#fu talisman

[yebreed]

Ming and Qing Taoist tokens (Ling Pai 令牌 aka Lei Ling 雷令or Wu Lei Hao Ling 五雷號令) used in the Thunder Rites (Lei Fa 雷法). Mostly from Lushan Taoist school (閭山派), Fujian.

The tokens are made of wood, often peach wood or jujube, however, jade, ivory, bamboo root, etc. are allowed. The rounded top represents Heavens and the rectangular base – Earth.

The Ling Pai are engraved with signs corresponding to those divinities or forces with which the practitioner interacts during the Rites. The patterns and shapes may vary depending on the Taoist school and lineage, but the overall structure remains recognizable.

Photo: © Lin Mengyi, Xuanwu Daomen Taoist Research Center (林孟毅 玄武道門 道教研究中心), Taiwan.

[arleniansdoodles]

Thought I'd draw Kuroki from my Sifu fic! The first painting features her house from the arena levels, which is most definitely not a portal to the underworld loll (and it's not directly stated whether it is or isn't her home, but given the location and architecture/style, I've assumed it is XDD)

In the second painting, she's hanging out with MC - who is in turn hanging out with the Water talisman! I took Kuroki's parasol from the arena level with her house; I did a shoddy job at drawing it, so next time I'll try to make it look better ^^;;

[fluffypurpleglitterdemon]

Go away Bai Wuxiang let Hua Cheng have his suppressed panic in peace! Let Hua Cheng panic over Xie Lian's immobilized body until the spell wears off and Xie Lian can give him a smooch hug!

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

The Best Friend Showdown

Season four had many, many flaws. One of the big ones was the Rena Rouge vs Chat Noir conflict where Ladybug starts relying on Alya more and more, basically using her to replace Master Fu. We get a sense that Chat Noir feels inferior to Rena Rouge because of this change, but it’s never directly addressed. The most we get is this conversation from Hack-San:

Ladybug: I'm really sorry, Cat Noir. I should've told you. I mean, if I found out that you told someone about your secret identity, I'd... probably be upset, too. I'm really sorry I hurt your feelings. Cat Noir: You didn't hurt my feelings. You did everything right. 

Which is actually a really weird bit of dialogue because - as far as I can tell - nothing in the episode revealed that Scarabella knew Ladybug's identity. She hands out miraculous all the time and no one knows who she really is. Why would this time be different? Ladybug could just show up in costume, explain what's up, and then hand off the earrings while using yet another miraculous.

Anyway, the Rena Rouge vs Chat Noir conflict is “resolved” by Rena Rouge being outed again (and I guess that matters this time), leading her to give up her miraculous so that Gabriel can’t steal it away, which of course leads Gabriel to steal it away and fully disempower Ladybug’s larger team, leaving Chat Noir her only teammate.

How satisfying! This is such good, character-driven story telling!

It’s not. This is plot contrivances to the max with no meaningful character beats, but we’re not here to talk about that. We’re here to do one of my favorite things: gush about a relevant Kim Possible episode! Today’s topic is episode 12 of season one: Pain King vs. Cleopatra, the episode that introduces Kim’s female BFF, Monique!

This was a bit of a shocker for me because I didn’t realize that Kim and Monique weren’t pre-series friends. Turns out that, much like Alya, Monique is a new girl, which isn’t a bad call. This was a nice way to delay Monique’s introduction for a few episodes so that the writers could focus on establishing Kim’s relationship with other key members of the cast like her partner, Ron. Spacing out your intros is the way to go whenever you can pull it off as it’s a kindness to your audience that keeps them from feeling overwhelmed, making it more likely that they’ll remember your cast.

The other, more important similarity between Alya and Monique is that, when Kim’s hero partner and life-long friend finds out about Monique, he is less than thrilled:

Kim: I barely got to see them. Right after I hooked up with Monique, the museum was robbed by some glowing-headed animal guy. Ron: Oh, that's nice. Ron: Wait a minute, who's Monique? Kim New friend, really great. Anyway, the thief stole an enchanted ancient talisman. Ron: Whoa, whoa, back up! How can I not know about a new friend? Kim: I met her at Club Banana, then again at the museum before I chased the glowing robber. Ron: So what's she like? Kim: The robber? Ron: The friend, Kim, the "new friend".

Throughout the episode, Kim and Monique continue to bond without Ron, leaving Ron feeling left out:

Ron: Seein' a pattern here, Rufus: Kim does her thing, I do my thing, and pretty soon - we're doing different things.

Which leads him to get a little territorial:

Kim Ron! What are you doing here? Ron: Can I dine with my best friend and her new friend? Kim: Uuh, Ron, Monique, and vice versa. Ron: Bearclaw? Monique: No, thanks, I'm vegetarian. Ron: Uhm, I'm pretty sure it's imitation bear? Kim: She's joking, Ron. Ron: Good one, hahaha, ha, good one. So, did Kim tell you that I'm her sidekick? Cause that role is definitely taken by me. Monique: Riiiight. Well, in... you know I better get to class. Later, Kim. Um, n-nice meeting you, Ron. Ron: Likewise, I'm sure! Kim: What is your problem? You're acting really weird. Ron: Well, let's see. You went to the museum with Monique, not me. Monique was with you this morning, not me. Hmm, pattern? Kim: Yeah. You. Weird. Ron: No, we're drifting apart because you're excluding me. Kim: I am not excluding you. It's just that you and Monique are... different.

Noticing some similarities to Miraculous here?

So how does Kim Possible resolve this conflict?

Well, the plot of this episode resolves around Kim Possible’s version of professional wrestling, the GWA. There’s a competition going on that Kim has no interest in watching (mood), but when Kim mentions the GWA to Monique:

Monique: Why didn't you bring [Ron] along? Kim: Unless someone put a waiter in a headlock, this is definitely not Ron's scene. Besides, he had a date with "Steel Toe". Monique: He scored tickets to Mayhem in Middleton? The GWA rocks! Kim: What?

It turns out that Monique and Ron have a shared interest! Multiple shared interests, in fact! Interests that Kim does not share:

Monique: You know, I still can't believe you met Pain King and Steel Toe. Ron: I can't believe you're into wrestling. Kim: I can't believe I know either one of you.

By the end of the episode, the conflict is resolved not with Kim having to pick a BFF or with Monique somehow being demoted, but by showing that this didn’t need to be a conflict at all. Kim can have multiple close friends that she shares different interests with without any of those friends being lesser. Those friends can, in turn, have their own friendships that don’t always involve her.

It’s a genuinely lovely resolution that makes me love this little friend group because it now has added complexity. Monique and Ron are friends in their own right! Kim is not the center of the universe in spite of her main character status!

I also love that Kim isn’t vilified for having other friends or portrayed as constantly leaving Ron out of things that he'd want to do in favor of Monique. Ron genuinely would not enjoy most of the things that the girls love to do together. At the same time, Ron’s feeling aren’t treated as totally irrational either and Kim even admits to ditching him. It’s a genuine, complex conflict that is super common when someone enters a new relationship be it platonic or romantic.

Obviously Kim Possible’s version of this conflict feels far less complex than Miraculous’ because Kim Possible understood that Ron should be Kim’s one-and-only partner, so his position was really never threatened. Monique does not want to be an action hero and is never given the sort narrative weight that elevates her to Ron’s level or higher, but that doesn't matter. The basic lesson here is still relevant and super important for the intended audience of both of these shows.

There did not need to be a Rena Rouge vs Chat Noir conflict that never got properly resolved. Miraculous could have made these two friends and no, Scarabella doesn't count because Chat Noir has no idea that Scarabella is Rena Rouge/Furtive. Their relationship ended at the end of Hack-San. He didn't even know that Rena Furtive was a thing until she was in the process of being benched and that's the problem.

Kim Possible is not a team show, Miraculous is, and yet Kim Possible has better team dynamics than Miraculous. Monique could have joined Kim's team at the end of Pain King vs. Cleopatra and it would have felt natural because both Kim and Ron had welcomed Monique and formed a genuine bond with her. This is a true friend group that Miraculous can only dream of even though they've been adding new superheroes since season two.

We're going into a season with a full, massive team and yet that team has no established dynamics on the hero side. It's not a functional team! None of these characters have meaningful relationships with each other as heroes save for Alya and Nino since they know each other’s secret identities. The only relationships Miraculous cares about are the various romances and everyone's relationship to Marinette and everyone suffers for it.

The show would not have been harmed by Rena Rouge, Chat Noir, and Ladybug being a team. It was the thing I kept think after watching the Kim Possible episode. Since the team is the end game, why aren't we seeing them? It would have been so nice to have Hack-San end with Ladybug introducing Chat Noir to Rena Furtive instead of a nonsense discussion about an issue the episode didn't even address.

[asarigg]

Character Design: Part 7

KOTODAMA

Speaking of Aoba’s powers, it was traditionally believed that words had power, and precisely in Koujaku’s route, which is the one with the traditional japanese theme, it’s not just about what Aoba says, the step to choose the bad or good ending is precisely to form a word.

The word for “speech” (koto) and the word for “soul” (tama) are combined. Words can magically affect objects, and the ritual chanting of words can affect the individual and the environment. For example, if you call someone’s name, the sound will have an impact on them, regardless of whether they can hear you or not. Spells and incantations to shinto gods were believed to possess divine power. Not only people, but also animals and objects have souls, so it’s not strange that this is also the case for words. At first it seems like they were just spells and incantations, but over time other words took magical power as well.

Words are also used to make talismans, and writing itself became an art. I wouldn't be surprised if the connection between the spiritual realm and hair could have something to do with their phonetic similarity. Both “god” and “hair” are kami, although I think with a slightly different pronunciation, so it is just another reason to believe that Aoba’s hair has a heavy religious, sacred and magical meaning for Koujaku.

FLOWERS

Now let's talk about the flowers that appear in their illustrations. Cherry blossoms bloom in early spring when the school year starts, new careers too. It might even be an inspiration to look for a new job or even getting married, everything starts with cherry trees, for about two weeks it is a strong representative of spiritual beauty and new beginnings.

Rebirth, renewal, optimism to start something beautiful. Its short life span makes us reflect on the brevity of life, to comprehend the value of life and enjoy every second of it. This flower was also seen as the symbol of the samurai, both were considered to have a short life, and the cherry petals represented the drops of blood spilled in their battles. It is the soul of the samurai, and their souls live in the cherry tree.

We see it being used constantly in their illustrations, they even used it as decoration for the promotional images of their figure.

Obviously it is one of the most important flowers, if not the most, because besides the peonies in Koujaku's tattoo, it is perhaps the one with the most significant weight. The first time we see the cherry blossom is in the CGs at the beginning and end of Re:connect. Let's remember that at the beginning is when Koujaku finally cuts his hair.

Not only the flowers, but also the haircut symbolizes the beginning of a new era, for each of them individually, and for both of them as a couple. Cutting Aoba's hair isn't just a simple "I want to be the one to cut your hair" because he wants to be special. It's more of a "I want us to write a new page in life together." They've been through so much and now they can finally see life with different eyes, especially Koujaku, who had a strongly tunneled vision.

Aoba is trusting him with something that has hurt him so much before and that he's been bullied for, which is also the reason they met, because Aoba’s hair was being pulled. Not only that, at this point they say the pain has numbed, but not gone away completely, so Aoba still feels a bit uncomfortable. And now he’s cutting the very reason why they met, and taking the utmost care not to hurt him.

He can finally hope for something more out of life than just stay there, staring from the distance, he can have some hope that his existence will be something else beyond being a broken puppet. And this is reflected in the Drama CD, when he tells Aoba that he wants to open his own shop. He is settling down, he is having plans for the future, for himself, and for Aoba, he is growing as a person and breaking free from his way of living, so irresponsible with his own well-being, irresponsible with his future. He didn't even see a future for himself before.

I also want to point out that the cherry tree doesn't appear at first. It's true that the illustration where he's cutting his hair should theoretically have happened before. I don't know exactly but I imagine it's just a promotional illustration that they've also included in the game, because the style of the render is different. That's why I believe it's good to think that it's an addition from later and that's why it doesn't appear in the CG. The cherry blossoms appear as a tree regardless, so it’s still there.

The thing is that this bonsai, of this particular flower, appears after cutting Aoba's hair, so it seems like an addition to the house after starting this new stage together, as a sign that the time Aoba spends with him is having an effect, an influence. Now there's not just one person living in that flat, but two, Aoba has practically moved in with Koujaku at this point.

The next flowers I want to talk about are the ones that appear on Aoba's clothes.

I don't know exactly what the round ones are supposed to be, but I've assumed they're daisies or gerberas. They are said to represent the love hidden in the heart, innocence, happiness and true affection. “I feel the same”. The simple beauty of a happy life.

As you can imagine, it's quite representative of his feelings for Koujaku. Similar to his friend, what Aoba felt for him wasn't just friendship since long before the events of the game. They had such a close friendship, for so long, trusting each other with everything (uh) that those feelings had slipped by. Aoba takes longer to realize it, but the way he talks about Koujaku, his reactions, how he describes his hands, it's not neutral at all. These are subtleties that for some may not mean anything, but he doesn’t talk like that easily. I have no doubt that they would have done much more than that if it weren't for the fact that it would be too obvious in the middle of the common route and there are more characters with a dedicated route.

Also next to the daisies there’s bush clover, with the same significance of hidden feelings as with Koujaku. Koujaku in this illustration also has the motifs of white hibiscus and blue leaves, but there is no bush clover. Once they confess their feelings, Koujaku no longer has anything to hide, and he isn’t embarrassed of being in a queer relationship. We will talk more about these two topics later.

The hanging flower is a wisteria. They are beautiful iconic flowers that symbolize youth, perseverance, sensuality, and long-lasting romance. “Drunk with love”, “Never leave”. Its length has made it associated with longevity, and it can be given to a married couple, for example, as a wish for a long-lasting marriage. In general the color purple is associated with spirituality, the white color of these flowers might also be related to nostalgic memories. Wisterias are sometimes seen as a symbol of longing, clinging, and loyalty, as their branches wrap tightly around themselves and other plants or structures like vines. Aoba has issues with abandonment and jealousy, and we see this expressed on several occasions, even though he is embarrassed by it. He has a heavy attachment to Koujaku, which we will also talk about more later.

This is the Kabuki play "Fuji Musume"

In short, Aoba's love for Koujaku is pure, long-lasting, and it’s been deep in his heart for years. He loves him devotedly, yes, just as I've always described Koujaku's obsession with him. I get the feeling that a lot of people aren't aware or don’t see that Aoba has the same level of infatuation as Koujaku, because it's the latter who usually makes the first move, and he's the one who says out loud that he's been in love for years. Since their story is so based on duality and mirroring each other, on how much Aoba and Koujaku are alike despite being so different, it’s easy to assume that one's feelings aren’t any less deep than the other and is pretty much deliberate.

[celestial-sphere-press]

Fanbinding: SanRen by @kyogre-blue

Summary:

Leaving YunmengJiang in an effort to curb the tensions in the Jiang family, Wei WuXian becomes a rogue cultivator. Even without the support of a sect, he is a rare genius whose name will become known across the cultivation world and whose techniques will influence the course of a war. However, what influences his own fate is a chance meeting that becomes the first step toward love.

The cover of this book is self-made bookcloth, painted with mountains and a burning gold sun. The spine features the same lotus as seen later as a scene break. The hexagram array around the title (and all later arrays) are taken directly from I Ching drawings and diagrams. On the cover, the hexagram title is printed on vellum so that the marbled paper behind can show through.

I sewed the headbands in WWX & LWJ's colors. Though difficult to photograph, you can also see here the slight shine of the red-reflective pigment I colored the edges with.

Further fun with hexagrams!

The chapter headers incorporate a Fu love talisman design set over mountain scenery.

I had so much fun designing this book! The design itself is partially a love letter to a book I was recently gifted by ruby/hosruba during the @renegadepublishing Exchange. Their use of single column chapter pages and printed vellum over a colorful paper was inspiring!!

This fic was chosen by me as part of an exchange with @pleasantboatpress. I received a lovely copy of "Two Solitudes" (a Hannibal fic) from them. We each picked a fic that the other had yet read to recommend to them, and bound that fic and sent it to them. And if you are into MDSZ, I also recommend this fic to you!

[harvestmoss]

💕 Spellworks: Various sex magic spells

It's a lovely Friday! and I planned some sex magic, so here's what I did, including a few spells.

As always, this is an 18+ post, and generally I do not want minors interacting with posts like these.

TIME

Friday is the day of Venus (you may also remember it being the day of Aphrodite or Freya). This means that love and sex spells are especially powerful. I also casted on a waxing moon, as I wanted to build up passion and vigor. Though, sex magic also benefits from full moons and new moons.

TOOLS

I was performing a bunch of small little spells and ingredients to empower my bedroom with lust.

Cayenne pepper, cinnamon, mint, lavender, thyme, water, ginger, sugar, bay leaves, rose petals, flour, vanilla powder, yarrow, love oil.

morter and pestle, lighter, myrrh incense, fire proof dishes, small dishes, priapic wand, swan feather, small mirror, red candle, rose quartz, pen, sigil, cloth, adult toys.

SPELLS

Using my priapic wand, I cleansed and waved the wand around each corner, door, and bed to cleanse. Afterwards I lit some myrrh incense and wafted it around with the swan feather, letting the myrrh burn and fill up the room, I lit a new one when one was almost done. I continued wafting the swan feather around em as well to cleanse myself. - To make sure the space was cleansed and ready for sex magic, priapic wand is especially powerful for this.

I cleaned my tools with the myrrh incense. - Myrrh is considered one of the most erotic fragrances, it makes a woman burn with passion.

I poured thyme in a dish and poured boiling water over it, letting it steep and strained it. After cooling, I used the thyme water and washed myself. Thyme is a magnetic botanical of lust and love. - Thyme is derived from Helen of Troy's tears. Bathing yourself in her tears makes you a magnet to love, careful with how much as Helen was kidnapped twice.

I chewed and ate some mint. - people chew mint gum before a first date to freshen their breath, but it also helps with memory and sweet talking.

I anointed my doors with love oil. - To strengthen my bedroom.

I grinded* some thyme, rose petals, flour, cinnamon**, vanilla powder, and yarrow to make a love powder, this was sprinkled at the head of the bed, the corners, and underneath it. I sprinkled some by the doors as well, and a tiny bit on the sheets. - to invoke love and sex into my bed and bedroom.

I grinded lavender and thyme and sprinkled it in a fire proof dish, along with the love powder. I dressed a red candle with love oil and set it ablaze. Placing a rose quartz in the dish. I wrote my fiancés name on a bay leaf and set it on fire, letting the candle burn fully down. - This was to inspire passion and lust in my woman at home.

I mixed 2 parts cayenne pepper, 1 part sugar, and 1/2 part ginger, and 1/2 part cinnamon, and 1 part love oil. I anointed this mixture under the bed. To inspire good sex. Cayenne for more nasty and rough, sugar for more intimate and sweet. - To gain a good and specific kind of sex life, specifically on the bed.

Underneath my mattress, by the foot end, I have a red bag tied with red ribbon filled with rose petals and lavender, this make sure I have a good sex life, I cleansed it with smoke and charged it again.

I cleansed the small mirror and anointed with love powered and oil, Avoiding looking into it, I'm planning to capture a specific essence into this mirror, as in sex and lust, and my woman, using the mirror as a talisman to draw her to me. I have yet to complete this as it needs some days and charging it and exposing it to images for 8 days.

(*For sex magic, I do everything counter clockwise and near my genitals. This is to invoke deviancy, passion, and vigor. While clockwise would be the "vanilla sex" or reduce sexual drive.)

(**Cinnamon can be irritative on the skin, so I used cinnamon here sparingly.)

EXTRA

I never force my woman. She knows I do this spells on her, and even so, she doesn't mind if I did them in secret either. Funnily enough, she entered the bedroom as the candle was nearing the end and demanded we had fun. So we did, and I got to charge my sigil of lust with sexual fluids. Of course I forgot to make sure the mirror faced the bed to capture the moment. But overall, because of this interaction, which I did not ask her help for, I can say for certain that my sex spells worked wonderfully.

I also wanted to note that I always have rose petals by my window sill, and I made the sigil and constantly charge it every so often to make sure we have a good sex life. I also fed my woman some fruits earlier which included strawberries, figs, chocolate, and grapes, in a pink mug.

I have been performing glamour magic as well, which made me feel more fantastic as I performed these spells. It also helped being in the mindset and passionately invoked when doing these spells.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading my blog post and gained some sex magic inspiration. I've been wanting to post some spells but didn't know how, so I thought a little blog-like post would be fun.

Excuse grammar errors and spelling mistakes, English is not my first language.

[phenomenalgirl9]

Wangji's Friend: Trouble

Summary: Just Wangji saving your arse from Qiren when you cause trouble. Ft. Wei Ying and the Gang.

A/n: This idea randomly popped up.

_____________________________________

You walked into the Library Pavillion to see your childhood best friend in meditation. A smirk grew on your face as you hovered in front of him "Lan Zhan!" "Zhan Zhan" "Wanji" "Xiao Wanji" (little Wanji) you whispered.

When he didn't make any moves, not even his pupils are moving beneath his eye lead. So you picked up the brush from the ink pot and put it to use, yes you drew whiskers on his cheeks. You smiled to yourself and put it down. He looked kinda cute you thought and smiled to yourself. You walked away skipping as you met Nie Huisang on the way and went to enjoy the rest of the day beside the pond.

You were walking around the pond when you felt the hair on your neck stand and as expected, Wangji suddenly appeared holding your hand and twisting it the moment you tried to run. "Ah ah Lan Zhan, Brawling is not allowed in Gusu!" You said as Nie Huisang hid behind a nearby stone. Almost instantly Wei Wuxian walked in behind and started coaxing him "Aye Lan Zhan she's a Gunia what are you-" he looked at hin with a sharp look and then said "Not brawling" and started walking off with you.

He was angry, because Lan Qiren had almost walked in on him while he was wiping his cheeks and when asked he said it accidentally happened. "4 hours, waterfall" Lan Zhan told you and you started whining "why?! 4 hours!! Isn't it too long!! Lan Zhan~!". He made sure you meditated for 4 hours under the waterfall as he sat on the bank playing a new tune he practiced on his guqin.

_____________________________________

Wei Ying were exceptionally good artists. So you two decided on a prank. You know you would get punished but Qiren's probable expression would be worth it. He was drawing an Old rat (a/n: like Shifu from Kung fu Panda) and slowly passed it to Huisang who passed it to you. As Qiren passed from beside you you used your special flying talisman to attach the drawing on his back. A few of the students, even Jiang Cheng giggled earning a glare from Lan Zhan who immediately pulled the talisman and sketch away and crumbled it, silently.

He was literally glaring daggers at you and Wei Ying and you thought you were done for but strangely the rest of the day went quiet. Did Wangji not report you two?

_____________________________________

Other Mdzs Works

Main Masterlist

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

Debt

"There is always something fishy about somebody helping you out of nowhere." Wei Wuxian once told Nie Huaisang, when he offered to copy the rules in his place as students in the Cloud Recesses. In truth, Nie Huaisang did have a favor to ask in exchange for his kindness - receiving help cheating for a following exam - but that one exchange stuck in Nie Huaisang's mind beyond the funny memory of his youthful distaste for studying.

There is never favor done disinterestedly, something is always expected in turn - but weirdly enough, Wei Wuxian never expected to get anything for the favors he did for other people. It always made Nie Huaisang wonder whether this made Wei Wuxian incredibly kind or incredibly stupid. Payment should be expected, required and received - the world is transactional.

Nie Huaisang's world has always been that way. He has always been certain everybody else's worlds were the same, they had to be.

A few weeks before Wei Wuxian was sent back to Lotus Pier, an exam had to take place - and not the kind that Nie Huaisang could skip or be helped to cheat in. Students had to undergo a cultivation skills test under supervision from a representative from their home sect, physical proof of their progress under Lan guidance.

Most other sects sent one of their best cultivators or the sect leader's advisor - but for the Nie, Nie Mingjue himself announced he would be witnessing his brother's performance. He wanted to see for himself whether Nie Huaisang had taken his bout at the Cloud Recesses seriously - and that had him lose three nights of sleep trying to think over a solution.

"Your brother knows you're not very... cultivation-inclined." Jiang Cheng trie, the night before the exam, tired of Huaisang's ceaseless, panicked pacing around their room, "I'm sure he doesn't expect much from you."

"You are a horrible motivational speaker, Jiang-xiong." Huaisang glared, flitting his fan closed. "You don't know what my brother is like! He will skin me alive in front of everyone, rules be damned, if I don't do well!"

"Then maybe you should have actually put in some effort instead of drawing porn all day!"

"Go fu-"

"Nie-xiong, I have an idea." Wei Wuxian finally intervened after having quietly, thoughtfully watched the exchange between his roommates. "I don't know if it will work, I can't tell you what it is yet, but I think I might just save your ass."

Nie Huaisang's eyes sparkled with hope for the first time in the last three days and he threw himself over Wei Wuxian like the most grateful, melodramatic maiden, tears in his eyes and everything. "My ass will forever be grateful and indebted to you!"

And so, the day of the exam came, and Nie Huaisang tried not to think of his fate if whatever Wei Wuxian had planned would fail. He would probably be displayed at the gates of Qinghe with the word "disappointment" hanging off a plaque around his neck, eaten by crows, too shameful for a funeral. Or Nie Mingjue would make him train the saber twice as often, which was basically the same thing, if not worse.

Fate seemed to have smiled Huaisang's way that day - he was the last on the exam list, so he would have plenty of time to get his affairs in order and not regret anything if his brother did drag him to Qinghe and killed him.

He watched his friends undergo the exam one by one. Some were decent, others mediocre, a few exceptional. Of course Wei-xiong was the latter, drawing perfect talismans, displaying perfect sword forms, shooting straight on target, dispersing the fake ghosts and ghouls with swift cuts of his Suibian.

It was quite enjoyable watching him, to be honest - and Nie Huaisang found it incredibly funny to notice it hadn't been just him to notice that. Lan Wangji appeared bewitched himself, but nobody save for Nie Huaisang's observant eyes and Lan Xichen's knowing smile seemed to acknowledge that.

Interesting.

But before he could ponder any implications and draw up any matchmaking plans, Nie Huaisang's name had been called. He stood up on shaky legs and avoided his brother's gaze fiercely. He did not want to feel the humiliation of his impending failure before it happened.

Just as he was about to step into the training grounds, Wei Wuxian stood up from his seat among the Jiang delegation. "I have something to say."

The exam proctor sighed, "Yes?"

"Nie-xiong has been ill during most of our training, his constitution is weak and he has missed much of the practice the rest of us have undergone. His performance is likely to be subpar."

Nie Huaisang sent his friend a horrified, scandalized look. Your plan is to publicly humiliate me?!

"Which is why I am asking to take the exam in his place. Nie-xiong and I have studied together extensively, and he has great potential in politics, though his cultivation skills are not as developed. I do not believe it is fair to test him in the very opposite of his talents."

Nie Mingjue looked over the youth, curious. He had never known that the Jiang sect could produce that kind of person.

"If you fail," he started, "whatever should your punishment be?"

"Whatever sect leader Nie and the Lan sect finds fit."

"I will destroy your sword, then."

Wei Wuxian did not falter, bowing deeply, with respect. "I accept."

Nie Huaisang stood, motionless, shocked, staring wide-eyed at his friend - but Wei Wuxian only gave him a reassuring smile in exchange.

"Do not give him the same test again." Nie Mingjue asked the exam proctor. "Up the difficulty. Audacity must be backed by deeds."

Wei Wuxian smiled, confident, at the challenge. "Do your worst."

That one time, Huaisang fainted for real.

---

He woke up in his room, a cold cloth on his forehead and his brother by his side. He jerked awake immediately, "Where's Wei-xiong?! Did you-"

"He passed." Mingjue replied, as if it had been the most natural thing to say. "Which means that you did, too. Undeserved, but I am a man of my word."

Huaisang flopped down onto the bed. "If it's any consolation, I didn't know he'd do that. He's been dealing with me being anxious and annoying the past few days and... decided to help, I guess."

"I will accept this result only on one condition, though."

"What?"

"Bring that boy into the Nie sect with you."

"Da-ge, there's no way I-"

"A favor for a favor."

And he left, though Huaisang felt none the better.

---

The war started quickly after that, and Nie Mingjue seemed to have forgotten all about the favor he asked of his brother. Then, he became ill, qi deviated more and more often, and ultimately died, nearly taking Huaisang with him.

And so started his many questions as to how, why and who, and the difficult journey of finding out the answers, grappling with the painful truth and the thirst for justice that came after that.

But the moment he saw Mo Xuanyu walking about with Hanguang-Jun in tow, beginning to uncover the mystery that Huaisang now knew as his brother's wrongful death, he figured he could count it as him finally paying back his brother's favor.

In a way, at least.

[don-dake]

Random Cantonese Phrase-of-the-day:

鬼畫符 (🇭🇰🇲🇴 gwai² waak⁶ fu⁴)

Been rewatching some old TV series lately where the constant appearances of 符 in it reminded me of this humorous figure of speech! Heh!

Meaning: Unintelligible or poor handwriting.

Literal meaning: Ghosts/spirits drawing on a 符.

***********************************************

n.b.: Originating from Taoism (though today it has transcended into Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, and Shintoism too), 符 can be described as a talisman — for all sorts of causes ranging from good health, warding off evil, etc., to (purportedly) casting spells on others for more nefarious reasons.

Often in the form of yellow rectangles of paper with enchanted inscriptions written on them, these talismans are mostly unintelligible to the average person, and only (sanctioned) practitioners on the art of 符 inscriptions truly know what they mean.

To the average person, these scrawls are (jokingly?) seen as “writing done by ghosts/spirits” or “writing so unintelligible, only ghosts/spirits may understand them”!

↑ A sample of my own 「鬼畫符」 (囧); am actually embarrassed but it's an appropriate example for this post I guess! While not unintelligible (I hope?), it's still damn ugly!

[arthistoryanimalia]

For #Feathersday: Some selections from the Kingfisher Headdresses from China exhibition at Art Institute of Chicago showcasing tian-tsui, the traditional Chinese fine art of using the highly prized iridescent blue feathers of regional Kingfisher species (Alcedinidae).

Lots more pieces (including smaller hairpins & earrings) on display at the exhibition, open through May 2023.

It is also important to note that the demand for feathers for tian-tsui nearly drove kingfishers to extinction in China in the early 20th centry, with the last feather factory closing in 1933. But there are now some contemporary artists reviving the craft who make a point of using ethically sourced feathers (collected from molt etc).

1 Cap (清朝 点翠头饰） China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 18th-19th century Gold wire, kingfisher feathers, amber, coral, jadeite, ivory, glass, silk Exceptional workmanship and the brilliant color of the kingfisher feathers make this an outstanding example of a woman's headdress. At the center, a phoenix with a peacock-like tail is flanked by a pair of dragons. Stacked above the phoenix are a large bat studded with a jadeite gem and another executed in fine filigree. Gourds, symbolizing the wish for multiple offspring, appear on the sides and suggest that this cap may have been worn by a young woman.

2 Headdress (清朝 点翠头饰） China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Silk-covered lattice, kingfisher feathers, gilt bronze, jadeite, coral, amethyst, rose quartz, and carnelian The central roundel on this headdress features a butterfly with jadeite wings and a coral body while those on either side contain rose-quartz flowers and narrow-waisted bottle gourds, symbols of fertility. Below the butterfly, two bat-like creatures with long antennae and quartz bodies are flanked by gourds. Jade-petal flowers and other plant motifs fill the top register.

3 Headdress (清朝 点翠头饰） China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Kingfisher feathers, gilt bronze, pearls, garnets. rose quartz, jadeite, and glass, applied to a silk-wrapped wickerwork trellis The numerous stylized creatures that adorn this headdress are bats. They represent a motif favored in Chinese art because the Chinese word for "bat" (fu) sounds similar to that for good fortune. The wings of the large bats are fashioned with seed pearls, and red agate cameos indicate the eyes and bodies of the smaller ones. Their long antennae end in pearls, which would quiver with the slightest movement when the headdress was worn. The strings of pearls hanging from the lower rim form a veil.

4 Tiara (清朝 点翠头饰) China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Kingfisher feathers on silver gilt, jadeite, carnelian, coral, and ivory In Chinese culture dragons are powerful but benevolent creatures, and the ones that decorate the top of this tiara chase a central flaming pearl- a combination that probably expresses the hopes for a happy marriage. Around the perimeter, stylized characters for longevity (show) and small figures of immortals symbolize a further wish for long life. On the inner rim, the eight phoenixes facing downward are also talismans for good fortune.

5 Tiara (清朝 点翠头饰) China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Kingfisher feathers on gold and gilt bronze, agate, and lapis lazuli At the top of this tiara, a pair of dragons chase a flaming pearl, a motif expressing hopes for a happy marriage. Below them a pavilion probably represents a paradise of immortals, and still farther down are two goldfish, symbolizing offspring and good fortune. The bottom is composed of a row of birds facing downwards, each holding in its beak a string of pearls suspending L-shaped musical chimes. The Chinese word for chime, qing, is similar to that for celebration.

6 Opera Costume Headdress (民国 点翠头饰） China, first half of 20th century Kingfisher feathers, gilt bronze, faux pearls, and glass This headdress teems with symbols of good fortune. The design centers on a large tree peony and below it, a pair of guardian lions flank a flaming pearl. The next row down features red-headed phoenixes and a dragon. A pair of leaping fish--symbolizing a successful career and abundant offspring- appear above the peony. At the top is a pavilion, perhaps representing a paradise of immortals. More details appear amidst the primary designs: bats and butterflies fluttering their wings and Chinese characters with meanings such as "wealth," "longevity," "nobility," and "glory," collectively imbuing the headdress with an air of celebration.

7 Opera Costume Headdress (民国 点翠头饰) China, Possibly Guangxi province, early 20th century Gilt bronze, kingfisher feathers, pearls, coral, silk thread, and glass Together with phoenixes, mandarin ducks, and bats, four large clamshells decorate this headdress. Each clamshell contains a pearl that is visible only from the side or the top. Contemporary audiences would likely have noticed many pearls dotting the headdress, though, and associated them with the clamshells' contents. In addition to wealth, the pearls probably symbolize a wish for a happy marriage and many offspring. 

[all descriptions above from the gallery labels]

***

The only book I know about (in English) about tian-tsui feather art is this one:

Kingfisher Blue: Treasures of an Ancient Chinese Art by Beverley Jackson (2001)

PS - kingfisher feathers aren't really blue - and in fact no bird feathers are known to have "true blue" pigmentation! It's all structural color, just a trick of the light fooling our eyes. :) (Try taking a single "blue" feather and backlighting it sometime to see for yourself!)

Learn more here:

[yebreed]

Ye Fashan’s Taoist achievements marked a fateful for Ye lineage transition from the Way of the Celestial Masters (天師道, Tianshi dao) to the practices of the Supreme Clarity (Shangqing, 上清派). This doctrinal turn subsequently linked the Ye family to the Shangqing school for many centuries.

Part 1, Part 3.

[arleniansdoodles]

Another Sifu painting from my fic, featuring Earth talisman shenanigans; more specifically, Yang is trying to control MC's spirit, but MC ends up using his powers against him!

I was kinda embarrassed to post this at first loll but then I was like, I've spent way too long trying to fix Yang's face that I can't not post it XD I also really like how their pose turned out, especially their hands! I love drawing hands (except when they're being difficult hahaa)

[three-milkz]

Could there be a balance of powers between ladynoir in season six? I think so, but I know that the writers won't do it because they don't know how to do their job and the fandom does the job a thousand times better with fanfics.

Going back to balance. There was never a balance as such between them. On s1, Ladybug did most of the work and Chat rarely did anything noticeable.

With Fu making an appearance, the chances of Chat showing off a bit are totally diminished, because the writers decided to bring in the WORST teacher, well, mediocre attempt at teacher. They tried to make Fu look like he was wise or whatever, but he does a lousy job and the best thing he could do was get off the show.

A teacher must guide those he trains and give them the same treatment and importance, especially if he says that his two students have the same balance of power. Fu favors Marinette and doesn't get close to Adrien until he is forced. If this weren't bad, he is such a bad teacher, that he leaves a terrible legacy for Marintte, Fu literally made Marinette follow his terrible footsteps in s4.

But I still think there can be a balance if the writers remember that Chat is not just a punching bag.

And this is where Cerise comes in, but let's call it Lila.

As we know, the only limit that the miraculous have is the holder and as we also know, Lila is a thousand times more intelligent than Gabriel.

We also know that Ladybug is essential for battles, because she is the only one that can purify akumas. (Pretty dumb idea if you ask me. Why can only ONE miraculous clear the akumas? What if the ladybug's miraculous is missing while the butterfly's one is owned by someone bad? or the ladybug's is owned by the same person who the butterfly? It does NOT make sense. Even so, it has been shown in chat blanc that akumas can be destroyed with cataclysm, but only before the akuma gets its victim, although this is forgotten and will never be used again). And Chat can be replaced by ten temporary heroes without problems.

but what if we make both ladybug and chat so important that they are the only ones with the power to clear the akumas?

Maybe Lila can develop her powers so that the ONLY way to destroy the akumatized object is with the cataclysm. There is no cataclysm, the akuma is still there doing damage.

We have only one akuma from the future and timetagger's akumatized object is destroyed WITH THE CATACLYSM, I'm not going to rule out the idea that it could happen, but it probably won't.

Good, let's continue.

Chat has been a jester forever and is useless in most cases, but we know that he can do a VERY GOOD job when he wants to. Examples: sandboy, passion, kuro neko, etc. But I will also add this: during passion, Mari is VERY distracted because she is in love with Chat and well, she ruins it several times by being in the clouds and she had more in mind flirting than worrying about the akuma. Somehow, are they telling us that Chat was useless for that very reason? For being in love with Ladybug? If we follow that logic, then in s6 things will improve a lot for him.

(Although with so many mediocre heroes, even the baby Augustus would beat them and anyone can look perfectly)

As we know, Adrinette is canon and ladynoir is just a friendship, so with no romantic feelings involved, Chat can focus on doing effective work.

And, I think this is already asking a lot, that he wants to explore his powers more and improve in that aspect, even more knowing that he has infinite cataclysms. If they want to give Su-han a use, then they can make him a master of Adrien and Mari, not like Fu. Although between fu and suhan I don't know which one is worse in uselessness.

In s6, the akumas will be much stronger and it is necessary for everyone to take the job seriously, so I hope that they will finally give Chat the leading role and development that he deserves from s1.

(Last thing. If Chat's power is evolved as Ladybug being able to create talismans, they would do it with the cataclysm at a distance. Chat Blanc makes it clear that he can do it. When he is akumatized, Gabriel POWERS UP the abilities of Chat, there is a high chance that Chat could use cataclysm from a distance at some point.)

[talenlee]

4e: The Unmindful Monk

Normally when I write about 4e, I do so trying to talk about the game in a way that doesn’t involve or introduce any particular changes to the game. It’s not useful for me to advocate for a game in terms of ‘here’s how cool this game is, if you accept my houserules.’ Typically speaking, I try to talk about what’s in the rulebook, even if I’m gleeful about pointing out the ways that we didn’t play 3e by the rules and probably nobody else did.

But it’s a bit of a challenge to advocate for something when you’re actually advocating for a connected idea in your head. Like, at that point I might as well point out that part of why I like 4e D&D so much is I get to play it with my cool friends who are great, and at that point: Who am I fooling, of course that game kicks ass. If I present new content for 4e, it’s discretely new; it’s cultures from my own world, new class feats or whatnot, but it’s not asking you to change anything in the game that exists. That makes this something new, and something I am doing with so much more thought than it really needs.

Anyway, hey, what if the Monk was Martial, not Psionic?

I’ve written in the past about how the Monk, the class, in 4e is a psionic class, and how that psionic flag on them is a strange exception. My ‘conspiracy theory’ is that it’s detritus from the ki power source that was ditched at some point, either for good reasons (‘is this a little racist?’) or mediocre reasons (‘we can’t think of three other classes for this’). To simplify, the Psionic power source represents four classes: Battleminds, Ardents, Psions, and Monks. Battleminds, Ardents and Psions all have a system of power points and feats that relate to them, and the Monk has a totally different system called Full Disciplines. And the Monk is Psionic, despite having nothing in common with the other Psionic classes. Weird, right?

It’s not even like ‘Psionic’ is a generic term lacking in a particular meaning in the context of 4e D&D. In one of the stranger beats in the rulebook, ‘Psionic’ power is power that stems from a contact with the Far Realms. That makes sense for the horror opened unnatural eyes and bending of reality of the Battlemind and Psion, but the Monk’s power is described as coming from within. They’re expressed as pushing the limits of the body, tapping into a greater spirit, and coming to understand something about themselves.

Look, who am I kidding: You know exactly what “Monk” means. It’s Kung Fu shit. It’s a class of Kung Fu shit and Kung Fu in the west has no association with psychic powers. Despite the way Kung Fu may be tied to a bunch of different kinds of mysticism, in the west it’s tied to mastery of the body, and typically is explicitly the opposite of magical powers. A kung fu hero is the guy who beats up some kind of wizard or talisman wielder, not a guy who can channel the power of his mind to change things across the world. Sure, you can argue that Kung Fu shit is about using the mind to power the body, but the Kung Fu Shit still punches things powered by the mind.

It’s not far realm Lovecraftian brain tentacles. It’s cool Kung Fu shit.

Accept if you will that the Monk doesn’t really belong in the Psionic power category. Just accept that I accept it, even if you don’t. If it’s not Psionic now, what is it? You could hypothetically have a power sourceless class – there’s no reason for it to have to have one, it would just be even more bogglingly weird than the Psionic power source itself was. But there doesn’t have to be a complete vacation from that source when instead there’s an existing power source that the monk could belong to, and I mean, as written, should belong to.

See, here’s the description of the Martial Power Source in the Player’s Handbook:

Martial powers are not magic in the traditional sense, although some martial powers stand well beyond the capabilities of ordinary mortals. Martial characters use their own strength and willpower to vanquish their enemies. Training and dedication replace arcane formulas and prayers to grant fighters, rangers, rogues, and warlords, among others, their power.

Training and dedication. Training and dedication. Training and dedication. You know, those things that we use monks and monasteries to shorthand and signify. It’s not magical weapons, it’s dedicatedly training endlessly to refine the body into a perfect tool for the craft of… well, again, Kung Fu Shit.

What though! What changes if this change is implemented? What does this house rule open up? What need of mine does it satisfy, as the person who is going to play with this rule at best?

Well, it means that Monks lose access to all Psionic feats, Paragon Paths, and Epic Destinies. Of which Monks have… zero meaningful interactions. Alright, that sets that aside. Anything that ‘requires’ a monk and a psionic background can be easily folded to just ignore the psionic requirement. It also means that Monks gain access to Martial feats, Paragon Paths, and Epic Destinies. What does that mean?

Uh Martial Practices?

Which includes flavourful things like being able to craft and repair objects, tracking people, being able to prserve a corpse, balance perfectly, recognise details in a space perfectly, faking an identity, slowing your heartbeat and – hang on this is more Kung Fu shit!?

It does mean that Martial arts get to do more things like throw flame and channel the spirit of a dragon and all that but that stuff is meant to be a metaphor for what the body can do! You might see it as a development of something in the Martial space that you don’t want it to have, but I might suggest that the limited vision of how Martial characters can’t do things like that is part of the problem that led to bad opinions on 4e in the first place.

I’m going to level with you, that as a designer, this is not an important or meaningful change. This is a change that tidies up the bookkeeping of an organisation chart that nobody actually playing needs to care about. Maybe you have a monk character who would really like access to Martial Practice, and that player gets one bonus feat now they don’t have to spend. It’s such a niche thing, I can’t imagine it actually matters.

But it kinda matters to me.

Now, as with doing your own appendectomy, if the Monk moves out of the Psionic pool to the Martial pool, then that cleans up the Psionic Power Source, we are now filled with courage and confidence and ready to reach over and start extracting other organs.

Like c’mere, Vampire…

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[ninafelina]

Cat Noir and his mission in “miraculous”. Did Master Fu make a mistake?! I immediately warn Cat Noir fans not to read this article.

I hope I’m not the only one who noticed that in the fight against villains, Cat Noir is practically useless, and sometimes even gets in the way or harms. The viewer is often shown his inaction or ridiculous behavior. There are many such episodes.

The person who has been entrusted with such an important talisman must have certain qualities, namely responsibility, intelligence, and the ability to control their emotions.

More than once in the series, you probably noticed that Ladybug herself understands that Cat Noir only creates problems for her and is of little use to her. Of course, she cannot tell him this directly because she is afraid of offending him.

But it makes me sad to see how Ladybug often fights villains alone and saves the world.