I commissioned @sadfishkid to draw Princess Mute bc I am desperate for more content and she turned out so INCREDIBLE?!?!?! I'm like crying from how beautiful she is. That perfect little smile. Her gorgeous hanfu!!
I highly recommend commissioning something from sadfishkid!! Their art is gorgeous and they are very nice and wonderful to work with ❤️✨
So pls enjoy this Princess Mute I love her so much (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)
I’m rewatching Reunion Sound of Providence and I’m having Feelings... some of which are righteous anger. Please excuse the rant.
-
I just feel like there was potential for a really cool parallel story arc between Princess Mute and Chuchu Ya Nv.
Instead what we got was two women literally without voices of their own who had men make half-assed attempts to “give them 'back' their voices” that still ended with the women in question being effectively cast off.
(So technically there was a parallel story arc... it just wasn’t what I would call super cool.)
Wu Xie broke into 11th Warehouse just try try and figure out what Princess Mute was supposedly trying to tell him, only for her to disappear after the theft goes wrong and her story line is dropped entirely.
Chuchu is given a chance to gain a voice so she can make herself heard?, and in the end the choice to go through with the surgery was hers, but over all it was the result of Hei Yanjing making the choice for her about whether or not she belonged anywhere near his world.
He denied her any chance to even look at his world with fully opened eyes and make and informed choice on whether or not pursuing a relationship would have been worth it, and then she still ended up being shot over him and his world anyway.
(Chuchu's allegedly not dead, but we'll see if the fandom (or the showrunners/execs) kill her like they apparently killed Piao Piao. Piao Piao should have lived godsdamnit! Don’t just be killing women off for free orphans!)
I just think, and I get that it probably would have had at least a portion of the fandom frothing at the mouth, but I just think that some of the 11th warehouse arc could have been interspersed with a bit more of Chuchu's speech pathology (in which Xie YuChen uses his traditional Opera training to help Chuchu figure out how to modulate/use her new voice) and her also realising she's seen some of the Thunder God symbology before on a previous job and taking a closer look.
Then, through Chuchu's investigation we learn the full and true story of Princess Mute, and a clue that helps the boys get to Thunder City, and Chuchu has the chance to see Xiazi's world and decide for herself whether she wants to risk it, while finally helping put Princess Mute to rest at last.
Metaphorically, because Ghosts Don't Exist in the Lost Tomb TV franchise, it's all Magnets and mutant wild life. And a shit ton of hallucinogenics including bronze bells and eye bugs.
And if Ghosts were real Liu Sang would absolutely be able to hear them. Ghost A-Ning would just be constantly berating an unwitting Wu Xie over his continued Bad Life Choices.
Just: Chuchu getting into the more anthropological side of archeology/Dangerous Antiquing and using her newly acquired Voice to Speak for those who can No Long Speak for Themselves…
if you're doing those characters then please give me more amazing takes on princess mute 🥺💕
OMG IM SO LATE ANSWERING THIS BUT HERE I FINALLY AM
Also omgg thank you SOSOSO much for asking me about Princess Mute?? THE LOVE OF MY LIFE??? You know me so well, vish!! I love and adore you so much!! Thank you for giving me the chance to blabber on about the woman I love!! ⁽⁽٩(๑˃̶͈̀ ᗨ ˂̶͈́)۶⁾⁾
ALSO! I’m gonna do my best to like- not spoil all my plans for whispers, haha
The rest is under the cut bc I just have a lot of FEELINGS~ about our resident zombie girl
❤⃛ヾ(๑❛ ▿ ◠๑ )
How I feel about this character
OH BOY OK I JUST??? LOVE HER??? A LOT???? I wasn’t expecting to get quite so immediately and intensely attached to her?? But from the second I heard about her in the legend I was just gone. Completely done for. I’m generally a sucker for mythology, and there’s just SO MUCH that’s fascinating about the tale behind the Princess Mute and the South Sea King?
Even though Princess Mute is so central to the myth, the South Sea King is deemed as the most important? I mean- duh it is his tomb, but Princess Mute is the catalyst? None of this would have happened without her? She’s main character material and yet she isn’t the main character of her own story?? She has practically no agency? It’s so? Fucking? Fascinating?? And there is so fucking much left unanswered? The myth says she turns into a goddamn monster?? Is this- figuratively? Or literally? Is she a monster for breaking gender norms and committing the ultimate taboo by killing the Emperor??? Like- holy FUCK? Like- LOOK at this pic from Ershu’s Expensive Powerpoint:
and a close-up for good measure:
(note the HORNS/HELMET?? the LIGHTNING STRIKE!!! 👀👀👀 how she’s dressed as a SOLDIER?? that SPEAR??? also she’s depicted as much bigger than the emperor!! which, of course, means she’s more important!!!!)
and, HELLO!! She’s called the PRINCESS MUTE. She is only known/named in association to someone else. Her name has been erased from history. It isn’t important to anyone. Which is so fucking ironic. She’s Princess Mute. Her voice has been stripped from her, just like her agency. This tale is the Mute Emperor’s and not her own. Her suffering means nothing to anyone. Her life means nothing other than for the Emperor to desire and the South Sea King to mourn over (and WOW!! ISN’T THIS JUST!! SO perfectly encapsulating Nanpai Sanshu’s female characters and their relevance to the story/male characters)
(so what is her goddamn name???? I mean, I know what I’ve named her, but sorry dudes. Again. I don’t wanna spoil too much :) )
also, WHY is the South Sea King covering her eyes when she’s sent off to sea in the origami boat?
What actually happens to her after this? The body we see of the South Sea King has long white hair so I assume he died pretty old? So why does she look so goddamn young?
And- the million dollar question here (WHICH I HAVE A LOT OF HEADCANONS FOR BUT I DON’T WANNA SPOIL WHISPERS): What happened to her after she killed the Emperor????
ALSO!! WHY IS SHE HOLDING A DINGLAN RULER WHEN SANSHU FINDS HER IN THAT FIRST EXPEDITION?? (internet says it’s a “special ruler used for making shrines, carving wood statues and making tablets of gods. Later used in measurement of architectural scale; measuring instrument for the netherworld, wishes best for tomb owner) did she design her own father’s tomb?? is there more to her becoming a leather figurine than filial loyalty/sacrifice??
Why does she have a tattoo?? I go a bit into this in my fic, but from my understanding it was unusual for people (women especially!) to have tattoos during this time! (this is just from my research! if I am wrong please correct me!)
For anyone who hasn’t read whispers, there were a a few tribes (minorities!) during this time who tattooed themselves (and to this day, they continue this tradition :) ). The Li were often attacked by invaders who assaulted the women and sold them as slaves. The women ended up tattooing their faces and bodies to make them less appealing, and it ended up becoming a tradition. When a girl came of age she’d get tattooed. Then we’ve got the Dai, who (from what I understand!) got tattoos of animals with characteristics they wished to embody, such as to show their virility and strength! So they’d tattoo tigers and dragons, etc.
So why does Princess Mute have one? Who gave it to her? WHAT ACTUALLY IS IT!!!!!! (eternal frustration that we never see a clear shot of the whole thing!!) It kinda looks like a heavily stylized fish? With some waves. But I am unsure! But it would make sense, considering the ongoing theme of snakes and fish throughout dmbj.
Also, her scars seem very strange. Like- if someone skinned her (YIKES!) then- her scars don’t really seem like they’re a result of skinning (double yikes!!). You’d think that for a woman who was the daughter of the King, they’d take more care to preserve her face?? So why does it seem like someone has done their utter best to ruin it? Did the Emperor do it himself? Did her father? Or did someone else do it?? Did she do it herself????
Also, I just wanna cut the bullshit with the creepy hand clam thing. A hand clam isn’t gonna wrap their fingers around Wu Xie’s hand to stop him from blowing himself up. Like. I get that it’s the censorship. I get it. But- you can’t tell me it wasn’t actually the Princess Mute who saved him. I just?? This moment is so powerful? It literally knocked the breath from my chest.
Princess Mute’s story is just so fascinating and tragic and I am just a mess over how she isn’t in control of her own story? She never is. Except for when she kills the Emperor. (AND when she saves Wu Xie) And I think that’s fucking telling.
Of course, it felt like they had more of a storyline planned for her which never happened, but I’ll get more into that later.
Basically, I just have SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!
It’s like- I dunno. Seeing a gorgeous woman flip an obnoxious man over her shoulder and slam him to the ground without breaking a sweat and watching her walk away with stars in your eyes. You barely know anything about her but you’re already half in love and you just want to know more.
I’m super Gay for her, if you couldn’t already tell.
Honestly, she just perfectly represents all the female characters and their treatment in dmbj with all the extra PIZAZZ of the mysterious supernatural/mythological elements. She just makes me go feral and I adore her with my entire heart.
All the people I ship romantically with this character
NUMBER ONE I SHIP HER WITH MY CUTE AND PERFECT GF XIAO BAI!!!!!!!!
They are my two favourite (okay and my wife Su Nan!) female characters in dmbj. I think their stories parallel each other pretty beautifully? They’re both women in a powerful position, though with limited agency. They both defy gender norms and accomplish things (I’m counting killing the Emperor as Accomplishing Something) in a very male-dominated world. And- okay. I know the Princess Mute is technically dead. But she also?? is someone still doing stuff?? and pushing along the storyline?? as a zombie?? So I’m just gonna say that both of them aren’t truly killed off for the Man Pain like all the other female dmbj characters (except for Xiu Xiu, and I guess Chuchu but ChuChu’s situation is kinda....Iffy. At best.)
Also both of them are linked pretty heavily with Wu Xie? They both have an interesting relationship with him. And Princess Mute leads Wu Xie to Xiao Bai!!!
And okay this is spoiling a bit of whispers, BUT!!! Warehouse 11 was built atop the South Sea King’s temple. Isn’t that fucking important??? I stand by my headcanon that Xiao Bai is a Warehouse kid (descended from the Founders) and so she grew up there. And like- ignoring censorship bc I can AND because Reboot leaves a lot of supernatural stuff up in the air anyway- wouldn’t growing up atop an insanely powerful temple do something to you? Wouldn’t it affect you in some way?? There’s just!!! SO much potential between Princess Mute and Xiao Bai!! Plus!! I think it’d be great for Xiao Bai to form a relationship with another woman. She needs some female solidarity in her life.
And- well. I just ship Princess Mute with all the dmbj women, really. Princess Mute has two hands, why can she use them both?? I’ve got a couple Princess Mute modern au’s going and in one of them she just- sweeps A’Ning and Su Nan off their feet :)
I really can’t ship Princess Mute with any male characters, I think. There’s just- so much underlying trauma surrounding her agency and how she’s been used by the men in her life. Also, I like wlw & mlm solidarity. Let Princess Mute and Wu Xie wallow over their Stupid Crushes. Or Princess Mute & Xiao Ge. I’m not picky.
My non-romantic OTP for this character
Purely bc of my own au, I am very much invested in Princess Mute & Li Cu (& spirit snake). As I mentioned before, there’s a running theme of loss of agency in their own lives and suffering the consequences of others’ actions. Plus, there’s a lot of supernatural happenings surrounding the both of them. Why wouldn’t they find a connection?
And, obviously, I adore Princess Mute & Wu Xie. Princess Mute saved Wu Xie and then Wu Xie was promptly obsessed (can’t say I blame him). They had such an interesting relationship in Reboot that was just- so fucking tragically dropped.
My unpopular opinion about this character
SHE SHOULD BE MORE POPULAR!!!!!!!!!! She is so goddamn fascinating and gorgeous and I just!! Want!! Everyone to adore her as much as I do!!!!!!!! At least I feel a bit accomplished for swinging some readers over to her side in whispers!! That’s something!!!
I’ve got like- a million au ideas with her. I’m going to be the creator of the content I wish to read!!!!!
One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.
I WISH SHE COULD HAVE GOTTEN A SATISFACTORILY COMPLETED STORYLINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She just gets completely dropped after she leads Wu Xie to Warehouse 11. So once more, she is a plot device and not. And actual. Person. Her importance is tied irrevocably to the male leads. Her agency is not her own. Wu Xie cares so much about her, and okay, he’s trying to figure out a mystery and we all know how he gets when he’s trying to puzzle out a mystery-- but you can’t tell me he just- stops caring after he encounters Warehouse 11??? What happens to her after that?? Does she rot away in a box in Wushanju?? Does Ershu take her back?? I’m just?? WHAT????
I want to know her side of the story and not what everyone else has said. I want her to actually properly communicate with Wu Xie. I want her saving the day again and I want her being fucking badass and I want her and Xiao Ge being soft together and I want her and Xiao Bai to bond fall in love and I want everyone to just- fall in love with her? And care about her? And I want to to find herself caring about these fucking idiots too???? Can you imagine her and Liu Sang bonding over shitty fathers and lack of agency and Trauma?? Can you imagine Princess Mute getting her life back and the freckles returning to her slowly darkening skin and her being silly with Hei-ye bc he keeps shoving increasingly ridiculous sunglasses at her. And can you imagine her trying on jeans for the first time and picking out a cute bomber jacket and shoving a baseball cap on her head and dipping her feet back in the sea and befriending shibie bc she’s just?? that?? cool?? while Iron Triangle is off on the side fretting like she isn’t befriending some very dangerous creatures but it’s okay bc she’s a dangerous creature too and she understands fear and desire and hunger.
I want her returning to Thunder City. I want her getting closure. I want her story to get closure. Period.
And I know it didn’t happen bc censorship and Nanpai Sanshu and just- a host of Other Things. But I want it, and she deserves it.
--
AAAHH VISH!!!! Thank you so much for letting me yell about Princess Mute!! Sorry I couldn’t go more in depth with headcanons but!! Like I said, I don’t want to completely spoil you for whispers, so I’ll keep those close to my chest for now
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Fandom: The Lost Tomb Reboot, Tomb of the Sea, The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles, Ultimate Note
Chapter: 10/?
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence
Relationships: Jia Kezi/Li Cu, Liu Sang/Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling, Bai Haotian/Princess Mute, Li Cu & Wu Xie, Bai Haotian & Jia Kezi & Liu Sang, Li Cu & Liu Sang, Li Cu & Spirit Snake, Bai Haotian & Jiang Zisuan & Liu Sang & San Ye
Characters: Li Cu, Liu Sang, Wu Xie, Zhang Qiling, Wang Pangzi, Jia Kezi, Bai Haotian, Li Jiale, Princess Mute, San Ye, Jiang Zisuan, Huo Daofu, Su Nan, Su Wan, Yang Hao
Additional Tags: Found Family, Canon Divergence, Everybody Lives/Nobody Dies, (except the bad guys), Hostage Situations, Supernatural Elements, Past Child Abuse, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Angst, Hurt Comfort, Fluff, BAMF!Xiao Bai, Eventual Smut, Spirit Snakes, Miscommunication, Established Relationship (that’s the Pingxie bc it’s too complicated to bring Liu Sang in if they aren’t already together but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still dumb about their feelings!! :D), Liu Sang and Jia Kezi are BROTHERS!!!!!!!!!, Wu Xie being a dad
Summary:
Li Cu’s already been kidnapped and dragged off on an adventure once. He’d rather not do it a second time.
Of course, things never turn out his way.
–
Or, Li Cu accidentally sets up Wu Xie and Zhang Qiling with Liu Sang, gets shot twice, gets buddy-buddy with his parasitic snake spirit, kisses a pretty boy, adopts a little sister, and speaks with ghosts– not necessarily in that order.
