sillygoofyqueer

[sillygoofyqueer]

MAD. SCIENTIST. WEI. WUXIAN. AU. I CAN DO THIS, COME ON, WHOOP WHOOP!!! I CAN FUCKEN DO THIS. This may seem like it's jumping ahead a littol in the timeline of things but honestly you wouldn't really notice unless you were me and you had planned out the entire timeline in your head. One day I will write the fanfiction for this, I do promise that, I just want to get at least *checks notes* at LEAST halfway through Losing Hope before I take on something else so big. Wei Ying knows that he cannot raise A-Yuan on his own, not without some form of help. He of course allows his family to help but honestly, they're all reeling from the loss of the rest of their family and they have other responsibilities (and, in Xue Yang's case, is a child). People don't trust Wei Ying to do things around camp because, although he is fighting on their side, he is still an Unnatural Being that is working with forces far beyond most people's comprehension. So, all he can really focus on is looking after A-Yuan. It's nothing if not one of the best things for him, honestly, because he truly would die to keep the little guy alive and he has started mentally labelling him as his son before correcting himself because A-Yuan deserves better than that. Plus, it has helped him steer clear of just constantly messing around with resentful energy because a baby simply cannot be around such things without being negatively affected in some way.

He does still need to mess around with resentful energy though, as it is basically the only reason he and his family are not already dead in the eyes of some people in the camp. He needs to do this, and he also does - according to Qing-jie - 'need to sleep' instead of spending all of his time watching over A-Yuan as he sleeps to make sure nothing bad happens to him if he looks away. There is also the big factor of the resentful energy is starting to withdraw in increments from his body so that his golden core can start properly healing it, causing impossible agony to seep into his daily life to the point where he sometimes cannot leave his tent despite his best efforts. That is where possibly the greatest boy alive, someone so great and good that it is a shock he still chooses to be around Wei Ying willingly, comes in. Lan Zhan is always there to help look after A-Yuan; playing songs to help him fall asleep, helping calm him down when he cries, looking after him when Wei Ying is stuck in his bed, curled up to ward off indescribable pain.

No matter what the rest of his family says, Wei Ying knows that Lan Zhan is far too good for him. He knows that the boy could never even think of looking at him the way Wei Ying dreams of him almost every night. So, he contents himself with watching as Lan Zhan sits beside A-Yuan on the floor and quietly distracts him from reaching out to Wei Ying with confused little babbles when he cannot reach back, wrapped tightly in his blanket. Every time he hurts Sometimes, Lan Zhan will also drape his outer robe over him, not saying anything (he's pretty sure that the boy overheard him talking to A-Yuan about how Lan Zhan smells nice, which is. Embarrassing). A-Yuan likes Lan Zhan, babbling to him about anything that goes on in his baby brain while he pats at the boy's face, and Lan Zhan replies seriously as though they are having a proper conversation. It's so cute. They're so cute. It makes everything worth it.

Of course, even with all of the warmth and cosiness inside his tent, there is still a war going on outside of the fabric walls. He slaves over work even when he cannot move, staring at all of the scrolls he has filled with notes and ideas, talisman designs scattered all over the floor and crows flitting about with messages from the whole Jianghu and the Burial Mounds (strange little childish doodles with messy stick figures and strange smiles). When he cannot focus properly with all the pressure to work even if he cannot work, he takes a crack at Jin Zixuan's request for a talisman that can identify blood relatives. It's a casual, relaxing thing to work on, something difficult but not too hard compared to everything else he's expected to create quickly and efficiently. It's not even a waste of his time, because otherwise it would be used doing absolutely nothing in his bedroll, and it's fulfilling a zongzhu's wishes at the same time!

When he finally works out the perfect talisman for it, using a very willing Lan Zhan and Lan-Zongzhu as test subjects, he doesn't even care about the pain he's in as he bounds on over to the Jin side of the camp (with Lan Zhan). Jin Zixuan is surprised it's been done so quickly, certain that it would be put off until after the more important things were completed, but Wei Wuxian says that family is most important in times like these, and he is extremely thankful for what Wei Wuxian has done for him. He's shown how to use the talisman, and then he's given it to try himself. He's got no reason to believe that there would be anyone he's related to in the war camp, but who even knows with his father? So, he imbues the talisman with qi, then adds a drop of his blood. He doesn't expect there to be a golden string of light shooting out almost instantly, offset by a few, much fainter lights.

Wei Wuxian tells him that the brighter it is, the closer they are, so he's basically off and running through the camp, clutching this talisman and following the brightest string of light. Meanwhile, Meng Yao is trying out sword forms with an unsurprisingly eager Xue Yang at the edge of the forest, Nie Huaisang painting the scenery nearby, and is rather surprised when a sudden golden strand appears out of nowhere and attaches to his wrist. They panic over it a little bit, Xue Yang offers to cut off his hand and honestly, he's willing to let the twelve year old slice it off when a very familiar face comes darting into view near one of the tents. Jin Zixuan stares at him, holding the talisman, and he stares back, not really sure what to do with himself. Then, all of a sudden, Jin Zixuan smiles awkwardly but sincerely (Jiang Yanli has been teaching him what she calls 'social skills') "hi. I'm Jin Zixuan," as if this isn't well known, you dumbass, "you're Meng Yao, right? According to this talisman, you're...likely a half-brother of mine."

[sillygoofyqueer]

GASP. A YEAR AGO YESTERDAY, I POSTED THE FIRST CHAPTER OF LOSING HOPE. HOOOLY SHIT. The thing that started all of the FANFICTION WRITING. Jesus Christ almighty. How wild is that?!?? Scary. Anyway everyone should read Losing Hope because it is peak Wei Wuxian whump and that's a main part of all the AUs you sick fucks (/aff) are all interested in.

Going to make a quick separate post about this, because after some analysis I've found that pinned posts don't really appear on dashboards lmaoooo. ANYWAY!! Losing hope - Chapter 1 - I_cant_think_of_a_name_right_now_340 - 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù [Archive of Our Own] This is a fanfiction I've been working on (neglecting my exams for), and I can't say I'm not proud of this first chapter ahaha!! Please give it a read. If you want to know what this is ABOUT, the thought that started it is here

[sillygoofyqueer]

Perfect time for a wonderful post all about the deity jester Wei Wuxian AU!!!! How do I know? Just 'cause :P I actually wrote that sentence like five hours ago but then got waylaid and completed a 725 stage obby on Roblox instead. So. There's that. When Wei Ying meets his new master, he is in a sort of daze. He hands over his precious fabric when it is demanded of him for 'collateral', and cannot rip the man apart when he snaps out of the daze. He has to earn it back, apparently. Wei Ying cannot speak, cannot make his mouth move in the way that humans can, but he can listen. So, he listens. Listens to his new master plot and plan, watches him work and tries to discern the strange things scribbled down onto the dead paper that screams and cries every time Master presses that ink dipped feather down onto it. Because Wei Ying cannot twist and shift into the shapes he wants to, they cannot just rip down the palace brick by brick like Master wants to - but, Master is crafty. He tells Wei Ying to observe a strange man who jingles like bells and wears a red and white outfit, to follow him and learn his mannerisms.

So, Wei Ying follows him, hiding in the shadows and observing as he 'performs' to everyone, including to the inhabitants of the castle; he can never get into the castle, guards appearing every time he tries to creep along behind the man. Wei Ying doesn't stray from his task unless Master plays the melody and he is instantly drawn back to Master's side, copying each and every movement that the man makes until he can no longer remember how he acted before the task was given to him. Master is pleased with him, patting his head and allowing him to cuddle with his fabric but then stealing it away by replaying the melody when he feels as though Wei Ying has been 'rewarded enough'. It hurts every time it is taken away from him, as though his very soul is being ripped away from his body, but he cannot react. There's an empty space where his anger towards Master should lie.

Master's next task for him is to kill the strange jingling man. This is an easy task, even though he hasn't killed before. He still looks rather young according to Master, so he merely waits until the strange man is alone near the forest and steps out so he is half visible to him. Because, the strange man is also a kind man too, and when he sees a teenage boy looking dirty and dishevelled at the edge of the forest, he of course goes to question the boy's safety. Poor man. Wei Ying tries to make sure that his death is quick and painless, but he is inexperienced. His hand reaches out to wrap around the man's neck and he can see the fear, the panic, the pain all filling the jingling man's eyes in the few seconds it takes for him to exert a slight amount of force and crush the man's neck like a dead leaf. Nothing fills the man's eyes after that. Wei Ying wishes he could apologise.

Master is pleased though. Keeping Master happy means more time with the cloak, and that's all Wei Ying cares about. Master tells him to strip the body and then dispose of it, and he learns that the jingling man was not naturally jingly like bells, it was only the bells on his costume. He drags the body through the forest until he finds what he is looking for. A den of wolves. The wolves curl around him, greeting him like an old friend, but he must get back to Master so he cannot play, he can only holds up the body and offers it to them. They're very pleased with it, and he goes back to Master when the melody rings out. The costume is still lying on the floor, and Master tells him to get into it, so he does so, letting Master adjust the hat upon his head and then place a porcelain mask upon his face. He does not know what the porcelain mask has upon it, but Master laughs about how it's nice to have him smiling for once.

He is not allowed to take the mask off. He is not allowed to take the costume off. The costume is a little big, but 'nobody will notice,' Master tells him. He is sent into the town, to test out everything he has learned, but Wei Ying has been copying every single thing the man does for a long time, so he blends in easily. Even though he cannot speak, even though he is now wearing the mask, everyone believes he's trying out a new act and laughs along as he performs the dances and routines the man had done for them before. It is pleasing to be seen as normal, to join in with the merriment and fun that he had only observed before. It is strange - everyone seems so happy, so full of life, but Master constantly states that the ruler of these lands is a monster who cares not for any of their subjects. Perhaps they are simply trying to make the best of the worst situations, or maybe they have just driven away a scared creature who has just lost Its parents and are celebrating their victory. Who knows?

The first time Wei Ying steps into the palace, he is escorted by the same guards he has had to dodge and evade for so long, and ends up in a large room with large tables and a large glittering chair at the very end of it all. A rather old individual sits there, with a heavy metal thing upon their head and a gentle smile on their face, and stands to greet him warmly as if they are old friends - which, Wei Ying supposes, would be true if this were still the jingling man. The old individual does not even seem displeased that he does not speak like a few villagers were, they just pat his shoulder and tell him that he can still amuse them without speaking. Now Wei Ying jingles, the bells chiming with every trip and fall, every raise of his arms, every spin and leap. It is nice. He likes to jingle, likes the sounds and the joy it brings - even if he despises humans and everything they have done to him, there is something nice about not being looked upon with horror and disgust.

Such joy cannot last, though. Master gets eager; now that Wei Ying has deceived everyone with how he slipped into the role of jingling man, Master does not want to wait too long. He makes Wei Ying collect secret documents and books, ledgers and letters, from all sorts of rooms in the castle that he is not supposed to be in. It is hard to sneak with the jingling bells, but Wei Ying is very good at staying very still even while moving. If he does get caught, he pretends he is doing a new routine, exaggeratedly sneaking along with long steps and arms raised up the slightest bit, before pressing his hands to his porcelain mask as though shocked. The guards laugh and laugh, before telling him to get out of there, and he makes sure to make as much jingling as possible so it seems like he is gone.

Master grows impatient, and tells him that they will kill the ruler of the lands very soon. Of course, by 'we', he of course means 'Wei Ying', because Master never gets his hands dirty.

[sillygoofyqueer]

MAD SCIENTIST AU but it's small because I was shot to death three times in a row <//3 (I'm tired my bad) The first meeting after Wen Qionglin and Wei Wuxian have returned is a rather odd one, largely on account of the baby being rocked in Wei Wuxian's arms. Said baby is not making a fuss or anything, just chewing on a choppy lock of the man's hair as he looks around with big inquisitive eyes that are mainly focused on the pretty colours of everyone's robes, but it's just strange to have a baby in a war meeting. They're literally discussing how to slaughter people and a baby is just watching it all, even if he can't comprehend it. However, Wei Wuxian said that he wouldn't go anywhere without him, and they need to talk about the army that scouts spotted heading their way. So, A-Yuan is joining the meeting...I guess.

Madam Yu has so much to say about this. They don't even know how she got into the meeting, Jiang Fengmian was literally just tasked with keeping her away, but she's here and they just have to deal with it. She keeps making snide remarks about how they really are just letting anyone into these meetings now, but Wei Wuxian seems to be too preoccupied pulling faces at A-Yuan to notice, and Lan Wangji is too busy watching him pull faces to care about her. Nie Mingjue is outlining the possible new threats the Wen and Jin are going to bring - "now that we have Wei Wuxian, they may actually start bringing Wen Zhuliu onto the field-" "what?" Wei Wuxian finally looks up from A-Yuan, brows furrowed in confusion.

Nie Mingjue isn't surprised that Wei Wuxian's been listening, but he is surprised that he decided to speak when A-Yuan is grabbing his hands up to play with the red ribbon dangling in front of his eyes. "Wen Zhuliu has not appeared on the battlefield yet, we guessed that-" Wei Wuxian snorts slightly, waving his hand around (A-Yuan grabs one of his fingers and he doesn't even look down as he starts wiggling his fingers at him). "He's not appeared because he's dead." Everyone goes quiet for a moment, before Madam Yu finds it the perfect time to open her mouth and sneer out "and how would you know that? Finally revealing yourself to be a spy?!" Wei Wuxian raises a brow right back at her. "Because I was the one who killed him."

There's an uproar at this - there's no way that this child, because he is still a child, has taken down one of the main threats of the Wen army. When did he even get a chance to do such a thing?! Lan Wangji (who has been fawning over Wei Ying and A-Yuan this whole time) scowls at the shock in everyone's tones, looking up as though he's ready to fight all of them at once. Even Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen, who respect Wei Wuxian and trusts in his abilities, are a little disbelieving of the fact that a teenager could somehow killed the Core-Melting Hand. Wei Wuxian isn't bothered by this, having long grown bored of the conversation to cuddle into A-Yuan.

"I ripped out his throat...and most of his internal organs...in the midst of a qi deviation mixed with resentful energy. Nothing to worry about anymore."

[sillygoofyqueer]

Okay so I know you're all expecting a mad scientist AU post, and there is one in my drafts I promise!! However, I just have to tell you guys about another AU I've had rattling around in my brain all day. The deity jester AU, perhaps? It starts with a young...boy...found lurking near the edges of the forest by a woman hunting for her husband's supper of the night. His dark grey eyes glint in the shadows, and she almost mistakes him for an animal a predator when he takes a small step into the light and reveals himself to just be a little boy. She tries to ask him where his mama is, where he came from, but those almost unnerving, beguiling eyes just keep staring at her without a single word escaping him. However, she can't just leave him in the forest, so she scoops him up and carries him back home with a promise of helping him! Of course, she didn't see how he twisted and changed to become a little boy after she spotted him, or she would not be so trusting of him. It may not be human, but It does have childlike thinking, and It wishes to be treated with warmth and love.

The huntress' husband sees his wife walking back into their little village carrying a child, and sets three seats instead of the usual two - questions can wait until after the thin little one is fed. They search and search for the parents of the young child, Wei Ying, before eventually coming to terms with the fact that they are likely dead (at first, anyway). Wei Ying is comfortable in It...his new home. He feels as though he is constantly gripped with affection, the swirling storm inside his chest softening at the sights of his 'parents' doing whatever they can to make him feel comfortable and at home with them. It isn't long before his disguise slips though, when he thinks he is alone and twists his form into his original form. He does not know what he looks like, but his father spots him and looks rather horrified at first. Wei Ying panics and flicks back to his form of a young boy, and suddenly the fact that they couldn't find his parents makes much more sense.

Despite the fact that their son is evidently not human, the huntress and her husband still treat him as though he is, even when he bleeds black and stops pretending to breathe and blink. While they protect and love him, the other villagers whisper of a monster in the form of a teenager, one that has bewitched and manipulated the kind couple at the edge of the village. When the couple are killed on a hunt that Wei Ying did not go on because he wanted to watch the shepherd usher all of their sheep back into the pens, the villagers obviously believe that he has something to do with their deaths and chase him out with torches. He stumbles through the forest, the huntress' coat wrapped around his thin frame, followed by the violent, scared villagers who seek to tear him apart.

To them, he is an It, a creature to be killed mercilessly, and It screams when the fire curls near It, trying to Its mortal form and diving further into the forest to escape it. It stows away beneath the roots of a tree, curled around the frayed fabric that still smells like Its mama. It doesn't know how long It stays there, face pressed against the rotting fabric even as it loses the smell of joy and contentment that always permeated the structure It had once called a home. It had lived with humans for so long that It has picked up their habits, unable to rip Its way out of the form It had grown to see as him, trapped within a cage of flesh and bone. Its hair grows and Its flesh grows and he grows but he does not move. The outside world is cruel and harsh, and he hates it. Beneath the roots, he is safe. The fire cannot reach him there.

He never truly understood time when his mama and papa had explained it to him, and so he doesn't know how much time has passed before a song breaks through his daze and seems to forcefully drag him from where he has been rotting with the fabric beneath the roots. A man sits a few meters away, playing a tune that tugs at something deep in his very being, calling for him to answer. He stands at the edge of the clearing, hair dragging behind his feet and hands gripped into the rotted fabric as he stares emptily at the man playing the tune on a flute. The moment he is in view, the tune stops and this man in red grins at him as if he expected him to show up. "Ancient deity! I have summoned you to assist me in taking the throne of this accursed land!!"

Wei Ying does not wish to even step foot outside of the confines of his forest, his shelter, but there is a deep tugging motion inside his sense of self that compels him to merely nod his head. It's not hard to agree to such a thing really, not when he's suddenly beset by vicious memories of being chased from his home with fire and anger and violence, of being trapped within a form that is not his own. He does not understand power struggles, or politics, or even what a throne really is, having lived only in the small village and the forest, but he is still vulnerable and hurting and he doesn't think he could say no even if he wanted to, so he drags himself into the light.

[sillygoofyqueer]

Nose is blocked, but vibes are ON POINT. Ladies and Gentlemen, Freaks and Icons, I've been doing absolutely nothing I'm supposed to be doing right now. In fact, I made an entire DnD character instead! (You can totally ask me about him I love them so much). Anyway, mad scientist AU let's GOOOOO!!! The only way The Lads managed to separate Wei Ying from A-Yuan was by basically just letting him stay right behind Wen Qing as she worked to do a check up on the little baby, those dark grey eyes filled with wild panic from the moment A-Yuan was removed from his arms. Luckily, Wen Qing works fast and soon A-Yuan is cuddled into Wei Ying's arms once again, latched onto him like how a baby monkey clings to its mama. He's malnourished and has a burn on his shoulder, but his mother had protected her with her body, meaning he only has those injuries. Wei Ying is sat up in the corner of his bed, silently listening to the third round of cleansing that Lan Zhan is playing to help clear more resentful energy from his system and basically only focused on the little guy in his arms, watching as A-Yuan dozes off to the melody. He's a little more relaxed now that he's basically alone with the child, and Lan Zhan isn't trying to make him talk either.

It seems that Lan Zhan too was waiting for A-Yuan to drift off, because the moment the baby's breaths even out and he falls asleep, Cleansing trails off and the other boy moves to pack away Wangji. There's this sudden, deep-seated panic in Wei Ying's chest at the thought of Lan Zhan leaving when there's so many different dangers that yes he could protect himself from, but Wei Ying wants to be able to keep him safe as well!! He wants to reach out, but he doesn't want to wake A-Yuan up, so all that can really escape him is a sound of distress as he watches Lan Zhan turn away to leave. Of course, the other boy hears it and immediately pauses, turning right back around to stare at Wei Ying and ask, very quietly, "would you like me to stay?" A desperate nod is all it takes to get Lan Zhan wandering back over and kneeling down beside the bed, not saying anything.

They're basically silent, even as Wei Ying ever-so-carefully adjusts his grip on A-Yuan so he has one arm free (he's used to doing very intricate procedures on dead bodies, this is easy for him to do) and then tugs at the other teenager's sleeve until he gets the hint and awkwardly clambering onto the bed. Lan Zhan isn't actually sure if that's what Wei Ying wanted from him, but then the boy is curling into his side and all thoughts of asking for clarification leave his mind, instead just wrapping an arm around him and offering that silent comfort again. It takes a while, but eventually he begins to feel the slight trembling of the teenager pressed against him, the quiet hitching of breath and the way Wei Ying's shoulders curl inwards as he begins to fall apart after so long of feeling detached from his body.

It's like everything has hit him at once - he's still wearing the robes smeared with the blood of his family, he found them abandoned and left in a pile like they were rubbish, he buried each and every one of them, he hadn't even been able to comfort Wen Ning. He's sobbing without making a single sound, free hand covering his face and body turning further into Lan Zhan's side. Admittedly, Lan Zhan doesn't know how to comfort people very well, so he just copies what his gege always did for him (even when he wasn't crying), and lets one of his hand attempt to stroke through the mess that is the boy's hair. That doesn't go as planned, so he instead starts rubbing Wei Ying's back, hoping to soothe him even though he feels truly useless at these things. "It's not your fault," he whispers, and it just sends Wei Ying into another round of tears. He panics, tightening his grip to try and pull him closer.

It feels like it is Wei Ying's fault. He feels like his family, A-Yuan's parents, all died because of him. He is no better than Wen Ruohan. But then there's Lan Zhan - kind, honest, good Lan Zhan - comforting him despite the blood on his robes, on his hands, in his hair, all markers of what he is. He's a complete monster, and yet the perfect, pious boy from the Lan sect, someone who hates and eradicates evil, is holding him like he is a human. Such a tight hold, as though he's trying to meld their bodies together despite the evil that resides within his heart. How can someone who is literally named as a light bringer look upon such a creature and not react with hatred and disgust? It makes no sense to him, but it makes him want to cling on tighter, not wanting to let go of this impossible chance that he's been given by some kind-hearted deity from above.

Lan Xichen goes looking for his didi when he doesn't show up for their daily dinner together - however, he doesn't wish to disturb the Wens when they've obviously suffered an honestly unimaginable pain. Of course, he doesn't know exactly what's happened, but context implies that it is possibly the most devastating pain that anyone could deal with, especially teenagers like these guys. When he finally leaves his tent to go looking for his didi, he almost immediately gets waylaid by a the sounds of sniffling behind a nearby tent that nobody else seems to notice with the general din of the war camp. Usually, he would ignore it, not wanting to embarrass anyone who may need to get an emotion out of their system alone, but it sounds so young. Whoever is crying is not very old at all, and Lan Xichen cannot let a poor child be left alone when they're obviously feeling upset!

He quietly approaches where the sound is coming from, not wanting to startle whoever it may be, and peers around the side of the tent to find - oh? Xue Yang is sitting upon the ground, knees pressed against his chest and face tucked into his knees, shoulders shaking as these visceral sobs escape him. It's moments like this that truly remind Lan Xichen that the boy is just that - a boy. He shouldn't be anywhere near places like this, and yet nobody has questioned his right to just wander around camp, as though he is even close to the same age as the rest of them. "Xue Yang?" He says softly, not reacting when the child's head snaps up and a snarled "fuck off!" greets him, instead only taking another step closer as he rifles through his qiankun sleeve. He pulls out a handkerchief and offers it to the young boy with a gentle smile, quickly kneeling so that he isn't looming over him.

Xue Yang glares at him through red-rimmed eyes; tears are still dripping down his already stained face, his cheeks bright red and eyes glassy in a way that only seems to highlight his youth. "Do you not know the meaning of fuck off?" Is what comes out of his mouth, but its bite is lost with the warbled, sniffling way it comes out as he reaches out and snatches the handkerchief from Lan Xichen's hand. Lan Xichen just smiles, shifting to sit beside the boy and mirroring his position without any care for the mud being picked up on his white robes. "Not if it means leaving someone alone while they're upset." The child scoffs, but there's no more attempt to make him leave, so he takes that as a win as he watches the boy wipe aggressively at his face despite the tears still pouring down his cheeks.

Lan Xichen gives him time to try and compose himself, before he asks why Xue Yang isn't with the other Wens - surely it's better to be together at a time like this? He had been able to mourn his mother with his shifu there to comfort him, but he had been all alone when his father - Meng Yao was unfortunately not the best comfort in such situations. Xue Yang's face contorts to one of bitterness as he shoves his face into his arms, muttering that "they have each other. Wei-gege has Lan Wangji, too." Lan Xichen is pretty sure that is not how it would be seen by the other Wens, but he doesn't wish to undermine how Xue Yang is feeling, so he just says "I'm sure they don't see it like that. Even so, you are always welcome to come to me." The child is quiet, but then there's a soft "whatever" that leaves his lips, and Lan Xichen is certain that's a good sign.

[sillygoofyqueer]

AUUUGHHGHGHHH SO FUCKING COOL. LOOK AT THIS. YEEESSSS. A-YUAN LOOKS SO SMALL AND DELICATE IN HIS ARMS, SO CALM AND COLLECTED. I love the resentful energy curling around him, and he looks SO pissed off. The choppy hair in full effect, which to me just really highlights how volatile the situation is to him. I can't explain it, it just does to me. I love his eyes in this moment, like fully fucken red, he is SO angry oh my god. Don't touch his baby. The hand around the baby's head :( He's so small, n the fact he's so chill is like saying "yeah I feel safe in the arms of a dangerous threat" this both says SO much about A-Yuan's short life and how Wei Wuxian is actually acting.

sketch from the most recent mad scientist wei wuxian post :3

@sillygoofyqueer

[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.

[sillygoofyqueer]

AAAAUUUGGGHHHH LITTOL BAYBEE MAN. HE'S SO PRECIOUS I LOVE HOW YOU DRAW HIM HE LOOKS SO CUTE AND FANTABULOUS. I love his hair so much...everyone keeps whispering about him but in awe or something rather than the usual snide remarks and smug words against him. Wei Wuxian is having the time of his life and Wen Qing is so proud of her didi!! Xue Yang is like "yeah 🙄 it's cool 🙄😒 I guess 😒🙄😒" but by god if anyone tries to mock Wen Ning he's like "YOU'RE TRYNA INSULT THE GREAT FENGBI-ZHU?!?? DO YOU WANT A FLAMING ARROW IN YOUR NECK!??!"

Wēn Níng from @sillygoofyqueer's Mad Scientist Wèi Wúxiàn AU.

Wēn Níng is very overwhelmed with his new title! It does feel nice to have someone other than Wèi Wúxiàn praise his archery skills, but it's also a lot to have everyone calling him Fèng Bǐ Zhǔ (and gives Wèi Wúxiàn too much ammunition for teasing!)

[sillygoofyqueer]

OKAY OKAY OKAY I HAD A DAY OFF FROM EDUCATION BECAUSE THE ILLNESS HAS STRUCK ME DOWN. HOWEVER, LADS, WE'VE GOT MORE MAD SCIENTIST AU TO YAP ABOUT. Right, so, shenanigans may be going on during the war camp of the Sunshot Campaign, but there is still a war going on. Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen decide that it's the best time to start advancing to take back the land that was taken by the Wen and, while the battles are still gruelling as all hell, Wei Wuxian is a literal demon on the battlefield. The rumours say that he clambered up from the depths of the most uninhabitable place in the world and bloodshed followed every step he took. The Wen and Jin both cower at the mere mention of the Yiling Patriarch appearing to take back control over those that left him to a fate worse than death, and when the low, howling melody of a flute rings out across the battlefield, you can see them begin to falter, looking around in panic to try and catch a sight of the monster before the dead rise to follow his commands. He doesn't even deign to draw his sword once against them.

It's not just Wei Wuxian gaining popularity through these battles. Alongside the aggressive stance of Sandu Shengshou and the elegant but unyielding blows of Hanguang-Jun, there is a more surprising legend joining the ranks. An archer whose arrows always strike true, often burning with spiritual flame to cause even more damage to the unfortunate soul the man's eyes have landed upon in the fleeting moment. Fèng bǐ zhǔ (鳳匕主- Phoenix Dagger Master) is possibly one of the most skilled archers in the Sunshot Campaign, dark eyes sharp and observant to pick out the biggest potential dangers that have dodged the fierce blades of the battling warriors. Rumours say he has killed many men with a single arrow (yes it was being used as a dagger but that's still cool as hell), and his blade tipped bow has felled many souls without the requirement of arrows. The wind seems to follow his command with how he guides his arrows into the bodies of his enemies. Wen Ning thinks it's all a bit over the top, but how could his family ever just brush off such a thing?!

With all these legends in the making, the Wen and Jin are obviously getting more concerned about their chances of winning the war. They thought they had this literally in the bag because they weren't aware of the single teenager that had been thrown away, weren't aware of how easily he could change the tides of the battle. Even then, there's other teenagers gaining names for themselves that they didn't think would ever reach so far in life. Viewed as little brats who were just bits of dirt to be brushed aside for the main goal of power and control of the entire Jianghu. They're learning all of this information, Jin Guangshan is realising that he threw his lots in with the wrong guy and is severely regretting his decision. Wen Ruohan is getting very frustrated because FENGBI-ZHU?? You mean, his NEPHEW?? The one who was being held hostage?! So it's safe to say that he's pissed off. You know who he has within his possession? UH OH!! THE DAFAN WEN!!!

There is a suspicious lull in battle that nobody expected, one that has everyone braced for a sudden, violent attack of sorts. Wen Qing, who has been using Wei Ying's crows to get messages to the Dafan Wen for updates, suddenly loses all contact with them. These are warning signs for a very very bad thing happening. Wen Qing brings this information to Lan Wangji, not wanting to worry her didis about it, and he takes it straight to his gege at her request because his gege can help with this. They forget that there is a certain twelve year old who eavesdrops for fun around the camp, and one who will immediately tell his gege everything he hears, especially if it's explicitly linked to their family. Wei Ying tells Wen Ning, and they do what two teenagers who are extremely worried about their family would do. They sneak OUT of the war camp and INTO WEN TERRITORY.

Lan Wangji is the first to notice Wei Ying missing, of course he is, looking around and finding a strangely worried looking Xue Yang peering around the camp himself. He asks his new didi where Wei Ying is, and Xue Yang is actually sheepish and panicked because he's TWELVE and his gege is missing right after he told him about a potentially awful situation. He immediately spills everything to Lan Wangji because he honestly didn't expect both Wei-gege AND Wen-gege to go MIA the moment he turned his back! Lan Wangji is obviously like "oh shit fuck no" and goes to his gege because this is bad. Wen Qing goes fucking insane the moment that she hears the news that two of her moronic didis have seemingly gone into enemy territory without even letting her know, without even seemingly strategising. This is fucking awful, and she can't go running after them because she can't just leave Xue Yang without anyone - he is just as important as her other didis now, even with his stupidity sometimes.

Meanwhile, Wei Ying and Wen Ning are rushing to Dafan on their swords, obviously. The only reason they aren't immediately shot down by patrolling Wen guards is because the clouds are good cover and the crows are far too happy to assist in distracting the guards so they can get past denser populations. They didn't really think much before they went off, grabbing a few days' food and medical supplies in case of danger. Wen Ning's bow is heavy on his back, and Chenqing is practically buzzing in response to the resentful energy thrashing around in its master's chest with every breath that he takes. The boys don't talk much, brains flashing wildly between "this was such a stupid idea" and "our family is in danger and we have to help them." This urgency is what propels them faster, forgoing sleep as much as possible without losing their instincts - they don't have time to stop, they can't even think about considering stopping until they finally land in Dafan Village.

It is deadly silent. There is usually always something or other going on in the village, but there is nothing. There is familiar char upon the wood making up the usually lively homes, a scent of smoke filling the senses the moment they step into this ghost village. It's a silent, cautious walk through the streets, the damage only getting worse the further in they get. Wei Ying catches a much, much more familiar scent beginning to rise to the forefront of the smoke, and he shares a very panicked look with Wen Ning, who can't smell it, but can definitely see the blood splattering the stone stairs and soaking into the dirt beneath their feet. Wen Ning is the first to start sprinting, yelling out the names of his beloved family with every corner turned, and Wei Ying is close behind, all thoughts of secrecy gone as they hurtle towards the centre of the village, desperate to find them just roughed up as a warning or something. A threat, maybe.

Instead, they find a pile of corpses. Discarded like rubbish, left to rot away in the centre of their precious village, the one place they were supposed to be truly safe. Blood permeates the air, covering the scene like an almost morbid decoration, and there's a distinct smell of burnt flesh with every breath. Wen Ning can't look for even a second longer than necessary before he's stumbling away, emptying the contents of his stomach - he has seen shit from the war, but nothing hits like seeing his family like this - and a sort-of-scream, sort-of-anguished-groan escapes him. Wei Ying, however, cannot look away. He stares emptily at the sight in front of him, everything else fading to a distant, muffled mess. This is all his fault, he knows it. This physically cannot be happening. He stumbles forwards, hands reaching to - what? He doesn't know, but he's gently scooping up the first corpse he can get a proper grip on, going to get them out of an undignified pile.

Wen Ning is having a mental breakdown but starts trying to help out, not wanting to leave his family in such a state. Wei Ying is basically disassociating as he starts laying out these bodies on the floor, murmuring apologies for the indignity the whole time. He's worked with corpses before, he's very methodical with it, and he tries not to look too much at their faces as he gently rests them upon the blood soaked ground. He's so focused on being careful with everything he does that it's hard to realise that there's something shifting around in the pile of corpses. He actually thinks it's a possible walking corpse trapped within its confines at first, but then he scoops up yet another body one of his aunties and realises that its holding something in its arms, clutched to its chest. He goes about laying out the body, familiar red smeared upon his robes as he finally removed its arms from its chest and finds these big, blinking eyes staring out at him from within a dirty, mudded blanket.

[sillygoofyqueer]

I have a SHITTY THROAT and a BLOCKED NOSE, I HATE being ill oh my god. Anyway I'll power through and give my honeypies an update for the mad scientist AU because I didn't post yesterday and I want to do something with my brain... Lan Wangji is bonding with Wei Ying. He is spending so much time with him and is being told all of the boy's deepest thoughts and feelings. They aren't just limited to Cleansing sessions anymore; Wei Ying is yelling his name from across the camp and bounding over to leap onto his back, likely expecting to be sidestepped or something. Everyone watches in a mixture of shock and confusion as, instead of pulling his usual stunts of looking at people who touch him with icy disdain, Lan Wangji merely hikes Wei Ying's legs up his waist and begins carrying him along with perfect posture. Wei Ying is surprised, laughing more out of startlement than anything else, batting at the man's shoulders and saying "Lan Zhan, you can put me down!! I'm too heavy!" As though he isn't both extremely underweight and also as though he hasn't told him how much it hurts to move for long stretches of time.

This is a regular occurrence. It becomes commonplace to see Lan Wangji and Wei Ying together, even moreso than seeing the gui cultivator with any of The Lads. Xue Yang is over here like "dude what the hell, you're ditching me :(" and Wei Ying goes "nuh uh, extra gege instead!" Xue Yang takes a scrutinising look at Lan Wangji, watches him stare back with that autism look in his eyes and honestly that's all he needs to do - Lan Wangji is now a new gege. It seems like this guy is the only one who can get Wei Ying to do things he's hesitant about doing, as long as he promises to stay with him the whole time. There is not a moment where they're apart. The Wen siblings are, of course, a little hurt by it, but it's hard to not understand where Wei Ying is coming from. It's best to let him come to them rather than trying to force him to forgive them. Wen Qing feels this the most because she's the one who takes on the brunt of responsibilities for her family.

What's going on with the Dafan Wen?? Well, they're in the clutches of the Wen still, so all The Lads can hope is that Wen Ruohan has too much on his mind with the war to consider using them as weapons. After all, as far as he's concerned, Wen Ning, Wen Qing, and Xue Yang have been taken against their will - therefore, no reason to go around slaughtering potential bargaining tools! If anything, he believes that three of the four Lads are being used as a blackmail tool against Wei Wuxian. That's right, folks, he genuinely believes that Wei Wuxian would totally still be on the side of the Wen if he was not being blackmailed. He thinks that his brainwashing was literally so good, and that even though Wei Wuxian killed Wen Zhuliu (by the way, the Big Shots do not know this) and was consequently thrown into the Burial Mounds for it, he's still using the techniques he taught, so he can't be THAT bothered about it! (We have to respect a guy so far up his own ass that he thinks he's That Good.)

Meanwhile, Lan Xichen is loving all of this!! He's all like "oh em gee my didi is bonding with people so much, this is great, I should talk to him about this!!" So they talk and Lan Wangji is like "yeah I like and admire Wei Ying" so Lan Xichen goes "yeah that's great, it's always good to have a friend you admire-" "I want to put my fingers into his mouth." "...So it's always great to have a person that you love, no matter what their gender happens to be-" Anyway. His didi is a cutsleeve too. Poor shifu...he won't be getting any grandkids...unless someone (most likely Wei Wuxian) fucks around with something and gets their internal biology changed. Who knows with that boy? He is actually determined to get to know Wei Wuxian personally without being caught by Wangji (he's watching him like a hawk these days), so he starts having like...biweekly tea sessions with him that are supposed to be about how his cultivation base works and strategising with him but do sometimes end up as mini things like "sooo, do you like my diiidiii??"

Nie Mingjue is all about the grind. While Lan Xichen is trying to learn everything about Wei Wuxian, he is in the background, Meng Yao and him going through all these different attack strategies that just never seem to work. Then Wei Wuxian, who has been peering at the war table with interest, points to an unprotected flank and goes "yeah I could put my palsies there." Nie Mingjue, who has been working with only their army, is hit with the sudden life changing thought of 'oh my fucking god. He has an undead army that we haven't thought about.' It's safe to say that he's very approving of Wei Wuxian after that, much to the delight of Nie Huaisang. What has Nie Huaisang been doing?? SO glad you asked - now that Wei Wuxian is back with his family, he's been working on his other pet project. Meng Yao.

Meng Yao obviously has his whole family situation going on, but also refuses to let Jin Zixuan know that they're related for some unknown reason. Whenever Nie Huaisang brings it up, he's like "no I have to be able to prove myself to him before I reveal that I am his brother. I cannot let his standards be shifted by that knowledge before I have gained his approval naturally." Something or other about 'honour' or whatever THAT means. Nie Huaisang has no time for that and instead goes about making the half brothers connect before they possibly die or whatever, meaning he must go to Jin Zixuan. Of course, instead of just saying "yo you've got a half brother hanging around in our sect", he instead chases the teenager up on that idea he had about talismans to find his family.

Jin Zixuan, still firmly in his "I hate my dad and am going to be nothing like him" era (is it an era if it's just his life now), has been dealing with the stresses of being the youngest kid at the war meetings and having to look out for basically all that is left of his sect. The rest of the sect is evil and not even worth acknowledging honestly, and the knowledge that if they win this war, he will be the sect leader of the Jin Sect is more than a little bit too much for him to handle. Instead of being a big boy and talking about it with someone (because he doesn't feel like he can tell anyone except Luo Qingyang, who can't help much), he latches onto his other issues, like finding his family. After being reminded by Nie Huaisang about his idea, he goes up to not Wei Wuxian but Lan Wangji and is like "is Wei Wuxian healthy enough to help me with this idea?" because basically everyone knows that Wei Wuxian is an unreliable source for these questions.

Lan Wangji considers it carefully and discusses it with Wen Qing, who both decide that Wei Ying can help out because it would be exercising the qi part of his golden core. He hasn't used it nearly enough for a while, so it would be good to help remind him out it works, meaning that as long as he only works with that medium he's allowed to help. Wei Ying has been itching for something important to do - he's not allowed to do much guidao because of his fucked up body or whateva - and leaps at the chance to use talismanry. To make it clear, I've decided that Wei Ying was always interested in the medium of talismanry and read up on it a whole bunch, but was never fully able to make use of it because the Wen saw it as more of a copout/weakling's weapon due to it not requiring much qi to wield most talismans. When he was in the Burial Mounds, he played around with it more, but he really flourished when he got out because he had so many cool materials at his disposal. So, this is like his first major project with talismans involved, and let's just say Jin Zixuan is lucky that Wei Wuxian has a natural talent for talismans (like his baba (another decision I've made)).

[sillygoofyqueer]

HONEYPIE. DON'T APOLOGISE FOR NOT DOING SOMETHING THAT WASN'T EXPECTED OF YOU. EVERY DRAWING HANDED TO ME IS A GIFT I TREASURE DEARLY, NOT A THING I HOLD OUT MY HAND AND EXPECT FOR. I'm so sorry to hear about your EDS flare up, I hope it's at least a little better now 🫶 I'm sure you aced your finals, too! I can feel it in my bone marrow. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS, I FEEL BLESSED TO SEE ONE OF THE MINI SCENES VISUALISED LIKE THIS, IT'S EVERYTHING I PICTURED IT TO BE.

Also, more specifically, I love how they're positioned. It may not be intentional, but I adore how Wei Wuxian, despite how comfortable he is around Lan Wangji, is still sat there with his knees pulled to his chest. He's making himself small, sat in a tight little ball (of sorts), like when someone's being vulnerable but still clinging to themselves for a physical barrier between them and the world. Meanwhile, Lan Wangji has a more open, relaxed position. He doesn't say anything during these sessions, but he relaxes throughout them, just like Wei Wuxian does. He isn't one to show that through words, letting his actions speak for him instead - such as a relaxed posture. They're just so everything to me, I love how you've captured them in this.

Wèi Wúxiàn and Lán Wàngjī from @sillygoofyqueer's Mad Scientist Wèi Wúxiàn AU.

I apologise for the art drought! I've had finals and an EDS flare up, so wanted to draw for your AU but couldn't. But here's Wàngxiàn!

[sillygoofyqueer]

Today I thought I was doing some form of chemical warfare instead of making a cake like I had initially planned in my kitchen when the mixture actually turned the texture of Angel's Delight. It turned out fine in the end though (probably I haven't looked at it since taking it out of the oven because I'm like God in that sense)!! This doesn't really have anything to do with anything, but I just thought I'd share. ANYWAY, MAD SCIENTIST AU. Despite the Lads' best attempts to get Wei Ying to just relax at least a little bit (outside of Cleansing sessions) so they can keep working on getting him back to some form of good health, he is a wriggly bastard. Even trying to entice him with conversation topics that he could talk about for hours back before the Burial Mounds doesn't do much, because he just flits away the moment they turn their backs on him. He is still sort of chatty but he never talks as much as he used to, seemingly used to the silence now - after all, when there were enough voices in one's head, it didn't seem necessary to say anything aloud. No, Wei Ying is not the same. He jokes, he teases, he dances around concern, but there is something haunted about those eyes as he looks at people. He spends more time by himself than he ever used to before the Burial Mounds.

While the resentful energy is slowly, slowly but surely clearing up, nothing else seems to change about him in that sense. Deathly pale, no appetite, not blinking - it's hard to keep a firm grasp on him. Honestly, as much as Wei Ying loves and adores his family, completely understands why the Wens didn't say anything about all of the lies, there is still that element of betrayal. It's something that he feels guilty of, but it's still there. A flicker. They knew, everyone knew, that the Wens had killed his parents, but they never breathed a single word of it. Never even hinted at it. It was a thought that he tries not to think about, but it makes everything feel the slightest bit strained. Just a tiny bit. Looking at them and having the unbidden, bitter thought of 'why?' shoot through his mind. He doesn't want to feel like that, so he becomes determined to fix himself in order to be able to spend time with his family again.

Xue Yang didn't know either. He carries all of the bitterness that Wei Ying feels but amplified by the actual thought that he was dead. He thought that his gege was dead and treated the Wen accordingly, but now he acts like nothing had ever changed now that his gege is back. Wei Ying wishes that he could be like that, wishes he could stop feeling this way now that his family is back together. The spirits understand his inner conflict, they listen and accept him and they don't judge, so he buries his hands deeper into the resentful energy so there is someone else to talk to about it. But, spirits can only help so much, and the ones around this war camp are too violent, too focused on blood and revenge to be of any assistance when he's trying to move past that bitterness and betrayal.

The Cleansing sessions with Lan Wangji are his only escape from it all. The gentle melody, paired with the soothing, steady presence of the other boy in the room, relaxes him in a way he can't explain. The bitterness disappears, the stress and desperation that still clings to him from the Burial Mounds melts down into a warm feeling of peace that he so rarely feels anymore. At first, they remain silent throughout the sessions, and Wei Ying falls asleep before the song is even finished. Then, after the exhaustion stops simmering in his blood, he finds himself just talking after the melody is over. He talks more about his cultivation method, about the experiments he wants to try out when the resentful energy is clearing up at least a little bit.

He doesn't know what it is about Lan Wangji, but he soon finds himself spilling more about himself, feeling like he can trust the boy with anything. He talks about the guilt that permeates his every breath, one borne from the things he has done for his parents' killers, from the blood seeping between his fingers with every person he killed in order to experiment. It doesn't matter if he thought they were willing participants, he still had to pick their blood out from beneath his fingernails when it built up too much. In more whispered tones, he talks about this deep betrayal and bitterness he feels towards Wen Ning and Wen Qing, even though he can't blame them for the choices they made because he doesn't know if he would do any different.

Lan Wangji doesn't say anything at first, just continuing to be that steady presence who sits there and listens, that same tranquil expression on his face every time that Wei Ying risks a look. No judgement, no disgust or horror at his words, just calm peace. The first time that he does anything during one of these sessions, it's to gently shift his hand out and press it lightly against Wei Ying's own outstretched hand when he sprawls out in a fit of emotion. He doesn't say anything more, but Wei Ying understands. He curls around the hand and clings to it for the comfort it provides, a drop of water for a parched man in the desert. It gets easier since that first time to sprawl around upon Lan Wangji without a care in the world as he talks.

"Wei Wuxian. You are not a bad person for feeling upset," is the next leap that comes along with these sessions. Lan Wangji stares at him with those breathtaking golden eyes, looking over his shoulder where he is back to back with Wei Ying. Wei Ying cannot speak for a moment, too busy staring at the glorious, perfect boy who just seems to be his only solace in these uncertain, terrifying times. He eventually laughs off the words, wanting to brush it off, but Lan Wangji's golden eyes do not let him. Eventually, he says "ah, Lan Wangji. how are you a real person? You should call me Wei Ying, I've basically bared my whole soul to you at this point." Lan Wangji looks at him with no change in his serene expression, and goes "Lan Zhan." instead of any real response.

[sillygoofyqueer]

"Where were was the mad scientist AU post yesterday, Four??" Man. I have the right to remain silent, anything I say can and will be held against me in the court of law. I also have a right to an attorney and if I- Lan Wangji is, as previously mentioned, not somebody who has ever really had friends. He doesn't know how to talk to people, he doesn't want to talk to people, he doesn't want to hang out with them. He just does not bond with human beings whose names do not begin with 'Lan' (and even then, he's very particular about who he associates with within that category). He gets saved by an attractive boy of the enemy, and then is trapped within a cave with that same boy (even though that boy could leave if he wanted to) He finds himself bonding against his own will through sharing the love of his home with him and then almost dying to defeat the monster keeping them trapped within the cave itself. He leaves that boy, and only silently worries about him, not speaking to Nie Huaisang even when he knows that he's communicating with the boy.

When the boy is pronounced dead by a single letter, Lan Wangji feels a guilt bury itself in his chest, one that really makes no sense. He should have helped, yes, but he barely knew anything about this boy! He doesn't like people, he doesn't bond, this boy is just an unfortunate casualty, one that emphasises the monstrous of the Wen clan in and of itself. Despite this feeling, he also feels an impossible pang of pain every time he thinks of that boy who smiled and laughed in possibly one of the worst situations of his life (so far). He feels a guilt that eats him up when he's reminded of him, and wishes he could have done something to stop the fate that was handed to the boy himself. When Nie Huaisang tells him there may be a chance for him to help the boy (who may not be as dead as he thought), he of course agrees to it.

Fast forwards to after seeing Wei Wuxian again on the battlefield and offering to play Cleansing for him when it's necessary. Now, I don't need to repeat myself when I talk about Lan Wangji and people generally - so, while he's built up this idea of Wei Wuxian in his head, he has no idea how to act around him. He knows literally nothing about Wei Wuxian, not entertaining rumours (something all Lans should do), so he is sort of freaking out when he goes to the first private Cleansing session. Nobody else is going to be there, and he can't really gauge much about Wei Wuxian's personality apart from the fact that he is very chatty and very smart. He finds where Wei Wuxian's tent is, steps in, and immediately gets an eyeful of the man's bare chest because he's just casually lounging around on his bed in just his pants.

Listen. Objectively, Wei Wuxian's state is terrible - you can see his ribs, there's blotches of resentful energy blemishing his skin, the scars of course, and the fact he has the skin tone of a literal walking corpse. However, he is still the most attractive man Lan Wangji has ever seen, and he's got an almost suffocating desire wrestling with the burning need to care for this boy in his chest as he sits down upon the mat provided for him. As he sets up, Wei Wuxian goes on about how he's a 'special kind of fucked up' so he gets his own rooms, and Lan Wangji just specifies that he's actually very important and people wish for him to be as comfortable as possible during his long term healing process because they care about him. Wei Wuxian goes quiet, and is a sort of strange red shade when Lan Wangji looks up at him. Probably feeling warm, Wen-guniang had specified that his quarters should be as warm as possible due to Wei Wuxian's apparently lowered body temperature.

Lan Wangji starts playing Cleansing and, at first, Wei Wuxian can't really sit still, rolling off his bed and splaying himself out onto the floor, but as the music starts to work its magic, he eventually relaxes, and even dozes off still sprawled out onto the floor. The resentful energy is of course not going to be affected by only one session of Cleansing, but there are certain less dense patches lightening up on his skin upon close inspection. It's purely medical and clinical, okay. He just wants to see how one round of Cleansing can affect the level of resentful energy crawling around the boy's body. It's NOT GAY. It is also not gay to scoop Wei Wuxian up into his arms, worry over how light he is, and then gently place him back onto his bed roll. It's certainly not gay to take off his outermost layer of robes and drape them over the boy; he doesn't know where his robes are, and it's RUDE to snoop!!

He packs away Wangji and leaves Wei Wuxian to sleep, knowing (from asking Wen-guniang about everything wrong with him) that he has been dealing with a lot of sleep deprivation even before being thrown into the Burial Mounds. Lan Xichen, unfortunately, intercepts him on his way out and immediately notices that he's missing a layer. Cue his gege teasing him mercilessly while following him back to his tent under the pretense of 'ensuring his didi grabs another layer'. This is painful, and it happens every single time that he has a Cleansing session with Wei Wuxian. Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian himself wakes up wrapped in Lan Wangji's robes and goes "ah, the gay thoughts I have been avoiding because I had a lot going on at the time". Yes, my friends and lovers, Wei Wuxian is aware he's a cutsleeve because Wen Qing sits him down exactly once after the Xuanwu incident and goes "I think you might be really into Lan Wangji" and Wei Wuxian is like "yeah that checks out."

[sillygoofyqueer]

GUYS IT'S NOT FUCKING RAINING IN BRITAIN AND THERE'S THIS STRANGE GLOWING ORB IN THE SKY THAT SEEMS DETERMINED TO BOIL ME ALIVE SO I'M CHANNELLING THAT FEAR INTO A NEW POST FOR MAD SCIENTIST AU Okay so it's the moment you've all been waiting for (*crickets chirping in the background*), it's time for the SOUP DILEMMA. We all know how it goes - Jiang Yanli has been making Jin Zixuan soup and leaving it for him in front of his sleeping quarters. Some servant girl sees this and tries to take the opportunity to like either climb the ranks or get a way to be his wife?? Honey, the autistic pathetic man rizz is not for you. Anyway, she lets herself be near the scene when Jin Zixuan is looking around to find his mystery soup giver. He thinks that it's her because context clues imply that it's her and he's just a little guy who doesn't really think much because his little brain is currently filled with mainly spite and violence against his father.

However, the key difference this time is...not Wei Wuxian? Well, actually, it sort of is. Wei Wuxian, at the first chance he had, introduced Xue Yang to his goddess of soup, and Xue Yang is nothing if not someone who likes soup - and people who like his gege not solely based on how useful he is on the battlefield. So, he obviously likes Jiang Yanli, who has only heard rumours about Wei Wuxian without even seeing anything for herself. Now that Wei Wuxian is out of the Burial Mounds, he's allowed to roam more freely, so he does spend some time being a lil creepy creep and just following different people around. This is most often The Lads (usually Wei-gege), occasionally Lan Wangji, and very occasionally, he follows Jiang Yanli around. Then he realises that she's being sneaky for some reason, and now he's more interested, so he follows her around more often!

Through this sneaking and creeping, he learns that Jiang Yanli is leaving soup for Jin Zixuan - he personally thinks it's wasted on the golden dude, but he would never judge one of the people that he likes, so he instead focus all of that judgment for the man who doesn't notice her affections. He isn't even really that bad, like he was basically the first person to notice how Wei-gege (and him too) were being lied to even if nobody believed him, but Xue Yang has a reputation to uphold and he can't be getting buddy buddy with a guy who literally comes from a sect that would literally be wearing pure gold if it could. Anyway, he is keeping an eye on this situation, contemplating whether he could nick the soup without anyone knowing. Listen, he gets hungry easy, he's a growing kid! Plus, he can give Jiang Yanli the praise she deserves for such consistently great soup.

Wei-gege knows of his hobby and sometimes joins him when he gets bored (or is trying to hide from the others), so he's nearby while Xue Yang is peeking into the Jins' quarters to calculate the perfect time to grab the bowl of soup on a tray. There's a servant girl sort of hanging around nearby, probably eyeing up the soup for herself, which is so not fair okay. He was here first, he has dibs on it - unfortunately, Jin Zixuan comes out of his room and picks up the tray, so neither of them can have it, which is truly a shame. Wei-gege comes back from his snooping of other areas to peek in beside him, and acts much more pissy when they watch Jin Zixuan ask the servant girl something, and the servant girl nodding her head demurely. Xue Yang is ready to cut his losses and go ask Jiang Yanli for more soup without any theft, but Wei-gege is leaving their hiding place and going up to the other two.

Meanwhile, Wei Ying is ready to brawl this girl, who is trying to take credit for Jiang-guniang's brilliant cooking skills for some reason!! He ignores her offended questions about what he's doing here (insert disgusted tone with it), turning straight to Jin Zixuan and being like "oh wow, Jiang-guniang makes soup for you as well?" Jin Zixuan is all confused because wait the servant girl said that she made the soup :( Jiang Yanli is making him soup? :D He asks Wei Wuxian how he knows it's Jiang Yanli, and gets the response of "well, those are her special bowls! I get to have my soup in it if I've done all the dishes like I'm supposed to." Now he's torn between reprimanding this servant girl for lying to him and thanking Jiang Yanli for the excellent soup she's been making him, because the soup fucking rocks. Wei Wuxian makes the decision for him by being like "c'mon, she might even show you how she makes the soup!" and dragging him off.

Word gets out about this incident because one, Jin Zixuan showed up in the Jiang kitchens (nobody talks about Wei Wuxian being there so that Yu Ziyuan doesn't go literally insane) to personally thank Jiang Yanli for her efforts, and had like a wholeass conversation with her! They may be promised each other's hands in marriage, but this may be the first time they've had a conversation of their own accord! Oh, and two, Xue Yang begrudgingly goes to Nie Huaisang for an explanation because he doesn't get what's been going on and all Nie Huaisang is really good for is explaining things to him that nobody else will tell him. Of course, Nie Huaisang learns about this event and starts telling everyone because like...dude, of course he's going to tell more people about this! It's fucking cute!! Even if he does have to leave out Wei Wuxian's help in making it all happen.

Aside from a warmer relationship blossoming between Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan, this event has other impacts. Jiang Cheng, who has been like basically neutral towards Wei Wuxian because while the guy is useful and hasn't done anything wrong to him or Jiejie after hanging out with her all the time, he also did try to attack Muqin and A-die has been acting strange ever since Wei Wuxian showed up. However, he hears from Nie Huaisang that Wei Wuxian helped Jin Zixuan actually begin a conversation with Jiejie because of something to do with soup?? He doesn't get it, but anyone who helps Jiejie without any ulterior motives (at least he assumes there was no ulterior motives) gets his instant respect. He finds Wei Wuxian sitting near the edges of the war camp, seemingly rather quiet and contemplative until Jiang Cheng hesitantly steps closer, unsure if he's interrupting anything.

Wei Wuxian smiles and is like "You're Jiang Wanyin, right?" and Jiang Cheng just goes straight in for the "my mother doesn't like you." The other boy, unfazed, just shrugs a little, the resentful energy almost pulsing in his skin as he stares back at him without any concern or offense in his expression - he's used to hearing things like this after all of his time in the war camp. "Jiejie likes you though." Another shrug. "You helped her, why?" Now Wei Wuxian just looks confused. "Because I like her? I think she's cool?" A sentiment that everyone should believe, and Jiang Cheng can't help but be a little less tense near Wei Wuxian at this moment. "Nobody calls me Jiang Wanyin. They all just call me Jiang Cheng." "Well that's rude, so I'm not going to do that. I need to earn your friendship first." Nobody has ever wanted to earn his friendship before...except maybe his dogs? But they were dogs. This was another living (?) person, who wanted to be his friend.

[sillygoofyqueer]

Okay okay mad scientist AU, what do I want to focus on right now, hmmmm.....I suppose we can talk about the different Big Shot's reaction to Wei Wuxian's presence, I did promise you that! Okay so let's start with the ones I actually DON'T care about. Jiang Fengmian is finally meeting his best friend's son for the first time in his life. He's like really going through it because even with the resentful energy crawling around and permeating his body, he still has the features of his parents. His mother's dark grey eyes are sometimes visible when the darkness stopped swirling around in them a little, his father's smile is still there, so clear and plain as day when he talks to the other teenagers forced into this war. The way he draws people in around him is all his mother, but the gentle way he treats those lesser than him is just an indicator of how his father had treated the little disciples when they came running towards him for help and comfort. He's sick with the memories amalgamated into one boy, and that leaves him distant with his own children.

Yu Ziyuan is a bitter woman who watches how his husband becomes melancholic and lost in memories, and mistakes it for melancholy for the life he never got to have, the woman that he never got to have. She sees this and only becomes more enraged at this teenager, who is already cultivating with these dark, heinous forces and not receiving any repercussions for his actions despite the fact that he is puppeteering the dead. She can't help but channel this into resenting this young boy even more. The only words she says when he, or The Lads, are around are just barbed, bitter insults. Wei Wuxian doesn't care, doesn't notice, doesn't react - until the first time he hears her insult his parents in front of him. The only reason that Suibian doesn't connect with her face in those moments is because Wen Qing literally stabs a needle into Wei Wuxian and then goes "next time, I won't stop him." Needless to say, they don't go into each other's vicinities a lot.

I want to talk about Jin Zixuan but first we have to talk about Jiang Yanli in order to talk about him. So, she's a bit hesitant with Wei Wuxian at first, because obviously her mother has beef with him and usually people who have beef with one person have beef with the whole family. Then, one time, as she's making soup in the Jiang kitchens, he comes creeping in quietly, drawn both by the alluring smell and the fact that The Lads (now including Lan Wangji and Nie Huasiang) would never suspect him to go into the Jiang part of the war camp!! She actually notices him when he stumbles to avoid a pile of dishes or something, and she's like ".....hello." because uh. Why is this guy sneaking into the kitchens. And he just goes "can I wash the dishes? 🥺" because the longer he stays in a single tent, the longer it will take for The Lads to find him and drag him back to the medical tent.

Jiang Yanli is actually so baffled but like, who's going to say no to someone who doesn't seem to be doing any harm and actually wants to help out with a chore? She lets him get to it without much issue, and he starts doin' the usual by yappering away about fucken anything that comes to mind, mainly praising the food n shit that he can smell - "better than the Burial Mounds, I'll say that much!" - and like. What. Oh my gods. What did this poor guy eat in the Burial Mounds. Jiang Yanli's jiejie instincts kick in and before she knows it, she's sitting beside him on the floor and eating a bowl of soup with him (he didn't want to eat alone), listening to him sing praises about it all. Of course, this then becomes a regular thing.

Because this is My AU and I can Do What I Want, the soup misunderstanding happens a bit earlier on here. BUT that comes up later, so let's first talk about Jin Zixuan's reaction to Wei Wuxian's presence. Jin Zixuan has finally gone against his father and has joined the Sunshot Campaign against him, so I've decided that this is sort of like his emo phase (I was going to describe it as 'late' but he's literally still a teenager okay). Everything his father would do, he does the opposite of. He scorns people he views lesser than himself? Jin Zixuan is helping out the servants and making a targeted effort to thank and remember the names of the ones in his camp. He views people based on their usefulness alone? Jin Zixuan is actually trying to breach his shell of social awkwardness with the help of Luo Qingyang so he can get to know the people that he's going to be fighting with, not limited to just his own small group of loyal Jins.

Jin Zixuan is so determined to not be like his father that instead of ignoring the fact that he has half-siblings like he was content to do before, he actually wants to find and connect with as many of them as possible after the war. To do this, he needs to talk to Wei Wuxian, their new resident talisman maker, for help. Now, when it comes to Wei Wuxian, he is like "I fucking told you guys so." the moment it's brought up. He's trying to be better, but he literally did fucking tell them and they didn't believe him. In the spirit of getting to know those he's fighting alongside, he walks right up to Wei Wuxian (ignoring the glares from Xue Yang and Wen Qing) and goes "thank you so much for your willingness to assist us fighting in this war. You have shown yourself time and again to be an honourable individual." Luo Qingyang is face palming in the background but Wei Wuxian sees this awkward mess and thinks 'oh em gee this is just like Wen Ning.'

[sillygoofyqueer]

AHWH IIAHHOWHHGGGHHHH THEY LOOK LIKE A FAMILY AND IT'S SO CUTE I CAN'T EVEN PROCESS THINGS ANYMORE. Lan Wangji looks so content with his life and it's just so fucking cute, you can tell he's listening to everything that Wei Wuxian's saying I'm gonna cry. Wei Wuxian looks so happy, it's like a proper smile and everything :( AND XUE YANG. He's so small and he's got the autism eyes but his hyperfixation is gege. He will learn everything about Wei-gege and will beat Lan Wangji, whose hyperfixation is obviously gege as well! He's a littol baybee and he just loves Wei Wuxian so much I love him I love him I love him

Wèi Wúxiàn, Lán Wàngjī, and Xuē Yáng from @sillygoofyqueer's Mad Scientist Wèi Wúxiàn AU.

This AU is so good and keeps giving me so many art ideas!

Wèi Wúxiàn is very happy to have someone who will listen to all of his infodumping! And Lán Zhàn has a very good sense of humour, though no one seems to realise this (even his brother).

Xuē Yáng likes Lán Wàngjī, but is also very upset because he wants to talk to Wèi Wúxiàn, and Lán Wàngjī is stealing his gēge! Gēge theft is not allowed!