nixdialo

[nixdialo]

An au where Lin Ling got hired as Ms. J's assistant

[nixdialo]

Love when writers do an insane amount of unnecessary research for their fics. I follow an author that did like 8 months of intense research into 14th century Scotland so they could write smut about it, and guess what. It was some fucking incredible porn AND I learned about old Scottish politics

[nixdialo]

Can you tell me how many angst ideas I have for this ship? Inspired by this audio clip.

°✧˖°✧˖°

"SHANG CHAO! SHANG CHAO!" Yang Cheng screamed as he ran towards his friend's fallen body. All he can hear is his heartbeat, the sound of his blood rushing, and Xia Qing screaming.

It was too late, He wasn't fast enough. All he remembers is performing CPR on Shang Chao until the paramedics arrived. He didn't know who called them, maybe it was Xia Qing or a concerned citizen who heard the gunshot.

"Kid! KID!" A paramedic yelled at him. Yang Cheng didn't respond; all he cared about was saving Shang Chao. Once the paramedic knew that getting Yang Cheng's attention was impossible, they forced him off Shang Chao, but Yang Cheng pulled away and went back to do chest compressions on him. It took 2 paramedics to hold Yang Cheng back. Once the other paramedic confirmed Shang Chao's death, Yang Chao let out the most gut-wrenching scream. "AAAAHHHH!!!!" He fell to his knees and began to cry. Xia Qing tried to comfort him, but it didn't work. "Yang Cheng..."

After the paramedics carried Shang Chao's corpse away, the police arrived. He couldn't answer their questions. How could he? His crush friend is dead from a bullet that was meant for him. It wasn't till the police officer had to drag him away from the scene that he realized that he was too late, too slow.

He was a couple of feet away from him. Why didn't he use his powers sooner? Was it because people believed that E-Soul was always too late? First, his parents' death, and now Shang Chao's death. E-Soul was always too late.

Or was it that he, himself, didn't believe that he was fast enough? Why? Yang Cheng racked his brain for answers, but he couldn't.

Once the police officer dropped him off at his apartment, he realized that he had blood on his hands. Both mentally and physically. He tried to wash it off, but he couldn't get it off, no matter how hard he scrubbed. It would always be there; the blood of his crush friend.

[nixdialo]

Chinese Naming System

For people getting into TBHX and Link Clink or any other Chinese media, here are some references to help you with the naming system.

These references below are more suitable for Wuxia/Xianxia settings, but the naming system is still useful to look at.

Please note that Courtesy names that you'll see in these references are no longer common in Modern China. They only apply to Wuxia/Xianxia settings. (But still useful!!!)

Refs:

Reference for Modao Zushi Writers: Chinese terms by chaoticjoy

Chinese naming basics for fanfiction writers by miqqumi

Please pay attention to how to address people with monosyllabic given names vs 2-syllable given names.

Ex: Monosyllabic given names - Lu Guang, Lin Ling. Do not refer to them as Lu, Lin, Guang, Ling. It doesn’t work like that. Instead, refer to them by their full name: Lu Guang, Lin Ling. Or nicknames: Guangguang, LingLing (more about nicknames are in references below)

2-syllable - Cheng Xiaoshi, Xiao Yueqing. You could call Cheng Xiaoshi only Xiaoshi like Xia Fei does. However, in the manhua, when Lu Guang asked a random girl where Xiaoshi was, she thought he was asking about a rock. So it's best to either use their fully name or only call them by their given name among friends (but Lu Guang and Qiao Ling only call Cheng Xiaoshi by his full name lmfao)

Here is a reference for how nicknames are done in Chinese (Mandarin):

Nicknames in Chinese (Mandarin) by @/fandoestrans

Chinese pet names/nicknames for all you fanfic writers! By YZYdragon2222

Please note that there are differences in which prefixes/suffixes are used by Northern (commonly suffixes) vs Southern (commonly prefixes) as mentioned in the references. Although it could be hard to tell the difference with a non-chinese audience, you can try to figure it out through how the cast refers to each other.

Ex. Cheng Xiaoshi and Qing Ling often refer to Lu Guang by Guangguang, rather than A-Guang. It's also mentioned by peeps that the main cast sounds Northern.

In Mo Dao Zu Shi, Wei Wuxian (courtesy name) or Wei Ying (given name) is called A-Ying as a child. Jiang Yanli is called A-Li by her husband.

But I wouldn't get too hung up by this if you can't tell and/or have anyone to help.

Included in all these references are also mentions of jie/jiejie (姐/姐姐 Big sister or a gal older than you) and ge/gege (哥/哥哥 big brother or a guy older than you).

Ex. Lu Guang sometimes refers to Qiao Ling as Qiao Ling-jie. I can't remember if Cheng Xiaoshi does the same (but he's a brat to her lmfao).

Xiao Youzi (Little Pomelo) refers to Xia Qing as Jie.

My explanations are simply summaries of the references and don't fully go into detail, so please take a look at them!

This is not meant to put others down for not knowing something.

I only want other people to acquire knowledge and have fun with their creations. Research is so important in creating art, be it writing, drawing, etc. It creates more immersion in your work and shows others the extra care and work that goes into your art.

[nixdialo]

when shortening chinese names, what is the purpose of the number zero? such as someone shortening li haoling to lh0, or lin ling to l0?

It's just a nickname.

Lin Ling's characters are 林凌. His "Ling" (凌) mean: pure; virtuous; insult; maltreat. However, Zero in cn in líng (零).

His real nickname in the cn community is 00 because if you say Lin Ling fast, it sounds like you're saying 00 (líng líng/零零).

That why you'll see Lin Ling and Li Haoling's name be abbreviated to L0, 00, and lh0 as a nickname.

Overall, it's a cute and fun play on words.

[nixdialo]

Flowing asthetic in chinese xianxia and wuxia culture(novels, movies, dramas)

[nixdialo]

What do you think about Nice having a weekend and checking social media on his phone while he wearing a cucumber mask and drinking strawberry milk?

I just need him to chill and rest you know…

I'm not gonna lie, I laughed when I read this cuz i was getting prepared to draw some angsty Nice stuff

But you know what, you're right, he deserves a little rest

Weekend relax for Nice and his comically long straw

I have no idea what cucumber masks are supposed to look like and when I searched it up there were multiple types of different colors so I just... did this thing

[nixdialo]

Shang Chao is the heroic side of Yang Cheng's E-Soul, holding the belief that Yang Cheng is E-Soul with or without the mask.

While Xia Qing is the humanity of E-Soul, reminding Yang Cheng not to lose himself on this path.

[nixdialo]

[gripping the sink] perfectionism does not help me avoid embarrassment or shame. perfectionism is in itself a form of shame. when i struggle with perfectionism i struggle with shame. when i struggle with perfectionism i struggle with shame. when i struggle with perfectionism i struggle with shame

[nixdialo]

amplified for extra pain

[nixdialo]

Preach I guess

[nixdialo]

kill the imposter syndrome in your head because not only is there someone out there doing it worse than you, they’re also using chat gpt to do it

[nixdialo]

google please. im not trying to kill myself. im just researching for fanfiction. please stop giving me the hotline. please.

[nixdialo]

Smoke

Smoke trails down his throat, coiling in his lung before it escapes back out his mouth. Xia Fei leans back against the wall as the city lights cascade a display within his room. Red, yellow, white lights dance around this cold Bridon room, but the camera isn’t rolling to encase the way the light paints Xia Fei in their colors. The camera does not capture this version of Xia Fei, the Xia Fei with cold eyes and thinly pressed lips, the Xia Fei that rolls a cigarette between his fingers.

Xia Fei glances out the window, seeing the images of life like a TV screen. He could easily grind the cigarette out, open the window and join the life outside. But he’s comfortable here, in this little room where time has long frozen.

Ash falls into the tray between his legs, as the hot red-tip of a cigarette dangle between his fingers. Smoke dances above his head, mocking him of afterimages of a lazy smile and long fingers curled around a smoking pipe. Xia Fei reaches up to grasp him, only for his hand to break through the fog. He haunts him within the smoke. Is he cruel or is Xia Fei unable to let go?

A pair of hands parts through the haze, cradling Xia Fei’s face with such care, it almost brings him to tears. Xia Fei knows this isn’t real because that man would never hold him like so, but who is Xia Fei to deny the solace of comfort?

The hands tilt Xia Fei’s head as he takes another puff, but he doesn’t get the luxury of breathing it into his lungs when the ghost descends on him. He can taste the brandy on the other’s tongue, mixing with the smoke in his mouth. It’s a cruel gentleness that Xia Fei will take at face value. The words he’s unable to say is taken from his tongue by this mirage of his own making.

Red hair drapes over them, shielding them from the world as Xia Fei chase after the man’s warm lips. He traces the edge of the man’s smile with his teeth, forcing his lips to part once more. Outside, the rain pounds on the window in an echo of rumbling chuckle. A warm puff of breath ghost over his cheek as thunder strikes the sky, drowning out the man’s words. Xia Fei attacks his lips with feverish heat, his fingers tangling the other’s silky hair as the soft pillow of his mouth gives into Xia Fei’s persistent as easily as plucking flower petals.

The cigarette continues to burn, marking the carpet with the ashes of reality. Smooth brandy continues to coat Xia Fei’s tongue, daring him to fall deeper in this fantasy. The pair of hands drape over his shoulder, dragging him down until he’s caging the man between his limbs. And he stares at the man’s flushed face, his kiss-bruised lips and his eyes—his red eyes so bright and alive—teases Xia Fei, daring him, taunting.

How far are you willing to go? Dive deeper, darling, until you reach past my ribs, parting my lungs. How far are you willing to go?

And Xia Fei thinks—devouring the man with his eyes—until he can find his world.

Xia Fei leans down, nosing at the man’s neck to breath in his cologne. Thunder cracks along the sky once more, this time all the lights in the block shuts down, leaving Xia Fei in the dark. The rain drums outside, mimicking laughter. Moments later, the lights flickered back on and Xia Fei finds himself alone with the aftertaste of brandy on his tongue.

Xia Fei sits back against the bed and brings the cigarette to his lips. He inhales, wilting the cigarette down to the bud, then exhales, spinning a new image in the smoke.

[nixdialo]

I'm trying a new craft called "Wrapping flower" (缠花), you essentially wrap a silk string around different cutout shapes to create flowers, animals, etc. They can be made into hair pins, brooches, other accessories:

China has a saying:

"难者不会，会者不难＂

"Difficult for those who don't know how, easy for those who do"

Meaning anything is difficult if you don't know how to do it, and anything is easy for those who do. These past few years I've been made acutely aware of how accurate this is. From learning Hanfu hairstyles, make up, to learning woodblock printing, making Guqin, playing Guqin, doing nail art, making polymer clay figurines, embroidery, calligraphy, stone seal carving, and now this, it's always easy watching others do it and then when I try it myself the first 10 times are utter disasters. Usually I need at least 20 attempts before I get one result that I'm semi-ok with, sometimes even more.

I spent an entire afternoon today trying to wrap one leaf. The string kept coming loose, my fingers got sore, I'd run out of string and couldn't connect another piece, it was chaos. And by the end my leaf has spots where the string missed (the white patches) 😩

I'm never going to believe anyone who tells me 'this is easy!', or those clickbait videos that are like, 'master this-and-this in 10 minutes!' because I've come to realize it's all nonsense. Behind every 'this is easy!' is someone who spent hours, days, maybe even years learning and practicing 😭

[nixdialo]

I was just thinking about how in the cn community his nickname is 00 because if you say Lin Ling fast, it sounds like 00. So if the tease of Lin Ling becoming blackened is true, what if he becomes the new Hero Zero (the hero turned villain in E-Soul's PV)?

I think what may be happening with to be hero X is a villain origin story.

Think about it. Lin Ling was a nobody, he loses his job, he's on a roof and is yelling at anything he deems to be at fault. Nice jumps and Lin Ling is FORCED into becoming him. He falls in love with Moon while stuck like that. He witnesses the horrors of being a hero, but sticks with it for people like moon. He announces on live television that he's a hero because of her.

He then loses her. Violently.

He has just lost everything that made him want to be a hero. Lin Ling, as sweet as he is, is not that emotionally stable.

I think, at the VERY LEAST, he's gonna crash out.