#when wen ning revealed the truth about the gc and about wwx

[llycaons]

fic from jc’s pov will be like ‘he’s so cool and smart obviously the only one who knows what’s going on and can react reasonably and responsibly while these other other idiots do all they can to give him a migraine, especially wei wuxian, that dumbass, and I need to get him and his dumb friend together because they’re obviously too stupid to do it themselves’ but from the outside it is so clear how canonically he’s working with incomplete information, that he’s been manipulated by older and more corrupt and power-hungry cultivators, that he’s extremely immature and emotionally volatile and physically violent even as an adult, that the flashback conflict is partially because he refuses to see political prisoners as people while wwx refuses to abandon them, that he’s unyielding and often impossible to reason with, that he makes errors in judgement all the time, that his talent is mediocre while wwx’s is beyond genius-level, that wwx can easily and casually manipulate and mislead him, that he’s been wrong for years about wwx’s loyalty and his own power source, that nobody likes in him canon except the nephew he yells at, that the girl he tried to court refused to marry him even when the alternative was exile and starvation, that he repeatedly tries to break wwx and lwj apart and insults their relationship...I could go on. he’s a mess, and he’s really interesting that way, and his supposed fans will persist in pretending like he’s not for what, some kind of superiority complex? you’re hyping up the wrong character

[not-rude-ginger]

For the ask game: If you ship it at all, I'd love your take on Wen Ning/Jiang Cheng. I personally think that WN telling him the truth would move WN to the "possibly trustworthy??? review later" pile of people and the "unwilling recipient of WWX's unilateral decisions" list, and that their shared hobby of being worried about the juniors would afford JC the chance to observe WN.

Anyway, I love the political fantasy of For What, For All But Myself so much. And I love JC's confusion about LXC's letters. And everything else!

As a general rule I go along with most ships - I can't really think of one I'd actively avoid, it depends on the story whether I'll read it or not.

That being said, I'm not big on NingCheng - but some fics have convinced me it might be doable, but usually in Modern AUs or where things are completely different from the start. In those cases I can see it working out, two younger siblings bonding over over bearing older siblings, or being in the same class and JC not liking WN being bullied/WN being nice to JC when he's having a rough time - sure, I've no objections. Them pairing up in canon, or after canon, I struggle to see how it happens.

The thing for me about the GC reveal is WN went out of his way to be as callous and cruel as possible, knowing he was definitely going to hurt JC badly, and I think he enjoyed it in the moment. Maybe he started to feel bad later, but in the moment I think he enjoyed getting to do that to someone he doesn't like.

I just can't see how JC moves past that. He might accept that JL is sorta safe around him, he might let WN into LP to appease WWX, but I struggle to see how he gets from the soul wrenching anger and hate he feels to anything more positive.

To lean into my own version of them, I have tried and tried to make them make peace in the Burn Series that For What is a part of, and every time JC either starts yelling or runs away. He doesn't feel safe around WN, because WN not only killed JZX and could be taken over again and used as a weapon, he's shown himself to be vicious and poisonous with his words when he wants to be. And don't forget, WN saw what the Wen did to JC, he watched it all, and JC is absolutely terrified that one day WN will decide that he doesn't feel like keeping that secret anymore. If he could spill his beloved Wei-gongzi's secret to hurt JC, he would surely think nothing of spilling JC's to hurt him.

It's a clash between JC's observations that WN will protect the juniors, will protect WWX, the understanding that WN was also a victim of WWX's choices, that WN saved him and got his parents bodies back, and his deep seated fear of WN's knowledge, his hatred of him for being the ones WWX chose, and the unforgettable mental and emotional scar that was the reveal.

As the series stands I can't see them ever getting along, it's more teeth gritting silence on both sides for the sake of the others. But you never know, I might get them to coolly courteous one day!

TL;DR As characters they could be very cute as a couple, but you'd probably need to change the whole narrative around them to make it happen.

[plan-d-to-i]

I just saw the weirdest ask about the gc reveal. It insinuated that WN didn't yell at JC because he had it coming but bc "WN can condone really dubious things if they're done by WWX," and that "WWX has also done bad things to WN but chooses to live in denial so that he doesn't need to face the consequences of his actions." And that WN only lets it slide bc it was done by WWX. Like, what story did you read/watch/hear about bc it's not the same one I did.

Lol ofc jc stans would go after Wen Ning. They hate Wen Ning bc he threw a beautiful dose of truth right in jc's bratty, ungrateful face. Not to mention the way they infantilize him to try & discredit his opinions.

As far as I'm concerned Wen Ning can kill jc if he wants to. After all the only reason jiang cheng is alive is because Wen Ning saved him. Without him, jc wouldn't have his life, wouldn't have Zidian, wouldn't even have the ashes of his parents. Something jc certainly doesn't think about when he's throwing his little tantrum by the ancestral hall. Just like he didn't think about it when strategized and led the siege to kill everyone Wen Ning had left. When he didn't open his mouth to talk about what Wen Ning and his sister had done for him. If anything Wen Ning saw first hand how good WWX is. How WWX took the time to treat a total stranger like him, from a competing clan with kindness and civility. How he did everything to try and bring him back. How he always treated him with the same empathy he would show a live person after he died. How he never schemed to take his mind or free will away from him the way Xue Yang did with his puppets.

"Right as he turned around, Wen Ning kneeled before him.

“What are you doing?” Wei Wuxian asked.

Wen Ning said nothing, hanging his head.

“Do you have to speak to me this way?” Wei Wuxian said.

“Young Master, I’m sorry,” Wen Ning said quietly.

“Fine.”

As the word left Wei Wuxian’s lips, he also knelt in front of Wen Ning. Startled, Wen Ning hastily kowtowed to him, and Wei Wuxian promptly kowtowed in return too. Wen Ning immediately leapt up in alarm. Only then did Wei Wuxian stand back up.

“Can’t you stand straight while talking to me from the start, like you are now?” he said, dusting off his clothing." (Chapter 44).

Honestly ppl can go squat in another fandom if they have to keep inventing things in this one because they're too lame to stan their fav as he is. jc is a shitty, ungrateful asshole. Constantly trying to bring other characters down isn't going to change that. They're mad Wen Ning is such a sharp contrast to jiang cheng. Wen Ning doesn't look for ulterior motives to all of WWX's kind or heroic actions because he's good himself. He realized what a rare person Wei Wuxian is right away, and met it with appreciation and loyalty instead of envy and resentment.