#“jiang cheng hates me now and there's nothing I can do about it :(”

[yutaan]

Throwback reblog for Jiang Cheng's birthday! The present I got him is Suffering, apparently. :D

Plot twist!!! 

[whetstonefires]

Thinking about the parallels set up between Wei Wuxian and Mo Xuanyu, and how actually most of them are oddly specious.

The sketch of the backstory lines up, but on close examination they're mirror images.

Wei Wuxian wasn't kicked out of his sect, he left it. Wei Wuxian didn't hate the house he grew up in, he loved it, and getting the people there killed was the absolute last purpose for which his dark powers were ever intended.

Jiang Cheng was no Mo Ziyuan--his jealousy was a complicated thing all twisted up with love, and while he would lash out at Wei Wuxian both as a casual means of shit communication and more damagingly in moments of high tension, he had neither the desire nor the ability to bully him, and in general respected his boundaries almost too well.

When Wei Wuxian destroyed himself about Jiang Cheng, it was to give him cultivation, and protect his life and happiness. He would never have killed him.

Madam Yu was a domineering aunt-like figure, who hated Wei Wuxian for reasons of reputation, and because she had resented his dead mother, but she crucially did not have the power to actually disrupt his lifestyle to any significant extent.

Mo Xuanyu was shut up in a small room to rot; Wei Wuxian didn't even attend classes unless he wanted to. Mo Xuanyu was weak and disliked; Wei Wuxian was brilliant and popular.

Mo Xuanyu's uncle is a cipher of a figure, without character or agency, a nonentity who is resented to death apparently mostly for what he didn't do; in theory he is the master of the house, but he certainly never protected his wife and son's punching bag from them.

And this is what got me thinking along this track: because people keep interpreting Jiang Fengmian as this, as exactly like Mo Xuanyu's nameless uncle, a nonentity who lets his wife make all the decisions, and is contemptible therefore.

He shows up in fic characterized this way all the time, handled narratively as a gap rather than a person, an absence where there should have been a parent, and it's...totally inaccurate? The man only has a few scenes but the things that are most firmly established about him are:

he regularly goes out of his way to protect Wei Wuxian

he's extremely fond of Wei Wuxian

he cares a lot about ethical behavior

he's conflict-avoidant and gentle

he can and will overrule Yu Ziyuan when he's made up his mind, and there's nothing she can do about it

his communication skills are mediocre at best

he doesn't understand jiang cheng

he has a dumb sense of humor

Now almost none of this made it into cql besides point 4 and maybe 6, 5 is technically there but buried by the cinematic framing, so I totally get why the fandom on the whole struggles to characterize him well, and it's easier to write him off.

But it keeps bugging me to see him and Yu Ziyuan squashed into the mold of the Mo, because not only is that boring and reductive and kind-of-missing-the-point, it's like. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's characterization suffers a lot when you alter the environment and take away the influence exerted by their shared father figure.

Jiang Fengmian was Wei Wuxian's primary adult role model and it shows.

Jiang Cheng's relationship to his own sense of ethics is fraught because 'teaching him good ethics' was his dad's number one parenting goal, but they misunderstood each other so badly (partly because Yu Ziyuan kept loudly misinterpreting them to each other, which is so realistic I can't get over it, that's exactly how it works good lord) that Jiang Cheng has a direct association between the concept of 'doing the right thing even when it's hard' and a feeling of personal inadequacy.

The fact that Wei Wuxian got their dad-person's approval for being exactly himself and Jiang Cheng not only couldn't do that, he couldn't even get that same level of approval when he really pushed himself to rise to expectations, because Jiang Fengmian did not intend that warmth as a 'reward,' and so never realized he was withholding it, and therefore misunderstood Jiang Cheng's visible jealousy as a dangerous sense of personal entitlement that had to be carefully restrained, which reinforced his distrust of Jiang-Cheng-the-person and fed into a shitty loop where they were less and less able to relate to one another--that's fantastic. That's so human! I love it so much.

Both their failures are their own but at the same time it would never have gotten so bad if Yu Ziyuan hadn't been interjecting herself in there, in the middle of their relationship, fucking it up. That's family, baby.

I would ofc like if there was more fic engaging with the subtleties of all this because it's so good, mxtx did such elegant work here and it is not sufficiently appreciated. But it's the kind of thing that's hard to write good fic about; I am struggling with it myself.

So mostly I wish there was just more fic that didn't impose Mo Xuanyu's cliche angst backstory on Wei Wuxian, who has a whole different thing going on.

[shanastoryteller]

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to open prompts! Could i ask for some lady mo, or anything with wei wuxian? He’s my fave!

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

When one of the servants A-jie had brought with her when she married catches his eye and then disappears, Jiang Cheng’s stomach drops.

He leaves Shuchun to deal with the official mingling, which earns him a dirty look, but he refuses to feel bad about it. Wang Yan is hovering at the edges and either she or Jin Ling will save her from any truly obnoxious conversations.

He makes his way to his sister’s rooms, knocking twice before pushing inside. “What’s going on?”

The first person he sees is Jiang Xingyi, which is never good, but A-jie appears whole and healthy. She grabs his arm with both hands, pulling him close before whispering, “Would you be able to get genkwa before the end of the night hunt?”

“Yes,” he says, even though doing it without getting caught is going to be nearly impossible. What his sister needs, she gets. “How far along?”

She doesn’t look any different to him, but then again she never does. But if she needs it before the end of the night hunt, she must have caught it late this time.

This isn’t the first time he’s needed to do this.

A-jie’s body might not be able to handle another birth. He knows that she wants a big family, but none of them are willing to risk her life for another child.  

Well, he and Jin Zixuan aren’t. Jin Guangshan and Madam Jin would do it gladly, which is why they can never, ever know of the times he’s had to smuggle the crushed purple little flowers into her hands.

“It’s not for me,” she says which leaves him blinking. “Maybe we won’t need it, but she won’t stop crying, and I don’t want to offer her something that I can’t carry through on. You’re sure?”

“Yes,” he says, “but who are we talking about?”

If it’s A-jie, everything has to be handled with the utmost secrecy, only Jiangs, Jin Zixuan, and Jin Guangyao privy to her condition. But a servant girl or even a noble’s daughter doesn’t garner enough attention to warrant their normal subterfuge.

A-jie gives him a look so full of grief that he’s already reaching for her before she turns and crosses over to the entrance to her private bath. She knocks then leans against the door, “Meimei, can you come out? There’s someone else here, he can help you. You can trust him, I promise.”

The endearment tells him nothing beyond it’s a woman younger than A-jie.

The seconds drag on and then the door slowly opens, a women clad only in one damp robe stepping out. He lifts his eyes to her face, red and splotchy from crying and her hair a mess all around her, and feels his mouth drop. “Lady Xuanyu?”

The wife to the second jade of Lan is not some servant girl or even just a noble’s daughter.

She sees him and fresh wave of tears roll down her face, but she’s smiling too, and A-jie is relaxing. “Hi Jiang Cheng.”

“Is it his?” he asks, mind spinning. “Lan Wangji’s?”

A-jie glares at his lack of tact, but he’s trying to make sense of this. If she’s sleeping around on Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng is hardly going to blame her for it, but it’ll explain why she needs to end the pregnancy.

She hiccups, lifting a sleeve to wipe at her cheeks. “Y-yeah.”

On the bright side, it’s not like Lan Wangji can hate him more than he already does.

A second reason for her to be so miserable at the news that she’s carrying her husband’s child occurs to him and the rage that sweeps through him is surprising in its intensity. “Does he hurt you?”

He drank with her the night before her wedding and told her that Lan Wangji wasn’t that awful, that he wouldn’t hurt her. He told her that she’d be safe as his bride.

But now she’s sobbing and pregnant and so clearly terrified.

Xuanyu hesitates.

“I’m going to kill him,” he says. It comes out perfectly calm, none of his normal bluster. Both A-jie and Jiang Xingyi pale.

He turns to leave, already planning on drawing his sword first and explaining after. Lan Wangji has made a liar out of him. Xuanyu is young and didn’t ask for any of this and he has a responsibility to protect his bride and Jiang Cheng told her that he wouldn’t hurt her and now she’s here and she’s hurt and he’s going to rip Lan Wangji’s spine out and shove it down his throat.

People don’t like him, don’t get along with him, generally. But she’d sat with him beneath the light of the moon and drank with him and it had been something warm and familiar that he hasn’t had since before the war. He tells himself that’s why he cares his so much when the truth is he doesn’t know why, it’s just that she feels familiar in a way he can’t explain, not when he the first time they met was that night.

“Jiang Cheng!” She lunges forward, hugging him from behind, wrapping her arms around his waist. He braces for the feeling of discomfort, ready to push back agaisnt the urge to shove her off of him. It doesn’t come. “I didn’t mean like that! We spar, a lot, and I get hurt, but I’m always requesting it. It’s not like that.”

He turns in her arms, gently pushing her back but not letting go of her shoulders. “Then why are you crying? It’s okay, you can tell me the truth. I’m not afraid of Lan Wangji.”

“I just,” she sniffs. “I can’t – he doesn’t like me, you know? And – and I’m better than I was, um, healthier, but what if,” she blinks heavily, “what if I’m not strong enough, or something goes wrong, and then – what if I mess it up? And it’s all my fault, because I was weak, and then I’m a failure and he hates me–”

“Oh, Xuanyu,” A-jie whispers. He knows she had a lot of those same fears when she was pregnant with Jin Ling, and she and Jin Zixuan were in love, and he proposed to her fully knowing the state of her health.

Both Xuanyu and Lan Wangji were forced into this marriage.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” he says firmly. “If you don’t want to have this baby, then you don’t have to. Whatever the reason. And if anyone tries to force you to, I’ll stop them. I don’t care who they are. Understand?” He waits until she gives a wide eyed nod. “But I don’t – I don’t think that Lan Wangji will react like how you think he will. And if he disappoints you, then I will help you take care of it. But I don’t think he will.”

Twice now he has vouched for Lan Wangji to Xuanyu, this girl who feels like another sister even though he barely knows her.

If Lan Wangji makes a liar out of him, he will beat him bloody and not even Lan Xichen will be able to hold it against him.

[bambooswordwielder]

Thinking about writing a Role Swap! Yunming Trio au and came up with a few changes. (Note the characters still retain their base personality features eg. Wei Wuxian is still a wackey self-sacrificing genius idiot, just his role and a few details in the story are changed)

Swaps are:

Jiang Yanli gets Jiang Cheng's role (AKA The Lonely Jiang Sect Leader)

Wei Wuxian gets Jiang Yanli's role (AKA The Married Sibling who died too soon)

Jiang Cheng gets Wei Wuxian's role (AKA The Cruel Demonic Cultivator hated by the world)

So the AU actually has its major changes start all the way back at Jiang Yanli's childhood where she actually manages to create a rather strong golden core. This causes Madam Yu to take more control of raising Jiang Yanli because she sees herself more in her, causing Jiang Yanli to have a lot more pressure on her.

Eventually Jiang Cheng is born and is born with a less pressure on him due to his mother focusing on training Jiang Yanli's golden core, allowing him to be a bit more calmer and carefree. After a few years, Jiang Fengmian finds Wei Wuxian on the streets and brings him back to the Jiang Sect.

This causes Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian to argue for nights, which leads to Wei Wuxian feeling guilty for causing trouble at his new home. Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng (after their promise to always stay together) both insist that it's not his fault.

Wei Wuxian doesn't believe it. He acts like he does though.

Jiang Yanli wishes she could support and care for him more, but Madam Yu's fierce attention on him doesn't allow her much time to do that.

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian are still best friends and often go out hunt pheasants, often with Wei Wuxian inventing and teaching Jiang Cheng a bit after learning of his slight inferiority complex to Jiang Yanli and how much Madam Yu focuses on her.

However one day, Jiang Cheng gets injured, nothing life threatening, but just injured enough that Wei Wuxian is forced to end their little outing early and drags him back to the Sect. The healers take Jiang Cheng, leaving a pale confused Jiang Yanli, a trembling Wei Wuxian, and a silent Madam Yu.

"Wei Ying."

Wei Wuxian's body tenses and he turns to face Madam Yu.

"Follow me."

She orders him, turning around with not a mother word. Wei Wuxian feels his heart stop for a moment. He nods his head and follows her only to be stopped by a hand gripping on his shoulder. It's Jiang Yanli.

"A-Xian- Wait! Maybe I should come with you–"

Wei Wuxian shakes his head as he gently takes Jiang Yanli's hand of his shoulder with a small smile on his face.

"No need to worry Shijie. Everything will be okay."

Jiang Yanli opens her mouth to protest, but a glimpse from behind Wei Wuxian showed her that Madam Yu was glaring at them both.

"Wei Ying. A-Li. What is it that is so important for you both to ignore me?"

Jiang Yanli froze and when she finally gained control of her body, Wei Wuxian had vanished off to wherever Madam Yu had taken him.

She felt her body freeze and her eyes burn as she saw Wei Wuxian again the next day outside Jiang Cheng's room in the medical bay, his body clearly trembling as she saw the traces of Madam Yu's discipline on him.

"O-Oh hey Shiji—" He stopped. "...Jiang-Guniang! I was just about to check on Jiang-Gongzi!"

"A-Xian..." Her eyes widened. "You know you can just call me Shijie..." Or A-Jie, but Jiang Yanli knew her mother would murder the boy if he ever tried. Now he was uncomfortable calling her Shijie... was he not a disciple of YunmengJiang, couldn't he at least have that?

Jiang Yanli felt discomfort growing in her body as she noticed that Wei Wuxian was bowing slightly to her, like a servant.

His smile melted away, "Its... rather improper for someone like me to do something like that..."

"A-Xian... Did A-Niang–"

The door slammed open. It was Jiang Cheng.

"Jiang-Gongzi, you shouldn't be out of bed, what if you're still injured–"

Wei Wuxian was cut off as Jiang Cheng wrestled him to the ground, hugging him tightly as Wei Wuxian was staring confused.

"You idiot! Didn't we say we were family! What's this Jiang-Gongzi and Jiang-Guniang business!"

Jiang Cheng yelled out as he continued to hug Wei Wuxian tightly. Wei Wuxian blinked before a conflicted look grew on is face.

"Madam Yu simply reminded me of place..."

"Well she's wrong."

Both Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian's eyes went wide and Jiang Yanli wondered who said that until she realised it was herself. She tightened her fists.

"A-Niang was wrong. You're my brother and she can't stop that." She kneeled down to the floor beside the others and hugged him both tightly. "You're both my brothers. We stay together no matter what. No matter what others say."

Wei Wuxian's eyes became shiny and wet until two thin trails of tears came down his cheeks.

"S-Shijie..."

Jiang Yanli smiled, "A-Xian, remember our promises." She turned to Jiang Cheng. "We all promised to protect each other."

Jiang Cheng nodded, "And we will." He then turned to Wei Wuxian, "So you better not be stupid and get injured because you feel guilty!"

"You're the one who's injured!"

"And?"

"You–"

As the two boys started to playfully argue, Jiang Yanli smiled. This was her home. This was her family.

...

Years later, Lotus Pier would burnt down and later on she would be forced to watch Jiang Cheng cradling the bleeding body of Wei Wuxian as Jiang Cheng's army of corpses fought against the disciples of the other Great Sects.

[mxtxfanatic]

Hello, new danmei fan here. I'm really late into danmei, just started last year (so I missed the hype). Just when I confused which blog to follow, I found your blog. Thanks so much for this blog of yours, it really helped me to understand more of the stories. I just finished MDZS, TGCG, SVSSS and now I'm reading 2Ha.

For this ask game, can I ask MDZS or SVSSS?

Before I start reading, many people said that SVSSS is inferior to other MXTX works, after finishing the books, I disagree, because I enjoy them all the same....

I mean, if starting last year is considered "late," then I'm also behind, because I only started reading things a few years ago lmao! But it's never too late when fandoms are still booming (for better or worse). So I see we're finishing out the mxtx novels.

MDZS

Favorite Character: Wei Wuxian

Favorite Arc: all Drunk Lan Wangji encounters!

Character I Think is Underrated: Lan Wangji, if i have to hear “he’s boring” from people who can’t read one more time…

Character I Think is Overrated: all of the antagonists and villains. Jiang Cheng is not "single mother!jiujiu," he is just a bitchless Wen Chao. Jin Guangyao is not "poor little Meng Yao forced to do things against his will," he is a a calculating murderer who will scheme against, betray, and kill anyone who stands between him and ultimate power. Madam Yu is not a "girlboss" (unless we accept the real meaning of that word, which is a woman who gains power by ingratiating herself into oppressive systems as the female alternative to corrupt male leaders), she is a domestic abuser who made every single person in her family and husband's clan miserable.

Favorite Ship/Pairing: Wangxian

Something I Love About the Book: I love the way this book is adamant about good always eventually being rewarded. That even if the outcome of doing good was terrible, that does not make the effort wasted or useless. Lan Wangji protecting Wei Wuxian at Nightless City was worth it even if he was almost killed for it, because it made sure that the yin tiger tally did not end up in the Jin Clan's hands as a completed weapon. Wei Wuxian saving the Wen was worth it even though he was killed for it, because A-Yuan got to live. Wen Qing and Wen Ning saving Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian was worth it even though Jiang Cheng betrayed them in the end, because their clan still got to live through its last descendant. None of their actions were met with immediate rewards, but the larger implications of them led to better outcomes than had they just kept to themselves and the status quo of corruption, as everyone else had.

SVSSS (my favorite of the three 🤗)

Favorite Character: Luo Binghe, hands down

Favorite Arc: Holy Mausoleum Arc, cause y'all (Shen Qingqiu 😒) gonna stop falsey accusing my baby, today!

Character I Think is Underrated: Bing-mei version of Luo Binghe, not because he's "unpopular," per se, but because mainstream fandom's perception of him seems to be that he is just Bing-ge who cries, and this is a complete mischaracterization of his character based on popular fanon. I see too much hate for him in this fandom because of it

Character I Think is Overrated: Shen Jiu. The man was a child abuser and died to one of his victims because he chose to be a child abuser. There is nothing tragic or unfair about that. Leave that man in the ether where he'll hopefully never have a chance to harm another person again.

Favorite Ship/Pairing: Bingqiu

Something I Love About the Book: Shen Qingqiu. The man is trying his damndest to do right in what he considers a doomed narrative, but the moment he realizes that his efforts have actually made things worse, he immediately pivots his actions. He never tries to justify himself, deflect from criticism, or misplace responsibility. He has one goal in mind, and that is to make as many people's lives as he possibly can better than what they originally ended up as.

[savrenim]

whos ur mdzs blorbo (if u say anyone but jiang cheng youre wrong /JOKE)

not to be an Extremely Basic Bitch but Wei Wuxian. in my defense gotta LOVE me any character who is doing basic physics research and you cannot tell me that the development of demonic cultivation is not basic physics research in any given story I am going to be most obsessed with the character who is closest to doing theoretical physics in that setting bc most often nobody gives a fuck about the physics of their world in the main story even!! though!! it!! would!! be!! really!! cool!! magic!! physics!! that!! I!! want!! to!! know!! about!! and yes I understand the author set out to tell a story not to do fundamental physics but the physics of it will haunt me. I can and will kill on the hill that Wei Wuxian does magic physics and he does it Really Fucking Well and that is the thing I care most about in the world

but also

I am generally Bad At Cooking. I got better at cooking towards the end of grad school! but at the beginning of grad school I was actually cooking all my own food for the first time and was Bad At It and what's worse is that I was so tight on time that I'd almost always bulk cook for the whole week which meant that if I fucked up a recipe I had to eat it for lunch and dinner for like six days straight

until I discovered. the single best cooking hack. in the world.

you see, I like spicy. and I'm a vegetarian have been for forever and vegetarian bulk meals are like. "pasta and vegetables" "beans and rice and vegetables" etc etc. which and it turns out. that if you fuck up trying to make something. without altering the texture and having to redo anything bc it's totally possible to do it at the very end you can just dump an ungodly amount of red pepper flakes and/or cayenne pepper powder in and now it does not taste Bad, it simply tastes Spicy, and for me, that tastes Good

I proceeded to use this trick with everything. including when my coffee beans got really old and stale bc bought those in bulk too. simply throw red pepper flakes in to the ground beans before you drip brew it and now it's spicy coffee instead of stale coffee!

anyways I eventually became A Better Cook and Started To Make Food That Is Spicy But You Can Actually Like. Taste Other Flavors. miss Spicy Coffee tho, wish I had the time to brew my own coffee again.

fast forward to like. a month ago.

I discovered about a month ago lo and behold that I Do Slightly Better life-wise if I Actually Eat Breakfast before running out the door even though it's like 6:45am and I'm not that hungry. and I had a bunch of old fancy farmer's market granola from like two years ago that was about to expire so I started eating that with some greek yogurt. but it was a small bag and I was about to run out. so I bugged housemate-partner-who-is-a-good-cook-my-beloved of would he consider helping make me a shit-ton of homemade bulk granola, I'd grab the ingredients and we could figure it out as we went along

except the thing is he Hates cooking by Vibes instead of A Recipe it Stresses Him Out So Much bc he is not used to people with the attitude of "eh if I fuck around I find out that is the deal I make with the universe I'll still eat it" he is used to people with the attitude of "if it's fucked up I am physically incapable of eating this"

so I. jokingly. as he expressed some Worry about "do we REALLY need to cook this by Vibes? can we Please find a granola recipe??" went "hey don't worry!! if it comes out Absolutely Terrible we can just use my old trick from grad school of throwing enough cayenne pepper into it that it just takes Spicy instead of Bad!" the joke being that like. spicy granola in yogurt that is a CRIME hell spicy granola is a crime who ever heard of spicy granola

.............except I was. really curious.

so the next morning I tried sticking some red pepper flakes so the texture wouldn't be disgusting into my granola and yogurt, I am nothing if not a caricature of myself, I live by the primary tenet of "commit to the bit" there did not exist a world in which once I had set forth that bit I would not Commit to it.

and it was delicious????? like it was weird Spicy Surprise but it was delicious. No Bit I Just Legitimately Like Spicy Granola Apparently With Or Without Yogurt.

so I Decided that let's not even wait for us to Potentially Fuck Up The Granola Recipe let's just put 3/4ths of a full shaker of red pepper flakes into it for Funnsies. because that's a reasonable amount of red pepper flakes, right? there's a lot of granola I want to make sure that there's a hint of spice in every bite!

out came a gallon and a half of Crimes Granola. the red pepper flakes got into the coconut oil so every single bite of it is infused with a huge amount of spice it is FUCKING DELICIOUS and to absolutely every single person in my house who have Nowhere Near My Spice Tolerance even the one who Likes Reasonably Spicy Things it is Totally Inedible I make a three month supply of booby-trapped granola that I and I alone can eat

anyways.

like two days later I proceeded to have an existential crisis about the fact that I'd made granola that I was the only person I knew who would like it, except also, Wei Wuxian would probably like it.

so yeah he's my fave.

[marshmallowwitharubberband]

I have a complicated relationship with Jiang Cheng.

As a character, I love his complexity, but I especially love how realistically it portrays one of the real-life outcomes of growing up in a violent, emotionally-repressive environment. When every display of emotion is labeled as weakness and answered with violence, some people eventually become programmed to turn any emotion into agression, see everything as an attack, and become secretly-people-pleasers with zero tolerance to frustration.

Actually, the Jiang siblings are excellent portraits of the different outcomes of what growing up in violence can do to you: you either become small and unnoticeable to survive, you become the kindest person ever so no one goes through the same, your self-worth gets reduced to what you can do for others, you go into substance abuse...

Thinking about it, I wouldn't be surprised if MXTX studied psychology in some form because the personalities resulting of her character's backgrounds are surprisingly realistic, for the most part, but back to Cheng-Cheng.

Guy had all the pressure put on him by his emotions-hating helicopter mom. Yanli got a pass for being a woman and being "destined" to be a wife, and maybe Mme. Yu may have projected a little, maybe she thought if she, herself, was sweeter and meeker JFM would treat her better? Idk, but the fact is, Yanli was allowed to not be "strong" ('Cause Mommy Yu is definitely the type of person to equal strength to agression). WWX "didn't count" because he was just a servant, so she merely ground his self-worth into the dirt.

Poor Jiang Cheng had to bear the brunt of his mom's horrible expectations and it broke him. His agression is more like a scared animal's, he lashes out his fear and frustration as violence because it's the only "acceptable" way, the only way he learned to be taken seriously or handle emotions at all. Much like today's wall-punching macho wannabes.

I wouldn't be surprised if Jiang Cheng, in a modern AU, would be sucked into the red pill rhetoric, he's exactly the lonely, stressed, emotionally hurt and vulnerable demographic those jerks target.

So yeah, he is a complex character with very valid motivations and a horribly tragic story handled in a very realistic way, I love that.

As a person, though, I really, really hate him and admit that, at some points in the book I would skip over his dialogue because yeah, yeah, your suffering, your sacrifices, boo hoo, poor you, my god, just shut up, everyone in this place has suffered and lost and is majorly messed up, you're not special! (At least he didn't actively murder anyone)

But I am aware it's because he reminds me, uncannily accurately, of someone who irl emotionally abused me all through childhood while the other adults around me did nothing. They, too, were obsessed with what I "owed" them both literally and metaphorically, and showed their affection with criticism, aggressiveness, and irate explosions. And while I understand them more now and the cycle of violence they were a victim of, I cannot forgive their actions. And I kin Wei Wuxian too hard to ever forgive Jiang Cheng.

But I do like how The Untamed softened him a lot and took care to emphasize that he was just an insecure kid who wanted to be accepted and the universe made him its chew toy. It re-portrayed him as that younger sibling who just wants to be included in his big bro's adventures and keeps being pushed aside by everybody. TU JC is my sweet little baby and needs a hug.

Book JC can go fry asparagus.

[sillygoofyqueer]

Caught up on losing hope and Four? You asshole (affectionate)?? You made me cry for several reasons?? (I’m only half exaggerating but tbh you got me pretty damn close) wwx being taken care of and getting emotional abt it?? Running away and having a panic attack??? HUALIAN CAMEO?!?? Tbh it’d be a little funny if they became consistent cameo characters who give advice to the disaster that is wangxian. Also you spoil me with all this good writing istg. Like, what else do I read?? It’s hard to find well written fics Four >:/! Also Jin ling crying over Wu Ming??? I was in my room yelling “you would help him escape but he doesn’t want you to because he thinks you’ll hate him!! :(!! (And you actually might…)”. Also jgy catching on?? Hello??? What’s he gonna do with that? Idk whether to hope he does nothing with it and brushes it off or that he’s an evil little asshole and uses it against both of them. I am a bit curious as to what Jiang cheng is going to think about all this. Same with Lan Xichen because in canon he denies it but he can’t really do that here because there’s PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. Or maybe he will deny it because jgy is a good liar. But yea. As per usual I wish I could give you more kudos and please remember to TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF :/

Wrestling you into the biggest hug ever right now, aight?? BIGGEST hug ever. You can't cry, 'cause then I'll cry and I won't be able to work on Losing Hope 😨😨, and nobody wants that. Hey, there's so much going on, maybe Hualian do just randomly pop up throughout the fic and are like, "don't forget, communication is key!" or "always wear red if you want to look badass" and then just vanish, leaving everyone like "???" I'm going to think about this so much now... You are so sweet oh my golly gosh, PLEAASE THERE ARE OTHER FICS THAT ARE BETTER THAN MINE (I've been reading them instead of working on losing hope, but you can't prove that)- ((my current favourite is Grimoire)). You flatter me, now I'm violently sobbing. AGAIN. This really can't be good for me, I can't cry this much. Jin Ling just wants his Wu Ming to come back! He surely could have helped his friend escape, because he cares about his friend more than anything Xiao-Shushu could say about him! No matter what he had done, there has to be a reason for it, or else he would have scared Jin Ling off, right? I think the real question is, how could he recognise Wu Ming if he were to see him on the streets? I think that is one of the biggest fears for Jin Ling, and I can't WAIT to get into that. Jin Guangyao catching on about possible communication between Jin Ling and Wei Wuxian could not be a good thing. I wonder what on earth he could do with all of this information...nothing bad, right? He's too good for that, right? :] Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen are definitely in an interesting situation in all of this, because Jiang Cheng has no idea what's going on - why on earth is Jin Ling crying? He simply has to do something about this, he has to fucking find who has made his nephew cry and kill them chat to them about why they think it's a good idea to insult Jin Ling. My favourite thing about this AU (of sorts) is that while Lan Xichen does know that Lan Wangji is madly in love with Wei Wuxian (due to being told by his brother, they can talk about these things because ✨communication✨), he doesn't know HOW madly in love with Wei Wuxian his brother actually is, because there was no confrontation after the Nightless City Massacre. For all Lan Xichen knows, Lan Wangji has moved on from Wei Wuxian because he has no idea how down bad Lan Wangji is for this chaotic controversial man of the cultivation world. This is a little ramble away from what you actually pointed out, but I think it genuinely actually helps out with it. As you've said, there's physical evidence of how Wei Wuxian's been treated by Jin Guangyao and the Jin Clan. PLUS!! Lan Xichen in canon could be seen as biased AWAY from Wei Wuxian because of how he's treated his brother (this is just me rambling at this point), meaning he would be less likely to feel sympathy and want to help Wei Wuxian even for his brother. In this world, there isn't this bias away from Wei Wuxian! Could that help with convincing him of what Jin Guangyao has done? We'll damn well see, or my name isn't Four.

[rayan12sworld]

💙The Path

By:Seastar98

Summary:

Some fates are set in stone. Others are written in sand. No one can know which they have until they try to change them.

Nie Huaisang decides to do something about Wei Wuxian's exile. Maybe his path is set, but the least he can do is try, right?

Chapter:32/32

Words:279,460

Status:completed

It was incredible to watch. Even with their eyes closed, they had such an awareness of each other they could move in unison. Their senses were so well-tuned they could sense attacks coming through the hallucinations, yet somehow, they evenly divided the attacks between them, never aiming for the same chain set. “There might be something to that soulmate business,” Someone muttered. Jiang Cheng glared in their general direction. He could fight like that with Wei Wuxian, but he’d been raised and trained with Wei Wuxian. Over a decade of being together gave them the knowledge to be in sync in a fight. Maybe not while blind. Maybe not now that he had Zidian and Wei Wuxian had Chenqing. But they were brothers. They had each others’ backs. Wei Wuxian and Hanguang-Jun, at that point, knew each other for months. Most of that time was spent in a classroom or the library. If they fought, it was against the other. Even against the Waterborne Abyss, there wasn’t that much actual fighting. They didn’t train for this, yet being together just seemed so natural. Destined. He was growing to hate that word

~~

Wei Wuxian once again shared a look with Lan Wangji. Nie Huaisang threw a nut at him. Lan Wangji caught it easily, then looked at him oddly. The smaller man rolled his eyes, “I’m starting to hate when you and Wei-xiong do that.” Do what? Look at each other? “It is annoying,” Jiang Wanyin agreed. It wasn’t his fault they used to communicate so easily. All it took was a look, and Wei Ying seemed to understand more than he could ever convey with his words. That didn’t last forever. No, when he started cultivating with resentful energy, looking at each other no longer worked. There was dissonance where there was once harmony. And he didn’t have the words to make up for it

~~

“So…” Nie Huaisang shifted in his seat, “Last time Wei-xiong and Hanguang-Jun were alone in a cave together they got married.” Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes at the devious young man. Nie Huaisang had always been on the periphery of his life. He’d never given him reason to focus on him before. Even now, having confirmed that he was more than he appeared to be...it didn’t bother him. Nie Huaisang still loved his brother, and Nie Mingjue would always be an honorable man. “Not married,” Uncle corrected, his voice tight. “Engaged then,” Nie Huaisang fluttered his fan, likely hiding a mischievous grin, “Are you telling me you spent a week in a cave together and nothing happened?” Lan Wangji recognized the provocation, but he couldn’t stop himself from blushing. He had debated with himself for hours how much of his time with Wei Ying he would show. He eventually decided he should stake a public claim on him. Let everyone in this room know just how dedicated he was to the love of his life. They might not understand it yet. They might still think he hardened his heart when Wei Ying turned to demonic cultivation, but they would see soon that Wei Ying really didn’t change much. They would never respect a demonic cultivator, but they did respect him. Their fear of the Yiling Patriarch would one day lead them to action. Their fear of Hanguang-Jun...perhaps that would be enough. He'd make it enough. Xichen choked on his tea, “Something happened?” “You were both injured,” Jiang Wanyin frowned. Jin Zixuan flushed, “I thought Lans were romantic.” “Oh, it doesn’t have to be romantic, Jin-xiong,” Nie Huaisang fanned himself, “Wei-xiong wouldn’t want to die a virgin.” “Huaisang,” Nie Mingjue warned. “Virgin?” Lan Wangji echoed, unsure if he wanted to know the answer or was jealous that Nie Huaisang would know this answer. “You really need to work on your jealousy,” Nie Huaisang laughed, “What? We can share porn but not our own experiences?” “Experiences,” Lan Wangji repeated again. He knew it was likely a joke, that Nie Huaisang was using this conversation to ease the tension in the room or some other reason he didn’t care for. They were on the same side so long as Wei Ying wasn’t disposable to him. “Relax, Wangji-xiong,” Nie Huaisang lowered his fan to show his grin, “Wei-xiong’s never even kissed anyone. He’s all talk.” Lan Wangji barely stopped his mouth from twitching into a pleased smile. His brother just kept coughing. Jin Guangyao patted his back, “You don’t have to look so pleased with that.” He wouldn’t love Wei Ying less if he wasn’t his first, but he couldn’t deny how satisfying it would be to be each other's one and only

~~

“If not now, when?” Jiang Cheng retorted, “I’ve already had enough of you. Get lost!” Get lost. Jiang Cheng almost laughed at the cruel irony of his words. He kept telling Wei Wuxian to get lost, and then he was lost to them. For three months physically, for far longer in reality. They lost the old Wei Wuxian. He hung his head, ready to receive his sister’s disappointment. She wouldn’t get angry. She never got angry at him, and she especially wouldn’t hold his actions while he was grieving against him. So she would be disappointed, and it would hurt a thousand times worse than if she just struck him as he’d struck Wei Wuxian. Jiang Cheng told him to get lost, and he did. He should have been careful what he wished for. He hadn’t been prepared to get it.

~~

Wei Wuxian didn’t fight back, though he did weakly grab at Jiang Cheng’s hands as the younger continued shouting, “You should’ve just let Lan Wangji and Jin Zixuan die. Why should we care about their lives? Just let them die. Why did you stand up for them? Now, Yunmeng has been destroyed. My parents are gone. You are happy, aren’t you? Why?” “How dare you!” Lan Wangji would have risen if his brother hadn’t grabbed his shoulder. He would have attacked if his brother hadn’t taken his sword. He still could summon Bichen and send it across the room, but Jiang Yanli had tugged her brother closer. There were still tears in her eyes from the sight of one brother choking the other out, and in that moment, he couldn’t bear to cause her anymore pain. “How dare he what?” Nie Huaisang demanded, “Repeat the mistakes of his parents?” Xichen’s grip weakened in shock, and Lan Wangji turned his attention to the smaller man, “Aren’t all of us doing the same?” Nie Mingjue flinched, as did Lianfeng-Zun and Jin Zixuan. Lan Wangji barely kept himself from outwardly reacting. The words struck too close to his heart. He was too close to making the same mistake as his father. He was tempted to hide Wei Wuxian away in Gusu and then seclude himself from the world as punishment. As long as Wei Wuxian was safe, he would happily do so.

~~

Lan Wangji had heard a number of Wei Ying’s cries. There was his shout of terror when facing the beast in the Wen Sect’s dungeon. There was his shout of surprise when Nie Huaisang snuck up on him. But the only cry of pain he’d heard was when he was a child. He hadn’t let out a noise when he was hurt by Wen Chao. He only whined to get pity when he was branded. Even facing the Xuanwu, where he was exhausted, he was largely silent. It was new to hear him cry out in agony. Which only proved how much pain he was in. “Jiang Wanyin doesn’t deserve this,” Lan Wangji said. “He does in Wei Wuxian’s eyes,” His brother replied. Wei Ying had terrible judgment then. But he would have to respect his sacrifice. It was too late to change it. “Wangji,” His brother pressed his sleeve to his cheek. When he drew back, Lan Wangji could see it was wet. He didn’t bother to hide his tears. Wei Ying deserved so much more than his tears.

~~

Wei Ying loves me,” Wangji replied. “Oh,” Xichen sighed. “It was obvious,” Lianfeng-Zun commented under his breath. Lan Qiren didn’t agree, but there was such certainty in his nephews that he doubted his own instinct. It would be impossible to dissuade Wangji from this course of action now that he knew his feelings were returned. He mentally calculated how quickly they could pull together a wedding and hoped that time was enough to prevent them from eloping. Wei Wuxian was shameless and unrestrained, but he wasn’t evil. He made Wangji happy. “Then you have my blessing,” Lan Qiren said, unable to keep some bitterness out. It would be a difficult conversation with the elders. He wouldn’t let Wei Wuxian be treated like his brother’s wife, and while the disciples here perked up at his quiet words and spread them back cheerfully, there would be some resistance to integration. Even if he said it was rehabilitation. “You can present him with a ribbon after this,” Xichen permitted. “Two,” Wangji replied. “Two ribbons?” The elder of the two frowned. “Hm,” Wangji blushed slightly, “For Wei Ying and our son.” Lan Qiren closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If Wangji had met the child, and the Jiang siblings made no mention of a child, then it had to be a Wen child. A Wen child currently living in the Burial Mounds, who had been liberated from a Jin Sect labor camp. A child Lan Qiren wouldn’t have believed existed until yesterday. He released the breath slowly. His grandnephew and heir to GusuLan was living in the Burial Mounds. Being raised by Wei Wuxian no less!

~~

Such foolishness! How could they have been so mistaken? They thought Hanguang-Jun disapproved of Wei Wuxian’s cultivation style out of his inherent righteousness! They never thought it would be anger born from worry, or that the worry came from love. This wasn’t a battle between a righteous hero and a wicked villain. This was as Nie Huaisang said earlier. A lover’s quarrel.

~~

Lan Zhan cut the association,” Wei Wuxian corrected, “I didn’t.” If Wangji were holding anything in his hands, he would have crushed it. Lan Qiren almost wanted to crush something himself. It was frustrating to watch, and every misunderstanding was just another knot to detangle later. The only bright side was that Wangji had his work cut out for him convincing Wei Wuxian he didn’t hate him. That meant the danger of elopement was far lower. Wei Wuxian was stubborn like that.

~~🤣🤣

What justice?” Jin Guangshan narrowed his eyes, “Will children decide my punishment?” “If they must,” Hanguang-Jun rose and swiftly pulled out his sword, “Shall I use Inquiry to ask the children killed at Qiongqi what they think?” “You dare!” Jin Guangshan yelled. “I do,” Hanguang-Jun stepped closer, “Submit yourself to justice.” It wasn’t a request this time. As always, there was a weight to Hanguang-Jun’s words that no one else could achieve. The Jin Sect framed Wei Wuxian and sent them into exile. The Jin Sect separated Hanguang-Jun from the love of his life. There may be an argument in there about bias in judgment, but Jin Guangshan wisely swallowed it back.

~~

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

Hello

Finished the mdzs book and the protagonist confuses me maybe because all I heard of this novel before I read it was that he was morally gray so I was expecting something else. Just wanted to ask do you think his traits of forgiving and forgetting and to not linger in the past and not let resentment in his heart a bit too unrealistic? Also why do you think he choose to live in the world that pushed him in a corner to the point where he did lose everything? And if he does not hold anything against those people specially jc does that mean their could be a relationship between them again he does ask jin ling about how he’s doing ? Those are questions I have to anser for myself by re reading but would love to hear you opinions.

Good day, anon. I will break your ask down a bit since there are several questions here! I will place the rest under the cut since this is a bit wordy (my apologies).

All I heard of this novel before i read it was that he was morally grey so I was expecting something else

This is a fandom misconception, as the title itself, is supposed to be a red herring and falling into the in story lies of what was spread about Wei Wuxian. The author herself has stated as such that Wei Wuxian was always meant to reflect a moral and right stance in his ideals and thoughts. Now does this always mean "no mistakes ever", not at all. That simply isn't human, but, he reflects on the actions that he had gone through himself, and his only regrets are, feeding into the cruelty and pushing Lan Wangji away years ago, and, not saying anything of his own sufferings out of the obligation of appearing ungrateful for the help he had received from others.

Meaning the Jiang leaders, being sheltered by Wen Qing during the Sun Shot Campaign and Wen Qing having successfully transferred his core to a despondent Jiang Cheng). In each of these instances there is the underlying theme of honor and duty that he tries to fulfill, due to the unsaid stipulations placed upon him from several parties and his own ethics telling him he cannot leave them in such dire circumstances, or say no as he was raised as a cultivator despite his status as an orphan. He is simply not morally grey or questionable aside from his fall when he tortures Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu further with Jiang Cheng. He knows then, that Lan Wangji was not condemning him, but worried about how he was driven to those lengths of hate, and if he was able to actually pull back from that brink.

He was, but not without a lot of continued consequences of his actions. It is meant to reflect the daoist principles of life. There is no redemption in Daoist Buddhism, there are actions, consequences, and reflection to overcome the sufferings of human life. You learn and move on with that enlightenment of life lessons.

Do you think his traits of forgiving and forgetting and not to linger in the past and not let resentment in his heart a bit too unrealistic?

No, I do not think this unrealistic. Simply because, this is a lesson my own mother has told me time and again, and still does to this day when I get upset. Hate is the suffering of the world. Let it take over, and what else is there for you in the end when you have achieved whatever revenge you want? Or, hold on to that hate so much nothing can make you happy or satisfied because you compare it to everything you do not have or achieved?

Forgiveness as well, does not mean that you forget, it just means you have moved on, and no longer will let the past dictate the happiness you can have in the future. You also do not need to invite that situation within your own life again, other than saying "I learned for the better, and I don't need to resent that."

Wei Wuxian chooses to live in a hurtful world, because we all live in that. There is going to be hurt in the world, I myself as well would choose the happiness I can gain, without spite. Dwelling on the hate and what if's of better that you do not have, without actually choosing to reach for it, is useless and hypocritical. We make our own unhappiness (at least if we go by Buddhist principle). Wei Wuxian knows what continued hate does to people (Madam Yu), and it is not a way to continue life as he tries to encourage Jiang Cheng to look towards the future that could have been happier for the both.

If he does not hold anything against those people specifically jc does that mean their could be a relationship between them again he does ask jin ling about how he was doing?

Forgiveness as I have said, does not mean forgetting or always a restart to reopen anything. You can close a chapter of your life, without needing that person in your life again.

For example, I have an estranged relationship with my father, but, this does not mean I will not ask my family in contact with him how he is doing. I'll ask, I get an answer, he is the same as always, that's all I need to know. I am different, he is different, we do not have the same wants, it is better that way without needing more. There are still complicated feelings. They will always be there, but, I have as much of an answer and closure I will ever get, it has to be enough. I cannot dwell on the what if's any longer when my own life has happiness, and I don't need him in that. My happiness is not mandated any longer on his wants or expectations.

Wei Wuxian, does not need Jiang Cheng personally in his life, but will care about him, as he was a significant part of his past. We do not stop caring, but we choose to let go.

[justacoyote]

Tagged by @snarkivistfic! Thank you!!

1. What ship were you completely obsessed with when you were a teenager, but now you don't care about anymore? It would have to be Jean Grey/Scott Summers.  I have lost the majority of my taste for X-Men comics.

2. Which ship would you consider your first one? See question 1 LOL. 

3. Your first fanfic was about which couple? I didn’t start writing fanfiction until 3 years ago so it was all Weilan (Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan) from Guardian :D

4. Do you remember the first couple you saw fanart of? Uhhh probably Jean Grey and Scott Summers LOL.

5. Have you ever gotten into ship discourse? Nooo. I cannot stomach arguing.

6. Did you use to have any NOTP or have one currently? I mean not really? I just don’t read those ships I’m not into 😊

7. Who were the couple in the last fanfic you read? Astarion and Halsin.  Oh BG3 you have a strong hold on me right now.

8. Currently, do you have any OTPs? ChuGuo (Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng), Weilan (Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan) and MingCheng (Nie Mingue/Jiang Cheng).

9. Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting together? I can’t think of any off the top of my head.

10. Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they are kind of interesting? Hm.  Nothing pops up in my brain, but I’m sure there was at some point in my life.   

11. Do you have any ship that, in the past, would've been considered normal but now you would be cancelled over? Not that I can think of! 

12. What is your favorite crack ship? I don’t know if I have any crack ships, depending on how you define it, but I think the smaller ships often are seen as crack ships.  Otherwise nah!

13. What is the couple you read the most fanfics about? ChuGuo and Weilan.

14. What do most of your ships usually have in common? Oh what an interesting question!  It probably has to be not thinking you deserve love and then the person who loves you shows you that you do deserve love.

15. What you absolutely hate in a ship? I guess just the ship breaking up and never resolving their issues and staying in a relationship.  I love me happy endings. ALL THE HAPPY ENDINGS.

If anyone wants to grab this you can totally say I tagged you :D

[incarnadinedreams]

Do you have any particular thoughts about the jiang siblings trio and their dynamics?

Oh my goodness do I EVER. Well, when you say 'particular thoughts' I hope you weren't expecting anything resembling like… well-organized, properly structured thoughts, because my brain is mostly mush and there's not much of that around here. But boy do I ever have a LOT of very strong feelings about them that I am bad at articulating but I'm going to let them splorch out in an incoherent jumble now!!!

What I love about these three is how much they love each other… and how much that not only doesn't prevent their tragedy, it fuels it. Love is the kindling and the kerosene on that fire. It's intense, as destructive as it is beautiful in equal measure. Too close and too far at the same time, a double-edged sword that shreds them all to bits again and again, hurting themselves and each other, and all three of them end up doing something like dying for it at some point.

All of their lives would've been so much easier if they didn't care so damn much. But they hold on anyway.

Their relationships end up as the background that casts their strengths and flaws in stark relief in a way that's just so deliciously compelling to me!

From the beginning, there's always this constant undercurrent of something fraught and ambiguous between them. They're always scrambling to pull each other close while they're being pulled farther and farther apart. First by gossip and rumors and the terrible relationship between Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian, then later by their own priorities and duties and obligations.

Their relationships are so difficult to define because it's equally important the ways they aren't siblings as the way they are. The distance is as painfully palpable at points as the bonds they share. That's what makes it so interesting and heartbreaking for me. It's easier to cast Jiang Yanli as the older sister who unquestioningly views Wei Wuxian as her little brother. But I think when it comes to Jiang Cheng it's a lot more complicated.

Between the two of them there's always this lingering question of What am I to you? A friend, a loyal right-hand man, a brother, a half of the twin prides, a hated enemy? Feral devotion or bitter resentment? Something more, something less? Everything or nothing at all?

With the way things play out, with all the things each of them doesn't know, they're both left feeling like the other abandoned them first. From Wei Wuxian believing that Jiang Cheng left him to go back to Lotus Pier alone to retrieve his parent's bodies, to Jiang Cheng's desperate and furious "if you insist on protecting them, I won't be able to protect you!".

But even through all that, there's an unquestioning faith in Wei Wuxian - too much, sometimes. When Wei Wuxian tells him they'll be the Twin Prides of Yunmeng, he believes him. When Wei Wuxian tells him to go up that mountain blindfolded, he does it. When Wei Wuxian tells him that he can control the ghost path, that everything will be fine, he believes him. Right up until he can't. Right up until the moment that faith shatters, when he's got his injured sister bleeding in his arms and Wei Wuxian finally admits he can't control it.

And yet, despite it all - perhaps in spite of himself - Jiang Cheng just can't stop loving him, and he hates it. At the Second Siege, he's prepared to do something that looks an awful lot like sacrificing himself for him again (even if it doesn't actually end up happening), and again at Guanyin Temple he didn't hesitate to take a sword through the chest for him (and ugh, Lan Wangji), even if wasn't actually necessary and therefore mostly embarrassing. But hey, it's the thought that counts, right?

Anyway I might add more thoughts later because truly there is just SO MUCH and I didn't even scratch the surface with Yanli even a little bit, and I got through that whole thing without even really digging into the golden core situation either, or the way the situation with the Jiang parents affected them all… and so really this isn't even the preamble of how many feelings I have about these three! (Thanks for the ask btw!)

[whatisalifeihaveablog]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Ooh I don't mind at all but also this is a very hard question 🤣 I'll make a caveat that this top 10 is not necessarily in order and is subject to change but I love any opportunity to talk about my faves <3. Think of it as list of characters that I love more than a proper top 10

Yuki Sohma (Fruits Basket) - Gotta start with the guy that's been my icon on here for several years now. I read the Fruits Basket manga when I was in 7th grade and I resonated so hard with Yuki's internal struggles. I've always said our life circumstances are very different but our anxieties and personal difficulties are so similar and I had never encountered a character I related to so hard before so I latched on and have not let go to this day

Shigeo Kageyama (Mob Psycho 100) - I'm currently rewatching this series and keep thinking about how if it had come out when I was younger I would have probably latched on to Mob just as much as I did Yuki for how relatable he can be lmao. As an adult I watch it and really root for this kid and feel genuinely proud in every moment of growth he experiences.

Yusuke Urameshi (Yu Yu Hakusho) - A character I was younger than the first time I watched the anime and am currently significantly older than and he has become my anime son. I adore this boy in all of his asshole tough guy posturing and his wit and genuine care for his friends and determination and just all of it. I also want to wrap him in a blanket and give him some delicious hot soup.

Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass) - One thing about me is if a character is pretty and cunning and deadly intelligent and morally grey, they are likely going to be a favorite and Lelouch was an early example of this for me. Code Geass is one of my favorite animes I've ever watched and watching Lelouch scheme and generally be him is so damn delightful every time. He's a character I feel like I could write an entire dissertation on, I honestly could with any of these characters, but I am trying to avoid that for the sake of the length of this post lmao

Wei Wuxian (Mdzs/The Untamed) - How did it take me this long to talk about mdzs? Wei Wuxian is absolutely amazing to watch or read about in every single scene. Complicated and brilliant and cocky and so very tragic. He's another one who hits a LOT of points on the "Who is gonna be Sarah's next favorite character" bingo card. I've scarcely cried for a character as much as I've cried for Wei Wuxian, he is so dear to my heart.

Chuuya Nakahara (Bungo Stray Dogs) - What can I say? I love an angry boy. I'll be honest, a lot of my initial love for Chuuya was aesthetics. His hair and outfit alone had me primed to love him from the start but then he came in with that cocky/angry attitude and honestly fucking sick power and that solidified it lmao. And then the more I learned about him beyond the aesthetics and immediate impressions the more I loved him.

Jiang Cheng (Mdzs/The Untamed) - Definitely gotta mention my favorite angry boy of all my angry boys <3. This man has so many flaws and I honestly do get why it's hard for some people to like him but man I love him so much. His temper, to me, is just another side of his passion which also extends into his ambition and love and he rebuilt his clan from nothing and I'm definitely a person who even when it comes to his more "wrong" decisions/actions I think they're more understandable than the people who hate him say. I feel a strong need to defend him a lot of the time

Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece) - Nothing but respect for my pirate king!!!! Luffy is such a fun character. Like truly one of my favorite shonen protags of all time and that mostly comes down to how hard he makes me smile while reading just constantly. Everything he says and everything he does is so wildly entertaining while also being so earnest and honest and simultaneously laid back. The way he loves his crew and puts everything he has into being their captain. I love him so much lol

Wen Kexing (Word of Honor) - Pretty, cunning, morally grey, do I need to say more? His totally shameless attitude in the beginning was so funny all the time and then the deeper we got into his character the more he went from being the most entertaining person on screen to, well still that, but also a character I feel so many emotions for all the time.

Alphonse Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist) - Now here's some top tier anime son material. My love for Al has only ever grown with the years and subsequent rewatches of this series. I. Love. This. Boy. He has seen and been through too much and is still so good and loving and steadfast in his goals and values. Literally couldn't find a better boy. 10/10

[draugrbite]

i've been doing some thinking (alt: wwx meta)

so, for some background, i was really, really into the wei wuxian/lan wanji (if there's a ship-name i've forgotten it) pairing for a good while. i'm talking from the time there were only 200 fics on AO3 to the time there was about 8000. i would refresh that page literally every single day and devour all the new fics i could get my grabby hands on.

i hate strongly dislike wei wuxian —and also lan wanji by association— with a ridicoulsly fierce passion now, to the point i even filter them out on my socials. and i think i finally have an answer for why.

wei wuxian is a trashfire (affectionally). he just is. if you pre-date the mdzs fandom from before the Untamed, you probably agree with me. if you joined the fandom through the Untamed then... i don't know, that's when i hit exit.

but, to put it simply, it's about accountability.

because wei wuxian is a trashfire. he makes poor choices born out of low self-esteem and a big ego. he thinks nothing of himself, and he thinks everyone else also thinks nothing of him because he thinks that and he's practically a genius, so he must be right, right?

he walks out on jiang cheng because he's certain it's the right thing to do and he expects jiang cheng to go along with it because he thinks it won't hurt jiang cheng that much, because low self-esteem.

wwx is a trashfire—he's flawed to his core. saying he's a straight-up good person is a lie, and it's one that damages his kind of fascinating characterization. he's a good person in the sense that he has strong morals, sure, but he persistently hurts others, even those he loves, out of a disregard for the consequences of his actions. he's kind of hilariously unable to plan long-term (which is also why he would be a horrible sect leader).

he's a flawed, complicated character and that's what i loved about him. and then... the Untamed happened.

and i don't wanna be petty (though i definitely can be) because to be fair i haven't watched that show—i got through the first 10 eps or so on jiang cheng but to be honest it was boring. it was dull, and it didn't catch my interest, and i moved on. simple.

but a lot of people liked it, and wwx in the Untamed is, to put it kindly, a way better person than in the book. or, well, he's framed as a much less flawed version, and the narrative supports this by making every one of his bad choices, and their consequences, somebody else's fault. it's a much less critical view of his part in his own actions, and where the blame lies. everything is a part of a conspiracy, and wwx is now an uncomplicated good guy who just got fucked over by The Evil Person™.

(note, i'm generalizing here and i'm aware of it. again, i haven't watched the full show, but this is what i got out of all those fanfics i read, and all that drama that was going on in the mdzs fandom before my interest popped like a balloon and i stopped paying attention)

and now we're back at the accountability part of it. because when you take away all of wwx's agency, when you deny him the ability to make his own choices, when his bad actions and the worst consequences are always somebody's elses fault, you're changing a core part of his character—the one i loved so much in the days of yore.

the narrative in the Untamed never held wwx accountable, and the wider fandom that built around the Untamed never did either, because uncomplicated good guys that are the underdogs despite the fun necromancy powers are like, cool, you know? (and wwx is cool, i'm not denying that.)

but... idk, i just have a lot of feelings about it. and i think a lot of it boils down to, when you're taking away wwx's ability to make poor choices out of his own volition, you're taking away his agency.

and characters with no agency are just boring.

[princess-of-purple-prose]

[ID: First is a gifset from The Untamed featuring Jiang Cheng protecting Wei Wuxian. First, young Jiang Cheng tells Wei Wuxian that he'll protect him. Second, he blocks a blow coming for Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian in Guanyin Temple. Third, he throws himself between Yu Ziyuan and Wei Wuxian. Fourth, he stands in the rain, making the choice to distract the Wen cultivators.

Images two and three are sets of tags that read: #just thinking about how of all the pairs of sibs in this show #JC is the only younger sib we see actively acting to protect an older sibling #I don’t mean that the other ones don’t care or that I think they wouldn’t #but the narrative chooses not to show us moments in which they do #(we see their devotion in other ways. Wen Ning demanding posthumous recognition for Wen Qing’s genius #Nie Huaisang waging a years-lot revenge scheme to avenge Nie Mingjue’s murder #Lan Wangji’s tendency to follow Lan Xichen around like a baby duckling) #idk about novel canon but CQL really makes a point of showing us how protective Jiang Cheng is of Wei Wuxian #in big ways that are obvious (trying to stop Madam Yu from whipping/maiming WWX and even physically putting his body between them) #and small (saving a bun for him when he was locked up in a. dungeon overnight) #not to mention all the subtler things that the show elides in the moment or misdirects us on and only makes clear well after the fact #this is notable because from WWX’s POV there is no question that he is the protector in their relationship #gege rights even if he’s not allowed to say it #and I think…JC does not exactly dislike that #he thinks WWX is amazing and can do anything! fix anything! solve any problem! #he always wants WWX around and in fact has fairly intense anxiety about the prospect of WWX abandoning him/leaving the Jiang #so I wouldn’t say he wants independence from gege or wants WWX to stop trying to help him #but he very much wants more equality in their relationship #he wants WWX to trust him the way he trusts WWX #trust me to be able and willing to protect YOU #trust my judgement trust my decisions trust my capabilities #this is such a huge part of why he’s devastated to find out about the core transfer #like threefold #1) in his mind it probably renders meaningless a sacrifice he made willingly and silently so long ago. something he never regretted #was it worth it after all? he has to wonder knowing what he knows now #2) gege was suffering this way ALL THIS TIME. because of JC and keeping it a secret from JC #JC never wants to see WWX hurt! he hates it! this is horrible! #3) it’s like the ultimate gesture of ‘i don’t think you’re strong enough and I didn’t believe you could survive your ordeal without me’ #JC has in fact spent the last sixteen years surviving without WWX and it fucking HURT and it was HARD. #but he did it anyway! he made the Jiang strong again! he is one of the most powerful (and feared) cultivators in the Jianghu!

#picking up where I left off thank you #only to have Wen Ning literally swoop in and tell him that he is NOTHING without WWX’s core #and that all his accomplishments without WWX are meaningless and not really his after all #and then fuckin worst of all is WWX framing this decision as his obligation to the Jiang #rather than the supreme act of love for a brother that it ACTUALLY was #bad enough to be infantalized that way #to be told ‘you are not trusted. you are not capable’ #worse to be made to feel that this was simply something WWX did to repay a favor to Jiang Fengmian #or a disciple’s duty to the sect heir #(we know that is not the case and that WWX loves JC intensely. but JC has also spent the last sixteen years doubting it bc Things Happened) #(and WWX is not saying the right things to make the nature of his decision about his core clear to JC in a way that allows him to accept it #AS the gesture of love that it was) #anyway no wonder JC was so incredibly fucked up by discovering that #all his life he has tried to protect and care for his brother as much as his brother did for him #and this feels like the most profound repudiation of both that drive and his capability to do so #WWX is so firmly invested in beinf Protective Older Brother #and so…insecure about his own right to be loved and protected by his family #that he simply cannot or will not see or accept how much JC tries to take care of him #once again I’ve talked myself into the point where I think he really does need to know about ‘take care’ #he’s missing a vital puzzle piece in their relationship #just as JC was missing a piece when he didn’t know about WWX’s core #the untamed #yunmeng bros #the untamed siblings. End ID]

jiang cheng + protecting wei wuxian “You can also not worry about dogs in the future. I’ll help you chase them away.”

[randomingoftherandomness]

I have mixed attitude towards c-dramas, i don't really like them, however there are such gems of a pairings sometimes - like Jiang Cheng and wwx, or scorpion and his yifu. They often have intrigueing premise and idea, and absolutely DON'T follow it through. The only chinese drama i enjoyed throughly, without ignoring a mess (because there wasn't any mess) is "Ruyi's love in the palace". It was amazing not because of brilliant acting, or costumes, even tho it did have all of that. It was amazing because every word had a weight, and every action had a consequence, every issue was addressed, and there wasn't even a hint of 'modern values'. characters felt real. real people of different time. And human feelings are universal. 99% of ancient puppets genre c-dramas fail to deliver that. I know they aren't historical they're fantasy at best and idol cosplay show at worst, but they don't even try to create athmosphere of 'old times'. I guess they really are made for teens, but when i was a teen i also couldn't watch it without cringing - they were too juvenile for my taste. They don't make me care about anyone as a viewer - any wounded will heal, any thousand years old evil will be easily defeated by rag tag team of boy band members, they bleeding from their mouths and go about their day. They constantly talk about immense sacrifices like waiting for a lover for billion years, meditating for another billion, but it's so unrealistic and impossible to take seriously especially when characters never deny themselves anything even on small-scale everyday level. 1)

MJTY is also guilty of this. FL is supposed to be villain protagonist yet they're so afraid for her to be treated like a villain. When she gets discovered her targets start defending and saving her? This craziness alone turned me off of this show. Yet GSJ and GYZ get accused of all crimes for breathing. They're doing and saying the right thing in majority of scenes but everyone looks at them like they are demons. The director loves BL and incest (considering his previous works) so it's given that shangzhi is his faves. So evil angle they get probably is for fetish fuel reasons, to make their hotness too hot to handle. And still, i hated that. They're treated like enemies in their own family for working hard on its prosperity and actual enemies get love and protection. YWS never openly renounced her evil ways, never asked for forgiveness, she just acted like nothing happened, her spy and killer nature is swept under the rug. It's a big fail of the show. All other characters are just fools who want to destroy their own clan. That's what it looks like. Now, as i gather from weibo, they're testing the waters for second season and milking the second cp. Obviously, there's nothing more stupid than to make qian someone's housewife, and as if shangjue will bring home such devious and morally corrupt person to play happy family with (the very home she worked hard to destroy, to the people she worked very hard to hurt). That's murder and disrespect of their respective characters. Betraying everyone and yourself for insane "love" is a good plot for a tragedy, but it has to be perfectly written. there wasn't love between these characters and they're both level-headed people so logical possibility of that storyline is zero. But they will be molded into meaningless happy end romance, with everyone cheering. In my opinion, the ending of MJTY is satisfying as it is. Does anyone really need baby drama and love brained shangjue? That's the opposite of what he's like and why he attracted fans in the first place 2)

My brain is empty because wow that is one wall of text lol

I'm not saying that this is a 'reason' or an 'excuse' as to why certain promising premise falls through in cdramaland, but honestly speaking, censors and cash play a VERY big role in what ends up on screens and this isn't something we can deny. How many shows and movies have filmed scenes/scripts/sequences/storylines that were completely dropped at the Nth hour for "reasons"? Profit pays a big role in what gets aired, and from the get-go, cdramas aren't the places to be if you're looking for morally grey/villain MCs that allowed to be morally grey/villainous/unrepentant (or in YWS's case, allowed to work for redemption). That's not the way it works. Which sucks, admittedly if you (like me) enjoy that kinda of stuff.

In response to your statements regarding 'Does anyone really need baby drama and love brained shangjue?', I may be kicking the hornet's nest here, but just as I was the intended audience for Word of Honor, I am not the target audience for The Untamed. And that's okay :) Your Mileage Will Vary when it comes to what's 'good' and what's 'bad'. Someone will enjoy the baby drama and love brained shangjue, though that someone will not be me and I am thinking it won't be you too.

And again, that's okay. As long as you're not going around being a dick to people who would and will enjoy that content, you'll be fine.

After all, as I've heard said by some people who say it with their whole chest with no regard to how entitled it can come across, variety is the spice of life :)