#nainai friends ☆

[naisu-visualz]

☆：nainai , she/they , 9teen , nv writer . ╰⎯﹒ " the way i love, the way i love . " ︵ ⁺.

[sunriseverse]

oh so this is a HEAVENLY drama i see.

[spiderbirdo]

Thinking about all the mxtx fics that gave effy names to their ocs/bg characters or straight up named them something that could not exist in Chinese pinyin again...

Just so you know these are the basic pinyin combinations that exist.

That's not even going into dialects which is a whole other thing but as far as I've seen no one has tried to write LWJ speaking in gusu dialect yet which is the irl suzhou dialec

And please be careful what you name your characters, I've seen someone name their characters Blue Book, Blue Radish, Blue Smell, Blue Bag, Scenery

Also be careful with naming them after flowers because they might end up sounding like prostitute names

The thing is WWX's birth name is literally the character for baby so weird literal names can and do exist

Hell my aunt's Chinese name is literally 'rainbow', my yeye's name was 'genius' and my nainai's sworn sister (idk how to describe it they were basically such good friends they basically call each other sisters alongside like two other women and their and my family have reunion dinner once in a while) her name was literally High Cloud 高云

Even in svssss (not counting six balls) LBH's name is literally 'the icy Luo river'

But even then they at least have nice meanings even if they ate very literal, and not like objects (tho ngl 蓝香 lan xiang, is very pretty but the author intended it to be mean spice xiangliao香料 but xiang by itself really just means smells/fragrance)

Just, please please note that Chinese words meanings changes when paired with other words and lose that meaning when it's by itself.

Like 包 bao by itself means bag. 包子 baozi means dumpling. You cannot take out the zi子 away from baozi and keep the meaning of dumpling.

But the thing is, they were all not educated. I feel like educated ppl or people with money to go to a fortune teller get nice poetic names if not then the child gets a very literal name. Though I guess birth names could get away with being more literal. LooKING AT YOU CCSR AND WCZ YOU LITERALLY NAMED YOUR CHILD WEI BABY

[ctl-yuejie]

chen nainai doing the most. "i will show you true meddling" *bites into a fresh cucumber*

his friends are also not helpful (whereas her siblings already have a whole detective whiteboard with his picture as the center piece)

[sonatahikari86]

— When I Fly Towards You/当我飞奔向你 (2023)

“I would think of that scene over again. She stood under the roof with her shining eyes looking at me through the rain. That glance seemed to hint to me that my light was coming.”

A series that gives me so much warmth. It's not only about romance but also the stories of friendship, family, dreams, growing up, and changes in life. A beautiful youth drama that made me want to experience it if I could turn back time.

Their story really starts at the beginning of their youth. A sudden meeting under the rain led to so many moments together in their future as friends, lovers, and then married couples.

They are basically each other's opposites. That sunshine girl and the midnight rain boy, but slowly, she gave him light and made him shine brighter than before.

Zaizai is that one-of-a-kind girl who is full of courage and strength. She isn't afraid of anything, always stands up for herself, and is the kindest person to people around her. She is really the sweetest character to begin with. It's so easy to fall for her.

Rangrang looks cold outside because of his so-not-good family environment, and his encounter with Zaizai led him to a new world that made his gloomy world more colorful.

Let alone the time when he proposed to her. He really prepared that video all this time. From the time Zaizai wasn't aware of his feelings to the time they were together. This alone says so much that his love is as big as her love for him.

I could never be Zaizai, who has so much courage to express her love for someone she cares about the most. From the start, she wasn't afraid to show her affection for Rangrang, whom she had felt in love with since their first encounter. She is always true to herself, never shields her feelings, and makes sure that her feelings reach the one she loves.

And her genuine feelings really reached Rangrang. He didn't speak too much, but his actions alone could tell how much he also cared about Zaizai. For three years, he kept his love in his heart and confessed to her at the right time. The moment when he finally told her that he'd liked her all along is one of the sweetest confession scenes that I've ever watched.

Guan Fang's relationship with Nainai is the one that made me totally envious. Nainai's warmth and patience made him into a good and kind boy. He changed for the better, and meeting with the others made him even better. His determination to stay with his Nainai in the end brought tears to my eyes. He is so right; time is tickling, and the best thing we can do is spend it with the one we love the most.

And here's one of the best second couples! Gu Ran, who is mischievous and playful but is kind and sweet to the people he cares about the most, couldn't express his feelings to Jiajia because he was afraid it would ruin their friendship. I'm glad they got their best ending and had a chance to express their affection for eo.

Youth drama is always beautiful when it also highlights the friendship between the characters. And I'm not gonna lie, the five of them are one of the best friendship tropes. Their kindness, care, and trust for each other are truly one of a kind.

It's so beautiful because their friendship really started at the beginning of their youth and continued until they grew up into fine adults. They go their separate ways after high school graduation, but they still stick together till the end. There's maybe some misunderstanding between them, but they could make it pass.

Their long-lasting friendship is the only thing I could relate to in this drama. It was such a pleasure that we could stay with people who were always there for us for such a long time. Not everyone could have this kind of long relationship. So looking at them still strong together after all this time is so heartwarming.

This drama also managed to portray the beauty of the high school era. They captured so many moments that could only happen in our youth, which made me, as a viewer, feel nostalgic.

They are also able to describe the hurdles that we face when we turn into adults, be it at university or in our work lives. Life is like candy; sometimes it's sweet and other times it's sour. And we could see this when Zaizai and Rangrang faced their adult lives. It's so good because they became each other's shelter and shoulder to lean on. And this development is one of the best things that has happened in their relationship.

The warmth that this drama gave me this summer indeed made my day more beautiful. It may be exaggerated, but I really spent the most beautiful day watching this drama. Not only the drama alone, but its OST also gives me a good feeling every time I listen to it.

So, once again, I want to say thank you so much for coming to me this summer and making my day brighter. I hope this heartwarming feeling will last a long time. I am sure I'll come back again when I need a warm hug.

[smilesthroughfandoms]

A Bone to Pick (Chapter Preview)

How could I not share this super sweet moment I just wrote?

Mei pondered this. Her control over the Samadhi fire had been brought out by her own understanding of her abilities and what she was capable of. She figured if Bai He could reach that point as well, there might be a chance she could grasp her own abilities. But that was going to be difficult if the mere thought of her powers brought on such existential terror to the little girl, it nearly paralyzed her.

Then, an idea occurred to her.

What if Bai He already had better moments associated with the abilities, maybe not with the being or origination, but with the type of magic she possessed.

“Do you have any good memories of winter?” Mei asked. Hoping she wasn’t throwing Bai He for to much of a loop.

“Ice Skating with my Nainai,” Bai He answered almost immediately with a small smile. “She used to watch me when I was practicing my figure skating… I haven’t done it as much since she passed away.”

Mei smiled. “Ok, focus on your breathing. Breath in… and out. In… and out. Picture ice skating with your Nainai in your head. Feel the cold air on your cheek, the warmth of her hand in yours, hear the scrape of the skates on the ice. Can you see it?”

A moment of quiet. Of meaningful, profound quiet. The kind you hear after a beautiful fireworks show, before everyone decides to get up and leave. Then, a nod. “I do… I see her smiling at me, I see the snow on the banks of the pond, I can see the frozen pond in the park near my house.”

“Ok, focus more on the ice. Feel it under your feet as you skate… Now, look at the skates. Can you see them?”

“Uh-huh. I see them.”

“Keep that picture in your head and, carefully, focus on remaking that memory. Feel the cold under your feet, hear the sound of ice skates and--” Mei was cut off by a loud, unexpected Woosh!, startled back, Mei looked down at Bai He’s feet. She smiled.

Confused by how Mei cut her sentence off, Bai He opened her eyes and, seeing Mei’s gaze, looked to her feet with a gasp. “Are… are those--?”

“They sure are, Little Lily.” Mei stood to her feet before gently tugging Bai He into a standing position.

On Bai He’s feet, were thin, icy versions of the skates she used to wear as a littler girl, when her Nainai took her ice skating every winter. Neat and sharp and oh-so cold on the bottom of her tennis shoes. But, Bai He didn’t really mind the cold. Instead of a choking, overbearing winter, these skates almost felt cozy. Like the first snowfall of the year, like making a snow angel with friends, like spending time with your grandma on a cold day.

With a little nudge from Mei, Bai He pushed off. Almost like it was second nature to her, Bai He started to do a few minor turns and spins. She had been in child figure skating competitions since she could walk, but had stopped skating after her NaiNai passed away. It had been long, too long for Bai He to really remember, since she had just gone skating on the ice. No competition required, just a simple return to form.

It was nice, finding out that she hadn’t lost her touch after all this time. “I’m doing it! I’m doing it, Mei!”

Bai He looked up and saw Mei, holding two kittens in one arm, holding out her phone with the other, beaming at the little girl with wet eyes. “You’re doing it, Little Lily. You’re doing it!” She sounded like a big sister watching her baby sister perform the role of “Tree Number 3” in the school play.

[thebiscuiteternal]

Jammin'! Jin Ling laments that everyone has a crush on his Jiujiu. NHS can relate, as NMJ was the gay awakening for everyone in NHS's generation. They bond over it!

"Ugh, I think I'm gonna lose my lunch," Jin Ling muttered under his breath, before belatedly remembering he was sitting next to another sect leader, not one of his many annoying cousins.

Fortunately, Nie Huaisang only looked amused, rather than offended. "Is the food not to Jin-zongzhu's liking?" he teased gently. "I would have thought you'd have developed your family's tolerance for spice by now."

"No, no, the food's fine. It's just... all of... that," Jin Ling said as he waved in the vague direction of where his uncle was standing by the archery field.

Or, rather, in the direction of the starry-eyed young disciples of varying sects that had suddenly developed problems with their shooting and just desperately needed assistance.

Nie Huaisang surveyed the situation, then snorted, his grin growing. "Oh, been there, done that. You should have seen how annoying my cohort was around Da-ge. And yes, that includes your jiujiu and shijiu."

Jin Ling wrinkled his nose. "Really? But I always heard-"

He quickly shut up, realizing he was likely about to say something else offensive, considering most of what he'd heard about Nie Mingjue's appearance had come from his nainai, who'd been... less than complimentary about "Qinghe brutes and savages."

"Oh, I'm sure I heard some of the same things," Nie Huaisang said flippantly as he rested his chin on one hand. "After all, I was the one who helped our generation's young ladies make their desireable bachelor list. They always thought he was handsome, but a bit scary. The boys, on the other hand... a lot of them couldn't figure out if they wanted him, wanted to be him, or wanted him to be their brother."

Jin Ling decided he very much didn't want to know if his jiujiu had been on that list. Or was on any current list, for that matter. "Did it bother you?"

"Of course it did! Especially the romantic ones! And yes, I fully admit I was involved in the writing and illustration of less than savory materials at the time, but it's quite different when people are asking for their bedroom fantasies of your brother."

Oh, he might actually gag. "Please tell me jiujiu and shijiu weren't in that category."

"No, or we wouldn't have been friends by the end of classes. Which might be a boundary you want to set soon, judging by who's in that crowd down there."

"But I don't paint, so why would they ask me for-" Jin Ling started to reply automatically, before catching up to the implication. "...Right. Boundaries. How about 'don't talk to me about this at all or I'll throw you in the lake'?"

"It's a start. We can have it refined by the end of the evening."

[uncle-cucky]

the second adopty

Found this little albino fella in the adoption center :) Our new friend Grr NaiNai!

[my-shields-are-down]

Peace

Diana was freaking out..

The “fearless foursome” were about to surprise their parents with a major surprise and it was all her idea and she was terrified it was going to backfire spectacularly.  What if they weren’t happy?  What if she really let them down?

She glanced at her husband and brother and both were smiling and laughing with Patrizia who adjusted the bow on her present again and fiddled with the dahlia’s in her hair.

Diana starts to have a panic attack.  Tears form at the back of her throat and she cannot catch her breath.  “Goddammit.  I’m the SVP of cultural affairs for a multi-billion dollar Macau based gaming company” she thought to herself.  “I’m married to my best friend, and my best friend is married to my brother and they are all happy and ready to go and I’m afraid they won’t like it.  I’m afraid I’ve let them down again.”

Diana can feel tears streaming down her face.  She can’t catch a breath.  She starts pulling her thick blonde hair out from its intricate updo, tossing the azaleas and peonies on the ground when she feels her husband’s nimble fingers run up her spine like they are playing a scale on their grand piano - that he’s playing an unnamed song he wrote to calm her down.  The same fingers that tossed hundreds of footballs to her elder brother in college - making UCLA unbeatable for two years in a row.  The fingers that also will play "Happy Birthday” on his acoustic guitar in under an hour, fingers that turn her toward him, and grab her hand….  Placing his hand on her heart and hers on his and whispering to her “Diana - honey.  I promise they are going to love it.  They already love you.  Everything is beautiful. All the family is here.  Breathe with me honey.  Please breathe with me.” 

Diana has had panic attacks ever since she was little and got separated from her mom at the zoo.  She thought Lucy had left her there on purpose because she didn’t look like Kai, that she wasn’t great and silly like TJ, that she was just boring Diana.  It didn’t help that the zoo lady hadn’t believed she and Lucy were related  - until Diana had started talking to Lucy in perfect Mandarin taught to her by her NaiNai Vanessa.  That shut the zoo lady right on up, but did nothing to quell the panic in both Lucy and Diana.  For she didn’t realize that losing sight of Diana for those 5 minutes were the longest, most terrifying moments of Lucy’s life.  Thousands of times worse than the faint memories of dying in that barrel.

Lucy loved Diana so much and had panic attacks of her own from that day forward.  Usually late at night, usually in nightmares where Diana is never found.  Lucy wakes up screaming for her and only calms down when she can text Mateo and get a picture of her sleeping daughter or if she can grab the stuffed giraffe she keeps in the bottom drawer of her nightstand. 

Diana’s fear of being unwanted, of being left behind is actually what spurred this idea in the first place. Just like Lucy had done with Tamara, both Diana and Mateo and Patrizia and Kai had adopted little girls from their respective grandmothers’ home countries - little potatoes with shocks of black hair, floral binkies and blankets. The two little girls were being introduced to the extended family at Tim and Wesley’s joint birthday party in just a few minutes.  

Kai finally turns and notices that Diana is as white as a sheet.  He texts their little brother for reinforcements - SOS.  Need you, chocolate and fresh flowers for Diana.  <panic>  

Five minutes later TJ shows up and steps in front of his older sister.  He meets her eyes and smiles at her.  The remaining group members step away - the men check on the bundles wrapped in floral blankets and Patrizia fixes Diana’s hair.    TJ wordlessly calms his sister down and tells her the parents have no idea.  They just know the presents are arriving by special delivery from Mexico and China.  The fearless foursome have been living overseas for the past two years - and neither the Evers nor the Bradfords know that their elder children are arriving with children of their own.  

“Diana - what you’ve done for them - for the parents, grandparents and the babies is nothing short of miraculous.  You’ll be giving them the biggest gift second only to knowing and loving us kids - we are pretty spectacular ourselves.  Your heart, if possible, is bigger than mom’s, bigger than Aunt Angela’s. They love you so, so much.  I wish you could see that. Sweet girl, please stop crying.  I smuggled your stuffed goat from your bedroom to dry your eyes.”

Diana snorts out a bark of laughter upon seeing Gerald IV in her brother’s hands.  He’s the only one besides Mateo who can calm her down when she panics.  She nods at him and then at her best friends and asks for 5 minutes to “fix her face.”

—---------

While Diana is in the bathroom, TJ moves through Patrice’s house calling everyone outside and has his dad and uncle Wesley sit in the barcaloungers that have been pulled from the movie lounge out onto the back deck for the birthday boys to open their presents.  There is much grumbling and whining from Wesley and Tim as they complain of fake aches and pains, both a little sad that two of their three kids aren’t there to celebrate with them again this year.  

Tim looks around and notices the grandparents are here.  They don’t usually come to these parties as they are all in their 80s and 90s.  But Vanessa, Patrick, Patrice and Angela’s mom Emilia are all here.  He brushes it off, until his youngest son TJ steps up and tells everyone “to close their eyes.  The big presents from overseas are being rolled in right now.  Go on, close your eyes, Dad - no peeking.”  

Tim closes his eyes and feels Lucy standing behind him, her hands on his shoulders.  He knows she’ll look, she can’t help herself.  

He feels the excitement get closer and closer as people start to murmur.  He can tell when Lucy and Angela open their eyes by the collective gasp that leaves them simultaneously.  Tim turns and looks up at Lucy to make sure she’s ok and he’s never seen that look on her face before.  “Luce, are you ok?  What’s going on?” Tim hears Wesley say, “no way.”

Tim finally turns around and sees his daughter smiling at him and placing a baby in his arms.  Tim instinctively grabs the young potato flashing back through that stage for all three of his kids.  The wild hair, the binkies, the colorful blankets, the snot, the poop, the eardrum piercing cries.  “Wha- why are you handing me a baby?”

Diana smiles shyly at her parents and at Angela and Wesley and says, “Please say hello to your grandchildren - girls we adopted from their home countries.  In Wesley’s arms, we have Emilia Joy Evers from Mexico City and in your arms dad, we have Vanessa Hope Bradford from Shanghai.  Bonus present, all four of us are moving back to Los Angeles, so we will be taking you all up on offers to babysit.

I got the idea when I was 8 andI heard Mom telling NaiNai about Tamara.  Mom - You’ve always been my biggest inspiration and while I may never forgive you for removing my bedroom door after catching Mateo and I making out in there on my 14th birthday, I have always tried to live my life so you’d be proud of me - so you would always come find me at the zoo.”

That last comment strikes straight through Lucy’s heart.  She stands up and pulls Diana aside.  

“Diana - I didn’t leave you at the zoo - we got separated.  You were chasing baby chickens and I lost sight of you. I died that day when I couldn’t find you. And that stupid woman who said I wasn’t your mom because you didn’t look like me?  I wanted to punch her out.  But then you told me about the fluffy chicks in perfect mandarin - like it was no big deal.    I still have nightmares and panic attacks that I don’t ever find you.  You are my dream come true. I know I tend to favor the boys, but you are the living embodiment of my heart.  Don’t you know that?  You are my reason for living.  I love being your mom - it’s why I was put on this planet.  To love you.”

“I have panic attacks too mom.  I had one right before we came out here.  TJ and Mateo helped me calm down.  I was afraid you and Dad wouldn’t like your gift - because it came from me.” Lucy wraps her arms around her girl and says, “We love her more, because she came from you.  Honey- look at your dad.  He may never give Emilia back to Angela and Wesley.  Look at how happy and at peace he is.  YOU did that.  You, my big hearted, beautiful girl.” 

[notstinky]

TIMING: August 29th, 2014, 2017, 2023 LOCATION: Toronto, Ontario (2014, 2017) & Wicked's Rest, Maine (2023) SUMMARY: It's Thea's birthday and she's hungry. (POTW: Once in a Blue Moon) CONTENT WARNINGS: Vomit tw, teeth trauma tw, child death tw, some implicit fatphobia

2014

Cynthia had never seen so much junk food piled up in one place. There were family sized bags of Lay’s chips, plates full of cookies, a tray of brownies, two boxes of garlic bread from the pizza place Cynthia’s dad liked accompanied by a pepperoni pizza from the same place. Someone brought char siu bao, Cynthia’s favourite--probably her aunt. Plates and plates of noodles and fried rice weighed their poor, plastic picnic table down, bending it worryingly in centerfold. She’d happily, though politely, filled her first plate; taking a small assortment of everything offered and doing her best not to dribble saliva everywhere when she asked who brought what so she could remember to thank her family accordingly. The first plate was always strategy; sampling the waters to see what was good before the full, filling second plate and if she was daring, a third. It was her birthday, after all. Maybe it was a third plate kind of day. 

Cynthia reached down to pull a plump pork bun into her plate when she heard someone grumble from behind her. Instantly, she recognised the sound: it was a deep rumble that summoned itself from the dark pits of the lungs, an animal sound that no one else could recreate. “Nainai.” Cynthia twisted, smiling at her grandmother. 

Her grandmother, her father’s mother, was a thin woman with pale skin that stretched over her face in thick folds. Age had turned her spine down, forcing her into a hunch she resented and  twisted her clear voice into a growling like an angry dog. She wasn’t often a pleasant woman, but her love for her children and their children wasn’t a topic that ever needed to be debated; birthday and Chinese New Year envelopes of cash were always stuffed full. She reached down and took the skin around Cynthia’s hip and squeezed. 

Cynthia’s smile faltered. “Nainai,” she said, continuing in broken Mandarin; a child’s voice even though she was certifiably a teenager now, “are you having fun?” 

“You are,” her grandmother responded, turning her pinch into a poke. “You’re too old for this now.” 

Cynthia frowned, the used plate in her hand wobbled as pain erupted from her grandmother’s prodding fingers. The bun slipped from her hand and joined its friends on the plate. “Too old?”

Her grandmother pulled the plate from her hands. “Once is enough.” And then she was gone, dissolved into the bodies of her family and their friends. 

Cynthia didn’t know what to do, her stomach wasn’t satisfied. During the night, she thought it was eating her from the inside, trying to feed itself on her paltry flesh.

—

2023

Thea had a system, a technique. There was a method to wrapping hardware-store-chain around a tree, slipping inside, and then pulling it tight around her. Most of the time, it worked. Sometimes, she didn’t do it right. One time she ripped the tree out from the ground, roots and all. Bit by bit, she was perfecting her strategy. Having her body snap into a new shape every month wasn’t something she could get used to and it would never be something she liked, but there was peace to be found in the mundane actions of a practiced routine.

She’d tried everything: crates, rooms, basements, handcuffs, gorging herself on meats prior to the turn, sleeping pills, a cave, a roof, asking really nicely, crying, prayer, looking up cures online, cages, making herself look like an idiot by asking for cures in person, some restraints that definitely seemed like they were for kinky sex stuff. Nothing worked but her technique made it easier. If she went deep into the woods, found the thickest tree, kept a bag with a change of clothes nearby (scented strongly with oranges so she could find it through the stench of leaves and dirt) she could manage something. She’d still eat something, she’d still hope that something wasn’t human, she’d still hurt, but she could go home and crawl into bed and forget about it. 

“Happy birthday to me.” Thea pulled her dirty green backpack closer, unzipping the top pocket and pulling out a single cupcake contained in a plastic box. At the store, she thought a candle would have been overkill but now she missed the drama of blowing one out and she could certainly use the wish. Sugar filled her nose, followed by the punch of strawberry jam; her sense of smell turned even the greatest delicacies into a nightmare of sensations. Sugar was too sweet, it made her teeth ache just thinking about it; fruits were tart; spice was a fire shoved into her nostrils. If it wasn’t her birthday, she wouldn’t have gotten it but traditions were traditions and nothing brough Thea more peace. 

Her tongue darted out, lapping up the whipped cream and pulling it into her drooling mouth. The fat melted against her tongue as sugar coated her teeth. All the delicate air that had been whipped into it disappeared as it went down her throat, cooling her esophagus. She unclenched her jaw, eager for another bite when she heard it. 

Snap.

Probably just an animal.

Crunch. Heartbeats that went quickly: thump-thump-thump. Laughter. 

Thea paled and from the row of trunks in front of her, three heads popped out, each of their gazes snapping on to her. Laughter died from their lips and smiles turned thin. Thea thought she might laugh instead, the three of them looked like something out of an outdoor equipment catalogue: a handsome, tall man with the sort of square jaw that seemed to only exist in fiction; a more attractive, tastefully not-as-tall-as-the-man woman with her blonde hair tied up into a ponytail that betrayed none of the effort of hiking; and a child with soft blonde hair that fell around his head in tiny waves and big, watery brown eyes; each of them wore blue hiking gear, and both of the adults carried big bags while the man wheeled around a cooler. The child ran at the woman’s legs, clutching her calf tightly. They looked like the sort of people that people missed; the sort of people that made sensational headlines, tacky true crime documentaries, conspiracy theory youtube videos. 

Thea hadn’t smelled anyone on her way up but it was hard to pick scents out from the cacophony of them that she got constantly. She hadn’t heard them either, not until they were right here, and she wasn’t very good at picking sounds out from the barrage of little nature noises. 

Thea balked. “I--um…”

The man spoke up first: “Hello,” he said. “Can we help you?”

“It’s uh…” Thea wasn’t a good liar on the best of her days, on the worst of them she could give a puddle a run for its money. Instantly, cool sweat pooled in the small of her back and her palms felt sticky. “I’m, uh…” She remembered an episode of The Simpsons where Lisa lived in a tree so they wouldn’t cut it down. “Environment conservation,” she said. 

The man nodded slowly. “Are they going to cut that tree down?” He didn’t seem to believe her, Thea could tell because she heard his heartbeat quicken and she smelled sharp sweat--though, that could have just been her. 

“Yes,” she said quickly. “That’s exactly it!”

“Okay.” The woman pushed the man forward, stabbing her hiking stick into the dirt as she moved along. 

Above, the sky darkened. The sweat that concentrated on her back now pushed out from every pore, running down her body in thick rivulets. “Uh,” she called out, “wait.”

The woman didn’t want to stop but the man turned to her, using his body to block the child and the woman.  

“It, uh, It isn’t safe here,” she said, “bears.” 

The man tapped a can on his belt: “bear mace” it read. Of course, they seemed like they had all the bells and whistles of a responsible camper. 

“N-no, I’m serious.” Thea tried again. “Like, super serious! It’s really dangerous! You have to go back. You have to go the other way.” 

The man nodded slowly again, his eyes narrowed. “Why are you here then?” 

She didn’t have a good answer for that.

They turned to leave once more and Thea jerked against her chain, her cupcake slipped from her hands and sunk into the dirt. “No!” she shrieked, wincing at the shrillness of her voice. The family continued to move. Above, the burning edge of the sunset was dissolving into blue. Thea lurched against the chain again and the metal gouged into her flesh, slicing her clothes and pinching her muscles. “No! I’m serious! Go the other way! Go back!”

They continued to push through the trees. Above the crackle of leaves under their perfect hiking boots and the pulse raging in Thea’s ears, she heard the woman say: “we should pitch the tent before it gets dark.”

And the man: “I don’t want to be anywhere near the girl.”

The woman: “It’s getting dark, we don’t have a choice.” 

“No!” Thea howled, twisting and pulling on the chains; her technique was too good, she couldn’t get out. She writhed against the tree, bark scraped her back, digging in like the claws of an animal. The chains seem to tighten with each motion; they squeezed against her bones and her body erupted with aches and sharp stabbing pains. “Go back!” 

Above, the sky turned black and the moon hung above, bright and beautiful and demanding. 

—

2017

“Fuck.” 

Cynthia’s life was thoroughly ruined and it had been her own, stupid, hands that had done it. She’d been talking to Leslie about the recent total solar eclipse, which she could tell Leslie wasn’t really interested in hearing about—she did that thing where she absently picked dirt under her nails and flicked it away, the same thing she did in math class—but Thea couldn’t stop the excited drool of words that spilled from her mouth. She’d ordered only one pizza when she’d meant to order two. One pizza for four people wasn’t so bad until you remember that this was a pack of ravenous teenage girls; the sort that deliberately packed and ate dainty lunches at school so they wouldn’t get comments. Leslie ate a bag of chips for lunch. Zainab had water and an apple. Jalisa had leftovers from last night’s dinner but she only ate half of it. 

Due to an ill timed volleyball meet, Cynthia hadn’t eaten anything at all. 

One pizza wasn’t enough. To make matters worse, she’d tipped the pizza delivery man ten cents when she thought the machine was doing percentages. Fuck. He probably thought she was an asshole. She was an asshole. Fuck. 

The pizza box trembled with the earthquake that was Cynthia’s body. She thought about throwing herself down on the floor, subjecting herself to the mercy of her friends, who were crowded around the tiny coffee table trying to play Catan. 

“You can’t do that,” Jalisa said, gesturing at the hex-tile board. 

“Why not?” Zainab blinked. “I think that’s a legal move.” 

“Nuh-uh, ‘cause I was gonna go there. So, you can’t.”

“What are you talking about? This is a competitive game, we’re competing.”

“I thought it was cooperative.” Jalisa grinned sharply; trap set.

“You’re so dumb.” Leslie piped in now. She was, as per usual, winning. “Why would you think that? We literally have our own pieces. There’s only one winner.” 

Jalisa's trap snapped shut; her joke executed: “So,” she said, grinning like a hyena. “...we’re not cooperating to let me win?” 

“Where did the gray man go?” Zainab asked. “There’s supposed to be a gray man.” 

“Why do we play these?” Jalisa nudged the table with her knee, undoing the delicate work of Leslie’s road, which she would, as per usual, be awarded ‘the longest road’ for. “No one’s good at them ‘cept Leslie and you and Cindy argue about rules for like two hours.” 

“Because,” Zainab sighed, “Cindy likes them, and it’s her birthday so just—“

“Cindy!” Leslie rose, holding her hands out to help with the pizza and the jostling cups of garlic dip and box of brownies. 

Cynthia set everything down on the table, right on top of the Catan pieces, knocking them out of place. “Pizza!” she exclaimed, anxiety tying her stomach up like roller skates, which her skin coincidentally felt like it was being trampled with. She flicked open the box, sending more game pieces to the ground, and let the aroma of cheese and the only topping they could all agree on, green bell peppers, waft into the air. Half was done up with chilli flakes while the other was speckled with mushrooms. Zainab fetched plates while Jalisa carefully peeled open the containers of garlic sauce. 

The twenty dollars her dad had given her to order food for today, which she had deposited into her bank account on the way to school so she wouldn’t have to carry cash, wasn’t really enough for the grand idea of cheap pizza and brownies that Cynthia had. But now that she was sixteen she could get a job, and she’d have real money to order better, bigger pizzas instead of the allowance her dad gave her and the odd burst of money her mother did when she remembered that she existed and then felt guilty about forgetting her but only for as long as it took her to transfer money. 

Each of her friends took a polite and sensible singular slice except Cynthia, who took the plate Zainab offered her and walked it back into the cabinet where it belonged. 

“You’re not going to eat, Cindy?” Leslie called out, picking at the bell peppers even though she said they were okay and she liked them. Cynthia’s stomach churned; she knew Leslie was a picky eater, she could eat more hot sauce than any normal human but she didn’t like vegetables. She’d fucked up and people who fucked up needed to be the ones who made sacrifices. 

“I’m not hungry.” Cynthia’s stomach scraped against her body, howling. “I ate a lot when I came home.” 

—

2023

Thea heaved, a cold, pale, naked and sweaty lump on the ground. She groaned, clawing at her bloated abdomen. Thea twisted, pushing herself up to a sitting position. Once her body sensed a state of up-rightness, Thea curled into herself as bloody globs of saliva dripped from her open mouth. Something twisted up her throat and she gagged, spilling two small, hard circles into the mud below. She gagged again, reaching a filthy, blood-crusted finger down her gullet. She pulled and tugged and felt something slither out of her mouth. Tendrils still hung from her lips as she looked down.

Two tiny molars and a long string of blonde hair. 

Her stomach growled and the desire to have a burger flooded her mind.

[hulijingemperor2]

Qin Su: *wakes up to see A-Yao and some attendants, who were holding trays of food.*

Yao: morning darling.

Qin Su: aww, A-Yao, you didn't have to do this. They would have delivered breakfast to us.

Yao: yes. *sits next to her* but I decided to wake up earlier and arrange breakfast for my wife.

I reminded the chefs about your food preferences too.

Qin Su: Yao Huangdi is too kind. *blushing*

Yao: haha. How did I become Yao Huangdi all of a sudden?

Qin su: my husband is too kind. Now how does that sound?

Yao: better. Let's have some breakfast.

Qin Su: what are you going to do today, A-Yao?

Yao: imperial court. You know the hulijings need managing.

Qin Su: right! But what do I do when you're busy?

Yao: you can hang out with the harem and A-niang. And I'll be back shortly.

*caresses her face* next to you.

Qin Su: sounds fun.

Tai hou is so fun to hang out with.

Yao: indeed. We got to meet her soon.

And that reminds me. The harem are coming over later.

Qin Su: to evaluate me or something? Lol.

Yao: no

Could they ever evaluate their Huanghou?

You guys would just mix and mingle, and maybe bad talk me. *laughing*

Qin Su: haha, A-Yao you're too flawless. How could someone bad talk you.

Mo xuanyu: *hiding with team d* I AGREE! I mean. I'm just a closet, Yao gege.

Yao: A-Su, you'll get used to it.

Team dimple.

Team d: *walking out*

Mo xuanyu: morning Yao gege.

Xue yang: Jiggy, you and Miss Qin look beautiful. Love you two!!! Ok.

Su she: morning Huangdi and Huanghou. *blushing*

Qin Su: Huanghou?! Just call me Meng Furen or Qin Su. It's fine.

Su she: no, if I call you Huanghou, it would remind me that you're higher than Lan lips.

Qin Su: I agree.

Su she: mhm.

Yao Huangdi. *kisses his hand* good morning again*

Mo xuanyu: *kisses his dimple*

Xue yang: *does the same* looking hot.

Yao: morning team dimple. *smiling*

Qin Su: aww, is that a cute routine?

Yao: yup. They come to give me morning kisses.

Mo xuanyu: cute right?

Xue yang: hot right?

Su she: cuz we love him!

Qin su: couple of simps.

Yao: but they're adorable.

~~~~

Afterwards....

Yao and Qin Su: *bowing*

Yao: morning A-niang.

Qin Su: morning Tai hou.

Meng Shi. Hi babies. Ah, look how cute you two look. *hugs*

Qin Su: *pours out tea* here you go. You were maybe waiting for your daughter-in-law to pour you tea.

Meng Shi: *joking* gosh, did Sisi tell you?

Qin Su: I guess it's instincts!

Meng Shi: you're so smart.

Meng Shi: Yao'er, *caresses his face* what's up.

Yao: *holds her wrist affectionately* just some work, A-niang.

Meng Shi: sweet.

Well your fox spirits need you, A-Yao.

You make me so so proud.

Yao: as I should.

Meng Shi: how's it going with the Kitsunes and Gumihos? Are they friends now?

Yao: yup. They settled their disagreements perfectly.

Meng Shi: that's nice.

Go enjoy your imperial court.

Yao: mn.

*cups Qin Su's face* I'll back shortly, dear.

Qin Su: of course.

Meng Shi: where's Dianxia? Is he going to imperial court too?

Yao: yes. As usual.

Oh, and look he's here.

Rusong: *enters, wearing a hat just like A-Yao. * hey Nainai, A-Die, A-niang!

Yao: Song'er you look so handsome. *kisses his forehead* Now where's Jingyi?

Rusong: on his way, A-Die.

Yao: I see. *smile*

Qin Su: *kisses Rusong*

Meng Shi: you look a lot like your A-Die.

Rusong: thank you, Nainai.

Qin Su: A-Yao, we have such a dashing son!

Yao: hmm yes. Now two dashing sons.

Jingyi: Diedie. I'm here. *enters* sorry I'm late.

Yao: it's fine dear. *adjusts Jingyi's hat*

Qin Su: morning Yi'er. Looking sweet as well.

Jingyi: thanks A-niang!

Meng Shi; awww. You two are really taking up after your A-Die. Very elegant.

Jingyi: I feel hot under this gauze hat. But I know i won't faint.

And Rusong gave me a hack.

Yao: really? What's that?

Rusong: you wear loose gauze hats so that the heat won't be trapped. But I would use something with fine needlework, so that tiny holes would be formed.

Yao: aw quite smart!

Jingyi: he's a genius..

Yao: shall we?

Rusong: mn.

Jingyi: heehee, after you, Huangdi.

Yao: lol.

.

Later that day, the harem were bickering amongst themselves.

Mingjue: so A-Yao remarried Qin Su.

Su she: Yes. And my emperor always makes the best decision.

Do you have a problem?

Mingjue: no. But what if toxic people start tormenting them again.

Sometimes I worry about him, you know.

Xue yang: since when, dage.

Mingjue: *sighs* since huaisang started his revenge plot.

Huaisang: Dageee, I told you, I have stopped being evil. I don't have any time.

Mingjue: you're a chronic villain, Huaisang. Just accept your fate.

Huaisang: now what's a chronic villain? Dage! That doesn't make any sense.

Mingjue: first you're normal, them  you get possessed by God knows what and return to your revenge arc.

Huaisang: Dage, I'm not like your Saber and saber spirits, ok. How could I be possessed.

Mo xuanyu: oh gosh. Not even the spirits want to deal with huaisang. *laughing*

Xue yang: is the dude that bad?

Su she: Huaisang, I think you need a therapist.

Huaisang: team dimple! Why are you so mean!! Jiang cheng, hold me. *hugs*

Jiang cheng: you're a grown man.

Huaisang: and you're my husband. Now shut up and hug me.

Jiang cheng: fine.

There there. If you ignore team dimple maybe they'll go away.

Su she: never.

Mo xuanyu: maybe when you turn your life around and get a makeover, then we'll leave you alone!

Xichen: *playing flute music*

Mingjue: why is Xichen so unbothered?

Xue yang: then why are you so concerned. Let him toot the flute.

Ooooo, are you worried that Jiggy have a new harem member? You need Xichen to brainstorm about ways to catch his attention.

Mingjue: *blushing* you better shut up. Or I'll knock out your teeth.

Xue yang: is that a kink? Dage.

Huaisang: leave my dage alone!! Xue yang.

Xue yang: who else do you want me to harass?! This guy is horny for Jiggy and won't admit it!

Su she: guys, did you get the gifts, for the new harem member?

Mingjue: WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BRING GIFTS?!!!!

Huaisang: I brought one.

Mingjue: why haven't you told me!

Huaisang: *whimpering* I thought you knew dage.

Mingjue: obviously not.

Huaisang: how am I supposed to read your mind!

Mingjue: I don't know! Aren't you supposed to be my brother?!

Xue yang: bought mine.

Mo xuanyu: yea, got mine too.

Jiang cheng: same.

Su she: mn. Same.

Xichen: I didn't get the memo!

Su she: shoot.

Xue yang: *gasps* Xichen, Mingjue. You dare disobey your chief cultivator Su.

Mingjue: he did this on purpose! He hates Xichen and I.

Su she: I didn't do anything. Now have respect.

And yes, I hate you both.

Mingjue: you're evil, and biased. I don't know why and how you became the chief cultivator!

Mo xuanyu: Dage! Watch your words!

Xue yang: yea dude. Team d looks out for each other.

If you say something like that again, you'll end up like a porkchop.

Mingjue: is that a threat?!

Chief cultivator, he's threatening me!

Su she: because you provoked him. Now let's don't fight.

Xichen: my husband Yao huangdi got everything in control.

Jiang cheng: team dimple is so damn entitled.

Huaisang: I know right.

They always feel like they're better than us

Xichen: guys, I agree.

Mo xuanyu: because Yao gege loves us more than you.

Xue yang: it's a fact.

Su she: sect leaders, don't forget the annual conference in Moling, by the way.

You're all invited.

We must discuss on the Jianghu's operations.

Mingjue: are you sure?! Is that invitation for everyone?

Su she: what do you think.

Porkchop.

Mingjue: ohh...I'll show you porkchop!

Mo xuanyu: guys, chill! We got to welcome the other woman.

Jiang cheng: ew. Are you and Wei wuxian the same?! You grown ass men are calling someone the other woman. *rolls eyes*

Mo xuanyu: oh shut up, you purple homopbobe. You're married to three guys.

Qin su: *comes in* hey guys.

Xue yang: hey Susu. Here's your gift. *hands her some gold hairpins* I'm rich, like a prince. By the way. *wink*

Qin su: uh thanks. They're beautiful hairpins, xue yang.

Xue yang: so you like the emperor? What about me? Am I hot.

Mo xuanyu: stop it!

Qin gui fei, we're Team dimple. The best concubines of emperor Guangyao.

Huaisang: rude.

Mo xuanyu: I got you lipstick and some other makeup supplies. Welcome to the harem, Jiejie.

Qin Su: thank you cutie xuanyu.

Xue yang: hey! Why aren't I cute.

Qin Su: cuz a cute gremlin doesn't exist.

Xue yang: I love how you're savage.

Qin Su: anyways. I'm happy that you have served My Yao Huangdi, Chengmei.

Su she: here's my gift, Qin jiejie. A few poems.

Qin Su: waww. I'll definitely indulge in these.

Su she: and don't worry. They weren't STOLEN!!

Xichen: *rolls eyes*

Huaisang: Qin su. Here's some gurly fans. Since you're an empress, it would suit you.

Qin Su: thanks Huaisang.

Huaisang: if it wasn't for princess Ruhua, I won't be here. She gave me leave.

Qin Su: a 6 year old gave you a day off?

Huaisang: tough life right?

And Zixuan and A-ling weren't  around.

Qin Su: oh dear. *laughing*

Huaisang: *pouting*

Qin Su: *bursts into laughter* Jiang cheng?!!!!!

Jiang cheng: I know, I know what you're thinking.

What is sect leader Jiang doing here

Qin Su: lol.  I thought you weren't interested in being a concubine.

But I know my A-Yao loves powerful people.

Jiang cheng: yea. Yea, we co parented A-ling so.

Anyways, welcome back.

Qin Su: thank you, sect leader.

Huaisang: I wonder how you two decided to reunite.

Su she: A-Yao is an emperor. She has rich tastes.

Qin Su: I just missed A-Yao and Song'er.

Hauisang: ohh.

Su she: they always come back to by glamorous Huangdi, Huaisang.

Unlike Jiang cheng.

Yikes.

Jiang cheng: Minshan, I will zap you.

Su she: come at me, Pikachu!!

Jiang cheng: congrats, Miss Qin on your wedding. Look, I got you some pendants.

Congrats again.

Qin Su: lovely!

Now what's sect leader Jiang doing?

Jiang cheng: just sect affairs. And yea, I'm married to A-Yao, Zixuan and Huaisang..

Qin Su: *cracking up* all three of them! Omg! Jiang cheng, you're a cutesleeve!

Jiang cheng: don't say it like that! It was a political thing!

Qin su: are you sure?

Jiang cheng: kind of.......but I do think my husbands are kind of cute at times........and I'm doing it for Jinling!

Qin su: why are you dragging in poor little Jinling. Lol.

Jiang cheng: I ask those emperors the same thing.

But no answer.

Qin Su: but isn't Zixuan married to your sister?

Jiang cheng: yea, but that doesn't stop him.

Mo xuanyu: I guess it's elite tastes. My two geges are hella elite and regal.

Xichen: I'm so sorry Qin su. I haven't gotten you a gift.

Qin Su: then you're rude. Anyways, it's fine, Zewu Jun.

Xichen: feel right at home. We don't fight a bit. *smile* also we're the luckiest people ever, being a part of  A-Yao's harem.

Qin Su: yes we are quite lucky. And he's mine.

Mingjue: I didn't get anything for you either because I wasn't informed.

Qin Su: that's alright chifeng zun.

Su she: stop being sour.

We know that you're naturally mean.

Mingjue: team dimple want to be the only ones to look good.

Mo xuanyu: we must. We're married to Yao gege.

[diversegaminglists]

Games beat in 2022

I was sick a lot this year (thought it was a post viral chest thing but it’s now starting to look like I might have asthma) and did a lot of gaming as I couldn’t manage anything else. I used https://howlongtobeat.com/ to get through a lot of games.

Bold for games I recommend, italics for those I would recommend avoiding.

Thief Simulator

Mexicana: Deadly Holiday

The Room 4: Old Sins

Book of Demons

Haunt the House: Terrortown

Speed Dating for Ghosts

After Hours

Unpacking

Strange Horticulture

Tales from Off Peak City Vol. 1

Panmorphia

Paramonsters and the Haunted Escape Room

Retrace

The Search

Solitune

Safe Journey

The Majesty of Colours

The Recipe for Madness

The Haunted Island

Timestone

Un Pas Fragile

Dusk Child

Nonsense at Nightfall

In the Shadow of the Valley

Thursday the 12th

The Red Door Chapter 1

Bonbon

Orion Trail

Tangrams Deluxe

Knightmare Tower

Rainy Season

Fossil Hunters

Midnight Scenes: The Highway

Midnight Scenes: The Goodbye Note

Bunny Hill Horror

Bunny Hill Horror 2: Bunny Boiler

2ECONDS TO STΔRLIVHT: Forever My Diamond

2econds to Starlight: My Heart's Reflection

(What Even is That Thing?)

Midnight Scenes: The Nanny

HammerTime

Beyond the Bow

Livescream

Korpus: Buried Over the Black Soil

Without Escape

Eyewear Cleaner 2077

Fantastic Foetus: Prebirth

Fit for a King

Dagon

Miss Fisher and the Deathly Maze: Episode 1

Curious Expedition

Miss Fisher and the Deathly Maze: Episode 2

Treasure Hunter Simulator

Nobodies: Murder Cleaner

Okaeri

Stigmatized Property

Missing Children

Inunaki Tunnel

The Caregiver

The Ghost Train

Fossil Echo

Neverout

Night Delivery

The Closing Shift

The Radio Station

Brukel

Say No! More

Silvercreek Falls Chapter 2

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion

Whispering Willows

Ontamarama

Beautiful Desolation

Near Death

Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis

Black Widow: Recharged

The First Tree

Avadon: The Black Fortress

(Not Escape Room)

The Henry Stickmin Collection

Centipede Recharged

Doodle Mafia

Borderlands 3

Alone in the Dark (1992)

Jack in the Dark

The Town of Light

True Fear: Forsaken Souls Part 1

True Fear: Forsaken Souls Part 1 Bonus Chapter

True Fear: Forsaken Souls Part 2

Borderlands 3: Moxxi's Heist of the Handsome Jackpot

D the Game

Last Half of Darkness: Society of the Serpent Moon

Borderlands 3: Guns, Love, and Tentacles

Ahnayro: The Dream World

Wheels of Aurelia

Mummmaster!

Borderlands 3: Bounty of Blood

Yes Your Grace

Just One, Must Choose

The Whisperer in the Darkness

He plays the Piano

Monad

Hope's Peak

Guide of the Butterfly

The Spark of One

Hairdash

Pizzaboy

Sangwich

Virtua Blinds

Homing

Dawndusk Dream Sewer

Forgotten Hill Tales

In My Friend Carrie's Car

nigel.

Summer Gems

The Night Fisherman

Stealth Fishing

Out the Window: A Car Trip Sim

Dogs Throwing Swords II: Three Barks to the Wind

Hi-Score Boi

Petty Puny Planet

To Duel List

Worldcraft

Running Askew

Feisty Heist

This Call May Be Recorded

Baby Labour

Stophat

Conversations with my Anxiety

The Alabaster Donut Farm

The Sun Will Set

a completely normal dating simulation that is definitely completely sweet, innocent and normal

Toaster Jam

Shrine to Anubis

Inter-view

Froggy Family Fort

The Change Architect

Can Androids Pray: Red

Clean Attack

There You Go

Hot Pot Panic

Waiting for the Loop

Chesto – At the Checkout

Can Androids Pray: Blue

Otherside

The Outcast Lovers

Samorost

Grumpy Librarian

Walkerwall

Boa Retina

ring ring

Homebound

Liyla and the Shadow of War

Devtheism

Lonely Wolf Treat

SYSCRUSHER

Stray

Nainai's Recipe

Candylight

The Hero of Budgie Island

dstnce.

Cromwell

KIDS

Parcels and Pollen

The Supper

Thing in Itself

Serre

Jet Buster

Lieve Oma

The Adventures of Wolf and Hood - A Jigsaw Tale

Tomato Clinic

Cosmic Courier: Lost in Limbo

SAI

Nancy Drew: The Final Scene

Nancy Drew: Danger on Deception Island

planktOs

Nancy Drew: The Secret of Shadow Ranch

Nancy Drew: Curse of Blackmoor Manor

Mortuary Assistant

Tessa's Ark: Chapter One

What isn't saved (shall be lost)

Traveller

Karambola

Eternia: Pet Whisperer

Dear Mariko: Crimson

TimeOut

Order a Pizza: A Visual Novel

You Died But a Necromancer Revived You!

Flufftopia

Doodle Date

Fostering Apocalypse

Good Morning Hon

KAIMA

Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock

We Met in May

Untitled Darkness

Homunculus Hotel

Gunpig: Firepower for Hire

Martial Law

Pebble Witch

Hysteria Project

Dream Dye

Hero-ing Addict

Baked: Magic

Escaped Chasm

Detours

Sunlight

Feud

The Little Mermaid (NES)

Cuckoo Castle

Find Me

Veiled

a new life.

Some Like it Hot: Episode 0

Don't Take It Personally, I Just Don't Like You: The Camping Trip

Mobility! Accessible Precision Platformer

Meta Form

Imaginaria

Wishing Sarah

Glitch Dungeon

The Secret of Tremendous Corporation

We Should Talk

Path Out

As Long As We're Together: Magical Girls Sweet & Pure

Co-open

Gardenia

Parsnip

Monster Pub Vol. 1

IF not us

Islands: Non-Places

Sudd City Adventures

Imperishable Memories

3 out of 10, Ep 1: Welcome to Shovelworks

Bard Harder!

3 out of 10, Ep 2: Foundation 101

Wakamarina Valley

Take A Hike!

Reminiscence in the Night

Nancy Drew: Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon

The Light at the End of the Ocean

Tiny Dangerous Dungeons

Penance

Surfacing

Gutwhale

Forgiveness: Escape Room

Interactivity: The Interactive Experience

Project Kat – Paperlily Prologue

Heartbreak High: A Breakup Simulator

Online Simulator: Love in the Time of Malware

Us Lovely Corpses

Sanguine Sanctum

3 out of 10, Ep 3: Pivot Like a Chamption

3 out of 10, Ep 4: Thank you for Being an Asset

Cleansuit

3 out of 10, Ep 5:  The Rig is Up!

Good Lookin’ Home Cookin’

Metal Slug

Shrug Island: The Meeting

Death's Life

The Wolf's Bite

Water's Fine

Dungeons & Lesbians

Kid A Mnesia Exhibition

Rex: Another Island

Call of the Sea

Wide Ocean Big Jacket

Ring of Fire: Prologue

King's Field (PS1)

A Nightmare's Trip

a museum of dubious splendours

Towards the Pantheon: Escaping Eternity

Return Null: Episode 1

Error: Human Not Found

Save Room – Organisation Puzzle

The Nine Lives of Nim: Fortune's Fool

Regeria Hope: Episode 1

What Comes After

Self Checkout Unlimited

Scorch

Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Quest (Megadrive)

Dominique Pamplemousse in "It's All Over Once The Fat Lady Sings!"

Shantae: Half Genie Hero

Acidtrip

Dominique Pamplemousse and Dominique Pamplemousse in "Combinatorial Explosion!"

Shadowgate Classic

Detective Hank and the Golden Sneeze

Ripped Pants at Work

El Tango de la Muerte

Helltaker

Shantae: Half Genie Hero: Pirate Queen's Quest

Mon-cuties for All

Graveyard Shift

By Your Side

The Black Iris

Fuzz Dungeon

An Oath in Kind

Silent Hill 2

Where the Snow Settles

The Westport Independent

Once Upon a Crime in the West

The Testimony of Trixie Glimmer Smith

Ticket to Ride

Wanderlust: Transsiberian

Three Lesbians in a Barrow

The Enigma Machine

SHUT IN

Brave: The Video Game

Taco Tom 2

Drones: The Human Condition

Cats in Time

Roll for Confidence

Lynne

Vampire Night Shift

Prison of the Magi: Chapter 0

Extreme Meatpunks Forever: Powered By Blood

Until Dawn

Nepenthe

Martha is Dead

Maid of Sker

Beyond Blue

Gray Dawn

Soul Waste

Sato Wonderland

Chip's Tips

Eden: Garden of the Faultless

Axis Mundi

Uktena

Rose of Meat

Seraphaxial

The Black Relic

The Fruit

The House of Unrest

Hunstvotti

Gallerie

Book of Blood

Karao

Rotten Stigma

Vampire Survivors

Spirit Guardian

We Never Left

Vestige

Resver

Ludomalica

Beyond the Curtain

Lego Starwars: The Complete Saga

Whimsy

Ys 1

She Sees Red

Momodora 3

Far From Noise

Do I Pass?

Super Ledgehop: Double Laser

Meeting in the Flesh

The Beast Inside

Nancy Drew: Danger by Design

Nancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu Cave

Forager

Actual Crimes: Jack the Ripper

Blood And Lust

Shadows Over Loathing

Rogue Quest: The Vault of the Lost Tyrant

Amelie

Social Justice Warriors

Nancy Drew and the White Wolf of Icicle Creek

Creepy Tale

Your Future Self

[self-proclaimed-chaotic-good]

Testing Strength | Xu Xialing x Katy Chen

Prompt: Knot

Words: 1433

Fandom: Marvel (MCU)

A/N: I’ve been planning this story since January and never got around to finishing it. Hopefully, I’ll do some rewrites and turn it into a proper series. Takes place sometime after the event of the movie.

Summary: Katy finds her new purpose in life after training under the Avengers, though she still has a lot to learn and being associated with the siblings of the once powerful leader of the Ten Rings puts a target on her back. Meanwhile, Xialing hopes to uncover her father’s past while asserting her position as the new Ten Rings leader.

-

Katy was never a morning person in the first place. It took a lot of effort to haul herself off the bed and get ready, unlike her friend, Shangqi. Always the punctual and disciplined one, but not any more responsible as she was when it came to karaoke nights. So, a phone call from him at five in the morning while she was still recovering from a hangover wasn’t ideal. How he would have been functioning still to even manage to call her was a mystery, or maybe it was that mystical magic stuff that ran through his family.

“No,” was her immediate response as she answered.

“Come on, meet me outside,” he said before hanging up.

His voice sounded monotonous but her brain was too muddy to register it. He wouldn’t have called this early if it wasn’t important. They’re technically new Avengers, after all. Or, at least, still in that six months probation period. Wouldn’t want to make a bad impression on someone like Captain America.

She trudged back and forth between her room and the bathroom, her mom clattering away in the kitchen while her nainai was playing cards with her little brother. They don’t know anything about Macau, the Golden Dagger, the Ten Rings, or Ta Lo. All she had told them about that time was that Shaun had a family emergency and she had gone with him as emotional support. 

They do know about a career change, she just didn’t specify what it was. Though, her little brother has seen that Bus Boy video and asked if Shaun was joining the Avengers. Katy made him promise to shut up about it with the promise of getting a picture with those famous superheroes. As soon as the big paychecks come in, her mom will stop worrying about it, and maybe then, Katy will tell them.

“I’m leaving,” she announced, shoving her shoes on.

Her mom stuck her head out of the kitchen. “Without breakfast?”

“Yeah, Shaun wanted to head out early.”

“Well, okay… are you sure Shaun doesn’t want to come in and eat? He usually stops by first- “

“It’s fine, mom.”

“Yeah, I’m sure they want to head out early in case of any mishaps like that bus incident that happened a couple of months ago, right, Katy?” Ruihua said unconvincingly with a wink.

Katy forced out a laugh. “Yeah, yeah.” She shot him a quick glare and cursed at him under her breath before their nainai could turn around to face her. “I’ll try to be home early this time,” she added with a smile to her.

She hummed, muttering in Mandarin, “Good. But this overworking and spending too much time with Shaun when you’re not even dating is lowering your chances –”

Katy didn’t want to cut off her grandmother, but she was tired of hearing this. She could see her concerns, but it was old-fashion to her. Marriage and making a family isn’t a priority in this day and age. While the world could end at any moment with each colossal threat in addition to the constant reminder from her nainai that she wasn’t getting younger and wants to be alive to see her great-grandkids, Katy still did not want to force herself to fulfill her nainai’s wishes. 

Her mother would say that it was very American of her to think this way, but she tried her hand in dating and also could not see Shangqi as more than a friend. It had been a few years since she graduated from college, but only now did she feel that drive to push herself to her full potential. Being forced to go on a date with one of Nainai's friend’s grandsons isn’t going to help her.

So, she walked out.

If only she tried to tolerate her nainai’s lectures and make Shangqi suffer and wait while she indulged in her mother’s cooking, maybe things would have turned out different.

-

Xialing wasted no time in reforming her father’s organization. She had made her own empire in Macau at the age of 16, after all, and with the Ten Rings, she saw only endless potential to create anything she wanted. She wasn’t worried about her brother’s reaction. He was no boy scout, either, and she wasn’t going to rule like her father.

It pained her that even after all those years, when Shangqi had been the one to run away first, he still regarded him with pride while he merely glanced at her when she had some use to him. It wasn’t his approval that she was looking for, she just wanted her father back. After all that time when her mother passed, her father turned away from her, and her brother abandoned her, and even after going off on her own to create the Golden Dagger Club, they were still her family. 

Which was why she still held that anger after seeing Shangqi for the first time in years at her club and how there was still bitterness when her father barely acknowledged her. Having to live in the shadows for so long, she wondered how much of Xu Wenwu did she and her brother even know of.

After the major renovation made around the headquarters and her home, she made a point to dig through his studies in between training sessions. Her father had lived for a thousand years. How much of history was influenced by him and how much of the Chinese myths and legends  were about him? 

It was a month into taking over the Ten Rings when Razor-Fist, or Mattias, notified her of a threat in one of their territories and she was determined to find out how far exactly did the empire stretched and how many enemies did he have. If word got out that the immortal leader of the legendary Ten Rings was gone, a small territory dispute would be the least of her problems. A power vacuum between the Ten Rings and its enemies that could lead to chaos.

Her father was ambitious and had been determined to see everything through. What he wanted was what he would get. She guessed that that was something that she got from him. Centuries worth of his ascent to being the greatest power, all preserved in his study. Xialing wondered if he had ever intended for his children to read them and if her mother knew or chose to leave it in the past.

She leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes, remembering when her mother would whisper stories of Ta Lo as she tucked her into bed and the moment when she gave her the jade pendant. This whole time, her mother wanted them to see her village, the key to finding it having been kept as a memento of her so that she was always with them. How different things would have been if she had believed in those stories when she got older and searched for them as soon as she ran away.

A knock brought her back to the present. She gingerly closed one of her father’s journals and granted the person to come in. Jon Jon walked through the door with a medium sized box tucked under his arm, looking breathless as sweat soaked his face. Mattias walked in behind him, his face riddled with bad news as he pressed his lips together in a frown.

“Boss,” Jon Jon said, pulling out a crumpled envelope from his jacket, having been stuffed in in his haste to reach her. Once she took it, he slid the box onto her desk carefully and stepped back.

She flipped the envelope over, her eyes recognizing the symbol of the White Dragon organization.

“I thought that they were dealt with,” she said, directing it to Mattias.

Mattias grunted. “There’s been a shift in the black market. Rumored magical items being looted and sold into the circuit. Our resources say that a few of the major gangs operating under our territories have acquired them.”

“They’re planning to take over the Ten Rings,” she stated rather than questioning. It was inevitable. 

She opened the envelope with a small dagger, steeling herself for what the contents could be. Jon Jon and Mattias waited patiently, watching their boss’s expression darken the longer she read the note. Her eyes flickered over to the box, a knot forming in her stomach as she quickly cut it open, movements only slowing as she peeled the flaps open.

“They’ve got Katy,” she growled, staring down at the familiar black embroidered bomber jacket that Katy Chen had worn to her club.

[two-hands-toward-the-sun]

friends y’all are invited to come over and eat chinese sticky rice i made for lunar new year because there is SO MUCH! it has been nainai approved

[stephaniejoanneus]

Super Boba Café by Nidhi Chanani

Super Boba Café by Nidhi Chanani. Amulet Books, 2023. 9781419759567 Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4 Format: Hardcover graphic novel Genre:  Fantasy What did you like about the book? Thirteen year old Aria, who is Indian and Chinese American, is staying with her nainai (grandmother) for the summer in San Francisco. Back home, a boy she thought was her friend shared…

[winningthesweepstakes]

Super Boba Café by Nidhi Chanani

Super Boba Café by Nidhi Chanani. Amulet Books, 2023. 9781419759567 Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4 Format: Hardcover graphic novel Genre:  Fantasy What did you like about the book? Thirteen year old Aria, who is Indian and Chinese American, is staying with her nainai (grandmother) for the summer in San Francisco. Back home, a boy she thought was her friend shared…