Focus on Ya Qing: I drowned myself in darkness

[trobadora]

Ya Qing: Crow Tribe chief, would-be revitaliser of the Yashou, villain - and the only one who doesn't wind up dead one way or another. For the majority of the drama she's working against the heroes, but turns around at the end and changes sides. For me, she's one of the most fascinating side characters in the drama - and and of course it doesn't help that she's gorgeous! All in black, with feathers and veil and a fantastic pair of gloves, she definitely left an impression on me. Not to mention her flair for the dramatic - who else can eat an apple quite as aggressively as she does when talking to Zhu Jiu? *g*



Note: I know nothing about her in the novel - I'm not even sure she exists there. (Can anyone confirm/add more info?)

( Revitalising the Yashou: the end justifies the means )

( Turning back: not too late )

( Convictions: loyalty, dignity, gratitude )

Some questions:

1. How do you think Ya Qing ended up working for Ye Zun? Given her low attitude towards Zhu Jiu - in episode 13 she calls him a psycho and tells him she wouldn't give him the time of day if it wasn't for Ye Zun's orders - I doubt it was via Zhu Jiu ...


2. I mentioned my own interpretation above, but how do you see Ya Qing's urgent desire to revitalise the Yashou - what's the cause of her dissatisfaction, and what other options could have been open to her?


3. Outside of the near disastrous results, do you think Ya Qing regrets any of what she did? She's been, not merrily, but unapologetically, aiding and contributing in murder and mayhem left and right - and what she says in episode 37 makes it clear she knows that was pretty damn dark. But does she feel any guilt over it, or only over buying into what Ye Zun was selling?


4. Several years ago (the subtitles say "decades", but the Chinese only has 这么多年 "so many years"), the three leaders of the three Yashou tribes agreed to leave the seat of the High Chief empty:
   
   Fourth Uncle: "We haven't had a High Chief for so many years. At the time, the three of us decided for our three tribes to take time out from worldly things." (episode 19)
   
   (休养生息 means "recuperate and build up strength", according to Baidu.)
   
   Did Ya Qing agree because she'd already given up on the Yashou tribes working together to revitalise them? Was that the last straw? Or did the issue not feel quite as urgent at the time?


5. Relatedly - did Qing have her eye on the position of High Chief prior to the scene where she agrees to the election? She seems very convinced the ancestors would approve of her actions, but my own impression was that she'd actually given up on the Yashou alliance as a unified body until the subject of an election was brought up. What do you think?


6. Given that her tribe willingly followed her, and clearly bought into her "revitalising the Yashou by any means" strategy - how do you think they're reacting to her turnaround, and the realisation she's nearly led them right into causing the end of the world? Will she have to work hard to convince them to continue following her, or will they continue to trust her regardless?


7. And speaking of the future: how will Ya Qing deal with Zhu Hong becoming High Chief? Will she genuinely be willing to listen to Zhu Hong? Will she try and gain Zhu Hong's trust, or will she not care? (Or will she merely pretend to not care? *g*)


8. Ya Qing's interactions with Ying Chun are very slashy, with Ying Chun runs after her, shouting "Qing-jie!", appealing to her better self and their former closeness, and Ya Qing clearly regretting the loss even as she is the one to turn away. But I also think the intersection of Zhu Hong's coming into her own as Yashou Chief with the aftermath of Ya Qing's terrible choices would make for an amazing dynamic - and Ya Qing might be just Zhu Hong's type, with her superficial cockiness and sincere intentions underneath, no matter how misguided. Who do you ship Ya Qing with, if anyone?

( Links: fanfic, fanart, icons )

So - come and talk about Ya Qing! Share links to meta, picspams, and related fanworks, new or old! Self-recs whole-heartedly encouraged. Basically, this is the place for anything you want to say or link to about Ya Qing.

Important: If you're commenting with meta/discussion/thoughts, please say whether you're coming from a novel perspective, a drama perspective, or a blend of the two, so we don't end up talking past each other. Thanks!

Fanzine for Priest's Birthday

[tinny]

Yesterday was Priest's 31st birthday, and an international group of fans collaborated to create a fanzine with lots of beautiful art and fic about Priest's novels. It's all over twitter, but I thought a link here wouldn't go amiss, either.



Read it here: https://issuu.com/sweetpi/docs/zinefn

fic: peach blossom valley

[plingo_kat]

Title: peach blossom valley (link to ao3)

Pairing: Kunlun/Wei

Rating: Explicit

Word count: 2,709

Warning(s): mild gore, mild vore, biting, blood

A/N: Basically, little Ghost King bites the heck out of Kulun as they do the do, and they both enjoy it.

Summary: 
“Come here,” Kunlun says carelessly one morning. He is sweeping down the mountainside on some sort of errand, Wei supposes as he trails behind, admiring his graceful steps and upright posture.