#grandmother zhang

[lxvesick-stars]

"Was that sarcasm, Fai Zhang?"

"Yes, Grandmother."

"Good, there may be hope for you yet"

absolutely underrated moment right there

[mallorykeen]

okay. but frank would know how much a loaf of bread from the shops costs. why wouldn't he?

[echo16reads]

I love Frank

[happyk44]

Me: looks up Frank's powers halfway through writing a fic about him feeling like he's losing his humanity due to shapeshifting because i need to check something

The wiki: he can't mix and match animal characteristics.

Me, who's already written that he's using multiple animal characteristics to survive: fuck you, i do what i want

[everythingannoyingpjo]

how a lot of east asian characters are antagonistic/mean kinda sucked for me. like, half of them. does this make me a bit selfish for thinking about just my race? maybe. but i'm also speaking on behalf of 11 year old me, who didn't get much rep in the media to begin with. ethan nakamura was a villain just up until the end. drew tanaka was a one off character whos only purpose was to be a stereotypical aphrodite girl. sherman yang is described multiple times to just be a flat out dick. annabeths step mom is very debated upon but just from annabeths perspective shes bad. and frank zhang was the only major ea character whos main character traits werent just being mean and rude. i guess theres alice miyazawa and billie ng but they barely got any pages. (franks grandmother and mom too but yeah). anyways that kinda broke little 11 yr old me's heart because my only other option besides frank zhang was cho chang from hp but cmon. her name is cho mfing chang. i guess thats why ive always gravitated towards frank? and why im such an apologist for drew tanaka. i feel so selfish talking about this cus i know other asians (not ea) have a way harder time with media representation but i just had to talk about it because from the perspective of an 11 yr old, the rare occasion of seeing people in media just like me being villainised definitely made me a bit upset reading the books.

Never thought about it, but you're totally right. That is super annoying. Drew-apologists are totally valid! I honestly think anyone who wants to flesh out a flat villain character is a champion among fans!

[riordanness]

okay so every single (okay some) pjo character and their opinion on taylor swift bc that’s all i think about:

percy jackson: isn’t the biggest swiftie in the world but adores her music if it’s on. he owns at least two copies of the 1989 cd and his fav song to blast while skateboarding is welcome to new york ofc.

annabeth chase: absolutely loves taylor, probably really resonated with her lyrics and storytelling style tbh. her favourite albums are definitely 1989 (the beach-y california vibe yk), lover, and midnights and folklore and evermore and fearless and reputation and speak now. (what can i say—she’s a swiftie)

grover underwood: he’s a music guy. ofc he likes taylor swift. probably only knows like four songs total, and they’re all from like debut and fearless but hey. that’s something.

piper mclean: you can’t tell me she doesn’t ADORE reputation. and probably fearless too actually. definitely has some kind of merch (a signed cd??) in her room back home.

hazel levesque: obviously didn’t know anything about her but once introduced, loves folklore and evermore and the tortured poets department. soft and soothing songs are defo her thing.

leo valdez: old mate probably listens to all too well every day tbh. he doesn’t love her and definitely isn’t a swiftie, but red (especially the vault tracks and the songs written for hunger games) are always welcome.

jason grace: my boy knows nothing. nothing. but you bet he finds out about her eventually and doesn’t really have an opinion either way. he neither hates or loves or dislikes or likes. it’s just music to him.

frank zhang: probably likes debut. but probably also never really thought about her or knew much about her music bc of his grandmother and stuff yk.

nico di angelo: to anyone’s face: absolutely not. but secretly? oh yeah. he would totally listen to folklore and shit are you kidding me?? he’s such a swiftie.

reyna avila ramirez-arellano: yes and no. a couple songs in her playlist but not like. that much. she doesn’t really mind her and doesn’t really love her either.

luke castellan: he’s lowkey a hater. probably listens to kanye just to spite swifties and writes those hate comments on all her fanpages and shit yk.

thalia grace: she likes about half of the reputation songs and a couple of ttpd too. (especially look what you made me do). but she’s more into older music like green day (iykyk hehe)

silena beauregard: UH. YES. lover girl in the flesh. she is totally the camp’s biggest swiftie and is the one who got annabeth into her. she’d defo have merch and posters and have memorised everything.

clarisse la rue: silena made her do it. that’s what she’d tell you,and it’s true!! but she has a secret soft spot for a good taylor swift song.

chris rodriguez: knows about her through clarisse, doesn’t really give a damn about her.

charles beckendorf: BIGGEST SWIFTIE EVER headcanon okok. owns merch. posters. go to her tours. the whole shibing shabong iykyk

apollo/lester papadopoulos: duh. he’s the god of music bro. i think he would appreciate the literal music industry herself

meg mccaffery: no way. she’s a professional hater for the pure fun of it, has probably never heard a single song other than shake it off, and comments ‘kanye better’ on all her fan accounts

carter kane: tbh he would appreciate her lyricism a lot, but doesn’t strike me as someone who listens to that much music in general?? also he wouldn’t really know a lot of normal pop culture stuff necessarily, so…

sadie kane: she likes her. she likes everything. she’s a pop girlie fs, so reputation/midnights are her BANGER albums. she would definitely have some taylor swift on her ipod playlist, but she’d be more into avril lavigne, lady gaga, olivia rodrigo and stuff like that.

zia rashid: who’s taylor swift?

magnus chase: the only canon swiftie magnus you have my heart. he’s also a basic white girl, thank you very much. he literally (IN CANON BTW) recognises ‘blank space’ and ‘i know places’ and identifies them as taylor swift. so. yeah. he’s a swiftie fs

coach hedge: lol nope. he’d have the worst music taste of all time. NEVER give him the aux

sally jackson: she would LOVEEE evermore and speak now and debut, fight me. she’s also just the perfect person ever so ofc she loves taylor swift

paul blofis: would defo vibe to it imo, but would never put any songs in his playlist tho cause he’s boring ok maybe he would for sally’s sake. and estelle’s

[witchhazelevesque]

I’ve been wondering about Frank’s firewood lately, but I mean that in the most literal sense.

As in, who cut it? Did the Zhang family have employees for outside maintenance? Frank mentions his grandmother had a maid, was there also a groundskeeper? Or did Emily maybe chop the wood for their fireplace? Did she hold it before it meant anything to her? Did they buy it precut? If they didn’t buy it, could it have come from a tree on their property?

How personal was it? How much of his family and ancestry is in it even at that level?

[xixovart]

argo2nauts music headcannons because this is too much

the misinformation some of you guys have spread regarding their music taste is insane/hj

(p.s: this is my take on this, if you disagree it’s alright!! it’s just fun and games :D)

(ps2: if any artist/band i mention is problematic please lmk!!)

percy - perseus jackson is a pretty intimidating skater kid with a resting bitch face who is covered head to toe in scars and has his ears pierced. where did the ‘high school musical/disney sitcom’ percy allegations come from. he likes led zeppelin (he canonically has a t shirt in toa if i can remember!!), childish gambino, d4vd, late night drive home, deftones, arctic monkeys, and chase atlantic.

fav song -

annabeth: this is a bit harder.. i think her music taste is either extremely varied or only listens to one album on repeat until her ears bleed. for my sanity i’m going with the former. i think she’d cry over boygenius and mitski (for obvious reasons) and i think she’d like sombr and famous 70/80s guys like queen, david bowie, ac/dc, the smiths ofc. and such. also mac demarco and phoebe bridgers!!!!”!?

fav song -

grover underwood - ADRIANNE LENKER!!!!!: THERE IS NOT A DOUBT IN MY MIND ABOUT IT. all of her songs suit him in one way or another. he needs to be seen more i love him to death. underrated man fr. also late night drive home, beach house, dream ivory, the smiths, queen, cas, WAVE TO EARTH!!!!!

fav song -

i know what youre thinking. “mali, will you ever shut up about this song?” answer is no. i will not.

piper mclean - CHAPPELL ROAN CHAPPELL ROAN IS HERRSSSS??? CASUAL? GOOD LUCK BABE???? HERS!!!! honorable mention: girl in red because don’t forget your roots. also madds buckley MAYBE? idk. also probably cas 🤷‍♀️

fav song -

nico - oh my beloved. he’d definitely listen to italian music when he misses bianca/maria but idk any italian artists so… for now we’re going with english music. and also very specific turkish song: m. by anil emre daldal because will. i’m thinking mitski, roar, mac demarco, OBVIOUSLY SUFJAN STEVENS??? cults, alex g, grimes, also very specifically: cupid by jack stauber? MAYBE conan gray… idk. and also definitely nirvana and guns n roses

fav song -

i heard this song while thinking of him and my heart SHATTERED guys do not make the same mistake i did.

hazel - i?? don’t know? really uhh… probably gracie abrams or adrianne lenker? phoebe bridgers, beach house?? soft rythm/music, deep/depressing lyrics. maybe tnbh but DEFINITELY current joys and adrianne lenker

(yes i made these first songs a rainbow on purpose (not rlly..) shut up i thought it’d be funny)

also this is her favorite song because it reminds her of nico and maybe marie, specifically the first lines!! (marceline [nico], is it just you and me in the wreckage of the world?)

frank zhang - MAC DEMARCO!! BEACH HOUSE!! TV GIRL!! CONAN GRAY!! MONTAN FISH!! GANG OF YOUTHS!! also his grandmother liked to listen to songs in mandarin and he likes remembering her so he constantly listens to 茉莉花 (Mòlìhuā) and uhh if you have any other old mandarin songs lmk :D!! and honorable mention: it almost worked by tv girl

fav song -

because it was his mother’s favorite song

jason grace - this is difficult.. like very. i don’t think he’d listen to music very much and it’s getting hard to not keep repeating artists. rmcm maybe? laufey, probably.. he listens to pretty much everything his friends to. he’s very flexible when it comes to music :)

fav song -

will solace - controversial maybe but i don’t think he’d like taylor swift very much.. no problem with her but i’d just like to see more variety in will’s music taste hcs. i think he’d love mac demarco (he’s been mentioned lke 8 times by now but he really is will’s favorite artist), tv girl, beach weather, the smiths, chappell roan, current joys, vacations, lemon demon, sufjan stevens, boygenius. conan gray, specifically summer child because it was written for him (i would know conan told me), and obviously the entirety of the mamma mia soundtrack. because it’s will.

fav song -

from the same album as nico because symbolism and that entire song is for them and tyem only (and also achicleos)

leo valdez - MY BELOVED!! very specifically the spanish part in stress relief (si puedes venir conmigo, amor, yo te enseño todo lo que hay. pq me tratas asi?? como no soy nadie ITS VALGRACE GUYS!!) uhh also chappell roan.. and your best american girl by mitski. and the smiths and queen and pavement. and lemon demon, the strokes, the cure.. maybe nirvana? and the front bottoms

fav song -

ok thats it im lagging so hard bye

[traineecryptid]

NPSS Weibo Q&A (20240831) Part 2

This is a Q&A session held on Weibo. People will tag their questions with the hashtag #南派三叔藏海花在线答疑# (#NPSS Zang Hai Hua Online Q&A#) and NPSS will look through the tag to pick some to answer. The event started at 1500 hours on 2024 August 31st.

Folder with screenshots and big compilation google doc is here. Part 1 is here.

1536

Q: Shu, why was the patriarch's item changed from the bronze bell to the Heavenly Staff ? Is it to match Tianshou? (T/N: Tianshou could be translated as Heavenly Orders)

A: I’ll explain it like this. If Wu Xie wanted to tell this story to someone else and this story was then retold by that someone else, it would certainly differ in certain details from the truth in his notebook. Perhaps it is to keep people from knowing the full story or perhaps it is so that others could better understand it, or perhaps [he] didn’t want to explain too much.

1539

Q: How do you manage to have both actors that fit the roles very well and actors who don’t in every show?

A: Problem with availability. 

1540

Q: Which is the most tragic character in ZHH aside from Xiaoge?

A: Wah, this is a good question. You have to keep watching yourself because this is a very hard-to answer question.

1541

Q: The dramas suck doesn’t mean that your books suck. Don’t worry at all. A: If the dramas really suck, could I have kept making one after another?

1544

Q: Sanshu, is there any way to make Wu Xie and Pangzi immortal? I can’t bear to see Wu Xie die. It would be hard for Zhang Qiling to adapt, right? A: When I was little, I also hoped to have this kind of medicine to give to my grandmothers.

1545

Q: Sanshu, Xiaoge had already inserted the Heavenly Staff and cured everyone from the Tianshou sickness. So why Xiaoge wasn’t cured?

A: Not only wasn’t he cured, all the Tianshou was borne by him alone, fragmenting his memories.  

1546

Q: Sanshu, Wu Xie’s dream house is a courtyard with a moss pond. What kind of living environment would Xiaoge and Pangzi like? A: Tianzhen still breathing when they wake up is considered heaven (ptsd) for them.

1547

Q: Sanshu, what do you think is Wu Xie’s greatest specialty? Is it his long eyelashes like Xiazi said?

A: His little boss spirit. (T/N: according to this article I skimmed, little boss refers to the kind of boss who is very lowkey, keeps themselves on the same level as everyone else and focuses on their business without prioritizing growth.)

1547

Q: In the most recent episode of ZHH, why does Zhang Jiuri and the others hate Zhang Qiling so much?

A: It will be explained right after this.

1548

Q: The universe’s man crush, I would like to ask: When Xiaoge saw Wu Xie treating him all friendly in the beginning, did he not dare to believe that there was someone who solely cherished him and wanted to protect him without any ulterior motives?

A: Zhang Qiling could see through a person’s heart with just one look. Not because he’s smart, but because he has seen a lot. People are a very simple thing for Zhang Qiling.

1550

Q: The universe’s man crush, the world’s man crush, can you tell me what Zhang Qiling would think if he knew that Wu Xie had called him “Menyouping-needing-a-thousand-cuts” before? (T/N: “needing a thousand cuts” is similar to “damned” as in “that damned troublemaker” and is apparently very rude… since i guess you’re cursing on someone to be tortured?) A: A thousand cuts? Are you a candle? You think I’ve only taken a thousand cuts on your behalf? I took your 60 million but I’ve never ever asked you for a single cent more!

1552

Q: Are there any fixed requirements when casting actors? For example, the Iron Triangle.

A: No. As long as the platform approves, the actors approves, the director approves and the original author approves, then it’ll be OK.  It’s not that difficult. 

1552

Q: I feel like ZHH is a very close reproduction of the novel and it even elaborated on some scenes. I feel like I know the characters better and understand them more now.

A: Thank you. It took very long to write.

1553

Q: Actually, Shu, I watched ZHH and I feel that it’s a close reproduction of the novel. Of course, I read the novel a few years ago and some parts have gotten blurry. But when I was watching the drama, I would suddenly remember the scene. Undeniably, some parts have changed but the majority isn’t that different. It’s really, really the best when an adaptation follows the original closely because Shu, your novels are the foundation and the novels are very well written! Although I don’t know why [people] won’t let go of the question of actors, neither were there praises for the scenes. The requirements aren’t high, it’s enough that I can recall the scenes in the novel while watching the drama. Sanshu, remember, no matter which drama it is, it has to follow your novels. The novels are really, really the best! I’ve always felt like actors were a type of feeling, they won’t be able to convince people no matter who plays the part. But the scenes would always resonate with people! A: Everyone has the right to express their own opinions. I also have the right to work hard at promoting. It’s a difficult world. It’s enough that we be ourselves and not leave regrets.

1553

Q: Sanshu, there are already changes to Wu Xie’s blood and he could deter bugs like Xiaoge and all that. Would Wu Xie live forever without aging with Xiaoge?

A: Wu Xie’s only works now and then. Maybe it has something to do with what he eats.

Here's another 15, this section seems to have a lot of longer questions. Can you believe that we're only an hour into the questions? There's like... an amount more. Thankfully NPSS has slowed down.

[valzhangism]

most people (and honestly even the narrative itself) comes to the consensus that grandma zhang was a good grandmother and raised frank well. which i find interesting, because frank talks about her with a lot of vitriol.

throughout the series, frank constantly associates his grandmother with degradation and insecurity. there's not a single moment where he remembers a good memory about her. in fact, for probably his entire life until he left, frank probably saw his mom as his "ally" and his grandma as his "enemy".

but he clearly still loves her. despite her heavy negative presence in his mind, frank still has affection for her, grieves when she dies, and is motivated by the want to make her proud.

i think it's cool. i think it's a good reflection on the culture surrounding frank and his family. his development (if we can call it that) is depicted as him going from being a whiny, apathetic teenager to someone more of the ideal warrior. grandma z. is a pretty spot-on stereotype for the strict, harsh "tough love" chinese grandma, but i think it really works for his character.

it explains why he is the way he is. why he has such a strong urge to protect, to be strong, to not show pain, not show weakness. he doesn't cry so everyone else can.

he hated his grandmother, but he loved her, too. even if he couldn't remember the happy moments. even if there weren't any.

[echo16reads]

Yes that would be confusing.

[freddie-77-ao3]

random facts about random riordanverse characters from my characters doc:

percy jackson: thalia once dyed his hair neon green (which, he has black hair, so no clue how) and it lasted for two weeks before washing out entirely

thalia grace: actually very close to will solace. he treated her when she first woke up, and reminded her of jason. she's basically a big sister now. she threatened nico about him.

nico di angelo: got so nervous about asking will out he accidentally asked in chinese, before reverting to welsh, and then latin. finally, he stutters it out in a mix of greek, italian, and english (luckily will understands all three). unfortunately, will responds in sign language for some reason??? nico doesn't know sign language.

meg mccaffrey: meg has a horrendous obsession with gatorade. like. she won't drink water, it's gatorade or nothing. apollo is SO concerned because he doesn't know what gatorade is and also it looks VERY unnatural.

leo valdez: not only can he cook tacos, he knows how to make tamales. actually, while on the argo ii, he and percy made most of the food. this man can COOK.

will solace: has a habit of always carrying pens around with him (both as a way of keeping close to michael, who collected pens before his death, and just bc he's in the infirmary so much) and he clicks them ALL THE TIME as a fidget. people forcibly take them from him sometimes.

Annabeth Chase: she's autistic and so is her dad. part of why they have so much trouble having a good relationship with each other. they both have really black and white thinking styles.

Calypso: she's like 7 feet tall.

Magnus Chase: he really likes the chronicles of narnia series. when he was a kid, he dressed up like the lion for three halloweens in a row. his favorite is the lion the witch and the wardrobe.

Alex Fierro: felines are easier than canines in regards to shapeshifting.

Sadie Kane: she likes strawberry ribena the best

Carter Kane: he wants to grow his hair out. when he's in his twenties, he does. sadie helps him braid it.

Clarisse La Rue: after her mission in ttc, she's extremely claustrophobic.

Piper McLean: the reason she was so against feminine stuff in TLH is because she was so sexualized by the media when she was girly. so she openly rejected it.

Travis Stoll: makes oddly specific t-shirts about what happens at camp. like, “I defeated the greek personification of time this summer and all i got was this lousy tee shirt.”

Connor Stoll: isn't dyslexic. loves reading.

Katie Gardner: she drops out of college after her first semester. it just wasn't for her. she owns a flower shop called petal to the metal, where she says "have a punk rock day" to all her customers.

clovis: he doesn't actually need to sleep 24/7, he just doesn't want to interact with people.

Cecil Markowitz: a threesome baby. no, really. he's 25% his mum, 25% his dad, and 50% hermes. he-- he has a lot of questions and no answers, and that's probably for the better.

Lou Ellen Blackstone: she's black, and usually keeps her hair in braids. before alabaster torrington defected he did it (he's white, learned just for her), and after, beckendorf did her hair.

Zoe Nightshade: she's regenerating. she was a titaness, she'll be back.

Lee Fletcher: he dropped out of high school. it wasn't for him. got his GED and took college classes on the side til he died, but personally modern schooling wasn't really for him.

Rachel Dare: when she turns 21 and gains access to her trust fund, she immediately donates the entire thing.

Hazel Levesque: definitely the person who always has a cardigan/sweater for you to use if you get cold.

Frank Zhang: goes back and finds his grandmother after HoO

Jason Grace: jiper was comphet. he's gay.

Reyna: didn't actually join the hunt. i don't think that really is a natural character ending? she is ace though.

Grover: turns out pan passing his spirit on to grover actually made grover a god?? yeah grover didn't realise for //years//

juniper: fought in the battle of manhattan. she just brought a couple of her berries with her.

Chris Rodriguez: following going insane and becoming sane again, he develops anorexia to regain his sense of control over his life.

Drew Tanaka: she's actually aro-ace.

Malcolm Pace: in an effort to always be prepared he sleeps in jeans and street clothes, and always has a bag of supplies on him.

Ellis Wakefield: is from somalia. his first language is somali. he speaks somali, english, arabic, and greek.

Mitchell: went to military school for a bit. has a habit of calling people sir/ma'am after every sentence now.

michael yew: has the gift of prophecy, knew going into manhattan that he was going to die.

miranda gardiner: summer only camper, takes over counselor during the summer (katie doesn't want it. also she's vietnamese. i know thats two facts i just think it's important.

sherman yang: he has two dads. his mortal dad's name is jeff. sherman sees him like, one week every two months? jeff lives in seattle.

jake mason: he's got a fish named bubbles. he says it's because harley wanted to name it. he lies.

silena beauregard: summer only camper, she volunteers at a domestic abuse shelter during the year, and hopes to go into social work.

charles beckendorf: he was 16 when he died, but had finished HS work 2 years early. had been accepted to MIT. he wouldn't have gone, anyway, because of the expense, too far from camp, but-- it had been a nice dream

Nyssa Barrera: she's a year round camper, and always been mad that taking care of harley fell to her.

Lacy: physically disabled. she's got JRA, and is in a wheelchair part time.

Harley: really likes unsweetened cheerios.

[olivernothere]

NAME: Oliver Castellioa Solace-Di Angelo

ALIAS: Ollie, Ol, Olive Tree (sigh), Olive (ONLY Iggy)

AGE: 16 years old, 6th of January

WEAPON(S): A dagger made out of celestial bronze, 20 centimeters

POWER(S): He can enter peoples dreams, and watch what’s happening from afar. He can also change their dreams to however he’d like, this tends to drain him very much though.

PERSONALITY: He’s a bit rude and cold, sometimes shy, in the start, but if you get to know him, he’ll warm up. Once you know him, he’ll be the most caring person, he’s a bit loud sometimes, he’s a little overprotective of his family, even though hems the youngest, he ignores rude comments and such in public, he doesn’t know how to say no, so you never really know if he wants something or not. He’s REALLY scared of adults (sometimes even Will and Nico), and WILL call them sir, miss, ma’am, etc., he can and will sometimes isolate himself from everyone if he’s having one of his “episodes”.

FATAL FLAW: Thinking that he’ll never be good enough for anyone and it’s why his mother disowned him

HOBBIES: I like to paint, mostly landscapes and such, sometimes I write poems I guess? Oh and I love to spend time with my cat, is that considered a hobby?

FAMILY: Nico Di Angelo (Papa), William Andrew Solace (Dad), Daphne Naria Solace-Di Angelo (Sister), Hades (Grandfather), Maria Di Angelo (Grandmother), Apollo (Grandfather), Naromi Solace (Grandmother), Morpheus (Father A stranger to me.), Allison Castellioa (Mother Who is this?)

People I know (!!):

FAMILY:

@ghost-king-and-thebones - Nico Di Angelo, my wonderful papa!! <3

@daffy-not-a-duck - Daphne Naria Solace-Di Angelo, my lovely sister!! (STAY AWAY FROM EPHIE)

@doctor-sunshine-andcarebears - William Andrew Solace, my awesome dad!!!

@drea-and-nico - Andrea and Nicolas Lilith, Children of Hades, my aunt and uncle, but Drea is like a sister to me

@iggy-mini-miny-moe - Ignis Grace, a child of Jason Grace and Leo Valdez, my boyfriend fjbfjgbekd<33, DON'T let him near bleach

FRIENDS:

@chasing-that-jackson - Charlotte Sally Chase-Jackson, a child of Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Chase, please stop dying

@ineedtoescapefromreality - Echo and Rosalyn Mclean, children of Piper Mclean and Shel

@hey-guys-its-sam - Samantha Zhang, a child of Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque

@violent-cinnamonroll - Aria Nicole La Rue, a child of Clarisse La Rue and Silena Baeuregard

@notwillingtobefound - William Valdez, a child of Jason Grace and Leo Valdez, Iggy’s brother

@not-a-panda - Pandora Stoll, a child if Travis Stoll amd Katie Gardner, she has a cute cat!!

@morningstar-of-the-night - Kallisto Danica Arrelano-Grace, a child of Reyna Ramirez-Arellano and Thalia Grace

@daredevil-larue - Lucine La Rue, a child of Clarisse La Rue and Silena Beauregard

@overwhelmingly-his-son - Lukas Castellan, a grandchild of May Castellan, he's cool

@the-poison-and-the-sky - Belladonna Chase-Jackson, a child of Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Chase-Jackson, from another Universe

@praetor-ambrose-asher - Ambrose Asher, a legacy of Primordial Khaos

ADULTS I KNOW:

@leo-repairguy-valdez - Leo Valdez, father to Iggs and William, married (?) to Jason Grace

@percy-jackson-xxx - Perseus Jackson, father to Charlie and Cassie, married to Annabeth Chase

@sincerely-anniejackson - Annabeth Chase-Jackson, mother to Charlie and Cassie, married to Perseus Jackson

ACC IS RAN BY: @moonssong

Tags:

#Oliver arrived - In character Oliver

#Oliver died - ooc

#Ephie supremacy - About his cat

#Oliver rants - something random ic Oliver

#Sister tag☀️ - When he interacts with his sister

#Death and fire - Oliver and Iggy (They’re shipped)

[mydaylight]

The thing that I appreciate the most about Story of Minglan is how pro-active its female characters are. It’s not just a show meant to highlight the exploitation and vulnerability of women in the context of the Song Dynasty society (although we certainly get to witness that); but one that lets their fierceness and determination and agency shine. It’s so remarkable that the majority of the plots in the show are centred around women and resolved by women. Even when it comes to the case of antagonists like Lin Qinshuang, Xiao Qin-shi, Old Madam Wang, the empress dowager etc, they are imposing figures with complex motivations that contribute to all the important developments. When little Minglan gets orphaned, it’s Hualan’s advice to Wang Ruofu that appeases the Wei family and Old Madam Sheng who steps up to take Minglan under her wing when her own father wouldn’t. When Molan has an affair, it’s up to Wang Ruofu and Old Madam Sheng to take the initiative to speak to the Liang family about a possible marriage. When Gu Tingye proposes marriage to Yu Yanhong, it’s her mother the one who needs to give the final approval and in the end cuts him off. When Qi Heng gets threatened, again it’s Princess Consort Yong pulling the strings. Consort Rong decides to murder the Yong Family (the family of the prince about to inherit the nation, mind you) to get revenge for the rape and death of her younger sister. Shulan’s divorce is negotiated by her own mother and grandmother, and not her father. When Auntie Kang is killed, it’s Old Madam Wang the one going to imperial palace to scheme against Tingye. Minglan gives up on ever expecting her father to give her justice so she steps up and takes extreme measures to get revenge for her mother’s death, and her contribution is what helps Yanran, Shulan, Kang Zhao’er, Zhang Guifen, and finally Old Madam when she gets poisoned. Even Concubine Wei, who always insisted on keeping a low profile, was ready to go to the Kaifeng Court to prove Xiao Die's innocence (so you see where Minglan gets it from). And Lady Bai was ready to divorce her husband and walk away with her children after finding out how she was used. Even that small moment of Mingyue asking to have her family’s slave contracts returned to them so she can escape being forced to become a concubine to a man she doesn’t like is so satisfying to see. It’s just so great to get a show like that that’s not just trying to make a point about the suffering of women, but actually lets its female characters be active participants in their own stories and take control of their lives instead of being subservient to male character, or reducing them to the role of the love interest or a passive sufferer.

[malinaa]

JULY SHORT STORIES WRAP-UP

well i’ve been getting back into reading individual short stories, so here’s a list of all of the ones i’ve been reading this month! they can all be found here as pdfs <3 all the ones marked with an * are my fav reads

ANT COLONY by ALISSA NUTTING — a woman hosts an ant colony in her body

THE VELDT by RAY BRADBURY — a mother, a father, two children, and their eerie automated home

NO IS YES by PAUL JENNINGS — a man teaches his daughter that yes is no, up is down etc. and her idea of language is tested when she meets another boy

THE PEDESTRIAN by RAY BRADBURY — in the near future, a man takes a walk and finds himself in a situation

THE SPECIALIST’S HAT by KELLY LINK — twins where one is better at playing dead than the other

THE OCTOBER GAME by RAY BRADBURY — a husband who hates his wife gets back at her

YOU'RE UGLY, TOO by LORRIE MOORE — local funny woman hates the midwest and goes back to the east coast to realize it’s also boring

THE HOUSE OF ASTERION* by JORGE LUIS BORGES — so basically you’re the minotaur and you live in a labyrinth and everything is fine until it isn’t

L’ESPRIT DE L’ESCALIER* by CATHERYNNE M. VALENTE — a type of modern orpheus and eurydice retelling but this doesn't end in the tragedy...or does it?

WE ATE THE CHILDREN LAST by YANN MARTEL — medical procedure turns to social experiment gone wrong

AT THE CLINIC by SALLY ROONEY — marianne and connell remember the events leading up to her visit to the dentist differently; alternatively, a microcosm of two people's relationship

I HAVE NO MOUTH, AND I MUST SCREAM by HARLAN ELLISON — ai wins and keeps five individuals alive for its own sick enjoyment

DIVISION BY ZERO by TED CHIANG — a wandering realization that, despite being similar, two people can be so distant, but with lots of math

FRESH WATER FROM THE SEA* by RAMONA AUSUBEL — a magical realist depiction of a daughter and her mother who’s slowly vanishing away

SHE UNNAMES THEM by URSULA K. LEGUIN — eve, of adam and eve biblical fame, unnames all the animals and then some

THE THIEF OF MEMORY by SUNYI DEAN — a hero with one duty, a desert that keeps taking, a storm that never ceases, and a villain that steals memory

HORROR STORY by CARMEN MARIA MACHADO — what’s worse? a haunted house or the relationship that’s crumbling inside of it

THE MOTHS by HELEN MARÍA VIRAMONTES — a granddaughter’s reflection of her family, but specifically her grandmother who died

THE PATH OF WATER* by EMMA TÖRZS — you’re in a fairy tale and you realize this and you try to unlock lost memories

HIGH DESERT by RAMONA AUSUBEL — a woman who lost both her daughter and husband to the sea moves to the desert but is still losing parts of herself

WARM BEDS by MÓNICA BUSTOS (trans. ANALÍA VILLAGRA) — three people share the same bed but never meet until the phantom presence of each other drives them to want to meet

IN THE CEMETERY WHERE AL JOLSON IS BURIED by AMY HEMPEL — an unnamed narrator visits her friend who’s dying

BONESOUP by EUGENIA TRIANTAFYLLOU — as the first line says, “you must eat the body part you want to grow stronger”

THE VERY PULSE OF THE MACHINE* by MICHAEL SWANWICK — a corpse at her back, her home base miles and miles ahead of her, an astronaut does everything to survive

TO EXHALE SKY by SHINGAI NJERI KAGUNDA — a queer speculative story about anticipated grief where the narrator has the ability to inhale and transform sorrow

XY by LUCY ZHANG — a woman with controlling parents finds their first attempt at a perfect daughter in the basement

AND YET by A.T. GREENBLATT — the haunted house of your childhood is a door into parallel universes

[andromythical]

im dangerously obsessed with frank zhang rn so here's a "little" thing about him bc people don't realize how complex his character is. Buckle in cause this is a long one.

Frank arrived at camp (correct me if I'm wrong) about two weeks after his mother died. The night of the funeral was the night he found out he could die at any moment if a wooden stick caught fire. (Again, please feel free to correct me about the timeline and stuff.) Frank travelled from Vancouver, Canada to California. A 415 HOUR WALK. As far as we know, he did it illegally too. All while still dealing with the fact that his mother had recently passed and his (low-key kinda neglectful) grandmother was now his legal guardian.

We see how in the first few chapters, just how much Frank is drawn to archery, his grandmother even chastising him about his obsession. He wishes to be claimed by Apollo. Yet, after he wins the war games for his cohort, he is claimed by Mars. Mars, the god of war. The god of violence. The god of what killed his mother. Frank couldn't be less like him, or so we think. Of course, Frank doesn't want to be violent, but it's shown on multiple occasions how his first instinct is to fight.

When he sets off on his quest, there was no way for him to know what would lay ahead. There was no way to know that he would meet Iris, who would show him his gift. Speaking of Iris, however, this where something very interesting happens. Iris claims he is connected to the stick because he 'had too many gifts'. This confused me on my first read, because how could he have too many gifts? He could shapeshift, sure, but it's not like he had any other major powers or anything. That's where I was wrong. It was confirmed in a book, I can't remember which one, that children of Mars and Ares have control over the dead, as long as they were on the losing side of a battle. So no, he doesn't only have one power. He certainly has skills, too. He is gifted in war strategy and tactics, as well. Making him an absolute unit in combat.

Of course, how could I talk about SoN with our bringing up the whole Zhang mansion chaos? It begins with Frank, Hazel and Percy in desperation. They resort to going to his 'grandmother's house' as he calls it. Not his house, his grandmother's. (This has absolutely no significance I just wanted to point it out). His grandmother is quite literally on her death bed when they arrive, Mars at her side. When Frank and his father have a one on one, Mars mentions how he is 'Junos secret weapon'. While talking about Gaia, he mentions that - in a direct quote - " I think you worry her more than Percy or Jason or any of the seven." This ties back to Iris' comment. He is too powerful.

Grandmother Zhang seems very shitty, and for the most part is. She has told Frank that "Men do not cry, especially not Zhang men" which we can see ties into a quote further on in the book, after the mansion catches fire and they're on the plane back. Percy mentions that "Frank kept his head down, as if he was ashamed to have been crying."

What people don't mention about Frank as much, is that he lost his only family about a month or so apart. A month.

People don't like Frank because of his conflict with Leo, but what people choose to ignore is the fact that the arguments started after Frank started hearing Mars and Ares in his head. And as we see in HoH, Mars and Ares are very pushy. Some of his behaviour could be contributed to his anger at Mars, who he now hears encouraging him to fight the Greeks at every opportunity, and some could also be contributed to Leo himself, who caused the Mars and Ares fiasco, and who also teases him at every chance he gets.

it's getting very long now and I'm getting very unmotivated so I'm gonna leave it here and if I think of anything else I'll edit it :3

The moment we've all been waiting for... the Venice incident, when Frank killed between 200-300 monsters. He was blessed by Mars afterwards, and is described to have been more confident. Even Leo had stopped teasing him.

And THIS, dear readers, is why Frank is the physical embodiment of "I'm not a violent dog, I don't know why I bite."