#unicorngelato

off the top of your head: notes for characterization? what are the most essential traits of this character to you (personality traits, important connections/dynamics, voice)?

extroversion, charisma, politeness/friendliness (even with people that dislike him or that he dislikes), loyalty to the people he cares about, impulsivity and a dangerous lack of self awareness, emphasis on the dangerous

adjacently—do you think fandom does the above traits justice? why or why not?

I honestly don't see a lot of characterization for him in the fandom beyond Comic Relief or Platonic Third, i wish more stuff would dissect him

for example i think people see him being friendly as him *liking* everyone or thinking that he's friends with everyone, when to me it feels like some of the people he's merely nice to are not necessarily people he likes, if you know what I mean.

And more importantly I feel like the dangerous lack of self awareness is something that could be explored a lot more. The novel makes it pretty clear that he hasn't really grasped boundaries or consent very well, which more than likely has gotten several people hurt that he probably doesnt even know about!

throw this character at any other character of your choice to bounce off each other as outsider pov to each other— regardless of timeline or logistics (crossovers allowed if you're interesting about it). why this combination? what insights would they have on each other?

Easy answer would be Tianlang-Jun bc man would those two get along, they're brothers to me (not just in their easygoing personalities but also the fact that both of them were set up to be antagonists but ended up jus kind of being comic reliefs?)

BUT i'll do you one better: Shang Qinghua. Both easygoing guys who are mostly comic relief and know how to Take It (i.e they are both teased and bullied a lot but they don't take it to heart and aside from momentarily being like hey!! >:( by the next minute they're back to calling you their brother) and even with the people they don't actually like they know how to be cordial with them. I think if the two of them interacted they would quickly devolve into talking shit about people for funsies

how do you think you would react to this character in real life and vice versa? would you prefer be a million miles out of range, be amicable classmates, or fall desperately in love?

man i. could see myself being friends with this guy. He's someone who would make me laugh a lot. Althouuuggh his views on consent would probably put me off and I'd end up ghosting him

ideal flavor of rotating for this character? crack them open and dissect them— do you want them tormented, pining, or being loved + comforted? do you have any specific scenarios you like to think about?

TORMENTED AND PINING oooohhohohh my favorite flavor of pei ming is him tormented by feelings, realizing that he's carrying a lot of weight on his shoulders and that actually he's not that okay and maybe he really really wants some comfort. I neeed him begging on his knees.

weave a web of dynamics through the cast for this character: which dynamics are you most interested in? both canonically and through extrapolation/speculation— which dynamics are the richest to you, and why?

HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH SHI WUDU AND LING WEN - I think he's kind of in love with both of them. They are the two most important people in his life and he would not know what to do without them. I feel like his sanity was hanging by a thread after shi wudu's death and if something had happened to ling wen too there would have been hell to pay. His dynamic with Ling Wen is especially tasty to meeee. He regards her with such fondness and care!! But also teases her so much!!

do you have particular niche takes on this character? defend those takes. (openly controversial takes are permitted, but also: hyper-specific headcanons which you believe in and no one else has considered enough to disagree with yet. pick a hill to die on.)

He. does not like HC or XL

Hi hi hi, happy halloween! Since we share love for tgcf, I'll share a snippet from an angsty/hurt to eventual comfort(?) hualian/hua cheng-pov fic. I started it for all ships week but the idea got away from me so it's still unfinished 😅

The premise: Hua Cheng ends up in the past, back in Xianle era and, this time having his ghost king powers, he wants to ease Xie Lian's suffering whenever possible. In this snippet, he's watching the Shangyuan Heavenly Ceremonial Procession in his full 800+ year old glory, with full knowledge of what's about to happen.

He remembers it all even now, but doesn’t look toward the city wall to check if his past self is already there. It’s too far. What he does instead, is look at the tower his god will descend from any moment now.

There he is.

Xie Lian, dressed in heavy layers of the God-Pleasing Warrior’s robes, a well-crafted mask resting on his face, a sword at the ready, stands at the top of the tower, waiting, observing. The sun paints his silhouette in thick strokes of gold, favoured by the heavens yet still unnoticed by the mortals. He radiates divinity even now, mere seventeen years of age.

When he leaps, Hua Cheng’s heart seems to thrum in tune with the shouts of the crowd.

The god has descended. He fights the demon. The demon’s blade shoots out of its hand. The world is about to be saved.

A child falls, and Hua Cheng’s heart drops with it.

Time slows down.

For centuries, he’d believed this was the beginning of the Crowned Prince’s fall. A rescued child; a good deed rewarded with the curse of misfortune. For just a moment, his muscles tense up, intent to rush forward and reach his own self before he stains the pristine royal robes.

I wouldn’t have met His Highness if not for this.

He takes too long. The moment passes.

The child is caught.

Xianle is doomed.

--

Thank you for joining in <3

yay, thank you for playing 🙌 these two originate from the very same idea: Luo Binghe gets out of the Abyss and doesn't know where to go from there, feeling incredibly lost and alone. i started writing it as him longing to go back to Qing Jing Peak, the only place that he could call 'home', but knowing he wouldn't be welcome there. The only place he wants to return to, but can't.

anywhere I want (just not home):

There's no point for tears; no one has ever reacted to them. No one but… He could… He could go to… Could he? Go back to the place where the world is quieter than this, but all the more comfortable for it. The place filled with lush greenery and a soft sound of music and the rustle of book pages, and the feeling of a refreshing cool breeze brushing against teal disciple robes. The place with an immortal master with beautiful fans and a stern look—and a soft secretive smile, and a well of patience, and a hand that felt so right on the top of his head… The place where each of Luo Binghe’s good actions were praised to the point his heart ached for more and more. The place with Shizun, who loved and protected him until Binghe wasn’t worth it any longer. …he can’t go back there; not until he deserves to.

and then this post crossed my dash and the Binghe who freshly got out of the Abyss came to a different decision - he'll go back, just to take one final look, and then he'll leave for good. Except...

anywhere i want (going home):

Qing Jing Peak is as quiet as ever, but this silence doesn’t hurt. It reaches into his chest and clings to his heart like a long-awaited lover, its presence nostalgic and grounding at the same time. The clear paths weave their way from the dormitories to the study halls, to the dining hall, to the forest, to the open grassy clearings, places he used to frequent but now is only allowed to haunt; barely a shadow, barely an echo. The morning is young enough everybody is still asleep. Soon, they’ll wake again and bother Shizun with their pointless squabbles. He turns in the direction his heart knows all too well and makes his way to the place he wishes to still call ‘home’. (...) Shizun’s not in his bed. This, more than anything, fills him with unease. Unease turns to distress. Distress turns to anger. Luo Binghe’s finally made his way back, and turns out Shizun—Shizun spends his nights elsewhere again? Where?

(he's at the sword mound about to qi-deviate and, oh noo, Binghe's the only person around to help~)

sdkfhagash GREAT choices!!

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

HMM I think she masturbates often to relieve stress, maybe on a near daily basis. Mostly prefers external stimulation, and uses her fingers or some magical version of a vibrator, but every once in a while she'll be craving something inside her (that's what friends are for 🎶🎵)

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Is it any surprise that I'll say somnophilia. I think she likes to be in control and give orders, tie people up, and she might like to humiliate someone :3c

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do)

HM, i don't know if she cares that much at this point? But I like to think she likes to do it in bodies of water :3c something about relaxing floaty sexy times...

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

uhhh what Wouldn't she do 🤔 i think the stuff that (i think) she's been through has turned her off cnc and stuff that makes her feel restrained, particularly her hands

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

THIS IS TOO BROAD okay, I think she is extremely good at guessing people's kinks just because she's so good at reading people and notices really small changes in the way people react to things. She will give an order during a meeting and notice that the heavenly official she gave it to is left blushing the rest of the meeting. She praises one of her deputies and pats their head and their pupils go WIDE and they stammer as they excuse themselves...

NEXT — the next line. meaning i will finish the sentence I’m on and write a new one, which you’ll get thank you <333 I was supposed to write just one sentence but— (inspired by this post)

Luo Binghe’s finally made his way back, and turns out Shizun—Shizun spends his nights elsewhere again?

Where?

His eyes fall on the two teacups again.

With somebody he shared evening tea with.

What a rude guest, then, if they didn’t even drink theirs.

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or sexual–that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

There are a Lot of pairings that i acquired after the fact. but ones where Someone specifically changed my mind? Well, you got me to consider PeiWen and now it's one of my favorites lol

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

RAREPAIRS PLEASE get weirder about ships!!! soooo many of these characters would have interesting dynamics if only people were more open to multishippiiinngg

More incest pleaaseee. MDZS has a TON of family dynamics that you can play with! TGCF has theee Incest pair ever. Come on sheeple open your eyes!!! Actually, just more sickos in general. Have characters nonconning each other. Give your fave wings and put them in a cage. Be free.

More interactionssss - I dont just mean comments on ao3 or reblogs instead of likes. Go reply to someone's post or send asks when they reblog ask games (thank you btw!). Chances are if it's someone you follow you already know their blorbo so why not shoot them an ask about their Guy. If I reblog an ask game from someone or someone reblogs an ask game from me I always make a point to go ask them something

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).

🥺💖💖

what's a piece of advice you would give to yourself five years ago?

Read and write more, write so so much more ✨

what do you wish someone would ask you?

i like being asked about fandom!! and characters! and ships!! i like talking about these things with people!!

The higher the fall is the fic where Ling Wen gets trapped in a dream realm that's a modern AU of her life kind of a la in Once upon a time

Once she was sitting at the bus stop she realized how rude she had been while worrying about being late. Her bus always seemed delayed. But if she was even just a minute late, the bus left without her. Today it seemed to be the former. The bus was sickly making its way towards her, and a second bus was right behind it. A sense of dread crawled up under her skin as, sure enough, the first bus screeched into a forced halt and gave out a dying black wheeze and laid its head down on the asphalt. After a brief pause, the bus started to shake with the weight of the people inside it making their way to the doors and towards the second bus. She didn't even try to reach it, as the second bus was almost at capacity.

It passed her and the other unlucky ones by, overflowing and wobbling with metal sickness.

Misery just seemed to target her specifically always. She had learned to associate hope with disappointment and, often, with tragedy. She mentally apologized to the other unlucky ones that were stuck with her until the next bus came along.

Her fingers numbed over the isolating metal of her travel cup, and her nose ached from breathing in the hardened fumes in the cold air.

Nothing tender in your talking (so why should I do what you say?) aside from being a long ass title is a chengling fic where Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling are both sooo normal about how much they care about each other and they express it in a healthy and down to earth way.....not(:

It’s fine, see, we’re almost there. I’m sure your uncle—”

“You’re sure I will what?” Chills ran down his spine at the approaching voice.

Sizhui and Jingyi greeted Jiang Cheng properly, then went back to helping Jin Ling stand, but he refused. He shared a look with them, which they had gotten good at understanding. Both of them nodded and quietly retreated.

Jin Ling slowly turned back towards his uncle.

“Are you mad at me again…?”

“Am I—” Jiang Cheng sputtered, his arms flailing like he didn't know what to do with them but point at his nephew’s current state, “mad that you didn’t send a signal for help when things got too rough, thus putting yourself in danger?”

“I—” He began, but his uncle wasn’t done.

“Or am I mad that you thought of hiding this from me?”

Jin Ling lowered his head, feeling himself become dizzy.