#GIVE NEZHA TO ME FOR GODS SAKES | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

crypticjackal13 · 2 years

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Hello can I request Mentor! Nezha x student! Reader?

Where Nezha is reader's mentor but reader tends to push themselves a bit too hard

(Platonic)

Oh fun!! Dude nothing hits like a mentor with a burnt out student where the mentor has to actually keep an eye on things

"Blooming" (670 w.c)

Mentor!Nezha x Student!GN!Reader

PLATONIC Oneshot

CW: burnout, Nezha is disappointed

“No, you were too slow. Try again.”

You panted as you put your hands on your knees, looking at the weapon you’d dropped on the ground when he disarmed you. You were putting all your energy into this, and even though he wasn’t even using his powers, he was still much stronger than you. You’d been training under Nezha for weeks now. Shouldn’t you be more ahead?

Nonetheless, you picked up your spear, going back to the edge of the circle you two trained in. You got into the starting position just as he did.

“Ready?”

“Ready.”

He rushed at you, letting himself go into the loose defense so you could try to implement the move he was teaching you that day. A sweep of the legs that, if done correctly, would end with the handle of your spear across his shoulders to pin him down. But against the type of plans he had for you to go by, you had spent a few hours last night trying to exercise a little more than you were meant to. And by the gods, you were exhausted. And now you were pinned, too, and you didn’t even remember what happened while you were thinking.

“Okay, we’re done.” He frowned at you, taking your weapon. You didn’t even try to stop him. But this wasn’t how lessons usually ended—he would normally help you up and have you explain what led to the outcome of the fight.

“What? Did I do badly?” You scrambled to get up and follow him to the small building near his home that served as a home gym. He didn’t slow down his pace, his hands were balled into fists.

“It didn’t even feel like you were trying, y/n. Do you have something going on that’s making it harder for you to fight?” His disappointment hurt more than your muscles at the moment. You hung your head.

“I’m sorry. I’m really trying, I swear.” You explained, holding your hands in your pockets. He turned to face you in the doorway of the gym. His arms were folded across his chest as if he were upset, but his eyes were concerned and searching your face for something. You looked at him. He wouldn’t stop teaching you, would he? You’d worked so hard, you couldn’t just stop now!

“You’re not giving me 100 because you haven’t got 100 to give,” He sighed, dropping any anger he might have been holding. “Y/n, have you been doing more work than I’ve told you to do?”

“I mean, I’ve been doing some more night exercises, but no more than a few hours—“

“Hours? Y/n, I set guidelines for you because it’s meant to be completely adapted to your schedule and difficulty level. Doing more than that for the sake of getting ahead isn’t helping, it’s hurting.”

Nezha led you to the center of the yard, where he had you sit with him on the grass. He was across from you and could tell you were trying to directly mirror his pose. Always needing to do it like him.

“I don’t understand. Isn’t it good if I just want to be better?” You asked quietly. He took a few breaths, with you in tow.

“Getting better takes time and proper pacing. Jumping ahead because you think you can handle it isn’t always bad, but in your case, it’s burning you out. We’re putting a hold on your fighting, right now we just need to readjust your pace.” He explained to you. You listened to every word, internally cursing yourself for thinking you’d be able to just sneak this past him. Your intentions were good, it was just…too much.

“You’re a good kid, y/n. Just slow down and wait for me, alright?” Nezha ruffled your hair.

“So you’ll still teach me?”

“Of course I will. You’re my favorite student.”

“I thought I was your only student!”

“You are, you are!”

You two laughed and then settled into a quiet bit of meditation.

#lego monkie kid #lmk headcanon #lmk x reader #lmk #lego monkie kid headcanons #nezha x reader #lmk nezha #lmk prince nezha #gender neutral y/n #oneshot #platonic #mentor and student #nezha monkie kid

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wu-kongs · 2 years

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MK needs another perspective besides nezha (not that he wasn't useful, but more couldn't hurt), but again he faces the problem on who he could ask. Maybe someone that is also closer to macaque too since both monkeys are needed to resolve this, but who could fit that bill? *in the distance, demon bull king and princess iron fan shudder in unison*

"when i discovered what that wretched monkey—" iron fan says coldly, "—had done to my xiaodi, i wanted to tear him limb from limb. hell was not hot enough for that filthy creature."

MK shudders, ice through his veins and chilling over his spine at her words. he thought it'd be a good idea to talk to her since red son was so insistent that macaque was his uncle, and apparently his favorite one at that. though it hadn't been easy to find someone who could give him insight on the monkey king's side of the story, it'd been practically impossible to think of anyone who'd give him a leg up on figuring out what macaque's deal was. red son was his best lead, unfortunately!

iron fan looks at him, notes his nervousness, and then clicks her tongue. after a moment to compose herself, she turns away, the short train of her robes swinging smoothly after her as she steps over to a plush chair to settle down.

"after he joined that miserable monk, wukong... changed. he had become someone different from the king who'd been on the verge of felling the entirety of heaven." wrath begins to melt to a somber disappointment and vague hurt that MK isn't sure is real—the nearby fireplace crackles, flickering tricky and unreliable embers over iron fan's face.

"wukong had been the pinnacle of our kind, the one we all looked to, who had defied death and heaven time and again. he was a god among us. no one had been more aware of than than liu'er." any admiration that may have crept into her tone is promptly clipped by a sneer. "it went to his head. he remembered none of it when he began to pick us off one by one, as if all we simply were only scum of the earth." she pinches the bridge of her nose.

every one of her words weighs more and more on MK's shoulders and he finds himself lowering to the ground. this is a new side of the monkey king MK has never heard of, or even thought about. he supposes what they say is true: the winners do write the history books.

"...when the band of sworn siblings had received word of the monkey king's return, and that he was methodically eliminating us... we did not want to believe it. liu'er did not want to believe it—and for his sake, neither did i." she turns her sights on the dancing flames, eyes narrowed as if to shun away the memories. she then snaps to look right at MK, glaring. MK flinches from his settled spot on the rugs.

"listen to me, boy. i only tell you this because i..." her nose wrinkles the barest amount, as if this was difficult for her to admit, "i believe you have some measure of ability to resolve this matter. do not betray me."

he swallows thickly and nods furiously—what else is he supposed to do here? say no to the terrifying princess iron fan? he might as well dig his own grave!

she sighs like this a grievous thing he's putting her through, and he only feels a little bad about it; the bad blood is obviously still so prevalent here and he's not doing much but dredging it up.

"liu'er and wukong..." her eyes trail back to the fire. "they were inseparable. it wasn't simply a matter of their being together all the time, it was... it was as if two pieces of the same being had been separated before it was born and those pieces were in an endless cycle of attempting to reunite. not many noticed it, and those who did silently agreed to say nothing of it. it was not the sort of matter you pointed out for fear of throwing the balance into chaos."

MK swallowed thickly, a tide of nausea starting to rise in.

"liu'er, that fool... he adored mei houwang, was constantly found in his shadow, beheld him as the sun and all the stars above in his eyes." pure contempt smolders in iron fan's eyes, punctuated by the flames reflected there. "and although i detest wukong with the every fiber of my being, i will not lie and say it wasn't an unrequited adoration... they were disgusting. it was as if they wanted to live in each other's skin."

her fist clenches from where it rests on the arm of the chair. goosebumps rise on MK's skin despite the warmth.

"and then wukong was captured." she growls. "he had been the spearhead of our armies, and we quickly fell into disarray without him. liu'er had tried his best to regroup us—many of us did, but without the monkey king, our forces were unable to stop the might of heaven, and we scattered to the winds to survive."

"liu'er did not give up, but... his constant attempts eventually caused much of the destruction of flower fruit mountain. he had become so relentless to rejoin his other half that it blinded him to those he still had to take care of. he refused to stop chasing the monkey king."

"i can only imagine what he must've thought when wukong resurfaced, alive by whatever miracles and luck—and now in the servitude of a buddhist monk of all things... but chase he did, and ultimately, it led to his doom."

silence, thick and suffocating, reigns over the dim sitting room for a long moment. iron fan lets MK absorb the tale, and his mind races for it. he doesn't know what to make of this. he knew that macaque and the monkey king had... some weird thing going on, but this. this? way more than what he bargained for.

whatever they were—lovers, friends, allies—didn't just fall apart. it was ripped apart mercilessly, and nothing could've stopped it. MK sees that now. he's learned enough about both of them to figure that out. it was always going to happen, like... like fate.

he suddenly laughs, the edge of it hysterical and lost. he's out of his depth here. he's sooo out of his depth. this whole thing is millennia in the making, and he's supposed to fix it? he's supposed to, what, undo those thousands of years of tragedy? iron fan looks at him, expression stony.

"they're fools, the both of them," she says. "and with this... eyeball in the mix, they will chase each other's tails around forever until one of them forfeits."

"what am i supposed to do about this?" his voice quakes, eyebrows tented and smile pained and frantic.

the barest hint of pity flickers over iron fan's face. "niu and i have had our fair share of... marital challenges. all i can offer you, child, is honesty. it's not you who can mend what you haven't broken. they're not your pieces to collect. you may provide the glue, but they will have to use it themselves."

MK slumps, face dropping into his hands. "that's basically what prince nezha told me..." he grumbles sadly.

she studies him.

"i will add only this, then," she then says, and he perks up slightly. "i know liu'er. i have known him a long time. a foremost fool, i will always say—and he will always love wukong, no matter what has happened between them. whether wukong will allow that love is yet to be seen, but i know this is a two-way road."

he blinks at her, absorbing her words

prince nezha said the monkey king is still holding on to who macaque used to be. princess iron fan says macaque will chase the monkey king forever. they still obviously care about each other a lot, whether they'll admit it or not.

MK just needs to find a way to make them be honest about it.

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crowboss-whore · 2 years

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I AM SO SO SO SORRY FOR SPAMMING YOU BUT SEER HAVING A SIMILAR FIGHTING STYLE LIKE VERTA? YES PLEASE 😭 reader knowing to kick ass while riding a friggin motorcycle– BAMF energy right there.

ALSO IF THEY LEARNED HOW TO USE A ROPE DART??? SHEEESSSHHH Mac and Wukong would be dOWN BAD. Them watching y/n fight off a demon they'd both be like "lmao I wish that was me" NSKSJSKAJA

I mean-- okay. Think about it.

Seer has hover boots. It gives them added speed and agility that could match or be around Verta's! Plus, the boots do add a jump boost when used. They have a ranged weapon that could be used while they're fighting and, when Episode 9 happens, they'll have a melee weapon.

They're already getting good at fighting thanks to training Wukong and MK. It's not every week like other two but they do train every now and again for the sake of keeping their defense sharp and not getting rusty.

Add in the motorcycle. Seer knows how to ride that shit. Seer is perfectly capable of learning how to add it into their fighting style. In chapter 11 and chapter 12, you are racing against Mei to help her train for the Great Wall Race. You guys know in New Gods: Nezha Reborn? The entire race track thing there?

That's kind of the vibe of where you two are practicing to help Mei.

Seer has every fucking right to be able to fight like Verta. Or at least, have something akin to that style.

I want you guys to realize something here, okay? Seer? Their survival instincts are always on. It's never shown minus for when they're fighting. It's why they "don't fight fair" because they're fighting to survive. When they snapped into action against Spider Queen? It's not because they decided to go "Oh, I'm all ballsy now" it's because protecting themselves and their friends is the highest on their priority list.

Note! Seer had a pretty average life before they were transported to LMK. They went to college, had a good (maybe shaky) relationship with their family, and a nice circle of friends. They had a stable job and were able to support themselves. Seer's life was good. But. Heavy fucking but. It's kind of shown that they had the uh... The "Be the sheep dog, not the wolf" mentality hammered into them.

So they have the mentality to snap into fighting action. For them to learn to have a similar style like Verta's and to have the whip knife? It's very on brand and it's very likely to happen. Seer isn't an "Oh, I know what happens and I should be protected with it" kind of person. Seer is an "Imma beat your fucking ass if you come near me with that knife and I'm gonna make it hurt. Have a good day" kind of person. They're nice! But that is only given to the people they know deserve it.

Anyways, yeah. Wukong and Macaque? Hella simping for Seer. I mean-- I would too. Move over, monkeys, I want Seer's hand in marriage.

#hunny bxscuit #a seer of secrets #crow answers #I like writing characters who know how to fight not because it's the only thing they know #But because they chose to learn it to so they can let their friends feel comfortable #Why? Because that's me. I learnt self-defense and took martial arts not to feel cool but to protect my friends #My friends are important to me! I'll happily snap into fight mode for their protection #It's why I tend to write characters like that #It's why Seer is like that! Because I know a mentality like it and I know the issues that come with it #Also because I like writing action scenes lmao

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funnel-webbed-au · 1 year

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Morning Flowers

Lian sat up and stretched as the morning rays shone through the window of her room, then shook the sleeping Deity as her side. While he stirred and grumbled, Lady Lian only chuckled; she knew he wasn't exactly a morning person, and the bright light shining through the curtains didn't help.

"Oh, for fuck's sake... why is always so bright in here, I'm gonna get another headache." Nezha rolled over and covered his face with a pillow to escape the light. That comment caused the lady of the house to fall off of her bed, cackling before she rose to her feet with a soft, fond sigh.

Lian went to the drapes, as she knew for damn sure that neither of them liked the light, but there would still be plenty to work with even once the drapes were closed. As the light in the room dimmed, Nezha sat up and stretched, the crop top he slept in on full display. He didn't even bother to keep up his usual formality, moving straight into his morning stretch routine.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the lights dulled, then opened his eyes so they could adjust. A smile came over the freshly crowned Yang as Lady Lian rested her head on his shoulder. Her hugs, her caresses, he never got enough of it. Casual intimacy had always been something he was fond of... and something he encouraged, too.

Lian blushed and giggled as the lotus deity she'd come to hold so dear coated her face in kisses. It wasn't a rare ritual anymore, and that, she was thankful for. He'd once been so stiff, but the more he came to know her, the more he grew attached to her.

There were so many words that felt right at the same time, and yet couldn't fully express the depth of the bond they shared. Lian pressed her forehead against the raven's, even as he purred quietly. She was a member of a very special group of people, the people that made him feel whole... love was always the right word. He loved her, he loved his mentor, he loved the bitter, spiteful wolf Demon who'd been living in that palace for centuries. Love was a broad, powerful word with many expressions, many types.

A smattering of kisses, all over his cheek and jaw, was his quick reward, followed by soft scratches around his ears and chin. He raised his head as a smile split his face, along with blush. Gods, he never got enough of her tender touches, much less Erlang's care. There really was nothing like the love of his father and beloved flower.

"Ah-! Lady Lian, you honor me." He couldn't help the soft laughter that escaped him. She never got enough of his purrs and his snickers. She'd come to treasure him as much as he treasured her.

Nezha got dressed when Lian let go, but didn't let her leave his side without a brief nuzzle before he disappeared into his closet. He emerged minutes later in his favorite fuchsia button-up dress shirt and deep teal jeans. His chain belt was always a good compliment to his favorite outfit.

Lian came out of the restroom shortly afterwards, clad in her favorite floral dress, the edges of it curled like lotus petals. It really honored the lotus Deity she spent so much time with that she themed herself after his favorite flowers, though he knew it was simply coincidence. She loved the same flowers he did.

Nezha's soft purrs of contentment brought a bright smile to the puffy haired woman. She offered another hug, and he took her up on it, grabbing her with all of the excitement of the wonderful young man he'd always be.

"We should go greet Erlang, don't you think?" Nezha nodded after Lian spoke, then let go of her. It was time for their morning routine, after all, and he had to give his beloved father a hug. He'd come so far in recent centuries, he'd found a new home. It was beautiful, and he hoped he'd get to keep this forever.

#[Dream - Memories We Hold Close - Lore Drop]#[Once Bitten and Twice Shy - Sydney - Nezha]#[For Whom The Flowers Bloom - Lady Lian - Lian Lanhua (OC)]#[To Be Denounced - I might rewrite this later.]#[The Crystal Dragon - Mod Riley]#[Arc One - Binding Ties - Before Canon]

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fgodump · 4 years

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Connections to “The Poppy War”

The setting and characters to The Poppy War has derived a lot of inspiration from historical events and myths alike. This is meant to discuss which characters have a relation to those preexisting. Of course, you do not need to know this information to enjoy the books, but I think knowing them will elevate your reading experience. None of this information is official. This is just the conclusions I came to while reading. Feel free to make comments

MAJOR MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ALL BOOKS

Locations

Nikara: Qing Dynasty.

Mugen: Japan (Meiji Period)

Hesperia: Britain

The Hinterlands: Mongolia (unsure)

Murui: Yellow River

Tianshan: Kunlun

The different provinces were based off the Chinese Zodiac

The Poppy Wars: the Opium wars, as they have the heavy involvement of foreign invaders

Fang Runin: Rin’s character does not seem to take from a specific person, however the wiki stats that she was inspired by multiple people, such as Azula from ATLA and Mao Zedong

Chen Kitay: It's pretty obvious his character is inspired by Zhuge Liang in Romance of the Three kingdoms. In actual history, he wasn't that much, but in the book, Zhuge was a monster at strategy.

In the first book, Irjah proposes a question, which Kitay replies “to bait the enemy into giving them arrows by rolling out a boat of strawmen”. This is something that Zhuge did as well.

Sring Venka: Honestly I'm blanking on Venka. I think perhaps Venka isnt supposed to represent a character at all, but instead all the comfort women and victims of the Rape of Nanking, based on what happened to her during Golyn niis.

Yang Souji: He and his group the “Iron Wolves” remind me so much of the Shinsengumi. He even shares a name with Okita Souji, the captain of the first unit.

The Shinsungumi were also nicknamed “The wolves of Mibu”

I know the glaring problem with this is that the Shisungumi are Japanese, and should have been Mugini in this book, but I think these parallels are pretty cool in any case.

Chiang Moag- Ching Shih. Woah, as soon as I heard Lady Pirate, it was undeniable who Moag is. Ching Shih, the most famous pirate in China perhaps, and she was a woman.

Their backstories share similarities too. Ching shih was a prostitute, just like rumors around Moag.

The Cike: During the Zhou Dynasty, Wu Zetian (China’s only female emperor) had a secret police force that assassinated everyone she needed. This sounds incredibly similar to the way Daji used the Cike.

Altan Trengsin: I believe that Altan is like Rin; either an amalgamation of many characters or simply someone Kuang made for the sake of the story.

Ramsa: I believe him to be Nikara’s representation of the creation of fireworks. Not based off a person, but instead one of the Four great inventions of China. Or maybe I’m looking too far into it lol, since he doesn't strike me as being inspired from a myth, since he is not a shaman

Baji: Zhu Bajie of Journey to the West. Based on his description and his name, I had him guessed before they even said anything about pig.

His weapon is even the same as Bajie’s, a nine-toothed rake.

He also shares his desires, both of them being lusty for beautiful women

Suni: Sun Wukong. I had him guessed by his name as well. Although I believe the connection to be true, I cannot help but feel disappointed that the avatar of Sun Wukong was killed off so easily

The traits that these two characters share are pretty different, much more different than Baji had Bajie.

For one, Suni is generally calm when he is not being taken over by his god, and is pretty gentle and nice actually. This is very unlike Sun Wukong, and also the reason why I think Suni was a bad body for Wukong to take over, since I think their desires do not match up like Rin and Phoenix

Aratasha: The last in the trio, Sha Wujing. I was confused at first, since Aratasha is no fighter, but I realized his name sounds incredibly similar to Sha Wujing. Wujing was a sand river demon in JTTW, so I don’t think it was a stretch to believe that Aratasha was based off of him (his god is a river god, after all)

Plus, Aratasha died before Baji and Suni did. Wujing in JTTW was weaker than both of his companions.

Chaghan and Qara Suren: This may be a stretch, but I think Chaghan was inspired from Genghis khan. Gengis Kahn united the Mongols, like Chaghan united the Ketreids and Naimads. Even though the time period would be centuries apart (Genghis 1206, Qing Dynasty 1644-1912), it is the most likely option. It is unrecorded whether Gengis had any sisters, so I believe that Qara was made for the sake of plot (anchor).

Yin Family: The entire Yin family was taken from the story of Nezha. You can read more about the original story by searching his name in Wikipedia. R F Kuang kept a lot of things from the original tale, and these notes are what I have noticed

Yin Vaisra- Li Jing. Li Jing was also a great general, and in other stories, he was the head general in the Jade Emperor's Heavenly Army. If you know about “Journey to the West”, it was him who attempted to subdue Sun Wukong.

Yin Saikhara- Lady Yin

*its interesting how Kuang decided to make the mother’s name the family name for the Yins. Originally, I would have thought it was Li instead.

Muzha and Jinzha’s name were lifted directly from the source material

Mingzha is a character Kuang added, for Li Jing only had three sons (or 2 sons and a daughter in this case). There is no source material for how Muzha and Jinzha’s characters are; even in adaptations we rarely get to see any exploration of them.

Yin Nezha- Nezha:

Yin Nezha, like his original counterpart, was the third child of his father. Since Muzha was changed to a female, he is actually the second son.

He has the powers of the Dragon of the Western river (TBG 392), likely referring to the White Dragon in myths, who is the dragon ruler of the western sea.

Like the Nezha in the myth, Yin Nezha had an occurrence with a dragon that changed his life.

At the first battle between Nezha and Rin in TBG, it is stated he wears golden rings around his wrists and ankles. Guanyin bodhisattva did this to Nezha in Journey to the West, in order to placate him.

The Trifecta: All of the figures in the Trifecta were based on the Fengshen Yanyi (AKA the Investire of the Gods).

Jiang Ziya: His name was directly taken from the novel.

Su Daji: Her name was directly taken from the novel, as well as some of her penchants for murder. Daji, in both history and the novel, was infamous for her torture methods.

Jingzha being delivered back to his father in a dumpling holder would qualify as a toruture method. I applaud Kaung for being creative.

Yin Riga: I do not know if Riga is meant to be King Zhou or Ji Fa (the man who overthrew Zhou). Perhaps he was inspired by both of them, or neither.

Since Kuang did not go into depth into which gods were in the pantheon, I will make a list to who I think is there

Gods mentioned in the books:

Erlang Shen

Sanshengmu

Sun Wukong *implied through Suni

Zhu Bajie *implied through Baji

Huxian *implied through Unegen, and also Daji

Phoenix

Nuwa

Fuxi

The Four Dragon Kings (Yin Riga was likely the Dragon of the East) *There is no confirmation that there are multiple dragons, but I believe it was strongly implied

Chang’e

Xi Wang Mu, Queen Mother of the West

Zhenniao *implied through Pipaji

The Four Guardians (Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird, White Tiger, and the Black Tortoise) *implied through Dulin, who summoned the Black Tortoise

Wong Tai sen *implied through Lianhua (Actually I am not sure, but I could not think of any other healer god in Chinese myths)

Gods not mentioned but I believe are in the Pantheon:

Yudi: Usually depicted as the husband of Xiwangmu

Hou Yi (Since Chang’e is there. However, there is a possibility that he is in Chuulu Korikh as punishment for killing the sons of Yudi)

Shennong: He exists between Nuwa and Fuxi as the “human”

The Eight Deities

Guanyin: (Since Wukong is implied to be a god) showed up in JTTW

Yanwang: (Since Wukong is implied to be a god) showed up in JTTW

Other tidbits:

Arlong’s name may have been the combination of “Azure” and the chinese word for dragon “Long”.

Aquebus are guns, but they shoot very slow. This aint a AK 47

The Red emperor could have been based off of Qin Shi Huang, or even the Jade Emperor himself.

Chuulu Korikh’s origin, although explained, has ties in Chinese myths. It was the mountain that encased Sun Wukong before he was broken out by Xuanzang. This means that the mountain was put there by the big B, Buddha. (Actually I can't remember if Kuang said who put the mountain down, but if she didnt specify this is what I think happened)

I am more familiar with Chinese history and myths, rather than Japanese ones, so if im missing something feel free to correct

#i finished all of them within 24 hours #im shaking #i wrote this right afater the last page of the burning god #holy shitttttttt #the poppy war #the dragon republic #the burning god #fang rin #nezha #fang runin #books #literature #yin nezha #chen kitay #tpw

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ghostlysoupcan · 3 years

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im so smad over how most things try to go out of their way to be like ‘oh well its up for interpretation’ or try to explain away nonbinary characters’ genders in a way that makes sense so that its not them being nonbinary, its Just that they arent male or female because this thing!

like come on you had the ball then you fuckin dropped it by saying people can use whatever pronouns and while im sure there are nonbinary people who use every pronoun it sucks when the canon explicitly uses they and then people just. paste their own idea of gender onto them like theyre some sort of blank slate when they arent. and even if they WERE it wouldnt give people a free pass to just paste whatever pronouns onto them?

like...i see so many people who have no idea that characters like wx-78 from dont starve are nonbinary because their identity is erased so much when the game refers to them as explicitly they/them and uses mx. as a gender neutral title. frisk from undertale is one of (few) nonbinary human characters. they used they/them pronouns the ENTIRE game and at the end the twist was hey! frisk is THEIR OWN PERSON. and even if they were a stand-in for the player, what makes autonomy = getting gendered correctly?? you’d still correct yourself if a cat or a dog gets misgendered, why the fuck cant the same courtesy be given to nonbinary people? binary people’s genders are not ‘up for interpretation’ all the time because people would get real fucking salty about it. from what ive seen its only nonbinary characters and on occasion binary trans people as an excuse to misgender them. (also, chara, kris, monster kid, napstablook, and several others from undertale are nonbinary but get similar erasure because people gender them as well) with warframe, xaku came out i was so excited because hell yeah they look so cool and have the aesthetics that are right up my alley...and then people used binary pronouns or used it even if their pronouns were Right There in their desc and while people use it pronouns for warframes a lot its like. you use ember’s and excalibur umbra’s just fine? whats stopping you with xaku?? (not even gonna start with nezha or else i will get actually angry at how people treat him)

there’s an argument to be had over them being a robot/described as broken/made of multiple parts but...the canon still uses they? so use they? fucks sake?

idk it just...gets me tilted at the towers or whatever but i legitimately hope that there’s a nonbinary character that doesnt have any like explanation for them being nonbinary and they just...are. give me nonhuman characters who are like ‘yeah im nonbinary! i use they/them and i dont have an explanation behind why. i just am’. give me more (sorely needed) human nonbinary characters that are treated with respect and not just referred to as whatever pronoun Works For You. please god give me characters that are like ‘hey, i am this thing! specifically!’ and not dodge the word by using everything but the word nonbinary.

shit maybe im just an Angry Enby but goddamn if its not insulting that my entire identity can be erased from a character by being like ‘WELL- JUST- I- BUT- WELL I MEAN- ’ just. use. the right. pronouns. its not hard.

edit: i should also add that there is a difference between a nonbinary person hcing a character to use both they and another pronoun and people intentionally using the wrong ones and while ik sometimes people dont always know a character is nonbinary it’d be appreciated if they could at least correct themselves when it happens

#nonbinary erasure #nonbinary characters #wheres that photo where its like tip: i am so fucking mad #bc thats the mood #hollow speaks

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deiacontraria · 4 years

Text

i wasn’t planning on discussing books i read in here since i mostly just reblog stuff but now that my side-blog is basically pointless, i suppose i might as well

okay so anyway poppy wars was great and i’m now unreasonably hyped for the third one?

i’ve literally never done reviews/opinions before like this, so i’m just gonna put it under the line because spoilers in case anyone sees this, although admittedly I’m mostly gonna comment on characters

like, i’m pretty sure this isn’t even a review, just me gushing over how i liked the books and then ranting about colonialism (yeah, I can’t seem to avoid that)

oh yeah trigger warning: colonialism, drugs (this is the poppy wars)

Rin was, at times, a bit annoying, especially since she seemed to have tunnel-vision about who she thought was in the right. I guess the whole militarization of the students (and later the shamans) is the whole point of that line, but I was glad to see her finally grow out of it.

Altan was so angry and yeah he was a victim but even Rin herself admits it was such a terrible idea to get hung up over him. Not to mention freeing Feylen turned out to be such a hilariously terrible idea.

Speaking of Feylen, he isn’t even a central character but arguably one of my favorites because a) I really want to know if all shamans are still “in there”, maybe to the degree they could potentially be killed or freed, and b) because I thought of this quote while reading one of the scenes and laughed way too much.

Though the wind blows, the mountain does not move.

This quote is completely unrelated and I’m actually not sure where it’s from (if anyone knows the complete/cited one, please let me know because I can’t find it :c), but the point is, Feylen is basically possessed by an evil Wind God and not once but twice he gets taken out by literal mountains. In the backstory he was immured after he lost control and now a mountain gets thrown on top of him. I mean, I feel super bad for the guy, but lol. This isn’t even that funny but I laughed way too much at the thought.

Venka’s storyline was just tragic and I hope she gets to kill a lot of idiots.

Kitay was uh, surprisingly better in Book 2? He went from being super book-focused to still being super book-focused but also being more willing to take risks. Aside from Chaghan tricking him into thinking actual horse pee was part of that ritual and he actually drunk it and oh god that scene hurt even if Chaghan admitting he’d lied was hilarious. The fact that he originally didn’t even want to be related to war and now he’s even willing to bear the pain of Rin’s Phoenix powers really sealed it for me. Anyway RIP Niang

Changhan was awesome in general and please tell me I’m not the only one who thinks he had a thing for Altan.

Not saying Chaghan had a thing for Altan but hey guys I think Chaghan had a thing for Altan.

What’s happened to literally every character sucks, yeah, so in theory all their growth has been out of necessity, but they didn’t give up and after book 2 I really REALLY hope they get the resolution they deserve in the end. War sucks and so does colonialism (but more on that later)

Nezha was uh, a surprise but not really? Since Enki(?) had already accused him of being a shaman back in book 1. He seems adamant that he isn’t a shaman and he actually seems to have the cannot-be-killed factor that lost shamans like Feylen also have so, uh? He has the power of a god (actually a dragon ._.) but it does seem to work a bit differently. Also yeah Rin, he’s a coward. Don’t get me wrong, I did ship Rin+Nezha throughout the book, but THE AUDACITY. Kitay did say he had been acting weird since when he saved Rin (and Rin basically drugged him til he passed out), so I kinda hope he was just losing control to his god as opposed to just being an ***, especially since he lets them go in the end.

Also lol at Rin accusing Nezha of being a shaman after she’s captured and the inquisitors (yes I’m going to call them that) being like ????? because Nezha’s father is hiding it. I do agree with Rin though, his father would have 100% intentionally left Nezha at the mercy of the dragon just for the sake of having power.

Anyway! War! Sudden southern rebellion! I really hope they win. Against the colonizers. I honestly can’t even read some of those scenes. There’s really firm church parallel in there. They worship the Maker and hate Chaos. Uh, sound familiar? Yeah. Except shamans are Chaos and it’s perfectly justified to torture/kill them! (/s, for the record) .Yeah... the Hesparians (honestly not even sure if I spelled that right because, as I said, I could barely read those scenes) are objectively terrible manipulators and I really really dislike them, to not use harsher words. Like. Seriously. The Poppy Wars. *sigh* OF COURSE it was going to turn out to be colonialism. This hurt.

In any case, if there’s anything I hope, it’s that they eventually figure out how to actually get rid of the immortal god vessels. We don’t see the others that lost control but seeing Feylen, who’s clearly still conscious and occasionally trying to struggle, basically doomed to eternity of being stuck because their god is too dangerous but also incapable of dying. Just eeeee somebody save these people. Or at least find a way to kill them.

TL;DR Poppy Wars was awesome but colonialism makes me sad (obviously not the story’s fault lol) and for some reason I’m apparently obsessed with Feylen

#the poppy wars #Yes I wrote this entire thing just to make a terrible Wind vs Mountain joke #book rambles

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thoughtsofabookwyrm · 4 years

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The Poppy War Review

Rating: 5/5 Stars

IT'S BEEN A WEEK SINCE I FINISHED THIS BOOK AND I'M STILL NOT OVER IT. WHAT THE HECK. WHAT THE HECK. WHAT THE HECK.

How does one even begin to describe the Poppy War? It's almost hard to describe because it's so character-driven. It involves a girl going to a hardcore military school in order to get out of an arranged marriage. There's war and opium and a setting based on early 20th-century China and the 2nd Sino-Japanese War. And there's also people getting high to use the power of the gods. It's great. It's like a super metal Mulan story.

I love?? Everything??? Especially Rin's character arc. In the first chapter we see her studying for an important test by inflicting pain on herself to help herself focus -- and again, this is the first chapter. I wondered, if this was what she's like at the beginning, how the heck is she going to end up by the end? AND THAT ENDING DID NOT DISAPPOINT, HOLY COW. Kuang is not afraid to let Rin make some terrible decisions, and at the end, the author made it crystal clear that Rin's character arc was not a matter of chance, but choice. Rin had several opportunities to go down a different path than she did, but she ended up where she ended up anyways.

And I love all the other characters too. I want to pick a favorite, but I can't. Master Jiang is the best opium-addicted, mentor figure ever. Yin Nezha is basically what Draco Malfoy would have been had Rowling actually realized his potential. (Sidenote: romance isn't really a thing in this book, but something was hinted between Nezha and Rin and should it ever happen, I'd absolutely be down for it.) And Altan is . . . I have some strong feelings about Altan. Basically, he's a very well-done character. He also needs some serious therapy.

The worldbuilding is way more complex than I'd expected, almost enough to turn me off, but Kuang does a good job getting it across. There's also a lot of dense military tactics, but that was super interesting and thoughtful. Kuang knows her stuff, man.

Since war is a heavy theme in this book, I really have to emphasize this: there are massive trigger warnings for the Poppy War -- mainly violence and gore, but also rape and drug usage. Especially Chapter 21. Like, if I had to give a trigger warning for any book ever, I'm giving it for this. A certain scene was so dark and brutal that I actually felt myself getting lightheaded. I had to put the book down for a second. Think Game of Thrones is dark? I read the first book, and it barely holds a candle to the Poppy War.

I wouldn't have it any other way, though. It's not dark simply for darkness's sake: it's dark because it illustrates the tragedy and grim reality of war. It's also dark because that one particular scene is based on the Nanjing Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking. I know this is going to sound strongly worded, but it's somewhat comparable to the Holocaust in terms of brutality and the way that Japanese nationalists continue to deny the event to this day. I read an interview from the author while I was taking a break from Chapter 21, and she mentioned something about wanting to make people more aware about the Rape of Nanking. So if the Poppy War itself doesn't sound like something you can handle, my personal advice is to at least make yourself aware of the Rape of Nanking. I agree with the author, it's good to acknowledge that it happened, even if the event itself was atrocious.

There's my history ramble. Anyways. Read the Poppy War. It's so freaking good. Kuang also said that Rin was inspired by Mao Zedong, so. Uh. I am both stoked for and terrified for what'll come next in the sequel AHHHHHHHH

Recommended for anyone who'd be interested in a dark, historical military fantasy!

#the poppy war #rf kuang #book review #fantasy

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earl-of-221b · 7 years

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驱魔录

Qu Mo Lu － Part 2 of Translations, 2016 chapters, chapters 15-19

Treacherous Sea.

Chapter 15

Follow bubbles right to left.

(Lanterns blinking on boats out at sea.)

Girl: “Grandad, the rain’s gotten heavier again. Are we still able out to sea tomorrow?”

Grandad: “No, no going out on these waves. A typhoon is coming. Let’s clear up and go.”

Girl: “Grandad, on that rock ledge — I think there’s someone there.”

Stranger, standing on rock: “This water splashing upon my body, I feel none of it. But then why is it that it feels so familiar?”

Girl and Grandad: “Young man, don’t do it, don’t do anything stupid! Hey, you, hurry and get down, it’s so dangerous!”

—

Girl: “Hahah, so you weren’t trying to end your life, phew. Sorry for the misunderstanding.”

Grandad: “Judging on your smooth skin and unmarked body, you must be from of a family with money. A young master, right?” *Cough, cough.*

“Yingzi, go find some clean clothes for him to change into.”

(Yingzi is the name of the girl.)

(As the stranger changes into new clothes, he shows a glimpse of his intricately tattooed back. A lotus flower is in the middle.)

—

Chapter 16

(A cult-like gathering. Note: keep in mind that any magical/religious terms used in this comic has no relation to christianity. The word ‘priestess’ here is used to denote someone who has contact with the sea gods.)

Priestess: “In this unwell world the gods are angry; us mortals are suffering! I have received word from Tongling Sea-God, his highness, just now. If we want peace and mercy there is only one way, there is no other choice. You should discuss about it amongst yourselves.”

Civilian: “Priestess, even the sky has forsaken us this year. This time the typhoon will stop us from being able to go out to see for many days!”

Head Fisherman: “Are you saying we have to sacrifice again? It’s not as if we have limitless fifteen-to-sixteen years old girls in this village.”

Multiple Civilians: “Yeah, Old Head.”

“But Head, You — your Yingzi, isn’t she at that age now? If you can’t we’ll…”

“Yeah, yeah…”

(The Head Fisherman is the grandad of Yingzi.)

Head Fisherman, middle bubble: “No! Yingzi’s parents are all gone. In this family, I’ve only got this one niece left.”

Multiple Different Civilians: “Head Fisherman, you can’t be so selfish like that! This is for the sake of our entire village.”

“Yes, it’s a great responsibility.”

“You have to do it for the lives of everybody. It’s for the best.”

—

(In the house.)

Yingzi: “Achoo!”

Stranger: “Ying…”

(At fish.) “Oh.”

Yingzi: “Ok la. You don’t have to stare at me like that, with that silly look. Last fish on the plate, you eat it.”

(Bowl and chopsticks fall and break.)

(Yingzi holds out her hand to the stranger as she’s taken away.)

—

Stranger: “I’ve never understood. Being a mere puppet to be used like me, what’s the point of living at all?”

“Maybe the meaning of my life is to do battle and kill enemies. But then what’s the meaning of fighting?”

“I remember now. The meaning of having to fight is to protect the people that I want to protect.”

“It was like that in the past…it will be like that in the future.”

(Yingzi is tied as a human sacrifice to a post.)

Stranger: “Yingzi…”

“Don’t be afraid. I will protect you. Just like before — like the people of Chen Tang Guan.”

(Chen Tang Guan is the ‘stranger’s’ hometown, a great city. The golden bracelet he wears on his wrist enlarges into the Universe Ring 乾坤圈.)

—

Chapter 17

This chapter is left to right.

Priestess: “Are you…you’re really the Marshal of the Central Alter, great god…”

“Th…Third Prince, Nezha.”

(Nezha breaks the bonds, freeing Yingzi.)

Civilians: “The Great God has descended! Help us!”

“Great God, please save us!”

(Nezha looks down on them with disdain.)

Civilians: “AH….”

“Save me please!”

Yingzi: “No…no.”

Yingzi, clutching onto Nezha: “Help them. I’m begging you, please help them!”

“They were forced to do this.”

Nezha: “You mortal humans’ weakness and smallness is not an excuse to do evil.”

“No…”

(He summons the Fire-tipped Spear 火尖槍)

“Humans are just like this…”

“Gods. Humans. Demons. They all have their own code and ways to follow. If you do something wrong, then you have to pay the price.”

“Demons are so…”

(Nezha takes down the sea monster with his spear in a flash of gold.)

“And Gods and deities are so…”

(Nezha’s silhouette.)

“Now that I’ve shown my true form, I’ve got nowhere left to hide.”

(Gold lightning crashes from heaven.)

“Anyhow, I’ve committed many sins. Doesn’t matter if I add one more to the lot.”

(The golden pagoda, recognisable as Nezha’s father’s prison. It is used especially to subdue Nezha. The pagoda falls to imprison him.)

“At least I could protect those that I felt like protecting.”

(Nezha, holding hands with Yingzi.)

“At least I truly lived my life as my own for once…”

“The fish you cooked was really delicious…if there was…”

“...a next time…”

“.……”

End.

Author Notes: Third Prince’s story was supposed to end here. But then everybody seemed to be so glum~~~~

Translator Notes: I heavily suspect that because the author gave Sun Wukong that awesome big billowy red cape (like the movie) he couldn’t give Nezha his Red Armillary Sash 浑天绫 because it’ll look too similar hahahahahahahahhahaa!

—

(More Translator notes, can skip: The story of Nezha is pretty well known and readers would be able to guess his identity from the hints given in the first chapters.

(An important part of Nezha mythology is the ‘Havoc in the Eastern Sea.’ The people of Chan Tang Guan begged the Eastern Dragon King for rain and depending on the version, the King either snatches children to eat or the people put out human sacrifices, etc. After one of Nezha’s friends were taken, he goes to upheave the sea kingdom and cause trouble for the King. Nezha gets into a fight with the King’s third son. Nezha is, like, 7 years old when he murders the King’s third son, prompting a huge siege over Chen Tang Guan by the King and his dragon brothers in revenge. They create devastating tsunamis, typhoons and floods.)

(Nezha’s father Li Jing thinks that Nezha has shamed the family and doomed Chen Tang Guan. To save his people, and in the ultimate show of filial piety, young Nezha takes his father’s sword and commits suicide. Li Jing burns down Nezha’s temple that was created after his death, saying that he’d been nothing but trouble for the family.)

(Nezha is then bought back to life by his teacher, Taiyi Zhenren, from the roots and essence of a lotus flower. He becomes a deity after rebirth, becoming the ‘Third Lotus Prince.’ Li Jing and Nezha then have a terrible relationship and have many fights. Because Nezha was more powerful than Li Jin, the gods give him a magical golden pagoda than can grow and shrink — created to subdue Nezha.)

(Nezha is always depicted as a young child with two hair buns, but in this comic he looks much older. The images of Nezha in the rain on the sea, as well as the tattoos of the lotus on his back, evoke his past.)

—

Chapter 18

(The title page shows Nezha’s Universe Ring and a lotus.)

(People are praying in a temple.)

(Yingzi has been praying to/for Nezha.) (Read left to right, up down.)

“Excuse me, Madam.”

Young Jiang Liu’er: “Please, Madam, stop just a for a moment.”

Yingzi: “What’s the matter, Young Master?”

Young Jiang Liu’er: “Forgive my forwardness…”

Yingzi: “This…”

Young Jiang Liu’er: “The bracelet you wear on your wrist, may I ask where it comes from?”

“Madam, please don’t misunderstand. It’s just that your bracelet is much like something that an old friend of mine has. It reminded me of them, so I asked.…”

Yingzi: “Young Master. This bracelet is also my good friend’s. Once he comes back, I’ll like to return it to him…”

Young Jiang Liu’er: “No matter. It was this monk that misjudged. Sorry for the trouble. Sanzai (‘there is good’).”

“Farewell.”

(Young Jiang Liu’er’s eyes glow fiery gold.)

Young Jiang Liu’er: “Looks like our dear friend is the same person ay…”

“Just that this one parting ended up being five hundred years…”

—

Chapter 19

(Sun Wukong in armour with his feather crown, perched on a rock looking up at Heaven’s gate.)

(Clear skies and boats peacefully out at sea.)

Head fisherman/ Grandad: “Yingzi, recently you’ve been running to that temple non-stop…”

“The bloke is a heavenly deity, are you still thinking he’s going to come back?”

Yingzi: “Alright, Grandad, stop talking about it…”

(Yingzi looks out, seagulls fluttering away above, seeing something.)

Yingzi: “Is that…”

Yingzi, after something descended onto her boat lightning fast: “Why is it…you, Young…Young Monk?”

Sun Wukong, in the form of young Jiang Liu’er: “Madam, we meet again.”

“This one here is that old friend of mine I was talking about. But right now I have some errands to run. I’ve got to leave some trouble in your hands…”

Yingzi: “Ah…okay…”

—

(Eyes open.)

Yingzi: “You’re awake.”

Nezha: “Yingzi…”

“How could this…”

Yingzi: “Don’t move. I’ll tell you, it all went like this….”

(She tells him what happened.)

Nezha: “…A monk…”

Yingzi: “Before he left he told me to give you this…”

(She holds out the pagoda, the only thing that can imprison Nezha.)

“He said he was borrowing it from someone. And that ‘you can give it back when you feel like giving it back.’”

Nezha: “….”

Yingzi: “That friend of yours — is he a really strong god…? How did you guys meet?”

Nezha: “He…is very powerful. But he’s not really a god or deity. Us two fought a match back in the day, five hundred years ago.”

In Heaven -

Li Jing, Nezha’s Father: “Oh Jade Emperor! That demon monkey stole my seven-jewelled pagoda!”

“And…and beat me up in the process, you must—”

Jade Emperor: “What! That demon monkey came up here?! Where is he now?”

Li Jing: “After he hurt me…he…he just left.”

Jade Emperor: “Oh, so it’s like that…Then that’s good. That’s good.”

End.

Author notes: So I drew a sequel. Got to put some stress on Sir Li Jing and the Emperor la.

Translator notes, can skip: (Tbh I can’t read what the extra bit is, sorry. It’s congratulating someone on something.) Five hundred years ago when Sun Wukong was wrecking havoc in heaven, Nezha was a marshal sent down with the army to apprehend him. In the book, Nezha fought Sun Wukong one-on-one and lost.

In the 1999 journey to the west tv show and 05 lotus lantern they added an incredible addition where Nezha and Sun Wukong fight but they bond over each other’s skills and their mutual making-fun of the Eastern Dragon King, whom they both dislike. Sun Wukong invites Nezha back to his mountain to enjoy a hearty meal and they stop mid-fight to do just that. Then Nezha waves goodbye and runs back to Li Jing and the army at the end of the day after the hang-out, looking fake-disheveled, pretending to have suffered a defeat. They tell no one of this and no one ever knows. (I really really like this addition hehehee.)

#Qu Mo Lu #journey to the west #monkey king #I mean if I'm translating I better do a goddamned passable job -#translations done so that any eng reader without prior knowledge can read and enjoy:D #so there's some notes in there for Context and stuff #The panel reading structure honestly changes from right-left to left-right between chapters and I only realised when I was going through #lol XD DENGANG What the heck #but it's ok I noted it down before every chapter so it's cool #Let me know if it's readable #tackling the arcs separately so there won't be a giant scroll down lol.#and quicker updates hahahahhaa #I love this art #so much #DENGANG

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