#everyone x jiang cheng

[yiikingpatriarch]

today i offer you : Angry Asexual Shidi propaganda

#i started shipping them ironically it is no longer ironically i WILL introduce everyone to liu qingge x jiang cheng #svsss #mdzs #scum villain's self saving system #wei wuxian and shen qingqiu entering the bar and going Shidiiiiiiiiiiiiii at the same time lmao

[diedicontroversial]

[discourse] in defiance of the author’s wishes (re: mxtx fandom)

table of contents : context  : moral arguments : addressing the legal side of things  : closing remarks

Context

on March 17, 2018, mxtx posted:

“As long as you don't split or reverse the top/bottom positions of the main couple, I won't mind what you ship. I myself have a lot of fun shipping couples in mainstream shows, and isn't reading all about finding joy? You can imagine freely or ship whoever you like, just don't break up or reverse the top/bottom positions of the main couple.”

(I realise that the 不拆不逆 “no splitting or reversing” rule might be implicit within the entire Chinese danmei fandom, so i do not wish to single mxtx out. for example, i know that Chinese 2ha fans also go around policing people who ship, say, chu wanning with shi mei — so this isn’t just a mxtx thing. although i do not know if other danmei authors have explicitly stated “no splitting or reversing” since i have not been a part of other danmei fandoms.)

Nevertheless, “no splitting or reversing” became the constitution in Chinese mxtx fandom. Fans parade around with the slogan “拆逆死“ which means “kill yourself if you split or reverse”. Since the pronunciation of 拆逆死 (chai-ni-si) sounds like “chinese”, some fans on the Chinese internet have been putting “chinese” in their bios to mean “kill yourself if you split or reverse”.

From now on I will be referring to split/reverse ships as cult ships, as Chinese fans like to call them.

There are two main consequences of the “no splitting or reversing” rule (on the Chinese internet):

You will receive permanent bans with no option for appeal if you post cult ship fanworks in the novel communities on Weibo

It is implicitly agreed upon that you are not allowed to use individual character tags, the novel tag, or the author tag when posting cult ship content on any platform. So, for example, if you write Wei Wuxian x Jiang Cheng, you are not allowed to use #weiwuxian #jiangcheng #mdzs #mxtx. The name given to this conduct of tagging only your cult ship is 圈地自萌, which means “enclose a piece of land and amuse oneself within it”. You are not allowed to step out of your land. 

However, not everyone agrees with the practice of “don’t step out of your land” — this includes people from both sides of the debate. Some official shippers believe that cult shippers should not have any land to begin with, and purposefully leave the cult ship tag unblocked so they can police cult shippers at every opportunity. Some cult shippers believe that because their ship involves the individual characters, originate from the novel written by the author, they are in the right to use the individual character tags, the novel tag, and the author tag, and that people who dislike their ship should just use the block function. 

-

Moral Arguments

There are two main types of moral arguments that Chinese official shippers make.

1. If you split the official ship, you condone cheating behaviour and that makes you a bad person.

The first argument is too trivial so I will leave the refutation as an exercise for the reader to do at home /j

2. You are not respecting the author's wishes and that makes you a bad person.

The author has wished many different things. For example:

Screenshot 1 translation: I strictly forbid any crowdfunding or fundraising related to me, my works, or my characters, regardless of the purpose, whether it be for celebration, group buying, rankings, charity, or any other named activities.

Screenshot 2 translation: Once again, I emphasize: No new social media pages related to my works are allowed, nor organizing readers in a roundabout way, whether it be for celebrations, group buying, rankings, charity, or any other named activities. Please also refrain from flamboyantly organizing any collective birthday events.

Screenshot 3 translation: I've repeated many things many times and do not wish to repeat myself. Could everyone please just listen to my words occasionally.

(A brief aside before I address the second argument, something I used to say when debating Chinese fans: “I don’t think people who violate the author's wishes mean any disrespect. I don’t think they’re shipping or hosting charity events or birthday parties out of spite, but rather, it just so happens that the author prohibits a ship they enjoy or an event they organise. Just because I cult ship, for example, doesn’t mean I hate the author.” And they would respond: “if you really liked the author, you wouldn’t go against her wishes. You do not deserve to like the author. You are a mxtx anti.” And I would say, “I like my mom a lot, but I won’t listen to everything she says, simply because I don’t think everything she says is right. Plus, I don’t think the world can simply be explained by like vs. dislike. Also, Xie Lian said this: [For instance, if you admire or like someone, you won't always treat them well, no matter what happens.]” But then the most hilarious thing happened, in the revised version, a rebuttal for that scene was added:

【”For instance, if you admire or like someone, it doesn't mean you will always treat them well, regardless of what happens."

"Why not?" San Lang questioned. "If that's not possible, it only shows that this so-called 'liking' isn't anything significant."

Xie Lian shifted the conversation, asking, "Then... does it mean that aside from liking someone, the only other option is to dislike them? Are these the only two attitudes one can choose from?"

San Lang chuckled and retorted, "Why not? Right is right, wrong is wrong. To love is to love, to hate is to hate. Why can't things be clear and straightforward?”】

… ah.)

To address the second argument for real, i believe that producers retain no moral authority over the methods by which consumers engage with their products. for instance, i believe that choosing not to follow the official “twist, lick, and dunk” method when eating oreos does not constitute disrespect towards the oreo brand. Or to use another analogy, suppose a farmer selling apples insist that you peel the apples before eating them. I believe that it does not make you a bad person if you choose to eat the apples unpeeled, despite the farmer being the one who watered and harvested the apples from their trees.

I am thinking of potential counterarguments, and the strongest one I came up with is: “but products like oreos and apples are fundamentally different from intellectual property.” And I think the main issue here is that, to employ economics terminology, the content of novels like tgcf is a non-rivalrous good (not the novels themselves but the abstract content), which means that my consumption of it does not reduce availability to others. In other words, unlike Oreos or apples wherein after I purchase them, the specific items I bought are no longer physically in the hands of the vendor; after encountering characters like Shen Qingqiu, Shen Qingqiu still exists abstractly in MXTX’s head. This gives the illusion of ownership on the author’s part. I want to be very careful here because I think it’s easy to equivocate between different uses of the word “ownership”. I am not arguing that the author fails to retain ownership in negation of all the blood, sweat, and tears that went into the creative process, i.e. their copyright. Instead, I am contending that, just as I paid for my Oreos and apples, upon my purchasing of the Seven Seas version, the paperback Chinese version, and the revised uncensored version of TGCF on JJWXC, the author does not own the ways by which I choose to engage with these fictional entities. Once a work is made public, its ontology becomes independent of the author’s intent, and in all its readers’ heads exist distinct versions of the characters, in effect making them belong to all of us.

(There. As a bonus I have also resolved the issue of not being “chinese” enough. Ah, is this a bad place to make a communism joke?)

Addressing the legal side of things

In 2022 I wrote to the legal team at AO3, and here is their response:

Regarding the “moral rights”, that’s actually a thing. Upon receiving lots of spam from 12-yr-old readers that “you are breaking the law”, I did a quick Baidu search (China’s Google) concerning the legality of splitting/reversing ships. Surprisingly, the search results yield “yes, it’s illegal”, and hence the 12-yr-olds' confidence. But that is akin to getting a cancer diagnosis from searching symptoms on Google. So I dug deeper. 

After reading tens of published papers and court cases, here are the key takeaways of what I found:

Given that intellectual property rights are a bit behind in China, they have largely based their laws on US copyright law. As organizations like OTW continue to fight for the rights of transformative works in the US, China probably will just follow suit.

The semantics of “distort, mutilate, or otherwise harm the integrity of their works in a way that harms the author’s reputation” is very vague and debatable. There are at least three ways to interpret it (I think one of the papers I read offered four). The first is that they only have to prove that you distorted the integrity of the work. The second is that you satisfy the condition of harming the author’s reputation. The third is that you satisfy both conditions (integrity of work and author’s reputation). It depends on the court. 

None of the court cases pertained to unserious, just-for-fun fan works. Usually what happens is someone makes a film out canon, for example, and sell it for profit, or someone publishes their own novel which contains characters from another published work. 

And that is for China only^ if you live outside of China, you are under another country's jurisdiction.

-

Closing remarks

I am addressing this issue because it has impacted me and my friends in many ways. "kill yourself if you split/reverse the official ship" is probably the least of our concerns, mainly because it is such a popular phrase that we've become desensitized to it. @/Eleven receives private messages on Lofter on a weekly basis of people wishing her entire family to get murdered. A hualian main friend of mine has been posted to Weibo for following me; and I had to pull a Shi Qingxuan with "hey let's not be friends anymore if being associated with me is gonna get you cancelled".

mxtx has been through a lot and i understand where she's coming from. and maybe, the people who identify as "kill yourself if you split/reverse the official ship" don't truly mean it -- maybe they're just expressing their love for the official ship.

Recently i've been seeing the sentiments I used to only witness in Chinese fandom surface on Twitter and sometimes I worry that western mxtx fandom is going to turn into Chinese mxtx fandom, with the in-group/out-group mentality -- you're either with us or against us. At the end of the day, I do like mxtx, I admire her tenacity and I think she's a brilliant author, I love her works and the characters in them. I simply do not want to be backed into the corner of "anti" due to not following every order she gives.

祝墨香和她的粉丝们平安。

#mxtx #tgcf #heaven official's blessing #mdzs #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #svsss #scum villian self saving system #scum villain #discourse

[symphonyofsilence]

Ok, so I saw someone on Twitter (No, I'm not calling it X) applauding Wen Ning for explaining the golden core situation to Jiang Cheng since otherwise, JC would never stop making WWX's life hell for the rest of his life and saying that it's good that JC now knows about it thanks to Wen Ning and that "without Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng would be nothing." And aside from everything else in that statement (like okay, yes, thanks Wen Ning for finally telling JC the truth, but the way Wen Ning made that revelation, blaming JC and berating him for the information THEY intentionally withheld from him, and the surgery they did on him without his consent and with active deceiving since they knew he would never consent to it was...let's say, less than ideal. Like...WN, my sweetest boy, JC is the victim here. You're the cute little culprit. You don't get to yell angrily at him about this specific thing. And the way it implies that JC justifiably asking WWX for an explanation for the whole, you know... killing their BIL and then starting a massacre at Nightless City that accidentally resulted in their sister's death & the orphaning of their nephew is making WWX's life hell. And the way this tweet reduces Jiang Cheng to his golden core. without his golden core, Jiang Cheng was still the heir to the Yunmeng Jiang sect and a son of the Meishan Yu sect, and a resilient, brave, strong, foresighted, smart, & capable man and a charismatic, diplomatic and overall good leader, thank you. And no, don't start with "he was wilting away without his golden core". He was forcibly put into a coma and not given any time to handle the issue. Those few days practically were nothing to him. It was like he had JUST been rescued from the LP every time he woke up. He dealt with many shitstorms afterward and kept going. Having a breakdown after calamities is the normal thing to do, JC just gets the hysterical woman treatment by everyone.) I would like to say that, without Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian would have been dead. Not in episode 16/chapter 59 but in episode 14/chapter 55 in the cave. And NHS would have no reason to bring back WWX. You'd have a total of 14 episodes to watch and 55 chapters to read.

#the untamed #mdzs #cql #mo dao zu shi #chen qing ling #the grandmaster of demonic cultivation #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #yunmeng shuangjie #twin prides of yunmeng #twin heroes of yunmeng #wei ying #jiang wanyin #wen ning #my two cents

[lanwangjisnow]

@fengxinwifutobecalled it turned out to be a long oneshot.

Jealous Lan Wangji x Reader

It was years ago (even a couple of years before the presence of WWX at Gusu) when Lan Wangji first saw you at Cloud Recesses.

He or almost all at Gusu didn’t know where you were from or anything about you except your name was Y/N but one thing was sure that you didn’t look like you were from anywhere around.

There were strange gossips those days that Lan Qiren found you lost in the forest , you were from a strange land and was not even familiar with language at Gusu.

Anyway, It wasn’t Lan Wangji business to get to know you or at least he thought so back then.

Then his uncle wanted Lan Wangji to teach you some basics of language and rules at Cloud Recesses.

Lan Wangji didn’t argue why he has to teach you , when you could have been sent to a class with kids (even though he assumed that you were around his age) but he just accepted the task.

You didn’t seem to be a quick learner as you pissed off Lan Wangji often by forgetting stuff he just taught, but fortunately he didn’t give up and you made him proud when finally nailed writing down a Cloud Recesses rule one day.

Once you found Lan Wangji was fond of rabbits and you always drew a rabbit under every assignment given by him earning a slight smile which was unsual

Another day you saw Lan Wangji he was staring at Gentian House in dismay and you presented him a wooden amulet carved in the shaped of a rabbit .

He widened his eyes . He knew that you did not know anything about his mother or any of his regrets yet sensed some grief in him.

Somehow it made his heart warm but he was slow to show it on his face.

Two years passed and Lan Wangji felt it didn’t matter who thought how strange or flawed you were but your simple gestures put him on much ease.

However, he didn’t know to how much he cherished your attention until one day

A batch of new students from different clans arrived at Cloud Recesses.

These curious students figured Lan Wangji was an ice prince since the day they had arrived but Yunmeng Jiang clan students especially Wei Wuxian never stopped annoying him.

First Wei Wuxian found Lan Wangji was similar to a private tutor to someone called Y/N who came to Cloud Recesses from a distant land and no new student had seen you yet.

Wei Wuxian was naturally curious of what you were like and dragged unwilling Jiang Cheng along with him to find you.

They saw someone who was looking outlandish in the library and Wei Wuxian immediately asked “So are you the secret disciple of Cloud Recesses?”

You startled by the sudden voice and few books fell from your hand . Wei Wuxian giggled.

Jiang Cheng nudged him and turned to you “Apologies. We are Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian from Yunmeng Jiang clan. Are you Y/N? ”

“Yes” you nodded.

“Don’t you like to meet new people at Cloud Recesses or are you waiting for someone?” Wei Wuxian winked .

You froze . Did he know that you have a huge crush on Lan Wangji ? But this stranger hadn’t even spent a week at Cloud Recesses yet.

“Let’s go” while you were lost in thoughts Wei Wuxian dragged you to where some students including Wen Ning, Nie Huaisang and Jiang Yanli were getting ready to go for a stroll.

He introduced you to them and started asking random questions while walking.

“is Lan Zhan cold to you?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“He is haughty and hot tempered what else ? Isn’t it Y/N?” Jiang Cheng added.

You smiled “ No. He is not haughty. I think …”

“Bahaha” Wei Wuxian bursted into laughter. “No haughty…not haughty… haha a good one”

Accidentally, his arm clashed your shoulder and you lost your balance but luckily, Jiang Cheng threw his arm around your shoulder to prevent falling down.

Suddenly, everyone went silent and stopped walking. It seemed that they were looking at someone in front. As soon as you looked up you saw fuming Lan Wangji .

“Let go” Lan Wangji glared at Jiang Cheng whose arm was around your shoulder.

“I was just helping.” Jiang Cheng instantly retreated.

Lan Wangji turned to you “Y/N” he said strenly. “Bunking classes is not allowed”

Your avoided his eyes and looked down. Lan Wangji turned around after glaring at everyone.

Before he walked off while you were following him.“He likes drama doesn’t he?” Wei Wuxian mumbled to Nie Huaisang “Hmm why care about a little hug that much when he is not even Y/N’s boyfriend?” Nie Huaisang whispered back and it was overheard by Lan Wangji.

Lan Wangji turned back in arrow speed wielding Bichen and its blade stopped almost touching Nie Huaisang’s chest.

His furious eyes expressed “back off. It’s none of your business” and before others recovered from gasping he withdrew Bichen and strode off.

You had to run behind him to the library where Lan Wangji used to conduct classes for you.

Lan Wangji stood next to his seat but glare in his eyes had not yet left him.

“I’m sorry” fear that Lan Wangji would hate you enough to shut you off from his life teared your eyes.

“Write! No skipping classes 50 times” Lan Wangji said harshly.

Writing usually took much effort and time of you so you thought to hand over yesterday’s assignment to Lan Wangji before you started your punishment.

You slowly walked to him to handover your assignment and went to a far end corner of the library. Lan Wangji looked over it and saw the rabbit drawn by you for Lan Wangji in a separate paper.

He instantly grabbed a book from his desk and made his way to where you headed .

As you didn’t not have new papers to write you had to get some but new papers were stored in the top of a book shelf.

You weren’t a tall disciple and when no one was around it was your secret to grab a stool and climbed on it to grab books or papers from top of book shelves.

You didn’t expect Lan Wangji to follow you and when he appeared behind you were already standing on the stool.

“You made a boyfriend?”

You startled by his presence and almost fell from the stool but in the nick of time Lan Wangji caught you lightly by your waist and twirled you to face him.

“Jiang Cheng” Lan Wangji spoke bitterly as his face was still tinted with anger. You confused . Was it because Lan Wangji saw Jiang Cheng’s arm around your shoulder? Did he care?

“N..No” you muttered nervously.

“Mn” Lan Wangji uttered and released one of his hands from your waist to present the book that he was carrying.

You opened it to found that it was consisted of all rabbits that you have drawn for him.

“Lan…Lan Zhan you kept them all?” You could not hide your adoration for his man.

“Mn” pushing you against the book shelf and Lan Wangji tightening the grip on your waist.

His stunning face made his way to you at brisk, connecting his soft lips with yours.

Your mind went blank as Lan Wangji’s stole your first ever kiss.

From your lips Lan Wangji Next moved to your neck “Lan..Lan Zhan” you moaned hugging Lan Wangji, when he was marking your skin.

“Mn” Lan Wangji hummed as he caressed your shoulder like if it was the way he untainted the touch of Jiang Cheng.

Suddenly, some footsteps were heard beyond indicating you were still in a public place. “Baobei … Jingshi” Lan Wangji whispered in a husky voice before escorting you to Jingshi through a different passage to continue rest of love making.

#mdzs #the untamed #mdzs fanfiction #mo dao zu shi #lan wangji #mdzs x reader #mdzs lwj #lan zhan x reader #lwj #the untamed lwj

[joys-of-everyday]

On the fifty shades of morally grey

So quick thoughts on how MXTX writes morally grey.

Sorry, I mean, excessively long meta post on how MXTX writes morally grey. Light spoilers for all three books.

A gazillion caveats to begin with. Firstly, I don’t want to argue about whether character x is morally good, bad, grey, pink or whatever. In my books, arguing about whether someone is or is not morally grey is like arguing whether a colour is green, blue, teal, or turquoise – we’re arguing definitions. To add to that, I’m not saying that concepts like ‘this person is overall good’ doesn’t exist, but I would posit that a morally unquestionable person does not exist. Secondly, I also don’t want to pass moral judgements on any of the characters. That’s for a different post. I strictly want to focus on the storytelling techniques that make the reader think ‘hang on a second, are they good or bad?’. Thirdly, this whole post is mainly based on How Arcane Writes MORAL AMBIGUITY (9 Methods, 4 Rules) - YouTube. Great video, great channel (no knowledge of Arcane required). Would recommend if you are interested in story writing techniques!

1) The information gap and the poor narrator

Best example is Shen Jiu from SVSSS. We barely know anything about Shen Jiu. Almost everything we know is from SQQ’s notoriously unreliable perspective, so we’re left to fill in the gaps ourselves. Depending on exactly how those gaps are filled, you can get two completely different people. E.g. Did he have designs of NYY, or was he just ridiculously misunderstood? Who knows! We’re never told. Even if we were told, we should doubt it because it’s SQQ telling us.

2) 4D characterisation

Schnee’s video goes into this in more details, but this is where you build two narratives on top of one another. Best example is Jin Guangyao from MDZS. Is he an underdog who did what he could out of his situation and tried his best to be a better person working for the good of the common people? Or is he a selfish, manipulative, ambitious snake who at every stage pretends to be good in order to win the favour of those around him? The point is that both narratives make sense in the story. There are moments that lean more one way or another, but you can never quite pin him down completely.

3) Moments of weakness

Best example is Xie Lian from TGCF. On the whole, XL is a wonderful human being who you 100% want to root for. Except… there was that one time he made a mistake. He let his hurt and pain overcome him; he became hurtful himself. The point here is to add in just a few ‘moments’ which fundamentally impacts how the rest of the world perceives them from that point forwards. They are forever trying to redeem themselves, forever weighed down by what is a tiny proportion of their life. The underlying question is ‘is a moment of weakness a moral failure?’

Another good example is Qi Rong from TGCF. On the whole, he’s a piece of s***. But then there are moments when he’s a genuinely good father to Guzi, and that’s confusing.

4) Well-intentioned idiot

Trying to do the right thing and absolutely failing. Best example is Wei Wuxian from MDZS. His intentions are always good. There are extremely few moments where he is selfish or overly cruel. He is always fighting for justice, always self-sacrificing, always kind. And yet the outcome of his actions is pretty bad. The underlying question is ‘should you judge a person based on their intent, or on the consequences of their actions?’

(btw the name of the method is from schnee’s video. No shade on WWX. He is very smart… well, unless it comes to LWJ’s feelings.)

5) Excuses

Yes, they’re bad. But we feel sorry for them! Almost everyone fits into this boat, because doesn’t MXTX love trauma dumping? As one example, let’s look at Jiang Cheng from MDZS. JC’s behaviour towards WWX is pretty bad on its own. But given the context of his childhood being compared to him, of having his self-esteem brutally crushed by both parents? Knowing how much he’s done and sacrificed for him, how much he truly cared for him as family? It hits different.

A small point: ‘excuses aren’t enough’ we say a lot (and I agree, to an extent). But compare, for example, Jin Guangshan vs Xue Yang. JGS seems to be a power-hungry asshole for absolutely no reason. On the other hand, put XY in different circumstances and we feel like he might have been a better person. Just as food for thought, there was a Japanese monk Honen (1133-1212) who said: ‘The good person can reach the Pure Land, so of course the evil person can as well’. The point being that the people who struggle with anger and hate because of their circumstances are most in need of salvation.

6) World building and presenting hard questions

What is acceptable sacrifice in war?

Is it okay to make a super dangerous weapon for the sake of deterrence?

How much personal responsibility does someone hold for a lifetime of circumstances pushing them towards a morally questionable path?

What are the responsibilities of a leader – to do what is right, or to do what is best for their people?

The world of MDZS is imperfect. It’s full of horrors and disasters, as well as a mob of outsiders all trying to impart their opinions despite knowing little about the situation. An imperfect world presents unanswerable questions. We see the characters struggle with these questions, come to decisions, and make mistakes, all naturally arising within the complex world that’s been presented. 

TGCF does this most explicitly. We literally have Kemo and Pei Xiu arguing about the ethics of war and XL concluding that it’s a Hard Question. In fact, every backstory of every Heavenly Official presents a new Hard Question. I don’t know if I like this method over the more subtle style of MDZS, but I have Thoughts about the storytelling styles of both (long story short, I love them both for different reasons).

7) Worlds are colliding

A slightly complicated method that takes a huge amount of set up. To summarise, set up two arcs that we the reader both feel invested in. Then set up a point where the ‘good’ outcome of one is the ‘bad’ outcome of another. For MDZS, we have 1) JC and WWX’s brotherhood arc. 2) WWX standing up for justice arc. They’re both merrily developing all the way through the conflict with the Wens… right until the moment WWX has to make a choice: stand up for justice and leave JC behind, or to fulfil his promises to JC and turn a blind eye to the injustices against the Wens. The decision is a lose-lose scenario because of the way these arcs have been set up.

8) Spectrums, Spectrums, we love Spectrums

Gongyi Xiao is a cinnamon roll. As is Wen Ning and Quan Yizhen. Meanwhile, the Old Palace Master? Literally no redeeming qualities. Wen Chao? Absolute scum. Then there’s everyone lying somewhere in between. We like Lan Wangji more than JC (I think that seems to be the case for most people?) but we certainly like JC more than JGS. Having a spectrum of morality is important because it gives us reference points to contrast and compare. It also emphasises the moral greyness of everything, because sure, Mu Qing isn’t a noodle like Shi Qingxuan, but is he worse than White No Face?

9) Spectrums aren’t enough – adding depth

Almost all of WWX’s moral ambiguity comes from the fact he has hard decisions to make. And for each of these decisions, the outcome is murky. He developed a new technique to fight against the Wens, but at what cost later down the line? He defended the Wens and gave them a few years of life, but was it worth it?

Compare with JGY. JGY does a lot of good. He also does a lot of bad. The magnitude of both lists is ridiculous. Sure, you wouldn’t usually find someone who’s killed most of their family members in any way likable, but how often do you come across someone who literally ended a war?

So one way of creating moral ambiguity is to make each decision difficult, but another way to go about it is to just… make them do loads of things. Like loads of things. Good things, bad things, all the in between things. Judging each thing is not that hard, but then trying to judge the overall person based on it is extremely difficult.

10) Pulling from the real world

Often, moral questions in fiction is hard because (surprise, surprise) moral questions are just hard full stop. Idk enough Chinese history and culture to accurately pin down all of MXTX’s references, but things like stupid misunderstands leading to conflict, poverty and inequality, less than ideal family situations, the horrors of war… these are all things that happen irl. No matter how fantastical the setting, grounding moral conflicts in reality makes us feel more emotional and invested.

Anyway, I hope that was an enjoyable rundown! This is an imperfect list, so comments, criticisms, suggestions greatly appreciated!

#i cannot get over how good mdzs is #a moment of appreciation here #mxtx #mxtx meta #svsss #mdzs #tgcf #svsss meta #mdzs meta #tgcf meta

[khattikeri]

honestly my case for aro/ace Jiang Cheng stems heavily from his list of traits he'd want in a future wife.

like putting aside the fact that his "pickiness" got him canonically blacklisted from a majority of their world's matchmakers, we have this:

naturally beautiful

graceful and obedient

hard-working and thrifty

coming from a respected family

cultivation level not too high

These are all just Standard Things That Ancient Chinese Society Says It's Good For Women To Be.

A woman who is too strong will surpass her husband which is a huge no-no in their society. Too weak and she's a disappointment (read: Jiang Yanli). Marrying within or above your own social class is just expected common sense, especially if you're born upper class.

Then you have these next three points:

personality not too strong

not too talkative

voice not too loud

Of course these are also generic Standard Things That Ancient Chinese Society Says It's Good For Women To Be, but they also stood out to me more than the previous points because all of them remind me of Yu Ziyuan.

Jiang Cheng is very similar to her, and of course even without that he still cares about her. But she was very difficult to please and nurtured his inferiority complex for years. Growing up with her volatility hurt everyone in that house.

AND THEN TACKED ON AT THE VERY END OF THE LIST:

must treat Jin Ling nicely.

So almost all of these bullet points are generic, intangible societal ideals. Rather than being actual preferences for a marriage or to fall in love with, his list reads to me more like this:

Things Everyone Says It's Good For A Wife To Be IDFK

Actually Now That I Think About It Don't Be Like My Mom.

BE NICE TO MY NEPHEW.

Even the 'must treat Jin Ling nicely' can be tied back to Yu Ziyuan if you choose to view it a certain way. A new wife might dislike Jin Ling since he was already there prior to her marriage to Jiang Cheng, even if he's a blood relative rather than a good friend's orphaned child.

An official wife could easily get angry or misguidedly jealous. She could distance or mistreat Jin Ling, an elder male child born to people who are now dead. Who does that remind you of...?

Really all this list proves is Jiang Cheng really, really cares about his nephew + Wei Wuxian and wants the child to be raised with sincere kindness and love. Everything else is just like a dart thrown at a dartboard blind. Sure, write that down. People say it's good for women to be like X and say Y and do Z, right? Sure. Okay.

TL;DR - It's easy to view Jiang Cheng as actually being that arrogant and holding people to every single standard in his list, but IMO he just can't think of traits he actually finds attractive in a person beyond Be Ideal, I Guess. Which is painfully relatable and a primary reason why I see him as aro/ace.

#keri chats #jiang cheng #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #cql #the untamed #jin ling #jiang wanyin #yu ziyuan #i can't emphasize enough how he just took generic traits that everyone says are good for a woman to have #tacks on Don't Be Like My Mom For The Love Of God #and then is like “if you're mean to my nephew fuck you you're nothing”

[coulsandies]

idk if i’ve been watching too much reality tv but i need a mdzs x reality tv au i think that shit would be so funny.

n e w a y z, here’s what i have to offer, included but not limited to:

- jin zixuan being the wine mom who’s just DONE (he’s only there for his wife and kid)

- wei ying is there for the drama

- jiang cheng who will leap over a table and beat the shit out of you

- wen ning being everyone’s favorite camera man

- jingyi being everyone’s favorite (he doesn’t know what the fuck is going on)

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #grand master of demonic cultivation #grandmaster of demonic arts #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #founder of demonic cultivation #founder of diabolism #the untamed #cql #i think jin zixuan would THRIVE in a reality tv au #people please add to this this is the funniest shit i’ve come up with

[travalerray]

So as we all know, ages in MDZS are...strange. And for all I know this point has probably been made a thousand times so please bear with me and correct me if I do make a mistake.

Anyways, the beginning of the book has a very strange statement:

"He had originally come to assist Jin Ling: the boy was fifteen this year," where "he" of course refers to Jiang Cheng.

Now this kept striking me as odd because we all know the timeline. Wei Wuxian attends Jin Ling's one month celebration, Qionggi Path happens, three days later Nightless City happens, three months after that, the first siege happens and then thirteen years pass and then we arrive at this. So, at the most he would be like. Thirteen and a half. Not more than that, right?

So I went to ask Wikipedia:

"In pre-modern times, sui was calculated from the time of birth. A person was one sui as soon as they were born. At the Lunar new year, they turned two sui, and every subsequent new year after that, they were one more sui."

(x)

most sites say similar things.

Which alright I have heard it before......but wait. If we are considering the Jin Ling who we all have been calling a thirteen year old till now, then that means that our lovely previous generation also goes down by a full two years by that same logic.

....I mean, for the sake of continuity, everyone would need to follow the same system but otherwise uh. The previous generation would have been fighting a war at the nominal age of seventeen aka fifteen.

#jin ling #jiang cheng #mdzs #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #mo dao zu shi #kk's rambles tag #wei wuxian #(I mean yeah they were young but this makes them even more....baby. Straight up baby) #(I thought of the nominal age because I recalled someone looking it up for lbh in scum villain who introduces himself of being of the #nominal age of fourteen in his intro) #(yeesh)

[jiujiuween]

it's almost time for jiujiuween !

everyone is invited to celebrate jin ling and jiang cheng in this halloween event (that's mostly an excuse to put them into random costumes!)

more info below!

the event is open for anyone to join!

the theme, as always, is a-ling and/or jiujiu in costumes!

posts can be made any time from oct. 31 to nov. 1 in your timezone (latecomers are welcome ofc!)

use #jiujiuween2023 for your posts! (there's also an ao3 collection for fics)

any medium is ok! (fics, arts, crafts, cosplay, etc)

the setting/AU and age of the characters is up to you :)

additional characters/any ships are ok! just remember to tag appropriately

you're also welcome to see old submissions on twitter/X under the hashtags #jiujiuween and #jiujiuween2022, or on the ao3 collection!

#jiang cheng #jin ling #mdzs #mdzs event #halloween #fanart #fanfic #mdzs fanart #mdzs fanfiction #mo dao zu shi #the untamed #jiang wanyin #jin rulan #mxtx novels #mxtx #mxtx mdzs #mxtx fanart

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

~*~

1. hi! i love your recs and have read quite a lot of them. i don't care how long this takes, but can you please find me some Dom! And or top!wwx X sub! and or bottom twin jades of lan? ive rea a couple on ao3 but i fell like there should be more fics like this. Thanks in advance! @loverofloki1500

Dom wwx comp

~*~

2. Iitmf some wangxian time travel fix-it but the one who time travels isn't WWX!

Lessons relearned by Iamnotawriter (T, 44k, WangXian, LQR & WWX, Not Madam Yu Friendly, Time Travel Fix-It, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Inventor WWX, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, No Golden Core Transfer, YZY Bashing)

Never Again by Hauntcats (T, 67k, WangXian, WQ & WN & WWX, Canon Divergence, Angst, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, Time Travel Fix-it, Not JC Friendly, Dark, BAMF WWX, mentions of abuse, Canon JC traits, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Cw for character death)

Sami's Same Moon Shines series hits on these, depending on the variation. The primary series is WWX time travel, but they have several variations where other characters (JWY & LWJ together and by themselves, JYL by herself) travel back to the time of their birth and change what they can. Several of the stories include ace depictions of JWY, LXC, and WQ. (Link in #10)

❤️ Tragedy is Not the End by Hobbsy3 (T, 358k, wangxian, Time Travel, Torture, Hurt/Comfort, Golden Core Reveal, Canon Divergence from Qiongqi Pass, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Yunmeng sibling bonding, good dad wwx, good dad lwj, JZX Lives, JYL Lives, Junior Quartet Dynamics) (link in #4)

Would You Come Home? by s6115 (Not rated, 46k, WangXian, Junior Quartet Centric, Time Travel Fix-It, Canon Divergence, Junior Quartet Dynamics) for what loose definition of Time travel is achieved

❤️ nevermore, nevermore by agloeian (T, 120k, lan sizhui & everyone, wangxian, canon divergence, time travel fix-it, hurt/comfort, fluff, angst w/ happy ending) a /Sizhui!!!/ time travel fic

Lynchpin by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 103k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Time Travel, Fix-It, Lynchpin [PODFIC] by Opalsong) Jiang Cheng time travels

With Surgical Precision by metisket (T, 20k, WQ & WN, WQ & WWX, WangXian, Time Travel, Families of Choice, sibling bonding through murder, Z chirurgiczną precyzją (podfik) by tehanu, [PODFIC] With Surgical Precision by Gwogobo, With Surgical Precision [PODFIC] by Opalsong) Wen Qing time travels

~*~

3. Hi!! this might be a frustratingly vague request but I really really have been in the mood for this specific type of fic and it’s hard to filter for… for the next itmf post would you guys be able to recommend fics that give heart-squeezies? Not limited to this type ofc, but for example like the kind of fic where there’s a temporarily unrequited love or a miscommunication of some sort between wangxian that makes your chest squeeze? If it’s too vague don’t worry about it! sorry!! i should mention wwx pov would be preferred if the prev ask gets added! Thanks for running all this! @sortablue

Your Heart, My Table by Spodumene (G, 30k, WangXian, Modern AU, Canada, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family Dynamics, Parent Death, Supporting Character Death, Chinese New Year, Comfort Food, food is love, Getting Together, food as a love language) ..if the requestor likes this then I would recommend this author for feelz!!

Common love isn't for us by feyburner (M, 7k, WangXian, Modern AU, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, Making Out, Misunderstandings, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Common love isn't for us [podfic] by someplacelikebolivia)

the soft animal of your body by sysrae (T, 15k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, modern culitvation, Golden Core Reveal, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Animal Transformation, Shapeshifting, Sort Of, Getting Together, Confessions)

Themes and Variations in F# Major by defractum (nyargles) (E, 18k, WangXian, Modern AU, Classical Music, Getting Together, POV Alternating, Long-Distance Friendship, [Podfic] Themes and Variations in F# Major by PandaReads (DrPanda99))

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

should i fly to los angeles (find my asshole brother) by belovedmuerto (T, 7k, JC & WWX, WangXian, Modern AU, JC POV) locked to ao3 users

when I look over my shoulder by cafecliche (T, 10k, WangXian, Modern AU, exorcist LWJ, medium wwx, vague The Conjuring AU, some horror elements, Pre-Relationship, Mutual Pining, Hurt/Comfort)

Bunny Baby by deliciousblizzardshark (T, 9k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, LWJ Has Feelings, Soft WangXian, Gender-Nonconforming LWJ, Protective WWX, Bad Parent LQR, Fluff and Humor, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, POV WWX, Autistic LWJ, [Podfic of] Bunny Baby by frostedhearth)

the boy who loves you by queen_gee (T, 10k, WangXian, Modern AU, Roommates, omg they were roommates, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Love Letters, Fluff, Romance)

one good thing by Yuu_chi (T, 26k, WangXian, Modern AU, Ghost WWX, Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending)

play your love songs all night long by AlfAlfAlfAlfAlf, tardigradeschool (E, 17k, WangXian, Modern AU, Marriage of Convenience, Mutual Pining, Light Angst, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, One Big Happy Family, Sharing a Bed, (platonically for 13 years), Therapy, in the grand tradition of the untamed most of this is flashback, Pegging, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, Romantic Comedy, Misunderstandings)

so take my hand (take my whole life too) by cicer (E, 92k, WangXian, Modern AU, Accidental Baby Acquisition, oh my god they were roommates, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, this fic is not about trauma, it's about the yearning, slowburn)

r/relationships by vespertineflora (T, 8k, WangXian, Modern AU, Social Media, Viral Reddit Post, Pining, Crushes, Friends to Lovers, Awkward Flirting, Romantic Gestures, Romantic Comedy, Love Confessions, Kissing, Happy Ending, r/relationships [podfic] by someplacelikebolivia)

It’s Over Isn’t It by Theladyofravenclaw (T, 68k, WangXian, LWJ/OMC, Oblivious WWX, Jealous WWX, One-Sided Attraction, Canon Divergence, it says LWJ and another character but it’s all one sided, we got a love triangle baby, Canonical Character Death, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort)

~*~

4. hey, do you know any time travel fics in which the juniors (all or any one of them) travel to the past? its kinda hard to find any

❤️ Tragedy is Not the End by Hobbsy3 (T, 358k, wangxian, Time Travel, Torture, Hurt/Comfort, Golden Core Reveal, Canon Divergence from Qiongqi Pass, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Yunmeng sibling bonding, good dad wwx, good dad lwj, JZX Lives, JYL Lives, Junior Quartet Dynamics)

Would You Come Home? by s6115 (Not rated, 46k, WangXian, Junior Quartet Centric, Time Travel Fix-It, Canon Divergence, Junior Quartet Dynamics) for what loose definition of Time travel is achieved (link in #2)

❤️ nevermore, nevermore by agloeian (T, 120k, lan sizhui & everyone, wangxian, canon divergence, time travel fix-it, hurt/comfort, fluff, angst w/ happy ending) a /Sizhui!!!/ time travel fic (link in #2)

And They Lived Happily Ever After... by Morgana_avalon (G, 51k, WangXian, Zhuiling, Time Travel Fix-It, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Canon Universe, Canon Related, set before the ambush happens at Qiongqi Path, Canon Divergence, Bunnies, Good brother JC, Good JZX, CQL Verse)

无别无离 | Without Farewells, Without Parting by dragongirlG (M, 30k, Junior Quartet, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Fix-It of Sorts, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, POV Alternating, Jin Ling's Hundredth Day Celebration, qiongqi path, Family Feels, Hopeful Ending)

Butterfly Effect by EHyde (G, 29k, Zhuiling, background WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Time Travel Break-it)

~*~

5. for the next itmf, wangxian fics that take place post resurrection but not necessarily post canon? canon divergence totally fine but not necessary! thank y’all!

Love Song In Reverse by timetoboldlygo (T, 237k, WangXian, Amnesia, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Falling In Love, Slow Burn, agressively mixing and matching novel and cql canon, No Homophobia, Mentions of Starvation, Parental WWX)

~*~

6. Does anyone have a collection/recs for Wangxian adopting Mo Xuanyu? AU or modern or anything at all! I’ve read four-ish fic and can’t find a common tag to get more; the poor boy deserves the best gay dads out there. @tealeyedquatre

Not-so-accidental teenager acquisition by Zamietka (T, 10k, WangXian, MXY & WWX, Modern AU, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friendship, Found Family, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, MXY Needs a Hug, MXY Deserves Better, Rabbits, Painter WWX, Sickfic, Adoption, Mental Health Issues)

a thousand fragile and unprovable things by theLoyalRoyalGuard (G, 5k, WangXian, MXY & LWJ, MXY & WWX, Modern AU, Trans MXY, MXY Deserves Happiness, Best Dads Wangxian, Handwaving The Legal System With The Power of LWJ, A little bit of angst, mostly soft, Happy Ending, Gender Happiness, Let LWJ Wear Skirts Agenda, Additional Warnings In Author's Note)

silk linked together by theLoyalRoyalGuard (G, 6k, MXY & LWJ, WangXian, Modern AU, Autistic LWJ, Cellist LWJ, LWJ Runs A Rabbit Rescue, MXY Deserves Happiness, Fluff)

Seasons of Love Series by Sweetlittlevampire (T, 60k, WangXian, NieLan, Modern AU, Romance, Getting to Know Each Other, Getting Together, Happy Ending, LWJ Loves Rabbits, Farm/Ranch, Cottagecore Wangxian, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Weddings, Asexual JC, Demisexual LWJ, Scheming NHS, Found Family, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Angst, Family Issues, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Pet Death, Heart Disease) particularly part 3, Winter Lights, that's where we get Mo Xuanyu

~*~

7. im looking for some trophy wife/milf wwx preferably in canon setting. thank you!!

~*~

8. I'm in the mood for... A modern AU where wangxian are police detectives. Maybe in the homicide division? And they have to solve a case together. Or something along those lines @ranfused4ever

🧡 CSI: Gusu Edition Series by Stratisphyre (M, 39k, WangXian, WWX & LQR, Modern with Magic AU, College AU, Golden Core Reveal, Single parent WWX, Good Uncle LQR, Hospitalization, Allusions to violence and murder)

Good For Betting by ana_cp (E, 16k, WangXian, Modern AU, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV) Fusion, fake date, Police, Getting Together, Fluff and Smut, Humor, Oblivious WWX, Mutual Pining, Idiots in Love, Co-workers, Police Officer WWX, Police Officer LWJ, POV Alternating, Blow Jobs, Top WWX, Bottom LWJ, Horny WWX)

99th precinct by bichen (T, 4k, WangXian, Modern AU, Inspired by Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV), Episode: s01e13 The Bet, Co-workers, Attempt at Humor, First Dates, Getting Together)

As You've Always Been by feralhypertext (G, 18k, WangXian, Modern AU, WWX and JC are cops, LWJ is a lawyer who can talk to ghosts, together they solve crime, Slow Burn)

Make My Wish Come True by justpeace (T, 9k, wangxian, f/f, modern cultivation, gender changes, case fic, fake/pretend relationship, Christmas, sharing a bed, getting together)

~*~

9. Hellohello i was wondering if any of you knew of any fics that went along the lines of wwx reproaching jwy bc he knew who lived in the burial mounds, something like wwx (knowing exactly that a-yuan is lsz) asking jwy what happened to the little kid that lived there (bonus points if wwx directly asks what happened to his son/what did jwy do to his son)

I dont think i've ever seen anything like this in fics but i thought i'd ask in case anyone knew of anything like it (i am also feeling petty and in the mood for jwy facing the masacre that was the siege)

~*~

10. in the mood for aspec themed fics! acespec arospec, aplspec, go wild!

Sami's Same Moon Shines series hits on these, depending on the variation. The primary series is WWX time travel, but they have several variations where other characters (JWY & LWJ together and by themselves, JYL by herself) travel back to the time of their birth and change what they can. Several of the stories include ace depictions of JWY, LXC, and WQ.

it's always open by ScarlettStorm (E, 60k, WangXian, Modern AU, no magic, vague north american setting, First Time, Getting Together, Pining while fucking, Some angst, Happy Ending, lwj FUCKS, Sexual exploration, demi wwx, not that he knows that yet, Kissing, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, confused but enthusiastic consent, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Switch rights)

Oh no… I fell for my gym bro?! by MusicMe_tc (T, 10k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, and they were gym bros, Acespec WangXian, Demisexual LWJ, Demisexual WWX, Feelings Realization, 5+1 Things, Fluff, First Love, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Getting Together, Happy Ending)

reports of my heterosexuality may have been exaggerated by sysrae (E, 8k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Getting Together, straight boy lwj, disaster gay wwx, demisexual lwj, the mildest of kink explorations, Heteronormativity, Hockey player WWX, wwx in drag)

Words from the heart by MusicMe_tc (G, 6k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Secret Identity, Love Letters, Epistolary (kind of), Fluff, First Love, First Kiss, Asexual WWX, Demisexual LWJ, Love Confessions, Getting Together, Happy Ending)

so take my hand (take my whole life too) by cicer (E, 92k, WangXian, Modern AU, Accidental Baby Acquisition, oh my god they were roommates, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, this fic is not about trauma, it's about the yearning, slowburn) (link in #3)

yeah theyre just bros thanks for asking by victortor (T, 10k, WangXian, Modern AU, Intimacy, Aromantic Character, Established Relationship, Communication) the most tender, sweet, loving, softly heartwrenching fic ever, with aro wwx

defective. by Anonymous (T, 1k, WangXian, Modern AU, Aromantic WWX, Angst, Hurt No Comfort, One-Sided WangXian, Internalized Arophobia, Neopronouns, Self-Hatred, Heartbreak, Guilt)

some ace!LXC -

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 12 Moons and a Fortnight verse with platonic Xichen/Mingjue

冥婚 by stiltonbasket (Not Rated, 1k, NieLan, LXC & NHS, Canon Divergence, Ghost Marriage, with a sweet side of bodysharing, Hopeful Ending, Asexual LXC)

a different kind of mandarin duck. by Aphoride (M, 7k, LXC & LWJ, LXC & NMJ, LXC & JGY, LXC / Others, Asexuality, Asexual LXC, LGBTQ Themes, Matchmaking, But It's Not Really About The Matchmaking, The Trials of Dating While Ace, Supportive NMJ, One-Sided XiYao, References to Sex Work, Family Feels, Friendship, lots of fluff, Canon-adjacent, i think??)

civets that live in your ceiling are not pets that you give names like yao by The_Storybooker (G, 1k, XiYao, Asexual LXC, Civet MY, Cute, Fluff and Humor, Animals)

Best of My Love by Justkeeptrekkin, little-smartass (Linxcat) (M, 41k, XiYao, Modern AU, Asexuality, Asexual Character, In which MY is sex favourable ace, single dad MY, coming to terms with asexuality, Romantic Comedy, Fluff, Smut, (ace friendly))

~*~

11. ITMF A) Some good Jiang sibling fics where lwj doesn't have to live in yunmeng. Like whenever i read twin prides of yunmeng feels, in the end it's always lwj coming to live into Jiang household. I just want some good Jiang Cheng giving away his brother. Can be in marriage i don't care.

B) wwx due to being depressed turns into a perfect Lan or him being not depressed but still being a perfect Lan. @whateverweilanlovechild

~*~

12. Could you recommend fics where WWX Came Back Wrong from being dropped into the Burial Mound (or direct me to the correct tag)? thanks a lot!

You are what you eat by deliciousblizzardshark (E, 17k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Eldritch WWX, Horny LWJ, Body Horror, Possessionof a sort, Cannibalism, kind of, Mild Gore, Teeth, Fluff and Humor, Smut, Oral Sex, Anal Sex, Monster sex, Switching, Light BDSM, Rimming, Self-Lubrication, Seriousness treated Crackily, Implied/Referenced Torture, Dead WWX) the Eldritch!wwx tag might be helpful

Imperfect Memory by xantissa (E, 61k, WangXian, dub con, Dark Fantasy, double identity porn, sub!LWJ, Drama, Forced Orgasm, tiny bit of blood play, Prostate Massage, D/s themes Falling In Love, Bunnies, mature LWJ, Magic, multiple OC characters, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Porn, Identity Porn, Dubious Consent, Trust, Happy Ending, Falling In Love Again, Angst and Hurt/Comfort) the actual yllz!wwx tag with Top WWX usually has him back as a more malevolent being (think resentacles lol)

through carrion glass, the stars by tombenough_and_continent (T, 13k, XXC/SL, XXC & LWJ, XXC & WWX, canon divergence, role reversal, major character death, sunshot campaign)

underneath your skin by tardigradeschool (T, 2k, WIP, WangXian, Hurt No Comfort, Sentient Burial Mounds, Pining, Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Body Horror, Sunshot Campaign, Angst, wangxian is tagged but this is not romantic, no happy ending)

to creep in those empty spaces by Anonymous (E, 51k, WIP, WangXian, Mpreg, Miscarriage, Body Horror, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, False Pregnancy, Discussion of Abortion, Medical Trauma, Ghosts, Recovery, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Eventual Happy Ending, Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, main pairing is consensual, Blood and Violence, Gore, Past Child Abuse, WWX Has PTSD, Sunshot Campaign, not for jc fans, not friendly to the cultivation world in general, Rewrite in progress!, this will stay up for posterity)

~*~

13. are there any naruto crossovers/fusions???? just imagining wwx interacting with sasuke, two people who are always being injusticed and fighting for the justice of a genocide (the wen remains and the uchiha clan, everyone?) for crimes they actually didn't commit or were the whole bloodline being punished for the crimes of one person with the same name ??

Staring into open flames by bluegrass (T, 8k, WIP, WangXian, Reincarnation, LWJ as HN, Everybody Lives/Nobody Dies, Family Bonding, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Light Angst, Team as Family, Is this what they call a..., Fix-It of Sorts, ??, Crack Treated Semi-Seriously, WWX is a Good Brother, Uchiha!WWX, age gap)

local teens responsible for massive property damage call for hokage’s removal: ‘he’s really a bad guy’ by Aminias, Rustycat16 (T, 9k, WangXian, Naruto Fusion, Fluff and Humor, Canon-Typical Violence, Protective JYL, Team as Family, POV Multiple, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto)-centric, Seal Master WWX, Fix-It of Sorts, Crack Treated Seriously, Hugs, Fake Marriage, BAMF Women) don't know if this actually counts, I'm just going through the WangXian tag with Naruto added to it lol

~*~

14. ITMF angsty fic where wwx attempted suicide. Canon era. >15k if incomplete and no word limit if complete. @whateverweilanlovechild

Not Anymore by namelessname (T, 14k, WangXian, LSZ & WWX, Suicidal Thoughts, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Sharing a Bed, but they're already married, Suicide Attempt, Mental Health Issues, Established Relationship, Angst with a Happy Ending, it is a heavy angst, Emotionally Repressed, Dissociation, Illustrations(but ngl I can't draw...), LSZ is Good, Post-Canon, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia (but only mild temporary and not real), (TW:it is quite sad though), (could be triggering idk), Nightmares, Survivor Guilt, Non-Sexual Intimacy)

Silent Goodbyes Taste Bitter by Starlight1395 (Not Rated, 26k, WangXian, vent fic, Hurt/Comfort, openish ending, Suicidal Thoughts, Self-Harm, Depression, Anxiety, cloud recesses days, Angst, beginnings of Wangxian, Happy Ending, self deprecating thoughts, Mentions of past child abuse, Attempted Suicide, Panic Attacks, Blood, graphic self-harm and suicide attempt, only in second chapter tho)

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

~*~

15. I read 'My Leaves Reach Ever for the Sun' and 'Wei Wuxian, Who's That?' and was wondering if anyone knew something with a similar vibe. Cross-dressing or disguises would be preferred but anything with WWX marrying LWJ to protect the Wen would be good.

By Any Other Name by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 31k, Wangxian, Canon Divergence, Crossdressing, Misunderstandings, Identity Porn, Identity reveal) A partial match to the request - (cross-dressing and disguises, but post-resurrection WWX instead)

~*~

16. For the next itmf can you recommend some married life wangxian fics? I'm in the mood for domestic bliss 💕

the lives of birds by bleuett (E, 15k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Domestic Fluff, Gardens & Gardening, Fluff and Humor, Family Feels, Established Relationship, Anal Sex, Rimming, Blow Jobs)

Close Your Soft Eyes by timetoboldlygo (G, 12k, WangXian, Established Relationship, Post-Canon, Married Life, Slice of Life, Domestic Fluff, Mild Hurt mostly comfort, Communication)

spaces between words (hiding the truth skillfully) by PrismaticAvocado (G, 651, WangXian, Post-Canon, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Truth Spells, Established Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Married WangXian, POV WWX)

tonight i can write the saddest lines by sarahyyy (G, 3k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Amnesia, Falling In Love, Domestic Fluff)

the mortifying ordeal of being loved by attackofthezee (noxlunate) (T, 1k, WangXian, Birthday Fluff, Praise Kink, kind of, Fluff, WWX's inability to handle nice things, Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Dom/sub Undertones, The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known)

~*~

17. I’m in a mood for some Lan Xichen x Nie Huaisang (post-canon) get-together fics

~*~

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

#wangxian #mdzs #wangxian fic recs #i'm in the mood for a fic #the untamed #wangxian fic search #wangxianficfinder #long post

[polyamships]

January Polyam Shipping Day roundup

Hi everyone! In January, we had 5 entries across 5 fandoms. All are linked below.

Ikemen Vampire: The Call of Light (fanfic) by @fang-and-feather (jean d'arc x reader x vincent van gogh)

Baldur's Gate: Enough (fanfic) by @alpaca-clouds (astarion x original character x tav x themberchaud)

Arrowverse: i think you'd look better in a collar (fanfic) by @frosty-the-killer-doll (mona wu x nyssa al ghul x sara lance)

Mo Dao Zu Shi: 婴运而生 | in which Wei Ying rises again (podfic) by @semperfiona (jiang cheng x lan wangji x wei wuxian)

Final Fantasy XIV: The King Is Dead - Long Live The King (fanfic) by @theoreticalconstruct (aymeric de borel x estinien wyrmblood x haurchefant greystone)

Thanks to everyone who took part in January!

Gentle reminder that if you want your fanwork to be included in the roundup it needs to either be submitted/@ us on tumblr or in the official ao3 collection, and if not uploaded on the day in question let us know what prompt it’s for. And if we’ve missed any items please send us a note and let us know.

#PolyamShippingDay #roundup post #prompt: conflict #modposts

[tavina-writes]

Sorry may I ask you a question? Your meta is so interesting! In mdzs "debts" is a recurring theme and can you please explain it? I've read meta about how in Chinese culture jc's owed the wen siblings a debt and he should have saved them, but I've also read meta about how he owed a hugger debt to his own sect. I've read how jgy killed whr and nmj, people who he owned his educations (debts). I thought that mdzs was more about "Who is wrong? Who is right?" so that everyone is a bit wrong and a bit right but this kind of meta make me doubt myself and think that maybe in mdzs someone is really morally right (wwx and lwj) and everyone else is wrong. I am going a little crazy, that's why I asked you. Anyway, thanks in advance and have a good day!

Hi Nonny!

There's no need to apologize for sending an ask! I love asks!

Regarding your question about debts and what is "owed" in relationships, I think it's important to clarify that like, presumably if someone saved your life you'd also owe them a debt of gratitude, a life debt, or however and whichever other 'debt' terminology you'd care to use there. So this concept of "debt" because you owe someone for doing something for you is not in and of itself a 'unique to Chinese culture' problem, and I think looking at "oh this person "owes" this other person a thing" is not entirely a great? way to analyze how character relationships "should" or should not go. There are lots of ways we as people in a society owe other people in our society and the characters in this book, much like us, are trapped in a confluence of factors that pull them in different directions regarding what they should or should not do.

The book itself (at least from my own opinion) is meant to read as "everyone is both right and wrong at various points in this text because this is a book with complex characters and not a morality lesson" because lest we forget, WWX made a woman eat a chair leg at one point, which. We cannot say this was correct in really anything except the most reductive main character centric interpretation.

Regarding debts themselves that say, WangXian might owe their families in accordance to their society that sound just about the same as the examples mentioned above, we can say things like "since Wei Wuxian was raised by the Jiang, he should've been helping Jiang Cheng rebuilding Lotus Pier instead of sitting around drinking or running off with the Wen!" or "how dare Lan Wangji injure thirty-three of his family elders, doesn't he know he should've been filial to them and owed his education and position in society to the Lan Sect?" and "why is it that WangXian got to go fuck in a bush at the end of the story when other people who arguably did fewer crimes end up dead? Does this mean they owed less to society or made all the right choices compared to say, the other people who are still in fact super dead and don't get to fuck their beloved in a bush?"

Does this start to look like this concept of "debts" doesn't,,, actually explain anything about the moral complexities of the character's situations? That's because it isn't a good indicator of if character x made a moral choice or not.

But again, this whole concept of "debts" to explain why a character does a thing and why they're morally good or evil and reprehensible for not doing this other thing is entirely a thing fandom does in meta to make their fave look good or character they're an anti about look extremely bad under a case of "well ACKSHUALLY morality says they SHOULD HAVE done this!" None of these characters exist either as Perfectly Moral Beings or Perfectly Evil Immoral Beings inside a decision making vacuum.

It...also doesn't really matter if your fave is right or wrong either :D just for context. They're all fictional blorbos upon a page and or screen. No real person was harmed in over the course of the story. No woman deep throated a chair leg, no child was tossed down the stairs, no groups of people were massacred, no brothers were abandoned, no one was poisoned with rage disease until they died, nobody committed incest... etc etc and honestly debating about if fictional characters were right or wrong fascinates me a lot less than "what does the story tell us about what drove them and made them tick?" and "what adaptational and translational choices did other people before me make about this story and do I agree with them on their adaptational choices."

:( sorry this came out so messy anon! I just don't think the "did this character repay their debts -> is this character a good person -> a morally good character therefore doesn't owe anyone anything anymore and if they do owe someone something that doesn't count/no they don't." pipeline is particularly useful from an analyzing the story standpoint.

#don't actually come debate in my notes or my inbox on if wangxian owe their families anything #or if this one debt a character has outweighs the other things that also act on their lives #like actually i am begging y'all to not #the debts debate means almost nothing! there are a lot of things everyone owes everyone else! #mo dao zu shi #the untamed #my meta #meta #asks and answers

[mxtxfanatic]

Something that always confused me is why Xicheng is so popular. Both characters barely talk through the story, even when talking about the other in front of other people is unseen, I personally only remember JC talking about the Twin Jades as a whole and unless he refers to him as the leader/heir of the clan LXC refers to him just as a member of Jumeng Jiang.

Also, with their characters, it looks like Jiang Fengmiam x Yu Ziyuan all over again, the one that rather turn the blind eye iin order to prevent conflict x the one that only knows how to get what they want through abuse and violence (not being a surprice when it fails but still blames everyone/anyone else for it), and we all saw how that marriage ended.

Besides, LXC has canonly a close relationship with both NMJ and JGY, which simplified (really simplified) would have the known tropes of "childhood friends to lovers" and the other being the "I can make him worse" Wangxian(post-time skip ver) at the long run. Both are usually loved tropes in any fandom, and yet Xicheng managed to be more popular than those two, and it's like. . .

How? Why?

Some people join fandoms purely to ship. The logic of consistency of such a ship doesn’t matter, as long as they can “reasonably” argue that the ship “could” happen. The fact that Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng never directly interact in canon despite being in the same room multiple times doesn’t mean shit to people who believe that characters who never direct lying interact while being in the same room together is prime shipping material.

I believe this habit, particularly in English-speaking fandoms, comes from the tendency of Western media to never directly portray queer relationships, so fans must always “read between the lines” or straight up make shit up (which works well when the source material is already full of poorly-made characters) to justify seeing their queer selves in the media. In fact, two characters never canonically interacting can actually be a plus in this instance, as it means they could potentially interact in the future and therefore it’s free game to headcanon how. It doesn’t work in mdzs because 1) all the characters are well-made with distinct personalities and motivations, so you can’t just make up a personality for a character and say it is reasonably canon and 2) the work already has canon queer characters and a canon queer couple.

This is how we get XiCheng: a poorly taped-together ship for people who don’t yet realize that there is a whole queer literature that exists in both China and Western (and African, and South American, and…) nations where if you don’t like the main queer couple, there’s another work that awaits you, and you don’t have to stick around in a fandom of a work you don’t actually like just to force two side characters to kiss like a toddler with unmoving barbie dolls. The fact that the characters are canonically straight, one is homophobic, and neither would like the each other isn’t a deterrent. The fact that them being together in their canonical personalities would result in an abusive relationship mirroring the Jiang clan leaders’ marriage isn’t a deterrent. Shipping fans can persevere off of the dust of shattered dreams, and the only thing that may curb Xicheng shippers is mdzs finally losing mainstream popularity.

#mdzs #mdzs asks #anon #this was more analytical than i thought it would be #also you should never have to feel you have to justify seeing yourself in a worl you actually like #you shouldn’t have to justify your likes by coming up with convoluted things to latch onto #just admit that you like or don’t like a popular thing abd move on #but hold up while i write up how fandoms create One Story and end up booting out fans of the source material

[thepurplewombat]

Character headcanon ask: LXC + JGY!

Okay, so it's finally cooled down enough that my computer has stopped making distressed noises whenever I turned it on, PLUS! we even have power for a few hours today, so here goes:

Lan Xichen

Sexuality Headcanon:

I'm gonna be honest with you, I don't give a lot of thought to characters' sexuality, at least not in terms of having headcanons for them. In my head, LXC is probably some flavor of bi, except that in practical terms, he's A-Yaosexual.

Gender Headcanon:

I think I've read one fic where LXC was actually a woman - not in the sense that he any flavor of trans, at least that was not the impression I got, he was biologically and emotionally a woman, but he was presenting male because of Political Reasons, and I thought that was quite interesting. But in general, I think he's a cis male.

A ship I have with said character:

Oh I don't know, I just don't know, who could I possibly ship the incomparable First Jade of Lan with - it's Jin Guangyao. Like, I'm not going to say that xiyao is canon and everyone who disagrees is wrong (even though they are) because everyone is allowed to be wrong on Beyonce's internet, but any version of Lan Xichen that isn't in love with Jin Guangyao is a Lan Xichen who is so wildly out of character to me that I just don't know what to do with him.

A BROTP I have with said character:

I think he'd get along really well with Jiang Cheng as friends - like, among the reasons that I don't think they work as romantic partners is that I think Lan Xichen would find being in a relationship with JC utterly exhausting. As a romantic partner, you feel somewhat responsible for managing your partner's moods, in a way that you don't necessarily feel the need to do in a friendship. I just think that the distance of a friendship would give him the opportunity to enjoy Jiang Cheng's cunty tendencies and temper, while not making him feel in any way responsible for managing Jiang Cheng's moods.

A NOTP I have with said character:

That being said, Jiang Cheng is not actually my NOTP for this character. I remain convinced that chengxiyao is a viable ship that just needs the right story to take off, and I'm sure that if I were to read a really good x!cheng fic, where Jin Guangyao is not demonised or erased, I would probably enjoy it.

No, my NOTP is Nie Mingjue. Mainly because I think he's an abusive jerkweed who reminds me of both my murderous ex and my late father (although to be fair to the Great Old One, he never tried to kill me) and I don't think that someone who is incapable of understanding that maybe other people have different priorities and points of view, is a good fit to be in a relationship with anyone who doesn't precisely share his values.

Oh and also Nie Huaisang. Just no. NOPE.

A random headcanon:

Not long after the end of canon, Lan Xichen disappears from his house of seclusion and is never seen again, because he's given the entire jianghu the middle finger and fucked off.

General Opinion over said character:

When I finished the book he was my favourite, and I was initially drawn into thinking more about Jin Guangyao because I was looking for stories where Lan Xichen has a happy ending, and a lot of the time, a happy ending for Lan Xicnen requires a happy ending for JGY as well. In the months since, he's been somewhat supplanted by JGY - it's not that I love him less, it's that I love JGY so much more (send help I am genuinely unwell about Jin Guangyao).

More general opinion - I think Lan Xichen should have the opportunity to go absolutely feral.

Jin Guangyao

My lovely boy, my sweet cheese, my rotten soldier, I love him so much.

Sexuality Headcanon:

I mean, canonically he loves both a man (LXC) and a woman (QS) so, bisexual?

I do think he has a complicated relationship with sex, because of his mother's profession and his father's...everything, but I think that like most of his traumas, he pushes it into a box and never ever thinks about it.

Gender Headcanon:

I think that when he was a small boy, his mother went on her knees every day and thanked all the gods and ancestors that he was a boy, because at that point she must have still hoped that JGS would come for them.

So I don't think that JGY has ever actually thought about his gender beyond 'thank the gods I wasn't born a girl'. Like, he could never allow himself to even consider anything other than being a man, because he was his mother's son, you know?

A ship I have with said character:

Xiyao. They're just so *clenches fist* I love them, your honor. Like, they just so obviously love each other - it's more obvious in CQL, but it's not exactly subtle in the novel either, and I just...my heart breaks for them and I love them so much.

I can also be convinced about Chengyao, because I think that Jiang Cheng and Jin Guangyao have got some things in common, and the ways in which they differ are very complementary.

A BROTP I have with said character:

I think that he and Wei Wuxian could have been great friends, if the stars had aligned properly.

A NOTP I have with said character:

Obviously it's a free internet and everyone can do what they want, but personally I can't ship my blorbo with someone who tried to murder him three times and hated him so much that even without knowing that JGY had killed him, he became a fierce corpse and escaped the grave to come after him. Just nope.

A random headcanon:

I don't think that JGY would have left the temple that night. I think he was genuinely trying, because at base he's an engine of survival, but honestly I think when push came to shove and he had to leave Lan Xichen and never see him again, I'm not sure he would have done it.

General Opinion over said character:

I love him. he's my favourite character in MDZS, and he's near the top of my list of all time favourite characters.

#Wombat answers asks #wishthefish #Jin Guangyao #my favourite son #meng yao #maybe he did commit some atrocities #but have you considered that I love him #Lan Xichen #LXC #My favourite son-in-law #best boy lan Xichen #a deeply fucked up but unfailingly kind individual #not a himbo #he just drank his Respect Meng Yao juice

[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 girls x gn!reader

Jiang Yanli:

Wuxian had ran off again, courtesy of Jiang Cheng

more specifically the dogs that he had sent Wuxian's way

everyone had been searching for hours, the sky had already turned dark when a last resort was made

you walked in, you were probably the same age as Yanli (14 years old)

which surprised some people, including the girl

you kneeled on the ground, starting where they knew that Wuxian had run off

you walked carefully, hand remaining on the ground as you traced your fingers through the sand

you stopped only after ten minutes or so

freezing in your spot before shushing the family behind you

a deer stood on your path, unmoving as it stared

then, most expectingly, you approached the deer

now Yanli had tried this before as a child

always curious about the wildlife that surrounded her home

always unsuccessful, the animals scattered immediatley after noticing her

yet, the deer approached you and laid its head in your hands

you calmly whispered to the deer, petting it before letting it run off

"Will you come down now?"

you called out to seemingly no one, but looking up to the top of the trees

Wuxian's voice called back softly, asking if the dogs were around

Yanli called out this time, telling him that Jiang Cheng and his dogs had remained at the house

soon enough, Wuxian was climbing down the tree like he wasn't just an eight year old

you gave the kid a smile, picking him up as he waddles your way

he fell asleep the second you hand him to Yanli

she thanks you with a smile before inviting you to stay

she could hardly let you leave at this hour

you end up staying in her room next to her

(much to her mother's disappointment)

you don't sleep much, Yanli insists on questioning you

because she needs to know how you do it

you explain that you can talk to the animals and read the ground

it's like second nature, which she doesn't really get

she asks questions throughout the night

you don't sleep

she insists that you write her through your travels

and you do, which forms a bond with her

which may turn into love later in life

Luo Qingyang:

she was pissed when she first met you

not at you, of course

she didn't even know you, so how could she possibly be pissed at you?

rather at Jin Zixuan

because he's an ass, like usual

she finds herself by the river to calm down, soon surrounded by some birds and rabbits

one bird approaches her first

a cute drongo bird sits on her leg, staring straight at her with curiosity

she's careful to pet it, but it melts underneath her fingers

"He likes you."

your voice is gentle, soft enough to not spook the animals around her

you sit down, a bit closer than Mianmian liked

you notice and scoot a bit further away

in a second, you're surrounded by all the animals

excluding the drongo bird, who stayed close by the girl

she just stares at it confusion before asking how you know

and you're kind enough to explain it

she lights up, smiling brightly and basically vibrating from excitement

get ready for the weirdest pop-quiz ever

because she had questions

a lot of questions

and she ain't leaving until she gets answer

you got there at ten in the morning, you leave when the sun starts to dissapear beneath the tree line

logically, you miss all classes of the day

not that either of you care much

Mianmian speaks bluntly, anything the girl thinks will spout from her mouth

which makes it certain that you will never be stuck in silence around her

but you listen to every single thought, smiling softly the whole way back

you get caught by Jin Zixuan

her mood drops immediately as she glared at the male

you split up, but you send a wink her way before whisteling softly

which leads to a flock of birds to swoop down at Zixuan, messing his hair up and ripping his clothes

you can see the corners of Mianmian's lips lift as she tries to hold her laughter

she'll come to you everytime after he annoys her in any way

but she also just hangs out with when she has free time

Wen Qing:

she meets you later in her life

curtesy of the whole Wen massacre

more specifically in burial mounds

even though the grounds were long decayed from the years of dark energy that hung around, animals had started returning when Wuxian had neutralized part of the forest and mountain

she had warned Wuxian of the trouble it could bring

so when you arrived at the base, she could only give Wuxian the typical "I told you so"-look

luckily, you mean no harm to anyone

you don't care for the opinions of the higher groups against the Wens, you care more for the human lives that were lost because of the feud

seeing how they live just made your stomach twist, because no one deserves to live like a hunted animal

especially not because of someone else's mistakes

you keep yourself busy with Yuan, he is fascinated with the animals and you don't mind indulging him

Wen Qing keeps her eyes on the two of you the whole time

two reasons

one, she viewed Yuan as a little brother and wanted to know if he was safe

two, she was fascinated by the fact that you were able to communicate with the forest and its inhabitants

you seemed to constantly be aware of the animals surrounding you and how the forest felt in a way

sometimes she even caught you staring in the distance with a sad look

she approached you later in the evening, when she caught you once more

you don't even look away from the forest as you answer

"the forest is crying"

it was a simple statement, yet it held so much meaning when you said it

and when Wen Qing looked to the forest, she could almost sense what you meant

maybe it was the creaking of the wood or the cries of animals, but she could believe what you said with ease

she had heard weirder stuff before (unfortunately)

from then on, she caught you more often as you stared into the forest

and every evening, the two of you talked

somedays it was about the forest, but other days you just talked

about past events, life or just yourself

and after a few conversations, you are sure that you didn't want to leave

#untamed #the untamed #mdzs #the untamed x reader #untamed x reader #mdzs x reader #the untamed jiang yanli #the untamed jiang yanli x reader #untamed jiang yanli #untamed jiang yanli x reader #mdzs jiang yanli #mdzs jiang yanli x reader #the untamed mianmian #the untamed mianmian x reader #untamed mianmian #untamed mianmian x reader #mdzs mianmian #mdzs mianmian x reader #the untamed luo qingyang #the untamed luo qingyang x reader #untamed luo qingyang #untamed luo qingyang x reader #mdzs luo qingyang #mdzs luo qingyang x reader #the untamed wen qing #the untamed wen qing x reader #untamed wen qing #untamed wen qing x reader #mdzs wen qing #mdzs wen qing x reader

[fanning-the-flames]

Moonshot: A Cheng'e Story

< Prev [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] Next >

Part 4 of 5

Jiang Cheng delivers exposition.

In a past life, he stole immortality from Hou Yi!Wei Wuxian who had saved the world. This immortality was a trap though as it destroyed his mortal body. In order to continue existing he is completely dependent on the medicines made by the Jade Hares and so can never leave the moon. With Jiang Cheng as a patient, the Hares were able to develop the Elixir of Life which would fortify the body enough to take in the core without negative consequences, but it took too long. Hou Yi!Wei Wuxian had already died. Jiang Cheng has been holding onto hope that Wei Wuxian would come back and so kept himself (and the core) alive all this time.

The Lans run through the unraveling palace. Lan Wangji worries for Wei Wuxian. Lan Xichen is clutching a huge jar of wine, what is implied to be the wine Wei Wuxian was drinking as well as the Elixir of Life. He is crying…it seems Jiang Cheng would truly die without the core.

Wei Wuxian is not on board with Jiang Cheng’s plan…leaving him with an eternity alive without Jiang Cheng. In the chaos of the illusions ripping apart, reverting everyone to their normal state, he tells Jiang Cheng he loves him and just wants another chance together.

< Prev | Next >

2021 Cheng'e: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [x]

2022 Cheng’e: [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ]

I was debating whether Jiang Cheng should go as far as admit he walked into Jin Guangshan's trap on purpose, but given how he behaves in canon I didn't think he should.

If you were wondering exactly what was premeditated, Jiang Cheng has long told the Hares that he needed to stick around to give the core with the safe way of receiving it to Wei Wuxian, but also couldn't actively seek him out nor did he tell the Hares to do so. They did that of their own initiative parent trap style, seeing how Jiang Cheng couldn't leave and all the waiting was deteriorating his mental health.

Now for a wholesome brother illustration as a palate cleanser.

The Lans here are not gentry like in MDZS but immortal pharmacists, so I wanted their clothes to be simpler as well, closer to monk-like than their canon counterparts. The bunny ears are a nod to stories like Journey to the West, where transformations often have a flaw that reveals the true nature of the supernatural.

#jiang cheng #wei wuxian #lan wangji #lan xichen #cql #the untamed #chang e au #mdzs #Jiang cheng still doesn’t explain everything but that is most in character #the modern characters don't have the courtesy personal name thing #the courtesy names are their names #hence why lwj doesn’t shout Wei ying #I know shouting Wei would be weird and incomprehensible in Chinese #but writing out Little Wei or Brother Wei would be weird in English so just know that’s what I’m imagining for the Chinese #it seems that the personal names function like nicknames in modern chinese culture so that's why LWJ is called zhanzhan #i could be very wrong though #that's just how it will be in this AU