#he and wwx will never be on good terms again

[mxtxfanatic]

I saw such a bad take on Jiang Cheng's character and I can't stop thinking about how terrible it is. "Jiang Cheng did nothing wrong....couldn't have handled things better because of his situation..."...something something. Why is it so hard for people to accept what's written in canon. MXTX wanted JC to be seen as an antagonist, she wanted him to be a terrible person it's so obvious from all the parallels between him and WWX's characters... A huge excuse when they try to paint him as a "sad, misunderstood uwu boy" is that he went through a lot and thought it was all wwx's fault. But so did Jiang Yanli, and she didn't have any of the reactions that Jiang Cheng did. SHE was the one who lost her husband, SHE also lost her parents the same way he did? I also reread some scenes recently...and his homophobia is so apparent especially in the scene where lwj and wwx visit his parents' shrine. ALSO, his excuse for thinking their dating is that he saw them hug under that tree??? AND HE FOLLOWED THEM TO SEE WHAT THEY'D DO AFTERWARDS😭😭😭

I'm just confused about what excuse they have that makes it so easy to overlook all the shitty things about him💀 (oh, they also seem to hate...wangxian? Like actively believe those two are annoying and that they're bad people. Which is kind of sad, since they're the main pairing of a...ROMANCE NOVEL. So I feel pretty bad for them for having to read a whole book about two characters they don't like) Just wanted to know your thoughts. JC is irredeemable in my eyes. He's not a bad guy but he is a very bad person. But maybe other people see something I don't😂

Somehow I missed this ask, but I found it right on time (after seeing some stan bullshit 🙄) . My thoughts on Jiang Cheng is that the book is very clear that he is a terrible leader, a terrible uncle, and a terrible brother (both martial and bio) who chose the path of his toxic, violent mother to pursue over his kind father. Anyone saying otherwise is not worth engaging.

People don’t see something you don’t about his character, anon; people are choosing to unsee the things in canon because they’ve imprinted on a character that only exists in fan art, fanfic, and “incorrect quotes” memes. The disconnect isn’t a misunderstanding of the story but people uninvested in the original story wanting to impose their own uninspired fandom tropes onto an already cohesive story, and I simply do not have the energy to deal with that level of denial anymore with this fandom.

[morethanwonderful]

Thinking a lot about how, in a series filled with liars and deceivers, when it comes to keeping big secrets, Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang lie in the exact same way.

In terms of truly big secrets that they have to keep for a long time, Nie Huaisang has one and Wei Wuxian has two. Huaisang's is the collective secret of his grand plot to destroy Jin Guangyao and avenge his brother, and Wwx's are the loss of his golden core and his post-resurrection true identity. And how do both of them go about covering the parts of themselves that they most want to hide? They play up their own existing traits and lean as hard as they can into their more negative public perceptions.

When Wei Wuxian wants to hide the fact that he's lost his golden core, he does it by putting on a show of arrogance, and this can only work as long as it does because ego is already such a big part of his personality. Young Wwx was already known as a willful, trouble-making rule breaker, so nobody's going to question it when he starts showing up to events without his sword. They might ask "what the hell is that kid doing?" but they can always answer their own question with, "Well he's Wei Wuxian. He's always been a disrespectful and done as he pleased."

Wwx never pretends to be anyone or anything but himself in his first life, but he dials up certain facets of "himself" to make the public think what he wants them to. Pretending to be the person that the outside world expects him to be makes a very good disguise, because it's against others' nature to question it.

And we can argue about how effective it is, but Wei Wuxian tries to do a version of the exact same thing when he gets brought back as Mo Xuanyu. He hears that Mxy was gay and a "lunatic" and says "well if you want insane, then you'll get insane." He leans as hard as he can into that public expectation, because if Mo Xuanyu is behaving like exactly the annoying, openly queer freak that everyone expects him to be, no one's going to wonder who else he might be.

Meanwhile, Huaisang uses more or less the exact same defense mechanism when he starts racking up things to hide. Based on his repeating school as a teen and late formation of his golden core, he presumably has a reputation from a young age as not the sharpest tool in the shed. People know him as the Nie brother who cares little for cultivation and developed far too slow to make use of his saber. To be unkind about it, he's a useless little dandy unfit to ever inherit his clan.

So when Huaisang wants to be sure that no one will suspect he's making moves behind the scenes, he leans into that and leans into it hard. He makes everyone think they're right—he is an idiot unfit to run his clan. But nobody's going to look twice at a fool, and nobody will suspect subterfuge of the head shaker.

Once again, though, Huaisang's act only works because people expect him to turn into a leader like the head shaker. The same act wouldn't have worked so well for someone like Wei Wuxian, because even though they disliked him, people knew he was talented and dangerous. Only Nie Huaisang can get away with playing useless for a decade, because he's playing as hard as he can into the worst of his established public persona. Others mistaking him for a fool lets him trick them into thinking that he is one.

Nobody wants to question you when you're confirming their expectations, and Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang both know how to use that to their advantage. It's easy to keep a secret when your cover story is something the public is already primed to hear.

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

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1. Tw noncon Can someone write a fic of wen Ning getting gangraped by Jin disciples in front of wen qing as revenge for what the other wens did?

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2. Can you recommend any fics with Wen Ning as a POV character?

In My Defence, I Have None (For Never Leaving Well Enough Alone) by SemiLocalCryptid (T, 73k, wangxian, Time Travel Fix-It, Established Relationship, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, POV NHS, but only for the first chapter, POV Alternating, between Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi for the rest, WWX may have no sense of self preservation but he does have a husband, No one touches LWJ's husband, NHS has no more fucks to give and will save his brother just watch him, WN is very confused about needing to breathe again, but is ultimately happy about it, BAMF WN, WN needs a hug, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, WQ is a queen and everyone should fear her, Fluff, Inventor WWX, Gratuitous amounts of Wangxian fluff, WIP) wen ning is a pov character here

The Moon Reflected Upon Two Springs by Rubberduckieassassin (M, 2k, Post-Canon, Fierce Corpse wn, WN-centric, Farmer WN, WN Needs a Hug, Gūsū Lán Juniors Dynamics, Good Kid LSZ, Good Kid LJY, Wen Remnants Mentioned, Burial Mounds Settlement Days Mentioned, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Five Stages of Grief, Melancholy, Building A Home, Family Feels, W>N is learning how to 'live' again)

waiting (when the colors come) by frostferox (G, 2k, WN/WWX/LWJ, Modern, realizing polyam might be an option, Domesticity, Friendship)

Granny Knows Best by The_Snarkivist (T, 5k, OYZZ/WN, JL/LSZ, Getting Together, Fluff, Accidental Elderly Acquisition, WN Centric, Let Wen Ning Be Happy Agenda, Happy Ending, fast burn, Granny does know best, POV WN, Post-Canon)

Fierce Friends by TumblingTroublesomeTumbleweeds (G, 32k, NMJ & WN; SL & WN, NMJ & SL & WN, NMJ/LXC, SL/XXC, JC/WN, Friendship, Give Wēn Níng Friends, Cinnamon Roll WN, Rabbits, NMJ’s body does NOT cooperate, WN Centric, Everyone loves WN, Dysfunctional Family, Found Family, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Graphic Depictions of Pining, heart eyes motherfucker, WIP) it switches though

This Time With Confidence. by INSPIRETOWRITE (T, 129k, LWJ/WWX/WN, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Angst, Time Travel Fix-It, Action/Adventure, Polyamory, Developing Relationship, LWJ has feelings, Cute, Blood and Gore, Cultivation Sect Politics, Demonic Cultivation, Pining, WN-centric, Rabbits, POV Multiple, Action, War, Battle, Eventual Happy Ending, Developing Friendships, WN is a cinnamon roll, Bad-ass WN, WWX has feelings, They don't know they have the same feeling until later, Cultivation Discussion Conferences, POV WN, Slow Burn, WIP)

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3. Hello! Could I ask, for the next ITMF for fics where wwx experiences qi deviation of some kind? Thank you very much!

Twelve Moons and a Fortnight by stiltonbasket (M, 290k, WangXian, Humor, Slow Burn, Post-Canon Fix-It, Long-Distance Relationship, Epistolary, Love Letters, Family Feels, a-qing lives, teenage romance, Adoption, Romantic Comedy, Happy Ending, Weddings, Case Fic, Parenthood, Politics)

Confrontation by LtLJ (G, 21k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, discussion of a canon suicide attempt, breaks from canon during the timeskip, BAMF WWX, BAMF Everybody, Canon-Typical Violence, JC &WWX Reconciliation, BAMF NHS, BAMF JC, BAMF LWJ, YLLZ WWX, Complicated Relationships, canon-typical curses, Canon-Typical Behavior) It is part 4 of a series so it makes more sense to start with the first one which is Brotherhood

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4. CW: Trauma

Good day! I saw "Life as a house" by Terri Botta from the previous ITMF. I gave it a shot and read it, it is well written and I enjoyed the process of how they recover from their trauma, the reconciliation, and everything. For the next ITMF, do you guys know any fic that is close to this fic? Similar in terms of their journey to heal from their past/trauma, from seeing psychiatrist, discussing mental health, or about therapy. @httpskaixx

总有一天; a place to hide (can’t find one near) by yiqie (E, 76k, WangXian, Modern AU, Pianist, Getting Together, Mental Health Issues, Suicide Attempt, Suicidal Thoughts, Depression, Hospitals, Overdosing, Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Additional Warnings In Author's Note)

Many happy returns. by orange_crushed (E, 25k, WangXian, Modern AU, Mistaken Identity, Misunderstandings, Grief/Mourning, Loss of Parent(s), Implied/Referenced Suicide, Past Suicide of a Parent, References to Depression, Anxiety, Therapy, References to Anti-Depressant Medications, Escort Service, Loneliness, Everybody’s Abandonment Issues, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Moving In Together, Oral Sex, Penetrative Sex, Hopeful Ending, Recovery, References to Escorting/Sex Work but No Actual Escorting/Sex Work)

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5. Want recommendations for slow burn angsty stories of wangxian

Concord by Deastar (T, 41k, WangXian, Arranged Marriage, Gūsū Lán Sect Rules, Depression, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending)

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6. Hi! ITMF wangxian cuddle porn or just lwj being so comforting for wwx and vice versa. It would be amazing if that was incorporated in longer fics though anything would be welcomed. Something for reference is “A Cyborg's Three Laws” by FairyGardenCorgis and “try a little tenderness” by ilip13. Thank you so much!

Just Ask Me To Stay by mrcformoso (M, 20k, WangXian, Modern AU, Former JZ/WWX, Minor NieLan, Minor XuanLi, No Powers, Dancer WWX, Musician LWJ, Roommates, Best Friends, Friends to Lovers, Break Up, Post-Break Up, Recovery, WWX Has Self-Esteem Issues, Fluff, Light Angst, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Oral Sex, Domestic Fluff, LWJ Has a Big Dick, WWX Has a Breeding Kink, Size Queen WWX, Belly Bulge, Porn With Plot, WWX Has Friends, LWJ Has Friends, Hurt/Comfort, A lot of comfort, Romantic Comedy, Cuter story than the summary makes it out to be, Feel-good) modern!AU cuddly lwx cheering post-breakup wwx

The Art of Communication by mrcformoso (G, 4k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Meet-Cute, Engineering Student WWX, Music Student LWJ, Swimmer WWX, Martial Artist LWJ, POV Outsider, POV WWX, POV LWJ, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Communication Issues, But Wanxian Makes it Work, LWJ has limited words, WWX has too many words, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Love Languages, Requited Love) ModernAU! Soft Wangxian where they make their communication issues work

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7. Hello again! I want to ask for a itmf about powerhouse wwx, inspired from this post

More detailed: The Scene with the water ghouls, wwx proposes to jump in the water (bc hes just that strong) in combination with lwjs thoughts and competency kink? Please? I hope that was understandable, English isn‘t my first language, sorry. @desperation-is-my-middle-name

Truth Will Out (when caught on video) - End_OTW_Racism! by KizuKatana (E, 108k, wangxian, WN & WWX & WQ, graphic depictions of violence, modern cultivation, canon divergence, YZY abuses WWX , caught on camera, partial core removal, WWX kicked out of Jiang sect, livestreamer WWX, meet ugly, dual cultivation, smut, no war, WIP)

My chain hits my chest/When I’m bangin’ on the radio by x_los (T, 2k, wangxian, modern w/ magic, case fic, competence kink, YLLZ WWX)

Howling by MimiSpearmint (E, 40k, wangxian, LSZ & WWX, Modern with Magic, Mortal Instruments Fusion, Horror, Eldritch, Domestic Fluff, Single Parent WWX, Witchcraft, Northern Ireland, fluffy but I cannot emphasise how much horror there will be, Celtic Mythology & Folklore, Case Fic, Getting Together, shifter lwj, yllz wwx, Intercrural Sex, Hand Jobs, Angst with a Happy Ending, playing fast and loose with canon, off-screen beloved character death, Switch wangxian, a bit of a degradation kink, anti-STI sex talismans, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Cameos by various characters)

hills and rivers by LtLJ (T, 56k, wangxian, Post-Canon, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Domestic Fluff, Family Feels, Canon-Typical Violence, the family that hunts demons together stays together, and doesn’t murder each other, Case Fic, BAMF WWX, Mojo’s post)

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8. itmf some good ol' damsel in distress lwj @jawla-mukhi

silk threads and precious metal by Sevidri (M, 4k, WangXian, Canon-Typical Violence, Sunshot Campaign, Whump, Blood and Injury, WWX' Canonical Vengeful Streak, LWJ Makes A Beautiful Damsel in Distress, Non-Consensual Ribbon Touching, Protective wwx, Hurt LWJ)

Vagabond by xantissa (E, 65k, wangxian, Slow Burn, Mystery, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Frottage, Case Fic, murders, Supernatural, Angst, Fluff, those two are so in love it hurts, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, badass LXC, Canon-Typical Violence, topLWJ, Bottom LWJ)

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9. Itmf time travel fics where Wei Wuxian is caught in a time loop reliving the Sunshot Campaign and ensuing Burial Mounds years over and over until he can save everyone? Thank you!

Karma by English is my death (Lena013) (T, 2k, JGY/XY/WWX, wangxian, LXC/JGY, XY/XXC, Time Loop, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Misfortune Fellows, JGY & WWX Friendship, JGY & XY Friendship, WWX & XY Friendship, (but they all hate each other), White-Haired WWX, But temporarily, XY is a Brat, XY Is A Little Shit, POV JGY, YLLZ WWX, Drama, Drabble, Humor, Immortal WWX, Immortal XY, Immortal JGY, These are cut pieces from their eternity together, By this point they had become insane)

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10. Hi! I was hoping you could help me bc I was on Twitter & saw someone else mention that they wanted to read it but I was hoping that you had any fics where YLLZ!WWX time travels to the future? (Possibly ends up shtupping himself along the way.) I can’t remember if there are any besides ‘a tide between two seas’ but I know that’s more multi-verse travel! @arisuamichan

不忘 | Don’t Forget by dragongirlG (E, 50k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Reincarnation, Fix-It of Sorts, Identity Porn, Social Media, Devotion, Reunions, Feelings, Family, Angst with a Happy Ending, Light Bondage, Names, References to Canon, Modern Era, Artist WWX, Sexual Content, Pining, POV Multiple, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note)

忘不了你的爱 (can’t forget your love) by PorcupineGirl (G, 25k, WangXian, Time Travel, Modern with Magic, Modern Cultivators AU, Canon Divergence, Time Traveler WWX, discussion of canonical character deaths, a whole lot of handwaving, conveniently localized fires, Discussion of Canonical Suicide Attempt, mostly happy but slightly bittersweet ending) first fic in a series

so when you go wherever it is you will go, take the moon with you by comforting_monachopsis (T, 115k, WWX & WWX, WWX & WN, WWX & WQ, wangxian, JYL & WWX & JC, past WWX/SS, past WWX/XY, Thirteen Years of WWX's Death, Canon Divergence, Literary References & Allusions, Time Travel, Dimension Travel, Private Investigators, Private Investigator WWX, Professor LWJ, Trauma, Serial Killers, Strangers to Lovers, BAMF WWX, Hurt WWX, WWX Needs Therapy, Modern Era, WIP)

atlas in his sleepin’ by anatheme (E, 48k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Reincarnation, Family Reunions, Dimension Travel, temporary transmigration, Transmigrator!LWJ, Angst with a happy ending)

drop me down to the dream below by AroPeterWam (E, 44k, wangxian, WWX & XY, Time Travel, Comfort/Angst, basically there is reincarnation and because of that WWX lives in both timelines, changes had to be made to fit this story, JC comes to terms with his emotions, Angst with a Happy Ending, Reincarnation, POV Alternating, ooc because different lives, fluff, Canon Divergence, Memory Related, explicit for like that one scene, Adopted WWX, sick WWX, Dimension Travel, Noncultivator WWX, JC & WWX Reconciliation, XY Deserves Better, time swap, WIP)

Horseshoes and Hand Grenades by Phantomhill (T, WWX & Juniors, JL/LJY, OYZZ/A-QIng, wangxian, College/University AU, Modern, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Minor Original Character(s), Background Relationships, Murder, Canon-Typical Violence, Minor Character Death, the juniors are doing their best, NHS has plans, not a reincarnation fic, JYL lives, JZX lives, WIP)

worm moon by serein (E, 103k, JC/WWX/LWJ, Post-Canon, Mystery, Angst, Humor, Grief/Mourning, PTSD, Identity Issues, Demonic Cultivation, eventual polyamory, Cults, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied past cannibalism, Switching, Canon-Typical Violence, Doppelganger, POV Alternating, Character Study, Explicit Sexual Content, Reverse Golden Core Reveal, mild horror elements)

So Call Me a Pessimist, but I Don’t Believe in It by Anonymous (Not Rated, 127k, WIP, WangXian, Food Issues, Family Feels, WWX is a music teacher, WN and WWX are Best Friends from the future, They use memes to talk covertly, Transmigrator WWX, transmigration au, Slow Burn) This is the opposite but I think OP will LOVE it

refrain; a musical phrase repeating in a song or instrumental piece Series by Cerusee, Mikkeneko (T/G, 51k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Sort Of, Memory Loss, Canon-typical dismemberment, Post-Series, but also mid-series ya feel, Changing Tenses, Protective LWJ, Everybody Lives, Confused WWX, Crack Treated Seriously) This is… also the opposite? Sorta? In which everyone from the future gets pulled back except for him

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11. itmf hostage!LWJ, with WWX going berserk, kinda

silk threads and precious metal by Sevidri (M, 4k, WangXian, Canon-Typical Violence, Sunshot Campaign, Whump, Blood and Injury, WWX' Canonical Vengeful Streak, LWJ Makes A Beautiful Damsel in Distress, Non-Consensual Ribbon Touching, Protective wwx, Hurt LWJ) (link in #8)

the field meets the wood by astronicht (T, 7k, WangXian, BAMF WWX, slight whump, Ritualistic Self Harm, Canon Era, Tang Dynasty style, Blood Loss, Blood and Injury, salt economics, Post-Canon, [Podfic] the field meets the wood by semperfiona_podfic (semperfiona), [podfic] the field meets the wood by jellyfishfire)

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12. I'm holding out serious hope for some pride and prejudice au wangxian. I don't care about setting or time period, I just want that delicious Lizzy/Darcy dynamic with LWJ being a classist dick to WWX and instead of just trying harder and harder WWX's like fuck that asshole and then then oh no, LWJ falls in love and WWX wants none of it. (I mean, I'd love a subplot where LWJ tries to talk JZX out of marrying JYL, too, but not strictly necessary). Any pics out there remotely like this? @moku-youbi

In Wanting by thaliagrayce (T, 39k, wangxian, Enemies to Lovers, Inspired by Pride and Prejudice, Miscommunication, No Sunshot Campaign, we are ignoring all of the canon political drama to substitute our own, non-graphic depictions of torture, cw: offscreen XY)

Clans and Cultivation by ChalionKat (G, 81k, WIP, WangXian, XuanLi, ChengQing, SongXiao, Regency, Pride and Prejudice Fusion)

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13. Hi! 🤗 It's me, again. 😅

For the next ITMF, lately I'm looking for fics where WWX gets pregnant of LWJ. I'd prefer not abo fics, but if there is some good, it's ok too. I love Canon Divergence fics, Cloud Recesses arc, only the bad people dies and happy endings.

Thank you so much! ❤️😊 @wangxiansgirl

Unexpected Lullaby by SilverStark (T, 30k, WangXian, Minor Original Character(s), Unplanned Pregnancy, Post-Canon, Mpreg, Non-ABO, Fluff, Established Relationship, Reconciliation, Family, Dual Cultivation Baby)

🧡 Many Lan babies Series by LuckyMoonly (Varied, 396k, WIP, WangXian, Story collection, Mpreg, Pregnant WWX only, Family Fluff, Found Family, Kid fics)

Impermanence, Transience, Permanence by Best Bepsy (BepsyGray) (E, 39k, wangxian, canon divergence, unplanned pregnancy, mpreg, gore, sunshot campaign, assumed miscarriage, medical procedures, childbirth, golden core reveal)

Until The End by abCEE (M, 365k, wangxian, canon divergence, communication, established relationship, sunshot campaign, mpreg, canon typical violence, WWX has new golden core, canonical character death, happy ending, fix-it of sorts)

🧡 Like Rabbits by Setari (T, 41k, WangXian, Kid fic, Canon rewrite, Mpreg, Miscarriage scare, Crack treated seriously, Hopeful ending)

And they can always check the pregnancy comps! A/B/O is always tagged, so it can be avoided!

🧡 Accidents Will Happen by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 45k WangXian, Post Canon, Mpreg, Fluff, Light angst) I'm absolutely obsessed with

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14. Hello! 👋 I just find this blog and I saw that we can ask fics. This is for In the mood for.

My favorites fics are the ones where Wwx comes back in time and fix everything, get together with Lwj soon and saves everyone. I love longer fics. Thanks ☺️

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15. For itmf I was wondering if anyone had some recs for ChengXian mpreg with WWX as the carrier. @dragonfairies

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16. Hello! For my ITMF I'm looking for a fic where wwx flinches/gets scared from the Zidian (either held my jc or yzy) and people find out about his ptsd with the whip? Just want some justice and comfort for our bb boi @mrcformoso

🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 686k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement) So none that I can think of exactly, but this one has some tasty, tasty justice

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17. Hey, Im looking to read a fic or 2 where WWX wasnt in control of himself during his “k ll everyone faze” after the Wens are k lled and/or when his eyes turn red. So I guess like a burial mounds possession type deal? And if WWX is like seeing it all from inside, watching as all this tragedy unfolds at what he interprets as his own hand, for spice. May I have a fic rec or as many as you can find, please? @0call-me-rin0

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If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[soulmatebracket]

Soulmate Bracket: Round 1 [Side A — Part V]

Provided reasoning under cut:

Wei Wuxian & Lan Wangji

They are canonically called soulmates!! In the live action this is platonic due to censorship and in the book it is romantic but the term actually used is zhiji (知己) of which soulmate is the closest english translation but is more literally like. the mirror to your soul. your own self in another person. i am not good with translations only wei wuxian dies but lan wangji mourns him for thirteen years (despite wwx being hated and despised by the world) because he can never love another. when wwx is brought back he recognises him instantly despite being in someone else’s body. they literally would find each other in any time or place

Oh boy. Ok. They're not explicitly called "soulmates" in the show/book but Netflix does use that categorization in its description of "The Untamed". Nor are either of them technically reincarnated BUT Wei Wuxian does get resurrected in another man's body through some shady necromancy, which is pretty darn close. They've got a fascinating relationship journey (basically enemies/rivals to lovers) Mr. Follow-All-Rules-To-The-Letter Lan Wangji meets Mr. Break-All-The-Rules-In-The-Name-Of-Fun-And-Showing-Off Wei Wuxian at teenage exorcist summer camp, they go through some sh*t, Wei Wuxian dies, Lan Wangji spends over a decade trying to find any sign of his lost soulmate while raising his adopted kid, then the shady necromancy happens and Lan Wangji IMMEDIATELY clocks that this guy simultaneously solving exorcist issues using slightly questionable means and causing shenanigans is Wei Wuxian. He might be in a different body pretending to be another crazy man, but HE KNOWS it's his guy because he acts the same and he knows the secret love song Wangji wrote for Wuxian that he shared one time in a cave during one of their near-death bonding experiences. Then history starts kind of repeating itself, only this time they stick together and make sure EVERYONE knows that they've got each others' backs, and they are absolutely legendary. Also Wei Wuxian is INCREDIBLY dense and it takes him just about until the end of the story to realize they're both gay and in love. They're complex and fascinating and tied to each other by the red string of fate so tightly that they are incomplete without each other. That's destiny, baby. They're soulmates, always and forever. (Possibly literally as the proper practice of exorcism (called "cultivation" in this world) can lead to immortality, and you know Mr. Follow-All-Rules-To-The-Letter Lan Wangji has the potential, and he will drag his guy along with him so they are never separated again.)

Okay so I feel like it could be argued if they count but the Netflix description of the show calls them soulmates and WWX *did* get reincarnated and then almost immediately run into LWJ who had been mourning him for 16 years. LWJ composed a little musical theme for them that ties them together and WWX playing it on a super out of tune flute is what let LWJ fully recognize him. Their magic which comes from their souls is very compatible and neither of them have ever been normal about each other in their life even though WWX spent a long time being extremely dumb and repressed about his very gay feelings (they are romantic soulmates, just takes them a bit to get there). Big "you and me against the world" vibes once WWX becomes the number 1 wanted guy in the entire universe due to dabbling in dark magic even though WWX was like "lan zhan if someone has to kill me i want it to be you" (LWJ did *not* want it to be him and did his very best to keep WWX alive even though it meant betraying his clan and the world as a whole). They got fake married as teens back when LWJ didn't even like WWX. There are multiple moments where they parallel other soulmates/soulmate-coded characters (song lan and xiao xingchen, baoshen sanren and lan an). They're the only two characters who get to be happy at the immediate end of the story and that's because both of them being alive and together and getting to wander around fighting monsters and playing music and being grossly in love is all that they both need.

Utena Tenjou & Anthy Himemiya

[SPOILERS] at the end of the series, it is revealed that they weren’t living in the real world this entire time. Utena was sent somewhere else. Anthy goes to find her in the movie, and Utena has lost all of her memories of Anthy in that world. At the end of the movie, they end up escaping to the real world

Utena falls in love with Anthy on first sight and makes sure she becomes her prince without even remembering who she is. They're stuck in a timeloop and eventually find themselves together near the end escaping from the horrors theyre trapped in. (Spoilers kinda) Anthy is hinted to have came back to life after being burned st the stake for being seen as a witch so the reincarnation exists,,,(they're in love your honor vote for my silly sapphics)

Every version of RGU is the narrative repeating itself. Devouring itself again. The serpent eating its own tail. Utena fights for Anthy again and again. Anthy betrays Utena, or lies to Utena, or cannot save the both of them quick enough. Anthy escapes, or they both escape, or they both get trapped again, and the story repeats, and Utena is winning the hand of the rose bride, and Utena cannot escape the narrative. Each time the story is told again Utena cannot quite remember how she got here, but it gets more familiar each time. RGU is a time loop that the characters can hardly escape. In every version, Anthy and Utena find each other. Betray each other. Find each other, again.

[nutcasewithaknife]

Saw yet another post that reduced Lan Wangji's entire character to Wei Wuxian’s existence, so I'm screaming here again. So many people talk about him like he doesn't give a damn about what's right outside of WWX caring about it. Like he cares about fairness and justice only because Wei Ying does, so he must too, because otherwise Wei Ying would be upset. It's literally the opposite! Lwj may have been horny at first sight for wwx, but he fell in love only when he saw the side of him that wanted to fight for justice and righteousness, to protect those who needed it. Look at Lan Wangji's face when they're releasing the lanterns at Gusu, and Wei Wuxian makes his resolution. Look at him and tell me its not the face of a someone falling in love.

Why does he go around helping those in need after Wei Wuxian is gone? 'because Wei Ying would have wanted it' is not the answer, at least not a complete one. Maybe he would never be able to face Wei Ying if he didn't try to fight for what's right. But its also the fact that he failed to do it before, he failed and it ended with Wei Ying jumping off a cliff. He is a man who fought a war on the side of righteousness only to realise way too late that it was rotten from the inside. Losing wwx is a huge blow not just because the man he loved is dead, but because wwx put everything at stake, including his life, trying to uphold the pact they made to be truly righteous at any cost, while lwj could barely do anything for it.

Lan Wangji was always so strict about the rules not because he doesn't know any better or because he was a teacher's pet or whatever. It's because he believes they're necessary for justice and righteousness! His entire arc is about his experiences forcing him to reexamine the rules that have dictated his life and the world he has lived in, and see if they are truly for good. It's him realizing those rules are not as black and white as he'd thought, coming to terms with the complexities of what is right and wrong. It's him realising how unfair and broken his world can be despite or even because of these rules, and deciding he will not be able to live with himself without doing something, however little, about it. How can you just ignore all of that!!!

[phoenixcatch7]

So earlier I made a post about sun/moon from fnaf getting reincarnated as jc, when I was torn between him and wwx. I really couldn't quite finalise it as jc, wwx just had too much potential.

But then I thought, well, why not both? Sun and moon are technically two people! Just give them different bodies!

And obviously you think hyper overworked sun = wwx and quiet angry moon = jc, but... I actually think it might be better the other way around? I'm not sure

Because we don't really see enough of moon to get a clear read on his character? He's corrupt now, we know that, scaring the kids, but there's proof of him previously being very good at putting hyper kids down for nap time, on top of his role as the guard dog of the complex during the hourly recharge when the lights go out. So clearly he's actually capable of being soothing and gentle and caring, as well as probably very protective. By the game, though, he's just a malicious hunter kidnapping kids for the rabbit boss. A bit of a mischievous streak, he certainly likes to make you sweat.

There's a great parallel obviously between moons corruption and wwx's demonic cultivation, jc constantly being the no fun responsible one sick of everything like sun, but I feel like suns martyring protectiveness is much more like wwx. Sun is a bit of a control freak though, and moon seems much more adaptable.

There's also the twin jades but they're way too stable to be the daycare attendant XD. Maybe jgy and jzx? They're half brothers with the same birthday after all... I don't know... The potential is there but again they're not as manic as the twin prides lol.

Anyway they'd make excellent foils, being in different bodies and able to communicate for the first time. I can see them basically being glued at the hip as soon as they were reunited. The fear of dogs would be interesting because they're theoretically more than old and experienced enough to not have it be so world defining but on the other side they were made lived and died in the pizza plex, they would never have seen real animals before except MAYBE the occasional service dog that wouldn't be allowed in the actual play area anyway. I could see wwx loosening up and getting a bit boisterous as he finally gets to live life on his terms (ish) no matter which he is. Him being trained as the right hand of jc would be really interesting if he was moon, given their original roles. Either way I can see him going dark to protect the wens and the other being beside himself at the thought of being separated again. They'd both have pretty severe trauma regarding losing cores, so I don't know if wwx would actually be able to sacrifice his. That little time would be very interesting... Very canon divergent.

In terms of romance, though... I can't see them being willing to share lol. Maybe if they both dated the same person....? I really don't know, romance is not my scene. I'm making them asexual either way lmao.

Oh but the dynamics would be so good!! Yes, I'm thinking moon wwx, they'd be nigh telepathic twins who live to rile each other up. There'd be the angst of recovering their 'relationship' from ruin, being separate people instead of one... Never being able to return to what they once were and if they even want to... Moons broken trust in sun and suns guilt at the way he handled it but having no other option... Both of them completely disillusioned by authority and the people that should have saved them, especially so in wwx's case when his parents died and left him on the streets again.

Ooh! A scene where people get cursed to gem fusion or something, meant to force bickering couples to work together or something, but the prides just flow together like they were meant to be. Lots of should they/shouldn't they unfuse and the realisation that they're separate people now with separate wants and wishes.

They'd probably have pretty severe separation anxiety that their parents would hate though... Burial mounds time skip would be the WORST.

Wwx, experiencing freedom and sunlight for the first time: BEST SECOND LIFE EVER :D!! I can't believe humans get to live like this!

Jc, now having to do work on PAPER like a neanderthal and unable to get moon to shut up by flicking the light switch, still dealing with simultaneously overbearing and emotionally neglectful handlers/parents: yeah no this is just fantastic.

Or wwx: hey hey hey play with me now we're in separate bodies let's go swimming like humans

Jc, grounded for running off to play with wwx and missing training: >:(

Wwx:... *back flips his way upright and tosses jcs paperwork into the harbour*

Jc: *years of pent up aggression that would have gotten them discontinued if he'd acted on it* *bodily throws them in the lake after it*

They'd be soooooo particular about the arts too XD. Mr sun 'be creative on your own time we are making ART' drop. Ooh jc being able to reconnect with kids on his own terms, not being forced to care for them twelve+ hours a day every day without break. Wwx being able to person again without the corruption.

My headcanon for the DA is that it's one person, just two... Filters? Probably share a memory bank but slightly different ai that grew more separate as the corruption spread, cuz it's something to notice that while moon seemingly had it the worst out of the animatronics, sun... Had zero influence. He was perhaps even less affected than freddy, and infinitely more aware of the situation, though he was powerless to change it.

I'm not sure entirely how it would rewrite the plot, that's something for a different time.

[weirdocat83]

When I'm bored, I like to imagine Lan Wangji going literally feral whenever someone insults Wei Wuxian. Not in person, of course, that isn't how he rolls, but he waits 'till he's alone. He lets the frustration bubble inside him until he can stalk away far into the secluded corners of the Cloud Recesses, and just starts absolutely beating up everything he sees.

So you knew that I’d take this idea and run with it right?

I think it’d be interesting if that was how the bunny field was created. Like, he just punched down enough trees that it created a large open field for the bunnies to live in and nobody could question why he’s put punching trees because he has an excuse now. It’s be hilarious if his cultivation gets a large boost from so much time spent meditating and “training” as a way to get his anger out.

Also I think it’d be funny if he has murder plans of several people who insulted Wwx. Detailed too. Like, nobody would know it was him and the plans would be incriminating if one of them went missing under mysterious circumstances. He’d probably never do it but he would think about it. He could do it pretty openly too. He’s just writing in the library and most people think that he’s writing some official documents or replicating books for emergencies (they don’t want their library burned again but if it does it’s good to have backups) but in actuality he’s just writing how to best murder sect leader Jiang for the millionth time. Sect leader Jiang 100% has the most notes written about him but LWJ would never act on it if only because wwx loves his brother even if they haven’t been on good terms for awhile even before his death.

[grewlikefancyflowers]

When someone (WQ?) asks if they hate each other, doesn’t WWX literally say “nah, we don’t”?? Why can’t these fandom read 😩

Yes, in chapter 75.

'Wen Qing, “Really? Don’t you two have a bad relationship? Heard that it’s like you’re ice and fire, fighting every time you see each other.”

Wei WuXian, “Don’t listen to the rumors. Our relationship really was quite bad in the past. During the Sunshot Campaign, we did get into a few fights because of our bad tempers. But afterwards, it wasn’t as bad as the rumors say. We’re so-so.”

When they meet in Yiling, WWX also thinks that LWJ does not, nor has he before, held hated or enmity towards him. 'Hearing that his voice was no different from before, without any sense of hatred or enmity, Wei WuXian finally felt a part of him relax.'

WWX similarly summarises their relationship in chapter 48,

'This person’s story wasn’t as bad as some others. The more exaggerated ones even told of how on the battlefield he and Lan WangJi fought with each other as they killed the Wen-dogs. In reality, back then, their relationship wasn’t as utterly incompatible as the rumors say, but there were some trivial clashes. At the time, Wei WuXian went around digging graves all the time, while Lan WangJi always chose the most vexing of vocabulary, such as how it wasn’t a righteous path and harmed both the body and the mind. He even straight up hindered Wei WuXian at times. What was more, they battled the Wen-dogs once every few days, both directly and secretively. Both of them were quite easily angered at the time, so they often parted on bad terms.'

And again in chapter 12,

'He honestly didn’t think that he shared a deep memorable bond with Lan Wangji. Even though they had studied together, faced dangers together, and fought alongside each other in the past, these encounters ended as quickly as they had started. Lan Wangji was a disciple of the Lan Clan; he was destined to be “refined” and “upright”. This was incompatible with Wei Wuxian’s character. Wei Wuxian had personally felt that even though they weren’t on bad terms, they weren’t exactly best buddies either. Lan Wangji most probably had the same evaluation of him as an average bystander: He was a sinister man who lacked righteousness and created havoc in his wake; it wouldn’t be long before he would become a major source of trouble. After betraying the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng and taking on the title of Yiling Laozu, one could say that the rift between himself and the Lan Clan of Gusu was fairly noteworthy, especially in the months prior to his demise.'

Even straight after his resurrection, he doesn't think their relationship was particularly good or bad. WWX also thinks that LWJ probably views him as someone who lacks righteousness, etc. Even he knows he is making an assumption. It is more due to WWX's perception of the Lan clan rather than LWJ himself that makes him feel this way.

So, prior to his death, straight after his resurrection, and after he has spent a lot of time with present-day LWJ, WWX's appraisal of their relationship in the past stays the same; neither good nor bad, rocky due to both their tempers, but never with any true hatred or animosity from either of them.

[llycaons]

Hello, anon!

Are you there? Last week you asked about fics that I would like to see as real books (and also for high-quality recs), and I'm able to answer you now! I wrote a lot so it's going under the cut

Honestly I mostly rbed that post out of a brief amusement over a hypothetical bc I don't think fanfic and original stories really scratch the same itch or even draw on the same skills so I am happy to keep them separated. And if I love a work for being about wx, I don't think I'd like it if it was revamped to be about original characters. I don't think most fanfic authors (who are primarily hobbyists) have the writing skill to craft really good original fiction, and that's fine! I do know for a fact at least one writer whose fics are in my rec list IS a published author and I know that her book sucks. it has got to suck with prose like that

BUT. if there was one who DID write well enough that their work could be published. Glyphic of See You Yesterday fame I have absolute faith in. The worldbuilding, while based off canon, is complex and well-developed, the plot is drawn-out but absolutely riveting, the character work is rich enough that I can see them creating compelling original characters, and the prose is gut-wrenching. If that author released a real book with a premise I had interest in, I would buy it and expect it to be good bc that fic is so delicious and I have complete faith in their ability to create original content. and it would be a finished product so I could FINISH IT without FALLING INTO DESPAIR unlike my current relationship with syy

And yes it is in my fic rec list! Each fic has a little summary and I usually say whether it's decent quality or not, plus my favorites are starred. I'd say check out Section One for all the best wangxian stuff, but See you Yesterday's entry is in Section Four

But for specifically high-quality wx/excellent writing, here are the highlights. Please keep in mind I prefer happy endings but I do tend to gravitate towards dark content since I think it captures canon themes the best, so many of these comes with hefty trigger warnings that you can see under their entries on my rec page. ALL of these are wx unless specified otherwise

From Section One:

*second person* by theherocomplex - gorgeous writing, cool concepts, lots of coming to terms with stuff. wx more at the end but really good

*fish & wild geese* by impossibletruths - little forest AU so perhaps not the most original but BEAUTIFULLY written lwj pov and a very sweet romance

empty as the sky by incendir - a casefic where wwx is transported to a universe where he still has his mother, his sister, social status, and his gc, but never fell in love with lwj. really lovely wx even tho lwj is mostly not present

*feast and famine by luckymarrow - extremely high-quality writing, including wx writing, but huge tw for sexual assault. like. that's the plot of the fic

*places under the sky by narie - lots of wwx family backstory! it hurt me so bad is all and I can never read it again

*总有一天; a place to hide (can’t find one near)* by yiqie - shaky and corny writing here and there, but overall a lovely story with some geniunely riveting passages. one of my older faves. tw for suicide attempt

*As a Shadow, As a Dream* by balmandbitterness - some creepy magic post-nghtless city keeps lwj and wwx in contact. spooky, but tender and comforting even so. and I love the ending

*somewhere they live, somewhere they multiply by perilously - spooky! let's get this married couple some therapy

the low sky, raining over by chibilwj (thelogicoftaste) - very unusual fic, this one. postcanon kidfic but the kid is maybe cursed

*Close Your Soft Eyes* by timetoboldlygo - just REALLY lovely and mature wx

Where the Lonely Ones Go by CSHfic, VSfic - really cute postcanon casefic with a haunted baby girl wx sort of adopt

From Section Two:

his hands keep turning to birds and flying away from him (him being you) by zerodignity - the first part of a series where wwx isn't cis but also doesn't have the words to describe himself. the wx in the second work in this series rules

From Section Four:

*hide fox, and all after* by blackfeather (oogenesis) - not wx, but I AM in love with the worldbuilding and I think the attention given to a tertiary character (mxy) shows a strength in original writing that you wouldn't necessarily see if someone was only writing main characters who already have personalities, backstories, etc.

*a tide in two seas by occultings (microcomets) - this one was wild

counterpart by queensmooting - similar concept to the above. also wild

*strangers on the shore by seularen - spy fic but not a bootlicking kind, just really well-researched and tense and elaborate

From Section Five:

*To Love Mountains* by HerenorThereNearnorFar - not wx, but the backstories of all the parents is SO fascinating I love you cssr

*Marital Prospects* by Vamillepudding - not particularly high-quality writing in any sense except for the fact that this author has posted some of the funniest things I have ever read and that's got to count for something. see also The Shape of Your Love (is Horny) (found in section six)

From Section Six (heed warnings abt the authors!)

*A Lot of Edges Called Perhaps* by hansbekhart - honest to god obsessed with the wx in this one

*Out of the darkness, into the day by ilip13 - a long postcanon get-together. fantastic wx

*all the depths of us* by northofallmusic (tofsla) - also great wx!

*here’s to upright men by isozyme - an nhs postcanon study

The Good That Won’t Come Out by raisedbyhyenas - postcanon wx angst/dealing with stuff. neat worldbuilding and compelling original characters

*Vagabond by xantissa - quite frankly this fic was insane to read. the wx blew my mind

*grave goods* by luckymarrow - less focused on wx and more on death and grieving. really well-done tho, and the wx IS there and important

[miixz]

I posted 1.192 times in 2022

They were 1.192 more posts than in 2021!

93 posts created (8%)

1.099 posts reblogged (92%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@ladypfenix

@sienne-k

@side-salami

@chai-chahiye-yr

@jiangwanyinscatmom

I tagged 588 of my posts in 2022

#mdzs - 425 posts

#wangxian - 244 posts

#wei wuxian - 210 posts

#lan wangji - 184 posts

#mdzs art - 96 posts

#mo dao zu shi - 67 posts

#lan sizhui - 36 posts

#mdzs fic - 34 posts

#mdzs meta - 28 posts

#svsss - 20 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#he isn't insecure really and the food thing started as like…you know in the book when he flirts with lwj and he reacts and he says he's hap

My Top Posts In 2022:

#5

I plan to elaborate on this in the future but... Rereading the Yiling date chapter one thing that occurs to me is how even then WWX did know LWJ was a lot more trustworthy than JC, he just didn't have the opportunity to see things from a distance and figure it out.

His reactions to them are so different, and the contrast between their interactions is obvious. JC doesn't interact with the Wens and WWX doesn't encourage it because he knows JC and he's not expecting good things from him. He sends Wen Yuan away when he comes over, they fight, its that whole mess.

Meanwhile LWJ says one thing and WWX goes "Oh okay, we're good, you're treating me the same. Hey, wanna go on a date? I'll pay."

He trusts LWJ to help him fight, he doesn't mind being manhandled into flying on bichen, he just settles into working with him and though there's still some tension between them, if given the opportunity, he wants to work with LWJ.

Where JC only makes WWX feel stressed, LWJ is yet again there to contrast it by making him feel happy and safe (even if there's a few bumps along the way).

341 notes - posted in August 16, 2022

#4

"In terms of running wild, Wei WuXian was definitely a master. In the past, if he wanted to run wild, he would have to keep his status in mind, but now, he was a lunatic anyways, which meant that he could do whatever he wanted to, whichever way he wanted."

Started thinking about this paragraph on my mdzs reread, cause I think it shows exactly what tends to bother me with gremlin WWX takes, which is that he did have fun playing around and messing with people, but he was never unaware of his standing and what the implications were on his social relationships.

He was never unaware or uncaring of consequences, to portray him as someone who needs to be kept in check not to cause shame or something of the like just doesn't fit.

496 notes - posted in June 9, 2022

#3

I was rereading some scenes from the novel to check something for my fics and here's something cute I noticed. Wei Wuxian uses the concept of "girls" flirting with Lan Wangji multiple to justify his thoughts on him. Whenever he's negative towards him, Wei Wuxian's thoughts will go to "a girl flirting with you wouldn't like this behaviour" not once thinking that the situation would be different for Lan Wangji then, meaning the girl in question fits into the same place as Wei Wuxian is right now and these interactions are equal.

When he was still in Yunmeng, there were a lot of girls who envied that he could come and study with Lan WangJi. They said that each generation was full of nice-looking men, especially the brothers part of the Two Jades in the current generation. Before this, Wei WuXian never had the chance to carefully examine the front of his face. Now that he had a look at it, he started to think random thoughts, He looks quite nice indeed. Yet, if only those girls could come and see him with their own eyes. Looking as bitter as if everyone had offended him or his parents died, it wouldn’t matter no matter how nice his face looks.

Ah yes, girls would be very upset that Lan Wangji isn't smiling at them, this is obviously not a feeling Wei Wuxian is having right now.

As he showed off and flirted on the side, Lan WangJi was staring straight ahead, appearing quite virtuous. Wei WuXian smugly tossed the toquat in his hand, and suddenly pointed at him, “Sisters, do you think that he looks handsome?” Lan WangJi didn’t expect Wei WuXian to suddenly talk about him at all. Just as he was unsure of how to respond, the women on the river spoke in harmony, “Even more handsome!” Amid this, there seemed to be the laughter of a few men.

Even while flirting with girls himself Wei Wuxian has to stop and point out how handsome Lan Wangji is.

Lan WangJi, “No.” Wei WuXian, “Don’t answer everything with negative words. You sound so uncaring; girls won’t like it."

He was talking about how they could meet pretty girls in this scene, but it's clear that he's the one displeased that Lan Wangji is rejecting him.

It's such a small thing, I don't think he's aware of it, but it's pretty cute how obvious his crush is to the reader. The cloud recesses study arc is so adorable to read.

600 notes - posted in May 10, 2022

#2

I actually love the way Lan Wangji doesn't pursue Wei Wuxian when they meet again(?)

He's ready to play with him, to one up him in his own games and surprise Wei Wuxian that he's playing along at all. I think that's what picking him up was, and getting him into bed, and all that back and forth they had. Wangxian both like to tease. But Lan Wangji's side always feels like he's trying a little less to flirt and I see why some people would be disappointed with that, but I really like it.

It makes sense why he'd think Wei Wuxian wouldn't reciprocate his feelings and they had so many communication problems in his past life, it comes across to me as Lan Wangji just wanting to be there for him this time, as a friend or in whichever other way Wei Wuxian will take him. Romance is the ideal of course but not the requirement. It's a very selfless type of love, where he just wants Wei Wuxian safe and happy, and being there for him at all seems to come as a bonus that has Lan Wangji really really happy regardless or how much of that he gets.

Which also seems to comfort Wei Wuxian, that Lan Wangji has no ulterior motives keeping him by his side, he just likes him and wants to be there, that's all. As he slowly opens up to the idea of them being together, you get to see Lan Wangji respond, because he does want this if he can have it, but one of the most important parts of getting here is that he wasn't pushing for it. He was there giving himself and his love for Wei Wuxian without asking for anything back, and in turn Wei Wuxian fell (deeper) in love with him.

They're so sweet 🥺

I've been wanting to write a meta about this for a while (I will eventually!) but I've been sort of low energy, so it'll have to be rambly posts instead for now...

879 notes - posted in August 10, 2022

Meu post nº 1 de 2022

Cannot get over the amount of the impact Wei Wuxian had on the cultivation world as a scholar.

As for why they looked familiar… How could they have not come across as familiar? The creator of Phantom Attraction Flags was none other than the YiLing Patriarch!

It seemed like that, although the cultivation world hated him on the surface, they still used the the inventions that he came up with.

There's obviously his inventions.

But also,

The cultivation world had a strict definition for the category of “ferocious ghosts”—they had to kill at least one person a month and continue the behaviour for at least three months. The criterion was set by Wei WuXian himself, and it was probably still being used. He was the best at dealing with this kind.

The fact that he created the criteria???

They use his ideas so much and so often, he had such a present and lasting impact on the world, and it makes the cultivation world's hypocrisy even more glaring considering they curse his name to that day but he's also their most trusted source for so many things.

1.064 notes - posted in June 13, 2022

Veja a sua Retrospectiva 2022 →

[ruthlesscalculuss]

THIS IS A LITTLE RANT ABOUT JC’S TRAUMA, not a discussion post. So…Jiang Cheng. He’s a complicated character with a complicated history. Being neglected by his father and being humiliated by his mother, never truly being good enough for the people he craved respect from the most. Always being second best to wwx.

Then of course we have his trauma, the murder of his family, friends and the citizens of lotus pier. We see him sacrifice himself for wwx, his hopes and his dream of rebuilding the Jiang sect being extinguished at the torture by hands of Wen Chao, his core being forcibly destroyed. We see him struggle and then we see him slowly, but surely lose his best friend/brother because of diverging moral views and a lack of power on both sides to get through it together.

Jiang Cheng cannot loose Lotus Pier again at the hands of the Jin’s and wwx knows this, thats the one thing he cannot sacrifice. That’s why they have a staged fight, to publicly announce wwx’s defection. This way the Jiang Sect won’t be harmed by wwx’s actions. Here it breaks jc’s heart, the only one he wanted by his side was wwx and he can’t understand why he would leave the jiangs to protect the wens, all he sees is his brothers arrogance and his betrayal. He does not know the full extent of the wens help, he does not know wwx is without a core.

Jc is a broken man, he has given his best efforts to not be jealous of wwx, to not let it show just how deep his low self esteem runs. He cannot let himself be weak like his mother said he was, like his father thought he was. I think many people, specifically jc antis, ignore this. He is a HUMAN. He is not a character that can be shoved into black and white, either or. We can be like him, he is the example of the scarring, a physical reminder of unhealthy coping mechanisms with trauma. Wwx of course shows his coping methods as well.

Him trying to make light of most things, his lack of cares for rules because “why does it matter if I follow them, I’ll get punished anyway”, we see this even more so after he’s thrown into the mass grave. After Jin Zixuan dies and Yanli dies, Jc is overcome with anger and grief. He blames wwx, “didn’t you say you could control it?!” and to a degree it is part of his fault. Although I don’t think he had a choice-

they needed to win a war with that demonic energy, nobody can deny that. Jc doesn’t know the sinister plans that are making wwx turn into a target for the world. Imagine it was you, could you say you would still be as kind, as forgiving? Sometimes the world can make you or break you, and I believe jc was the latter. He agrees to participate in the siege, he was one of the most important gears in the siege.

Why. Did he hate wwx? Did he want to appease the sect leaders to save the Jiang Clan? Did he feel like he should end his brother on his own terms? I’m honestly not sure. There’s much speculation, It’s my own personal beliefs it’s a combination of politics due to the jins and also an anger that’s been building in jc for a VERY long time. I know in CQL he does force him to let go of lwj, but in the book…I’m curious.

What if Jiang Cheng got to Wei Wuxian first before anyone else. What would he say, what could he say? What would wwx say to him? Sometimes I think it would end as jc stabbing wwx and truly killing him. Sometimes, I wishfully think he couldn’t do it. But that’s very much up to everyone’s interpretation of Jc. At the end of this, I think of jc going back home after the siege carrying chenqing with him until he could finally rest.

I think he would just stare at it, too tired too numb to really do anything else. I think he’d get passed out drunk trying to maybe somehow sleep, and I think he’d have nightmares. God, I don’t write but I’d write a fic for this. Anyways ya sorry guys just some thoughts

[draugrbite]

i've been doing some thinking (alt: wwx meta)

so, for some background, i was really, really into the wei wuxian/lan wanji (if there's a ship-name i've forgotten it) pairing for a good while. i'm talking from the time there were only 200 fics on AO3 to the time there was about 8000. i would refresh that page literally every single day and devour all the new fics i could get my grabby hands on.

i hate strongly dislike wei wuxian —and also lan wanji by association— with a ridicoulsly fierce passion now, to the point i even filter them out on my socials. and i think i finally have an answer for why.

wei wuxian is a trashfire (affectionally). he just is. if you pre-date the mdzs fandom from before the Untamed, you probably agree with me. if you joined the fandom through the Untamed then... i don't know, that's when i hit exit.

but, to put it simply, it's about accountability.

because wei wuxian is a trashfire. he makes poor choices born out of low self-esteem and a big ego. he thinks nothing of himself, and he thinks everyone else also thinks nothing of him because he thinks that and he's practically a genius, so he must be right, right?

he walks out on jiang cheng because he's certain it's the right thing to do and he expects jiang cheng to go along with it because he thinks it won't hurt jiang cheng that much, because low self-esteem.

wwx is a trashfire—he's flawed to his core. saying he's a straight-up good person is a lie, and it's one that damages his kind of fascinating characterization. he's a good person in the sense that he has strong morals, sure, but he persistently hurts others, even those he loves, out of a disregard for the consequences of his actions. he's kind of hilariously unable to plan long-term (which is also why he would be a horrible sect leader).

he's a flawed, complicated character and that's what i loved about him. and then... the Untamed happened.

and i don't wanna be petty (though i definitely can be) because to be fair i haven't watched that show—i got through the first 10 eps or so on jiang cheng but to be honest it was boring. it was dull, and it didn't catch my interest, and i moved on. simple.

but a lot of people liked it, and wwx in the Untamed is, to put it kindly, a way better person than in the book. or, well, he's framed as a much less flawed version, and the narrative supports this by making every one of his bad choices, and their consequences, somebody else's fault. it's a much less critical view of his part in his own actions, and where the blame lies. everything is a part of a conspiracy, and wwx is now an uncomplicated good guy who just got fucked over by The Evil Person™.

(note, i'm generalizing here and i'm aware of it. again, i haven't watched the full show, but this is what i got out of all those fanfics i read, and all that drama that was going on in the mdzs fandom before my interest popped like a balloon and i stopped paying attention)

and now we're back at the accountability part of it. because when you take away all of wwx's agency, when you deny him the ability to make his own choices, when his bad actions and the worst consequences are always somebody's elses fault, you're changing a core part of his character—the one i loved so much in the days of yore.

the narrative in the Untamed never held wwx accountable, and the wider fandom that built around the Untamed never did either, because uncomplicated good guys that are the underdogs despite the fun necromancy powers are like, cool, you know? (and wwx is cool, i'm not denying that.)

but... idk, i just have a lot of feelings about it. and i think a lot of it boils down to, when you're taking away wwx's ability to make poor choices out of his own volition, you're taking away his agency.

and characters with no agency are just boring.

[whoviandoodler]

thinking about that scene where wwx comes back from the burial mounds and gets into a fight with lwj over demonic cultivation and how like. absolutely heart-breaking wwx turning to demonic cultivation was from lwj's perspective. here he was, trying for months to get his head around wwx being a rule-breaker but a just man, insolent but very skilled, trying to come to terms with his feelings for someone so... essentially un-lanish. and he finally did (i'd say around the cave arc, because I believe that's the first time that he didn't go back and forth and very seriously stood by wwx to protect him)... but then stuff happened- wwx comes back, this time not wielding his sword, but wielding something that lwj has been taught his entire life is irrevocable evil, by the looks of it for nothing but a whim or a laugh. here lwj had decided to protect wwx and to stand by him, and then wwx goes and... well, seemingly does the exact same thing lwj's mother did- turned to evil just because, or for the convenience of power. do you know what that must've felt like? the terror lwj must've felt, not only because of the price dark magic would have on wwx, but because lwj was in his father's place all of a sudden, the mc in a story that had been used as a lesson of the greatest sin his entire life, committed to protecting someone who did evil. he must've- i don't think there's anyone who could've resisted it- sworn to himself at some point during his childhood that he would never do something so shameful as his father, that he would always stand with good and against evil, and wwx was good, he was certain of that, and he placed his heart at wwx's shrine thinking that it was the rightest thing to do, only to find that it had all rotted somehow. i think this inner turmoil, the shadow of his parents' mistakes, was what got him to wait so long- too long- until he stood with wwx fully again, moreso than just the fact that demonic cultivation was seen as evil and he was taught to fight it.

[winepresswrath]

It’s sad because they wanted to introduce Wei Wuxian to his nephew together as a family.

[featherfur]

MMMMMmmmmm accidentally just managed to fuck up my fix-it + Yungmeng reconciliation and I don't know if I can reconcile them after what I just wrote

,,,, RIP me for thinking I could write a story where JC had to risk losing his sect or know he could save Yanli and not do it, and think that it would end up okay if WWX was also there

I'm only 20k in but man JC is both a major asshole to keep control of the situation and also completely and utterly devoted to his people and tearing himself apart trying to keep himself sane and not just break down into a sobbing mess

[layzeal]

i said 5 months ago i was gonna share my thoughts on this scene and never did, so it's time to dig this out

what did wei wuxian mean by asking shijie "why would someone like another person" and why i.... don't think he's talking about lan wangji (i know-- i know. just bear with me)

or more accurately: an analysis of chapter 71, wwx's thoughts on love, and how mxtx utilizes parallels between past and present!

(Ch 71 of MDZS web revised edition //// ExR translation)

okay let's get straight to the point that's gonna make y'all want to call me a stupid bitch who can't read: i legitimately do not think wwx was talking about lwj in this scene! here's why:

first and foremost, let's remember what the status of wangxian's relationship was at this point after sunshot ended

first, phoenix mountain: a callback to their teen dynamic. wwx's silly and flirty personality is back, he teases lwj by throwing a peony at him then asking to borrow his ribbon. lwj is frustrated, etc. lwj forcefully kisses wwx then gets angry at himself. wwx finds him and gets worried that something happened to him. they walk together and talk in very friendly manner until the xuanli incident happens. by the end they part on good terms

then, yunmeng teahouse: the first scene of this chapter. wwx is feeling quite upbeat about seeing lwj as they had a nice chat last time they met. he does a lil phoenix mountan callback by throwing a peony at him, then asking him to come upstairs and hang out. lwj does but it.... doesnt end well. he's worried about wwx's worsening temper and fears he's starting to show signs of loss of control, and asks him once again to go to gusu with him. that severely sours wwx's mood, to the point of snapping at lwj when lwj implies that he'll regret it in the future. lwj realizes his mistake and they become polite again, but the atmosphere is significantly strained, and wwx even comments that he was presumptious and shouldn't have invited him over, which lwj dissents. wwx parts with a cordial but distant "thank you", and on... not great terms

what i think really makes the above hurt though is that, when wwx comes back to yunmeng and jc asks who he met. wwx answers this:

worse than jin zixuan.....oof. im so sorry hgj

so, it really is quite tragic. wwx had a nice time with lwj in phoenix mountain, and because of that he wanted to try and wash away their bad blood, ask him to hang out, recall some stories of their youth, maybe mend this relationship that became so strained during the war! what happens instead is that... he gets the harsh reminder of what (in his mind) lwj thinks of his cultivation, thinks he's not in control of it, that it's dangerous and he should be locked up. with that, they're all back to square one :(

the thing is, MDZS is quite known for being non-linear and having a humongous amount of flashbacks, and they're all set and positioned at the time they were for a reason! the thing is, as most read the novel once and then proceed to only revisit scenes separately, naturally forgetting about the grand-picture and the scenes that come before and after, we might misremember how some events play out or the state of the character arcs and relationships, and i believe the popular fanon interpretation that "omggg wwx was asking yanli this bc he likes lwj but can't admit this yet!!!! 🙈" is quite of a great example of this

but!! it's not for any bad reason, after all both the Audio Drama and CQL kinda play up this moment with some beautiful background music. this is, in the end, a romance novel! but let's put a pin on that for a bit and analyze what led to this scene, and why WWX came looking for shijie to ask her this

so as you see, the scene right before was wei wuxian and jiang cheng talking about jin zixuan, with jc asking wwx to not pick fights with him anymore since he's the heir of lanling jin. wwx is baffled because up until that point he and jc were trashtalking buddies when it came to jzx, but there's nothing they can do about it if shijie still likes him

that... makes wwx quite speechless, and he goes searching for her to get an answer. in his mind, jzx is still an awful, undeserving person! so why would shijie like him so much?

why would someone like another person?

of course, he's not as shameless to ask shijie right to her face why she likes someone like jzx, esp since she's already well familiar with his poor opinion of him, so he tries getting an "unbiased" answer by making a vague question, which in turn makes shijie think wwx is in love with someone else

now here's the thing: i feel like fandom tends to flanderize wwx when it comes to his unreliable narration, awareness of his own feelings or lan wangji's. we don't have time to get into that now, but if you've followed me for a while you know my thoughts on this

but here, specifically, i do not think wwx is in "denial about his crush" or "waving off because he doesnt want to get caught". his answer feels genuine, and honestly? really sad once you think about it

"I won't like anyone, at least not too much. Wouldn't it be like putting a rein on my own neck?"

this isn't strange once you consider the types of romantic relationships he grew up observing. other than his own parents', which he's mostly forgotten about, a strong love and attatchment sounds more like tying a rope around your neck. even though wwx is a romantic at heart who flirts easily but had been saving his first kiss for 20 years, he's still never felt this type of love for anyone before, and can't imagine putting himself through it

"So, wait... just because WWX said so you think you should believe it? You're telling me the curtains are just blue? If he's not talking about Lan Wangji, then what's the point of this scene?"

glad you asked!

you see, something that MXTX does quite often with the flashback placement in MDZS is contrast the moments where wangxian's relationship was at its best with moments where it was at its worst. As wwx recall these memories, his pre-conceived notions about lwj get challenged and his actions and words get recontextualized! my favorite example is probably the ending of the flashback of wwx's return, to him waking up in the cloud recesses

no i'll never shut up about this flashback placement. my goddd

so, when looking at the "why would someone like another person" scene, i ask you to not look at it by itself, but as a part of the literary work that mdzs is! because, as the wangxian of the past are stuck in this cordial, but strained relationship, do you remember where the wangxian of the present have currently been left at?

if you ask me, there is something incredibly sweet about leaving these characters at their most tender --- when one is finally beginning to not only understand his own feelings, but to suspect that those feelings are requited, in which he's allowing himself to imagine a calm and happy future with him right as they march inside the lion's den --- and meeting them again when they're younger, and strained, and not fully knowing how to communicate that they care for each other, which in turn only hurts them both.

there is something very sweet about seeing wwx who is slowly realizing that he's in love, testing the waters of that, seeing how much he can take, in what ways he can ask for affection, and then seeing him again as he says "i won't ever like someone, at least not so much. wouldnt it be suffocating? wouldn't it be an impediment? wouldnt it be shackling yourself?" because you, like a cheeky grandma, can look at him and think: you don't know yet, but i've seen you then. you will like someone very much, and it won't be restraining. in fact, you'll never feel more free...

and that is the biggest thing, about revisiting this scene after you're done. because you'll look back this 20-something WWX who genuinely believed loving someone to much is like putting a rein around his own neck... and knowing he'll know a love that not only will not feel like a restrain*, but will be there to catch him whenever something does

*okay, except in bed, but that's only a bonus for wwx