#(well the jc one is from another scene as well but its still here)

[wangxianficfinder]

Fic Finder

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1. Hi! Can you help me look for this fic (cause its been months since the last time I read it) wherein WWX is LWJ’s husband and he is teaching in gusu wearing gusulan robes? I remember students likes wwx that one sect leader went to Cloud Recesses to insult wwx for seducing his son.

Btw, the fic includes photos of WWX wearing gusulan (white robes) (I think they got the image where Xiao Zhan was Shi Ying)

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2. Hi! Can you help me find these 2 fics. Thank you very much

A) Twitter thread fic wherein nyancheng went to book signing of his fav author zewujun.  I remember after the book signing, lxc reach out his hand for handshake and when they shakehands, bolts were felt and they went into heat/rut. Apparently they are soulmates. Nyancheng was embarrassed because his ears and tails pop out due to heat. (I actually forgot lxc animal trait)

B) Modern Au where in wwx is in the airport with police and ambulance because apparently wwx plane went missing for 13 years (???). The people in the plane (including wwx) thought that they have been in the plane for few hours but outside the plane, its been years. Wwx didn’t even aged up while his family (including lwj) aged up

2B)

看客散去唯你我不忘 | the world forgets but i still remember you by prettyxianxian (T, 11k, wangxian, modern, manifest au, flashbacks, multiple POV, angst w happy ending, hurt/comfort, everyone lives au, insecurities, JC & WWX reconciliation, good parent YZY & JFM)

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3. Hey! I hope you guys are doing great and resting in the midst of everything in life and updating this blog as well. Unfortunately, I fear I'm here to add to your burdens 😅

So I was looking for this fic. I remember it being set in the Canon era where Wei Wuxian is just extremely intelligent, and he goes on this  whole tirade about how he came to the conclusion concerning the waterborne abyss witht the use of talismanic theory in the library while Lan Wangji makes the charcoal for him to write and at the end Wangji is just so fascinated by Wuxian while the latter is like, "sorry for unloading that whole thing on you" kind of vibe. 

I can't seem to remember what the name is. I was looking for it in my history, and it's just so difficult when it's just that kne scene you remember. Do you suppose you could help my misery. Thank you in advance. @poetic-writes

FOUND? 🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 663k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement)

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4. Hi! I'm looking for a fic where wwx is a musician in university living in this huge dorm. He sometimes hears beautiful piano music (lwj) coming from somewhere in the building but he doesn't know where. They start to play music together and don't know each other's identities. They don't find out each other's identities until graduation or something. @its0nnetflix

FOUND? sounds like through a window softly by impossibletruths (T, 14k, wangxian, modern, college/university au, music au, neigbors, graduate school, music as a love language) on AO3 except that LWJ is a violin player

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5. okay, i once started reding a wangxian fic that was based on another fic called "the simplest way forward" and it was like this, wangxian were roommates and someone dropped Yuan off at their door and that's all i remember because i didn't finish it and now i can't find it, help me please and thank you <3 @akutamichan

FOUND? so take my hand (take my whole life too) by cicer (E, 92k, WangXian, Modern AU, Accidental Baby Acquisition, oh my god they were roommates, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, this fic is not about trauma, it’s about the yearning, slowburn)

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6. hi! i was looking for an E rated sbwy gym fic where wwx thinks of him and lwj as really good gymbros. one point theyre at a smoothie(?) place where wwx says hes glad they started seeing each other (as friends) but lwj interprets it as romantic. jc had said wwx was feminine when theyre were 14 or smth and so wwx has a mild complex abt it. i rmbr wwx has an old flip phone and nhs makes a joke how wwx is rich enough to buy a new smartphone instead, also when lwj sends photos it takes forever to load in. i think lwj did soundtracks for movies too? and wwx mentions watching those movies for him. sry thats all i rmbr! i believe its possibly deleted, and if so does anyone have it downloaded?

#6 has been privated I think 😓

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7. For the next fic finder I was wondering if you could help me find two specific Hogwarts AUs?

- Moved to a YiZhan FF/ITMF post

The second one is really vague and I’m sorry for that but I remember a WangXian fic where Wei Wuxian is part Veela and maybe he’s a Slytherin or Hufflepuff? I can’t seem to remember anything else besides there being a focus on Wei Wuxian’s volatile nature and battle prowess due to his Veela blood. He may have also killed a guy, or at least severely harmed some guy in self defense. I loved their world building and I’m so upset that I’ve lost both of them. Thank you for the help in advance.

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8. Hey! Been following for a while and enjoying all the finders and recs from this page!

I have a request though, I'm trying to look for this fiction where wei ying is a general (i think) and lan zhan is a dragon, and there's a war between all sect, with the lans, the nie, and wen on one side, against the jin and jiang on the other. There's also animal shifters among the gentry where I think the jiang might be water birds?? I can't quite remember. The jiang and Jin end up defeated and the others win. Wei ying.is also a genius tactician and is respected by the other side of the war. I can't remember the name of the fiction and I'm desperate to find it. I think it's a completed fic too

Many thanks if you find it! (And could you tag me so I definitely see the post this request shows up if its found?? I forget things easily) @elderredraccoon​

FOUND! Crossing Paths by Ilona22 (M, 21k, wangxian, shapeshifter au, graphic depictions of violence, war between sects, war crimes, not JC friendly, happy ending)

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9. Hi! I'm looking for a WangXian fic where WWX and LWJ go back in time but WWX goes back a very long time before his birth. He holes up in the Burial Mounds and becomes notorious as the YLLZ. He's also pretty depressed I think? When WWX realizes that LWJ is born he storms into the Cloud Recesses and demands LWJ's hand in marriage -- LWJ is only 12 (I think) at this point and LQR and LXC are horrified but LWJ agrees without their input (he still has his original memories). WWX starts out just treating LWJ like a child he's very fond of but when LWJ gets older and becomes an adult, they resume a sexual relationship and I think WWX comments on how they're slowly shifting their dynamics from Kind Mentor WWX/Young Mentee LWJ to Bratty Bubbly WWX/Calm Dominant LWJ. I remember really liking this fic but I don't remember what any of its tags were or whether it was a single fic or a series of one shots etc etc. I would appreciate the help! @sssrha​

FOUND? An Unusual Betrothal by ahealthydoseof (G, 74k, wangxian, time travel, age difference, immortality, BAMF WWX, younger LWJ, older WWX, misunderstandings, fluff & crack, worried parents, rabbits, food, non-sexual intimacy, murder, fix-it of sorts, developing relationship, humor, arranged marriage, jealousy, friendship, family feels, dysfunctional family, fatherhood, angst, hurt/comfort, mentor WWX, natural disasters, sworn brotherhood, serious injuries, kissing)

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10. Looking for a fic, please help! the wens had won the war years ago. I only remember a scene where lan wangji and the juniors were in a shop or restaurant of some sort and wen xu comes in and intimidates lan wangji to where the juniors defend him. He thanks them later saying it’s hard for him to deal with wen xu. (he had lan wangji in captivity during the war, lan wangji still has Nightmares about it). I don’t remember where wei ying is or if he “died”. Thanks!!!!

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11. Hello! I'm looking for 2 fics that I have wanted to rec on ITMFs so many times but just can't find! Both are canon divergent, not modern au.

A) it is a sort of eldritch wwx. He was eaten by a demon that like. Consumed his memories and wanted to be wwx? And then he gets back to sunshot, vomits up wen chaos teeth, has sex with lan zhan and also eats cows whole? Its a good one!

B) this one I remember just one scene. It is post sun shot, a confrontation at the jin banquet with yllz wwx. Yu Ziyuan is alive and checks his core in public and realizes he is coreless (i really think its her! But maybe someone else...). This might have been schemed by wen qing? Fix it after this point i think. @absurdlyadmiredarmchair​

11A)

FOUND! You are what you eat by deliciousblizzardshark (E, 17k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Eldritch WWX, Horny LWJ, Body Horror, Possession, of a sort, Cannibalism, kind of, Mild Gore, Teeth, Fluff and Humor, Smut, Oral Sex, Anal Sex, Monster sex, Switching, Light BDSM, Rimming, Self-Lubrication, Seriousness treated Crackily, Implied/Referenced Torture, Dead WWX)

11B)

FOUND! seldom all they seem by Fahye (E, 24k, wangxian, canon divergence, arranged marriage, or rather arranged betrothal, weapongrade thirst)

not found Yearning for Miles by Murahi (M, 378k, WangXian, LQR/SiSi, Canon Divergence, Angst, Fluff, Slow burn, Mutual Pining, seeing the future) There is a scene like this quite far into the fic. It's chapter 64 to be precise 😊

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12. anyone know of a fic where wwx falls into the wen treasure room after sunshot, it's the only thing i remember about it

I don't know what the fic for #12, but I think I've read it before and Wen Qing & Wen Ning show a group of people onto the Wen throne room through a back door, and WN had to open it as it could only be opened by a male Wen. There was a big Wen family tree on the wall of this secret entrance.

FOUND! Better Things to Do with a Flute in Wartime by Anonymous (E, 365k, MingXian, WangXianJue, Sunshot Campaign, Fix-It, Magical Healing Cock, Dual Cultivation, mild Dom/Sub, Undernegotiated Kink, Golden Core Reveal, Breathplay, Choking, Painplay, Subdrop, Topdrop, Major Character Injury, Canon Divergence, What-If, Temperature Play, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Fisting, Spanking, PTSD, Trauma, Self-Harm, (in the pursuit of cultivational badassery) Something similar happens in chapters 43-45

Not FOUND! ❤️ Gentians in bloom by teawater (M, 251k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, AU after cold spring, Political Marriage, Dysfunctional Family, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, LQR bashing (not really), POV Multiple, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Eventual Happy Ending, BAMF WWX, JC is actually a lot better than canon, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, YZY bashing (again not completely)) the one mentioned with the wen family tree is, in chapter 33

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13. Hi 

Firstly, I want to say thank you, this blog is awesome, and I have found so many good Fics to read as well as find ones that I have lost or forgot to bookmark. 

Secondly, I would like help to find a fic, from what I remember Wei Ying was drunk on the rooftop when someone approached. In his drunken state, he thinks it was Lan Wangji that showed up so he goes on saying things like are you here to punish me again. He also asks why Lan Wangji hates him so much, but the whole entire time it was actually Lan Xichen he was talking to. I think it takes place after he got punished for drinking in Cloud Recess, and then something happens and he almost falls off the roof but Lan Xichen catches him. Lan Wangji had apparently witnessed the whole thing and tried to apologize but Lan Xichen coldly tells him the apology should be given to Wei Ying instead when he wakes up. 

Again, thank you so much in advance. 

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14. Hi 👋,  for the next fic finder - im trying to find a fic i saw awhile back. I cant remember too clearly but i think lwj got separated from the lan clan when he was young and found himself in a brothel. I remember when he was young - he only had to clean etc but as he was growing,  his good looks started getting noticed. I think he also asked someone to curse him so he looks hideous or something. 

Please help me find this 🙏.  Thank you so much 🌸

FOUND? Turn Left by kianspo (M, 204k, WangXian, NieLan, Canon Divergence, Fix-It of Sorts, Friends to Lovers, eventually, references to child sexual abuse, not main characters,  Neurodivergent LWJ, Slow Build, Lán Family Feels, specifically, Twin Jades of Lán Feels, lwj-centric, Twin Jades of Lán Dynamics, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies)

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15. hi! i’m looking for a fic that’s gone missing! it’s a modern au, where lan zhan and wei ying are strangers that are matched by a hotel and are going to spend wei ying’s heat together. it’s supposed to be a hotel where u can safely share a heat without the threat of pregnancy but they throw that out the window and just spend it together. oh! it’s a smut fix lol. but yeah that’s about it. hopefully u can find it, i randomly thought ab and could not find it anywhere :’) 

random detail: lan zhan’s cello fingers were pointed out @alt-stay

FOUND! Lucid by lazulink (E, 9k, WangXian, Modern AU, A/B/O Dynamics, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Assigned Heat Partners, Strangers to Lovers Speedrun, Scenting, Nesting, Knotting, Mating Bites, Cunnilingus, Rimming, Humiliation, Blow Jobs, Breeding Kink, Spanking, Consensual Non-Consent, Consensual Somnophilia, Breathplay, Loss of Virginity, Light Dom/sub, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, PWP, Intersex Omegas, Under-negotiated Kink, Implied Future Mpreg)

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16. Strange one again, I'm looking for a fic that mentions the situation at Lotus Pier is made harder by the fact that JFM has his servants, YZY has hers, but because they're so separate, nobody knows whether his servants outrank hers or whose orders take precdence, and how WWX gets tangled in it. Pretty sure it's a Lan commenting on the disharmony, but not 100%.

FOUND? Alliance AU by Ilona22 (E, 17k, wangxian, ABO, arranged marriage, intersex omegas, canon Jiang family dynamics, not JC friendly, matchmaking, night hunts) is 'Lotus Pier' Ilona22 is the third fic in their Alliance AU. It's an ABO series, and the bit about the separate household is from the perspective of a servant there witnesses happy Wangxian at the Lotus Pier markets

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17. Hi! For your next fic finder can I please request this wangxian time travel fic where LWJ goes back to where WWX just reappeared after the burial mounds and LWJ asks him to marry him and WWX takes it as a joke??? thank you! @iyo-luv

FOUND? Lan Wangji's Prank by shiroakuma (E, 23k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, everyone lives au, pining, golden core reveal, YLLZ WWX, first kiss, first time, love confessions, wangxian get happy ending) hi!! so, for the last fic finder, #17 might be "Lan Wangji's Prank" by shiroakuma? i say might bc lwj asks to court wwx, not marry, but this is the only fic that came to mind when i read the request <33

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18. So I’m looking for a specific fic that I know is on ao3, can’t remember the name of the story nor the author though.

And that’s after looking through my history on ao3 for over an hour.

All I really remember from it was that it was short, like one to ten chapters long.

(And yes I do consider 10 chapters short)

It took place in cloud recess study arc, jiang Cheng punched or got into a physical fight with Jin Zixuan, in the classroom if I remember correctly.

Wei wuxian was injured. Somehow, story could be after the waterborne abyss.

Oh and the Jiangs asking WWX why he didn’t defend Yanli. Despite the fact he’s injured on the floor. @ravenwithwings​

FOUND! If only you knew (what goes on in my mind) by makexianxianhappytoday (G, 7k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, angst w/ happy ending, not Jiang friendly, protective LWJ)

Not FOUND! No Refunds, Satisfaction Guaranteed by la_muerta (E, 20k, WangXian, Robots & Androids, Childhood Friends, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Rimming, Come as Lube, Semi-Public Sex, Light Bondage, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Dom/sub Undertones)

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19. Hello! I’m trying to find a fic where lan zhan orders a sex robot/android and wei ying goes to deliver it but there’s a problem with getting it up to the apartment so he goes to the apartment to talk to lan zhan and lan zhan mistakes him as the robot and wei ying for some reason decides to go along with it? Please help I can’t seem to find it anywhere! 🙏💜 @rainingkittens​

Not FOUND! Heartspots & Human Things by flowerofgusu (E, 17k, wangxian, major character death, modern, romance, falling in love, angst w happy ending, with a twist, grief/mourning, versatile wangxian, eventual smut, demisexual LWJ, tragedy with a twist, tenderness, second chances, learning to love again, sex robot WWX, morally grey NHS)

FOUND! No Refunds, Satisfaction Guaranteed by la_muerta (E, 20k, WangXian, Robots & Androids, Childhood Friends, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Rimming, Come as Lube, Semi-Public Sex, Light Bondage, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Dom/sub Undertones)

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20. hello! thank you for your help. I'm looking for a modern au fic where wwx was in an abusive relationship with wen chao (or wen zhuliu? one of the bad wens). all I remember is that a-yuan was wen chao's biological child and wwx wanted to protect him so he suffered the abuse for years and when wen chao went to prison wwx adopted a-yuan. hopefully someone recognizes

FOUND! how to make your dad fall in love with your high school teacher in five steps; the complete and bulletproof guide by ravenditefairylights (T, 90k, wangxian, modern, coffee shop au, nonbinary LSZ, hurt/comfort, trauma, past abuse, past domestic violence, healing, hurt WWX, found family, hospitalization, therapy, single parent WWX, pining, teacher LWJ, unreliable narrator, chronic pain, queer platonic relationship, genderfluid WWX, autistic LWJ, fluff & angst)

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[llycaons]

ep33 (1/3): relitigating the suicide scene

so picking right up where we left off, I know wwx is extremely unpopular now but does this asshole have to bring up the massacre at LP??? that seems targeted towards wwx's specific and fairly private insecurities. but once someone is a villain, that means everything they've ever done is tainted. so as if this wasn't bad enough, now he has people on all sides turning on him with emotional attacks far more damaging than any physical wounds they could impart

oh yeah and people telling him directly to die. really heartbreaking to see this happen to a character so vigorously attached to life, someone who's been beaten down again and again and who refused to die. and wwx loves his life. loved. you can tell how devastating this is to push someone like him to this

this will always be the most meaningful way that he dies. his suicide is one of the most powerful and significant events in the story. having him torn apart just hits different

first you tell him to play, now you tell him to stop. it's a good thing he never listens to you. man, but lwj was useless this night

well, that's not true. he tried to save wwx. he reminded wwx, just for a moment, that someone still cared about him. and that mattered

ohh the single tear

AND the spitting up blood, which alarms lwj so much that someone gets a hit on him. qi deviation?

and it just goes to show, doesn't it. all the posturing about brave dead soldiers and the loss of innocent lives was just a smoke show to conceal their true purpose. the hypocrisy, the corruption, the greed. as soon as he stumbles they latch onto his source of power to steal it for themselves

this is so raw. they hardly ever let him get this messy. but that is actual snot on there

THE RITE OF SPRING!!!!!!!!!!!! IT SOUNDS SO GOOD HERE. also they've been at it for hours, I guess? it's dawn

check out that sick cgi hand being severed from its arm. they're all just fucking killing each other trying to get the STA now. gloves off. sect leader yao just slit a guy's throat

I've seen a post like 'lwj killed a bunch of guys in wwx's defense at nightless city, I guess they just politely don't mention it' but lbr, nightless was a bloodbath because of the sect members killing each other too. if they bring up what any one person did, they'll have to face what they all did. better to blame all deaths on wwx

oh, bad cgi hand stab. my beloved. grabbed my attention early on

and this, and this. he's at his limit. he's been holding it in, but now he's just openly sobbing. at this point I'm ready for him to go. better to come back later, more at peace, than stay here and suffer

DEVASTATING. we know wwx will come back, eventually, but for lwj? he's watching the love of his life kill himself and he's powerless to stop him

I don't think cql lwj ever could have taken wwx anywhere against his will. even now, he's begging rather than trying to physically stop him. he didn't fly down on his sword to grab him. he doesn't have it in him to impede wwx's autonomy like that. even now

and here's more tears. beautiful shot

classic shot

another classic shot. looking like he can hardly believe it. I like when they talk in fics abt him losing his mind and not remembering or understanding much that happened this night. I don't think he's quite lucid. he didn't even seem to see lwj earlier. but he smiles a little, when he sees him. good old lan zhan, trying to save a lost cause

I also really like the blood running down his chin. I think it adds to the look really well

no words for this one. fuck. he must be so tired

jc's emotional journey here is worth paying attention to. obviously it's not the black and white hero-vanquishing-evil scene we saw at the beginning of the show, but I've seen multiple readings that try to simplify it in other ways, that try to say 'this is a private moment between only two characters', between wwx and jc or between wwx and lwj, when I think it's very clearly a significant interaction with both of them. jc and lwj are the two characters with the most significant relationships with wwx, and neither of their respective roles in the story can be shoved aside for the other. at least, not in the flashback arc. postres it's a bit of a different story

anywa wwx is never going to have a simple relationship with jc. especially not here or now, not after what just happened.

I have seen people criticize jc really harshly for killing his brother, which is annoying because it doesn't offer any context as to who wwx is or why this is happening. anyone can kill their brother, it all depends on why. I'd rather criticize him for things in the context of the scene

and why is he smiling? well, like with lwj, maybe it's nice to see a familiar face at the very end.

wwx is already planning to die here. jc's actions don't make that more likely, but they probably hurt wwx on an emotional level. or maybe he finds it fitting, a just end after what he feels like is an unforgivable crime. I don't think that makes jc's actions here better, btw. I still think this was a horrible thing to do to someone who loved and sacrificed so much for his family and for innocent people, whatever his mistakes.

he looked resigned in the moment, but revisiting it, it looks like he's bracing for pain. oh god this all hurts so much. I don't care who 'really' killed him. the emotional scars matter far more. and this isn't something wwx is going to forget when he wakes up. he has his eyes closed so he can't see how scared and sad jc looks but like, does it matter? must he coddle jc even now, when jc's about to try to kill him?

yeah it's pretty unambiguous that he stabbed that rock on purpose in order to dislodge it. the camera pans back up to him, he looks determined and angry, and he twists his sword. I've seen so many arguments and speculations on it and um he doesn't look confused or anything just terribly terribly sad. there's part of him that's grieving wwx too even as he tries to kill him. damn, but he always gets in his own way

I do think it's significant that he doesn't outright stab wwx - after all, why change it from ep1? maybe to make clear that this was a suicide more than a murder, despite appearances

yeah wwx sees what's happening and twists out pretty clearly

and jc looks...stunned? shocked? horrified? a bit dumb with his hair like that. this is hardly a straightforward or easy emotional time for him. he probably went home and cried for week and refused to consider that he might have been crying for wwx just as much as jyl

that being said I have limited sympathy for him over grieving wwx. like he didn't even try. he wanted him dead, and he died. though characteristically, wwx succeeded where he failed in actually doing the deed

DYING WITH A SMILE ON HIS FACE. HE KILLS ME I SAY

lwj obviously is devastated but jc here is shaking his head, as in disgust or disapproval. really, jc? he's dead, and you're still going to hold him in contempt?

this 'wei ying' got me way more than the first one did. soft, and broken, and full of regret.

[wangxianficrecs]

Fic Finder

I had to cut about 10 queries and save them for the next Fic Finder post to keep it from being too overwhelming.  So if you don’t see your Ask here, it’ll show up next week!

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1.   am searching for a fic where WY dissociating and in the end JC sends a letter saying he had it too! WY telling what he can see smell etc. He goes to CR for help (1a) / Another fic is a time travel one. WY gets a new title. Something about shadows. It’s a long fic (1b)  And yet another fic is a time travel one. I only remember one scene where after he goes back to LP from CR for punching the peacock. He has dinner(tea?) with YZY and JFM and he faints? while having a flashback to the burning of LP (1c)

1b FOUND!   I’m aching and I know you are too by edenwolfie (M, 237k, wangxian, part 3 of Just Say Yes)

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2.  Hello there!!! Hope u r smiling everyday...  [Aw, thanks.]  Do u know a wangxian fic where jingyi is their biological child and he and sizhui timetravels into the past only to be picked up by a very pregnant wwx and (proud?? Smug??)lz .And lq even send a msg to lotus pier abt wwx-lz wedding bcz... grandchildren....

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3.  How do we participate in fic finder? Gonna hope this is correct. [Yep!]  I'm looking for a fic that is a college/university au, and I guess a texting fic? All I remember is that Wei Ying and Lan Zhan meet on an app or somehow end up with each other's numbers and Wei Ying thinks Lan Zhan is some skeezy old man trying to do bad things and Wei Ying wants to cause him some trouble. If I remember correctly, Lan Zhan was actually a student at the same college as Wei Ying though.

FOUND!  how to fall in love with a catfish: a guide by wei wuxian (disaster rat) by Anonymous (T, 55k, wangxian, my post), has podfic

COULD ALSO BE!  we'll get him falling for a stranger (or a catfish) by sweetlolixo (T, 38k, wangxian)

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4.  ok so i have been searching this fic for like two days now?? uhm so basically it's a wangxian fic, wwx & lwj are together and in college, they live together too!!  one day wwx comes home early and sees that lwj is having a dinner with lqr and lxc, lqr thinks (or lwj tells him that?) that lwj is letting wwx stay with him out of pity (bcs lwj didn't tell him that wangxian is together) and i think he talks about how wwx should move out so that lwj can be together with someone in the future??  idk wwx runs out, calls his friends etc. and lqr is disappointed in lwj for keeping wwx a secret. a bit after that nhs's cousins come to the apartment where lwj is still at and trying to talk to wwx? well they pack wwx's stuff and leave.  god i'm so frustrated because i just can't fucking find it, pls help me 😭

FOUND!  The Art of Duplicity by TheObsoleteOne (Not rated, 8k, wangxian, modern, established relationship, angst, hurt/comfort, lies, WIP)  

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5.  hello!!! I love your blog and its introduced me to some of my favourite fics of all time!! thank you for your hard work <3 I was wondering if someone could help me find this 5+1 fic where wwx is trying to get lwj to call him gege and lwj doesn't- calls him didi or like deflects instead. at the end the +1 happens when wwx is occupied with some conference and hasn't paid attention to lwj for a while and lwj calls him gege and wwx kinda just snaps... not sure if this is enough detail but I hope it rings a bell for someone!! thanks again :D

FOUND!   darling, am i a chore? by martyrsdaughter (E, 7k, wangxian) has podfic

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6.  Haaalp !!!  I am looking for this fic i read a while back (aren’t we all?) it’sa modern au wangxian where lwj is rommates with jwy and lwj accidently texts wwx (something about the numbers being similar).  I think lan zhan writes music and wei ying works at a fancy bar?  I may be getting it confused with another one where lan zhan leaves to germany to play in a symphony and wei ying adopts a-yuan.  [and then @ykceb01 continues in a new ask, and this is my favorite kind of ask:]

I FOUND IT!!!!!!!!!!!! I had sent in an ask, but I continued to look for it anyway. It's AMAZING  The Right to Care by travelingneuritis (E, 62k, wangxian)

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7.  Dear Wangxian Fic Recs. I need your help. I don't remember what the name of the fic is and I am not sure where to start looking. It's a modern au fic where Wei Wuxian has a baby or toddler Wen Yuan dropped off on his apartment by Mo Xuanyu (who vanished soon afterwards) and basically raises him with Lan Wanji. Could you please help me find it? ~ @kaitou-cure-prism12​

FOUND!   ❤️The Simplest Way Forward by harriet_vane (E, 71k, wangxian, my post)

ALSO FOUND!   so take my hand (take my whole life too) by cicer (E, 92k, wangxian, my post) has podfic

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8.  HI! I’m looking for a modern AU fic where LWJ became a notorious musician celebrity whose music is all about pining for a vanished WWX (who turns out to have gone into witness protection but then turn into a hitman for JGY?) and then they cross paths at a gas station. It was a relatively short-med length fic but it was part of a series!

FOUND!  part of this series  always on my mind by sami (E, 36k, wangxian, lan wangji/others, 8 works, series in progress)

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9.  Thanks for this awesome page. Hope you are happy and healthy.  [Thanks!]  I presume this where I should ask for fic finder. This is a modern fic where Lan zhan posts a video for wei ying in YouTube. The post is called from the moon to sun something like that. It has a ?follow up fic where weiying posts wuji again in flute and they find each other. Thanks in advance.

MAYBE?   like, comment, share & subscribe by detectorist (T, 22k, wangxian)

FOUND!   don't wanna know this feeling (unless it's you and me) by Sweetlittlevampire (G, 8k, wangxian)

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10.  Hi Mojo, Thank you for the amazing blog.. Pls help me find a fic in modern cultivators au where wangxian are in the same university. Wei Ying finds Lan Zhan has returned to university and becomes friends with him. LanZhan uses his words more and kisses Wei Ying in front of Lan Qiren when Wei Ying saves him from Sue She. Demonic cultivation using yin iron is Wei Yings thesis work. Xichen and Nie Mingue are a pair. Jin Gungayo is a prof in university and steals Wei Yings work to Wen Ruohan&XueYang

FOUND!   避风港 (Haven) by Evoxine, Heroine (Evoxine) (E, 114k, wangxian)

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11.  Hey Mojo, i've been looking for a fic about idol WWX. Basically WWX was suppose to be a translator in an idol produce camp but he somehow became part of the contestant and even though he's the favourite WWX didn't actually want to debut. I remember that this story was based on Lelush, can you please help me find it? Thanks!

FOUND!  I Don't Want to Debut! by countingcr0ws (G, 57k, wangxian)

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12.  Hey, Mojo, what tag did you use for badass Wei Wuxian? I’m searching for a fic that I got from your posts, modern AU, Wei Wuxian has a sect full of trouble makers, and Lan Wangji tries to propose for the thirty eighth time, only for Wei Wuxian to once again say no. I’m pretty sure it was in response to an ask for Wei Wuxian not being the damsel in distress. ~ @any-mouse​

[the tag I use is #BAMF wei wuxian, but I don’t recognize that fic?]

FOUND!   My chain hits my chest/When I'm bangin' on the radio by x_los (T, 2k, wangxian)

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13.  hello, hope you're doing well! i'm looking for a fic where lwj is a prince and he goes to meet wei ying after seclusion. i remember one key scene was him being ambushed by elders as he tries to reach the wens and wei ying. do you happen to know what it is?

FOUND!   the necromancer's fairytale by iliacquer (E, 17k, wangxian)

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14.  hi, i'm looking for a fic where lwj comes to the burial mounds with a servant. I think he marries wei ying but it was angsty since wei ying was such an asshole. The resentful energy was messing with his head big time. i remember lwj taking meds that were supposed to help him heal his scars but they made things worse.

FOUND!   A Myriad of Blossoms by Itszero (E, 57k, wangxian)

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15.  Hey do you still do fic finder ? If you do please tell me the fic where wangxian were betrothed like jiang yanli and jin zixuan and there whole story go like yanli and zixuan pretty sure if was role reversal of jiang yanli and Jin zixuan with wangxian

FOUND?  Whiplash by DeviyudeThoolika (E, 53k, wangxian, modern, high school, arranged betrothal, UST, bottom!LWJ)  

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16.  Hi Mojo! Thank you for your awesome blog. I'm hoping you can help me find this fic cause I've been searching for ages. It's a modern au where Wei Ying is a prostitute. I know it starts with him in a bar, where he sees Lan Zhan and offers him his services. It ends with them confessing and getting together. I can't find it anywhere. Please help!

FOUND! (maybe)  Many happy returns. by orange_crushed (E, 25k, wangxian)

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17.  Hello! This is the first time I try to send anything in Tumbrl But I hope this is where I can ask where to find a fic I cant find! [This is it, you are doing great!] 

Lan wangji and Lan xichen move away of their uncle claws and open a furniture store that they fix and modify with old furniture. Wei wuxian is a tattoo artist who have a shop with Wen Qing and he and LWJ meet when they crash against each other in the street and LWJ gets hit by accident in the crow jewels, he fall instantly in love and start getting tattoos in WWX shop because he doesn't know how to ask him on a date. Nie Huaisang has a coffee shop or a restaurant (I don't remember very well) that is styled a little bit with bondage things. Nie Mingjue and LXC meet more o less like LWJ and WWX (NMJ get hit down there by accident...) when helping NHS decorating the coffee shop and they become a couple too. In the end Jiang Cheng move close to WWX to run away from his mother and start a love-hate relationship with NHS because hilarious misunderstandings and Jiang Janli helps them to get ride of Lan Qiren and Madam Yu (she's badass). ~ @watsonchaos​

FOUND!  Beneath Your Skin by Wrenwolf (E, 147k, wangxian, nielan)​

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18.  I'm really sorry! I don't know if this counts as a find it because I don't remember! A very long time ago, I think I may have read a fic with this mandatory? competition where sects compete for cultivators to join their sects? And everyone is trying to stop the wens from winning wei wuxian because if he joins them then everyone is screwed. I think the details are a bit muddled in my head or I may have like two fics mixed up? It's just bugging me a little. If you have any idea thank you!

FOUND!   Worth of a Good Man by Vrishchika (G, 7k, wangxian) -  has the various cultivation sects recognizing WWX’s outstanding talent, noticing his inconsistent position in the Jiang Sect, and vying to offer him a better deal. (This is an AU where the Wens aren’t outright villainous.)

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19.  So happy to see you back on the blog! [It’s good to be back!] Can you help me find a fic that was sort of a Yuri on Ice au? WWX and LWJ are professional figure skaters but WWX left after a scandal years ago. Now he has two sons (LSZ and XY) who are about to debut and LWJ shows up at their small town.

FOUND!  😔 It’s put our dreams through the shredder by Rinnoa (T, 140k, wangxian, WIP) , but they have put their works into a collection discouragingly called so long and goodbye uwu (rinnoa_deadwork), so you’re best off trying the wayback machine?  Or find the author and ask if you can have a PDF for your private use only (some authors don’t mind doing that).

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20.  Hi! Really glad to see your back! I missed your blog! Can you help me find a sort of time travel fic? So LWJ goes to sleep still recovering from his punishment and heartbroken over WWXs death and wakes up with a stranger in his bed trying to tease him into having sex. He doesn't react well and only believes its WWX after he hums their song to him. Last time I read it it was incomplete and I would love to find it again.

FOUND!   hello my old heart, how have you been? by  ravenditefairylights (M, 11k, wangxian)

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[My ko-fi.]

[vrishchikawrites]

Hello, this is the prompt I wanted to send you.

WangXian fic set during the sunshot compaign after one of their famous fights. They stumble upon an array that shows the future and It activated when WWX touched it. The array started showing glimpses of married and in love WX going on dates (yunmeng date), night hunting together, kissing, pillowtalks and aftercare, adopting children, teaching at the CR... YLLZ! WWX feeling jealous and bitter and not understanding why. The reveal that LWJ's husband is WWX, his falling out with the Jiang sect and JC's role in his death. Basically a fic where YLLZ! WWX finds out that after all these hardships he is finally going to be happy, have his own family and be with the love of his life where he is loved, cared for, respected and appreciated. And longing to have that future with LWj.

It can be a fix it fic with a happy ending please.

Posted on Ao3 here

Alternating POV - Wei Wuxian - Lan Wangji - Wangxian - A bit angsty with happy ending - Mature. Betaed by Moonyju.

I hear your heart beating in your chest

Wei Wuxian isn't the one to dwell on the past or look towards the future. He lives every day as it comes and faces every challenge without carrying burdens forward.

He has never planned for his future, not really. Some vague dreams here and there, but nothing real. Wei Wuxian learned at the tender age of four that the future is unpredictable. One day you wake up to your mother's warm smile and your father's gentle words. The next day, you have lost those things forever. Life has proven this to him repeatedly.

Future is uncertain, present is the only certainty Wei Wuxian believes in.

So, when he and the illustrious Second Jade of Lan stumble into an array while rescuing a few civilians. An illusion of sorts surrounds him, obscuring the real world outside the array. He doesn’t pay much attention to what it reveals. Instead, he focuses his attention on the array itself, carefully examining its intricacies. A single glance is enough to tell it is some sort of temporal array, a shade of what cultivators use for preservation purposes. But it also seems to have some form of an illusionary element to it. He tilts his head to the side and crouches down to study it.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan calls, almost in warning but Wei Wuxian is content to ignore him for once. Lan Zhan has always drawn too much of his attention and it rankles now more than ever.

Another quarrel, another needless argument about Wei Wuxian not understanding the depth and implications of his actions. Sometimes he wonders if Lan Zhan intends to sound as dismissive or haughty as he does when he confronts him about Mo Dao. He likes to believe Lan Wangji is above such petty things, but the man’s dogged refusal to accept Wei Wuxian’s path and his relentless quest to fix something that can’t be fixed is getting on his last nerve.

“Wei Ying,” He looks up at the sharp tone, meeting a pair of golden eyes in question only to be arrested by something akin to embarrassment tinting Lan Zhan’s stoic features. He glances towards the illusion and stills, somewhat stunned by the scene before him.

It is Lan Zhan. Or a version of him. He’s broader, with more mature features and a much sharper gaze. But that’s not the most astonishing thing, no.

Lan Zhan is… kissing someone.

It is someone shorter than him, with long hair tied up and away from a fairly pretty face. Wei Wuxian eyes the way Lan Zhan cradles the face and guides it towards his kisses, gentle and full of affection.

It entrances him for a moment. He can’t help but stare at the scene, taking in how Lan Zhan seems to lean in again and again, to press closer like he can’t get enough. His heart races and he doesn’t really understand why it is suddenly so…

“Wei Ying!” He drags his eyes away from the illusion and looks at his Lan Zhan, who seems increasingly flustered despite the relatively calm expression on his face. His ears are bright red and he’s pointedly not looking in the illusion’s direction.

He smiles teasingly, “Aiya, Lan Zhan, it looks like the older version of you is more relaxed.”

“It is a trick.” Lan Zhan protests immediately but Wei Ying dips his eyes down to scan the array again and shakes his head. There are several clues that highlight the array’s purpose clearly. Lan Zhan is no less knowledgeable than he is so he must see it too.

The denial is already fading from the Second Jade’s features and Wei Wuxian stands up, brushing his knees absently. He glances at the illusion and feels something strange pool in his stomach, something like dread, when he sees the pair again. Lan Zhan is pressing the strange person to the tree behind them, pinning her- no-

He peers closer, swallowing when Lan Zhan’s hand disappears into the person’s robes. Lan Zhan’s… companion is clearly not a woman, that much was apparent at first glance. But it is even more apparent when those robes fall open under Lan Zhan’s questing fingers.

Somehow, that feels worse.

He struggles to maintain his composure and fixes a grin on his face, “Well-” The scene shifts abruptly and Wei Wuxian barely withholds a gasp, his eyes immediately drawn to the older Lan Zhan’s peaceful face. He’s sleeping, his arms wrapped loosely around the same companion from before. The room around them seems like it is in Cloud Recesses, perhaps Lan Wangji’s home?

His eyes turn back towards Lan Wangji and he takes a careful breath, heart aching for some reason. He pointedly doesn’t look at the man’s companion and silently turns to look at the array again. The time element is solid, undisturbed and clean. More than a simple illusion, a clear glimpse of the future.

But…

He looks up and the scene has changed again. Lan Wangji is with that man again. They stand side by side and the man is leaning against the Second Jade brazenly but Lan Wangji doesn’t seem to mind. He has his hand low on the man’s back, a gesture that reads distinctly possessive. The scene wouldn’t be out of place in any family. There’s a husband, there’s a wife, there’s a child clinging to the wife’s robes, and there’s a young man standing before them with a smile that speaks of affection.

The array seeks to show people a glimpse of their future. Lan Zhan is seeing his life as a settled man of a good family.

Wei Wuxian doesn’t exist.

He takes a careful breath as that thought settles in his mind. He has always known his path is treacherous but something in him burns to see life move on so peacefully without him.

The world has never had much space for him. When he was a child, no one had space to let him rest. As a youth, his place at the Lotus Pier was small, surrounded by thorns. The space keeps shrinking and shrinking ever since he stepped out of the Burial Mounds. He imagines at some point it will vanish altogether and Wei Wuxian will be forced to vanish with it.

Melancholy doesn’t suit him but the ache of it strikes him powerfully now.

The sight of Lan Zhan moving on – they’re not even friends, what does he need to move on from? – shatters something in him.

He can’t summon a smile.

Wei Wuxian locks his jaw and ignores his racing heart as the scene goes on. The young boy saying something to Lan Wangji’s partner and the partner grinning in response.

Lan Wangji’s expression is soaked in affection, despite how stoic it appears. The corners of his mouth are softer and there’s a fond light in those golden eyes. Wei Wuxian has never seen something so beautiful.

He watches as the young man leans down and plucks the child off the ground and carries him away, both of them waving to Lan Wangji and his partner until they’re out of sight.

Wei Wuxian’s heart shudders when Lan Wangji discreetly pulls his partner closer and buries his nose in his hair, expression content.

Suddenly, it is unbearable.

He brings his thumb to his mouth, ready to tear into his flesh and disrupt the seal with his blood. It would take very little to get them out of here safely. Lan Zhan has seen enough good things about his life, there’s no need to linger.

No need for him to find out that Wei Wuxian wouldn’t exist during this peaceful time. He knows the man cares about him enough to be upset if he is lost.

Just as he’s about to bite into his thumb, fingers wrap around his wrist tightly.

Wei Wuxian looks up to see Lan Zhan gazing at him with wide, stunned eyes.

```

Wangji accepts what is happening almost immediately after Wei Ying shakes his head. He has always had a more intuitive understanding of spells and talismans. It is rare for Wei Ying to be mistaken in such matters.

So, this is his future. A glimpse of things that will happen a few decades down the line. Wangji is uncertain what to make of it. His ears feel warm as he witnesses the intimacy between partners. There’s enough affection written on his older self’s face to know the relationship is real.

He looks at his… companion. He doesn’t lack beauty. A delicate countenance, inky black hair, and a pleasing form. He looks almost alarmingly similar to Wei Ying, with only small differences. There’s an echo of Wei Ying in his smile and even the way he tosses his head back and laughs reminds Wangji strongly of the man beside him.

Only Wei Ying has never looked at him like that. This man’s face is flushed with passion, lips bitten red by his partner’s kisses. There’s a teasing sparkle in his eyes that makes his breath still in his chest for a moment. It reminds him of the expression Wei Ying wore all those years ago when they ran across the rooftops in Cloud Recesses.

How… is it possible for this man to be so similar?

He glances down at the array, trying to decipher what it seeks to accomplish. Wangji has never seen anything like it but there are enough familiar elements in it to deduce its purpose. It is clearly designed to show them their future, to create a sort of mirror that reflects images of their future life into the past.

Wangji tears his eyes away and turns to Wei Ying, a few questions already forming in his mind.

Wei Ying’s expression arrests him.

Wangji stills, unable to move his gaze away from Wei Ying’s face. There’s something bitter about his grimace and flinty in his eyes. He watches the scene with an almost animal expression, lips pursed in displeasure – furious – Wangji realizes with an indrawn breath.

For a short, heartbreaking moment, he fears it is disapproval, disgust for a cutsleeve relationship.

That impression doesn’t last.

Wei Ying’s hand goes briefly to his chest and something very much like open, raw pain crosses his face, wiping away the anger. The expression… is nothing close to disgust.

It is a short, unguarded moment and it ensnares Wangji completely. His heart races in his chest as several realizations happen in an instant.

Wei Ying is an ever-smiling sprite, mischievous as they come. He rarely shows any true sorrow and Wangji has only seen him show true anger three times over their acquaintance. It is easy to become convinced that nothing can touch the formidable Wei Wuxian. But standing there, looking at Wangji’s future with a bitter expression, Wei Ying seems shattered.

The expression is devastatingly open. In that instant, Wangji has no problem understanding Wei Ying better than he has ever before.

Wei Ying’s expression twists before every inch of vulnerability is gone from his face. It is wiped clean and almost cold, colder than he has ever seen Wei Ying be. He locks his jaw and brings his hand to his mouth, his movements stiff and sharp.

Wangji shoots forward, wrapping his fingers around Wei Ying’s wrist. He feels the pulse hammering under his fingers and his own heart races in an echo of it. Wei Ying’s eyes are sharp and defensive, hiding the pain that Wangji had glimpsed clearly before.

In contrast, Wangji feels almost breathless with elation, “Don’t,” he says, pulling Wei Ying’s hand away from his mouth. His hand doesn’t shake but he feels shaken. Wei Ying scowls at him, which is also something he has never done, “Don’t.”

“Lan Wangji,” Wei Ying says curtly, “This isn’t for me to see and we have seen enough. Let go.”

Wangji tightens his fingers, unwilling to let go. He studies Wei Ying’s face carefully, finding it unreadable once again. In fact, Wei Ying is uncharacteristically quiet, not teasing him about his future partner, not commenting on the cutsleeve relationship, not even mentioning his older self’s appearance.

The silence speaks loudly.

'Don't nurture foolish hope,' Wangji thinks to himself but it grows in him anyways. It is strange that a single glimpse of an unguarded emotion is enough to alter Wangji’s perspective so much, but it does and now he isn’t inclined to let the matter go.

“Don’t destroy the array,” He requests, “Something isn’t right.” Wei Ying should be present. The array shouldn’t focus on Wangji’s future only. He doesn’t know who the strange man is but he can’t imagine being with anyone but Wei Ying.

Is his heart so fickle? Can it stray from Wei Ying that easily?

It is unsettling to consider it.

“We can figure it out once we’re away from this illusion,” Wei Ying says, making a visible effort to muster his usual nonchallance but Wangji sees they way his eyes flicker away, looking at the couple in the illusion briefly before glancing down at the array like he can’t stand the sight of it.

“Wei Ying-”

“Aiya, er-gege, what are you doing to your poor Wei Ying?”

Wangji glances sharply at the illusion as Wei Ying stills, his arm going tense in his grasp.

The pair in the illusion are now closer and somehow their conversation is audible. The voice is strange but the cadence and rhythm is entirely Wei Ying, teasing, playful, pleasant.

Wangji’s grip tightens as he sees his future self pull his companion onto his lap, a spare Lan forehead ribbon in his grasp. It has the clan markings, it belongs to a clan member but Wangji’s ribbon is already on his forehead.

He swallows and feels the pulse beating against his fingers speed up as his future self wraps the ribbon around his partner’s forehead.

“Wei Ying must wear it for today’s ceremony,” His older self says and his Wei Ying sucks in a sharp breath, his hand going lax in surprise, “Xiongzhang has requested it.”

“Well, if Xichen-ge has requested it, this one must obey,” Wei Ying sounds… happy. And it is Wei Ying. The face is different but the smile, full of mischief and life, is the same.

“What… is this?” His Wei Ying asks, baffled. He looks down to study the array more keenly, trying to determine why the illusion looks different.

Wangji is hearted to see the stiffness of his features melt into curiosity, “Lan Zhan, why would the array alter my appearance and not yours?” He asks, no longer attempting to pull away from Wangji.

The illusion is still playing in the background, showing what will happen several years down the line. But Wangji isn’t curious now. The present is so much more interesting.

Wei Ying is looking at the array, the conversation in the background is cheerful, full of intimacy and affection, the pulse against his fingers is still beating rapidly.

There’s a flush crawling up Wei Ying’s neck.

Wangji observes. He sees the blush crawl further and settle on Wei Ying’s cheeks. He sees teeth digging into soft lips, anxious. He sees eyes flicker towards him, towards the illusion, before moving away.

‘How can I bear it,’ He asks himself and gives in. He pulls the hand in his grasp to his mouth, pressing his lips against the center of Wei Ying’s palm and closing his eyes.

---

Wei Ying fears his heart will fail if this continues. The lively chatter of a couple in love surrounds them and his Lan Zhan is pressing his precious face against Wei Ying’s hand, cool but utterly content. The feel of his petal-soft lips against the rough skin of his palm is enough to drive him to distraction.

He doesn’t know how to react or what to say. He doesn’t want to pull his hand away but there’s a strange, almost unsettling sensation low in his stomach, not unpleasant, but very unfamiliar. Wei Ying has flirted with people before but he has never felt any true attraction towards them.

But the longer he remains inside this array, the more he learns about himself.

Lan Zhan moves, taking a step closer, dipping his lips lower to brush against Wei Ying’s exposed wrist.

His breath trembles as he gasps. The sensation is almost sharp, knife-like. He feels his entire body change and respond to it. He feels his fingers curl, his hair stand on end, and his body lean forward.

There’s a flash of teeth.

“Lan Zhan,” His voice is shamefully raw, everything he feels is written in the tone of it. Lan Zhan reacts immediately and Wei Ying goes, helpless against him. Lips slide over his and a warm, strong body presses close. The kiss is harsh, full of tongue and teeth. Desperate like Lan Zhan has been holding himself back and has finally been granted permission.

Wei Ying sways in place, lightheaded as a tongue slides over his and licks the roof of his mouth. ‘What is this,’ he wonders dazedly. There are strong fingers around his wrist and neck, showing no indication of every letting go. There’s a slight popping sound in his ears and he absently notes that the illusion has dispersed but Lan Zhan doesn’t give him time to think.

He yelps when Lan Zhan moves a hand down his back and grabs him under his thighs, lifting him up in a smooth movement. Next thing he knows, he’s pressed against a rough surface and his lips are captive again. His skin burns wherever Lan Zhan has touched it. His mouth feels raw and hot when they pull apart.

He stares when bright golden eyes look at him, edged with heat that he didn’t think Lan Zhan was capable of feeling.

It takes a moment for him to collect his thoughts under that direct gaze but he manages, his bruised lips curling into a teasing smile, “Er-gege, how shocking!” He leans forward, confident that Lan Zhan won’t drop him, “Look at what you’ve done to your poor Wei Ying!” He lifts the hand Lan Zhan had kept captive, showing off the redness he can feel around his wrist.

Lan Zhan glances at it but there’s no remorse in his expression, not even a hint of apology.

Wei Ying feels a delighted laughter bubble in his chest at this new revelation. The reserved and taciturn Hangjuang-jun is capable of such passion! “My, my, who would have thought you’d take advantage of me like this?” He drapes his hands around Lan Zhan’s neck, bringing his lips close to a flushed red ear, “You didn’t even ask, just held me tight and took what you wanted. How bold! How shameless!”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan’s voice is lined with warning but Wei Ying doesn’t care. He feels utterly safe, utterly content, for the first time in years. What can touch him when he is in Lan Wangji’s arms?

“Is it always going to be like this?” He teases, “Now that you know I am to be yours, probably your husband or will it be wife? Will you kiss me… maybe even fuck me, whenever you wish?”

“Be silent.”

“Aiya, Lan Zhan, how can I be silent now? You have awakened my curio-” Another fierce, biting kiss interrupts him and Wei Ying laughs, delighting in Lan Zhan’s eagerness. Everything fades, all serious and practical considerations hold no meaning. Later, when he is alone in his tent, he will think about how unreachable this dream is, but now he is happy to submit to Lan Zhan.

---

War progresses as it must. Wei Ying continues to remain on his cultivation path but his touch is a bit gentler now. He isn’t as ruthless as he used to be.

It takes effort and patience. It takes many bitten back reprimands and angry words. It takes months and months of careful questioning before Lan Wangji understands the incredible, breathtaking sacrifices his beloved has made. Not even Wei Ying can stop him from seeking out Wen Qing and asking for her assistance. Not even his brother can stop him from offering shelter to her family in exchange. Not even Jiang Wanyin’s bitterness can stop Wangji from protecting Wei Ying.

He does what he must because he understands. That Wei Wuxian, the one from the array, had endured terrible strife. More strife than Wangji can ever allow his Wei Ying to suffer.

Wei Ying will survive and thrive.

Wangji will make sure of it.

[lesbian4lqg]

top 10 the untamed characters based on how much theyve played third wheel to wangxian

1. wen ning

this is obvious

the scene where they show up in the burial mounds and start to untie the juniors, but instead of explaining whats happening wwx just hands wn his sword and watches w lwj? all three of them were completely in synch, not a word was said, but they fucking knew anf they were having way too much fun w it

literally the whole reason he has consiousness is bc they teamed up

its aro week and i wanna take this second to say that this is a win for my ace aro wen ning & qp wn&wwx and wn&lwj agenda

three-way parenting for lsz

(god can you imagine if wq lived? theyd be too powerful)

was one of the first ppl to hear wuji outside of wwx and lwj

the boat scene????? wwx and lwj were gazing lovingly into each others eyes and wn was just. vibing. dude didnt even look that uncomfortable, just like it was another day im-

literally every scene wen ning was in after wwx came back to life tbh

2. the xuanwu of slaughter

they were literally cradling each other in their arms while an entire murder tortoise was trying to kill them

the telepathy talisman? iconic, why dont we talk about that more

life threatening battles are just hella gay by design, esp when theres swords involved. idk what to tell you

3. lan sizhui

just look at his name. lwj named him that unironically. holy shit.

the temporary parallel universe that was lwjs visit to the burial mounds? what we couldve had smh

i know lwj and wwx lovingly annoy the shit out of him post canon, bless his heart

4. nie huaisang

the bit on dafan mountain where he's like "oh fuck thats dangerous i dont want to run out of here" and wwx and lwj make eye contact and then are just like "thats rough buddy. anyway, lets do it"

"oh wow this adventure we're on is so cool" "we? this is about me and lan zhan, what the fuck are you talking about"

when they see him right after they fuck up the nie tomb and theyre lowkey just bullying him

the scene at the end where wwx confronts nhs while lwj just watches knowingly? theyre once again bullying the poor man

he gets extra points for orchestrating everythig. dude really said "oh jgy thinks he's funny? well wwx and lwj are about to be completely fucking hilarious" and then just sat back and watched shit go down w occasional commentary. king shit

5. lan xichen

when they come back to cloud recesses after mxy!wwx's reveal and theyre like "the dude whos kinda debatably the love of your life is the real evil here" and he just has to deal w that

ok it felt weird putting him this low on the list but like. he and jc were mostly emotionally third wheeling??????? like he wasnt in a ton of scenes w just him and the two of them, but he had to cope w lwjs pining all the time

6. jin ling

really should be lower on this list but he has extra points bc again, i cant believe they let lwj and wwx name things

the part where theyve p much Just been reunited and they immediately have to go break him out of the nie tombs? dude wasnt even concious but i feel like it still counts

7. jiang cheng

i feel like he shouldve been higher on this list too, but im not listing everyone and again he just doesnt have scenes w just the two of them

however he def had to deal w so much pining. the reunion on dafan mountain AND the reuinion during the sunshot campaign. the golden core reveal. the 3 months of him and lwj searching for wwx alone

8. jin guangyao

technically no scenes w just them but like. the bullshit they got up to undoubtedly lived in his brain rent free. theres no way he had any peace

honorary mention for stuff from the novel like the guanyin temple confession

10. literally everyone

these dudes are everywhere and they will make it everyone elses problem

the skywalkers of fantasy ancient china

post canon discussion conferences? the water abyss or whatever in caiyi? the sunshot campaign? the murder of the cuanwu of slaughter, which helped kick off the sunshot campaign? nightless city pt 1 AND 2? the going-ons of literally every chief cultivator? that was all them babe

honorary mentions include: lil apple, lan jingyi&ouyang zizhen, wen qing, jiang yanli, the ghosts of cangse sanren&wei changse (and prob madame lans ghost as wel tbh), su she (ty @ghostysword for reminding me- i totally forgot about him) and everyone whos seen the show

[crossdressingdeath]

to continue off of the anon talking about jc stans downplaying jc’s canon homophobia, i wonder if it’s partly because they view the homophobia present in the plot and in character behavior as a flaw of the novel rather than an integral part of the romantic conflict and character motivation

like, i’ve seen plenty of takes in this fandom around the idea that cql is ‘better’ because its world exists without homophobia (which they never acknowledge is because of censorship 😬). i’ve even seen people pass around edited versions of the translation “without the homophobia” as if removing those scenes doesn’t actually affect anything at all in the story and in our understanding of the characters.

i don’t think all jc stans or only jc stans have this take but law of large numbers there is definitely some overlap and i really think these attitudes contribute to each other. a person already predisposed to ignore the flaws of jc also gets it into their head that his homophobia isn’t even his flaw but the author’s. just another instance of horrible mxtx showing her biases :///. then they absorb this weird idea that jc’s flaws are actually a result of bias from the author and that jc himself (as if he is anything more than a literal construct made by the person they are determined to dislike) is a victim of her just truly awful thoughts :////////

Yes! It’s a big problem, where people fail to realise that a work containing something is not the same as that work supporting something. Personally I suspect that with MDZS in particular the issue is that the people making this argument have come to the conclusion that JC is the “hero” and so always right and correct; if JC is always Right And Just in the narrative and JC is homophobic, clearly we’re supposed to conclude that homophobia is Right And Just! This is, of course, incredibly stupid, but here we are. And as you say alternately they’ve decided that JC’s homophobia isn’t his flaw, it’s the author’s, because there’s no way an author could give a character a belief they don’t share or anything. There are of course other explanations for why people would hate the canon gay couple and stan the only openly, violently homophobic character who doesn’t learn better by the end of the novel while calling him their “homophobic gay king” and insisting he’s the only good gay rep, but... well, let’s not get into that.

With CQL in particular it’s... almost funny, because the subtext makes it very clear that unlike in the novel (where LWJ is punished for, y’know, treason) CQL’s LWJ is beaten for... having feelings for WWX. Meaning homophobia is in fact real and present in CQL’s universe. In fact it’s more present, even with the removal of all textual gay content meaning that all textual homophobia is also cut; remember that the Lan sect canonically isn’t homophobic, or at least is not-homophobic enough to take zero issue with their heir marrying a man beyond “Wangji why that one”. Meanwhile in CQL they’re straight-up beating him for it! And yet CQL has no homophobia in its setting? What, because it changes it so that JGY just accused MXY of harassing QS instead of going for the triple whammy of harassing his married half-brother? Because JC doesn’t outright call WWX disgusting for hugging a man? That is not how it works. Cutting the gay from everything except subtext is not the same as the setting not being homophobic!

People really do fail to realise that... the antagonists being homophobic or using homophobia to achieve their ends isn’t the same as saying that that’s a good thing? Yes, the MDZS universe contains homophobia, and it’s fine to not really enjoy a work that contains homophobia at all. But it never appears as a lasting trait in characters we’re supposed to root for, and when it appears at all in those characters it going away is an important part of their development. See JL; him going from being disgusted by WWX’s flirting with LWJ to demanding that if WWX is going to be Like That he should at least stay loyal to LWJ to just grumbling a bit over seeing his uncle being lovey-dovey is basically giving us a clear metric for his growth as a character! Honestly I’d take a work where homophobia exists in the setting but it’s clearly set up as a negative trait that only shows up in the heroes as something they need to grow out of over a work where homophobia supposedly doesn’t exist but people still seem weirded out or disgusted by gay relationships any day.

[the-nysh]

Am I the only one annoyed with how anime Garou turned out? His slender curvy figure and cutely shaped face are his distinct traits, yet the anime showed none of that? He looks freaking 30 in there! And during the MB fight scene his face is ridiculously long. I’m so disappointed bc I’m prettyyyy sure if the anime was done right, Garou would’ve popped off on popularity as the new anime it boy. He’s drawn so prettily by Murata and I’m so sad the beauty wasn’t translated well into animation 😭

I feel like....talking about the anime would be like beating a dead horse at this point, but...I'll say that Garou's appeal isn't solely in his looks - rather, that only enhances what's there into a more complete, full-package. :O

As far as s2 is concerned, Garou probably got the most special treatment out of most other characters (whereas Genos kinda got the short end of the stick). Aoki did as much as he could (as an obvious Garou fan, which helps) to animate some of his best moments, and Midorikawa brought those moments to life with his cool voice acting. (Good stuff; I hope to hear him return for more!)

However, they too can only do so much with an overall time crunched production and lacking direction - shortcuts were obviously made, but thankfully none of those were made to Garou's characterization. :O (They remained quite faithful there, which is in contrast to BONES who often botch Hori's characterizations with flanderized anime-only content - and that, to me, becomes a more unwatchable offense, no matter how 'pretty' things look.) So aside from the inconsistent visuals, it seems JC Staff at least knew they had to prioritize getting Garou's character across right (because even my mom, who watched it too, successfully got feelings for him) - otherwise, s2 as a whole would've really been in trouble.

I say this because....during the dry spell in between seasons after s1, there was virtually no Garou fan content here at all. :O The driest of the dry - practically unbearably parched when it came to looking for other Garou fans + content. (So I had to make do with my own.) But with Murata continuing the manga focusing on him, and soon s2 airing, guess what happened? 8'D Suddenly there was a big influx of new Garou fans! (But not as many as there could have been, had s2 been even more awesome/appealing to a wider audience; I agree there.)

The biggest thing, I think, was how s2 ended right as things were escalating and getting good - right as new viewers were starting to get to really know Garou (at the shed scene) past his initial performative introduction. All that good stuff revealing more of his core character continues after what s2 showed, which I felt was most unfortunate, since it cuts off most new viewers' budding interest right at the turning point...unless they continue on by checking out the manga to see what's up for themselves. :')

Still...that means there's still a chance for another popularity bubble whenever s3 comes around, depending on how well its production does too. No promises there (but I still hope to see those fav Garou moments animated someday! ;o;) But whoever does take s3 on, it'll be just as difficult for them to capture/adapt Murata's art as well, since no one can do it (or draw Garou) quite like him. ;)

[kncrowder88]

Voyager and Romance

So, the thing about Voyager and romance that sticks with me is they seem to do one couple really, or more accurately two characters, any real justice overall. And that is B’Elanna and Tom. While moments for that relationship may not be perfect that is rather realistic for relationships, as no relationship is perfect all the time so that is tolerable. This post though isn’t going to be about looking at that particular relationship though but primarily at other relationships. Largely because a discord server I am in was talking about Counterpoint and I realized why I both love the episode but also have weird feelings with it. Which, I’ll touch more on that specifically after I discuss the relationship stuff (as that plays a part).

So, I will preface this with it has been a bit since I’ve done a binge of Voyager and really a full binge of Star Trek in general. As such, I may forget a few relationships on the show and overall, throughout Trek in general. From what I can really toss together … I honestly am beginning to believe that when it comes to Voyager and the other shows (the older ones not the new ones – I am not including any NEW Trek in this) that for some reason the relationship writing with Voyager was rather different. Like, they gave 3 characters active relationships prior to being stranded. That being Harry Kim, Kathryn Janeway, and Tuvok. Out of these three we get Janeway and Tuvok holding onto those relationships in their own way while … it seemed mildly convenient for Harry to mention it when it suited him, I guess (like that time Tom wanted to set them up for a double date or you know when he ended up in that alternate timeline but still wanted back with Voyager even more like). Like, the reason I don’t list Tuvok-T’Pel above is because we don’t actually get to SEE that in full, we just get to see Tuvok’s side of it and his dedication – we don’t see the relationship, we don’t see the couple.

Harry and Tom, prior to his relationship with B’Elanna, seem to frequently do this sort of two bros dating around thing which is fine but like … same time the show used them for that. And once they settled Tom with B’Elanna they used Harry in those plot lines when it worked. Thus the alien STD episode and the “how dare you not get the standard permission from your CO and CMO” line (like they really put that into a Trek ep and I’m still unable to not picture Riker, Kirk, Picard, and everyone other Trek character constantly getting permission for their latest romance – just remember Jadzia and Worf likely had to get permission from Sisko and Bashir if the Trill and Klingon weren’t already approved of in the system just saying, that’s a thing that happened). Anyways … my point is they went out of their way on this. Like, when Kes was with Neelix they wrote Neelix to be that jealous judgmental boyfriend who literally got upset she knew where other people’s quarters where, she was nice to Tom, she was … just yeah. They wrote Tom to come off as a player pulling Harry into it, when Tom settled down Harry seems to pick that up (I mean you got his “omg Seven” phase and the alien STD stuff and lord knows what else I’m forgetting with him).

And to top this off I haven’t even touched on the “Janeway can’t have a romance” stuff yet. Which is where my real problem is. Like, its bad enough they brought in Jeri for the sex appeal (which lets be honest stems from the fact they couldn’t use Janeway for that – which I get, Kate was right in the whole concept of the audience target having to keep respect for a female lead and sex appeal couldn’t be a focal point but they could have balanced it right and regrettably because they couldn’t that meant Jeri got all of the other side of the coin). Many of Seven’s eps center on romance or social stuff and honestly that is a whole other WTF post in its own right because it all leads up to the sudden get with the one person on the ship who didn’t want you here in the first place and who also would have served better as the male adult guidance figure/father figure than as a ROMANTIC partner but hey BS happened behind scenes to cause that chaotic romantic on screen set up. But yeah … this is just another example of the poor Voyager romantic plot lines.

Chakotay’s romantic plot lines are usually – and by that, I mean pretty much always – with these strong independent women. But usually, at least from what I recall, they are also typically the “needs help” (damsel in distress/can’t do it alone/etc.) plot. Like, Riley was strong independent but also set up to need help in regard to getting her little collective put back together on the planet. You got Kellin, again another strong lady who yet again also needed help. At least in the ep she’s in and if I recall much of the info on how they fell in love during that time as well – primarily with getting away from danger at the start and then during the initial romance finding her target. Valerie is the only one who doesn’t fall into the needs help plot and that’s largely because she was being manipulated by Chakotay for information – which honestly just goes to show how well Chakotay was at the whole undercover stuff (which tells us a lot about what he could have been doing as a Maquis). Seska was the plot point of “you once dated her, now she is going to badger you to get with her again and when that fails, she’s going to assault you” …. like all of Chakotay’s romances are literally him either 1) being manipulated (as that’s what Seska and Riley did) or 2) being the kind guy or 3) not an actual relationship (either because its undercover work or because the writers were too cowardly to make him and Janeway canon).

Then you got Janeway. Then you got KATHRYN JANEWAY. You know, the one where Kate Mulgrew said no romance, no sexualizing, no doing that sort of stuff because the audience had to maintain respect for the character. I’m sure someone has the exact various quotes out there. Like … this is why we don’t have JC as canon. But what we do got instead is …. Janeway in Prime Factors being flirted with by the administrator as if that’s going to get him what he wants because “female leader means flirt with her”. We got Janeway and a period drama holodeck adventure in the early years which was clearly meant to be her romantic tête-à-tête early on that never got followed up with. We got “delete the wife” with the Fair Haven plot point (because its totally respectable to see the FEMALE LEAD, the STARFLEET CAPTAIN, just straight up DELETE THE WIFE of another individual - yeah, I get its meant to be humor factor because hologram but come on). You have her whole thing with Mark which we get tidbits off but again similar to Tuvok we literally only get to see her side of it – the only couple moment of theirs we get is the comm call in Caretaker.

But Jaffen? You are correct. We got that lovely and touching and wonderful romance with Jaffen …. Oh wait … they had to remove her from the ship, strip her of her memory, and her autonomy in order for her to have a relationship with another individual. And yes, by losing her memories, by losing what made her who she was as a person, she did lose a sense of autonomy. She entered into a relationship without a full sense of independent choice. The point in which she made a choice in that episode, the point in which she – Kathryn Janeway – made a choice with all of the person, the individual she is, was at the end when she had her memories back and could decide based on the values and beliefs and all that she is. What I’m getting at is the people on that planet deliberately took away who she was, they took her memories and her ability to make the decisions they knew she would make --- they did that deliberately (that’s even established in the episode) --- and as such her decisions while in that state are not truly her full independent decisions but the ones impacted by the state she was forced into.

And while I love Resolutions, while I love all the JC goodies, we get in that ep … Yet again the only time we get to see Janeway in any sort of romantic situation is when they remove her from the ship. When they remove her from command. When they strip her of that setting. This time, though – well the first time – she keeps awareness and has to go through lose of it all in order to even start to let it all happen. I love the episode, I do, but I just find it rather amusing they went “’Hey we gotta strand them what should their tasks be on the planet?” and they immediately went “Well Janeway is scientist how about that” “Okay and he can build, Chakotay can start building. Man builds house, right?” and then like went “oh and then she can start a garden” …. Like really? Really? That’s what you got for me. Oh, and then there is the monkey. That’s the romance this ep. Boat, science, monkey.

Then we got Kashyk. We have dealt with Kathryn throughout this series dealing with various leaders of various styles. As mentioned, Prime Factors guy attempted flirting. Other leaders pulled similar or worse or even dismissed her …. Like the list goes on. Counterpoint is a great episode because it deals with prejudice and is rather dark. The thing is, had Janeway been able to have a healthy romantic relationship on screen to counter this episode this episode probably would have come off better. Episodes like Prime Factor could have been done different (that leader didn’t need to be as flirty for example). One or two eps through the series having creepy dudes she had to deal with, fine, whatever … that be a nice impact for the audience. But when you have to many prior to Counterpoint – even if its minor, small stuff – it makes this episode so much harder for fans. Especially the female fans who deal with this constantly.

See, here’s the thing with this ep…. Some of the fans who watch … we know Kashyk well. We know that character. He is that male leader, that male power figure, who uses the power he has to manipulate those in his control to get what he wants. And Kathryn … Kathryn was in his control. Kashyk is listed as a relationship on memory-alpha. But much like how I view Seska with Chakotay … I do not view Kashyk as a proper relationship. In Devore space, Kathryn did not have proper power. She had people in her command, on her ship, that she had to protect. That she knew she had to protect. Her own best friend … lives in her hand … and Kashyk right there willing to kill them. Willing to snatch them up and destroy them. And he used that power to manipulate her and play her. Yes, she played him right back but … did she truly have a choice? Did she have any other choice but to play his game? What would have happened if she said no? And that … that is why this episode is so unsettling for some people. And why this relationship being considered on is so off putting … that the writers, that memory-alpha, that the fact I’m putting it on this list as one of the ones on here for Voyager says so much … they wrote this as one of her relationships while out there … she had to do what so many women had to do to stay safe, to keep people she loves safe, and that’s not a relationship.

Voyager could have done romance/relationships such better justice.

[sneakydraws]

Well, here it is - a lengthy explanation of each card in my mdzs major arcana deck and what I meant to convey/what i would have changed in retrospect/what alternatives i considered! It’s a bit messy and my typing style is lazy but hopefully it will be an interesting read to some of you :)

And so you don’t say I didn’t warn you - jiang cheng’s section (11 justice) is absurdly long lmao

0 the fool  I elaborated on this in the post itself but yeah basically jin ling is kind of representative of all the damage and trauma caused by the past, and there’s a kind of danger there of him falling victim to the same vices as the older characters and repeating the same mistakes and perpetuating the cycle of war and misery (the cycle that we already see with how the jin sect became the new wen sect, and later with how jgy became the new wwx) and he has a lot of room to grow! He grows so much over the course of the novel, comes to realise the complexities of the past and gets a harsh life lesson in how nothing is as black and white as it seems. But ill save talking about his progress for the end, for now whats important is that he has room to grow and also a dog. I don’t really have a justification for the sun, i mostly just thought it looked sick? It made its way to the next card as well, where it makes a bit more sense, but then i realised it was a dumb motif to include 1 the magician I still very much like wwx for the role, and that illustration would have probably had him raising a corpse on his left and pointing threateningly to the sun on his right. I considered including the table as well, with some mdzs relevant items replacing the card suits. Anyway, like i said wwx got a few cards to himself already so i went with the alternative wq design, since i think she fits the card as well. Both she and wwx are highly skilled people, extremely driven once they set their mind to something. The card to me symbolises the creative mind as well as a general drive for action, which fits them both - wwx was famously a prolific inventor, and wq came up with a previously unheard of surgery, after all. This card strays pretty far from the rider-waite deck design, largely because i was still figuring out how i wanted to approach this series, but you can still see the influence. 2 the high priestess I was actually going to skip this card at first because I couldn’t think of a fitting character, but once i considered a qings character post death, it all fit pretty well. She was already a highly intuitive person in life, and in sharing her memories with wwx she is, in a way, relaying a kind of secret knowledge. Anyway she’s one of my fav characters so im glad i got a chance to include her. The coffins could be interpreted to be xxc and sl or xxc and xy 3 the empress Theres other mother figures in mdzs who got to be mothers for a longer time, but jyl definitely embodies the positive aspects of this card the best. She’s nurturing, kind, emotionally supportive, she already mothered wwx and jc quite a bit when she was young. Plus i liked that the rw card had both water and flowers, making an easy lotus connection. In retrospect the stars look kind of out of place and i should have replaced them with something more relevant... Also, i should have had her hold a lotus seed pod instead of a flower, haha 4 the emperor Like i said I considered jc for the role but hoching bullied me into admitting that nmj was better… they’re both more of an inverted emperor than an upright one but then again theres hardly any character in mdzs who would fit upright emperor so. Jgs was also considered but he’s even uglier than nmj so i couldn’t bear to draw him 5 the hierophant It was pointed out to me that lqr would have fit this card better and the truth if that statement haunts me to this day. Unfortunately I have no space in my brain for lqr so lxc got the role instead. My main reason was his role during the wen destruction of gusu lan, when he ran away with the contents of the library - this is why there’s bookshelves behind him. The keys, take, from the rider-waite deck, are meant to represent the gusu pendants that allow you to enter 6 the lovers Im sure many people would have chosen wangxian here but I uhh don’t really care abt wangxian personally? And also their love story is so convoluted that jyl and jzx seem idyllic by comparison lol. Also i didnt really have an idea for who to put in the angel’s place for wangxian… mme jin certainly did not get these two together in the end but undeniably she and mme yu did initially give them a chance to fall for each other so. Thats something i guess. Anyway the trees became their sects’ flowers and the mountain became the burial grounds - an omen of their tragic fate, basically 7 the chariot There might have been other characters who fit this card better but i couldn’t really think of another card for lwj and i thought it would be weird to not include him… anyway i don’t really care for current timeline lwj BUT i do like that he was clearly influenced by wwx to walk his own path in life based on his moral convictions rather than follow his sect’s rules blindly. The chariot is to me a card of self control, self determination and focused action, so it seemed fitting. The composition felt kind of empty without the actual chariot so i padded it out with the guqin, the cloud recess in the bg (it doesn’t look great but i tried to replicate the drama design….) and the bunnies which conveniently fit the colour scheme of the sphinxes in the rider-waite design 8 strength Like i said before, my interpretation of this card is more… morally ambiguous than the quote unquote official meaning, so i thought about manipulative or duplicitous characters more than kind characters whose strength is expressed through gentleness (though i did consider jyl briefly for the latter interpretation). As such, i considered both jgy and nhs, but ended up going with jgy largely because i couldn’t pass up the opportunity to put the nie sect’s beast as the lion. 9 the hermit My thoughts immediately went to bssr lol. It may be an overly literal interpretation but whatever, i like it just fine. And i like that i managed to echo the rider-waite silhouette in the mountain and the tree (and even in bssr herself) 10 wheel of fortune God i love the parallels between these 2… this card to me is about how you cant trust your current situation, good or bad, to last forever, and these 2 embody that perfectly imo. Wwx went from son of a well off servant and a powerful cultivator, to street rat orphan, to adopted son of sect leader jiang, to double orphan, to MIA, to terrifying but admired warrior, to terrifying and despised traitor, to dead, to, at the very end, suddenly respected and trusted again. The dishonesty and cheapness of whatever the public’s current opinion of him is is portrayed beautifully as far as im concerned. And jgy of course claws his way up to power only to instantaneously become public enemy number one, to the point that he’s probably blamed for stuff there’s no reason to believe he had a hand in. Wei wuxian’s silent astonishment at how quickly the cultivation world turns against jgy and towards him again is a delicious moment of thematic resonance.  11 justice I settled on this card for jc after he got booted from the emperor seat but i do think it fits, in a somewhat convoluted way. I turned both the sword and the scales into visual representations of the golden core transfer (can you tell im obsessed with it). According to biddy tarot, the justice card is partly about searching for the truth, and the scene where jc finds out about the transfer is of course a big deal. I was also very influenced by the reversed meaning again - which is about being reluctant or unwilling to face or accept the consequences of your actions. I feel on an intuitive level that this fits jc but I’m not sure how well i can explain it - it’s something about how he’s a little too comfortable scapegoating wwx for things that were also, if much less so, influenced by his actions, and also something about the way he keeps wwx at an arm’s length emotionally but still leans on him and accepts his support when he really needs it, and somewhat hypocritically expects wwx to put the needs of him and the jiang sect before the needs of others. And also something about the core exchange is the consequence and proof of wwx’s deep - terrifyingly deep, even - love and care for him, which is something jc doesn’t seem to let himself acknowledge. Maybe even something about how you could argue that the way all of the jiangs acted around wwx - jfm’s favouritism that left him with the feeling of a debt he needs to repay, mme yus insistence that he be a servant more than a brother to jc, prepared to give his life for jc, and jc’s own unwillingness - or inability, he was a child after all - to clearly acknowledge wwx as an equal to himself, enabling wwx’s self sacrificial and protective tendencies - that all of this was what caused wwx’s complete and unquestioning willingness to do whatever it took to protect jc, and therefore paved the way to the golden core transfer. And i don’t mean this to be scapegoating jc - especially considering how young he was when this all went down, it wouldn’t be fair to expect this level of emotional perceptiveness, awareness and maturity of him - but i think adult jc has to grapple with the fact that the chain of cause and effect was not as simple as wwx fucking everyone’s lives up to be a martyr, and that both jc and his parents had a role in that story as well. I don’t even necessarily think this is something that jc only realised in the current timeline - i think it’s something he felt on some level this whole time, and it probably led to a lot of feelings of guilt - but the suibian reveal definitely puts it in sharp focus, and i think he’s now better equipped to handle this introspection than he was as a recently orphaned, traumatised teenager, lol. ANYWAY the window with the fabric is both a nod to the rider-waite design and a reference to the destruction of lanling - i actually did some basic ass research for this, and it seems that in ancient china fabric would indeed be hanged in a window if the normally used paper was damaged. The design of the window, as well as the very idea to use it to imply the reconstruction of lanling, was taken from this great piece of jc angst by my pal moroll1! Oh yeah also the covered window kind of works as a denial of forgiveness for jc because it’s like a halo but covered up... Also I completely forgot to put a blindfold over his eyes which would be perfectttt because blind justice and the core exchange......... ok moving on 12 the hanged man I always have issues with this card because i cant find a satisfactory summary of what it’s really about. Best i can tell it symbolises a need to hit pause, surrender or let go of something… ive also seen it tied to sacrifice? So mo xuanyu doesn’t fit perfectly, but sacrifice is definitely there in a surface level reading kind of way, and the idea that you have to surrender or let go in order to achieve your goal does fit the whole deal of getting revenge but giving up your life in exchange and not being there to see it 13 death This is probably one of my favourite cards, definitely not because I have huge issues with change or anything…. I see this card as signalling the necessity of change or putting an end to something / leaving something in the past in order to start anew? At first i considered putting past wwx, mxy and current wwx here as a kind of transformation and one cycle flowing into the next... But firstly, I’d already used mxy in the very previous card, so putting him in again would feel like overkill, and secondly, the longer I thought about it the less convinced I was that this would even fit with the card’s meaning? Because coming back from the dead doesn’t like... trigger an internal transformation within wwx or anything? Anyway, fun fact: the design I ended up going with was actually originally intended for judgement! I thought I was being very clever with the whole “figure plays an instrument and the dead rise” parallel, but apparently I’d just completely forgotten that the judgement card had a completely different composition... Truly I was boo boo the fool... But yeah anyway at the end of the day I figured the design would kind of work for death as well, with Wen Ning and the theme of transformation, (since in his case coming back as a fierce corpse does actually mark a certain transformation in behaviour) and Wei Wuxian’s protection of the Wen people essentially signifying an attempt to break the cycle of oppression if that makes any sense? Like, wwx is trying to revolutionise the way the world works a bit, if you catch my drift 14 temperance  The centrist card! Again this is probably going off track from the “official” interpretation, but to me this card has a certain “don’t commit fully; do everything in moderation; don’t take either side” flavour to it that i personally find infuriating irl and that i very much assign to lxc. It’s entirely possible that I’m misinterpreting his character because i didn’t really pay him (and the 3zun in general) much mind while reading, but hell, I’m allowed to pick favourites and choose who i want to interpret deeply vs shallowly. Again, i wish id chosen lqr for hierophant because its so annoying for a character i don’t care about to get two cards…. But oh well 15 the devil My alternative idea for this was jgy as the devil and lxc plus nmj as the figures, but since all three had been featured already (multiple times, even!) i figured I’d go with xy instead, especially since he’s among my faves lol. I think the devil signifies something along the lines of unhealthy attachment, obsession or addiction, which isn’t 100% accurate in the case of xxc and a-qing, but if i stretch it a bit to cover toxic relationships in general, and especially manipulation or negative influence, i don’t think it’s half bad. My main struggle here was to choose who amongst the xxc/sl/aq trio to choose for the human figures. 16 the tower Arguably jin zixuans death and the following massacre of nightless city were the final and most direct reason for the siege of burial mounds, and the tiger seal is good shorthand for wwx’s loss of control over his powers, which led to the deaths of jzx and jyl. When reimagining major arcana i like to feature some kind of building in this card (spoilers for a possible future project but in my rose of versailles major arcana set the tower is bastille) and even if it’s not a tower, the image of wwx looming over the gathered crowd from atop a rooftop is so good i couldn’t resist 17 the star Struggled with this one - considered both jin ling and lsz for it, as symbolising a hope for the future, but that was kind of covered by the world so it wouldn’t make sense to include here as well... As usual when I struggle with interpreting a card (as opposed to understanding it but struggling with matching a character to it, like with death or moon) I went to biddy tarot and read all the details about its meaning. What i got was that this card signifies an incoming period of introspection and inner peace following a time of turmoil, as well as a general moving on into a new, better phase of one’s life or finding new meaning and purpose. The figure also suggests someone vulnerable, but possessing a keen sense of intuition as well as a good degree of practicality and common sense. Given all those, I settled for mianmian because IM LOVE HER..... I also kind of see her as a prelude to the “just one person is enough” theme present in tgcf!! And i think her decision to abandon her sect because she saw the toxicity and corruption in it is a very inspiring action - even if it didn’t make a large visible impact, i think the appearance of her and her idyllic family at the very end of the novel - paralleling and mirroring wangxian - implies that at the end of the day, it was a meaningful one 18 the moon Another card i ALWAYS fuxking struggle with - this time less because i can’t grasp its meaning and more because I can never find a character that fits it well. I usually get fixated on the “dreams and subconscious” part, but if i lean more on the “disguise, deceit, anxiety and fear” part, i eventually figured the whole yi city arc wouldn’t be a bad fit. I say the entire arc because it really does encompass all those themes if you include both the past and the present - xue yang’s disguise, his tricks with the villagers, a-qing’s lies and even xxc’s reluctance to talk about his past as well as xue yang pretending to be xxc all fit the disguise and deceit angle, and the general mystery and creepiness of the current timeline yi city work well with the anxiety and fear - the mist, the slow uncovering of the past, even a-qing being revealed to be an ally after scaring the shit out of the protags. I definitely struggled with including all the elements and characters, and even moreso with making them vaguely fit the rider-waite composition, but i think it ended up okay ish. OH and i completely forgot to draw mist swirling around them :( 19 the sun I was considering mianmian’s family for this one, but since I used her for star, I ended up with wwx and his parents instead. Once again I’m reinterpreting the card a bit - normally I think it symbolises incoming times of pure happiness and abundance, as well as a connection with the inner child, but I gave it more of a nostalgic or sentimental twist - wwx looking back at the brief glimpse of his happy childhood. 20 judgement another card that i struggle to interpret a bit... Here i actually used the tgcf tarot zine as a reference! In it judgement is summarised as “rebirth, following duty, absolution” SO i figured that nhs, mxy and wwx all together would fit pretty neatly... wwx achieving (public) absolution through clearing his own name after being reborn, and nhs sort of calling on wwx to expose jgy’s crimes... It’s a bit messy but not bad I think! 21 the world This ties very closely to my read on mdzs as a story - which is that it’s, at the end of the day, largely about cycles, and about how hard it is to break them, but how we gotta keep trying and have hope anyway. Or maybe more precisely, that the people directly involved with and influenced by the trauma of the past might not be able to get over said trauma and that the hope for healing from it will be shouldered by the new generation. Or something like that… Basically what i mean is that jc and wwx and lwj and lxc and nhs and jgy and all these people who were in the thick of the sunshot campaign and the siege are so profoundly affected by it that it genuinely feels by the end of the story like there is little hope for them to ever truly overcome that trauma and build a better future without repeating the same old mistakes - but there is a glimmer of hope in the new generation, specifically in jl and lsz. And it’s a bit paradoxical, because they have also been directly impacted by the past tragedies - lsz having his entire clan wiped out after wwx failed to protect them, jl losing both his parents to wwx’s mistakes - but despite that loss, and despite coming from arguably the two opposing sides of the past conflicts, they are both, in the end, capable of moving past that tragedy, of recognising the complicated nature of those conflicts (jl’s moment of clarity at the end is both heartbreaking and hopeful) and forging friendships between clans in the process. I honestly think that the extra where jl is struggling to assert his authority as sect leader, to treat his subjects well and to cooperate with other sects in a truly amicable way is the single hopeful ending note for the larger themes of the novel - it allows us to imagine that maybe these kids can learn from the mistakes of their elders rather than getting sucked in by resentment at those mistakes, and actually build a brighter future for the cultivation world. And sidenote, this is also why i have a soft spot for jin ling and lan sizhui as a ship... speaking of which their poses were directly referenced from the lovers card ehehe

Looking back, I’d like to add some symbol of jin ling’s trauma so that it mirrors baby wen yuan in the tree stump... maybe his father’s sword? 

[winepresswrath]

If you’re still collecting songs for the disaster brothers then can I offer Brother by Sam Tinnesz as a JC POV song?

I have been working on this post for a couple of days now and I keep on having to stop to either

1) accomplish things or

2) lie on the floor a little because of the playlist you crowdsourced into my inbox.

Anyway!

How long will you run? You're not what you've become Walking up there on a wire so high You know there's only one way down I can't save you now

for when you’re mourning a person who is technically still right in front of you. nice. I also love the idea of the mob as a dog Jiang Cheng thinks Wei Wuxian can’t help but feed!

Songs that jiang cheng should sing (but like, kinda passive-aggresively) @wei wuxian: 1. Someone like you by Adele, 2. Somebody that I used to know by Gotye

I feel you on the Adele but I feel like Jiang Cheng is ironically almost too dramatic for Gotye? I have a hard time picturing him being sullenly all “you didn’t have to send your friends to collect your magic flute” when he’s carrying the magic flute in his robes at this very moment, biding his time. It’s almost too well adjusted in its fuckboyery. On the other hand,

I heard that your dreams came true Guess she gave you things, I didn't give to you

but mean and sarcastic is just canonically what happens at the beginning of the ancestral shrine scene .

for yunmeng songs can i suggest seven devils by florence + the machine for jc's fury towards wwx when he was so determined to stamp out every last shred of him even after his 'death'. It also includes fun lyrics such as

"See, I was dead when I woke up this morning

I'll be dead before the day is done"

that really encompasses how his grief and rage swallowed him up

Nice, anon. I also really like

And now all your love will be exorcised And we will find you saying it's to be better now

for the contrast between Jiang Cheng conceptualizing love as an evil that needs to be ripped out of him and the nod to Wei Wuxian, champion of letting it go and leaving the past in the past.

another yunmeng bros song, smile by mikky ekko perhaps?

And time will eventually knock on my door And tell me I'm not needed around anymore

I hate it here. I think this actually works really well as a Wei Wuxian song more generally, but that line is perfect for both of them.

We'll be lucky if we ever see the sun/Got nowhere to turn, and we've got nothing but time

gives me serious burial mounds vibes, and you can’t get more Wei Wuxian than smiling about how “the future is forgiven (the worst is yet to come)”

personally, my twin prides song is "weighted" by frank iero and the patience: "i only want the truth/that's one thing you can't do"

Let's hate what our love makes us do

If I try I may have to try my entire life and that just doesn’t feel right

Some quality Yunmeng Bros content here. This is an excellent song to throw up your hands and admit that your relationship with your brother is a disaster you need to develop a sense of humour about to.

Yunmeng bros music - 'Forever' by CVRCHES

And I will always think I'm right But I always regret the night I told you I would hate you 'til forever

Undeniable! Maybe I am just too much for you. One of the sadder entries in a really sad list, but I think it does a good job evoking the way their relationship can make them both feel trapped and exhausted and disempowered to do anything about that.

stonerxichen said:                                                                

Waste by Oh Wonder for the yunmeng bros. I watched an amv with this song and I've never recovered

oh god, I know the vid you’re talking about and I share the sentiment. Also just one of my favourite songs on this list.

There's a space in between Like a grey evergreen Where the hurt never mend

Knives out from the start, and that follow up- the waste inherent in knowing the exact edges of someone and all their bones but still not being able to fix anything. The exhaustion of futile knowing is like the inverse of the mortifying ordeal of being known.

morifiinwe said:                                                              

not to jump on the bandwagon but allies and enemies by the crane wives is such a yunmeng bros song (as is soap by the oh hellos but i know i’ve already sent you that one)

Remember when I could tell you not to smile when you were mad? And you would always crack, and we’d both be laughing in the end Now you’re not so quick to forget

I am in pain and it is your fault. This is another excellent one for that sense of helplessness- loving a person and wanting to be good to them and not being able to figure out how to do that properly, but I think what really gets me about this one is the way the uncertainty half resolves into

I’ll admit I’ve had my doubts But I want to be let in not out

Sometimes hopeful things are more brutal, actually, and this makes me think about the exact moment Jiang Cheng might admit to himself that he wants a relationship with Wei Wuxian and is immediately slammed in the face with the knowledge that wanting may not make it so! “Leave the past in the past.” “Take care.”

Shoutout to tumblr user @rozarria for suggesting Bullet by Clare Maguire

And i try not to feel

Oh i try not to feel Its so hard to believe it

but in the end of it all

its true

stop making me think about all the time Jiang Cheng spends trying to internalize the idea that Wei Wuxian never really loved him and it’s pathetic and delusional and a gross betrayal of the dead to hope otherwise!

Edit: I wanted to say that my personal favouite Yunmeng Bros song is Under Pressure, which did not make it onto my yunmeng bros playlist by dint of being hidden on my Wei Wuxian playlist. But love does dare us to change our way of caring about ourselves, even if we crack a little first.

[praphit]

F9: What does Absurdity even mean anymore?

Due to COVID, I thought that my last movie theater experience was going to be "Bad Boys For Life". I'm happy to say that if I died today, I would be telling souls in Heaven that "F9" was the last movie I saw on the big screen (I'm sure that films are big talking points in the after life).

There weren't too many people there:

There was a woman coughing in the corner; I barely looked at her. I imagined that COVID was mugging her, and I didn't want to be a witness, and so have COVID come after me next. I'm vaxxed, but still I was thinking of ways to distract COVID, so I could enjoy the film. There was an old couple sitting up front (like REALLY OLD... sitting UP FRONT... Ha! that's awesome). Awesome or not, I was going to point them out if COVID came after me. There were two obese kids sitting a few rows behind me that I could also point out, as well as my friend that I was sitting next to... what?? Look, they would ALL want me to escape, so I could bring my "F9" review to the people!

WHAT??!

Let's not talk about my survival skills, let's talk some Vin & the Fam - that's why we're here!

It took a while for me to remember what was going on:

Dom (Vin), Letty (M. Rod), and their... kid? Oh, right, they have a kid, and they moved on to start a new life together. 

Didn't the real mom die or something?? Idk. You've got the British lady from "GOT" still hanging out with Luda and Tyrese. 

(they so crazy)

"Hobbs and Shaw" are still gone 

(making their own money, cuz bleep family!). 

Brian (Paul Walker's character - rip) is apparently, now everyone's babysitter. So, if anyone in this gang, who could die on any of these missions, ever have kids, they can just send them off to Nanny Brian's. 

There's a dude named Mr. Nobody who sometimes sends the gang on secret spy missions.

Oh, and people in the gang keep coming back from the dead. Boom! We're caught up with this absurdity. That's actually what I asked for when I got to the movies 

"Give me one ticket for Absurdity please."

In this batch of the absurd, we find out that Dom has a brother, and he's John Cena (Jakob). 

Charlize Theron is back! That must have been the worst bet that she has ever lost. I consider her to be one of the most underrated and underappreciated actors we've got, but movies like these ain't helping that case.

And who's idea was it to give her that haircut? - part of the bet she lost, I suppose. 

It was reported that the gang goes into space (at least two of them do). 

Annnnd the X-Men Jet is back! 

(it really does look like that - Wolverine included)

Seriously, after the X-Men's last two movies (which were turrrible), I was expecting them to crossover for a fresh start. Why not?? They're a spy team now, that goes to space! - nothing should be off the table.

They're looking for two halves of some... war sphere?? If put back together with some key... idk... John Cena rules the world.

Remember when Vin and the gang were all about street racing, money, survival, and brown booty? - those were simpler times!

But, why discuss the plot? Seriously, why? None of it makes any sense. From Dom and Letty living like Amish people (which is an ending worse than death for action heroes) 

to their convoluted explanation for bringing the latest person back from the dead (which reminds me of a married couple, when the husband or wife get caught watching porn, and try to explain that it was just a pop-up that came out of nowhere. The other spouse gulps their glass of wine and plows forward - that was me with this - gulping my soda (with a lil Henny) saying "whatever guys, let's please just move on".

and  what's going on with the two brother's is a thin thread at best. AND the villain's motivation...  

But, it's foolish to get into that., and take points off. I LOVE THESE MOVIES, but it ain't for the story. Let's grade "F9" by its own standards:

Racing, Action, and Family (they graduated from booty to family):

Racing

They've done the racing in a small city thing before, but this time it's with magnets! - SUPER MAGNETS!

YES!

I loved this! Cars are getting sucked into magnets. They're using them to make people fly away and explode. Which btw, they did my man Francis Ngannou wrong (an mma fighter). There's a fight scene with a giant white dude on top of a speeding vehicle. That giant white dude could have and should have been the role for Francis, instead he's just here to say high, and then blow up. As much as I loved these scenes, they were too quick in some areas. I think if they had slowed some of the magnet stuff down a bit, we could appreciate more what's happening.

Action

M.Rod is legit. 

She needs her own franchise. The only action star I enjoyed more than her was Vin, and that's really due to the absurdity of one scene. Do y'all remember the "Civil War" scene when Captain America has one hand on a building and another pulling back a helicopter?? 

It's the same level of strength needed for what Vin does in some underground chambers. You can see a bit of it in the trailer. He pulls the whole place down, and then, just like in "Civil War", he ends up in the water (but unconscious). Oh, and he does this after beating up like 50 people at once. Ha! I love it! Then, how he is rescued (cuz c'mon, he can't die) is splendidly preposterous, and I mean that is a complimentary way. That scene is perfection.

The only action that bothers me comes from Dom's sister (mia). 

She just doesn't sell being a fighter, but whatever. No disrespect... she’s beautiful, but... her hair might weigh more than the rest of her body.

Apparently, the highest trained fighters (agents) in the world (who have GUNS) never trained for a unskilled, unprepared, 110 lb woman in her 40's with a frying pan.

Family & Corona

Tyrese and Luda are always funny, but their act is growing a bit thin. It actually felt like an act this time around. I think it's time to add another black man in the mix; perhaps one who's older than they are... TRACY MORGAN?

Throw an OG in there and it'll freshen things up again. I do like though how Tyrese is starting to suspect that they might be immortals. I think they should test that theory out in the next movie; maybe have Tyrese break the fourth wall, kinda like Deadpool, as he realizes this is just a dumbass movie.

Dom and Letty's kid... terrible. I'm sorry! This is a bias of mine, but kids normally suck at acting. This one is no exception. Just get an older actor to play the young kid. I'm thinking Ryan Reynolds would have been a good choice.

You may be saying "that's absurd!" - I'm glad that y'all can still tell what that word means, cuz I can't.

The rest of the chemistry family magic is great!

Oh, and Cardi is here, but... barely (for like 30 seconds, if that). 

No rapping, no wapping, no cursing... kind of a waste of Cardi B, if you ask me.

John Cena aka Jakob with a K!

Meh. JC def has charisma, just not in this movie. He doesn't stand out at all. You know?? - The Rock, Jason Statham, Charlize Theron, etc all have a presence about them in this franchise. Cena?! what happened, buddy?

There are certain music artists whom you'd think would have a great personality based off their music and how they dress. But, then you meet them, and you realize that they're just normal bozos like you and I (only rich and famous). And normal bozos like you and I, AT TIMES can be boring. You gotta have some flair if you're not going to have personality. Give my man some pink glittery highlights, a face tat, some vampire teeth, and maybe a chainsaw for his left arm or something.

Grade: Good action. The absurdities were funny. I was entertained! Production was great! BUT it's getting tired, my friends. It's the same formula that I've mentioned and then, like always, they're grilling and drinking Corona's in the sun. After nine movies (with at least two more on the way)... I never thought I'd say this, but it's actually not absurd enough. Wait... I seriously can't believe I just said that.

I need to say that again to know it's real.

This movie wasn't absurd.. enough? ENOUGH. IT WASN'T! They're going to need to step it up for the next two.

They were in space, but not for long. They raced for the most part in regular cars (regular for them). . You only brought ONE person back from the dead??! C'mon! We can do better.

I'm giving it an entertaining C+

I like that we saw different younger Dom's (during flashbacks) through time. I think that the next type of vehicle they bust out should be a DeLorean.

Y'all feel me?? TIME TRAVEL, baby! 

Vin and the gang race through time! They can have Tracy Morgan. They'll each have a younger version (or older) of themselves join the group. Cardi B will actually do something this time - maybe turn into a car! 

And maybe Cable shows up as they tie it to Marvel.

Think bigger, Vin!

[gaypanicblog]

I was tagged by @nika1882 & @salayy sending good vibes to you two <3

Post a picture or a gif (preferably from tumblr’s gift feature or with permission) of:

• Your favourite character

• Your favourite friendship

• Your favourite ship

• Your favourite sword

• Your favourite sect

Favourite character: Xue Yang

Ok, this is actually kind of difficult cuz I mean, lots of the untamed characters are my babies, but yeah my heart is always stolen by the villains, so I have to clarify that I do not justify what Xue Yang has done. If you follow me it’s kind of obvious that I love this devil bitchy ass who in fact is a lonely soul needed of love and tons of candy, and who was afraid of lose the only affect given to him ever (messing things up), but also is someone who till the end never understood what’s right and wrong. And yeah, he lacks self-control, has poor emotional intelligence, and is still in love with his dead bf. He has that wicked smile, he is careless, sarcastic and shameless af, someone who does evil for fun, who is f*ckin lethal and of course f*cked up. I think he’s a really complex character and a walking curse with a cat complex, and I really live for that. (I would hug Xue Yang but like I need an armor or something, not that he not even exists)

Favorite friendship: Wen Ning-Lan Sizhui

I´m not sure if it´s a friendship or what, like I’ve seen people shipping them, but I think it’s more kinda a nice uncle-nephew relationship but not exactly, anyways, even I don’t think of that duo in a romantic way, I’m really in love watching those two together, they are sooo cute, whatever it is I’m vibing with them and I like it. Wen Ning is always looking after Sizhui and trying to remember the past/compensate the lost time, indeed Sizhui is curious about Ning and his life with him in the Burial Mounds, the kiddo has always been super kind with the soft Ning. You can see that they´re comfortable with each other, they really enjoy themselves together and got along pretty well! I would die for more scenes of them side by side doing their cute stuff. (They really said: let me put the babies and the whole cuteness in one duo uh?)

Honorific mention: Wei Wuxian-Wen Qing, all the juniors hanging, the three idiots (affectionately): WWX, JC and NH

Favorite ship: Wangxian 

That might not count bc it´s technically canon and Xuexiao too or at least it is in my mind, like they obviously had feelings for each other, however let me tell u about some ships that I enjoy: Lan XiChen&Jiang Cheng, Jiang Cheng&Wen Qing, Meng Yao&Nie Mingjue&Lan XiChen, Song Lan&Xiao Xingchen&Xue Yang, Meng Yao&Lan XiChen, Yanli&Wen Qing (idk if someone else ship those queens but I hella do)

Illustrations from here

Favorite sword: Bichen

*Gifs from here 

Just look at it, it’s damn beautiful, like celestial? Immaculate? magical? From another world? Most likely.  (Put aside the dirty thoughts about Bichen, I’m watching)

Honorific mention: Whatever and Sandu

Favorite sect: Yunmeg Jiang

*Gif from here

Not gonna lie I pretty much enjoyed the visuals *chef kiss* but also the atmosphere, it´s like a big house and they all are a family. It seems relaxed but it´s actually a really hardworking, capable, brave, and virtue sect.  Jiang Feng Mian is such a great sect leader, he is kind but imposing, he cares about everyone, is loved by his people and he loves them back and his family. Of course all my respect to Madame Yu, her determination and braveness are everything, she knows what has to be done and bows for anyone, also she loves their children and goes feral for them. Yunmeng sect have its own ideals and visions and I wish my best to my beloved angry (misunderstood) bird aka Jiang Cheng, you are capable and qualified honey.

Honorific mention: I loved the Gusu Lan´s visuals too! That waterfall is wholesome. I like their music thing and I would die in that library. It seems like a place to have much fun (not in a sarcastic way),I mean I’ve been in that kind of strict places and believe me there´s nothing more funny than being mischievous but without being discovered, lmao but good luck with Lan Qiren.

 Sorry for the bad words, that much text and probably bad English.

I tag @thirdofjune @thisautistic @saranghae-hoe​ @seonghwagender​ and everyone who wants to do it.

[jadedadultritsu]

(hope am not bothering) So like I looked up Birth flowers for January and October (wangxian's bday months) and idk if mxtx did it on purpose but the symbolisms of their birth flowers describes their personalities v accurately and if mxtx did assigned their birthday months like that on purpose they are an absolute genius (sorry if my words don't make sense I'm not very articulate but I need to infodump on some1 so am sorry)

You're not bothering me at all! Why would you think that. 😟😖😭

If anything, this is an opportunity for me to put my research skills into practice and I’m gonna go grab whatever. Also, this is actually an interesting question! :O I will do my best to answer this. So first off, I’ve consulted google if there is a similar ask from before bc 1) we don’t want a duplicate work 2) in case there’s already an existing ask, cross-referencing would be pretty nice :D 3) my memory fails me if I did see interpretations of WangXian birth flowers before, I think I did but I guess it got lost in the v. depths of the internet lmao. So if we looked up at the same site, there isn’t much to interpret actually. But I can def connect it to some events all across adaptions with a few takes haha. 

Ok ok, so here it goes:

For Lan Wangji: January - Carnations & Snowdrops

DUDE, both flowers can bloom in the cold winter months?! And this characteristic is RARE? HELL YES! These flowers are insane, they are to be envied by other flowers they should start shedding off their own petals by now lol (lemme at least personify them). You know who else could withstand such unbearable cold weather?

Him and HIM.

Carnations are also easy to spot bc of its bright color (pretty pretty boy Hanguang-jun in the crowd isn’t smth you see everyday).

Snowdrops symbolizes hope and rebirth. LWJ had hoped countless times already for different things but it’s not like it’s all directed solely for himself. LWJ isn’t a one-dimensional character who exists just to complement (or contrast) WWX’s chara. Remember the line Hanguang-jun being “wherever the chaos is”. I believe some ppl rlly wondered why LWJ didn’t take his own life if he truly loved WWX? (wtf is that even). Who wants another vers. of Romeo and Juliet? He wished to carry on bc of their oaths (paper lantern scene in CQL) and to ward off evil. Plus, WWX’s promise aligns to that of LWJ’s moral values so he HOPED to get them fulfilled as much as possible, prolly 'til his last breath. Ppl keep forgetting that LWJ is an individual too, while I could understand and relate when ppl see them as a single unit mostly. Song Lan still carried on with night-hunting with XXC and AQ’s souls HOPING he could mend them along the way. I'd say that "if he dies, I die too" death trope is so boring now, I could dieeee myself, sir. JC didn't dismiss the possibility of WWX reincarnating. So LWJ must've his fair share of hope that WWX would reincarnate anytime in his lifetime. He's not gonna pursue love anywhere else. It can only be WWX. LWJ's rule-abiding nature loosened significantly during the Nightless City incident. Post-burial mounds siege, he didn't completely cut himself off from the sect affairs, but he did engage with them minimally. That, my friend, is his own vers. of rebirth (a.k.a. character dev't)

Snowdrops are well-known for being droopy-shaped flowers. I interpret this as, although esteemed and ppl have high regards for him, HGJ could still humble himself inspite of the facts.

For Wei Wuxian: October - Marigold & Cosmos

Marigolds’ vibrant color says a lot abt October babies huh. Marigolds symbolize fierce love, passion and creativity. Fierce love for family? Burning passion for knowledge? Need I say more? Creativity idk why but the first thing that popped up in my mind is paper man Wuxian since he’s the only one shown to use that ability. WWX also strives to think outside of the box by thinking of a fourth method in LQR’s quest abt dealing with the resentful executioner’s ghost. I recall a tumblr user saying how WWX is a nerd locking himself up in the Demon-Slaughtering Cave performing experiments, inventing demonic tools, and whatnot. So he wasn’t merely a mischief-maker all along lmao. "Marigolds also have a long tradition of being used medicinally to heal inflammation and skin problems” - sure, if transferring the cursed mark from JL’s leg to your own leg would count lol.

Cosmos flowers represent peace and tranquility. Although loud most of the time, he can read and sense any f up situation and can appreciate peace at times and as needed. “They also attract bees, so are a great flower to grow to draw pollinators to your garden!” dkdnfkdnfdk LWJ is the bee. <3

So you’ve finally reached the end, I applaud you. Congrats and thank you for keeping up with me this far. Now let’s get to the real quest, did MXTX assign the birth months to her chara’s on purpose with that basis in mind? Was it purely coincidence? I vote for the latter. If I were a Danmei author and I wanted to assign a birth month for the stoic-faced and icy personality chara, I’d conveniently assign a winter month. Same goes for WWX. Since WWX shifted to the heretic and wicked path, I, too, would conveniently assign him a birthday near Halloween. Surely, the birth flowers interpreters have also given this a lot of thought associating the corresponding flowers accordingly to the seasons while meticulously considering the characteristics of these flowers.

[lan-xichens]

wait no i also want to recognise that everything you said about wwx is super valid like i feel there's less of a debate there but!! oh shit wait maybe wwx does also have rejection sensitive dysphoria (an emotional sensitivity and pain triggered by the perception that a person has been rejected or criticized by important people in their life. It may also be triggered by a sense of falling short—failing to meet their own high standards or others’ expectations.)

sorry for the complete spam but the rejection sensitive dysphoria can also lead to outbursts when you externalize it, ie in anger etc.- but it can also lead you to become like a people's pleaser (like i kinda do feel this sounds more like wwx) as for the like- starting something and not wanting to stop, i think it's a hyperfocus thing, bc you start something and you get in the flow and then you're afraid to stop bc when you pick it up again you won't feel the same (nd then you overwork yourself)

No no not spam at all! Sorry I couldn’t get to it the other day, but thanks for elaborating on this. But rejection sure is a theme amongst Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng like, oof.

But I definitely see how you brought that up for Jiang Cheng because, his entire life and story seem to revolve around him trying to earn his place and win the respect of those he cares about, but both intentionally and unintentionally, he keeps being sidelined.

First, by his parents:

And, both Jiang Cheng’s looks and personality took after his mother. He hadn’t ever been to Jiang FengMian’s liking. Since birth, he taught him in many ways, yet he still couldn’t change, which was why Jiang FengMian had always seemed as though he didn’t favor him too much.

Jiang Cheng pulled Wei WuXian’s hand away and stood up, letting out his anger, “I know! I know that I don’t have the personality he likes, that I’m not the heir he wants. He thinks that I don’t deserve to be Sect Leader, that I don’t understand the motto of the Jiang Sect, that I don’t have the air of the Jiang Sect in me at all! Those are all true!” - GDC chapter 56

How do you compete for the affection and approval of your parents if one of them rejects your entire being based on your personality? Jiang Fengmian’s favouritism towards Wei Wuxian is one of the massive parts influencing how JC and WWX interact, because there must be so so so much jealousy involved on Jiang Cheng’s part.

But even his mother never pulls her punches in criticising him, and adds fuel to this fire.

Jiang Cheng sat still as he looked up at her, “Mom.”

Madam Yu stood up and mocked, “What do you want me to do? Like your father, you want me to hold my tongue? You really are an idiot. I’ve told you long ago that you’ll never in your whole life be able to surpass the one sitting beside you. Not over cultivation, not over night-hunting, even over shooting kites, you can’t surpass him! It can’t be helped. Who could change the fact that your mom is worse than another’s? Worse it is, then. Your mom feels injustice for you, tells you countless times not to fool around with him, yet you’re still defending him. Just how did I give birth to a son like you?!” - GDC chapter 51

So between the two of his parents, there’s no pleasing either, no matter how hard Jiang Cheng tries to win their approval and live up to their expectations. I feel this is why Wei Wuxian attributes a competitive nature to him, but he misconstrues that; I don’t think Jiang Cheng seeks competition so much as he seeks approval, understanding the expectations of him as the future sect leader. He’s not trying to out-do Wei Wuxian’s cultivation because he wants to be better, necessarily, he just wants to prove to both his parents that he’s not... lesser than him. But he wouldn’t have had to do it if they hadn’t been the ones to constantly pit him against his brother in the first place!

But even with the situation being like that (and while we can address it in meta, I know this is probably not something Jiang Cheng could ever admit to himself or to any close to him lest he insults his parents), but even then, he seems to be able to take it in stride so long as Wei Wuxian doesn’t turn his back on him.

And that’s the unintentional part, because this does sadly happen, at least on the surface.

Their conversation at the Burial Mounds is one I’ve wanted to scream about for so long, because the miscommunications there run so deep you couldn’t see the bottom of it. But focussed on rejection, it’s this:

A while later, Jiang Cheng spoke, “Wei WuXian, have you still not realized what the situation at hand is like? Do you really need me to say it out loud? If you insist on protecting them, then I won’t be able to protect you.”

Wei WuXian, “There’s no need to protect me. Just let go.”

Jiang Cheng’s face twisted. - GDC chapter 73

As some super helpful posts have already pointed out, Wei Wuxian’s defection from the Jiang clan is a disloyal thing to do, regardless of his reasons. But I also think that, to some extent, Jiang Cheng feels it as a personal rejection as well.

CQL adds two very painful exchanges here:

JC: They turn out to be a group of the old, young, and weak. All useless! WWX: All useless? Can’t you speak in a good manner?

Jiang Cheng means they are no threat, so the sect leaders are wrong. Wei Wuxian hears him dismiss the lives of those he must consider worthless. This leads up to:

JC: What on earth are you doing this for? WWX: Jiang Cheng, I’ll tell you honestly. Even if it weren’t for Wen Qing and her brother, or for anyone else, I’d make the exact same choice.

Jiang Cheng asks why he would turn his back on the Jiang clan, Wei Wuxian hears him challenge his righteousness and his reason for protecting the innocent. Wei Wuxian explains he would do the right thing for anyone, Jiang Cheng hears he would always choose to reject the Jiang clan, and by extension himself, no matter for who it was.

This comes back at the Guanyin Temple:

On the other hand, Jiang Cheng refused to give up, shouting, “Wei WuXian, who was the one who broke his promise and betrayed the Jiang Sect first? Tell me. That I’d be the sect leader and you’d be my subordinate, that you’d help me your whole life, that so long as the GusuLan Sect had its Two Jades, the YunmengJiang Sect would have its Two Prides, that you’d never betray me or betray the Jiang Sect—who was the one that said these?! I’m asking you—who was the one that said all these?! Did you eat all your fucking words?!”

He got more agitated as he ranted on, “And in the end? You go and protect outsiders, haha! The Wen Sect’s people, even. How much of their rice did you eat?! Defecting with such resolution! What did you take our sect to be?! - GDC chapter 102

Actually, while I love rewatching this scene as so many things keep jumping out at me, it’s even better to reread this part in the novel. I’d forgotten how much extra background we get on just how far this misunderstanding goes.

Why does Wei Wuxian tell him to let things go, and not to keep this matter in his heart?

Wei WuXian pressed his temples, “Forget it. It’s all in the past now. Let’s not mention it again.”

It wasn’t something he liked to reminisce about. He didn’t want to be reminded again and again of what it felt like when his core was cut out or what price he had to pay. If this were exposed in the past, he’d most likely laugh and comfort Jiang Cheng, ‘It’s not that big of a deal anyways. Look at me all these years. Without the core, I still managed to come through, didn’t I? Beating everyone I wanted to beat, killing everyone I wanted to kill.’ But now, he indeed didn’t have the strength left to put up such a confident, nonchalant pretense. - GDC chapter 103

Maybe I was the one who misintrepreted this line in my head, but CQL makes it seem so much like Wei Wuxian is fully at peace with giving up his core, and he wants to impress on Jiang Cheng to find his peace with it as well. But in truth, it’s exactly the opposite, because Wei Wuxian doesn’t want to admit to how difficult it was and still is for him, but he doesn’t want to show him that his decision haunts him.

Which just smacks of a conversation they still need to have.

And also begs the question why CQL went for the second bolded line; why have Wei Wuxian smile and comfort him and try to soothe things over? It was an incredibly sweet moment, sure, but the words were so confusing to me, and now I see why. His heart shouldn’t have been in it at all.

None of this addresses Wei Wuxian’s relationship with rejection at all - how he always struggles to find his place and to solidify his standing with certain people, but how it’s always on loose screws. But the way he treats himself as disposable, especially towards the Jiang clan, was still the whole catalyst for this situation in the first place.

[theparanormalperiodical]

The REAL Story Behind The Omen (1976) And The 7 Most Terrifying Omens You Should Definitely Know About

You don't get much irony in horror.

You get buckets of fake blood, you get lashings of sexism with subtle notes of transphobia, and you have dozens of plot holes to get twisted up in. But The Omen (1976) in a very dark, very deathy way, was ironic.

Somehow a film about the rise of the Antichrist - AKA the end of the world - would be accompanied by wild animal attacks, sudden deaths, and even a decapitation. Yep, The Omen was, well, an omen. In fact, this cult classic horror flick is known as one of the most cursed films to date as a result of the story put to the screen and the events that took place behind it.

But the infamous tales surrounding this movie is not the only time an omen has preceded horrific events. In fact, we've been searching for signs of what is to come for millennia. Some of these signs still haunt our darkest nightmares.

You need to look out for them.

Today we will be determining just how accurate the portrayal of The Omen is to the prophecies of the Antichrist, the spooky events that took place behind the camera, and any other signs of death or misfortune you should be wary of.

*crow caws in the distance*

First, let's recap The Omen

The Bible is undoubtedly the best-selling book of all time. And, just like many other chart-topping hits, it’s been turned into a whole host of films. Each has suffered its own onslaught of criticism for its unique take on scripture.

The Omen is one of them.

But The Omen doesn’t follow Jesus’ life story, nor does it CGI various jungle animals onto Noah’s ark. It follows the Antichrist from birth to demise across 3 films (including a made-for-TV Canadian movie which we’ve all agreed to not talk about). It charts the rise of Damien as he develops his paranormal powers and loosely fulfils the prophecies set out for the Devil’s spawn.

Our story starts at his mysterious birth: after a woman has a stillborn child, her husband swaps it for a child whose mother died at birth. When Damien is just 5 years old strange things begin to occur. Animals act strangely around him, various aggressive dogs appear - oh, and Damien’s nanny rudely interrupts his birthday party by throwing herself out of a window with a noose around her neck.

Enter a new nanny who is less Mary Poppins and more Mary Most-definitely-a-satanist-who-wants-to-protect-Damien-and-overthrow-Christ. Things get worse (yes, it’s possible) when everyone around Damien begins to slowly work out that he may or may not be the Antichrist and in turn get killed in assorted horrific - but also mildly hysterical - ways.

It’s the father of Damien (the adoptive one, not the actual Devil) who leads the investigation into his origins. He traces back Damien’s origins back to his dead mother’s grave. Turns out she was a jackal.

Enter the Antichrist expert - he gives Damien’s father the low-down on dealing with demonic children, and explains that the naughty-step is simply not enough. He has to be killed on hallowed ground with a collection of knives I’m pretty sure I saw on Antiques Roadshow. He takes the Daggers of Megiddo and his infant son into a local church, forces him onto the altar and prepares to kill him.

The police shoot him before he can do this.

The following films chase up the rest of Damien’s short but eventful life and include: one sex scene, one King Herod-inspired ‘kill all babies born on this day cause one of ‘em is Jesus’, and even a last minute cameo by Christ himself.

Unlike most horror franchises, however, The Omen is not based on some paranormal investigation or a forgotten urban legend - the story inspiring it is kept very close to the hearts of many around the world. It’s this troubling premise which makes this film one of the most terrifying to date. Question is, just how accurate is The Omen to the actual end of days forecasted by Christians?

How accurate was The Omen to actual prophecies regarding the Antichrist?

Like most things mentioned in The Bible and other religious texts, things are typically vague or lost in translation. This means many concepts and stories have been rewritten and rethought in numerous different ways.

The Omen kinda had to connect the dots.

But there are a few defining features of Damien and his life story which are uncomfortably close to what might just be the apocalypse…

First, the Antichrist is supposed to be born as the opposite of Christ: he is not born of God and a virgin, but of Satan and a ‘whore’. Whilst The Omen appears to be slut-shaming a jackal, we do know Damien is the spawn of Satan. His animal mother (which is referenced later in the franchise when Damien is discovered to have Jackal bone marrow cells) is a reference to Jackals’ biblical presence as tricksters.

The Omen also sticks to the dominant line of thought on Damien’s career path. The Antichrist is mentioned 3 times in the New Testament and follows the end of the world, something we see in the dying moments of the final film: the Book of Revelation and other prophetic texts claim he will rule for 7 years before being defeated by Christ/Angel Gabriel’s army. He will be a tyrant, a trickster, rise to power, and (perhaps) claim he is a messiah.

The Omen is an abridged version of this. Damien is at one point a CEO and then an ambassador to the US before he sees an image of Christ when he gives out his last breath.

But here’s the thing.

Everyone has a different take on how the Antichrist will take his first steps to almighty power before being dethroned by the JC. And everyone has a different take on who it is.

Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, the Pope (I’m pretty sure all of the popes have been accused of being the Antichrist), Prince William… Type in a celebrity name - literally any celebrity name - and the word ‘antichrist’ into Google and there will be “proof” of Kate Hudson using satanic subliminal messaging in How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. By all accounts The Omen is just another version of how the Antichrist could rise and fall.

The Omen does include a few other suitably-satanic references: the Daggers of Megiddo don’t actually exist according to lore, but are associated with the end of the world. Megiddo is the site of the final battle between the Antichrist and Jesus Christ as mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Its Greek name was even ‘Armageddon’.

We also see throughout the franchise a satanist plot to ensure the Antichrist grows up safely and is ready to do his dark bidding. Modern theorists claim the Antichrist will arrive hand-in-hand with a satanic plot to overturn the Christian faith.

The Omen effectively charts out how the world might end. But for many people working on the film, they were experiencing hell in their own way.

What really happened on the set of The Omen?

An omen is defined as a phenomenon that predicts and hints at the future, or signals a change. The birth and rise of the Antichrist probably fits the definition as it signals the Second Coming of Christ, Judgement Day, and numerous other events anticipated by Christians across the globe. It is an omen for the end of the world.

Hell, it’s the ultimate omen. It doesn’t get more omen-ny than that.

But in some weird omen-ception, The Omen was an omen for the people producing the film. *squints in confusion*

Basics, it is now known as one of the most cursed movie sets ever. And here’s why.

Gregory Peck, the father of Damien, allegedly canceled his seat on a flight that would crash and kill everyone on board. When he did finally get on a plane and flew to England his plane was struck by lightning. The film’s writer experienced the same thing on a separate flight days after Peck’s.

The producers and some actors also nearly attended a restaurant one evening when it was destroyed in an explosion. One of these same producers, Mace Neufeld, also happened to check out early from a hotel in London which was blown up by the IRA shortly after.

The special effects designer witnessed traumatic events mirroring the movie far too closely, too: his wife was decapitated in a car crash, a similar event to one we see in the film. Even an animal trainer used for a scene from which Baboons act wildly and crazed around Damien was killed after being mauled by a tiger.

Yeah.

It’s all very ommeny.

But what are the other omens you should be looking out for?

The 7 omens you should most definitely be watching out for

#1 - Crows

All films or TV shows that feature death or war also feature crows. Their fateful cawing has historically been an omen of misfortune or death and is used for foreshadowing as obvious as the colour black. A single crow is an omen of bad luck - a murder of crows (more than five) is an omen of death or illness for either you or someone you know.

In ancient times birds were common omens and it was the type of bird which signaled different positive and negative changes. Crows in particular were believed to be messengers between the mortal world and the afterlife. Witches were also believed to use crows to cast their death spells.

They have since gained a reputation for being cunning and intelligent creatures, much like the jackal mother of Damien in The Omen.

#2 - Owls

I told you - we are convinced birds bring death.

Much like crows, owls are very deathy. Walking under a tree and hear an owl hoot? You or a family member are gon’ die. One lands on your roof? Death is a-coming.

Owls are even historically believed to herald doom with one Roman Emperor - Antonius - dying after an owl was seen perched above his bedroom door. They are considered wise creatures according to ancient civilisations, as if they know something about the future we do not.

The Welsh, on the other hand, believed they bring fertility. If an owl hoot is heard by a pregnant woman she will have an easy labour.

#3 - Doppelgangers

According to German and Irish folklore, seeing an ‘exact replica’ of you born to different parents is a sign of your death. If your family members or your friends see one, beware of impending danger.

These ‘double-goers’ are considered evil twins in folklore. If you spoke to your doppelganger, they’d try and trick you and plan evil ideas in your mind.

Breton and Cornish folklore claim they are Ankou, servants of death himself who thus personify it.

#4 - Death Knocks Thrice

Let’s set the scene: you’ve just ordered a Nandos and you hear the knock at the door. But instead of a halloumi-topped beanie burger, you open the front door to no one.

Rather than a delicious meal you will soon experience death.

Irish, Scottish, and Native American communities follow this folklore and it is referenced in many different films including The Conjuring. The Perron family hear continuous knocking which comes in threes - the Warrens, however, claim it is a demonic entity or spirit mocking the holy trinity.

#5 - Phantom funerals

Funerals normally come after the omen of death, you know, when the actual ‘death’ part has occurred. But fake funerals led by ghosts are an omen of the death of a loved one. They will take the same place and same route of the actual funeral, however.

If you do see one, however, don’t look into the casket; otherwise, it’ll be your own.

(Dun dun duuuh)

It is believed they are sent by fairies who are infamous for causing mischief. A similar phenomenon, ‘the tolaeth before the coffin’, is when one hears the coffin making process or the funeral take place.

#6 - Solar eclipses

We now have the benefit of science and astrology to tell us that sometimes it gets really dark and really cold in the middle of the day. But way back when, the sun effectively disappearing for a few moments was rather more terrifying.

Ancient civilisations believed it was a warning from pissed off gods that they were going to exact some revenge and send some impending danger or death. Most cultures even believed a folkloric beast or native animal was eating the sun. In fact, that’s why many communities would bang pots or pans together during eclipses to scare away the demon doing it.

They are still considered a mysterious sign something bad is about to go down.

#7 - Black butterflies

We end on an omen I’m probably going to incorporate into my aesthetic for 2021. A black butterfly is considered to be a symbol of misfortune and death in some cultures and a positive sign for others. It could also equate to a less lethal ‘death’ - that is the death of a relationship or a project.

It can thus be considered an omen of renewal or rebirth. And lord knows we all need that for next year.

Have you ever seen an omen?

Let me know in a comment below.

If you liked this post make sure you like, reblog, and then hit follow. I post a new article on the paranormal every Saturday and a new ghost story everyday!

*flies away with the black butterflies*

[crossdressingdeath]

Whenever I hear someone talking about how JC ‘sacrificed himself’ or ‘gave up his core’ for WWX (I’m paraphrasing a bit but that tends to be the gist of the argument) I always find myself disagreeing because rather than the act of bravery and selflessness that they try to portray it as it always strikes me as a split-second impulsive decision that should have been considered and discarded.

At the end of chapter 110 we find out that JC allowed himself to be caught by the Wens so that WWX would be free. Therefore this is the decision that leads to consequences including the golden core transfer, which lead to the necessity of WWX inventing demonic cultivation and his later inability to return to orthodox cultivation, which was a contributing factor to WWX being reviled by the sects and eventually killed. It’s obviously an important event and a point at which the entire story turns. In a way, this decision puts in motion the chain of events that gives the book its name. And in my opinion, outside of the context of a narrative where this had to happen for the sake of that narrative, it didn’t need to happen.

JC’s internal dialogue at the end of chapter 110 tells us that he spotted a group of Wen cultivators that would soon come across WWX, with the assumption that he would be captured, and so JC chooses to use himself as a distraction. It’s unlikely that he was trying to get caught, or if he just intended to cause a commotion and then disappear, but he was caught, so whatever he may have intended doesn’t really matter. The reason I see this as an impulsive and ultimately unnecessary decision is because of the circumstances surrounding it: WWX is shown in every adaptation to have used a hat as a disguise, furthermore he doesn’t wear any sect colours and he doesn’t have his sword at this point so there’s no reason for anyone to assume he’s a cultivator (and there’s no evidence that cultivators can sense the presence of other cultivators, otherwise XXC would have found XY without needing to hear him and wouldn’t have to be told that this ‘nameless guest’ has some cultivation experience). Even if they do recognise him as a cultivator, out of the two of them WWX is the one who would probably be able to convincingly lie that he’s a solitary rogue cultivator buying food for the road. More than WWX being unrecognised as WWX in the street though, JC’s capture is likely to put WWX in more danger rather than less: the Wens know that JC and WWX escaped Lotus Pier together and that it’s likely they’ve stayed together, finding one of them in this town increases the odds that the other one is here as well and they might increase their efforts rather than focus all of them on JC. Also, it seems that JC didn’t consider that the ‘brother’ who’s been told by both of JC’s parents to protect JC/die for JC would come after him, therefore just setting back any progress or distance they managed in order for WWX to come back for JC and then have to make another escape but this time with fewer distractions they could potentially rely on. These are conclusions JC should have been able to make with a moment of thinking through the consequences of his decision.

This is actually a case where JC’s actions are worse in CQL. In that there’s a scene where WWX tells JC to take care of JYL because she has a fever before he leaves to buy supplies. So there JC not only makes the decision to leave his sick sister alone, he also essentially forces WWX to choose between them. He knows WWX loves JYL, but he also knows that WWX just swore to protect JC with his life. WWX can either stay with JYL and help her escape or he can go to Lotus Pier to rescue JC from the results of his own stupid decisions. He doesn’t even really have any good options — I don’t remember JC ever thanking WWX for the extremely dangerous rescue mission, but you can bet that if WWX had decided to prioritise getting a feverish JYL to somewhere he knew she’d be safe by the time he managed to rescue JC he’d be berated for not dropping anything else for JC, if he was still alive at that point after refusing to eat or drink due to believing himself worthless without a golden core.

To be fair if memory serves the Wens were suspicious of WWX, but yeah. I think it’s pretty clear that JC didn’t intend to get captured and have his core removed; in fact based on his reaction he didn’t even consider it as a possibility. The core thing, at least. It’s not a sacrifice if the person making it didn’t know what the consequences would probably be! It’s like how running blindly into danger isn’t really courage, because to be truly brave you have to consider the risks of what you’re doing. If you don’t consider the danger, you aren’t overcoming your fear of it. JC jumped in to draw the Wens off on impulse; that’s not a sacrifice. Also, it was stupid. As you say, JC charging in like that was likely to draw more attention down on WWX, especially once he was recognised; it’s no secret that JC and WWX are together pretty much all the time, so once the Wens recognised JC they’d realise that odds were that the guy they were approaching was WWX. And yeah, it should’ve been pretty obvious to JC that WWX would come after him, leaving both of them in danger. In fact if memory serves JC never shows any surprise at WWX getting him out, so it’s quite possible he did realise WWX would show up. And like. he could’ve... knocked something over? Shouted? Run over to WWX to warn him? He basically just runs out waving his arms and shouting “Hey, big name target right here!” It’s so stupid. Please... subtlety...

And yeah, in CQL JC fully leaves his sick sister alone and then creates a situation where WWX can either protect her or go after JC? And he would for sure have been pissy about WWX choosing JYL, even after JC chose to protect WWX. Even when JC is trying to help someone else he still causes them no end of trouble...