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bnnywngs · 2 years

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mdzs kindergarten au where 10yo nie mingjue went to pick his baby bro a-sang and baby a-ying and a-cheng look at him and go woah you're so big gege are you adult?? a-sang your brother looks so cool!! and start following mingjue gege around like little ducklings, a-sang loves this because he loves his dage and loves when people love him, so he's a very happy child; on the other side, shy a-zhan is silently jealous and bit a-sang until he bleeds because a-sang is a friend thief and a brother thief

they grow up and wei ying and jiang cheng still look up to mingjue, now 20yo, and start playing football ⚽ because of him and huaisang is like "please don't ask me to do this with you guys or i'll hate you forever and tell dage to not talk to you guys ever again" so he ends up as they supporter from the stands while they play and always ask mingjue ge to watch their big games, trying to shoot as much goals as they could; while they're at it, lan zhan, still jealous of mingjue but now for a different reason, decides to play basketball (because he is higher than everyone in school) and try to show off to his best friend wei ying in hopes he'll finally fall in love with him, and even asks huaisang for help sometimes (he doesn't know, but wei ying is already head over hills in love with his lan zhan, but is afraid of losing his friendship over a (im)possible unrequited love)

now they're all in college, jin zixuan finally realized how much of a idiot he is and now is trying to court jiang yanli (and is somewhat successful although nothing he does go exactly the way he wanted to), mingjue is married to meng yao, and both wei ying and jiang cheng still look up to him but now they're more mature about it. wei ying stopped playing football so he could chase his dream of being an artist, going to university with huaisang who's studying fashion. lan zhan thought very seriously on what he wanted to do and he more or less disappointed his uncle when he said he would go to the same uni as wei ying and huaisang because he wanted to study music. xichen asks, very seriously, if he chose this so he could still be beside wei ying and lan zhan is quite offended, but doesn't really deny it. jiang cheng went to another uni the same as jin zixuan and senior lan xichen, still plays football and still asks mingjue ge to watch his important games together with his friends and sister

and when they're finally adults, during wangxian marriage (after do many years pining stupidly), huaisang smirks and start his maid of honor speech with a power point presentation full of pictures and some short videos about their love story, talking about wei ying's crush on his dage and lan zhan's cute childish jealousy (and he can clearly see xichen's fingers in this, he didn't remember being filmed while crying that wei ying loved mingjue ge more than him, but he was six for the love of the gods!!) and proceedes to show embarrassing pictures of both of them pining from afar and everyone just laugh and share their own stories and the couple is embarrassed but a bit more in love with each other. they're all happy

by the end of all the speeches, lan zhan very calmly take the microphone, thanks everyone for being present, his uncle for everything, his parents in law for wei ying, his husband, and then he turns and look to his brother for a long moment with a tiny, tiny smirk and then look to huaisang ans says, very serious "thank you huaisang for being our friend, and for holding my brother's heart with so much affection, i can't wait for my turn to make a speech on your marriage"

wei ying and jiang cheng laugh so hard and so loud, mingjue chokes hard on his wine and laugh and cough at the same time, wei ying's parent try to hide their own laughter and uncle qiren just sigh with a head shake, while both xichen and huaisang just turn bright red with embarrassment, huaisang glaring at lan zhan before sighing loudly and muttering "i hate you, you petty bitch"

• related to this & this

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queenofmoons67 · 1 year

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If you like the Nie bros you should read this fic!

Summary: Five times Nie Mingjue got his way just by saying “Didi”. Being a big brother to a crafty, stubborn Nie Huaisang isn’t easy, but Dage isn’t above using a little manipulation of his own. 5+1

Also @hiddenfiresindeed wrote a follow-up to one of the chapters for me and it’s so good, just some great hurt NHS and worried/comforting NMJ. Mind the warnings though if you want to read it!

#nie huaisang #nie mingjue #nie bros #the untamed #not my fic

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jaimebluesq · 1 year

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I posted 1,420 times in 2022

That's 750 more posts than 2021!

245 posts created (17%)

1,175 posts reblogged (83%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@cerusee

@ibijau

@dgcatanisiri

@ntnttalksnothing

@fortune-maiden

I tagged 928 of my posts in 2022

Only 35% of my posts had no tags

#nie huaisang - 97 posts

#the untamed - 42 posts

#sangcheng - 40 posts

#writing process - 35 posts

#wip wednesday - 30 posts

#nie mingjue - 28 posts

#jiang cheng - 28 posts

#for future reference - 26 posts

#wei wuxian - 21 posts

#omfg - 19 posts

Longest Tag: 128 characters

#but you suggest two boys or two girls might like each other as more than friends and it's suddenly “stop forcing kids to be gay”

My Top Posts in 2022:

What My Favourite Ships Say About Me

I've seen a few "What your favourite (insert X fandom) ship says about you" videos and posts, and thought I'd make my own about some of MY favourite pairings (spoiler - they're all NHS based - big surprise to anyone who follows me >.<), all of which I have written before.

Be warned, I poke fun at them and myself - this is all for shits and giggles :D

If anyone wants to use this as an excuse to make their own, please do! The more the merrier!

So let's start with the biggest one...

SangCheng

SangChengSu

See the full post

93 notes - Posted September 24, 2022

Have seen talk of non-fatal and non-romantic hanahaki and the following beast entered my brain.

Jiang Cheng

He starts coughing up lavender-tinted petals as a child. Everyone thinks it's from an unrequited crush and thinks it's cute and will go away on its own one day. Nobody really notices the petals are the same shade as Jiang Fengmian's robes nor that they get worse after Wei Wuxian is brought to Lotus Pier.

After WWX enters the family, some of the petals start taking on an aqua/teal colouring, and they always come on strongest after a derisive scolding from Madame Yu about how he's not enough and he can't allow the son of a servant to show him up.

The day WWX leaves with the Wen remnants, scarlet-tinted petals join the mix. Eventually Jiang Yanli marries and leaves Lotus Pier and every time she sees JC, her first words are always about WWX or Jin Zixuan - petals of blended purple and gold join the mix.

And then JC is left completely alone with a tiny child in his arms.

He does his best to push through his grief and do his duties to sect and nephew, by now long used to the frequent petals brought up every day.

One day he's holding Jin Ling and the baby says his first word - Jiujiu.

Another day, the nanny brings JL to JC's office and puts him on the ground - the baby gets up onto wobbly legs and takes his first steps, hands reaching out for JC.

And one day JC realizes that the only times he coughs up petals anymore is when he prays at the ancestral shrine, thinking on the family he lost. And even those eventually peter away as time scabs over the wounds in his heart.

By this time, JC knows what the petals meant.

When WWX comes back from the dead, JC fears the petals will come back.

They almost do - for a moment he coughs and feels something in his throat when he watches WWX leave with LWJ... and then Jin Ling is before him, asking if he's all right, all love and concern under a tough/snarky veneer. Just like his uncle.

He never worries about coughing up a petal again.

152 notes - Posted June 20, 2022

Nie Sect headcanon of the day:

The Nie traditionally prefer riding horses to flying their sabers. They let the other sects think its for aesthetics or because their sabers are too heavy. In reality, it's because their saber spirits are terrible backseat drivers and never shut up the whole journey.

202 notes - Posted January 5, 2022

Watch "【Multi Sub】《#陈情令之乱魄》/ Fatal Journey 祖传刀墓事件跌宕起伏明玦怀桑再续陈情令不朽传奇【玄幻 | 肖战王一博 | iQIYI大电影-欢迎订阅】" on YouTube

youtube

Guess what movie is now on Youtube?!?!

Posting for everyone who hasn't yet gotten their fill of the Nie Bros feels and Nie Huaisang's epic kubrick stare.

242 notes - Posted September 17, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Today I was made aware that this image exists - I will NEVER be the same!!!!!

1,010 notes - Posted April 11, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #Youtube

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canary3d-obsessed · 3 years

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Restless Rewatch: The Untamed, Episode 26 part one

(Masterpost) (Other Canary Stuff)

Warning! Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

I’m Coming Up So You Better Get This Party Started

The Lans arrive just in time to see Cousin Jin Zixun hassling Su She, and they wonder how he has the fucking nerve to come to a party that they are also invited to.

Su she was invited by his new best friend Jin Guangyao, who deploys a full-on charm attack, wrapping Su She permanently around his little finger.

Smoother than the Lanling weather that’s how he holds himself together Watch out, he’ll charm you

Jin Guangyao grew up with women who earned their living by being charming, pleasant, and hiding their true thoughts from their clients, and he appears to have mastered this useful skill set. With Su She, he exudes confidence and authority, allowing the lesser man to bask in his attention.

With Zewu Jun he deploys helplessness and embarrassment, effectively controlling a man with much greater power than his own.

Lan Xichen confronts him about Su She's presence, and Jin Guangyao pretends he didn't know that Su She was ex-Lan. This seems super unlikely, given that JGY is good at collecting information that he can use to fuck with people, and also that he sheltered Lan Xichen from the Wens directly after Su She betrayed him.

Lan Xichen seems like he doesn't believe what JGY is telling him but then he decides to drop it, passive-aggressively saying that since JGY is uninformed, he's not guilty. Lan Xichen is actually assuming a lot here about his right to tell Jin Guangyao who to invite and who to shun, but JGY doesn't push back. Lying is so much simpler.

(more behind the cut!)

Su She wins for most unintentionally sarcastic-seeming toasting expression.

Jiang Cheng, Party Animal

Jiang Cheng arrives at the party, bringing his Jiang retinue and his bad temper. He super obviously casts around to try to find Wei Wuxian, who already told him he probably wasn't coming to the party.

Jiang Cheng is that guy who only comes to a party because the girl he likes said she was thinking about going, and then he spends the whole party saying "hey have you seen Mei Lin? She said she was going to be here but I don't see her."

Jin Guangyao formally congratulates Jiang Cheng on the Jiang clan's success in the hunt, and Jin Guangshan toasts him. As always, Jiang Cheng reacts to praise from authority figures like it's rain in the desert, smiling from ear to ear. He says that the Jiang Clan will donate the prey from the hunt to the other gentry clans. ...what?

Are we seriously saying that when these dudes go night hunting it's not just to remove dangerous bad stuff, it's for profit?

Like, do they eat monsters? Wear their fur? Make leather from their skin? Carve jewelry from their claws? Is Jiang Cheng wearing a purple monster's skin right now? (There will be an art prompt at the end of this post)

Meanwhile, check out the way Nie Huaisang is looking at Jiang Cheng, wow.

Forecast: Hazing

Having gotten the single pleasant part of the banquet over with, it's time for the Jins to pick on the Lans. Cousin Jin Zixun goads Lan Xichen into taking a drink with him, knowing that this is (mostly) against Lan rules. Jin Guangyao tries to stop him by saying, hilariously, that it's bad to drink and fly on a sword, but CJZX waves this away and keeps pushing, saying that if Lan Xichen won't drink, it's an insult to him.

A random cultivator who is definitely on the Jin payroll backs him up, saying that teetotaling is for losers, and Captain Blowhard boisterously agrees. Loudly agreeing with powerful people is the Yao clan's signature martial arts skill.

Jin Guangyao looks embarrassed and helpless, which is, as mentioned before, his own signature skill. But he's just playing his own part in this piece of theater; everything happening at this party (so far) is happening for the benefit of the Jin Clan. Cousin Jin Zixun is an ass, but he's not actually a loose cannon, and Jin Guangshan is clearly enjoying the Lans' discomfort.

Why? This entire party, the hunt, everything he's done since the end of the Sunshot campaign, has been designed to increase and consolidate his power. His main goal is to get the Yin Tiger seal, but reducing the status of the Lans is also a good move for him. The Lans have been the strongest opponents to the use of resentful energy, and worked the hardest to conceal and contain the Yin iron in the past. If he wants to use resentful energy as part of his own cultivation, he needs them to chill.

So this is a bit of a test; will they comply with the will of the larger group in order to avoid conflict, or will they refuse, which will allow him to label them as iconoclastic weirdos?.

Lan Xichen takes a long look at his brother, who is expressing all sorts of emotions while keeping his face very very still.

At a guess, he is thinking that this entire party is bullshit, that his brother's willingness to play along with these assholes is bullshit, that being viciously beaten for having a single drink in his life was bullshit, that Wei Wuxian not being here right now is bullshit.

Lan Xichen picks the "go along, get along" path, having his drink and using his magic skill of anti-intoxication to neutralize it, as he'd done previously when drinking with Wei Wuxian.

Cousin Jin Zixun picks on Lan Wangji next, and since he cannot magically or even non-magically tolerate alcohol, there is a real risk to his reputation if he drinks. But Lan Wangji breaks rules when he feels like it, not when people tell him to. He pointedly ignores the offered drink while Lan Xichen looks worried.

The rest of the party guests have a wide variety of reactions, none of them helpful, to these shenanigans. Jin Guanshan's son and heir watches with calm interest as the power dynamics play out.

All of this is actually not great strategy for the Jins. The Lans don't play little social games to gain power, because all that time they spend not drinking, not gossiping, and not doing other stuff? Is spent cultivating and practicing sword and musical battle forms. The Lan Bros are overwhelmingly powerful as individuals, and embarrassing them won't change that.

It's moot, ultimately, because Wei Wuxian chooses this moment to arrive.

Darkness Visible

Wei Wuxian actually made a big impressive stair-climbing entrance to Jinlintai a few minutes ago, with camera work echoing Lan Wangji's stair climb at the Wen Indoctrination Bureau from several episodes back.

But nobody was around to see that, other than us, and when he appears at the party it's in stealth mode; he steps into the frame from out of nowhere, and drinks Lan Wangji's unwanted drink.

Lan Wangji responds by looking at him like this for the next several minutes.

Wei Wuxian doesn't have time for their usual sport of Extreme Gazing, though; he came for a reason, which is to find and rescue Wen Ning. He gets right to it, asking Cousin Jin Zixun where he's keeping him.

Jiang Cheng, who is the king of worrying about the wrong fucking thing, jumps up to try to stop Wei Wuxian from talking. Like, seriously, he's ok with the Jins trying to take his clan's special extreme weapon, but he's not ok with his head disciple being rude in order to fulfill a whopper of a life debt--Jiang Cheng's life debt, in particular--or being rude in order to preserve the clan's independence.

Jin Guangshan decides this is a good moment to bring up the Yin tiger amulet. Wei Wuxian pushes back, hard, pointing out exactly what Jin Guangshan is doing. He says he's setting himself up to be a new Wen Ruohan.

Lan Wangji pays close attention to Wei Wuxian's reasoning here, and so does Nie Mingjue, unless he’s just trying to mask his confusion.

Jiang Cheng is too busy being horrified to listen, apparently. Or he just doesn’t agree, preferring to be reduced to a secondary authority, rather than defy a primary authority.

Wei Wuxian is, of course, all about independence; he was literally born to be a rogue cultivator, despite being dubbed “patriarch” himself, not long after this.

Let’s Go Crazy Let’s Get Nuts

Wei Wuxian gets tired of the scene and decides to lose his temper. He makes a show of being enraged, and he genuinely is angry, but I don't think he's out of control, this time.

He acts like he's out of control in order to scare everyone, but he makes his points very clearly, reminding everyone that he has power they don't have, that he's good at killing, that he's not patient, and that his teeth are nicer than everybody else’s.

Everybody in the room freaks out to one degree or another--except Jin Guangshan, who is apparently too pissed off to be scared.

It's hilarious that Jin Guangshan thought he was going to get Wei Wuxian to hand the Yin Tiger amulet over by creating a complex system of social pressure against him. Wei Wuxian's favorite way of responding to social pressure is to escalate it into violence, regardless of the consequences; he's been doing that at least since Gusu Summer School and probably a lot longer. Jin Guangshan should know this, given how many beatings his son has taken from Wei Wuxian over the years.

Wei Wuxian does a fantastically sexy scary, theatrical countdown, and Cousin Jin Zixun caves in and gives him the information he wants. It's worth noticing that even under threat of death, CJZX doesn't comply until he visually checks in with his clan leader. He’s genuinely a bad person, yes, but he’s a loyal soldier, which is what most of these clans value most.

As soon as he gets what he wants, Wei Wuxian is perfectly, smugly, in control of himself again. Everyone in the room is still stunned and afraid, so Jin Guangshan has achieved that much, at least; nobody likes Wei Wuxian having the Yin tiger seal now, including Jiang Cheng.

As he leaves, Wei Wuxian has one of those conversations with Lan Wangji in which everything is said in glances in the course of a couple of seconds.

WWX: I love you, I have to leave you; I've got some shit to take care of and I won't be coming back to all of this.

LWJ: I love you; I'm probably going to have to fight you; your funeral is going to be so upsetting

Wei Wuxian turns away from everyone, and you can see the weight settling on his shoulders, as he contemplates the choices he just made and the choices that are still ahead of him.

Jin Guangshan, for the first and only time, loses his temper in front of everybody, literally flipping a table because he's so mad about what just happened.

Art prompt: Jiang Cheng wearing an outfit made of a Chinese mythical creature. Bonus points if it’s a qilin. Bonus bonus points if Zhang Qiling (from DMBJ/Lost Tomb franchise) is standing next to him looking grumpy while Jiang Cheng wears an outfit made from a qilin.

Soundtrack: Get This Party Started by Pink, Charm Attack by Leona Naess, Let’s Go Crazy by Prince.

#the untamed #the untamed gifs #wangxian #restless rewatch the untamed #canary3d-original #my gifs #learn to count the yiling way #1900 words

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bewareof12metersfrogs · 3 years

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MDZS Nie Bros + Nieyao reincarnation AU where NHS is the only one who remembers their past life BUT it' romantic comedy instead of angst

So hear me out. They get reincarnated but NHS somehow is the only one who remembers their past life (maybe because he felt guilty? Because of his hatred? His desire to become NMJ's little brother again but better? His desire to protect his bro? Idk u choose), and he's determined to protect NMJ. It starts with dreams and then visions since he was a kid. The bros are gonna have a bigger age gap than in canon because of reasons and also tiny angry NHS is adorable. So instead of 5-6 years older than NHS, NMJ is like 8-12 years older. Maybe NMJ and MY/JGY can have a smaller age gap? Idk suit yourself.

Cue adorable little NHS going "NO! DAGE CAN'T GO!" and clinging onto his bro's entire body everytime he tries to go anywhere. After a few years, he remembers most of it but still in pieces--and it makes him absolutely loathe the short dimpled man clothed in gold who played cursed music for his dage (maybe he only remembers the face, the clothes, the music, and not the name? Idk).

But boy oh boy does life already have a short, sweet, smiling, music playing, golden loving, dimpled surprise for him.

Enters Meng Yao! (or maybe Jin Guangyao or even Jin Ziyao).

They meet somewhere, through Lan Xichen like in canon maybe? In college? At some coffee shop or store? I don't know but they meet somewhere and, like, are instantly attracted to each other because their bodies and souls are literally bound together inside a coffin for like a century. So yeah, they meet, talk, and after several exchanges of shy glances, awkward flirting from Mingjue, offerings (flowers, cakes, exotic and healthy treats for Baxia the cat and little trinkets for Huaisang, fancy dinner which means fancy meat) from Meng Yao, even more (slightly less) awkward flirting, and so many delicious lunches (which Mingjue absolutely makes with love and care) together, Nie Mingjue is ready to introduce his new bf to his little bro.

The big day comes and Mingjue tells Huaisang that they're gonna have a nice dinner together with his new bf. After preparing everything and sitting down, Meng Yao rings the bell and Huaisang answers it and--

All hell breaks loose :)

Huaisang screams ("YOU! HOW DARE YOU COME HERE! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY DAGE AFTER YOU KILLED AND DISMEMBERED AND BETRAYED HIM!") and tries to attack Meng Yao. Mingjue is horrified and also extremely confused. Meng Yao is mostly confused and only a bit scared because what's this tiny kid gonna do? Bite him?

Yes.

After a lot of screaming, crying, scratching, and biting, Mingjue can finally free his bf from the vicious clutch of his little brother. Dinner is officially ruined and Meng Yao is officially awed. Just, how can something so tiny contain so much energy and hatred? Also he falls deeper in love with Mingjue after watching him gently calming his little bro down and Mingjue falls deeper in love with Meng Yao after watching how gently he treats his demon spawn of a brother. So Huaisang's anger only "worsens" the situation.

After that, the comedic "little brother tries to sabotage his elder brother's relationship" part starts. Huaisang tries everything, from attacking and trying to murder Meng Yao (which he mistakes as playing and bonding, which is totally a normal thing to do between a normal child and their normal future sibling in law) to crying and begging Mingjue to dump his "stupid evil murderer boyfriend". Alas, Huaisang is a child and Meng Yao is scarily smart at picking and giving offerings (mostly because he's determined to marry the big brother so the little brother has to at least tolerate him).

After a lot of candies, paints, pretty fans, bird miniatures, an actual bird (prolly a cockatiel), going out to parks and petting zoos and whatever fun places that kids like, Nie Huaisang eventually starts to tolerate him (Mingjue's treats and heart-to-heart convos with him also help a lot). So, the "learning to forgive and move on to be able to build a new life" part starts.

It'll be comedic. It'll be wholesome. Maybe it'll be angsty cause nie bros and nieyao you know BUT it will have a happy ending. They're gonna have their happy ending.

(Wangxian still exists in the background, having playdates and petting bunnies. Jiang Cheng is still trying to kill Wei Wuxian but it's all platonic and full of love. Wen Ning is a gentle cutie and is trying to mediate between them. The elder siblings + Mian Mian (cause she's essentially Jin Zixuan's nanny + elder sister) have a group chat and are constanly sending pics of their baby bros and having a little "which little bro is the cutest?" competition with Mian Mian as the jury (Wen Qing and Nie Mingjue are odddly competitive). Nie Zonghui exists and is the bros' cool distant cousin cuz I love him. Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan have a plant store together and are living happily and several years later, they're gonna meet their daughter A-Qing. Jin Zixuan is less of an asshole but he still has negative game and he's trying his best. He and Jiang Yanli love each other so much. Mo Xuanyu, Qin Su, Meng Yao, and Jin Zixuan go out together every Saturday (I call this "Weekly F*ck Jin Guangshan Party"). Nie Mingjue, Lan Xichen, Jiang Yanli, Wen Qing, Mian Mian, and Qin Su (+ Song Lan probably) are bffs cause they rock and I love them so much. They're all happy.)

Also, the real star is Baxia the Monstrous Maine Coon, the only cast member with a braincell.

#mdzs #cql #the untamed #things i want to write #but probably won't #alternate universe #fanfic prompt #nie mingjue #nie huaisang #jin guangyao #meng yao #nie brothers #nieyao #essentially everyone #comedy #no angst #no sir we have enough angst in canon #now it's time for #romantic comedy

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shanastoryteller · 3 years

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Am consumed by your modern!big bro friend!WWX AU. What if LWJ is a straight up chess club+science olympiad geek in this AU who gets contacts in sophomore years and makes people walk in walls with his sudden hotness, except for WWX. WWX treats him like he always has.

oh i love this

someone: oh shit lwj is hot now

wwx: ??????????? lwj was always hot

the plot twist is wwx is ALSO a chess club science olympiad geek. he and lxc are mathletes together. nie mingjue is a theater kid. wwx does tech and lxc can’t act for shit but likes to support his friends so he helps paint the scenery. they’re all codependent little assholes so if one of them is into something, so are the other two, whether they like it or not.

jiang cheng tries to find one (1) club that his brother, sister, or their best friends aren’t in and that’s how he ends up in philosophy club. he doesn’t even like philosophy

#asks #anon #untamed

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giraffeter · 3 years

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It’s the guy’s hands that really make Wei Wuxian sweat.

All the other baristas at Lotus Café swoon over Muscle Guy (as they have come to call him) for his arms, his chest, his dimples, his leather jacket — and Wei Wuxian is a yes, yes, yes and hell yes as far as those things are concerned — but it’s Muscle Guy’s hands, which are big and long-fingered and confidently dexterous, veiny in a good way, his nails filed short and scrupulously clean, his strong wrists and muscular forearms, that get Wei Wuxian going the most.

“I like your sweater,” Muscle Guy says on Tuesday morning.

It’s a great sweater — deep red and touchably soft, with a wide neck that shows off Wei Wuxian’s collarbones and a deep triangular keyhole back that offers a peek of his shoulder blades. Wei Wuxian gets numbers in this sweater.

“Thanks, I like your...” Wei Wuxian accidentally meets his eyes and gets completely lost for a moment too long. “...Jacket.”

Muscle Guy smiles. Long. Slow. Dimples. Fuck. “Thanks.” He raps his credit card twice on the counter, drawing Wei Wuxian’s attention to his hands. He’s wearing a black ring on his forefinger and an expensive-looking watch. Fuck.

Wei Wuxian is so lightheaded with lust that he accidentally writes “Muscle Guy” on the cup and has to throw it out before the guy sees.

On Thursday, Muscle Guy comes in later than usual, after the morning rush. He clears his throat as Wei Wuxian rings him up. “It’s Nie Mingjue, actually.”

“I’m sorry?” Wei Wuxian asks, bright customer-service smile on his face.

“My name is Nie Mingjue,” he says. “Not, ah, ‘Muscle Guy.’” He cocks one heavy eyebrow at Wei Wuxian.

“Oh, ah, hahahaha,” Wei Wuxian laughs, flushing blood-hot. “I...ah...”

Muscle Guy — Nie Mingjue — leans on the counter with one arm. “Do you...also have a name? Or is your name actually ‘Cute Barista?’”

30 minutes later, Wei Wuxian lowers his still-shaking legs from where they’ve been wrapped around Nie Mingjue’s waist, leaning against the stack of bags of coffee beans Nie Mingjue had pressed him up against in the supply closet. Having gotten an up-close-and-personal demonstration, Wei Wuxian is prepared to say for certain that Nie Mingjue’s hands are definitely his best feature, followed closely by his mouth and his arms and his cock and everything else about him.

“That was fun,” Nie Mingjue says, tying off the condom and tossing it in the trash. Wei Wuxian puts a big wad of crumpled paper towels on top to disguise it, not that ANY of his coworkers will be unaware of what he’s just been doing in the supply closet.

“Yeah,” Wei Wuxian agrees, still a little breathless.

Nie Mingjue wanders back over to him and kisses him lightly. “What are you doing later?”

“I get off at 4,” Wei Wuxian offers.

“Can I pick you up? We could go for round 2, maybe grab dinner?”

“Yeah, definitely,” Wei Wuxian grins.

When he checks his phone, the “Baristas Only No Managers No Bad Vibes” WhatsApp group is blowing up.

“EMERGENCY STAFF MEETING Wei Wuxian is banging Muscle Guy in the supply closet AS WE SPEAK.”

Jingyi, who’s been manning the store solo like a true team player while Wei Wuxian got his back blown out, fist-bumps him upon his return.

“Happy to cover for you, bro,” he says. “But you are gonna clean all the machines by yourself today.”

Like the soreness that makes Wei Wuxian wince every time he bends down to grab the specialty syrups, it’s a small price to pay.

#mingxian #nie mingjue/wei wuxian #NMJ/WWX #Wei Wuxian #Nie Mingue #the untamed ficlets

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inactive5790 · 4 years

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So, MDZS Cats Part 2! Partly because I looked back on my first post and shuddered, partly because there have been a lot of cats going missing in my neighbourhood and I got sad, and partly because @memprime mentioned the Wen and Nie siblings as kitties ages ago and I really wanted to draw that. Anyway, last time I did my favourite ships (although I still need to do a NieLan one, because that has become my recent obsession) and now here I am with the bestest siblings! Which is pretty much all of them except the other Wen siblings. (I’ll be honest, this was a ploy to draw kittens.)

This took me ages, but I managed to get a lot more detail into the fur and add some little nic nacs, like the fan and the soup. I was going to do shading, but... nah. So, please, for the love of all things holy, open these images in another tab and zoom in. I put in too much detail for it to be wasted.

Anyway, Cat Breeds:

Wei Wuxian: Bombay Cat

Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng: Russian Blue Cats

Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji: Norwegian Forest Cats

Nie Mingjue: Maine Coon Cat

Nie Huasiang: Maine Coon/Tabby Mix

Wen Qing and Wen Ning: Somali Cats

And the honestly pretty terrible Dialogue, because my handwriting is awful at the best of times:

Wei Wuxian: *being the adorable little shit he is* Look, Shijie! I’ve got your tail!

Jiang Yanli: *trying not to laugh* Wow, A-Xian! Such a brave hunter. Now come and eat your soup.

Jiang Cheng: *adorable angry boi* You- Wei Wuxian! Stop annoying A-Jie!

Nie Huasiang: *desperately trying to squirm out of his brothers grip while refusing to let go of his fan*: No! Da-Ge! I can’t go to training! I’m ill! And injured! And blind! Ah! Da-Ge! You have to let me rest! (I wanted to add a lot more whining, but I had a limited amount of space)

Nie Mingjue: *no shits given* Shut it. You’re going.

Wen Qing: *about to stab some toddlers* What did you say to A-Ning?

Wen Ning: *not sure he’s more scared of the mean kids, or his sister* A-Jie. I- It’s fine.

Lan Xichen: *supportive big bro trying to pass on the secret of inhuman upper body strength* Very good, Wangji. Keep yourself balanced.

Lan Wangji: *struggling, but not giving up, because, well, this is Lan imma-pine-for-13-years-see-if-I-dont Zhan* Mn.

The sibling dynamics in this fandom are amazing and the big siblings are the best around. Honestly, they deserved so much more than they got, which isn’t saying much since three of them died and one of them will be dealing with severe trauma for the rest of his life. Seriously, what does the MXTX have against older siblings?!

So, yeah, I might add a few more of these in time (Junior Quartet, A-Qing, MianMian and NieLan will be next, if I do some more. I want to try some doggos, too, but in another fandom) and I’m very happy with how this turned out. Let me know what you think!

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wangxianficrecs · 3 years

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Fic Finder

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1. Hi, I'm looking for an Untamed fic, maybe you'll be able to help. It's a canon divergence AU in which WWX doesn't lose his core, Jiang Fengmian lives and it's implied that his core was transferred to JC (heavily implied; JFM retires as the Sect Leader after that). This is absolutely not the most important part of this fic but it's a paragraph that I've got stuck in my head and now I'm searching for the rest @_@ Thanks in advance! ~ @otemporaetmores

FOUND! by @notsobabblespace, who was reminded of I’m aching and I know you are too by edenwolfie (part 3 in series, M, 23k, wangxian)

FOUND! by @jim-is-spocks-thyla, who suggests ❤️ to arrive late is better than not to arrive at all by Moominmammashandbag (M, 35k, wangxian) [ETA: Oops, not this one. JFM has no core, but he didn’t give it to JC]

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2. Hi Mojo! I’m in need of you/your followers help in finding a fic that I read a little while ago. It was a fic where Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi lived together in Cloud Recesses and their children were Sizhui and an OOC that was younger than him. I remember SiZhui faced a lot of criticism for not being the chief cultivator’s real child? And they were happy he had a younger sibling that would be sect leader in the future because he was blood. Come to think of it, this is probably an ABO fic too. Thanks for your time 💜

FOUND! @andidontmeanto believes this is Blue Blood by PotterheadAvengerDemigod (T, 91k, wangxian, my post)

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3. Aksks it's like 3 am but I just remembered a fic and I can't find it?? I'd really, really appreciate your help. It was a wangxian fic, maybe a oneshot idk, and lwj was kind of a nerd and wwx a badboy? So basically lwj has a massive crush on him and dresses up like wwx etc. (i think he even got an undercut) and after a party they sleep with each other at lwj's place?

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4. i’m looking for a fic set in the where lwj’s mother killed his father? i don’t think that was a main plot point but it did show up in his backstory - any idea what this might be? ~ @thehype

FOUND! @rentslirott thinks this could be ❤️the best of you by sysrae (E, 42k, wangxian, my post)

FOUND! @castaways-logbook offers The Right to Care by travelingneuritis (E, 39k, wangxian, WIP)

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5. ... same as #6 ...

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6. Hello friend, sorry for the inconvenience but I wanted to see if you could please find me a fic that I lost but I only remember more or less the final part, it goes more or less like this, lan zhan and wei ying are kidnapped by jin guangyao and lock them up if not I'm wrong in some cells next to lan xichen after the fights jin guangyao dies but lan xichen did know how bad jin guangyao had done and he didn't care and then to get revenge he wants to kill wei ying but lan zhan kills him and sizhui gets scared It was more or less like that, please help me ~ @isa0123lol

FOUND! by @wangxiansfics who says that tragically it’s no longer available, but @dulachodladh found it on WaybackMachine here: Thread and Needle by haysel (M, 86k, wangxian)

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7. Hi, Mojo! I'm glad that you're back but I hope you enjoyed your time off tumblr! Can you and/or your followers help me find a fic? I think the summary was talking about wwx and somehow they were asking mingjue for help since he's the only one who can help. The summary was in italics and it's a dialogue from some guy? And a shorter summary below. Sadly this is the only thing I can remember but I hope you can still help me

FOUND! @alwayswenning suggests love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360k, wangxian, has it’s own fanfic here, I just finished this last night!, my bookmark)

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8. Sorry to bombard you as soon as you're back, but this one's driving me crazy--a modern AU where they met online. WWX thinks LWJ is an old man from how he talks. I don't remember much except the excerpt made it seem like he still was amused by/enjoyed talking to him, and Wen Qing was telling him it was a bad idea and to stop. It's not How to Fall In Love With a Catfish, tho that one is brilliant! (Also any top notch identity porn would be great) Hope your break was restful, you deserve it! Thanks

Here’s my #identity porn tag, but I’m not sure about this exact story.

I'm the anon for #8 on the fic finder. Though I'm excited to read it, the suggested fic isn't the one I was looking for. I swear I thought I saw it on here around a month ago or slightly more, but searches have failed me.

FOUND! Rating: General Audiences by Mishaa (T, 18k, wangxian WIP) - mysterious author LWJ (speculated to be an old man because of his formality) and infamous artist WWX paired up for an Untamed Big Bang (in an AU where JGY was the series’ antiheroic protagonist; this fic was written before the release of CQL.)

FOUND? could you be looking for Something Real by Latios (G, 5k, wangxian, my post) - wwx thinks lwj is an old man, but there’s no WQ. There are many pictures of bunnies.

SIMILAR! @emilysidhe thought of ID Bro Saga by Bowandtie (T, 39k, wangxian)

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9. Hey, how are you? Could you help me please? I've read 3 fanfics once, but I can't find them anymore. 1 - Nanny Problem, Wei is going to be the babysitter of A-Yuan, he is an omega and Lan is an alpha. 2 - Doctor Perfect, Yibo is an omega nurse and Xiao is an alpha doctor. 3 - The Baby of my Omega, Yibo is omega and Xiao is alpha, both of them are bodyguards, but Yibo has to protect Xiao in the beginning. I think they were at ao3, but I really can't find them. Can you help me please? Thank you!! ~ @weallmad

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10. Hi! Im happy you’re back. I hope you had a good break. I missed your recommendations, but at the same time i got a break from fics and actually studied to my tests haha. [Ah! I’m glad to hear your time was spent productively!] I’m looking for a fic like Linger in the Sun by etymologyplayground. In the fic im looking for wangxian slowly lose their senses instead of all of them at once. Like they lose their hearing, then touch, sight etc, They can’t see each other or hear each other. I’m sorry i can’t explain very well.

FOUND? Could you be thinking of ❤️shadows in the sun rise by Yuu_chi (E, 25k, wangxian)? Only lwj losese his senses one by one in this one, though.

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11. heyyy im trying to find this fic where wwx died the first time he was thrown in to the burial mounds then 10 years later he gets resurrected or something. I can't find it on AO3 and it's been bugging me for days. Thank you!

FOUND! Well, @moku-youbi offers both of these as possibilities:

Did I Not Explain Why the Sunset Turns Red? by 3988Akasha (E, 100k, wangxian)

we're starting at the end by Miss_Enthusiasimal (M, 95k, wangxian)

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12. Hi I am looking for a fic where wwx is a witch (/mage?) in a world where magic is being persecuted (especially in Gusu) except for Yunmeng/Lanling I think but they're still frowned upon nonetheless. Then after accidentally hurting Shijie, wwx runs away, and ends up hiding in Gusu pretending to be a servant to lwj (lwj is a prince, lxc is the emperor) but lwj actually knows of his identity and tries not-so-discreetly to protect him from being caught. Thanks!

FOUND! by @bibliobasilisk who gives us Witchfinder by misbehavingvigilante (E, 86k, wangxian)

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13. Hi! Firstly, I'm glad to see you're back, and I hope your break was a good one! I'm trying to find a LWJ/WWX story that I had planned to read and ending up losing before I could. It was set in the immediate aftermath of the 33 lashes, LWJ is in the Jingshi recovering when a healer(?) discovers he's pregnant (by WWX). It may have been a/b/o verse, but I'm not 100% on that. Part of the story was a flashback to when WWX was still alive. Thank you!

FOUND! by nonny themself. It’s Unexpected Surprise by Glucose_Gremlin (E, 4k, wangxian)

SIMILAR! @mondelgel suggests my heart is kept as pure as ice in a jade vase/一片冰心在玉壶 by Daledesu (M, 21k, wangxian, WIP)

SIMILAR! from @impending-cuttlefish: something new, something white, something blue by ariskamalt (E, 140k, wangxian, WIP)

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14. I'm trying to find this one fic where Jin Ling finds this diary that Wei Ying wrote as the Yiling Patriarch that basically reveals everything, including the golden core reveal and it even has training tips that helps Jon Ling improve. When Wei Ying comes back, he tries everything to keep him there because he is THE best uncle now. I need to find it because it is a N E E D.

FOUND? by @theladypeartree who says, “The Truth (Untold) is jl reading jyl's journals, not wwx's though. And mordant is jl returning wwx's journals that he found, not grew up with. Neither fit #14 properly, but I seriously could not find anything closer after two solid days of searching. Good luck!“

The Truth (Untold) by anxiouswreck0_0 (g, 3k, wangxian, jin ling & wei wuxian)

or this one on ffn:

mordant by tennisnotensai (M, 18k, wangxian, here’s the link for mobile)

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15. I have heard tell of a Sizhui/Jingyi fic where the boys end up going to Wangxian for advice about how to be intimate. Can you help me find it?

FOUND! @manaika-chan says this one is On Advisement by LaMachina17 (M, 19k, wangxian, zhuiling, chengyi)

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16. nm

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17. Hi! Sorry, do you happen to know that nsfw fic where wwx is still studying in the cloud recesses and he’s reading a novel (im not sure if it was from nhs) that features a cultivator couple and there’s a scene in the book where the woman was pegging her husband? Basically wwx got curious about this and tried fingering himself. I remember he was hiding in the back mountains and then lwj eventually caught him

FOUND? Could you be thinking of Deep in the Woods by malkinmalkout (E, 5k, wangxian, my post)?

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18. Ahhh I'm going crazy trying to think of a fic that I've read where Lan Zhan killed Wen Chao in a locker room and nie huaisang stood guard outside the door! Then lan zhan went to lan huan and said I killed someone and he said did they deserve it? Then it's fine. And I can't remember the name of the fic! Have you heard of it? ~ @uchihaautumn

FOUND! @artemisisdiana offers So Full Of Love (Wouldn't Know Where to Start) by witchupbitch (M, 54k, wangxian, WIP)

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19. Hi, I was wondering if you could help me find a fic. I read it a while ago and I don't really remember all the details but it was a modern au where Lan Wangji was a police officer in this small town and Wei Wuxian comes back after years, having left the town due to some stuff. Thank you in advance.

Btw love your blog. I live for your fic recs. [Thank you!]

FOUND? Could you be looking for medium blues by dark_and_terrible (E,193k, wangxian)? It appears to be taken down atm, but it might come back (it’s done it before).

FOUND! by @grannyweatherwaxshat who offers When a Bird Flies, It Leaves Feathers by Bem_Kofi (not rated, 75k, wangxian)

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20. Hi mojo!! First of all I luv your blog Thank you so much for all those ficrecs. [You’re welcome!] Actually I’m looking for a fic I read months ago. I probably found the fic from your blog. But I can’t seem to find it now 😢 it was a modern au wangxian fic (inspired by call me by ur name?) wwx was like 5 years older than lwj. (And lwj was like 16?) Wwx lives in another city but he spent around a year in cloud recesses with lwj in the past. And wwx yanli and jc visits cloud recesses again and wangxian gets 2gether

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[My ko-fi.]

#wangxian fic finder #wangxian #mdzs fic finder #wangxian fic rec

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tangledinmdzs · 3 years

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autumn leaves - nie bros hcs

how the leaves change color in the unclean realm

.･:*:･ﾟ’✫,’✫’ﾟ･:*:･˙

the greys and silvers of the unclean realm are the neutral shade that make the autumn leaves all the more vibrant

sword practicing in the middle of the training grounds,

as the colorful leaves float to the ground

is where you find Nie Mingjue

you know that the training grounds are his favorite place

if the calluses on his hands,

and the sweat on his brow is anything to go by

“you’ve been too busy training to come see me?”

at your voice, Mingjue does one final swing on his sword before turning to look you, giving you a half smile

“Sect Leader l/n” Mingjue greets you

“please drop the formalities, you’ve known me since we were kids,” you tell him and let him lead you into the main hall,

the sight of the hall,

almost half a decade since your last visit

makes you smile

you’re happy that there’s still the tinge of familiarity in the place, since not much as changed

though when you take your place at one of the low tables, and look up as Nie Mingjue settles in his clan’s seat

you realize the differences then

you’re all grown up now,

“y/n-jie!”

you can recognize Huaisang’s voice immediately, and you look up from your tea to see the younger nie brother, immediately coming up to you

although you put up a little front, you really do appreciate how carefree he is with titles and such

because it’s been a while since you’d last heard someone refer to you as just jie, or just y/n

“you came all the way here from your sect, do you have something possibly...” Huaisang insinuates,

and you roll your eyes at him

“you only like me for my gifts, don’t you?” you ask knowingly

and laugh at the light blush on his face,

but you do reach into your robes and pull out something that you know Huaisang will never forgot,

“oh my GOD” Huaisang nearly screams, when you present him with a beautiful paint brush with natural, strong bristles and intricately carved designs on the brush itself

“y/n, you spoil him,” Mingjue notes from his seat

“it’s no big deal,” you reply smiling at the way Huaisang gushes over the brush to you and his brother

and you let out a small surprised huff when Huaisang runs around the low table to give you a short hug

Mingjue tampers down his own laugh as you gently pat Huaisang’s shoulder, watches your easy smile as you listen to his brother geek out over his newest present

“ge! this is the best, i have to go paint with this immediately” Huaisang cooly excuses,

he’s nearly out the door to the hall when he turns back abruptly, locking eyes with you from the door frame,

“you’re getting the first drawing! so don’t go anywhere!” Huaisang tells you and he’s off before you can so much as respond

you just shake your head, sipping at your warm tea as you return to the conversation you were about to have with Mingjue

“to what does the Nie Sect owe the pleasure of this visit?”

“can i not come by to visit an old friend?”

your answer surprises him, that much you can see on his face

and you don’t blame him

after all, ever since you’d both stopped your childhood playdates and became leaders,

there was little time for friendly visits, socializing even

“i can’t find anyone that spars well enough at home,” you tell Mingjue and it gets a half smile out of him,

because he knows that the words you actually mean to say,

are “i miss you,”

“shall we have a try, like old times?”

and it isn’t too hard to take him up on the offer

#mdzs #mdzs headcanons #mdzs character headcanons #mdzs nie huaisang x reader #mdzs nie mingjue x reader #mdzs reader insert #mdzs reaction #mdzs scenarios #mdzs imagine #nie mingjue x reader #mdzs nie mingjue #mdzs nie sect #mdzs nie huaisang #cql x reader #sect leader y/n #mdzs x y/n #tangledwriting

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robininthelabyrinth · 3 years

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prompt: after their father died, the Nie bros were raised by Wen Ruohan, and are forced to survive in the backstabbing tangle of Nightless City politics.

Congratulations! You have also won the “I didn’t mean to write this much” fic prompt lottery, to the tune (again) of about 30k. I hope you enjoy!

Note: any fic warnings will be only on Ao3

Fire and Light (ao3) - part 1

“It’ll be all right,” Nie Mingjue murmured to Nie Huaisang, who was curled in his arms, shaking and terrified. The carriage rumbled and lurched around them, traveling down the long path to the Nightless City, where they would now be staying. “It’ll be all right. We’ll manage, somehow.”

He didn’t believe a word he said, of course. How could everything be all right?

Their father was dead. Murdered – it was rather unquestionable at this point. Wen Ruohan had broken his saber from a distance, driving him mad, and Nie Mingjue had known it was Wen Ruohan, but no one had believed him. No one had wanted to help, to intervene, to take action. Even at home, they’d just started resigning themselves to having to take care of Lao Nie as he died by inches when the murderer himself had shown up at the Unclean Realm to ‘help’ them in their moment of need.

Even half-mad, their father had tried to fight back.

Wen Ruohan had put him down like a rabid dog, wringing his neck and tossing him aside.

He’d then announced that Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang, now orphans, would be brought back to the Nightless City and taken into the Wen sect to be his wards, to be appropriately reeducated and brought up well. Brought up properly.

And as for the rest of the Nie sect –

At least they survived, Nie Mingjue reminded himself. Even if they have to work for the Wen sect, even if the sun banner flies in the Unclean Realm…at least they’re not dead.

At least Huaisang is with me.

He didn’t know what to expect when they arrived. He didn’t think it would be anything good.

Their rooms in the Nightless City were large, but cold.

They were wards of the great Sect Leader Wen, they were told when they arrived. That meant that they would be treated with respect, as if they were truly young masters of the Wen sect. They would get the best tutors, the best clothing, the best food and drink…they would be masters of the world, if only they bowed their heads and were obedient.

(If they were not obedient, they would be punished. The exact nature of that punishment remained – unspecified.)

“Are they going to hurt us?” Nie Huaisang whispered late at night, curled up in Nie Mingjue’s bed. He’d been hiding in his own, shaking and terrified, until Nie Mingjue had crept out to check on him, daring the unspecified punishment if it meant confirming his brother was all right. Obviously Nie Mingjue couldn’t leave him like that, so he’d brought him back. “Are they going to do to us what they did to a-Die?”

“No,” Nie Mingjue said, with moderate confidence. “They’re not. They’ve put in too much effort, made this all too public, to kill us now. Though I’m not ruling out the possibility that they might freeze us to death by accident. How is it so cold here? It’s south of Qinghe! The climate should be more temperate, not less! And have they never heard of tapestries?”

“Da-ge…”

“Don’t think I don’t feel those ice-blocks you call feet at my waist!”

Nie Huaisang giggled, as Nie Mingjue had intended. “You’re being silly, da-ge.”

Nie Mingjue pretended to huff angrily, tossing his head like a bull, and it made Nie Huaisang giggle again, the way it always had. “Fine, fine,” he grumbled. “I’ll keep you warm, I guess. It’s my duty as your da-ge, isn’t it?”

“What’s my duty?” Nie Huaisang wanted to know.

“To be my spoiled brat of a didi, of course,” Nie Mingjue said, the way he always did, but this time Nie Huaisang shook his head in denial.

“Now that we’re here,” he clarified, looking at Nie Mingjue with wide, trusting eyes. “What do you need me to do?”

Nie Mingjue knew, as Nie Huaisang did not, why their lives had been spared: it all lay in that word, reeducated. They would be indoctrinated into Wen sect beliefs, Wen sect customs, and by the time they were sent back to rule Qinghe as Wen Ruohan’s puppets, they would be more Wen than Nie. Even for him, it would be difficult to resist; for someone as young as Nie Huaisang, with his childish memories already slipping through his fingers like sand, it would be virtually impossible.

Asking him to resist would serve no purpose but to torment him when he inevitably failed.

“Be happy, didi,” he finally said, and pressed his lips to Nie Huaisang’s forehead. “Be happy as you can, as you always have. Don’t let them take away your smile.”

The next day, they were introduced to Wen Xu and Wen Chao, the actual young masters of Qishan, sons of Wen Ruohan. Wen Xu was a handful of years older than Nie Mingjue, eighteen to his nearly-fifteen, while Wen Chao was less than two years older than Nie Huaisang. Neither of them seemed happy to see them, scowls fixed firmly on their faces, sneers of disdain twisting their lips.

“Do you train the saber?” Wen Xu asked Nie Mingjue, who raised an eyebrow of ‘what do you think I train’ in return. “A boorish weapon, but then I suppose your ancestors were butchers.”

“I look forward to taking classes with you,” Nie Mingjue said, thinking to himself that one didn’t have to be especially clever to know the history the Nie sect proudly proclaimed at every turn. “They’re clearly very enriching.”

Wen Xu blinked at him and then turned his face away, his lips pressed together – whether in annoyance or, possibly, a sense of humor very deeply buried, it was difficult to tell.

“Father has expectations of you,” he finally said instead of responding to Nie Mingjue’s jibe, and there was no humor in his face now. “You’ll meet them, of course.”

Unspoken was that they couldn’t afford not to. Either of them.

Nie Mingjue lowered his head. His entire sect – all his cousins, aunts, uncles, whether surnamed Nie or not – were back in Qinghe, closely watched by Wen sect commanders. There was a sword to their throat, and therefore also to his.

He, too, could not afford to disappoint Wen Ruohan.

Wen Xu’s shoulders relaxed a little when he saw Nie Mingjue’s submission – he had clearly been charged with their care, and had just as clearly worried about his ability to fulfill his mission should they choose to rebel – and he nodded, more to himself than to them. “There’s classrooms, and training grounds,” he said. “I’ll show you where they are, as well as the dining room – there are set times for meals, and attendance is mandatory – and of course the necessaries. You don’t need more than that, at least to start.”

“Are there rules we should keep in mind?” Nie Mingjue asked, thinking about his brief visit to Gusu.

“Many,” Wen Xu said. His expression was stormy. “Some of them are even spoken aloud.”

“Da-ge! Da-ge!” Nie Huaisang ran up to him, lip quivering and eyes glistening wet with tears. It was a very sad, even heart-rending sight; it used to send Nie Mingjue into a frenzy to see him like that. But by now he’d learned better and he didn’t even blink, even though Wen Xu faltered, his sword twisting off in the middle of their spar as if he expected Nie Mingjue to lose focus at a key moment and injure himself. He wouldn’t, of course, and he instead used the moment to tap Wen Xu’s sword pointedly with Baxia, claiming the point. “Da-ge, I fell down again!”

“Excuse me,” Nie Mingjue said to Wen Xu, and turned to kneel before Nie Huaisang. “Did you, now?”

“Uh-huh!”

“And did you hurt yourself?”

“I did!” Nie Huaisang stuck his hand out. There was, maybe, a bruise on his wrist. If one squinted. It was probably just mud, actually. “It hurts awful, da-ge. Kiss it better?”

“That doesn’t really work,” Wen Chao scoffed, only a few steps behind Nie Huaisang.

“Shut up, it does,” Nie Huaisang shot back, temporarily forgetting that he was supposed to be pitiful, and turned back to Nie Mingjue. “Well, da-ge?”

Nie Mingjue nodded solemnly. “It’s my job,” he agreed, gathering Nie Huaisang up into his arms and pressing his lips to the ‘wound’, using the motion to infuse a little bit of spiritual energy as well. Not enough to actually make a difference, and certainly not enough to justify Nie Huaisang promptly declaring himself all better, but he liked to do it anyway – a little connection between them.

Wen Chao looked at them both in suspicion, his brow wrinkling. “That doesn’t really work,” he said again, but his voice was weaker this time, more questioning.

“It does too work,” Nie Huaisang announced. “Maybe if you’re really nice, I’ll let da-ge fix you up too next time you fall down.”

“I’m not going to fall down! I’m not a baby like you!”

“Everyone falls down sometimes. There’s nothing shameful about it,” Nie Mingjue said, and pointed to a bruise on his own face. “I myself fell down just a little while ago. Your brother helped. Several times.”

Wen Chao gaped at him, even as Nie Huaisang giggled.

“And Huaisang? You’re already very good at being a big baby and we all know it. You can stop practicing your skills at any time.”

Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes at him, still laughing.

Nie Mingjue ruffled his hair and sent them both away, Nie Huaisang in the lead and Wen Chao following after, the latter shooting strange looks back at Nie Mingjue over his shoulder.

“You’re too soft on him,” Wen Xu said from behind him, even as Nie Mingjue rose to his feet. “He won’t thank you for it, later.”

Nie Mingjue shrugged. “Later is later,” he said philosophically. “Now is now. Can you show me that move you did earlier, kicking out my feet? It was very well done.”

Wen Xu stared at him. “The one – where I knocked you to the ground?”

“That’s the one. Do it again, just slower; it’ll be hard for me to pick it up, otherwise.”

“You’re just asking – no, never mind. Don’t you care that I beat you with it?”

“…no?” Nie Mingjue hazarded. Was this some sort of weird Qishan Wen hang-up? “How am I supposed to learn if I don’t lose?”

“In training, like everyone else.”

“That’d only teach me how to win when everything goes right,” Nie Mingjue pointed out. “I want to learn how to win even when I’m losing. Here, you show me that and I’ll show you the trick I did this morning, with the disarming.”

Wen Xu tensed up. “I don’t need your tricks.”

I don’t need your pity, he meant, and Nie Mingjue didn’t understand him at all. Wen Xu was at home, his little brother safe, his sect secure – why would Nie Mingjue pity him?

“Consider it a favor to me, then,” Nie Mingjue said, thinking back to how his uncle used to handle the especially prickly tempers in their sect, which was never short on them. “My grasp on the move isn’t that good – teaching it to someone else is the best way for me to improve my own understanding.”

Wen Xu hesitated for a while, thinking it over as if he thought there was some sort trap in the offer – what trap it might be, Nie Mingjue wasn’t sure – but then he nodded.

“All right then,” he said arrogantly. “I won’t even count it as a favor. Consider it a gift, since you’re so new here.”

They were there for about a month by the time they met some other people their age.

It was enough time to start to get used to the monotony of it all. They woke up in the morning and were free until breakfast – Nie Mingjue often got in some extra saber training, Nie Huaisang usually slept in – at which point they would meet in the cold, miserable dining hall with enough space to fit two dozen people but which only ever had the four of them, being served by voiceless servants.

They would remain there for enough time to burn a stick of incense at minimum, half a shichen at the maximum, and then they would proceed to their classes. There would be alternating classes and training, all based on some mystifying schedule that seemed to change every day but which clearly had some sort of order based on the boredom with which the Wen heirs regarded it, but always lunch and dinner in the same cold dining room, all alone, same as ever.

It was therefore a surprise when they came down for breakfast and found two other children there: a pale-faced girl about Wen Chao’s age or a little older and a skinny, shy-looking boy closer to Nie Huaisang’s. They were wearing Wen colors, but that didn’t mean anything – so were the rest of them. Neither Nie Mingjue nor Nie Huaisang had been allowed to bring any of their Nie robes to the Nightless City other than the ones they’d been wearing, and those had been splattered with blood. Nie Mingjue had carefully preserved them and still intended on finding a time to go try to see if he could salvage them in the wash, just as soon as he figured out where the laundry was.

His own new robes, in garish Wen colors that made him feel sick every time he looked down, itched and pulled on his body when he moved – they were badly sized. It seemed the seamstresses of the Nightless City hadn’t been expecting someone of his size and shape, although the array of robes he’d found in the closet made him realize, with gut-churning nausea, that he had been expected, that Wen Ruohan had prepared in advance to receive his new wards long before he had committed the act of murder to obtain them.

He hadn’t complained about the discomfort of the badly sized clothing – he hadn’t dared – but Wen Xu had been irritable about it for days now. Based on his rants, it seemed like he suspected that someone had made the robes ill-fitting on purpose to restrict Nie Mingjue’s full range of motion, a scheme designed to make Nie Mingjue humiliate Wen Xu in front of his father when the right size clothing finally did come in.

Nie Mingjue didn’t understand the calculations Wen Xu made, the paranoia involved – who would do something like that? why? what would even be the point? – and he didn’t especially want to, either.

He looked at the other two children. The girl stared down at her food, not making eye contact, but the boy stole glances at him – perhaps he and Nie Huaisang were as much as of a surprise to them as they were to him.

“Good morning,” he said to them. “My brother and I are surnamed Nie. What about you?”

Wen Xu snorted loudly, rolling his eyes. “They’re Wen,” he said scathingly. “Our cousins, from one of collateral branches of the family; the ones in the mountains. Father has taken the two of them on as his wards on account of their unfortunate circumstances and promising talent.”

“Unfortunate circumstances?” Nie Huaisang wondered aloud, and Nie Mingjue sighed to himself at the sheer rudeness of the direct question. “What’s so unfortunate?”

“Our p-parents are dead,” the boy told him quietly, stuttering a little.

“Oh,” Nie Huaisang said. “Ours too.”

There was a moment of silence, the entire room disbelieving, and then Nie Mingjue started laughing.

The sound of his laughter verged on the hysterical, hurting his throat, but he couldn’t seem to stop. Not because it was funny, of course, it wasn’t funny, would never be funny, it was still raw and burning and painful. It probably would be for the rest of his undoubtedly short life. But news travelled fast in the cultivation world, and while he couldn’t say for sure, Nie Mingjue suspected he’d be hard pressed to find someone who hadn’t heard about Wen Ruohan murdering the old Nie sect leader and taking his children by now.

Judging by the horrified expressions on the Wen cousins’ faces, they definitely had, and the sheer awkwardness that paralyzed the entire room just made the entire thing pathetically – well, laughable.

“Da-ge!” Nie Huaisang hissed, cheeks turning red, but he was smiling a little, too, mostly out of the infectiousness of Nie Mingjue’s laughter. “Don’t embarrass me!”

Nie Mingjue leaned over and ruffled his hair. “Extra etiquette lessons for a week.”

“No!”

“Someone has to teach you to think before you speak,” Nie Mingjue said, still chuckling involuntarily with the aftereffects of his bout of inappropriate humor. “Not every thought that passes through your brain has to reach your tongue, you know. Consider holding some back. Cultivate an aura of mystery.”

Nie Huaisang grumbled and went back to picking at his food.

“Aren’t you going to punish him?” the girl asked suddenly. She was staring straight at Nie Mingjue. “You didn’t embarrass him. He embarrassed you.”

“I’m his older brother,” Nie Mingjue said with a shrug. “If he’s not embarrassed by me and I’m not mortified by him, something’s clearly wrong –”

“Da-ge!” Nie Huaisang wailed.

Nie Mingjue put some extra meat into his bowl to apologize for teasing, and Nie Huaisang subsided, making faces at him as he did.

“You’re weird,” Wen Chao announced.

Nie Mingjue didn’t think so, but all the Wens averted their eyes away from him as if they were silently agreeing, so maybe he was.

It turned out that the girl’s name was Wen Qing and the boy, her brother, was called Wen Ning.

“Don’t any of you have courtesy names?” Nie Mingjue asked, a little desperately, and it turned out that the Wen sect had the strange tradition of referring to people by their given names until they were properly acknowledged. Acknowledged as what wasn’t specified, but they all seemed to have a sense of definitiveness about it, as if expecting it to happen at some distant date.

Qinghe had the exact opposite tradition – given names were for immediate family only, sometimes a secret kept just to the parents, and everyone else went straight to using the courtesy name almost immediately after the first month ceremony.

“But you haven’t done anything by then,” Wen Ning said, worrying his lip with his teeth. Nie Huaisang had been devastated to discover that despite being small and thin as a stick, Wen Ning was exactly three weeks older than him – he’d been looking forward to calling someone didi for once, and now he was off sulking about finding himself the youngest yet again. Nie Mingjue was sure he’d get over it quickly. “Nothing impressive, nothing worthy of acclaim…what can a baby possibly do to deserve getting a name so early?”

“They were born, they are alive,” Nie Mingjue said. “What more do they need to do? Isn’t that worthy of recognition all on its own?”

He got strange looks again.

It turned out that Wen Qing was the talented one of the pair – she was training to be a doctor, and all her teachers spoke very highly of her.

“That’s wonderful,” Nie Mingjue said, and meant it. “Medical skills are a rare pearl that ought to be treasured; with the world always in need, there can never be too many doctors. I look forward to being treated by you in the future.”

Wen Qing blinked owlishly at him. It appeared that she was unaccustomed to praise.

“If you ever need someone to practice on, let me know,” he tried – he knew pretty words were far from his forte, and actions were better anyway – but that didn’t seem to help.

“I’m not good at anything,” Wen Ning volunteered, wringing his hands. “Jiejie refused to leave me at home by myself, but I’m not - good. At things.”

“Everyone is good at something,” Nie Mingjue assured him, the words coming much easier this time – he knew this particular routine well, given Nie Huaisang’s routinely poor physical performance in a sect that placed such a premium on it. “Some have strengths that are lauded by society, others merely ones that give color to it, but both are valuable and worthy of praise. You will find your talent, given time.”

Wen Ning appeared rather dazed by the concept. “But – what if I look for my talent and it turns out I really am no good at anything?”

“Then you’ll be good at being cared for,” Nie Mingjue said firmly. “Someone has to keep us older siblings in business with something to do.”

“Oh,” Wen Ning said, hugging himself until his face turned red, and then he ran away.

Nie Mingjue watched him go, feeling a little helpless. He hadn’t meant at all to be cruel, or condescending, or whatever it was that had so affected Wen Ning. Why was it, he wondered, that whenever he addressed those surnamed Wen, everything he did seemed to end up having the wrong reaction?

#mdzs #nie mingjue #nie huaisang #wen xu #wen chao #wen qing #wen ning #wen ruohan #my fic #my fics #this is the one that had a one-sentence summary #it was supposed to be short!#chuplayswithfire #fire and light

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satan-chillin · 3 years

Note

You wrote the "Orbiting Starburst" series and the "Third Sun" nie bros fic? I love you! They're some of the best nie bros fics that I've read. Do you have any recs?

ahh, anon, thank you for the love <3 "Third Sun" is a passing plot bunny that I did not expect to expand into a multi-chapter fic. As for "Orbiting Starburst", you just reminded me to update that series lol, but thank you for reading that too. ^_^ I gotta be honest, I didn't see this ask until after 3 days, but here I am with the niebros fic recs you're asking. Recs under the line.

When a nobleman takes revenge, ten years is not too late by in_seclusion

:: Jin Guangyao took two lives when he killed Nie Mingjue.

In the aftermath, Nie Huaisang plans revenge for both the living and the dead. It doesn’t matter how long it takes.

Mistakes We Made by ACertainWriter

:: Even though he has avenged his brother, regrets still plague Nie Huaisang - so when one day he wakes up back in his teenage body, he decides to change things.

Wandering Eyes (That Nie Mingjue will gouge out if he notices, Father, STOP) by AstaraelWeeps

:: Jin Guangyao would do absolutely ANYTHING for his father, but when Jin Guangshan's eyes start lingering on Huaisang, he finds a line he wouldn't cross.

(Because if his father makes a move on Huaisang, Nie Mingjue would tear off Jin Guangyao's limbs or his head on his way to stab Sect Leader Jin, and Jin Guangyao would like to live, thank you. It's safer for everyone for Jin Guangshan to just. stop. looking.)

we built ourselves a ship out of old wood (it still smells like the night) by Itabane

:: Nie Huaisang's mother is a prostitute, and that changes everything.

A Flute for Mingjue by LiterallyThePresident

:: Even lost in the throes of death and madness, Mingjue will always come running when his little brother needs help

i hope that you're happy ( with me in your life ) by chuplayswithfire

:: The world is a harsh place, and few know this better than Nie Huaisang, leader of the Nie Sect and it's sole direct disciple. Increasingly overwhelmed by his duties and isolated within a sect that views him as a broken child, Nie Huaisang is reaching a breaking point.

Which is why when he learns of the existence of his older half-brother, he's willing to risk everything for the chance to meet Shu Mingjue.

prove that i can do this by fensandmarshes

:: Nie Huaisang, sect leader of Qinghe Nie, is not afraid of war.

(AU where Nie Huaisang is the eldest Nie child, and thus the one forced to become sect leader when Wen Ruohan kills their father.)

while covered in mud by merthurlin

:: “Nie Huaisang?” he demands, stumbling down the dirt path towards him. “What- are you the one who took down my wards?!”

He looks—awful. His eyes are sunken, his cheeks sallow. The robes he is wearing are nothing like the luxurious fabric he used to wear when he was still Yunmeng Jiang’s first disciple. Instead they are thread beard and worn, from a coarse fabric that looks irritating to the skin. There is a shakiness to his gait that Nie Huaisang has never seen from his friend, who always walked with such a presence as if to defy a world that has sentenced him to death.

“Of course it was me!” he scolds. “You really should take better care and hide your talismans.”

Wei Wuxian, rudely enough, ignores his (useful!) advice and instead looks at him like he’s mad. “What are you doing here?”

“Betraying the gentry and siding with evil, duh,” Huaisang rolls his eyes. “Now, will you let me in? I’m hungry.”

The Games We Play by Mayarene Rose (Paradise_of_Mary_Jane)

:: 3 times no one questions Nie Huaisang's friendship with Sect Leader Yao and 1 time someone does.

Or, the one where Nie Huaisang becomes the headshaker much earlier just for the fun of it, and for absolutely no reason that can be considered serious or important, what are you even talking about?

Hey Lil' Bro, Call Me Big Brother by Sakhyu

:: After his revenge against Jin GuangYao was complete, Nie HuaiSang woke up in the past where both Big Brother and Jin GuangYao were still alive. This would have been a dream come true, except……

“Sect Leader Nie, there’s news from the Cloud Recesses. Young Master MingJue got into another fight with Yunmeng Jiang Sect’s Wei WuXian......”

Except, in this world, he was Nie MingJue’s useless older brother and the Leader of Nie Sect, while Nie MingJue was his genius lil' brother!

How the heck was he supposed to keep Nie MingJue safe if the boy kept charging into the frontlines against Wen Sect?! In addition, why did Lan XiChen and Jin GuangYao look as if they wanted to strip him down for a threesome?!

fuel the pyre of your enemies by LiterallyThePresident

:: Huaisang kept his thoughts off his face, maintaining the air of the harmless dandy he’d so carefully cultivated, the hidden ribbon coated in poison wrapped carefully around his wrist, not dangerous unless ingested and easily passed off as an accessory if spotted. It was an hour in when Huaisang’s target finally showed up with his delegation, confident and grinning in his spotless Jin robes, and Huaisang took a deep breath as he and Mingjue rose to greet him.

Showtime.

say those words (it's not forgotten) by paranoid_fridge

:: Nie Huaisang had been prepared to ignore his birthday, when Jin Zixuan accidentally reminds the entirety of Cloud Recesses' student population of the event. In short notice, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng decide the occasion warrants an outing to Caiyi, Lan Xichen waves them off in pursuit of his own agenda, and Nie Huaisang isn't entirely certain what is happening. But he's having fun.

Or: Nie Huaisang's birthday while studying in Gusu. Featuring one overturned boat, the most hideous fan ever, and one unexpected visitor.

Counting Brushes by Fortune_Maiden

:: Nie Huaisang and Nie Mingjue get into an argument over paintbrushes.

The effect this has on the cultivation world is staggering.

Keep Me Safe by Netrixie

:: “A-Sang,” Lan Huan greets, and Mingjue turns to look at him. Lan Huan smiles reassuringly, then inclines his head towards the newcomer. “This is Mingjue.”

A-Sang hesitates, then inhales sharply before smiling at Mingjue. It’s a nice smile, and something in Mingjue tells him, you’re safe here, with them, and he smiles back.

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Mingjue says seriously, because Mother would be upset with him if he wasn’t polite. “My little brother is called A-Sang too.”

What if instead of dying, Nie Mingjue regressed in age from the qi deviation?

The Echoes of that News Ring Loud by Scarlet_Gryphon

:: Nie Mingjue never wanted to say goodbye.

Nie Huaisang never got to say goodbye.

One desperate choice leads to a thousand new ones.

(Or, the Nie brothers save the cultivation world [and themselves] through time travel, unlikely allies, and adopting far too many martial siblings.)

Something Divine by jusrecht

:: Nobody ever looked at Nie Huaisang twice.

The Faceless God by Ibijau

:: At 14, Nie Huaisang disappeared for a month and returned changed.

During the Sunshot Campaign, a god wearing a mask helps the fight against the Wens.

Nie Mingjue has no reason to believe the two are linked.

until the sun comes up again by the_chaotic_lesbian

:: I’m not putting you into the line of fire!” Nie Mingjue slams his hands down on the desk, his eyes blazing. “I can’t… I can’t protect you if you’re gallivanting around with a bunch of Wen dogs! And I refuse to let you marry one of them!”

“It’s not ‘one of them’, da-ge, it’s Wen Ning. I met him in Cloud Recesses, and he’s even more harmless than I am,” Nie Huaisang remembers Wen Ning vaguely from his time spent at Cloud Recesses; he hadn’t known him as well as Wei Wuxian had, but when he thinks back, he remembers kind eyes and a trembling person. Wen Ning would not be the worst person to marry, he thinks.

Standing Alone by Fortune_Maiden

:: "Da-ge,” Nie Huaisang says in good cheer. “Why don’t I handle this? Isn’t it time I start helping around the sect more?”

“You can help by practicing your saber for more than one hour a week,” Nie Mingjue retorts on impulse, but considers the offer carefully. Huaisang is smart and insightful. Maybe he is just better suited for the sort of chaos that can’t be solved by throwing a saber at it.

“Alright,” Nie Mingjue concedes. “If you have some ideas, go ahead. If you need help with anything…”

“It’s alright Da-ge, I’ll make this work.”

(In which Nie Huaisang takes charge of the Nie sect. Things get worse more than they get better...)

Qinghe Jue by Merinnan

:: That Baxia was being pointed at Jin Guangyao as a warning, a warning to leave Huaisang be. And a promise that if he dared harm a hair on Huaisang’s head, Nie Mingjue would take it out on him a hundredfold, even if he had to do so from beyond the grave. This, now, was the only protection that he had left to give.

No, not quite the only one. He could protect his brother from having to watch him die.

With the last of the strength remaining to him, Nie Mingjue struggled to his feet and fled.

Nie Mingjue promised to protect his brother. He wasn't going to let qi deviating and dying at Jinlintai stop him from keeping that promise.

we got to fight (the powers that be) by backspacedintooblivion (Evil_and_I_know_it)

:: In which Huaisang successfully (and willingly) learns how to fight and Mingjue is very tired.

There's also nirejseki who's a favorite niebros fic writer and whose works in Ao3 take up most of my bookmarks lol. They're also here on Tumblr @robininthelabyrinth. Check out their other works!

A couple of personal favorites from them:

Digging Graves by nirejseki

:: A man who binds himself with so many rules is afraid of what he will do without them.

When all his righteousness is not enough and his little brother is killed by one he trusted, Nie Mingjue casts aside all restraint and principle. He travels to the Burial Mounds, his brother's corpse cradled in his arms, and kneels before the Yiling Patriarch, begging him to bring his brother back -

And then he goes to seek an accounting. No matter what the cost.

Nie Huaisang and the Purple Crayon by nirejseki

:: Sometimes Nie Mingjue wished that he could just tell someone about Nie Huaisang’s unusual gift, but no one else deserved to know. If they didn’t have the good taste to like Nie Huaisang when he was no one and nobody, pointless and useless, they didn’t deserve the benefits of knowing him now that he could do stuff.

Even if it was weird stuff.

Stuff like his ability to summoning the things he drew into existence.

Pushover by nirejseki

:: Every once in a while, not often, people who know them well will say that Nie Mingjue lets Nie Huaisang walk all over him.

That isn't quite right.

Targets by nirejseki

:: Nie Mingjue took a deep breath, held it for a few heartbeats, and then exhaled. Then he summoned his war council and told them that Wen Ruohan was starting a war.

“He’s not ready yet,” one of his sect elders objected. “It may just be a ruse to get our guard up –”

“It is not,” Nie Mingjue said firmly. "It is happening."

They all looked at the piece of paper laying innocently on his desk.

The list of names.

Of targets.

Basically, I just listed here almost all the niebros fics I bookmarked in Ao3. I hope the list is comprehensive at least. Enjoy!

#ask #thanks for the ask!#nie bros #nie huaisang #fic recs #rec list #nie mingjue #nmj #nhs #mdzs #cql

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bloody-bee-tea · 3 years

Text

Confessions are hard

Happy New Year!

Jiang Cheng waves for Nie Huaisang when he sees him enter the diner and then he has to watch as Nie Huaisang flicks his fan open to hide his face behind.

He does that a lot lately, and it makes Jiang Cheng frown every time because what does he have to hide so badly that he doesn’t even step outside of the house without his fan anymore?

Jiang Cheng hasn’t asked him yet, but the question is on his tongue every time he sees Nie Huaisang.

But just like all the other times before, Jiang Cheng swallows his questions back and simply waves Nie Huaisang over. When he’s standing next to the booth Jiang Cheng got for them, Nie Huaisang hesitates.

“Get in here, would you,” Jiang Cheng says with a roll of his eyes and reaches out to take Nie Huaisang’s hand in his and pull him down next to him.

Nie Huaisang freezes and that, too, is something Jiang Cheng has observed a lot lately.

It’s even more worrisome than the fan in Jiang Cheng’s opinion but with this, too, he hasn’t asked. Yet.

If Jiang Cheng is being honest, he is afraid that the answer will be something he doesn’t like.

Jiang Cheng is by far not the most physically affectionate person—that title undoubtedly goes to Wei Wuxian—but with Nie Huaisang things are different. They have been friends for so long that Jiang Cheng feels entirely comfortable around him and so reaching out for Nie Huaisang and keeping him close comes as a second nature to Jiang Cheng by now.

He tried to curb that impulse when he realized that he fell in love with Nie Huaisang, but it made Nie Huaisang worry and so Jiang Cheng went back to his old ways. It’s still—good, to be able to touch Nie Huaisang like this and Jiang Cheng would never do anything to abuse his trust.

But maybe someone else did?

Nie Huaisang was blackout drunk during the last party, and maybe someone else was not quite as considerate about Nie Huaisang’s personal boundaries as Jiang Cheng. Maybe someone touched him in ways that Nie Huaisang didn’t like.

Just the thought makes Jiang Cheng’s blood boil with rage and he takes a deep breath.

“You alright?” Nie Huaisang carefully asks from his side and Jiang Cheng jerks at hearing his voice, too lost in his own thoughts.

“Yeah, sure, I’m alright,” Jiang Cheng presses out and then gives Nie Huaisang what he hopes is a reassuring smile. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Just wondering,” Nie Huaisang asks and then he pulls the menu closer to himself. “Did you order already?”

“Don’t be stupid, of course not,” Jiang Cheng scoffs out, even though he could.

They have been at this diner often enough that Jiang Cheng knows Nie Huaisang’s order by heart and he could have ordered for both of them.

But that would probably reveal too much about Jiang Cheng’s feelings and so he decided to simply wait for Nie Huaisang to arrive.

“Alright,” Nie Huaisang says as he catches the attention of a waiter.

He orders—for both of them—and then puts the menu back.

“Huaisang,” Jiang Cheng says, because while he fretted over ordering for both of them, Nie Huaisang simply did it and Jiang Cheng doesn’t know what to do with that.

“What?” Nie Huaisang absentmindedly says, busy checking his phone, but he frowns when he finally looks up. “You did want the burger, right?”

“Hell, yes,” Jiang Cheng says with emphasis because he has been daydreaming about this damn burger all day long, but still.

Nie Huaisang knows him well enough to order for him and Jiang Cheng doesn’t know what to do with that at all.

“I—oh,” Nie Huaisang says, when he finally seems to realize what he just did, but by then Jiang Cheng has himself mostly back under control so he simply flicks Nie Huaisang’s forehead.

“Now you realize,” he good-naturedly teases and watches as Nie Huaisang blushes, before he hides it behind his fan again.

“Should I apologize?” Nie Huaisang unsurely asks and Jiang Cheng frowns at him.

“We’re friends. You can know my order,” he then says and watches as Nie Huaisang slowly relaxes again.

Jiang Cheng tries very hard not to think about the lingering, dull pain in his chest that he always experiences when he brings attention to the fact that they are friends.

Friends, and nothing more.

“How was your day?” Jiang Cheng asks, in an attempt to distract himself, because he knows from experience that nothing good ever comes of those thoughts and he would much rather hear how Nie Mingjue tried and failed yet again to tell Lan Xichen that he’s in love with him.

It’s much easier than to think about the fact that Jiang Cheng is in a very similar position to Nie Mingjue.

~*~*~

“I am so fucking mad,” Jiang Cheng calls out the moment he steps inside Nie Huaisang’s apartment and Nie Huaisang pokes his head around the corner.

“About what? Do you need chips with your anger?” he asks and Jiang Cheng huffs and puffs, because of course he needs chips with his anger.

What kind of stupid question is that even.

“Alright, then,” Nie Huaisang mutters and vanishes in the kitchen. Jiang Cheng marches over to the couch, where he plops himself down. He puts his head back and takes a deep breath, trying to center himself, but the anger is still swirling in his gut, and while he knows it’s stupid—that’s just how Wei Wuxian is, after all—he can’t help himself.

“What happened?” Nie Huaisang asks when he comes back, bringing chips with him and before Jiang Cheng answers him, he makes grabby hands at them. “Alright, alright,” Nie Huaisang laughs and hands the chips over without a fight, before he sits down at the opposite end of the couch.

Jiang Cheng is not at all content with the distance between them and so he reaches out to drag Nie Huaisang’s feet into his lap.

If Nie Huaisang doesn’t want to sit close then this will have to do.

Nie Huaisang goes very still for a moment and Jiang Cheng sees how his hand moves, like it would be if he had his fan in his hand, and Jiang Cheng tries not to think about it too much.

“Wei Wuxian happened, that’s what,” Jiang Cheng says, right before he stuffs his face full of chips and it makes Nie Huaisang laugh and relax, so he counts it as a win.

As soon as Jiang Cheng’s mouth is empty he starts to retell what utter bullshit Wei Wuxian has been up to—and will no doubt get away with—when Nie Huaisang suddenly speaks up.

“Does it ever bother you?” he asks out of the blue and Jiang Cheng stills.

“Wei Wuxian? Yes, all the goddamn fucking time, did you not listen to a word I just said?” he incredulously asks but Nie Huaisang shakes his head.

“No, that I’m in love with you,” he says and it’s so completely not what Jiang Cheng expected that he freezes for a good long minute.

“Because sometimes I think it does, but then things like today happen, and I get confused,” Nie Huaisang rambles when Jiang Cheng takes too long to answer and the shaky tone to his voice finally jolts Jiang Cheng out of his stupor.

“Excuse me, you’re in what now with who?” he asks, cutting Nie Huaisang off before he can say something else that doesn’t make sense and Nie Huaisang blinks at him.

“I’m in love? With you?” he asks, clearly unsure himself now as well and Jiang Cheng shakes his head.

“How the fuck would that bother me when I didn’t even know about that!” he then yells, because if he had known about that sooner than he wouldn’t have to pine all this damn time.

“But I confessed to you!” Nie Huaisang yells back and it’s again a sentence so stunning that Jiang Cheng goes motionless.

“You what?” he demands to know and his confusion only grows when Nie Huaisang nods at him. “When the hell was that?” Jiang Cheng asks, because he is pretty damn sure that he would remember something like his best friend, the guy he’s been in love with for close to two years now, confessing to him.

“At the party,” Nie Huaisang mumbles and he takes his feet back, curls up at the end of the couch and Jiang Cheng can tell that he’s missing his fan pretty badly right now.

“At the party,” Jiang Cheng repeats, because he was there, at the party.

He was even sober, as the designated driver for the night, and so this still doesn’t make any more sense than before.

“Yes,” Nie Huaisang hisses out. “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same, you don’t have to play dumb like this.”

“I am not playing dumb, Huaisang, it just never happened. You didn’t confess to me!”

“But I did,” Nie Huaisang says with a small frown, clearly hurt by Jiang Cheng’s adamant answer. “I remember telling you I love you.”

“Oh no,” Jiang Cheng says and smacks his forehead, because he thinks he knows what Nie Huaisang remembers.

“I’m sorry,” Nie Huaisang says, clearly misunderstanding Jiang Cheng’s reaction and Jiang Cheng shakes his head.

“You didn’t confess, Huaisang,” he quickly tells him, because he cannot bear to see the heartbroken look on Nie Huaisang’s face, especially when there’s no reason for it.

“But—”

“You were drunk,” Jiang Cheng says. “Really goddamn drunk. And you came up to me, and you took my face into your hands, squished my cheeks and then said, and I quote: “I luuuuuuuuv ya, ma bro” before you leaned over and threw up on my shoes. Excuse me for misinterpreting that, but I don’t think that counts as a love confession.”

Nie Huaisang stares at him with big eyes, his entire face suddenly pale.

“That bastard,” he then hisses and Jiang Cheng raises his eyebrows questioningly at him.

“Let me guess, Wei Wuxian?”

“He said I confessed to you! He swore it up and down!”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but he was maybe even more drunk than you were,” Jiang Cheng says with a shrug, completely ignoring the fluttery feeling in his chest.

For now.

“And besides, do you really want to believe Wei Wuxian anything he says regarding to confessions? You do remember that he confessed to Lan Wangji by pushing a rabbit into his hands, yelling “He loves you so much, he deserves two dads” and then vanishing for almost three weeks? You’re taking that Wei Wuxian’s advice?” Jiang Cheng asks and he can’t help the small smile when Nie Huaisang groans.

“So you didn’t know?” he asks pitifully and hides his face in his hands when Jiang Cheng shakes his head. “I just confessed to you in the worst way possible,” Nie Huaisang presses out and that actually startles a laugh out of Jiang Cheng.

“Did you even listen to what I just said? Do you really think anything could be worse than Wei Wuxian’s confession?” he asks, because he’s honestly curious, but then Nie Huaisang glares at him and Jiang Cheng goes serious in an instant.

“I know now,” Jiang Cheng says and reaches out to wrap his fingers around Nie Huaisang’s wrists, carefully pulling his hands away from his face. “And it doesn’t make me uncomfortable at all, because I’m in love with you, too,” he then says and his voice almost doesn’t shake at all, and the nerves in his stomach feel more like butterflies than fear of rejection and this is better than Jiang Cheng ever dared to hope for.

“You what?” Nie Huaisang asks, finally looking directly at Jiang Cheng again, who smiles slightly at him.

“I luv ya, too, ma bro,” he can’t help but to say and when Nie Huaisang lets out an indignant yell, Jiang Cheng dissolves into laughter.

It’s not long before Nie Huaisang joins him—though he did take a minute or two to slap at Jiang Cheng’s shoulder—and it takes them a really long time to calm down again.

“No, but seriously, A-Cheng,” Nie Huaisang says, once they both caught their breaths.

“Seriously, A-Sang,” Jiang Cheng gives back, can’t help but to tease, just a little bit, but it’s mostly because he’s so relieved.

“Jiang Cheng,” Nie Huaisang whines and Jiang Cheng smiles as he puts his arm around Nie Huaisang and pulls him closer into his side, so that he can press a kiss to his head more easily.

“Alright, enough teasing,” Jiang Cheng whispers. “Seriously. I am in love with you. So no, it doesn’t bother me at all.”

“Good,” Nie Huaisang says and then he tilts his head, looks up at Jiang Cheng and Jiang Cheng absolutely cannot resist.

He would have, before, but now that he knows that it’s okay if he doesn’t, there’s no reason to, anyway. Jiang Cheng leans in, until he can press his lips to Nie Huaisang’s, who makes a soft, contented noise and then kisses right back.

They lose themselves in this, for a while, and when they finally stop, it’s with Jiang Cheng flat on his back on the couch and Nie Huaisang draped all over him.

“Mh, I like this,” Nie Huaisang whispers and presses kisses to every inch of Jiang Cheng’s skin he can reach.

“Me, too,” Jiang Cheng admits and bends slightly so that he can kiss Nie Huaisang’s forehead.

They fall asleep like that, perfectly content, and Jiang Cheng never wants to sleep any other way.

Link to my ko-fi on the sidebar!

#bt writes #the untamed #mdzs #sangcheng #modern au #fluff #dumb fluff #misunderstandings #humor #getting together #love confessions #excuse me sir #they are just two dumb boys in love

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heavymetalchemist · 2 years

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Hi....., if you don't mind me asking, can I ask your top 5 favorite characters from MDZS? And why? And your top 5 (or top 3) favorite moments from the novel or drama? Sorry if you've answered this before....Thanks

I forgot about this ask >_< sorry!

Okay so top five characters... I'm going to mention some of my favorite moments in here!

1) Jiang Cheng, I can't get over this dude. The reveal at the end slammed into me like a freight train and I was lost. Suddenly everything had this whole different context, and I think that's why I can't stop thinking about him. His fucked up family relationships, his inferiority complex, his arrogance hiding his insecurity, how deeply he loves his family and his people, how seriously he takes his duty, the fact that he rebuilt an entire sect from the ashes to still be one of the great sects, he was literally some teenager and he became a war hero, how he's so protective of Jin Ling and how he's basically a surrogate father even though as a maternal relative he wouldn't necessarily need to be involved at all, I just love him! But especially when he gives wwx the octopus hug, and when he yells, tears in his eyes, if you protect them then I can't protect you! oh my poor purple boy.

2) Nie Mingjue! I personally relate to him a lot as someone who is also tall and intimidating and, like, I've worked on my anger issues but I can still be scary if I don't control it, and so his whole qi deviation thing resonates with me. Also I like that he's in this dual role of both upholding the status quo (he's the one who brings up filial piety to JC when JC tries to defend WQ and WN) but also wanting to evaluate people based on merit (gives MY/JGY a high position because he recognizes his competence, despite his background). He's destroyed both by his insistence on doing the right thing and by extending his trust to someone that others would say he was foolish to trust, and I just have a lot of thoughts about it!

3) Nie Huaisang, mister fan man, the man behind the mask. I especially like Ji Li's portrayal in cql because nothing will ever beat that *look* he gives to JGY when LXC stabs him. I love Fatal Journey for giving us more Nie Bros in general (bc as I said I also love NMJ) but also for letting us see NHS being competent and clever and how much he loves his brother. He played the long game and he won against the man that had cleverly killed everyone who crossed him so far. And he's so funny! "you solved that problem, but more problems appeared!"

4) Wen Zhuliu. What did WRH do for you, dude??? WHAT WAS IT???? what was such a big favor that you'll put up with Wen Chao????? I want to know! Also how and why does someone develop a technique like core crushing, and then just let someone else dictate how he uses it? He is a mystery and I think it's interesting.

5) Lan Qiren. I do not understand how people don't like him, he's tried so hard, he's a good teacher, he cares about his nephews, is he a perfect dude? No, obviously not, but no one is in this story. He wants the best for his nephews and I can't help but wonder how he really feels post-canon, with LWJ somehow against all odds happy again! But with that chucklefuck WWX? and then poor LXC... he must be having flashbacks to his brother and how his brother threw everything away for love (I don't really ship xiyao but platonic love is still love y'know). Favorite scene hands down is when WWX is like "oh shit I better play my flute badly so No One Knows It's Me" and LQR wakes up just to tell him his flute playing sucks. Iconic. Masterful. How can you read that scene and not love LQR??

#asks

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canary3d-obsessed · 4 years

Text

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 10 second part

(Masterpost) (Other Canary Meta)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Unclean Realm

Lan Wangji has a Louis Henry Sullivan moment on seeing the Nie family home, becoming enraptured by its overwrought monumental architecture after a lifetime of restrained good taste and single-story buildings.

He approaches the fortress with the expression of delighted wonder that he usually reserves for when he’s looking at the moon or at Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian is like, yep that’s a building, all right, but he supports Lan Wangji’s kinks.

Meng Yao tells them about the Wen Clan directive, and has what appears to be a moment of genuine, affectionate amusement at Nie Huaisang’s reaction.

Jiang Cheng kinda blames the Lans for inventing the whole “indoctrination” thing and for encouraging his brother’s disaster bi tendencies. Wei Wuxian responds by complimenting the Lan Clan, almost like someone who met his true love got some real value out of the instruction he received there.

(more after the cut)

One of the great ironies of this story is that Wei Wuxian sort of becomes a rogue Lan disciple because of his relationship with Lan Wangji. He relies on Lan temperament techniques, uses music as a primary cultivation method, has committed all of the Lan rules to his supposedly terrible memory and cites them on multiple occasions, and is an important mentor for the younger generation Lan disciples. Because Hanguang-Jun is just that good in bed.

Xue Yang in the background of this conversation is channeling OP’s church-enduring, school-enduring inner 10-year-old.

Nie Mingjue, Chifeng-Zun, appears, and couldn’t be more different than his brother. On first watching this episode, I saw him as a grumpy, sexy, very emotional leather daddy man who is quick to anger. Rewatching, I see someone who’s struggling with a growing illness...the resentful energy kind.

Nie Mingjue’s handling of resentful energy is very different from Wei Wuxian’s straightforward interest and acceptance. NMJ has a traditional cultivator’s view of it, regarding it as evil and as something to resist, while he is literally carrying it on his back. He’s like a secret alcoholic who is preaching temperence, and can’t find a way to be reconciled with himself.

At this point of the story, Nie Mingjue is keeping it together, but is under a hell of a lot of stress, and Baxia’s blood thirst is already maybe a problem.

The Yunmeng bros think that Nie Huaisang’s fear of his brother is hilarious, because they don’t understand the situation. They think he’s just living in a hideously toxic family dynamic like theirs, when actually he’s in a loving, sorta healthy, if parentless, family that is being crushed under a generational curse.

Compliments for the Yunmeng Bros

I’m not the first meta poster to notice how happy Jiang Cheng is to be praised by Nie Mingjue.

He never gets this at home. Jiang Yanli praises him, but in that watery “you tried your best” way that doesn’t really stick. Nie Mingjue’s praise really means something, because he is a fearsome warrior and stern authority figure. And this is a double compliment, because Nie Mingjue says he heard it from Lan Xichen, and agrees with it.

Let’s Make Terrible Decisions

Keep Xue Yang alive, says Wei Wuxian, and Meng Yao immediately agrees, although I’m pretty sure he would have proposed that even if WWX hadn’t.

So they do, not realizing that “kill him later” is never a good plan for someone who 1. super needs killing 2. has a whole lot of death-dealing skills.

Future clan leader Jiang Cheng notices how smart and talented Meng Yao is. Xue Yang finds it hilarious when the trio praises Meng Yao, possibly because their evil team up is already underway.

Boss’ Bed Warmer Son of a Ho

The constant insults toward Meng Yao are about his mom, but there’s another level of leering implication, that Meng Yao seems to encourage in his conversation with the soon-to-be-murdered guard captain.

Nie Mingjue elevated him way above his expectations, and he is ridiculously pretty, which has to create rumors. In the Nightless City scenes when he’s fondling Baxia and telling Nie Mingjue’s family secrets there’s definitely a sense of intimacy that’s not just “loyal retainer.”

I feel like maybe this whole exchange is a bit of theater designed to show Xue Yang something without showing it to anyone else. Meng Yao didn’t need to have this conversation in front of his prisoner.

Let’s Do Exactly What We Said We Wouldn’t

Once the younger quartet are alone with Nie Mingjue, Wei Wuxian crosses the room away from his friends and practically into Lan Wangji’s pocket, if Lan Wangji had pockets.

He has no pockets and also has no personal bubble any more, when it comes to Wei Wuxian.

We could make a weapon out of Yin Iron, Wei Wuxian says, completely forgetting his entire conversation with Lan Yi, apparently. Lan Wangji doesn’t argue with this idea.

Nie Mingjue warns Wei Wuxian not to try it.

I stabbed a man in Qinghe just to watch him die

Nie Mingjue is like the Johnny Cash of the cultivation world, carrying the weight of his poor choices and trying to steer the young folk to the path of righteousness. But--like Johnny Cash--his bad choices have made him really fucking cool, so he isn’t very good at deterring anybody.

Meng Yao Didn’t Come Here to Make Friends

Immediately after Meng Yao’s fellow Nie clan people call him “son of a whore” again, Wei Wuxian meets him, is nice to him, addresses him by his military title, bows to him, asks why he’s away from the party, and thanks him for his service.

But Meng Yao has already decided to make friends with Xue Yang, so Wei Wuxian goes onto his list of people that he doesn’t give a crap about except if they can be useful to him. Then Meng Yao goes to make out hatch a plot with Xue Yang.

I’ll Sleep On Your Roof

Meeting SongXiao seems to have done away with the last of Lan Wangji’s resistance to his connection with Wei Wuxian.

He hears a noise on the roof and, when realizing it’s Wei Wuxian, he smiles one of his tiny reserved smiles before heading outside.

When he sees Wei Wuxian drunkenly sprawled on the roof, limbs akimbo, wine on his chin and neck, mouth full of poetry about the open road, Lan Wangji gives him the most fond look imaginable.

Then he reluctantly leaves, with his signature “say goodbye, but only when he can’t hear you” thing.

They’ve both come a really long way since their first meeting. Wei Wuxian is openly and vocally attaching himself to Lan Wangji...but is not actually entering his space or asking for anything from him; he just wants to be near him, and wants to let him know that. “I’ll sleep on your roof tonight.”

And Lan Wangji just...loves him. Wei Wuxian is drunk, embarrassing, demonstrative, eager to make a hell weapon out of yin iron, touchy feely, and absurdly sexy. And Lan Wangji is pretty okay with all of that.

I Might Have Been Drunk

Wei Wuxian carefully avoids telling Jiang Cheng where he was last night.

Even if he did get blackout drunk, he would have woken up on Lan Wangji’s roof. And I don’t think he was as drunk as that. He just knows Jiang Cheng wouldn’t like the truth.

Wen Fucking Chao, Again

Wen Chao shows up to be annoying and boring. This leads to a pretty good fight between Nie Mingjue and Wen Zhuliu. Note that when the chips are down, Nie Huaisang stands with his Gege without any cowering. Almost as if he had hidden reserves of bravery, and is not as helpless as he lets on.

Wen Zhuliu isn’t styled to be super hot, although he’s certainly compelling, and in Dance of the Phoenix he looks good with sensitive-guy hair wispies. I wonder what actor Feng Mingjing looks like out of character?

BRB, adding a tag to my follow list

Battle Bros

When the fighting breaks out, the Yunmeng brothers are decisive and united, with Wei Wuxian giving orders to Jiang Cheng and JC following without hesitation.

I feel like if these two could have gone through a few big battles together, instead of being separated during most of the Sunshot campaign, their whole relationship would have improved. On the battlefield, they respect, trust, and understand each other.

The Pointy End

Nie Mingjue is holding his own against Wen Zhuliu, but he gets distracted by Meng Yao hollering “Xue Yang has escaped” and then shanking the guard captain right in front of him.

Wen Zhuliu takes advantage of the distraction to aim a very slow stab at Nie Huasang, and Meng Yao jumps in front to get stabbed on his behalf.

When the Yunmeng bros show up to help NMJ, Wen Zhuliu immeiately yanks Wen Chao back behind him and points his sword at Wei Wuxian. He absolutely sees these two as a serious threat. Considering that eventually WWX is going to kill Wen Chao while JC kills Wen Zhuliu, this concern is not misplaced.

Wei Wuxian tells Wen Chao to stop being such a jerk, and Wen Chao menaces Wei Wuxian and gloats about the burning of cloud recesses. The burning, that is, of some part of cloud recesses that doesn’t include the library, the Jingshi, the main cultivation chamber, the rabbit warren, or Lan Qiren’s house, unless the Lan Clan is really really good at rebuilding things to very exact specifications.

In a rare moment of seeing Meng Yao’s internal thoughts, he is worried about Lan Xichen when he hears about cloud recesses.

The Yelling Part

Now we have the particularly nasty breakup between Nie Mingjue and Meng Yao. It’s...got some layers. Meng Yao is cowering on the floor, but is not apologizing.

He never apologizes throughout this encounter.

孟瑤無悔 - Meng Yao (has) no regrets

This scene is amazing and excruciating to watch, even more when you know what’s ahead.

What the Fuck is Meng Yao’s Plan

On one level this is Meng Yao, manipulative sociopath, setting up a cover story for his aiding and alliance with Xue Yang. On another, this is Meng Yao, loving subordinate, being tossed aside by his lord because he dared to stand up for himself.

He uses the same “scout’s honor” gesture we’ve seen Wei Wuxian use to swear he’s telling the truth. Wei Wuxian is always lying when he uses this gesture.

I’m...not sure exactly what Meng Yao’s plan is, with all these chess moves? By stabbing the captain in front of NHS, he created an opportunity to plant a cover story about Xue Yang’s escape. He might be hoping that Nie Mingjue will forgive him and keep him on, while Xue Yang can stay in his back pocket to be used later.

Dry eyes? Try Visene

Or he might be intending to get kicked out, given his non-apology. In any case, Nie Mingjue is weeping during this encounter, and Meng Yao...isn’t. He is signaling distress in his voice, expression, and body language, but his eyes are dry up until the last moment, and even then they just glisten a bit. In a show where every actor is an expert at crying on cue, that’s got to be a deliberate choice.

Which isn’t to say that Meng Yao is faking being full of emotion in this scene. It’s just that the emotion isn’t necessarily sorrow.

What Does Nie Mingjue’s Head Think

Flip the view and this is about Nie Mingjue being betrayed by a subordinate, who has turned out to be a self-serving murderer. And on another level it’s Nie Mingjue being betrayed by his lover, who was just using him for advancement.

I rewatched the later episode where we get the scene as Nie Mingjue’s head perceived it, and he’s particularly brokenhearted and disillusioned from his head’s POV. In that version there is a telling addition to the conversation.

Nie Mingjue asks about the guys who were roasting Meng Yao behind his back. He asks, if I hadn’t come, would you have murdered all of them?

Um. No, dude. Of course fucking not. That’s what a patriarchal authority does. That’s the way an angry Nie Mingjue/Baxia team might solve a problem.

Meng Yao has to use subterfuge to kill his enemies. And while he super hates being called “son of a whore” it’s absolutely not enough to make him kill someone, with the risk murder brings. Likewise, being treated well isn’t enough to make him spare someone. Nie Mingjue totally doesn’t get this, because he’s been the patriarch of this clan his entire adult life.

And Here’s the Actual Problem

There is a betrayal here, but Nie Mingjue is not simply a victim. Whether it’s a sexual relationship or a non-sexual bond of affection, there can be nothing solid in Nie Mingjue and Meng Yao’s relationship within a feudal society, because it is fundamentally unequal. Even if they love each other deeply - which I’m not convinced either of them does - every encounter they have is tainted with power dynamics.

Meng Yao has been elevated by Nie Mingjue and quite probably taken into his bed, as well as being told many family secrets, but has not been given a new surname (like, for example, Wen Zhuliu was) or independent power. More importantly, Nie Mingjue has not used his authority to remove or punish the many people who disrespect his subordinate. Lan Qiren would have had all of those gossipy fuckers kneeling in the snow, and Wen Ruohan would feed them to his mosh pit zombies.

Meng Yao is a murderous little snake, but he is right to be angry with Nie Mingjue about some things, and his pursuit of his own agenda is understandable.

Well, That Was a Slice

Meng Yao leaves, hurt, with a dignified bow; just as he did that one time when his dad kicked him down the Carp Tower steps.

Take note, both patriarchal authorities: that is his way of saying “I’m going to murder you one day.”

Nie Mingjue sits with his broken heart, as we realize that we’ve only spent 20 minutes with this guy and we’ve gone on an entire emotional journey with him. This episode packed in a LOT.

Soundtrack: Johnny Cash, Folsom Prison Blues

#fytheuntamed #the untamed #wangxian #meng yao #nie mingjue #my gifs #canary3d-original #the untamed meta #the untamed gifs #restless rewatch the untamed

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