#gonna have to read up on some Chinese mythology when I have time | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

si1v3rtr33s · 3 months

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bungo stray dogs bilingual/multilingual character headcanons, barring the obvious ones (guild members = english and japanese, rimlaine = french and japanese, fyodor = russian and japanese, nikolai = ukranian and japanese) and the extra obvious one (everyone speaks japanese)

(this is gonna be really long, almost 1400 words, so under the cut it goes)

akutagawa with french and chinese, because he used an oddly high amount of french in his stories and a lot of them had influence from chinese mythology. also i think it’d be sweet to see him learning french from gin who learned it from verlaine.

speaking of, gin and kyōka learning french from verlaine. i just think those three sitting in the basement together, teaching and learning, would be cute. and i wanna see atsushi and kunikida confused as to why kyōka can speak fluent french.

atsushi with chinese for similar reason as akutagawa. we’ve seen him reading in a library, so it wouldn't be far-fetched to say they had access to other languages. i also think that kyōka is teaching him french and lucy is teaching them english.

chūya taught himself some english in the sheep, which was reinforced by doc (who we are going to hear about later), and taught himself french after rimbaud’s death because he felt drawn to the language. a year later, he met his french brother and resented the language a little bit for a while but come meursault and he can actually talk to any of the locals they come across because he picked it back up after dazai defected.

ranpo speaks way too many to count. he got bored as a kid and they just stuck. english is most notable and most commonly used (mainly poe but also the occasional foreigner witness or run-in with fitzgerald), but i imagine him speaking some german, chinese, latin, french, and a bit of filipino. anyone can add on to this list with little to no reason and i would accept it.

the tanizakis are learning english in school because y’know. school curriculum. i think poe is helping them study and that would be cute.

dazai learned german in the pm just to speak very aggressively at mori. i think it’d be funny to see him and ranpo, slacking off and holding a conversation in german. nobody can understand them and think they’re making plans or discussing a confidential case, but they’re just talking about something trivial like cats or candy or just gossiping. they also know a good bit of english, enough for him to hold conversation decently well with poe (which is an achievement in and of itself; poe speaks eloquent english and dazai speaks old man japanese) (see the first few chapters of the manga to see what i'm talking about because they said some of the most grandpa-type shit to atsushi there). i think it’d be nice to give him some down time.

jōno knows braille and japanese sign language. neither are spoken languages, but sign language is a language of its own with its own grammar and vocabulary. and braille because... he’s blind.

adding onto that, techō knows braille for jōno and sign language because (headcanon) he’s hard of hearing. and because he goes nonverbal (autism) and still has to communicate somehow.

you know what, all five hunting dogs (yes even fuckcoochie) know sign and braille. because they are a family (yes even fuckcoochie, but only before the doa arc) and they accommodate each other. and they need something to do on the day off but that’s a discussion for another time.

sigma is a funny one since we don’t know their author, but their name is literally just a greek letter so they know greek and their dad is russian so uh nikolai’s teaching them russian so they can communicate with fyodor easier. have at thee.

ango knew a little english, enough to hold a half-decent conversation. dazai tutored he and oda (pre-t homo teaches their homo dads english) when they had nothing better to do.

hhh time for white people.

fyodor and nikolai know the other’s native language because russian and ukranian are similar enough and fyodor’s japanese sucks ass (and nikolai hits on fyodor in russian/ukrainian so nobody knows what the fuck they're saying). fyodor also knows latin and hebrew because he’s canonically orthodox and he’s just devoted like that. and latin is pretty.

bram, other than irish gaelic and japanese because yes irl bram stoker was irish mhm potatoes red hair (catch me drawing bram with reddish hair and freckles), i think he’d know english because british people (｀_´)ゞ (/pos) and a bit of french and german.

the younger guild members (minus lucy because parentless behavior /hj) know some spanish because of the american school system and i’m not going to bother looking up whether second language was required in the eighties and nineties. (future silver here, i asked my mom that went to high school in the nineties and it was but spanish was the only option so i had to rewrite poe’s section smh fuck the american school system’s history)

poe also taught himself french because they thought the language was pretty and got hooked and a pastime turned into passion and now they’re fluent ten years later. he’s silly like that. and they understand raccoons because karl is their son. yes raccoon is a language and poe, ranpo, lovecraft (see next paragraph), and kenji are fluent.

lovecraft knows irish gaelic because i’m pushing my (kuni)bramcraft agenda (multishipper behavior smh) and i think they’d know french because poe taught them and raccoon because karl was there too and i strive to put images of fluffy platonic domestic situations into people’s minds.

nathaniel hawthorn (that minister guy that akutagawa fucked up and shot sigma) knows latin and hebrew too for the same reasons as fyodor except he’s catholic.

you might think i’m gonna bring up fitzgerald and languages he knows but his entire character is what the fuck is a kilometer and capitalism (/j) so no he only knows 🦅🇺🇸american🇺🇸🦅 english and semi-fluent japanese with weird pronunciation because WHAT THE FUCK IS A KILOMETER RAAAAHHHHHHH (yes i am american and yes i am ashamed)

i think verlaine picked up a lot of different languages in his nine years of being the assassin king. english, german, italian, turkish, filipino, czech. you name it, he can probably hold a decent conversation in it. any time the pm gets a document they can’t translate for one reason or another, down to the basement it goes. he may or may not be teaching q his tricks…

and now dead people.

rimbaud also picked up a few languages, but forgot a lot in his amnesia. before the suribachi incident (in which they and verlaine were nineteen, aka not really adults, which not enough people know or talk about), he had english down fluently as well as a little german. rimbaud my beloved.

so the flags… a funny group that i’ve attached myself to despite them having about fifty pages of life. tragic. doc canonically went to med school here in the states, so he knew english fluently. i don’t think iceman knew anything other than japanese simply because i don’t think he saw any reason to. i’m on the fence with piano man and albatross because my brain says they didn’t know anything else but my heart says they knew something else as well. piano man is leaning toward latin because he’s pretentious and annoying like that and if he did then albatross knew it too just to fuck with him. i also think albatross, if he knew anything else, knew the languages of the surrounding countries because he was the head wheelman and often went on “excursions” with chūya. so korean, russian, thai, and filipino. maybe a little indonesian, as a treat.

lippmann gets their own section because favoritism. they were head of relations so they definitely spoke with foreign allies and enemies. they were also an actor, so i like to think they dubbed their lines themself. i’m thinking english, spanish, korean, and french because, again, they’re pretentious like that. and job requirements but whatever.

as for oda, i think he knew a little english but he was nowhere near fluent. he was a simple man.

shibusawa-sensei irl translated french works to japanese so add them to the list of french speakers. in real life he sucked in german class so no seltsam wütend language for them. and i think they’d speak latin because, and say it with me, they’re pretentious like that.

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tianzhan · 8 months

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#𝑻𝑰𝑨𝑵𝒁𝑯𝑨𝑵 : jingliu of hoyoverse's honkai star rail , established august 27th , 2023. as immortalized by 𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒔. southeast asian , they / them pronouns. please be 21+ to interact with me !! minors and personal blogs will be blocked. mutuals exclusive , canon , oc , and duplicate friendly! this blog will contain graphic content of violence , identity , abandonment , motifs of and ideations of death , and will reference chinese folklore and culture. i am unaffiliated with hsr and any of hoyoverse's games. you can also find me on: @zixunsilu !

𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 @boxue , @qiinglong.

𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐒𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐒 ; temper my soul into a blade that will never dull , destruction as salvation , i am the sword / i am the wound , love as the balm and the blade , the bona - fide sinner. i am nobody; i , the cataclysm.

rules below. / i dont want to make a carrd anymore / promo.

i. im going to keep this brief , so. first and foremost , i intend to keep this space as a place where i can chill and have fun. my workload occupies half of my time , so i'm going to be scarce , so this blog will be a PERMANENTLY low activity space tyty. i will be active with communicating , mainly discord. if i follow you , that means i would love to interact with your muses! i just ask that you be patient with me, since i am scarce as is. i don't really care too much about duplicates and i would love to interact with other blade writers , so long as there is respect to each of our portrayals of blade , but i would love to share around ideas too !!

ii. it goes without saying that i'm unaffiliated with the game, so everything of that material is not mine , the lore for ren will mostly be mixed canon, and expanded upon on from leaks, chinese mythos, culture, and item stories. that being said , ren only offers courtesy to people he holds neutral to better regard to , so he will be rude if need be , and awful where the situation begs for it. but most of the time he's quiet. haha lmao... please keep this in mind when interacting with him! therefore , steal from me and ur ass is grass !! psds , writing, etc are mine unless stated otherwise.

iii. this blog will contain references to and explorations of blade's character within the story and elaboration on chinese culture and mythology, my chinese reading level is literally abysmal (cries) so please bare with me! this blog will also contain triggering themes such as, but not limited to: violence , gore , dehumanization , depersonalization , memory loss , sexual themes , and more to be added. triggering material and general content warnings will be tagged as '___ tw' or '___cw'.

iv. do not involve me in any shape or form in your drama. i don't care , don't involve me. i firmly believe that some things can be solved through talking it out in private therefore, i reserve the rights to block as i please. that being said , i will reblog callouts if it does involve someone who brings genuine harm to the community.

v. i don't really care too much about length or formatting. i personally use small font text with minimal editing , as well as icons, but i do occasionally go iconless bc im lazy lmao... just please don't give me something that i'm gonna have to zoom in 500x to read , and just not one sentence LMAO !! basic roleplay etiquette goes, don't godmod my character etc. i generally do not make starter calls since i am terrible at managing them or answering them but i do. sometimes :clown:. but , the best way to start off threads with me is through ask memes! i loove when ask memes are turned into threads, and i do encourage plotting!! my d*sco handle is available if we're mutuals :)

vi. shipping is not a priority but i'm always up for it. it's not on the forefront of my mind , and i'm sure it isn't for you. what happens , happens. that being said , i reserve the right to drop a ship if certain dynamics don't interest me, or make me uncomfortable. but again , i am pretty flexible , i don't mind exploring darker dynamics between our characters. mains are open, and i consider us mains only if we have talked about it! i do not practice character exclusivity unless requested of me, but i do practice ship exclusivity. this means i will not write romantic ships with different writers of the same character if i already have a writing partner designated to that ship.

vii. if you are a multi , please specify a muse if you send in an ask or like starter calls. if you require anything from me in regards to interpretation or clarification , please by all means drop by my IMs and ask me! all in all , have fun and i look forward to writing with you!

#do not interact w this post i will scream and cry

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cienie-isengardu · 3 years

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Not only do I not regret asking you to "RELEASE THE RAMBLES!", I'm sending you requests for more. Below is a list of questions that I asked @bihansthot , and enjoyed their answers, but because you are so thorough, and answer in such depth, I'm re-asking them to you.

Brace yourself, it's a list. I didnt have time to sort thru them, I just copied and pasted, so if any are questions you already answered before, please feel free to include the links.

"LET US BEGIN!"

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In the spirit of potential future writing, I'm trying to find a building that would make a good substitution for Lin Kuei temple.

I've tried looking up ancient Chinese military barracks/forts, and have found some stuff, but is all exterior. Anyone know of any locations (or several I can cobble together) that would make good inspiration fodder?

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So, uhm, religion? What's the Lin Kuei's take on that one? I know they are aware of Gods, they team up with/ encounter Raiden all the time, and have literally worked for/against Shinook, so I know they recognize higher powers... but I guess the question is, do they care?

Do they have a religion, or spiritual practice that resembles religion? Or do they have a more practical approach "gods exist, but we just consider them very strong people"?

Which segues into... do they recognize and participate in holidays, or things like birthdays? Or are all their celebrations work related (I.E. successful missions or levels of combat mastery)?

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Food. What foods do they normally eat? What foods do they like? What foods don't they like? What foods do they absolutely love so much they'll stop what they're doing to get it?

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If you had to match the Lin Kuei with a dynasty, what one would it be? (I know the 2021 movie has the opening in the Ming dynasty, so the Lin Kuei is at least that old, but given that movie Bi Han hasn't aged in 400 years, and was taken is a child, its probably much older) (and also know the game probably cherry picked random Chinese things it liked).

What do you think the Lin Kuei's view on artistic culture (probably not the right word) is? I know they are heavily militaristic, but in the game, Kuai Liang offers Hanzo tea and he properly prepares it the Japanese way, that says they have something of an education other than just related to fighting?

Lastly, in the movie, everything Bi Han does is "for the Lin Kuei", but the Lin Kuei is on Earth (assumedly), and he is working for a guy who wants to enslave Earth, so what do you think the deal is?

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Question about the Cryomancers. I know the game lore says that they are supposed to be rare, but I also know that the Lin Kuei have had at least 5 (grandpa, papa, older, and younger Sub Zero, and Frost). 4 of which are part of 3 generations that inherited it even with mixed blood (I'm assuming Mama Sub Zero wasn't Cryomancer since they left her alone).

That's a lot of generations in a row for a rare trait... So do you think the Cryomancers as a group have figured out they're being hunted and have chosen to live in hiding?

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Lin Kuei society question? I like writing so I also like world building and I think about these things.

Is Lin Kuei society ever covered? I know there is a Grandmaster, a handful master assassins (Sub Zero's, Sektor, Cyrax, etc) and the movies always have a bunch canon fodder lesser assassins.

And they live in the very isolated Lin Kuei Palace/Temple in Arktika (or wherever it used to be)

But is Lin Kuei (we'll call it "village") ever covered? Do they have willing servants, kidnapped slaves, or a mix of both? Are there women (non fighter women, I know there's Frost) or do they employ strictly male help? If there are women, what's their role, and are there children born there? What about Elderly? What about resources, is everything (from food, clothes, weapons, and the raw materials to create them) grown or manufactured on sight by skilled laborers or do they import/interact with the outside world? How vicious or civil is this society, could you be killed for looking at Sektor wrong or do they value your services to a degree? What's the degree? This is obviously a combat culture, but is everyone expected to know martial arts of some variety, is it optional, or do they prohibit it among the servants/slaves? How strict are they on things like clothing, food, alcohol, drugs, "luxuries", or pleasures? Money? If they interact with the world do they recognize and use $$ currency, commodity currency, or a mixture? Internally are the Lin Kuei payed or just provided for? What about illness or injury, if you're not a master and it a serious injury/illness are you taken care of or do they just give you a quick death?

Etc. That's all the questions I can think of, but please feel free to answer questions I didn't ask, if you think of anything else.

Thank you for this wonderful list to talk about! I’m gonna split the answer into smaller parts, for better focusing on each aspect but also so I don’t feel bad for keeping you waiting for ages, lol. For now let’s focus on asks about the religion!

So good questions! I do think they have some spiritual practice(s) because in martial arts the state of a mind is as important as the physical body and religion is one of many ways to shape someone’s mindset from a young age. I do, however, think that Lin Kuei does not worship the gods. They are aware that the gods exist (with Raiden as the thorn in the side) and may even respect their supernatural powers and battle skills but it never has stopped Lin Kuei from desecrating holy places, murdering people and stealing stuff for the best price. So, it seems to me that whatever religion the members of the clan follow, by nature it is rooted in nontheism.

Of course, there is also a chance that Lin Kuei worships some forgotten deity or deities (as a remnant of their ancient connections with Outworld / realms conquered and destroyed by Shao Kahn?) or may even practice ancestor worship which seems like a good way to uphold a widely understood tradition that plays an important role in the discussed community.

The closest thing to religious practice was seen in Mortal Kombat X, when Sub-Zero and his warriors seemed to pray together before statue of god / deity / ancestor / legendary warrior / personalized thing they value the most (sadly, my knowledge about Asian religious practices or faiths is very limited so I don’t have idea if the statue is supposed to represent any real god/religious symbol).

At the same time, it could be just a bluff since Grandmaster was aware of Cage’s team infiltrating the Lin Kuei territory and used this moment to lure them into a trap. Additionally, Mortal Kombat X comics presented once Kuai Liang sitting before the same statue albeit in a completely different (devoid of reverence?) position.

Of course, if we take into account Mortal Kombat Armageddon, the game states that Lin Kuei Temple placed in Arctika was actually once the Temple of Delia (the great sorceress & wife of god Argus) that at some point get abandoned and re-used by Sub-Zero’s clan.

(In the background, we can see a statue of Delia that Lin Kuei does not worship but did not remove for whatever reason. Mixing both old and new games, we can only wonder if MKX!statue is also the remnant of someone else's faith/religion?)

Beside that, Kuai Liang was pretty vocal about Lin Kuei not worshipping the Elder Gods, what was seen in MK11’s intro dialogue with Cetrion

Sub-Zero: The Lin Kuei do not worship the Elder Gods.

Cetrion: We seek gratitude, not worship.

Sub-Zero: I see no distinction.

and personally did not have any reason to pray to the goddess:

Sub-Zero: Why should I pray to you?

Cetrion: Why does a bird flap its wings?

Sub-Zero: I asked a simple question.

In all fairness, in MK11 Kuai Liang seems the most passive-aggressive toward the Elder God while Frost is focused on her ambitions and Noob!Bi-Han just wants to be left alone when bothered by Cetrion. Similar thing happens toward Raiden. Despite gratitude for saving him, Kuai Liang does not spare the god criticism (can’t serve both Elder Gods and Earthrealm, isn’t fit for his role of protector) and in MKX outright says he does not fear divine beings:

Raiden: Sub-Zero...

Sub-Zero: I fear no gods, Raiden.

Raiden': That's why you shall lose.

Surprisingly, Kuai Liang’s interaction with MK11!Fujin sounds less accusing than with Raiden and Cetrion and it is connected closely to their ties with Bi-Han. And maybe Kuai Liang did seek in the past Fujin and other elements to make a peace with them, like he planned to do so in Mortal Kombat 4 Limited comics?

"I came here to make peace with the gods of the elements that you fought [...]"

Anyway, the accusingly behaviour toward Raiden and Cetrion could be just Kuai Liang’s personal dislike for gods and serious authority issues, which makes sense considering how much he suffered because of their meddling and conflicts.

But honestly?

The available examples of Lin Kuei attitude toward gods, demigods and supernatural beings suggest how little the warriors - especially cryomancers - care for them.

Like, we have Bi-Han in Mythologies, who asked Quan Chi about details of mission:

Sub-Zero: If it's so precious, why don't you get it yourself?

Quan Chi: I cannot enter the temple until the four elements within its walls have been defeated. And I am not on the best of terms with the gods of your realm... especially your god of thunder.

Sub-Zero: Tell me about these elements.

Quan Chi outright said he and earthrealm gods weren’t friends and Bi-Han, reading between the lines, could get the idea that he may end on bad terms with Thunder God. Yet he was interested only in elements (lesser gods than protector of realm?) guarding the temple.

Then Bi-Han beat down four demigods and met a displeased Raiden after Quan Chi got the Shinnok Amulet. His reaction? No fear, like meeting an angry god was a normal occurrence.

Rayden: Do you realize what you've done??

Sub-Zero: I was just earning my living.

Rayden: Your clan's ignorance and greed will cost this entire realm. You must now set things straight.

Sub-Zero: Quan Chi could simply be a lunatic sorcerer. I've never heard of an elder god named Shinnok or of a place called the Netherrealm.

Rayden: Well, you'd better start believing in both, because you're going to the Netherrealm and you're going to bring the amulet back. We must act quickly. I have no dominion in the Netherrealm... You are reality's only hope.

Sub-Zero: I'll do it, Thunder God... but only because I have no choice.

And once he came back from Netherrealm, where he was fixing what he messed up in the first place on Raiden’s order, his abrasive attitude did not change much:

Sub-Zero: Here... the amulet.

Rayden: Impressive, Sub-Zero. Perhaps you will reconcile your reckless past after all.

Sub-Zero: That's it? Not even a thank you?

Of course, to some degree Raiden’s words did have an impact on Bi-Han but even the god’s warning about his soul tainted with evil did not stop him from coming back to Lin Kuei. Bi-Han’s attitude and/or approach to gods seems to change somehow once he was reborn as Noob, but that is a different matter for different times.

Anyway, Mythologies!Bi-Han and MK11!Noob act less aggressive toward gods than Kuai Liang. But then we have Sub-Zero from from the MK novel by Jeff Rovin, who not only is not afraid of gods but outright insult them:

“Wait! Be warned, Shang Tsung. He is cursed!”

“Cursed? By whom?”

Ruthay wailed, “By the immortal Yu.”

Shang Tsung felt cold spiders crawl up his spine. “The demigod Yu?”

“Yes… he who is said to dwell in the underground caverns of Horse Ear Mountain… which is sacred to the goddess Kuan Lin. He who protects the canals… and the tunnels… and looks after all who use them, human and animal.”

“What did our brash friend do to Yu?”

“He… killed a man,” said Ruthay.

“What man?”

“A toll-taker… one who had given up a life of crime… one who had been a partner of the man… you… seek.”

“And how did that crime come to the attention of the spirit of Yu?” Shang Tsung asked.

“The man was killed… slowly disemboweled with a sword… while accomplices forced his wife and his son to look on! After his murder… the man’s remains… were dumped into a canal!”

Shang Tsung raised an eyebrow. “Is that all? I was expecting something truly terrible!”

“It was!” Ruthay shrieked. “When he disposed of the body… in that way … he profaned one of the sacred waterways… of Yu!”

Shang Tsung smiled now. “Then he is definitely the man I want,” he said. “Anyone who is impudent enough to insult a demigod won’t be afraid to attack a member of the White Lotus Society, or the gods who watch after them. I will send Hamachi, Ruthay. When he nears his goal, see through his eyes and guide him!”

Book!Sub-Zero was impudent enough to insult a demigod which is why he was one of Shang Tsung’s favorites. And to be clear - book!Sub-Zero did not regret insulting the demigod at all. Even more! He found humor in it!:

He dwelt in a cave two hundred feet up the face of a cliff by the sea. The mouth of his home was barely wide enough to accommodate a slender adult, and was accessible only by climbing the sheer wall of rock, a feat that was impossible for most adults and daunting even to the few arachnids and marsupials that tried it.

Maybe some of them were even sent by Yu, he thought with a smirk, little assassins who would chastise me for having spilled blood in his precious canal.

The less abrasive attitude toward gods was shown by Cyrax, who talked a bit with Raiden over Bi-Han’s remains. He wasn’t outright antagonistic but wasn’t overall respectful either. He talked with Thunder God like he would talk with any other human being that wasn’t actually Scorpion. Frankly, from the named Lin Kuei only MK9!Smoke actually addressed Raiden in respectful manner, with proper bow and the name of lord

albeit did he do so because he respects the divine beings or just out of gratitude for saving him, hard to tell for sure.

So yeah, it seems like no matter what kind of timeline or age or medium of the story, Lin Kuei does not fear gods nor pray to them. And the clan has a long history of dealing with Raiden, so the Lin Kuei had first-hand experiences with supernatural beings. Somehow, cryomancers are the most impudent warriors when it comes to dealing with or criticizing the gods.

Interestingly, as much as Lin Kuei warriors don’t care for gods, most of the known to us named characters believe to have - and to care - for their own souls. Sektor and MK11!Frost embraced the Cyber Lin Kuei idea but Kuai Liang, Cyrax and Smoke were opposed to C.I. project out for concern for their souls among other things. Even Bi-Han, to some degree became concerned about his soul after trip to Netherrealm.

Believing in souls is usually a sign of belief in the afterlife, albeit after all of them went through (the change into cyborgs, death and change into Revenants) this is less a matter of faith (religion) and more first-hand experiences. And let's not forget that regularly dealing over the centuries with Shang Tsung who steals people's souls on a daily basis makes it really hard to not believe spirits are real.

Also, an interesting matter of Lin Kuei practices that could have a religious/spiritual ground and/or be an example of ancestor worship is the clan’s funeral rites. I don’t think we actually saw any Lin Kuei to bury their own (especially after warrior’s failure?) and for sure MK9!Cyrax and Sektor did not bother to take care of Bi-Han’s remains. However the sources provide examples of Lin Kuei keeping corpses, most likely of their own leaders or warriors.

And so, we could see human remains:

put in two coffins on each side of statue

hidden / kept in a block of ice(?) in chamber of Fallen Lin Kuei in which Frost’s frozen body was also laid, but on the altar

Cyrax’s cyber body was kept and guarded by Sub-Zero (and this is like the only thing that Kuai Liang and Cyber Sektor so far agreed on)

and even Cyber Sektor’s remains, even if just for pragmatic reasons, are kept in what seems to be respectful manner:

It could be just Kuai Liang’s good nature to honor fallen of his clan (I’m still not sure if Lin Kuei Palace is the new place for Sub-Zero’s clan or the ancient hideout) but even in MK Conquest TV series, after Grandmaster was killed by then-currently-Sub-Zero, there was the farewell ceremony with clothes on display (cause there was not much left of body after freezing and shattering) while new leader gave the speech promising to punish the guilty.

Which makes me think that Lin Kuei did honor their fallen warriors (especially those exceptional, deserving). Such custom and apparently common belief in soul could also support the ancestor worship - both as some ancient, mythical ancestor(s) connecting warriors into one clan (family) and tradition to follow in the footsteps of forefathers (Bi-Han taking place of his father [old timeline] or grandfather [current timeline] or Kuai Liang taking Bi-Han’s place as Sub-Zero).

My general conclusion about Lin Kuei is that its members believe in souls, have respect and use of spiritual matters (meditation?) and maybe ancestor worship. Whatever the religious / spiritual practices they have over the centuries, it is not something they will share, as the Lin Kuei by nature are secretive people who keep personal things mostly for themselves. The people that joined the clan (Cyrax and Smoke) maybe kept their old, eventual religious beliefs but overall, Lin Kuei warriors did not fear, care for nor pray to gods. They may respect god (Raiden, Fujin) as a person but not because of their divine nature. And even that would not stop them from criticizing said god. Which is pretty much how Kuai Liang and Raiden’s relationship looks like. Grandmaster is grateful to Thunder God for saving him but he won’t blindly follow his authority.

(Kuai Liang has serious authority issues, hasn't he?)

As for holidays, I can’t really see Lin Kuei to follow any specific religious (theistic) special day cause they don’t care much for gods in the first place. Unless they worked undercover and needed to act as normal human beings, religious holidays would mean nothing to them. The warriors may however celebrate their mission success, combat mastery or promotion between themselves or in secret, I think. Like, Lin Kuei did forbid friendship because it was considered warrior’s flaw yet we know some members either were blood-related (Kuai Liang, Bi-Han, previous Sub-Zero - father or grandfather, depending on which timeline is correct) or considered each other a family (Kuai Liang and Tomas Vrbada) and most named characters worked in duos so they have both opportunity and knowledge about each other to celebrate important matters. If they managed to remember anything from previous life, that is. Because from ancient to at least Great Kung Lao’s times most(?) adepts were kidnapped from biological families at a really young age (something around 6 years old). And Mythologies: Sub-Zero takes that even further:

Its warriors are chosen at birth to be raised apart from the workings of day to day civilization and are stripped of their former lives. Only the clan knows their existence. Each of them posses certain skills and abilities that set them apart from normal men. These abilities are passed on from generation to generation and honed throughout the experiences of life.

So, celebrating birthdays doesn’t sound like happening much, unless those with family around could allow themselves such luxury. The clan may however celebrate the day of becoming a fully trained and sworn warrior? Or the fallen warriors? Who knows.

Also, something worth thinking about: in Mortal Kombat Conquest TV series, when the Grandmaster presented newly appointed Sub-Zero to the rest of the clan, he “celebrated” the cryomancer's first official performance as the execution of two men who failed their mission. So, yeah, celebration of something special in (old) Lin Kuei does not necessarily mean anything nice.

(The next part of answer most likely will be focused either on food or architecture / origin of Lin Kuei. Let's hope I will get it written sooner than later)

<><> EDIT <><>

RELIGION <> ORIGINS / ARCHITECTURE <> FOOD <> FOR THE LIN KUEI <> ART <> CRYOMANCERS <> LIN KUEI SOCIETY <> MONEY & MATERIAL GOODS

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yuexuan · 3 years

Text

Fiction recommendation 21

Time for some more fic recs because its been awhile since I did them!

1. 幻想农场 (Fantasy Farm)

Author: 西子绪

Farming/slice of life, food fic, supernatural, mythology

Summary [taken from novel updates]:

After being fired, Lu Qingjiu finally decided to return to his hometown to farm.

At first, he started raising a pig, and then he found that the pig could solve more high-level math questions than he could.

After that, he started raising a flock of chickens, and then he found that his own fighting ability was one-tenth of that of a single chicken.

Finally, Lu Qingjiu finally realised that this old home wasn’t quite right… Especially a certain person by his side who constantly stared at him day in and day out.

Lu Qingjiu: “Are you drooling because of the spicy stir-fry I’m holding or because of me?”

Bai Yuehu pointed at the stir-fry.

Lu Qingjiu: “Then can you let go??”

Bai Yuehu reluctantly glanced at Lu Qingjiu’s arm, before loosening his teeth.

Comments:

My first thought is: don’t read this fic when you’re hungry. Every chapter is filled with delicious descriptions of food that’ll make one’s mouth water. The novel makes a lot of references to creatures from the Classics of the Mountains and Seas, which is a delight to learn about. An easy-to-read, fun novel.

Novel | Novel [Eng] Translation

2. 全球高考 (Global Examination)

Author: 木苏里

Infinite flow, suspense, action

Summary [taken from novel updates]:

One day, You Huo and his famiIy was puIIed into an exam caIIed the GIobaI University Entrance Examination. Going through exams together with other unfortunate examinees, their Iives are put at stake and they can only Iive by passing each exam. However, something about these exams and the system controIIing it didn’t seem right — lt seemed to be trying to trap the examinees with ridiculous ruIes and strange questions…

There, You Huo meets lnvigiIator 001 who seems to hoId a key to the past he no Ionger remembered and, together, they go through the exam, unravelling the mysteries behind their past and the system.

Tldr: A pair of chaotic madmen work together to go against the examination system while feeding the readers dogfood.

Comments:

I admit that I didn’t like the story when I first started reading it. But as the story progresses, the rules of the examination fall into place and the different examinations got very challenging and interesting. The whole power couple and stranger-to-lover tropes are an added highlight.

Novel | Novel [Eng] Translation | Audio drama | Manhua

3. 全球上线 (Earth Online)

Author: 莫晨欢

Infinite flow, suspense, survival, action

Summary:

Six months ago, tens of thousands of huge towers appeared all over the world, floating over cities. No one could do anything about them.

Half a year later, people are used to the towers and learned to ignore them.

One day Tang Mo saw a bug fly towards one of the towers and hit it.

The next day, a child's voice announced to the entire world: Ding dong! 15th November, 2017, the earth went online.

The three iron rules of the towers: (1) The towers shall explain everything. (2) The game time starts from 6:00 - 18:00. (3) All players please try their best to attack and defeat the towers.

Comments:

Another suspenseful infinite flow stories. I love the smart power couple dynamic, how the two of them become powerful when they collaborate, but are also equally capable of defeating the towers’ levels by themselves. Moreover, all the characters don’t have your typical “oh let me be a hero and save everyone” complex. They all weighed the benefits and costs at each turn and are capable of making decisions that best maximize their chances of survival - whether that is ruthlessly killing other players or extending a saving hand. All the powers and items that the players received and the world-building are very unique (especially Tang Mo’s and his book haha). This one is gonna challenge your brain a bit, but definitely worth a read.

Novel | Novel [Eng] Translation

4. 不要在垃圾桶里捡男朋友 (Don’t pick up boyfriends from the trash bin)

Author: 骑鲸南去

Infinite flow, transmigration

Summary [from novel updates]:

Chi Xiaochi: fourth-rate citizen at birth, three-time award-winning film emperor, second-rate temper, first-class looks. He crawled his way out of hell on hard mode to become a winner at life.

Then, he was smashed into a vegetative state by a chandelier.

061: Hello, here’s a brief rundown on the scum gong reconditioning system. This system measures the regret level of the scum gong. Every time their regret level reaches one hundred points, you will be able to leave the current world. A friendly tip, usually, through dedication and self-sacrifice, our employees slowly foster a sense of dependency in the scum gongs, gradually making it so the scum gongs can’t live without them.

Chi Xiaochi: How many regret points is a complete loss of reputation and standing worth? How about a fall from grace? Or wanting something but never being able to obtain it?

061: ……

Comment:

Don’t let the title fool you. I entered the novel thinking it’s some meet-cute modern-day slice-of-life comedy, but it turns out to have some really good angst and adventure moments in there. Heck, it’s been awhile since I cried for a novel. :’)

There are ten arcs (i.e. worlds) that the protagonist enters, each with its own backstory, so this novel might feel longer than the usual danmei. Nevertheless, I enjoyed all the details placed into each world and all the side characters. I also like that the protagonist is very smart and cunning and he grows throughout the different worlds. The only con I’ll say to this is that everything proceeds a bit too smoothly, especially with the golden finger of 061, so the protagonist can come off as being too OP. Nevertheless, the ending and last world are just huge tear-jerkers.

Novel | Novel [Eng] Translation

5. 迪奥先生 (Mr. Dior)

Author: 绿野千鹤

Comedy, fluff, romance

Summary [from novel updates]:

One day, Zhang Chenfei met a car accident. Fortunately, he didn’t suffer any serious physical injuries. However, due to the impact of the car crash, his brain’s perception of the real world had turned into that of the novel that he was reading prior to the accident. The thing that horrified his wife, Jiao Qi, was… the Smart Brain, Louis XIII downloaded a series of books which meant that his husband would turn into a different character each time!

How will our adorable little wife deal with this kind of husband who seemed to suddenly suffer from multiple personalities?

This novel’s plot focuses on Zhang Chenfei’s changing personality based from the characters in the books, and how his wife, Jiao Qi, deal with every character as he will have to act in sync with whoever his husband’s character is. This is per the advise of the private doctor since treatment of this special condition was still under research.

As they act out their roles, they will gradually discover and learn more about the other, which they’ve never known in their seven years of living together.

Comment:

The amount of second-hand embarrassment and cringe I got from this novel is huge and I love it lol. If you are curious about how cheesy and cliche Chinese romance can get, please do try reading this. It includes some of the worst and most dog blood tropes in a comedic and satirical way, while advancing the main pairing’s relationship at the same time. Truly a fun read!

Novel | Novel [Eng] Translation | Manhua

Other quick links:

Fic tag guide

My previous recommendations (mostly danmei + fanfics)

List of novels/fics that I have already read

#recommendation #danmei #danmei recs

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venteamocha · 3 years

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Hello! Sometimes I see you post stuff from IF blogs and I've recently started playing some IF games, which I've enjoyed so far. Do you have any IF stories you'd recommend in particular? I'm not attached to any particular genre and I don't need romance or a self-insert main character, (though I'm not opposed to either). Though, it's a definite plus if it's LGBTQ+ inclusive! I'm not really sure what the "cornerstones" are of IF so I'll take any and all recommendations haha

Oh god, I play so many IFs. So many. And it’s not even close to all of them, but I’m trying!!

Tbh IFs without romance seems to be very rare, I think because when I think IF I think Choice of Games, and those pretty much always have romance in them. At least, the most well known ones do. But a well done one without romance would be nice too!

Okay, this is a list of my favourites! They’re all LGBT+ inclusive, and most have gender selectable love interests, or at least ones that change gender depending on the gender and sexuality combination you pick. In no particular order, of course. Behind a cut because I’m gonna give them each a mini review. Because I haven’t done that yet.

(There are so many.)

Mind Blind: I absolutely love our big brother Nick, I love how witty and sharp so much of the dialogue is, I love how the MC clearly has a rather large handicap, but is still such an important person to so many people and not looked down on in the slightest. And when they are, we all know it’s because that person is a jerk! They’re not defined by what they aren’t, but what they are, and that’s a great message.

Shepherds of Haven: Part of why I love this one so much is I just love fantasy settings and this one just pulls it off so well. The cast is full of amazing characters, and I gotta say I die inside pretty regularly for not being able to afford the patreon content, lol. The author puts so much amazing stuff on there, and gives us so much great content in the game and through answers on tumblr, and you can tell this whole thing is just the best thing ever to them, and that makes it the best ever for us readers too!

The Wayhaven Chronicles: I’d be shot if I didn’t mention this one, the series that literally killed dashingdon when the book 3 demo dropped!! Again, another author that cares a lot and does their best to do right by their fans. We’ve been given drip after drip of these amazing characters backstories, and I just cannot wait for more! It’s definitely very romance centered, but the overall plotlines are also very good, and I have to say that no matter who I romance, I just feel like the group as a whole is a family. And that’s wonderful.

Speaker: I really like the lore. I really like the lore. I can’t wait until we get more of the overall plotline. Mostly I want my Speaker to get in deep trouble so Seb, Li and Seer (best sister ever) go off and beat the shit out of whatever is causing it. This probably says something about me, but what can I say, I thrive on angst and inflicting near death injuries on my OCs. Sometimes I even kill them, although all of this is offtopic. Or is it? I guess we’ll find out, although I doubt we’ll actually be able to kill off Speaker. And yes, I am definitely playing the Seb & Li poly route. I love them both so much.

Wilhelmina: I love vampires, ok? Ok? And this one is based off Dracula!! The OG!! And you can choose Drac’s gender!! Shit, sign me up forever!! Yeah, she might be literally killing my bff, torturing my fiancé and low key fucking with my mind, but vampires are hot!! Let me live! Or not. But yeah, this is a really well done retelling of the Dracula novel and I like how well it works as an IF. Did I mention I like vampires?? Especially when they get all monstery?? (This one has an MC with a set gender, as it’s based on an already existing literary figure. Mina can have a same sex relationship with dracula, if you make drac a female, or with Lucy, a female love interest.)

More Things in Heaven and Earth: Hi Nell!! First off, I gotta uncover a deep shame of mine. My family literally has a Shakespeare heirloom collection. As in, my greatgrandfather passed down through the family a collection of Shakespeare that was published in 1911. In ye olde englishe. I tried to read it when I was like 10 and was like what language is this?? What the fuck? What the fuck??? And ended up reading As You Like It, a bit of Romeo and Juliet, and a little of Hamlet. Didn’t touch the rest of it. I only got into the other stories through trashy ya reimaginings. That said, this retelling of Hamlet inspired me to go read the whole of the original and now I have a lot of fears for these characters that I’m so much more attached to, oh god I hope my Ophelia has a happy ending. I hope Hamlet himself has a happy ending. The dialogue is so well done, everyone is engaging, and yeah it made me finish an old af book when nothing else did. (This one also has an MC with a set gender, female, for the same reason. However, there are two gender variable love interests, so you can very much play a bi or gay Ophelia if you so choose.)

Guenevere: I love King Arthur. All the myths. I have so many books based on the King Arthur mythos, oh dear god. I love pretty much every version of it. All the movie and tv shows too! I just can’t get enough of those knights. I could go on for paragraphs about how courtly love worked and how all the different social castes were, but I’ll try not to. This series lets you customize Guen as a character to an amazing degree, considering that she’s also based on an actual literary figure like the other two I mentioned above. It really feels like she becomes your own character, and yet she still exists within this world very very well. I worry quite a bit that the author might have bit off more than they can chew with the current book they’re working on, what I’ve seen of it looks absolutely massive in scale. What is out so far is a wonderful read though, full of drama and laughter and lots of chances to make the story your own.

Bastard of Camelot: Yep! Another King Arthur series! Sue me! This one lets you set Mordred’s gender though, so it’s more inclusive in that way. It is very interesting to play as one of the “bad guys” of the King Arthur mythos. You can play them as straight up evil, as good, or you know, a bit of column a and a bit of column b. Or they can just be a rude little shit. It’s got dragons too! You get a dragon pet! Dragons are cool. It can be a bit tough to play sometimes, since a lot of people dislike Mordred quite a lot because of prejudices. Hopefully this will change a bit later in the series if you’ve been a fairly good person up to that point. Gotta say though, as a warning, that Mordred is a product of incest. It’s not glossed over, and it does cause a lot of problems for them in the story.

God of the Red Mountain: I just love that this inspired me to read more chinese mythology tbh. There is just so much here! And it’s just such a good read. I wish I was better at describing things. The MC being a spirit that you can define, the whole setting, most of the love interests also being spirits, the massive amount of history and culture and lore, how it all fits together. It is such a well done story. I really wish it got more attention than it does. I still miss Big Sister. I still can’t wait to find out more about the foxes, and how we can heal our MC.

The Nameless: Another one that lets you play as something otherworldly. I love the lore behind this one, and I love all of the cast I’ve met. I kind of like that our MC isn’t loved right off the bat, that we’ll have to win over all of our love interests and even the other npcs. I’m up for the challenge! Everything I’ve read on the tumblr for these characters just makes me love them all more tbh. I love how much they’ve written for all of them! Most of all though, I love Oisein. All the art of them is just *chef kiss* and their personality is magical.

A Mage Reborn: This is a really recent one but!! Wow, it’s really well done! That cliffhanger!! Oof!! Not many books literally start with killing your MC off! That takes guts! I told the author this already, but I love the way they formatted this, the way it starts with the end, so to speak, and then fills it all out. It just made everything feel so poignant, how MC is literally looking back at all these moments in time in the last minutes they have before they die. Shit. That’s powerful. And there’s gonna be more??? Can’t wait for that angst. Give me that drama. Of course I picked the one who had me killed, that’s just how I am!

These are all just the COG type games, there are a few twine games with graphics I’d throw on here, but the list is long enough as it is and they feel like they’re in a different category to me. Maybe it’s just me?

#if #if recs #rivi's recs #interactive fiction #there are more than these that i like too!#these are just the ones i feel the strongest about #and as i said these don't include the itchio twine ones #there are amazing ones there too but that feels like it should be a separate post?#i'd put links but i think it won't show up anywhere if i do #because tumblr is A Site #i can pass them on though if needed

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whaleofatjme1920 · 2 years

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Hey elsie! This is in case if the last one didnt send. But basically this matchup is with the scp foundation doctors and your oc's

Im a 5' asian girl coming from indonesia. I have short black hair thats parted to the left and i occasionally wear a headband , i have a pretty round face and brown eyes. I pride myself a lot on my thighs for some reason. I also have small scars on my arms and legs from when i was a kid, i used to play rough a lot. I was born on the 24th of august and i am a sun and moon virgo with Capricorn as my ascendant and libra as my midheaven. Im majoring in zoology in college rn and if i was in the scp universe id probably work for wilsons wildlife solutions.

I like, reading, ice and roller skating, drawing, coffee, naps, Dungeons And Dragons,the rain, mythologies and urban legends, gaming, and binge watching! Currently finishing up the last of bhna. Im re reading the harry potter series right now. Im very much into vulture culture and im collecting bones and stickers! The stickers are also used for journaling since i started the hobby recently. I also am an avid fan of liminal spaces, the unknown and the depths of the ocean! I actually nearly became a marine biologist because of it but it turns out it doesn't pay as well as being a zoologist.

I like to dress in a more 80s to 90s era of fashion. I have a lot of button up colourful shirts, sweaters, jeans, belts and etc. Other then that i dress pretty casually and laid back more because of how hot it can get in Indonesia.

My personality type is INTP. Im very much introverted but can be friendly to others. My humor is everything and anything but most of the time its dry, but quick and witty. I also like puns. A lot. I find it personally hard to make friends, but once i get to know the person and i feel more comfortable i start to open up. Im considered to be more of an outcast to people but it's mostly because i dont like talking to strangers lmao. Other then that im pretty chilled and laid back, sure i have a small temper but it usually is over quick.

I dislike bugs. Thats it. I just dont like then they're so creepy and weird they basically just freak me out. Never get me near bugs, please.

NSFW under here

Im into breeding and a bit of rope play, i also have kinda a size kink (probably because i used to be a furry) but other then that im pretty vanilla.

Your matchup is... Stanley Pan!

NSFW below

In General

this sounds so fucking cliché given our RP but it's fucking Stanley. Like, I was reading this further and further and couldn't deny that this is literally his territory. i can't - I can't fight this? This is him. Literally him. I'm- aseflashdkfasel

Things He Likes About You

Physically speaking, this man loves everything about you, especially your short hair. I think he likes short - medium length hair the most tbh. Brown eyes supremacy and Stan subscribes to that belief too. Your body is a 10/10 for him. Also you're a virgo, so I'm biased towards you and Stan is too. He LOVES that you're into zoology. Stan is also into marine bio i mean - look what this man does for a living. All of your hobbies line up with him except for roller skating?? Like, ice skating he rationalizes by saying "oh lol frozen water" but he's awful at roller skating. He thinks vulture culture is super cool and loves learning about things from you. He just likes hearing you talk. Your sense of fashion is really cool to him considering he dresses like a normal ranch hand or some fishing guy on his off days. Your personality meshes pretty well with him. Stan befriends literally everyone. He's so laidback like, he's gonna come talk to you first.

You Two as a Couple & NSFW

Stan likes reading on the porch in the summer nights. He will spend a lot of time with you not doing anything but your own thing? He kinda likes being in your presence. Will go ice skating with you and he's actually good at it. Teach in Dungeons and Dragons, this man has a huge imagination like please. He can tell you about American, Chinese and German urban legends and mythology as an amalgam of stuff from his childhood. It's an exchange. He will find you cool bones and stuff and give them to you. Will buy you stickers he thinks you might like, he's literally such a romantic and an overall Southern Gentleman. Stan would absolutely give you some of his clothes, like, it's super cute. He loves seeing you wear his clothes tbh. He likes that you're friendly and I feel like the two of you would always be laughing. He's super easy to open up with. Stan is like a capybara - everyone gets along with him for a reason. He's a chill guy, we know that. Bit of a flirt in a cute way. Never obnoxious. The two of you have such a sweet type of love tbh. He will handle the bugs, he likes bugs don't worry. Might tell you facts about them.

Stan has a breeding kink. The man wants a family. That's going to play into sex lmfao. He's like, not the tallest guy?? But he's also like 5'10 so that's still - hey. Stan is weirdly good at knots - it's working at his father's bait and tackle shop - so ofc he will tie you up good. Likes to hold your wrists with his hands too. Stan is surprisingly a dom when it comes to this kind of stuff and he's going to use his voice to his advantage. Mentioning how he's going to fill you, wants to see you with his children, literally fucks you into next Tuesday. Stan doesn't have too many kinks himself?? I mean, maybe he's a bit of a voyeur so he likes watchixng you get off, but he's generally not a kinky guy/just goes with what his partner wants because seeing them in lost in pleasure makes him happy. He's a pleaser, but also likes bossing people around sometimes in a sickly sweet condescending way. Generally, though, Stan is pretty sweet and giving in bed. OH ALSO, he's going to pay good attention to your thighs-

Closing Thoughts/Other Things

I read this like 4 times and kept coming back to Stan. let me know what you think-

#scp #scp x reader #stanley pan x reader #stanley pan headcanon #scp matchup #scp oc #minors dni #nsft

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xfilesthe · 3 years

Photo

AN X-FILES PLAYLIST by @xfilesthe LISTEN ON SPOTIFY + gratuitous analysis under the cut I want to believe / Instead, I look at the sky and I feel nothing You know I hate to be alone / I want to be wrong Small Figures in a Vast Expanse - Rilo Kiley I’ve watched you close / I’m versed in all your ways /I’m just beginning to realize / I’ll get you one of these days Two people realizing they can offer something to each other, somehow. As all great bookend tracks, the real emotion is in the instrumental rather than the lyrics. Chinese Satellite - Phoebe Bridgers I want to believe / Instead, I look at the sky and I feel nothing / You know I hate to be alone / I want to be wrong A Scully track, and the most on-the-nose track on the mix. This is a song about admiring the blind faith of others, and chasing it with the full awareness it’s not something that comes naturally to you, that you might ever attain. Dogs Eyes - Wye Oak And God’s eye looks in / That ghost you don’t believe in Scully track, but this one is an interrogation of God. Another track where the unspoken questioning is represented best in the instrumental breakdown. Note the first appearance of Garden imagery [To shovel the garden / A deep hole, a secret / In order to feed it] In this context, the Garden nurtures a seed of doubt. Doubt is an invasive species. Beaming - Relient K And I said beam me up, Scotty / And can I get a cup of coffee? This is the tongue-in-cheek, self-aware quality The X-Files has about it’s own internal mythology. The ridiculous camp of it all, and yet. Plus this is a song about UFOs by a Christian rock band, which just felt right. What Are We Gonna Do Now - Indigo De Souza When are we gonna wake up / In some cubicle cell with our shirts tucked? / I’ll be the one / I’ll be the one to deliver the news This is a geniuine turn on the themes expressed in the previous song: when are we going to wake up and start acting like adults? Every now and again, the playfullness of the show is interrupted by something catastrophic, something faith-breaking, something empty, and they have to stop and wonder if it’s all worth it. I hear this song in Scully’s voice. I cannot fully express how important this song is to this playlist. Walking After You - Foo Fighters I cannot be without you / Matter of fact / I’m on your back This is my favorite song from the movie soundtrack. That’s it. You can absolutely read into the lyrics if you want to. I think it’s plainly a song about inextricable partnership. Also known as love, I guess. The Blue, The Green - Lonely The Brave I wanna know what it’s like / So I can feel it inside Both Scully and Mulder, separately and together. I see this one cinematically, in shots. It’s a powerful, moving anthem and there’s no one thing to say about it. It’s the entirety of The Field Where I Died, it’s the search for anything distant and intelligent, it’s the first time Scully buys in in the Pilot and she just starts laughing in the pouring rain, it’s every exchange of looks in the absence of a way to phrase what needs to be said, it’s an overwhelming fear of death. The repetition of this line at the end is the powerhouse of this song. You just have to feel it. The Garden returns. [So carry me out to the garden so I can breathe it in / ‘Cause I’m in trouble again] I have my own interpretations for this line but I’ve already said too much about this song and it would take up it’s own full post. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol I need your grace / To remind me / To find my own Look man, it’s an MSR song. What do you want from me. Genuinely though, has always reminded me of the exchange in One Breath. [M: I feel, Scully, that you believe you’re not ready to go. And you’ve always had the strength of your beliefs. / S: I had the strength of your beliefs.] The Garden image returns. [Show me a garden that’s bursting into life] This repeats at the height of the song, and in this context represents the best that they inspire in each other. The Bagman’s Gambit - The Decemberists On the lam from the law / On the steps of the Capitol / You shot a plainclothes cop on the ten o’clock This is a Decemberists song, so it obviously has it’s own storyline. But when I hear this, I just hear Gethsemane / Redux / Redux II, or Duane Barry / Ascension [It was late one night / I was awoken by the telephone / I heard a strangled cry on the end of the line] As a whole, the song captures a dynamic of being swept up in something larger than yourself for the sake of someone important to you. [It was ten years on / When you resurfaced in a motorcar / With the wave of an arm / You were there and gone] These final lines always makes me think of how easily Mulder’s hunt for the truth could have forced him into complete isolation, if any number of things happened differently. Kind of AU, but I love this one. (It’s a bit of a stretch, but you could also read garden imagery in this song [For a tryst in the greenery / I gave you documents and microfilm, too] Fairly literal interpretation.) No Lights on the Horizon - Metric If it wasn’t for your kindness / I think I might be dead This is just a really sweet song. It’s a thank you, it’s an ode to companionship. It captures the MSR dynamic of just owing everything to each other. Pick any of the many quotes out there that say as much. Blinded by the Pretty Light - Mirah You head out on a restless wing / And set yourself to wandering / Wake up in the morning sun / Though blinded by the pretty light A Mulder song, finally. This is a song about loneliness and direction. It’s about priorities and sacrifice. For me, it captures quite literally the blinding, isolating nature of Mulder’s convictions. Honestly, I could have made an entire X-Files playlist out of Mirah songs. You’ve Haunted Me All My Life - Death Cab for Cutie There was a storm when I was just a kid / Stripped the last coat of innocence / You’ve haunted me all my life / You’re always out of reach when I’m in pursuit Another Mulder song, building off of the previous track. This one is patently about Samantha. This is the song of a person that never stopped grieving, and boy, it’s gotta be rough. Some Things Cosmic - Angel Olsen I’ve felt my soul rise up from my body / When I look into your blue eyes / If cosmic force is real at all / It’s come between you and I This is another really sweet, self explanatory song. It feels more forgiving than some of the previous MSR tracks on this mix. This song is an open hand, a standing offer. Specfically, this song makes me think about the end of Pusher. Can’t explain why! (I can but it would require getting VERY granular with this breakdown) Variations On A Theme (Science Vs. Romance) - Rilo Kiley [Instrumental] As all great bookend tracks, the real emotion is in the instrumental. But if you want lyrics, I highly recommend the original version of this song, Science Vs. Romance.

#the x files #msr #x files #scully and mulder #mix

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familyagrestefanblog · 4 years

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Theory on the guardian Temple: Mount Kailash

Every since "The Collector" I was convinced that the guardian mountain in Miraculous is most likely inspired by a real life counterpart. Then "Feast" came around and confirmed it to me. So I started to do some research and here we are with my answer and a new theory: Mount Kailash.

This mountain is surrounded by mysteries GALORE and its was such an interesting research to do! The more I read up on it the more I was convinced that this is indeed the inspiration of the guardian mountain in Tibet (and its entire society) we see in the show.

So let's not waste any more time and let's dive in. As always, I have alot to say ^^

As always, starting with the basics:

Just like in the show, Mount Kailash is located in Tibet and is part of the Himalaya. Its shape is a bit tricky to compare but even if it wouldn’t add up I think it wouldn’t matter that much. As long as the Ml mountains shape isn’t completely off and unrecognizable let a mountain be a mountain, the shape is not what’s most important about it anyway (not in this theory at least). The height on the other hand adds up very nicely. As we see in the flashbacks the guardian mountain may have been up high but also wasn't the highest mountain in the region by far.

This also applies to Mount Kailash. It is “only” 6,638 m (21,778 ft) high, which is small in comparison to several other mountains that go up to 8,850 metres (29,035 ft). So just like in the show, its not the highest mountain but definitely high enough to sometimes be above a cloud layer.

Next is the lake. Just like we saw in Fu’s flashback, mount Kailash also has a lake. Two to be correct. Lake Manasarovar and Lake Rakshastal.

The lake seen in the flashback I believe to be Lake Manasarovar (right)

The lake is located right by Mount Kailash and is believed to be the most sacred one in Tibet and has the most transparent water among all the lakes in China. In Hinduism, Lake Manasarovar is a personification of purity and bathing in it and drinking its water is believed to cleanse all sins. That sounds definitely like a perfect fit for the ancient, mystical guardian mountain lake we are looking for here.

Of course, the show hasn’t given us any indications yet that the mountain lake has such a high status (how could it? We saw it in one picture) and for all it is, the one in the show doesn’t have to. If the lake(s) end up having such qualities as well (which I believe and I’m also convinced the second lake will be of great importance as well but all of this is an extended theory for a very different day) than that’s wonderful and I’m more than happy, but if not then I’m convinced as well that it was not just a random lake they put in there but one with a mighty cultural significance.

Beside that, the lake happens to be a fresh water lake. This would also explain how a squid or kraken was shown to us to have been there, since those are freshwater animals.

Next is the whole temple thing in general. In real life there is of course no temple on Mount Kailash, but this doesn't mean that the concept of a temple for this mountain is anything new. In fact, it's really, totally, utterly not. There may be no temple on our mountain but we still do have a Kailasa temple and MY is this one important as well!

Comparing these two makes it quite obvious right away, they do have big differences. The material, the design etc. But once again, inspiration doesn't mean copy paste.

What caught my attention here were for example the big stone circle in the middle that mirrors the guardian symbol and the big tower right beside it reminds of the biggest building from the guardian temple. While the Kailasa temple is not built on Kailash, it's shape is supposed to reflect and honor the mountain because the temple was built for the greatest of the hindu gods, lord Shiva (the main God who is supposed to life on top of kailash's peak) and therefore it was supposed to resemble his home.

Meaning what Miraculous did here in my opinion, is that they simply combined Mount kailash and the Kailasa temple to make their own version for the show that is unique enough to stand on its own but also stays close enough to its roots to properly honor and portray them.

I LOVE this.

(Okay I'm gonna take this little section to gush a little about this temple because my GOSH this temple is a beauty to behold!

You are not just looking at any temple here, all of this was CARVED out of the stonewall in ONE PIECE! This is one of the greatest architectural masterpieces in human history and today no one can actually tell how the ancient local people even DID this.

I mean LOOK at this! This is of pure stone, all in one piece and there is even a gigantic underground section!

And each and every wall is full of smaller carvings from the bottom to the top, telling the stories of their culture, their mythology and believes. And even those are little pieces of art for themselves! This is marvellous! I hope that one day I will be able to see this place in person because... wow!)

Alright, leaving the materialistic basics behind us, lets take a look at its religious and cultural significance and its mystical reputation because those are *chef kiss* just beautiful.

Here is an important thing to keep in mind that since the Miraculous mountain is not going to be straight up real life Kailash, only inspired by it, this also means the show would be able to include some of its myths and folklores a lot more directly. Therefore I’m also including them here in my theory.

Coming back to what I said earlier, that apparently Mount Kailash is the holiest mountain on earth. And well, that's no exaggeration of mine. Mount Kailash is the center point of 4(!) religions, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Tibetan Bön. These religions also make the fact that the guardians are portrayed as monks a perfect fit. The fact that Mount Kailash has such an immense significance for the regional religions also led to one of the greatest check points for this theory:

Mount Kailash is to this day unclimbed. For several reasons I will cut down to the 3 most important for my theory:

1. As Mount Kailash is believed by 4 religions to be the center point/or a place of great significance, it is also a place that people hold in alot of honor, respect and fear as well. It's peak is believed to be place were their gods rest and/or where basically the divine energies of Existence are residing and therefore you don't just CLIMB that mountain.

Regional people and believers go an incredibly long way to honor it even to this day and therefore, no, regional people never dared to claim this mountain for themselves and its forbidden by the law to dishonor this sacred place by doing so. Bringing this back to miraculous I’m sure you already see why this fits like a glove.

If there is any real life mystical mountain the guardians of the miraculous would be located on, it's this one! The Miraculous are the origins of the in-universe world and as we know from Fu it is an unspeakable honor to be chosen as one of their guardians. The guardian society was/is located off of the normal society and at least the local people from Fu's childhood knew of their existence. Meaning here again, the miraculous mountain as well holds a great cultural significance and only the chosen guardians were allowed to climb it but for that they also had to dedicate their lives to the miraculous and life in isolation from the rest of the world.

This in combination with:

2. When I say it is forbidden to climb that mountain I mean FORBIDDEN. Not only by regionals and believers because of religion reasons. No. Between the 50s and the 70s Chinese authorities have officially managed to declare this sacred mountain as off limits, keeping it unclimbed and under protection with all means needed. Meaning no climbing by foot (beyond the free area that has always been allowed) or by any machine. It's peak is to be remained untouched. And this also means any footage taken from the mountain needs to be done from far away, no matter how ouf of the world the happening on the mountain may be. And that's precisely what we saw in "Feast"

One would think that the reappearance of a long-lost temple on a fuck high mountain would get the immediate reaction of storming and exploring it like hell. But that's not what's happening here and I don't think it's just for plot convenience at all. If we are indeed talking about a mountain in miraculous here that is just as protected by the law as mount Kailash in real life, then THIS reporting here is as close as anyone can officially/legally get in that moment without serious consequences with the law and Chinese government.

They didn't NOT storm the temple because of plot reasons, they didn't because they are legally aren't allowed to set foot on a sacred unclimbed mountain that is supposed to stay that way. What a great and subtle way of telling us more and more about the significance of the guardian mountain. Wonderful Miraculous, I applause you ^^

But there is still another reason why Mount kailash's unclimbed status convinced me that this is indeed the mountain we are (at least in an inspired way) being presented with in the show.

My point 3. is the reason why Kailash remained unclimbed by (the native) people in the first place which highly influenced its immense religious status although history to the point where it is believed to be the center place of GODS, THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE and ALL OF EXISTENCE.

Cause its not like no one ever tried to climb it. Naturally people did, just like with any other mountain on earth. But here is the thing: somehow no one was able to actually DO it. Odd how humans were and are able to reach the peak of freaking Mount Everest even though it's ALOT higher and objectively deadlier by a long shot but "small" and "easy" Kailash is the one still unclimbed.

Kailash didn't get its godly, mystical and fear-striking reputation for no reason. We are now officially stepping into folklore and myth terrain which is actually exactly what we are looking for because a show called "Miraculous" is going to REGALE in the supernatural stories of its influences. And when I say supernatural, I do indeed mean SUPERNATURAL. The climbers who survived their trip reported of unearthly happenings and situations that made claiming Kailash simply impossible. I'm not sure if saying Kailash seems to have a mind on its own is appropriate but it surely seems to try to defend itself from people who aren't worthy or not supposed to be there with means from another layer of existence.

Sudden weather extremes that come out of nowhere to stop the mountaineering and a seemingly changing environment that leads the climbers into confusion, the wrong direction (away from the peak) and even their end are two of the greatest examples and they fit perfectly into the nature of the Miraculous.

Another myth I’ve read quite a lot about is that on Mount Kailash time works… differently.

This also goes back to its defence mechanism of intruders because it is said that trying to climb it will let hair, nails etc grow a lot faster or fasten up the aging process all together to the point were relatively young climbers died the very next year of freaking OLD AGE! This is not only interesting for the miraculous mountain because it’s a supernatural coping mechanism of the Miraculous origin place using a power we are already familiar with (Bunnix time powers) but also because Kailash’s very same time anomalies are also said to grand a longer life (to those who are worthy if I’m not wrong). And do tell, what’s Fu’s age again? That’s right, a very impossible 186.

BUT, when the Miraculous guardian mountain does grand those who are chosen to be guardian (probably through a ritual or something like that to ultimately seal their “decision” to dedicate their lives to the Miraculous) a much longer life through its magical nature, that would definitely make Fu’s age much more plausible.

And yet still, even after everything I brought up one can still raises the questions “Yes but why THIS mountain? What’s so special about it that all of the miraculous things would happen there? Real-life and Miraculous. For all it is, is it just a coincidence?”

You all know me well enough by now that NOPE, I’m sure as heck not done yet :D Lets get to my last point and this one is what sold this entire idea to me 100%, without a single doubt left behind. This is the HEART of this theory.

Let me explain to you Mount Kailash’s status as Axis Mundi.

Trying to keep this as easy as possible, I do think its concept is comparable to the medieval believe that the earth is the centre of the universe. That everything from the sun to every known planet circles around us and we were the first and most important thing created. Axis Mundi is somewhat like this.

Axis Mundi means “earth axis” in latin and is basically the center point of the earth. It has several ways to approach its meaning from religion, astrology to geography. Good thing for us, Mount Kailash is a complete jackpot in this regard, so this makes it easy! (This is probably the reason why Kailash is seen as THE Axis Mundi for many people, even if there are several others that fit under certain categories as well)

Astrologically Mount Kailash is an Axis Mundi because of its location between the two celestial poles. Its distance to the north pole is 6666km and to the south pole LITERALLY the double: 13332km. Its wild, but it gets even better!

The geographical point of view only supports the astrological because Mount Kailash is said to be part of a several-linked-monuments-line with the exact same km-count of 6666km in between all of them.

And maybe this is the right time to remind you that the height of Mount Kailash that I have mentioned in the beginning is 6638m.

Although this is a point, I wouldn’t bet my hand on for 100% legitimacy, since when I double checked the Kailash to Stonehenge UK distance on Google Earth, I ended up with a distance of 6.900-something km. But at the same time the measurement system there can get quite off in such mountainy terrains so that doesn’t mean its officially wrong. Just in question. Luckily it isn’t even that important if this is true or not in real-life, because even if it isn’t, then Miraculous as a TV show can still incorporate and work with this myth/conspiracy(?) no problem.

Another geographical but more local reason for why Kailash is seen as Axis Mundi in China is because there 4 main Asian rivers find their source: Shiquan (Lion!) river, Maquan (Horse!!) river, Xiangquan (Elephant) river and Kongqu (Peacock!!!) river. now that’s something to keep in mind in future. Each on one of the 4 sides of the mountain, making it indeed a source of life for all of China and therefore a “center point” as well.

And last but definitely not least and my, this one if my favourite!

As I explained earlier, Mount Kailash is seen by 4 religions as the center place of their gods, the entire universe and all of creation. But not only that. Because since it is the place where literal gods can manifest, it is also the place where our material world meets the spiritual one and they overlap (Hence the supernatural nature and abilities of the mountain).

Do you see what this means for Miraculous?

It means that the guardians didn’t chose their mountain by sheer coincidence. It means that this very mountain peak is the place where humans where/ARE able to get access to the Kwamis!

A while ago Thomas Astruc posted this on Twitter

He describes the nature of the Kwamis as not actual living creatures per se but more like the embodiments of abstract concepts found in this universe’s existence. Humans can only interact with them through the ml jewelleries but even if these get destroyed (bee miraculous in “Queen Wasp”) the Kwami doesn’t “die”, it just goes back to its original abstract (bodyless) form and can be brought back with their Miraculous because, logically, destroying the bee miraculous for example didn’t wipe out the entire concept of Submission. Duh. Therefore, Pollen was still “there”.

So if the Kwamis are more embodiments of abstract concepts which need a specific item to physically materialize in the, well, MATERIAL world then this means there needed to be a place of transition between these two layers of reality to seal the Kwamis to the Miraculous’ in the first place. And BOY, this is it!

I’m so convinced that the guardian mountain is the Miraculous inequivalent of our Mount Kailash, everything fits like a glove and explains so many questions I haven’t even considered to ask before now!

Especially the last part about the origins and nature of the Kwamis and how their transition into the real world happened is such a gigantic lore aspect! There is so much to be discovered and connected here and I’m already reworking everything about the lore I have so far and MAN I’m glad I picked up on theorizing about Ml again! I am EXCITED!

But for now, this is it :D

#miraculous #miraculous ladybug #ml theory #guardians of the miraculous #ml tibet #kwamis #ml spoilers #ml feast #ml season 3 #ml guardian mountain #Mount Kailash #Kaisala temple #ml master fu #ml sugar

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maxmagi · 3 years

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Fic Writer Interview tag meme

Tagged by @avi17 (Thanks, friend!!) ❤️

Name: Uhhhh call me Max I guess?

Fandoms: Guardian / Zhen Hun, BBC Merlin, MCU (But like mostly FrostIron/IronFrost, sometimes Stoki), Mortal Kombat 2021, and of course Les Miserables (But mostly Enjoltaire). I haven't written for the FrostIron or Stoki and BBC Merlin but I read a lot of it, mostly because there's a huuuuuuuuuuge collection of really good fics in these fandoms.

I have some ideas for Guardian, but I can't seem to get a good idea of the plot every time I start to actually think about the story.

I've written for Enjoltaire and MK 2021 though (mostly Liulao as both romantic and platonic partners)

Two-shot: Hmmm I guess I have a few two shots.

Most popular multi-chapter: Probably The Night That Ends At Last, which was my first Enjoltaire fic, actually my first ever fic on AO3. It has 13 chapters and is unfinished. Last update was in 2018, and I don't know when or if I'll ever finish it because it's very melancholy...written during a very melancholy part of my life. Well, more melancholy than usual.

Actual worst part of writing: plotting. It is my number one enemy and also my greatest joy. When I untangle my web of events, I feel like the smartest and most amazing writer in my bathroom (for that is where most of my great ideas are formed). But it's a painstaking process and oftentimes I don't even get the words on paper because suddenly I'm tired and can't I just have the story in my head? And then I start hating myself for being so unproductive. It's not good, so I try to just pants it sometimes, especially when I'm writing a fanfic. I need to just get it out there.

How do you choose your titles: They either accompany the idea or they come from songs. My recent MK fanfic titles were from songs. The Mortal Multiverse ones, Part 1 universe - since I started with A Thousand Lifetimes, I just followed that up with other "thousand" expressions/phrases. Part 2 universe where Liulao is a platonic bromance and the focus is on Earthrealm warriors, I went with a "champions" theme. I'm probably most proud of The Night That Ends At Last, though, because that title is from Red and Black, which the Les Amis sang in the café while planning a rebellion. The chapter titles were also from the musical.

Do you outline: I TRY. OH MY GOD DO I TRY. But then I lose steam midway, so for most of my fanfics I try to pants it. It's not perfect, but it does get things written and done.

Ideas I probably won't get around to but wouldn't it be nice:

- A Liulao longfic, either wuxia, xianxia, or xuanhuan, with maybe Chinese gods and mythology because I read one written for Weilan in the Guardian fandom, and it was beautiful. But I don't have the chops for it, and I wouldn't know where to begin so maybe not.

- An MK military post apocalyptic / special forces urban fantasy AU (think shifters or mutants) that will probably need an outline, and we all know that that will be the start of the end

- A Guardian post apocalyptic / special forces urban fantasy AU

Callouts at me: Gdmanit, get it done, jeezus christ!

Best writing traits: I dunno, I think I've got some good lines and maybe enough angst to keep readers going. When I try to be poetic, though, I feel like I'm just being corny.

Spicy tangential opinion: I'm usually a "Live and let live" person, but I don't like bullying. If you're gonna attack or bully me or someone I know, be prepared to be attacked back. I live by "Do unto others what you want others to do unto you."

Tagging: @willofyaoi @miraaksimp @lillikue

❤️❤️❤️

#fic meme tag #fic writer interview #fun!!!

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unforth · 4 years

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So I have no idea what The Untamed is, but I keep seeing it show up on my dash. So I kinda want to check it out. Can you tell me if there's actual queer representation in it? Or is it more of a destiel kind of situation right now? (Love your fanfic btw)

ALRIGHT ANON I hope you’re ready to listen to me go the fuck off cause I’m so gonna because I fucking love this show!

Right off the bat, to answer the “is it more of a destiel kind of situation” the answer is absolutely fucking not, nor will it ever be, because The Untamed is 50 episodes long and complete, so where it is now is where it will always be. And where it is now...okay, so The Untamed is based on a novel called Modao Zushi (variously translated but the most commonly accepted is “Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation”). MDZS exists in five different versions - the original novel (complete), an animation (in progress), a comic (in progress), a radio drama (...actually I have no idea if it’s done...) and The Untamed (the live action TV show).

What it is...it’s originally a Chinese BL danmei (a novel, in this case published serially on a subscription website) by an author who writes under the pseudonym Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It’s xianxia, which is a genre of Chinese fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology, religion, martial arts, and all kinds of other stuff...as a Westerner coming in with no experience, it’s been a LOT to learn the genre tropes and I’m still getting the hang of it, but you don’t need to know anything to appreciate the show - I didn’t, and nor did many of my friends, and we’ve all loved it. It has a wonderful ensemble cast (...okay, well, full disclosure, it has a wonderful male ensemble cast, the women in the novel leave something to be desired, they’re much better fleshed out in The Untamed but I could still wish for more in that regard...) with tons of side shipping potential...like, my favorite character isn’t even one of the two in the main ship, and I’d honestly be hard pressed to even name a top five because I love them all so much, and there’s a side ship I love almost as much as the main ship, and is also so close to canon as makes no difference, at least imo. The plot is pretty well fleshed out (or at least the points that are nonsensical are surprisingly easy to ignore...if you’ve seen Jupiter Ascending it had some of the same feel in that regard, like “parts of this writing are a trash fire but I’m enjoying the overall effect so much that I don’t even care any more”). The sets and the costumes are absolutely fucking gorgeous and if the CGI for some of the monsters made me want to weep it was so bad...well, I was a fan of Hercules the Legendary Journeys in the 90s so I’m prepared to forgive a lot to watch hot guys kick some ass, and speaking of the hot guys...

The main ship is composed of this guy, Wei Wuxian...

He is a quintessential disaster bi and I love him and would die for him. The novel is told primarily from his PoV and even The Untamed tends to focus more on his angle than others.

His other half is this guy, Lan Wangji...

(okay the glasses are NOT canon but how am I supposed to resist that line??). He is rule-following, law-abiding, and I totally didn’t get him at first and now I adore him.

This is full enemies to lovers in the best possible way.

From a Destiel PoV, I basically write Wei Wuxian the same way I write Dean, and I basically write Lan Wangji the same way I write Castiel, and people tell me pretty often that they love my characterizations so...the personality parallels, they are strong.

Their ship is most commonly called WangXian. Are they canon? In the novel, yes. They are canon. They are literally married. They have actual explicit sex that you can read in all its glorious detail (actually I shouldn’t talk it up that much I didn’t personally enjoy the canon sex all that much but that’s a totally different topic). They are the most canon of canon, no holds barred, mano-a-mano, god I wish they’d use lube, I can tell you who canonically tops and bottoms and what their main kinks are, and they are so in love and there are ridiculous declarations at the worst possible moments and there’s a wedding...it’s canon.

Now, China has some pretty crazy censorship laws that include making it an arrestable, punishable offense to make the queer explicit in the TV show. Thus, there is no explicit moment where, in The Untamed, they say, “yes we are a couple and we are in love.” However, the following things are canon:

-they are soulmates (link to gif set by @ohsesuns - the source for these two gifs, I hope you can forgive me just embedding them but someone asked me for a guide and I think just linking might not get the point across/require too much expectation of people clicking through...)

-they have their own theme song...which is called the portmanteau of their ship name (link to gif set by @wangxiians, with two used for demonstration purposes...again, my apologies for embedding them like this, I’ll pull them if you’d prefer) And mind you, in this scene, Lan Wangji just sang their song out loud while a montage played of important moments in their relationship with each other it is the gayest most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.

-THIS IS LITERALLY HOW THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER

-neither has a female love interest or any other romantic subplot or any kind of “fake out” and this is the way Lan Wangji looks every time Wei Wuxian is like, “you’re never gonna get a girlfriend with that attitude” (labeled as by someone named mabomanji on a website called tenor that I’ve never used before...)

-DID I MENTION THIS IS HOW THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER

-oh and they have a son...sort of...close enough...okay it’s way more complicated than that but whatevs I don’t want to spoil all the fun...

-OH MY GOD I ALMOST FORGOT TO MENTION THE HANDFASTING? Lan Wangji constantly lets Wei Wuxian touch the “sacred headband that only family members and loved ones can touch” and at one point to protect Wei Wuxian he wraps it around each of their wrists (source for this screen cap is a set on twitter by krayziewes)

I’m sure at least three people will look at this and be like HOW DID YOU LEAVE OUT THIS OTHER THING and all three things they name will be DIFFERENT because the show is just that fucking gay.

So you ask me, is it like Destiel?

With Supernatural, with Destiel, the show writers, producers, everyone, strings us along, giving us just enough to think we’ve got a chance. The only risk they face in making it canon would be a drop in rating and alienation of some of the fanbase and yet they refuse to do it. I do not believe and have never believed that Destiel will be canon, and my reaction is constant disappointment, because seriously, what would it cost them to show it? Absolutely fucking nothing, especially now that it’s ending now, but they won’t. (okay, that’s just my opinion, I guess the last few episodes will show...but I at least have zero hope.)

With The Untamed...with Wangxian...literally everyone involved in The Untamed risked being disappeared by the Chinese government and actual imprisonment to make the show as gay as humanly possible without quiiiiiiiiiiite crossing the line into explicit queerness. Behind the scenes footage makes it clear that the entire cast and production crew have read the novel. The crew jokingly refers to Wei Wuxian as Lan Wangji’s wife (yeah, sorry, there’s some splashes of misogyny especially in the novel) and the looks on any of the actors’ faces when they’re interviewed and asked about (female) love interests are honestly fucking priceless...but no one can say it out loud, no one can make it explicit in the purest sense, because they risk their livelihoods, their families, their futures, their lives, if they say in reply to that interviewer, “um are you a fucking moron didn’t you realize there WAS a romance in the show and it was between two men?” But everyone with a half a brain knows. It’s not subtle. It’s not a secret. My straight cis male friend who is watching keeps screaming at me about how gay it is and he’s only on like episode 10.

Would I kill for a canon kiss or an actual traditional love declaration?

Yes, of course, I’d love that.

But do I think WangXian isn’t canon in The Untamed just because it isn’t shown in those most simplistic terms?

Oh my god it is so canon WangXian are husbands and they are in love and they live for each other and it’s amazing and I adore theeeeeeeeeeeem.

Wangxian. Are. Canon.

#unforth rambles #the untamed #wangxian #i don't even know how to tag this #i hope you're prepared for my love letter to canon anon #because I seriously could not love these two more #Anonymous

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alatismeni-theitsa · 4 years

Note

Thanks for bringing the racebending to my attention. I never considered that it was harmful towards the origin culture. I considered that it was kind of strong to claim that sort of race thing in a way, but maybe that comes from the more.. christianity? view of where there isnt a direct way that God looks, except any way the person perceives. That's probably what I thought, too, until just now reading your answer to someone else. So.. it's not okay? 1/?

I honestly want to understand as my perspective on this now changes. It makes total sense why it would be entitled of someone to do such a thing, and how it's inconsiderate of the actual origin culture that the deities come from now that I'm thinking about it in this way. So again thank you for bringing this up and answering that other anon. I have some things to revise in my head on this, as I honor Apollo and Hermes, I want to make sure that I get accurate and do my research.

I really enjoy being able to read your experiences and I think it's important as, someone outside the culture, gets to experience and understand more to be as accurate and non... whats the word... inappropriate with representing such a thing, I guess I can say. If that makes sense.__________________________________________________________

Thank you for sending a message and for listening to the opinion of Greek people. (I am not the only one with that opinion, many of my 500 followers also share the same ideas.) Anyways prepare yourself for a looooooong analysis! So, get under comfy blankets and take your tea/coffee next to you!

To begin with, there are Greeks that don’t mind but those are usually Greeks who have close contact with the American way of thinking through social media. Or some that don’t care because the approach our mythology in a kinda superficial way? I am not saying this to offend any Greeks who don’t mind the racebending. Every Greek has the right to have a relationship with their culture according to their own standards. Those people who think racebending is ok are usually no less patriots than the ones who do. However, those who don’t mind the race bending are extremely rare to find.

If I go to my 50 y/o aunt and announce to her that foreigners depict Demeter as Black she is gonna lose her mind. I have also asked the opinion of Greeks who are not into social media or groups where Greek mythology is discussed by foreigners. When they were informed of the racebending the first thing they said was “but... why??” and they couldn’t fathom how this could help anyone. The second thing they say is “But the Gods are white!” explaining that our ancestor have depicted them as Caucasian for centuries and we, as Greeks, know no other depiction of them.

I assure you, it has nothing to do with white superiority - which is a myth anyways. Greeks can be perfectly racist to people who are pastry white :P If you racebended the gods into any other race, we would still have a problem. It’s all a matter of respecting iconography and tradition. It would be ignorant of even us Greeks to change the depiction of the gods when our ancestors were very clear in their art about their race. It was also clear in antiquity that the gods had bodies. I am in another computer and I cannot access my files, but I had a file for a philosopher who tried to argue against the public opinion that the gods didn’t have bodies. But the majority of ancient Greeks believed that the gods had a physical presence.

Also, race matters for Greeks as it does for most of other cultures. You expect Nigerian deities to look like the average Nigerian, yes? Because they were created by a homogenous Black population. You think the same for Indian and Chinese deities, yes? It makes sense for deities and public figures from a certain culture to look like the people of that culture. I think it’s common sense. Turning an old Nigerian deity into a Chinese, would’t represent the Nigerian people any more. For similar reasons, we don’t want our important heritage figures changed. (In case a warrior was described as Black African in our ancient texts, then of course we wouldn’t have a problem with keeping that figure Black).

You are correct when saying that the race bending comes from a Christian point of view. I think many hellenic polytheists/pagans/wiccans haven't managed to escape the Christian logic. In Christianity we have accepted for many centuries that saints and important figures would be viewed with different races, so people can come closer to them. For example, there is a Chinese, Native American, Mexican (different tribes), Black Jesus etc. Most of the times they are also dressed in the traditional regalia of the respective culture. It's a thing for the last 200 years at least.

Even Greeks depicted Jesus kinda white (he has an olive skin complexionand brown hair, which is closer to the Greek standards). And this happened since the Byzantine Empire. We even call the Virgin Mary "Mother of all Greeks" (apparently Mary has a particular interest in our nation xD) We have made her into a Greek mum. But we kinda have the freedom to do this because Christianity is an international religion which is alive for the last 2.000 years, so these changes come organically.

On the contrary, almost nobody has worshipped the Greek gods since 500 AC. The religion was been dead for almost 2.000 years, until Western classicists made it a popular. Now people who have no actual contact with the Greek culture start worshiping those gods. Don’t get me wrong, I believe any foreigner can worship the Greek gods! The thing is that most of the foreign worshippers don’t see the Greek gods as part of the culture that created them, because of the Americanization of the gods in the media and the complete stripping of the Greek elements from them.

But gods are still part of the Greeks’ heritage. Many ancient traditions and myths have kept from the ancient years, we have the names of gods and the gods are still used as symbols here. Our culture hasn’t died, as many westerners (perhaps subconciously) believe. It is alive and evolving, despite foreigners usually ignoring us. So, the ideas about our ancient religion have been involving with us, becoming part of our national identity in a unique way.

After 2.000 years of the religion’s “death”, foreigners become enamored with Greece again. But not our Greece. They become enamored with a part of our culture that hasn’t existed in millenia. They study the culture only till the Roman years and then they skip 2.000 years of evolving cultural identity and go straight to the 21st century western (west Europe/America) ideals and societies.

You can only imagine how it seems to us Greeks, when foreigners suddenly remember us again and, on top of that, they don’t become part of our culture but they insist that a part of our culture (in its ancient form) becomes tailored to their own standards. And now foreigners ingore our own point of view, because, as they have done the last 2.000 years, they keep on ignoring us :P (I mean they as a people, greatly generalizing here). Please see that post for how disconnected a Greek feels about the modern Greek religion, and the analysis that comes with it. (Link)

Similarly, imagine if suddenly the Nigerian culture became a trend in Greece and now some Greeks become interesting in the old (almost dead to Nigeria) worship of Orishas. And now they want to depict the Orishas as White, because they, themselves are white and maybe white deities reflect better the racial situation in Greece. Wouldn’t that be disrespectful, though? Not only because the Black becomes White, but because we would take an inactive worship from the Nigerians and add our own politics to it.

Our situation is also kind of special because for the last centuries every country that has become interested in our culture has abused it. They have stolen antiquities from us and northwestern Europe but also in the US have no problem having those stolen artifacts and displaying them. There is a tradition of foreigners claiming to “love” Greece but they are really in love with our ancient aesthetic and they don’t give a shit about the Greeks who preserve the culture and even die to protect their antiquities.

So we are used to this kind of treatment and it hurts extra when it’s happening again. But we are also desensitized. For some reason a person can be dressed as a Greek deity for Halloween and we won’t bat an eye. At the same time, I see people from other cultures defending the importance of their figures, when foreigners dress up as them for fun.

I don’t understand how we consider this disrespectful for any other culture but if it’s the Greek we don’t care. Why could this be? Perhaps because many Greeks have come to see their own culture as public property. Perhaps because it is what the prominent international media tells us and maybe because we are used to selling our culture for profit (we are a tourist country) and we only see it as merchandise.

Let me add I am not only fascinated by my own cultures but also cultures around the world. It makes no sense to me that people want Gods of color and their only solution is to make the Greek gods Black. Have we forgotten the numerous rich cultures of Asia and Africa?? There are a ton of deities there who, if you want to draw Afrocentric art for example, will be great inspiration! It reminds me of a publishing house which put POC in the covers of western classic books (thus kinda turning the white main characters into POC only in the cover) while not promoting books from POC or books featuring POC. I think it’s counterproductive.

I think that’s all I have to say for now! Feel free to ask more questions if I haven’t covered you! And if you have more thoughts you can drop them in my ask box.

Also, one question for you before you leave. You mentioned “I considered that it was kind of strong to claim that sort of race thing in a way”. Can you explain to me why? I would like to understand better people who think this way. Then maybe I could explain more effectively to them that their race bending practice isn’t as helpful as they think it is.

P.S. Even saying “races” of people exist is considered deeply racist in Greece (and Europe). I mention that as potential food of thought. For us there are only hues of skin colors, not races, so our social politics are different.

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lawdtl · 4 years

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tag game! get to know me

I was tagged by the one and only @beca-mitchell these questions were fun to answer, very specific though 😂

1. what is the color of your hairbrush? Brown and black

2. name a food you never eat: I’ll eat anything tbh, I just don’t really like fish

3. are you typically too warm or too cold? Too warm, always too warm

4. what were you doing 45 minutes ago? Sleeping

5. what’s your favorite candy bar? Twix or crunch

6. have you ever been to a professional sports game? I have, a couple of baseball games in Japan and some soccer games in Singapore but hopefully one day I’ll get to watch a yankees game in the yankee stadium.

7. what is the last thing you said out loud? lots of curse words in tagalog (Philippine language) since I hate waking up in the morning

8. what is your favorite ice cream? I have a lot of favorites, for now I guess I’ll say mango

9. what was the last thing you had to drink? Coffee

10. do you like your wallet? Yes, even though i rarely see cash in it

11. what is the last thing you ate? I made some pesto pasta for dinner

12. did you buy any new clothes last weekend? Yes, I had to buy some formal wear for my graduation photos 🙃

13. what’s the last sporting event you watched? Yankees ALDS game 7 with the rays. It broke me.

14. what is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Chicago mix

15. who is the last person you sent a text message to? a friend I went to high school with

16. ever been camping? Yup, love camping with friends

17. do you take vitamins? Yes, sadly I am required to take a lot of medicines

18. do you regularly attend a place of worship? Not anymore

19. do you have a tan? Not really

20. do you prefer chinese or pizza? It depends really

21. do you drink your soda through a straw? I don't like using a straw, I have a bad habit where I chew it until I can’t drink from it anymore

22. what color socks do you usually wear? Black or white

23. do you ever drive above the speed limit? I’m usually late to a lot of things so yes

24. what terrifies you? Relapse….and fishes

25. look to your left, what do you see? my bed, begging me to sleep again

26. what chore do you hate most? I hate doing the dishes with every single bone in my body

27. what do you think of when you hear an australian accent? Steve irwin

28. what’s your favorite soda? Coke, the regular one not those sugar free kinds that have a funny taste

29. do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? I usually go in but I love going for a drive thru when it’s the middle of the night with my friends and the only sober person in the car is the designated driver.

30. what’s your favorite number? 3

31. who’s the last person you talked to? my mom

32. favorite meat? Pork; grilled or korean bbq style, I love a good steak too

33. last song you listened to? All around by surfaces, honestly one of my favorite songs

34. last book you read? Mythology: timeless tales of gods and heroes by edith hamilton

35. favorite day of the week? saturday

36. can you say the alphabet backwards? Nope, not gonna even try

37. how do you like your coffee? Black with a teaspoon of sugar

38. favorite pair of shoes? Adidas Supercourt

39. time you normally get up? no comment😂

40. what do you prefer, sunrise or sunsets? sunsets

41. how many blankets on your bed? One

42. describe your kitchen plates: there’s three kinds of plates in our house; for normal days, for guests and another one for special guests, istg my mom would kill me if I used the special ones

43. describe your kitchen at the moment: clean..i guess

44. do you have a favorite alcoholic drink? tequila straight from the bottle, soju, whiskey, bourbon and some drinks that I mix myself

45. do you play cards? Yes

46. what color is your car? Dark grey

47. can you change a tire? No, but I promised myself I was going to learn how to

48. your favorite state or province? Pampanga, Philippines

49. favorite job you’ve had? I hated all my part time jobs but I did work for my grandfather’s charity organization where I painted houses and schools, that was fun

A lot of people have been tagged already so I'm just going to leave this open to whoever wants to answer 😌

#tag game #didn't know answering questions like these would be a good way to start your day

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notjanine · 3 years

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2020 in books!

the only kind of new year’s resolution i made as a naive baby last january was to try to read 40 books for the year. (i read 37 in 2019, for context.) well, with all of my commuting time eliminated and an increased need for immersive escapism, i ended up surpassing that goal three times over lmao (thanks library ebooks!)

idk how to summarize my year in books in a way that makes sense but

(f) = fiction, (nf) = nonfiction, (p) = poetry.

books that rewired my fucking brain:

braiding sweetgrass by robin wall kimmerer (nf)- GOD?!?!?! good. dr. k is right. ostensibly a book about plants, but actually a book about shut up and go outside. consumerism and capitalism are doing their damnedest to fuck you up, but you can just choose to value different things. take care of yourself by taking care of your environment. etc etc.

wasp by richard jones (nf)- lissen. when i got this book, my wasp-phobia was so severe that i had to put it away face down on a high shelf because there are wasps on the cover and i couldn’t bear to RISK even GLIMPSING them. now i am like... a wasp evangelist. (also due to the bugs 101 course on coursera it’s so good.)

wag by zazie todd (nf)- i have a dog, but i am NOT a Dog Person (i.e. i love my dog, but please keep yours away from me, thanks.) this book helped me understand my little guy better, plus it gives actionable tasks and activities to do with and for your pup! plus, y’know, learning about things you’re scared of helps to lessen that fear. i’d recommend this to anyone who has, wants, or regularly interacts with a dog.

a closed and common orbit by becky chambers (f)- is this series complete fluff? absolutely. am i fundamentally different after reading this one? maybe.

the best we could do by thi bui (nf)- this is so far outside of my personal experience but somehow still made me come to peace with my relationship with my mom?? and it’s barely even about that?? idk. this is probably objectively the best book i’ve read this year.

books that were just fun as hell:

mexican gothic by silvia moreno-garcia (f)- this book made me YELL out loud

death on the nile by agatha christie (f)- i grew up on agatha christie shows, but never actually read her before this year! she really was That Bitch. read this before the movie comes out

cosmoknights by hannah templer (f)- i read this in one sitting through the worst headache i’ve had in years. it is a goddamn DELIGHT. this book has everything: spaceships. mech suits. fighting the patriarchy. a perfect otp. fun art in bright colors with clean lines. onomatopoetic WAPs from before the song gave that hilarious context. 800 lesbians. this is an antidepressant in graphic novel form.

stiff by mary roach (nf)- ms. roach is like the 4th most represented author on my bookshelf because she 1. stays writing about shit i’m interested in and 2. manages to talk about gross and ridiculous things without resorting to sensationalism. it takes skill to write a hilarious book about corpses.

black sun by rebecca roanhorse (f)- excellent sexual tension between a horny siren pirate and a hot doomed... monk, kinda? set in the pre-columbian gulf of mexico with magic and shit.

cuisine chinoise by zao dao (? n/f)- this graphic novel about chinese food history/mythology is BEAUTIFUL.

the color of magic by terry pratchett (f)- you’d think a hardcore douglas adams stan would have gotten to this sooner, but no, i had to date a nerdy white boy to get here. it’s fun though! i’m not gonna read them all, but this one was good. bonus: contains one (1) great himbo.

gideon the ninth by tamsyn muir (f)- like 500 pages of action and mystery and jokes and space necromancy. harrow the ninth gets a special mention bc it has a meme reference that took me out so hard i had to close the book, lie down, and groan for an entire minute before continuing.

other minds by peter godfrey-smith (nf)- i love octopuses. on one tma bonus ep, jonny sims says that if a creature can choose to do evil, then it’s a Person. octopuses are People. but anyway frfr this has an explanation of the evolution of consciousness that is cool af. (this one is much better than the other recent popsci octo book which i will not name out of politeness.)

the perfect predator by steffanie strathdee and thomas patterson (nf)- i read this bc my microbiology prof recommended it and it’s cool as heck! it’s got adventure, drama, mystery, Science-with-a-capital-S. i’m biased bc i’m a bit of a microbes nerd, but i had a blast with this. (but only bc we know going in that everything works out okay; if i hadn’t known that, i would have been TOO stressed!)

books that were a little less fun but still very readable:

my sister, the serial killer by oyinkan braithwaite (f)- i couldn’t find this as funny as other people bc i, too, have a beautiful sister who’s an insufferable narcissist, so it hits a little too close to home, but. it is a wild ride.

piranesi by susanna clarke (f)- idek what to say! i went into this one blind just bc it had a cool cover and title, so i guess i’d recommend that for other people too.

the sixth world series by rebecca roanhorse (f)- monster hunting! a post-apocalyptic take that doesn’t feel tired.

the shades of magic trilogy by v.e. schwab (f)- easy escapism. some ideas feel a little first draft-y, but idk, it’s also a pretty simple premise (which isn’t a bad thing). it’s a decent urban fantasy set in ~georgian?-era london. very actiony. suffers from a bit of i’m-not-like-other-girls disease, but i didn’t even notice until book two or three, so.

the only good indians by stephen graham jones (f)- starts off a little ??? (and reeks of being Written By A Man) but picks up. the pacing’s great and there’s just a super fucking cool monster.

robopocalypse by daniel h. wilson (f)- this reads like a tv miniseries so much that i can’t believe it isn’t one yet.

confessions of the fox by jordy rosenberg (f)- not my usual cup of tea, fiction-wise, but still compelling. a fresh take on the white-male-english-professor-self-insert? but not insufferable. gets weird!

spinning silver by naomi novik (f)- rumplestilstkin, but make it interesting! a great, richly-told fairy tale, but like, large scale. good to read on a cold day while you’re wrapped up in a blanket with some hot tea.

interior chinatown by charles yu (f)- compulsively readable. a couple things bugged me, but not enough to make me dislike it. a fun companion piece to how to live safely in a science fictional universe. i like this guy’s style.

cannibalism by bill schutt (nf)- COOL. mostly covers the animal kingdom (fun), spends too much time on the donner party (less fun), ends with a SPICY take on prions that i cannot get out of my head!!!

buzz, sting, bite by anne sverdrup-thygeson (nf)- BUGS! broad but not overwhelming, neither dumbed down nor overly scientific, short enough to finish in a day or two. recommend this to literally everyone.

books that made me want to read everything else in the author’s ouevre:

the time invariance of snow by e. lily yu (f)- this FUCKS but it’s too short!!!

an unkindness of ghosts by rivers solomon (f)- okay this book is SO good and so well-written and interesting and blah blah blah all the good things, but... the whole time, i was just like?? why???? why is this what you’re choosing to write about??? (i did also read the deep and blood is another word for hunger after this one, and i did like them both, especially the latter, but i think they can do better! like i think they could write a perfect book and i am gonna be *eyes emoji* until then.)

the space between worlds by micaiah johnson (f)- a fine debut novel, but i want to see her do something a little more... idk, refined? i think she overreaches here, like it’s a little... idk looper? this is how you lose the time war? there’s a better comparison, but i can’t think of it, but you get the idea. and then halfway through it shifts gears to mad max. there’s something weird about one of the central relationships, like it’s not complex enough to take as long to resolve as it does. idk idk. there are just a lot of little nitpicky things. it’s not bad! but i think she can do better and i look forward to finding out.

postcolonial love poem by natalie diaz (p)- thinky! like i tried to read this before bed, but it’s not the sort of thing to parse out while you’re falling asleep, it requires more attention than that.

books that Learned Me Somethin:

smoke gets in your eyes by caitlin doughty (nf)- i am a self-professed death obsessed weirdo, fascinated by death and mourning, but i didn’t know all that much about what happens to a body between the dying and the funeral! this book isn’t big, but it covers a lot and doughty’s writing style is engaging and honest. it’s very memorable.

queer by meg-john barker and julia scheele (nf)- i’m gonna be totally honest and say Queer Theory is above my intellectual pay grade, but this book takes you by the hand and explains the basics.

vitamania by catherine price (nf)- LMAO my fellow americans, never take a supplement. this book is great and well-researched, but normal folks don’t need to read it, just listen to season two of the dream podcast, which definitely cribbed from this.

vegetable kingdom by bryant terry (nf)- this is a fine cookbook, my favorite of his that i’ve read so far. gets a special mention bc i had a religious experience just reading one of his kohlrabi recipes. absolutely gutted that i didn’t have an opportunity to try it this year, since the pandemic put the kibosh on all family bbqs.

the best american food writing 2020 edited by j. kenji lopez-alt (nf)- this really is just a great collection.

are prisons obsolete? by angela y. davis (nf)- yes.

i moved to los angeles to work in animation by natalie nourigat (nf)- before reading this, i had basically zero knowledge of how the animation industry works. now i know like three things.

the secret lives of bats by merlin tuttle (nf)- BATS! okay this book is more about the adventures of being a bat scientist than it actually is about bats, but there are bats in there. insectivorous bats basically shit glitter, you should know this.

books from valuable perspectives:

hood feminism by mikki kendall (nf)- a breakdown of who’s getting left out of feminist spaces, why that’s happening, and why it shouldn’t be happening.

all you can ever know by nicole chung (nf)- a (transracial) adoptee’s take on adoption and learning more about her birth family. the personal storytelling of this one really stuck with me.

motherhood so white by nefertiti austin (nf)- a single-mom-by-choice’s take on the foster system/adoption process. walks you through some things i always wondered about and some things i wouldn’t even have thought about.

this place by kateri akiwenzie-damm et al (? n/f)- i, like a lot of non- native americans, only know that history in broad strokes. getting this many highly specific stories in one dense and beautiful book felt like a lucky find. and taking that perspective into the future in the context of that history is v good.

empty by susan burton (nf)- eating disorder stories are important to me bc i care about food so much. this one is so relatable- not in its specificity, but rather its generality. it’s easy to empathize with her perspective because it’s like, Oh, i don’t have that exact problem, but i struggle with different problems in a very similar way. (feels like the opposite of roxane gay’s hunger, in a way.)

obit by victoria chang (p)- this exploration of grief is... woof.

short story collections are hard to evaluate bc you’ll never read one where every single story hits but i generally enjoyed these:

a thousand beginnings and endings edited by ellen oh and elsie chapman (f)

how long til black future month? by n.k. jemisin (f)

her body and other parties by carmen maria machado (f)

books i revisited:

the broken earth trilogy by n.k. jemisin (f)- i read the series backwards this time and like... i can’t really find any faults in these books, man. they’re just the best.

everyone’s a aliebn when ur a aliebn too by jomny sun (f... but is it really?)- half of this book’s sales are from me buying it for other people bc it’s the only way i know how to say i love you. i reread it every time just to make sure it still feels right and it always does.

other honorable mentions:

white is for witching by helen oyeyemi (f)- not to pit two bad bitches against each other, but this book does what akwaeke emezi’s freshwater was trying to do. it’s a little weird, a little haunted, a little of a lot of things. read this only in the dead of winter. (and with stephen rennicks’ score for the little stranger playing in the background.)

homie by danez smith (p)- there’s a lot going on here, but this just made me crack a smile a couple times in a way that no other book of poetry has ever done.

the murder of roger ackroyd and murder in mesopotamia by agatha christie (f)- That Bitch!

blues by nikki giovanni (p)- she sure has some Things To Say

the three-body problem by cixin liu (f)- interesting concepts, but... idk something’s missing? felt weirdly soulless to me. i’m probably not gonna read the sequels. but it did make some points!

the sisters of the winter wood by rena rossner (f)- i’m a slut for shapeshifting, okay. but this is a good fairy tale, it works!

parable of the sower by octavia butler (f)- i read this in march, when the pandemic was just kicking off and boy that was not the right time. def my least favorite of hers so far, but an octavia butler i don’t love is still better than a hell of a lot of other books. no idea when or if i’ll get to a good enough headspace for the sequel.

faves:

saturnino herrán by adriana zapett tapia (nf)- i got to learn new things about my mans and see some of his paintings i’ve never even seen online! GOSH.

on food and cooking by harold mcgee (nf)- yeah yeah, i’ve already mentioned this book half a dozen times on here this year, but i don’t care. this book lives off the shelf in my home bc i reference it like every other fucking day. this book is a part of me now.

#long post #final total for the year will be 120 by the end of the day!#and i had a pretty good hit rate. would probably recommend at least half #and only outright hated four

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totallyfrandom · 3 years

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Sooo... I’ve watched the new Netflix movie “Over The Moon” a couple weeks ago or so but didn’t write about it here until now. I’ll write more what I think about the movie below but it contains heavy spoilers. For now I’ll just say it was a good movie. Just that. It was just good. Not great or something I’d say would be the best movie of the year or a new favorite. I liked it and it was well made, but it didn’t really impress me that much. I enjoyed it, but that’s it.

Now for the spoiler stuff below.

I find the story and visuals good. The story actually hit a vulnerable spot for me personally due to how I can relate to the main character, Fei Fei. More about that later.

I think the visuals nailed it the most here, but as for the music... not impressed. I liked Fei Fei’s song “Rocket to the Moon”, that one was nice and was the only memorable song. I also like the nice song that Gobi sang and the song that Fei Fei and Chang’e sang, but they’re not as memorable when I can’t even remember how the melody went. I barely remember the song early in the movie, “Mooncakes”. I like the song Chang’e sang in Mandarin until her beloved appeared and sang with her. But the two first pop songs that Chang’e sang? Nah, I didn’t like it to be honest. It felt too out of place for me and the added visuals to her pop song (which I previously complimented but here it’s about context) made it way too similar to Eurovision Song Contest. Chang’e is supposed to be this legendary Chinese moon goddess, this just didn’t fit her. The other song, “Hey Boy”, when she challenged Chin for a match of table tennis was more catchy but still it felt out of place for her to break out in a rap song. The best song for her in my opinion was when she sang in Mandarin and then rest in English with her beloved. That felt more true to her character as a moon goddess.

As for the characters, Fei Fei is okay and can relate to her. Chin is the typical annoying brother-like kid but he’s harmless (though I was annoyed at him for the predictable situation of hitching a ride to the moon without Fei Fei’s knowledge). Bungee was cute but... I think that’s all she was in the movie. Just an animal accompanying the main (girl) character being cute, but Bungee did have an important role that affects the story... once. The Jade rabbit was fine, I don’t know the mythology around him so I can’t say much. Gobi I felt was a bit extra add, maybe either to contribute some bit of comedy or just as someone to have a pep talk with Fei Fei while Chin was still in the moon palace. Idk, he felt like being added as an extra. Nothing bad, but don’t know if movie would be all that different without him. Chang’e I found interesting (other than the Eurovision-like pop songs that I wasn’t a fan of). At first you’d expect her to be all nice and helpful, but she turned out to be self-absorbed and cold. I’m glad she didn’t stay that way and wasn’t an all out “bad person” (not exactly a villain/antagonist but still not one of the good guys), she was just someone who was hurting and that affected her and in turn affected the people around her.

There are some characters I found really unnecessary and despised and those were the three biker chickens that Fei Fei joined to find “the Gift”. They were obviously very much inspired from Angry Birds. I don’t know why they were included but that really took me out of the movie whenever they were on the screen. If they’d be changed into other characters/creatures I think that’d be fine I guess (or Fei Fei find other means to get to the crash site) but those bird bikers were just too much. Also it was very predictable that they’d stab her back (not literally) and take the Gift for themselves and just leave her there, I don’t know how Fei Fei, who is generally a smart girl, could be so foolish to not see that coming.

The other human characters back on Earth were just okay. The grandfather always talking about crabs gives me a chuckle. The other characters that I didn’t mention I guess I forgot.

Now for the story. It’s basically about grief and learn how to find peace in you and move on. That hit the vulnerable part of me because this relates to me on a personal level as this is still a current situation in real life. I have a very hard time to let go of things and move on. I just can’t. So this movie I kinda felt called out but also sad (I tried not to cry though because I was watching it with a friend so I’d feel silly to cry in front of her). I wouldn’t say this movie taught me how to move on because... I kinda know how to do it, somewhat? I just am not able to. There was a reference to The Big Darkness in the movie and I’ve been there. Sometimes I felt like just curling up in loneliness like Chang’e did in The Chamber of Exquisite Sadness. So I relate to Fei Fei and somewhat to Chang’e.

However, there’s one part in the movie that I really got confused about and felt... cheap. Unless I missed something, I find this particular scene of Fei Fei finding the true Gift inside a rice cake (the one the biker chickens stole was not the Gift) very deux ex machina. Like when we first saw the ricecake that was given by Mrs. Zhong, Fei Fei was angry and threw it in her drawer and said she never wanted Mrs. Zhong (in her life) and never wanted her mooncakes (she only wants her family’s/mother’s). If that’s the same mooncake that she out of nowehere decided to bring to her journey to the moon, then how come it had the missing piece that Chang’e wanted? Why was a piece of Jade baked inside it? If it was truly Mrs. Zhong’s mooncake that was brought up again in the movie, then why did Fei Fei decide to bring it with her if she hated it and Mrs. Zhong? I thought she’d let it rot inside the drawer. If it was her family’s mooncake I get that she’d bring it on the journey, but then again why was a piece of Jade inside it? Nowhere did I notice such reference before this point of the movie, so the plot twist felt out of nowhere. It’s not insulting in any way (Disney did it way worse in a particular movie) but it’s just confusing and felt cheap. If I did miss something and anyone could explain this to me then please enlighten me.

In overall, “Over the Moon” is a good movie and it did make me laugh and chuckle at some scenes, but that’s about it. Still I recommend it - maybe any of you reading this would appreciate it more than me despite its flaws that I listed. I’m gonna give it another chance and watch it a second time, just to try take in more of it and maybe change my mind about the songs (I won’t promise anything though). I’ll see when I get the time to do that.

#Char watches movies #personal #spoilers

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greatneedtotakeanap · 4 years

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i binge read

episode 7 - the son of neptune

all right. here we go.

The biggest question that stuck in my mind after reading this book is why the HELL did Nico pretend like he didn’t know who Percy was??? What does he have to gain from this? How did he even get to Camp Jupiter in the first place???? I mean I know he was in the Underworld searching for Bianca but she was reborn into a new life, and I know he found Hazel instead. But how did they get to camp from there? What is Nico’s role at said camp? And why didn’t he tell anybody, especially when Percy showed up????? Also, where did he go?

Secondary question: The prophecy that Ella spouted didn’t come true. It obviously says the son of Neptune shall drown, and we know that’s a stand-alone line since it rhymes with crown. Could it perhaps have been talking about a different son of Neptune? When Percy fell into the earth in Seward and then into the sea at the glacier, does that count? If not, what is to become of that prophecy????

Anyways, on to the characters! Starting with Hazel since she’s new. The first time reading this book, I don’t remember much about her except that her backstory totally confused me. Now, though, I think I get it more. I think it’s interesting how Hazel and death are almost their own relationship dynamic. Like the way she’s become so in sync with it, not just because she’s a child of Pluto but because she experienced it firsthand for most of her consciousness. This helped me better understand her blackouts - they’re caused by her trying to be in two places/time periods/realms at the same time. Otherwise, it’s high time we needed a Black protagonist who doesn’t die as soon as they get some favorable airtime (*cough cough BECKENDORF*). Plus the fact that she’s a girl just did it for me. I love her so much - she was my role model as a kid, even if I didn’t exactly understand her. Her relationship with Arion the horse was also so cool for me to watch - it was like she was almost a horse girl, but more badass, and also Black. I did remember that Sammy-her-boyfriend was also Sammy Valdez, so every time she mentioned him it kind of hurt, because he acted exactly like Leo. Anyway.

Frank Zhang has got a lot on his plate. I did not understand his family history at all the first time reading this, and in that respect... nothing has changed. He’s somehow related to Neptune as well as Mars?? The intersection of Chinese and Roman mythology involved so many different names I couldn’t keep them straight, but his shapeshifting power runs in the family and it’s not only rare - it’s unique. So I guess the point was his history made him totally op, so he got a physical, destructable lifeline to hold onto to nerf him so he wouldn’t overthrow the gods themselves. Fair. Grandma Zhang was one of my favorite characters in that book. Just the way she talked, both in his memories and in real life - I loved it. So realistic.

One minor problem with this book - Frazel. Don’t get me wrong, it’s adorable. But the age gap concerns me. It’s not that big, not big enough to be problematic - not like Lukabeth. But that would be like a high school junior dating an eighth grader. .........Weird. I like to pretend Hazel is 14 at least. Maybe Frank is 15, or just turned 16. I dunno. It just kind of makes me feel icky. Otherwise their dynamic was great. I loved how they considered each other friends above all.

I have done my fair share of essays about (the man the myth the legend) Percy himself throughout this series, so I’ll keep this short. But his amnesia was, in a way, more painful than Jason’s to witness as a reader, because we knew the answers. We could fill in the blanks for him. Jason was a clean slate - we knew about as much as he did. But with Percy, it hurt because we just wanted to shout out the answer for him. We just wanted to tell him who he was. It was invigorating to watch him discover it for himself, though. Forge a new self from the pieces he’d forgotten.

Octavian was annoying, but not as annoying as I expected. He’s actually a pretty great villain if you look at him right. He’s got serious potential - he’s crafty and smart, sneaky enough to stab Gwen in the back and calculating enough to know nobody would suspect him. He fascinates me. (The only scenes I really hated him in were the scene where he killed Gwen, because duh, and the scene where he slaughtered the poor pillow pet. Let Percy have a panda, damn. Such a loss.)

Reyna. Oh my god. What a queen. What an absolute legendary iconic queen. She could run me over with her pegasus and I’d thank her. She needs to stop falling for taken guys though. Watching her get her heart broken twice is not gonna be fun next book. (date me instead)

And - oh! I can’t believe I almost forgot about Ella. Easily one of my favorite characters in this series so far. My girl is gorgeous wonderful incredible amazing show-stopping never the same totally unique. Love her to death. Not sure if I liked her romance with Tyson, for no other reason than it just feels kind of forced - at this point you can tell the romance area is being played up a LOT. (Otherwise I wouldn’t think twice about Reyna ending up alone - but because she’s like the only character in the whole series who does, new questions arise.)

The end of this book is about where my memory stops when it comes to this series. Mostly because I didn’t own copies of MOA, HOH or BOO until like last week, so when I tried to reread the books two years ago, I only got up until now before I gave up trying to find them. But I’m really excited to reread these, because I literally have no memory of anything in Mark of Athena besides the traumatizing horrifying gut-wrenching heartbreaking ending.

I ALSO WANNA KNOW WHERE THE HELL NICO IS LIKE SIR??????

#nap binge reads #pjo #hoo #son #percy jackson #son of neptune

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