ isn’t exactly happy to give away his precious nephew over to them, over to Wei Wuxian however for some reason his nephew Lan Xichen is ecstatic and smiling more than usual, they had suggested a rather slow time for planning all of this but LX was the one who proposed that once the classes were over they would send lwj back to them to start his bodyguard duties at once while the actual wedding could take it’s due time.

Telling wwx he has an arranged marriage was probably the hardest thing for Cangse Sanren, she never wanted to tie her son down, she always wanted him to find true love the way she did but she kept repeating herself is for wwx’s safety however she was heavily surprised that wwx accepted it with a smile, the boy just says he is happy he’ll be able to tease lwj for life and that he will have a spouse that matches his abilities. At this point both parents realize that their son can be amazingly smart but also amazingly dumb and oblivious so they are even happier at the match.

lwj on the other hand doesn’t know how to think, on one hand wwx is wwx and he is insufferable but on the other...

No, he stops thinking about his feelings, this is a duty assinged to him for the greater good of not just the Wei and Lan sects but also for the cultivation world in general, his duty only is to protect wwx, nothing else. LQ gets more disturbed with how much bigger LX’s smile has become.

Unfortunately for lwj (or is it?) wwx’s teasing goes double after they know they are engaged, in fact everyone knows they are engaged because wwx Can’t Shut Up, he also has taken more liberties and is now touching lwj, even pouncing on him everytime he sees him, making LQ being this close to a qi deviation and a bigger smile from LX. Classes end and just as promised lwj goes to the Wei sect.

As expected the Wens aren’t very happy about it, however CS says she will always look for his son’s happiness over political alliance, it also helps it is now very well known how wwx is basically plastered all over lwj and back in his home he drags lwj everywhere, so while the dumb boys still haven’t figure out their feelings, it is obvous enough to keep the Wen’s paws away from wwx. (Also the people at Yiling are now even TIRED because wwx can’t shut up and everyday they hear “Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan!” non-stop, whenever any of his parent’s go to take wwx back into their home is a blessing to their ears)

Of course it doesn’t take long for lwj to stop seeing his engagement as a sect duty, after slowly but surely falling deeply in love with wwx, this is personal now, he won’t let a single bad thing touch even a hair on wwx, he even makes sure to distract wwx and then go beat up any kidnapper in complete stealth. This also includes furthering his own cultivation, since wwx is still carefully experimenting and learning about RE then is up to lwj to make sure wwx stays safe and he’s usually playing his guqin whenever wwx is doing his experiments and soon even he is closely involved.

The Wens know is a lost battle so they just don’t bother anymore, also an inner revolt means a new sect leader arises and with him his two children, Wen Qing and Wen Ning that become good friends with wwx.

It doesn’t take long for Wangxian to be officially married and if wwx figured out he likes lwj and that lwj likes him back the day before his wedding then it’s no longer his parents’ problem but lwj once they are married.

#wangxian #wangxian prompt #wwx you idiot #wwx im sure you both kissed while enganged and you were still thinking lwj did it out of being bros #lwj not knowing if to scream or kiss his oblivious fiancé about to be husband #everyone thought wwx had figured it out after a month of lwj staying in Yiling #He made you a song wwx #bros don't do that trust me #wwx on google: what does it mean when your bro that you happen to be engaged with constantly kisses you?#wwx on google: What does the Lan sect ribbon mean and why does my bro/fiancé keeps wrapping it around my wrist all the time?#lwj on a support club: I thought he knew about my feelings but turns out he thought I was being 'a good bro'

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dangermousie · 5 years ago

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So, I have no will power so I went trolling for spoilers for end of s2 of Ever Night and it might end on a cliffhanger?

/rolling eyes so hard they fall out.

Season 1 made it into my top 3 cdramas of all time and if it didn’t end on a cliffhanger that wasn’t even in the novel, I probably would have called it a day and didn’t watch season 2 with all the behind and in front of camera changes in it since I would have preferred to leave something I found close to perfect for me as it was (so I guess they knew what they were doing in giving a cliffhanger then, I suppose. They are not getting me a second time though.)

I am 34 eps into 43 ep second season and frankly, my wish for them to have just ended with s1 and Xia Hou defeat by the OTP and no cliffhanger of Sang Sang lying there unconscious and Ning Que screaming but instead both of them staggering home to sleep for days like in the novel, is now cemented.

Season 2 is a hot mess. It’s a hot mess in narrative and pacing and making the world feel real and lived in - the reason s1 worked so well for me was because despite the high wuxia trappings and the fantasy setting, that felt like a gritty real world with all its edges and complexities and the characters felt like real people you could root for or hate. S2 - the pace makes no sense, a lot of important battles that result in character deaths (Ma’s, the Emperor’s etc) are entirely off screen, and the world feels like a set: the sequence where NQ defends Chang’an in ep 34 - until the scene where citizens supposedly show up, all thirty of them - everything is entirely empty and unlived in to the extent I started to wonder if the city was evacuated entirely and the battle then looks pointless. Is Ning Que dying to defend a bunch of empty buildings? A few stragglers trying to hide, freaked out emperor in the palace, someone peeping etc would have made such a difference!

Certain sequences repeat ad nauseam - Long Qing riding around, the carriage in the desert, disciples holding up that plate for eps. Which would be fine if the rest of the drama had a glacial pace but it skips over important human interactions and crucial plot sequences like they don’t matter. And the fights they do have? Remember the amazing fight sequence in eps 6/7 of EN1? It made me feel as if I was watching a particularly amazing anime. The fight sequences here are...not exciting.

Honestly, the sole thing that works this season, and works wonderfully is Ning Que x Sang Sang love story. But that is not enough to hold up a drama especially since they have separated them since ep 19.

And now they want season 3? WTF! Are they even going to get it - I don’t think it’s anywhere near as popular as first season was and its Douban ratings are also not awesome. They could have just done a better job on the pacing and fit the rest into season 2, especially since they deviated from the book anyway.

But also, I’ve basically lost trust in the makers making anything i will enjoy for the whole season, especially since they might do the insane route of swapping out Song Yiren, the actress for Sang Sang, with whoever plays immortal Haotian which would be - goodbye any last vestige of interest in this drama.

Anyway, I will obviously finish this season, if for no other reason than the gloriously fucked up sequences eps 40+ promise me on the shipper front but I will neither hold my breath for s3 nor, frankly, watch it if comes out. I don’t trust the writer to adapt it well and, even though I enjoy Dylan in the role a lot because disliking him is like kicking a puppy and destroying rainbows, he’s not book Ning Que at all and as an extension of that I can’t see him acting the messed up relationship and darkness stuff out either (they can take it out I guess tho then what - just more battles?) Though hell, who knows, in the unlikely event they get s3, why not get an entirely new actor for that season to continue the insanity? (Please don’t.)

I think once s2 ends, I will just continue with the novel, which I adore (and the vibe of which s1 got perfectly imo) and call it a day. Yes, I am spoiled for all the stuff other people didn’t like about last parts in the novel, I actually find it cool so mmv.

It’s funny - we will never know if Chen Feiyu left because he wanted to or because the studio wanted him to, but I am beginning to think the boy dodged a bullet, honest. (I have no idea how he would have been with the messed up stuff later on in the book, but for things that happened in s1, he had the perfect Ning Que vibe regardless of being a newbie. I am reading a novel and he was so book Ning Que.)

Anyway, if it ends on a cliffhanger - boooo. Just shortcut the rest of the plot, give them a fat baby, lots of cash and the calligraphy shop and call it a day.

#ever night 2 #cdrama #kind of ranty

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mdzs-tgcf-svsss-fanblog · 6 years ago

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Thoughts I'm having after watching the second MDZS season 2 PV: A-Yuan is as adorable as I imagined and I am looking forward to see him more in it ahhhh. The lil arm wavies he did and how happy he looked, along with how they made sure to make his bangs lie the same way even if he had his hair pulled back into a bun instead. And the brief glimpse of SiZhui was nice, even if the blue glow around him is kinda puzzling? I wonder if that's during the Yi City arc or if it's the seal in the cave in the Burial Mounds being activated or something else.

And the glimpse of small Jin Ling was cute, even if it's puzzling. I can see it possibly being Wei WuXian having a fantasy of spending time with his nephew (like him imagining it while talking to Wen Ning or something) but there's the calligraphy that he was writing. Hopefully someone'll be able to tell what was being written on the scroll to give a hint to it? (And the giant ink portrait of Jin ZiXuan and Jiang YanLi was so amazing, too!) And the brief clip of him falling out of the wall of the Nie saber hall after he's freed with Bichen was well-done.

The glimpse of XXC was nice, even if I didn't realize it was him originally/I hadn't looked closely enough to realize who he was. Definitely showing Yi City'll be in it to some capacity. The scene of Wen Qing was probably either when she first sees Wen Ning has died or when Wen Ning "awakens", like with the scene of him raising his head in it.

Jin ZiXuan's clips tho. Poor dude, all he wanted was to raise his son, love his wife, and to try and build a bridge with WWX. The surroundings were interesting too, as it didn't look like a hill/mountain path kinda? And his last thought being of his wife to boot ahhhhhh...

And LWJ's clips showing him fighting were nice/well-done too. And all of the clips of WWX using resentful energy/doing stuff with it.

Would've been nice to have gotten a bit of JingYi in it, but all in all the PV2 is exciting to see. (IF PAINFUL...)

#mdzs #mdzs season 2 pv2 thoughts #musings

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zhouszishu · 6 years ago

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Did you see the official news about Didi being ning que in season 2???

i know i said i wasn’t planning on watching s2 but if they follow the book plot as closely as they did with s1, then sang sang is going to get soooooo much more screen time and development and let’s be real I’M ONLY HERE FOR SANG SANG so i’m probably going to check out s2 lol.

i do have some qualms tho about the writing since i felt like the second half of the drama was not as strong as the first half, especially after ning que left for the wilderness. also i’m very salty about how downplayed sang sang’s role was in the second half of the drama because they should have started showing how smart she truly was and her coming more into her powers. there were very little scenes of that, particularly with sang sang playing chess WHICH IS GONNA BE SO IMPORTANT LATER ON UGH so really, i don’t know how much i trust the writing in regards to sang sang because i felt like they missed the point of her character greatly but who knows, maybe they’ll surprise me.

AND AT THE MOMENT I’M STILL VERY HEARTBROKEN OVER CHEN FEIYU LEAVING SO I CAN’T ACCEPT DYLAN WANG AS THE NEW NING QUE YET SO I NEED A LOT OF TIME. realistically speaking tho, by the time s2 does come out, probably next year??? i think i’ll have had enough distance from the first season to be able to watch a new actor as ning que but honestly chen feiyu is always gonna be my ning que and who i imagine in my head when i read the novel.

i will say tho that dylan wang doesn’t look bad in the poster they released but it does feel weird and jarring for me to see someone else with the ning que hair and costume especially because i still have two more episodes to watch before i’m actually completely done with the first season.

sorry this answer got so long but clearly, i have a lot of feelings about ‘ever night’ lol

#ever night #muzmuzme #vivs answers

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sweet-potatoq · 4 years ago

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OOOO hi babes thank you for the tag 🥺💖💖dude i have so many wips hold on let me show you all of them KAKAKKA

this one is from my trans! sizhui one shot, its currently around 3k and nowhere NEAR finished,, its also a zhuiyi fic because im a slut for zhuiyi,,, its an excerpt from the first out of six and a half parts LMAO i dont know if i should keep it to myself or release it into the world tho 🤔

After getting embarrassed for the privilege of being Hanguang-jun's son, Sizhui moved to the disciple's dorms with Jingyi and started binding his chest on his own, careful that his best friend wouldn't find out. He stayed up a little later so that Jingyi was asleep when he let his chest breathe, and woke up earlier so he could wrap it once again.

this one is another zhuiyi fic!!! its a second installment of my first zhuiyi fic which you can read here, its short and is actually the only thing i wrote for this part LOLOL

It’s been a week since Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui kissed that afternoon at the Back Mountain. Jingyi tried to forget about it to his best efforts, yet every time he saw Sizhui’s soft, smiling face, he couldn’t help but look down on his plump, pink lips.

xicheng smekc times, thats all. periodt. im still building up the courage to finish this one HAHAHA

the first time lan xichen became intimate with his lover, wanyin, he couldn't fit inside. no matter how long the prep was, the head of his dick wouldn't push pass through the tight muscle of wanyin's rim.

this is also smekc times but sarawatine and its been in my wips for the whole YEAR skskks im sorry im also building up courage for this fic LOL

"baby," sarawat called out, his hooded eyes staring down at the flushed man beneath him. he ran his hand down tine's thigh, letting it slip underneath the shorts and softly caressing the skin there. tine shuddered at the feeling, his eyes closing slightly and a light breath passing through his plump lips. "what's this, hm?" sarawat abruptly pulled his hand out of tine' s shorts just to snap its waist band against tine's pale hip.

this one is from the third chapter of my "tine has dementia" au, you can read it here, and hMMMM i dont actually know if i should finish this story but there are four chapters more so maybe i should look into it again 🤔🤔

Green, Tine, and Pear hung out during club hours and talked about anything and everything. Tine didn't actually contribute much to the conversation, looking as blank as a new sheet of paper. It made his two friends worry, but after being warned by Fong and the others, they knew they should just be there once he snapped out of it.

THIS ONE!!!!! OMG I FORGOT ABT THIS ONE!!!!!! this is my little "adventures of ning ning the cactus" story where it features the cactus ram gave king in this little fic i wrote way back HAHAA

They were only a little cactus, born from their mother plant and were cut off to grow independent at a young age. They were told that they would be given away to a person who loves them and were told that they would be taken care of for their whole lives. So when a pale young man came to get them, they were ecstatic. They were over the moon with happiness

ok i THINK thats all from my wip folder HAHAH i want to finish all of them omygosh but i wont for now bc im kinda stressed irl rn LOL

anYWAYS i.. i wont tag anybody EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THIS IS A TAG GAME, i want people to chose to do this game so if yall are interested, go ahead!!!

Heads Up Seven Up Challenge

Hey y'all! I’m starting a new WIP challenge that I’m sure has probably been done before, but I don’t care. I’m calling it Heads Up Seven Up, as you can see. So, if you are tagged in this post you have to post the last seven sentences of the last WIP you’ve worked on and tag seven more people to keep the challenge going!

I’ll start:

“I don’t need you worrying about me!” Derek finishes.

“I CAN’T HELP IT!” Dani yells, pointing to herself as she approaches the island table. “You know why? Because I FUCKING CARE!”

Derek closes his eyes, pressing his lips into a thin line as he firmly grips the countertop of the island.

“I CARE ABOUT YOU AND WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU!” Dani continues. “YOU SAVED MY BROTHERS LIFE AND PROTECT HIM EVERY SINGLE DAY- YOU MATTER TO ME!” Dani yells, her voice full of emotion as she hits the wooden surface of the island.

Ta-daaaah! Okay, now for the magnificent seven to start the chain.

@gollyderek @angelinathebook @forever-rogue @delos-destinations @banditthewriter @padfootagain @ificouldhelpyouforget

Heads down, thumbs up, let’s go!

#love this #KAKAKDKD #I HAVE SO MANY #LOL #OTL #im crying #Sjdkrk #tag game

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