#Jin Guangshen

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 07 part two

(Masterpost)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Lantern Lighting

Now we have the famous lantern scene, where everybody gets to express their character and have dates, ranging from disastrous to delightful, with the objects of their affection. 

Wei Wuxian continues to be ridiculously good at drawing. 

We’ve all seen Lan Wangji’s lovely first smile in the show a million times, so...let’s look at it again!

This scene is important not just because of the smile, but because there’s a distinct shift in the way they talk about their growing relationship. In the pond, it was “come visit me” and “never!” “I want to be your friend” “No need.” Basically Lan Wangji firmly saying no to Wei Wuxian’s offers of friendship.

This time, Wei Wuxian says “let’s do this together” and Lan Wangji says “I’m used to being alone,” which is not actually a No, just an explanation. And WWX says, you can change that. And then Lan Wangji DOES change it, sharing the lantern and the promise with Wei Wuxian.

Whoever painted this flower is even better than Wei Wuxian at plein air painting. 

(more after the cut!)

Everybody’s wishes

Nie Huasang makes a practical wish. Wen Qing prays for her brother and Jiang Cheng notices how she’s like Yanli. Jiang Cheng isn’t very intense about Wen Qing, which could be a sign of his shyness but could also be a sign of his gayness or aceness. After all, later in life he’s an apparently wealthy clan leader who is hot as fuck, and needs an heir, since his nephew is a Jin. But he’s still not married, 16 years after breaking up with and uh, helping to kill and cremate, the girl he liked in summer school.

The Promise We Made Together

Wei Wuxian makes an ultra-idealistic wish/promise while Lan Wangji watches and falls the rest of the way in love with him, and silently makes the same pledge inside his head. Later they will each refer to this as a promise they made together, which is a really super high level of face-reading by Wei Wuxian, to understand that he really is speaking for both of them here.  While making this promise, Lan Wangji brings out his Yin Iron Magic Bag and waves it around in front of everyone, but nobody notices. 

Let’s take a moment to consider *why* this moment is so powerful for Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji is a boy whose emotions are always on the boil. He’s 100% upset all the time, at this age, and he keeps it clamped down all the time. His cultivation level is probably as high as it is partly because of all the work he does in emotion regulation. (note: if you haven’t read all the meta at @howpeacefulislwj​ , go read it; it’s awesome and hilarious)

Wei Wuxian doesn’t GAF about emotion regulation; he just expresses what he feels, all the damn time. 

He is openly bored, lusty, playful, hungry, whiny. He straight up tells Lan Wangji “you’re boring and you have a stick up your ass” as part of saying he wants to be friends; no deference and also no falseness.  

And he can see right through Lan Wangji’s reserve, barging into his loneliness and isolation without any regard for all of his wards. Wards are made to be broken.

(Unrelated note: Young Lan Wangji's rare moments of contentment seem to come from looking at something beautiful--the moon, falling petals, these lanterns, his mirror.)

But Wei Wuxian is also good. Lan Wangji desperately wants to be good. And here’s Wei Wuxian embodying this awful, amazing, tempting alternative path, in which all the interesting things in life get explored thoroughly, all the sweetness and beauty gets consumed unreservedly, all the pain and ugliness gets confronted and endured without hesitation. 

In this moment, Wei Wuxian tells Lan Wangji “you can change,” and then offers up this prayer/promise that is just pure chivarly, speaking straight to Lan Wangji’s heart. Very simply, I want to spend my life doing right. Not 3500 rules; just one.

This infuriating boy, who breaks rules and who flirts indiscriminately and who pushes and pushes and pushes, reveals himself in this moment to be a hero at the beginning of his journey, and Lan Wangji sees it, and his heart goes right over the cliff.

The Girls’ Room

The girl cultivators all rush over to Yanli to get in her business about her betrothal, inspiring Jin Zixuan to act like a jerk to her and get even further onto Wei Wuxian’s bad side. 

Talk Shit, Get Hit

Yanli’s wish was that Wei Wuxian would grow up and be good. He promptly launches his own personal Sunshot campaign, punching her fiancee so hard that the sun falls out of the sky and the previously well-lit scene transitions to full night.

So, in English, “don’t mention it again” is really mild, akin to “I don’t want to talk about it.” Wei Wuxian’s reaction makes it seem like Jin Zixuan said something really shitty, like “don’t you dare mention that woman to me!” So I’m assuming something is being lost in translation. 

Lan Wangji tries to calm him down. He grabs Wei Wuxian’s sexy arm muscle and basically holds it until the Jiangs exit the scene. 

Nie Huaisang has placed himself between the opposing factions, which is unusually direct of him. In the future he’ll stick to being an unindicted co-conspirator when Wei Wuxian starts trouble. 

Ants in my Pants

Lan Wangji thinks kneeling can make Wei Wuxian cry, which is adorable of him. 

He really relishes this opportunity to be a pedantic tool to his new boyfriend that annoying boy he hardly ever touches, and it really doesn’t work out for him, poor lamb.

Jiang Fengmian stops by to show exactly how deep his affection for Wei Wuxian runs, and to give him whiplash from constantly changing parental expectations. In a couple of hours he’ll be laughing over WWX & JC’s hijinks.

Wei Wuxian takes this opportunity to fantasize about bad things happening to the other boy in the fight, which is in no way foreshadowing of anything.

Douche Dads Conference

We now convene this meeting of the douchebag council. Jiang Cheng is also invited even though he’s a prick, not a douche. <--important distinction

This is our first time meeting Clan Leader Jin Guangshan. He's actually the most sensible and best parent in this scene, but his smug self-satisfaction hints at his true nature. This actor, Shen Xiaohai, has been active in cdramas for a long while now. I wonder what he looked like 15 years ago?

...Holy mother of god.

Jiang Fengmian is the worst dad and the worst husband here. His clan believes in letting children do what they want - uhh YOUR child wants to marry Jin Zixuan. “I wrote a letter to her mother, who arranged this marriage.” Uhhh she arranged for her sickly, low-cultivation-level, sweet and vulnerable child to marry the heir of a rich and powerful clan, with a powerful mother-in-law who’s looking forward to loving and protecting her. Basically she’s guaranteed her daughter’s safety and comfort, and even potential happiness, since her husband may learn to appreciate her (and in fact, does, thanks to soup and repeated beatings from WWX).

Mom worked hard and probably spent a fair amount of social capital to achieve this. And you’re going to toss that aside because the boy thinks he’s too good for her? What the everloving fuck, how are you a clan leader in the first place? 

You can see that Jiang Cheng understands all of this and what a terrible choice his father is making here. 

So do the other adults in the room.

Jin Guangshen: our wives are going to kill us

Lan Qiren: I'm looking at a couple of dead men

Jiang Fengmian pointedly won’t listen to Jiang Cheng or let him speak, showing that all his talk about being free is actually bullshit, that only applies to other people��s children.

Jiang Chang vaults off of the deck to tell Wei Wuxian about it. Hottt

Sorry Sis

Wei Wuxian goes to Jiang Yanli to sorta-apologize and sorta ask to be let off the hook for fucking up her engagement, which he absolutely did. He knows it, which is presumably why he bows to her in paperman form while hiding outside.

At no time has Jiang Yanli indicated to anyone that she doesn’t want to marry Jin Zixuan, as far as I can see, or said she wanted to be defended from insults with punching. Look how good SHE is at defending a person from insults, for comparison.

Yin Iron Blah Blah Blah

The senior Lans meet with Jiang Fengmian  to talk about the Yawn Yin Iron. Yawn. 

Jiang Fengmian addresses Lan Xichen as Lan Gongzi, which is adorable, since he is a big boy to everyone else. His family calls him Xichen and other people call him Zewu-Jun.

Farewell and Fuck You

The three Jiang kids come to say goodbye.

Lan Quiren says goodbye with a heap of criticism for Wei Wuxian and the horse he rode in on, and Jiang Fengmian basically says, yep, that’s what he’s like, all right.  

Good thing Wei Ying gets so much verbal abuse at home he doesn’t take it very hard when he finds it in the field. 

Wangji doesn’t say goodbye properly, which will be a recurring theme for the two of them.

I don’t know if this is because he has a problem with goodbyes, or is just being a jerk, or because he’s so bad at lying he doesn’t dare talk to Wei Wuxian lest he reveal his travel plans. 

Indulgent Dad Continues to be the Worst

Jiang Cheng complains at Wei Wuxian for wanting to say goodbye to Lan Wangji, and WWX says he likes him because he is equal to WWX in fighting, whereas JC sucks. JC hits him tries to hit him--gosh, he DOES suck, comparatively. 

Yanli, who has been keeping these boys in line all summer, sighs deeply at her Dad’s tolerance for their hijinks. OP has five brothers and this sibling-hijinks behavior is 100% accurate, except for the part where it is happening at someone else’s house in front of the hosts. 

WWX pretending to be Lan Qiren where Lan Wangji can see him doing it, in front of Lan Qiren’s colleague and supposed friend, and just earning a laugh from the patriarch? Good lord.  Dad Jiang tolerating this is shocking, particularly in the in-show culture where corporal punishment is as common as tea. 

We’ve tried Nothing, and we’re all out of ideas!

Uggghh why are you like this?

Here in the real world, OP uses “positive discipline” with her child, and encourages other parents to consider it, particularly if your child is neuroatypical or asynchronous.  That said, JF should be punishing the crap out of both boys for this behavior every time it happens, or should quit being a clan leader.  He’s relying on Jiang Yanli to keep them in line while he gets to just be amused by them. And he’s letting Lan Qiren discipline Wei Wuxian instead of doing it himself. He suuuuuuucks. 

Lan Wangji watches all of this. Lan Xichen reminds Lan Wangji that without Wei Wuxian, he’s completely fucking miserable. Lan Wangji still doesn’t plan to bring him along on his trip, though.

Time to return to our lives of crushing loneliness

Rabbits

At this same moment when Lan Wangji is staring down the barrel of future loneliness, Wei Wuxian is already deciding to leave the (forbidden) rabbits in Cloud Recesses “In case Lan Zhan gets lonely.”  This small decision by Wei Wuxian - breaking the rules of Cloud Recesses for the millionth time - is kinder than he knows. Because what is the job of these rabbits? Let’s have a desaturated flashback. 

Lan Zhan spent 3 years in the ice cave. The rabbits kept Lan Yi company in the ice cave. So...did the rabbits sneak in to keep Lan Wangji company in the ice cave as well? I’m going to say yes. By ep 43 they are following him to the gate of Cloud Recesses so they are very attached to him.  Well done, Wei Ying.

Where my bitches at? Seriously, our warren needs bitches

(Is Watership Down still a thing people read? If not, just go ahead and assume all of OP’s rabbit jokes are about Watership Down because OP ain’t going to stop making them)

While Wei Wuxian annoys the bunny he has a flashback to the scene that happened 4 minutes earlier. The Untamed editors assume the viewership has the attention span of a goldfish, and I personally appreciate that they understand me so well.

Wei Wuxian figures out that Lan Wangji is going on the road alone, and tells the bunny immediately. The bunny is very concerned.

Writing Prompt: What do next-generation cultivators Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi wish for at lantern-lighting time?

[ranlinjin]

Crossover things III

-Kayano is constantly done with Mingjue, who, for some reason continues to bother her. Often, way too often!

(-Near the end of the journey, she throws Mingjue down some stairs as well, who, for some reason just laughs it off while Lan Xichen tries hard to keep smiling his ‘I’m fine, everything is fine’-smile.)

-Kayano giving a speech about siblings with Gakushú, while Jin Zixuan listens in and takes notes (or he tries, but cut him some slack, he really tries! - much to the dismay of his father).

-Madam Jin only wants Jiang Yanli to finally come to Carp Tower and bring some joy into her miserable life, she does not care about the rest. She still gets a lot of headaches in this Au, mostly because of her son and the mistake of her husband.

-Madam Jin and Jin Guangshen switch bodies with Maehara and Nakamura for half a day, but this is more crack than actual plot (then again, all of this is more crack than actual plot). Madam Jin spends that day in utter confusion until Meng Yao finds her and stops her from hurting herself. Nakamura and Maehara have the time of their life, spending way too much money that isn’t theirs and causing Jin Zixuan to really, really start to wish he was already married so that he wouldn’t have to deal with that. (Jin Guangshen is passed out for that day, because Nakamura had been way too hungover and it’s better to not let this swine into soceity, no matter which one.)

-Xue Yang is not getting what is wrong with his only, maybe, kinda, sort of, far cry of a friend, but he sticks around anyway, because there isn’t that much other stuff to do. (And he gets to call him A-Yao! Definitively one reason more to sick around!)

-While Xue Yang is in Nagisa’s body (and still babysitting Sakura, who is fine, by the way), he runs into Meng Yao and informs him about what is going on so far - not even lying to him! (And he still can call him A-Yao, he is not corrected! Totally a good decision to stick around a bit longer!) They do get crepes in the end, and Meng Yao gets one for Sakura as well, who is not very impressed with how the day has gone by. (Meng Yao helps her with her homework later, until Nagisa is back in his own body, terrified and ready to kill somebody.

-Gakushú in Jiang Cheng’s body is way softer, smiles way more, pretends to be kind and caring, because he knows how to conceal and don’t feel. (Taking care of a sect isn’t that hard actually; his new younger brother is way more worrisome, as is the marriage between his new younger sister and some guy who is clearly not good enough for her!)

-Jiang Cheng in Gakushú’s body barks one order after the next, which gets the job done just as well, but causes the whole school to worry and coo about him, much to Karma’s amusement and dismay. (Because if he has to assure one more student that their favorite Ace isn’t possessed, he will isekai himself, through the traditional way.)

-Gakushú singing once after being dared to by Kayano while they were drunk and making use of Jiang Cheng’s actually quite nice voice. Kayano remembers that the other actually can sing and they have a warm moment, all while Wei Wuxian is short on loosing control completely.

(-The whole Au is basically them having one adventure after the next and the time of their life while Karma is stuck on the other side and slowly falling into despair. He is not the only one, to be fair.)

-

Karma on the inside: *internal screaming*.

Karma on the outside: It’s boring being left behind.

Jiang Cheng: Boring doesn’t even cut it.

-

Jiang Cheng: Are you like, in love with this boy?

Karma: ... It’s complicated.

-

Karma: Naturally, the rival of my rival is also my rival, because how dare my rival have any other rival than me? I'm more than enough, and if he forgets that, I'm more than willing to remind him.

Jiang Cheng: Are you sure you're still talking about rivalry?

Karma: I'm not taking critique from a war-traumatized, social incompetent shut-in.

-

Kayano: Throw away a hope that is loyal to your standards.

Gakushú: From where do you have that line?

Kayano: A Gintama song. Though I doubt his highness knows about-

Gakushú: It’s from the 9th opening. Not my favorite, but not bad either.

Kayano:

Gakushú: What? You can’t convince me that any other song can even compare to the 13th opening, no matter how many times you look at it.

Kayano:

Kayano: Did you know that gold tends to go well with violet?

Gakushú: But my eyes are grey in here?

Kayano: You’re worse than Nagisa. Never mind, maybe gold goes better with blue after all.

-----

Karma (other side of dimensions): There are way too many people with golden eyes.

Isogai: ?

[pastthevaulteddoors]

Xiyao AU where Jin Guangshen takes in his illegitimate children but for the purposes for pawns. He makes a political marriage between Lan Xichen and Qin Su in hopes of solidifying an alliance.

Turns out, Qin Su is having none of this and runs away. The Jin siblings are the only ones that know (they're the ones that go to retrieve her for her on the morning of the wedding), and want to uphold what little honor they have. Therefore, they don't tell anyone and dress Jin Guangyao up as the female bride with the plan of switching Qin Su back when they find her.

His veil is not taken off until he is in Lan Xichen's chambers; or their wedding chambers, but he was sure to get the man a decent amount of alcohol for the occasion. Jin Guangyao doesn't get more than a sloppy kiss, told he's pretty, and a passed out man in his lap.

Lan Xichen doesn't complain outwardly, he never wanted to impose on his bride, but his inner disappointment was that he spent a lot of time pumping himself up for their first night together. One of those rare times a Lan is allowed such base pleasures and he is disappointed in himself for being too drunk to partake, or at least attempt to make his new wife happy on a physical sense.

To be fair, Jin Guangyao appears happy enough. He makes for a very pretty wife, or so the Lans say. She's dutiful, soft spoken, yet determined and very, very clever. Everyone is in love with their new madam.

All except for Lan Xichen who attempts to be a kind and caring husband, but he can't ever seem to pin his new wife down to spend any alone time with her. And not even in a sexual sense. He just wants to take tea with her to get to know her better. They married as strangers and still, weeks later, he barely knows her.

She sleeps in a separate room, her own bed, is dutifully in bed by 9 and Lan Xichen doesn't wish to impose on her privacy.

And of course Lan Xichen would never impress himself upon her, although he does wonder to his brother if it's normal for married couples. His own parents were not a good example of marriage, and Lans are very private in their affections.

Is this normal? He's not sure.

Lan Wangji doesn't turn out to be very good aid as he is focused on a sudden and urgent crush on one of the Jiang disciples. Ah well, maybe Lan Xichen will learn to love his wife the way his brother loves Wei Wuxian.

Although Lan Xichen speaks of this lack of affection to no one else, it's his uncle that picks up on the strain between them. They're cordial to each other, not quite cold, but certainly not doting. Therefore, Lan Qiren sends the two of them off on a Night Hunt together that should take up a couple weeks of their time.

The disciples with them are sneakily instructed to abandon the two as much as they can to give them time together.

A slow burn story of budding love. Lan Xichen courting Jin Guangyao, and in turn the man's sealed heart begins to melt. His heart also aches when he realizes he's going to have to come clean. The charade had gone on too long that switching Qin Su back in would be far too noticeable a difference.

There is no saving this lie, so when Qin Su is found and ready to be replaced, Jin Guangyao knows he is going to ruin the reputation of his family, the Lans, as well as hurt Lan Xichen for the deception.

However, he's having a very hard time of it, as each time Jin Guangyao tries to tell his husband, he is always interrupted by FEELINGS and the kindness of the other man. The kisses, that become familiar, the gentle touches he hates to admit he craves, the sweet words that makes his heart flutter.

It's not until they finally fall into bed together, their hearts open and bodies ready to finally complete their marriage in a physical sense that Jin Guangyao has to pull away and confess his gender.

Lan Xichen only smiles and says "I know."

Rumors run rapid around Cloud Recesses because, of course when you're told not to gossip is when you gossip the most. And the rumor is... that their leader and his wife have finally found pleasure together. Just the way they look at each other, their blushes, the secret touches, the fond smiles... everyone knows that the tides have turned for the better.

Lan Qiren even makes a joke (A JOKE!!) that they are being obscene one afternoon when taking tea together and the two can't stop looking at each other.

Unfortunately, at a visit to Koi Tower, Jin Zixun notices that his cousin with Lan Xichen is not the right one. Although Jin Guangyao looks a lot like Qin Su, and has her mannerisms down (as well as the illegitimate children were not often around the main staff/family), Jin Zixun figures it out.

Drama ensues, the two are forced to break up with a possible break in alliance. Qin Su says she'll marry Lan Xichen to settle things down, Jin Guangshen is appalled with his son's homosexuality and 'forcing' such views on a sect leader.

In dramatic flair, Lan Xichen refuses Qin Su on their wedding (which she is very grateful for) and runs to Jin Guangyao (who is about to be shipped off to Japan or something). A kiss at sunset, a declaration of love, and a proper proposal of marriage.

The next spring, Lan Xichen is once more in wedding reds, but this time, his husband-to-be has no veil and they smile, smile, smile as they make their bows as husbands.

I dunno... story idea came from a summary I saw for a Korean BL drama Nobleman Ryu's Wedding.

[triviasfolly]

You know, if Wei Wuxian had said the Stygian Tiger Amulet caused impotence Jin Guangshen would have lost interest in a heartbeat. 

[sidecharacter-purgatory]

i need to rant about my boy!!!!!

my awful wonderful boy!!!! 

Jin Guangyao!!!!

with dimples deep enough to drown your sugar daddy for his money in!!!!

he’s just! he really is That Bitch! decades of scheming, educating himself to blend in with the gentry, setting his sights on whichever powerful man was in the best position to get him what he wanted and breaking out the puppy eyes every time things looked bad and just cute-ing himself out of whatever trouble he was in!! the skill!! the dedication!!!

and, on a more serious note, he did it all because he wanted more than what he was born to. he didn’t want to be no one, to be the disgraced bastard child that everyone mocked. there’s something very Gatsby about his story, the social climbing, the desperate need to garner power, prestige, and respect in spite of humble origins, to do terrible things in pursuit of that goal, and even so, to only be the “son of a wh*re” every time you slip up, no matter your accomplishments. he’s condemned from the moment he’s born, for circumstances he can’t control, and when it’s revealed that he’s become the monster they all told him he was from the time he was only little, his persecutors can only look into to his eyes and see themselves, they did this, they pushed him to this point.

meta continues under the cut because rambling…

it’s strongly implied that Yao endears himself to powerful men through very intimate, emotional and possibly sexual manipulation and i can’t help but think of Yao as a child, young and innocent, born in a brothel and learning from a tender age that sexual desire was a commodity, a tool to be whetted and wielded. and in a brothel where women are owned, i daresay he saw his share of violence as well, including sexual violence. it’s so obvious that there’s something wrong with him, a damage that lives deep within him…a child in that environment, i can only imagine what that damage might be.

he learned to feign innocence, to be simpering and affectionate. sweet words and soft smiles and averted eyes to draw people in. Nie Mingjue, Lan Xichen, Qin Su…they all seem to adore him. Mingjue was obviously singing Yao’s praises in letters to Xichen, otherwise how would Xichen know him in Cloud Recesses? and when Yao’s betrayal is revealed, Mingjue is horrified and weeps openly while taunted by this boy he has raised up from nothing. Qin Su too appears to love her husband deeply, until she learns the truth of their parentage, and then is so horrified that she can only end her life. i have to wonder how he may have used these skills on others. how did he garner such blind loyalty from Su She? what did he have to do in order to prove his trustworthiness to Wen Ruohan? and what might his father, his depraved, lascivious father, have done to him once Yao was in his home, under his control, and so desperate for approval? Yao knowingly impregnates his half-sister after all…and the way he killed Jin Guangshen was so perverse…

and then there’s Lan Xichen. poor Xichen, who, even after seeing the truth of Yao’s crimes and schemes and abhorrences laid bare, still can’t bring himself to kill Yao. he can’t help but defend Yao, to listen as he cries and begs and gives excuses for his horrific actions. and in the end he still tends to Yao’s wounds, still wants to give him a second chance. i believe that Yao really loved Xichen, that he never wanted to hurt him, that if Yao’s love had been anything less than true, Xichen would not have been so devoted to him in return.

gods i love this story. this twisted, tragic character…sacrificing his morality, his soul even, for want of love, only to die at the hands of the one he loved most

[lifetimeoftired]

Rational Creator Me: Rationally speaking, Mo XuanYu probably wasn’t all that great of a guy. We can probably agree that while he didn’t harass Fucker McFuckface (aka jin guangyao), he did study demonic cultivation and summoned back Wei Wuxian- who the world only knew as an evil spirit who could have probably come back to murder countless innocent lives- to murder his family. He most certainly had more than a few grudges and was willing to put people in danger for revenge. There’s no possible way he was Pure Sunshine.

Fanon Creator Me: So then why didn’t he go after guangyao??? Or Guangshen? Why only the Mo family? The two of them definitely hurt him as much as the Mo family ever did, so why didn’t he blame them? And, though he did summon an “evil” spirit back, why Wuxian speficially? He would have been reading his demonic cultivation notes that Guangyao provided, so he probably would have realized that all of his notes were almost pure theories and that he never tested most of them. And, despite using demonic cultivation, we don’t actually know why he was using it and who may have influenced his decisions into using it.

RCM: Obviously he didn’t go after them because the Mo family was more immediate. They literally tortured him into insanity, so even if he did have a grudges again guangyao and guangshen, his focus was on the people that literally beat him everyday and humiliated him on a regular basis. 

FCM: Yeah but if that’s true, then why summon Wuxian for justice against these crimes? Evil beings don’t do justice! Also he never actually stated that he wanted them dead- heck, he didn’t even actually make a wish. The curse just chose ‘kill my family’ probably, in part, because Xuanyu wanted them dead certainly, but also because he didn’t want them to hurt anyone else I bet. After all, nobody in the village liked them. They weren’t good people and, arguably, killing them off was the best moral choice here.

RCM: He didn’t say it because he didn’t have the page for it! He skipped that step because he didn’t know about it! And if the curse can subconsciously pick up on those desires, then why couldn’t it have picked up that he actually wanted them to be straight up murdered? People who go after paths like this, generally speaking, aren’t “pure” or “good” in the traditional sense. Even Wuxian admits he went too far because he was caught up in his own insanity, just like Xuanyu was.

FCM: He was given an incomplete page it’s true, but the rest of the ritual required him to state that he had a wish. If he was smart enough to study Wuxian’s writings and understand them, then he was smart enough to realize that he should probably actually make the damn wish. And that’s actually a point in my direction because if Wuxian can still be a good person in the midst of insanity- the only reason he did some of the things he did was because he was pushed back the breaking point and he still continually was trying to protect his people up to the very end- then why can’t have Xuanyu been sunshine-y before he was lost to insanity? It took 13 frickin years for him to get to that point too.

RCM: He was still insane! He was still angry and bitter! He still wanted to kill people and he had no real way of knowing what Wuxian was actually like even if he did read his notes! While I will believe he absolutely hid himself away from people out of fright and probably had a decent character, he had his own resentments and was not a Good And Pure Sunshine boy.

FCM: He Can Be Both! Wuxian is still a sunshine boy even with all his quirky bs!

RCM: That’s not how any of this works!!

Fandom consumer me, watching in the background with popcorn and holding xuanyu like a fav stuffed animal: sunshine~ sunshine~ pretty sunshine boooy~

[mdzscontent]

Crossposting from my twitter:

That one scene in supergirl where Kara confronts a hologram of her mom but make it Jin Ling using a talisman (created by Wei Wuxian for him to talk to his parents) to confront Jin GuangShan (or Jin GuangYao not sure which) about the reasons Wei Wuxian was out of the burial mounds.

Him and the other juniors along with WangXian are on a night hunt and Wei Wuxian is surveying they area they are staying in and Sizhui shares some of the things he remembers about the burial mounds with the other 3. He brings up how he thought he felt when he knew his family Wouldn’t return especially his Xian-gege and Jin Ling makes an off-handed remark about his fathers death and Wei Wuxian about that time even if he knows what happened it still sometimes bugs him.

Lan WangJi in spite responds “it was because of your 100 day celebration he was out Of the burial mounds and away from safety.” Jin Ling in a fit of denial and frustration stomps away with talisman paper and cinnabar to make the talisman to confront Jin GuangShen (or GuangYao Yao). As soon as he saw one of them he pounced before the hologram could great him.

“Did you Use me to get Wuxian framed.”

The hologram responds, “hello a-Ling”

“dont say my name right now, did you use me to draw Wuxian out of hiding?”

“Yes”

Jin Ling gasps as he is told, “how could you do that” Disbelief in his voice noticeable.

“you where the only person he wanted to meet. It was necessary”

“could he have saved them?” He asked staring at the hologram. He thinks of his friend Sizhui, young a child who lost his parents and then lost a care taking figure and his family because of his own clan and the corrupt cultivation society.

“He was a criminal” it responded blankly.

“But was he right?!”

He yelled in frustration the hologram responds with “I am not made to give you that information” because Wei Was still thinks it Of it as his fault so he didn’t include anything about it.

Jin Ling gets more frustrated and yells, “tell me!”

The hologram repeated itself, “I’m sorry, I am not programmed to give you that information. Tears are falling at this point and Jin Ling finally just breaks and yells at it Meanwhile Wei Wuxian heard the commotion and went to check on Jin Ling and decided this is something that he should figure out on his own (he also didn’t hear the first part).

“You let everyone that I love die, you left me...” his tears are falling faster than he can stop them.

“You left me alone, you sent me away” he says speaking of the times he felt alone without his parents and going to lotus pier surrounded by deciples who mine as well been the same as the ones in LanLing.

“How could you do that?!” He yells and Wei Wuxian decided maybe it’s time to To step in as the hologram repeats itself, “I’m not programmed to give you that information.” Suihua sensing its users anger and frustration unsheathes and rushes towards the source. The talisman is quickly destroyed and Wei Wuxian rushes over to comfort his nephew.

“Hey, hey It’s not really him.” He says pulling Jin Ling into a hug. Sure he hadn’t seen the whole thing but he can guess some of what happened. He would have to ask the rest of the juniors and his husband what fully happened for his nephew to be out by himself.

“They lied to me.” Is all His nephew says. Really it doesn’t help much but at least he’s figured out that it has to do with the many lies within the Jin clan. They stay like that for awhile until Jin Ling is sniffling and pretending like he hadn’t just cried until he couldn’t breath, Wei Wuxian used to it Seen as Jiang Cheng did the same when they where younger he lets the younger gather his thoughts and asks about it. Jin Ling can’t help the feelings of guilt he knows Wei Wuxian wouldn’t want him to feel he knows how much guilt the older holds but he is the only one who told him About the things he wants to know about his parents and he can see he holds back some of the biased things about his father. He tells them of the conversation with the others, the things Huanguang-jun said and how he wished he had known. He is crying again but he doesn’t mind now. They stay for a little longer, Wei Wuxian uses the extra paper and cinnabar to created holograms of the peacock and his Shijie. After awhile they go back to the others. He tells them what he found out, he also pulls his two Lan’s aside, scolds his husband but hugs both. In the end after finishing the hunt he and Jin Ling spend awhile and Lan WangJi (reluctantly) apologized for what he said even if he didn’t mean it (I totally 100% believe he would be spiteful towards Jin Ling as well even if he had no provable part in Wei Wuxian’s death man’s probably still made at Jin Ling for stabbing Wei Wuxian).

If you’ve seen my twitter thread of this it’s still up but if not I think this is something that’s been in my head for ages and I had just heard the audio when I made thread, obviously I changed bits to match the scene and characters in my head to this better.

[angstymdzsthoughts]

Mo dao zu shi except Jin Guangshan is an incredible father. He’s still an asshole that wants money and power but he hides all of that behind the persona of a great dad. He uses his ‘empathy’ to gain favors with people and even encourage people to join his side. He does join the war to keep up with this but still manages to hold back his best people, cutting his losses. By the end of the war, he manages to make everyone believe he’s a great guy. He even makes Wei Wuxian look at him favorably by comforting him and being by his side while also convincing him that no one except Jin Guangshan cares for him.

I actually like this because most of the fandom seem to almost dumb JGS down in order to build up JGY. Give me a JGS who is a master of manipulation!

[admirableadmiranda]

Probably in order to showcase that even the Lan sect rules were not as mighty as the Jin’s strength. We are the strong sect that came through the war in the best shape. We are the ones with a sect leader who knows what he’s doing. We know better than your silly rules.

Jin Guangshen really lucked out on having three other great sect leaders who were all young men, Nie Mingjue as the oldest of them is probably twenty-four at most compared to Jin Guangshan’s fifties and he uses it. The pressure in the scene is most on does the sect that holds itself apart with rules stand against the Jin sect and risk alienation, or fall into line with the “right” way of things. Which Wei Wuxian proceeds to smash by saying that he is the sort of person that will stand even alone against these actions and help those being pressured by the Jin.

That is why they target the Lan sect. To prove that no one is better than they are. Break your rules or break the peace. Which option is the better one? Can you really actually choose a side, Lan Xichen.

Random Thought #23: was Lan Xichen, a sect leader of a great sect, really gonna let himself and his clan be publicly disrespected at another sect’s banquet in which they were guests? And by a nobody in that sect who didn’t participate in the war effort while the Lan did??? Like, I really want to know how that whole thing would’ve went down had Wei Wuxian not stormed in to ask after Wen Ning.

[triviasfolly]

DnD World AU Thoughts 

Wei Wuxian: Tiefling, like his mother, and one of the main reasons Lan Qiren is wary of him. Starts out a chaotic good Paladin (I’ll fight anyone who says this isn’t a thing) and Lan Wangji is very surprised to find out they share the same path. He falls into the Burial Mounds and makes a pact with it, becoming a Paladin/warlock multiclass. The dubious nature of his patron sets him at odds with other paladins, such as Lan Wangji.

Lan Wangji: The Lan family has a long respected line of Elven Bardic Paladins, dedicated to their morales and the preservation and collection of knowledge. He is of the direct Lan bloodline, but is a half elf due to his mother’s human nature. Wanting to prove himself to his family, Lan Wangji had the choice to be a Paladin or a Bard. He chose both.

Jiang Wanyin: Air Genasi like his mother, and things his father (a water genasi) holds it against him. Also inherited his storm sorcery from his mother, but primarily focused on following his fathers steps as a ranger until his death. Only the does he work to improve his magic to use his mother’s ring.

Jiang Yanli: A water genasi like her father. She focuses her time on helping others, be it by supplying soup or using her skills as a cleric.

Lan Xichen: An half elf like his younger brother, he took the path of a Bard of Lore. He helps his uncle shoulder the burden of running the Cloud Recesses, keeping him from exploring the world.

Nie Hauisang: A half orc, but his looks take more after his elven mother. He keeps the superficial exterior of a frivolous bard, but is well trained in the College of Whispers.

Nie Mingjue: A full blooded orc, he terrorizes the battle field as a Barbarian. Using the rage that curses his family to his advantage. Some might find it odd, but he is extremely protective of his half brother. He just wishes he’d practice fighting a bit more.

Meng Yao/Jin Guangyao: The half elf illigitamate child of human Jin Guangshen, he learned quickly to use his slight and unassuming stature to his advantage as a mastermind rogue.

The Wens: A proud family of dragonborns, the main branch under Wen Rouhan are red dragons where as the Dafan Wens are Gold.

Wen Qing: Golden dragonborn, probably a cleric of some sort although Alchemist Artificer could be a fun change up. 

Wen Ning: Golden dragonborn in training under his sister (matching whatever her class is) but after his death becomes a barbarian. 

Jin Zixuan: Human fighter.

Jin Zixun:  Some how an even more basic human fighter than Jin Zixuan. 

[angstymdzsthoughts]

Oh it's Manipulative LXC au

How about LXC totally knew of JGY's involvement in the Wen business but he didn't do anything because he thought JGY's support was more important than LWJ's love of life. Like if LWJ is sad about WWX he'll simply arrange some prostitutes so LWJ can get over him.

He did the same thing to get over NMJ so he knew it works... *brooo it doesn't work*

Or what if he knew what JGS has done but he decided to keep mum in exchange of money to repair Cloud Recesses. Or if he ran away during Wens attack because he was actually hightailing outta the danger etc.

Or if he tipped off the Wens about his father's location or even offed his father himself and blamed it on Wens? SO MANY POSSIBILITIES!!!!

I feel like Lan Xichen would always have a justification for his actions, at least to himself. He wasn't joining in the siege that would kill the man his little brother loves- he was saving Wangji from a lifetime of loving and doing everything for a power hungry mad man! He wasn't selling his loyalties to the Jin sect and ignoring the inhumane treatment of prisoners- he was supporting an ally who generously gave them financial support! In his own mind, he's always righteous and honorable.

[angstymdzsthoughts]

Haven't read all of the "XuanLi adopts A-Yuan" au, but I saw the last post and couldn't help but think, "Damn, JZX is gonna face some major backlash over this." Because! Who outside of LWJ and WWX can truly say LWJ isn't the father? To outsiders this looks like JZX kidnapped LWJ's son and is refusing to return him because he was obsessed with the kid's mother. It's extra angsty if LWJ is actually the bio dad in this version of the AU.

Who Wei Yuan’s father quickly becomes a matter of furious debate and the juiciest gossip. Some say that Jin Zixuan must take after his father and even out did him by taking his wife’s little brother as a lover. Others argue that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji clearly had romantic tension for years and that Lan Wangji was even seen visiting Yiling and spending time with his lover and their son. It was all very scandalous.

Jiang Yanli hated every waking moment of it.

She hated how people would stop talking when she entered a room and how the boys were so confused about what was happening and she couldn’t reassure then that everything would be fine. She hated that there was a very real chance of Wei Yuan being snatched away by the Lan clan and forced into their flawless molds. She hated how even though her husband has promised her that Wei Yuan isn’t his and he never touched her brother she struggled to believe him.

[angstymdzsthoughts]

JYL doesn’t make it to Nightless City in time. The Wens are all slaughtered, including A-Yuan. The Jins get ahold of the tiger amulet. He wipes out all the sects, leaving everyone dead. The amulet also affects him and those around him, so the LLJ sect begins to die out. This is the downfall of the cultivation world.

It does not take long for the effects of the seal to show themselves. Jin Guangshen had been proudly wearing the seal for all to see nearly constantly since it fell into his hands. His resistance to it's dark energy was nowhere near as strong as the seals maker. It was less then three months before he used the seal to destroy a minor sect who demanded he apologize for harassing the leaders youngest daughter.

It just got worse.

His paranoia and short temper resulted in any perceived slight against the Jin sect being met with a slaughter. Madam Jin and Jin Guangyao are executed for treason. The Jiang sect are enslaved for attempting to steal the Jin sect heir and the young Madam Jin, who was soon sent into seclusion. The Lan sect was burned once again when their leader suggested destroying the seal. The Nie sect was forced into submission after their young master was taken hostage.

Within a year the land in Lanling was poisoned. Crops grew in rotten and animals died from seemingly nothing. Some people whispered that it was a curse from the Yilling Patriarch and others said Lanling Jin were to blame. 

Jin Guangshen had fully lost his mind by the two year mark. He demanded a constant guard around him and screamed about how his wife and Wen Ruohan and Wei Wuxian were haunting him. The feared Ghost General was kept mindless and in heavy chains by Jin Guangshen’s constant guard dog.

It was nothing short of a relief when the cursed seal finally drained the life out of Jin Guangshen after five years of tyranny.

[angstymdzsthoughts]

Jin GuangShan was a happy, sated man. He had someone he loved with all of his life, someone who satisfied him in bed and kept him grounded and at peace. Someone who made him a good person. But all that changed when she was killed by Wen Ruohan who thought it would be fun to torture her to death. From then on JGS decided he would be evil. The one person that he wanted to be good for was dead, why would he care anymore? So he married canon!Madam Jin to gain power. He sucked up to WRH to keep his sect safe. He planned and planned and planned so that eventually the sects would band together and defeat the Wen sect. The Lotus Pier massacre was a tragic sacrifice and something he didn’t predict would happen but it didn’t matter, he just wanted the Wens dead for good and if the sacrifice of one sect aided towards that goal, he’d stick to his decisions without a second thought. When WWX came back with enough power to change the tide of the war, he was grateful. That’s why he wanted to get WWX to his side, because he was truly grateful that WWX helped in exterminating the Wens. When Meng Yao killed WRH, he finally thought of him as a son. However, JGS could not truly let go of his hate. All Wens needed to die. They needed to pay for his lover’s death with their own. When WWX saved a few of them, he saw red. WWX needed to die along with those damn Wens. Meng Yao, now JGY, helped him towards that goal and he began to appreciate this son of his. But it didn’t matter. No child of his truly mattered if it wasn’t his lover’s child. (And unfortunately she never got pregnant before she died.)

He lived long enough to become the villain 😔

[angstymdzsthoughts]

(I LOVE BAD LANS) Wen Ruohan was a man who valued power and might over studies, so when Gusu invited Chao-er to attend their lecture, he turned them down with a chuckle. He refused with a sneer when they offered a second/third/fourth time, even as every other sect gave in. By the time Gusu announced that their visiting students would be staying even longer to "correct their impurity” he could only sigh and send Xu-er a message to start gathering up disciples who were skilled at fire cultivation.

Wen Ruohan didn’t trust the Lans. Something about the broken look in the eyes of their younger members that slowly changed into cold indifference as they grew put him on edge. He himself was by no means a saint or a good man, but the Lan clan as a whole seemed like it was teetering on the edge of snapping. He wanted nothing to do with them and he certainly wasn’t about to hand over either of his sons.

He can’t even say he’s surprised when four of the great sects have a secret meeting a year later. “The Lans are holding my children hostage!” Jiang Fengmian cried, the perfect picture of a grieving father. “They refuse to see reason!” Nie Mingjue rages- theres no doubt that he had tried to use his closeness with the Lan heir to get his brother home. “Now, now, lets be reasonable,” Jin Guangshen soothed. Spineless coward.

Wen Ruohan gave a great sigh. He had better things to do with his time then listen to this drivel. It’s their own fault for entrusting the well-being of their children to people who grow more unstable with each passing day.

Still... having three of the great sects indebted to him could come in handy.

“Xu-er,” he addressed. “Gather your men and go to Gusu. If the Lans want to be purified then they will be by fire.”

[angstymdzsthoughts]

What if no one but the Jins actually meant for WWX and the Wens to die during the Siege?

JC: I want Wei Wuxian kept alive so I can take him back to Lotus Pier to face justice for what he has done.NMJ: Thats understandable. The Wens there will also be taken into custody to continue serving their sentences.LXC: Yes. My brother tells me that there is also a child among them, perhaps we can find a family willing to adopt him.JGS, to the sect leaders: Sure, yeah, whatever. JGS, to his own men: Kill everyone if you have to, just get me that seal!