#TMMCH manjushage

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good morning everyone!! chapter 1 of The Many Masks of Chau Huynh, Painless, Guiltless Death, has been uploaded!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/64768942/chapters/166535239

@sweet-star-cookie @hecateisalesbian @mythicalmagical-monkeyman @addrianastarflower @bloodied-dagger @probably-a-human-being

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*throws potion of de-aging onto my ocs*

they're so small so tiny

left to right:

yeonseok: age 13

manjushage: age 12

seungyoon: age 11

matsurika: age 10

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I tried to write an analysis and summary of all my thoughts about the last few chapters of TMMCH, but I gave up so here are random snippets of things

Is the waitress being unsure wether to refer to Higashi Manjushage meant to be a set up to their gender non conformity? Because if so I like how you did that

Chapter two with Hirako Matsurika was my favorite so far, and that translates to her being my favorite as well. I don't know, something about the vibes here just really speak to me, I like how she constantly sounds agitated, and how she's not a cool, confident assassin - she's constantly questioning everything, constantly muttering to herself, constantly wondering if something will go wrong, and then she's right - something did go wrong, he's still awake. And that's when everything snaps. The agitation she's been holding in the entire chapter pours out, and she finally finds relief in attacking the man. This is the high point of the chapter, and after it is a period of winding down. She goes back to her ordinary life, as much as she can, but that constant thinking is still there - wondering if one day she'll have to kill store clerk boy, explaining her entire thought process about killing, it shows that she's still the same person in and out of the mission. She never changes, she never calms down, she never really stops being agitated.Huh, I think I've figured out why this is my favorite chapter.

So Kite is the previous Shinigami? Cool, wonder of we'll see interactions between them and Higashi. And both of them are described as androgynous, is that just one of the Shinigami's things or is it a coincidence? Heh, "okay now you're the Shinigami so part of your job is serving androgynous swag"

Speaking of The Shinigami, in chapter one I think you should describe their hunter appearance more. I mean you do, and It's not like you have to be super detailed, and I'm not familiar with the types of clothes you mentioned so maybe someone who was would completely understand what you were saying, but I think you should give a basic description of the type of clothes. Like, are they in a shirt, which would lead the reader to extrapolate or assume that Higashi is in some sort of shirt pants combo, or are they in a robe of some kind, the fabric swishing against their legs? If a character has an outfit or item associated with them, like Huynh's golden mask, then we should know that detail well enough to recognize it instantly. With the other three protagonists, if I understand correctly they're supposed to be more anonymous, so it's okay that they don't have defining details, but with Higashi it is needed

(If your world is in a sort of modern setting, ignore this part) You should drop more world building hints, I think. Like you barely need anything, but just give us one thing to ground in the details, one simple thing: is this world more futuristic, or more modern? Because clearly they have things like phones and TVs, and if it's modern then that's all that is needed, but if it's more futuristic then you should give a brief detail that makes us realize this, like building descriptions or technology descriptions or something

I want to shake Kwon violently and throw him against a wall, I like him

Really like the relationship between Kwon and Geum, I think they're my favorite pair. Which isn't saying a lot because they're also the only pair, but still.

I hope we see or hear about more of Kite, I like them

nyehehehe more analysis of my blorbos

yes, this is meant to hint towards higashi’s gender non conformity. I attempted to parallel this with Kwon Seungyoon in chapter 3 because he’s also meant to be gender non conforming, but I’m not sure how well I accomplished that.

yippie!! I’m so glad you like Matsurika and that you can find her relatable

yep yep kite is the previous shinigami! I am planning for a scene where they meet, but whether or not that makes it into the first book (because I am planning another book after this one lolol) is to be determined. and the gender non conformity between the two Shinigamis is indeed intentional, glad you caught onto that :D

ahh gotcha. I don’t currently have the document for my book on hand rn (im sitting through a school meeting on my phone), so I’ll double check my descriptions of higashi’s appearance later

yeahhh this world takes place in a bit of a fantasy adjacent setting-it’s very similar to our own modern world with just. the addition of magic. I will try and include more worldbuilding in later chapters though

kwon seungyoon my favorite little blorbo <333

my partner helped with creating the relationship between kwon and geum lolol I love their dynamic so much

youll be seeing more of kite pretty soon,,, (in like 20 chapters lol)