#The Rule of Wen and Jing

[sunderwight]

thinking about reverse SVSSS AU where the demon characters are human and the human characters are demons (LBH is still both), but cultivation society operates more like MDZS so that the demon characters can preserve their ruthless clan politics and inheritance systems, and but demon society (which the formerly human characters are now part of) operates more like the ghosts in TGCF, where it's mostly a free-for-all of powerful demons establishing whatever kind of system they please in whatever space they can carve out. I think that'd preserve the meritocracy elements and "twelve different sects in a trench coat" qualities that cang qiong has as an organization.

so the peaks are instead these sort of liminal space cities which are ruled by the most powerful/influential demons, who choose their successors (at least ostensibly) based purely on talent and ability. instead of the sprawling alternate dimension demonic realms of PIDW, they're more like pocket dimensions which can only be accessed if you know the secret ways, existing in the shadows of otherwise seemingly normal towns, mountains, cities, forests, etc. humans sometimes wander into them by mistake, although whether they can get back out again or not depends a lot on which demon lord's domain they were unlucky enough to stumble upon.

Mobei Jun and Sha Hualing are still the heirs of their respective sects/clans, which are among the most powerful sects around. The CQMS peak lords are the rulers of twelve allied demon settlements. Tianlang Jun was the heir of the strongest sect, sort of like Wen Ruohan if Wen Ruohan's biggest motivation was to have his Hot Girl Summer rather than conquering everything, but after his and Zhuzhi Lang's disappearances their sect lost a lot of clout. Su Xiyan hailed from a wealthy demon phantom palace, known for its exceptional hostility towards humans (this version of HHP definitely literally eats people).

The demons-turned-humans are still exactly as cutthroat and dubious as in PIDW. Sha Hualing still wants to kill her father to take his position, Mobei Jun's uncle still tries to assassinate him, the cultivation world has an underground business in trafficking demon body parts (officially decried, but unofficially often consumed to help boost cultivation or create certain tools), the sects often go to war with one another and tend to wreak havoc on the secular human governments and societies whenever they do. All that sort of stuff.

On the humans-turned-demons end, demons in this setting are sometimes born the same way as humans -- two parents of compatible genital orientation get it on and some months later etc etc, which is how siblings like Liu Qingge and Liu Mingyan happen. But sometimes demons also just sort of manifest out of concentrated pockets of demonic energy. Some demons come from humans (SJ and YQY were both born from the unquiet ghosts of slave children), some come from animals (SQH was a pet hamster who was tormented enough to become a demon hamster, and then cultivated enough to take on a human shape), some come from collisions of powerful elemental forces such as volcanoes or floods (Su Xiyan).

So demons have a lot of apprenticeship and teacher-and-student style familial relationships, and demons looking to build families often will risk venturing out into the human realms and trying to find other isolated demons to bring into their fold. Demons alone in the human world are highly vulnerable to being hunted, killed, or enslaved. This is also why there's such a high percentage of "orphans", and contributes even more to a demon like SJ (no parents) resenting a demon like Luo Binghe (found and adopted by a kindly older demon almost right away).

So in the original PIDW, Luo Binghe is a kid who thinks he's a demon and grows up under the cruel and resentful talons of the Lord of Qing Jing, Shen Qingqiu. Every twenty or so years the demon settlements manifest much more strongly in the human realms, during which time they are a lot more vulnerable to attacks from humans. To help deal with this this, the demon rulers traditionally host big, dramatic, scary events that bring everyone within a certain geographic range together, the better to put any righteous sects off the idea of trying to single them out and attack. Most of the smaller settlements clear out entirely in preparation, leaving "ghost towns" where the buildings appear but the demons and anything too valuable to risk leaving behind are all gone.

This Demonic Alliance Conference is a time for contests, trials, matchmaking, partying, festive hunts, trading, and big displays of power. What could be a massive weakness instead becomes a big celebration, and a time for mingling and making new connections.

In PIDW, after suffering years of abuse at the hands of his cruel master, Luo Binghe attends the DAC in hopes of securing some better place for himself in demonic society. But when the righteous sects launch an unprecedented attack on the event, his human heritage is revealed, and Shen Qingqiu tosses him into the twilight space between realms in disgust. Binghe is forced to navigate the hollow and desolate place, locked into his newly-revealed and very weak human form, until he bonds with the legendary Xin Mo blade and effects his escape. Then he sets about bringing the righteous sects to heel (his bloodline means he's heir to one of the biggest sects around, even if they've fallen on hard times the past 20 or so years) and of course conquering the demon realms, and taking revenge on Shen Qingqiu, all while accumulating a record number of wives.

Shen Yuan transmigrates into Demon Lord Shen Qingqiu, ruler of Qing Jin settlement, a haunted bamboo forest in the most cursed mountain range ever.

Downsides -- he's of course destined to be dismembered and/or shoved into a pickle pot by the protagonist.

Upsides -- he's a demon with amazingly awesome demon traits! He has talons! Fangs! WINGS! Also, Binghe is a little demon bun and he is so cute, like a puppy with his fluffy wolf ears and baby claws and darling bright red eyes. Who could ever persecute such an adorable monster boy?! His tail literally wags when he's excited!

Plus Shen Yuan gets to spend as much time investigating cool beasts and other demons as he likes. He's in heaven. Well, not literally of course, but for his standards. Pretty close. Almost worth the price of admission!

[wangxianficrecs]

Rewind 2023 - Follower Recs Part II

WangxianFicRecs - Rewind 2023

Before the year ends, we want to share more recs of your favourite stories that were published this year. All these recs were submitted to WangxianFicRecs anonymously and most of them without further comments, so you will have to check them out yourself~

Rewind 2023 - Follower Recs Part I

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After I Met You

by Amandyalmonds

M, WIP, 78k, Wangxian

Summary: "They’re not going to go through with the marriage proposal though, right?” Jiang Cheng reasoned. “You’re ours. And surely the Lan sect wouldn’t want a huli jing, let alone the famed Hanguang-jun.” “Exactly," Wei Wuxian said with a grin. "The Lans are too stuck up to know how to handle someone like me, and they won’t risk forcing their precious Hanguang-jun into such a marriage.” Or, after the end of the war, Wei Wuxian is offered as the last known huli jing to marry into the Lan royal family. The only problem is that Wei Wuxian has never met the man he's marrying, and he's not sure he'll survive in a palace with over three-thousand rules.

~*~

it rains, it pours

by jublis

Not rated, 130k, Wangxian

Summary: Wei Wuxian dashes across the distance that separates him from his husband, like a child running through the dark as if that would lessen its existence. He grabs Lan Zhan’s hand and holds the arm close to his side, to a soft breath of laughter. “Come on, Hanguang-jun,” he half-whispers, because the atmosphere seems to call for it. “Light the way for us.” (Wei Wuxian has scarcely known fear to be gentle — and still. It's as if there’s something murmuring down the hallway, behind the closed door, next to the window in this howling storm: I’m here, I’m here, I’ve always been here…) Or, as Wei Wuxian starts to look into the reasons behind the unsettling notion that something is not quite right, something else starts to look back.

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Take My Pieces, Make Me Whole

by InTheGreySpaces (@inthegreyspaces)

M, WIP, 203k, Wangxian

Summary: Lan Wangji reunites with Wei Wuxian in Yiling only to discover that their union in Xuanwu's Cave nearly three years ago had an outcome he never could have anticipated. Instead of leaving the Burial Mounds that evening, Lan Wangji stays, and his actions set in motion a series of events that will save Wei Wuxian and the Wens. But first, he must battle Wei Wuxian's own lack of self-worth, the clutching hold the resentful dead are determined to keep on their champion, the greed of Jin Guangshan, Jin Guangyao's machinations, his own Uncle's unbending disapproval, and the hatred of the Cultivation World. However, friends and allies are found in the least likeliest of places, and eventually, there is a light at the end of the single-log bridge.

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The Housewife's Guide to Causing Chaos

by dvasva (@dvasva)

M, WIP, 127k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: “Of all the rotten luck I could have!" Outside, in between the gentle embrace of an imposing misty mountain and the caress of soft wind, stood the Cloud Recesses. It wasn’t a section that Wei Wuxian had recognized from his time in the sect, but the motifs of clouds and cranes in the buildings, the impeccable feng shui and carefully manicured paths, and the utter silence as the sect members slept peacefully, all burned themselves into Wei Wuxian’s eyes. No wonder the curtains were so firmly nailed to the walls! Any bit of demonic energy escaping the room could call down a veritable army of righteous cultivators! What sort of person in their right mind would dare to summon a spirit into their own body using resentful energy in the Cloud Recesses of all places? What kind of person would scoff so rudely at the Lan Clans most important rule, ‘Do not fraternize with evil?’ After being dead for four years, Wei Wuxian wakes up in a body he doesn't really feel comfortable with, in a place that he's sure wants him dead, and married to a man who surely hates him.

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A Hop, Skip, and a Jump

by Prince_Enby (@enbiart)

T, WIP, 47k, Wangxian & LSZ/OYZZ

Summary: Two years after the events of Guanyin Temple, the Junior Quartet unknowingly walk into an array during a night hunt, and walk out into the middle of a war. None of them are even slightly prepared to deal with the opportunity dropped into their laps - and yet, despite it all, Ouyang Zizhen's biggest concern is somehow still the fact that everyone thinks he and Lan Sizhui are married.

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fans for hanguang-jun

by saltyfeathers

M, 21k, Wangxian

Summary: “What I mean,” Wei Wuxian repeats with as much gravitas as he can muster, “is that every single day in their marriage bed, the Yiling Laozu sp—spears open the most esteemed Hanguang-jun on his—his mmmmmmonster cock!!!” wei wuxian gets kidnapped by a team of belligerent bottoms.

~*~

not wx in the fic

ruin this on me

by loosingletters (@loosingmoreletters)

E, 2k, MXY/WWX/XY

Summary: Mo Xuanyu raises his head from Wei Wuxian’s shoulder to mouth at the exposed skin at his neck, leaving bruises and red stains from his lip balm. He forewent the white foundation today; it is more of a hassle in bed than an enhancement, and he carefully avoids the delicately painted huadian from smearing. Wei Wuxian exhales, not quite a moan yet, and Mo Xuanyu grins against his skin before biting down. The Yiling Laozu is a kind master, sweet to his heir and family, but he is not a gentle man. His breathing hitches at the sudden pain, an approval on its own. Or, Mo Xuanyu pays special attention to his sect leader and shixiong.

~*~

💕

the past drifts away with the waves

by thelastdboy (@thelastdboyy)

E, WIP, 28k, Wangxian

Summary: The next time Wei Wuxian became aware of his surroundings and was able to form semi-coherent thoughts, Wen Zhuliu had just finished tying weights to his feet. Both his arm and his back were still bleeding and he felt as if he had been flayed. “Should I make it quick?” Wen Zhuliu asked him, offering a small mercy. But Wei Wuxian shook his head. “Give me your worst,” he snarled, his teeth coated in blood from where he had bitten his tongue at some point. “I will come back to end you all,” he promised darkly. “Very well,” Wen Zhuliu merely said and drowned him. Or: Yu Ziyuan cuts off Wei Wuxian's hand to appease the Wens. He gets drowned in the lake behind Lotus Pier and resentful energy transforms him into a river spirit. After avenging his own death, he finds his way to Yiling.

~*~

this story plus the lovely podfic

if this one could be ransomed

by harborshore

T, 2k, Wangxian

[podfic] if this one could be ransomed

by jennisaisquoi (@jennisaisquoi79)

T, 10-20 Minutes, Wangxian

Summary: Lan Wangji is too late to save A-Yuan. Sick with grief and pain, he throws himself back in time to try again. But he goes back too far.

~*~

a thousand lifetimes

by SapphyreLily (@sapphyrelily)

G, 2k, Wangxian

Summary: Immortal Sizhui doesn't always go looking for the reincarnations of his fathers, but they always find him, in the end.

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(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for these hard-working authors if you like – or think others might like – these stories.)

[thatswhatsushesaid]

re: characters wanting power and doing all kinds of things (good, bad, and ugly) to acquire it

this motivation is something that frequently makes me lose interest in a story—“ah why does a man do anything? for power, of course” yeah okay, i guess that’s one way to create an antagonist/villain if you just can’t be bothered to focus on telling a story from more than one point of view at a time. sometimes it works out—thinking of ganondorf in the OG zelda games—and those stories can be enjoyable enough for what they are. but they are never going to keep me up at night rotating the antagonist characters’ actions and motivations around in my head like the crispiest of rotisserie chickens the way an antagonist whose desire for power has a humanizing element at its core does.

jin guangyao wants power, yes, but he doesn’t want power for power’s sake. he wants it because it will keep him safe and enable him to achieve his longer term goals and ambitions—which the text makes quite clear are not grounded in meaningless violence and suppression of the jianghu in the way wen ruohan intended to rule. when jin guangyao comes into power, he reins in the excesses of his father’s regime, roots out corruption within the lanling jin, and devotes years of his life to bettering the lives of thousands of common people otherwise ignored by the jianghu.

this doesn’t transform him into the novel’s protagonist—that role still belongs to wei wuxian—but it makes him a far, far more compelling antagonist than someone who was simply greedy and selfish and motivated exclusively by his grudges and grievances (hi zhao jing).

[bivht]

All About Virgo Moon in the ‘Mercury Persona Chart’

First of all, anything ‘virgo’ in the mercury persona chart will be good at expressing mercury’s properties because it’s the ruler (along with gemini)

Although moon is ruled by cancer, I found that virgo moon is much more comfortable in the mercury pc than cancer moon

—————————-

-Virgo moons generally have an easier time with self expression, critical thinking, and communication

(unless that moon in 12th or retrograde)

-People like their self expression and they are often praised for many respectable qualities -> being polite, respectful, humble, honest, professional, grateful, well-researched etc.

-People find it easy to talk to you because you don’t cross people’s boundaries and are well informed on various topics

-These people have immense comedic potential — due to their intelligence, they always have something interesting to say, and educational jokes hit the hardest🔥🔥🔥

-These people are always respectful and grateful to their parents ❤️

-They are EXTREMELY private about their relationships — you probably won’t know they like someone until they’re 2 months into a relationship

-These people have boundaries and know how to keep their hands to themselves (most of them)

-People trust you to give them an honest review about things, whether promotion or not

-These people are skeptics at heart and don’t tend to fall for scams and cash grabs

-They are mature and responsible and don’t jump into things without knowing the consequences

-If you know them PERSONALLY personally, they have another side to them that’s naggy and irritable

-These people only ever show their distasteful qualities in private

-They have a good control over their emotions in public (they would never pull a karen)

-Most of them tend to avoid substances - a lot of them don’t even drink alcohol

-They hate people not respecting their privacy more than the average person

-They don’t do PDA most of the time

-They’re the friend that’s usually last to finish a meal — they savour it and are grateful for the food

-I’ve also met a few that are slow ass walkers for similar reasons. “enjoying the scenery” vibes

-They hate bad attitude/sassiness more than the average person

-A lot of them eat less than average for their gender, size etc. because they hate the ‘stuffed full’ feeling

-This sounds wrong but they don’t really look chubby in the face even if they’re overweight……………

-They tend to get along with Capricorn/Taurus moon in the mercury pc, and occasionally other Virgo moons

How to spot them:

-They’re usually quite articulate and only say things relevant to the conversation

- A lot of them don’t talk THAT much or if they do it’s relevant and appropriate

-They can be funny af in a “that’s so true” way

-They tend to have a clean, almost ‘perfect’ look to them

-They don’t usually have any striking features, it’s all very symmetrical and harmonious

-They look really in-touch-with-reality if that makes sense

-Most people find them good looking tbh

Examples:

Left to right: Xiao Zhan, Rob Lopez, Wen Jun Hui, Jung A-hyeon, Zoë Kravitz, Karissa Dumbacher, Wang Yi Bo, Tseng Jing Hua, Lauren Jauregui, Shayne Topp

—————————

Idk why but the pictures cut off, if anyone knows how to fix, let me know🙏

Anyway

I bet barely any Virgo moons will read this let alone relate to it because they don’t believe in astrology lol

Thanks for reading ❤️

[sombredancer]

Asian dramas and familial dynamics

There are my favorite familial dynamics as a list.

Brotherly love

Drama: The Untamed / 陈情令 Characters: Wei Wuxian & Jiang Wanyin Screentime: Secondary

My favorite brother couple! They tore my heart into million pieces and it's still broken. There is jealousy and love and difficult moral choices between them. Wei Wuxian is an extraordinary man, as the main hero should be. He is brave enough to go against the rules if he feels it's right thing to do, also he is ready to sacrifice himself for the greater good and hides all of his pain tightly inside. Jiang Cheng is a mere person. He is not strong (or insane) enough to put everything on the line, because he shoulders responsibilities for his sect. Although they love each other, Wei Wuxian is ready to die for the truth and chooses to fight if fight is inevitable. Jiang Cheng tries to go the path of "minor evil" and sacrifice his sense of justice in order to save as much as possible. The both views are OK and each goes the chosen by himself path and bears consequences of this choice. Consequences are awful. They are traumatizing. And, what is the biggest pain of mine, they never discussed it. They never found out about sacrifices they both made for each other. They never found out that they still love each other as brothers.

Drama: My Journey to You /云之羽 Characters: Gong Shangjue & Gong Yuanzhi Screentime: Secondary About these two I wrote two posts here and here . In a nutshell: one is carrying the responsibilities for everything and anything, strictly follows the rules and teaches his younger cousin how to live this life. The little cousin is yandere, who is obsessed with his older cousin, has no conscience and does his best to make his cousin's life better. I like this unusual dynamics: they both love each other and care for each other on the same level, even if one of them is yandere.

Master-servant relationship

Drama: Word of Honor / 山河令 Characters: Gu Xiang & Wen Kexing Screentime: Secondary I like this type of dynamics when servants become someone more than just servants to their masters. Chinese drama makers love it and use it a lot, but this scene was so powerful that made me cry. Beautiful transformation from a servant to a family member (unfortunately, post mortem).

Seeking out love

Drama: Word of Honor / 山河令 Characters: Xie Wang & Zhao Jing Screentime: Secondary

Zhao Jing adopted a very skillful and absolutely ruthless killer as his son. The killer is self-confident and does his job playfully, but his weakness is his passionate desire to be loved by his adoptive father. He feels that Zhao Jing just uses him for his skills and will throw him away as soon as his adoptive father will not need his skills anymore, so he even paralyze his adoptive father to force him being always near. He ends up not being capable to choose his life over his father's and dies with him. A very sad type of addiction with "A little mermaid" type of moral: you can bring the whole world upside down, but if one doesn't love you, one will not, no matter what.

Drama: Painted Skin 2020 /画皮 Characters: Wang Sheng & Xiao Wei Screentime: Main In this B̶L̶ version of Painted Skin Chinese legend the fox demon is male and wants to get one of the humans that brought him home. But humans love each other, no one is interested in a fox demon, so he makes them pay for their previous kindness with blood, sweat and tears. In the end the demon gets a human heart, feels something (e.g. how hard it is to be a human) and makes up one more lie, giving to the soul of the man he wanted for himself a strand of his own hair instead of human's wife's hair in order to meet him in another life. The same moral as in the previous drama. The same sadness.

[wangxianficfinder]

F/F WangXian

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splash;; by defractum (nyargles) (E, 11k, wangxian, modern w/ cultivation, gender changes, F/F, merpeople, rule 63, smut)

Like the sea loves the shore by Say (E, 15k, wangxian, LQY & WWX, implied/referenced WWX/WC, F/F, rule 63, dark LWJ, protective LWJ, sirens, childhood friends to lovers, fluff, angst w/ happy ending, eventual smut, human WWX, siren LWJ, age difference, non-human genitalia, minor character death)

make me whole, make me new by occultings (microcomets) (E, 24k, WangXian, Rule 63, Cisswap, Femslash, Modern AU, College/University, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Misunderstandings, (briefly), Pining, Jealousy, Compulsory Heterosexuality, Light Humiliation, Bathing/Washing, Bath Sex, as is the wangxian way, Hurt/Comfort, kind of, Lesbian Sex, Getting Together, First Time)

The Flower Blooms in Day and Night by TheRedFig (T, 46k, WIP, WangXian, Rule 63, Lesbian AU, Period-Typical Sexism, Fem!WWX, Fem!LWJ, Pining, Sexuality Crisis, Internalized Misogyny, Sexual Harassment, Happy Ending, Heteronormativity, Spoilers for Novel, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, NOT for the main pair, Genderswap, TW in the beginning of each chapter, Unreliable Narrator)

Beautiful mess, a colourful wreck by covalentbonds (Not Rated, 11k, WangXian, Modern AU, Fluff and Humor, Mild Smut, Rule 63, 3zun | Venerated Triad Feels, Shameless LWJ, Female LWJ, Female WWX, Now featuring for some reason the insanely underrated LWJ-JZX-JC bitchiness potentia,l Childhood Friends, First Meetings)

Pull out game weak by 74243 (E, 22k, WangXian, Modern AU, Dom/sub, Sexting, Nudes, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Strap-Ons, Mistaken Identity, JC character assassination, Even when its not omegaverse lwj is still an alpha dyke, Subdrop)

the hard way by dustyloves (E, 9k, WangXian, A/B/O Dynamics, Modern AU, College/University, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Gender Changes, Cisswap, PWP, Dubious Consent, WWX Has a Breeding Kink, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Female NHS)

Ghost in the Machine by DizziDreams (M, 65k, wangxian, rule 63, F/F, transistor au, case fic, horror elements, character death, scifi au)  

i glow pink, blossoming over you by Anonymous (E, 11k, wangxian, rule 63, F/F, modern w/ magic, cherry magic au, dom/sub undertones, hand feeding, acespec WWX, demisexual LWJ, smut)

The life and times of a bad idea bear series by houselesbian (T, 21k, wangxian, F/F, modern, highschool setting, relationship talk, humor, angst, rabbits)

Happy for Now by ScarlettStorm (E, 80k, wangxian, F/F, modern, there was only one bed, romance author au, adhd WWX, service top LWJ, pining, smut, comedy, angst, Shenanigans ™)

The Yiling Matriarch by Lusern (Not rated, 69k, wangxian, F/F, coming out story, character study, WIP)

your grave, a garden; a barrow, your bed by twinagonies (E, 31k, wangxian, F/F, YLLZ WWX, BDSM, power play, bondage, impact play, smut, switching, porn with plot, golden core reveal, mental health issues, wen remnants live)

Immortals at Magpie Bridge by Starlitverses (Not rated, 28k, wangxian, F/F, women being awesome, canon divergence, not everyone dies au, forbidden love, WIP)

Creamy Peaches by An0therWerid0 (E, 26k, wangxian, F/F, modern, overstimulation, PWP, age difference, camgirl WWX, WIP)

everything’s going to be discovered by everythingispoetry (M, 98k, wangxian, F/F, modern w/ magic, reunions, soft wangxian, family feels, angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, disability)

And they were roommates… by harriet_vane (M, 41k, wangxian, F/F, modern, college/university au)

Paler Than Grass by Lusern (T, 36k, wangxian, F/F, modern, schoolteacher au, fluff, cottagecore lesbians)

Out of your system by mimilamp (E, 20k, WangXian, Modern AU, Rule 63, Sexual Content, Strap-Ons, jealous wwx, lwj FUCKS, mention of Lan Zhan/others, Y E A R N I N G, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note)

A Touch To Calm This Aching Heart by Multifacetedinterests (E, 12k, WangXian, Genderswap, Dragon LWJ, Huli Jing WWX, War Prize WWX, Possessive LWJ, Bad Parent YZY, Abusive YZY, Face Slapping, Emotional Manipulation, Fear of Being Fucked to Death, Dead JFM, Touch-Starved, hidden identity, Enemies to Lovers, Miscommunication, Compulsory Heterosexuality, Hurt/Comfort, Dom/sub Undertones, Non-Consensual Collar Usage, Vaginal Fingering, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Exhibitionism, Dubcon adjacent)

Flowers in the Palace series by stiltonbasket (T, 21k, Female WangXian, NieLan, Female LXC, Emperor NMJ, Empress LXC, Happy Ending, Misunderstandings, Getting together, Harem, Concubine WWX, Consort LWJ)

if your body’s into me by plonk (Not Rated, 13k, Modern with Magic, Gender Changes)

nobody compares by tongzhi (E, 16k, WangXian, Modern AU, Gender Changes, Rule 63, PWP, Porn with Feelings, Lesbian Sex, comp het lwj, very light dom/sub undertones, Friends to Lovers, Cisswap, Getting Together, sexuality realization, (but no external homophobia), Pining while fucking)

Finding the love of my life on douyin! by countingcr0ws (E, 12k, WangXian, Modern AU, Rule 63, LWJ Has Large Breasts, Social Media, Romance, Fluff, Cunnilingus, Nipple Licking, Female WWX, Female LWJ, Online Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Smut, TikTok, Footnotes, BAMF WWX)

pov: you give your crush a makeover by grapesoda (T, 7k, WangXian, F/F, Modern AU, Social Media, tiktok au, Female LWJ, Female WWX, Misunderstandings, Miscommunication, Getting Together, Humor, Makeovers, alt tiktok wwx, makeup artist lwj, lapslock)

Make My Wish Come True by justpeace (T, 9k, wangxian, modern cultivation, gender changes, fem wangxian, Christmas, fake/pretend relationship, sharing a bed, case fic, getting together, angst, butch LWJ)

i could bite my tongue by astrolesbian (M, 3k, wangxian, gender changes, fem wangxian, first time, anxiety, communication, aftercare)

a polishing of mirrors by occultings (microcomets) (M, 7k, wangxian, gender changes, fem wangxian, canon compliant, cloud recesses study era, sex pollen, aphrosidiacs, getting together, swimming, kissing)

Come into the water by feyburner (E, 4k, wangxian, modern, gender changes, fem wangxian, PWP, established relationship, first time)

Swing Me by airinshaw (E, 3k, wangxian, modern, gender changes, fem wangxian, public sex)

Kissing is Gross but Wei Ying is Perfectly Kissable by stiricide (E, 7k, wangxian, WWX/others, modern, gender changes, fem wangxian, past relationships, lingerie, mildly dubious consent, exhibitionism, voyeurism, dom/sub undertones, compulsory heterosexuality, explicit consent, getting together, friends to lovers, multiple orgasms, WWX has ADHD)

Glass walls by eatmyass (E, 9k, wangxian, modern, gender changes, fem wangxian, PWP, friends to lovers, exhibitionism, voyeurism, under-negotiated kink, dirty talk, slut shaming, humiliation)

Keep Me by wingsofbadass (E, 58k, wangxian, modern, gender changes, fem wangxian, friends to lovers, compulsory heterosexuality, explicit sexual content, sexuality discovery, straight girl WWX, minor WWX/WX, LWJ fucks)

Body Language by Scourge Daughter (scourgedaughter) (E, 33k, wangxian, modern, office au, ABO, gender changes, fem wangxian, office romance, hacking, cybersecurity, alpha/alpha wangxian, arranged marriage, wangxian endgame, happy ending, YZY A+ parenting, canonical character death, sexual harrasment, drunk LWJ, switch wangxian)

Let’s Get Real, Baby by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 22k, wangxian, modern, gender changes, disaster lesbians, best bud MM, karaoke, drinking, smut)

breathe me in by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 5k, wangxian, PWP, gender changes, fem wangxian)

Homecoming by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 2k, wangxian, PWP, gender changes, fem wangxian)

sweet talker by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 19k, wangxian, modern, gender changes, fem wangxian, butch dyke LWJ, “straight” girl WWX, sexuality exploration, barely there wangxian-typical dub con)

all that by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 19k, wangxian, modern, gender changes, fem wangxian, butch dyke LWJ, smut, coming out)

sideways by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 20k, wangxian, modern, gender changes, fem wangxian, butch dyke LWJ, casual and not-so-casual sex, smut, WWX getting wrecked, “straight” girl WWX)

a history of the body by northofallmusic (tofsla) (E, 13k, wangxian, modern, gender changes, fem wangxian, massage, getting together, sex toys, past serious injuries, chronic pain, domesticity, friends to lovers)

take me in by thelastdboy (E, 2k, Female WangXian, POV LWJ, PWP, Rule 63, WWX Uses Bìchén Inappropriately, Inappropriate Use of Bìchén, Object Insertion, Vaginal Sex, Masturbation, Voyeurism, Exhibitionism, Light Masochism, Nipple Play, Temperature Play, Light Sadism, Female Ejaculation, Multiple Orgasms, Established Relationship, Post-Canon, Body Worship, Vaginal Fisting, Cunnilingus, Face-Sitting, Aftercare, Fluff and Smut)

End Racism in the OTW by Deastar (M, 2k, wangxian, F/F, modern, ABO, non-traditional ABO dynamics, alpha LWJ, omega WWX, fluff, rule 63)

Line of sight by deliciousblizzardshark (T, 8k, wangxian, F/F, pre-relationship, always different sex au, plucky heroines, misogyny, enemies to friends, WWX has ADHD)

you can always find me here by ScarlettStorm (E, 15k, wangxian, F/F, post-canon, getting together, genderswap, cisswap, trans woman LWJ, cis woman WWX, first time, vaginal fingering, oral sex)

A Heart in Ribbons by Alliandra (E, 8k, wangxian, F/F, gender or sex swap, canon divergence, war lord LWJ, darkish LWJ, powercouple wangxian, dub con, finger fucking, cunnilingus)

smoke gets in your eyes by Hi_Hello_smile (T, <1k, wangxian, F/F, modern, chef WWX, WIP)

Hello, My Fire by GhostySword (E, 25k, wangxian, F/F, rule 63, modern cultivation, BAMF wangxian, violence against vacuums, pining, getting together, there was only one bed, switching, light bondage, sex toys, tattoo parlor au, humor, adventure)

Pocket Too Deep for Play by bigamma (E, 57k, WangXian, F/F, Modern AU, College/University, Vibrators, Easter Eggs, Sex Toys, Autistic LWJ, Female WWX, Female LWJ, WWX Has ADHD, Lacrosse, Christian Themes, Sports Medicine, YZY’s A+ Parenting, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Christian Holidays, Easter Egg Hunt, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Bible Quotes (Abrahamic Religions), Cunnilingus)

Perfect shot by sunandseas (E, 10k, Female WangXian, Modern AU, Fashion & Models, Mutual Pining, Hand & Finger Kink, Mildly Dubious Consent, LWJ has big tits, Dom/sub Undertones, lwj insults wwx and they fuck about it, pussy-drunk wwx, Come Eating, PWP, Strap-Ons, Spanking)

an inch away from more (than just friends) by occultings (microcomets) (E, 15k, Female WangXian, Modern AU, Rule 63, Femslash, Lesbian Sex, Genderbending, Pining while fucking, sexuality exploration, Compulsory Heterosexuality, Friends to Lovers, Masturbation, Kissing, Cunnilingus, Vaginal Fingering, Getting Together, Swim Team, Diving, Pool Sex, Outdoor Sex, Jealousy)

Are you gonna be my girl by 74243 (E, 14k, Female WangXian, Modern AU, Established Relationship, Forced Feminization, Sadism, Dom/sub, Slut Shaming, Internalized Misogyny.... but like.... Make It Sexy, Humiliation, Semi-Public Sex, Exhibitionism, Painplay, Cock Warming, Genderplay, Vague sugardaddy LWJ vibes)

lately, blooming by chibilwj (thelogicoftaste) (M, 34k, Female WangXian, Modern AU, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Slice of Life, Light Angst)

~*~

[hunxi-after-hours]

ok so. i am very slowly reading through 七爷, and i don't understand what jing beiyuan is the prince of. like, i understand he's in charge of a territory in the south, but does he have additional responsibilities? is he very low but still on the list of people eligible to inherit? he clearly feels a great sense of civic responsibility, but i'm afraid i'm missing something.

hmmmmmmmm this is kind of complicated because there's some weirdness around translation of imperial dynastic titles, which then gets even more confusing when you slap the general ahistorical ambiguity of genre onto things

so I think the confusion occurs because of the conflation of "prince" as a title of rank, "prince" as "son of a monarch," and "prince" as "ruler of a territory." Jing Beiyuan's exact title is 南宁王 Nanning wang, which is usually translated as "the prince of Nanning," though I can't remember if 南宁 Nanning is simply his title as prince or an actual location (if it is a location, it seems not to be particularly plot relevant since I have uhhh no memory of it)

the thing about 王 wang as a title is that it got royally upstaged (ayyy) by Mr. 嬴政 Ying Zheng (aka 秦始皇 Qin Shi Huang / the Qin First Emperor) back in the 3rd century BCE. The reason why we call him "the Qin First Emperor" is because the man literally invented his own title, 皇帝 huangdi, which we now translate as emperor. Prior to that, monarchs were called 王 wang / kings, and during the Warring States period, you had location-specific kings: 楚王 Chu wang / "the king of [the state of] Chu," 吴王 Wu wang / "the king of [the state of] Wu," 齐王 Qi wang / "the king of [the state of] Qi," etc etc. And prior to that, you had the Zhou Dynasty, whose rulers all carried the title of 王 wang: 周文王 Zhou Wen Wang / “King Wen of Zhou” or “the Civil King of Zhou” and 周武王 Zhou Wu Wang / “King Wu of Zhou” or “the Martial King of Zhou” depending on how you translate them, etc. Qinshihuang, in order to declare his dominance in conquering the Central Plains, decided to one-up all of these petty kings by making up a new title for himself that was automatically higher than the rest of the 王 wang, rather than competing for an existing title

the ripple effect from Qinshihuang raising the ceiling on titles/positions in governance meant that everyone could effectively move up one tier. if, in the past, the ruler was called 王 wang and his son 王子 wangzi (literally "son of the king" but often translated as "prince"), then the creation of the new 皇帝 huangdi / "emperor" title meant that the emperor's sons were referred to as either 皇子 huangzi / "son of the emperor" or 王 wang (the distinction between the two is usually one of age). basically, 王 wang goes from meaning "king" to "position just below the emperor in rank." that being said, it looks like the general decision has been to translate 王 wang as “prince” in the imperial context rather than “king,” possibly because in English, we’re used to thinking of princes as inheritors in the same way imperial 王 wang are eligible for inheriting the dragon throne

notably, rulers of other states/countries/civilizations were all referred to as 王 wang, since imperial Chinese cosmology dictated that the emperor ruled all under heaven (ah, imperial hegemony...). there are also tiers of 王 wang, as in 亲王 qin wang and 郡王 jun wang, but let's not get into that now

so! back to Jing Beiyuan. this gets fun because he’s what’s called an 异姓王 yixing wang, lit. “a king/prince of a different surname.” that means that his family is not patrilineally connected to the imperial family (thus, having a different surname), but the title of 王 wang was at some point conferred upon his family. this usually occurs when, say, an emperor decides to reward a general with the title of 王 wang because he’s so pleased with his general’s accomplishments. during the conferral, the emperor will usually specify if this is a title that can be inherited forever or downgraded from generation to generation (i.e. from 王 wang to 侯 hou, and downwards until eventually the family returns to normal non-aristocratic status).

these 异姓王 yixing wang have a lot of power and influence, comparable to a son-of-emperor 王 wang, but not quite the same because they are not of the imperial family and therefore not in line for the throne. imperial princesses sometimes marry into these 异姓王 yixing wang families, but that can be a recipe for disaster because it begins to make that bloodline — well, not exactly eligible for the throne, but certainly more eligible than they were previously, and if there is one trait you can trust a dynastic emperor to have, it’s the paranoia about potential coups by powerful relatives (but is it paranoia if it really is true? anyway)

all that is to say — I don’t think Jing Beiyuan is the prince of anything in particular, though as a landed aristocrat I’m sure there are fiefdoms in his name. I can’t remember off the top of my head how his family earned the title of Nanning (or if it’s ever explained in the novel), but if I had to guess, I’d say that some ancestor of his was an accomplished general who had the title of 南宁 Nanning (which has the valence of “to bring peace to the south”) conferred upon him, which has subsequently been passed down through the family until it landed on his unfortunate head

[northofallmusic]

first line meme

tagged by @phneltwrites and I think maybe also a very long time ago by lianzi?

RULES: post the first lines of your last 10 fics/chapters posted on AO3 (if you have less than 10 fics posted, post the first lines of all your fics) and try to draw some conclusions.

The failure of the generator was what woke Zhou Zishu: the choke of it, and then the silence where the quiet buzz of electricity should be. (memory is what makes you older)

Evening falls on the city more quickly, it seems to Zhou Zishu, than it did on the high slopes of his childhood. (a light to drown in)

Wen Kexing does it like an afterthought—as though grabbing something left behind while packing, though they've already checked the hotel room twice. (the third passenger)

The compact Apostolosian ship slid across the deck, a shuddering and only half-controlled sideways skid which splintered the surface below it and brought it, at last, to a hard stop up against a tall curved pillar which, fortunately, no longer held anything up. (splinter)

Jing Beiyuan, naked, sometimes seemed less touchable than ever—but Wuxi touched him anyway. (sincerity)

Wen Kexing was sitting by the river in the sunset, warm light colouring his pale face. (fortune)

This is Gu Yun's Black Iron Battalion: new and bold and well-armed, a handful of veterans but far more people who have before this only fought in other ways with other commanders, or who have barely fought at all. (within the war)

Lin Jingheng was in the attic when Lu Bixing got home. (containment)

In a distant lifetime, Jing Beiyuan said: "No, but nobody cares that much for lying with anyone. They care for power, or for flirtation. Or for money—and such." (ember)

Shen Zechuan was still lying on the bed: an untidy but lovely sprawl of limbs, half-undone robes bunched up around his waist, hair so haphazardly tied that it might even have looked more decent were it simply entirely loose. (gorge)

thoughts:

I definitely expected more of these to be about environment and quality of light etc than actually are - it's what I think of as my default opening gambit, but it actually mostly shows up here in the zzs and wenzhou stories & not so much in pieces for other fandoms. does this mean something.

pretty broad spread here in general, I feel like. I tend to favour a reflective tone, which is complicated when it pushes up against an action sequence opening as in splinter.

to be honest, I'm kind of wandering all over the place wrt to writing, and I don't know if it particularly shows but I feel it looking at the list.

[baoshan-sanren]

best cdramas I’ve watched since the last one of these posts in 2022 (and some I’m still looking forward to seeing)

Heroes (watch on WeTV VIP | watch on bilibili) Adapted from the novel "Shuo Ying Xiong Shei Shi Ying Xiong" (说英雄谁是英雄) by Wen Rui An (温瑞安) starring Zeng ShunXi, Yang ChaoYue, Liu YuNing, Baron Chen and Meng ZiYi. I would’ve watched this thing for the cast only. Everyone is queer vibes. Not a flashy drama, but will emotionally shred you. The character development is totally worth it. Throughly entertaining, even when it punched you in the gut. 8/10

The Wind Blows From LongXi (watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki) Adapted from novel "The Wind Rises in Longxi" (风起陇西) by Ma Bo Yong (马伯庸) starring Chen Kun and Bai Yu. I’ve been waiting for this drama for two years and it was worth every second of the wait. The cinematography in this thing is bonkers. The use of light and shadows, the muted colors, the indoor shots opening up into well-lit courtyards, the gritty sound mixing, the whole thing just blew my ass away. Chen Kun and Bai Yu are masters of their art. Fckn masterpiece. 11/10

Who Rules The World (watch on WeTV VIP | watch on Netflix) Adapted from the novel "Qie Shi Tian Xia" (且试天下) by Qing Ling Yue (倾泠月) starring Yang Yang, Zhao LuSi, and Xuan Lu. One of the rare romance dramas that really appealed to me. A well-balanced mix of court intrigue and martial world heroics. Unlimited blorbo potential. It’s hard to outshine Yang Yang (who gives major Mei Changsu vibes through like the first third of the drama) but Zhao LuSi and Xuan Lu together? Magnificent. Breathtaking. Brilliant. 8/10

The Legend of Hao Lan (watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki | watch on tubi) starring Wu Jinyan and Nie Yuan. So this was like, The Story of Yanxi Palace cast, remixed. Was it great? Not really. Did I watch every episode? Yeah. I honestly think that Wu Jinyan could just make faces for 50+ sixty minute episodes, and I’d still watch every minute of it. Still, a fascinating take on the Warring States Period, and actually based on a woman who helped her son become the King of Qin, then ultimately the First Emperor of China. I think 99% of the budget went to costumes, and tbh, it was totally worth every penny. 7/10

(yeah, after all this, I rewatched Nirvana In Fire again)

The Silent Criminal (watch on Apple TV | watch on Bilibili | watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki) starring Li Jiaming and Wen Sheng. So incredibly gay. Hilarious, yes, but predominantly gay. Murder, intrigue, suspense, pining; this little drama literally has everything. Did it impact my life and leave a long-lasting impression? Not really. But I was most throughly entertained. 7/10

My Heroic Husband (watch on Amazon Prime | watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki) Adapted from the novel "Zhui Xu" (赘婿) by Fen Nu de Xiang Jiao (愤怒的香蕉). Starring Song Yi and Guo Qilin. Actually, the majority of Joy of Life cast is in this drama, including a cameo by Zhang Ruoyun in the very beginning. Cast aside tho, I fckn love this drama to pieces. Song Yi and Guo Qilin have amazing chemistry, and they’re so goddamn adorable together I can’t even stand it. The plot is far from complex but immensely satisfying. Excellent drama on a mediocre budget, one I plan to regularly rewatch. 8/10

Still waiting on: 

Immortality - based on danmei novel The Husky and His White Cat Shizun by 肉包不吃肉 starring Chen Feiyu and Luo Yunxi (you can think I’m a clown but you’d be wrong bc I’m a wholeass circus)

Winner Is King - based on the danmei novel Sha Po Lang by Priest starring Tan Jianci and Chen Zheyuan

Step By Step Lotus - based on historical novel Return to Ming Dynasty as Prince by 月关 starring Zhang Binbin and Luo Yunxi

Eternal Faith - based on danmei novel Heaven Official’s Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu starring Zhai Xiaowen and Zhang Linghe

Joy Of Life Season 2 - based on wuxia novel of the same name by 猫腻 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Li Qin

A League of Nobleman - based on danmei novel The Society of Four Leaves by Da Feng Gua Guo starring Song Weilong and Jing Boran

Flying Phoenix - based on danmei novel of the same name by 風弄 starring Dai Jingyao and Shu Yaxin

The Story of the Bat - based on danmei novel Bat by Feng Nong starring Mao Zijun and Zhang Yao

The Longest Promise - based on xianxia novel Zhu Yan by 沧月 starring Xiao Zhan, Ren Min, and Zhang Yunlong

Song of The Moon - based on wuxia novel 奔月 by 蜀客 starring Zhang Binbin and Xu Lu

Story of Kunning Palace - based on the the web novel 坤宁 by Shi Jing starring Bai Lu and Zhang Linghe 

Under the Microscope - based on the novel 显微镜下的大明 by 马伯庸 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Qi Wei

Till the End of the Moon - based on the web novel 黑月光拿稳BE剧本 by Teng Luo Wei Zhi starring Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu

[web-novel-polls]

MXTX Side Characters Tournament Submissions

SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED

Rules

One character per submission. If you want to submit multiple characters, please do so in separate forms

No main couples (Bingqiu, Wangxian, or Hualian)

Preliminary polls may occur to decide whether or not to include other significant characters like Feng Xin, Mu Qing, or Liu Qingge. Minor but popular characters like Six Balls will be allowed.

Tag: #mxtx side characters tournament

Submission List below the cut (Dealer's Choice not included)

SVSSS

Zhuzhi-lang 

Submission 1: Snake boy my beloved

Submission 2: I love him

Shang Qinghua / Airplane

Submission (2): He's a sidekick and he's so sidelined that despite creating the universe he's treated as an afterthought - doubly a side character! But also? So relateable. He would absolutely have been on tumblr in his first life, he gets so excited about his blorbo who treats him terribly (until they finally get a happy ending in the extras - also! he has to wait for the extras to get his happy ending! very side-character of him). He holds the fascinating position of being mostly irrelevant to the story and yet without him the themes would totally fail. He deserves a win on something for once, okay?

Sha Hualing

Submission: Her cringefail losergirl swag has captivated me 

Mu Qingfang 

Submission: Ppl tend to completely forget he has a mad scientist side (see Jinlan arc) and if he gets into the tournament I'll have a reason to bring it up.

Daoist nuns triplets 

Submission: Authors of "Song of BingQiu" and the true culprits behind the ass wine extra. Stop crediting Liu Mingyan with their hard work! 

Mobei-jun

Submission: He's a demon tsundere who doesn't realize his human boyfriend is scared and easily squishable. Got demoted from king to cabinet minister during a hostile takeover but is pretty chill about it. Huge boobs.

Six Balls

Submission: When he was born he weighed as much as six balls. Current ball number unknown.

Helen of Troy*

Submission: uhm she isn't a Side character ? but she is referenced heavily by the main character and the subtext. This is integral to the plot of SVSSS because the subtext is where it's actually at. If all you do is read the book you will have several misconceptions of the plot. Anyway Shen Yuan!Shen Qingqiu is a metaphorical Helen of Troy within the story AND HE FUCKING SAYS THIS HIMSELF INSUSJSKS

*will have to pass a preliminary poll to be included in the tournament (<-thinks it would be funny to put her in)

Ning Yingying

Submission: Her glow-up in the SVSSS timeline is real! Instead of becoming Luo Binghe's childhood sweetheart, she roasts him for referring to her too familiarly. Love this for her. 

Gongyi Xiao 

Submission: He is such a Good Person who didn't deserve his fate :(

Qin Wanyue

Submission: Scum Villain's wettest and most pathetic loser! Of course, she's so pathetic that she's constantly overshadowed by more bombastically pathetic characters, but I think she deserves her chance at recognition. 

OG Luo Binghe’s Harem

Submission: Binghe's harem the whole collection all of them together an amalgamation of all the wives 

Tianlang-jun

Submission: Incredible character who does it like him 

TGCF 

Quan Yizhen 

Submission: He's a good boi and thinking about him makes me cry a lil'.

Yin Yu 

Submission: The guy of all time. The most average god ever. Someone give him a break. His face is so average that Xie Lian thought it was fake 

Ling Wen

Submission: Girlboss. Did nothing wrong

Bai Jing (Brocade Immortal)

Submission: no 1 ling wen simp (just like me fr)

MDZS

A-Qing 

Propaganda: She's so smart. She tricked so many people into thinking she was blind for so long. Also, she was really kind and considerate. Like she didn't have to save all of those people from Xue Yang. Oh and she's an excellent judge of character and super brave. Really hope she wins, she's such a fun little genius girl

Su Minshan / Su She

Propaganda: Idk I just kinda like him

Submission 2: Look at him having his own life and grudges and friendships and priorities completely unrelated to the main characters! He was so right to curse Jin Zixun 

Wen Ning 

Submission: This poor guy dealt with so much shit in life, only to be killed, resurrected, and forced to deal with Wuxian's bullshit for years on end

Jiang Cheng

Submission 1: Extremely traumatized yet also somehow the most normal and functional by the end. Huge bitch but I (and at least one of the other characters) think he deserves to be even worse after everything he's been through

Submission 2: Simultaneously badass and the most cringefail man. Extremely funny and stylish but still manages to be very uncool. Cries a lot. Also he's lost a lot of tumblr polls—let's give him another shot! We definitely love him more than his dad did!

Submission 3: He's got mommy issues AND daddy issues. He loves his sister and his shige so much. He's traumatised and incredibly competent. He rebuilt his whole sect! He's an asshole (affectionate). He's purple! He's got the coolest weapon ever conceived. I'm so worried about his blood pressure basically all the time. 

Wen Qing

Submission 1: Doctor, mad scientist, war criminal, protective big sister... she has the range!!

Submission 2: Wen Qing my beloved!! She did surgery on a grape. Mad genius for real. Also a loving sister with a very sharp tongue and maybe no sense of how far is too far. Can't wait for them to find her alive in a Koi Tower basement!

Submission 3: Justice for my girl!!!! 

Submission 4: She's bitchy and pragmatic and cares deeply and did an unprecedented operation (experimental and nonconsensual!), what's not to love? Also she deserved better.

Jin Ling

Submission 1: He may be a brat, but he has a good heart and a friendly dog. He thinks he's the main character of a much less intense story which keeps almost getting him killed 

Submission 2: Bestest boy in the whole world. He's got a dog! A helicopter uncle! His dad's sword! Yeah he can be a little brat but he's SIXTEEN okay (or thirteen, or whatever, MXTX HELP) and he's got an incredible capacity for forgiveness. He's so good!

Xue Yang

Submission 1: No propaganda submitted

Submission 2: It's not that he's evil. He lacks empathy and he goes into a disassociative state and commits atrocities.

Xiao Xingchen

No propaganda submitted

Song Lan 

No propaganda submitted

Fairy (Jin Ling’s dog)

Submission: The cutest, smartest, and goodest doggo! She's the one who led WangXian to the Nie sword tomb to save Jin Ling! and led Jiang Cheng to Guanyin Temple to save Jin Ling! and led Lan cultivators to the temple to help Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen (and Jin Ling!)

Bichen 

Submission: this sword has been through a lot…

Lan Xichen

Submission: Pay your respects to the captain of the WangXian ship! Those idiots would keep pining for another 13282627 years if it weren't for him!

[dramaddict-and-proud-of-it]

Lost You Forever (S1 & S2)

Year : 2023 | Country : CN | Nb of episodes: 60

My rate: 10/10

Synopsis :

In ancient times, humans mixed with deities and demons, the world consisted of Chenrong, Xiyan, and Haoling. Wandering in Dahuang, Jiu Yao from Haoling lost her identity and appearance. She settled in Qingshui Town and was renamed Wen Xiao Liu.

The Prince Cang Xuan of Xiyan was Xiao Liu’s cousin. To find Xiao Liu, he travelled around Dahuang and came to Qingshui Town. In Qingshui Town, Xiao Liu saves Tushan Jing from danger and falls in love with him. Xiang Liu and Xiao Liu appreciated each other and became confidants. After a few twists and turns, Cang Xuan and Xiao Liu eventually recognized each other.

After recovering her identity, Xiao Liu helped Cang Xuan bring the whole world under his rule and retired from the rivers and lakes. The thoughtless man puts all his energy into governing the country because he knows that as long as the world is at peace, his little boy will be able to be happy and healthy.

Main cast :

Yang Zi as Xiao Yao (Haoling Jiu Yao) / Wen Xiaoliu

Zhang Wan Yi as Cang Xuan, Prince of Xi Yan Kingdom

Deng Wei as Tushan Jing / Ye Shiqi

Tan Jian Ci as Xiang Liu / Fangfeng Bei

Wang Hong Yi as Chishui Feng Long

Dai Lu Wa as A Nian (Haoling Yi)

My thoughts on this drama :

Now that I'm done with season 1 (and getting worried about what's in store for season 2), I can say that watching this show was just me being wrecked and getting my heart broken in thousands of pieces. I really appreciate the Reverse Harem story they served us here. Plus, the actors they chose are brilliant in their respective roles. It also rekindled the flame I hold for etheral white haired beings. Of course, with 4 male leads to choose from, there is obviously one that would get my vote (I said something about white haired beings didn't I). Although I already know who she's going to end up with (both because I could not bear the supsense and checked the novel ending, and because Yang Zi kind of said it herself during a TV show)... I can't help but try to safeguard the little flame that is my favorite 'ship'. Although I know it leads to nowhere, the impossibility of it makes it all the more powerful. TJC is truly incredible in his role, and I am gobsmacked by the intensity he manages to bring to his scenes every.single.time he appears on screen. His character is compelling, hauntingly beautiful and lethal. As for the others, well, you have ever-yearning bro-zoned one, good-but-dull pretty boy, and the buddy-zoned guy who looks more attracted to bro-zoned one that to our female lead. The other female characters are rather dull, and uninteresting, with minor (but annoying) roles. The story really focuses on Jiu Yao and her four knights **cough**

You'll get genderbending (several times!), harem drama, political intrigues, anguish and laughter, sweetness and bitterness, all in this amazingly packaged drama (music, costumes, incedible sceneries, it has it all!)

Anyway! I very much recommend this drama, which earns a big fat 10 for season 1. Rating may (or may not) change after season 2 airs next summer (due to CN sh*tty new regulations stating that dramas split into seasons must be aired with a one year gap between two seasons ugh)...

A Favorite ?

YES

[wangxianficrecs]

After I Met You by Amandyalmonds

After I Met You

by Amandyalmonds (@amodwithoutamark)

M, WIP, 78k, Wangxian

Summary: "They’re not going to go through with the marriage proposal though, right?” Jiang Cheng reasoned. “You’re ours. And surely the Lan sect wouldn’t want a huli jing, let alone the famed Hanguang-jun.” “Exactly," Wei Wuxian said with a grin. "The Lans are too stuck up to know how to handle someone like me, and they won’t risk forcing their precious Hanguang-jun into such a marriage.” Or, after the end of the war, Wei Wuxian is offered as the last known huli jing to marry into the Lan royal family. The only problem is that Wei Wuxian has never met the man he's marrying, and he's not sure he'll survive in a palace with over three-thousand rules. Kay's comments: An arranged marriage story between Dragonji and Foxxian that doesn't hold back on the knives at all! Really going for the Wei Wuxian whump in this one and the miscommunications also keep on happening, it's the most delightful angst! Also definitely a story for those who crave some protective brother Jiang Cheng content. There's also been hints about things that have happened in the past and I'm so curious to see how it all plays out! Excerpt: Hanguang-jun probably wasn’t happy about bedding a huli jing, so he might not mind if Wei Wuxian kept himself somewhat covered. Or perhaps Wei Wuxian could have Hanguang-jun take him from the front, keeping his back pressed against the bed— “Wei Wuxian?” Wei Wuxian flinched at the sound of Hanguang-jun’s voice. It was now or never. Deciding to try his luck in keeping his inner robes on, Wei Wuxian steeled himself and stepped around the screen, letting out a playful laugh. “Impatient, aren’t we?” Wei Wuxian quipped, then promptly choked on his own words. Because Hanguang-jun stood near the bed, watching him with the slightest crease in his brow. Fully clothed. In sleeping robes.

pov wei wuxian, canon divergence, shapeshifters, dragon lan wangji, fox wei wuxian, emperor lan xichen, prince lan wangji, royalty, slow burn, angst with a happy ending, misunderstandings, hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/comfort, protective wen qing, protective jiang cheng, good sibling jiang cheng, abusive yu ziyuan, dysfunctional jiang family, autistic lan wangji, arranged marriage

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

[zhoufeis]

cdrama ask meme

send me a number and I’ll reply with a gifset

1: hidden love or lighter and princess 2: love between fairy and devil or the starry love 3: legend of fei or word of honor 4: till the end of the moon or the untamed 5: who rules the world or zhaoyao 6: the killer is also romantic or the queen of attack 7: the eternal love or the romance of tiger and rose 8: love like the galaxy or goodbye my princess 9: oh! my sweet liar or a girl like me 10: the love by hypnotic or i’ve fallen for you

11: lan wangji or xie yun 12: zhou fei or lu zhaoyao 13: wen kexing or wei wuxian 14: li xun or zhu yun 15: ban hua or rong xia 16: bai fengxi or cheng shaoshang 17: shaodian youqin or chao feng 18: gu xiang or yan hui 19: hei fengxi or li chenlan 20: xiao lanhua or dongfang qingcang

21: hei fengxi / bai fengxi or wen kexing / zhou zishu 22: li chenlan / lu zhaoyao or shaodian youqin / liguang yetan 23: dongfang qingcang / xiao lanhua or lan wangji / wei wuxian 24: gu xiang / cao weining or tianqi / yuemi 25: yan hui / tian yao or ban hua / rong xia 26: ling buyi / cheng shaoshang or tantai jin / ye xiwu 27: li qian / li mingyue or xiong xiruo / li hongbin 28: zhu yun / li xun or sang zhi / duan jiaxu 29: han shuo / chen qianqian or liang weiwei / jing qing 30: chu xiuming / shen jin or zhao cuo / tian sanqi

[deathfavor]

@deiscension said: holding a mic out for the commentary you mentioned in the tags of your last reblog

You are opening a can of worms. A bucket in fact. But i shall take them and go fishing and chatter away to the wind. ( And break it down muse wise so ppl can skip muses they don't care about. )

POST IN QUESTION.

So by FAR, those who relate to that the strongest are Lamia, Ling Wen, and Seiroku

He Xuan and Earl are more middle

Izana is the least but not for the reasons you might think. And as a bonus I'll mention Sekhmet bc she's interesting for why she ISN'T despite being vengeful.

I'll put this under a read more because this is turning out very long, way longer than I anticipated.

LAMIA does NOT forgive. She is the epitome of resent and remember if you've done wrong to her. She WILL hate you and she WILL enjoy your suffering. In fact, she probably purposefully has made your suffering worse. Go to hell might be too nice of a way out. Why not suffer here and THEN go suffer in hell for all eternity? She'll make sure she makes you suffer more when she gets to hell too. ( She's under no illusion she'd end up anywhere else if there is an afterlife. )

LING WEN also is very vindictive. It's beating a point to a pulp but we SAW what she did with annihilating Jing Wen's existence. ( And with help from Pei Ming in the process of destroying + her terrorizing his followers. ) Ling Wen.....does not forgive. Granted, those around her never would apologize. Not really. Pei Ming and Shi Wudu are probably the only exceptions and SOLELY because she knows if they did something, it was not on purpose and their apology would be sincere. Anyone else though?? Absolutely not. They can go through the agonies of feeling their very souls destroyed and she will sit with a cold, uncaring expression even if she does greatly enjoy seeing those who've wronged her or made her suffer now suffering.

AT THE SAME TIME !! Ling Wen has a hard time with herself after book 5 (or 8 or whatever the official is listen i follow the pre-official release versions okay) but when she essentially keeps her job because......literally no one else can run the Heavenly Realm and all the paperwork and such. Truly success is a burden. But in all seriousness, especially with Pei Ming......his forgiveness to her is a bitter pill. She never wanted HIM to suffer, she even invited him to their side in the final battle just to ensure he'd be safe. He forgives her and moves past it, but I think Ling Wen has a hard time. She never hurt him, she never wanted to hurt him, but being on opposing sides was hard. Mercy & Forgiveness can be HARD to swallow. ( Tbh i can ramble forever about this but i think this makes my point. Her rejection of forgiveness also is a sword over her own head. )

SEIROKU is interesting because in general, this only applies to Bushi. He can never forgive the Bushi as a whole, as a group. A lot of this comes from his personal experience, and it cemented itself as a core part of his personality. Especially after he died and his heart was replaced with the Black Hearts that amplify desires ; his is revenge and death to all Bushi. As a whole, Seiroku will always hate Bushi. The Date clan is the EXCEPTION, not the rule. When it comes to someone who isn't a Bushi though, Seiroku can be forgiving. He's not often in a situation where he needs to, but anyone else - a farmer, a seamstress, whoever, he is more inclined to forgive. So Brittney, why is he on the strongest? Because Seiroku's held this hatred and unforgiving attitude to the Bushi for over 100 years now. He WON'T let it go, at this point, he CAN'T let that intense hatred go.

HE XUAN is in the middle because if you are important to him, he can forgive. He might remember, he might put distance, but he CAN forgive. Especially when he cares about you. It might take time, he needs to think about it and mull it over, and the person needs to put in effort to show they genuinely are apologetic and deserve his forgiveness. His forgiveness comes in incriments. The potential is there. But he DOES lean heavily towards strongly relating.

He Xuan cannot forgive the crimes against him, his family, his fiancée. All who suffered not because of their fortune, not because THEY did anything wrong, but because HE XUAN'S fate was stolen. And their fates were tied with his. In truth? This is one of the most painful and intense sources of pain from He Xuan. He could have endured prison, an agonizing death, being broke, he could have endured countless sufferings. He might have been angry, but he wouldn't have been as powerful of a ghost as he ended up becoming. But BECAUSE the fact is that all of the people he loved suffered EXCRUCIATING fates because of his fate being stolen, his anger grew into something extremely intense. It didn't JUST effect him. It affected the people he cared about most. He became entirely hellbent on revenge despite having no clues for a long time. He can never forgive Shi Wudu.

And I think a part of him will always resent Shi Qingxuan. Despite it not being SQX's fault, there's a bitterness because, theoretically, had SQX's family listened, SWD and SQX would have still lived good lives because of family wealth. He Xuan was born into extreme poverty even BEFORE the fate switching. And it's not SQX fault but how can he not suffer and subconsciously resent knowing this person having HIS fate is why those he's loved perished in horrible ways? That SQX gets to laugh and enjoy life while blissfully unaware none of it is deserved? He genuinely does intend to never cross paths again if he can help it by the end.

EARL also is heavily towards the strongly agreeing side. He is a very distrustful person as it is, everyone around him knows it. It's important; his wariness and distrust has helped keep Legion powerful and ahead of all the other gangs and groups. He's always steps ahead of everyone else for this very reason. He gives his trust to very few. And if he gives it and you break it? It's over. He will not give it again. Earl may trust in someone's SKILL or an ABILITY or TALENT, but he will not trust THEM as a person. Go to hell indeed, he's never letting them close.

There are very few exceptions to this. Horo and Zoya are primarily the only two that he could change this. Because ultimately, he cares for them more than most other things. Horo is, genuinely, what Earl cares about above all else. Above Legion, above Zoya, he might not seem like it and people might never guess it, but Earl would do anything for his little sister. He really is a good big brother like that. If she did something....Earl could forgive her. He might be upset, but he could and would forgive. And the same goes for Zoya. He is more likely to express his anger or displeasure, but there's very few things she could do that would make him not be able to forgive her. Anyone else would be very heavily dynamic dependent. Earl can trust and care a lot, but he can also turn cold and abandon it if the trust break truly is something severe. ( Something silly however he might be annoyed but not care about. He WILL remember it though if you try to prank him. Few have ever succeeded. )

IZANA KUROKAWA is the least in agreement with this, but not for the reasons you think. Simply put? Izana doesn't trust people to begin with. There are VERY, VERY, VERY few people he genuinely trusts, and even that can fluctuate with how stable his mental state it. I would say MAYBE two at most are who he trusts. So if you fuck up? It's over. Izana will ANNIHILATE you - there won't be anything left to grant forgiveness to. Izana genuinely has no comprehension for people's limits. At 12 he hurt people so bad they were permanently disabled - kids and adults - as revenge. Not to mention what Izana drove the ringleader of the group that attacked him to do. He'll send you to hell personally. He's the least in agreement solely because you wouldn't be around TO be forgiven. He doesn't want you around and no one is going to disobey him.

SEKHMET is the most interesting to me tbh. Because as a goddess, if you piss her off, she WILL curse your entire bloodline for the entire length of its existence. Changing names doesn't change your blood, it will follow you and she will make sure the curse is effective thousands of years later. She's a VERY vengeful goddess if you earn her wrath. You will pray for oblivion because everything truly will be suffering.

But Brittney, then why is she not included?

For the same reason: Because she's a goddess. If you give enough quality offerings to her, if you do great feats in her honor or attribute them to her, if you celebrate immensely, beg and plead and praise her above others - she will forgive you. Maybe not YOU, but she will remove the curse from the rest of your bloodline, so your children and grandchildren and so on will not suffer because of you. THAT is mercy from a god. If you TRULY dedicate everything to her, if you are skilled enough, she might remove a curse from you herself, turn you into a champion for her and ensure glory to you and her name. This is mercy from a god. Sekhmet's wrath is on a WHOLE different level from humans or even from someone like He Xuan's wrath, but she ultimately can be appeased and grant a god's definition of forgiveness. Remember; she is a goddess. A god and a mortal's definition of forgiveness may not be the same, but it is still forgiveness.

[paganimagevault]

Qing dynasty painting of Epang Palace by Yuan Jiang 1722-1735

"The First Emperor felt that, in view of the large population of Xianyang, the palace of the former kings of Qin was too small. “I have heard,” he said, “that King Wen of the Zhou had his capital at Feng, and King Wu had his at Hao. The area between Feng and Hao is fit for the capital of an emperor or a king.” He accordingly began construction of a state palace in the Shanglin Park south of the Wei River. First he built a front hall at Epang which measured 500 bu from east to west and fifty zhang from north to south. The upper part could seat 10,000 persons, and in the lower part flag poles five zhang high could be erected. It was surrounded by covered walks which then led from the hall directly south to the Southern Mountains. The summit of the Southern Mountains was designated to be the gate of the palace. An elevated walk extended from Epang north across the Wei River to connect the palace with Xianyang,

The palace at Epang had not been completed at this time. The emperor intended to select some appropriate name for it when it was completed, but meanwhile, since it was being built at a place called Epang, everyone referred to it as the Epang Palace. Over 700,000 persons condemned to castration and convict labourers were called up, part of them being put to work building the Epang Palace and part assigned to Mt. Li.90 Stone was quarried from the northern hills and timber transported from the regions of Shu and Jing, all being brought to the site. In the area within the passes there were a total of 300 palaces, while beyond the passes there were more than 400. The emperor had a stone set up at Qujie on the eastern sea, declaring that it was the eastern gate of Qin. He had 30,000 households transported to the town at Mt. Li, and 50,000 households to Yunyang, exempting them all from taxes and corvée labour for a period of ten years.

Master Lu said to the First Emperor, “I and the others have searched for zhi fungus, rare herbs, and the immortals, but we can never seem to encounter them. There would appear to be some entity that is blocking us. The magic arts teach that the ruler of men should at times move about in secret so as to avoid evil spirits. If evil spirits are avoided, one can reach the status of True Man. If the whereabouts of the ruler of men are known to his ministers, this hinders his spiritual power. A True Man can enter water without getting wet, enter fire without getting burned, soar over the clouds and air, and endure as long as heaven and earth. But now Your Majesty, though ruling the whole world, has not yet been able to attain calm and quietude. When you are in the palace, do not let others know where you are. Once that is done, I believe that the herbs of immortality can be obtained.”

The emperor said, “I long to become a True Man. From now on I will refer to myself as True Man and will not call myself zhen.” He then had elevated walks and walled roads built to connect all the 270 palaces and scenic towers situated within the 200 li environs of Xianyang. He filled the palaces with curtains and hangings, bells and drums, and beautiful women, each assigned to a particular post and forbidden to move about. Anyone revealing where the emperor was visiting at any particular moment was put to death."

-Sima, Qian. Records of the Grand Historian: Han Dynasty II (p. 57). Columbia University Press. Kindle Edition.

[theyilinglaozus]

Rules: post the first lines of your last 10 fics posted to ao3. if you have less than 10 fics posted, post the first lines of all your fics. 

I was tagged by the very lovely @minnarr! Thanks so much for the tag dear 💖 You should all check out her answers to this here too!

I haven’t shared anything on AO3 since October (but I have been working on new pieces to hopefully share soon and sharing a few non fandom ones elsewhere) so these may all be slightly older.

1. The late morning sun sits high in the sky, a luminous globe casting golden rays upon all it touches. As Winter Dies, The New Spring Blooms (Qi Ye; Jing Beiyuan / Wu Xi)

2. The candlelight flickers, casting the room in a dim, orange hue. This Labyrinth, Where Night is Blind (Qi Ye; Zhou Zishu centric. Liang Jiuxiao)

3. Zhou Zishu loves his shidi. Better Sunrises (Tian Ya Ke / Word of Honor; Zhou Zishu / Wen Kexing. Liang Jiuxiao)

4. The meal feels as if it’s stretched the length of the entire evening. A Reluctant Meal (Qi Ye; Jing Beiyuan, Zhou Zishu, Helian Yi)

5. Sizhui is not a difficult child. Speaking With Ghosts (The Untamed;  Lan Wangji / Wei Wuxian, Lan Sizhui)

6. Once, Jing Beiyuan had believed himself to have experienced all there was to be had in all his lives combined. New Beginnings (Qi Ye; Jing Beiyuan / Wu Xi)

7. The early morning sunlight hangs low in the sky. In Every One Of Us Shines The Light Of Love (Word of Honor; Zhou Zishu / Wen Kexing, Zhang Chengling)

8. ”There is a perfectly good door you could use, you know.” The Best of Intentions (D&D / Original Work; Senrab, Naberius)

9. “I do hope you haven’t been working the poor boy too hard, Zishu.” A Fateful Meeting (Qi Ye; Jing Beiyuan / Wu Xi, Zhou Zishu, Lu Ta)

10. It has been some time since Lan Wangji last found himself following the all too familiar path which led him deeper into the heart of the Burial Mounds. The World’s a Beast of Burden (And You’ve Been Holding Up a Long Time) (The Untamed; Lan Wangji / Wei Wuxian, Lan Sizhui, Wen Qing)