be kind recklessly

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Feng Baobao 

Lv. 17 Barbarian (Path of Wild Magic): For this “campaign” I’m considering the Eight Supremes as some kind of Feywild magic. FBB, having been resurrected by the Supremes, is imbued with Wild Magic that powers her Rage. She’s Level 17—meaning, she’s almost a god. But she came back “wrong” and couldn’t really tap into the memories of her cultivation, so her powers come in bursts of Wild Magic.  

Weapon of Choice (WOC): Ruyi or Spade with either Hoopak or Mace stats LOL 

Aasimar: Since she got resurrected, she’s technically undead. But. I didn’t want her to be undead so she’s an angel instead—well, half-angel... well! If we’re being pedantic, Aasimars are half-Celestials, not necessarily an angel, but you get it... 

Soldier: After wandering for decades without a purpose, she was taken in by a nice family that ended up as noble family of a small fiefdom. With a great blood debt owed, she has trained to be the Xu family’s soldier and has been its protector since. 

High STR + CON: She’s the strongest of the party and could possibly endure all kinds of poisoning and illnesses. 

Low CHA: Zero ego. She has the clarity of a high-level monk/cleric/paladin and has long since shed all desires and ties from the physical world.  

Miscellaneous Feats: Alert—she can’t be surprised due to her keen perception; Crusher—she’s a monster with her spade, what else can I tell ya? 

As a player: FBB probably plays a lot of fighter/tank characters that need zero bookkeeping. She just likes to hack and slash or hulk smash stuff. 

Zhang Chulan 

Lv. 5 Rogue (Mastermind): He’s a good fighter, but he excels a lot more in a support role. He’s the schemer of the party and can take the tactician role while in combat. Mastermind is more of a roleplay role, but it’s still a base rogue, so he can pack a punch. Also, I don’t remember where he got the Proficiency in INT Saves, but I’m assuming it’s from Mastermind? He has mid base INT stat but he can outsmart anyone who’s trying to outsmart him. 

Lv. 4 Warlock (Hexblade Patron): After the death of his grandfather, his only family left, he meets FBB and they do that mindmeld thing where the final teachings from his grandfather was passed onto FBB then passed onto him. During the mindmeld, he also learns of the ways that FBB has protected him throughout the years and so, he makes a pact to protect FBB in return. They have the whole dynamic of FBB is the blade and ZCL is the swordmaster, hence, the Hexblade subclass. 

WOC: Daggers with Booming Blade Spell (deals thunder damage) 

Human: He’s just a guy 

Aberrant Heir: He is the Heir of one of Eight Supremes, and to keep him “pure,” his grandpa gave him an aberrant dragonmark (the tortoise celibacy mark LOL). He has lived all his life in hiding and has become proficient in disguises. 

Middling Stats: He’s just a guy. 

Misc. Feats: Lucky—flavored as something that’s due to FBB’s secret interference; Speedy—he has a low AC for a rogue, so I wanted to give him more survivability, but also, he is very speedy—lightning-speed, shall we say LOL 

As a player: ZCL is very good at using spells in creative ways. So. He’s usually banned from doing full caster characters (cleric, wizard, druid) in a lot of tables LOL He can still be a little shit with fighter roles though, especially when he multiclasses. 

Lu Linglong 

Lv. 10 Paladin (Oath of the Watchers): The Watchers for this setting is the group of LLL’s friends who work under Lu Jin. They “protect mortal realms from the predations of extraplanar creatures” (source: Tasha’s), and since the Eight Supremes are from Feywild, that implies that the Quan Xing is Fey and extraplanar. 

WOC: Lance because for a short woman, she absolutely loves the reach of it. 

Shadowmoor Elf: This kind of elves kinda looks like Linglong during Nasen Island Arc, so I couldn’t help myself. Shadowmoor elves protect beauty and who they consider beautiful is someone who’s heroic and self-sacrificing—perfect ideation for paladins imo. 

Noble: The House of Lu, with Lu Jin as its patriarch, is one of the most prominent noble families in the land. 

High CHA: She is good with people, especially with people that she leads. She has a very strong sense of self and bad actors will have a very hard time possessing or charming her.  

Misc. Feats: Great Weapon Fighting—she’s a beast with her lance as she should be; Inspiring Leader—She was the leader of the Watchers up until QT kills a majority of them, and now she leads this group to avenge her brethren. 

As a player: I feel like LLL would be a versatile kind of player and would be group-oriented. Need a caster? She’ll play sorcerer. Need a healer? Cleric, no problem. Tank? BARB SMASH!! 

Wang Ye 

Lv. 9 Monk (Warrior of Elements): WY is a Daoist Monk idk what to tell you 

Lv. 6 Wizard (School of Chronurgy): I actually was so torn between Chronurgy (manipulation of time) and Graviturgy (manipulation of space) because both encompasses WY’s FHQM arghh I wish you can have multiple subclasses! D&D why can’t you be more like your better cousin, PF2e??? 

WOC: Taiji, sometimes with a quarterstaff, which doubly acts as his arcane focus. 

Tabaxi: CAT WANG YE 

Sage: He has read all the volumes of the Yijing and other scriptures in the Daoist canon. 

High INT: He is very smart and can learn new things with little to no hardships. 

Low CON + CHA: -1 CON is just too funny, okay? He’s too sickly to be anything else. He gets sick after a particularly spells-heavy fight. Low CHA too because like FBB, he has zero ego—no desires and is unbound by the material world. Also, he can’t get anyone to listen to him—his Persuasion should probably be –2 LMAOOO 

Misc. Feats: Fey-Touched—again, Feywild Eight Supremes, and Zhou Sheng is particularly invested in him; Observant—he is good at gaining Insight from other people by observing. 

As a player: WY is the Forever DM (Dungeon Master) of his friend group because he’s a little control freak who likes to be god and have the world in his hands LMAO More seriously though, everyone just thinks that he’s the most capable with regards to DM-ing so they ask him. When he gets the chance to play though, he prefers to play characters with little to no bookkeeping but somehow, he almost always ends up either needing to change Classes or needing to multiclass because they need a caster. 

Zhuge Qing 

Lv. 14 Cleric (Knowledge Domain): Rounding up the party with a full caster healer. As a Shuist, ZGQ’s main goal in life is to acquire the Truth of the world—to obtain all knowledge there is to seek and gain. 

WOC: Double-headed Rope Dart, which is a finesse weapon (uses DEX for its attack rolls), even though his main stat isn’t DEX. He misses about ¾ of the time he uses it, and everyone gives him shit for it LOL 

Abyssal Tiefling: He has the blood of a demon coursing through his veins. Also also—a tiefling cleric is such an oxymoron, I love it. 

Spellfire Initiate: He bears his family’s most brilliant legacy—True Fire of Samadhi—that channels the raw power of the Weave. It takes a heavy toll on the body, so he has trained both mind and body to efficiently wield its sacred power. 

High WIS + CHA: ngl I wanted ZGQ to be a Paladin at first with the subclass, Oath of Devotion (for his wife LMAO) and that’s why he has high CHA, but also it makes sense for his character to have a strong sense of self even though it got shaken when he first meets WY. Clerics are WIS-based and even so, I didn’t give him the max stat of 20 because I don’t think he has earned like enlightenment-level of WIS. 

Rest of the Stats: He has fairly good stats ngl. While rolling for his base stats, he got so lucky that I didn’t have to reroll after the first try, which is very him. He’s lucky and a good all-rounder with even stats. 

Misc. Feats: Actor—duh; Sentinel—usually used for WY because WY’s Max HP is half of ZGQ’s lmaooo (again, WY and his low CON lolol) so whenever someone wants to chase down and attack their squishy warlock, ZGQ whips out his rope dart or Wind Rope to keep them in place; Symbiotic Being—he doesn’t only have blood of a demon in his veins, there is a physical embodiment of his poisonous envy and greed and wrath in his heart (it’s the heart demon) 

Light at the end of the tunnel: NDT and the Idols and Actors Union come to an agreement

On 02 July 20xx, talents of Nadoutong Entertainment, led by the girl group, Pink Lady Apples, walked out of various productions when a member of the PLA, Xia He, was let go even after the cheating scandal she was involved in had been proven false.

Zhang Lingyu, Xia He’s then-boyfriend, whose fans were the ones who coordinated the smear campaign that led to her dismissal, had negotiated for their reinstatement. When Nadoutong refused, Zhang Lingyu had turned in his resignation in solidarity.

There was an uproar from the fans of the boy band Zhang Lingyu was a member of, Yiren Boys, which led to an amateur investigation by netizens that unearthed abysmal working conditions the members had been subjected to that Nadoutong should have had protected them from.

Fans called for a boycott of everything that Nadoutong was partnering with, as well as productions that they were airing at the time. Sponsors and partners pulled out from Nadoutong, stating that they did not condone such negligence.

All the while, more and more idols and actors came out with their own stories of maltreatment.

Zhuge Qing, an idol who got blacklisted from the industry after punching a director, spoke about his own experience with Nadoutong and how they did not stand with him when he tried to expose a director for his sexual misconduct towards the female lead and Zhuge Qing’s then-girlfriend, Fu Rong.

I won’t say more about what isn’t my story to tell. But when I found out, [Nadoutong] told me that I should just turn the other way. That I would be doing Fu Rong a favor if I did. ——Zhuge Qing in this Weibo post

He had also spoken on behalf of his current boyfriend, Wang Ye, a member of the Yiren Boys, who couldn’t comment on the events at the time since he was dealing with a class action lawsuit against the TV producer Chen Jinkui, about the rigorous training Nadoutong made them go through, as well as the long work hours and how they affected Wang Ye’s health. According to Zhuge Qing, Wang Ye had been so overworked to the point of collapse, which Nadoutong, allegedly, tried to bury and keep quiet.

Lu Linglong, leader of the PLA, had also spoken about their time with Nadoutong. Most notably, Feng Baobao was forced to dye her hair pink, resulting in chemical burns when their manager ignored her when she said that she had sensitive skin. She was also forced to wear pink contacts for days on end without letting her rest her eyes.

[Feng Baobao] almost went blind! She didn’t complain—didn't say anything! We only found out something was wrong when she was doing our routine with her eyes closed and tears were running down her face. It was so scary... her eyes were so red, and they looked like they were going to come off the sockets. ——Lu Linglong in an interview with Yaoxing News

With more allegations coming to light, the fans felt more outraged on behalf of their beloved idols. But not everyone was happy with Nadoutong’s talents, calling them ungrateful brats who should just listen to their management team. When the talents had stopped coming to rehearsals, recordings, or photoshoots, the hashtag #LazyBumIdols was trending as many criticized them.

Everyone hates their jobs. These #LazyBumIdols aren’t special! ——Weibo User TSE1989

If you can’t hack it, then you shouldn’t be an idol and should get a real job then! Fucking #LazyBumIdols ——Red Note User 吧啦BlackSheep

However, the majority were still in support of the talents. Many fans had done fundraising events to raise money for them when Nadoutong had stopped paying them for not coming in. Many legal professionals had also offered their expertise to advise the talents on what to do next.

Three months later, the Idols and Actors Union was established, and they were officially on strike.

The union continued to raise awareness about the industry. The movement inspired other idols and actors to also organize and join the strike. For the next nine months, there were very few new dramas, music, and movies. There were still concerts, but they were organized by the idols and actors themselves with the help of their fans. Some groups started their own social media accounts that weren’t affiliated with their agencies and started to post without the pressure to be perfect.

It all came to a head when there was a noticeable drop in the country’s GDP, and the government had to be involved. At first, the pressure was put on the union, but after the backlash from millions of fans, it was shifted to the agencies and media companies.

On the anniversary of the first act that led to a revolution of labor laws for idols and actors, negotiations between the Idols and Actors Union and the major media companies came to a close with great favor towards the union.

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Organize. Mobilize. ✊

Jin Yuanyuan had become a famous fashion designer, known for her street-style hanfu clothing lines. She had amassed 6.6 million followers on Weibo and 8.8 million followers on Douyin over the years and had built her own empire of clothing shops around the world.

It all started back in 2016, when Jin Yuanyuan was only seventeen, armed with her phone and her dreams. She could count on two hands the number of followers she had when she started posting pictures of her designs online—one of which was her private account, and three were her close friends who would sometimes do some modeling for her.

Unfortunately, all of her ‘models’ were male, so one of them had to model some of the more feminine pieces with her to make it more balanced. Of course, the person who drew the shortest stick was Wang Ye.

Wang Ye didn’t mind it as much as he thought he should. Their weekly night photoshoots were good distractions from cram school and the reason why he was enrolled in so many of them. His grades had been slipping away, sure, but it wasn’t because he needed extra help. It was just that—his grades, the gaokao? It all felt meaningless.

But dressing up as a Qing-Dynasty princess whose robes were cut a little too short and tight to be accurate? He could at least derive some meaning from that—some purpose—even if it was as simple as helping his friend.

Besides, having a night out with his friends as someone who wasn’t entirely him—the boy who was wasting his time and his parents’ money—felt… freeing.

Out at night, under the warm lighting of the restaurants in the hutongs they frequent, she was a demure noble lady always hiding behind fans. Or if the outfits were more urbanized, they were some mysterious person, skateboarding through the streets of Sanlitun with a face mask and a cap.

Out at night, he was him. But also, her and them and all the possibilities he knew were unreachable except for this short moment out of time.

That was nine years ago. Jin Yuanyuan had eventually realized her dreams, and Wang Ye could stop dressing up for her. But it felt as if Wang Ye still wore a costume even after hiding away the box of robes Jin Yuanyuan gave him as a token of gratitude before going their separate ways—her to Paris and him to Wudang.

The very same box lay on his bed, very dusty, and the cardboard was already disintegrating. Surprisingly, the hanfu inside was untouched by time—the colors were as vibrant as he remembered: oranges and golds and green accents. Though perhaps that shouldn’t be a surprise at all, for it had never seen the sun all these years.

Wang Ye was back in Beijing, and he was without purpose once more. Zhang Chulan and the others came by to check on him, and Zhuge Qing was adamant that he showed Beijing’s nightlife, which he supposedly ‘had hidden from him the first time he visited.’

It would be a good distraction. He didn’t have a lot of that after they finally had quelled the burgeoning calamity due to the resurgence of the Eight Supremes.

He could don the robes and be everything all at once again. Size wouldn’t even be an issue. He could just shapeshift into a person who could fit in such old robes. He was more powerful now. He could be out of time and out of space.

The problem was his friends. His old ones would understand—Jin Yuanyuan had already understood, way before he even did. But he didn’t know what he would do if his new friends laughed at him or grimaced in disgust.

Ultimately, he decided that living in the uncertainty of whether or not he’d be accepted was far worse than being rejected. Besides, the robes weren’t too feminine anyway—that is, if you ignore the blatant inspirations from a ruqun. It would be fine.

He first met with Zhang Chulan, Feng Baobao, and Zhang Lingyu, who just raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t say anything.

“Wah, Lao-Wang,” he braced himself for whatever shameless nonsense that came out of Zhang Chulan’s mouth, but was surprised when the other only said, “You should’ve said that we’re dressing up! I didn’t know you liked hanfu street fashion. Are there rentals nearby?” Then Zhang Chulan gave him a coy look, saying, “Are you sponsoring us to have the full tourist package? I’ve always wanted to try a hanfu photoshoot! After you show us all there is in Beijing... We should go to Xi’an next~~”

He rolled his eyes, and whatever reply he had died on his lips when Feng Baobao left without saying anything. Out of everyone, he expected Feng Baobao to have a negative reaction the least. He shifted his weight from one foot to another, not knowing what to say or how to say it without choking.

“Aiyoh, Bao’er-jie! Wait up!” Zhang Chulan called out for her before turning to him, “She’s probably hungry already. Let’s go. Lao-Qing said he’s saving us a seat in that nai lao place you brought him to before. He said it was so packed that you had to sit on the sidewalk!”

He swallowed the lump in his throat. “It’s because we came there at midday on a weekend. Nanluoguxiang is usually packed with people at that time. Tonight… we should be okay.”

He wasn’t lying when he said that, but they still lost one another in the crowds. Trusting that the others would eventually find their way, he went to find Zhuge Qing.

The man was on his phone when Wang Ye sat beside him. Five cups of frozen yogurt were already on the table, ready for them, kept cold by a small talisman underneath them. “Did you really do a divination to get our orders? Such an unnecessary risk. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

Zhuge Qing finally looked up from his phone, almost dropping it when he saw him. “A-ah... Meimei, sorry but I’m reserving this table for my friends.”

“Lao-Qing, ah. Didn’t you hear what I just said? Don’t you recognize me?” He didn’t change much about his face. He had always liked it, to be honest—the roundness and sharpness of it were all in balance. He just made himself a little shorter and had his body fill out the parts of the robes that were meant for the curves of a woman.

“Lao-Wang?”

“There you guys are!” Zhang Chulan excused himself through the crowd. He was now wearing some cheap hanfu rental and was followed by the others in similar clothing. “Lao-Qing, go find some robes too!”

“Ah?”

“Ai, just do it; ask later.” Zhang Chulan hauled the other up from his seat.

“But my nai lao...”

“Eat it later. Go, go, go! We’ll wait for you here.” He pushed the poor man out the door and then turned to him. “Lao-Wang, Lao-Wang! Bao’er-jie has something for you.” He gestured for the woman to come closer.

With all the seriousness and true sincerity, Feng Baobao declared, “Someone once told me: a pretty lady should have pretty things.” Then she presented what looked like a simple hairpin at first, but it had such exquisite, engraved patterns along the stick.

“Ah-hah... But Lao-Wang, that’s part of the rental package, okay? So, it’s yours only for tonight...”

That didn’t matter. He’d probably just buy it from the rental place. “Thank you,” he said to Feng Baobao. “This is very lovely.”

“Mn. Can I eat that?”

“Sure, go ahead,” he replied, chuckling. If some of the fullness of his heart spilled out, nobody commented on it. But he kept smiling as he put the pin in his hair, and they started their eating spree with the yogurts.

Later, Zhuge Qing rejoined them. They texted him that they were already at the fifth store down the river, sampling some stinky tofu this time. The robes that he chose—they were of the same shade as the green accents of Wang Ye’s robes, and the accents, while not entirely the same shade, were gold and a light brown that was almost orange.

“Do you like it?” He asked, sidling up to Wang Ye, who didn’t follow the others and just stayed outside.

“Yeah...”

“Aiyoh, but Lao-Wang~ I didn’t have enough money to get some accessories too…” This fox pouted at him. As if he wanted for money. Regardless, Wang Ye took one of his other hairpins—careful not to pull out the one that Feng Baobao gave him—and offered it to the man.

“Put it on me?” Zhuge Qing was already tilting his head down without waiting for his answer.

He sighed at this guy’s antics but still untied Zhuge Qing’s hair. He finger-combed it a few times before rolling it into a bun and sticking the pin to hold it up. His hands lingered. “Thank you. For not making this weird.” He said because he needed to say it to someone, and it felt like it would be easier if it were to Zhuge Qing. A lot of things felt easier with Zhuge Qing.

“Now why would anybody make it weird?” Zhuge Qing straightened up, catching his hands as they slid. “You’re just being you.”

“Woah, woah, woah, Lao-Qing! How come your robes look like they’re better quality? Where did you get that?”

“A-Lian, this is your karma for forcing me away from my yogurt.”

“You could’ve eaten it while waiting for us, you know.”

“I can’t start eating without you guys, can I? But the opposite is clearly not the case!”

The group continued down the road along the river, lined with lanterns and willow trees whose leaves dance and sway to the song of the wind.

Wang Ye was right all along. Everything ended up all right.

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