#ning ke

[plumdepan]

The 100-year-old rabbit sprit 7/?

As announced previously, this post will be focused on Yixuan’s past.

First of all, who is she?

(From Duan Yixuan's Weibo account)

Yixuan is a fox spirit, as well as the nemesis of the rabbit spirit. They often quarrel, but most of the time, Yixuan is the one looking for trouble.

She holds a grudge on the rabbit spirit for a precise reason: years ago, Yixuan's sister Qiuru admired the rabbit spirit a lot, to the point of falling in love.

(Wang Qiuru. Screenshot from SNH48's official YouTube channel)

Unfortunately for her, her feelings were unrequited. Soon after, she disappeared.

Even though, in Yixuan’s mind, it looked like the rabbit spirit was responsible for this, she later learns the truth about her sister’s disappearance. It appears that the persons responsible are the gods… and Jiamin.

During this time, Jiamin was not yet ‘co-existing’ with the rabbit spirit. After Tianyang’s betrayal, she was expected to marry Yuling. But Qiuru intervened. This is the help mentioned in the second post!

When Yixuan learns the truth, her vengeance includes Jiamin, too. Since the latter went back to a pretty normal life after the sealing of the rabbit spirit, Yixuan takes advantage of the situation and uses a snake (a lesser spirit) to control Jiamin as she wishes and turns her against Ning Ke.

Yixuan doesn’t have any good reason to also hold a grudge on Ning Ke. She just wants to ruin her relation with Jiamin. In Yixuan’s mind, Qiuru sacrificed herself for their happiness, but neither Jiamin nor Ning Ke is aware of it.

However, Ning Ke won’t let Yixuan continue 👀

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Guardians of the Dafeng (2024-2025)

Guardians Of The Dafeng 😊

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZDxqQkhtOFE

[scorbleeo]

Drama Gossip: Douluo Continent (斗罗大陆)

Source: Google Images

Having lost his mother at a very young age, Tang San grew up relying on his father just as much as his father relied upon him. Meticulous and mature for his age, with extraordinary talent and wit, he was sent to Nuoding Academy at the age of sixteen to begin pursuing his dream of becoming a great soul master. There, under the tutelage of Yu Xiao Gang, he befriends an orphan by the name of Xiao Wu, and together they begin the long and difficult journey of cultivation. As time passes, the two friends draw ever closer, eventually swearing to look out for each other as siblings for life.

As their power and connection grow, Yu Xiao Gang realizes they need more guidance than he can provide. Sending the pair to the Shrek Academy, Tang San and Xiao Wu join five other prodigies from various academies in their journey of cultivation. Strong in their power, the seven students become known throughout the land as the “Shrek Seven Devils”. With their fame ever-growing, the talents of the Seven are eventually noticed by a few very prominent nobles who invite them to continue their cultivation at the esteemed Tian Dou Royal Academy.

Not long after accepting the invitation, the Seven Devils find themselves caught up in an imperial struggle for power between the first and fourth princes. At the same time, Tang San uncovers a long-hidden secret about his mother’s death. Suddenly facing battles on many fronts, Tang San finds himself forced to fight, not only to protect those he loves but to bring honor to his sect, save his country, and complete his quest to become the greatest soul master of all time.

Source: MyDramaList (2021)

It's Just So Good, Ya'know?

In spite of being a Xiao Zhan fan, I don't love a lot of his dramas. Douluo Continent though, that is one of the few I truly enjoy. This is a rewatch and the parts that irritated me, I still don't like but the parts that I like, I still enjoy.

The biggest problem with this drama is the pacing. This is me being nice but oh boy, the pacing is all over the place with Douluo Continent. Also, I am just not a big fan of the romance in this show. Don't get me wrong, I love Zhu Zhu Qing and Dai Mu Bai's relationship, I had hoped to get more from them. The other two couples among the Seven Devils are quite cute but sometimes really redundant. Especially the many scenes of Xiao Wu and Tang San. I get it, but I did not watch this show for their romance, it's average at best.

That being said, lets talk about the show itself. Fantastical wuxia dramas without long melodramatic or constant betrayal scenes are my favourite. The storyline, the world, the characters, the action, Douluo Continent really is entertaining to watch. A downside? For a show focusing on people's powers and abilities to fight, there is a severe lack of action scenes. Sometimes, I just want the fight scene to drag on or show me more action rather than slow motion scenes of anyone being attacked and falling backwards.

Every time I watch Douluo Continent, I get the urge to watch the animation as well. Unfortunately, the animation is not it for me. So until the second instalment comes out, I really don't think I will consume any content of Douluo Continent except for this drama. A pity, really.

Rating: ★★★★☆

[coffeebookslovegt]

-A-Xu, ¿ te molesta que A-Xiang nos acompañe?

-Claro que no. Sería lindo tener una belleza junto a nosotros.

-Me niego. Te daré un descanso A-Xiang, ve a donde quieras.

[surnumanaja]

Mu (esimene ja vb kanooniline) Rook on üks tsäsindi hundiküttidest – (pool)haldjas Terhi, kes oma kaaskütid (qunarist Sander ja poolpäkapikust Elona) ning nende kolm deemonkoera kaotas 8 aastat tagasi untsu läinud loitsu tõttu võitluses Pontu-Kaarli ehk Õõvasoega.

(lõike all lühikokkuvõte hundiküttide saatusest)

Peale kaheaastast jahti jõudsid kütid koos kolme deemonkoeraga Ristteedele, kus nad pidid qunari pealetungist mööda hiilima. Lõpuks nad jõudsid Õõvasoele nii lähedale, et nad said loitsu alustada, et deemonkoerad Urmi, Armi ja Siniveri (kellest saab hiljem Veripunane🤫) hundijumala kinni püüaks.

Loits läks aiataha, kui metsiku maagia sorts Sander aevastas vallandades Häolaengu nende ümber, mis paiskas kõik osapooled mööda ilma(sid) laiali.

Terhi leidis end Arlathani laanest, kus ta varsti liitus Loorihüppajatega lootuses leida oma kaaslased. Tal õnnestus vaid leida Armi, kes osutus väga kasulikuks iidestes varemetes deemonite püüdmisel.

(Järgnevat Terhi ei tea) Sander isekais end Faerûni, kus ta ka koheselt sai aju-ussi. Hiljem Absoluudiga võitluses ta suutis end otsustaval hetkel kogemata tagasi isekaida Teedasele. Meeleheites üritas ta veremaagiat kasutada, kes end uuesti isekaida Faerûni, kuid sai vaid kaela templirüütlid/tõeotsijad. Ta vagastati ning saadeti Val Royeaux' kirikusse. Vagastamine neutraliseeris ta illith aju-ussi.

Elona sattus Nevarra Nekropoli, kus tast sai väga edukas surnuvaht koos Urmiga. Nagu kunagi noore tüdrukuna karjaski, siis nüüd tulid Elo laulmise peale surnud nagu lambad ja lehmad.

Viimane deemonkoer võiks olla punase lüüriumi kutsu, see oleks kõigi jaoks väga fun ja mis saaks küll valesti minna. 🙃

Ajaa, miks nad kõik kutsuvad Solast Pontu-Kaarliks mu peakaanonis, on see, et nad on pärit nii kaugel lõunast, et nende rahvad on olnud ära lõigatud Fereldenist. Nii päkapike, haldjate kui ka tsäsindi kultuurid kui ka rahvad on ajastute jooksul segunenud ja telefonimängu (Bellara ja Hardingu banter ka veits toetab mu peakaanonit) tõttu on neil sellised olendid au sees nagu Müütali, Kitsenaine, Helgasneim ja Pontu-Kaarel.

[sirenofthegreenbanks]

n, o, t, z for the fandom ask game 😁

n: Name three things you wish you saw more of in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

this question had me think for a bit, im mostly content with whats going on in the fandoms i participate in, buuuuuuuuuuut then i recalled:

1) i once watched a video essay on ning yi that really impressed me. (i just searched the internet up and down to link it but i cant!!! find it!!!! whatt iisss thissss) anyway, i want more of that!!! for rise of pheonixes fandom, but also for WOH and for TYK!!! i neeeeeeeeEEEed it

2) generally more academic-approached textanalysis for tian ya ke. im dYING to read something like that!

3) for the fics i would like to request MESSINESS in regards to zhou zishu and wen kexing respectfully, thank u (BONUS IF THEY HAVE AFFAIRS ON THE SIDE OR SLEEP AROUND)

o: Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

i threw a dart and it landed on this which reminds me of wen kexing in that moment in the novel when hes gearing up to slaughter mo huaiyang and hes all exhausted and bleeding but he needs to avenge his a-xiang‘s silly little husband. (i lied i dont have darts. i clicked next in my epic orchestral music playlist and this is what showed up.)

(while im typing this this started playing and now im thinking about elizabeth swan ,, ,,,, im so gay)

t: Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending? 

the headcanon i told u last night, about zzs and ljx! i dare u to reread qiye!!! come fight meeeeeeee!!!!!

z: Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go! (Prompts optional but encouraged.)

UM. ive always been very passionate about fictional characters and fictional worlds. when we were kids i would share comics with my brother and we would read them together, when i grew out of my childhood books my sister inherited them and grew to love them just as much as i do. my mom is not a tokio hotel fan per se, and she doesnt watch the same shows or read the same books as me, but we tell each other what we are currently invested in and she loves seeing what i create. fandom can looks like anything, it can be small and offline and familiar and private like what i just described, or it can be subscribing to magazines and read the fan theories and fan letters that are published in it. it can be organizing big events like conventions and forge a bridge between fans and the source material. it can be a community on social media like here on tumblr. but its in its essence all the same, people—sometimes literal strangers— forming connections to eachother simply because they are all in some way moved by the same thing, generating new thought and creativity everyday and cultivating a culture of communication and cultural exchange, entirely seperate from our capitalist society, and i think thats really beautiful

fandom ask game

[bluunxtes]

nyz - wouldn't trade you for the world

CollegeAu! Ningning x gn!reader Ning Yizhuo stresses over losing losing track of you at a party due to past experiences.

warnings: alcohol consumption, drunk people, mentions of cheating and shitty exes.

word count: 507

a/n: hihi i'm not dead -yet lmao. sorry. been working on some stuff, still figuring out how i wanna lay things out, srry not v good at picking out pics for the header ajdhaljkdfakl. hope y'all r doing well. sorry if there's any grammatical errors and all that. also any feedback is greatly appreciated!

“Fuck” Ningning whispered to herself as she squeezed her way through the crowded room filled with drunk college goers.

Worry filled her stomach as she looked around the frat house hoping that history wouldn’t repeat itself. As much she wanted to trust you, Ningning couldn’t help but worry that instead of getting drinks like you said you would, she would find you with your tongue down some girl’s throat like she did with her last asshat of a boyfriend.

“Hey Aeri! Have you seen y/n?” Ningning screamed over the ridiculously loud music emanating from the large Bluetooth speakers scattered around the house.

“Ninnnggg! You look so stressed. You look liii-ke you need a drink girlll!” Aeri slurred, clearly not catching what the other girl asked her.

Ningning groaned at the drunk girl’s response, pulling her in closer to repeat the question.

“Aeri! Have you seen y/n? I lost them in the crowd, and I can’t find them anywhere!” Ningning frustratingly yelled.

Aeri’s eyes slowly grew wider as the words processed through her intoxicated brain.

“Y/n? You don’t think—”

“I’m trying not to!” Ningning shouted, interrupting the older of the two.

Ningning was trying her best to relax but it felt like worms were trying to eat their way through her guts, with how anxious she was feeling.

“I think I saw them in the living room! Near the snacks!”

Ningning quickly thanked her and bolted towards said area before the drunk girl could get another word in. The worst possible scenarios began running throughout her head as she got closer and closer to the snack table beside the dark green couches. Her height didn’t really help in the situation either, since it only made it harder to see in crowds of people moving in and out of the building. Her eyes instantly lit up after seeing the familiar red hoodie sitting on a L-sectional sofa as she scanned the surrounding area.

“Y/n!” Ningning called out while weaving between the mass of moving bodies in the room.

A wave relief came to her as she laid her eyes on you. The scene would have been comical if she weren’t so worried earlier.

“Hey Baby.” You mumbled guiltily, looking up with a mouthful of food.

“Yah! Where were you?" You had me so worried, you idiot!” Ningning says, shoving you.

“Sorry, I got distracted by the chicken buffalo dip. You want some?” You ask, holding up the crock pot that was in your lap.

Ningning gave one look to the puppy dog eyes you gave her and flicked your forehead.

“You should’ve at least said something so I wouldn’t have gotten so worried.” She sighed, nudging you over so she could sit down next to you.

“Sorry, baby. All my thoughts left my mind once I saw food.” You replied sheepishly, holding up a chip with buffalo chicken dip in front of her mouth.

Ningning rolled her eyes at the response but opened her mouth regardless. Despite all your idiotic tendencies, she wouldn’t trade you for the world.

[linghxr]

My 2024 in cdramas, cmovies & cvariety

With 2024 now over, it's the perfect time to recap what Chinese-language shows and movies I've been watching since my previous write-up in spring 2024. I think I'll do one annually from now on!

This time I've added YouTube links (if available). I do my best with content warnings, but it's possible I've missed things. I only include warnings for things I have finished (not abandoned shows).

Shows/series:

Some of these were mentioned as “currently watching” in my previous post. They are marked with an asterisks*.

《微暗之火》 Tender Light

After Zhou Luo drops out of university and returns home under mysterious circumstances, he becomes a witness in a homicide case involving Nan Ya, a woman trapped in an abusive marriage. I watch a lot of Chinese crime/mystery shows, but this one was unique in that it focuses more on relationships. I enjoyed it but feel it would be stronger if it were shorter, maybe 20 episodes instead of 28.

Content warning: Domestic violence, death, sexual assault

Watch on YouTube

《猎罪图鉴2》 Under the Skin S2

Sketch artist Shen Yi, police officer Du Cheng, and the rest of the Beijiang team continue to utilize art to solve unusual crimes. I didn't initially plan to watch season 2, but after giving season 1 another try, the show grew on me. Season 2 didn't quite capture the magic of season 1, but it still had some strong moments. My favorite case was the Chinese opera one.

Content warning: Death, violence, child abuse, suicide, sexual assault

Watch on YouTube

《雪迷宫》 The First Shot

In the late 1990s, police officer Zheng Bei and his squad go after the drugs that have overrun their northeastern city, only to find that the roots run much deeper than they thought. The highlight of this show is the charismatic characters and their deep bonds. It was slow to get going, but I was on the edge of my seat the last 1/3 of the show. Definitely one of the most memorable of 2024 for me!

Content warning: Death, violence, sexual assault, addiction, and overdose

Watch eps 1-19/28 on YouTube

《我们与恶的距离》 The World Between Us

After a mass shooting, the families of the victims and perpetrator cross paths as they struggle to adapt to their new realities. This show deals with extremely heavy topics and felt quite realistic in many ways, so it was a difficult watch, frankly. There was a happy ending, but thinking back, I mostly remember feeling frustration throughout.

Content warning: References to death and a mass shooting event, violence, depictions of schizophrenic episodes

《新生》 Regeneration

At the funeral of a man named Fei Ke, the guests realize everything they know about the deceased is a lie and attempt to unravel the truth. I heard a lot of people didn't like the last 3 episodes, but I enjoyed the entire show. It was very satisfying seeing all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Might even check out the original webnovel!

Content warning: Death, violence (but not graphic)

Watch ep 1, ep 2, ep 3, ep 4/10 on YouTube

《不够善良的我们》 Imperfect Us

Two women, discontent with their current lives, grapple with misplaced jealousy and regrets over what could have been. Starring 许玮甯 Hsu Wei-ning and 林依晨 Lin Yi-chen, this series is quite different from what I typically watch. It's about the ordinary and mundane, but I found myself excited to sit down and watch each episode. I think everyone can find something to relate to.

Content warning: Serious illness

《异人之下1》 I Am Nobody S1

After his late grandfather's body disappears, Zhang Chulan gets sucked into the world of yiren (outsiders) and must compete in a supernatural tournament, aided by the mysterious Feng Baobao. This show was a breath of fresh air and sooo hilarious, even if I didn't understand a lot of the lore about their powers. And season 2 just started airing!

Content warning: Violence, death, zombie-like creatures (I'm very afraid of zombies)

Watch on YouTube

--There was also a recent film adaption (confusing, I know), but I heard it was not well-received.

《摩天大楼》 A Murderous Affair in Horizon Tower*

Two police officers investigate the death of Zhong Meibao, a beautiful woman with a difficult past, only to find that her neighbors have secrets of their own. I'm so glad I finally watched this show after it had been on my list for so long. I felt it could have been a little tighter (maybe 13-14 episodes instead of 16), but overall it was a quality crime drama!

Content warning: Death, violence, voyeurism, domestic violence, child abuse

Watch on YouTube

Variety/reality:

《披荆斩棘4》 Call Me By Fire S4

Call Me By Fire is a bit like an idol survival show, but instead of young trainees, the contestants are established celebrities mostly ages 30+. I had such a blast watching season 4 week-by-week as it aired. The talent was out of this world! See my dedicated post about the franchise and its sister show, Sister Who Make Waves.

Watch on YouTube

《火星情报局6》 Mars Intelligence Agency S6*

I'm a massive fan of the singer 薛之谦 Xue Zhiqian, and I actually first became a fan due to his sense of humor. So why did it take me so long to check out this comedy show that he's on?!? I'd never watched a show like this before, but I loved it and surprised my self with my ability to follow jokes in Chinese! Sadly I haven't had time to start season 7, which is currently airing.

Watch on YouTube

Movies:

《谁先爱上他》 Dear Ex

After the death of his father and an argument with his mother, a boy bonds with Ah Jie, his father's boyfriend, all while a dispute over life insurance money plays out. I've actually watched film this twice, and I'm glad I did because I think I got a lot more out of it the second time! It's a sad premise, but there's ultimately a touching ending.

Content warning: Terminal illness, mild homophobia

《鬼才之道》 Dead Talents Society

A young ghost has only a month to become a ghostly legend, or else she'll fade from existence. I didn't think this movie sounded that interesting or original at first, but I watched it on a whim and actually REALLY enjoyed it! It struck the perfect balance of hilarious and heartwarming. I strongly recommend it if you don't mind some gore.

Content warning: Gore, body horror, death

《白日火焰》 Black Coal, Thin Ice

Former police officer Zhang Zili becomes entangled with Wu Zhizhen, a women who is linked to a series of murders that he's investigating. I watched this film after learning about its influence as part of the Dongbei renaissance. But it was honestly too grim for my liking. But if you like that kind of vibe, you might enjoy this.

Content warning: Death, violence, sexual assault

Watch on YouTube

Abandoning:

《唐人街探案》 Detective Chinatown

I only watched the first 8 episodes of season 1 because I heard the final 4 have a completely unrelated storyline and different characters (and is not as good). There was a season 2, but I think the Detective Chinatown humor is just not for me.

Watch on YouTube

《谁是被害者》 The Victims' Game

I watched the entire first season, but I'm not interested in season 2. The concept is strong, but I struggled to get through it. Also, I felt weird about how they portrayed the main character's autism/Asperger's syndrome.

On my watchlist:

Still have not gotten around to 《漫长的季节》 The Long Season or 《尘封十三载》 Thirteen Years of Dust...yikes! But also on my list:

《影后》 Born for the Spotlight

《莲花楼》 Mysterious Lotus Casebook

《我的阿勒泰》 To The Wonder

Happy 2025! I hope this year is filled with quality Chinese-language shows and movies for us all to enjoy ❤️

[swiftletinthecloud]

— We weathered through the storms.

Ke Zhui 《可追》| Heroes OST (in/sp)

说英雄谁是英雄 || Heroes || Luận Ai Xứng Danh Anh Hùng (2022)

@userdramas event 18: music ↬ Ke Zhui 《可追》 | Zeng Shun Xi, Liu Yu Ning 《曾舜晞、刘宇宁》

@asiandramanet august bingo: music

@pscentral event 30: friendship ↬ Wang Xiao Shi, Bai Chou Fei, Su Meng Zhen, & Wen Rou

[heymeowmao]

ZKY: Young Marshal Ke eagerly asked Young Marshal He, "Cousin, how do you remember me? Wearing a smile-" LYN/ZLH: /starts singing 后来/ ~How do you remember me? Wearing a smile, or in silence?~ LYN: Is that what it reads? ZKY: Yes. BY/LYN: ~These past few years, was there anyone who kept you from feeling lonely?~ ZKY: Young Marshal He was very quiet. /pauses/ LYN: ~Later!~ - ZKY: After the sixty-sixth time, finally Young Marshal He rose from his squat with a frown on his face. He paused in his leg exercise as if there was an important memory coming to the surface. He lifted his head and looked towards Young Marshal Ning with a complicated emotion in his eyes. ZKY: ["What "emotion"?"] D: ["Can't believe her ears"] What type of story is this?? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) LYN: ~I finally learnt how to love. ~ D: /claps, loves to see it/ LYN: ~Unfortunately you have long gone, vanished into the crowd.~ - D: This is so messy!

*bonus: WMDG S1 - Liu Yuning x Ren Xianqi - 后来

[plumdepan]

Quelques petits changements

J'ai apporté quelques modifications à plusieurs de mes posts sur 100-year-old rabbit spirit/Les Chroniques de Tuzi. Voici les modifications en question :

Ajout d'un sommaire pour le post d'introduction (épinglé)

"L'histoire de Ning Ke" a été renommée "La flûtiste de l'Empereur"

"L'histoire de Yuling" a été renommée "La fiancée de l'automne"

"L'histoire de Xiaoai" a été renommée "L'esprit de la jacinthe"

Ma toute première histoire sur SNH48 s'appelle désormais "Windfall - le vent a tourné"

J'espère que toutes ces modifications permettront d'y voir plus clair dans l'univers des Chroniques de Tuzi 😘

[ioharcomic]

Atin ku pung singsing, metung yang timpukan Ke amana iti, keng indung ibatan. Sangkan keng sininup, king metung a kaban Mewala ya iti, e ku kamalayan.

Ing sukal ning lub ku, susukdul king banwa Pikurus kung gamat, babo ning lamesa. Ninu mang manakit, king singsing kung mana Kalulung pusu ku, manginu ya keya.

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Douluo Continent (2021)

武魂特效大揭秘 #xiaozhan #douluocontinenet #斗羅大陸#肖戰 #吳宣儀 #soulland #電視劇 #cdrama 完整正片請戳頭像 Hit to Watch Full EPs⬇

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cPI2RWebhqo

[haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll]

Tracklist:

[Theme Song] Wu Ji - Chorus Edition • [Theme Song] Wu Ji - Bibi Zhou Special Edition • [Theme Song] Wu Ji - Xiao Zhan Solo Version • [Theme Song] Wu Ji - Wang Yibo Solo Version • [Wei Wuxian] Qu Jin Chen Qing • [Lan Wagji] Bu Wang • [Wen Ning] Chi Zi • [Jiang Chen] Hen Bie • [Lan Xichen] Bu You • [Nie Minghao & Nie Huaisang] Qing He Jue • [Wen Qing] woodland • [Xue Yang] Huang Cheng Du • [Yicheng Group] Gu Cheng • [Juvenile Group] Zui Shi Shao Nian Bu Ke Qi • [Jiang Yahli & Jin Zixuan] Yong Ge • [Interlude] Yi Nan Ping • [Jin Guangyao] Duo Hen Sheng • [Group Song] Bu Wang

Spotify ♪ YouTube

Submitter's Note: This is the soundtrack for the Chinese Drama 'The Untamed' which came out in 2019.

[lavendersblues]

Okay, so we're doing this

Preview because everyone has been so supportive of the idea:

Everything felt fuzzy, but Wen Qing came to awareness in a jolt. She couldn’t feel her body, she was cold, and dizzy. And she was moving.

There was a constant swaying motion, back and forth, back and forth, and while the world around her seemed to be moving, Wen Qing felt as if she barely moved at all, gently rocked by the motion. She glanced around and saw four corners of metal, a metal roof, and a metal floor. Beyond the corners was a large brown something, and what looked like an enormous bald head -- far larger than normal.

But then she glanced to the side and saw towering figures walking past, large masks and frightful appendages, and Wen Qing didn’t need to be a genius to realize that she must be a ghost fire. She felt disconnected from reality, and the resentful energy surrounding her felt too strong to be something from the mortal realm.

“Hey!” Wen Qing shouted with all her might. Her voice sounded small and slightly reedy in this form but she was pleased to hear it all the same.

The creature that was carrying her prison jumped and whirled around, turning back towards the other direction of the street. When he saw nothing, he shrugged and resumed his journey. Wen Qing grumbled under her breath.

“Hey!” she tried again. This time her voice was stronger, a little louder, and a little more authoritative.

Once again the creature spun around and Wen Qing focused on the corners of her cage to prevent the ever present dizziness from worsening.

“Who’s yappin’ at me?!” the creature carrying her shouted at the direction he’d come from, glancing around. The ghosts closest to him all made ‘Not me!’ gestures, and a few of the shop keepers shouted back, “No one, ya moron!” before returning to their customers and duties.

“Hey, ugly!” Wen Qing tried again valiantly, and this time her voice sounded like her own, firm, strong, and alive. “I’m talking to you!”

Once again the world spun, but this time a giant hand reached out and into her field of vision, plucking up her prison with ease. The creature that had been carrying her on his back jumped back several feet and she could see a bird’s beak and small beady eyes set into his face. The hand lifted her up, up, until she was face to…not face with a fairly handsome man.

He had striking features, but most notably there was a black eyepatch that drew the eye away from his smirk, before her eyes wandered to the stunning red coral bead at the end of a braid by his ear.

“Gege, look at this,” he said, still facing the ghost fire of Wen Qing. He seemed to be talking to a figure just out of her view. “This little ghost fire has strong sentience.”

Another handsome face soon joined her vision, a handsome cultivator with his hair pulled away from his face in a half bun, a farmer’s straw hat resting on his back. He blinked his peach blossom eyes a few times as he took in the image of Wen Qing in her cage before glancing at his companion.

“San Lang, why are you so interested in her?” 

The eyepatch wearing man hummed slightly, furrowed his brow, and then turned to look at his companion with the sweetest expression Wen Qing had ever seen. After several moments the furrow returned and his eye returned to Wen Qing.

“There’s something about you,” he addressed Wen Qing finally. “Little Ghost Fire, what’s your name?”

“...Wen Qing,” she answered finally, after a long internal debate of giving her name or finding an alias. But after much internal arguing, she decided to find as much of her pride as she could and put it back into her name. She was a Wen. The best doctor in Dafan Wen. Her brother was the first sentient fierce corpse, Wen Ning. And she was a Wen who defied Wen Ruohan, her family name was important.

The eyepatch man raised his brow. “Giving a stranger your real name, that takes some guts Little Ghost Fire. I’d be careful who you give your name to in the future.” 

He paused for a long moment. “Wen Qing, what is keeping you here?” he asked, his voice suddenly soft and gentle.

Wen Qing considered her answer, feeling the fuzziness begin to fade as she remembered her brother, face to the wall, nail hammered into his skull. She remembered leaving Wei Wuxian prone in the Burial Mounds, believing he would survive another day to be with his family and Hanguang-jun. She remembered the smirking face of Jin Guangyao behind his scum father.

“There are people I have to protect in this world,” she said, finally able to feel the flickering flames of her new form, dizziness subsided, and mind clear.

A slow smile spread across the faces of her new acquaintances, one gentle and loving, and the other -- the eyepatch wearing man -- fierce and almost manic. A hand reached up and suddenly there was a burst of energy as the lantern was opened and the seal holding her inside released.

“Already gaining strength from repeating your convictions,” the eyepatch man said, still grinning. “You are going to be incredible, Wen Qing. I think I’d like to help you with your goal.” His hand reached towards the open door and Wen Qing cautiously moved to hover in his palm. She could feel the power radiating from him now, resentful energy cloaking him like a king’s mantle.

“My name is Hua Cheng, Crimson Rain Sought Flower, one of the only three Ghost Kings in existence. And I think we’re going to get along just fine.”

[relatableblorbopoll]

Preliminaries

Here's how it will work:

The first round will consist of 18 polls of 6 participants each, the first two places get a place on the bracket

For the second round, there will be 12 polls of 6 participants each, the first two places get a place on the bracket

The third round will consist of 4 polls of 12 participants each where there will be a (metaphorical) knife battle to the death where only one character from each poll will get in the bracket

All pairings of groups are randomly generated

Check after the read more for the full list of participants and for the groups of the first round of preliminaries

Group 1 poll

Nimona (Nimona)

Twelfth Doctor (Doctor Who)

Blue/Green Oak (Pokémon Green/Blue/Red)

Jack Reacher (Reacher Series)

Tsubakura Enraku (Len'en Project)

Albedo (Genshin Impact)

Group 2 poll

Jessica Day (New Girl)

Daniel LaRusso (Karate Kid)

Omota Uramichi (Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan)

Jack Spicer (Xiaolin Showdown)

Hatsune Miku (Vocaloid)

Eichi Tenshouin (Ensemble Stars)

Group 3 poll

Conner Bailey (The Land of Stories)

Lucy Honeychurch (A Room With A View)

Greg Heffley (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)

Gideon Nav (The Locked Tomb)

Akaashi Keiji (Haikyuu!!)

Burgerpants (Undertale)

Group 4 poll

Legosi (Beastars)

Stephen Stills (Scott Pilgrim comics)

Sunny (Omori)

Tony Stark (Marvel Avengers)

Rookie (Club Penguin)

Charlie Morningstar (Hazbin Hotel)

Grupo 5 poll

Melissa Chase (Milo Murphy’s Law)

Candace Flynn (Phineas and Ferb)

V-Flower (Vocaloid)

Ciaphas Cain (Warhammer 40k)

Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson series)

MK (Lego Monkie Kid)

Group 6 poll

Jesper Fahey (Six of Crows)

Crowley (Good Omens)

Dave Strider (Homestuck)

Junior (Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race)

Kim Dokja (Omnicient Reader's Viewpoint)

Donutella (Tokidoki)

Group 7 poll

Rigby (Regular Show)

Angua (Discworld)

Cao Weining (Word of Honor)

Aang (Avatar: The Last Air Bender)

Okuyasu Nijimura (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)

Shin Tsukimi (Your Turn to Die)

Group 8 poll

Stanford Pines (Gravity Falls)

Miles "Tails" Prower (Sonic The Hedgehog Franchise)

Jonathan Sims (The Magnus Archives)

Ford Prefect (The Hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy)

Shaun Murphy (The Good Doctor)

Sonic (Sonic The Hedgehog Franchise)

Group 9 poll

Overlord (Bad End Theater)

Denji (Chainsaw Man)

Abed Nadir (NBC Community)

Entrapta (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)

Gren (The Dragon Prince)

Ocean O'Connell Rosenberg (Ride The Cyclone)

Group 10 poll

Nagisa Ran (Ensemble Stars)

Waver Velvet (Fate series /The Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II)

Shuichi Saihara (Danganronpa V3)

Opossums (real life)

Midori Takamine (Ensemble Stars!! Music)

Seven of nine (Star Trek)

Group 11 poll

Mae Borowski (Night in the Woods)

Shigeo Kageyama / Mob (Mob Psycho 100)

Barry the Quokka (The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog)

Kaveh (Genshin Impact)

Yusuke Kitagawa (Persona 5)

Nanami Kento (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Group 12 poll

Rod (Avenue Q)

Missi (Vampair Series)

Lia (The Music Freaks)

Sand (Only Friends)

Pa Jindapat (Bad Buddy)

Sara Murphy (Milo Murphy’s Law)

Group 13 poll

Cecil Gershwin Palmer (Welcome to Night Vale)

Noah (Total Drama Series)

Basil (Omori)

Stanley Pines (Gravity Falls)

Wen Ning (Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Untamed)

Nick (Only Friends)

Group 14 poll

Oz Vessalius (Pandora Hearts)

Sound (My School President)

Luz Noceda (The Owl House)

Gundham Tanaka (Super Danganronpa 2)

Saiki Kusuo (Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan/The Disastrous Life of Saiki K)

Drew (The Music Freaks)

Group 15 poll

Wen Kexing (Tian Ya Ke / Faraway Wanderers)

Homura Akemi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Nico di Angelo (Percy Jackson Series)

Heinz Doofenshmirtz (Phineas and Ferb)

Reki Kyan (Sk8 the Infinity)

q!Quackity (QSMP)

Group 16 poll

Parker (Leverage)

Gudetama (Sanrio)

Finn the Human (Adventure Time)

Rain O'Fire Frazier (Worm)

Piper Mclean (Heroes of the Olympus)

Norma Khan (Dead End Paranormal Park)

Group 17 poll

Berdly (Deltarune)

Hamlet (Hamlet)

Squidward Tentacles (Spongebob)

Hunter (The Owl House)

Szeth-son-son-Vallano (The Stormlight Archive)

Nami (One Piece)

Group 18 poll

Tobias (Animorphs)

Isaac O'Connor (Paranatural)

Trisana Chandler / Tris (Emelan book series)

Sokka (Avatar: The Last Air Bender)

Haruhi Fujioka (Ouran Highschool Hostclub)

Shinji Ikari (Evangelion)