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#wen dire owl
youhideastar · 1 month
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WujiWatch: CQL Rewatch Episode 9
The moment that stood out to me on this rewatch is from the scene at the Wen clan graveyard after Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji kill the Dire Owl. In the graveyard, Wen Qing tells the remnants of the Dafan Wen that they “can go anywhere” but Qishan, and that they cannot stay here on Dafan Mountain. In past watches, I’ve thought to myself, “Okay, but… where can they go?” Seriously, where?!
But this is the rewatch where it occurred to me that Wen Qing is saying this right in front of Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang, either of whom probably could have offered to find a place for the Dafan Wen, but didn’t—and wouldn’t. That’s just not who they are. If the Wen motto is “Every kindness must be returned,” Jiang Cheng’s and Nie Huaisang’s shared motto is, “Not my circus, not my monkeys.” How different would the course of the plot have been if Wen Qing had waited just one minute longer to say those words—if she could have said them in front of Wei “let me make your problem my problem” Wuxian and Lan “hero of the common people” Wangji?
Two more quick things from the scene where Wei Wuxian traps Nie Huaisang, Wen Qing, and Jiang Cheng in the golden silk thread barrier to protect them from the definitely-not-zombies. first, Wei Wuxian tells Jiang Cheng to “take care of them,” which would really offend me if I were Wen Qing. To be treated as if I’m no more capable than Nie Huaisang!? Come on! Second, and finally, there’s the weird moment when Wei Wuxian grabs Wen Qing’s wrist as he tries to persuade her to tell him how to save the villagers. The gesture is very unlike him, and I’m still not sure what to make of it. Given the height difference and gender difference between them, it inevitably comes off as threatening—but when Wei Wuxian wants to threaten someone, he doesn’t look them in the eye and speak to them earnestly; he does pretty much the opposite of that. I’d love to know if anyone has a good read of this moment that could help me make sense of it!
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poorlittleyaoyao · 5 days
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OHHHH I forgot that Lan Qiren goes to Qinghe in the drama too! He reports to Xichen that people have had their spirits taken in Qinghe as well and that Mingjue is investigating, which adds context to:
-Meng Yao’s instance that he must return to the Unclean Realm rather than stay in Cloud Recesses; it’s not just that he’s on the clock, but that he’s assisting with important sect business that utilizes his skill set (close observation, subtlety, etc etc).
-Huaisang readily identifying the Dire Owl for what it is and commenting that they see them regularly in Qinghe; the Wen and Nie clans have been tense for awhile in CQL (given Papa Nie’s death and Meng Yao still meeting Mingjue in a combat setting despite it being pre-Sunshot), so this is an escalation worth mentioning to other sects.
-Meng Yao already being close to Yueyang when the Yin Iron Sidequest arrives there and neither he nor Huaisang being particularly surprised about encountering Xue Yang; they both know that some weird shit’s been going down in their region.
This also makes Huaisang’s bold choice to tag along on the sidequest through enemy territory on foot and unarmed without telling his brother EVEN MORE EXTRA. Huaisang bb plz you are IN A COMBAT ZONE. Think of your da-ge’s nerves!
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harrykim · 2 years
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THE UNTAMED 陈情令 (2019) | Episode 08
[ID: Seven gifs from The Untamed, in blue, purple, and green. They show: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji from behind, walking down a pier. A piece of Yin Iron floating above a burning flower. Rock falling from the dancing fairy statue as it starts to move. An overhead shot of a large crowd moving about as petals fall from the sky. A close up of a qiankun bag, which begins glowing and shaking lightly. Wen Chao's dire owl, its mist extending and falling off behind it. Wen Chao walking away from the a disturbed array before the dancing fairy statue, which is looking over the scene. /End ID]
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lwjsbedtime · 7 months
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The Prince Wreathed in Spider Lilies: Part I - The Guard and the Concubine (royal guard->general WWX x concubine LWJ)
This fic contains themes that may upset some people: mentions of physical abuse, abusing power/power imbalance, etc. None of this occurs between Wangxian, however it's implied LWJ is often beaten by one of the Wen princes, with the permission of his father.
Wei Wuxian cackled as he ran, surging past houses and vaulting fences until the cries of his fellow guards fell off into the distance behind him. Still, he ran, bounding through the plains of Qishan as if he had the wings of a dire owl buoying him along. Had he a sword, he may have even taken to the skies and flown like one. Alas, training swords were not allowed out of the imperial barracks, and certainly not in the hands of a mere apprentice. Wei Wuxian didn't entirely mind going without; not when the day was bright, and the grassland around the palace ripe for sprinting through.
He clutched the two bottles of wine he'd stolen from Jiang Cheng close to his chest, whooping with glee as he left the other trainees behind. In the distance, he heard a familiar voice cursing his name, sending him into even further peals of laughter. He'd won the wine - imported from the Gusu region at high cost - fair and square. If his shidi didn't like that, he would just have to stew in his distaste. Wei Wuxian, meanwhile, was eager to sample his winnings.
When he stumbled at last into the palace grounds, panting and wild-maned, he realised he'd made a dire mistake - none of the buildings around him were recognisable. Wei Wuxian groaned, his posture deflating under the weight of his annoyance. The Nightless Palace was gargantuan, and with less than a year's stay under his belt, Wei Wuxian still wasn't quite as familiar with the layout as a guard ought to be. In his haste to flee Jiang Cheng, he must have been taken off course from the barrack entrance, and ended up somewhere else entirely. Though, he thought wryly, at least it still appeared to be inside the palace. Seeing none of his fellow guards around to guide him - nor prevent his initial entrance - Wei Wuxian walked deeper into the unknown quarters, seeking a familiar landmark to orient himself by. 
He strolled down a wide, high-walled path for almost a full incense's time, until he was afraid he would be walking it forever. Fortunately, before he could contemplate turning back, the path widened, surging out into an open, circular plaza, several houses wide. The plaza was paved with coloured tiles, arranged into the same sun pattern that hung from the doorway of the palace's main hall - Qishan's official coat of arms. The walls around the edge of which were intersected into neat quarter moons by four identically vast and endless paths.
Wei Wuxian found himself entering this plaza from the southern-most path, and though he knew he probably shouldn't, continued into the centre of it. He rightly should turn around, taking the long way back to the imperial guard quarters, where the quartermaster could scold him for his daring and unruly manner. However, the little guard couldn't find it in himself to turn away from the sight before him - for he now found himself somewhere he'd only heard tell of before. The walls that surrounded the plaza in a near-perfect ring were black as pitch, smoother than ocean-worn rock, and blanketed in thick coils of resentment. It was suddenly frighteningly clear which place he'd stumbled into. 
Wei Wuxian gazed up at the dark stonework in awe. As a trainee guard, he knew of this part of the palace - the walls here were warded by Wen Ruohan himself, distinguishable not only by their towering height, but by the dark, writhing yin woven through the brickwork. Dark and menacing, the barrier protected the empire's most important treasures - the imperial family, as well as their pleasure areas, the gardens, and concubine house.
Despite the threat of punishment if caught out of bounds, Wei Wuxian felt excitement build within him. The royal concubine house elicited many rumours just by existing - a young man surely couldn't help but be curious what lay within. Up till the end of the previous dynasty, it was custom for the imperial family to only take spouses from other noble households, but once the first Wen emperor - Emperor Mao - took over, he had the great insight to implement a new rule - any woman could be taken into the harem and made a proper wife, so long as she'd been thoroughly educated beforehand.
This decree opened up a new world of opportunities to many common women, who would otherwise have wilted away in obscurity - or worse, in poverty. However, as more prospective wives came to the palace, it became increasingly difficult to find spare space within the inner palace to house them. Rumour had it that at one point, there were so many trainee concubines tucked within the Empress' quarters, it wasn't noticed any were missing until weeks later, when the emperor was present for his son's wedding, and found the bride to be one of his favourite hopefuls! Luckily for the groom, he also happened to be Emperor Mao's favourite son, and so escaped the debacle with his head attached.
Soon after that, in order to better protect the emperor's future brides, and facilitate their training, a concubine house was built within the palace walls - not dissimilar to the trainee house in the guard quarters. Though it was situated away from the wives' palaces, it lay quite close to the emperor's own personal chambers, and if rumours were to be believed, was guarded just as fiercely. 
Ever since, girls from all over the empire who were lucky enough to make selection were housed there, until they came of age to find their own place within the harem. The concubine house had experienced trainers and a full curriculum. To be chosen as one of the emperor's future favoured ones was the most coveted and important position in the lands, and many families thus eagerly sent their children along to attend. Even if they didn't catch the attention of Wen Ruohan himself, any educated daughter could become the wife of one of his trusted men, or even a spouse of the princes! Regardless of the outcome, the girls' were guaranteed to be well-kept.
Wei Wuxian wasn't overly interested in women, but ever curious as he was, he'd always wanted to sneak a look at the kind of person destined to sit by the emperor's side. Realising he now had a chance to see one of the legendarily lovely ladies in person, his skin pricked with energy. Only those personally assigned to the royal family were allowed near the concubine quarters. All others, if caught, would be hung for daring to trespass upon the emperor's garden. Wei Wuxian therefore decided that if he wanted to live, he must be very careful as he snooped. Nothing, not even the fear of death, could keep him from satisfying the intense curiosity with which he'd suddenly been struck.
And it was only sensible to look, he reasoned. In a few years, when he graduated from training, he would be put in charge of protecting some area in the palace or other. What if he was chosen to watch over the concubine house? Or even shadow one of the trainee candidates, herself? The rules about conduct in the women's quarters were extremely strict - if he got lost whilst doing his work, he could be beaten within an inch of his life. In that case, wouldn't it be best if he already had a working knowledge of the area? Wei Wuxian was certain it would be.
Distracted by his strange surroundings as he was, the boy skipped ahead carelessly, and very nearly ran into Prince Xu, his unit's most feared instructor - and crown prince - for his trouble. Luckily, he noticed the prince at the last possible moment, and managed to hide himself around the trunk of one of the extensively pruned pear trees that ringed the edge of the plaza.
Prince Xu had his eyes fixed upon something to his left, and so missed Wei Wuxian's jerky, panicked movements as he rushed to hide. The little guard watched as the prince exited from out behind a door in the wall, seemingly forged at that moment by the darkness that clung to the brickwork. His usually arrogant expression was pulled downwards into a sneer, turning his sharp features ghastly. As he sauntered forward, Wei Wuxian caught sight of something dripping off the dark-dyed gloves in his hands. His eyes tracked the substance as it as it fell downward, till it splattered upon the ground in small, incriminating, red drops. Blood. The little guard's every nerve shook with excitement. Someone had angered the prince enough for him to maim them. And in his own home, too! But who would dare?
Curious to see who - or what - had drawn the crown prince's ire, Wei Wuxian waited for him to leave before quickly vaulting over the nearest ward wall. He scaled along its crest till it intersected with the door the prince had exited from, now hidden from sight by knitted tendrils of yin. Though the little guard was impressed by this feat of cultivation, he realised he hadn't the time to dally atop the emperor's barrier wall investigating it; not if he didn't want to be seen and dragged down for punishment. Swift and silent as a mid autumn gust, he crouched down to his knees, and dropped over the opposite side of the barrier.
When he hit the ground, the boy found himself in a garden so densely planted with bushes, it was almost maze like. It seemed to Wei Wuxian it would take forever to traverse such a disorienting new landscape without being spotted as an intruder. Downhearted, he looked back to the wall, only to find that it was from this side was almost twice as high, the ground having been dug out and flattened so its originally imposing height grew even more daunting.
Wwx's heart sped in his chest. That didn't bode well for his planned hasty retreat. Even a skilled cultivator could only jump so far, and confident though he was, he was a child still - a boy of fifteen, with only five years cultivation training to his name. The dark stone stretched eternally upward into the sky, its face smoothed down with resentment so no footholds remained to latch onto. If he didn't know any better, he'd think the garden was designed not for beauty, but to prevent anyone foolish enough to jump inside from getting back out.
With a sigh, Wei Wuxian turned back to the hedge maze. Getting out would have to be a problem for his future self. For now, he should instead focus on traversing the garden before him - with any hope, there would be another way out on the other side, and perhaps a concubine or two to gaze upon, if he was truly lucky! Feeling much more confident with that in mind, he strode forward into the maze. 
After an incense stick's time prowling down leafy lanes, 'round corners, and over the occasional hedge, Wei Wuxian found himself very much dejected. He was going to die in this maze, his body would rot, and he'd be found a skeleton many moons later if he didn't find an exit soon. He considered turning around and facing the wall as he rounded what must have been the hundredth corner - what else could he do? - when a glint of light beyond the leaves caught his attention. Skidding to a halt, WWX dropped down to peer through a gap in the bush, only to feel his heart halt in his chest. 
Beyond the hedges, on the other side of maze, sat a boy of around his own age. The boy was decked in finery such as Wei Wuxian had never seen a man wear before, not even the emperor himself - nor his sons, who were somewhat ostentatious in dress and manner both. Ringed by an array of ornamental flowers, and cast golden by the light of the afternoon sun, the boy sat upon a carved bench, his clothing cut low to bare the skin of his shoulders and collarbones to the sky. Wei Wuxian's face heated, his eyes stuck to the scandalous amount of skin left on display for anyone to see.
Though he was no prude, and often went topless around the other apprentices during the heat of summer training, something about the way this boy was almost overdressed, save for his chest, his wrists, and - Wei Wuxian swallowed thickly, wetting his chapped lips with an equally parched tongue - his ankles, made it seem as though he'd stumbled upon something truly indecent, like an unclothed maiden. 
Additionally, the boy was so startlingly beautiful - much more so than any maiden he'd ever seen - that he found himself unable to look away, as if caught in a fairy's spell. Wei Wuxian could believe he now gazed upon a fairy. The boy's outer robe was so pale a white it seemed to turn irridescent in streaks as the breeze touched him. The inner layers of his clothing were darker, ranging from a dusty rose, to firey bright, to the crimson of spilled blood, with the innermost layer being halfway sheer, and embroidered so it seemed grafted to his alabaster skin by way of tiny white roots. With intricate loops of gold wrapping his wrists and throat, and winding through his otherwise loose hair, he gave the impression of a spring flower newly bloomed.
While he was about as interested in the latest trends as he was in women, Wei Wuxian thought the boy looked quite lovely dressed as he was. The adornments - many as they were - only accentuated his naturally fine features: unblemished skin, pure and soft-seeming as flower petals; a perfect, peach-like mouth; lashes that hung thick and dark from sweetly tinted lids, casting long shadows over the planes of gently rounded cheeks; eyes that shone gold in the sunlight, and darkened to a soft, honeyed brown under the shade. He was practically a work of art; some court painter's star-specked daydream, mercifully brought to flesh. 
Very suddenly, the little guard felt overwhelmed. To be so lovely, there was no doubt in his mind just who the boy was. He was too elegant, too beautiful - too special to be any other. Clearly, Wei Wuxian had just stumbled upon a young prince - perhaps one of the ones closer in age to Wen Chao, the recently deceased second prince who'd attempted to take the place of his eldest brother, and been felled by his father's blade. The emperor had been so enraged by his son's presumptuousness, he'd punished all his younger sons to discourage further coups from being staged.
Until further notice, the princes were to be shunned by all as if they were less than servants - as easily replaceable as hunting dogs. A punishment would explain why such a beautiful boy now sat here in the garden, all alone with eyes that exuded great sadness. Wei Wuxian couldn't imagine him being left alone otherwise. Wei Wuxian was having trouble leaving him alone now, when being discovered could be the death of him. The pull of big, weepy phoenix eyes was almost too much for him to bear.
Without quite realising it, Wei Wuxian found himself rounding the bushes for a closer look at the prince. So taken was he with the boy's appearance, he didn't notice what he'd done, nor that he'd been spotted until those light eyes pierced into his own from across the courtyard.
As Wei Wuxian met his gaze, the boy glanced away, his eyes turning down till they rested upon the ground at his feet. Quick as he turned, Wei Wuxian caught a flash of fear darkening his expression, his own eyes catching on a startling split of crimson painted down the middle of his swollen bottom lip. The boy's mouth was bloody, his right cheekbone - now hidden from Wei Wuxian - mottled an unsightly black, bruised like the withered petals of late spring blooms under the Qishan sun. Upon closer inspection, there also lay the crimson outline of a handprint around his neck, almost but not quite hidden by beauty paint - the afterimage of violence blossoming where someone had grasped tight until his soft skin bruised. Wei Wuxian felt his blood boil. Someone had hurt the prince - had hurt this tender creature deserving only of kindness - and he had a good guess as to who the culprit may be.
Hesitantly, careful to project his movements, he took a step toward the bench, his hand outstretched in an offering of peace. "Are you alright?"
From where he stood, WWX could see the muscles bunching under the heavy fabric of the boy's robes, as though he was poised to take more abuse, yet dare not run away.
Slowly, the boy's bloodied lips parted. Wei Wuxian watched each movement of them with deep intent, feeling something strange settling uneasily in the pit of his stomach.
"You should not be here, gongzi."
A voice so hoarse and frail one would suspect the owner to be unused to speech came from out that perfect mouth. WWX found it unnerving for a child his own age to sound so defeated, but then he knew of Wen Xu's cruelty only too well.
Hoping to offer comfort, he dared to step closer to the forlorn prince. "Does it hurt?"
The boy stiffened further at his question, and WWX winced. He laughed awkwardly. "I mean… Prince Xu did this to you?"
Hesitantly, the boy nodded, still not daring to raise his head. 
"You should not be here," he repeated, his hands clenched into the ends of his sleeves, as if the soft silk could protect him from further harm. His voice as he spoke was a hoarse, fragile thing. But then, with the fingerprints that bloomed so starkly against his pale neck, Wei Wuxian was surprised he could speak at all.
Wei Wuxian strode forward until he was within reaching distance of the young prince. When he deemed himself close enough, he knelt, shimmying forward so he was situated between the boy's knees. To his chagrin, this seemed to make the prince even more upset than his initial question had, pearly teeth coming out to worry at the broken skin of his lip until it bled again. Yet, despite his obvious fear, he did not pull away, nor lift his head to meet Wei Wuxian's eyes. Wei Wuxian couldn't tell whether to feel alarmed or relieved by this.
The little guard reached into his shirt slowly, still projecting his movements even though the prince refused to spare him a glance. Though the boy seemed almost hellishly bent on affecting an aura of calm composure, Wei Wuxian could feel the way his thighs trembled faintly against his body, a barely-there show of anxiety.
"I won't hurt you," he reassured him, pulling a handkerchief out from within his clothing. "Prince Xu is a terrible bully. Nobody will blame you for bearing his temper."
The boy inhaled sharply as Wei Wuxian took his cheek in hand, but sat still and compliant as the blood was wiped from his lip. Wei Wuxian took this chance to inspect the prince's other wounds, and found himself hissing in sympathy. Surely no amount of disrespect from a sibling could warrant such a barbaric punishment?
Up close, the dark ring around the boy's neck was even more gruesome - black and swollen, with thin sections of skin split around it, as if he'd been choked by a noose. His eyes flitted up to the boy's cheek, which was in just slightly better condition. Wei Wuxian could tell the bruise here was older, caused by something that may have been a fist, or possibly the blunt end of a sword. By this point, it was hard to tell - the wound had clearly been healed by a cultivator to prevent disfigurement - suggesting that whatever had caused the injury had been swung with enough force to crack bone - yet not so far as to completely alleviate the boy's suffering. This had been purposeful, no doubt. The wound was left to linger as a reminder - cross the first prince of Qishan, and you shall suffer the consequences. 
Wei Wuxian, to his surprise, found himself wanting to return the pain Wen Xu had inflicted here back upon him. Not even the warriors under his command faced such brutality, yet it was so eagerly directed upon a waifish youth? He'd never particularly liked the crown prince - not since he'd taken Jiang Cheng and himself from Lotus Pier several seasons ago - but at this moment his neutrality turned to utter disgust. How could the future leader of the empire prey upon those weaker than him with such easy disregard?
After a moment of tense silence, the boy spoke again, bringing Wei Wuxian out of his treasonous thoughts. "You are a guard?"
"In training," he corrected. Frowning, he wiped at a particularly stubborn bloodstain on the boy's chin. He didn't know what he was thinking. How could he exact vengeance on Wen Xu when the person the prince had beaten was much higher in rank than himself? Besides, if he thought too deeply about it, his anger would no doubt show on his face, and frighten the little prince away.
Instead, he asked, "What did you even do to be hit like this?"
At his question, the boy - already stiff - went completely rigid. For a moment, it appeared as if even his breath had left him; as if he'd been cursed into the form of a statue. Wei Wuxian's concern doubled. Whatever had happened to him, it clearly hadn't been pleasant. Even the worst recruits in Wei Wuxian's age group were never struck with more than the back of the prince's hand across their face. To have been beaten and choked with such vitriol, Prince Xu must have true enmity with this younger prince.
Even worse, in cleaning the boy's chin of blood, he'd uncovered evidence of past injuries upon his flesh - yellowed bruises dotted over his cheeks from where hands had held him still, fingertips cruelly digging into soft flesh; a slight raised mark poked out from under the collar of his robes, over his heart. Across his collarbones lay a cluster of red bruises the little guard was unsure as to the origin of. Wei Wuxian couldn't see how the emperor could stand for one son doing this to another, unless he truly despised the boy - or else wished to witness them contend for the throne. Even so, surely this was going too far. 
The prince's rasping voice once again broke him from his thoughts.
"I refused him," he admitted, clearly hesitant to say more. "I am not…meant to see anyone. He did not accept reason."
Wei Wuxian's frown deepened. The boy's fingertips had again begun to worry at the trail of his sleeves as he spoke, a nervous habit that had upon closer inspection led to the fabric fraying over time. For an instant, it seemed as though the boy wanted to look at him - as though he were trying to convey something to Wei Wuxian - but had grown too meek to follow through at the last moment. 
"Oh!" Wei Wuxian sat upright as understanding hit him. He pulled away from the boy enough that he could survey the surrounding area, relaxing when he saw no interlopers spying their way. Relieved, he leaned in, close enough to whisper. "Is this part of a punishment? You not seeing anyone?"
The corner of the boy's mouth turned down at his question, his brow furrowing ever so slightly.
"I am still in training. I cannot…see you," he repeated, adding an odd emphasis to the end of his sentence. 
Wei Wuxian cocked his head. What sort of training meant you couldn't see anyone? It sounded more akin to torture, but must be very important indeed if the boy was so bent on sparing not even a single glance his way. Then again, given the way the first prince had reacted to his very presence by harming him, perhaps he was simply too afraid to defy his brother's orders. Wei Wuxian couldn't have that - this prince looked far too lonely to be confined to his own company. 
Wei Wuxian gave the boy a quick smile. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone I was with you."
The boy's breath hitched, and he dared to glance up for a moment, before seeming to realise he shouldn't have dared. In the single instance their gazes met, the sharp-edged judgment in his eyes scalded Wei Wuxian. Unconsciously, he leaned in closer as the boy's gaze returned to the ground, itching to catch another glimpse of his pretty face.
"You'll have to wait like everyone else," the boy gritted out, his silken coat creasing in his lap under clenched fists. "Even the emperor isn't yet permitted to see me."
Wei Wuxian's grin widened in response. "So, the emperor won't find out."
The boy's lashes spasmed, as though he wished to look up once more but restrained himself at the last moment. His mouth, now cleaned of blood, parted in what seemed to be shock - or indignation.
"It is a crime to go against imperial orders," he managed after a moment, voice weak. From the way he trembled, Wei Wuxian could tell he was either very angry, or very afraid. The slight furrow of his brows made the little guard presume the former.
Wei Wuxian chuckled, laying his head back into the boy's lap so he could gaze up at his shocked expression freely. The prince was truly lovely, even making such distraught faces. Wei Wuxian thought he'd be rather happy if he could look at the prince forever - maybe if he was lucky, he would one day be assigned as his personal guard!
"I won't tell if you won't." He assured, picking up the wine bottles he'd earlier placed on the ground. Feeling playful, he waved them before the imperial heir's face. "Share some wine with me?"
The prince flinched away from him, training his gaze on the wine to avoid looking into Wei Wuxian's eyes. His brow pinched further at the suggestion of drink.
"It is not permitted to imbibe alcohol," he murmured, glaring at the jars of Emperor's Smile as if they had caused him personal offence. 
Wei Wuxian laughed. "Alright, alright. I won't force you!"
The prince startled slightly at his enthusiastic reply, his head jerking as though to stare up at the boy before him, before again recalling his orders.
Wei Wuxian slipped his head off the prince's lap, quickly bouncing up onto the bench to seat himself beside him instead. He quickly settled in, manuevring himself so that the pair sat shoulder-to-shoulder and hip-to-hip.
Carelessly, he thumped one of the bottles down on the bench at his side, and uncorked the other. "You sit, and I'll drink. Just keep me company, alright?"
The boy was motionless for a moment, his body stiff as a little bunny caught under the force of Wei Wuxian's cheer. The little guard nudged him gently with his elbow to get his attention, causing the prince to start. At last, he nodded his head in a jerky little downward tilt.
"That is….not against the rules," he admitted. 
Wei Wuxian smiled at him fondly. "Good. I would be so lonely if I had to drink without even one friend by my side."
The boy hummed, his fingers still worrying the embroidered piping of his sleeves. Wei Wuxian felt the distinct urge to grasp his hands up into his own lap to quiet him, but resisted. As it was, the prince had suffered enough excitement for the day. He wasn't sure it would be the best idea to touch him without warning. 
"Friend?" the prince whispered.
Wei Wuxian gulped down a mouthful of Emperor's Smile before replying. "We've shared our woes together and now we're sharing wine. What else would we be?"
Again, the boy hummed. Somehow, he sounded more content this time; less wary of Wei Wuxian beside him. To the little guard's delight, he found the prince's voice possessed a soft, lyrical quality that was soothing to the ear. Quietly to himself, he thought he would like to hear the boy speak more, perhaps on another day when his throat wasn't raw from a beating. Perhaps then, he could read from a poetry book, or perform a song as Wei Wuxian watched. He was certain the boy could sing beautifully - as a Wen prince, he was sure to be trained in many arts. 
As the afternoon progressed into evening, Wei Wuxian chattered on, holding a largely one-sided, yet still pleasant conversation with the lovely prince. Slowly, he felt the boy relax beside him, taut muscles unwinding to something less painfully braced for attack.
He sipped the wine from the jars a little slower than usual, unwilling to leave so soon after he felt the boy's body slump against his own. When he finished the last drop of wine from them, he took another few sips, pretending to still have some drink left. Then, when it became obvious he could not possibly still be drinking, he put the jars away and reached around to tuck the boy's shoulders under his arm.
Though still early autumn, the evening wind that blew through Qishan was chilled, and the prince's clothing poorly insulated. Wei Wuxian thought it unlikely he should want to return to his quarters yet, after being attacked by his own brother earlier in the day - and indeed, the prince made no such move to leave. Wei Wuxian couldn't help but feel a bit smug. As a future guard, it was his duty to protect members of the royal family. For the first time since his indoctrination, he felt as if he'd actually accomplished his job.
The prince seemed grateful for the extra body warmth, not moving even a cun after being pulled into Wei Wuxian's grasp. Instead, Wei Wuxian felt him relaxing in increments, till all the resistance left his body. Another moment later, the prince's head came to sink down upon the little guard's shoulder. Wei Wuxian's heart stuttered in his chest, though he managed to continue telling his tale of the rivers that flowed through his childhood home of Yunmeng - just barely, his breath for some reason catching in his throat - until he felt the prince's breaths even out, lulled to sleep by the sound of his voice. 
By the time twilight had swept over the land in full, and all pretences of there still being wine were gone, he risked a glance over at the prince's sleeping face. The prince's eyelids fluttered as he dreamed, his soft features bathed a dusky hue by the light of the setting sun. Like this, he looked so peaceful, none of the hurt of waking life following him to the land of sleep. Though he knew he shouldn't - he'd already grown far too bold - Wei Wuxian reached out to brush a strand of hair from the prince's face. The feel of his hand upon the boy's forehead made him wrinkle his nose, and turn his face deeper into Wei Wuxian's shoulder to escape the feathery touch. The little guard huffed a laugh, quieting only when it seemed as if the prince might wake.
It was with a sudden, startling clarity that Wei Wuxian realised he'd always recall this evening; a small bit of colour amongst the crimson of Qishan's flags - a feeling of warmth catching at the embers of his youth. For as long as he lived, the little guard would remember the day he first met this Wen prince, an unfavoured son in the land of darkness and light. And, he thought, when Wei Wuxian, trainee guard became Wei Wuxian, imperial watchman, perhaps he would be lucky enough to spend more such days in the reclusive prince's company. Wei Wuxian found his determination suddenly reignited. He would climb the ranks until he was trusted to shadow the prince, giving them the opportunity to meet. Perhaps then, he would be able to dissuade Wen Xu from enacting his inhumane punishments upon the boy.
In a perfect world, the future lay clear before Wei Wuxian, and so he accepted it as the truth. But, unbeknownst to the boy still growing into himself, the Wen empire had rotted the land, their gluttonous poison spreading to the very bowels of the earth over which they reigned. There was no longer any perfection to be found; every comfort hard come by.
Wen Xu's ire could not be diverted. And the prince was hardly anything so dignified.
In his excitement, Wei Wuxian had utterly forgotten about the other residents of the leisure quarters - the emperor's consorts, his concubines, and - in a large house, located right under the emperor's watchful eye - one hundred odd beauties from across the land, each one exceptional in their own right. These were the children lucky enough to be trained for entry into the imperial harem - and occasionally, the capital's brothels - though too young yet to serve.
A-Zhan was one of them. Though, he hadn't always been.
----
Unnoticed by the little guard, A-Zhan glanced up at him from out the corner of his eye, his breath catching at the sight that met him - the strong, handsome profile of a boy on the cusp of manhood. Wei Wuxian - he'd introduced himself as such - laughed, and he quickly glanced down again, heart thundering shamefully in his chest.
Upon coming to this place, he'd glared defiantly at anyone who bothered him with orders. For a while, he'd refused to do anything he was asked, believing it all to contradict some long-forgotten list of rules he held in mind. After the tenth or so flogging and a night left out in the rain - his small body claimed by a fever the following morn - he'd given in and accepted instruction. He wasn't permitted to look anyone in the face, not now, and certainly not in the future. Even if it was demanded of him by the emperor, he would not be able to bring himself to do it. His face could be tilted upwards into the light, of course, but his eyes must always remain downcast, a reminder of how far below others he was.
That he was now looking at this boy - this Wei Ying - who called him friend and only sought a moment of his company, was a crime punishable by far worse than what the first prince had done to him. For almost a decade, he'd been fastidious in his upholding of the rules, unwilling to so much as blink without being commanded. Yet somehow, he couldn't bring himself to look away from this particular person, and despite his dread of being caught staring, it also filled his chest with a feeling that was somehow both painful and light.   
The guard smiled, and the concubine returned the gesture, trembling lips hidden away underneath the curve of his cheek. Together, they spent one glorious summer afternoon in the other's company, irrespective of their disparate ranks, and unsure of the feelings blooming in their hearts.
A-Zhan almost regretted it. He had been planning to resign himself to a life under the emperor's thumb - if only to get the beatings to stop - and now found himself uncertain once more.
----
WWX, coming on strong: I won't force you. 😄
LWJ: ...And why the fuck not? 🥺
----
So…I think I posted a snippet from this fic before? In any case, this is the entire first chapter, more or less. Pretty sure this is the edited version as well. If there are any mistakes I missed on a quick reread...whoops? 😅
I figured I might as well post it now, since I'm not liable to edit the remaining 15 chapters any time soon, and also because I'm still sick and feeling lazy. ✌️
(I really love concubineji. You can fit so much trauma and pining in that bad boy.)
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shieldagent93 · 2 years
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Agents of SHIELD and The Owl House both have
Badass mentor/mother figures played by legends 
Melinda May portrayed by Ming-Na Wen
Eda Clawthorne played by Wendie Malick
Mentors reconnecting with exes in the second season that they previously broke up with because they wouldn’t open up about stuff
May with Andrew about Bahrain
Eda with Raine about her curse
A main character learning and coming to terms with their true identity in the second season 
Daisy being an Inhuman
King being a Titan
A mentor/student fight nearing the end of their second seasons due to misunderstandings 
Daisy vs. May because of Jiaying’s frame job on SHIELD
Luz vs. Eda because of Eda planning to send her away and lying about having a plan
A main character/parent figure losing an arm in the season two finale at the hands of an ally to save their lives
Mack chopped off Coulson’s arm with an axe to stop him from turning to stone
Raine broke Eda’s off to stop the draining spell from killing her
Ancient threats thought to have been long gone 
HYDRA
Witch hunters
Big bads trapped in other realms long before their show started 
Hive to Maveth by ancient inhumans
The Collector to the In-Between Realm by the Boiling Isles Titan
Bad to bigger bad to biggest bad
Ward to Gideon Malick to Hive (in S3, for HYDRA related big bads)
Lilith (though redeemed now) to Belos to the Collector
Big bads with their culty worshippers
Hive with Gideon Malick’s faction of HYDRA
The Collector with the Titan Trappers
An “older” pairing that are a badass duo with decades worth of history
Coulson and May
Eda and Raine
Everybody in dire need of therapy cause the trauma just keeps piling on
Intricate storywriting tying together stuff from even the earliest episodes way later in the show
A strong focus on found family
Been great Disney shows (ABC is owned by Disney) that were treated like shit by their networks
In conclusion, I love both shows and strongly recommend to anyone who has only seen one to check out the other.
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i love how in episode 8, in that scene when wen chao barges into lan xichen's house, it is sort of implied that wen chao is the dire owl, i mean we know he's not, but also we hear lan xichen call wen chao in, then we hear the owl, see its shadow in the wall, then they talk, wen chao walks out, we hear the owl again and hear it whoosh away, what else am i supposed to think
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amynchan · 1 year
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the more differences I hear secondhand about the live action, the more bewildered I get.
Wei Wuxian is absolved of all guilt thus erasing the complexity of his past and the sheer audacity (affectionate) he has to leave it behind?
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji called each other soul mates and got married as literal teenagers?
Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing were an almost thing?
Speaking of that, Wen Qing and Wen Ning were at the lectures? Jiang Yanli was at the lectures??? What is a Dire Owl??? and a Jin Butterfly????
Wen Ruhon cultivated resentful energy?
Yin Iron?
Jiang Yanli also watched Lotus Pier burn?
And now, evidently, all of the Wen Remnants marched to their deaths at LanlingJin????? Wen-popo was old. So was Uncle Four. 0.o Like, how would they survive?
And??? They were... displayed? Big yikes. o__o
Also, very tiny, but Zidian is, like, a snake bracelet in the Untamed? ehhhh????
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korpikorppi · 3 years
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The Untamed Ep8, collage 5: A Good Reason for Leaving
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Wangji's little half smirk...Wuliao ;).
Bonus:
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elvencantation · 4 years
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i’ve said it once and i’ll say it again:
wen chao’s dire owl looks like a chicken
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eohachu · 2 years
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[ID: 6 gifs from the cdrama "the untamed". gif 1: a closeup of wei wuxian's left hand in ep 6 as lan wangji's forehead ribbon wraps itself around his wrist, then around lan wangji's right wrist respectively. gif 2: a closeup of lan wangji's right hand with his wrist captured by wei wuxian's binding spell in ep 8. gif 3: wei wuxian being choked by a thick metal chain during the hunt for the dire owl in ep 9. gif 4: a closeup of wei wuxian in chains in ep 20. gif 5: a wide shot of xue yang in ep 10 tied to the ceiling of chang manor by a rope, his legs are also tied up. wei wuxian circles him slowly. gif 6: a closeup of wei wuxian being tied up with a rope by wen soldiers in ep 12. /end ID]
the many uses of forehead ribbons, chains, and ropes in CQL
happy birthday @suibianjie <3
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Psssst, if you want an excuse, here it is. tell me about that sunshot campaign AU. I wanna know.
*rattles my headcanons like cat treats for all the nhs stans*
OKAY, SO. I'll give you the extremely abbreviated version ahahha it’s still hella long, but- listen-  I have this very specific, absolutely ooc Nie brothers Sunshot au that I like to return to now and then. 
(Also sorry for the delay, Anon, for some reason this hc was hard to pull from my brain into reality so please forgive the lack of grammar as i wordvomit some impromptu worldbuilding.)
Context:
1) I saw the Unclean Realm gate and I a complete historical architecture nerd but also cultural noob said that is a place that knows siege warfare.
2) I like to think that there’s this untapped geopolitical history between Qishan and Qinghe that is just begging to be explored, re: the use of children throughout history as political hostages 
(Consider: young second master Nie Huaisang being yeeted into Qishan, and knowing Wen Chao and Wen Qing and Wen Ning before that confrontational scene in the Gusu arc - big yes. I have a scene for that specifically that is Adjacent to this. 
But ALSO consider: second master wen chao being yeeted into Qinghe at a young age and spending time with nhs and nmj and just being a more 3d character in general with Complex Motivations and Things. 👀👀 juicy villain backstory hello i was not ready for my brain to take this turn today)
3) Also, on the topic of backstory, you can prise nhs referring to lwj as “wangji-xiong” ("wangji-ge") from my cold dead hands.
4) I like to imagine, thanks probably to fanfic like come from my inkstone, that Huaisang has been involved in the logistical side of the Sunshot campaign, running supply trains and stepping up to govern the Unclean Realm in his brother’s stead because nhs in this fic has Political Smarts and Things (the “things” is Feelings and I stan this ot4). 
And finally,
5) to frame the rough start of this au, i have a Specific Scenario, which is borrowed heavily from this fic, without you (i don’t know what i’d do). In the fic, nhs basically rides all the way from Qinghe to the Nie camp to warn nmj of an attack on the Unclean Realm only to collapse dramatically off his horse and I live and breathe that kind of commitment to hurt/comfort, so of course I incorporated that into my headcanon.
Okay wait one more thing to note, 
6) all this backstory is absolutely saturated in my Nie brothers feelings from Fatal Journey. *plays Qinghe Jue on repeat* Just, yknow, peppering in that Nie sect-centricity. 
So - finally - the AU:
- nmj is alerted by zonghui because we stan one disposable spin off character of a single rider galloping towards their encampment. it’s huaisang, his plain riding gear (basically the main fatal journey outfit) splattered with mud, his horse foaming at the mouth im sorry horsie.  the dire owl is arcing low in the sky, screeching its omens, and nmj is afraid.  
- nhs dismounts from his horse already pushing past nmj, towards the tent with the battle map. blah blah insert drabble and nhs being all exhausted but determined to lay out the updated positions he’s memorised, that Nie temper trickling out. nhs informs nmj that the unclean realm is under siege, the enemy taking advantage of nmj’s distraction and the lack of seasoned warriors left in Qinghe. in my head, the enemy is an external force that qinghe, as a border country, has dealt with on their own for decades. tbf i’d need to check the actual map that flashes past in the drama etc to say how accurate this is (probably not very, but i crave cultural nuance and worldbuilding). 
- this puts the nie sect in a precarious position. nmj must lead the campaign against wen ruohan, but an external force (perhaps allied with the wen) threatens their homeland. nmj himself cannot go, and cannot spare many men. he cannot be in two places at once. he almost despairs, right then and there - if they win the sunshot campaign, but lose the unclean realm, what becomes of his sect?
- and huaisang is smiling at him, a little sadly, as if he already knows how this conversation plays out, as if nmj does too- “dage-” “no.” “-i will go.”  it’s practically suicide. his didi, with all his knowledge of strategy, knows nothing of battle. but here he is, offering to fight the invading forces in his stead, with only the handful of men that nmj can spare. loyal men. men who would rally behind their second disciple without question, because despite his flaky attitude, nhs- “what kind of nie would i be,” huaisang says, too calmly and too flippantly, “if i did not defend our ancestor’s land?” then, almost gently,  “we are nie. if we are to die, we should both meet it on the battlefield.” nmj stares down at his knuckles, white against the curling yellow map that spells out their defeat. memories of their father pressing behind his eyes.  
- the next morning, after some moving backstory about nhs and nmj and filial piety on which the entire believability of this character development rests so ofc I haven't written it nhs has his hair braided up into a different style by his brother - easier, for riding. for combat. the nie know what it means. he is still in those plain robes, sleeves cinched for battle. but a sabre rests at his hip and his brother’s hairpins glint in the cold morning light. behind him, six other disciples including zonghui, sit atop restless horses, waiting nmj’s nhs’s command. nhs smiles up at his brother, who cannot help the deep, distressed frown that saturates his whole face. “dage,” he says, gripping nmj’s elbow and resting their foreheads together. “let’s be brothers in our next life.” 
- “xichen,” mingjue says eventually, his breath barely mist in morning air. “i have sent my little brother to die.” as serene as the white silhouette beside him appears, lxc’s grip on his elbow is like a vice, tight with anxiety and unspoken fear. big brother solidarity in this trying time.  
- there is no word from nhs for a long time. nmj sits at the victory banquet alone, the table to his left set, but empty. then- 
running footsteps. a disciple, in qinghe greys. “zhongzhu!” 
nmj is only tangentially aware that grip on his cup could crush a man’s throat. before he can bid the man to speak, however, the herald announces an arrival, his voice booming through the hall and cutting all curious chatter - “Nie-er-gonzi!”
nhs swans into the hall, fan wafting a leisurely tempo against his satisfied grin. “Dage!” he calls, “You started without me!” 
Nmj surges from his seat and is halfway through the hall before he even realises it, sweeping his brother into his arms. “Huaisang,” he says, chin tucked against the crown of his brother’s head. he means to say- a lot of things. but by the tightening of nhs’s arms around his waist, nhs already knows.
- against all odds, they’ve won on both fronts. zonghui himself isn’t sure how it happened but yes nhs absolutely just talked his way out of a battle because his tongue always was as sharp as qinghe steel. and no, master, er-gongzi is still absolutely hopeless with a sabre, we saw like ten minutes of actual combat tops. but we did manage to strike some sort of political deal nhs is like 64% sure you’ll hate but will eventually see sense about. it’s cool, this won’t come back to bite him in the ass after you die at all. 
- resume canon plot.
...
that’s it anon that’s all i got
i got a little carried away at the end but t’s the short version i swear
anyway i hope you enjoyed my ooc sunshot au in which nhs is the bamf his character arc deserves.
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gingersnapwolves · 3 years
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The Untamed, a brief summary [Part 2/6]
Part One: Sword Wizard School
Part Two: The Search for the Yin Iron and the World’s Worst Summer Camp
Ext, Somewhere
Lan Wangji is looking for the yin iron. Wei Wuxian catches up with him and makes some bondage jokes. Lan Wangji is clearly warming up to him, as he doesn’t punt him into the stratosphere.
Jiang Cheng, still incensed that his brother snuck off, goes to look for him. Jiang Yanli packs him a sack lunch and tells him to be careful.
Wen Qing is stuck with Wen Chao, following Lan Wangji, and looks like she wants to throw herself off a mountain.
Ext, Tanzhou [Yiling]
Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian run into Nie Huaisang, who apparently decided not to go home after school, presumably due to his grades. Yiling is nowhere near Qinghe. When Nie Huaisang decides to fuck around and find out, he goes for it.
In Tanzhou, there is a magic florist. She has a piece of yin iron, but they’re too late. Wen Chao has already taken it. I will forget that this happened in 90% of my fanfics.
Ext, Dafan Mountain [Yiling]
The three of them end up at a creepy village. There’s a woman mumbling something about a statue. Everyone else is missing except one creepy dude at a shrine to said statue, whose purpose is to give exposition. For some reason they decide to sleep in the weird cave with the creepy statue outside the abandoned village. Kids, amirite?
Ext, Somewhere
Jiang Cheng runs into Wen Qing. She purposefully picks a fight with him and he looks like someone kicked his puppy. But oh ho! It was just a ruse so she could tell him that his brother is in trouble at Dafan Mountain without anyone overhearing. He thanks her and takes off.
Interior, A Creepy Cave [Yiling]
The statue comes alive and attacks them! It keeps going for Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian makes a joke about it having a crush on him. They seal it to keep it from moving.
Outside, a mob of villagers who look the same as the not-a-corpse guy attack them. Nie Huaisang posits that he would like to be excluded from this narrative, of which he never asked to be a part. Wen Qing shows up and uses a magic flute to subdue the mob. She will never use this flute again despite countless times doing so might come in handy. Jiang Cheng turns up too but is too busy roasting Wei Wuxian for running off to do anything useful. Wen Qing tells Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian that the mob is powered by a shard of yin iron that Wen Chao has in his ‘dire owl’ which is a bird made out of shadow that could not possibly look less like an owl.
Wei Wuxian uses a nifty golden net spell that he will never use again despite countless times it might come in handy to protect the others while he and Lan Wangji fight Wen Chao and kill the absolutely-not-an-owl. The villagers are released from the spell.
Wen Qing tells them that this is where she and Wen Ning grew up. The statue had a piece of yin iron in it, and when Wen Ruohan came and took it, the statue went berserk and killed a bunch of people, including her parents. It also stole part of Wen Ning’s soul and that’s why he’s weak and sick. Then she goes back to Nightless City despite that this is clearly a terrible idea, because Wen Ning is there. Jiang Cheng asks her to stay, but she won’t, and Jiang Cheng is sad. Somehow nobody thinks to point out that she’s serving the man who got her parents killed.
Ext, Yueyang [Qinghe]
Somehow they’re all the way up towards Qinghe now. Please don’t ask questions about travel times. It’s my worst nightmare in my fics.
Nie Huaisang says that Meng Yao is meeting them here. Why? Who knows. My best guess is that Nie Huaisang knows he’s going to be in Big Trouble for sneaking off and thinks Meng Yao can protect him.
They stop at an inn. The waiter tells them something weird happened at the Chang house and now nobody’s there but they hear noise every night. The yin iron starts clamoring to be let out of its pouch and gives Lan Wangji heartburn.
Ext, the Chang manor [Qinghe]
Xue Yang has killed every damn person. It’s fucked up.
ENTER SUPERMAN and BATMAN, like seriously, imagine you were in a DC Comic and those two just dropped in for cameos and nobody bothered to explain who they were because they figured you would already know. Their names are Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan, and by the time they show up again, you will have forgotten that.
They’ve been tracking Xue Yang for All the Crimes and want to arrest him. There’s a fight. Xue Yang loses and enjoys it way too much.
Wei Wuxian asks him questions about the yin iron. He acts like a little punk. He doesn’t have any yin iron on him even though he obviously used it for Carnage, and they can’t find it anywhere.
Meng Yao and Nie Huaisang show up. They agree to take Xue Yang back to The Unclean Realm to be tried for All the Crimes.
Xue Yang cheekily says, “Don’t forget me!” to Xiao Xingchen, who immediately forgets him.
Exeunt Superman and Batman, while Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian both stare after them longingly, clearly wishing that they too could hunt monsters and criminals instead of dealing with political bullshit.
Ext, The Unclean Realm [Qinghe]
Meng Yao shows them in and tells Nie Huaisang that the Wen sect has demanded each sect send an ‘inner heir disciple’ for ‘indoctrination’. Nie Huaisang remembers that he’s the only inner heir disciple sect in the Nie sect and panics. Meng Yao laughs at his histrionics. To be fair, they are indeed funny.
ENTER THE WORLD’S MOST BADASS MUSTACHE
This is Nie Mingjue. He is the head of the Qinghe Nie sect. He carries an enormous sword and has the title ‘Red Blade Master’. Every molecule of this man exudes big dick energy.
Nie Mingjue decides to immediately execute Xue Yang. Meng Yao steps in and counsels that maybe execution shouldn’t be their go-to, being rather permanent and all. Xue Yang can give them information and they shouldn’t waste their chance to get it. Nie Mingjue agrees. The others admire the fact that Meng Yao is clever and persuasive, and Wei Wuxian makes a comment about how Meng Yao’s biological father (the head of the Lanling Jin) is an idiot for not realizing he could make use of such a talent.
Nie Mingjue orders Xue Yang put in prison and the guard strengthened. Meng Yao delivers this order to the Captain of the Guard, who decides he’s going to be a giant prick about it. He’s too good to take orders from the bastard son of a whore. Meng Yao puts on his best retail smile and says that he’ll make do.
Meanwhile, the others are discussing the yin iron and the Wen sect’s demand to send disciples. Nie Mingjue says Lan Xichen has written to him and he thinks Lan Wangji should go back to Cloud Recesses. There’s only one piece of yin iron left unlocated and Xue Yang clearly knows where it is, so they’ll take it from here. Wei Wuxian reluctantly agrees that he and Jiang Cheng should probably head home too, to see how their father wants to handle the Wen sect’s demands.
Int, Cloud Recesses [Gusu]
Wen soldiers have showed up. It’s bad. Lan Qiren tells Lan Xichen that he should take their most precious knowledge and run away. Lan Xichen tries to argue but Lan Qiren insists.
Ext, The Unclean Realm [Qinghe]
The Captain of the Guard is still being an asshole to Meng Yao, this time while drunk.
Wei Wuxian, also drunk, has decided to sleep on Lan Wangji’s roof like any well-adjusted person would.
Lan Wangji gives him a longing stare and says ‘farewell’ under his breath like the stoic repressed gay he is, before heading back home.
ENTER MINIMUM WAGE REPRESENTATION MAN
The next morning, Wen Chao shows up with his Head Henchman, Wen Zhuliu. He’s clearly there because Wen Chao can’t find his ass with two hands and a flashlight. They demand the release of Xue Yang and grandstand a lot. Nie Mingjue tells them to fuck off.
There’s a big fight, mostly between Nie Mingjue and Wen Zhuliu.
Someone shouts that Xue Yang has escaped. Nie Mingjue makes it to the prison and finds Meng Yao standing there with a sword through the gut of the Captain of the Guard. We all take a moment to wish that we could stab the people who have bullied us. Nie Mingjue, however, does not agree, and is very upset. Meng Yao hilariously says ‘Xue Yang did it’ even though he’s literally got his hand on the hilt of the blade. Nice going, Meng Yao. I spend the next ten months wondering if that was a translation error.
Wen Chao (or maybe Wen Zhuliu? I don’t remember tbh) throws his sword at Nie Mingjue. Meng Yao leaps in front of it and gets lightly stabbed. Then Wen Chao talks a lot of shit about how much the Nie sect sucks and also the Lan sect sucks and his brother has taken men to go burn Cloud Recesses to the ground. Everyone is upset. Wen Chao gallantly agrees he’ll let them off the hook for the day, but if they fuck with the Wen sect again, they’ll regret it.
Nie Mingjue drags Meng Yao inside and they have a messy breakup. Meng Yao tries to explain that the Captain of the Guard was a big douchebag, bullied him for years, and took credit for his accomplishments. Nie Mingjue points out that this was not an excuse to murder him. Because Meng Yao just saved his life, he says he won’t execute him, but exiles him from Qinghe.
Meng Yao bids farewell to Nie Huaisang, who is upset and tries to get his brother to reconsider, but Nie Mingjue is adamant. Everyone seems to forget that Meng Yao just got fucking stabbed. He’ll walk it off.
So who released Xue Yang? This question is actually never answered! Did the captain of the guard do it for some reason, and Meng Yao stabbed him because he caught him in the act? Did Meng Yao do it? If so, why? Did he have nefarious purposes? Or did he do it because he thought it would make the Wen sect withdraw and stop attacking The Unclean Realm? Did the Wen soldiers get to him and let him out? Did Xue Yang just escape on his own? You may believe any canon that you wish. (My personal head canon is generally that Meng Yao released him to try to get the Wen soldiers to withdraw, but I’ve also written some variations.)
Ext, Lotus Pier [Yunmeng]
Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian are home. Yay! They reunite with Jiang Yanli. It is cute.
ENTER A PAIR OF EXTREMELY BAD PARENTS
So here’s the tea on the super dysfunctional family that basically drives this whole story. Jiang Fengmian is the head of the Yunmeng Jiang sect. His wife is Yu Ziyuan. He didn’t really want to marry her, mostly because he was in love with another woman named Cangse Sanren. However, the leaders of their two sects were pushing them to marry for alliance reasons. Jiang Fengmian kept refusing, but then Cangse Sanren married a guy named Wei Changze, who was one of Jiang Fengmian’s close friends. Since she was no longer an option, Jiang Fengmian then agreed to marry Yu Ziyuan. They hate each other.
The two of them had two kids, Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng. Jiang Yanli is not a strong cultivator and seems to have some health issues, although these are never detailed. Therefore all the sect responsibilities fall to Jiang Cheng, and Jiang Yanli was betrothed to Jin Zixuan (whose mother was the sect sister of Yu Ziyuan).
Meanwhile, Cangse Sanren is what we call a ‘rogue cultivator’ ie a cultivator who is not formally part of any sect. Wei Changze was a servant at Lotus Pier. They had Wei Wuxian and went to fight evil. When Wei Wuxian was four, they were killed by a monster. He lived on the streets for about three years before Jiang Fengmian found him and adopted him.
Yu Ziyuan is super pissed that Jiang Fengmian adopted the child of the woman he was in love with. She’s also super pissed because Wei Wuxian happens to be a more powerful cultivator than Jiang Cheng. Jiang Fengmian is very indulgent of Wei Wuxian’s behavior because, you know, his parents died, and Jiang Fengmian loved his mother and was friends with his father. Yu Ziyuan constantly accuses Jiang Fengmian of loving Wei Wuxian more than he loves their own son, constantly abuses Wei Wuxian for having the audacity to exist in her home and be a good cultivator, and constantly berates Jiang Cheng for not being as strong as Wei Wuxian and says he’s not going to be a good sect leader. Meanwhile Jiang Fengmian can’t be arsed to reassure Jiang Cheng that yes, he does love him very much. Jiang Yanli basically raised both the brothers which is probably the only reason they turned out as well as they did.
tl;dr this is a super toxic environment for everyone involved
Ext, Cloud Recesses [Gusu]
ENTER A MAN WHOSE POSITION IMPLIES HE SHOULD BE IMPORTANT YET PLAYS LITTLE ROLE IN THE STORY
Wen Xu, the first son of Wen Ruohan, is coordinating the attack on Cloud Recesses.
Lan Wangji arrives in time to find most of his sect rushing to shelter in the magic cave because the Wen troops are slaughtering everyone there.
A bunch of disciples are trapped outside because only members of the Lan bloodline can get in. Wen Xu starts murdering them all until one will tell him how to get in.
ENTER A 2 WHO THINKS HE IS A 10
A disciple named Su She, who incidentally is the guy who lost his sword in the lake like a dumbass while fighting the water demon, tells Wen Xu that only members of the Lan bloodline can get in and he could do it if he had one of the Magic Ribbons.
Lan Wangji emerges from the cave to try to fight off Wen Xu and a zillion guys single-handedly. Unsurprisingly, this does not work and he is captured. Since he’s got the yin iron, Wen Xu decides that’s good enough and they take off. Everyone left behind presumably calls Su She a jerk.
Int, Lotus Pier [Yunmeng]
They’ve received the demands from the Wen sect. Jiang Cheng is the inner heir disciple and he has to go. Wei Wuxian says he’ll go too. Yu Ziyuan tells him nobody gives a shit what the son of a servant does.
Ext, The Indoctrination Bureau, which may or may not be in Nightless City. It sure seems like it is but then later it sure seems like it isn’t [Qishan]
Wen Chao has lined all the disciples up outside so he can insult them and brag about how great he is. Wei Wuxian is worried because Lan Wangji isn’t there at first, but then he’s escorted in, clearly injured and trying not to show it.
Wen Chao forces them all to surrender their swords. Surprisingly it’s Jin Zixuan who picks a fight about this.
ENTER A WOMAN WHO IS NOT PAID ENOUGH FOR THIS SHIT
Jin Zixuan’s retainer, a woman named Luo Qingyang but who everyone calls Mianmian because of how cute she is, calms him down and reminds him that Jin Zixuan’s father told them not to make trouble. He’s pissed but hands his sword over. So does everyone else.
(A note on swords: there are strong implications that the swords are semi-sentient and connected to their bearers on a spiritual level. I’m sure I would know more about this if I was more familiar with xianxia. But the long and the short of it is that taking their swords is a Big Fucking Deal.)
Wen Chao tells them all to memorize ‘The Quintessence of Wen’, basically the rules of their sect.
Ext, somewhere nearby [Qishan]
Wen Ning is excited that Wei Wuxian is in Qishan and asks Wen Qing if he can go outside and play. Wen Qing says no because Wei Wuxian is supposed to be their enemy. Wen Ning uses sad puppy eyes. It has no effect.
Ext, The Indoctrination Bureau [Qishan]
Wen Chao tells them to recite the Wen stuff. Lan Wangji refuses. Jin Zixuan refuses.
Wei Wuxian eagerly volunteers, and then like the chaos gremlin he is, starts reciting the Lan principles instead. Wen Chao is pissed. Lan Wangji is smitten. Even Jin Zixuan thinks it’s funny. Jiang Cheng is upset that Wei Wuxian is causing trouble but he also thinks it’s funny and just won’t admit it.
Wen Chao punishes Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, and Jin Zixuan by making them do some menial labor involving buckets of dung. Jin ‘never done a day of actual labor in his life’ Zixuan is the most upset about this.
Wei Wuxian takes the opportunity to try to talk to Lan Wangji about the yin iron and what happened at Cloud Recesses and why he’s injured. Wen Chao gets even more pissy and throws Wei Wuxian in a dungeon with a terrible CGI wolf monster. Wei Wuxian nearly gets eaten but Wen Qing intervenes by using long distance acupuncture to knock the monster out with throwing needles. Wen Ning brings him some medicine to stop the bleeding from his multiple wounds.
The next day, they’re still reciting the stupid Wen stuff, or at least pretending to. Nie Huaisang either falls asleep on his feet, passes out, or decides this is bullshit and pretends to pass out, and is dragged back to his guest house.
The rest of them go on a field trip.
ENTER THE HUMAN VERSION OF PERIOD CRAMPS
Wen Chao has a girlfriend, somehow. Her name is Jiaojiao and she is the absolute worst.
They head off to a mountain where bad mojo is going around. Wen Chao is clearly planning to use all these cultivators as cannon fodder, because he’s a fucking asshole. Wen Zhuliu accompanies them, presumably because Wen Chao will trip over his own sword and die if left to his own devices. Wen Qing also comes along, even though she’d clearly rather not. Wen Chao keeps hitting on Mianmian and it makes Jiaojiao jealous.
Lan Wangji is limping badly. Wei Wuxian wants to help him. Jiang Cheng tells him they’ve got their own problems and they shouldn’t get involved in other people’s business. Wei Wuxian says, ‘but consider: I do what I want’. He offers to carry Lan Wangji, who refuses. So instead Wei Wuxian uses a little paper talisman to ask Wen Qing if she can help them out. She calls for a break so they can get some water.
Wen Chao tells her she’s too soft-hearted. She tells him he thinks too much, which seems vastly inaccurate.
Int, Muxi Mountain [Qishan]
They find a cave and go inside. There’s a steep drop off and nobody wants to go see what’s at the bottom, so Wen Chao pushes Wei Wuxian over the edge. Everyone is pissed about this, and they all have to climb down.
They’ve discovered an underground lake and the home of the monster! But it’s nowhere to be found. Wen Chao wants to string someone up and cut them to attract it. Jiaojiao suggests Mianmian. Wen Chao clearly doesn’t want to because he has the hots for her. Jin Zixuan tells him to get his grubby eyeballs off his friend. For the first time in the show, we feel a jot of respect for Jin Zixuan.
One of the other disciples tries to grab Mianmian anyway, Jin Zixuan intervenes, and there’s a big fight.
Wei Wuxian tells Wen Chao that using his position to bully others means he should be executed, using the words they had to memorize from the Quintessence of Wen. Wen Chao doesn’t recognize their own principles. Everyone laughs at him, and Wen Zhuliu looks like he’d rather be flipping burgers at McDonald’s than have this stupid job.
While Wen Zhuliu is distracted mentally updating his resume, Wei Wuxian grabs Wen Chao, puts a sword to his throat, and jumps to a rock in the middle of the lake. He tells Wen Chao to make all his guys lower their blades. But then, uh oh! Turns out the rock he jumped to is in fact the monster, which is a terrible CGI turtle snake thing.
There’s another big fight. Jiaojiao decides that this is an ideal time to punish Mianmian for being pretty near other people, and tries to burn her with a hot iron. Wei Wuxian jumps in between them and gets hit with it.
At some point, Wen Chao decides fuck this. The Wen soldiers all retreat, dragging Wen Qing with them, cut the ropes to the bottom of the cliff, and seal the entrance.
They find an underwater exit from the cave. While Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian fight the monster and keep it distracted, the other cultivators escape. But they don’t manage to make it out themselves. They’re now trapped in a cave together, soaking wet and wounded. Thank you, Untamed.
Wei Wuxian teases Lan Wangji and is too stupid to realize he’s flirting. Lan Wangji prays for patience. He tells Wei Wuxian that he went back to Cloud Recesses and that his uncle is injured and his brother is missing. Wei Wuxian covers Lan Wangji with his robe while he sleeps. We all swoon.
In order to get out, they have to kill the monster. Wei Wuxian goes inside it and we all very studiously do not ask which entrance he went through.
The inside of this monster is very gross. There’s a black sword inside it which emanates evil energy. Wei Wuxian grabs it because he is sixteen and stupid. He hears lots of screaming ghosts and such, but hangs onto it anyway because he is sixteen and stupid. They kill the terrible CGI turtle snake thing but it collapses on top of the exit so they still can’t get out. Wei Wuxian is badly injured. Lan Wangji sings to him and there is a montage of their significant moments together up to this point, because the Chinese censors apparently weren’t looking.
Ext, Muxi Mountain [Qishan]
Wei Wuxian wakes up to find he is outside. Jin Zixuan and Jiang Cheng have rescued him. Lan Wangji has already left to go back to Cloud Recesses to look for his brother. Wei Wuxian is still holding onto the creepy sword. They awkwardly thank Jin Zixuan for helping out with the rescue. Jin Zixuan awkwardly accepts their thanks and then bounces. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng head back to Lotus Pier.
Nobody ever mentions how Nie Huaisang gets out of Qishan, and for some reason I find this very funny.
~end part 2~
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franniebanana · 3 years
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CQL Rewatch - Episode 9
Let me preface this by saying we’re entering a period of episodes that I’m not that fond of. There’s nothing wrong with them really, but it’s just padding and a little bit of set-up for later arcs, but I personally think the set-up is unnecessary.
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Anyhow, straight into it! I shouldn’t say “straight” when wangxian is on screen. I struggled to get a good shot, but the dichotomy between Nie Huaisang and wangxian here is hilarious to me. He’s such a good comedy act, flailing and being totally useless, other than being another warm body, but at the same time, he’s the only one really acting like a teenager here. Lan Wangji is always so cold and serious, while Wei Wuxian is a goof until he needs to be serious, but both of them are also extremely talented. We know Nie Huaisang isn’t an idiot, but I don’t get the impression he’s a great cultivator either.
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I literally watched this scene this morning and totally missed this part. Lan Wangji stops Wei Wuxian from killing or attacking the puppets further, as he’s about to use his sword to defend them all. It’s a great little moment, actually, because it shows how Wei Wuxian is willing to do anything, but he’s not willing to murder innocent people if they can be saved. We already know, with all the Lan principles, that Wangji would not kill needlessly, but we don’t necessarily know that about Wei Wuxian. But he has morals, he has his own principles, and he’s not going to cast those aside for nothing.
Now, you could say he won’t do it now in the story, but what about later? What about Wen Chao? I’d say that’s totally different. That was revenge. And one of the things I like about this story is that it doesn’t shy away from revenge (something that a lot of Western media kind of disdains—we seem to be afraid to in any way make revenge out to be something good).
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I can’t believe I managed to capture the exact moment that Lan Wangji used the Silencing spell on Nie Huaisang. I’m honestly really impressed with myself. Of course, it was totally by accident. I was initially going to just talk about how funny Nie Huaisang is again, because I love his flailing and physical comedy, and his expressions are fantastic. But can I talk about this glare that Yibo has right now? Haha, I love it. Again, if looks could kill. If I were Wei Wuxian here, I’d feel pretty satisfied for being the one not silenced at this moment. Honestly, it shows such a progression in their relationship: they’re really working as a team, no longer at odds with each other. It’s really apparent that they have become a team: it’s Nie Huaisang and WangXian—not Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. There are also more moments where it feels like Wei Wuxian is really looking for Lan Wangji—like, it feels as if he’s more interested in the relationship than Lan Wangji. I don’t think it’s true at all, but that’s kind of what we’re shown. The thing is that Lan Wangji is so much more aloof and cold towards Wei Wuxian—very tsundere, I suppose. But of course, we know Lan Wangji is very conscious of Wei Wuxian.
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I’m not going to pick on her specifically here, because overall, the fake instrument-playing is pretty hysterical. I do think she’s the worst at it, though, probably because she only does this in one scene or something. Wang Yibo has a double for a lot of the scenes where he’s playing the guqin, but what little we see is fine. Xiao Zhan is also okay—we know he isn’t really playing, but he does an okay job pretending to play. Like, his lip is on the flute. It kind of looks like Wen Qing doesn’t even have her lips on the flute—like she’s trying not to wreck her makeup. Anyway, I’m not going to harp (see what I did there?) on it—none of them are musicians.
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Reminder to gif this part.
Any time Wei Wuxian comes to Lan Wangji’s defense is a good time, and coupled with a smile like this—my heart is melting, excuse me. I love these moments, because for just a few seconds, it feels like no one else is there—it’s just the two of them having a moment together. And Wei Wuxian is once again here proving how he’s loyal to Lan Wangji, how his friendship is worth something, and it’s not just skin-deep. I think Lan Wangji is touched here: the way his averts his gaze, as if he likes what Wei Wuxian is saying, but he still feels uncomfortable. Outside of his family, this is probably the closest relationship that Lan Wangji has ever had.
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Wei Wuxian has a lot of cool magic, and it’s a shame we don’t get to see more of it. I like the idea that his talismans are more clever, if that makes sense. They aren’t just explosions or hitting people with waves of force to knock them around. He’s got golden nets, and talismans that can bind/bond people to each other, ones that can cause you to be pinned to the ground. It’s just very fun, and we don’t get to see a lot of that sort of magic in this world. Actually Lan Wangji has the Silencing spell, plus the body binding spell that he uses in the book, but that is, unfortunately, not in this series. And the first time you see it in the book is when he binds Wei Wuxian’s body so that he has to sleep right on top of Lan Wangji—great stuff.
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WWX: So they are making use of my wisdom? LOL
Wei Wuxian stops to make a joke, saying he is most disturbed by the hallucinations because he has so many thoughts in his head—basically too smart for his own good here—and at the same time, poking fun at Lan Wangji, because he isn’t bothered by the hallucinations (ie. he doesn’t have many thoughts in his head). Okay, first of all, we know Wei Wuxian respects Lan Wangji a lot, so he is definitely joking, and it’s all in good fun. Lan Wangji rolls his eyes a bit, and he’s not bothered. He did, after all, tell Wei Wuxian to put the net over the other three so that he and Wei Wuxian could take care of the dire owl alone. He also respects Wei Wuxian and values him as a fellow cultivator and teammate. Second of all, again, Wei Wuxian is not an idiot! He’s smart! He’s clever! He’s not dumb! I don’t know who still needs to hear this, but I’m saying it again. I know it’s easy to put him into the typical BL “female” role: he’s smaller, he’s a bottom, blah blah blah. I honestly don’t like that at all. Every ship doesn’t have to be two opposites. It doesn’t have to be m/f, top/bottom, big/small, dark/light, smart/dumb, strong/weak. I’m aware of how the book is written and I’m aware of BL tropes in general, but I see two equals here. I like how they picked Wang Yibo, a shorter and younger man than Xiao Zhan, to play Lan Wangji. I like that they took out the fact that he has inhumanly strong arms. I like the different dynamic that it displays from the book characters. That isn’t to say that I don’t like the book—I love the book. The book is my favorite adaptation, both in terms of storytelling and in terms of plot. But that doesn’t mean that it’s perfect for me.
Anyway, enough ranting for now.
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I love this shot. And I love how in sync they are in this fight—it’s like a dance. When I’ve heard about fight choreography in the past, I never associated it with the word “dance,” until I saw this series. I don’t know if it’s the costumes or the setting or the actors or what, but their motions are so fluid, so dance-like—it’s actually quite beautiful.
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Oh, my god, look at that grin! I fucking love it!! Also, serious moment turns into a chance to tease Lan Wangji. I will accept it.
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My sentimental heart loves how scared Wei Wuxian is for Lan Wangji here. All that time wearing the One Ring—I mean, holding the Yin Iron, is really wearing him down. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself). But jokes aside, I love how Wei Wuxian is right there, instructing him on how to handle what’s going on and to not lose control, while the others are just kind of clueless as to what is happening or how to help. And even after Lan Wangji snaps out of it and says they have to go to the Chang Clan, Wei Wuxian’s expression still is one of great concern, and I doubt it’s out of fear for what the waiter has just told him. I think he’s just really worried about Lan Wangji. This is the first time that Lan Wangji has even been like this, even in the face of great danger, and Wei Wuxian is shaken by it.
Other episodes: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
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wei-gege-oldaccount · 3 years
Note
lwj and wwx only have 2 settings when looking at each other, they are either stupidly in love or stupidly horny. have you seen this post? kenny2234*tumblr*com/post/629515661032521728
Hi Anon!
Firstly, yes I have seen your post, and secondly you never asked for this and I am sorry for that.
I could write about their eye contact alone until the end of time, or at least until I succumb to the laws of entropy. I could just idly agree with you, yes, aha it’s love or lust and move on. But. I can’t. I can’t. I mean, this is a story where so much is told by the things that are not said. And there is a lot that can’t be said, either because it’s a character trait or because of censorship issues. I will try and keep this concise, and to do that I’m just focusing on mutual eye contact, and from LWJ’s perspective. Thinking to the BTS where Wang Yibo talks about how LWJ mostly only expresses himself through the eyes.
TL;DR: I disagree, there’s really more to it than that.
LWJ actively avoids eye contact with WWX until around episodes 6-7. He’s a Lan. He can NOT condone or make friends with this unruly, loud, arrogant, charismatic, irritatingly beautiful man. He has bad ideas about the uses of resentful energy. No matter how intelligent, observant and artistic he is. No matter now much of a prodigy and a skilled fighter he is. No matter how hot he is. No matter what his brother says.
He likes him but he doesn’t like that he likes him.
So LWJ actively avoids direct eye contact with WWX unless it’s a glare filled with the fire of a thousand suns. You know, as a warning.
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This is until episode 6/7. By this point, they have fought water ghouls at Biling Lake. Drunkenly shared personal mom info. Used the Lan forehead ribbon inappropriately in the Cold Pond Cave, and had Physical Contact when escaping. WWX has called LWJ his Zhiji already. It’s only when WWX keeps his promise not to talk about the Yin Iron and scares NHS away when he tries to extract gossip that LWJ decides to reappraise him. Only then do we get some eye contact which isn’t laced with contempt or uneasiness (which of course JC is there to witness).
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They go off and do the lantern ceremony. LWJ does a smile at WWX’s bunny art. That devastating look he gives WWX as he makes his vow. You can almost lipread LWJ’s brain thinking “marry me now”. LXC was right about him. Despite this, he tries to deal with the yin iron by himself because WWX is The Agent of Chaos after all. But, WWX is not going to let him bear this responsibility alone, because of course he wouldn’t. 
Enter Battle Couple WangXian. They fight the fairy statue, multiple puppets, and the dire owl. Xue Yang happens. They meet famous duo SL & XXC and LWJ & JC totally fanboy over them, and it’s only then, some real Zhiji vibes hit LWJ, albeit with a bit of a sombre mood after WWX’s chat with XXC. My next fave moment of eye contact, I can literally feel LWJ’s stomach butterflies here after they watch SL and XXC leave together:
Whoa, is that us now? I mean, do I dare to even hope that that’s us? 
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LWJ decides to leave WWX in Qinghe under cover of darkness and asap. He has to get the yin iron back to Cloud Recesses with a low profile. So we don’t see them together again until the Wen Indoctrination Camp. They do a bunch of worrying and looking out for each other, and then we get the cave scene which has been giffed 4 million times already by others who have done a better job, but I haven’t so I slowed it right the fuck down. Forgive the bad colouring I’m trying not to take too much time over this. You’re right about this one anon.
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Then lots of bad. I skipped these gifs because picture limit. In summary, LWJ is hurt and angry, lots of angy stares and sword pointing. How could WWX hurt himself by using these methods?! But then WWX promises he will never use demonic cultivation, and agrees to receiving help. LWJ can chill a bit. Night Hunt on Phoenix Mountain. I left this one out as it’s pretty self explanatory. “I used to think of you as my Zhiji”. “I still am”. Ugh but WWX knows he can’t unless he fully informs LWJ of his situation. It’s bittersweet. THE RAIN SCENE. This is not heart eyes or horniness anon it is pure PAIN. 
Let’s skip to some good stuff. Yiling dinner date! LWJ can handle strict Lan sect punishments, hoards of puppets and fierce corpses but this situation? Not so much. He is so confused by this strange clingy child and the rabbling crowd and here comes his reason for being here in the first place knight in shining amour! (Ur right here anon, pure heart eyes).
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Do I put a Nightless City gif here? Do I put the cliff scene here? It’s the most LWJ’s facial muscles move in the entire show and yet I can’t bring myself to gif it. It’s pure agony. Definitely not any longing romantic looks or horniness here.
So moving swiftly on, jumping to ep 2 for the epically long eye contact moment aka when WangXian are reunited. LWJ. does. not. take. his. eyes. off. WWX. until. he. hears. Zidian. crackle. OMG.
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Anyway, after the Yin City arc and watching SL walking away with what remains of XXC’s spiritual cognition, LWJ is not holding back now. The amount of eye f***ing after this moment is frankly obscene. I’ll just leave some gifs of that.
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I kind of ran out of steam but you get my point. I guess you can boil the other moments down to the fact they love each other? But I don’t know why anyone would want to simplify things like that. I know I’ve missed a bunch of stuff but this is long enough as it is! My opinion about this will probably change too as I’m still fairly new to the fandom. You just accidentally unlocked an Easter Egg with your comment, as it’s what I’m currently nerding out over haha. I’ll shut up now.
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cypressey · 3 years
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Episode 8. After the perfection of episode 7 we’re moving on; Cloud Recesses summer school is over, and evil is afoot. This episode consists of a lot of set-up for future plot development, but I’d forgotten there were so many cool moments too. A lot of viewpoint shifts so we get to catch up on all our favorite characters!
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The episode opens with Wei Wuxian wandering around the empty halls of Cloud Recesses, and ending up talking to the adorable white rabbits we first saw in episode 6. Soundtrack here is Wangxian, with a slow and slightly melancholy piano version, that gives way to the Yunmeng siblings theme as Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli join him. I love this moment with the siblings teasing each other, and the way Jiang Cheng softens up when he gets to hold a rabbit.
A bit later, after the siblings have left, we are treated to a glimpse of Lan Wangji saying his farewells to the same rabbits.
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Wen Chao gets one of the first dramatic entrances in a long while, coming in to annoy threaten Lan Xichen. I’m counting this as a bad-ass entrance largely because of the Dire Owl, the full moon, and the sense of drama… but the best part is Lan Xichen all cold and polite and immovable.
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More Yunmeng siblings goodness ❤️ Jiang Yanli comes to say goodbye to Jiang Cheng, who’s heading off to look for Wei Wuxian and is clearly bracing for reproach. He lights up with Yanli’s expression of trust and caring and it’s just such a beautiful moment.
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Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are tracking the shards of Yin Iron and strolling through the market place in - I think - Tanzhou. Some interesting dynamics here as they get accosted by Nie Huaisang, to Wei Wuxian’s delight and Lan Wangji’s resigned annoyance. Lan Wangji is jealous of the easy camaraderie and closeness between Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang, in a bit of a call-back to that earlier scene (episode 7) where Wei Wuxian lied to protect the secret of Lan Yi’s cave.
Nie Huaisang is wary around Lan Wangji at first, but later shows himself to be an excellent judge of character as he expresses deep admiration of his gentlemanly qualities.
Meanwhile, Wen Qing is doing her best in a tricky situation.
Wen Chao resorts to the same tactics with her as with Lan Xichen, prying to find out any weaknesses in the other’s cool stance. With Wen Qing, he presses her to find out if she’s soft on Wei Wuxian or Lan Wangji, but then realizes the truth is simpler than that. She’s trying to protect her people, the subsidiary branch of Wen clan based around Dafan mountain. Of course, the asshole he is, he has to antagonize her needlessly instead of actually using that knowledge to his own ends.
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Wen Qing notices Jiang Cheng in the teahouse, and grasps the opportunity lightning-quick. Such a wonderful scene! Note the phrasing; the Wen clan of Qishan refers to the main clan, of course, not her DafanWen.
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She is amazing.
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Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang are closing in on Dafan mountain and we are introduced to grandma Wen. Some great costuming here, positioning her as part of the Wen clan with that soft rich red and the multiple layers of robes, but still with less flamboyance and more muted colors than the nobles of the cultivator clans.
Of course, it quickly becomes apparent that she’s not all there. Controlled by the Yin iron, I’m assuming. She leads the three cultivators to the Tiannu temple on top of the mountain as the evening is closing in, and the care-taker offers them the opportunity to sleep there. It’s all very ominous and disquieting.
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This scene was strange when I first saw this through. I mean, we are shown that We Wuxian smells a rat as grandma Wen brings them firewood, but it’s not all that clear how making a fire is linked to all that. Now on this rewatch, I wonder if she’s still acting under coercion, so as to lure in the puppets later with the yang energy of the bonfire?
Late at night, the Dancing Fairy comes to life as Wen Chao had destroyed the array that was sealing the statue. An awesome fighting scene ensues, with Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji being bad-ass as the foremost cultivators of their generation and Nie Huaisang as their foil or comic relief.
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I love this scene so much.
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There’s joy in the way they move together, Lan Wangji wielding Bichen and Wei Wuxian using talismans to great effect. While I imagine Lan Wangji is very used to night-hunts along with his brother, Wei Wuxian has had fewer chances to team up with someone at his level of cultivation, and it’s pretty cool to see them feel their way into meshing their fighting styles together.
Of course, then there are the puppets, as we end on a cliff-hanger for episode 9.
Things I love about this episode: Lots of Wen Qing! An amazing fighting scene. Some sweet Yunmeng sibling moments. That whole gratuitously beautiful bit with flower petals raining on Lan Wangji. Rabbits.
Number of bad-ass entrances: 1. I must admit that Wen Chao counts this time.
Number of roof-top, waterfall etc duels: 0.
Amazing battle couple scenes: 1. This will be a definite theme later on.
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silverstark · 3 years
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One of the character details I love about the Twin Jades is that Lan Xichen plays the Xiao while Lan Wangji plays the guqin. In the novel (idk about the drama), WWX explains that the guqin is the more powerful instrument. Which makes sense because, upon rewatch, I have noticed how ready LWJ is to throw down at all times.
Some beautiful nuisance of a boy at the walls? The only solution is fight. Wen Chao barges in during the ceremony? Subtly plea for Xiongzhang to let him give Wen Chao a practical demonstration since he isn’t interested in lectures.
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(LXC shakes his beautiful regal head and the next time we see LWJ, he’s glaring at Wen Chao so hard that he’s leaning forward a bit despite himself.)
He wants to fight the lake monster so bad, he sends Bichen into the water. He starts pulling his sword out to fight the Dire-Owl and only stops because LXC tells him to. He fights all of the Wen invaders at once with his guqin (what an icon), etc etc.
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