#matryoshka my beloved

[dumbbitch2-0]

Ouuhoouuoooeoiohfghhhghuug my matryoshka family my beloved blorbos my everything

[psychoticwillgraham]

it’s a ‘blast classic vocaloid songs’ kind of day today lads

[misty-wisp]

i have not read nor watched chainsaw man but goddd does kick back slap

[squidlykitten]

WIP - Whispers of Destruction

[cilil]

Matryoshka Meet & Greet Challenge

✍ Prompt: Unusual weather | Manwë x Varda ✍ Synopsis: Varda creates an unusual spectacle. ✍ Warnings: / ✍ Drabble ✍ SWG archive

"My love..."

Standing atop the highest tower of Ilmarin, Manwë beheld the magnificent sight of a meteor shower, awed by the spectacle. 

Varda, though far away and deep in space, heard his voice and gazed upon her beloved with eyes made of innumerable stars. 

"Does it please you?" she laughed, a bright sound like twinkling lights and raindrops in the moonlight. 

"It does indeed. What have I done to earn such a boon?"

In lieu of a smile, Varda sent a shooting star across Ilmen. 

"You always write such sweet poems for me, and I wish to return the favour."

Thanks for reading! ♡

taglist: @asianbutnotjapanese @a-world-of-whimsy-5 @bluezenzennie @edensrose @eunoiaastralwings @i-did-not-mean-to @melkors-defense-attorney @singleteapot @stormchaser819 @urwendii @wandererindreams

[withlovelunette]

Matryoshka Doll & Wooden Soldiers (WIP title)

— A Nutcracker Retelling

Genre: Fairytale retelling, adult fiction, speculative fiction.

Setting: Wintery, early 19th century Germany, Russia & other culturally-inspired fantasy settings with a touch of steampunk.

Summary: Clara Stahlbaum is forced to prematurely shelf her ballet career after a severe injury. Feeling lost and alone, the former ballerina leaves the comfort of her home in the countryside to visit the city and help her godfather run his toy shop while she recovers from her mental strife. After encountering a peculiar stranger with wooden hands who speaks of a fairy that can undo all injuries and ailments, Clara is pulled into a plot of curses, tragedy and lost personhood.

Themes: Identity & self worth, loss of humanity, defying fate, vengeance and repressed emotions, hints of unhinged womanhood if you squint.

Introduction & Context

Matryoshka Doll & Wooden Soldiers is a retelling and slight reconstruction of the beloved story The Nutcracker & the Mouse King, taking partial inspiration from the ballet, but is otherwise mostly based on Hoffmann’s original 1816 novel! I’ve been deeply infatuated with this story ever since I watched the animated movie by GoodTimes Entertainment (please tell me someone else watched this as a kid) and the Barbie version when I was little. I’ve since read the original book and been wanting to reconstruct the story into something new! Everything in this post is very much a WIP and subject to change as I develop the story, as it’s still in its first draft!

Inspirations & Vibes

Tchaikovsky’s music and the ballet (naturally), powdered snow, sweet Turkish delight, hot steam from the locomotive swirling in the crisp winter air, scent of gingerbread and mulled wine with cinnamon, winter wonderlands and peppermint candy canes, pastel baroque & rococo aesthetics, white marble with specks of blood, loss of humanity and sense of self, tragic romance, whimsical inventions, old fashioned toy shops filled with wonder, out of tune music box and other antique trinkets, freshly baked Berliner buns, the gritty and dark hiding beneath the prim and proper, prickling fingers on thorns while picking berries.

Main Characters

Clara Stahlbaum (23) she/her

Burnt out gifted kid filled with longing and passions she can no longer pursue, a romantic posing as a cynic to protect her feelings, loves messing with little trinkets and antiques and is kinda a nerd.

Hans Peter (25) he/him

Stoic, intellectualises his feelings, detached yet slightly vain, charming until you realise he’s not aloof for allure’s sake he’s just kinda socially awkward, but hey maybe that’s charming to some.

Godfather Drosselmeyer (52) he/him

Eccentric, mischievous, a bit sketchy but people brush him off as just a quirky old man, secretive, knows a lot and yet literally no one in the city knows anything about him he just showed up one day.

I might make a deep dive post about these characters to go into their psychology and development if that’s something people would be interested in! Deconstructing a character’s psyche is one of my favourite aspects of writing and I’d love to be able to share it. Also I know this seems very heteronormative as a story but I promise there are queer themes brewing beneath the surface here I would die otherwise.

✦ If you’d like to be added to a tag list for future writing updates/excerpts, please let me know! 

Story Tag; #md&ws

[kustas]

please give matryoshka rant

A weird case of a character who's individual traits work, if not are awesome, but who in context bothers me a lot. Warning: I will indiscriminately freely spoil here major plot elements of the source material.

To sum up what this character is like: she's a sort of deuteragonist to the titular character. She's on every cover next to him and has a lot of screentime. She's a short little fat woman who is almost entirely mute, this by choice, she can talk but just doesn't do it. A defining aspect of her is in how she acts - she has completely alien priorities which manifests mostly in a total lack of care for most of what makes a human's daily life. Not talking is an example: you don't need that to survive, and she just does not care about how it makes her appear. She makes do without, so it's good.

Like most of the cast, she's a testtube baby with hard to define superhuman abilities, being likely the most powerful of the artificial humans of the story, albeit harder to judge because of the aforementioned IDGAF queen trait making her manifest it less and more discreetly. She is canonically the only female character of said artificial humans. She is also one of the only female characters of the entire series, with a few more or less minor side characters.

The author of this series has noteworthy issues with including female characters in his stories (according to the interview I'd taken the pic from, because he finds them hard to draw) so having any female character with some plot significance does represent an effort. But...man...her not talking and not participating in almost everything means she has no active role. Mind you, this is a manga where you do NOT get to hear the character's inner voices so if they don't talk, you don't know what they think, they just stand there. She's a in a relationship with the titular character which by itself is very sweet, but it makes her as the Only Girl, the "main" character's partner. Her design is very fun and works wonders with her (nick)name, but chilling and eating being the two things she bothers with is extremely uncomfortable with her being a short fat woman. Her unbothered nature is by itself a fascinating character trait and it results in a lot of characters treating her like an idiot which would be great if she wasn't, again, the only woman in this story. She gets a happy ending of getting to fuck off with the guy she loves and start a family which is extremely significant lore-wise because by nature, the artificial humans of the setting are not allowed any of these options, but a nuclear family mom ending for your token woman feels sour.

None of this comes off as intentionally malicious but it's a lot of factors that pile up. I honestly hated her character at first for this and it took a beloved friend of mine who finds her extremely extremely relatable to open my eyes. I'm not a woman myself and I ain't fat either so I'm probably not in the right place to imagine any "fixes" for those issues, although having literally any other major characters be women without changing anything would have, imo, fixed a lot of the issues. The in-world justification for all the artificial humans being male is bullshit anyway

[septembersghost]

just to say that whenever Bobbo talks about Gene having Jimmy and Saul and all the other people bottled up inside him (on commentaries) I think of you calling Jimmy a matryoshka doll and laugh-cry a little

jimmy my beloved little nesting doll, there are simply so many parts of him contained within the others, stacked together and together and compressing the real, vulnerable heart inside.

and here's the thing - the outermost doll is always the thinnest and most fragile, even though it's the biggest. it large, but it's easy to crack apart. the innermost doll may be the smallest and most compact, but it's the densest and strongest. you can't just break it, it's resilient and it stands on its own, it doesn't come apart, it doesn't have a seam to split it in half. even after everything, the mistakes and the hurts (caused and experienced), the layers of repression and personas, the innermost doll is still jimmy, the human person. he's still in there, under the artifice. cradled closely enough, he still emerges.

[lostjulys]

orv is giving me the most best type of brainworms. like i'm still only abt 35 chapters in i'm definitely taking it slow but i cannot go an hour without thinking. oh my god. kim dokja. i want to shake him backandforth in my mouth like a chewtoy. oh my goddd. lee jihye my beloved. holy shit. she's so cool and fucked up and tragic what the shit. oh my fucking god. the fucking 'haha welp! good thing we're not going into inception as a movie ;D' joke like yep nodders you don't want to be in a dream in a dream in a dream in a movie in a videogame in a webserial in a webserial??? no seven layers of matryoshka? oh my god. the whole fucking premise. the social commentary of it all. the freaky beasts. the game hacks. frothing at the mouth & i haven't even opened the book all day.

[xasha777]

In the heart of Russia's storied capital, where the red bricks of the Kremlin have stood witness to centuries of history, a most peculiar event unfolded, altering the course of an ordinary day into the fabric of legend.

General Ivan Braginsky, the colossal guardian of Moscow, a figure as old as the folklore whispered in the chilly winds of Russian winters, awakened from his century-long slumber beneath the iconic St. Basil's Cathedral. As the hands of the Spasskaya Tower clock ticked with an ominous cadence, the ground rumbled and the air thickened with anticipation.

As the city’s denizens hustled along the cobblestone streets, a bizarre spectacle erupted. With a thunderous roar that echoed through the alleyways, General Braginsky emerged, towering above the city, his uniform adorned with medals of bygone eras. His presence was a relic, a mythic embodiment of the nation’s unyielding spirit.

But it was not a call to arms that had roused the General from his slumber; it was a far stranger duty that beckoned. From his gargantuan mouth poured not words of command, but an endless river of green slime, the likes of which the world had never seen. It oozed and flowed, filling the Moskva River with a viscous tide, engulfing the cobblestones, and trapping the city's peculiar, stout inhabitants in a sticky embrace.

These citizens, characters sprung from the pages of Russian fairy tales, found themselves in an uproar of confusion and delight. There were the Matryoshka men, their round bodies nesting within one another, scampering about with bewildered joy. The babushka ladies, their scarves fluttering like banners, chattered with excitement, while the street musicians, their balalaikas in hand, strummed a tune to the rhythm of this odd new world.

In the center of it all, a group of merchants, their samovars now bobbing like boats upon the green sea, adapted with the stoicism of a people used to the harsh whims of their land. They turned their impromptu vessels, hawking their tea and sweets to anyone who would partake.

Amidst the chaos, a little boy named Misha, with the courage of a storybook hero, navigated the slime with his makeshift raft, a door uprooted from his own home. He weaved through the laughing, singing, and occasionally grumbling figures, making his way to the General.

With a voice that belied his small stature, Misha called out, "General Braginsky, your wake-up has turned our day upside down! What can we do to restore Moscow to its former ways?"

The General, his face softening into a grandfatherly smile beneath his bushy moustache, replied, "Little one, Moscow has always been a city of wonder and surprise. Let this be a day of celebration, a day where the stories of old come to life and dance with the modern age. As the sun sets, so shall this green tide recede, leaving behind memories that will be told for generations."

And so it was, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow upon the city, the slime began to retreat. General Braginsky, with a final salute to the city he had watched over for centuries, sank back into the earth, leaving no trace but the stories that would be passed on.

The people of Moscow, their hearts full of laughter and eyes sparkling with the magic of the day, cleaned their beloved streets and monuments, knowing that life had granted them a story of their very own—a day when their city had been awash not just with history, but with the fantastical essence of fairy tales come to life.

[keka-lter]

Matryoshka Miku.... My beloved....

[mayonakano-archive]

hiiii leoj dearest and sweetest you get to join me in the Human Oven outside daily now! i hope classes don't treat you too bad (if they do i'll kick their asses. the classes as a concept i'll fuckin get them)

im sending you my favorite hachi song today! (you know hachi. sand planet. matryoshka. there is no way you haven't at least seen sand planet right...) for which i actually really like the official english translation of the title: close and open, demons and the dead (Content Warnings: violence, disturbing images, prostitution) ! (the translation we used before it hit localization was "hold, release; rakshasa and carcasses" which is also pretty sick)

this one is also in mega mix! the miku module is really one of her best

hiiii ems beloved <3 i hate going outside it was so hot </3 <- dies in anything above like 70f classes are going alright!!! we're reading The Martian in English right now and it's suuuper fun actually! i'm enjoying it a lot <3 my other classes are okay too!!! idk about PE that might still make me very sad but its ok i only have it tomorrow skjdhgs

I do know Sand Planet!!! It's the first Vocaloid song I ever listened to, even!!! One of my absolute favorites <3 But ooohhhh this one is such a vibe. I love Miku's tuning. She sounds sooooooo good. I love the way it sounds :o

I love the songs you like. You have suuuchhhh good taste!!!!

[keow]

Updated my phone finally and got all the cute new emojis here is my updated list of favorite emojis 🪆🕊👰🏻‍♀️❤️‍🔥🪶😵‍💫🫖❤️‍🩹🦊🪦🩰♟💒🕯📿🥰☕️🪓🪤🗝🧣🔖🔥

[the-acid-pear]

I fucking hate the modern day we no longer make art of our ocs/whatever fandom we are in as the characters from creepy vocaloid songs like the dark forest circus or Alice and the human sacrifices UGH 🙄😒

[hunxi-after-hours]

Mu Qing anon here - I meant Mu Qing from TGCF, but as a LYB fan I would not be opposed to Mu Qing from LYB thoughts either! (Answer is I meant TGCF Mu Qing haha)

(full warning y’all this is over 2.5k and nearly incomprehensible but it’s head empty no thoughts over here these days so let’s just do this I guess)

so, here is my hot take on Mu Qing: I think Mu Qing is, hands down, the most complex character in TGCF

which isn’t to say that the other characters are simplistic or boring or lack emotional complexity or anything, but that Mu Qing’s characterization is so complicated because he stands at the intersection of so many different themes and issues and conflicts and ideas in the narrative of TGCF

here, let’s just list a few of them, shall we?

class/class relationships -- one of the first things we learn about Mu Qing is that he used to be Xie Lian’s servant, and not a bodyguard/companion like Feng Xin, but a servant meant for lowly, household tasks. this is not, in and of itself, something to be ashamed of, but no one ever lets Mu Qing forget this

questions of loyalty -- what does it mean to follow someone? what does it mean to serve them? when are you allowed to leave them?

specifically, loyalty as filiality vs. loyalty as fealty -- Mu Qing is notably different from Feng Xin in that he has family; he has his mother to support, and thereby does not fully belong to Xie Lian’s world of wealth and royalty. Feng Xin can say “fuck it” and stick with Xie Lian to the bitter end, but Mu Qing has other obligations.

perception and self-fulfilling prophecies -- Mu Qing constantly struggles with/against what other people think of him, especially tying back to point 1 up there

specifically, Hua Cheng and Mu Qing are fascinating to compare and contrast, ESPECIALLY considering a) the mechanism of fate/allotment in TGCF, as well as b) the incident where Mu Qing actively got Hua Cheng kicked out of the army

the complicated dynamics of envy and gratitude -- Mu Qing and Xie Lian. moving on

intent and corruption, idealism vs. pragmatism -- can you maintain your initial intent of doing good, even if you do not use the purest methods? can the ends ever justify the means?

(self-)forgiveness -- Mu Qing and Xie Lian. moving on

and those are just the ones immediately coming to mind; Mu Qing is really this scowling, eternally eye-rolling matryoshka doll of personal, ideological, and emotional conflict, so it’s honestly no wonder why he’s a bit snappish all the time

class / class relationships

one of the coolest things MXTX does in TGCF is deconstruct the idealization of her protagonist, and a major part of the work is done by Mu Qing. Xie Lian, as the beloved, beautiful, compassionate, charitable, talented crown prince of Xianle, was in large part capable of such success because of his status and privilege. He is able to achieve such great cultivation at a young age because he has the resources of the royal family at his disposal; he is generous to the poor that he meets because he can afford to be. The Xie Lian of early book two has the time and emotional energy to be charitable and benevolent because Mu Qing is taking care of the little, daily tasks that exhaust one’s patience and wear at one’s kindness. Recall the pearl earring that gave Mu Qing so much grief when it went missing after the parade; recall how insignificant it was to Xie Lian, and how much it meant to Mu Qing.

It is easy for Xie Lian to be righteous and good, because he has never wanted for anything in his life. But who paved the way for Mu Qing? Who cleared the obstacles in his path? Who gave him a chance, a path out of poverty, the possibility for greatness?

(Xie Lian, yes—more on this later)

of course in book 4, these class dynamics rebound on Xie Lian with a vengeance; after the fall of Xianle, Mu Qing is single-handedly looking after the entire royal family, and then after Mu Qing leaves, Xie Lian, his parents, and Feng Xin are at quite a loss for what to do. Only with Mu Qing’s departure do they realize how much he did for them, and though they thanked him, they did not truly understand or appreciate the depth of his service

the thing about wuxia and xianxia stories is that they are rarely about “the common folk,” though everyone uses the “good of the people” as both justification and excuse for their actions. Our heroes tend to be elite, whether it is through family bloodline (royalty, nobility) or raw talent (i.e. being able to punch everyone else into submission, at which point they transcend their lowly origins and never look back). And so for Mu Qing to break the mold of characters, to be a former servant who has transcended that role into literal godhood, but without forgetting, erasing, or letting go of his roots, is actually hugely significant

questions of loyalty

Mu Qing’s most obvious foil (and rival) in the book is Feng Xin, and much of their character arcs revolve around their relationships to Xie Lian. The thing about Feng Xin is that his entire purpose in life has been to accompany Xie Lian—to study with him, to keep him company, to guard him, to serve him—and so Feng Xin sticks with Xie Lian to the bitter end, leaving only when Xie Lian himself drives Feng Xin away.

Not so with Mu Qing. Mu Qing has a family, a life of his own; his world does not revolve around Xie Lian (except where it does, and Mu Qing is mad about that). Mu Qing has divided loyalties, which people use to criticize him endlessly. If Mu Qing is absent, or if something goes missing, he is the first accused of lazing about or thieving. But if Mu Qing stays at Xie Lian’s side all the time, then he’s sucking up to the crown prince and being unfilial to his poor mother, who still lives in the imperial city, whose son rarely comes home to see her.

you see the double bind? Mu Qing literally cannot win.

Feng Xin and Xie Lian both shrug it off. Why does it matter what other people say? So long as you have been true to yourself in your heart, which is a position of both confidence and luxury. Mu Qing can’t ignore what other people say; it’s not in his nature. What people say about him affects what people think about him, and what people think about him affects their reactions toward him. Why did the parade at the beginning of book two nearly go up in flames before it even took off? Because Xie Lian had asked Mu Qing to pass a notice on to the Guoshi. And why did Mu Qing fail to communicate the appropriate information to the Guoshi? Because some schoolyard bullies refused him entry into the proper hall.

Because at every step of the way, the petty prejudices of other people make it impossible for Mu Qing to succeed.

Perception matters. Public opinion matters. Mu Qing, of the three of them, understands this far more keenly than either of the other two.

Xie Lian and Feng Xin can afford to ignore these insults and slights because they are elite, they are nobility. Mu Qing cannot, because the people around him routinely use his lower-class origins to drag him down. And perhaps, what is most aggravating about the whole affair? None of this is actually about Mu Qing himself, his own merit or talent or worthiness. No one asks if Mu Qing is worthy of serving at Xie Lian’s side; they simply assume he isn’t, and then whisper behind his back about it

perception and self-fulfilling prophecies

this is where TGCF veers close to MDZS/CQL territory: the question of perception and reputation, and how much you should care about what other people think of you

what strikes me about Mu Qing is how often people misread him. as mortals, people muttered about Mu Qing, casting aspersions on his motives, whispering that he’s just here to dig for gold and cozy up to the elite

and then in books four and five, other gods say to Mu Qing: look at how Xie Lian mistreated you and held you back from your true capability; and anyways, your loyalties no longer lie with him, do they? and Mu Qing is silent, wordless, because yes, they have touched on his envy and resentment, but it’s not that simple, is it? because Mu Qing still cares for Xie Lian, and Feng Xin, and the Xie parents—their relationship is messier than friendship, more complicated than fealty

even Jun Wu tests Mu Qing, and Mu Qing would rather have the blood and vitality siphoned out of him than turn on Xie Lian

Mu Qing is constantly resisting the perceptions and expectations of other people, those who expect him to be pettier and weaker and less morally upright. it’s an exhausting, uphill battle, and it’s not like Mu Qing isn’t petty on occasion, but he continues to resist, and resist, and resist the mask of villainy other people would press onto his face, and that is no less of an accomplishment either

envy and gratitude

and here, I think, we come to the core of Mu Qing’s character in TGCF: he is, at all times, grappling with the twin monsters of envy and gratitude in his relationship to Xie Lian

because who is Xie Lian? lovely, graceful, powerful, gentle, skilled, capable, moral; the beloved taizi-dianxia of Xianle, a prodigy who ascended into literal godhood before he even turned twenty

and who is Mu Qing? Mu Qing, in book two, is first introduced as the demon to Xie Lian’s divinity, the dark to his light. The narration tells us that Mu Qing has a remarkable amount of talent himself; that perhaps, even without Xie Lian’s interference, Mu Qing would have been able to ascend on his own

but we will never know, and Mu Qing will never know, and that rankles, because he will always be doomed to live in Xie Lian’s shadow—his servant, his general, his second-in-command

for sure, Mu Qing will always be grateful to Xie Lian—for his kindness and generosity, for seeing Mu Qing’s talent and merit when no one else did, for giving Mu Qing a chance

but that patronage will forever be a double-edged sword, because Mu Qing’s accomplishments will never be his own; at the end of the day, Xie Lian will be credited for discovering this diamond in the rough, and Mu Qing left fuming

and so, Mu Qing’s gratitude towards Xie Lian sours into jealousy and resentment; over time, these negative emotions collapse further inwards and Mu Qing feels guilty about resenting the man who has done so much good for him, and guilty for looking on as Xie Lian is dragged through the mud and dirt of a cruel mortal realm (and look, it’s not like Mu Qing hadn’t warned him, Mu Qing tried to make him see the ugliness of reality) without raising a hand to interfere

and the feedback loop builds and builds until Mu Qing is thoroughly tangled in a web of negativity that is, in large part, of his own making

compounded with his sensitivity to the opinions of others and the fight between Mu Qing and Xie Lian in book four, Mu Qing works himself up over this for literal centuries, and it isn’t until Mu Qing is hanging over a pit of literal lava that he and Xie Lian finally clear things up: that if Xie Lian ever held anything against Mu Qing, he has long forgiven him

which helps Mu Qing begin his journey towards self-forgiveness and reconciliation, because if Xie Lian—the person in the world who most deserves to resent Mu Qing—doesn’t hold it against him, then why is Mu Qing himself still agonizing over the past? 


intent vs. corruption, idealism vs. pragmatism

This is honestly my favorite Mu Qing theme, because it examines Mu Qing and Xie Lian as foils and leaves the question open-ended, which is: how pure do your morals really have to be?

Xie Lian is idealistic, almost to a fault, and gets put through such extremes in the narrative that in the end, he is still somewhat saintly, almost larger than life. his patience and tolerance seem both boundless and impossible, and that is why we love and admire him

but to attain Xie Lian’s level of goodness? near impossible. he is an idol, to be admired; he is flawed, yes, and fallible, of course, but Xie Lian embodies a purity of heart and a goodness of soul that is, frankly speaking, beyond most of us

Mu Qing, however, is pragmatic, pessimistic, bitterly aware of the unfairness of the world. by virtue of his lower station, he recognizes the patterns and relationships of power in a way that is less intuitive to Xie Lian, who never has to deal with a lack of power, until he does

in book four, Mu Qing re-ascends, completely off-screen; we don’t see how, or when, or why exactly, but he returns to the heavenly realm because that is the only locus of true power he can access in this state of crisis. loyalty might dictate that Mu Qing should, like Feng Xin, remain at Xie Lian’s side, mortal and powerless, but Mu Qing, ever the pragmatist, takes re-ascension when it is offered to him

and can any of us say that he was wrong to do so? because as a heavenly official, Mu Qing has more power, and influence, and resources, and Mu Qing still tries to help Xie Lian, knowing fully well that doing so goes against the rules, that doing so could get him banished once more

was it right of Mu Qing to turn his back on Xie Lian in order to maintain his cover and not arouse suspicion with the other gods?

was it wrong of him to do so?

with Xie Lian, morality is often black or white—he slingshots wildly from saintly sufferer to vengeful calamity and back—but for Mu Qing, morality is gray, and gray, and gray. in a world on fire, and with your loved ones in trouble, what do you choose—your moral purity, or the power to help them? can you walk away and turn your back on Xie Lian in order to give him the aid he so desperately needs?

the narrative doesn’t really lay down clear judgment on Mu Qing either way—he is not vilified for making this choice, nor is he praised, and after seven centuries, Xie Lian doesn’t really care about it either way, to be honest. Mu Qing isn’t wrong, and we may never know if Mu Qing was right. The point is, Mu Qing tried his best and was misinterpreted, scorned, and resented for it. And Mu Qing hurts; the insults people levy at him still strike home even after all these centuries, and yet, Mu Qing still goes out of his way to help Xie Lian, whether as Fu Yao, or as Mu Qing, or as Xuan Zhen

Mu Qing is so damn complicated, and so damn interesting, and only just beginning his journey of reconciliation with Xie Lian and forgiveness of himself by the end of the narrative proper, which is a major part of why I find Mu Qing to be the most complex character in TGCF—his is the character that holds the most potential for continued growth, even after turning the last page of the book

[gigilberry-wips]

Hiccunzel holiday headcanons because my fandom bestie drop-kicked the idea into my head, tysm dearest 😂💖

- Between the two of them, Rapunzel would be more enthusiastic about snow, like she'd go running and leaping around in the first snow of winter at 5 in the morning. Hiccup would be the one who goes out with a mug of tea, stands there for a minute, goes "ah, snow", and shuffles back inside.

Rapunzel: "But aren't you from the north??"

Hiccup: "That's the point."

But Hiccup would also be the one to do one of those sweet, quiet show of love things, like he'd go out into the untouched snow right under their bedroom window, make footprints into the shape of a giant "I ♡ U", and then get back to whatever he'd been doing.

One time Rapunzel finally caught him in the act and recorded it to post online where she captioned it with "I love my husband so much"

- In their house the holidays would always signify funfetti pancakes, for some reason. It's the only time of year Hiccup's sweetness aversion vanishes and Rapunzel takes full advantage by making it a pancakes abomination weekend, where they both try to make the most gaudy, over-the-top pancake creations imaginable, like entire castles made of pancakes, whipped cream, and all the toppings. Hiccup deeply regrets this in the days after but that doesn't stop him from continuing tradition

- I feel like both of them would like holiday songs, which is exactly why both of them would try to annoy the other with surprise knock-off jingles that sound so bad and makes them go "how DARE you!" while laughing. They never know when the other will strike, and it becomes an unofficial competition.

- So👏🏾Much👏🏾Cuddling👏🏾

Because if one of the beloved headcanons is that Hiccup runs warm, then clearly Rapunzel gets cold easily and the seasonal struggle is her finding any way she can to warm up her icy toes

Many a cold morning starts with Rapunzel refusing to let go when Hiccup tries to get up, so he ends up puttering around the kitchen with Rapunzel still clinging to his back - yes, she's a morning person and yes she's perfectly awake, but she's too busy shmushing her face into Hiccup's shoulder and/or hair to bother using her legs

- Little gift giving gestures! They keep making little crafts every other day and gifting it to each other - Hiccup taking up his seasonal carving and making her little dolls and ornaments, and Rapunzel making those dolls little woven items, making him felt beanie baby animals, food in the shape of hearts, etc etc.

- The gift giving often ends up getting to the point where once the snow melts they have to do a spring cleaning haul and donate the items to yard sales because Too Much Stuff. Rapunzel, being someone who forms emotional bonds with inanimate objects, and Hiccup being the "but what if we'll need a matryoshka doll in the apocalypse" kind of lowkey horder, this breaks their collective hearts

- On that note, no hosting parties at their place because the house is full of nicknacks and it's a cleaning nightmare, and Toothless can and WILL cause mischief out of pure spite because he hates crowds. But they do make sure to go to other people's parties and bring food, gifts, and helping hands with them.

- They are the ones who often give their loved ones the gifts that're like "you will pass this down to your children, you grandchildren, and your great-grandchildren because it looks that impressive good god you two went ham"

- Family is a big thing for both of them, and their holiday calender is divided into two sections: Them Time and Family Time. They'd do their best to make sure they have plenty of time to spend together, but they dedicate an equal amount to visiting their friends and loved ones and spending time with them.

Being a reclusive introvert, this means Hiccup mentally preparing for it like he's going off to battle. Rapunzel knowing this and both of them sitting down at the kitchen table the weekend before the Big Huge Month to hash out the details - not all of them, bc little unpredictabilities are ok, but the important ones

- They'd definitely be that couple to plan holiday bookstore dates. They'd spend entire days visiting bookstores and spending hours reading, crafting, and cuddling in corners

- In contrast to this, i think both of them would also take part in more adventurous outings, too, like hiking and sledding and traveling - but really whatever involves exploring. And it surprises those who meet them that it's Hiccup who's more into it, while Rapunzel's just happy to spend time with him, meet new people, and go on these adventures

It's one of the big Them Time events on their calendar, and one of the ways they sometimes do this is through volunteering, especially Hiccup signing up for wildlife rescue and rehabilitation events thanks to his job

- Maybe it's me projecting but i feel like neither of them would care much for the religious aspects of the holidays and their household would be pretty secular, especially given that both come from different cultural backgrounds. Like, the mood would be livelier and they'd be more than happy to take part in whatever their friends and family are doing and will give each other presents just because, but there wouldn't be this fuss for a tree or wreaths or other strong indicators of "Christmas" in their house, unless it's either gifts from friends or a holiday themed item on sale - if the snowman screwdriver gets the job done, then that's what stays

- But also - holiday movie binging, because both of them are saps even if in different ways. For some reason this includes lord of the rings. Neither knows why, it just Does.

- Toothless always knows it's holiday time because that's when these two dress him up in little costumes and take pictures of him. They don't even do this for Halloween it always has to be for this time of year in particular, bc they make holiday greeting cards out of those pictures to send to all the people they know and they know way too many people and that's too many cards to buy dude 😭

- The day after Christmas they spend at home napping and eating nothing but leftovers. Why? Because in the two/three days leading up to big day, the second they walk into whichever house is hosting Rapunzel gets whisked away to help out with the cooking and baking. For literal days. By the time all the festivities are done it's enough for Rapunzel to no longer be able to person and Hiccup's social battery to go dormant, so they drag each other home with the many, many tupperwares given to them by grateful friends and relatives and have some much needed Quality Quiet Time.

However at exactly 8 pm sharp on the day after Christmas they go out and get discounted leftover apple pie and fried turkey sandwiches at this one place down the road, because that's somehow tradition too. The place also keeps making too many jars of holiday themed pickled mushrooms that they never sell out so they give what's left of their stock to these two and Hiccup spends the rest of winter eating them out of the jar like a lawless heathen