#you already know he was looking at Zhou Zishu

[mtkay13]

And yet.... another..... Face reveal illustration.

And of course, another long post, LOL.

More thoughts on the passage below!

This illustration is born from a hyperfocus of mine on this sentence:

Ah-Xu... [...] Did... did I tell you that I like men?"

他忽然发现，其实对方一辈子都不将那易容卸下来，在自己心里，也从来就应该是这样一副模样，如今看到他长得竟如自己想象中的感觉别无二致，就像是……已经认识了他很久很久一样。 [Wen Kexing] suddenly realized that, should [Zhou Zishu] have kept the mask on forever, this was the face he'd have pictured in his heart. Now, seeing this face that exactly matched the one he had pictured, it simply felt like.... meeting again with someone he'd known for a very, very long time.

This, to me, feels like the comforting familiarity of knowing, of understanding a friend, feeling at ease despite the years, the distance; the feeling of meeting a friend IRL for the first time despite knowing them for years, and yet everything clicks--

To me, the beauty in this passage is in how the mask... never really did anything, change anything. Wen Kexing became friends with the person behind the mask, felt this deep connection for this man regardless of what he could look like, and seeing him, now, his face revealed, is that comfort of, yes--I recognize you. It's you.

What I really enjoy in TYK is Wenzhou's companionship, the way they understand each other so profoundly, and their friendship. The fact that they liked each other as people first, that they connected so well despite the odds. This connection between them makes a lot of the feelings mutual, and I feel like this sentence above, part of it is felt by Zhou Zishu as well; and removing his mask, although it is for practical reasons within the context of the story, showing his face to Wen Kexing is a way to affirm trust, both ways. I trust you with my own face, but you can also trust me--because I show you, I welcome you in. This passage... almost feels like a greeting. "Hello again, friend." except they've been tagging along for a while, now.

I used to wonder if Zhou Zishu was nervous about Wen Kexing seeing his face, as I do think he's a bit self-conscious about his frail body and struggles to understand Wen Kexing's big declaration of attraction to him--sort of like, "will he still like me, what will he think of my face?". I don't really stand by that anymore, because my understanding of ZZS has changed since then. It really feels more like, it's fine, we know each other, we're friends anyway now whether I like it or not. I wonder, is he a bit happy that he gets to greet WKX with his real face? He mentions having counted on keeping his mask until he dies, but... ? It's pretty obvious that at this point in the story, ZZS is already deeply fond of WKX, so I can't help but feel like he is happy, deep down, that he gets to make that connection.

For WKX, it must be comforting, but also quite bittersweet. His appreciation, his growing love for ZZS, only comforted by this familiarity, this acknowledgement of companionship, of ease together, while he is so deeply aware that ZZS is condemned... I feel like at this moment, he must want to hug him, to keep him close, and think, I wish I could have him longer, I wish he could stay; for he's the only friend he's ever had, for he never connected with someone like that before.

Now to adress the elephant in the room and jump onto the next topic, I keep saying "friend", "companion". Needless to say that I am well aware that wenzhou have a romantic+ bond, but I just feel like this part highlights this aspect of their relationship that I profoundly cherish. And thus we reach WKX's very famous line:

It's hilarious, perfectly timed, but I especially love how I feel like, rather than highlighting how gorgeous or attractive ZZS could be, this is yet another way for WKX to lighten his own mood, to detach himself from the deeper feelings, the longing, the fondess, the comfort--given how untimely this all is. It hurts, to feel attached to ZZS as a person, because he's going to die soon, while joking about fucking and being gay always works, and it has the benefit to make ZZS flustered.

So yeah, point is, I'm obsessed with that scene.

Also, obligatory reference to the past versions, which I noticed make sort of a nice movement? haha.

I'm not really standing by the first one anymore, but it works in that context!

#wenzhou #tian ya ke #zhou zishu #tyk #wen kexing #wkx #zzs #meta

[queerbrainrot]

A Very Subjective Show Recommendation

Basic Info:

Titles: Word of Honor

Main Leads: Zhang Zhe Han as Zhou Zi Shu and Gong Jun as Wen Ke Xing

Overall Tropes etc.: Morally Grey/Black Main Leads | Soulmates | Revenge Story | Childhood Friends to Lovers | Hidden Identity | WantedCriminal4WantedCriminal | Feral4Feral | Ride or Die | "I'm dying" vs "I won't let you" | Amnesia | Fake Identity | Found Family | Criminals adopting an orphan and being better parents | Villain(?) Fuckery | Non Traditional Husband-Wife dynamics | Playing House As Everyone Tries to Kill Them | "I WILL DIE FOR YOU" "no, I WILL DIE FOR YOU" | Villain Redemption Questionmark

How many episodes: 36

Trigger Warnings / Content Warnings: Non-graphic non-traditional self-harm, child abuse, child death, death of family members, death of loved ones, drugging, alcohol, torture, forced suicide via poison, non-graphic non-traditional suicide attempt, violence, brainwashing, hints of incest (between cousins), sexual harassment (background character perpetrator @ background characters, secondary femme character - perpetrator gets killed)

My plot description:

Zhou Zishu who is a former Wuxia-CIA leader gets so mentally unwell that he decides to leave his organization through a prolonged suicide to get at least few years of 'normal' life. He pretends to be a homeless alcoholic-beggar when a too pretty poetry-speaking Wen Kexing who sees Zishu's shoulder blades and decides 'that's my future husband'. Since that moment onward he stalks Zishu because yes he's that unwell. Zishu stumbled on a massacre and accidentally adopts an orphan in the process. The orphan has some very sought-after artefact so Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing try to keep him alive as the not-so metaphorical ghosts from their pasts try to kill them all.

MyDramaList plot description:

In order to leave the assassin organization The Window of Heaven, the leader Zhou Zi Shu performs an obligatory departure technique, leaving him with three years left to live. He disguises his face and tries to live the remainder of his days as a drunkard wandering the martial arts world. Three months later, he meets the mysterious Wen Ke Xing, who immediately notices Zhou Zi Shu’s façade. The two then grow closer when they get entangled in a conspiracy regarding the Glazed Armor, a protected legendary key to a powerful armory.

SCORING:

Chemistry between characters: Off the charts, convinced this show and the amount of the not subtle queerness in it is the reason why China did a temporary ban on queer romance adaptations. 1000000/10. Gong Jun made 'did you know i like men' into a facial expression.

Plot: 8.5/10, yes we have the artefact and armory thing but honestly the relationship of the leads and their relationships with others take the main chair. Overall though I liked the plot.

Ending: Cried. From two reasons. 10/10.

Did it drag aka did I feel the need to skip forward: Never, I rewatched it in full like 5 times by now I think. 10/10.

Was it easy to understand while going in blind: Honestly? Yes. It's more character driven than plot driven. 10/10.

Other characters: Honestly, loved everyone on screen. Obviously the villains were hate-able, but played well. Loved all of the supportive characters - especially Wen Kexing's and Zhou Zishu's little found family - so it was nice to watch even when main leads weren't on screen for X time. 10/10.

Other Big Pros:

Wen Kexing's costumes. His make up and wardrobe. Whoever was responsible - I hope your pillow is cool and you may never stub your toe. Chefs kiss.

Gu Xiang and her himbo husband - all they needed was her walking him on a literal leash along with the metaphorical they already have.

Zishu's wigs look amazing. Just wanted to say.

Everyone is so pretty I'm experiencing bisexual rage.

STRONG!!! WOMEN!! WHO ROCK!!! SHIT!!!! UPPPPPP!!!

Thoughts/Opinions with some spoilers:

I know this show gave a heart attack to few censors at least. I have no idea how they got away with so much - ZZS and WKX calling each other sOULMATES? Overall cannot recommend it enough. It's easily digestible, engaging and will have you crying, squeeing and fanning yourself. Sometimes all at the same time.

#qbr show recommendations #word of honor #cdrama #chinese drama #bl series #censored queer romance #show recommendations #wenzhou #wen kexing #zhou zishu #faraway wanderers #queer shows #queer romance adaptation #censored cdrama

[misanthropiczombie]

Word of Honor Liveblogging pt 3

OKAY PART THREE

Episodes 1-16 ⪻⨀⪼ Episodes 17-26

I realized I need to stub out everything if I actually want to make these directional and a new reblog for each episode. ITS FINE.

Anyways, onto Episode 27 and through the last episodes of the series. I'm so goddamned obsessed already.

dramatic xiao playing again. He doesnt eat his emotions, he plays the xiao.

Ye bai ye? oh its both of them lmao

and there's the drop but he really dont look that surprised

BECAUSE HES SMART AND IF WKX HAD JSUT TOLD HIM IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE

The fight WKX has been ITCHING for

YE BAIYE so stronk

Man i know im like a fucked up little gremlin, but Wen Kexing looks real nice with some bruises lmao

wkx's devastated look is making a lot of appearances and A) its so good like acting wise B) it's SO GOOD emotional wise

~sword glare~

Anyways I just want to say one of my least favorite things in cdramas thusfar is the plot armor/plot nerf. wkx and zzs both down from one singular blow? for a guy they've fought a few times? ((the wens eradicating all of lotus pier with ZERO casualties on their side?? im still salty)) anyways they definitely could have lasted longer.

ZZS going for the 'i'm not mad, i'm disappointed" route. Fatherhood has agreed with him

EHEHEEEEEEEEEEEEHEHHDF me, hyperventallating into a bag: HE HELD HiS FACEa;lsdkfj no notes your honor

helpless child act lmao i love them i love them brat4brat i love this zhou zishu

she is trying so hard to keep it together just TELL HIM

good for him for sticking up for her.

Nut Bar

br u h is he in the bath. surely they have restored the manor enough for some more individualized rooms. there used to be 81 of his generation

DAMN ZZS "im not good at lying like you"

listen STAB HIM Zhao Jing fucking sucks and you deserve so much better.

KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM i believe in you so hard kill HIM

ope we have vocalized lyrics, something Important is going to happen. MAYBE HER SECRET WILL BE OUT THERE CHRIST

lmao wkx getting chengling (presumably) drunk what a fucking gremlin. ZZS just letting him

gremlin wkx and zzs is doing that dramatic sigh like he hates it except he absolutely does not

#word of honor #live bloggin #tian ya ke #Episode 27

[specialability]

Last night I couldn't fall asleep so I wrote an 800 word essay about TYK as a meta-narrative. Voilà.

"I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way." – Jessica Rabbit, Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

One of the things I think many fans of Tian Ya Ke like about it is that, unlike the tv drama, it is something of a satire or deconstruction of the wuxia genre. If you are familiar with the usual wuxia tropes (of which I am by no means an expert) it becomes clear how Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu are merely side-characters in what normally would be Zhang Chengling's Hero's Journey. Wen Kexing should, as the mastermind of the plot that killed Zhang Chengling's family, be the manipulative and enigmatic final boss. Zhou Zishu should be the scruffy old retired martial arts master who reluctantly takes the young hero under his wing – and then conveniently dies in order to encourage the hero to come of age. Instead of following this usual track, we are shown the scandalous underbelly of the conventional wuxia narrative – which I think Priest really digs into with Tai Sui (so go read it!!!).

As a result, TYK often reads like really good fanfiction of a novel that doesn't exist. You know the type, some author's 150k magnum opus on two side-characters that in canon have barely any depth and the fanfic author goes on to add so much new characterization and world-building that it feels like an entirely different work. The kind of fanfic that makes the source material look lacking by comparison.

But it was reading lianzi's translated chapter 15 that made me look at the narrative from a different perspective as a post-modernist piece. If you've read Hamlet you're familiar with the idea of a play within a play. But then there is another play, Rozencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, which is Hamlet from the perspective of two minor side-characters mostly taking place "off-stage". And that's really what TYK reminds me of. You know those two old muppets who sit in theatre box seats and always make snide remarks about whatever the other muppets are doing? That's where Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu are situated.

In this Chapter 15 scene they are quite literally seated on the balcony watching Cao Weining fail to pay his dinner bill while making commentary and bickering. Zhou Zishu inserts himself into the narrative by paying Cao Weining's bill, and when Cao Weining comes up to the balcony to introduce himself Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu intentionally start acting like heroic figures from fiction. As I imagine it: the camera was originally only on Cao Weining, but then the camera pans up to see the pair on the balcony and then the camera follows Cao Weining up to the balcony bringing the narrative with it. Once the camera arrives on the balcony Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu are effectively "on stage" now and have to act the part.

Thinking about this scene reminded me of many other scenes where Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu are simply standing to the side and watching the action. Two obvious examples are outside the Scorpion's brothel and Liu Qingqiao's death, but there are also other smaller scenes where Zhou Zishu alone intentionally removes himself from the frame, like when Wen Kexing and Ye Baiyi fight. I imagine the stage where the spotlight is on Liu Qingqiao as she struggles to fight for her life, while Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing are in the wings, covered by darkness, whispering to each other. They don't quite have the powers of breaking the fourth wall and become fully self- or genre-aware, but they definitely have a cynical insiders perspective on the wuxia story they have become a part of. The themes of acting and wearing masks is a common one in the whole novel, especially the differences between how people are in public vs in private. But all of this gives the novel a voyeuristic tone at times.

Zhou Zishu already chose to leave the stage of the capital city, and although he got sucked into Zhang Chengling's story he could disappear from this new stage at any moment. Wen Kexing more actively plays his role up until the bitter end. In the end, Wen Kexing is supposed to reveal his True Identity and be killed by Zhang Chengling, allowing both of them to fulfill revenge for their families. This is the ending that Wen Kexing imagined for himself, and that's the part he knew he was playing. That's why it's so touching when he asks Zhou Zishu if it's okay that he survives. If it's okay that he selfishly violates the rules of the narrative.

Then they choose to leave the stage completely. Once off the stage (in the Extras) they can act like whoever they want. The only way to live freely is to quit the main story. And acting like a good person is pretty much as close as you can get to being a good person, regardless of how your character was written.

#misc #tyk #ruth reads light novels #tyk meta #tian ya ke #further opinions / criticisms / discussion welcome #somebody could definitely write a much longer academic essay on this theme

[sirenofthegreenbanks]

the "han ying shows up and kills himself out of love" storyline has started and i have thoughts

or: me ping-ponging the entire situation around in my head and examining it from every angle

(putting it under the cut, its gotten long!!! i have Feelings about this aa!!)

everytime han ying and zhou zishu chat i wonder if things could be easier if zhou zishu were a bit more candid about what he means. i mean he very clearly and undeniably tells han ying oftentimes that his life is precious and he should not waste it on zhou zishu. so clearly han ying underestimating what he means to zhou zishu, what value he has at all as a person, is not because zhou zishu didnt do his utmost to communicate it to him.

but im pretty certain that f.e. if zhou zishu would explain why han ying's hunt for the glazed armour specifically is such a stupid thing to do, han ying would probably understand him better and maybe do something else, something that doesnt cost his own life. then again, zhou zishu rejecting the glazed armour is a big part of him not wanting to live, as he doesnt actually know yet, at the time they last see each other, why betting on the mysterious ying-yang book is a bad idea; he only learns that later from long que and doesnt see han ying anymore until he shows up covered in blood. there is simply no way to tell han ying about what a bad idea it is until its too late.

but there is another reason why zhou zishu is rejecting the armoury's mysterious treasures, and that has to do with his worldliness and his experience with such things. nothing is ever as good as it sounds. in word of honor, such magical artifacts and secret techniques won''t solve the true problem, and zhou zishu knows that. he is (understandably) wary, which is later then confirmed to be a good idea. he could have told han ying that a bit more clearly, and as han ying's former superior and the one who taught him everything, han ying might have taken him seriously.

i do wonder if han ying is already aware of what a bad idea it actually is. han ying has served powerful man all his life and was carefully groomed to die in their service, so his worldliness and experience is a bit hazy. its difficult to say what his own thoughts are regarding the matter, we dont see enough of him to know that. its hard to say whether he would have betted everything he has on the glazed armour just to save zhou zishu, if the person in question were anyone else. he seems to lose his brains whenever zhou zishu is involved lmao. in his scenes we see han ying always in a role of service, never his own person, so its hard to say. judging by his attitude, he is either fully convinced the glazed armour truly is the key of all keys (heh!) or he is truly that desperate.

whatever it is, han ying can tell that zhou zishu doesnt want to live. between all the uncertainties, that is the single sure thing. he can tell that zhou zishu would have said no, no matter what. zhou zishu's relationship with wanting to live and choosing to die is very complicated, he hasn't truly figured out himself yet what he wants for most of the show. han ying meets him only in these uneasy moments, so he naturally only knows zhou zishu in a perpetuate state of depression and uncertainty. a zhou zishu who denies his own worth and value to other people, people like han ying.

maybe han ying wanting to save zhou zishu has a big part to do with han ying trying to prove to zhou zishu how important zhou zishu is to him. he's saying, "look! i would do everything for you not to die, can't you see how much i treasure you? can't you tell how worthy and loved you are?" this is especially impactful because han ying only knows zhou zishu in his worst moments. he has never seen zhou zishu the sect leader or zhou zishu the filial eldest disciple. he only knows zhou zishu from tian chuang, leader of assassins and spymaster. and he still loves and adores him.

and yes, a big part of that is likely filial piety. but it is also zhou zishu himself. and maybe zhou only sees the former, and has a difficult time acknowledging and believing the latter. and maybe thats why han ying is so desperate and would do anything to show him.

so maybe it wouldnt have changed anything after all, if zhou zishu had been a bit more candid, considering that zhou zishu's desire to die is so big it would have blotted out everything else, be it pragmatism or reason. and han ying seems to desperately want to save zhou zishu at all costs, even from himself. han ying still might have chosen the path he walks and that leads him to his death, and zhou zishu might have still ended up with one wen kexing intending to save han ying at the expense of himself, and one dead han ying.

but what always sticks out to me is that zhou zishu can not fully open himself to han ying; he is still entangled in that role of being han ying's superior whom han ying is very filial to, whom he adores. he is trying to lead his own life, but han ying (and the way zhou zishu has left tian chuang behind) make it very hard for him.

im pretty sure this could be solved if zhou zishu were more candid and would treat han ying like just any other person, someone he can meet on eye level. but that might be hard for him, because han ying's adoration is so heavy, zhou zishu, who always believes he is not worthy of such faith anymore, is so uncomfortable with it he would rather han ying fucks off. he also wants han ying to lead his own life, and he views han ying adoring zhou zishu still as han ying binding his own fate to a sinking ship. to zhou zishu, han ying's continued loyalty must be like another sign of zhou zishu's faliure; he cant even save han ying from this.

this is especially notable when you contrast zhou zishu's relationship with han ying with how zhou zishu is with wen kexing. these two are equals, and for better or worse, wen kexing has been witness to zhou zishu's journey. he knows everything there is. zhou zishu doesnt have to be candid, wen kexing understands and sees him. but they still talk openly, they show each other their worst, and then they make up about it. they go through it.

zhou zishu doesnt allow han ying to go through it with him, he mistakenly believes he is holding han ying back. he thinks, the more he sends him away, and the less he allows this loyalty and connection to grow, the better it is for han ying. so han ying runs after him, and zhou zishu keeps all the important words hidden. and maybe those important words wouldnt have changed things at all, or might have made it even worse. its truly hard to say.

honestly, han ying dying feels a lot like it couldnt have been avoided no matter what. i like to imagine that things get easier when you communicate better and allow others to through it with you, but in this case, han ying's and zhou zishu's roles seem to make it impossible for them to ever reach the kind of honesty zhou zishu cultivates with wen kexing. there is just too much zhou zishu hasnt fully confronted yet, too much pain and too much guilt. and han ying is never truly arround, for them to really see each other where they are.

#this is part of my reblog chain from my rewatch liveblogging!! #reposting it because i really like my thoughts i think they deserve their own post #han ying #zhou zishu #glazed armor #word of honor #meta #attention: does not contain a handwenzhou/hanzhou examination angle! sorry

[fourseasonsfigs]

Building Block Figs - Two Devils

Following up on the last few days of building block fig posts, this is the last kit that I have to post about. I have three more incoming, but they won't arrive for at least a month, if that.

I actually started on these figs a while ago - they were the second set I started to make, after my first kit of Beautiful Fight Scene in the Middle of the Lake. That one was so involved that I figured I'd relax a little on an easy set before tackling the next scene.

Ahahaha. Little did I know.

First, I had such a big problem with this set that I originally wasn't sure I was going to buy it. The full, long name of this set is: Ghost Valley Valley Master and Tianchuang Leader. Great, love it, right? Always a fan. Except, this was the picture:

Right, you see the problem. Valley Master Wen is all dressed in his Episode 1 red finery, but our Tianchuang Leader definitely is not dressed in his midnight-hued civil servant assassin best. Why on earth would Zhou Zishu be in white? This is not "Rescue from Tianchuang Jail" A-Xu (although I kinda wish it was, that would be great).

Also, less egregious but still not great is the fact that Zhou Zishu's hair is Jianghu-styled half down, and that Baiyi has a cross-guard. This whole fig is just not working for me!

But, as you can tell (and as you would already have suspected anyway), I bought it, and just planned somehow to figure out a solution to change up the entire fig.

Somehow. I had no actual idea how to do it, but I felt confident I would somehow figure it out. So confident, that I even went ahead and put together Valley Master Wen first.

He, at least, was not going to require changing. The only thing I'd change up with him is to give him a gold guan instead of his hairpin, but I used up all my extra yellow bricks on the Catching Light fig, so I was out of luck. That's alright, I don't mind this one so much. The Valley Master would wear his hairpin at times, that makes sense.

Oh, I should say, in comparison to the other building block sets, these two together totaled 856 bricks - 424 for Wen Kexing and 432 for Zhou Zishu. The figs stand 4.4 x 5.2 x 10.2 cm and 5.2 x 5.6 x 10.2 cm respectively, and each one is rated 2 hours to complete. Like all of these kits, the time to complete is pretty right on, if you follow the directions.

The two figures came together in a set. I wouldn't have minded if they split up the two figures in two different bags, but nope, they're all mingled in there together!

Here's a sample progress pic:

This one wasn't too bad - it's always a little harder for the ones that are mostly one color, since it makes it easy to miscount as the colors all blend together. But, I didn't make any mistakes and it went pretty smoothly.

I finished the body and moved on to the face. They have you do the fig in pieces, and then put it all together at the end. You can tell the passage of time from the quality of the light in these photos, but I pretty much finished this one over the course of a day and an evening.

I had to laugh as I saw his red cheeks/eyeliner. Very cute!

And here he is! Photographed at a rakish angle, as well. He looks great!

While I was at it, I decided to click through the directions for Zhou Zishu, and see if I could figure out any ideas in advance of working on the fig. By this time, even one (and a half) sets in, I could see that they had provided lots of extra bricks, so the idea that was starting to half-bake in my head was that I would have enough bricks at the very end of all my kits to do something instead of the white.

While clicking though, I realized that I could skip the body part and do the head, which would help use up some of the necessary bricks. So the head it was! That way, I would really only have leftover bricks at the end.

That I got done very quickly. It wasn't bad at all! And, the best thing was that this head didn't have any long hair attached to it. So, I could just ignore the long hair when building the body, and use the head as is. Things were looking up!

I mean, Valley Master Wen looks horrified, but don't worry Lao Wen, he'll get better.

I set aside these two, and went on to the rest of the sets.

That brings us to this morning. I woke up, pulled out my SHL reference book, sat down with all the brick remainders, and figured out, I think, a pretty good plan of attack.

Technically, all his clothes are midnight shades of blue and wine, but those are not colors I had available, sadly.

I had a lot of black bricks left over since I wasn't doing the half-long hairstyle, and plus extras from the other sets. That being said, there wasn't a ton of the smaller sized bricks in black. Also, I didn't really want a fig that was black on black on black, and technically his robes are that deep midnight blue anyway. The biggest problem with that was that I didn't have enough of the darkest blue bricks. Or really any of the blue bricks, and of course going lighter would get us right back to a non-canon compliant fig. So, I decided to try and do his cloak and body with as much of the black bricks as possible, and try to use the blue ones as judiciously as I could, in the hopes of stretching them far enough.

I'm a little annoyed at myself I didn't take a pic of all the remaining bricks left so you could see what I was working with, but at least here you can see the start of the fig and the remaining black bricks left. You can also see where I started off making the interior white, to try and use as few black or blue bricks as possible. My plan was to make the cloak as enveloping as possible in order to use the least number of blue pieces.

You can see here how very few blue pieces there are left, and how far I have to go. You can also see here how I started changing up Baiyi, to make the hilt dark grey vs. the neon orange.

I will note at this point I was about two hours in on the body, which sounds ridiculous, but let me assure you, it gets worse. I stopped here for lunch, and then came back ready to finish this up.

Unfortunately for me, though, this is where I started to get into real trouble. I was changing up the sword, the top hand position (inadvertently, since I got rid of the cross-guard), I was trying to make the cape wrap around the front robes, ignore the directions for the long hair in the back and therefore revise the back (which is half hair). And I had no idea what I was doing with any of it, other than to desperately stretch out my remaining dark blue pieces. For each blue piece I did use, I was trying to figure out if I'd be better off using a bigger piece, or multiple smaller pieces, or if I might need those exact configurations later.

Basically, I was doing way too much off script, and didn't have the skills to back it up. The directions at this point were almost useless.

You can see how the step I was theoretically on looked nothing like the fig I was trying to make!

I must have reworked this piece here three different times. It doesn't help that the arms are asymmetrical, which only complicated something that I really didn't need to be any more complicated.

The biggest problem, of course, was that I was just way out of my depth, and kept making mistakes that I would have to go back and fix. And unfortunately, I have extremely poor visual short term memory, so when I disconnected a piece to fix a mistake or replace a brick, I couldn't remember how to reconnect it. And since I was so far off book with the instructions, I couldn't use that to help. I just had to figure it out new each time.

It was pretty rough going, I'm not going to lie.

Somewhere in this I ditched the two-brick configuration for Baiyi and made it into the slimmest, whippiest, greyest version I could.

At this point, those were all the blue bricks remaining, and I was critically short just a few pieces. So, I went to the lake raft set from Beautiful Fight Scene in the Middle of the Lake, which I'm going to re-work next to make the raft brown vs. blue and green. I pillaged a few dark blue bricks from the raft in advance of.

Finally, after three (more) hours, I was done! I couldn't almost believe it. Very happily, I started to take some pics.

And that's when I noticed that Zhou Zishu was actually taller than Wen Kexing. I was like, wait a minute. How is this possible?

It was possible.

At this point, I was really, really tempted to just say, you know what, it's good enough. Clean up the bricks and move on with life. But the bricks were still out, and I just couldn't let it go. After all this time, working so hard? No way.

I figured here the easy way out was to extend Wen Kexing's legs. Gong Jun is all legs anyway, so it would work.

I didn't take any pictures of this, because at this point I was losing the will to live, but basically not only did I extend his legs, I ended up extending the train of his robes just a little bit. Just to make it a little more like the show! I had plenty of red bricks, so this was actually fairly straightforward.

So NOW it was done. Unlike this extremely long blog post. Picture time it was!

You can see he's quite a bit taller now.

Don't judge my fig-designing skills too harshly, please! I was struggling. Desperately.

This is actually the first time I am really looking at them since I finished, so I'm curious about this too.

Oops, I see in my fugue state I knocked a little tendril of the Valley Master's hair off kilter. I'll have to fix that.

Ah ha, I did fix it! I have to say I really love how we have Wen Kexing's hand behind his back here - love this modelling. This is a good angle to see the train here - I just added that last two rows, nothing special.

Hmm, I guess I should have done a straight box down at the back for Zhou Zishu's cape, vs. trying to shape the shoulders and arms from where he's holding the sword. There isn't a ton of black bricks left, but I might go back and see if I can streamline it some.

Ok, this doesn't look too bad from this angle. I could have curved his bottom back part of his hair a bit more, but I suppose it can be the braid in back.

Well, Baiyi looks good!

Finally, I remembered to take a good bottoms-up pic for these building brick figs!

And the top here. Oh, I forgot to mention I had changed up Zhou Zishu's hair tie too - it was originally light grey and light blue, but I made it light and dark grey.

Alright, I'm at 30 pics, so there we have it. Clearly not the best, and there's still clean up work to be done, but I'm pretty happy how he turned out, considering everything. At least he's not wearing white robes.

In conclusion, I will not be giving up my day job for a brick designer job, that's for sure.

Well! Thanks for tagging along with me through brick festivities! I am looking forward to the next sets coming - they look wonderful. And best of all, I don't think I'll have to change a single thing on them!

Material: Plastic bricks

Fig Count: 508

Scene Count: 35

Rating: 8 hours of build time

[link to the Master Post Index]

#word of honor #shan he ling #wenzhou #wen kexing #zhou zishu #word of honor merch #figthusiast #happy new year's eve!

[animanganerd]

Everything Annoys Me And I’m (Too) Hot - Chapter 39

The Untamed / Mo Dao Zu Shi Fanfic

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47881336/chapters/139746448

All chapters: here x

Chapter 39 ❖ Promises

As soon as Lan Wangji and Zhou Zishu were gone, Lan Xiaoli breathed a small sigh of relief.

At the same time, he was incredibly conflicted. His eyes wandered back to Mu Chun, who quickly repeated, “You know I had to do it. They would’ve killed me.” His voice was as pleading as the expression on his face.

Lan Xiaoli crossed his arms and wordlessly shook his head. “How long have you been with us? Do you really believe they would have killed you just like that?”

“Since they know what I’ve done, yes. I do believe they would.”

“They do not know.”

Mu Chun frowned at Lan Xiaoli with a questioning expression.

“They do not know about Lu Yunli.”

“You didn’t tell them?”

Lan Xiaoli lowered his gaze and shook his head once more. “I did not.”

Mu Chun remained quiet. Lan Xiaoli couldn’t bear to look up, lightly scraping the ground with his boot. “Will they be fine?”

“I wouldn’t have done it if it was dangerous.”

Lan Xiaoli nodded. His arms were still crossed and he slightly turned his head sideways. He gnawed on his lip as he tried to sort out his once again jumbled feelings. Mu Chun waited patiently for him to speak.

The silence stretched on for a moment, until Lan Xiaoli finally decided to listen to his heart and just be honest.

“You know… on our way to Linguang I reflected a little more on this–,” he closed his eyes and briefly shook his head before correcting himself, “On us. All of it. To be honest, I do not even know where to begin.”

A bitter laugh erupted from his throat. “First of all, I am incredibly hurt by the lack of faith in me. If your past actions are in any way justifiable, you should have come forward in the first place to prevent the horrid surprise I was in for.”

“I–”

“I must confess my reaction may have been a little harsh, but now that you got my dads involved, you know I cannot possibly condone your actions.”

“A-Li–”

“The problem, however, is, that I am already way too deeply involved and simply cannot stop caring about you, even if I wanted to.” He finally met Mu Chun’s gaze again. “I want to be with you. I cannot imagine living without you. So I made up my mind. I am willing to trust you, but whatever this is,” he gestured at the room, “it has to stop. The choice is yours. You can continue to do your thing or you can be with me. But you cannot have both.”

After he’d said his piece, Lan Xiaoli turned on his heel and walked away. He did his best to appear calm and collected, but his heart was racing and his knees were shaking. It felt like he was running away from Mu Chun, and in a way, he was. Deep down, he was incredibly scared of Mu Chun’s answer. Scared it wouldn’t be what he hoped it to be.

Lan Xiaoli had barely reached the top of the stairs, when he was suddenly yanked around.

Mu Chun had rushed out and grabbed him by the wrist to pull him to a stop. Panting, he declared, “It’s you! It’ll always be you!”

Lan Xiaoli’s eyes widened, too stunned to speak.

Once Mu Chun’s breathing had evened out, he repeated. “Whether or not you’ll still have me, my answer is you. I choose you. I swear, I’ll burn this place down.”

Lan Xiaoli couldn’t help but snort a laugh. “Again?”

“Huh?”

“We’re literally standing on the ashes of my family.”

Only then did Mu Chun realise how inappropriate his declaration had been. “Oh, haha… sorry.”

Lan Xiaoli chuckled softly. “It is fine. There is no need for such drastic measures.” He paused. “But your response was rather impulsive, maybe you should give it more thought.”

“I don’t have to. I promise I’ll stop,” Mu Chun insisted.

Lan Xiaoli only mustered a wistful smile. “You have broken your promise before. How can I be sure you will keep it this time?”

Mu Chun furrowed his brow. He seemed heartbroken, almost desperate, but refused to release his grip on Lan Xiaoli.

Then, he suddenly raised two fingers and drew a talisman in the air. Closing his eyes, he pointed the same two fingers against his own chest, followed by a brief flash of light, which forced Lan Xiaoli to shield his own eyes.

Once the light had faded, Mu Chun opened his eyes again and looked straight into Lan Xiaoli’s as he undid his own robes.

“W… What…?”

But Mu Chun did not reply. Instead, he ripped open his lapels to reveal his bare chest. Lan Xiaoli’s eyes widened.

On the spot right above Mu Chun’s heart was a mark.

Intrigued, Lan Xiaoli stepped closer and gently ran his fingers over the mark. “What is this?”

“A symbol of pledge.”

Lan Xiaoli’s eyes widened. “...Pledge to what?”

“No more killing.”

“What happens if you break your vow?” Lan Xiaoli asked, his voice tinged with concern.

“I die,” Mu Chun replied flatly.

Lan Xiaoli slapped Mu Chun’s chest. “What did you do that for?!”

“To make you believe me.”

The mark slowly started to fade. A symbol of pledge… 

A symbol of pledge was a big deal. It was a promise-binding spell, which tied your promise straight to your heart. The mark would only become visible if you were about to break your vow, glowing as a warning.

Lan Xiaoli was utterly flabbergasted. He’d just said there was no need for drastic measures!

Desperate, he dug his finger into Mu Chun’s chest to cling to the fading mark. He held onto the naive hope that it could be reversed while it was still fresh.

“Undo it!!”

Mu Chun placed his hand over Lan Xiaoli’s. “I can’t,” he whispered with a gentle smile.

A wave of panic washed over Lan Xiaoli. “What if you kill someone unintentionally??”

Mu Chun raised an eyebrow. “...How would that happen?”

“I don’t know! Self-defence or accident?”

Lan Xiaoli thought back to the time Mu Chun had thrown a man to the ground so hard that his skull had cracked. That surely hadn’t been on purpose!

Mu Chun pondered about it for a moment.

“Ah, let me check the rule book real quick,” he said as he pretended to pick up an invisible book. Then he showed his empty hands. “Oh, it doesn’t exist! I don’t know, okay? Guess we’ll find out.” 

Seeing Lan Xiaoli lose his composure showed Mu Chun that all hope wasn’t lost. This had been the right decision. He couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t worry, it’s living humans only. It won’t affect me if I step on a bug.”

Lan Xiaoli groaned. “That is not what I mean…”

Mu Chun’s tender smile was short-lived. His expression turned earnest again in a heartbeat.

Lan Xiaoli’s eyes were fixed on the mark on his chest which had now completely disappeared. To get his attention, Mu Chun put his free hand under Lan Xiaoli’s chin to lift his head.

“A-Li, my promise to you means more to me than my life.”

Lan Xiaoli met Mu Chun’s gaze with glazed eyes. He opened his mouth, yet all the admonishing, nagging and reproaching words – everything he wanted to say – were stuck in his throat.

He chewed on his bottom lip until he was able to ask the most important question. “No more killing?”

Mu Chun nodded. “No more killing.”

At this reassurance, it felt like a knot in Lan Xiaoli’s stomach had been untied, and a sense of relief spread through his entire body. A familiar warmth filled his heart and a smile bloomed on his face.

Not knowing what to say, his body reacted instead. Whether it was impulse or urge – Lan Xiaoli wasn’t sure himself – he grabbed Mu Chun by the lapels and pulled him into a kiss.

Mu Chun’s eyes widened, but he did not object. Afraid Lan Xiaoli might break away any second, he cupped Lan Xiaoli’s cheek with one hand, and placed his other hand on Lan Xiaoli’s lower back to press their bodies closer together.

⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩

The sky had already darkened by the time the pair walked away from Mu Chun’s secret den.

When they finally parted lips after a long, long time, they’d come to the consensus that being near a room full of corpses wasn’t exactly the most romantic atmosphere.

The further they moved away from the memorial, the greener the area became. And the further away from that horrid statue, the better, Lan Xiaoli thought.

They found a nice green spot, far away from the memorial, but not too close to the town, so the two of them could still enjoy some privacy.

Side by side, Lan Xiaoli and Mu Chun lay on the grass, gazing up at the night sky. The stars twinkled above, seeming to dance in celebration of their reconciliation.

Lan Xiaoli used Mu Chun’s chest as a pillow, while Mu Chun gently traced his fingers along Lan Xiaoli’s arm.

“Have you thought any further about your revenge?” Mu Chun asked.

Lan Xiaoli was surprised by this sudden question. Of course he had thought about it. He had thought about it so many times that his thirst for revenge had already permeated into his dreams.

All his ‘ideas’ involved a great deal of violence and were incredibly gory, so there was no use to mention them.

“Always. Why? Is this about your mysterious plan again?”

Mu Chun chuckled. “It is.”

Lan Xiaoli rolled onto his stomach to face Mu Chun, all ears.

“First, you must promise not to try to kill him,” Mu Chun said.

Lan Xiaoli narrowed his eyes.

“Trust me,” Mu Chun continued, “You won’t feel relieved or satisfied in any way. He’ll just be… gone.”

That again…

Lan Xiaoli was about to roll his eyes at Mu Chun’s weak attempt at persuasion, but then the words no more killing reverberated in his head.

Rules were rules; that applied to him as well. He sighed, ready to give it a chance. “Fine, I will try. What is your plan?”

“Promise me.”

Lan Xiaoli snorted. “You are one to talk.”

“Promise,” Mu Chun demanded firmly.

Lan Xiaoli pressed his lips together. Albeit grudgingly, he complied with another exhaustive sigh. “...Okay. I promise.” 

“Perfect,” Mu Chun said with a satisfied smirk. “Now you can’t break it.”

Lan Xiaoli quirked his brows, sincerely confused. He wasn’t the one that had taken a pledge. “What happens if I do?”

“Nothing. It just makes you a bad person.”

Lan Xiaoli frowned. “So you admit you are a bad person?”

“I never said I was good,” Mu Chun retorted with a grin, “Just that I like to help people.”

Lan Xiaoli no longer resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Tell me about your plan.”

“Remember what happened to Jian Mingzhi? It will be similar: Public humiliation instead of death. I just need to work out the final details before I can discuss it with you. But I can tell you this much: I got something on him that’ll make him forever live in shame.”

Then, his grin disappeared. “If you want to be of any help, the best thing you can do right now is to be absolutely patient, even when he returns. It’s crucial that you don’t act rash or on impulse. Can you do this for me?”

Lan Xiaoli eyed him suspiciously. “How long do I have to wait?”

“I can’t say for certain. You have to trust me with this one.”

Lan Xiaoli sighed in resignation. As he lowered his eyes, they fixed on Mu Chun’s lips. When had his smug face become so handsome? So attractive?

As if in a daze, Lan Xiaoli leaned down and kissed those alluring lips. When his kiss was returned, his hand slowly wandered down from Mu Chun’s chest to his waist. He hooked one of his fingers into Mu Chun’s sash and gently tugged at it.

Mu Chun laughed against Lan Xiaoli’s mouth. “What is it?”

Lan Xiaoli drew back a bit and raised his eyebrows, giving Mu Chun a meaningful look. The implication was all too clear.

Mu Chun was rather surprised. “Are you sure?”

Lan Xiaoli nodded.

Mu Chun brushed his fingers over Lan Xiaoli’s cheek. “You don’t have to push yourself.”

Cocking an eyebrow, Lan Xiaoli took Mu Chun’s hand and brought it to a certain member of his own body. “I am not pushing myself.”

Before he knew it, Lan Xiaoli was on his back with Mu Chun on top of him, both locked in a passionate kiss. Mu Chun’s hands wandered all over Lan Xiaoli’s body, nimbly untying his sash and pulling down his pants. He then opened Lan Xiaoli’s robes and sat back on his knees to regard Lan Xiaoli in all his glory.

Lan Xiaoli averted his gaze and covered half of his face with one hand to hide his embarrassment.

After staring for a good moment, Mu Chun said, “You’re beautiful.”

…As if Lan Xiaoli didn’t already feel awkward enough. “Shut up before I change my mind.”

Mu Chun chuckled. “You really want to go all the way?”

“Is that not the point?”

“Well I… nevermind.”

Mu Chun climbed on top of Lan Xiaoli again, capturing his lips in another kiss. 

After carefully stretching Lan Xiaoli first with one, then two, then three fingers, Mu Chun slowly eased himself into Lan Xiaoli. The stretching certainly took some getting used to, but it had been neither uncomfortable nor painful.

The real deal, however, was a different story; Lan Xiaoli couldn’t help but tense up a little.

As Mu Chun gradually inched forward, he kept whispering the same word over and over into Lan Xiaoli’s ear: “Relax.”

Lan Xiaoli tried, but it wasn’t that simple, and someone just telling him to do so didn’t make it any easier. He side-eyed Mu Chun with a sceptical look. “Are you really bad at this?”

Mu Chun froze. He turned his head to face Lan Xiaoli. “I’m… trying not to hurt you.”

“You keep telling me to relax, yet you don’t kiss me or touch me. How am I supposed to relax?”

Somewhat caught off guard by that accusation, Mu Chun burst out laughing. “You’re right. I’m sorry,” he kissed Lan Xiaoli’s cheek, “You want to be touched? Like this?”

He put a firm grip around Lan Xiaoli’s member and began to stroke it. This indeed felt better.

Lan Xiaoli nodded in response as a wave of pleasure washed over him, eliciting a surprised gasp. It helped him relax, and Mu Chun pushed all the way in.

However, their moment of passion was short-lived. Thanks to Mu Chun, it was over in a jiffy. He stayed on top of Lan Xiaoli, his face buried in Lan Xiaoli’s shoulder.

“...Sorry.”

Lan Xiaoli looked at him in confusion. “For what?”

“I couldn’t last longer.”

Lan Xiaoli had once again no point of reference, so he had no idea how long this act was supposed to last. And who knew how much of the ruckus his dads made was part of the actual act? But that Mu Chun considered himself too quick was rather surprising. “Are you not experienced?”

“...I’m flattered, but what makes you think so?”

“Well, you are a few years older than me, surely you had some practice?”

Mu Chun snorted a laugh. “I didn’t really have time for ‘practice.’ Being busy with my job, y’know…”

“...Oh.”

“Are you disappointed?”

Lan Xiaoli shook his head. “No, quite the opposite actually. I feel rather relieved.”

Mu Chun smiled. “I’m happy to hear that.” He gave Lan Xiaoli a peck on the cheek. “We can practise together anytime you want.”

Embarrassed, Lan Xiaoli pushed off a laughing Mu Chun and fumbled for his pants.

As soon as they were dressed, they stood facing each other. For some reason, Lan Xiaoli felt a bit awkward again. He vaguely pointed in the town’s direction. “I should head back. Will you come with me?”

Mu Chun grimaced lightly. “I don’t think I’d be very welcome.”

“You can apologise and explain. I am sure they will understand.”

“Nah. I have to finish the plan, else my Young Lord will get mad.”

Lan Xiaoli scoffed. “What kind of servant are you? Who are you trying to fool wearing these robes? You even put your rings back on.”

Mu Chun laughed softly. “Do you prefer me without them?”

Smiling, Lan Xiaoli shook his head. “No. They are a part of you. And I will accept every part of you.”

After pause he added, “...including your secrets. However, my endless patience gives me the right to strangle you if any more grave secrets are revealed.”

“Didn’t we say no more killing?”

“Strangling doesn’t necessarily mean killing…”

Mu Chun laughed out loud. “I know I seem like the adventurous type but… I’m not into that kind of stuff,” he said with an apologetic face that wasn’t apologetic at all.

“...”

The moment Lan Xiaoli understood the innuendo, he really wanted to strangle him right then and there.

⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩

When Lan Xiaoli returned to the inn, Wen Kexing and Wei Wuxian still hadn’t recovered.

Lan Wangji, Zhou Zishu and Zhang Chengling sat at a table in the dining area. They had been engaged in a serious conversation, but stopped talking once they caught sight of Lan Xiaoli.

The atmosphere around them was gloomy, as if dark clouds were hanging over them.

Instead of a warm greeting or words of concern, Lan Wangji’s first question cut straight to the chase.

“Since when have you known?”

Lan Xiaoli barely had a chance to take a seat before that question was hurled at him. His high spirits adapted to the grave mood of the others. He couldn’t help but feel that the question had an accusatory undertone.

“Only since today,” he replied in a defensive manner.

Zhang Chengling suddenly chimed in from the side. “I… I have known since Tianxuan,” he confessed in a small voice, his head hanging low. It wouldn’t be fair for Lan Xiaoli to shoulder all the blame, so Zhang Chengling hoped to share the burden by being honest.

Zhou Zishu looked at him in disbelief. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“He didn’t mean any harm…”

Furious, Zhou Zishu pointed to the upper floor. “Tell that to your shishu!”

He made to slap Zhang Chengling, but then just clicked his tongue and shook his head in disappointment.

Zhang Chengling winced and replied in an even smaller voice, “Sorry…”

“Chengling-xiong is right,” Lan Xiaoli interjected. “He would never hurt us. He has a reason to be cautious.”

“What reason?” Lan Wangji asked.

Lan Xiaoli opened his mouth, but then remembered Mu Chun hadn’t told him yet either. 

“I do not know yet, but I will find out,” he said, his eyes and tone determined.

Lan Wangji shook his head. “No more meeting him.”

“What?!”

Lan Wangji stood up, grabbed Lan Xiaoli by the arm and pulled him upstairs until they reached his and Wei Wuxian’s room. “You will sleep here tonight.”

Lan Xiaoli’s face dropped. He hadn’t shared a room with them in ages!

⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩

“So you knew he killed someone, kept us in the dark, and are convinced he means no harm? Even though he used us as guinea pigs for his weird experiments that you didn’t know anything about?” Wei Wuxian recapped after he’d heard a brief account from the others.

Despite having fallen victim to Mu Chun’s mysterious spell, Wei Wuxian and Wen Kexing were fortunately as good as new after a good night’s rest.

“You ambushed him, I didn’t even have a chance to warn you. How did you find us anyway?”

“I overheard your conversation in front of Murong Zheng’s mansion,” Zhou Zishu said, “and decided to follow you.”

“Why?”

“Ever since we met him, I felt like this boy was hiding something from us,” Zhou Zishu explained. “Then we received news of the deaths of Sun Zongxi, Ling Baoxi and Lu Yunli during our journey. At first I thought Sun’s death was a coincidence, and only started to become suspicious after Ling Baoxi had died as well. Sect Leader Lu’s death was the final proof. Hanguang-jun agreed, but we had no evidence. He didn’t seem to harm you, so there was no need for us to raise any concerns.”

“Zhou Zishu alarmed us after he saw you walking into Mu Chun’s hideout,” Wei Wuxian continued. “I still can’t believe you went inside without a second thought!”

“I did not–”

“You know very well that I actually liked that boy. He lured you out of your comfort zone which was rather refreshing to see,” Wei Wuxian said. “But there is a reason we didn’t want you to be alone with him!”

“What reason?”

Wei Wuxian sighed. “There’s this rumour about a guy who appears to abduct people of all ages and classes to conduct cruel experiments on them. We heard about this tale in Linguang on the same day you ‘hired’ Mu Chun as our guide. Your father has been suspicious of him from the very beginning, but what are the chances of us running right into that feared guy? Aside from that, you know how I feel about hearsay. But when Zhou Zishu told us you’d walked straight into a dodgy hideout, my warning bells went off! And well… what we found only confirmed our suspicion.”

After hearing that story, Lan Xiaoli was at a loss for words. Yet he still felt the urge to defend Mu Chun. “Why did you not confront him more… humanely?”

“And give him the chance to come up with an excuse?” Wei Wuxian scoffed.

Lan Xiaoli clenched his hands in his lap. “He is not evil! I am sure there is more to it than the rumour lets on. He will tell me everything when we meet again. In fact, he would have told me everything if you had not intervened.”

“No more meeting him!” Lan Wangji repeated.

Lan Xiaoli’s eyes darted to him. “I am sorry, but I refuse. I am old enough to make my own decisions. You cannot stop me!”

“Isn’t your on-off thing exhausting?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“...Terribly. We have to work on our foundation,” Lan Xiaoli admitted grudgingly.

“He is dangerous,” Lan Wangji persisted.

Lan Xiaoli puffed a derisive laugh. “Quite the double standard you have there, considering that the presumably most dangerous person is part of our family.”

Both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji frowned in bafflement. They were clearly stunned, not sure what or how to ask the question that was so obviously in their mind: what are you talking about?

Lan Xiaoli sighed. “The Yiling Laozu?”

Wei Wuxian swallowed. “How did you…”

“Chun-ge thought I already knew,” Lan Xiaoli answered offhandedly. He’d learned so many disturbing things recently that nothing could truly shock him anymore. “Bit hypocritical of you to teach me to reject dark arts and wicked tricks, is it not?”

“Don’t shoot at your father,” Wei Wuxian chided. “He never approved of my ways and tried to stop me all his life. He only wants what’s best for you.”

Lan Xiaoli only leaned back with folded arms and rolled his eyes in annoyance.

“Don’t pretend you wouldn’t have turned to demonic cultivation if you knew I’d done it.”

Lan Xiaoli’s spiteful attitude deflated. He had no counter-argument; in fact, he’d actually proven Wei Wuxian’s point in the past. “… Maybe four years ago, but not anymore. Anyways, the point I am trying to make is that we can trust him. I obviously do not approve of his ways either, and he promised he will stop with his… experiments.”

Now it was Wei Wuxian’s turn to cross his arms. “So if I promised you the moon would be blue tomorrow, would you believe me?”

“No, but…”

“Exactly. Don’t let love blind you.”

Lan Xiaoli’s face flushed red. “Who said–?!” He then closed his eyes to calm down and huffed a sigh. “I am not that stupid. Ever heard of a promise-binding spell?”

“Of course,” Wei Wuxian replied. “It’s a rather strong spell. Why?”

“Because Mu Chun performed it on himself…” Zhou Zishu answered, his expression pensive.

At first Lan Xiaoli was grateful for Zhou Zishu’s backup. But once he realised that this meant Zhou Zishu had stayed behind and watched them outside of Mu Chun’s den, all other voices and noises were pushed into the background by a high-pitched tone in his ears.

Didn’t that mean he also saw them… doing that?

He clutched Zhou Zishu’s wrist and with an intense, unblinking stare asked, “When did you leave?”

Startled, Zhou Zishu’s head jerked in Lan Xiaoli’s direction. “Hm?”

“Did you leave at the same time as me?”

“No.”

“How much did you see?”

“Not much. I just happened to overhear you.”

“Then what did you hear?”

Zhou Zishu covered Lan Xiaoli’s hand, trying to loosen the grip without using force. It would be easy for him to just snap the boy’s wrist, but he didn’t want to hurt him. “…What’s wrong?”

Lan Xiaoli only glared at him with bloodshot eyes, arduously pushing the words through gritted teeth, “Tell me.”

“We’re just trying to protect you,” Zhou Zishu tried to placate him.

But Lan Xiaoli’s grip tightened, his knuckles turning white and his hand trembling. “Zhou Zishu!” he hissed.

Zhou Zishu was slightly taken aback. “I left right after the spell had been activated.”

Relief immediately spread across Lan Xiaoli’s tense features. He let go of Zhou Zishu. “Ah… I see.”

Zhou Zishu was still rather perplexed by the teen’s reaction.

The others, on the other hand, had failed to notice their interaction as they were too engrossed in their astonishment and lively conversation. A promise-binding spell was a big deal after all!

Having regained his wits, Lan Xiaoli said, “That is correct. He swore on his life to never kill again. If you do not trust him, you can at least trust me.”

Later that night, Lan Xiaoli was in high spirits again. He was currently in his room, letting his hair down in front of a round bronze mirror to get ready for bed.

In the end, he was glad Zhou Zishu had witnessed the promise-binding spell. Without his confirmation, convincing the others might have proven more difficult.

When Lan Xiaoli turned away from the mirror, he was startled to find Zhou Zishu standing behind him, hands tucked into his sleeves, his presence concealed until that moment.

Think of the devil!

“Ah! Uncle Zhou, you scared me. What are you doing here? Can I help you?”

“What was that all about earlier?”

“Hm?”

“You lost your composure and… respect for a moment back there. What happened?”

Lan Xiaoli felt caught for some reason. But there was no way for Zhou Zishu to know what else he’d done with Mu Chun. “Ah… I was just a bit overwhelmed.”

“‘A bit?’” Zhou Zishu narrowed his eyes. “No. There’s more to it.”

Lan Xiaoli bit his bottom lip. “M-Mu Chun told me something confidential and asked me to keep it a secret. It would be unfortunate if anyone else found out.”

“You’re lying.” Zhou Zishu remained adamant.

Lan Xiaoli swallowed nervously. There was no point in further denying it. “...Promise you will not tell my dads.”

Zhou Zishu scoffed. “You had sex.”

Lan Xiaoli’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Shh!!”

Zhou Zishu shook his head, his expression a mix of disbelief and disappointment. “After everything that happened your first instinct was to sleep with him?”

“Please do not tell my dads,” Lan Xiaoli begged.

Zhou Zishu sighed. “I won’t mention it.”

Lan Xiaoli smiled in relief, but when Zhou Zishu continued, his smile froze. “For now. Should the information come in handy, I will use it.”

With that, Zhou Zishu took his leave.

“…”

Lan Xiaoli couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t good.

⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩

Two days later, Murong Zheng finally showed up.

When the news reached Lan Xiaoli and the others, they were having breakfast. Wei Wuxian fully expected Lan Xiaoli to jump up right then and there, but against all expectations, he remained remarkably composed.

Wei Wuxian scooted closer to him, his eyes filled with anticipation. “So he’s here. What now?”

It was Lan Xiaoli’s revenge, so it was naturally up to him to decide what to do.

The ‘plan’ he had in mind was quite simple: kill that bastard. 

But that was no longer an option. Not only because his dads were against it, but also because he had promised Mu Chun. As for an alternative plan, he hadn’t thought of one. Instead, he’d put all his faith in Mu Chun.

When asked ‘What now?’, Lan Xiaoli was a bit stumped. He hadn’t thought Murong Zheng would return before Mu Chun had shared his plan with them.

“I… I do not know. Mu Chun said he has a plan, but…”

But Mu Chun had vanished into thin air.

Lan Xiaoli hadn’t seen him since… well, since the incident at the memorial.

Not knowing where else to find him, Lan Xiaoli tried to locate Mu Chun at his hideout, but Mu Chun had stayed true to his word and had burned it to the ground.

Lan Xiaoli still felt rather conflicted about this.

Not knowing where Mu Chun lived, or where else he could find him, Lan Xiaoli had no choice but to remain patient as promised. He figured that Mu Chun was arranging everything needed for a smooth execution.

Yet, Lan Xiaoli couldn’t help but find himself wandering outside every day, secretly hoping to bump into Murong Zheng. He hadn’t considered how to react should they actually cross paths; he figured he’d just take things from there.

Of course, this didn’t happen. In the end, this approach was too optimistic. A person of Murong Zheng’s status wouldn’t just randomly stroll around.

Lan Xiaoli’s promise to Mu Chun didn’t mean he couldn’t pay Murong Zheng’s estate a visit. Days had already passed without any news from Mu Chun, and Lan Xiaoli just wanted to make sure they wouldn’t lose track of Murong Zheng again.

He approached one of the guards at the main gate and asked, sounding as innocent as possible, “Excuse me, sir, do you have any idea whether your lord plans on leaving soon?”

The guard raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Me and my friend wanted an audience with him, but I have not heard from my friend yet. I am afraid we might miss him,” Lan Xiaoli explained with a hopefully natural smile.

The gatekeeper seemed to buy his story. His face relaxed a bit. Unimpressed, he said, “Our lord’s schedule is strictly confidential.”

Lan Xiaoli had figured as much. Dejected, he thanked the guard anyway and turned to leave, but the gatekeeper stopped him.

“Hey, wait. Aren’t you from the Gusu Lan sect? You are free to enter as a visitor, you know that, right? So if you want that audience right now, you can have it.”

Lan Xiaoli was stunned. He knew that being part of a prestigious sect made entering easier, but he didn’t know it was also a free pass to get an audience. He couldn’t help but smile at the gatekeeper’s kindness. “Thank you, but I promised to wait, so… It is good to know, though.”

The gatekeeper just shrugged and moved his eyes back forward to resume his duty. It wasn’t his responsibility to advise a youngster not to give a damn about that friend and go on without him if the matter was truly urgent.

It took all of Lan Xiaoli’s willpower not to follow the gatekeeper’s suggestion. And yet, his patience waned with each passing day, until it felt like he was running on reserves.

Since confronting Murong Zheng on his own was out of the question, Lan Xiaoli lurked around the residence instead. And he’d always find a different excuse to do so, like scouting for convenient openings or other weak spots in case they needed to break into the building, or overhearing any of Murong Zheng’s upcoming plans.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t as subtle in his endeavour as he thought and was quickly caught by a guard after sneaking around the complex for just a few rounds. The guard dragged Lan Xiaoli away from the residence, turning a deaf ear to any of Lan Xiaoli’s excuses.

While the guard was reprimanding Lan Xiaoli, he spotted Wen Kexing who just happened to pass by.

“Hey you!”

Wen Kexing looked at the furious guard in confusion and pointed at himself.

“Yes, you! You surely are his dad! This one was sneaking around on private grounds. Prestigious or not, if you want a tour you still gotta enter through the main gate! Teach your boy some manners!” As the guard said this, he pulled Lan Xiaoli forward, who had tried to hide behind the man.

Wen Kexing’s eyes bulged when he saw Lan Xiaoli. He resisted the urge to slap his hand to his forehead. His displeasure was nonetheless evident in his voice. “I’m not his dad…”

The guard looked Wen Kexing up and down. White hair and fancy robes, what more proof did he need?

“Who are you trying to fool? The resemblance is uncanny! Here, make sure to punish him properly so he learns his lesson!”

With that, the guard shoved Lan Xiaoli into Wen Kexing and returned to his post, grumbling under his breath. “Youth these days!”

Lan Xiaoli helplessly looked up at Wen Kexing. “Uncle Wen, I am sorry… Please do not tell my dads.”

Wen Kexing sighed. “What’s the big idea? You want to break in? On your own?”

The guilty look on Lan Xiaoli’s face told him that he’d hit the nail on the head. “Let’s say you manage to get in, what’s the plan then? You don’t have one, right? Don’t do it. Be patient.”

#mdzs #mdzs fanfic #mo dao zu shi #the untamed #fanfic #fanfiction #everything annoys me and i'm too hot #eamaith #wei wuxian/lan wangji #wwx/lwj #word of honor #woh #zhou zishu/wen kexing #zzs/wkx #crossover #adoption #found family #original characters

[jayswing101]

含笑 (hánxiào) - with a hidden smile

A 天涯客/Faraway Wanderers Fic + Comic by jayfire/jayswing101 and softershadows

Zhou Zishu woke up alone.

That in and of itself wasn’t unusual, he had needed more sleep than Wen Kexing ever since his meridians had been reconnected. It seemed even a three-month-long nap wasn’t enough sleep for his tired body. 

No, the unusual part was how quiet their little home was. Normally, there would be noise, the banging of pots and pans as Lao Wen prepared their breakfast, or the distinct thump of wood being chopped. This morning, an eerie silence filled the air.

Zhou Zishu rose cautiously. He got dressed and tied his hair back, one eye on the door and one ear straining to pick up the slightest sound. He picked up his jian and held it ready. Slowly, so as not to make a sound, he pushed open the doors to their room.

Nothing seemed to be amiss, except for the distinct lack of Wen Kexing’s chaotic energy. Zhou Zishu walked to the kitchen, tense, braced for an attack, peered around the corner - 

And startled backwards when their hen jumped at his face. 

A wheeze, half laugh, half sigh of relief, escaped him. He rubbed at his chest to calm his racing heart, and shook his head. If that chicken was out and wandering around, there could be no intruder in their home. She was too wary of strangers to be walking freely around their home.

Putting his jian away, Zhou Zishu walked fully into the kitchen, still suspicious of Wen Kexing’s absence. Sometimes the terror liked to hide in dark corners and jump out at him, delighting in Zhou Zishu’s startled cries. He didn’t want to relax fully until he had confirmed that he was truly alone.

He found what he was searching for on the table. A bowl of porridge, still warm, sat in front of Zhou Zishu’s usual seat, a small plate of spiced cucumber and fresh bread beside it. There was a piece of paper rolled up beside his plate, tied with Wen Kexing’s distinct, looping knot. He picked it up, smiling at Lao Wen’s messy scrawl, and read the note while he ate.

A-Xu, 

Don’t worry, I’m fine. I went to the market. Li xiaojie is back, and you know how good her sweets are. Eat your breakfast, I’ll be home soon. If you chop some firewood while I’m gone, maybe I’ll even share some with you. 

Zhou Zishu smiled fondly. Yes, he did know how good Li xiaojie’s sweets were. He might only have gotten to have one bite of the zongzi last Dragon Boat festival before Wen Kexing had gobbled it all up, but he had heard extensive praise for her cooking, from Lao Wen and the townspeople both. She was a local legend, famed for her beautiful and sumptuous treats. Zhou Zishu was not ashamed to admit he had whined when Wen Kexing had plucked the last zongzi out of his fingers before he could finish it. He was hoping to get a whole one to himself this year, and had been planning on sneaking down to the market to visit Li xiaojie’s stall without Lao Wen and his thieving fingers.

It seemed Wen Kexing had beaten him to it. He laughed quietly and went back to his breakfast. The sooner he finished eating, the sooner he could get to chopping the wood. The sun was already high up in the sky. There wouldn’t be much time before Wen Kexing came back, and he did want some of Li xiaojie’s sweets.

Midday came and went, but Wen Kexing had yet to return.

Zhou Zishu was getting restless. He had chopped enough firewood to last them two months. He had tidied the bed and swept the floor. He went out into the cold mountain air and practiced with his jian. He cleaned the hen-house and collected the eggs. He had even made an attempt at mending the hole in his cloak, but still no sign of Wen Kexing.

He tried not to worry, knowing that Wen Kexing often stopped to listen to the birds, or look at the flowers, or gather stones he thought looked nice. It was normal for him to lose track of time walking through the forest at the base of their mountain. But.

But.

There was a part of Zhou Zishu that couldn’t help but worry about his wayward companion. What if he had fallen, tripped over a tree root while watching the birds, and was now lying alone and injured somewhere in the woods? What if he had encountered bandits and been robbed? Worse, what if one of the few remaining Scorpions had recognised and attacked him? 

Logically, he knew that Wen Kexing was more than capable of taking care of himself, but he couldn’t help but remember how helpless and lost and scared he had looked when they were in the Puppet Mansion, or the way his hand had trembled when the Scorpion King had nearly killed him. Wen Kexing, former Ghost Valley Master, was formidable, but he was not infallible.

So Zhou Zishu had tried to distract himself and keep himself too busy to worry.

It had worked for a time, but as the sun started its afternoon descent and the sky began to darken at the edges, he couldn’t bear it anymore. Wen Kexing had been gone too long, and Zhou Zishu would find him and bring him home.

He leaves the mountain, taking care to comb through the woods just in case Lao Wen had fallen and injured himself. By the time Zhou Zishu makes it to the edge of town, he’s both relieved that he hasn’t found Wen Kexing on the ground in the forest, and also worried that he hasn’t found him yet. If he hadn’t even made it back to the forest, where was he? What kind of trouble was he in?

He shakes his head and tries to calm his pounding heart. 

Surely, he’ll find Lao Wen in the market.

Except —

There’s no sign of Wen Kexing there either. No sign of that tall frame, or the proud tilt of his head. No sign of brightly coloured clothing, covered in intricate embroidery, or of a white fan. No sign of his signature zan, or of the small braids he’d taken to wearing lately.

Wen Kexing wasn’t here.

Trying not to panic, Zhou Zishu checks the stalls Lao Wen normally visits, asking the merchants if they’ve seen him. Ye-jie hasn’t seen him since the start of xiao man, and Lao Liu hadn’t seen him since he’d tried to sneak an extra yumberry a few days earlier. 

Zhou Zishu nods, and walks further into the market. He’s worried, but he tries to keep calm by reminding himself that Wen Kexing doesn’t always stop to visit Ye-jie or Lao Liu, especially when Li xiaojie is in town. He won’t be truly concerned until he checks her stall. She’ll be selling zongzi for the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, and Lao Wen absolutely adores her red bean zongzi. If he has made it to the market at all, he definitely will have stopped there.

A spring in his step, heart pumping in anticipation, Zhou Zishu quickly makes his way to Li xiaojie’s stall, certain he’ll find his sweet-toothed person there.

His steps falter as the stand comes into view. Wen Kexing isn’t there.

He joins the queue anyways, waiting his turn so he can speak with Li xiaojie directly. 

“Li xiaojie, have you seen Lao Wen today?” he asks once he’s finally made it to the front.

“I haven’t,” she answers, and oh, that is worrying. Wen Kexing always visits her. And with the fresh zongzi she’s selling at the moment, he would surely have visited her several times today. If even she hasn’t seen him…

But maybe that isn’t too surprising, given how busy her stall is. If Lao Wen hadn’t come by her stall yet, there’s no way she would’ve been able to see him elsewhere in the market. 

Glancing at the long line behind him, then back at Li xiaojie, who is now talking to the next customer while balancing a steaming basket on her hip, Zhou Zishu considers offering her his help. Before he can though, an old woman steps behind the counter and takes the steamer basket. She must be Li xiaojie’s grandmother, come to help her manage the long lines. 

Since his help is clearly not needed, Zhou Zishu turns to leave. As he’s walking back to the centre of the market, someone shouts, “Li xiaojie! Your zongzi are so perfect, may you share your recipe?”    

The question makes Zhou Zishu smile even as it makes his heart twinge. How many times has he joked that Lao Wen should ask Li xiaojie for her recipes so he can make them himself? 

“It would save us some coins if you were able to make your own sweets,” he would argue.

“Hmm, perhaps. But then I wouldn’t get to see Li xiaojie’s pretty face!” Lao Wen would joke back. “Besides, I know how much you love her sweets, too. These humble hands could never compare to hers.” 

Shaking his head, Zhou Zishu continues away from the stall.

“That’s the third person today!” he hears a second, older-sounding voice say. “No, Li xiaojie is not and never will give out the secret family recipe!” 

Smiling ruefully, he decides to make one last circuit of the market, just in case he had somehow missed Wen Kexing earlier. When he still can’t find him, he decides to sit on the bench at the edge of town to wait, knowing Wen Kexing will eventually have to walk past him.

He’s still worried, but. 

The Master of the Ghost Valley can take care of himself, right?

(That doesn’t stop him from berating Wen Kexing for disappearing like that all day once he does finally show up.

“I left a note!” he tries to protest, but Zhou Zishu holds firm.

“Fine,” he sighs, “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. Here, have the last mung bean cake, I know they’re your favourite.”

Zhou Zishu accepts, but he is still upset that Wen Kexing is so blasé about his own safety. They will be having Words later. 

For now though, he’ll just enjoy the flavour of mung bean on his tongue and the sounds of birds in the trees as he walks back home beside his gremlin person.)

端午节安康! ! Happy Dragon Boat Festival!!

To store the zongzi, you can put them in an airtight container or ziplock bag once they're completely cool. The zongzi will stay good for 3 days in the fridge or 2 weeks in the freezer. If you prefer them hot and wish to reheat them, you can microwave defrosted zongzi for 1.5 minutes or but them in boiling water for 5 minutes.

If you have any questions, feel free to send them in an ask!! Me and softershadows will do our best to answer them 😊😊

#wenzhou #wen kexing #zhou zishu #faraway wanderers #tian ya ke #tyk #天涯客 #fanfic #fan comic #dragon boat festival #端午节 #zongzi #粽子 #softershadows

[verycharismaticdragon]

My last (and priciest... rip wallet) nendo pakige came! It was... a whole this guy. Now it needs to be said I do not know the guy but he was picked for having perfect hair forrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... custom Wen Kexing I desperately wanted to make :D I hoped to find just the hair pieces but the only option was almost the price of a whole nendo so I was like. might as well get the guaranteed-not-bootleg one. I didn't want to cut and sculpt anything, so I looked for something that would be close enough on its own - and this hair is a very nice middle ground between my own headcanon (assymetrical front, mostly loose with only two strands tied in the back, purple/mauve undertone) and my fav AD design (this one).

I'm getting fabrics for his fit later (once i get my wallet out of hell.......), but since the hair and the faceplates were all here, I was impatient to try them together. So without further ado, please perceive!

have you ever seen a man so canon-compliantly punchable u started crying?.........

Was thinking of the "If you still haven't realized who I am, aren't Poisonous Scorpions a little too stupid?" scene :D It's the instant switch between Wife Wen and Valley Master Wen that did it for me! (i say as if im not obsessed with every single scene wkx is in)

The clothes are a mix between The Guy's (im sorry mr.*looks it up* zeyan li im sure ur a good character but i only got u to pull a victor frankenstein on u) and LBH's. I actually really vibe with these robes (theyre based on the same type i usually draw wkx in! yuanlingpao worn with opened collar!) but they have a Problem in that they are meant to be displayed with the og big coat (as in, this nendo doesnt have the stick part for the standee, his coat is supposed to hold him up) and it didnt fit with any standard standees I had. So I ended up using the ones that came with the doll bodies for these pics. Yes two of them (the second one props up the hair from the back). Good thing I was already going to replace the robes with doll body+clothes i guess... I also slightly photoshopped the second faceplate bcus the highlights turned out to be too big >< Currently figuring out how to color them in to this state irl.

Now, while I did get this nendo primarily for the hair, I also wondered if his faceplates would work for a potential Zhou Zishu and... yeah:

Was going for the "You dare to act against who's mine?" vibes with the second one because yknow. yeah. I'll need to get him different hair (these are Binghe's) as the front especially doesnt fit with the image I have for him, plus im not even sure I want the ponytail (and not some type of bun) for him, and ofc I need this hair for Binghe - but I daresay the vibes on the faceplates are 💯💯💯

All in all getting good mileage out of this purchase and I haven't even shown u the other half yet :D

#i guess i need new tags huh #nendo wenzhou saga #nendo trials and tribulations #wen kexing #zhou zishu #tian ya ke #priest novels #danmei novels

[aiyexayen]

helloo!!!!!!!! itse me from ao3 (oh that rhymes!) im a chatterbox as well, i love long comment/reblog chains and generally talking about stuff im passionate for a normal amount, and after reading your reply i had a question that i thought, why not drop into your inbox and ask you (if you want) to share a bit of your process behind writing The Only Place You Wanna Be!!!! my initial question is actually that im wondering whether at any point you were uncomfortable, like, exhaustingly uncomfortable when tackling gx/wkx/zzs as a rarepair. because when i write and im trying to break some mental barriers of my own i oftentimes need to take very long breaks frequently to rest. uve written rare ships before but mentioned in your reply that it stretched u to write this fic, despite becoming passionate along the way. what about the fic challenged you, what is it that was difficult to explore? and what had u be very enthusiastic about? also, when i was reading the fic i kept wondering how u were gonna handle gx/cwn, in what manner u where going to address it (if at all), and i really liked what u settled on, but did u have different ideas for it? do u have ideas for how it might look like when cwn returns home alone? (if u would like to share) im wondering if gx is now firmly in the wenzhou camp or if she might be going to experience her romance with cwn later too? i think that could work really well, because he is her peer and has different views and thoughts about the world and society at large than wenzhou, which i think is still smth gx would/could be drawn to. like, wenzhou are very jaded, they have to relearn how to love and trust etc, and gx in a way has to as well. in canon her cute romance with cwn is a way for her to experience mundane young adulthood. do u think thats smth that could still happen, that would still attract her, and that would fit into the new dynamic of the AU uve written?

hello hello!! i also love talking about things a normal amount so you've come to the right place and i'm so glad you asked. [chin in hands] i would be completely delighted to talk about the only place you wanna be, because it's truly one of my favourite stories i've written thus far.

first--was i exhaustingly uncomfortable at any point writing this fic? i honestly wasn't! it wasn't an 'easy' ship to write, i.e. one i'm very comfortable in the dynamics of and don't have to think overly hard about. but i was not particularly uncomfortable, either (i do know what you mean, though--i've had ships before that have made me uncomfortable and i've had to really sit down and rest between wrestling through my thoughts on it)

hands down the biggest thing i struggled with was the question "what the heck does zhou zishu find so compelling about gu xiang?" not because she's not absolutely charming, but because zhou zishu is not easily charmed.

the wen kexing facet was easy--the way he and gu xiang grew up together and saved each other from the horrors of gui gu puts them in such a state of enmeshment, their bond so full of complex emotional tangles and twists that all i really have to do is tweak the strands and bam! ship.

but zhou zishu and gu xiang? i had to really sit with that facet, turn it over in my mind like a rotisserie chicken, because anytime i've put them in proximity before it's just been this volatile-yet-fond bickering that doesn't really go further, or get them closer. zhou zishu is prickly, and aloof, and only diverted from his self-destructive bent by one wen kexing. and in this au, he already quite contentedly has said wen kexing. what does he need some charming girl for? what has he ever needed a charming girl for?

i thought gu xiang could easily find a whole host of things in zhou zishu to like and admire, many of them not dissimilar to what wen kexing sees in him. but how the heck would they come together? how would it go beyond gu xiang's crush on this super impressive, stupidly beautiful guy?

i took a hard look at my other most favourite ships with zhou zishu (han ying, xie'er, jing beiyuan, ye baiyi, liu qianqiao) and sorted through what things i thought he might care about in a person, outside of "is too stubborn to let him push them away" at least. i realised i really had to face my gu xiang and interrogate her more serious side, ultimately, as much for the sake of figuring out the ship vibe i wanted as for writing her as a compelling pov character. because for a character like gu xiang, a good portion of her seriousness happens outside of her conscious awareness of it. it's all background noise against which the bright flares of her imperiousness shines very distractingly.

but really, she learned from the best; her silliness and her brashness and the whip of her tongue are just another version of wen kexing's smooth flirtations and gently waving fan. she's clumsy and charming while he's elegant and disarming, but aside from him being a thousand times more intentional about it, they're not altogether that different of masks. after all, gu xiang was taught to kill first and ask questions later, no matter who may or may not be innocent. she grew up with the firmly-seated knowledge that she was not human. and even when she was a literal baby, she smiled when she was hurt because to do anything less was to risk being abandoned.

and, most damningly, gu xiang cares. she cares deeply, and thoroughly, and she gets attached even when she shouldn't, even when she knows better. she takes to humanity so beautifully.

and i realised that if i put someone like that into zhou zishu's life, into zhou zishu's once-abandoned home, and let her breathe life into the place, i could make my problem *his* problem and that suited me much better.

it's really two sides of the same coin, what i wrestled with the most to get into shape and what i was enthusiastic about. like with most rare ship challenges, i find it compelling simply to do said wrestling. i enjoy sitting down and hammering out the details of character dynamics--what they find compelling about one another, what draws their eye, how they fall in together, what makes them stay. or not, as the case may be sometimes.

i was excited to dig into the challenge of this ship and this fic, because i knew once i started getting the pieces hewn into shape it would be very satisfying. i was excited to tackle a siji arc au that was a new flavour, and write something really properly from gu xiang's pov that explored her arc of stepping onto the path to the human world through a new angle and from the inside.

i was particularly excited to dig my fingers into her relationship with wen kexing--not even really from the ship perspective (i mean, you've read this story, it's almost not about the shippiness of the ship at all until the very end) but just them.

i have a lot of ideas for someday-fics where gu xiang is more present in the plot and i get to explore her and wen kexing's relationship, in any capacity, more intensely. i have so so so many feelings about the two of them, no matter which hats you want to put on their dynamic. and this fic was really my first larger-scale opportunity to do some of that examining and reveling.

they were just two kids in a world of ghosts, clinging to one another until they could get out. a teenaged boy half-raising a little girl, full of rage and spite and the confidence and inexperience of youth and the wholesale abandonment of humanity, teaching her how to eschew it from an even younger age than himself, teaching her how to be a killer to keep her safe--and then playing games with her behind closed doors, making snowmen for her when she cried, letting himself be silly and warm in spite of everything. they're a master and the maidservant that attends his whims. they're a gui gu guzhu and his right hand that stands ready at attention to keep every secret and enact his plans on the jianghu.

they're so many things--each other's first priority, most trusted person, with the kind of knowing that only comes from years and years. the loyalty. the love. the way wen kexing's plan always made room for getting gu xiang out into the world to live a human life as its ultimate goal, the way he couldn't help but continue to lean on her assistance and keep her close and project his own fears even as he kept trying to push her away into that human life he wanted for her. the way he needs her, the way he tries to push her away anyway and rescue her from the fire that he plans to let consume him. the way he's so proud of her and so terrified of how similar she is to him at the same time. the way she's grown up into a better woman than he could have hoped, not in spite of him but because of him, and the strength she shows in being able to embrace even the parts of them both that built them into who they are, in a way wen kexing has never been able to.

it drives me absolutely banana pancakes sometimes until all i can do is wail and point at them emphatically.

anyway, a fic in which i got to explore gu xiang choosing to stay at her zhuren's side over choosing to follow his orders--letting her desires override her duty, letting one kind of loyalty and one aspect of their dynamic rule over another--in which wen kexing has to gradually come to terms with his plans for her being utterly and completely foiled, come to terms with the fact that she isn't rejecting the human path but instead is absolutely going to keep walking it while dragging him down along it with her, that all his hopes and dreams for her are coming true except with him in the picture. ugh. i'm legitimately going to cry just talking about it lmfao. which is another very good reason this fic happened from gu xiang's pov.

i'm going to put a header here because this has gotten unconscionably long and you also asked about cao weining. so. here we go.

regarding cao weining

i would like to start off by saying he is my precious bean and i love him. but as much as i like cao weining and gu xiang together in canon, they are not otp material for me. i find it quite easy to break them up, largely because they are young and their bond at first is pretty devoid of genuine understanding or deep connection.

cao weining's persistence, a soft mirror to wen kexing's, and his graceful handling of a traumatised ghost, a soft mirror to zhou zishu's, both pay off in the long run. but it's not too hard for me to conceive a world where they didn't.

in this particular au, i think cao weining will always have done much to teach gu xiang about being human, and about what she wants in that regard. and cao weining will always probably be a little bit in love with her, because he strikes me as the kind of person who's a little bit in love with all his friends, and still holds a little bit of a candle for every person he's ever fallen for before since his very first crush.

but one of the things i like most about writing, particularly au's, is the nature of choice, and how the choices we make define us. it's not just that you can become someone different, it's that you are always, constantly becoming someone different. and at every stage of yourself, you look back and the road you took may seem perfectly logical, may seem like of course that's who you were going to become, because you only see the road you've taken to get there. but if you took a different path, if you made a different choice, and then each choice based off that choice, and looked back, wouldn't you feel the same way about that road? that's the way i like to write my au's.

so in this case, gu xiang didn't make that first crucial choice to be with cao weining instead of wen kexing. she didn't dutifully listen to orders, and let him say goodbye. she didn't let that distance from her zhuren, that closeness with cao weining, define her, and she didn't make subsequent choices based off that one, leading her down the road of canon. she didn't keep choosing cao weining--didn't choose to not only be with him but to be like him, to go back for shen shen to save gao xiaolian, to openly confess her desire to be human with him and be the kind of human that she thinks could stand at his side as his partner. still feeling that love, that loyalty, for wen kexing, but allowing love and loyalty to cao weining to grow up alongside it as the months go by.

instead, she chose wen kexing. she chose to follow him and stay close to him, even going against his wishes, against his orders. she chose to get involved in his new life with zhou zishu and zhang chengling, in all their daily intricacies instead. to make zhou zishu living or not into her problem, too. to make their home her home, and then defend it.

i'm being so long-winded about this, my apologies, i just love tracing all these little paths out, because i do so much of this thinking when i'm writing and it never gets said anywhere XD this isn't even really what you asked. but i guess, the conclusion of it is, to this end, no, i didn't really think of any other way their relationship could go at this point than to split here.

cao weining's loyalty to his sect being compromised in favour of staying with gu xiang *at* siji shanzhuang is an interesting concept, but it feels considerably less flexible of a choice than gu xiang's, and ultimately, this fic wasn't about him, so i was content to let him choose his sect first here. he does so reluctantly, but since he has that loyalty to his sect, he can only understand gu xiang's loyalty in turn, and part with that understanding, a little bittersweet but with his optimistic hope to reunite someday in better conditions when all this is over.

and i do fully think that they will reunite. but in that time, they'll have each done an awful lot of growing and changing. you really hit the nail on the head there, that gu xiang's romance with cao weining is a way for her to experience a mundane young adulthood, and take that path to growth together with him.

in a lot of ways, i think she's essentially forfeited the possibility of doing that in this au. it strikes me a bit like an imperial court drama--she had the choice to run away with her young lad, to be a new bride with a new groom, young lovers regarded as such by the narrative and the people around them, given space to indulge in this youth and build their own concept of a household together and grow up into the world at their own pace. and her other choice was to be inducted into a noble lord's household as his second wife, to enter into a space that already has define edges and considerable growth under its belt, and to grow up a bit faster into the responsibilities of her station, with the trade-off of, perhaps, a bit more security.

and sometimes--most of the time--the story is indeed about the young woman running away into freedom and romance. and this story is the alternate path.

by the time gu xiang meets cao weining again, she will practically be the lady of siji shanzhuang--something more than a housekeeper and less than a wife. i don't think she'll have had to grow up too fast for comfort, i mean, have you seen zhou zishu's sheer capacity for mischief? but i do think she'll have transitioned out of the phase of endless possibility that leaving gui gu afforded her, and into a place where she feels more secure in what she wants and who she's becoming. she has a place to belong, and responsibilities to live up to that go beyond the whims of a volatile zhuren.

and in turn, by the time cao weining meets gu xiang, he will have had to face the entirety of the revelation of her ghost-ness without her there as a counterpoint. without even the comfort of having gotten to know her so much better to lean back on to explain his disquiet and doubts. (i actually have a little oneshot i kind of want to write about him running into shen shen in that town, without gu xiang to pull him away)

he'll have faced the rest of the battles to come side by side with his sect, and have needed to find someone else, perhaps even there among his shixiongdi, to lean on. the du xie attack, the perceived betrayal of his shifu. it's a lot. maybe he'll have found some renewed place in his sect through that hardship, without gu xiang there presenting a clear way out. or perhaps he'll choose to leave, but wander alone. he has a lot of choices to make, still, and anything could happen.

but either way, by the time the two of them meet up again, they'll be very different people than they could once have been to one another, even if they're still very much themselves in all the ways that count. if they have any kind of romance, it will necessarily be more grown up.

he is, though, still more gu xiang's peer than either wen kexing or zhou zishu, and i don't think that cao weining has nothing to attract her. i think she definitely has the need for peers that can see eye to eye with her.

wen kexing and zhou zishu ride the generational line between all the horrors of the previous generation's grudges and the potential of the coming generation's healing past them. but for all gu xiang was raised in gui gu and suffered for it, she was also sheltered in a lot of ways by wen kexing. and she has a particular brand of optimism that someone like cao weining (and like gao xiaolian for that matter) can match. and while chengling can match it, too, i have distinctly other plans for him in this au.

i think it would actually be really sweet if gu xiang and cao weining and gao xiaolian end up quite close, once everything is said and done. and if this occasionally involves little trips to see one another in which she spends nearly as much time in bed with one or the other of them as she does at whatever restaurant cao weining has raved about in his letters lately or playing hide-and-seek with gao xiaolian's children, well, who's to say?

as long as she comes back home to wenzhou, how can they mind? they probably get off on rewriting the poetry of marks on her skin to fit the shape of their own lips, the dorks. not like she's any better either, the way she'd learn to taunt them and goad them about it right in front of all the disciples' salads all evening. pff.

anyway. i've been going on for ages and i'm not even going to go back and proofread this because i'm lazy. i hope some of this was entertaining at least, and feel free to reply more! though, as you see, asking questions is dangerous and you never know how long, and redundant, and irrelevant the answers might be XD

#word of honor #my writing #my meta #long ass post

[fanghuas]

you’ve heard of last 10 first lines, but what about giving some love to fic endings? they are so hard and yet when you nail it so satisfying!

so, pick 10 of your finished works (oldest, newest, random page on your AO3 if you have enough to have multiple pages) and share the final lines with no context!

tagged by @aiyexayen! thank you <3

I couldn't find any interesting thread connecting enough of my fics, so for this I just looked at my woh works, sorted by kudos in ascending order

1. let the wine of friendship never run dry

The two of them alone are challenging enough to handle.

2. entry without exit

Han Ying meets his gaze, and sees the man who saved his life.

3. moonlight and memories

He tilts his head up and looks at the moon, happy and content.

4. kiss and make up

It was only much later at dinner that Wen Kexing abruptly dropped his chopsticks and asked, “So who won?”

5. intrigue and intimacies

Even so, he and Han Ying don’t take to the road again for a few more hours.

6. espionage and epiphanies

They left together, and Xingming watched them with wide eyes as he sank further into his hiding spot.

7. as vivid as it truly is

With apologies to Lao Wen, and with apologies to Ying'er, it was exactly that simple.

8. spark to a flame

Turnabout is fair play, Wen Kexing decides, and murmurs, “My Ying’er is amazing,” right against Han Ying’s lips.

9. something lonesome, something wholesome

Siji Manor is vibrant with life.

10. not an end, but the start of all things

With Wen Kexing and Han Ying at his side, Zhou Zishu knows, there is nothing that can stand in their way.

I'd say the general vibe is that I close with introspection? but also I'm mildly surprised to find any dialogue in my last lines

I'm gonna tag @orchisailsa, @antique-forvalaka, @rainsfalling and @deepestbluesky. No idea who's done this already so if you have, pls feel free to ignore! <3

#tag games #aiyexayen

[idlebeks]

A Savory Assortment of Fic Recs Part 1

A list of fics from various fandoms where I have not collected enough entries to justify giving them their own post. Included here you will find fics for Word of Honor and Grave Robber's Chronicles (DMBJ)

Word of Honor

within us an orchard by mintyfish (guckindieluft)

On a visit to the capital, the Valley Master happens upon the garden of a man who has nothing left to live for.

The Tiger and its Skin by manic_intent

The pale beauty on the bed swallowed the bowl of medicine without complaint and handed it silently to the eunuch by the bed. Leaning dizzily against the wall, Zhou Zishu fought yet another bout of nausea, trying to keep down the thin congee that he’d forced down his throat in the morning.

“Wangye,” the eunuch, Qiu Bin, said, sounding uncomfortable.

“Leave.” Zhou Zishu closed his eyes.

“Just… your bride should be on the way. Since the Emperor has refused to postpone the wedding—”

The Parasol Tree by chiiyo86

When Prince Jin sends Zhou Zishu to look for the Glazed Armor, Zhou Zishu's heart isn't in it but he is duty-bound to see this mission through to the end. But then his path crosses the one of Wen Kexing, a mercurial scholar with many secrets of his own, and things only get more complicated from there.

Strays. by orange_crushed

Zishu's mind has been trained to this sort of work: to take in every meaningless detail and produce from that the truth. To assess danger and opportunity alike. Of course, this is a misuse of his talents. Kexing shouldn't concern him. He should be nothing to Zishu: just another foolish boy to mold into a useful weapon, or else to discard. But then, Zishu has seen what's really inside him, the pitiless tiger who lives in his guts. And he might be the only one who has. Kexing let the other boys off with bruises, didn't he?

He is Zishu's, somehow. As much as anything has ever been.

[AU timeline in which teenage runaway Wen Kexing meets career assassin Zhou Zishu and upends both their lives.]

Soulmates and Zombies by nerdyjellyfish

It's WenZhou modern AU with zombies. That's it that's the fic.

Sanguine by jaemyun

Zhou Zishu is ready to be done with Tian Chuang. He's ready for his seventh nail, and ready to wander before facing his eighty one brothers with a bowed head in the afterlife. He will do this after, apparently, one last mission that's simply too intriguing to pass up.

The Ghost Valley has sent a letter past its borders, asking to attend the Heroes Conference of the Five Lakes Alliance. The Five Lakes Alliance, unbelievably, has accepted. Both no doubt have hidden intentions, and Prince Jin wants eyes and ears on the scene. Zhou Zishu can't quite bring himself to deny his own ravenous curiosity enough not to accept.

The stunning beauty that shows up with the girls of the Department of the Unfaithful, the one who introduces himself as Wen Kexing, is universally assumed to be a favorite plaything of the yet unseen Ghost Valley Master. His beauty and charm may be enough to captivate all the others into underestimating him, but Zhou Zishu knows a killer's eyes when he sees one. Wen Kexing is a puzzle he'd like to figure out, and Zishu himself can't say he isn't also captivated by dark eyes and a smile that wouldn't be out of place with blood in its teeth.

it's not the breaking by Shadaras

Absently, mind on the work he’s doing, Zhou Zishu says, “Shidi, can you—”

His mouth snaps shut on the request, but it’s already too late.

Wen Kexing turns to him and says, “I’m sick of this.” His tone is almost cheerful. There’s still more malice laced through Wen Kexing’s mouth than Zhou Zishu can remember hearing directed towards him before.

It shivers across his body, and Zhou Zishu closes his eyes briefly before carefully setting down the wall-hanging he’d wanted help replacing. “What do you want to do about it?” Zhou Zishu asks, shifting his weight to prepare for the attack he suspects is coming.

Wen Kexing plays with his fan, silently considering him, and then a smile spreads across his face. “I’m going to make you forget that word.”

rage, rage against the dying of the light by Madcap_Miss

The thing about pushing people past their limits is that it makes them dangerous.

It is possible that this is a truth Wen Kexing and Xie Wang neglected to account for when making their grand plan.

Bureaucratically Ever After by TK_DuVeraun

Wen Kexing was chosen to ceremonially marry the immortal in the Journey's End Festival that came around once every one hundred years. It's not a big deal, especially since there's no clause saying he can't hook up with the official walking him through the ceremonies, Zhou Xu.

Dangerous Illusions by manic_intent

Yuanxiao Festival was one of Zhou Zishu’s least favourite times of the year. It wasn’t the problem of thousands of lanterns clogging up the streets and rooftops of the Imperial City, making it more challenging to conduct Tian Chuang business. It wasn’t the throngs of people who packed into the Imperial City from beyond to enjoy the spectacle, or the increased risk of a fire hazard, or the thousands of perfectly edible mandarin oranges being thrown into the river. It wasn’t the fact that Tian Chuang business often ground to a halt during the lunar new year period, leaving Zishu at loose ends. It was all of that, all at once.

to hold your heart in arms by threerings

After the events of Episode 12, Wen Kexing wants to know what Zhou Zishu meant by saying he has a terminal illness. The Seven Nails of Torment are revealed. And feelings are explored.

“How long do you have?”

“About two years.” Pain twisted in his chest as he watched this truth hit Wen Kexing. He felt guilt for doing this to him. Perhaps he should have told him from the beginning, warned him before...before they became so close. It was a truly unfair turn of events, to meet someone and feel this kind of connection, only to find out it was only temporary. He’d wanted to avoid causing just this kind of pain, but had found Wen Kexing so impossible to deflect.

Ill Omens by manic_intent

The drinking game that Zishu had lured Wen Kexing into playing was reaching a dangerous stage, with both of them growing muddled from drink. Yet Zishu still hadn’t yet managed to get the handsome young man beside him to say anything that might hint at the person behind the smiling mask he wore. Surely there was a limit to Kexing’s composure, uncomfortable as it was to have to play such a trick on a person Zishu liked. It reminded him of every story he had ever heard about his kind. Treacherous and selfish, disloyal and ruthless. Distracted, Zishu lost another round, but Kexing’s joyous laughter stole away any disappointment he could feel.

DMBJ

My brain mostly ignored the main characters of this show and hyper-focused in on Liu Sang from the Reboot series, so almost all these recs will feature him in some way with a few PingXie thrown in as a treat.

Cascade by frith_in_thorns

Liu Sang didn't need looking after. Absolutely not. It had only been a small stabbing.

Unfortunately, Wu Xie overrode him.

Even more unfortunately, that was only the start of everyone's problems.

Unreliable Narration by fox_of_nine_tales 

Liu Sang can do this.

He’s a professional, after all. That’s why the Iron Triangle brings him on these trips. He can map, and fight, and hold his own. Except now they've been separated from the others, and they're trapped, and Wu Xie's hurt, and their supplies are running low, and Liu Sang -

Liu Sang can do this.

He always has.

Eating Fish Every Day by afrikate

Liu Sang gets a cat.

Worship False idols by Sanctified_Jasper

His Ouxiang doesn't recognise him, that's pretty obvious. Liu Sang hadn't expected him to, he'd changed so much and his Ouxiang... hadn't. A tiny part of him had held out the irrational hope he would though. He's been asked before why he idolises Zhang Qiling, and he knows he'll likely be asked again, Wu Xie is the curious type, with a vested interest in Liu Sang's Ouxiang.

He has the usual lie ready of course, not that it's entirely a lie so much as... not the entire truth. Liu Sang doesn't want to tell anyone ever the real reason he feels so indebted to his Ouxiang.

A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Slutspeare

Yincangui is Where Lost Things Return, and Wu Xie, captain of the Wushanju , has been trying to find it since his uncle went missing fifteen years ago. The only thing is that no one is quite sure that it actually exists, except for Liu Sang, who manages to finagle his way onto Wu Xie's ship and into their quest. Without any solid proof or idea of where they're going, it seems like Yincangui is always going to be a lost dream... unless the crew of the Wushanju can unravel the threads of the universe and lead themselves to what they've been searching for.

It all started with a cup of tea by cease

As a retired man of leisure in his late thirties, Wu Xie didn’t expect the greatest threat to his personal safety and freedom to emerge in the form of the gossiping women in his life. Or: that one time Lao Jiumen almost planned a gay wedding.

I Will Go Now to My Pyre by Kholran

"Within the Nine Clans, the only ones who could open the box were Zhang Da Fo Ye when he was alive...and..." "And me."

Liu Sang is hired by the Huo clan and sent to a Jiumen Association meeting. His job should be simple: Pay close attention to President Zhang and act as a human polygraph. He soon realizes things are never as simple as they seem. Finding himself in the middle of a political power grab, Liu Sang makes a choice. He hopes it's the right one.

Reach for their scabbards by afrikate

After a disaster of a job, something finally goes Liu Sang's way.

Subterfuge by frith_in_thorns 

"It's me," Liu Sang said, and then realised he hadn't considered at all how to actually go about this surreptitiously. Probably Wu Xie had tons of secret signals to use in this sort of circumstance, but that wasn't the type of thing Liu Sang thought of arranging ahead of time.

All the maps were wrong by frith_in_thorns 

On the way back from Thunder City, Liu Sang is struggling more than he wants to admit.

Feline, fearless, faithful and true by Humanlighthouse

Wuxie is Fine. Until a cat appears in his life, that is.

can't forget (don't remember what) by laireshi

"Wu Xie," Zhang Qiling breathes, letting his tone convey the questions: are you all right, does anything hurt, do you need help?

". . . who are you?" Wu Xie asks.

The Fox's Geometry by fox_of_nine_tales

He was named Liu Sang, once, but his name was the first thing they took from him.

Li Cu vs Life by margrave

A series about Li Cu's life post Sha Hai, and his continual wrong assumption that Xiaoge is Wu Xie's ex-boyfriend.

Those who fear darkness have never seen what light can do by Merinnan, xantissa

When Wu Xie was seven years old, he snuck away from his guardian during one of the digs that Sanshu took him to. Only things went wrong, the entrance collapsed, and it took a week to dig the child out from the near collapsed tomb.

They expected a body. They prayed that the child had somehow survived, but seven days without food or water for an adult would have been deadly, a child had no chances of survival at all.

They found Wu Xie deep in the tomb, sleeping on his little backpack. He was warm and healthy, confused at why the adults were yelling, looking like he’d just stepped into the tomb five minutes ago.

Tabula Rasa by xantissa

Zhang Qiling forgets. Then he comes to some interesting conclusions regarding his relationship to the man named Wu Xie.

All Nature Has A Feeling by margrave

After the City of Thunder, Wu Xie goes on his last major adventure: solving a mystery about his life that he has questioned for over fifteen years.

The consequences of the adventure leaves Zhang Qiling questioning their relationship, and Wu Xie.

rip out the whole of your soul love by laireshi 

Wu Xie had told Xiaoge, because he hadn't expected how hard it would be to deal with Xiaoge's continuously voiceless, contained reaction; his unwavering support and hidden emotions and mute heartbreak.

Cat's Paw by Merinnan, xantissa

He had already been informed that he was supposed to get down into the temple and start tracking the rival team that had got there before them. The rival team who, according to what he’d overheard, had been the ones responsible for the dozen or so mercenaries now leaving the village in body bags.

Mr. Jiao had been very polite and congenial when he told Liu Sang that he was going to hunt down that team that went down first. It hadn’t been a question, and the mercenary with the rifle pointed vaguely in Liu Sang’s direction was a very clear, if unspoken, indication of what would happen to Liu Sang if he refused.

Mr. Jiao’s people controlled the only way in and out of the village, and they also controlled all the vehicles. Liu Sang could continue to be one of Mr. Jiao’s people, or he could be one of the dead bodies loaded into the truck.

-

Before Wu Erbai could hire on Liu Sang, Liu Sang had already accepted an offer from Mr. Jiao. What he found when arriving for that job, however, was nothing what he expected - particularly the fact that it turned out that he was now working against the man he'd idolized for so long.

#fic recs #woh fic recs #dmbj fic recs #wenzhou #pingxie #word of honor fic recs #the lost tomb reboot

[mejomonster]

The Blood of Youth ep 3

I'm crying omg!!!

3 minutes in. Wu Xin immediately beelines for Xiao Se. Alright ship i see u. Lei immediately tries to bodily shield Xiao Se behind him. Which looks like a child trying to protect a parent honestly.

I am suddenly wondering if this took any inspiration from Word of Honor particularly Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu, and Zhang Chengling as their kid. Because Lei is a touch older and these 2 a touch younger, but Xiao Se is taking a very parental almost supervising role over Lei, since he came to check on him and keep his dumbass from continuing to fight and get hurt. Since Xiao Se is the man with secrets acting like he needs Lei for a burdensome money collection - which he does - but also like he may develop a soft spot for Lei over time. Despite being so cold and calculating now. Meanwhile you've got Wu Xin who's giving Wen Kexing vibes in terms of STRANGER DANGER BLARING so instinctively that Lei even felt the need in his pure innocent single minded heart to need to shield and protect Xiao Se in the first place. (And its Liu Xueyi known by me best for his shady roles as Xiao Hua and terrifying horror that is Bai Lin so I love that he's getting to play an intimidating guy here).

Meanwhile Wu Xin wakes up. Looks around then eyes Xiao Se and just LOCKS ON. "Oh hi, I'm wondering if you'd like to come somewhere with me~"

IM CRYING THATS SO FUCKING FUNNY

Xiao Se: no I don't.

Lmao. Xiao Se shut that down FAST. (And have I mentioned how much I love Xiao Se's character type as the lead of a wuxia? Someone who doesn't do martial arts in the smack center of a wuxia! Someone who counts property damage and has real life shit to do but is trying not to die in a wuxia battle as ppl fight on the carriage he's in and smash it, Someone immediately looked at and approached by God-Power-Level unknown monk guy that he was curious about before cause hey valuable, but is now like nah dude I'm not trying to die ill just leave. I love how he's both the straight man comedically and this very Like Us mundane dude in a very Over The Top superpower heavy wuxia.

Okay so again. I don't know if the novel and donghua this is based on is older than Word of Honor. And I don't know therefore if it could've been inspired at all. Maybe it's coincidence. I do think though perhaps the Instant "is this possibly bl" vibe hits though because of certain similarities. Wu Xin (at least so far) hasn't gone full on gay compliments galore of beauty and I wanna bang you (which made wen kexings crush anvil heavy obvious immediately), but he is visually approaching Xiao Se immediately the same kind of way Wen Kexing did. Singling him out visually, going right for "want to come with me?" And giving me the impression even though Xiao Se said no (like Zhou zishu did) that Wu Xin is still going to travel with him. And Xiao Se has his own kid he's hauling around (Lei) just like Zhou Zishu had Zhang Chengling. Even if the dynamics are bound to be unique as these characters already are, the sort of opening WoH did has some similarities here in character meeting.

Mildly related but it would be kinda fun if the new "trope" was very bl vibes parental units with a third person slightly younger, which makes it "brotherhood" as a big trio but has space to be kinda shippy as the writers desire since the third one is more like their kid then partner. Heroes sort of did this even, from the few eps I watched, with the main boy (and girl) being immediately painted as a bit younger and more naive than Bai Choufei and the guy in red (and girl in white). WoH of course did this, it's the story. Xena way back in the day actually did this a lot - first Joxer as a 3rd to the trio that the girls did not love romantically like they did each other but did love him familially, then the kids and later sort of students they'd pick up temporarily and mentor. Guardian didn't do exactly this obviously but the group investigation unit structure I do think helps have a found family vibe take the main stage and romances become less !!! If downplaying a relationship is desired (I imagine that's also true for The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty? Since it's very found family). Dmbj is not bl lol, but it's main structure of usually a trio and (wu xie you know it's true) wu xie being a bit super close to some guy (interpret as the reader desires depending on the book) works well in part cayse there's usually a trio to emphasize the overall found family/team dynamic, rather than all the focus going to 1 specific pair solely. (Alrhough dmbj is it's own beast... new stuff is purposely trying to put heihua alone pretty front and center, meanwhile xiaoge and pangzi read more as mentors of wu xie but they don't get shipped much instead wu xie shipped with one of them is the norm since he likes older men ). My point is!!! If you DO happen to have a couple in a show (or just a pair with couple potential for fans), there's a way to lean into that partner dynamic in writing without making it the Only Dynamic if say you can't pair those two. And that's by making a trio or bigger found family group, so there's an overall team dynamic going on. I'm just thinking to myself if that's an avenue where we might be seeing more bl like stuff or just fandom getting into stuff. My Roommate is a Detective leaned this route, as did Detective L (Detective L low key shipped the main lead man and woman but the trio element let them keep it from too much focus as they didn't want heavy focus on that, meanwhile mriad oppositely leaned heavy into the bl pair).

On another note. Xiao Se reminds me of Shang Qinghua in svsss a tiny bit, except if he was smarter sjjdjd

I just love Xiao Se okay. He's like a Nirvana in Fire prince got kicked out of politics, retired to run a little in to survive, and the entire jianghu of martial artists suddenly swarmed him like the plague with their super moves and flying fire and he was like... goddamn I'm just trying to get to Xueyue city for some money I inherited... I love deeply he doesn't do martial arts and yet that's the Genre hes in. It's like contemplating in Word of Honor if palace shit plot was going on with a bunch of totally mundane people, then like one just fell smack dab into jianghu martial politics. Like OOPS I shouldn't be here.

#the blood of youth #lb #rant

[mvsicinthedvrk]

ollie’s ‘my bloody valentine’ plot/starter call !!

short write-ups under the cut, still working things out with some of the pre-plotted pairs (work has been a disaster this week and i’ve had literally no time) but tonight i’ll reach out to everyone who’s already messaged me on discord and also will message anyone who likes this call (if i haven’t heard from you first). **some characters have now been closed for starters please mind the notes below!

it’s also 6 am so please forgive any nonsense 

strikethrough means it’s been drafted!

wei wuxian / paired with lan wangji / location tba / starters for: lan wangji (tragcdysewn), vegas theerapanyakul (youllalwaysbemyporcelain), jiang cheng (infcinity) -- STARTERS NOW CLOSED

he won’t understand why he wants to kill lan wangji but he’ll be working pretty hard at it; rest assured you don’t want to get in his way. also he’s about to get 🎉murdered🎉

yuri plisetsky / unaffected / starters for: ami mizuno (hxartbreaker), james sirius potter (svnlvght), catra (wvsteria), victor nikiforov (irresisiibles), lizzie midford (drvcxrys) -- STARTERS NOW CLOSED 

probably running around trying to get the people he knows to snap out of this murder thing, what the hell. he’s never seen a doppleganger of himself so he’s not concerned for his own safety, but again, what the hell.

orpheus / paired with eurydice / flower arranging / starters for: eurydice (youllalwaysbemyporcelain), jo wilson (hxartbreaker), annabeth chase (drvcxrys) -- STARTERS NOW CLOSED

he’s so bad at murder. my poor boy. and he’s going to be very distressed not only when this is over but genuinely while it is happening, because he’s too empathetic for this kind of magic. 

wen kexing / paired with zhou zishu / axe throwing / starters for: helga hufflepuff (svnlvght) -- STARTERS NOW CLOSED 

this whole pair is a dangerous duo so definitely get out of their way. ghost valley master wen kexing coming out in full force in this situation. and if you’re a doppleganger also watch out because he’s definitely willing to throw you in front of him as defense. 

xie lian / paired with hua cheng / location tba but potentially candlemaking / starters for: hua cheng (coreofgold), yin yu (irresistiibles), sophie hatter (mcrcki), mu qing (masqce) -- STARTERS NOW CLOSED 

xie lian will be very efficient in killing his beloved hua cheng, and then will be immediately, incredibly upset about it, so he will mostly be seeking out emotional support and desperate solutions to how to fix this

blathers /  unaffected / starters for: madoka kaname (irresistiibles), rowena ravenclaw (mcrcki), josh washington (purelybilateral) -- STARTERS NOW CLOSED 

he can help your character hide, if they’ve broken out of it, or hide if they’re a doppleganger! he is doing his best to be of assistance and will be trying to talk people out of murdering others when possible

he xuan / paired with shi qingxuan / location tba / starters for: kenna de poitiers (hxartbreaker), steve rogers (svnlvght) -- STARTERS NOW CLOSED 

yeahhhhhh don’t get in his way. and again, if you’re a doppleganger, you will need to watch out. he’ll also hate himself after this so that’ll be fun

sha hualing / randomly paired with cadence eastman / location tba / starters for: ygritte (mischiefxmuses), stu macher (wvsteria), luo binghe (coreofgold), cadence eastman (cquity) -- STARTERS NOW CLOSED 

i think this demon will thoroughly enjoy this experience. looking forward to seeing who her randomized partner will end up being, but-- she’ll be out here having a great time, because this is honestly her element. 

liu qingge / unaffected / starters for: angel (mischiefxmuses), shen qingqiu (tragcdysewn) -- STARTERS NOW CLOSED

trying to stay out of the mess, and look after the people he does know. feel free to enlist him as part of a defense squad. 

loid forger / paired with yor forger / laser tag / starters for: yor forger (tragcdysewn), anya forger (coreofcold) -- STARTERS NOW CLOSED 

so the fact that he’s a super talented spy will come in handy at this point, though he will be foregoing all attempts to hide his skills, and i think at some point he may get distracted by worrying about his daughter. but overall, lots of competence over here

dongfang qingcang / paired with xiao lanhua / location tba / -- STARTERS NOW CLOSED

he’s having a bad time because everything he tries to hurt her with will rebound back on him; also, some of this life-or-death situation feels very familiar to him somehow? so it’ll be a whole situation i’m sure

chu wanning / randomly paired with tifa lockhart / location tba / starters for: childe (masqce), pei ming (infcinity) -- STARTERS NOW CLOSED

rip to chu wanning’s random date, because he’s very competent and will be taking this seriously, and i think he’s efficient enough to want to team up to find or trap people, potentially. it’s a shame, he really should not have let his coworkers convince him to sign up for this stupid thing in the first place.

filippa kosta / randomly paired with aerith gainsborough / location tba / starters for: -- STARTERS NOW CLOSED

filippa is better at self-defense than offense, i’ll tell you that right now. so we’ll see who their partner is, but i doubt they’d be very successful, considering she’s unpowered and smart but not very strong. i don’t think the murder aspect of the situation will bother her as much as it probably should.

qi yan / unaffected / starters for: -- STARTERS NOW CLOSED

she’s going to be looking for nangong jingnu to make sure she doesn’t get killed. and/or probably want to help her murder her target, who knows. 

#hw: plot call #murder tw #weapons tw #long post tw #hw: starter call

[deepestbluesky]

Oh a tag game!

I'm in the mood for some pure unapologetic fun/chaos, so lemme outline some complete insanity–

Ok so, imagine post canon established hwz end up in a parallel world for some reason or other – that world being a pre-war mdzs. First off, this is incredibly annoying for zzs because he is missing a lot of info here and goes full spymaster to find out more, meanwhile hy keeps getting mistaken as some lordling or other, while wkx preens that clearly now hy and him share a last name and proceeds to tell every passerby that this is due to wkx marrying into the wen clan and 'wen xu' insisting on him taking on the name. Everyone they encounter is incredibly bewildered; wen xu married a man?! Wen xu is slumming it without retainers? Oh god why did he suddenly turn so much more competent and lowkey??

Wkx is having the time of his life, hy is mildly uncomfortable with the constant attention, and zzs is just Existing. Shenanigans ensue before they return to their own world as suddenly as they came, leaving absolute chaos in their wake.

Of course if that's too insane for you, i can also alternatively offer:

Hy's birthday is coming up, and wkx only finds out because zzs is being shifty. So wkx stalks zzs when he goes down into the town to 'buy more wine' and instead finds him comissioning a hairpin. Clearly wkx has to find out why, for whom; and then naturally find something else he can gift hy in an attempt to one-up zzs and thoroughly spoil hy

siv i can't believe you would challenge me like this 😔 offering me alternatives as if i've ever not simply picked both in my LIFE

It's not that Zhou Zishu has never seen Han Ying lose his temper. He has, a handful of times. However, a handful is still small enough that it's always notable when it does happen, and additionally, he's never been there to see Han Ying's temper steadily rising over time, nor the exact moment when it boils over. "Kexing," Han Ying says, hands balled into fists at his side. "Has it occurred to you that no one would have known who I supposedly am if you didn't keep telling them! Everyone has been very clear! They've never seen Wen Xu before in their life. Which is good for them, since they all seem to hate him—correctly, it seems, if he's the reason they're all living so miserably—but you decided it was a good idea to not only accept the one foolish old man who said I looked just like him, but also to throw his name around everywhere! If someone comes trying to kill Wen Xu, I'll be sure to thank you!" And with that last shouted barb, Han Ying storms off, leaving Wen Kexing standing dumbstruck in the middle of the room. "Good job, Lao Wen," Zhou Zishu says, smirking a little. Wen Kexing whirls on him. "How are you so calm about this, then?" "I already saw someone flying with my own eyes, nothing is going to startle me now."

and secondly:

"A-Xiang," Wen Kexing calls imperiously. "Come here." Gu Xiang rolls her eyes, but puts down the book she's been plodding through and comes over to her brother. "What?" He glares at her. "I know I raised you to be more polite than that, are your manners truly so lacking?" She sticks her tongue out at him. What kind of question is that, anyway? "Is that all? Can I go back to my book now?" "Hmph. No, I need you to tell me if you've heard anything from the other disciples about Han Ying's birthday." Gu Xiang stares at him. "Wait, you're sleeping with him and you don't even know his birthday?" Wen Kexing leaps to his feet, and grabs for her ear. "Who taught you to say such things in public?" he scolds. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, ge, leave me alone!" "Answer the question!" Gu Xiang pouts up at him, head tilted to the side since he still hasn't let go of her ear. "I think Zichen said something about they're trying to get Han-dage some sweets from town without him knowing about them, and maybe some new brushes?" "When?" "Uhhh three days from now? Unless it was four—" She yelps and finally twists away from Wen Kexing. "Three days! Go ask them yourself, I'm leaving!" Gu Xiang grabs her book, and leaps out of the courtyard as fast as she can. She'll just go somewhere else. It's not worth it.

happy now???

#what am i even DOING HERE????? #😂 #to be clear this was very fun #i did not even reread what i wrote tho so hopefully i didn't accidentally make any rude typos #my fic

[joylinda-hawks]

Since you are the victor, I, Zhou Zishu, the leader of Siji Manor, challenge you, Zhao leader. WOH, episode 33. ZZH in the series has fantastic moments, scenes where it steals everyone's attention. Even if they are short and ineffective. Just like this scene. ZZH stands out in the foreground, the rest of the actors are in the background. Before ZZS arrived, he had to go through all the stages of mourning. Standing in front of ZJ, he believed that WKX was dead, he was morally certain that ZJ had caused his death. He was here to administer justice so that his younger brother's soul would find peace in the afterlife. He knew that removing the nails from the body would be a death sentence for him. But he didn't want to live anymore because he had no one for him. Maybe somewhere deep down he regretted that he would disappoint the hopes of ZCL, who hoped that ZZS would be his master. But ZZS had already made up its mind and was not going to change it. His goal was to tell everyone the truth about ZJ, he allowed the thought that the assembled cult leaders would not believe him, but he had to do it. For yourself and for WKX. In a calm, firm voice, he told everyone ZJ's life stories. He knew ZJ was manipulating people into not believing in ZZS. Therefore, the only solution was to fight, to challenge ZJ. The Hidden Blade that wounded Mo's leader plunged ZJ. ZJ wanting to defend himself decided to attack ZZS who was waiting to challenge him. An exhausted, dying young man with limited senses and physical fitness stood before an older, experienced, cunning man. ZZS didn't know what trap to expect and didn't care. He had stared death in the eye so many times that he treated her like a good friend. He admitted that he could have died, but it didn't matter. Standing regal, like the leader of the ZZS sect, he uttered words of challenge. None of the gathered expected what would happen next - before the fight WKX appeared on the stage - safe and sound. ZZS experienced the biggest surprise in his life. I will write again that this scene belongs to ZZH as ZZS. The way he played, his movements, his facial expressions, everything was perfectly balanced. Looking at ZZH, we experienced these emotions with him, we uttered words of challenge with him and together with him we looked at the figure of WKX with surprise and emotion. In this way, ZZH showed his acting skills here.

#zhang zhehan #zhou zishu #word of honor #wenzhou #gong jun #wen kexing