#yi city crew

[wifiwuxians]

it’s your fault for having such comforting energy and also such an annoying family

xingchen you indulge these rascals far too much. i am only letting you stay because i love like you

idk what universe i had in mind for this but everyone ended up like this. nobody is dating anyone (yet) but this is the ideal world in my mind

[smiling-shoe]

Xue Yang: I know you're not blind, I just don't have enough proof to expose you yet.

A-Qing: I know you're a bad person and want to harm daozhang, I just don't have enough proof to expose you yet.

Xiao Xingchen, in blissful ignorance: 🥰 My found family is so sweet, I love peacefully living with them 🥰

[deathbyoctopi]

The “why does everyone abandon me” pout:

[dimpledlianfang]

Yangyang Laoshi (yi city edition)

~~~

Xue yang: HELLO it's so nice to see you guys!!!!

Aqing: you always see us.

Songlan: do I even have to be here.

Xingchen: what will we be learning today.

Songlan: does it have to do with violence or harassment?

Xue yang: of course it does, Songlan.

Aqing: who told you that I want to be a gremlin like you! 

Xue yang: little Aqing, you don't have a choice

Xue yang: now enough questions. I have to go to gusu at 9pm to kidnap some Lans, for my next class tomorrow.

Then I have to write a letter to Dage saying that if he doesn't come, I'll do something to Lan xichen.

Songlan: that's no surprise.

Xue yang: I have to knock out Lan lips and drag him to my secret Manor.

His weight is Jingyi and Sizhui put together. *sighs*

Xingchen: who's lan Lips?

Aqing: is it the sect leader?

Xue yang: ew no. Not Lan qiren. Why would I be calling him Lan lips.

I'll call him Lan beard instead.

Xingchen: lol who else are in your second class?

Songlan: they're not a class. They're more like hostages.

Xue yang: don't make it sound like that!

Only Su She, Jiggy and Mo xuanyu willingly came. Su she and Jiggy are my besties and mo xuanyu cames only because I allow him to stare at Jiggy and read things on demonic cultivation.

Aqing: ahhhh, is it a simp club?

Xue yang: I think it's gradually turning into one.

But I won't let that happen! Even if I have to hide Jiggy's face.

But then mo xuanyu might leave.

Gosh.

Songlan: can we get this class over with already.

Xue yang: you guys haven't paid me yet.

How am I supposed to function without a payment!

Xingchen: stop whining. And here's the candy.

Xue yang: thank you Daozhang. Love you so much! Songlan, you should learn something from your friend. Now it's your turn to hand it up.

Songlan: I have no sweets for you.

Xue yang: then get out of my class.

Songlan: gladly! And I'll take xingchen with me.

Xue yang: sit back down. You're not going anywhere.

Aqing! Girl with the stick! Gimme candy!

Aqing: here. And stop harassing me!

Xue yang: songlan. Why are you so stoney! Why do you hate me? Am I cute?

Songlan: you know what you did!

Xue yang: I really can't remember.

You see I inhaled some kind of fume, and it caused a little memory loss.

Songlan: *rolls eyes* I'm so done with you.

Xue yang: I'm done with you too!

You're always grumpy! If you're like Daozhang xingchen, then I'll like you a little more.

Xue yang: now let's start.

We're going to learn how to Intimidate a vendor.

Aqing what will you do!

Aqing: start an argument with him.

Xue yang: only that?

Well you're still young, I guess.

Songlan, xingchen.

Xingchen: I choose peace.

Xue yang: aww. My cinnamon roll.

Songlan: I choose peace too.

Xue yang: you boring little dilf.

Aqing: but Songlan is very young.

Xue yang: he has WRINKLES!

Songlan: I got that from you.

Xue yang: but when you came into yi city, I saw you with them.

Songlan: ugh! Xingchen can I strange xue yang?!

Xingchen: no. There's no need.

Aqing: white gege why are you so calm?!

Xingchen: if I stress out too much, my qi will weaken. And my eye sockets will start bleeding.

Aqing: ahhh.

Xue yang: oh my. We don't want that to happen.

At least it will give me a reason to punch Songlan.

Songlan: you try!

Xue yang: so as we were saying about intimidating the vendors.

Xue yang: I would grab them and caresses their face with a knife, causing them to sweat. Then if that doesn't work I'll burn down their stall

Aqing: you're CRAZY!

Songlan: can you not burn down the stall.

Xue yang: why not? I like burning things.

Xingchen: maybe you can forgive them and just move on.

Xue yang: THAT WON'T BRING CANDY IN MY MOUTH, DAOZHANG!!! HAVE MERCY ON ME. YOU'RE BORING AT TIMES.

Anyways, at least you're very handsome and not like that Lan lips.

@verycatbluebird

[ginsays]

POV: you are being given a gift you never wanted; you know you are meant to give thanks, not question why

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

One last devastating blow

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[krispycreamsicle]

make me choose

@veliseraptor asked: dead xue yang or dead xiao xingchen?

[yutaan]

Song Lan mini papercraft! Eventually I'll have made minis of the whole Yi City crew.

[offshore-brinicle]

Thinking about the three characters we've met who had already found and claimed the Golden Bough before the Sinners, Kromer, Dongbaek and now Ahab it's very interesting to me that they all have in common being women leaders of groups where they are seen as messiahs of sorts, much like how Carmen herself who is the origin of The Light was the one who united the original LobCorp team and had such supernatural charisma that she could convince anyone she wanted to join her cause of "saving humanity".

Kromer is the most blantant and cartoonish example, she's worshipped as a messiah and goddess by her followers to the point they consider basking in her grace a priviledge to the point of genuine insanity beyond what any regular person could comprehend, pure religious fanatism for their savior they believe in who will bring them a "pure, untainted" world, so much that they have cast away their individuality in their adoration, inquisitors being indistinguishable from one another.

Ahab who is a more realistic example of this kind of person even if not as infallible as the seemingly perfect Carmen; she's strong, confident, passionate, revered as a hero and makes convincing cases for herself while having the unnatural ability to appeal to people's desires and cut through them, and in her case the way the Pequod Town have come to bend to her isn't unfounded given their situation. I think that's what makes her significantly scarier and more effective as a villain and character in general; she's not just a comically evil woman in a position of power, you can very easily see why some people would fall for her words and bend to her will. She is paradoxically both the savior of the Pequod and the one who doomed them to the hell inside The Pallid Whale, yet after being isolated from society for so long with no other choices or escape and having their sense of self degraded by the Pallidfication the Pequod crew only came to see the first part.

Dongbaek is an interesting case, unlike the two women described before who are undeniably villains and egomaniacal, she's portrayed as much more sympathetic and even an outright tragic figure, however at the same time unlike them we never directly see the relationship she has with her followers. They never talk about Dongbaek herself and not even mention her in any way, only the ideology she gave them: destroy the current order to create an ideal world free from the shackles of The Wings and technological advancement, and unlike the two before who are always aided by their lackeys, Dongbaek was always seen alone, less like a hero or a goddess but more like a ghost that haunted everyone, much like Carmen's role in LobCorp. This "ghost" motif is doubly emphasized by her sickly dying appearance and how she contantly dissapeared and appeared without a trace, never letting those around her forget about all they have lost or sacrificed trapped in her vendetta.

But ultimately Dongrang, herself and even Yi Sang come to admit her motives were just as self-centered and she was just as manipulative, yet rather from a place of hubris it came from a place of deep despair and yearning.

Like Kromer, the TLA believed she would make a better world, but like Ahab, she was ultimately someone taking advantage of people in despair and giving them false hopes, all while deluding herself further, and much like Carmen, she's associated with trees and vegetation, both expressing the wish to be like one and having a disdain for The Wings, though in Dongbaek's case, she only represents half of Carmen's wish; being the plant blooming across the land, while Yi Sang is the one who would reach the sky.

In the end, all three of these women were false saviors, much like how Carmen's idea of bringing salvation to humanity led to all of the suffering within Lobotomy Corporation, the unleashing of chaos upon The City even her own endless torture as The Well giving birth to Abnormalities...it makes me wonder if all of this was intentional, as a way to parallel Carmen herself. Yet all three of them appear to us clearly untrustworthy while Carmen does not.

Kromer, Dongbaek and Ahab are immediately stablished as dangerous presences; Ahab and Kromer being the sources of Ishmael and Sinclair's suffering and tormenters they have to overcome --the source of their nightmares, and Dongbaek is introduced stabbing Yi Sang and being called "dangerous" yet Carmen is introduced as her best self and all the best memories everyone has of her, it isn't until Ruina, away from Ayin's perspective that she's questioned, it makes me wonder if they will continue to bring these characters contrasting Carmen in further chapters.

[aphel1on]

One thing i love about the Yi City crew is... ok so Xue Yang is obviously the most unhinged of the lot. But the longer you look at the 4 of them the more it's like. Beginning to notice none of you are well

[delusinalandpassionate]

Okay I kinda decided to write a list of "shaddy" things around Don to keep it in order.

So there are two parts "Things that definitely were intentional and will reappear later" and "Maybe that's product of my imagination, maybe not, who know" to not mix important parts with questionable

Things that definitely were intentional and will reappear later

1. [REDACTED]

That thing appears in her character description, in list of particulars , and none of other characters has anything like this. Not even Outis whose records about past are not permitted for us. Which makes me question what the fuck is that???

2. Spoiler CG

That's all we have from TGS teaser for her. All other CGs with her presence already were shown in the plot, and only this one left. And it frankly gives us nothing. It seems that Don in battle, but they have battle every chapter and we have no fucking hint who she against there.

3. Background and Ferris wheel/windmill

We can see a wind mill behind her back on her promo art. Or technically a ferris wheel in shape of wind mill with merry-go-round. And that's somehow connected to her, but in which way? Is it about her past? Or is something metaphorical as Yi San? Is there any amusement parks in the City???

4. Her eyes

We have this moment in Canto II Episode: 8

And in the City where you can literally change your eye color to any color you want that kinda means at least something

5. Dance

Canto II Episode: 15 and that sceen

It's creepy how her voice lowers down and how this gang implies that she's insincere. It is the first when we understand that there is something fucked up with her

6. Don, Vergilius and The Deal

Canto III Episode: 10

Vergilius punishes Don for her reckless behavior and it seems cruel, but expected until-

There is the deal between Don and Verg, and a mere mentioning of it is enough to shut Don up for the rest of the chapter. It seems like this deal was made on the day when she joined Limbus company... but isn't Faust the one who found and hired sinners? We know for sure she was the one to hire Yi San and Vergilius himself. And as far as we can see, Vergilius doesn't seem to want Don in his crew. So why make a deal with her???

7. Old Friends

Canto III Episode: 19

Sinclair has an episode, and Don volunteers to help him which leads to

And explains her action "Pardon my rash action. Oft I would find myself overcome by fervor, rampaging much the same as a riderless horse. At such moments, mine old friends helped me to come to myself—by beating me senseless. ‘Twas, at times, the only remedy to the fever that had overtaken me."

And that's like the only thing we get to know about her past. Her friends used to beat her regularly because of her episodes. And sinners are surprised with this, which means it's not a common way in The City(I wouldn't be surprised if it was). But it works on Sinclair, bringing him to his senses and leaving us with questions such as "Who was Don's friends?" and "How exactly Don's rampage would look?"

8. ...

Canto IV Episode: 28

Sinners discuss the deal they made with Limbus company and reason why they joined it and

Don has this "...." for some fucking reason.

And the thing is that other Sinners were quiet too. Meursault, Hong Lu, Rodya- didn't say a thing during this talk, but only Don's silence was highlighted. Which makes us wonder how her deal differs from others?

(and if she made a deal at all)

9. Role

Canto IV last chapters

Sinners are given roles from Yi San's past according to their personalities, and Don gets the role of Gubo, second shaddiest parson in League, and the man who kept Yi San locked and drugged.

Kinda kinda surprising, isn't it?! I mean we met Gubo a few times and Don seemed to be the least matching person to him, but Yi San's mind still chooses her to play him. Which again raises a lot of questions.

10. Familiar sight

Canto IV Episode: 53

Sinners see Dongrang and how he speaks with someone whom they don't see. That's sight is surprising for all of them, but

Don quixote and Faust

And if for Faust it was expected to know about Distortions, how exactly did Don find out these symptoms? Was she distorted? Or was someone close to her?

WE DON’T FUCKING KNOW

11. La Sangre de Sancho

Why is her personal EGO named "Blood of Sancho"?! It's the only EGO that includes someone name. Is it her name? Is it the name of her friend? Why she wields his blood. Is he dead? How did he die?

12. Moon

That's technically a question to Shi IDs together, because they live to mention Red Moon, but no one explain what the fuck it suppose to mean? And there is no explanation in Ruina or Lobotomy?

Okay, we finished with good stuff, and there starts part where my delusions lie. Their credibility differs from "maybe" to "very low", and I understand that, but I can't ignore it, so there is it

1. MURDER

Don commit the third murder on the bus, killing Ryoshu, and it doesn't seem surprising, but in Canto IV we learn that it's extremely difficult to sneak on Ryoshu and only professional killers of higher rank managed to do it. But Don managed to kill her, without any resistance.

Of course it can be said that Ryoshu wasn't on guard at that moment, or it was made for comedic effect, but there is a chance it could mean something.

2. Star

“¡Por alcanzar la estrella inalcanzable!”

"To reach the unreachable star!"

I could ignore this just as cool quote, but in Ruina there was so many talks about stars, and in Limbus it continues making it's an important metaphor (or sometimes a real thing). It makes me think how much my understanding of those words will change after her Canto?

3. Lack of Pride

Sinclair and Don are the only sinners who can't use their personal EGO by themselves and that's already must to mean something, but then Sinclair gets ID with sin he needs, but Don doesn't have. She has four IDs and none of them have Pride. Is this just a coincidence or Pmoon tries to tell us something? I guess we will see with next ID

Okay, that's it. At least, that's all I remember. If you have anything else which I missed (for both part, I would like to hear your delusion about any weird phrase or sprite or anything else)

I guess I will update this list with time, when Pmoon answer my question or give more of them.

Hope it was fun to read

[smiling-shoe]

Song Lan: Xue Yang, no!

Xue Yang: Xue Yang yes!

A-Qing: Xue Yang, no!

Xue Yang: Xue Yang still yes!

Xiao Xingchen: A-Yang, no.

Xue Yang: Xue Yang no.

Song Lan: How the fuck-

Xue Yang: Zichen, language!

Xiao Xingchen: *giggles* That's a bad parody.

Song Lan: Sometimes I hate both of you.

A-Qing: *also giggles* But you're silly and way too easy to make fun of!

Song Lan: Three of you.

[deathbyoctopi]

Xue Yang’s halloween disguise should be Frankenstein.

Song Lan should be Frankenstein’s monster.

And Xiao Xingchen... by process of elimination, Igor. Though he’d make a lovely one-man pitchfork-wielding mob.

[veliseraptor]

Headcanons for the Yi City Crew’s preferred weather? 👀 (I am basking in October sunshine and completely incapable of thinking of other things, sorry orz orz)

i am deeply enjoying the present weather myself, after a long and constantly "i'm meeeeelting" summer (which tells you about my preferred weather)

but ooh this is a fun one and actually not one I'd considered too much before you asking me this. let's see here

I feel like A-Qing's preference of weather is deeply inflected by spending a lot of her life very vulnerable to it. so ideally, weather is not too hot, not too cold, mild and dry. the kind of weather one can be comfortably outside in! because odds are she's going to be outside in it a lot. :)

that being said, once she has a roof over her head and moderately more security about not having to be in the weather regardless of what it is, I think she kind of enjoys stormy weather (thunderstorms, heavy rain, etc.) even if sometimes the weather still comes indoors anyway. it can be more of a thrill and less of a threat, and a reminder that she doesn't have to live in it. haha, take that, storm, I'm warm and dry!!!

Xiao Xingchen, meanwhile, is one of those incredibly frustrating people who can find something to love in any weather. for one thing, I imagine his level of cultivation is such that he can manage a wider range of temperatures than ordinary people (I think that's a thing?), but he does genuinely just appreciate a range of weather experiences. I think he has a soft spot for rain in particular, though. he would get soaking wet in a downpour and laugh about it. this drives literally everyone else he socializes with crazy, which Xiao Xingchen just finds funnier. mild autumn days are also good, though! but so are warm spring days. and brisk snowy winter days. and hot lazy summer days. you get the idea.

Song Lan is, I think, an autumn and winter guy, and I don't say that just because of his moniker; it just feels right to me. I don't think he likes to be too hot (even if he can also, like Xiao Xingchen, probably tolerate a wider range than ordinary people), because sweat gross, and it's easier to stay warm in the cold than to cool down in the hot, as far as he's concerned. and it's not that he doesn't like spring, it's just that there's something about the kind of beauty that comes with winter and fall that I think draws Song Lan temperamentally. I think there's a cleanness to winter particularly that appeals to him. but I don't think he likes snow or rain very much. at least not being out in it. he can appreciate (and does, I think) the aftermath of snow, but when it's actually falling then it's just wet and gets down the back of one's robes.

Xue Yang is someone for whom his feelings about weather are wildly dependent on his mood, generally speaking. if he's in a bad mood it doesn't matter what the weather is, it sucks. if he's in a good mood then he's substantially more a fan of a wide range of weather. he has some of the same preoccupations as a-Qing, and I think gets particularly twitchy around cold weather and atmospheric pressure changes because that tends to trigger hand pain. in general, though, I think Xue Yang likes sunshine, and he will take a fair level of heat as long as he can be lazy during them. like a cat, he will seek out sunny spots and fall asleep in them on hot days. and he will prove very difficult to move.

[ishcliff]

A theory I've floated is that the reason why Hermann wants to destroy the multiverse (see: her demands of Yi Sang in the Canto 4 flashbacks) is because it's a threat to N Corp's business model. We know from DD that N Corp sells experiences to other people (one of their big winners being a suicide vending machine that lets you experience how dying feels without actually dying). It would track that they'd have some business selling combat experience to Fixers. Your crew of Zwei teammates know your target's gonna be hunted by members of the Thumb? We just so happen to have this "Fought a bunch of Soldatos led by a Capo with bullets to spare and won" as an Experience In A Can, its yours for a price!

Given that the Sinners use a variation on Yi Sang's mirror for their IDs, which let them borrow the combat strength of alternate versions of themselves, it would track that N Corp would see this as a threat to their business. New surgeries, body mods, weapons, armor and equipment is dime a dozen in the City, but there's only so many ways to fast-track knowledge and experience, and N Corp and R Corp have two of them.

But then again, Hermann could have other reasons, this is just a theory as to why the higher-ups might have tasked her with this. Gubo has his envy of Yi Sang motivating him, and Jia Huan seems to just be in it for the chance to kill his baby brother. Maybe we'll get more explanation later. That's just an idea I had.

i adore this theory and think i mostly agree with you with how you've laid it out, but i think it begs the question as to why demian considers the mirror technology to be cruel and thievery. perhaps he dislikes it because the skills borrowed feel unearned, tying back to letting "someone else" take over your own will?

it's just interesting that the two factions who oppose each other inherently also seem to agree that the mirror has to go.

[punmonster]

I think it's interesting that the sinners tend to have a running theme of having a group/someone they couldn't protect [with the exception of Gregor but that might be his sister, since we haven't seen muxh of his own personal backstory. Or the soldiers like Tomah who's deaths he may see as a direct consequence of the propaganda he was used for]

Rodya's got her neighbours, Sinclair his family, Yi Sang has the LO9, Ishmael has the Pequod crew.

They just looked at a bunch of people who definitely needed a community of sorts then locked them on a bus together. Beautiful.

Plus this also is yet another factor the company may have considered when selecting candidates, which I feel is good to know

-[⏰]

the sinners ironically are better people than most of what ive seen in the city. i guess what makes them damned is that they dont fit in with the ruthless cutthroat culture of this society. since some of the most powerful people in the city have adopted angelic allegories, i suppose its a fall from grace for someone to actually care about the person sitting next to them