#Lu Mei speaks

[monster-hunter-tournament]

What is the worst monster in your opinion, and why is it Gore Magala?

Noooo! Why would you do this to me? My least favorite monster isn’t Gore!

I have a personal vendetta against Daimyo Hermitaur. That fucker has almost killed me so so so many times. I hate them. If someone caught every Daimyo Hermitaur in existence in a net, tied the net with rocks, and dropped it in the middle of the ocean, I would be HAPPY.

[todayisawthewhxlewxrld]

digital display: extremely nonchalant

ch24

masterlist

-i was gonna make the title blue balled but i didn’t wanna see that in giant letters if i’m being honest

-anyway tehe laugh haha silly funny

-don’t even speak to me about the jjk leaks. i’m grieving. i’m dropping jjk. i will never be the same. i’m killing myself. it should have been mei mei. i’m actually deleting my whole account bc of this. goodbye.

LINK TO A MASTERLIST OF HELP LINKS FOR PALESTINE, CONGO, AND SUDAN

taglist!🐺 (under the cut)

@semi-orangeapple @carefree-flowerchild @ynverse @myriaquarium @kaleidoscopekai @dyfw-hleui @bellsoftheball @sixxze @camilo-uwu @morgyyyyyyy @zellwa @mixzimi @nanamiswifes @nugget-eater123 @sweetlyvibe @bebobeboben @catobsessedlady @beeksyurr @lysaray @nyxlai @fuyuzemi @bbysatoruuu @st4rdusttx @bakarinnie @vwoire @jayathelostdragon @frootloopscos @hanyacoded @babygurlenthusiast @kayzens @polarbvnny @lu-spizzeria @jjk-thef @tyigerz @liveincans

[fateandloveentwined]

poetry lines befitting MCS and XJY

These are mostly chinese tang shi and song ci poetry quotes, with a great biased amount from Su Shi because OP doesn't know better. Crude, 5-minute english translations below. There are lines I semi-made up or adapted from fandom/cpop songs (that is, most of Xiao Jingyan's lines), ngl OP is rather embarrassed of them because they aren't good at all looking back now but we'll just leave them here or else XJY would end up with zero quotes.

梅长苏 Mei Changsu

想那日束髪从军，想那日霜角辕门，想那日挟剑惊风，想那日横槊凌云。 ——夏完淳

Think to the day I tied back my hair and enlisted. Think to the day the horn rang at the frostbitten tents, think to the day I danced my sword making the sound that deafens the wind. Think to the day I took to the lance, and it pierced through the skies, rising higher than the clouds. — Xia Wanchun

将士百战身名裂。 向河梁、回头万里，故人长绝。 易水萧萧西风冷，满座衣冠似雪，正壮士、悲歌未彻。 ——辛弃疾

The warrior fights a hundred battles, yet what remains is his severed reputation. He looks to the bridge over the river, thousands of miles back, past acquaintances forever gone. In another life, over the howling of the west wind and the cold Yi rivers, the banquet sits, clothes adorned in snowlike white. The courageous man strides through the blizzard, the song of lament never ceasing. — Xin Qiji

零落成泥碾作尘，只有香如故。 ——陆游

The plum blossoms wither and drift to the ground, crushed into earthly soil and dust. The prevailing fragrance is what remains. — Lu You

亦余心之所善兮，虽九死其犹未悔。 ——屈原

So long as this is what my heart longs for and treasures, though I die nine deaths, my heart does not regret. — Qu Yuan

君臣一梦，今古空名。 ——苏轼

Lords and lieges ebb into nothing but a dream; in the river of time transcending present and past vain titles remain, cast into the void. — Su Shi

无波真古井，有节是秋筠。 ——苏轼

The heart is at peace like the ancient well that does not ripple; the integrity is as the autumn bamboos, steadfast and unfaltering. — Su Shi

舳舻千里，旌旗蔽空，酾酒临江，横槊赋诗。 ——苏轼

The warship moves a thousand miles, ensigns enshrouding the sky. He pours out wine by the riverside, holds out his lance, and writes verses as he speaks. — Su Shi

对一张琴，一壶酒，一溪云。 ——苏轼

Facing but a guqin, a jug of wine, a stream of cloud. — Su Shi

江山如画，是我心言。 ——风起时

The rivers and mountains of the kingdom outstretches before me, as moving as in art: this is my heart’s will. — from the song “Feng Qi Shi”, when the wind blows

战骨碎尽志不休，冰心未改血犹殷。 ——改自《赤血长殷》、王昌龄

Bones completely crushed from the battle, yet aspirations unwavering. The heart has not changed; the blood flows red still. — adapted from the song “Chi Xue Chang Yan”, the noble blood flows red, and poet Wang Changling

袖手妙计权倾变，敛眸笑谈意了然。 ——改自《赤血长殷》

With folded arms, he devises labyrinthine strategies. The sceptre of power sways and shifts. He shrouds his gaze modestly, and in conversations of small smiles, he discerns the intention of men. — adapted from the song “Chi Xue Chang Yan”, the noble blood flows red

萧㬌琰 Xiao Jingyan

潜龙一朝御风翔，长歌挽弓射天狼。 ——《长喑》

The submerged dragon rises one day to ride the winds. Singing high and long; the bow is drawn pointed at the invading Sirius. — from the song “Chang Yin”, the Long Darkness found here

挑灯殿阙思悄然，闻钤行宫寝无眠。 ——改自白居易

Awashed in the raised lamps of the imperial palace, thoughts whisper in grievance. The bell rings at the Jiu’an grounds, and he lies abed sleepless. — adapted from The Song of Everlasting Sorrow by Bai Juyi

驰骋沙场繁华梦，谈笑鸿儒君臣纲。 ——改自《致陛下书》、刘禹锡

Dreams soar in the flurrying gallops of the battlefield, flourishing dreams of splendour and joy. In pleasant dialogue with scholars, civility obliges polite smiles into the etiquette of lords and lieges. — adapted from the song “Zhi Bi Xia Shu”, a letter to Your Majesty, and Liu Yuxi

铁马并辔封疆，几回魂梦游；更鼓落夜未央，笔下兴亡断。 ——取自《长喑》、《赤血长殷》

Armoured horses riding in parallel at the borderlands — how many times has the soul wandered to such dreams of the past. The hourly drums sound ceaseless across the long night; under the emperor's brush, the fate of prosperity and declination writes. — adapted from the song “Chang Yin”, the Long Darkness found here, and “Chi Xue Chang Yan”, the noble blood flows red

揽尽山河只手倾，昂冕袖手瞰苍生。 ——改自《长喑》

The future of his kingdom sweeps into a tilt of his hand. With crown upheld, he folds his arms in his sleeves awatching humanity. — adapted from the song “Chang Yin”, the Long Darkness found here

咫尺抚眉峰，万丈叠远峰；梦底枕笑纹，惊风掀水纹。 ——《致陛下书》

Up close, the furrowed brows are smoothed. Ten thousands of feet stretch before him, converging into mountains at a distance. In the deepest dreams, the markings of a smile lie; he stirs up the wind which marks and rips tides in the tumultuous waters. — adapted from the song “Zhi Bi Xia Shu”, a letter to Your Majesty

Two (three) things to note:

My dying obsession with Su Shi, sorry I can’t help it that perhaps over half of the all the poetry I know is from him;

To be really fair, my favourite description of Mei Changsu is 运筹帷幄之中，决胜千里之外, used in describing Zhang Liang in Si Maqian's Records of the Grand Historian. He orchestrates masterplans in the tent of the army; he determines the victory of the battle from afar, thousands of miles from the front.

As for my favourite depiction of Lin Shu, it is definitely Su Shi’s description of Cao Cao: 舳舻千里，旌旗蔽空，酾酒临江，横槊赋诗。 The warship moves a thousand miles, ensigns enshrouding the sky. He pours out wine by the riverside, holds out his lance, and writes verses as he speaks. Xin Qiji’s verse above just fits the entire story of Mei Changsu so much, it deserves a mention.

I was assembling/making these lines up for something back then and so just listed whatever came to mind (for reasons I know not I kept on listing stuff for MCS, but maybe XJY was the typical good emperor kind of person so wasn't as inspiring coming up with quotes for him).

If there are lines of poetry you find really befitting the two characters, we're more than interested starting a thread here just for that purpose.

[dear-indies]

Hi! Hope you're having a great day/night!

I need some help finding chinese women with resources between 20 and 30. They can also be mixed, as long as they are half chinese. Maybe actresses, but it's not a problem if they are singers or anything else.

Thank you so much for your help and time!

Phillipa Soo (1990) Chinese / English, Scottish, Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish.

Malese Jow (1991) Chinese / English, Scottish, Cherokee.

Jessica Henwick (1992) Chinese Singaporean / English.

Zhu Xu Dan / Bambi Zhu (1992) Chinese.

Dilraba Dilmurat (1992) Uyghur.

Amanda Zhou (1992) Chinese or Taiwanese.

Baifern Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul (1992) Thai of Chinese descent.

Zeng Keni / Jenny Zeng (1993) Chinese.

Chen Fang Tong (1993) Chinese.

Bai Lu (1994) Chinese.

Ju Jing Yi (1994) Chinese.

Pat Chayanit Chansangavej (1994) Thai Chinese - "My family is Chinese. My grandparents who speak Mandarin can't even speak Thai fluently," Pat says.

Liang Jie (1994) Chinese.

Yu Shu Xin / Esther Yu (1995) Chinese.

Wang Yi Fei (1995) Chinese.

Caroline Hu (1995) Chinese.

Fernanda Ly (1995) Chinese Vietnamese.

Wan Peng (1996) Chinese.

Leah Lewis (1996) Chinese.

Chelsea Zhang (1996) Chinese.

Bridget Gao Hollitt (1996) Chinese and White.

Havana Rose Liu (1997) Chinese / White - is pansexual.

Tian Xi Wei (1997) Chinese.

Thaddea Graham (1997) Chinese.

Guan Xiao Tong (1997) Manchu Chinese.

Zhao Lu Si (1998) Chinese.

Curley Gao (1998) Ughyur / Han Chinese.

Zhang Miao Yi (1998) Chinese.

Sun An Ke (1998) Chinese.

Brianne Tju (1998) Chinese / Indonesian.

Song Zu Er (1998) Chinese.

Cheng Xiao (1998) Chinese.

Song Yu Qi (1999) Chinese.

Landy Li (1999) Chinese.

Laufey (1999) Chinese / Icelandic.

Sun Zhen Ni (2000) Chinese.

Ningning (2002) Chinese.

Madison Hu (2002) Chinese.

also because Hongkonger and Taiwanese folks get no rep!

Stephanie Hsu (1990) Taiwanese.

Jen Van Epps (1990) African American / Taiwanese.

Kristina Tonteri-Young (1998) Hongkonger / Finnish.

Jessie Mei Li (1995) Hongkonger / English - is a gender non-conforming woman who uses she/they.

Snowbaby (1996) Taiwanese.

Lauren Tsai (1998) Taiwanese / Polish, Italian, English, German, Irish.

Chou Tzu Yu (1999) Taiwanese.

Yeh Shu Hua (2000) Taiwanese.

Piploy Kanyarat Ruangrung (2000) Thai of Taiwanese descent.

Here you go!

[am0ng-us-sus]

How Sakine came into the family-a short fic

Tw: Death mentioned frequently,eating disorder referenced once near the end of the fic. I used Google Translate for all the Spanish,so I apologise if it's inaccurate...

It was a Saturday in mid summer,sometime in June. Meiko was watching some television while Luka was listening to a podcast and washing some dishes.

Meiko heard her phone ring suddenly. Muting the tv,she answered it.

'Hello? Oh,hey,Mom!'

Meiko's expression changed to one of shock and sadness,her face going pale as she felt tears in her eyes.

'O-okay,thank you for letting me know,love you,too...'

Meiko hung up the phone and set it on the coffee table.

Luka noticed her partner's expression and pressed the pause button on her podcast,drying her hands and walking over to sit next to the taller woman.

'Hey,what happend?'

She asked softly,gently rubbing her girlfriend's back. Tears started running down Meiko's cheeks and Luka hugged her as she sobbed quietly. After a few minutes,Meiko pulled away from Luka and looked her in the eyes.

'Lu...my sister...she-she got into a car accident...she and her husband...neither of them made it...my Mother just called me and let me know...first my dad and now this...' Meiko said quietly.

'Mei...I'm so sorry...I know it's hard...whatever you need,I'll be here for you.' Respond Luka

Meiko looked like she wanted to say something,but didn't have the confidence to do so.

'What's wrong? Is there something you need to tell me? Whatever it is,I'll help you with it.'

Meiko took a moment before speaking again

'She...she was a mother,Luka. She had a daughter. Around Miku's age...And I promised her that if anything happened to her,I'd take care of her daughter. I know this is sudden,but nobody else in my family is suitable to take her,and she'll go to an orphanage if nobody can care for her. I don't want that,she deserves parents. I want to adopt her,I know this is out of the blue and I know you're probably not ready to adopt a kid and I know that you might want to leave me because this is something I have to do and maybe you don't want to be a part of this and that's okay I know this is crazy,I know this is all happening at once,and I'm fine with that,I can go live somewhere else it's fine,you can stay in the apartment it's fine I'm sorry and-'

'Woah,hey,hey,it's okay,breathe... I'm not going to leave you,I would never. You're the most important person in the world to me. I'd be happy to adopt your neice,I agree,she deserves parents.'

Luka reached out and wiped the tears off of Meiko's cheeks before pulling her into another hug.

'The funeral is on Tuesday,we can pick her up there...' Said Meiko quietly.

'Is there any paperwork we need to fill out?'

'...A little bit,but everything was arranged when my neice was born,so not too much.'

'So you've been walking around with the title 'Godmother' for all this time? Not a bad title to have,it sounds badass.' Said Luka,trying to brighten up the situation a bit.

'Yeah,I suppose so...' The brunette responded with a small chuckle

'Luka?'

'Yes,my love?'

'...Thank you...for being okay with this...'

'Of course,Mei.'

----------------------

Tuesday;day of the feuneral

The couple left around 10:00 am,as the church and cemetery were about an hour away,and the open cascet started around 11:30. By the time their car pulled into the parking lot of the large church,Meiko was asleep in the passenger seat,she always ended up asleep on long car rides. Luka gently shook her awake.

'...hm?? ¿qué?' Meiko looked slightly confused,as she always was after a nap.

'We're here,honey,wake up!' Said Luka softly.

'Ah,right...' Meiko and Luka exited the vehicle and walked up the short cement staircase to the large building. Once inside,Luka immediately felt like she stood out,the church was filled with people who all had brown and black hair,most also had a darker skin-tone similar to Meiko's,with only a few people who had colored hair or pale skin. It was rather interesting,as brown and black hair was a rather rare color in the Vocaloid universe,most people having brightly colored hair. (Brown/black hair is like the equivalent to red hair in the real world)

Luka also felt her anxiety kick in as soon as the two entered,and she grabbed onto Meiko's arm because although it was quiet in the church,there were still many people she didn't know and it was quite overwhelming. Meiko turned to look at Luka and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.

'It's okay,everyone here is nice,they'll love to meet you.'

Luka nodded and the two walked farther into the church. Meiko spotted her mother chatting with a group of people who unsurprisingly,all looked like variations of Meiko.

The two walked over to the group and Meiko greeted them with a soft 'hello' as the group all turned to look at the two. More specifically,Luka,as most of them had never seen her before. (Meiko's mother being the only one who knew her) Luka held onto Meiko's arm a bit tighter,keeping close to her partner's side. This pulled Meiko out of the solemn conversation she was having with her mother.

'Ah,right. This is my girlfriend Luka,everyone.' Meiko said quietly.

'This is the Luka I've heard so much about?' Said a man who looked to be around twenty-five or thirty. He held out his hand for Luka to shake but Luka was frozen at the moment.

'Not much of a people's person,huh...' He said,putting his hand down.

Meiko sighed.

'Lu,this is Isaac,my cousin.'

Luka hummed softly in response.

Suddenly,children ran through the circle of people and Isaac said calmly

'Now,kids,this is a church,this is no way to behave.'

'Sorry,Uncle Isaac...' The small children said in unison before walking away.

Luka started to feel a little more comfortable as the group picked up on their quiet conversation about Meiko's sister and brother-in-law,though she still kept quiet.

Meiko's mother was taking the loss really hard,with her husband dying only a year prior.

'Mom,is she here yet?' Asked Meiko,referring to her neice.

'No,Leo is driving her and you know how late he can be sometimes...' Said the tired old woman. Meiko nodded.

'I'm going to go find Layla,is she here yet?'

'Yeah...but she's taking this pretty hard...' Said the woman standing next to Isaac.

'I can imagine,Lucy was like a literal part of her...' Said Meiko sadly,before she and Luka turned to go look for this 'Layla' person.

As they walked away,Luka looked up at her partner's solemn face.

'Honey...who's Layla?'

'She was my sister Lucy's identical twin. They spent every day together as kids and as you can imagine,this is hitting her really hard. I can't really explain or understand it because I don't have a twin,but I can't imagine how horrible it feels to have a part of your soul ripped away in a sense...' She said somberly.

Luka thought about how close the Kagamines were and how one of them would react if the other all of a sudden disappeared and it almost made Luka cry. The Kagamines were connected in such a strong way,and you couldn't have one without the other. They were like fire and ice,thunder and lightning,right and left. Without one,how can you be sure that the other even exists at all?

Eventually,Meiko stopped,pulling Luka out of her thoughts. She looked onwards at a woman who was sitting alone in one of the church pews,she had her head in her hands and was almost motionless. Meiko sat next to her,Luka sitting awkwardly next to her partner.

'Hey,Layla.'

The woman looked up at Meiko,who had spoken,and threw herself into her younger sister's arms,sobbing loudly.

'Oye, está bien, hermana... I know it's hard...'

'Se ha ido... mi gemela... era parte de mí... No sé cómo voy a vivir sin ella...'

'Lo sé... Respira, Layla, respira, todo va a estar bien. I'm here for you...'

Luka didn't know what to do or say,so she sat there awkwardly,playing with the strands of long pink hair that were brushed over the front of her left shoulder. It was then that a dog walked past the pew,it was a white Lab and looked at her curiously,two sets of pale blue eyes staring back at each-other.

Luka got up and walked over to the dog,reaching out a hand to it. It sniffed Luka's hand before giving it a lick,sensing that the woman was harmless. It rolled onto it's back playfully and Luka happy knelt down to give it a belly rub. The dog perked up when it heard the voices of children approaching,the kids from before were heading towards Luka and the dog,exited to see the animal. The dog rolled onto his stomach and got up to greet the kids. Luka followed the Lab and happily played with the dog and the kids. Meiko was watching the scene with a soft smile while rubbing her sister's back gently.

A man then came rushing to the dog,several other children following him.

'Bandit! Get back here,you naughty boy!' Said the man. The kids behind him giggling.

The man hooked a leash onto the dog's bright red collar and sighed before turning to the kids behind him.

'You three need to stop letting Bandit off of his leash,I know you guys do it on purpose to mess with me... We are at a feuneral,try to behave yourselves...' He said tiredly.

'Sorry,papa!' They all said,still giggling.

Luka got up and observed as a woman with dark green hair walked up next to the man.

'Honey,I told you to leave him at home...'

The man sighed.

'I know,but the kids snuck him into the car!'

Luka watched with curiosity as the family bickered and the kids continued to play with the dog.

Meiko mumbled softly to her sister before getting up and walking over.

'Ah,hello,Leo. Late as always...' She said.

'What's up,Meiko! Haven't seen you in a while!'

'Ah,you're awfully cheerful despite being at our sister's feuneral.' She said,slightly annoyed.

'Sorry,little sis...I'm trying to brighten the mood a bit...' He mumbled.

'Anyways,I see you've met mi amor. This is Luka.' Meiko said.

'Mei,I didn't know you were married! Why didn't you invite me?' He said jokingly.

'Married?'

Said Luka quietly,feeling her face go red.

'Leo,we're not married...yet...'

'Yet?' Luka squeaked

'You heard me,Amor~'

Luka covered her face attempting to hide her flushed cheeks.

'Anyways,Leo. Where's Sakine?' Asked Meiko.

'Ah,right...uhh...she's here somewhere...'

'Ay,Dios mío,you lost her?' Said Meiko,pinching the bridge of her nose.

'Heh...sorry,sis...'

'I would smack you but out of respect for the dead,I'm going to refrain from doing so today...'

The woman standing next to Leo spoke up

'I told her to wait in the pew near the enterence for you two to pick her up.'

'Thanks,Aoi...' Said Meiko.

'No problem,Mei.' The woman responded.

Meiko grabbed Luka's hand and the two started walking towards the enterence. Once they arrived there,the couple spotted a young girl sitting by herself. Luka was shocked. Everyone here directly related to her partner looked similar to Meiko in some way,but this young girl looked almost like a carbon copy of Meiko,looking exactly how her partner had when she was that age. The girl had short brown hair that was a few shades lighter than Meiko's,and their faces looked almost exactly the same. The girl's brown eyes looked up at the two as they approached,Luka didn't even know this girl's name yet,but the sadness in her eyes broke her heart. Both of her parents had just died and she was definitely having a hard time processing what was going on. Meiko sat down next to the girl.

'Hey,there,Sakine. This is Luka,she's my girlfriend,I know you haven't met her yet but I'm sure you two will get along wonderfully!'

'Hey there,Sakine,was it? I'm Megurine Luka! Nice to meet you!' She said softly.

The girl simply looked at Luka coldly before burying her face into Meiko's side,wrapping her arms around her aunt. Luka looked at Meiko with confusion. Meiko gave her a look that read 'give her some time'.

'Hey,do you want to go up and see mommy and daddy one last time before they bury them?' Meiko asked.

The girl nodded and her and Meiko got up,the girl taking her aunt's hand. Meiko guided her out of the pew,placing her other hand on Luka's back as the three walked up to the altar and over to the cascet. The family had decided to bury the two together in one large cascet,as they had died holding hands. Sakine whimpered slightly as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She fortunately hadn't been in the car at the time,but getting the news still hit her harder than the car that rammed into her parents ever could. Meiko rubbed the girl's back as she too cried quietly. Luka took her partner's free hand in hers,gently rubbing the back of her hand with her thumb,using her other hand to comb through Meiko's hair. She saw Sakine give her another cold look upon performing these actions. Luka tried to ignore it,and eventually,the girl went back to looking into the cascet.

--------------------

Burial;same day,1:00 pm

After a few hours,everyone headed to the cemetery,which was located next to the church. The burial was quick,taking about 45 minutes before everyone departed. The couple headed to the car,Sakine getting in the backseat.

'Before we head home,we're going to stop by Sakine's old house and pick up her stuff.' Said Meiko.

'Oh,alright. Do you have your stuff packed already,Sakine?' Asked Luka.

The girl simply nodded and Meiko put the directions into the gps app on her phone and the car drove off.

Once they arrived,Meiko and Luka helped Sakine get her things into the car,she had only packed her cloths and her most valuable possessions,once the rest of her family stopped to get her parent's things,they would grab the rest of her stuff and bring it to the apartment.

---------------------

LukMei's apartment; 10:30pm,two days later

It had been a few days sense the couple had gotten the girl set up in the spare room,and she was supposedly asleep on the air-mattress they had set up in there. But Sakine needed to use the bathroom,and in the hallway,she overheard the adults talking.

I don't think she likes me,Mei...

Give her some time,Cariño,She's still getting over the loss.

Did I say something wrong? Was it something I did? Did I offend her somehow?

...This is just her way of coping with something sad. She closes herself off from new people. It's not something physical,that you can stop,like how I tend to overeat as a coping mechanism. The best you can do is wait for her to open up again. I'm sure she loves you. You're a good person.

(LukaMei pov)

Luka sighed. The two were sitting on the couch,Luka was leaning into Meiko,resting her head on her girlfriend's shoulder.

'But Mei...she seems...jealous... Did you see the look she gave me when I gave you a kiss goodbye before I went grocery shopping the other day?'

Meiko didn't respond,because truthfully,she had seen it.

'I know that nobody likes me but does she have to rub it in?'

'Lu,don't say that,lots of people like you. You may not feel like they do,but that's just your mind talking. It's all in your head,honey. If nobody liked you,then you wouldn't be in our band,would you? And I wouldn't even be here right now if that was true.'

Luka sighed.

'But she seems like she genuinely hates me...she doesn't even use my name,she just calls me 'Megurine'. Does that seem like love to you?'

Meiko noticed that Luka was starting to cry. She genuinely did want Sakine to like her. Meiko put a hand on Luka's cheek and turned her head to face her. She gave her a gentle kiss before wiping her tears away.

'It's late,we'll pick this up tomorrow,okay?'

Meiko helped Luka up and the two were heading to their room when they saw the silhouette of Sakine standing in the hallway. Luka avoided eye contact with the girl.

'Do you need something,sweetie?' Asked Meiko.

Sakine slowly walked forwards keeping her head down as she approached the two. She stopped in front of Luka and stood there for a moment before wrapping her arms around the slightly taller woman in a hug. Luka was shocked and Meiko honestly was a little surprised,too. Luka returned the hug,though she was a little confused about the sudden attitude change

'I-I do love you...L-Luka...' Sakine said quietly,resting her chin on Luka's shoulder.

'I-I'm sorry...I'm a bad person...' She mumbled quetly.

'Sakine,you're not a bad person...' Luka stated.

'You're not a bad person okay?

You're my daughter.'

[lu-zijing]

Hello and welcome~!!

I'm Lu 紫晶! ~ "Lu Zijing"!

My Channel/Blog is known as "THE AMETHYST ARCHER"

YouTube is my main platform - I would say, but Tumblr comes next. You can find me there and on TwitterX, and Instagram as well.

TUMBLR: Here I mostly post drawings, discussions, and whatever, whenever I feel like it. And is just more active for reblogs and chatting.

YOUTUBE: On YouTube, I'm trying a more persistent release schedule. With specific dates for releases. Read more about that on the community side on my YouTube.

INSTAGRAM: Only drawings and finished products are posted here. Short said It's a more organized place for many of my drawings.

TWITTERX: I'm not that active here, but when I am, it's mostly for discussions, thoughts, and comments.

Links to all Social Media longer down in this post.

5 FUN FACTS ABOUT ME ~

I LOVE Cats. Drawing them, petting them, looking at my cat--

I ABSOLUTELY ADORE drawing Chinese Dragons, Wings, and yeah, Cats. Under normal circumstances, I would not turn down a request including some of those in any way.

I DO WRITE AS WELL. Am working on a oneshot right now, but haven't released anything yet.

I LOVE DANMEI and just Asian especially Ancient Chinese Culture.

And ehhhh, for the last one, I'm From the North of this Planet. Where? Well, you will have to guess ~

____

I hope You will or am enjoying my content! Be sure to leave a reaction to let me know if you did~! But only if you did!

This Masterpost is here so You can get a clear view of what is practical knowing about me/my channel, and what to find on my blog here! I hope It will help and make your day a little easier, faster, and maybe a little funnier!

Iff you do have any suggestions for improvements, I'm always all ears for some good feedback!

PLEASE NOTE that I use a lot of content and designs that are not mine, but are fanart and likewise.

And DO NOT ever take any art or content and repost it somewhere, without permission or credit. No matter if it is written on the post or not.

Please report any who might repost my art without giving credit,

Thank You!

Status: Active

/ Currently focusing mostly on Bungou Stray Dogs (BSD) and a little on LEGO Monkie Kid (LMK)

Relevant LINKS and INFO:

About Me and My Channel

Different names - The story behind them: N/A

What to call me?

My Social Media

YouTube

Instagram

Tumblr

Twitter

My Art - Last updated on the 25th of February

Flaming Cat

A Night Full Of Stars

Lunar New Year of the Dragon

Lunar New Year of the Dragon without text

BSD FanArt - Last updated on the 30th of July

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NAKAHARA CHUUYA!!! (29th of April 2024)

Nakahara Chuuya digital Screenshot Redraw + drawing process

Dazai Sketch "I went a bit wild with the colors in the darker nuances"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAZAI OSAMU!!! (19th of June 2024)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TACHIHARA MICHIZOU!!! (30th of July 2024)

BSD Discussion - Last updated on the 16th of August

They are sold in Magazines??! Gorgeous Official art!!

So this IS official art, after all, My thoughts, Soukoku

Official Art Outfits/Clothes Appreciation Post!! LIKE DAMN-!!!!

Fitzgerald DOES speak Japanese, but...

A Reblog: Chuuya WASN'T happy when Dazai left -that IS clear- but it's not like he was a sobbing mess for months either

So... BSD CHAPTER 117—!!!!!!!

A Reblog: Is Amenogozen truly killing people?

Official art parallels between SSKK and SKK..!!!!

Is this Official art or not?? SSK

LMK FanArt - Last updated on the 31st of July

Color Shift: Wukong and Macaque

Color Shift: Red Son and Mei

Sun Wukong Design

Macaque Design

My Fancomic: Forgotten Memories - Not started yet

MK doodles on paper

Wukong and Macaque on paper

Yin and Yang, Shadow and Light

Sun Wukong - ATTACK!

An exercise in perspective with the Golden staff

The Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sketch

The Demon Bull King, Sketch

MK, the Monkie Kid, Sketch

Descendant of the White Dragon Horse - Mei, Sketch

Expansion of "Descendant of the White Dragon Horse - Mei, Sketch"

MINI-COMIC: With SWK and MK - "What.....?" "...What...?"

POV: Realization came. Or you could just call it smug Wukong~

Quick Analog Sketch of SWK

Mo the Cat (Screenshot Redraw)

I WATCHED S5 AND COULDN'T HELP DRAWING SOME STUFF/SKETCHESS ALREADYYY

LMK Discussion - Last updated on the 28th of May

A Reblog: How many layers of ‘glamour’ does Macaque have?

A Reblog: What if it is his clones?

S5 Trailer: Is that The Black Tortoise of the North MK is attacking?

Crossover FanArt - Last updated on the 2nd of May

A kinda crossover.. New releases from my YT channel with sketches from both TGCF and LMK

Other/Reblogs - Last updated on the 29th of July

Go watch Heaven Official's Blessing - 天官赐福, It's good :D

BSD: A book about how to live, a book about how to die - AMAZING detail-!

WRITING TIP: An Injury doesn't always need to be accurate in fiction

——

Fandoms on YouTube so far -

The Owl House (TOH)

Tangled The Series (TTS)

LEGO Ninjago

LEGO Monkie Kid (LMK)

Heaven Official's Blessing - 天官赐福 / Tian Guan Ci Fu (TGCF)

Bungou Stray Dogs - 文豪ストレイドッグス (BSD)

Content on YouTube so far -

AMVs

Edits

Lyric Video

Humor Video

MEP

MEP Part's

Collabs

Theories/Analyses

[orpheuschains]

Shen.

No, it probably isn't Shen anymore, is it? You'll have to pardon my lack of formality given I never got to see you gain your courtesy name.

I don't know if you can even read this, but any chance is worth taking even if I seem a fool.

I've been so lonely

I got your missive, the youth, and am doing as best as I can with them even through the issues that may arise - for better or worse I have become entangled in repairing a city of this plane. They have your intelligence, but could never match your wit. Perhaps they'll grow into it, if you chose them for anything beyond their status that is.

I miss you

Speak to me

Your writing has been noted and make no mistake, the will of the court will be done. He is unworthy to be hung from our hooks.

Is Mei alive

Have fortune, Zūn jìng Shen of our dear court Lu-cheng.

[verumfm]

━◈ WANTED CONNECTIONS ... four new ones have been added to the page!

there are tales of how dante masoe is searching for their childhood frenemy/rival, which is antagonistic in nature. the records show that they are about 25-29 years old and their photographs look like chelsea islan, jung hoyeon, deniz can aktas, michael evans behling, jane de leon, moon gayoung, madeleine madden, ozge yagiz, bright vachirawit, yamazaki kento, yuki kato, dylan wang, quintessa swindell, jessie mei li, khadijha red thunder, maris racal, mimi keene, cha eunwoo, cody christian, justin chien, samantha logan, fc ultimately utp. help us find them, but make sure that you speak to karin at @kencanas on tumblr beforehand. this is their story so far: this muse would have grown up in cynefin along with dante. they probably share quite a few mutual friends too or were in the same circles growing up, but that’s the main reason why they (barely) tolerate each other. otherwise, they get quite competitive with each other and have always been that way, never really able to see eye to eye. whenever they’re alone, dante sees no need to sugarcoat the fact that they’re not exactly friendly with each other. why the two of them consider each other rivals is up for future discussion, but i would like the thinly veiled antagonism to be mutual.

there are tales of how dante & savina masoe is searching for their parents’ protege, which is up to player in nature. the records show that they are about 28-34 years old and their photographs look like daniel ezra, damson idris, hande ercel, oh sehun, apo nattawin, avan jogia, greta onieogou, bai lu, jaz sinclair, seo kang joon, kwon nara, kylie verzosa, alia bhatt, reina hardesty, kofi siriboe, lin yanjun, dev patel, lee junho, yang yang, zeng keni, fc ultimately utp. help us find them, but make sure that you speak to karin or liza at @kencanas or @svnblinds on tumblr (or via discord if you’re already a member) beforehand. this is their story so far: neither dante nor savina is very interested in taking over their parents’ textile business, something that has always been obvious on dante’s end and her best-kept secret on savina’s end. while this muse’s personality and their dynamic with the masoe siblings are largely up to player/discussion, one given thing about them is that they’re a key employee at the masoes’ small textile empire in the valley. they would be someone the masoe parents trust with their job and see a lot of potential in. should it come out that neither masoe siblings are continuing the family business, the burden of running it may just fall on this muse’s shoulders.

there are tales of how lintang aulia is searching for their elixirs teacher, which is platonic/transactional in nature. the records show that they are about 28+ years old and their photographs look like simone ashley, clark backo, fukushi sota, julie estelle, seo yeji, keith powers, lucien laviscount, melisa asli pamuk, adonis bosso, mike angelo, devery jacobs, ni ni, courtney eaton, jung hoyeon, medalion rahimi, mena massoud, himesh patel, may calamawy, woo dohwan, fc ultimately utp. help us find them, but make sure that you speak to karin at @kencanas on tumblr beforehand. this is their story so far: despite their lack of affinity in khemia, lintang is also stupidly stubborn about feeling like they need to learn it. elixirs, especially, is something that they strongly think would be incredibly useful. now that they’re stuck in cynefin and working in verum, lintang would seek out someone who they think would be able to unofficially mentor them in the art. i imagine that the relationship is at least a touch positive, but how close they are is up for discussion, especially because this muse is largely utp. the only two things i require are that they were trained in elixirs and that they are either a verum staff/professor or cynefin resident. this connection can be taken in tandem with lintang’s regular contact or part-time employer, too.

there are tales of how lintang aulia is searching for their part-time employer, which is professional in nature. the records show that they are about 35+ years old and their photographs look like arifin putra, martin sensmeier, lim jiyeon, rege-jean page, kuroki meisa, aishwarya rai, keanu reeves, mahersala ali, elodie yung, dichen lachman, riz ahmed, gong yoo, qin lan, raymond ablack, deepika padukone, iko uwais, oliver jackson-cohen, gina torres, sanada hiroyuki, fc ultimately utp. help us find them, but make sure that you speak to karin at @kencanas on tumblr beforehand. this is their story so far: while lintang mostly works at verum as an infirmary staff, she has a tendency of spreading herself too thin to keep herself occupied. so it’s no surprise that she’s taken to part-timing with a local doctor/healer/apothecary in town. everything about this muse is utp other than the fact that they must be a medic of some kind, as mentioned above. i imagine that lintang is determined to gain their respect and/or approval, but how the current relationship is can be discussed further. they just would have to be open enough to willingly let an outsider trapped in cynefin to currently work with them. this connection can also be taken in tandem with lintang’s elixirs teacher connection.

[onlymurdersintheafterparty]

A Murder at the End of the World: Homme Fatale

FX has a new Murder mystery series and I’ve been avoiding it because I thought it was another true crime documentary 🤣 The show is described as a mystery series about a Gen Z hacker and amateur sleuth named Darby who is invited to a isolated retreat by a billionaire along with 8 other guests. When one of the guests is killed, it’s up to Darby to figure out who the killer is and stop them before it’s too late. Here is my recap and thoughts about the first episode. Spoilers ahead!

The series opens with Darby walking down a street listening to The End by The Doors which makes for a very creepy beginning to the series. Darby arrived at a book signing where it’s revealed that Darby is an author herself and has come to read from her book The Silver Doe. The Silver Doe is a true crime book that Darby wrote about herself and her lover named Bill on the hunt for a serial killer. Based off of how Darby has described this killer and that several women may have been their victims, we can assume that this will be the same killer that Darby will be chasing at the resort she ends up at with the other guests.

Darby’s reading is told through a flashback of her and Bill not only visiting but hacking into this suspected killer’s home. We learn that while yes Darby is a good hacker, she is lacking in discernment. From allowing Bill to park in the garage, to going into a basement of a house that she hasn’t even checked to see if anyone is inside, it’s clear she makes terrible choices. Not only did the two break in, they tore up the basement floors to try to see if they could find any bodies. AND THEY SLEPT THERE. Now I will give Darby props for discovering the stairs were redone to cover a buried body, but that whole scene was so anxiety inducing. I get wanting to be the first to crack a case but you can’t reap the rewards if you’re dead. When asked by an audience member what happened to Bill she refuses to answer so we know there’s a lot to unpack there.

At twenty minutes into the episode, we finally get into the main plot. Andy Robson, a reclusive billionaire and tech genius who Darby previously mentioned at her book reading, has contacted her. This already feels super shady, but especially so when his assistant shows up at her place and demands to be let in but can only be seen on the cell phone. Andy Ronson has invited her along with 8 guests to meet on a paid for retreat because he wants to meet all of their brilliant minds to discuss technology. Darby is hesitant but agrees after learning that Lee, Andy’s wife will be there. Lee is a hacker who Darby looks up to so there was no doubt that she’d attend the trip. It feels like a set up but we shall see. All these precautions taken just to board and the fact that Andy has been keeping tabs on her just gives me a weird feeling idk.

After a strange dream/flashback we learn that the guests have been taken to Fljot Valley in Iceland. I love a Good snowed in and isolated mystery and it’s giving me the same vibe as the HBO limited series The Head. But on to the suspects:

Martin Mitchell, a filmmaker who wants to make a film about missing Black women in D.C.

Lu Mei, a woman who builds smart cities in China, Yinchuan to be exact

Dr. Sian Cruise, a doctor who is researching colonizing the moon

David Alvarez, a venture capitalist born in Argentina

Ziba, an Iranian activist

Oliver, works with robotics

The mysterious Bill in question, Bill Farrah

Rohan, ???

Marius

Lee Andersen

Andy Ronson

Lu Mei’s assistant who never speaks

Todd

Ray

I’m starting to think Darby is an unreliable narrator with her Silver Doe book 🤔 What really happened with Bill? And Lee is giving me unfulfilled housewife vibes which is sad because Darby describes her as being brilliant.

After a dinner of introductions and being absolutely shook at Bill’s reappearance, the two end up having a small chat before both return to their rooms. I can’t help but feel that Bill will be the first victim because he said there was something he needed to tell Darby before leaving alone which breaks mystery/thriller/horror rule #1 to never go off alone,especially when you have important info to share. And sure enough, he’s dead. This sucks because he was such an interesting character and I wanted to see more of him and Darby together.

My first theory:

Darby was invited because she was needed as a fall guy or the murder was anticipated and they needed a sleuth but didn’t want to use the police. Lee and Bill knowing each other is very suspicious but it could very well be a red herring. Martin and Sian both seemed like fans of Bill so maybe they’ve met before and we’re either obsessed or had a bad encounter after dinner. It would be so wild if Ray did it on Andy’s command but the question then is how since he’s ai. But then again the room could have been rigged to be tampered with. I hate that Bill died without even hinting at who killed him because that would have given us something to work with.

All in all I’m liking the show so far and I’m glad to have a new mystery series to focus on. What do you guys think so far?

[monster-hunter-tournament]

Favorite Rath species and/or subspecies GO

Ooh, that's tough, there are so many!

My top three are Destruction Wyvern Rathalos, Dreadking Rathalos, and Gold Rathian.

I think overall, Destruction is a little much, and Dreadking isn't quite as interesting, so my overall favorite is Gold Rathian!

[booasaur]

Away (2020) - 1x03

[vintagegeekculture]

Who are the “Venoms Mob?”

Well, first things first: if you go to China and talk about the 5 Venoms, or the Venoms Mob, they’ll have absolutely no idea who you’re talking about there, because that’s a fandom-term among US Kung Fu cult movie fans.

In Hong Kong, the Venoms are known as director Chang Cheh’s Weapons Expert Troupe, a group of five lifelong friends, martial artists, bodybuilders, exotic weapons experts, and trained acrobats who did at least a dozen movies for manly man Kung Fu director Chang Cheh in the 1970s and 1980s. They were the real deal: they usually choreographed their own fight scenes, which often involved flips and crazy stunts due to their acrobat training, high-wire acts, and unusual and exotic weaponry not typically seen even in martial arts movies. It’s like every single one of them drank the Captain America potion. Their films tended to end in heroic sacrifices, and the Venoms, for all their athleticism and daring, tended to be identifiable people on the bottom end of the societal ladder: homeless drifters, refugees, itinerant hobos, traveling performers, or restaurant workers.

The Venoms were stars in the US, particularly among the black community who love Chinese martial arts movies, not just because of their truly breathtaking skill and choreography, but because they are how most people feel they are, secretly, deep down: rams among sheep. They are the poor, downtrodden, or average person who decides “not to take it anymore” after untold indignities. This is also why the Venoms are especially important to the black community. In fact, if you want to know how much the Venoms mean to their fans, just go up to nearly any Black Dad over 45+ and ask about the “5 Venoms.” 

Chang Cheh, Director of the Venoms

The best way to describe the director and writer of the Venoms films, Chang Cheh is that he is basically Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia if he decided to make Gladiator and loved Sergio Leone and Kurasawa.

The director and writer of the Venoms movies, and maybe the most significant name in the history of Kung Fu cinema apart from Bruce Lee, Chang Cheh was towering enough that Quentin Tarantino dedicated Kill Bill Part 2 to Chang Cheh in the closing credits. It would not be inaccurate to say he invented the Kung Fu movie as we know it, with its training montages, mentor-student relationships, all cut with themes of vengeance, noble self-sacrifice, and rebellion of poor and ordinary people against unjust authority.

Chang Cheh’s life story is fascinating. His father was a warlord during the Republican Era between the World Wars, which must have made for an interesting school career day. He started as a film critic and became a screenwriter, then from being a screenwriter, became a director. I wonder if that is the reason that Chang Cheh was so fascinated by themes of masculinity and male bonding, as the arty, openly gay movie critic son of a central Asian warlord had a nearly impossible standard of masculinity to live up to.

The two Western movies that are, thematically, the closest to Chang Cheh are Gladiator and Saving Private Ryan, and if you like both of those movies, you’ll probably like him. His heroes are often James Dean-like angry young men, poor and at the outskirts of society. His movies tend to end in heroic self-sacrifice for a noble cause, and tend to have themes of vengeance, arty blood red slaughter, and a distrust of authority and government of any kind. He loves bloodshed and thinks violence is beautiful; an image that comes up often is someone in an all white outfit that gets covered in blood, an arty view of violence similar to his two biggest influences, Sergio Leone and Kurosawa. Like the Shawshank Redemption, Chang Cheh movies are essentially ensemble pieces about the friendships and close comradely bonds of brotherhood between men. Very few women of any kind have extensive speaking parts in his movies.

Another movie that also summarizes Chang Cheh would be 300. Remember that Sarah Silverman bit where she said that “300 is the answer to the question, how gay is this movie on a scale of 1 to 10?” Not just because it is about an entirely male cast, or about finding fulfillment in noble self-sacrifice and heroism Alamo-style against desperate odds, but also because it’s about glorifying the male body, with tons of abs and pecs. I suppose I should mention here that Chang Cheh’s movies are profoundly homoerotic, and discussion of their homoeroticism is the major way film academics talk about these movies. How many scenes in Cheh’s movies are about dudes hanging out with their shirts off, flexing their muscles? Or about “brothers” who clasp each other on the shoulder while looking longingly into each other’s eyes in a shot-reverse shot? The only meaningful relationship in his movies are male ones. I dislike passing on cheap gossip, but by all accounts it’s actually an open secret in the Hong Kong film industry that Chang Cheh was homosexual and lived with other men. 

Yi Kuang -Screenwriter of the Venoms

The screenwriter of nearly all the Venoms movies, much like Chang Cheh, Yi Kuang had an interesting life. He was a Communist Party officer who went to Inner Mongolia, where his primary job was writing death sentences for landlords. Once idealistic, he left disillusioned with the Chinese Communist Party, and a remained a die-hard anticommunist. Evil bureaucrats tend to show up in his stories often for that reason, and a common theme of his scripts is the anger of ordinary people against distant, unapproachable authorities. There’s no understanding Venoms films without their screenwriter. Chang Cheh started as a screenwriter and wrote his movies, but Yi Kuang was his most frequent partner.

Interestingly, Yi Kuang got famous long after for writing a series of supernatural and horror novels called the Mr. Wisely books, where a traditional Chinese medicine expert fights for sites of power charged with Feng Shui. It’s interesting to see his turn to the supernatural, sorcery, and ghosts as an overreaction to his distaste for Marxist materialism. Of all the Venoms films, the one that shows his influence the strongest was the one the Venoms fight an evil human sacrifice devil cult, Masked Avengers. 

The Hero – Kuo Chui

A guy with a big smile and a body carved out of marble, Kuo Chui started as a circus acrobat before becoming a stuntman and then a leading actor. He was the Venom with the strongest and most natural screen presence, the one that was the most “movie star.” In fact, he was almost always the hero and central character of Venoms movies, usually playing the most levelheaded and strategic minded of the group.

Kuo Chui deserves some credit also for being the one Venom to actually direct a movie himself, Ninja in the Deadly Trap. This sounds like a heck of a leap, but in Hong Kong, nearly all choreographers also direct their fight scenes. It’s no surprise that a common career path in Hong Kong cinema is to go from choreographer to director (see also Chang Cheh’s ex-choreographers, Tang Chia and 36 Chambers director Liu Chia Liang)

 The Bad Guy – Lu Feng

Every single movie, Lu Feng was the heel, the bad guy. I mean, heck, in Shaolin Rescuers, he even played the evil apprentice of the supreme supervillain of the martial arts, Pai Mei! But no matter what, Lu Feng was just so cool that you couldn’t help but root for him just a little bit. He was a character type common in pro wrestling: the arrogant “cool heel,” like Rick Flair and the Horsemen. 

The Venoms tended to be workaday regular poor guys, but Lu Feng usually played a rich guy who oozed arrogance and menace, rather like the evil rich football player heel in college movies. 

 The Funny Guy – Chiang Sheng

A guy who usually played the funny young hero or a wisecracking comedy sidekick prone to wiseassery and pratfalls, Chiang Peng was the Venom who most benefited from the rise of Jackie Chan, and his introduction of silent film era inspired physical comedy into the otherwise stale Kung Fu film. Like Robin Williams, Chiang Shiang was someone who made everyone else laugh, but because he had a lot of darkness inside him, which ended up killing him. Chiang Sheng is the only Venom to not be with us, he drank himself to death after his divorce in 1991. Because of this, there can never really be a full Venoms reunion.

One of the most amazing things about Hong Kong cinema in the 70s is that the actors tended to have scraggly teeth that aren’t perfect and that seemed to be Chang Shieng’s defining trait. To be clear, I am not in any way mocking him for having bad teeth. In fact, I think it is rather winsome and endearing, like a teenager with braces.

 The Tough Guy – Lo Meng

Known as the “Shaolin Hercules,” the person I’d compare Lo Meng to is Mr. Worf. Ultra-strong, humorless, intimidating, dead serious and never smiling, he was by far the most muscular and powerful of the Venoms, with tons of machismo and swagger, “big dick energy” as the kids say today. The camera tends to linger on his oiled up biceps and chest in extreme close-up…but was also, usually, the first to die in nearly all of these films. Much like how Worf was the toughest guy ever, but usually got beat up a lot so the writers could show that the situation was serious. In fact, Lo Meng, still in great shape, was in Ip Man 4, where, not one to break with a tradition, he was the first guy to get his ass beat in the film, even in a movie made in the Year of Our Lord 2020.

Lo Meng tends to be the “backup main hero” and was even the main character in films like 2 Champions of Shaolin. He had the most impressive “solo” film career apart from the other Venoms. Like Geri Halliwell, he left the Venoms to do his own thing, which is why the defining trait of the later Venom films is that he wasn’t there. 

Lo Meng wasn’t Taiwanese like the other Venoms, and was a native of Hong Kong. In fact, he got his start in the film industry not as a stuntman or muscleman, but as an accountant for the Shaw Brothers studios, and he lifted weights and did Praying Mantis Kung Fu as a hobby. That’s…that’s hilarious. Reminds me of that fake Simpsons movie, Undercover Nerd with Renier Wolfcastle:

 The Wild Card – Chun Shieng

Would YOU trust this man? I wouldn’t. He betrayed the Toad!

That’s Chun Shieng for you, the wild card Venom who could “go either way” and so wasn’t an entirely trustworthy ally.

Allow me to correct a misconception I’ve seen in a lot of places: Chun is sometimes known as “the one Korean Venom.” He isn’t Korean but Chinese, but he was trained in Korea and is a Tae Kwon Do expert, unlike the other Venoms, who studied Chinese Kung Fu and Peking Opera. And it certainly shows: he always fights with a kick-heavy Tae Kwon Do style that does not look much like any Kung Fu at all.

[ucflibrary]

Welcome to Asian Pacific American Heritage Month!

It has been a difficult 14 months for the world, but our Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) brothers and sisters have faced even more struggles. From small harassments to intense acts of violence, the AAPI community has borne the brunt of American fears and grief relating to the pandemic. These malicious acts demonstrate as a country we are not living up to the ideals of our nation. As Americans and Knights, we need to demonstrate these ideals are worth fighting for. Actions you can take range from learning more about the AAPI experience and history to using any privilege we have to push back against racism and violence.

One way to learn more about AAPI history and experiences is to visit the Libraries’ Readings on Race guide. This guide includes a page for general information about racism in America and how to have conversations about it to pages specifically addressing the experiences of marginalized communities in the United States such as Asian America Pacific Islander, African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and Indigenous. Take some time to familiarize yourself with lived experiences beyond your own race or ethnicity so we can stand together and become a more inclusive Knight community.

If you witness or experience incidents of discrimination or violence, report them to the university. If any of these incidents have impacted you, UCF has resources that can help. For more information, visit UCF Cares, Student Care Services or UCF Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) if you are a student, and the Employee Assistance Program if you are an employee.

 For 2021 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, UCF Libraries faculty and staff have suggested these 20 books from the library’s collection by or about Asian Pacific Americans. Click the link below to see the full list, descriptions, and catalog links. There is also an extensive physical display on the main floor of the John C. Hitt Library near the Research & Information Desk.

A Burning by Megha Majumdar After a fiery attack on a train leaves 104 people dead, the fates of three people become inextricably entangled. Jivan, a bright, striving woman from the slums looking for a way out of poverty, is wrongly accused of planning the attack because of a careless comment on Facebook. PT Sir, a slippery gym teacher from Jivan's former high school, has hitched his aspirations to a rising right wing party, and his own ascent becomes increasingly linked to Jivan's fall. Lovely, a spirited, impoverished, relentlessly optimistic hjira, who harbors dreams of becoming a Bollywood star, can provide the alibi that would set Jivan free - but her appearance in court will have unexpected consequences that will change the course of all of their lives. A novel about fate, power, opportunity, and class; about innocence and guilt, betrayal and love, and the corrosive media cycle that manufactures falsehoods masquerading as truths. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions and Collection Services

 American History Unbound: Asians and Pacific Islanders by Gary K. Okihiro A survey of U.S. history from its beginnings to the present, this  reveals our past through the lens of Asian American and Pacific Islander history. In so doing, it is a work of both history and anti-history, a narrative that fundamentally transforms and deepens our understanding of the United States. This text is accessible and filled with engaging stories and themes that draw attention to key theoretical and historical interpretations. Gary Y. Okihiro positions Asians and Pacific Islanders within a larger history of people of color in the United States and places the United States in the context of world history and oceanic worlds. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

 American Panda by Gloria Chao A freshman at MIT, seventeen-year-old Mei Lu tries to live up to her Taiwanese parents' expectations, but no amount of tradition, obligation, or guilt prevent her from hiding several truths-- that she is a germaphobe who cannot become a doctor, she prefers dancing to biology, she decides to reconnect with her estranged older brother, and she is dating a Japanese boy. Can she find a way to be herself, before her web of lies unravels? Suggested by Pam Jaggernauth, Curriculum Materials Center

 Asian American History: a very short introduction by Madeline Y. Hsu Madeline Y. Hsu weaves a fascinating historical narrative of this "American Dream." She shows how Asian American success, often attributed to innate cultural values, is more a result of the immigration laws, which have largely pre-selected immigrants of high economic and social potential. Asian Americans have, in turn, been used by politicians to bludgeon newer (and more populous) immigrant groups for their purported lack of achievement. Hsu deftly reveals how public policy, which can restrict and also selectively promote certain immigrant populations, is a key reason why some immigrant groups appear to be more naturally successful and why the identity of those groups evolves differently from others. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho A young Asian girl notices that her eyes look different from her peers'. They have big, round eyes and long lashes. She realizes that her eyes are like her mother's, her grandmother's, and her little sister's. They have eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea, crinkle into crescent moons, and are filled with stories of the past and hope for the future. Drawing from the strength of these powerful women in her life, she recognizes her own beauty and discovers a path to self love and empowerment. This powerful, poetic picture book will resonate with readers of all ages and is a celebration of diversity. Suggested by Pam Jaggernauth, Curriculum Materials Center

 Frankly in Love by David Yoon High school senior Frank Li is caught between his parents' traditional expectations and his own Southern California upbringing. His parents have one rule when it comes to romance: ‘Date Korean.’ But Frank falls for Brit Means, who is smart, beautiful-- and white. Joy Song is in a similar predicament, and they make a pact: they'll pretend to date each other in order to gain their freedom. It seems like the perfect plan, until their fake-dating maneuver leaves Frank wondering if he ever really understood love- or himself- at all. Suggested by Pam Jaggernauth, Curriculum Materials Center

 Ghosts of Gold Mountain: the epic story of the Chinese who built the Transcontinental Railroad by Gordon H. Chang The long-lost tale of the Chinese workers who built the Transcontinental Railroad, helping to forge modern America only to disappear into the shadows of history. In this groundbreaking book, award-winning historian Gordon H. Chang recovers the stories of these "silent spikes" and returns them to their rightful place in our national saga. Drawing on recent archaeological findings, as well as payroll records, ship manifests, photographs, and other sources from American and Chinese archives, Chang retraces the laborers' odyssey in breathtaking detail. He introduces individual workers, describes their hopes and fears, and shows how they lived, ate, fought, loved, worked, and worshiped. Their sweat and blood not only fueled the ascent of an interlinked, industrial United States, but also laid the groundwork for a thriving Chinese America. A magisterial feat of scholarship and storytelling, this book honors these immigrants' sacrifice and ingenuity, and celebrates their role in this defining American achievement. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 Good Enough by Paul  Yoo A Korean American teenager tries to please her parents by getting into an Ivy League college, but a new guy in school and her love of the violin tempt her in new directions. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu Everyday Willis Wu leaves his tiny room in a Chinatown SRO and enters the Golden Palace restaurant, where Black and White, a procedural cop show, is in perpetual production. He's a bit player here too, but he dreams of being Kung Fu Guy-- and he sees his life as a script. After stumbling into the spotlight, Willis finds himself launched into a wider world than he has ever known, discovering not only the secret history of Chinatown, but the buried legacy of his own family, and what that means for him in today's America. Suggested by Ying Zhang, Administration

 Last Witnesses: reflections on the wartime internment of Japanese Americans edited by Erica Harth To the writers in this book - novelists, memoirists, poets, activists, scholars, students, professionals - the World War II internment of Japanese Americans in the detention camps is an unfinished chapter of American history that mars the nostalgic glow that often surrounds the World War II home front years. Former internees, like John Tateishi and Robert Maeda, and children of detainees and of camp officials join with others in challenging readers to construct a better future by confronting this dark episode from America's World War II scrapbook. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 Minor Feelings: an Asian American reckoning by Cathy Park Hong With sly humor and a poet’s searching mind, Hong uses her own story as a portal into a deeper examination of racial consciousness in America today. This intimate and devastating book traces her relationship to the English language, to shame and depression, to poetry and female friendship. A radically honest work of art, it forms a portrait of one Asian American psyche—and of a writer’s search to both uncover and speak the truth. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services, and Ying Zhang, Administration

 Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, Liu tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions and Collection Services

 Paper Son: the inspiring story of Tyrus Wong, immigrant and artist by Julie Leung An inspiring picture-book biography of animator Tyrus Wong, the Chinese American immigrant responsible for bringing Disney's Bambi to life. Before he became an artist named Tyrus Wong, he was a boy named Wong Geng Yeo. He traveled across a vast ocean from China to America with only a suitcase and a few papers. Not papers for drawing--which he loved to do--but immigration papers to start a new life. Once in America, Tyrus seized every opportunity to make art, eventually enrolling at an art institute in Los Angeles. Working as a janitor at night, his mop twirled like a paintbrush in his hands. Eventually, he was given the opportunity of a lifetime--and using sparse brushstrokes and soft watercolors, Tyrus created the iconic backgrounds of Bambi. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Run Me to Earth by Paul Yoon Alisak, Prany, and Noi--three orphans united by devastating loss - must do what is necessary to survive the perilous landscape of 1960s Laos. When they take shelter in a bombed out field hospital, they meet Vang, a doctor dedicated to helping the wounded at all costs. Soon the teens are serving as motorcycle couriers, delicately navigating their bikes across the fields filled with unexploded bombs, beneath the indiscriminate barrage from the sky. In a world where the landscape and the roads have turned into an ocean of bombs, we follow their grueling days of rescuing civilians and searching for medical supplies, until Vang secures their evacuation on the last helicopters leaving the country. It's a move with irrevocable consequences--and sets them on disparate and treacherous paths across the world. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions and Collection Services

 Searching for Sylvie Lee: a novel by Jean Kwok A poignant and suspenseful drama that untangles the complicated ties binding three women--two sisters and their mother--in one Chinese immigrant family and explores what happens when the eldest daughter disappears, and a series of family secrets emerge. Sylvie, the beautiful, brilliant, successful older daughter of the Lee family, flies to the Netherlands for one final visit with her dying grandmother-- and vanishes. Amy is too young to remember a time when her parents were newly immigrated and too poor to keep Sylvie, who was raised by a distant relative in a faraway, foreign place. Amy flies to the last place Sylvie was seen, retracing her sister's movements. It seems Sylvie kept painful secrets that reveal more about Amy's family than she ever could have imagined. Suggested by Rachel Mulvihill, Downtown Library

 Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo Told from two viewpoints, teens Lucky, a very famous K-pop star, and Jack, a part-time paparazzo who is trying to find himself, fall for each other against the odds through the course of one stolen day. Suggested by Pam Jaggernauth, Curriculum Materials Center

 Strangers from a Different Shore: a history of Asian Americans by Ronald Takaki In an extraordinary blend of narrative history, personal recollection, and oral testimony, the author presents a sweeping history of Asian Americans. He writes of the Chinese who laid tracks for the transcontinental railroad, of plantation laborers in the canefields of Hawaii, of "picture brides" marrying strangers in the hope of becoming part of the American dream. He tells stories of Japanese Americans behind the barbed wire of U.S. internment camps during World War II, Hmong refugees tragically unable to adjust to Wisconsin's alien climate and culture, and Asian American students stigmatized by the stereotype of the “model minority.” Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See This beautiful, thoughtful novel illuminates a world turned upside down, one where the women are in charge, engaging in dangerous physical work, and the men take care of the children. A classic Lisa See story—one of women’s friendships and the larger forces that shape them—this book introduces readers to the fierce and unforgettable female divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

 What We Carry: a memoir by Maya Shanbhag Lang Lang grew up idolizing her brilliant mother, an accomplished psychologist who immigrated to the United States from India, completed her residency and earned an American medical degree while nurturing young children and keeping a traditional Indian home. Her mother's stories motivated her, encouraged her, offered solace when she needed it. When Lang becomes a mother herself, her mother becomes a grandmother who is cold and distant. Reexamining the stories of her childhood, Lang realized that being able to accept both myth and reality is what has finally brought her into adulthood Suggested by Ying Zhang, Administration

 Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha In the wake of the police shooting of a black teenager, Los Angeles is as tense as it's been since the unrest of the early 1990s. But Grace Park and Shawn Matthews have their own problems. Grace is sheltered and largely oblivious, living in the Valley with her Korean-immigrant parents, working long hours at the family pharmacy. Shawn has already had enough of politics and protest after an act of violence shattered his family years ago. But when another shocking crime hits LA, both the Park and Matthews families are forced to face down their history while navigating the tumult of a city on the brink of more violence. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions and Collection Services

[shijiujun]

May I please request a fic where LY realises that he is in love with QCS but then agonizes, really agonizes, over it as QCS is a ladies man? I kinda just want LY to suffer a bit while realizing that he took QCS for granted before he gets his happy ending. LY did say he cherished QCS but I wish the series showed more QCS cherishing by him. Thank you and looking much forward to your green dragon gang LY fic!! *__*

sad, hungry, angry and lonely

Jealousy is an ugly thing, and Lu Yao knows he’s the furthest thing from Chusheng’s ideal type. He’s not a nice person, for one. He’s not mature at all and ends up getting into trouble more often than not. He rarely goes out of his way to make someone else happy without something in return.

Most importantly, he’s no woman, and Chusheng is a ladies man.

—

5

Unlike what he’s read in romance novels and heard from some of his friends, no fireworks go off when he realizes that he’s in love with Chusheng.

It’s not something to celebrate about, Lu Yao thinks, a heavy weight settling into his abdomen as he tries to wrap his head around the fact that he prefers Qiao Chusheng to any of the women he’s ever dated in the past few years. That he wants Chusheng more than he has ever wanted anyone else.

He wants Chusheng to have eyes only for him, to reserve all his affection and adoration for him.

Lu Yao watches as Chusheng leaves his car, looking all dapper in a fresh suit. A different outfit from when he was at the station earlier with Lu Yao, and he must’ve gone home to change before picking his date up.

A long, slender leg is revealed from the other side of the car, and as Chusheng helps the woman — his date for the night — out like the gentleman is he is, he doesn’t notice Lu Yao standing there at the entrance to Bai Le Men.

It’s only when the couple turns around, ready to head inside the club that Chusheng’s eyes land on him, and surprise floods him.

“San Tu, what are you doing here?” Chusheng asks. “Did something happen? There isn’t a case, is there?”

I wanted to see you, Lu Yao thinks.

Lu Yao can’t really explain why he’s here either. Realizing that he is in love with Chusheng, the first thing he did was to find him, to take a look at the man he loves. His eyes rove over the features on that lovely, handsome face. From Chusheng’s brows, to his eyes, his nose, his lips, his neck… all the way to his toes.

A man that Lu Yao cannot help but love, and cannot have.

“Nothing much,” Lu Yao says, trying to sound nonchalant even as the pain in his chest burns on. “You’ve never brought me here to have fun even once, just felt like coming over.”

“I-“ Chusheng blinks, then looking between him and his date, he seems a little conflicted, put on the spot. “If you wanted me to bring you, I’ll bring you next time-“

“It’s alright,” the woman hanging on Chusheng’s arm says with a lovely smile, and Lu Yao feels the urge to snatch Chusheng over from her, “Qiao-ge, I’ll get us a table for three and wait for you inside.”

Then charmingly, she turns to Lu Yao and goes, “Detective Lu, I’ve heard a lot about you from Qiao-ge. It’s nice to have you join us today.”

Before Chusheng or Lu Yao can reply, she saunters into the club.

Chusheng sighs, but now that it’s just him and Lu Yao, it’s easier for him to talk.

Stepping forward until he’s right in front of Lu Yao, he says, “Look at how understanding she is. You, on the other hand… I did tell you I had a date tonight, didn’t I?”

And yet, because it’s Lu Yao, because he’s used to Lu Yao being ridiculous and childish, Chusheng’s voice softens as he asks, “Have you eaten dinner? Bai Le Men has excellent snacks on Thursdays-“

Look at how understanding she is.

“I forgot,” Lu Yao interrupts Chusheng, straightening his back. “I’m going home.”

He moves past Chusheng without another look, biting at his lips. Lu Yao is feeling all hot over and a little nauseous, but he doesn’t want to be here for a moment longer. Ignoring Chusheng’s call, Lu Yao walks in the direction of his home quickly, his mind focused on putting one foot after the other, the gravel on the road crunching loudly under his shoes.

Look at how understanding she is.

Of course, Lu Yao laughs, the sound hollow and wistful.

He’s not the least bit understanding.

It hurts like a jagged knife carving away at his flesh bit by bit, knowing that Chusheng is nice to him not because Lu Yao is special to him, but because he needs Lu Yao around to help him solve cases and along the way, he got used to Lu Yao being demanding and unreasonable.

Jealousy is an ugly thing, and Lu Yao knows he’s the furthest thing from Chusheng’s ideal type. He’s not a nice person, for one. He’s not mature at all and ends up getting into trouble more often than not. He rarely goes out of his way to make someone else happy without something in return.

Most importantly, he’s no woman, and Chusheng is a ladies man.

===

4

Lu Yao likes it when Chusheng’s hands are on his skin — wiping at his mouth, grabbing at this wrist, pulling him in around his shoulders — and it’s something that Chusheng continues to do without much thought. If Lu Yao enjoys the attention more than he should, no one is any the wiser.

He should have known that he is anything but special to Chusheng.

Chusheng brings him to Bai Le Men for a night out as promised a few weeks later, and as much as he resents having to spend the next few hours watching Chusheng flirt with other women, it’s more time he has with Chusheng and he’s all the more greedy for it.

Almost fifteen minutes in, Lu Yao is pissed off enough to regret it.

Right in front of him, three women surround Chusheng on both sides, all speaking in sickeningly sweet tones. Lu Yao’s mood darkens for the rest of the night, but he keeps quiet. After all, the food here is good as promised, and as much as he felt the momentary loss of his appetite, Lu Yao reasons that there is no need for him to punish his stomach too. So he buries his head in the dishes and finishes it all.

Halfway through, when Lu Yao looks up, the first thing he sees is Chusheng’s arm is around Mei Xiang’s shoulders, drawing her into his embrace.

The sight makes his blood boil, and if Lu Yao sits here for any longer, he’s afraid he’s going to cause a scene.

“I’m done,” he says, wiping at his own mouth with the napkin on the table and getting to his feet almost petulantly.

“… San Tu?” asks Chusheng, bewildered. “What-“

It’s hardly the gracious thing to do, Lu Yao knows, but he still turns on his heel and leaves the private room Chusheng reserved. He doesn’t stop even after Chusheng calls out for him one more time.

Lu Yao doesn’t know how if he’s disappointed or relieved that Chusheng doesn’t chase after him.

===

3

He doesn’t even make it into the room this time. Chusheng headed straight to Chang San Tang earlier to meet Yao Qin, who may have some leads on the new case they’re on at present. He sent Ah Dou to pick Lu Yao up in the morning and by the time he turns up, he hears soft, melodious laughter coming from the room both of them are in, the door open wide.

Lu Yao pauses in his footsteps before he reaches the door. From where he’s standing, he can see Yao Qin in a fitting, gorgeous green cheongsam, her long hair coiffed to perfection and her makeup accentuating the loveliest features on her face. Out of all the women that Chusheng knows, Lu Yao has to say he actually likes Yao Qin to some degree.

The last time they were here, Lu Yao remembers wolfing down some pastries, the same ones that are sitting on the table in the room right now. Chusheng’s thumb was gentle then, brushing away the crumbs stuck to the side of his mouth.

Today, it seems Yao Qin has that honour instead.

His breath catches in his throat, his eyes wide as he watches Chusheng’s hand reach for Yao Qin’s beautiful face. He forces himself to keep his eyes open as Chusheng’s movements mirror what he did for Lu Yao that afternoon.

She’s like my sister, he said then.

He wonders if he’s like a brother to Chusheng in this case.

It’s Yao Qin who realizes he’s standing frozen outside the door, and the warmth that surfaces on her features eases the tightness in his chest slightly. Lu Yao wants to run, but they have a case to solve.

“I’m hungry,” Lu Yao says instead, schooling his expression and walking in.

“What do you want to eat?” asks Yao Qin, her eyes brightening. “Lu Yao, didn’t you like those dumplings I made the other time? I’ll get the kitchens to send a set up.”

Before Lu Yao can say anything, she’s on her feet and out the door.

“You’re such a glutton,” Chusheng sighs, exasperation obvious as he pats at the seat next to him. “You didn’t even say hello.”

Before his epiphany, Lu Yao might have found Chusheng’s comment fond, but all he hears now is rebuke and disapproval. He picks up the last pastry sitting on the plate in front of him.

It tastes like ashes on his tongue.

===

2

Who was the one who said he would be my wallet, seethes Lu Yao.

His anger simmers like the pot of stew sitting on the stove before him as he tries to tune out what Youning and her new friend, the latest addition to the tabloids that Youning works at are chattering on about. Seated opposite them at the dining table waiting for dinner to be done is Chusheng, who is listening to both women intently, unaware of Lu Yao’s change in mood.

“… Chusheng-ge, I saw this camera at the store on Fu Lu street last week, but… it’s really expensive,” Youning whines. “Chusheng-ge, can you…”

In the span of half an hour, Youning has managed to coax a promise out of Chusheng to buy her an imported dress, and also to bring Youning and her friend out to one of the classy restaurants near Bai Le Men. Xiao Xu came to Shanghai all on her own, leaving her parents behind in Nanjing to better provide for them, and Chusheng-ge, let’s welcome her to the city, what do you say?

Lu Yao looks up, turning around for a peek when he hears the sound of a loud thud. There lying on the table between Chusheng and the two women is his leather wallet.

“Just take my wallet and go, I don’t want to hear any more about this,” sighs Chusheng. “You’re no longer a kid, Youning.”

“Aiya, Ge I know you dote on me the most! Even more than my silly father-“

“Youning, you’re so lucky to have such a doting brother,” Xiao Xu exclaims.

“If you need anything,” Chusheng adds kindly, speaking to Xiao Xu, “Feel free to look me up at the station. It’s tough being in Shanghai alone, without friends and family.”

You’re not that special, Lu Yao bites at his lips as he quickly returns his attention to the pot.

Chusheng has so much money and he never promised that he would be Lu Yao’s exclusive source of money. He has no right to be jealous, he knows that. Furthermore, this is Bai Youning! It’s his sister, and is Lu Yao going to go green with envy over Chusheng’s annoying sister?

Even so, miserable thoughts swirl in his head — Chusheng declared that he would be his wallet, but he refused to pay for Lu Yao’s baguettes a few times too. When Lu Yao asked for Chusheng’s money to buy that claypot over from the kitchen help a few cases ago, the inspector’s unamused glare almost made Lu Yao back down, despite eventually handing over his wallet.

It was simply a few pieces of bread and a pot then, and here Chusheng is at present, easily giving up his actual wallet to Youning to buy a dress and a camera at exorbitant prices.

It’s not that Lu Yao is greedy for the money itself, he has to admit. More than that, he yearns for the attention Chusheng seems to give him, that fond roll of his eyes, that wide, doting smile, whenever he ends up paying for Lu Yao’s meal or shopping. He wants it all to himself.

What if… what if Chusheng stops treating him to things altogether?

Chusheng peels the hard-boiled eggs Lu Yao made during the dinner a little later. He drops one in Lu Yao’s bowl first and Lu Yao should be happy about that, but he can’t find it in himself to be truly delighted when Chusheng drops the second and third eggs into Youning and Xiao Xu’s bowls too.

For the first time in a long while, Lu Yao finds his appetite entirely absent during a meal.

===

1

“She’s someone I might have considered marrying,” says Chusheng wistfully on a Wednesday evening.

They both watch as one of the suspects in the case, now cleared of all charges, walks away, and if Lu Yao wasn’t so in love with Chusheng, he might find himself agreeing to that.

It feels like Tong Li all over again. Seeing Chusheng’s dreamy smiles and that faraway look whenever he thought of the woman, sitting there quietly as support when she turned out to be a murderer and tear drops trickled down Chusheng’s cheek in a rare show of vulnerability, being with him as both their hearts broke for different reasons.

And here this womanizer is all over again, falling in love with another mysterious, intriguing and intelligent woman.

Qiao Chusheng has a type, and Lu Yao is once again reminded of how impossible it is to have his feelings returned.

Lu Yao wants to try. Right this moment, he wants to tell Chusheng just how much he feels, how much he thinks about Chusheng all the time.

How he wants to spend the rest of his life with him.

He knows it’s a lost cause, however. This was a battle lost even before Lu Yao had a chance to fight it and he knew it all along, through every instance of burning jealousy, his eyes green with envy as they tried to devour a man who would never be his.

Chusheng saying this is the last nail on the coffin. As much as Lu Yao wants to ignore the jagged knife digging into his heart, he knows he has no way to tie Chusheng to him.

“Mnn,” he responds, his voice uncharacteristically soft, “You could, if you wanted to.”

“… San Tu-“

“Inspector!” Salim marches into the interrogation cell, saluting Chusheng firmly. “The Commissioner is here in your office looking to speak with you.”

Chusheng’s eyes snap to Lu Yao, and then for some reason, he’s frowning as he grabs onto Lu Yao’s hand. He says, “San Tu, wait for me. I’ll be done in a bit, I have something to say, okay?”

What else is there to talk about?

He doesn’t reply or look at Chusheng, and in the end the man lets him go.

It’s an escape for Lu Yao and he takes it, walking away without another word.

===

0He knows he’s being petulant, but Lu Yao doesn’t have the slightest bit of energy to move. All Lu Yao feels is exhaustion and grief, his limbs leaden with weight as he hides under the covers on his bed. How long has it been? Two days, or three?

Not even Youning has dared to come and disturb him these few days. As much as they don’t get along, Youning can sometimes be terribly attuned to his moods when they’re at extremes. She tried coaxing him out once the first day, and when Lu Yao continued to lie in his bed unmoving, his head covered by the blanket, she left him to it.

He’ll be better once there’s a case. Before that, he’s entitled to a dramatic, ridiculous bout of self-pity as he wallows in utter misery.

Chusheng said he wanted to talk to him, but Lu Yao doesn’t want to hear any of it. He doesn’t want to listen to Chusheng drawing lines and distancing himself away from Lu Yao deliberately because he knows how Lu Yao feels about him. He has to know.

So wrapped up he is in his thoughts that he misses the sound of soft footsteps approaching, and it’s not until the bed dips that Lu Yao realizes there’s someone here in the room with him.

Judging from the lack of noise, it’s probably not Youning.

“You didn’t listen to me finish,” Chusheng’s low voice sounds.

“I wanted to say that she’s someone I might have considered marrying,” he continues with a soft sigh when there’s no response from Lu Yao still. “Before I fell in love with you, stupid.”

At that, Lu Yao finally sits up, the blankets falling from him. Before he can even accuse Chusheng of being a bastard and lying to him right now, the inspector snags Lu Yao’s arm with a firm hand, and Lu Yao almost yelps as he falls right against Chusheng.

He’s too stunned to say anything else.

“I’m sorry it took me a while to notice,” Chusheng murmurs in his ear, his arms tightening around Lu Yao, as if scared that he might run away again. “You must’ve waited for me for quite a while, huh?”

Lu Yao swallows with difficulty, torn between pushing Chusheng away and staying right here where he wants to be.

“You like… women,” he stammers.

“I do,” Chusheng agrees. “But I love you. I don’t care about anyone else.”

“Well I couldn’t tell at all-“

“I haven’t been to Chang San Tang and Bai Le Men in months,” Chusheng interrupts, pressing a kiss behind Lu Yao’s ear and as expected, the action makes Lu Yao weak as he melts entirely against Chusheng now. “I know you don’t like it when I get too close to others. And… I’ll leave my wallet for Youning, but you can have everything else I own.”

After months, months of having to quietly deal with his feelings for Chusheng, this seems too good to be true.

Lu Yao can’t bring himself to pull away, even if this turns out to be a lie.

Gosh, he would give anything for this to not be a lie.

“Why did it take you so long, you bastard,” he chides instead, one hand hitting at Chusheng’s back. “Do you know how long I waited-“

“I know,” Chusheng replies, sounding helpless. “I’m sorry I hurt you. And… thank you for waiting for me. I wanted to tell you for a long time now, but I couldn’t quite figure out where to begin.”

His thumbs carry away the tears on Lu Yao’s face, and his heart breaks at the dark eye circles under those bright eyes.

Chusheng leans forward and kisses Lu Yao sweetly.

When he pulls away later, Lu Yao is smiling a little, and Chusheng finds his own lips curving upwards in answer to that.

“I’ll do everything I can to make you happy, Lu Yao,” he promises, pressing their foreheads together.

“Everything?”

“Everything,” Chusheng agrees with a laugh.

===

There’s a lot Chusheng has to make up for, but here is where he wants to start.

***

[apprentice-liuyin]

Liuyin Mei

“Uneasy are souls that awaken in smoke”

General information

Known as

Sima Liuyin: Birth name

Leonie Mei: Alias

Occupation

Shop Keeper

Magician

Spirit medium

Medical apprentice

Favorites

Favorite meal: Lamb skewers

Favorite drink: Chrysanthemum tea

Favorite flower: Tea rose

Personality traits

Birthday: January 23rd

Age: 26

Zodiac sign: Aquarius

MBTI: ISFJ-T

Pronouns: They/them only

Main(s): Asra (primarily), occasionally Julian as well

Patron Arcana: Death, Page of Pentacles

Relatives

Note that their family back in Langya would still utilize the traditional naming format of <surname, given name>, unless they have specific titles.

Liya Zheng: Paternal aunt, their father’s elder sister who left Langya and settled in Vesuvia. Liuyin inherited her magic shop.

Lieutenant Zheng: Father, subordinate to General Sima. A harsh and temperamental man, from whom Liuyin became estranged.

Sima Yu: Mother, daughter of General Sima. A healer and free spirit who became fettered by the expectations of family.

Sima Xiaoping: Younger brother, five years Liuyin’s junior, born when Liuyin was still living with their grandparents.

Sima Qianren: Younger brother, eight years Liuyin’s junior, born when Liuyin was still living with their grandparents.

General Sima: Maternal grandfather and patriarch of the Sima family.

Madam Sima: Maternal grandmother, wife to General Sima, owned a teashop in her youth.

Zheng Xuan: Paternal grandfather and guardian, a countryside farmer with an affinity for magic, though no abilities of his own.

Sarnai: Paternal grandmother and guardian, wife of Zheng Xuan, a Kokhuri-descended magician who was Liuyin’s first teacher.v

Physical description

Gender: Nonbinary

Height: 5′6′’

Eye color: Plum-purple

Hair color: Black-brown with orange and red undertones

Appearance

Liuyin is a youth with a compact frame, plum-colored eyes, a long and pointed nose, and dark hair that shines copper in sunlight. Their bearing is collected and serene, with a slight smile to their lips. Their customary outfit consists of an inner blouse that resembles an ao, or Chinese upright-collared blouse popularized in the Ming Dynasty that was usually worn outside the tucking of a skirt, as well as an outer cross-collared robe, and any other clothing they may wear would come in shades of blue, grey, and white. They often wear clothing with butterfly motifs on it, as a silver butterfly was their familiar before their death. Their hair is usually left half-up in buns decorated with butterfly pins, and half-down, with sideswept bangs and locks of hair looped over their ears before being pulled back into a bun.

Personality

Liuyin is a person who is serene and demure on their exterior, almost to the point of seeming withdrawn, aloof, or distant from others. However, they bear a naturally warm aura, with a high-spirited but practical-minded personality with a quick wit, being able to banter easily. They have a sincere and well-meaning heart, as well as loyalty to those they care for, to the point they may act recklessly, going against their usual analytical approaches wherein they slice every action down to its bits and pieces, to save those they love. Thus, they rarely get angry unless someone they love is at risk. They hate boredom and insincerity.

History

Family background

Liuyin Sima was a member of the House of Sima, a noble clan of the nation of Langya, a kingdom to the south of Vesuvia which was located east of the Shining Steppe and west of the Strait of Seals.

Their grandfather was General Sima, a powerful military official overseeing the command of the cavalry of the nation, as well as the current patriarch of the House of Sima.

Their mother was the daughter of General Sima and his wife, and an adept healer.

Their father was a lieutenant under General Sima who was arranged by Madam Sima to marry the general’s daughter.

Childhood

They were pretty unplanned as far as children goes-- their mother had to put their studies to become a healer on hold to carry Liuyin to term, and once they were born, they were sent to live in the countryside with Liuyin’s paternal grandparents, since there’s really no place for a baby either in the barracks or in a healer’s academy.

Their paternal grandmother, Sarnai, when she was young, was a Kokhuri shaman and magician, before marrying her husband and settling down as a farmer in the countryside. Liuyin had gained some degree of healing magic ability from their mother, and Sarnai helped hone Liuyin’s paternal magical capabilities, in communicating the restless dead as well as creating an entrance and space within the spiritual plane akin to magicians’ gates and Asra’s oasis, respectively.

Adolescence

When Liuyin was ten years old, they moved back to the General’s manor to live with their father and mother, and their two younger brothers, one of whom was already 5, and one who was 2 at the time. Due to the strict disciplinarian method of parenting their parents and maternal grandparents enforced, Liuyin, who was raised in a more casual and relaxed environments found themselves miserable and often butted heads with their parents, which was then duly punished.

They, at this point, practically lived only for summer visits to their grandparents, where their magical growth increased by leaps and bounds. When they were 16, their father forbade them from seeing their grandparents, and Liuyin had run away from home in retaliation, first stopping by their grandparents’ house, who then sent them on their way to Vesuvia, where their father’s elder sister, Liya, had opened a magic shop.

Arriving in Vesuvia

Liuyin arrived in Vesuvia on the eve of the Masquerade, where they were received by their aunt. They found Asra reading fortunes behind the shop, and they befriended him under the pseudonym of Leonie Mei-- over the course of the next half year or so, Liya had taught Liuyin all she knew about magic, after which Liya had received an offer of professorship at a prestigious academy in Zadith, leaving the shop to be tended to by Liuyin and Asra.

The Red Plague

By the time the Red Plague struck, Liuyin had shed the name of Leonie Mei and went by Liuyin Mei instead, eschewing their family name completely. When the plague broke, Liuyin and Asra had argued over whether to leave the city or stay and help-- Liuyin stayed, Asra left. Liuyin initially tried to ease the pain of the deceased’s families through her divination abilities, trying to allow the spirits to move on.

Somewhere along the line, realized that wasn’t enough and apprenticed themselves to Julian as a medic. It was there in the palace, researching for a cure, that Liuyin succumbed to the disease, dying alone, and being sent to the Lazaret, where they were eventually cremated.

The Masquerade

Broken by their death, Asra resolved to resurrect them. Meanwhile, Count Lucio, failing rapidly from their battle with the Red Plague, hosted a feast on the night of the masquerade designed to gift him a new body, a ritual that Asra sabotaged, stealing the body to resurrect Liuyin. And the rest, from that point, is history...

Powers

Smoke divination: Liuyin has the ability to use a special blend of incense smoke to induce within themselves a hallucination or dreamscape, in which they would be presented with a series of seemingly-disjointed visions, from which they had to determine a storyline or solution to their question. They can also inhale this in the presence of a corpse or scene of crime, and it would show them things that, if interpreted correctly, would show them the cause of death or how a crime was committed. They can also contact more recently-deceased spirits when inhaling this smoke, and thus can use this in a manner similar to an exorcism, laying a spirit to rest.

Potion making: Liuyin is talented at potion-making as well as cooking, as well as a hobby in

Personal gate: Liuyin’s gate to the Arcana realm, taught to them by their grandmother. Later, with Asra’s help, they rediscover and unlock their gate.

Trivia

Liuyin’s inspiration draws from both Chinese folklore as well as popular culture.

Liuyin’s initial inspiration was from Lan Caihe, a nonbinary Taoist immortal said to be patron to florists and gardeners. They traveled the kingdoms wearing a single shoe and ragged blue robes, singing improvised songs about the impermanence of youth.

Other inspirations for Liuyin come from Mei Changsu, Guo Deyou, Kuang Lu, Xiaolongnu, and Lan Wangji

Their name, Liuyin, means “shadow of the willow”. Their birth surname, Sima, means “master of the horse”, and their given surname, Mei, means “plum”.

Their favorite season is winter

Their voice is mid-tone, and a bit husky.

They speak three languages-- the common tongue of Vesuvia, the common tongue of Langya, and the common tongue of the Steppes.

Template credit: apprentice-liuyin

[whiteasy]

I've only watched the first half of Netflix's 'Away' but man this show ROCKS. I love the Atlas crew, all, without exception, and usually that's a sign that a show will be a big hit for me. But man, the Christmas episode had me in tears; Misha's emotional puppet show in the 0 G setting and everyone helping him give the best show for his grandchildren, LU WEARING ANTLERS AND DANCING WITH KWESI OMG. For real, Lu is becoming my favorite character rn along with Kwesi. And the greens/real food scene. I can't imagine what it's like to not eat real food for such a long period of time.

I'm glad the writers finally allowed Lex to act her age--seriously I constantly thought she was too mature for a child in their what? 15 years? 14?-- and this episode delivered. As much as I'm not fond of romance subplots--except for the Lu/Mei one, that had made it into my favorite love stories of the year-- Rodriguez and Lex are cute together. Speaking of boys--Emma. I needed a show where avparent isn't just completely oblivious to what's going on in their teen child's life, and knows the right things to say with love and no condescendance. I loved that scene where Emma taught her daughter about consent. For a parent who'd be away quite a long, detrimental three years in their teenager kid's life, Emma's last discussion with her daughter was the right one. There are no more words that could emphasize how much I adored that scene.

Long story short, Christmas episode is my favorite so far and now that one can say that shit is getting to be real after the crew said their goodbyes to their loved ones, I'm really looking forward to what the second half of theseason will deliver. I already have such high estimate for this show and I have a feeling I won't be disappointed.