#zhu can sing.. i think

[maemaealltheway]

Do you guys think Modern Zhu would sing "Treat You Better" by Shawn Mendes to Ma in the middle of the hallway while lil Guo is literally there beside her?

[dalekofchaos]

Context for choices 1, 2 and 9

My little au on if Aang never left

For my Zuko/Azula as prodigies. Basically they are both naturally gifted Firebenders. Zuko faces Ozai in combat, but Zuko faces Ozai. As Ozai is about to finish Zuko, Zuko hits Ozai with white flame and then Ozai declares Zuko the victory and he gains his father's respect. Eventually Zuko and Azula are at a sibling rivalry, trying to outdo each other and even trying to kill each other for their father's approval and to win the throne. Ozai puts their ambitions to the test. Whomever captures Ba Sing Sei, Northern Water Tribes and the Avatar first becomes Ozai's successor.

This video better explains it

Asami as Amon

Asami witnessed the brutal murder of her mother, but it wouldn't be by just any benders. It would be the Red Lotus Society.

Zaheer planned to finish the job, but Toph came to the rescue.

the spirits would take pity on Asami and gift her energy bending and Asami would use her father's wealth to master Chi-Blocking and use their wealth to fund and arm the Equalists.

Amon or in this case Asami wins at the end of Book 1. Tarrlok is still captured by Amon, when Korra sees him and they chat, he tells the whole story of Amon as it happened in the show to her and everything. Like it goes in the show. Korra and friends go to confront Amon at the arena where Tenzin and his family are about to lose their bending. But they don’t because she gets there in time. She accuses Amon of being a bender, as per Tarrlok’s story. Amon doesn’t unmask. And he isn’t a bender. Tarrlok lied to get Korra to confront Amon so that he could capture her and he could hopefully save his own skin for the service at least. They fight. Amon takes Korra’s bending in a big demonstrative way. So all the crowd can see what comes to any benders, especially The Avatar who stand against him. Then the reveal happens. Asami is Amon.

Art by nikoniko_808

In order to get her bending back and learn how to give others their bending back (yeah, Korra wouldn’t get it back at the end of Book 1 because consequences? What’re those?), Korra has to go on a quest to learn her bending(her masters would be Toph, Katara, Izumi and Tenzin) in the Spirit World to understand everything. Korra does not cry about loosing her bending because she realized she’s still The Avatar and has to go to The Spirit World to get her bending back, to help everyone get their bending back and stop Asami

Throughout the series, we would meet Kya, Bumi, Izumi, Eska, Desna(Eska and Desna would be Korra’s siblings in this universe, because fuck Unaloq) Opal and Kai. We have the same romance between Bolin and Opal and Jinora and Kai. We would also meet Varrick and Zhu Li, because they are comedy gold. They would all help in the fight against Amon and the Equalists.

In Korra's venture to the Spirit World,

she would still see Wan’s story(because that’s the only thing I liked about Book 2) and I think in her journey in the spirit world she would see Asami’s story, in which her family were victims of the Red Lotus society and Asami learned to take bending away in the spirit world. Not only that, we would find out that Asami would be bonded with Vaatu. Asami is the darker Avatar.

Before she leaves The Spirit World she connects with all her past lives to ask what she should do about Asami. Korra has her Aang moment where she has too has to decide what to do like he did with the fire lord, only this time there's more to it than just stopping the bad guy. It’s about the person she loved. She can restore everyone’s bending by reversing Amon’s convergence, but she can't do that so long as the avatar spirit is split. And as long as Asami is part avatar, she can go into the avatar state. That's still pretty damn dangerous even with only water and blood bending. Korra realizes the only thing she can do to stop Asami? Love her.

After her journey to relearn her bending and journey in the spirit world, Korra travels the world to gain allies. From the Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes and Air Nomads. Korra unites the world against Amon and the Equalists.

In the final fight, Korra defeats Amon. She exorcises Vaatu from Asami, thus ending the dark Avatar and stopping Amon’s convergence. She reverses what Asami has done and uses it to restore everyone’s bending. So she has to come to the hard part. Amon makes it clear, no matter what, even without the ability to energy bend or without Vaatu, Amon will never stop, Benders will never be safe. Korra shows Asami what she was denied. Korra loves her and forgives her. Asami gives up and accepts whatever punishment.

During Book 3, Asami would work with Korra in stopping and killing the Red Lotus society. However, when Zaheer is stopped. He is left at the mercy of Asami and for everything he’s done and turned her into. Asami kills him.

Book 4 happens. Asami's redemption is rebuilding Republic City and using Future Industries to repair the damage she's done as Amon. Blah blah blah Korra stops Kubira blah blah. Asami earns her redemption and the love of the krew and more importantly Korra. Ends with Korra and Asami venturing in the Spirit World and ends with a kiss.

[accio-victuuri]

wait.. i’m literally on here or weibo almost 24/7 ( as you can tell lol ) but I feel like i missed something. i’m seeing clowning related to xz’s photos and how it looks like he is a groom and it’s a wedding photoshoot. the place is also famous for wedding shoots ( allegedly, idk. i’m not from there ) so turtles are imagining again. lol. freakin coincidence that wyb’s GRA photoshoot was done at a wedding shop. plus the “wedding outfits” for weibo night. which is all clowning and galaxy braining.🌌

now, we’re joking around, like where’s yibo? he should be taking photos with his partner.

then i see comments that there is this one song WYB recently listened to. meaning, as recent as when XZ flew to singapore which is called 超人不会飞 (superman can’t fly) by Jay Chou. i know WYB and everyone else is a big fan of Jay Chou but the clowning comes from the timing of when he listened to it. let me get to that first.

here is the song if you wanna listen to it. 🎶

turtles are interpreting it as WYB longing to “fly” to where XZ is and be with him but he can’t because of all his work commitments. he wants to take a breather. thinking about what his life is and the constraints, and at times like this, when they spent days in Beijing, but now they have to be apart, it affects him even more.

however when i read the lyrics, it could also be because he can relate to what jay chou is singing about. here’s the english translation i found here. i have bolded the ones i felt like WYB relates too. literally no need for explanation. just read it. It fits with his status in life so much that it’s almost scary.

妈妈说很多事别太计较

ma ma shuo heng duo shi bie tai ji jiao

Mum said one should not be too fussy over most matters

只是使命感找到了我 我睡不着

zhi shi shi ming gan zhao dao le wo wo shui bu zhao

But my sense of mission found me and i can't sleep over it

如果说骂人要有点技巧

ru guo shuo ma ren yao you diao ji qiao

If scolding someone requires some skills

我会加点旋律你会觉得 超屌

wo hui jia diao xuan lu ni hui jue de chao diao

I will add a tune and you will feel it's very cool (diao)

我的枪不会装弹药（弹药）

wo de qiang bu hui zhuang dan yao (dan yao)

My gun is not loaded with ammunition

所以放心不会有人倒（人倒）

suo yi fang xin bu hui you ren dao (ren dao)

So don't worry, nobody will collapse

我拍青蜂侠不需要替身 因为自信是我绘画的颜料

wo pai qing feng xia bu xu yao ti sheng yin wei zi xin shi wo hui hua de yan liao

I don't need a double for The Green Hornet because confidence is the coloring for my painting

我做很多事背后的意义远比你们想象

wo zuo heng duo shi bei hou de yi yi yuan bi ni men xiang xiang

The meaning behind the things I did is far beyond your imagination

拍个电视剧为了友情与十年前的梦想

pai le dian shi ju wei le you qing yu shi nian qian de meng xiang

Filming a tv drama is for friendship and a dream 10 years ago

收视率再高也难抗衡我的伟大理想

shou shi lv zai gao ye nan kang heng wo de wei da li xiang

No matter how high the rating is, it can't match my noble ideal

因为我的人生无需再多一笔那奖项

yin wei wo de ren sheng wo xu zai duo yi bi na jiang xiang

Because my life do not need another award

我不知道何时变成了社会的那榜样

wo bu zhi dao he shi bian cheng le se hui de na bang yang

I don't know when I have become a society's role model

被狗仔拍不能比中指要大器的模样（怎样）

bei gou zai pai bu neng bi zhong zhi yao da qi de mo yang (zen yang)

Can't show the paparazzi the finger and have to put on a magnanimous front

我唱的歌词要有点文化

wo chang de ge ci yao you dian wen hua

The lyrics I sing must have some degree of literacy

因为随时会被当教材

yin wei sui shi hui bei dan jiao cai

Because it might become teaching material anytime

CNN能不能等英文好一点再访

CNN neng bu neng deng ying wen hao yi dian zai fang

Can CNN interview me when my English gets a little better

时代杂志封面能不能重拍

shi dai za zhi feng mian neng bu neng chong pai

Can i reshoot the Time magazine cover

随时随地注意形象

sui shi sui di zhu yi xin xiang

I must take care of my image at all times

要控制饮食不然就跟杜莎夫人蜡像的我不像（本来就不像）

yao kong zhi yin shi bu ran jiu gen du sha fu ren la xiang de wo bu xiang (ben lai jiu bu xiang)

I must control my diet or i won't look like the "me" in Madame Tussauds (it doesn't look like me in the first place)

好莱坞的中国戏院地上有很多手印脚印

hao lai wu de zhong guo xi yuan di shang you heng duo shou yin jiao yin

There are many handprints and footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre

何时才能看见我的掌

he shi cai neng kan jian wo de zhang

When will mine be seen there?

如果超人会飞 那就让我在空中停一停歇

ru guo chao ren hui fei na jiu rang wo zai kong zhong ti yi ti xie

If Superman can fly then let me take a breather in the sky

再次俯瞰这个世界 会让我觉得好一些

zai ci fu kan zhe ge shi jie hui ran wo jue de hao yi xie

Overlooking this world again will let me feel better

拯救地球好累 虽然有些疲惫但我还是会

zheng jiu di qiu hao lei sui ran you xie pi bei dan wo hai shi hui

Saving the world is tiring, though I am a little tired, I still will

不要问我哭过了没

bu yao wen wo ku guo le mei

Don't ask me if I have cried

因为超人不能流眼泪

yin wei chao ren bu neng liu yan lei

Because Superman can't cry

唱歌要拿最佳男歌手

chang ge yao na zui jia nan ge shou

(You) must get best male singer award as a singer

拍电影也不能只拿个最佳新人

pai dian yin ye bu neng zhi na ge zui jia xin ren

A newcomer award is not enough if you act

你不参加颁奖典礼就是没礼貌

ni bu can jia ban jiang dian li jiu shi mei li mao

Not attending award ceremonies is considered rude

你去参加就是代表你很在乎

ni qu can jia jiu shi dai biao ni heng zai hu

And if you do, it means you are over-concerned about it

得奖时你感动落泪（落泪）人家就会觉得你夸张做作（做作）

de jia shi ni gan dong luo lei (luo lei) ren jia jiu hui jue de ni kuang zhang zuo zuo

When you won an award and teared, people will think you are fake and exaggerating

你没表情别人就会说太嚣张

ni mei biao qing bie ren jiu hui shuo tai xiao zhang

When you have no expression, others will say you are too arrogant

如果你天生这个表情 那些人甚至会怪你妈妈（妈妈）

ru guo ni tian sheng zhe ge biao qing na xie ren sheng zhi hui guai ni ma ma (ma ma)

And if you are born with that expression, they will even blame your mum

结果最后是别人在得奖 你也要给予充分的掌声与微笑

jie guo zui hou shi bie ren zai de jiang ni ye yao ge yu chong fen de zhang sheng yu wei xiao

In the end someone else gets the award, you also have to give ample applause and smile

开的车不能太好 住的楼不能太高

kai de che bu neng tai hao zhu de lou bu neng tai gao

The car you drive can't be too luxurious nor can you live too high up

我到底是一个创作歌手 还是好人好事代表

wo dao di shi yi ge chuang zuo ge shou hai shi hao ren hao shi dai biao

Am I a singer-songwriter or a representative of good men and good deeds?

专辑一出就必须是冠军

zhuan ji yi chu jiu bi xu shi guan jun

My album must be ranked top once released

拍了电影就必须要大卖

pai le dian yin jiu bi xu yao da mai

My movie must sell well

只能说当超人真的好难

zhi neng shuo dan chao ren zhen de hao nan

I can only say, being a Superman is difficult

如果超人会飞（超人会飞）那就让我在空中停一停歇（停一停歇）

ru guo chao ren hui fei (chao ren hui fei) na jiu rang wo zai kong zhong ti yi ti xie (ti yi ti xie)

If Superman can fly then let me take a breather in the sky

再次俯瞰这个世界 会让我觉得好一些

zai ci fu kan zhe ge shi jie hui ran wo jue de hao yi xie

Overlooking this world again will let me feel better

拯救地球好累（地球好累）虽然有些疲惫但我还是会（我还是会）

zheng jiu di qiu hao lei (di qiu hao lei) sui ran you xie pi bei dan wo hai shi hui (wo hai shi hui)

Saving the world is tiring, though I am a little tired, I still will

不要问我哭过了没

bu yao wen wo ku guo le mei

Don't ask me if I have cried

因为超人不能流眼泪

yin wei chao ren bu neng liu yan lei

Because Superman can't cry

=====

I don’t think there is anything wrong with how cpfs are relating this to cpn cause that’s just how it is. But sometimes, there are other reasons why they do what they do.

SO MY CONFUSION COMES FROM HOW THE HELL DO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT HE RECENTLY LISTENED TO. I can’t seem to dig up how or maybe it’s something we don’t talk about. I have never experienced this kind of tidbit related to them before so I wanna know the source. Or is this like the gaming cpn where certain people know and they will not divulge the boy’s account for privacy? if anyone knows, feel free to comment. If i find out in the future, I will share.

[starsfic]

Fluffy fic idea: One night on the JTTW, Zhu Bajie plays a slow, calm song for the group. Everyone thanks him for the song except for Wukong. When Tripitaka is about to scold him for his lack of manners, he notices that the song actually lulled Wukong right to sleep.

Nobody was sure where Zhu Bajie had got the pipa.

It was just there one day. “To help with morale!” the pig claimed, strumming the strings. “You can’t say no to that, elder brother, can you?” Sun Wukong, who had first noticed the thing, had simply groaned.

And then Bajie had started singing songs about the women he had bedded and it took all of Tripitaka’s strength to not let Wukong bash the blasted thing over Bajie’s head. Instead, he had allowed Wukong to threaten Bajie into playing something else. War songs were not exactly what he imagined, but it did have a rhythm and beat to it he could match Ao Lie’s steps to.

They had stopped to rest and, in the light of the fire, Bajie had returned to playing songs about women. Except this was softer, gentler, more of a song of love then passion. Tripitaka could feel the pig’s longing for whoever this song was about. As the song came to an end, he couldn’t help it.

“Thank you, disciple.”

“Yes, thank you for the song!” Sha Wujing boomed, eyes glistening. “It was beautiful.” Ao Lie snorted in response, as if also thanking Bajie.

“Aww, thank you brothers!” Bajie cooed. As he accepted thanks, Tripitaka noticed something. One voice hadn’t spoken.

“Disciple Sun,” he called. Wukong hadn’t said a word. “Don;t you think Zhu’s song was wonderful?” There was no response. “Wukong, it’s very rude not to say anything.” When not even a response came from that, Tripitaka sighed, glancing at the river demon that sat between them. “Sha Wujing, can you poke your brother?”

“Sure, master.” Wujing turned to poke Wukong. "Older brother-" he began, but paused. Awe filled his eyes. "Master, he's asleep."

"What?" In all his time knowing the stone monkey, Tripitaka had never known him to sleep. He was a ball of energy, zipping from here to there, never stopping. Even in meditation, he moved with slight taps of his tail or the tapping of his fingers against his knees. He had asked him once if he slept and Wukong had said "I don't."

Wujing shifted so the monk and pig could see.

Except now Wukong slept. Stretched across Ao Lie's body like it was a pillow, the amber-furred monkey slept. His face had lost any tension it had, smoothing out into peace. For a moment, Tripitaka wondered if he looked like this, back at his home.

The next moment, he whispered "Good job, disciple."

Bajie snorted, the surprise at Wukong's state turning into pride. But instead of bragging, he strummed his pipa. "Go to bed, master and brother. I will stand watch."

Tripitaka nodded and stood with Wujing. He prepared to grab his blanket and stretch out. Instead, he found himself watching Wujing, who grabbed a blanket. He tiptoed by Wukong's side, whispering "Sorry second brother," to Ao Lie, before lying next to the monkey. The horse barely made a noise. The river demon stretched the blanket across him and Wukong and was soon out.

The monk considered this.

Throughout this journey, he had always slept on the ground. Now, however, as he watched Wukong's ease and how easily Wujing slept, he found himself pausing. It did look comfortable, he had to admit.

Tripitaka tiptoed over.

Wukong's eyes did open when he settled on his other side, gold and red briefly appearing, but Tripitaka gently patted him on the back. "Go back to sleep," he whispered. "Third disciple is watching."

There was a brief grumble and those eyes slid shut. Tripitaka couldn't help a fond chuckle as soft music began to play again and he leaned against Ao Lie.

The last thing he felt was a tail wrapping around his wrist before sleep claimed him.

[saelterlude]

link click musical list pt.6, (longer bcs i keep accidentally posting these early, gotta make up for the short pt.5)

also hi, this one took a while bcs i keep getting sad over not finding a Wang Yifei-Zhu Hanbin LG uppies clip :')

(pt.1, pt.2, pt.3, pt.4, pt.5 here)

81. 24/03/2024 night, Zhu Hanbin wore his shirt inside out lol, there's a good chance it was like that the whole performance since LG actors don't change costume. Also, I love how Zi bowen shouted his name, it's cute.

82. Cai Lu's short vlog, includes Guo Hongxu and Ji Xiaokun karaoke, JXK being bad at basketball, and chilling in the dressing room.

83. 28/03/2024, Cao Muzhi getting manhandled by Cai Lu (I drew it hehe) and also giving the biggest laugh when he won first round of RPS against Zhu Hanbin plss.

84. 01/04/2024, Wu Hanglu bullying Bai Zhuoming, Du Guangyi being aggressive, and BZM being confused and overwhelmed in RPS. If you're asking why DGY shouted his line, it's bcs BZM and WHL were too busy bickering to beckon him to the couch like they're supposed to do. Also, they sing 'Dive Back in Time' together.

85. 29/03/2024, Wang Yifei, please stop bullying Wu Hanglu, don't squish her, look at her, she's tiny. See? Now she's bullying you back.

86. 05/04/2024 night, piglet is back!! Wu Yihan, Cai Qi. WHY ARE YOU BOTH SO MEAN TO THE PIGLET?? WYH does not let CQ play around with RPS (by not doing them at all)

87. 05/04/2024 night, bonus to the performance above. WYH does not hug in "Pursuing Light" for once.

88. 06/04/2024 day, New Cai Qi pair unlocked with Guo Hongxu. Awkward eye contact and GHX just assumes he won RPS when he didn't lol, don't you know CQ cheats? Also, Zuo Yiping looks so short between them, helpp.

89. 30/03/2024 night, Wu Yihan going *finger points* "whos singing the sofa song?", and Qian Dongyue's birthday!

90. 13/04/2024 day, I think, Wang Yifei scared Guo Hongxu with that overly enthusiatic jump hug.

91. 13/04/2024 night, Jing Yanqiao 21st birthday!! Let's go! There's actually a full video of your encore now.

Also, #90 and #91, both GHX and JYQ caught off guard by WYF and ZHB's mic cupping habit during 'Dive Back in Time'

92. 06/04/2024 night, I can't find a clip showing Wu Yihan drinking vinegar, but I can show you Cao Muzhi being cute as he walks across the table. And saying 'be careful' in 'Dive Back in Time' bcs something happened with WYH offscreen, i think he hit a camera.

93. 06/04/2024 night, nevermind! Shimmer to the rescue! Here is Wu Yihan drinking vinegar! (he Du Guangyi-ed himself (#19 and #31))

94. 14/04/2024 day, Guo Hongxu has successfully been influenced to cup their mics. Also, I'm now declaring that Guo Hongxu and Wang Yifei is the perfect disgruntled cat-oversized puppy duo, just look at their hug.

95. 14/04/2024 day, another POV of the performance above so you can see Wang Yifei nod approvingly once GHX uses his method.

96. 14/04/2024 night, just a shortclip of Wang Minhui putting Cai Qi in a headlock.

97. Event clip, mostly just explaining the basketball event itself but I wanna show you all Du Guangyi being bad at basketball in the last 10 seconds.

(speaking of event, the theatre is gonna count which actor scores the most during basketball scene/"Faith of Friendship". me and the musical brainrot gang over in the lc 18+ server are doing bets on which actor is scores the most by the end of the month)

98. 19/04/2024, poor Deng Xianling just wanna tie her shoes, stop bothering her lol.

99. 19/04/2024, same performance as above. English boy Teng Chunpeng is very excited abt basketball.

100. 20/04/2024 night, have Jing Yanqiao, shamefully losing 2-8 to Zhu Hanbin

101. 21/04/2024 day, Bai Zhuoming won the match, he teases Wang Minhui about it the whole encore to the point he messed up the entirety of RPS song lol. (Also, they got 15-12, they were conspiring together)

102. 22/04/2024, Shu Rongbo getting startled by Cai Lu's leg and Du Guangyi adding to the leg jenga is very precious, I wanna draw that. SRB also won basketball 36-0 bcs DGY is a softie granpa, I guess we knows who wins this month.

(and no, as much as i favored him, i did not bet on srb :') )

(also, did i wait for the 22nd so i can get at least 1 srb video this post? yes.)

*Please give a big round of applause to @shimmeringweeds for all xhs clips. I could not navigate that site at all.

Bonus time! Made a list (here!) of Zhu Hanbin and Jing Yanqiao performances the other day, thus that's the bonus clips you're getting for this part. Please check them out, they're really cool.

But I guess I might as well add this funny video of Cai Qi and Cao Muzhi performing 'Mia Famiglia' from Apollonia musical. It's gold, just for the fact that CQ acts as if he's in a drama while CMZ acts as if he's in a comedy.

[lis-muerta]

The afternoon sun streamed through the windows of the quaint teahouse, casting a warm, golden hue over the two figures seated at a corner table. Lin Bei Fong, with her steel-gray eyes and an expression as unyielding as the element she bent, huffed in disbelief across from Tenzin, whose monk robes seemed almost too bright in the calm interior.

"I can't believe you, Tenzin, suggesting that," Lin said with a mix of exasperation and incredulity. Her arms were crossed firmly over her chest, and her eyes narrowed just slightly, betraying her frustration.

"What? I think it's a great gift, please Lin," Tenzin defended, his voice carrying a note of earnest pleading. He leaned forward, hands clasped together as if to will her into agreement.

"I don't want to expose myself. It was something I did as a dumbass kid," Lin replied, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. It was rare to see such a flush on her face, a testament to the embarrassment the topic stirred within her.

"I just think it would be nice as a gift. They mentioned it a few times. They have been searching to find her so she would sing at their wedding," Tenzin continued, his voice softening, hoping to sway Lin with his reasoning.

"What's that have to do with me, puff princess?" Lin jabbed back, a smirk playing on her lips despite the tension she felt. She always had a knack for bringing Tenzin back down to earth with her sharp wit.

Tenzin's glare was swift, a silent scolding for her rudeness, but it faded as he saw the tension in her jaw, the slight rigidity in her posture. "Because you're her. It would be a nice surprise gift."

"I hate them. Why should I?" Lin retorted, her voice carrying a hint of bitterness.

Tenzin hesitated, his eyes revealing an inner conflict. "Would it be selfish to admit—nevermind?"

Their eyes locked, and a silent understanding passed between them. "I never... I only ever was willing to for our—" Lin started, but her voice trailed off, heavy with unspoken words.

"I see, uh, I..." Tenzin stammered, the moment hanging between them, fragile as the steam rising from their neglected cups of tea.

"For old times' sake, I'll consider it if we find the others," Lin conceded, her voice softening just enough to reveal the hint of a compromise.

A grin spread across Tenzin's face, the corners of his eyes crinkling with delight. "Oh, I can arrange that," he declared, the confidence of an airbending master who had already considered every angle. having had this on his mind since Zhu Li and Varrick mentioned wanting to hear Tsuki Bae live.

Lin sighed, a sound that seemed to carry the weight of her past. "Guess all those lily-livered bastards get a break, and my vocal cords too," she muttered, a reluctant acceptance in her tone.

"I would assume so. I personally can't wait to hear you sing again," Tenzin replied, the warmth in his voice contrasting with Lin's discomfort.

"Please, my stomach's already turning just thinking about it," Lin grumbled, the very idea stirring a mix of nerves and nostalgia.

"You're going to do great, and it will be a really sweet gesture," Tenzin encouraged, his eyes meeting hers with unwavering support.

"And you'll get to hear what my brain was thinking when I was a dumbass kid," Lin said, her voice laced with sarcasm yet not devoid of a certain fondness for those reckless days.

"I was already there. You were brilliant, Lin, always," Tenzin murmured, lifting his cup of tea to his lips, only to find it had gone cold during their lengthy conversation.

As Lin tried to formulate a response, Tenzin sat back, a sense of completeness filling him. With Lin back in his life, every moment felt richer, every shared silence laden with years of history, and every glance an unspoken dialogue between old friends—or perhaps something more.

—

Seated side by side at the wedding, Lin's nerves were palpable; her stomach did somersaults. The rehearsal had unfolded without a hitch, and the band had lavished praise upon her, insisting she sang with the same clarity as in years past. But Lin was deaf to these affirmations, fixating only on the errors she perceived.

When the moment arrived, Tenzin took his place on stage, his smile a beacon of warmth. As the band began the opening bars, the instrumentals trickled out, unrecognized at first. The bride and groom exchanged puzzled glances, curious about the impending surprise. Bumi, Kya, Su, and Pema shared in the anticipation, a collective murmur of intrigue bubbling among them.

"It is with immense joy that I present this gift to the bride and groom," Tenzin announced, his voice resonating with pride. "Please welcome to the stage... Tsuki Bae." The crowd's confusion only deepened as Lin Beifong emerged, her presence raising more questions than it answered.

"If anyone so much as whispers about this after today, I'll ensure you regret it," Lin threatened, her tone gruff. Her warning elicited chuckles from Korra and Asami, and soon the whispers transformed into excited chatter. Pema stood beside her husband, eyes alight with curiosity as they watched Lin cast a final glance over the congregation before closing her eyes, taking a deep, steadying breath.

When she began to sing, her voice was ethereal, transcending the earthly realm—an auditory marvel that captivated every listener. Her gaze initially found Tenzin, prompting a fleeting wonder about a different life where this performance was for their nuptials. But as she continued, her eyes turned to the bride and groom, who were visibly moved, tears glistening as they grasped the reality of Lin's heartfelt serenade.

Lin locked eyes with Tenzin once more as the instrumental bridge wove its spell. His eyes crinkled with a joy that was ineffable, as if a long-held dream had been realized. A silent communion passed between them, like to two ships exchanging signals in the night. Despite their lack of marriage, their own connection had never missed a beat.

The only tinge of sorrow was for the years lost to silence after their separation. Lin acknowledged that she could love him, releasing the notion of what constituted a 'normal' relationship. She could love him freely. they, as an entity, transcended common love and the concept of soul mates.Their bond was an orbit of its own, their lives eternally intertwined, regardless of the paths they took or the companions they chose. They might never share a wedding, but a ceremony could never have encapsulated what they were to each other.

Even without her seismic sense, Lin could feel the collective heartbeat of the room, an entire assembly held in hypnotized awe as she reclaimed the melody.

As the song drew to a close, a single tear dared to escape Lin's eye—regret laced with revelation. She regretted not embracing such moments sooner, realizing that she relished the experience despite her initial reluctance to step beyond the familiar confines of her comfort zone.

“Congratulations on your wedding, uh. Goodnight.” Lin awkwardly finished her performance by thanking the guys who made it possible before stepping off the stage to find a drink as anxiety washed over her once more.

[marietheran]

I think my heart just broke...

I found a collection of WW2 poetry written in Polish by Jewish women on the internet and opened a link titled ***(There once was a girl called Elsie) [***(Była sobie raz Elżunia)] by Author Unknown... It turns out it is only four lines long and goes loosely like this in translation:

There once was a girl called Elsie

She was dying alone

For her daddy was in Maidanek*

And her mama in Auschwitz

(*a lesser known concentration camp in Lublin)

The original version rhymes and scans.

And the note below (slightly simplified here):

"Elsie [Elżunia - read: El-zhu-nya] - the author of a poem found on a piece of paper found in a child's shoe. On the scrap one can also read the girl's annotation that her name is Elsie, she is 9 years old and she sings the poem to the tune of [a well known Polish Children's lullaby]. According to Aleksander Kulisiewicz the shoe was found in Wałcz where the belongings of those transported and murdered in Maidanek ended up. The fate and surname of Elsie are unknown. She was probably of Jewish ethnicity and was killed during the Shoah between 1942 and 1943"

How am I to just take this in calmly?

[gatoraid]

Hi! For the ask game: 15, 17 and 29!

Hi! 😊

15. What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

TOO MANY /crying. I think it’s nice to have multiple projects to work on so I can switch between them depending on my mood. This year I also had a lot more time for writing than I would have in normal circumstances, so it kind of shows in the amount of stories I started to work on.

For Radiant Emperor I’m working on a short post-canon Ma pov thingy (that also shows a little of what happens to Baoxiang in the future), at least one au for Ouyang/Baoxiang where they somehow reconcile after Esen’s death, Third Prince pov following how his feelings towards Baoxiang develop... plus I’ll continue working on this totally bonkers organized crime vs crime investigation au in modern-day Beijing focusing on Ouyang/Esen and Zhu/Ma with a little Zhu/Ouyang on the side that I’m doing more as a self-indulgent and fun writing exercise than something I’m necessarily planning to publish. I’ll have to see how it turns out, I have written 14k so far lol.

AND then I have my UFOs (unfinished objects) that I’m hopefully going to pick up at some point next year for Banana Fish (Sing/Eiji and Yut-Lung/Eiji) and Blackguard (Chris/Nanao, I did way too much research into how having a prosthetic leg is going to affect your sex life to not finish writing it at some point sobbb)

17. Your favorite character to write this year?

No one is going to be surprised when I say I’ve loved writing Wang Baoxiang. He’s the type of character I simultaneously want to see healed but also maybe put him through some extra traumatic stuff first, and that’s always interesting to write. I guess I’m always here for the effeminate men who are good at reading others but completely out of touch with their own emotions, who are all about performance and poorly concealed self-hatred and who use their bodies to get what they want even if it only ends up adding to their trauma. /upside down smiling emoji

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

Here’s another line I think turned out nicely from What you felt was real:

The hands that had refused to even touch Baoxiang lest he be contaminated with Baoxiang’s effeminacy and deviousness, the same hands that had later deliberately sought to hurt and dominate him, were now touching him in a way that made Baoxiang realize the Third Prince was trying to caress him, to hold him like a lover.

Thanks for the questions!

Link to the fanfic ask game

[cold-neon-ocean]

2, 9 for LOK?

✨ love your fandom ask game ✨ 

2. A headcanon you weren't sure about at first but have come to like!

Ooh this one is kinda tough~ I'm generally rather removed from the fandom at large so I actually don't really know of a lot of popular headcanons out there, let alone ones I initially didn't like and came to like~ I really only ever consumed content about Baatar and Kuvira as they're my favorites, and with them I'd either like a headcanon outright, or dislike it outright. I will say, at least in the limited fan content I've consumed, there is a common idea of Baatar having gone to university in Ba Sing Se for a period of time. I've seen at least 3 folks use that in their writings for him, and while it was never something I was "unsure" about, I didn't initially include the idea in my version of him. I don't know who penned that headcanon first but I was always hesitant about being seen as "copying" anyone lol. I do like the idea though, especially with my very codependent versions of Baatar and Kuvira, some time apart like that during their "good years" would be rather interesting, since they have been in each other's lives for most of their lives, Baatar choosing to go where Kuvira can't follow- even for a short period of time, I can see her holding against him for a little while. Especially with her preexisting abandonment issues.

9. A ship that isn't your OTP but you enjoy

Once again I'm pretty singularly invested in Baatar and Kuvira but there are definitely some canon and fan ships that I like! Canon wise I'll always have a soft spot for Bolin and Opal, just because they're cute and I like the potential dynamic it creates with Baatar specifically. A lot of it is pretty contingent on my rewrite versions, but what can I say, I'm a bit of a sucker for puppy love. Lyn and Kya was an early ship I'd see in the fandom that I always was like *Kermit nodding gif* ooh yeah I like that, and I've also seen Lyn and Bumi which I also really like, but I never really delved into fan works of either admittedly. I'll confess that lately the crack ship of Baatar and Zhu Li has been on my mind, but definitely not as a positive ship in any way, more like a mutually waged psychological warfare that they aren't even trying to hide from each other kind. I don't remember what sparked the idea- I'm not usually one for crack ships as I tend to be pretty single-ship through and through, but it's been a fun dynamic to think about, especially the kinds of conversations they'd have.

[myxinidaes]

been a while! been busy irl and also not in the best headstate but. A short writeup of what i've been reading/watching/doing.

Watching: Our Flag Means Death, assorted horror movies, Adventure time.

OFMD season 2 has been tons of fun so far! I've been watching with a friend at my place and we get to harass the orange cat while we watch. He loves attention so he doesn't mind (much). Can we talk abt the bell scene, though? hot damn. awakened things in me.

Horror movies watched have been: Barbarian (spooky but I think more disgusting/sad/pathetic than truly scary), Pet Sematary (halfway through, p spooky!), Jennifer's Body (not scary, very fun), IT (rewatch, still a solid time), Malignant (partway through, a fun time), Repo! (fun! very fun!), and probably more? there have been a Lot of horror movies between weekly streams with internet friends and dinner+drink+horror nights with housemates

Somehow I missed the Adventure Time craze as a teen, but i've been enjoying catching up! a fun show to watch when i dont want to think abt anything. The art style seems very uhhhhh inconsistent though? a bit disorienting

Reading: She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan. Hoooly fuck. This book is driving me insane in the absolute best way. I tried reading it last year and fizzled out around the gorge scene even though I was really enjoying it. I've been on a bunch of long bus rides lately, so I picked it up again and truly losing my mind. All of the POVs are so distinct and well-done, the opening scene of the girl stealing her brother's name and the way Zhu Chongba goes on to claim her destiny as well! The gender fuckery! The woman disguised as a male monk meeting the eunuch general! The rage and horror and disgust present in Ouyang's narration, the razorwire cunning and determination of Zhu Chongba's, the complexities of Esen's court!!! And the main romance is absolutely fucking insane. A woman who wants the world at her feet and a wife just trying to survive. Screaming, crying, etc etc etc.

There have been multiple times in the book where I had to pause and lose my mind silently for a few seconds like. WOW. Dearly looking forward to finishing this book and reading He Who Drowned the World. Pictured below, one of my favorite passages.

Other things I've been reading (wip fics):

Tarnished Gold, Scum Villain fic. Absolutely engrossing fic where Shen Yuan transmigrates into Gongyi Xiao instead of Shen Qingqiu. The characterization is beyond top-notch, it's honestly aspirational. The POV is a Luo Binghe fresh from the Abyss and hellbent on causing Gongyi Xiao's complete and utter disgrace. The slow shift from plotting and scheming to a completely in-character Binghe obsession to (eventually) romance? Delightful. So crunchy to read.

Tasting the Outer Road: the Outlaw's Guide to Good Gunsmoke Eating, Trigun Maximum fic. I'm obsessed with everything this author puts out tbh, but a post-Trimax canon fic featuring Knives as a food reviewer and examining consumption, the twins' place in the world, and the harm wrought by Knives is everything I've ever wanted.

Welcome! Everything is Fine. IDW Transformers fic. A Good Place x Transformers mashup... kind of. It's fun! It'll make you laugh! It's got Starscream/Minimus aka the transformers ship of all time!

Listening to: So much. It's been a lot of Hozier lately (concert is less than two weeks away!!), but there was a man at the farmer's market this week singing the Decemberists and that reminded me how much I love them so. shrugs. let's just say i've been rolling around in indie albums.

Working on: Classwork. VW bangfic. I've been busy and I'm very much at the stage in the fic where I'm hating everything I write. But that's fine, the important thing is that it gets written (I say as I contemplate my wip which hasn't had meaningful progress being added for a While now i am so very stuck). My arm's been positively fucked these past few weeks, so I haven't had the opportunity to draw much. Hopefully eventually! I want to do gift art for VWBB friends still, but I'm running out of time.

I've applied to be an officer at a club, curious to see if I get the position. Fingers crossed, I guess? I haven't done IRL leadership stuff in a while, it would be nice to get back into it.

I've been journaling a lot lately, giving it another go after it just made me spiral hard during the early pandemic era. Not sure if it's been helping, but it's definitely better than losing my mind in public on social media? Baby steps.

Final note, very important: Please appreciate the orange cat being harassed.

[nikkimira2006]

Nikki Drunk Headcanons

all right, (note, I will add the Japanese names as I am use to them, will add some names from the Taiwanese/Cantonese vers. And If I do not remember, then English names) I am literally buzzed writing this. Hope no one did this already, does contain spoilers

Nikki's Beloved coordination

Nikki (Su nuannuan): lightweight: get all cuddly and warm, technically herself but louder. -Preferred drink- strawberry cocktails.

Nikki (me): Midweight, not even joking, my sarcasm get more dark, a bit more romantic to my bf than normally. -preferred drink- whiskey with C.C lemon, bc if ur a Japanese 2000's kid like me, you'll add C.C Lemon with everything. Actually I'm underweight (45kg), but have a tolerance build up.

Momo: featherweight: Momo will hate yakiniku when drunk, he also likes dogs... In a weird matter- preferred drink-cheap beer.

Nikki Diary:

Nina: Midweight: she wears the most modest clothing but has a huge crush on Brown, (I vaguely remember playing the English version of Nikki diary when I was like, 9) will try to.. Have her way with him...-Perfectly drink-Flavoured Vodka.

Brown: Heavyweight: gets Feminine, he borrows all of ace's clothing and wears them, one problem, he's way taller than her, so he ends up destroying them Preferred drink- Fireball Whisky.

Gray hair (I legitimate do not know her name): featherweight: wants to be a heavyweight like Fia, but doesn't get to, so she blacks out most of the time, Has horrible hangovers- Preferred drink- any

Miracle Nikki:

Ying: Midweight, tends to wear nothing but a outdated ugly sweater from Christmas,2015, this freaks people out, especially Zhe, wants Nikki- preferred drinks-Anything Cherry Flavoured. (this is a pun as her Taiwanese name means "Sea Cherry" JP name is Sakura.)

Ace: Heavyweight: herself until she walks, then she needs serious help- preferred drink- Whiskey with C.C Lemon (see, I'm not the only one that does that!) Although she was born in the 90's.

Popo: Lightweight: She thinks she can fly, and this landed her in the hospital, can sing very good- Preferred drink- Chardonnay.

Lingluo: Midweight, get more hyper, likes wearing lolita- Preferred drink, plum wine. And now she's gone

Roisu: Midweight: Again, no different from Brown, except this time, he needs a babysitter, why, he'll light the house on fire- Preferred drink- Butterbeer.

Orlando: Heavyweight: will. Not. stop. Talking. Everyone. Thinks. He's. Annoying. Preferred drink- Rum.

Nova: Lightweight: Dresses up in Military clothing, acts like Roisu's babysitter- preferred drink- Mint Cocktails.

Ombre/ Hui Ying: Midweight: Is in Deep love with Orlando, Wants to get into his pants, when he's not around, then it's blushy talk with the closest man, Preferred drink- Strawberry Daiquiris.

Niderhog: Heavyweight: Does NOT want anyone knowing that he drinks, wants every woman and fights any man, only Jane knows- Preferred drink- straight vodka

Jane: Midweight: has A crush on Niderhog which gets everyone worried- Preferred drink- Sake- cold

Zhong Lizi: Heavyweight: he thinks crazy things and that he predicts the future- Preferred drink- Red Wine.

Shiro Hasu: Lightweight: Goes full on YANDERE, thinks that the bunny lady took her man- Preferred drink- Anything sweet or fruity.

Zhu Yuxian: Midweight- Does not do anything but stay still, thinks that the world is gonna end- Preferred drinks- Cold Sake, Plum Wine.

Bai Yongxi: Heavyweight: He commits crimes while begging for Yuxian- Preferred drink: Red Wine.

Reed: Lightweight: Is in love with all the boys and knows it, he thinks that Ying is crazy bc she is a lesbian- Preferred drink- Red Headed Sluts.

Agata: Midweight: Is very strong against the snow, or so she thinks- Preferred drink- Champagne.

Shining Nikki:

Luoang: Heavyweight: Is The kind of drunk that thinks the world is a tiny tiny piece of Candyfloss, Likes Nikki to the point that he wants to sleep with her-Preferred drink, Actually- It's canon that's it's Lemon Champagne.

Sora: Midweight: Crossdresses, Wants to trade InTime accounts with Niderhog, and will want to fully Black out, He is Crazy for Luoang and wants to sleep with him-Preferred drink- Flavored Vodka.

Lilith/Noir: Lightweight: A bit more like Noir but is still flirty- Preferred drink- Red Wine, as shown in some of her Art.

Fei- Ultraweight: no one has seen her drunk, but she pulls a 1.4 without getting even buzzed- Preferred drink-imported beer.

Qinyi: Midweight: Exactly like Sora except it's about Mercury- Preferred drink-Any.

Mercury: Heavyweight: actually he treats Qinyi like his maid, he loves younger girls- Preferred drink-Whiskey

Chi Xiaolong: Lightweight: He thinks that he passed with flying colours but failed, slurs in every sentence and can not walk straight- Preferred drink- Rosè Wine.

Zhe: midweight: He's way too loud, to the point that it's deafing- Preferred drinks-tequila.

Yayoi: Featherweight: Is excellent at cooking, she makes surprisingly good hotpot when drunk, although, she stares at it Preferred drink-Jello Shooters.

Aries: Ultraweight: he thinks the world will end, becomes paranoid-Preferred drink- All- mostly gin.

Ai: Cannot get drunk with alcohol but can get drunk with magnets.

Modi: Lightweight: He is a mess when drunk, He is weepy whiny, gets sad over nothing- Preferred drink- Rosè Champagne

Idin: Midweight- More swearing and likes talking things on his mind, gives the younger boys life advise- I guess that means getting drunk when you fail a math exam- Preferred drink-Jack and Coke

Umi: Featherweight: Sometimes just the sniff can get her wasted, herself but Louder and Clumsy- Preferred drink- Sora doesn't let her but she sometimes sneaks Orlando's flask.

[accio-victuuri]

excerpts about yibo from global times newspaper article about formed police unit. 📝

Shootouts, explosions, chases, rescues... the film highly restores the real experiences and thrilling scenes of the peacekeeping police. Recently, "Global Times" conducted an exclusive interview with the film's leading actors Huang Jingyu and Wang Yibo. They shared with reporters their various feelings and behind-the-scenes stories during the filming.

Wang Yibo told reporters that the crew specially invited a police officer who has served for 16 years and participated in peacekeeping operations twice to guide the filming.

In recent years, Wang Yibo's performance in "Born to Fly" and "Being A Hero" has allowed the audience to see his high adaptability to the roles of soldiers and policemen. This time, he played the role of Yang Zhen, a sniper of the Chinese peacekeeping anti-riot team, in "Formed Police Unit", when asked about the opportunity to participate, Wang Yibo told reporters, "At that time, I had just finished filming "Being A Hero", and I received an invitation to "Formed Police Unit". I think the peacekeeping police are a very special type of police that I have never been exposed to, and I also like the character of Yang Zhen, who is impulsive, but eventually grows."

Wang Yibo as Yang Zhen

From misunderstanding the captain who is silent to fighting side by side with him and reaching reconciliation, Wang Yibo has witnessed Yang Zhen's growth and transformation all the way. In fact, Yang Zhen's ability is very strong, confident, proud, and driven, and he always wanted to show himself when he first arrived at the team. He has always taken his father (played by Zhu Yawen) as an example, his father is Yu Weidong's teammate, Yang Zhen saw them go on a mission together when he was a child, but his father never came back, so he also misunderstood Yu Weidong. ”

Talking about Yang Zhen's changes, Wang Yibo said: "He has experienced a lot in the team, experiencing the captain's desperate efforts to save hostages, and his comrades being trained after being injured, Yang Zhen slowly understood that it is not easy for the peacekeeping police, so he talked with the captain during the Spring Festival, untied the knot, and also grown."

For Yu Weidong, Yang Zhen is a teammate and a family member, and he seems to be harsh on Yang Zhen, but in fact he has good intentions. In Huang Jingyu's view, Yu Weidong is not only a police officer and captain who adheres to the principle of peacekeeping, but also an elder brother who is heartbroken for his younger brothers, shouldering many responsibilities.

What impressed Huang Jingyu and Wang Yibo the most was that they ran back from the bridge in the storm, and tiles and iron sheets kept falling from the surrounding roofs. Wang Yibo said: "It was the scene where the captain went to save me, because it was necessary to simulate the scene of the wind coming out, so the crew pulled the tiles and iron sheets on the roof on the line and dragged them up with a crane, and the scene was very big."

Huang Jingyu recalled: "My impression is that there are countless steel wires, all connected to a gravity point, and you need to blow up the gravity point to lift everything, even the house. ”

The two also shared interesting stories about getting along with foreign actors on the set. Wang Yibo said: "African friends really like to sing and dance, or the Spring Festival scene, we are on patrol, they are singing and dancing. Huang Jingyu also remembers the scene of singing and dancing at that time, "They knocked on the bucket and started to dance."

When asked about the role he wanted to challenge next, Wang Yibo said that he didn't want to set limits for himself, "Look at the theme and role, I don't want to fix it, I have to do it, many new roles can be done”

-END. / source /

[davids-cartoon-corkboard]

Episode 8: Benched

(original thoughts here)

“Dragon pony girl”, “blue guy”... has Sun Wukong ever called Tang Shifu or Zhu Dachu by name either? I doubt he thinks so little of them that he Genuinely Can’t Be Assed To Remember Their Names, but he may be trying to maintain a level of emotional distance from them by using epithets instead. (It may also be a way for him to not mess up and accidentally call them Ao Lie, Sha Wujing, etc.)

---

“The Samadhi Fire is my best chance of getting as far away from her as possible.”

Macaque says this line quietly and seriously, without any of his usual smug villain schtick. He is admitting to Tang Shifu that he is scared and vulnerable. I can see why the Inkypages shippers liked this episode so much.

What exactly was his plan, though? Was he just hoping that White Bone Spirit wouldn’t mess with him anymore if he had such a powerful weapon? He outright says it was his best chance, rather than a guarantee. There was always the possibility that he couldn’t get the other pieces, that one piece on its own wouldn’t be strong enough, or wouldn’t activate at all. He’s desperate, and grasping at straws.

---

The whole concert thing was pretty weak, tbh. Like, they were 100% within their rights to take the ring and go. It would have been pretty funny if Jin and Yin had also overheard their plans to take the ring and gotten Offended that the heroes were going to ruin the concert by stealing the prize! They could have insisted that the heroes enter the competition to win the ring fairly, or else they’d tell the citizens about the plan and ruin the heroes’ reputations. Tang Shifu could have still thought that was bs and gone off alone to find the ring and encounter Macaque. As it is, meh. :/

---

Zhu Dachu can sing beautifully but is embarrassed about it and keeps it quiet such that only Sha Dali knows about it. Was he perhaps pressured by his family to pursue a career in music, with only his grandmother supporting his dream to own a noodle shop?

Sha Dali can play the guitar, did the two of them have jam sessions back in the day? Blease for the love of god I want a flashback episode about them.

-----

(Ep. 1) (Ep. 2) (Ep. 3) (Ep. 4) (Ep. 5)

(Ep. 6) (Ep. 7) (Ep. 8: You Are Here) (Ep. 9) (Ep. 10)

[concrete-the-cat]

The Evolution of Music in a Game the Majority of the Internet thinks is Cringe

okay so, tumblr friends, i know what you're thinking -

"this is going to be an essay? with a title like that?"

NO

It's not going to be

It could be but I don't have the willpower to go all out on Where We Lore Droppin' Boys

So for now I'm just marking down weirdly good songs that were made for/by Epic Games and Fortnite that I've found. Because??? For some reason??? They went from making the Silly Clappy Dance (DU DU DU DOO DU) to music that sounds like it belongs in an AMV/PMV?? And yes that's because they got enough money to hire capable musicians but STILL

And I needed the internet to hear this because i KNOW tumblr is the one place that wouldn't hear fortnite and turn away because you guys are COOL and would probably actually dare to listen to music from an FFA BR Game

OKAY LET'S NOT WASTE ANYMORE TIME

(i am ranking these by order they come to mind and how good they are not by release, there's only 5 best ones but there ARE even more good ones than this i just have other stuff to do rn)

Brace for Chaos - seriously this is amv/pmv materiel here i mean there's specific things but "storm" can be interpreted in so many different ways and yes some notes are painfully off but I mean HOW is that so GOOD for FORTNITE???? Really went from Rock-Pop-EDM-Rap seamlessly in like 2 minutes

Butter Barn Hoedown - Funny as hell, literally on par with most modern country music I've heard with the same comedic energy as your average American Applebee's advertisement, this one's less because it's good and more because the singer sounds like he's having the time of his life singing 'GOT THE BEST DANG SLURP ON THE WHOLE DANG MAP' in the best generic Texan Twang ever

Vital - Egotistical and not honestly my favorite but still sounds like it'd fit into some PMV somewhere... also had to look it up to make sure that wasn't Derivakat singing, which it wasn't, but I mean-- it's CLOSE, okay?? The song's not bad and plus on Epic's part it was literally the same thing as an average fic writer making a character and deciding to write them a song before explaining their lore since the character the song is for (Highwire) doesn't even have a story or character on the map, but still manages to get this not-half-bad tune

Subterfuge - I never said they had to be with lyrics right? Anyways this sounds like James Bond x Block Rockin' Beats, and honestly it's one of my favorites regardless

Redline Cruise - Okay if you forgive the initial cheesy forced laughter and the repetitive chorus, the bass and melody is honestly pretty good and could hold it's own with a fair few independently released EDM artists, I think. It lines up pretty good with ZHU, at least.

Honorable Mentions!! No explanations for these, I just think they're good but not top tier - Crashed In (instrumental is an option), Falling Stars, The Syndicate, Thunder Roll, High Stakes Club (regrettably, I don't speak Japanese - I think that's what it's in, anyways, judging by the language on the cover - but the melodies are nice), Merry Mix, Pop It

What do you all think??? Are they good?? Are there better songs from FN I could've put here??

[disappointingyet]

Babylon

Director Damien Chazelle Stars Diego Calva, Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Li Jun Li, Jovan Adepo USA 2022 Language English, Spanish, Cantonese, French, Hungarian plus random bits of Italian spoken by Brad Pitt 3hrs 9mins Colour, Black & white

Movie decadence! Lots of running around! The worst movie score I have ever heard!

Something that massively fails to meet expectations is a big flop, but what’s a work of art that gets much closer to its targets but falls short? A small flop? A minor disappointment? Neither of those descriptions will remotely do for Babylon, which is immense in scale, cast size, running time, ambition…

Still, Babylon could be described as a flop since it failed to make back its production budget (let alone the full spend including ads etc) at the box office. The marketing tactic seems to have been ‘come for the wild party/orgy, stay for the elegiac speeches about movies-as-art’ but not enough people, it seems, were lured in by the promise of excess and decadence… 

It also, for the limited amount either of these things are worth, failed to make the anticipated splash at awards season (three Oscar noms – production design, costume design, score – no wins) and got a mixed critical reception. Its average on Metacritic is a middling 60, but few of those writers thought of it as a six out of 10 movie – you get there by balancing the 10s and the 2s, the lovers and the haters. Babylon is a film with lots of fierce defenders, and because of that, maybe down the line it will end up with a good reputation as they keep up the fight while those who didn’t like it move on. 

It starts in the desert outside Los Angeles in 1926, during the preparations for a huge party being held by movie mogul Don Wallach. I won’t give spoilers for what exactly is going on in this opening sequence, but it introduces us to Manny Torres (Diego Calva), the first of our main characters. He’s the guy responsible for making sure the event happens and that the chaos is just about contained. Although his job has introduced him to many people in the business, he has (we learn) never been to a film set. 

The party, when we get there, has a guest list of hundreds and no limits to the drink, drugs, sex (in the middle of the room) etc etc. The screen is crammed with figures like a painting by Bosch or Bruegel. As all this whirls on around us, we meet the other two central characters as well as two the film (to me) seems to treat as secondary leads. Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie) is convinced she’s a star, even though – like Manny – she is yet to set foot on a movie set. Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt), meanwhile, actually is a screen idol, a hard-drinking, much-married one. Then we have seductive cabaret act Lady Fay Zhu (Li Jun Li) – who we learn a little later also writes dialogue for the title cards shown in the (silent) movies of the time. And, because this is a Damien Chazelle flick, there’s a jazz trumpeter, Sidney Palmer (Jovan Adepo).

The next day after the party, we get to the film’s second vast set piece – an open-air film lot where – because there’s no sound recording – multiple movies are being shot right next to each other. There’s a cast-of-hundreds mediaeval battle scene almost right on top of a barroom Western. It’s an attempt to capture everything deranged and magical about the film business in one breathless sequence. 

And when that ends, it feels like Chazelle has thrown everything he can think of at us, gone maximum rock’n’roll from the start. It’s impressive, if exhausting… but there’s over two hours left of the film. Where are we headed from here?

Well, this is 1926 and in 1927 The Jazz Singer was released, and within a couple of years talking (and singing) pictures had made silents obsolete. Meanwhile, there was a moral backlash against Hollywood that would lead to the strict enforcement of the Production Code by the mid-1930s. The coming of sound – the way it changed movies and the careers it supposedly killed overnight – has been told many times, including by a movie that is heavily alluded to a couple of times in this and by a film that makes a crucial cameo here. Which is to say: Chazelle is aware this is not unchartered territory. 

Considering the epic running time, we don’t get to know the characters well, except maybe Jack – he gets a best friend, the many wives and plenty of chances to give speeches about modernism and why movies matter. The others seem more sketched in – we see Nellie doing plenty of wild things, but beyond that? And with Sidney Palmer and Lady Fay Zhu, Chazelle seems to be falling into a representation trap – ‘look!’ he’s saying, ‘there were black dudes and Chinese lesbians in Old Hollywood, but they are never centre stage in those other film histories, and they are here.’ Which is true, but they still don’t get much to do, character-wise (Palmer does get plenty of screen time but not really acting time, more standing-there-with-a-trumpet time.)

I approached Babylon with interest and a dash of scepticism. I often like Hollywood stories about Hollywood. I don’t approve of films with a three-hour running time. I have a mixed history with the films of Damien Chazelle – I loathe Whiplash, liked La La Land and had no interest in seeing First Man. I’m by no means an expert on the early film industry, but I know some of this stuff – I’m pretty sure, for instance, that the title is nodding to both DW Griffith’s Intolerance – one of the first movie mega-productions – and Kenneth Anger’s book Hollywood Babylon, a collection of lurid tales of scandal I first read in Upper Norwood library as a teenager and more recently have heard scrupulously fact-checked on the always excellent You Must Remember This podcast.

And after watching the film, I had a similar mix of feelings. The two huge set pieces are certainly audacious and memorable bits of film-making, and there are other good moments throughout the film. But does Chazelle have three hours of interesting stuff to say here? Not by a distance.

And then I kept being reminded of movies I like better. There’s what feels like a very long scene when Nellie is working on maybe her first sound picture, and everything keeps going wrong. The timing of the scene (to me) feels like Chazelle is anticipating times when the audience is just catching its breath after screaming with laughter when he’s going to hit them with the other gag… But I wasn’t splitting my sides – I was thinking fondly of the great ‘Would that it were so simple’ scene from Hail, Caesar! and of Living In Oblivion.

Like Hail, Caesar!, but well, not as funny

As well as the film that features so prominently in the film that I’m not going to name, as mentioned I thought of Hail, Caesar! a lot, and of The Bad And The Beautiful, Vincente Minelli’s masterful stew of various movie biz legends, as well (of course) with Pitt and Robbie back together, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. (I also thought of the trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, a film I will never watch.) Chazelle gives us more writhing bodies, more drugs, but not more insight. And then there’s the terrible, terrible music – not actual 1920s jazz (because they think the kids wouldn’t like that? Because Chazelle doesn’t like it?) but a horrible concoction, a grim, fat-sounding jazz-rock fusion. 

Should you watch Babylon? If you like big, ambitious movies, yes, I think so. If you like talking about films, yes – I’ve certainly had good conversations about it, and now I’ve written lots of words about it, too. It’s not a disaster, but is it a complete success? Not that either.

[mandajiu]

Guan Zhu Tiles, a national brand, has this to say on their weibo: Essentially begone, evil spirits with the white nine-tailed fox (our 88 we assume) and their brick. "Tui, Tui, Tui!" I think its a sincere way of saying we got your back, but yeah it also generates traffic; imagine being used so very often for this. 30 never does this. That's why I love 30 for 88 and if they are not together, I hope fate works out and puts them in each others' paths again.

I want more. I want all of her brands and I want C-Ent to step up to the plate and say enough is enough. Hold hands. Sing the Chinese equivalent to kumbaya. Bring out the hashtags as if its a CCP offense because actually it is - the law is very clear. This is cyber-bullying and no one has had to deal with more crap than our 88.

"Tui, tui, tui" is the same phrase 30 used in that horrifically uncomfortable introduction to xhcl that all the purple people eat up because it had to be heavily edited my friends. I saw the original and I'm pretty sure who he thought was an evil spirit at the time. Time does change things. My vote is that YD/WL are business CPs and 3088 are good friends to something more. And here is the thing. I'm OK with being wrong. Eggs exist because we see something beautiful, a gorgeous potential that we hope can grow and has grown into something mature and stable - it's not because they look good together or will help each other climb to the top. They ARE at or near the top already, which is why they are subject to such lies and cruelty - especially the woman in the scenario. Anyone who knows 88 knows she doesn't need a white knight, she wants someone evenly matched. She wants to be the one to rescue herself and she has done that. Law procedures are a process; it takes time. Don't say she hasn't done anything. She cannot make the law move that quickly, but this morning she showed how fast she did move on these rumors with a list of the individuals and companies responsible for using her name in infringing statements/actions.

So, the undercurrent here is that 88 might finally be leaving her company because black drafts are common during a time like this. Keep in mind, 30's new production is somewhat tied to this company. If 88 is indeed using the law with any company, most likely there will be NDA's and such. How much can she actually say? Not a lot. Wait and see. Who knows.

If you are addicted to how the pairing of a CP makes YOU (the CP fan) feel - then that this is the famous tool person scenario that pure fans talk about. To me, CPFandom is far more romantic and caring then simply getting off on how pretty people are together or what chemistry you imagine them to have on screen. We are powered by hope and an imaginary ideal. I'm an auntie fan; I really hope that someone like 30 comes into 88's life an vice versa. We hope it will be exactly those people, but we will as ever trust them and wait for the flowers to bloom.