In the latest edition of cql/mdzs rare pairs that completely blindsided me, let's talk about Jiang Cheng and Lan Jingyi.
This ship has the Vibe of that volcano experiment you had in elementary: Explosive? You bet. Educational? Probably. Wildly Entertaining? Hell yeah.
First off, endless Dramatic Potential. Age difference, power dynamics, secret relatioships, outsider povs reactions when they Find Out - take your pick.
Jin Ling. Half of the Drama Material alone is in the very spicy take "my best friend, and my uncle who practically raised me are together." Whichever end of the spectrum JL is on the support/acceptance scale, it's bound to be interesting.
These two are probably the most similar in temperament in the surface level but there's also enough differences to make the ship plausible. One of the things I appreciated in the rewatch is that LJY is often used for exposition dump and so he comes off as super knowledgeable about the world (eg. info on Dancing Goddess) Also, he's perceptive and smart. He's the first person to point out that WWX is not as crazy as he pretends to be as MXY. So he and JC could def have intellectual conversations (hello casefic/nighthunts)
Also when I rewatched ep 1-2 I noticed some Very Interesting things. In the few scenes they are both together with a crowd LJY doesn't speak up during tense scenes, allowing LSZ to be LWJ's Diplomatic Translator. But then there's this One Exchange when JC whips out Zidian at MY (who's already WWX) and he's like "wtf why didn't that work thats impossible" and GUESS WHO HAS THE AUDACITY TO SPEAK OUT WHEN EVERYONES INTERNALLY LIKE "wtf is going on oooh shit"
Thats right our boi LJY. Not only that but he literally says "sect leader pls stop" then proceeds to lecture JC on the features of his own spiritual weapon. LJY does Gusu Library have a cultivation wiki section because is this even public information?? How do you know these v specific things hmmmm maybe you have an inside source like the owner of the spiritual weapon?
And JC doesn't even scold him but instead Actually Slips Composure by asking him, LJY, on how he can be so sure that WWX isn't dead. LJY has to bluntly but unkindly reply that "people said you killed him." Cue JC's open heartbreak in his eyes. At this point it's a wide shot and it's a blink it or miss moment but LSZ lit squeezes LJY's hand to stop from talking at JC (and maybe roasting him)
Btw i didn't wake up one day shipping these two? Like I love JC with WQ and have enjoyed fics pairing him with WN, NHS, and LXC. LJY has been paired with LSZ and even JL and these fics I also loved
But then I read 1-2 fics that had this rare pair and thought "huh they're onto something" then I read more until I found myself scrolling through the ao3 tags and OH nO
Seriously half of the fics is either "I think your hot so let's bang together and maybe catch feelings along the way (mostly LJY)" and "outsider pov finds out about unconventional relationship. Reactions range from shocked surprise to downright decisive. More at page 11"
This pairing in emojis is: đđ (while holding hands) and I can never unsee it so you shouldn't either
Iâm dying!
Soulmate Marks AU, RamKing.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/25097002
Everyone had a soul-Mark. The universeâs stamp on two people to mark them as soulmates. Some were a simple shape, others were lyrics, words or complex images. They could be in black and white, or full bursting colour. They could be positioned anywhere on the body. Rare cases they were under the hair or on the tongue.
Out of Kingâs friends, only a few of them showed off their soulmate marks. Bohnâs was on his left arm, positioned just above the crease of his elbow. A bouquet of red roses about ten centimetres tall. He wore it with a certain smug pride. The beautiful design much too pretty for someone of his character, their friendship group agreed. Boss and Mek both had the same soul-marks. The couple having been together since they were freshmen. They wore the black circular patterned marks like a fact. They belonged together, no-one could deny it.
King didnât particularly care for the marks. His was stamped on his back at the base of his neck between his shoulder blades. A remarkably complex image of a dream catcher with black lines curling around the feathers. He liked to keep it out of the way, not hidden exactly, but private. Soulmates were an intimate thing. King knew that his would come along eventually. He was not going to go and search for them. For now, his plants and his studies occupied his time. But sometimes when he would admire it in the mirror, neck twisting awkwardly to see it, he would smile. It was such a stark black and white image, but complex and soothing. King would occasionally wonder if it would protect him against bad dreams.
The whole thing began when Bohn started to pursue a younger medical student called Duen. King found the situation amusing. Bohn insisted that the boy was his soulmate. The red roses Duen turned up with every morning proof. It was fun to see the cocky playboy Bohn so entranced. It took a few weeks before they got together but after that they were seen regularly around campus with besotted smiles. The red bouquet of roses on Duenâs wrist matching Bohnâs.
King was having to excuse himself from lunch early in order to get away from the two sets of couples. Boss ranting on about some test while Mek watched lovingly. Duen and Bohn smiling shyly at each other between every few bites. It was all sickened adorable. King had to get a book from the library anyway, so he excused himself early. Tee had gave him a pleading look as he left. The man now the third wheel. King made a mental note to hang out with that friend more, now that the rest of their group was occupied.
The library was quite quiet that day. King began strolling through the shelves, fingers trailing along the spines as he looked for the book he wanted. He was supposed to go to the engineering section at the back but he got distracted by the plant section next to the fiction books. He decided on a quick detour and began to read through the titles. After a few seconds, the sounds of soft footsteps made him look up. A younger student passed by the aisle and King remembered that he still had to find his study book. Reluctantly, he parted with the plants and followed the student round to the engineering section.
He found the book easily enough and pulled it from the shelf, tucking it under his arm. His eye caught something through the gap between the shelves. The student was leaning against the shelf opposite, reading the back of a book. He was mixed, paler than King, with a finely cut angled face. He was handsome. Short hair gelled back and black skinny jeans with ripped knees hugging his legs. The paleness of his skin and the way he stood gave off a silent stoic air. His tattoos and the ripped jeans making him look cool and aloof.
That was not what got Kingâs attention though, although his brain absorbed the information anyway. No, what he was looking at was the black design behind the manâs left ear. A dream catcher with black swirls dancing around the feathers. The swirls looking like the stems of a plant. King had to blink a few times as a jolt of surprise rant through him. His own matching mark itched under his shirt.
His soulmate was right there. King hadnât been expecting him, nor had he been looking. But there he was. The manâs eyes flickered up, as if he could feel Kingâs gaze. King hurriedly looked away, trying not to blush at being caught. When he looked back up, the other man had disappeared. King tried to quell the rising disappointment. He would see the other again. With a sigh, he took his book up to the checkout desk. Heâd see the cool looking boy again.
ââ
The second time he saw him, the guy was bent over a plate on the grass. King paused and poured the last few drops of his drink into the nearest plant pot before wondering over.
âYou looking for something to put water in?â He asked. His soulmate looked up but didnât answer. King held out the empty plastic cup and the guy took it. Smiling at the fact that it had been accepted, King crouched down next to him as he poured out some water.
âAre you feeding a cat?â There was no answer.
King tried again. âYou a first year?â Still no reply.
âWhy wonât you answer?â Kingâs tone was not annoyed. He understood that maybe it would take a while to get him to speak. Not everyone was as weird and talkative as King was. The silence reminded him of his plants.
âCan you speak Thai?â
âHello? Whatâs your name? Where you from?â
âBonjour?â
âNihao?â
âAnnyong?â
The guy raised his eyes and looked at King pointedly, obviously annoyed by the persistence. King beamed at him unashamedly. He would have said more but at that moment a dog came running over. Fear jolted his breath and King was leaping back onto the table behind them, trying to get himself away from the dog as quickly as he could.
The dog didnât pay him any mind, which King was grateful for. It lolloped over and began munching at the food his soulmate had put down. The guy stroked its head fondly, completely at ease with the large animal.
âEat slowlyâ. The words were quite but King already liked the sound of his voice.
âYou can speak Thai!â He accused, only to yelp as the dog looked up.
The guy rolled his eyes and stood up, shouldering his bag.
âWhere are you going?âKing called as his soulmate began walking off. King looked at him pleadingly. âHey! Take your dog!â
âWaitâ. The guy didnât turn around.
Maybe King needed to rethink this soulmate thing. If the guy was willing to leave him with a dog, then maybe he should just stay away. The dog sniffed at him and King tried not to scream. Yeah, maybe he should just go without a soulmate. That sounded like a good idea.
ââ
The second time King bumped into him, it was when Tee had tricked him into helping him with the volunteer project. King had meant to leave, regardless of the free drinks, but the younger students got there before he could. It surprised him though when his soulmate wandered through slightly late and sat down at the corner opposite. The guy seemed too shy for things like this but King liked having his mental picture of the guy changed. Obviously his soulmate was not as shy as he appeared.
So he found himself staying. Spending the meeting taking sips of his drink and listening to Tee talk, eyes trying not to dart towards Ram. He needed to stop being so creepy.
When the meeting had ended and all the juniors had gone, King turned to Tee. âTee, the junior who was sitting there, is he from our university?â
âHmm? Oh ram? Yeah. Heâs on my rollâ.
King nodded at the information. âWhat havenât I seen him before?â
âRam doesnât usually do group activities. I donât blame him. Visible soul-marks like that tend to get stared atâ. Tee was right. It was not unusual to have a soul mark in a visible place but people tended to cover them up if they had not found their match. Ramâs was in a position where it was practically impossible to hide. It must gain him a bit of unwanted attention at times. King nodded again and took another sip of his drink.
âHe only joined because I was begging himâ, Tee continued. âHe doesnât talk much. It took me a few weeks to even find out that he was called Ramâ.
âRamâ, King repeated, eyes looking up at the door Ram had left through. âWhat a weird nameâ.
âYou always show interest in weird thingsâ, Tee remarked. âHeâs got a pretty soulmate mark though. Whereâs yours again?â
âOn my back. Youâve seen it beforeâ.
Tee shrugged. âIt was so long ago that Iâve forgotten. It was similar to that right?â
âSimilarâ, King agreed, glad that Tee had not recognised it on Ram. He wanted the time to get to know his soulmate at his own pace.
Ram. He pondered over the name as he finished his drink. His soulmate was weird and interesting. King liked weird and interesting things.
ââ
Later, when he had returned to his parents house for the weekend. He found himself searching up his soulmateâs name.
âRam. Means gloriousâ, king read aloud to his plants. He chuckled. âIt doesnât suit him does it?â The plants did not respond but the sight of their lush green leaves made him pleased nether the less.
ââ
The third time King saw Ram, the guy was sitting at the bench King had used to hide from the dog. He watched as a Ram stood up to greet Duen. The two first years talked a bit as they passed over the donation box. As Duen left, King skipped up.
âSo you can speakâ, he greeted. Ram looked over, eyes suddenly closed. King tried not to let that weaken his resolve.
âYou can even talk a lotâ. Ram didnât answer and moved to walk passed him. King held out a hand. âWait, what if I want to donate?â Ram paused and stepped back. King tried not to grin.
âAccording to my analysis you only speak to people that you are close to right?â King broke off as he pushed some folded money through the slot of the cardboard box. âWait, Iâm not done donating. Since you only speak to people you are close to, then in order to get you to speak to me, we must become close right?â King pushed another note into the box.
Ram tried to push past again but King caught him. âBut how to come close?â He continued. âWith you being so cold to me. I should start by calling you cool boy and continue from there. That sounds closer right?â Ram just stared at him. King hesitated, another note in his hand. Seeing his hesitation, Ram took the note from his hand and pushed it Into the box before walking away.
King hurriedly turned around. âNo answer means I can call you that!â He called at Ramâs retreating figure. âCool boy!â He shouted, a tinge of frustration in his tone. Damn him and his stoic face.
ââ
The fourth time was when King was helping the volunteer group with their work. This time he knew that Ram would be there and had maybe come because of him, not because of Teeâs nagging. He was taking a break and scrolling through Facebook when he found a post that Ram was tagged in. He smiled as he sent a friend request and typed out a message.
,Look to your right.â
Across the courtyard, Ram leaned against a pillar as he took a drink. King watched as he took out his phone and looked up. King waved and Ramâs eyes settled on him. He gave him a smile before looking back at his phone and typing another message.
,If you donât want to talk to me then you can text on here.â
King looked up hopefully only to frown in disappointment as Ram tucked his phone back into his pocket. King quickly typed.
,Are you ignoring me?â Ram took a long drink and began crunching on some ice. The phone still in his pocket.
,Iâll make you talk to me eventuallyâ. Ram tossed the empty cup in the bin. King tried to ignore his growing frustration. Ram was just trying to stir him up now.
,Remember Cool boy.â
King looked up again. Ram finally took out his phone only to hold it up to his ear. King bit his lip in annoyance. If that was how he wanted to play it, then fine! King would just continue calling him cool boy. Ram would open him up eventually.
ââ
The next time he saw him (king had stopped keeping count), Ram was sitting at a bench working. King walked over curiously, leaning over the otherâs shoulder to see his worksheet. It was one he recognised. A class he had taken a few years back.
âThere are many mistakesâ. Ram jumped and turned to him, a accusing look in his eyes. King tried not to laugh. His previous frustrations melting at the sight of Ramâs stressed eyes and annoyed lips. âYou can at least greet me cool boyâ. Ram rolled his eyes at the nickname.
âWhat are you doing?â King asked. Ram didnât reply but King was expecting it. He sat down on the bench next to him and peered over at the worksheet. âOf work from Mr Wachi? I know that. Let me teach youâ.
King grabbed at the paper but Ram held on. Frustrated again, king tugged at it. âWhat? You donât want me to teach you?â Ram stared at him. King tagged at the work again. âOkay, grab it, tear it off but then youâll have nothing to submitâ. Ram looked away and let go of the sheet.
King grinned triumphantly and pulled a pencil from his bag. He turned the paper around and began gesturing at the questions as he talked. Ram never spoke throughout the whole of Kingâs tutoring session but King did not mind. The occasional nod of his head and the clearness in his eyes showed that Ram was understanding Kingâs words.
When he was finished, Ram took back the paper and began packing his books and pencils back into his back pack. King sighed and turned to leave. âIâll be going thenâ. A sudden hand on his wrist stopped him. The touch sent a spark rushing up his veins. It felt wondrous. And from the widening of Ramâs eyes, he felt it too.
King barely had time to absorb the open surprise on Ramâs face before the features closed off again and he was being pulled along.
âWhatâs going on?â Ram gave him a sharp gaze that made King feel breathless. He began walking, tugging king along behind him. âHey where are we going? Cool boy!â
Ram continued leading him across campus. King followed along obediently, voicing the occasional question and not getting an answer. The touch of both their skin feeling warm and pleasant. He was obedient until they passed the dog from the other day. Immediately King was tugging against Ramâs grip and digging his heels into the grass.
âCool boy! I donât like dogs! No! Cool boy! Donât!â He whined as Ram didnât stop. He was obviously much stronger than King because Ram continued pulling King along behind him regardless to his struggles. âNo! Iâm afraid of dogs!â
Ram stopped and King halted. He managed to force his gaze from the large Labrador and on to Ramâs face. His dark gaze was calm and questioning, the hand on his wrist still comforting. King met his gaze and forced his breathing to soften. âTrust meâ Ramâs eyes seemed to be saying. King trusted him before he even asked. Behind Ram, the dog barked and King flinched. But he didnât pull away. Ram turned and glared at the dog. It quietened and Ram continued walking. King running next to him in a desperate attempt to keep Ram between himself and the dog.
Ram took him to a restaurant just off of campus. His grip on Kingâs wrist only releasing once they had gotten to a table. King took his bag off and sat down, fear fading. âI was wondering where you were taking meâ, he remarked as he looked around. âYou want to thank me with a meal?â
Ram nodded once. King grinned, inwardly finding the cute gesture adorable. He turned and called for a waitress. She bustled over and gave both of them their menus. King spotted what he wanted and quickly wrote it down, passing the notepad to Ram who followed suit. Once the waitress was gone, King smiled.
âThank you for helping me just nowâ. Ram nodded as if to say âno problemâ.
King continued speaking. âWhen I was younger there was a vicious dog near my grandmaâs house. One day it broke its leash and bit me. Thatâs why Iâm traumatisedâ. Ramâs gaze turned sad. King wondered if he was sad over his fear, or sad over the dog being vicious. From what he gathered, Ram loved dogs. He felt a stab of shame of being afraid of them. Why did he have to be soulmates to a dog lover? Mentally, he made a resolution to try and get better around dogs.
Luckily, the food quickly arrived and King dug in. He was starving. âHey, my friend didnât order thisâ, he said, pointing at the third plate.
âItâs on meâ, the waitress smiled flirtatiously at Ram. King frowned. Her soulmate mark was on display on her shoulder, a leaf. Nothing like Ramâs dream catcher. âCan I exchange it with your line Id?â She asked. Ram gave her a glance then turned back to his food.
King sighed. âIâll eat this for you thenâ. He saw no point in wasted food. The waitress pouted and snatched the plate back, bustling off.
âCool boyâ, King whined. âCould you be more subtle when rejecting someone? Iâm scared to order a drink nowâ. King liked the fact that Ram had rejected her but the way the waitress was now looking at them gave away her displeasure. Ram rolled his eyes and continued eating. King shrugged and followed suit.
King walked slowly with Ram down the street, the meal a happy weight in his stomach. âMy carâs just over here. Thank you for sending meâ, he smiled. Ram nodded as Kingâs phone rang. It was just his mother calling to check if he had eaten. When King ended the call and turned back around, it was to see a bottle of juice in front of his face. He jumped in surprise.
âWhoa. When did you get that?â Ram looked at him expectantly. âIs it for me? Thank youâ. King took the juice and smiled. âIf you have any more questions, feel free to text me. Thank you for the mealâ. Ram nodded again and walked off, leaving King standing with a contented smile in the street.
He looked down at the juice in his hands. The cold liquid making him feel warm and fuzzy. Ram had taken his complaint seriously and actually brought him a drink. He was so sweet. A buzz came from his pocket and King rummaged for his phone.
,Thank you for teaching me senior.â
King couldnât help the wide grin. Maybe he could do this soulmate stuff after all.
Man from uncle-
Gabby: Hi Iâm gabby and this is my boyfriend Illya.
Gabby: .... and his boyfriend Napoleon.
The Witcher-
Yennefer: I am Yennefer and this is my boyfriend Geralt.
Yennefer:... and his boyfriend Jaskier.
(This applies to so many fandoms).
Iâm gonna do this all at once.
Peggy: Hi, Iâm Peggy. This is my boyfriend Steve.
Peggy: âŠâŠAnd this is Steveâs boyfriend Bucky.
Padme: Hi, Iâm Padme. This is my secret husband Anakin.
Padme: âŠâŠAnd this is Anakinâs step Master and boyfriend Obi-Wan.
Leia: Hi, Iâm Leia. This is my husband Han.
Leia: âŠâŠAnd this is Hanâs boyfriend and my brother Luke.
I think the best part of KinnPorsche, and it really comes to mind with this latest episode, is that every character thinks theyâre in a different genre and itâs the funniest thing watching it clash with the reality.
Kinn is just living his best rom-com life where he falls for his sassy but kind assistant bodyguard that he can no longer live with out.
Porsche is basically a YA novel where he falls for his sexy morally ambiguous love interest whoâs secretly sweet but *gasp* his past has come to haunt him!
Pete thinks heâs in a dark psychological thriller where he must battle his inner demons and brooding but hot captor to maintain his humanity but it threatens to over take him at any moment as he is torn between his newly found dark desires and the reputation he prides himself on.
Vegas acts like heâs in gothic bodice ripper novel where his entire world becomes the kind, empathic heroine Pete and he will do anything to keep him to himself and Pete is going to help him overcome the truama of his past with his love.
Kim sees himself in this brooding noir style detective film where he must uncover the dark past of his family but oh no he finds himself falling for the pure and sweet ingĂ©nue ïżŒChay and must wrestle with the dangerous life he leads and the mission heâs devoted himself to and the love of his life
Porchay thought heâs living his Wattpad dream life where he meets his idol and gains his respect as he tutors him and they slowly develop a sweet friendship that turns into a heartfelt romance
They really demonstrate how all the characters are protagonists of their own story, and thatâs how they make their decisions, based on the assumptions on the world around them. They think they know the story their in, and thatâs the role they have taken, but the tragedy and the complications of these relationships is that they arenât in a single genre story. Theyâre people, achingly human people, interacting with other complex people and what is salvation for one is a damnation for the other.
They arenât in any specific genre (you know, beyond on the whole mafia thing) and thatâs where the miscommunication happens, thatâs how the drama unfolds, thatâs how all these different romances keep missing each other, because theyâre all operating on different wavelengths based on the story they think *THEYâRE* in and not stopping to really consider the other perspective.
Itâs absolutely hilarious, itâs terribly tragic, itâs utterly beautiful and performed so well by the writers and the actors.
Bisexual Bingo!
The worst part of human adulthood is being your own zookeeper
The world is just becoming worse and worse. Will it ever stop? Children are already dying Trump!
https://www.thedailybeast.com/state-department-to-lgbt-married-couples-your-out-of-wedlock-kids-arent-citizens
Flash backing to the time I used a clip from Kinnporsche in an editing assignment during second year.
A graded assignment.
And when my lecturer asked what clip it was, I answered âoh, a mafia drama from Thailandâ. All while my friend (who knew exactly what KP was) was trying not to die behind me.
I got a good grade on that assignment though.
Rewatching SHL episode 3 and Wen Kexing really out here auditioning for Jianghuâs Top Stalker.
Swinging between moods like a cat in a ball pit.
10/10 for commitment king. 0/10 for mental health.