#⚍Muse⚎ Qingming

[guardianbingo]

April Bonus Prompt

With April now upon us, it’s time for a new Guardian Bingo Bonus prompt. (Mod tehfanglyfish is still trying to figure out how April got here so fast!!)

In honor of the Qingming Festival, which falls on April 5th this year, this month’s bonus prompt is:

Ancestors

As with all Guardian Bingo prompts, you have the freedom and flexibility to follow your muse and interpret it as literally or figuratively as you wish.

Full details about bonus prompts are below the cut.

Have fun and happy creating! P.S. – Guardian Bingo signups for new and returning participants are open year-round. We’d love to have you join us!

What Is A Bonus Prompt?

An extra prompt issued at the beginning of each month, starting in February. You can fill it in addition to the prompts on your card or swap it out with a square that you don’t like or is giving you trouble.

How Much Time Do I Have To Complete The Bonus Prompt?

Through the end of the month in which it’s issued. February’s prompt has to be filled in February, March’s prompt in March, etc.

Additionally, January 2024 is reserved as a month for turning in bonus prompts you weren’t able to complete during the month they were assigned. What Time Zone Does The Fest Use For Bonus Prompt Cut Offs?

Since the fest's participants are located in many different time zones, you're free to submit your fill for the month so long as there is some place on Earth that hasn't yet rolled over to the next month, even if your home time zone already has.

What Do I Get For Filling Bonus Prompts?

First and foremost, whatever work the prompt inspires you to create

A way to swap out a square on your card – just be sure to keep a record of the swap

The Merit Brush badge (if you fill 5 bonus prompts)

Do I Have To Complete The Bonus Prompt?

Of course not. They’re 100% optional.

Apart From Having To Complete The Bonus Prompt Within The Month It Was Issued, Are There Any Other Changes To The Rules Regarding Fills?

Nope!  Just like with your card, creations of any length and format are allowed provided that they’re not reused or plagiarized. You are also allowed the same freedom and flexibility in interpreting the bonus prompt as the squares on your card.

Can I See A List Of Previous Prompts?

Sure!

2023 Bonus Prompt List

February: Meet Cute March: Take A Leap April: Ancestors

2022 Bonus Prompt List

February: Tiger March: Women and Gender Non-Conforming Characters April: Birthday May: Time Travel June: Dragon July: Meeting Again August: Star-Crossed Lovers September: Trying Something New October: Supernatural Elements November: Short and Sweet December: Keep On Going

Who Chooses The Bonus Prompts Each Month?

The ever-amazing and very appreciated @sasamelons!

I’ve Read Through All Of This But Still Have A Question.

We’d love to answer it. Please email the mods at guardianbingofest@gmail.com

[xuanlw]

plots que eu quero:

(m/m, f/f, m/nb, f/nb. baseado nos kimporchay de kinnsporche) em que muse a é ume cantore independente bastante conhecide por seu canal no youtube. muse b é su maior fã, e sonha em ser artista como su ídole. por acaso do destino, muse a vai se apresentar no campus de muse b, e muse b aproveita a chance para pedir que muse a lhe dê tutoria de música. tudo parece o começo de uma história de amor inesperada... exceto que muse a leva uma vida dupla, escondendo que é o primogênito de uma família tão poderosa quanto perigosa, e só aceitou dar tutoria a muse b — e pelo qual tenta se aproximar delu — porque está tentando investigar sua família. exceto que... quanto mais tempo passa com muse b, mais muse a começa a se apegar de verdade. i’m thinking !! o conforto de muse a poder ser elu mesme com alguém e poder baixar a guarda; angst quando muse b descobre a verdade; um pouco de ação? experiências de quase morte? arriscar tudo pra proteger ê outre? (no drama, muse a é de uma família da máfia, mas podemos adaptar isso pra alguma outra coisa se ê partner preferir! só não consegui pensar em nada no momento)

(m/m, f/f, m/nb, f/nb. baseado nos qingming e shasheng de yin-yang master: dream of eternity) em um mundo fantasioso em que diferentes realms* e criaturas coexistem, muse a é um demônio que acaba tendo sua “vida” salva por muse b, ume humane que é ume mestre guerreire - e também a única pessoa que parece ver qualquer humanidade em muse a e que se importa em lhe oferecer cuidados, em vez de lhe considerar um ser abjeto que precisa ser extinto por quaisquer meios. como gratidão por ter lhe salvado, muse a oferece-se para ser um guardião espírito de muse b - um ente que esteja sempre junte de muse b para proteger-lhe, efetivamente atando a existência de muse a à de b. a ideia é !! sentimentos se desenvolvendo agora que elus passam a passar tanto tempo juntos; aquela lealdade de ‘daria minha vida por você porque não quero viver sem você’ se desenvolvendo; muse b pode estar completando alguma missão e agora muse a tem de ajudar ( esse plot foi inspirado num filme de xianxia, então eu pautei os conceitos desse plot nos conceitos de xianxia conforme mobilizados no filme. sou super a favor de tomar liberdades criativas, fazer worldbuilding e tudo o mais, e usar essas ideias de base só, nem precisa ter visto o filme. só não quero, por favor, usar coisa da mitologia cristã, porque me deixa desconfortável. então, quando falo ‘demônio’, to pensando em algo tipo um 妖 yāo, ou uma criatura morta cujo espírito se prende ao corpo e à existência delu nesse realm em vez de reencarnar. enfim, a ideia é um ser não-humano que é estigmatizado pelos humanos como inerentemente maligno/uma ameaça ).

também quero mais plots m/m e f/f e queer no geral! to aceitando m/f pra ocs que eu já tenho prontas, a não ser que diga ao contrário (dá pra conferir elas no @laiverse), mas, de resto, aceitando apenas plots gayzinhos.

[killerandhealerqueen]

I Could Never Hate You

For @starlghthoshi who asked “Can you write a story where Qing Ming basically try his best to push Boya away because he knew how much Boya hate demons and what not. He rather made Boya hate him on his own effort rather than Boya realising the truth and suddenly hates him without giving him preparation”.  I hope I did your prompt justice!

Qingming loved Boya.  He always had, ever since he met him that night when they fought over Killing Stone’s lover’s pipa.  He knew that Boya was a little wary of him at first but they seemed to have grown closer, especially after Boya admitted to Qingming about why he hated demons so much.  When he heard that, Qingming knew that he would have to distance himself from Boya if he wanted Boya to not hate him, especially if Boya knew the truth.  And that truth was while he was the son of a fox demon, he could also transform into a fox demon and if Boya knew that, well…Qingming couldn’t have that.

~*~*~*~*~

It was a quiet morning as Qingming sat on the roof of one of the pavilions in the imperial palace, enjoying a cup of tea.  He normally didn’t sit up on rooftops but he was actively trying to avoid Boya and he knew that the demon hunter wouldn’t come looking for him up on the roof, so he was safe for the moment. “Care to explain what you’re doing up on the roof so early in the morning?” a voice asked beside him, making him jump and look over to see Boya standing next to him, his arms crossed in front of him. “Boya” he breathed, looking up at the demon hunter with wide eyes.  Boya looked at him, raising an eyebrow as he eyed him up and down. “You’ve been avoiding me” he mused.  Qingming’s eyes widened before he quickly looked away. “No I haven’t” he murmured.  Boya huffed and gave him a look. “Yes, you have.  You’re always avoiding me, won’t let me get close to you anymore…you won’t even look me in the eyes” he whispered.  Qingming’s eyes widened and he quickly looked up at Boya, who was looking at him sadly. “We’re friends, aren’t we, Qingming?” he asked.  Qingming blinked in surprise before he nodded. “Of course we are” he breathed.  Boya then sighed as he sat down beside Qingming, Qingming flinching slightly, but Boya didn’t even seem to notice. “Then why are you avoiding me?” he whispered.  Qingming blinked, trying to find a good excuse, when Boya looked over at him. “Friends don’t hide things from each other.  No secrets between us, right?” he asked.  Qingming’s mouth fell open in shock before he looked away, lowering his eyes. “I’m sorry Boya, but I just can’t tell you” he croaked as he stood up from the roof, about to float down when Boya lashed out and grabbed his wrist. “Qingming!” he exclaimed, causing Qingming to look back at him with wide eyes. “Boya, let me go” he ordered.  Boya shook his head. “No.  I’m not letting you go till you tell me what’s bothering you.  Because I can see that something is bothering you and I want to help you.  But I can’t do that if you don’t tell me what’s wrong” he argued.  Qingming shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong.  Now let me go!” he shouted.  Boya shook his head in reply. “No!” he snapped.  Qingming growled and gave his wrist a tug, not realizing that he had tugged too hard causing both him and Boya to go tumbling off the roof. “Boya!” Qingming exclaimed before he quickly shut his eyes and shifted into a huli jing, crashing to the ground with a thump before curling into a ball, catching Boya as he fell.  Boya let out a surprised gasp as he landed on the soft fur before he quickly scrambled off of Qingming and looked at him with wide eyes. “Q-Qingming?” he whispered.  Qingming slowly raised his head and looked at Boya with gold eyes, causing Boya to take a step back out of fear. “You…you’re a—” he started when Qingming slowly pushed himself to his feet, his white nine tails spreading out behind him as he practically towered over Boya.  He then sat down on his back legs, his tails wrapping around his legs as he looked at Boya with his golden eyes, Boya looking back at him with horrified eyes, his sword in his hand.   “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?!” Boya screamed.  Qingming looked at him sadly. “Because you told me the story of your mother…and I couldn’t do that to you” he stated telepathically, causing Boya to flinch at Qingming’s voice resounding in his head.  He then glared at Qingming. “Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?” he hissed.  Qingming nodded slightly. “It would be easier for you to hate me because I was a shitty friend then well…if you knew” he explained.  Boya snarled as he pointed his sword at him. “You lied to me” he snarled.  Qingming raised an eyebrow. “I did no such thing.  I told you that I was the son of a fox demon…I just never told you I could change into one” he countered.   “STILL!” Boya screamed, still pointing his sword at him.  Qingming looked at him before he tilted his head to the side. “Would it make you feel better?” he asked.  Boya frowned, sword faltering. “What?” he demanded.  Qingming smiled slightly, his eyes scrunching into half-moons as he revealed sharp canines. “If you killed me.  Got revenge for your mother” he explained.  Boya’s eyes widened. “Why would I want to kill you?!  Are you mad?!” he screamed.  Qingming huffed. “But don’t you hate demons?  Especially fox demons?  I’m one of them, it would be easy for you to exact your revenge for your mother…and it would rid the world of one more fox demon” he explained.  Boya shook his head as he threw his sword away, tears coming to his eyes. “Of course I hate demons!  I hate them with every fiber of my being!” he exclaimed before he walked forward and reached up, grabbing Qingming’s furry face in his hands, pulling his head down so that he was looking into Boya’s eyes. “But I don’t hate you” he whispered.  Qingming’s gold eyes widened. “Why?!  I’m a fox demon, I’m just like every other fox demon out there!  You should hate me” he screamed, causing Boya to flinch before he shook his head and looked into Qingming’s eyes. “I don’t hate you, Qingming.  You’re my friend.  Am I pissed that you decided to hide your secret from me?  Fuck yeah I am.  But am I going to kill you for it?  Of course not” he whispered.  Qingming looked at him before he shut his eyes, shifting back into his human form, his face still in Boya’s hands.  He then opened his eyes to see Boya staring at him and he couldn’t help but smile sadly. “I just…I wanted to protect you.  I wanted you to hate me and distance yourself from me so that…that you wouldn’t have found out” he admitted.  Boya looked at him before he huffed. “Are you dumb or are you stupid?” he demanded, making Qingming look at him with wide eyes. “What?” he breathed.  Boya huffed again as he gave Qingming a look. “I still would have found out at some point, you idiot.  You can’t hide something like that forever, especially not from me” he stated.  Qingming blinked in surprise before he frowned. “You’re…you’re not mad?” he whispered.  Boya huffed. “I’m just mad that you didn’t tell me sooner.  But no, I’m not mad” he replied.  Qingming shook his head. “But you should be” he growled.  Boya glared at him. “Why do you want me to be mad at you so badly?  Just because you’re a fox demon doesn’t mean I’m going to stop being your friend, Qingming” he hissed as he pulled Qingming’s face close so that their foreheads were resting together. “I told you once and I’ll tell you again: I don’t hate you and I don’t want to kill you.  You’re my friend, Qingming.  Okay?  I’m not going to hate you just because you’re a fox demon” he whispered.  Qingming was quiet, feeling tears well up in his eyes and before he knew it, he was crying.  Boya’s eyes widened and he quickly reached up, wiping away the tears with his thumbs, shaking his head. “Don’t cry, Qingming.  Don’t cry” he soothed.  Qingming shook his head. “I just…I wanted to protect you.  I didn’t want you to know this…this side of me” he croaked.  Boya huffed. “Partners are supposed to see the good and the ugly of each other, stupid.  You’ve seen my good and ugly…why can’t I see yours?” he whispered.   “Because I’m a demon and you’re….a demon hunter” Qingming replied.  Boya shook his head. “No, you’re Qingming.  You’re not some demon, you’re Qingming.  You’re my friend, the person I trust more than anyone else in this world” he argued before he sighed. “I know you did this out of love, A-Ming, but it wasn’t necessary.  I would have just preferred that you had told me” he grumbled.  Qingming wiped his eyes before he looked at Boya in shock. “Wha…you knew?” he whispered.  Boya gave him a look. “Of course I knew.  You wouldn’t hide this sort of thing from your partner unless you loved them.  Which you do, right?  You love me, don’t you?” he asked.  Qingming’s mouth opened and closed like a dying fish before he huffed and he shook his head. “I really can’t hide anything from you, can I?” he murmured.  Boya tsked. “You tried, babe, but it definitely backfired” he replied.  Qingming chuckled before he looked at Boya and smiled fondly. “Thank you” he thanked.  Boya raised an eyebrow. “For what?” he asked.  Qingming smiled. “For accepting me” he replied.  Boya scoffed. “Why wouldn’t I?” he asked before he leaned up and kissed Qingming on the nose.   “No more secrets now, alright?” he asked.  Qingming huffed and nodded. “Alright.  No more secrets” he agreed.  Boya nodded before he grabbed Qingming’s wrist, making Qingming look at him with a raised eyebrow. “You know I could never hate you; you know that right?” he asked.  Qingming smirked. “Of course I knew…but I thought it might be worth a shot” he explained.  Boya tsked and punched Qingming in the shoulder, making Qingming flinch and look at him with wide eyes as he huffed. “Sometimes I wonder how you became the Yin-Yang Master” he grumbled.  Qingming chuckled before he leaned forward and placed a kiss to Boya’s forehead. “Keep wondering, A-Ya” he teased.  Boya narrowed his eyes at him. “You’re lucky I love you” he grumbled.  Qingming smiled and nodded. “I am.  I really am” he agreed.

[naiwong-bao]

Fic Writer Interview Game

thanks for tagging me @extraordinarilyextreme!! (and enabling more of my procrastination lol)

name: e***** (eve)

fandoms: i’ve written for My Roommate is a Detective, MDZS, The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty, DMBJ/Grave Robbers Chronicles, Yin-yang Master: Dream of Eternity/Qing Ya Ji, a Guardian (if a derivative counts), and the Three Worlds Three Lives: Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms.

i read just about anything that catches my interest though. if i’m recommended a fic by a friend, i’ll read it even if i’m not familiar with the fandom. 

two-shots: 

quality of light (Qingya xianxia AU) is meant to be a twoshot but...... it’s not done ahahahahaha......

love me like that and whispered or shouted (Sui Zhou/Tang Fan/Wang Zhi post canon OT3) is technically a two-shot? 

most popular multi-chapter fic: i mean i only have the one so.

through the cracks of dreams (Pingxie SP*N AU)

actual worst part of writing: summaries

how you choose your titles: i steal a quote from something. lol. i have notebooks where i’ll copy down quotes, poetry, lyrics that i like so i’ll usually flip through those and see if anything calls out to me. or i tend to listen to music when i write so i might take a line from one of the songs that has been on repeat during writing.

do you outline?: yes. sort of? kind of. it depends on how long the fic is going to be/if i have a good idea of what i want already. i write my first drafts by hand, so that’s a jumble of scenes that i already have kind of mapped out and just random ideas/a timeline of where i think i want everything to go.

ideas you probably won’t get around to, but wouldn’t it be nice?: 

- My Roommate is a Detective: ChuYao: Dirty Dancing AU

- Mystic Nine: Er Yuehong/Zhang Qishan: unrequited love, BE, not so much canon divergant as filling things in where there isn’t actually anything and kind of just... musings of how it must have felt to want someone, to have someone close and not choosing them in the end

- Mystic Nine: Er Yuehong/Zhang Qishan: running away the night before Er-ye’s wedding and being fucking farmers or something, living a simple life together (tbh this is halfway done but i think it’ll probably just rot in the wip pile forever rip)

- Mystic Nine: Er Yuehong/Zhang Qishan, and Er Yuehong/Ya Tou (poly): Er-ye and crossdressing

- DMBJ: Pingxie, 3H, Zhang Rishan/Liang Wan: Zhang Rishan and Liang Wan get married and the it’s the fucking weirdest wedding aka grave robers try and make wedding small talk with respectable medical professionals

- DMBJ: Pingxie, 3H, Zhang Rishan/Liang Wan: gift giving and sappiness. three part fic where they just... exchange things.

- Weilan Derivative: Pei Wende/Hua Wuxie: post Fahai movie. Pei Wende is still a demon hunter, Hua Wuxie is the little demon who has been following him for the past three days, watching him sleep, leaving him food

- DMBJ: Pingxie: Wu Xie doesn’t take care of himself, but everyone around him insists

- DMBJ: Pingxie: reincarnation AU where this time it’s Xiaoge who remembers and Wu Xie who doesn’t

- DMBJ: Pingxie, Kan Jian/Liu Sang: Qing Ya Ji AU with Kan Jian/Liu Sang as Qingming/Boya and Wu Xie/Xiaoge as Zhongxing/Fangyue. i’ve honestly done a stupid amount of work/put a stupid amount of time into this already but it’s just [shrugs]

- Qing Ya Ji: Qingya: Pacific Rim AU which i have also written the rough draft for already but [shrugs harder]

- Qing Ya Ji: Qingya: urban fantasy AU where Qingming is a fairy and Boya is a human and the portal that Qingming uses to pass planes only shows up during autumn. they meet, fall in love, and navigate a little extra complicated relationship

callouts @ me: it’s for you, it’s for the people who are good and kind and respectful of the source material. it’s for the love of the story that made you feel things. it’s for fun. you learn and you improve, it’s not “cringe” to not be super jazzed about every single thing you’ve posted in the past.

best writing traits: i feel like i do “dreamy” pretty well and i’m pretty good at painting an environment/making a feeling that kind of clings to the room clear. yearning maybe???

spicy tangential opinion: you are not entitled to anything except basic respect and human decency. just saying that you tried means nothing if it’s obvious that “trying” means “i have done as much as is convenient to me”, and “trying” is not a shield from all blame when someone tells you “hey, this is insensitive”. maybe this is hella spicy but not all Asian cultures are interchangeable, i know i just woke up and chose violence today. yeah, it’s obvious when you’re just fetishizing people for their race and just because you’re not white it doesn’t mean you don’t have yellow fever i am going to have to quarantine you goodbye.

tagging: no pressure at all to do this if you don’t want to!!! also i’m sorry if i didn’t tag you, please feel free to pretend that i did because i did in my heart. @vishcount @sillyfanturtle @lqcoups @a-universe-of-almosts @annadream

[anangelcalledinquisitor]

Send me an “I follow you because:” More like I have questions, if you are game to answer them of course.

1. Your cats their names and how you got them?

2. The elusive wife. Is it your wife? How you too meet? How long ago?

(If too personal please do disregard...)

Okay so I'm awake because one of the cats is being an asshole, so going to answer these:

1) I love Chinese dramas (actually have for some time but the only one who would watch them with me before was grandma, who didn't like watching them subbed so lots of weird dubbing), and in the last, what, year? I've watched several, and so i have some favorite characters from several of them, so:

Jiang Yanli, aka Tiny Pretty Girl:

Named after Jiang Yanli from The Untamed:

Professor A-Xiang, the Gremlin:

Named from Gu Xiang from Word of Honor:

And lastly, Yuan BoYa my bastard who keeps chasing Prof around:

I threaten to change his name, because he was named for my favorite Chinese demon hunter from the Ying-yang Master: Dream of Eternity:

(the gifs make him seem sassier than the character is)

I threaten to change it to Qingming (from the same movie, because he's half fox demon):

BoYa is easier to shout from a dead sleep though.

Second question:

My wife/fiance/favorite demon is easily summoned over at @thewordsmithofhell , and i have indeed asked her to marry me. I still need to actually go down on one knee and officially propose, but unfortunately dear anon, with everything going on, i cannot yet safely go to visit, but she and I have been together for... Honey, correct my numbers if I'm wrong, six and a half years. I don't have a great relationship with time, so i have trouble remembering exactly which year was the first. I'm pretty sure it was February though. But she is my heart, my love, my tulip, my muse, my favorite person, and I know I have plenty of time to spend the rest of my life with her.

[arrowandflute]

@legendwrote​ sent:  [offer] your muses offers my muse a drink or food (your choice! From Qingming to Boya)

      Brows pull together in the faintest show of confusion-- or perhaps concern. Boya tilts his head, a ever-so-slight motion of canting it to the left. Dark eyes glance to the offered bowl, then find their way back to Qingming’s face. Hesitation is not a word Boya acknowledges- it’s simply a matter of weighing one’s options. 

    Bare hand takes the offered bowl, though his gaze remains trained upon the other man. “What’s the occasion?” Finally, his question finds voice, though lacks any sort of accusation or suspicion- it is truly curiosity that drives it. 

[ofwindsweptpines]

*chants like a deranged penguin* A'Fei! A'Fei! A'Fei! And also Qingming! {and perhaps Runyu if you watched Ashes of Love? look, I have no self-control, just smack me with a broom}

What Muses Should I Add? | status: open

YESSSSSSSS

I cannot wait...

To add these babies...

To my multi!!!!

As for Runyu, Ashes of Love is next on my list to watch once I’m done with Joy of Life!! I look forward to getting to know his character 💙 thank you for the suggestions and your loving support. You know I love these characters.

[sins-of-the-sea]

❛ 📖 ❜ [for either Guy, or Rui]

Send in ❛ 📖 ❜ to view a page of my muse’s journal/diary

Ruixiong sadly couldn't read or write, even in Chinese, for much of his life, so this entry is more mental than written. But if it was, its entry would be around spring of 1610 and written in Guānhuà.

I finally found out why everyone is going to their ancestral tombs and sweeping around! It's called the Qingming Festival, and it's the day of reverence towards your ancestors! I know people do this all the time but I didn't know it was also a festival! In addition to cleaning up the tombs, I'm watching families gather together to eat, then give food and drink to their ancestors as well. How can they eat or drink if they're already dead??? Do they come back as ghosts??

Though I passed by one that seems to have been largely forgotten--it was covered in dirt, leaves, and spiderwebs, and no one bothered to give it the time of day. Did this person not have a family to be prayed to? I wish I can read the inscriptions on these tombs and learn about them... but no one is willing to teach me. But I'm just a kid. What about this person? Did they die alone and forgotten by everyone in their lives? Why is this tomb left alone while others came around to clean and pray?

I'm afraid I won’t do the ritual right, because I'm seeing some stuff being burned and tea being offered. I don't have anything, but... I got some sticks and used some of my rags to clean this person's tomb. I spoke to them that while they are forgotten, I won't forget them, and if I am to stay around this town, I will be more than happy to clean their tomb and pray to them every opportunity I get. But is granted they are willing to have me. Not everyone wants to associate themselves with a street urchin, no matter what acts of kindness are offered.

[chsamuseum]

Qingming Festival: Ancestral Respect and Honoring the Past

On Friday, May 8, 2009, the day of a full moon, we celebrated the Qingming festival at Long Gang Li (Village of Dragon Hill) in Jiangmen, Guangdong, China. 

Kaiping County lies in the southwest region of the rich Pearl River Delta near Jiangmen. Facing the South China Sea, it is a fertile region of vales, glens, and mesas where rice and fishing are abundant. Long Gang Li is located in the Chishui Township of Kaiping County. It lies on the east bank of the Tan River Valley near the glorious emerald Mount of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea (Ba Xian Guo Hai).

My ancient village has a long history that extends back to 1506 A.D. during the Ming Dynasty. Its name, meaning “dragon hill,” references the five-clawed dragon used as a symbol of the Chinese emperors. Today, about 250 people of the Zhang Clan, mostly elders and children, live in this village among rice fields, vegetable gardens, tropical fruit orchards, and fish ponds near bamboo groves. It is from this place that my family’s diaspora originated: Six hundred Zhang descendants now live overseas in Southeast Asia and America.

It was this scenery that I saw on my way into Kaiping after a long day’s journey from Los Angeles to Guangzhou. As the van carried my mother, Yu Xinkai (Seen Hoy Chong, neé Tong), and I toward Long Gang Li along a tree-lined concrete road, I saw myriad farm villages of rice fields and fishponds with magnificent watchtowers and villas (diaolou). Bamboo groves, evergreen woods, and emerald mounts surrounded the fertile valleys of the Tan River.

I couldn’t help but think back to the first time I had come here. It had been on a fall day in 2007. We had entered Long Gang Li the same way, the van slowly driving us into the village square on a dirt road. During the commotion of our surprise visit, jubilant villagers poured out of the temple and their homes to greet us. They recognized me as a “fallen leaf” -- Cantonese slang for a returning sojourner -- from America.

Now, on a crisp spring day in May 2009, I had returned just in time to pay my respects to the Zhang ancestors in Long Gang Li.  

Long Gang Li

Village of Long Gang Li at Kaiping. (Courtesy of Raymond Chong). 

At Long Gang Li, the villagers greeted me with a glorious lion dance (xingshi) set to the sounds of a pounding drum, a beating gong, and a clanging cymbal. Zhang Guangye, the village chief, led an entourage of ten in the dance to celebrate my return. Zhang Huixin, an elder, carried a pitchfork to eagerly ward off evil spirits. They proudly waved their yellow Zhang Clan flag (symbolizing Long Gang Li) and a red Xingshi flag (xingshi meaning “awake lion”). I was deeply humbled by this show of respect. 

As we marched to the Zhang Shiquan Temple, the villagers waited for me. I was immensely proud and excited to stand in front of the lion dance troupe with their bright Zhang Clan flag. I respectfully honored Zhang Shiquan, the village patriarch, by bowing with smoky joss sticks (incense) and cups of rice wine. 

We proudly marched along a path lined with the colorful flags of Zhang Clan, Long Gang Li Kung Fu School, Long Gang Li School, and Xingshi to the Zhang Shiquan Temple. 

Xingshi for Zhang Weiming at Long Gang Li. (Courtesy of Raymond Chong) 

I humbly greeted the elders at the entry as I entered the temple, where the altar of the village patriarch stood, lit by a pair of red candles. I honored Zhang Shiquan by bowing and leaving joss sticks, paper money, and rice wine at the altar. Xu Lianti and Huang Caiyun, elderly ladies, carefully managed the ancestral respect ritual. The lion dancers heartily entered the temple to pay respect to our Zhang ancestors and bless the offering of baked geese and steam buns to Zhang Shiquan. Together, they danced and bowed in front of the Zhang Shiquan altar. Villagers lit firecrackers at the end of the ritual to scare the evil spirits away. 

At the time, I was overwhelmed by the significance of the moment, but felt utterly jubilant to finally be able to respect the Zhang ancestors. In 1932, Zhang Baoshen, my father, left Long Gang Li as a young boy to move to America. He never returned to his village, for he died in 1979 at Los Angeles. Now, 77 years after his departure, I proudly represented my father as a “fallen leaf,” a returning sojourner from America to China.  

Zhang Shiquan temple at Long Gang Li. (Courtesy of Raymond Chong). 

Altar of Zhang Shiquan and his wife within the temple. (Courtesy of Raymond Chong). 

In Cantonese culture, ancestral respect is an important tradition. The good fortune of a person is associated with the happiness of his ancestral spirits. Three bows show respect to one’s ancestors in heaven. A pair of red candles at the altar lights the way out of darkness. Flowers symbolize respect and remembrance of ancestors. The smoke of joss sticks represents the ancestral spirits. Hell bank notes (joss paper) represent good fortune to the ancestors. Food is offered to the ancestors, rice wine is poured on the ground for them to drink, and firecrackers are set off to scare away evil spirits. 

At my ancestral house, I joyfully met with relatives from Hong Kong. In the parlor above us, I sensed that the spirits of our ancestors were happy with our family reunion. With Huang Cuixiao, my cousin, we repeated the ancestral respect ritual in the parlor in front of the Zhang family altar. 

Inside my ancestral house. (Courtesy of Raymond Chong). 

Fei E Shan

Later that morning, about 50 people trekked to the Fei E Shan (Hill of the Flying Swan). Shaped like a swan, the hill symbolizes graceful love, and is where we respect the Zhang ancestors in the tombs. Two porters carried the offerings and supplies on the trail. We hiked through the eucalyptus forest over fern-covered ground. The song of cicadas echoed through the rainforest. Blue swallows flew and black butterflies fluttered above us. 

On this sacred ground, the tombs were laid out in accordance to fengshui fashion facing Ping Lake (Ping Hu) below the Mount of Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea. At the tombs on the slope, we offered many plates of cooked geese, pork, eggs, and buns to five generations (the 37th-41st generations) of Zhang ancestors in two rows of tombstones. My Zhang forefathers, the sojourners, are buried there: Zhang Chunzan, the California Gold Rush miner; Zhang Bingyao, the Transcontinental Railroad worker; and Zhang Peilan, the Boston Chinatown gambler and opium merchant. 

Burning red candles and joss sticks were placed in front of the tombs. Paper tomb flowers adorned the tomb mounds. Paper money lay on the ground for burning. Everyone repeated the ancestral respect ritual and bowed three times with joss sticks, paper money, and rice wine. I scattered bits of bread and eggs. Zhang Guangye quickly passed out the lucky money, with envelopes with “Healthy,” “Wealthy,” “Happy,” and “Come Back” written on them.  We reverently feasted on the food for our lunch. 

During a quieter moment, I touched the coarse tombstones of my eight ancestors. In poignant solitude, I sensed their gentle presence. I smelled the sweet fragrances of the wildflowers, soapwort, redbud, and eucalyptus of the monsoon rainforest. In the serenity of the moment, I gazed upon the towering peak of Shi Jin Shan and the crystalline Ping Lake as it shimmered during the late afternoon. 

Respectful bowing to Zhang ancestors at their tombs on Fei E Shan. (Courtesy of Raymond Chong). 

As I marveled at the panorama of the Fei E Shan, I was spiritually impressed and humbled. 

Muse 

My soulful odyssey to Long Gang Li has led me to my spiritual awakening in search of my Zhang clan ancestral roots. I have learned and absorbed knowledge of my Cantonese heritage. My very essence had truly transcended in this fantastic odyssey from who I used to be, an insolent and surly young American boy who resented the Cantonese traditions of the past, to who I am now, a humble and reverent Cantonese man who respects his Zhang clan ancestors. A precious part of my heart will always dwell in Kaiping. 

My Zhang clan ancestors from Canton have etched a subliminal mark on my mind.  They are always in my blood, in my bones, and in my thoughts. Because of their influence, I can proudly call myself a real American with true Cantonese roots.

Even now, living in America, I am indelibly rooted at Long Gang Li in Kaiping, with my Zhang clan ancestors of Canton. I have finally come full circle as a fallen leaf.

Written by Dr. Raymond Douglas Chong (Zhang Weiming). Born and raised in Los Angeles, Dr. Chong is a sixth-generation Chinese American with family roots in America extending back to the California Gold Rush. Learn more about his family story and personal odyssey at CHSA’s screening of Dr. Chong’s documentary MY ODYSSEY: Between Two Worlds this Saturday at 1 PM PST. 

[legendwrote]

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[legendwrote]

International Kissing Day Meme | status: closed

@yuanre​ asked:

😘 {for Qingming, because I am weak like that}

   ⚍☯⚎ Glassy eyes blinked slowly, dowsing as lips pressed between them — the gentle warmth he could still feel beneath his fur. All five tails thumped the grass, wriggling happily so that he lay on top of the man’s chest more fully, nosing up beneath the other’s chin and nestling his muzzle against Boya’s neck with a quiet whine. They were getting better at this, navigating the dual worlds of the Yin-Yang master, the parts of him that would never be human but still sought freedom; the parts of him that frightened his lover, but that the man was learning to make peace with.

  He wanted nothing more than to hold Boya in his arms and kiss him properly in return, to show his appreciation for his patience and understanding, but he too would have to be patient until the wildness of him subsided and allowed his humanity to return. This he was still learning —how to control it— and every day he got a little bit closer to harnessing the power and bending it to his own will. ⚍☯⚎

[legendwrote]

Soft Details for Smut & Intimate Moments Meme | status: open

@yuanre​ sent “[ GAZE ] {I have no excuse, sorry}”

[ GAZE ] sender taking receiver’s jaw and saying “look at me” during sex or foreplay.

  ⚍☯⚎ He could not pinpoint the moment he slipped into deep, mindful focus, his chin dipping toward his collarbone, beads of sweat clinging to his skin and dangling at the tip of his nose, threatening to fall on the chest of the man beneath him. He got lost like this from time to time, awash in the feel of him — his Boya — moving under and around him, eyes closed heavy as if relishing how much more vibrant the sounds, the touches, the pace of their breaths seemed when his eyes did not fight to predict them. 

  It was not until he felt that hand reach up between knotted limbs to clutch at his chin that he opened those eyes, the symphony of colors and light dancing behind his eyelids coagulating into something warm and shapely — abstract and messy and infinitely beautiful amidst the pools of ink dark hair that flowed around them seemingly without beginning or end. The breathy whisper lingered on the periphery of his conscious mind for a moment like one of many rhythmic moans that had danced across his walls and ceiling that evening, stirring his insides by tone alone. It was at least a moment or two before meaning caught up with him and influenced a smile on his parted lips, chuckling softly and leaning down to kiss his lover with eager apology once, twice.

  “I see you, Boya,” he reassured him, his body pressing down a bit closer to the other’s own, the lowering of his torso stretching the hunter’s legs slung over his shoulders tight enough that he’d no doubt feel it in his hamstrings the next morning. “Even when I have my eyes closed, I see you,” he hummed against his lips as hips rolled forward and forward, barely losing contact with the other’s own as if insistent on staying buried deep within him. 

  A palm smoothed back over the crown of his lover’s head, brushing sweat-soaked strands off his forehead as he looked at him properly as for there to be little doubt that he saw every expression, every flutter of lashes, every knit of his brow when he rubbed that spot inside. That palm slipped under the other’s head to grasp the back of his neck, drawing him up to press his forehead against the man’s own, the tips of their noses grazing as they breathed the same warm, turbulent air.

  “Show me that beautiful expression— the one I love so much,” he whispered encouragingly.⚍☯⚎

[legendwrote]

⚍ 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 ⚎ 𝔸𝕟𝕓𝕖𝕚 ℚ𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕘

[legendwrote]

Boya gently ran his fingers up the man's neck, as he leaned in to place a soft kiss to Qingming's cheek. "Thank you." He muttered, warmth blossoming in his chest. "For everything."

  ⚍☯⚎ Qingming had been reading quietly when he felt a set of familiar fingers trail up along his neck, trickles of warmth running down his spine. A smile was drifting over his lips even before the kiss planted against his cheek, feeling the man’s breath on his skin just shy of it and tipping his head toward him willingly. Those words peaked his curiosity, glancing up to the man who leaned over him, setting his book aside and folding his hands in his lap.

  “Why the sentiment all of a sudden?” He wondered, not at all complaining, but keenly aware that there was something on the male’s mind that sparked the gentle words of gratitude; sometimes one had to carefully pry those thoughts from the hunter’s mind, for they were often fiercely guarded — even around him.⚍☯⚎

[legendwrote]

Boya gently ran his fingers through Qingming's hair. They each had their duties, time and fate pulled them apart more often than it brought them together. But in this moment, he was free to bask in the presence of his beloved.

  ⚍☯⚎ Qingming couldn't help but to smile as he felt devoted fingers cart through the long curtain of inky black that spilled down his back, gently untangling wind-tussled strands until they lay neatly obedient beneath his instruction. He scribed the last of the spells onto the slips of paper — his signature ‘eyes’ that he used often in his line of work that Boya would know well (there was one posted just above the man's bed back at his temple home tucked in the folds of his canopy that he felt fairly certain the other knew about, but was pretending he didn't, much to Qingming's delight).

  With a shimmer of enchanted ink the last scroll sealed itself and was placed on the stack with the others, leaving the Yin-Yang master to glance back over his shoulder to his lover sitting so patiently behind, a glimmer lighting his eyes to match that ever-present smile on his lips.

  "You did not have to wait up for me, you could have made yourself comfortable — I would have joined you soon," he reminded him, reaching up to catch his hand in one of its passes through his hair and drawing it up to his face to press his lips against his palm tenderly. ⚍☯⚎

[legendwrote]

Boya slowly - deliberately- sipped the tea, narrowing his eyes at the man in front of him. That beautiful smile didn't fool him, not when those eyes displayed the signs of exhaustion. "How have you been resting lately, Qingming."

  ⚍☯⚎ He had been caught rubbing at his eyes, it seemed — a telling motion that presented itself most often when Qingming had not rested well. In truth, his mind had not been at peace over the last few weeks since he’d been working at taming his half-demon heritage, and it was no surprise to him that his ever-attentive lover had taken note, those well-trained eyes piecing him apart from across the tea house table where they both shared refreshments.

  “Mmn,” he hummed in a noncommittal fashion, resting his temple on the backs of his knuckles and giving the man a quiet, wistful smile. There wasn’t much point in lying about it. Boya knew well enough by now. “Better with you next to me,” he turned the topic carefully, reaching for his tea and lifting it to his lips with waft of the delicate aroma and a sip. It was often like him to downplay his own troubles in favor of more light-hearted topics, but if Boya pressed he would not lie. ⚍☯⚎

@yuanre