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#bai xiuying
nemainofthewater · 2 months
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Welcome to the 'Best Character with [X] surname' polls!
This is where I take several characters from different Chinese media (mostly cnovels and cdrama) and run a poll on which one is the 'best'. What does best mean? It's up to you! Whether you love them, are intrigued by their characters, love to hate them, or they're your '2 second blorbos whose personality you made up wholesale', these are all reasons for you to vote for your favs!
NB: the surnames are not exactly the same in all the cases, as often they will be a different character. I am, however, grouping them all together otherwise things got more complicated.
If you can't find a surname, it's because I couldn't find enough candidates (at least 3 from 3 distinct medias) to compete. Feel free to submit candidates!
I will be posting several polls at a time, so do come back and check this masterpost to remember which polls are ongoing, who the winners are, and who's coming up next!
Currently ongoing polls: /Ruan/Dong/He/Baili/Long/Duan/Zhen/Wan/Qiu/Dongfang/Du/Bi/Jiao/Zhong/Xing/Rong
Finished polls: Han/Guan/Zhuge/Jia/Ning/Xiang/Huang/Fei
There's only a certain number of hyperlinks that can be added per post, so the rest of the completed polls can now be found here
All the details of the individual polls under the readmore
An - posted 15/03/24 WINNER An Zhe
Bai - posted 28/02/24 WINNER Bai Fengxi
Baili - posted 22/03/24
Bao
Bi - posted 26/03/24
Cai
Cao - posted 8/02/24. WINNER - Cao Weining
Chang
Chen - posted 9/02/24 WINNER Chen Qingxu
Cheng - posted 10/03/24 WINNER Cheng Shaoshang
Chi
Chu - posted 12/03/24 WINNER Chu Wanning
Cui - posted 11/03/24 WINNER Madam Cui
Dai
Deng
Di - posted 16/02/24 WINNER Di Feisheng
Ding - posted 7/03/24 WINNER Ding Rong
Dong - posted 21/03/24
Dongfang - posted 25/03/24
Du - posted 26/03/24
Duan - posted 23/03/24
Fan - posted 27/02/24 WINNER Fan Xian
Fang - posted 24/02/24 WINNER Fang Duobing
Fei - posted 20/03/24 WINNER Fei Du
Feng - posted 28/02/24 WINNER 'Other'
Fu
Gao - posted 13/02/24 WINNER Gao Xiaolian
Ge
Gong
Gongsun
Gu - posted 7/03/24 WINNER Gu Xiang
Guan - posted 17/03/24 WINNER Guan Hemeng
Guo - posted 9/02/24 WINNER Guo Changcheng
Han - posted 17/03/24 WINNER Han Ying
Hao - posted 16/03/24 WINNER Hao Du
He - posted 22/03/24
Hei
Hong - posted 8/03/24 WINNER Hong Qigong
Hou
Hu - posted 6/03/24 WINNER Hu Tianying
Hua - posted 21/02/24 WINNER Hua Cheng
Huang - posted 20/03/24 WINNER Huang Shaotian
Huo - posted 25/02/24 WINNER Huo Xiuxiu
Ji
Jia - posted 18/03/24 WINNER Jia Kui
Jiang - posted 12/02/24 WINNER Jiang Cheng
Jiao - posted 27/03/24
Jin - posted 29/02/24
Jing - posted 14/03/24 WINNER Jing Beiyuan
Kong
Lan - posted 23/02/24 WINNER Lan Wangji
Lei - posted 12/03/24 WINNER Lei Wujie
Li - posted 18/02/24 WINNER Li Lianhua
Lian
Liang - posted 13/03/24 WINNER 'Other'
Lin - posted 14/02/24 WINNER Lin Chen
Ling - posted 6/03/24 WINNER Ling Wen
Liu - posted 16/02/24 WINNER Liu Qingge
Long - posted 23/03/24
Lou
Lu - posted 5/03/24 WINNER Lu Guang
Luo - posted 24/02/24 WINNER Luo Binghe
Ma - posted 13/03/24 WINNER Ma Xiuying
Mei - posted 14/02/24 WINNER Mei Changsu
Meng - posted 29/02/24
Mi
Ming - posted 26/02/24 WINNER Ming Yi
Mo - posted 18/02/24 WINNER Mo Xuanyu
Mu - posted 22/02/24 WINNER Mu Nihuang
Nan
Nangong
Nie - posted 15/03/24 WINNER Nie Huaisang
Ning - posted 19/03/24 WINNER Ning Yingying
Ouyang - posted 5/03/24 WINNER Ouyang Zizhen
Pan
Pei - posted 20/02/24 WINNER Pei Ming
Qi - posted 22/02/24 WINNER 'Other'
Qian
Qing
Qiao - posted 10/02/24 WINNER Qiao Wanmian
Qin - posted 16/03/24 WINNER Qin Banruo
Qiu - posted 25/03/24
Qu
Ren
Rong - posted 28/03/24
Ruan - posted 21/03/24
Sha
Shang - posted 3/03/24 WINNER Shang Qinghua
Shangguan
Shen - posted 23/02/24 WINNER Shen Wei
Sheng - posted 4/03/24 WINNER Sheng Minglan
Sima
Shi - posted 8/03/24 WINNER Shi Qingxuan
Shu
Song - posted 19/02/24 WINNER Song Lan
Su - posted 13/02/24 WINNER Su Zhe
Sun - posted 15/02/24
Sui
Tan
Tang - posted 12/02/24 WINNER Tang Fan
Tao
Tian
Wan - posted 24/03/24
Wang - posted 26/02/24 WINNER Wang Pangzi
Wei - posted 8/02/24 WINNER Wei Wuxian
Wen - posted 2/03/24 WINNER Wen Kexing
Wu - posted 15/02/24 WINNER Wu Xie
Xi
Xia - posted 11/03/24 WINNER Xia Dong
Xiang - posted 19/03/24 WINNER Xiang Liu and Xiang Nanfang
Xiao - posted 20/02/24 WINNER Xiao Jingyan
Xie - posted 21/02/24 WINNER Xie Lian
Xing - posted 28/03/24
Xu - posted 25/02/24 WINNER Xu Da
Xuan
Xue -posted 11/02/24
Yan - posted 19/02/24 WINNER Yan Wushi
Yang - posted 3/03/24 WINNER Yang Wuxie
Yao
Ye - posted 10/02/24 WINNER Ye Baiyi
Yi - posted 9/03/24 WInner Yi Bichen
Yin
Ying - posted 17/02/24 WINNER Ying Hecong
You
Yu - posted 11/02/23
Yun - posted 1/03/24 WINNER Yun Biqiu
Yuan - posted 27/02/24 WINNER Yuan Boya
Yue - posted 4/03/24 WINNER Yue Qingyuan
Yuwen
Zhan - posted 10/03/24 WINNER Zhan Yunfei
Zhang - posted 17/02/24 WINNER Zhang Qiling
Zhao - posted 1/03/24 WINNER Zhao Yunlan
Zhen - posted 24/03/24
Zhi - posted 14/03/24 WINNER Zhi Xiu
Zhong - posted 27/03/24
Zhou - posted 2/02/24 WINNER Zhou Zishu
Zhu - posted 9/03/24 Winner Zhu Hong
Zhuge - posted 18/03/24 WINNER Zhuge Liang
Zi
Zuo
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askblueandviolet · 17 days
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hi im back from reading....with a couple minutes lf trying to reconnect to my wifi (cus it disconnected right after i was goign to make an ask,and wont..connect after)
ahEM!! BAI HE IS WITHHER PARENTS NOW?? AWWW, HOW DOES SHE LIKE THE HELMET⁉️⁉️
anyway, real, hershey is such s good dogn:3 pat pats for her yuhuh
ALSOALSOSOSLSLSLSKSDDM XIUYING RAAAHHH, HOWS BRO DOING⁉️⁉️ totally shoukd vidit the philippines soon hshhshs 😋😋😋
RAAAHHH IT WAS AMAZING READING THIS CHAPTERRR 😭😭 BRAVO, BRAVO,, so sorry if thid is somewhat long omg
throws another silly rock at macaculator
EEEEE HAGE A GREAT DAY‼️‼️🫶 OR EVENING IDK MAN
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MASTER POST
Previous 💙💜
Next 💙💜
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redbeanbunsworld · 4 months
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What if mc suffers a heavy injury and would be in a coma for about a week and when they wake up they see the RO in the room and then they would have a conversation and mc says this "Thank you for worrying about me but it's fine...I suffer worst than this"and just say that with a sad smile?(If it's a spoiler you don't need to answer this)
I will answer this, since it isn't a spoiler. However, like I said, personality dynamics change how ROs talk and behave with MC. For this ask, I'll go with a cold and impulsive MC.
Guys, be honest—are the drabbles too long? I'll shorten them down immensely if they are. I'll actually write it short here and link you guys to a Google Docs where the full drabbles are available. (it's 100% anonymous, no worries.)
Also, these are the last full length drabbles that I'll write in reaction requests. :3 I have to leave some for the actual game~ (I gave extra attention since I had a promise to fulfill.)
Prompt
"Thank you for worrying about me, but it's fine..." I smile, biting down inside my lip. "I suffer worse than this."
Ji Qiangxin
"Don't be so angry all of a sudden," I mumble with a sigh. "I'm not saying this to make you worry less, but I'm telling you not to worry because I know what I'm doing—ah!"
In a flash, his hands grip my wrist, holding my cheeks to look right into his eyes, and truly, I've never seen that kind of expression before from him. Like a desperate puppy that was kicked by its owner just to crawl right back without a second thought, and I don't know how to look away if he gives me that look.
"Angry? Is that how you understand my feelings? Do you even understand how I felt when you would not wake up? And the first thing you tell me is keep my worries at bay, as if my concern is as easy to come and go?"
Wu Shen
His entire face stiffens, lips pressed in a tight line. “I don’t honestly know what the fuck that has to do with my worry. Seriously.” He snatches the cloth from my hand and scrunches into his upper garments. “You know, you could’ve died, and now, you’re telling me that you had worse. Like, yeah, that makes me feel a whole lot less worried.”
I sigh and frown. “You’re worrying over nothing.”
“You’re an idiot. Really!” 
Ji Shenglian
“No!” She shouts into my shoulder, ringing my ear. “I don’t care! You almost died! You…you.” The arms that could barely keep me warm tightens like a noose around my neck. “I was so worried, so worried that you died! I thought you were going to die!”
I tap her shoulders, because if she holds me any tighter, I might as well die from it! 
“Shenglian…let, let go just a bit.”
Dammit!
“No!”
Fu Xiuying
“Xiuying,” I call out whilst reaching for her skirt—and grab ahold. She turns her head to me, and puffs her cheeks, but I honestly don’t care about this right now. “I’m grateful for your concern, but I’m fine.”
Her cheeks swell like a ball, and I quickly add with a smile. “I’ve been through worse.”
“That nonchalance is charming, but not right now,” she states so bluntly that even I’m a bit surprised. “I didn’t tend by your bedside to hear such cold and uncaring words.”
Mo Ge
“I’m clearly not dead, so what are you worrying about?”
He pulls his fingers into his robes, and if he does it any further, he would cut himself. I take his hand and squeeze it. “Thank you for worrying for me, but I’m fine…” I consider my next words and smile. “I’ve suffer—been through worse.”
I flinch to something on my hand, as more drops, like a feathery knock to my attention, tap in an incessant sequence. Clear liquid pools on my skin and fall faster as they slide past to the ground. 
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withpoison · 6 months
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I’ve done something evil… and by that I mean I gave A.K.I. a real name:
Bai Xiuying (白 秀英) or Xiuying Bai to westerners.
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oldestvampire · 8 months
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Memories
I pour tea for our guest, a general from the West, and when we are alone he grabs me, bites my neck, and leaves me crumpled on the chair to die while he calls for guards to find my assailant. | During my travels I encounter Sun Yating once more, he proposes a duel in exchange for my forgiveness but I give him the candy in my bag in exchange instead; laughing, he hands me a letter that he says will get me out of any unpleasant situations.
I spend my evenings and mornings playing my guqin, plucking my strings in time to the bubble of the creek near my abode, soothing my hunger with the sound of the strings. | A young woman greets me one morning as I play, she claims she is thirsty and when I see the grey pallor of her skin - so similar to mine - I offer her the swaddled infant on my table and she calls me a monster. | The infant, who I have named Bo, I have kept alive and hidden from the village - perhaps once out of bitterness, but now out of love; they have become precious to me indeed.
Cui Jiao comes to me years later, desperate and no longer the delicate woman she once was, thin with ragged clothes and matted hair, thirsty once more, but this time for blood instead of tea; I take her inside when she falls at my feet and put away the few belongings she has - including a small wooden jewellery box I don't dare open. | Cui Jiao and I live as sisters, and I adopt the name Cui Xiuying to keep up this ruse. | Raids and skirmishes sweep through the land, destroying all they touch, and so we retreat further into the wilderness of the mountains.
A weaver and her husband come to take Bo from me, and even as he claws and cries for me to do something, I don't.
I was born in a time of peace and prosperity along the riverbank, but the mountain town's market is full of merchants whispering about corruption and skirmishes between the kingdoms; even after 200 years of life this worries me, for I have no knowledge of war. | The sun comes out while I am still looking for my next meal, I duck in a tea shop and am served by a child who recounts to me tales of their misadventures in return for sweets and tales of mine; though I go home with my belly empty, my heart is full. | Mo Hua does not know me for what I am and protests when the villagers whisper about my aversion to sunlight and their missing travellers; his avid defence turns their eyes to him - I cry for the first time in a long time when I find him on the side of the road.
Diary
I am Yin YiJun, the second daughter of my parents, and I am enjoying peaceful days before my father finds me a husband. | A man who came seeking my hand is met with my fangs, and though my skirts enshroud his figure a servant sees him and calls for the soldiers; Zhao Fen helps me flee. | As years pass my body grows stronger, muscles that were once built for housework and mundane chores suddenly remembering the movement of the Jian, though I have never owned one.
Characters
Sun Yating - The immortal vampire who turned me. He lives by day as an accomplished general from the West.
Qin Da - The immortal Provincial Governor, he stole my pearwood scissors and has lived numerous lives under numerous names.
Cui Jiao - A righteous immortal woman who refused my help.
Bo - The mortal child I have hidden away.
Weaver - The woman I resent for stealing Bo away.
The Weaver's Husband - A strong yet weak-willed man.
Mo Hua - A child I befriended while seeking refuge from the sun.
Duan Bai - The mortal woman who taught me midwifery.
Yin He - My father, the magistrate of a small county. He is kind but gullible, and his wards suffer for it.
Wu Yawen - My father's second wife. Sweet but docile.
Zhao Fen - A childhood friend and neighbour.
Yin YiJun
Skills
Deception, Part of the Rumour Mill, Immortal's Patience, An Ear for Music, Knowledge of Imperial Affairs, Privy to Secret Records, Midwifery, The Art of the Sword,
Resources
Mysterious Jewellery Box, Hut on the Mountainside (Stationary), Letter from the General, Diary - Worn Bamboo Scrolls, Decorated Guqin, Hut on the Mountainside (Stationary), Wrapped candy, Enchanted Pearwood Scissors
Marks
A large chunk of my neck is missing and will not heal; I must wear high collars and bandages to hide the bleeding.
My skin is frighteningly pale, and grey like ash; white powder and red makeup hide this on my face, but I make sure to keep my hands tucked into my sleeves in public.
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city-of-ladies · 3 years
Photo
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Zhou Xiuying - “Ms. Broadsword Xiu”
Zhou Xiuying (? - 1855) was born in Hangdou, present-day Shanghai, China. She was a contemporary of rebel female generals Qiu Ersao, Su Sanniang and Hong Xuanjiao.
Xiuying was born to a peasant family and her father, Zhou Lichun, was the chief of the local branch of the Tiandihui (society of heaven and earth). She learned martial arts alongside her adopted sister, Zhou Feixia. Xiuying preferred the broadsword while Feixia specialized in the spear.
In 1852, the local magistrate pressured the peasants to pay a grain tax they had been exempted from. Xiuying and her father decided to revolt and she placed herself at the rebel’s head. The peasants, armed only with iron-toothed rakes, defeated the soldiers. This exploit was celebrated in a folk song: “Songjiang soldiers with shields were no equal to folks with rakes”.
Xiuying knew that the government would retaliate. She had the peasants make weapons and prepare themselves to fight. In autumn, more than a thousand soldiers were sent to quell the rebellion. Xiuying led once again the peasants in battle and defeated the enemy. From now on, she was known as “Dadao Xiuguniang” (Ms. Broadsword Xiu). A folk song praising her courage in battle still circulates today: “True heroine Zhou Xiuying/clad in red trousers and fitted top/carries a big sword of 120 jin (60 kgs)/fighting over the Tangwan bridge with her “kai simen””.
In 1853, her father led another revolt and, with the help of other societies, occupied the county seat. Xiuying fought valiantly. The Qing government sent more troops and outnumbered the rebels. Zhou Lichun and Zhou Feixia were killed in the ensuing fight. Xiuying retreated with a part of the army to Shanghai county where she allied with the Shanghai Small sword society. She kept distinguishing herself in battle and became a renowned female general. 
Xiuying encouraged the women of Shanghai to fight in the defense. Some of them answered her call and, each leading fifty men, went out of the city to engage and destroy the enemy forces. In 1854, Xiuying had iron barbs placed on the city’s walls. The enemy was lured into her trap and she led 200 rebels in a surprise attack.
Since the French had a concession in Shanghai and sent troops to support the Qing army,  Xiuying and her female soldiers fought against the foreigners. Eyewitnesses said that she “kept a thousand soldiers at bay”. Foreign journalists wrote about those female fighters that they were “truly comparable to the Amazons of ancient Greece in their valor and resolution”.
When the rebel army experienced a food shortage, Xiuying and her women resolved to die rather than surrender. They collected grassroots, the bark of trees and captured mice and birds. On February 17,1855 the rebels ran out of food and retreated. The enemy followed them and a battle ensued. Xiuying fought on horseback, but her mount stumbled and she was killed.
Bibliography:
Ma Honglin, “Zhou Xiuying”, in: Lee Lily Xiao Hong, Lau Clara, Stefanowska A. D. (dir.),  Biographical dictionary of Chinese women: The Qing Period, 1644-1911
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digitalmadness · 2 years
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shakes pom poms!! tell us more about your ocs!
Uɴᴘʀᴏᴍᴘᴛᴇᴅ ᴀsᴋ ━ ﹗
☆ Shakes pom poms back
Thank you for this ask!!
So, here are some random stuff about each of them!
Kitty:
➤ When I say Kitty does things for the sake of reaction, she genuinely is doing so. So, if you give her exactly the reaction she wants, especially when she taunts and jabs at you, she will continue the behavior. If you don't give her the reaction, it's no biggie. She's not too torn over it and don't expect every person to give her exactly what she wants.
This is why she is a pain to deal with.
➤ Kitty started off as a hacker because she wanted to. Her whole concept is because she WANTED to. Not because of any traumatizing events or someone pushed her to do so. It's because of her own doings. Certain things has been pushed to be used more than before because certain events occurred. Such as wanting to be a hacker because she wanted to give the voice to the voiceless.
➤ It's quite obvious if she liked you or not. Sure, there can be some things that can be hard to tell since she does it with everyone, regardless if she likes you or not.
Shido:
➤ She sleeps because it keeps the negative emotions and thoughts at bay. The moment she feels them coming in, she slips away or falls asleep on the spot. Even if her body has caught enough sleep, she can fall asleep at command. She can even sleep for a long time, but one thing to be sure is that she is a light sleep. She is capable of being awake at at anytime.
➤ She's homeless. Shido can be found sleeping around the city. On the benches, on roofs, in the trash cans. She moves every single night. Sometimes being in the same spot too. Sometimes if she likes your muse, she can be found at their house.
➤ If she's not found sleeping in a random spot, she can be found at the arcade. She is usually playing the rhythm games.
Danuja:
➤ Her turf is actually pretty small. Nothing that other Yakuzas wants. At best, they could get more territory, but why take over a small area? One that don't give too much benefits. Easy to overlook. So, if your muses need an escape, they can turn to the Chibana family to start over a new life. Keep in mind that they are pretty friendly and chill as long as you don't overstep your stay.
➤ While she is not being busy with the Chibana family, she is seen being a tattoo artist. Most of the members of her family has their tattoos done by her.
➤ She is more of a graceful person when fighting. Think of how an otter moves in the water. That's how she moves, but it's like a land otter.
Xiuying:
➤ She may not be a fighter, but she has the strength of an ox. It's enough to help her escape dangerous situations, especially if she is caught. So, if someone tries to keep her locked up by pinning her down or something of the sort, expect her to have the strength to get out. Will she use it to harm another? No.
In other words of this, Xiuying is a bit on the muscular side. But between everyone, she only is the third person to be the "tanky" type. Chance being the first and Shido being the second.
➤ Her hair is actually naturally wavy, which is prone to people taking jabs at it. She doesn't mind at all and enjoys it a lot. Now, there are times she can straightened it out.
➤ Another thing that has people targetting her to jab at is her faint freckles on her face. Faint, but upon closer inspection, you can see it.
Chance:
➤ A mama's boy. Takes a lot after his mother and the closes person, out of all his siblings, to look like her. Blonde hair, muscular body, pretty tall (stands at 6'4), and is pretty serious. Soft spot though, especially for soft and cute things.
➤ The only person Chance gets along with - out of all his siblings - is Chase. Although they may not talk a lot and Chase is much colder than Chance, they are closer than the others.
➤ Tons of piercings all over his face. Eyebrows, lips, etc. He is just full of piercings. This gives more of an intimidating appearance.
Baozhai:
➤ She may be dumb, but she makes a great lawyer. So, if you need a lawyer, you can always turn to her. One thing people often overlook because of how stupid she can be most of the time.
➤ She may be a lawyer, but she can and will put up a great fight. Never underestimate her cutsy look or how dumb she may be.
➤ Sometimes her health problems gets to her and she has to stay in bed.
Sirena:
➤ Sirena is not her actual name. It's the name of her older sister, which she took on shortly after the sister's death. Little to no one is aware of the death, which is both good and bad.
Bad because no one will know what exactly went down. That her sister would never be remembered. Good because Sirena doesn't need her identity to be questioned, especially since she is written off as dead. At least, her true identity.
➤ Sirena used to be a loan shark before being a private detective. How she feels about it? It's a strange feeling, though she doesn't mind at all.
Saburou:
➤ Despite being a detective, he is actually a pretty friendly guy. Easy to befriend and can charm people around him. He has that warm aura that makes you feel calm around him.
➤ Despite his sister being killed, Saburou remains to be positive.
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imaginaryelle · 4 years
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Thanks to @morphia-writes​ for beta help, and to @miyuki4s for all the brainstorming help that went into this chapter!
An excerpt:
There are some things Lan Wangji cannot doubt: Wei Ying’s love for his sister, and her children. His affection for Jiang Wanyin, and the Wens. His dedication to ensuring that Lan Wangji himself does not succumb to the curse he carries.
Every evening, he creates a fresh talisman to replaces the one on Lan Wangji’s arm. He brews one of three different medicinal teas from Wen Qing, in sequence, and serves it, sometimes drinking a portion or two himself. He invites Lan Wangji to play Rest as a duet for the suppressed, resentful souls they carry, and then other, less spiritually charged music, and asks after his core, after their evening meditations.
Every morning, Lan Wangji takes longer than he needs to to comb his hair, and tie it up, and dress. Wei Ying looks younger in the diffused dawnlight inside the tent. Softer, sprawled carelessly under blankets with his sleep robe twisted out of place to reveal the hollow of his elbow and the line of his collar bones.
It’s an indulgence Lan Wangji shouldn’t permit himself. A few moments, watching Wei Ying breathe and concentrating on the steady warmth of the soulbond under his own skin.
Read on tumblr under the cut!
part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 | part 9 |
*
It takes more than one day for a sect leader to prepare for the sort of journey they’re planning. Not because of the journey itself, Wei Ying is quick to point out, but because of all the things he has to make sure are done beforehand.
“Wen Qing is locking me in my study today,” he says over breakfast on the first day, “but Sizhui, Xiuying and Weixin are meeting with a tailor for new clothes and you should go.”
As he has been wearing borrowed or stolen clothes for several days now, Lan Wangji cannot bring himself to protest. He has no desire to wear extra infirmary underlayers while traveling, and the plain black outer layer Wen Qionglin had brought to his door was clearly intended to fit as many people as possible. Commissioning something new, or at least something altered to fit properly, is only reasonable.
Wei Ying insists that he’s already paid for the service, which Lan Wangji can only thank him for; he has no funds of his own, or reputation to call on.
“Get something you like,” Wei Ying tells him, even as Wen Qing looms over his shoulder. “Anything you want is fine.”
Lan Wangji assumes this event will take place within Yiling-Wei’s walls, as was generally the case in Cloud Recesses, but instead he finds himself following Wen Sizhui, Zhou Xiuying and Liu Weixin through a town that looks much more prosperous than the Yiling he visited thirteen years ago, and is almost certainly louder and more crowded than he remembers.
That impression may be influenced by his company. Certainly he had felt there were entirely too many people in the street when he was surrounded by onlookers with a toddler clutching at his leg, but if anything their small group draws even more attention now.
Everyone seems to know Wen Sizhui. There are street hawkers and shop owners who greet him by name, and press freshly steamed baozi and sticks of hawthorn candy into his hands, and it is clear from their comments that the townspeople of Yiling are close to their Sect in a way that is certainly not true of Cloud Recesses and Caiyi, or Jinlingtai and Lanling. One merchant is so insistent on thanking them for some past service that all four of them end up holding packages of lotus root, despite the fact that Lan Wangji can have had nothing to do with solving the woman’s problems.
The pattern continues inside the tailor’s shop—the young Wei cultivators are being fitted with new black outer yi and trousers designed to the Jiang Clan’s specifications for the upcoming archery tournament, but they are all clearly well-known to the staff. And Lan Wangji has come with the Sect Leader’s express instructions. And also the offer of his purse.
“Wei-zongzhu said you might prefer these,” one of the tailor’s assistants says, his hands full of fine-woven cream and blue fabrics, “but we do have other colors, of course.”
None of the fabrics on display are the shining, pure white of Gusu-Lan, but there is sun-bleached silk and cloud-white cotton and pale wool woven thinner than paper. It doesn’t seem to matter what he says, or how he responds: he is fussed over, and measured, and prodded. Silk and wool and brocade are draped over his shoulders and held up to his face for comparisons of shade and texture, and he leaves the shop—it is much later in the afternoon than he expected—with the black robe he arrived in newly altered and a sash of summerweight wool dyed the blue of a pale spring morning tied around his waist. Travel clothes, he is assured, will be delivered in the next few days.
He could not bring himself to commission a forehead ribbon, in any color; he is already quite certain these new robes will exceed any budget or social standing Liang Feihong could expect to claim. Wei Ying seems unconcerned.
“It’s a gift,” he insists after dinner. “Besides, you’re still a cultivator, and you’re traveling with a sect leader. It’d be weird if you looked like a fisherman.”
Lan Wangji is certain there are several measures of difference between the dress of a fisherman, a rogue cultivator, and the fabrics that were held before his face today.
“Look at this map with me,” Wei Ying says, the topic apparently closed. “I’m trying to figure out which roads are least likely to be blocked by mudslides. Wen Qing says if I get on a boat during the spring rains she’ll kill me now to save herself the trouble of burying me later.”
Lan Wangji may not have any formal responsibilities at Yiling-Wei, but Wen Qing makes it clear that she expects marked improvement in his spiritual power before he leaves her area of influence. He is given a list of meditation exercises and a schedule of daily training sessions for sword and unarmed work with her apprentices on hand to monitor his condition.
This is not a hardship. He had already planned to dedicate most of his time to this task, and the Wei cultivators have a unique style—not quite Yunmeng-Jiang, but not Qishan-Wen either. Wei Ying, of course, is the most practiced in it, and his version does not even involve a sword; Suibian is distinctly absent from their training sessions, but this does not seem to affect Wei Ying’s efficacy. Twice Lan Wangji is not fast enough to avoid the touch of a talisman to his shoulder, or his core.
He takes no actual damage from them—Wei Ying is careful in his craft, and these were written specifically for this purpose, but the failure drives him to train harder, even against other sparring opponents, until whatever apprentice is observing him steps in and orders a rest.
He spends this enforced downtime reading theory texts from Wen Qing’s library or at his guqin, picking out simple practice scores and more complex Lan melodies in the hope of re-training both his fingers and his core in the delicate language required for performing Inquiry. He works outside, in the scattered gardens, whenever the weather allows. A few hours spent alone in his shuttered room during a sudden storm proves detrimental to his focus, no matter how many handstands he does, or what other meditation techniques he tries. It is better to be out in the open air, where he can breathe more easily.
“Lan Zhan!” On the afternoon of the third day Wei Ying leans around the mulberry tree on the other side of a plot dedicated largely to cooking herbs. He looks around as if he thinks they’re being watched, and then all but runs over to crouch next to Lan Wangji. “I want to show you something,” he whispers. He tugs on Lan Wangji’s sleeve. “Come on, quick!”
“Something” turns out to be the paddock, where a 2-day-old foal is taking in the outside world for the first time under his mother’s watchful eyes. Wei Ying drapes himself over the fence and watches them both with a rapt expression Lan Wangji has never seen him wear before. Zhou Xiuying is also in attendance, alongside her wife—Feng Xinyi—who he learns is the one of the Wei Sect’s grooms.
“Xiaoying and Heitu are just one pasture over, if you wanted to meet them,” she says, which is how Lan Wangji learns that Wei Ying intends to travel by mule.
“Do you know how hard it is to feed a horse?” he says as they walk through tall grass flushed green with the rains. “Have you ever tried to train a horse for night hunting? In a Yunmeng summer? The heat is terrible for them. I think the only reason Jiang Cheng still has horses is his grandmother sent a whole caravan of grooms and breeding stock from Meishan when the war ended.” He produces two apples from his sleeve and holds one out to the nearest mule and the other to Lan Wangji. “Mules are better,” he says, his tone flippant as he pets Xiaoying’s long nose. “And almost as impressive.”
Xiaoying and Heitu are undeniably beautiful animals; good conformation, clearly healthy, and their dark bay coats shine red in the sunlight. And Lan Wangji knows that he will not be able to travel by sword for some time yet. Not alone. He cannot expect Wei Ying to transport them both, and walking will be too slow. Riding makes sense.
“Little Shadow?” he asks, of Wei Ying’s mount. “And … Black Rabbit?” They are hardly the sorts of names he is accustomed to hearing for a cultivator’s steed. There is little sense of speed, or power, or even luck in these names. Wei Ying shrugs.
“Xiaoying used to lie in the grass and pretend to be dead. Sizhui tripped over her all the time, and then she’d follow him for hours. And Heitu likes to jump, she hopped all over the place as a filly--ah! Lan Zhan!” He grins, gleeful, mischief in his face. “Do you remember the rabbits I gave you, all those years ago? And now I can give you another one! A bigger one!” Wei Ying laughs, just as he had laughed in Cloud Recesses, depositing two rabbits on the floor of the library, some sort of gift and joke and torment all in one, Lan Wangji had been sure.
Lan Wangji hadn’t known what to do then, with the boy who refused to leave him alone, who insisted on teasing him at every opportunity. Now, he stares at Wei Ying’s hands, at long sleeves pulled back to reveal his wrists, at his lips, and he knows what he wants to do.
He steps closer to Heitu, offers her his hands in a bowl instead of reaching out beyond her.
“I remember,” he says. It’s possible that his brother allowed his pets to stay, after his death.
Unlikely. But possible.
Heitu snuffles at his hands, all warm breath and soft nose in a way that is, in some small semblance, reminiscent of the soft warmth of his rabbits. She bears nothing like their fragility, but she takes the apple he offers delicately, and he keeps his fingers well clear of her teeth. Wei Ying strokes Xiaoying’s face and talks sweetly at her until she takes his sleeve in her mouth, at which point he switches over to annoyed admonishments. Lan Wangji has just stepped nearer to help him when Wen Qionglin appears at Wei Ying’s shoulder.
“Qing-jie wants to know if you finished that letter to Ouyang-zongzhu yet,” he says.
Wei Ying jerks, and there’s a sound of tearing cloth. He sighs.
“Feng-shimei told you to stop keeping food in your sleeves,” Wen Qionglin notes, even as he distracts Xiaoying with a hand on her neck. She drops Wei Ying’s sleeve and nudges her nose into Wen Qionglin’s chest. Both animals seem accustomed to his presence.
“I took it out as soon as we got here,” Wei Ying grumbles. “I wouldn’t have torn anything if I wasn’t surprised.” He sticks his fingers through the tear in his sleeve and wiggles them. The look on his face can only be described as a pout.
“I can fix it for you—” Wen Qionglin actually looks worried. Wei Ying just sighs and flaps his sleeve.
“I’ll fix it,” he says. “Why should you fix it? It’s fine.” He frowns at Xiaoying for a moment, then leans into Lan Wangji’s shoulder.
“I really can’t recommend becoming a sect leader,” he says, low-voiced, as if this will affect Wen Qionglin’s hearing. “The number of letters you have to respond to is too much work. I don’t think Ouyang-zongzhu even reads them, he just sends some new complaint every few weeks, as if I can control the weather, or the river, or how sleepy his cultivators get when they’re on tower duty.”
Lan Wangji has never heard his brother or his uncle make similar complaints, but they are Lans; they would not say such a thing even if it were true.
“Did you not choose the position?” he asks.
Wei Ying’s face scrunches up with displeasure. He shakes his head, though whether it is denial or dismissal is impossible to determine.
“I better get back to it,” he says instead of answering the question. “Before Wen Qing tells the kitchens to put radish in my food again.”
He sighs, and waves aside Lan Wangji’s bow. “I’ll see you both at dinner,” he says, and Wen Qionglin nods. Lan Wangji watches Wei Ying walk back up the hill towards the main compound until Heitu seems to take offense to his distraction and knocks her head against his shoulder, huffing at him.
“Does Liang-gongzi know how to ride?” Wen Qionglin asks. It’s a fair question: Lan Wangji does not actually know if Liang Feihong was trained in riding. He prevaricates. What is true for him is just as likely to be true for Liang Feihong as not.
“It has been a long time.”
“Would you like to practice?” Wen Qionglin asks, and Lan Wangji agrees without hesitation. Practice, and especially practice in caring for his mount without servants to help, can only improve the upcoming journey.
Wen Qionglin shows him to the tack room, and he manages to brush and saddle Heitu with a minimum of fuss. The main difference between outfitting a horse and a mule, he finds, is that Heitu’s tack includes two belly cinches, there is an extra strap that goes under her tail to stop the saddle moving too far forward, and he has to be especially gentle with her long ears while placing the bridle. Xiaoying is the more mischievous of the pair, Wen Qionglin tells him, and has to be watched carefully so she doesn’t puff out her stomach and make the cinches too loose.
Riding is initially awkward, but after a few slow circuits of the paddock he finds his seat and is able to push Heitu faster without losing his balance too badly. She takes direction well, has a steady, comfortable gait, and doesn’t startle as easily as some horses he’s ridden. He will almost certainly be sore later, especially without a dependable supply of spiritual power to speed healing, but the wind in his face and the simple pleasures of riding are more than worth that discomfort. He turns back toward the stables when they have both worked up a light sweat and sees Feng Xinyi speaking with Wen Qionglin. She smiles as he approaches, but doesn’t stay.
“I should get back to the little one,” she says. “But I’m glad to know Heitu will have a rider who knows what he’s doing.”
Wen Qionglin leads Heitu to a water trough and pets her cheek until Feng Xinyi is out of earshot.
“Wei-zongzhu trusts you,” he says. As if this is a fact.
Lan Wangji stares back at him. Wen Qionglin does not breathe, and he does not blink. He stands perfectly, unnaturally still, and waits. Apparently some response is required.
He settles on, “I trust him, also.”
Wen Qionglin watches him for a moment longer, and then nods. Then he says, “If he truly needs help, I will know. No matter where he is. And I am very fast.”
Oh.
This is probably intended as a threat.
Lan Wangji slides off Heitu’s back, so that they are eye to eye.
“I mean him no harm,” he says. In his current state of spiritual power it’s almost reassuring to know that someone else is concerned for Wei Ying's welfare. It should not be at all surprising, but he finds he is often surprised by Wen Qionglin, who has continued to move and talk and physically reside with his family for over a decade when everything Lan Wangji has been taught says he should not even exist.
Those same teachings would object to his own new existence as well; they are, both of them, supposed to be long dead.
“I will not let him come to harm,” he says, “if I can help it.”
He worries for a moment that this will be too revealing, but Wen Qionglin does not question him further. Perhaps he doesn’t need to. They are both well aware of the loyalty Wei Ying can inspire, under the right circumstances.
“I will show you where to find the saddle bags and travel rations,” Wen Qionglin decides, and he doesn’t speak of anything but Xiaoying and Heitu’s care and habits for the rest of the afternoon.
The evening before their planned departure, Wen Qing summons Lan Wangji once more to her study. Wei Ying arrives partway through her examination of his meridians and, surprisingly, sits quietly beside her desk until she’s finished. When she nods he joins them both behind the privacy screen and produces two cloth-wrapped packages—in one, two coiled lengths of red silk string, and in the other a pale jade carving of an endless panchang knot.
“Our hope is to give your spiritual power a new path through your meridians,” Wen Qing tells him as she inspects the strings. “One that minimizes the curse’s influence.” She blocks the meridians at his shoulder with her needles, and then ties one string to his arm, above the curse mark, and the other below it, each secured with a cloverleaf knot and sealed with a touch of spiritual power.
Wei Ying leans in close and presses two fingers to the talisman over the curse mark, but doesn’t touch either the silk or the jade. He keeps his silence. Lan Wangji watches his face and cannot read his thoughts.
“Just making sure this doesn’t interrupt us,” he says when he sees Lan Wangji watching. He holds up a second talisman in his other hand. “Wouldn’t want to have to start over in the middle.”
It’s a reasonable precaution: Tying the new charm is a long process, a progression of knots that covers most of his forearm. The jade panchang knot is tied in just above the curse mark, and another panchang knot of red silk tied below the wound. Wen Qing and Wei Ying both study it closely, and then she removes her needles and takes his wrist again, walking him through a slow meditation, cycling spiritual power through his body.
The flow of power is smoother, though it does perhaps take a little more time than he expects.
Wei Ying removes his fingers with a nod and a sigh. Wen Qing smiles, satisfied.
“The talisman will still need to be reapplied regularly,” she says, “but these charms together should be enough to minimize the curse’s effect on your meridians, so your core can begin to heal.”
It has already begun. He can feel the difference.
“Thank you.” The words seem inadequate, but he has little else to offer. Even this, she waves aside.
“I’m sure you don’t need my guidance for the proper exercises, but I do have many more theory texts, if you wish to read them.”
“We can bring some along,” Wei Ying promises. “Most of the best ones, we have more than one copy.”
Lan Wangji thinks of the library—of the many books that bear the same hand. Some copied by Wen Qing. Some by Wei Ying. Others in a clear, steady hand he doesn’t recognize. Of the single bound copy of the Lan Clan rules he’d found next to a copy of the Wen principles, and the books that he doubts his brother knows exist, copies of texts that were available to guest disciples studying at Cloud Recesses.
He wonders if his brother knew, when he was rebuilding the Library Pavilion, just how exact Wei Ying’s memory can be.
“Thank you,” he says again.
“Get some sleep,” Wen Qing says. “Both of you.” She stares hard at Wei Ying. “I’m not going to be the one dragging you out of your rooms in the morning. It’s no matter to me if you miss traveling during the coolest part of the day.”
Traveling with Wei Ying, and only with Wei Ying, is different from traveling alone, or with other Lan disciples, and different again from his memories of travel during the Sunshot Campaign. Then, Wei Ying had shifted through moods like ripples in water, sometimes predictable but more often not. A laugh like a clash of swords, a glare that pierced like needles. More than once Lan Wangji had found him alone but for the poor company the dead might provide, brooding under a shadow that seemed to cling to him even on the clearest of days. And then he would turn and ask if Lan Wangji knew this or that song, or if he wanted to spar, or if he’d eaten because surely it must be time for the next meal by now, and Lan Wangji would push aside his concern until hours later, when Wei Ying was just as likely to pull a prank as get in a fight with an ally. A fight with Lan Wangji himself, more often than not.
But that was the war. Decades ago, now, for everyone but Lan Wangji himself.
Now, Wei Ying laughs with more humor, and the cant of his eyes is merely sly rather than cutting. He grumbles through his breakfast and morning tea. He bickers with Xiaoying while saddling her and slouches through the morning hours until some unknown precondition is met, and then he begins talking aloud about whatever is on his mind at the moment: the weather, which continues to be wet, with cool mornings and steamy afternoons, or theories on their two investigations, or tales of past night hunts, which quickly shift into stories of Wen Sizhui, or Jiang Wanyin and Jin Rulan, and from there to the other members of Yiling-Wei, and Yunmeng-Jiang, and Lanling-Jin. Once, when they stop and take shelter under a half-repaired watchtower to wait out a storm, Wei Ying says, “Ah, Lan Zhan, do you remember that week we had rain every day, in Gusu?” and he speaks of Lan Xichen, and the Lan Sect, and what little he knows of its current status.
Cloud Recesses has been rebuilt, reportedly exactly as it was before the Wens attacked. Lan Qiren still teaches, and Lan Wangji feels a swell of relief to know his uncle still breathes. The Sect still hosts a year-long seminar for young disciples of any sect, every few years. Wen Sizhui, Liu Weixin and Zhou Xiuying have attended it, and returned with reports of young Lan cultivators who Wen Sizhui described as friendly, Liu Weixin called unbearably rigid, and Zhou Xiuying pronounced worthy sparring opponents. Lan Xichen has, unsurprisingly, built a widely-spoken reputation for even-mindedness that Lan Wangji knows he himself could never hope to match.
There is no bitterness to any of Wei Ying’s tales. No mention of hardship or enmity, over a span of more than a decade that Lan Wangji knows cannot have been easy, especially near its start. But then, Lan Wangji has long known that Wei Ying lies more easily than he tells the truth, omits more than he ever says openly. Even when he was living among the Mass Graves, quite obviously short on food, the only hardship Wei Ying would admit to was a lack of visitors, and news.
Still, there are some things he cannot doubt: Wei Ying’s love for his sister, and her children. His affection for Jiang Wanyin, and the Wens. His dedication to ensuring that Lan Wangji himself does not succumb to the curse he carries.
Every evening, he creates a fresh talisman to replaces the one on Lan Wangji’s arm. He brews one of three different medicinal teas from Wen Qing, in sequence, and serves it, sometimes drinking a portion or two himself. He invites Lan Wangji to play Rest as a duet for the suppressed, resentful souls they carry, and then other, less spiritually charged music, and asks after his core, after their evening meditations.
Every morning, Lan Wangji takes longer than he needs to to comb his hair, and tie it up, and dress. Wei Ying looks younger in the diffused dawnlight inside the tent. Softer, sprawled carelessly under blankets with his sleep robe twisted out of place to reveal the hollow of his elbow and the line of his collar bones.
It’s an indulgence Lan Wangji shouldn’t permit himself. A few moments, watching Wei Ying breathe and concentrating on the steady warmth of the soulbond under his own skin.
He turns away. Steps outside. Rekindles the fire for breakfast.
During the long afternoon of the fourth day, after they have shared a quick lunch beside a clear-flowing stream and are letting Xiaoying and Heitu forage their own meal, Wei Ying draws out Chenqing and plays songs that seem to be purely for personal entertainment; there is no spiritual power behind them at all. Some, Lan Wangji recognizes as common to drinking houses and inns. Others he doesn’t recognize at all. He is considering unwrapping the guqin when Wei Ying’s somewhat random little melodies turn suddenly familiar.
Not just familiar.
Every note is etched into Lan Wangji’s soul.
Wei Ying catches him staring. He’s not certain what expression his own face is making, but Wei Ying looks suddenly defensive. His hands drop to his lap, wrapping around Chenqing as if Lan Wangji will try to tear the flute away from him.
“What?”
“You remember.” Lan Wangji shouldn’t be surprised—Wei Ying has remembered enough of his brief time at Cloud Recesses to reproduce the Lan Sect’s rules and three different treatises, and that’s only what Lan Wangji found. But it had been only once, in the Xuanwu’s cave. That song has only ever had an audience of one.
Wei Ying frowns at him.
“What ...” his eyebrows rise high on his forehead, his mouth forming a perfect circle. “Lan Zhan.” He leans forward, suddenly eager. “Lan Zhan, you know this song?”
Of course he knows it. How could he not?
“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying continues. “No one knows this song. How do you know it? Is it a Lan Clan song? What’s its name?”
Words stick in Lan Wangji’s throat. Wei Ying doesn’t remember. Not really. He looks away. At the play of light on water. The swirl of shadowy fish, underneath.
“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying says again, moving closer. “I can never remember where I heard it, and no one ever recognizes it. How do you know it?”
No one ever recognizes it, he says. Which means Wei Ying has been playing it. For other people. For thirteen years. And he doesn’t know.
Lan Wangji swallows back his foolish hopes. The words he might have said.
“I wrote it,” he admits, to the low rush of the spring and the whisper of reeds in the light breeze.
“What?”
When he risks a glance back, Wei Ying is staring. He looks utterly shocked.
“What do you mean, you wrote it?”
Lan Wangji does not want to have this conversation. Not now. Not if Wei Ying doesn’t remember something so important.
At least, it had been important to Lan Wangji.
“We should keep moving,” he says, and stands. Heitu is drinking from the stream, but she only flicks her ears when he touches her shoulder, and doesn’t offer any more protest than a shift of her weight as he unties her hobble and mounts.
“Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying is frowning at him.
“We are wasting daylight,” Lan Wangji tells him. It’s true enough. This break is no shorter than any other.
Wei Ying grumbles. Retrieves his things.
“What’s its name?” he asks as he settles on Xiaoying.
I have already told you. Lan Wangji locks the words behind his teeth. Wei Ying does not speak of the soul bond, never broaches the topic of their battle with the Xuanwu or anything else from their lives that occurred after he left Cloud Recesses months before any other disciple, does not remember this, despite Lan Wangji telling him, despite his clear memory of the music itself and his perfect recall of texts long burnt to ashes.
“Think about it.” He says instead, and urges Heitu into a quicker pace, too fast for easy conversation.
“Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying calls after him, but Lan Wangji does not look back.
When Wei Ying catches up he speaks of other things, and does not mention the song again.
Notes:        
For the curious, Xiaoying and Heitu are named as references to famous horses from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. 絶影 (sometimes translated as "Suppressing Shadow" or "Shadow Runner") was one of the horses of Cao Cao, head of the state of Wei. He famously kept running despite taking three arrows, and thus saved his rider from enemies. 赤兔 (Red Hare) was described as "the best of horses" and within the tale people considered him to be too good for his original master. After that master died he was given to a new, more virtuous hero (Guan Yu, sometimes described as an ideal incarnation of loyalty and righteousness), who he was extremely loyal to.
(on to part 11)
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evilkitten3 · 4 years
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Any spicy lore about your ocs, their story, or the world they live in?
well, there are three main sets right now. the toxic butterfly set (kochome, maiye, kadzya, jaren, nikoli, kagura, etc.), the shifters set (lev, meiling, xiuying, aabir, etc.), and the kawa kara umi he set (shashō, saizō, kōka, etc.). that’s the order their various worlds were made in, as well as the order of which one has the most lore.
the world that kawa kara umi he takes place in is easily the least developed, mostly because it’s both the newest and the one i’ve spend the least time on, but also because i haven’t fully figured out what i want to do with it. it began as a dark parody of naruto, exploring the realities of being child soldiers under the command of a fascist government, but i’ve gone back and forth on whether i want to keep the element of fantasy that naruto added or if i want something more based on real history, with a focus on a world based off of real life japan (from the sengoku period to the edo period) or possibly even actually taking place in japan. that last one could be extra interesting if i set it in the edo period, especially if i had the characters towards the end of the story coming to terms with the decline of demand for shinobi and what the future might hold. but i still haven’t put too much thought into it - it’s fun to play with, but the other two take up more space in my brain.
the shifters set has been through a few changes, most notably in terms of plot - in part because there currently isn’t one (oops). it takes place in modern day america (specifically the san francisco bay area in california, because i wanted to work in familiar terrain) but deals with other dimensions and the like, so the setting isn’t always consistent. the one thing i’ve been sure of the whole time is that i want a medley of different mythologies coming to life (this was very much inspired by rick riordan, if you hadn’t already guessed), but with christianity being on the same level as the others. frequently in mythology related stories you see people, gods, and monsters from all sorts of religious (loki from norse myths, apollo from the greeks, horus from ancient egypt, golems from jewish lore, jinn from islamic and pre-islamic arabian lore, etc.), but christianity is never put on the same level. and i thought to myself: y’know what? jesus is here. and he’s the guy running the hot dog stand outside the community college whose nametag says jesús and who knows ikea like the back of his hand. and the gods aren’t just in america because - they’re actually everywhere because travel is neat and who’s gonna stop them. also anansi is there because i grew up with my librarian reading those stories to me and his wife (aso i think) is probably my favorite character from anything ever.
the toxic butterfly universe has come a long way - i created these guys back in like middle school or something. maybe even before that. pretty much every character is massively different from who they started off as (kagura used to be a demon, nikoli and jaren used to share a body, maiye and her group were initially background characters that were an inside joke for my high school friend group, kochome was going to have a poisonous butterfly tattoo.... also most of them were japanese bc i was in an anime phase when i first made them and initially planned for it to be something like an isekai situation). i do currently have several plot points for the tb universe that i’m probably going to stick with, although the overarching plot is still pretty shaky. but some of it is still the same: jaren’s name hasn’t changed even once since i made him, kagura and nikoli were always going to be an item, the world the story takes place in was always the seven kingdoms, nikoli and jaren always had a fire/ice dynamic, maiye was always going to be the rose-haired sweetie character that turned out to be neither of those things (at least, after she was upgraded from background character to supporting character but before she became a main character), hector was always going to be the heroine’s (kochome’s) main love interest with family issues, brooke was always going to be a queen (although initially she was the queen of one of the kingdoms, whereas now she’s “queen” of a rebellion), etc. so a lot has changed, and a lot has stayed the same.
and then there are the hawthorne knights, who are technically a part of the toxic butterfly story, but are important enough to me to get a side story about their cool adventures. because they’re all lgbt+ and at least half of them were made when i was dicking around with heroforge.
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writinggeisha · 5 years
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Ah Cy…lovely
Ah Kum…good as gold
Ah Lam…peace
Ai…love, affection
Alix…dignified
An…peace
Annchi…angelic peace
Bai…crystal clear
Bao…treasure
Baozhai…precious hairpin
Bi…green jade
Bik…jade
Bingqing…clear as ice
Biyu…jasper; semi-precious stone
Bo…precious
Caihong…a rainbow in the sky
Chan juan…the moon; graceful; ladylike
Chang…free; uninhibited
Changchang…flourishing
Changying…flourishing and lustrous
Chao-xing…morning star
Chen the…morning
Chenguang…morning light
Chow…summertime
Chu Hua…chrysanthemum
Chun…springtime
Chunhua…spring flower
Chuntao…spring peach
Chyou…sweet autumn
Cuifen…emerald fragrance
Da Chun…long spring
Da-Xia…long summer
Dai-tai…leading a boy in hopes
Daiyu…black jade
Dandan…cinnabar red
Diu…one who is down to earth and is a practical person
Dongmei…winter plum
Ehuang…beautiful; august
Eu-fùnh…playful phoenix
Eu-meh…especially beautiful
Fan…mortal
Fang…fragrant; sweet-smelling
Far…flower
Fenfang…fragrant
Feng…maple
Fung…bird
Genji…who is most valuable as gold
Gho…responsible and inspirational
Guan-yin…goddess of mercy
Guang…glory
Hee…lotus
Heng…constant; steady; persistent
Hien…persevering
Holea…holy
Honf…sign of good luck
Hop…agreeable; consistent
Howin…a loyal swallow
Hu…tiger
Hua…flower
Hualing…flourishing herb
Huan…happiness
Hui ying…bright; intelligent
Huian…obliging and quiet
Huian…kind peace
Huifang…kind and fragrant
Huifen…wise and fragrant
Huilang…wise jade tinkling
Huiliang…kind and good
Huiqing…kind and affectionate
Huizhong…wise and loyal
Hwei-ru…wise and intelligent
Jia…beautiful
Jia li…good and beautiful
Jiahui…nice person
Jiao…dainty or lovely
Jiayi…household fitting
Jiaying…household flourishing
Jie…cleanliness
Jilpa…a teacher of life
Jin…gold
Jing…crystal; sparkling
Jing…small bird
Jingfei…still fragrance
Jinghua…situation splendid
Jinghua…leek flowers
Ju…chrysanthemum
Juan…graciousness
Jun…truth
Kuai hua…mallow blossom
Kwong…broad
Lai…future
Lan…orchid
Lanfen…orchid fragrance
Lanying…indigo lustrousness
Lanying…blue glitter or blue quartz
Lee…plum
Li…upright
Lì húa…beautiful pear blossom
Li mei…beautiful plum blossom
Li ming…beautiful and bright
Li na…beautiful and graceful
Li qin…beautiful stringed musical instrument
Li rong…beautiful lotus
Li wei…beautiful rose
Lian…the graceful willow
Lien… lotus
Liena…a woman as beautiful as a lotus flower
Lifen…beautiful fragrance
Lihua…beautiful and flourishing
Lijuan…beautiful and graceful
Liling…beautiful jade tinkle
Liling…white jasmine tinkling
LiMei…beautiful plum flower
LiMing … who is pretty and bright
Lin…beautiful jade
Ling…compassion and understanding
Linqin…beautiful zither
Liqiu…beautiful autumn
Liu…flowing
Lixue…pretty and pure as snow
Loi…thunder
Luan…upswing
Luli…dewy jasmine
Mayleen…beautiful
Méh-è…beautiful posture
Méh-fùnh…pretty or beautiful phoenix
Mei…beautiful plum
Mei Lien…beautiful lotus
Mei Xiang…beautiful fragrance
Mei Xing…beautiful star
Mei Zhen…beautiful pearl
Mei-yin…very beautiful or beauty.
Meifen plum…fragrance
Meifeng…beautiful wind
Meihui…beautiful wisdom
Meili…beautiful
Meilin…plum tree
Meiling…beautiful and delicate
Meirong…beautiful countenance
Meixiang…plum fragrance
Meixiu…beautiful grace
Meiying…beautiful flower
Meizhen…beautiful pearl
Mey…gorgeous or pretty or stunning.
Ming Yue…bright moon
Ming-huá…tomorrow’s flower
Mingmei…bright and beautiful girl
Mingxia…bright glow through the clouds at dawn
Mingxia…clear halo
Mingyu…bright jade
Mingzhu…bright pearl
Mu lan…magnolia blossom
Mu tan…tree peony blossom
Na…elegant or smooth
Ngo-Kwang…beautiful; august
Ning…tranquility
Ninghong…tranquil red
Niu…a girl
Nuan…wholehearted
Nuo…graceful
Nuwa…mother goddess
Nuying…female flower
O-Huang…august
Pangfua…clouds in the shape of flower
Peijing…admiring luxuriance
Peizhi…respectful
Peizhi…admiring iris
Ping…duckweed
Qi…fine jade
Qiang…rose
Qiànrú…nice smile
Qiao…skillful
Qiaohui…skillful and wise
Qiaolian…skillful always
Qing…dark blue
Qing…yuan clear spring
Qingge…clear pavilion
Qingling…lucky years
Qingyuan…a clear spring or deep water
Qingzhao…clear illumination/understanding
Qinyang…sunshine of my heart
Qiuyue…autumn moon
Renxiang…benevolent fragrance
Rong…martial
Rong…beautiful; elegant
Rong…honor, glory
Rou…gentle, mild
Rùfen…nice fragrance
Ruiling…auspicious jade tinkling
Ruolan…like an orchid
Ruomei…like a plum
Shan…virtuous
Shaoqing…young blue
Sheu-fùh…elegant phoenix
Shihong…the world is red
Shu…fair
Shu fang…kind; gentle and sweet
Shuang…frank; open-hearted
Shuchun…fair; pure
Shui…one who is like a water
Shun…smooth
Song…pine tree
Suyin…plain and unadorned sound
Syà…summertime
Sying…star
Tao…peach; symbol of long life
Tè…special
Teegan…good-looking
Ting…slim and graceful
Tu…jade element in earth cycle
Tung-Mei…winter plums
Ushi…the ox
Wan…gentle; gracious; beautiful; lovely
Wei…valuable; precious
Weici…preserving love
Wen…refinement
Wenling…tinkling sound of refined jade
Wenquian…refined matter
Xia…rosy clouds
Xia…glow of the sunrise or sunset
Xia…the summer lotus; pure and elegant
Xiang…fragrant
Xiao chen…early morning; dawn
Xiao hong … rainbow
Xiaodan…little dawn
Xiaofan…little and ordinary
Xiaohui…little wisdom
Xiaohui…morning sunlight
Xiaojian…healthy
Xiaojing…morning luxuriance
Xiaoli…morning jasmine
Xiaolian…little lotus
Xiaoling…morning tinkle
Xiaoqing…little blue
Xiaosheng…little birth
Xiaotong…morning redness
Xiaozhi…little iris
Xifeng…western phoenix
Xin qian…happy and beautiful
Xingjuan…arising grace
Xiu…fine; beautiful
Xiu Mei…beautiful plum
Xiulan…beautiful orchid
Xiurang…elegant countenance
Xiurong…beautiful glory
Xiuying…beautiful flower
Xue…snow
Xueman…snowy grace
Ya…graceful
Yan…swallow bird; gorgeous
Yáng…sun
Yanmei…Beijing plum
Yanmei…flattering and seductive
Yanyu…Beijing jade
Yenay…she who loves
Yet Kwai…beautiful as a rose
Yi jie…happy and pure
Yi min…happy and smart
Yi ze…happy and shiny like a pearl
Yín…silver
Ying…clever or eagle
Yingtai…flower terrace
Yow…feminine
Yu…jade or rain
Yu-jun…from Chongching
Yuan…original
Yuanjun…Yuan River ruler
Yubi…jade emerald
Yue…moon
Yue wan…happy and gentle
Yue ying…happy and smart; kind
Yue you…happy and friendly
Yuèhai…beautiful moon
Yuèqín…moon-shaped lute
Yuke…jade
Yun…cloud
Yunru…charming seeming
Yusheng…jade birth
Yüying…jade flower
Zhaohui…clear wisdom
Zhenzhen…precious
Zhilan…iris orchid
Zhu… bamboo
Zi…graceful; beautiful
Zongying…taking heroes/flowers as a model
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titankaempfer · 6 years
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Random headcanon meme!
Yes... Another OC question-answering post!
What does your muse's voice sound like? Is it light? High pitched? Scratchy? Deep?
Allison Belmont: Deeper than the average girl and often has a charming feeling in it.
Berk: A really deep voice with not many emotions in it.
Chris Schwartz: Something between deep and medium pitch. Sounds pretty adult.
Henry Westcott: A deep voice with a serious tone in it.
Linh Hào Dung: A medium pitched voice, pretty clean.
Lilli Melody: A medium voice, which is a bit scratchy.
Lu Bei: A deep and a manly and powerful voice. Can sound pretty aggressive when angry.
Micheal Rivers: A medium male voice. Speaks with some accent.
Nina Wolf: A soft medium pitched voice.
Verena Kreutz: A pretty neutral female voice.
Violet Ramstein: Somewhat deeper voice often with a serious tone to it.
Xadon: A deep voice with a serious and often aggressive tone to it.
What is your muse's handwriting like? Is it neat? Sloopy? Fancy?
Linh Hào Dung: A bit sloppy, especially if fast written.
Henry Thompson: Very sloppy. His name was even misread once because his handwriting.
Micheal Rivers: Pretty neat for a boy his age.
Nina Wolf: Somewhat neat, but maybe a bit sloppy for a girl.
Veena Monarana: A pretty neat and fancy handwriting.
Verena Kreutz: Pretty neat handwriting.
Wen Zhen (文贞): Pretty fancy.
Does your muse prefer coffee or tea?
Allison Belmont: Tea.
Linh Hào Dung: Doesn't really work without his morning coffee.
Lu Yun: Tea. It helps him calm down. (Also coffee wasn't available around his time)
Nina Wolf: Tea. Pretty much dislikes coffee for it's taste.
Veena Monarana: Tea.
Is your muse good with keeping on schedule for meetings, appointments, or events, or are they always late? Or, are they always a bit early?
Juliet Ramstein: Expects everyone to be punctual and is punctual herself.
Linh Hào Dung: Is pretty organized and likes to arrive some minutes earlier than needed.
Linus Geißler: Doesn't take plans that serious and arrives some minutes later if needed.
Lu Yun: Is pretty strict and arrives earlier than needed, otherwise his plans may not work the way they should.
Micheal Rivers: Tries to be punctual but sometimes arrives a little late.
Nina Wolf: Doesn't make plans that often, but when she does she's punctual.
Rohan Ramstein: Often to late... If he's even showing up at all.
Has your muse had any injuries in the past?
Lu Bei: Has a scar from a battle against an enemy tribe.
Henry Westcott: Lost a eye during a battle as mercenary.
Nina Wolf: Has scars from selfharm on her left arm. (But they almost healed and are hard to see)
Xades: Also lost an eye during an accident.
What is your muse's smile like? Do they smile often?
Allison Belmont: Her smile is pretty seductive.
Lu Bei: Almost never smiles.
Nina Wolf: When she smiles you'll clearly see she smiles because she likes being around the people she is surrounding her self with.
Rohan Ramstein: He has a smile you would except from some troublemaker!
Strife: Often smiles while he enjoys his battles during an adventure.
Violet Ramstein: Never really smiled.
How does your muse feel about storms? Are they afraid of them, or do they calm them?
Mostly non of them are scared or show any real reaction to it.
Nina Wolf: Feels calmed during a rainy storm.
How does your muse react to possibly dangerous situations? Do they face them head-on, or do they plan out their actions first?
Almafan/Octavio: Would stay back and make plans.
Axti/Axel: Wouldn't make huge battle plans but fight.
Bai Yi (白义): Would rush head-on into it as long as he could rescue someone by doing so.
Blade/Brent: If he hadn't a plan before encountering the thing he pretty much won't make any plans and attack head-on.
CrazyDJ/Chester: Tries to come up with small and fast plans and would act head-on as long as it is a danger for anyone else.
Henry Westcott: Wouldn't really care about it as long as it is no target or it isn't attacking him.
Linh Hào Dung: Tries to make plans and wants to avoid any conflict if possible.
Lu Bei: Would rush into a battle head-on.
Lu Yun: Would try to make a plan before acting.
Strife: Would rush into action head-on if it is a danger for other people.
Xadon: Would rush into battle head-on without any kind of thought.
Xu Qiang (徐强): Would try to plan but if it isn't avoidable he would rush into it head-on.
What is your muse's favorite season? What about their least favorite season, if they have one?
CrazyDJ/Chester: Likes winter and dislikes summer
Lilli Melody: Loves the summer but dislikes autumn
Linh Hào Dung: Likes spring and autumn
Nina Wolf: Likes autumn and winter
Rita Castell: Likes summer and hates winter
Veena Monarana: Likes spring and dislikes winter
Does your muse like rain?
Lilli Melody: Dislikes the rain.
Nina Wolf: Likes the rain as it has something calming to it.
Violet Ramstein: Likes the rain as the sound is covering her footsteps and washes away any trace of her when being overground.
Does your muse like daytime or nightime more?
Team Daytime:
Almafan/Octavio
Juliet Ramstein
Lilli Melody
Linh Hào Dung
Lu Bei
Sasha Yakovleva
Strife
Veena Monarana
Xades
Xadon
Team Nighttime:
Allison Belmont
Blade/Brent
CrazyDJ/Chester
Lu Yun
Micheal Rivers
Nina Wolf
Sean Wheeler
Verena Kreutz
Violet Ramstein
How well does your muse sleep?
Lu Bei: Is a light sleeper but this also makes him ready for battle during a surprise attack.
Nina Wolf: Had longtime problems with sleeping but they were fixed when she moved out from home.
T.K./Kenji: Heavy sleeper
What are your muse's thoughts on love? If they are not in a relationship, do they believe that they will ever find a perfect someone for them?
Allison Belmont: Isn't really interessted in the concept of love.
CrazyDJ/Chester: While not really looking for it he fells in love and that person becomes the most important person in his life... Someone that helps him gaining motivation for everything even if everythings seems lost.
Ethan Voltaire: Has a boyfriend back home in france and is pretty happy with him. He also took him to Los Alias during the tournament.
Juliet Ramstein: Wishes she could stay her partners side forever.
Lilli Melody: Has Sophie Lindholm as girlfriend and is pretty happy with her and they both have a ritual to give each other a kiss during new year to end and start their year with a moment of love.
Linh Hào Dung: Had an ex-girlfriend but still believes in love.
Lu Bei: Despite being manly in any possible way he has a soft side when it comes to love.
Micheal Rivers: Is suprised about his romantic side and a bit shy when it comes to it. He hopes that one day he'll be brave enough to speak to her and hopes that he can be together with her a lifetime.
Nina Wolf: Had an ex-boyfriend which left her as she wouldn't fulfill his fuckboy dreams. She's looking for love but has hardtimes trusting someone on that level because of her previous experiences.
Sophie Lindholm: Has Lilli Melody as girlfriend and is pretty happy with her and they both have a ritual to give each other a kiss during new year to end and start their year with a moment of love.
Strife: Has a girlfriend and while he isn't seeing her very often she is one of the most important persons in his life.
Veena Monarana: Can be pretty romantic and kitschy. She hopes that she'll find someone one day.
Verena Kreutz: Has some feelings for a boy in her class.
Does your muse believe in luck? How about fate?
Abdul Shabal: Believes in fate.
Allison Belmont: Does not believe in luck or fate.
Henry Westcott: Believes that fate is a thing.
Lu Bei: Does not believe in luck or fate at all.
Lu Yun: Believes in fate.
Wen Zhen (文贞): Believes that there is fate but it can be changed if you'll know it.
Does your muse have good eyesight? If not, what is it like? Are they nearsightet or farsightet? Or both? Do they use glasses? Or do they prefer contacts?
Henry Thompson: Is nearsightet and wears glasses.
Henry Westcott: Has a handicap as he lost his eye during a battle.
Hermann Schneider: Wears glasses and is nearsightet.
Oskar: Wears glasses as he is nearsightet.
Poli: Wears glasses.
Roland Forst: Has contacts and is farsightet.
Xades: Lost an eye during an accident and wears a eye patch.
If your muse wears glasses, what are their glasses frames like?
Henry Thompson: The frame is black and square shaped.
Hermann Schneider: The frame is black and square shaped.
Oskar: The frame is black and square shaped with round edges.
Poli: Round bluish frame.
Does your muse have good table manners? How do they feel about bad table manners?
Juliet Ramstein: Growing up in a former royal family she learned good table manners. She is a bit uncomfortable with bad table manners.
Sophie Lindholm: Learned good table manners but doesn't really care if someone hasn't good table manners.
What is your muse's opinion about flower crowns?
Allison Belmont: It is actually to cute and girly for her.
Lin Xiuying (林秀英): Actually likes flower crowns and would probably wear one herself.
Does your muse sing well? Regardless of whether they sing well or not, do they enjoy singing?
Artyom Yakovlev: The closest to sing is humming classic tunes.
Lilli Melody: Loves to sing and is a pretty good singer.
Micheal Rivers: Really enjoys karaoke and is pretty good at it.
Nina Wolf: She sometimes sings under the shower but wasn't really rated by anyone as she never really sings around other people. It is probably ok.
Is your muse good at math? Do they like it, or do they hat it?
Linh Hào Dung: Is pretty good at maths.
Lu Yun: Is kinda good in maths for his time.
Verena Kreutz: Is bad at it and dislikes math.
What is your muse's favorite animal?
Allison Belmont: Cats and ravens
Captain Patriotism: Eagles
CrazyDJ/Chester: Cats and wolfs
Henry Westcott: Horses
Lu Bei: Horses
Nina Wolf: Dogs (especially Golden Retrievers and Huskys) and wolfs
Sandra: Cats
T.K./Kenji: Foxes
Veena Monarana: Tiger
Verena Kreutz: Dogs
How does your muse feel about bugs and insects?
Sophie Lindholm: Thinks they're disgusting
Veena Monarana: Loves all the animals including bugs and insects.
Does your muse prefer calling or texting?
Blade/Brent: Texting
Juliet Ramstein: Calling
Lilli Melody: Calling
Linh Hào Dung: Calling
Micheal Rivers: Texting
Nina Wolf: Texting
Penelope Samira Westerberg: Calling
Rohan Ramstein: Calling
Vanessa Schneider: Texting
Verena Kreutz: Texting
Of the sun, stars, and the moon, which is your muse's favorite?
Team Sun:
Lilli Melody
Linh Hào Dung
Micheal Rivers
Veena Monarana
Team Stars:
Almafan/Octavio
Bai Yi (白义)
Lu Bei
Lu Yun
Team Moon:
Allison Belmont
Nina Wolf
Verena Kreutz
Does your muse prefer lots of firends, or just a few close ones?
Lilli Melody: Lots of friends
Nina Wolf: Few but close ones
Vanessa Schneider: Few but close ones
Is your muse religious?
Abdul Shabal: Islam
Allison Belmont: Satanism
Indian Tiger: Hinduism
Lerock: Satanism
Lukas (Operation Biohazard): Christian
Nakagawa Daichi: Lip service to Buddism
Paul Hartmut: Christian
Sajid El-Hashem: Islam
Wen Zhao: Taoism
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city-of-ladies · 4 years
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Women of the Taiping Rebellion: Hong Xuanjiao
The Taiping Rebellion was a Chinese civil war that lasted between 1850 and 1864. The revolt was led by Hong Xiuquan who claimed that he had a revelation from the Christian God and that he was Jesus Christ’s brother. The rebels aimed at overthrowing the Manchu-led Qing dynasty and converting China to the Taiping’s version of Christianity. Their goal of sharing property in common attracted many famine-stricken peasants, workers and miners and their ranks quickly swelled. At least 20 million people died during the Taiping Rebellion, making it one of the bloodiest wars in human history. 
The Taiping army included women who formed their own battalions apart from the men. In 1852, the Women’s army numbered 3000 and reached 10000  in January 1853. The female soldiers bared their unbound feet and wore trousers. The officials regarded them as uncivilized monsters:
“Among the bandits there are female soldiers, all of whom are relatives of the Taiping kings. Being of vile minorities such as the Hao and the Zhuang, they grew up in caves and run around with bare feet and turbaned heads. They can scale steep cliffs with ease and their courage surpasses that of men. On the battlefield, they carry weapons and fight at close quarters. Government troops have been defeated by them in battle.” 
The female soldiers often defeated and humiliated the Qing troops. The men of the elite feared their bravery and cruelty. An official wrote the following letter of warning:
“After we recapture the city, all the Guangxi women should be executed. Absolutely no mercy or leniency should be shown to them. For they had been just as courageous and fierce as male soldiers in defending the city.” 
Other contemporary rebel organisations also had female generals. A woman named Zhou Xiuying was, for instance, a general of the Small sword society.  Among the Taipings, one of the most famous female generals was Hong Xuanjiao.
A 1906 report states that she was Hong Xiuquan’s younger sister and was married to one of his retainers, Xiao Chaogui. This report was based on information provided by foreign missionaries or diplomats, captive Taipings’ testimonies, the Qing as well as rumors and folk traditions. Hong Xuanjiao wasn’t necessarily related to Hong Xiuquan by blood since formal histories of the Taipings don’t mention him having a younger sister. The wives of his subordinates were furthermore referred to as the “younger sisters” of Hong Xiuquan, which could have led to think they were related. Her personal name seems to have originally been Yuanjiao and was perhaps later transformed due to dialectal transformation and confusion. It appears that most of the traditions related to her have a factual basis, though other women’s actions may have been amalgamated into her figure.
Hong Xuanjiao was born around 1830 and mastered martial arts and fencing before she reached 30. She led an army of several hundred women and fought with two swords, often on horseback. One of her most celebrated victory happened at the “Crowing Cock mountain” in Guandong province. The 1906 report Biographies from our nation’s female world gives the following description of her:
“She was a stunning beauty, no more than thirty sui. She was extraordinarily valiant and had hundreds of women soldiers under her command, all of whom were excellent warriors who never failed to render meritorious service (...) During battle, she wore light makeup and was armed with a pair of twin swords which were so sharp the edges resembled sparkling ice. She rode a chestnut horse saddled with a woolen blanket. She was slender and of fair complexion and wore blue-and-white-striped clothes. She was a magnificent sight, often mistaken for an immortal as she waved her white arms to direct her women soldiers, jade ornaments tinkling at her waist, clothes streaming behind her. Her troops were armed with brocade banners and silver shields. As the battle grew fierce, Queen Xiao doffed her outer garments and swept through the Qing troops. Her swordsmanship and the dazzling image of this stunning woman in her apricot yellow silken inner garments mesmerized the whole army.”
A poem from the Taiping era celebrating her victory at Niubailing in Guandong province states that:
“Women able to follow Hong Xuanjiao
Able to use firearms, do sword play;
at Niu Bai Ling Hong Xuanjiao prepared
her defenses, throwing the enemy
with broken backs down the hillside”
Hong Xuanjiao also displayed politic insight. In 1856, an important Qing camp was stormed and the Taiping’s commander in chief, Yang Xiuquing, became more and more arrogant. Hong Xuanjiao asked Hong Xiuquan to eliminate him before it became too late. While he refused to do so, arguing that they were old acquaintances, she answered: “Your majesty is kind to others. Are they going to be so kind to you?”.
Tianjing, the capital of the Taiping heavenly kingdom, fell in 1864. Hong Xuanjiao disappeared afterward. 
Bibliography:
Kyle Pamela C., The Wobbling Pivot, China Since 1800: An Interpretive History
Mao Jiaqi, “Hong Xuanjiao”, in: Lee Lily Xiao Hong, Lau Clara, Stefanowska A. D. (dir.),  Biographical dictionary of Chinese women: The Qing Period, 1644-1911
Ono Kazuko, Chinese Women in a Century of Revolution, 1850-1950
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digitalmadness · 2 years
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◤❀Cнαrαcтer'ѕ Sтυdy: ✿◢
➤ Below y'all will find three styles that will aid Xiuying in combat - and you if she was a playable character. Keep in mind that this can and will change as time goes on, given that I am still fleshing this out. Also, this is by no means a way of her knowing completely how to fight. She is - By no means - a fighter and will never be a fighter.
- Dance of Medea: Xiuying is a dancer. She grew up on dancing. So, it makes sense if she fuses it with going up against an opponent. She can and will dance around her opponents, dodging their attacks and moving around where one cannot reach her. The noticeable thing one would find within this style is the Brazilian martial arts, Capoeria. It makes sense if she knows this since it does fuse in dancing. This is one of the few moves she knows of martial arts and will remain that way.
While Xiuying is seen to have this, she is also seen having things that can and will keep an opponent at bay or distract them. Colorful pieces of clothing, smoke bombs, etc. This is a means to escape her opponents.
- Umbra: While this is primarily used to dip in and out of shadows, Xiuying can also use this to aid her out. In meaning, she can and will use light to blind her opponents, using a pocket mirror to manipulate the light into the eyes of her opponents. This helps her slip into a hiding spot or into the shadows.
- This one holds no name, buuuuuut Xiuying uses sound manipulation. In meaning, she is capable of manipulating sounds, ranging from her own voice to just sounds around her. She can make it where a sound is in a certain area when it is not.
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