#And I don't have to like him or even to dislike He Xuan to think this whole confrontation was... a mess

[fragmentedblade]

Boothill's presentation being entirely on the twitter post makes me think he will be irrelevant in the story in the long(ish) run, and that the game itself won't dwell on him almost at all

[dangermousie]

Cang Xuan preparing food for Princess Picky personally, despite his exhaustion, because he couldn't for Xiao Yao when they were kids made me think of something.

It's not that Cang Xuan is an unkind person per se. Not at all. Those he loves, he gives his all to - look how tenderly and unstintingly he treats even a mere substitute for Xiao Yao. He is kind and considerate and tender to those who he loves. But only to those he loves. We see the difference in how he treats Xiao Yao after he knows who she is and before, when he thinks that's some random small town physician. The former gets all his care and the latter gets the worms eating her hands. Xiao Yao's personality and character and actions haven't changed, but who she is to him has and so we have this vast difference.

And it makes no difference for XY that he's like that because he's her brother and her closest living family (she is removed from her grandfather and father) and she loves him the way one loves family UNLESS it ever would try to change to a romantic relationship. Because if he's her brother, the relationship is sort of baked in - siblings are siblings regardless of how badly it can go (after all, Tushan Jing and his monster of a brother will unfortunately always be siblings and the latter disassembled the former), but if he wants to move it from cousins who treat each other as siblings to romance (ie people with no familial bond) territory, she can't and won't for a lot of reasons but one of them are the limits of his kindness. It is natural enough to be kind to those you love. But what concerns her, and the reason she reiterates more than once she wants Jing is that the latter is kind to everyone. Hell, the man doesn't want revenge on his torturer even and he's kind to his awful fiance and unpleasant grandma. Xiao Yao, on a basic level, cannot trust she is lovable, that she is someone a person can CHOOSE to love forever - she's had so much abandonment in her life by those who owed her to love her - her family - that it broke something in her on a deeply fundamental level. That is where her wanting a dependent man who will see nothing but her comes in too, but also there is a deep belief that she can't keep anyone's love, not really. So Jing's dependency is Plan A but his kindness is Plan B. She wants someone who will be so devoted to her she will be his one meaning BUT if that devotion fails and love dies (as deep down she believes is inevitable), she wants someone so kind who will still be kind and good to her (and thus won't leave or at least treat her gently) even if he doesn't love her any more, even if he dislikes her.

I remember people being driven mad that Jing didn't seek revenge and/or didn't kick his fiancee to the curb and told granny to shut it but it's that Victorian heroine inability to hurt anyone's feelings, even people who he dislikes at best, is exactly what draws her to him. I mean, why does she give him her magic blood that cures him? He was going to die and there was no indication she going to, after all. It's because of this:

His being almost dead but holding out his hand all night so the hot wax won't fall on her face.

I find it such an interesting thing that the heroine chooses a man on the basis of his gentleness and kindness. It's such a gender role reversal within a narrative.

PS I remember people who didn't like her canon choice complaining that she picked him due to her trauma, if she didn't have it, she'd have picked X instead. I mean, probably true. If she didn't have her trauma she may very well not paid attention to him. Equally, if he didn't have his trauma, he may have very well not paid attention to her. But so what? We are the sum of our experience. To say that if one had a different life one would be a different person with different choices is tautological. We don't have other characters with other lives - we have who we have and they make choices according to that.

[plasmasimagination]

Hi, could I get a match up? Idk if I should write my preferences or you choose yourself but I'd be glad men from honkai star rail or genshin, I love them both! 🩷

I'm a very calm INFP-T, wear classy clothes such as furs, pearl necklaces, loose sweaters, am rather introverted but whenever I meet someone new I put on a smile and take an initiative with talking.

I'm talented in drawing, love listening to 40's music and I drink tea almost religiously.

I don't like crowds so I avoid taking walks just because, if I have no reason to go outside then I stay at home and enjoy drawing or tidying up my room (which I also like). Most of the time I am by myself.

As for my physical appearance, I'm a 169cm girl/woman (idk, I'm legal but too young to call myself a woman, hah!) with blonde locks, blue eyes and slim body. I love a subtle makeup to make my feature pop. I have "sad eyes" if I may say so.

What else do I say? I'm easily embarrassed but I also know how to make people laugh. I'm very friendly and it's very hard to irritate me. I tend to overlook people's flaws but I don't get attached too easily. I'm an optimist and a romantic at heart.

I hope it's enough and I truly hope I you're up for the task! Wishing you all the hest, your blog is amazing ☺️🩷

Hi sweetie

.

.

.

Jing yuan

Absolutely two cuties together.

I think Jing yuan finds you just adorable! Like at times he'll just stare at you and think to himself about how gorgeous you are

He appreciates your sweet and polite attitude, since he is the general, having such a partner as his significant other is a good look for him (this sounds like it would make him look bad if you Warent I'm not saying that I'm saying it's nice that you're friendly bc the people of Xianzhou will love you)

He knows your dislike for crowds and doesn't usually take you anywhere where there are a lot of people, maybe a fancy restaurant at night, a picnic somewhere away from a city, or simply just a walk in the silent part of a part.

He's also a fanboy over your drawings, literally your biggest fan and sometimes just sits there and watched your draw without saying anything, also loves to show it off like fu xuan has already heard it all

KAZUHA

Two calm and sweet cutiepies

Also he's into music, you're into art, isn't that the best combination!?

He enjoys being with you, close to you, talking to you, generally being with you, he's the happiest vision holder in the world when hes with you

You can make him laugh, and that, he's grateful for.

Sometimes life takes a toll on him, sentimental feelings getting to him, yet all those thoughts leave his mind when a smile tugs on your lips when you attempt to make him chuckle.

Like a hand waved away all the dark clouds of his mind, his thoughts get lighter and he's reminded that after all, as long as there's you, his life has meaning, either for his heart to beat in rhythm to yours, or to witness the smile on your lips and the way your eyes stare into his, thats what makes him feel complete, you help him forget about everything, even for a second.

Expect a lot hand written hakus and poems, complimenting all about you, inside and out, it's a small way of him showing his appreciation

[frostfires-blog]

Hi again!

Don't worry about being new in MXTX works, better be late than never, right?

Your post of MXTX side ships is my favorite Valentine gift. Thanks for sharing them! 🥰🤩

I'm so glad you also love Lan Shizui/Jin Ling (Jin Ling is in my top 5 fav MDZS characters, best boy). So ZhuiLing is my no 3 fav ship from all MXTX side ships. 🌷

And I'm with you, BeefLeaf (He Xuan/Shi Qingxuan) is also my no 1 fav MXTX side ships. Their relationship is so bittersweet. And also because Shi Qingxuan is in my top 5 fav TGCF characters (they're so lovely). 🍖🍃

PeiHuang (Pei Ming/Yushi Huang) is my no 4 fav MXTX side ships, just love their interactions so much. 💐

I'm so excited you include QuanYin (Quan Yizhen/Yin Yu), too.....They're my no 5 fav MXTX aide ships. I can totally relate to Yin Yu. Quan Yizhen really frustate me but at the same time I care for him and can't hate him....

But for my no 2 fav MXTX side ships, is XueXiao (Xue Yang/Xiao Xingchen). Sorry, I know it's a toxic ship but I can't help but love their dynamic and the potential ship there (The Untamed really made me ship them harder).

When I found your blog and read your posts, I got so excited...! Thanks to you, I reread all 3 MXTX works and have a great time. They will always have special place in my heart. Also, I've been sending that MXTX Ask Game to some other people and from all, your answer is my favorite. It's so beautiful and very detailed (always a joy to read them).

As a fan of MXTX works, I never really knew about the meaning of the flowers in the works, until I read your posts. Thanks again for sharing this info.

Okay, it's random, but if you can choose what flowers that remind you some of your favorite characters from TGCF, MDZS, & SVSSS, what will they be? Why?

Oh, and thanks a lot for informing about TGCF OVA, I really love it (but yeah, too short). If not from you, I even don't know about the OVA.

If you want to try other danmei novels, here are some of my favorite (sorry if you don't like either of them) :

- The Husky and His White Cat Shizun (2ha)

If you want to read this, prepare for the angst (with a happy ending). For about the first 50 chapters (at least), you'll hate the MC for what he did to the ML. Because really what he did is unforgivable (oh yeah, don't forget to read the TWs). But as the story goes, you'll understand why he became like that and you'll start to like him gradually. And at the end, it's impossible to still hate him (yes, including me, at the end, I love him, too). For the ML, how can anyone dislike him, really? Even after everything (including the worst) that the MC did to him, he still love him and never hate him until the end. Their love is so beautiful. This series should have live action drama but got canceled (so sad).

- Legend of Exorcism (Tian Bao Fu Yao)

I think you'll love this most, because other than the romance, the story also have focus on the friendship between this group (the MC, ML with their group of friends). The fantasy aspect and the adventure in here are amazing. So in this story, there is another canon m/m side ship (with beautiful story, too). Bonus of why I think this series is special, when I know that the author is gay himself (that is a very brave thing to do because China is still very strong in censorship). This series also have 2 seasons of donghua and manhua (discontinued).

- Run Wild : Sa Ye

It's modern setting about 2 guys who each have their own problems and somehow when they found each other, it's the best thing ever happen to them. And the ML's little sister is great! This series have manhua (ongoing), too. Actually this series also have donghua but got cancelled (sad).

- The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua (The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty)

Now, because you're a fan of Apothecary Diaries, I think, you'll love this, too. The MC is really smart in helping to solve various cases in the palace (also he is a foodie). The ML is a serious type but totally whipped for the MC (in his own way). They have the Live Action drama (a bit different because of censorship but still great series).

- This Villain Emperor's Gotta Charm the Male Lead to Survive! (How to Survive as a Villain)

The MC will remind you of Shen Yuan and the ML is kinda like Lan Wangji, so you can imagine their dynamic will be. It's a great series, you'll laugh and also be sad at certain moments.

In this story, also have canon f/f and other m/m side ships (love them)! This series have manhua (complete) adaptation.

Sorry for this long ask, hope you don't mind. Again, I'm sorry because I'm not really good at writing reviews to make something look interesting (I wish I can write at least half as good as you).

P.s

I watched Apothecary Diaries thanks to you, I love it! You're so right, now that I think about it, JinMao really remind me of Pei Ming/Yushi Huang!

Hi, thanks for sending in another ask! I don't know if I can call myself new to the MXTX works? While I haven't properly ventured into other danmei, I've been an MXTX fan for around 4 years now... I started with the MDZS donghua in 2021 but only read the novels after watching the TGCF donghua in 2022. Given the complexity of the series' plot points and characters, it took some time for me to feel comfortable analysing them—especially considering how much I struggled with the names of characters and places. However, I understand that many MXTX fans have been around since before the novels were officially published in English, so I suppose I could be categorised as a newer fan...

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On another note, I'm glad you appreciated the post I did about my favourite MXTX side ships! I was actually really worried people wouldn't be happy about some of my choices... A) Lan Shizhui × Jin Ling was one of the ships I thought might provoke negativity, so I'm happy to have found someone else who ships them as well! I didn't know they had a ship name, "Zhuiling" sounds so adorable! Jin Ling is one of my top five favourite MDZS characters too. I really feel like he's inherited all of the best traits of Jiang Yanli, Jin Zixuan, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng, which is why I love him so much. B) Beefleaf haunts me every day... Both Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan are in my top 5 favourite TGCF characters list so I suppose it's not surprising that Beefleaf is my favourite side ship haha... C) I can't wait until we get to see PeiHuang and QuanYin interact in the donghua and manhua! I really hope the donghua adds in additional scenes like what they did with the Fang Xin Guoshi Arc... I totally relate to your feelings about Yin Yu and Quan Yizhen. Also thank you for teaching me all of these new ship names! It's so much more convenient than having to type out both characters' names every time. D) Even though I prefer SongXiao, I totally understand why people ship XueXiao. I'm convinced that Xue Yang harboured intense romantic affections for Xiao Xingchen—however, these sentiments were inextricably entangled with sinister undertones of possession, obsession, and vengeance. Xiao Xingchen clearly enjoyed Xue Yang's company before the big reveal—so If things had gone down differently, they could've been something. I favour SongXiao because I idealise the concept that your love for someone inspires you to become a better person and said person brings out your best qualities. While XueXiao had the ability to achieve that, Xue Yang chose to try to bring Xiao Xingchen down to his level instead. It's an interesting subversion of the aforementioned trope, so part of me does ship them—but I more so much gravitate towards SongXiao since they also have that bittersweet feeling but there's more sweetness than bitterness.

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I really enjoyed answering the MXTX Ask Game you sent me. I'm glad you liked the response I gave—given my tendency to overexplain things I worried you'd think I rambled too much... People in my personal life tell me I over-analyze things—especially when it comes to symbolism in fictional works. So, seeing how much you all appreciate my hanakotoba posts makes me immensely happy.

I've pondered the concept of using flowers to represent MXTX characters before—although it's quite difficult to separate them from their pre-established, canonical symbolism. Xie Lian is canonically associated with several flowers—most notably snow lotuses, water lilies and peach blossoms. Hua Cheng is canonically associated with red spider lilies—and I've always thought that red camellias suited him as well. Wei Wuxian is canonically associated with lotuses and peonies—while Lan Wangji is associated with gentians, magnolias and peonies. Luo Binghe is canonically associated with black lotuses. I recently did a hanakotoba analysis of fan art that depicted the 6 main characters of MXTX's works as flowers. Most of the flowers chosen there either appear in the respective series or greatly suit the respective character. So, to make the most out of your question—and avoid rehashing information—I'll focus on side characters instead. I limited myself to five characters, each with two flowers chosen, because I didn't want this to be too long. When selecting flowers, I aimed to ensure that their meaning aligned with the character's personality and colour palette. Also, because it was difficult to reverse my research process—as I usually look for a flower's meaning rather than flowers with a specific meaning—these may not be the greatest potential choices... I also tried to mostly go for flowers I haven't covered yet since I'm sure everyone is sick of me rambling about the same ones haha...Hopefully, they meet your expectations...

1) Jiang Yanli × Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) & Purple Cosmos (Cosmos sp.)

It's apparent that Jiang Yanli is canonically associated with lotus flowers. Her name "Yanli" (厌离) means "disliking separation" and the "he" (荷) in one of the Chinese names for lotuses "hé huā" (荷花) also means union. I've spoken in depth about this in my MDZS hanakotoba part 2 post. In Japanese hanakotoba, lotuses are associated with a pure heart, sacredness, perfection, beauty, grace, eloquence and departing love. In Western floriography, lotuses symbolise purity of the heart, chastity, virtue, innocence, eloquence, departed or estranged love, "bringing together separate things" and "beauty rising from humble beginnings". In China, lotuses symbolise elegance, beauty, wisdom, humility, grace, integrity, balance, harmony, serenity, and purity of the mind and heart. A single stem bearing two lotus flowers represents the desire for harmony and a shared heart while a lotus flower with a leaf and bud symbolises complete union. As a second option, I chose the cosmos flower since I wanted something delicate—in a pink or purple colour palette—that highlighted her compassion, sincerity, and kindness. In Japanese hanakotoba, cosmos flowers represent harmony, humility, purity, love, grace and "a maiden's sincerity". In Western floriography, cosmos flowers are associated with modesty, grace, harmony and "the joys that love and life" can bring. In China, cosmos flowers symbolise love, beauty, innocence, and purity.

2) Lan Yuan │ Lan Sizhui × Sweet Osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans) & White Strawflower (Xerochrysum bracteatum)

Although Lan Sizhui hasn't been associated with any particular flower in the novel, he is depicted with sweet osmanthus flowers in this official artwork. Osmanthus flowers have been valued throughout Asia for centuries for their rich, apricot and peach-like aroma and are utilised in the preparation of tea, wine, medicine, and confections. In Japanese hanakotoba, osmanthus flowers represent humility, nobleness, honesty and first love. In Western floriography, osmanthus flowers symbolise humility, purity, love, dedication, peace and unwavering charm. In China, osmanthus flowers are associated with autumn, longevity, prosperity, loyalty, sincere love, nostalgia and good luck. As a second option, I chose the strawflower since I wanted a white or blue flower that would not only highlight his kindness, sincerity, integrity, and maturity but also his subtle playfulness and easy-going disposition. I mostly wanted something that could tie into the courtesy name "Sizhui" (思追), —which was chosen by Lan Wangji and means "to recollect and long for"—as his bond with Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian is an essential aspect of his character. Ultimately, I ended up choosing strawflowers also known as everlasting daisies. In Japanese hanakotoba, strawflowers are associated with eternal memory and everlasting joy. In Western floriography, strawflowers represent longevity, hope, undying love and remembrance.

3) Liu Qingge × Willow (Salix sp.) & Bluebird Columbine (Aquilegia sp.)

Although Liu Qingge is canonically paired with pine and willow trees, he isn't associated with any specific flowers, so I chose the bluebird columbine to symbolise him. When choosing a flower to symbolise him, I wanted something in a blue-grey and white palette that highlighted both his strength, resilience, and boldness, as well as his softer qualities such as his denseness, consideration, and loyalty. I also wanted to subtly hint at his ambiguous feelings for Shen Qingqiu. In the SVSSS novel, Liu Qingge's Bai Zhan Peak is stated to be full of pine trees. In Japanese hanakotoba and Western floriography, pines are associated with longevity, immortality, pity, sympathy and hope. In China, pines symbolise unwavering strength, resilience, longevity, evergreen sentiment, everlasting affection and endurance in adversity. His surname "Liu" (柳) means willow. In Japanese hanakotoba, willows are associated with freedom, obedience and the sadness of love. In Western floriography, willows are associated with bravery, forsaken love, melancholy, mourning, sorrow and freedom. In China, willows symbolise sorrow, longing, resilience, renewal, humility, friendship, lasting affection and "urging someone to stay". Bluebird columbine flowers symbolise denseness, resolve and determination to win in Japanese hanakotoba. In Western floriography, columbine flowers are associated with diligence, determination, tenacity, endurance, foolishness, courage, fidelity and love. In China, columbines symbolise valour and courage.

4) Shi Qingxuan │ Wind Master × Spring snowflake (Leucojum vernum) & Windflowers (Anemone sp.)

As far as I recall, Shi Qingxuan isn't canonically associated with any particular flower. When selecting flowers, I wanted something in white, green, or teal that highlighted his compassion, charisma, and integrity—while also reflecting his intricate relationship with Ming Yi/He Xuan and his tragic fate in the novel. In the end, I've chosen to go with spring snowflakes and white anemones. In Japanese hanakotoba, snowflake flowers represent an immaculate heart, purity, innocence and "charm that attracts everyone". In China, spring snowflakes symbolise purity, hope, courage and new life. In Western floriography, they symbolise innocence, purity, new beginnings, hope and "memories of youth". Anemones are also known as windflowers making them a fitting choice for Shi Qingxuan, the Wind Master. In Japanese hanakotoba, anemones are associated with ephemeral love, abandonment and the pain of love. White anemones in particular represent hope, expectation and truth. In Western floriography, anemones are associated with forsaken love, withered hope, anticipation, spring's arrival, "the fragility of life", and a loved one's death.

5) Yushi Huang │ Rain Master × Arum Lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) & Baimo (Fritillaria verticillata)

Yushi Huang is also not canonically associated with any flowers—save for agricultural produce—so I've chosen arum lilies and baimo lilies. When choosing flowers to represent her, I wanted something associated with water that would highlight her humility, perseverance, and compassion. I opted for a green-and-white colour scheme, despite the donghua's blue-and-white colour palette, because her robes are described as verdant in the novel and blue flowers are uncommon.  Arum lilies typically grow along streams and ponds; furthermore, a cultivar of the arum lily featuring green stripes around the borders of its flower is known as the "Green Goddess," making it a good fit for Yushi Huang, the goddess of rain and agriculture. In Japanese hanakotoba, arum lilies are associated with grace, purity, passion and splendid beauty. In Western floriography, arum lilies represent modesty, magnificence and feminine beauty. Baimo lilies are also called woven lilies because their mesh-patterned, downward-facing flowers resemble braided bamboo hats like the one Yushi Huang wears. In Japanese hanakotoba, baimo lilies are associated with a "humble heart" and talent. In Western floriography, baimo lilies symbolise humility, modesty, elegance, and grace.

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If you want to stay updated on the TGCF donghua-related information I'd advise you to follow the official official TGCF Twitter account. They post new official artwork, trailers and other promotional announcements there. I love the animated PVs they always release there. Of course, I'll try to post important updates here as well. Apparently, there's going to be another short film/OVA but I'm not sure when it'll be released. According to rumours, it's going to cover the first extra of volume 8 "Lantern Riddles on Yuanxiao Night".

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Thanks for the danmei recommendations, I've been wanting to get into other series but haven't known where to start. I've seen a lot of Kictor's reviews—so I have a decent understanding of what a lot of them are about even though I haven't quite taken the plunge yet... Since I'm notoriously indecisive I'll probably post on poll sometime soon and have you guys help decide on which series I read next. I'll probably stick to officially published ones for now since the glossaries and appendixes are a lifesaver for me. I tried reading Faraway Wanderers last year—because I was watching Word of Honour—and I struggled so much without one...

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I'm glad inspired you to watch The Apothecary Diaries, it deserves to be more popular! I'm glad you see the vision too! I've seen a lot of people compare JinMao to Usui × Misaki (Kaichou wa Maid-sama) and Tamaki × Haruhi (Ouran High School Host Club)—but I haven't seen anyone compare them to PeiHuang yet and it works so well...

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[almea]

I've got 2.1 thoughts.

This was really the Aventurine patch. His perspective was definitely the longest one, especially considering he's the first one you explore both maps with. It's an interesting way to tell the story because with the kind of person Aventurine is, there's no way he would have confided even half of what we learned about him in the story to another character. I didn't dislike him after 2.0 (Although I did find it funny when he was trying to make us suspicious of Acheron because she's an Emanator and I was just like. Aventurine, you just told me that not only is Acheron hot but she's also scary strong and you expect me to not lay my life on the line for her?) but I wasn't that invested in him either. I'm still not Invested invested in him after 2.1, but I did really feel for him, especially towards the end. I'm just truly the weakest bitch in the universe when it comes to characters talking to their younger selves. I didn't expect them to get as into Aventurine being a slave or former slave as they did, but damn.

And by the end I was like. Is this man dead? Did they kill this man right before his banner? After everyone was like "Oh no, they drip marketed Robin so now everyone knows she's not dead because dead characters wouldn't be playable"? After his talk with Acheron my understanding is that he's not actually dead, he was just able to break in to a deeper part of dream because of Acheron and he may not be able to return so I guess he's effectively kind of dead for now???

I think it's such a weird choice that Aventurine's hat is clearly supposed to be important to him but he just. Doesn't wear it 95% of the time???? I feel like that final cutscene would have hit harder if he actually wore his hat so it would be more strongly associated with him. I don't understand why they designed him with that hat and then just like never make him wear it.

It's pretty clever that his perspective being so long also acts as an extra long trial for his character. I ended up using my Jingliu team for his portions of the story because she's the only DPS that I've even remotely built besides Qingque, and she was truly doing more damage to my team than the enemies were. Thinking about it now, I prooooobably would have been fine running him with my Qingque team but I would have missed the reliability of the mono Quantum. The extra long trial did not work on me though because I've got Stellaron Hunters to collect and I'm still waffling about whether or not to get Acheron's light cone. I also still haven't made up my mind about whether to pull for Robin yet.

His boss fight was kind of a pain in the ass though. My poor Silver Wolf and Lynx were getting bullied nonstop during the second phase while Qingque was overcapping the dice like crazy because she kept getting her follow up and Fu Xuan's ultimate was her saving grace. Using Qingque against Aventurine feels so appropriate because so many of her combat lines are related to gambling.

I liked Sparkle's conversation with Aventurine very plainly confirming that she has a very clear picture of what's happening but, true to her little animation, she prefers to work from the background and let the main characters do all the heavy lifting. Going off that animation, I'm looking forward to seeing what role she plays in 2.2.

March being so indignant that Stelle was getting bullied left and right by people with Agendas ever since they split up was really sweet. I love how people's general feeling after 2.0 was like "Everyone we met was fucking suspicious and hiding things from us, I don't fully trust anyone except the rest of the Express crew" and the characters were also like "Yeah, we can only trust each other."

The other side of that being that they kept running into people Stelle fought in 2.0 and March and Himeko being like "What have you been doing while you were unsupervised? Were you committing crimes?" was really funny.

I'm curious about whether Dan Heng is going to join in on the action in 2.2. He's already asked if they they need him in 2.1, so the possibility of him getting called in if things get really dicey is already there. And there's the fact that he does appear in one shot of the White Night trailer, and I watched a stream where his voice actor was saying Penacony's really good which makes it sound like he recorded more lines than just Dan Heng saying he'd stay on the train. Or idk maybe the other voice actors told him about stuff that happened. Is that allowed lmao? Sam also said Elio's instruction was "Get all of the Astral Express to track down the grand legacy," so does that "all" include Dan Heng?

It was very cruel of them to have one of the first things in the story be Acheron saying she knows who's in Sam's armour and then just. Not touching on that again until the last five to ten minutes. I figured they were going to do the Sam/Firefly reveal at some point in 2.1 so they'd be able to drip market Sam/Firefly for 2.3 (I've deluded myself into believing they're coming out in 2.3 because it makes sense to me to release them during Penacony's epilogue while they're main story relevant) since they're probably both in the splash art, but man did they take their sweet time getting there and slowly killed me the entire time.

I'm sooooo fascinated by the whole Sam/Firefly thing. I was tragically spoiled by a leak forever ago, but the leak I saw was just someone saying "I guess Firefly is the exploration model and Sam is the battle model" so I still don't know whether Firefly is an actual person who exists in the real world or if she's just a form Sam is able to take on in the dream world. If Firefly is a real person, I am so obsessed with the juxtaposition of Sam being the most ruthless Stellaron Hunter, to the point where Kafka said people are better off running into her, and Firefly looking like the sweetest, most gentle girl ever.

And if she's real, I'm so curious about whether the other Stellaron Hunters know about Firefly. They've only ever referred to Sam with male pronouns, but we've never had a scene with just them where they mentioned Sam so they could know about her and have Reasons for letting other people think Sam is male.

Looking back at 2.0, I assume Firefly might have transformed into Sam if Black Swan hadn't saved them because Stelle was in danger and their scripts from Elio aren't as detailed as the ones we've seen the other Stellaron Hunters reference, and her apology when she was killed could be read as "sorry I'm going to give you some trauma now so you'll have the motivation to find the Watchmaker's legacy." I'm not super clear on whether the memories of Firefly Stelle followed with Black Swan and Acheron was just an act she put on to lead Stelle to that place or there was something more going on there.

I just really want to know how much of Firefly in 2.0 was an act and how much of it was genuine. The main thing being when she tells Stelle she hopes they don't have to be enemies when everything is revealed. I love how Firefly's Sam persona was clearly leaking out a bit when she told Sampo/Sparkle "You talk too much."

2.2 really cannot come soon enough because I've got so many questions and I'm so excited to see the story pick up right from Stelle finding out Firefly is Sam. I can't wait to see what dialogue options Stelle gets for her reaction. Stelle's thoughts when you go back to Firefly's secret base are that she still cherishes the memories of the time she spent with Firefly, but she's confused about how to feel about her being Sam. I'm just like, Stelle, please hug her because I am a fool who would forgive her because she's cute and I love the Stellaron Hunters dearly, but I think if I'm not being self-indulgent I'm just expecting Stelle to be happy or relieved that Firefly's not dead but also feel very wary of her.

I think it's so funny that during the 2.1 livestream they were like. "Gallagher is so normal. He's the most normal person in the whole Penacony cast. He doesn't have a past, he's just a guy." And then by the end of 2.1 it's like. Actually Gallagher may have the biggest past out of everyone.

I'm not clear on what's up with that bird that's watching in some scenes. I thought it could be related to Sunday since he said he has servants that see everything, but its colour scheme looks like the Memory Zone monsters so it might also be related to Gallagher? idk if I'm even supposed to understand at this point.

I love that they made a special trial for Acheron so they could be like "Look how cool her technique is!!!"

It was very nice of them to let us collect the birds even when we weren't in Stelle's perspective, but Acheron and Aventurine can't actually see them so the dialogue options reflected that.

Black Swan talking to a memory? Of Constance wasn't something I expected. I'm still not clear on what was happening during that scene, but I'm interested to see where it goes in 2.2. Boothill getting an early cameo in that part was fun as well. It was so funny to me when he got drip marketed because I was just like. I have never seen this man in my life before lmao. I must have stopped looking at leaks before he was found.

Topaz's very brief appearances were very interesting. It seems like she feels at least a little conflicted about Aventurine's "death." I think Topaz herself is very kind, but she's still one of the Ten Stonehearts and that whole group seems a little shady. I don't think I trust Jade at all.

[mvsicinthedvrk]

"One was another ghost king. The other one was, yes, Shi Qingxuan." And even then, the amount of truth that he'd allowed Qingxuan access to had been minimal, in the grand scheme of things. When Qingxuan requests that they try to be honest with each other, he imagines that's really only in reference to him; Chunyu's never been anything but honest with him. "I can't promise that." It's a far more genuine answer, He Xuan thinks, that swearing to keep to a pact that he can't hold up-- though if he can be honest, he'll try. As she searches for words, seeming to struggle for how to approach the situation, he feels a twinge of remorse. His words may have been too rough, especially since her apology for her reaction wasn't strictly necessary; just because he hadn't appreciated the way she'd acted after their last confrontation doesn't mean her feelings were wholly in the wrong. So when he speaks again, his tone is far less cold: "I know." He doesn't think she has it in her to hate anything, in earnest. "I know you don't hate me. For my part, I'll try to deliver information less graphically, in the future." He pauses, then adds, "I dislike when you avoid me." They'd spent far too many years apart for him to allow something like this to drive her further away, so if he can steer away from that outcome by trying to walk Chunyu's apparently fine line of wanting to know the truth but not know too much, he'll try.

well... that does also help a little bit, even if she could have gleaned that he'd spent a lot of time lying and concealing things from the snippets she'd been shown. hearing it though, it does reassure chunyu just a bit. "i'm guessing the other one was shi qingxuan?" it's not an important question, not even close, but she doesn't know what to say, nor does she want to go back to sitting in silence. "can we... try? to be honest with each other? i don't want to find out these things by accident." and as much as she didn't really want to know at all, being left in the dark sounds so much worse in terms of her brother's... questionable? yes, let's go with that, questionable behavior. "i- it's okay..." if she's angry about it all, she can't imagine he'd taken it better, considering which of them had had to live through it all and watch it happen. "i'm sorry, da-ge. i didn't... i don't know if i would have done any better if we'd switched places." she has to admit that much, that if she'd seen everything and been unable to stop it, she might have reacted just as badly. "...i don't know. it's not... i'm trying, da-ge. i don't hate you, you know that, right?"

[veliseraptor]

Hi lise....How are you? If you don't mind me asking, who are your favorite “villains” (or antagonists) in all of MXTX novels? (Whether you want to do a ranking or just write out in no particular order)...Sorry if you've answered this question before....

I am stressed, depressed, and holding off a mental breakdown but keeping it together so far! and distractions in the form of thinking about my villain beloveds help.

asdlskjadf oh man. so it’s not quite “all of them” but it is... “several.” no ranking here because rankings are hard, so here’s in no particular order my personal greatest antagonist hits from mxtx’s novels

(this post will contain hella spoilers just to let you guys know)

1. He Xuan. I just finished (well, for a given value of ‘just’) rereading the Black Water Arc again and ahhhhhhh. Ahhhhhhhhhhh. I love He Xuan so much, I love everything he chooses to do, I love the fact that he has a choice between revenge and a friendship he does seem to value and ultimately still chooses revenge, I love his cold anger, I love the part where he just fuckin...rips Shi Wudu’s head off with his bare hands, RIP Water Master but that was pretty badass.

But yeah, I think what most draws me toward him is that...pull, where you can see him trying to give Shi Qingxuan an out, and he’s not going to abandon his revenge, would never, but he will bend it just a little, or he would...but ultimately Shi Qingxuan fails the tests he gives them and that’s it.

Also “you called the wrong name” will probably live in my head, as they say, rent free, with lines from literature that stick with me.

2. Xue Yang. Obviously. I feel like...I don’t even know how to talk about him here without repeating myself. Love at first sight and I never looked back. It only got worse. There’s a whole lot of buttons that he’s hitting all at once and...god, idk, okay, I’ve written more fics about him in a year and change than I wrote in the entire Silmarillion fandom between 2009-2021, and some of those are long. It’s a lot.

3. Jin Guangyao. I feel like I don’t always talk enough about Jin Guangyao and that’s mostly because I feel like other people have said the things I’d want to say but better already? But...god, love him. He’s such a psychological mess of paranoia and anxiety and insecurity, he’s so up in his head, constantly thinking about three or four things at once, is he enjoying the experience? Not necessarily.

I’m always going to be a sucker for a clever schemer and Jin Guangyao’s got that going for him, and I also really enjoy a good juxtaposition between seeming fragility and insane endurance/ability to keep going well past the point it’s reasonable. His drive to escape his origins, to prove himself, to gain an approval that’s always going to be just out of reach...I’m love him. Very very much.

4. Shen Jiu. Does he count, considering he’s mostly SIr Not Appearing In This Novel with the exception of the extras? I’m counting him. It feels very silly and also very me that my favorite SVSSS character is this guy because like...he’s not even technically present in the novel proper as an actual person? Even Xiao Xingchen at least gets a corpse cameo.

Whatever, I’m counting him anyway. I was going to be like “I know he’s awful” but come on, this is a list of antagonists and I love characters dealing horribly with their trauma and also passing their trauma on to others in the worst way, and also characters who come to bad ends, and also characters who will see people thinking the worst of them and go “fine! sure! I will do nothing to correct these assumptions at all because fuck it, if people are going to hate me might as well go all in.”

5. Jun Wu. I know, I know! I feel like this is maybe the most unpopular of mine actually but I have a thing for...antagonists who are disappointed idealists who are now trying to ruin everyone else’s day/life to prove their point while at the same time (this is a read, but I think I can support it) wanting to be proved wrong, but also absolutely certain that they won’t. And his interactions with Xie Lian in book four as Bai Wuxiang are...well. they sure do hit a nail shaped like my character dynamic kinks right on the head

and I’ll talk about this more in my favorite TGCF moments answer that’s forthcoming (I’m just finishing the book first so I don’t forget anything!), but I also find the conclusion to his arc very satisfying in ways that I very seldom get in media.

honorable mentions: Ling Wen (honorable mention only because I don’t know that she actually counts, she’s only an ‘antagonist’ for a hot minute and she doesn’t actually do anything to our protagonists to seriously hurt them), Shen Qingqiu’s internalized homophobia (honestly probably the biggest antagonist of SVSSS, lbr), Xie Lian on a rampage, He Xuan’s skeleton fish.

I do also have a soft spot for Bingge even though we only see him for a hot minute. he’s just awful and a disaster and I love that for him.

are we counting Jiang Cheng as an antagonist? because I don’t but if we were he’d be on this list too.

honestly the only antagonists I actively dislike (as opposed to just find relatively uninteresting) are Jin Guangshan and Jin Zixun.

[elencelebrindal]

Sorry if they're too many, you don't have to answer everything! What is your fave novel of the three? Favorite/least favorite character for each one? Favorite male/female character for each one (aside from you all-time fave)? Favorite canon ship? Favorite non-canon ship? Least favorite of them (and why)? Favorite tool/weapon in the three? They're so many, sorrysorrysorry!

Don’t worry, I love answering questions! There might be some spoilers here, so... be wary of them. 

Ok, let’s go in order:

1.

My favorite novel of the three is Tian Guan Ci Fu. When I read Mo Dao Zu Shi I told myself “okay, I don’t think anything could beat this”, and then TGCF came around. I think this novel is, in general, one of my favorite books of all time. Aside from the romance part of it (which is often what people mainly focus on when it comes to MXTX), I really loved the characters and the story is absolutely incredible. I ended up getting so involved in it that I read the entire thing + the extras in three days, subsequently read what was out of the manhua in... maybe two hours? and watched the entire donghua as soon as it came on Netflix in one sitting. The only time this happened to me before TGCF was with the Silmarillion. 

This tells a lot. 

2.

Favorite SVSSS character: Luo BingHe shares his first place with Shen QingQiu.

Least favorite SVSSS character: Immortal Master Lao Gongzhu of Huan Hua Palace. I cannot even begin to explain how disgusted I was by that character, I almost never hated anyone more than him. 

Favorite MDZS character: Wei WuXian. He’s been my favorite character from the beginning. His story follows exactly one of my favorite character dynamic, much like many other favorites of mine (from good to evil to neutral/somewhat good again, even if in this case WWX didn’t actually turn evil). I’m pretty sure the same can be said of almost everyone in my favorite list... oh well.

Least favorite MDZS character: it’s a tough choice between Su She, Wen Chao, and Jin ZiXun. I just... I disliked them so much. It’s not even hate, I just didn’t want to see them on screen. Maybe Wen Chao is the worst of them... yeah, he’s the worst. I could count Jiang Cheng in my least favorites as well, but my reasons for not liking him are way too complicated so I won’t insult him so much. 

Favorite TGCF character: Hua Cheng!!!!!!!

Least favorite TGCF character: I don’t have a least favorite character. 

3. 

Favorite SVSSS male character aside from LBH and SQQ: MoBei-Jun and LiuQingGe. I’m not troubling myself with trying to choose between them.

Favorite SVSSS female character: I used to be torn between Sha HuaLing and Liu MingYan, but SHL follows my general preferences way more so she wins. 

Favorite MDZS male character aside from WWX: Wen Ning. He deserves all the love in the world. All of it. Also I really love Nie MingJue and Xiao XingChen. 

Favorite MDZS female character: Jiang Yanli (because I fell in love with her gentle personality while watching The Untamed and I can’t bear myself to stop loving her). Wen Qing is right up there with her.

Favorite TGCF male character aside from HC: well, first of all Xie Lian. Second of all, Bai WuXiang and He Xuan.

Favorite TGCF female character: Ling Wen, but only because I don’t count Shi QingXuan as a fully fledged female (I am too in love with both forms to choose one side, sorry guys). 

4. (they’re all going to be the main ones, lol)

Favorite canon SVSSS ship: Shen QingQiu x Luo BingHe, though... MoBei-Jun x Shang QingHua is a really close second. 

Least favorite canon SVSSS ship: I don’t think I have one? I mean, there’s not much material to examine when it comes to canon pairings.

Favorite canon MDZS ship: Wei WuXian x Lan Wangji.

Least favorite canon MDZS ship: it’s not really a ship (I think, maybe it’s just me?) but whatever they tried to do with Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing in the drama doesn’t sit right with me. For reasons that are a bit more complicated than it seems, and that would need me explaining my opinion about JC first. 

Favorite canon TGCF ship: Hualian! Hualian! Hualian! Hua Cheng x Xie Lian is one of my all time favorite ships, in general. I stand by the statement “Hualian invented love”. 

Least favorite canon TGCF ship: that weird bullshit the mortal realm like to do with Shi QingXuan and Shi Wudu. Poor guys. It’s canon only because their perverted followers say so. 

5.

Favorite non-canon SVSSS ship: I don’t think I have one...? Maybe ZhuZhi-Lang and TianLang-Jun, but I’m still way too confused about that. I know people ship a lot Liu QingGe and Shen QingQiu, but I never saw the appeal of it.

Least favorite non-canon SVSSS ship: again, don’t have one, mostly because I never delved too deeply in the world of non-canon SVSSS ships. 

Favorite non-canon MDZS ship: Xiao XingChen x Song Lan. It’s probably the pairing that makes the most sense (to me) out of everyone else. And it’s heartbreaking, so bonus points for that. 

Least favorite non-canon MDZS ship: Xiao XingChen x Xue Yang. [heavy spoiler alert] I absolutely HATE this pairing. I love Xue Yang, he’s an amazing villain, but this pairing is straight up abuse, no matter how you look at it. I am a sucker for angsty shit, but I really draw the line at the fucked up pairing that is this one. Xue Yang literally destroyed Xiao XingChen psychologically, lied to him for years, gaslighted him, forced him to kill innocent people, forced him to kill Song Lan, and then ended up ruining him so much that Xiao XingChen killed himself and destroyed his own soul. 

I have no idea why people love this pairing so much, but I genuinely hate it. There’s nothing redeeming about it. 

Another ship I don’t like is Jiang Cheng x Lan XiChen, but once again this has more convoluted reasons that revolve around JC, mainly. There’s also Lan XiChen x Jin GuangYao. Please, no. I really don’t like it. 

Favorite non-canon TGCF ship: Pei Ming x Shi Wudu and He Xuan x Shi QingXuan. We all know why beefleaf is important in our hearts, so let me explain something about Pei Ming and Shi Wudu; this pairing doesn’t mean I completely disregard everything else about Pei Ming. He’s our good old manwhore womanizer and I haven’t changed that (too much). But this pairing... in my headcanon, which is something I’m also going to write in my desperate attempt and being a good fanfic writer, Pei Ming fell in love with him so hard that he was like “okay, fine, there’s just you now, I’m done with sleeping around”. After Shi Wudu dies, Pei Ming keeps his word and doesn’t cheat on him for the reminder of his life. My own headcanon is the reason why this is my favorite non-canon ship. I stumbled into it my complete chance, but I genuinely love it. 

Least favorite non-canon TGCF ship: anything that has Xie Lian and Hua Cheng not with each other. I don’t like seeing them paired with anyone else. 

6.

Favorite SVSSS weapon/tool: Xin Mo and Xiu Ya. 

Favorite MDZS weapon/tool: Chenqing

Favorite TGCF weapon/tool: E-Ming and Fang Xin

If you want to ask anything else, feel free! My blog is mostly Saint Seiya, but I do write about other stuff if you ask me! ^ - ^

[apho-sappho]

can we get some QR hcs?

Hehehehe

Post canon, he, Xuan Ji, Jian Lan, and He Xuan become somewhat friends (Less with He Xuan tho)

I have an au I might be writing where he's a hyena shifter

I also have an au I might be writing where his mother doesn't go to the palace after Qi Rong's father dies, and instead she lives in the poorer neighborhood, eventually welcoming Mu Qing and his mother into their home

He 100% hisses. Like if LQQ does anything he doesn't like . He'll hiss

Unbeknownst to him LQQ finds it cute (unfortunately)

He can actually cook really really well unlike Xie Lian. Nobody trusts his food tho, they think he'll slip human meat into it. In reality he respects different food preferences and dislikes even if he pretends to make a fuss about it (he has to keep his rep somehow!!)

Strangely at one point in time he had an entourage of ghost women and orphan ghost children following him

He gets REALLY offended when people don't want to eat his cooking