This Was So Fucking Funny

I was thinking about someone who said yoosung and rika mirror each other.

So you must have seen that chat where he talked about how he was depressed lacked motivation for anything until rika came to his life and gave him the motivation

But outwardly even if he was depressed and stuff according to rika, he appeared like a "bright" person.

Rika says "when I first met him I could picture spring with forsythias in full bloom. He had a face of a child who grew up basking in parents love which is nothing like mine....I could feel nervousness stirring inside me when I faced yoosung who gladly listened to me and followed me around, the boy is too bright to shiny he might be ruined if he gets too close to me."

And of course from the get go until we actually find out the truth behind mint eye and rika it is pretty much established that rika is also a very "bright and energetic person" to everyone when in reality she saw herself as a broken person with a demon inside her.

But there is a difference, yoosung is someone who keeps on moving forward towards the light and does not really turns himself away from it. If somebody gives him love he readily accepts it and not once pushes anyone away or doubts it

Meanwhile Rika sort of had a push and pull dynamic with "the light" she desired to be loved and accepted as well but also pushed people away from her whom she deemed as the "light" by any means even if it meant to hurt the person because she didnt want to give up the "darkness" inside her (idk if im able to word all this well but I hope it gets the point across)

That's an interesting observation!

without comfort

Such a hard working maid<3

Can't believe i lived long enough to see him officially in a maid dress

How do you feel Wen Ning's arc was handled? Was him leaving Wei Wuxian at the end too sudden?

I loved Wen Ning’s arc! I actually think his arc is among the best written. It’s about learning to be alive, with a motif of relying on connections to people but also realizing self-worth (he parallels Wei WuXian in this!) 

If I can recommend this meta by @thisworldgodonlyknows about Wei WuXian and Wen Ning’s relationship, I think it explains Wen Ning’s arc well. 

I think Wen Ning came to his own the moment he was spurred by his love and loyalty for Wei WuXian to defy Wei WuXian and tell Jiang Cheng and Lan WangJi the truth about Jiang Cheng’s core. He’d promised Wei WuXian he wouldn’t, but he realized that not telling Jiang Cheng was only harming Wei WuXian by allowing him to sink deeper into his martyr complex tendencies. Which, keep in mind, is something Wen Ning understands well, considering that he and Wen Qing tried in vain to sacrifice themselves to save Wei WuXian, which only resulted in Wen Qing’s death, Wen Ning winding up as a puppet of the Jin sect used for further villainy for thirteen years, and Wei WuXian still got killed. Oh, and the rest of his sect got killed. Which isn’t to say Wen Ning was wrong to sacrifice himself for Wei WuXian but is to say there is definitely a narrative question about whether his lack of self-worth played a role in him sacrificing himself (just like it did for Wei WuXian sacrificing his reputation). Side note: I’d say MDZS condemns society for forcing them into this position, not either of the characters.) But the reason Wen Ning breaks apart from Wei WuXian is because he’s realized the limits of protecting people and tells Jiang Cheng the truth.

The reason Wen Ning winds up as a puppet is because he’s had no belief in himself or belief in his strength, so he winds up as a super-strong zombie. But he would never have committed a murder of an innocent on his own–he did not as a Wen, even going so far as to save Jiang Cheng and Wei WuXian at great risk to his own life–but when he gives up his agency, this happens. Him turning himself in to the Jin Sect could only ever have resulted in tragedy because he was giving agency not to Wei WuXian, who truly cared about him and who was not nearly as corrupt as society was (and the Jin Sect at that point is representative of power in society). 

His sacrificing himself (but surviving because he’s already dead) for Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling completes his internal need to atone, and so after that, he can truly live (though he’s dead). He does that again not because someone ordered him to do so–no one did–but because it is his own choice. He finds the one member of his family still alive—Wen Yuan—And they got to honor their family and build a centotaph for his sister. He then in extra chapters helps the juniors night hunt. He is not alone, and he’s able to live freely making his own decisions for the first time in his existence, unfettered by any guilt.

Hey! I'd love to hear your opinion on two things of the Halloween Mystic Messenger screen

First of all what do you think of Rika in the Dirndl (germans traditional women clothing) I think she looks quite snazzy, the colors are unusual on her but she looks gorgeous either way

Second of all, do you think Rika is Hänsel, Gretel, or the witch cause I am not sure. Like for the role she plays in the game, the witch would make a lot of sense, but she only gets out of her house after the children started eating her house, so I doubt it. And I forgot who was the one wanting to eat the house first of the siblings so I don't know 😭 I tried gaining understanding by looking at MC's clothes. But I have no idea what she is wearing, so I am at a loss and would love to hear your take on it!

Sending lots of love, dear <33

Hi! Thank you so much for such a in-depth ask, it was a ton of fun to sit and muse with my thoughts and ideas on Rika's birthday CG we got.

So, first of all, I gotta agree with you there: that's definitely a form of dirndl she's wearing! The designs look awfully similar for it to be a mere coincidence to me. These dresses can come in so different designs so it's a very versatile type of clothing to work with. Here are some examples of what I mean:

And here's Rika's dress up close for comparison:

Personally, I adore dirndls and their rustic yet elegant look. Never knew the specific term for such a dress, but now I do! It's not a sophisticated dress per se, but the simple beauty it brings out makes me super happy. If you think about it, it does fit Rika quite well. While she certainly loves to dress up every once in a while, her day-to-day style is quite modest in its nature. She's not wearing any dark colors in this cg, but it's not the pure white dress we saw on her two years ago either. To be honest, this color palette of green and blue on her makes me smile. It's not black or white, there's no darkness or light. At least, not in a way that would get your attention right away. She's not trying to embody the darkness or the light here. Instead, it's such a peaceful and soothing combination of colors, and I think it fits her very well. I also really like the yellow apron she's wearing! Is it, possibly, a callback to the dress we see on her in the game and the past she's trying to forget, only for it to remain by her side in one shape or another? Who knows, but it's a fun theory. Though, it should be noted that her outfit is still done in a cold color palette. It's certainly a way more colourful look on her than we're used to seeing, but in spite of all that, there's a certain type of deep melancholy surrounding her, even with a gentle smile brightening up her features.

Okay, now that we're done with her dress, let's talk symbolism! I'm gonna put up the whole CG now:

I'll be completely honest and say that it's been a while since I've read Hänsel and Gretel, so I had to quickly reread it to get a good feel of the story. It's very easy to assume that Rika's the witch leading MC away with the alluring promise of endless sweetness, only to trap them the moment they let their guard down. After all, the castle of Magenta sure does fit the sweet and inviting exterior of the witch's candy house pretty well. At first, it seems like a dream come true to the hungry and tired children, up until the very moment they finally get inside and see the ugliness hidden within these candy walls. That's what I thought of at first too! But, after rereading this story for your ask, I actually got another idea all together.

See, in the story, Gretel was wearing an apron. Not sure if she was wearing it from the very beginning, or after they finally freed themselves from the witch's clutches, but it's definitely there! And what do we see Rika wearing? That's right! An apron. Furthermore, I decided to look into the way Gretel is portrayed visually. To my surprise, she's often seen dressed in a classic dirndl. Which is actually not that surprising, since this story was published in 19th century in Germany, but hey, I didn't know that before :D Gretel was also the one leading Hänsel to the candy house, if I'm remembering it correctly.

So yes! Everything actually points to Rika being Gretel instead of a witch. Which means that MC is definitely Hänsel. This opens up a whole other possibility from a narrative standpoint. I wonder who the witch is then, though... But, I must admit, I REALLY like the idea of Rika initially helping the witch, albeit reluctantly and through her own tears, only to eventually find enough courage inside herself to break free and trick her, saving MC with her own hands. It's a nice parallel, considering that Hänsel (MC) was initially the one leaving pebbles and breadcrumbs to make sure that they'll return back home safe and sound. MC was also the one caring for Rika and promising her that everything will turn out okay.

Though, Rika still very much could be the witch, and I'm just looking way too deeply into this '^^ But, I must admit, I like the idea of her being Gretel much better. I want her to be happy!

Perhaps, Mika is the witch here. She's the one that first planted the idea for Mint Eye in Rika's head and she's the one telling her what to do for a short while. Mika playing the role of a witch that lured Rika and MC into her candy house only to force Rika to do her bidding does kinda fit the story. Maybe she locked MC up, because they were trying to warn Rika not to listen to her. I always loved the idea of MC knowing Rika before the start of the game, and how that would change up the narrative all together. I'd say that the father they return to in the end of the story is V, since he was the one genuinely caring for the kids, however his kind heart still did not stop him from unknowingly leading them to their doom. It does fit him quite well, I think. He's a good man doing his best and failing in the process, like we all do sometimes. Though, I have no idea who should be the evil mother... She's the one that quite literally abandoned Hänsel and Gretel in the middle of a forest, so... I don't know. I could go for a literal route and choose Rika's mother, but it's still feels kinda iffy and on the nose for it to make sense.

why did jin guangyao help rebuild the cloud recesses

Because Lan Xichen was his best friend and because, according to MXTX, Lan Xichen was “the light of his life.” I don’t think it’s any more complex than that.  You can talk about whether he was trying to earn Lan Xichen’s approval, since he never quite felt secure in that, but I don’t think that really takes away from the fact that his chief motivation was just to help his friend.

Nothing about how I feel about you has changed.

i wasn't gonna post this part of the chapter bc it was too long but. i truly cannot stop thinking about it. im unwell.

dabbled in translating and it was fun!! this was translated and edited by me and pls do not repost this, at least until the event is over!! thank you!