#Liu Hong

[beadickel]

Livros (não muito) novos que quero ler no ano novo

Desde que esses livros chegaram, estou enrolando pra fazer esse post, mas finalmente tomei vergonha na cara pra sentar e escrever pra valer. Deve ser o efeito de entusiasmo coletivo que a vitória da Fernanda Torres no Globo de Ouro causou na gente.

Basicamente, resolvi comprar alguns livros de um sebo online. É isso. Nunca tinha comprado livros usados pela internet, e depois dessa minha primeira experiência, provavelmente vou ir atrás de mais. O fato é que alguns meses atrás li em algum lugar (tipo o BlueSky) que livros são feitos para irem pra frente, passados adiante, principalmente quando estão parados na nossa estante esperando para serem lidos ou relidos depois de 4 anos que compramos. E eu de fato concordo com isso. Quando eu terminar esses livros que comprei (os três juntos deram 30 reais, o que é menos do que o valor de um livro novo nas livrarias) talvez passe-os adiante, mas agora vou falar sobre cada um deles :)

Eternas Escamas - Tera Lynn Childs

Quando fui ao sebo da cidade pelas primeiras vezes, lembro de ter visto o primeiro volume dessa série, "No Fundo do Amor". Fiquei bem interessada na premissa, já que se trata de um romance adolescente sobrenatural sobre SEREIAS! Eu adoro sereias e tudo relacionado ao fundo do mar! Mas, infelizmente, é bem complicado de achar histórias com esses seres mágicos por aí...

Lembro de não ter pego o livro porque, ao mesmo tempo que me interessei, fiquei meio nhé de se tratar de uma história adolescente, pois poderia ser meio infantil, ou algo do tipo.

Na última vez que estive no sebo, encontrei de novo esse livro! Às vezes tenho MUITA dificuldade de encontrar livros que me despertem a atenção no sebo, e infelizmente estava em um desses dias. Meio sem ideias de o que pegar, escolhi No Fundo do Amor.

E não é que adorei? Sim, a história é meio infantil de certa forma, and so am I. Mas só pelo fato de se tratar de sereias, senti uma alegria imensa. A escrita da autora também é muito fluida e divertida, e em poucos dias já terminei!

E é claro que eu precisava ir atrás da continuação, Eternas Escamas... E no fim, só encontrei exemplares usados - e com preços excelentes! Como já vendi livros usados algumas vezes na net, sabia que era ok comprar também - e foi o que fiz!

Por se tratar de um livro sobre sereias, praia, fundo do mar e verão, tô bem animada pra ler! Ainda mais porque não vou pra praia agora, igual todo mundo que conheço foi, então seria bacana ler um livro sobre enquanto fico torrando no sol da piscina do prédio hehehehe.

Bom, baseado na sinopse, não sei se vai ser tão legal quanto o primeiro, mas estava com um pouco de saudades dos personagens (●'◡'●)

Nas Folhas do Chá - Flávia Lins e Silva, Liu Hong

Se eu não comprasse mais de 20 reais no sebo virtual, eu teria que pagar um frete de igualmente 20 reais, e eu de verdade não queria isso. Como Eternas Escamas custou apenas 12 reais, eu precisava encontrar mais livros (apenas ganhos né? heheh) e então comecei a surfar pelo catálogo do sebo virtual. Lá pelas tantas, encontrei esse livrinho que me chamou bastante atenção, principalmente por ser uma colaboração entre uma escritora brasileira e uma chinesa!

Não sei se vocês sabem, mas comecinho do ano passado comecei a estudar mandarim! Meio que de lá pra cá não estudei quase nada e não evoluí muito, então ter encontrado esse livro me fez sentir como se ele fosse uma espécie de sinal dos deuses colocando a mão no meu ombro e dizendo "bora estudar mandarim mana".

Pelo que vi, é um livro infantil e infantojuvenil, e é basicamente escrito em formato de cartas e emails. Achei bacana o plot, que é basicamente sobre duas meninas, uma brasileira e uma chinesa, que se comunicam através de cartas e emails. Elas conversam sobre as divergências culturais e sobre um chá que pode ajudar na recuperação da avó de uma delas. Parece um livro bem fofo.

Não Sou Este Tipo de Garota - Siobhan Vivian

Mais um livro adolescente na lista! Mas esse, aparentemente, é um pouco mais "pesado". Pelo que li na sinopse, é uma história sobre tomar decisões (às vezes certas, às vezes erradas) na fase da adolescência, naquele círculo do inferno chamado "ensino médio". Acho que esse livro pode me trazer diferentes visões da vivência nessa época, o que é algo que não tô muito acostumada - de histórias que se passam no segundo grau, só tenho lido Paula Pimenta e as minhas próprias, que se basearam na minha experiência pessoal e no que eu via.

Acho que essa história pode ter um pique meio Pretty Little Liars, quem sabe? Bem, só vou confirmar quando ler!

O exemplar desse livro veio bem baleadinho, pra ser sincera, mas não me importo muito com isso. Deixei ele no sol por umas tardes e provavelmente vou ler ele igualmente no sol, quando estiver torrando na piscina do prédio, igual com Eternas Escamas. A única diferença aqui é que não teremos sereias, infelizmente.

Meio que fiquei 300 milhões de anos enrolando pra fazer um post grande aqui pro blog, mas agora que veio, VEIO MESMO hehehehe. A ideia é trazer cada vez mais posts grandes e crônicas pra cá, bem como desenhos! No YouTube, compartilhei um stop motion bem simplinho hoje e a ideia é evoluir para vídeos maiores (o que me falta é paciência e mini cenários).

Enfim, esse é o post! Espero que tenham gostado <3 Ahhh, e se você leu até aqui, comenta seu papel favorito da Fernanda Torres diva que ganhou o Globo de Ouro de melhor atriz de drama! A minha é a Fátima, definitivamente. Nossa, tô muito feliz com esse prêmio o(≧∀≦)o

[bloodiegawz]

what the fuck

[gh0st-t0wn3]

Some Lmk Nimona au sketches

(Macaque’s clothing design inspod by @/runningwithscizzorz)

[ririemimo]

twitter dumpp

[macaroonkitti]

Listen sworn uncle Wukong (and Macaque) is still the best thing to me

[py-dreamer]

Click pic for less sh!tty quality ig

Ok so I will admit I did use @maplesleep's format for this again but I wanted to compile these cakes into one drawing and what better way than one of those cute, fancy cake stands?

And the background was too cut to use, I hope you don't mind...heh

Anyways, I know the prices seem outrageous but my main justification is that you're also getting extra sugar cookies, decorations, cut fruits, sometimes kebabs/tanghulu, sometimes rock candy and extraw sweets on the side. Heck, Wukong's even has a mini stack of pancakes on top so I basically doubled the price and honestly if it was this detailed, I'd hope the price isn't too unreasonable

So what do y'all think? Would you buy a slice?

(Also the names are half-assed, you only get 1 slice per payment ig and if you missed the names, here they are:

Xiaotian: The hero's first taste of victory

Xiaojiao: Mei's kiwi boba delight

Nezha: Nezha's slice of heaven

Tang & Pigsy: Freenoodle's tangy berry treat

Sandy: Sandy's jiggly summer voyage

Red Son: The demon bull prince's extra hot surprise

Chang'e: Chang'e's bunny-jelly mooncake

Mihou: Macaque's piece of the night

Wukong: The delectable legend of the monkey king)

WARNING: ANY DAMAGE CAUSED BY, IMPALEMENT, ABSORBTION OF THE SOUL, HUGGED TO DEATH, BURNED TO DEATH, BLINDED BY BEAUTY TO DEATH, SPINE RIPPED OFF, RIPPING AT THE SEAMS FROM CHAOS, EATEN BY DRAGONS, COOKED IN A STEW IS NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF 'Monkie Kid Bakery' IF ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO INGEST THE CHARACTERS

[mitskicodedwukong]

💥 PIGSY, QI XIAOTIAN, REDSON, SIX-EARED MACAQUE, & SUN WUKONG WITH AN EXPLOSIVELY-POWERED CHILD 💥

» the family jewels (marina) « 0:50 ─〇───── 3:58

╔⏤⏤⏤⏤╝🍑╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗ AUTHOR'S NOTE ╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗🍑╔⏤⏤⏤╝ ➤ This is reposted from my old account, @nothyenlowz :3 ➤ This is a scenario. ➤ This is platonic/familial. ➤ For this scenario, MK will be aged up to 23! ➤ TRIGGER WARNINGS include profanity, hurt/comfort, implied child neglect, homelessness, attempted robbery, break-in, animal attacks, violence, biting, blood, injury, PTSD(?)/trauma flashbacks, and past near-death experience. ➤ Word count: 4,233 words

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

❝ Welcome to the family jewels; coal to diamonds, sold to fools .❞

╔⏤⏤⏤⏤╝╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗ PIGSY 🐖 ╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗╔⏤⏤⏤⏤╝

➤ You were a frequent at the shop. Pigsy immediately took notice of how you were alone each time you visited, how you were dirty, how you ate like it was your last meal, etc.

➤ It was easy for him to put 2 and 2 together. So, each time you visited, he gave you anything you wanted, and even went out of his way buy you gifts (toys, clothes, books, etc.). Tang even stopped being a freeloader for a while to ensure Pigsy could afford it.

➤ Somewhere along the line, Pigsy managed to adopt you! Now you were always at the shop, or at least not anywhere without him and Tang. No longer did he have to worry about you!

➤ ...or so he thought. One day, a robber busted into the shop demanding Pigsy hand over the money. Of course, the pig demon wasn't surprised; it wasn't the first time this has happened, but it was the first time he'd been threatened with a butter knife.

➤ Anyway, that's to say Pigsy knew there wasn't any real danger proposed by this rude stranger. But you, well, you were so young, and Buddha knew what you'd been through—how were you supposed to know the difference between genuine danger and a mild inconvenience?

➤ Just as Pigsy was about to give the guy the typical "bugger off or I'm gonna toss you out and report you", you raced out from behind the counter and slammed your fist into his stomach, sending him crashing against one of the (thankfully) empty booths.

➤ Pigsy was stunned for a minute, watching customers race out to avoid being caught in the crossfire. His eyes landed on you, still approaching the downed robber, and honed in on the electric green glow encasing your hands and eyes, snapping around your body like emerald lightning.

➤ He managed to shake himself from his stupor before you reached the crumpled man and stepped between you two, kneeling in front of you with gentle words and a soft voice, trying to coax you out of your explosive state.

➤ "Hey, hey, kiddo. We're alright. He's not gonna hurt you. You can calm down now."

➤ Exhaustion from the exertion your body experienced seemed to finally catch up to you, the green snaking around your body before disappearing. You collapsed forward, curling into Pigsy's arms and beginning to cry softly.

➤ "Bàba," you sniffled, trembling.

➤ Pigsy hushed you, holding you close as the guy limped out of the restaurant.

➤ "It's okay, kiddo, I'm not angry. Let it all out."

➤ He had quite the research assignment for Tang later.

╔⏤⏤⏤⏤╝╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗ QI XIAOTIAN ✨ ╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗╔⏤⏤⏤⏤╝

➤ MK met you after defeating Lady Bone Demon. You were the unfortunate host she used, and you needed a lot of help afterwards. You were fragile in a number of ways; sickly, physically fatigued, afraid of your own shadow and plagued by nightmares. MK understood all of that, and so you two became close, helping each other recover bit by bit.

➤ It was a day where you were hanging out with everyone at Flower Fruit Mountain, including Wukong. One of the cheeky monkeys had snagged your phone, so you chased after them to retrieve it. Unbeknowst to you, Wukong had followed after you to make sure his subject didn't give you a hard time.

➤ You managed to catch up to the monkey, but not before they squirreled away into a tree. So you were left at the bottom, hands on your hips as you attempted to negotiate with the little cream-furred simian.

➤ What came next happened fast: another monkey dropped from the foliage cover of the tree, beginning to tussle with the other. It flung the electronic in the scuffle and you stumbled forward in a venture to catch it, and then you caught sight of the monkey king's hand outstretched towards you.

➤ "So, your plan is to fist fight a child?"

➤ "Have you forgotten? Destroy me and you destroy the host!"

➤ "Have you become so desperate to end that you would sacrifice this blameless, innocent child?"

➤ "I told you—"

➤ "y o u s h o u l d h a v e s t a y e d b u r i e d . "

➤ "NO!" you shrieked, crossing your arms over your face as you braced for the hit that should have taken your life months ago.

➤ Sobs wracked your body as you crumbled to the floor despite remaining untouched. A cold, incessant chill pressed in on on you and you hated it, you hated it so much. All you could think of was her; the stink of old bones, the constant ache of ice, the cracking of your very body as that wretched demoness used you as a vehicle for her wicked deeds...

➤ and how willing the legendary Monkey King, the greatest hero of all time, had been to kill you, if it'd meant she would have died too.

➤ You continued to sink further into your memories, hands clawing at your scalp in a vain attempt to pull yourself out of it. The cold got worse, making each breath grate your throat on the way in; your tears froze to your face and your body weakened more and more until you collapsed in a heap, praying under your breath that someone would save you.

➤ "Hey!"

➤ The voice reverberated around your head, your thoughts moving sluggishly as you attempted to place a name to the familiar cadence. The cold went away ever-so-slightly as you calmed, focusing on the voice.

➤ "M...MK?"

➤ A sharp, cracking noise came from your left, followed by the last hints of a green flame. You blinked wildly out of a newly formed hole, light pouring into whatever dark place you'd gotten stuck in. Warm air scented with sweet fruits and flowers billowed into your face and you breathed it in deeply, feeling your body begin to relax.

➤ Hands temporarily filled the hole, blocking the heat and making you frown, but they ripped away more and more of your enclosure until MK's face comes into view, strained with worry and fear. As soon as his eyes met yours they softened, the successor leaning forward and gently pulling you up and towards him.

➤ You allowed him to do so, limbs shaking as you stepped out of the ice ball you'd been trapped in—wait. Ice ball? When... how did that get there? It was the middle of summer on Flower Fruit Mountain! There shouldn't have been any snow, much less ice!

➤ You looked around wildly, eyes taking in your surroundings: most of the scene is the same plentiful forest, but there's about a fifteen foot radius surrounding the shattered ice ball that's marred with gnarly spikes, curled like claws. You see Mei and Tang exacting magic on the ice to melt it, trying to free—oh god. Wukong lies pressed flat to the ground, ice digging into his clothes and, more frighteningly, his throat.

➤ Did... did you do that?

➤ You started sobbing immediately, clinging to MK. You grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, feeling the fabric tear under your desperate grip, but you couldn't will yourself to let go.

➤ "Hey," MK cooed, sitting on the ground and holding you close. "It's okay. You're safe."

➤ "S-She's still here! She's still in me! MK, please, please, we have to get her out b-before she gets too strong a-and Monkey King has to...has to—"

➤ "She's not," MK reassured you softly, gently rocking you as you waded through your panic. "It's just the after effects. You're still you. You're safe."

➤ "I'm safe," you choked out, pressing hard into MK's warm, solid body.

➤ The gang'll have to do some research on just how much power you retained from the Lady Bone Demon's possession, but they'll wait until you've had proper time to process.

➤ For now, they'll just make sure you remember you're safe.

╔⏤⏤⏤⏤╝╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗ REDSON 🔥 ╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗╔⏤⏤⏤⏤╝

➤ After the defeat of the Lady Bone Demon, the demon bull family welcomed a new member: you.

➤ Redson was immediately enamored with you. After only days of existing, you had your elder brother wrapped around each one of your tiny fingers. He was a dutiful sibling, working late into the night to craft you new toys, weapons, vehicles (the latter two he was forbade to give to you until you were at least eight)—anything you could desire.

➤ They discovered early that you had wind magic similar to your mother, with the added gift of blessing any item with your powers. This eventually earned you the title Prince/ss Strong Wind and brought your family great pride. And while it wasn't fun to chase around flying cups or run from enchanted bull clones, at least you weren't a Redson level catastrophe!

➤ That was before the... hm, accident, though.

➤ It wasn't your fault! You'd been practically attached to Redson's hip since you learned to walk (and he to your's for even longer), what were you supposed to do when you heard him shrieking "dragon horse girl" at the top of his lungs?!

➤ (Nevermind the fact you knew how dramatic your brother was... unfortunately for your parents [and anyone else who got involved with your family], you'd adapted his theatrics.)

➤ So you, upon hearing your beloved brother's scream, raced out of your mother's very important etiquette lesson and to your brother's room, damn-near ripping the door of its hinges when you busted in. You were so trained on the fact there was a stranger in Redson's room that you didn't even spare him a glance, missing the giant grin on his face (one that quickly morphs into "oh shit", mind you).

➤ The stranger—or the dragon horse girl, you presumed—gave you a big, lop-sided smile, acting as if she hadn't just broke into the Demon Bull family's keep!

➤ "OHHHH, you must be Redson's new nibby! I'm—"

➤ You didn't give her the chance to go a second further. Whipping winds travelled down your shoulder to your wrist, and when you outstretched your hand, a powerful gust struck the dragon horse girl right in the chest and forced her into the wall, cracking it.

➤ She peeled herself from the wall with a groan, wincing as she looked at you. You're quite the sight, raging winds strengthening around you, steam surely billowing from your ears and nostrils, teeth bared threateningly as you stalked closer.

➤ For a second, she looked afraid, and you internally rejoice at that. Yes. Yes! You've done it; you've protected your brother, your family, and your reputation as the baddest demons in this sorry city!

➤ But just as you were about to send the dragon horse girl through a few walls (and hopefully out of your house), Redson slid in front of her, halting your attack.

➤ "You have to calm down!" he yelled over the wind, bracing his arms over his face and creating a small shield.

➤ Your brows furrowed upon hearing your brother speak. It was hard to understand what he said between the wind and the adrenaline, but you managed to grasp on to the words just enough that the air relaxed ever-so-slightly.

➤ "But I...I'm protecting you! I'm protecting the family!" you replied back, the harsh gusts making you stumble to the side a bit.

➤ "Yes, you're doing so well!" Redson praised you, an ecstatic expression on his face. Then his eyes flicker behind him and you can just barely make out a scowl on the dragon girl's face, making him clear his throat. "However, this is no stranger. This is my... friend. She just has no manners."

➤ "HEY!"

➤ "Your friend?" you echoed, and the wind finally relented. When it disappeared, a fair amount of your energy went with it. Redson hurried forward to stabilize you, one hand holding your shoulder and the other holding your hand.

➤ "There you go," Redson said softly, guiding your breathing. "There you go. Breathe. Relax. Let it go."

➤ "I'm sorry," you mumbled, bone-tired now that your attack was over. "I didn't—I was worried, I thought you were...in trouble."

➤ Redson hummed, walking you to his bed and sitting you down. "I understand. I'm sorry I worried you."

➤ Eventually, the dragon horse girl wandered closer, rubbing the back of the neck sheepishly. "Yeah... I'm sorry, too. I'm used to just Redboy being here so I, uh... don't bother knocking," she says with a small smile.

➤ Redson gave her a side-eyed expression and a raised eyebrow, then huffed and focused back on you.

➤ "Would you like to spend the day with us? Mei and I are making gauntlets to help her with her powers, so you two can get acquainted and make sure we're playing nice."

➤ You smiled, comforted by your brother's sweetness. "That'd be nice."

➤ Mei will definitely bully him for being so soft later, but for now (and, let's be honest, forever), all he cared about was that smile on your face.

╔⏤⏤⏤⏤⏤╝╚⏤⏤⏤⏤⏤╗ SIX-EARED MACAQUE 🔮 ╚⏤⏤⏤⏤⏤╗╔⏤⏤⏤⏤⏤╝

➤ Macaque was no stranger to life on the streets, well-aware of the lack of food and water, shelter, good clothes, and protection. He was familiar with just how dehumanizing it could be to live in Megapolis' alleys, scrounging from dumpsters and snoozing in dilapidated buildings until having to move to avoid being found by less-than-forgiving company.

➤ Maybe that's why, when he found you in the alley behind his dojo trying to cram yourself beneath a dumpster to hide from a hailstorm, he invited you in.

➤ And maybe MK's rubbed off on him more than he expected, because after he let you in, he never made you leave.

➤ Eventually, you two went from co-existing to something more... familial. It was sort of like you'd been there the whole time with the way Macaque's routine came to revolve around you.

➤ Anyway. That's to say you were very grateful the demon gave you a home that stormy night.

➤ Maybe a little too grateful.

➤ Early on, Macaque noticed your determination to "pay him back" for his kindness. It was a silly concept to him, something he paid little mind to. But when he started to realize just how dedicated you were, he tried valiantly to convince you it wasn't necessary.

➤ You didn't relent, and for several weeks, you bent over backwards to try to make things even between the two of you.

➤ And then, just when you were coming to terms with never being able to repay him, a big bad wolf wandered by.

➤ You were asleep when you awoke to shattering glass, the sharp sound making you bolt straight-up. Your heart pounded in your ears as you kept listening, and you contemplated calling for Macaque, but the man had six ears. He could hear your heart, and surely its rabbit-like rhythm would have been enough to draw him to you if the broken glass didn't.

➤ Something was wrong.

➤ You slipped out of bed as quietly as you could manage, tiptoeing out of your room and to the top of the stairs. You listened intently, hoping for a clue on what to do.

➤ With every second that passed, you felt sillier. Maybe you imagined it. Maybe you had a nightmare and it scared you so bad you woke up. Maybe you were still dreaming.

➤ But then you heard a screech unmistakably belonging to Macaque, succeeded by crashing, and you couldn't stop yourself from racing down the stairs, your thudding footsteps nothing in comparison to the thud thud thud of your hammering heartbeat.

➤ As you turned the corner, you found the broken window, glass scattered all over the dojo floor; and across from it, Macaque pinned beneath a behemoth of a wolf demon.

➤ You didn't even think, your body naturally moving towards the intruder, your teeth bared. You barely noticed your body shifting, fangs and nails sharpening like thorns and a tail sprouting from your back.

➤ You landed on their back and, purely on instinct, sunk your teeth into the back of their neck, tightening your grip on them when they shrieked and reared back, allowing Macaque to scramble away. The monkey demon watched in shock as you remained latched to the intruder's neck despite their wails and attempts to tug you off, blood dripping down their body and on to the dojo floor.

➤ Unfortunately, Macaque remained in his shocked state until the wolf demon managed to grab you by the hair and rip you off of them, making you cry out as you dangled from their hand. You heard the shadow caster snarl, your only warning before the intruder was dragged helplessly into a shadow portal by angry clones, one of them snagging you before he disappeared completely.

➤ "..id, hey, kid, kid!" You blinked as you found yourself in Macaque's arms, the monkey's expression sharp with pain and worry. "Hey, are you with me, kid?"

➤ "I...I'm... I don't know what... I was... who..." you babbled uselessly, your voice beginning to descend into sobs as the pain set in. Aside from your body just aching, your head felt hot, a little wet, and that scared you—but not as much as the sticky, iron taste coating your mouth, staining your chin and your hands when you tried to wipe it away.

➤ "Fuck, kid," Macaque hissed under his breath, a gentle hand pressing against your head. "Why would you do that?"

➤ "I-I have to protect you," you stuttered, whimpering as a wave of pain rippled through your head.

➤ "Protect—" he cut himself off, his expression firm and his lips pressed into a thin line. His head tilted away from you, a long exhale huffed out through his nose as his eyes slipped shut. When he spoke again, it was softer. "You're an idiot, and we're going to have a very, very serious conversation about this "I owe you" bullshit later, but for now we're going to go patch you up, okay?"

➤ You don't answer, too busy trying to fight off tears. But then Macaque presses a soft kiss to your temple as he gathers you in his arms and stands, whispering, "You were very brave. I'm proud of you, kid."

➤ Maybe taking care of each other was just part of having a home.

╔⏤⏤⏤⏤╝╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗ SUN WUKONG 🍑 ╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗╔⏤⏤⏤⏤╝

➤ Wukong... didn't really know how he met you.

➤ You just kinda... showed up. No, literally. He was taking a walk along the beach one day and you were just there��some random little seemingly human baby crying on sand, waves lapping at your chunky legs.

➤ Wukong knew next to nothing about human babies, but he knew humans in general, and unlike his pre-Journey self, he actually liked them. So he picked you up, cradled you in his arms as best as someone with no knowledge of how to hold babies could, and sought out the mothers of the troop.

➤ Despite knowing he wasn't really qualified for the job, he grew attached to you very quickly. And you seemed to do the same, if your wails were anything to go off of when he tried to hand you to some of the other, more experienced parents. So Wukong, for all intents and purposes, became your father, giving you a liege of aunties and uncle s and cousins ready to fight for you at the drop of a pin.

➤ It was... hard. Oh, wow, it was hard. You seemed to be an especially picky baby, which made caring for you even more difficult considering all your guardians were monkeys who barely ever interacted with humans. Wukong found himself frequently visiting the growing village across the sea, keeping himself updated on appliances and foods in human homes.

➤ As you grew older, he discovered you especially liked fish, which meant he had to learn how to fish (it was very, very embarrassing in the beginning). But it was ultimately a win, your fussiness practically nonexistant as long as you got something seafood related during the day.

➤ Foolishly, Wukong thought this would be the end of his parental struggles.

➤ It was one of many days where you picked fruit with the troop, but the first in weeks where you'd gotten to check out the west side of the island. Previously, hunters had moved in and he wanted to make absolutely sure they left before allowing you or the monkeys near that side of the mountain. That time seemed to have come, the scent of humans faint on the breeze.

➤ So finally, after hundreds of agonizing hours, you got to harvest the westside fruit with your family! Some of the adolescent monkeys aided you and the adults in filling the baskets while the infants played, with a few hanging on to you and napping. It was going wonderfully.

➤ Until it wasn't.

➤ All you heard was a shrill warning bark before one of the monkeys screamed. You whipped around, horror gripping you as your eyes locked on to a hunting dog latching its jaws around the arm of one of the elder monkeys, forcing them to the ground.

➤ "NO!" You shrieked, dropping your basket as you raced towards the dog. You tried valiantly to rip it off, but you were quickly seized from behind and pulled backwards.

➤ "Stop! Let me go! BÀBÀ!" You screamed, fighting and kicking as hard as you could to break free. It was a fruitless venture, and you felt yourself slow to a stop in shock as hunters poured from the woods, escorted by hunting dogs who kept the monkeys from running away.

➤ Seeing this did nothing short of destroying you, and you felt something... swimming beneath your skin. It grew hotter and hotter, your breath coming out in ragged ivory puffs like... steam? It was strange, to you, to the troop, to the hunters, and everyone stopped, watching you with bated breath.

➤ "Let them go," you hissed, straining with effort as the heat increased. "and get off my mountain."

➤ The hunter holding you laughed, condescending and wicked. "Your mountain?"

➤ "Mine," you wheezed. "And I'll not have you beasts terrorizing my family any longer."

➤ "Wha—" the hunter had no time to finish as your body dramatically morphed, your human features forgotten as your body stretched and winded upwards, covered in scales and fur, your hands replaced by talons and your legs replaced with hooves. In your full, cool-toned glory you were a small, scrappy thing by dragon standards, but you were still frightfully sized compared to the foolish humans that invaded your home.

➤ With a roar, the heat coursing through your body built in the back of your throat and shot out in way of boiling water, making the victims who didn't duck in time howl in agony. Hunters dropped their weapons, screaming indistinct orders as they ran, dogs in tow, and you gave chase for a bit, literally snapping at the heels of the few slowpokes in the back.

➤ When they were out of sight, you stomped back to the troop, softening your footsteps when you saw them. You quickly realized speaking was hard in this form, so you laid down, hoping you hadn't scared your family.

➤ And slowly, surely, they crept towards you, running their hands over your scales. Some of them crawled on top of you, exploring your new form, while the others held your face, stroking you comfortingly. A few vanished into the forest, presumably to fetch Wukong.

➤ "We thank you, Prince/ss," cooed the monkeys.

➤ "Yes, you've vanquished the hunters, Prince/ss! Our King will be proud of you."

➤ Finally, Wukong appeared, rushing in on his somersault cloud with a few monkeys hanging on to his clothes. You nearly cried upon seeing your father—or you would have, if you could.

➤ "Oh, pit seed!" Wukong cried, the other monkeys making room for you as he knelt before you and held your head. "The monkeys—they told me that the hunters didn't leave. I'm so sorry, pit seed, I swore they'd left, I should have been more careful, more thorough—"

➤ A rumble cut through you, a desperate attempt to speak to your father. In quick succession, another rumble of frustration escaped you, boiling water beginning to drip from your jaws.

➤ Please please PLEASE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO TALK TO YOU, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CHANGE BACK, I DON'T—

➤ "I understand you, pit seed, don't worry," Wukong soothed, brushing the water away from your scales without so much as flinching. "You have to relax. Think of your human form. What it looks like, how it feels. Imagine changing back. Go on, that's it. You're doing so well, pit seed."

➤ Before you knew it, you'd shifted back, on your knees with your head in Wukong's hands. You met his eyes and your lip quivered, and the Monkey King pulled you into a tight hug once he saw it.

➤ "I-I'm sorry, Bàba, I didn't know what to do a-and Tāo got hurt and—" You tapered off into sobbing, burying your face in your father's neck. He hushed you affectionately, rubbing your back and gently rocking you.

➤ "I'm so tired," you whimper.

➤ Wukong laughed gently. "I bet, pit seed. Go on and sleep. Bàba will handle it from here."

➤ And sleep you do, comforted by the closeness of your troop and familiar presence of your father.

➤ Wukong lifted you carefully, cradling you to his chest as he approached his cloud. He turned to two of the larger monkeys in the group, the two straightening as their king addressed them. "Put Tāo up here so I can see to him," he said softly. "and make sure everyone steers clear of the westside again. I'll make sure the problem is properly dealt with this time."

➤ The hunters wouldn't get off with a warning this time.

❝ I can't keep my cool, I can't keep my cool . . .❞

[hotpotdragon]

Heroes of the East (1978)

[boardsdonthitback]

Gordon Liu, Lee Hoi-Sang - The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)

[spiderliliez]

You don’t need me here. 3 BODY PROBLEM (2024)

[+] EIZA GONZÁLEZ 😎 [+] ..more on the “3 Body Problem” 🎬

[swiftletinthecloud]

THE DOUBLE 墨雨云间 (2024) | Jiang Li / Xue Fang Fei's Allies

@asiandramanet july bingo:layout (insp)

[kinghermitcrab]

it's over, kid [CRIMSON BLAZE FIST]

[sesiondemadrugada]

Liu Hong Wei.

[ririemimo]

[calitsnow]

Is Hong Lu the tea ?

I really like this title but of course I'm not trying to imply that Hong Lu is literally tea but I would like to talk about a potential foreshadowing or metaphor (?) concerning Hong Lu and which takes place in the story Liu association 5.

It is not so much a theory but more of an analysis which serves to point at elements which seem to reinforce ideas we have about Hong Lu and to better understand or even guess what his canto will look like.

Summary:

Hong Lu is = to the tea of this story

The objectification of Hong Lu

Hong Lu is like water

Spoilers further below

I/ Hong Lu is = to the tea of this story

It's time to talk about the frames that initiated this over-analysis.

Frames that appear to be a rather trivial conversation about tea leading to a humorous exchange between the three characters. But is that really all there is to take from this exchange? What if there was a foreshadowing or/and a metaphor hidden behind it?

It's true that the dialogues at the end of this story, where Hong Lu discusses the ability of his left eye to shine, is more memorable. I admit that it was also the part that caught my attention the most at first. However, upon rereading this passage, I find this exchange very interesting to analyze.

So here we go:

I've seen some people discussing that Hong Lu's age is around 30 years (I think), but I couldn't find the post, so I'll rather assume that Hong Lu is between 20 and 30 years old, as many people (including myself) think.

And this is where it all begins, because when I see Hong Lu talking about a tea "fermented for over 20 years in an ideal environment" and described as "nigh priceless," I can't help but wonder if there's a direct parallel to be made with his character.

We already know that Hong Lu has lived a sheltered life, presumably since forever, in an environment isolated from the rest of the world by and with his family, until finally he joined Limbus Company, which became (it seems) his first experience of the outside world.

If we follow the idea that, Hong Lu is over 20 years old and that him joining Limbus Company was his first interaction with the outside world, then we can see his arrival at the company as if he was taken out of the closet, like the tea that was brought out after more than 20 years of fermanting in this "ideal environment".

It remains to be seen whether Hong Lu escaped this "closet" or if he was brought out for a particular reason.

All this to say that Hong Lu's life until the game’s events could be seen as that of tea fermenting for years before serving its purpose.

We can therefore draw a parallel between the fermentation of the tea Hong Lu talks about and the type of life Hong Lu has led so far: Hong Lu is like the tea, and perhaps this image can give us or confirm what Hong Lu's life was like and how it is meant to be seen: that Hong Lu was fermented within this familial environment to produce an individual nigh priceless.

[SD: Now, if I use the term "fermentation/fermented" to talk about Hong Lu, I will, of course, be referring to his sheltered life with his family, but it will be easier to use the same term to talk about both the tea and Hong Lu and to support the parallel.]

What's also interesting is that the ones behind the fermentation of the tea and Hong Lu happen to be the same: Hong Lu's family.

This, I find, reinforces the legitimacy of this comparison.

We can also note that Hong Lu often talks about the tea he savored while still living with his family, so in a way, tea is a reminder of home for Hong Lu or more precisely, his past life.

I know it's not much, but it could still be an indication inviting us to make this comparison or to pay attention to details where tea is mentioned.

Returning to this idea of fermentation, whereas we know that the fermentation of this tea is supposed to give it a unique taste or/and a unique smell, it's hard to say what the goal of Hong Lu's "fermentation" was.

Perhaps to give him a unique "taste," which for Hong Lu would equate to a predefined personality and/or identity corresponding to his family's expectations.

It may also correspond to the fact that Hong Lu was kept isolated from the rest of the world because: rich people's mentality that doesn't want to coexist with those they consider inferior. Who knows…

But ... I can't help but think that there's another reason for this, but it's still too early to really know which one.

II/ The Objectification of Hong Lu

Small parenthesis: Before continuing with the analysis of the tea, I think it's interesting to dwell on this parallel between Hong Lu and a precious object that might make us understand that the question of objectification is a theme that will be relevant for his character.

After all, if in this story Hong Lu is also supposed to be paralleled with, or even "be" the tea, then his status is reduced to that of a precious object brought out for special occasions or to boast to guests.

Moreover, in the same story, Hong Lu lets slip a phrase that might make us think he is reduced to the status of a precious object in his family's eyes, more precisely a precious stone.

Indeed, his heterochromia wouldn't be due to nothing since, if we follow the original plot of *Dream of the Red Chamber* from which his character is drawn, the color and glow emanating from Hong Lu's eye should be due to him being born with a magic jade in his eye (similar to Jia Baoyu (the character Hong Lu is supposed to be inspired by) who was born with a small magic jade stone in his mouth)).

So, a magic jade stone would be in Hong Lu's left eye or something equivalent that might, at least, looks like a jade stone.

And this discussion around his eye (and in a way, his "jade") is probably the first clue showing us that Hong Lu is reduced to this small stone that is the (only) thing giving him value (for his family).

Returning to the idea of objectification, this seems to be supported by the phrase I mentioned at the beginning of this parenthesis:

"To them… I was a gem of a child"

Which might be more literal than one might think.

What's interesting is that this phrase has the appearance of a "false truth" and of something trivial that might be more nightmare fuel than one might have thought if taken under a certain angle.

This seems to be a recurring mechanism in Hong Lu's character (and ties in with the novel's theme) where the first appearance of something can hide the exact opposite. This trivial phrase suggesting that Hong Lu was pampered by his family because he was their little treasure might actually be a phrase hiding a much crueler and darker reality:

That Hong Lu was literally a precious stone to his family and that his value as a human being was reduced to his eye, which seems to be what his family reduced his being to, if we follow this theory.

And Hong Lu seems to be trying to belittle or/and hide his situation.

Hong Lu was summed up to the precious stone in his eye, and that's all he was to his family: a precious gem.

And I mean, I'm fascinated by this atmosphere of falseness that seems to surround Hong Lu: everything seems to be a mirage, an illusion (pun intended).

No, but seriously, I don't know if these are coincidences or over-interpretation, but most of Hong Lu's stories and dialogues (especially those mentioning his family) are steeped in this atmosphere of smoke and mirrors.

It's all the more fascinating that these moments seem to be a glimpse, a warning of what Hong Lu's canto will be: deceptions everywhere. I find it impressive that even in Hong Lu's mechanics / construction and writing, everything brings us back to this impression that we're facing an illusion.

This last paragraph might not have been very clear, but I'm having a bit of trouble describing my thoughts, hope you’d get a part of what I meant.

III/ Hong Lu is Water

So far, this served to show that it was possible to draw a parallel between what's said about the tea and Hong Lu.

It's time now to look at the last element that might give us more to understand how Hong Lu sees himself or the shape his identity crisis will take.

Indeed, we know that each sinner, through their canto, gets through a sort of identity crisis.

They reconnect in a certain way with their identity and face or evolve from a toxic way they had of dealing with their vision of themselves and their identity: Gregor existed only through his mother's expectations and his trauma related to the war and him being dehumanized, Rodya lived through her guilt feeling responsible for what happened to her neighborhood and the view Sonya had of her, Sinclair also lived with his guilt but also his anger towards Kromer, Ishmael lived only for revenge on her captain, etc...

Well, it is still debatable whether each sinner listed and from future cantos are/will be at the same stage of "personal development" and if they all managed/will manage to detach from their past to live for their future (cough, *cough* Gregor).

But I think that, through their Canto, the sinners learn to reconnect (at least a little) with their identity, their true self by "eliminating" what hindered this recognition so far: Herman, Kromer, Ahab...

And I think that's the essential: this reconnection with oneself.

Moreover, I'm not saying that each sinner has renounced their past, forgetting it in a drawer to live entirely differently without it impacting them, but that they have learned to live for a future rather than for and through their past.

A canto thus serves (in part) to help the concerned Sinner reconnect with their identity and their vision of their life/self.

But how would this apply to Hong Lu?

On one hand, I think first by breaking this image of an object that Hong Lu may possess in his family's eyes and perhaps in his own if he was raised with this vision of himself.

But also by tackling this illusory image of himself that Hong Lu displays.

After all, despite the rarity of this tea, the only remark Faust makes is:

"Despite the intense scent, the taste is essentially blank…" and she emphasizes this again by calling it "scented water."

I find that this image of tea being "scented water" is perfectly reflecting the idea that it's a deception, that what we are presented with is actually an illusion.

Indeed, this description could be an excellent example/metaphor of what an illusion is:

"A false interpretation of what one perceives. and Appearance devoid of reality."

The reality of this tea, which is its taste, is masked by an illusion, its scent, which comes across much more intensely to drown out this reality.

I believe this description underscores one of the themes that I think will be very important regarding Hong Lu: this often blurry distinction between what is real and what is an illusion and the idea that what appears true is false, and what appears false is true. This echoes one of the most important passages in the book from which Hong Lu's character is drawn:

"Truth becomes fiction when the fiction's true;

Real becomes not-real when the unreal's real."

We have seen many examples with Hong Lu where what he shows/says is either the opposite of what we thought, or the first impression was ultimately not the reality. For instance, when Hong Lu tells his story on the abandoned ship, we first think it’s a horror story before the twist reveals a truth radically opposed to what we thought.

The fact that Faust refers to water as a base is logical since we’re talking about tea, but it could also be an intelligent way to create a metaphor/foreshadowing with Hong Lu's behavior, which remains quite subdued and sometimes seems deceptive/false.

Moreover, this metaphor is made through an element that is more than perfect to describe someone who only reflects an image and is never their own reflection or lacks personality: water.

Transparent water can symbolize a lack of true substance or character. Similarly, a person whose personality is transparent can be perceived as lacking authenticity or sincerity. This transparency is masked by a scent to try to hide this emptiness and show the opposite of what it really is.

It’s a bit like Jack Vessalius in Pandora Hearts for those who know it.

Oswald describes Jack as water, as someone who only reflects an image, without true authenticity or a real identity of his own. In a sense, he is always playing a role.

It is also always interesting to remember that one of the most important characters in the novel "Dream of the Red Chamber," Lin Daiyu, who has a close relationship with the main character, Jia Baoyu, is a character associated with the element of water. She spends most of the novel being described as weeping or crying, and this is due to the “debt of tears” she promised to repay to the jade stone that helped her in her previous life when she was a flower. Lin Daiyu, being the reincarnation of the flower, repays her debt by crying in her new reincarnation. Hence her association with water.

But let’s get back to our main point.

Next, what’s interesting is the sentence Faust uses right after to criticize the tea she was served:

“I must wonder though, is there a good reason to pay such a stiff price for… for lack of a better word, scented water.”

We try to mask the transparency of this water with a strong scent, but in the end, it remains an illusion and doesn’t fix the real “problem” of this tea: it’s tasteless, without personality. Could Hong Lu then be just scented water that conveys an image filled with scent (that of a young aristocrat who has had an easy life and has been immersed in wealth all his life) to mask his lack of identity or self/ownness (is that a word)?

Hong Lu is merely scented water; he emits a strong and misleading scent that seems to suggest a certain vision he is or/and others have of him, but in the end, he remains just water to which a scent has been added. Perhaps this water couldn’t develop its own taste because it has been fermenting for over 20 years in an ideal environment, imposing on it a scent that has defined its entire identity.

This could also be seen as a metaphor that ties back to the idea of smoke and mirrors and that this image of a dandy that comes from Hong Lu is just an illusion whose scent is stronger and masks his real "taste".

And it also could be a way to reinforce this idea that Hong Lu try to hide or belittle the/his reality with a stronger "scent", masking the reality with something more noticeable even if it's just an illusion.

Hong Lu should then, during his Canto, learn to renounce the bases that has given him a bit of scent until now, what allowed him to be more than just water, to have an identity, to find a new one/ his true self that would be much more authentic and real.

[py-dreamer]

Beacause you are loved my dear,

You were made to love and you are,