#as much as xichen's feels protective towards jgy he respects him even more

[lgbtlunaverse]

Not every single child - adult caretaker relationship is automatically a parental one and I'm very aware fandom is overeager to label them as such and I've talked about that in the past! HOWEVER!! I firmly believe that in the event of a time travel au where post-canon lan xichen - squarely in his 40s and feeling like he aged an extra two decades since guanyin temple - were to somehow be transported back in time and meet 7 year old big-eyed "never done anything wrong in his LIFE" baby Meng Yao it would take him all of 3 hours to decide that he's a stepdad now.

[robininthelabyrinth]

Nie Huaisang/Wen Ning - after Guanyin Temple, Nie Huaisang offers his patronage to Wen Ning as one last fuck you to JGY, which escalates into friendship and more because they have a lot in common - weak younger brothers with a hidden scary side, the last in their family standing after JGY got the rest killed, and they probably both have a great morbid sense of humor. who says romance is dead?

ao3

Untamed

After everything that happened, Wen Ning knew that Wei Wuxian was too fragile to deal with him – Wei Wuxian might not notice the slight flinch every time he saw him again, remembered again, all the darkness and misery that came with making Wen Ning what he was, all those bad memories with only a few good ones to leaven them – and so he stayed back, lingered.

Maybe that was why he saw it.

Nie Huaisang, the undisputed victor of an all-around terrible evening, sitting on the steps of the temple, looking exhausted and miserable, as if he’d won nothing at all.

Wen Ning found himself drifting over to him.

“Sorry about getting you possessed,” Nie Huaisang said without looking up when Wen Ning got close enough. “Baxia doesn’t have much respect for other people.”

Wen Ning hadn’t actually minded being possessed, if he was being honest about it. Sure, in retrospect, being used as a living puppet that could harm his friends – again – was somewhat distressing, but the actual experience hadn’t been that bad at all.

“It was very warm,” he said, because it had been. Warm and safe, cradled within a stronger power that would take care of everything – it had reminded him of his older sister. “Baxia feels things very strongly. She loved you a lot.”

A quick flash of surprise, almost a smile. “I appreciate that,” Nie Huaisang said. “I always got the impression that she thought I was – well, useless, right up until I started planning on doing this, and that’s when she decided she liked me.”

“I don’t think so,” Wen Ning said, and sat down next to him. “She liked you before that. It was more – watching someone you care for grow up, and in a way you approve of.”

He thought about it for a second.

“But please don’t do more of that,” he added. “That was – a lot.”

Nie Huaisang snorted. “You have no idea.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes more.

“Speaking of more,” Nie Huaisang finally said, “what are you planning on doing next? You can’t keep following Wei-xiong around all the time.”

Wen Ning really couldn’t.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Maybe spend some more time with A-Yuan.”

Not too much, though. He deserved to be with people his own age, doing things they liked, not stuck with Wen Ning.

“Lan Sizhui? Good idea.”

Wen Ning blinked, and turned to look at him. “You know?”

“I’m smart, I can do math, and I’ve gotten Xichen-xiong drunk at least a dozen times over the years,” Nie Huaisang said. “Yes, I know.”

Wen Ning decided not to comment. “Other than that, I have no idea,” he said. “Why do you ask? Do you have any use for a corpse puppet?”

“None whatsoever,” Nie Huaisang said, and Wen Ning was struck by the strangest feeling of disappointment at the answer. “I could use a good nurse, though, if you’re available. I heard you were once very good at that.”

Wen Ning stared at him.

“This whole business hasn’t been very good for me,” Nie Huaisang said with a shrug that was far too casual for the subject matter of the conversation. “My family – we’re not the best at swallowing our rage, and I had to do it for sixteen years. There’s some damage from that. Could flare up any time.”

Qi deviation, he meant, and Wen Ning’s heart lurched at the thought. He’d been possessed by Baxia, who remembered what her master had endured; the idea of the brilliant mastermind, Nie Huaisang, being struck down so brutally, and all because he wanted to see his brother avenged…

Wen Ning had had to see his older sibling struck down, too. He didn’t mind ruthlessness in pursuit of vengeance nearly as much as Wei Wuxian seemed to.

“My medicine skills are out of date,” he blurted out. “But I could try to help, if you like.”

“I would,” Nie Huaisang said firmly. Why he had faith in Wen Ning when even Wen Ning didn’t, Wen Ning had no idea. It was a feeling a bit like having a sibling again. “I’ll warn you in advance, though, that even if good sense says I need one, I don’t actually want a nurse – much less one capable of picking me up and forcing me into bed –”

It sounded like that was exactly what Nie Huaisang wanted, and based on the rapidly fading memories Wen Ning had gotten from Baxia, very similar to what his brother used to do when he worried too much about Nie Huaisang’s health.

“– but as a final fuck you to Jin Guangyao, who always wanted his own corpse puppet and failed to get it, it would be pretty great. I hope you don’t mind that reasoning.”

“Not at all,” Wen Ning said. “It’s actually rather nice to have someone just – talk about it. Wei-gongzi mostly pretends that I’m still normal, except for when he needs someone to be strong.”

“I can’t believe you still call him Wei-gongzi,” Nie Huaisang said. “Haven’t you known him for years and years at this point? Sure, there was a bit of a break in the middle, but I was calling him Wei-xiong after about three sentences. You should be on closer terms.”

Wen Ning noted to himself that he was probably going to get his own closer terms very shortly, if that was how Nie Huaisang did things.

He didn’t mind the thought at all.

“I think it’s time for you to rest,” he said, noting the way Nie Huaisang’s knuckles were white where his fingers clenched on Jin Guangyao’s bloodied hat. “You’ve started talking nonsense, Sect Leader Nie.”

“Call me by name, please,” Nie Huaisang said. “If you’re going to tell me that I’m talking nonsense, you can call me names the way everyone else does.”

“I don’t think I will,” Wen Ning said. “But I might call you Nie-xiong, if you don’t mind.”

Nie Huaisang actually smiled at that.

“You can also feel free to go with ‘Huaisang’ at top volume,” he offered, mouth twisted crookedly.

“My sister liked yelling A-Ning at the top of her lungs,” Wen Ning agreed. He knew the pain that curled around Nie Huaisang’s heart far too well. “Come on. Up you go. Gloating over your successful revenge can happen just as well after a good night’s sleep as before.”

“I wasn’t going to gloat,” Nie Huaisang complained, although he allowed Wen Ning to lead him away. “Maybe have a few drinks. Toasts. Something like that. I actually used to like him, you know – and now er-ge’s going to be mad at me forever, and I still mostly like him, too, even if he is a bit of a twit when it comes to people he likes – plus Wei-xiong, of course, he’ll disapprove, he’s all righteous and well-meaning, all best-foot-forward – and where he goes, Jiang-xiong and Lan-xiong go, of course – I mean, it’s not that I didn’t know I wouldn’t have any friends left after this –”

“You can have me,” Wen Ning said. “Now – where are you staying? And who in the world in your sect let you go out with no protection?”

“You make assumptions,” Nie Huaisang said dryly, and nodded his head up towards some of the rooftops; when Wen Ning looked up, he saw archers in dark colors that hadn’t been there before. “He wasn’t making it to Dongying, one way or another.”

“You are a good planner.”

“Very stubborn, that’s all.”

That seemed accurate. Certainly he was dragging his feet like a stubborn donkey.

“Do you want me to pick you up?” Wen Ning asked.

“…yes please.”

Wen Ning had been the useless younger brother for the first half of his life, and the fearsome corpse puppet used as a weapon for the second. He’d never been needed to care for anyone before.

He thought he could very happily spend the next third of his life doing just that.

“Come on,” he told Nie Huaisang. “Let’s get you home.”

[xiyao-feels]

Hi! May I ask a The Untamed question: Why does Meng Yao return the jade pass? What is it and why is it important? Lan Xichen seemed a bit upset, surprised but also resigned to it simultaneously.

Hi! So—/why/ Jin Guangyao returns the jade pass is an interesting question, and there are various different opinions on the matter. I think it's best if I start with the second part of your question: what is it and why is it important?

The Lan use the jade passes as a security measure; you need one to get in and out of CR. JGY has a pass which previously allowed him access to CR, but LXC changed it; this time, when he came, it didn't allow him in.

I think it's worth taking a fuller look at the jade passes, which in this case means looking at MDZS.

We first see them, I believe, in chapter 11. In MDZS, WWX a) believes LWJ hates him and b) doesn't realize LWJ has recognized him. He pitches a fit outside the gates of CR because he doesn't want to go inside, because without a jade token that allows you in and out, he won't be able to leave:

If he was dragged inside, it would be extremely difficult for him to come outside again. Back then, when he came to study, all of the disciples were given a jade token for passage. Only with the token, would a person be able to enter and leave freely, or else they couldn’t pass through the protective barrier of the Cloud Recesses. After ten years had passed, the security could only have gotten stricter, instead of looser.

After he's inside, he tries to see if he could escape without the token, but no dice:

Lan WangJi went to see his uncle to discuss serious matters, while Wei WuXian was pushed into the room. Right after Lan WangJi left, Wei WuXian also went outside. He strolled around the Cloud Recesses, and found that, as he had expected, without the jade token for passage, even if he climbed up the white walls of a few zhangs’ height, he would be immediately flung off by the barrier, attracting the attentions of the nearby patrolmen at once.

In chapter 65, we see that LWJ is able to detect when someone tried to come through the wards without one:

Wei WuXian slept sometime later. He was asleep until early morning when he suddenly woke up. With a shiver, he crawled forward and looked up. Lan WangJi’s was still dressed, sword was on his back. As he took back the hand that he had put on Wei WuXian’s shoulder, he stared at a white object within his palm, “We have an uninvited guest.”

Wei WuXian squinted to see. The object was the GusuLan Sect’s jade token of passage. He could recall that Lan WangJi’s token was a very high level, able to alert him if others intruded over the barrier of the GusuLan Sect.

This was JGY coming, the very same trip he returns the jade token, because now it's no longer working. WWX concludes that LWJ modified its access at some point in the last couple of days:

Wei WuXian understood now. Since ZeWu-Jun and LianFang-Zun had quite a good relationship, Lan XiChen had given Jin GuangYao a token of passage as well so that he could visit freely. However, it was likely that within the past few days he had either edited the prohibitions of the Cloud Recesses’ barrier or retracted the permission of Jin GuangYao’s token of passage. When Jin GuangYao came to visit, he was refused permission to enter, and thus he voluntarily returned the token.

In chapter 119, LWJ tells WWX that the jade token he gave him can also be used to withdraw money when he needs it:

Wei WuXian, “[…] Oh, right. HanGuang-Jun, I’m out of money. Give me a bit more, won’t you?”

Lan WangJi, “Simply take the jade token to withdraw the money.”

Wei WuXian let out a muffled laugh, “Apart from letting me in and out of the barrier, that jade token you gave me… can also let me draw money?”

“Yes.”

Though I very much doubt that Jin Guangyao ever used it for that.

I can't find reference to anyone other than JGY and WWX being given tokens permanently (like, aside from the visiting disciples), so only Jin Guangyao who didn't live among the Lan. (Although since the damn tokens aren't referred to by a single consistent name, I could be missing something.)

See also this bit in ch 80, from the second siege:

Wei WuXian laughed, “Who said that you have to go inside the Room of Forbidden Books? Wouldn’t it be fine as long as your master can go in at will? The methods of tampering with the sheet music—he was probably also the one who taught you that, right?”

A person of power free to travel in and out of the Cloud Recesses at will. There was no need to say out loud whom Su She’s master was. Everyone knew—it could only be LianFang-Zun!

It's not actually totally clear to me how much of this carries into CQL canon. For example, we don't have the WWX trying to escape from CR plotline in CQL, so from what I remember I don't think we see him testing the wards and being flung off the walls. And more than that: in CQL we don't get the scene where LWJ detects JGY's visit through his own token, meaning Wangxian's presence during the meeting comes across more as something LXC deliberately set up. I think you could read it in if you really wanted, but it's definitely reading against the text.

(Incidentally, to me in CQL LXC doesn't seem surprised when JGY puts the pass on the table, but I think he very much is surprised when JGY says I'm returning it to you; that's not the direction he was expecting this to go. Episode 43, 31:17-31:37, if you want to check yourself.)

Okay, so, now we have all the context. Why does Jin Guangyao return the jade pass? He says that it's because it stopped working, sure, fine—but why did it not working mean he returned it?

To the best of my knowledge—though as ever I could be wrong—we don't get any more information than that in the text, which means it's a matter for meta and speculation. This is where I'd usually tell you what I think and why, except... honestly, I'm not sure. I haven't yet settled on something that feels right to me.

I've seen the ideas that he was distancing himself, or that he was reacting as though it was a complete rejection—it's certainly true that being completely rejected is his usual experience, see NMJ and QS. I can follow the logic, but it doesn't quite work for me? First because it's followed by his reassuring LXC on the subject of LWJ's reputation and the possibility of CR being searched, and then inviting LXC to Carp Tower for a conference about the Burial Mounds, but also...hmmm. Retreating like that is—not really how he usually operates? You see it with NMJ, you see it with QS—he keeps reaching out, he keeps trying to explain himself. In MDZS he stops after the stairs, but at that point he's very thoroughly done with NMJ and I think we can agree he's not there with LXC; in CQL he keeps trying even after he's decided NMJ has to go. Now it's true QS literally just killed herself! so he might not be reacting as usual and all. But...mmm, I don't know. He says it himself (ch 106): “I can’t help it. To seek pity even after doing all the bad things—that’s the kind of person I am.”

Okay, so why the heck /does/ he do it? Welllll...it could be practical considerations—maybe it would be a risk for the Lan if the token got into the hands of an enemy, say, and he's not sure he'll be able to protect it. But honestly that's not very satisfying, and there doesn't seem to be any evidence in the text that I can remember? So I think it makes sense to look elsewhere.

Maybe he actually is trying to respect LXC's boundaries, especially since they don't have time to hash this out. Maybe he figures that—well, we don't know exactly how the second siege would have played out without Wangxian's intervention, but it seems pretty likely that it would have involved damaging the Lan, which is LXC's care and to whom until now JGY has been the staunchest of allies; a way of acknowledging the damage he's doing, even if it won't be understood until later. Maybe he's trying to send a message to LXC: shit is going down, are you in or out? Maybe he's trying to knock LXC off balance; LXC certainly seems off balance for the conversation, reacting rather than acting. Maybe it's to distance LXC from him in like, the potential eyes of the crowd; they've been close and public allies for so long, and now he's trying to help make sure LXC doesn't he pulled down with him if he goes down. Maybe it's a farewell gesture—not so much to LXC, but to the life he's been living, to the precise shape of relationship they had. Maybe it's giving LXC something safe to remember him by—a token, but not something it will look weird if LXC keeps, because he still hopes that LXC will want to remember him. Maybe it's meant as a reminder of the help he has given the Lan. I don't know! I don't know. I do at some point want to sit with the text and seriously work this out, but I also want to get this out for you, anon, so you actually have the information you asked for XP

I think right now I'm leaning towards—some combination of farewell to this part of the life he's been living and the shape of his relationship with LXC (but not saying farewell to /any/ relationship with LXC), and—giving LXC a token of that time. But right now I'm just not sure.

(MDZS quotes all taken from the ER translation)

[amedetoiles]

pls tell me your thoughts about the potential for wwx-jgy friendship? i just like the idea of them having similar experiences as like: poor street kid/poor brothel kid, would kill god for the people they care about, made of knives, incredibly charming and personable. i feel like they could have Seen each other and understood each other really well, and like, things would have ended up better maybe?

Gosh. Ok, so full disclosure before I answer this: I am really not the most sympathetic towards Jin Guangyao. I am just not a fan of him in any universe where he is complicit if not directly responsible for the death of his own child to protect his own reputation (up for debate, but nonetheless Jin Rusong fucking deserved better), gaslights his wife / half-sister into committing suicide, and has a monologue meltdown about how difficult his life has been to his own orphaned and bullied nephew whose childhood he had a hand in destroying. I am glad he got kicked down the same stairs twice, and I am glad Nie Huaisang beat him at his own game. All in all to say that my thoughts on him might be colored by this. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But let’s get into this! Jin Guangyao is a great character foil to Wei Wuxian. The circumstances of his life that shaped his morality (or lack thereof) and the choices he makes in response are tragic and understandable. I definitely think Jin Guangyao could have been a different person, a better person, if his father wasn’t such a trash heap, if society hadn’t been such a gigantic dick about his mother, and if he hadn’t needed to claw his way into achieving everything he did. Wei Wuxian says himself that he doesn’t consider Jin Guangyao a villain.

However, I hesitate to say that had they struck up a friendship, Jin Guangyao and Wei Wuxian could have understood each other easily and that this could have changed things. Don’t get me wrong! I can definitely see how influence could have been made where a friendship between these two would have fixed it all. Or at least improved things. Especially in association with Wei Wuxian, Jiang Yanli’s nonjudgemental kindness (under the condition that nobody hurts her little brothers) would have been extremely refreshing to Meng Yao.

But I also think the differences between Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao would have made it difficult for them to truly understand and agree with each other. And it’s these differences that ultimately decide each of their fates.

I will try to organize my thoughts on this. First, the discussion of privilege.

1. Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao are not on the same privilege level.

While both Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao are scorned in some way, shape, or form for their parents’ statuses, Wei Wuxian is still the son of cultivators. He is still the son of Cangse sanren, a disciple of a famed immortal. His pedigree and legacy are undeniable. Jin Guangyao, on the other hand, is the unwanted son of a lecherous sect leader and a sex worker. In a society where hierarchy and reputation is everything, this places Jin Guangyao in an entirely different pedigree in a way that Wei Wuxian wouldn’t be able to understand.

Wei Wuxian is also brought into the Jiang sect and given a chance to cultivate at an early age where Jin Guangyao doesn’t. Wei Wuxian can punch the heir of a rich sect leader, leading to the dissolution of his sister’s political marriage alliance, and still get nothing but a slap on the wrist because boys will be boys. He can interrupt important post-war celebration dinners to tell that same rich sect leader to fuck off with his marriage proposal and then promptly skip away without any real consequences. He can accidentally send his friend’s little brother into a murderous rampage, and his own little brother will apologize on his behalf and offer to pay reparations.

Wei Wuxian may not have the same privilege as sect heirs like Jiang Cheng or Lan Wangji, but he has far more privilege than Jin Guangyao and Su She. This is important because it is this privilege that Wei Wuxian sacrifices later in order to the protect the Wens. I am not saying Wei Wuxian doesn’t suffer. He does, a truly horrendous amount, but even without his golden core, even when his self-worth is at an all-time low, he is still supported and protected by his status in the Jiang sect until he gives it up to do the right thing. Despite Lan Xichen and the Nies, Jin Guangyao doesn’t have this same kind of backing.

(With that being said though, Jin Guangyao does become Chief Cultivator, so there is only so far one can fall back on their disadvantages in society when they have already reached the top. Being marginalized is not an excuse to be a jackass to your nephew whose parents you had a hand in killing, just saying.)

One can argue that had Jin Guangyao been raised in the Jiang sect while Wei Wuxian continued to scrape for food on the streets, their outlook on life would have been completely different. But even taking into account Jiang Yanli’s overwhelmingly positive influence on a young Meng Yao, I am still inclined to disagree because of my next point.

2. Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao are fundamentally different in how they respond/cope with public gossip and ridicule.

Wei Wuxian, for the most part, lets these comments roll off his back. This is not to say he doesn’t care or that they don’t affect him. They clearly do, and his actions, his self-perception, and his increasingly arrogant bravado as the story progresses reflect the deluge of verbal abuse he’s face with, largely at the hands of Madam Yu. But he copes by being loud, by being talented, by becoming even more outrageous and more unorthodox the more people criticize him. So what if people don’t approve? So what if people look down on his father and gossip about his mother’s supposed relationship with Jiang Fengmian? As long as he is true to himself and his moral convictions, he can walk this dark single plank road alone and without regrets.

Jin Guangyao, on the other hand, desperately and reverently wants to be included. He wants to be accepted, to be liked. He wants to be in the room where it happens. He takes every single comment to heart, carries every disdainful remark on his back like an open scar. He is both someone who loves and respect his mother and who hates her for the constant shadow she casts over him and his place in society. He will build a Guanyin statue in her likeness, in her honor. He will wear a hat because she once told him that a gentleman always wears hats. And yet, he will spend everyday of his life trying to rid himself of his connection to her.

Where Wei Wuxian recklessly cares too little about appearances and what people think of him, Jin Guangyao cares far too much. Wei Wuxian doesn’t give one flying iota about politics, about status and acclaim. He was perfectly fine with being a lotus farmer on a mountain. Even if Wei Wuxian had never been taken in by the Jiangs (and managed to survive the streets), I genuinely think he would still have been largely the same – a child who is kind, open, curious, and holds few grudges. I am not sure I can say that even under the best circumstances, Jin Guangyao wouldn’t have . It destroys him. .

This ties into my last point.

3. Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao have completely opposing priorities and beliefs on the worth of others.

Wei Wuxian will throw himself in front of anybody if his moral compass tells him it is the right thing to do. He is a genuinely open-hearted person who cares deeply about others and thinks it is morally corrupt to do nothing when something can be done. He is idealistic and optimistic, oftentimes to a fault. Jin Guangyao, as a result of his childhood and circumstances, is incredibly pessimistic and cynical. It is every person for themselves out here. The world is a crooked shitshow, conflict is inevitable, and he has to come out on top no matter what.

This leads to him sacrificing pretty much everyone in his life in order to maintain his own reputation. Like I do genuinely think Jin Guangyao truly cared about Jin Ling! I think he also in his own way cared about Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue, and Nie Huaisang! But I also think a large portion of that is because he enjoyed how they made him feel. He enjoyed being liked and being depended upon. And we see clearly what happens when those benefits cease. Whereas Wei Wuxian would rather throw himself off a cliff than hurt any more people he loves, Jin Guangyao would rather push his own people off the cliff if it means his reputation and appearance remain intact. And if that’s not possible, he would rather set them on fire along with him.

This has become an entirely too long rambling essay to say that while Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao share similar experiences, their primary priorities are so different and opposing that it is hard for me to come up with a way in which a friendship between them could have changed things. Sure, Jin Guangyao could have benefited from Wei Wuxian’s unabashed and staunch defense of his friend. Anyone who talks shit about Jin Guangyao’s mother will get punched in the face, and it would maybe have made Jin Guangyao feel less alone in the world, less like he only had himself and his manipulative ways to seek acceptance.

But what happens when Wei Wuxian being Wei Wuxian runs around causing social and political uproar to do what he thinks is right? Is Jin Guangyao going to help and support him, or is he going to throw Wei Wuxian under the bus to protect his own reputation? Personally, I think the importance he places on public perception would ultimately be too great. It destroys his relationships, and it destroys him.

[chnqin]

My Epic MDZS/The Untamed Daemon AU

I’m sure other people have already done Daemon AUs, but this idea wouldn’t leave me alone. I have been working on this for like three weeks now.

I just wrote down my first instinctive thought for most characters, and then researched* further into subspecies etc. What I found for a lot of the animals made me agree with my first opinion even more, although all of these are obviously just my own opinions. I also decided to stick to non-mythological animals. (some characters have been given a lot more consideration than others, I’m sorry)

Wei Wuxian: beech marten Beech martens are quick and clever. The are nocturnal, omnivores, and skilled swimmers. They move through paths made by larger animals such as hares in the snow. {further notes under read more}

Lan Wangji: white hare More solitary animals. They have an association with the moon, which I tend to associate LWJ with. {f/n}

Jiang Cheng: osprey Aquatic birds; good hunters. {f/n}

Lan Xichen: white stag {f/n}

Jiang Yanli: asian black bear {explained in detail under the read more}

Jin Zixuan: lion Ngl it’s probably because the Persian pokemon reminds me of him

Jin Guangyao: domestic cat {f/n}

Nie Huiasang: pangolin {f/n}

Nie Mingju: wolf {f/n}

Wen Qing: Chinese sparrowhawk {f/n}

Wen Ning: black Formosan mountain dog (tuguo) {f/n}

Lan Sizhui: Xiasi Quan dog or red panda or badger {f/n}

Jin Ling: lion {f/n}

Lan Jingi: monkey They’re respected animals but also have a mischievous side

Ouyen Zihzen: capybara No, they’re not native to China, but this is what I imagined him as and I couldn’t get it out of my head or find a perfect substitute

Xiao Xinchen: swan He just gives me major swan vibes, possibly something to do with Swan Lake (as do some Lans but they’re not graceful in the same way or tragic in the same way)

Song Lan: oriental hobby falcon or black horse He struck me as some sort of raptor, but I also liked a horse for him 

Luo Qingyang/Mianmian: lynx

Lan Qiren: sheep Symbolise filial piety. Also follow other people without question (*cough* the Lan Sect elders)

Jiang Fengiman: otter Spends a lot of time around the water, just what popped into my head

Yu Ziyuan: snake Because Zidian

The Jiang Sect favour animals who live near or on the water, some even possessing daemons which are fully aquatic, and thus are unable to leave Lotus Pier

The Lan Sect usually have herbivore animals for daemons and favour swift, elegant animals.

The Jins tend towards lions and panthers, but also flashy, rich birds like pheasants and peacocks (which makes WWX’s nickname for JZX even more funny).

The Nies often have pack or herd animals. Wolves and mountain lions are very common, but also a lot of horned animals like oxen, mountain goats and sheep (bighorn sheep and ibex are common), and also wild boar.

The Wens were typically birds of prey (the Dire Owl becomes Wen Chao’s daemon) or mountain cats.

The Yus often have daemons which take reptile form. Wildcats also common.  I quite like the idea that the Yus are a sect which has cultivated the ability to separate themselves from their daemons.

~Further notes on why I picked these animals, Daemon settling, angsty AUs of my AU, and research disclaimer under the cut~

Story & Research Notes:

(I’m going with the idea that trauma can make a daemon settle into a particular form)

WWX A marten was the first thing to come to mind for WWX, I have no idea why, but the more I thought about it the more I liked it. They’re really inquisitive, playful, and cute, but are also predators and will fuck you up if necessary.  A crow was another obvious choice because they’re curious and inventive, but with a bit of a dark connotation. However, in my version at least (I’m not great on His Dark Materials canon), Daemons usually settle in the early teens, and at that point WWX really didn’t have as much darkness in him as he develops later. 

I think WWX was one of those people whose daemon changed with every thought and feeling of his, whose daemon changed so rapidly and so repeatedly that people would complain of motion sickness watching it. His daemon’s most common forms were a martin, a magpie, an otter (which drove Madam Yu nuts), and (after JYL’s settled) very occasionally a bear.

When WWX comes back most people don’t realise anything is wrong because Mo Xuanyu always hid his daemon (I think it was probably something like a field mouse although how funny would it be if Little Apple was actually his daemon and WWX unknowingly inherited her along with the body), so they just think his has settled into something too big to hide now. However, his beech martin is the other reason Lan Wangji knows who Wei Wuxian is (WWX’s daemon hides from Jiang Cheng at Dafan Mountain, so JC only suspects it’s WWX). (Angsty AU further down)

LWJ I know that arctic hares aren’t native to China, but I want you to pretend that something like that does exist because I need lwj to have a white hare daemon. They are also bigger than other hares and cuter (they look slightly less cursed than some hares do). I’m imagining a lot of the daemons being slightly bigger than their real-life animal counterparts would be, so imagine the ears coming up to a normal person’s hip-height when the daemon is sitting. Rabbits can also apparently symbolise hope, and that suits someone who is known to go where the chaos is, bringing hope and light in the darkness. 

As a child, LWJ’s daemon was expressive in a way he never could be. It liked to take snow leopard form a lot, which was seen as excessively violent to the Lan sect, who preferred non-carnivorous animals, and often snarled at people. His daemon always took snow leopard form when visiting his mother so it could curl up with her tiger daemon. 

LWJ’s daemon settled exceptionally early, shortly after his mother’s death, into an acceptable hare form. Lan Xichen always wondered if LWJ himself made his daemon settle, if she was not supposed to have been a snow leopard all along, and so always looks upon LWJ’s daemon with a bit of sadness because he feels like it was LWJ stifling - almost killing off - a part of his personality (spoiler: it was) in order to fit into the Lan sect.

(More on that in an angsty AU below)

JC Ngl, I wanted to make Jiang Cheng a goose because they’re always angry but I didn’t. Jiang Cheng shifted mostly between a hunting dog and a mouse as a child, both of which infuriated Yu Ziyuan (honestly what she wanted her children’s daemons to be even I don’t know). Jiang Cheng’s daemon settled very late (another thing his mother wasn’t happy with). In fact, it didn’t settle till the attack on Lotus Pier and the death of his parents, when it took the shape of an osprey (because he wanted to be able to fly away and pretend none of it ever happened). 

Even more angsty: One Chinese poem has the Osprey as a symbol of marital harmony and fidelity. Upon seeing his parents death, finally united in a way they hadn’t been in life, JC’s constant wish for his parents to love each other (and, by extension, him) physically manifests itself in his daemon.

JYL I know what you’re thinking. Why the hell did you give Jiang Yanli a bear of all people. Well I’ll tell you. For two reasons: one, because I can do what I want, and two, because I would say one of JYL’s most central characteristics is her wish to look after people. She’s not physically strong in the way most other cultivators are, however, and she’s always having to keep the peace at home - and so I can see her daemon becoming a physical manifestation of that need to protect (bears are known to be protective, particularly mothers), and a physical example of her inner strength which is so often overlooked.

Yanli shifted between a dove, a crane, and a maritime striped squirrel for most of her childhood. She favoured the squirrel and dove (incredibly mild animals) over the crane, which disappointed Madam Yu.  It’s one of the reasons Jin Zixuan never saw her as a potential match, her daemon too small and docile to match his almost constant lion daemon.

When Jiang Yanli was around fourteen Madam Yu took things with Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng too far one day, and Yanli saw it. Her daemon suddenly shifted into a bear, a form it had never taken up to that point, and jumped on Yu Ziyuan’s snake daemon. WWX and JC always remembered Yanli standing in the doorway, her expression placid while her huge bear daemon growled with absolute fury and menace. Everyone expected Yanli’s daemon to go back to its usual squirrel or dove form, but it never did. It remained a bear, and remained the biggest daemon of pretty much anyone in any of the sects.

I had already picked a crane as one of JYL’s potential daemons because of its connection to water and positive symbolism in China. Upon further (hopefully accurate) research, I saw that cranes depicted with lotuses in Chinese art symbolise purity and longevity, and I liked making her daemon a bear even more, because her daemon took that form to protect WWX and JC - years after her death, they both wondered if, had her daemon had taken crane form, maybe she wouldn’t have died. From what I found, “crane” is also a homophone for 合 hé “peace, harmony”, which is a quality Jiang Yanli had much of, and tried to inspire in others.

LXC I think its LXC’s hairpiece which always makes me think of deer antlers (even though it’s a dragon?), so that’s probably why I immediately thought of a stag for him. But stags are also very noble and refined looking animals which don’t tend towards violence, but also have horns for a reason. Obviously, like with LWJ, it’s a white stag because aesthetique. Upon further research, I discovered a (hopefully correct) source which says 鹿 lù (deer) is a homonym with 璐 lù (precious jade), and the character for deer is used within the character 丽 lì ‘beautiful; elegant’ - both fit LXC very well.

JGY Cats are sneaky little fuckers (I say this with love). The ultimate predator in small unassuming form. Many of the main Jin family have big cat daemons so this is kind of another smack in the face for JGY - so close to being a real part of the Jin family, but still kept apart from them - and something people like to bring up along with his mother. However, many Jins are also birds (including JGS), and cats prey on birds.

NHS I thought a fox was a bit on the nose. Also I like the way pangolin’s just drop and curl up in defence - it’s a viable form of protection, but to the outside appears cowardly. However, their scales are sharp and can cut predators who come after them. Also I didn’t want him to fit into any of his sect’s typical animals. Also also imagine how cute it would look being carried around everywhere by NHS because it’s too lazy to walk, absolutely adorable.

NMJ A wolf was what immediately came to mind for Nie Mingjue. Wolves are apparently sometimes associated with greed, self-interest, and lechery, but I think the pack elements and the carnivore/hunting nature of the wolf really suits NMJ and the Nie clan in general, so I decided to overlook that aspect (although I did briefly consider making JGS a wolf, but I like them as animals too much in real life to do that to them and also he doesn’t have a soul, so he doesn’t get a daemon).

WQ I always saw Wen Qing as some sort of hawk, I just think it suits her very well. The Chinese sparrowhawk is quite small and very beautiful. It has white, red and grey colours. They are good hunters and swift flyers. 

WN I knew I wanted Wen Ning to be some sort of dog because he’s very loyal, and also (angsty) when the Jins call the Wens dogs I wanted that to hurt even more. He’s very unusual for a Wen, none of the main sect have dog daemons - it is very much a thing that is specific to their branch of the Wen family. The mountain dog I picked for him is an endangered breed, which I also felt fitted WN well. From what I found, dogs symbolise watchful wisdom, honesty, and loyalty, which all fit Wen Ning. 

This was all perfect till I remembered WWX’s all-consuming fear of dogs. I decided to get round this by cheating and saying that for some reason daemons are different and he’s not scared of them (because they represent a part of someone’s soul, rather than being a real animal? I guess?? Please do not look too hard at this delicately constructed card tower) 

Angsty version: when Wen Ning becomes a fierce corpse he loses his daemon, another reason people are unsettled by him and another thing WWX feels guilty about.

LSZ I think Lan Sizhui was the hardest to pick. I couldn’t decide which way to go: should he follow a “Lan approved” daemon pattern; should he have a bird like Wen Qing and a lot of other Wens? Then I saw the Xiasi Quan and it’s white and fluffy and cute but it was also a hunting and a guard dog, which seemed right for him. And I liked that it gave LSZ and WN this one very tangible connection. It is also endangered.  However, I also liked a red panda and a badger for Lan Sizhui too. I really couldn’t decide between the three. I like them all, why is he the hardest to choose for? (I’m still not 100% happy with this, let me know if you have any alternative suggestions)

Again, please suspend your disbelief at the fact that WWX’s child has a dog daemon and he’s fine with this (it would have looked so cute as a little puppy running around the Burial Mounds though).

When he was younger his daemon liked to take on the forms of those closest to him. So you’d often see a bby marten running after WWX’s daemon, a tiny bird perched with Wen Qing’s sparrow-hawk, a puppy following Wen Ning’s dog around, and a tiny bby rabbit in Cloud Recesses. As he got older it shifted between the dog, a red panda, and a badger. (maybe I’ll just say his hasn’t settled yet and that’s why I can’t decide)

JL Jin Ling definitely also had a daemon which shifted because of a) his loved ones and b) his mood, and he hated it. As if his own explosive temper didn’t give him away enough, his daemon always showed his exact feelings. When he wanted nothing more than his mother to be there it would be a bear. When he was feeling defensive about his parents it would turn into a lion (this happens when he and WWX first meet and any time people talk about his parents’ deaths). When he was younger his daemon spent a lot of time as a cat and a bird, although different types to what his uncles had. 

Jin Ling’s daemon still hasn’t settled when WWX is resurrected, and he is absolutely mortified the one time it decides to turn into a beech marten like WWX’s. Eventually it will settle into a lion, and WWX will pretend to be grumpy that it didn’t choose a bear instead.

Angsty AUs:

Daemons are linked to golden cores Jiang Cheng loses his daemon along with his core. When Wei Wuxian’s core is removed it’s more like when daemons and humans are separated in the books. His daemon stays with him, but can move about freely - this is part of what causes WWX to rapidly destabilise, not just resentful energy. Jiang Cheng always feels weirdly aware of WWX’s daemon after that but doesn’t know why. WWX’s daemon is technically connected to JC too, and also finds this weird. JC also can’t work out why his daemon never came back with his golden core, and that loss is part of why he’s so angry and isolated.

The effect of trauma on Daemons Another angsty au is based on the idea that, if trauma can make your daemon settle early, then trauma can also make it change.

When Wei Wuxian is thrown into the Burial Mounds, he wishes so hard to be able to fly that his beech marten turns into a crow (because I do love a crow for him too). I kind of like the idea that after the Burial Mounds WWX’s daemon almost un-settles itself, and can change between a marten and a crow. This really freaks people out and is another reason people say he’s dangerous.

Similarly, after Wei Ying’s death and the Lan sect’s punishment, Lan Wangji wakes up to find his daemon has shifted from its hare to snow leopard form. In his soul, LWJ feels like if he had been less passive and actually stood with WWX then his soulmate would still be alive. His daemon changes from a more passive hare to the more aggressive snow leopard.

He’s criticised by the elders for it, but they shut up when his daemon flattens theirs, while LWJ’s face remains an impassive mask but his eyes promise murder. WWX is really sad when he comes back to see LWJ’s hare gone and blames himself for causing LWJ so much trauma his daemon changed. (personally if I were writing a Daemon AU this is what I would have happen, because I love LWJ with a snow leopard daemon - they symbolise bravery and martial ferocity, while rabbits are virtue and gentleness, and I feel like these two both accurately represent the two sides of LWJ. I really feel like LWJ has a huge shift in himself after WWX’s death which would be represented in his daemon. It also is, in a way, a return of a core part of himself which was lost after his mother’s death)

Sword/Instrument substitute Mixing Daemons with sword sprits - the animal becomes a physical representation of the spiritual tool. Some people could therefore have more than one daemon (for example, LWJ could have Bichen - his rabbit sword daemon - and Wangji - his snow leopard guqin daemon)

Angsty version: WWX actually does die in the burial mounds and Suibian, his beech martin, dies/changes into Chenqing, a raven/crow.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.  .·。.·゜✭·.·✫·゜·。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. 

If you are reading this you have made it to the end of this post, well done.

 I wanted to make it shorter but I had too many ideas and wanted to explain my reasoning for my choices and decided just to put it all in one post rather than lots of little ones.

*Disclaimer: I know only the smallest amount of Chinese, and have taken all my information about imagery, word meanings, and homophones etc from web-sources, and so it is very possible I have made mistakes. Though I have, to the best of my abilities, attempted to check on the cultural/artistic meaning, if any, that certain animals have in Chinese culture, the internet lies and I can’t get any decent books on it atm as the libraries are closed, so I’m really sorry if there are errors and I hope people will forgive any mistakes or blunders I might have made. 

[alice-in-wonderart]

oh god it's so good to see someone that like the bad guys as much as I do, these characters are so well done that it's really hard to hate them. (and also I relate to them more than I like to admit, especially xue yang 💀) in celebration to that, can I request some friends to lovers headcanons or scenario for jgy? maybe both of them bonding over the fact that they hate jgs haha thank you so much!!

Honestly, I've noticed a tendency where people who like the bad guys in MDZS are treated a little differently. Sooooo, not many people admit to liking them in the first place, but WE'RE HERE TO CHANGE THAT! 🙌 I totally feel that "I hate that I love you" y'know? And they are portrayed as inherently human. They make mistskes, they are selfish, but they weren't born evil, they became deranged under the pressure of society. That's why they are so relatable and just UGH. This became a rant, I'm sorry! Anyways, here is your daily dose of JGY love ❤️ Also, bonding over mutual hatred for JGS is my K.I.N.K.

P.S. This became a clusterfuck of going back and forth in time.

Reminiscing

How very...odd.

Jin Guangyao was never one to trust blindly, or at all for that matter. Yet the more time you'd spend together, the more relenting he'd become.

A mere two years ago you were a runaway from an insignificant sect, finding solace and protection on Lanling grounds and now - his closest confidant and dearest friend along with Sect Leader Lan Xichen. No, you two were far beyond friendship. And looking back on it, he wasn't sure how it happened. What he did remember, however, was the moment he felt his heart skip a beat around you, the moment he knew you were much more than a dear friend.

The two of you were hidden away in the comfort of his chambers, you - cleaning and patching up the open wound on his forehead from the impact when his father threw him down the stairs. It was extremely embarrassing for him, how you were there to witness the peak of his humiliation, a father completely disregarding his son, going as far as to physically abuse him, the words he despised on his lips - Son of a Whore.

Yet you never showed any indignation or disgust, not towards him anyways. The nasty stare was directed towards Jin Guangshan the entire time. You'd sprinted towards Meng Yao, a metric ton of worry in your eyes. You'd stood by his side the entire time, while his father was slandering him. You couldn't do much to help, yet you stayed through it all. And the moment you'd noticed blood dripping from his head, you practically dragged him away.

And so there the two of you stood, sitting on the bed, you dabbing away the blood dripping down his forehead. And that's when he saw it - the smallest of tears in the corner of your eye, threatening to fall. They say the eyes are a window to the soul. As he was staring into the depth of yours, he realised it was true - for the first time, it was as if he'd seen the entirety of your heart reflect within them. You were never one to actively hide your emotions, but he'd always found himself questioning your motives. At that moment, though - it was as clear as it gets.

"A-Yao", you'd mumbled out his name, gently cupping his cheek. You sounded sad, angry, distressed, worried.

"You don't have to say anything.", he'd answered right back, his own hand resting on top of yours.

"One day. One day we'll make him pay for everything. He has no right to treat you like that. You're more of a man than he'll ever even dream of being. " your tone was hushed, careful, yet screamed anger. Meng Yao smiled at your words. So long you'd stayed by his side and even now you were relentless. "It won't be easy. He is the sect leader after all. He's the one holding the Jin name."

"So what? There's one of him and two of us. You re much more than you think, much smarter and much more resourseful. He won't stand a chance. One day justice will be served. Besides, I like your name much better. At least you're not hiding behind yours. "

That's when he realised - truly, he wasn't alone, not since he met you. You were ready to stay by his side until the very end. And at that moment he allowed himself to believe it. Without a second thought, he pulled you in for a gentle kiss, one you reciprocated almost immediately. You wrapped your hands around his neck, burying your fingers in his hair. He pulled you closer, resting his forehead gently on yours. You didn't need to say anything after that. This was your unspoken promise - a promise of a bright future, together.

...

As he stood atop his lonely throne, now proud leader of Lanling Jin, he couldn't help but reminisce about those days. He couldn't help but remember each and every challenge, every obstacle, all the pain the two of you endured together. At the end of it all - it had always been you. The only one who saw him for who he was. The only one who'd made all his walls crumble and all his masks burn. The one who loved him for everything he was and nothing more.

No, what had flourished between the two of you wasn't just love - it was respect, a mutual understanding exceeding the limit of "love". Or perhaps that's what love is.

"A-Yao, what is troubling your mind?", your soft voice pulled him out of his entrancing thoughts.

He turned to look at you - his biggest treasure, his strongest anchor and his only weakness. "Reminiscing." Your knowing smile sent shivers down his spine. You reached out and took hold of his hand, intertwining your fingers with his. Gently he brought your hand to his lips, leaving a kiss on your skin.

If this is what love is, then finally Jin Guangyao understood why it is worth dying for.

Thank you for reading~

[razberryyum]

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The Untamed/陈情令 Rewatch, Episode 10, Part 2 of 2

(spoilers for everything MDZS/Untamed)

[covers MDZS chapters 29, 30 and 48…kinda]

WangXian meter: 🐰🐰🐰+ 🐰🐰🐰+ 🐰🐰🐰🐰+ 🐰🐰🐰+ 🐰🐰+ 🐰🐰+ 🐰+ 🐰🐰+🐰🐰🐰🐰+🐰

Continued from Part 1:

I love this scene from the episode so much because for me it was absolute proof that Lan Zhan had totally fallen for Wei Ying: he actually SMILES because of him...not once, but TWICE...  

...and then the way he says good-bye to Wei Ying just about murdered me with sweetness. Even though he did smile once before, during the lantern raising moment at Cloud Recesses, one can argue that he was just reacting to the picture of the bunny because he loves bunnies; but here, there is no question whatsoever that he is smiling because of Wei Ying. I think it shows that despite maintaining a generally stoic façade in front of Wei Ying, his heart was already captured by him. Personally, I still don’t think he was actually in love Wei Wuxian yet but definitely crushing hard on him.

When I first time watched this scene, I remember being a downright distressed that Wei Ying was missing all of Lan Zhan’s little signals here because he was too busy getting drunk. At the time it felt like an opportunity lost for another lovely WangXian moment, but now I understand that the purpose of this scene really was to give us a glimpse at Lan Zhan’s feelings. That’s another aspect about The Untamed that I appreciate a lot: the fact that we are getting to see Wei Ying and Lan Zhan’s love story from Lan Zhan’s point of view. In the novel, the focus was mostly on Wei Ying‘s point of view, which makes sense of course since Wei Wuxian is the main protagonist of the story, but I think by giving us Lan Zhan’s side of the story and allowing us to see in real time what he was experiencing emotionally actually adds to the poignancy of their story because for me it basically reinforces how helpless Lan Zhan was: in terms of falling in love and then eventually in not being able to do anything to save the person he fell in love with. I felt the tragedy of his situation so much more as a result.  

Odds and Ends

My first impression of Nie Mingjue: damn, he looks like a hardass. I immediately felt bad for Nie Huaisang, it’s no wonder he was so afraid of his older brother. Compared to his novel and donghua counterpart, I think he was pretty well-casted. Even though Wang Yizhou had a relatively limited number of scenes, he had a pretty strong presence so that I couldn’t help but pay attention to him whenever he was on-screen. Word is the second online movie might actually be centered on the Nie brothers, which means we might get to see much more of him and Ji Li’s NHS. Although at first I was just a teeny bit disappointed that we might not be getting more of the Yi City boys’ story instead, the more I think about it, the more I actually like the idea of getting more of the Nie brothers’ story because I actually don’t remember if much was said about them in the novel other than just their basic introduction, so I would love to see more of their past and their relationship. I think it’s fascinating that even though on the surface NHS is utterly afraid of his brother, he obviously intensely loves and respects NMJ at the same time considering the lengths he went through to avenge his death. I hope we get to see NHS’s side of the events in the live action, especially during the 16 years between Wei Ying’s death and resurrection when he realized Jin Guangyao’s true nature and guilt, and then started to put his grand revenge plan into motion. I hope this also means we might get to meet the real Mo Xuanyu before he gave up his body and soul to bring Wei Ying back. It would be so damn cool if Xiao Zhan played him as well! If they are indeed constructing these two specials on scenes they’ve already shot but couldn’t fit into the series due to pacing issues, there might very well be a chance of XZ playing Mo Xuanyu. Holy crap, that means we might get to see Xiao Zhan play a FOURTH personification in the show, since young Wei Ying, his Yiling Patriarch and Wei Ying-Mo Xuanyu are already three distinct personalities! Oh my God, I’m getting excited, but I really shouldn’t yet since it’s all just rumors and my own wishful thinking now. Guess all I can do is keep my fingers crossed that that’s the direction they’re heading for the second special.  

By the way, I just have to mention something about the captions on the show: whoever inserted those captions with the characters’ names was clearly on speed or something because they would appear and disappear so damn quickly there was hardly a chance to even read them. I’m surprised I even got Nie Mingjue’s so clearly in the screenshot because usually half the name would be gone before the rest of it had even finished appearing. It’s a minor technical issue but it did bug me at the beginning because I was trying to read the damn names.

Seeing the Twin Prides of Yunmeng actually acting like twins who are completely in sync (giggling at how NHS is reacting to his big bro) just makes my heart feel so heavy now. They will never be like this again.  Makes me want to cry.  

Lan Zhan’s look was interesting though. Whenever I see him watching Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng, I sometimes wonder if he’s slightly jealous of the bond they share or of the fun they’re having. Or maybe it’s neither and he just enjoys watching him laugh and smile. Honestly with Lan Zhan, it might be a combination of all three.

These three gossiping dorks. I love them. They’re just so adorable when they get together; I love their interactions and I wish this wasn’t the beginning of the end for all the fun between them cuz there’s really not much more time left for any shenanigans after this.

I also love that Xue Yang is like cracking up in the foreground there but it’s not even certain if it’s because he can hear what they’re saying (about Meng Yao/JGY) or if he’s just being his usual psycho self. I really like that even when Xue Yang is not the focus of the scene, Wang Haoxuan (who portrays Xue Yang of course) is still constantly acting and reacting. I’ve seen folks criticize him for doing that, but I think that’s a little unfair since that had to have been the direction given to him. Not to mention, I think it’s entirely reasonable for Xue Yang to be extra like that, all the time.  

I don’t hate Jin Guangyao, similar to how I feel about Xue Yang, I simply can’t hate him, but I do absolutely hate what he did to Wei Ying, especially when I see this scene again and am reminded of how Wei Ying had also treated him with sincerity and respect, just like Big Bro Xichen did. And yet, while JGY was only protective and caring toward LXC, he basically chose to fuck Wei Ying over. I know the difference is in whom he loved, but still, damn him for that. Wei Ying deserved better from him.   

This was an interesting scene because of how great a risk Jin Guangyao was putting himself in. Wen Zhuliu could have totally accidentally killed him. Even though his aim originally was probably just to injure Nie Mingjue, JGY is not as strong as NMJ so a strike that may only injure the other man could have easily been fatal to JGY. So I guess in this instance, JGY’s intent on saving his master was sincere? But that’s still such a HUGE gamble. He is really so fascinating as a character. And his relationship with NMJ is fascinating as well because there were obviously genuine feelings between them as well—NMJ was freaking crying when he was banishing JGY—and yet the way JGY ultimately ended NMJ’s life was so damn brutal. I know there’s a fine line between love and hate but because their lives continued to be intertwined afterwards, I wonder when exactly it was the two of them crossed over to hate completely. I mean, I have an idea, which I will eventually give voice to, but I still feel a little uncertainty because of certain events that happen immediately afterwards.  

I wish we got to see just how Jin Guangyao found and rescued Big Bro Xichen and oh my God would I LOVE to see the time they spent together, presumably alone, in hiding while Lan Xichen was recovering from his wounds. I feel like we were royally deprived of some serious XiYao time by the live drama. Considering the fact that they seem to thoroughly support this ship, I’m honestly surprised that they didn’t use this opportunity to creatively fill in that big blank. I mean, instead of giving us all those unnecessary scenes of Wen Ruohan and his stupid zombies, they should have given us some XiYao-in-hiding scenes instead dammit.  

Questions I Still Have

Why didn’t Wen Zhuliu go for NMJ’s golden core? Especially since he clearly had an opening when NMJ was busy with the injured JGY? Also, how strong is Wen Chao supposed to be that he could even injure NMJ that seriously? I now he was already weakened and Wen Chao did attack from the back like a coward, but still, his cultivation level can’t be higher than NMJ so I’m just a little surprise his hit made any impact at all, especially since he seems mostly weaksauce in all other instances. This whole fight scene was just a little weird to me. And also, damn is JGY a shitty liar at that point. I actually laughed out loud when he full on denied that he was the one who killed that dude (who I thought was a total dick tbh so I kinda don’t blame JGY for killing his ass) even though he was still holding on to the murder weapon which was dripping with the guy’s blood. Guess he still hadn’t perfected his lying skills. 

Overall Episode Rating: 9 Lil Apples out of 10

[sleepymarmot]

There were a couple of posts discussing how JGY could have genuinely thought killing NMJ would be only doing a favor for NHS -- but re-reading the flashback in the book, I find myself feeling the same way! Mental illness is no excuse for being abusive towards your family -- and NMJ is, both in words and in action! Let me quote at length:

One day, the moment he returned to the main hall of the Unclean Realm, he saw about a dozen folding fans, all lined in gold, flattened out one next to the other in front of Nie HuaiSang, who was touching them tenderly, mumbling as he compared the inscriptions written on each one. Immediately, veins protruded from Nie MingJue’s forehead, “Nie HuaiSang!”

Nie HuaiSang fell at once.

He really did fall to his knees from the terror. He only staggered up after he finished kneeling, “B-b-b-brother.”

Nie MingJue, “Where is your saber?”

Nie HuaiSang cowered, “In… in my room. No, in the school grounds. No, let me… think…”

Wei WuXian could feel that Nie MingJue almost wanted to hack him dead right there, “You bring a dozen fans with you wherever you go, yet you don’t even know where your own saber is?!”

Nie HuaiSang hurried, “I’ll go find it right now!”

Nie MingJue, “There’s no need! Even if you find it you won’t get anything out of it. Go burn all of these!”

All of the color drained out of Nie HuaiSang’s face. He rushed to pull all of the fans into his arms, pleading, “No, Brother! All of these were given to me!”

Nie MingJue slammed his palm onto a table, causing it to crack, “Who did? Tell them to scurry out here right now!”

Someone spoke, “I did.”

Jin GuangYao walked in from outside the hall. Nie HuaiSang looked as though he saw a knight in shining armor, beaming, “Brother, you’re here!”

In reality, it wasn’t that Jin GuangYao could calm Nie MingJue’s anger, but that since Jin GuangYao came, all of Nie MingJue’s anger would be directed at him alone, having no time to scold others. Thus, there was nothing wrong with saying that he was Nie HuaiSang’s knight in shining armor. Nie HuaiSang was absolutely delighted. He greeted Jin GuangYao again and again as he grabbed the fans in haste. Seeing how his younger brother reacted, Nie MingJue was so outraged that he almost found it amusing. He turned to Jin GuangYao, “Don’t send him those useless things!”

In a hurry, Nie HuaiSang dropped a few fans on the ground. Jin GuangYao picked them up for him and put them into his arms, “HuaiSang’s hobbies are quite elegant. He’s dedicated to art and calligraphy, and has no propensity for mischief. How can you say that they’re useless?”

Nie HuaiSang nodded as fast as he could, “Yes, Brother is right!”

Nie MingJue, “But sect leaders have no need for such things.”

Nie HuaiSang, “I’m not going to be a sect leader, though. You can be it, Brother. I’m not doing it!”

As his brother’s glance swept over, he shut his mouth at once. Nie MingJue turned to Jin GuangYao, “What did you come here for?”

Jin GuangYao, “Our second brother said that he gave you a guqin.”

The guqin was given when Lan XiChen was here to play Sound of Lucidity for Nie MingJue, in order to help him calm his temper. Jin GuangYao continued, “Brother, in the past few days, the GusuLan Sect is at a critical point in its reestablishment of the Cloud Recesses and you refuse to let him come, which was why he taught me Sound of Lucidity. I assume that even though I’m not as skilled as our second brother, I’d still be able to help calm you to a certain extent, Brother.”

Nie MingJue, “Just take care your own things.”

Nie HuaiSang, however, was rather interested, “Brother, what song? Can I listen? Let me tell you, the limited edition that you gave me last time…”

Nie MingJue shouted, “Go back to your room!”

Nie HuaiSang fled at once, not to his room, however, but to the living room for the presents that Jin GuangYao had brought him. With a few interruptions, Nie MingJue’s fury had mostly died. He turned around to look at Jin GuangYao, whose face seemed quite tired, robes of Sparks Amidst Snow covered in dust. He probably came here directly from Carp Tower. After a pause, Nie MingJue spoke, “Sit.”

Jin GuangYao nodded lightly and sat as he had been told, “Brother, if you’re concerned for HuaiSang, softer words would do no harm. Why this?”

Nie MingJue, “Even when a blade’s at his neck he’s still like this. Looks like he’ll always be a good-for-nothing.”

Jin GuangYao, “It isn’t that HuaiSang is a good-for-nothing, but that his heart lies somewhere else.”

Nie MingJue, “Well you’ve really discerned where his heart lies, haven’t you?”

Jin GuangYao smiled, “Of course. Isn’t that what I’m the best at? The only person whom I can’t discern is you, Brother.”

He knew of people’s likes and dislikes so that he could find suitable solutions; he loved running errands and could do twice the work with half the effort. Thus, Jin GuangYao could be said to be quite a talent at analyzing others’ interests. Nie MingJue was the only person whom Jin GuangYao couldn’t probe out any useful information about. Wei WuXian saw this already, back then when Meng Yao was working under Nie MingJue. Women, liquor, riches—he touched none; art, calligraphy, antiques—a pile of ink and mud; the finest green tea leaves and dregs from a roadside booth—there was no difference. Meng Yao tried everything he could think of yet still couldn’t find if he was interested in anything beside training his saberwork and killing Wen-dogs. He really was a wall made of iron, impenetrable by even the sharpest blades. Hearing that his tone was one of self-mock, Nie MingJue wasn’t as disgusted as he would’ve been, “Don’t help him build such a conduct.”

(Chapter 49)

To sum up: NHS, an adult man by then, is absolutely terrified of NMJ. NMJ yells at him, frightens him by hitting furniture, threatens to destroy his belongings, disparages him both to his face and behind his back, and is tempted to use physical violence against him. NMJ’s personal interests align with his duties, and so he pushes them on NHS, while hypocritically refusing to respect NHS’s own interests.

Next scene. Note that by this time, JGY has started to play Clarity for NMJ, and according to WWX, it was working as intended, calming him. This scene follows the confrontation where NMJ kicks JGY down the stairs and insults him, sealing his fate.

Remember the scene in Fatal Journey where NMJ breaks NHS’s brush? Well, they toned it down in adaptation. A lot.

Nie MingJue was on the school ground, teaching and supervising Nie HuaiSang’s saberwork in person. He didn’t acknowledge Jin GuangYao, so he stood at the edge of the field, waiting with respect. Since Nie HuaiSang was quite uninterested and the sun was bright, he was rather half-hearted, complaining that he was tired after just a few moves. He beamed as he got ready to go to Jin GuangYao and see what presents he brought this time. In the past, Nie MingJue would only frown at such things, but today he was angered, “Nie HuaiSang, do you want this strike to land on your head?! Get back here!”

If only Nie HuaiSang were like Wei WuXian and could feel how great Nie MingJue’s rage was, he wouldn’t grin in such a bold way. He protested, “Brother, the time is up. It’s time to rest!”

Nie MingJue, “You rested just thirty minutes ago. Keep on going, until you learn it.”

Nie HuaiSang was still giddy, “I won’t be able to learn it anyways. I’m done for the day!”

He often said this, but today Nie MingJue’s reaction was entirely different from his past reaction. He shouted, “A pig would’ve learnt this by now, so why haven’t you?!”

Never expecting Nie MingJue to burst out so suddenly, Nie HuaiSang’s face was blank with shock as he shrunk toward Jin GuangYao. Seeing the two together, Nie MingJue was even more provoked, “It’s been one year already and you still haven’t learnt this one set of saber techniques. You stand on the field for just thirty minutes and you’re complaining that you’re tired. You don’t have to excel, but you can’t even protect yourself! How did the QingheNie Sect produce such a good-for-nothing! The both of you should be tied up and beaten once every day. Carry out all those things in his room!”

The last sentence was spoken to the disciples standing by the side of the field. Seeing that they had gone, Nie HuaiSang felt as though he was on pins and needles. A moment later, the row of disciples really did bring out all the fans, paintings, porcelain from his room. Nie MingJue had always threatened to burn his room, but he had never actually burned them. This time, though, he was serious. Nie HuaiSang panicked. He threw himself over, “Brother! You can’t burn them!”

Noticing that the situation wasn’t good, Jin GuangYao also spoke, “Brother, don’t act on impulse.”

Yet, Nie MingJue’s saber had already striked. All of the delicate objects piled at the center of the field erupted in roaring flames. Nie HuaiSang wailed and plunged into the fire to save them. Jin GuangYao hurried to pull him back, “HuaiSang, be careful!”

With a sweep of Nie MingJue’s hand, the two blanc de chine antiques shattered into pieces in his palms. The scrolls and paintings had already turned into dust in a split second. Nie HuaiSang could only watch blankly as the much loved items that he had gathered throughout the years vanish into ashes. Jin GuangYao grabbed his hands to examine them, “Are they burnt?”

He turned to a few disciples, “Please prepare some medicine first.”

The disciples answered and left. Nie HuaiSang stood at the same place, his entire body trembling as he looked over at Nie MingJue, pupil encircled by veins. Seeing that his expression wasn’t right, Jin GuangYao put his arm around his shoulders and whispered, “HuaiSang, how are you feeling? Stop watching. Go back to your room and have some rest.”

Nie HuaiSang’s eyes brimmed red. He didn’t even make a sound. Jin GuangYao added, “It’s alright even if the things are gone. Next time I can find you more…”

Nie MingJue interrupted, his words like ice, “I’ll burn them each time he brings them back into this sect.”

Anger and hatred suddenly flashed across Nie HuaiSang’s face. He threw his saber onto the ground and yelled, “Then burn them!!!”

Jin GuangYao quickly stopped him, “HuaiSang! Your brother is still angry. Don’t…”

Nie HuaiSang roared at Nie MingJue, “Saber, saber, saber! Who the fuck wants to practice the damn thing?! So what if I want to be a good-for-nothing?! Whoever that wants to can be the sect leader! I can’t learn it means I can’t learn it and I don’t like it means I don’t like it! What’s the use of forcing me?!”

(Chapter 49)

He kicked his saber off to the side and ran out of the field. Jin GuangYao shouted from behind him, “HuaiSang! HuaiSang!”

Just as he was about to chase over, Nie MingJue ordered in a cold voice, “Stop!”

Jin GuangYao stopped in his tracks and turned around. Holding in his anger, Nie MingJue glared at him, “You still dare come?”

Jin GuangYao answered in a low voice, “I came to acknowledge my mistake.”

Wei WuXian, What a face—it’s even thicker than mine.

Nie MingJue, “Have you ever acknowledged your mistakes?”

Just as Jin GuangYao was about to speak, the disciples who had gone to bring medicine came back, “Sect Leader, LianFang-Zun, Young Master has locked the door and won’t let anyone inside.”

Nie MingJue, “Let me see how long he can lock himself up for. How dare he defy me?!”

Jin GuangYao spoke to the disciple with a kind countenance, “Thank you. Give me the medicine. I’ll take it to him afterwards.”

He took the bottle of medicine. After everyone had left, Nie MingJue turned to him, “Just what are you here for?”

Jin GuangYao, “Brother, have you forgotten? Today is when I play the guqin for you.”

Nie MingJue gave him a straightforward answer, “There’s no room for discussion as to Xue Yang’s matter. You don’t need to flatter me. It’s not working at all.”

Jin GuangYao, “First, I’m not flattering you. Second, if it’s not working, Brother, then why would you care if I’m flattering you or not?”

Nie MingJue was silent.

Jin GuangYao, “Brother, these days you’ve been stricter and stricter towards HuaiSang. Is it the saber spirit…?”

After a pause, he continued, “Does HuaiSang still not know about the saber spirit?”

Nie MingJue, “Why would I tell him so soon?”

Jin GuangYao sighed, “HuaiSang is used to being spoiled, but he can’t be Qinghe’s idle Second Young Master for his whole life. One day he’ll realize that you’re doing this for him, Brother, just like how I realized that you’re doing this for me.”

(Chapter 50)

You know what? After seeing this scene, I’d be inclined to do something drastic to NMJ, even without extenuating circumstances such as “he threatens my life and political standing”, “he kicked me down the stairs”, or “he called me a slur”. If NMJ couldn’t control himself even under the effects of the real Song of Clarity, maybe it’s a good thing JGY killed him before he could completely black out and raise his saber against NHS himself instead of his treasured personal belongings.

(Edit: Upon rereading this post I feel the need to clarify that I don't condone violence against mentally ill people, or think this justifies JGY's actions. But from a consequentialist point of view, maybe the canon version of events where NMJ is murdered by the man he already mistrusts and hates is less painful than the hypothetical timeline where he strikes down his beloved brother in anger and has to live the rest of his (short -- regardless of JGY's involvement) life with it.)

[hamliet]

Hi there~ I was just wondering, how do you feel about Nie Huaisang? ☺️

He is my son. I call him Sneaky McSneakerson. 

No, but really, he is a fantastic character. Almost every character in the entire story is not what they initially appear to be (Xue Yang disguises himself as Xiao XingChen, Wei WuXian is in Mo XuanYu’s body, Lan WangJi represses his emotions but is actually willing to do anything for someone he loves, Jiang Cheng seems like he is always making selfish choices and we find out in the end that he loves Wei WuXian just as much as he loves him, and those are just the more blatant examples). 

Nie HuaiSang is introduced to us as “the Head Shaker,” the guy who might as well be running his sect into the ground because he’s supposedly incompetent, and the flashbacks do nothing to change this opinion. But despite his “I don’t know, I don’t know, I really don’t know!” mantra, he actually… knows way more than anyone else. (I think you stated as much in one of your metas!)

Nie HuaiSang truly loved his brother, no matter how unyielding and demanding Nie MingJue was. His pleading with his brother to recognize him when he’s dying was heartbreaking. Because that was what he wanted all along: his brother to see him as he was. He didn’t want to be a soldier and a skilled saber-wielder. He just wanted to do calligraphy and decorate fans. Nie MingJue never saw him that way, though (though I think Nie MingJue clearly adored him–their relationship strikes me as a pretty strong parallel to say Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling’s, wherein the older brother/uncle is a tsundere). He kept trying to make him into a stronger warrior, and in the end when he’s dying, he only sees dozens of Jin GuangYao’s around him. 

See, Nie HuaiSang is a strong foil for Jin GuangYao as well. Both of them are, well, the younger brothers of Nie MingJue, the man with the biggest dick energy in the world who still died a virgin, and Nie MingJue’s increasing harshness with Nie HuaiSang paralleled his increasing frustration with Jin GuangYao. Nie MingJue’s biggest problem was his strictness. He’s what Lan WangJi is seen as at first: righteous to the extreme, truly so, but lacking in empathy and refusing to understand that, as Jin GuangYao says, not everyone comes from the same place in life, and even if they do, they aren’t necessarily going to turn out the same. And for the record I actually love Nie MingJue’s character, but his… stubbornness and refusal to grant Jin GuangYao any sort of forgiveness, his stern way of trying to make him earn forgiveness, directly led to his death. Nie HuaiSang still loved Nie MingJue no matter what, though, but by his refusals that led to his death, he contributed to the path that HuaiSang will choose to walk on, and it’s pretty similar to Jin GuangYao’s path. 

Both HuaiSang and JGY are excellent at reading people and exploiting their strengths and weaknesses. Nie HuaiSang understands that Jin GuangYao is his own worst enemy. He knows he is not a match for him in terms of talent or likeability, so he brings back Wei WuXian to do his fighting for him, and HuaiSang uses Jin GuangYao’s better moments–his best relationships–to ruin him, but he can only do so because Jin GuangYao’s own insecurities have already ruined many of them and they’re supported by lies only at this point. 

First, Mo XuanYu, whom Jin GuangYao was kind to and then Mo XuanYu fell for because the kid needed someone to help him. HuaiSang and Jin GuangYao are the ones who gave Mo XuanYu the information he needed to kill himself and summon Wei WuXian. Like… that is very dark. 

Qin Su, the wife Jin GuangYao probably did love and expressed gratitude towards for never looking down at him for his mother’s status, the woman he refused to sleep with again once he found out who she was yet made a point to treat with the utmost respect–HuaiSang exposes how Jin GuangYao did not ultimately respect her enough to tell her the truth. 

Jin GuangYao spares Sisi, and HuaiSang frees her, taking advantage of JGY’s care for her and also being kind himself, but it’s still for a purpose. 

HuaiSang poisons the coffin in the temple Jin GuangYao built over his mother’s brothel, the temple he had his mother’s icon erected in. 

HuaiSang uses Lan XiChen to kill Jin GuangYao, having a sworn brother kill another sworn brother who killed a sworn brother who was his brother (whew). The one person Jin GuangYao never thought of hurting, the person whom Jin GuangYao trusted and loved (like HuaiSang trusted and loved GuangYao), is tricked into killing him (whiiich is also a parallel to Xue Yang tricking Xiao XingChen into killing Song Lan). 

In other words, HuaiSang uses Jin GuangYao’s best relationships to poison him, just like how Nie MingJue’s best relationship–as a big brother–was what led to his downfall. But that’s really a very simplified way of reading it, and it isn’t the fill truth. In HuaiSang’s actions more so than Jin GuangYao’s (but still a bit in Jin GuangYao’s) we have to ask what on earth justice even is. Is it revenge? Is it an eye for an eye? HuaiSang’s actions are certainly understandable–he’s a grieving brother in over his head who has no one to turn to, so he’ll play from behind the scenes because he’s so used to being underestimated. Unlike Jin GuangYao, though, it doesn’t seem like HuaiSang will walk a self-destructive path once justice is served, but we really don’t know. 

In Xue Yang, Jin GuangYao, and Nie HuaiSang, we also see characters who attempt to force others to feel what they feel. An eye for an eye, to an extent, but also it’s a way of forcing empathy/trying to feel less alone. But there is a bit of progress in each of them, showing the slow progress of society. Xue Yang kills people for just belonging to a family. Jin GuangYao kills people who threaten him. Nie HuaiSang kills Jin GuangYao and a few people to get to that endeavor, and he’s still alive at the end–and notably, no one wants revenge on him (not that most people even know what he’s done). He also is motivated by care for others more than by trying to protect himself and his pride, unlike the other two. So I think he’ll be fine post-canon, hopefully make his brother proud. But he’s still a sneaky mastermind. 

[llycaons]

41. well it’s jgy time...I GUESS

while it’s true that jgy was treated horribly by the other cultivators, I think nmj didn’t really handle it in the most effective way. if someone’s being mistreated by their coworkers because of something they can’t control, it’s useless to tell them to just be perfect and not give them anything to complain about. because no matter how perfect you are (and jgy tried so hard to be perfect) there are always people who will look down on you for...something you can’t control

and making a guy he met minutes ago his vice deputy knowing absolutely nothing about his skills or character except that he apparently is a weak cultivator? poor move, nmj. jgy wasn’t suited for the position, he couldn’t turn it down, and it placed unfairly high expectations on him that would result in even greater ridicule if he failed

not that jgy isn’t highly capable in his own right, obviously, and I see the logic behind giving him a chance to shine, it’s just that it didn’t work

oh! cql did include the detail that wrh murdered nmj’s father by proxy when he broke his saber! I missed that. it was more explained in the book.

jgy and wwx are foils for each other but I was just thinking that lwj and jgy are just...complete opposites in temperament, ideals, motivation, goals, background, skills, etc

while jgy is calculating, a great actor, very expressive, great at reading/manipulating people, a liar, changes his principles to suit his needs, says whatever the most powerful people will agree with, a constant people-pleaser, hides his true intentions, an excellent spy, avoids punishment whenever possible, is invested in his position and reputation, desperate to survive and get a little respect for once, willing to kill people on his side, not a very strong cultivator, a passable musician, murdered his biological son, born to a poor mother and rejected by his birth father in favor of a legitimate son despite how hard he tries to find a place with them - lwj is almost exactly the opposite of all of that

he’s steadfast in his principles once he’s got them solidified, he has an iron will, becomes willing to throw aside his reputation and good name for what he believes in, his integrity is literally legendary, he’s honest, ready to bear pain and punishment to support his side, desperate just to find the people he loves and keep them safe, deeply invested in his clan’s wellbeing for its own sake, as an adult usually doesn’t intentionally hide his feelings so much as fail to communicate them properly, an extraordinarily powerful cultivator and brilliant musician, terrible at talking to people, loved and supported by his clan (for the most part, until he chooses to turn against them), in a position of high unassailable privilege, incredibly stubborn, incredibly earnest, genuinely gentle, never going on about his own struggles and pains to elicit sympathy or pity, very caring and protective towards his adopted son, with a mother who died young, the perfect lan clan disciple until he changed his perspective, unwilling to compromise himself or his values for anything he deems unworthy of it (and given his position, that’s something he can afford to do)

basically he could never in his life have been a convincing spy

the only thing they have in common is playing guqin and loving their moms who were treated terribly by their fathers. also they both are close with lxc obviously. oh! and I do think they think highly of themselves, it’s just that lwj doesn’t really pretend not to

I think if nmj was an animal he would be a cat

gotta say I don’t think lan xichen is very good-looking :/

nmj’s death scene is interesting because actually, I don’t think he makes many good points? like, he’s right. jgy is sneaky as hell and definitely protecting xy. but technically, jgy didn’t have the authority to just kill a prisoner that his father favored. we’ve seen what happens to people who go against the word of jgs. and shouldn’t nmj have gone to the person with that authority instead of demanding his subordinate do it? yeah yeah ulterior motives. but I guess being opposed to blood payment isn’t outlandish in this setting? it’s a little vague on the general consensus on that (which is ALSO influenced by politics)

jgy also makes some good points about how in his position there are just things he cannot do and he has to be careful about where he steps in a way that nmj never has had to worry about in his life. at this point, I really do understand why he did what he did during sunshot. killing allies as a spy and insulting nmj wasn’t great obviously but like. it was a war. and like, that commander was such a dick. insulting his mother and all. nmj’s people should have been better than that. come on. and disenfranchised people in the cultivation world really will be eaten alive by the nobility. wwx was an outlier in that he was able to create genuine change and it all went to shit anyway. the only reason wen ning, he, and a-yuan were all reunited and alive at the end was because they were sheltered, used, or brought back by members of the nobility

everything except for releasing xy though. that was really bad.

nmj is right about his suspicions, obviously, he doesn't even know about the fact that jgy murdered jzx and set off the bloodbath at nightless city, but hes still right that jgy is a self-serving murderer. but jgy also has legitimate grievances with how he’s been treated. and nmj kicking him down the steps again and then insulting his mother? bad look. well, he was qi-deviating at this point. and whose fault was that, huh?

man, the special effects for the scene kind of sucked. they couldn’t have used blood that was less cherry red?

at one point wwx opened his eyes but clearly wasn’t conscious. the glazed look was great. acting

oh their rooms at koi tower are so pretty!! blue and gold and pale pink really is so pretty. did lwj just say “we’re staying in the same house” and the jin guy was like sure of course whatever you say hanguang-jun

nmj got turned into a fierce corpse after (before?) his death! right!

ohh when paperman wwx landed on suibian, jgy didn’t move because he was trying to figure out if “mxy” was really wwx and could unsheathe it

the suibian fight looks so goofy. her wielder is 3 inches tall and he just needs to distract jgy long enough to float through the mirror. jgy can’t even try to stab him bc he’s fending off an attack from a floating suibian and the little paperman is already 10 feet away. nice job, wwx

so I guess this means his gc is back? he can’t wield her without it, right? certainly not remotely

lwj just mowing down any disciples who get in their way. love that

I find it so interesting that JL doesn’t listen to lwj no matter how many times lwj gives him a very stern mentor look, which he used to only needing to do once. lwj interacting with a kid who doesn’t revere him or obey him could be so illuminating for both of their characters but we never see it

su she is here

“su she” lwj says in disgust

it’s this fucking guy

again

I feel you, lwj

I feel you