#woh meta

[pastelcheckereddreams]

Four Seasons Manor (四季山庄): Set Layout, Part Three!

This is the third and final post detailing my set sleuthing adventure, looking for the sets that make up Word of Honor's Siji Manor. If you're stumbling over this post in the wild - hi! I draw architectural drafts of cdrama sets, as accurately to the show as I can. A huge amount of research goes into creating my art, and so far no set location has been as elusive as this one.

Split across two sets - one located in Hengdian World Studio's Spring and Autumn Tang Park, and the other in Hengdian's Huaxia film studio - this post is the final part uncovering the layout of Siji Manor. (And nothing will make sense if you read this post first, go back to part one and part two!!)

A reminder, before we dive right back into the breakdown of my completed birdseye view, that this last part will cover the main courtyard of what I have dubbed the "interior" Siji set, highlighted in red below:

Let's dive in!

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The Main Courtyard

The main hall (6), the largest building in this set, is what I and @minnarr, who shares my brainrot 🙏 and has been a great help in this process, have been calling "Everlasting."

This is because sign over the entrance reads, "萬古長青" (wàn gǔ cháng qīng), which to my layman's knowledge translates as "Everlasting and Evergreen," an idiom that can be extrapolated to mean "forever green throughout the ages," which describes a noble spirit or deep friendship that will last forever, like an eternal Springtime:

In the above screenshots, you can see that Chengling's training area (9) is set up in front of this main hall, and over his head in the third picture, you can just about see the moon window that is a feature of WKX's room.

Importantly, the pavilion (10) just about seen behind Chengling's training area, marks a de facto boundary for this set as it appears in WOH, as the camera angles of these episodes never never stray past it. For a long time - until I began to watch Mysterious Lotus Casebook and Heroes, which handed me the final puzzle pieces to rule out this set as part of the film parks - I thought the entire set must finish just to the right of the pavilion.

That is not so. If I pull up some screenshots from MLC and reintroduce the scant few photographs I've found of the "Mansion Scene" Huaxia set itself from part two, you can see this main courtyard in full:

In these photos and screenshots, we can now see the main courtyard almost in full: the main building with its projecting entrance (I'm unsure if the term portico applies to Asian architecture); the pavillion to its left, standing opposite Building 8 which we will come to in a moment; and Building 11 at the end of what, in MLC, is a central pathway - but that I have interpreted in my own drawing to be a path of scattered stepping stones like the rest of the set, considering the smaller courtyard (5) - as discussed in part two - appears to be taking on the role of a more formal courtyard.

'Everlasting' and 'Gentle Winds'

For a moment, though, I need to draw us back to the main building. This building - Everlasting - is very important as, by vehicle of drama magic, this is where the two Siji sets conflate.

In episode 24 we cut from a shot of the main building in the exterior Siji set, whose sign reads "風輕雲淡" (fēng qīng yún dàn), or "Gentle Winds and Light Clouds," to this interior shot of Everlasting:

And to confirm that this interior shot is Everlasting, or building 6, we return to MLC, where we are treated to an outside-to-inside shot of the build, whose inset floor matches that of WOH's Everlasting building, seen clearest in episode 24, above, and episode 28:

(I do have more screenshots that I may add in later, but right now I'm running out of steam, please just take my word for it. 😂)

Cold River Room

Now, unfortunately I've been unable to place the medicine room, in which ZZS grinds herbs, in what photo resources I have of this film studio. Likewise for the room I've taken to calling the "infirmary" (where WKX takes a healing bath after his confrontation with YBY). Equally as unhelpful, there's simply no discernible exterior details seen from inside these two rooms that I can dig my research claws into and try to identify a placement or orientation for them:

The room they spend their first night at Siji Manor in, however, is a different story. That room - dubbed as the "Cold River Room" by Minna - is Building 8.

This was quite easy to place, thanks to this screenshot of a behind the scenes video (that I've since long lost the link to, unfortunately - if you have a link, I'd be very grateful if you share it with me so that I may add the source). Here, we can see the column inscriptions on Everlasting through the window:

So I can confirm this building to be the room they spend their first night as Siji in, seen here behind Chengling as well as in a MLC screenshot - showing its place across from the pavilion clearly:

The Pond

The last part of the main courtyard - and of this set breakdown overall - is the pond and Building 11:

I had suspected their was some kind of water trough or strip of pond between the seating area (4) and the pavilion (10) for a while, but never had the resources to confirm it. I still can't. However, a film studio's entire purpose is to shapeshift from one design brief to another. Sometimes, there is a pond and sometimes there isn't, as these two images show:

The left image is a photograph from the article about Hengdian's film studios linked above, taken from the seating area (4), while the right image is a screenshot from Heroes episode 13, the camera positioned in front of Building 11. I simply decided that I liked the pond there, so I included it in my Siji layout.

As an aside, in this scene in Heroes, with the camera panning just a bit further right, we get a lovely clear shot of the archway from the formal courtyard (5) to this one:

Finally, we come to Building 11. You'll notice that I called the courtyard of the QHZ snow scene in WOH a "formal" courtyard (5), on account of the clearly defined, linear paving.

However, it doesn't have the large gate of a main courtyard:

This courtyard, the one with Everlasting, does. The winding steppingstones used as paving in the Siji set dressing of this location takes away from the formality of this courtyard that, once you see it in its entirety in shows such as MLC or Heroes, it certainly has. To that point, Building 11 - or rather, structure 11, as may be more appropriate to call it now - is actually a large gateway. This is easiest seen in Heroes, episode 13:

Of course, that doesn't mean we have to designate it as a gateway in the Siji layout. I don't think it's meant to have that identity, based on the above - well, it's not meant to have an identity at all. It's never seen in the show. But, given the Siji set dressing and the resemblance it bears to Building 8, the Cold River Room, I might consider giving it the identity of one of the rooms I've been unable to locate - the infirmary, or the medicine room.

Let me hear your thoughts!

I'd like to hear your suggestions and thoughts on that. On all of it! Because despite all of this research, I am still left with the gargantuan task of drafting it all into a finished piece. And as such, I am still faced with the dilemma I began to outline months ago in part one:

How could I merge these two very different sets together? Should I merge them together?

I have rambled ideas at friends about presenting an architecture draft that is simply reportage - showing both sets, and summarizing the information I've given you all here before making suggestions on how they could combine into "one true set".

But on the other hand, do I draft the Siji I see emerging in the crossover of these two sets - the one I can feel starting to take shape in my brain? And then simply offer this research up as the facts.

There's still a long way to go, but thank you for being here! As always, if you'd like to support my research madness and help fuel my many artistic endeavors, please consider donating to my kofi or checking out my print shop:

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And happy new year! I hope 2024 brings you happiness and opportunity in all that you wish ✨

Part One | Part Two | Part Three

#nikkidraws #四季山庄 #山河令 #four seasons manor #word of honor #shan he ling #shl meta #woh meta #word of honor meta #woh set design #shl set design #set design #yeeting this from me now it's taken two days to do both of these posts at the same time 😭 #i hope this last post makes sense i'm so tiiiiired

[birbfeeder2artisticboogaloo]

my crackpot theory about why ye baiyi let wenzhou go after The Reveal:

he did it bc it's what rong changqing would have done

#sometimes when ur soulmate leaves the world first u have to be urself and THEM too ._. #headcanon: yby wouldn't have done the prank where he pretended to fall on the bridge if rcq were alive #his mischief rating sharply increased after rcq died #i think they were both eccentric but in different ways #and together they were a MENACE TO SOCIETY lol #woh meta #birb still says #rongye

[thatswhatsushesaid]

100% agreed about people thinking jgy is zhao jing - i had the exact same thought when i watched. also it's wild to me that so many of the same people who go on and on about how jgy is irredeemable love wenzhou and make every possible excuse for them. protag privilege i guess!

yeah are we forgetting the part where wen kexing just skinned his predecessor alive and contributed to the unjust downfall of an objectively good and honest man? several of them? “oh but he feels badly about it!!” oh well in that case—

(also before anyone decides to @ me, i love wen kexing, but i don’t think that makes his grisly murders any less grisly. let him own the blood on his hands, he worked hard for it)

also let me be clear: i would kill for wang ruolin and the passion he brings to zhao jing on screen, 100/10 wang ruolin, he is a gift and i am never going to stop feeling a little unhinged about the moment we see him literally pissing on the memorial tablets of his dead sworn brothers. like that is a man who has been so totally consumed and destroyed by his own grudges that he does not care about anyone or anything in his life anymore except proving to people who are already dead (because of him!!) that they were wrong to belittle and demean him. he has a deeply sympathetic origin story and by the end has absolutely become a villain you want to see get his comeuppance, even as you find yourself moved by his displays of humanity in private moments.

because unlike with jin guangyao, zhao jing is objectively guilty of every crime he is accused of, and has delighted in fooling the people around him about this fact for literal decades. we know this because he tells us in his naughty boy villainous soliloquies! and even if we believe that he does feel genuine affection for xie’er and luo fumeng (which i do—at least with xie’er), he still betrays or intends to betray them both, and i think if he regained control of his faculties (rather than dying ignobly outside the armoury) probably the first thing he’d do is put his hands around xie’er’s throat and kill him.

unlike jgy, whose last act in his life is to save the life of the man who stabs him through the heart.

#asks answered #jin guangyao #zhao jing #word of honor #mdzs #mdzs meta #woh meta

[pancakeis]

Analysis of Tian Ya Ke Lyrics

(line-by-line with literary references and context)

Analysis: Weibo user 认真看剧的打字机器 (original Weibo post)

Translation: keishi, first posted on Twitter @_keikaku

Full text is also available here. Long post warning!

Tian Ya Ke, being Word of Honor’s ending theme, has appeared in many important scenes throughout the show. Moreover, the lyrics were penned by the script writer herself, thus it can best express the show’s overarching idea, much worthy of a detailed analysis.

[Part 1 - ZZH] 

天苍苍事了功成渡寒江 Under the grey sky, I crossed the cold river as the job was done

Meaning: The deep blue sky was vast and endless, ZZS’s service as Tianchuang’s leader under King Jin had come to an end, and he was about to cross the cold river to leave the Northwest region.

Analysis: “Cold river” points to the river water during the autumn and winter, in this context it points at ZZS leaving the Northwest in a very cold and harsh winter. A line from Jet Li’s (Li Lianjie) Flying Swords of Dragon Gate can also be aptly quoted here: “A lone silhouette on the cold river, an old friend from jianghu”, which accurately portrays ZZS’s current state.

夜茫茫杯中月影笑荒唐 In the vast night, the moon in my cup laughed at the absurdity

Meaning: The vast darkness of the night, whose ends were nowhere in sight, there was only the reflection of the moon in my cup, laughing at my years of living in absurdity.

Analysis: “The moon’s reflection in my cup” comes from Li Bai’s Drinking Alone Under the Moonlight - First. In this poem, the author experienced an extreme sense of loneliness —— “Pouring out a cup, for no friend or kin” (WKX has also quoted this before), so he decided to take the moonlight and his own shadow as drinking companions, “Raising my cup to invite the moon, with my shadow we made three people”. In the lyrics, the moonlight is personified, purpose is to express ZZS’s solitariness at this point, where he can only find company in wine and the moon, and he mocks himself for self-righteously believing that he was sacrificing for the greater good, while in fact, it was just a preposterous case of feeding himself to the tiger.

谁许我策马江湖闯四方 Who allowed me to gallop off to traverse the world?

Meaning: Who can accompany me to travel the world on our horsebacks?

Analysis: A complement to the solitariness in the upper sentence, lamenting about how there’s no one around ZZS who can accompany him to fulfill his wish of galloping off around the world.

谁醉遍天涯 梦醒不见故乡 Who had travelled to the ends of the world in drunkenness, yet couldn’t face their hometown when sober?

Meaning: I can go to the ends of the world and the corners of the four seas to drink wine, but I can never return to the hometown that I dream of going back to.

Analysis: “Wandering the world, drinking to death” is not in ZZS’s romance, but the last punishment that he gives himself. There’s an old saying, “falling leaves return to their roots”; it’s also a traditional mindset of “even if I’m dying soon, I want to die in my hometown, where my roots are”. Even the most highly regarded, powerful court officials also requested to “bring their bones and ashes back to their hometowns” upon reaching their old ages. Du Fu, the God of Poetry, died on a boat heading back to his hometown. ZZS is aware that the countdown on his life has already begun, so he can’t not be thinking about returning. “Couldn’t face their hometown when sober” actual meaning isn’t “sobering up from the wine”, but rather “only can see the hometown in their dreams”, which hints to us ZZS’s reminiscence of his home. However, ZZS is set on believing that he has let down his teacher/forgone the teachings imparted in him, thus feels ashamed to face Siji Manor. Despite clearly having hometown on his mind always, since the departure from the Northwest, he leaves Kunzhou in the Southwest and heads towards the Southeast (Chengling’s home is located in the now-Zhejiang region). This kind of nomadic life, though the heart yearns for a place he can’t return to, is also one of the final punishments ZZS gives himself.

(Which is also my reasoning against hobo-Xu = freedom… he isn’t just drinking wine… he’s using wine to numb the pain in his flesh and mind…)

Summary of Part 1: The first sentence describes ZZS’s current state, the second sentence describes ZZS’s sorrow about his ideals destroying half of his life, the third describes ZZS’s loneliness, the fourth describes his yearning for home.

(Between these three types of emotions, just experiencing one is already torturing enough, yet he’s experiencing all three at once, how can he feel happy…)

[Part 2 - GJ]

西陵下凄秋凉雨吻我窗 Under the dreary autumn sky of Xiling, cold rain kissed my window

Meaning: In the middle of Ghost Valley, there was only desolating autumn rain landing on my window.

Analysis: This sentence comes from Li Shangyin’s The Tomb of Su Xiaoxiao: “Under the Xiling sky, winds blew at the falling rain”.

This poem by Li Shangyin was one of his “ghost poems”. Through the imagery of Su Xiaoxiao’s tomb, he drew up a series of strange illusions, portraying the beautiful yet fleeting ghost of Su Xiaoxiao, thus creating a resplendent but ghostly atmosphere. It bodes well with Wen Kexing’s image in the Ghost Valley: an outstanding beauty with dark and terrifying aura. And although Wen Kexing sits at the highest position of power, there is only the cold autumn rain knocking on his window, illustrating his inner feelings of loneliness and desolation.

(T/N: The author, whose writings were dubbed as “ghost poems” was actually Li He, a poet from mid-Tang dynasty, and not Li Shangyin, a poet from late-Tang. Likely a typo on OP’s part.)

任人憎任人谤 未妨惆怅是清狂 Let people hate, let people slander; but perhaps melancholic “clear madness” will do no harm

Meaning: No matter how others hated me, slandered me, I always persisted with my own desire, without a care for people who said that I was obsessed.

Analysis: “But perhaps melancholic ‘clear madness’ will not do any harm” comes from Li Shangyin’s Untitled Twin Poems. The full line reads, “You may say that it is completely futile to be lovesick; But perhaps melancholic ‘clear madness’ will not do any harm”. However in this context, this part has no relation to lovesickness; we must interpret it in tandem with the former part in the lyrics “let people hate, let people slander”. It conveys WKX’s mental state during his time in Ghost Valley: although hated or slandered by the so-called righteous sects, WKX has never quite cared, and in a state of near-obsession, he step-by-step makes preparations to avenge his parents. Despite deeply knowing that in doing so, he will end up sacrificing himself/can’t step away when it ends, he still wants to go absolute bonker, using the complete destruction of jianghu as a way to return justice to his parents.

春风吹得绿江南水岸 吹不暖人心霜 Spring breezes blew greens to the banks of Jiangnan river; couldn’t blow warmth to a frosted heart

Meaning: Spring winds could bring back luscious nature, but couldn’t melt the frost and coldness in my heart.

Analysis: The first half comes directly from Wang Anshi’s Anchoring At Guazhou. The poem continues, “when would the bright moon shine on my way back home”. Here, the “spring breezes” refers to the spring day of WenZhou meeting, at which point WKX’s heart is still a block of icy frost, but in actuality, he begins to yearn for a bright moon to bring him home, thus the latter half in the lyrics.

猝不及防 那是不是我们的光 Taken by surprise, could that be our light?

Analysis: The bright moon whom WKX yearns for, the bright moon who will bring him home, right on that spring day in the 27th year of his life, he comes in all glowing light, and barges into WKX’s world unannounced.

Summary of Part 2: The first sentence describes WKX’s current state, the second sentence describes WKX’s mental state, the third sentence describes WKX’s yearnings, the fourth sentence describes the effect of WenZhou’s first meeting on WKX.

[Part 3 - GJ]

相见恨晚幸未晚 不再辜负四季花 Hate that we couldn’t meet sooner, happy that it wasn’t too late. Flowers of four seasons no longer bloomed in vain

Analysis: WKX meets ZZS well into his adulthood, at the age where most people celebrate early life achievements, so it can’t be considered late. The fortunate part is, he meets ZZS where he considers to be “near the end of his life”. He then finds his own redemption and is able to live on, that’s why “it wasn’t too late”. “Flowers of four seasons” refers to the beautiful sceneries of Siji Manor: “Spring bathes in a sea of azalea, summer appreciates blooming phoenix flowers, autumn comes with wafting red osmanthus fragrance, winter beholds snow-like plum blossoms”. It also signifies WKX slowly letting go of his obsession to destroy the world after meeting ZZS, breaking free from his vengeance, and learning to admire the everchanging sceneries of four seasons along the journey of living – from then on, the beauty of ever-blooming flowers along the path of life shall not go unnoticed. And it marks the development from “as long as I can burn down this murky water of a martial world and its so-called righteous sects, there’s nothing that I can’t risk” mindset to “as long as we let go of vengeance, we are alive and living”.

将古道西风瘦马 换小桥流水人家 Trade away the old road, autumn winds and scrawny horse, for a small bridge, running stream and a home of nestling

Analysis: This line comes from Ma Zhiyuan’s To the Tune of “Tian Jing Sha”: Autumn Thoughts. Its meaning complements “Flowers of four seasons no longer bloomed in vain”, referring to WKX’s change of heart after meeting ZZS, from a painful and desolating “thin horse trudging on an old road in the autumn winds” to a warm and lively “nestling homes over a small bridge by a running stream”.

(T/N: Tian Jing Sha (lit. Sky-Clear Sand) is the name of the tune to which this qu poem is composed (曲牌名 qubaiming), that is to say, in an oral performance, this poem is intended to be recited with the rhythm and melody of Tian Jing Sha. The english for this line is rehashed from Andrew Wong’s translation.)

Summary of Part 3: In the first sentence, WKX expresses his good fortune of having met ZZS, through which his life is no longer engulfed by vengeance. In the second sentence, he describes the change of heart after meeting ZZS.

(Plainly speaking, he’s just declaring his love to ZZS: “only after meeting you that I realise how important you are to me”)

(…Okay, enough already Wen-ge)

[Part 4 - ZZH]

万里河山万家灯 往事如烟浪淘沙 A thousand miles of rivers and mountains, a thousand lights of homes. The past went up in smokes, washed away like sands

Analysis: “A thousand miles of rivers and mountains” comes from Xin Qiji’s To the Tune of “Qing Ping Yue”: Sleeping Alone in the Wangs’ Hut under Mt. Bo, referring to the vastness of the world. “A thousand lights of homes” is from the Qing dynasty’s novel A Flower In A Sinful Sea by Zeng Pu. Here’s the full line: “A thousand lights of homes, a path lined with songs of the flute”, describing the warm scenes of houses lighting up one after another as the night falls.

“Lang Tao Sha” (lit. waves washing away sands) is the tune title. I initially thought it refers to “great waves washing off the sands”, but the meaning of this phrase is “to stand the test of ferocious battles”, which clearly doesn’t match the context. So I made a bold guess that Liu Yuxi’s Lang Tao Sha was quoted here: “With many turns the Yellow River flows with sands from afar; Coming from the sky's edge, the wind-blown rolling waves never stay”. This matches the sentiment expressed in “(the past has) gone up in smokes” to convey the idea of “no going back”, like muddy sands swept away by the past.

In this line, ZZS is consoling WKX, telling him to treasure the beautiful sceneries and the warmth, homeliness of the mortal realm. Let bygones be bygone, don’t torment yourself over the past.

将平生霜雪 与君煮酒烹茶 Use my life’s worth of frost and snow to warm wine and brew tea with you

Analysis: Wine is warmed by submerging a flask of wine in a hot water bath. This scene took place once before, when WenZhou were at the Siji Manor. Tea brewing is exactly how it’s normally done. However, both of these activities are considered refined hobbies to be enjoyed in the tea stove I brought along; A life free of worries was a hundred years well-spent”. In Dream of the Red Mansion Part 41, as Miaoyu was making tea for Baoyu, Daiyu asked, “Is this rain water from last year?” Miaoyu sneered, “A person like you is such a boor, that you can’t even differentiate water when you taste it. This is snow collected from the plum blossom, when I was at the Panxiang temple in like the heroes i It’s apparent that despite being “rootless water”, melted snow is considered a grade aboThree Kingdoms, drinking warm wine with green plums. ZZS is expressing his desire to live rainaater.20the use of melted snow to make tea would greatly enhance the elegance and appeals of this lifestyle.

Yet, to warm the wine and brew the tea with “my life’s worth of frost and snow” just adds a whole other layer to the depth of emotions. There’s a saying, “good tea must be brewed in good water”. Which water is the purest, the most elegant of them all? The ancients believed that crystal-clear and sweet water was of the highest quality. Tea brewed from water that has once been frozen yields an extraordinary taste. In Bai Juyi’s Rising Late: After A Morning’s Slumber, “Melting snow to brew fragrant tea, melting butter to make porridge”. Lu You wrote in Tea After Snow: “Sweet and clear liquid snow filled my well, simply brewed with the tea stove I brought along; A life free of worries was a hundred years well-spent”. In Dream of the Red Mansion Part 41, as Miaoyu was making tea for Baoyu, Daiyu asked, “Is this rain water from last year?” Miaoyu sneered, “A person like you is such a boor, that you can’t even differentiate water when you taste it. This is snow collected from the plum blossom, when I was at the Panxiang temple in Xuanmu five years ago.” It’s apparent that despite being “rootless water”, melted snow is considered a grade above rain water. Surely the use of melted snow to make tea would greatly enhance the elegance and appeals of this lifestyle.

(This is definitely the stuff that ZZS they all would do… This kind of thing, you couldn’t do it unless you were rich… Except them, who would take time learning this stuff… The common people were already happy to have drinkable water…)

However, ZZS saying this isn’t meant to express his hope for a future life, and definitely not to express self-reconciliation. Because he can’t reconcile with the past, he decisively sticks the nails into his own body, straight until WKX appears, under WKX’s encouragement and gentleness (*noisiness*), that a spark of hope for a future life is ignited within ZZS, kickstarting the process of self-reconciliation. The past which hardens inside his heart like frost and snow, slowly melts away in the warm and beautiful life with WKX, to the extent that ZZS can even joke about it.

Summary of Part 4: In the first sentence, ZZS is convincing WKX to reconcile with the world; in the second sentence, ZZS shows reconciliation with his own self.

[Part 5 - GJ]

芳草长烟波流云映斜阳 Flourishing grass enshrouded in misty waves. Dusky light reflected on floating clouds

Analysis: This line is from Fan Zhongyan’s Waterbag Dance (trans. Xu Yuanchong): 

Clouds veil emerald sky, leaves strewn in yellow dye.  Waves rise in autumn hue, and blend with mist cold and green in view.  Hills steeped in slating sunlight, sky and waves seems one; Unfeeling grass grows sweet beyond the setting sun.

The conveyed meaning is, the sky is painted an emerald shade, yellow foliage covers the ground, the colours of autumn stretch from the horizon to the water, and the chilly, green fog seemingly weaves itself into the water. The distant hills bathe in the dusky sun; the sky and the river meld together. The grass, who understands not the pain of homesickness, grows far beyond the edges of the twilight sky. Going back to the lyrics, we can see that “grass” and “misty waves” indicate an autumn atmosphere, whereas “floating clouds” and “dusky light” refer to sunset. In short, this line paints us the scenery of an evening sky in autumn.

If we impose this layer of meaning onto the drama’s storyline, this should tell us WKX’s emotions after he has fallen in love with ZZS (WKX himself has said this): “The setting sun is ceaselessly beautiful; what a pity that it’s too close to dusk.” Although the autumn sunset is beautiful, soon the winter night will settle in, taking away any lingering warmth of the daylight. What WKX means is, his time together with ZZS is beautiful, but once ZZS finds out WKX’s real identity —— the Leader of Ghost Valley —— this happiness will inevitably come to the end, and ZZS might never forgive him.

问何处仙乡 蝴蝶为骨玉为梁 You ask where my hometown is. I come from butterfly bones and virtues of jades

Analysis: “仙乡” xianxiang is the formal way of addressing one’s hometown. This is basically a question to WKX, asking where he comes from. “Butterfly bones” refers to WKX’s mother, while “virtues of jades” refers to WKX’s father.

Summary of Part 5: In the first sentence, WKX likens his time spent by ZZS’s side to the hours before dusk, beautiful but inevitable. ZZS will walk away the moment WKX’s true identity is revealed, abandoning him in the darkness of the cold winter. In the second sentence, WKX reveals his true origin.

[Part 6 - ZZH]

你一肩担不尽万古愁 不如分我几两 Your shoulders couldn’t bear the weight of eternal sorrow. Why not let me carry some

Analysis: Confronted by WKX’s many worries, ZZS hopes that he can open up his heart, ZZS is willing to share his burdens. Selected lines from episode 22: “I am helping you”, “I will come with you to seek revenge from Zhao Jing”, to the persuasion in episode 24, then again in episode 27: “The only way for you to step into Siji Manor today, is over my dead body”, and straight to episode 32: “Save your breaths” —— ZZS has always used actions to tell WKX this.

(President ZZS of the Care For WKX’s Mental Health Association is online)

陪君醉 三万场 从此不言离殇 Thirty thousand drinks, I’d accompany you. From here on, we’d never bid farewell

Meaning: As long as you’re willing to, we could spend our lives drinking all of the good wines in the world together. From here on, we would never part. 

Analysis: ZZS is consoling WKX, and at the same time making a promise: “I will never leave, I will gladly accompany you drinking to your heart’s content”. Originating from Su Shi’s To the Tune of “Nan Xiang Zi”: With Yang Yuansu, At My Transference to Mizhou, the full line reads: 

Dongwu faces Yuhang, yet (we’re) separated by seas of cloud between the sky’s edges;  When I return in glory, we shall laugh and drink for thirty thousand times.

Summary of Part 6: ZZS shows WKX that he’s there to fight by WKX’s side, to share all of WKX’s burdens, and ZZS vows to never leave him.

(Zhou-ge… Wen-ge just declared his love to you earlier, now you’re also declaring your love… I do not understand…)

[Part 7 is a repeat of Part 2]

[Part 8 - GJ]

无边落木萧萧下 不尽长江滚滚来 Boundless greenery sheds leaves. Unending Yangtze courses through its banks

Meaning: The gentle rustling as the thick, boundless greenery sheds its leaves. The roaring torrent as the Yangtze’s waves crash onto each other.  

Analysis: This line comes from Du Fu’s Climbing High, which was also written in the autumn. Both this poem and Waterbag Dance describe an autumn sunset, however its mood completely contrasts Waterbag Dance: the quoted line leans towards the natural observation of which all beings will eventually be replaced by a newer, younger being. Falling leaves evoke melancholic emotions, but it also gives way for the growth of new, young leaves. The sun sets and night befalls, but it also means a new dawn will soon arrive. All objects or beings are no different from the water running through Yangtze river, new waves crashing onto preceding ones with no end in sight. Or like Yang Shen has written:

On and on to the east rolls the Great Yangtze, Burying in its current hordes of gallant men. Right or wrong, shame or glory, all comes to naught. Only the green hills linger, after many a glowing sunset. White-haired men by the river, mind the seasons not; All they care is in the bottle, and meeting with old friends. Stories new and old, come alive in their witty retort.

Both are depicting autumn dusks, both are expressing WKX’s emotions, but the difference is, after being convinced by ZZS, WKX no longer sees autumn as dreary and miserable. With this change of heart and his soulmate’s company, he begins breaking down his own walls to start life anew.

(T/N: the literal title of Yang Shen’s poem is To the Tune of “The Immortals by the River”: Gushing Yangtze River Flows Eastwards, although it seems more commonly referred to by the tune name The Immortals by the River 《临江仙》. English translation by Alice Poon.)

风刀霜剑皆不惧只要你我还在 Fear not the cutting winds or biting frosts, as long as you and I are still here

Meaning: As long as you are by my side and I you, we don’t have to fear any obstacles.

Analysis: “Cutting winds or biting frosts” (lit. winds that cut like a dagger, frosts that strike like a sword) comes from Burying Flower Song, a poem recited in Part 27 of Dream of the Red Mansion: “Three hundreds and sixty days in a year, ravaged by daggers of winds and swords of frost”. In context, this line talks about how a flower is always quashed by cold winds and frosts, which parallels WKX and ZZS facing great dangers everyday. But there is nothing to be afraid of, because “you and I are still here”.

(That’s right… It’s another declaration of love… This time they declare their love to each other…)

(I’m numb.)

[Part 9 - ZZH]

得即高歌失即休 无拘无束亦无碍 Sing aloud for a win, don’t dwell on a loss. A life free of shackles and hindrances

Analysis: “Sing aloud for a win, don’t dwell on a loss” is from Luo Yin’s Self Consolation:

Sing aloud for a win, don’t dwell on a loss Deep in sorrows and hatred, still take it easy. Let’s get drunk today while there’s still wine Tomorrow’s worries can be dealt with tomorrow.

This describes ZZS’s mentality after he has made peace with himself —— liberated, no longer tortured by the past.

但得一知己 慰尽风尘无奈 But to have found a soulmate, is enough to console my helpless sufferings

Analysis: This line originates from Wei Yingwu’s Jian Lu Zhi. The full poem reads:

How pitiful, the Song of White Snow hadn’t found its zhiyin Troubled by military matters, time slipped by on Huaihai shores. Streamside trees hold on to morning dews, mountain birds chirp at spring’s remnants I have a gourd of wine, which is some consolation to all these sufferings.

Wei Yingwu was upset at his own lack of zhiyin, lack of “the one who understands”, so he could only find “consolation to all these sufferings” in wine. In comparison, ZZS is more fortunate, in the sense that he has met his own zhiji, his soulmate, the one who understands him, which is enough of a comfort to all the sufferings he has gone through.

(Plainly speaking, ZZS is just declaring his love, “Only at the point of meeting you who is so perfect, that I can understand, everything I went through was worth it.”)

(Confession, again…)

[Together]

任山高水远 你在我也在 Mountains grow tall, rivers run far. As long as you’re here, so am I

Analysis: “Mountains grow tall, rivers run far” is derived from “mountains grow tall, rivers run long”, conveying longevity and everlastingness. This line refers to WenZhou’s final ending, forever in each other’s company, living on top of Mt. Changming.

Translator’s Notes, Bibliography and Recommended Readings:

Unless cited above, english translations of referenced poems/lines are mine. Most of them are very rough, just to capture the literal meanings. If you spot any mistakes, feel free to reach out to me.

1. Drinking Alone Under the Moonlight - Li Bai

《月下独酌四首》 - 李白

This is a quartet of poems, the cited one is the first of four (其一).

2. The Tomb of Su Xiaoxiao - Li He

《苏小小墓》 - 李贺

Recommended reading: On the auditory depiction of Li He’s “ghostly writing style”, a thesis by Wen Yu.

3. Untitled Twin Poems - Li Shangyin

《无题二首》 - 李商隐

Li Shangyin in fact wrote many untitled poems, and a quick Baidu search shows several results for 无题二首. The referenced set is this one, with translation by Li Zeng, page 211 of this thesis.

4. Anchoring At Guazhou - Wang Anshi

《泊船瓜洲》 - 王安石

Recommended reading: Commentary on Wang Anshi’s Anchoring At Guazhou.

5. To the Tune of “Tian Jing Sha”: Autumn Thoughts - Ma Zhiyuan. Translation by Andrew Wong.

《天净沙 秋思》 - 马致远

Recommended reading: On the visuals and poetic narrative of Autumn Thoughts, How to Read Chinese Poetry: A Guided Anthology, page 334.

6. To the Tune of “Qing Ping Yue”: Sleeping Alone in the Wangs’ Hut under Mt. Bo - Xin Qiji.

《清平乐 独宿博山王氏庵》 - 辛弃疾

7. A Flower In A Sinful Sea - Zeng Pu

《孽海花》 - 曾朴

8. Lang Tao Sha - Liu Yuxi. Translation by Frank C Yue.

《浪淘沙九首》 - 刘禹锡

This is a series of nine poems. The cited line comes from the first of nine (其一). In similar fashion to Tian Jing Sha, because a ci poem is composed to this tune, it’s called a 词牌名 cibaiming. 

9. Rising Late: After A Morning’s Slumber - Bai Juyi

《晚起 烂熳朝眠后》 - 白居易

10. Tea After Snow - Lu You

《雪后煎茶》 - 陆游

11. Dream of the Red Mansion - Cao Xueqin

《红楼梦》 - 曹雪芹

From Part 27, Burying Flower Song 《葬花吟》. It’s a very lengthy poem. Here's one fully translated version. I’d recommend the translation by Herbert A. Gilles, published in A History of Chinese Literature as well (ebook, page 365). The english translation of Hong Lou Meng can be found on Project Gutenberg.

12. To the Tune of “Nan Xiang Zi”: With Yang Yuansu, At My Transference to Mizhou - Su Shi

《南乡子 和杨元素，时移守密州》 - 苏轼

Again, Nan Xiang Zi is tune title/cibaiming. Recommended reading: brief line-by-line explanation - Reddit.

13. Waterbag Dance - Fan Zhongyan 

《苏幕遮》 - 范仲淹

This poem can also be titled To the Tune of “Su Mu Zhe”: Reminiscence (苏幕遮 怀旧) as Su Mu Zhe is another tune title/cibaiming. Translation by Xu Yuanchong, published in Xu Yuanchong Translates 300 Song Dynasty’s Poems (许渊冲译宋词三百首; ebook)

14. Climbing High - Du Fu. Translation.

《登高》 - 杜甫

15. To the Tune of “The Immortals by the River”: Gushing Yangtze River Flows Eastwards - Yang Shen. Translation by Alice Poon.

《临江仙 滚滚长江东逝水》 or 《临江仙》 - 杨慎

16. Self Consolation - Luo Yin

《自遣》 - 罗隐

17. Jian Lu Zhi - Wei Yingwu

《简卢陟》 - 韦应物

Jian Lu Zhi or Note to Lu Zhi is written by Wei Yingwu to his nephew Lu Zhi. Because I had access to the physical copy of In Such Hard Times: The Poetry of Wei Ying-wu (translated by Red Pine), here is an alternative with much more refined wordings taken from the book:

“You still haven’t met someone who knows the touching tune White Snow I worry about you on the march stumbling along Huaihai shores streamside trees are clinging to morning rain wild birds are singing to what is left of spring I have a gourd of wine so big it will wash away the dust of the road.”

Due to the lack of subject in the first line, it is unclear if Wei Yingwu was talking about his nephew’s lack of a bosom friend or his own. Despite the english phrasing, Red Pine noted that it could be referring to both. In the last line, “dust of the road” or 风尘 is a metaphorical way of referring to mortal sufferings.

#word of honor #shan he ling #woh #shl #山河令 #woh meta #tian ya ke #also tagging this under #chinese poetry #long post #translation #just backing up my tls from bird app but coincidentally today is also the 3rd anniversary of WOH script reading!

[sirenofthegreenbanks]

an angle that i think is underexplored with wkx is that he is very unpleasant to be around for the first third of the show because he is a fake, self-righteous gossipper. he talks shit about people behind their back with an insufferable, righteous air. he avoids vulnerability and lifts his voice to make clear he holds the monopol on being morally correct. ive seen him put into queen bee and mean girl clique leader roles but i think rather than this, he is much less self-contained and less self-aware as he is convinced he is. in media, the queen bee or the leader of a mean girl clique is calculatated, whip smart, self aware, and unapogoletic about it. she doesnt want to change, she likes what shes doing. she knows shes mean; she enjoys it. wkx thinks he is the underdog, but he has too much power to be the underdog anymore. hes like a white feminist girlboss thinking he is being oppressed when in actuality, he is on his best way to becoming what he seeks to call out. in our witch hunt purity culture public humiliation perfomative activism era, this is incredibly on the point

#this is also what zzs critisizes imo. #its not just wkx letting himself be consumed by revenge #this psychological exploration of a good and sustainable life with good and sustainable choices vs investing in energy draining stuff #its also that wkx is a trash talker who doesnt know where to put his power. and he is far too powerful to not safely know it #it is draining to be near him and know he is so incredibly wrong. he clearly didnt get out enough and it shows #to zzs he must seem to be exactly like jin wang #im pretty sure he gets some warflashbacks during some of wkx's worst moments lmao #wkx meta #word of honor #wen kexing #wen kexing from woh #my thoughts #let wen kexing be cringe

[cartoonrival]

fanbases are so different from one another and u don’t realize this until you dive headlong from one directly into another

#txt157 #s0nic fans are WAYYYYY less inclined to write analysis whereas **** fans literally never stop doing that #EVERYONES written a little meta even if u don’t consider urself an essayist #also way less enthusiasm in the tags from s0!8 #woh wtf #way less enthusiasm in the tags from s0nic fans #also also **** are exTREMELY melodramatic abt the source material #but s0nic fans do that way less? there’s still some ofc ofc but the ratio of angst to not that is wayyy different #idk. interesting. and my habits from **** make me feel kind of like.. well who’s this guy. clearly the new kid

[gffa]

You would think, after a month of voracious reading of BATFAMILY fic, that I would at least begin to slow down, because I still primarily read I’m Having Dick Grayson Feelings And I’m Making That Everyone Else’s Problem, but I have also discovered that I have Jason feelings, I have Tim feelings, and I have Damian feelings. Which of course I knew before, but what I really learned is that other people have made this my problem now, too. And by that I mean that there’s amazing fic on all of the Bat babies and I am not immune. So, you may still have to scroll a bit, but if there’s an idiot badass with black hair and blue eyes, you’ll hopefully find something here to cry about with me, because what are any of us even in this fandom for, if not for the Feelings Hell About Vigilantes With Emotional Problems? BATFAM FIC RECS - BABY DICK IS THE CUTEST FERAL ROBIN I’M NOT HEARING ANY ARGUMENTS: ✦ it is with my whole life by dustorange, dick & bruce, 2.2k      Nine-year-old Dick’s been kidnapped. Bruce tries not to fall apart. ✦ World’s Finest: Lake Weekend by WingFeathers, dick & bruce & clark (& clark/bruce), 10.3k      Bruce and Dick invite Clark to the lakehouse for a long weekend around Rosh Hashanah, but Dick has trouble sleeping outside the Manor, and Bruce isn’t as available as he should be. And all of this brings up a question: what exactly are the three of them, a bat-vigilante and his ward and his superhero boyfriend? Could they be something like a family? (And how will they eat with Alfred not taking care of them?) ✦ Revision by takadainmate, dick & bruce, 3.8k      New to Bruce Wayne, new to being Robin, new to being alone, Dick didn’t believe there would ever be anyone there for him again. ✦ count the stars by emavee, dick & bruce, 3.7k      He doesn’t know what to do. It’s not like he can stop the storm. If he could wave a magic wand and make the sky clear—or even if he could call up someone from his large contact list full of metas who could control the weather—he would. He would honestly disrupt Gotham’s weather patterns if it meant Dick would stop crying. Or: Dick doesn’t like thunderstorms, so Bruce takes him somewhere where they can’t touch him. ✦ cautionary tale by drakefeathers, dick & bruce & young justice, 11.4k      Q: “Why did Queen Bee want Robin taken in alive in Bereft?” A: “Think of Speedy as a cautionary tale.” ✦ batman & robin by chickenmuffinsoup55555, dick & bruce, 4.8k      The Batman has a shadow. A shadow clad in reds and greens with a smile like sunshine. Bruce is adjusting. ✦ five times someone told Bruce he was a good dad… by emavee, dick & bruce & clark & selina & cast, 10.3k      …and one time it mattered ✦ Phobias by RascalJoy (DarkQuill), dick & bruce & alfred, 18.4k wip      It was stupid. It was irrational. Dick knew that. There was no good reason for him to be afraid; he had been doing this for most of his young life. And yet… Five times Dick fell, and the one time Robin didn’t. ✦ I Hate Dick by JeanjacketCarf, dick & bruce & talia, 3.7k      “Robin wrapped his legs around the Bats’ neck and rested his head on top of the cowl. Then he stuck his tongue out at Talia. Talia felt her face growing hot with anger. She tried to restrain it. The Bat loved this child for some unholy reason.” ✦ shades of blue by thatsveryambitiousofyou, dick & bruce, 2.4k      Dick Grayson has blue eyes. Or the one where Bruce tries harder BATFAM FIC RECS - ADULT BATSON AND BATDAD ARE MY KRYPTONITE, I FOLD LIKE WET CARDBOARD FOR THEM: ✦ Withdrawal by Sohotthateveryonedied, dick & bruce & cast, 1.8k      It’s been six hours since he got dosed. The green ring around his eyes has been faded since dawn. It won’t be long before the withdrawal hits him in full force. ✦ The Post-Mission Ponderings of Brucerman and NightBunny by Ptelea, dick & bruce, 4.8k      This is just sheer (metaphorical) fluff to follow up on the (somewhat more literal) fluff of Wayne Family Adventures, season 2, episode 54, S'tel ees a cigam wohs! Heavy on the puns, even heavier on Bruce being struck by amazement at how much he loves his oldest son. ✦ gotta make a stand (but I am just a man) by CaptainOzone, dick & bruce & alfred, 2.3k      Bruce makes it back to the Cave, injured and exhausted, but remarkably alive. He expects Alfred to meet him. He meets someone else. Or: a third credit scene in which Nightwing makes an appearance. ✦ The Hand in My Hand by audreycritter, dick & bruce, 4.4k      Dick offers himself in exchange for some hostages and it does not go as planned. ✦ Yesterday by I_Have_To_Get_Off_This_Planet, dick & bruce, 1.5k      Dick was pretty sure this was what dying felt like. He was curled up, almost in fetal position, on his bed in the Manor. He was there for the holidays, and he had been looking forward to their entire family being together for once. Even Jason had agreed to come. And now he was gonna die before Christmas even arrived. ✦ I Bet On Losing Dogs by Anonymous, dick & bruce, 2.5k      (Or; Bruce’s relationship with his oldest and how it slowly starts to mend, with only a little push from his friends.) ✦ You can pick your battles but you can’t pick your poison by woodenwashbucket, dick & bruce, 1.8k      “Hey, am I bleeding a lot somewhere?” Nightwing asked. Batman gave him an unimpressed look, but Nightwing shook his head. “Seriously. I feel off.” Nightwing wobbled. Batman grabbed him by the shoulders before they could find out if he would have fallen, and Nightwing met his eyes with undisguised alarm. “Ok, maybe worse than off,” he said. BATFAM FIC RECS - EVERYBODY LOVES DICK: ✦ what’s past is prologue by Icestorm238, dick & bruce & jason & damian, time travel, 18.1k      Dick Grayson, bestowed with the memories of an alternate life, decides that things are going to go better this time. Priority number one: preventing Jason’s death. ✦ exactly how this grace thing works by irnan, dick & bruce & barbara & jason & cast, de-aged!dick, 22.7k      Dick gets de-aged. You’d think this would be a routine thing. ✦ sick day by daringyounggrayson, dick & roy & titans, 1.2k      Dick tries to power through a cold and lead a training session with the Teen Titans. It doesn’t exactly work out. ✦ The Gravity of Tempered Grace by CamsthiSky, dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian & selina, 10k      He’s sick, he finally catches on, and at that moment, a cough builds up in his chest, and he barely has enough energy to sit up enough to let his lungs work properly. A coughing fit later, and Dick’s breaths are making a horrible wheezing sound that makes him sound like one of Titus’ chew toys. That’s bad. He’s pretty sure that’s bad. ✦ you swallowing matches by torielle, roy/dick & bruce, NSFW, 8.2k      A month after being fired as Robin, Dick is forced to attend a Wayne gala, and is grateful for a particular friendly face. ✦ The Shape Of You (Was Jagged And Weak) by WinterSky101, dick & bruce & slade & jason & tim & damian & batfam, 40.6k      Six months ago, Nightwing died. They never found the body. Last week, Deathstroke arrived in Gotham. He brought a partner with him. ✦ You say you wanna stay by my side (Darling, your head’s not right) by wlwintersoldier, roy/dick & lian & donna, 2.5k      Dick is stupid and reckless on a mission, whats new, and Roy deals with the fallout ✦ Laundry Mishaps by JeanjacketCarf, dick/babs & jason & tim & damian & cass & steph & duke, 3.5k      Dick’s siblings often show up unannounced and take his stuff without asking. It’s how they show their love. Or Dick’s washing machine is commandeered for Steph’s laundry, his clothes disappear, he goes to girl’s night, has brunch, gets a little shot, and picks his baby brother up from school in about a week and a half while the secret group chat has a grand old time. BATFAM FIC RECS - JASON TODD IS AN ASSHOLE CAT, I’M GONNA THROW HIM AT DICK BECAUSE IT’S FUNNY (AND MAYBE SOME OF HIS OTHER SIBLINGS TOO): ✦ Two Dead Birds by InsaneTrollLogic, jason & dick & tim, time travel, 29k      There’s some lunatic in a red helmet running through Jason’s territory. He wants to think it’s a copycat. He’s wrong. BATFAM FIC RECS - DICK AND DAMIAN WERE THE BEST BATMAN & ROBIN, I’M NOT HEARING ARGUMENTS ABOUT THAT EITHER: ✦ Won’t You Stay A While? by fishfingersandjellybabies, dick & damian & cast, 2.8k      Ric did not expect to find a child sitting on the hood of his cab. Damian did expect to get his brother back. ✦ birdgrief by windupclock, dick & bruce & damian, 1.5k      How could you? Dick doesn’t say. Get out of my sight, Dick doesn’t say. What the hell is wrong with you? Dick doesn’t say. Tim storms out. Dick is left to deal with Damian. ✦ we’re like long lost brothers who found each other (and love each other like family) by drakefeathers, dick & damian, 9.3k      ongoing collection of scenes set when Dick is Batman and Damian is his Robin, ranging from cute to sad (hopefully not too sad). not chronological. ✦ I’ll Carry You by BrickSheep, dick & damian & bruce & tim, 2.1k      Dick Grayson will take every opportunity he can just to carry Damian in his arms. ✦ in my own imperfect way by notquiteaghost, dick & damian & bruce, 1.8k      Dick jokes, a lot, about being the only reason Bruce still remembers how to talk to people. About breaking him in for everyone else. He was Robin first, and he was Robin longest, and he’s why Bruce took in the others, he’s why Bruce isn’t dead in a ditch somewhere. And the jokes are funny! He’s never trying to be passive aggressive, or guilt trip, or whatever else. He and Bruce have spent enough time, now, pointedly not actually looking at each other, pulling words out in painful fits and starts. Dick knows where they stand. They’re good. But. ✦ (Un)Fortunate Son by Syl, dick & damian & bruce & cast, 26.1k wip      Bruce reaches a decision about Damian. Dick disagrees and decides to do something about it. BATFAM FIC RECS - BATKIDS ALL HAVE MANY SIBLINGS AND THEY’RE ALL PETTY ASSHOLES AND/OR WONDERFUL BABIES AND I LOVE THEM WITH MY WHOLE BEING: ✦ Overcoming Our Antecedents by Batbirdies, jason & bruce & dick, 31.4k      Bruce swallows, closing his eyes for a brief moment before he takes another, steadying breath and presses both hands to his face. He just needs a moment. Needs to remember where he is, what year it is, that Jason is not actually fifteen, he only looks like he is. This is temporary. This is just a temporary problem that needs to be contained until they can change Jason back. This is not a repeat of events already passed. This is not a second chance. ✦ what’s past is prologue by Icestorm238, dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian & barbara & steph & cast, time travel, 84.9k      Dick Grayson, bestowed with the memories of an alternate life, decides that things are going to go better this time. Things take a few unintended turns, and the consequences of his actions ripple through his family. ✦ And the Scene Slips Away (To the Evenness I Fake) by Kirazalea, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & duke & alfred & cast, rape aftermath/read the tags, 37k      One mistake is all it took to force Jason back into the wonderful world of the Wayne family. Now publicly and legally alive once more, he’s forced to spend the next two weeks of his life stuck in the Manor with the whole family. This leads to several strengthened relationships and the realization that maybe he’s missed a few things over the years. Things that he’s now determined to get to the bottom of. ✦ now the clock is melting (so’s my mouth and so’s my mind) by SilverSkiesAtMidnight, tim & bruce & dick & cast, 4.1k      The League’s base is not built to welcome strangers. Bruce is not a stranger. ✦ what catches and who holds by victoria_p (musesfool), dick & cass, 3k      Dick never wanted to be Batman. Cass always did. ✦ Bet on it by Lysical, jason & damian & jon, 2.4k      Even Damian could admit that his older siblings occasionally had their uses. “I need your assistance,” Damian said, voice low and tense. “No,” Jason replied, and hung up. ✦ a soft place to land by unchosenone, dick & tim, 3k      Tim rubs the back of his head, trying to affect a joking tone. “I knew I should’ve just gone for the new escrima sticks.” Dick is ready to be a good big brother to his grieving little bro. Tim flips the script. ✦ Consanguineous Ministrations by Briarwitched, bruce & kon-el & clark & dick, 23.9k      “Who gave you a baby?” Dick demanded, the instant Bruce opened the front door, eyes drawn immediately to the sobbing infant on Bruce’s hip that he gently bounced to no avail. At the same time, Bruce muttered, “I told you, it’s fine, you didn’t have to come.” Alternatively titled, “Let’s give Batfleck alien baby problems”. ✦ The League of Extraordinary Bowling Bats by chibi_nightowl, dick & jason & tim & damian & bruce & alfred & cassandra & stephanie, 5k      “What did Dickiebird do? Steal all your other shirts?” The shirt is bright green with wide yellow stripes pretending to be a pin stripe running vertically across it. On the back, in bright red letters, “Timmy” is spelled out. “You’re next,” he spits out, shooting Jason the worst glare he could muster. “He’s got one for you too.” ✦ a cheese raspberry flavored void (except not really) by dottie_dc (dottie_wan_kenobi), Marzue, SilverSkiesAtMidnight, Squintyfist (ErzasCake), dick & jason & tim & damian & bruce & alfred & cast, 3k      “Jason.” Dick walks up to the desk, suspiciously peering around. Jason jerks and attempts to get in his way, but Dick is quick and fully willing to vault over his brother. Only, Jason immediately latches onto him, and the momentum sends them stumbling back, knocking into the desk. It’s a good thing Jason stopped him, for right behind the desk, where Dick would’ve landed, is a swirling void. ✦ The Talk by InsaneTrollLogic, dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian, 2k      Bruce never gave Dick the Talk. Dick was grateful for that right up until the time Damian sat through his first health class and started asking questions. ✦ Brothers in War by IaMcHrIsSi, jason & dick & cast, 3.2k      Jason, Cass and Damian ran from the League. In Bludhaven, they run into Dick. Literally. Dick just wanted to get breakfast. ✦ Baby I’m Bi Bi Bi by Sohotthateveryonedied, dick & steph, 1.5k      Dick catches her staring. “Oh, yeah. Forgot I had that. I bought it for when Wally, Donna and I were planning to go to Gotham Pride last year but a Joker thing came up and I didn’t get to go. You can just toss it. I have a ton of other bi merch and I only bought that one because Donna pressured me into it, anyway.” Steph looks down at the t-shirt and bites her lip. “Actually…I think I’ll keep it, if you don’t mind.” ✦ two attempted robberies too many by tsuchann, dick & bruce & jason, 2.2k      Dick could have knocked out the man before he had the chance to blink let alone pull the trigger, but he wasn’t dumb, and he worried his reaction would have caused the other robbers to shoot, because in the bank, at the middle of it all, with a gun pressed to his head, was Dick’s little brother. ✦ That the Ripest Might Fall by Ellegrine, TheFightingBull, dick & jason & tim & damian & bruce, reverse robins, 2.4k      Jason stared at the fallen chandelier. The priceless, fallen chandelier. They were dead. They were so, so dead! ✦ the butler’s neighbor by deargalileo, tim & alfred & bruce, 16.6k      it starts with a baseball, thrown onto the wayne’s property. it’s alfred’s job to deal with such happenings, of course. but over tea and galas, it turns into so much more. after all, why should bruce be the only one allowed to adopt any child that he finds? ✦ the straw drawer by deargalileo, dick & bruce & jason & tim & alfred, 7.4k      sometimes, love is stored in the straws. a story about family, traditions, and gifts, through the medium of crazy straws. (a companion piece to the butler’s neighbor, so i would suggest reading that first) ✦ you gotta push all the doubt to the side of your mouth by danishsweethearts, dick & stephanie & cast, 1.7k      Steph practices mindfulness. BATFAM FIC RECS - DICK/BABS FOREVER AND YOU CAN SHUT IT IF YOU DISAGREE, THEY’RE ADORABLE TOGETHER: ✦ Crime and… by Ladymercury_10, dick/babs, 1.7k      “Are you punishing me with glitter? That’s not a very good punishment, Babs.” ✦ the dickbabs baby au. by thychesters, dick/babs & batfam, 49.1k wip      Telling Dick she’s pregnant is much more stressful than she was hoping it would be. Them telling the rest of their families and friends? Yeah, easier said than done. BATFAM FIC RECS - I WILL DIE ON THE HILL THAT TIM DRAKE’S TRUE LOVE INTEREST IS CONNER KENT AND NOBODY CAN STOP ME, NOT EVEN GOD: ✦ buy back the secrets by sundiscus, tim/kon & bruce & clark & jason & cast, 48.1k wip      He takes a long, slow breath. Ignores the glares from the other students. “Superboy,” he murmurs. “It’s me. If you’re listening, I could use some help.” Or: 5 times Superboy saves Tim Drake, and one time Tim Drake saves Superboy. ✦ Grevious Misuse of TTK (or, Alternate Uses for TTK) by Cfae8, tim/kon, NSFW, 1.4k      Tim wakes up to someone touching him. But Kon’s hands haven’t moved. ✦ The Lost Art of Minding Your Goddamn Business by JpegDotJpeg, tim/kon & jason, 2k      Tim just sputtered, looking thoroughly scandalized for someone standing in the middle of the irrefutable evidence of his own fornication. If the furniture looked this bad, Jason couldn’t imagine that little Timmy had escaped Superboy’s super cock completely unscathed. “It’s not that bad,” Tim said, gesturing to the carnage, but he didn’t even sound convinced of his own words. “It looks like the fucking honeymoon scene from Twilight in here.” ✦ Practice Makes Perfect by rotasha, tim/kon & jason, NSFW, 18.3k      Kon is trying to seduce someone – he won’t tell Tim who – and he enlists Tim’s help to try to hone his flirtation skills. This surely won’t end in disaster for Tim, who’s had a thing for Kon practically since they met. BATFAM FIC RECS - TAKE THE ANGST DIAL, TURN IT UP TO ELEVEN, AND BREAK THE KNOB OFF, THAT’S WHAT I’M HERE FOR: ✦ Wait, What? by PandasandDucks13, dick & bruce & titans, 2.4k      Dick Grayson finds something interesting while applying for college. On a side note: He should really evaluate how many felonies he commits on a regular basis ✦ Dawn Breaks Through the Window by sElkieNight60, dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian, depression/read the tags, 14.7k      Without realizing it, Dick has fallen into a listless apathy, but when an incident cuts a little too close, Bruce and his brothers are there to remind him just how loved he is. ✦ Wisdom Always Chooses These Black Eyes and These Bruises by audreycritter, dick & bruce, 3.2k      After a severe, life-changing injury, Dick and Bruce have an epic fight and then fall back together. Sometimes, family hurts you the most, but that doesn’t stop how much you need them. ✦ your continental divides by isawet, reisling, dick & bruce & damian & barbara & cassandra & stephanie & donna & roy & wally & artemis & cast, rape aftermath/read the tags, 26.7k      When running doesn’t work and working doesn’t work, home is the place you go where they have to take you in. Dick’s home has never been Gotham; it’s always been the people.

#lumi.txt #dc #batfam #bruce wayne #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #damian wayne #timkon #fic recs #batman fic recs #long post #really long post

[enbymoomin]

Shows I Watched in 2022: Ranked!

This is very late, but I wanted to do this anyway. Surprisingly, it turns out I actually watched 22 shows in 2022!

Because I’m me, I decided to systematically rank them all by scoring each show out of 5 in three categories: Blorboness (how blorbable the characters are, how much they rotate through my mind), Quality (execution, narrative elements), and Enjoyability (including and especially rewatchability). Then, I totaled the categories for a final score out of 15. Here we go! >:)

1. Kinnporsche the Series - 15 pts

Blorboness: 5

Quality: 5

Enjoyability: 5

Comment: On my list of favorite shows of all time, KP is second only to Black Sails. Black fucking Sails. Let that sink in. But the attention to detail in the cinematography, symbolism, meta, relationships, queerness, EVERYTHING absolutely merits its place next to The King <33

2. Word of Honor - 15 pts

Blorboness: 5

Quality: 5

Enjoyability: 5

3. The Untamed - 15 pts

Blorboness: 5

Quality: 5

Enjoyability: 5

Comment: This show was actually revolutionary for me because it was the first time I saw that I could be both queer and Chinese. WOH only ranks higher bc the WOMEN 😳🏳️‍🌈

4. Young Royals S2 - 15 pts

Blorboness: 5

Quality: 5

Enjoyability: 5

5. The Owl House - 15 pts

Blorboness: 5

Quality: 5

Enjoyability: 5

The rest below the cut for your dashes:

6. First Kill - 14 pts

Blorboness: 5

Quality: 4

Enjoyability: 5

7. The Sandman - 14 pts

Blorboness: 4

Quality: 5

Enjoyability: 5

Comment: Sure, none of them in the gif are Dream nor Hob Gadling but I think this trio deserves more love and attention <33

8. Our Flag Means Death - 14 pts

Blorboness: 3

Quality: 5

Enjoyability: 5

Comment: extra point +1 for pirates <333

9. What We Do In The Shadows - 14 pts

Blorboness: 4

Quality: 5

Enjoyability: 5

10. We Best Love - 12 pts

Blorboness: 4

Quality: 4

Enjoyability: 4

Comment: shout out to one of The Best Kisses Of All Time in media

11. Heartstopper - 11 pts

Blorboness: 2

Quality: 5

Enjoyability: 4

Comment: I was surprised how much I liked it! Generally I feel like I don’t really need these kind of stories anymore for me personally, but it really took me by surprise :))

12. Gap the Series - 10 pts

Blorboness: 4

Quality: 3

Enjoyability: 3

13. Love Victor S3 - 10 pts

Blorboness: 3

Quality: 4

Enjoyability: 3

Comment: SHOCKED that Love, Victor is this high up tbh but I gotta say I can’t really dunk it. It did good :))

14. Love in the Air - 9.5 pts

Blorboness: 3

Quality: 3

Enjoyability: 3.5

Comment: PrapaiSky my beloveds ilysm but I cannot fucking stand Rain, so. It ranks here :(( (If I divided LITA into first half & second half, the rankings would be drastically different)

15. Big Dragon - 9.25 pts

Blorboness: 3

Quality: 2 (honorable) (affectionate) (derogatory)

Enjoyability: 3.25

Comment: I had fun watching this show but. It’s so fucking bad!!! (affectionate) Extra point +1 for how fucking bad it is!!!!

16. Never Have I Ever S3 - 9 pts

Blorboness: 2

Quality: 4

Enjoyability: 3

17. The Gilded Age - 9 pts

Blorboness: 1.5

Quality: 4

Enjoyability: 3.5

Comment: It was so good, it caught me by surprise! No real blorbos tho :((

18. The Umbrella Academy S3 - 9 pts

Blorboness: 3

Quality: 3

Enjoyability: 3

19. Brooklyn Nine-Nine - 7 pts

Blorboness: 1

Quality: 3

Enjoyability: 3

20. Lovely Writer - 6 pts

Blorboness: 1 (Tiffy 👀😍)

Quality: 3

Enjoyability: 2

Comment: I love the message they were going for but then they also. Still played into the same thing they were criticizing. So it was a bit confusing 🤨 Ended up dropping quality a bit and enjoyability too

21. Cherry Magic - 2 pts

Blorboness: 0

Quality: 2

Enjoyability: 0

Comment: Okay. I know this is controversial and maybe I was just in a bad place when I watched it. I have also learned more historical/cultural context for the show since then that gives me a greater appreciation for it now. I think I’m still going to rate this based on my reaction to watching it in the moment, but perhaps Cherry Magic deserves a second chance from me in the future. 👀

HONORABLE DEROGATORY LAST PLACE: 22. Advance Bravely - -1 (yes negative <3)

Blorboness: 1

Quality: -5

Enjoyability: 3

Comment: This was so confusing it was incredible i would never recommend it i think it’s mandatory viewing in the gjcu (gong jun cinematic universe). I thank and largely blame @sugarbabywenkexing for inspiring me to watch this.

I had fun making this! Thank you to all the Tumblr gif makers who a) made this post possible and b) convinced me to watch these shows in the first place. Feel free to yell about shows with me in my ask box or messages. 😎

#kinnporsche #kinnporsche the series #word of honor #the untamed #cql #young royals #the owl house #first kill #the sandman #our flag means death #ofmd #what we do in the shadows #wwdits #we best love #heartstopper #gap the series #love victor #love in the air #big dragon #never have i ever #the gilded age #the umbrella academy #brooklyn nine nine #lovely writer #cherry magic #advance bravely

[luckydragon10]

Introducing IMM

I'd like to introduce you to someone near and dear to my heart. Meet Philippe the Philosophical Flamingo:

Yes, we now have a logo (with credit to @antique-forvalaka for design). Look, when two members of the core group are actual marketers, this kind of thing happens.

The originators of IMM:

I'm Nemi. Hi. I picked up @antique-forvalaka (Siv) and then @fractured-ice (Soph) and we bonded over a shared love of Word of Honor, establishing Hanwenzhou Hell. Then we three came to KinnPorsche, and I swiftly adopted @moerusai, genius giffer.

Together, we formed IMM.

We have a common goal:

Our objective is to have a shit-ton of fun in fandom while sharing meta analysis, fanfic, and other creative works.

A few things to know about IMM:

We support each other in creative efforts, inspire each other, and geek out together.

IMM is not locked into any one fandom.

IMM does not take kindly to uncredited reposting.

IMM will shamelessly turn into an amoeba and absorb awesome meta-makers. (For instance, @chaoselmo and @minisculecosmos...oh, and @biochemjess, I haven't approached you yet, but don't think I haven't noticed your killer product placement breakdowns. Expect me to show up in your inbox.)

Also, IMM refers to @iffervescent as senpai, and we have a standing rule to always tell each other as soon as @laughsalot3412 updates Where Power Resides.

We're hitting the KinnPorsche fandom hard at the moment and probably will be doing so for quite a while.

IMM examples:

Nemi: Ep 3 Lines of Power, I'll Never Surrender (KP fic)

Siv: Colour Theory for Porsche, Assumptions about you (KP fic)

Soph: The Afterparty (KP fic), sit back and watch the world go by (WOH fic)

Mo: Kinn, Still Gay Still Murderous, Porsche and the Pee Bottle

chaoselmo: Tankhun costume analysis (we totally bullied chaoselmo into doing this)

minisculecosmos: A bit on Pete (we also bullied miniscule a bit...)

Any questions? 😎 🦩

#kinnporsche #fandom #my imm mates #yes we have a logo now #yes we're nerds

[granblue-advisor]

Hey! Sorry if this was asked before, but I wanted to ask whether the 4 Eden grid has been completely powercrept now? Am I better off running Magna now? I do have two Harmonia, but I do not have all the other Grands (Lu Woh Fist, Nehan's Harp, Eres, etc) I'm not sure how to transition this grid further for Zeus. I'm worried since Light GW is coming really soon!

4-eden is beyond dead, yes. I think if you already have them made, you might as well just keep using 3 with the Harmonias, but I don't have that many to test, so you'd have to see whether 2 Harmonia + 3 Lumi Harp sims higher.

I wouldn't make any investments into light right now either way given M3 is coming very soon. Even if M3 isn't good, I definitely would not bar any Edens given the current meta.

[pastelcheckereddreams]

Four Seasons Manor Update!

I am  eyeball deep in my set design research once again, and I have come to offer the Word of Honor fandom new images of the Siji Manor set (1) and the wider set (2,3), plus one that I’m sure is in the vacinity somewhere and fits the Siji Manor vibe, but I’m not 100% certain of (4). (The aerial shots I’m working with continue to be, true to the nature of the Passage of Time, very outdated - and my research speed is gruellingly slow.)

#let's all imagine happy everyone lives no one dies and the manor got rebuilt headcanons here #woh set design #siji manor #four seasons manor #hengdian world studios #woh meta #nikkispeaks

[vegetablejester]

I realise I never specified how tall Meta Knight is in WoH. And I really want to know how tall people who read it think he is. Because I will say he's under six foot tall

[antique-forvalaka]

Hi, I’m Sirvaria and welcome to my chaos blog! i post a lot of meta currently. Sometimes i do a bit of art, sometimes i write! i usally try to tag all #my stuff and #my work

You can also find me on ao3 as Sirvaria!

// disclaimer: this is so wildly out of date but im too lazy to make a new pinned //

My Writing:

Rags and Romance, Sass and Silk (1.5k, Word of Honor, Hanwenzhou)

Guzhu Furen (7k, Word of Honor, Hanwenzhou)

So i could let go (series, the heel + suit porn, currently tyk and woh)

Assumptions About You (6k, Kinnporsche)

Discoveries About Me (9.5k Kinnporsche)

My Word of Honor stuff:

Memes

Textposts pt1

Hanwenzhou hell: valentines collab

Textposts Supporting Cast edition

unhinged woh memes

Miscellaneous stuff:

Meta: Ghost Valley Devils Succession

Translation: Wang Rong unboxing WoH artbook

Can you believe i sometimes do fanart? It’s Han Ying!

Currently i also do a lot of cool stuff with my pals in the Insane Meta Mafia, formerly Hanwenzhou hell!

My KinnPorsche stuff:

Colour Theory Meta:

Major Players: Porsche

Major Players: Kinn

The Intersection of Kinn and Porsche / Green

Kinn’s Colour: A revision

Episode 2; Significant Scenes

Episode 3; Significant Scenes (+Tankhun)

Episode 4; Significant Scenes

Episode 5; Significant Scenes

Extra: Hidden Messages YT Video

Miscellaneous Meta:

The Portraits (pt 1)

mini meta: Porsche and fitting in with the minor family

mini meta: Kinn & Porsche and communicating

KinnPorsche Memes:

Episode 1 Memes

KinnPorsche Alignment Chart

More Memes

Porsche deserves dark underwear

Memes memes memes

[leavingtianchuang]

I've said I love the ending of WOH, and I do and I wanted that to be its own post because it's such a good thing we've gotten, but I also love how fandom chooses to grapple with the ending and transform it, because while it's happy--

I live in the rural US and that's the framework I'm coming from, and even here and now, in 2022, there's a widespread feeling in some places that to be queer is… how do I say this? How do I explain? I didn't get a degree in literature, so I often feel like I'm framing things inelegantly, but I'll try:

Many queer people leave the countryside for liberal cities. Even now, even today, you become an outcast from a still-staggeringly large number of rural communities when you make the choice to visibly love as a queer person. You can have a life and find community, but in order to do so, for many of us, you must give up your old life.

Zhou Zishu, who cries tears of bewildered, overwhelmed joy when he realizes Four Seasons Manor won't end with him -- who wants community, and tradition, and the good life that was taken from him once he founded Tianchuang -- is relegated by the narrative to a frozen mountain. He has a home, but he cannot stay there; he can only visit (can he, even?). He has become an outsider to the only life he ever truly wanted.

He has Wen Kexing, and Wen Kexing has him. We're given that much! And to be very clear, it's a tremendous amount. Over and over again, in the history of global queer cinema, we've received movies and shows that seemed impossible, or at least highly unlikely, for the time in which they were made. It is a lot to have a danmei-based show come out of China where two men exist together happily as immortals (with all the subtext that implies) during an era where the lives of certain danmei authors are being ruined: where they are still being harassed, cancelled, and ultimately jailed.

That final ending scene is tremendous, and I'm grateful -- my cheeks hurt from smiling when I watched it. But I also want to say... in terms of what we can imagine and create... let them come down off the mountain! Let them finish raising their child. Let Zhou Zishu come home and take up his place in society as a sect leader. Let Wen Kexing learn what it's like to be in supportive and loving community with others.

I can't help wondering if this would be what we'd be given in a happy-ending wuxia show that's perhaps a lot more heterosexual (ie, where Zhou Zishu's 'wife' is actually a woman). In other words, we've been given a story where they've been miraculously spared death, but it is still their queerness that shapes the narrative to require a larger sacrifice than what otherwise might be required of them. Ultimately, the framing of the story says: queer people can live and be happy, but it must be at a remove from the rest of society.

Queer people deserve to remain in society. Queer people deserve to love without being outcasts on the mountain. Queer people do not deserve to be refugees from the homes that raised them; they deserve to safely stay in the small towns they came from, and be part of the traditions they grew up with.

I've already expressed appreciation for a production that gave us as much as they could get away with. Thank you to all the fans who go further -- who write fic and meta, and make art, that allows Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing to go home.

#woh #word of honor #wenzhou #this doesn't get into tyk which is much happier and I'm happy tyk exists too #this is mostly me trying to express the... constraints that are placed around queer existence happiness and integration #even when queers are allowed to live and love #i want to express all of this with full love for what we've been given

[sirenofthegreenbanks]

on the note of my last reblog, i was thinking recently about how we keep examining (and how the show examines) the similarities between zzs and zcl and how zzs‘s own disregard of his own state of mind, as a result from inheriting too much responsibility too early and his years of handling failure and loss like signs of personal wickedness, makes him awkward and overwhelmed when confronted with zcl, a grieving and traumatised child carrying heavy expectations upon his back just like zzs did back then. but i havent seen an analysis yet on how wkx falls into the same traps. likely because wkx is the compassionate, attentive parent of their dynamic. where zzs is stern and tells zcl lots of unhelpful repressing bullshit, wkx offers zcl room to be angry, to grieve, to cry. hes also the one most vocal about his concerns regarding the five lakes alliance. he doesnt really seem like he is ignorant of zcl‘s struggles, and in many cases his own similar experiences seem to inform him in his worry and consideration. but i keep remembering how wkx creates forgeries of the glazed armour and orchestrates social infighting and uproar at the heroes conference, despite knowing that zcl carries a piece of the glazed armour in his stomach, that he is already hunted by most of jianghu, and that his life and safety isnt worth much to many in zcl‘s immediate vicinity. it makes me think of how wkx weaponized his own pain, his own body, to survive at the valley, and how he continues to exploit his own trauma to fuel his vengeance. i dont think he intends for the same to happen to zcl, but it is apparent that zcl is collateral damage to wkx, and that wkx is willing to destabilize zcl further if it means to succeed in his ideal concept of a purged society

#thats probably also the core part of wkx‘s major internal conflict #risking that innocents get harmed vs changing his mind about his plans #i dont think wkx expected to face that moral and psychological conflict when he set out from the valley #he is interestingly cold and fake in the first episodes #you can literally see him warming up #over the course of getting to know zcl better #he keeps getting confronted with the human consequence of his own choices #and it must confuse and challenge him greatly #wen kexing from woh #my thoughts #word of honor #wen kexing #zhang chengling #meta #shl

[a-very-fond-farewell]

niki tries new things!

So, just to let y’all know what I’ve been into the past few months, I decided to make a list. some of these things haven’t changed from the past but others have! so if you see me reblogging more about the new things you don’t have to be startled at all :)

A) things 🍑 I still enjoy:

word of honor & faraway wanderers : I don’t think that’s ever gonna change tbh. I’m still writing a long fic for woh and I plan to at least get another one finished for the fandom before taking a break from creating for it. I had one more in store, but it’s becoming oddly personal and I think I’ll work on it in my spare time and possibly never post it, who knows!;

winter begonia : I fell in love with the drama and I’m still reading the novel that it was based on, so of course I’m gonna stick to them for a very long time! I have a long wip in place and another planned for the drama, but they require a lot of research and I’m collecting various pieces of information to give them justice. so I may be on hold in the fandom but not forever!;

other various danmei novels/shows: I’m still waiting on winner is king drama to air :( so you can see me ranting about sha po lang in equal measure. then there’s golden stage, my absolute love, and lord seventh :D so yay for that!;

good omens : the love is resurfacing due to the new season creeping in on us, but it never quite left in the first place. expect more content on the ineffable husbands and their unruly children >:) cannot wait!;

welcome to night vale : I want to pick up the podcast again! :( but I’m a perfectionist at heart and I cannot fathom skipping episodes! so I will have to plan my listening schedule accordingly. wish me luck!;

B) things 👯‍♀️ I don’t quite enjoy anymore:

the untamed & mdzs : I’m sorry but... it’s not doing it for me anymore ;-; which is sad bc I made good friends through that ;—; but my sparks only come back in regards to it while reading meta or character analysis. I still have some fics saved that I occasionally re-read from my favorite authors, but I think I have outgrown my stay in the fandom. I will be forever grateful for mdzs for introducing me to a bunch of new interesting things to delve into in 2020, for keeping me company during forced isolation and for bringing me joy with lots of new people. AND I think it’s time to let go at the same time. this doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy my friends rambling to me about this or that character, this or that plot point or fanon scenario tho! I’ll just keep my distance and let them have fun :) it’s ok;

lotr & the hobbit : only a few of you will know that this blog was originally a bagginshield nostalgia blog in origin. the username is evidence of that after all! I will always love both fandoms, but I haven’t looked for new content of fics in a while and I routinely re-read old fics rather than engaging with brand new creations so... it’s time to let go. I considered changing my username too, but since i share it with my art blog idk what to do... we will see!;

anime in general : namely Mob Psycho 100. I will always love it, don’t get me wrong. but I haven’t had the emotional capacity to engage with mp100 final season yet and I don’t think I’m ready to let go of it. I will suspend my judgment for now, waiting for when I will be ready to properly move on;

C) NEW ✨ things I enjoy now:

house of the dragon : look. I don’t really care for got or the book!canon in general. I’m just a casual fan ;-; no need to explain all the details to me. more than being a rude tourist who doesn’t bother to learn about the culture, think of me as a tired hostess or steward forced to take a liking to the local fast food place in between flights. that would be me, flipping through the menu and getting hooked on r//haenicent content bc I’m but a smol bi and a simp for pretty and dramatic ladies. sue me. I’m not interested in the discourse, I don’t want to know who is terrible and why, this is fictional and I am tired. but if you see me reblogging stuff from there I will tag accordingly with the proper tags from now on, so you can mute safely;

the devil judge : some of you may have noticed I started talking about this kdrama somewhere about last October and I haven’t been the same since. I won’t write for the fandom but expect me to be annoying and hyper focused on it at all times when you less expect it. I can be quite steadfast in certain aspects of my fandom life and this is no exception;

helluva boss : me? liking indie-turned-super-popular animation? in this economy? it’s more likely than you’d think! look. I’m slightly less casual and more committed about this compared to my recent hotd fixation. but. once again, I have no interest in the discourse. I will reblog stuff from it and make an effort to tag even if I grew out of the habit as of recently. I found out about it last April and it helped with my anxiety. I’m enjoying something new after a long time and it doesn’t even require me to create content for it either. I can just lay back and chill. so. no fighting;

don’t hug me I’m scared : ik it’s unsettling and I care deeply about it, ok? but ik some of you are a bit uncomfortable with the material so I will take precautions and tag appropriately. I will only reblog stuff from the fandom bc I have no mental energy to create any content for it. I have no ship to board and no intention to join any ship tho, so there’s that. I just like the medium and mindlessly engage with it, triggering or not. sometimes I trigger myself just by paying attention to it, but I won’t subject y’all to it and will tag, I promise;

dune : I will be obnoxious about it. blame the upcoming movie for it. the visuals are pretty, the ladies are even prettier and even though I don’t really care for the tim boy I am endlessly entertained by his character since Paul and his life choices are amusing to me: he makes no damn sense, compels me though. also expect me to be annoying af about bene gesserit shenanigans in general bc. well. I’m only human;

the hunger games : less than dune, but the new movie interests me quite a bit. I love me some fictional villains and meta on them. their fictional struggles fascinate me. I don’t want to engage in the discourse with this one either;

succession : I have not watched the series, but an old friend of mine very enthusiastically insisted I give it a try so I will do that while trying to avoid spoilers at the same time. the stakes are high!;

D) things 👀 I’m looking forward to:

crafting : I want to make tiny things ;-; where is the time tho????

reading : there are so many things I want to read! mental health has been wild recently, I barely had energy to keep up with my favorite fic updates :( that’s all I have had energy for in the past few months ;—;

drama series : I’ve been given excellent suggestions but I keep falling asleep at odd times and haven’t found the time for that yet. which is very sad and very upsetting;

drawing : I feel like I haven’t practiced in a very long time and that’s unacceptable!;

music : I have new albums to listen to from my favorite artists, but I feel like I’m putting it off bc I fear I won’t enjoy them much :( , on the other hand I have received amazing suggestions and I’m excited to give them a try!;

I think this is all! I will probably put a “keep reading” on this later on. but yeah! It’s nice to be back :)

#sneaky niki #if any of you are uncomfortable with me liking any of these things know that I want you to be happy #if you want to unfollow me it’s ok #if we are mutuals then by all means I want you to prioritize your happiness #usernames have changed so I might not recognize some of u #but it’s ok. you do u. I do me. hope you will be enjoying yourself on this platform too :)