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#gonna do yue next!!!
onehornedbeast · 15 days
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YOUR HONOR THEY'RE LEARNING AND DOING THEIR BEST
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was tagged awhile ago by @cloudofbutterflies92 @inafieldofdaisies @g0dspeeed @cassietrn @gearvmac and @justasmolbard to try this template for my cringefail ship <3
I'll tag a few peeps since I'm late to this game 🥲 but also you don't have to try if you don't want to btw!! @marivenah @finding-comfort-in-rain @chloekistune @voidika @bbrocklesnar @carlosoliveiraa @confidentandgood @aceghosts @theelderhazelnut @alypink @ghastlyrider @alexxmason @captmactavish ♡
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the fact that netflix atla is so fucking bad just makes me think about how fucking good the original show was. i know that's a Thing with reboots but like man. they did so good. but also mainly im thinking about popular atla fan theories and how a bunch of them just line up perfectly with what the show gave us. like do you guys remember the theory that yue was supposed to be the next avatar should aang's cycle not have been interrupted? that was so fucking sick. the theory that the fire nation killed kya thinking she was hama? holy shit dude. the one about azulon ordering ozai to put zuko in iroh's line of succession instead of killing him and ozai lying to ursa about it? the one about toph being the reincarnation of kuruk's dead gf? natla could never make fan theories so insanely good. what's their fan theories gonna be?? that yue is momo now??? please
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phoebester · 1 month
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Episode 2 Warriors
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So no pirates scene and this was given by Gran-Gran which makes sense. I knew they’re weren’t gonna tie her to a tree with Zuko teasing the necklace which we also didn’t have.
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Honestly, Momo doesn’t look that bad as other people say. He’s still a lovable cgi creature for me.
And I loved that Kyoshi’s statue is made of stone
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because, ‘earth.’
And the village reminds me of Kyoto island. Maybe that’s the inspiration, what Kyoto would have looked like centuries ago.
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Aaaand we meet this guy for the first time. He might not look like a Commander/Admiral Zhao but his irritating aura makes up for it, again great acting.
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And again that line driving it home 👆🏽
Suki you flirt, I know that style 😅
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And the training with Sokka. I know I’ve seen that from some movie before I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
Also the makeup removal 😅 I wish I could find those ‘wipes’ on Amazon. And girl, Suki’s face is flawless!
Whoever this lady is, nobody could have been a better Kyoshi than she is. I even think she’s even more Kyoshi than Kyoshi 😆. This is the kind of badassery that ‘shows’ and not ‘tells.’ Thats the kind of feminist power I want to see.
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She’s like ‘let me show you Aang, who do you want me to cut? 😆’ And when she manipulated all the elements, that was such an epic scene, taking over Aang’s body.
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The first zutara scene we got. I know non zutarians wont get it but we’ll take whatever crumbs we can lol.
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His face here shows ‘dont make me do this.’
Thats why I didnt like that he was about to really ‘maim’ her before kyoshi/aang arrived (which could be an allusion to a kataang buildup).
I was also surprised that they changed the timeline to meeting Suki first before Yue. *edit- not the timeline but the kiss, where Suki kissed Sokka on the cheek first (thanks to @firelily-mermaid-jedi for the correction ) which I find sweet and innocent. But in the live action, very little pining (less than 48 hrs I think lol) It kinda doesn’t make sense to make Sokka ‘look like’ a playah. So is Suki his first love in the live action or Yue? I wanted Yue to be his first love and heartbreak.
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Does this 👆🏽 scene remind you of something? 😄
Acting 7/10 9/10 for Suki actress and 10/10 for Kyoshi
Music always always 10/10
Dialogue 6/10
Fx 8/10
Overall 77%
On to my next review…
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sinn-bee · 4 months
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I’m loving your Dragon AU! Do you have any ideas for Yue Qingyuan in this AU? Also how did Liu Qingge react to seeing Luo Binghe the first time?
Aaah!! Thanks! I’m having so much fun with it 🥰 and I’m so happy other people are enjoying it!!
I do! When I have time he’s probably gonna be the next one I do some sketches of, I want him to have big ram-like horns and like dull gold and brown colored scales. There’s some of the typical QiJiu angst there to if you’re meaning ideas like Story wise? SY transmigrating changed what Sqq’s body looked like, when it was SJ it looked less minty and more bamboo leaf and his horns were more angled and sharp. So Yqy instantly Knew something drastic had happened when he saw Sqq after the transmigration.
And for Bingliu first meeting, Binghe showed up and met Sqq when Lqg wasn’t there (a rare occurrence considering he’s pretty much moved in by donating most of his hoard to Sqq) so when Lqg gets back and Knows someone had visited he’s tense about it and gets super protective. When they actually meet for the first time Lqg gets all posturing and stands tall but behaves himself because he is Sqq’s guest. (They will go fight later because Binghe Will taunt him enough and Lqg Will fall for the bait) But they’ll figure out how to get along and more once they realize that Sqq is interested in both of them and they can team up shfjg
That was a little ramble-y _(:3」z)_ I hope it made some sense??
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bl4cktourmaline · 4 months
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( ˘ ³˘)♥ — day 2 featuring kamishiro rui
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knock knock!
heres some mail!
ଘ(੭´꒳`)°* ੈ‧₊ 💌
⌨️ᶻᶻᶻ...anon is typing... ♡
↻ᴹᵉˢˢᵃᵍᵉ ˡᵒᵃᵈᵉᵈ !
❝Hello! If it hasn't been taken yet, can I request prompt 2 for Rui?❞
━━❝I'll give you a kiss hot enough to melt the snow❞
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"Ruiiiii, I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting!"
You were late. Very late.
Rui was standing under the roof of a nearby store, waiting for you...but it's been a few hours from the meeting time that you both agreed on... stupid traffic jam.
"Ah, there you are" He waves at you as you stop in front of him, out of breath.
"Why didn't you get inside?! Oh my gosh, you must be freezing right now!"
"I didn't want to miss you so I was waiting outside"
"Rui..." You absolutely feel bad now for being late now...
"...But I'll let you make it up to me by warming me up" Rui was staring at your face as if expecting something.
"Huh?" You grabbed hold of his right hand and squeezed it tightly. It was cold enough to make your hand tingle, it was nearly frozen solid.
"What are you doing?" He asked, confused.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm trying to warm you up like you said"
"That's not what I meant when I told you to warm me up"
"Eh?"
Still holding your hand, he yanked you towards him, wrapping his arms around your waist "Mm. It's warm"
He nuzzled his face up close, getting tangled up in your hair then he rubbed his cheek against yours...
"What the heck?! Rui! Your cheek are cold as ice and it's scratches!!"
"You can't escape~" He smile playfully much to your dismayed as he pulled himself closer to you, clinging to you even more tightly "Ruiiiii-!!"
...Did you just see a white dot just now?
"Oh..."
Snowflakes flutter gently around the two of you as the white snow begins to fall.
Rui slowly loose his arms around you as he turns towards the dark skies "It's our very first snowfall experience together..."
"It's supposed to be extra chilly today so there was a possibility of snowfall happening today" You paused for a second, slowly unwrapping the scarf around your neck and then wrap them around his neck to keep him warm "Aren't you cold? We should go home soon, I don't want you to catch a cold because of me..."
He then turns towards you suddenly as his gaze make eye contact with yours which makes you feel a little awkward "...Rui?"
He cocks his head "You've got some snow on you"
"What?" You start patting your head "Where? Is it on my cheek? Or is it on my hair?"
"You aren't even close" He chuckles, amused by the looks of confusion on your face "Right here... I'll give you a kiss hot enough to melt the snow"
"Huh-" You didn't get to react much as Rui presses his lips gently against yours as you froze up, taking by surprise as he then wraps his arms around you in a tight embrace "Mmm!"
He pulls away abruptly and give you a peck on the lips as he gives you a little smirk, looking amused by your flustered expression "Well?"
"I-I...wha...?"
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(っ'-')╮=͟͟͞͞💌 You receive a letter from Santa Yue!
↻ᴹᵉˢˢᵃᵍᵉ ˡᵒᵃᵈᵉᵈ !
𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. . .
yahoo~! it's me again~ not gonna lie...if I could, I probably name this as snowflake kiss because why not, hehehe~ anyways it's a first for me to write for Rui! If you were here from the start, I was formerly ModRui before ! Pretty cool, right?
calling... @nogenderbee !
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writing-frenzy · 8 months
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Beautiful Disaster AU- 2:
:P so the gremlins for this AU won't let go it seems; fitting as I eat noodles I get the author man himself, along with his favorite hater.
:3
Edit: I almost forgor to put a link for part one
Here is another poem/quote thing :3
I'm beautifully broken,
perfectly imperfect,
beautiful in my flaws.
All together I am a Beautiful Disaster.
By Unknown
Again, this fits both SQH and SJ so much :3 This will be set kinda after the Moshang extras, just without the ship happening so far (because rebuilding trust and care, and loyalty takes time, Mobei being patient enough because SQH is worth it, with SQH learning he is indeed worth it, more than worthy.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite what most think of the An Ding Peak Lord, the glorified immortal secretary/janitor of the Cang Qiong Mountains never misses any time. He has more months, years plotted way in advance then anyone would dream, dates and times printed into his mind with an ever ticking constantly echoing his steps. He plans weeks ahead of anything he can afford to, considering people and patterns he has noticed, procuring orders before they were ever thought to be sent, knowing his martial siblings won't noticed the needed thing until it is too late.
But even he is not all knowing, author god he may be, so when things run out faster than he expected (Ah, embezzlement or incompetence, take your pick of what it could be! Maybe even both, it could be one of those days.) He takes days at a time to get these 'urgent' orders filled, replaced, fixed, or cared for to the best of his ability.
And he can assure you, that you will find no better than him when it comes to time and logistics; he has it down to the minutes it takes him to eat a bowl of noodles, to the seconds it takes to wipe the blood from his hands from yet another sad little assassination.
His days, like any An Ding Disciple, are numbered and ruled by the water, sand, and hands of a clock.
(Needless to say, Airplane sometimes thanks himself for his lazy writing, for example; that regular clocks do exist here, even if they are usually only for the holier-than-thou nobles/too rich to ever think types. It had been one of the first ever things he bought with his hefty Peak Lord allowance, and one of the few expenses he never regrets.)
No, Shang Qinghua never misses any time; he just chooses to skip inconveniences so that he could be spending his valuable time on things that actually do need his attention.
Of course, not like he'll ever let anyone know the difference.
"Liu-Shidi, there shouldn't be any meeting today? I'm pretty sure the next Peak Lord Meeting is when Peak Lord Shen comes to his Peak Next week?" Shang Qinghua whines, feeling the drag on his pale blue An Ding robes as the Ban Zhan War God drags him to the meeting that was in fact today, but knowing his transmigrator bro, will usually put off to next week because Yue Qingyuan is a fucking pushover.
(The man literally let Shang Qinghua back; sure yeah, probably until he at least trains a successor, but the pale blue robed Peak Lord would bet money it was partly because his head disciple terrifies all the other Peak Lords. Not that he can blame them, seeing as Bai Weizhe has finally forgiven him for leaving him behind; the young man's talent and temper is a legendary thing to witness, almost seems a shame he's wasting away at An Ding.)
"There's been a development; Mount Tonglu has settled." was the grim reply Liu Qingge gave, voice tense as his body was, never letting up his grip on his clothes, getting firmer in fact, as if ready for a runner.
"... oh... oh.. OH FUCK!" Shang Qinghua lets himself curse in English, digging through his sleeves for a paper-ah, the good talisman paper, good, good, and his lucky specialized pen he had made just so he could write everywhere, "We're gonna have to hold a conference with the other sects, aren't we? We'll-fuck, have to prepare relief efforts for the common folk, patrols will have to be bolstered and increased-Damnit! We'll have to get offerings ready for the Heavenly Officials just in case..." mumbling to himself, he sends his hastily written note to his Head Disciple as a paper plane, still muttering to himself as Liu Qingge continues to drag him forward to the meeting room, only dropping him once they get inside, knocking him from his stressed filled muttering.
Just to see all Peak Lords are in attendance, with a bonus Luo Binghe even right next to Cucumber bro all grim faced.
AH! Why is there so much work?! Mountain, why now of all times and places do you have to settle? Couldn't have done until Shang Qinghua died or somehow fucking ascended? But Shang Qinghua says nothing, just letting out a pathetic whimper to the disgust of a few of his fellow Peak Lords, though a few do give a sympathetic glance.
Heck, Fan Qingxue of the Alchemy Peak Shoushan and Yao Qingli of the farmers peak Dong Ye look like they want to join him in it; Ah yeah, those two ladies were the ones deathly afraid of ghosts. Since they've always been pretty cool and the ones who gave him the least shit to worry about besides Mu Qingfang, Shang Qinghua thinks he can spare some of his good calming teas and drinks...
Or they can just go straight for Zui Xian's harder spirits (ha).
"As I'm sure everyone knows why we are here, let us get down to business." After Zhangmen-shixiong cuts through his usual bullshit with that simple opening(surprise, surprise), the immortal carries on, "After all these centuries, Mount Tonglu settling bodes ill omens, with it's last settling the precursor to a plague and famine that almost wiped the mortal plane from existence." with those grim words spoken, the atmosphere gets chilling.
"If I recall Zhangmen-Shixiong, it took thousands of desperate prayers and many more offerings before the Heavens answered the call of the people, putting down the cause of it all; a Ghostly Calamity." Yi Qingyao, Peak Lord of the beast taming peak Yanlin, says as her pale, scarred hands reaching up to sooth the twittering little bird on her shoulder. "Will we have to once more rely on their power?" Will they answer us goes unsaid in her words.
While the Heavenly Officials have been quiet for a long time, it is obvious that they are still there, what with prayers still being answered and merits still being met; just more undercover, detective style really. At least, that's how Airplane had wrote it out in PIDW; had to get a few goddesses in the harem some way after all, and having the Heavens be like secret agents in his mind had been funny at the time.
(Though it does put into a new perspective the harem overthrow and everything; hmmm, feels like he should do another house cleaning around now, just in case...)
"As nothing has happened so far, it wouldn't due to try and summon those from higher plane when we don't even know what we will be up against; with no intel about the threat, we don't know if we will need a Martial or Spiritual God." Liu Qingge states, the war strategist coming out in full swing. "It would just be a waste of resources and manpower to offer without any knowledge, especially since we do not know how long the Calamity has had time to settle into their power."
"What do you mean time to settle?!" Fan Qingxue asks, alarm coloring her face even paler than before, hands clenched into her handkerchief; like this, she really does look like a dainty little princess, all big eyes and perfect brown hair, no one would think she would be a treasure hunter the like of Indiana Jones.
"From what is known, Mount Tonglu can be open for years, centuries at a time before the gates of the City of Gu Close, the true regulators of the mountain; it never settles, only until years after a Calamity is reborn does it finally rest, all its energy spent on the new, cruel rebirth." Sun Qingfu, Peak Lord of Ku Xing, answers her with a frown, his regular smile lines stressed from it as he does. "If I may ask, does anyone know just when the Gu City gates last opened?"
By the quiet that happens, the grim face of those who do know, it is not going to be an answer they like.
"... From what was found, it was almost eight years ago." was spoken ever so softly, Shang Qinghua feeling his own eyes widen as his mind does the math;
Almost eight years ago? When Cucumber-bro...
Here, the Ban Zhan War God seems to twitch, jaw clenching for a minute before it smooths away, all emotion erased as he turns to the resident Demon Lord.
Ah, while Shang Qinghua has an idea of just why Luo Binghe is here, sitting at the table with no one bothering to comment on it; considering the Demon Emperor's vast influence, and still in control over a certain, foretelling/divination talented sect, he inwardly pleads with his Shidi, hoping it will get through.
Please do not get into a fight here with the protagonist son! (May his Protag also not start anything please!)
"Has Huan Hua Palace managed to gleam any information about the upcoming Ghostly Calamity at all." Liu Qingge asks Luo Binghe, Acting Grand Disciple of Hua Hua Palace still, even being a Demon Lord as he is. (Though, his son is more of a figurehead then anything, what with Huan Hua needing all the help they can get, at least until they restore their reputation just enough to 'promote' another.)
"... From what the Divinators have said, not much has been managed to be gathered, something seemingly blocking their sights and tools." Luo Binghe says, before looking to the sect leader, a question seemingly in his eye, to which he gets a short nod.
"It seems that both Huan Hua Palace and our own Divination Division have been trying to qualify the Calamity coming to little ends; very few details have been gathered, but I'm sure you have received details of the same city?"
That gets a stark frown on his Protagonist's face, dark eyes flashing a gloomy red before he says those damming words. "Jinlan City."
Eight Years.
Jinlan City.
... Oh Fuck his life with a rusty spoon; this is not the fucking time for a god dammed plague/famine thing!
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"You two bit, sell-out hack of an author! How in the fuck could you leave out such important world building! Just for fucking sex plots!" is ranted when they're alone in the bamboo house on Qing Jing Peak, Luo Binghe being in high demand to work with the other sects as the current head of the golden cultivators. Damn, but is Shang Qinghua glad that's not his problem anymore, even if he feels a bit sorry for the Hua disciples he revived just to take over his paperwork duties.
(What, it's not like he could have used that plot device for himself, considering that the Sweet Dream Seven Petal Rose could only be used on righteous, young souls, both of which he is not. Gongyi Xiao and his little bunch are doing great last he checked, even if they now have a newfound hunger for spiritually dense rocks and plants; still a surprise to have that many good nuggets in such a gilded, slimy place like Huan Hua.)
"Hmmm, more focused on what could get me my rent money at the time, you know, like an adult." Shang Qinghua sasses back, looking over all the reports constantly being sent to him, signing something there, double checking there, burning that paper here. "And considering how Calamities need actual, real deal gods to handle their fucking business, I made the executive decision to just not include them into the story."
"Binghe wouldn't lose!"
"..."
"... No, he wouldn't! He the- He's your protagonist..." here Shang Qinghua looks over to his bro, being hit once more just how young the other actually is, green eyes wide as they take him in.
"Calamities were not named lightly bro; they earn that title through pain, agony, and a resentment that refuses to ever fucking die." Here, Airplane comes into full swing, rambles of a favored topic only an author can understand dumping out, "It was one of my favorite things to plot out in my original draft, I did so much research and writing for what I was going to have as a neutral recurring character for an arc or two here or there, someone who could make the Luo Binghe bow in respect. Calamities were a part of the whole for the reason pure blooded Heavenly Demons were wiped out." he explains, only for Shen Qingqiu to interrupt.
"Because very few Demons or Spiritual Creatures can affect ghosts, so that the protagonist could show off fancy cultivation tricks with his companions or wives." his green clad bro finishes, a death grip on his fan.
"Yeah, had to justify at times why my protag would bother leveling his human side, considering how op his demonic blood was. I figured ghost would be an even playground, while not effecting demons much, couldn't actually be effected that much in turn." Shang Qinghua shrugs, wincing at the pops and cracks as he does, before going right back to his paperwork; he really should have went back to his peak, he really would get more done, but with his favorite hater's memory, it would be worth the cutting into his time if it could jog his own memory of his story.
From what he wrote in Proud Immortal Demon Way, Mount Tonglu was only in one arc of his story, his son having to find the ghost of one of his favored wives to revive her, who ended up being sucked up into the mountain. Luo Binghe had to struggle hard, getting the aid of a sexy Ghostly Cultivator and a Demonic one to help him along the path to find the ghost of his wife. It was a race against time and enemies, ghosts who would rip anyone to shreds, and to ensure his ghostly wife wouldn't gather too much energy from the place so that she couldn't leave.
Thanks to his Sexy helpers, plot amor, and general bullshit plot devices, Luo Binghe saves his dear wife's ghost, revives her, and has some sexy papapa times with all three ladies from the adventure. (Though the two don't actually end up wifed to Luo Binghe from what he remembers.) But despite all the bullshit, Airplane remembers at the time he only wrote the group going as far as the second level, just in the mountain proper, and sure as hell nowhere near the really important parts; the ancient city of Wukong, and the Kiln that attracted all the ghosts in the first place. Otherwise, he would have had to write a fight scene that Luo Binghe could not win.
And couldn't pay his bills; so thus, Mount Tonglu and all its possibilities got shafted, just another plot thread left dangling among the many others he had in the wind, taunting his readers as it were.
One that gives context, but no longer any help with their situation.
After that bit of thoughtful silence, Cucumber bro begins to say something, only for a knock at the door to interrupt them.
"Shizun, apologies for interruption, but the Head Disciple from An Ding Peak is here." that sweet voice can only be from one of his sweetest characters, one Ning Yingying.
"Ah, you can just come on in Bai Weizhe, I don't think-ah!" Shang Qinghua calls, before sputtering as his bro proceeds to spit take all over him, "Gross, seriously gross bro."
All that gets is the stunned, incredulous gaze from his friend, before his rather stunning Head Disciple comes in, looking like he should be the Peak Lord honestly. Really, he makes the light blue and grey of the HD Uniform look like the highest fashion, with those highly noble features and crystal grey eyes. The young man is just missing a crown in that silky black hair, and bam, he'd look the part.
Well, then he'll get that look in those usually gentle eyes and then he'll look more like he should be the Ban Zhan or Qing Jing Peak Lord; just like now, a storm brewing clouds as he takes in the two Peak Lords before him, darkening as they look to his dripping Shizun.
"This disciple hopes he was not interrupting anything? There is unfortunately much work for Shizun to do, and so little time to do it." His disciple says, face perfectly bland even as he ignores any of the custom greetings one should do before their elders, especially those way above in seniority. Raising an eyebrow at his disciple, as while Shang Qinghua could let him get away with murder, decorum and manners are not something his disciples skip on, a tool he has trained them to practically weaponize.
But Bai Weizhe merely smiles like sugar won't melt in his mouth, completely transforming that handsome face into a truly devastating attack, his raging eyes the only give away. Hearing Cucumber bro choke beside him, Shang Qinghua makes to stand up, sighing once more.
"Ah well, just another storm to weather through, maybe if I'm lucky I can just hide away on my Peak or the Northern- I'm not lucky am I?" Shang starts hopefully, only to see the darkening of his disciple's eyes.
"...When the Divinatiors were divining into the future, they managed to find out one more thing." Here Weizhe's eyes flicker, looking down for a minute before back to him, the only sign he gives off he is worried, "When looking to see who would go to investigate, Long-Shigu only kept getting omens of death, no matter who was drawn from the lots..." Here, his disciple takes a deep breath, Shang Qinghua himself now worried for his student, putting a hand on their shoulder to ground them, calm them however he could (along with himself).
"It's only when Shizun's name was drawn to go that the omens lightened at all."
... Fuck, if Long Qingyu, the Zui Xian Peak Lord, the best Divination Master this side of the Jianghu that wasn't part of Huan Hua said so, then it was so...
Damn it to planes and noddles, but he's already missing his bed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I look at you, and I just love you, and it terrifies me. It terrifies me what I would do for you."
By Alexandra Bracken
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Shen Yuan can fully admit, if only to himself, that he might just be, slightly, just ever so slightly, terrified.
Of course, he'll admit this too no one; despite how OOC the System has let him become, how it stays in 'standby mode', some habits have just become too ingrained at this point to change, forged as they were into his shield. It has been both a boon and a bane as it were in his day to day, keeping him together through most storms in his life, even if it's left him sopping wet afterwards.
But in the end, at least he still has someone to warm him up, a calm within that storm to rest his weary body for a time... Even if they truly aren't an actual escape from said storm.
"Shizun, is there anything you need? Anything I can do?" His Binghe fusses, those clear dark eyes of his not able to hide the tightening worry scrunching them, face still beautiful even as full of negativity as it is.
"Just be as ready as possible; we do not know what to expect, with assumptions being a foe that could blind us when we least expect them." Shen Qingqiu speaks, truly trying not to think about it, about just what kind of situation they are about to be walking into, the ruins of Jinlan City just a bit before them damningly, the Base Camp the Cultivation Sects pulled together to create rest less then a mile away in the distance.
'Oh, but how hard it is to not make any...' the transmigrator can't help but think, grimacing behind his fan as he can just notice the stares from others around them, some judgmental, other pitying, but all still obviously looking at them.
After all, eight years ago was the day he first 'died' in this world. Combined with the issues with the Sowers, then the resulting destruction of said city... it didn't paint the best of pictures.
As expected of a protagonist; even after the 'happy ever after', there was still no rest from possible story lines. (Shen Yuan honestly at times was just... tired of them. Didn't he and Binghe, especially his Binghe, deserve a rest?...
He'd rather be caught in a wife plot even at this point.)
"... A-Yuan?" was whispered rather lowly, right into his ear and behind his fan, so no one with advanced cultivation could hear or see what he was saying, "Is this some sort of... event?" His disciple asked, making his Shizun pause in his fanning for a moment, before returning, not even so much of a twitch on his face.
"...That has not made any signs of movement beyond what it has told me and your Shang-Shishu." Shen Yuan answers carefully, ignoring the brief twitch of disgust on his husband's face at the mention of the other man, "It has been quiet since a year ago." At least, from what Shang Qinghua has told him about his months long misadventure.
"... I see." there, just slightly, is a bit of relief in Luo Binghe's face, Shen Qingqiu unable to stop his own weary smile at the sight.
Despite everything, despite how he will never, ever tell his fellow transmigrator, he is grateful the man convinced him to tell Binghe as much as he could about their transmigration.
Even if it felt like a kick in the teeth at the time.
("... Bro." Shang Qinghua has a look in his eyes that makes Shen Yuan freeze, fully reminded, in that moment, in that time, that for all his fellow transmigrator plays around and whines, the man has earned his Peak Lord title, and all that it entails. "You know the tropes, the clinches, the story; what part of keeping all those secrets to yourself seems like a good idea?"
Here he couldn't help but bristle, "And in what story do you see a character actually talk about being from another world, hmm? What can I even say?!" He stops himself from going to hit the other with his fan, the urge stifled as he sees those brown eyes darken as they narrow.
"I've found that as long as I kept it vague, I can get the general idea of what happened across. I've experimented with My King and my Head Disciple, and the only time I was stopped was when I was about to mention the System directly. Otherwise I was good to go..." here the older man pauses, before he sighs even as Shen Yuan gaps, honestly stunned the other man actually tried something like that.
"Look, Shen Yuan, do you want your relationship with Binghe to work out?"
"!! Of course!"
"Then tell him; tell him before it is too late and you really become a foil for Yue Qi and his Shen Jiu." here, hearing his name and the mention of those two, Shen Yuan cannot help but pale, seeming to stop and stare at the bitter author god before him.
"Wha-"
"... Cucumber-bro, for all you remember about my stallion protagonist webnovel, you seem to always forget it's a tradegy at its core..." here the other man just looks so tired, staring into his teacup instead of directing those all too knowing earth colored eyes to him.
"And the promis of love was always meant to be Binghe's greatest weakness.")
"Ah, greeting from this Disciple to Shen-Shishu, Lord Luo." was greeted, Shen Qingqiu nearly jumping if he hadn't already noticed his husband was looking over, even if he did look stiffly over to the voice.
One Bai Weizhe stood there before them, not a hair out of place, his face neutral, calm and as if he probably wasn't plotting how to slit your throat in your sleep. Like he isn't secretly some powerhouse that could probably go toe-toe with Yue Qingyuan and even toy with the man if he felt like it.
"Ah, good day Bai-Shizhi, has everything been completed and set up?" Shen Qingqiu asks, fanning himself lightly, doing his best to pretend that this is just a regular disciple, that their is nothing wrong with them, that he is just a wrong word from breaking out into a cold sweat.
"Yes, this disciple was sent to gather all the participating Peak Lords coming from Cang Qiong Mountains; all preparations have been made, Long-Shigu and Huan Hua Palace saying soon will be the best time to enter the city. I'm sure that these Lords can find the way their themselves?" Shen Qingqiu nearly frowns at this subtle though pointed disrespect, having to gently tap his fan on his husband's shoulder before he can say anything.
"These Lords are capable of it, though it would do Shizhi well to remember their manners; I'm sure your Shifu has taught you better than that?" The Peak Lord comments, knowing if he doesn't say something, then Binghe will-
And while that face is still as calm as before, those eyes giving nothing away, there is something about that pause that says Shen Qingqiu has said the wrong thing.
"This disciple will keep it in mind, Shen-Shishu. Please pardon me, I must go and find the other Peak Lords joining the scouting force." With that, and a shallow boy just respectful enough, the young man hurries along, the pale blue and grey of his robes fluttering in the wind as he goes.
Outwardly, the Qing Jing Peak Lord seems as calm as can be, soothing his fussy husband as they walk over to the main tend of the Camp, not even flustered a bit by the altercation.
Inside on the other hand, Peerless Cucumber is just 'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Airplane of all villains you picked up, why him!? Why him as your HD?!'
Now, while Airplane Shooting Towards The Sky had made plenty of low IQ and forgettable villains in the story, it just meant that when he actually pulled out the good ones, he made them unforgettable. From the beloved 'Big Brother' Pan Shan, a villain only in protection of his family, to the literal 'Calamitous Beauty' Tan Xifeng, a woman so proud and strong she rather turn to ashes forever then be trapped in the Harem, Bai Weizhe was just as up there, the calm 'True Mastermind' in the name of revenge in PIDW.
In the set up, The Bai Family is a very high ranking Cultivation Family, just as high if not more so than the Liu family, said to be descended from heavenly beings, granted power and weapons of that level because of it. But over the years, with less and less powerful Cultivators coming from the family, the Bai Family head got desperate, making his son marry multiple women to try and birth a hopefully powerful heir. And seeing how much of a playboy the man was, with plenty of bastards beforehand, it wasn't too hard for the man to put out it seem. Of his many spawn, two ended up as wives to Bingge and of course a few becoming villains for the arc.
But Bai Weizhe, when first introduced, it shows one of his half-sisters, a future wife, trying to defend him from another of their siblings who were attempting to torture him. All throughout the arc's mystery, one learns more of the future wives alongside this weak bastard son of a maid and the Family Head's son, learning they were little more than a slave to the Family Head and his Son's whims.
Bai Weizhe had seemed like a helpful, if slightly talented npc, being more of an awkward emotional support then any seeming threat, even if things seemed ever so slightly off about him, most of which could probably be excused by just how abused he had been. In fact, many thought the man would become a little brother character, Binghe taking in the poor bastard son as a future assistant or something because of how intelligent he was (with rotten girls going even farther and saying he would become part of the harem.)
But when the plot twist was revealed, with it turning out the murders and almost complete alienation of the Bai Family was all his doing, daringly using the protagonist to do his dirty work for him... it had been as shocking as it was satisfying to the readers, some actually rereading the entire arc with eyes wide open to take in all those little clues and cues to the real monster hiding behind the mask.
But of course, Luo Binghe being Luo Binghe in Proud Immortal Demon Way, Th Bai Bastard meets his end and Bingge gets the Bai Family twins and some family treasure as a bonus... (Though, from debates and such, it actually has been argued that his death may have either been faked or the man had a back up prepared.
Knowing PIDW and all it's bullshit plot devices... he can see it, especially after meeting him.)
But coming to the tent, Shen Qingqiu pushes all thoughts aside, face grim as he looks over his fellow gathered Peak Lords.
Yue Qingyuan. Shang Qinghua. Mu Qingfang. Liu Qingge. Qi Qingqi. Himself and his husband.
"Both the best and worst team to send." Long Qingyu's bitter words spoken broke through the tents atmosphere, making everyone tense as she did. The Zui Xian Peak Lord took a gulp from her bottle, truly stressed if she was drinking in front of them, "I cannot say much, or do anything else but offer this one last advice; make sure you actually listen." she stresses, golden hair slipping from her messily made bun as she pushes it back even as she takes another swing of her drink, mismatched brown and green eyes closed as she does.
"Listen to what?" Liu Qingge asks, eyeing the woman as she finishes her drink with a mournful look.
"Just as I said; listen. Do not assume, do not judge, do think before you damn well speak-" Here she stops herself, teeth gritted as she breaths through them, before opening her eyes once more, "I can say no more, not unless I want the omens to darken even further. Just get ready to go." with that, the woman is gone as fast as she came in, closing the tent behind her with a loud snap.
Staring at everyone, meeting eyes with a few before looking to his Binghe, Shen Qingqiu starts to prepare himself, checking just in case for anything that could have been missed.
Come what may, he and the others will be as ready as they can be, going against the Calamity as they are.
It'll have to be enough.
(Oh, but they will never be ready, unknowing of the poisonous green eyes watching, waiting for them all this time.
They've waited long enough.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's note:
And here we have our favorite disaster bi's, Airplane and Cucumber-bro! Man, both are great characters, my bias being Airplane, but Shen Yuan is also such an interesting character to delve into, being one of the favs I both want to hug and just smack over the head :>
The second quote I found I feel can really seem to resonate with Shen Yuan, when our boy stops repressing and actually lets himself feel.
Also, while I like BingQiu... boi, does that relationship have issues, ones I really hope they did indeed talk through when they could (They have a fuck ton of time to do so, so here I had Airplane help and kick them into gear; nothing like be reminded of tropes and the fact that your hubby is a fucking Tragedy Protag. :> )
Anyways~
Airplane: *Revives a bunch of disciples because he does not want to deal with the paperwork* ... why are you looking at me like that, stop that, go back to your sect.
So many OCs this chapter, I'll just do a spot light for one because then this chapter will just be author's note. (not too mention how he kept worming his way everywhere, just smiling at me as he did.)
Bai Weizhe: Means Outgoing, great sage because I like it; little fun fact, how I have my OC Bai Weizhe: he was actually a high IQ Villain in PIDW, (think if Lan Zhan and Jin Guangyao had a baby, he'd be that baby :3 ) the bastard son of a great cultivation family where Luo Binghe was doing the 'acting like a pig to get the tiger' sort of deal. He was actually a genuine, hidden boss level threat for at least one-two arcs before he had to get fridged for papapa plot (tho.. more like a faked death, Airplane always had a soft spot for his villains after all :3). In fact, it was mentioned in Villainous monologue that he had went to join CQM sect, but due to sabotage by his family, never got the chance in PIDW.
In SVSSS, Airplane was still in the process of working on his 'applying by application' process to An Ding (because I love this headcannon, it gives me fucking life, I am still mad for losing the bookmark to the story that inspired it.) so he still picked disciples by the digging test for a while. He sees this one poor little guy digging despite looking like he's gonna pass out any minute, powering through it with sheer determination and spite, the other Peaks Lords and Disciples already dismissing them, thinking he has low cultivation/poor prospect.
Shang Qinghua though doesn't care about all that; he very much wants that determination (and spite, gotta respect it) He can use all he can get! *After the kid cleans up and gets the drugs out of his system, Shang Qinghua blinks, double takes* WTF when did I have a talent on my peak??
Bai Weizhe: *Smiles like butter won't melt in his mouth* I've always been here Shizun.
(Does Airplane remember him? lol nope, but Shen Yuan sure does :D)
Also, none of the An Ding disciples really 'care' about Shang Qinghua's betrayal (Anyone on An Ding? Oh, they've dreamed of much worse; so much worse~) :) They Just :) Are a bit Upset :) about being Left Behind. :) But its all good; their Shizun came back :)
(And if the sect knows whats good for it, he'll stay where he fucking belongs.)
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ariihen · 1 month
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some thoughts on netflix's adaptation of atla:
kiawentiio was done dirty cause she has so much of katara's bite and sass in her interviews
u can really tell the writing is the series' weakest point because the actors have what it takes to bring those characters to life but they'll only be able to do so much with the script and direction they're given
the wigs are SO ugly. yue had it the worst imo. she deserved better
suki was perfect
LET SOKKA WEAR DRAG U COWARDS
why the fuck are ppl just bending without bending forms and stances. why is aang able to fly without needing to lose his earthly tethers
why are they randomly cutting and pasting scenes in weird places
why is the swamp scene combined with the spirit world????? that was important in setting up toph's introduction????
the fact that the writers knew it made no sense for katara and sokka to end up in the spirit world with aang so even the characters said it and they just handwaved it bc plot lol
so much exposition. clearly the mark of a good story is when the character have to TELL u everything that's happening 🫠
the writers are such big kyoshi stans
like why is she taking other characters' roles
why is gran gran doing katara's intro
iroh and zuko are cute
zuko's choreo is so good
zhao is still a dumbass
his death is unsatisfying. what happened to getting fucked by the spirit world if u fuck with it. where's the ocean spirit dragging his ass to its demise. why is iroh providing his sentence
mai and ty lee are doing nothing but have terrible wigs and give exposition on ozai's motives that they somehow knoe about
aang: *gets told there's no easy way out in being the avatar*
also aang: *gets told everything he needs to know*
badgermoles are empaths now????
bumi they nerfed u
aang they nerfed u
gyatso u deserved a cooler fight to the death they really nerfed u
it's so fucking stupid that aang has to be in shrines to talk to his past lives
kinda cool they go into more detail of the past avatars' lives ig. even if only slightly
katara vs pakku was so lackluster
these bending fights are so lackluster unless ur zuko ig
no srsly how are some ppl just bending without forms. like sozin in episode 1 roasting that dude by just holding him
jun exists only to flirt w the dragon of the west and good on her, me too girl
what's the point of sokka getting suki's fan if he's not even gonna use it...
there's no stronger relationship than sokka x momo
oma and shu are gay i think. love that for them
why tf did aang spend this entire story not even trying to pick up another element. katara literally offers to learn with him a few times and he just didn't feel like it lol
OG azula was impressive and scary. netflix azula feels more like the eldest asian daughter trying rly hard to get her parents' approval. idk she's just alright
so much expositions
ok sure let's have time sensitive plot A not conclude in one episode, have it stretch to the next episode, and still only rush in concluding it at the very end in the backburner of plot B. let's just handwave the fact that those people definitely should've died in like the three days it takes them to resolve plot B
the cabbage merchant is cabbage merchanting
effects are good
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zykamiliah · 11 months
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I’m gonna be honest, I don’t think SJ would have ever been happy as a Peak Lord. The only reason he took the job was because of YQY and he thought he’d be able to protect himself better as someone of high status. He never had the right kind of mind or attitude for teaching and never had the social skills to get along with his peers. He’d have been much happier as a wandering cultivator but that wasn’t where YQY was so even then he’d have never been fully satisfied.
oh my god sorry for the late reply
i also think that sj got attached to having status and power because he knows that powerful people can get away with anything, since he knows what that's like thanks to Qiu Jianluo. He definitely didn't want to be on the receiving end of all that power and influence. I think that, even if he wasn't a good teacher, if he had able to deal with his inner demons (literally and metaphorically) he wouldn't have had so much trouble living in CQM. But he hated men to the point of being unable to sleep next to his peers, and when he became a peak lord he turned paranoid, thinking people wanted to undermine him and usurp his place, was envious of anyone with more potential or power than him. and like, not all of that was yqy's "fault", since we see in the qijiu extra's opening scene what he was like as a 12 years old. i love the parallels between qijiu as kids and qijiu as peak lords because the latter is basically a reenactment of their childhood dynamics: sj fighting with others, yqy the protector who always tried to smooth things over and let sj get away with anything, etc. then his dynamic with lbh and nyy is a reenactment of his life with the qius, this time with him as the one abusing his power. it sort of feels like there's something inescapable about their fates, and it goes to show how much work sj needs to achieve a modicum of peace, though of course if he was sure of yqy's love for him that would be a great start.
sorry for rambling. back on topic. why did sj became a peak lord?
“If I said that I wasn’t doing well at Qing Jing Peak, what would you do?” Shen Qingqiu asked, slow and measured. “Would you help me enter Qiong Ding Peak, just as you recommended me for Qing Jing?”
Yue Qingyuan gave it some thought, then said solemnly, “If that’s what you wanted.”
“Clearly I don’t want that,” Shen Qingqiu said with a resolute humph. “I want to be head disciple. Would you be willing to give me your position? Let me become the sect leader?” he asked, forceful and lofty. “For better or worse, Qing Jing Peak ranks second among the Twelve Peaks. I’d rather wait to succeed this one.”
it's clear he wants power and influence, and if he'd had the chance he would have gone for the sect leader post. can you imagine that??
In the past, Qiu Jianluo had forced Shen Jiu to learn how to read and write. Shen Jiu had been unwilling to learn, had detested it to the point of madness, yet now it was only through his abilities in reading and studying—through being smarter than his peers—that he’d been able to earn the Qing Jing Peak Lord’s favor. To make it even more laughable, of the thousands of possible names in this world, the peak lord had just happened to name him “Qingqiu.”
But no matter how laughable, no matter how it made him gnash his teeth, Shen Qingqiu still wanted that name, for this name represented that from now onward, a shining new life was his.
sj is ambitious. that's why i think he' wouldn't be happy with living like a common person. he also likes luxury so i guess he'd detest the life of a wandering cultivator because it would to much like living in the streets, where he spent most of his childhood. he likes quiet and staying inside. he liked the security of being at the top.
so i don't think it would be impossible for him to have a life more suited to him, that wasn't such a consequence of his traumas and how he copes with them, but like i said, it would take a lot of work and healing.
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itsyourvalerie · 19 days
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LEGEND OF ZHANG
summary: After Korra's death, the new avatar came to the world know as Zhang Kaito, born to a not so rich earthbender family. His mother Alia was a very powerful earthbender a great grand daughter of Toph herself. His father Li was a non bender, as well as his younger sister Jing.
Follow a joureny of Zhang and his friends as they climb their highest goals.
CHAPTER INDEX: PINNED POST
CHAPTER 1
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"So you're telling me... You might be the Avatar?" a young ginger boy asked his best friend.
"Yes, Kai, I already told you two times," Zhang answered, his fists pounding against the tree. Kai leaned against another tree, observing his frustrated friend.
"I don't want this! I want to be a normal teen!" Zhang yelled in frustration. "Mom stormed off at the dinner table, Jang went out with her boyfriend, and I haven't seen Dad since yesterday," he added, punching the small tree.
"Maybe you should take a breather, huh?" Kai suggested, offering a slight smile as Zhang took deep breaths in front of him. "It can't be that bad, right? I mean, what if it was just a coincidence?" he proposed, attempting to calm his friend.
"If it is true... I won't be able to have a normal life, Kai. So no, it's not okay," Zhang lamented.
As Kai prepared to respond, a group of teens from a wealthier family approached them.
"Well, well, well... If it isn't the wannabe Avatar," a girl with blonde hair pulled up into two buns remarked, wearing a light green Earthbender dress.
"Go away, Yue," Zhang muttered. "I don't need you and your rich brat minions invading my space right now," he retorted, turning to face her.
"Are you going to bend me away, Avatar?" she taunted, while her friends chuckled. "I'm so scared," she faux-pouted, provoking an angry glare from Zhang.
"I'd watch my mouth if I were you," Zhang warned.
"What are you gonna do, you weakling?" she laughed, stomping on the ground, causing it to shift and a boulder to hit Zhang, sending him flying.
"Zhang!" Kai yelled, rushing after his friend.
"Next time, make sure not to mess with me," Yue sneered, turning to walk away. Suddenly, she was lifted off the ground, surrounded by water, as she screamed in fear. Kai and Yue's friends froze in terror.
Zhang stood there, his eyes glowing bright blue, indicating he was in the Avatar state. "Zhang, stop!" Kai shouted, approaching the boy. Placing his hands on Zhang's shoulders, he pleaded, "Please stop it. It's scary." Slowly, Yue was lowered back to the ground as Zhang collapsed into Kai's arms, tears streaming down his face. Yue ran away in fear.
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Alia paced back and forth in her room, her son sitting on the edge of her bed. "How could you do this to the Chen family?! This is going to ruin our reputation!" she yelled angrily. Zhang hung his head in shame.
"I don't know how to control it," Zhang whispered. "I'm sorry," he said softly.
Seeing her son's remorseful expression, Alia sat down beside him, enveloping him in her embrace. "No, it's me who should apologize. I'm sorry for yelling," she admitted.
"I don't want this, Mom. I just want to be normal. What is Dad going to say?" Zhang sniffled, wiping away his tears.
"Your dad is going to be proud of you. I know that," Alia reassured him, gently rubbing his shoulder.
"I could have hurt her if it wasn't for Kai. He brought me back from it," Zhang said, a small smile forming at the memory.
"He really is your best friend," Alia agreed, smiling warmly.
"He is," Zhang nodded in agreement.
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Jeng strolled beside her boyfriend Chen, hand in hand, through the bustling city square. The area was teeming with people, children darting about, and a man shouting about cabbages. For Jeng, it was a familiar and ordinary scene.
"Wanna grab a drink?" Chen suggested to his girlfriend.
"We could head to that quaint tea shop around the corner. I've heard they serve amazing jasmine tea," Jeng replied, flashing a smile up at her boyfriend.
"Lead the way, love," Chen chuckled, allowing her to guide him along.
Jeng pushed open the door to the crowded shop, finding a free spot by the window towards the back. The waitress promptly approached their table.
"I'd like some jasmine tea, please," Jeng requested politely.
"I'll have the same, thanks," Chen added with a smile. The waitress left, leaving them alone again.
Suddenly, the café door swung open forcefully as Fire Nation soldiers stormed in. Fear gripped the patrons and staff alike.
"I am Damien, leader of the Fire Nation army. We need to know the whereabouts of the Avatar," Damien demanded, sending whispers rippling through the room. Jeng's heart raced with fear for her older brother.
"We need to leave," Chen whispered urgently, and Jeng nodded in agreement.
"We mean no harm, but Fire Lord Otami demands the Avatar, dead or alive," Damien reiterated, signaling for his soldiers to search the premises.
"Chen, I'm scared," Jeng confessed, her voice quivering. Chen took hold of her hand under the table as the soldiers scoured the café.
"Please, come for us, Zhang," Jeng whispered, her plea barely audible amidst the chaos.
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shanhailu · 20 days
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guzheng lessons with yue-xiansheng! very short thing (965 words) i wrote about the trio spending some time together. rest is under the cut (¯▿¯)
Business in the teahouse had been somewhat lackluster. Huang Yuanfei did not derive the same joy he usually did when visiting it. For the past few days he had been boredly flitting between his home, Nine Heaven Pavilion, Shen Yinxue’s underwater abode, and wherever else his whims took him. Yue Qinglan had been away gathering herbs and other ingredients for his alchemical experiments in the mountains. Ling Tiehua had been a fun sparring partner, but the two of them quickly tired of trying to launch surprise attacks on each other and returned to stifling idleness, confined to their own areas of the house.
Huang Yuanfei had returned home after another unsuccessful tour of Nine Heaven Pavilion to find that Yue Qinglan had returned as well. 
Delighted, Huang Yuanfei greeted Yue Qinglan with undisguised enthusiasm. “Welcome home, A-Lan. I trust that everything went well?”
“Very well. I actually found the trip quite refreshing.” Then he asked, “What about you, A-Fei? I hope you didn’t miss me too badly.”
“Oh, but I did miss you terribly. It has been dreadfully boring in your absence.”
Yue Qinglan raised an eyebrow. “Really? Don’t you have Xiao Hua to keep you company? The teahouse?”
Huang Yuanfei put a hand to his chest and declared with utmost sincerity, “Every minute we spend apart is like a dagger to my heart.”
Yue Qinglan blinked in surprise. Then he puffed out a small laugh. “I can’t believe some of the things you say. Seriously…”
“But it’s true! These past few days have been torture. A-Lan, I am so bored.” His tone was bordering on a whine.
“Hm…” Yue Qinglan put a hand to his chin in thought. “How about this? I find that learning something new is quite stimulating, so what if I taught you and Xiao Hua to play the guzheng?”
“Oh? An interesting proposition. Very well.” Huang Yuanfei turned to leave. “I shall be back with Xiao Hu momentarily.”
A little while later, Huang Yuanfei made his way to Yue Qinglan’s room with Ling Tiehua in tow. Ling Tiehua’s ears twitched in annoyance as she walked behind Huang Yuanfei.
“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing or are you going to continue being annoying?”
“I will allow A-Lan to tell you himself. Here we are,” Huang Yuanfei said cheerfully, ignoring the hostility in Ling Tiehua’s voice.
Yue Qinglan had finished tidying his room and came out at the sound of their approach, guzheng in his arms.
“Let’s move to the eastern courtyard.”
“Are we gonna learn how to play the guzheng?” asked Ling Tiehua.
“We are. A-Fei said the both of you were bored while I was gone, so I thought this could help with alleviating that boredom.”
“I guess.” 
“Come on, Xiao Hu, it’s not like you have anything better to do right now. It’ll be fun,” Huang Yuanfei chimed in.
Ling Tiehua’s ears flicked again. “I didn’t object.”
Huang Yuanfei smiled. “Good.”
Yue Qinglan turned down the hall and started for the eastern courtyard. “Come on, you two.”
The eastern courtyard had a large peach tree in one corner, its trunk tall and its branches overarching, creating a canopy of pink blossoms. Yue Qinglan sat near the base of the trunk, while Ling Tiehua and Huang Yuanfei sat in front of him. Each of them had a guzheng placed before them.
Yue Qinglan’s hands hovered over Xianyun’s strings. “Let’s start with some basic notes.” He strummed once, producing a high, clear sound. He motioned to the other two. “Now you try.”
Ling Tiehua copied Yue Qinglan and produced the same sound. Her tail swished as her expression lightened, pleased with herself. She looked to Yue Qinglan. He inclined his head in approval.
“Excellent.” He turned his head to look at Huang Yuanfei. “A-Fei.”
Huang Yuanfei did as directed. The clear, high note echoed through the courtyard for a third time.
“Good. Now the next note.” This time the sound was slightly lower.
Ling Tiehua and Huang Yuanfei strummed their notes simultaneously. Before Yue Qinglan could progress to the next note, however, Huang Yuanfei spoke up.
“A-Lan, at this rate we’re going to be stuck here until the end of time plucking strings.”
“Hm? But I thought you were doing excellently.”
Huang Yuanfei leaned forward, resting his elbows on the guzheng and propping up his head on the backs of his hands. “Of course I was doing excellently. What I mean is that this is still boring.” He tilted his head. “I think a demonstration from A-Lan is in order. Xiao Hu, what do you think?”
Ling Tiehua instantly caught his meaning. She grinned cheekily. “I agree. Come on, play us a song!”
Yue Qinglan clicked his tongue. “I should have seen this coming. Honestly, if you two just wanted to listen to me play, you could have just asked.”
“Aw, but A-Lan, I really did want to learn. I just didn’t think it would take this long.”
Yue Qinglan raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t think learning an instrument would take a long time?” He waved a hand in fond exasperation. “Alright, I’ll indulge the two of you.” He repositioned his hands over Xianyun. “What song would you like?”
“High Mountain and Flowing Water!” Ling Tiehua called.
Huang Yuanfei nodded in approval. “An excellent choice.”
Yue Qinglan began to play. The song began with deep, echoing notes that reverberated throughout the courtyard. These notes smoothly gave way to quicker, higher sounds. Then the deep notes alternated with the quick ones, weaving together like fish in a stream. Overhead the peach tree’s blossoms were ruffled by the wind; the petals swirled down around the trio before resting on the courtyard floor. As the song drew to a close, the petals soared up once more, flying away in the wind. 
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muthaz-rapapa · 1 year
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[Theory] Kaito's Desired Endgame
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Actually, this is more of breakdown of why I don't think the common (?) theory of him aiming to switch Akiho and Sakura's lives is true.
It just bugged me a lot and I need to sort these thoughts out of system. Because if Kaito does want the girls to switch places, then that would count as malicious intent on his part (cuz doing so would harm Sakura which is like the biggest tabooboo in CCS land). And that doesn't align with what I see in the portrayal of his character so far.
Yea, he may be sneaky but there has been nothing to suggest that Kaito is a cruel or evil person. Far from it.
So I'm going to attempt to prove the "switch lives" theory wrong and come up with a possible new one at what his real goal might be. (others may have thought some of this up already but I've been out of the loop on CC as a whole to mentally recover so...just please give me space, thanks)
Remaining chapters
Let's start with the technical stuff first.
CC will end with vol 14 and right now we are currently at 69 chapters with ch 70 to be released at the end of January (so within a few days).
Usually a volume has 5-6 chapters with each one being about an average of 30 pages long. If so, the story should end with ch 70 or 71, right? Since vol 13 ended with ch 65 so ch 66-69, which are already out, fills up 4 chapters of vol 14 already.
Well, final manga volumes can be thicker than the regular volume by having more pages in the final chapter(s).
This happened with Pandora Hearts (the only other manga I have on hand that I can use as reference for this matter). Its final Japanese volume (24) had 70 more pages than the previous vol 23 and the final chapter alone totaled around 100 pages. See below photo for comparison:
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Yea, so at the very least I think we might get 1 or 2 more extended chapters after 70 to wrap everything in the story up properly. 3 chapters maximum if we're really pushing it.
It can't be 5 chapters because then the story would end end at vol 15, not 14.
Right? Right. Ok, next.
EDIT: I stand corrected because ANN announced in an article last year (?) it would end at vol 14 but apparently, there was a mistake and now it'll end at vol 15. So yea, there's 5 more chapters of story after ch 70!
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2) The possibility of a "simulation" or a dream-like scenario where the two "Alice"s experience switched lives.
Kind of something similar to the final judgement in the first arc where Sakura faced off against Yue before becoming the master of the former Clow Cards. The part where she went unconscious and saw a world where everybody forgot who they loved most?
Yea, that's exclusive to the anime series. It didn't occur in the original manga where Sakura stayed conscious, fended Yue off and won a lot faster.
If such a thing were to be added to CC's finale, you're going to need at least 3 out of the 6 chapters left for the desired...emotional impact. But even so, when we've spent a whole two volumes in the fantasy world of Clockland already, adding another layer to this "dream" the characters are already in...it's kinda superfluous and tiring, to be honest.
Not to mention, you need pages to wrap up other things as well. Like addressing Sakura's control over her growing powers? How are they gonna close that out? What about the European magicians? Will we know what they'll do once they learned Akiho isn't the artifact anymore? So many things to do before ch 75.
Creating and diving into another reality adds a whole other problem to the pile and frankly, even with the Exchange card, I don't believe there's even enough magic to be able to pull off such feat either.
But more on that later because there's something else that I must address before that.
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3) Clues aren't direct and premonitions aren't exact.
There seems to be some collective perception that Momo's hint for Sakura back in ch 50-51 is suggesting Kaito intends to have Sakura replaced with Akiho and that's why nobody recognizes Sakura when she runs around frantically asking everyone what's going on.
Bzzt. Wrong.
The hint was not that she was going to be forced to switch lives (because if that were true, where was Akiho then?) but rather, Sakura was going to be thrown into the world of the story of Alice in Clockland. In other words, Momo's book.
Notice how all the houses and trees and stuff resemble props within a play? And how the school play eventually ended up connecting with the story in the book.
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Yea, the hint was telling everyone that the finale will take place in a fictional setting.
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As for why none of her family and friends recognized her in Momo's simulation, the opposite actually happened when Sakura became "Alice" after entering the book.
In the hint, Sakura remembers everyone but nobody knows who she is.
In the book, Alice!Sakura doesn't remember who she herself is but all the Clear Cards that took on the image of her loved ones (and therefore, are representing her loved ones) do.
In other words, the hint was meant to throw everyone off of what to expect while still giving us a clue of what will occur in later chapters. (side note: this also sorta brings to mind a line that Alice in the AiW books said: "Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn't.")
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And the meaning behind the hint became clear quite recently to me too.
Sakura was able to break the spell on her and recall her true identity by remembering the bonds she has with the people important to her. This effectively indicates that the memories we have with others are a large part of what defines who we are.
That if we don't lose sight of our connections with those dear to us, we won't lose sight of ourselves either.
Just like how Akiho recalled much faster about who she herself is by remembering never forgetting her feelings for Kaito.
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Next, the premonitions.
Keep in mind that while Sakura's dreams fortell the future, they are also a product of her mind trying to sort things out while she's sleeping.
The things we couldn't readily process while awake (like confusion, shock, etc) would often be set aside in our unconsciousness to be dealt with later. Notably during the time we're not awake.
And I believe that the brain would try process those things to the best of its ability...but it can only do so with the information it already has available on hand. So anything you're not aware of or don't know yet, something else will be used as placeholder instead.
For example, the cloaked figure that Sakura pulled the hood off to reveal (a soulless-eyed) Syaoran underneath. That actually foretold that she will confront the Dreaming Card and an imposter Syaoran (aka Kaito in disguise) in Momo's book.
When she was still dreaming of MCF (sp?), she wasn't aware of Kaito's true identity as a magician yet so she kept seeing Syaoran in the cloak who always wore an expressionless face that she couldn't decipher. Because she didn't know that person was going to be Kaito.
But after she learned Kaito could use magic in ch 54, she no longer saw MCF!Syaoran in her dreams anymore.
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Additionally, the Akiho who Sakura saw in her dreams turned out to be different than what's happening now.
In her dreams, Akiho is not conscious and always wearing her ritual dress with a vacant expression on her face. Like an empty doll.
But in the book, Akiho is awake despite the fact that her memory was temporarily subdued and she is wearing a noticeably different outfit. The dress of the Red Queen.
Her expressions are solemn but her eyes are very much alive in contrast to the Akiho in the dreams.
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As for the serpentine winged dragon, no one smart should've expected it could represent anyone else other than Kaito.
On the corner of Kaito's robes as well as the back, there is the symbol of the dragon.
But as Sakura didn't suspect Kaito of anything yet at the time when she started having these dreams, her mind used the image of a dragon to clue her in on who she will be confronting later on.
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However, it should be noted that none of what Sakura saw in the dreams suggests that she will switch lives with Akiho.
It only foretold that she will meet and confront these figures (the imposter Syaoran/Kaito in disguise, Akiho, the Dreaming Card and the dragon/Kaito as his real self) within the book.
And that future she saw already came to be as of these past two volumes.
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4) The creation of the Exchange card
It should be pretty obvious by now that the whole synchro plan was for the sake of creating the circumstances needed to establish the foundations of this card.
Through Akiho and Sakura sharing feelings and bits of memories across their joint dreams, the idea of a "trade" has been incepted into Sakura's mind early on so that she will eventually create a card that can function as a link, a channel, for an exchange to be possible on immediate demand.
Throwing her into the book and making her "Alice" was just the final push to materialize the card into existence. Because the cards are born from Sakura's inner emotions, the events that led up to this point were meant to foster a certain feeling within her for that purpose.
As "Alice", the heroine, she was faced with the dilemma of the Red Queen's loneliness and inability to leave Clockland. That is what developed a wish in her to save the Queen (Akiho).
A desire to help Akiho by saying "I should've taken your place".
With that desire, a new card is born.
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My prediction was correct (partially). Kaito was betting on this with the combination of his two plans (the synchro + the story of Clockland). He wanted to utilize the heroine's tendency towards altruism to bring about the card he needed.
As long as Sakura wanted to save Akiho, she would be able to birth the card needed for such a task.
However, none of that necessarily means he intends to use it to switch their lives. The only definitive thing out of this was that he wanted a specific card from Sakura all along...which is also what he's been saying all along, too.
How he intends to use the card may not be what everyone is expecting.
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5) Conditions that need to be met + conflicts that may arise in using Exchange.
There are several things we need to ask before we come to any conclusions, chiefly among them the following:
Who can use the Exchange card? (read: is likely to use it in the current scenario)
And do the conditions differ depending on the person using it? Along with what their respective wish is?
First off, let's remember that the four central characters are all within a rather ambiguous space at the moment.
While the Clear Cards are there in the book and were created by Sakura, she was told that not all of them would not outright obey her commands. Or at least, they are following her subconscious will rather than her conscious one.
For example, when Sakura was fighting off the Dreaming card, trying to escape the book with Akiho, only to realize she didn't truly leave the book and what she saw was only a dream. Her attempt to leave was an illusion...a dream that she wished for as clarified by Kaito after it broke.
In other words, it can be interpreted that what Sakura truly wanted deep down was to believe that everything happening around her was not real. That it was a dream.
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We should also note that Kaito, as the author/creator of Clockland, has some significant control over this field as well. They are playing on his turf right now so he has a slight advantage over them.
At the very least, the ones that seem to hold the most sway over the turnout of the story are the two most powerful magicians present (Sakura and Kaito) as well as the one whose choice will influence them the most (Akiho).
Moreover, we should also remember that he was able to use Clear Mirror to disguise himself as Syaoran.
As such, who can be called "master" over a Card may have been blurred within the book. It's possible the cards can respond to the will of anyone.
Depending on whose hand they're being held in and perhaps also, provided that the order they give doesn't conflict with Sakura's subconscious desire.
So now it becomes the question of who Exchange will fall into the hands of...
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If it goes to Sakura, there are two ways this can play out:
Kaito reveals the truth about him and Akiho along with his wish to Sakura and asks her to use Exchange to fulfill it. If his wish is for her to switch lives with Akiho (and therefore, harmful intent), of course Sakura would refuse and his plan will fail on the spot. So naturally, it can't be that. Frankly, this approach makes no sense and further rules out the switch theory. Kaito cannot afford to fail in his quest to save Akiho so he needs a plan that is as airtight as possible with a higher percentage of succeeding. Relying completely on Sakura's goodwill won't give him that because he knows Sakura isn't a pushover. He knows she wouldn't just say "yes" to anything drastic even if it's to save a friend.
A more likely possibility is that he would offer himself in exchange for Akiho's life. His priority is to save Akiho and the most immediate danger is the book inside her. More than switching lives, he needs that book removed (and there's no guarantee that switching lives will remove the book anyway). He is willing to sacrifice everything he has, including his magic and what's left of his dwindling life, to get it out of her. In which case, Sakura would also refuse because not only would that hurt Akiho if she loses Kaito but it would also be assisted suicide. Which is something she would never consent to (and also extremely inappropriate for a story with a young age demographic). Sakura would never consent to sacrificing someone else no matter what the cause, especially when she still knows nothing about Kaito. And when she does learn the truth about him and his and Akiho's past, it will just make her refuse to let Kaito die even harder.
This part of the theory hasn't taken into consideration of what other cards she might use later (like Rewind) but I think we can say with some certainty that Exchange in Sakura's hands would be a dead end for Kaito so he will probably do his best to not let it go to her.
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Now, if Exchange falls to Kaito, then it's a question of what his true intentions are with this card.
Everyone wants to perceive that he wishes to switch the girls' lives.
But I...simply do not believe there's enough time to bring about something that cosmic-sized of a change (along with all the action it entails), prevent it, resolve the issues at hand, have Sakura's party learn everything about Akiho and Kaito's pasts, reconcile...and then dedicate the entire last chapter to SyaoSaku being loveydovey with each other for fanservice. If the last 5 chapters are all 30 pages each.
Also, it seems a little too obvious to be true and there are too many contradictions that can make this go wrong.
For one, if we follow by the rules of magic, magical transactions usually need to be equal in value on both sides to be done successfully. Otherwise it will either not go through...or there will be severe consequences to make the transaction even.
So the definition behind Exchange shouldn't be that different.
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Frankly, in the case of Akiho and Sakura's respective lives, they are not in fact equal.
They may share some things in common (being chocomint fans, of the same height, etc) but those are all surface similarities and nothing deep.
Since they've led different lives and had different experiences, they would naturally have different feelings, different hearts and therefore, different values.
What is important to Sakura is not the same for what is important to Akiho. For instance, the people they love most are different and thus, inexchangable.
There are also things that Sakura has that Akiho doesn't (magic, family, happy childhood, etc) and that goes the same the other way around, too. Akiho possesses things that Sakura doesn't have either (passion for books, emotional scars, trauma, and a deeper understanding of darkness due to a sad past).
Adding that up, the exchange would be doomed to fail because Akiho and Sakura are too distinct from each other as individuals to be switched smoothly.
Kaito is a magician so on top of knowing how different Akiho is from Sakura, he must be aware of this rule as well.
Furthermore, if the Exchange card takes into account what the user sees as equal in value for a trade, then he would fail there too.
Because of course he would place more importance on Akiho's life than Sakura's or anyone else's.
The scales would be tipped and maybe the magic might not even start up because the conditions for a fair trade have not been met to initiate it.
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There's also the possibility of Kaito exchanging positions with Akiho.
In fact, he and Akiho are on more even standing than Akiho and Sakura are.
They share similar backgrounds (lonely pasts, traumatic and abused childhoods) and both are in danger of "dying" with their time running out (Kaito from using too much rewind, Akiho from the progression of the artifact that will erase her soul).
Since Kaito possesses a lot of innate magic while Akiho has that book filled with magic inside her, he can have Exchange put the book inside him while Akiho receives his magic. Doing so, Akiho's soul is preserved at the cost of his own.
But does he really want that with how much his life has been shaved off already from the multiple rewinds?
Doubt it.
Because besides saving her soul, Kaito wants Akiho to live a long and happy life as well. He didn't do all this work just to extend her life for a few more days or weeks or months. He wants her to have a future.
Moreover, even if it can save her soul, any method that forces magic onto Akiho goes against the biggest principle he's been standing by this entire time: that Akiho doesn't need magic.
That she isn't less valuable because she doesn't have any powers.
Whether it be from Sakura or him, it doesn' t matter. He does not want Akiho to change since she's already fine as she is now. She's fine being a normal person.
Giving her magic goes against the moral of their story and most of all, would validate the cruel criticism Akiho's clan had always thrown at her which is something Kaito would want to avoid at all costs.
So any way that ends with Akiho gaining magic is a no no. Because as long as she has magic, whether as an artifact or a magician, Akiho will always be in danger of being taken back by her clan to serve their own purposes.
They only have any interest in her if she contains power within her. If she doesn't, they will give up trying to reclaim her. That is the best outcome Kaito could hope for. Hence why he wants the book removed because then the magicians will stop chasing after Akiho for good and she can finally live in peace.
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One more thing. A switch of lives means uprooting what has established the girls as the people they are now...which is gonna be incredibly hard to do.
Not only does it mess with personal history and relationships and therefore, effectively change who they are, it can screw up world through... some effect.
The girls have already lived 13 years, they made their mark in the records of time. The logic that constitutes them individually are already imprinted on the fabric of reality. This is not easily undone, rearranged and stitched perfectly back together.
And the price to attempt it sounds like it would be too much as well. It's not something Kaito alone can pay for. Not even with his and Sakura's magic combined.
Again, his major goals are 1) to remove the book from Akiho foremost and 2) to ensure that nothing that makes Akiho "Akiho" changes.
That includes the things that are the most precious to her. Her appreciation for books, her cherishment of Momo, the friendships she's made in Tomoeda.
And also, her love for her parents.
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She may not have known them but she still treasures the fact that she had parents once, that she is the daughter to someone. The few things she does know about her mother and father, she keeps close to her heart. She wants to hold onto whatever she has of them because she has nothing else of them to keep.
Kaito understands this more than anyone because Akiho told this to him herself.
And the fact that Lilie, Akiho's mother, was also a significant person in his life is more than enough to deter him from ever wanting to sever the connection Akiho has with her parents. Because Lilie is an important part of Akiho, too. If Akiho loses that, she will no longer be the Akiho that she is now.
In short, switching Akiho's life with another's might turn her into a girl who has warm family and friends and a happy, sheltered childhood and all...but that girl wouldn't be the same Akiho in front of him at this moment.
Therefore, I must conclude that exchanging Akiho and Sakura's lives is probably not what he's aiming for. Because that ultimately means changing Akiho from who she is now into someone entirely different.
She would not be Akiho anymore if that happens.
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6) Kaito's true wish + the endgame he wants
This is the part where I throw out a new theory.
Even if it's not an exchange of lives or magic, there will still be an exchange of something.
A wish and a price to pay for that wish.
Kaito wants the book that has been carved into Akiho's body to be removed.
The book has been implanted by the powers of many, many magicians from both the Association and Akiho's clan. And over the years, more magic has been added to its pages through all the books Akiho had read.
The amount of magic within her, though not specified, must be enormous. For it to be taken out without harming the vessel (Akiho) would require a very hefty price.
Kaito's life and his magic might not be enough. Hell, even adding Sakura's magic into the equation, overflowing as it is, might not be enough either because she is still only one person against the hundreds of magics and taboos stored in Akiho.
So what can Kaito offer, something that only belongs to him, to make it so the book no longer endangers Akiho? What does he alone possess that can match in equal value for the fulfillment of that wish?
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Perhaps his own existence?
As in, erasing it from the world? That's a pretty big offer, isn't it?
Like it was discussed above, any tempering with the events of time is a very difficult thing to accomplish. In the magician society, it is also a widely known taboo. You don't mess with the workings of time and even the altering of one person's life in the flow of it can result in some significant change.
But see, if this is indeed possible...then the task is "easier" to carry out with Kaito precisely because there a very few people who are aware of him. In fact, the less others know about him, the better. It would not create such a big backlash if he were to disappear.
Because he thinks he didn't make enough of an impact on anything that would be hard to forget and also probably believes that everybody wants to forget about him.
He has no blood relatives looking for him so he believes he doesn't have a true home or family to go back or belong to.
The Association only ever saw him as a tool to be used and is out to kill him for taking Akiho (the artifact) away so they definitely won't miss him.
And nobody in Sakura's party really understands what he's after. They only suspect he's scheming something so they think the worst of him because they lack information to consider otherwise. Moreover, Kaito had also went to great lengths to hide his personal information from being discovered. He doesn't want people to know about him because that will make disappearing much more difficult.
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Knowing him and his self-loathing, his belief and depression that he'll always be alone, his guilt over that blank book comment that brought this fate upon Akiho (the person he loves most) and how little time he has left to live anyway, Kaito is definitely in the mindset that there would be no problem if he were gone.
For him, it might even be preferable. This way, Akiho can be saved and he (as the "villain" he thinks he is) can exit this story, this world, so that it could have the "happy ending" he envisioned.
Though I suspect he wouldn't request for an ending on such a massive scale either because again, he cannot risk anything that could change Akiho from who she is now.
He'd still want his efforts to remain, to keep everything that built up this story to stay (taking Akiho away from her clan, bringing her to Japan, letting her meet and befriend Sakura, enacting the magic of Momo's book to remove the artifact, etc) so that it preserves Akiho's foundations as her own person.
He would just want to blot himself out. So that only he is forgotten after this is all over.
Akiho can still have Momo, her friends, her memories of her parents, the life she's lived up till now. It's only Kaito who wouldn't be there like he originally was.
There may be blank spots left behind where he used to be but since not many people knew about him, he trusts the world can fill in those blanks on its own. Like history correcting itself by creating little "coincidences" or whatever to explain and make sure things make sense.
For Akiho, he knows he can at least entrust her into Sakura's care after he's gone. That might be another reason why he allowed them to form a close friendship in spite of the dangers it could've posed to Akiho (i.e. the artifact reacting to Sakura's magic and reaching closer to completion, thereby shutting Akiho's consciousness down).
It wasn't just for the sake of the synchro and creating the Exchange card he was waiting for. It was also because he needed a good person to be there for Akiho, someone who is capable of protecting her when he no longer could. And for sure, he has confidence in Sakura because everybody knows Sakura will never abandon a person in need.
As long as the book is removed, the European magicians won't come after Akiho anymore. Sakura and co can take good care of Akiho because they are kind people. They will give her a safe place to stay, away from all the troubles of magic.
Including him, who believes his value lies only in his magic and was the source of this whole mess to begin with because of his affiliation with magic.
To make up for his "sin", for what he accidentally did to Akiho, Kaito is more than willing to step aside and vanish so that he doesn't get in the way of Akiho being happy.
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However, he could not be more wrong because he still has absolutely no idea just how much Akiho loves him and therefore, how it's inevitably going to change her, to destroy her, if he erases himself from her life.
She is who she is because of him. If it weren't for Kaito making the choice to take her away from her clan, to save her from the doom of losing her soul, she never would've gotten this far. She never would've survived to become the Akiho she is now. Never to know what love is, to make friends and to realize that she's always had the choice in the matter of her own happiness.
Kaito taught her all that. He gave her that chance when no one else did.
He is the lynchpin of her existence. The reason why he's the most important person in her life.
She was able to become who she was because he was there for her, to support her and encourage her and to protect her and love her as she should've been loved.
Take him away and everything that they both worked so hard for will become undone. It doesn't matter how well taken care of she is by people like Sakura afterwards, they can never fill the hole he'd leave behind.
That void will always hurt her because she knows something, someone, is missing from where they should be.
Only he can fill that spot in her heart. No one else can.
He is the only person for her. He is the only person who knows best how to let Akiho stay Akiho.
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And Akiho's greatest task in this story is to make him see that.
To make him realize that there is someone who will be deeply affected if they were to lose him and that's her. The one he cares most about and wants to save the most.
If he doesn't want Akiho to change into something she isn't...
If he doesn't want to see her worst off than she is now, a hollow husk who will grieve the loss of him forever...
If he truly wants her to be happy, then he has to listen to her. He has to believe her when she says "I love you. I will never be the same without you so don't leave me. Stay with me."
With that, I think I can picture the order of what might happen for Akiho and Kaito.
Akiho will be saved first with the removal of the book.
Then Kaito will be saved next through some other miracle means with Sakura's assistance.
But for sure, it is Akiho who will contribute the most to stopping him from dropping off the edge of no return. That loss will be hers to bear if she fails to so the one who has to put in the most effort to save Kaito will also be the person who loves him the most.
And she'll do that all without the need for magic. Just like she's always done to get by.
She just needs to be herself, to just be Akiho.
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After all, Akiho is the true main character of "Alice in Clockland" whereas Sakura is the stand-in heroine for the sake of manifesting the magic Kaito needs.
The world of Clockland can bend to her will because she is the Queen.
Likewise, the story of Clockland can end however she wishes it to because she is in fact, the real Alice.
Kaito weaved this tale for her sake, for the real Alice.
Therefore, only she has the power to stop him. Only Akiho, the real Alice, is capable of turning him away from death and giving him reason to want to live.
Kaito wants the best and happiest ending for Akiho? Then don't go. Don't disappear.
He needs to understand the importance of his connection with Akiho. He needs to understand what it is that his most beloved reader truly wants in order to properly give her the most satisfactory "happy ending".
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Thoughts I had during TGCF S1 Ep 12
Ok then, last Episode of Season 1 let’s make this though reaction compilation count!
-We are back in Puqi village folks
-Ooooh pure domestic moments!!!!
-I freaking love how Xie Lian says ‘The Crimson Rain Sought Flower’ Howard Wang’s voice could act as my new sleeping aid
-No he hasn’t called him ‘his highness’ throughout this whole
-Oh yeah San Lang does treasure you dude
-Heck Yeah he was your groom, and I even officiated that ceremony in my first reaction! (I’ll type that iconic quote near the end of this Episode peeps!)
-It’s totally the first possibility ‘nuff said
-Never change San Lang, never change
-It was the lack of the heartbeat in Ep 9
-Hua Cheng didn’t strike fear into my heart as well
-Oh Pot!Yue unintentionally cockblocked em!  Pot + Ban Yue = Pot!Yue
-She’s rolling own her own and he opened the door for her!
-She got herself upright in the pot!
-Ban Yue’s in their custody my heart. (MXTX you probably won’t see this but Hua Cheng and Xie Lian have been through so much in that 8 book series, please let them be parents!!!  That’s just my prayer that probably won’t get answered)
-She still calls him ‘General Hua’
-I don’t think Pei Xiu’s a bad person either
-Ban Yue deserves all the head pats!!!!
-Don’t worry he does forgive you after what you’ve done
-Oh Xie Lian gets flustered at his past dream being brought up in front of San Lang
-Aw San Lang still likes his past goal!
-The way Ban Yue moves in the pot it’s so cute!!!!
-She was so young and innocent AAAAAHHHH!!!
-Honey I don’t even think you were being dramatic for a minute when you were a soldier
-And now she made the pot hop!
-Ban Yue my beloved!
-I love how I’m good at remembering stuff like Ban Yue
-I don’t think it’s nonsense at all honey, I think you’re amazing in whatever personality you display right now the good ones and the bad ones - prolly me and Hua Cheng’s opinions on Xie Lian, for HC it’s romantic, but for me it’s platonic
-Facepalm
-Awwww Baby Ban Yue
-At least it put an end to the war
-What have I been doing all this time either???  Aww man…
-Ban Yue, I think you should keep living despite all the mistakes you’ve made… other than that I also don’t know the answer like Xie Lian
-And Ban Yue’s now watching the moon and stars outside
-Aww San Lang got concerned!
-San Lang is dropping facts people
-San Lang is touch starved again!!! It’s official!!!  I am a Touch starved!San Lang truther TGCF fandom!!!
-Oh yeah it does look nice Xie Lian
-Oh you’ll see the real him, soon enough dude
-Oh no the Vegetable stir fry got overcooked!  I am not even gonna touch it when it’s all purple and blanched!
-Later that night
-And there was only one bed!  Oh my gods there was only one bed!!!!!!
-Ghosts are more freer than Heaven is
-Best boss ever!!!  San Lang obviously
-Hua Cheng really did make a name for himself among the other Ghost Kings
-Oooh he’s giving Qi Rong a bad name and defeated him good!
-More about Black Water later folks
-Aw man the way James Cheek says bologna, Wait a minute how do the Chinese know about bologna sausage, Ah right the Silk Road (I just like to imagine TGCF takes place around the time of the Silk Road capiche?)
-That’s cause they’ve got a ton of officials up there
-Oh yeah San Lang, valid stick it to all those gods
-They really do have the vibes of two concerned fathers (see what’d I tell ya, Hualian is just pure paternal material)
-Aww he liked his goal about saving the world!!!! AAAHH
-Aww and Xie Lian got all embarassed at his compliment
-Oh that was a really good opinion from San Lang!   He doesn’t think his goal is foolish at all!!!
-“What was life?”   My whole ass answer:…42?  (You guys’ll get the reference in the comments)
-Ohohoho now Xie Lian moved in closer!
-Honestly Xie Lian’s quote about him becoming someone’s new meaning in life does speak a lot about us as a society when looking up to famous living people like celebrities and what not
-I think he might be sitting next to you Xie Lian
-Well said, San Lang
-Their interactions added at least 8 years to my lifespan
-Oooohhhh!  Xie Lian talked about setting up boundaries
-Aww Xie Lian will love him no matter if he’s hideous or a monster he really does have the best standards from Ep 9!
-See boundaries!
-“I don’t buy it!  Good night!”  Awwww Xie Lian’s hot when he’s mad
-Oh he withdrew his hand when Xie Lian moved away
-Another Reason why Hualian works so well is that San Lang also Respects!  Xie Lian’s!  Boundaries (Yep still not getting involved with the Helluva Boss drama folks)
-Hua Cheng my beloved
-Oooh it was raining!
-Oh No San Lang’s gone
-Ban Yue’s back inside
-Ooooohhh what’s around Xie Lian’s neck
-It’s official!  That looks like an engagement ring people!
-Dude pass me the Aux cord!  Ya better not be playing mainstream garbage *Puts on Hong Jue at full blast and vibes like no tomorrow!*
-That confirms it he has seen Hua Cheng’s true form
-This line’s from my very first reaction post at the start of this season:  I now pronounce you both husband AND husband you may now kiss the gro-  I mean, bride!  (I should officiate more weddings as a living!)
-Aiaigasa! As a flashback one last time!
-Oh he’s running back to see if he returned inside!
-Get used to it people, this is just how he says ‘Gege’ in English, and honestly it’s kind of grown on me so no judging please!
-I wasn’t kidding when I said the kid Xie Lian saved would be important later on, called it~!
-It’s like they’re running towards each other AAAAAHHH!!!
-He really did paint him in his glory days
-Welp, see you guys later for Season 2!
-Ah the freaking rescue parallels
-*Casually continues to keep playing Hong Jue while wrapping up this whole reaction
-Man this was a long one!
Well that was Season 1.  I’m going to take a long break from doing these reaction posts, because I have an upcoming final project to complete in art, and I’ve got Christmas gifts to make.  So I’ll update the Thoughts I had on TGCF series once Season 2 finishes airing in Chinese and English See ya next time!
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dangermousie · 10 months
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Before I get to the substantive meta post, let me just say that Sun Yi Zhou is ridiculously my RL type in terms of looks, and is 100% equipped to be one of those sexy general mains in danmei or het web novels. 
But also! The first time around and even more so on this run, He Xia is a wonderful character who is just as interesting and complex (and in some ways more so) than our OTP. This drama is 62 eps and sometimes it’s to its detriment (the separation near the end could have been shortened in terms of runtime) but most of the time it uses its time wisely and the run time allows all characters to breathe, not just focusing on the OTP, making it more epic and real. 
In another drama, he’d be the hero, a loyal, brave and competent general betrayed and hunted by his own king out of insecurity and returning to seek vengeance; Lan Ling Wang is actually about that very topic! (And is next on my rewatch list.) 
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The pontentiality for him and Chu Bei Jie is actually the same - both of their rulers are insecure losers and CBJ’s king comes pretty close a couple of times to doing to CBJ what He Xia’s king did to him. The difference is solely in that CBJ’s king is somewhat more functional (and has a somewhat deeper relationship with CBJ than Yan ruler does with He Xia) and that CBJ is older and tougher. But in a less lucky universe, I can easily see the Jin king overstepping irrevocably and you know CBJ would embark on the path of vengeance. In a way, it is fitting that He Xia is CBJ’s ultimate and final opponent because it’s CBJ who created him by intriguing with Yan king against Yan’s best generals’ family. It is totally understandable CBJ would do that as a Jin subject but the concept of you sow what you reap is delicious.
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Why yes, the Yan king is the type of man who decides to hunt down his best general(s) while he’s fighting an existential war. Clearly he doesn’t have TV and never watched The Young Warriors, Patriot Yue Fei, Rebel Princess, Lan Ling Wang or a dozen other dramas about perils of the same (and not even getting into reading a single rudimentary chronicle either.)
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The thing that gets me in these early eps is that He Xia is just...good. He is a good person - a loyal subject, a brave general, a devoted son, a lovely quasi-brother/potential husband for Ping Ting and his incredulity about what is happening to him, to them, his attempt to believe that if he could only EXPLAIN, they would understand they are wrong and this is a good faith error, is heartbreaking.
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By the end of the drama, he is a broken monster for whom death is a kindness, a man who amassed huge power but lost all humanity and everyone he’s ever loved. And he should be removed; a monster should not be allowed to rule the world. But when Chu Bei Jie kills him it isn’t a pure triumph of good over evil; it’s bittersweet at best and tragic at its base. Because CBJ is not the only reason He Xia is broken - the monster dimwit ruler is one, his psycho family (I agree with @mousieta his father’s “I am gonna off myself so he seeks revenge” is gross as hell), his own descent into darkness as the result of sufferings and humiliations he undergoes all play a part. But in a lot of way, Chu Bei Jie is putting down a monster he himself created, a man he once respected and who respected him, even if only as an honorable enemy, he is the one who set into motion a set of circumstances that turned a chevalier sans peur et sans reproche into a rabid animal. 
It’s interesting though because CBJ is ruthless but he has his own set of rules and honor. When he comes for the old prince of Jin’s head, it’s because the man broke his word to retire. Unlike so many others in this narrative (including later He Xia), he is willing to give you an out if you take it; it does not have to be blood. (Side note, hell of an entrance!)
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Even here, he spares the old general because he realizes he’s too old to be a threat. Too bad the man is one of the characters who’d rather die that be worsted and live to fight another day. Old man, congrats, you are building a road for your son to become a psycho.
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CBJ’s grim face at that. Old man ain’t wrong, he’s wrecked CBJ’s life for many years to come as payback (though ultimately works out.)
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And He Xia survives his horrible battle and finding his mother having stabbed herself to death (a woman who did not think about her kid, both his parents are no good) only to find his father dead (I love love love that CBJ respected his fallen foe and made him a plaque.) PS when he starts digging into the burial mound with his bare hands!
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PS This convo before it all goes truly to hell is super interesting because they are loving and affectionate but I do not get any romantic vibe on their part, just friends and quasi-siblings. The thing is, if nothing bad somehow happened and Ping Ting and He Xia got hitched, it would be a functional marriage with liking on both parts but not only is it not the passionate love she experiences with CBJ (or he with the Princess), Ping Ting would never truly be as fierce, as unleashed, as her own woman coming into her own as she is with CBJ. She’d always feel she owed He Xia’s family, and also much as I love him he’s not her equal the way CBJ is.
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@renewedmotionforjudgment​ said that one of the things she liked that Ping Ting and CBJ are adults making adult decision in an adult way and that is so perfectly put! But also, the rest of the characters are the same. Even characters who are petty or self-absorbed or immature are so in an adult way, if it makes sense. This drama is so damn good!
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permanentreverie · 6 months
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top 9 books
rules: list your top 9 books (duh) but i will be cheating a little bit - combining authors and giving honourable mentions, because i can
tagged by @wherepoetsdie, thank you michelle i love ranting about my favourite books but also this is gonna be SO. HARD.
1 : the starless sea / the night circus by erin morgenstern - both of these books are exactly my kinda vibe. the worldbuilding, the romance depicted, the portrayal of magic and surrealism, both books remained in my head for MONTHS after first reading them. i think both of these books perfectly fit my criteria for 5 star reads on goodreads - books that cracked open my skull and altered my psyche
2 : the youthful you who was so beautiful by jiu yue xi - so is your comfort book an incredibly niche chinese book that doesn't even have a proper english translation and publication, or are you normal?? i read this book late last year, reread it early this year, and already have been wanting to reread it for months. the writing is by no means perfect, but there is something about this story that i will never get enough of. chen nian and bei ye's relationship, the stress on their characters and the trials they face, it all just. it all breaks me i want every single person to read it but also they have to GET IT.
3 : jane eyre by charlotte bronte - this book has remained a staple for me for years. the first time i read it (when i was 12) i actually didn't like it, but every reread since has solidified my love for jane's character and the beautifully twisted love story of her and rochester.
4 : little women by louisa may alcott - again, a childhood staple. there is something so incredibly magical and intimate, the story of the march sisters, and so many good lessons on love and childhood and family and ambitions! jo march has and always will be *my* heroine, she gets me and i get her and she pulls the strings in my heart in an aching way
5 : i'll give you the sun by jandy nelson - this may be my no. 1 favourite book of this year. it's just such a beautiful story of grief and sibling relationship, a book that truly feels like a coming of age and is written in a way that some would call pretentious - which means it spoke to me, personally <3
6 : deathless by catherynne m valente - i guess you can tell that i prefer books that have prose > plot lol. again, this book is just so beautifully told and i'm a sucker for slightly-fucked-up relationships akfjdsk <3
7 : pachinko by lee minjin - this is possibly my favourite historical fiction i've read. there is So Much to this book, talk of femininity and motherhood and immigration and race and so much more. it's all beautifully told and has some of the best characters i've ever read.
8 : beartown by fredrick backman - if you know, you know. i am going to read anxious people soon (will probably be my next read) there is just something in the ways that fredrick backman writes and weaves dozens of narritives on community and girlhood and friendship and parenting and love and loss and grief and everything that these books are about.
9 : all for the game by nora sakavic - listen. listen. listen. i feel like i HAVE to include this series. not everyone will get it!! but i do!! this series is literally crack cocaine. batshit insane plot and the most intricate of characters and messy dynamics and found family and made me feel feral. enough said.
honourable mentions - howl's moving castle by diana wynne jones, northanger abbey by jane austen, if we were villains by m.l. rio, the folk of the air by holly black, a good girl's guide to murder by holly jackson, six of crows by leigh bardugo, beach read by emily henry, alone with you in the ether by olivie blake
tagging @hollyfhumberstone @mixtapedoh @acotars @thebirdandhersong @daydreaming-optimist @andsjuliet @sandrson @delilahsbard
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Fic: I know I love you
Tags: Gong Shangjue x Gong Yuanzhi, High School AU, Cousin Incest, Singer Gong Yuanzhi, Pining, Talent Show, Age Difference, Businessman Gong Shangjue, gonna add the underage tag just coz of the age difference
A/N: This is the song that got me back into Kpop. As a Gen 2 fan, I never thought I would ever get back into it once I left that group of friends who loved it as much as I did. But there I was, diving headfirst into Gen 4 Kpop and thus far, it's been great.
This is all to say that it's okay to be a fan of something. There's no age limit to be a fan and as long as you're not hurting anyone with your passion and enthusiasm, you're good :) If you needed to hear this today, there's always a place in fannish spaces for us older fans. No matter what other people might say x
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If Gong Yuanzhi were to say that he didn't feel an ounce of nervousness, that would be a lie.
Sneaking a peek at the auditorium's crowd, he hears a loud cheer - definitely led by his cousin Ziyu, the absolute simp - when Yun Weishan's voice starts going into the chorus of that earworm of a song by Esther Yu. Next to him, he can feel Jin Fan pushing at his shoulder so that he can steal a glimpse of his other cousin Zishang who had partnered up with Yun Weishan.
He's surrounded by simps, he swears.
Turning back to where Jin Fu, Jin Fan's fraternal twin, is twirling his drums and this quiet dude they only know as Ah Yue is testing out the keyboards, Yuanzhi meets the latter's eyes and nods.
"Ready?"
"As I'll ever be," Yuanzhi huffs, fiddling with his guitar for the umpteenth time. Ah Yue takes pity on him and claps him on the shoulder. He doesn't even ask him the question he knows he wants to ask.
It's fine, Yuanzhi tries to reason. It's fine if he doesn't come tonight.
Logically, he knows that Shangjue gege is probably busy if not on another plane to another city to negotiate another deal to fatten up the family's coffers. More than that, he knows that Shangjue would have about a million things better to do on a Friday night than to attend some high school talent show just because half of the family's younger cousins are part of it.
Still, hope springs eternal. Even if reality is proving otherwise.
From where they stand at the curtained eaves of the stage, they can hear Yun Weishan and Zishang jie's voices bleeding into the final notes of their performance. It's show time.
"Deep breaths, yeah?" Ah Yue says, bumping fists with Yuanzhi as they step onto the stage to the applause of the audience.
They take their place as the emcees of the night announce their names and their class number. Breathing in deeply, Yuanzhi squints out at shadowed faces of the crowd, trying to quell the rapid-fire beating of his heart.
Positions himself at the microphone, he takes a deep breath, fingers pressing down on the opening chord.
I know I love you
Yuanzhi pours his heart into that opening growl. Behind him, he hears the guys start up on their instruments just like they'd spent hours and hours practising. Part of him wants to turn around, grin with glee at how cool this all is, but he holds on to what he needs to do.
In this world of zero, I know you're my one and only 
Try as he may, he cannot help his mind from turning to his gege. The lyrics of the song speak to a truth that his soul knows -- has known for a while now.
My life before you was a mess
Yuanzhi blinks and he can pick out Ziyu cheering him on in the shadows with a borderline maniacal grin. A warm sort of glow settles in his chest. This silly cousin of his...
He can’t help the grin of his own as he sinks his voice into the words. Adrenaline pumps through his veins when he hears Ah Yue’s voice harmonise with his own.
Now I can't stop thinking 'bout you, When I'm sinking alone
The beat kicks up. The drums start to pound through his chest and Yuanzhi closes his eyes as the guys all start singing together.
I know it's real, I can feel it
Yuanzhi feels free in the words of the song. Fingers strumming along as he tastes the way the crowd begins to cheer.
When he opens his eyes again, there he is. Standing in the back of the auditorium, haloed by the exit sign, but he’s here. In the shadows.
Yuanzhi can hardly believe it.
No.
He can’t bring himself to believe it.
I'm a loser in this game
For the longest time, Yuanzhi had trusted in the emotions that tells him he loves Shangjue gege like a brother. Fond and protective in a familial way, respect and admiration all wrapped into how Shangjue gege is so capable and strong.
There was always a thread of gratefulness, too, when Yuanzhi thinks about his emotions. Grateful that Shangjue took him in and practically helped to raise him.
If there was anyone who deserved his love, it’d be Shangjue gege.
All or nothing, I want all of you 
But emotions change.
And recently, Yuanzhi’s heart hurts whenever he thinks about how Shangjue is being expected to marry and have kids.
Even more so when he thinks of gege having someone to love and hold in that way. In the deepest darkness of the night hours, Yuanzhi can admit into the shadows that he wants to be the person that Gege holds and loves. Especially if it’s in that way.
I'm full of problems, love sick 
Yuanzhi keeps his eyes fixed on the shadowed halo on the fringes of the room.
Everything else fades away and he bleeds his heart and soul into the words. Meaning every syllable, every beat, every lilt and crescendo.
In some distant part of his senses, he can hear his band mates carry their own parts as they harmonise together. Yuanzhi doesn’t linger on them.
He keeps his eyes on his prize.
Say you love me, to the end of the world 
Logically, Yuanzhi knows it’s wrong.
If he ever verbalised the exact emotions he feels about Shangjue, chances are he’d be excommunicated from the family. He can imagine the looks of disgust and contempt; can see it in his nightmares.
He knows Shangjue gege can tell something is wrong, but how does one even begin to tell the object of your affections that you love them in the romantic way that begs to burn down any bridge that could cultivate it back into familiar familial feelings?
Loss of his gege is unacceptable. The only thing left for Yuanzhi is to sing it.
All or nothing, I give all of you 
The auditorium shakes with the force of the audience’s cheers. Ah Yue, Jin Fan, and Jin Fu all clamour around him to wrap him up in a hug before they take a bow to the standing ovation they receive.
Yuanzhi turns back to the spot in the shadow and has to kill the bud of disappointment that starts to flower. He doesn’t have a right to feel that way, no.
So, he accepts the applause with a smile, bows politely and jogs backstage where Zishang jie is squealing and pulling him into a rib cracking hug before she jumps right into Jin Fan’s arms.
“Are you alright?” Ah Yue asks, a hand on his wrist. Outside, the next group takes their place in the spotlight. Yuanzhi nods, moving quickly to where they’d stash their bags and cases.
He feels sick.
What was he doing thinking that Shangjue ge was even here tonight? More than that, what the hell was he even dreaming about that Gege would even understand that this song is dedicated to him?
He stuffs his guitar back into its case, snapping it shut and gathering his bag.
“I’ll see you guys on Monday ok?”
“Hey, where are you going?” Jin Fu frowns. “They haven’t announced the winners!”
Yuanzhi can only shake his head and plaster on a weak grin. “I…”
“He’s coming home with me.”
Yuanzhi thinks his soul jumped right out of him and into the underworld. Literal chills start breaking out down his spine when Shangjue gege steps confidently forward and wordlessly takes his school bag. Sliding their palms together, he tangles their fingers, guiding him away and out of the backstage area.
“Gege, what are you—“
“My Didi gave me a ticket to his school’s talent show. Did you think I was going to miss it?”
Yuanzhi wisely keeps his mouth shut.
Shangjue scoffs, weaving them through a sea of performers and their assortment of props and costumes. In no time, Yuanzhi is breathing in a lungful of cool, crisp night air, but gege doesn’t stop and he stumbles a little to keep up.
“Gege—“
“Get in the car,” Shangjue says, letting go of him to move to the driver’s side. When Yuanzhi doesn’t immediately follow, he turns, sighing. Coming back to Yuanzhi, he cups him by the cheek.
Running his thumb over his cheekbone, Gege purses his lips. “We need to have a conversation and I’d rather we do it in the car.”
Yuanzhi numbly tips his head, looking down on the asphalt of the school parking lot while Shangjue manoeuvres the guitar case off him and into the back of his Jaguar, and then shuffles him into the front passenger seat, buckling him in with a smooth practiced motion.
Panic and trepidation sits thick on his tongue.
“Where do you want to start?” Shangjue says over the hum of the car’s engine as he takes them out of the parking lot and into the main road.
“I don’t even know where to do that,” Yuanzhi admits. He starts to fidget with his fingers, stilling with a start when Shangjue gege takes his hand into his own again. Deftly switching lanes, Yuanzhi watched the streetlights wash over the dark interior of the car in measured intervals.
“You’re my Didi,” Gege says. “I’m your Gege. It’s as simple as that.”
The words twist something sour in his chest. It’s the undeniable truth and one he can’t even run away from no matter how hard he tries to.
“Yeah.” Yuanzhi mumbles. Squeezing Gege’s hand he makes to pull away, only for Shangjue to hold on tightly.
Shangjue’s eyes are focused on the road. Cool and calm as he safely merges the car into the evening traffic.
“Yuanzhi, once again you’re hearing and not listening.”
Not a little offended, Yuanzhi tries to pry his hand out of Shangjue’s only to fail miserably when his gege huffs.
“I know you love me.”
Yuanzhi blinks owlishly, brain shorting out at the soft smile that Shangjue gege sports when he inches the car forward.
“Did you think I wasn’t listening?”
“I didn’t know what to think,” Yuanzhi manages. Shangjue’s hand squeezes his thrice.
A gentle quiet settles in the hush of the car. It’s not unpleasant, more so when Shangjue carefully lifts their hands to his lips. The gesture sends a thrill down Yuanzhi’s spine, especially when he lets go only to change gears, then sliding their hands back together again.
“I was going to wait until you’re a little older to broach the topic. I didn’t…” Shangjue trails off, throat bobbing. “I didn’t want it to seems like I was pressuring you into anything…”
Yuanzhi feels his cheeks warm.
“You wouldn’t have—“
“But I would have.” Shangjue cuts with certainty. “You wouldn’t have been anything but willing and that’s what makes it dangerous.”
Carefully, with an infinite tenderness Yuanzhi was sure he could never pour into another person, Yuanzhi whispers, “And yet I would have loved you.”
Shangjue turns to him. “I won’t apologise for making you wait.”
“How long?”
Shangjue blinks, confusion colouring his brow. “How long?”
“How long do I have to wait?” Yuanzhi elaborates. “How long until you will be comfortable with… this?”
The laughter that bubbles up in the car makes him smile. His heart settles in the sound of it, then picks up again at the way Shangjue looks at him syrup soft with an intensity that Yuanzhi now has a name for.
“Get into your top choice for university and then we will talk.”
Yuanzhi smiles. “Do you promise, Ge?”
“All or nothing, Didi.” Shangjue replies easily, running his thumb over the back of Yuanzhi’s hand.
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bl4cktourmaline · 2 months
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haiiii may i request tsumugi with a chubby insecure gf and he reassures her how he finds her beautiful and loves her and stuff hehehehe thank u :3
🎋 . 鳥居 — aoba tsumugi
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✿ — ♬ ⌨️ᶻᶻᶻ : yue is typing... ✉!
✿ — ↻ SYNOPSIS : aoba tsumugi with a chubby girlfriend who is insecure...
✿ — ♯ GENRE : fluff, female reader.
✿ — ↠ NOTE : pyon-yahoo~ first time writing for tsumugi and not gonna lie, I have so much fun with this one?! Chubby people are so cute like they would give the best hugs 🥺👉👈 I hope I did tsumugi's characteristics justice though!!
✿ — ♪ REMINDER : reblogs & likes are appreciated, in doing so will motivate us to continue delivering stories to you, thank you for all of your supports ~ !
✿ — ► ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : happiness featuring aoba tsumugi...
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ᝰ The day you started dating Tsumugi was when he accidentally confessed his feelings towards you. It wasn't planned, his heart just couldn't bear to see you looking so down...
ᝰ Ever since that fateful day, your entire world change. Whenever you look at his kind eyes, all you could see in them was pure adoration...it is sweet, dark gold in colour as honey.
ᝰ He was exactly that. Throughout your relationship with him, he was so sweet to you... he always put you as his top priority such as when you get sick? He would go to work and take the rest of the day off so he could take care of you.
ᝰ But despite all that, dark thoughts would still cross the back of your mind and it's become more noticeable when you are alone...
Under the dark sky, the room was pitch black with the moonlight shining through the window.
Standing in front of you was a full body mirror, checking yourself out as a simple (colour) dress, reaching your knees with lace decorating its pleated skirt and sleeves.
You bought the dress a few days ago on your way home from work and now you're just trying it out. You really like how you look but in the privacy of your home where there is no one, no light and no sound...
You stared at the mirror with a puzzled expression on your face staring back at you. It is a cute dress and you really like it when you buy it on a whim but...
There was nothing that could stop the voices of doubt from making their way into the back of your mind, repeating over and over again, making you feel more self-conscious of your body type.
Is it too tight around the waist and chest?
The dress is ruined now from how much you're stretching it.
Nobody wants to see you in that thing.
You frowned, grabbed a blanket and completely covered the mirror with it. You take a few steps back, bumping into the dresser in the process as a few items fall onto the ground near your feets.
One of them was an idol magazine with its pages wide open, featuring multiple beautiful people. Thin and petite...you know that is the standard beauty no matter what others said otherwise.
BEEP!
A notification...
You grabbed your phone from the bed, switching it on as a text message pop out on the screen;
Mugi ♡ :
(name), I got some of your favourite desserts.
I thought you would like them after a long day at work.
"He is too sweet..." You faintly smiled at your boyfriend's kindness.
Tsumugi is your first boyfriend and he is one of the few people who always gives you confidence but he is also a popular idol meaning he will meet other celebrities...
Beautiful celebrities...more beautiful than you.
He might dump you for someone better than you.
You have no place standing next to him.
"..."
CREAK...!
"(name), are you there-?" He stopped, caught by surprise at the sight of your reddish face.
"M-Mugi...?" Your voice cracked.
Tsumugi looked at you with worried eyes, dropping what he was holding and immediately walked up to you as he placed a hand on your right cheek.
"What's wrong?" He asked in a soft tone, gently wiping a single teardrop that fell from your (colour) eyes.
"..."
You didn't even realize that you were crying...
Feeling ashamed, you turned your face away "I'm fine..."
"(name)..."
Tsumugi is stunned, he didn't know what to do at first but then he caught sight of the magazine a few feets away from where you were and that single glance at it was enough to tell him what was going on.
He turned to look at his girlfriend and took a hold of your hand which made you look up at him.
The look he was giving you almost made your heart stop.
Golden dilated pupils staring deep into your eyes as if he was looking at something precious...
The thought makes you blush.
"(name), you are worthy of love and respect...you are beautiful, kind and considerate so please don't think badly of yourself..." Tsumugi smiled gently, faint pink spread across his cheeks.
"... because you are my happiness"
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