#my yunmeng bros...so sad about their ending

[shiqingxuanz]

THE UNTAMED: EPISODE 28

#the untamed #cql #chen qing ling #mdzs #mxtxnet #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #the untamed gifs #snow.gifs #i think i made them a little too red idk i haven't giffed in a while and my perception of literally everything sucks if i look for too long #my yunmeng bros...so sad about their ending #mo ran and xue meng still seeing each other as brothers at the end is redemption for these two being the opposite #i feel like i should've sharpened these more idk

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

March 12th

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1. hi! for the next itmf could i please get lxc being called out on his bs? i was obsessed with “weep no more, sad fountains” but i still wanted to see him actually having to come to terms with that fact that he put his trust on jgy above his trust on his brother and was complicit on all of it. thanks!!

break by justdoityoufucker (T, 3k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, LXC Critical, JC Critical, Canonical Character Death, Guānyīn Temple Scene, BAMF WN, Protective WN)

Ghosts Shouldn’t by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 15k, WangXian, Grief/Mourning, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending) also contains many "FU"s against Lan Xichen but more for how the Lan Clan treated Lan Wangji when he protected Wei Ying & took in Yuan.

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2. Hi! For ITMF, can you please recommend wangxian fics where other people (could be other canon characters, OCs or outsider pov) find out about wangxian’s marriage and are jealous of how lan wangji is the most devoted, doting husband or even just surprised/ awed with their relationship!

Thank you always for your efforts and time 🫶

Life before you was tragic by covalentbonds (Not rated, 4k, wangxian, Fluff and Humor) The part that’s relevant to the ask is in the second chapter

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3. Hi again. ITMF two sets of fics a) where wwx and lwj end up taking care of yuan er after they find him on the door step, a family member leaves him in their care etc b) wwx and lwj having loads of kids adoption or birth wise maybe even a few of the children finding them and just kind of latching on and it's kid fics, the longer the better @thatperson0-0

3A)

The Simplest Way Forward by harriet_vane (E, 70k, WangXian, Modern AU, Accidental Baby Acquisition,Kid Fic, explicit in much much later chapters, green card marriage (but not really), pining for your own husband, endless pining, Slow Burn, Happy Ending, Nothing else bad or traumatic happens to the baby, [Podfic of] The Simplest Way Forward by knight_tracer) maybe? WY & LZ aren't together when Yuan shows up but get together days later.

🔒💖 so take my hand (take my whole life too) by cicer (E, 92k, wangxian, Modern, 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, some characters have a pretty strong bias against folks with drug addiction, (this does not reflect the author's opinion of people with addiction disorders!), none of the really grim abuse/drug use affects our main characters, and it takes place offscreen) should be a good fit

3B)

🔒💖 love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, YLLZ WWX, Arranged Marriage, political scheming, Gratuitous Domesticity, Mutual Pining, EXTREME SLOWBURN, the inherent eroticism of the forehead ribbon, The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known, neither wwx nor lwj want to be Perceived, but sorry kids! it's gonna happen!, rated E but the the NSFW stuff doesn't begin until chapter 19!, bottom lwj in chapter 20 and 27)

❤️ Attempting the Impossible by Ariaste for williedustice (T, 36k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Post-Canon, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, Adoption, Family Fluff, Kid fic, Family drama, Fluff, 🔒[PODFIC] Attempting the Impossible by Ariaste by lunatique)

🔒and having a marvelous time by varnes (E, 108k, WangXian, Yúnmèng Siblings, Sound of Music AU, (i know!!! i know. stay with me on this.), Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Family Feels, spies to lovers???, Protective Siblings, Sometimes You Just Want Your Dads To Admit They're Your Dads, Angst with a Happy Ending, podfic of and having a marvellous time by varnes by Spinifex) this story has WWX adopting a bunch of kids (or maybe them adopting him), but LWJ loves then as soon as he meets them do hopefully this will work for the request.

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4. Hiiii thank you for all your hard work!!!!

For the next itmf do you have any

A. Child abuse / neglect wwx where lwj realize something is wrong like in the shadow of moonlit flowers by Reverie(cl410) or works that mention the fact that wwx is not giving his all in exams / is being disruptive on purpose (maybe he corrects lwj on something super complicated) and after he stops his grades gets so much better…

B. Anything where wwx safeword out of a nonsexual situation? Like a meeting with the Jiangs or something triggering??

Anyway thank you so much for everything ✨✨✨✨✨✨ @ihaveasoftspotfora-yuan

4A)

Just Say Yes series by edenwolfie (M, 338k, wangxian, canon divergence, matchmaking, pining, cloud recesses study arc, getting together, fluff, humor, hurt/comfort, everyone lives au) Wei Ying misbehaves because he's not challenged enough

🔒 Warming up (to him) by barisan (T, 9k, LQR & WWX, WangXian, Hypothermia, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Temporary Character Death, Medical Inaccuracies, YZY Abuses WWX, JFM Bashing, pre-wangxian, Good Uncle LQR, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort)

Company by WithBroomBefore (T, 29k, wangxian, canon divergence, not YZY friendly, pre-relationship, getting together, fix-it, hurt/comfort, light angst w/ happy ending)

🔒💙 Holding shreds by barisan (T, 5k, WangXian, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, No Sunshot Campaign, Body Swap, Not for sexy shenanigans, Chronic Pain, Hurt WWX, Hurt LWJ, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Abusive YZY, Bad Parent YZY,  Bad Parent JFM, Good Uncle LQR, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Inaccuracies, POV WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending, Jiāng Family Bashing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Getting Together, Smart WWX)

please don't let me be misunderstood by sysrae (T, 3k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, getting hit by cars, Past Child Abuse, Friends to Lovers, Abusive YZY, Caring LWJ, Injured wwx)

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5. ur favorite darkji fics? thanksss

A Matter of Time series by mrcformoso (E, 84k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, graphic depictions of violence, underage, LWJ pov, JC pov, dark LWJ, manipulation, grooming, teen body adult mind for LWJ, happy ending for wangxian, problematic consensual underage sex, blood & violence, insane LWJ, manic LWJ)

💖 Ominous by 3neetee (T, 5k, wangxian, pre-relationship, established relationship, character death, fae & fairies, changelings, dark LWJ, dark WWX, BAMF WWX, graphic description, suicide, implied/referenced domestic violence)

Like stones on an unseen board by Vir_Abelasan (Not rated, 11k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Dark LWJ, Older LWJ, Teacher LWJ, dark twin jades, Age Difference, Manipulation, Protective LWJ, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Corporal Punishment, Relatively canon-typical abusive Jiangs, WWX Get a Happy Ending, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Not JC Friendly, Not Jiang Clan Friendly)

💖 I just wanted to see you so bad by Blackberreh, ThatOnePlatypus (T, 1k, wangxian, canon divergence, dark LWJ, minor character death, blood)

💖 Somewhere Sits an Empty Throne by Siamesa (E, 19k, WangXian, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, tgcf fusion, Gods & Goddesses, Ghosts, Romance, vengeance, Dark LWJ, Grief/Mourning, Explicit Sexual Content, Angst with a Happy Ending)

💖 Do you want to hear by allollipoppins, dameauxgentianes (T, 12k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, canon divergence, not everyone dies au, epistolary, Madam Lan lives, minor character death, dark LWJ, Lan WWX, bad parents JFM & YZY, good uncle LQR, no sunshot campaign)

💖 demons run when a good man goes to war by Miranda_Aurelia (T, 20k, wangxian, LWJ & NHS, JYL/JZX, canon divergence, angst w happy ending, NHS & LWJ friendship, not JGY friendly, dark LWJ, revenge, (presumed) major character death, not LXC friendly)

💖  Like the sea loves the shore by Say (E, 15k, wangxian, LQY & WWX, implied/referenced WWX/WC, F/F, rule 63, dark LWJ, protective LWJ, sirens, childhood friends to lovers, fluff, angst w/ happy ending, eventual smut, human WWX, siren LWJ, age difference, non-human genitalia, minor character death)

💖  Buried in the Sky, Hallowed by thy Depths by themunchking (T, 9k, wangxian, supernatural elements, sirens, dark wangxian, canon-typical violence)

💖 The Way You Tremble by themunchking (E, 6k, wangxian, murder husbands, vampires, blood, violence, supernatural elements)

At heart by apathyinreverie (M, 8k, wangxian, WIP, Dark LWJ(Ish), Amnesia, WWX gets to be Not Okay after the BM, Hurt WWX, Recovery, Caring, Protective LWJ, Possessive LWJ, some definite manipulation, but not everything is as it seems, not nearly as dark as the tags make it sound, Canon Divergence, Golden Core Reveal, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, Domestic WangXian, Fluff, WWX Goes to Gusu, WWX happily atticwifing away, Sunshot Campaign, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ)

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6. Hi!!

It's been a while since I asked here, but I can't help but to come back for MXTX stories jahaha

I Was wondering, for the next "I'm in the mood fof", may I ask for fics where WWX is good friends with HC from TGCF? I need their bromanceeeeee

Tysm!! @nia-rarita

🧡 The Red Ribbon by Xiao_Hua (M, 21k, WangXian, HuaLian, Canon Divergence, Ghost City, a bit of beefleaf, Immortality, Cultivation Partners, Juniors, XL and HC find a child who happens to be WWX, Fluffy wangxian, WWX is a Supreme Ghost King, First Time, TGCF)

🔒Can we skip to the Good Part? by pink-lotus-pods (kkomaism) (T, 107k, HuaLian, WangXian, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, YLLZ WWX, HuaLian are in Love , Married HuaLian, Slow Build, Canon Temporary Character Death, Ghost WWX, Fix-It of Sorts, Canon Divergence, Blood and Violence, Character Study, Panic Attacks, WWX Has a Mental Breakdown, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, unbearable amounts of sexual tension, Suicidal Thoughts, mild but it's still there!, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Genius WWX)

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7. Hiiii for the next itmf do you know any alpha to omega wwx ??? Like Juste A Taste by anxiousTypist or any omega wwx and alpha lwj being “roommates”

Thank you for your work !!!!! 🤍🩵❤️🖤

Blissful Ignorance and All Its Benefits by DrPanda99 (E, 20k, wangxian, WIP, A/B/O, Non-Traditional A/B/O Dynamics, Oblivious WWX, Alpha WWX, Alpha LWJ, Bitching, Self-bitching?, Masturbation, Size Difference, of the penis variety, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Knotting Dildos, Large Cock, Small Penis, Size Kink, Accidental Voyeurism, Size Queen WWX, LWJ & WWX Have a Breeding Kink, PWP, Compulsory Heterosexuality, Humor)

Two Alphas, One Ship by fenaly (E, 6k, wangxian, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, A/B/O, Bitching, Rape/Non-con Elements, Non-consensual sex, Non-Consensual Bitching, Aliens, Non-Human Genitalia, Blood and Gore, Murder Husbands, Feminizing genitalia terms, Among Us AU, Sci-Fi, Explicit Smut, Tentacles, Shapeshifting, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Monsterfucking, Violence, Alpha/Alpha becomes Alpha/Omega, Breeding Kink, Wank and Tell)

🔒 Unpreventable Happened by 3neetee (G, 15k, wangxian, Modern, A/B/O, Alpha LWJ, Alpha WWX, but not for long, Bitching, Roommates, baby acquisition, fostering, Pre-Relationship, Mutual Pining, WWX is irresponsible with himself, Domestic Fluff, Kid Fic)

Changing by Dixielis (T, 2k, wangxian, A/B/O, Alpha LWJ, Alpha WWX, Omega WWX, Bitching, Mpreg, POV Outsider, Hurt/Comfort, Good Uncle LQR, Modern)

Mutual Nurture by NinaCarow (E, 9k, wangxian, Mentions of Character Death, mentions of abuse, Mentions of Rape, no rape occures tho, A/B/O, Non-Traditional A/B/O Dynamics, Omega WWX, Alpha LWJ, Past Alpha WWX, Biting, Bonding, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Knotting, WWX Has a New Golden Core, its just sex and cuteness, mostly)

what home feels like by callmeb6104 (E, 7k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, A/B/O, Alpha LWJ, Alpha WWX, Omega WWX, changing of (secondary) gender, Whump, WWX Whump, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, No Sunshot Campaign, Aged-Up Character(s), Domestic Violence, Bad Parent YZY, Anal Play, Anal Fingering, Ass to Mouth, Multiple Orgasms, sex tears, Hand Jobs, First Time Blow Jobs, First Time, Nipple Licking, Nipple Play, Body Worship)

I care for you by Lanwangjisnights (M, 27k, wangxian, WIP, Modern with Magic, Magical Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Alpha WWX, Fox WWX, Knotting, Nesting, Dual Cultivation, Mpreg, Non-Traditional A/B/O Dynamics)

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8. Hey!!

I hope youre doing well <33 i wanted to read something similar to how to fall in love with a catfish - a guide by wwx in terms of humour. Im fine with whatever premise/canon/non canon/au etc etc i just want to read something witty-ish funny like how that was.

Thank you in advance!!!!

Inter-Sect Politics for the Absolute Beginner by Elpie (Horribibble) (M, 3k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Brothels, BAMF WWX, Chaotic WWX, Humor, JGS Being an Asshole, Justice, JGY & WWX Friendship)

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9. Is there a fic where wwx becomes pregnant through artifical insemination. He doesn't know it's lwj and neither does lwj. They end up getting close and falling in love and later lwj learns he's also the bio dad?

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10. hii :D im in the mood for some magical girl/hero AU fics, preferably wangxian but i dont mind other ships or a lack of thereof. what i mean by "magical girl AU" is a modern setting in which cultivators are more or less vigilantes/heroes who can transform using their powers. hellinglaozu on tumblr has an AU similar to the genre im looking for btw, if you'd want a more concrete idea as to what i'm looking for you could refer to it (it's called seventeen romance). thank you!! ^^ @harapecowee

Wei Wuxian Makes a Wish series by natcat5 (M, 119k, wangxian, major character death, underage, madoka magica au, modern w/ magic, time travel, high school au, body horror, self-harm, angst w/ bittersweet ending, time loop, mental instability, suicidal thoughts) absolutely phenomenal madoka magica wangxian au

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11. Hey! I’m in the mood for fics similar to Impossible Remains on AO3, aka wangxian fics where WWX dies after the golden core transplant or just earlier than canon! thank u so much to all the mods and the lovely work u guys do! 🥰🫶

Blood of the Black Earth by wirevix (M, 48k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Xuánwǔ of Slaughter Cave, Sunshot Campaign, Sad with a Happy Ending, Ghost WWX, Monster WWX, Canonical Character Death, Although not at the canonical time, Grief/Mourning, Good Sibling JC, Horror)

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12. thanks for ur hard work! any pregnant wwx fic recs?

Accidents Will Happen by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 45k WangXian, Post Canon, Mpreg, Fluff, Light angst)

🧡 Brilliant Mistake by brooklinegirl (E, 53k, WangXian, Modern AU, Sex Pollen, Mpreg, dubcon, Modern Cultivators, Dubious Medical Science)

All I Want by Selenay (E, 47k, wangxian, Modern, Mpreg, Post Holiday Romance, Consequences, Reunions, Idiots in Love, wangxian attempt to be sensible adults about it, they are very bad at it, Teacher WWX, Handwavey Biology)

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

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13. Hello! I need your help in suggestions. Can you suggest me a Wangxian fanfiction where Wei Ying hurts Lan Zhan for jiangs or others and latter reunited with him. I have read various Lwj hurting Wei Ying fanfiction but not Wei Ying hurting Lan Zhan @abz18699-blog

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14. hii, this is for itmf!

fics where they struggle w remembering things, not like memory loss, maybe where they disassociate. forgetting things which r not so nice and then starting to forget small random details?

thank you!!!!

to the river of rivers by haysel (T, 26k, WangXian, Character Study, Post-Canon, Mutual Pining, Dissociation, Getting Together, Misunderstandings, Trauma, Angst with a Happy Ending, tw for dissociation, sort of sickfic, Hurt/Comfort)

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15. I'm assuming that this is where I ask about ITMF recs? If it is, do you have any fics focusing on like, the past characters reacting specifically to Nie Huaisang's 10 year revenge plan, or to how differently Nie Huasang acts after everything? Or at least any fics where the past characters react to the future (whether it be through watching the show, or going to the future, meeting future selves, etc.) that has some amount of focus on Nie Huaisang along with everything else? Thank you!

💖 The Path by Seastar98 (Not rated, 279k, wangxian, JC/WQ, JYL/JZX, fix-it of sorts, CQL verse, golden core reveal, angst w/ happy ending, BAMF NHS)

Nie HuaiSang's Diaries - When Spirits Drift in Time by IlnaHers (T, 37k, wangxian, WIP, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Reveal, Time Travel? only the diaries though, Characters Watching the Show, Serious WWX, Hurt WWX, Hurt JC, Hurt LWJ, Protective LWJ, Protective JC, Protective WWX, Hurt NHS, Protective NHS, Character Death Reveal, Progressive Reveal, Melancholy, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Feels, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Angst, Twin Jades of Lán Feels, Sad, Shock, Mentioned Junior Quartet)

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16. Hewwo!!!!! For the next ITMF could i pretty pls get recs for Wen remnants/burial mounds era???? Bonus points if there’s the Wens and/or Yilling people loving their patriarch and extra bonus points if there’s the sects realizing they’re wrong and leaving them alone but not necessarily requirements, i just want Wei Wuxian and his found family being happy making a dire place their home!

🔒 the thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break by RoseThorne (E, 91k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Soulmates, Self-Esteem Issues, Fix-It, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, PTSD, Handfasting, Panic Attacks, Getting Together, First Time, Aftercare, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Torture, Scars, Chronic Pain, Golden Core Reveal, First Time, Switching, sex-related injury, LWJ Stays at the Burial Mounds, LSZ is a Wèi, Good Sibling JC, Dissociation, Burial Mounds Settlement Days)

Until It's Dark by suzvoy (M, 120k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, LWJ Finds Out, Pining, Fluff and Angst, First Kiss, First Time, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Hair-pulling in chapter 23) also has Lan Wangji in the Burial Mounds but has a great depiction of the Wens and how the sects could have responded better

💖 Return to Sender by Thesaurus_with_no_words (M, 72k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, BAMF WWX, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, Temporary Amnesia, Slow burn)

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17. Anyone wanna rec me some light-hearted time travel fics? I like the serious ones fine but it's hard to find ones that are funny.

Thanks in advance! o7

🔒 ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water by RoseThorne (G, 1k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, JYL & WWX, JC & WWX, WWX & WQ, LQR & LWJ, LQR & WWX, Time Travel Fix-It, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Past Character Death, Future Character Death, Timey-Wimey, Truth, Honesty, Guilt, Crack and Angst, POV Third Person, POV WWX, Cloud Recesses Study Arc) kinda

Wrong Turn, Right Place by diamondbruise (E, 71k, WangXian, Time Travel, kind of, it’s more reality travel but there’s modern wwx and cultivator lwj, Mutual Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Jealousy, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Misunderstandings, Cultural Differences)

rerun from the outside by Eicas (T, 2k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Time travel, Crack, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, JC POV)

River Stones by littlesystems (M, 18k, WangXian, Time Travel, Post-Canon, Cloud Recesses Study arc, Junior Quartet, Oblivious WWX, Suffering LWJ, Voyeurism)

Wangxian's Time-Travelling Shenanigans Series by pupeez4eva (Varies, 18k, WangXian, Time Travel, Humor, POV Outsider, Love confessions, PDA, Everyone Lives/Nobody dies) most of their wangxian fics explore lighthearted time travel fix it

🔒An Arrow Through Time by syrus_jones (M, 166k, WIP, WangXian, Crack Treated Seriously, Time Travel, Reverse time travel, into the future, Potentially a Fix-it-fic?, Time Travel Fix-It, Mistaken Identity, POV LWJ, Angst, Gay Panic, Falling In Love, Fluff and Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Canon Divergence, Post-Canon, Canon Compliant, Young LWJ, Older WWX, Internally Screaming LWJ) though it is not been updated since long

💖 vinegar jug by dandelion_san (G, 7k, WIP, WangXian, Time Travel, Humor, Awkward Crushes, Jealousy)

Look forward, the future looks back by SerlinaBlack (T, 1k, WangXian, Time Travel, Fluff and Humor, Attempt at Humor, Dialogue Heavy, Crack Treated Seriously, Madam yu's a+ parenting mentioned, Oblivious WWX, jealous LWJ, WWX in WWX's body)

~*~

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

[guqin-and-flute]

WIP TAG GAME

RULES: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it.

Tagged by @treemaidengeek (THANK!! 😃)

This was difficult, I kept not wanting to put a thing down because they were just a one line concept or title but it's in the rules, so I do the thing!! THIS GOT SO LONG HOLY SHIT I'M PUTTING IT UNDER READ MORE

TAGGING: @january-summers @madtomedgar @little-smartass & anyone who wants to because my brain is melted 🫠

One Offs

Xiyao (When Silk Flowers Bloom)

After the Temple

Taste of Luxury (MBMSAM)

Texts (MBMSAM)

No Evil

Ace Mingjue

Wen Qing/Qin Su

Xichen having FUN painting something silly /not like normal

Time Loop

Teach Him a Lesson (Ch. 5)

Mingjue Meets Baxia

3chen (ChenChenChen)

XXC/SL/JC

As All Things Do (Ch. 2)

Meng Yao Dancer AU

Calamity Ghost Jgy Post Canon

Meng Shi lives, sheltering Lan Xichen

Beyond Control (Ch. 2)

NMJ protect jgy from jins au

Wangxian let the world spin madly on

Wuxian is a ghost during 16 years, realizes feelings, sees A-Yuan grow up, sees Jiang Cheng, max angst --forgets the second he's resurrected [Seriously that's the title]

Parent Trap--Jin Ling makes Wwx and Jc hug DAMMIT

WWX and the only vaguely annoying haunting

Traveling with Xiao Xingchen

Peony To Lotus

How did Jiang Cheng react to Golden Core stuff?

Jin Zixuan comes to deliver invitation

Are You Here To Stop Me (Ch. 7)

ChengQing

WEN NING AND HUAISANG???

100 Days (Chapter of All the Things?)

Night Hunting at Jins >:)

Retaliation

Drunk and bitching about JZX as brother-in-law's

Wwx and Jgy both brought about end of Sunshot

JGY BIRTHDAY HAPPY AND SADS?? Everyone

Soup Bonding!!

First errand

Dancing with Yixin

Yanxiyao get together

Yanxiyao Fluff

Yanxiyao finding out

PHILANTHROPISTS/BURY MENG SHI

Yanxiyao Sick/Teamwork

Jgy decides he wants to fix WWX’s core

Swimming

Showing off Jgy

Mo Xuanyu

3zun Raise Jingyi AU

Holding Me Holding You (Ch. 7)

And A-Fu Makes 4 (Ch. 6)

THE BIG SWITCH/confronting daddy/6 month break down (it's not joy)

Competence Kink

NieYao Reconciliation

WEI WUXIAN

First Time Yanli decides Jgy is family dammit

Pre-reconciled NieLan Dueling with Thirsty JGY

Conference Night hunt with juniors

HOSTAGE??

AFTER FREAK OUT

Ask about grandparents

How did you get together?

Xichen Drunk

Nielan Snuggle (lxc pov)

JGY pushing boundaries/Mingjue’s buttons to test 

Early morning full family goofy jokey

JGY doesn’t know games and it’s SAD

JGY skin hungry, feel safe (later)

Bonding Over Kids

3am Jin Bro Bonding

Mingjue frankly talking to Xichen about him dying/Talking with Jiang Yanli 

how do 3zun deal with tantrums?

Stairs

NIEYAO MUST SNUGGLE

Jingyi's first hard night hunt

Visit Yunmeng with Yellow Father!

3zun cockblock LJY in later relationships?

Mo Xuanyu Coming Out

Weird Eating

‘Trust me’ RUN

KID #2

NHS POV

Lxc realizes he's been unhappy. He thought he was happy

Playful Xiyao seduction of nmj

HUSBANDS

Snowed In (Ch. 2)

Sword Shenanigans

Early 3zun Notes/getting together fic

Modern 3zun

When You No Longer Need To Endure (Ch. 2 & 3)

I Can Explain! (Ch. 3)

The Dadliest Chat (Ch. 2)

What do daddies do?

Jin Sibs Introduction to THE BABY

Dad Issues Confrontation

I wanna be a Stay At Home Dad, and I’m aware that makes me the worst person in the world

Sexy Times

Game Night

Mother's day is officially dubbed Yanli s day as only mother

Huaisang babysitting

Mo Xuanyu

Tarzan

Jin Papa's Road trip

#tag game #my stuff #treemaidengeek #wips #ask game

[winepresswrath]

Half the time I'm like, I prefer the drama because its so much more hopeful about these clown brothers making up and they probably don't in the novel :(. The other half of the time I'm like, lol, novel!WWX refuses to acknowledge that he has feelings unless forced, he could not keep his nose out of JC's business at gunpoint, at some point Jin Ling is going to get sick if his uncles constantly keeping tabs on each other while pretending ~the past is in the past~.

CQL is my favourite for many reasons, and it's definitely the universe I'm thinking of the most when I think about yunmeng bro recon because it's the universe in which I think it is extremely obvious that they would both really like to be in each other's lives again but haven't figured out how to do that. Wei Wuxian spends the entire second life making yearning faces at Lotus Pier and then makes this face when Jiang Cheng walks away from him:

Look at how smug Jin Ling is as he plots his uncle trapping:

Sad pining uncles everywhere:

He has a lot to work with.

The end of the novel on its own is hard mode. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are running away together to elope and fuck in a ditch, their future connection to and level of engagement with the cultivation world is uncertain, and leaving the past in the past feels much more plausibly like something Wei Wuxian wants for himself, as opposed to the CQL version where it really just comes across to me as not knowing what else he can do to break the sadness cycle. The novel version of the temple scene has a sad lack of tender face touching! Wei Wuxian seems very exhausted and allergic to feelings and definitely to feelings about Jiang Cheng, except maybe when he's making fun of Jin Guangyao being sensitive about his mother's profession to draw fire. And when he tells Jin Ling to go to Jiang Cheng, and the Jiang Cheng giving the chenqing back to him clearly means something to him, there is stuff to work with if you're so inclined, but the heart of my clown car agenda is that I genuinely think they both love each other very deeply and are capable of being in each other's lives in a way that's good for both of them and something they both want. The novel is not making the same case CQL does.

But then we find out that a few months later they're literally night hunting with each other's children and Wei Wuxian is sitting down for heart to hearts with Jin Ling where he tells him he should trust and rely on Jiang Cheng because pushing him away to protect him will only hurt him and I'm like oh ok we're on like Donkey Kong never mind.

#like as a Jiang Cheng stan I cannot imagine a situation more miserable for Jiang Cheng than Wei Wuxian choosing to be in his life out of #guilt or obligation #and as a Wei Wuxian stan I can imagine few situations less pleasant for him than being around Jiang Cheng while being unwanted by him #it brings up some childhood issues #the only way it works is if they both want to #and also are capable of taking some deep breaths and figuring out a way to be around each other #without constantly stabbing each other emotionally #but I believe in them! #I do think novel!wwx is angry in a way that #that cql!WWX isn't #and the novel really centers Jiang Cheng's apparently abandoning #Wei Wuxian as a source of trauma and also anger for him #in a way that makes me think novel!WWX would really like to know about the Wen capture incident #like much more so than the cql version #but honestly the last we see of WWX thinking about Jiang Cheng #is pretty kind and generous #and like #I just #when I think someone sucks and I don't want to see them again #I do not tell children I love to rely on them but also be more considerate of their feelings

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 16, part two

(Masterpost of All the Rewatches) (Previous Post) (Canary’s Pinboard of Stuff)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes

Just A Box of Rain

The brothers find Jiang Yanli and tell her what happened. Pro Tip: a good way to deliver bad news is like this. 1. say "I have bad news" so the person can be prepared for a shock 2. clearly state the bad news. 

Standing in front of the person with tears streaming down your face and looking away when they try to meet your eyes is not, actually, a super effective method for delivering bad news. 

This episode continues to be punctuated by closeups of characters' hands as they respond to events. 

Yanli clutches her broken lotus pendant, cutting her palm and bleeding as she weeps.

Not-at-all symbolic rain drenches the three of them while they cry, standing apart and not comforting each other.

Sometimes a hurt is so deep deep deep You think that you're gonna drown Sometimes all I can do is weep weep weep With all this rain falling down

(more after the cut)

They upgrade their boat with repaired seats and a real oar, and move along toward a hopefully-safer location. 

The scenery continues to be gorgeous, and it appears to be actually really raining on this river or lake. We see Wei Wuxian's hand on the boat's oar as he takes his siblings to what he hopes will be safety.

Maybe you're tired and broken Your tongue is twisted with words half spoken

OP is valiantly resisting dropping a chunk of "Don't Pay the Ferryman" lyrics in here, because projecting European symbolism onto Chinese media is not my bag. This scene does carry a lot of weight, though, showing Wei Wuxian’s sadness and isolation, his ever-growing distance from his siblings and reminding us of his servant status. While his siblings sit under shelter with tears falling down their faces, Wei Wuxian stands in the rain, laboring to protect them and not letting his own tears fall.

It's totally reasonable that Wei Wuxian is the one to man the oar, right? I'm sure Jiang Cheng is the more exhausted of the two of them even though Wei Wuxian started off his day yesterday getting whipped FIVE times by the Zidian and ended it by being choked for 45 seconds.  

Self-Isolation

They reach an inn, where Yanli has a fever, maybe from being left outside all night while her brothers failed to work out any of their interpersonal shit, followed by getting extremely rained on for hours and hours. 

Wei Wuxian carefully puts on a bright, optimistic face for her, practicing for his future fake happiness after the Burial Mounds.

Jiang Cheng sits and has a lot of feelings, totally not helping while Wei Wuxian tends to Yanli. This is not typical of him and just shows how deeply shocked he is by what's happened; usually he is extremely attentive to Yanli and careful with her health.

Wei Wuxian tries to get Jiang Cheng's attention, so that Jiang Cheng can take over caring for Yanli while Wei Wuxian gets medicine. Jiang Cheng is busy staring into the middle distance, and won't respond.

This is Wei Wuxian realizing that absolutely nobody is going to help him.  

Wei Wuxian goes out in his distinctive robes with no hood or anything, to buy some fever medicine, and is quickly surrounded by guards.  They hear "we caught him" and run off, leaving him be.  

What Wei Wuxian doesn't know, that we learn in Episode 50, is that Jiang Cheng and his death wish decided to take a stroll, and seeing the Wen soldiers approach Wei Wuxian finally snapped him out of his reverie.  So he let himself be caught in order to draw them away from Wei Wuxian. 

Let's talk about this choice. In terms of clan roles, Wei Wuxian is absolutely the expendable one. Jiang Cheng became the clan leader when his father died, and knew it from the moment he saw his father's body. 

So far he's 1. Tried to go back to fight and die, against his parents' express instructions 2. left his sister alone in an inn with a fever 3. given himself up to be killed in place of his chief disciple, when it's his disciples' job to die for him, if it comes to that. All but two of Clan Yao's disciples died to protect fucking Captain Blowhard, for goodness sake.  

All of these actions are emotionally super understandable; he's young, he's had a terrible shock, and he's an emotional guy who's never heard of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. And I'm not here to defend feudal power structures. But perhaps Jiang Cheng shouldn't ring the "YOU PROMISED" bell quite so loud in the future, considering his own relationship to his obligations. 

Wei Wuxian begs Yanli to stay put and stay safe while he goes to find Jiang Cheng, and he promises to take Jiang Cheng back from the Wens. Yanli clutches his hands and asks him to promise again that he will rescue their brother, and that they will all go to Meishan together. But for once Wei Wuxian is completely honest, and disentangles his hands and sets off without another word.  

More running ensues, this time in the rain. To quote Adam in Season 7 Episode 1 of Spooks, "all this traumatized running is starting to really annoy me." (Spooks is the shit. Don't watch it if you like characters to have a lifespan longer than a mayfly's)

Camera Operator: Finally, a little appreciation

Wei Wuxian arrives in Lotus Pier, and can we just take a second to appreciate the decor of this place? Look at that tile floor with the cobblestone border, and the bamboo wall panel behind him.

He grabs the first Wen he finds, who turns out to be a much-needed friend.

Rescue Me

The Untamed is the tale of a man’s devotion; devotion so strong it transcends clan allegiance and even death. And that man’s name is Wen Ning.

Initially Wei Wuxian chokes him, like bros do, until he recognizes him and lets him go...

...only to immediately grab him and demand to know if he had a part in the massacre. Wen Ning stays pretty calm, seeing the angry side of Wei Wuxian for the first time, and explains that he heard about what happened, and is there to help.

Wei Wuxian absorbs this and lets him go, giving us a closeup of their hands together, with Wen Ning not so much resisting Wei Wuxian's grip as giving a steadying grip of his own to his best friend.

Wen Ning, who Wei Wuxian saved from one water demon, has already saved Wei Wuxian from one horrifying animatronic dog, and does not actually owe him a life debt at this point. Wen Ning has defied his sister and his entire clan and flown to Lotus Pier with a team of minions, with the specific intent of fucking things up for Wen Chao to the best of his abilities, simply because "Wei Wuxian is a nice person." 

Wei Wuxian isn't feeling like a nice person just now, however, thinking that he can use Wen Ning as a hostage to...what, trade for his brother? Wen Chao would probably be happy to kill Wen Ning himself, but his dad needs Wen Ning as a way to control Wen Qing, so maybe that plan would work.

Then Wei Wuxian sees this small pouch hanging from Wen Ning's belt, and it stops him in his tracks.

For once we are not given a flashback to explain his thinking, so I’ll provide one

The talisman he gave Wen Ning to protect him, now protects him from Wei Wuxian himself. He lets Wen Ning's arm go, and tries to think of another plan. 

Wen Ning already has another plan, and has come to Lotus Pier prepared to enact it. 

Wei Wuxian can't believe he's found someone to help him. In a moment of wrenching vulnerability, he asks Wen Ning to save Jiang Cheng and to retrieve the bodies of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan. Wen Ning immediately agrees. 

Wen Ning then embarks upon the least sneaky sabotage campaign of all time, chatting to the guards while messing with the wine, and generally acting like a person who is up to something. 

Nobody respects him enough to worry about it, though, and the party proceeds as planned.

The banquet is set up in the cleaned-up courtyard of Lotus Pier The Yunmeng Supervisory Office, and features dancing girls performing in the center of the beautiful carved paving, and corpses hanging in the doorway. 

I bet Jin Guangyao hires this same dance troupe for his future parties.

Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao sit at the main table, snuggling and being gross, but mercifully not necking on-camera because this is a 100% no-necking show. The drinks are sent around and Wen Chao tells Wen Zhuliu to drink up. 

Wen Zhuliu is busy gazing wistfully at Yu Ziyuan's corpse.

Let's face it, Wen Zhuliu is the only dangerous person in this place at the moment, so what he does next is the make-or-break for Wen Ning’s plan. 

Wen Zhuliu smells his wine and immediately can tell something is wrong. He takes a long moment to consider the situation, eyes on Yu Ziyuan, and then downs it, letting his emotions--perhaps something in the neighborhood of remorse, perhaps simple disgust at his craven supervisor--get the better of him.  

In the morning he will be able to tell Wen Chao with 100% precision exactly what the drug is, probably from smelling it right here. This is the only miscalculation Wen Zhuliu makes in the whole show, and it eventually costs him his life.

Wen Zhuliu has no reason to think this decision will hurt him. It's definitely impossible for Jiang Cheng, whipped and crushed, to avenge himself and his parents. But Jiang Cheng, with Wei Wuxian’s help, is going to achieve the impossible. 

We end with Wei Wuxian hiding while he waits for Wen Ning, as strung out as we have seen him so far, although he's got worse mental states ahead of him on his journey.  He doesn't know yet if he was right to trust Wen Ning, and the episode ends with him, cold, wet, and miserable, waiting to find out. 

Next Episode: Still miserable, but with a cape! Soundtrack: 1. Patty Griffin, Rain  2. Grateful Dead, Box of Rain

#fytheuntamed #the untamed #the untamed gifs #the untamed meta #jiang cheng #wei wuxian #restless rewatch the untamed #canary3d-original #my gifs #rain #moar rain

[midnyghtmadnes]

Thoughts

So... I finished SVSSS. Gonna just stream out my thoughts. Will be long cause I wanna cover all my final opinions. Then I’ll shut up about it lol.

So, all in all, the novel was enjoyable and fun. Definitely can't say I have the same emotional investment in the characters as I do in MDZS though, except SY, he's my favorite.

To start, I guess this is where fanfics will come into play, but I want more SY and Airplane interactions. They're the only two that can truly understand the other's situation and I think that’d make for a lot of interesting and fun interactions. Though at the same time it's also funny how they have that understanding but their current relationship is basically just like, not a love-hate relationship. But a.. somewhat camaraderie I'll help ya out maybe if you need it-but I also don't particularly like you, relationship. Still, I am falling onto the Cucumberplane wagon (not in a shippy way though).

As for MBJ and Airplane.. I just wish the novel went into the status of their relationship after everything that happened. SQH was constantly stressed out by him and seemed to have had his share of beatings from MBJ. I saw shipping stuff with them as I was reading it and I was like.. ehhhh? At that point the only connection I knew was that MBJ was the one who was supposed to kill him, so I was like ?? Where did that come from. By the end of the extras, I wanna say I'm on board with it lol, but I just wish we saw more.

Tianlang-Jun and Zhuzhi-Lang... :( I love them and am really sad for them. And yes, I do constantly forget that ZZL killed Gongyi Xiao (who I liked a lot), but come on. He's snek Wen Ning and you can't tell me otherwise. I also actually like Shen Jiu's character. Which is kinda funny thinking about it, cause for example I know many ppl find JGY to be a sympathetic villain, and while I can understand, I still hate him lol. But SJ, who feels very similar to JGY in some ways, I find him really interesting and want to explore him more (that's what fanfics are for ayyy). Funny how all the antagonists of this story caught my eye lol. I didn't care for any of the villains in MDZS in terms of nuance (not that they were poorly written, but they just weren't the Type™ I fall for). But SV managed to get me to want to know more about all of them.

Bingqiu final assessment.... complete indifference. It wasn't as terrible as it could've been, and the extras did make it better, but idk. I flipped flopped a lot as I was reading regarding whether I was okay with it. The 50s chapters, no. Then it got better. Then chapter 80 happened and I was just.... it was genuinely painful getting through that chapter lol. I was constantly pausing and just.. collecting myself. Then the extras and I was like, hmmm it seems.. ok I guess. But I still think it's not the healthiest relationship. You can’t tell me his spiel in chapter 79 isn’t still a total guilt trip. Xin Mo exacerbates his negative emotions, it doesn’t make them up. He’s also constantly jealous even in the extras, making comments of suspicion on the slightest things and just wanting SQQ’s attention for himself. His whole world revolves around SY, and that’s just not a healthy thing for any relationship. It’s undeniably obsessive, and while I don’t see LBH acting on his jealousy, I think that’s only because “it’d make Shizun sad” and not because it goes against his morality. I think LBM is just as capable of doing messed up stuff (murder, torture, etc.) as LBG.

I also just feel like there's something that just doesn't connect between SY in the whole novel, and SY in the extras. By chapter 78 he still did not seem particularly reciprocative of LBH's advances. And even within the extras he's very no-touchy and anti-PDA. He tends to refuse LBH’s requests for intimate moments (until the crocodile tears guilt him into doing what LBH wants) and overall is easily embarrassed, like he's not confident in this relationship. I think at the least more lines of buildup should’ve been added, particularly in moments where it was just the two of them.

And you know what also kinda bugs me about it? I dislike how much the story pushed on that SY was confidently straight since birth. If you want to convince me that the initially ‘straight’/uninterested character ends up falling for another guy, just don’t push it so hard in my face contradicting that. Wei Ying flirted with girls, cool yeah. But the novel never gave the impression he was completely closed off to the idea. With how WY is written, I can totally see him being bi. But SY is more like, well I somehow ended up raising the ML as gay but hey that’s not so bad I guess, at the last minute. I can't say I ship LiuShen either, but I can definitely see the appeal when the canon alternative may easily not float your boat. Nothing beats Wangxian in my heart though 💕

As I expected, am sad with how the relationship with Cang Qiong Mountain ended up. I mean I guess it wasn't necessarily on bad terms, but basically his other disciples are left without their shizun and the sect's whole familial relationship is scattered. I guess it's because I appreciate Wangxian staying in the Cloud Recesses, having this space of theirs and the Jingshi that they can call home. I read the fanfics that have LWJ making WY a lotus pond out front and just their beautiful domestic post-canon life. I love that they can go out night hunting with the juniors. They can go out and travel, just the two of them, when they want. They could retire one day if they wanted. But they'll also always have a family to come back to. LQR begrudgingly accepting WY in time. The bread and butter that is Yunmeng bros reconciliation. Bingqiu.. doesn't really have anything like that. For instance, Liu Qingge and LBH are on terms that I don't feel could ever be recuperated the way WWX and JC could. I don't think Bingqiu could ever stay at CQM in complete comfort. So that's just a little sad.

Also is it just me who, when reading, would always imagine TLJ with short hair, even tho nobody ever has short hair in these novels lol.

Anyway lol, I think that about covers everything I can think of. If you got this far, you the real one ✌🏼

#svsss #scumbag villain #scumbag self saving system #shen qingqiu #luo binghe #liu qingge #shen jiu #yue qingyuan #luo bingmei #zhuzhi lang #tianlang jun #mobei jun #shang qinghua

[mianmiansimp]

mdzs au: the one with wen xu (pt 1)

>>wwx has his bisexual epiphany much sooner in life bc Reasons

>>so when he starts crushing on lwj Immediately at cr, he knows it too

>>anyway: sometime pre-cloud recesses, wx and wwx cross paths and wwx is being his usual mischievous self

>>he's very dramatic and flirty and running around on roofs

>>wx is like Hey You're Cute but doesn't catch his name

>>wwx is oblivious so he didn't know who wx was lol

>>they cross paths a few more times

>>wwx just knows wx as 'that one gongzi i see sometimes'

>>then cr happens and they meet again when wwx is heading back to cr with his alcohol

>>wx is like my how charming

>>the next morning the wens show up and wc pisses everyone off

>>and then wwx is telling him off and wc gets pissed and tries to fight wwx while also insulting his status

>>and jc is like EXCUSE YOU and draws his sword bc i'm a sucker for protective jc and will throw in as much yunmeng shuangjie as i want

>>but then wx shows up and tells off wc (bc of wwx) and tells everyone to calm down

>>wx learns wwx's name, wwx learns who 'that one gongzi i see sometimes' is, only one of them is happy with the revelation

>>wx is being weird and oily to everyone and the lans begrudgingly accept the 'apology'

>>wx is publicly weird to wwx, wwx is publicly uncomfy, jc is publicly offended and pissed and defensive and also has an inkling of where wx's head is at

>>cue jc aggressively glaring at wens and shielding wwx from them

>>nhs, who's more aware of what's happening than anyone else bc nhs, helps

>>doesn't stop wwx from adopting wn as a bestie but wn is a kitten so it's ok

>>cr arc is largely the same, wangxian shenanigans, yunmeng shuangjie shenanigans, alcohol shenanigans, you know the drill

>>except for two major things

>>one - wwx has been crushing on lwj since day one but he Knows it

>>and he gets sad sometimes when lwj rejects him

>>so jc is not only angry at the wens but he's angry at lwj's audacity too

>>lwj, who hasn't a clue about anything:

>>two - wx sometimes shows up randomly to 'check up'

>>he isn't, he just drops by to make wwx uncomfy via unsolicited gifts and flirting

>>jc usually passive aggressively intervenes

>>or nhs makes some excuse that is usually 'jc wants to see you'

>>there's an incident during a wx visit where wwx panics bc he really doesn't want to deal with him

>>and essentially bolts from the vicinity and runs right into lwj

>>lwj almost starts telling off wwx but he sees quite clearly that wwx is Not Ok

>>and then they hear wx approaching and wwx basically begs lwj to Get Him Out

>>lwj dislikes wx far more than he dislikes acknowledging his affections for wwx

>>so they quickly run into and hide in a room

>>cue bonding moment where lwj and wwx have a Talk and lwj says they're friends for the first time

>>and then immediately goes silent bc wwx is looking at him with complete adoration and he has to force himself not to kiss him lol

>>this is also the point where lwj has it confirmed that wwx very much does not like wx's presence

>>which is how lwj joins the defend wwx against wx's advances club

>>jc isn't happy about it bc wwx is mooning for lwj still but he lets it slide

>>wn actually joined the club accidentally and discretely

>>jc's like why couldn't wwx get This wen to crush on him i like him so much better???

>>lwj vinegar moment + flustered wn who just thinks wwx is really cool and nice

>>wq catches wind of what's going on and is worried about wn's involvement

>>but also greatly dislikes wx and doesn't want some random innocent boy to suffer

>>which is how she too accidentally joins the club

>>mianmian joins too but loudly bc she's friends with wwx and lwj and also wx sucks

>>jzx is friends with mianmian so he gets dragged in

>>and he might be an arrogant prat atm but he's not a bad guy and wx's behavior is very despicable

>>jzx has some um Revelations about himself and his family

>>and accidentally becomes an honorary member of the club

>>they're all kinda friends now, it truly sucks, thinks jzx with a small smile

>>xuanli engagement is not broken/salvaged much earlier on bc of this whole

thing

>>anyway that's how all the major sects' youth became so closely entwined

>>lqr was very proud that his lectures enacted firm inter sect relationships

>>lxc is just egging on wangxian while also becoming an honorary member of the club

>>waterborne abyss and stuff still happens

>>jc is even angrier at the wens and straight up completely hides wwx the next time wx comes around so he doesn't even catch a glimpse

>>wx is not happy, especially when lwj is silently passive aggressive the whole time

>>cr study ends, there's this whole lingering wangxian moment when they say their goodbyes

>>wwx and lwj are close now but also lwj can sort of admit it instead of shoving it under years of repression and gay panic

>>lwj agrees to visit at lotus pier and wwx looks so enamored that jc gags and drags him away

>>mianmian snickers and pokes lwj in jest, who actually pokes her back

>>lxc is so proud, his brother has Friends

>>wx is a bit more careful around lotus pier, but he does visit once

>>jfm greets him and is very polite but yzy is very blunt and pissed

>>jc upon getting home had immediately spilled all the info on the wx thing

>>yzy doesn't like wwx but she hates the main wen and wx was being vv disrespectful

>>so she kinda tells wx that wwx isn't here (not a lie, he's on a nighthunt) and that he can go jump a cliff now thanks

>>wx is rather irritated when he leaves

>>comes back again on a later date, but this is the day that the cr friends are all hanging out

>>which isn't really an issue bc wwx is a social butterfly, it's part of what wx likes about him, obviously he has friends

>>but he sees the way wwx looks at lwj, and happens upon a moment where they're alone

>>he is Not Happy

>>in the meanwhile the cr friends are all chilling together and making fun of jzx flustering around jyl and eating lotus pods and whatever

>>yzy for once is like not overcome with irrational rage at wwx's presence bc he did something right for once in her eyes

>>so wwx gets some peace of mind at lotus pier

>>madam jin is also very delighted at the xuanli progress and approves wwx for enacting it

>>no one outside of jiangs + cr know why exactly xuanli are doing so well

>>so madam jin assumes wwx just kinda did some wingman stuff and doesn't know about the wx thing

>>anyway, wangxian is progressing quite nicely, and jc is all the more miserable for it

>>jzx kinda doesn't care lol, the rest of the club are delighted by the entertainment, yzy is further not angry at wwx bc wangxian engagement = lan-jiang alliance = advantageous

>>fast forward and we're at the discussion conference

>>jc is scowlier than usual and is literally holding wwx's hand the whole time

>>and wwx is like bro ty and ily but also this is a bit much

>>jc eventually lets go of his hand but he is never more than a few inches away from wwx's side

>>the state of wangxian at this time means we have wangxian blatantly and publicly mooning and everyone's like :eyes:

>>wx is not happy, shows up and immediately starts seeking out wwx, everyone is uncomfy

>>jc at one point grabs wwx and shoves him into the middle of all the jiang disciples

>>kinda doing that zebra camouflage thing but with jiang disciples lol

>>whenever it looks like wx is gonna ask him about wwx he crosses his arms and scowls severely

>>wx takes his seat very unhappily and the discussion conference proceeds as normal ig

>>but the friends are all taking part in the hunt together

>>wwx and lwj have a lil competition for who snags the most shots

>>lots of flirting during the competition, much to jzx and jc's chagrin

>>wn is just :pleading_face: the whole time but he does excellently and gives everyone a run for their money

>>the wc thing goes a lil differently in that wc is more incensed about wwx's existence bc he knows wx likes wwx

>>targets wwx, it backfired bc of lwj, wc leaves in a huff

>>lwj closely attaches himself to wwx after that, jc is pissed bc that's 2 wens who are making problems about wwx

>>the ribbon incident goes a lil differently

>>it happens after the competition, in front of all the sects

>>wx basically

goes oh your ribbon is crooked and fixes it gently and smiles at lwj and lwj says nothing, just quietly nods and thanks him

>>lqr approaches qi deviation, the sects are shocked, wwx is oblivious, lwj is smug, lxc and the friends are all metaphorically eating popcorn, wx is mad, wrh doesn't care, wq is worried bc wx

>>wx actually corners wwx at one point during a banquet when wwx's alone

>>interestingly, it's jzx who steps in to save the day

>>wwx doesn't need saving tbh but there's sociopolitics to consider + he's a lil scared of wx's persistence tbh

>>and he has a crisis bc on the one hand wwx can just run his mouth and hope for the best except he realizes that wx Likes when he runs his mouth

>>so yea jzx steps in and says something about jyl and wwx is like ahaha duty calls again and yeets

>>jzx just says compliments about jyl as they walk back to the jiang under the pretense of wanting to discuss the engagement

>>wwx reluctantly decides he's ok

>>the jiang keep a firm grip on wwx for the rest of the conference after that

>>jyl uses the shijie card to her advantage to get away with dragging wwx with her everywhere

>>the conference ends and wwx is relieved

>>oh btw wwx placed first by a small margin, lwj and wn following, then jc and jzx tied

>>so the sects are leaving and ofc wwx has to say goodbye to lwj

>>and lwj is like what is your request bc you won

>>and wwx is almost like kiss me but then he Doesn't ok

>>so instead wwx is like lemme think of something interesting :wink: to cover his pining

>>and lwj says mn and Smiles at him and wwx melts on the spot

>>wx catches the interaction and is very unhappy

>>fast forward to the burning of cr

>>there's a reason why wx did it personally, and targeted lwj especially

>>fast forward a bit again, wwx is a lil mopey bc his letter from lwj should've come a few days ago

>>they're pining pen pals bc ofc they are smh :rolling_eyes:

>>at this point, news of cr's destruction hasn't spread to lotus pier yet

>>jc is annoyed and yeets him into the lake and makes him swim off the pining

>>cue yunmeng jiang lake shenanigans

>>and then mf wx shows up to personally deliver the invitation to the wen indoctrination

>>jfm and yzy simply Do Not acknowledge wwx's existence at lotus pier in front of him

>>it's a very tense but quick conversation

>>and then wx leaves and hears wwx and heads in the direction of the latter's voice

>>he gets to the lake to see the jiang disciple swimming in the lake, but no wwx

>>bc jyl knew he had come and quickly run over to the lake to warn and hide wwx

>>jc perched himself on a roof to watch wx and let them know when he was gone

>>that meal they had in cql? yea it goes differently this time around

>>it's mostly yzy hissing at the wens and also having a conundrum over whether or not wwx should go

>>jc votes no, wwx votes shut up jc i'm coming with you

>>jfm concedes, jc is irate, wwx and jc go to the indoctrination

>>but jc makes wwx promise to not ever leave his side

>>and wwx is like that's kinda the whole point?? but ok

>>and then ofc that whole opening scene at nightless city happens

>>what with them standing around and then bam an injured lwj

>>ft the cr friends being all fhkjhkjsghk (/neg) internally

>>except wwx, he's very open about his concern

>>wc shows up, spends half the time glaring at wwx

>>he was supposed to be make it hell for lwj

>>but quite frankly he'd be happy if lwj snatched wwx

>>he very much dislikes his brother's infatuation with wwx

>>so yea it's roughly the same, those first few days

>>except wn secretly visits the disciples

>>slips snacks, gives info, exchanges messages between them, and treats lwj

>>wq finds out, scolds him, and then does the same, mostly treatment

>>and then the dungeon day comes

>>by which i mean that day wwx ended up in the dungeons with the dog thing

>>it goes the same as usual, except wc is particularly harsh, and is focused on wwx

>>so it happens sooner, and only wwx is involved

>>spends the night with the wolf thing, wn comes, yk the drill

>>except he knocks out at one point and wx gets him

>>and he wakes up

in a room and wq and wn are treating him

>>he's quickly given a coded warning

>>and then wx comes

>>wc had been forced out of leading the indoctrination and someone relatively competent is in his place

>>wx doesn't really let wwx go back tho

>>just makes wwx stay with him and basically invades his privacy and harasses him

>>for like. quite some time.

>>wwx also meets wrh a few times and it is. not fun.

>>wrh makes thinly veiled threats about war and attacking lotus pier and stuff

>>and wx reveals he was the one who requested and took charge of cr burning

>>and wwx is angry at wx but then wx gets angry and snaps threats

>>and wwx quiets and realizes wx is relentless

>>and that his connections are putting ppl he cares about at risk

>>it all kinda piles up and wx's insistence gets to his head

>>and then the bell scene (which started all this) happens

>>it might seem kinda ooc this whole thing but like

>>sexual trauma is very different from standard child abuse/classic asian toxicity

>>and you have to consider wwx's position as he has to put up with wx's everything

>>am i projecting? probably, but my au my choices

>>so the bell scene begins with all the heirs and their entourages gathered at that. place

>>idk what it's called but that place from cql where wc was lecturing

>>wc's substitute indoctrinator is like so. y'all can go home now. here's your swords.

>>and everyone's like omg????? but also cr friends are like ok where's wwx :upside_down:

>>and it's a very complicated moment

>>and then they give suibian to jc

>>and he almost kills someone bc he thinks they killed wwx

>>and then they're like no he's alive he just won't need that :upside_down:

>>jc is like WHAT does that even MEAN

>>and it's about to be a whole thing but then wwx shows up

>>and it's all ok for half a second

>>bc yes he's here but he is very obviously not ok

>>and it Shows, wwx is doing such a bad job hiding how not ok he is

>>cr friends are like. what did they do. who am i killing.

>>so now we enter - The Bell Exchange

>>wwx comes forward and (very poorly) tries to lighten the mood and tease jc and is like aw did you miss me

>>jc who was very much terrified is just like yes ofc come here Now let's go home

>>and wwx has this look on his face that's summed up as love and affection but also deep apology and secrecy

>>he slowly goes to jc and his hands are shaky as he takes off his bell and grabs jc's hands to give it to him

>>and wwx is very vague about it he's just like i won't be going back it's ok you're all free to go now i'm making sure of it go back home be safe

>>and jc is having the nth meltdown rn bc wwx what did you do

>>nhs has an idea of the gist, and all the c friends are very concerned

>>and then wen xu shows up and wwx does this silent flinch but in his bones and straightens up

>>and wx is mocking the others and stuff and then wraps an arm around a very uncomfortable wwx and is like

>>"you should be grateful to my fiance for his generous nature"

>>wwx is very obviously not having a good time and is not ok with this

>>he looks like he's going to launch himself from a cliff (hehehe) to avoid this

>>everyone is silent for a minute as they realize what happened

>>a lot of the disciples here were at cr indoctrination

>>so they know at least somewhat of wx's pursual of wwx and the unrequited feelings

>>and it becomes obvious that wwx exchanged something - his freedom, hand in marriage, etc - to set all the disciples free

>>jc draws sandu and is about to go for wx's head bc how Dare he

>>but wwx stops him and tells him very firmly but desperately to not try anything, just go, tell shijie i'm sorry, it'll be ok

>>lwj does that death grip on his sword, 2 seconds away from taking wx's head himself

>>jzx is having lots of feelings about this and a lot aren't nice

>>especially with the weird sort of parallels as far as betrothals

>>also he kinda likes wwx?? they're kinda friends?? and they're brother-in-laws to be anyway

>>and even despite all that, the whole situation just Sucks and jzx is kinda an airhead but he's actually pretty noble

>>mianmian is

like So offended and enraged on behalf of everyone she's ready to throw hands

>>nhs is half horrified for his friend and half cold rage and plotting

>>what really worsens the situations is just how bad wwx is taking it

>>bc he always covers up his pain and worries, and very well at that

>>the fact that he can barely even fake a smile now, and has resolved to outright desperate pleading, not even teasing anyone, says a Lot about how bad things were while he was gone

>>they have suspicions about what wx might have done to wwx while they were alone

>>tl;dr: cr friends kinda have an idea of what wx has done and really want him dead

>>but wwx is forcing them out, and eventually they all do leave, miserably

>>they don't know what had happened for them to be let go with their swords and without consequences

>>and they don't want wwx suffering for their (not really helpful atm) stubbornness

>>jc is stiff and clenching his jaw the entire way home, trying to figure out ways to get wwx out

>>lwj is drowning in his emotions as he goes back to the burnt cr

>>mianmian, jzx, nhs are having very complicated thought processes about everything

>>nhs actually goes with lwj to cr first, to make sure he doesn't do anything dumb and to be a friend

>>drops him off, and eventually heads out after a few days (lqr is appraised of the situation)

>>and lo and behold, he happens to find lxc on his way home, and brings big bro lan back to cr

[ main . ao3 ]

#this got out of hand #yunmeng shuangjie #wangxian #wen xu x wei wuxian #mdzs #mdzs au #mo dao zu shi #mo dao zu shi au #cql #cql au #the untamed #the untamed au #not!fics

[trans-axian-archive]

do you have any cql fic recommendations? i love your analysis and would def trust your reading choices 🥺

I'm gonna answer both of these at the same time since they are essentially asking for the same thing smbdmhcn

I answered an ask a little while ago with a list of some of my faves and you can find that right here! but here are some more that I've remembered/discovered since then !:

You, Asleep and Dreaming (9.6k) - this one is so 🥺🥺🥺 its set post cql ending wangxian reunion n is just sort of about.. how their relationship progresses? lots of sweet moments that make me feel like a little freshly baked muffin. its very tender n sweet n has Just the right amount of realistic conflict to be emotionally rewarding and doesn't just like... drag on for the sake of being Sad tm. there's a part sorta in the middle thats right Before some spicy activity but its both v brief and easy to scroll past

a thousand tomorrows (8k) - oh ho! an illusive sangcheng fic! its a Very tender established relationship fic where they're just sorta.. figuring out how to be together I guess? I think its written very realistically and just. so tender like SO tender like unbelievably tender... appeals to my "jiang cheng and nie huaisang deserve to be Soft with each other" agenda

I think I might be in trouble (I think I might be in love) (13.1k) - another sangcheng fic recced to me recently!! also feat. some wangxian! as you will find if you look at my other list I go crazy go stupid for a good modern au n this one is really sweet!! the way the timeline is set up is kinda confusing in this one?? but its a rlly nice exploration of jiang cheng and his feelings and his relationship with nie huaisang with some good good yunmeng bros content too :")

drawn to the blood (5k) - this ones got it all... wangxian.. jiang cheng loving his brother so much...... lan wangji and jiang cheng having to deal with their negative feelings towards each other... lan wangji gets hurt on a solo nighthunt and jiang cheng finds him and has to rescue him and bring him back to the cloud recesses. I really like the way jiang chengs love for and resentment of wei wuxian are portrayed in this fic n I think its v realistic! n I love anything that forces lan wangji and jiang cheng to cooperate together lmao

Five Times Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng Had a Civil Conversation, and One Time They Didn't (7.3k) - I literally Just reread this one and it is so sweet n fun n made me laugh a lot!! its a bunch of little snapshots of wei wuxian and jiang chengs post canon encounters and even tho I prefer my post canon yunmeng bros to be at least a Little reconciled, I still rlly enjoyed this fic!! its got some sweet wangxian moments and Lots of good juniors antics and, of course, the twin heroes of yunmeng.. it's not a super heavy serious yunmeng bros fic like I usually read but it definitely still has some Emotional parts esp towards the end

Lan Wangji takes a sick day (5.4k) - sick fic sick fic!! haven't read this one in a hot moment but it's wei wuxian takin care of sick lan wangji from lan wangjis pov.. lots of tenderness and intimacy n just....... thats what Love is babey!!! very soft :")

#theres so much variety here its not only wx and ymg bros msbdnhdnshxnb #wangxian #sangcheng #yunmeng bros #mdzs #the untamed #lan wangji #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #nie huaisang #fic rec #ghost posts #ask #anon #image

[coquelicoq]

Thx 4 killing me with ur tags on that JC x WWX post. For me a big problem is that WWX is saying these things, like, magnanimously. He's perfectly certain that he's the one that sacrificed, so he's the one who can forgive debts. He thinks that terrible things happened to JC, but that's not the same as JC deliberately sacrificing something. :( I love WWX but he can genuinely be SO condescending T. T

oh you mean these tags? haha looks like somebody sure was sad in the middle of the night when she wrote those!!

i give up every time i try to write something about wwx and jc's conversation in the temple, because there's just so much going on and so much to say about it. and the emotions, anon! it's a lot. i have been turning this ask over in my mind since you sent it and i'm not sure i can do it justice, but i can't let this be another time i spend hours thinking about yunmeng bro tragedy with nothing to show for it. not when there's an ask at stake!! so let's do this.

the best thing about the temple scene imo is that we don't know until later that jc lost his core because he sacrificed himself in place of wwx, so the scene hits totally differently if you go back and rewatch it with that knowledge. i appreciate that bit of POV craft, because it allows us to sympathize with each of them in turn, and it makes it easier for us to separate from the protagonist enough to really delve into how his (well-intentioned and sympathetic) actions have affected others. jc's reaction in the temple makes sense when all we know is what wwx knows (it's basically the reaction that wwx was expecting, after all), and then it makes a different sort of sense with the benefit of that extra layer of understanding that wwx doesn't have. and of course the second time around, we can hear everything that jc is saying indirectly that wwx won't be able to pick up on, so that's a fun little hurtful treat for us.

the best thing about this ask is that it gets at two of the reasons this conversation fails: first, that jc is keeping a key piece of information from wwx, and second, that wwx's oxymoronically egotistical selflessness makes it very difficult for him to understand that jc has valid reasons to be upset about the act of sacrifice wwx performed on his behalf without his knowledge or approval. this is why wwx ends up saying the exact thing jc least needs to hear, and why they part ways both looking absolutely heartbroken even though i think that they actually want the same thing: to be brothers again. </3 </3 </3, anon.

to start with the first reason the conversation fails: wwx doesn't know that jc also did something selfless for him, and that in fact it was jc's selfless act that led to wwx's. i don't know that knowing about this would solve the problem, but wwx might be less condescending if he knew? he would have more context for why jc is so bitter about the core transfer and subsequent lying (though he'd still be missing other context, because that's not the only reason jc is bitter). 

one of the things jc is pretty mad about in this scene is that wwx is the one who gets to be noble and self-sacrificing all the time. oh, must be nice to just be able to abdicate your responsibilities for the sake of your conscience. must be nice to get to play hero. jc doesn't have the luxury. he has people depending on him. he can't abandon his sect (or his nephew), because wwx already did that, and jc is all they have left.

but something i didn't pick up on the first time around is how much his tone is just dripping with irony. because HE knows that actually yes he did do something noble! he did give something up! but wwx doesn't know that and jc's not gonna tell him, because...i'm not sure actually. anyone have any ideas? anyway. whatever his reason for keeping this secret, jc's inner turmoil ends up coming out as a kind of petty and ungrateful tirade, because he's very frustrated and hurt. and what's even more frustrating is that he must know that even though he is currently mocking wwx for hiding the core transfer from him because wwx is ~*~*~sooooo noble uwu~*~*~ what's actually true is that he's the one hiding his sacrifice from wwx, and wwx will never know about that aspect of jc and will keep thinking he's the only one who can be selfless.

another thing that jc is mad about is that wwx negated jc's own sacrifice. jc made a decision for himself for once, and sure, it wasn't like a lot of planning went into that decision or anything, but it was his and he made it based on his own priorities. and then wwx came along and just undid the whole thing! because he has always felt entitled to doing whatever he thinks is best for jc without thinking about what jc wants or how infantilizing that is for him.

ultimately wwx is the one who 1) gets to make sacrifices that aren't immediately negated and 2) gets to be recognized as a selfless hero eventually when the truth comes out. jc is stuck being the target of his superior, noble brother's charity, again, and wondering for the rest of his life why everybody he ever loved thought he was such a baby that he couldn't be trusted to make any decisions or do anything for himself. and if he expresses any anger about it, he's just an ungrateful asshole who doesn't appreciate everything wwx has done for him. it's possible that wwx would have been able to interpret jc's anger differently (though, again, not entirely correctly) if he knew about this, though unfortunately it's much more likely that he'd focus on the "jc is mad that i showed him up by being better at self-sacrifice" angle rather than the "jc is mad that i recklessly put myself in danger even though my safety was his biggest priority" angle or the "jc is mad because i don't really recognize him as an autonomous being capable of making his own decisions" angle.

i also think jc would have acted differently in the temple if he weren't keeping that secret. part of the reason he's so vitriolic is because wwx is acting like this whole thing was a one-way street when it very much was not, but jc can't say that without revealing something he doesn't want to reveal. it's also possible that jc is grappling with the cognitive dissonance of knowing that he himself is keeping a secret that is similar (though not equivalent) to the secret that wwx kept that he's so angry about. that's a source of discomfort that wouldn't exist if jc's sacrifice was also out in the open.

okay, on to the second reason that this conversation is doomed to fail, aka wwx thinks that he’s the one best qualified to make decisions, and that his decisions are always correct as long as he prioritizes the needs of others before his own.

i read an interesting twitter thread back in november that sort of recontextualized wwx's memory problems for me in a way i think is relevant to this. wwx's bad memory is a feature, not just a bug. he values doing good as a matter of course and doesn't think that it's important for him to remember his own acts of altruism; on the contrary, maybe it is actually more righteous if he doesn't remember them. and that SEEMS like a really good quality, and it for sure is in some ways! it means he gives freely and easily and doesn't resent people if they don't give back to him in equal measure. but it also means that he forgets things that have an impact on other people and are important to them, which is its own kind of self-centeredness. he maybe doesn't care as much as he should about how people feel about the things he's done for them.

this also ties in with a point @winepresswrath has been making (e.g., here) about how wwx's commitment to doing the right thing and taking care of everyone is both really beautiful AND really patronizing, because it comes at least partially from a place of thinking he is in fact better than everyone else (both at doing things and at knowing right from wrong). and like, he kind of is?? he's a genius, he's incredibly talented at uhhhh basically everything except maybe laundry i guess (and that's just because he won't APPLY himself), and he's the only person other than mianmian in the entire cultivation world who is willing to stand up and say, "okay, but have we considered that perhaps mass murdering civilians based solely on their family name is not super cool of us?" so like, i can definitely see where he's coming from with the superiority complex thing. i, too, think he's better than everyone else! like, no contest. but being right and highly competent doesn't mean that he can just bulldoze all over everything without negatively impacting his relationships with the people he cares about. in fact, feeling superior to everyone is always going to make it harder for him to make good, healthy choices in his relationships, because he's constantly discounting the opinions and feelings of the people he loves because he thinks he knows better than they do. he does it out of love for them, and with his highest priority being their safety and happiness, but still. it's not conducive to having, like, actually equal partnerships with people.

the whole situation in the temple is the perfect storm of all of wwx's simultaneously best/worst qualities. first off, like you said, it has not even occurred to him that jc could also have sacrificed something for him. this is partly because of his belief that he's more selfless and martyr-y than jc; partly because of his attachment to taking care of jc as his little brother and sect heir (and not the other way around); and partly because while he thinks he's better than everyone else, he ALSO simultaneously believes that he is not worthy of being anybody else's priority. all these years he's been positive that he's the only one of the two of them who knows the full story, which is dangerous because, as it turns out, that has not been true for even one single second. you don’t have all the facts, bro!

the second place he goes wrong is in assuming that because he likes to forget about the nice things he's done for people, and because he can see that it's upsetting jc to think about this whole situation, he decides - as a favor to jc! - that they should just forget about it. but it takes two to tango, wei wuxian. you can't just assume you know what's best for him. that's what got you into this whole clusterfuck in the first place! and maybe jc doesn't want to forget about it. maybe there's something deeper going on here!!

and okay the biggest way he fucks up in this conversation (which obviously goes all the way back to the core transfer itself) is by assuming that the core transfer was an unreservedly good thing for jc. from wwx's perspective, it was a no-brainer. obviously if there was anything that he could do to help his brother, his sister, or his sect, he was gonna do it. and when wwx is sitting there in the temple with jc, after coming back to life and seeing how jc has lived, become a formidable cultivator, rebuilt the sect, and raised their sister's kid, he's still thinking to himself that this was the best possible outcome. without wwx's core, jc would have died, or at the very least he wouldn't have been able to lead the sect. so the core transfer was in fact a good thing that he bestowed upon jc, a debt that jc owes him (i don't think he thinks of it that way, but he believes jc does) and this means that wwx is the one who can forgive the debt (or say "it wasn't a debt to begin with, because it was actually me who had a debt to the jiang sect and this was just how i paid it back") and decide that they should move past it.

but!!! he's overlooking several things. he never asked jc if he was down for a core transfer (an experimental procedure with a presumed 50% success rate that requires the donor to be in excruciating pain for an entire day, and even if it's successful and everybody lives, the donor loses all their superpowers and gives up their chance to become immortal). then he lied to jc about it for years, allowing jc to make all sorts of decisions (and draw all sorts of conclusions about whether or not wwx even cared about him at all) based on partial/inaccurate information. all along, wwx has thought that the knowledge that he had wwx's core would be crushing to jc because of his inferiority issues (and also guilt), so i think that's what wwx thinks is happening in the temple. and it is, but it's not the only thing! jc is also allowed to be mad about how: 

wwx violated his autonomy and performed medical procedures on him without his consent! 

jc is now looking back in hindsight and hating all his own choices, because they were actually not in keeping with his values but he had no way of knowing that at the time because wwx was lying to him! 

jc stabbed wwx, which he never would have done if he knew wwx was coreless! 

wwx let jc believe he left the sect because he loved the wens more than he loved jc! 

wwx never told him what wen qing had done for him!

there was actually a really good fucking reason wwx had to stop cultivating with the sword and start messing around with resentful energy but wwx let him believe that he was just doing it because he can't be tied down, man!!!! 

these were all wrongs that wwx committed against him, but wwx is maybe not capable of seeing it that way.

not to mention it's super insulting to be like "i thought your ego was too fragile to handle it and i didn't want to have to watch you cry like a baby" so, uh, there's that also. i bet wwx has been downplaying his accomplishments his whole life because he wanted jfm to pay attention to jc, and that's a very kind and understandable move for a child in an abusive household to make, so i'm not knocking it at all. but i also bet jc picked up on it, and it just fed into his own self-esteem problems even more to know that he sucked so much that his brother had to pretend to be dumber than he actually was just to help him out. and now that they are adults, it would be great if wwx could stop treating jc like a child that he has to protect from the knowledge of his own inferiority, because 1) jc is not a child and 2) jc can tell that's what he's doing and it's pretty offensive.

of course, wwx isn't picking up on any of this in the temple. as far as he's concerned, the temple conversation is just affirming all of his reasons for not telling jc: jc was too fragile for the truth, and this is just another thing jc is going to take as proof that wwx is better than him and feel shitty about. also, now jc probably feels like he owes him, and that's the last thing wwx has ever wanted. so i don't think wwx leaves the temple feeling like if he could go back in time he would do anything differently, he’s just really wishing wen ning had kept his mouth shut like wwx told him to.

but all jc really wants from wwx is for him to say sorry for the lying and to say that he didn't want to leave him. that the core transfer, however misguided it was, was an act of love. that he had to leave the sect and break his promise to stay by jc's side not because he stopped caring about him, but because it was a consequence of that act of love. that leaving the sect was in fact a sacrifice on wwx's part, because he did mean that promise and he wanted it as much as jc did. 

wwx can't see that that's what jc needs him to say, even though it's all true. the only thing he apologizes for is breaking his promise, because he sees that as a matter of honor that jc is laying at his feet, like how dare you break this vow? so he apologizes for going back on his word, but he doesn't say he's sorry for leaving jc behind or for lying to him. he doesn't see that that's what jc is really talking about - that it hurt him to be abandoned by his brother. he doesn't see that that's what jc actually wants him to address. (and i'm sure an apology for disregarding his autonomy all the time would be nice too.)

they're both talking around each other in that conversation. jc can't come right out and admit to all the things he's actually upset about because his molecules would explode if he showed that much tender emotional vulnerability in front of people. wwx doesn't have all the facts AND he's completely incapable of putting the ones he does have in the context of jc's feelings.

so when wwx says "all those things are from my previous life and we should both stop lingering on them", 

wwx thinks he's saying: let's try not to dwell on the whole core thing and all the sad family shit that brings up. the last thing i want is to cause you pain, so let's just pretend this never happened. the slate is clean, the ledger is balanced. we're good. 

but jc hears: we were brothers in my previous life, and i once promised we always would be. but that was a long time ago and a lot has happened since then. there's too much baggage now. we should just move on and go our separate ways. 

and then wwx wipes away one of jc's tears, and smiles at him, and rubs his shoulder. wwx thinks he's just relieved jc of a great burden; jc thinks he’s just been brother-divorced. again.

i don't know how they end up coming back together to be a family again, but i do believe that they both want to, and so in my heart of hearts i believe that they will somehow. either through a lot of soul-searching and individual growth, or through one of these very quality and much more believable mechanisms. i live in hope, anon. someday.

#sorry for...all the words... #you just unlocked something in me anon. i had a lot to say. #the untamed #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #they're brothers. they are BROTHERS #ugh why did it put the cut at the very top of the post? that's not where i put it!!!! #i do have some ideas for why jc doesn't want to tell wwx about his sacrifice but i'm interested to see what other people think #ALSO. lest anyone think that i don't love wwx with my entire heart and think that he's a whole ass angel: i do!!!!! #i love him to the ends of the earth and if he were a real person i would definitely idolize him more than would be healthy. #and i ALSO have an itemized list of all his flaws. these are both true. #anyway i could ramble in the tags forever but i've already spent hours on this so i need to go do something else #feel free to send me all your thoughts on the eventual yunmeng bro reconciliation because it's at least 20% of what i'm thinking about #on any given day #asks #anon #cuts #links #linked to

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for a Fic...

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1.  Hello! I have a request for the next itmf if you don't mind!! I see fics all the time where it's kind of a running joke that animals/babies/anything really don't like wwx, or just that they like lwj or jc or someone else more. And it kind of makes me more and more sad every time because I genuinely don't think I've read a fic where wwx is first pick for anyone but lwj? So I'd love to read some fics where wwx gets some love!! From people or kids or animals, doesn't matter, I just want to see our best boy being shown love and affection like he deserves!

Postcards from the Horizon by The Feels Whale (miscellea) (T, 7k, WIP, WangXian, Epilogue, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, Rabbit Acquisition, Second part of a series) Chapter two of Postcards From the Horizon has a pet bunny prefer reincarnated!WWX over immortal!LWJ.

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2. for the next im in the mood for, is there any fics where lwj runs away? it can be modern or canon divergence, he can run away from his family or simply leave them behind, if he's older and all (if there is another ask like this just ignore me, i remember writing and not sending it, but i can be wrong) thank you <3

Life as a House by Terri Botta (Isilwath) (T, 55k, WangXian, Modern AU, Corporate Espionage, Post-Divorce, Father-Son Relationship, Reconciliation, Therapy)

You are all that I want by ThisIsWhereTheMagicHappens (G, 3k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, wangxian meet as kids, the lan handfasting reinvented, lwj doesn't grow up in the lan sect, wangxian live a happy life free of worries, Happy Ending)

moonlight falls Series by RoseThorne (T, 11k, WangXian, Modern AU, Corporate Espionage, Family Fluff, Adoption, Bad parent LQR)

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3. For the next "in the mood for," how about some fics where either Nie Mingjue or Lan Xichen find out about the wen remnants?

Unexpected Solutions by Eleanor_Fenyx (G, 6k, wangxian, LXC/NMJ, fix-it of sorts, LXC pov)

the thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break by RoseThorne (E, 70k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a happy ending, LSZ is a Wei)

Hysterical Strength by covalentbonds (Not Rated, 3k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Parent WWX, Fix-It of Sorts, Everybody Lives/Nobody dies) is kinda 2zun discovering about the Wen remnants. But it’s more WWX will murder anyone trying to kill his baby. (As for LWJ thinking WWX/WN is a thing, towards the end of one fic where WWX babysits Wen Yuan for Wen Chao and his mistress, when LWJ meets Wen Yuan again, there is a span of time where he thinks WWX/WN happened when he was gone. Don’t remember the title though.)

~*~

4. Hi for the next in the mood for do you know any where wen ruohan adopts wei wuxian or just like gets close to him/takes care of him? Doesn't have to be a good!ruohan fic he could still be power hungry and murdery but maybe wei ying is his one soft spot? Maybe he wages war on the other sects in retaliation for how they treated wei ying? Anything is fine really I just want to see a good relationship between wen ruohan and wei wuxian. Thank you!

Scars of Lightning by  The_peregrine_falcon (T, 6k, WWX & YZY, WWX & WRH, wangxian, not YZY friendly, wen WWX, major character injury, heavy angst, muteness, hurt kinda comfort)

This one isn’t adoption, instead an actual son, but you might like it anyway Transpose by Marinelifeclub (Not rated, 35k, wangxian, time travel, wen WWX, canon divergence, Qishan Wen wins, not Jiang friendly, bitter WWX, WIP)

All Things Belong by kuroi_atropos (M, 24k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, WWX is a Wen, Abuse, Whipping, Manipulations, Smart WWX) For the Wen Ruohan & Wei Wuxian ask, All Things Belong. Wen Ruohan is surprised to discover he is a very doting grandfather.

~*~

5. Hello! For the next iitmf, can I get 3zun fics with a happy ending? I apologize if this has been listed before but I can't find it in all my scrolling back. Thanks!!

Troika by Nirejseki (T, 3k, 3Zun, Telepathic Bond, Dream Sharing, Lucid Dreaming, Snark)

3zun Raise Jingyi AU by Deriliarch (T, 86k, 3Zun, Fluff, Light angst, Established Relationship, Hurt/comfort, Kid fic) @guqin-and-flute on tumblr

Where There's A Will, There's A Road by little-smartass (T, 35k, 3Zun, Canon Divergence, Case fic, Hurt/comfort)

Company Is Coming! by AlfAlfAlfAlfAlf and tardigradeschool (E, 26k, 3Zun, Modern AU, Domestic fluff, Slice of Life, Emotional Hurt/comfort, Explicit Sex)

Silverspun by Sleepless_Malice (E, 26k, 3Zun, Arranged marriage, Explicit Sex, Threesome, Touch-Starved, Size kink)

3Zun Fixit AU Series by Eleanor_Fenyx (E, 132k, 3Zun, Angst with a happy ending, Time Travel, Established Relationship, Hurt/comfort, Fluff)

Modern Sunshot AU Series by Eleanor_Fenyx (E, 174k, 3Zun, Modern AU, Angst with a happy ending, Fluff, Light angst, Smut) I have two different 3zun series that are both happy endings, one time travel fix-it in canon-verse and one modern sort-of-Sunshot-Campaign AU

10 Things I Hate About Dating at Gusu Academy by KouriArashi (T, 59k, 3Zun, Modern AU, High school, Developing relationship, Mutual Pining, Happy ending) I have a favorite 3zun fic. It’s modern au, but happy ending

~*~

6. Hiii Thanks you really for everything that you do ✨ And I’m really sorry because I have a lot for your IITMF 😅 do you have A) teenage wwx being a father but not modern au more like canon B) a Wangxian fif but with wwx & nhs being bff like annoying master mind 😂 and C) still Wangxian but with wwx & wq acting loke brother an sister ( wwx calling her jie and calling yanli shijie) thanks again 🥰 @ihaveasoftspotfora-yuan

6A)

I’m not the father! I swear! by Fairygirl34 (T, 9k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Crack treated seriously, Kid Fic)

6B)

Nie Huaisang's Ten Steps to Fix The Fucked Up Reality by cosmic_zephyr (astralcelestia) (T, 62k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, scheming, BAMF WWX, BAMF WQ, BAMF NHS, BAMF LWJ, manipulation, WIP)

Crowded by nirejseki (G, 2k, NHS & WWX, wangxian, LWJ/WWX/NHS, canon divergence, different body offering ritual, sharing a body, sentient sabers)

and so falls the fan by b_ofdale (G, 4k, NHS & WWZ, post-canon, reconciliation, light angst, hurt/comfort)

your problem as a mountain. by cupofwater (E, 31k, wangxian, NHS & WWX, canon divergence, no sunshot, epistolary, getting together, misunderstandings, pen pals, sexual fantasy)

while covered in mud by merthurlin (T, 12k, NHS & WWX, NHS & NMJ, NHS & Wen remnants, mentioned wangxian, canon divergence, fix-it, NHS goes farming and Hates It)

Counting Brushes by Fortune_Maiden (T, 6k, NHS & NMJ, NHS & WWX, wangxian, canon divergence, fluff & crack, humor, hurt/comfort)

6C)

the thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break by RoseThorne (E, 70k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a happy ending, LSZ is a Wei) this also counts

Nie Huaisang's Ten Steps to Fix The Fucked Up Reality by cosmic_zephyr (astralcelestia) (T, 62k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, scheming, BAMF WWX, BAMF WQ, BAMF NHS, BAMF LWJ, manipulation, WIP)

~*~

7. Hiii would you know any teacher wwx and teacher lwj fics ? Ive read some but maybe i missed some? I really enjoyed the ones where the students find out wangxian are married

Buried Deep by NeverEnoughWangxian (T, 11k, wangxian, modern, teacher WWX, professor LWJ, pining, miscommunication, angst w/ happy ending, getting together)

starlight shining brighter by Sienne (Not rated, 20k, LJY & LWJ, LJY & WWX, LJY & The Juniors, fluff, the 13 years, post-canon, parent LWJ, teacher LWJ, teacher WWX)

Star-crossed by MrsKnightleysDays (G, 1k, wangxian, moder, teacher LWJ, teacher WWX, misunderstandings, middle school)

~*~

8. Hi 👋 for the next "im in the mood for " post, can you please recommend fics where wangxian enter a dom/sub relationship with dom wwx and sub lwj (something similar to the crazy in love series ). Preferably with wwx pov.

Your love has lifted me higher by Lanwangjisnights (E, 5k, WangXian, WIP, Modern AU, Dom WWX, Top WWX, Bottom LWJ, Marathon Sex, Explicit Sex)

Friday Nights Series by Lanwangjisnights (M/E, 15k, WangXian, Modern AU, Dom WWX, Top WWX, Switch LWJ, Falling in Love, BDSM, Explicit Sex)

~*~

9. I'm in a mood for your favorite fluff fics! Y'know, the ones that kinda make you want to go scream into a pillow!

A Wallet Found by AShippingAddict (T, 6k, WangXian, Modern AU, Baby LSZ, Kid Fic, Single parent WWX, Fluff, Meet-Cute)

Please Call Me Again by legendlanzhan ( T, 5k, WangXian, Modern AU, Kid fic, Single parent WWX, Prank calls, Fluff, Humor)

Lost & Found // 有缘千里来相会 by la_muerta for ChaoticAndrogynous (T, 6k, WangXian, Modern AU, Kid fic, Family feels, Fluff, Accidentally taking someone else's suitcase, Single parent WWX)

First Errand by Zacksy (G, 7k, WangXian, Modern AU, Single parent WWX, Fluff, Baby LSZ, Kid Fic, Meet-Cute)

One way to me by ThisIsWhereTheMagicHappens (T, 3k, WangXian, Modern AU, Switch WangXian, Domestic fluff, Getting together)

~*~

10. Drop the top 3 best fanfic of wangxian you've ever read

🧡Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 348k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement)

🧡 close your eyes, feel my heartbeat by ThatDesiGirl (T, 11k, blind!WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending, Rewriting Canon, not a fix-it but a what-if, Golden Core Transfer)

🧡I Don't Want to Debut! by countingcr0ws (G, 56k, WangXian, Modern AU, Reality show, Idols, Actor LWJ, Forced Contestant WWX) (I have a really hard time keeping a consistent top 3 of anything 😅 So instead here are 3 fics I really enjoyed reading, it's really hard not to add more...~ Mod C)

Oof, it really is super hard to choose top three :’D Here are definitely three fics that really have stayed with me after reading them ~Mod L

💖symmetry by bleuett (M, 45k, wangxian, scifi au, space au, non-sexual intimacy, angst w/ happy ending, time travel, yearning, reunions, hurt/comfort)

💖Teen Project to Change the World animeloverhomura (Not rated, 596k, wangxian, watching the series, fix-it of sorts, bamf!wwx, WIP)

💖love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360k, wangxian, immortal WWX, slow burn, pining, arranged marriage, Mojo’s post)

~*~

11. Hi! How are you doing? I was wondering whether there are fics where lan wangji thinks wen ning and wwx are married!!

~*~

12. Hi! I hope your day is going great! For the next in the mood for… I was wonder if anyone has recs of fics with lan an’s wife? Could be the character herself or just stories about her, thanks!

No Paths Are Bound by CataclysmicEvent (E, 803k, hualian, novel retelling therefore major spoilers ahead!, hurt/comfort, horror elements, internalized homophobia, graphic violence, torture, suicide attempt, genderfuid character, sexual content, sexual assault, domestic violence, refs to MDZS & SVSSS, WIP) While this is TGCF fic it has Lan An's story in it! Unfortunately I can’t remember how detailed it is since it has been a while since I read any of this ~Mod L

Here in the Garden Where You Grew by Admiranda (G, 3k, wangxian, lan an/lan an’s cultivation partner, modern, hippies, fluff)

Yearning for Miles by Murahi (M, 378k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Time travel, Fix-It, Angst with a happy ending, Fluff stories and flashbacks, they feature in the second half

~*~

13. Can you recommend me the best non jc friendly?

Bottles of White by ThisIsWhereTheMagicHappens (T, 6k, LWJ&JC, Canon Compliant, Missing Scene, we don't like LQR in this work, Hurt No Comfort, Emotional Hurt, Grief/Mourning, Emperor's Smile) not sure if its "the best" but its def non JC friendly. At least Ch1?

Preludian_staves work

The Core Issue by Hauntcats (T, 21k, wangxian, WQ & WWX & WN, NHS & WWX & NMJ, canon divergence, golden core rebuilding, golden core tied to soul, angst w/ happy ending, not JC friendly)

All will be well when the day is done by abCEE (T, 76k, wangxian, canon divergence, time travel, fix it, not Jiang friendly, lan WWX, butterfly effect, no sunshot)

I'll Take the Path of Thorns by Admiranda (G, 6k, wangxian, cloud recesses study era, curses, not JC friendly, clever WWX, baby wangxian)

bleed by justdoityoufucker (T, 5k, wangxian, time travel, canon divergence, families of choice, getting together, not JC friendly, fluff, hurt/comfort)

Resilience. by Vrishchika (T, 7k, wangxian, time travel, not JC friendly, golden core transfer fix-it)

All will be well when the day is done by abCEE (T, 76k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Time travel, Fix-It, Good uncle LQR, Not Jiang family Friendly, Lan WWX)

~*~

14. do u know any fics with people/wwx mixing up the twin jades shenanigans (or them deliberately for some reason being 'desguised' as one another)?

The Twin Jade Problem by bonyenne (T, 22k, WangXian, Modern AU, College AU, Fluff, Misunderstandings, Humor, Mistaken Identity) "The one where Wei Wuxian thinks Lan Zhan is twins (yes, both of them), and Lan Wangji thinks Wei Wuxian is dating Lan Xichen."

one out of three by everythingispoetry (T, 9k, wangxian, cloud recesses study era, misunderstandings, fluff, “LZ” is actually identical triplets, romantic comedy, matchmaking siblings)

~*~

15. Howdy! I'm always grateful for every mods hardwork ❤ I Wonder if you or any otherbperson knows of good A/B/O wangxian where its alfa!wwx and omega!lwj or a strange pairing? Like alfa x beta, both alpha or both omegas... that would be delightful! @nia-rarita

举头望明月 - Looking up at the bright moon by Lanwangjisnights (M, 39k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Alpha LWJ, Omega/Alpha WWX, Fox WWX, Explicit Sex, Top LWJ/Bottom WWX, Mpreg, Dual Cultivation) This is a series about different dynamics than usual a/b/o. Not sure if this is what had been searched for, but I thought I'll offer

What makes me by deliciousblizzardshark (M, 11k, wangxian, non-traditional ABO dynamics, trans omega LWJ, sexism, found family, supportive WWX, YLLZ WWX, the omega revolution, fluff, hurt/comfort, bitching as gender confirmation surgery)

ornament by iliacquer (E, 5k, wangxian, extremely dubious consent, ABO, alpha WWX, omega LWJ, public sex, public humiliation, exhibitionism, breathplay, collars)

plant the seed of your love, let it take root by lulu_kitty (E, 37k, wangxian, modern, ABO, alpha WWX, omega LWJ, in quarantine, getting together, mating cycles/in heat, nesting, knotting, mpreg, unplanned pregnancy, fluff & smut)

❤️spider lilies to sunflowers by cicer (E, 33k, wangxian, ABO, YLLZ WWX, fairy tale elements, mpreg, omega LWJ, alpha WWX, LWJ topping from the bottom, Mojo’s post)

i am the storm by everythingispoetry (M, 4k, wangxian, canon divergence, sunshot campaign, ABO, omega LWJ, omega WWX, BAMF WWX, protective WWX, pre-relationship, mentions of non-con, mentions of miscarriage)

How to Deal with the Conundrum of Your Past Self: A Case Study by anatheme (E, 16k, wangxian, ABO, post-canon, established relationship, YLLZ WWX, a!YLLZ/a!LWJ/o!WWX, pining, sexual tension, bottom LWJ, switch wangxian, knotting, happy ending)

so full of love i could barely eat by cicer (E, 40k, wangxian, ABO, canon divergence, breastfeeding, lactation kink, golden core reveal, fix-it)

~*~

16. Hi all! For the next I'm in the mood for, does anyone have any Xuanli fics? Other ships are acceptable but I would love ones that focus at least partially on their relationship developing. Thanks for all you do mods!

Letters to My Partner in Crime by pupeez4eva (T, 17k, XuanLi, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Study Era, Matchmaking, Humor, Public confessions)

Rise of the Peacock by JustAWanderingBabbit  (Not Rated, 62k, WIP, XuanLi, 3Zun, Canon Divergence, Time travel Fix-It, Jin Siblings bonding)

Jin Zixuan Vrs. Consequences by Dei_Starr (DeiStarr) (M, 15k, Xuanli, JZX & JGY, JYL & LXC, arranged marriage, broken engagement, consequences, awkward JZX, getting back together, xuanly endgame, BAMF JYL, political alliances, angst & humor, happy ending, WIP)

Jin Zixuan Does the Time Warp by marigold_sigil (G, 6k, Xuanli, JZX & everyone, time travel fix-it, crack treated seriously, temporary character death, everyone lives au, bad humor, not JZ or JGS friendly, sect leader JZX)

Aftermath by KouriArashi (T, 57k, JYL/JZX, wangxian, everybody lives (except JGS) au, romance, developing relationship, family, attempted sexual assault, processing trauma)

Teen Project to Change the World animeloverhomura (Not rated, 596k, wangxian, watching the series, fix-it of sorts, bamf!wwx, WIP) While it is mainly focused on wangxian and the whole watching the series, relationship between Xuanli is developed rather nicely in it

~*~

17. Hi mods! Lately, I have been craving modern fics where wwx disappeared for however many years, and lwj happens upon him with a-yuan (or any child) and thinks that wwx must've married someone and had a child with them. Pls and ty for the recs!

a sensational team series by twigofwillow (G, 29k, wangxian, modern, fluff, little bit of angst, found family, librarian LWJ, afrmers market WWX, greenhouse au, tea, friendship)

estuaries by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 34k, wangxian, modern, break up/make up, pining while fucking, single dad, angst w/ happy ending)

~*~

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

[hunxi-guilai]

ask lightning round 6

another day, another lightning round! the questions just don’t stop coming, do they?

Hi! so full disclosure I haven’t actually watched a ton of television shows at all, in any language, so the only show I can really recommend is 琅琊榜 / Nirvana in Fire. I’m currently chugging through 庆余年 / Joy of Life, and having a grand old time (yes, I have watched The Poetry Scene and yes, I enjoyed it greatly). I’ve had people recommend 天盛长歌 / Rise of Phoenixes, but haven’t seen it myself.

I don’t think 琅琊榜 or 庆余年 are available on Netflix, sadly, but they are both extremely available on YouTube. 天盛长歌, if I’m not mistaken, is available on Netflix, but I can’t actually vouch for whether it’s any good because I haven’t actually, uh, seen it.

alas, I do not think I did -- unless I explicitly reblog someone’s post, assume that the tags got lost in the tumblr notifications (I tend to get somewhere around a thousand to two thousand notifications a day, so I’ve, uh... more or less stopped keeping track. I couldn’t figure out how to do it sustainably).

BLANKET APOLOGY TO EVERYONE WHO’S EVER TRIED TO TAG ME IN SOMETHING I’M REALLY SORRY 

Nothing like trial by fire to see how well your acting skills hold up against your fratricidal patricidal uxoricidal filicidal sworn-in-law brother!

Wei Wuxian falls in love like a solar eclipse -- slowly, imperceptibly, then all at once

DOUBLE DEMONIC CULTIVATING YUNMENG HERO AU. BLACK LIGHTNING ZIDIAN. 

I feel like I’ve seen someone develop this AU on my dash? But now that I’ve seen Fatal Journey, I think it would be cool for the Nie bros to come visit a demonic cultivation-friendly Yunmeng to chat about the best way to pacify their bloodthirsty spiritual weaponry with minimum abridgment of morals. A joint Gusu-Qinghe cleansing of the Burial Mounds! Lanling Jin and Gusu Lan want to be nervous about it but 1) Qinghe Nie and Yunmeng Jiang combined accounted for 75% of enemy casualties during Sunshot, and 2) Lan Wangji keeps sending sad kicked-puppy looks Lan Xichen’s way every time someone says something mean about Wei Wuxian.

you say that, anon, but I’ve literally sent my friends the CQL soundtrack (specifically, this track) with no context except “necromantic combat fluting rendered in music, thought you’d enjoy” and gotten back the response “I do enjoy this very much, but what”

contrary to popular belief, I’m actually the worst person to ask about this because I watch with the English subs turned firmly off. Luckily, other folks have chipped in on the conversation!

(the answer is Viki, but Netflix if that fails)

isn’t it?

so about Wen Ruohan’s discount orcs... I don’t know if they’re supposed to be anything in particular aside from generic fantasy monsters that became useful for ramping up narrative stakes, but you could make an argument for interpreting them as something between a 妖 yao and a 魔 mo (which @adhd-wifi breaks down in their excellent meta here)

I love that it’s canonical that Lan Xichen is almost Too Strong To Function. My dash has been blessed with a lot of Lan Wangji-lifting-Wei-Wuxian-and-Lan-Sizhui-at-the-same-time lately but I’m still waiting for someone to draw Lan Xichen carrying Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao simultaneously.

hello! I’m hanging in there, all things considered, thank you for asking!

so I’m not very familiar with the novel and/or novel chronology, since I haven't read the novel myself in any language. @pumpkinpaix​ discusses the narrative dead space that occurs between Lan Wangji’s fight with the Lan Sect elders and Lan Wangji finding out about Wei Wuxian’s death briefly in this transcendent meta to end all metas, you should check it out!

no, I will not stop recommending that meta at the slightest provocation; yes, I have it bookmarked

meep, I’m honestly not sure if I am the right person to ask because I don’t read a ton of Chinese-language fanfic/writing in general, so I can’t even tell you if the prevalent use of 断袖 duanxiu / cut-sleeve is something that’s common in modern parlance or if it’s something more unique to the writing of MDZS. 

native speakers, chip in!

BABY. PRE-EMINENTLY SQUISHABLE. 

so...... if I’m reading this correctly.... that makes Wei Wuxian Beyonce and Lan Wangji Oprah?

!!!! Lotuses are so cool! No wonder they can survive in the Burial Mounds! Thank you for this fun fact!

I’m glad that we’ve confirmed the narrative significance of the side wispies, thank you for your work anon! I highly doubt the hairstyles in CQL have anything to do with actual rules in ye olde China, since if CQL was trying to be accurate rather than aesthetic, we’d be dealing with a lot more Confucian hats

oof, I don’t know if I’ve read any terms of endearment in poetry, what with it being... well, poetry and all that. Conservation of words and adherence to rhyme schemes and tonal patterns and parallelism and whatnot.

I’ve written a couple of posts about terms of endearment in CQL (you’ll find them mostly under ‘linguistic meta’), but again, I haven’t actually read any wuxia (just... grew up watching 射雕 and spent a few semesters studying the genre in college), so I’m afraid I don’t have any insight to offer on this. @wangxianbunnydoodles​, this feels like your domain?

(in reference to this post)

ah, I think you’re getting ‘the other flute’ confused with ‘the other flutist,’ anon -- other anon was asking about that moment in episode...21, I think? when Jiang Yanli reaches out to touch Chenqing and recoils when it screams at her, so way before second flutist shows up in to fuck things up in episodes 30-33.

rip this is the fourth time I’ve gotten an ask about this moment, still don’t have more coherent thoughts than this meta/discussion thread I linked last time

it’s just... a lot of yikes and very little explanation at all. there’s probably some connection here to themes of narrative and legacy, who gets their story told, who doesn’t, but that is...a meta for someone else who gets more sleep I do to write...

CQL stands for 陈情�� Chen Qing Ling, which is the name of the show in Chinese! You can find a breakdown of the different names for the show/book here

And I’m afraid I’ve got nothing on the boxed set -- I don’t know if I’ve purchased a DVD in my entire life, but if other folks know! Hit us up in the notes!

the hunt for decent English subs continues...

LISTEN the one set of friends I’ve convinced -- accidentally -- to watch CQL also went all-in on the nicknaming game, with fairly similar results. Fan Man is an excellent moniker for director Nie

(follow-up to this post)

the minor sect leaders who are here to Actually Get Work Done (as opposed to Sect Leader Yao) start approaching Wei Wuxian in their leisure time and offer him small tokens of their gratitude: a packet of dried fruits and local delicacies from their region, they insist. No, these aren’t bribes, how could you even think so, Wei-gongzi. 

Wei Wuxian then asks okay, what these are for, and the minor sect leaders just smile and say, why, for his assistance with the proceedings today of course, and walk away with serene looks on their faces. 

Wei Wuxian is confused -- but he didn’t help at all? He just kind of lounged on the dais, twirling Chenqing through his fingers, and occasionally pouring Lan Wangji some tea? But this keeps happening, and hey, Wei Wuxian’s never been one to turn down free snacks --

Nie Huaisang is the first to figure out the pattern -- you can save a full fifth of your discussion conference budget if you invite Wei Wuxian, because he’ll get enough bribes SNACKS from the minor sect leaders to feed a small army

well thanks I guess I didn’t need my heart tonight, I’ll be in a corner thinking about how touch-starved Wei Wuxian who wants nothing more than meaningful human connection, continually coerced into narrative corners where he yells at other people to get lost in order to protect them... 

this also reminds me... I really gotta get back to watching the donghua...

it’s actually not available on the officially-released CQL soundtrack, sadly, but @pumpkinpaix, a hero among mortals, spliced together an excellent cut of it here!

I mean... can you blame him though? wouldn’t we all like to be caught gently by Lan Xichen?

thank you for your hopes! fingers crossed this lightning round knocks things back down from the 60′s for a few days

I don’t really think I’m qualified to make a judgment about how socially acceptable/unacceptable Lan Wangji’s punishment is, because my personal life has (fortunately) existed very, very far away from corporal punishment. I generally get the impression that Lan Wangji’s punishment is something that might have killed a lesser man, depending on whether or not the Lan Sect has rules about using spiritual energy to recover from corporal punishment. 

likewise, in fandom, there have been a bunch of different takes on how Lan Qiren reacts to it. It’s hard to shake the fact that 1) Lan Qiren is the one who sets and oversees Lan Wangji’s punishment in CQL, and 2) Lan Wangji clearly still cares for and respects Lan Qiren post-punishment/post-timeskip (see: Lan Wangji rushing to his side when they’re dealing with the sword spirit in episode... 33? I think). Some people write a gruff kind of wordless reconciliation between Lan Qiren and Lan Wangji; other folks make that a turning point in their relationship, a permanent freezing over of any affection. It’s certainly up to you to interpret!

As for how Lan Xichen handles it... can I direct you to @acutebird-fics​‘s incredible art for the purposes of ruining your day with Twin Jades feels?

(oops, I think you may be referring to this meta by the incomparable @pumpkinpaix​, who I’ve tagged... uh, three times and counting in this post?)

aw shucks, that’s very kind of you! I feel like embarking on a full-scale re-translation of CQL is something that I could potentially be interested in, but would involve a lot more logistics than I’d like to deal with; for one, I’d have to learn how to use basic subtitling software, then figure out how to host it on a site for people to download and pair with their media (oh god I’d have to time the subtitles too), and ideally there’d be a way for me to include footnotes/annotations of certain lines or idioms, which aren’t really something that you can fit into the medium of subtitles, and then I’d actually have to go through and actually do the work of re-translating fifty goddamn episodes of material --

-- yeah, unless Netflix or Tencent straight-up offers me a contract for translating CQL, I don’t think it’s going to happen (but @netflix​ and @tencent, if you’re reading this, I’m available, hit me up). And keeping all of my keyboard-smashings of various lengths and coherencies on tumblr makes it pretty low-stakes and free-form, allowing me to write about whatever I want, which is its own plus.

you’re always welcome to visit my ko-fi if you’re so inclined! though I will take a brief moment and say that there are more causes out there right now that are much more pressing and deserving of your financial support. For the record,  I would be beyond thrilled if you considered sending that ko-fi money towards causes that deserve our support, narratives that deserve to be heard

#ask lightning round #ask and ye shall receive #I decided four months ago that this blog was going to be nothing but CQL #and I have fought to keep it that way #...deviations into LYB and cosmere aside #I come to tumblr specifically to escape other parts of my life #so I'm very dedicated towards keeping this space free of that #as a result I won't be talking about current events on this blog #that being said #if you are in a position of allyship or aid #please offer it to those who need it #if nothing else #it's what Wei Wuxian would want

[agendratum]

hey @tootiredtoosadtooangry i tried to answer your 6 weeks old ask, but as i saved it as a draft to check the formatting and all that, it just fucking disappeared, cause tumblr is a website. it may magically come back later, but idk if it will happen. good thing is that i saved the text of that ask separately, cause i’m a genius and i wasn’t gonna lose this essay *wink wink* to this fucking website

ok, so it's been 6 weeks

it's basically 5-7 business days, right?

so 6 weeks ago i made a gif, and under that gif i said that i might write an essay about some things (wei wuxian), but then some other things happened (word of honor) and i kinda got distracted. but now i have my glass of whatever this alcohol that i'm drinking is, and i think i'm ready to talk a bit about our depressed necromancer who in that gif just came back to life. mostly about:

1. the specific flashback he's having in that moment, the one about seeing lan wangji for the first time

2. the general concept of being back to life 16 years later and getting using to that new world around him

so, first of all, what i find really interesting, is that upon seeing sizhui's clothing pattern, wei wuxian remembers, of course, lan wangji. but the thing is, being just back to life, his last memory from being alive is him falling down the cliff with lan wangji's face fading while the distance grows. that is not what he remembers. his memory goes back to the very first moment they met, the moment before literally anything happened, including all the things that went wrong.

because think about it. even tho i'm going here by the live-action canon, if we go back just a little bit to the novel canon, wei wuxian doesn't actually remember lan wangji fighting by his side in that final battle. when he comes back to life, he believes that he's remembered as the terrible yiling laozu by everybody. and that includes lan wangji. by the end of wei wuxian life he became everything that lan wangji warned him about, and everything he said he wouldn't become. so he believes that if lan wangji would find out that he's back to life, it wouldn't make him happy (oh how wrong he is)

when wei wuxian sees lan sect juniors for the first time, there seems to be a bit of hope - "is *he* also here?" but later we find out, that he doesn't actually want lwj to be here, cause he thinks that their meeting will not look like a friendly reunion (it will look like a very romantic reunion, but that happens later). and i think that when he has that small flashback to their very first meetings, the sadness that overcomes him is caused by the realization of that enormous gap between them when they just met and them after all the terrible things that happened. wei wuxian wants to see his old friend, a person who once at least tried to believe in him, who is also still alive, which can't be said about a lot of people he knew, but there is this huge barrier that he believes cannot be crossed. and he crossed that point of no return himself in his previous life, and he is now undeserving of lan wangji's trust and friendship.

and that's of course isn't true. but there is a difference between what we know, what lan wangji thinks and what wei wuxian believes and remembers.

there is no smooth transition i can think of to get to the second point, so here we are. 16 years. 16 years is a lot. it's a whole fucking life. a human can be almost fully formed in that time period (which is perfectly represented by both fully grown up sizhui and jin ling, who, when wwx died, was a one month old baby) in 16 years a lot can happen to a person. a person can grow to change their whole world view, their believe system, some of their principles, become comfortable with their identity and finally figure out what they want from life. a person can grow from a child to an adult, who's carefully and patiently initiating a plan they've been cultivating for years, while playing a role and hiding their true face from everybody. a person can take their enormous grief, their rage, their pain and direct it all towards achieving their goals, actually fulfilling the impossible, while managing to raise a child and not completely ruin them from the inside, but actually letting the child know that he's loved and safe.

and then wei wuxian who died 16 years ago before any of that happened, comes back to this world full of people he used to once know. but he doesn't anymore. and we can see it in everything, from little details to big very important conversations. the most obvious is him trying to play and flirt with lan wangji the ways he used to when they were teens, and being so confused by lwj's reaction. because lwj grew past that so long ago, while wwx just didn't have a chance to get this out of his system. that part is him getting to know lwj again, from the beginning, because he meets a new man. but at least with lwj, wwx is willing to get to know him and lwj is willing to let him do that.

then there is jiang cheng. there was always a certain level of misunderstanding between yunmeng bros, but at the same time, wei wuxian used to know jiang cheng pretty well. when jiang cheng was upset or something was going wrong home, with his parents, wwx mostly knew what to do or what to say or how to distract him and make light of the situation. he used to be able to look jiang cheng in the eyes and lie, and jiang cheng would believe that. and when wei wuxian comes back, he thinks it's the same jiang cheng. but the thing is, it's not. jiang cheng grew in not the most healthy ways, but he still grew up. there are so many moments, where instead of making the light of the situation, wei wuxian's actions escalate it. it's both jc just being a new person and wwx not knowing anymore how to act around him. the most important scenes showcasing that are lotus pier fight and the conversation in the temple.

there is also nhs, who's fooling everybody around him easily because he always did. even if it was just about school work. but isn't it fucking sad, that he's fooling even he's best friend. wwx isn't really surprised in the end, of course, when we find out that nhs has been behind all these deeds, but still he doesn't really suspect him. like at all, if i recall correctly? and they used to be on the same page of fooling everybody to think that these two boys are just some lazy fools. they're clearly not on the same page anymore.

wwx comes back to the world full of people who look like people he used to know or remind him of people he used to know, but they aren't them. meanwhile he didn't have the time to grow or change or just have some peace. wherever he's been while being dead, he was just out of it. his path of growing and figuring himself out stars with him coming back. but he's years behind. and with someone like lan wangji, we know that he's willing wait and he gives him space and he gives him love and home and warmth. but then, for example, jiang cheng's frustration is visible in the air, because he had years to overthink everything went wrong again and again, and wei wuxian comes back and it seems like he just want to ignore and leave "the past in the past" and it's infuriating for someone who couldn't let go of it all for 16 years. but it's understandable for someone who just came back and now the weight of everything they did multiplied by 16 years is suddenly being thrown at them.

and he has to get to know all these people from the beggining, if they will be willing to get to know each other at all. and the growth, that getting to know himself, it's a journey he has to take on his own. that's why i'm such a big fan of that trip he takes in the end by the way. but still it's a trip he takes alone, and there are still huge chunks of life he missed. and he will never get them back. he missed all those years when sizhui and jin ling were growing up. and it will always be there. they will be sharing their childhood stories with him, and the lack of wwx in their lives will be so obvious. he will continue to learn new things about lwj, about his old friends, about the world, because it's been so long, and it will be noticeable that he was not there.

i would say that all the characters of their generation (that survived) are lonely in their own way. but for wei wuxian it's the loneliness of being dead and just completely not present on the lives of his loved ones.

i don't know where i'm going with it now, so i think i will just stop here and maybe come back to you 6 weeks later with another terribly messy emotional take influenced by me drinking alcohol.

#cql #wwx #is it meta for me to mumble? #meta

[winepresswrath]

i am somewhat drunk so don’t mind me but also i’m having thoughts and feelings about post canon yunmeng bros. i just want them to be happy!!! i just want them to remember that they are important to each other!! and i want them to know that it is ok to miss and love your brother and that moving forward doesn’t mean moving on and also i would like them to communicate even though that’s like pulling teeth with them. is it too much to ask that they make soup and then cry and then hug while crying?

My only note is that there should also be hair petting mixed in with the hugging. I feel like they deserve that after everything they’ve been through. I do legitimately think there’s a very solid chance of them doing exactly that, and perhaps it is unpopular of me but look I (also a little tipsy) lay my case before you. This is probably gonna be repetitive for everyone who’s been here awhile but:

1) They want to. Sad courtyard pining! In the book, this assault on my feelings:

But! Wanting doesn’t make it so, as this excerpt makes pretty clear. Wanting is necessary but it is not sufficient.

2) Their problem is not that as adults they realized that they don’t actually enjoy each other’s company, or that they got into a rut where they were just constantly mad at each other. At the heart of what went wrong between them there was for sure their own personal childhood trauma, terrible communication and deep seated philosophical differences. However, I would argue that the reasons those things exploded in their faces were:

a) the machinations of a series of supervillains (two genocides, a couple of self sacrificial maimings and a big promise breaking jailbreak in they’re still having soup together; it took their brother-in-law dying AND a massacre AND Yanli’s death to get them actually at odds with each other)

b) the big lie squatting at the heart of their relationship

As an adult Jiang Cheng has put a lot of work into having the social & political power to electrocute supervillains at will and Wen Ning has cleared up the big lie for them. I think one of the reasons Yunmeng Bros is so compelling is that the emotional heart of them feels really brutally realistic- you get to a certain age and you realize that some relationships are not salvageable, no matter how much you both love each other- but:

a) the reason Jiang Cheng was getting perpetually flaked on by a day drinking dude who wore too much black and aggressively refused to give a fuck about the things that mattered to him is that the dude in question loved him so much he had cut his soul out for him. This is the single least realistic revelation in a series that includes necromancy and your summer camp crush devotedly pining for years on end.

b) their relationship is still in flux at the end of the series. The last time we see them together is in the immediate aftermath of a series of pretty massive revelations, and I don’t think they’ve actually had time to process them or figure out how they feel. Giving chengqing back and ‘take care’ are definitely a shift from where they are at the beginning of the second life, but I do not think we have seen the endpoint of that shift. Of course there is no guarantee that endpoint will be reconciliation, but...

3) Jin Ling openly wants them to make up and is willing to take his dog out of the courtyard to make that happen. Their beloved and tragically orphaned nephew who has just lost a significant chunk of his remaining family under terrible circumstances has significant pull with both of them. They can’t repair their relationship just for him, but I do think they can be motivated to try, and per 2) I think it would actually probably go pretty decently. This also means they’re going to have to come to some kind of accord. The joy of not making up is never having to actually deal with the other person or their bullshit ever again and that isn’t really an option for them. A mixed blessing to be sure, but like, they might as well sort their shit out a bit while they’re here.

Anyway I think they are capable of being people who are good to and for each other and they have a second chance to do that and I want it so badly for both of them.

#Wei Wuxian #Jiang Cheng #like I cannot stress enough how what I want for them is a thing that would be good for both of them #if I thought it was gonna just be about one or both of them suffering for love I would not be into that #I think they are the only two people who remember their family and home as it was #good and bad #no one else understands what it means that Yanli is dead #and perhaps most importantly #I think they genuinely like each other in addition to loving each other! #ugh that isn’t even my favourite moment of Wei Wuxian having feelings about Jiang Cheng from the extras I’ve just brought up my actual #favourite too many times

[trensu]

Episode 46: The One with All the Yunmeng Bros Angst

gross, ouyang and yao are talking. let’s ignore them!

blah blah plot plot blah

ooh thank god, wwx is now the one talking

being all detective-y and asking relevant questions

I LOVE MY SUNSHINE BOY WHEN HE'S BEING CLEVER

wwx makes some Plot Relevant Point and yao is like I DISAGREE bc ofc he fucking does

LOL WWX'S FACE WHEN YAO INTERRUPTS LIKE THAT

IT'S LIKE HE'S BITING DOWN ON HIS TONGUE TO NOT SNAP SOMETHING BACK

kudos to him on his self-control tbh but it's wasted on yao. 

wwx is all asking things like why are you ladies fessing up now, oh and btw that's a real neat bracelet you got there...

and then nhs is like, gee i wonder what kind of person would've sent these ladies here today

LOLOLOL NHS IS SUCH A TROLL OMG

and yao is like DETAILS DON'T MATTER, WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING ANYWAY LET'S GO MURDER FOR JUSTICE AGAIN

and everyone else is like, HEY, THIS LOUD GUY HAS A POINT LET'S GO MURDER

okay, they don't actually say anything about murder but they're harping about "justice" 

The last time they did that, it resulted in murder so i'm gonna go ahead and assume this time isn't any different

lwj: many skeptical points remain

THANK YOU, LWJ, FOR BEING SENSIBLE

oh, and i would like to point out that the crowd had been getting rowdy 

but the minute lwj interjected there they all fell silent

My guy didn't even raise his voice and was able to shut up a whole room full of people.

I LOVE YOU HANGUANG JUN

lqr: what are they?

wwx: SO MANY. 

wwx makes some Points and is like so we got some witnesses now but where's the HARD EVIDENCE GUYS??

and yao is like, whatever, we'll find it sooner or later now that we know THE TRUTH

and wwx's reaction lolol

it's like oh my god how stupid is this guy, that's not how it works, that's not how ANY of this works

I FEEL YOUR PAIN, WWX, I FEEL IT IN MY SOUL

ppl are blabbering Plot Stuff

i'm just gonna enjoy the occasional shots of wwx and lwj's beautiful faces

blah blah blah plot plot plot blah

gosh, my boys are so pretty

LOOK AT THEM BEING PRETTY, I LOVE THEM

(i say as the crowd devolves into vicious mob mentality)

wwx's had enough of this and turns to leave bc angry mobs are old news at this point

And we all know how he ended up last time there was an angry mob

but yao and some rando interrupt his exit as if they have ANY RIGHT to speak to my sunshine boy at all

Eventually we DO escape sword hall and the mob of stupid people and our boys are alone together wandering lotus pier!!!

they're reviewing Plot Info and bouncing ideas off each other and IT'S BEAUTIFUL, THEY'RE SO SMART AND IN LOVE

They determine that they don't have enough clues to say who the mysterious 3rd party is

but they def have enough evidence showing jgy murdered nmj and is generally an evil conniving bastard.

lwj mentions that he's going to send word to his brother to be careful since jgy is EVIL FOR SURE NOW.

oooh, our boys just came upon the jiang clan's ancestral shrine

wwx freezes, eyes red-rimmed and shiny, MY POOR SUNSHINE BOY

lwj: what's wrong?

ALL OF HIS ATTENTION IS GLUED TO WWX'S EVERY MOVE ALL THE TIME, ISN'T IT??

SEE HOW INTENTLY HE LOOKS AT WWX??

me too, lan zhan, me too

wwx: nothing. it's the ancestral hall of the jiang clan

he says this softly, like it hurts to acknowledge it or smth

lwj: do you want to enter?

wwx: no

WHICH IS A BLATANT LIE

EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM IS SCREAMING HOW MUCH HE WANTS TO GO IN THERE

they make to turn away and pause for a moment, during which wwx looks back at the shrine longingly

cut to the next scene where we see wwx burning some incense sticks in the shrine

AND OUR BOYS BOW TOGETHER  3x TO M-YU, JFM, AND JYL

wwx greets his deceased loved ones solemnly

wwx: it's me. i'm here to disturb you again.

idk about m-yu and jfm, BUT JYL WOULD NEVER THINK WWX'S PRESENCE WAS A DISTURBANCE

now wwx is telling lwj about how he used to spend a ton of time in that shrine bc m-yu would punish him by sending him there to, idk, reflect on his sins before the ancestors or smth

and lwj is like, yeah, i heard about that

then wwx comments on how he's never met a woman as irritable as m-yu, and how she punished him for trifles all the time

then he laughs bashfully and says "my fault, my fault" and bows another 3x bc omg wwx you can't speak ill of the dead, especially not at their shrine

this is a nice moment between them so far, actually. 

it's nice to hear wwx reminisce in a way that's not 100% painful

and the fact that he's sharing these little bits of inconsequential info with lwj, his soulmate, is just very sweet to me

lwj: won't you tell jc?

wwx: idk. at least not yet

lwj: after all, you two are sworn brothers

it's nice of lwj to acknowledge that, without any sort of rancor in his tone, considering how much he does not care for jc (to put it mildly)

wwx: since the misunderstanding between us is so deep, it's not that easy to solve

HE SOUNDS SO RESIGNED, AND THE LITTLE SMILE THAT FLASHED BRIEFLY THERE WAS JUST SO SAD

and then he's like, besides, I created Plot Device 2, regardless of whether or not jgy ended up using it to make Plot Device 3

UH OH, HERE COMES JC

jc: wei wuxian

OH GOD, CAN HE PACK ANY MORE BITTERNESS AND VENOM INTO THAT NAME??

wwx stands immediately when he hears jc call, he doesn't look at him tho

lwj stands a beat after as jc enters the shrine

jc: you still take yourself as one of the jiang clan? come and go at any time you like, then bring people here when you wish. Do you remember whose house this is? who's the owner?

YIKES

THAT ONE HURT.

and wwx just takes it

wwx: i didnt take hanguang jun to any confidential places in Lotus Pier. i just brought him here to offer some incense to clan leader jiang and madam yu.

he's so submissive here and not even in a fun way

it’s in his posture and tone of voice, even in how he still doesn't look directly at jc...it makes me sad

wwx: we're leaving

He tries to retreat bc he def doesn't want this this confrontation to happen 

jc: you really should kneel down to them, for coming to their presence to destroy the view and ruin their quiet.

DOUBLE YIKES. 

that one hurt EVEN MORE

and lwj, who had been following wwx's lead and staying quiet, intervenes

lwj: clan leader jiang, pay attention to your words

oh boy if looks could kill, jc would be dead as a doornail

he's like HURT MY SOULMATE AGAIN, I DARE YOU. JUST GIVE ME A REASON AND I WILL STRIKE YOU DOWN

which is pretty gutsy since jc is higher ranked than him, technically, as clan leader. 

AND they're both in jc's domain rn!

jc: what did you say? i think someone else needs to watch his behavior

he's glaring at wwx's back and he's got a mean twist to his mouth that would be a smile if it weren't so cruel

jc: you have already been kicked out of our family. how dare you enter and face my parents and my sister?

STOP HURTING MY SUNSHINE BOY

wwx is just accepting this. he's just accepting all these cruel things with his eyes downcast and submissive

BC IT HURTS AND HE BELIEVES HE DESERVES IT

lwj: jiang wanyin

HOLY SHIT

lwj fucking HISSED that name

and he took a VERY MENACING step towards jc

MY GUY

MY GUY, YOU CAN'T ATTACK A CLAN LEADER

ESPECIALLY NOT IN HIS OWN HOME

LIKE, I TOTALLY GET WHY YOU'D WANT TO RN, AND, Y'KNOW, I'M NOT THE MOST POLITICALLY SAVVY PERSON AROUND

BUT THIS JUST SEEMS LIKE A BAD IDEA ALL AROUND

thank god wwx is there

wwx stops him, pressing the palm of his hand into lwj's torso (!!!!!)

wwx: lan zhan. lan zhan, let's go

he practically whispers this, head bent down, AGAIN SUPER SUBSERVIENT

but jc is looking for a fight and he's not letting go until he gets one, apparently

jc: go as far as you can. i don't want to see you AWFUL PEOPLE again before my dead family

wwx just halts in his steps.

he had been all prepared to go after taking that tongue lashing that he thinks he's earned, but at that he takes a deep, fortifying breath bc jc crossed a line

he purses his lips a moment before turning to finally face jc head on

wwx: jc, scold me as you like but not the others (aka LWJ)

oooh, but that was the wrong thing to say to jc right now bc jc goes off on a VERY PAINFUL rant

he's like, oh, i should be nice to lwj? don't you remember that MY PARENTS WERE KILLED AND LOTUS PIER FELL bc you just HAD to play hero and save lwj?? and it wasn't enough! you HAD to play hero and SAVE THE WENS too, which killed my sister!!

oh he's getting really mean here

he's like, how generous you are wwx! letting wn wander the entrance of lotus pier and letting lwj offer incense!!

the minute jc started his rant, wwx cast his eyes to the side, again just enduring everything jc is throwing at him

oh but now jc starts in on lwj again

he's like, lwj, the great second jade, ignoring his reputation to side with wwx, your brother and uncle must be so proud

wwx: JIANG WANYIN!

wwx shouts at him

he's shaky and almost panting here.

wwx: apologize this instant.

jc: apologize? why should i? bc i insulted your great friendship?

THIS WHOLE ENCOUNTER IS A SHIT SHOW AND IT HURTS.

wwx just loses it here and grabs jc by the collar of his robes and gives him a shake

wwx: ARE YOU DONE?

and jc is still the little brother, you know, so obvs he does not back down here, he's not intimidated at all

jc: LET'S FIGHT THEN. should i be afraid of you two?

wwx's breath is all shaky and he's trembling and he would've given into jc's demands for a fight anyway but then he sees jyl's nameplate

and he must remember how upset jyl would get every time they fought

ME TOO, JYL, ME TOO. I HATE THIS, I HATE THIS, MAKE IT STOP

so he lets go of jc and stumbles back. he's looking very weak right now AND I’M VERY CONCERNED

lwj, obvs, catches him by the arm when he stumbles

lwj: wei ying

wwx: lan zhan, let's go

lwj agrees and the two of them turn and leave the shrine, lwj still gripping wwx's arm and providing support bc wwx is NOT looking good what’s happening to my sunshine boy, somebody fix this RIGHT NOW

BUT JC IS LIKE A DOG WITH A BONE BC HE JUST STORMS AFTER THEM, HE WANTS HIS FIGHT

he freaking leaps across the little lotus pond and lands before them, blocking off their exit

he starts antagonizing wwx, and he grabs wwx by the collar now, and again, wwx just takes it BUT LWJ DOESN'T

lwj slams his hand around jc's wrist (the one that's grabbing wwx), WRAPPING HIS FINGERS AROUND JC'S ZIDIAN, EVEN

lwj: let him go

holy crap. Stone Cold. LWJ'S STARE IS STONE COLD, AND HE TIGHTENS HIS GRIP ON JC'S WRIST

god damn, if lwj ever looked at me like that, i'd drop to the ground and beg for forgiveness. i'd be scared witless

when jc makes no move to let go of wwx, lwj releases his wrist and hooks his arm under jc's forearm and shoves upward to FINALLY break jc's hold on wwx

wwx stumbles at the force of it and his nose starts to bleed

MY POOR PRECIOUS SUNSHINE BOY LOOKS SO WEAK AND OUT OF IT!!

lwj looks at him, eyes wide with worry

lwj: wei ying!

even jc looks concerned (i would even say scared, tbh)

wwx reaches up and wipes his nose; he's not steady on his feet AT ALL

wwx: lan zhan, let's go.

lwj: okay

and he immediately starts to leave, practically dragging wwx with him bc wwx is barely able to stand at this point

lol, lwj shoulder checks jc as they walk past him

but jc is a stubborn bastard and brings out zidian and whips at their retreating backs

brief moment here to admire how FREAKING COOL THE ZIDIAN IS OMG,  

*GRABBY HANDS* I WANT ONE OF MY OWN SO SO BAD. 

IT'S A SNAKE BRACELET!! 

THAT TURNS INTO A WHIP!! 

A PURPLE WHIP!!! OF LIGHTNING!!!!!! 

LITERALLY NO ASPECT OF THIS WEAPON IS UN-BADASS

so jc whips purple lightning at them but the hit never lands bc lwj swings his still-sheathed bichen and bats that attack away like nothing

but as he does that, wwx starts to fall

lwj spins around and AUDIBLY GASPS, eyes wide with worry again, as he watches wwx lose consciousness. 

he dives forward and catches his soulmate in his arms and cradles him gently

jc doesn't see this happen and swings right back with another lash but wn swoops in out of nowhere to take the hit instead. 

AND HERE WE'RE GONNA GET THE BIG REVEAL OH GOD I'M NOT READY

jc is all who let you in, how dare you?? and whips wn again

BUT WN WILL NOT STAY DOWN, NO SIR

HE'S GOT STUFF TO SAY AND BY GOD, HE'S GONNA SAY IT

he offers up suibian to jc but jc whips him and sends him flying again

Wn gets right back up goes back to offering the sword to jc, DEMANDING HE UNSHEATHE IT

AND IN A FIT OF FURY JC PULLS AT THE HANDLE AND SUIBIAN COMES FREE

SHOCK, UTTER SHOCK ON HIS AND LWJ'S FACES

(also YIKES jc nearly sliced out wn's eyes with the force of his unsheathing of siubian. he obvs didn't expect anything to come of him pulling at the handle)

GOLDEN CORE TRANSFER REVEAL!!

FLASHBACK to wn's part of the story

we see wn holding an unconscious jc and wq is telling wwx to come out from where he was hiding behind a convenient boulder

and we see wwx give the go ahead to start the golden core transfer

back to the present, jc looks like his whole world is a lie 

bc it kinda is

I'm still kinda mad that wwx never told him anything.

like, i get why he didn't and i sympathize but informed consent in medicine and surgery is kind of a big deal!

and then omg, we got a close up shot of lwj's face

his eyes are wide and shiny and his jaw is dropped open just a bit. HE IS SHAKEN TO THE CORE 

HAHAHA GET IT? THAT THING WWX DOESN’T HAVE ANYMORE?? Oh god i’m sorry that was AWFUL

he turns his gaze back to wwx, who is still resting gently in crook of his arm

i love the camera angle here btw

the scene is at a slant, with the white of bichen's handle, and the white of the flowering tree behind them filling all of the right side of the screen

it makes the dark bundle of wwx and the dark flow of lwj's hair more stark

the slant of it really emphasizes how the whole of lwj's attention is on the man in his arms

And how his whole world is off its axis at this revelation

god lwj is really just letting his whole heart pour out of his eyes as he watches wwx

jc and wn are arguing loudly in the background but lwj makes NO INDICATION of hearing ANY of it

now we get to watch the emotional confrontation between jc and wn

lwj finally looks back at them when wn starts reciting details that no one outside of jc would have known unless they were there themselves

another flashback as wn describes everything in excruciating detail

oh this line gets me every time

wn: the reason you thought it was repaired was because of my sister, the best doctor in the wen clan of qishan, Wen Qing

WN LOVES HIS SISTER SO MUCH. HE WAS SO PROUD OF HER 

AND HE LOST HER. HE DOESN'T HAVE HER ANYMORE

GOD DAMN IT, SHOW, LET THESE BOYS KEEP THEIR SISTERS

and now we go back to lwj, gazing soulfully at wwx and a single tear rolls down his cheek as it really hits him what exactly wwx did, what wwx gave up

wn is going off on jc, like, didn't he ever wonder why wwx never picked up the sword again?

wn looks hardcore here tbh. 

we cut back to lwj, who is now holding bichen tightly, and boy, he's got his jaw clenched so hard.

at least until he looks back down at wwx, and his mouth softens as more tears drip down his face

flashback to when jc first found wwx after the burial mounds, and a series of flashbacks of every time jc brought up wwx's lack of suibian and wwx brushing off his questions

THEY SHOULD'VE JUST TALKED IT OUT, MY GOD, THEY COULD’VE SPARED ME ALL THIS PAIN IF THEY JUST TALKED 

another flashback to that time that jc pushed wwx and wwx fell hard to the ground and jc thought he was just drunk

I AM DONE WITH THESE FLASHBACKS, THX. CAN WE NOT, ANYMORE? IT'S HURTING TOO MUCH

and we also keep getting shots of lwj's face, STREAKED WITH TEARS

HE'S GOT A TEARDROP ON THE TIP OF HIS NOSE

ALL OF THIS IS PAINFUL

PLEASE STOP

oooh, lwj's mouth twists into a firm scowl and he slams bichen on the ground with a loud CLANG

this is too much for him too! he's furious, he's had enough of hearing how wwx suffered for jc

so he scoops up wwx, carrying almost all of his weight, as he walks the both of them outta there

wn leaves suibian with jc and tells him to have anyone else try to unsheathe it if he doesn't believe him

jc doesn't want it. he doesn't want it at all.

he desperately wants it to be untrue

AND I CRY A RIVER FOR MY YUNMENG BROS

WE'RE ON A BOAT NOW

UNCONSCIOUS WWX SPREAD BACK, HELD LOVINGLY IN LWJ'S ARMS

Now we get some lwj & wn bonding time where they discuss a-yuan! (after lwj promises not to tattle on wn to wwx)

AHHHHHHHHHHHH!! WE'RE GETTING A FLASHBACK FROM LWJ

LWJ IS ENTERING WWX'S LAB CAVE THING, ALONE, FRANTICALLY SEARCHING FOR WWX

lwj: on that day, when the wen clan were captured and killed, i went to the burial mounds to seek wei ying but discovered a-yuan instead

we see him find a-yuan, who is unconscious and clammy. 

lwj immediately drops to his knees beside him and checks his wrist, then presses the back of his hand to a-yuan's forehead

oh, lwj's hand is all roughened with dirt. That’s very striking, for some reason.

he purses his lips making a split-second decision, and scoops a-yuan up 

lwj: he was hiding there for so long that he had a fever and was severely ill

wn figures out that the fever is probs why lsz doesn't remember anything, and hasn’t mentioned wn at all. lwj looks surprised

lwj: didn't you tell him?

wn: about his birth origin? he's happy now. knowing too much about the past and remembering something heavy, would make him less happy than now

HE'S SUCH A GOOD PERSON

WHY DO THE BEST OF THEM HAVE TO SUFFER SO?

lwj: sooner or later, he will know

and wn doesn't deny it. he's like, yeah, sooner or later. just like master wei and jc with the golden core transfer.

at this lwj looks back down at wwx

lwj: is it painful?

the way lwj's throat bobs before he asks tho.

like he's forcing himself to ask, bc he needs to know even if he already suspects the answer. 

He needs to know even tho knowing will hurt. he's steeling himself against the pain already.

wn: what?

lwj: taking out the core, is it painful?

wn: you won't believe me if i say it's not, right?

lwj: i thought wq might have some method

he sounds desperate, hoping against all odds that it didn't hurt wwx as much as he suspects it did

and here wn explains that wq wanted to ease the process, make it less painful, but due to the nature of the procedure, she couldn't use any anesthetics

wn: the one who donates the core has to be awake the whole time

THE WHOLE DAMN TIME

HE HAS TO BE CONSCIOUS TO WATCH IT GET CUT OUT OF HIM AND EXPERIENCE THAT CONNECTION SLOWLY BE SEVERED OTHERWISE IT DOESN'T WORK

HOW MESSED UP IS THAT OMG, HOW MUCH TRAUMA MUST THEY PUT MY POOR SUNSHINE BOY THROUGH

lwj: awake?

HE SOUNDS HOARSE AS HE SAYS THAT

wn: two nights and one day. he has to be awake

MY SUNSHINE BOY, MY BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE BOY SUFFERED SO MUCH

lwj's lips purse briefly. he's staring at his wei ying

lwj: at the time, what were the chances

wn: fifty percent

lwj looks at wn here with horrified disbelief

lwj: fifty percent?

wn proceeds to explain how wq didn't want to do it but wwx kept insisting that the odds were worth 

AND OH MY GOD LWJ FLASHES BACK TO THEIR FIRST CONFRONTATION AFTER THE BURIAL MOUNDS, WHEN THEY FINALLY FOUND WWX AFTER 3 MONTHS OF SEARCHING

IT HURTS JUST AS MUCH AS THE FIRST TIME AROUND

Wwx must have some sort of sixth sense for knowing when Emotional Discussions are Done, bc he regains consciousness only AFTER wn & lwj finish bonding lol

he sits up, head aching, and pulls himself from lwj's embrace

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY, BC LWJ OBVS DIDN'T MIND HAVING HIM THAT CLOSE

IN FACT even as he helps wwx sit up, you can see his hand trail up wwx's arm, grip loosening and tightening sporadically

He's def trying to prolong contact here, very reluctant to let go of his wei ying

wwx: lan zhan, how did we get out?

lwj: we had a fight

AND ~THEIR SONG~ STARTS PLAYING

wwx: i knew that jiang cheng wouldn't let me go that easily. so unreasonable.

and then he looks at lwj and hurries to assure him that jc didn't mean all those cutting remarks. that that's just how he gets when he's upset.

lwj looks off to the side, pressing his lips closed bc he couldn't care less about jc or jc's words. THEY MEAN NOTHING TO HIM

wwx covers lwj's hand with his own and very earnestly says: so don't take it seriously

BC HE HASN'T YET REALIZED THAT LWJ DOESN'T ACTUALLY GIVE A DAMN ABOUT JC'S ENTIRE EXISTENCE

lwj doesn't look him in the eye as he's told this, and his lips are still pressed together in a firm line. 

he probably doesn't actually want wwx to realize just how little jc means to him.

wwx notices they're on a boat on a lake now lol

wwx: i often played here with jyl when we were children

AND HERE HE HALLUCINATES HIS PRECIOUS BEAUTIFUL KIND AMAZING SISTER JYL

Jyl: a-xian come have some lotus seeds

WWX'S EYES REDDEN WITH TEARS AND HE CALLS OUT FOR HIS SISTER

AND I'M FIGHTING BACK SOBS

WHILE JYL'S SWEET GENTLE MUSIC PLAYS AND JYL SMILES WARMLY AT HER LITTLE BROTHER

wn snaps wwx out of it

ONLY FOR WWX TO FLASHBACK TO JYL CRYING AND SAYING THAT THEY'RE THE CLOSEST THREE IN THE WORLD

WWX LEANS HIS HEAD ON HER KNEE AND SULKS ADORABLY ABOUT HOW HE'S HUNGRY 

AND I WANNA DIE FROM ALL THE FEELINGS I'M HAVING

back on the boat, wwx eyes are still filled with tears and it's awful

wn is all, wwx what's wrong? and wwx shakes it off and just says he's hungry

so he yanks out some lotus pods from the lake and gives one to lwj and one to wn and one for himself

HE'S SMILING NOW, THANK GOD

wwx: it's perfect timing to be here now!

and he's happily tearing into the pod

I LOVE SEEING HIM HAPPY AND SMILING

SUCH LITTLE JOYS AND HE REVELS IN IT

I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

HE SHOULD ALWAYS BE HAPPY AND SMILING. 

NOTHING SHOULD EVER BE ALLOWED TO MAKE HIM SAD. NOTHING

lwj: wei ying

wwx: what

lwj: does this lake belong to someone?

LOL, HE GAVE THE POD A SUSPICIOUS LOOK BEFORE ASKING THAT AND HAS NOT TRIED GETTING ANY SEEDS OUT YET

wwx: of course not

HE SAYS IN A COMPLETELY NOT BELIEVABLE WAY

YOU CAN TELL BY HOW HE DOESN'T LOOK LWJ IN THE EYE AS HE RESPONDED AND KEEPS MUNCHING AWAY ON THE SEEDS AS A DISTRACTION

Lwj is watching like, yeah, i’m not buying it.

lwj: i heard that lakes here all have owners.

lolol wwx pauses in his chewing for a second and looks around guiltily for a bit before letting out a nervous laugh

wwx: hanguang jun, you really hear much, don't you? i didn't even know that.

he's looking at him all innocently and LWJ LOOKS BACK STILL NOT BUYING IT LOLOLOL

wwx looks away and then looks back, relenting

wwx: fine. 

HE'S ALL POUTY, IT'S ADORABLE, I LOVE HIM

he sulkily tells wn to get them moving

and sulkily tosses his lotus pod at the bottom of the boat

HE'S JUST HAVING A SULK-FEST RN AND IT'S SUPER CUTE, I'M ENJOYING IT A LOT

wn starts to get the paddles to get the boat going, when lwj suddenly leans over the side of the boat and snaps up a lotus pod

he very seriously offers it to his wei ying, who is watching him wide-eyed and surprised

lwj: only for today  

bc i just found out about your traumatic golden core transfer for your awful ungrateful little brother and i feel horrible that you suffered alone, he doesn’t say

bc i wish i could have done something to help but i couldn't so now i'm gonna steal you a lotus pod bc that's literally all i can do right now, he also doesn’t say

LOL

THE WAY THE CAMERA CUTS TO WN HERE CRACKS ME UP

WN IS JUST PASSIVELY MUNCHING ON A SEED AND WATCHING THAT EXCHANGE HAPPEN WITH HIS BIG BROWN EYES TAKING IT IN, WITH A VAGUE, "HUH, THAT'S INTERESTING" MANNER

wwx looks at the pod and then back at lwj before taking the pod with a nervous laugh

I am convinced that he had WAR-FLASHBACKS to that time drunk!lwj gave him roosters

He’s probably frantically trying to remember if lwj drank ANY alcohol earlier

TRYING TO CALCULATE THE CHANCES OF SOMEONE SLIPPING SOME ALCOHOL TO LWJ BETWEEN THEIR FIGHT WITH JC TO THIS BOAT ESCAPE LOLOLOLOL

he clutches that pod with both hands and gives lwj a pained smile 

The exact pained smile he had when he accepted the roosters that time

LMAO WWX TURNS TO LOOK AT WN, HIS BROWS ALL FURROWED IN CONFUSION LIKE, WN WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING, EXPLAIN WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW

but wn just smiles cheerfully at him

cut to the next moment where we see the boat's floor is now littered with a bunch of lotus pods and wwx is happily munching on seeds, all smiley

BUT OF COURSE I'M NOT ALLOWED TO ENJOY HAPPY PEACEFUL MOMENTS EVER

SO A GLOWY GLITTERY MESSENGER BUTTERFLY APPEARS AND LANDS ON LWJ'S OUTSTRETCHED PALM

I mean, wwx giggled happily there for a moment there!!!!! WHY CAN'T THEY LET ME BASK IN THAT FOR ONE MINUTE, GOD.

anyway, the butterfly

wwx: the paper butterfly messenger from the jin clan?

(side note to say that the butterfly messenger is actually very pretty. i like it a lot)

wwx pats lwj on the knee after the butterfly flies away

wwx: what happened? what did it say?

Lwj’s like, jgy is in yunmeng now and my brother hasn’t responded to my message...

wwx: you worry jgy would harm him when desperate?

bc wwx can tell right away when lwj is worried. BC THEY'RE SOULMATES AND THEY KNOW EACH OTHER SO WELL

And then bc my sunshine boy is a GENIUS, he remembers the deed jgy had hidden away in the secret chamber, for Yunping City in Yunmeng

he excitedly tells lwj that this is where jgy will be

lol he was so excited he tipped himself over a bit and jostled the boat so lwj had to reach out to steady him

we cut to the next scene we see people dying fabrics and our boys wander through 

Wwx confirms with some random worker lady that they’re in the right place and tells lwj they should explore the city as a date for Plot Investigation Reasons

lwj nods in agreement and then wwx turns back to look at the lady and gives her THE SWEETEST SMILE, THE ONE THAT SQUINCHES HIS EYES CLOSED AND MAKES ME SWOON

BUT LOL LWJ SEES HIM SMILE AT THE LADY LIKE THAT AND IT NOT AMUSED BY IT AT ALL

oh god, just the way his eyes flick from wwx to the lady and how his lips firm up before he stalks off in a snit cracks me up

GREEN IS NOT YOUR COLOR, LAN ZHAN, I'M JUST SAYING

LET THE GUY SMILE AT ME, I MEAN AT PEOPLE. IT'S NOT A CRIME

wwx is confused by the reaction but hurries off after him

oh wwx, you dense idiot. you're lucky i love you so

now we see come random guys bully wn for no reason 😞

wwx tells them to back off but they don't listen and lwj very nonchalantly pulls out a talisman from his sleeve and offers it to wwx

wwx looks at the talisman and then back at lwj with SUCH A PLEASED SMILE

OMG I WOULD DO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING FOR HIM TO SMILE AT ME LIKE THAT

wwx: lan zhan, you even kept it until now?

AHHHHHH SO CUTE, I LOVE HIM

lwj doesn't respond but it doesn’t matter bc wwx does that squinchy-eyed smile AGAIN AND I DIE, I DIE

wwx activates the talisman which releases a whole bunch of glittery butterflies that distract the guys and allow wn to escape. 

omg guys, this is the same trick lwj used to distract wen chao and wen zhuliu to escape ages and ages ago WHICH MEANS LWJ HAS BEEN CARRYING A PIECE OF WWX WITH HIM ALL THESE YEARS AHHHHHHHHH

And after that wonderful, touching revelation, the episode ends.

SO, we had lots of depressing Yunmeng Bros Feelings that made me wanna die 

BUT we also at the end here get rewarded with MULTIPLE squinchy-eyed smiles from my most precious darling sunshine boy that made me wanna die but, like, in a good way

I WOULD ENDURE SO MUCH MORE FOR THOSE SMILE, NGL

Return to Masterpost

#WangXiantics #wangxian #the untamed #cql

[llycaons]

for the character meme: jiang cheng

oh juicy. thanks, anon this got long

How I feel about this character: you know that post about how it’s impossible to have a normal conversation about media consumption on this site because people on both extremes are entirely wrong in different ways? that’s how I feel talking about jiang cheng. not even the show (although the things people say about this show on both ends are...wild...) but this one specific character has generated so much bullshit I have had to read with my own eyes. love him, as a character. he’s incredibly compelling and complex. as a person I could kick his teeth in. but also he makes me so so sad. I don’t like him, but I can’t hate him. I enjoy it when I can like him. I get why people do hate him! totally understand why people do. but as much as I complain about him, he’s an incredibly important part of the story, it wouldn't feel the same without him. and he is all too painfully realistic in his responses to the things that happen to him, which provides a really nice contrast to the fantastical and idealized cast

All the people I ship romantically with this character: nobody deserves jiang cheng. nobody should have to do that to themselves. the matchmakers were right to blacklist him. sad sad cishet man who can barely maintain any relationships never mind creating a new romantic one...if I had to answer I would say I ship him with mental health, good communication, gratitude, and self-reflection

My non-romantic OTP for this character: I know I reblogged this ask but I always thought this was such a dumb phrase. I’m going to say yanli for this one because he treats wwx horribly and unlike how he acts around wwx, he never made yanli feel unloved or at fault for her own trauma or physically attacked her, and in their scenes together I feel like he was more at ease than any other time. like I wouldn’t say it was entirely healthy but he also looked out for her and cared about what she wanted and didn’t kick up a fuss when she left him to get married so it was probably his healthiest family relationship. also I’m pretty sure her death is the one thing that could have made jc turn on wwx like that but since he doesn’t know how to treat his brother, I’m not answering yunmeng bros for this one

My unpopular opinion about this character: every opinion about jiang cheng is unpopular depending on what circle you’re in lol. the most unpopular opinion is neutrality. people who totally misinterpret jc as evil/the villain of the story are wrong and annoying but personally I hate the ones on the flip side who are like “uwu he did nothing wrong and every action he takes that hurts other people is entirely justified because he’s sad and however he treats wwx is fine because that’s how brothers are” like. how to convince these people that siblings mistreating each other is still bad, and sibling abuse in fact does exist and is a serious issue (not that I’m saying I think his behavior goes as far as abuse, I personally do not see that)

like. okay strap in. my FAVORITE (read: most infuriating) post was one floating around a half year ago about how jc believes in wwx SO MUCH that he definitely thought wwx would have a plan for coming back from the dead at nightless and therefore jc was not at fault for killing him. after jc told him to go to hell and watched him fall off a cliff. while lwj was begging him not to. and in the days after he was so so sad because he totally thought wwx had a plan for this! poor jc! and then he spends the next sixteen years being so so sad and looking for him :( yeah. postnightless was hell for jc but it’s not like the first thing he does when he sees wwx again isn’t yell at him, try to attack him, and expel him from a body he thinks wwx stole. like oh my god these fans are so much! he’s done bad stuff! maybe not everything is clearly what it looked like on a first viewing but jc fans who can’t acknowledge their fave is fucked up wrt how he treats people and how he handled his trauma are so fucking annoying. he’s a complicated, incredibly human character. let him be that!  and in my current rewatch it’s pretty clear that while they work together on their ruse, jc did not trust wwx or believe in wwx, he literally thought wwx was being unreasonable and arrogant and careless and had a hero complex. and I don’t even think jc was entirely at fault for wwx’s death, but he definitely had a role in it, and an intentional one. “but the sword - “ he told his suicidal brother to go to hell idk about the sword

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. I really want him to learn how to treat other people and himself better, not to take everything personally, to be able to forgive and let go and live his life in a happier and healthier way, I also want more people to yell at him because wen ning yelling at him really seemed to encourage genuine change (which is amazing! why haven’t more people been yelling at him this whole time!). Also I am sort of desperate for a reconciliation but not because I really care about jc, I just want wwx to be able to be in his old home comfortably and safely and have a link to yanli and his childhood and the kind of freedom and wild joy that i associate with the jiangs

thank you!! jc is great to write about because he’s complicated and inspires equally strong emotions in me that cancel each other out. so it’s a lot of fun to write about him. and I love complaining also

#I have one more I will get to in a while #asks #abuse m #long post #Anonymous #suicide m

[seeaddywrite]

yunmeng bros reconciliation fic rec list (part I)

jiang cheng & wei wuxian reconciliation fics are my favorites, so i thought i’d share some of the hundreds i’ve read in the past few months. please make sure to check the tags in each fic to make sure you’re comfortable. also, if you didn’t notice, i prefer longer fics, so most of these are long. 

i’m calling this part one because i will most likely revisit this as i read more fic. feel free to add your own -- i’m always looking for more, myself! 

under the cut, because it’s a long post.

Jiang Cheng is Trying series by CaptainJoJo (100k+)

“They've been ripped apart for so long, Jiang Cheng doesn't know if there's anything left to salvage.”

this series starts out good, & by the end, is absolutely phenomenal. the most recent installment is called Soft Stones & it’s one of those fics i wish i could erase from my brain so i could read it over and over -- it’s so good. there’s a lot of JC character development, a scene where WWX learns about JC’s sacrifice & so much emotional resonance throughout. plus, bonus JC & Wen Ning friendship?? i just. really love this fic, okay? i think it’s probably my favorite in this genre.

no one lights a candle to remember by asravine (~8k)

““Didi,” Wei Wuxian says softly. His thumb on Jiang Cheng’s cheek is calloused and warm and burns of affection. Jiang Cheng barely stops himself from leaning in. “Didi, don’t cry because of me.”

I have thirteen years of mourning to catch up to, Jiang Cheng thinks, but doesn’t say. As always, the chasm between them is an incredible divide, and Wei Wuxian is the only one leaning his hand out into the darkness.”

the best part of this fic involves Lan Wangji asking JC for his blessing, & that’s all i’m going to say aside from this fic is shorter, but incredibly impactful & wonderful.

some good mistakes by Lise (~18k)

“Wei Wuxian has been wandering alone for six months when he suddenly stops writing. This is deeply concerning to at least a few people. Jiang Cheng is not among them.

No, really, he's not.

(Or, the one where Wei Wuxian vanishes and Lan Wangji, reluctantly, asks for Jiang Cheng's help tracking him down.)”

Lan Zhan & Jiang Cheng have to work together to find & rescue Wei Wuxian. it’s about as awkward as it sounds. important conversations are had, WWX is rescued, there is a hopeful ending, & it’s just wonderful.

everyone else is spring bound by Lise (~18k)

“Jiang Cheng takes a few deep breaths and tries to put his life back together. This is easier said than done.”

another excellent fic by Lise. i think my favorite part of this one is everything Jiang Cheng can’t bring himself to say out loud. 

Death of a Ghost by Gotcocomilk (100k+)

“There was a ghost that haunted the decks of Lotus Pier, it was said. If you stepped across the wooden planks at night, walked along the endless docks and flying purple banners, he would appear.

He was always in darkest black, dressed as specter and shadow. In the emptiness where a face should be was a thick fog, features washed away and leaving behind only glimmering red eyes.

He looked ferocious as a ghoul, it was said.

Jin Ling thought he looked sad.”

i don’t even know where to start with this one, y’all. it was a wild ride. WWX is haunting Lotus Pier & looks after Jin Ling. Reconciliation. Family feelings. Wangxian. Angst & fluff & a truly satisfying ending. One of my overall faves.

Upon Our Silver Bridge by TheWanderingHeart (400k+)

“Lan Xichen's sorrows have caught the attention of something. Unlike the adventures and foes they have faced before, there is no obvious enemy here to defeat. If this is the same thing they thought had taken Nie MingJue's life, then he believes it is fated for him to die as well. Nothing can stop the black fire when it wants to burn.

Jiang Cheng is sure his part in this is over. Wei Wuxian is back, his grand adventure concluded, and he'd never been at the centre of it anyway. So what does it matter what happens to him in the end?

Slowly, he will come to realise that there will always be a battle to fight, a story to tell, a choice to make, and there is no such thing as an end to anything.”

holy shit, where do i even start with this one. it’s primarily Xichen/JC, so if that’s not your thing, i’m sorry -- but. BUT. there are some absolutely gorgeous jiang cheng & wwx scenes. they talk about the golden core swap. wwx eavesdrops & learns about things he didn’t know from JC’s end, & it definitely counts as a reconciliation fic even if that’s not the main plotline. also, one of my overall faves, not just in this genre but the entire fandom. so. flipping. good. 

The Heart’s Reasoning by flowercity (11k+)

“Jiang Cheng was absolutely certain that when push came to shove, he would be the one to drive the fatal blow into Wei Wuxian. But now that the man is actually dying in front of him, only one thought rushes to his head: that he will not let this happen.

That day in the Burial Mounds, Jiang Cheng makes a selfish choice.”

Canon Divergent -- basically, JC saves WWX before he dies. Baby Jin Ling. angst & happiness & good stuff. 

before you stumble by anonymous (~10k)

“ “Uncle,” Jin Ling says. “Just because Uncle Wei - I mean, Wei Wuxian - just because he’s leading the night-hunt, he’s teaching, he’s not doing anything wrong, he even notified you ahead of time -”

The thing is, it is the polite thing to do. Whatever the Lan Sect are after in the night-hunt doesn’t have anything to do with Jiang Cheng, but now that they’re about to enter Yunmeng, it is the polite and proper thing to do, to notify the sect leader of the fact. The letter is simply such: letting Jiang Wanyin, the Yunmeng Jiang Sect Leader, know that they’re here. It’s simply - official correspondence.

Maybe that’s the part that rankles the worst, Jiang Cheng thinks. Official correspondence, written to him in a hand more familiar than his own.”

this is a case fic in which both WWX & JC are idiots, but work together with the juniors involved. there’s a lot of bickering, a metaphor, & a hopeful ending, & it’s great!

JC & WWX’s Get Along Sweater (series) by newamsterdam (~30k)

“Convinced Jiang Cheng and Wei WuXian will never reconcile of their own accord, Jin Ling takes matters into his own hands by trapping both of his uncles alone, together, without their cultivation.”

i think this is the very first MDZS fic i read when i finished the drama, & it’s still one of the ones i remember most. it’s just -- impactful. Jiang Cheng made WWX a promise about dogs and he does his best to keep it, & i just. wow. 

And Time is But a Paper Moon by sami (120k+, WIP) 

"Zewu-Jun. You once told me about a house surrounded by gentians, where you visited once a month, and how Lan Zhan still waited there, even when the door no longer opened."

Xichen feels light-headed. He feels shocked, and angry. He has never told anyone such a thing, but Lan Zhan is giving Xichen a look of utter betrayal.

"You told him?" Lan Zhan whispers. "When?"

Wei Wuxian takes Lan Zhan's hand. "About twenty years from now."

Time travel fic! there are million more of them, but not all do much for JC & WWX. this one isn’t necessarily a reconciliation because WWX goes back in time and makes sure they never abandon each other, but it’s got some really great scenes for the two of them, & JC has to deal with WWX’s memories of his old self & the sacrifices he made for him then, & it’s just a really wonderful fic all around. it’s currently a WIP but it’s updated three times a week & the author’s finished it already. :)

#yunmeng bros #yunmeng bros reconciliation fics #wei wuxian & jiang cheng #mdzs fic #the untamed fic #fic recs #the untamed fic recs