#wei wuxian is a little out of character but listen

[justaghostingon]

The Random Guy in the Carbonite

Or, Jin Ling Meets a Man who is “Definitely not the Yiling Patriarch” 

An Untamed star wars au.

Jin ling will admit in the privacy of his own mind, that he did not think this through. Running off to confront one of the most notorious crime bosses of the outer rim was one thing, but ditching the Jedi hired specifically to protect him was not his best move. 

In his defense, they had been very annoying. His Uncle and the Jedi master had gotten into a long fight over what plan was best, forgetting entirely that they were Senator Jiang Cheng of Yumeng, famed force user and war hero, and Hanguang-jun, the single most respected of the Lan Jedi to walk the earth. But noooo. Put them together and they argue like children!

People were dying! The clock was ticking down, and Jin Ling had to do something dammit!

What was the point of being the future emperor himself if he couldn’t even save one measly planet from the Hutts?

So yeah, he’d snuck out on his own, confronted the Hutts, and gotten thrown in this dark empty cell, surrounded with solid metal and cut off from his father’s lightsaber. 

Well, not completely alone. In the wall was a carbonite encasing of a man, frozen mid scream. At least, Jin Ling assumed it was a man. He looked human, and the cut of his robes were distinctly masculine, but there really was no knowing for sure until he was released. 

A grating noise from above snapped his attention away from his frozen companion. Light filtered in as a mechanism removed the dark metal lid above. Jin Ling blinked his eyes, taking a few minutes to realize that this was not salvation or release, but another worse punishment, humiliation.

For above him, separated only by a metal grate, was a growling, hooting crowd of the worst looking ruffians he’d ever seen. 

“Welcome guests!” Jimbo the Hutt’s booming voice echoed in the circular arena Jin Ling now realized he was in side. “To witness the battle of a life time!”

“In the corner we have Jin Rulan!” A loud booing filled Jin Ling’s ears.

“You’re going to regret this when my Uncle gets here!” Jin Ling shouted back. “And its Jin Ling!”

“The feisty heir to the emperor himself! Quite the challenger!” Jimbo continued as if he’d not heard Jin Ling. “But lets see how he does against his family’s natural enemy...”

A pure red beam hit the carbonite. Heat danced across Jin Ling’s skin, forcing him to step back as far as he could. Little by little, the carbon melted off, freeing the man beneath. 

“...The Yiling Patriarch!!” Jimbo’s voice boomed as the man inside stepped out.

Jin Ling’s blood beat fast in his ears. The Yiling Patriarch? The man who’d made him an orphan, who’d led the second great rebellion against the emperor himself, notorious sith and master of the dead. His knees began to knock. He wanted his Uncle, who’d defeated the man last, froze him in carbonite, and only lost him due to an unexpected attack of pirates. He wanted his dad, who he’d never known, but most of all he wanted Fairy, who Uncle had said would be a hinderance on this particular mission. She would have never let him get caught like this. 

The Yiling Patriarch turned his head towards him, black eyes met large and grey, before grey rolled back, and the Yiling Patriarch, feared destroyer of worlds and killer of millions, proceeds to fall flat on his face in a dead fate.

Jin Ling blinked. What the heck was that? 

Now he could see him clearer, he began to notice the discrepancies in the supposed enemy of all light force users. His robes were grey and black, but rough and patchy, clearly of poor make. Even the bright red ribbon in his hair was worn on the ends from what was likely years of use. The man himself was too thin, cheeks gaunt from hunger, and far to pale. 

In short, this man was definitely not the Yiling Patriarch. 

Jin Ling felt a bit foolish. He of all people should have known it wasn’t. After all, his Uncle had been getting sent carbon frozen bodies of “sith users” and the “Yiling Patriarch” since he was a little kid. His Uncle had diligently unfrozen every single one, confronting them on the accusations they’d been brought to him for. Some had been genuine wannabe sith, although nowhere near the level of the Yiling Patriarch. But most had just been ordinary folks who’d bought the cheeper carbon-freezing ticket for space travel on some shady ship, and gotten sold off as a novelty for looking a bit to similar to Wei Wuxian.

Lotus Pier had gotten a reputation for being a very good place to go to rescue stolen family members from these so called carbon thieves. 

If Jin Ling had to guess, he’d say this guy was a farmer. He nudged the guy with his foot. 

“Hey, wake up.”

The man groaned but didn’t move. Jin Ling shoved him harder. “Get up! This isn’t the place to take a nap!”

He reached his hand down and stuck a finger in the man’s ear. The man gave a shriek and flung himself up and away.

“Shidi what the Hell...” the man’s voice faded as he took in Jin Ling, and then the crowd above them. “...what is going on.”

“You got mistaken for the Yiling Patriarch and now they want us to fight.” Jin Ling shrugged. “Now stop being a baby and help me find a way out!”

“Mistaken?” the man blinked at him.

“Yeah, it happens,” Jin Ling scowled. “Don’t buy shady tickets next time.”

“Hehe, that’s very wise young master,” the man grinned. “You’re pretty smart for a Jin.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jin Ling shook his fist.

“So snippy! No mother to teach you manners I see!” the man laughed.

Jin Ling saw red. He didn’t care that this guy was a civilian, no one talked about his mother like that. He charged forward, fist swinging.

The man stepped easily out of his way. “Good job,” he whispered to Jin Ling as he passed his ear. “Keep fighting like that.”

“Oh I’ll show you a fight!” Jin Ling aimed a kick at the man, but he sidestepped once again. 

“Touchy, touchy,” the man shook his head. “I’m trying to get us out of here, you really think they’d let us go if they realized we weren't going to fight?”

Jin Ling lowered his fist. “So you’re doing this on purpose?”

“Of course,” the man struck forward with surprisingly good form. Jin Ling barely managed to parry, and that was only thanks to the unnatural quickness that all force users possessed. “We need a proper distraction if we’re to get out of here.”

“And how are we going to do that?” Jin ling struck out again.

“Oh I’m not going to do anything,” the man laughed and aimed a kick at Jin Ling’s face. “I’m a civilian remember? You’re going to get us out of here.”

“How?” Jin Ling dove forward, but missed, hitting the metal wall instead. 

“Using the force of course!” the man laughed. “Find the seams of the metal and the bolts holding it down, somewhere here there has to be a trash shoot. They wouldn’t want to keep dead bodies in here long term.”

“That’s not how the force works!” Jin Ling shot back, then stopped. the man’s suggestion hadn’t been wrong exactly, just not worded very well. Jin Ling hardly had the skill to sense nonhuman things like metal, but all dead things were once living. If there was a trash shoot, he cold find it, he just had to follow the decay.

He closed his eyes and concentrated. The life of the mob above was loud and wild, but down here there were only two signatures, his own and the flickering of the man he was fighting, and just behind him...

“There!” Jin Ling dove forward, slamming directly into the carbon casing.

“Ouch,” the man tutted as he watched Jin Ling stumble back to his feet. “Let your senior help here okay? I’ve worked in the fields, I’m stronger than I look.”

Jin Ling stepped back as the man circled his old prison, thumb in his mouth. Above them the murmuring of the crowd quieted to a disgruntled hum, no doubt wondering what they were doing now they weren’t fighting.

The man darted forward, to the side of the carbon casing. Back to Jin Ling, he shoved his whole wait against the casing. For a second nothing happened, Then the force flickered, a sour taste filled Jin Ling’s mouth, and the casing moved, inch by inch, but faster every second, until the hole beneath it was visible. 

Jin Ling frowned. But the taste on the edge of his senses was gone as soon as it came. Had that man used the force? 

“What are you waiting for?” the man called. “Thinking later. Escape now!”So saying, he threw himself down the hole. 

“Stop him!” Jimbo screamed.

Jin Ling cursed and dove after the man. Together they tumbled down the dark shaft, a disorienting fall of head over feet until it finally met its slimy end in a splat of water.

“Ugh,” Jin Ling pulled himself up. The stench was horrific, iron and rot and sick, sick sick. His clothes were soaked with who knows what and there was slime in his hair...

“Don’t look!” the man slammed a hand over Jin Ling’s eyes. His voice gentled. “This isn’t a sight for young ones.”

“I’m not a kid,” Jin Ling knocked the hand from his eyes. He blinked at his new surroundings, and promptly threw up.

Bodies lay all around them, some complete, some in pieces, some near skeletons and others almost fresh. Jin Ling ducked his head to stare at his own feet, standing next to the decomposing flesh of a human face...

A hand covered his eyes again. 

“It’s okay,” the man whispered in his ears. “It’s a lot for anyone. Just don’t look. I can handle it from now on okay?”

Jin Ling nodded and took a deep breath trying to center himself in the force like his Uncle had taught him, but the decay and agony stirred the dark side of the force, making it a struggle.

He heard the man move away, rummaging around in the piss/blood/water.

“What are you looking for?” he asked.

“Just some tools,” the man reassured him. “I know a thing or two about mechanics, and I can get us out.”

“Hurry,” Jin Ling choked out, the force was moving all wrong, resentment thick in the air. Even his companion’s presence seemed to flicker in and out against it, leaving him uncertain where exactly he was.

A click echoed through the sound. “Done,” the man said. 

Jin Ling began to lower his hand, but the man’s own stopped him. “It’s alright,” the man’s hand lowered to Jin Ling’s elbow. “The way it clear. You don’t need to look again, I’ll lead you.” 

Jin Ling wanted to protest, to point out he wasn’t a baby, he could handle it, but the dark side of the force was choking him, eating away at his bravado until all the remained was the scared boy who really, really wanted his Uncle.

 “That’s it,” the man spoke as he guided Jin Ling forward. “Step up now, over the entrance, good, good. There we go.”

Jin Ling’s feet stepped onto solid ground, the faint clink of metal beneath his boots. Behind him the resentment rose up, a furious at being robbed of its prey. Then another, sharper, redder resentment clashed with it, sending it back into the trash pit. A loud clank sounded behind him, and both presences cut off. 

“You can look now,” the man said.

Jin Ling blinked the spots from his eyes. They were in a corridor, just another black metal like all the others in this maze of a palace. Beside him, the man knelt before a control panel, having yanked it open to fiddle with the wiring. 

“What are you doing?” Jin Ling scowled, trying to recollect himself. “We need to run!”

“Not without a map we aren’t!” The man said. The panel glowed green under his fingers and he laughed with delight. “Bingo!”

Jin Ling leaned over him, to look at the small screen built in above the wires, dictating two pathways in red and green. “Is that the way out?”

“Not bad for a radish farmer is it?” the man beamed. “Let’s go!”

“Wait.” Jin Ling shook his head. “I can’t go. I have to get my lightsaber.”

“Just build another one,” the man dismissed, reaching out to drag Jin Ling towards the path.

“I can’t!” Jin Ling bristled, shoving the man off. “It was my fathers! It’s all I have left of him!”

The man stopped. “Your father’s?”

“Yes!” Jin Ling crossed his arms. “And I’m not leaving it!”

The man hesitated.

“It also has a tracker in it,” Jin Ling went for the killing blow. “And a panic button. We hit it and the Jedi and the whole of Yumeng Jiang will come down on their heads!”

“Yumeng Jiang?” the man startled.

“My uncle,” Jin Ling sniffed. “So its our best bet.”

“Okay.” The man let out a breath. “Okay you can go to your lightsaber. I’ll calculate you a path. But as for me...I’m getting out of here.”

Jin Ling abruptly remembered that this man was a civilian. He didn’t ask to get mixed up in this. “Fine.” 

The man gave him a small smile. He reached into the control panel and pressed a few more buttons before pulling the screen itself out and shoving it into Jin Ling’s hands.

“This map will lead you to your lightsaber,” he said.

“What about you?” Jin Ling asked.

“It’s all up here,” the man rapped his knuckles on his head. “Don’t worry about me.” The smile slid off his face. “Be safe Jin Rulan.”

“Jin Ling,” Jin Ling corrected automatically. “How did you...” the man raised an eyebrow. Right. Emperors nephew. Famous. Of course he knew his name. 

Speaking of which...”What’s yours?” Jin Ling asked. The man had never said, and unlike Jin Ling, he didn’t have his plastered all across the galaxy. All he knew was it wasn’t Wei Wuxian.

“Yuandao,” the man smiled. “I’m Yuandao the radish farmer.” 

“Yuandao,” Jin Ling repeated. “Come to Yumeng when you’re free. My Uncle will help you find your family. They’ll probably be worried since you got frozen.”

Yuandao’s smile twisted. “Goodbye Jin Ling.”

“Goodbye.” Jin Ling awkwardly agreed, before taking off down the hall towards his lightsaber. He had an Uncle to call. 

-------

Behind him the man who was not Yuandao stood and watched until the boy was out of sight. Then he turned back to the trash door and opened it, to meet the standing force of the dead within. 

He nodded to one of the fresher dead who still wore the uniform of the Hutt’s staff. “Follow him, make sure he gets there safely but don’t be seen. Lie still on the ground so that they think you’re a fresh kill. As for the rest of you,” His eyes flashed red.

“Make sure to teach that Hutt a lesson.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

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[touchlikethesun]

my last post was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but why i headcanon jiang cheng as being aroace really has nothing to do with his colour palette (okay maybe a little to do with that), and more to do with how he clearly centers platonic relationships in his life.

like this does not apply in the untamed and the added romantic subplot with wen qing (which i have complex and not entirely positive feelings about tbqh), but in all other versions the only relationships that we see mattering to him at all are the ones with his siblings, parents, and nephew. and it's not that he doesn't have the opportunity to pursue a romantic partner (even with how busy he is... other characters are just as busy and they still find the time for romantic relationships...), he just doesn't have an interest in it.

for all his unpleasantness, jiang cheng really cares about his family, and he puts a lot of effort into looking after them, protecting them, and just plain spending time with them. and from the way he behaves, i think it's obvious that he gets the fulfillment he needs purely through those relationships.

what makes this headcanon a bit sad is that jiang cheng also deals with similar struggles that aroace people face, because while he consistently prioritises his platonic relationships, the allo people he's prioritising in his life do not do the same to him. with jin ling it's different, because he's jin ling's care-taker/quasi-parent, jin ling doesn't owe him anything and jiang cheng really doesn't expect that from him (except maybe keeping himself safe and fucking listening to jiang cheng for once in his life goddammit!!! but like yk). but with jiang yanli and wei wuxian, his siblings, people he views as equal partners?

i am not saying that jiang yanli and wei wuxian don't care about jiang cheng, they do they do they do care for him so much! but they also have romantic partners. jiang yanli moves out to live with jin zixuan, so she's not around every day. wei wuxian is always chasing after lan wangji, and leaving jiang cheng behind. regardless of how much jiang cheng wants for his siblings to be happy, it still hurts to be the one left. idk i feel like that is a pretty relatable part of the aroace experience, and it felt pretty poignant with jiang cheng.

aroace!jc isn't necessarily angsty for me tho, especially post-canon, after he's had time to heal and rebuild xx

[wangxianficrecs]

💙 The Intervening Years by rosemu

💙 The Intervening Years

by rosemu (@roserocksrapidly)

G, 11k, Lan Sizhui & Wangxian

Summary: Wen Yuan grows up into Lan Sizhui and Xian-gege is there for every step of the way. Kay's comments: Writing this rec with literal tears in my eyes. It was really, really good, but it also pulls a mean punch. In this story, Lan Sizhui keeps his memories of his time in the Burial Mounds, which is already gut-wrenching enough, but he also grows up with his Xian-gege, who lives in the Gentian House and isn't well-liked by the Lan Clan, but always looks after his little radish. I don't want to say too much, but prepare for major sads. Really loved the way Sizhui connected with Jingyi in this story. Excerpt: After his lessons, Zewu-jun walks Lan Yuan to the Jingshi. This is his absolute favorite time of the day. Some days, Father is able to sit up and some he is completely bed-bound, but he always listens attentively as Lan Yuan excitedly tells him about his day. If he ever thinks Father’s reactions are subdued, Xian-gege is always there to balance him out with large grins and teasing remarks. On really good days, sometimes they even go out back behind the Jingshi and play with the rabbits. Father piles bunnies on top of him and Xian-gege laughs and laughs, saying “Lan Zhan, you’re just as bad as me, burying our little radish like this!” Father just smiles and adds another rabbit to the pile. Those are Lan Yuan’s favorite days. Eventually, Lan Yuan has to leave and go back to the loneliness of the disciples’ quarters once again. Father hugs him gently and Xian-gege kisses him on the head in goodbye. Then, Lan Yuan goes to sleep and wakes up the next day to do it all over again.

pov lan sizhui, canon divergence, growing up, coming of age, parent-child relationship, background wangxian, fluff and angst, hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending, childhood, major character death, good parents lan wangji and wei wuxian, thirteen years of wei wuxian's death, lan wangji loves rabbits

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

[wangxianficfinder]

Fic finder

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1. I'm looking for a fic that's during the Cloud Recesses study arc where, WWX I think, found out Wen Chao couldn't read and started teaching him. I think a couple of the other kids started helping him, MianMian maybe? I can't remember much but they definitely helped him learn how to read and became friends. TIA

FOUND? Wei Wuxian’s Super Special Super Secret Book Club by Anonyma (T, 31k, WWX & WC & LQY, WangXian, Canon Divergence)

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2. hello!! All good? I'm looking for a collection of one shots, and I can't find it, I read it a little while ago but I remember a one shot, where Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying were discussing the fact that Wei Ying had saved the heirs of the sects in cave and Jin Ling was listening and Wei Ying was saying that if he hadn't saved the heirs Jin Ling wouldn't exist and Jiang Cheng said something like, Whatever.... Honestly, I don't even remember the tags, but Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying realizing that Jin Ling had heard, Wei Ying asks what Jin Ling wants. @sweettiebah

FOUND! 🔒 Chapter 11: Careless Words of Short Prompts by Vrishchika (JL POV - Not JC Friendly - WWX loses his patience)

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3. Hello !! Ive read this fanfic a while ago and I have multiple ss of it since i like to save memorable parts of the fic but now i cant remember it anymore </3 i dont remember the synopsis but there was a scene where Lwj and Wwx were in an inn while out night hunting, and wwx suspected the person serving them to have poisoned lwj, wwx got really angry and threatened the guy to the max

quote:

Wei Wuxian slammed him against the wall again, cutting off his rapid ramblings and jostling his fractured arm. "Your stories bore me," he spoke lowly, peering his head around slightly so as to almost look into Heng She's face. He still had yet to acknowledge Lan Wangji's presence. "Tell me why you poisoned the tea, or I will hang you in the street by your intestines, ripped open to let the crows feed on your liver." @jingyisbff

FOUND! let me sing to you by greybird_crookedbranch (T, 61k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Canon Compliant, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, adorable Juniors, Minor Original Character(s)for plot purposes, Minor Violence, Demonic Cultivation, resentful energy, Trauma, Guilt, Protectiveness, BAMF WWX, Hurt wwx, Protective WWX, Protective LWJ, Baby Lans, Mental Instability, Possession, it's a case fic but the case is for the hurts, Angst with a Happy Ending, POV LWJ, a tasteful seasoning of Yunmeng Bros Reconcilliation, CQL canon except LWJ is not chief cultivator, Nightmares)

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4. Hello! T__T I have my focus mode on so my distracting apps like twitter (x) are paused. I took a 5 minutes break and opened it. I saw a threadfic of Bottomji/Topxian (Omegaverse) They already have 3 kids (Yuan, Twins) but they are all alphas. lwj wants a daughter (or an omega son). He rode wwx that night then let him knot him for 3x. They were on a date and lwj bought some robes for a girl the confronts wwx that he wants a daughter.... Thats all Ive read. I want to read the whole thread but my app closed. 💔 Can you guys help me with it? I cant find it anymore.

FOUND! sounds like this twt threadfic by @/omegawangji

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5. Hi, I need help finding a fic I’m pretty sure I’ve seen recommended on here a couple years ago.

I don’t remember the title or the author. It was on AO3. It was an Alternative Universe fic where WWX is an art student (and lived in a dorm with the Wen siblings) and LWJ has a very active but discreet sex life. WangXian know each other but they’re not together. Eventually they start sleeping with each other (WWX doesn’t realize LWJ actually likes him and he’s not just another hookup). There is also a secondary plot about one of LWJ’s past hookups stalking and tormenting them at a club or party at some point? T

his is all I can remember, unfortunately. I hope to reach someone who knows which fic this is by asking on here. WangXian nation, do your thing! 🙏

FOUND? show me a quiver, give me tonight by spookykingdomstarlight (E, 115k, wangxian, lwj/others, communication failure, mutual pining, artists, demisexual wwx, angst w/ happy ending) It doesn't match exactly but some details do

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6. For fic finder, a fic I read a good while back.

It was one of those “jgs magically spies on the burial mounds to get people to hate wwx and the remnants” but in this one wwx and lwj did the “a-yuan is birthed from wwx” thing and the people spying believe it. Lqr passes out for a bit and lxc and jc start planning a wedding since lwj apparently deflowered wwx. I think it was completed

FOUND! Assumptions by draechaeli (T, 50k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Mainly Novel with a few CQL and Donghua bits, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Adoption, Adoption but WWX birthed them all, not mpreg, Not Established Relationship, Fluff, Canon-Typical Violence, Fix-It, gender non-conforming titles)

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7. Hello! Here's one I've read a dozen times and would swear I have bookmarked, but now I can't find it. Basically, LZ is a courtesan/assassin who's sent by JGS to seduce and kill the powerful Yiling Patriarch. Meng Yao is working with LZ, although he has his own plans against JGS, of course. WWX later realizes LZ's brother is alive and looking for him, so he brings them together. (By the way, are you thinking of adding a Courtesan compilation? There are plenty of good ones to rec!) Thank you! @ladysalieri (we don't have a courtesan au specific comp but we do have a royalty one that includes a few! ^^ - Mod C)

FOUND! out to get you (to get you) by iliacquer (E, 41k, wangxian, graphic depictions of violence, switching, top/bottom LWJ, top/bottom WWX, power play, courtesan LWJ, assassin LWJ, dark lord WWX, bondage, happy ending, past slavery)

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8. Hello i am looking for a fic where modern lwj time travels to the canon era and becomes original lwj, in the fic he is betrothed to yilling patriarch wy who sends him letters, and wy becomes more desperate and insane because lwj doesn't answers his letters. @ahiku-chan

FOUND? if this is a dream, i pray to never wake up by dangodangomilk (M, 27k, WangXian, Marriage, Weddings, Engagement, Canon Divergence, Parallel Universes, YLLZ WWX, false amnesia, Implied/Referenced Sex, Fluff and Angst, Sexual Content)

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9. hello! i'm looking for a fic from lwj's pov. he runs into wwx (dark) in yiling i think, after burial mounds but before his new body. lwj is horrified by how bad he looks and convinces him to go to an inn (wwx mean), they have sex. during this lwj realizes that wwx's bones are all broken from his fall in the burial mounds and he is holding them stable with resentful energy. he can't heal them, but the resentful energy is working as a stopgap. possibly of it's own volition? bittersweet? thx! @saydams

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10. Hello!! I love this blog, where I find fics to read!! A few days ago, I asked someone to find me a fic, but I'm here again because I remembered med and another fic that I loved reading, but currently can't find.

The things I remember: Wangxian has an spiritual connection, which is why the golden core transfer does not occur (and it is qing who informs Wei Ying of the connection, as Madam Yu knew and gave tea to undo the connection but it did not work ) and if I'm not mistaken Yanli is the one who told Wei Ying that the spiritual connection no longer exists (which is obviously wrong)

If you can't find it, I ask you to recommend something similar.

Thank you ❤💛🖤 @sweettiebah

FOUND! Half of my soul by Asphodel_Meadow (T, 8k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, No Golden Core Transfer, Fix-It, 5+1 Things, kinda soul bond but with their golden cores, POV Outsider, POV Alternating)

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11. Hi, im looking for a fic where when Wei Wuxian was dead others tried to flirt with Lan Wangji. I remember one of the scenes where Shizui was walking to the jingshi and overherd someone (a cousin of Lan Jingyi?) trying to flirt with Lan Wangji. I think it was a 5+1 type of deal. No matter the way i word it, i cant find it. I`ve been looking on and off for months. @herebedragons02

FOUND? Criteria by incendir (T, 10k, LSZ & LWJ, WangXian) Criteria from the Resolutions series! I've reread ot enough to know that description on site

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12. I hope you don't mind me asking, i'm looking for a wangxian fic where there is a scene that takes place in the cloud recesses where jiang cheng injures nie huaisang and nie mingjue almost declares war on the jiang sect. Thats as much as i remember I hope it's enough to go on. If it helps any it was either a Jiang Cheng bashing fic or a Jiang Family bashing. / Hi i'm looking for a Jiang Cheng or Jiang Family Bashing fic (can't remember which it was) where Nie Huaisang gets severely injured by Jiang Cheng and Nie Mingjue almost declares war on the Jiang Sect. Thank you. @hanabichan2018

FOUND? Ad Oblivione by Baph, HikariNoHimeWriter (M, 70k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, POV Multiple, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Identity Reveal, Golden Core Reveal, Cultivation World Critical, Not JC Friendly, Abusive YZY, Angst with a Happy Ending)

FOUND? A Future Family In A Broken Past by Hauntcats (T, 121k, wangxian, Not JIang Family Friendly, Not Cultivation World Friendly, WWX Needs a Hug, Family Dynamics, What is a good family?, Fear of emotions does not excuse abuse, Not Jiang Clan Friendly, Angst with a Happy Ending, Time Travel Fix-It, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, LXC needs a hug, Everyone Needs A Hug, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Not YZY Friendly)

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13. Hello I’ve been looking for this fic but I cannot find it I remember seeing it before it’s where in order to survive the burial mounds WY exchanges his heart which changes how he acts and then at the end JC, JYL, LWJ and NH decide to go to the burial mounds to see what happened to WY

FOUND?🔒 between the shadow and the soul by Reverie (cl410) (M, 22k, wangxian, JYL/WQ, JC/NHS, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family, Dark WWX, Feral WWX, Memory Loss, Magic, Magical Realism, Protective LWJ, Protective JC, Protective JYL, Grief, BAMF WWX, POV Alternating)

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14. Hi! For next fic finder, could you help me find a modern wangxian au with combination of arranged marriage, marriage of convenient (i think it is), and contract marriage. YZY arranged a marriage between WWX and LWJ for a bussiness cooperation. WWX agreed to that so he can get away from the Jiang (especially YZY) and to make his own carrier. Then LWJ and WWX make a contract to make the marriage last until 2 years and decided if they want to keep the marriage or not. I think LWJ playing his guqin and WWX is used to that and when 2 years almost up, WWX didnt want to get divorce. The fic is focused about them getting to know each other. I think thats all i can remember. I read that in 2021 so the detail is kinda patchy. If you dont know the fic at least a confirmation that im not the only one that ever read this. Thank you! @idontknowwhattowriteforusername

Hi, im #14. Unfortunately its not the fic that iam searching for. The one that iam serching for focused on wangxian, other characters barely appears. Even the jiangs only gets mentioned. Wwx didnt work for Jiang, i think he is graphic design freelancer? The agrement for divorce is between the two of them, their family didnt know about their agreement. They choose how long they stay together before divorce after they think that the project between their family is finished so their divorce wont effect the project. WWX even has a plan after their divorce to open his own office. If i remember corectly, WWX realize he didnt want to get divorced is a few days before the day of their divorce. Like he is in his room and thinking that after their divorce, he cant listening to LWJ playing his guqin and spend their days together and he didnt want that.

I really hope i didnt mix several fic together. Thank you!

NOT FOUND! you're the only thing i think i got right by sandustorms (lucianclouds) (M, 48k, wangxian, Arranged Marriage, Falling In Love, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Domestic, Married Life, Eventual Smut, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, do you remember that fake reddit post abt the guy that fell for his husband, that he was arranged to be married to, that was kind of what inspired this, Happy Ending, Modern, Strangers to Lovers, Romance)

~*~

15. Hello Mods, hope you are having a good day (^ ω ^)

This is for the fic finder and I'm not quite sure about this so just to be safe I don't want to upset anyone so

Trigger Warning! Trigger Warning! Trigger Warning!

This is what I remember: WWX is roofied or SA'ed in the Cloud Recesses ( I don't remember if that is shown) and there's a lot about how he handle it (denial? minimizing? disassociation?), and LWJ is there, he didn't do it, he is good, and anti-victim-blaming? if that makes sense?

FOUND? obscura: ink stain by AvoOwO (M, 20k, wangxian, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Canon Divergence, Emotions, Heavy Angst, Painting, Temporary Amnesia, Drugs, Drug Use, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Drink Spiking, Victim Blaming, LWJ Has Feelings, LWJ Has a Crush, Soft wangxian, Holding Hands, Blood and Violence, Good Sibling JC, Protective JC, WWX is a Mess, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Politics, Protective LXC, Good Sibling LXC, Good Uncle LQR, LQR Tries, OCs, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, WWX Needs a Hug, someone gets punched a lot, LWJ contemplates murder for a moment, JC almost gets it done, not quite about romance, as much as romance elements there, more so about the small things, LWJ loves how WWX smells, some nasty things are said, WWX def needs a nap, he gets one dw, LQR Gets Shit Done, NHS Is A Little Shit, Scheming NHS)

~*~

16. Hi! For fic finder, I am looking for a short-ish fic where Jin Ling learns that Wei Wuxian is the one who named him “Rulan.” Jin Ling then realizes he is named after the Lans, and he has a teenage meltdown about how he is named after his uncle’s crush. Does this sound familiar? Thank you, everyone, for all your help! @gloriousclotpole

FOUND! three days gone by occultings (microcomets) (G, 4k, JL & WWX, WangXian, Post-Canon, Family Bonding, Homophobic Language, Fluff) there may be a few fics that fit, is it maybe the one where jin ling and jiang cheng are reading sect letters together, and jin ling got mad about being called "rulan"? so far i found another fic, ig it's "similar" since jin ling's only mad for one sentence, but i thought to link it anyway

~*~

17. Hi! I'm looking for a fic, but i only remember a specific scene from it: wwx and the wens on the horses and it's raining and lan zhan lets them go, but then i guess granny wen says go back and get him, and when they return, lan zhan is soaking wet and she says something along the lines of 'dramatic young people'. Thank you so much!

FOUND? Turn Around by mondengel (Not rated, <1k, wangxian, humor)

~*~

18. Hi, I'm looking for an AU WIP fic where WWX has to wear a mask; nobody but family is allowed to see his face. He and LWJ have an arranged marriage, but LWJ still refuses to let him take his mask off, and doesn't make any effort in the marriage. Very soon after they are married, he takes Wen Qing as a concubine, without explaining anything to WWX. WWX moves to a house near Lotus Pier, and there is a bit about him adopting children, but I can't remember how that came about... Thank you! @godiva696

FOUND! Sounds like the deleted "A price to pay" by wangxianist.

Not FOUND! sounds sorta like shana's identity porn fic here on tumblr

~*~

19. Hello! 😃 I hope you can help me find this fic that I have been looking for!

I only remember that Wei Wuxian gets reunited with the sect leader of the Yu sect,(she is basically his grandma I think) and he get very emotional, it is also at a discussion conference or something like that, it is a very sweet/happy scene.

thank you 😊

NOT FOUND!🔒补救; to remedy, to do something to correct or improve something that is wrong by ravenditefairylights (G, 21k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Fluff and Angst, Healing, JC & WWX Reconciliation, Getting Together, Everybody Gets Their Shit Together, Family Feels, Teacher WWX, Soft WWX, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Crying, Marriage Proposal, Assassination Attempt(s), Family Bonding, soup as a metaphor, Meishan as a metaphor, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Feels, Forgiveness, BAMF WWX, Assassin WWX) i'm not positive this is it, but has a scene like that

Not FOUND And Time Is But a Paper Moon by sami (M, 139k, WangXian, XiChengQing, Time Travel, Fix-It, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Healing, Mental Health Issues, PTSD, Hurt/Comfort, Depression, BAMF WWX, BAMF JC, BAMF LWJ, BAMF JYL, Getting Together) has a wwx-Sect Leader Yu relationship a bit like that? They meet up in Meishan, though, it's not a conference

Not FOUND The Housewife's Guide to Causing Chaos by dvasva (M, 127k, WIP, WangXian, Canon-Typical Violence, Functionally Trans Character, Mild Sexual Content, Domestic Fluff, Love Confessions, Transphobia, Good Parents LWJ and WWX, Pining, WWX is a Tease, Grief/Mourning, Body Dysphoria, Fake Marriage, Canonical Character Death, Misunderstandings, Doting LWJ, Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, WWX is not in MXY's body, Misgendering, Mild Angst, Assumptions, Comedic Elements, non-sexual nudity, Blood, Discussion of Various Bodily Functions, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, 4 years of mourning instead of 13, Méishān Yú Sect, POV Multiple, Corporal Punishment, Trans WWX, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, pregnancy mention, Timeline What Timeline, Sexual Harassment Threats) has wwx summoned by an OC Yu cousin instead of mxy, so there is some wwx-Yu sect interactions in the story. I don't remember it being particularly sweet or happy, but the setting is a conference

Not FOUND Moments of Revelation by meyari (T, 133k, ChengSang, WangXian, XiYao, POV JC, Canon Divergence, Temporary Character Death, Character Death, not anyone we care about, Time Travel Fix-It, Self-Sacrifice, Torture, Chronic Pain, Chronic anxiety, magical healing and how it fails, Grief/Mourning, PTSD, Chronic Mental Health Issues, Assassination, renamed my, Families of Choice, Original Supporting characters, Unreliable Narrator(s), Demonic Possession) last suggestion, and this probably isn't it, but it has a lot of Yunmeng Trio & Yu sect interactions (mostly Jiang Cheng centric, but wwx is there too lol)

FOUND! 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) the reunion scene is on ch31

~*~

20. Hello! I’m looking for a fic where during the Sunshot Campaign, Wei Wuxian was able to tame the Xuanwu, resulting in victory. However, he wasn’t fully able to control its bloodlust so it was sequestered onto an island in Lotus Pier.

However, he leaves one day for a brief visit to Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli, JGS paid a child to visit the island and the child is killed. This causes WWX to go with the Xuanwu into the water surrounding the island and he disappears for many years.

Later on, Jin Ling ends up trying to prove himself by going into the forest surrounding this island (which has since filled with resentful energy). And finds that WWX has come back and the Xuanwu has been purified.

I’m not sure if it’s been deleted??

FOUND? The Turtle Master by Gotcocomilk (M, 40k, wangxian, JC & WWX, JL & WWX, Eventual Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Temporary Character Death, Character Death Fix, shijie lives, Hurt/Comfort, OC Child death, zombie turtle!!, BAMF WWX, isnt he always, Fluff and Angst, first half is pain second half is soft)

~*~

[en-d-d]

So, this is my first post, so hello everyone! I don't really know how to properly navigate this platform just yet, but I'm sure I will figure it out, so please bear with me.

Having said that, unfortunately, I've come here today to rant a little on social media about things that make me borderline insane just from listening to. Most specifically, from MTXT's works. (Because if I ever see another wrong characterization for those fictional people I've became very attached to, I'm actually going to go mad.)

(This is not meant to be an attack of any sorts, I'm just a teenager on social media pulling my nerves into writing because who knows, maybe I can finally be at peace then.)

Let's start then!

Xie Lian is not owo small cutie or sum, and if I hear that one time... my man may be short, but he could fight off almost anyone, just thanos clapping people out of existence. He's also very insane and very horny about the Calamity attached to his hip. My guy is pretty smart and also just kinda gives patient auntie vibes (you know, that auntie that can see beyond everyone's bull but choses not to).

And if I already started with TGCF, may as well continue with it. Hua Cheng is a switch and you can't convince me otherwise. (If his Dianxia wanted to top, he would be as elated as he would be if Dianxia wanted to bottom. My man doesn't care.)

Luo Binge being referred as a white lotus and people not knowing what it means ("In Chinese internet novels, the term "white lotus" refers to a character who appears innocent, naive, and pure on the surface but uses this reputation to backstab, blame, or sling mud on others.") (I believe maybe people confuse this with the other meanings of the white lotus, like, actually naive or pure in character, but those are obliviously not what they mean in the chinese novels)

Shen Yuan is Kim Dokja, but chinese (or maybe KD is SY but korean)

Lan Wangji did not like Wei Wuxian despite him being 'evil', he loved him exactly because he isn't evil. I can't stress this enough. If wwx was a actually bad person, lwj would not hesitate to cut his head off and be done with the matter. Whenever I see someone saying something about him liking wwx even if he's evil, I'm slowly loosing my mind, bcz no, lwj is not such a shallow person, to be attracted to someone based purely on looks (and we do know this bcz he loves wwx in mxy's body just as much as he loved him in his original body.)

Now, we're moving into a territory I like exploring. I just want to start this off saying that I don't like Jiang Wanyin. I just don't care very much about him and I find him annoying as a person. With that being said, I'm a little miffed with fellow jc dislikers bcz they sometimes invent some things up about him or such shenanigans. Like. Man, you do not need to invent things to hate abt him, there are already plenty of them. I'm pretty unbiased when it comes to actual judgements about others. I will protect someone if the points made about them is incorrect as much as I will point out every thing they actually did bad.

And the next point is still abt jc (wow, what a surprise) just bcz, honest to god, a lot of his fans are straight up annoying. I've said it. A lot of y'all are hella annoying. (Not to say that there exist a lor of annoying fans for other characters, it's just that jc has a very high number of them) Some of the ones I don't find bad are those that like him just becouse of how bad of a person he is. I can respect that. What I can't respect is another owo he's innocent and traumatized and a tsundere and everything is wwx's fault owo jc fan. Fam, did we read the same book, or has media really rotten our colective brain that much??

(I believe I have more comments on this jc topic, but my brain is starting to hurt.)

And the last one is Wei Wuxian, probably the most controversial character in all of MTXT's novels. First of all, I have to be clear about this, but in all of this post, I'm purely referring to the characters from the books, not the other adaptations. This is important, bcz the adaptations further skewed wwx's image in the fandom.

I have saved him for least because of just how much things tick me off in this fandom when discussing wwx in special.

Disclaimer that I sincerely believe that you should enjoy and do art and fanfiction of characters however you want. If you want wwx to be, idk, a demon that terrorizes people and breaks lwj's heart and then jc comes and saves the situation from the evil patriarch and then french kisses Lan Xichen, then go ahead, idc (Unless you say he's owo, you have no excuse that would allow you to do that unless you're a child, and if you are, then you shouldn't even be here). But I draw the line when people lie about canon characterizations.

And there is just so much misconceptions on wwx's character that I would need an essay just to compose a list of them. They range from huge details that somehow miss people like how their neurons miss firing, to small details, like his handwriting (I believe the novel said it was cursive, not messy, like how almost all the fandom has apparently mutually agreed on. Do corect me if I'm wrong on this, some things are lost from translation to translation)

I will be discussing just some of them here. Maybe I will do another post where I go in more detail, we will see.

ADHD Wei Wuxian. The people that believe wwx has ADHD should probably reread the novel, bcz that characterization comes mostly from CQL. In the novel, wwx is a very chill guy that can stay in one place perfectly fine. I will not go into more details, just read the novel.

Wei Wuxian is the reason for the Jiang's collapse. Bull statement, everytime I see it, well, I go a little more insane. If you know a little politics, you would realize the Jiangs were next on the list for sure. Why, you would ask. The Lans already burnt themselves to the ground. The Nies have a fortress for a sect. The Jins are almost-not-exactly allies with the Wens. Now, guess who is the most unfavorably positioned gentry sect (lakes are not a good strategic spot), with lax protection (how did the Wens just march in like that like what) and a little too carele leader (Jiang Fenmiang really thought the Wens will give them back the swords after that whole disaster that was the indoctrination? Really??). Oh! I think I know who it is! And maybe you guessed it too. Glad we're on the same page.

Now, wwx being the reason why jc lost his core. Very many people already came to their own conclusion on why jc gave himself up. Brotherly affection, suicidal thoughts or just straight up idiocy. Whatever you believe, it's fine with me (but I do have a brother and I can assure you, wwx and jc never really seemed like brothers to me. They are a little too far to the left to be considered brothers, but this is my opinion, take it however you will). So, was it wwx's fault?

We're finally getting into the juicy stuff. The blame game. I hate it with my being, still, as long as I'm in fandoms, I must persist. My answer is yes & no. Did wwx deliberately made it so jc would be captured? Of course not. Did it still happened? Unfortunately, yes. To go deeper, we will look a little at fate. There are some things that are outside of our control. As much as we prepare, some things will still blow us over. So the definite answer is no. Jc made the decision to be seen by the Wens. It might sound callous , but the decisions you make are yours, even if you protect someone's life or not. Wwx did not ask to be protected. In conclusions, it's not his fault.

And that is a very good statement to make, seeing as we got to the core transfer. People often criticize wwx for giving non-consensualy his core to jc. I always thought it as a weird thing to hate him about, but whatever, I still shall address it. I will start with an exemple. If you loved someone very much, and they would die if they don't get, idk, a new arm (maybe think of something less inconspicuous, but you understand the ideea) they would die. You are the single person that can do it. But you're sure that if someone told your loved one that you would give it, they would refuze it. Are you still going to give your arm? Will you let your loved one die? Knowing that you can help?

And for those that say jc was not on the brink of death. He was suicidal. He would not have resisted a week with the shame of inferiority plus all the trauma that the Lotus Pier massacre was, combined. 'Regaining' his core might have actually made him feel better, like he beat the odds, like he has another chance. That's also why wwx never told him he gave him his core. Bcz he knew jc would not take it easy, finding out that all his accomplishments were thanks to wwx's sacrifice. Because jc has a big ego that's clearly evident through the story.

Anyways, let's continue.

Ghostly Cultivation. It's more popularity used the Demonic Cultivation term, but they are not the same think for Christ's sake. Modao Zushi does mean The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, however the title is for click bait. In the actual novel, I believe wwx talks abt ghostly cultivation, not demonic. It was probably lost in translations.

I don't think I need to explain how wwx needed guidao to escape the Burial Mounds, so at least half of my job is already done. Now I go into dangerous territory however, bcz guidao is not expended upon. Still, I would rather listen to wwx when it's about, you know, the path he himself created?

To explain my stance, we would need to go deeper into the novel's points. A novel can have multiple themes, ranging from obvious ones, like love, family, to obscure ones, like, the importance of standing up for oneself (not the best exemple, but I believe y'all understand what I mean).

I'm someone that loves thinking abt MDZS. It's my dearest. So, I tend to analyze it pretty often. And the themes I usually get are things like 'the danger of hearsay and mob mentality', 'the importance of standing true to your ideals', 'the inherit unpredictability of life' and so on, and so on.

Anyways, what does that have to do with guidao? Well, everything, I believe. The MDZS world has a mentality resembling that of the curent China. Or well, the China of when MXTX wrote the novel. If you know some history, I believe you can connect the similarities. What does that mean then?

Wwx is someone that does not fallow the path set by the ancestors. He creates his own. When the cultivators see that, they are revolted. Becouse everything that strays from the 'right' path must surely be evil. And so, after Wen Ruohan, the Jins paint him as the new anarchist, and the rest is history.

Now, I would actually love to continue, but I've been typing nonstop for hours now, I need to stop. I will continue my points in another post, bcz I still have a lot of them.

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day 💐

[drama--universe]

Nature specialist

Requested by anonymous: Howdy-doody! How about The Untamed characters of your own choice x the reader who can interact with nature and animals? They are something like "reader's scouts", so the reader is always the first to know what is happening around them.

Pairing: Untamed boys x gn!reader

Wei Wuxian:

meeting you is a complete accident

he claims it isn't, but it was

you had gotten stuck in a trap, strung up by your foot in the air

and any helpful tool you had laid on the ground

he stumbles by and frees you from the trap

before confessing that he might be lost

and he can't retrace his steps, because all the trees look the same

his words, not yours

surprisingly, to him at least, you have no difficulty with retracing his steps

your eyes were trained on the ground, hands touching the trees and ground ever so often

but after awhile, his steps start to mix with others

a group of people, at least five of them, had crossed the same path

"were you chased?"

it was a normal question, his tracks were clearly followed for a decent distance

his smile said enough as you looked around again

a low whistle from you caused some birds to fly lower to you

one landing on your shoulder

Wuxian had no time to ask what happened as the bird flew off again and you followed

and soon enough, you stood before the town that he came from

you thanked the bird, who then promptly flew off again

and Wuxian was left in a state of shock

because it wasn't that normal for someone to just talk to birds, or at least to understand them in a way

and you just stood there, acting like it was the most normal thing out there

you better believe that he'll cling to you from then on

he basically annoys you, but you don't really mind much

will try to use your skills for stupid little things

like how to find a beautiful scenery

or to see a weird animal that he had never seen before

it definitely makes your life a bit more interesting

and it gains you a life companion

Jiang Cheng:

never did Jiang Cheng think it would be this easy

he had been chasing the same killer for at least a month now

even with the help of other clans

and yet he found nothing, always having the man slip through his fingers

so for some unknown cultivator to do it in just a day

lets just say he is not pleased

and maybe a bit angry

your explanation doesn't make it better

you can listen to nature and track with ease?

even his best trackers couldn't do it

so why would you be able to?

you prove him wrong very quick and easily

because you can easily find him following you

not even an hour into him doing so

it hurts his pride

just a bit

but enough for him to be intrigued

his first thought is to recruit you in a way

but you quickly decline it

before offering to just help him if needed

he calls for you a few times

and every time you finish the job in a day

and every time he is even more impressed

he doesn't really know why

it's not that special

(that's his denial, btw)

soon enough, he calls you up for other things

dinner, a weirdly "important" question or just to talk

you don't bother asking why, he won't answer anyways

but the small smile on his face said enough

Jin Zixuan:

it is pure coincidence that you meet

although his life isn't bad, sometimes Jin Zixuan just ran off into the woods to be alone

and normally it works

until today, where you are also present

sitting by the lake and staring ahead

he pauses for a second, but you turn around anyway and greet him

before apologizing and saying that you didn't realize it was already time for him to come around

with a short mumble that he wasn't usually here on this day of the week

"Why do you know my schedule?"

he's a bit annoyed

you just shrug as you point at the formed path that he had created with his countless visits

but that doesn't explain how you know the days

but you have an explanation for that as well

because anyone can spot whether the ground is still soft from fresh spots or hard from being dry

nonetheless, you get up and ready to leave

and he is left alone again to ponder

you return a few days later

surprised to see him once again, you turn to leave once more

you are stopped when you notice him sleeping

you might not be from Lanling (or anywhere specific to begin with), but you knew his status all too well

thus, leaving him alone while he was asleep was a bit...

mean?

so you sat next to him at arms length, staring at the water

Zixuan awoke not much later

your attention is not on him

rather on the koi fish at your feet

talking in soft whispers as you softly petted them with your finger

Zixuan just stares at you, flinching when you turned your head his way

you give him a short smile before getting up, bowing your head again before turning to leave

his short protest brings you back to sit beside him

and the fish surround your feet once again

which prompts Zixuan to ask why

you just say that it is a gift of yours, nothing else

he doesn't really like the answer and he makes this known

but you don't falter, unlike most

so to get what he wants, he demands you to come over to the spot every day

you don't dare to refuse his request

Wen Ning:

Wen Ning often found himself in the forest, hiding from society that shamed him for being how he was

not a warrior, but rather someone who just preferred peace and quiet

and preferably not too much social interaction

his usual path was blocked this time, however

by a person he had never seen before

"you should wait awhile, there's a herd coming through"

you spoke and Wen Ning frowned slightly, confused by your statement

it was quickly explained as a herd of red deer ran by

you didn't flinch or move away from their path

once the deer were gone, you moved again and walked down the same path as Wen Ning

he awkwardly trails behind you, fumbling with his robes

his awkwardness is quick to dissapear, however, as a cute little animal hopped your way

big eyes staring up at you before climbing up your extended arm

it sits on your shoulder, hiding behind your hair as it stared at Wen Ning

"you can pet him if you want. He's just a bit shy."

Wen Ning gets closer and extends his hand, lighting up when the creature actually acknowledges him

then it runs off again, just as quick as it came

Wen Ning wonders if it was your pet

but you shake your head when he asks

you stopped by a pond, staring straight ahead of you into the water

Wen Ning gets closer to the water as well, wanting to sit down in front of the water

he quickly jumps back again when he's met with two yellow eyes of an alligator

but once again, he is fascinated with how it approaches you with care before nestling in your arms

his curiosity wins and he approaches

with care of course

crouches and just stares

listens carefully as you start talking, kind enough to explain what was happening

Wen Ning later choses to sit as he listens to you

with his typical shy smile as the animals approached him as well

his fascination goes to you as well

and when he opens up, you should expect a lot of questions

[weiwuxianismybae]

My fandom pet peeves

Lan Wangji’s dislike of Jiang Wanyin

So, I dived back into the world of fanfiction and was quickly reminded of all the fanon things I hate. Starting with Lan Wangji’s unreasonable dislike of Jiang Cheng. In order to promote "Wei Wuxian's little brother Jiang Cheng", Lan Wangji's very good reasons to hate Jiang Cheng are reduced to some petty, stupid bs like "He [LWJ] didn't like how often Jiang Cheng hit Wei Wuxian." And later on we get this gem: "After some time LWJ understood that violence is JC's way of showing affection." Like, wtf? If my younger sibling (and I have one) showed their affection through violence, I wouldn't see it as love, but as abuse, 'cause that's what it is. And I'm not talking about the normal sibling fighting because that's not what Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's relationship is. I mean, just reread the Cloud Recesses Study arc. The only thing Jiang Cheng seems to know is how to belittle and criticise Wei Wuxian. I'm not gonna lie, I found some of the remarks quite funny (I'm a passive aggressive bitch myself), but when that's the only thing that comes out of Jiang Cheng's mouth, it really starts to eat at you. I deeply respect Wei Wuxian's ability to not take it seriously. And when Lan Wangji’s actual grievances with Jiang Cheng are stated, we get the "but he [JC] still loved his brother" nonsense. Lan Wangji’s real reasons to dislike Jiang Cheng are as follows: abandoning Wei Wuxian, being the prime reason and catalyst of Wei Wuxian's death, spreading hateful rumours about Wei Wuxian (who else could have been the source of "WWX is responsible for Jiang Clan's massacre" if not the only surviver, besides Wei Wuxian, of the said massacre?), and hunting down the so-called demonic cultivators because "what if that's actually Wei Wuxian." I commend Lan Wangji’s restraint, because if it had been me, I would have long since punched that guy in the nose. And I absolutely love Lan Wangji’s attitude of "I won't look at you; I won't speak to you. Sizhui, you may speak on my behave."

"Lans only love once"

Please tell me I'm not the only one who gets toothache whenever I read this. When I came across it for the first time, I didn’t think much of it. Like, at first, I thought it was cute, but then it started grinding on my nerves. Why? Because it diminishes Lan Wangji’s love, trust and devotion to Wei Wuxian to a mere fate thing that is beyond your control. He is already being reduced to some block of ice (by the mob in mdzs and the fandom), and now you also simplify such an important part to his character. Like, where did this even come from? Yes, we have the famous Lan "I will leave this world, because my love is no longer in it" An and Lan Wangji, but that's it when it comes to die-hard romantics in the Lan Clan. The story of Qingheng-jun and Madam Lan is not really romantic (I'm not gonna speculate on what there was and wasn't between them because Lan Xichen telling Wei Wuxian about his parents had a different purpose, namely, to esteblish Lan Wangji as someone who doesn't just listen to what his elders have to say, but as someone who seeks to understand and then judge the reasoning by his own moral beliefs). And that's it. So where is "Lans only love once" coming from??

So why did I write all of this? Well, I'm just tired of seeing this over and over again. Aren't we all so creative? Come up with new head-canons (so that I have more things to criticise /jk) or stick to canon characteristics. Please.

[gentil-minou]

wangixan modern au ft. a-yuan and big lwj wearing tiny dragonji costume

happy new year!

Wei Wuxian takes A-Yuan along with the Wens to check out the fireworks and light display. It's well past his bed time but everyone is having a blast!

That is until A-Yuan goes missing...

Wwx didn't even let go of his hand for more than a second, just to adjust the pile of sweets they'd bought from the market stalls. But when he reaches down to grab A-Yuan's hand, only chilling empty space greets him.

"A-Yuan?" Wwx whispers, not quite believing he'd lost a child in this crowd of what must thousands gathered by the waterfront.

"A-Yuan!!!"

"Wei-ge, what's wrong?" Sweet innocent Wen Ning asks, not realizing it's officially the worst day of their lives. What a horrific end to the year.

At least Wen Qing wasn't the one to find him, otherwise wwx might not make it to the new year at all.

Wwx frantically explains the situation and then, once he's dumped his haul with WN along with solemn orders to stay out in case A-Yuan returns, wwx runs off to search for him in the crowd.

He barrels through the crowd, heedless of the shoving but keeping a careful eye on the ground since A-Yuan would be too short to see over their heads.

He's not back at the market stalls nor is he dangling off the railing to get a better look at the colorful lanterns dotting the river, thankfully. He's not hiding in the crowd of kids listening to a storyteller weave a tale of dragons heralding in the new year.

As wwx whirls around again, the crowd blurring into nothing but streaks of color, his ears turn their cheers into taunts and jeering.

He can't—he can't lose A-Yuan. Not A-Yuan…not after everything. A-Yuan!!!

But no matter where he looks, there's no trace of his little radish.

He hastily rubs away the tears from his eyes and grits his teeth before more can fall. Theres no way he can give up now.

The crowd begins to thin the further away they get from the light display. A-Yuan had been most excited about seeing "the dragon in the sky!!!" so there's little chance he'd be here...but wwx is willing to scour the earth for as long as it takes.

Frankly, he's debating diving into the river to search that too, just in case, when he hears a beautiful, wonderful, familiar joyous shout.

"Gege!"

Relieved tears flood his vision as he spins around and drops to his knees to welcome his little radish and never let go…

Except, although that is A-Yuan's excited shout, wwx isn't the one A-Yuan is talking to.

"Dragon-gege, this way!"

No…the one A-Yuan is clinging to, tiny little hands wrapped around oversized synthetic claws, is a person dressed as a life-sized cartoon dragon mascot.

(Please imagine, for your viewing pleasure, a life-size version of tiny dragonji. Thank you)

His costume looks less like a dragon and more like…

When Wei Wuxian was young, he'd seen a tv show about a big purple dinosaur that was really more terrifying than kid friendly.

That's what this guy looks like, except his suit is light blue with a hole cut out for his face that's just out of view with how he's turned away. And written on his big white belly are the characters for "Gusu Electronics."

Wait.

Gusu Electronics?

Finally, the man turns, giving WWX a full view of his face that holy shit happens to be, of all people, his old dormmate Lan Wangji.

Lan Wangji. Lan Zhan, who Wei Wuxian hasn't seen in years since he'd dropped out of school for reasons, who he'd never said goodbye to…

Who is currently being dragged around by a toddler while wearing a giant dragon costume, with all the solemnity of a king.

WWX bursts into laughter, lighting him up from the inside.

A-Yuan is safe. That's what matters most. Lan Wangji would keep him safe.

A-Yuan is also clearly trying to guide his bewildered Dragon-gege away. Though Lan Wangji's expression is still so difficult to read, it's clear from his hesitancy that he's not sure how to handle A-Yuan's stubborn determination to get his way.

WWX decides to put the poor dragon-guy out of his misery.

"Lan Zhan!"

At sound of his name, LWJ whirls around, the plastic horns on his costume bobbing dangerously with the movement.

Unfortunately, the tail attached to the back of his costume whips around too, knocking A-Yuan over.

WWX howls with laughter at the sight of A-Yuan on his bottom, staring up at LWJ with a look of utter betrayal only a 5-year-old can muster.

LWJ's puffy dragon arms reach out towards him as he glances back and forth between WWX and A-Yuan, eyes wide and stricken.

"Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan wait! Let me help!" WWX sputters between lingering stray giggles.

Something about wearing a glorified dragon onesie makes LWJ look especially vulnerable. Even his horns seem to droop and the feathery scales that circle his head look sheepish.

WWX helps A-Yuan back to his feet, though that doesn't stop the boy from looking balefully up at LWJ.

If it were possible for a grown man to deflate, that would be it. LWJ attempts to kneel in forgiveness, only it looks like the padding in his knees is too thick to do so.

Instead, he inclines his head—also difficult given that this his costume doesn't have any actual neck to twist—and apologizes seriously.

A-Yuan narrows his eyes and gives his Dragon-gege a cold, hard stare.

Finally, he deems his apology satisfactory and nods, then promptly sticks his thumb in his mouth.

WWX has to bite his cheek to keep from dissolving into a giggling puddle.

"So! Lan Zhan! What are you doing, uh, dressed like that."

A-Yuan tugs on his hand, drawing his attention, "That's Dragon-gege, Xian-gege."

"Ah yes of course, my mistake, Dragon-gege. May I ask what your esteemed self is doing?"

LWJ glowers at him, which means WWX /has/ to send him a cheeky, teasing grin in response.

"…Xiongzhang volunteered me." LWJ replies, pointedly avoiding eye contact.

"Ah, that makes more sense! Why else would the Gusu heir be wearing a costume like this?"

WWX would know; one of his part-time jobs involved dressing up as a meatbun during a humid stretch of summer. Definitely not something Lan Zhan would do for fun.

A-Yuan gasps. "Whoa~ Dragon-gege is an heir? Like a prince? Dragon-gege is Prince Dragon-gege!"

"That's right A-Yuan. Remember, how to greet princes? Just like in Popo's dramas?"

A-Yuan proceeds to execute a pretty accurate, if somewhat messy, curtsy, his two hands pressed together and his face adorably serious.

LWJ looks like he's about to combust, maybe actually breathe fire. The thought sends WWX into another round of uncontrollable giggles

A-Yuan directs his patented big, pleading brown eyes up at LWJ, and oh no. WWX knows that look.

"Will Prince Dragon-gege leave now that A-Yuan found his Xian-gege?" A-Yuan's lower lip wobbles. Oh, the little fiend. "He won't play with A-Yuan anymore?"

LWJ's mouth flops open like a fish trapped on land. A-Yuan adds more of a pout and twist back and forth.

WWX knows the next step if he doesn't get his way is to bring out the crocodile tears, and he's sure that will actually make LWJ combust. As much as he's enjoying seeing his old friend, if he's technically working they can't monopolize all his time.

"Come on little radish, time for dragon princes to run off for their palace. We can't keep him too long, he's got a new year to bring in!"

Unfortunately, this has the opposite effect and now A-Yuan's act has dropped into wide-eyed wonder as he looks at LWJ like a treasured deity.

"Wow! Dragon-gege brings in the new year? We have to play, Xian-gege! For luck!"

This is definitely something Uncle Four taught him, but now A-Yuan is sending the full force of those doe eyes at /WWX/, and WWX is a weak man.

"No! Not the A-Yuan eyes! Anything but that!" He tries to shy away, only for A-Yuan to tug on his arm until they're eye level.

He sets those beams to kill and WWX staggers under the weight of their cuteness.

At least A-Yuan is giggling and completely focused on making his Xian-gege fall over. WWX uses his genius distrction to wave LWJ away, gesturing for him to escape.

Except apparently Lan Wangji sucks at charades because instead of tucking his dragon tail and running off, he says, "I can stay. And celebrate. With A-Yuan and Wei Ying."

WWX jaw drops as A-Yuan cheers and dances happy circles around his Dragon-gege.

WWX tries to pull him aside. Luckily, A-Yuan's excited shouts drown out his whispers. "Lan Zhan, you, you know you don't have to right?"

LWJ gives him a look he can't read, but if he had to he'd assume it meant "Duh" in Lan Wangji-speak.

"I know, I want to."

WWX blinks, trying and failing to understand why anyone would want to spend their New Years dressed in a dragon costume while hanging out with a college drop-out and a toddler who's too good at manipulation.

But before he can protest, LWJ reaches out his hand for A-Yuan to grab and they're off. It's all WWX can do to catch up and run after them, shouting, "Hey! Wait for me!"

LWJ must know this festival better than them, because he instantly finds the best stalls and booths, with games that catch A-Yuan's eye and food that makes WWX drool.

His aim should be terrible and he should be at least a little uncoordinated considering what he's wearing, but no, not at all. Apparently LWJ is somehow stronger wearing a dragon costume, as if he's actually got some new abilities that lead him to win every game and every prize.

Somehow, he even manages to pay for everything too. Before WWX can so much as shuffle the pile of stuffed animals in arm aside to grab his wallet, LWJ has dug up some cash from whatever hidden pocket is in his suit.

He can't find it in himself to really complain though.

Back when they shared that small dormroom, LWJ was always doing things like this. Buying whatever they needed and paying for WWX even when he didn't ask, especially when he didn't ask.

He hasn't had anyone to do this for him in years. He and the Wens are always struggling to make end's meet, so any splurging they do is communal.

WWX had forgotten what if felt like to be taken care of like this. He'd forgotten the warmth that lit up his belly whenever LWJ wordlessly handed something to him. Like sitting next to a comforting campfire.

As midnight approaches, A-Yuan starts dozing off, his tanghulu gradually slipping out of his hand before WWX manages to save it

In one fluid movement, LWJ bends and lifts A-Yuan into his arms, resting his head against his shoulder where the puffy fabric of his costume is softest

A little part of WWX is jealous; he wouldn't mind cuddling with Dragon-gege too.

The other part is too busy trying to get a picture of them as LWJ walks off. WWX immediately sets the photo as his background, refusing to think too much about how his heart races.

Lan Wangji guides them over to a space cordoned off from the rest of the crowd. It must be where festival workers can hang back and relax, and it's blessedly peaceful here. Perfect for A-Yuan to relax.

"You know that costume of yours has its perks, Lan Zhan!" WWX says, whistling at the view. From here they can see the drones dancing overhead along with a pretty decent angle at the barge where fireworks sit at the ready. "Though all those kids wanting to take a picture, only for you to frown at them and scare them away! Haha! Maybe it isn't your thing after all."

LWJ lets out a breath that sounds a bit like a huff as he adjusts A-Yuan, cradling him closer to protect him from the slight breeze.

"This is usually Xiongzhang's idea of celebration. I am simply filling in."

WWX hums his acknowledgement, silently thanking Lan Xichen for giving him this good fortune today. He hangs over the railing, watching the current flow by and the shifting festival lights moving like stars in its waves.

He rests his head in his arms and glances over his shoulder

Lan Wangji stands with his eyes closed, enjoying what must be a refreshing breeze as he rocks slowly side to side. Just beneath the festival reverly, Wei Wuxian can hear him humming under his breath. Something soothing and melancholic as he rocks A-Yuan back and forth.

Even with all the pretty festival lights, and the fireworks that will launch any minute now, WWX finds he has no desire to look away. Something about the peaceful serenity on Lan Wangji, the way lanterns cast pretty patterns over his smooth skin. How his eyelashes cast long, fluttering shadows. The hint of a smile, the slightest tease lingering at the corner of his lips.

Why would Wei Wuxian ever look away?

A gust of wind tosses his hair and disturbs LWJ's costume enough for it to slip, revealing the side of his face covered in sweat and tiny strands of hair glued to his skin. LWJ's nose twitches, one of the feathery stands jutting out of his costume tickling him.

But with the limited range of movement his costume provides and the way what little is available is focused on holding a sleeping child, there's little LWJ can do other than contort his face to try and move the strand away.

When he starts blowing air out fruitlessly, his puffed up cheeks sticking out against his costume's hoodie, WWX chuckles softly and reaches over.

"Here, let me."

He carefully moves the strand aside and adjusts the costume so it's back in place. His fingers, cold from the late night winter chill, blaze with the heat of LWJ's skin.

His fingers brush against LWJ's cheekbones. How can skin be so soft?

LWJ stares back at him, eyes wide as the full moon overhead. In its reflection, his eyes seem almost gold with the light of a thousand lanterns living in them.

A hush falls over as WWX's fingers linger over his skin. He doesn't want to pull his hand away. He finds there's nothing he'd want to do less.

LWJ breaths in, and his exhale tickles WWX's nose. When did they get so close?

Distantly, the countdown begins.

Their eyes are still locked when the first fireworks are sent into the sky, a cascade of starfall lighting up the night. Colorful drones dance around them, transforming into a giant dragon chasing after the moon.

"Look, Dragon-gege. Is that you?" comes A-Yuan's sleepy voice from where it's tucked in his shoulder.

Finally, LWJ drags his gaze away from WWX, though tingles still race up his spine. He glances at the sky and says, "No, it's another dragon."

"Does that mean you'll stay here, with us?"

WWX heart clenches as he waits for his answers. LWJ looks at him as he replies, "Mn. If you will have me, yes I will."

The fireworks exploding overhead cannot be as loud as the drumming in WWX's ears.

But A-Yuan isn't finished tearing WWX apart. "Then make sure you kiss. That's the only way it will come true."

"A-Yuan!" WWX sputters. "Really, who taught you these things? That's not—Lan Zhan doesn't need to kiss m—anyone if he—"

"I meant /me/, Xian-gege," A-Yuan explains like hes the one explaining things to a toddler. He rolls his eyes and promptly kisses Lan Wangji on the cheek, happy giggles ringing as fireworks burst overhead.

A smirk twists across Lan Wangji's lips as Wei Wuxian gapes at them.

"Hey! That's not fair! Where's my kiss?"

LWJ lifts an eyebrow. "Would Wei Ying like a New Years' kiss as well?"

WWX's cheeks flame brighter than the fireworks. "I meant from—from—I didn't mean—Lan Zhan!"

A-Yuan giggles as LWJ huffs a laugh that works its way right into WWX's heart. Twin conspiratorial half-smiles creep across their faces, lit up by flashing colors.

LWJ leans over, and together he and A-Yuan kiss WWX's cheeks. A-Yuan's kiss is wet and messy, but the softness of LWJ's lips leave WWX cradling his cheek long after he pulls away, wishing he could trap the feeling there.

"I—I…That—"

"Hehe, Happy New Year, Xian-gege! Dragon-gege!" A-Yuan slips from LWJ's arms and leans against the railing, content to ignore them as he watches the rest of the show.

"Happy New Year, Wei Ying." LWJ says, still wearing that half-smile that twists WWX's insides.

WWX ignores how he must be a blushing mess and leans against LWJ, whose puffy costumed arm slides around his back, lending him warmth as the sky erupts above.

"Why did you have to wear this stupid costume anyway. We could be holding hands," he pouts.

LWJ huffs another silent laugh and presses a soft kiss against the crown of WWX's head.

WWX closes his eyes to savor the moment, then leans back and rests against LWJ, puffy glorified dragon onesie and all.

As he watches the show overhead reach its exciting concluding, listening to A-Yuan's quiet gasps and LWJ's soothing breathing, WWX makes a resolution.

Next year, he'll get a proper New Years kiss.

[sillygoofyqueer]

The Untamed review: episode two!!

Yes, Wei Wuxian, Little Apple IS a picky eater, because he deserves only the best and KNOWS IT

Bro's complaining about a donkey to a donkey, what a guy

"You're like MY master"

"Yo, there's a well!" Wei Wuxian immediately moves out of the way, what a gentleman

HE'S JUST TALKING TO THEM, WOAHHHH

Wei Wuxian helplessly listening to them argue over his inventions is so funny to me

"IS WEI YOUR DAD?!??" "HE'S MY IDOL!!"

The way that Wei Wuxian just gives up and peaces out

Fighting with a donkey now

Take the fucking apple, you dumbass

How old is this woman? She looks about twenty five

IT'S JUST LIKE IN MINECRAFT

Push her off, it'd be so funny and no one would know

Yo, what is Yan doing?? She's busting some moves

Does he just flick any random person?

Ohhhh, I see

Got killed by the mist, that's an embarrassing way to go

Bro is dead, goddamn. Poor lass has no soul

This woman has been through so much, she doesn't deserve it

Someone's catching humans, cannibals in every universe

JIN LING!!! <3

Laughing at the richness of people

"Naur, stay up there. See you later xoxo"

How is this woman here????

LITTLE APPLE BEHAVE YOURSELF

It's fine, he's wearing a mask that covers his eyes

"It's you?" Aw shit, the guy who was a baby when you were around is onto you

Joking, he knows Mo Xuanyu

Mock him and see how it ends up

BRO JUST INSULTED HIM BECAUSE HE'S MOTHERLESS

Stop trying to get up, jesusss

Nice throw

He looks so done with people's shit

STOP FUCKING MOCKING HIM, WEI WUXIAN

Oh, hey Jiang Cheng, you're baby girling quite hard today

No need to crush it

"break his legs? No, feed him to your dog, kiddo"

His boyfriend has come to rescue him

"I'm so unlucky today", on the contrary, I think you're very lucky, these characters are key to the plot and you didn't even have to go looking for them!!

I like the music that plays when the Lan Clan is around

Lan Jingyi stepping up for his father- teacher

Lan Sizhui, how do you know so much

HE CAST THE SILENCE SPELL, I LOVE HIM

He says it like a slur hahahaha

Lan Wangji is too busy mewing, don't break his streak!!

"If you don't get that spirit, don't come back to me!!" Jin Ling was never seen again 😔

He's like a grumpy toddler, I love him so

"Don't worry, we'll pay for the nets we broke!" "Nuh uh!!" Lan Sizhui, you're an angel, don't listen to him

HIS MEWING STREAK NOOOOO

Nice voice though

"I thought I saw my boyfriend 😔"

There are spirits in the lake, I wouldn't suggest drinking from it

Jiang Yanli 😭😭😭

Stop smiling, you're hallucinating

Slander my boy and sees what happens

Slap yourself, go on, like the books

Don't put the blame all on him!!!

Nice, like the books

Feel the shame

That cannot be comfortable, those are literal rocks

LITTLE APPLE!!

He's like they're little leader

That's a fast old man

Lan Jingyi's first instinct is to point a sword at an old man, lmaaoooo

"anything strange here?" "Duh"

Leaving him alone while he's trying to give important plot information, rude

Glowing grass, what the fuck

I think you should eat some

He just wants to clean, leave him alone

WEN QING!!!!!!

Flashbacks lmao

Where'd the old man go

Dirty

No way is that naturally formed

Lan Jingyi, you're surprisingly knowledgeable..I didn't know you could read

Jin Ling and his group of people

AAAAAHH WHAT THE FUCK

"what's up baby girls"

Ugh, it's been moving for a while now

Maybe you should, I don't know, LISTEN TO THE GUY WHO KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING??

Also, y'all ditched him, minus points

"We're out" "fuck, y'all are gonna soooo be punished"

The look he gave, as if this isn't like, a sixteen seventeen year old. No, wait, he's probably eighteen...how old was he before Wei Wuxian's death? ANYWAY

Criticising the Lan education system while you're at it

"wait, you can't be crazy, because that makes sense!!" Lan Jingyi my beloved

Shit, my cover as a crazy person has been blown

Are they having a mewing contest or what?

Well done, Lan Jingyi

WHERE'S MY NEPHEW

I swear it wasn't that big before

Y'all are doing a shit job at running from something this slow

Nice attack, it's still stone though

Dude, listen to Lan Sizhui

"Hey, my sword 🥺😔"

Considering this flute playing is supposed to be shit, it's not too bad

"ugh, you're playing the flute this bad? You must be crazy" Lan Jingyi, make up your mind

STOOOOOP JIN LING

Nice kick, it's still stone though

WEN NING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HE'S HERE TO KICK SOME ASS FOR YOU!!!!

They both look mildly terrified

Dude killed it so easy, well done. Naur, it's just an illusion.

"y'all, no need to be scared, the Yiling Patriarch ain't here" he's standing over there, wearing a mask

I THOUGHT THE LANS WERE BETTER THAN THIS

Luring him over with shitty flute playing

LET GO OF THE COMEDIC RELIEF

His robes are even blowing, just for you

Me leading my next snack away from the bag

Walk faster, goddamn

"hey bbg, it's been a while"

Listen guys, I know you're in love but there's a corpse there

He flew away, like Jesus

So...how is everyone surprised when they do turn out to be gay???

DON'T PIN THE BLAME ON HIM. MY MAN'S IS GUILTY BUT PRETTY

Uhh uh oh. Mom and dad are fighting again

Lan Wangji already looks so bored

The fucking GLARE I CAN'T

"Take off the mask!!!" "Nuh uh, I'm too handsome"

Lan Jingyi needs to stop being smart, it's scaring me

Stoooop, he didn't kill his brother

Okay, so he did, but he didn't want to!!!

He passed out, okay man

Answer the stupid call

FAMILY!!!!!!!

They're so happy 😔

Give him what he wants, it's SYMBOLISM

Lecturing him better than Lan Qiren

You lost him already, not very good at this, ey?

Alcoholic

Of course he will, it's Wei Wuxian

They're so happy :(

[realbeijinger]

A semi-coherent rant on climate change, the value of idealism, and a criticism of TGCF (But also not really because I haven’t finished it yet and also I love MXTX…)

I’m in the middle of Book 3 of Tian Guan Ci Fu, and it is legit making me depressed. Like really, unnecessarily sad. I know I should probably wait until the end to write up my thoughts since I don’t know how things will ultimately turn out, but I feel like I need to process. And so, here we go…

First of all, I am sooo Xie Lian. I feel like this story gets me down so much because it hits too close to home. When I was little, I was super idealistic—I used to go around telling people that love was the most important thing in the world, and that civilization was wrong, because we were destroying the environment, and so we should all go back to living in harmony with nature. I was like a crazy, radical five year old, but also somehow mature-sounding and nauseatingly sweet. Grownups loved me and assumed I would grow up to do something big. But… I haven’t really. Instead I am just a normal person and realized that the world is actually super complicated—like I said, sooo Xie Lian. Except I never became a god or saved even one person…    

Anyways, it’s not like I disagree with MXTX’s criticism of blind idealism. She hit the nail on the head—crushingly well. But I guess, like Xie Lian, I am still clinging to that last bit of hope I haven’t let go of yet.

In TGCF and Mo Dao Zu Shi, things are never black and white, and she criticizes those characters who act with a blind sense of righteousness. She believes in nuance. And yet, in our current moment, we are headed toward a climate catastrophe, and it feels like we are all just sitting back, trying to carefully weigh the ideal course of action—the pros and cons, scared of being too rash, too impulsive—while the world burns.

When I first started watching the Untamed (which is where my MXTX journey started), I was initially drawn in by this extremely beautiful man who was willing to sacrifice so much to do what was right. I loved how he refused to compromise with this screwed up society. Because, I am so frustrated with myself for always compromising. For being part of this system that’s horrible and destroying the world and personally doing very little to stop it. And I wanted to be inspired—and for a minute I was by Wei Wuxian.  

And then, of course, it turns out that the real message was the complete opposite of that, and having dogmatic, uncompromising morals is not something to be applauded. In the eyes of MXTX, it’s very dangerous.

And I mean, she’s not wrong. But I can’t help but think maybe we still need heroes like that. I really admire Greta Thunberg who refuses to fly in planes, buy anything new, doesn’t eat meat. Before anyone joined her protests, she was ditching school every day, literally sitting all by herself in front of Swedish parliament with one pathetic-looking sign. I mean that kind of commitment takes HUGE resolve. It has to come from a total sense of self-righteousness, from a complete unwillingness to compromise or back down—a refusal to listen to her parents, or her teachers, or the large numbers of people around her who were definitely telling her she was nuts. I mean, I try to go veg, and my mother-in-law hands me one homemade meat dish and I instantly fold…

In interviews, Greta often talks about how being on the autism spectrum causes her to view the world in very black and white terms—with good and evil being clearly defined. She often refers to the older generation as “evil” for their role in the climate crisis—a word MXTX would probably not approve of. Normally, I don’t think black and white thinking is good. I also believe in nuance. But when it comes to something like climate, it’s incredibly complicated but also incredibly simple. We have to stop burning fossil fuels. We have to do it now. If we want humanity to survive, we don’t have a choice. We gotta pull out all the stops. We can’t hesitate. And if we do, we’ll lose everything. Any drawbacks that may come from us not using fossil fuels are completely outweighed if the climate goes to shit. There’s no real nuance in that. And to get people to make that sort of change, you need passion. You need motivation. You need feeling. Basically, you need blind idealism. We are soooo screwed, and really, blind idealism is all we have left.     

And I want to have that. Part of me wants to get back to that idealism I lost. But like Xie Lian, I don’t know how…

I dunno. There are always reasons not to do anything. Most of us know life is complicated—our limitations are usually way too obvious. But, I think, sometimes we still should take the single log bridge into darkness. And maybe we need some dumb, cliché hero story to give us the motivation to do it…

Of course, saving the world is not easy. Especially when it comes to large scale national or international politics, the situation in Xianle demonstrates very clearly how easy it is to create unintended consequences. Everything is so complex. There are so many factors, so many competing interests to consider. I do not envy political leaders.

But most of us are not political leaders. Most of us are just ordinary people who want to make the world a little better. We have the capacity to be activists, but that’s it. We don’t have the power to make detailed policy decisions anyway. And so, to some extent, I don’t think we need to worry so much about all that. We just have to push politicians in the right direction.

Even at that high leadership level, though, I do think it’s possible to make better choices—ones that create less harm. And I do think we have an obligation to try and find those. I don’t agree with what the State Preceptor said (and what I think MXTX actually believes), that “Assigning fault is meaningless.” To me, that’s akin to giving up on morality altogether.

A lot of this is a matter of perspective. Yes, if you zoom out far enough, assigning fault is meaningless. But then, if you zoom out far enough, everything is meaningless. Everything we love and care about will one day be gone. Our battles for justice, for equality, for the people we love, will all be entirely pointless once our current society goes the way of the Aztecs, once humanity disappears, once the earth gets swallowed by the sun.

Again, if we zoom far enough out, climate change is not really a problem. According to that wise state preceptor, “In this world, fortune—good or bad—is predetermined.” MXTX believes there is only so much good fortune in the world. If we somehow manage to take too much of it, we will eventually pay the price. Balance will be restored.  

Which is exactly what is happening in this era of climate catastrophe. In the past 200 years since the industrial revolution, humanity has taken a lot of fortune. For the first time in history, we don’t worry every day about finding food. We’ve conquered a whole host of deadly diseases, have greatly reduced our need for manual labor, and can spend our days in mental pursuits, making art, or writing self-indulgent essays about Chinese web novels.

All of this, I would argue, is not really because of human ingenuity, but because we happened to find an incredibly powerful energy source—fossil fuels—which have given us the illusion of “human progress.” Let’s remember that this “progress” has only lasted for about 200 years, a small dot on the graph of human existence (300,000 years), and that for most of that time, people viewed history as a cycle, with inevitable ups and downs, rather than a continuous march upward.

In other words, in the past 200 years, we’ve taken too much fortune. But nature will correct the balance. I don’t think climate change will destroy life on earth. Even if the worst happens and humanity bites the dust, other species will most likely persist, evolving into creatures completely new—a rebirth, of sorts. Looking at it from that far-off, disinterested perspective, it’s not really a problem. It’s just what nature does. New species follow each other, one after the next—like passing seasons.

But, even if all this is true, I don’t think we can be so detached. I don’t think we can live our lives believing that morality is pointless, not trying to do the right thing, or not worrying about how our actions affect others. If we approach life with such indifference, what’s to stop us from completely giving up?

One of my favorite TV shows is this old drama called Dead Like Me, where a wise, older character (a state preceptor, of sorts), says to the main character, “If you stand too close to a painting — all you see are patches of color, if you stand too far back, you can't see any of the detail.” In other words, when it comes to life, you need to stand the right distance away. Personally, I think MXTX is standing too far back. It’s true, there is so much we can’t control. Though we may be able to make things better for a bit, we cannot alter the basic cycle of life. Life is suffering. It was true when Buddha said it, and it’s true now. And if we try to “attempt the impossible,” as the Jiang motto says, and radically change that dynamic, we will fail.

But unlike in MXTX’s universe, fate doesn’t really screw us at every turn. Every day there are small victories. I used to do social work, which really was an exercise in the futility of trying to fix deeply rooted problems with insufficient tools, but I still remember those few times when I did do something right: the old man with dementia I got to take his meds, the guy who found his family on Facebook.

Even just writing a stupid email to Biden telling him to stop the drilling… we have to value those actions. We have to be invested. Sure, the universe doesn’t care. But I think we should still care. We can’t just throw up our hands and say the world is fucked. Because if everyone did that, the world really would be fucked. Even more so than it already is.  

Again, I realize I don’t entirely know where she’s going with all this. It’s very possible there’s going to be more to it than just criticizing idealism. Despite all the depressing stuff, I see crumbs of hope in how Hua Cheng loves Xie Lian, and values his attempts to help others. The line, “Although foolish, it is brave,” just floored me. I loved it so much. Honestly, I’d probably be happy if she leaves open any hope for idealism at all.   

But also, I have to prepare myself for the possibility that I will not totally agree with what she has to say. Which should be fine. I mean, in real life, I’m pretty good at interacting with people I fundamentally disagree with. But… in the hands of an author like MXTX, I feel like my emotions are like putty. I’m completely at her mercy. And partially, I don’t want to fight that. I want to give myself to the story, and lose myself in it completely. That’s a great feeling, but also, kind of… vulnerable? And then, when so emotionally invested, to suddenly realize that what the author’s saying bothers me…

Of course, I’ll get over it. I always do. Usually I write meta or fanfic as a way to process—to get out of someone else’s story, out of their head, and back into my own.

Anyways, we’ll see. Don’t tell me what happens!! I am trusting YOU, strangers on the internet!

If that’s not blind idealism, I don’t know what is…

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes.

Shadowhunters

Dona Nobis Pacem by lawsofchaos (+ podfic)

Part 2 of Consular High Warlock Magnus Bane

"When Alec kneels before you on that dais, Magnus,” Jace keeps going, “he’s telling every person present that it is your judgement, your respect, that he places before all others. In you placing that rune on his neck, Alec is publicly proclaiming that it’s your blessing and your judgement on him and on his reign as Head that gives him the right and the authority to uphold the Covenant.”

Magnus' throat is too tight to speak, but there’s a distinct shimmer visible in his suddenly unglamoured eyes.

Oh My God Dad, You Can't Just Ask People Why They're Blue by Ellegy42

"Nothing weird ever happens when Rafe sneezes,” Max complains into Papa’s stomach when he finally gets home.

The Sandman

Right Place, Right Time by sherwoodfox

Over the centuries, Hob had dreamt plenty of dreams about his friend from the tavern. All good dreams, of course.

Very good dreams.

Usually not dreams that featured either of them wearing very much clothing.

But until the talking bird told him otherwise, he hadn't considered that those dreams might be real.

(Featuring: a live Jessamy, Hob rescuing Dream from the fishbowl, a mess to clean and a happy ending.)

The Witcher

Every Word by GoldenDaydreams

Jaskier kept his secrets close. The fewer who knew, the fewer could hurt him with the curse—it was a secret he intended on taking to the grave.

The grave might just come early.

Hannibal

They Came to Florence or: Plagiarize This Fic by shiphitsthefan

Author William Graham has had a book on the bestseller list for the better part of a decade. He's also a recluse—no interviews, only a rare book signing or lecture. Otherwise, no one knows much about the man beyond the words in his novels and the requisite headshot on every cover. Even the blurb printed underneath his scowling, bespectacled face, framed by a head of messy curls—

“Oh my God,” said the woman strapped to Hannibal's surgical table, “will you please just kill me already?”

-

Dr. Hannibal Lecter has a thriving psychiatry practice and a not-so-secret obsession; William Graham has an impressive writing career and not a single goddamn clue

DC (Batfamily)

still feel your teeth around my organs by gladioar (deargalileo)

drake isn't getting out of bed. damian doesn't know what to do. thankfully alfred and dick do.

Untamed

See Me, Feel Me (Listening to You) by Ghost_Honey

Letting himself get cursed may not have been the smartest thing Wei Wuxian has ever done, but he'd argue that it’s completely in character. So he should earn some points for consistency, at the very least. Besides, when the spirit had been explaining it, the curse hadn't sounded too bad. Maybe a little bothersome if he underestimated how many people felt strongly about him, but surely, surely, it wouldn't be enough to hamper him in the long run.

Let it be known that Wei Wuxian is an idiot.

Because, when he emerges from the dilapidated husk of the temple, he can't see anyone

Or: Wei Wuxian gets cursed so he can’t see or feel anyone who feels strongly about him and assume this means that the people he cares about actually hate him.

[ultfreakme]

Danmei ask, what are your top 5 (or top 7) favorite moments from MDZS? Also, can I ask why you love those 3 (JC, WWX , XXC)?

(Riki, I'm so glad when found out you also love Jiang Cheng. You must know how many haters on his character in tumblr and twitter. Like, I was blocked 4 times by MDZS lover blog, when they knew I love Jiang Cheng.)

I love reading your MDZS/ SVSSS crossover, they're so in character.....And yes, SQQ must love Sukuna and Jogo if he ever read JJK...

Thanks for the ask Anon!!

Top 7 moments:

When we find out the Jiang Cheng sacrificed himself to the Wens to save Wei Wuxian. It was dropped so casually and I had to backtrack and go "wait, wait, WAIT! DISCUSS IT PLEASE!!"

The juniors in the Yi City arc, they were so adorable, I loved reading them putting on a brave face and investigating.

Wei Wuxian murdering the crap out of Wen Chao with his sexy undead ladies. Him and Jiang Cheng together torturing him while Lan Wangji was sent out and it's like, LWJ is confused, shocked, and horrified.

The scene where Wei Wuxian's roasting Jin Guangshan at the conference post-war and everyone's scandalized. I love it when Wei Wuxian gets bitchy.

Jiang Cheng's intro scene in the donghua where he emerges from the shadows of that tree, pushing aside the leaves. That's so hot of him.

Wei Wuxian covered in blood in the second siege of Burial Mounds and Lan Wangji is defending him. That scene's so cool and romantic in all its iterations. The donghua went above and beyond and made it seem like a wedding.

Jiang Cheng giving Zidian to Jin Ling ;_; It hurts me. It's so much worse knowing that MXTX was planning on killing Jin Ling soon after to really hurt Jiang Cheng.

Reasons I like:

Jiang Cheng-

He's so complicated! You can't immediately look at him and say he's the good guy or the bad guy. I personally think he leans more towards the good guy category.

He's the perfect opposite of Wei Wuxian, he's not a genius cultivator like wwx, he had to work for every bit of progress he made. He started off simply wanting to keep his family together and at peace, but the war happened and his priorities shifted. He's duty-bound, he's always fighting and scraping to be recognized but no one ever does. He wanted so bad to help wwx, but duty made it so that he was forced to pick between his sect and wwx. Forever chained, closed off.

He's jealous and vicious and so, so angry. I get it, I understand the worst parts of him and relate to it.

Wei Wuxian-

Again, super complicated as a person. Wronged at every turn. He wanted to do good and protect people, and for that he kept sacrificing himself over and over again with little value given to himself as a person. He's got his sharp edges and cruelty too, and I feel like people often forget that Wei Wuxian's traumas and his lack of self-appreciation and value on himself show in ugly and vicious ways.

His story obviously shows a key message of MDZS, which is that when people sacrifice themselves thinking that they're protecting their loved one, they only hurt them in another way. I understood his desire to do good, protect people, but there's no one to stand at his side. The loneliness and fear that comes with fucking up so bad that no one even tries to hear you out, no one's listening no matter how loud you shout.

Xiao Xingchen:

He's like Wei Wuxian but 100% times worse and more self-sacrificial. Too trusting, too good, and everyone kept taking advantage of that without bothering to guide him or be honest with him. Like legit, no one told him what they were truly thinking.

I love that xxc wants to be a good person, i hate that he was ruined for it. God I really wanted him to have a happy ending because he's just, he's so NICE. In a world filled with betrayal and deceit, xxc wanted to spread goodness. And yet.

AAHHHHHH

I think these characters made me see the point of MDZS in a very clear way, or in a way that impacted me most. So they're my faves.

Being a Jiang Cheng liker is a struggle! I was getting into MDZS even before the donghua started airing, like around 2018 and back then Jiang Cheng hate was so bad. I kept waiting year after year for the hate to go down but it just got worse the more popular MDZS got. The misunderstandings built up too. I got black and got into a million arguments too ;_; We have to stick together!!!

i have so many thoughts about Jiang Cheng specifically because, okay I read and watched everything about 3 years ago, so I don't remember much other than my fav, so I'm always thinking about everything he did.

nbsdhfb SQQ's monster-loving ass would go gaga for Sukuna. Four armed man wrecking people??? Yes sir! (side note; big tall powerful man who is called king who is only nice to his close servant and confidante???? SQH come get your boy!)

[wangxianficrecs]

💙 The Difference a Stab Wound Can Make by RadAceFriend

💙 The Difference a Stab Wound Can Make

by RadAceFriend

T, WIP, Series, 49k, Wangxian

Summary: The sword went through Wei Wuxian's chest. Suihua went through Wei Wuxian's chest. Kay's comments: Another series marked as incomplete, but the story definitely feels complete! In which, at Qiongqi Path, it's not Jin Zixuan who dies, it's Wei Wuxian. So, Jin Zixuan lives, but at what cost? The cost is that he has to grow up and grow as a person as he realises how corrupt the Cultivation World is. Everyone is congratulating him on killing Wei Wuxian and he's just really not feeling it and I really loved this Jin Zixuan POV. Also has the nice effect that the Wen remnants live, something the second and third story of the series deal with. Wangxian get a happy ending in the end as well, because Wei Wuxian still gets to return as Mo Xuanyu. Excerpt: His father ordered a stone tablet carved of his noble deed and Jin Zixuan wanted to scream. The design the artist had drawn to give over to the stone carver showed his sword piercing Wei Wuxian, the expression on his own face one of righteous judgement while Wei Wuxian’s was one of murderous rage. There was a second drawing, one of him in the main hall with A-Li against him. In that one, Suihua dripped blood still, and A-Li’s face was one of sorrowful acceptance, and his one of peaceful resolution. Jin Zixuan hated them. Jin Guangshan ordered for both of them to be carved and put up with the images of his own accomplishments, so that everyone would know what his heir had done. It was only at night, when A-Li was asleep, and Koi Tower was quiet, and he was as close to alone as he could get with only the peepholes he could find blocked against peering eyes and listening ears, that he took A-Ling from his cradle. A-Ling was still so young that he did little but eat and sleep. But sometimes, he was awake, and not crying, and this moment when Jin Zixuan picked up his son was one such moment. He pulled out the bell and tassel. “Someone wanted you to have this.” He said quietly. He spoke in a low voice rather than a whisper. One of the first things he had learnt from his mother was that a whisper travelled further and could be more clearly heard than a low tone. “He made it, to protect you.” A fastened the bell to A-Ling’s swaddling clothes. “It will have to be a very strong resentful creature if it wanted to harm you.” He gently pressed his lips against A-Ling’s forehead, where the vermillion mark had already been painted. “I’m sorry that you will never get to meet him.” He rocked his son back to sleep, ignoring the pain still lingering in his ribs and chest.

pov jin zixuan, pov wen qing, pov lan sizhui, canon divergence, jin zixuan lives, jiang yanli lives, wen remnants live, canonical character death - wei wuxian, thirteen years of wei wuxian's death, butterfly effect, lan wangji/wei wuxian get a happy ending, not jiang family friendly, jiang family dynamics, grief/mourning, survivor guilt, cultivation sect politics, angst with a happy ending

~*~

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

[lolia21]

Wei Wuxian, Feminism and Autonomy

The title sounds way fancier than this is going to be. So sorry for that. But this is a thought I've had for a while not and i just got double-triggered. So I'm listening to this MDZS podcast that i really like while reading mdzs fan fiction. The podcast is "Podcasts are Forbidden in the Cloud Recesses" and the fan fiction is one of those cast watching the show ones. Which is one of my favorite genres for this specific media. So I'm having a good time. But then the podcasters make the same point the fan fic does as I'm reading it and it just really pissed me off? Thats the preface for this whole long-ass rant.

So Wei Wuxian in my opinion Wei Wuxian has all the worst parts of being a heroine grafted onto his character and no one seems to care. Like I know the fandom feminizes him a lot because the author does and its part of his character. But I'm talking about like how he is written and how we are supposed to engage with him as readers.

Ok so, i don't understand people who don't understand why Wei Ying doesn't know Wanji likes him. That's it that's the whole premise. Because here's the thing it is very common in media for girls to have to tolerate shitty men and look past their flaws to love them. Its commonly expected for female characters to either fix the guy or learn to look past his flaws or change themselves in some way. Its also really common in media for the problems of dating and protective sex and dealing with sex appeal to fall on teenage girls. They are the ones who should flirt less, they should dress more modestly, and they should date less to be more appealing. And I see this same mindset with Wei Ying in the Fandom and in the novel.

Lan Xichen and Nice guys

This idea came to me one day when I was rewatching the untamed and I got to the Gauyin temple scene. The one where Xichen goes on this long-ass speech about all the things Wanji has done for Wei Ying. I'm watching this scene and I think "is this how it goes in the book? Because if so this is really fucked up." I hadn't read the book in a while so I hopped online (this is before the official novelization) and re-read the last like thirty-ish chapters for fun. And it's actually worse in the book. The entire speech is how Wanji has sacrificed so much for Wei Ying and how he hasn't been grateful and hasn't noticed his brothers feelings. How long Wanji has pined for him and how he's too selfish to notice. And its just a really gross speech to me. Because it implies that Wanji is owed Wei Yings affection because he has done these things. That Wei Ying is a bad person for not noticing Wanjis feelings and returning them. But here's the thing, Wei Ying doesn't need to return shit. Like he should be thankful for Wanjis help, that's fine. Be he is not obligated to fall in love with him cause of it. And frankly, most of the kind things Wanji did either happened out of Wei Wuxians view or after he had died. And I realized that Xichen doesn't really care about Wei Ying? Like he see's him not as a person but as a thing that will make his brother happy. He only encourages their friendship because to makes Wanji happy He doesn't take Wei Yings feelings into account at all. The moment that friendship comes with heartache for Wanji Xichen stops supporting it and caring about Wei Ying. He calls Wei Ying Wanjis biggest mistake just cause he doesn't seem to like Wanji back despite how nice he's been. To Xichen them getting together is something that has to happen and if it doesn't its because Wei Ying is the problem for not liking him faster or as much. Which brings me to:

Wanjis Trauma is not Wei Wuxians Problem

I was inspired to actually get this down because of that double hit. So here's what happened I'm listening to the podcast and they just started talking about how sad and repressed Wanji is. How he hasn't learned to express himself or learn about sex and how sad that is. That WEi Ying is being the loud annoying little brat he always is. And Wanji, baby boy just can handle it. So he lashes out and is super rude and dismissive. But ohhh he's just so horny its not his fault! And at the same time in the fan fiction, they get to the scene where Wei Wuxian flirts for some free loquats and Wanji gets jealous and looks away. In the Fan fic they have older wei wuxian apologize for flirting because she should have known better? That pisses me off. Enough to make a long a tumblr rant. So much of the fandom assumes the responsibility of putting work into the relationship on Wei Wuxian. Of course, he should feel bad about flirting in front of Wanji. He's his future husband. Even though at this point Wanji as been nothing but cold, distant, authoritative and dismissive. Wei Ying has zero reason to believe he is jealous and even if he did;t that's not his problem! The idea that Wei Ying needs to learn to be less of a flirt fort eh sake of Wanji feeling comfortable is bullshit. Wei ying doesn't owe him a damn thing. Its just so common for people and the author to rush to defend Wanji was being repressed and unable to express himself. While Wei Ying is called selfish and thoughtless for not being willing to sympathize and make concessions for him. I understand that Wanji changes after the time skip. He realises that Wei Ying isn't obligated to like him or act a certain way. But at the same time he still doesn't full give Wei Ying full autonomy in their relationship in my opinion. Because he doesn't confess first. He's so afraid of rejection or Wei Wuxian liking him out of obligation that he decides to help him but not confess. He decides that if Wei Wuxian falls for him it should be by choice (I'm assuming, its actually really unclear to me). But first of all that doesn't happen! Xichen gives that stupid nice guy speech. and second, that's still fucked up. If he actually respected Wei Ying he would be upfront and tell him and deal with the fallout after that. Instead, he just helps wei ying out and while burying his feel feelings and hopes that is enough. How could Wei Ying not feel shitty after hearing that? I don't know. I just think it's reasonable for Wei Ying to be hesitant to like Wanji based on how he's been treated. It's true that both of them have issues with communication but those issues started with Wanji. He's the one who showed that he's so blindly rigged in his ways and refused to admit out loud how he felt to start with.

Side Bits

I completely forget the scene where Xichen tells his family back story to Wei Wuxian until just now. Thats so fucked up and manipulative coming from him. It's just meant to make Wei Wuxian feel bad for leaving Wanji and explain some of his behavior. No one pulls Wanji aside and explains that Wei ying spent years on the streets and then in a toxic household where the matriarch openly hated him. So he has low self-esteem and genuinely thinks his life is worth less than others. No one was like hey he's bubbly and loud because there's no other option for him. Like in the book the only people that advocate for Wey Ying are the Wens and Sometimes Yanli.

After Fenmiin and Madam Yu die they and the land Jiang Cheng gets so mad and sad he starts to choke Wei Wuxian to death. He stops and starts crying but that's so messed up. Like Wei Wuxian also closed a second pair of parentel figures just now but his body I still used as a means for a man to let out his sadness. Like he's still just a vessel for someone else's emotions. I think this actually happens a lot with Jiang Cheng. He has a habit of blowing up at Wei Ying in a way that is implied to be deserved or not that bad. But just doesn't feel great to me based on everything else I've written about.

Wei Wuxian is only able to clear his name and live a semi decent life because he gets with Wanji. Wei Wuxian success is not based off his talent or smarts alone, it is mostly based don't he fact that Wanij is willing to vouch for him and help hide him. Like I know part of it is Huasiang helping him but he would not have gotten far without Wanji helping him. Not only that but Xichen is only willing to help them even a little in their research because of his brother. And that's just a little annoying to me.

By the end of the story Wei Wuxian has no financial autonomy. Which isn't a big deal because this is ancient Chinese vampire times so as the "wife" he wouldn't have much anyway. But still not great.

Meng Yao and Wei Wuxians mothers and meng yao and Wei Wuxian are talked about in similar terms that are interesting. So both of them are "tainted" by specifically who their mothers are. Men Yao because his mother was a sex worker and Wei ying because his mother was known to be a highly wanted and playful woman. People both assume they are going to be exactly like heir parents and treat them as such. Which affects how they actually interact with people. MEng Yao knows he can't appear greedy or even like he's ambitious because he knows that as a son of a sex worker, everyone will think he's naturally greedy and manipulative. And he is those things. But they made him this way. he had to no choice but to be a sneaky asshole because the moment he showed any ambition it was either immediately squashed because of his status or people were like I know it. He is sued by his father in the same way his mother was. Wei Wuxian on there other hand has three people in his life who treat him a certain way because of his mother. Fengmain lets him get away with a lot and is openly affectionate to seemingly make of for his relationship with his parents. He doesn't spoil Wei Wuxian as much as he doesn't really expect anything of him? He just wants to see Wei Wuxian happy doing whatever he wants. He assumes Wei Wuxian is a wild and free spirit because his mother was and thats not fully true. On the other hand, Madam yu and Qiren treat Wuxian almost like a temptress. He's just a reflection of his moms wild, playful and seduction personality to them. They both think he's someone they have to actively control and suppress lest he get all the attention and make people behave inappropriately. Its that same notion I wrote about way earlier. How girls have to be the ones to control themselves and their appearances so as to not tempt the men folk with their ankles.

In Conclusion

Fuck the Patriarchy, Learn Necromancy.

[admirableadmiranda]

Must be a Thursday because it’s time to complain about common fanon tropes in MDZS that spring from nothing in the book.

Today it’s the ever pervasive opinion that Wei Wuxian either died last at the siege of the Forsaken Battlegrounds, or deliberately let himself die. Which at least in my opinion does not fit with the descriptions of his death nor his general character in the slightest.

Now I can’t seem to figure out how to cut on tumblr mobile app and I have several quotes, so I apologize in advance for the length of the post to come. The first quote is from my own edit, the rest will be from ExR.

So the first specific mention we get about what even happened to Wei Wuxian is in the prologue:

““That’s only hearsay. Although Jiang Cheng was one of the main forces, he did not deal Wei Wuxian the final blow. Because he cultivated with modao, Wei Wuxian’s powers backfired and he was ripped to shreds.”

“Hahahaha… now that’s karma! The ghost soldiers that he created are like wild dogs, biting everyone that they come across. Serves him right to be chewed to death!””

So right off the bat, we do get that he was killed by a backlash of guidao (or modao as they call it then, but we know it’s guidao), even though they bring up Jiang Cheng first as being the one to kill him.

This tells us two things, that Jiang Cheng was there, and that while there were not enough other people there to confirm exactly what happened, there are enough to avoid the narrative of Jiang Cheng landing the killing blow. Later through the book he’ll be credited with leading the siege, not killing Wei Wuxian in specific.

Next is Wei Wuxian’s continued insistence on the fact of being ripped to pieces. He brings that up multiple times both in his own mind and in his thoughts.

Chapter 29, Dew

“Of course, it was impossible for Wei WuXian not to know what lingchi was. If somebody wanted a book called A Thousand Ways to Die Agonizing Deaths, he’d have been the person who was most qualified to write it. He raised a hand, “I understand. Then, do you know why the Chang Clan was wiped out?””

Chapter 84, Loyalty

“Fang MengChen paused in surprise. Wei WuXian, “Then what do you want? Nothing but my miserable death to soothe your own hatred?” He pointed at Yi WeiChun, who lay passed out among the crowd, “He’s missing a leg, while I was cut into pieces; you lost your parents, while my family had long since been gone. I’m a dog who was chased out of its home. I’ve never even seen the ashes of my parents.””

There are more quotes, but these are the two I recall that are just him calmly stating that as a fact and what chapters they’re in off the top of my head.

We get a little more detail when he’s talking to Wen Ning later.

“Wen Ning whispered, “Sect Leader Jiang, Jiang Cheng, brought a siege upon the Burial Mounds. And he killed you.”

Wei WuXian, “I’ll have to clarify this one. He didn’t kill me. I died from a backfire.”

Wen Ning finally looked up at him, “But, SectLeader Jiang clearly…”

Wei WuXian, “Nobody can walk safely on a single-plank bridge for their whole life. It couldn’t be helped.””

Now I’ve seen some people cite this as Wei Wuxian avoiding saying that Jiang Cheng killed him directly, and with this line and the prologue alone I can see where they’re coming from. But he’s just too adamant that he was torn to bits for me to casually accept that.

But I really do have to question the narrative that he died last, or that he did nothing to stop the slaughter, because even though we don’t see the first siege, we do see the Sunless Sky fight and the second siege, and we can extrapolate what he would have done in what is a very similar situation.

He would first attempt to talk down the mob. Would it be successful? Perhaps. Perhaps not. It definitely helps in the second siege that he has Lan Wangji on his side, but people still don’t immediately listen till the both of them start breaking things down. But you can’t say for certain that he was doomed without Lan Wangji, because he’s logical and charismatic and knows how to smack at weak points. It’s just that he’s even more effective and secure with Lan Wangji at his side.

If that failed, he would then bring the attack first before they could get to him. People seem to forget this a lot, but he was one of the main battlefronts of a war. All by himself for the most part! They literally could have not won the Sunshot Campaign without him and they know that. He is simply too strong otherwise for them to reign victorious on their own, hence the plans always involving ambushing him with hundreds of people. Even without the Yin Hufu, he is incredibly strong and in the Forsaken Battlegrounds he is at the height of his power. It is a land poisoned by and saturated in resentful energy, where a great battle was fought long ago and the people of the time did fuck all about it and eventually it became a dumping ground for people the Wen didn’t want to deal with. Even with the element of surprise, the odds are still decidedly not in favor of the besiegers.

Which leads me to what I’m pretty sure actually happened there.

Wei Wuxian is not an idiot. He knows that Jin Guangshan has orchestrated this because he wants the Yin Hufu. The Yin Hufu has no master, it will answer to any wielder. That makes it far more dangerous than most weapons because you can’t turn it off by killing its user. It will respond to the next person and be very deadly indeed. He created it during the war when he thought he’d need a tool strong enough to defeat the Wen armies. He later regarded it as a mistake, but didn’t destroy it right away because it was an effective deterrent along with him from anyone even trying to cause trouble for Yunmeng Jiang. It’s a tool of protection in that, but it does invite trouble.

He and the jianghu have seen how much damage it and he can do at once with it, two times. He knows that it’s just going to keep inviting trouble and unwanted attention as long as it exists.

So obviously the only answer is to destroy it. But things of power such as that are not easy to destroy. The metal the Yin Hufu came from survived being stabbed into the stomach of the False Xuanwu for four hundred years. It’s a little more resilient than your average metal. So he has to prepare, he has to plan how to destroy such a thing.

When he has the tools he needs, he sets out to destroy it for good. And unfortunately for him this is when the people have decided to launch an attack. It’s unknown and not implied in the text at all as to whether or not these things happening on the same day is coincidence or not, but it’s entirely possible that they planned it because he was about to weaken himself destroying a mighty tool. We don’t know. It’s just a theory.

He’s successfully destroyed the first half and all that resentment in the metal has to go somewhere. It’s not going to fade like mist. And it’s at this time when Jiang Cheng leading the siege appears.

Wei Wuxian wouldn’t have done this in the center of the village. Not where the others would have been in danger. Jiang Cheng knows the safe path to the little settlement in the Forsaken Battlegrounds. He is leading an army to kill Wei Wuxian and the Wens after everything that’s happened.

He lashes out and Wei Wuxian, already in the midst of a dangerous ritual to destroy a dangerous thing, loses control and the resentment both metaphorical in Jiang Cheng and literal in the Yin Hufu, rip him to pieces, so fine there is nothing to be found, no body to bury.

With their last protector gone so suddenly, the Wens therefore have very little time and use what they have left to hide the baby and hope that someone will survive and come back for him.

That’s what I think happened at the first siege. Wei Wuxian never intended to die, and never would have if things didn’t play out in the worst possible series of events.

Wei Wuxian’s character is built around survival, both in and out of universe. We know he’s a surviver from the beginning of his life where he lived for five years on the street alone, begging for scraps and running from dogs in a place where it snows in the winter. We know he’s a survivor when he walks off whippings from Yu Ziyuan and arrows to the side in the Xuanwu Cave. We know he’s a survivor when he survives the hell on earth that is the Forsaken Battlegrounds and walks out of it straight into a war. Never once in his life has he accepted his death as a viable answer.

Even at Sunless Sky, it is not his death he seeks, but the deaths of those who intend to kill him and his. He won’t shoulder even the weight of those who think he should be dead. He won’t let his death occur a second time if he can avoid it.

So why do people assume he chose death at the first siege? Why do they assume that he just lay down his flute and seal and let the ghost take him? Or worse, that he somehow had no idea of the attack and lost control when he saw the Wens being killed and instead of turning his anger and might to the attackers, surrendered to death himself? It is just incongruent with the Wei Wuxian we see across the whole book.

The simple answer is that people like making him a martyr who died tragically. His mission has to end in total grief at everyone’s hands but his own so that he can be a martyr and a saint who can be placed upon a pedestal. So the urge to die is added into his character where it never fits.

And Wei Wuxian has never been a martyr. He is realistic, he knows the consequences that lie before him, but he always, always, always refuses to accept death when there is a chance. And there has never been a point when there was no more hope and no more chances.

Just unlucky timing and him attempting to do his best in the face of his very few mistakes; creating the Yin Hufu and continuing to trust Jiang Cheng up to the very end.