Focus on Supporting Characters - character claims round four!

[trobadora]

Want to share your love for one of the other Guardian characters and host a Focus on Supporting Characters discussion post? Here's where to sign up for round four: Characters and Significant Objects!

We're doing something a bit different this round: you can either claim a character (excluding Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei, or anyone who's already been covered) or a significant object, such as one of the Hallows or the Guardian Token. With the objects, you can talk about the role it plays in the story and theorise about how it works, or anything else you want to say.

Hosting
Hosting simply means making a short post about your character (there's a template below, if you're not sure where to start) and replying to comments. If you want to include screencaps and can't make or find your own, we can help with that.

Characterisation and backstory may differ between novel and drama - and some characters only exist in one or other canon. You don't need to know both canons to host - you can base your post on either or both, and the discussion will be open to both. People new to the fandom are more than welcome! Be aware that discussions may contain spoilers for the whole drama and for the novel.

Posts should go live sometime on the Friday or Saturday, according to the schedule below.

Template (optional)
<i>Subj:</i> Focus on: [Character/object name]: [optional quote] [A few facts about the character and their canon relationships, or the object and its role in canon. Maybe some quotes by or about the character/object. You can include drama timestamps or novel chapter references, if you want.] [screencap] [discussion starters, e.g. things you like or don't like about them, things you find interesting about them, questions ...] [links to favourite fics, art, vids, meta, picspams etc. about the character/object, if you have them] <strong>So - come and talk about [character/object]!</strong> 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 [character/object]. <strong>Important:</strong> 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!

Previous discussions
Index of previous character discussions.

Previous character discussions are permanently open. If you have a new insight into a character, you come across something interesting about them in canon, or you've created a new fanwork or written meta featuring them, you're very welcome to comment on the relevant post, either substantively or with a link. Some of us are tracking the posts and will see, and even for those that aren't, the posts can act as indexes of fanworks and meta for the character.

Claims
We’ve already covered: the SID members, Ye Zun, Li Qian, Dong Nan, Zhu Jiu, Ye Huo, the Regent, Zhao Xinci, Ya Qing, Fourth Uncle, Mi Lu, Fu You, Lao Li, Tan Xiao & Zheng Yi, Cheng Xinyan, Ji Xiaobai & Zhou Weiwei, and (upcoming) Ying Chun and Wang Xiangyang & Bai Suxia. (If you have more you want to say about any of them, we encourage you to comment on their post and spark off more discussion!)

All other characters (except Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei) and any significant object from the drama or the novel is fair game, including one-offs. For example, Sha Ya, Cong Bo, Da Ji, Ma Gui, Ding Dun, Minister Gao, Butler Wu, Zhang Shi, the Dixing bartender, the Longevity Dial, the Guardian Token, etc. Note: You can claim a combination of side characters if their stories are inextricably entangled, such as Wang Yike & Zhang Ruonan, or Zhang Danni & Jia Hui the face-stealer.

For lists of characters and descriptions, see extrapenguin's Dramatis Personae (drama edition) and Dramatis Personae (novel edition).

Comment here to claim a character and date!

Sign-ups:

21/22 August: Professor Zhou, extrapenguin
28/29 August: Rebel Leader, waterscroll
4/5 September:
11/12 September: Minister Gao, sakana17
18/19 September: Zhang Shi, china_shop
25/26 September: Guo Ying & Yu Jinlan, maggie33
2/3 October:
09/10 October: the Dixing bartender, china_shop

Comments

[china_shop]

Hi! I'm still pondering which character/object to do, but can I nab 11/12 Oct? We have our local mini fan con on the first weekend of Oct, and I can't commit to anything else in the run-up to that. (I have to compile a pub quiz.)

[trobadora]

Sure thing! No problem. (That sounds like fun!)

[china_shop]

(It really is, but I always leave the compiling to the last minute. Not this year! *resolve face*)

ETA: And thanks! <3

[trobadora]

You can do it! *waves pom-poms*

[china_shop]

Aaand having dithered for all of five minutes -- I'll take the Dixing bartender, please! :-)

[trobadora]

Got it! :)

[waterscroll]

I'll take the Rebel Leader for August 28. If someone has a screencap that I can use I'd be grateful.

[china_shop]

I can make some screencaps! :-)

ETA: Here's a selection. Let me know if there's anything else specific you want. :-)

[waterscroll]

Oh thank you. That's a good selection, I'll grab something from there.

[trobadora]

Yay, excellent!

We can definitely help out with that, and if you'd like a cap from a particular scene, just let us know. :)

[extrapenguin]

Professor Zhou for 21/22 August, please!

[trobadora]

Got it! Excellent choice. :)

[sakana17]

I can do Minister Gao for September 11/12.

[trobadora]

Oh, that's bound to be interesting! Looking forward to it.

[maggie33]

I'll take Guo Ying and Yu Jinlan for 25/26 September, please. :)

[trobadora]

Ooh, excellelnt, that should be very interesting!

[china_shop]

If I'm allowed to claim another, I'll go for Zhang Shi on 18/19 September. /reckless

[trobadora]

Of course! *recklessly applauds your recklessness*