Sunday Snippet, et. al.

[clevermanka]

Guardian/adjacent:
I volunteer to help Bai Yu with some deep tissue/myofascial release work to open up those hips.
My tl had barely recovered from that when we got hit with this Zhu Yilong photoshoot. And then this. And then this. Here's the clip of him singing.
"I'm not listening to this."
Domestic bliss! (a promotional still of this scene is my laptop lock screen I love it so much)
Fanart: There's already fanart of Z1L's singing. Blush. Don't cry, little ghost king. Smoking kink. What are you working on? Assisted push-ups!

Untamed/adjacent:
Lan Zhan! Wei Ying! That's it, that's the show.
Costuming choices.
I'm not a kid person but the little cutie who played A-Yuan makes me melt.

Yes. (someone made a Guardian post of this but I apparently didn't send it to myself)

Okay well I just now got some super-sad-making news. My friend won't be able to come over anymore because her mom doesn't feel safe about it. It's understandable since of course all she sees on the news is how USians are stupid people who don't care about other's safety but y'all. I am barely holding back tears. Of course yesterday I started the Chinese program on Duolingo so I could try out some words with her on Thursday.

Welp.

Time for other distractions I guess, so here's a snippet from the due South story, tentatively titled "The Wooing of Ray Kowalski."

It had been the smile that had done it.

That was not the smile of someone who didn’t want to spend the rest of their life with you. Preferably in some sort of carnal embrace a good part of the time. Ray recognized it from what he’d seen in pictures of him looking at Stella. But Ray had never in his life had a look like that directed at him and it shook him down to his bones. It wasn’t news to Ray that he thought guys were hot. Quite frankly he didn’t understand the guys who didn’t. Hadn’t they seen Bullitt? But the realization that he’d fallen in love with Fraser just like he had Stella hit him with a ton of bricks. And he was…fine with it. He was really fine with it.

Comments

[moodsong]

Damnit!!!!

[clevermanka]

[trobadora]

Oh no, that sucks so much about your friend! ALL the hugs. :(

(But OMG that Zhu Yilong photoshoot is killing me. And his singing! *screams*)

[clevermanka]

He sounds really good here. I'm guessing pre-recorded, which is fine with me!

[wrote_and_writ]

That domestic scene is the heart of every fic I want and also just the life I want.

Also I’m so sorry about your friend. The whole thing really sucks.

[clevermanka]

That domestic scene is the heart of every fic I want and also just the life I want
SAME.

[naye]

OH NO I'm so sorry for you both that's awful. ;_;

*hugs*

[clevermanka]

[goss]

:( *hugs you*


this Zhu Yilong photoshoot

♥___♥


Lan Zhan! Wei Ying!

I am DYING. lol (but also, omg the breathy way Lan Zhan always says "Wei Ying" like that. *sighhhhh*)

[clevermanka]

Thank you, bb, and thank goodness I have that photoshoot to distract me today.

[kimboo_york]

ahahah Ray is REALLY FINE. REALLY. :D

Sorry your friend can't come over anymore, that is indeed a bummer.

[clevermanka]

RAY WILL EVENTUALLY BE VERY OKAY.

(and thank you, yeah it sucksssssssss)

[write_out]

Well FUCK. I've been shit at commenting but was so happy to read about your excellent day with your bubble friend. And now this? Ugh. UGH. I know you've been more than careful and considerate with the plague and staying safe, but I know everyone has different comfort levels. That just really REALLY sucks and I'm sorry. Could you set up Zoom meetings so that you can still have visual visits?

[clevermanka]

We could, but tbh I don't think either of us are really into them. I think (I know) I'd be in better shape if I got an emotional reward from it. The two whole times I've done a social video visit like that were fun, but afterward I felt sorta... hollow, kinda? If someone really wanted to video call me I would certainly do it, but it's not something I'd seek out.

[write_out]

No, I get it, I do. I've been having a Zoom happy hour weekly with one of my friends (we've known each other since the 7th grade), but it works for us. She might be the only one for whom it does, for some strange reason. The friend I've known since birth? Others? Eh, I'm not sure it would. I think it would feel hollow too.

[jo_lasalle]

Ah, shit. That really sucks. I'm so sorry you're having that point of connection snatched away, Manka. ARGH. :((

[clevermanka]

Thanks, bb. ARGH indeed.

[yantantether]

That's so sad and disappointing about your friend, I'm sorry. Sending hugs <3

[clevermanka]

[umadoshi]

The news about your friend is so upsetting, much as I sympathize with extreme caution levels. :( No chance of even outdoor hangouts...?

*hugs sadly*

As you know, I'm not familiar with Due South, but I like the snippet. ^_^

[clevermanka]

Well, 1) I guess her mom was upset about her coming over at all (which she didn't know, and her coming inside upset her mom a lot, an unfortunate surprise for everyone), and 2) I have the teensiest bit of an audioprocessing problem. I worried about it when she came over last week and between her soft voice, masks, and the general outdoors noise, it was one of the big motivators in asking her to bubble with me.

Thank you! I've hit kind of a bump with the current scene of the fic, but I'm happy with that bit.

[calystarose]

dear god that snippet is awesome

and you know, I actually hadn't heard Z1L sing before. I just hadn't gotten around to actually listening because I was (stupidly obviously) afraid I wouldn't like his voice and then I'd feel weird or whatever.

I shall correct that oversight more aggressively now. :D

godfml that photoshoot

*hugs* re: your friend, I'm sorry you don't get to see her in person anymore *hugs*

[clevermanka]

Oh yes DEFINITELY listen to the song he did with Bai Yu for Guardian if you haven't yet!

[ride_4ever]

I am just at the beginning of getting into Guardian fandom *continues to blame appreciate glymr for getting me into this* so I have not even seen the boys singing together before and ohmygodsthis! *watches vid repeatedly while nearly plastering self to the computer screen* Thank you kindly to the max for this YT link!

[clevermanka]

WELCOME TO GUARDIAN, RIDE!

[ride_4ever]

*feels very welcomed*

[nnozomi]

Oh, honey! That sucks. Sorry to hear. I really hope you can work something out soon.
(And that for the moment, good writing and Zhu Yilong's face and voice are good distractions. *hugs*)

[clevermanka]

Thank you, bb. Huzzah for beautiful distractions!

[ride_4ever]

Oh, bb, that sucks like a vacuum about your bubble-friend situation! *hugs*

And as for that snippet! *squees in delight and clutches snippet*

I <3 your use of the double negative here (combo of "not" and "didn't"): That was not the smile of someone who didn’t want to spend the rest of their life with you. And the reference to Ray's thing for Steve McQueen -- yaaasss!

[clevermanka]

Heeee! I'm glad you like the preview of your fic! 😁

[ride_4ever]

Mine! Mine! Squee!

[glymr]

Oh man, that's awful that your plan with your friend didn't work out. Can you ask if there's anything you can do that might make her feel more comfortable? Is it possible to completely isolate for 12-13 days given your living situation? (Like, have groceries delivered, etc.) If you can promise that, would she be willing to consider it? I'm just throwing out ideas, but I figure it can't hurt to ask. ^_^;

Congrats on your Due South fic progress! It looks great so far!

[clevermanka]

I don't think there's anything to do about making her mom feel comfortable, alas. Apparently she wasn't even happy about Meng Hui coming over at all (she just hadn't communicated this to her) so when MH said she'd come inside and invited me over I guess her mom sorta fell apart. 😟 I feel bad about that and will be leaving the ball in their court on suggesting future contact.

*cracks knuckles with the intent to work on the dS fic today*

[glymr]

That's so frustrating. I'm really sorry. :( Perhaps a brief, polite note of apology to her mother, apologizing for making her uncomfortable and explaining that you haven't had contact with anyone outside your own household for X number of days so she doesn't need to worry (or explaining how you've limited what contact you've had and why) might make her feel better? Even if it doesn't lead to better relations, I bet it would be appreciated, and who knows? She might feel more relaxed about you in the future. (I know she doesn't read English, but something short that your friend could translate for her might not come amiss.) I can totally understand that she was blindsided by you suddenly showing up; if she knows more about your own situation maybe she won't be so uptight at least about her daughter seeing you. Just throwing out ideas, feel free to ignore me. ^_^;

[clevermanka]

I don't think I'll write it with the intent to try to get MH back over here, but writing her mom a note of apology is a very good idea, thank you!

[brandywine28]

Ugh. Sorry about your friend. And you were so excited about it and everything! *sadface*

[clevermanka]

Thanks, bb. I try not to point to stuff like that and say "see? this is why I don't let myself be optimistic!" but...yeah. Optimism just rarely works out for me. 😒

[tinny]

Ouch, that hip exercise looked extremely painful (and ill-advised).

I hadn't seen the Z1L ones with the red jacket yet. <3

Lovely art, too! Thank you!

[clevermanka]

LOL Yeah that is not a stretch I would advise to someone who isn't already pretty limber!