#xue writes

[kettledemon]

Learning

Partially related to this comic I made

[aphel1on]

writing xue yang character development (from his pov) is so so funny bc you have to find a way to somehow convey to the audience that character development has occurred while also avoiding him ever consciously noticing that it has

[disaster-fruit]

Kiss

[sillygoofyqueer]

Today I had the wild thought of "you know, I could just queue my mad scientist AU posts" but one, that would require far more work in one day than I can be arsed for and two, that would mean you guys don't get my personal notes every day. Like, for instance, I've been reading Faraway Wanderers! Exquisite series. The moment Wei Wuxian and Wen Qionglin are discovered missing, there's a meeting immediately called for the Big Shots to attend. Yu Ziyuan, despite all attempts to keep her out of such meetings, of course is there and has opinions - namely, that Wei Wuxian and Wen Qionglin have gone back to spill all of their secrets to the enemy. She, personally, believes that this has been going on for ages, and that Wen Qing is just covering up for her didis so that they can get away with such things. Of course, it's the first time Lan Xichen has had to physically grab his didi to stop him from climbing over the war table to start a brawl. Wen Qing is about to tell her exactly what she thinks about that take on things, but a calm voice comes out of the left corner - JIN ZIXUAN sliding in with the "Wei Wuxian has messenger crows that could do such things for him." As much as Yu Ziyuan wants to beat the shit out of this boy, this is her sworn sister's son and so all she can do is glare at him from the corner.

Nie Mingjue quickly takes control of the meeting from there, fielding different suggestions on how to proceed - should they send someone after the boys? Should they wait for them to return? Should they...I mean there isn't much else they could do about this, so it is just those two options. Lan Wangji, who is obviously worried about the two, is desperate to go after them so he can make sure they're alright, but there's no way that's happening - they've already lost possibly their wild card and best archer in one swift move, they're not losing another one of their best fighters. Wen Qing volunteers to go, but she's literally like the head medic, they need her, so that's a no-go as well. Plus, they have no idea what the Wen would do if they they found their troops crawling around anywhere near Dafan if nothing has happened to the inhabitants there - it's too much of a risk.

They're just coming to this decision, albeit reluctantly, when there's a loud commotion outside. They all rush outside, because of course they do, and they find Wen Qionglin and Wei Wuxian stumbling their way back into camp. They don't look injured, but there's blood smeared on their robes and Wen Qionglin looks like a mess, tear streaks clear on his face and hands clutched around himself as they approach camp. Wei Wuxian looks only a little better, tears instead replaced by an empty expression on his face and a haunted look in his eyes, with a bundle of blankets clutched firmly against his chest. Wen Qionglin's eyes are fixed on the ground, and Wei Wuxian isn't responding to calls of any of his names, just staring ahead silently. Wen Qing sprints over to ask what's wrong, what's happened, is their family okay- all questions are answered with a single shake of the head from Wen Ning, before he bursts into tears once again, uncaring who's watching him as he buries his face into Wen Qing's shoulder.

Wei Wuxian has stopped beside them, watching the scene listlessly as his grasp tightens on the bundle of blankets, a soft sound escaping the bundle with the movement. His unblinking eyes snap down to it, adjusting his grasp so he can gently brush at what is obviously a child's head, lips moving with indecipherable murmurs and body swaying back and forth the slightest bit. He is holding a baby. When everyone realises this, one of the other onlookers makes the mistake of reaching out to try and take the baby away from him - saying something about relieving him of a burden. He fully jolts away, a wild snarl escaping him and a sudden oppressive sensation appearing in the area as resentful energy curls around his body completely of its own accord. "Don't you fucking touch him!" Is the animalistic response the unfortunate onlooker receives.

Everyone has gone still, sensing the volatile, dangerous state Wei Wuxian is in a little bit too late. It's like something has cracked within him; he won't even let Wen Qing close in his distress, baring his teeth at anyone who tries to approach him. The baby in his arms has a single little hand gripped into the fabric of his bloodstained robes, thankfully remaining rather undisturbed despite the tense situation they're involved in. Lan Wangji desperately wants to help, wants to hold Wei Ying close and comfort him in the midst of what can only be a tragedy that has befallen the Dafan Wen, but he doesn't know if Wei Ying would react any differently to him compared to his literal family. He can only stand there, wishing he could reach out and soothe the distress marring the other boy's features but unable to move his mouth to do more than murmur Wei Ying's name.

Another, more hesitant voice rings out from the crowd, a "gege?" coming from Xue Yang as he takes a casual forwards - he has seen Wei-gege in a state similar to this before, when the resentful energy overwhelmed him in an experiment gone wrong back in the Wen stronghold. He knows that he can be useful, that he is the only one knows how to handle his gege, to push him away from the edge of his sanity. Everyone's holding their breath as this child walks closer as though he isn't quite possibly courting death with this move, forgoing touching the child to instead rest an arm on the teenager's shoulder. "Gege, Xue-di needs reminding how to circulate his qi!" In Wei Ying's mind, all he's seeing is another child that he needs to protect from the danger all around them, another child who he could fail with one stupid move. He carefully adjusts his hold on the baby to free up one of his hands, tugging a willing Xue Yang in close to his side as well, avoiding eye contact with everyone. If his didi needed help with such a thing, he was going to put all of his focus into it.

It's like the oppressive air is lifted from around them as he mumbles about circulating his qi, almost naturally doing it in demonstration, leaving the more volatile resentful energy to either clear from his system or retreat in its broiling state to avoid the qi rolling through his body. Everyone can only breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that a literal bomb has just been defused right in front of their eyes. Wen Qing, who has been doing a very good job of not breaking down in tears at the implications of this whole situation, takes a deep breath and starts whispering softly to Wei Ying to draw his attention to her, all while Wen Ning is still clinging to her and sobbing softly into her arms. "A-Ying, we need to check on A-Yuan to make sure he's alright." She murmurs, watching as Wei Ying's grasp tightens a little on the baby, who has been snuggling into his arms with no care for the dangerous position he's been in.

The teenager nods a little, but still seems reluctant to move from this position - he can see everyone right now, he knows where all of the potential threats are and can deal with them in the blink of an eye if necessary. Thinking on her feet, Wen Qing is like "Lan Wangji can watch your back while we move to the medbay" because of course he looks up at the mention of Lan Zhan, even in this state, those haunted grey eyes latching onto the other teenager. Of course he can trust Lan Zhan to watch his back, he can trust Lan Zhan with all of his darkest secrets, he knows that Lan Zhan will look after him if he turns his back on him. It's for this reason that he nods a little, watching the boy immediately move to be at his back when the little group begins shuffling to the medbay. Everyone else who has watched this situation unfold is both thanking their lucky stars and is like "what the fuck just happened" - Yu Ziyuan had the Lan Silencing charm cast on her so she couldn't burst out with horrific shit, and she is so fucking pissed off at Lan Xichen for that movement.

[irlmantaray]

OKay. so. Obviously. a BingYuan story could very much work with the canon events of the CDrama The Double with some Shen Jiu Sympathies...(Shen Yuan taking Shen Jiu's identity to enact revenge like Xue Fang Fei took Jiang Li's) but consider, I am in a very JiuYuan mood and also Xue Fang Fei and Jiang Li should have had the chance to be the lesbians I know they are destined to be. SO what if I live out my lesbian Jiang Li and Xue Fang Fei rights with Shen Jiu and Shen Yuan while also being a hella good revenge story??? Unclear how much I want to stick to the og The Double plot. But there is def inspo here.

[dearmyloveleys]

as much as I enjoy reading discourse on why this person and that person did that in mdzs, sometimes I feel like we think too much on them and it really is just… the characters are just… human… (referencing people in the main cast) They do things whatever they think is right and wrong, because of their own histories, upbringing and personalities. It’s inevitable that they clash with others, which escalates emotions and events. Their very superficial society doesn’t help at all. With everything coming together in a shitshow, this makes all their stories so damn painful and tragic.

This doesn’t mean that I excuse characters who inflict more harm on others. I acknowledge and don't want to take away whatever any character experienced. Being human doesn't excuse shitty behaviour. But still, I feel for them that they had to resort to/end up in their respective ways to make it through their loveless world. I want to focus on the greyness of humanity behind everything that happens in the story. One of the many thematic concerns that resonate with me is how much of us as humans are black and white (as such, we debate on the characters’ place on this spectrum, because of their actions). 不说黑白, Never black or white. Even if it nears the blackened end, it still never goes pitch black.

I say 人就是人，人就是这样 — People are people, people are simply like this. We all can be kind, we all curse out. We are all insecure about something. We laugh, we cry. We write love songs as much as easily as we write hateful messages. One day our loved ones and friends are around, and the next day, they aren’t anymore. There are times in our past that we can never return to and we can do nothing but move on with our own ways of coping, for what we think will be a better life for us. For better or worse.

Amidst all the viciousness and pettiness of the jianghu, mdzs touches on our tragedies and fallacies as people just trying to make sense of an unfeeling world, with unjust consequences and impartiality. Many of the mdzs characters try, and they fail. Isn’t this how our own reality is? How many of us have the privilege of a denouement to our own stories?

We can all have our personal opinions on the characters and their actions, but do not deny them their humanity or whatever shred of it is left.

[epicestwriter420]

I like the idea of Xue Yang with a s/o who is essentially his ride-or-die. A serious yes-man who supports literally everything Xue Yang does even though it goes against their own morals. They normally think murder, obsessive years-long grudges, demonic cultivation and the like are wrong, completely unacceptable and unforgivable, but when their bf does it? It's fine! Completely justifiable! I mean, do you know what he's been through? A-Yang is only protecting himself!!!!!

[calits-now-ontheside]

🌻 Stream of More or Less Organized Thoughts on Canto 8 (Spoilers) 🌻

Okay so I can finally take the time to talk about Canto VIII, which was probably the Canto I was looking forward to the most since Hong Lu is my favorite character in Limbus Company and all the mysteries surrounding him intrigued me greatly (I can’t believe I read so many essays on Dream of the Red Chamber and read both its English and French versions to try to better understand his character, ah the good old days ~)

Anyway, all this to say the hype was real but I feared one thing—given the length of the book and the number of characters, I was afraid it would be too much for the format of Limbus Company and that the Canto would end up being just a parade of references and characters without real coherence or that some characters considered very important in the book would be brushed aside.

On that level I’m both convinced and a little disappointed.

I was still rather surprised by the number of characters with a character design, and I find them all very well done. I prefer to continue with the positive points before coming back to the knot that bothered me on my side.

Visually, it’s flawless. The number of backgrounds is impressive, each more beautiful than the last. The music is also superb, with a special mention to the level selection screen’s music, which seems to be linked to Lin Daiyu.

The animations are full of beautiful little details—whether it's those of Jia Qiu, the illustrations, or the ending animation, enhanced by Mili’s music, really flawless.

Tian Tian, by the way, was really enjoyable without blowing me away but the animation and dialogues really helped highlight it for me, even if she doesn’t dethrone Hero or Through Patches of Violets (you the best) in my heart. I feel like I’m the only one who didn’t fall in love with the music and I almost feel sorry about it knowing the place Canto VIII has in my relationship with Limbus but that’s how it is—it’s just not my kind of music.

The first part left me puzzled, not in a bad way: I didn’t know where it was going, which only piqued my curiosity even more. And what a second part!

Everything was so sad, so horrible, I remember thinking for three days about the horror Hong Lu had to go through in the lab.

And I mean, I expected we would go through a valley of horror in his Canto because there was no doubt in my mind that Hong Lu’s behavior was a response to one or several very very traumatic events and oh boy, we were served.

Hong Lu who had to witness the torture done to the test subjects despite his opposition, Hong Lu who had to witness the massacre he tried to prevent, his cries and desperate pleas to Xiren and his grandmother who are the only adults who showed him affection and whom he feels he can turn to were heartbreakoing to watch.

Xiren’s brainwashing, convincing Hong Lu that he couldn’t talk to anyone else, isolating him even more and even despite that when he tries to beg his grandmother hoping she would care it didn't work.

Nothing works, he just accepts his role in this story by trying to distance himself from others and especially from those he loves in the hope of no longer seeing the people he loves hurt and hoping he no longer has to suffer or see others suffer.

The fall of the Kong clan (in perfect alignment with the theme of DORC), the horror of the birth of those monsters (horrible, horrible scene), and just hearing a 10 years old Hong Lu ask his grandmother to let him go and close his eyes without her even showing a hint of sympathy because it’s not his role: the nail in the coffin.

All of that hurt so much and was heartbreaking.

Witnessing Hong Lu’s isolation and progressive renouncement of individuality was soul-crushing to watch and finally his call for help into the void to be comforted and just seeking reassurance and to know it wasn’t his fault—I just wanted to give him a hug.

Truly a masterpiece at that level and very happy to find a bit of that uncanny horror unique to the PM world again.

By the way, love the foreshadowings but PM must really thinks itself to be the funniers with Hong Lu's Corrosions EGO, going back on these details I am like "Come on, no way!!"

I thought for a moment he was going to distort by reliving all that. Fortunately—or sadly—he’s so disconnected from his own emotions that it barely affects him anymore. On that note, I was a bit disappointed that he didn’t have an encounter with Carmen, especially since it was heavily theorized since Hell’s Kitchen.

But at the same time it also makes sense for Hong Lu at this moment because as said earlier, Hong Lu has muted all his emotions, opinions, and feelings about what’s happening to him and what happened in the past.

So even if it hurt him a lot, it hurt so much that he simply snapped emotionally to no longer feel anything, not even a deep desire or emotion with which Carmen could resonate with.

He’s just starting to allow himself to feel all of that again and that brings me to my next point.

First, I love Jia Qiu with all my heart—already when I saw him during the Sweeper’s intel scene, I was just blown away and prayed he was on our side because he was so beautiful and looked so much like my favorite character from The Untamed that it was hard not to drink in his words.

And boy, my prayers were heard because Jia Qiu was just the MVP of this canto.

His past, his interactions with his little team and with Hong Lu whom he sincerely encourages, having witnessed his kindness, his badass nature and his attitude combined with his little aura of mystery linked to his absence—amazing.

I really liked the scene where he asks for compensation for Zilu and they take the opportunity to emphasize how strong he is.

His interactions with his small group became more and more adorable to watch, whether it’s their show of affection and respect for each other or when Jia Qiu criticizes Xifeng’s plan to just rip out Hong Lu’s eye. (another scene that many expected, I mean Jia Baoyu (OG) gets wax in his eyes in the novel and everything made us believe that Hong Lu himself or someone close to him might try to attack his eye)

And when I read that I was like “oh yeah, not a dumb plan, I hadn't thought about that too.”

Okay sometimes I wanted to tell Jia Qiu to step back and take Dante by the hand to tell them to do something because I found Dante quite passive compared to usual.

Sure, we understand that Dante is now more at peace with their role as manager (as we saw in Canto VII), and they did push Hong Lu forward and help him with their new power but here, they were delegating almost everything to Jia Qiu.

And even if that might make narrative sense since Jia Qiu, in a way, has the right to excuse Hong Lu’s past actions as a representative of the Kong clan, I would have liked Dante to be more involved, to talk with Hong Lu and participate more actively in his process of liberation.

Anyway, to go back to Hong Lu’s emotional state throughout the chapter, I found it very well handled and even though I would have liked to see Hong Lu get angry or sob over what happened to him, I find it almost more interesting to take time with that.

We know the sinners’ arc is not over afterward and I think Hong Lu will slowly learn to express desires, wishes, and emotions again.

As Faust told him, Hong Lu’s wish will be to want.

At the end we see Hong Lu open a dam full of water to defeat his grandmother and for me that’s a clear sign that Hong Lu released all those emotions (and especially his sorrow) from the dam that was used to contain them, accepting to feel them and live with them now.

But there was a lot...

I think Hong Lu will now go through a path that will teach him how to feel and express emotions and who knows—maybe some of those emotions could come out in a twisted way in the future because of how unused he is to expressing them, and Carmen might show up at the worst moment.

Also, Hong Lu could still have a lot of anger in him, anger that is still dormant for now if you will, but which he is now ready to let awaken so I don’t know, I’m a bit scared for Hong Lu on that level...

Part 2 of the Canto remains the most striking to me: it’s the one where Hong Lu is the most shaken, both as a child and an adult. It’s the one that touched me the most emotionally, even though part 3 also had some beautiful moments.

Small important note before talking about more bitter things, but it’s always a pleasure to see the sinners interact with each other or with others—very funny or touching or interesting, I maybe would have liked a bit more involvement with Hong Lu and his evolution but Sinclair and especially Yi Sang still had a small role in Hong Lu’s Canto and I understand, it’s always hard and it might feel weird to force all 12 sinners to be involved that deeply in Hong Lu’s story and emotional state.

I kind of wish Heathcliff had been more in the spotlight, but at the same time, there were already so many characters and things to set up that I understand why they chose to keep Heathcliff more in the background.

Super cool to get some info about Ryoshu (if she’s a mother, I’m going to cry, for sure).

Yi Sang is so funny with his ex, and I’m really proud of him and his growth — truly delightful.

Gregor and Rodya are still as hilarious as ever, and it was nice to see Sinclair, Ishmael, and Don each get their moments, along with Outis.

Meursault was a bit more withdrawn, but personally I’m okay with that — it has to fall on one of the sinners, and I prefer that over forced lines of dialogue. He still had a few funny moments too.

Anyway, still a huge fan of the Club of 13.

That being said, it’s time I tackle my biggest critiques of this Canto.

I must admit my main criticism of this Canto lies in the use of certain characters.

I wish some had been explored further — especially in connection to their original versions in the novel.

I felt this particularly strongly with Lin Daiyu, Hong Lu’s parents, and not so much for Jia Mu but I wil still adressed her adaptation.

Starting off, I was very surprised to see Lin Daiyu still alive (love her design!!).

I really thought she’d already be dead, and that her death would’ve been one of the catalysts for Hong Lu’s state at the beginning of Limbus. But I was wrong — and that’s not a complaint! On the contrary, it’s always nice when a story catches you off guard after you think you’ve figured it out.

That said, Lin Daiyu felt incredibly sidelined.

We understand she played a role in Hong Lu’s childhood, but she felt so… far away, even though she’s supposed to be like Hong Lu's Cathy.

I really wish she had been closer to her novel counterpart, at least through iconic elements like her debt of tears, her fragile health, or her link to the Crimson Flower.

And I was hoping that the mention of a red flower would lead to a connection to the Little Prince’s flower — and maybe, through that, a little more mention of Dante's past.

Maybe the reveal about Hong Lu’s jade made it impossible to bring in the flower concept, since he turned out to not be quite what we thought — maybe a celestial flower didn’t make sense anymore.

Still, I hope the flower shows up later with (hopefully) Lin Daiyu’s return.

And sure, I understand this is an adaptation — really, I do — but removing elements so core to her character struck me as odd, especially when Limbus usually takes care to preserve the essence of the original characters.

Maybe I’m nitpicking, but aside from her stubbornness and her friendship with Hong Lu, this version of Lin Daiyu didn’t resemble her original self much at all.

That’s a shame.

I almost feel like she should’ve taken Xichun’s role in this version, since in the end, Hong Lu seems much closer to his little sister than to Lin Daiyu.

And that’s understandable: Xichun is the only one who didn’t betray, criticize, or try to hurt him. She’s that little sliver of innocence in his life, before he had to completely shut himself out.

But really, Lin Daiyu could have played that role — even without being his sister.

There were moments where I just wanted to pull her to the front of the stage.

As for Hong Lu’s parents, I found them pretty passive overall — especially his father.

Honestly, I imagined his father as the Chinese version of Lelouch vi Britannia’s dad LOL — that’s just how I pictured him while reading the book.

Despite his inability to be competent, he can be so awful in the novel that I imagined him as a brute.

So once again I was surprised when I saw him — but not in a bad way! On the contrary, I thought “Hey, that’s true, Baoyu’s father is described as incompetent and unable to manage anything,” and that pathetic side is reflected a bit when we talk to him.

I found it interesting that they emphasized his “unimpressive” side in his appearance. I thought he was going to reveal a much more cruel side at some point, but… nothing.

When he vanished halfway through the tournament, I thought, “He’s definitely in on it and has gone off to prepare something horrible for the end of the Canto — we’re about to learn his true nature!!” And in the end, the guy never came back.

Honestly, I wish he’d had a more active role in Hong Lu’s suffering or conditioning, since the Canto and character are more or less an adaptation in the world of Limbus.

I mean, the kid has already been through enough to convince himself he’s just a window to the outside world, and we understand that he is chastised by the others in his family because of the favor he has toward the elders, which is a really interesting point I have to admit, but the tormentors are anonymize in a way, they are a crowd, a mass.

Which again, it's really good because it helps to create from the start this idea of loneliness and isolation in Hong Lu's life with the others. It's him against the whispers. (even if yes he has his two friends and Xiren)

However, Jia Mu takes a more individual role in Hong Lu's pain and trauma and I think Hong Lu's dad could have share it in some way. Not by doing the same thing but by also taking the role of an individual traumatic figure in Hong Lu's life. (hope it's clear).

I couldn’t stop thinking about that chilling scene in the novel where Baoyu gets beaten nearly to death by his father in a fit of rage and humiliation.

A scene like that or even just implied could’ve worked really well in Limbus, and added even more horror and helplessness to what Hong Lu feels and help lessen the burden of Jia Mu to carry all this role to herself, emphasising the role of the adults invidually - close to Hong Lu in his life - instead and making a reference to the book by using it. As said, maybe it would have also helped to less villainized grandma - maybe it could have even help to reinforce why Jia Mu is still trusted by Hong Lu if not by fear and filial piety, but also because she was / is here for him against his father, like in the book.

The mother, Lady Wang, was okay overall.

I regret the absence of the older brother of Jia Baoyu, because in the novel, his death colors the mother with bitterness — she would’ve preferred him to survive instead. But I get that there wasn’t really room to develop that here.

Lady Wang stays true to her role.

No, really, what I missed was the father's implication.

In the novel, he’s Baoyu’s biggest source of fear — and in Limbus, he’s just… background.

Side note: where was Wang Xifeng? I really expected her to take Jia Yuanchun’s role, not necessarily at the end, but at least in the beginning.

She’s so the symbol of someone who handles all the household business with Grandmother Jia.

She also conspires with Grandmother Jia in the novel to marry Xue Baochai to Baoyu — so in Limbus, she could’ve been in on it too, standing beside her during the selection ceremony, and then at the end we discover the separated existence of Yuanchun.

Honestly, that’s a shame.

I also regret that there was no explanation of the “Land of Illusion” in Hong Lu’s EGO.

The term is mentioned, it’s even on his character teaser art, and it’s so central to the novel… but here it’s just a phrase tossed out.

Is it just the name he gives to his emotional retreat mechanism?

No reference to the “Paradise of Truth,” not even in his new EGO line, even though Jia Qiu was scrubbing floors with us while waiting for Hong Lu to speak his truth.

Well, at least Prospect Garden got used.

Overall, I sometimes felt like this Canto started brushing up against really interesting ideas — like something powerful was about to bloom…

But the pacing, the need to focus on Jia Qiu, the family members, the fall of H Corp, and Hong Lu’s inner evolution always took precedence.

Which I totally understand — there was no way we could skip his reconstruction after everything he’s been through.

Still, I’m left with a feeling of skimming over things or incompleteness.

Maybe I’m just projecting too much of my own reading of the novel onto Limbus Company, and that’s the danger with this and theories — the line between hoping something happens and needing it to happen because you’ve imagined it for so long is very thin.

You have to accept that your interpretation wasn’t shared.

But that doesn’t stop the disappointment from settling in and feeling like the adaptation could have been done better at some parts.

As for Jia Mu, that’s a more complex story, because I actually really liked the approach of making her an antagonist to Hong Lu.

Yes, in the novel, Baoyu’s grandmother loves him and is one of the few who protects him (from his father especially).

But I think PM just brought forward elements that were already strongly implied in her character — and in the world of Limbus Company, it makes perfect sense that those traits would intensify.

For me, the grandmother’s love for Baoyu in the novel stems largely from his exceptional status symbolized by his jade.

She loves him for his jade and the status it grants him.

And while she wants Baoyu to remain carefree and playful, she’s also the one who manipulates him into marrying Xue Baochai, ignoring his feelings for Lin Daiyu.

Plus, Grandmother Jia only wants the family to survive and prosper — and she knows how to get what she wants.

So honestly, I don’t think her behavior toward Hong Lu in Limbus is all that strange.

Sure, it might’ve been nice if her love had felt more sincere — but at the same time, this portrayal makes sense to me.

Continuing on, I do see the message behind the jade not being magical but just a camera — demystifying Hong Lu’s fate and turning it into a symbol of his family’s chains and burdens.

Buuut… I admit I kind of wanted there to be more to it, something closer to the novel version.

But that’s just personal preference, and I totally get what I think PM was trying to do with that symbolism.

Still, it echoed tears of stars so much (even though they don’t serve the same purpose) and I was hoping for something different.

Hong Lu, I know you were emotionally shut down at that point, but could you have at least reacted a little to seeing a mechanism similar to yours?

Okay, that’s just a selfish wish — but I wanted a magical jade.

Also, I’d like to apologize to Baochai for accusing her of betrayal so confidently — but at the same time, I still really don’t trust her. I think I’ll dedicate a separate post to my opinion of her...

In the end, these aren’t really critiques so much as a collection of lingering thoughts. This Canto left me with a lot of questions:

Was Baoyu’s jade really just a camera?

Why does it lose its shine at certain moments?

Why does it glow in certain scenes?

And why is Hong Lu afraid of it in his Liu Story?

And as Faust says, why bother with something so conspicuous?

Are the Elders the ones activating it?

Why is he the only one who has this jade?

And if it’s so special, why was it never explained in what way?

(Yes, I’m really paying attention to what they’re going to do with the jade.)

I sincerely hope PM has all this in mind and that these mysteries will be explored in the future. Because even though the ambiguity fuels my theories and makes me want to dissect everything, it would leave a bitter taste if it all turned out to be a flash in the pan. But the post-credit scene gives me hope.

All in all, I found this Canto quite good, with some beautiful moments and striking scenes and a really good exploration and breaking of Hong Lu's character. But a few details, some personal expectations, and a certain underuse of characters keep me from placing it above Cantos 6 or 4 — and maybe even 7.

[adhdo5]

Whatever. Sanzun Situationship Saturday

[kettledemon]

Silly modern Au my beloved

[eirenical]

Many Sentences Saturday?

I have been DEEPLY stressed about grading and dissertation stuff and tonight my brain just absolutely tossed me off the track and wouldn't let me do any of it... but it let me write as compensation? So, since I haven't done this in a while, I thought it would be nice to toss out a snippet. ^_^ Enjoy?

[Prior part can be found here.]

*

Epilogue

Li Lianhua squinted against the brightness that flooded his dulled eyes.  The stinging salt smell of the air gave away that he'd reached his destination.  How he'd done so, bereft of nearly all that was left of his senses, he had no idea.  He was here now, and that was all that mattered.  If those he'd left behind found the clues he'd left, they might arrive in time to find his body before the sea carried it away.  It would be kinder that way.  It would give them closure.  Not like what had happened with he and his shixiong.  It was definitely kinder to leave them a body to mourn, a clean break, a path to move on.

Li Lianhua moved closer to the gentle susurrus of the waves.

There was undeniably an appeal, however, in the idea of just… disappearing out to sea, never to be seen or heard from again.  There was a peacefulness in coming full circle to finally succumb to the death that should have been his ten years ago… endlessly tumbling beneath the swell of the sea.  He couldn't deny that.

The gentle thunder of hoofbeats behind him on the sand broke his reverie.  He turned just in time to catch a fleeting glimpse of a pair of horses, figures in white and red upon them, moving at speed towards him.  He smiled.  Perhaps it really was best this way.  He lost his footing, then, overbalanced in the shifting sands beneath him.  The gentle closing of arms around him was the last thing he felt before he knew no more.

[Continue reading below the readmore.]

*

Prologue

*If it had been up to me, he'd be on the ground,* Jiao Liqiao thought as Xue-gong raced forward to catch Li Xiangyi as he fell.  It wasn't as though he could hurt himself so badly by falling in the sand.  She couldn't deny that the sight of her greatest nemesis cradled so carefully in the arms of her oldest, most trusted advisor was a kick to the gut that she hadn't been expecting.  Xue-gong would never betray her.  Xue-gong had only ever had her best interests at heart.  Xue-gong worshipped her as though she were a goddess and he the most devout of her priests..

But there was something about Li Xiangyi.

Even she couldn't deny it.

He had a way of skewing her plans, of turning things awry that had always flown true.  Maybe it was the mixing of the blood of two royal lines in his veins.  Maybe it was that wily little mind, inherited, no doubt, from Jiao Liqiao's beloved cousin.  She'd had the same kind of mind—devious and clever and never accepting of defeat—and the charisma to match it.

People had worshipped Li Xiangyi.

But they *loved* Li Lianhua.

Even now she didn't understand it.  The draw he had for so many.  But she didn't have to understand it to use it.  Turned to *her* will, loyal to *her* desires and ambitions… that charisma, that clever little brain… she could finally accomplish what she'd failed to do for so long.  She could unite her people.  She could bring back Nanyin.  All she needed was time, a commodity they had plenty of.

A commodity that Li Xiangyi would now have plenty of.

This trick of turning back the clock was a useful one.  The trick was not to turn it back too far.  Beyond a certain point, a too-young body could no longer hold on to an adult's memories.  They would scatter like the wind, lost to the plasticity and tumult of a child's mind.  IF one went too far.  But *if* one went too far… if those memories were lost… if that body was reset to that of a child to grow up all over again… well, that could be a distinctly advantageous way to rid oneself of an enemy, couldn't it?

One ritual.

One spell.

One scene, acted to perfection… and Li Xiangyi would be all hers for the using.

No… Li Xiangsi.*

Xue-gong draped Li Xiangyi's unconscious body over his saddle and mounted up behind him.  They had far to go to reach the location of her little play, but it would be well worth the effort once they reached their destination.  Zunshang hadn't wanted her, had pushed her aside like she was nothing.  Shan Gudao, Feng Qing (check name?) hadn't seen her worth and had likewise pushed her aside.

Her little cousin?

He would love her.

He would have no choice.

She wouldn't leave him one.

Laughing, Jiao Liqiao spurred her horse into a gallop, kicking up sand as she went.  Let Shan Gudao's whelp look for his beloved shifu all he liked.  Let Zunshang comb the land for any trace of his beloved.  He was hers now, and she had no intention of ever giving him up.

*

*OK, so @bbcphile and I spent a LOT of time digging through name sites and dictionaries to come up with this name.  So, here's the explanation.  Jiao Liqiao wanted to pick a name that was similar enough to Li Xiangyi's to give DFS and FDB a heart attack if they heard it.  To make them doubt.  But it's different enough that they wouldn't assume it was him just from the name.

So, I've kept the Li, but instead of this Li [李: lǐ (plum); Lǐ (surname Li)], it's this Li [黎 Lí (black, dark, many, numerous)].  So you'll notice it's a different tone, and the meaning has changed, representing JLQ's desire to bring back the many people of Nanyin, no matter how dark she has to go to make it happen.

And she's kept the Xiang because that's the generational syllable (…though now that I'm thinking about it, I could have changed that because a child born at this time would be a generation younger, wouldn't he?  Oops.  XD) but it's not this xiang [相 (xiāng) -- each other; one another; mutually] instead of this one [相 (xiàng) -- appearance; portrait; picture; government minister; (physics) phase; (literary) to appraise (esp. by scrutinizing physical features); to read sb's fortune (by physiognomy, palmistry etc)].  So, same hanzi, different tone, different meaning.

And if you add one more hanzi, you get… 相思 (xiāng sī) -- to yearn; to pine.  And several other homophones or near homophones that are JUST as heartbreaking.

相似 (xiāng sì) -- to resemble; similar; like; resemblance; similarity 乡思 (xiāng sī) -- homesickness 享祀 (xiǎng sì) -- To offer sacrifices (to a deity)

*coughs* My POINT is that Jiao Liqiao gave this name just as much thought as we did, if not more.  XD

(If someone known more Mandarin than I do (NOT HARD), please feel free to correct anything I've butchered in the creation of this name.  ^_^)

[blacksheep28]

It is a terrible day. Nothing sits quite right. Not the large comfortable bed in Shen Xue's room, not any of his clothes no matter what he picks out, even breakfast tastes bland. His usual tolerance for the antics of his former shizi and the demon king was nearly non-existent.

Both of them pick up on his irritation without him saying anything. It is annoying to be so easily read, even as it's something he's adjusted to in this new life. There will be tea sent to his room later, a soothing mix from winter mist ginger that he is partial to on days like this. He may not drink it, but it is pleasant to have it available without requesting it.

Shen Xue heads down to the library, but still can't find it in himself to settle. His current work on a collection of poems by a minor demon clan the Mobei clan rules over is more irritating than interesting today with the various idiosyncrasies that plague it. He had rather hoped the work would help remove the sense of wrong that had settled, but no. It would not be that simple today.

He found himself striding almost blindly to the closest window. He leaned out looking over where everything was, tipped out - and changed. In a flash wings beat, and an ice phoenix rose up. He flew up and let a blizzard begin around him. He had a storm to release, and a world to roam. His wings tore through the cold air creating sharp winds that would freeze what they touched. His cry promised a cold death to anyone who tried to pierce through to the storm's heart.

It felt right. Shen Xue had been furious when he had first found himself rescued from death into a bird. He hadn't wanted to be a beast, no matter what gifts it could come with. Over the years spent cultivating to a human form however he had found a rich pleasure in the freedom to simply leave and go wherever he wished on his wings. The creature he now was was a formidable one as well. Few people would risk the bite of winter that they would face in trying to track down an ice phoenix, let alone the battle for the blizzards he brought in his wake.

There was a nice ache in his body when he finally let the blizzards settle and he turned back to the Ice Palace. The restlessness and irritation that had followed him had finally given way to weariness. He flew in and returned to his humanoid form. Frost patterns still decorated his body, and few would mistake him as human with snow pale hair and talons for nails. It didn't matter in a realm where the only human was Shang Cangse.

Mobei Jun welcomed him back with an incline of his head that held a warmth few would believe the ice demon held. Shang Cangse himself looked up with a wild grin not even stopping in his babbling of his latest tale of disasters that he had had to deal with. No matter how good the human's systems were something would introduce a tangle into it. Shen Xue had to admit he had developed a fondness for hearing about such things now that he didn't have to deal with it himself.

Shen Xue took a seat and settled down to listen. It was nice, he reflected, to have a place he could trust to return to. And people he could trust to listen to him.



[sillygoofyqueer]

AUGH AUGH AUGH AUGH [sounds of me dying the longer I go without writing about the mad scientist AU] Nie Huaisang has just received a message written in blood via a crow that does NOT look alive, likely from Wei Wuxian due to the reference of what his sect is like, similar to how he first approached Nie Huaisang with a message. He isn't quite sure what to do - he should go to his brother at least with this information, but he is very busy planning the war with Lan Xichen and Nie Huaisang doesn't want to cause any more stress for them. So! He instead goes to Lan Wangji, who is, as always, helping out in the medical tents whenever he's not on the battlefield. Instead of saying anything that could draw attention to the situation, Nie Huaisang just waves him over and then shows off the yin filled - almost definitely dead - crow, before gesturing for them both to leave the medical tent. Lan Wangji goes without question.

Nie Huaisang shows him the message and is like "so uhh I'm pretty sure this is from Wei Wuxian." "Why is it written in blood?" "he's in the Burial Mounds, you can't expect him to have ink." Lan Wangji concedes this point, and wants to know why he is being told this, so Nie Huaisang explains that to have a batshit insane Wei Wuxian on their side would be very damn useful. Issue is, they need to find the Wen siblings and Xue Yang and get them to safety in order to get his support in the war, and Lan Wangji is great for field missions during this lull in the fighting. It's not like Nie Huaisang is going out!! He works best behind the scenes, after all.

Of course, Lan Wangji is more than desperate to make up for the mistakes he made by not attempting to help Wei Wuxian when he first had a chance to, so he goes out of his way to hunt for the Wen siblings and Xue Yang, chasing down information in a way that is basically like what he was doing during those three months in canon. He finally learns that they are in the supervisory office of Yiling, and goes on over there to collect them - and take back Yiling in the process. Yes, there is a thought of how close Wei Wuxian really was to his family all along, but it's overshadowed by the realisation that they need to explain to Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen what's been going on while they've been busy plotting and planning to save the Jianghu.

Lan Wangji makes the executive decision to bring it up during a meeting, and there is varying degrees of skepticism to the news. Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen are open to the chance of a changing tide in the war, plus they owe Wei Wuxian the protection of his family after they so carelessly overlooked him before he was thrown into the Burial Mounds. Jin Zixuan is like "I said right from the start that he was brainwashed, but nobody believed me!" so he's willing to take the risk of harbouring three wen associates if it means being proven right through the powerhouse that could be Wei Wuxian. (I should explain that they believe that he must be pretty powerful right now because one, he's actually survived in the Burial Mounds, and two, he's had previous work with resentful energy, he had to be getting up to some kind of work in the hellsite.)

Jiang Fengmian is like "I don't know all that much about him, but he did save Jiang Cheng's life, and he's the son of my bestie" but Yu Ziyuan (who is obviously there because why wouldn't she be) is NOT having it. Why would she? She's a hater. She's saying all sorts of insults n shit, but Lan Wangji basically left the moment he got assent from all of the actual sect leaders, so it's all for naught in the end. Lan Wangji is too busy showing up to the supervisory office in Yiling with a small group of soldiers, kicking ass and taking names like there's no tomorrow. Xue Yang, who is quite rabid at the moment, is watching the carnage and being like "I'm going to fucking kill anyone who touches Wei-gege's notes" while Wen Ning and Wen Qing are getting ready to escape. Lan Wangji catches them in the act but is like "we're here to help" and shows them the note that the crows sent.

The lads (Wen siblings + Xue Yang) realise that Wei Ying is alive and go through so many different emotions but they don't have time to unpack all of them - Xue Yang wants to go into the Burial Mounds himself to collect Wei Ying, but Wen Qing shuts that down. They don't know how Wei Ying survived, and they have no clue if Xue Yang would survive. It's best to just let Wei Ying come back to them, like a stray puppy. Xue Yang does not like this, so Wen Qing instead gets him with a needle and Wen Ning carries him along, used to this turn of events. (Yes I have decided that Wen Ning is the shy but sweet brawns to his older sister's brains. He's not not smart or anything, I just think it'd be neat.)

Meanwhile, the crows are watching all around because they're in Yiling, and they report back to an anxiously awaiting Wei Ying, who has been pre-emptively gathering an army of resentful spirits who could find closure in fighting and violence and death. He's helping them all be chill through a gentle melody session, and the Burial Mounds is dragging more spirits into Its grounds to help out Its precious son! Wei Ying learns that his family is not only alive but close to him, and is simultaneously kicking himself while also thanking the Gods that they are alive and they're going to be safe in the grasps of the Sunshot Campaign. With that knowledge handed to him, he feels a lot calmer as he squares his shoulders, pushing all the pain to the side and focusing on the army of resentful spirits he has created.

Oh, the Wen won't know what hit them.

[king-xemnas]

Day 6 of @songxueweek is my catboy Xue Yang fic which can be read here!

Art by @szaszkeh! <3

[bipolyjack]

wei wuxian / xue yang, ~45k, explicit.

city of devils is fully drafted and the first four chapters are up! come and get your nasty demonic cultivator juice! i will be dropping new chapters every two days until the whole thing is up. ive been writing this damn thing for five years i gotta get it outta my lap. have fun ily

[aphel1on]

I think the funniest ripple effect to come out of kmsa so far is xue yang hating jin ling's ass. he DESPISES that kid (bc if you really think about it, everything is jin ling's fault for being born). but he can't do anything abt it bc he doesn't want wwx to immediately kill him when he gets back (which is definitely gonna happen. any day now.) nevertheless jgy notices him eyeing jin ling like a cat wondering if it can get away with eating an escaped hamster and endeavors to keep them from being in a room together ever