The Third Task | What if I'm the Monster? | Kit Thorne as...
..Jiangshi
The Jiangshi (僵屍 or 殭屍) is a Chinese vampire/zombie that's name translates to 'stiff corpse'. It is a horrific creature that usually hops along, and when it comes across a victim it will suck the life force out of them. Jiangshi were believed to once be people who died in a violent or unnatural way, or whose soul did not find rest at the time of death.
The origin of the legends about these terrifying creatures probably comes from the folkloric tradition of “traveling corpses”. In the past, the members of low-income families whose friends and/or relatives had died in distant places couldn’t afford to pay for the transfer fees of their dead. Therefore, they would instead hire Taoist priests to transport the corpses back home. The priests moved the corpses only at night and rang bells to warn off passing villagers.
This practice was very popular in Xiangxi, where many people had left their homes in search for better job opportunities. After death, their bodies were returned to their homes, as it was believed that their souls would feel homesick if they were buried in a distant place. Because the corpses were carried on bamboo beds with the canes shaking as the priests walked, it gave the impression that the body jumped in rhythm with the steps of these priests.
The prompt: There are flowers on a doorstep. Write a poem about them from the perspective of the sender or the recipient (or both).
One bloom — an apology so weak,
It cannot mask the shame.
I know I wronged you, broke my vow,
A wedding that never came.
Two blooms — a sorry pair of stems,
A hope that mends might begin.
I see now, it is not your heart bruised,
But still, I try to find something good within.
Three blooms — am I desperate now,
Left lost among your mail.
If I could trade my faults for time,
Perhaps your regard would not set sail.
Four — the blooms have wilted dry,
Still resting at your door.
I see now you won’t answer me;
My guilt a weight you’ll bear no more.
WHERE DO THEY STAY DURING THEIR OFF SEASON? if they lived / worked in London, tell us about it!
During the off season, Kit lives with her family in the Shrewsbury estate. It remains her favorite place in England and she spends her days riding across the grounds, visiting the families who live and work on the land, and trying to learn as much about the role of the Earl as her father will teach her.
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHANGES THAT HAPPENED DURING THIS TIMESKIP?
The biggest change has been in Kit's relationship with her stepbrother. Throughout most of the season, it was a tense relationship built on mistrust and competition. After a season getting to know Tobias, and a period away from the Ton, Kit is returning to London as a strange, tense ally to her brother. Now, fighting for her family also includes fighting for Tobias Thorne.
She's also officially courting the crown prince (although nothing has been officially announced) which is definitely an act and not at all built upon real feelings and hopes. She's a dirty liar.
WHAT DID THEY MISS ABOUT THE SOCIAL SEASON?
Apart from social events, the thing she's missed most is James Liu. James is her made up 'cousin' and alter ego. She has once again packed a suitcase of men's clothes which she will be using to cross-dress as James and gain entry to Brooks. It was extremely successful last season, and she is hoping to find even more opportunities to be James this time round.
WHAT DO THEY WANT FROM THE 1814 SOCIAL SEASON?
Kit's wants have not changed. She wants to become Lord Thorne's heir. She is hoping to take every opportunity to prove herself the best fit for the job, and to gain as many allies as possible.
HOW DID THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS CHANGE OVER THE BREAK?
On the surface, little has changed. Internally however, Kit feels much less aligned with her father and much more aligned with her brother. This may change how she reacts and who she advocates for throughout the season.
WHAT MOMENT FROM THE 1813 SEASON REPLAY IN THEIR MIND AND WHY?
There are so many, getting to debut James properly in society, her first dance with Nicolas, her fight with her father-in-law. They're all printed in her mind in a way she cannot escape.
WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FORWARD TO, RETURNING TO LONDON?
Kit is feeling hopeful, the drama of her last mention in Whistledown has mostly been overcome. She has a plan to avoid any more unwanted match making from her family, and her and Tobais seem to have found common ground on their plans for the future. She thinks this will be the season where her future is secured.
WHAT ARE THEY DREADING FACING WHEN THEY RETURN TO LONDON?
Whistledown. Kit has so much to gain, and so much to lose coming into this season. She has also heard whispers that her ex-fiancé may be kicking around and cannot bear the thought of encountering them again. Someone should fill that WC for max drama!!!!
Kit's family tree is not simple; it is full of blends and complicated feelings and lies she cannot bear to let go of. Thorne, the name she has now, the one she has given her full heart to. It is the name she shares with a stepfather, two stepsiblings and a half sister. It is the name which brings to mind her complicated relationship with Tobias Thorne - one defined by two people, far more similar than they care to admit, trying to decide if they should be spending their energy trying to trust each other, or trying not to.
Rowley is the name of her birth father, the one she always knew she would one day have to give up, but one she thought would be abandoned for a future spouse, rather than a new father. It is a name she tries not to dwell on, one which risks raising complicated emotions about the relationship she has with Lord Thorne, and whether her father would have approved of the life she is attempting to forge for herself.
Liu is the name that has always been the simplest for Kit. It is the name she inherited from her mother, a name that highlights her mother's Chinese heritage. Liu is the name she has always felt the most connected to, and the name that has always been unfairly stripped from her. It is the complicated connection to her culture and connection to a family who always feel too far away. It is the name she chose when creating James Liu, the fake cousin she uses to explore the masculine side of her gender identity in society.
There's a flicker of light
There's always morning after the night
It's all in my mind, it's all in my mind
There's a flicker of light
Without the dark, the stars can't shine bright
And I'm still alive, I'm still alive
I said I'm still alive
I'm still alive, I'm still alive
Flicker of light - Lola Young // Second - Hope D // Naked in Manhattan - Chappell Roan // When You Say My Name - Chandler Leighton // Not Like That Anymore - Lola Young // Conceited - Lola Young // My Kink is Karma - Chappell Roan // The Feminine Urge - The Last Dinner Party // Haunted - Laura Les // I Only Smoke When I Drink - Nimino
The Second Task | Divine Reflection | Kit Thorne as
BA (THE GODDESS OF THE DROUGHT)
Ba is the daughter of the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) whom she aided during his Battle at Zhuolu against Chiyou. After Chiyou had fielded a wind god (Feng Bo) and a rain god (Yu Shi), Ba descended from heaven to use her drought power to defeat their wind and rain powers.
If there's one thing Kit knows they will always fight for, it is family. Birth, adopted or chosen, once someone was in Kit's family, they had a warrior who would stand by their side through anything. There was a brutality to that loyalty - a willingness to do what was necessary, rather than what was right, to protect the people they love.
Ba can be considered to be an ancient Chinese mythical drought demon. After having descended from Heaven to aid Huangdi at Zhuolu, instead of returning to heaven, Ba wandered to the northern parts of the earth. Wherever Ba appeared, there would be a drought.
Kit worries about it sometimes - are they the hero or the villain of the story? A knight riding in to save the day, or a bringing of doom? Sometimes they suspect if they looked closely, they'd discover something they're not yet ready to know.
The First Task | Home Sweet Home | Part Two - Thorne House
The house:
'It felt just like coming home'. That is the way Kit tells seeing Thorne house for the first time. As if her arrival was meant to be. In reality she had been terrified, looking up on a dark imposing manor. It was so different from the house she had left, and despite all of her adopted father's assurances it felt hard to believe there was actually a place for her within its walls.
Kit had never been one to let reality get in the way of the stories she told herself. She could not change the house, so instead she adopted the aesthetic as her own. Her bedroom was fully decorated in the traditional, Gothic style. She found rooms in the house that she could make her own, and tried to forge an identity within them which melded her aesthetics and possessions with her new home.
Where you would find Kit:
Despite all of her efforts she still does not feel at home within the walls of Thorne house. In the grounds, however, she has found her freedom. Kit can often be found with her favorite horse exploring the woodlands and fields which surround the property.
She makes regular trips to see the tenants who live on the Thorne's land, trying to understand not only the business of running the estate, but also getting to know the people who call Shrewsbury home.
See more (including Thorne house through Tobias and Virginia's eyes) here, here and here
The First Task | Home Sweet Home | Part One - Rowley House
The house:
While established in society, the Rowley's were not wealthy. They did not have a big house in the country, instead living between their London estate and a smaller property with some tenants and farmland.
The interior:
After her first marriage, Kit's mother redecorated much of Rowley house. She wanted to incorporate elements from her home, to create something which reflected Chinese interior design from the period.
She quickly realized how difficult this would be. They did not have the money to import genuine pieces from China, and the English designers she worked with instead produced Chinoiserie works, a bastardization of her culture which did not make her feel any more at home.
She found some designers and carpenters of Chinese decent in London who were able to make individual pieces she was seeking, and these were always Kit's favorite elements in their home.
Kit's truly favorite room was in the London townhouse. A large tapestry covered one wall in the family drawing room (not open to guests) which had her father's family tree. It passed onto the inheritor of her father's estate after his death, but she has always hoped to get it back one day.
Where you would find Kit:
Hiding in the family drawing room, riding through the family's lands, curled up in her favourite chair in the library, drinking tea with her mother in the family dining room.
