#or should i add yingxings?

[cornettopickuplines]

I really like Dan Feng... Dan Heng not that much (NOT BIASED AT ALL !!!)

#honkai star rail #I rank them on how they treat my wife(blade) #hsr #hsr fanart #dan heng #dan feng #renheng #renfeng #or should i add yingxings? #yingfeng #art #my art #i honestly don't know the name of their ship name

[artheresy]

I have not forgotten the draft regarding "How I would write Clouds Leave No Trace", it still lingers its still there

Im still thinking about how my least favorite parts are Yanqing's characterization, The way the world around Jingliu treats her like she's normal when clearly she's not, The way there's such an effort into putting Yingxing and Dan Feng on the same level of guilt for every single thing that it makes Blade's desire for revenge feel nonsensical and out of no where when he has good reason for it, The way that they don't do more to play up the HCQ's dynamic especially in the normal areas thus making caring about their tragedy a struggle if you haven't done all the "prerequisite reading" (even tho the quest should make the players care more and want to read instead of requiring the opposite), The way that they literally mention Bailu and Blade crossed paths but never show us that scene DESPITE all of the importance placed upon Baiheng and Yingxing's friendship, Did I mention My Massive Problems with my boy Yanqing's characterization in this quest versus what we see of how he's affected both before and after it?

Oh and of course, to mention Jing Yuan not really feeling like he has as much significance being in this quest despite being apart of the HCQ and Jingliu's disciple because yet again, they especially don't do enough to develop on screen (but also not enough in the readable text too) his connections to the rest of the HCQ (which in general if you ask me, makes it a lot harder to be that sad at the moments they clearly want us to feel sad for him over the HCQ)

I could go on and on about the problems of Hyv not fully giving the audience a reason to care for the HCQ's tragedy by the way they are barely shown on screen, shoving it all in readables and character stories and relic lore. Even their legends get barely any screen time to build up to when we hear about the fall out.

Also again, not kidding about Jingliu and the world's perception around her. She is described solely in the beginning as bringing a chill to the room, but she's clearly very intimidating, if you ask me she seems very clearly unstable as well and yet when they waltz around in a populated area with no attention getting drawn to them or suspicion or anything. I also call Massive Bullshit on Bailu being like "Wow but she seems so normal and kind, there's nothing about her at all that could make me think she's marastruck 😲!!" When if you ask me, that whole scene could have been used in a much more meaningful way to make a connection between Bailu and her resemblance to Baiheng Specifically in a way I will further elaborate on in my full post about it BUT YEAH Jingliu deserved so much better with this quest, so so much better

And even just small details get me like Jingliu leaving first from Scalegorge Waterscale, then Jing Yuan, Yanqing and Ren leaving? Like if you ask me, let Jingliu leave with Jing Yuan and Yanqing like they're escorting her (idc about any "She was already turning herself in!" There are a number of reasons to be cautious, not solely of her, and keep her in their view) and then talk to and have Ren leave last.

I am still thinking about it, that post still haunts me daily, I have grown to like the quest but my problems with it are so strong and so clear that it's like AHA I CANT STOP THINKING ABOUT IT

#I have so many opinions on this quest #And a clear vision in my mind #I still don't know why it exists in its own little bubble #Why is Yanqing acting so odd in this quest but then goes right back to his normal consistent point of character regarding his failures afte #Also even with the argument of it being Jinglius biased words #Having NO mention of Dan Feng while talking about Yingxing's fate at all is wild and weird #Not even a “His stupidity and loyalty to you got him turned into a monster” kind of thing #Where it doesn't even have to be explicitly all the fault on Dan Feng but treating it like he wasn't at all involved in that transformation #It's crazy to me #But yeah uh #I bet if I wasn't obsessed with Blade and the HCQ #To the point of going through the readables and little quests with any mentions of them and their character stories #That I wouldn't be as emotional as I was during Clouds Leave No Trace because they really don't do enough to give reasons to care #The reason I cried for Blade when I played it is bc I read VotU knew what Baiheng meant to him & the ChrStr to know what they meant to him #The game should do more to tell us those kinds of things upfront if they want us to be more likely to have the reaction they seek #ALSO #NOT ENOUGH FLASHBACKS #SERIOUSLY ADD SOME MORE !!! #Even just snippets and add little lines and moments or views of the past overlaid on the prescent? #Hsr #Honkai star rail #Jingliu #Baiheng #Dan heng #Dan feng #Yanqing #Jing yuan #Yingxing #Hsr blade #high cloud quintet

[kurim-chis]

“The one who buried the beloved, was also you.”

—— blade/yingxing x reader (VERY lightly implied dan feng x you)

BACKGROUND: You're a short-lived species who arrived to the xianzhou alongside Yingxing in the merchant ships (perhaps childhood sweethearts??), you've been in a relationship for a few years now and while Yingxing is gruff and rough around the edges, he's nevertheless besotted with you and fiercely in love with you; a happy ending to this story seems likely —— until you get struck with the mara-disease.

AKA this is half-assed narrative and half-assed word vomit, I just want to add more pain and suffering to Blade's past while being self-indulgent trash :D

.

.

yingxing has seen the mara disease so many times before, during the war and within the ships with their citizens, especially once their times passed the five hundred mark and madness slowly creeps in. their faces had mostly been obscured by golden flowers and twisting branches the first time he saw the corpses, but throughout the years he's seen many variations of them.

faces contorted in agony, twisted in fear and despair, or slack and numb as roots wriggled out of their skin and flowers bloomed over their eyes, and most often they would be driven into mara-struck madess and insane bloodlust in their rampages.

yingxing never expects the mara to fall upon you.

if yingxing tries to look back on it, perhaps it had started way more earlier than they'd known — perhaps it was the itching, the little scratches healing faster than they should, the headaches and the daydreaming. it doesn't quite strike either of you until one day you are screaming as golden lines split your skin, as little branches claw their way out of your arms, and small buds blossom from the wounds on your flesh. it's sudden and unexpected and terrifying and you are hunched over yourself trembling and shivering and sweating as he tries to hold you, a hand hovering over the tiny blossoms that grows out of your neck and collarbone, the tiny roots wriggling out of your arms, and it gets progressively worse from thereon.

this can't be happening, you say

i'm scared, you say

please believe me, you say

(because you're a short-lived species, and the only way you could've been struck with mara like this is for you to receive the plague author's blessing)

yingxing believes you (yingxing loves you)

you are frightened and terrified and yingxing can only hold you through the tears and terror and confusion and pleasedon'thatemeyingxing

perhaps, if it had been just the blessings of the abundance, it would've been fine. there are countless individuals within the ship who use the power of the abundance in medicine and aid, after all. but roots continue to wiggle and settle over your skin like bangles and chains, golden flowers begin sprouting from the buds in your flesh, and even your eyes and hair starts losing their colors.

you try to snip the blossoms and the locks of hair and the branches, and the wounds only heal over and over and over again, each time faster than before, the blooms brighter and livelier than the last, and the tips of your hair take on the color of dry blood and your eye color melt into the gold of the mara disease.

you are in pain, you are in agony and miserable, and eventually, even your memories and sense of self start deteriorating amidst a haze of golden petals and blood.

you start asking if it would be better to die "while you still can" (you are afraid of becoming like the mara-struck soldiers in the game), but yingxing doesn't allow you to.

this cannot be happening, yingxing thinks.

it breaks yingxing to watch you like this, but no one else can know. xianzhou will see you dead for suspicions of worshipping the plague author. he can only hold you during the nights and soothe your fits until you settle like a docile beast in his arms, and then during the day, he researches

yingxing puts aside the forgery for as long as he possibly can without arousing suspicions and throws himself into mara research discreetly, but there's not much he can find. access to advanced texts are restricted and he only learns about as much as anyone interested in the mara disease knows, but one thing is for sure —— there's no documented recovery from the mara in the centuries of the xianzhou history.

become mara-struck, and you either die in a flurry of golden flowers or are striked down by the cloud knights.

(there's another thing yingxing eventually finds out, as well —— this is no accident. someone caused this to you)

(yingxing will hunt them down to the farthest reach of the stars, and he will not stop until they are dead. whoever did this will wish they hadn't been born.)

if yingxing cannot find anything about how to recover from the mara, perhaps then he could find a way to control the disease, prevent it from hurting you as it was doing now, prevent it from turning you into a mad creature. it wasn't too late yet, and yingxing refuses to give up on you.

yingxing turns to imbibitor lunae and the scalegorge waterscape — the sacred abode of the vidyadhara, a race devoted to the sealing and guard of the ambrosial arbor, and that becomes one amongst the many mistakes he will have commited.

in the future, the man - yingxing - who will become known as blade will look back on this moment and laugh — madly, loudly, hatefully, as he lives on cursing his life and that of two other sinners.

you are dead, and yingxing could not save you

you are dead, and blade wants to die

.

.

.

BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE NARRATING:

There are a LOT of layers to what I want to be happening in the premise of this short. For example, I wanted to write that the ones responsible for "you", as a short-lived species, going mara-struck was a result of sabotaging and conflict with Sanctus Medicus (or whatever antagonist there is during the events of Dan Feng and Yingxing's crimes), who wanted to sow strife amidst the Xianzhou. There's a lot of plot going on that my little brain can't be bothered to rationalize.

During his research on mara and trying to find out HOW you turned mara, he begins suspecting of foul play and unearths quite a bit of shit within the Xianzhou. There's a lot of sketchy shit, some not related at all to what he wants to know, and it paints numerous targets of Yingxing.

Their main targets would actually be Jing Liu (who some time later on succumbs to mara and goes on a murderous rampage) and many other higher ups and important figures to different areas of the Xianzhou. In trying to discreetly trigger or infect mara to others, they also partook in indiscriminate damage in hopes one of their targets will be caught unawares and be infected with something that can trigger or coax out the mara disease, and "you" were caught in the crossfire and ended up mara struck (or perhaps you were intentionally targeted as well, can't decide on this) as a short-lived species collateral. Many of the other short-lived species die during this period of time.

By some twist of fate or whatever, your descent into mara isn't instantaneous and is instead painful, slow and with a clear consciense of the changes in your body, but it's only slowed, and your body can't adjust to mara like how Blade and Jing Liu will in the future.

Ying Xing, however, clings to the hope you can mantain your clarity and sense of self, and what he wanted to do in this short is research the vidyadhara's records to see if he could seal away your mara or contain your disease. When that wasn't enough, he will perhaps 1) try to find some other way, 2) try to see if Dan Feng can find a way to contain your mara disease, or at least delay it until something can be done because this wasn't your fault.

Instead, what happens is that Dan Feng kills you.

Dan Feng sees you and you are half consumed with flowers even though you aren't being violent or crazed, you've tanked the attacks of many other cloud knights and mara-struck alike and are covered in blood and tatters while everyone's dead. Your sins are set in stone (are they really?) and your ending is only a matter of time, so Imbibitor Lunae - although pained - decides to put you down and lay you to rest. He tries to kill you - and either fails or obliterates your sense of self so all that remains is a corpse that keeps healing - and then seals/buries your regenerating body into the Scalegorge Waterscape.

Dan Feng's actions are an act of compassion, love and mercy in his eyes. He buries you in Scalegorge Waterscape, where your rest will be undisturbed and none shall desecreate your body, not even the Xianzhou will be able to part the seas of Scalegorge.

But that and what Yingxing sees are different. (they also think differently lmao)

After Yingxing reaches Scalegorge amidst all the chaos that would be happening, he would only know you were hurt very, very badly. Blood, flowers, tattered clothes. Lots of fighting, arguing, etc.

Ending is that - as mentioned - despite his efforts otherwise, Yingxing sees your body cast into the abyss of the Scalegorge Waterscape and sealed there, left to rot in the darkness and cold of an artificial sea.

Afterwards, he himself becomes mara-struck and then is sent of to be killed over and over again by Jing Liu lmao. He wants to die, but he cannot.

At some point in time, he almost forgets that his name is Yingxing and he had loved someone who died unjustly amidst internal conflict and everything, but it comes back to him when he escapes and becomes Blade.

EVERYTHING here is just self-indulgent brainstorming. NGL it could've been better.

#honkai star rail #hsr blade #started this fired up about making blade suffer and then forgot how to do it #gg i really enjoy writing stuff where yingxing and you or OC were in a relationship #perfectly happy and content #and then WHOOOSH #DESPAIR AND ANGUISH AND DEATH #blade x reader #hsr x reader #i lost my shit halfway through writing this and just forgot how to write #what is writing?? what am I doing?? #kurim writes hsr

[ixiot-ghostrebel]

platonic blade taking care of injured!teen reader? reader is a stellaron hunter too :3

Oooh, alright! I'll see what I can do :)

Injured Teen!Reader Being Moody with Blade, Stellaron Hunter

(Warning: Might be OOC!)

Blade is 0.01% away from losing himself to the Mara with your constant antics. He knew teens were moodie (man also deals with Silver Wolf 25/7 along with Kafka's teasing), but man you were just something else.

As much as this man was suicidal, your wish that got you tied with Elio and the rest of the Stellaron Hunters was to (word by word) "experience the universe to the fullest." Blade was not sure whether getting injured every single time you step outside of the Stellaron Hunter base was a part of the wish, but he was sure as hell done with it.

"This is the fifth time you got hurt," he says simply, using one of his bandages to patch you up. Since you were on a mission, you couldn't exactly get patched up back at HQ, so this will have to do.

You sigh, a little frustrated. "Listen, Blade, I get it! I need to be more careful, I need to be more aware—spare me that lecture again, will you?"

"This is the fifth time this day," Blade adds in plainly, emphasizing the last word that nearly makes you want to retort at the plain man before. "Kafka is the one who lectures you. You should listen to her more, considering your recklessness."

"Yeah, yeah, old man, I got it. I'll take the blame, yada yada, you'll be fine." You eyeroll. "You're such a killjoy."

"You should be glad this injury is not serious. You may have been killed this time." Blade gets up. "Allow me to take the hits next time. I may not be able to die, but you can." How reassuring. At least he's trying...

"Thanks, old man." You sigh, getting up as well. You follow him and continue your trek. There's still a mission to finish.

Ghost Rebel Side Notes: Is it wrong to use a Yingxing GIF while talking about Blade—? Oh well too late—The Ghost Rebel's using it anyways :) Ghost Rebel loves ghosts clearly LOL

I really hope this was fluff but idk I think I made it more awkward than anything :') I still hope it was enjoyable at least lol

PENACONY PENACONY PENACONY!!!!

✦ Check out The Ghost Rebel’s Blog Description & Info Page to See if Their Mailbox is Open! ✦

#honkai star rail #star rail #hsr #hsr blade #blade hsr #blade honkai #honkai blade #honkai star rail blade #stellaron hunters #platonic hsr #platonic relationships

[jymwahuwu]

👀🦋 reading all the new Dan feng and Yingxing thirsts really make me feel refreshed again😫

🤏 to add more seasoning

The mating season for vidyadhara has returned. Also meaning that Dan Heng should help with the task since he could help Bailu with it (with Dan Feng's memories) but as the ex-high elder, he also needs to ✨ help reproduce✨

That's when the matching partner site comes in handy. Guess who's the winner👀. And of course, Blade also comes back since Silver Wolf insists on buying some limited edition gaming things from the current Xianzhou festival.

📸 Blade sees you and wanna snatch you but there's two hidden predators and only one prey😫

Maybe a truce? Or do it together in Dan Feng's bed/nest😌🤯 Uhuhuhuh😏

-💦anon (wahhhhh, finals almost here but I have the blessing of games and good food🙇‍♀️)

I'm full... you always provide delicious food🥵😚

Based on what we talked about before, you should have been thoroughly bred by Dan Feng. During those breeding seasons you had to wait on the water bed with your legs spread wide… Dan Feng had touched your skin and knew your preferences and how hard you could cum and how many orgasms you could hit in an hour… After reincarnation, you was allowed to leave, but now Den Heng is here…shouldn't traditional customs continue to be practiced? You are still the most suitable little spouse for Dan Feng/Dan Heng+Blade selected by the spouse cooperation website.

Yes, the two of them decided to have a truce. Dan Feng's waterbed lair is still there, complete with bed curtain and bathtub. You probably haven't been bred by this dragon and Blade for hundreds of years… They pull you up there and start the whole breeding season… The servants pretend not to hear the moans and cries of ecstasy on the bed🫣💓💦

Also, wish you good luck in the final! Believe that you are the best! 🫶

#alani.answers

[hami-gua]

If it Means to Remain by Your Side pt. 2

I realized well after posting my last post, that I forgot to include things that characters will use and the educational descriptions. Please read through it all, and please patiently await as I outline then draft chapter 1. Anyways, buckle up y’all we are going to go on an educational ride today💀 (more under the cut!!)

Weapons/Instruments Characters wield

Dan Heng - qiang 枪, guqin 古琴

Reader - jian 剑, liu xing chui 流星锤 (mid to later half), dizi 笛子 (mid to later half)

Jing Yuan - guan dao 关刀, xiao 箫 (not 魈)

Blade/Yingxing - heng dao横刀

March - bow

Yukong - bow,

Tingyun - guqin 古琴

Jingliu - qixing dao 七星刀

Baiheng - jian 剑

Yanqing - jian 剑

Ruan Mei - han dao 汉刀

Luocha - jian 剑

Xueyi - bow, herself

Hanya - yan ling dao 雁翎刀

Qingque - fan

Fu Xuan - butterfly swords 蝴蝶刀

Guinaifen - jian 剑

Sushang - None

The Educational Ride

Qiang 枪：This is the basic form of spear in Chinese weaponry. What sets qiang apart from guan dao is the blade. Qiang iis double-edged whereas guan dao is only single-edged. It’s also pointier which makes this weapon good for piercing or stabbing. This is actually a weapon used by Dan Heng in game.

Jian 剑：The most basic form of sword when searching up Chinese swords. Though if wanting to use a more detailed term, these swords are Daoist swords. Jian is used mostly in taiji forms like Wudang, Yang, Chen, etc. Training jian are more flexible. Like other Chinese, this sword also has tassels. This type of sword was carried more by Daoists, nobles and upper class figures than soldiers. The hilt and guard can be especially decorated depending on the patron.

Liu xing chui 流星锤：This is a more neolithic weapon in Chinese history. It has a ball on one end of the rope and a knife on the other end. It’s a rather difficult weapon to wield due to it’s flexible nature.

Guan dao 关刀：A type of glaive. The name of this weapon came from a general named Guan Yu 关羽。 Stories also says that it is a rather heavy weapon to wield, and that Guan Yu himself was a man with immense strength. But of course it’s all stories. Only one side is sharp, but that isn’t the most notable feature. The most notable feature is the curvature of the blade along with an extra small curve that usually holds a tassel. It can be thick or skinny. The closest resemblance to this weapon would be naginata. ( though there are strong hints that naginata is inspired by this weapon). Jing Yuan himself actually uses this weapon in game.

Heng dao 横刀：Or otherwise known as Tang dao 唐刀 is a sword used during Tang dynasty. It is a build similar to that of a kitana, though straightened. It can be wielded either by foot, or on horseback.

Qi xing dao 七星刀：Unfortunately, I don’t really have any information on this sword except for the fact that it looks like heng dao and a scimitar mix. I saw this in a video of Chinese weapons, and though I may be able to find it on Chinese sites, I fear translation will not translate things accurately. I would add another variant, Da dao 大刀 （more commonly known as battle da dao 抗战大刀) but because of it’s imprint on reason history, I also fear that it may be too controversial of a blade to include.

Han dao 汉刀：As the name suggests, this sword originated during Han dynasty. And it is the “predecessor” to Tang dao and many others that came after Han. One noticeable feature about this blade is the lack of hand guard, thus giving this sword a more straight figure.

Yan ling dao 雁翎刀：This sword is THE most closest looking to a kitana, though it is unsure whether or not this sword was even inspired by a kitana. Like it’s predecessors Han and Tang dao, the tip stops diagonally. And similarly to Qi xing, it has a more circular guard.

Butterfly swords 蝴蝶刀：Compact design yet an effective weapon all the same. It’s not very clear when these swords originated, it may have been Qing dynasty, but again, it’s not clear when it originated. It can come in many shapes, though most popularly with a wider blade. Though it should also be mentioned that narrow ones exist. These blades make a perfect piercing blade.

Fan 扇子：It can be delicate, but when made with right materials *cough* metal *cough*, it can become lethal. Small needles or knives can be used along with it to cut, but just full body metal itself can make a great blunt weapon.

A thing to note: You may have noticed, but weapons that ends with 刀 have a single-edged blade. It doesn’t mean that the blade is curved. Tassels are also mentioned (I think twice). In martial arts, tassels are used to distract/blind the opponent.

Guqin 古琴：The classic right after guzheng （古筝）。This is instrument is favored by many, especially scholars. The strings are made with silk though nowadays, nylon strings are also an option. A gentle quiet tone, yet hold clarity akin to glass. I don’t know why many popular media portrays them as fighting instruments when the requirements of this instrument itself is the opposite of what would be suitable for fighting. Mainly nails. Unlike pipa 琵琶, sanxian三弦, and guzheng, guqin doesn’t have the need to have false nails (usually made of shell of some sort though I’m sure nowadays, it’s either fiber glass or plastic). Which then means the player must have their nails (right-hand especially) grown out to pluck the strings. I don’t recommend plucking any string that is thick or metal with the pad of your fingers (unless you want blisters). Classic guitarists will know what I mean about the finger nails part.

Dizi 笛子：A bamboo flute played horizontally. There is a hole usually covered by a thin reed or tape (if the player really wants a muted sound that won’t trill). It comes in various sizes and keys. There is no designated mouth piece instead, there is a hole similar to other holes needed to be covered. It can be as decorated or as bare.

Xiao 箫：Another bamboo flute, though this one is played vertically. Unlike dizi, this flute doesn’t an additional hole to be covered by reed or tape. And on top of that, the mouth piece if more different. Whereas dizi has a hole, the xiao has a slit in which the player has to blow through. Compared to dizi, this is the most difficult instrument (though I for some reason struggle to play dizi, but I’m perfectly fine playing this instrument...)

Most of these descriptions are things I knew growing up, knew how to play/wield, taught to me, or things I searched up so long ago (we’re talking like middle school me). The sources that I did manage to use will be linked down below:

Tang Heng Dao (lkchensword.com)

Royal Arsenal (lkchensword.com)

LK Chen Sword - Chinese Saber, Chinese Sword, Martial Arts

Butterfly Sword: The Symbolism and Significance in Chinese Martial Art – Mini Katana

Ummm. For some reason the links don’t work and my brain is too fried to figure it out rn, so copy and paste and (hopefully) it’ll pop up. No mla format unfortunately. It’ll be waaaay too long of a post. And yes, I tried to make it as close to the game and MDZS as possible but I soon realized that it wouldn’t really work as I kinda do want to deviate from the plot as much as possible (I don’t want it to be an exact copy of MDZS/The Untamed).

#honkai star rail x reader #hsr x reader #hsr x you #hsr x y/n #hsr x gender neutral reader #hsr dan heng x you #hsr dan heng x reader #hsr dan heng #dan heng x you #dan heng x reader #dan heng x y/n #dan heng x gender neutral reader #gn reader

[catcantnavigate]

testing different format for the portraits

i should have more free time now i think so i'll keep trying to figure this out and try to make more progress

right now the plan is to have it be a short jingheng-centric story since dan feng has a completely different design from dan heng yinyue

one with yingxing will probably be made when i can bring myself to try to study dan fengs outfit

might try to add march, caelus, and bailu for story set up stuff and dialogue with dan heng and the general

the rough plan i have is that it'll be a short story starting at the express -> alchemy commisions -> wrapping up at aurum alley

so i'll need to make more background images for those places

minimal moving around since it's mostly gonna play out like a visual novel but i still want to use the side scrolling sprites cuz theyre cute

#jingheng #my wip #my art #dan heng #jing yuan #yinyue jun #dev update

[nilboxes]

Yingxing/Dan Feng first meetings, chance encounters, one night stand.

Complete for now, will add more in the future.

Read at AO3

Extensive notes below

I had this little daydream of Yingxing being alone during the holidays and I wondered if Dan Feng ever tried to shake off the preceptors and attendants to go do something wild like eat some children's treats he was probably denied as a little high elder to be and boom fic happened

Little Yingxing really gives me all the feels, like being such a young kid and throwing himself into the art of blacksmithing is equal parts hardcore but also really tragic. I had to write out what he was thinking as a kid, and how he coped and I wish I could have snuck in some more Baiheng mom moments, because I really think she basically adopted him lol

I thought long and hard whether or not Yingxing would have had black hair when he was younger and the white hair is supposed to signify that he's middle aged, so when he became Blade the de-aging was more pronounced, or Blade's dark hair is something else entirely, like a side-effect of his immortality, but I liked the idea of the dark hair when young and then he probably turned gray early, like in his mid-thirties

To get into the headspace of Yingxing, I just imagine he's really Mr Superovercompensating. I feel like some of his arrogance is bravado early on, but the more and more he is able to accomplish his goals, the more he actually, honest-to-goodness believes in his ability to achieve, but the overcompensating is still there I think, since he's got no one to actually support him on that front growing up, save perhaps Master Huaiyan.

Speaking of Huaiyan, it's a little jarring to me that they don't ever really mention him. We don't even have a glimpse of what master and student were like, so I filled in the gaps. I do feel like Huaiyan being old by the time he took Yingxing in would have had so much experience teaching that Yingxing was able to learn really quickly, but Yingxing also had the knack for it from day 1, so those things combined and made Yingxing some sort of blacksmith monster prodigy.

I researched a bunch of stuff Chinese people do during festivals while writing this and I should have known (being Chinese myself) that most of it is really just... special food... probs some fireworks if it was really a party, but most of it is just special food. I was looking for some activity, but eh, the eating special food worked well enough because it's just enough reasoning for Dan Feng to go out and buy all the food anyway

Writing Dan Feng is really fun, but also really sad. I found it easy to get a hold of his character, but digging deep at his motivations, his desires and what makes him tick really make me feel super bad for him, like, there's a lot going on in there and how Dan Feng keeps it all together is actually a feat in itself.

While I was writing this, there was this post floating around how people lacking emotional warmth like sweets and I'm like wow Dan Feng... and I wonder if he does like the sweets, or can't admit them? I do feel like he does enjoy light desserts tho, not super sugary stuff.

Anyway, I am definitely going to write out more, but also going to mull over what and how. Possibly the dinner at the restaurant scene. Wonder if I can sneak in a scene of Baiheng pleading with Jingliu to go ask Dan Feng to pull some strings. JIngliu probably goes to challenge Dan Feng so that he could lose and use his influence to get a table at some dumb restaurant lmao suddenly I am reminded of Dorsia the restaurant from American Psycho.

Also, last, but I totally didn't expect to write explicit scene for this one, but I guess it sorta happened because I felt Dan Feng was just a little desperate to gain some connection to "the world beyond" rather than just be in his high elder bubble, and eager young Yingxing was just perfect for it. I do think he sorta regrets it though, because now he knows what he's missing out on. Possibly fun to explore in the next one.

#voidmancer writes #xingyue #renheng #yingxing #dan heng #imbibitor lunae #hsr blade #yinyue jun