#I say this as a jc supporter: it would be rough to watch

[wixhing0nastar]

So I’m finally sitting down and watching Season 2 of Warrior Nun (I’ve been super sick for the last two weeks but I’ve let it play in the living room over a dozen times for the views) but first I wanted to rewatch Season 1.

Season 1 rewatch thoughts below the cut! Season 2’s coming soon!

First thought: fucking hate Mother Francis or whatever her name is, like, as a disabled person myself learning what she’d done to Ava and the other kids at the orphanage was rough.

On that note though, I do want to give WN props for its surprisingly good representation when it comes to Ava’s disability. Maybe a little-known fact outside of disabled communities, but narratives like Ava’s where the person is magically cured by something are normally pretty unpopular (with us) and offensively written.

But the way it's handled is actually really good! Sure, Ava can magically walk and use her arms again, but we see repeatedly that she struggles with pretty basic (for an able-bodied person) things because she was never in a position to learn them. And even more impressive is how they managed to write Ava’s selfish/thoughtless behavior without demonizing her for it and acknowledging that it’s a result of trauma and something that needs to be worked on... like lots if things you have to work on after a long-term traumatic experience.

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I suddenly really want to see Ava and Shannon interact. Like, I know it's impossible on account of Shannon being dead, but I’m very curious what their interactions would look like.

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For some reason, I don't remember the OCS having this much screentime during the earlier episodes... which is good because tbh I really don't vibe with JC’s Drifter group... which is on purpose, we as the audience are drawn into Ava’s narrative and her thoughts and desires and outside of having some uh... Hormonal Feelings towards JC, she doesn't really care about the Drifters outside of having a good time, unlike how she eventually comes to feel out the OCS.

Which, on that note, maybe I’m noticing/paying more attention now because I’ve seen the back half of the season and have come to care about them in retrospect.

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Me Vibrating In My Seat: Look! This random tidbit supports my “Ava is the WN universe’s Second Coming of Christ” theory!

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Okay, another thing I don't think I’ve picked up before was that the flying levitating is a power that’s unique to Ava and that different Warrior Nuns have different “bonus powers” so to speak...

I wonder if, based on Lilith’s reaction during the scene, another one of Ava’s powers is either like... ridiculously high pain tolerance or super rapid healing to the point her brain doesn't register the pain from something as simple as getting hit by a stick?

Because Lilith and Mother Superion both seemed to think it should hurt and I feel like out of everyone they’d know what “standard” Halo-Bearer powers should look like best.

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Ugh Lilith... what sucks is knowing where her character arc is going and this whole “hunting down Ava” thing feels (pardon the pun) saintly in comparison to where she’s going.

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The Mary/Ava episode is probably my favorite episode of Season 1. Just, peek comedy with a mix of feels and lore, aka: perfection.

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Camila showing up to a knife fight with an automatic machine gun (after Ava was just shot with an arrow) is also peek comedy. “I really hope I got God’s message right.” Which I only just realized is a call back to the last conversation with Beatrice.

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Also just... knowing that Ava’s biggest fear is being alone, and like... the joy radiating off of her when Mary, Beatrice, and Camila are taking care of her while she’s injured hurts. Like... after the way Mother Bitch treated her for being quadriplegic, it was such a surprising experience to be taken care of so tenderly by people she’d only known for like... a week? After spending 12 years being told she was nothing but a burden by her own caretaker. No wonder she’s willing to die for them down the line.

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Also, forgot to say anything during the episode, but I love how the two women we’ve kind of seen as primary antagonists up to this point (Jillian and Mother Superion) are both developed into sympathetic characters (and future allies) during the same episode, which is also right around the time Father Vincent starts seeming a little sus (even though it’s hard to tell because everyone else is even more sus).

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Ah... the scene that started it all. I do love Beatrice’s coming out scene. It’s so beautifully done and I love Ava’s reaction, not just as someone who ships them. Like... Ava struggles a bit with empathy, when JC told her about his mom she didn't really seem to care all that much, but when Beatrice is opening up about her own messed up history and is clearly upset, you can almost see the switch getting flipped in Ava’s mind and she becomes genuinely serious and concerned for one of the first times in the show...

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I love heists!

That’s it. That’s the comment.

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The reveal that the main characters have been unknowingly aiding the bad guys the whole time is just... perfection.

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AAAND THERE’S THE CLIFFHANGER! Can’t say I’m upset I won’t have to wait another two years to watch the next episode, lol.

[agendratum]

ok so

as usual after finishing an arc of mdzs my head is full, many thoughts. so let’s talk about the guanyin temple confrontation.

first thing that i kept paying attention to were actually the changes made in order to turn it into live-action. so in cql they had to make the gray-gray characters, the “there are no good or bad guys, just people and their circumstances” characters (unless you’re jgs, than yeah you’re a bad guy and everyone agrees on that actually) into slightly more black and white characters. by the end of cql we are lured into this fake sense of security, “haha, we know who the bad guy is!” (then a year passes and here you are, now a jgy apologist), by the end of mdzs, you just know that, well, decisions were made, unfortunate decisions, by many different people. 

cql had to make wwx into a bit nicer version of himself. the good protagonist couldn’t lose control and accidentally kill a bunch of people, and then kill another bunch of people fully willingly, cause his sister just died and that was the last connection he had to the idea that something still matters in this world. no, out protagonist should be... like a little bit nicer than that. so they lifted some of that responsibility for atrocities off him, but they couldn’t just evaporate it, could they? they had to put it somewhere. they put it on jgy. after all he’s the big bad in the end of the story, well, the only surviving person from all people that could be considered big bads, he’s the one that “did every terrible deed imaginable”. he could take that responsibility, they had to make his grayness into a slightly darker shade anyway.

i am actually kinda surprised by how different my reaction to jgy was in mdzs. obviously, there is a year difference between me watching cql and me reading this part of mdzs, and over that year i changed my opinion on jgy 5 thousand times and joined the camp “actually meng yao deserves all the best things in the world”, but anyway. when i was watching cql i was like, oh my god, can someone just kill him already, before he does something bad again, before more bullcrap comes out of his mouth, and also stop yelling at this kid about all the “valid” reasons to why you killed his dad. in mdzs my reaction to jgy’s confessions was like, “huh. he has a point”.

now don’t get me wrong there, some shitty things were done, but the thing is, the things he did really made sense from his point of view, from this position and life experience he really had no other way to go. i especially was convinced by his reasoning to why he couldn’t cancel his engagement with qin su. not only he would suffer from this story, because he already went through so much to make this marriage possible, but also qin su’s parents and herself would most likely suffer, their public image would be destroyed, only jgs wouldn’t lose anything. and you could feel the hatred and bitterness he felt towards his father talking about this, and everyone in the temple could agree with that, because he “just forgot he made another child”, he didn’t even notice.

another interesting detail for me was lxc saying, “it’s not that i didn’t know that you did some of these things, it’s that i thought you had a good reason for doing them”. so yeah, a reminder, lxc isn’t blind and he isn’t an idiot. he trusted a person he thought he knew better than anyone else, and he believed in this person. the problem, i think, is that “a good reason” is different for lxc and for jgy. lxc would understand a righteous reason, doing something for the greater good. working for wen ruohan? that was explainable. they all were fighting in a war, fighting for the better, brighter future, and meng yao’s contribution to that future was immeasurable. what if he killed some people there? he had a good reason in lxc’s eyes. but meng yao had other good reasons in his life, some of these reasons lxc never had to deal with in his life. survival, for example, is one of them. meng yao’s early years were very different from lxc’s. not to say that lxc’s life was easy, but it was never truly unstable. meng yao had to learn how to survive in a world where no one wanted him. he lived with one dream, promised to him by his mother, a future where he wouldn’t have to suffer anymore, where he wouldn’t have to smile at people he hated, please every one of their desires so they wouldn’t harm him. and then he entered this life promised to him and he still had to survive, but now in a luxurious man-eats-man world of lanling jin.

meng yao’s life really was this unstoppable ball of snow rolling down the mountain, and every decision he made just made the ball bigger and it would just roll faster. there is even a moment where jgy accuses lxc of being naive. lxc isn’t really naive, of course, it was said in the heat of the moment, but it is a fact that lxc was never kicked down a staircase, never had to crawl back up, and the thing is, at the bottom of the staircase, there are other good reasons to do things.

and in a way lxc understood that jgy in his position really didn’t have any other choices, he just couldn’t find peace in this mindset. he kept repeated through that part, “and yet, and yet, you shouldn’t have done that, you should have...” and he never said what exactly jgy should have done. because lxc doesn’t know. jgy doesn’t know. no one knows. what choices were better? how could he fix all that and still survive? in a way, lxc saying that reminded me of wangxian farewell in the burial mounds. when lwj asks, “you really indent to keep going like this?” and wwx, who wished, who longed for another solution, for some way out, asked him, “what else can i do? what method can i choose to resolve this, not use this technique and still protect people i want to protect?” and lwj didn’t have an answer. lxc didn’t have an answer either.

another amazing thing about guanyin temple confrontation, is that it’s very heavily wwx’s pov. most on the novel is his pov of course, but there were a loot of his thoughts in this arc. and he was rather understanding towards jgy. not in a way “i agree with every reasoning behind every decision you made” but in a way “i understand that you had your reasons, but all of them will become irrelevant really soon, they already are, because the crowd will only remember you as a son of a whore who did every terrible deed imaginable, and all the good deeds will be forgotten” 

now his thoughts on nhs, or who he suspected nhs to be, were way less nice. especially compared to live action, nhs didn’t make such an impression on me as he made through wwx’s thought process in the end of guanyin temple arc. of course, wwx is no sect leader yao, he is not the one to jump to conclusions, he just noticed that if you put some facts together, they actually start making a lot of sense, and formed a full picture. but he didn’t have any proof, so he kept it mostly to himself. yet he still thought for a moment about nhs as someone who didn’t care about collateral damage that much, who was ready to sacrifice lives of juniors, sect leaders, anyone, if it would add to jgy’s kill count and make his fall and destruction even more disastrous. not that those are not the things that happened in live action, but you know, when wwx put it all together like that in one paragraph, i really felt it. like, oof, dude it’s ROUGH. and not even jgy’s death was enough, as nhs basically admitted to stealing meng shi’s body and planning to repay jgy for what he did to nmj’s body. yikes

i mean i still support nhs in everything he does, but yikes

also side note, glad that the dead cats situation finally became clear for me. this whole year i was so confused about who left all these dead cats for juniors to find. i thought maybe xue yang did?? to lure wwx?? so apparently it was also nhs. good to know.

another detail, probably the last one my brain can generate for now, that pained me a great deal was my poor child jin ling. i already cried about some things related to him and this arc, but there was another little one in the very end here, after jgy died. jin ling realised, that there were now three people, wwx, wn and jgy, his little uncle, that were responsible for his parents’ death. people he had every right and reason to hate. all three of them. and yet he couldn’t hate any of them. he couldn’t avenge his parents, that died so long ago he couldn’t remember them, because all three people responsible for what happened, had something, some reasons, some circumstances, that made them really not the bad guys in jin ling’s life. and they all cared about him, protected him. how could he hate them? how could he not? and in this way this poor child repeats, unfortunately, his uncle’s curse. to have someone he wants to hate so much but just simply can’t. it warms my heart at least that jin ling has a much better support system than jc had when he had to live through that experience. so there is hope.

[gffa]

There was this viral tweet that went around about THE UNTAMED awhile back that was basically the cycle of every fan of the series that I have ever met: 1. Wtf, THIS is the show everyone is losing their minds over? This isn’t even good! 2. Well, I guess it’s not that bad, it’s pretty watchable and fun, it’s all right. 3. I would now die for these characters. So, when I swore this drama wasn’t going to be a big fandom for me, I was just going to watch the show and then fuck off again, I should have known better. Because here I am, crying about feelings about the entire cast and devouring fic and yelling at anyone who will spend even five minutes listening to me about how much I love the OTP, how much I love the Yunmeng Siblings and their Terrible Communications Issues, and the Tragic Sibling Duos and the Tragic Doomed Loves and The Cutest Juniors In The World and how I want to lock ALL OF THEM IN A ROOM until they sort out their feelings! THE UNTAMED/MO DAO ZU SHI RECS - EMOTIONAL CONSTIPATION RUNS IN THE FAMILY - YUNMENG SIBLINGS FIC: ✦ Still in the Water by airgeer, lan wangji/wei wuxian & jin ling & lan sizhui & jiang cheng, 45k    A year after Jin Ling’s early succession to the position of Sect Leader, a letter is delivered to him under strange circumstances. A night-hunt follows. ✦ no one lights a candle to remember by asravine, wei wuxian & jiang cheng & jiang yanli (& wangxian), 7.9k    “Didi,” Wei Wuxian says softly. His thumb on Jiang Cheng’s cheek is calloused and warm and burns of affection. Jiang Cheng barely stops himself from leaning in. “Didi, don’t cry because of me.” ✦ can people untie themselves, uncurling like flowers by annemari, wei wuxian & jiang cheng & jin ling & lan wangji, 19.3k    Wei Wuxian gets hurt on a night hunt. Jiang Cheng is displeased to find out that he’s been wandering around on his own instead of living with Lan Wangji in Cloud Recesses. He ends up fixing it. ✦ bark, bite by chashmish, wei wuxian & jiang cheng & lan wangji & jin ling (& wangxian), modern au, 3.4k    Jin Ling finds a dog and learns some new things about his uncles. ✦ before you stumble by ribena, wei wuxian & jiang cheng & jin ling & lan wangji & lan sizhui (& wangxian), 9.8k    “Uncle,” Jin Ling says. “Just because Uncle Wei - I mean, Wei Wuxian - just because he’s leading the night-hunt, he’s teaching, he’s not doing anything wrong, he even notified you ahead of time -” ✦ Five Dogs, One Cat by ryfkah, wei wuxian & jiang cheng & jin ling & lan wangji & lan sizhui & lan jingyi & nie huaisang, 13.4k    If you’ve ever believed me in anything, believe I want what’s best for Jin Ling, the first line of the letter reads. Jiang Cheng has to stop and take a moment before he continues on to the next line: You must come to Carp Tower as soon as you can and lavish praise on the ugliest dog I’ve ever seen. ✦ Life is Very Long by Vamillepudding, wei wuxian & jiang cheng & jin ling & lan wangji & lan sizhui & lan jingyi (& wangxian), 12.7k    Wei Wuxian is a good for nothing, possibly evil, possibly fake uncle. But he’s Jin Ling’s good for nothing, possibly evil, possibly fake uncle. So it stands to reason that when Jin Ling starts to suspect that Hanguang-jun is mistreating his husband, he immediately recruits Jiang Cheng for a rescue mission. ✦ a symbol to remind you that there’s more to see by paperminds, wei wuxian & jiang cheng & jin ling & lan wangji & lan sizhui & lan jingyi & ouyang zizhen, 9.7k    For as long as Jin Ling can remember, he has been immune to the majority of supernatural hauntings that plague the cultivation world. Or: what if Jin Ling had received his first-month birthday gift. ✦ plea from a cat named little plum blossom by rolameny, wei wuxian & jiang cheng & jin ling, 5.1k    Jiang Cheng is trying. Jiang Cheng is having a very trying day. At least the cat likes him. ✦ JC and WWX’s Get Along Sweater by newamsterdam, wei wuxian & jiang cheng & jin ling & lan wangji & lan sizhui (& wangxian), 29.6k    Convinced Jiang Cheng and Wei WuXian will never reconcile of their own accord, Jin Ling takes matters into his own hands by trapping both of his uncles alone, together, without their cultivation. ✦ passed down like folksongs, our love lasts so long by finedae, wei wuxian & jiang cheng (& background wangxian), 6k    winning a drinking contest, wei wuxian finds out yunmeng has got new folklore since he’s been gone. those are the stories of the Twin Prides of Yunmeng. naturally, he has to go confront jiang cheng for doing the opposite of talking shit about the dead; this is a confession of love. ✦ sorrow waited by curiositykilled, wei wuxian & jiang cheng, 2.3k    No one gets out of the Burial Mounds alive and so Wei Wuxian cannot have been in the Burial Mounds — but sometimes Jiang Cheng starts to think it might be the inverse instead. No one gets out of the Burial Mounds alive and so Wei Wuxian didn’t get out at all. Someone, something, else crawled out. ✦ the trick is to keep breathing by alessandriana, wei wuxian & jiang cheng & jin ling, 3.4k    Jiang Cheng probably should have anticipated the assassination attempt. He’d spent the last three weeks in Lanling browbeating the more intractable elders into supporting Jin Ling before his nephew’s first discussion conference, and he hadn’t exactly been kind about it. Still, he was a cultivator– if someone was going to try and kill him, he expected swords, or curses. Not poison in his tea. ✦ the road in leaves no step had trodden black by Skadiseven, wei wuxian & jiang cheng & wen ning & wen qing, 1.6k    Jiang Cheng gets a little therapy session from Wen Ning, learns to plant potatoes, and decides he’s not giving up on something he wants. THE UNTAMED/MO DAO ZU SHI RECS - JUST STRAIGHT UP WANGXIAN OTP FIC: ✦ Fire in the Blood by Jo Lasalle (Jo_Lasalle), lan wangji/wei wuxian, nsfw, 20.7k    Wei Ying is traveling, and he gets busy. Lan Wangji knows that sometimes, Wei Ying forgets things. ✦ scapegoat by astrobandit, lan wangji/wei wuxian, 1.3k    Four ridiculous things the Yiling Patriarch was blamed for, and one ridiculous thing that was positively his fault. ✦ Content Warning: Romance by Ariaste, lan wangji/wei wuxian, nsfw, 5.9k    Wei Wuxian just wants a little warning before Lan Wangji says nice things. Lan Wangji just wants to love on his husband, thanks. ✦ Where the Lonely Ones Go by CSHfic, VSfic, lan wangji/wei wuxian & jiang cheng & cast, 23.9k    Accidental (haunted) baby acquisition ✦ devotee by tagteamme, lan wangji/wei wuxian, NSFW, 5.8k    Lan Wangji does not control Wei Wuxian. Not in the way many wish he would. But like this— ✦ nothing gold can stay by rikke, lan wangji/wei wuxian & cast, nsfw, 10.3k    Before Wen Chao can throw him into Yiling Burial Mounds, Lan Wangji finds Wei Wuxian. ✦ Wait, What? by MarbleGlove, lan wangji/wei wuxian & lan xichen, time travel, 1.5k    AKA, that time sixteen-year-old Wei WuXian showed up at Cloud Recesses, took one look at Lan WangJi and declared, “That’s my future husband!” … and Lan WangJi said, “Mm” ✦ Beyond All Reach by airinshaw, lan wangji/wei wuxian & jiang cheng & jin ling & nie huaisang & lan xichen, NSFW, 27.4k    Wei Wuxian heads back to Cloud Recesses to find out more about a curse someone has placed on him, that appears to do nothing. Until he meets back up with Lan Wangji and finds out that what the curse really does is stop them from being able to touch. ✦ Key Differences by pupeez4eva, lan wangji/wei wuxian & cast, 5.6k    Wherein Wei Wuxian ends up meeting an alternate version of himself who, much to his horror, never married Lan Wangji. Obviously he has to do something to fix this. ✦ the heart is hard to translate by vespertineflora, lan wangji/wei wuxian, NSFW, rough sex, non-con play, 10.8k    The moment comes almost out of the blue when, one relaxed spring afternoon, Lan Wangji decides that he’s ready to offer Wei Wuxian an opportunity to play out that very delicious fantasy about their stolen first kiss. ✦ Pigtail Pulling by protos_metazu_ison, lan wangji/wei wuxian & jiang cheng & nie huaisang & lan xichen, 3.7k    Wei Wuxian trips over Jiang Wanyin and sends both of them to the ground in a tangle of limbs and bruises. ✦ The Last Three Feet by etymologyplayground, lan wangji/wei wuxian & lan sizhui & lan wangji, 3.7k    A moment of down time in the Cloud Recesses. THE UNTAMED/MO DAO ZU SHI RECS - SOMETIMES YUNMENG SIBLINGS FIC, SOMETIMES WANGXIAN FIC: ✦ put your heart where your mouth is by protos_metazu_ison, lan wangji/wei wuxian & jiang cheng, 19.9k    Having lost a month’s worth of memories might have been fine if Wei Wuxian hadn’t managed to forget the part where he and Lan Wangji got engaged. If that was, actually, what happened. He hasn’t figured out that part yet. ✦ Orchids in Lotus Pier by Vamillepudding, lan wangji/wei wuxian & jiang cheng & lan xichen & jiang yanli & jin zixuan & cast, 21.6k    Against all odds, Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng become friends. It’s just Jiang Cheng’s luck that people think they’re courting. And it’s just Lan Wangji’s luck that regretfully, Wei Wuxian is also People. ✦ Deeper grows my longing by feyburner, lan wangji/wei wuxian & jiang cheng, 4.4k    Jiang Cheng stared at him. “How are you this dense,” he said flatly. “Wei Wuxian. The common people aren’t scared of you, they’re scared of your husband.“ “My what,” said Wei Wuxian. ✦ A Civil Combpaign by Ariaste, lan wangji/wei wuxian & jin ling/lan sizhui & cast, 31k    “And,” said one of the pompous ministers, “there’s the matter of a marriage to consider as well!” Jin Ling, who at the beginning of that sentence had expected to slam into the very last wall of his patience and lose his temper entirely, paused. “A what?” ✦ Being Known by dragongirlG, lan wangji/wei wuxian & jin zixuan/jiang yanli & jiang cheng/wen qing & nie huaisang & wen ning & lan xichen & yu ziyuan & lan qiren & cast, 36.3k wip    Teenage Lan Wangji drunkenly confesses his lust for Wei Wuxian during the guest disciple lectures at the Cloud Recesses and wakes up betrothed to him by way of forehead ribbon. It all goes from there. ✦ heaven and earth as witness by scheherazade, lan wangji/wei wuxian & jiang cheng & jin ling & lan sizhui, 8.5k    Jin Ling has an emotional meltdown involving Lan Sizhui. Lan Wangji predictably overreacts. Somehow, it helps Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian finally have a conversation that they should have had years ago. THE UNTAMED/MO DAO ZU SHI RECS - SOMETIMES CASE FIC, SOMETIMES WANGXIAN FIC: ✦ grow by cafecliche, lan wangji/wei wuxian & lan sizhui & the juniors, case fic, de-aged, 14.4k    Or: Wei Wuxian is cursed on a night-hunt, and the junior quartet rapidly finds themselves in over their heads. ✦ Linger in the Sun by etymologyplayground, lan wangji/wei wuxian & jiang cheng & ocs & cast, 39.4k    Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji find themselves cursed, unable to see or hear each other. They figure things out anyway. THE UNTAMED/MO DAO ZU SHI RECS - WHEN I WASN’T LOOKING, I DEVELOPED NIE BROTHERS FEELINGS FIC: ✦ Pushover by nirejseki, nie huaisang & nie mingjue & lan xichen & jin guangyao & cast, 1.9k    Every once in a while, not often, people who know them well will say that Nie Mingjue lets Nie Huaisang walk all over him. That isn’t quite right. THE UNTAMED/MO DAO ZU SHI RECS - YOUR HONOR, HAVE YOU SEENA-YAO’S PRECIOUS FACE? - LAN XICHEN/JIN GUANGYAO FIC: ✦ half cloak & half dagger by Fahye, lan xichen/jin guangyao (& background wangxian), NSFW, 13.1k    Jin Guangyao lifts his head and smiles. "I’m considering a problem.” “Can I be of any assistance with it?” He drops a kiss on Lan Xichen’s chest. With the nail of one finger he lightly traces the characters for irony on Lan Xichen’s side. “Not this one, er-ge.” ✦ Hindsight by clockwork_spider, lan xichen/jin guangyao, ~1k    Three years after the incident at the GuanYin temple, Jin GuangYao and Nie MingJue’s coffin was unsealed and their corpses, depleted of resentful energy, were finally laid to rest, their spirits released. In his dream, Lan XiChen is visited by the spectre of his sworn brother. ✦ beyond reasons by welcome_equivocator, lan xichen/jin guangyao & lan wangji, 5.2k    “a-yao,” he says, and you are almost surprised to hear it, but he is still facing away from you, “i know about the music.” ✦ Spring Dawn 《 花落知多少 》 by iskendaris, lan xichen/jin guangyao & nie mingjue, modern au/reincarnation au, 4.5k    Meng Yao is given a second chance when he’s reincarnated. He doesn’t want a repeat of the past. However destiny has a way of interfering, and he finds himself working together with student president Lan Xichen?! Really, what is this fate?! ✦ Hold the Baby by Moonsheen, lan xichen/jin guangyao & jin zixuan/jiang yanli & lan wangji/wei wuxian & jiang cheng, 6.4k    A collection of shorts: In which a chance encounter and a fussing baby causes a slight change to Jin Guangyao’s MO. ✦ Ornament by syriala, lan xichen/jin guangyao & nie mingue & lan qiren, 1.6k    He starts to go into the bow again, and Lan Xichen intercepts his movement, stops him from bowing in a move that he might have learned from Nie Mingjue, and then his brain must short-circuit, because the only thought Lan Xichen has is that Meng Yao has the perfect height for forehead kisses. THE UNTAMED/MO DAO ZU SHI RECS - EVERY OTHER KIND OF FIC: ✦ fierce corpse Jin Zixuan by EHyde, jin zixuan/jiang yanli & jin ling & cast, 10.6k    Jin Zixuan died at Qiongqi Path. Then, Wei Wuxian brought him back. But what place does Koi Tower have for a fierce corpse? ✦ The Past Didn’t Go Anywhere by FairestCat, jiang cheng & wen qing & lan sizhui, 2.3k    There are rumours going around of a woman – a healer – travelling the countryside alone. Jiang Cheng needs to know if the rumours are true. ✦ If you only knew then (the things I only know now) by Nillegible, jiang fengmian/yu ziyuan & wei wuxian & jiang cheng & nie huaisang & lan wangji & & lan xichen & jin zixuan & cast, time travel (of a sort), 34.7k wip    Yu Ziyuan receives a warning, a letter in Jiang Cheng’s handwriting, familiar, though it seems to have evened out over long years of practice. This was from her child, but not. This Jiang Cheng, grown up in ways that it hurt to contemplate, had endured the death of his family, his Sect, and his soul. ✦ partly frozen, partly flowing by astrolesbian, lan wangji & lan xichen & lan qiren (& background wangxian), 4.9k    To discourage Lan Wangji from this idea would be to discourage him from loving, and Lan Xichen has always known that to be impossible. All he could do was nod as his brother looked at him, and finished, calmly, “Zewu-jun, I accept any punishment you see fit.” ✦ Delight in Misery by nirejseki, lan wangji & jiang cheng & lan sizhui & jin ling & lan xichen (&background wangxian), 17.4k wip    For the first time in his life, Lan Wangji didn’t want to go home. (what if he had another option?) ✦ into the light of a dark black night by dragongirlG, lan wangji & lan xichen & madam lan, 3k    On a snowy night in the dead of winter, Wu Yuhua, formerly known as Madam Lan, unexpectedly spends one last night with her sons before escaping from the Cloud Recesses. FULL DETAILS + RECS HERE

[ibijau]

11 with chengxuan please? i hc that jc has a really nice singing voice

Singing together/catching them singing softly to themselves as they cook/do the dishes.

a prequel of this modern AU where Yanli and Wei Wuxian are missing after an accident that left Jin Zixuan disabled

warning for internalised ableism, and also just general ableism mentions

When Jin Ling is five, Zixuan starts working again.

It is not his choice, though he easily convinces himself that it is. His mother is right after all, he can’t go on forever staying at home doing nothing. Sure he’s taking care of Jin Ling, and still dealing with the aftermath of that day, but he can’t do just that, not when he’s clearly well enough to try doing more. His mother doesn’t want him to become a recluse, and she doesn’t want him to get completely out of touch with his father’s company… and she’s right of course.

It’s easier for everyone when she’s right.

Zixuan’s father is a little less enthusiastic about easing his son back into the family business. As he bluntly explains, there’s just not much that Zixuan can do. Going back to his old job isn’t an option. The accounting department, which Zixuan used to be in charge of, has now been given to Meng Yao who is doing very well there, helping the company make a steady profit. Not only that, but Jin Guangshan explains to his son that Meng Yao has uncovered an embezzlement plot that Zixuan apparently accidentally allowed to fester. Wen Ning has been arrested for stealing money in favour of his sister’s charity, and Jin Guangshan explains he had to use all of his influence to protect Zixuan from being dragged into this.

After something like this, it’s obvious Zixuan can no longer be trusted to lead a team. It’s also better if he doesn’t handle anything to do with finances anymore, because their company just cannot bear with another scandal.

Instead, Zixuan is offered a quick formation in web design, and incorporated into the IT team, just another worker among others. It’s work he can do from home, and he’s never met most of his colleagues. None of them seem to realise that he is the son of their employer, and apparently assume the surname Jin is just a coincidence. During a phone reunion, Zixuan hears someone talk about Jin Guangshan’s son who died some years ago, and doesn’t bother to correct it.

His mother can push all she wants, it’s clear Zixuan isn’t going to inherit the company. 

It bothers him less than he should. On the rare days when he still hopes that Yanli will return to him, Zixuan tells himself that they can drop everything and start a new life somewhere quiet. Just him, his wife, his son… and his brother-in-law, if Jiang Cheng feels like it. After those last few years, Zixuan can’t quite imagine living without him, and he knows Jin Ling wouldn’t want to either. Jiang Cheng has been there for all his life after all, and theirs is not the worst of lives.

Which isn’t to say that it’s always easy.

Some days are too much for Zixuan.

Today is such a day. His pain is flaring up like crazy, making it agony to sit for long. Jin Ling is in a bad mood, and determined to make it felt. And three urgent projects have been dropped on Zixuan’s hands, to be finished before the end of the week.

What Zixuan wants is to drop his son with Jiang Cheng, take all the painkillers he’s allowed, and sleep for about three or four days until he’s better. It’s not an option, of course. He can’t let down everyone, those projects are important, his mother will be furious if she hears that he’s using his health as an excuse to be lazy, his father will take it as more proof that he can’t be trusted with anything. He has to pull through, pain or not.

People with worse health than him can do their job, he can’t use disability as an excuse.

So Zixuan pushes himself, sitting in front of his laptop until the pain gets so intense he’s starting to see dark spots at the corner of his eyes. He has to do this, has to…

“I think you’ve been stupid long enough,” he hears Jiang Cheng says, surprisingly close to him.

Zixuan startles and looks up, grimacing as the movement pulls on too tight muscles. Jiang Cheng is glaring down at him, apparently more upset than usual.

“You can’t work like that,” Jiang Cheng snaps, dropping a glass of water and a pill next to the laptop. “Take that and go rest.”

“I have to…”

“You have to fucking take care of yourself. You look like you’re about to have a seizure or something. Take that painkiller and sleep before you make yourself worse.”

Zixuan blinks numbly. The medication he takes mostly helps prevent seizures, but it cannot fully eliminate them. He’s been having them more often since he started working again, and has told himself it’s only a coincidence.

“I’m fine,” Zixuan weakly protests. “I’m almost done with this, and then I’ll…”

“Don’t make me pick you up,” Jiang Cheng warns. “I’ll do it. I’ll fucking carry you to bed in my arms, I swear.”

“I’m really…”

“I’ll text Luo Qingyang and tell her you’re sick,” Jiang Cheng cuts him. “She’ll understand, and she’ll deal with this. So take the damn pill and go rest, Zixuan.”

It feels unfair that Luo Qingyang from HR should have to take care of Zixuan’s messes, just because he can’t pull through on single bad day… but the pain really is awful, and it might have been more than one single bad day. Su Minshan from research has been absolutely awful all month about the launch of a new website to showcase their innovations, and since he has Meng Yao’s full support, it’s been hard to deal with him. And there’s that charity dinner coming up, for which he’s also helping develop the webpage even though his father pointedly asked him not to come because even just using a cane would be bad for PR and he can’t make it through the evening without it. And also…

Zixuan sighs. It’s been a rough couple of weeks.

So he gives in, just this time. He takes the pill, and lets Jiang Cheng help him to bed where he promptly passes out.

When he wakes up again, hours must have passed. Night has fallen outside, and there’s no light in this part of the house, though Zixuan can vaguely hear something happening far away, in the kitchen. Although it is very tempting to stay in bed, Zixuan makes himself get up and, leaning hard on his cane, makes his way to the kitchen to check if Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling have had dinner yet.

Before he reaches the door, he’s startled to hear a singing voice.

The voice in question is good enough that he wonders for a moment if it’s not from a video, but the fact there’s no music is odd. Besides, Zixuan recognises that song as being from a cartoon that Jin Ling loves, but he’s never heard that particular version before.

The mystery unfolds when Zixuan steps in the doorway and finds Jiang Cheng singing with abandon as he cuts vegetables that Jin Ling is very carefully washing for him. The little boy seems very happy to be helping, his previous bad mood completely gone. It’s not such a surprise of course. Jin Ling adores his uncle, and Jiang Cheng has mastered the art of finding the line between too rough and too soft when it comes to dealing with his nephew. It always warms Zixuan’s heart to see those two together, but tonight it is almost too much for him.

There’s just something about the sincerity with which Jiang Cheng sings those stupid lyrics, his smile when Jin Ling joins him for the chorus, the happiness they radiate when Jiang Cheng picks up his nephew so Jin Ling can drop the vegetable into the pan… It is everything Jin Zixuan always hoped his family would be, even if it isn’t happening with the person he’d thought he’d live with.

And that’s what hit him hard tonight.

He’s had that thought before, watching Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling. The right amount of domesticity, only with the wrong person.

But Jiang Cheng spots him in the doorway and grins, blushing at being caught singing yet still happy, and Jin Zixuan realises that after five years of living together, he can’t say Jiang Cheng is the wrong person, not anymore.

It probably makes him an awful person. His wife might still be alive somewhere, and here he is, thinking that way about her brother.

He should be ashamed of himself.

He is, but not as much as he ought to be.

So Zixuan drops on a chair at the kitchen table, and smiles to himself as Jin Ling excitedly explains what they’re making, as Jiang Cheng resumes cooking and singing.

When they reach the chorus again, Zixuan too joins in.

[winepresswrath]

Listen when I asked why Wen Ning would tap JC i wasn’t hating, it was an invitation to be enlightened. I was always down for Chengning as I am down for any and all JC pairings, but this one in particular was difficult to imagine BC I’ve had the thought that WN is emotionally intelligent, though maybe I’m wrong there. So, to make it clear, are we 100% saying that WN/JC will start out as hate sex? I may be trying to trick you into writing more bullet points.

I can’t be tricked into bullet points! I have to be feeling them!

I’m not sure I’d characterize Wen Ning as emotionally intelligent. He’s very consistently kind and gentle until he’s not, and he’s definitely not terrible at feelings, but I’m not sure they’re a particular strength.

He’s good at understanding his sister’s feelings, for sure, and I think having had a core relationship that strong and supportive where they knew each other so well really helps with his overall stability.

That being said I also think Wen Ning and Jiang Cheng could jointly have a lot of feelings about being babied and maybe discounted and condescended to a little, disliking that, and then having it go away in pretty much the worst way possible.

Wen Ning is also very, very lonely. I think he was lonely even before he became the (almost) lone not-survivor of a reviled clan of murderous assholes and that didn’t really help with the situation. He can join the sad lonely socially isolated gongzis club Zixuan and Lan Wangji kicked Jiang Cheng out of for making friends with Wei Wuxian (unfair, bcs Lan Wangji has Xichen but WHATEVER).

We are not 100% saying that it begins as hate sex but I do think their relationship starts out in a pretty rough place. 

A key feature of the appeal to me personally is that Jiang Cheng is basically the only person Wen Ning, who is usually so gentle and diffident, gives himself permission to be mean to. It perversely makes me long for scenarios in which Wen Ning could bring the comfort, rather than the hurt

Like, Wen Ning is a person who will let children bully him because he is afraid of his own strength and I do not think that is a good mindset to enter into a relationship with/

also tbh emotionally the easiest way to knock Jiang Cheng’s knees open is to be someone who he feels like he can count on to protect Jin Ling. You can kind of watch it happen at the temple! I see no reason why it should not also work in a literal way.

Anyway, they keep bumping into each other on night hunts, and they aren’t mean to each other exactly but they certainly aren’t nice

maybe sometimes they are a little mean. but also they keep on having these awkward moments of mutual understanding.

They fight some monsters! Jiang Cheng yells about the juniors’ ghost banishing skills in a way that means they’re doing very well. Wen Ning at some point picks up two juniors by the back of their robes and jumps into a tree with them and Jiang Cheng is like. wow. he’s very strong. i bet when my mom did that to me and Wei Wuxian we looked exactly that stupid and then is briefly overcome with feeling

fortunately there’s a monster right in front of him he can beat to death

The plot happens happens and they get hit by something bigger than they were expecting, and they have to go all out or it’s going to go terribly wrong and both of their beloved reasons for persisting in their cursed existences could perish

Jiang Cheng realizes that he’s actually glad that Wen Ning is there. he trusts him to have his back in this one simple but vital way way. Thinks he’ll probably be able to grab the kids and make a run for it if he has to.

he shoves this realization deep down in the feelings hole

Meanwhile, on Wen Ning’s end of things he is processing that Jiang Cheng appears to be relying on him in this fight? and they’re working well together? ok. sure. that’s fine. he totally gets people trusting him and wanting him around in dangerous situations all the time.

Jiang Cheng really doesn’t seem to think he’s going to punch anyone to death. but like. maybe he does. maybe Wen Ning is wrong, and this isn’t trust, it’s just expediency, because Jiang Cheng seemed very clear on the accursed zombie thing.

Jiang Cheng takes a hit! And yells at Wen Ning to get the juniors out of there, so ok, that’s trust, but also Jin Ling is cursing out his uncle and frantically trying to get to him and clearly not going anywhere without him, and the rest of them aren’t going anywhere without Jin Ling, so Wen Ning just brute forces his way in there (is it a melee now? don’t ask me to do blocking on a bullet point list) and grabs Jiang Cheng

Bridal carry because I said so

The Status Quo has Shifted at some point Wei Wuxian is going to be making Zombie viagra for hate(?) ok probably more like vaguely antagonistic but extremely fraught sex.

[kitsunabi]

A lot of people really think that Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian should get back together but after rewatching/reading/listening to the various source materials I can’t help but be of the mindset that it’s actually for the best that they separate. On neutral terms but separate nonetheless.

JC is an interesting character for me to actually watch bc he exhibits a lot of actions that sabotage familial bonds.  Every time he acted against the interest of his own family it felt like a slap in the face to watch. That horror movie feel when you’re yelling at the character to not run down the spooky dark hallway bc it’s definitely a death trap? That was me yelling at JC.

JC’s 200% is jealous of Lan Zhan, that’s a fact. He’s absolutely jealous that LZ took WWX, his martial brother away from him. But at the same time there is truly no point in the story where JC has ever stood up for or defended WWX when it really mattered. And it’s not just a stand by your side and fight kinda deal (of which he *also* was not there for....). JC’s jealousy and need to be the best get in the way of a proper sibling support/relationship every time and it fosters a toxic mindset for WWX who becomes overly self sacrificing to the point that it damages himself.

His overall actions display that of a cowardly individual who sides with the bigger group despite knowing facts. He will NOT stick his neck out when things are getting rough. And this is only amplified by his desire to be the best when his skills don’t reach that far, giving into jealousy and refusal to support WWX. It’s very karmic in that despite having his clan back he will no longer have the two things he ever wanted, which is the strong brotherly bond with WWX and being the best. That is to say that every cultivational achievement he made and will ever make will forever be attributed to him having WWX’s core. He truly has reaped what he sowed.

Some examples that I’m just pulling off the top of my head:

1) Phoenix mountain: a random cultivator throws comments that the Yunmeng Jiang clan rely on WWX’s demonic cultivation and Jiang Cheng honestly is angry at.... Wei Wuxian.... successfully helping? the clan??? 2) Post Qiongqi attack: The Koi Tower cultivators are very much pushing his buttons and JC sides with them? Bruh, if someone waltzed in trash talking my family before I knew the facts I would definitely get that stuff sorted FIRST. Not making promises to strangers to make sure a servant acts like one. His own mother Madam Yu does a fantastically better job of defending her own servants than how he does it (referring to the scene with Wang Lingjiao). 3) There is precedent of Wen cultivators assimilating to other clans to avoid post-war retaliation and in the absolute appalling act of cowardice wants to give up all the lives WWX attempted to save? I mean sure, the line “If you protect them, then I can’t protect you” is very fine and all but honestly? not cool. That’s the easy way out where he can wipe the dust off his hands and think that his work was done. 4) Boi the FUCK are you doing at the First Siege? You know the reality of the situation way better than anyone present. Call in sick or something. As I said before, no backbone. Whoever yells louder is right i guess //shrug//. Also he uhhhhhh had a hand in killing the Wen survivors, exCUSE ME? 5) Even after WWX’s death, he did nothing to tone down the lies and slander. He absolutely used WWX as the easy scapegoat to blame the deaths of his mother, father, sister, and clan on. 6) Post resurrection: I have no words to describe his entire conduct, I honestly don’t even know where to begin. There sure ain’t no apology coming anytime soon outta JC’s mouth.

But what about the gOLdEN CoRE?!? That was just a really bad situation. WWX and JC were put in extremely terrible conditions that led to things turning out the way they did. Should JC tell him the truth at the end? My answer to that is why? It’s over and done with and what’s the point in telling him? To remind WWX that no, actually, you losing your core was your own fault bc I had to save you by luring the guards away? The most reconciliatory thing he did was to not say a word -- it’s a step in the right direction, but by no means can heal the irreparable damage that he caused. Sometimes relationships really are like a piece of paper ripped down the middle, there’s no tape that can put it back together like it was originally.

There’s fix-it fics and whatnot where WWX is able to return to Lotus Cove but it would not be healthy for him to return there. There’s just so much baggage going on that it would be extremely callous to pretend it never happened. Every time they look at each other, they will constantly be reminded of the lives lost and especially the death of Jiang Yanli whom they both loved dearly. To each their own lives would be the kindest course of action, so that they each may take the time to heal.

And sorry for ranting on your post but I just wanted to drop my thoughts on it. I have very strong opinions on Jiang Cheng. I don’t deny that he’s had a real rough time, but he really had it coming OTL

Sometimes I feel like, Jiang Cheng might be jealous of Lan Zhan? Like I feel like he’s jealous of the attention Wei Wuxian gives him (not the romantic sort, more like, the way Wwx had him go around lotus pier and showed him where he spent his childhood and stuff (which is why he followed them around seeing where they went)). Like initially, HE was the one who stood by his brother’s side, and now it’s Lan Zhan. I feel like that’s part of the reason why he’s against their relationship

Also, I’m still mad at mxtx for not having them at least repair a bit of their relationship or stay in touch by the end of the novel

[natrohne]

Ya Win Some, Ya Lose Some

Ya win some, ya lose some. About eight weeks ago, I was pretty positive I had won something big. And I wasn’t wrong. I have been blessed by an amazing support group who have faithfully supported me and my adventurous spirit. I have been blessed with a father willing to leave home a few days a week so that I can travel for free, or almost free internationally. I have been blessed to meet and befriend people all over the world. This has come to me by the grace of God and the work ethic He placed in me to accomplish my dreams and go after my goals. Eight weeks ago I marched onto Lufthansa flight 447- service to Dusseldorf, Germany. The flight went without a hitch. I even made friends with the girl next to me, who was, ironically enough, also visiting her past German foreign exchange student. The weeklong visit with Franzi, my wonderful friend who lived with my family six years ago, and her wonderful boyfriend, Fabio, who was extremely friendly and hospitable, was awesome. They were perfect hosts and I was so incredibly blessed to finally see Franzi’s life and home. 

The next few days were spent south of Manchester, England with my good Triangle Y Ranch Camp counselor friend, Tim. We have talked for years about him giving me the grand tour of Sheffield and I was so blessed to finally partake in that tour. He took care of everything and was a gracious host and friend as always! I’ve been blessed with some real winner friends. Then the fire came. 

On the way to the Manchester Airport, Tim and I ran into some traffic and did not get to the airport nearly as early as I had hoped. Then once I tried to check into my flight at the front with RyanAir, they charged me extra fees for my bag (which I had already paid for once) and for my carryon (which I didn’t know was even a thing) and for printing out my boarding pass (just a few extra dollars, but still!) So after figuring all that out, I headed to security, thinking the hard part was over. Not so. 

Once at security, I pulled off my shoes and pulled out my small Ziploc of toiletries and laptop as I’ve done hundreds, if not thousands, of times. My bag got pulled to the side to be double-checked, behind about 20 other bags. I was starting to sweat at this point. They were going so slowly through each bag and I was wracking my brain for what else could be hidden in there I didn’t remember to check or pull out. When it was finally my turn for them to look through my bag, they took 20 minutes to find a tube of chapstick. Yup, my little tube of Burt’s Bees set it off. Once the threatening chapstick was removed they scanned my bag once again. And again, it rang red! So they had to pull out all the contents AND check through my other bag just in case, even though it had gone through without a hitch. Meanwhile, they pull me to the side and two different women patted me up and down, in addition to the two who had already patted me down. Finally, they gave me the all clear and barely said sorry as I flew off to the gate. With heaving breaths as I neared the gate, I saw the jetway pull away from the plane and the gate agent shut the jetway door. I had missed my flight. Something I had never, ever done before. I could not believe it. RyanAir does not believe in rolling a passenger over to the next flight (nor do they believe in anything being their fault) so they said they would either charge me €150 simply to roll me over to the next flight (not including the baggage cost, which I had officially paid for no reason at this point) or they would walk me back out to the front of the airport so I could list myself on a different flight. I started to ask about other airlines and ran off to Aer Lingus. After a few hours of arguing and frantically trying to figure out the Manchester Airport, all on only a few hours of sleep and 30 minutes of free wifi, I finally had myself listed on a different flight on a different airline with all new fees and a whole other security checkpoint. Of course, this security check went without a hitch. How typical is that! But hey, I got to Ireland and only a couple hours after I was supposed to. It could have been way worse, but I definitely lost that one. 

Dublin was a bit difficult to adjust to with such a rocky start. My roommates posed an interesting group of people to live with which has been both fun and insightful. After this trip, I think I will have officially covered all the bases when it comes to types of people to live with… But nevertheless, the first few days were stressful and frantic. I found myself not trusting anyone, not even myself. I have traveled. I should have known. I could have done better. But I did not transition well at all. As I wrote in my last blog, I packed my last semester as much as I possibly could! I was completely burnt out from the way I conducted my life but once I had some time to rest, I had no idea what to do with it. My motto on gap year two years (can you believe it’s been two years?!) was, “don’t waste it.” And I was determined to apply that to my stay in Dublin even though I was simply exhausted, and honestly, (as much as I hate to admit it) scared. 

My internship while in Dublin consists of me working for our in-country supervisor (basically our Dublin Mom) Ms. Olwyn Mannix. She is an independent travel agent aspiring to start, or continue to pursue her own travel company. She needed help to boost her Internet presence, so, with my blogging and general computer experience (which is limited to be fair), she hired me for the semester. Two weeks in, Olwyn paid for me to attend a workshop across town where I would acquire beginner and intermediate knowledge about Wordpress, a commonly used blogging and website design site. The workshop was incredible and I am now nearly fully capable of building a website all on my own, which I am hoping to do for small businesses or charities back home. On the way home, I was taking a train I used for the first time that day called the LUAS. It runs from the North to the South side of Dublin and I rode it the entire way, getting on at the farthest south stop and getting off at the farthest north stop. On my return trip, however, I apparently did not correctly scan my student charge card to pay for my ride. I know this because only two stops into the ride back, a large man with a heavy, non-Irish accent with a bright orange vest approached asking to see my ticket. I presented my card for him to scan but he began to write me a ticket saying I had not paid to be on the train but I definitely thought I had. It had been raining at the stop and there was no awning so I rushed to make it on the train before the door closed and I guess I didn’t wait for the card to scan long enough to fully pay for the ride. So now I was in trouble with the Irish law and had a ticket looming over my head. I tried to appeal it but there was no sympathy for the rushed, stupid American. I definitely lost that one! 

Two nights later, I was with two of my roommates and another friend trying to blow off some steam at a live local concert at the famous Dublin venue, Whelans. I was leaning against the railing overlooking the unique and cool venue, my jacket along with my roommates on the chair right behind me. One minute it was there, the next we were relocating and my jacket was completely gone. My roommates’ was there but mine was taken. Thankfully there was nothing in it but it was the only nice jacket I owned and it was stolen. I called a few times in the days to follow but got nowhere. I lost that one for sure. 

I’m intrigued by the art of travel. Don’t you just see and experience the most random and interesting situations and people at airports or when in other cultures? If you have ever sat in an airport for more than 30 minutes and simply watched what was happening around you, you probably saw a person running to catch a flight. You have no idea where they are going or where they came from or why they are running. They desperately run past you and are out of your life forever. You’ll never know their name or if that day was really as rough as it seemed in that single shared moment. Have compassion on those poor people. No one I ran past in the Manchester Airport had any idea that I was about to live alone in a foreign country I had never been to for four months. No one had any idea what January 25 was supposed to look like for me. I lost that day. I had a terrible attitude and I let it affect the first few weeks of my disgruntled and disjointed trip. Things just got weirder and harder as the time went on in Dublin. Life is expensive. Mistakes are expensive. Expenses are stressful. Stress is torment to an injured brain and good for absolutely no one. 

But as I sit here, sipping on a delicious margarita given to me by a random flight attendant, I am reminded of what I have won. Today has been one of the smoothest, cheapest, and easiest travel days of my life, even though based on the destinations; it should have been very stressful. Today should have been WAY harder than that one-hour flight to Dublin nine weeks ago but here we are, an easy couple flights, a free margarita, and an excellent Spotify playlist to make for an incredible day. It’s the incredible days that are the most forgettable. Why is that? As humans we remember the days that sucked beyond all compare. We remember when we got screwed over or scammed. We remember the stuff that went wrong. We remember the times we lost. 

But here’s a cheers (or slainte) to appreciating this time among many that I have won! I am blessed by the life I have. I am blessed by the people in it- JC, for being the home I have always wanted, Rachel, for being my best friend no matter how many times I leave and what country I end up in, Katja and Isaac, for emailing me and including me in their lives, my parents for letting me take advantage of Dad’s job so much ;), Kelly, for being a stellar direct roommate, and Madison for being an incredible other roommate ;). You girls are the highlight of Dublin. Along with the very random St. Patrick’s Day parades and pub outtings, and day trip excursions, this journey has been incredible. There are so many others but I just wanted to thank you. We have all won some and lost some. I hope all of you win some today!

[eddiejpoplar]

Tesla Makes Its Way Through Production Hell

Elon Musk inadvertently sought to prove my sincere belief that he and President Trump share a singular type of personality, Wednesday, when Musk took questions from Wall Street analysts during Tesla’s third quarter financial results conference call.

Musk revealed the extent of his distrust for journalists when he criticized recent stories that Tesla fired 700 employees as production of the intended-high volume Model 3 began. If there was anything to report, he said, it’s that Tesla fired about 2 percent of its workforce of about 33,000.

“Any journalist writing these stories should be ashamed of himself,” Musk said.

“Every company has performance reviews. Our standards are so high not because we like being mean to people; our standards are high because otherwise, we will die.”

Before the Donald Trump supporters among you get up in arms over my comparison with Elon Musk, let me say that I see a similarity in their abilities to command a crowd, and to make deals. Musk has managed to leverage the future, or perhaps more accurately the promise of the future of his car company, into a steady flow of investment cash and a market cap higher than Ford Motor Company’s, and at times even higher than General Motors’. The distaste these two leaders have for media is a more obvious similarity.

Per usual, Wednesday’s Tesla Q3 Earnings call was open to Wall Street analysts’ questions. We reporters, ashamed or not, had to listen in and gnash our teeth at softball questions. We wanted to know about the Daily Kanban’s scoop about a Tesla Model 3 assembly line that was sitting in its manufacturer’s Michigan factory.

Whiskey, fire, s’mores and JC Also, hotdog or not hotdog?

A post shared by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on Oct 26, 2017 at 2:29am PDT

Musk called the Tesla Model 3’s launch “production hell.” In past quarters, Musk projected that the new assembly line would be building Model 3s at the rate of 10,000 per week by the end of 2017. Tesla delivered 233 Model 3s in the third quarter just past (plus 14,065 Model Ses and 11,865 Model Xes). Tesla now expects to reach 5,000 Model 3s per week by the end of the first quarter of 2018, Musk said. Doubling that to the original goal of 10,000 per week is not quite such a big step, because the automaker can make the robots “go real, real fast.”

Model 3 production is easier than Model S production, and “vastly” easier than Model X, he said, in part because it’s modular, with battery cell production at the Gigafactory consisting of four zones.

“Zones Three and Four are in good shape. Zones One and Two are not. Zone Two in particular—the subcontractor really dropped the ball and we did not realize how much the ball was dropped until recently. We had to rewrite all that software—20 to 30 man-years of software—in four weeks.”

“Is it worth your time trying to claw back some of these costs” from the subcontractor? Asked PiperJaffray’s Alexander Potter.

No, Musk replied. In the end, it was his mistake for choosing the faulty subcontractor.

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas, ever the hard-hitting inquisitor, asked Musk for specifics about production hell: “How hot is it?”

“Let’s say that Level Nine is the worst. We were at Level Nine,” Musk replied.

“We’re probably at Level Eight right now. I wish I could say ‘Level Seven.’ It’s obvious what we need to do. It’s just a matter of how to get to it.”

It’s all about robot calibration issues, Musk added. He repeatedly referred to the need for lightning-fast robots. If you can see them move without a strobe light, they’re too slow.

Musk also addressed plans for Chinese production so that Tesla Models 3 and Y (the sport/utility based off the 3) could be sold in there without suffering 25-percent import duties.

“Don’t set your watch by this,” Musk said with a remarkable degree of self-realization, “but rough production starts in about three years.”

At this point you have to be asking whether Tesla Models 3 and Y built in China for the world’s largest market could also be cheaper coming out of China for other markets, and maybe cut a level or two off the Production Hell chart.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Tesla has struck a deal to build a wholly-owned factory in Shanghai’s Free Trade Zone that would allow Tesla to maintain 100-percent ownership of the plant, which addresses the issue of how Musk could possibly give up 50-percent control of his Chinese operation to a local owner, as is custom among foreign automakers there.

Musk satisfied Wall Street analysts for yet another quarter, despite losing $619.4 million, a record for the company. Some analysts displayed a bit of soft skepticism though, and so Tesla common stock closed 6.8-percent lower Thursday, to $299.26, and piling on, the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs could become a victim of the GOP tax reform plan, Bloomberg reported, quoting a House Republican. Whatever happens to the tax credit, promised production levels of 1,000 units per week remain a quarter or two away, but when the EV revolution takes hold, Tesla expects to become the GM of EVs.

If you’re part of the crowd with a $1,000 (U.S.) deposit down on a Tesla Model 3, the only questions now are, how long will you have to wait? And, how long are you willing to wait?

The post Tesla Makes Its Way Through Production Hell appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[jonathanbelloblog]

Tesla Makes Its Way Through Production Hell

Elon Musk inadvertently sought to prove my sincere belief that he and President Trump share a singular type of personality, Wednesday, when Musk took questions from Wall Street analysts during Tesla’s third quarter financial results conference call.

Musk revealed the extent of his distrust for journalists when he criticized recent stories that Tesla fired 700 employees as production of the intended-high volume Model 3 began. If there was anything to report, he said, it’s that Tesla fired about 2 percent of its workforce of about 33,000.

“Any journalist writing these stories should be ashamed of himself,” Musk said.

“Every company has performance reviews. Our standards are so high not because we like being mean to people; our standards are high because otherwise, we will die.”

Before the Donald Trump supporters among you get up in arms over my comparison with Elon Musk, let me say that I see a similarity in their abilities to command a crowd, and to make deals. Musk has managed to leverage the future, or perhaps more accurately the promise of the future of his car company, into a steady flow of investment cash and a market cap higher than Ford Motor Company’s, and at times even higher than General Motors’. The distaste these two leaders have for media is a more obvious similarity.

Per usual, Wednesday’s Tesla Q3 Earnings call was open to Wall Street analysts’ questions. We reporters, ashamed or not, had to listen in and gnash our teeth at softball questions. We wanted to know about the Daily Kanban’s scoop about a Tesla Model 3 assembly line that was sitting in its manufacturer’s Michigan factory.

Whiskey, fire, s’mores and JC Also, hotdog or not hotdog?

A post shared by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on Oct 26, 2017 at 2:29am PDT

Musk called the Tesla Model 3’s launch “production hell.” In past quarters, Musk projected that the new assembly line would be building Model 3s at the rate of 10,000 per week by the end of 2017. Tesla delivered 233 Model 3s in the third quarter just past (plus 14,065 Model Ses and 11,865 Model Xes). Tesla now expects to reach 5,000 Model 3s per week by the end of the first quarter of 2018, Musk said. Doubling that to the original goal of 10,000 per week is not quite such a big step, because the automaker can make the robots “go real, real fast.”

Model 3 production is easier than Model S production, and “vastly” easier than Model X, he said, in part because it’s modular, with battery cell production at the Gigafactory consisting of four zones.

“Zones Three and Four are in good shape. Zones One and Two are not. Zone Two in particular—the subcontractor really dropped the ball and we did not realize how much the ball was dropped until recently. We had to rewrite all that software—20 to 30 man-years of software—in four weeks.”

“Is it worth your time trying to claw back some of these costs” from the subcontractor? Asked PiperJaffray’s Alexander Potter.

No, Musk replied. In the end, it was his mistake for choosing the faulty subcontractor.

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas, ever the hard-hitting inquisitor, asked Musk for specifics about production hell: “How hot is it?”

“Let’s say that Level Nine is the worst. We were at Level Nine,” Musk replied.

“We’re probably at Level Eight right now. I wish I could say ‘Level Seven.’ It’s obvious what we need to do. It’s just a matter of how to get to it.”

It’s all about robot calibration issues, Musk added. He repeatedly referred to the need for lightning-fast robots. If you can see them move without a strobe light, they’re too slow.

Musk also addressed plans for Chinese production so that Tesla Models 3 and Y (the sport/utility based off the 3) could be sold in there without suffering 25-percent import duties.

“Don’t set your watch by this,” Musk said with a remarkable degree of self-realization, “but rough production starts in about three years.”

At this point you have to be asking whether Tesla Models 3 and Y built in China for the world’s largest market could also be cheaper coming out of China for other markets, and maybe cut a level or two off the Production Hell chart.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Tesla has struck a deal to build a wholly-owned factory in Shanghai’s Free Trade Zone that would allow Tesla to maintain 100-percent ownership of the plant, which addresses the issue of how Musk could possibly give up 50-percent control of his Chinese operation to a local owner, as is custom among foreign automakers there.

Musk satisfied Wall Street analysts for yet another quarter, despite losing $619.4 million, a record for the company. Some analysts displayed a bit of soft skepticism though, and so Tesla common stock closed 6.8-percent lower Thursday, to $299.26, and piling on, the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs could become a victim of the GOP tax reform plan, Bloomberg reported, quoting a House Republican. Whatever happens to the tax credit, promised production levels of 1,000 units per week remain a quarter or two away, but when the EV revolution takes hold, Tesla expects to become the GM of EVs.

If you’re part of the crowd with a $1,000 (U.S.) deposit down on a Tesla Model 3, the only questions now are, how long will you have to wait? And, how long are you willing to wait?

The post Tesla Makes Its Way Through Production Hell appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[jesusvasser]

Tesla Makes Its Way Through Production Hell

Elon Musk inadvertently sought to prove my sincere belief that he and President Trump share a singular type of personality, Wednesday, when Musk took questions from Wall Street analysts during Tesla’s third quarter financial results conference call.

Musk revealed the extent of his distrust for journalists when he criticized recent stories that Tesla fired 700 employees as production of the intended-high volume Model 3 began. If there was anything to report, he said, it’s that Tesla fired about 2 percent of its workforce of about 33,000.

“Any journalist writing these stories should be ashamed of himself,” Musk said.

“Every company has performance reviews. Our standards are so high not because we like being mean to people; our standards are high because otherwise, we will die.”

Before the Donald Trump supporters among you get up in arms over my comparison with Elon Musk, let me say that I see a similarity in their abilities to command a crowd, and to make deals. Musk has managed to leverage the future, or perhaps more accurately the promise of the future of his car company, into a steady flow of investment cash and a market cap higher than Ford Motor Company’s, and at times even higher than General Motors’. The distaste these two leaders have for media is a more obvious similarity.

Per usual, Wednesday’s Tesla Q3 Earnings call was open to Wall Street analysts’ questions. We reporters, ashamed or not, had to listen in and gnash our teeth at softball questions. We wanted to know about the Daily Kanban’s scoop about a Tesla Model 3 assembly line that was sitting in its manufacturer’s Michigan factory.

Whiskey, fire, s’mores and JC Also, hotdog or not hotdog?

A post shared by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on Oct 26, 2017 at 2:29am PDT

Musk called the Tesla Model 3’s launch “production hell.” In past quarters, Musk projected that the new assembly line would be building Model 3s at the rate of 10,000 per week by the end of 2017. Tesla delivered 233 Model 3s in the third quarter just past (plus 14,065 Model Ses and 11,865 Model Xes). Tesla now expects to reach 5,000 Model 3s per week by the end of the first quarter of 2018, Musk said. Doubling that to the original goal of 10,000 per week is not quite such a big step, because the automaker can make the robots “go real, real fast.”

Model 3 production is easier than Model S production, and “vastly” easier than Model X, he said, in part because it’s modular, with battery cell production at the Gigafactory consisting of four zones.

“Zones Three and Four are in good shape. Zones One and Two are not. Zone Two in particular—the subcontractor really dropped the ball and we did not realize how much the ball was dropped until recently. We had to rewrite all that software—20 to 30 man-years of software—in four weeks.”

“Is it worth your time trying to claw back some of these costs” from the subcontractor? Asked PiperJaffray’s Alexander Potter.

No, Musk replied. In the end, it was his mistake for choosing the faulty subcontractor.

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas, ever the hard-hitting inquisitor, asked Musk for specifics about production hell: “How hot is it?”

“Let’s say that Level Nine is the worst. We were at Level Nine,” Musk replied.

“We’re probably at Level Eight right now. I wish I could say ‘Level Seven.’ It’s obvious what we need to do. It’s just a matter of how to get to it.”

It’s all about robot calibration issues, Musk added. He repeatedly referred to the need for lightning-fast robots. If you can see them move without a strobe light, they’re too slow.

Musk also addressed plans for Chinese production so that Tesla Models 3 and Y (the sport/utility based off the 3) could be sold in there without suffering 25-percent import duties.

“Don’t set your watch by this,” Musk said with a remarkable degree of self-realization, “but rough production starts in about three years.”

At this point you have to be asking whether Tesla Models 3 and Y built in China for the world’s largest market could also be cheaper coming out of China for other markets, and maybe cut a level or two off the Production Hell chart.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Tesla has struck a deal to build a wholly-owned factory in Shanghai’s Free Trade Zone that would allow Tesla to maintain 100-percent ownership of the plant, which addresses the issue of how Musk could possibly give up 50-percent control of his Chinese operation to a local owner, as is custom among foreign automakers there.

Musk satisfied Wall Street analysts for yet another quarter, despite losing $619.4 million, a record for the company. Some analysts displayed a bit of soft skepticism though, and so Tesla common stock closed 6.8-percent lower Thursday, to $299.26, and piling on, the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs could become a victim of the GOP tax reform plan, Bloomberg reported, quoting a House Republican. Whatever happens to the tax credit, promised production levels of 1,000 units per week remain a quarter or two away, but when the EV revolution takes hold, Tesla expects to become the GM of EVs.

If you’re part of the crowd with a $1,000 (U.S.) deposit down on a Tesla Model 3, the only questions now are, how long will you have to wait? And, how long are you willing to wait?

The post Tesla Makes Its Way Through Production Hell appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[sometimesalwaysmusic]

OUTSIDE I’M A GIANT

Composing haunting, beautiful folk music floating down from the Gatineau Hills, Outside I’m a Giant are set to release their debut album on October 7 at the legendary Black Sheep Inn. We caught up with frontman Jeremi Caron (JC) and chatted about the band’s origins, their local musician inspirations, and their extensive future touring plans.

VITALS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/outsideimagiant/

Web: https://outsideimagiant.com/home

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outsideimagiant/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/outsideimagiant

Latest Release: Fishing with Jim (Single, Sep 2017)

Upcoming shows: Saturday, October 7 - Outside I’m a Giant, A Leverage for Mountains. Black Sheep Inn, Wakefield QC. 6PM. 

SA: How did Outside I'm A Giant first start as a band? JC: Long story:

My previous band (Bitterly Healed) was going through a rough time. Being a part of a 7 piece band can be really difficult. We didn't all have the same obligations, goals, priorities and schedule. Not long after the release of our first album we disbanded. It was a difficult period in my life.

Couple months went by. I wasn't feeling inspired to write. In a way I was kind of enjoying the break. My partner asked me if I wanted to go see a show at the Record Centre. Her friend (VELODRONES) was playing. It was the Bosveld vinyl release show.

I've seen many shows and I can tell you in all honesty... that was the best show I have ever seen. Their performance was amazing. Surreal even. I was in awe by everything about Bosveld. After the show I went back home and I felt like I knew what I had to do. As if they had put me on the right track. Guided me in the right musical direction. 

I started writing and it was going really well. I asked my long time collaborator, Pascal Desgagné, if he wanted to be a part of this project. He said yes with no hesitation. We have been making music together for 15 years now so it was just natural for us to continue making music together. 

We were looking for a full time violonist to join the band. Samuelle Desjardins was referred to us by our friend JF (Fet.Nat frontman). First rehearsal it was obvious that we made a great trio.  It felt good. It made sense. But most importantly, we had fun playing music together and we all wanted the same thing. The same goals.  

Another important person in this project is our manager, my mentor, Trish Bolechowsky (Redleaf Music). Music is one thing. Managing is another. Trish is helping us a great deal and without her we wouldn't be where we are today. We're lucky to work with her. 

SA: Who would you cite as primary influences on your sound? JC: A mix of Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, Leonard Cohen, Harmonium, Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon) The National and Bosveld. Also some movies such as La Bête Lumineuse, Les Traces Du Rêve, Alone In The Wilderness and The Frozen North (I like to watch those movies while I rock in my rocking chair and write riffs).

SA: Thus far in your career, what has been your biggest success? JC: ... I have a bit of trouble with that question. It's weird to me. I guess... I would have to say, being happy doing what you do. That's what really matters right? Doing what you love? If you do that, in my book, you are being successful. 

SA: What has been the biggest challenge you have faced, and how have you dealt with it? JC: I think the music industry itself is a challenge. It's not an easy life style/business. Especially for emerging bands playing in new markets. Doesn't stop us from doing what we need to do though. Playing music that is. For me, playing music is therapeutic. I just need it. It's who I am. I'm fortunate to have a family that understands and supports that. 

SA: How do you guys approach the song-writing process? JC: I do all the writing. I have lot's of free time in the winter. That's usually the time of year that I do my writing. I make myself some tea, sit in my rocking chair with my guitar and write. Once the songs are done I present them to Pascal and Sam. That's when they add their touch. We share ideas on where the songs should go musically. They let me know if they appreciate the lyrics. It's a fun process. It's really exciting haha.

SA: What are your thoughts on the Ottawa/Gatineau music scene? JC: I love the music scene here. Lot's of amazing bands. Lot's of talent. It's a very vibrant scene and also very diverse. Many different genres out there and it's great. I feel like the scene is blooming full force. Just keeps getting better and better. 

SA: Your songs and lyrics seem to be influenced by the geographical region in which you have grown up and lived in. What is it about the Gatineau Hills that is so inspirational for you? JC: The Gatineau is my home and I'm proud of that. I was raised in Hull and Gracefield. It's what I know. I like to write about simple things. I think it's important, as a song writer, to trust yourself, to be confident, to be honest and to write about what you know. In my opinion that's a recipe for good songs. 

SA: If you could pick one highlight, one personal favourite point for you, off your new album Point Comfort, what would it be and why? JC:  I can't. Each song is personal and I'm attached to each one on their own level. 

SA: What can fans expect from your upcoming album release show with A Leverage for Mountains? JC: Lot's of soul power. Lot's of feel. Couple new songs that will appear on our second album and couple new covers that we have been working on. It promises to be a great event. It's happening at our favorite venue, The Blacksheep Inn. 

SA: Lastly, what are the future plans for OIAG in 2017, post-album release? All the best this coming year! JC: We have a show coming up in the fall at La Nouvelle Scène. We will be doing an Ontario tour in February 2018. We're aiming to go back in the studio March 2018 to record our second album. A private home concert in May. A second East Coast tour next spring and another one in July 2018. We're also looking into getting work visas for the US. And finally you can expect some merch late fall this year including vinyls.