#xiao: waffle

[xiaoluclair]

oscar's radio being described as "haven't heard a word from him just silence" has to be the most on character thing i could've possibly heard

[superiorsturgeon]

Waffle Fries

Pyrrha: *squats an enormous barbell* Oof!

Yang: Nice, P-money! I’m digging these big lifts lately!

Pyrrha: *re-racking the bar* Thanks for spotting me, Yang! I’ve been focusing on functional strength instead of definition these past few weeks!

Yang: Whaaaaat?! Pyrrha “Chiseled Abs” Nikos is done hogging the incline bench for her ten thousand crunches?! What made you give up on your six-pack?

Several weeks earlier…

Pyrrha: MMMMmmmm!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ *munch, munch, munch*

Jaune: I can’t believe you’ve never had waffle fries before, Pyrrha! Want me to order you a large next time?

Pyrrha: *face covered in crumbs* Oh my goodness, YES!!! How have I missed these for my whole life?!

Jaune: …uh…would you like to split the rest of my waffle fries?

Pyrrha: MARRY ME RIGHT NOW YOU WONDERFUL GENEROUS MAN!!!

[grislyintentions]

|| Commentary: Adepti Lore ||

NOTE: Spoilers included if you haven't played through Chenyu Vale things Strap in for the incessant chatter folks.

Things discussed:

Mythology involving the "nature" of adeptus and gods + common themes discussed/covered in chinese mythological drama/stories

Fujin, Herblord and Xiao relations to one another

Cultural significance of Jade and it's value

The Nature of "Good" and "Evil" (Spiritual Karma)

As I have previously shared here in this post, we do not consider spirits to be inherently good or evil in nature. Every living thing accumulate karma in their lifetime based on their actions and motivations: even the divine are not exempt from this and can very well be judged based on that -squints at neuvillette-

These voicelines comment on exactly that:

With regards to Fujin's comment about no one remaining an adeptus forever and my previous post covering how the lingering grudges/remnants of deities cannot be completely erased, it ties into soul/spirit cultivation.

While the divine cannot truly be "killed" in the conventional sense, they can lose their abilities as well as physical form. They can undergo things like erosion, corruption and become tainted. They can lose their divine nature, their spirit can be dispersed and linger in specific areas where they have strong emotional ties to. Over time, they vanish and lose all ability to be able to interact with the current plane of existence they are in. Eg: traces of the fallen Yaksha can still be detected but their will can no longer be returned/coalesced. Remember what happened to Yelan and company in the chasm quest? Yeah.

Fujin, Herblord and Xiao Relation:

From Fujin's narration of the past, there might be a possibility that she, Herblord (likely Changsheng) and Xiao all served under the Goddess at one point. (This may also be why Xiao recognised Baizhu in the doctor's story quest.)

I theorise that when Fujin and Herblord defected, Xiao remained behind. Given references to Xiao's character story (4th one), it is implied that he was kept captive by means of the 'cruel god' exploiting his weakness and used as a "bloodhound" in his youth. He was subsequently rescued by Rex Lapis and in Fujin's statement, she spoke of a goddess seeking power/security yet ultimately being overpowered by Morax. What better way would a god seek power/safety by ensuring that the ability to grant the dreams of others remain solely her own? And the will to take it away also remain hers (by means of having an adeptus who can devour dreams be by her side?). More elaboration on her intentions and use of Xiao here in this post.

Cultural Significance of Jade and it's Value:

Even today, Jade is highly valued for it's cultural significance. In fact there is an ongoing argument about how it's more valuable than gold to this day.

Many associate the material with prosperity, longevity, immortality, harmony, purity so on so forth. When accompanied with gold, they tie into themes of "heaven and earth". They can be used as a medium of communication, spiritual healing or warding off evils.

Hence, the depiction of the "Jade Emperor" being the representation of a primordial god.

[quilleth]

I behaved and resisted the sale on Ringdoll’s doll lucky bag, but did decide to buy a book on making hanfu so I can make clothes for my dolls xD Here’s hoping the listing for Ying Zhou has all the measurements I’ll need since I won’t have him here for a few months to take measurements myself.

Maybe I should start by trying to make some fancy robes for Xie Lian instead, since I have him here and can practice that way.. plus i have a ton of fabric that might work for those...

[tihgnari]

me and kazuha are on thin ice that is in the processes of getting thinner and honestly? props to yn for leaving the situation and not tackling him with xingqiu - waffle

man i think the ice broke already at this point and he's drowning in despair

[maopll]

"Enough with the what would you do if I was a worm let's talk about what would I do if YOU were a worm !"

You slammed your desk on the counter looking at your boyfriend with eyes that show dedication and spirit.

"Why would I ever turn into a worm?" he gives you a puzzled look.

"No we are just assuming like hypothetically ! So listen with your eyes and ears !" you run across the counter and whip a chair and sit beside him as if you were about to piece quantum theory.

"I'm listening" he crosses his arms and rests his chin on them.

"So first of all I have a criteria... I'd throw you or feed you to the chickens near the market if you were ugly"

He looks at you with disbelief in his eyes "you'd throw out your boyfriend of so many years?..."

You then quickly say to lighten up his mood, "But! I probably won't throw you once I know you are my boyfriend !"

You stand up and move over to him and wrap one hand around his neck, while the other draws an impression of something on the air.

"I'll bring a big terrarium for you! I'd fill that with your favourite plants, you favourite log of wood ! and even feed you premium worm feed as well!" Your eyes sparkled like they had stars in them.

"But..." your shoulders slump and your voice softens," I wouldn't like it if you become a worm... that means that I would get neither a fulfilling kiss or an affectionate cuddle from you"

He looks at you with wide eyes. That was the thing that he least expected to hear from you but a part of him also makes him feel like it was to be expected because... that's just how you are.

"So don't turn into a worm— mmmhph ???" Before you could even finish your sentence, he kissed you on the lips while pouring all his love, he tried to hide his face but the red hue on his cheeks were a dead giveaway to how much he was blushing.

"Idiot... I'll never turn into a worm..."

— NEUVILETTE, wriothesley, WANDERER, ayato, ALHAITHAM, zhongli, DILUC, XIAO, welt, DAN HENG, blade, DR RATIO, luocha, jing yuan, LUCIFER, SATAN, leona, VIL, MALLEUS, Jack, RIDDLE, AZUL

tagging: @fictoculus @poison-demon @mitsvriii @pianopuppygirl @sleepy-waffle

[kararisa]

darling, starling ✧

pairing: scaramouche x gn!reader

genre: social media au, modern/celebrity au, friends to lovers, fake dating

summary: being the world-famous singer-songwriter "zenith", the limelight has been on you ever since the start of your career. however, the media becomes relentless when leaks of music you never meant to release begin to circulate. your friend scaramouche, meanwhile, seems to have gotten stuck while writing his second book. with a deadline fast approaching, he comes to you with a deal: act as if you're dating him so he can gather reference material and, in turn, he'll help keep the press' eyes off of your leaks until you release your next album. a win-win in your book, so why not help a friend out?

side ships: venti x xiao; thoma x ayato

warnings: swearing, crack, slight angst (?), alcohol consumption, yn wears makeup sometimes, depictions of online hate; specific chapter warnings will be listed at the beginning of each chapter — will be updated as the series continues

status: ongoing

author's notes:

did some minor reworking so if you've seen this for the second time, you're not hallucinating dw

yes this is my second smau. yes I still don't know what I'm doing haha. timestamps don't matter unless I say they do

apologies in advance if i miss any grammar mistakes, english isn't my first language ^^

written chapters are marked with (★)

pre-concert party !!

0.1 - lost hearts • 0.2 - welcome back, shithead

profiles:

clown central™ ([name]'s friends)

the waffle house (scara's friends)

1st verse — for future reference || playlist

1 - is this real? • 2 - enjoying yourself: a guide

3 - bitchless since birth • 4 - attention

5 - unwritten rules (★) • 6 - we're doing couple things

7 - safe with my indifference • 8 - when's the wedding

9 - iridescence (★) • 10 - worst date ever

11 - then beg • 12 - a little bit scandalous (★)

13 - not too late • 14 - only here for you

15 - i can fight • 16 - wine-stained lips (★)

2nd verse — where words fail, music speaks || playlist

17 - it's so joever • 18 - famefucker

19 - i miss my parents • 20 - none of your business

21 - child of divorce • 22 - don't text and drive

23 - neon escape (★) • 24 - this can't be real

tba

3rd verse — hate to be lame || playlist

tba

encore !!

tba

— the taglist is currently open! if you’d like to be added feel free to reply or send in an ask! – if your blog isn’t highlighted it means i can’t tag you.

[bedoballoons]

Ok I'm back since I'm no longer busy and was wondering if you could do a lyney,scaramouche,Xiao, kazuha and maybe tighnari with a giyuu or like a reader with a cryo vision that allows her to create life forms similar to alsa I guess and maybe where she has a pet that has like pyro abilities

Welcome back!!! Sorry it took me so long to get to this request done but I absolutely loved writing it and I hope you enjoy!!!

─⊰⁠⊹ฺ✿𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕟𝕤⊰⁠⊹ฺ✿─

{༻~Cryo vision~༺}

CW: Fluffy!

(Includes: Lyney, Tighnari, Xiao, Kazuha, and Scaramouche!)

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

𑁍༄Lyney:

"No no no! Wait!" You called out to your little pet, hurrying after the fire ball as it rolled along the beach of Fontaine, unbothered by your shouting and flailing. Just as you started to run out of breath, about to use your vision as a last resort, your pet jumped into Lyneys arms, licking his face all over while the magician laughed happily, "Well now, look who it is. Causing trouble for my beautiful partner again are we,...ah but alas you're to adorable to stay mad at." Lyney scratched under your pets chin, earning a happy little noise of approval.

You caught your breath, watching the whole scene unfold and holding back the urge to go, awwwwe. After their cute little moment your fire ball ran back to you, followed by Lyney who immediately pulled you in for a kiss, placing his hat atop your head while you giggled happily.

𑁍༄Tighnari:

Tighnari watched the bird in front of him with amazement...it's entire body pale blue in colour and resembling that of a ice statue...yet it could move like a real bird...he'd never seen anything like it before. That is until you'd used your vision in combat, animals of a frozen nature springing forth into battle while he stood there in complete shock, slightly awestruck by the entire situation.

"And you've been able to do this ever since you received your vision?" His ears quirked in your direction, making you smile for no particular reason, "Yep...ever since I could use the powers of cryo I've been able to make animals of all shapes and sizes, and they stay until I say otherwise too." Tighnari nodded, very gently petting the bird while it chirped away in content, "Incredible..."

𑁍༄Xiao:

If you had told Xiao a couple hours ago that he'd be using a large ice bear as a ride because of a injury he had sustained during a fight over your pet fire ball...he would have turned away from you and acted like you were insane, but now here he was, laying back against the freezing pale blue exterior of bear while you held your traumatized pet in your arms like a poor little baby. The entire two hours before this feeling like something out of a strange storybook.

"You know...when you said you were good with animals...I thought you'd meant animals of natural origin, not ones created by your vision." Xiao turned his head in your direction, his dark teal green hair sweeping over his face and his yellow eyes almost looking a bit dazed as he stared up at you. You looked away shyly, a light blush coating your cheeks as you watched the sunset, "I'm still good with animals, I just prefer the ones that are a bit cold...they usually have the warmest hearts."

𑁍༄Kazuha:

You weren't sure how long you'd been laying in bed, listening to the soft sounds of Kazuha laughing while he played with your pet and made waffles for breakfast. Even though you were hungry and very awake by now, you just couldn't bring yourself to interrupt such a sweet sound, afterall it wasn't often there were mornings as perfect as this...and you just wanted to enjoy it for as long as it would let you.

Of course it couldn't last forever, before long you heard Kazuhas footsteps walking towards you and you quickly shut your eyes and pretended to be asleep, excitement suddenly coursing through your veins when you felt his weight on the bed. It took everything in you to keep your blush at bay when he placed a sweet kiss on your forehead and cupped your cheek in his hand, "Good morning angel"

𑁍༄Scaramouche:

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"Give it back you pathetic worm!" Scaramouches blood was boiling, more threats spilling from his lips than you had ever heard,...but you just couldn't stop laughing, your stomach sore from over use and your eyes watering with happy tears. You had used your vision to create cryo birds, who you then instructed to steal his hat and hold it just above his reach, torturing him with his own shortness while you enjoyed the entire show.

"That's it!" He stopped his failing attempts to retrieve his hat and walked over to you, his purple eyes narrowed with rage, but you for some reason weren't scared in the slightest. "Scaramouche calm down-" You tried but he caught you off, pulling you close to him and kissing you so deeply that when he pulled away you were at a loss for words, staring at his smirk...

"Now who looks like a idiot."

ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚Have a nice day*⁠.⁠✧

[tavina-writes]

CQL and Genre Intertextuality

I'm being bashed over the head with the "nhs's fan in CQL is made of xuantie/dark iron" thing again and @poorlittleyaoyao please understand that I am thinking of this constantly since you made that post talking about it because I'm just.

holding my head in my hands bc ye gods the cql show writers were genre savvy in ways that are hilarious but also make me feel like I've been hit upside the head with a waffle iron.

For those of us who are no longer damaged by the post or hadn't seen it (I don't actually know where it's gone bc the search feature doesn't work on this webbed site):

Xuantie/Dark Iron is a Jin Yong created metal that famously was used for the blade of the Dragon Slaying Sabre in the third novel of the Condor Trilogy, 倚天屠龍記/The Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber.

The Heaven Reliant Sword 倚天劍 was created from Yang Guo and Xiao Longnv's Gentleman and Lady swords, whilst the Dragon Slaying Saber 屠龍刀 was created from Grandmaster Dugu Seeking-a-Loss's Dark Iron Sword.

Can we please all take a moment to appreciate how NHS's fan not his saber, NHS, from The Family With The Sabers, gets to shout about how his fan is made of xuantie. The most famous for being the metal that made up The Dragon Slaying Saber. His fan. Not his saber. his fan. dark iron. Dragon Slaying Saber. This is so funny I'm about to mcfucking lose it yet again while typing this.

Going back to Grandmaster Dugu Seeking-A-Loss (who appears in both Return of the Condor Heroes and Xiao Ao Jianghu) and his giant pet condor (sadly, only a ROCH feature) who might've been his one true soulmate for a second, this situation from episode 7, when the Yunmeng Siblings are leaving the Cloud Recesses:

Now, the subtitles here really DO NOT do this line justice because when I first saw it it took me FLAT THE FUCK OUT and I had to lie on the floor laughing for like, 80 seconds before I got my breath back.

Okay, what this line ACTUALLY says is "I am Dugu Qiubai (Grandmaster Dugu Seeking-A-Loss), what's wrong with seeking a match?"

Now, to understand this, we come to this backstory on Dugu Qiubai in XAJH:

“Senior master Dugu Seeking-A-Loss, who created this set of sword techniques, had a name ‘Seeking-A-Loss.’ He had been seeking a loss all his life and still couldn’t get one. Once the sword techniques were executed, he would become unmatched anywhere in the world. Why would he have to defend? If anyone could have forced him to draw his sword back and defend himself, the respectful master would have burst with joy and be delighted beyond measure.” Feng Qingyang said. “Dugu Seeking-A-Loss, Dugu Seeking-A-Loss,” Linghu Chong muttered as he imagined how the senior master had wandered about the Martial World, unmatched anywhere, with only his sword, and couldn’t even find a single one who was capable of forcing him into a defending stance. That was truly admirable.

from Chapter Ten of XAJH: Sword Training.

"If anyone could force him to draw his sword back to defend himself, the grandmaster would have burst with joy and be delighted beyond measure" DO YOU SEE WHY JC STARTED CALLING WWX SHAMELESS NOW. they're JUNIORS. WWX is calling himself "the greatest man of all, who'd sought the feeling of losing just ONCE being forced to defend himself just ONCE in a LIFETIME" and saying "LWJ might be my equal. my soulmate. the loss I was seeking my whole life."

All 15 years of it I'm sure, WWX.

I'm not going to get into finding martial arts manuals or a respected grandmaster who taught you incredible things in a cave bc 1) LHC and Feng Qingyang up there are sitting together, in a cave and LHC is being taught incredible things and 2) Duan Yu from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils once found the magic finger lasers of ultra laser in a cave. In front of the statue of a goddess. (don't talk about the dancing goddess statue now, Tav. We don't have time for that in this post.)

Not kidding the intertextuality of CQL and how much it plays with and against the tropes of its genre, especially other wuxia tv adaptations as well as wuxia novels is insane. There's other ones I'm missing for certain and these were just the most funny to me, personally, but! just! oh my god! insane! insane! SO funny, so clever in so many ways

[thursdayisfriday]

ᴛʜᴇʏ ꜰɪɴᴅ ʙʀᴜɪꜱᴇꜱ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜ (ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ɴɪɢʜᴛ) ⋆˚✿˖°

⤑ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: M! Characters x GN! Reader

⤑ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ: Mention of being bruised, fulff?

⤑ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: How they would react to finding bruises on you, surely it couldn’t be their fault.

-He didn’t even noticed it until you accidentally revealed it -Looked at you in horror, like you were keeping a big secret from him -Kept Apologizing, even planted soft kisses on you bruises

“Hey. babe?” He yells from the couch. “Can you pass me the chips in the cabinet?”. You did a little hum from the kitchen, opening the cabinet and reaching for the chips. But of course, you weren’t aware of your shirt lifting up slightly, as He turned around checking a glance at the mark on your hip. “Here” You said, walking to him and handing him the bag. His hand rested on your waist pulling you in, so you were still standing while he still sat in the coach. “Everything ok hun?” You chuckled looking down at him questionably. He lifted up the shirt and stared at your hip. Staring at the purplish mark on your hip. “What happened here?”. His finger drifted over it slightly, but softly. You grinned. “You happened”. He looked up at you worriedly. “I did this?!?” you nodded. He groaned, resting his head against your stomach. His lip patted a soft kiss on the mark.“Sorry…” he mumbled. “It's fine, really” Your hand tangled in his hair and he looked up at you.

“Does it hurt?”

⤑🇮​​🇳​​🇸​​🇪​​🇷​​🇹​ ​🇹​​🇭​​🇪​ ​🇫​​🇴​​🇱​​🇱​​🇴​​🇼​ ​🇨​​🇭​​🇦​​🇷​​🇦​​🇨​​🇹​​🇪​​🇷​ (​🇮​​🇫​ ​🇾​​🇴​​🇺​ ​🇸​​🇴​ ​🇩​​🇪​​🇸​​🇮​​🇷​​🇪​): izuku midoriya, tamaki amajiki, gorou, Albedo, Tanjiro, Obanai Iguro, itadori yuji, Armin

-Already knew that he bruised you, what could he say? He wanted to mark you

-Definitely will, rub some cream on it to make it hurt less

-Apologies, but you and him both know it's gonna happen again

“Morning”. He came behind you and kissed your neck, the part where you had your bruise. It wasn’t really anything big. Kinda looks like a handprint on your neck. He chuckled and took a seat next to you, resting his hand on your waist. You were having some breakfast, just regular waffles and eggs and bacon, but now you just had a waffle left. You watched as he looked at the waffle hungrily and grind. “Do you want some?” “Please” He fake pouted. You took a piece of your waffle and fed him. He hummed, you ate the rest taking in the sweet flavor. He got up, taking your plate in your hands. He came a little close to your face. “You're okay though right, From last night i mean?~”. Playfully rolling your eyes, you peck his lips softly. “I'm fine really” he walked to the sink ready to wash the dishes. “Just checking”. “What do you want do today?” You hummed and walked up behind him wrapping your arms around his waist and resting your head on his shoulders. “Anything, really i don’t know”

“Wanna watch beetlejuice?”

⤑🇮​​🇳​​🇸​​🇪​​🇷​​🇹​ ​🇹​​🇭​​🇪​ ​🇫​​🇴​​����​​🇱​​🇴​​🇼​ ​🇨​​🇭​​🇦​​🇷​​🇦​​🇨​​🇹​​🇪​​🇷​ (​🇮​​🇫​ ​🇾​​🇴​​🇺​ ​🇸​​🇴​ ​🇩​​🇪​​🇸​​🇮​​🇷​​🇪​): denki kaminari, Mirio togata, Hanta sero, Eijiro Kirishima, Alhaitham, Itto, Cyno, Xiao, Wander, Sampo, Rengoku, Sanji, Geto, Gojo,

-Okay? He bruised you. So?

-Will make you wear any outfit that will really bring out the bruises on you. Loves to catch people staring at it, knowing that you're his.

-He won’t apologize. Maybe kiss at it, but he's too pleased with himself to apologize for his work.

You guys are walking hand in hand in the park. It was a lovely day, so You decided to wear some shorts. The air was somewhat sweet and filled with pollen and kids could be seen running around and having fun. Soon you found a pond with a small bridge over it and pulled your boyfriend along to go see the cute ducks. He watched as you coo and the duck swam around and your eyes sparkled, while He stood behind you. Anyone else would say that he looked quite intimidating hovering towards you like that, but to you it was like he was trying to protect you. “Want some?” You had a piece of bread on hand for some reason and you were throwing a little piece to feed the ducks, chuckling at how they fussed over it. “We should get a duck”. You said out loud as the idea came to mind. “Should we now? And what would you name the duck if we got one?” He chuckled, throwing some bread into the pond. “I don't know. Maybe Skittles or Reese's- oh Snickers!”. You guys shared a laugh. You must have James you hand a little too hard, cuz your phone fell onto the floor. “Shit-” You muttered under your breath. You bent down trying to pick up your phone, unaware of your short riding up a little too much. Two pairs of eyes were caught on your thighs. There was a handprint mark on it. Their faces were red, but they quickly looked around as they noticed that your boyfriend was looking at them. He smirks.

“The fuck you two looking at?”

⤑🇮​​🇳​​🇸​​🇪​​🇷​​🇹​ ​🇹​​🇭​​🇪​ ​🇫​​🇴​​🇱​​🇱​​🇴​​🇼​ ​🇨​​🇭​​🇦​​🇷​​🇦​​🇨​​🇹​​🇪​​🇷​ (​🇮​​🇫​ ​🇾​​🇴​​🇺​ ​🇸​​🇴​ ​🇩​​🇪​​🇸​​🇮​​🇷​​🇪​): Shota Aizawa, Katsuki Bakugo, Keigo Takami, Toya Todoroki, Jin Bubaigawara, Osamu dazai, Chuuya, Nikolai, Diluc, Blade, sanemi shinazugawa, Tengen uzui, akaza, Zoro, kento nanami, Sukuna, Levi, Eren

I hope you enjoyed (⁠人⁠⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠)⁠｡⁠ﾟ⁠+

[dxstopiaa]

Roommates..

Summary: Moving in was a tough task, thankfully someone will be accompanying you, I wonder what what they’re like?

A collection of my personal headcanons and short scenarios regarding how my favourite genshin boys will be like as roommates! Mainly Platonic and Romantic (depends how you want to interpret it) fluff with some crack!

Characters: Zhongli, Xiao, Wanderer. (I will do a part 2, planning to include: Albedo, Kazuha, Rosaria, Heizou, Childe.)

Zhongli

• Extremely Organised, from when you first entered the dormitory, the senior student had already expected your arrival and was courteous enough to prepare your wardrobe and sleeping quarters. There was no denial that you were pleasantly surprised.

•Even his section of the accommodation was tidy and orderly, various folders stacked into a neat divider, a selection of stationary and a rather comfortable chair parallel to the desk, decorated with a beige throw blanket.

•He greeted you with such formalities you began to question if he was secretly a professor instead of a student. Your visible confusion mixed with delight painted your face unusually, exerting a light, mellow chuckle from Zhongli. God, He already seemed so amiable, precious indeed.

•Over the first couple of days, you could say you adjusted perfectly to his schedule, taking your individual responsibilities up whilst still maintaining a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. Often times when you both sauntered around the campus after your lessons had finished, you would arrive at the dorm and Zhongli would immediately brew any sort of tea.

• Emphasis on Often, He had a huge luxury stash of the finest teas and even coffees, though he didn’t particularly like the former. Spectrums of caffeinated beverages from iced peach tea, to oolong and even osmanthus..? Though you weren’t familiar with the last. Zhongli was quite proud of his collection, understandably. He had told you of his trips to China, expressing his love for his nation, and how he would constantly buy out the stocks of drinks they had.

•This leads you onto your next discovery, it seemed as if Zhongli had not learnt of money management as well as you had expected him to, for instance, you had to pry him away from his observations of new purchasable books at your local stationery shop, pleading how he would go into debt, though that was more for dramatic effect. He would admire the new pens with intense observation, i mean, new stationery right, who wouldn’t? Though you had to remind him of the abundance on his table, overflowing out of his already oversized pencilcase. My, Is he even a real economy student?

•Your slightly different personalities attached you two together like glue, it would be rare for somebody to see one without the other. Like recently, when Hu Tao’s eyebrows rocketed when she saw you alone in the library, bombarding you with questions. ‘Oh my, did the poor guy already pass on? Where is he?’ Was an example, let’s just say that an unimpressed student had his arms folded tightly with an eyebrow raised heard that, initially intending to give the younger girl the caramel waffle he bought. Welp, guess who had two?

•Archons, Your roommate was an outstanding chef, where the hell did he get all these culinary skills? Such delicacies laid upon the table, a surprise given to you from him for excelling your exams, you had to press a hand against your mouth not to shriek with excitement at that instant. Zhongli laughed in appreciation at your unspoken compliment, which were the arms wrapped around his neck, an affectionate embrace.

Xiao

•Xiao couldn’t deny that ever since a notice letter had been left on his doorstep from the institute, which had detailed that he was going to have company in his dorm, he felt nervous.

•Since then, Xiao had attempted to make the accommodation as comfortable and hygienic as possible, which wasn’t a strenuous task as he already kept up to these standards previously. He was even able to replenish the house with consumables, despite the fact he didn’t eat much himself.

•The day you arrived at the college, you made your way to the room number mentioned on your welcome letter, knocking on the door lightly. A student with the most gorgeous aureate eyes opened the door for you, returning your soft gaze with a light smile, gesturing you inside.

•Well, grateful you were seeing how you had been rewarded with an orderly roommate, the space he had arranged for you was embellished with neutral tones, most likely as he didn’t know what colours you preferred. A comforting atmosphere indeed.

•Due to sharing the same course, you had grown closer to him as he warmed up to you. His usual stoic attitude had adapted into one of care and even a hint of sarcasm, to your surprise. Often times, he’d find you in the kitchen before your lecture with the end of a pen tapping against your chin, searching the cabinets.

•’We are a bit low on food, Xiao, why don’t we go shopping after?’ You requested, watching him pack a bottle into his bag for the both of you. He sighed quietly, ‘Your obsession with purchasing reminds me of someone’ He side-eyed you, who was dramatically clasping your hands together in pleads for him to accompany you. Xiao exhaled softly, ‘Okay, though you’re paying this time.’

•So you did as you said, waiting outside Xiao’s lecture hall with two breakfast bars in your hands, grinning to yourself at the thought of him browsing aisles with a basket upon his forearm, scrunching his eyebrows together in confusion. When he had finally finished, Xiao gratefully accepted the snack, rather hungrily tearing the pack open before leaving the building with you closely by his side.

•The grocery shop across the campus was well favoured by all students, large ranges of deserts to instant foods available. You held Xiao’s hand gently, pulling him into the brightly lit store, giving him a basket of his own, challenging him to see what he would purchase for you and vice versa.

•By the end of your shopping, you had met him back at the front of the self-checkout, his basket half-full of his favourite desert, piles of almond tofu, the rest with snacks he knew you enjoyed. You fawned over the kind action, which you returned with other goods you thought he would like, such as cold noodles and some jasmine tea. ‘Thank you..’ Xiao acknowledged, rubbing your cheek lightly with thumb.

•You infact, did not pay this time, as you had claimed to have ‘forgot’ your card at home, sheepishly scratching the back of your head and averting his critical stare, muttering a ‘You’re impossible.’ Although he didn’t mind paying, you’ve helped him so much without even knowing so. Xiao now found it easier to engage with others, especially when around you. It’s like you pulled out the treasure hidden in the depths of his heart.

•Shopping meant stocking the cupboards, your least favourite part, as the college decided to make them the smallest size as inconveniently possible, which either caused items topple onto you when opening cupboards, or to fall onto Xiao, which he usually caught with his swifter reflexes, How does he sense them? Was a question you found yourself asking.

•You lived a very relaxed life with Xiao, and he felt your arrival changed him for the better.

Wanderer

•Kunikuzushi jolted from his sleep when he heard the familiar sound of knocking on his dormitory door, he hit his head and groaned irritably at himself for forgetting such a thing. He was expecting a roommate and he fell asleep?

•He groggily approached the entrance, combing his navy hair with his fingers to look ever more slightly presentable, before hesitantly clutching the handle and greeting you. You couldn’t help but giggle at the state your new roommate was in, his half lidded eyes looking up at you, he donned an oversized inky shirt accompanied with teal shorts and sandals, which were the wrong way round.

•’Don’t laugh, you’re lucky i even let you inside at such an early hour!’ He berated, opening the door fully and letting you in. Apparently, 12 pm was still morning in this guy’s schedule. He was grateful for the darker surroundings, if not, you could of seen how his face burned in embarrassment.

•Kunikuzushi flipped the dim lights on, treading towards the bathroom as he left you to your own devices in the main area. ‘I won’t be long, organise the room as you wish.’ He dismissed with a wave of his hand, slamming the door shut. Despite his quite disoriented impression, he had basic decency to at least make space for your possessions and provide you with some extra snacks in a mini-fridge on your side of the room.

•Kuni may of seemed rude and eccentric, but in reality, he had a playful soft heart, though often shadowed. Over the following weeks, he would give you some of his notes so you could catch up with the content, and in return you would give him random things you bought. Sometimes it would be as simple as a drink, other times a new notebook. You gave him a plush penguin once, to which he insisted he didn’t need and you could keep it, then the following night you saw him hugging it gently in his slumber. Definitely took a picture of that as blackmail material.

•Around a couple of days ago, you had planned to visit the library to revise for your upcoming exam, which went successful until you walked outside and noticed the ridiculous downpour of rain, comparable to a typhoon. Smacking your hand against your forehead, you called Kunikuzushi, begging him to come and give you your umbrella which you had unfortunately left back on campus. His response? ‘No can do.’ Even though this was over mobile, you could see the conceited smirk plastered on his face, as he cut the call abruptly.

•Sighing deeply, you decided to just wait for the rain to pass, sitting down on a nearby bench under a canopy whilst entertaining yourself with your phone. Little did you know, Kuni was already standing a few feet behind you, his arms crossed impatiently. Your device buzzed, signalling a notification. ‘Look behind you, dumbass’ And you did, sheepishly grinning at him, who sarcastically huffed as if he had anything else to do, another floral umbrella in his hand as he held up his own.

• The rain had calmed down in intensity as you continued walking, the ripples upon puddles grew less frequent and more so of a dripping faucet instead of a running waterfall. You lowered your umbrella and kept it to your side, glancing at Kuni to see he did the same. He reciprocated your look, a small smile present as he faced forward again. Why is he smiling?

•You received the answer to that as you tripped over something, upon falling to the ground, you noticed the retracted umbrella which grazed the concrete you once stepped on. Breathless deriding chortles were heard above you, Kunikuzushi hunched over in fits of laughter, covering his mouth. You pouted in irritation, yet you couldn’t deny his joyfulness made your heart flutter, the purity of one’s happiness.

•Once his laughter had subsided slightly, he extended his arm in an attempt to help you up from the floor. Perfect chance, it seemed as though he didn’t doubt you one bit. With all the force you could, you tugged his arm and brought Kuni tumbling to the ground with a yelp, just as you did. Although this didn’t end up as you thought. His hands were either side of your body, knee braced to the cement in-between your own, hovering above you, your faces directly in-front of another. Your own exploded in a furious blush, whilst his only wore a sly smirk, shaking his head lightly.

•’If you were this desperate, you could of just said so.’ He complacently advocated, remaining in said position whilst you sputtered out denials of all sorts, playfully shoving him away from yourself.

•Honestly, he was too much work, but that was a responsibility and chance you were willing to take. <3

[xiaoluclair]

a total summation of the people featured explicitly in charles leclerc's latest bout of instagram story (following austria gp 2023):

charles leclerc (himself)

arthur leclerc (his brother)

ferrari pit crew (his team)

max verstappen (????)

[pearlywritings]

Morning kisses

synopsis: just a sweet morning shared within the Rex-Lapis’s household.

pairing and characters: Zhongli x fem!reader, Xiao and Ganyu. All four’s last name is Rex-Lapis.

tw: modern AU, established relationship, fluff

word count: 1.5k+ words

a/n: In this modern AU of mine Xiao resembles his dad Zhongli a lot. Same amber eyes and same dark brown hair. He will obtain his teal green hair color when he is older, when he has that teen "I wanna dye my hair and be different" phase. More information about this AU and character’s roles for better understanding will be in a separate post once I finish and publish a couple of more related fics.

Off note, this is basically the very first Genshin fanfiction I’ve ever written, even before starting this blog. Finally it’s out!

The sounds of little feet scurrying just outside the bedroom door made you stir from sleep. Softly groaning and burying your cheek into the pillow, you reached a hand out from under the covers and patted the other side of the bed. As expected it was empty but still held some warmth of your husband's body.

Rolling onto your back, you lifted an arm to drape over your eyes - even if the curtains were still drawn together and no light dared to be a nuisance. The other felt a bit numb from being caught up in between two bodies last night and you groaned again. Feeling how the smallest movement of fingers sent jolts of electricity through your whole limb wasn't the thing you'd be fond of early in the morning.

Great, it seemed like one of the legs was no better - sometimes you truly were tempted to call your husband a cuddling monster. Maybe you even had, and most likely he hadn't even been repulsed by that, only softly laughing.

Speaking of your husband… Lifting the less affected arm, you blinked a couple of times and gazed at the dresser. The hanger that you put on the handle last evening was empty, signaling that if you didn't hurry you'd most likely miss your husband's departure.

Finally pushing yourself up and quickly swinging your legs over the edge of the bed you were ready to start this new day. With a nice stretch, one that makes your joints crack in places, you quickly padded to the bathroom.

When you emerged in the kitchen just a couple of minutes later, you witnessed one of the most heartwarming scenes your little family could've gifted you with.

Zhongli, your dear loving husband, had your 4-year old son in his lap, softly nudging his cheek with a knuckle to wipe some syrup. Xiao was happily munching on a waffle, and you could swear he was swinging his little feet under the table, back pressed to his dad's chest. Such a papa's boy.

"I am surprised you are not worried he'll ruin your work clothes, love," molten gold in his eyes seemed to swirl when the man noticed you standing in the doorway, leaning on the wall a little.

"Ah, sorry if we woke you up, dearest," the deep soothing voice almost had you weak in your knees. But you held your ground, it was barely a morning, no way you'd push through it if your knees gave up right now.

"You didn't. Just heard Xiao running past the bedroom," your hand gently touches Zhongli's shoulder and you bent down to place a kiss on his temple. "Seems he had the same idea I did once I woke up."

"Oh? And what could that be?" He inquired, eyes watching you drag a chair from its original place closer to his.

"Want to see you before you leave for work," now almost one eye level with your son, you sweetly smiled at him. "Hey, baby. You wanted to have breakfast with daddy and tell him goodbye before he leaves?"

Xiao eagerly nodded and you had to shield Zhongli's sleeve from getting caught in the syrup almost dripping from the waffle.

"Papa came to my room to give me a kiss," he explained, quickly licking a sticky droplet before it fell off his treat. Right, your husband made sure to give you and your two kids good morning kisses, even if you were asleep on days like this, when he had early lectures in the University - you were the first to get his affection while he was still in the bedroom and then he headed straight to your son’s room, since your daughter was usually up already due to early classes at school and got her portion of morning affection during breakfast.

"Did you give him one back?" You wondered. Xiao shook his head, ready to bite into the soft texture of the waffle again. "But I will!"

"I am sure you will," you chuckled, ruffling his hair and standing up to grab yourself a drink and a spare plate.

You adored mornings like that, there was something really special about being able to wake up to catch Zhongli before he left, since it was always a very slim chance on this exact day of week. It was like a small achievement every time, like you managed to give him a kiss in return and secure the "give a morning kiss every day a week" challenge. But having your little son there too? Extra points, and you knew your husband's mood was lifted considerably.

Stifling a yawn, a plate in one hand and a mug in the other, you joined your family at the table again and were quickly passed Xiao over, who'd just finished his second waffle.

"Sorry, love," Zhongli mumbled apologetically, finishing his cup of tea and putting it on top of his own empty plate. "I should go, if I don't want to get caught in a traffic jam," he stood up, brushing his pants and checking if there was anything improper in his appearance.

Spoiler: he always looked immaculate and that time was no exception.

"Come on, Xiao, give daddy a kiss," your son enthusiastically reached his hands up, making a grabby motion and his dad bent down to receive a small, maybe a little bit sloppy kiss on his left cheek.

"I love you, daddy."

"I love you too, baby," affectionately ruffling his hair and getting his son's happy noises, he then moved a bit higher, brushing his lips against yours.

"I love you, darling. Don’t forget to tell Ganyu I love her too."

"Mhm, same, dear." you pecked his nose, giving him a soft look that was reflected in his own eyes, “and don’t worry, I won’t, but later. Poor girl must be so tired after yesterday’s exam… I’ll let her sleep a little bit longer, fortunately, she doesn’t have classes today.” Zhongli nodded in agreement. While being a University professor he still was very aware of his daughter’s struggles during this examination period. After all, it’s her last year of high school.

"Sounds perfect to me. Xiao,” he quickly glanced at the boy again, “be good for mommy, okay?"

"Mhm!" the boy nodded, playing with your fingers that were wrapped around the middle of his small body. Satisfied with his answer, the man put the dishes in the sink and pushed his chair back under the table.

When Zhongli was out in the hall, getting his coat on and fetching his briefcase, you carefully moved Xiao to his own chair, filling his plate with new treats and quickly excused yourself out of the kitchen.

You got to your husband just when he was ready to step out of the door, holding his keys; the small golden dragon trinket attached to it reflected the hall lights.

"Is anything wrong?" Concern laced his words, but you shook your head.

"No, not at all. I just don't think that kiss was proper. Wanna try again?"

Now it was his turn to shake his head with a soft chuckle - not in denial though, in amusement.

"Having been married to you for so many years I should've predicted something of the kind, but you really never cease to surprise me, you know that," putting the keys in a pocket and the briefcase down, he opened his arms. "Come here, my gem, and I shall assist to your request."

Maybe it was still your sleepiness from the early awakening, but you felt the giddiness of a schoolgirl. With a giggle, you almost threw yourself in his arms, them enclosing tightly around your waist while yours snaked their way around his neck.

Lips found each other like a perfect puzzle, like two parts of one complex mechanism forged together, and you both contently sighed. That was the bliss of the morning you both enjoyed and, honestly, didn't want to end.

"If you don't let go of me right now, we are going to be stuck here all day," the teasing lilt in his voice only made you want to act on that exact idea more. But you knew people would be waiting for him somewhere else, and you were willing to share him with them, since they were his students and you were proud of him and his job.

"Fiiiiine," releasing your hold on his neck, you took a step back and bent to grab the briefcase to pass to him, which he took with a look of gratitude. "Make sure to teach those students some interesting historical stuff."

"Why of course, love, that's my job. I'll see you both in the evening. Want me to grab something on my way back?"

"I'll send you a message with a list, thanks. See you later," and with the last exchange of smiles he was out of the door and a couple of seconds later you clicked the lock closed.

Now, time to check if your little Conqueror of Waffles had finished his plate and started on yours.

[grislyintentions]

What are your thoughts on the Traveler possibly purifying/curing Xiao's karmic debt like they did with Dvalin's Tears?

[Hello anon! Thank you for the question, it made me real happy ^w^ &lt;;3

I personally like to think that all Yakshas are affected by their own karmic debts differently. In reference to the HC I have made regarding Xiao's past and the ways his karmic debt affect him (here x), the strongest source of his suffering is himself.

The core of his turmoil is guilt and fear, leading to anxiety, self repression/punishing and self destructive behavioural patterns. That compounding with having to accept the added weight of hatred, resentment and grudges in order to vanquish the remnants of fallen gods will take shape as his 'debt'.

Since his greatest enemy is himself, then being able to overcome his own karmic debt naturally will be something that falls on him instead.

While I don't think the Traveler can fully purify/cure him of his karmic debt, I think they can be the catalyst that drives him towards the path of eventually learning to better manage/cope with it. And that their presence is something that greatly comforts/alleviates the effects of his debt.

Much like how the Traveler was also the key component responsible for removing the "tainted blood" that has taken root on Dvalin. They were able to give Dvalin the opportunity and clarity of mind to reconcile their perception towards Mondstadt's citizens. What Dvalin chooses to do, in the aftermath of their destruction and temperament, was a decision left to the dragon themself. In the same vein, the decision to actively cope and offer himself forgiveness can be bolstered by the Traveler's support.

To me, the greatest thing you can do for someone who had gone through an eternity of feeling helpless/hopeless/consumed by their ownself, is to empower them. And that is what the traveler does. That makes a world of a difference to someone like Xiao.]

[doumekiss]

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[starlitwishforu]

青玉案 · 元夕 - 辛弃疾 english translation (and notes!)

ok well. all this chinese poetry posting has put me on a bit of a translation high so i wanted to share my most recent translation project, which i actually just finished recording and uploading yesterday after two whole months of waffling. the poem itself is SO fucking cute but SO hard to translate and i'm honestly very proud that i stuck with it to the end. it instantly became one of my top favourites the very first time i heard it so i hope other people can also find some joy from it!

here is the original:

青玉案 · 元夕

【宋】 辛弃疾

东风夜放花千树，更吹落、星如雨。宝马雕车香满路。凤箫声动，玉壶光转，一夜鱼龙舞。

蛾儿雪柳黄金缕，笑语盈盈暗香去。众里寻他千百度，蓦然回首，那人却在 灯火阑珊处。

and here is my translation:

Qing Yu An: Lantern Festival at Dusk

by Xin Qiji

Fireworks blossom beneath the touch of evening's eastern breeze; flurrying as they fall, sparks shower like stars. Prancing steeds pull chiseled carriages, sweeping fragrance across the path. The xiao’s decadent notes adrift, the jadelike light’s prismatic shift; the dragon-fish dance as the night-hours pass.

Combs shining in their hair, golden, silver, silken sway; sweet perfume and tinkling mirth linger in their wake. My searching gaze is futile as I scan the thronging crowds; at last I turn, and you are there, in the quiet dark of evening wane.

translation notes beneath the cut! there is a LOT, be warned!

translation notes:

so to start from the very top, let's first introduce the title 青玉案 · 元夕.

青玉案 (pinyin: Qing Yu An, lit. the matter of the verdant jade) is actually the name of a 宋词排名 (song cipaiming, song dynasty poetic/musical form). just as shakespeare wrote sonnets and basho wrote haiku, so the poets of the song dynasty wrote, among hundreds of other forms with fun names like this, Qing Yu An poems.

each 词排名 had a set number of characters per line, set rules for its tone patterns, and even came with its own tune. maybe a better western parallel would be twinkle twinkle little star, which uses the same tune as the alphabet song and baa baa black sheep.

the end result is that there are many titles under the heading of Qing Yu An, and even, according to chatgpt, another 青玉案 · 元夕.

anyway, this one by Xin Qiji, the most famous one, is titled 元夕 (yuanxi); 元 refers to 元宵节 (yuanxiaojie), the lantern festival held on the fifteenth day of the lunar new year which marks the end of the spring festival/chinese new year, and 夕 is dusk. hence a very naturally poetic name, lantern festival at dusk.

before i get into the text of the poem, i want to note that i often sacrifice rhythm/rhyme for precision of meaning. i ✨artistically✨ speed up/slow down some syllables while recording to preserve some sense of metre lol, but it does read quite awkwardly on paper. i'm a very inexpert student and have a lot to improve on!

ok so! line by line!

东风夜放花千树

--is a literally genius pun. it transliterates as: the east wind in the evening blows open the flowers of a thousand trees. very spring, right? haha spring festival get it.

however! its a chinese celebration, so what will there definitely be? fireworks 😎 and it just so happens that one word for "setting off fireworks" in chinese is 放烟花 (fang yanhua). yep, that's the same 花, which means flowers, but when combined with 烟 (smoke), it becomes a "fire-flower" 🎆!!

it's also the same 放, which in the context of actual flowers means the opening of petals, but in the phrase 放烟花 means to set off (the fireworks).

together, this line evokes both the blooming of the spring flowers under the eastern breeze* and the blooming of a thousand fireworks in the evening sky.

*spring comes from the east ofc; this is folklore and not science i think but lends to the spring-ness of the line

更吹落，星如雨

this one is pretty straightforward. lit. blown through the air by aforementioned wind, falling like a rain shower of stars.

宝马雕车香满路

oh boy. when i tell you my mom (who is my chinese teacher) and i got in several petty arguments over baomadiaoche...

so 宝马 (baoma) are just well-bred horses, prize steeds with a pedigree. a 雕车 (diaoche) (lit. carved chariot) is a very expensive carriage carved with lots of intricate decorations. in other words, these ppl are RICH.

however, it was difficult to convey the sheer decadence of 宝马雕车 without either using a miles worth of syllables or entirely losing the original cultural context. carved was too direct and ugly to hear besides, etched was not elite enough, sculpted conveyed entirely the wrong image... also, for some reason, "proud" to describe steeds was vetoed for being inaccurate???? hence the arguments.

in this scenario, the final word choice really is a matter of the least bad option.

at the same time, the second half of this line 香满路 (lit. fragrance fills the path) implies movement: the carriage is passing by, leaving the fragrance of rich people perfume in its wake. for the sake of syllables, i shifted that movement to the fragrance part of this line. i also like that this evokes a high-headed noble sweeping elegantly through the crowds.

overall, this line adds to the picture of a decadent, bustling market street during the most joyous celebration of the year.

凤箫声动，玉壶光转，一夜鱼龙舞

lit. the notes of the phoenix xiao (chinese recorder) move, jade gourd light shimmers, the fish dragons dance all night.

chinese ppl, ok, use two motifs to describe the beauty and virtue of every artistic thing ever: phoenix and jade. phoenix xiao means NOTHING. it's like virtuous xiao. jade gourd is a little harder; some say it's the moon, some say it's the lanterns. jade and light put together kinda implies moon anyway, so i just sidestepped the problem entirely.

as for 鱼龙 (lit. fish dragons), theyre a type of dragon lantern which supposedly has some characteristic of a fish. they are puppet-danced on sticks - dragon dancing, the classic. my mom and i both had a vivid image of this dragon-lantern-dancing, but we couldn't find it ANYWHERE. if anyone knows the right search query to pull this up, please lmk how to tame 谷大哥*. anyway, i left the lanterns implied because idk how the fuck to explain this whole thing in four syllables.

*lit. big bro google. its funnier in chinese

蛾儿雪柳黄金缕

this is the line that, when i finally bothered to properly research it, made everything about this translation click into place. these are all hair decorations. 蛾儿 (lit. li'l moth) are silk moths, 雪柳 (lit. snow willow) are silver tassels, and 黄金缕 (lit. yellow-golden cords) are gold cords lmao. hence golden silver silken sway, which was SO satisfying to come up with.

笑语盈盈暗香去

lit. laughing speech tinkles and faint fragrance goes by. this one is also fairly straightforward. 去 means to go, so we specifically want the image of a group of giggly teenage girls fading into the crowd.

众里寻他千百度。蓦然回首，那人却在 灯火阑珊处。

and finally we reach the most famous line, the 千古名句 (qiangumingju) - iconic line of a thousand histories!

lit. within the crowd, searching for him* in a thousand hundred directions; suddenly the head turns, it turns out that person is standing in the darkness where the lights have gone out.

*"him" is highly debated. 他, used in modern chinese like the pronoun "he", was historically a catchall pronoun for people of any gender. iirc, 她 for "she", and the gendered distinction, was only introduced when china started integrating to the west. in this line, 他 could be the teen girl that just passed by, or her beau. whichever way, one is the searcher, the other is the searched. i chose here to sidestep this by using i and you bc fuck gender.

anyway, when the searcher's head turns - even this bit had to be suitably poetic, a nightmare - they find their lover in the 灯火阑珊处.

灯火阑珊处 this phrase refers to a very specific image. imagine, in the early hours of the morning, a dwindling market street; the stands are closing one by one, lights winking out, leaving a gentle blanket of dark and calm behind. it is the quiet after the rain, the breath after the shout; it is the sigh of closing your front door at the end of the night. it's not the absence or complete lack of light, but rather the exit of it. a place of that just-left-behind dark is a 灯火阑珊处.

this sentence gave me so much grief and i am so proud to have done it even just a little bit of justice.

so after all that, the scene described by this poem is something like this: a lively late-night market street. people from many walks of life fill the path, celebrating the lantern festival, the turn of a new year and coming of spring, a riotous party of light and noise and joy. as the night slips into the sixteenth, the market begins winding down, stalls closing and lights winking out. amongst the teeming crowds ambling their way home, a young person searches for the their lover from whom they were separated; on some sudden instinct, they turn, to find their lover already looking back from the darkness of the fading festival, gaze caught in the divide between light and dark, wake and sleep: a quiet young love on the edge of spring, something fresh and new.

if anyone made it to this point, thank you and i hope this was an interesting read! please feel free to add comments questions and observations!! i would love to discuss at any level with someone other than my mom and chinese poetry truly is one of my passions even when it makes me want to kill, so i'm always down to talk. :] <3