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skellebonez · 4 years

Note

Prompt #23 with Pigsy bein a dad to Red Son a bit after Red joined their said and he casually mentions smthn bad ab the way DBK treats him?

Warning for some casually mentioned neglect (roughly on par with how DBK and PIF treat him season 1) on Red’s part, and relatively not so mild injuries to his hands via cuts and uh... bowl shards.

No, we’re going to talk about this now.

Everyone inside of the nearly empty Pigsy’s Noodles froze at the sound of a yelp, thud, and the shattering of bowls.

“Shit, don’t move!” Pigsy yelled, grabbing Red Son’s shoulder and holding him where he was kneeling on the floor and surrounded by the many shards of shattered bowls. “Xiaotian, get the broom!”

“O-ok!” Xiaotian said, running off into the back room.

“Red, don’t move. Just turn around where you’re sitting and show me your hands,” Pigsy said firmly, pulling them toward him carefully as the fire demon did as asked quietly. He frowned and winched in sympathy at the blood slowly running down his palms, a few very small shards of ceramic slightly stuck in his hands. “Ok, do not close your hands it isn’t that bad but we don’t want those moving- XIAOTIAN YA GOT TH-”

“I got it!” Xiaotian ran around the corner holding the requested broom, starting to sweep up the bowl shards away from Red Son without needing to be asked.

“Good, thanks kid,” Pigsy let out a sigh of relief, turning back to Red Son to find him looking... very confused. “Red? Are you ok?”

“You’re not going to make me clean it up?” Red Son asked, tone as casually confused as if he asked why Xiaotian had come to work in his pajamas.

“I mean, maybe if you weren’t hurt I’d have you sweep it up but,” Pigsy gestured to his hands with a frown. “You can’t exactly hold a broom with bowl inside of your hand.”

Red Son looked at him even more confused. “Well, obviously I would have to clean my hands first, but I’m still the one who broke the bowls. Why make Noodle Boy clean them up?”

“Because we... work together?” Xiaotian asked, now just as confused as Red seemed to be. He swept up the bowl shards into the garbage, watching as Pigsy helped Red Son stand and lead him over to the sink. “Want me to get the first aid kit?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Pigsy said as he turned on the water, sink now empty of the dishes Red Son had washed just before he had dropped them. He guided Red’s hands to the sink, carefully removing the larger shards from his palms and running his hands under the lightly flowing water to wash away the blood. He ran his thumbs over the palms gently, feeling for any smaller shards that may have been too small to see. “Ok, it looks like you’re even less bad than I thought, just let me wash my hands and then hold your hands under the water for a sec just in case.”

Xiaotian rounded the corner again with the first aid kit, frowning softly as Pigsy removed his now clean hands from the sink and watch as Red Son just looked... honestly like everyone else had grown a second head as he placed his hands under the water. “Uh... I got the kit.”

“Great, I should have asked you before but can you get some new bowls when you take it back?” Pigsy asked, taking it from his employee’s hands.

“Sure...” Xiaotian leaned in close, whispering into Pigsy’s ear. “Is Red Son acting off to you or is it just me?”

“It ain’t just you,” Pigsy whispered back as he went back over to the fire demon, gesturing for him to take his hands out from under the water so he could dry them off with a towel. The three of them said nothing as Pigsy ran antiseptic over the cuts (earning a hiss from Red in turn but nothing else) and began to bandage his hands up carefully.

“I could have done this myself,” Red Son said suddenly, off handedly, as if he was telling Pigsy that no the weather station definitely called for rain that day, and it was time for him to be surprised by the confused looks on his companion’s faces. “What? It’s what I always do.”

“You always treat your injuries yourself?” Pigsy asked incredulously.

“Yes,” Red Son said with a shrug. “You’re supposed to fix and clean up your own messes.”

“And who told you that?” Pigsy didn’t think he was going to like the answer given the context of this conversation.

“My father.” Oh yeah, he did not like that answer given the context was Red Son accidentally hurting himself.

“And that’s why you asked why Xiaotian was cleaning up?” Pigsy continued with a frown. “Because you made the mess and it was your job to clean it up?”

“Yes,” Red said, now clearly growing exasperated. “If I break bowls and I need to clean them up, just like if I had blown something up in my lab or if I had crashed my race car.” The combination of much more extreme situations made the other two men in the room look at each other with wide eyes. “I clean myself up and fix it myself, nothing more to it than that.”

“DBK never helped you if you were hurt?” Xiaotian asked slowly.

“No? Why would he if it wasn’t serious and my fault?” Red Son rebutted, frowning as their looks of confusion and shock morphed into varying degrees of anger and distress. “What?”

“It was an accident,” Pigsy said firmly, frown deepening. “You’re allowed to get help if you’re hurt, Red.”

“Well, obviously if I was badly hurt he’d help! It’s not like he’d just leave me. But if it’s just cuts like this I can handle myself.”

“But you don’t have to.”

“... oh...” Red Son finally seemed to understand what Pigsy meant, frowning as the pig demon let go of his hands. “I... that’s not annoying?”

“No,” Pigsy said firmly, shaking his head. “No, Red, it’s not annoying to ask for help if you’re hurt.”

“Oh,” Red Son repeated, expression falling into somewhat of a mixture of confusion and concern. “I just... I always thought... Never mind, it’s not important-.”

“No,” Pigsy interrupted firmly, nodded toward the door and tossing a pair of keys to Xiaotian. “We’re going to talk about this now. If you’re comfortable with it.”

“... alright.”

#considering half my convos in the mkd today this prompt being next up is shockingly appropriate #monkie kid #lego monkie kid #pigsy #dad pigsy #red son #prompt fill #gee skelle you write a lot of red son angst and fluff why is that?#mostly it's the prompts i get they lend themselves to that so well #... but also i'm projecting onto the fire demon #i can only do one fill today because I spent most of my day cleaning #mk #Qi Xiaotian #writing this made me smad because i based it on a convo i had with my ex roomies

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friendshipcampaign · 5 years

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Session Recap 6/15/19: Some Things Never Change

The party took a little time to recover back at the inn before setting out again. Voski played a Song of Rest for the group, which Ben warned her had been audible when they went downstairs again. She put down a deposit for her room to be soundproofed and asked if a courier could send a note to the Slumbering Grell for her. After receiving confirmation, she put together a package containing the wyvern bones she’d purchased earlier and a small card with a doodle of Squall’s face. Ben also informed her that it would be possible to protect their rooms from divination magic, but the cost would be 250gp and the spell would only last 24 hours. She paid for the service.

As the group headed out, Ditto asked Kriv if he could translate the word on the cuna Tiktik had left her, “sosoceni.” He said that it meant safe or found or having community, with reduplication at the start to serve as an intensifier for the meaning. She also asked what “abuji,” the word Tiktik used to call her, meant.

“Well, it’s really sweet, for one thing,” he said, explaining that it essentially described a beloved person. “But what it means is that they loved you.”

Ditto’s face went a little odd for a moment before she laughed and burst out laughing, then said, “That liar! That sneak! She told me it meant ‘idiot’!”

When they reached the Pig’s Eye, Ditto was struck by just how exactly the same it looked. She pointed out the owner to the group, a dwarven woman named Frohlig Stonebender who soon called them inside. It took her a moment to recognize Ditto, but the wizard jogged her memory by saying it had been about 60 years and she’d once won a bet with her by pulling off the “two people in a trenchcoat” trick with Tiktik.

“It’s the legs of Goz the Great!” Frileg exclaimed.

Ditto admitted that she’d come to the Pig’s Eye partially for nostalgia, but partially to ask her some stuff about catching up with the city. She drew a picture of the three-eyed symbol they’d encountered on some scrap parchment and asked Frileg what she knew about it. Frileg said she didn’t know much, but that it had come to Veritas along with newcomers who’d flocked to the city in the wake of the disaster, and who sometimes spoke in a language that made your head hurt.

Ditto also asked Frileg about the Obsidian Shard and learned that it mostly catered to people who wanted courier services with more deniability. It had only been in recent years that they’d ventured into using the larger, more dangerous constructs. She mentioned another old acquaintance of Ditto’s, named Nilo, had used them before and might know more about their services.

As the conversation wrapped up and some of the others ordered drinks, Amaranth pulled Ditto aside and asked how much she trusted Frileg. Ditto said she thought the tavern keeper was fairly trustworthy and Amaranth noted this, saying she might be a good contact for their investigations. Ditto also said that as far as people they could talk to, Nilo was less trustworthy, but definitely connected to the criminal operations in the city -- she’d found his pursuits to be a little “too professional” for her own tastes.

After a bit, as more people started to file in, a big human woman with a golden braid and a wooden hand stepped up on the small stage area with a lute and began playing some loud drinking songs. Several other interesting patrons made their way inside too, including an elderly drow woman with a spiderweb shawl and a young noble-looking human man accompanied by a hulking construct. As things got noisier, Ditto noticed Erwyn looking visibly distressed by the volume and conjured him a set of earmuffs.

Eventually, a halfling with a salt-and-pepper ponytail and his arm around a kobold wearing a peasant dress walked in. Seeing him, Ditto cast Invisibility on herself and snuck up behind him.

“Nilo Nettleleaf, this is your conscience,” she said.

He jumped, then said, “My conscience? I haven’t heard that in 60 years!”

“I’m here to tell you you have something to feel very very guilty about… You walked right past me without saying hello!” she said.

Nilo swung around and hugged her as she dismissed the spell. He introduced the kobold with him as Clarity, and, like Frileg, mentioned to her that Ditto had once been the lower half of “Goz the Great.”

She then took him over to the table where the others were sitting and introduced them. Nilo seemed slightly more guarded around the rest of the group, but was willing to talk to Ditto about some of her questions. She asked him about the Obsidian Shard and he said he’d only looked into them enough to know their messages reached their targets. He also mentioned that they were a way around the guilds when it came to correspondence. But as far as the larger constructs like the ones that had attacked Squall went, Nilo said he didn’t know as much -- only that they were newer. He wasn’t even sure if one hired them the same way as the courier models. When Nilo mentioned his own business had been great, Voski asked him what exactly that was, putting on a very innocent face. He described his line of work as “moving goods around the city to those who want them, from those who don’t have them anymore.”

Amaranth commented that the conversation was getting boring and asked if Nilo had any recommendations on the menu, subtly tapping on it as she spoke. He tapped back and asked what she was looking for. She asked back what was usually popular. Nilo first pointed at the bard and said Meg had been to every tavern in Veritas and could get her more information. Then he turned his menu around and tapped at the back left corner with his pinky finger, suggesting she order a drink called a Magma Mephit. Amaranth nodded.

While they spoke, Voski effusively complimented Clarity on her dress. She noticed the kobold pull a ceramic vial with a four-part spiral design on the cap from her pouch to tip into her ale. When Voski asked about it, Clarity revealed it was one of the “tinctures” being sold around town right now. She offered the vial when Voski asked to see it, though she emphasized that this wasn’t a sale as she didn’t have the authority to sell them yet.

Voski corked the cap and found it smelled vaguely alcoholic, or medicinal. Clarity went on to say that her landlady had asked her to purchase them from her in lieu of paying rent that month, saying that they had the potential to be really important when dealing with the “toxins” released by the Abyssal breach. Erwyn cut in, briefly indignant, to say that demonic influences couldn’t be combated with simple potions, but Voski shushed him. She told Clarity that they might be talking to someone in the city already in on the business, and that she could ask some questions about it for her before she made a rash business decision.

Jumping off of something Clarity said about the tinctures balancing one’s humors, Voski suggested that Kriv could be consulted on health matters, especially since the kobold said she’d had a bit of a cough lately. She tapped him on the shoulder and mentioned that Clarity might like to be reassured. Kriv cast Detect Poison & Disease to see what he could glean. There seemed to be a background level of mild toxicity on many of the bar patrons, just as a result of living near the exclusion zone, but Clarity and a gaunt man nearby in particular seemed to have some kind of magical cold. The old drow lady in the corner also, strangely, seemed to ping as a poisonous creature, and he got a sense that there were some kind of small poisonous creatures on the roof.

He let Clarity know about the cold and grabbed the heather he’d picked from the Celestia simulation out of his bag, telling her to hold it. Then, while she held out her hand, he used his Lay on Hands ability to get rid of the disease, but told her to keep the heather with her as a ward, hoping it would serve as placebo enough for her to not use the tinctures for a while. He then curiously used his Divine Sense, given some of his other findings, and found that the strange drow woman also registered as a fiend. He quietly let Voski know what he’d learned.

Amaranth noted an orc woman sitting in the back of the tavern in the location that Nilo had indicated to her on the menu. She tapped Ditto on the shoulder.

“Pass the thing to my brain!” she whispered.

Once Ditto shot her a Message, Amaranth let her know she was getting up to talk to the orc. At about the same time, Voski sent a Message to Erwyn, also letting him know about the fiend. When she tried to do the same for Ditto and Amaranth she found there was interference from their own conversation. The Messaging continued when Ditto let the others know what Amaranth was getting up to, adding to Voski in particular that she thought the two of them were in the same line of work.

Amaranth approached the orc woman and said she’d been told she recommended the Magma Mephit -- prompting the other woman to laugh and ask if she was looking to drink that herself or if she was buying. When Amaranth placed an order for the drink for herself, Frileg seemed skeptical of her ability to handle it, but gave it to her anyway. It turned out to be an immensely hot spiced alcohol mix, and when Amaranth tried to down it she started coughing and spluttering as her eyes watered. Frileg patted her shoulder and brought her a glass of milk.

Amaranth continued her Thieves’ Cant inquiries, asking about the Obsidian Shard and what “drinks” were available there -- while still crying slightly from the strength of the spicy drink between sips of milk. The orc woman described them as “extremely exclusive” but mentioned there was a drop-off point for service requests and let Amaranth know the area of Veritas it could be found in. However, she also described a shift in the organization as of late. Apparently there had been some violence and open crime at the start of their appearance, but it had phased out and was only just now returning, whatever that implied.

“So in any case,” Amaranth said, as the more professional conversation wrapped up. “You come here often?”

Seeming amused, the orc told her she wouldn’t mind talking to her a bit longer and suggested Amaranth order a drink she could actually handle. Amaranth, who hadn’t entirely stopped coughing yet, said that was an insult to her dignity and that she could probably handle a Magma Mephit if she tried again. The orc woman suggested she maybe save that for next time.

Ditto had been sending Amaranth Messages throughout just to check in and make sure the conversation was going okay, so that she could reply if she needed to. Once things turned more casual, Amaranth replied, saying she would be talking with the orc a little longer, but had gotten some useful information. Ditto let the others know this.

“Is she hoping to learn a bit more, then?” Erwyn asked.

“I think she’s hoping to get something more,” Ditto said, prompting Kriv to bark a laugh.

Kriv stepped outside for a little, hoping to investigate whatever he’d detected on the roof. All he saw there were a few pigeons, but as he watched, one of them unfurled a third wing, revealing clusters of eyes underneath. When he used Divine Sense another time, the bird registered as a fiend. He heard a faint hissing noise as several others spread their wings and the air suddenly felt weirdly thin and acrid. He caught himself giggling for a brief second, but it faded soon enough -- though as he walked back inside the inn, he still found himself feeling a little like laughing. He let the others know what he had seen and the effect faded soon after he stepped back inside.

Voski sidled over to the bar to ask Frileg about the young man with the guardian construct who had come in earlier, and who was very drunk at this point. She learned his name was Crispian Hue, and the construct was named Paragon. Apparently he was from the nobles’ side of town, but still came to the Pig’s Eye regularly.

Nearby, Meg the bard elbowed an orcish man she called Mathom on her way to the bar and asked if he would sing “Lord Osquin” with her. He declined. Voski inquired about the song and was told the full title was “Lord Osquin’s Glory.” She commented that it didn’t seem quite like Meg’s type of song and the woman said that while the original was a ballad, there were some more uptempo versions, one of which she’d picked up in the southeast.

“You know, they say the original in some circles is actually a cautionary tale about the dangers of, well, any association with bards,” Voski said.

Meg laughed. “Well, people will say that about any song,” she said. “Fourth Era and all that.”

After Meg wandered away to launch into another song, Voski approached Paragon. She offered them a scarf to place under Crispian’s head and they nodded, accepting the offering. The construct seemed to have pushed the young man’s last drink out of arm’s reach. Paragon was built to resemble a large suit of armor. Voski noted that its front plate was engraved with the crest of a rampant basilik with three gems embedded underneath.

“You’re doing a fantastic job under the circumstances,” she said, while Crispian snoozed on the bar.

Paragon shrugged.

As the hour of Wick’s End approached, patrons started to trickle out of the bar. Around this time the drow woman in the corner stood up and smacked the table in front of her, swearing, and marched out the door. Erwyn suggested they followed her and the group prepared to leave, Amaranth bidding farewell to the woman she’d been flirting with. Nilo gave Ditto a big hug.

Ditto cast Detect Thoughts on herself as they stepped out the door with the hope of listening in on what the fiend was thinking and caught a stream of Abyssal cursing, as well as thoughts apparently in another language along the lines of, “Why didn’t they show up?” as well as, “I have to get out of here.”

While Erwyn and Voski were making moves to trail after the woman a little more, Kriv, who noticed a few more of the demon birds he’d seen earlier starting to congregate, stopped. There was some discussion of what the group should do but with curfew getting close, it was decided that Tiktik would trail after the woman while the party returned to their lodgings.

Back at the inn, Voski was informed by Ben’s brother (on staff for the late shift) that the spellcasting services she’d asked for had been performed two hours ago. Once they were up there she cast a Tiny Hut as well. Ditto asked Kriv for the Rhymer’s Ring back and he gave it to her. Amaranth informed the others what she’d learned about the Obsidian Shard drop point. Kriv asked Erwyn about fiends that could shapeshift or have poison, wondering what the one disguised as the woman back at the tavern might have been. Erwyn said that, seeing as she’d chosen the form of a drow, she might have been a Yochlol, a type of demon also referred to as the “Handmaidens of Lolth” who were generally less beholden to the Abyss as a whole and more to Lolth’s intentions.

Erwyn asked Kriv about the other demons he’d seen. When he described what he’d seen outside the tavern more, Erwyn commented that the many wings and many, clustered eyes were oddly in-line with a lot of Veritas’ symbolism, as well as some of what Ganz had described of the goddess in her visions. Which put into question if there weren’t more parties interested in the city -- or questions of whether the divine visions and demonic intruders were one and the same.

“I say this like we weren’t just discussing someone who’s sort of a demon lord and a goddess,” Erwyn said, referencing Lolth. “I don’t know! Maybe they’re friends. Maybe they get brunch together.”

Discussion turned to the tinctures after Voski asked Kriv if he’d detected anything off about the one that Clarity had pulled out at the tavern. He said it had seemed fine, or at least didn’t seem to be causing or worsening Clarity’s illness, but he was still very uncomfortable with the whole situation and the fact that people’s fears were being preyed on either way. Ditto brought up that Voski had once mentioned knowing an apothecary around Veritas and asked if they might be a help with the topic. Voski said she wasn’t sure they would be a viable contact.

Kriv also voiced some concerns about the attackers they’d run into in the temple and what effects they might have been under. Ditto pointed out that the effects they’d shown looked a lot like those of the spell Alter Self, and their losing those effects when attacked seemed indicative of an intentionally cast concentration spell. Erwyn also brought up that they’d been speaking Abyssal, which wasn’t really a language you could learn idly -- it was a dangerous process to learn it at all, and could have an incredibly taxing effect on the learner. But it was always possible that those were also effects of possession.

The group decided to use their Infinite Library access to contact the Gatekeepers and ask them what they knew about the goddess and the Three of Eyes symbol, as well as what Alembic and Palava had seen when they were in Veritas after the disaster. Ditto tried Sending to Tiktik to see how their surveillance was going and their reply seemed very stressed. They told her things were pretty weird. Voski also suggested Sending to Lakaphai and giving her a heads-up that the DPL now had some information on her, as Kriv had mentioned her name while summarizing their encounter in Folly’s End. Kriv then asked Erwyn how likely it was that the DPL would come and arrest him anytime soon. He replied he had no idea, sounding stressed about the fact.

It was suggested that Ditto summon Tiktik back and she headed downstairs, despite the late hour, to ask about getting a roast chicken for them. Ben’s brother told her there would be an extra charge for it, but went to the kitchen to oblige. She then summoned her familiar back to her.

Tiktik described following the lady to a warehouse of some kind before she dissolved into mist and floated under the door. What had really shaken them, however, was that on the way back they had seen an elf woman, hurrying after dark as if she hadn’t meant to be out after curfew. She’d begun laughing for no reason, then stopped and fell over. Once she was down a pack of creatures like hairless wolves attacked, and one’s stomach opened into a mouth full of teeth before latching onto her and dragging her away. Tiktik said they had also felt some of the effects of the laughter, but had apparently been small enough as not to be noticed. Ditto petted them profusely for a bit before heading back to meet the others, cat in tow.

When Ditto recounted this to the others, Erwyn pointed out the similarity of the laughter effect to the laughing plague Squall told them about that had preceded the incursion. The group then plotted their agenda for the next day, deciding they would pass by the building Tiktik had seen the woman disappear into as well as the Obsidian Shard’s drop point, perhaps talking to more of the leads Squall had given them along the way. This soon devolved into teasing Amaranth about her “information-gathering” methods and asking how her flirting had gone. Ditto gave her a high-five when she said she thought it had gone well, despite the Magma Mephit.

“People like to see vulnerability in a person,” Voski said.

“Hey, you should all try that drink,” Amaranth said. “Well, maybe they have something that’s a little less intense for you, Erwyn.”

“My idea of ‘a little less’ usually doesn’t even involve alcohol,” he replied.

Voski asked Ditto if she thought that Nilo was an idiot, specifically wondering about his Obsidian Shard involvement. Ditto said that while he was somewhat reckless, he was also cautious in certain ways and could probably be trusted.

Voski nodded at this. “So you were the legs,” she then said, commenting about the event several people had referenced at the tavern.

Laughing, Ditto explained that she and the goblin Tiktik had posed as an inspector for the furriers guild one winter when they were cold and needed a way to stay warm, telling the people whose wares they inspected that they weren’t up to code and “confiscating” them as a result. She said she felt like they’d made a really good team.

“Hey, tell me what the code is,” Kriv teased.

Ditto laughed and said she had no idea.

#session recap

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thehorde · 6 years

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random thoughts about Virgil inspired by The Dynamic Duo, me and my anxiety:

- his Instagram is of everything but his face. feels the need to justify any selfie-esk type of post

- doesn’t ever answer the phone. can be spotted shoving the phone under a pillow when it rings because he doesn’t want to deny the call and have people know he's ignoring them...

- wears headphones in public but keeps pulling one out just in case someone’s talking about him

- fingernails bitten to the stubs, sometimes bleeding and he hates it

- constantly trying to tame hair frizz

- would wear a hoodie more, but he’ll look like a rooster if someone decides to jerk it off

- constantly drawing on himself

- has no idea how to respond to compliments, usually settles for awkward smile/fingerguns/ “uh, thanks, I try”

- “i’m not actually good at this, i just practice a lot”

- wants people to look at his stuff but doesn’t want to be around when they do because, aproval=good, watching expressions=not so good and so awkward

- He’s such a Freaking Nerd, but is also painfully aware of this. “yeah, haha, I’m one of those people.”

- really desperately wants to be seen as super chill

- is not chill

- he can’t hear anything anyone says to him in a crowded room and generally shuts down because he can’t concentrate with all the noise

- uses subtitles religiously because brain+sound+words= not compute

- will take his phone out, pretend to text someone when he’s too close to someone in a crowd, but really just doesn’t want to have to talk

- will take the stairs if someone is in the elevator if it means avoiding awkward silence

- the worst part of meeting people is Meeting People

- carefully planned walking speed to make sure he doesn’t get to the door at the same time as that other person.

- doesn’t step on cracks because one day he decided that was a good idea and now he can’t stop. Also, has to switch off which leg steps over the crack, which just makes it more irritating.

- he makes mental appointments for calls he has to make and stresses all day until the time comes only to continuously push it back until he has to wait until tomorrow

- canceled plans?? you mean, bliss?

- He feels like his volume level is just overall two or three notches below everyone else?

- He has captured the nack of sitting on the internet doing nothing but trembling out of his skin because he should be doing school

- once got lost on the bus system and cried in a gas station bathroom and had to call Patton to pick him up

- death jokes 24/7

- likes the tired/chaoitic vibe??

- Is commonly referred to as the ‘quiet kid’

- really into Nightvale and the Twilight Zone. But always skips the Twilight zone song at the beginning because its super creepy

- finger tapping

- his favorite pair of jeans are now ruined because he picked at ONE frayed thread, and then ended up plucking the pants apart over the course of two days and he honestly doesn’t even know how it happened. there is a huge pile of picked jean threads under his desk now

- in the same vein, also tore apart his steering wheel cover because it started to rip and he ‘had to make it even’

- loves cats a lot

- likes Dark things but gets nightmares if he watches things too close to bedtime

- while walking through a dark room: “dont imagine that someone is right behind youDONT IMAGINE SOMEONE IS RIGHT BEHIND YOU” *books it across the room and flies outside*

- constantly worried he looks too young to be doing this

- usually shocked that people think about him when he’s not physically present

- is aware that he is too self-conscious and now is self-conscious of how self-conscious he is...

- “are they staring at me cause they think im cute or they want to murder me or is my hair weird?”

- sticks stuff in his mouth too much (stawp, not like that)

- eats maybe once a day because, is this hungry? or is this feeling upset?? am I thirsty?? whats the signal??

- tried to put cheezits in ramon noodles to give it some...thing? it was a bad idea.

- likes to tell stories, but isn’t sure if people care

- Relateable Humor(TM)

- one time he passed this weird statue of a pig with human hands in the dark and was so terrified by it he crossed the road. Repeat the earlier rendition: dont imagine it’s is right behind youDONT IMAGINE A DEMONIC CERAMIC PIG IS RIGHT BEHIND YOU” *starts booking it across the parking lot*

#anxiety #true stories here lads #virgil sanders #virgil #sanders sides #thoughts #long post #me #thomas sanders #fan fiction #ideas #character ideas

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mountphoenixrp · 5 years

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We have a new citizen in Mount Phoenix:

Sun Wukong, the God of Mayhem and Mischief, whose origins stem from Ancient China. He is now a martial arts instructor.

FC NAME/GROUP: jackson wang ( wang kayee ) or got7 GOD NAME: sun wukong PANTHEON: chinese OCCUPATION: martial arts instructor HEIGHT: 174 cm ( 5'9" ) WEIGHT: 63 kg ( 140 lbs ) DEFINING FEATURES:

HAIR: black (it was gold before but he made it black to match his daughter’s) EYES: a bright golden. it was originally brown until he got stuck in a cauldron for 49 days. is also sensitive to smoke. NOTABLE FEATURES: a monkey tail always was present and ready to act as a third hand. very useful. STYLE: anything and everything fancy and trendy. liked to look rich and luxurious. however in home he’s so casual with boxer shorts and baggy shirts.

PERSONALITY:

MBTI: ENTP- A extroverted: 92% intuitive: 60% thinking: 54% prospecting: 56% assertive: 78% HOGWART’S HOUSE: slytherin POSITIVE: adaptable; charismatic; social; daring NEUTRAL: cunning; proud; genuine NEGATIVE: mischievous; stubborn; childish; erratic the monkey king was a proud one, a child at heart. despite his improvement of the years, at the core he was a troublemaker who wanted to be under the spotlight. however he was charming and bright, always willing to talk with others and connecting with them. an adventurer much too sly and playful, but an ally worthy to have. although unpredictable and stubborn at times, he did try his best and put his all no matter what ( even if it’ll lead him to crash and burn ).

HISTORY:

act i.

he was not normal, not even with his birth. born from a magic stone, an egg that took form of the species around him, the thing known as monkeys. in this mountain where he had no family, nothing to turn back to, the stone monkey attempted to fit in with everyone else. eating, breathing, living like everyone else. he was not like everyone else that had to take time to grow, instead matching to the adults as soon as he was born. what a strange one, ran through the other animals’ minds. but they took in the odd monkey and he in turn tried to learn from them all. to be like the others, to live, to do something. for this creature merely wanted to live, wished to find purpose, find a reason for why he existed. that’s why, when the chance came, the stone monkey dared to be more. went through the waterfall to be known as the monkey king, became a leader to the other monkeys, stole a treasure from the dragon king to make himself stronger, defeat the four dragons anyway, became a powerful and well known demon king that was praised and had followers in awe of his prowess. he never felt more alive than in that moment, loved and a subject of awe among his peers. the stone monkey was no more, and he now tried to be the amazing and loved king, the one in the spotlight. and when death came knocking at his doorstep, he defied it with all his might. erased his name from the book of life and death to achieve immortality, and when he thought of his people, those that will one day disappear and he’d lose all that he loved about his position—the monkey took all of heir names out of it too. for this being was not like others, he had no purpose. that’s why he turned to others, that’s why he strove to be more, to reach the top. for then there, everyone would seek for him. and he’d finally be doing something right, instead of nothing at all and meandering about like a lost wanderer. he wasn’t going to be a waste in this vast world, he was going to be so much more.

act ii.

the thing about being more was that it came with defying the laws put down upon lesser beings such as he. and as such, he was reported to the jade emperor by those he slighted. let it be known that he was more easily fooled at this time, and one much more optimistic. he only thought of this as an opportunity to be better. a mere child in mind thinking he was going to be gifted to be better because he did a job well done didn’t he? and truly, despite all his deeds, this monkey was but a child. one who was never taught properly of how the world worked, of how people acted, how his actions may be perceived. he was just trying to find his worth, in this world too big for his small body. that’s why, when he was put down as a mere lookout for the stables and to take care of the horses—he was hurt. he was a hurt little one, and he wondered what he did wrong. but then he started to think, did he mean nothing to them? there’s a fear gripping at his heart, and he hated how he felt like he just lost his worth to these new people he did not know, and before he knew it, he was seeking for attention. he lets loose all the horses and so began the start of the havoc in heaven. he didn’t want to be nothing. “i’m the great sage, heaven’s equal and you better treat me as such!” a childish declaration, but one which had to work out well enough for heaven to recognize his title. and he thought, yeah, this was it. he was going to be well loved, and he was going to be under the spotlight again! he was going to be someone of worth! then he found out, that wasn’t the case. not really. another lie, another fake to make him seem great but realizing that no, that’s not really the case. because there was a great banquet for the great figures in heaven and he wasn’t invited at all. sad little monkey, within the peach garden that he thought was a grand area to give to him, but it wasn’t. no, instead, he stood alone and felt like he was just thrown away. why? i didn’t do anything wrong. i just wanted—, such thoughts ran rampant in his mind. but no one was there to listen. and once more, the spiral down to negativity pushed the monkey again. and this time, against these deities and beings, he took all he could to give him immortality ( because he’s just one monkey, one against all these mean, mean people ). then he began his rebellion. heaven needed a wake up call. they need to realize that he’s more than what they thought he was. they should know his worth! and that was all that fueled this monkey king to fight. army of heaven’s 100,000 celestial warriors, 28 constellations, four heavenly kings, and even nezha—it did not matter. in that moment, he surpassed them all, for even if he was a child, combat seemed to be such a naturally in born talent of his. tricking them all, defeating them, proving his worth. but even so, he was one mere being. powerful, but alone. and he loathed how in the end he didn’t come out at top. instead, he was captured. in the end, he failed. and he screamed out at them all, cursing them and hateful. and he was terrified, because oh, he was so small against the swarm and he just wanted approval. he just wanted to be loved. am i truly worth nothing? he’s thrown into laozi’s eight-way trigram crucible, and in that moment he wondered what fool called heaven a holy place.

act iii.

49 days, that’s the record he bore for being stuck in the forsaken place. curled up in the corner, he transformed out of his monkey form to something much smaller in fear. flinching away from the flames, eyes burning from the smoke. immortality was what kept him alive, and he wondered why he was so horribly tortured. no one heard his cries to the raging fires and ceramic walls, and after a few days he had nothing left to sob out. when the cauldron finally opened, he jumped out. he jumped and ran away. he continued to hate them, and yet deep down he sought for their approval ( because how else was he to find his worth? ). which led to the next event. meeting buddha, bigger and stronger than him, he didn’t want to seem meek and weak next to the other. bringing out the mask of bravado, he accepted the bet made by buddha and attempted to win the game. he was going to reach heaven and not be caught by the higher being, he was going to prove himself! for if he won this, would he not be finally put at the top? however, it seemed that nothing ever went his way. for as he thought he succeeded in defeating the buddha, showing off loudly of his great victory, it turned out he had been already trapped. the palm of buddha turning into a mountain and locking him inside. again, he was put into isolation. this time, the space was bigger and at least there was no fire, but god was he alone. there were only plantations and insects, these were all he could see. the monkey was put all alone and he tried to count how many days it has been. with each day, he found himself fearing how the world would be when he returned. would anyone remember him? would people care? would his people even care? in this time of isolation, the monkey tried to make life exciting to ignore such worries. building his own luxurious tree house, making all sorts of traps for fun, playgrounds that he could enjoy in. he loved the flowers and fruits especially, colorful things to break the monotony of earthly colors. and sometimes, for a moment, things were fun. until he turned around, cheer on his face to call out for a friend to try things out with him. but then he remembered, he had nobody. was this his fate? he sometimes wondered. was he really meant to not have a purpose? he loathed to think. was he never meant to be loved? the worst of it all entered his mind. and he curled up in the center, digging his finger down on the ground to carve the symbol of another day. and maybe if he ducked hi head and let it stay above his knees, no one would see or feel the tears dropping from his eyes.

act iv.

500 years, 182500 days, and too many hours to count later—he was given freedom. Well, not really freedom. he was allowed to roam on earth after he successfully escorted some monk on his pilgrimage. protect monk and keep him safe, and then he’s out scott-free. sure, he also had a dumb headband on him to give him headache for days, but at least he had three chances to defy it. that was the basic idea really. and before he knew it, he got lumped in with a monk that got a stick up his ass, a womanizing and gluttonous pig, a boring ogre, and then later on in life some quiet ass horse. it was a very strange combination indeed, one that the king thinks could easily fail anytime soon—but he was stubborn and when he put his mind to it, he always aimed for the best results. he hated the monk when he used the stupid mantra to mess with his head, hated the pig for his stupidity and foolish actions, hated the ogre for being so serious, hated how the horse refused to return to normal and remained silent. yet at the same time, xuanzang became the one person he learned to respect and love dearly, bajie became the fun friend he loved to mess with, wujing was always someone he could rely on, and yulong was the trusty and silent stead. from a ragtag group butting heads, to brothers that he could trust. xuanzang in particular, despite their stark differences, was someone he came to care for beyond than anyone in the world. even with all the troubles and how xuanzang always seemed to be taken away, he and the others always brought him back in the end. and even if there were arguments, many nearly breaking them up, they bounced back and together continued their adventure. the journey to the west was one of adventures beyond the norm, but he thought that this was truly a tale to tell the world when it was all over. sometimes he fancied them becoming a popular tale in the future, joked about it really. xuanzang told him that such a tale was not really necessary, bajie was all in for it at the prospect of fame and the girls and money he could obtain from it, wujing didn’t really seek for such fame but it was an interesting topic nonetheless. the primate already knew he was going to definitely publish it in the future. this was his lifestyle for fourteen years, and even if it’s such a small number of years too his actual age—it had been one of the greatest there was. and through it, he found out more about him, people, and individuals. he understood then, of heaven’s punishment on him. he understood why the world once labeled him a pest. he understood it all thanks to these people and his adventures. xuanzang especially broke through all the farce he put up, came to understand him beyond anyone else, and in turn the troublemaker was the same with the monk. he thought that, strangely enough, after so much suffering this was where he truly belonged. however, as stated before, this journey lasted fourteen years. in the end, the pilgrimage was successful. bajie was gifted, wujing became an arhat, and surprisingly he was granted buddhahood alongside xuanzang. but xuanzang requested to stay as human for as long as his mortal life could offer, whilst he took it without problem ( because at the core of it all, he still wanted to be something and took every opportunity to be as such ). and just like that, the group disbanded. misfits and a religious one all going on their own ways. surprisingly, he found himself suggesting a yearly meet up of sort to catch up on each other too. none of them minded this, and he thought he caught xuanzang having a proud smile. in the end, despite reaching buddhahood, he tried to check on the monkeys he left and how their lives have been. when he returned back to open arms and them crying out of relief and joy seeing him fine and well, worries of the past washed away. a weight lifted off of his shoulders, and he thought perhaps this was all he needed.

act v.

the world became duller without the others with him and facing constant adventures. perhaps that’s why he’d frequently go around causing bits of mischief here and there to amuse himself. the monkeys were a nice pack to return to as well, but he found himself without much to do. what was he if not playing the rebellious troublemaker? what was he, if not playing the protector of the monk? what was he in the end? even after reaching buddhahood, he questioned himself. he flaunted the title around, but somewhere in him he wondered why he even received it. sometimes he wanted to talk about it to xuanzang, but he hated to be anything but the facade he showed. because that vision was cooler, much more than this wanderer still lost within himself. speaking of xuanzang, today he’s meeting up with the guy. he knew wujing and bajie met the monk earlier on, but it seemed they were making sure he and xuanzang have one last fina talk. if he heard bajie talk about a secret forbidden love between them, he thought of transforming himself to a beautiful woman to embarrass the pig. still, it was definitely better for them to be alone for this last talk. it’s been years of course, and whilst the disciples have a limitless life ( with only him assured to just never die ), xuanzang did request to keep his mortality for the time being. and once the monk truly became a buddha, they really had no doubts that even their yearly meet ups wouldn’t be complete. the former demon should be as busy, but he never really followed the normal rules. that’s why unlike most others, he wandered and he did whatever. after all, he’s not like the standard deity. not based off of a concept needed by people or praised by them, or of the life cycle such as death. no, he was of mischief and trickery, a combatant to boot. but xuanzang would be more, that was the unanimous thought they had. that’s why, calmly so, he’d meet up xuanzang one last time as what he originally was. a mortal man, much more benevolent than any holy being he knew ( the one who understood him, the one who forgave him, the one who helped the lost child that no one ever did ). sitting by the old man, now wrinkly but bald as ever, he couldn’t help but find it peaceful. the leaves and grass sway lightly against the wind, cups of tea being nursed in their hands. the primate sat silently for once, basking in the tranquility of their current setting. then, for once, xuanzang was the one who opened his mouth first. “i’m glad we met. i think that’s one of the best things to happen to me.” he froze, eyes flickering to the aged monk. “even if you were someone i disagreed with in many ways, even when we were so different, you were the one i learned most from. you were the one that made me realize the many things that made a person them.” a pause, a shared look, and a pleasant smile on the elderly man. here’s a pang on his heart, and a realization that he’ll not see it in a long time. finally, the monk continued and the troublemaker continued to silently listen for once. “you were also my protector, and there were many things we did not see eye-to-eye but i grew to understand your views as you did with mine. and as time passed, we just knew how to go about things. and…” a softened gaze, weak and old hand raising up to his shoulder, then firmly “you never had to be anything but yourself, that was enough. you were enough, and you never needed to try so hard to be someone or something else. and you are truly amazing as you are. even when it was rough, and i know you’ve hurt so much, you tried your best. i know i will be off soon, but i have no doubts that you would leave a mark on this world. and that you will be loved and cared for. more importantly, there is no one you have to prove, because i can tell you that you’ve always been an individual with a great heart.” the monkey king was speechless, wide eyed at the monk’s words. he also hated how he felt choked up, how the urge to cry was present ( and how he hated to cry in front of others ), how xuanzang just always knew what to say. and moreover, it seemed that he always knew what the primate would say if he had found his voice. for the monk lets go, calmly shut his eyes as he faced front and still held onto his cup of tea. even without the heightened sense of hearing, he could tell that xuanzang had passed. peaceful as ever, and satisfied to have said all he wanted to say. looking down at the cup of tea, though, he could not say everything he wanted to say. instead, noting how the beverage of the other was unfinished, he choked out “idiot, you always nagged at me when i didn’t finish my stuff. you should have finished your’s.” i wished you could have stayed longer.

act vi.

the world moves on, and so did he. he lived on with his immortal life, admiring the world as it changed beyond his comprehension. humans were odd things, and through them he liked to find more about the world. that’s how his life became one full of activities. meeting up with his fellow immortal monkeys, meeting up with the journey to the west gang, meeting with the other deities once in a blue moon whenever it was important to even drag him into it, pranking some poor souls, and sometimes playing a normal human to closely watch the world. although being human was a task since he always had to hide away his dastardly tail, he did manage to get some magical items and the sort to cover the tail if he needed to do so. and plus, he thought that he made a mighty fine looking one. meeting people, getting to know them, sometimes helping around, it was a wonderful time. it was always funny to make enemies, then see them in the underworld and loudly announce all their horrible deeds even if the god knew it all already. still, the priceless looks were always worth it. and if he liked someone enough, he could put his two cents in about them. he liked to play different roles, mostly anything exciting. whatever that seemed fun at the moment. a pirate, a warrior, a shaman, whatever really. when more roles came to exist, he tried them out with great gusto. never stagnant, always trying out new things as long as it caught his interest. that was the life he lived. he would meet people, become friends, family, enemies, and more. a social soul, one that loved to shine among them all. the world spun and spun, never stopping and always warping. in turn, he got to take another step and learn to adapt. always flowing along, for what else was there really to do? he got no proper domain to look over, and he thought that this really was a life more suitable for him. he thought he may be a celebrity one too many times, but he couldn’t help it. in the end, he was someone who strove to be a star. a being under the spotlight. for perhaps, that was all the motivation he needed for himself, the purpose he sought for. one which he’s more than happy to comply.

act vii.

the cycle repeated, and finally he met her. it’s not that he didn’t get into flings or dates and all, he’s done it several times. but in that time, his role was a circus performer, a stuntman wowing people. although, before he was a short-lived actor that was a scene-stealer on a tv show prior to that as well ( and he rather liked the face he donned, which was why kept it instead of throwing away the identity like usual ). but during a time where in he was in china and taking a break, he went to florist’s shop to look around. for even at that point in his life, the flowers were still one of his most favorite things in the world. there, he met the florist. a plain woman she was, one to be easily overlooked. in fact, the reason he stayed longer was because she noticed him as the actor she had admired. then they talked about flowers and things just sort of clicked. falling together so perfectly like puzzle pieces meant to form together a beautiful image. then he started to come over more and more. even when he was busy, he got her number just so he could video call her whenever. he got to know her more, and found out about her family. in all honesty, her sister was a lot more beautiful than her, but he didn’t even bat an eye at the woman. instead, he’s always been more charmed by the florist with as much love for flowers as he did. he realized that the florist girl was the odd one out in her family, not as famous or gorgeous. but he didn’t really care, instead showering her in praises and love. always sweet and kind, always trying his best. for she made him feel grounded, normal, and despite all that he preached about being a star—he wanted to be someone that was approved. and the little florist gave him that love and acceptance. her family was kind, and his special vision didn’t see them as bad. and he thought, that perhaps he finally found someone he was meant to be with. then one night led to another, he became a father, and now he’s ready to propose to the woman he loved. it all seemed perfect, until she requested to hold off the proposal. shaky eyes and a tired smile. he didn’t like the sight, and there’s a sinking feeling but—he smiled and let her have it. nine months, the sinking feeling never fade. instead wariness grew, and in turn he tried harder. he wanted to make her happy, didn’t mind it when she got emotional and cried for him to go away. it’s only then that he realized, perhaps, somewhere along this beautiful romance story he had been blinded. when the child was born, when the infant cried, he found himself knowing that he’d love the baby to the very end. yet, as he looked up to the mother’s eyes, somehow he knew this was a symbol of the end. when his lover was allowed to leave, and they could finally talk it out in the confines of his home she finally blurted it all out. she apologized for being cruel, for being weak, but this was a life she could not have. young girl that had been oppressed, one that was always talked down by others outside family. the plain girl that was fated to a plain life. and then he came to her life and everything seemed so wonderful but— the people, they still talk. still said things behind their backs, such venomous words only raising in volume when he wasn’t physically around. and the feeling he was hiding something, something so important but never telling her anything ( his divinity, the deity he actually was, how he was not even a mere man ). the mistrust that builds, the negative monsters forming in her mind, and finally… “i’m sorry. i really can’t do this anymore. i think you deserve better than me. including her. because for having such thoughts i…i really don’t deserve any of this.” perhaps this florist girl he loved really didn’t. after all, if such a mindset was enough for her to give it all up…the disguised man could only accept it ( because even then, he was a man in love who could not say no to her ). taking the child, his only request was that they named her together. “meihua.” they agreed, the beautiful flower that deserved the world. it made him wonder if he had left any other children behind without really realizing it. wondered if their mothers felt as empty as he was watching the woman’s back as she left. maybe he could make it right for them when he meets them once more but for now… looking at the little girl in his arms, he could only smile kindly. for now, he’ll at least make things right for what was left of the love story that ended tragically. as he looked out of the window, he realized it was raining. was xuanzang crying for him? he couldn’t help but wonder. but it’s okay, he’s not alone at least. he now had a family of his own blood to take care of for once. and he’s going to help her down the right path.

act viii.

he had been in mount phoenix at times. may it be pranking some others or to just chill out. its been a really long time since he returned there, though—about fifty years or so. but with so many ways people could be a danger to his precious child, he found himself trying to bring her to a safe haven she’d fit in more. that’s how the deity that’s also known as the victorious fighting buddha found himself becoming a ( struggling ) single father. one who thanked for the creation of internet as he could easily search all that he needed to know to take care of the baby and her following years. fatherhood was an exhausting experience, but he couldn’t say he regretted doing such a thing. not when it assured the best conditions for his daughter. he also had given up on his circus profession by the drop of the hat as soon as he knew he couldn’t really move about so freely. not if he was going to stay in mount phoenix until who knew how long. instead, the god opted to open up a whole dojo to teach anyone willing to learn the martial arts. he’s been here for five years, and now he’s trying to learn how to deal with his baby going to school. moreover, he wondered how many boys he had to fight because he swore if anyone tried to mess with her he was going to give them the pranking of a lifetime ( and if their bones get broken….well, that was a nice bonus ).

POWERS:

PRIMATE PHYSIOLOGY was his original form really, a monkey who’s got enhanced condition and very useful feet and tail. his tail still popped out even in human form and he’d use it a lot because it was useful. most noteworthy was his speed and strength, though ( travelling 21,675 km in one somersault and carrying around a staff weighing 7960 kg with ease ).

SUPERNATURAL COMBAT was one of the things he was well known for. defeating most of heaven’s forces, several other enemies, and more—his combat surpassed many levels and he loved to flaunt it.

IMMORTALITY definitely common in deities but this god just won't die. decapitation, rip his heart out, and you can name it all but he survived from it all. perhaps making himself immortal five times over was overkill but at least he obtained the role of useful meat shield.

72 EARTHLY TRANSFORMATION or shapeshifting, but generally he could shapeshift perfectly to anything under the 72 earthly transformations ( mostly other living beings ). however, anything outside of it would always have his tail pop out.

CLONING by plucking out a strand of his hair, he could clone himself. he could also shapeshift those clones into anything he wanted in the process.

CLOUD FLIGHT simply as it said on the tin, he could use clouds as a mode of transportation to fly around on.

MAGIC his magic consisted of being able to command wind, part water, conjure protective circles against demons, and freezing humans, deities and demons alike.

RUYI JINGU BANG his well known weapon that many knew to be in his possession. this magical staff was capable of changing sizes, multiply, and fight according to his whims. he considered it one of his most trusted ally.

GOLDEN-GAZE FIERY-EYES was his special eye condition that was gained through being stuck in a burning cauldron for 49 days. it allowed him to recognize evil in exchange for heightened sensitivity to smoke.

STRENGTHS:

a one-man army who was enough to bring great havoc in heaven in attempts to lock him up. this was someone to proceed with caution.

he just didn’t die. it was simple as that.

he’ll know if you’re evil in a heartbeat, and when you’re recognized as one he would put up the walls and be on a lookout.

an extremely versatile fighter who could use strategies well, was very good in combat in general, play with stealth, and had an arsenal of powers to use.

WEAKNESSES:

his transformation was not full on perfect. sometimes his tail popped out. and even if he was using one of the 72 earthly transformations, if emotional enough the tail might pop out.

smoke was very bad for his eyes.

a very proud one more often than not, you might be able to use his hubris to your advantage ( for even if he mellowed out, pride was still his sin ).

despite having quite the arsenal of magic spells, he much more relied on his combat skills and staff. due to the neglect on his magic, most things he could do with it weren’t that strong. even the freezing spells were on a very short time limit depending on how strong the enemies were.

#kpop rp #krp #got7 #jackson wang #got7 jackson #mp; welcome

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houseofvans · 6 years

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ART SCHOOL | Q&A WITH DAVID CHUNG (THE CHUNG)

Artist David Chung’s paintings, drawings and sketches are filled with colorful anthropomorphic characters from sword wielding pandas to rainbow spilling landscapes where skeletal heroes battle fuzzy cute creatures. Drawing from his own experiences and psyche, David’s uses his adorable and hilarious creations to help deal with the everyday stresses of life and as a form of catharsis. We’re excited to feature the work of David and talk about his art, his work as an Art Director at Dreamworks TV, and what new projects he’s got in the works!

Find out more about David Chung by taking the leap below!

Photography courtesy of the artist.

Introduce yourself? My name is David Chung, but a lot of people might know me as The Chung!! I’ve been living in Los Angeles for the past 11 years now, which technically makes California the longest place I’ve ever lived in my entire life. During the day I work in animation, currently as of this interview, I’m an art director at Dreamworks TV, but at night, I’m my own artist, free to do whatever I want!

How did you get into painting and art as a kid? What kinds of things were you influenced by? I’m not really sure how I got into art as a kid. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. Much like all kids, I’ve always just enjoyed drawing and making art. I realized early on that I could be as weird as I wanted to be in my drawings, and that was a really liberating feeling. Earlier in my childhood I was raised in Hong Kong and Taiwan but my highschool years were spent in Upstate New York, where I graduated from. I pulled a lot of my influences from growing up in Asia and having a Chinese background, but the subjects and humor mostly came from living in the States.

How do you describe your work to folks who’ve never seen it before? I might describe it like watching an animated kids’ movie with a lot of jokes your pervy parents would appreciate.

You have various creatures and characters throughout your work that we love. Storytelling and humor are elements in your works as well. Can you tell us a little about how each piece evolves? What is your general artistic process like? I’ve been finding myself creating new characters based off of new ways I need to deal with my life at the moment. The characters that are in my work are compartmentalized parts of my psyche or emotions. Being able to take the everyday stresses of life and make cute characters go through it in a more harsh and humorous way is a really effective form of catharsis for me. About 90% of the subjects in my work are autobiographical. The humor in my work is just another way for me to prevent myself from ever taking myself too seriously. If I can’t laugh at my own work, then what’s the point.

Do you have a main protagonist in your work? And who or what is it? How did it come about? It really depends on what I’m going through at the time of my life when I paint my characters. For example, my XiongMao (Panda) character was created during some pretty rough times. He represents my persistent side to survive. Grimothy (the little reaper dude) and Xiaguai (his little chinese demon friend) are my two mischievous daydreamer characters that are all about ditching their responsibilities to have fun adventures. Pouty Pig is the side of me that throws silent tantrums anytime he is unhappy about a certain situation, which apparently is a lot. These are just some of the few recurring characters in my work depending on how I’m feeling. I even have a few recurring antagonists such as the Happy who are pink soulless zombie-like creatures who roam the earth seemingly always happy, but they feed off of people’s energy like vampires. If you ever let them get a whiff that you’re not happy, that’s when they attack. I think we all know people like this. Right?? They’re the worst. I hate them.

What was your last adventure that showed up in one of your work, thematically or just visually? I do these sketches in my Instagram feed called “Procrast-O-Sketches” that usually follow my most current adventures. The overall sketches can be interpreted however you like, but for myself, friends and family in my inner circle, the subject matter is pretty esoteric.

A pretty straight forward Procrast-O-Sketch is from Sept 21, 2018. We just moved into our new house in the beginning of September, and about 2 weeks after moving in, my 2 year old kept crying that there is a monster living in the house. He keeps saying it’s a shadow man that “kind of looks like Daddy” but sometimes it turns into a dog-like creature. He’ll be playing and being super happy, then all of a sudden he’ll see his shadow man, then will let out a terrified scream, scramble over to myself or his mom and cry that “The man is back!!” We’ve been trying to turn it into a game now by going monster hunting together, which seems to be helping. At least helping him... I’m terrified as shit now.

What is your favorite thing to draw or paint? I love drawing or painting creatures and characters in familiar situations that are way worse than my own.

What are your favorite tools? Currently, I always have my little Pentalic Traveler Pocket Journal, a kneaded eraser and a good clutch pencil with me just in case I need a quick therapy sketch session to take out any frustrations. I feel like brands and mediums change all the time, but a good ol’ fashioned pencil and a sketchbook are always constant.

What’s a medium you have yet to try and would love to take a stab at? Oh man, there are way too many mediums I’d love to try one day. I would really like to try oils again. I haven’t messed around with oils since I was in college. I also really want to try out ceramics and bronze casting.

Not only do you draw and paint, you also work as an art director and designer at DreamWorks by day? What’s that like and how did you find yourself working for such a cool company? Dreamworks is a pretty awesome company to work for, and I’m not just being paid to say that. They’ve made me sign a contract to say that. But you know, overall it’s pretty awesome because of the people. I love being able to collaborate and riff off of other artists every day. All of whom are working toward the same goal of making the best looking product possible. I’ve been working in the animation industry for about 10+ years now, and over the past decade, I’ve met some really great people who I know I’d work with again and again like I have in the past. So when a lot of those people who felt the same about me ended up at Dreamworks, I was brought on over, and I’m super grateful for it.

How do you balance your work life with your artistic life? Or are they sort of one in the same? It’s actually pretty easy and difficult all at the same time. I deliberately try to separate my work-life from my art-life because what I do after work, is mine and mine alone. This keeps me from taking anything too personally when there are ridiculous amounts of notes and revisions to be made at work. Nothing is personal, and I’m totally okay with that. My job is to provide them with the work that they want. It’s a lot easier to make revisions when I know that as soon as I go home, I can start working on my own personal stuff that nobody can say shit about.

The hard part is finding the time to have an art-life after work-life. It usually means eliminating good health. Fortunately passion usually wins out over sleep, but unfortunately, “usually” isn’t always. Typical days at work can last 10-14 hours, and when I get home, I still want to be able to hang out with my wife and kid, which means I won’t even be able to get started on my own stuff til around 12-1am. Especially lately, due to the monster keeping my son up all through the night.

What are you constantly inspired by? And who are some of your early and current art influences? I’m constantly inspired by life and all of the little idiosyncratic behaviors we have. Human life is so interesting even at its most mundane moments. There’s always inspiration to be pulled from who we are. When I was in the second grade, I saw Alien for the first time in my life on TV. It fucked me up. I needed to know what this monster was. Then I found out about H.R. Giger when I got a little bit older. It wasn’t necessarily the style that inspired me, but the way the he created. It seemed like an obsession that he turned into a profession. I didn’t even know being an artist for a living was allowed! Lately I’ve been super digging Travis Millard (IG: @theotherfudge), Alex Solis (IG: @Alexmdc) and I was recently introduced to Kamila Mlynarczyk’s (IG: @Woodedwoods) work which is pure insanity and I love it so much.

What do you do when you are not painting or drawing? Lately it’s trying to spend as much time as I can with my family and soak as much of it up as I can before it slips away. While doing that I’ve been messing around with photography and filmmaking as a hobby. Filming my son doing weird shit is super fun. He makes a great subject.

What advice would you offer to an aspiring artist who might wanna follow in your footsteps? You gotta want to do it. And not just because you think it’s a good way to make money. You have to want to do it because you love it. That’s really where it all begins. Next step is to just go fucking do it.

What’s your best Art School tip that you want to share with folks? Could be technical or just advice. This is a continuation of my previous response, but it’s important, after you “just go fucking do it” expect to fail. Don’t even just expect it, LET yourself fail. As long as you learn something from it and never stop trying, you’re totally allowed to fail all the time!

What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t an artist or doing anything art-related? This one is difficult, everything I can think of that I’d possibly be doing is art related. I’ve always wanted to be a fiction writer or a filmmaker, but those can be very creative. The other thing is to start my own business producing products for creative enthusiasts.

What are your favorite style of VANS? Every time I end up buying a new pair of VANS, I always end up getting the Authentic style. You can never go wrong with them!

What’s coming up for you the rest of the year that you’re super excited about? I’m super excited about two new toys that are currently in production with Martian Toys and Wetworks. Also there’s a bunch of new stuff I’m trying to launch on my own that I’ve been pretty excited to work on, I just need to find the time!

FOLLOW DAVID | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE

#Art #Vans #Vans Art #Art School #David Chung #The Chung #interview #animation

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tipsycad147 · 5 years

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Aquarius January Chinese New Year

By shirleytwofeathers

According to historical documents, on the day when Shun, who was one of ancient China’s mythological emperors, came to the throne more than 4000 years ago, he led his ministers to worship heaven and earth. From then on, that day was regarded as the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar. This is the basic origin of Chinese New Year.

The new year is by far the most important festival of the Chinese lunar calendar. A long time ago, the emperor determined the start of the New Year. Today, celebrations are based on Emperor Han Wu Di’s almanac. It uses the first day of the first month of the Lunar Year as the start of Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year always occurs in January or February on the second new moon after the winter solstice, though on occasion it has been the third new moon.

The holiday is a time of renewal, with debts cleared, new clothes bought, shops and homes decorated, and families gathered for a reunion dinner. Enjoying extravagant foods with family and friends is arguably the cornerstone of the occasion, along with receiving the ubiquitous red envelopes full of cash (called lai see in Cantonese, or hongbao in Mandarin).

Chinese New Year is marked by fireworks, traditional lion dances, gift giving, and special foods. This is one of the most important holidays. It is observed all over the world. Similar celebrations occur in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival. The “Spring Festival” in modern Mainland China, is China’s most important traditional festival, this public holiday starts on the Chinese New Year, and lasts for 7 days.

About The Chinese Calendar

The Chinese Calendar is a based on the cycles of the moon. The start of the New Year begins anywhere from late January to mid-February. A complete lunar cycle takes 60 years. It is composed of five cycles that are 12 years each. Each 12-year segment is named after an animal.

According to legend, Buddha called all the animals to him before he departed from earth. Only twelve came and as a reward to them, he named the years after them in the order they arrive (the order is listed below). It is believed the animal ruling of the year you are born effects your personality and “it is the animal that hides in your heart”.

The Chinese calendar uses the stem-branch system. The branches are the 12 years. There are ten stems that are used in the counting system. The stems are metal, water, wood, fire and soil; each having a yin and a yang side. There are a lot more intricacies in the system, but you should also know that the elements correlate to colours. Metal=white or golden, water=black, wood=green, fire=red, and soil=brown.

When you put all of this together you end up with the following:

2007 is the Year of the Red Pig

2008 is the Year of the Brown Rat

2009 is the Year of the Brown Ox

2010 is the Year of the White or Golden Tiger

2011 is the Year of the White or Golden Rabbit

2012 is the Year of the Black Dragon

2013 is the Year of the Black Snake

2014 is the Year of the Green Horse

2015 is the Year of the Green Sheep

2016 is the Year of the Red Monkey

2017 is the Year of the Red Rooster

2018 is the Year of the Brown Dog

2019 is the Year of the Brown Pig

2020 is the Year of the White Rat

Which Chinese zodiac animal are you?

According to the Asian astrology, your year of birth – and the animal this represents – determines a lot about your personality traits. Find the year you were born, and you can figure out which animal in the Chinese Zodiac is yours. The animal changes at the beginning of the Chinese New Year, and traditionally these animals were used to date the years.

Remember, Chinese New Year is a movable celebration, dictated by the lunar cycle, which can fall anytime between January 21 and February 20. So, if you were born during that time, you may need to do some research to figure out which animal applies to you.

Rat: 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960, 1948

Ox: 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949

Tiger: 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950

Rabbit: 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, 1951

Dragon: 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964, 1952

Snake: 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1953

Horse: 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954

Goat: 2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967, 1955

Monkey: 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956

Rooster: 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969, 1957

Dog: 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970, 1958

Pig: 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971, 1959

Traditions

Traditions observed during the New Year stem from legends and practices from ancient times. Legend tells of a village, thousands of years ago, that was ravaged by Nian, an evil monster, one winter’s night. The following year the monster returned and again ravaged the village. Before it could happen a third time, the villagers devised a plan to scare the monster away.

The colour red protects against evil. Red banners were hung everywhere. Firecrackers were set off, and people banged on drums and gongs creating loud noises to scare the beast away. The plan worked. The celebration lasted several days during which people visited with each other, exchanged gifts, danced, and ate tasty food. Today, celebrations last two weeks.

The red posters with poetic verses on it were initially a type of amulet, but now it simply means good fortune and joy. Various Chinese New Year symbols express different meanings. For example, an image of a fish symbolises “having more than one needs every year”. A firecracker symbolises “good luck in the coming year”. The festival lanterns symbolise “pursuing the bright and the beautiful.”

Preparing for the New Year

Spring cleaning is started about a month prior to the new year and must be completed before the celebrations begin. All the negativity and bad luck from the previous year must be swept out of the house.

Many people clean their homes to welcome the Spring Festival. They put up the red posters with poetic verses on it to their doors, Chinese New Year pictures on their walls, and decorate their homes with red lanterns. It is also a time to reunite with relatives so many people visit their families at this time of the year.

People also get haircuts and purchase new clothing. It symbolises a fresh start. Flowers and decorations are purchased. Decorations include a New year picture (Chinese coloured woodblock print), Chinese knots, and paper-cuttings, and couplets.

Flowers have special meanings and the flower market stocks up on:

Plum blossom for luck

Kumquats for prosperity

Narcissus for prosperity

Sunflowers to have a good year

Eggplant to heal sickness

Chom mon planta for tranquillity

Offerings are made to the Kitchen God about a week before the New Year.

On The Eve of The Spring Festival

The Annual Reunion Dinner, Nian Ye Fan, is held on the eve of the festival. This is an important part of the celebration. Families come together and eat together. The food is symbolic. Many dishes have ingredients that sound the same as good tidings. In northern China, dumplings are served at midnight, they symbolise wealth.

In the evening of the Spring Festival Eve, many people set off fireworks and firecrackers, hoping to cast away any bad luck and bring forth good luck. Children often receive “luck” money. Many people wear new clothes and send Chinese New Year greetings to each other. Various activities such as beating drums and striking gongs, as well as dragon and lion dances, are all part of the Spring Festival festivities.

The dragon dance is a highlight in the celebrations. A team of dances mimic the movements of the dragon river spirit. Dragons bring good luck.

Lions are considered good omens. The lion dance repels demons. Each lion has two dancers, one to maneuver the head, the other to guide the back. Business owners offer the lions a head of lettuce and oranges or tangerines. The offerings hope to insure a successful year in business. Lettuce translates into “growing wealth” and tangerines and oranges sound like “gold” and “wealth” in Chinese. The lions eat the oranges, then spew them up and out into the hordes of people who eagerly tried to catch the them. After eating the lettuce, they spit out it out in a thousand pieces.

During the New Year

Red packets called Lai See Hong Bao (or Hongbao) with money tucked inside are given out as a symbol of good luck. The amount is an even number as odd numbers are regarded as unlucky.

Bright red lanterns are hung.

Brooms and cleaning material are put away. No cleaning takes place during the holiday so no good luck is swept out of the home.

During the New Year celebrations people do not fight and avoid being mean to each other, as this would bring a bad, unlucky year.

Bright colours and red are worn.

Everyone celebrates their birthday this day and they turn one year older.

Traditional red oval shaped lanterns are hung.

The end of the New Year is celebrated with the Lantern Festival.

Top Ten Taboos for The Chinese New Year

The Spring Festival is a time of celebration. It’s to welcome the new year with a smile and let the fortune and happiness continue on. At the same time, the Spring Festival involves sombre ceremonies to wish for a good harvest. Strict rules and restrictions go without saying.

To help you with that, here are the top 10 taboos during the Chinese New Year. Follow these and fortune will smile on you.

1. Do not say negative words

All words with negative connotations are forbidden! These include: death, sick, empty, pain, ghost, poor, break, kill and more. The reason behind this should be obvious. You wouldn’t want to jinx yourself or bring those misfortunes onto you and your loved ones.

2. Do not break ceramics or glass

Breaking things will break your connection to prosperity and fortune. If a plate or bowl is dropped, immediately wrap it with red paper while murmuring auspicious phrases. Some would say 岁岁平安 (suì suì píng ān). This asks for peace and security every year. 岁 (suì) is also a homophone of 碎, which means “broken” or “shattered.” After the New Year, throw the wrapped up shards into a lake or river.

3. Do not clean or sweep

Before the Spring Festival, there is a day of cleaning. That is to sweep away the bad luck. But during the actual celebration, it becomes a taboo. Cleaning or throwing out garbage may sweep away good luck instead.

If you must, make sure to start at the outer edge of a room and sweep inwards. Bag up any garbage and throw it away after the 5th day. Similarly, you shouldn’t take a shower on Chinese New Year’s Day.

4. Do not use scissors, knives or other sharp objects

There are 2 reasons behind this rule. Scissors and needles shouldn’t be used. In olden times, this was to give women a well-deserved break.

Sharp objects in general will cut your stream of wealth and success. This is why 99% of hair salons are closed during the holidays. Hair cutting is taboo and forbidden until Lunar February 2, when all festivities are over.

5. Do not visit the wife’s family

Traditionally, multiple generations live together. The bride moves into the groom’s home after marriage. And, of course, she will celebrate Chinese New Year with her in-laws.

Returning to her parents on New Year’s Day means that there are marriage problems and may also bring bad luck to the entire family. The couple should visit the wife’s family on the 2nd day. They’d bring their children, as well as a modest gift (because it’s the thought that counts).

6. Do not demand debt repayment

This custom is a show of understanding. It allows everyone a chance to celebrate without worry. If you knock on someone’s door, demanding repayment, you’ll bring bad luck to both parties. However, it’s fair game after the 5th day. Borrowing money is also taboo. You could end up having to borrow the entire year.

7. Avoid fighting and crying

Unless there is a special circumstance, try not to cry. But if a child cries, do not reprimand them. All issues should be solved peacefully. In the past, neighbours would come over to play peacemaker for any arguments that occurred. This is all to ensure a smooth path in the new year.

8. Avoid taking medicine

Try not to take medicine during the Spring Festival to avoid being sick the entire year. Of course, if you are chronically ill or contract a sudden serious disease, immediate health should still come first. Related taboos include the following ~ Don’t visit the doctor, Don’t perform/undergo surgery, Don’t get shots

9. Do not give New Year blessings to someone still in bed

You are supposed to give New Year blessings (拜年—bài nián). But let the recipient get up from bed first. Otherwise, they’ll be bed-ridden for the entire year. You also shouldn’t tell someone to wake up. You don’t want them to be rushed around and bossed around for the year. Take advantage of this and sleep in!

10. Chinese gift-giving taboos

It was mentioned above that you should bring gifts when paying visits. It’s the thought that counts, but some gifts are forbidden.

Clocks are the worst gifts. The word for clock is a homophone (sounds like) “the funeral ritual”. Also, clocks and watches are items that show that time is running out.

Items associated with funerals – handkerchiefs, towels, chrysanthemums, items coloured white and black.

Sharp objects that symbolise cutting a tie (i.e. scissors and knives).

Items that symbolise that you want to walk away from a relationship (examples: shoes and sandals)

Mirrors

Homonyms for unpleasant topics (examples:green hats because “wear a green hat” sounds like “cuckold”, “handkerchief” sounds like “goodbye”, “pear” sounds like “separate”, and “umbrella” sounds like “disperse”).

Some regions have their own local taboos too. For example, in Mandarin, “apple” (苹果) is pronounced píng guǒ. But in Shanghainese, it is bing1 gu, which sounds like “passed away from sickness.”

These don’t just apply to the Spring Festival, so keep it in the back of your mind!

For the Spring Festival, these rules may seem excessive. Especially when you add in the cultural norms, customs and manners. But like a parent would say, they are all for your own good. Formed over thousands of years, these taboos embody the beliefs, wishes and worries of the Chinese people.

Foods For The New Year

Dishes may vary slightly according to regional and family customs. Dumplings (gau ji) are more commonly served in the north of China, while Hong Kong families often go for a dim sum meal.

Food symbolism goes back centuries in China, and is taken very seriously on special occasions such as Lunar New Year. All food items have their symbolic meanings which, for Hongkongers, are often derived from their Cantonese homonyms. For instance, the Cantonese word for lettuce – sang choi – sounds very similar to the phrase which means “growing wealth”. Of course, nothing considered “unlucky” is allowed near the dining table.

By carefully choosing the menu in this way, families will supposedly be able to increase their luck and manifest their wishes for the coming year, whether those be earning more money or having more children.

Red meat is not served and one is careful not to serve or eat from a chipped or cracked plate. Fish is eaten to ensure long life and good fortune. Red dates bring the hope for prosperity, melon seeds for proliferation, and lotus seeds means the family will prosper through time. Oranges and tangerines symbolise wealth and good fortune. Nian gao, the New Year’s Cake is always served. It is believed that the higher the cake rises the better the year will be. When company stops by a “prosperity tray” is served. The tray has eight sides (another symbol of prosperity) and is filled with goodies like red dates, melon seeds, cookies, and New Year Cakes.

Here the origins of some traditional Chinese festival foods and their often quirky symbolic meanings.

Lettuce for the lion dance

No traditional Lunar New Year celebration is complete without the famous lion dance, which is thought to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. Performers wearing the traditional lion costume normally dance through the streets to the sound of gongs and drums. When the lion briefly stops at houses and businesses along the way, it will “eat” lettuce that is hung up outside the doors, since the humble vegetable symbolises “growing fortune”. Inside the head of the lettuce will often be a red envelope, further emphasising its significance.

Dried oysters and ‘hair vegetable’ stir-fry

This unusual but lucky dish is named ho see fat choy in Cantonese, which sounds a lot like the words meaning “flourishing business”. For an extra dose of luck, ho see (oyster) on its own sounds similar to the Cantonese for “good things” or “good business”, while fat choy (hair vegetable) sounds similar to “prosperity”, as in the traditional Lunar New Year greeting kung hei fat choi. What’s more, the expensive “hair vegetable”, which looks like strands of black hair, is actually a type of fungus. But that doesn’t put off Cantonese restaurants from serving the auspicious dish at Lunar New Year.

Egg noodles, or yi mein

This classic dish of stir-fried egg noodles is often served at formal dinners during Lunar New Year and other festivals, as it symbolises longevity. The chef must not cut the noodle strands to preserve their length. For this reason, yi mein is often eaten at birthday celebrations too – kind of like the Chinese equivalent of a candle-lit birthday cake.

Glutinous rice cake, or neen go

The Cantonese term for this traditional sticky treat sounds the same as the literal words “year high”, which symbolise the promise of a better year to come. Families may eat this for several reasons: wanting to have a higher income, higher social status or even more children. Rice cake can be cooked in a variety of ways, and can be sweet or savoury. Historical records date the yearly custom to at least 1,000 years ago, in the days of the Liao dynasty (AD907-1125). If there’s one thing that is unmissable from every family’s Lunar New Year feast in all parts of China and Hong Kong, it must be this dish.

‘Basin food’, or poon choi

Originating from the walled villages of the New Territories, this traditional celebratory dish soon spread throughout Hong Kong and later China. Legend has it that the early settlers in the New Territories would pool together their most prized ingredients – meat and seafood – in a big wooden washbasin and cook them to be served to the whole village. The communal dish required huge efforts of co-ordination and manpower to cook, so it quickly became associated with celebrations and religious rituals. Each village had its own secret poon choi recipe consisting of various ingredients layered in a particular order in the pot, but the dish is now found in most Cantonese restaurants on special occasions.

Lotus root soup, or leen gnau tong

The fleshy, tuber-like roots of the lotus flower have been a staple of Chinese cooking for millennia, and traditionally symbolise “abundance”, since the Cantonese term sounds like “having [money] year after year”. The ingredient is also prized for its supposed “cooling” effect on the body, according to traditional Chinese medicine. Lotus root soup, or alternatively stir-fried lotus root, is commonly eaten at Lunar New Year for these reasons.

Dim sum

Another Cantonese food tradition that is now common in the West is dim sum. The phrase literally means “a light touch of the heart” or “a little bit of heart”. This reflects the care and attention put into each bite-sized dish that is shared between the table, such as har gau (shrimp dumplings), various types of filled buns, and cheung fun (rice noodle rolls). Like a Chinese take on brunch, dim sum is often served at lengthy afternoon yum cha sessions in tea houses. But Hongkongers often go for an even more lavish version of this meal around Lunar New Year.

Auspicious Greetings

The Chinese New Year is often accompanied by loud, enthusiastic greetings, often referred to as auspicious words or phrases. New Year couplets printed in gold letters on bright red paper is another way of expressing auspicious new year wishes. The most common auspicious greetings and sayings consist of four characters, such as the following:

金玉滿堂 Jīnyùmǎntáng – “May your wealth [gold and jade] come to fill a hall”

大展鴻圖 Dàzhǎnhóngtú – “May you realize your ambitions”

迎春接福 Yíngchúnjiēfú – “Greet the New Year and encounter happiness”

萬事如意 Wànshìrúyì – “May all your wishes be fulfilled”

吉慶有餘 Jíqìngyǒuyú – “May your happiness be without limit”

竹報平安 Zhúbàopíng’ān – “May you hear [in a letter] that all is well”

一本萬利 Yīběnwànlì – “May a small investment bring ten-thousandfold profits”

福壽雙全 Fúshòushuāngquán – “May your happiness and longevity be complete”

招財進寶 Zhāocáijìnbǎo – “When wealth is acquired, precious objects follow”

These greetings or phrases may also be used just before children receive their red packets, when gifts are exchanged, when visiting temples, or even when tossing the shredded ingredients of yusheng particularly popular in Malaysia and Singapore. Children and their parents can also pray in the temple, in hopes of getting good blessings for the new year to come.

Sources:

Web Holidays

Chinese New Year

Wikipedia

https://shirleytwofeathers.com/The_Blog/pagancalendar/category/january-holidays/

0 notes

mumblelard · 2 years

Text

finnie came by and we did a side by side comparison of long drink and fresca mixed while we talked about crematory scandals of the early twentieth century, favorite backroads of east tennessee, and veterinary tranquilizers

#kitchen tables #ceramic owls #demon pigs #bentons bacon #you eat some good pears out of your hand as you walk down to the river #finnie #fridays #end of message

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tipsycad147 · 5 years

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Pisces February Chinese New Year

By shirleytwofeathers

About The Chinese Calendar

When you put all of this together you end up with the following:

2007 is the Year of the Red Pig

2008 is the Year of the Brown Rat

2009 is the Year of the Brown Ox

2010 is the Year of the White or Golden Tiger

2011 is the Year of the White or Golden Rabbit

2012 is the Year of the Black Dragon

2013 is the Year of the Black Snake

2014 is the Year of the Green Horse

2015 is the Year of the Green Sheep

2016 is the Year of the Red Monkey

2017 is the Year of the Red Rooster

2018 is the Year of the Brown Dog

2019 is the Year of the Brown Pig

2020 is the Year of the White Rat

Which Chinese zodiac animal are you?

Rat: 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960, 1948

Ox: 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949

Tiger: 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950

Rabbit: 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, 1951

Dragon: 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964, 1952

Snake: 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1953

Horse: 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954

Goat: 2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967, 1955

Monkey: 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956

Rooster: 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969, 1957

Dog: 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970, 1958

Pig: 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971, 1959

Traditions

Preparing for the New Year

Flowers have special meanings and the flower market stocks up on:

Plum blossom for luck

Kumquats for prosperity

Narcissus for prosperity

Sunflowers to have a good year

Eggplant to heal sickness

Chom mon planta for tranquillity

Offerings are made to the Kitchen God about a week before the New Year.

On The Eve of The Spring Festival

The dragon dance is a highlight in the celebrations. A team of dances mimic the movements of the dragon river spirit. Dragons bring good luck.

During the New Year

Red packets called Lai See Hong Bao (or Hongbao) with money tucked inside are given out as a symbol of good luck. The amount is an even number as odd numbers are regarded as unlucky.

Bright red lanterns are hung.

Brooms and cleaning material are put away. No cleaning takes place during the holiday so no good luck is swept out of the home.

During the New Year celebrations people do not fight and avoid being mean to each other, as this would bring a bad, unlucky year.

Bright colours and red are worn.

Everyone celebrates their birthday this day and they turn one year older.

Traditional red oval shaped lanterns are hung.

The end of the New Year is celebrated with the Lantern Festival.

Top Ten Taboos for The Chinese New Year

To help you with that, here are the top 10 taboos during the Chinese New Year. Follow these and fortune will smile on you.

1. Do not say negative words

2. Do not break ceramics or glass

3. Do not clean or sweep

4. Do not use scissors, knives or other sharp objects

There are 2 reasons behind this rule. Scissors and needles shouldn’t be used. In olden times, this was to give women a well-deserved break.

5. Do not visit the wife’s family

Traditionally, multiple generations live together. The bride moves into the groom’s home after marriage. And, of course, she will celebrate Chinese New Year with her in-laws.

6. Do not demand debt repayment

7. Avoid fighting and crying

8. Avoid taking medicine

9. Do not give New Year blessings to someone still in bed

10. Chinese gift-giving taboos

It was mentioned above that you should bring gifts when paying visits. It’s the thought that counts, but some gifts are forbidden.

Clocks are the worst gifts. The word for clock is a homophone (sounds like) “the funeral ritual”. Also, clocks and watches are items that show that time is running out.

Items associated with funerals – handkerchiefs, towels, chrysanthemums, items coloured white and black.

Sharp objects that symbolise cutting a tie (i.e. scissors and knives).

Items that symbolise that you want to walk away from a relationship (examples: shoes and sandals)

Mirrors

These don’t just apply to the Spring Festival, so keep it in the back of your mind!

Foods For The New Year

Dishes may vary slightly according to regional and family customs. Dumplings (gau ji) are more commonly served in the north of China, while Hong Kong families often go for a dim sum meal.

Here the origins of some traditional Chinese festival foods and their often quirky symbolic meanings.

Lettuce for the lion dance

Dried oysters and ‘hair vegetable’ stir-fry

Egg noodles, or yi mein

Glutinous rice cake, or neen go

‘Basin food’, or poon choi

Lotus root soup, or leen gnau tong

Dim sum

Auspicious Greetings

金玉滿堂 Jīnyùmǎntáng – “May your wealth [gold and jade] come to fill a hall”

大展鴻圖 Dàzhǎnhóngtú – “May you realize your ambitions”

迎春接福 Yíngchúnjiēfú – “Greet the New Year and encounter happiness”

萬事如意 Wànshìrúyì – “May all your wishes be fulfilled”

吉慶有餘 Jíqìngyǒuyú – “May your happiness be without limit”

竹報平安 Zhúbàopíng’ān – “May you hear [in a letter] that all is well”

一本萬利 Yīběnwànlì – “May a small investment bring ten-thousandfold profits”

福壽雙全 Fúshòushuāngquán – “May your happiness and longevity be complete”

招財進寶 Zhāocáijìnbǎo – “When wealth is acquired, precious objects follow”

Sources:

Web Holidays

Chinese New Year

Wikipedia

https://shirleytwofeathers.com/The_Blog/pagancalendar/category/february/

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