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#boy story xin long
pichirobi · 2 months
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fire, air, water, earth.
prince xie lian is one of the most promising up-and-coming avatars the world has yet to see. that is, until disaster strikes his home earth kingdom of xianle. when his people die out at the hands of a plague spirit, bai wuxiang, the nations blame the avatar. with his reputation destroyed, xie lian joins the air nomads for 20 years and travels the world as a scrap-collector. although he has lost the respect of the people he is destined to protect, the spirit world is thrown into chaos without his guidance. xie lian works thanklessly to maintain global balance all on his own. but unbeknownst to him, there's one person, upon the throne of the fire nation, who still believes in the avatar.
welcome to my tgcf x atla au!
click here to follow this tag for updates. read more below for my story notes.
STORY
xie lian is born to the king and queen of an earth kingdom city-state, xianle, and is quickly discovered to be the avatar. a wildly talented one, at that. he learns firebending second, and waterbending third. still young and pampered, xie lian struggles with the humility associated with airbending principles.
at just the age of 17 he begins to travel the world to master the four elements and [katara narrator voice] to restore peace and balance in the world. he acquires a servant (firebender mu qing) and a bodyguard (earthbender & childhood best friend feng xin). it's during this time that he tours the fire nation, meeting with political figures and impoverished citizens alike, gaining a positive reputation for his determination and skills. to celebrate the summer solstice, xie lian is the face of a festival in which he proves his elegance, combative strength, and firebending prowess. during the ceremony, he controversially interrupts it to save the life of a 10-year-old urchin boy.
the lines between the spirit and mortal worlds bleed together during solstices. it's xie lian's festival which attracts a particularly violent spirit to emerge into the mortal world: bai wuxiang. the white-clothed calamity.
xie lian's life is filled with promise until he turns 22. he catches word of a disaster taking place in his home kingdom. he puts a pause on his tour of the nations to return to xianle. there, he finds that a strange and highly contagious disease has begun plaguing his people. its symptoms are unnatural; the work of an angry spirit. xie lian works himself to the bone trying to save his common people. he fails.
when xianle falls to plague, to chaos, to fear, its people blame the avatar. he is dubbed the avatar of misfortune. a failure. xie lian's reputation crumbles to dust and he is helpless to restore his people's faith in him. when the rest of the world learns of how xianle came to ruin, the avatar becomes not a figure of peace to be revered, but a bad omen.
having lost his two companions, his parents, his kingdom, and the global adoration he's come to rely on for his self-worth, xie lian runs away. he disowns his past identity and seeks to start a new life. he finds himself in the northern air temples, where the air nomads pay him no mind, although xie lian is a bit of an oddball. (xie lian might look rougher and jaded but they certainly recognize the avatar. they pretend to not know him—the nomads keep to themselves and as long as xie lian doesn't cause trouble, he is welcome.) he eventually befriends a monk named shi qingxuan.
xie lian seeks enlightenment. he incorporates himself into the monks' way of life, releasing all ties to material possessions and worldly indulgences. he abstains from sex, alcohol, anger, and, hardest of all, grief. he goes on to live 20 years as a scrap collector, practicing what he was taught by his teacher and guide, monk wu yong. xie lian knows it's time to leave the temples when he finally masters airbending.
humbled, xie lian rekindles his fighting spirit. the common people loathe the avatar, but he forgives them. he will save them.
as xie lian wanders the nations, he learns that during his darkest years, literature, art, and scholarly works of the avatar have been destroyed. most people don't even remember what he looks like and much less have the means to learn anything about him. (hua cheng carving xl's face into the side of a mountain: HOLD MY BEER)
meanwhile, there is a fire nation urchin boy who has grown into someone powerful enough to be feared. through his unmatched wit and charisma, he has worked his way up the capital's political hierarchy. a city governor who calls himself hua cheng, is the first aristocrat to challenge the firelord to an agni kai. he is also the first to win. he delegitimizes the royal bloodline and single-handedly reshapes a generation's idea of a competent ruler. bonus points for the previous firelord being xie lian's indecent cousin, qi rong.
now 35 years old, the new firelord, terrifying yet respected by all, leads his people to prosperity and vanquishes every enemy. peculiarly, he seems somewhat uninterested in his position of power. instead, he enjoys turning his attention towards erecting a shrine, a palace, in honor of avatar xie lian.
HUALIAN'S BACKSTORY
the avatar preceding xie lian, jun wu, oversaw great conflicts between the four nations. it is during one of these wars that a seemingly insignificant teenager dies. his soul drifts aimlessly in the spirit world, vulnerable, alone. he encounters the trickster spirit koh who steals his face. time is hard to account for in this realm, and the once-a-teenager forgets his past life, his own identity, simply choosing to refer to himself as wu ming: nameless. many years later, the avatar cycle begins anew with the birth of xie lian.
at 7 years old, prince xie lian and his best friend feng xin are outdoors playing with swords. feng xin takes a break, as he is called inside by the king of xianle, leaving xie lian outside and unsupervised. (feng xin will shortly be told that xie lian is not only his friend, but now his responsibility.) meanwhile, xie lian is left without a sparring partner. until a ghostly silver butterfly flits in front of him. it playfully weaves around the flourishes of the blade. xie lian chases it, away from the palace grounds, across the fields and into the brush, where he falls head-first through a burrow. when he stands up, his sword has disappeared, but not the butterfly. it pulls his attention upward, where he takes in his surroundings: the spirit world.
xie lian continues to play and greet spirits, who are all pleased to meet the new avatar, eventually finding a sad, dissipating ghost fire. the ghost introduces itself as wu ming. xie lian works very hard to cheer it up, promising they'll be friends in this lifetime and the next. wu ming brightens and confesses that koh has stolen its face. xie lian fails to tolerate this news: if he's to be the avatar, he must protect the innocent and slay monsters. with wu ming's warnings, he marches to koh's den to demand his friend's face back.
xie lian succeeds. wu ming doesn't remember much these days, but he's sure that no one has ever showed him such incredible kindness. when wu ming expresses his desire to disappear, xie lian gives him a mantra: "live for me."
xie lian has to leave, to return to a very worried feng xin (who is scared he's already failed his new bodyguard job on day one), but wu ming is invigorated with life like never before. his soul persists, stubbornly, for the avatar. he is reborn back into the mortal world as a fire nation boy. although, the encounter with koh would leave a mark on his body: the sclera of his right eye would be an unsettling blood red. the people of his village would know him as hong hong-er.
elsewhere in the spirit world, the ghost of avatar jun wu senses young xie lian's presence. he also senses the persistence of the ghost fire—a soul reborn. could he, too, return to the mortal world? jun wu entertains a simple but horrifying thought: by swapping places with xie lian, could he achieve immortality as the world's last avatar? thus, jun wu hatches a plan. he strikes a deal with bai wuxiang, the white-clothed calamity, a malevolent plague spirit. bai wuxiang would possess the body of jun wu to eliminate the new avatar. to kill xie lian, and to be reborn.
the plan doesn't go—well, according to plan. the people of xianle are wiped out before he can get his hands on xie lian, and the destruction of a people leaves behind a universal distrust of the avatar. jun wu realizes he would be unable to seize power in such an environment. his new strategy must involve controlling young xie lian, manipulating him into a puppet. it takes a while to pin him down, but jun wu eventually finds him settled in the northern air temple, at his most emotionally vulnerable. jun wu will impersonate a monk teacher, changing his name to wu yong. he will bide his time and play his cards until the world is ready for his return.
EXTRAS
hualian are middle-aged men in this au because it makes sense timeline-wise, but also because sexy silver fox xie lian is what i see every time i close my eyes.
narratively, i'm torn between hua cheng loving the avatar, or hua cheng loving xie lian. thinking about this timeless lovestory, "you, not the state of you," i can see it both ways. hua cheng might love the avatar, xie lian and all of his reincarnations regardless of their body. or, he might love xie lian, regardless of the "avatar" title. ("avatar" may also be this world's equivalent to hua cheng respectfully calling xie lian "dianxia".)
firelord hua cheng presents himself at what he believes is his ugliest, most intimidating form: exposing his burned right eye. as san lang, however, he is at first ashamed to reveal such a vulnerable part of him in front of his love; he covers it with an eyepatch. (the people of the fire nation are like: "a platypus?" [san lang takes off his eyepatch] "PERRY THE PLATYPUS?!?!")
hua cheng teaches xie lian how to bend lightning. they easily trade bolts back and forth to each other in a cute and intimate way. feng xin and mu qing are horrified when they first see this in action.
hualian's first kiss happens when they're battling a sea monster underwater and xie lian loses his concentration enough to accidentally pop hua cheng's air bubble. a little mouth-to-mouth resuscitation will do the trick until they can float back up to the surface.
ruoye = xl's spiritual serpent guide (kind of like roku's dragon)
e'ming = hc's super clingy fire ferret
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tciddaemina · 2 months
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so i had a dream last night about a svsss bingqiu dating sim story set post-epilogue where Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe hadnt gotten together. idk how that would even be set up but like maybe they stopped Maigu ridge but didnt bone but its still revealed Binghe is into Shen Qingqiu, and now its in the peace afterwards where things have more or less gone back together and Shen Qingqiu has finished his sexuality crisis and decided he absolutely needs Binghe to rail him
and so its this situation of Shen Qingqiu in a dating sim, but his only romance route is Binghe and hes just trying to select the correct dialogue route to getting rawed over the nearest desk except he has no romantic experience except reading godawful stuff like PIDW and so he keeps fucking it up by saying the most unhinged shit, and it keeps making Binghe blush and run away or misunderstand him because hes so used to Shen Qingqiu being dense and misunderstanding all flirting that now that Shen Qingqiu is explicitly and deliberately trying to flirt with him he keeps explaining it away
and so Shen Qingqiu is like tearing out his hair and choosing increasingly more unhinged dialogue options and dressing in increasingly raunchy clothes to try and get Binghe to do something and its just like. 10000% pure crack
And its like
-
Shen Qingqiu sitting across from Binghe, the two them drinking wine together after dinner. The hour is late, the day stretching long and the two of them enjoying their rest after a day of endless meetings. The breeze is sweet with the scent of golden night jasmine, the candle light is dim and intimate.
Shen Qingqiu bites his tongue, an impatient itch running up his spine. It's a fine evening, but he can't enjoy it - all day it's felt like his nerves have been ground down to a find powder. All week, his nerves have been ground down. He just about tastes his impatience now, so thick its grown, its given a physical taste in his mouth.
He glances at the dialogue boxes hovering before him resentfully.
1. BOLD. "This master is tired of waiting. He has wanted Binghe too long." [Lean over and kiss him.]
2. EXTRA BOLD. [Let your actions speak for you! Start removing clothing and reach for him! Get it started!]
3. SUGGESTIVE. "Binghe has been a good boy. Why not allow this master to show his favor?" [Glance demurely at Binghe's crotch.]
4. SLY. "How have Binghe's energy levels been? Is he he still feeling unbalanced from Xin Mo? Perhaps this master can help..." [Offer dual cultivation.]
5. COP OUT. The weather is fine today, is it not?
And Binghe sits up, eyes softening, touched by Shen Qingqiu's concern. A soft ping rings out, an alert appearing in the corner of Shen Qingqiu's vision [+15 affection points]. Still, he appears a bit abashed, ducking his head.
"Ah, shizun need not worry. Mu-shishu has been taking care of this disciple - this disciple has been meditating each morning in the spiritual caves," Luo Binghe says, hurrying to reassure Shen Qingqiu and completely missing the point. "Shizun shouldn't concern himself - he has his own energies to worry about. Has Without A Cure been acting up again?"
Fuck Without A Cure!! Shen Qingqiu almost screams. This isn't about that! Tens of millions of words of Binghe fighting and fucking his way through the plot of PIDW, suave as anything, and yet here he can't see a flag being waved in front of his face! What next? Will Shen Qingqiu get out a flag and wave it, shouting Please fuck me??!!!
Binghe! Please be more conscientious of your poor master and think with your dick a little more!! Where is that insatiable lady-killer when you need him??? Shen Qingqiu is so frustrated he feels like he might spit blood! Please do something about it Binghe!!
Shen Qingqiu just smiles and inclines his head. "It has been manageable," he says, and tries a little harder, attempting to redirect the conversation. "Though... with our energies in such a state, perhaps we might find a way to help one another..." He looks at Binghe shyly over the top of his fan, lashes lowered. He bites his lip, a small thrill of shy anticipation running through him.
Binghe brightens, eyes clearing. He straightens. "Of course!" he says eagerly. "This disciple would be honored in taking over for Luo Qingge in balancing shizun's meridians each week! This disciple will ask Mu-shishu for a lesson on the proper way to circulate energies through the meridians of the wrist!"
So dense!! Shen Qingqiu's jaw twitches, and he almost throws his fan down onto the table. He smooths out his expression immediately, mask serene and implacable. "Ah," he says delicately, because fuck it, maybe he needs to be more explicit. "This master was perhaps thinking another way..."
And Binghe nods, realization washing over his face. "Of course," he says. "If human solutions are not working, but perhaps a demonic method-"
Yes! Like the divine pillar! Please fuck this master! Binghe is finally catching on!!!
"- the demon realm probably has entirely different healing practices and methods! Why have we never thought to look before? Maybe they will have something. Shizun, I will go immediately-"
"That wasn't quite what I-"
"Shizun is so wise! Wait for me shizun! I'll be back before you know it!"
-
Whoops there's a part 2.
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mxtxfanatic · 7 months
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So @fireandgrimstone and I once had a discussion about how mxtx handles Xie Lian’s crossdressing in tgcf, the gist of which was whether or not it was falling into a gender essentialist trope ("you can always tell when a man is pretending to be a woman!") despite how much of the story tackles a kind of gender fluidity amongst other characters. I said I’d return to it once I reread it again to see how I felt reading those bits in context, so here I am!
The first instance of Xie Lian cross-dressing in the story is during the very first mission: the ghost bride. In order to find out who is kidnapping brides in the area, Xie Lian dresses like a bride to act as bait. When he first gets dressed, this is how he is described:
If you asked anyone to come and see, they would be able to tell with a glance that this was a young boy with a gentle and handsome looking face.
—Chapt. 6: The Ghost Holds a Wedding, The Crown Prince Climbs Onto the Marriage Sedan (Part 1)
You can "tell" that he is still a man, even as he wears the wedding outfit, we are told. However, later on, Little Ying comes and helps fix up Xie Lian so that he looks more like a bride. When next the others see his face, this is how he is described:
How could Xie Lian have known that a girl’s skill in make-up created legendary and mystifying results? Little Ying had only taught him how to fix his eyebrows by drawing them elegantly, how to powder his face with some white powder and how to dot his lips with deep, red rouge. However, if he didn’t speak, Xie Lian looked exactly like a gentle, soft and beautiful young lady.
—Chapt. 9: The Mountain’s Locked Ancient Temple, The Forest of Hanging Corpses (Part One)
A little bit of makeup and reshaping his outfit has transformed Xie Lian from someone you could tell was a man "from a glance" to someone who "looked exactly like a gentle, soft, and beautiful young lady." Even the crowd of men acting as "guards" could not tell Xie Lian was a man, and at no stage in this entire arc is Xie Lian uncomfortable with the act of cross-dressing, at being honestly mistake for being a woman, or Mu Qing and Feng Xin's negative reactions. He is indifferent to it all.
The next major moment we see him cross-dressing is when he is running away from the group of cultivators hunting Hua Cheng:
Behind the curtains sat a woman, her long raven hair hung a loose bun, her neck slender and white with a black choker and a thin silver chain circled around. Her robe was half stripped, revealing her snow white shoulder and a small bit of her back, looking to drape and fall, making one’s face burn and heart race.
When the curtains were pulled, the figure of that woman trembled, covering her face with her sleeves, and whimpered softly, as if she was shocked and terrified by such a sudden and brutish act. Heaven’s Eye instantly dropped the curtains, “I-I-I-I-I-I’M SORRY!!!”
The band of monks and cultivators who followed after Heaven’s Eye all screamed too, “WHAT A SIN, WHAT A SIN!” And they all covered their own eyes. Using this chance, that ‘woman’ whipped around -- who else could it be but Xie Lian? Hua Cheng was sitting in his arms and was only blocked from view by Xie Lian’s body. Although Xie Lian was a man and his shoulders were wider than the average woman, but he only pulled down half of his robe to expose the best angle, creating the perfect effect.
—Chapt. 137: Upon Barren Hills; Rioting the Black Hearted Inn (Part One)
Just as with the makeup and reshaping of the bride outfit, wearing a woman's robe, stripping to show off some skin at an angle, and whimpering a little was enough to trick this group of men into thinking he was a woman. The cultivators are so embarrassed, they run away, but even the passerbies who catch a glimpse of Xie Lian fleeing later in that same outfit have the vague idea that it is a "woman" they're seeing running with a child. Then, in the same outfit, Xie Lian enters an inn and we get this hilarious interaction:
A moment later, the door opened, and several attendants came forward to greet, their faces full of smiles, “Good si...”
They had wanted to say ;good sir’, but seeing the person before them was wearing women’s robes, they changed, “Mis...”
Before the word left their lips, Xie Lian emerged fully from the darkness with Hua Cheng in hand. If there’s a child, then it wasn’t an unmarried lady, so they changed again, “Mada...”
‘Madam’ was still half on their lips and Xie Lian’s face was fully illuminated by the light within the inn. Although this person was dressed in women’s robes and had a gentle countenance, if they must be honest, no matter how they looked it was the face of a man. The attendants all became mute, and it was a good moment before they went back to their original greeting, “Good sir, please come inside.”
—Chapt. 137: Upon Barren Hills; Rioting the Black Hearted Inn (Part One)
None of the attendants are able to tell Xie Lian's gender just from a glance. They rely on context clues (his clothes, the fact that he's with a child, then finally, his bare face) to finally decide that he is a man. Xie Lian is not discomforted by this either, not even to correct them. In fact, the narrative says that he feels no mental or physical discomfort as he is. Mind you, in this world, it is established that gods can and do change their physical forms to match a certain gender, but despite having the power to do so, not only does Xie Lian not take this route but he is still able to successfully appear as a cis woman to both strangers and his closest friends with only the minimalist of effort. Neither he nor the narrative place any expectations on how he "should" feel being man mistaken for a woman, nor do they waste time trying to explain to other characters why he is dressed as one like what one would usually see with this trope. Xie Lian simply exists in the form most comfortable to him and changes minor appearances to produce the aesthetic that he needs when he needs it. No more explanation is needed.
The thing about Xie Lian, too, is that while he is assured in his own gender, this does not translate into him being adverse to either weaponizing gender to reach a certain goal (such as being bait in a mission or hiding from enemies or just finding a dangerous object) or others doing as they please. Shi Qingxuan repeatedly attempts to wheedle Xie Lian into transforming into a female form with him, but though Xie Lian refuses for himself, he never shows disgust that Shi Qingxuan prefers his female form, unlike other gods.
Due to all of this, I don't see the repeated mentions of Xie Lian's maleness within these cross-dressing scenes as meant to reinscribe the gender binary but, instead, to impress upon readers how simple it is to throw gender into question. Gender is just that malleable and its perception so easily manipulated that even one of the most manliest men in the story can be viewed without a shadow of a doubt as a woman. Xie Lian is proof.
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Little Binggeyuan AU that has been going around my head recently.
Shen Yuan is the long forgotten brother of Sha Hualing (kinda like in a fic I read but lost), who initially was nothing more than a thoaway line to exemplify the demon saintess' scheaming nature.
Something along the lines of "manipulating the harem was, after all, a no brainer for someone who got rid of competition by cursing and exiling her own beloved older brother. "
Originaly, this brother had died in the Endless Abyss before Binghe got there, but not with our beloved transmigrator here! Shen Yuan, who was absolutely obsessed with the Endless Abyss Arc, aced surviving there and even managed to map and document about it as much as he could. His body was very strong and powerful, even if the curse was quite annoying. It slowly eats away the flesh until only the victim's bones remain and it was cast in the demon's face. Apparetly, Young Lord Sha was considered quite handsome by the demons and his strength, especially his mastery of double sicke-and-chains made him one of the top bachelors in the demon realm. Due to the very sorry state of his cheek, Shen Yuan has taken to wear a veil as a way to protect and conceal the affected area.
Eventualy, Binghe falls and Shen Yuan sees. Not wanting to completely sabotage the protagonist's strenghtening arc, but also not wanting to see the boy suffer needlesly, Shen Yuan kinda creates a game full of charades for Binghe to find resources and some safe spots.
Binghe doesn't know how to feel about this weird and mysterious demon who seems to speak in vague words and random riddles. On one hand, he thinks he can't trust anyone. On the other, this (fascinating) man is somehow helping him to stay sane in the Abyss.
It takes years, but Binghe starts to slowly warm up to Shen Yuan and thinks that this demon is helping him out because of loneliness and some misplaced sense of kinship. "Maybe", Binghe thinks, "this veiled man was also unjustly cast away". By the time the protagonist is finding Xin Mo, he already has come to terms with his attraction and fascination towards the mysterious young demon lord in the Endless Abyss. Binghe even offers to take SY with him, but the transmigrator refuses. He thinks that his presence in the demon world now would change the plot too much and he doesn't want to risk that. But, what he actually says to Binghe affects the story so much more "Oh, young lord, this one can't leave... This one is cursed and well... The last time this one was perceived as a threat to his sister, he ended up here to die. Not even the heavens could guess what she would do in case she feels somehow threatened by this one again."
Binghe will remeber that.
And also our protagonist can't take the veiled man out of his mind, even as he is taking over the demon realm. He does find Sha Hualing and, instead of actually finding her attractive, he can only think of her brother in the Abyss and interogates her about the scheme.
Eventually, the now Emperor of the Demon Realm goes back to the Endless Abyss to retrieve SY, breaks his curse by making him drink heavenly demon blood and kinda tries to imply he wants SY as his lover, but our favorite gay-ace-in-denial will offer his services as an advisor to Binghe.
It's during the next years, being in each other's presence more constantly that makes Binghe actually fall in love with SY. It does take longer for them to actually get together and marry tho.
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mimicha-arts · 7 months
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Starry, Starry night
This new picture for the upcoming episode has been released, let's talk about it. Please remember, I live in delusion.
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There are several posters on the wall, and the one next to Cheng Xiaoshi - 星空,refers to the film with the same title. Starry, Starry night is a 2011 Taiwanese drama based on a novel by Taiwanese author Jimmy Liao.
Hsieh Xin-Mei used to live with her grandparents up in the mountains. Then she moves to the city to live with her parents, but her family situation is not very good, and she tries to hide from reality in the world of her own imagination. One day, a new student was transferred to her school - a boy named Zhou Yu-Jie. 
Despite the misunderstanding at the beginning, both of them are lonely and feel like outsiders in their own lives, befriending one another. When reality catches up, they try to escape to a world that belongs only to them, to see the stars. Do I have to tell you that this story is about grief and sorrows, "the end of summer", journey to adulthood, love across time and distance? About an accidental meeting and fate.
I think it's worth your time to watch, this film is very heartwarming.
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You can read the full plot description on Wikipedia, although it will not convey the full meaning, since the film has many artistic images and interesting decisions that convey the story sensitively. If you want to watch it yourself, read no further. 
Spoilers … And References. And some beautiful moments that make me THINK.
1. Time 
One of the themes is time, the hands of the clock often tick in the background, and at some point the numbers themselves, which indicate train departures, not just stop - freeze.
18:42 - 18:50 - 18:55
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Do I believe in coincidences? No.
 2. Journey 
Their path - an escape to their dream world - passes through a tropical wild forest. On their journey, they try, despite the difficulties, to find the right path to their dream.
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Since s2e1, I've been thinking about how much the forest in the back of that vision, ED/OP, is a real forest, a real tunnel, not the symbolism of the "journey". But now, if such a choice is not accidental, I have received answers to my questions, at some point.
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In fact, I lost my mind at the moment when they came to a fork in the road, they had to choose their path - they took the wrong path, and were forced to face the same choice, choosing a path, for the second time. Again.
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But in the end, the path to the stars ends in a life-threatening situation where they have no choice but "return". Although they both know that this is the end for them, the end of their journey, and the end of their "summer".
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3. Puzzles 
This story is about art, not about photography, but about paintings and puzzles. Puzzles literally act as moments of remembrance. Although these are not burning photographs, deep in her sleep, Hsieh Xin-Mei follows the image of Zhou Yu-Jie in the night forest, and the entire world also collapses when the end comes.
When Hsieh Xin-Mei woke up from her dream, Zhou Yu-Jie was no longer here.
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The search for the missing part - the sun, on the puzzle based on the painting "Starry, Starry Night" - is fundamental, literally the core to the plot.
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The connection of everything, through the years. It's like a promise, it's like an eternal memory of that time.
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There are more things I could write about, but I don't want to make this post too long… Just. There is always something about stories with a sunshine-like person, curious, breaking boundaries, talking non-stop, and about a person who quietly looks at the first one, listening to everything with a smile. And it becomes life-changing. I would like to remind you that these are just my thoughts, I'm having fun, maybe seeing something that isn't there. We will see anyway. 
But. For real. Put a detail like that into an episode and expect me to ignore it? No. Huh. 
I'm just overthinking once again, but Interesting choice :) 
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wuxianxkexing · 2 months
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I love Mu Qing so much but I think his story arc would be way more interesting if he was canonically allosexual. Gay, bi, straight, doesn't really matter to me. I just think it would add even more complexity to his character. Like it's hard for a lot of monks and nuns to keep their vows during a normal human lifetime, Mu Qing's will power must be absolutely insane if he's 800+ years old, still experiencing sexual attraction and still choosing to uphold his vows. I don't know if he was just being catty when he called Xiao Ying ugly or if he felt the need to comment because he is attracted to women like that but my head canon is that he is at least bisexual. We know that both Mu Qing and Feng Xin act more freely in their disguises so I feel like he probably only made that comment because it's the only time he can actually admit to anyone that yeah, women can be pretty like that. Maybe not this particular one, but since Xiao Ying was the focus in this situation I feel like he probably would've complimented her instead if he actually thought she was really pretty. Like yeah Mu Qing is known for being a bit of a bitch, but even bitchy people are only bitchy about things that they at least somewhat care about.
I think another hint is Mu Qing's reaction in the women's bath house. Our boy hid his face in his hands and screamed. We know he isn't scared of women like Feng Xin is. He was obviously overwhelmed by some kind of emotion though. He was shown having a look around before he realized he shouldn't be doing that. Mu Qing canonically easily blushes because his skin is so pale, but he didn't blush in this scene. Which leads me to think he didn't scream out of embarrassment. He didn't have the typical pervert reaction to it, but he wasn't exactly chill about it either. He could've easily sneaked out without drawing attention to himself if he didn't scream, so why did he do that? I think he screamed, hid his face in his hands and started mentally reciting the ethics sutra. Xie Lian is funny because he started reciting the ethics sutra when Jian Lan tried to hit on him even though he definitely didn't need to. 😂 But because of that we know that is what they were taught to do when faced with "tempting" situations (Xie Lian was just still operating under the assumption that he was straight). So Mu Qing didn't blush out of embarrassment, he had a look around but not in the stereotypical pervert way, and then he screamed. I think the scream was probably induced by intrusive thoughts. Like he has been following the same cultivation path for 800 years, he obviously doesn't want to have thoughts like that, and since intrusive thoughts are by definition unwanted that is probably why he didn't blush and probably why he screamed.
Plus it would be a nice foil to Xie Lian who was able to uphold his vows seemingly without any trouble, minus the one time he was literally poisoned. I feel like Mu Qing's internal dialouge would be like "Oh she's pretty. Too bad my dick don't care. (It definitely cares)." I just think it would be interesting and probably kind of funny. Plus if it was canon it would add an extra hint to his true character if it was revealed earlier on in the books. It's really easy to assume that anyone who's a virgin for 800+ years is on the ace spectrum because most allo people just don't have it in them to be celibate that long.
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kitty-kei · 1 year
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Fiery Familiarity - Part 1
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here’s part 1! this is some more world-building groundwork, establishing the reader's place in the gaang! i'll be posting part 2 soon and it'll be more exciting i promise lol. pls read the prologue to better understand the story
words: ~1k
prologue | part 2 | part 3 | part 4
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Ever since you left the Fire Nation, you’d been having a bit of a hard time adjusting. Having become so used to the life of luxury you once knew, it was hard to survive. You had long since ditched your old clothing, opting for more muted, inconspicuous tones. You hopped from town to town, helping transport resources in order to further your journey. Eventually, you reached a far-off Earth Nation town, by the name of Gaoling, seeking refuge there. You learned to fend for yourself, taking odd jobs to pay for your meals.
You survived on your own for 5 years before meeting the Avatar. You had to get scrappy to keep up with the changing times. Life wasn’t always kind to children, even in Earth Kingdom cities. There was still a war going on, after all. In those years, you managed to earn yourself plenty of scars, including a nasty one on your face. It spanned from the left side of your chin all the way up to the bridge of your nose. It puts a damper on possible jobs when you look like you’re trouble just waiting to happen.
That’s how you ended up getting roped into helping Xin Fu with his underground fight ring. It was tedious, but it was all you had. Until you met “The Blind Bandit” who you soon came to know as Toph. She was an abrasive girl, but you could tell she was no weaker than anyone else despite her blindness. Then, somewhere along the line, the Avatar had found her, begging her to come be his earthbending teacher. 
Late one night, after watching Toph fight Xin Fu and his goons, you decided to follow her, and the Avatar, back to her home. 
“Of course it doesn’t change the way I feel about you, Toph. It's made me realize something.”
You saw Toph's head lift, milky eyes full of hope, “It has?”
“Yes. I've let you have far too much freedom. From now on you'll be cared for and guarded twenty-four hours a day.” You could feel your heart drop, the tension in the room so painful you couldn’t bare to hear more. You watched as a lone tear slipped down Toph’s face.
You waited until she had returned to her room before sneaking to her balcony. You slipped behind her guards, knocking them out as quietly as possible. You cracked open the door, “Toph? Toph, are you there?”
“Y/n? What are you doing here, you’re going to get caught.”
“Hurry, we don’t have much time. I’ve knocked out the guards but it won’t be long until more come. I’m getting you to the Avatar, even if it’s the last thing I do. I’d sooner get arrested than watch you rot here. You deserve your freedom, Toph.”
Toph smiled, “Well then, what are we waiting for?”
 Once you caught up with Aang, Toph insisted you come with them. The others had agreed, saying that any friend of Toph’s was a friend of theirs. So you’d begun your long journey. Appa’s shedding had brought you not only an unexpected visit from Azula, but also the knowledge that Zuko had been chasing after them for so long now. Hearing the stories you told of what he had done… Your heart ached. Not only for them, but for Zuko. A boy so sweet who had been so swiftly corrupted by his family's twisted perception of right and wrong, of their “victory”. 
You knew from then on that you couldn’t share your past with them, not truly.
You traveled on through the desert, where you lost Appa. You all watched as Aang spiraled, throwing himself deeper into despair. So you traveled to Ba Sing Se, where you searched for that loveable beast. But when you finally got him back, things crashed and burned once again. 
Azula, the coup, the Dai Li, it was all happening so fast. You had decided to go with Aang to rescue Katara, knowing that Zuko would be there. Suddenly, you were very thankful that you left the Fire Nation before you had the chance to meet Iroh. He was a kind, wise old man, but you couldn’t risk being recognized. Listening to his advice for Aang gave you hope that not all firebenders were bad. 
Arriving in the cavern was breathtaking for more than one reason. Not only were the crystals gorgeous, but seeing Zuko all grown up… It made your heart soar and crash simultaneously. You had heard the whispers of the banished prince, outcast by his own father in search of a long-lost enemy. You just hadn’t seen him until now.
Your voice tumbled in a whisper before you could stop it, “Oh Zuko…” His once youthful face was now so tired, so worn down. His left eye was scarred into a permanent squint, the burn spreading over his ear. You could feel your heart twist in your chest. He used to be so full of life, even with his awkward disposition. He was just a child. To think that his own father would do this to him…
Watching him side with Azula was almost as painful as seeing how far he had fallen over the years. After seeing the look of hope on Katara’s face when she thought he had changed, watching her face contort into horror when he attacked. Watching him stand by as Azula killed Aang… You couldn’t bare to meet his eyes as you left with Katara, praying that Iroh would be alright. You knew Azula wouldn’t show him any mercy, family or not.
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whisperinggbreeze · 4 months
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(Spoilers for pretty much all of TGCF)
Xie Lian was angry. He was angry. He was so angry. He was angry, he was angry, he was angry, he was—
He was not angry at Wu Ming, the boy who kept changing his life and was now either purposely torturing him or failing to remember.
He wasn’t even angry at White No-Face. Bai Wuxiang. He hated him, he hated him, but he was not angry at him.
Xie Lian had stopped being angry at anyone a long time ago. He felt nothing towards anyone.
(That couldn’t be true. He hated, he had always hated, ever since he had been reborn. He hated, he hated, he hated—)
White Flower Collecting Souls had nobody to blame but himself. He was angry. He was angry. But he had always been angry at himself. When he was young, he was angry at others. He was angry at Mu Qing for leaving him, angry at Feng Xin for listening to him and leaving in the end as well, angry at his father, angry at his mother, angry at his Guoshi, angry at the heavenly emperor, angry at the gods, angry at heaven.
Angry at the ghost who had torn down Xianle like a poorly constructed gold foil palace.
But that was many centuries ago. Xie Lian had grown out of his anger. He was only ever angry at himself, and that really couldn’t be considered anger at all.
Anger was foolish, nonsensical, unnecessary. It wasn’t a strong enough word. Xie Lian hated himself, despised himself—
Right, he’d gotten off track. He was thinking about Wu Ming. Hua Cheng.
“Oh dear,” Xie Lian sighed, just now taking in his surroundings and remembering how he’d been screaming and tearing up the room he stood in just a few minutes ago. His throat was raw. He did not feel it. He did not feel anything.
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another extract for the calamity!xl / god!hc au! why did I start on chapter 2 before finishing chapter 1, you might ask? to that I say: please don't ask it'll make me sad :( (I do have the rest of chapter 1 vaguely planned out, so I might post another extract for that at some point)
as you can tell, the POV switches; currently I plan to switch every chapter but that might change depending on what POV fits the story better at that moment
i am slowly working my way through world building and story planning! ill be completely honest, this project was a spontaneous one so I kind of just jot down and incorporate ideas as they come lmao
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dangermousie · 7 months
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Watching Lee Jun Ki (the man is 41!!! How?!) tear it up in Arthdal made me think about Moon Lovers that came out in 2016 and brought me back to kdramas after a long long hiatus. I was fucking obsessed beyond anything.
Objectively it was wildly uneven (many supporting characters were acted/written - ehm, tho my biggest annoyance of a character had a hell of a payoff so maybe not.) A remake of 2011 cdrama Bu Bu Jing Xin, which was one of my favorite dramas, it took elegant restraint of the Chinese version and turned it into full blown shoujo opera. Very different and yet so very gloriously designed for my personal specs.
90% of the reason this drama became my obsession was Lee Jun Ki playing Wang So as the epitome of “I can fix him” trope - the man stole the whole damn drama. In the original, the Fourth Prince is an understated bureaucrat, elegant and quiet and restrained (except for a few shockingly effective scenes.) Lee Jun Ki’s Fourth Prince is all feral damage, thorns and violence and yearning. With his mask and his hair and his need for love, he’s the purest of shoujo heroes and how could I resist?
It’s a wildly different take in a wildly different tone and it works. I love both Nicky Wu’s Four and Lee Jun Ki’s equally.
They also changed the FL’s attributes - in the original, Ruoxi is sharp and smart and observant and a perfect lady at least outwardly (and Liu Shi Shi played her to perfection.) But that type of character would have been out of place in the story of Moon Lovers and would have never gone for LJK’s Four. So IU’s take is quite different but unfortunately it doesn’t work nearly as well as the changes in ML character.
There is also the fact that I adored Kevin Cheng’s Eighth Prince and shipped him with FL hard in first half of BBJX and one of the reasons the narrative is a tragedy is Eight’s arc. Kang Ha Neul is a stellar stellar actor but his Eight evoked nothing in me but a desire to brain him from the very start.
Ultimately, BBJX is a quiet, exquisitely contained masterpiece - a tragedy of two people who loved each other and who were compatible in so many ways but where it was still not enough, where the ending is as tragic as it’s inevitable. Four is the architect of his own (and Ruoxi’s) emotional doom and it could never be otherwise. And I wept non stop for the entirety of the last ep. You can love with all your heart a person who also loves you with all their heart and it can still not be enough.
Moon Lovers is not that deep. Sweet girl and damaged boy are not the same. But it’s still gloriously tragic even if in larger than life shoujo-glorious way and I will always love it for both bringing me back to kdramas and giving me basically the deepest desire of my drama id on screen.
PS it’s hard to find a good quality mv of BBJX due to it having come out in 2011 but this one is not bad at all:
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staydandy · 9 months
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Justice in the Dark (2023) - 光·渊 - Whump List
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List by StayDandy Synopsis : The story set in a sci-fi-esque Xinyuan Civilization Year 253 where the rising crime rate and its relation to "zero-degree empathy" have become a hot topic of interest. A murder case leads to the discovery of a criminal organization, and the culprit turns out to be someone with "zero-degree empathy". Police officer Luo Wei Zhao finds that things are not as simple as they seem. And wealthy playboy Pei Su seems to be caught up in the middle of everything. There is someone pulling the strings behind these cases. In the end, the public realizes that genes cannot determine whether a person is good or bad. People can overcome genes; people can choose freely. As long as there is hope in their hearts, even in the dark abyss, there will be a day they'll be back in the sun. (MDL) AKA : Light Abyss | Light the Darkness | The Light in the Night | Silent Reading | Mo Du
Whumpee : Pei Shu played by Zhang Xin Cheng (right) • Luo Wei Zhao played by Fu Xin Bo (left)
Country : 🇨🇳 China Genres : Action, Thriller, Mystery, Psychological, Censored Adaption, BL / Boys Love
Notes : This is a Full Whump List • Adapted from the novel MoDu (Silent Reading) (默读) by Priest • Went on hold after only 8 of 30 episodes aired in February 2023. • Word is it has been Canceled & removed from it's official streaming platform, Youku. Though it's been reported on twitter it's because of legal issues; copyright and unfair competition lawsuits that Youku is wrapped up in. Supposedly they're trying to work on it & hopefully make a comeback.. idk, I wouldn't hold your breath. • If the day ever comes I'll of course update this list - but for now, this is a complete list. • If you want to read the novel that the show is based on you can find it here. (I'm currently on bk 4) • TW : Suicide, Animal Cruelty
Episodes on List : 7 Total Episodes : 8
*Spoilers below*
01 : (near end) Pei Shu is shocked by crime scene photos, blood phobia, dizzy
02 : Nightmare (TW : animal cruelty) … (TW : suicide)
03 : Nightmare, wakes gasping, holding his neck … Luo Wei Zhao is in a fight, back cut with an axe.. jumps out a 3rd story window
04 : … continued from previous ep. ... While driving the getaway car Pei Shu see's blood, ears ringing, nauseous, dizzy, unresponsive.. retches/pukes … checked by paramedics … Wei Zhao passes out
05 : Hospitalized
06 : (near end) Pei Shu's arm is wrenched & forced to sit, pulse checked
07 : Nightmare (apparently it's a form of self-hypnosis) … arm in a sling … [flashback] car crash, passes out, wheeled on gurney
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web-novel-polls · 6 months
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MXTX Side Characters Tournament Submissions
SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED
Rules
One character per submission. If you want to submit multiple characters, please do so in separate forms
No main couples (Bingqiu, Wangxian, or Hualian)
Preliminary polls may occur to decide whether or not to include other significant characters like Feng Xin, Mu Qing, or Liu Qingge. Minor but popular characters like Six Balls will be allowed.
Tag: #mxtx side characters tournament
Submission List below the cut (Dealer's Choice not included)
SVSSS
Zhuzhi-lang 
Submission 1: Snake boy my beloved
Submission 2: I love him
Shang Qinghua / Airplane
Submission (2): He's a sidekick and he's so sidelined that despite creating the universe he's treated as an afterthought - doubly a side character! But also? So relateable. He would absolutely have been on tumblr in his first life, he gets so excited about his blorbo who treats him terribly (until they finally get a happy ending in the extras - also! he has to wait for the extras to get his happy ending! very side-character of him). He holds the fascinating position of being mostly irrelevant to the story and yet without him the themes would totally fail. He deserves a win on something for once, okay?
Sha Hualing
Submission: Her cringefail losergirl swag has captivated me 
Mu Qingfang 
Submission: Ppl tend to completely forget he has a mad scientist side (see Jinlan arc) and if he gets into the tournament I'll have a reason to bring it up.
Daoist nuns triplets 
Submission: Authors of "Song of BingQiu" and the true culprits behind the ass wine extra. Stop crediting Liu Mingyan with their hard work! 
Mobei-jun
Submission: He's a demon tsundere who doesn't realize his human boyfriend is scared and easily squishable. Got demoted from king to cabinet minister during a hostile takeover but is pretty chill about it. Huge boobs.
Six Balls
Submission: When he was born he weighed as much as six balls. Current ball number unknown.
Helen of Troy*
Submission: uhm she isn't a Side character ? but she is referenced heavily by the main character and the subtext. This is integral to the plot of SVSSS because the subtext is where it's actually at. If all you do is read the book you will have several misconceptions of the plot. Anyway Shen Yuan!Shen Qingqiu is a metaphorical Helen of Troy within the story AND HE FUCKING SAYS THIS HIMSELF INSUSJSKS
*will have to pass a preliminary poll to be included in the tournament (<-thinks it would be funny to put her in)
Ning Yingying
Submission: Her glow-up in the SVSSS timeline is real! Instead of becoming Luo Binghe's childhood sweetheart, she roasts him for referring to her too familiarly. Love this for her. 
Gongyi Xiao 
Submission: He is such a Good Person who didn't deserve his fate :(
Qin Wanyue
Submission: Scum Villain's wettest and most pathetic loser! Of course, she's so pathetic that she's constantly overshadowed by more bombastically pathetic characters, but I think she deserves her chance at recognition. 
OG Luo Binghe’s Harem
Submission: Binghe's harem the whole collection all of them together an amalgamation of all the wives 
Tianlang-jun
Submission: Incredible character who does it like him 
TGCF 
Quan Yizhen 
Submission: He's a good boi and thinking about him makes me cry a lil'.
Yin Yu 
Submission: The guy of all time. The most average god ever. Someone give him a break. His face is so average that Xie Lian thought it was fake 
Ling Wen
Submission: Girlboss. Did nothing wrong
Bai Jing (Brocade Immortal)
Submission: no 1 ling wen simp (just like me fr)
MDZS
A-Qing 
Propaganda: She's so smart. She tricked so many people into thinking she was blind for so long. Also, she was really kind and considerate. Like she didn't have to save all of those people from Xue Yang. Oh and she's an excellent judge of character and super brave. Really hope she wins, she's such a fun little genius girl
Su Minshan / Su She
Propaganda: Idk I just kinda like him
Submission 2: Look at him having his own life and grudges and friendships and priorities completely unrelated to the main characters! He was so right to curse Jin Zixun 
Wen Ning 
Submission: This poor guy dealt with so much shit in life, only to be killed, resurrected, and forced to deal with Wuxian's bullshit for years on end
Jiang Cheng
Submission 1: Extremely traumatized yet also somehow the most normal and functional by the end. Huge bitch but I (and at least one of the other characters) think he deserves to be even worse after everything he's been through
Submission 2: Simultaneously badass and the most cringefail man. Extremely funny and stylish but still manages to be very uncool. Cries a lot. Also he's lost a lot of tumblr polls—let's give him another shot! We definitely love him more than his dad did!
Submission 3: He's got mommy issues AND daddy issues. He loves his sister and his shige so much. He's traumatised and incredibly competent. He rebuilt his whole sect! He's an asshole (affectionate). He's purple! He's got the coolest weapon ever conceived. I'm so worried about his blood pressure basically all the time. 
Wen Qing
Submission 1: Doctor, mad scientist, war criminal, protective big sister... she has the range!!
Submission 2: Wen Qing my beloved!! She did surgery on a grape. Mad genius for real. Also a loving sister with a very sharp tongue and maybe no sense of how far is too far. Can't wait for them to find her alive in a Koi Tower basement!
Submission 3: Justice for my girl!!!! 
Submission 4: She's bitchy and pragmatic and cares deeply and did an unprecedented operation (experimental and nonconsensual!), what's not to love? Also she deserved better.
Jin Ling
Submission 1: He may be a brat, but he has a good heart and a friendly dog. He thinks he's the main character of a much less intense story which keeps almost getting him killed 
Submission 2: Bestest boy in the whole world. He's got a dog! A helicopter uncle! His dad's sword! Yeah he can be a little brat but he's SIXTEEN okay (or thirteen, or whatever, MXTX HELP) and he's got an incredible capacity for forgiveness. He's so good!
Xue Yang
Submission 1: No propaganda submitted
Submission 2: It's not that he's evil. He lacks empathy and he goes into a disassociative state and commits atrocities.
Xiao Xingchen
No propaganda submitted
Song Lan 
No propaganda submitted
Fairy (Jin Ling’s dog)
Submission: The cutest, smartest, and goodest doggo! She's the one who led WangXian to the Nie sword tomb to save Jin Ling! and led Jiang Cheng to Guanyin Temple to save Jin Ling! and led Lan cultivators to the temple to help Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen (and Jin Ling!)
Bichen 
Submission: this sword has been through a lot…
Lan Xichen
Submission: Pay your respects to the captain of the WangXian ship! Those idiots would keep pining for another 13282627 years if it weren't for him!
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pichirobi · 1 year
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put your hands together for yet another hualian college au 🥳🥳🎉
once the star valedictorian of his high school, xie lian is now a broke, failing college student surviving on packaged ramen fished out of cafeteria garbage cans. his luck turns for the better when he meets the mysterious art student who's filled his canvases with portraits of xie lian.
fic series | au tag | notes under the cut! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
xie lian (he/him, asexual)
xie lian's parents laid him off so he takes odd jobs, tutors, and does homework for anyone he can get to pity him. all of his money is spent on rent, and a cheap gym membership he abuses so he can at least look like he's functional on the outside. he bodybuilds his stress away.
his grades are terrible. xl's actually a greatly diligent student and does all his work, he just keeps misremembering due dates, and his professors are the kind that give zeroes on assignments typed in the wrong font.
he's kept fed by his roommate, shi qingxuan (she/he). xie lian's saved her ass from academic probation enough times for it to be embarrassing. their bond is more of a silent agreement to look out for each other.
hua cheng (he/they, demisexual)
his parents died when he was young but they left him a small fortune. he doesn't show off his money, unless it's to dress opulently outside of class and treating xl to expensive restaurants.
hua cheng takes like six courses a semester, four of which are obscure electives. he says it's because he likes to keep himself well-rounded and busy, but he has a ridiculous amount of free time anyway.
he's a perfect student but his professors are wary of him. he thinks very little of most professors and talks back to them in such a way where they can't tell if they've been insulted or not.
hc chooses the same art concentration every semester. portraits of the same beautiful boy at various ages. sometimes his art professor can get him to paint butterflies feeding on flowers.
hualian's backstory
their story begins on a playground. 10-year-old xie lian scares off mean kids bullying 8-year-old hua cheng over his heterochromia (one of the mean kids is qi rong). xie lian tells him he thinks hua cheng's eyes are pretty. xie lian wears earrings and has long hair that he braids with flowers, and he doesn't care what other kids think of him. he won't let anyone be bullied for their appearance.
we know what comes next—endless pining. hua cheng's infatuation grows as, from a distance, he watches his noble, gracious, special classmate defend kids who are easy targets (with the help of feng xin and mu qing) and earns the title of teacher's pet. hua cheng gains the bravery to stop covering his eye, until hualian are separated in chuzhong (secondary/middle school). the bullying returns and hua cheng swears to never take off the eye bandage again.
hua cheng's "young soldier" moment is at a halloween party in their last year of gaozhong (high school). hc's dressed as a ghost, face painted and almost unrecognizable. xie lian's dressed as a rabbit. qi rong spikes his cup of water. xl's top is sleeveless and it's unintentionally drawing unwanted attention to his shredded arms. some asshole teen girls won't leave him alone and keep flirting with/grabbing him. hua cheng tells them to fuck off and scares them away. although xie lian is indeed incredibly gorgeous and hua cheng is incredibly flustered, after the party, he makes sure to escort a drunk xie lian home.
some guy xl's never seen the face of starts rumors that xie lian paid off the administration to name him valedictorian, and that he sweet-talks his teachers into bullshitting his grades. he's the understudy for the lead role in a school play. the girl who was meant to lead falls horrifically sick and is in the hospital for some time. the guy who hides his face spreads another rumor that xie lian is the one who put her in the hospital so xl could have the attention/spotlight. other students gradually join in on the fun of bashing xl, knocking an admirable figure down to their level, until people start avoiding him, and his popularity is lost. feng xin and mu qing distance themselves from xie lian. hua cheng gets more detentions than usual for picking fights with anyone who dares to insult xie lian in front of him.
hualian in college
their third-first meeting is when xie lian is down on his luck, drenched from the rain as he just barely misses his bus to campus. hua cheng appears, stands next to xie lian with a red umbrella, and wordlessly waits with him for the next bus.
xie lian doesn't see the kind stranger again until he needs to track down the dean of xianle university, jun wu. jun wu is chatting with the head of the studio art department. while xl politely waits for their conversation to end, he looks around at the art students milling about, and catches that tall, handsome, kind stranger staring at him. the stranger smiles, looks down, and leaves. xl wanders the room to check out the art pieces scattered around, and comes to an easel in the corner. xl is faced with a painting of...himself. the signed name is written so poorly he can't read it.
hua cheng comes to him next. he introduces himself as "san lang" and asks xie lian for tutoring—not for any subject, but to improve his handwriting. cue montage of soft-spoken critiques and hands gently touching and hua cheng confessing his admiration via the poem they're practicing writing together. xie lian doesn't recognize hua cheng from their childhood but fixates on that lovely deep voice, trying to place where he's heard it before. hua cheng tries to overpay him but xie lian refuses, saying hc can tip him by grabbing lunch with xl. they meet up for calligraphy practice once a week.
san lang is generous and protective and patient. san lang is flirty and dependable and mischievous. he's also very, very handsome, distractingly so, "how can it be that no one's fought for the affection of a guy like you?" throughout the wild events of xie lian's life, hua cheng is right by his side. from helping ling wen the librarian organize hundreds of books and scrolls, to uncovering the schemes of pei ming's vengeful ex, to stopping the dangerous "pranks" of xl's insane cousin qi rong.
xie lian and shi qingxuan's dorm is falling apart at the seams. hua cheng spends a day and night with them helping to clean and renovate. he sleeps over (AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED ?!). xie lian wakes up to a new canvas painting on his bedroom wall. it's a beautiful portrait of himself, as a child, with flowers braided in long hair. in the bottom right corner is a signed name that xie lian can now read, the handwriting marginally improved.
xie lian finds that he stops expecting misfortune. he gains friends. his grades improve. at one of shi wudu's lake parties, xie lian nearly drowns, and hua cheng gives him totally unnecessary mouth-to-mouth. (they take this as inspiration to find completely bullshit excuses to kiss in the future.)
later on at the same lake party, they find a moment alone, warming/drying up by a fire pit. hua cheng alludes to being in love with someone who saw him at his worst. xie lian is envious of that. he firmly tells hua cheng that what matters is him, not the state of him.
misc
hua cheng has been going blind in his right eye for over a decade, and by college, he can just make out changes in light with it.
hualian definitely have a "draw me like one of your french girls" scene while their relationship is ambiguous. feng xin walks in and has prayed every day since then that he's knocked on the head so hard he gets amnesia.
hua cheng gradually leaves more and more of his belongings in xie lian's room until he practically lives there ("oh gege, how silly of me, leaving my toothbrush with you for the 23rd time this month 😇").
feng xin still calls xie lian "dianxia"; it was xl's nickname throughout primary school because he was such a beloved little prince 😌
feng xin and mu qing insist they're sworn rivals, but sign up to be each other's dormmates every semester. ("i know mu qing's every move. how many pillows he enjoys sleeping with. how he likes his coffee in the morning. you have to keep a vigilant eye on the enemy, dianxia.")
shi wudu offers xie lian an absurd amount of money to spy on report back weekly updates on shi qingxuan's life. xie lian politely refuses.
pei ming and lang qianqiu are gym lunks. sometimes they workout with xie lian, barely disguising their true intention of competing with each other.
hua cheng will occasionally waste time at a bar owned by he xuan. he plays poker and wins nearly every game by sheer luck. he doesn't bet money, but instead has the losers do something embarrassing for his own entertainment. he gains a fearful reputation, and mixes drinks when he's bored of playing or when no one in the room is brave enough to bet with him.
hua cheng makes up increasingly ridiculous stories as to why he covers his eye when he's asked. "it shoots a deadly laser." "a bear scratched it out, but i took its skin after. it made a nice rug." "my eye is right there. what are you talking about? are you okay?"
xie lian rescues a small, hungry cat he names banyue. he asks hua cheng to house her as he lives off-campus. the conversation goes like this:
"gege..."
"san lang 🥺"
"FINE."
qi rong buys a cat just to copy xie lian and names it guzi.
1K notes · View notes
pearlescentpearl · 11 months
Note
murder cat sword only likes its wielder's boyfriend , one of my favourite SVSS fics of all time! Either Binghe’s perspective on this unexpected Shidi with weird priorities, or a future time stamp a few months in the future?
or a thousand years is a long time to be idle future time stamp, LQG and flower!SY continuing to be disgustingly married/
oh gosh, I haven't poked at scum villain in so long. alright here we go.
When Luo Binghe opens his eyes to a wooden ceiling, the feel of sheets against bare skin, and Xin Mo nowhere near, he's prepared to have a bad day he fully intends to make someone else's bad day. He reeks like the silty end of a river, his hair feels like one big itchy clump on his scalp, and his throat is dry as hell; all in all, raking his claws on some handsy fool sounds like a perfect pick me up.
What looks like a humble bedroom is at least not the worst place he could wake up in. Luo Binghe will give it that.
Stumbling, yanking the sheets around him as he goes, Luo Binghe makes his way to the curtain separating off the bedroom and listens intently.
No one's in the house. Strange. Did a would be thief have the decency to dump his nude self under shelter before abandoning him?
No. Ridiculous. This house looks freshly occupied.
Ah, a window!
Well, Luo Binghe thinks, finding his clothes haphazardly strung up on a clothesline outside, one less thing to take out of someone's hide, he guesses. Not by much though, his nose wrinkles, even from here he can tell they've been improperly laundered.
But he sees also a water pump so he pops the wooden frame of the window out with a brief burst of qi and crawls out. Ah, blessed, clean smelling water on his scalp, sluicing away the filth, how he has missed you. When he razes the world to blood and ashes he'll be sure to spare this pump only.
Now clean and water flash dried to steam with a touch of demon fire, sheet wrapped back around him properly, Luo Binghe follows the faint sound of a voice coming from what seems to be a forge in the back. Strange... Why would a blacksmith live in such an isolated spot? It's not at all practical for their trade.
Suspicious, Luo Binghe creeps on silent feet and peeks in.
The smith's back is turned to him, and-- yes, that is the feel of a cultivator. Nowhere near as strong as himself, but Luo Binghe finds fewer and fewer of those these days.
More importantly, he has Xin Mo and appears to be doing something to it. Why the sword hasn't obliterated the flesh from his hands for touching it is a mystery.
No sense in letting this play out, he hasn't patience for that. Grabbing the sword from the nearby rack, Luo Binghe's slips it in under the man's chin, noting the cultivator-youthful features. Kind of an average pretty boy, but that kind of things gets run of the mill in the sects.
"Good morning?" the smith tries, voice pleasantly clear and low. He must have excellent recitation. "Are you... feeling better?"
Am I feeling better? Luo Binghe mocks in his head. After your cursory hospitality how could I not be in peak condition?
"Who are you and what are you doing to Xin Mo?" He demands, keeping the sword rock steady.
"This one is Shen Yuan of Wan Jian Peak, of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect," Shen Yuan says, like it's not stabbing half a dozen of Luo Binghe's reverse scales concurrently. "I pulled you out of the river this morning. As for your sword; I'm cleaning it."
Likely story! Luo Binghe was born in the morning but it wasn't this morning! He'd only been to Wan Jian Peak the once to get long lost Zheng Yang, but he'd heard all the gossip from Ning Yingying how homebodied and insular the Third Peak was. They were the one of the least inclined to leave the sect before reaching a mastery level in their craft, and that took a minimum of twenty years. This guy hardly felt older than himself, so unless he started in the cradle the only thing he's mastered is bullshit!
"Wan Jian Peak," Luo Binghe repeats, unimpressed. Let's see the liar sweat with holes poked in his story. "I was under the impression none of you ever left the mountain."
"I am a senior disciple expanding my horizons," Shen Yuan says loftily, scowling.  “Now are you going to stop being such an ungrateful guest any time soon? I’d like to get on with my day, please.”
No fear? Odd. Annoying. Who was this that being disarmed and held at sword point on his knees is treated as a mere inconvenience?
He finds his grip on the hilt relaxing despite himself. "Xin Mo doesn't need cleaning."
"That's where you're wrong," Shen Yuan calmly refutes, still in that lofty tone, brazenly pushing the sword away with a single finger. “This poor thing smells like enough old blood to put an abandoned butchery to shame. Did you find it in a mass grave or something?”
Luo Binghe twitches, feeling caught out. That's... too accurate, actually.
“It’s a demonic sword, it does that,” he growls, scrambling to keep control of the situation. And, shit, he said too much!
He can't quite... parse the look the other is giving him. Shen Yuan almost seems to double take, eyes wide and fascinated, like he's just now noticing Luo Binghe properly. But it's too perceptive, it's too knowing, Luo Binghe feels naked before whatever enlightenment is Shen Yuan is having. Really, who is this?
“Still no harm in letting me do my job,” Shen Yuan insists, implacable and unafraid, popping the cork off of whatever poison he thinks will stick to Xin Mo. “If nothing else I can cut down on the smell.”
Should Luo Binghe just kill him now and have done with it? Is he really as weak as he feels and just stupidly overconfident, or is he hiding his strength? A normal cultivator of his strength ought to be cowering before Luo Binghe's might by this point.
He hesitates. Xin Mo pulses hungrily in his senses, angry claws. "Fine." Whatever Shen Yuan uses won't affect Xin Mo anyway.
Or, at least, so he thought. That is... an impressive amount of rancid blood trying to flood the foor.
Shen Yuan arches a brow at him, and it feels extremely judgy.
"Ah," Luo Binghe says, unable to really... defend himself here.
"Ah," Shen Yuan parrots back with a too knowing nod.
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inksmearedpages · 2 months
Text
The Radiant Dragon of Celebration
Happy Lunar New Year!
In celebration of The Year of the Dragon, I’m going to tell you the story of one of my oldest OC’s. He was originally made for a Rise of the Guardians fic in 2012, but his back story and personality was rather stereotypical and shallow back then. I nearly forgot about him for a while, until I started getting into LEGO Monkie Kid in 2020. As he was a dragon of Chinese descent, he eventually resurfaced in my memory and I decided to revamp his entire character. He’s still primarily a Rise of the Guardians OC, but I would be able to add him into any LMK fic with very few changes needed.
So without further ado, this is the legend of Xin Zhiqiang, his discovery that would change the world, and his ascension into Ao Huang, the Radiant Dragon of Celebration.
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Our story begins in a small, rural village in the mountains during the late Tang Dynasty era (~800 - ~870 AD). Here, a boy is born to a pair of farmers. His life is simple yet happy, growing up loved and cared for by his parents and the other villagers. Tragically however, he looses both parents at a young age. He is taken in by a good friend of his parents, the local apothecary.
This man not only provides medicine for the village, but is actually a well studied alchemist and aspiring magician. He teaches Zhiqiang everything he knows, and Zhiqiang takes to the teachings like a duck to water. Curious, studious, and never one to let failures keep him down, Zhiqiang is a dutiful apprentice who’s efforts help the village thrive.
Zhiqiang soon surpasses his master’s skill, who in his old age retires. On top of keeping the village healthy, Zhiqiang begins to experiment with his alchemy and magic. During his tests, he accidentally creates a powder that reacts violently when exposed to fire. While not what he was trying to create, Zhiqiang is intrigued and replicates the powder to experiment further. He creates many different containment devices and ways for the powder to explode.
It has the potential for destruction, but Zhiqiang is more compelled by the potential spectacle. The hissing and fizzing as trail of the powder burns. The bright sparks and flames that are given off. The loud yet satisfying burst that he can feel in his bones when a packet of the powder is ignited. He begins to work on this powder in his spare time with a fervor, trying many combinations over a few years.
He eventually unveils his masterpieces to the village during one festival. Long sticks with bits of the powder on the end that fizz and spark as they’re waved around. Small bits of condensed powder wrapped in rice paper that snap and crackle when thrown against stone. But his greatest accompaniments were the tubes of bamboo that he would ignite and launch over the lake. They produced bright blasts of sparks and fire that lit up the night sky.
The villagers were amazed and awed by Zhiqiang’s inventions and insisted they be used for every festival or celebration. Pleased that his discovery was well received, he agreed, and continued to research and experiment with what he had named fire powder. Some villagers suggested he go traveling, showing his “fireworks” to the world and selling them to become rich. Zhiqiang declined, happy with his experimentation in the village he grew up in and loved.
His fireworks grew more complex and spectacular over the next few years and he began experimenting with using magic in their creation. Colors and shapes and even simple sounds not normally possible with alchemy alone began to appear much to the delight of the villagers. He even developed the ability to create the signature sparks and blasts with his magic alone. His master joked that he worked with the fire powder so much it now ran in his veins.
At some time in his mid twenties, the village seems to be struck by a strange ailment. It wasn’t a physical illness, but people would just… stop caring. They became listless, uninterested with anything beyond the basic necessities of staying alive. Simply surviving, but no longer truly living.
Alarmed by this malady, Zhiqiang does his absolute best to counter it. It seemed to affect the adults first, so he moved the children up the mountain to his workshop and home so they would not catch whatever this disease was. None of his medicines or magics seem to do anything to alleviate the symptoms. Work to provide food was still being done, so their village was not in danger of starving, but its spark of life was gone.
Zhiqiang refuses to give up and keeps trying. A few weeks go by, and then a month. He begins to grow anxious because while he has taken every precaution, he worries that he will eventually succumb to the sickness as well. The children manage to keep him in high spirits as they live with him. They manage to convince him to help them throw a festival in the hopes that maybe that will cheer up their parents.
He goes along with it, helping prepare food and decorations. He delivers them to the adults who give halfhearted thanks. He gets everyone afflicted to meet by the lake and with the assistance of the children, puts on a spectacular fireworks show.
To his shock, this seems to temporarily rouse the adults back to their old selves. They describe the feeling of wading through thick water, all their senses dulled. Nothing seemed to matter until the bursts of light and color and sound reawakened them. However, the following morning, they seem to slip back into their subdued state.
More determined than ever now, Zhiqiang sets to work. He installs magical stalls around the village that would constantly give off sparks. Every night he put on a fireworks show. Children and adults alike would carry around bundles of the long “sparklers” and light them if they noticed someone seeming to slip back into their listlessness. As his supply of fire powder began to deplete, Zhiqiang began relying more and more on his magic to create the fireworks, slowly exhausting him as he continued to search for a permanent cure.
Two weeks after discovering that his fireworks warded off the illness, a stranger who hid their features under a heavy cloak arrived. They walked through the village and wherever they passed, the sparklers and stalls would be snuffed out. The children, noticing this strange person and seeing their parents immediately fall back into lethargy, ran up the mountain to inform Zhiqiang.
Zhiqiang tells the children to remain in his home and goes to confront this intruder. He meets them halfway down the trail and demands who they are. The stranger simply begins to talk about the illness. How it has spread to every corner of China, and is rumored to have even seeped into the Heavens. How none have seemed to escape its grasp. Except here. Here where strange sticks give off sparks of fire and light.
Zhiqiang again demands for this person to reveal their identity. The person chuckles and remarks how curious it is that Zhiqiang hasn’t fallen ill himself. Usually its the children who take the longest to succumb. But succumb they do. They all do. They would make sure of it to ensure his ascension.
Alarmed at this, Zhiqiang asks if this person is responsible for the sickness. The stranger ignores him a third time and says how troublesome these strange fire sticks are. How he’ll need to get rid of them if he wishes to rule over the Heavens and Earth. How to ensure that they do not spread beyond this village, everyone here must die.
Zhiqiang, realizing this person is a threat, instinctively launches a magical firework at them. They manage to barely dodge, but their cloak catches fire. The person tosses it aside, revealing a demon with toad-like features. They laugh, realizing Zhiqiang is the one responsible for countering his Idle Mist. They’ll have to kill him first.
They fight, Zhiqiang attacking with his fireworks and the Idle Mist Demon spewing out clouds of fog to conceal his location. Zhiqiang, still exhausted and untrained in combat, is forced to give ground to the Idle Mist Demon. He retreats up the mountain, heading for his storage shed where he keeps a stock of fireworks that he hopes to use to change they tide of the battle.
Unfortunately, the Idle Mist Demon manages to catch him off guard as he’s preparing a large firework. He launched into his shed, where it immediately catches fire from him unfinished firework. Time seems to stop as Zhiqiang realizes he’s about to die. The amount of fireworks that have just been lit going off all at once will create a blast he could not survive. He’s failed.
Light from the full moon seems to pour in from the damaged wall and roof. A voice speaks to him.
What are you fighting for?
Zhiqiang immediately thinks of the children he told to stay in his home to keep them safe. Of the other villagers that are family to him. How the Idle Mist Demon would kill them just for a chance at ruling everything. How if they do win, life would be over. There would still be people left living, but the things that made life worthwhile would be gone forever.
He could not allow any of that to happen.
I can help you. But you will be forever changed from your fellow man. You would be able to walk amongst them for some years yet, but eventually you would have to live apart. Rarely seen or heard except by those who believe. Would you willingly give up your humanity and your place amongst them in order to save them?
Filled with new resolve, Zhiqiang unhesitatingly answers yes.
The moonlight grows impossibly bright and fills him just as the shed explodes. The Idle Mist Demon laughs over his triumph, when a enormous pillar of sparks and fire bursts from the wreckage of the shed. It flies through the air before solidifying into a dragon.
He had bright crimson scales, a mane of fiery orange, glittering black horns and claws to match his fire powder, whiskers that were lit at the ends like his sparklers, and glowing eyes that burst between every color imaginable.
Zhiqang looks down at the now terrified demon and roars. He has newfound control over his fireworks now and give the Idle Mist Demon no quarter. The Idle Mist Demon does not go down easily, but Zhiqiang manages to grab them in his claws and flings them into the air. He blasts them with a powerful firework from his mouth, launching them further upwards and ending them once and for all in a massive blast of rainbow flame.
His foe defeated, Zhiqiang surveys the land and sees what was hidden from his mortal eyes before. A thick mist covered everything, with more being spewed from horse-sized toads. He blasts one with a fireworks and it burns away swiftly. Zhiqang, now with a way to end the sickness apparently affecting all of China, goes first to his house to let the children know it is safe.
The children, awed by his new dragon form beg to go with him. They insist he’ll need their help finding all the toads in the nooks and cranny’s of the big cities. He gives in, and together they fly around the country, destroying any of the Idle Mist Demon’s toads they come across and dissipating the mist. A messenger of heaven approaches them and begs for some of his fireworks so they could free the Heavens from the mist as well.
It takes them nearly three days to find and destroy all of the toads and clear the mist. Zhiqiang flies them home to their village once their task is done. Exhausted, he reverts to a human form, and passes out.
When he awakes a few days later, he is met with a huge celebration from the villagers and a procession of messengers from various nobles. They wish to have him come to their cities so he may be honored and that their alchemists can learn of his incredible invention that cured them all of the idle sickness. He politely declines but says that he would happily teach anyone who made the journey to the village instead.
So many come to the village to learn, that a college is built nearby and the village grows into a bustling town known for its alchemists.
Zhiqiang teaches at the college for many years, taking on many apprentices who would go on to invent incredible things. Over time, it becomes apparent that Zhiqang does not seem to be aging. As the years pass and the people he knew as a human grew and aged and died, Zhiqiang began to think more and more of the words of the moon. It was when a new group of students walked through him, neither seeing or hearing him, that Zhiqang knew that his time among the humans were over.
Saying goodbye to those few who could still see him, he traveled to the top of the mountain to look down at his home for one last time. When the sun set, he gave one last fireworks display in tribute. As the last firework faded, he was approached by a person claiming to be a dragon like him. They explained that they’ve been keeping an eye on him, waiting for the right time to take him back to his master who wished to invite Zhiqiang into his court.
When Zhiqiang asks who this master is, he’s shocked to hear it is Ao Qin, the Dragon King of the South. He accepts the offer and follows the messenger to the Southern Dragon Palace. There he meets Ao Qin, who explains that Zhiqiang is the last living descendant of his first born son. He had fallen in love with a human woman and renounced his immortality to be with her. Ao Qin had been keeping an eye on their children and was pleased that Zhiqiang managed to awaken his dragon ancestry.
Ao Qin informally adopts Zhiqiang, renaming him Ao Huang in honor of his invention and his deed in saving all of China. Huang is taught the politics and customs of the Dragon Courts. He is also given his own domain withing a mountaintop valley rich with the materials to create his fireworks that just so happens to be close by to his human town. He is even put in charge of a fireworks show during every Solstice and Equinox council the four dragon courts have every year.
Huang grows into his new role with ease. Over time, he meets and befriends certain individuals. The sole survivor of the Sisters of Flight. A man made of golden sand. A loud and boisterous adventurer. A being that looks like a giant rabbit, but has an air of ancientness around him. He eventually meets a young Winter spirit as well.
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How he meets each Guardian and what occurs after I will leave out for now as they are relevant to a potential fic I may write with this character.
Unfortunately, while I have his back story all figured out, his personality is still a bit nebulous at the moment. I know he enjoys marbles and marble runs. He even creates little marble with perpetually exploding fireworks trapped within them to give to his close friends. But beyond that, Xin Zhiqiang/Ao Huang is still very much a work in progress.
Still! He’s come a long way from just being a modernized repeat of Jack’s back story.
I hope you enjoyed this little look into my oldest character! Until next time!
-Ink
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clovercalloway · 5 months
Text
We Best Love: Episode 1 [BLIND REACTION]
So, I have a girl friend who is fan of this show and finally convinced me to watch it. Did I make a mistake? Who knows.
But I collected my thoughts and decided to do this. Well, this is gonna be long so get ready. I'll edit with my afterthoughts (note, EAW means Edited After Watching [the episode]) once I'm finished with season 1, or maybe before. We'll see.
Ok, let's begin!
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Welp, he's dead, Great start!
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You sure this is a romance? This looks more like an intervention.
So, Zhau Shu Yi. I'll guess he's the main character or one of the main characters. I'll try to remember his name [furiously takes notes]
The one gremlin with No Name is asking Zhau why they think it's important for him to win. As a Bakugou fan, I'm excited to hear his answer.
"I push myself forward, so that you can see me." Just one minute and it's already too ‎fluffy for my heart
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So, they're fighting underwater. They saw too much anime, istg. Anygays, that tells me these are actual kids (well, the actors may be older, but I'll suppose they're interpreting kids. I bet they're highschoolers).
"LESSON 1: LET'S SUFFOCATE." Okay, wow, great title. So maybe my joke about him being dead wasn't that far off.
Chilhood friends to lovers is such a nice trope, oml, go for it, boy. Be a man and go get your man!
Fang Zhen Wen and Jiang Yu Xin. Hope I remember that. Are those the other two friends?
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Me, trying to be smooth
He has a fan club
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You gals are fans of a swimmer. What did you expect? You were gonna run out of things to offer him eventually.
So he's Zhou Shu Yi. [keeps taking notes] I'll try to remember that.
Bro, how did he fell? You're supposed to be a pro, Zhou, your gals will be dissapointed.
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He sounds way to chill for someone who's almost drowning.
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NO YOU'RE NOT????
"How are they talking underwater?" "It's the rainbow connection, don't question it."
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My Shojo Academia
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Gao Shi De is me receiving gifts (socks and a mug) on Christmas
Anygays, Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi seem to have this kind of rivalry since they were basically on diapers. They came out of the womb wanting to throw hands with each other.
But Gao Shi De seems to be the naturally gifted, always on top, and so Zhou Shu Yi developed some sort of inferiority complex, or so it looks like. (Wow, this reminds me of yet ANOTHER story and ️‍🌈 ship that started in a similar way -if you know, you know-)
"Why did you fall-" THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, LIKE, WHY
Are you telling me that the actual reason he fell was because of the big gay panic- I mean, rivalry, that he has against Shi De?
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OMG HE CUT HIS FINGER! I've seen enough shojo (and shonen) to know what this means. Where's Shi De to kiss it better?
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You're not Shi De.
"I'm not crying." He's so Bakugou, istg
Now he's blaming his misfortunes on Gao Shi De. Bruh, the only thing he did was exist.
Oh, so they're in university? Nice to know.
His friends are trying to understand his language, I feel them, literally had no idea what he was talking about other than "Gao Shi De".
I was gonna say they seem like good kids and very supportive friends. The latter is truth. The former...
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This poor unfortunate soul keeps falling for their tricks. Gao Shi De it's not that dumb, tho.
Oh gods, he plays the piano, he knows what them girls (and boys) like.
So after having a whole ass "Corpse Bride" moment they went back to bickering
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They should make out, ngl. [EAW: Bruh...]
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Gay people can't just ask someone out, they have to be very extra about it. Shu Yi is an example of that.
He's been bullying Shi De since they were kids, he's oblivious af.
Boy, just confess, it'll save you and your friends' time.
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I want to know his name, he's such a mood.
While Shu Yi can't stop thinking about Shi De, important things are happening.
That girl from the beginning [EAW: Yu Xin, her name is Yu Xin, you big disaster] is asking Fang Zhen Wen out and he's all (,,>﹏<,,)
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At least she's honest, nothing more important than THAT.
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Shu Yi heard about the proposal and went all fake-smile on them and then left.
"Is Shu Yi OK?" Idk, girl, you tell me, I thought you three were friends.
They're telling him is dangerous to run down the stairs. I think he'll live, but I won't forgive him for dropping his backpack on the floor. Bro, get your stuff.
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He's gonna start singing Beat on It.
Annnnnd he went back to the pool. Man, this is were it all started. The flashbacks from episode 1- oh wait.
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He's actually making me feel bad, ngl. Maybe it's the acting, or that I understand the whole "why not me" situation. Mitski taught me well.
It's hard. Friendships and relationships are messy, specially when someone is still young. You also have to deal with a lot of feelings being even more irrational than they should, and the inferiority complex definitely doesn't help, making you feel so insecure about yourself, and as if no matter what you're always going to lack something.
I might barely know them but at the end of the day it's no one's fault, really. You can't control how you feel, or how others feel.
MOOOOOVING ON. You know who could help? HEY, SHI DE!
[EAW: He actually came, that mf]
Wait, is he actually? Bruh, did he jumped on the pool?
Why are teens like this. He could've just dropped the collar. Him and his dramatic gay ass.
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Speaking of dramatic gay asses.
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My guy, this is episode 1, couldn't you just wait until... episode 4, at least?
Dont give me that bs about cpr. The surface was RIGHT THERE!
AND THAT'S THE END OF EPISODE 1. I kinda wanna know if he'll give him the lame excuse about cpr.
I'm dying for more tension, Yu Xin knows what I'm talking about, she also has to finish her thesis.
So, that went quicker than I thought. It was compelling tho. I still need more to form solid opinions, but I´ll bite, I'm interested to know how this develops.
Anyways, whoever reading this (cough cough, bossman), see ya later. I'll watch episode 2 after this.
15 notes · View notes
boysplanetrecaps · 1 year
Text
Boys Planet, Episode 7 Recap Part 5: Feel Special
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Ok, well, I know some of you were waiting for this recap of the trainees’ cover of Feel Special by Twice… Here it is! Warning: I spend a few paragraphs talking about why I love the original song so much. But you can skip that if you’re not interested. 
I watched this whole segment before I started writing this recap, and honestly, I’m not so psyched to talk about it. It was just kind of a bummer. Part of it is because I love the original song, like, a lot. A lot a lot.
Just give me a minute here to gush about Feel Special, or if you don’t care, go ahead and skip the next few paragraphs. 
Both the lyrics and the video for Feel Special tell the story of how the friendship between the girls gives them strength to overcome the way the public views them. Jihyo is being “watched” by TVs, possibly representing how she’s in the public eye (maybe for dating someone?). Nayeon is in this cold, hard room all by herself, in this beautiful but uncomfortable outfit, maybe symbolizing the weight and coldness of being so popular. Momo feels “too big” and out of place. Jeongyeon is all alone and doubting herself. Sana feels abandoned, out in the rain, maybe a reference to when the Korean population turned on her for something innocuous she did. Mina is a sort of ice princess in an alien forest, Chaeyoung is this super modern chick in a lonely modern dome, and Tzuyu feels like just a doll.  (Dahyun is fine. Dahyun doesn’t have a problem.) 
And what happens? They SEE each other. They connect. Jihyo and Nayeon see each other. Mina and Chae rescue each other. Momo and Tzuyu find each other. Dahyun saves Sana. And Jeongyeon sees herself in a new light, as someone who can have friends after all.
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This look that Chae gives Mina -- I tear up every time. If you know that Mina had just taken some time off for extreme anxiety, and if you know that this look is real, genuine look that Chae was really giving Mina -- it’s beyond touching. I never saw Chae look like that before or since in a Twice video.
So the song gives me all the feels. It also sort of reminds me of the time toward the beginning of my current relationship when I realized that someone might actually really love me and how amazing that was, like a fucking miracle. So yeah, I tear up pretty much every time I hear this song. I don’t want to lose that, you know? I like tearing up every time I hear it. It’s a happy kind of tears. I know it’s a dumb kpop song but it’s not a dumb kpop song to me. 
Because of that, I don’t want to spend too long on this performance because I don’t want to ruin the song for myself. Ok. Let’s do this. 
As a reminder, our special feelers are: 
Trainee name (rank)   Star Level test /Challenge 1 /age final star level
Cha Woong Ki (25) Bloom Bloom /Very Nice - K/ 20 ⭐⭐
Zhang Shuai Bo (36) Reveal /Back Door - G/ 21 ⭐
Lee Dong Gun (48) Criminal /Hot Sauce - K / 17 ⭐⭐
Cai Jin Xin (50) Reveal /Hot Sauce - G/ 19 🚫
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When we first saw them in episode 6, they were looking at each other like this, and Cai Jin Xin was saying, “I love our team,” and we were all excited for it! But a shadow loomed on the horizon, as no one seemed to want to take on a big vocal part.
So, we pick up with the team at rehearsal with the judges. 
And Zhang Shuai Bo, who up until this segment I’ve liked for no real reason, is being a passive aggressive sulky child. He’s half-assing the choreo in a really, really obvious way and pouting. 
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I do not like this. 
Look, I fight so hard to not be swayed by MNET editing, but I don’t know how MNET editing could create this impression falsely. Maybe other trainees are also doing this and MNET isn’t showing it, but I can only judge what I see. If you’re unhappy, Z-Bo, then do something about it or suck it up. This passive aggressive “quiet quitting” thing ain’t it. 
I loved that Solji just stopped the rehearsal.
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And then we’re reminded that this is apparently Z-Bo’s favorite song, which just makes all of this even worse. You chose this song for the wrong reasons, that’s on you, bud. But shouldn’t it be at least kind of fun performing your favorite song, no matter what? Man, if I had a chance to do a semi-pro cover of like, Automatic by Red Velvet, or The Eve by Exo, or Feel Special by Twice, with someone to teach me the choreo and let me sing it to people who are excited to be my audience? I mean, scary, but fun! 
I just keep thinking about Xuan Hao, the initially white haired center of the G-trainees’ Burn It Up team, the one who fucking werked that pink feather boa during the prank bit? You might also remember the way he collapsed into his chair to cry after his whole team was eliminated, and how MNET then dangled salvation in front of him only to let him know that he’d come in 54th.
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I know that Xuan Hao would absolutely, positively, never have acted like this. If he had this opportunity, he’d make the most of it. So would've Kim Min Seoung, the super talented, backflipping member of Back Door who MNET ignored completely. Or Han Seo Bin, Park JiHoo’s partner in crime. Or Park Min Seok, the WakeOne trainee who showed his true mettle as the leader of the benighted leftovers team who did Danger. Or Park Gwan Young, who showed us his surprisingly good vocals in Burn it Up. Or determined Chen Yu Geng, or my duckie Ouju, or General Gunwook’s sergeants Jang Yeo Jun and Han Yu Seop, or genuine Hong Keon Hee, or unlucky Hyo, or good-natured Ichika, or five or ten others I could name. I am not necessarily saying that every single one of these trainees is more talented or more “deserving” of a spot on this show than Z-Bo is, but I am saying that from what we have seen of them, not one of them would half ass his choreo in front of the judges just to make a whiney point about how his part is too hard. 
They start over, and when they're done, the psycho judge tells them, “we’re fucked. This is humiliation. Letting you go up on stage like this will be a humiliation for you guys, me, and Boys Planet.”
Weirdly, this is the first time I think I’ve ever seen this judge just say what was on his mind in a genuine, almost vulnerable way. He doesn’t look like he’s specifically trying to make them feel bad -- I think he almost doesn’t care about them at this point. I think he is actually thinking about his job responsibilities and how he’s going to have to get some wheels turning to make sure that their performance can even be aired. In other words, he’s annoyed at them because they are going to cause extra work for him. That’s just my take.
Solji does have a specific, useful piece of feedback, which is that they aren’t supposed to just be doing a straight up cover -- they’re supposed to be putting their own spin on it and showing their own charms. But, as Woongki interviews, they haven’t made any of their own choreo because no one on the team knows how to, and, presumably, because the group leader hasn’t pushed them to do it.
Cai Jin Xin wears the L sticker on his shirt, but other than that, I see no evidence that he’s the leader. Woongki is the one giving pep talks and doing most of the work. He also isn’t really complaining about it in his interviews. 
That’s not to say that CJX is being a terrible teammate. You can see that he’s invested in doing his best. Also, he’s providing free translation service for Z-Bo, who, unlike, say, 15 year old Takuto, has apparently not learned a word of Korean this whole time. 
Side note on that: Languages are hard, and some of us are worse at them than others, and we can’t possibly all be fluent in all languages. But I’ve traveled a lot and been to places where I know only a few words in the local language, and most of the time, people just are glad I tried to say a few words. Just a hello in Khmer or Thai or Greek before switching to English, and I'm rewarded with huge smiles. That’s all most people want -- just to know that you give a shit enough to try. It would seem so different if Z-Bo were just trying a little. Most of the other trainees are learning some Korean, even just an extremely basic pigeon Korean that is probably mostly nouns and unconjugated verbs. Cong speaks in one-word and two-word sentences a lot, and he's mostly understood. Many of the foreign trainees took the time to memorize a Korean speech for the elimination ceremony. Others spoke in their native language but added a Korean phrase or two, like a kamsamnida. What I'm saying is, it doesn’t make Z-Bo a bad person that he hasn’t learned Korean, but it makes him stand out as uniquely unwilling to try.
Anyway, back to CJX. You can tell he’s trying to do his best on the song, but he just feels lost. Same with Lee Dong Gun, who is completely willing to sing, just not really… able. 
But Z-Bo can't sing the song in the high key, and when the team tries transposing the song down, he barely tries to find the note he'd have to sing. It really seems obvious that he just doesn’t want to do it. It’s really not a good look. Again, I am trying so hard to look for how this could just be editing, but I can’t see any way it could be. 
Woongki ends up stepping up to not only choreograph the whole piece, but also sing the hardest part that Z-Bo can't, or won't, sing.
Later on that night, Z-Bo is hanging out with CJX in their dorm room, and they're talking to each other in Chinese. (That’s fine, by the way. I’d probably revert to my native language when I was alone with someone who spoke it.) But he’s using the opportunity to speak Chinese to say things that maybe he doesn’t want people to hear him saying.
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First, Z-Bo refers to Woongki by aiming his foot toward the bed Woongki sleeps in and saying “he”, rather than calling him by his name. That’s what you do when you don’t know someone’s name. Look, maybe I’m wrong and maybe the translations are misleading or something, but if he doesn’t know Woongki’s name at this point, that’s fucked up. And to point with your foot? I think that's rude in any culture, but I think it's even worse in Asian cultures. I might be wrong.
Then Z-Bo says, “If things don’t work out, the production team will help us out for sure. They won’t let the four of us stand on stage staring into space.”  I have no way to know whether or not that’s true, but to express that thought out loud shows a depth of entitlement that I have no wish to plumb. I mean, he is probably tired and all that, but this wasn’t just a stray thought with no precedent in his other behavior -- this is the apex of everything he’s said and done recently. Somehow both a depth and an apex, I guess. 
A few days later at dress rehearsal, the judges are aigoo-ing most of their vocals and general ineptitude. When they’re done, Master Lee, who often delivers the best and most well deserved smack downs on this show, says,
“I’m curious. As you practice, don’t you realize, ‘we’re not good enough’ and think it through?... What do you do at those times? Think ‘time will resolve it,’ is that it? Or think, ‘since the camera only captures the major parts, we’ll just skip through these,’ is that it? Is that what you’re thinking? The Star Creators will be coming and the whole world will be watching you. If you’re not prepared, don’t you get nervous? Even if we give you solutions to the problem, would they get fixed?” 
Then after their feedback, Z-Bo rants to CJX in Chinese, inches away from Woongki and Dongyeol and just counting on them not to understand him. He says, “This was to be expected. He (and he points to Woongki) didn’t tell us what the choreography was about and we never agreed to it.” You can SEE him pointing. I don’t know how else to interpret this. 
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And MNET comes through with the receipts, running a clip to show Woongki explaining the meaning of the song and choreography. Hoo boy. I guess that Z-Bo might just not have understood, but I assume that CJX would have translated. 
By the way, I’m not blaming CJX here. I’ve been in his shoes -- a popular person wanted to gossip with me about someone and I didn’t really know what to do. When someone like that wanted to gossip with me, I felt like, CHOSEN, you know? They’re telling ME this stuff, so they must like me. I’m on the inner circle now! They like me better than the person they’re talking about! Of course, since then, I’ve learned that (a) if I agree with anything they say, they’re likely to go tell that person that I said bad things about them (b) if they’re talking shit about them to me, they’re also talking shit about me to them, 100% of the time.
So, nowadays I know what to do -- I say, in a really pleasant voice, “I can totally understand how you’d feel that way, but I like [person] and don’t really want to talk about them when they’re not around. Let’s talk about [topic] instead.” Usually they say something defensive, like “I wasn’t gossiping” or something, and I let them off the hook, saying, “of course not, everyone talks about everyone sometimes, it’s normal, don’t worry,” and then plunge into the new topic. Sometimes if it’s someone I don’t know well, I pretend that it was my New Year’s Resolution to not gossip. Like, I blame it on myself that I don’t want to participate -- not that there’s anything wrong with them, it’s me who is being the weirdo. 
So yeah, I’m not blaming CJX. He seems a bit uncomfortable with Z-Bo’s comments and we never see him adding anything. He just doesn’t know how to get out of the situation he’s in. 
Anyway. 
True to Z-Bo’s prediction, production does in fact step in a little, giving them an extra vocal lesson with Master Lee and an extra dance practice with LipJ. You get the sense that these appointments were definitely not originally scheduled -- they’re held in weird small rooms we’ve never seen before or since.
Meanwhile, poor Woongki interviews that his ranks have been dropping the whole time, from 10 down to 34 at the most recent announcement, and he’s worried. “If this doesn’t work out this is the end for me.” Surely not, Woongki. Awww. 
I also feel sorry for Lee Dong Gun, who is only 17 and is actually a decent dancer. He’s just not much of a singer, poor kid.
So we go to the performance. 
That link is actually to Woongki’s fan cam. 
My take: 
Donggun’s dancing didn’t fit the style of the choreo-- he overdanced almost every step. But bless him, he was trying.
CJX didn’t do so well, but I know he was really, really, trying too. 
Z-Bo sang kind of decently, though it was kind of unpleasantly shouty, and he had a great smile and flirty interactions with the audience. I didn’t necessarily get the sense he was trying his hardest, though.
Cha Woongki was the Jihyo, Nayeon, Dahyeon, and Sana of this performance, put together. He was also the Mina, Momo, Chaeyeong, Jeongyeon, and Tzuyu. He truly carried the team.
The editing
The editing was pretty kind. The reactions were mostly pretty good, and they didn’t zero in on small mistakes. The weak and often incorrect dancing was mostly hidden by the camera angles. 
By the way, what is with cutting to Seo Won constantly during this whole segment? Are Seo Won and Woongki besties and I missed it? Do people ship them or something because they’re both a little bit effeminate (which is dumb)? What did I miss?
The voting
The boys go to sit on the folding chairs of doom, and we find out that Z-Bo has won the fan vote with 703 votes. Most of the trainees are completely shocked, because they all expected Woongki to get it, but Woongki is a pro and rolls with it. 
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Look at everyone in the background looking at each other in disbelief. That’s formerly blue haired Park Hanbin top left, doing that incredulous smiling thing he does. There’s Jay in the center, and Limousine’s Park Jihoo on the right, and Lee SeungHwan 🍑 and Bak Doha behind Jihoo. Everyone is shocked -- it’s not a K versus G thing, it’s universal. 
But Woongki manages to smile and clap. He has been a complete pro this whole time, though. He has not had a single negative word to say about Z-Bo in the confessional -- I am sure that if he’d said it, they would have used it. But he must know that Z-Bo views him with contempt. I feel certain that he picked up on it when Z-Bo would talk shit about him in Chinese just inches away. You really can feel that. It’s hard to explain, but you just know. So he almost certainly knows exactly what Z-Bo thinks of him, and he is smiling and applauding because he’s a fucking pro. 
I know that Z-Bo might have “evil edited.” I really am trying to imagine how this could have been misconstrued, but in the end I think that this wasn’t evil editing. I think it was honest-to-goodness shitty behavior. And it is extremely galling that Z-Bo won the fan vote over Woongki. 
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I was talking about this with my fella, you know, the one who makes me feel special, and he said that he’s been where Z-Bo is. I guess we all have been. You know, when you’re really good at something in your personal circle, and then you go from your small pond to a big ocean and suddenly no one cares about your special talent. You can feel so lost that it changes your whole personality. And I get that, I do. I’ve been there too. But when I was like that, I was being an asshole. I see it now, and I regret it, and I’m glad that I’m more in tune with myself now where I can catch myself feeling envious or overshadowed and just give myself some time away to process. 
So, it's a human thing, and not always a sign that someone is an irredeemable jerkwad. Maybe he’s a hopelessly entitled, privileged pretty boy actively sabotaging his team out of laziness and selfishness, as he seems to be. Or maybe he’s not really that bad, and within a few weeks or months he’ll snap out of it and apologize to Woongki and strive to do better going forward. I don’t know, and neither do you.
One thing we do know is that Woongki doesn’t want us to go after Z-Bo or anyone else on his team. Look at the message he left on his fancam video (this is google translate).
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In case you can’t read the comment, Woongki basically is saying that he really loves the song Feel Special by Twice-sunbaenim, and that he feels that the Star Creators are the ones who make him feel special. He then says that his whole team -- and he names them all -- worked hard, and asks you to please support the entire team and vote for them. 
So, whether Z-Bo is an entitled jerk or just a guy who is feeling scared and out of his league, let’s follow Woongki’s lead and be polite, right, fam? No death threats or anything -- we can all agree on that! I’m sure my readers already know, though. 
AAAAAAnd with that, we have finished this one! 
If you need a palette cleanser, here is a video of Exo's Kai and Twice's Momo dancing together. Yes, this is a youtube video of a tiktok being posted on tumblr. Enjoy it. 
Or go on to the next one -- "Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms."
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