#The xie twins are so funny

[xxmothangelxx]

My personal favorite Swiftspace nicknames <3

[muzsmoux]

Reviewing tgcf characters because I have thoughts

I finished S2 recently and I need somewhere to put my not exactly hot but like warm (?) takes because it's taking up too much storage space in my brain.

🤍 Xie Lian 🤍

It's a good thing I'm not into guys because if I was I would be on my knees for this man in every sense of that expression and his pet menace to society would mince me up like garlic.

So I'll try to be brief about my overflowing feelings about him. Xie Lian is the best main character I have come across in a WHILE. He's the embodiment of compassion and kindness. And also a cold blooded murderer. A babygirl. A father figure. A terrifying martial god. A silly little guy. A pathological liar. The most genuine man you'll ever meet. He's everything, and Hua Cheng is 100% valid in his obsession. I'm right there with him.

Rating: 10/10

❤️ Hua Cheng ❤️

Idk if we ever figured out who wrote My Immortal but I'm pretty sure we have our culprit.

"Hi my name is Hua Cheng Crimson Rain Sought Flower Red-Robed Ghost King and this is my evil weapon of death E-ming. I've killed soooo many gods with it!! My dark power is I can summon storms of BLOOD and SUFFERING. I have my own scary city of DEMONS and they all love me and think I'm HOT but I only want my BOYFRIEND who's the only REAL GOD so STOP FLAMING HIM YOU POSERS-"

Needless to say I love him. Being the 8 time winner of the Loverboy of the Century Awards with unbeatable records in the yearning olympics is truly a remarkable feat.

Rating: 9/10

(Bonus: E-ming. Cute little guy. Likes his stepdad more than his real dad. Not afraid to show it's feelings even if it makes it look like a muppet, 10/10)

🧡 Feng Xin & Mu Qing 🧡

Tweedle dee and tweedle dum gets a shared rating because they would hate to be grouped together like that and that's funny to me. Their dynamic is great, they're good characters, I wasn't sure which one was which until midway through the second season. But then also I have a pair of 7yo twin cousins who I still can't tell apart despite them not looking even a slight bit similar so that might just be a character flaw on my end. Oops.

Rating: 7/10

🩵Shi Qingxuan🩵

I'm doubling the rating because she is best boy and best girl at the same time. I love that I can use any and all pronouns for him because he's literally a pride parade personified and therefore all of them are correct. You don't get that type of chaotic fun just anywhere.

He is truly living my dream, presenting as whatever gender they want depending on what's more convenient and/or funnier in the moment. Super useful, for things like gathering intel and terrorizing Feng Xin by being a woman.

And I personally think we should crown her the new emperor. She'd look significantly better on that throne, with her Barbie-like radiance and flourishing Kenergy.

Rating: 20/10

🖤 Ming Yi 🖤

Listen, I hate to say it because I like a sunshine x grump moment as much as the next gay but he's just... not giving what he thinks he's giving. Everyone is whispering ominously about him having some dark devastating secret but MY point is no matter how big his boobs are in his female form, Shi Qingxuan could do better. I'm sorry. She really could.

Rating: 4/10

💙 Lang Qianqiu 💙

Just an honest man with good intentions and a sickass fucking sword. He did NOT hesitate to attack the infamous Crimson Rain Sought Flower on SIGHT and I respect a quick decisionmaker, even if it shows some himbo tendencies. He also has the same distinct energy as Fred from Scooby Doo.

Rating: 6/10

💚 Qi Rong 💚

He's got some odd dietary and moral choices going on. Definitely. But he's just such a fun villain!!! Being Xie Lian's nr 1 source of migraines SHOULD make me like him less but I'm sorry, every time he was on screen I was LIVING. He would do numbers on reality TV. Someone put this guy on Kitchen Nightmares, I need to see him 1v1 Gordon Ramsay.

Rating: 7/10

🌚 Jun Wu 🌚

He has his emperor status & DILF card going for him but something about this man just ain't right. If he came to a party I was attending I would cover my drink is all I'm saying.

Rating: 2/10

🔥Pei Ming🔥

I don't know much about him besides he had that one shady empolyee or whatever (could not hear the plot over the deafening sound of Hua Cheng's yearning) but I'm partial to a good manwhore character. The thought of people praying to him like "Hugh Mungus, who art in heaven-" really tickles me.

I know he's probably straight but I headcanon him as at the very least bi-curious because you can't be that hot with that much game and not use it for evil. (That evil being causing large scale gay awakenings among his soldiers.)

Rating: 7/10

❓Pei Xiu❓

Unreliable, unimportant, unattractive, unemployed.

I remember not a singular thing about him besides fucking up Xie Lian's daughter's life and also being on my last nerve from the jump. If you're going to be evil at like least be memorable about it, you know? You can't be a bad person and a bad character at the same time. Pick a struggle.

Rating: 1/10

📚 Ling Wen 📚

I heard she committed some war crimes but honestly if I had to do an entire realm's tax returns by myself AND teach Pei Ming how to read (I refuse to believe that man is literate, just look at him) I would want to rage on occasion too. I hope she has a hot wife waiting for her at home to give her massages after carrying the whole system on her back all day. It's what she deserves.

Rating: 8/10

Thank you for reading!! Opinions might change once I read the books but as of now this is it. Remembering everyone's names has been a journey and a half so this post is sponsored by @kirstenly 's character cheat sheet go look at it! and everything else too!!!

[levemetal]

I have a million and one svsss AU ideas that idk if I'll ever write cause I have 0 confidence in my untested writing skills. Any of these appeal to you?? Go ahead, use 'em. Know any fanfics like that? Please please PLEASE leave them in the comments. Ideas to add? Anything? Please go ahead I have no friends that are as deep in the svsss brainrot as me to subject this to ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ )‧º·˚

Continued under the cut due to excessive rambling

These will be Ghost King/Calamity!SJ cause he has been living rentfree in my brain ever since one braincell at one AM shouted about it so you have been warned.

- Dual Ghost Kings YQY and SJ, Post canon of PIDW. That's it that's the idea. Their extras hurt my cold dead heart way too much and as much as bbygirl SJ is a piece of shit, Yue Qingyuan deserves happiness, and for that he needs his Xiao-Jiu. Basically YQY does not stay dead when Bingge turns him into a pincushion à la White No Face to Xie Lian except with arrows. What happens from here? Idk didn't get that far but I imagine he steals back his (probably dead) Xiao-Jiu, maybe does some other batshit insane shit like we all know that deep down he's capable of, and the duo fucking COMMUNICATES for once in their life and they live happily ever after. Bonus points for hilarious deaths for Bingge.

- If you're a filthy multishipper like me, want a BingJiu version of the above QiJiu? Easy, SJ decides to haunt Bingge's ass for eternity and vice versa when Bingge kicks the bucket and so they spent the rest of eternity trying to make each other miserable in increasingly ridiculous and creative ways. Maybe along the centuries they find a common enemy or sort their shit out and proceed to make their awful existence everyone else's problem. A match made in hell, truly <3

Are you seeing a theme yet. I like a general comedic air to svsss AUs, it just belongs to the svsss experience ya know? Anyway carrying on-

Shen twins, and SQH twins cause why not. If you want Binghe twins too, actually probably funnier with Binghe twins, where one is our beloved maiden Bingmei and the other OG!PIDW Bingge but forced back in time with memories of the PIDW timeline. Transmigrator SQH aka Airplane gets the peak lord + Mobei-Jun plotline while OG!SQH is just chilling as an An Ding Peak Hallmaster or something. Meanwhile, the Shen twins have a funny game of imposter going on. As far as everyone is concerned, there is only one Shen Qingqiu, Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan transmigrated in earlier into the novel, but ended up going to CQM with Yue Qi while SJ got stuck in the Qiu household as in canon. From here the details can change but the main idea is that

A) Shen Yuan knows how to do his peak lord job actually

B) SJ is a calamity ghost, having died either in his disciple years or alternatively never made it out of the Qiu household alive

C) Both SY and SJ have been playing switcheroo when SY needs to head out and do stuff or just wants SJ to do his paperwork for him.

I still need a good reason for the switching and duping, but wouldn't it be funny if the disciples just had to deal with their peak lord behaving WILDLY different at times. Most of the time it's good ol' Shen Yuan smiling at disciples, way too enthusiastic for monsters and plants and keeps forgetting his fans everywhere. Then one random week in the month after he has a resting bitch face, scowls, snarls and bitches at anyone and has 0 patience for teenage attempts at music.

Most shrug it off as just terrible migraine weeks, but some disciples are suspicious, most of all Bingge who is CONVINCED something is WrongTM. Like, he KNOWS SQQ and this SQQ is just so different, something must be different. He doesn't know how right he is yet everyone just thinks he's actually insane.

I know this is probably increasingly insane and dumb, but fast forward to the Abyss opening. SJ was probably there to keep an eye on his clumsy twin, but SY ends up asking the ghost to look over the Luos, as the system still demands that they go to the abyss. So SJ after much grumbling agrees (after all he probably just was unmasked as ghost calamity, and the twins as demons, with a huge amount of cultivators moving their way. It's really the smaller hassle to jump into the Abyss and deal with the horrors there. Besides, the scholar in SJ would be curious about the abyss (and SY too let's be honest) ), kicks both in and goes "Alright we're taking an impromptu field trip" and jumps in after leaving SY to deal with the political mess that comes after.

Anyway, the last AU can be changed in various ways, like make it a PIDW time travel fix it with only the OGs around, or just Shen twins, etc. Feel free to shout at me how dumb this all is.

[randomshenaniganery]

TGCF Donghua

okay so I've been watching this shit since it was released and I'm fully enjoying waiting for the weekly episodes and I wanna rant about it because I love it so much but I do have some minor gripes

Bad chuchu out of the way first

I am not happy with how generic and unoriginal the designs for most of the supporting characters. Like yeah they still look somewhat different but when the pool of named characters will expand it will get harder and harder to tell people apart if they keep on going with this route. Almost everyone suffers from same face syndrome which I know is rampant in current anime I just wished they allowed for at least more dynamic silhouettes, hairstyles, and color palettes. It feels like a more toned down version of the character design in the manhua. Lang Qianqiu in the manhua is so easy to recognize because of his outfit and pei ming looks more like the bastard he is etc. Don't get me started on the design for Kemo, the manhua felt eh I feel like Kemo was too pretty and too slim but in the donghua its just he's a straight up orc idk, i feel like they could've done better. Pei Su looks very generic, I think out of everyone he's the most generic looking of them all. SQX, Ling Wen and Jun Wu are the best designs for the supporting cast and I think Banyue is also okay looking cause you can tell her apart from the rest so far.

I am super disappointed in Qi Rong's reveal because it doesn't feel as impactful in the book. In the book the reveal of him looking like Xie Lian was so dramatic to me I was like oh my god is that his brother? A twin? a doppelganger? And then Qi Rong just kinda looks like that, tbh his voice actor and his clothes are fine I think they fit. It's just weird how he suffers from same face syndrome. If they made everyone look less like each other making Qi Rong look like Xie Lian would have been so impactful and a really cool cliffhanger but they couldn't do that because even fucking Lang Qianqiu kinda looks like Xie Lian with lighter hair. Also the Fang xin design is alright on the clothes but the mask gives off a bit cheap however I get that it can't be super detailed and it still does its job so I can handwave that small pet peeve.

Also censorship we couldn't get Xie Lian falling on Hua Cheng's lap and so them trying to make up for that was super awkward LMAO, they could have solved this by making SQX fall right on Hua Cheng's chair so that they could justify why Xie Lian grabbed Hua Cheng and throws him but they didn't... and it's so awkward...

I think it was like Episode 2 of s2 that the animation feels weird, Mu Qing's face felt off to me idk what was going on it just felt like something went down but the next episode it was perfectly fine anyway.

Positives!!!

Something the manhua didn't have was Fu Yao and Nan Feng looking a bit like each other, that was so fucking funny and it's a great display of how much they hate each other and live rent free in each other's heads ong. I love that detail the donghua did I think that's smart.

The voice actors are so great in both dubs they're doing amazing (I haven't listened to the jp dub) I have no complaints I love their work

ONE of my favorite things about the donghua is being able to see Hua Cheng's expressions even when Xie Lian is doing something in the book so he wouldn't notice. I love seeing how pleased he is every time someone points out the intimacy with him and Xie Lian. Like in season 1 when Fu Yao is shocked/horrified that Xie Lian shared a bed with Hua Cheng, San Lang puts a hand on his chin and looks so fucking smug and happy. This happens a couple times in s2 as well someone will be like oh that's weird you're so like this with Hua Cheng and he becomes a smug cat it's great.

Another one I enjoy is during the beginning of the banyue arc when Xie Lian reveals to Fu Yao and Nan Feng that he's used to sleeping in squalor the camera goes to Nan Feng not revealing his face but clearly showing his guilt over what Xie Lian reveals. That's good shit.

Lan Chang picking a fight off screen, also cool, love seeing her. I like that she looks inconspicuous so for someone who doesn't know shit about tgcf they will not see *that* shit coming.

ALSO the men look kinda generic if they're not the mls but the girls are all gorgeous???? like the woman who was Hua Cheng's speaker, the girl who led Xie Lian further into the gambling den, XUAN JI, Banyue all the girls are unique without being so ostentatious and I love them. If you put them beside each other they all look like they're own thing but still on theme. From clothes, to hairstyle and colors it's easy to tell and that's good design. I also include SQX's female form cause she's gorgeous too.

The donghua I think adds to stuff I haven't read I'm not sure if this is because I have a bad memory but I don't recall reading a flashback of Lang Qianqiu and the failed robbery. But the message of that entire section was so fucking good. The way that what Lang Qianqiu said about 'maybe he shouldn't have intervened' and the sound effects UGh. It's so good, i love how the book tackles the morality of everything, breaking down Lang Qianqiu's firm positivity and believing in humanity but still promoting being kind and considerate through Xie Lian. This theme still carries on in the show and I think they're doing a great job.

GOD THE MUSIC in the donghua is so fucking good, I love it. The songs, the meanings, the beat it's all perfect I can't say anything more.

even though i'm disappointed in the character design choices the donghua is very solid, I love it a lot. It does come off as very expositiony sometimes but I think that's very prevalent in Chinese Wuxia and Xianxia. Probably weird for people who aren't used to the genre but to anyone who's seen something like it, it's not unbearable and it's kinda necessary because of how the book is written. Waiting for wednesday patiently whilst i draw huahua

There are so many fun details the Donghua adds that shows that they know the story and where it's going as well hinting at character stuff, it's so fun to spot those. Like Xie Lian's reaction to Hua Cheng biting the bun made me wanna claw my face that shit was good af.

[hashtagloveloses]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Thanks....

the issue here is i have a recency issue. they cycle out depending on what i’ve consumed recently. so ill forget a blorbo and be sad about it. also i have a predilection for sad little bisexual guys so it’s very skewed

1. one of my OGs is will parry from his dark materials. he’s of that type of male character that is relentlessly kind shonen protagonist who keeps being forced into violence but doesnt want to. also the original book boyfriend next to percy jackson. 12 year old me was obsessed. i loved prince caspian and half the narnia boys for the same reason, and when i watched fullmetal alchemist this was why alphonse elric was my favorite elric brother. (this is also why i love yuji, tanjiro, and deku very dearly)

2. probably one of my first blorbos of all time was elphaba from wicked, hence my old URL. reading that book too early changed my brain chemistry. area leftist of a marginalized identity maligned by society and also bisexual as hell. she will always be my first and forever girly. you can imagine what happened to me when i met wei wuxian, who is essentially the same character. i went nuts

3. the funny little bisexual man who covers his pain with humor and cares so deeply usually goes on the list. one of my first was and always will be Sokka, but percy jackson fills this role as well as my beloveds, Satoru Gojo, and Vash the Stampede

4. funny little bisexual man who covers his pain with humor and is doomed by the narrative could cover many already mentioned but Nicholas D. Wolfwood remains the pinnacle. he’s very important to me. ive made a lot of posts about him but him representing this existential dread that you’ll die before you find happiness haunts me

5. the secondary villain who becomes a begrudging part of the team for comedy also always is a favorite but Greed from FMA has always stuck with me. an embodiment of one of humanity’s sins finding peace because the thing he most coveted became the love of others and not material wants got my ass

6. i understand there arent many women on this list and while i have favorite female characters in many pieces of media they dont often make the top list, however asajj ventress goes on the list. her story even before dark disciple is one of the best in star wars. as u can tell i have a predilection for evil women maligned in society

7. maul is also one of my favorites of all time. they really resurrected him and made him the most compelling in the narrative. the tragedy that he wont let go even in his last moments always gets me. watching twin suns actually broke me. his story in rebels was airing in a part of my life where i really identified with him as someone gifted yet ignored and thrown away and it got me

8. shocking absolutely no one, while sailor moon is one of my favorite pieces of media of all time and it is largely about women, my blorbo is tuxedo mask, mamoru chiba, the like ONE guy. he’s pathetic, he’s bisexual, and he’s also one of my first anime crushes of all time. more importantly he has been wronged by many adaptations and i must fight for his honor.

9. the Doctor remains ever important to me, especially 9, but them as a character. probably the same as Vash and Xie Lian, the sad immortal character cursed to constantly be alone who doesn’t want to hurt people always gets my ass

10. Rapunzel from Tangled has always been a very special blorbo for reasons i wont share online but that series had my ass in a vice grip for a reason

[lindwurmkai]

Watching Love And Redemption after Word of Honor and all those DMBJ adaptations is so funny because the cast is just

TLT2 Xiaoge with slightly more emotions

Yatou but completely unrecognisable

girl who looks like Gong Jun's twin sister

evil Ye Baiyi

TLT2 Xie Yuchen but he's a pain in the ass

TLT2.5 Wu Xie as a snake god who hisses at people and only cares about food and fighting

TLT2 Wu Sanxing as a merman

cute little Dou Cheng from the epic gay flashback in TLT2 as Cheng Yi's experienced, mischievous "older brother" (in the martial sense) and accomplice, who also has a teenaged daughter???

Chen Pi Ah Si is there

Yang Wuxie from Heroes is also there

several more familiar actors will briefly appear

who isn't on this show, really

[theunconcernedembalmer]

Back at it with the modern au, this time with more wu chang twins

It’s more of what if they both joined fencing with Joseph and more twin shenanigans

[baoshan-sanren]

Best dramas I’ve watched in 2020 so far (and some not so good ones) Part II

part 1 here

Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain - based on Once Upon A Time, There Was A Spirit Sword Mountain by 国王陛下 (translation dropped at chapter 50 out of 884 back in 2017). A combination of satire/comedy with complex themes. The emotional investment sneaks up on you out of nowhere and hits you like a sack of bricks. An interesting twist on the master/disciple relationship. Meh on the special effects. Excellent female characters. Solid plot, endless fanfic potential, all the found family your heart desires. Much more gay than you’d think. Needs Season 2, but Season 1 can be watched over and over again. 9/10

Handsome Siblings - based on Twin Heroes by Gu Long. Feel good ending. A decent amount of angst. The most heartwarming drama I’ve watched all year. Funny and insightful and a joy to experience. Meh on the special effects. They don’t know they’re brothers. Plot drags only in a few places, and not for very long. A variety of female characters, but mediocre on their portrayals. A sect comprised of only female disciples - I would like to see it. Contains one of the three het couples whose happiness mattered to me in the entirety of 2020. An endless well of hilarity and angst. Can be watched over and over again. 8/10

Love and Redemption - based on The Glass Maiden by Shi Si Lang (translation ongoing). A wild ride from beginning to end. Intentionally and unintentionally funny. Gay subtext. Contains one of the three het couples whose happiness mattered to me in the entirety of 2020. A plethora of excellent and complex side characters. A feral bottom snake god. A merman who gets kidnapped once a week. Buckets of angst and frustration and misunderstandings. Gorgeous aesthetics. The male lead is tortured more often than all the other characters combined, but he looks hot while going through it. A+ for the sheer wildness of the plot, C- for all the misunderstandings; there has to be a limit somewhere. 7.5/10

The Rise of Phoenixes - based on The Rise of Phoenixes by 天下归元 (translation ongoing). Contains one of the three het couples whose happiness mattered to me in the entirety of 2020. If you judge the seriousness of the drama by the relative hotness of the Emperor, casting Ni DaHong should tell you everything you need to know. An abundance of court intrigue, suspense, and humor. Complex themes, steady plot progression, no scene time wasted. Costumes and set design out of this world. Smart and witty. The most thought provoking drama I’ve watched all year. Ni Ni is a goddamn goddess and should be worshipped daily. 10/10

Legend of Two Sisters In the Chaos - based on a novel I can’t seem to track down anywhere. Meng ZiYi must have some serious back pain from carrying all forty episodes on her shoulders. Interesting premise, shaky execution at best. Main het relationship did not excite, nor were the acting skills comparable; Meng ZiYi deserved better. Wang ZhuoCheng gives a decent performance. The drama does pack an emotional punch if you stick around long enough to get invested. Forty episodes long, but sometimes seemed twice that. Definitely entertaining, but not engaging. 6/10

The Wolf - also based on a novel I can’t track down. Too much romance, then angst, then romance. The dreaded love triangle. Dropped the drama three times, then went back because Xiao Zhan. Darren Wang gives decent performance, but does not have much to work with. Li Qin’s skills utterly wasted on this role. If you’re not invested in the love story, you’ll get bored. If you’re invested, you’ll be emotionally numb half-way through. Good fight scenes. Not so good special effects. 5/10 for the actors doing their best with what they had.

Dance of the Phoenix - based on Dragons Flies Phoenix Dances by 明月听风 (translation dropped at chapter 27 out fo 85 in May of 2020). Yu Mingye deserved better. Female main character + mostly female side characters. Excellent + complex villains, also female. Judging by the costumes + special effects, not much of a budget to work with. Cop-out in the last few episodes to neatly tie up the plot that was... not very intricate to begin with. Vastly entertaining but not that deep. Buckets of angst, but plenty of humor to ease the pain. Lan JingYi fights with a fan. Good fanfic potential. Godawful ending. 7/10 for the best villain I’ve encountered all year.

Legend of Fei - based on Bandits by Priest (translation ongoing). Zhao Liying slays. A variety of compelling female characters. Excellent fight choreography. Interesting premise, steadily progressing plot. Potential for many disaster bisexuals. May contain the fourth het romance I’m invested in this year, but it's still too early to tell. Wang Yibo in his element as Xie Yun, may even produce a better performance than his role in The Untamed. The drama is still only 7 episodes in, will give ranking when finished. ?/10

Looking forward to:

Immortality - based on danmei novel The Husky and His White Cat Shizun by 肉包不吃肉 starring Chen Feiyu and Luo Yunxi

Winner Is King - based on the danmei novel Sha Po Lang by Priest starring Tan Jianci and Chen Zheyuan

A Tale of The Wanderers - based on danmei novel Faraway Wanderers by Priest starring Zhang Zhehan and Gong Jun

Douluo Continent - based on xuanhuan novel Soul Land by 唐家三少 starring Xiao Zhan and Wu Xuanyi 

Step By Step Lotus - based on historical novel Return to Ming Dynasty as Prince by 月关 starring Zhang Binbin and Luo Yunxi

Feng Qi Long Xi - based on historical novel of the same name by Ma Bo Yong starring Zhu Yilong and Deng Lun

Sword Snow Stride - based on the xuanhuan novel The Snowy Path of the Heroic Blade by 烽火戏诸侯 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Hu Jun

Heaven Official's Blessing - based on danmei novel of the same name by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - cast unknown

Thousand Autumns - based on danmei novel of the same name by Meng Xi Shi - cast unknown 

Joy Of Life Season 2 - based on wuxia novel of the same name by 猫腻 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Li Qin

A League of Nobleman - based on danmei novel The Society of Four Leaves by Da Feng Gua Guo starring Song Weilong and Jing Boran

Flying Phoenix - based on danmei novel of the same name by 風弄 starring Dai Jingyao and Shu Yaxin

[wujiuz]

Can you do a wuchang x male reader ^^ where the male gets flirted on by morton? And how would the twins react?

- 🐌❤

◟ ＆ IMAGINE. ( ◞•̀д•́)◞ ‘.* — # ❛ wu chang w/ partner who gets flirted with by mike ! ( male reader.

꒰ 1. ꒱ well, honestly.. they don’t blame the acrobrat. you’re stunning — eyes like jewels and a voice like smooth honey, but you’re dating them.. and even if your relationship wasn’t out for everyone to know.. they both felt sick, to the stomach, with jealousy. xie was quiet with his, though. polite, refined, and all smiles whenever mike got too close or held your touch for a little too long. he would hate the acidic feeling burning in his throat, but he would never complain about it. fan would be more cutthroat, knife-like in a way you never saw. more irritated and harsh with his actions and words.. and just like xie, he wouldn’t mention it — however, petty comments? he would be absolutely repulsed to know that mike would have ran across the map to save you from getting sent back to the manor.

꒰ 2. ꒱ “he’s not an object, wujiu.” xie cries out, rubbing his temples in an attempt to calm down the upcoming headache. fan knows this.. he knows this well. you are your own person, of course. he respects you, but he isn’t in the mood to listen to the same words xie repeats whenever mike makes it clear he’s interested in you. “i know,” fan snarls — but he doesn’t mean to! he doesn’t even want to be in a shitty mood because of someone so insignificant, but he feels shitty.. so, so shitty.

꒰ 3. ꒱ their lack of communication results in a consequence. mike comes close, bringing you in and looking at you as if you were starlight. it was just a normal night, filled with a clear view of the constellations and moon, but he seemed more nervous; blueberry eyes slightly shaking and his lips trembling. “hey, [ ].” his fingers traced small shapes on the balcony, blonde hair curling around his face in a small, messy heart-shape. “you’re really cute.” his voice is light-hearted, unwavering and dripping in the confidence you heard when he just stunned a hunter. it’s a step up from how nervous he was, but it’s playful. amusement is laced in his words and you can tell, so you don’t say anything — you don’t have to, really. mike is playful, bright and always moving — like a sunflower in need of its sun. however, before you even got the chance to reply, the guards have already spotted you. their eyes are wide, surprise evident on their gray faces, but then there’s an awful bitterness in the way they tense.

꒰ 4. ꒱ after that, you confront them on their jealousy problem and they confront you on letting mike flirt with you.

꒰ 5. ꒱ all is well, don’t worry. you end up laughing when they say he was flirting with you, though. mike? mike morton? it’s a funny thought, but you don’t entertain yourself with the idea of ever dating him. “i already have you both.” your voice is quiet and soft, lullaby-like in a way that it makes the guards relax. there’s relief, obviously — but they trust you. they always have, but it’s annoying to see other people flirting with their boyfriend.

꒰ 6. ꒱ to make it short, xie isn’t one for jealousy. he has always been kind, overwhelming with the warmth he brings and how soft his touch is. he is calm and receding, like the sea before a storm. there are days where he pulls you in close, mumbling something in his native tongue and apologizing if it was too sudden or quick. “i want to be close with you, [ ]. sorry.” he would press a quick kiss to your forehead, but not before asking if he can.

꒰ 7. ꒱ fan is jealous and he shows it, even if he tries his best to conceal it. he respects you and always will, but his irritation let’s him slip-up with his words and actions. he has enough respect for himself not to lash out, believe him — but it will not stop him from scoffing out loud or rolling his eyes. he knows when people have an eye for you, he can see it. he will wrap his arms around you, making sure you’re always close or nearby.

꒰ 8. ꒱ they’ve never had anyone (romantically) except each other, so forgive them if their pride doesn’t allow them to healthily communicate with you. they’ve known each other for as long as they could remember and even after death, they have some things they need to work on.

꒰ 9. ꒱ you’re their boyfriend and they love you.. very, very much, so after you come out with your relationship to the rest of the manor — they will show it, wherever they are. (and purposely tunnel mike, only stopping when you ask them to.)

i am so duckinf tired i am so sorry if this sucks i am So tired

[fu-yao]

tagged by @leonzhng​ thanks for making me dig through my most embarrassing crushes 😭✋

i’ll tag @highwarlockkareena​ @yibobibo​ @lan-xichens​ @purplexedhuman​ @aheartfullofjolllly​ @lanzhansmiles​ @nyx4​ i feel like i tag you guys in everything i am so sorry please ignore this if u don’t wanna do it !!

putting this under a read more for reasons

MEN 2010 – 2016

literally nothing more embarrassing than falling on the same type of white man over and over again (with the exception of minho from shinee bless his heart)

tommy joe ratliff → he was the bass player for adam lambert during his glamnation era (think of songs like for your entertainment and if i had you) idk why exactly i liked him so much but i just did.... however i searched him up again quite recently and found out he’s one of those republicans that says the dumbest shit on twitter so Big Yikes

harry styles → “baby you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, and when you smile at the ground it ain’t hard to tell...” and BOOM 13-year-old me was sold for well over two years

louis tomlinson → basically i liked harry most until around 2013 when for some reason i started to like him a little less, and i got more focused on louis tomlinson, and although i didn’t like one direction anymore louis tomlinson always had a special place in my heart

ashton irwin → so ashton is 5sos’ drummer, i discovered 5sos through one direction & i stanned them until late 2014

harries twins → the harries twins (jack & finn) are basically the reason i started spending a lot of time on youtube, they were funny and pretty and they just had good videos in general, so for almost two years i’d watch their content regularly

choi minho → my first steps into kpop happened bc i was watching videos on youtube (most probably the harries twins) and suddenly i saw the sherlock mv in my recommended videos so i clicked on it and then 14-year-old me proceeded to fall for minho like an idiot

brooks twins → still youtubers, the brooks twins were 3/5 of the janoskians (jai & luke brooks, beau brooks, daniel sahyounie, & james yammouni), an australian youtube comedy group that was active from 2011-2018 though i was only around from 2012-2014 (when jai brooks was dating ariana grande)

jc caylen → surprise! another youtuber! jc caylen was part of o2l (our2ndlife) a youtube collaboration channel on which each of the 6 members posted videos on a certain day in the week (mondays with connor, tuesdays with ricky, wednesdays with sam, thursdays with jc, fridays with trevi (my 2nd favorite member bc she participated on the x factor), saturdays with ricardo, and then they had surprise sundays every week) and i remember how much joy jc & the others always brought me with their silly videos

misha collins → up next, you might know him as the gay angel that was sent to superhell after confessing his love to the homophobic hunter on supernatural, it’s misha collins! basically misha was a huge source of comfort for me, and i even went around calling myself emmisha for almost two full years (cringe)

henrik holm → he played even bech naesheim in skam and my crush on him reached that level of ridiculousness where i actually tried my hand at learning norwegian (i can only remember how to introduce myself and some curse words i would make a great first impression on him)

MEN 2016 – 2021

min yoongi → okay so my baby steps into kpop happened through shinee’s sherlock, but i only got really invested when yoongi dropped agust d 1 because Holy Fuck y’know??

kim namjoon → oh man i remember thinking namjoon was cute and a very good leader and then BAM he dressed like THAT at the 2016 mma’s and i fell in love. hard

park seojoon → i started liking park seojoon whilst i was watching hwarang (you guessed it, i watched it bc of taehyung), although he wasn’t my favorite character by far, but he was very silly off camera & i liked that (i’m not that into him anymore tho </3)

kim seokjin → OH BOY LET ME TELL U i liked seokjin from the very beginning (i got to know bts in late 2014) and i always liked seeing him perform and be himself and god once i realized i had a crush on him it just hit me like a mf truck, and he’s still one of my favorite people to this day

jung hoseok → god fake love era hoseok really hits different.... also yes i know i have all of bts’ hyung line on my list BUT bts was a really big part of my life for almost 6 years soooo honestly they deserve it i still think they’re great guys

choi san → when ateez made their debut in 2018 i immediately fell in love with san, he was such an amazing dancer and he captivated me right from the very beginning, to this day he’s still my bias in ateez uwu

xiao zhan → AND THEN, OCTOBER OF 2019 HAPPENS AND I WATCH CQL AND... i fall in love with xiao zhan, something i’d never expected would happen bc when i watched cql for the first time i wasn’t as invested in the story, but i really really really liked xiao zhan and one thing led to another and now here i am as a xfx

wang yibo → the thing is, i’ve known yibo since eoeo except i didn’t know cql yibo was uniq yibo (bc i’d forgotten his name) and when i looked it up i can tell you my jaw dropped to the floor bc holy shit????? also he is very silly and i love him loads ok

lee minho → ah, the man who has been my skz bias since 2018, not only is minho my bias i also kin him (there’s a lot of aspects of myself that i see in minho and vice versa) and he’s very comforting to me

bang chan → honestly, it was only a matter of time before i’d fall for bang chan, i knew the moment i got into skz again that i’d start biasing him and, well, here i am, double biasing chan & minho

WOMEN

this list is shorter bc i’ve in general always had less crushes on women than on men??? blame society forcing me into thinking i was straight for a LONG time

ariana grande → remember the 2011 layout of twitter?? where u could not only have an icon and a header, but also a background and ur twitter page was smack in the center of ur screen with the big ugly menu bar at the top??? yeah ariana grande was always my background for my l*rr* st*l*n*s*n layouts

perrie edwards → this was right around the time she was dating zayn & little mix was breaking out into the spotlight, yeah i just really loved her

andrea russett → okay so remember o2l?? andrea russett was kian’s girlfriend for a pretty long time and they always did videos together and i always thought she was super pretty

lily collins → maybe i don’t like clary in tmi all that much but i sure liked the way lily collins looked

alona tal → MY BISEXUAL AWAKENING, it’s only when i saw alona tal in spn that i realized, fuck i might be gay

park jihyo → i discovered twice (my 2nd jype group after day6) through the like ooh-ahh mv and red-haired jihyo really did something to my heart (i just rewatched it and god zombie bang chan is so mf cute)

kim jisoo → when bp made their square two comeback i was immediately smitten for red-haired jisoo in playing with fire, it’s also when i realized she was my bias out of the four members

shin ryujin → the reason that i have blue hair is partially bc of ryujin and her amazing intro in wannabe :D

xuan lu → her portrayal of jiang yanli was SO ON POINT and she’s just such a kindhearted wonderful person wow i want her hand in marriage

lee yoobin → god i’ve known dreamcatcher from back when they were still called minx and ever since i’ve always looked at dami that bit more than the rest, i was also able to see dreamcatcher live in october of 2019 and the whole experience was just so amazing !!

FICTIONAL CHARACTERS

there’s a whole lot more than just these 10 but i wanted to fit the evolution into one (1) slide as best as i could lmao

peter pan → this movie came out in 2003 (?) and he’s honestly the first fictional character i remember ever having a crush on

legolas → i was really doubting between placing haldir or legolas here but i only really got a vague haldir obsession when i was like 14

zuko → LOOK. ZUKO IN ATLA? HOT. ZUKO IN LOK? HOT EVEN IF HE’S AN OLD MAN.

will turner → man was annoying sometimes but i really liked him and his relationship with elizabeth was cute

jo harvelle → gosh i can’t believe she’s the only female character in here???? yeah she was one of my two spn faves and i’ll never forgive the screenwriters for the way they killed her off

castiel → does your fave ever get sent to super hell for being gay? no? well. mine did

kili → fili and kili’s storyline tore my heart out, spit on it, and then laughed straight in my face, KILI WAS LITERALLY MY FAVORITE DWARF

howl → i only watched this movie for the first time in 2020 so i kinda fucked up the tl cause i watched cql in 2019 but shh, anyways howl with his blonde hair was good looking but howl with his black hair just hits differently. i want a howl

lan jingyi → MY BABY BOY, TINIE LITTLE BABIE WHOMST I MUST PROTECT ok no but seriously this kid. i love him a lot

mu qing → BARK BARK. that’s all (that’s not all i love him a whole lot and it hurts me to see so many people misunderstand his character and only see the bad parts of him when they can forgive others for fucking up (eg. xie lian himself & feng xin) but bc mu qing doesn’t deal well with emotions suddenly he’s the bad guy??? i s2g if ppl are gonna do to him what they did to jiang cheng in the tgcf la i will RIOT)

[morkofday]

thank you once again @yibobibo​ for tagging me ♥ even if, like I said, this is pure torture. I have so many sons that I’ve given up on counting them sigh but here goes.

favourite male fictional characters.

I took it that this meant ten so am going with that (tho am not gonna try and put them into order). am also sticking to all the characters I loved this year. and gonna ramble and add gifs so cutting it here. 

1. Liu Sang

The Lost Tomb Reboot/Reunion: The Sound of The Providence

I have so much love for this boy it’s not even healthy. it’s a bit funny tho bc once I started tltr, I didn’t really like him and almost forgot about him as the first season ended. he just felt so annoying and bitter in what I saw him, even if I did get that he had a Tragic BackstoryTM (I felt for him but well. tltr really made him hard to like at first). but then they brought him back in the second season with his sad puppy eyes and inability to handle his thoughts on wu xie and being all touch-starved and pitiful and whatnot and baam, I had the adoption papers ready. he’s wonderful and so strong and so smart and amazing. and liu chang as his actor has been wonderful (and he’s so pretty my god, have you seen him??)

2. Shen Wei

Guardian

never did I expect to just. fall into this hole after a year? I remember what a mess I was when I first watched guardian over a year ago, right after finishing the untamed. I was in shambles even as I knew how it would end. and now I’ve done this all again while also reading the novel and. my love for shen wei, especially bc it’s zhu yilong acting as shen wei? astronomical. I want to write poetry about him and his stupid responsibilities that he chooses to carry silently and his devotion to zhao yunlan and his love for his ppl and his didi and. I hope that one day I manage to write weilan bc I have this one idea and you can come pry it from my cold, dead fingers if it doesn’t get out there (am also super happy about the edit I made bc my god does he deserve at least that)

3. Cloud Strife

Final Fantasy VII

ok so stepping into the video games territory now. I was waiting for the remake like crazy and it was everything to me once the quarantine hit during spring. the game is so beautiful and I felt like I looked at this gorgeous boy once and was ready to give him my heart (tbh am quite sure he owned my heart before I even learned to know him). he is tragic in so many ways (I’ve only scratched the surface of all of his pain I know) and I wish I could just. hug him a lot. he is kind and cares very deeply even if he hates to show it and I love it how remake showed him also just being a human disaster (some of his scenes are just. peak comedy). I would kill for his smile (I have already cried for it a dozen)

4. Geralt of Rivia

The Witcher (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt)

if there’s one grumpy, brickwall of a man I love, it’s geralt. I affectionately call him “papa wolf” while playing witcher 3 and his voice in it does things to me (I am just so fond of him ok, begone you dirty fuckers). I got introduced to him through the books and adored him in them bc he is so prickly and sarcastic and still so full of love even if he will never admit to it. he is the father figure I wish I could have in real life. (and yes, I’ve seen the tv series (or at least a couple of the first episodes) and it looks stunning but. this is my version of geralt and that’s the hill I will die on)

5. Xiaoge

Zhang Qiling, Daomu Biji (The Lost Tomb 2)

(wow finding a gif for him was a pain, apparently I gotta learn how to gif or?) ah, my dear boy who I’ve ended up just calling xiaoge bc he seems to prefer it over his real name/title/whatever zhang qiling really is. I got introduced to him through tltr where we really didn’t get to know that much about him bc he was just... there. huang junjie was absolutely stunning tho and his soft smiles made me super fond, but only in the lost tomb 2 did I really fall in love with xiaoge as a character. I was surprised tbh bc I didn’t expect it to be this drama? I had so many doubts about the cast in tlt2 but they all delivered! and I think cheng yi’s xiaoge is now my favorite bc he somehow captured that softness and the pain of him? (and we do not talk about that buxun storyline tyvm) tho now that ultimate note is on the way, I gotta say that xiao yuliang does a wonderful job as xiaoge too!

6. Wu Xie

Daomu Biji (Ultimate Note)

(sorry we have to go with a pingxie gif now but maybe it’s only fitting) tbh it’s hard to choose my favorite version of wu xie. I think all of the actors for him have done amazing job showing wu xie in different parts of his life (all of them are very distinct but still feel like the same person) but currently zheng shunxi takes the lead. I really wanted to put the reboot version of him here (bc I love that mature, relaxed and somehow very soft version of him and the angst is phenomenal and the thoughts he has about death... yeah) but I already have zhu yilong’s face here once so :’D wu xie is just one of those characters you cannot not like. he is so strong, so kind, so stubborn, so wonderfully stupid sometimes and in need of careful protection. I also adore it how smart he is and I could listen to him spew history facts for 10 hours straight (even if it was in a tomb full of blood zombies) ♥

7. Jiang Cheng

Jiang Wanyin, The Untamed

my darling boy! my beautiful angry grape! I love him beyond words. I love him in all of his raging, misunderstood, stupid, sassy, constipated, abused, tragic, bitter, big hearted glory. I could write novels about him (and I did and am still writing oh boy) and his love for ppl and his inability to show that love and his loneliness and his issues. I could also write another novel for all of his outfits etc. bc damn, what a fashion king. he is just so great. he owns my soul. he deserves happiness and in this essay I will

8. Isana Yashiro

Adolf K. Weismann, K Project

I rewatched k project this spring bc a) it’s one of my favorite animes ever (it just looks stunning with all the colors) and b) I love yashiro to bits. I remember falling in love with him when I first watched k project many years ago bc he was just so kind and bright. this time though, I ended up seeing another side of him and my god did I cry. he is... so sweet. he cares for others so deeply and is ready to sacrifice so much for them and his love for his two clansmen... yeah. I think I finally saw the tragedy of him too, all the pain and loneliness and insecurity he decides to hide behind his smile and obnoxious personality. he reminded me a lot of myself and watching him made my heart bleed in a good way

9. Qi Tiezui

Ba Ye, The Mystic Nine

(wow am going to riot for the lack of all the gifs hhh) yes, we’re continuing with the dmbj universe that sucked me in big time this year. the drama of the mystic nine wasn’t probably that earth shattering for me as it somehow got boring more than once but I did love ba ye to bits. he was just... so nice? I got it that he was somehow this “comedic relief” in the drama with all of his funny scenes and ridiculous mannerisms but I could see the brilliance of him. he is warm and smart and kind of a romantic too and he cares for all of his friends so deeply? it was also sweet how protective of him his two zhangs were (does that run in the family? the tendency to imprint into one smart but disastrous man and keep him safe? maybe) and I really hope I knew more about him bc he seemed to have a lot of knowledge and a lot of impact to ppl’s lives (I yelled when they mentioned him in ultimate note, I miss him ;;)

10. Dorian Pavus

Dragon Age Inquisition

(yes I’ve been replaying DA:I this year, this counts!) another darling boy! my lovely sass master son! I have so much love for him and his story in DA:I. he is my favorite companion (and his romance is my favorite too, probably obvious in the way am currently romancing him for the third time) and he has given me a lot of strength. the way he stands up against his father, how he’s ready to reform his homeland instead of walking away, how he’s so caring for those he sees struggling... it’s very warming and I feel like I’m safe with him. it feels a bit silly to say that but he really is that comfort character I will seek out when I just want to know am doing fine :’) (and I am so excited to see him again in DA4! probably?)

+ 11. Li Cu

Tomb of the Sea

yes I cheated a bit (with my own rules lol) to fit li cu here. I didn’t really expect to like him or tomb of the sea as much as I did once I started it? I’ve seen leo wu elsewhere before this (battle through the heavens, nirvana in fire) and his face always makes me think about a sad puppy so maybe I just grew fond over li cu instantly bc he was... so hurt? the first episode really slaps you in the face with all of it, showing him being abused, wounded, kidnapped, tortured, used and then just very, very scared and broken. he continues being that throughout the whole drama and I feel like tomb of the sea (or sand sea or sha hai idk) is the darkest and angstiest story in the dmbj universe. I know it deserves to be bc this is a dark time for wu xie but... my darling li cu. I wish him only happiness ;; he was so strong and smart and wonderful in this and it was just so amazing to watch him grow and find his own place in the world just bc he did something himself (even when he got dragged into all of this bc of wu xie) also I support the wu xie adopts li cu -agenda

Honorary mentions: 

Zhang Rishan, Xie Yuchen and Hei Xiazi from DMBJ universe. The Twin Jades of Gusu and Ouyang Zizhen from The Untamed. The Iron Bull and Fenris from Dragon Age games. Thane Krios, Kaidan Alenko and Jaal from Mass Effect games. The whole lot of Assassin’s Creed protagonists (especially Ezio Auditore and Shay Cormac). Adam Parrish and Ronan Lynch from The Raven Cycle. Neil Josten from All For The Game. Eduon and March from The Smoke Thieves. Qiling from L.O.R.D. Critical World. Luo Fei from Detective L (played by Bai Yu). 

well, with this I can really see that I have a thing for those who are tragic :’D I have a thing for grumpy, prickly and antisocial guys or those who hide their pain behind a smile. maybe it’s bc I am somehow both, even if I can’t show my anger or be mean to others and even if I feel like my smile never sticks either. I just find kinship in all of the characters who are on this list. and I feel like I aspire to be as strong and as kind and as loving despite all the pain I’ve been put through.  

thank you, this was so much fun! and sorry I made this so long and so complicated ^^’ but well, there are just way too many male characters I love haha

at the end I want to tag @i-am-just-a-kiddo​ @ashenwren​ @kholran​ @tiesanjiao​ @lan-xichens​ @aheartfullofjolllly​ @manhasetardis​ and @lzswy​​ ♥ feel free to do this in your own way or not at all! and thank you if you managed to read through my rambling :’D

[wy-01]

IN THE LIGHT OF THE MORNING DAWN

FANDOM: TGCF PAIRING: feng xin/mu qing Crossposted from Twitter! Based off Chapter 14 of the manhua.

p r e v i e w

His eyes sweep over Mu Qing's bloodied robes again, as if Mu Qing hasn't already assured them of his lack of injury. It's more endearing than annoying, and the fondness that floods him almost catches him by surprise.

There's something about the smell of an early-morning forest that never fails to lift Mu Qing's spirits. He breathes in deeply, the cool air refreshing as it always is. Mist hangs in the air like a thin veil as he walks, enjoying the rare moment of quiet. Sunrise shivers through the thick cover of tree leaves, light falling to the soft earth in dappled circles.

It's been a busy night, and the little inconveniences everywhere have ruined what could have been an exhilarating fight.

Not to mention Night-touring Green Lantern's specialty hanging corpse forest... It's not so much alarming as it is annoying. Mu Qing is covered in coagulating blood, tangled his hair and soaking through his robes and drying on his face. It reeks. Disgusting.

Despite the peace around him, the adrenaline thrumming under his skin is slow to dissipate as he heads back to Ming Guang Hall.

Dead leaves crunch underfoot, still glistening with morning dew. Mu Qing picks up his pace as he approaches the old temple's wall, well aware that he's taken longer than expected to return. He rubs half-dried blood off his face with a sleeve; either way, this set of robes will have to be disposed of after they return to the Heavens.

From the outside, General Pei's temple walls look like something out of an ancient scripture, all crumbling tiles and mossy, vine-covered walls. Once-vibrant red glaze has faded to a dull brick colour, and the words carved into the walls have long lost their golden shine. Mu Qing pauses for a moment to stare at the leaves crawling over a particular engraving by the side-door. It's meant to ward off evil and danger, no doubt the mortals' way of making themselves feel safer. As if writing words on a wall will keep a building safe from the monsters that roam the world.

(Note about the engraving: I wanted to say it's a 贺语, but there's no English translation that I could find, so I described its purpose instead.)

He sighs, pushing past the heavy metal doors to enter the temple. Two rows of corpses greet him, covered in the fresh red of marriage robes. Mu Qing glances past them, to the sunlit sight of Feng Xin and His Highness, watching him with twin expressions of shock and worry.

Needless, especially now that they're all immortals. It's not as if a little bit of blood will kill him. He studiously pushes away the blooming warmth that pools in his chest at the alarm on Feng Xin's face.

"You're injured?" Xie Lian blurts out, at the same time that he says, 'It's not my blood.'

Feng Xin is silent. Mu Qing bites back a smile.

"Where did you go that you ended up like this, then?"

Mu Qing can't help but roll his eyes at the memory - irritating, like everything else about this trip down to the mortal realm. Feng Xin is still staring at him with a strange expression, brows furrowed, his hazel eyes soft in the morning light. His eyes sweep over Mu Qing's bloodied robes again, as if Mu Qing hasn't already assured them of his lack of injury. It's more endearing than annoying, and the fondness that floods him almost catches him by surprise.

Beside Feng Xin, Xie Lian is like a beacon, red robes glowing in the sun, his face pale like a ghost and lips red like a woman's. His hair is gold in the sunlight. Mu Qing, frankly, has had enough of wedding-themed colours for the day.

"I went north after exiting the temple gates, in hopes of leading those demon brides away, but I ended up encountering a corpse forest."

Feng Xin's eyes widen and his eyebrows do something funny - like they're trying to rise up to his hairline and furrow down over his eyes at the same time. His voice, when he speaks, is hurried and harsh, halfway between a whisper and a shout.

"An upended hanging corpse forest?!"

His Highness' confusion is palpable.

xxx

By the time they return, the sun is high in the sky, and the scratches Mu Qing received from the demon brides have all but healed completely. He needs a bath. The stench of blood clings to him like the ugliest kind of lotus paste.

(Disclaimer: I love lotus paste. But it really is very sticky sometimes.)

Feng Xin trails after him, all the way back to his palace.

He pauses at the gates to glare at his - friend? rival? comrade? - only for Feng Xin to stare impassively back. It's been their routine for years. Go on a mission, return triumphant and high off the thrill of battle, clean up afterwards. Sometimes they do it together. Sometimes Feng Xin can't stand Mu Qing's eye-rolls and they part with bickering that's long become more familiar than malicious.

"You got injured, didn't you," Feng Xin says. His lips are set in a stubborn frown.

Mu Qing rolls his eyes.

"So you can see through clothes now, is that it?" When Feng Xin doesn't rise to the bait, he turns and heads towards the bathhouse. (Feng Xin doesn't need any cue to follow. They've walked this path too many times for him not to know what happens next.)

The halls of his palace are silent but for their footsteps, faint shadows trailing after them as the wind ruffles the gauzy curtains that keep out the heat. Neither of them speak.

When Mu Qing chose the location of his palace, he'd wanted a location that was self-sufficient enough not to require many servants. This meant: a flowing stream, adjacent to a hot spring, was the source of his bathwater. His bathhouse was built directly atop it, and water was pumped up into a small pool, which was drained into the gardens after every use. Mu Qing thought it was a work of art. Feng Xin took every chance to mock it.

This time, they are both uncharacteristically quiet. Xie Lian's return has Mu Qing thinking about the past again, the way they fell back into old habits so quickly. It has him thinking about whether the three of them have a future together, still, even after all this time.

Hell if he knows what goes on in Feng Xin's head, though.

xxx

They're already naked, Mu Qing gingerly scrubbing the dried blood from his face, his back turned to Feng Xin, when one of them starts talking again.

"Do you ever wonder what we'd be like, if not for His Highness?" Feng Xin's voice is close, almost right at his ear. His words are only slightly louder than a whisper. They don't quite echo in the dimly-lit bathhouse, but where his volume increases, words carry over the water's surface, too loud in the sudden silence.

Do you ever wonder, he asks, as if Mu Qing doesn't count his blessings and think about what to do with them every day.

We, Feng Xin says, as if they're anything other than two people who can't stand each other at worst and unwilling acquaintances at best, as if Mu Qing doesn't hold him at arm's length. Even if Mu Qing holds everyone else a sword-length away, the distance still exists. It still means something.

"Shut up," Mu Qing says.

It's no surprise when Feng Xin grumbles and insults him, and this- this is familiar territory again. An introspective Feng Xin is not one he wants to deal with right now, or ever.

Feng Xin's past, and Mu Qing's future, are things that they don't talk about. They meet in the present, fight together and eat together and spend their time together and, sometimes, clean up after battle together. But that's the limit of their relationship; transient, two people whose worlds collided by coincidence, who continue to exist in tandem by coincidence. Mu Qing doesn't quite want to hope for anything different.

He startles when Feng Xin's hands find their way into his hair. A protest is on the tip of his tongue, but then Feng Xin's fingers dig gently into his head, and soap is being massaged into his scalp. His hands move in slow, circular motions, pressing at random pressure points. Mu Qing lets out a slow, quiet breath.

It isn't the first time Feng Xin has washed his hair for him. Mu Qing can't deny how comfortable it is to have someone else run their fingers through his hair, rub oils into it once it's clean.

When Feng Xin's touch slides down to his shoulders, Mu Qing allows it. He lets Feng Xin wash his back with his warm, calloused hands.

Like a servant, Mu Qing insists in his mind, though he's not sure who he's trying to convince.

They don't do anything other than bathe. Usually there would be some sort of verbal exchange, or a stupid competition, but today there is only the sound of running water from under the floorboards and the steady hands on his back, pulling gently on his arm, smoothing over his chest.

Mu Qing closes his eyes.

He can feel Feng Xin's presence like a rock, unmoving. Feng Xin's warm breath puffs over his skin when he leans in too close. A thumb brushes over a freshly-healed patch of his skin.

Who cares about fate, he thinks. Since we've met already, isn't whatever happens from now on our choice?

He blinks his eyes open; Feng Xin is staring at him, an unreadable expression on his face. Mu Qing finds Feng Xin's hands and pulls them away. He takes a step back.

"Are you that eager to become one of my Junior Officials?" he murmurs, trying for condescending and falling short.

"Do you let all your Junior Officials do this with you?" Feng Xin's expression darkens.

"No," Mu Qing says, turning away. "No, only you."

END

[bxdybcg]

Daria: Where are you all?

Dante: By the bar

Iva: im on my date with adonis

Daria: What the fuck

Daria: did you see that?

Julie: I was going to say on my date but

Dante: hard not to

Julie: now im contemplating homicide

Iva: oh my god

Sage: t<«alking to this vamp who keeps lying

Julie: just bite their dick off and be done with it sage

Iva: are you okay, uncle lazar??

sage: he is the second one who is saying lazar is a demon hybrid

Daria: Alright. Stay calm everyone. Just ignore them.

Daria: We knew they would try to sabotage us. That was bound to happen.

sage: but i hate people talking badly about any of you

Daria: Sage, do you know who we are? Of course they will do that. Take any chance.

Daria: Just leave.

Dante: it’s not worth the drama but they are not going to get away with it

Daria: I need to think.

Julie: do we know who they are yet? none of my sources are saying anything

Daria: Apparently the news blog got hacked. It doesn't look like one of their own.

Dante: no it was Si’s progeny that spread it first they would have done that first if they could

Sage: it had to be that meanie!

Daria: Set all your contacts on it. They are going to pay for that. a week before the election closes. Can you believe it?

Sage: they're trying to make laz look back and we shouldn't forgive

Daria: Si was out to ruin Lazar from the moment he announced running.

Julie: already on it. want me to start leaning on the paper themselves? just because it looks like a hack doesnt mean it was

Daria: No Sage, we don't forgive.

Julie: or forget

Daria: Julie, yes. Anything you can do please. This will not go unnoticed.

Daria: WHERE TF is Lazar?(edited)

Julie: I'll work on it. If anyone knows anything, I'll find out

Julie: do we have eyes on the one who won Laz's auction?

Dante: Kang Lin, not seen him no

Daria: it's his contestant

Sage: haven't seen him

Daria: Should have known those leeches have nothing good in mind.

Julie: first things first we need to find him before this spirals out of control

Daria: It will be a fun monday with Yue Xie.(edited)

Julie: this rumor and a missing brother are not things I can deal with at the same time

Daria: Priority is finding Lazar.

Daria: we will take care of the damage afterwards.

Daria: He shouldn't be around alone.

Satan | cyberwhore (danceofsins)Today at 21:12

Dante: Lazar can look after himself and we’ll find him. He’s not an easy one to take down.

Daria: I know that. That's not the point.

Daria: I don't want him hurt or insulted in any way. He needs to be with his family right now.

Julie: i would have said the same about Estrellas coven a month ago

Julie: Hes our brother, and he needs our support

Dante: yes but panicking is not going to help our situation

Daria: Exactly.

Sage: I'll go look for him and mr. Kang

Daria: We are not going to panic. We will stay here and just endure it. Sage, if you are too upset about it go home.

Julie: im not panicking, I'm plotting. Plotting involves knowing where people are and what they are doing

Julie: and then Plotting means Revenge

Iva: okay

Sage; I'm upset, but big bro comes first

Dante: okay let’s do a calm sweep of the floor.

Sage: it won't be weird if I'm looking for him

Iva: can i go with one of you?

Sage: after all i came with him

Dante: you can come with me Iva

Daria: Let's just meet up, not be alone. Cling to anyone who is one of us - but don't be in a bigger group. I will stay with Leon.

Iva: okay, andreas and i are going now

Sage: I'm going to get Julie and then we'll start searching

Julie: im over on the north wall Sage, by the windows

Sage: Thank you, Julie, I'll head over.

Dante: might be worth approaching the twins to see if they know where their brother is?

Daria: Lazar, when you see this. Just meet up with anyone of us. I am going to drag Leon to the dancefloor now and then we will just sit by the bar. ( @Hep- Bringer of pain )

Sage: but they'll ask why we're asking for their brother

Daria: Good idea, Dante. Julie, can you take care of that?

Dante: explain we are just a little worried about Lazar

Dante: a huge deal doesn’t need fo be made about it

Julie: I'm on it

sage: i guess

Julie: if nothing else, I can always pull off the airhead act again

Daria: Sage, just stick to Julie. She knows how to handle all of that the best way. Iva, you too stick to Dante.

Sage: alright!

Daria: Just don't show them that we're upset. Calm. No panic.

Iva: yes

Julie: Me and Dante will keep an eye on them, you just stick with Leon and keep things steady Daria

Sage: I'll try my best.

Daria: Will do.

Lazar: you can all stop looking I was with Kang.

Iva: are you okay?

Daria: Where were you? Have you seen what happened?

Lazar: define okay? I was with the person I’m meant to be with. Made a deal Seen what? I’ve not been looking at my phone

Sage: Laz! They're being meanies

Daria: The update on your phone.

Daria: They're spreading rumors about you being a hybrid.

Lazar: one second let me look

Lazar: ...

Daria: Yes

Lazar: uh she told them? Why would she

Dante: it’s Si that spread this... wait you knew?

Daria: Who told what?

Daria: Wait..... what?

Lazar: ... how to explain... I didn’t know until recently

Lazar: like days ago recently

Daria: This can't be true.

Daria: How?

Lazar: idk how I was meant to bring it up

Lazar: I was getting it on with a vamp and she bite me. She said it tasted funny

Lazar: I’m not one who needs to be answering how!!

Julie: what.

Julie: which vampire

Lazar: does that really matter

Julie: yes

Daria: I don't know what to say

Julie: I think, personally Daria, I would start with "fuck" and move from there

Lazar: imagine how I felt! So fuck you...

Daria: Well. Fuck.

Daria: I can imagine. I just wish you had told me about this earlier. This is not the way I wanted to find it out.

Daria: You know I would always protect you from any harm. Everyone of you.

Daria: We need to talk about it.

Iva: im so sorry this happened so publically. It's no one else's business

Lazar: what was I meant to say? Oh yeah by the way sis I was shagging this bird she bite me and told me I was a hybrid???

Julie: you could have talked to us

Julie: we're your family Laz. No matter what

Daria: I don't know but I didn't want to find out at a public event in the middle of a million people just like everyone else.

Daria: Now that we know, we have to think about how to avoid further drama.

Lazar: sorry it not convenient for you, next time do you want me to book the next family drama in??

Lazar: I don’t want to talk about it, I want air and peace

Daria: Really?

Daria: That is how you want to handle it?

Daria: everyone voiced their support for you without even thinking about it and you just pull that on me?

Daria: on us.

Dante: Daria, I’m with him on this. He just learned recently too. Give him space. We can talk about it whenever. Just have to do damage control first. We can find out the how’s and the why’s later.

Daria: Did I say I wanted to talk right now? I just said we needed to.

Daria: You know what, go have your air and peace.

Julie: Laz, can you just tell me her name? I'm over by the bar if you don;t want to do this over text

Julie: but if I know who she is I can figure out who is trying to use it against you

Lazar: Valentina... small, fiery works for us. I swear if it came from her I might completely lose it

Julie: thank you. I'll see what I can find out

Lazar: I will Daria didn’t realise I need your permission

Julie: and you know my doors always open to you Laz

Daria: Don't talk to me right now.

Lazar: oh yeah because it’s such a big deal for you

Daria: I know Valentina. She doesn't seem the type to go against anyone of us. But see what happened, maybe you can find out.

Daria: I don't expect you to understand what lays on my shoulders in order to protect this whole family. But I said what I needed to say. I have nothing more to add.

[yue-muffin]

The muffin watches Love and Redemption (insert preemptive crying here)

Aright, I finally FINALLY finished live blogging this episode. @mejomonster my thoughts are aplenty! I actually wrote way too much! 

Edit: I’m an idiot, I forgot to mention a prediction/observation.

Episode 1:

The CGI is actually very nice in this drama, I’m pleased. I will definitely watch dramas with cringe-worthy CGI, but it’s always nice when they manage to integrate it with the actors and set pieces well, which is even harder to accomplish in Xianxia.

Wait, what did the god of war do to deserve the reincarnation out of the heavenly realm punishment? Didn’t she defeat the Asura/Mosha guy? Was it because she used his weapon or something? And in the first place, why does that half of the Mosha guy’s soul qualify as a celestial that can be reborn? I suppose everyone is subject to reincarnation, but this batch is explicitly for those who have committed crimes in the heavens and wasn’t he on the demon/asura side? Or…maybe he was a celestial who betrayed them? Who knows, I’m just wildly speculating…

The scene definitely suggests there is a lot the narration is not telling us about how these two ended up being reincarnated - yet.

If she lacks the six senses, then why can she see and hear just fine? She apparently can’t feel pain, which would count for the deficiency of touch. Hm.

Xuanji, I relate to just wanting to go back to sleep and not deal with visitors so much lol.

HA, that little look of alarm one of the shixiongs (Liuzi?) has on his face when Linglong tries to convince Xuanji it’ll be fun because they get to check out the handsome guys. So is Linglong supposed to be her twin since they’re both 16 years old?

The dragon wolf thing moves a little funny, but at least it doesn’t look glaringly out of place and the camera doesn’t focus on it for too long, as is typical of CGI monsters. Kudos to them!

Cheng Yi is low-key really good looking in action scenes, just putting that out there. I didn’t think I would adjust to him in period clothing and long hair so quickly, since it usually takes me a while to make the switch (after seeing him in The Lost Tomb 2), but nope! He looks really good!

Ah, so this is the ruthless sect. I love how their first rule, which is literally more important than anything else they may value or encourage in their members, is to not show their entire face when outside the sect…also, what’s the point in hiding only half your face?? Sifeng’s mask only covers one eye, his forehead, and cheek on one side…at least have it cover the entire upper or lower half like everyone else in the sect (I know it’s so we can actually see the actor’s face and not supposed to make sense in-universe)?? I actually do like how they designed it though, it’s far less clunky than the full-face masks we saw in the opening sequence, probably due to the curves.

Sect leader…Sifeng is 16, he IS little pfft. Even adjusting for the times, he is a BABY haha. As I grow older, I realize more and more how young a lot of protags in fantasy stories really are. Also, sect leader is a drama queen, like he’s just lounging on his chair with this dramatic laid-back pose, takes a deep breath, and turns his chin up. So extra.

Aw, yes, I want to see more of Cheng Yi’s easy smiles. He’s so serious in TLT2, except when the warmth seeps into this expression when he’s smiling fondly at Wu Xie…

These devil/asura people have a weird bowing pose. I can’t help but think their hands make them look like…eagle claws or something lol.

Ah, a classic ‘I forgot my invitation’ situation. Well, Xuanji doesn’t have to feel too bad, apparently none of the other Shaoyang disciples know how to fly on a sword either lol. Her sister was tied down by that spell, but could none of the others have attempted to chase after the jerk who grabbed her? (Side note: I really love the color of his sect’s outfits.)

:3 I like Xuanji’s expressions, they’re just cute? So cute. Like her little huff when she’s defending her big sister from the jerkass. Also, I love characters who are like little kittens who puff up and try to protect their friends/family even though the one they’re trying to protect is probably more capable than them.

Jerkass really does take it too far when he just DROPS HER FROM THE SKY. Like, I can accept if youthful teasing goes a little far in that he snatched her and took her for a joy ride, but when it’s apparently that she really can’t summon a sword, it’s 100% not okay to just drop her and laugh it off. If Sifeng didn’t catch her, she could’ve died, and how exactly do you plan on explaining THAT to her father, huh Mr. Jerkass? He had like a dozen witnesses too.

Well, what can you expect from a guy who forgot to bring his invitation and literally was too arrogant and entitled to wait for his teacher to come out and let them in. :p Not the smartest cookie, is he. Even if you got in trouble for forgetting your invitation, you’d get in x10 more trouble for murdering a girl. Good thing she has plot armor and Sifeng was conveniently in the right spot to catch her lol.

Small note, he left her on his sword and she fell off after a bit - so…how exactly is HE flying? Can people fly without the help of their sword? Is he able to make more than one?

Lol Xuanji tugs at him like she does to her sister, it’s cute. But he’s so PANIC every time she touches him haha poor guy. He’s so awkward…why is it so endearing…

It took me a second to realize that he stutters, also that he has a voice actor this time! Idk why, Cheng Yi has a good voice. It would’ve fit this role just fine, unless there were parts they were concerned he couldn’t do. They did a good job matching the VA to his lip movements though, it’s really hard to tell it’s not his voice. It’s been a while since I heard Cheng Yi on video, but listening and comparing, now I can tell that it’s not his in this drama. Anyways, this might be my only complaint lol. Both he and his VA do a good job conveying the stuttering though!

Cheng Yi, you’re playing another character who’s good at disappearing in the blink of an eye lol…

Aah, so normally her sister’s personality type is the annoying sort, which is why she works well as a supporting character. I love how she turns her brattiness up to eleven in order to help Xuanji get out of a scolding by their father. I just really love how these two are so supportive and defensive of each other.

Edit: Alright, but Xuanji did you really just raise a flag for yourself so early in the show. ‘I think tears are the most precious things’. I WILL EAT MY HAT IF THIS DOES NOT BECOME RELEVANT LATER.

And instead of holding onto Sifeng’s name tag for like 50 episodes, she remembers she has it and goes to give it back + some birthday snacks because it’s his birthday too! GAH Xuanji is too cute.

I love how the guy who answered the door just his back only to turn around and smoothly give an explanation for his friend’s disfluency lol (so it’s a language thing!). AND THEN HE GOES ‘carry on!’ AND TURNS AROUND AGAIN. Idk why I find this funny but.

? Why all that effort for dew from a peach blossom tree. Is this one a special peach blossom tree. Why is he making tea with it. OH OK it’s good for cultivation.

He’s so vicious ha, he’s clearly perplexed by her - I mean, he’s the top disciple in his sect, so likely he doesn’t get how she can live so carefree and not have any desire to cultivate or anything. It’s perplexing and kind of total opposite to his worldview, so he reacts harshly.

Ah, I really like Cheng Yi’s acting! He goes from flat/indifferent face to reacting angrily to her picking the snake up, then a subtle worry as his eyes drop down from her to the snake.

I don’t know why I like this snake scene but I dooo. xD Also, it’s interesting how she doesn’t feel any strong emotions (she’s actually rather intensely curious tho!), while he puts on a mask literally/figuratively to seem like he doesn’t and yet gets worked up quite easily.

I’m glad she stops imitating him when he tells her to and is explicitly angry/upset, I get enough of people being assholes and making fun of others for things they can’t help like their speech impairments or mannerisms, it’s just kind of a personal thing that irks me.

AW HE’S SO PROTECTIVE OF HIS LITTLE SNAKE.

Why is it always the peach tree forests?? They’re always weird places that trap people. I can think of two other dramas where this happens haha. I know peaches do have significant symbolism in Chinese culture, so maybe that explains it.

Lol he still flips out a bit when she gets close. Poor girl, getting dropped from the air AGAIN.

Ah, this is the lake! Where they sealed part of that Mosha guy’s soul! This can’t be good.

Aw, look at his face, he’s genuinely worried for his little snake. CHENG YI YOUR RANGE OF EMOTIONS. GAH. 

I CAN’T OPEN IT. Oh wait.

WHY DID YOU GO IIIIN YOU JUST SAID YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING AND HE TOLD YOU TO STAY OUT, YOU LITTLE IDIOT. If he’s Little Stutterer, you can be Little Idiot, ok.

Here’s an idea, she finds the snake, you fight the dragon, and then all three of you get out of there.

OH the mask comes off!! Ok, but you have seen like most of his face already…Hahaha the look on his face ‘wait…why do I feel a hand why is she touching me there…OH NO’

Ah, a nice detail I didn’t think they’d think to add in: his stuttering got way worse without the mask on, since he was so upset/shaken.

?? What just happened with her blood lol.

Final Thoughts:

An interesting start, with nice character dynamics revealed and a dangerous situation to move the plot right along. I have been informed the drama really differentiates itself from the typical setup that has been supplied thus far, and I’m excited to see it unfold.

For now, I have a tiiiiny crush on Cheng Yi and I’m interested in where they take Xuanji’s character. Also, what disasters will result from their little excursion into the super lake where a demon lord thing was sort of sealed away a long time ago...

[lansizhuis]

I have an AU called the MXTX Author AU. Most of the characters are writers. Shen Yuan and Shen Jiu are editors. Wei Wuxian is popular but has a habit of finishing his stories with cliffhangers. Lan Wangji is the only one who can finish his stories with a good ending. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian Co-Write. Luo Binghe is a good writer and Shen Yuan helps him improve. Shen Jiu doesn't like Luo Binghe and takes some anger out on Shang Qinghua.

- PLEASE LET SY BE SQH’S EDITOR HAHAHAHA and then one day, SY cant make it so SJ goes to SQH and SQH just cries bc gdi how did the evil twin enter his room w/ his metaphorical pitchfork gdi cucumber-bro- WWX has the attention span of a toddler unless he’s really into it but he always ends up in cliffies bc heyyy wouldn’t it be funny to see his readers’ reactions to that uwu (SY calls SJ for back up on this one)- LWJ is SY and SJ’s favorite - the most unproblematic author they’ve ever had if only he’d stop referencing his characters to WWX - alternatively for hualian: HC is the artist and does all the cover and maybe some chapter arts (even merch and the like) for XL’s novels!! SJ and SY are chill with these oldies AGAIN IF ONLY they didn’t get wrapped around each other every 8 minutes HELLO WE HAVE A DEADLINE HERE- SJ once read LBH’s manuscipt and the MC sounds too much like a certain someone and by certain someone he means his twin LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE NEEDS TO TALK TO HIS KNIFE