#but Shi Mei always gets a pass

[danmeichael]

"they're all so much older now," chu wanning finds himself blurting out before he can help himself.

it's true. they are, they're so different.

he knew mo ran would be tall, he was nearly eye-to-eye with chu wanning even as a teenager.

but now the shi mei who came up to his chest before he... well, died, is taller than him. by a lot, too! he's almost as tall as mo ran. his voice sounds almost exactly the same, so softspoken, it's easy for chu wanning to forget he's changed. shi mei will call to him and chu wanning will look where his disciple's eyeline used to be and find himself eye-to-eye with shi mei's collarbones instead.

xue meng. xue meng is handsome now, on the cusp of completely leaving behind his previous boyishness. he's always had his mother's eyes but they finally suit his face. he's grown into himself so perfectly. broad, bright-eyed, tall enough to cut an imposing figure even next to his perhaps freakishly tall shidi and shixiong. he looks like the sect leader's son, not the xue meng chu wanning knew, except in those moments when he smiles or emotes. his face contorts and, perhaps counterintuitively, that's when he looks himself again.

xue zhengyong laughs.

it's a complicated noise, just as warm as always, but there's a lingering, hazy melancholy to his expression.

"they grow up in the blink of an eye, don't they?"

several more blinks of xue zhengyong's eyes than chu wanning's.

chu wanning stares into the cup in his hand, hopes that perhaps on the bottom of it will be an answer. "does it ever stop feeling like this?"

"no," xue zhengyong replies.

he takes chu wanning's staring as a silent bid for more wine, and refills his cup. it tastes good. chu wanning will let his sect leader be correct.

chu wanning glances at him now, out of the corner of his eye.

"every time i leave i return knowing i've missed moments of my son's life i'll never get back. he'd have a different face, sometimes he'd speak differently, carry himself differently." he takes a deep breath. it is a little bit wet at the edges.

"raising a child is a labor of one thousand heartbreaks at your own helplessness. the first time you can't kiss a scraped knee better. birthdays and holidays missed. when despite how hard you try to spare them from the pains you've gone through, you see it in their eyes, that they've been hurt in a way that's going to leave scars they have to grow around."

he can feel xue zhengyong's eyes on him. he has grown around too many scars. chu wanning carefully avoids brushing too close to the realization that he had given him another.

chu wanning clears his throat. "how are you... how do you deal with it?"

xue meng took a fall while he was gone. his knee hurts when it rains now, and he gets a salve for it from shi mei. shi mei, who has a little scar above his eyebrow that chu wanning has no idea how he got. mo ran's hands are covered in scars right down to his fingertips.

there's an ache in his chest that won't go away.

xue zhengyong looks at his own cup. chu wanning is given the chance to return the favor, and receives a murmured thank you in return.

"it's worth it," he says, and it is bittersweet with emphasis on the sweet. berries picked just-too-ripe in the middle of summer.

"it's worth it, yuheng, all the little heartbreaks, because you get to see the people they become."

"they've become wonderful people," he says, and it is all at once pain and relief. "no thanks to me."

xue zhengyong laughs. "they have. and it is all thanks to you."

"you contributed. a bit."

"my wonderfulness rubbed off on them. i think shi mingjing especially takes after me, eh?"

chu wanning snorts, covering his mouth immediately after.

"mn."

there's a drawn out silence between them. it passes like air passes through one's lungs. simple, easy, light.

"some day, they'll have the same experience with us."

"pardon?"

xue zhengyong grins. "the horrible, gnawing awareness of the passage of time. they'll go out into the world, they'll get married or go on some grand adventure, and when they come back we'll be old."

"i'm already old."

the look his sect leader shoots him almost makes him wither a bit. "you're still wet behind the ears," he huffs.

"when we're actually old. they'll notice our hair getting more gray while they're away, new wrinkles around our eyes."

maybe once he's that old he'll stop caring so much about his appearance. the oldest people he's met seem to be the least self-conscious.

"...and isn't that a blessing? to see your children grow up. to grow old yourself."

he had lost so much time. he had missed so many holidays, so many birthdays, his disciples came back to him with so many scars and granted him so many heartbreaks in the process. but those five missing years granted him the opportunity to see them again at all. grown up, strong, becoming the people they were meant to be, alive. all of them alive.

"... a blessing indeed."

[darlingpwease]

MO RAN is like the summer sun — impetuous, impulsive, passionate and hot, like an overexcited dog who rushes at you, not noticing that at the moment of games he bites your hand like a dog who has played too much, becoming too excited, especially when his hands begin to "live their life" on your body, respectfully remaining on his own place only when he tries to get into your personal space, smiling smugly, like a golden youth in the second generation or the son of a city lord. when MO RAN whimsically coquettishly asks you to take care of him while he is ill or bends over, with eyes like a seductive fox spirit, asking if you are hungry or if you want to walk with him, and you feel how physically difficult it is for you to resist his pressure, especially when he is so persistent and hot, almost smells like liquid the sun, and when his arms wrap around you, hiding his face in his shoulder, or when he almost wraps himself around you, purring, disconnecting because of shizun's scolding, only to immediately gently wrap himself again, playfully smiling with a purple sparkle in his black eyes.

CHU WANNING is not like that at all — he is more like a lonely willow spreading its branches over a cold hand, or like a thousand-year-old ice that begins to melt only when you are near, as if something in him moves and comes to life when you faithfully follow him; looking at you as some kind of spirit of fruits or flowers while he is nothing more than an ugly bare tree that you decided to greet and take care of for some reason, instead of passing by like everyone else, ennobling and caring, patiently waiting until his crooked branches give the first tiny buds, taking care of them as the most precious in the world. when he slowly opens like a flower, feeling a caress, timidly reaching out to you with branches, you do not immediately realize that these are not branches, but vines — and that some flowers have an amazing ability to be possessive, and that not all flowers should be put together, especially if you start a flower garden, because some of them may perceive the need to compete very badly, especially when they do not understand how, but are no longer sure if they can simply retreat, feeling the softness of sincere care on themselves and allowing you to touch the fragile stem through the thorns.

SHI MEI is more like CHU WANNING at first glance, but you know that inside he is no better than MO RAN — almost like the side of another coin, especially when a flower sprouts in you, absorbing all the positive, but you know that it is necessary for your plan, and SHI MEI purrs, as if a spring river, still full of cold water of melted snow, which only warms under the rays of its sun — after all, it was you who broke his walls, expecting to see what is hidden inside, and you can't complain, can you? he promises you that he will create many pleasant memories with himself that you will always remember, and you do not dare to say that a flower can work with you... differently when his long fingers slide over your chest, and tears leave golden spots on your skin. it's more like a river that seems narrow and small, but at the bottom, under a huge column of clear water, a monster sleeps, keeping you with him, and it would almost embarrass you if you were more sensitive, but in your case there is nothing to say. he is beautiful, abnormally beautiful, too beautiful — you yourself know that beauty can only be "demonic" — but you really have nowhere to go when SHI MEI whispers hotly, pressing cold weak body against your hot one, that as soon as the plan comes to fruition and everything goes well, you will live together. definitely together. after all, with a flower and the future that you will meet, you can only be with him — and with his mind, he can only be with you.

Xue Meng feels apprehensive when he touches your shoulder too uncharacteristically gently, noticing your appearance, but you have nothing to say except that you are 'working too hard' and 'tired' — and you try to say it as quietly as possible, without attracting the attention of SHI MEI or MO RAN, who finally gave you peace, although you know it won't be for long. at least, for obvious reasons, CHU WANNING, cannot be with you 24/7, although he clearly sometimes feels the desire to tie you to his hip, especially when he irritably throws imperious phrases while MO RAN coquettishly circles around you or you care too much about SHI MEI, because you need to imitate the action of a flower, and preferably in this way so that no one understands anything, which is a bit problematic when the eyes do not come down from you, including the look of SHI MEI, who understands that the action cannot be instantaneous, but gently smiling with a hint that only you understand.

... you're don't, you don't know when it became so difficult to be a transmigrator. can't you just do your job while the world is working normally???

[llostwriter]

The Husky And The White Cat Shizun With Their Baobei

Chapter 16

Seeing your Shizun in such a weak state at the hands of Mo Ran reminded you of your past life. The scenes where Taxian-Jun mentally and physically tortures Shizun leave you unable to do anything at all. In the beginning of your second past life, you wouldn’t interfere at all; you would simply allow the plotline to go its way. However, that didn’t end well. You learned the hard way.

Chu Wanning’s blood was completely soaking the flower pond. The supposedly healing wounds were once again bloody. His Flower Spirit Sacrifice Technique backfired upon Mo Ran’s accidental invasion, interrupting his concentration. You didn’t know any better; you passed by to check on Shizun. By the end, you were there, and the scene that greeted you was the wounds on Chu Wanning’s back tearing open as Mo Ran rushed over to hold onto him.

Chu Wanning would never intentionally make such a reckless, careless move if it weren’t for some outside interference. You didn’t even have to use your toes to guess who would have caused this accident!

You rushed over to Chu Wanning’s side, completely pushing Mo Ran aside. The unconscious Shizun’s face was pale, his lips were blue, and his body was as cold as ice.

Mo Ran was afraid that you would hate him for that error of his, so he hurriedly said, “Shixiong y/n... I really didn’t know.”

He followed you behind as you carried Chu Wanning, still processing what just happened. Realizing that he got himself into trouble. He was almost glad; after all, isn’t that what he has always wanted in the end? For the death of Chu Wanning. But there was always a lingering fear and anxiousness creeping in on him; he wasn’t sure why. When Shi Mei died, he took away Mo Weiyu’s definition of hope in this cruel world. When he heard about your death, his obsession with Chu Wanning grew since starting from that day, Chu Wanning was the only thing he had. But when Chu Wanning also died. He only remembered that on those days, he did not cry or smile. It was almost as if he had completely given up on everything, including himself.

Without knowing about Mo Ran’s inner thoughts or caring about them, you settled Chu Wanning on his bed. The candles brightened the dark room, illuminating his naked body, which was covered in wounds. It was an almost terrifying sight to see, knowing that even with you here, he’s still getting injured continuously. He would need someone who specializes in healing.

“What are you waiting for?! Go get Shi Mei!” It was the second time you shouted at Mo Ran. The first time was when Mo Ran kissed Chu Wanning on the lips. Mo Ran, even despite being as qualified as dumb as a dog with a stick, quickly rushed out of the room.

In this cultivation world, there are a few ways that people heal themselves. Either through time or meditation. Or if the person is a cultivator, they can heal themselves or call for another cultivator who specializes in healing to heal them. Chu Wanning could have asked for the disciples that specialized in healing; however, he was too stubborn to even ask for help. Therefore, he didn’t ask for any help, and now his condition has worsened.

The transfer of spiritual energy could speed up the healing process; however, it is crucial to make sure that the spiritual energy being transferred to another is a match to the other’s element. Or else, instead of healing, it can disrupt the flow, leading to adverse effects like physical discomfort, pain, or even worsening of the injury.

Your element doesn’t match with Chu Wanning.

But Xian’ye is a match with the wood and metal elements; therefore, you end up transferring some of its spiritual energy onto Chu Wanning. The wounds close up after only a few seconds. You dressed him in his usual white robes.

———-

One thing that you didn’t expect was that Mo Ran would actually bring Shi Mei over.

[peachy-runa]

I have come up with the perfect (personally) "a journey to love" alternate ending. 

OK, so, after thinking about it all night. I have come up with the perfect (personally) "a journey to love" alternate ending. 

The ending, which is less painful than their death, will give them justice but will still hurt me. 

*Qian Zhao didn't die. He just went into a coma.* BUT! on the day where Emperor Wu died, where he got bombed because of that disabled lord (I forgot his name), he died in Qian Zhao arms. The emperor said sorry multiple times to Qian Zhou; he didn't stop to say sorry until his last breath. and Qian Zhao will cry, saying that the emperor should live because he's the one who wants to kill him. 

*Sun Lang didn't die. But he lost one of his arms.* He's going to be devastated by the fact that he lost one of his arms. saying that he's not going to be a hero. Yu Shisan will hug him and assure him that, even from the very first time, he's already a hero. That one of his arms is gone is a sign that he's a hero. Hence, after seeing Qian Zhou in a coma and Sun Lang lose one of his arms, *Yu Shi San will still send Yuan Lu to the capital an.* BUT! Yuan Lu will meet Ruyi and Ning Yuanzhou. During the time when Yuan Lu passed out on his horse, Ning Yuanzhou would see him and immediately help him. Yuan Lu will rattle Ning Yuanzhou about how he should hurry up to help Shisan. with the fact that Yu Shisan is all alone, so they need to hurry up. And just like that, they left Yuan Lu in Mei Niang hand. And with that, Yuan Lu will not meet Princess too, but he will (in poin number 10).

*Li Tong Goang action of trying to marry Ruyi in episode 37 will not happen!* Because that is so unnecessary. Yknow, they already made li tong guang stop pursuing ruyi in the episode before it, and suddenly they made him be like that again?? duh, weird.

*Li tong guang will still interfere ruyi ning yuanzhou action in the palace (the one where they killed prince 2).* and because he will not tried to marry ruyi (like i said in poin 3). He will immediately go to he county with chu yue and still married to yang ying. Ruyi and ning yuanzhou too will go to wu like in episode 38.

*and with that, the war will still go on.* but qian zhou would not be participating although he's already wake up from his coma because he will treat the war victims. Yuan lu (that passed out because of exhaustion) would not go to war but he will made equipment for war. sun lang would be knocked unconscious by ning because he was constantly trying to go to war. *Yu shisan would still lose his eyes :(* BUT! he's not going to die! Yes, He would feel devastated by the fact that he lost his vision. However, the gang will not leave his side. The gang will stay by his side, assuring him that everything is going to be okay. And because of this, yu shi san --the one who always keep his feeling to himself-- will learn to open up. And chu yue --someone who have never been in a relationship-- will learn to set aside her feelings and comfort other people.

*Li Tong Guang will not be as reckless as he did in episode 39 and 40.* Cause in my opinion, in the early episode, they showed us that Li Tong Guang is someone who is used to go to war. its weird to think that someone who is used to war doesn't know the pitfalls of war (like in episode 39 the one that killed deng hui). Hence, Ning yuanzhou and ruyi too will not died!!

and with this, in the last battle where reinforcement from lord dan yang come, the gang will fight like they did the first time they fight together. *Sun lang will be yu shisan eyes, and yu shisan will be sun lang arms!!* (damn i cried imagining this…). qian zhao, yuan lu, chu yue, crimson guard, six realms, mei niang would participate in war too. Ning yuanzhou and ruyi would kill the king, just like how ruyi capture zhou jian in their first war. With that they will get their peace!! (continue on note)

[rmorde]

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun (2HA, Erha) delivered everything I wanted in a story plus everything I never knew I would actually want in a story.

When I consumed all four books and realized there was more, I was horrified. So, I ventured to all fan translations I can get and practically lost sleeping hours to finish it. It is that good imo.

First off tho, it is not for the faint of heart. Do not be fooled by the cover with pretty art. The premise barely scratches the surface of how dark the story is. Book 4 is also a fucking trap that lulls you into bringing down your defenses before giving you an upper cut in the face then pummeling down your soul into tiny little pieces.

It promised me a cute albeit dark-ish story of two men falling in love. However, what it delivered was a narrative with a thin veneer of fluff to hide tons of absolute brutality concerning racism, classism, elitism, generational trauma, body horror, genocide, rape, mob mentality, gossips, and so much more.

At its core tho, it is still a love story. You just need the patience of a saint and nerves of steel to power through all the pain and agony after the Farming Arc (Basically, be like Chu Wanning as a Reader). ----> I guess you can summarize my feelings as "Went in for the BL. Stayed for the plot. Surprised how underneath that pain, horror, and tragedies woven in the story - it was always about love."

Sure, there were asspulls here (Nangong Bloodline Mo Ran) and there (Butterfly Boned Beauty Feast Mo Ran). There were attempts to set up those reveals tho but they were a bit clunky. However, it is not too detrimental to the overall appeal of the story for me. There were weird phrasings and word choices too but I gave them a slide since it is a light novel after all.

The gore in the story is unexpectedly top notch tho. The fights and monsters are interesting. The stakes in the plot really ramps up the suspense. While some Reveals are fairly obvious, they were still rewarding because they were set up quite nicely such as the reveal of 0.5 Chu Wanning's soul being implanted in the current timeline Chu Wanning, Taxian-Jun appearing, and Shi Mei not being as nice as he presents himself to be.

I also like how redemption was explored in the story. A lot of characters, like Mo Ran, were presented with second chances to fix their own fuck ups. While the villainous characters were sympathetic, they were not given a pass. All of them have to work hard and make the right choices to achieve true redemption.

Just for example: Mo Ran. He feels remorse for everything he had done as Taxian-Jun. He did his best to make up for it. Chu Wanning even forgives him. However, it was not enough. Because the wrongs he had done are not just againstbWanning after all. He still had to pay for his sins with his peaceful life as Grandmaster and earn his happy ending through zombie Taxian-Jun.

There are many more characters trying to seek redemption in the story but I think it would be better if that is in a separate post instead.

Now, another recurring theme featured in Erha is kindness. In the story, Kindness can both be a blessing or a curse. A small amount of it can have big repercussions. Also, contrary to what most people think, kindness is a choice that requires a lot of (mostly thankless) hard work and sacrifice.

Anyway, Erha is my first danmei and I love it. It is dark but with a nice satisfying ending. I'll check out others. Scumbag Villain Self Saving System seems to be a good follow up but from I have read so far about it, it's kind of a parody/comedy type of story?

Maybe I'll check out Heaven Official's Blessing first instead.

[goggles-mcgee]

Too Late: Epilogue

The last chapter of this story for @miner249er

First Story in Series

Beginning Chapter         

Last Chapter

Summary: Wu Fei came back from training only to hear news that changed her whole world, meanwhile Nooroo's mind wanders while he watched over Marinette. 

Wu Fei was someone who liked to believe that she grew from her mistakes. She had faith she had in fact done so, but she knew she had not accomplished it alone. She owed thanks to her French-Chinese friend, Marinette. Oh, she knew a lot of it was herself but the other teen helped her realize the difference between Revenge and Justice when she had still been lost and hurt. Losing her adoptive father, Wu Shifu, had been a hurt that she believed nothing could soothe, but she lived as though it hadn’t hurt as badly as it had. But losing someone who loved you, cared for you, raised you, CHOSE you, was something she never wished upon anyone. Not even an enemy. Her bàba was her family, whether they shared blood or not, he could have taken her somewhere else like the CWI or a hatch house but he didn’t. He took her in and adopted her and he told her it was the best thing he had ever done as he believed she was a blessing. Thinking of him still hurt but it was more bittersweet than the blinding pain it used to be. Memories of them together were held near and dear to her heart and now she strived to be the woman he taught her to be.

That was the reason she left to train. Fei had strayed from the path she had been taught and wanted to remedy that immediately after she had acquired the Prodigious. The powers she had gained were exhilarating but she did not doubt the weight of their responsibility thus another reason to train. It wasn’t easy. Nothing worth it ever is, but she was proud to say all the training paid off. Her only regret was not being in contact with Marinette for so long but Mei Shi was a strict mentor when it came to her training for the Prodigious and for becoming another Guardian of the Sacred Cave and forbid outside distractions. Though the being was rather fond of Marinette whenever Fei and her called or messaged one another, Mei Shi usually asked Fei to send his well wishes to the French-Chinese girl. Now that training was done, Fei couldn’t wait to get back to their talks whether they were deep or meaningless, she missed her friend, her only friend. 

That was why, as soon as training was done, she immediately sent a message to let her friend know she was finished and they should find a day that worked for both of them so they could video chat. She didn’t get a response the first day. That was okay, Marinette was a busy individual and when she was busy she tended to neglect her phone much the same way that Fei herself did when she herself was in a creative zone and deep into her training with Mei Shu. But the days kept passing and messages went with no responses, let alone read and Fei grew more worried. She even called Marinette’s parents bakery but either the line was busy or no longer in use. Her worry increased to the point she was in an anxious frenzy and had no idea what to do short of finding a way to Paris to make sure her friend was okay. Then she remembered Cheng Wang and his open invitation to visit him and his restaurant whenever she wanted. Whether she needed a meal or simply needed someone to talk to. It was an offer that Fei really appreciated but rarely took up. 

It was time to take up that offer to make sure her friend was okay because Fei had a bad feeling and usually her bad feeling’s were always something worth fretting over. She was scared. This feeling wasn’t something like the time she had a bad feeling and realized she was missing an ingredient from a potion that Mei Shu had been instructing her to make, an important ingredient. The result had been…less than ideal but nothing life threatening. No, this feeling made her heart pound, her lungs squeeze, her body tense and her stomach sick. It only came when she thought of Marinette and she was about ready to use her dragon form to take her to Paris but she couldn’t be impulsive. Impulsivity caused mistakes, mistakes caused consequences you might not be ready nor willing to face. Fei had to be smart, she had to be calm, she had to be rational and going to Cheng Wang was what her rational thoughts were screaming and she was not going to deny them as they were the only good ideas she was having. 

One short yet long-feeling trip had Fei standing in front of The Thousand Delights restaurant and to her surprise it had a closed sign taped to the door and windows. Fei’s heart dropped when she read it was for an undetermined amount of time but that it was not forever. The restaurant was closing for a family emergency and a little voice inside Fei whispered, Marinette. Desperately wanting to be wrong, Fei ran up the stairs to Master Cheng’s apartment that was located above the restaurant, much like his niece and her husband. The door was ajar and though she knew it was incredibly rude not to knock or saw something to announce her presence, Fei’s heart was racing, something was wrong and she needed to help so she just entered the home in a rush. There was no thought of her shoes on the floors, only to see if Master Cheng was okay, to see the problem, to fix the problem. Except there was no problem, well, not one she could see besides Master Cheng packing a suitcase. He was leaving? Why was he leaving? 

Master Cheng blinked at her in confusion, he didn’t even reprimand her about her shoes, he was usually a stickler for rules. “Fei?”

“Master Cheng…what…what’s going on?” Maybe it was too broad a question but Fei didn’t know a lot of things at the moment and Master Cheng was the only one who could give her answers. 

The heart-broken, desperate look he gave her did not make things better. “Oh Little One,” He had taken to calling her that and Marinette Littler One, “You do not know.”

“No. Know what? I…I’ve been training.”

“Come. Sit. I will…I will make us some tea.” Master Cheng said after a moment as he moved away from his suitcase to lead Fei more into his apartment and close the door. 

“What? But-”

“Believe me. You will need the tea.”

Fei didn’t argue but she did toe off her shoes and set them by the door before she made her way to sit on one of the couches to wait. She didn’t want to wait but she knew she had to be patient. But how could she be patient when she knew the news she was about to receive was bad enough to warrant tea? The urge to bite her nails was strong but Mei Shu had been working really hard with her to break that particular habit. Though the more seconds that passed the more they felt like hours and the more impatience began to consume Fei. Restlessness crawled up her legs and seized her heart and she was almost about to just get up and go help despite how rude it might come across. Master Cheng was a kind person but she had no doubt he would be upset if she busted into the kitchen and interrupted him so she bounced a leg to try and occupy her and burn some of her restless energy. 

“Sorry for the wait, I forgot I had packed my favorite tea to go with me on my trip.” Master Cheng announced softly as he walked into the room with his teapot and two cups on a tray. Fei even spotted some cookies. 

“No worries.” Fei replied even if the words tasted bitter like a lie. She watched as Master Cheng placed the tray gently on the little coffee table and arranged everything on the table for them to reach them comfortably. She watched as he poured them both a cup of his favorite Longjing Green Tea, it brought a small secretive smile to her face as she recalled its other name, Dragon Well. It was something so simple and yet it made her feel a little less frantic and stressed, that seemed to be the normal when it came to her visits with Master Cheng. He was such a calming presence to be around. “You, You mentioned a trip?” 

Master Cheng took a seat across from her and picked up his own cup of tea and blew at the steam and sighed. “Yes. I am taking a trip to Paris…You…You haven’t heard… anything?” 

The way he said it, much like before, like it was something that weighed on his mind, on his shoulders, on his very spirit. “I’m afraid not. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been away training with a new mentor. He is…old fashioned and strict but kind, but while training he forbade outside distractions.”

“Ah, I had a great aunt like that. She had a thing about technology, I assume your mentor is much the same.”

“He is.”

Master Cheng nodded and stared off into his cup of tea for a moment before he brought it up to his lips and took a sip. “Much has happened back in Paris I’m afraid…”

Fei’s heart skipped a beat but she forced herself to shakily take a sip of her tea before she did anything rash. She swallowed the tea and then swallowed her lips before she asked, “Marinette? Is it…Does it have to do with Marinette?” 

The silence that followed was answer enough.

“What happened?” Fei asked after she had a sip of her tea and after the silence started to feel more than a little suffocating. 

Master Cheng took in a deep breath before he placed his cup on the saucer and back on the table between them. He stared down at his hands for a few seconds before he looked up at her. Eye contact had never felt so foreboding. “Marinette is…she is missing.”

Missing?

She couldn’t be.

Marinette couldn’t be missing, she just couldn’t. Please not Fei’s first friend. Not her best friend.

“It started with an akuma. I assume you are…familiar with them in the sense you have heard of them.”

All Fei could do was nod, her throat was too choked up. 

“The akuma was…She was…Marinette was the akuma.” Master Cheng admitted and when he did so it seemed like it tore a bit of himself away. He looked so pained by the admission that Fei knew without a doubt he had actually felt that odd flash of pain one felt squeeze their heart in times of true sadness and panic. 

And yet. She still wanted to doubt what he said despite her gut telling her he was being truthful. “No…Marinette would never…”

Master Cheng looked so bitterly resigned before he spoke again, “There is this American writer I am fond of. She has written many words, said probably many more but there is this one quote I can never forget. ‘The human capacity for burden is like bamboo – far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first sight.’ It is a thought provoking quote and an inspirational one, but like many things…bamboo can break with enough determination and the right tools.”

“Marinette…she’s the bamboo.”

“We all are, but in this case? Yes. I guess things were not going well in her class, quite the opposite in fact. It wasn’t one big thing that hit her, rather it was many things, some small, some not. It’s only human to break after that much pressure. The only thing is that Paris had a madman set out to use any strong negative emotion against everyone.” 

“Had. You…You said, ‘had’.” Fei pointed out.

It made Master Cheng chuckle, albeit weakly. “You are very smart, very intuitive. Marinette…as an akuma…this is rather hard to explain…”

It certainly seemed hard to explain. Fei couldn’t see how Marinette as an akuma connected to the past tense talk of Paris’ supervillain. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s no fault of yours.”

“Nor yours.”

“...True. It’s just…the circumstances make one feel like they could have done more. I could have done more,” Master Cheng insisted, his voice thick with tears and it was such a shock to Fei. She had never seen him cry. Never. “Marinette was not happy, I noticed this in our last call but she brushed aside my concern and thought it best to give her space. If I had done more, if I had pressed…maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe The Followers would have never happened.”

“Th-The Followers?”

“Even as an akuma, Marinette wanted to protect people, she called herself The Protector. Not much is known about what she did before but…the akuma because I know Marinette could never, the akuma supposedly beat Gabriel Agreste and his assistant to the point of immediate hospitalization. It’s not confirmed but it is heavily speculated that he and his assistant were in fact-”

“Hawkmoth and Mayura.” Fei gasped. It made sense. Too much sense and yet not enough at the same time. “She…she saved Paris…but how…how did she end up missing then?”

“No one knows. She saved everyone and then just disappeared. No heroes were seen that day. Marinette was never defeated as an akuma. Never-”

“Never purified!” Fei couldn’t help but finish, her mind was going a mile a minute. 

“Indeed. She disappeared as an akuma and…she left behind overzealous fans. Fans of her akuma form and those who believe she was Ladybug which it seems was the truth. These people became a group who basically became more of a cult, they, in her name, decided they too would ‘protect’ Paris. In doing so they have murdered a woman, maybe a man, they have put two young ladies in the hospital, one more injured than the other and they have taken it upon themselves to ‘protect’ the memory of their messiah.” Master Cheng explained with an obvious heavy heart.

“The Protector…”

Master Cheng nodded. “That’s why I am going to Paris. This cult has stolen many items that Marinette has made by hand for others. They have even gone as far as breaking into Sabine and Tom’s bakery and apartment. They have already taken objects but I’m going over to help pack the rest of Marinette’s things and bring them back here. We don’t want them getting their hands on anything else and I honestly don’t think Sabine would be able to handle anymore thefts.”

Fei felt an all too familiar feeling of loss hit her full force but she refused to buckle under its pressure like she had done before. Not when she knew there was still hope. Hope to find and see her friend again. “I’m coming with.”

_________________________

Nooroo did his best not to panic at the fact that Marinette was still unconscious but it was an old habit that was not so easy to break. Even if he could feel she was perfectly fine through their connection. A connection that comforted him yet confused him, it was like no connection he had ever made before. There was always some kind of connection between a Kwami and the Holder of their Miraculous, especially if they were a Harmony, a perfect match. Then there was the opposite of that which was a Dissonance, a very imperfect match one that could be destructive if a Holder still forced a transformation. If a Kwami was in a Dissonance for too long it would result in damage done to the Miraculous which is what happened to Duusuu unfortunately. The two souls would continue to clash within the transformation without the wearer being aware until they started being affected by it. The Holder would succumb to either the injuries or the illness they were cursed with and the Miraculous would break and infuse itself with that curse.

Emilie Agreste had unfortunately learned of this curse first hand despite Duusuu’s continued warnings. At some point Nooroo stopped caring what would happen to the woman, Duusuu had warned her and pleaded for her so many times, it had to be pure stupidity or desperation to ignore them and though Nooroo shared a fascination of humanity with Tikki, he felt irritated in the face of their stupidity. Duusuu though, poor Duusuu was a bleeding heart and had a soft spot for the blonde woman and did her best to save her. Even if Duusuu hadn’t tried, their fate had been sealed the moment Emilie fell into a coma and Gabriel Agreste showed some of the worst humanity had to offer. Duusuu was spared for a good amount of time while Nooroo had been chained to power-hungry Holder once more. It had happened before but not like this. 

The sad part was that Gabriel could have been a good enough Holder for him, not a Harmony but close but his actions and the change he went through caused the connection between them to go askew, closer to a Dissonance but never reaching that level. The only reason it never did was because Gabriel at least had the brain to feed him, even if it wasn’t as often as it should have been and he let him rest though he never went out of his way to make sure Nooroo was okay or comfy. A good bond with a Kwami was essential to the growth of a connection thus the growth of power a Miraculous had. Being free of Gabriel was like plunging into cool waters after being in intense heat for an extended period of time, all the shackles of the commands he was given were broken and it was like he could finally feel.

Marinette had freed him, though not entirely herself. She possessed the power of a Champion, those who fought for the Butterfly Miraculous though Gabriel had twisted the magic so much that they couldn’t even be called Champions when he made them, much like past Holders who used the Butterfly Miraculous in such a way, the man gave the creatures he created new names. He dubbed them Akumas. From what Nooroo could recall of his time in Japan so many years ago, he recalled the different meanings: demon, devil, fire spirit, group of undefined beings that brought pain and suffering. It fit in a poetic way. Marinette was no Akuma, but to call her a Champion didn’t feel right either. She became something entirely different when she accepted the butterfly in the height of her hurt and anger, when she accepted all of them, when she felt for them, when she sympathized with them. 

Nooroo was as much Marinette’s as she was his and he knew he would be safe as long as he was with her. He would protect her too, as much as he could. “Don’t worry Little Caterpillar, we’ll get through this and out of it, you will blossom and transform.” He muttered softly as he ran a little hub through her hair. 

“Oh. Hello there! It’s not very often I see my kind here. Actually not often at all.” A voice startled Nooroo enough to nearly make him fall into Marinette’s hair. He flew up and turned every direction he could until his eyes focused on what was definitely a Kwami. One he did not recognize. 

“You…You are a Kwami, but not one I know…” 

The Kwami laughed, though not unkindly. “That’s not surprising. I was one of the younger ones and not many knew of me before my Miraculous went missing from the Box I was part of.”

That somewhat answered Nooroo’s question and yet didn’t and left him with more. “I am Nooroo. Kwami of Transmission and Hope.”

“Oooo formal greeting! Okay.” The Kwami cleared its throat before it introduced itself. “I am Frenze. Kwami of Strength and Friendship! It’s nice to meet you Nooroo, why did you come to this island? Was it with that human? Why is that human asleep? Where’s your boat? Did you even come on boat? Oh my goodness! Are you guys shipwrecked? Did you fall overboard?”

Yep. Definitely a Kwami of friendship.

CWI - Children's Welfare Institute is an orphanage located in Shanghai, China

hatch house or also known as a baby hatch - A baby hatch is a small home where parents drop off children, where they hopefully will be taken to an orphanage. The Ministry of Civil Affairs began the baby hatch program as a response to the increasing number of abandoned infants. Currently, there are 32 baby hatches across China, and each hatch only accepts children from within the same city.

[thebritishdragon]

Hello my good fellow, tell me fun facts about all your ocs. 👀

All of my ocs? Well well well well!!!!!

I have to use my lmk ones for this! And maybe I might add my ninjago ocs at the end!

~~~~~~~

First we have -Ping Coa-

He is a very mysterious and cold demon! He used to be sweet and nice. But sadly something tragic happened. In his younger years his lover was killed in a massacre and he’s been furious ever since!

Ping doesn’t typically use his powers(Telekinesis and light control) But if the demon/person he’s fighting is powerful enough. Then he is not afraid to use them.

Ping is around 1000 years old, yet in mortal years he’s around twenty three!

~~~~~~~

-Ao Jinhai/Dushe Jingshen-

I made him before I realized that Ao Guang names his children 1, 2, and 3…

I’m only going to explain his past. Parts about his future is top secret! Unless I’m bored and want to share things.

He is the fourth and youngest son of Ao Guang. Jinhai loved hanging out with his brothers. After all, he was a child. But then, Ao Bing and Nezha fought. His brother had died to the Third Lotus Prince. And Jinhai had hated him ever since.

Years had passed and Ao Guang was getting strict. Especially to Ao Jinhai. Now, after everything that has happened to Jinhai so far made him wonder. He wanted answers. He wanted to fight the Third Lotus Prince. Which is such a terrible idea but he’s grieving.

But Ao Guang makes sure that Ao Jia, Ao Yi, and Ao Jinhai can’t go check out the surface. Which pisses them all off but Ao Guang is spooky so none of them do anything.

That is until Ao Jinhai runs away.

Long story short, he realizes that he definitely can’t take on Nezha. So he hides away from his father and brothers for a bit. Meets some snake friends. When he meets these cool snakes(they’re normal snakes) he realizes he can talk to them. He can even shapeshift into a snake! But sadly that’s all his shapeshifting powers could do.

After a while jttw starts. Bing bang boom he meets them. After accidentally killing everybody in a village. Everybody is pissed off, Ao Lie is there.

It seems I forgot to mention Ao lie, Ao Jinhai’s cousin. BUT WAIT!!! Does that mean… *gasp* Ao Jinhai is actually Mei’s GREAT UNCLE!?!?!?! I think that’s the correct familial term for whatever that is. But they just call each other cousins.

Ao Jinhai changes his name to Dushe Jingshen so when people ever refer to him. Ao Guang and his brothers would never find him!

~~~~~~~

-Shan Ji de-

Where do I even start? So she doesn’t really have much of a story. She’s 21, but 800 in demon years.

She’s a celestial monkey with three noses(a curse really)

And with those three noses she can smell almost anything!

Ji de is based off of a golden-headed lion tamarin!

She basically has all the basic celestial monkey powers. Like shapeshifting, golden eyes of truth. Other things as well…

I honestly don’t really have a story for her! She’s mostly just a chaotic and goofy little goober!

~~~~~~~

-Shi-

I impulsively made her, she has no story or any plots. She’s just here.

~~~~~~~

-Zǔzhó-

Brother to Bái Hé. He also doesn’t really have a story. But I’d love to make one with you!

He has a funky magic mirror that he uses to teleport through!

~~~~~~~

-Kěpà-

Kěpà has a depressing childhood… his father was abusive towards him and his mother. And as a young fox spirit(that’s all he is) he couldn’t do a single thing.

But his father will always leave an impact on his life. After Kěpà becomes an adult, he decides enough is enough. After all, shapeshifters are extraordinary

He would go on to use his talents for horrible things, even if these people were good or bad. He would shapeshift into a woman, flirt with whichever victim seemed to be into it. And then invite that man to his place. He would go onto reveal his true self, kill the person. Chop them up and make soup.

Just don’t interact with this guy if you’re a man.

~~~~~~~

And that’s all I have for lmk ocs! And damn do I need more female characters-

[assortedsouls]

HC Fic: Waiting for Shizun

Five years is a long time when you're young. Especially for someone like Xue Meng, impatient and used to getting what he wants, even if he sometimes need to work hard for it. Unfortunately, when it comes to the re-awakening of his Shizun, he can do nothing but wait. Wait and train hard, not wanting to disappoint the man he admires so much. The man that he, in a way, views as not just his teacher, but also as an older brother figure, but mostly teacher.

So Xue Meng waits and trains. Not just his sword and cultivation, but he also takes on more sect-related responsibilities. Learns more from his father about how to run the sect. It's boring, but he knows that one day it will be his duty to do so. There are day when he wants to travel too, just like Mo Ran and Shi Mei. His father would agree, of course he would, but Xue Meng knows he can't just leave. His place is on Sisheng Peak, to help his father look after the sect and his Shizun. To train and study. To help with some of the younger disciples. Yes, sometimes his emptions and temper gets the best of him and accidents happens, but he always own up to them. He doesn't want Shizun to wake up and find his disciple as childish as he was when he died went unconscious. Xue Meng knows his faults, knows he's emotional and spoiled, pampered and sheltered, but he also knows he's good and strong. He knows his worth and his strengths as well, and as self-centred as he is, nothing means more to him than his Shizun's approval and praise, except maybe also his father's, but his father has always been quick to give him love.

Xue Meng waits and trains. Even when sick does he leave for the bamboo grove. Once he trained so hard that he passed out and woke up in his bed with his mother scolding her in that gentle way of hers, which is actually worse than harsh words and loud voices. He needs to be the best, the strongest. He can't disappoint his Shizun when he wakes, but for now, he rests.

Xue Meng waits and trains. With Mo Ran by his side, he fights ghosts and demons. Fights the creatures that escaped the rift. They bicker, he and his cousin, but it feels good too. Mo Ran is shameless, but he missed him and Xue Meng is glad to work with him again.

Xue Meng waits and trains. He studies hard and sometimes read and ask questions out loud just outside the Red Lotus Pavilion. Each morning, he comes by and wishes his Shizun a good day and he wishes him goodnight each evening. Sometimes he talks about things he has achieved, that might happen quite frequently, actually, like when he won the Spiritual Mountain Competition.

Xue Meng waits and trains. He's trainign when the messages comes and Longcheng is temporarily discarded and forgotten as he sprints to the Red Lotus Pavilion. But the waiting is still not fully over. Swallowing down his excitement. Being sensible. But then, over two shichen later, he finally gets to she his Shizun again. Had anyone else knocked him to the floor like that, he would've bristled, but as soon as he hears that sweet, deep voice, those soothing tones, he throws himself at the man, hugging him like his life depends on it. "Shizun, it's me... look... it's me..." he utters, tears already falling, the joy of being reunited with his Shizun too intense to contain, threatening to burst out of his chest, so despite his best tries, Xue Meng cries. Finally, the waiting is over.

[vierandancer]

Everyone, at some level, learns how to move to a rhythm as a child. Meiko was no exception. She grew up in a little village full of ex-pirates, occasional jigs and bursts of song were unavoidable. Meiko had always enjoyed dancing -- but she didn't become a dancer until she left home.

When her brother left ahead of her to go on a big adventure, she thought he had boarded a ship heading to Limsa Lominsa, as they had planned. Unbeknownst to her, he accidentally took a ship that left him close to Gridania instead. Mei spent all of the gil she had on her person to catch up to him, being as overprotective as she was at the time. When she learned he hadn't turned up, she had no way to secure passage to get to him. She had to work to make the money for an airship pass.

At first, she was referred to the Rogues' Guild through Baderon. After a few weeks, though, the jobs started to slow there. It was during this time that she caught a show by Troupe Falsiam, and she was immediately recruited by Nashmeira into the group.

That being said, most of her dance steps and training was headed by her fellow dancer, Ranaa Mihgo, while Nashmeira oversaw everything (mainly due to her still recovering from a previously-earned injury). Meiko was surprised at how quick she was able to pick up the steps, and quickly fell in love with the craft. She remains a dancer main to this day.

Additionally, Meiko is always constantly observing the movements of peoples of other lands. She will often come up with her own routines based on the various cultures she's come across, although often only for personal practice rather than public performance. She is excellent both on stage and in battle using the Kriegstanz style that Troupe Falsiam taught to her, but has since shied away from performing with the troupe due to her obligations to the Scions, and fear that her reputation would overshadow the others' talent.

FFXIV Daily Question n°118 : Does your character know how to dance ? Did someone in particular taught them ? Are they self-taught ? Are they good ? What kind of dances do they shine the most in if any ?

[moransearthworms]

i just think it’s not the gotcha it’s sometimes made out to be, showing favoritism. Like I have a line made of the yes/no question “are you currently purposely harming or unrepentant for having harmed people who never did anything to harm you”, and if you fall on one side of the line I may like and sympathize with and forgive you and if you fall on the other side of the line I will almost certainly not care to. That doesn’t mean I don’t understand that people on both sides of the line are people doing things for people reasons. It just means that I, personally, feel I can choose who to give my sympathy and affection to. All I owe anyone is basic decency.

[translations-by-aiimee]

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun - Chapter 46

Original Title:  二哈和他的白猫师尊

Genres: Drama, Romance, Tragedy, Xianxia, Yaoi

This translation is the product of my limited knowledge of Chinese characters as I attempt to learn the language. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 46 - This Venerable One Wakes Up

When he woke up, Mo Ran found that he was still in the Divine Weapons Arsenal.

He felt like he had slept for a long time, but when he opened his eyes, he found that not much time had passed. It even seemed to have been just like the blink of an eye.

He didn't know if it was because the technique was successfully broken but when he woke up, he found himself lying on the ground, but he was completely unscathed. His hideous wound, dripping blood, seemed like a nightmare, and there were no traces left on his body.

Mo Ran couldn't help but be surprised and happy. Looking at Shi Mei again, he didn't know when he had also passed out, but surprisingly, he was also unharmed.

Could it be that after passing Gouchen's trial, Gouchen not only removed the illusion but also healed the injuries they suffered in the illusion?

. . .

Although when he thought about it, Gouchen didn't want to intentionally harm anyone, This was in line with the original purpose of the trial, but Mo Ran just didn't feel like it was real. He even felt like he'd been robbed of the aftermath.

Among the four, he was the first to wake up.

Then it was Shi Mei. Seeing Shi Mei slowly opening his eyes, Mo Ran was overjoyed, and said again and again: "Shi Mei! We're fine! It's fine! Look at me!"

There was a daze in Shi Mei's eyes at first, and then they gradually became clear. His eyes suddenly widened: "A-Ran?! You-"

Before he finished speaking, he was being hugged tightly by Mo Ran.

Shi Mei couldn't help but stare, but he still gently patted his shoulder: "What's wrong with you. . ."

"I'm sorry, I made you suffer so much."

Shi Mei said blankly: "It's really nothing. I just had a dream."

Mo Ran said: "That's really hurts!"

Shi Mei: ". . . What really hurts?"

At that moment, Xue Meng also woke up. He didn't know that he had dreamed, and shouted loudly: "How dare you! How dare you make light of me! " He abruptly sat up.

Seeing that he was awake, Shi Mei went over and said: "Young master."

"Ah. . . How come it's you? How did you get here?" Xue Meng thought he was still in a dream.

Mo Ran was in a good mood, and the look of Xue Meng was also very soft. He smiled and told him what happened. Only then did Xue Meng suddenly return to his senses.

"So it was a dream. . . I thought. . ."

Xue Meng coughed lightly in order to cover up his embarrassment. He suddenly found that Chu Wanning, who had always been the most powerful, was still asleep and hadn't woken up. He couldn't help but be shocked.

"Why hasn't Shizun woke up yet?"

They walked over and inspected Chu Wanning's wounds. Since Chu Wanning was injured before the illusionary realm had opened, according to Gouchen's design, the only damage that could be healed had to be from the illusionary realm. Therefore, Chu Wanning's shoulders were still soaked in a lot of blood, which was shocking to see.

Mo Ran sighed and said: "Wait a little longer and see."

A stick of incense could have burned before Chu Wanning finally woke up.

He slowly opened his phoenix eyes, and when he woke up, his eyes were empty and cold, as if a white snow had fallen. After a long time, he rolled his eyes and his gaze fell on Mo Ran.

But he seemed to be the same as Xue Meng. He was still not fully awake for a moment. He looked at Mo Ran and slowly extended his hand, saying in a muted voice: "You…"

Mo Ran said: "Shizun."

Hearing him calling him that, Chu Wanning's hand froze midair. His pale face seemed to get a trace of colour, and his eyes suddenly brightened: "Ah. . ."

"Shizun!!"

Xue Meng rushed over, pushing Mo Ran to the side, and held Chu Wanning's hand: "How are you doing? Are you better? Shizun, you didn't wake up for so long. I was worried to death."

Chu Wanning saw Xue Meng, slightly stunned, and then the haze in his eyes gradually dispersed. Then he took a look at Mo Ran. He saw that, although he was looking at him, he was holding Shi Mei's hand tightly, never letting go even for a moment.

". . ."

Chu Wanning then woke up completely and his face became cold. Then, like a fish in a dried-up pond, his expression died completely.

Shi Mei said with concern: "Shizun, are you okay? Does your shoulder hurt?"

Chu Wanning said calmly: "I'm fine, it doesn't hurt."

He slowly stood up with Xue Meng's help. Mo Ran was puzzled for a moment. Chu Wanning had hurt his shoulder. Why did he have a weak posture while standing, as though his feet were injured?

Mo Ran thought that Chu Wanning didn't know what happened in the illusion just now, and briefly went over it again.

When Shi Mei listened, he felt that something was wrong. When he listened to it again, he felt even more strange. He couldn't help but said: "A-Ran, you said that I saved you?"

"Yep."

Shi Mei was quiet for a moment and said slowly: "But I. . . just now, I was dreaming. I never woke up."

Mo Ran was startled but then he smiled: "Don't be ridiculous."

Shi Mei said: "I'm not kidding. I dreamed. . . I dreamed of my parents. They were still alive. That dream was so real, it was like. . . I couldn't bear to leave them. I really-"

Before he finished speaking, he heard Chu Wanning say indifferently: "There's nothing to be surprised about. Gouchen's illusion probably erased your memory of saving him. Either way, neither I nor Xue Meng saved him. Since he said you saved him, you must have saved him."

Shi Mei: ". . ."

"Otherwise, is there some way for Gouchen to exchange people's consciousness?" Chu Wanning said coldly.

He wasn't about to make a small issue into a big deal. He originally wanted to tell Mo Ran the truth. He originally hoped that Mo Ran would be able to realize that the person in the illusion wasn't Shi Mei, but him who had exchanged minds with Shi Mei.

However, Mo Ran's last confession to Shi Mei was too embarrassing for Chu Wanning.

When he woke up, he looked into Mo Ran's dark, shiny eyes. There was a moment when Chu Wanning felt that perhaps Mo Ran had some feeling for him in his heart.

Such a humble expectation was also a weak thought that he dared to quietly indulge for too long.

But that was just his self-indulgence.

The blood he shed, the injuries he suffered, Mo Ran will never know, and he doesn't need to know.

He wasn't stupid. Although he didn't say it, he could already feel how much Mo Ran cherishes that gentle and beautiful person. He could see himself standing in the corner, like a puppet that has accumulated dust.

But when he heard Mo Ran say "I have always loved you", Chu Wanning still felt like a wretched loss, defeated.

The hug in the illusion, in Mo Ran's eyes, was given to him by Shi Mei.

But Mo Ran will never know that the hug was actually from him, a handout given to another poor person.

Chu Wanning never thought that Mo Ran would love him, so he worked hard to suppress this feeling, not to force it, not to disturb it, just not touch it.

Those reckless loves and passionate obsessions are only grown on the soil of youth. When he was young, he also hoped that someone could always be with him and drink under the moon, but he kept waiting, never waiting for anyone in particular. Later, day by day, his reputation and status in the cultivation world were getting higher and higher. Everyone looked up to him and said that he was not close to people. Later, he also accepted such high expectations and stayed unapproachable.

He seemed to be hiding in a cocoon, the years adding more lines of silk to the cocoon. At first he could still see a little light seeping in through the cocoon, but as the years went by, as the silk grew and the cocoon became thicker, he could no longer see the light. In the cocoon there is only himself and the darkness.

He doesn't believe in love, he doesn't believe in what's behind the curtain, and he doesn't want to pursue anything. What should he do if he had gone through many hardships, biting open the cocoon and stumbling out, but no one was waiting for him outside?

Although he likes Mo Ran, this person was too young, too distant, and too fiery. Chu Wanning was reluctant to approach, afraid that one day he would be burned to ashes by such a flame.

Therefore, every retreat he could take, he retreated.

He didn't know what he had done wrong.

So much so that he only had a little bit of wishful thinking left, but he was still drowned by the cold rain that covered the whole sky.

"Shizun, look over there!" Xue Meng's exclamation broke Chu Wanning from his thoughts. He followed the sound and saw that the molten iron was rolling again in the sword-casting pool. Surrounded by flames, the ancient tree spirit broke out of the water again. But the tree spirit's pupils turned white, clearly not in its right mind. In both hands, he held Gouchen's glittering silver sword.

Chu Wanning said: "Run! Hurry up!"

Without him repeating it a second time, the disciples immediately ran towards the exit.

The mind-controlled tree spirit raised his head to the sky and whistled. The iron chains started shaking with tingling vibrations. Obviously, no one spoke, but all four heard a voice in unison:

"Stop them. None of them can escape."

Xue Meng paled: "Someone is talking in my ear!"

Chu Wanning said: "Ignore him. It's Zhaixin Liu's Temptation of the Heart technique! Run!"

When he said this, everyone else remembered that Zhaixin Liu had mentioned to them when they were fully aware that the so-called Temptation of the Heart technique used the greed in a person's heart as bait to make them kill each other.

Sure enough, the voice in Chu Wanning's ears hissed: "Chu Wanning, are you tireless?"

"The shizun of his generation, Yunheng of the Night Sky. Such a person yet he can only quietly love his disciple in secret. You have sacrificed a lot for him, but he doesn't know any better. He has never seen you in his eyes, and only likes that gentle and pleasant young master. How pitiful are you?"

Chu Wanning's face was ashen. Ignoring the noise in his ears, he swept towards the exit.

"Come to me. Pick up this ancestor sword. Kill Shi Mei and no one will stand between you. Come to me and I can help you get what you want and make the one you love fall in love with you. Come to me. . ."

Chu Wanning said angrily: "Such a wretch, get lost!"

The others obviously heard different conditions put forward by the voice. Although they slowed down, they were still able to resist the temptation. As they got closer and closer to the exit, Zhaixin Liu seemed to grow more frantic, and the howling in his ears was almost distorted.

"Think it through! Once you go out that door, you won't have another chance!"

The voice in everyone's ears was different, whistling mournfully.

"Chu Wanning, Chu Wanning, do you really want to be alone for the rest of your life?"

"Mo Weiyu, I'm the only one in this world who knows where the death-raising elixir is, come to me and let me tell you—"

"Shi Mingjing, I know your deepest desire, only I can help you!"

"Xue Ziming, the magic weapon you picked is a fake! Jincheng Lake has the last weapon made by Gouchen. If you come back, this ancestor sword will belong to you! Don't you want the ultimate divine weapon? Don't you want to be the pride of the heavens? Without the divine weapon, you'll never be able to compete with your peers! Come to my side. . ."

"Xue Meng!" Mo Ran suddenly noticed that his cousin, who was running beside him, was nowhere to be seen.

As soon as he turned his head, he saw that Xue Meng's footsteps became slower and slower before finally stopping. He looked back at the silver-blue sword that was floating in the sword-casting pool.

Mo Ran's heart was dumbfounded.

He knows how deep Xue Meng's obsession with divine weapons was. This kid must have been very disappointed after learning that the weapon he got was a fake. It would be perfect for Zhaixin Liu to tempt him with the ancestral sword.

"Xue Meng, don't believe him, don't go there!"

Shi Mei also said: "Young master, let's go, we're almost at the exit!"

Xue Meng looked back at them blankly, but the voice that echoed in his ears became more and more bewitched: "They're jealous of you and don't want you to get a divine weapon. Think about Mo Weiyu, he has already obtained his weapon. He can't wait for you to get nothing. You have nothing to gain. You two are brothers. If you are inferior to him, the position of venerable master on Life-Death Peak will, of course, be his."

Xue Meng murmured: "Shut up."

In front of him, Mo Ran seemed to be anxiously shouting something at him, but he couldn't hear clearly at all. He just kept holding his head and repeating: "Shut the fuck up! Shut up!"

"Xue Ziming, the weapons in the Divine Weapons Arsenal aren't suitable for you. If you don't get the ancestral sword, you will only be subservient to Mo Weiyu in the future. At that time, he will be your venerable master, and you will kneel before him and listen to his whims! Think about it, killing him isn't a problem at all! There have been many sibling rivalries since ancient times, not to mention that he's only your cousin! Why do you hesitate?! Come here - let me give you the sword. . ."

"Xue Meng!"

"Young master!!"

Xue Meng suddenly stopped struggling. He opened his eyes violently, and his eyes were actually red.

"Come to my side. . . you are the pride of heaven. . . to be worthy of the honor of the God of Weaponry. . . "

Chu Wanning sternly said: "Xue Meng!"

"Come here. . . Only when you become the venerable lord of Life-Death Peak can the lower cultivation world become peaceful and tranquil. . . Think about those suffering people, think about the injustices you have suffered. . . Xue Ziming, let me help you. . ."

Unconsciously, Xue Meng had arrived at the boiling sword-casting pool. Zhaixin Liu's spirit was holding Gouchen's ancestral sword, and his white eyes were bloodshot.

"Very good. Take this sword and stop them all!"

Xue Meng slowly lifted his hand and tremblingly took the silver-blue sword.

"Kill them."

"Kill Mo Weiyu."

"Go. . . ahhhhhh!!!!"

Suddenly, Xue Meng took out the long sword and yanked the brilliant sword into his hand. Then he stabbed with his backhand. The spiritual light of the primordial sword flowed, reflecting the handsome son of heaven in a snowy light. Until the illumination of the sword, his eyes were no longer red with blood his eyes but were more bright and pure than usual.

The sword did not stab at Mo Ran, but instead pointed directly at the body of Zhaixin Liu, penetrating his abdominal organs!

In an instant, the earth rumbled, and the ancient willow shook.

The Temptation of the Heart technique was broken, and the heavens and earth in the Divine Weapons Arsenal collapsed.

Xue Meng gasped heavily. He had exhausted all his strength to break free from the temptation. He stared at Zhaixin Liu, his young face full of the persistence and purity of a young man. In those burning eyes, arrogance and innocence could be easily seen.

The so-called child of a phoenix is more than just something attained through cultivation.

"Don't try to confuse me, and don't try to harm others."

Xue Meng finished with a gasp and fiercly pulled out the long sword!

Zhaixin Liu burst into a cloud of fish-stench blood in the blink of an eye. Before dying, his consciousness returned to his original body, and the hostility in his body suddenly disappeared.

He clutched his chest, barely steadying his crumbling body. He raised his face and opened his mouth. Although there was no sound, his words were clearly discernible.

"Thank. . . you. . . for. . . stopping. . . me. . ."

The body of Zhaixin Liu is a spirit from ancient times comparable to the formidable power of the ancestor sword. Both suffered from the collision. The ancestor sword in Xue Meng's hand also suddenly lost its aura, and it suddenly lost its colour.

At the same time, the ten thousand year-old tree spirit scattered with a big bang.

In an instant, ten thousand streams of light scattered into the water's waves like fireflies, circling and dancing around everyone, the brilliance flowing. The golden light was bright, and finally, each fading away, disappearing.

Shi Mei said: "Young master, come quickly. The whole place is going to collapse!"

The earth trembled. It wouldn't hold for long.

Xue Meng turned back and took one last look at the Divine Weapons Arsenal. With a "clang", he threw down the damaged ancestral sword and abandoned it. Behind him, the bricks and tiles collapsed, like an avalanche of snow.

[ramblingguy54]

How do you think Turning Red improves over Brave? Since John Lasseter is no longer affiliated with Pixar. Brenda Chapman was sadly booted off her own movie due to creative differences with Pixar and Lasseter. Domee Shi was able to tell the story she wants to tell. I can relate more to Mei Lee than Merida who I can not sympathize. Turning Red is also a bit more grounded compared to Brave which is kinda directionless.

     Turning Red improves over every thing Brave wanted to accomplish through its own daughter & mother conflict. Turning Red is a lot more introspective on Mei’s mannerisms being so highly learned from her mother, Ming. Domee Shi’s movie has stood out to many, myself included, and clicked so well because she didn’t have someone like Lassester breathing down her neck 24/7. Turning Red is easily a better experience to enjoy for myself, than what Brave could pull off. Which isn’t to say I hated Brave, far from it. Brave as a movie was pretty decent, but lacked that extra OOMPH to make it feel like an animated gem in Pixar’s library. Granted, not every movie has to be excellent to feel like a worthy addition to their franchise, overall. I liked stuff such as what Monster’s University brought to the table. It’s third act alone made that movie so worth watching and added more weight to Sully & Mike’s friendship, making their already excellent first movie even better.

     Getting back on topic, Turning Red strikes every emotional beat that was needed to make it successful, given you feel the intimate experiences each person who helped Domee Shomi make Turning Red’s story as endearing as it is. Their documentary they released about behind the scenes added to my admiration for this silly, yet in-depth, exploration of a kid overcoming learned generational thinking having been present in not only her family, but much of their historical family culture, too. Turning Red studies those struggles of Asian family hardships in a humorous manner never shying away from painful underlying context of why Ming is controlling over Mei’s life. She means well in wanting to be close to her daughter, but this mind set stems from an environment Ming’s own mother thrust upon her. Ming was always told the “right” and “wrong” ways in living a happy successful life, which she tried her hardest in passing to Mei.

     Brave touched upon traditional family values being challenged, but Turning Red cuts deeper into this core foundation. Mei faces an internal crisis of anxiety from one single question, “What if I end up growing apart from someone I once love and respected?”, brought on by a single conversation from Ming’s mother talking about how they were once close, until the red panda “ruined” their family dynamic. Turning Red doesn’t waste time in utilizing the ideas it wants to accomplish, which is why the third act seriously impressed me. There were plenty of writing seeds planted throughout its zany atmosphere that the dramatic turns it takes don’t feel jarring or out of place for their story they want to tell.     Brave falters in this area for me because it had very cool concepts and ideas, much like Turning Red. Unfortunately, it got marred by development hell because of severe creative differences. You can feel it throughout the whole films run time. Honestly, it’s a miracle the film didn’t turn out worse. In a way, Brave stumbled so Turning Red could leap into the air in its own silly graceful endearing fashion.

[llostwriter]

The Husky And The White Cat Shizun With Their Baobei

Chapter 8

You stood aside, watching as the same exact situation from past lives occurred.

You failed to prevent the Flower of Everlasting Hatred from entering Mo Ran's body. This time you didn't even lower your guards, but you still ended up failing; it was almost like rewatching tragedy happening again.

Mo Ran got caught sleeping with a male prostitute. As a result of his continuous interactions with Rong Jiu, who was a male prostitute from a brothel. You thought that you could prevent it, and you did everything you could. After you realized that the time between Shizun's seclusion and The Flower of Everlasting Hatred had already passed during your temporary coma for a week, you realized you were too late.

The immediate reaction to your temporary coma was you running toward the dorm room of Mo Ran, ignoring the concerned looks of the disciples passing by. It didn't matter that your body might have been weak after the temporary coma; after all, if Mo Ran truly blackens, it's all over for everyone.

Seeing that Mo Ran was alright, you can finally breathe a sigh of relief, but you made sure to always be there for Mo Ran. Even at times, when he would vent his frustrations about the unfairness of Shizun’s treatments to you while he laid his head on your shoulder or sometimes even on your lap, You would always try to defuse his hatred for Shizun by bringing up the good factors about Shizun's punishments and how they were all for his own good.

Sometimes you'll even allow him to hug you to sleep which was something you'd never done in your past life. After all, in your current life, you must do anything to increase your affection levels.

But of course, you'll still set up some boundaries, especially when things get a bit too intimate for your liking. Hugs and cuddles are alright, but when it comes to kisses on certain parts of your body or sometimes even his hands getting closer to your inner thigh, you simply feel uncomfortable therefore not allowing him to continue further.

Even if you do feel somewhat guilty after seeing his disappointed look, it reminds you of a puppy that just got kicked by their most trusted person. As much as you want to increase affection points, you don't have to go that far; you could just stay with the casual affectionate activities.

Maybe that's where things went wrong. Ever since a few times of your rejection of deep intimacy, your relationship with Mo Ran started to grow apart. He still greets you with courtesy; however, he wasn't as joyful, energetic, and playful around you as he used to be. While your relationship with Mo Ran started to fade, Mo Ran's relationship with Shi Mei started to grow closer.

Everything was going so well, until it was all ruined. You started to rethink your choices. If you and Mo Ran were to engage in what he wanted, maybe this wouldn't have happened. That was what your previous thoughts were, until you rejected them. Even if you and Mo Ran were to engage in such activities, who was to say that everything would still end up in the same way? And it would keep you up at night, knowing that you basically took advantage of your shidi at his lowest moment. You weren't sure if it still counted as taking advantage, especially when he was the one so desperate for it. You simply couldn't.

You knew things were going back to their original points, especially when you watched from afar, like the moments where Mo Ran would sneak out of Sisheng Peak in the middle of the night.

You did catch him at one point, and you did have the intention of telling Mo Ran to stop his visits. Before Shi Mei made an appearance interrupting your moment, asking you to assist him with tending the books.

"You shouldn't worry too much about him; after all, he's simply a kid; he needs his own freedom as well," Shi Mei attempted to reassure you.

By the time you turned back to look around, Mo Ran was already nowhere to be seen. Leaving you all alone with Shi Mei, and later on with you assisting Shi Mei by putting the books back in their rightful places. It was quite a lot for one person, so you couldn't really say that Shi Mei purposely did it to distract you from helping Mo Ran.

As days passed, you watched as Mo Ran continuously visited the brothel, to the point where you're starting to wonder if you could even stop the same ending from occurring. You could forcefully stop Mo Ran from visiting, but that may also greatly damage your current process with him. So you decided not to do anything. Gritting back your teeth, do the same as you always have done: sit back and not do anything.

Everything was going as it originally did. So you didn't even bother listening to Xue Meng and Chu Wanning's conversation with Mo Ran, who was currently kneeling on the ground with Tianwen wrapped tightly around his waist. Mo Ran was not even showing a single sense of guilt.

Until that one strange familiar sentence that Mo Ran said, catching both you, Xue Meng, and Shizun's attention: "Chu Wanning! You may be skilled, but watch me screw you to death later!"

[evehere]

Nanping-fu in Yearning willow

So, when I was writing about CWN kneeling in the shrine, I realised I had some misconceptions about where everything was in a siheyuan (*/▽＼*) thus, I went to do some research!

Pictures were either taken from an old edition of The Dream of the Red Chamber 红楼梦 (these pictures are everywhere, but I couldn't find the exact source) or from google. If any of you know them, please tell me!

First of all, here's a picture of Nanping-fu (I hope the quality gets better if you click on it):

This is a drawing mixing the structure of Jia-fu in The Dream of the Red Chamber with the blueprint of a late Qing princess' residence.

(More information and pictures below the cut!)

Nanping-fu was a four-tier siheyuan. From the main door to the backyard, there were four courtyards surrounded by buildings, all interconnected with roofed pathways. The four courtyards had each a main building, which were, from south to north, the festoon gate, the shrine, the hall and the main house. All of them had the same dark grey pitched roofs and crimson pillars, and the floor was paved with the same cool grey stones.

Each courtyard was shaped as an elegant square garden. On his way from the backyard, Liuyan House—where Rong Jiu shared residence with the other concubines—to his office, Mo Ran passed next to the main house, Yihong Hall—his own residence.

On the eastern side of Yihong Hall was Honglian House, Chu Wanning’s home.

To summarize, we have from outside to inside:

The shrine: Danxin Hall (丹心殿)

The main hall: Shuijian Hall (水鉴殿)

The main house, where Mo Ran lives: Yihong Hall (怡红殿)

The eastern house, where Chu Wanning lives: Honglian House (红莲居)

The western house: Cunju House (存菊堂)

The backyard: Liuyan House (柳烟阁)

And some more I’ll add once the plot moves forward.

The "tiers" make reference to how many doors there are. From the front door to the festoon door, there's a small courtyard where servants used to live, so that counts as one courtyard (一进院). From the festoon door to the shrine there's a second courtyard, from the shrine to the hall there's a third and from the hall to Mo Ran's Yihong Hall there's a fourth.

Strictly speaking, the backyard counts as a courtyard as well, but five-tier courtyard were usually for higher ranking nobles. Of course, later in history there were also six-tier and seven-tier courtyards, and there was always the possibility to extend the gardens or the houses to the left or to the right.

This picture is from Pinterest (again, found no source), but I added some changes to it.

Generally speaking, siheyuan were organised as this picture shows (bear in mind that that's a two-tier), I'll just add that usually all the women lived in the back courtyard (concubines, daughters), at the innermost structure, keeping them secluded. Side halls were for sons only.

Some other notions regarding Nanping-fu:

The most honourable position is right in the center. That's why the shrine, the main hall and the owner's hall (Mo Ran, in this case) are all aligned in the center line. The garden was a later add-on.

The main hall is used to receive guests and to hold important events. Along with the shrine, these are the most important places in a siheyuan, and the most grand and solemn places.

Besides, the best position is “sitting in the north, facing the south”. Houses facing the south are the best because they get more light during the day. Servants, however, live in the quarters at the southern wall, facing the north, which is much darker.

Right after the center is the eastern side (which, from their perspective, would be the left). The legal spouse, or zhengshi, usually has their rooms at the eastern side of the owner's hall. In Nanping-fu, that would be Honglian House, Shi Mei's and, later, Chu Wanning's home. The western one is usually for the children, but since Mo Ran doesn't have children, a high-position concubine occupies it.

The rest of the concubines live in the backyard.

Now, about the rooms, I'm using as references pictures from The Dream of the Red Chamber (beware I'm not using the spaces as they were intended in the Dream of the Red Chamber).

This would Mo Ran's room at Yihong Hall. Mo Ran would usually sleep in the bigger bed as the western/left side, and if he got tired of whoever was keeping company that night, he could send them to sleep in the bed at the eastern side.

This would be Chu Wanning's room in Honglian House. The rest of the concubines room would be like this one, but without the library at the right side (with only two spaces: a entrance hall and the bedroom).

Now some pictures from google to illustrate the colours and how the courtyards were arranged!

But I tend to imagine the interiors as they were pictured in Story of Minglan.

I like this last one a lot. Because there would be no electricity and everything was lit with candles, the room would get rather dark in the nights. Yet it looks very rich and rather sensuous, with the darkness clouding your sight of the bed.

Most information about siheyuans was found here!

[thecartooncorner]

For this week’s post we’ll be reviewing Disney Pixar’s latest film “Turning Red”. And don't worry this is spoiler free for those of you who haven't watched it yet.

Just like Disney & Pixar's ‘Coco’ & ‘Encanto’, Turning Red tackles generational trauma and ending generational curses, but this time it’s for the girlies with mommy issues that spent their teen years obsessing over books and boybands.

Set in 2002, the movie is about 13 year old Meilin Lee (voiced by Rosalie Chiang) who’s torn between upholding her mother’s standard of being a perfect daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Things then get more complicated when she magically turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets overly emotional, a curse passed down for generations from her mom’s side of the family.

Not only is the red panda a cultural reference, a nod towards Mei’s Chinese heritage, which was beautifully represented throughout, it’s also a clever metaphor for puberty and self expression. Turning Red didn’t hold back on how uncomfortable, awkward and gross you feel when going through these changes, all while teaching the audience that everyone has that cringey and weird side to them and you should embrace it despite what others think.

Although, we do see this last notion challenged throughout the movie with Mei and her mother, Ming’s (voiced by Sandra Oh), relationship. 

We see both the internal and external conflict that Mei faces between being her authentic self and being the version her mother expects from her. And although the main focus was on Mei and overcoming and coping with these things, they made sure to emphasize that though Mei’s mother made her feel pressured and suffocated, it’s important to recognize that Ming was also a byproduct of that same cultural trauma (the pressure of upholding tradition, to always be perfect, seeking acceptance by trying to meet standards set and kept for generations within the family). 

 I think I've watched this movie at least 3 times already and I cried every single time. Seeing such personal issues be so carefully fleshed out evoked a lot of emotions, especially for those of us who grew up with similar experiences. 

Aside from the familial issues, one of the things a lot of people, including myself, loved about this movie is how authentic and relatable it was to being a teenage girl. According to the producer, director Domee Shi wanted everyone to embrace their inner 13 year old when making this film. This along with the fact that a lot of it was based on Shi’s own experiences as a teen, is what really led this movie to connect so personally with a wider audience.

For me personally, one of the more lighthearted aspects of the movie that I absolutely adored was Mei and her best friends’ obsession with the boy band 4Town. Whether it was the Backstreet Boys, One Direction or BTS etc you were obsessed with, if you went through a boyband phase like me, then you’ll definitely be hit with some nostalgia.

Overall, Turning Red is a great movie for all ages to enjoy. It’s an emotional yet comedic and fun coming of age film that covers the complexities of strained mother-daughter relationships, healthy female friendships. It also had strong and well-done asian representation with a diverse cast all brought together through incredible and very cute animation. Not to mention the soundtrack is also fire and really captured that early 2000s vibe.

[neowitcher]

5 Favourite Books and Films | Winter 2022 Releases

1. Fresh (2022), dir. Mimi Cave  ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Frustrated by scrolling dating apps only to end up on lame, tedious dates, Noa takes a chance by giving her number to the awkwardly charming Steve after a produce-section meet-cute at the grocery store. (Letterboxd)

This refreshing thriller starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and is easily my favourite film of the year so far. It made me think of all the best parts of You (2018-) and some of the gore in Jennifer’s Body (2009) and I highly recommend it to any thriller lover who isn’t faint of heart. It also features amazing side characters, and Jonica T. Gibbs does an especially amazing job playing Mollie, loved her and the entire film!

2. Love & Other Disasters, by Anita Kelly  ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef’s Special. [...] After announcing their pronouns on national television, London Parker has enough on their mind without worrying about the klutzy competitor stationed in front of them.  [...] As London and Dahlia get closer, reality starts to fall away. Goodbye, guilt about divorce, anxiety about uncertain futures, and stress from transphobia. Hello, hilarious shenanigans on set, wedding crashing, and spontaneous dips into the Pacific. But as the finale draws near, Dahlia and London’s steamy relationship starts to feel the heat both in and outside the kitchen—and they must figure out if they have the right ingredients for a happily ever after. (Goodreads)

I’m not always the biggest fan of romance novels but this one had my entire heart! It was quite spicy but also heartwarming and with its fast pace, I could hardly put it down! Key words are food play and foot play, make of that what you will. Big recommendation for anyone into (spicy queer) romance!

3. The House (2022), dir. Paloma Baeza, Niki Lindroth von Bahr and Emma De Swaef, Marc James Roels  ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Across different eras, a poor family, an anxious developer and a fed-up landlady become tied to the same mysterious house in this animated dark comedy. (Letterboxd)

These three short stories all creeped me out in some way or another and in doing so, left a big impact on me. The animation styles are gorgeous and it’s near impossible to stop watching once you’ve started. On top of that does it have incredible soundtrack. I highly recommend to anyone who likes animation and Tim Burton.

4. Turning Red (2022), dir. Domee Shi  ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Thirteen-year-old Mei is experiencing the awkwardness of being a teenager with a twist – when she gets too excited, she transforms into a giant red panda. (Letterboxd)

This!!! Watch this!!! Nothing made me happier than seeing a bunch of nerdy kids hang out and obsess over famous boy bands. The generational trauma and struggles of growing up are made into such a wonderful and accessible film that I can’t recommend enough. No more period erasure, thank you. This film is important and fun and I hope everyone cares as much for this as I do. 

5. Kimi (2022), dir. Steven Soderbergh  ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Seattle, an agoraphobic tech worker discovers evidence of a violent crime while reviewing a data stream, and is met with resistance and bureaucracy when she tries reporting it to her company. To get involved, she realizes she must face her greatest fear by venturing out of her apartment and into the city streets, which are filled with protestors in the wake of the city council passing a law restricting the movements of the homeless population. (Letterboxd)

Finally, the thriller that was so exciting but didn’t entirely stress me out as most thrillers tend to do. Kimi did a great job at portraying mental health issues and how the pandemic further impacted that. Zoë Kravitz is an incredibly talented actress and a pleasure to see on the screen, and she truly carried this role. Overall, not the most groundbreaking story but a solid watch nevertheless!