#because in his mind - he doesn't matter. but jiang cheng and jiang yanli?

[shanastoryteller]

Happy Pride! Thank you for sharing your writing with us. I would do dastardly things for a continuation of the WWX and JYL return with the kids after being supposed dead. If that doesn't spark joy, anything untamed would be amazing. Thank you so much!! I hope you have a wonderful month

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Jiang Yanli lets her sect effulge her, reaching out her arms for anyone that's straining toward her. The Lan are hanging back, Lan Wangji staring intently at A-Xian as if they're fifteen again, but her brother is too busy being sat on and scolded by a half dozen senior disciples to notice. She cheerfully shoves A-Ling towards his sect brothers and sisters.

He may carry his father's name, but he's still her son, still raised by her and A-Xian. He can't be anything but Jiang.

Too much Jin influence is what had scared her so badly thirteen years ago, after all.

When everyone starts to calm and she's wiped a dozen tearful faces, she catches A-Xian's eye.

He nods, jerking his heads toward the house before shouting to gather the disciples attention on him so she can slip away.

She's so happy to see them all again. But someone is missing.

Jiang Yanli steps slowly through the walls of Lotus Pier. She's looking for what's changed, but it's depressingly little. They are a clan of change, like the ever flowing water of their rivers, and it worries her.

A dam can either make a lake or a swamp.

She steps into the family shrine and sees exactly what she expects to - A-Cheng sitting there, so stiffly that it has to be uncomfortable. "I thought I'd find you here."

He flinches and she's glad that his back is to her so he can't see her mirror it.

"You couldn't stand guilt when we were kids," she murmurs, stepping forward in a way that makes her skirts drag against the floor so it's easy for him to know exactly where she is. "It's why A-Xian's messes used to stress you out so much. Once you were caught, you rushed to be punished because it let you breathe a little easier. No matter how harsh Mother was with you, you always felt better once it was over."

"What sort of punishment does one deserve for killing his family?" A-Cheng asks bitterly. "I've never been able to decide."

Jiang Yanli won't cry. Tears won't help her now. "It was my idea."

His shoulders tense.

"A-Xian saved me. He didn't have a plan beyond that. It was my idea to steal away A-Ling, to fake our deaths, and to run. I was so scared over what had happened, over how close it had all been and how Koi Tower wasn't safe. I was terrified and A-Ling was so young and I couldn't keep myself safe, never mind my son. So I asked A-Xian to run away with me, to someplace I could raise my child without terror. There was fear, still, but it was a manageable weight." She pauses. "It saved all our lives, in more ways than one, and I never would have done it if I'd known you wouldn't get our letters, if I'd known what it would do with you. I would rather live with my terror than your grief."

He jerks, finally turning to face her. His eyes are red.

"What punishment am I owed for abandoning and tormenting my little brother?" she continues, throat tight. "I will take it. I will accept it threefold. I said that we were supposed to be together forever, and I left you behind. I didn't do it on purpose. I thought you were reading our letters. I thought you were still with us, just further away, and I was wrong."

"A-jie!" he says harshly, then doesn't seem to know where to go from there.

She smooths trembling hands over his shoulders, trying to keep it together. "I love you, A-Cheng. A-Xian loves you. We've missed you so much, but we've had each other, and you've been alone. You're not responsible for our deaths, but we're responsible for your loneliness. How will you punish us?"

"A-JIE!" he shouts, pushing himself to his feet so he can tower over her. "Stop - don't - I would never-"

She moves then, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her forehead to his chest.

He still doesn't hug her back, but his chest shakes with silent sobs that even now he can't fully let out.

It's progress.

#prompt answers #prompts are closed #asks #uggabuggawugga #fantastic username #untamed

[sonik-kun]

Anyone ever look at Jiang Cheng's list of requirements in a spouse and just sob? Because I honestly don't think it's a wife he's looking for per se, but rather a mother for Jin Ling instead?

I mean, the requirements he lists literally drsrcribe his sister.. Low cultivation base, quiet, hard working.. And ultimately she must treat Jin Ling nicely which by the way is a requirement most men, especially uncles wouldn't think nor bother to look for in that time period, which to me justifies why he's a good uncle. But that's a discussion for another time.

The point I'm making is that the requirements he's listed literally describes Jiang Yanli and I get the impression that Jiang Cheng, in all his self loathing perhaps feels he doesn't deserve to have a wife. But if he was to marry (for the sake of his sect), it has to be someone who will be a good mother for Jin Ling?

I don't want to steal anyone's theories, I'm not sure if this head cannon has been put out there before. This was just what came to my mind when I read his list of requirements. And summing together his personality, his grief, guilt and inner turmoil, I just think it's so in line with his character and would explain why he's been blacklisted and struggles to find a wife lol.

He clearly only wants what's best for Jin Ling and including him in his list of requirements when he didnt even have to (bear in mind the Jins would have had main custody of Jin Ling) just says a lot about his love for his little nephew. He always puts A-Ling first, no matter what. 🥲

#mxtx mdzs #jiang cheng #canon jiang cheng #jin ling #jiang yanli #jin ling and his jiujiu

[incarnadinedreams]

What do you think about jyl's death? And how it's described? I have always find interesting how she doesn't talk to jc

Aaah, this is a tough one. It's another one where I go back and forth and change my mind or feel a bit differently each time I read it and can definitely be swayed by persuasive arguments!

On the one hand, I do think it's one of the areas of the story where she actually gets to show more agency and one of the very few scenes we actually get to see any of her thoughts directly. But on the other hand, it also feels a bit… fridgy. From like an out-of-universe level I did kinda feel like the setup for it was pretty weak. It does feel a bit like MXTX just needed to set up her tragic death that's kinda-but-not-fully WWX's fault, and there's a littttttle too much handwaving about how she got there, why she made the decisions she did, and so on. So that ends up making it feel not quite as impactful or fully fleshed-out for me as maybe it could have.

With the way the scene plays out, even though she's the one dying it still feels like her death scene is really more about WWX than it is about her, and even more about giving Jiang Cheng the final snapping point, the singular crystallized moment when his faith in Wei Wuxian truly shatters, when he realizes that Wei Wuxian really can't control it after all, that things won't be fine. So even in her death it still feels like it's a little too much about other people for my taste.

Because of that, I do go back and forth a lot about what to take from that scene and their interactions. I do appreciate that she didn't just forgive WWX for killing JZX, that what glimpses we do get of her thoughts are so interesting, I just wish it felt like it came together in a way that didn't feel quite so much like the author going "welp, time for Dutiful Elder Sister randomly show up and die tragically." Part of what I think feels awkward about the scene (again, from a more meta standpoint) is the way we've got her being seriously injuried (but not fatally) by one of the uncontrolled corpses, then a small interlude, and then her actually dying from an attack from someone else entirely.

But all that aside, I do think it is sort of the culmination of a pattern of interactions throughout their lives. Wei Wuxian at the center of a whirlwind of events, Jiang Yanli the self-sacrificing attempted mediator, and Jiang Cheng is either not involved, shows up late and confused, or is left cleaning up the pieces at the end. It ramps up throughout the pre-ressurrection timeline: first in fun, innocent ways (childhood shenanigans, their hijinks in Lotus Pier and at Cloud Recesses), then escalating again and again in scenes like the soup catastrophe at Langya or the Phoenix Mountain night hunt, until it culminates in this scene.

I don't think it's evidence that she loved Wei Wuxian more than Jiang Cheng (which I've seen floating around before, sometimes in a 'proof that JC is so awful even his sister doesn't care about him at all' sort of way), but I do think it plays into a common pattern we see playing out throughout their lives, where Wei Wuxian is simply more… attention grabbing, I guess? At least in the scenes we're shown (biased narration and all that). So much of Jiang Cheng's efforts are to follow the rules, succeed in very traditional and in-the-box ways, to be responsible and fulfill his duties, to do well enough to keep his mother happy (or at least not actively angry) without drawing too much attention or trouble. Cautious, steady, hardworking, but not flashy.

Wei Wuxian was always the opposite of that, the shining star that can't be ignored no matter what. Flashy, attention-grabbing, shameless, charming, funny, talented, all the things that set him apart in the best of times. And in the worst of times, he's the one she's there to talk to, he's the one who killed her husband (if unintentionally), he's the one with the zombie horde he can't fully control, he's the one with the Extremely Overpowered Magical Artifact, and he's the one she just sacrificed herself for. So in some ways it does naturally follow that she would be more focused on him. And as a side effect of all that, Jiang Cheng is once again just kind of… there but not the focus.

I do like to headcanon that it does bring him a lot of grief and insecurity, mostly because 'grief and insecurity' are basically Jiang Cheng's calling cards. And grief brings nearly inevitable anger, and there's a ton of juicy potential with him dealing with his secret anger at her for the choice she made, dealing with the feeling of being a helpless bystander, and feeling always second-place, even then in that moment. And of course the most forbidden question of all, why would she rather die for him than live for us?

So I think in the context of how Jiang Cheng might have felt about it (and exploring that in headcanons/fic/etc) there's a ton of potential to go absolutely buck wild with all kinds of repressed anger and resentment and have it still feel totally authentic to me, because grief is just Like That.

#ty for the ask anon! #sorry it took me a ridiculously long time to answer! I've been doing spring gardening and then left for a trip #thinking too much about the yunmeng trio again

[jayktoralldaylong]

If I start talking about trauma in MDZS I might never stop. What's most beautiful to me is that the way each character reacts to the same situation is different. It is unique to their personality and it's a little beautiful.

Mengyao and Xue Yang weaponizing their trauma and turning it into a sword to take down anything that stands in their way.

Xingchen unfortunately internalising his trauma, blaming himself and taking responsibility for whatever he believes he's caused.

Song Lan actually goes out and tries to resolve his trauma which was nice and healthy, until everyone died of course.

Jiang Cheng turning his trauma into rage because admitting the pain and loneliness hurts too much.

Wei Ying amazingly does that thing that children do where they forget terrible memories to protect their fragile minds and hearts. This dude thinks all the things he's gone through is just everyday living. He is not at all phased by it. What he does remember, interestingly, is now the stuff that happened when he was a kid. He's still terrified by dogs till this day, no matter how strong he becomes, it means nothing against that one memory of being chased and bitten by them as a child.

Lan Zhan turned his trauma into self harm and denial. Yes, self harm and no one takes this seriously enough. He trekked a barren mountain with multiple whip wounds searching for someone who everyone had watched die. He BRANDED his own chest. Lan Zhan's trauma is slept on.

Xichen also ignores his trauma. His brain doesn't protect him, he just pretends he can't see it. It piles and piles and piles and finally everything just shattered. Can't even blame Xichen for breaking down, he'd been playing therapist for too many people for way too long.

Mingjue turned his trauma into strength which I think was pretty bad ass of him. 🔥 Became a one man army. Too bad he's also brutally honest to a fault.

Huaisang also turned his trauma into 'strength'. More like a deadly weapon of mass destruction.

Wen Ning. Sigh. I don't even know where to start because I haven't started dissecting his sad ass story. They killed his sister right in front of him. Right in front of baby. He never did a single thing wrong. The world is cruel.

Jin Ling took a page out of his Uncle's book and turned his pain to rage.

Sizhui was a child when shit went down so fortunately for him, he doesn't remember most of it.

Yanli sets aside her pain and just takes care of her family. It cost her.

Zixuan never had much trauma to begin with, unless we count being bullied by Wei Ying. 😂 That boy was smacking him anyhow.

Not sure if I'm missing anyone. Su She was just bitter. Maybe he had trauma, maybe I don't care cause I don't like him. How can anyone hate on the Lan brothers cause they were born heirs? They didn't ask for that life. Sour cockroach.

Back on Zixuan, having a prostitute father should count for some kind of trauma. It's absolutely disgusting to have a role model that shameless. He refused all pages from his father's book and swore to be nothing like him. It was cute, and sad. Sad that he still ended up paying for father's sins.

"I didn't mean to kill Zixuan. I just wanted him to suffer a little."

F you for that statement Mengyao. I love you, but F you.

#trauma in mdzs #meng yao #xue yang #xiao xingchen #su she #lan zhan #lan brothers #lan wangji #lan xichen #jiang yanli #jiang cheng #jiang wanyin #wen ning #wen qing #jin zixuan #jin ling #jin rulan #lan sizhui #wei wuxian #wei ying #nie huaisang #nie mingjue #song lan #song zichen #trauma #trauma 4 everyone #mdzs #mdzs donghua #mdzs thoughts #the untamed

[allthelittlecreepycrawlies]

Jiang/Jin-Centric Ideas, Part One

That trope where "this is the only thing that can kill me and I trust only you to have it" where Zidian has become so bound to Jiang Cheng that he can only pass it to someone he thinks would be able to use it against him if necessary. 

Even after All of That, faced with an impending qi deviation that he knows is going to end in violence against anyone around him, he sends it to Wei Wuxian. 

The core had been kept "obedient" out of force of will. As long as he believed it was part of his body, it behaved as such. Once he was made aware that it wasn't his, it started rebelling against his control. 

He hasn't moved from the ancestral hall in days. In fact he hasn't moved at all. Kneeling, hunched over, blood and ichor dripping down his face as the disciples desperately try to hold what's coming at bay. 

It's a losing battle and they know it, especially once the physician and head disciple see Zidian missing from his hand. 

They're aware that, consciously or not, he's sent the summons to his executioner. 

And then when Wei Wuxian arrives, husband in tow as always, and practically throws Zidian at the head disciple as he demands to know what kind of sick joke this is, the man can only laugh. 

"Of course it'd be you."

----------

An AU based on The Final Girls where Yu-furen made it huge as the villain in a magic-horror film when she was young, got typecast and hated it, and retired to submit to an arranged marriage because fuck it, she doesn't care anymore. And then after she dies, Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yanli, and their friend Wei Wuxian get sucked into the movie that made her famous and, through meeting her character and meeting her, get the closure they never got in real life. 

----------

Unhappy YaoLi forced marriage where after Jin Zixuan is killed, Jin Guangshan is absolutely not going to lose his hold on the Jiang sect, so he announces that Jiang Yanli will now be re-married to the new heir.

This is met with mutual looks of horror because they don't think of each other that way! They love other people! Not only that, this is a huge insult to both of them by basically treating Jin Guangyao as a game piece that can just be slotted in where his brother was!

Holy shit, neither of them wants to go through with this. But do they really have a choice?

No... at least not as long as Jin Guangshan is throwing his political and monetary weight around.

So they make a deal with each other.

----------

The core transfer fails. Jiang Cheng's body refuses to form the proper bonds, and Wen Qing is forced to return it to Wei Wuxian before it can shatter from the stress. 

Wei Wuxian, half delirious and in agony, does not handle this well and lashes out, and Wen Qing, deciding she's more than had enough of this, grabs her brother with the intent of leaving-

-and that's when they're all caught because the screaming fight drew too much attention. 

Dumped in the Burial Mounds, Wei Wuxian has no idea what's happened to the Wen siblings and by the time he manages to escape, he's so clogged with resentment and rage that he doesn't particularly care anymore. All that matters is keeping a still-coreless and now even more injured Jiang Cheng alive. 

Months later, when Wen outposts start being decimated by some unknown force, there are whispers that whoever the mysterious attacker is, he's stealing cores. 

Not melting, stealing, ripping them from the bodies of every cultivator wearing the red sun. 

Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian is increasingly growing more and more maddened and desperate. Jiang Cheng has not died, but he can't be described as living either, because the gaping wound where a core should have been implanted refuses to heal, only kept from bleeding out by the continuous efforts to bind a new one. 

None of them work. Strong, weak, it doesn't matter. Jiang Cheng's body rejects every single core. 

In his fractured mind, Wei Wuxian begins to wonder… maybe the problem has something to do with compatibility. Wen Qing, that traitor, had mentioned once that most *normal* transplants had to be done between family members, didn't she? 

But Jiang Cheng doesn't have any- 

-no, that's not right. He has one person of close blood left who still has a core. A weak one, true, but perhaps a compatible one. 

The tiny bit of his rational self screams in rage and disgust, but it's become so easy these days to squash that voice in the back of his head. After all, once Jiang Yanli hears what has happened, she'll agree with him on what must be done. 

He's sure of that.

----------

Little Jin Ling who doesn't like his weird uncle and thinks Nie-gongzi is annoying but gets super ultra jealous that Mo Xuanyu is being given art lessons away from all the bullies in classes and is getting so much better because of it. He wants to draw good too! Better than that stupid jerk Jin Chan and all his jerk friends!

Somewhat exasperated with this new form of tantrum, Jin Guangyao and Jiang Cheng each ask Nie Huaisang if he'd be willing to take on another student. After consulting with Mo Xuanyu to make sure he's okay with having Jin Ling around, he agrees.

Nie Huaisang's teaching style is so weird compared to the Jin sect instructors. He doesn't make them copy him exactly, he encourages them to ask questions when they get stuck, and instead of rumpling up mistakes, he shows them how to salvage them into something else.

And Jin Ling can't help but notice how different Mo Xuanyu is during the lessons. He's not a cringing, mumbling wreck like he is around everyone else. He's... relaxed. Happy, even, beaming whenever he's praised and not flinching every time Nie Huaisang moves.

Jin Ling doesn't get to enjoy the lessons for long. When his yeye finds out that an outsider has been teaching him, his shushu is violently scolded and he's sent back to the regular classes with everyone else.

He hates it. The other kids start picking on him almost immediately and the instructors are cold and rude. He tries complaining, but it doesn't get him much. Shushu won't go against yeye's demands, and while jiujiu manages to convince Nie Huaisang to teach him in Lotus Pier, it's not as fun because Nie Huaisang can't visit as often as he had in Lanling and Mo Xuanyu can’t join them because he isn't allowed to leave Koi Tower at all.

But he is learning to take what he can get. 

#mdzs #jin guangyao #jin guangshan #jin ling #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #jiang yanli #mo xuanyu #ideas

[ghcstchild-a]

Addressing Wei Ying’ lack of self respect, self preservation and braincells. 

It’s honestly just tragic how he completely misses out on the most obvious things, like Lan Wangji being in love with him, not because he’s dense but because not a single part of his mind can even remotely fathom that he can be loved. The very possibility of it eludes him. 

WWX has been taught to see himself as something innately wrong and disposable, and the courtesy for this goes mostly to Madam Yu. There are a few major factors at play here:

• She punished him a lot as a child, for... behaving like a child, even though his antics are often annoying and it's hard to blame her for that. It's quick to form the belief of 'being myself is punishable' = 'something is wrong with me'. The idea is strengthened at Cloud Recess for obvious reasons.

• She treated him with open hatred. The last words he's heard from the only mother figure he was allowed to have were literally those of hate. Jiang Fengmian's kindness paired with absolute lack of involvement where it mattered also played its part: he made his wife angrier by doting on some other woman's son, he pushed his own son away, essentially wrecking the relationship between brothers from the start because it really hurts when your own dad chooses some random kid over you (and the one who has to deal with this mess is WWX himself, he takes the responsibility to comfort and reassure Jiang Cheng, while it shouldn't even be his job). Besides, it never occurred to the Jiangs that fighting in front of the kids while actively involving said kids into the whole mess is a terrible idea.

• WWX's parents are a forbidden topic at home. He knows virtually nothing about them, and whenever his mother is mentioned it only causes more rage on Madam Yu's part and more dirty rumors regarding his origins. This part is probably the worst factor on the list, as it serves the idea that something has been wrong with him from the start, it's in the way he was born. He doesn't remember his parents, others badmouthing them is the only information he can get.

• Wei Ying sees his life as a debt to be repaid, precisely because of the aforementioned factors: he is an inconvenience, someone not worth mentioning, someone who is forced to feel ashamed for all the praise he gets. The idea of having his arm chopped off for the sake of the clan doesn't even bother him much, the acceptance of it comes so easily, so naturally to him. That's why Madam Yu's words about the whole 'protect them even if you have to die for it' thing bring the same easy acceptance, it's something that's already existed in his mind for a while, something he's used to. He genuinely believes that this is how it's supposed to be.

• If something bad happens, he's the one to blame. Somehow it's his fault that the Wen clan decided to destroy Lotus Pier. Somehow it's his fault that Jiang Yanli decided to shove him out of the way and save him from a sword. But he too believes that it was, indeed, his fault.

Now to top it off, the only person who's ever treated him with actual kindness and warmth is Jiang Yanli. Jiang Cheng loved him, but his temperament got the best of him quite often, and the envy Jiang Fengmian planted between them has always been there, eventually exploding and leading to the Burial Mounds siege. Lan Wangji kept pushing him away, but guess what? Wei Wuxian is okay with this BECAUSE that's... love language at home? He was raised to believe that this is exactly how he's supposed to be treated – as an annoying inconvenience that matters less than anyone else, hence his self-sacrificing habits.

And taking his certain... bedtime preferences into consideration, they also originate from the same root. I won't delve deep into this mess for now because that's a whole other level of messed up (incense burner trauma, you know what I'm talking about, and if you don't – it's better if you never find out), but someday I might explore this part of WWX too because well, it's very much there.

TL;DR: WWX is used to being mistreated and perceived to matter less than anyone else due to his upbringing.

#── * HC : a ghost behind the mask. #i feel like this has been said by someone at some point already #but it needs to be here #he might not acknowledge the trauma but it's there alright

[ephemeralgalaxies]

The Untamed has only made me cry twice, but dear god the times it did--

I've gotten close to sobbing a lot (like with jyl, that one killed me. but still didn't cry). But the two times I actually did wind up crying was with Jiang Cheng after their parents died and with Jin Ling on the pier when he breaks down.

maybe it's the repressed childhood trauma but those two moments remind me of why I love this series so freaking much.

Saving your dashboards: analysis under cut

With JC, specifically, it was after he fights wwx in the field -- when he collapses in the grass and starts sobbing and screaming "I want my mom, I want my dad, I want my people/friends/clan..." because in that moment, after he's just blamed wei wuxian for everything that's happened, wearing zidian on his wrist, jiang yanli waiting for them unaware of what's just passed. After that, he just breaks down and becomes a little kid again. He's lost so much, doesn't know if he'll ever get to go back home. He watched his mother beat wwx, watched their father leave them behind, feeling more alone than ever despite still having his siblings by his side because he was supposed to be able to protect them all. He's supposed to be the future clan sect leader, how can he not even hold his own ground? His own home? He's broken and confused bc now it all depends on him and he's never been good enough for all this. "cultivation is his life," but when you have a brother like the great future Yiling Patriarch... he just wants his family all together again, calling out for his parents like a child waking up from a nightmare in the dark, trying to regain their surroundings.

Then with Jin Ling, he's on the pier heading to Yunmeng and he should be okay, he should be fine because he has his uncles still -- he does, he does. He won't admit anything about jin guangyao yet. But... now he has another uncle? The one who named him, never got to meet him, killed his dad and his mother and hundreds of others in his family and the other clan sects-- but Oh god, here's The Ghost General who killed his dad and he's talking to Lan Suzhui and he's getting so close. Jin Ling doesn't have friends, but LSZ has always been kind; he backed him up in the Burial Mounds, always ready to see all sides of things, maybe the only one left who would understand if Jin Ling could admit all the turmoil in his mind, the feelings he refuses to address towards the people he's been raised to hate -- people that could've been his family. But Wen Ning tries to touch LSZ and no, no no no not again, I can't do this again-- and he tries to draw his father's sword because even if he will never know that peacock, jl knows he's always protecting him. because it's too much to think about his mother protecting him through the yiling patriarch. But then the other juniors gang up against him to protect LSZ bc he just pushed him and oh god he just pushed him, he was supposed to protect him and now the Yiling Patriarch is here and he's looking at LSZ like that, like how he should look at jin ling but he can't because they're not family, not anymore. And Wen Ning calls him Jin Roulan and no, don't say that name, don't remind me but Wei Wuxian looks back at him and calls to him, warns him but doesn't glare or scream or hurt him. He just tells him to put the sword away and no no no this is all I have left of him, please don't so he holds the sword in its sheath and sobs. He collapses on the pier and cries, wailing without humiliation because all he can think about it how everyone must hate me for things to be this way bc he's just a kid that grew up without parents. Just a kid with Jin Guangyao as his father's memory and Jiang Cheng as his mother's (which, really doesn't do either of them justice no matter how much jc and even jgy might try, bc they can never be their siblings). Because he pushes everyone away. Because he doesn't dare get close to anyone else just to lose them again. Because his uncle might be the cause of all this suffering. Because his other uncle -- that he's never claimed -- was supposed to be behind all this, all sixteen years of his life spent hating him. Because his other uncle is hurt and crass and desperate to protect him but can never really give him what jiang yanli would have. But he's all jin ling has left, so he runs to him and away from all the others even if it burns him.

TLDR: Idk, just really sobbed at those spots where they both just act so much like little kids because Jiang Cheng just lost his childhood while Jin Ling never got to have one.

#the untamed #mdzs #character analysis #jiang cheng #jin ling #wei wuxian #lan juniors #junior quartet #lan sizhui #wwx #jc #jl #lsz #they make me so emotional #cql #this is specifically for the untamed though for cinematic reasons #but same character ideas so gonna tag the other versions #grandmaster of demonic cultivation

[theyilinglaozus]

Wei Wuxian in every episode → episode sixteen.

#wei wuxian #mdzsnet #the untamed #the untamed graphics #my graphics #wei wuxian in every episode #be prepared i'm going to get emotional and likely talk a lot about the next few episodes #because the golden core arc? absolutely ruins me. #even making these gifs was hard #because through the whole episode i was thinking about how wei wuxian feels at fault and to blame for what's happened to the jiangs #how he'll literally do anything for them. even if it means destroying himself in the process. #jiang cheng choking him in a field whilst telling him he shouldn't have saved lan wangji. that his parents deaths are wei wuxians fault. #and wei wuxian just lies back and takes it. thinking 'yeah. yeah you're right. #i'm giving you this power for your anger. take it out on me. kill me if you wish.' #and that - that is /heartbreaking/. #wei wuxian is hurting himself but he puts that as secondary. #because in his mind - he doesn't matter. but jiang cheng and jiang yanli? #their feelings and grief? that is more important and he needs to be there for them. #anyway - yell at me about wwx and his self worth issues because i am drowning in emotions #i warned you all we'd be in for mr bones' wild ride and here we are #there's no getting off of this pain train ;___;

[vrishchikawrites]

Post-post-post cannon Wangxian being completely in love in the cloud recessess as teenagers who time travelled back to their own 16-17 year old bodies on accident.

In love. Wangxian are in love. In love. Just smooph and fluff.

Like they're effortlessly in love. (No matter how much Jiang Cheng yells and ties to control Wei Wuxian, Wei Wuxian casually refuses to hear any of it, as he'd been ignoring Jiang Cheng's homophobia and hate forever by the time they both came back by accident. )

Also wwx doesn't hide his genius and every one around him is like senpai *heart eyes* (honestly he's almost forgotten how to hide his effortless genius.)

(Just FYI, don't have to include this: this Wei Wuxian has long since come to terms with all his war and Sunshot and Shiji related trauma— just FYI.)

I just want to read as much of the smooph, smushy fluff and love you can stomach writing please.

Extra points if you can show them both just effortlessly and absentmindedly flirting.

(You don't have to incude this, but: They just take like a weekend off and go raze the main Wen family to the ground casually— back late with Starbucks— "We were night hunting. What do you mean the Wen family died? So sad. We feel so bad. Don't we feel bad?" " Mm. Feel bad.")

Thank you so much for existing in this fandom. I love your fics. I love you. 💖

Xichen is proud of his brother but he can't deny that he is sometimes concerned for him as well. Wangji is a dedicated and accomplished disciple but he is isolated from his peers. Xichen has friends and confidants but Wangji is simply content to be by himself.

That is concerning, even for a Lan.

He had hopes that incoming disciples would manage to shake him up a little but that hope didn't last long. Year after year, Wangji continued to remain aloof, not expressing any interest in the disciples.

But something has changed this year. Xichen didn't even know what was going on until a few weeks into the introduction of the guest disciples.

He spots them by chance. Young Master Wei is cheerfully waving at a vendor, his smile wide and bright, ensnaring the old woman's entire attention.

Wangji is right by him, Bichen in one hand but the other…

The other is placed on the small of Wei-gongzi's back.

Xichen watches as they move on from the vendor. He sees how Wangji seems to shield Wei-gongzi from the crowd, angling his body slightly to ensure his companion can walk freely.

It is a gesture of protectiveness. It is a gesture of possession.

Xichen studies their body language carefully. Wangji seems content to follow Wei-gongzi around, his expression closed but gentle. There are no frosty glares or pursed lips. His brother, for once, looks entirely relaxed. Everything about him is loose and easy underneath all of his Lan elegance. His shoulders slope gently, his spine isn't as rigid, and his walk is steady.

The First Jade has never seen his brother look so settled.

Wei Wuxian seems happy too, his smile incandescent and lovely. Almost as tall as Wangji, the boy is the very antithesis of his brother. While Wangji is sedate and content, Wei Wuxian is nearly bursting with energy and joy. His silver eyes sparkle in the sunlight and his long hair sways with every movement of his body.

Xichen's heart softens at the glimpse of such open beauty. There's certainly something alluring about Young Master Wei. He seems to suffuse his surroundings with happiness.

There's something in the air around them.

Despite his lively mind wandering from one stall to another, Wei-gongzi always finds his way back to Wangji, looking at him with a hopeful smile and a cheerful comment.

His brother's expression is unfamiliar to him. Wangji looks like his entire world is smiling up at him.

'Is this love?' He wonders to himself as he watches his brother gently pull Wei-gongzi out of a running child's way. He doesn't miss how the touch lingers, fingers curling slightly around the slender wrist before pulling away.

There are many eyes following Wangji and his friend, and all of them have indulgent expressions. The people of Caiyi town have seen Wangji since he was a child. They know him and his nature well enough.

Xichen suspects they're just as happy to see Wangji roaming the markets leisurely as a pretty butterfly flutters around him.

"Is that Lan Wangji?" Nei Mingjue observes, stepping up beside him.

Xichen nods, "And his friend, Wei Wuxian."

"Hm," his friend says, "I've been hearing that name a lot recently. They say the only reason Jin Zuxian beat him in the rankings is because of his looks."

Xichen chuckles at Mingjue's tone, "Ah, Da-ge, you must hate that."

His friend rolls his eyes, taking a sip of his tea. "How do looks matter when you're facing down Fierce Corpses?"

"From what shufu says, Young Master Wei is Wangji's equal in many ways." Shufu had been wary at first, wondering what sort of chaos the son of Cangse Sanren would bring to Cloud Recesses. So far, Wei Wuxian has proven to be a mischievous but brilliant student. "He challenges shufu in class. They end up having loud, angry debates," Xichen chuckles because he knows his uncle, despite all appearances, loves being stimulated, "He mentions the boy often." There's a comment about Wei Wuxian almost every time he has tea with his uncle.

He looks at the two younger master's thoughtfully, "I didn't expect this."

"Are they courting?" Nei Mingjue asks bluntly, "Because your little brother is acting like a husband already."

Xichen stills and looks at the pair again. That is what's off about their body language. They move around each other confidently, not like a young couple in fresh blooms of love.

There are no tentative glances, awkward touches, and hyperawareness. Wangji touches Wei Wuxian like it is his right. Like he is confident that his touch is welcome and desired.

For a moment, he feels a pang of worry. Xichen looks at Wei Wuxian, studying him carefully to see if there's any sign of strain or distress.

He finds nothing. Wei-gongzi responds to every gesture of affection like a flower blooming under the Sun.

"Ah." He realizes, "You think…?"

"Strong bonds form quickly between cultivators with matching potential." Nei Mingjue observes, "It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility. Your brother looks a little too enamored for this to be a teenage fancy."

Well, isn't this an interesting development?

---

"Your hair looks nice," Nie Huaisang says, hiding a smile behind his fan. Wei-xiong always looks good but there's something particularly radiant about him now. He seems to stand a bit taller, carry himself with a bit more confidence. His gestures seem stronger, somehow carrying more authority than before.

But the hair intrigues him. There's a glittering silver hairpiece in it and the strands of ebony are tied up in a neat style.

Neater than Wei-xiong's usual style. While Huaisang is certain Wei-xiong is perfectly capable of making himself as elegant as the Jades of Lan, he usually doesn't bother.

This was done by someone else's careful, loving, hand.

Jiang Yanli isn't at Cloud Recesses and Jiang Cheng would rather burn his own hands than show even an ounce of love towards his shixiong - something pricks when he thinks about that.

So there's someone else, someone willing to comb Wei-xiong's hair until every strand is glossy and straight, before tying it up with a silver and jade pin that looks expensive.

Wei-xiong is courting- no, he corrects himself, watching his friend wave enthusiastically at Lan Wangji, 'Wei-xiong is being courted.'

Wangji-xiong bows to his brother and walks towards Wei-xiong, his gaze softer than usual. His friend is smiling widely and immediately dissolves into excited chatter. Wangji-xiong doesn't seem bothered, just nodding occasionally and watching with indulgent patience.

There's something entirely lovely about the way Wangji-xiong's eyes remain fixed on Wei Wuxian's face. It is like nothing else is more important to him than Wei-xiong's smile and cheerful voice.

Standing together in the courtyard, both clad in white and glowing under the warm light of the morning sun, they look stunning. Huaisang's romantic heart sighs at the sight.

"What is he doing?" Jiang Wanyin hisses and Huaisang looks at him, startled by his icy tone, "I can't believe he's making a nuisance of himself again!"

"Jiang-gongzi-"

"Wei Wuxian! What are you doing, messing around?"

The loud voice catches almost everyone's attention. Wei-xiong looks over his shoulder and Wangji-xiong's expression turns frosty, all warmth draining from it immediately.

"Aiya, Jiang Cheng," Wei-xiong grins but it doesn't have that sheepish, placating quality that Huaisang had seen before, on those rare occasions he visited Lotus Pier with his da-ge. This grin was full of confidence and almost... dismissal. "Why are you angry now?"

Was that tone... mocking?

Huaisang's lips twitch as Jiang-gongzi swells further with rage, "Wei Wuxian! How can you be so shameless? Imposing yourself on Lan Wangji, always trying to distract him. Think of our sect's reputation for once!"

"Do not speak for me." Wangji-xiong's voice is icy and it cuts Jiang-gongzi's rant short immediately, "Wei Ying is free to seek me out whenever he wishes. No one may stop him."

And that seems to be that. Wei-xiong laughs and Wangji-xiong guides him away gently like he's someone delicate and not the strongest cultivator of their generation.

But, Huaisang muses, even strong people deserve gentleness.

---

"Da-shixiong! Show us that one again," A Jiang disciple demands and Wangji looks up from his work. He has clear sight of the training ground from where he's sitting. Wei Ying is standing in the middle, surrounded by a few Jiang and Lan disciples.

They're all looking at him in adoration.

Wangji feels a flood of amusement and sets his work aside, content to take a small break. It is always a treat to see his husband in his element; teaching people and nurturing young minds. They may be back in their teenage bodies, but their soul is much older.

Wei Ying, with his natural ability to charm juniors and his hard-earned wisdom, is the perfect teacher.

"It is amusing to see you so smitten," Wangji looks up to see his brother smiling at him, "Wei-gongzi must be very special, yes?"

His brother probably aims to fluster him, he is so fond of teasing Wangji. But Wangji had been Wei Ying's husband for more than a decade before an accident sent them back in time. He is no longer flustered or overwhelmed by his feelings. "Very special," He agrees, unable to help glancing back at his beloved, "Very lovely."

Xichen chuckles, "He is indeed lovely." His expression turns sly, "Do I need to speak with Uncle? Betrothal negotiations may be complicated in this case."

Wangji remains unphased, "You may," He says calmly, much to his brother's surprise, "Wei Ying will marry into the Lans. Give no concession to the Jiangs. He is just their Head Disciple, not the part of the family."

"Wangji," His brother breathes, "You're that invested?"

"Un. Will marry Wei Ying. Give him a better life. A life of dignity, freedom, and respect. Free of unnecessary debt that no one should foist on a child."

That is enough for Xichen to understand. His gaze turns solemn and he looks at Wei Ying carefully, "If that is what you wish, brother, you will have it."

---

Wangji feels his heart still when he steps into the library pavilion. He gazes at the scene before him, feeling the stiff formality of his expression melt away.

Wei Ying is beautiful, sitting there and reading peacefully. The evening sunlight envelopes him, giving him an ethereal glow. He traces his husband's features, feeling something akin to desperate love. It has been so since he saw this face and this body. Mo Xuanyu didn't lack beauty and Wei Ying's radiant personality had only added to it.

But this is Wei Ying's true body.

Helplessly drawn, he steps forward. "Xingan."

Wei Ying looks up, startled to hear such an endearment aloud. Immediately, his face is aglow with a pretty blush even as he laughs teasingly, "Lan Zhan! Don't be so bold!"

He walks towards Wei Ying and settles down by him, closer than truly appropriate but this is his husband. "Research?"

Wei Ying smiles, drawing Wangji's attention to his lips. There's no one in the library so Wangji permits himself the touch, reaching forward to gently caress them, "Such beauty." He whispers.

Wei Ying blushes again, "Er-gege," He protests, "Have mercy on my heart."

His fingers slide under Wei Ying's jaw, drawing him in gently. His husband is sweet and compliant as Wangji kisses him, an innocent brush of lips and nothing more. "My Wei Ying." His voice is low, heated in ways Wei Ying recognizes. He watches as those enchanting silver eyes brighten with passion.

His Wei Ying buries his warm face in his neck with a moan of protest, "Mercy, husband. You're so cruel to tease me like this when you can't take me to bed."

It is indeed a challenge to not have their 'everyday' but Wangji can be patient. Xiongzhang is already working on it.

For now, he is content.

They sit like that for a long time, Wei Ying leaning against him, trusting and calm. No one disturbs them and Xichen only stops by once, smiling knowingly in their direction and pointedly ignoring Wangji's restraining hand around Wei Ying's waist, stopping him from pulling away.

They spend the rest of the evening exchanging soft murmurs and softer kisses.

Nothing will stand in their way this time.

#short prompts #wangxian #wei wuixan #lan wangji #lan xichen #nie huaisang #anti jiang cheng

[winepresswrath]

I need your thoughts about the AU in which WWX accidentally kills JC and can’t bring him back in any way while JYL is still alive and has just lost JZX to WWX :) I literally adore JC but I want the AU where he and JYL swap places in the narrative so badly it hurts :) like in her mind JYL knows that WWX didn’t do any of that on purpose and still loves him but he still killed her baby brother and husband and there’s gotta at least be a lil tiny piece of her that is never going to forgive him for that :p

She's got many of the same problems Jiang Cheng has (keep Jin Ling alive, try to understand why happened, cope with almost everyone you've ever loved dying horribly, figure out how to deal with someone you love killing other people you love before they themselves die) but a wildly different personality and skillset. She's also a lot more personally invested in Zixuan, and he's the person who Wei Wuxian is most responsible for killing, even if I can't imagine her being thrilled with Wei Wuxian losing control of his powers and hitting Jiang Cheng with a zombie before massacring a bunch of their disciples.

As you said, it's going to be relatively easy for her to decide that Wei Wuxian would never do anything of the kind either deliberately or as a consequence of a lack of care for their family, but I think that does maybe lead her to blaming the demonic cultivation, especially if she extrapolates backwards from what happened at Nightless City and concludes that the problem is that Wei Wuxian was not in control of his power. She doesn't have Jiang Cheng's temperament or his resources but she knows how to work the system to get what she wants and I do think she'd feel responsible for her family unleashing something dangerous and easy to abuse on the world, so she's up to something. The Jiang probably do lose their place as a great sect and the Jin are absolutely trying to or succeeding at locking them down as a vassal sect and trying to use Yanli to do it, but maybe she has more direct communication with and influence over them if they're not seen as a threat? Honestly I can see her being one of the avenues Huaisang uses to attack Jin Guangyao, because if she finds out her brother in law is doing demonic cultivation in her son's house she's going to do something about it. So I'm thinking subordinate(ish) Jiang Sect where she acts as a kind of unofficial liaison between them and the Jin, and there is a complicated web of loyalty going in both directions where she's working with them to achieve some of her public safety goals and promoting their interests when she can but she's still not quite one of them anymore. Enter Wei Wuxian!

One of the fun narrative tricks MXTX comes back to a lot is people behaving unreasonably towards Wei Wuxian in situations where some degree of anger or suspicion would actually be very reasonable. People tend to either forgive him unconditionally, be too busy being evil to have legitimate concerns, or handle their anger in a way that makes it reasonable for him to simply peace out and refuse to engage. I do think Yanli would forgive Wei Wuxian, especially if they managed to talk it out, but I don't think he can avoid something of a reckoning with her when he comes back to life because he does actually owe her an explanation more than he owes anyone else and he doesn't have the (reasonable) excuse of being more on stabbing than speaking terms with her. Whether he actually tries to deliver that explanation I think depends on whether we're talking novel or drama- he has technically already tried once and it didn't go well. CQL Wei Wuxian makes a good faith effort but is thwarted by the plot, Novel WWX I think tells himself it's futile and pointless and she's probably over it so he'd just be reopening old wounds until she's right in front of him like what the fuck A-Xian. It is not actually a comfortable or fun experience for him in either scenario no matter how much she forgives him because he does feel profoundly guilty and he's not distracted by being mad at her. I also just think he'd handle Jiang Cheng dying on a battlefield shortly after he hit him with a zombie very badly. Like he handles Yanli very badly also, but it's a different subset of bad. Not necessarily worse, but that's his shidi he promised Madame Yu and Jiang Fengmian to protect and he tore himself open for and then he went and hit him with a zombie and maybe permanently disadvantaged or imperilled the Jiang and it's just a different scenario if he can't come back and at least be like "well the Jiang are prospering so that one thing worked out and I don't have to feel shame or obligation about it."

#Wei Wuxian #Jiang Yanli #Wei Wuxian does scream I can't control it very loudly on the battlefield #I think that on this basis it is very reasonable to reevaluate your opinion of demonic cultivation #if you happen to be a person on that battlefield clutching your sibling's body #sometimes we get new information and we change our minds accordingly #anyway this is part of why Jin Ling is the best #he gets mad and he struggles and some of his complaints on the dead parent front are legitimate #and when he forgives Wei Wuxian it's a choice #good stuff good stuff

[plan-d-to-i]

Hi Plan! About JFM, is there anything in the book that shows that he tries to stop YZY from whipping WWX? Also, if you don't mind, what is your opinion about JFM's part in WWX's abuse, do you think he is complicit?

There's this from when YZY whips him w WLJ:

The most that he’d been through were two or three strikes and being grounded. He’d also be let out by Jiang FengMian sooner or later. This time, however, he endured dozens of heavy strikes. His back burned and his entire body was numb with pain. He couldn’t bear it, but he had to bear it. Today, if the punishment didn’t satisfy Wang LingJiao, the matter at hand would never end!

</3... There's also this from the incense burner extras ...

Even when he was naughty as a child, when Yu-furen whipped him, she would strike his back or the palms of his hands, while Jiang Fengmian and Jiang Yanli couldn’t bear to hit him.

I think people feel this huge sense of frustration and wish that JFM could like divorce or yeet YZY into the lake or something (same)... alas those things are off the table. It's even written in lol 🥲:

Jiang Cheng, “Mom! Mom listen to me! I beg you! Don’t cut off his hand! If Father knew…”

It was all fine until he had mentioned Jiang FengMian. The second he mentioned him, Madam Yu’s expression changed at once, shouting, “Don’t talk to me about your father! What could happen if he knows? Could he kill me?!”

.... Every time JFM puts up resistance YZY doesn't back down and only escalates.

Madam Yu scolded, “Of course you’ll go! Or else would your sister go? Look at her, still happily peeling lotus seeds. A-Li, stop peeling them. Who are you peeling them for? You’re the mistress, not somebody’s servant!”

Hearing the word ‘servant’, Wei WuXian didn’t mind much. He had finished all of the lotus seeds in the dish all at once, chewing as the soft, refreshing sweetness filled his mouth. Jiang FengMian, on the other hand, raised his head slightly, “My lady.”

Madam Yu, “What, something I said? Servant? You don’t want to hear the word? Jiang FengMian, let me ask you—this time, do you intend to let him go?”

&

Like a purple bolt of lightning, Madam Yu swept inside, bringing in with her a cold breeze. She was standing five steps away from Wei WuXian’s bed, brows raised, “‘To attempt at the impossible’ is exactly how he is, isn’t it? Fooling around even though he knew that it’d bring trouble to his sect?!”

Jiang FengMian, “My lady, what are you doing here?”

Madam Yu, “What am I doing here? What a joke that I am asked of such a thing! Sect Leader Jiang, do you still remember that I’m also the leader of Lotus Pier? Do you still remember that every inch of the earth here is my territory?"

&

I don’t believe for one second that you haven’t heard of how the outside people gossips, that Sect Leader Jiang has still not moved on from a certain Sanren though so many years have passed, regarding the son of his old friend as a son of his own; they’re speculating if Wei Ying is your…”

Jiang FengMian shouted, “Yu ZiYuan!”

Madam Yu shouted as well, “Jiang FengMian! Do you think that anything will change just because you raised your voice?! Do you think that I don’t know you?!”

The two debated the issue outside. On the way, Madam Yu’s angered voice was louder and louder.

He can't just physically beat her into submission. He can't order her around she'd probs act out even more to spite him. He can't divorce her or ban her from Lotus Pier. What can you do when you're stuck in life with a person like that other than avoid her as much as possible. WWX gets it and does. I definitely wish JFM could have found some attempt the impossible way to make her go away. It's WWX's and JFM's misfortune that she's alive and part of their life and it's definitely not fair to either of them (or yanli & jc frankly). In that last passage JFM does seems to draw away her anger after him from WWX. So no, I don't think he's complicit. I think he's a victim himself of her unreasonable tantrums. I can't frankly deny the schadenfreude her end gives me.

sidenote as I was looking for one of the quotes I found the moment when jc is fantasizing that the attack on Lotus Pier was just a bad dream and I think it's sort of ironic that in his fantasy his mother is scolding WWX. Like :

He couldn’t wait to wake up after some rest and open his eyes to find himself lying inside of his room back in Lotus Pier. His father would be wiping his sword in the main hall. His mother would be angry again and complaining, scolding Wei WuXian who winked in a funny way. His sister would be in the kitchen, thinking as hard as she could about what to make today.

🌝.

#mdzs #jiang fengmian #yu ziyuan #madam yu #Wei Wuxian

[franniebanana]

CQL Rewatch - Ep 22

It feels so good to see these two together, talking about old times, and most importantly, not arguing. It's as if this was the conversation that was meant to happen back in Yiling, but it didn't because emotions were too high. I guess it's true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Wei Wuxian has time to think about and come to the understanding that Lan Wangji isn't fighting him, but instead showing concern. And Lan Wangji gets to hear Wei Wuxian's side of the story, about what he did those three months in the Burial Grounds. It's so refreshing to have this release after so much tension had built up, where the two of them are just open and honest with each other. And you can see how Wei Wuxian's relationship with Lan Wangji is different from his relationship to everyone else. While we get to see him being vulnerable with Jiang Yanli, he won't tell her everything; we see him connecting with Jiang Cheng again, but as is his temperament, Jiang Cheng is often flippant and dismissive, and only really cares that Wei Wuxian is back within the Jiang Clan fold. Lan Wangji really cannot be satisfied until he knows what's been going on; he wants to be reassured that Wei Wuxian is okay in both mind and body, he wants to know that he's not gone to the dark side per se.

And this moment is so pivotal here. Now that they've finally talked and gotten everything out that they've both been ruminating on over the past however long (idk timelines lol), Wei Wuxian is in a place where he can say he'll accept Lan Wangji's help. Wei Wuxian doesn't agree to it begrudgingly, but I think it's a hopeless agreement. Unless you know about his lack of a Golden Core, his response seems odd--maybe you think he's tired, maybe you think he's just doing it to appease Lan Wangji, but is being dishonest. With the knowledge of the transfer, you can see that he is agreeing to appease Lan Wangji, but not in a lazy or dishonest way: he knows that he can never learn the sword again, but he allows Lan Wangji to at least help him with his temperament. I don't think it's him agreeing to get Lan Wangji off his back, I think instead he's letting Lan Wangji know how important he is to Wei Wuxian--he's special.

After Wei Wuxian agrees to letting Lan Wangji help, he walks away smiling. He doesn't let Lan Wangji see it either. I feel that he's indescribably happy that with so many changes in his life, he has his relationship with Lan Wangji back--he has his best friend, he has someone who he can trust. And remember, he's not concerned about his temperament being overwhelmed--Wei Wuxian has always considered himself a prodigy, so while this is challenging, he believes that what he learned from the Gusu Lan Clan is enough. Lan Wangji, on the other hand, is still very concerned, and he devotes all of his free time to figuring out ways to help Wei Wuxian, to steady his mind and temperament.

So, while I'm watching this filler, I'm imagining a terrible scenario they could have done. When you're adapting a book or a play or really anything, it's not uncommon to add scenes, right? CQL has plenty of added scenes for context and padding, plus shit they just made up. Okay, so this would fall into the latter category. Imagine if they had had Lan Wangji get turned into a puppet/Urukai, and then there's some big, dramatic way that Wei Wuxian has to save him and turn him back, and it only brings them closer together as brothers in arms/whatever bs they were trying to sell us without making it romantic. Sounds like a terrible idea, right? Aren't you glad the writers had enough integrity and respect for the novel that they didn't do that? I complain about things that were added or changed as well, but if they had given me an actual explicit acknowledgment of wangxian love, I would have been happy. Of course, censorship is a bitch, so that's a no go. The point of this is that it could have been a lot worse.

Oh, god. Soup drama. Thank you to that person who posted the soup drama in Lan Wangji's POV. You are amazing, and that post always makes me cackle.

Ah, but this is canon to the novel if I remember correctly. It's totally valid and is actually kind of sad for Yanli, but I still think it's hilarious the way Wei Wuxian just takes off like a shot without knowing what's going on. The thing is, Jiang Yanli is just embarrassed about the whole thing and wants to leave, but of course Wei Wuxian wants revenge. He still harbors no love for Jin Zixuan, and any chance he gets to put the peacock in his place, he'll take.

Yanli is tugging on him with both hands, and Wei Wuxian doesn't move. He is just standing there, glaring at Jin Zixuan. There are two people in the world who Wei Wuxian will defend forever: Jiang Yanli and Lan Wangji--and Jin Zixuan has just offended one of them. Wei Wuxian is beyond pissed. And now couple that with how he was trapped in a sunless graveyard for three months, has been doing nothing but fighting since he's been out, and is using his spiritual power in a dangerous and unstable method. His mood, my friends, is not great right now.

I love how Lan Wangji looks inside the tent, and then proceeds to immediately nope out of there. I blame that soup drama post for everything that I see now, because it really does look like he's just thinking, "Ugh, soup drama again." But in all seriousness, I think this is just Lan Wangji feeling awkward again. I think he came out of genuine concern for Jiang Yanli, because remember Wei Wuxian took off without even hearing what was going on, but when he sees that it's clearly a matter between her and Jin Zixuan, he leaves. This isn't his business, and it also involves romance, because of course he remembers how they were betrothed until the fight broke out in Cloud Recesses. Regardless of how Lan Wangji carries himself and how he's so respected as a cultivator, he's still a young man, who still feels awkward about the idea of love and doesn't really want to be around any of it--lovers' quarrels and whatnot.

The other thing is, they don't pan over to Lan Wangji for no reason. Perhaps he's still remembering the conversation he had with Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng back in Yiling: this is a Jiang Clan affair. And this time, he's choosing to bow out when he realizes it isn't his business. However, he doesn't want to go far, because he knows how dangerous Wei Wuxian really is, especially if he loses his cool.

Honestly, Jin Zixuan is such a dick here. Every time I think he's made progress, he takes a step backward. Jiang Yanli is the sweetest person, and is just giving him soup every day to provide him with some comfort. We're to understand that she is a good cook and her soup is The Best, so she wants to do something nice for him, perhaps bring him the comfort of home in the place that is farthest from home, and he practically throws it back in her face. It's a total misunderstanding, but my heart breaks for her. And after this moment, Jin Zixuan starts to try harder. I think he finally sees who she is, what kind of person she is, and understands how genuine and loving she has always been. He finally opens his eyes and gets to know her as a person, not as the girl he's engaged to, not as the girl he was engaged to, not as the girl his parents want him to marry--but as the girl who he's interested in.

Not a lot to talk about this episode. I swear, half of it is just fighting. But let's take a moment to appreciate Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji fighting together. I am a sucker for this sort of thing, so I love seeing Lan Wangji swoop in and knock a baddie's sword out of the way to protect Wei Wuxian. It feels good seeing that and seeing them on the same side, fighting together.

Wei Wuxian tried it their way. He tried to fight without using Chenqing, but the fight was impossible. As stated before, the puppets are unkillable, so there was no way to win just by fighting them, and obviously what Nie Mingjue was doing wasn't helping. The only way to survive at this point was to try and control the puppets into working against Wen Ruohan. There's a shot of Lan Wangji before this, where he looks concerned, but I think he even knows that they had no other choice.

This was a short one, sorry! But really, I'm not going to babble about nothing. So much fighting and not a lot of dialogue or other things really happened. We're just getting through major plot points right now to be honest.

Other episodes: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Or just check out the #CQL Rewatch hashtag

#wangxian #lan wangji #wei wuxian #cql #the untamed #jiang cheng #jiang yanli #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #ep 22 #cql rewatch

[eenasbabysmom]

I keep entertaining an AU where WWX loses control and kills LQR instead of Zixuan, but it always makes me too sad for poor Xichen. As if he didn't have enough to deal with.

That is a very interesting set of circumstances-ones that have to start with why LQR would even be there instead of Jin Zixuan. The way I see it, Lan Qiren could not have been persuaded to go down there to save Wei Wuxian, no matter what. And I don't think Jin Guangyao would have any reason for letting Lan Qiren know about what was happening so he could go and interfere in the ambush. So for Lan Qiren to be there, it would have to be as an outlier. Like, he hears about Lan disciples going with Jin Zixun to attack Wei Wuxian, and his immediate thought is 'why the fuck would you idiots go on a mission not given to you by your sect leader?' and follows to go collect his idiot disciples. This will eventually lead to a much deeper look into how and why those Lan disciples are there, which will mean much more exposure for Jin Guangyao and his father than would be permissible. In CQL, this is probably resolved by Jin Guangyao contacting Su She and ordering him to not only make Wei Wuxian lose control of Wen Ning, but also inciting Wen Ning against Lan Qiren as much as possible. Wen Ning ignores the Jin disciples and tears through anything remotely Lan-looking, allowing for Jin Zixuan to escape from near death when Wei Wuxian forcibly snatches back control of Wen Ning after he sees Lan Qiren die. He's probably wounded near fatally because there are some Jin survivors, but now there's also a witness-->Jin Zixuan. Maybe Jin Zixuan is very vocal about how, yes Wen Ning went mad and Wei Wuxian lost control of him-but maybe he heard flute music when Wei Wuxian did not have Chenqing raised to play.

What impact does this have on Lan Wangji? I think it would create a great deal of conflict, with himself and maybe with others in his sect (maybe even between him and Lan Xichen). However, even without Jin Zixuan being a witness, do I think Lan Wangji has it in him to turn against Wei Wuxian? No-I don't. It just doesn't vibe with how I understand his character. Lan Wangji believes Wei Wuxian is good, is righteous, and would not believe that it was malicious, deliberate murder. Would he concede that it was a case of Wei Wuxian losing control and playing with dangerous forces that he didn't fully understand? Yes-in a heartbeat. Would it be enough to convince him to raise a sword against Wei Wuxian at Nightless City? I don't see it happening. I think it would create a mess of his decisions about what to do with the whole world turning on Wei Wuxian and generally leave him more heartbroken than he would know what to do with. Could he have shown up at Nightless City looking for answers from Wei Wuxian? Absolutely. Could he have been clear-minded enough to go back to the Burial Mounds and pick up A-Yuan? Don't know-but I don't think so.

(listen, Jiang Yuan is always a great alternative. In a world where Jin Zixuan is not dead, where Jiang Yanli is not mad with grief and worry means she probably won't end up in the middle of the slaughter unless guided there by Jin Guangyao's calculations-which, why would he? And if no Jiang Yanli at Nightless City-what prompts Wei Wuxian throwing himself off the cliff? Maybe Jiang Cheng is wounded-believed dead. Maybe he calls too much resentful energy into himself and tries to destroy the amulet and his death in the novel is what happens. Maybe LAN WANGJI dies/is believed dead and Wei Wuxian throws himself off the cliff-there so many possibilities.)

#mdzs au #the untamed au #wei wuxian #lan wangji #lan qiren #the ambush at qiongqi path #anon ask #reply

[angstymdzsthoughts]

JC and WWX develop a psychic bond as children. They can feel what the other is feeling and find each other no matter how far apart they are. They take great comfort in it and use their bond for everything from battle to pranks, even to share dreams when their sleeping. This changes the day WWX falls into burial mounds and begins demonic cultivation. Both are heartbroken at the loss. JC doesn't feel his brother again until the first siege, when WWX undergoes qi deviation. 1/2

The pain is unbearable. JC collapses and, if not for LXC's quick thinking, would have died too. Meanwhile, JC experiences every agonizing second of WWX's death, can feel that he's still alive and conscious as the fierce corpses maul him, can feel their teeth and claws rip flesh from bone. What's worse are his brother's overwhelming despair, regret, and hopelessness. And love. All the love WWX manages to send JC even as he dies. Worse still, is the moment it all stops. 2/2

-

The bond is formed because they were young and stupid and over-confident enough to think that between the two of them they could totally successfully make an advanced array and impress everyone.  They fucked up, blacked out, and when they woke up Madam Yu was furious and they could feel one another.

Life went on. The bond was a blessing for the most part. Jiang Cheng was never happier for it then the days when his brother was trapped in that cave with Lan Wangji and a huge, man eating turtle.

The loss of his core overshadowed the hurt of loosing the bond tying them together. War and rebuilding clouded his mind for months until one day when Jiang Yanli asked him where their brother was and he couldn’t give an answer. He panicked, thinking his brother was dead and running around like a madman called for him.

“It’s probably because you got a new core,” Wei Wuxian theorized. “The core you have now isn’t the core you had when we made the bond.”

It made enough sense for Jiang Cheng to accept it with a heavy heart. He thought about asking to reform the bond, just for his peace of mind, but he could hardly remember what they did to form it in the first place and Wei Wuxian couldn’t remember what he had for breakfast so that was a lost cause.

Again, life went on. He didn’t like that he couldn’t feel Wei Wuxian anymore. It felt like his brother was constantly lying to him about something. It made his realize how much he had relied on the bond to tell him what Wei Wuxian was actually feeling. Without it he struggled to read his brother.

#reply #Jiang Cheng #Wei Wuxian #Jiang Yanli #Yunmeng Siblings #mdzs

[winepresswrath]

I believe lan zhan is so angry at Jiang cheng(at least in the live action) besides the obvious, is that he kinda used him to help wei wuxian to let go and commit suicide. Jiang cheng at the last second couldn't out right kill wei wuxian directly, so he aim his sword at the cliff making the gesture to wei wuxian that he'll kill them both if he doesn't let go. And lan zhan couldn't do anything about. This was happening right in front of him, he had wei ying, and yet he was completely helpless.

Yeah, I think that the cliffside moment is the thing that drama Lan Wangji is the most upset about, at least until we make it to the ancestral shrine scene, but I think the thing he’s most angry about is less the specific act of rockside stabbing and more that Jiang Cheng rejected Wei Wuxian in a moment of suicidal ideation that he was uniquely qualified to address. Wei Wuxian has, at that moment, decided that he’s sororicidal garbage who doesn’t deserve to live. Lan Wangji’s opinion on the matter isn’t necessarily relevant to him, because Lan Wangji doesn’t really know Yanli or what her death means. Jiang Cheng does. It’s much more in Jiang Cheng’s power to absolve him, or comfort him, or convince him not to fling himself off that rock, because the thing that happened specifically pertained to their family. It’s not Xichen who’s lying dead on that battlefield, and Wei Wuxian wouldn’t be having the same feelings about it if it was. 

I personally don’t think Jiang Cheng was doing anything particularly purposeful when he stabbed the rock. He wanted to want his brother dead; he couldn’t do it. He’s furious with himself for not being able to avenge his sister and at Wei Wuxian for hurting her, and still reeling with the shock of her death. He was a contributing factor in Wei Wuxian’s death, both in the words said in anger you can’t take back sense and in that Wei Wuxian panicked once he saw the rocks start to crumble, but I’m not convinced that he’s got an actual plan that hinges on actively communicating murderous intent. He’s losing his shit about his brother’s role in their sister’s death; I do not think Wei Wuxian’s feelings for Lan Wangji are at the forefront of his mind. From Jiang Cheng’s perspective he’s in the middle of a tragic family drama, not the greatest love story of our time. His sister just bled out in his arms after his brother unleashed an army of dark spirits that hurt not only her but many other members of their clan he’d previously promised to protect and keep from disaster. His nephew has been orphaned. I don’t think he’s pausing to think “ok, even if I can’t kill my brother I know he cannot stand to see his high school crush harmed in any way; rather than directly threatening said crush I’m going to close my eyes and stab a rock and hope it destabilizes this outcropping just enough that Wei Wuxian gets the picture and lets go.”

#jiang cheng #lan wangji #wei wuxian #the untamed #one of my friends once described #jiang cheng on the cliff #as firing his gun up in the air and yelling #AHHHHHHHHHH as seen in point break and #hot fuzz and honestly i think that's fair #cw:suicide #meta #part two of the problem is what you do with #wei wuxian if you do save him from that cliff #because he's very wanted! #and getting him a fair trial is not going to cut it #if you fake his death you can maybe convince him to spend the rest of his life in hiding #but he'd hate that so much #in the drama it was very much in his power to flee after zixuan's death #and if the cultivation world is aware he's alive #i really don't think there's much anyone can do to protect him #aside from telling him to run and hide somewhere #far away #we are a bit past come back to gusu with me #at this point #Anonymous