#Phoenix Mountain Hunt

[ziorite]

the phoenix mountain hunt. that’s it.

[marlikesunicorns]

caught

[haveyoureadthisfanfic]

Summary: “Contestants get paid by the week. The longer you stay in the running and the more you charm the fans, the bigger your paycheck after the season wraps. People compete on Knight Hunt! for fame, fortune and love. In that order.” Wei Ying and Lan Zhan are competitors on the Most Heterosexual Dating Show Around.

Author: @travelingneuritis

Note from submitter: Amazing illustrations by the author 

[universe-gods-and-goddesses]

Primas pt.1

Jack= Sky Jack

Miyako= Memory Ice

Hanako= Tired Birth

Satru= Slippery Naga

Poppy= Thriving Poppy

Limu= River Mountain

Caicais= Mountain River

Monsoo= Tempest-Ray

Onyx= Dawn Phoenix

Drak= Lizard Ruler

Kizdo= Lizard Hunt

Mete= After Grim

Orion= Star King

Ophelia= Song Bird

Artemis= Moon Angel

Dipper= Dip-stelation

Apollo= Sun Angel

Umbra= Shadow Queen

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

idk if you're still doing these but how do you think the animorphs would do against the original X-Men?

[Obligatory joke about the X-Men having an advantage because they cloned Jake to make Bobby.]

Animorphs Advantages

Trust in leadership. Full offense to Scott, but he can be bossy and overbearing to the point where it causes infighting. Jake's team will not hesitate to go up against impossible odds at his command, and basically never questions his orders in the heat of battle.

Flight hours. Warren might outweigh Tobias by a good 200 pounds, but he doesn't spend literally 15+ hours a day 7 days a week flying around hunting. And Tobias gets very good at taking out bigger opponents like David's golden eagle or the helmacron ship.

Adaptability. The Animorphs can survive in most environments most of the time, and are nigh unkillable. Jean can be taken out by a rock to the head. Scott can be taken out by a rock to Jean's head.

X-Men Advantages

Coordinated attacks. They can and do hit their enemies from multiple fonts at once: Warren goes high while Hank goes low, Jean goes mental as Bobby goes physical, so on. The Animorphs' weapons are all variations on hitting or stabbing their enemies up close.

Sheer raw power. Scott can punch a hole in a mountain. Jean may or may not be able to destroy entire planets. Bobby can make an entire city in the time it takes Scott to level one.

The fact that they actually go to school. Hank's obviously the one with the big advantage over the C- average high school dropouts, but Scott, Bobby, and Jean are also smart enough to be teachers in some continuities.

Animorphs Disadvantages

Distance. This is always their drawback, but they only have melee attacks. Scott, Jean, and Bobby can all attack from half a mile away.

Leaky communication. A ton of their strategy depends on being able to talk to each other without their enemies hearing. Even if they figure out that Jean can hear every word they're saying, they're going to be massively hampered by their inability to talk privately during battles.

X-Men Disadvantages

Compassion. Assuming that this is winner-take-all no-holds-barred fight, the X-Men will not only hesitate to kill, but are likely to stop fighting if one of their own is killed. The Animorphs have no such pangs of conscience, or at least don't let those stop them.

Lack of control. All of them are, to some extent, afraid of their own powers or hesitant to use them. You don't see Rachel beating herself up about what'd happen if she let the beast win or got too much phoenix power.

Conclusion: I'm giving this one to the mutants. Sorry, morphers.

[jin-zixun]

Also kinda funny? Like Jin Zixun is definitely 100% like "Dollar Store Wen Chao" like we can all agree on that, right? Like how his Uncle only wishes he could be as cool as Wen Ruohan, Jin Zixun only wishes he could... Be as cool as Wen Chao? I mean ok, sure.

Like he tries to bully Wei Wuxian and the Lans, but it's never like... Serious. Like he peer pressures the Lans into drinking like he's the villain of an after-school special and he has a tantrum because Wei Wuxian defeated a bunch of monsters in the Phoenix Mountain Hunt. But like, Wen Chao absolutely did not hold back on fucking with the most powerful cultivators in the worst way possible. Maybe just because he had his daddy backing him up and JGS just does NOT have the same back-up potential as WRH. He gets killed after destroying one of the great sects and causing the birth of the Yiling Laozu (more or less) who is incredibly powerful and comes back to kill him

But Jin Zixun, he saves his serious bullying only for people who are substantially weaker than him and it's only on a technicality he doesn't get done in by Su She.

look i even made a shitty meme

[mxtxfanatic]

Please y’all, I’m begging you to understand that interaction between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji in Wei Wuxian’s first life wasn’t actually terrible, and Wei Wuxian never thought that Lan Wangji hated him because (unlike this fandom, it seems) he actually understands his future husband.

Yeah Lan Wangji was irritated by Wei Wuxian as a teen when they first met, but neither of them take it to heart (and actually think it’s hot if the Incense Burner Extras have anything to say about it). Yeah they fought during the Sunshot Campaign, but that was a literal war where tensions were running high and even Wei Wuxian says that the rumors of those “fights” were extremely overblown. Yeah they didn’t leave each other on the best of terms on every post-war meeting, but that was only when Lan Wangji brought up Wei Wuxian’s cultivation, because Wei Wuxian was trying to avoid interrogation in order to keep his secret. Later when he isn’t guarding this secret with his life, he realizes that this was just Lan Wangji’s worrying, and he appreciates him for it. And even then, moments like their meetings during the Phoenix Mountain Hunt and the Yiling dinner show that they could get along just fine.

Wei Wuxian didn’t fail to realize Lan Wangji’s feelings because Lan Wangji treated him “so terribly.” Wei Wuxian didn’t realize Lan Wangji’s feelings because between keeping himself alive, keeping the Jiang sect alive, and keeping 50 Wen remnants alive, he didn’t have the chance to stop and think about even his own feelings, let alone someone else’s.

[poorlittleyaoyao]

One detail that I find endlessly fascinating is the contrast between how Madame Jin and Qin Su are treated by their respective husbands--not in their personal lives, but politically.

When everyone gathers for the Phoenix Mountain Hunt, Jin Guangshan enters at the head of the procession. Madame Jin follows several paces behind, next to Jiang Yanli.

When they sit to watch the archery competition, Madame Jin sits off to the side next to Jiang Yanli.

Granted, any reasonable person would rather sit by Jiang Yanli than Jin Guangshan if given the option, and we know that the Jin parents don't like each other overmuch. However, this pattern continues when everyone adjourns to the conference hall for food and discussion.

That throne is the size of a park bench and here's Jin Guangshan, taking up the entire thing like he's the biggest douche on public transit. Madame Jin, meanwhile, is nowhere to be found.

By contrast, the first time we see Qin Su, she's entering the conference hall arm-in-arm with Jin Guangyao.

And then they both go and sit on the throne beside each other, and both greet the conference attendees.

We don't see any other married sect leaders holding court like this, so I don't think we have an in-universe baseline for Normal Political Couple Behavior. What's going on? It's either:

1.) Jin Guangyao is breaking with tradition by having his wife preside over formal events alongside him. (Which is unusual if so! After all, the Qin clan isn't especially high-ranking, so it's not like he'd need to confer special privileges to maintain favor. Is he doing it out of guilt, because he's convinced himself that power is worth enduring messed-up personal situations, so this is an attempt to make it up to her? Is it simply that he values her judgment and is gonna be BRAZEN about it out of spite because fuck all that "eDucaTeD wOmEn aRE tRoUbLe" shit? Both? Something else?)

2.) Wives of sect leaders traditionally do preside over events alongside their husbands like Qin Su is, and Jin Guangshan is the one who broke with tradition by shutting his wife out of everything. (Which, if so, would add some new aspects to Madame Jin's hostility towards Jin Guangyao. Her husband blatantly has no respect for her, unashamedly has a reputation as the jianghu's preeminent womanizer, and blames her for his behavior so she's the butt of every sexist joke that isn't about Yu Ziyuan. And now his common-born bastard gets to have more voice and presence in sect politics than she does? Are you for real right now?)

Either way, I am intrigued!

[enby-axels]

i used to disagree with the interpretation that jiang cheng was using jiang yanli as a political pawn to improve his relationship with the jin clan, but then i reexamined this scene here:

like this conversation has layers to it. throughout it, wei wuxian is the only one who's actually concerned about jiang yanli, while jiang cheng barely spares her a thought. and i'll explain why i think so

starting from the beginning of this excerpt, we see that jiang cheng prioritizes his relationship with the jin clan. he berates wei wuxian for defending jiang yanli, but he does so in a way that completely negates her. instead, he characterizes it as wei wuxian picking a fight with jin zixuan and harming the jiang clan's relationship with the jins.

i found this really interesting. is jiang cheng doing this on purpose? is it subconscious? it's hard to tell. either way, it's incredibly revealing. by erasing the actual cause of the conflict, he can pursue his own ambitions while maintaining the illusion he's acting in his sister's best interests. (and at this point in the novel, jiang cheng has already established a pattern of lying to himself to avoid inconvenient truths. a self-gaslighting icon)

and then jiang cheng goes on to compliment jin zixuan's status, in response to wei wuxian complimenting jin guangyao's looks. he makes it clear that what he cares about is maintaining amicable relations with the jins' future clan leader.

with this, wei wuxian can no longer tolerate jiang cheng's self-justifications. he outright confronts jiang cheng's motivations for bringing jiang yanli to the phoenix mountain siege hunt. his phrasing is interesting: "you made a special point of bringing shijie along." i cannot know how exactly that went down, but it does imply that jiang cheng was unusually insistent about having jiang yanli be present at phoenix mountain.

there's room for interpretation here. was jiang yanli pressured to go to phoenix mountain? we can't know, although there is a consistent pattern in mdzs of her having very limited agency in her life. what we do know, at the very least, is that jiang cheng brought jiang yanli along and he was set on it; it was primarily his decision, not hers.

and jiang cheng all but confirms wei wuxian's suspicions! in response to wei wuxian accusing him of trying to arrange a match between jiang yanli and jin zixuan for political reasons, he says "it's not entirely out of the question." he doesn't even try to deny it; instead he justifies himself

wei wuxian can't tolerate this either. promises and hopes of jin zixuan changing for the better aren't enough. they live in a patriarchal, feudalistic society. if jiang yanli marries into lanling, she'll be completely at their mercy, and there would be little that he or jiang cheng can do about it. how can he sit back and let such a fate befall his shijie?

and while wei wuxian refuses to shy away from the precarity of jiang yanli's position and the possibility of jin zixuan turning out like his father, jiang cheng dismisses his concerns, merely saying, "he wouldn't dare!" but how can he possibly guarantee that? it's a flimsy defense and he knows it. we, as the readers, having the benefit of knowledge that while jin zixuan is flawed, he would never do such a thing. but jiang cheng and wei wuxian have no reason to trust the man who's already humiliated jiang yanli once before.

interestingly, jiang cheng immediately deflects from the accusation aimed at his own motivations by directing the conversation to his sister's feelings. jiang yanli likes jin zixuan, so "what more can we do?" but this is an obfuscation of jiang yanli's circumstances. while jiang yanli does like jin zixuan, at this point in time she did not want to be around him! in fact, she never once pursued a relationship with him

notably, this line shifts the responsibility from jiang cheng (whom wei wuxian is accusing of using jiang yanli as a political pawn) to jiang yanli herself. but we as readers know better. we were there for jiang yanli and jin zixuan's conversation during the siege hunt. she has little say over anything, even her own life

throughout this conversation, jiang cheng is evading inconvenient truths and mentally avoiding his sister. he loves her, but it's a selfish sort of love. he is, perhaps subconsciously, rewriting her reality to serve his own interests.

this is in sharp contrast to wei wuxian who asks uncomfortable questions and, rather than running away from reality, confronts it. it's important that after his argument with jiang cheng, he seeks out jiang yanli herself to hear her opinions on love.

i could write a whole other post analyzing the sequence of scenes following jiang cheng and wei wuxian's argument — particularly the flashback to when wei wuxian first arrived at lotus pier and how this could tie into his resolve to support jiang yanli, just as she did for him.

but i want to conclude this analysis by focusing on jiang yanli. because even her location here speaks volumes. wei wuxian asks where jiang yanli is, and jiang cheng answers that she can't go anywhere but the kitchen, her chambers, and the ancestral hall. "and sure enough," the narration notes, "there she was." by illustrating how she's trapped on a physical level, the story is outright telling us that, as a woman, jiang yanli is confined. (more specifically, she is confined as a woman with weak cultivation. while her mother, a powerful cultivator in her own right, was able to travel and night hunt as she pleased, jiang yanli lacks this privilege.)

i think this was a fitting way to punctuate and contextualize the preceding argument. nothing jiang yanli wants for her life is allowed to matter. it never has.

what can she do? jiang yanli loves jin zixuan, but that alone will never be alone to transform their relationship into a mutually loving one. she lacks the power to force him to change, and more importantly she doesn't want that power. back at phoenix mountain, she eschewed what little power she was (forcibly) granted by madam jin. even though she was pressured to accompany jin zixuan during the siege hunt, she still refused to use that opportunity to get closer to him.

because jiang yanli doesn't just love. she loves selflessly and without imposition. she could never pursue a relationship with someone she believes hates her, even if the basis of that hatred is unfair to her.

so based on her established character traits, i don't think jiang yanli is someone who would want her family to arrange a marriage to someone that (supposedly) hates her. nor can she be convinced by them into believing it will magically work out. the only one who can transform her relationship with jin zixuan is jin zixuan himself — not just because he has the power to as The Man, but also because he is the sole person on this planet that can convince jiang yanli that he truly loves and wants to be with her

[shixiongfucker]

broke: jc and wwx are brothers therefore shipping them would be incest

woke: jc and wwx share a bond that is too complicated and fraught to restrict to a singular label, however, they are not siblings as wwx is not blood-related to the jiangs nor is he adopted into the jiang clan. the official relationship between wwx and jc is that of shixiong/shidi, as well as sect heir, then sect leader/disciple, and they grow up together in the jiang household as best friends. wwx occupies a liminal space where he is notably just a disciple in the yunmeng jiang clan while being favoured by jiang fengmian to the detriment of his own son, without being officially included in the jiang family. much of the strife that arises between jfm and yzy comes in fact from the uncertain place of wwx; in fact, if they were brothers with wwx being adopted by jfm the tragedies that befell them in canon might arguably not have happened. moreover, martial sibling romance is a common trope in cdramas and as evidenced by madam jin’s words during the phoenix mountain hunt, a romantic relationship between jiang yanli and wei wuxian (shijie/shidi) would absolutely be perceived as normal in-universe. therefore chengxian is not incest.

bespoke: chengxian is not incest so i’m making it incest

[wangxianficfinder]

Fic Finder

July 13th

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1. it's been a while since I read this fic but it's set during the sunshot campaign and wwx jc jzx and lwj all develop some sort of bond and can share powers/cores(?) I don't remember if the golden core transfer happened. they can bring each other back to life (though I think there's some sort of time limit to it?) that they first discover when wwx was killed (I believe)

FOUND!🔒🧡 Song by WithBroomBefore (T, 41k, Platonic Soulbond, Hurt/comfort, Canon Divergence, No golden core transfer, JC&JZX stay in Xuanwu cave, Fix-it, Temporary character death)

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2. Thank you for this blog. I am looking for a fic that I read a few years ago, focused on Lan Sizhui. I think the pairing was ZhuiLing or else it was focused on Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, and Jin Ling in some combination. They were still cultivators, Lan Sizhui was a monster/tentacle monster/eldritch kind of creature when he wasn't in human form and the Lan clan helped keep this secret. I think it was because he was a Wen but I don't remember the exact explanatiom now. It was a bit long, as I think it had some chapters, and the juniors were still cultivators who went on night hunts and trained. I liked seeing how the slight change from the original universe was used. I've searched several ways in ao3 and have not been able to find it again yet. @mejomonster

FOUND? sounds like "Lurking" by Verse, but they deleted all their mdzs fics. It may exist on the wayback machine.

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3. Hi!!! I was hoping you'd find this wangxian fic:

It was a Jonh Carter AU(? yes that Disney movie about Mars) Like Lan Zhan is from Helium and Wei Ying is a Thark. I think is listed as explicit and top Wei Wuxian... not sure about other tags... The Summary might be vague and say something along the lines of Lan Zhan doing a trip and encountering a stranger (Wei Wuxian) I've tried to search it but there's just so many fics!

I hope it's still up 😭😭 Thank you so much before hand! @nat-first-account

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4. Love this blog it always helps me find my next fic. I need help finding a fic where lan wanjai and Wei ying find a baby and they make jokes that Wei ying dreamed about it and got pregnant. But than a ton of woman start saying that man Shan got them pregnant through dreams.

FOUND? Taking Responsibility by deliciousblizzardshark (T, 6k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Getting Together, Trope Subversion/Inversion, Pretend mpreg, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Fluff and Crack)

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5. Hi! I’m looking for a specific Wangxian fic. The Lan sect is full of monks and LWJ is a monk assigned to protect WWX on his journey to get something for Jin Guangshan. WWX is one of the best archers and that’s why he’s specifically sent on the quest to hunt something down. LWJ falls in love with WWX on their quest and near/at the climax they run into a sage who almost kills WWX. Can you help me find this fic? Sorry if this has been asked before! @whompmwhomp

FOUND? Climb Every Mountain by athena_crikey (E, 21k, WangXian, Magic, Warrior Monks, Archery, h/c, Quests, Bodyguard, vow of celebacy, Temptation, (sexual) frustration, Falling In Love, Loss of Virginity, First Time, LWJ's self-selected repression, the inherent eroticism of WWX)

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6. heyy! i'm currently trying to find a fic where wwx came back to the cloud recesses all beaten up and has his mouth sewed shut, the fic is basically focused on him recovering with nie huaisang and others getting revenge. i think in the end, it was sect leader yao who did it? thanks!

FOUND? Silenced by Tasharene (M, 63k, WangXian, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, PTSD, Temporary Blindness, Aversion to touch, Fear of crowds, Panic Attacks, Post-Canon, WWX Whump, Hurt WWX, Whump, Angst with a Happy Ending, world-class troll LXC, see the archive Warnings BEFORE you accuse me of not tagging things!!!)

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7. hii im looking for a wangxian fic where a phoenix god/spirit(?) has lived many lives. he chose his next life to be human and he reincarnated as wei wuxian. some big event happens that leads to him being kept in i think the cold pond cave and theres barriers that only lan wangji can go through. its definitely not a 2024 fic and im betting on it not being 2023 either. youre my last hope </3 thank you in advance

FOUND? 🔒 Breathing Firestorm by ladyshadowdrake (M, 110k, wangxian, angst, fluff, captivity, creepy WRH, no non-con, dreamsharing, politics, people making the best decisions they can, epic length, mythical creature WWX, canon-typical violence, dark, happy ending) I haven't read this but 7 sounds like the summary of breathing firestorm

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8. Hi! I need your help once sgain. Because once again I thought I had this fic bookmarked, but can't find it, and my Google-fu has failed too, so here goes: x number of years ago, Wei Ying and the Wen Remnants vanished from the Burial Mounds. Lan Zhan has never stopped searching for Wei Ying. There are strange rumors everywhere that WY & the others are in a resentment-filled no man's land (kind of like the void in the Shadow & Bone novel) where huge deadly monsters roam. Word is also that people who really need help have safely disappeared into this void. As time passes, rumors of strange cultivators suddenly appearing to aid people are also circulating. And I think Lan Zhan actually meets Xiao Xingchen in an inn at one point & it's clear he knows Wri Ying (he & Song Lan turn out to be Wei Ying's right-hand men). LZ does try to get into the void thing, but the energy is too strong & he barely makes it out of the area. After a number of years they get a message out of the blue, i think, from WY saying that the monsters are getting out, and WY ends up bringing the Wei Sect back to the cultivation world to help fight. Wei Ying will have nothing to say or do with Lan Zhan, at least to start, which Lan Zhan is devestated by. Um...and Lan Yuan is there, grown up & still the Best Boy ever. I think A-Yuan tirns out to be a Gusu Lan fanboy. Anyway, it turns out Wei Ying created a ghost path that allows the Wei Sect to safely use resentful energy. But you find out WY got too damaged back in the beginning and by the end they defeat the monsters but he's dying, so Lan Zhan gives Wei ying his golden core. I think LZ actually does the whole transfer himself in the Jingshi.

Your help is hugely appreciated!

FOUND! 💖 Echo, Murmur, Dream, Here by bluerainmist (M, 51k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Universe Alteration, the yiling patriarch survives, Angst with a Happy Ending, Catharsis, Slow Burn, Drama, Getting Together, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Melancholy, Love, Mutual Pining, Reunions, Love Confessions, Eventual Smut, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex, Switching, Grief/Mourning, fucking while pining, Implied/Referenced Torture, Self-Harm, golden core transfer, Playing fast and loose with worldbuilding, Battle Scenes, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, implied / Referenced suicide attempt, Sect Leader WWX, YLLZ WWX, Yílíng Wèi Sect)

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9. I found a fic where the sect leader Yao travels through time and fixes things. as far as I remember the title. I was going to read the fic but I missed it @quwieiidkd

FOUND? 🔒 how Yao Yongzheng traveled back in time to save everyone by ShippersList (T, 6k, Sect Leader Yao & WWX, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Time Travel Fix-It, Crack Treated Seriously, WWX is a Yao, Eventual WangXian, saving the world by accident, Genius WWX, Everyone Loves WWX, sect leader Yao is every overconfident underqualified middle-aged cishet man ever)

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10. Hii!! I'm searching for wangxian fanfic I read long ago and don't remember it's name. Wei ying and lan zhan are married at the cold pond and due to misunderstanding they don't acknowledge their marriage until the cliff scene. Where lan zhan follows after wei ying and fall down but they are saved by lan an and baosharan. After which they don't return to cultivation world and stay hidden for 16 yrs and has 3 kids(1 girl and 2 boys). Also, jin zixuan does not die and same with Jiang yanli but they lie to wangxian and have war and blame wei ying. After 16 yrs all sect leaders are threatened by meng Yao and to save themselves they stay with wangxian. Also, wen Qing family is also alive. @jungkookswife07613

Hii! Sorry but this is not the fiction I'm searching for. Can you try again?

The story starts from the cliff scene and wei ying remember all the things he had done with lan zhan. Also,lan zhan follows after wei ying and fall down the cliff and they are saved by baosharan and lan an. The elders also saved wen family and they lived in some place for 16 yrs in peace. With wangxian children which he gave birth to. Ayuan is eldest,followed by girl who is half blind and last son who is quiet. Ayuan goes outside and falls into some troubles and all sects(jin,Jiang,lan,nie) were present there including jin zixuan and Jiang yanli with their son because they were chased by meng Yao. He wanted to kill all of them. Wangxian comes their to save Ayuan and they get saved in the process. They got some cursed so Ayuan request wangxian to let them stay in their house until their cursed is solved.they stay in their house and yanli tries to connect with wei wuxian but he doesn't. Wen Ning is also married. Also, wangxian are immortal. Wei ying form is crow which he uses to spy on his son for safety reasons. Also, lan xichen repents himself and tries to make amends and connect with the kids. Lan zhan is also trying to connect with his family. Also, that Jiang family is a bit#h (bitch), cheng verbally abuses wei wuxian at any chance he gets and yanli only knows to cry. Same with lan qiren,he is still the same. Nice mingjue is still alive but he also already got cursed. I don't know about lan zhan. I didn't read after because it was not completed.

NOT FOUND!🔒These Things Unseen by bonyenne (T, 34k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Found Family, POV Alternating, Mutual Pining, Kid Fic, Additional Warnings In Author's Note) well, the first half the the description, the rest doesn't match. but i'll leave the link in case original requester is thinking of two different fics b/c the first half (with the three kids and rescue by bssr) is a pretty close match

NOT FOUND!🔒Blossoming flowers in a full moon - 花好月圆 by ThisIsWhereTheMagicHappens (T, 64k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Happy Ending, Fix-It of Sorts, make LWJ happy agenda, wangxian cuddle to Immortality)

FOUND! If It's Too Hard To Forgive by Machevalli (M, 94k, WIP, WangXian, XuanLi, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Fluff and Angst, Bittersweet Ending, Yunmeng Jiang Sect Bashing, WWX Leaves the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, Top LWJ/Bottom WWX, Mpreg)

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11. After being a long time lurker I finally found myself needing your aid. The fic I lost track of was an A/B/O fic that had omega!LWJ & alpha!WWX. It was a modern AU, but I can't remember much that would help narrow down this fic other than I know there was an age gap, with LWJ being older than WWX. Thank you so much for your help!

FOUND? The Ties That Bind by silverclaw (G, 43k, wangxian, A/B/O, Arranged Marriage, Modern, Alpha WWX, Omega LWJ, past toxic relationship, Slow Burn, husbandiest of husband material WWX, mention of mpreg in relation to side-character, hurt LWJ, WWX falls first AND harder, No Smut)

FOUND? To Belong, To You by mk404 (E, 44k, WangXian, JYL/JZX, JL/LJY, WIP, A/B/O, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Alpha JL, Alpha LXC, Alpha LSZ, Beta LJY, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Modern with Magic, like they still go night hunting, But also its the 21 century, WWX doesn't die but goes into a coma, Age Difference, Older LWJ, Younger WWX, a-yuan is their bby, Age difference but like they are both adults, Like adults adults, Mates, Ass Play, Ass to Mouth, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Anal Play, Nipple Play, Nipple Licking, Finger Sucking, Knotting, Creampie, Size Kink, Size Difference, YLLZ WWX, Size Queen WWX, Multiple Orgasms, Overstimulation, Canon Divergence, Male Lactation) the description is a little vague so it doesnt really narrow it down

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12. Hi!! Do you know anything abt a modern au fic were lwj thinks wwx is in a relationship with someone called "a-yuan" and is kinda a jerk abt it but then it's revealed that wwx was never dating anyone but that a-yuan was his child. Sorry if this is kinda vague it's been awhile since I've read this fic 😅 (great blog btw) @imreallyonthishellsite

FOUND? 🔒 breathe in the air, the last of its kind by wereworm (T, 27k, WangXian, Modern, assumed cheating, Miscommunication, gc transfer modernised as hand-wavey illness (referenced/implied), 5+1 Things, wwx's lil family 3.0: the wens, wwx didn't adopt a-yuan the wens adopted wwx, lwj is a flawed person and people need to stop ignoring that, Translation Available, Перевод на русский | Translation in Russian)

FOUND? Green Is The Colour by lamusadelils (T, 2k, WangXian, Modern, A/B/O, Office, Omega LWJ, Alpha WWX, Jealous LWJ, casanova WWX, Or Is he?, Humor) I think I'm a bit late but I just found an alternative to 12

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13. Help me wangxianficfinder, you're my only hope!

I would swear I bookmarked this one but I can't find it anywhere!

It's a modern au where LWJ and WWX are college students. Iirc they are already in a relationship.

Iirc it opens with WWX and LWJ in a wrecked car which is possibly half hanging off a bridge - they'd been run off the road (though that's not established until later).

When the emergency services arrive, LWJ is taken to hospital but WWX is arrested for some bullshit reason - resisting arrest or something. Iirc the cops on the scene were Jin Zixun and Xue Yang.

There is worry from LWJ's family because they don't know what happened to WWX. Just that he was in the car and he should be in the hospital but isn't.

Later, WWX is in an interrogation room not making much sense because he's injured and hypothermic (it's winter and he was soaked through but he wasn't allowed to even dry off) then he gets left on his own.

I *think* he was tracked down by police (chief?) NMJ who got to WWX shortly before his heart stopped due to his injuries, the hypothermia, and the mistreatment while in custody.

That's all I can remember. Does this ring any bells for anyone? @greywake

Yep, looks like that's the fic I was after 😭

I don't suppose anyone has a copy downloaded?

FOUND! I found a link in another site in tumblr but i can't find the fic. Truth or There by FRecklis be well :) / The suggestion for 13 is available via the Wayback Machine here: Follow up on the Wayback Machine link for 13: it looks like only the first chapter was archived 😭

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14. Hi! This is for the fic finder. I'm looking for a fic where WWX takes A-Yuan and flees the Siege on burial mounts. He heads towards the ocean and meets XXC and SL, who travel in the same direction. He gives them a fake name and they eventually get to a seaside town where XXC and SL have a house that they offer WWX to stay in. I think in the last few chapters NHS found out he was there and WWX started to teach some town children (well, teenagers) so that the town has more protection and he doesn't have to use demonic cultivation.

I meant to suggest this fic in the ITMF on the 27. June but I can't find it for the life of me. Thank you in advance for helping me look for it! @hikato-chan

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15. Hello everyone, I come again looking for your help. This fic is an au of Harry Potter, or at least contains elements of it. I'm sure it's just one chapter and it's about Lan Wangji being cursed as a rabbit in the middle of his class, Wei Wuxian has a small bout of madness that involves torturing the spell caster because he thinks LWJ was killed in his presence (there's a mention that Jiang Wanyin was scared and didn't look him in the eye for a while, I think) until Lan Qiren pulls Bunji out of the fallen clothes. The curse is broken with a kiss of true love. As always, thank you very much for your time and effort. @makolashida

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16. I’m looking for this fic where Wwx is dead and while dead his (memories?) are shown to the cultivation world and when Wwx comes back everyone (or most people) consider him a good person. I believe in the description of this fic the Wwx that comes back this world is a different one from the one who dies in that universe. I also remember a scene in the fic where Wwx is overhearing people passing by talking about the compass he invented and he swore he named it something different, or he named something differently. This scene may not be in this fic but I swore there was a scene about Lán Xichen begging WWx for forgiveness for Jin guangyao actions

FOUND? remind me of this fic Have You Heard Of The Yiling Patriach by R_PONTS. But i think its deleted? Wei Wuxian is not strong, or at the very least his brute strength is not something he take prides in as much as his speed and flexibility, but those can only get you so far, and when going against stronger enemy, your mind is your trump card. Or, Wei Wuxian develop a time traveling array during the Sunshot Campaign in case everything went wrong but forgot about it after. It was during the Siege that people have disturb it along with Some other experimental talismans and truths was revealed a little to late.Wei Wuxian woke up in a world different from what he remembers.

amalthia said: well, the first half the the description, the rest doesn't match. but i'll leave the link in case original requester is thinking of two different fics b/c the first half (with the three kids and rescue by bssr) is a pretty close match

FOUND? scatter and sunder by silversshadow (T, 15k, JYL/JZX, wangxian, major character death, canon divergence, temporary character death) the first half of the request sounds like a perfect fit for scatter and sunder by silversshadow It doesn't have a seen with the misnamed compass but does have LXC begging for forgiveness

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17. HI, Im looking for a fic where i believe it was a kidfic? A yuan was adopted by lan zhan? There was a scene where lwjs car broke down in a snow storm and wwwx drove his old car to save them. Lol i cant remember much else. Pls help

FOUND? love thy neighbor by wincechesters (M, 7k, WangXian , Modern AU, Neighbors, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Single Parents, Single Parent LWJ) not exactly snowstorm, but there's a scene in 'love thy neighbor' when lwj's car broke down in winter and wwx rescues him and a-yuan with his old, loud car.

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18. Hello, wonderful people! Thank you for your hard work! Can you please help me find this fic? It's wangxian and either xiyao or 3zun. What I remember is at some point Jin Guangyao did something to contradict his father I think so in punishment he was thrown to some abandoned mine. Lan bros, Nie Mingjue and Wei Wuxian were searching for him and WWX said he will use the spirits of the dead for the search. Others disagreed but he said that JGY doesn't have much time since it was really cold in the mine for someone without a good golden core. At this point LWJ started to suspect WWX doesn't have one, I think. Does this ring any bells? Thank you in advance! @themorrana

FOUND! Aftermath by KouriArashi (T, 57k, JYL/JZX, wangxian, LXC/JGY, JZX & JGY, JYL & WXX, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Everybody Lives, Romance, Developing Relationship, Family, Sibling Bonding, Light Angst, Politics, Attempted Sexual Assault, some murder on occasion, People talking about their feelings, processing their trauma, The good shit) Jin Guangshan dies at the beginning of the story, but the part with the mine happens at the end.

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19. Hello! For the next fic finder I have a fic i would love to get found.

It’s Wangxian.

And I think it was time travel but I’m not too sure. It might not have been, I’m 90 % sure it was in the cloudless days though.

Anyway the only thing I really remember is that wwx tells lwj that the older disciples used to make him drink with them when he was younger, like he started young around 12 I think?

He mentioned to lwj that it took around two bottles of wine to get him drunk and that usually he didn’t have to drink that much around his year mates as they got passed out drunk pretty quickly.

I also remember lwj or someone telling him that his golden core had burned away the alcohol the entire time. Which had put it under some kind of strain I think?

I would be really grateful if you guys could help me find it. @ravenwithwings

FOUND!🔒 The Second Hand Unwinds by trulywicked (E, 64k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, WIP, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Time Travel Fix-It, Not JC Friendly, Not Yunmeng Jiang Sect Friendly, Not Jiāng Family Friendly, Not YZY Friendly, Time Travelling LWJ, Protective LWJ, Fluff, Minor Angst, Minor Character Death, JGS is his own warning, Wooing, LWJ is romantic af, Inventor WWX, Genius WWX, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Protective Gusu Lan Sect, Supportive LXC, Good Uncle LQR, WWX Protection Squad)

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20. Hiii!! I’m trying to find this one fic. I never read it but the summary was intriguing. Wangxian are in a relationship but they both think the other is asexual (neither of them are). I think it was in a modern universe but i’m not completely sure. Been trying to find it for hoursssss

FOUND? Pounding Madly by Dei_Starr (DeiStarr), DeiStarr (E, 11k, WangXian, WIP, Car Accidents, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Hospitalization, Roommates, Boarding School, Teenagers, Adults, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Celibacy, Abstinence, Asexual Relationship, Where Neither Of Them Is Actually Asexual, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Attempt at Humor, Angst and Fluff, Eventual Smut, First Time, Loss of Virginity, No Underage Sex, It's Plot Relevant I Swear, Demisexuality, Demisexual WWX, Asexuality Spectrum, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, Communication Failure, Lack of Communication, Everyone Else Is Very Entertained, Epic Fail, Comedy of Errors, Romantic Comedy, Slow Burn, The Romance Is Fast, But The Sex Takes Years, Sex Is Not The Enemy, this is what happens when, Mr. "I Talk A Lot But Don't Really Say A Thing" & Mr. "'Mn' Is A Full Sentence" Get Together, Casting Couch, Corset, Gender Non-Conforming WWX, Crossdressing Kink, Crossdressing WWX, Seduction, Body Worship, Hand Jobs, Sexual Roleplay, Cock Warming, Mirror Sex, Intercrural Sex, Nipple Play, Oblivious WangXian, WWX Has a Breeding Kink, LWJ Has a Big Dick, Gay Sex, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, First Time Blow Jobs, Lingerie, LWJ is Bad at Communicating, WWX is a Mess, LWJ is a Panicked Gay, Horny LWJ, Horny WWX, Idiots in Love, POV LWJ, POV WWX, Human Disaster WWX, WWX is a Tease, WWX Has ADHD) I was trying to find the car accident fic someone else mentioned, and I think I found the one 20's looking for instead! I also haven't read it, but the summary matches!

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[qiu-yan]

wow this post got depressing really fast. sorry

if you think about it. if you were just some random no-name cultivator who somehow got invited to the phoenix mountain night-hunt, and you heard something about 1. hanguang-jun of the sterling reputation, 2. wei wuxian the demonic cultivator already flouting social norms, and 3. a forced kiss....which would you believe? that lan wangji forcibly kissed wei wuxian? or that wei wuxian forcibly kissed lan wangji?

depressing thoughts.

[ae-neon]

Two of A Kind (snippet)

Loosely Pride and Prejudice inspired.

Eris Vanserra crested the hill on his steed. It was rare for the prince to find himself with no immediate business to attend to and so, he had decided to make the trek from his post on the Summer border to the Ember Palace on his own. Had hoped to give himself enough time to sort through the tangle of thoughts and feelings he now faced.

Before him, the valley which housed the heart of the Autumn Court spread out. Sparkling lines of golden sunlight reflected off ripples in the water gardens, it’s edges bursting with greenery. Seven-foot-tall, white-feathered cranes dotted the landscape, hunting the tiny red dragons that darted about. And narrow stone bridges crossed between the handful of islets crowned by pavilions and weeping willows.

Ahead of the garden stood the Ember Palace, cradled to the East and North by jewel toned woods of oak, aspen, birch and maple. The palace was enormous: four storeys tall and sprawling with 3 000 rooms; built to bring every House of Autumn under the watchful eye of it’s Lord. There was no doubt it was a befitting capital, but Eris could not shake the pit in his gut which told him it was too big to be a home. That in this change of residence, something intangible would once again be lost forever.

He urged Windrunner forward into a gallop until they crossed the wide West Bridge and rode into the forecourt. The place was bustling, buzzing with servants carrying furniture and ornamentation into the building, all it’s windows and doors thrown wide open as more staff cleaned and decorated.

A familiar fae male, uniformed in the Palace staff’s beige vests, came forward to greet him, “Your Highness.”

“Has everyone else arrived?” Eris dismounted, entrusting the reigns to the man’s waiting hand.

“Yes, His Majesty called them to his study half an hour ago, though Her Majesty has not yet joined them.”

Eris took the stairs two at a time and slipped through a tall, open door as sails of white lace curtains billowed in the breeze. He waved a dismissive hand at the servants who had paused in their tasks to greet him, “Carry on, please.”

His own doubts aside, the palace was undeniably magnificent and Eris could admit his father’s decision to reoccupy it was the right one. Autumn needed them here. And, with a court as notoriously cutthroat as this, it was wisest to have it’s restless nobles where you could see them.

He removed his leather gloves and hooked his wrist behind his back, watching in idle fascination as chandeliers were mounted, busts dusted and lounging chairs unveiled. The tap of his polished boots fell under the movements and murmuring voices, but it was all much quieter than he’d imagined. The squawk and song of birds still managed to carry up from the gardens, down from the forests and echo through the halls. That, at least, felt familiar. The Forest House too, despite being a smaller castle nestled up in the mountains, had also always echoed with the nature that surrounded it.

Eris moved through the enormous building, passed busy kitchens and empty libraries, until he reached a crimson hallway in the North Wing. He had slowed his sure stride in this part of the palace, almost surprised by the intimacy of the portraits that lined the walls. In them, he and his brothers grew – from little boys who cradled puppies to proud men, each with a phoenix perched on their arm. In some they stood austere, in others they seemed to be caught in some innocuous moment; reading or playing at their mother’s feet.

He'd paused when his eye had caught on one in particular: Beron Vanserra standing tall with a hand on the shoulder of each of the two boys in front of him. Eris’ stomach twisted as his amber, fox eyes shifted between the two boys – their identical dimpled smiles, their wine coloured hair and the violet flames cupped in their hands. So alike, he could not even tell which of the two he was.

He turned at the sound of voices as two figures approached; his mother’s head servant, Silas, clucking around her. To anyone passing by, the sight of a servant so familiar with the Lady of Autumn might have set their hackles rising but those who knew the two understood they were in a constant balance of excitement and put on airs, and had been for centuries.

His mother was in a rare state of undress, adorned in a loose indigo shift and a robe made entirely of snow white crane feathers. The colour popped against her warm brown skin and glowing golden eyes – from head to toe, she was the picture of the Autumn Marshes and its people. Silas, a harpy fae, had a bead of sweat running from his tawny widow’s peak, no doubt from the inferno of heat the Lady Lorien was unintentionally radiating.

“Mother,” Eris greeted, lips tugging upwards and dimples creasing his lean face, “Do try not to cook Silas."

“Oh!” The heat was almost instantly gone and Eris let himself be pulled into a hug, taking in the scent of cinnamon and vanilla that wafted from her curling crimson hair. "My darling boy, you're finally here."

“Your Highness,” Silas gave a small bow in greeting and thanks.

Eris leaned back and cast a glance between the two, his eyebrows lifting at the heat that had been coming off his mother and the shifting of Silas’ eagle eyes, “Now, what news has the two of you so vexed?”

The two shared an unsubtle, conspiratorial glance.

“Silas...” Eris began but his mother wound her arm through his and tugged Eris along, waving a dismissal at her servant who took the opportunity to flee before he could be interrogated.

She led them to the heavy mahogany doors at the end of the hallway which creaked open at a wave of her hand. Eris felt her power reverberating through the very foundations of the palace and rippling outwards into the manicured gardens and wild forest beyond. It was clear that years of absence had taken it’s toll and his parents would need to hold a ceremony soon, to feed the land and in turn renew their connection to it. Between the upcoming court season – the first in 500 years – and a possible Hunting Rite, Eris could only imagine how wildly different Autumn was about to become.

The room beyond the doors was an airy space, it’s left dominated by a massive fireplace whose ochre flames were as familiar to Eris as his own.

At the centre of the room, four leather couches surrounded a table where Lucien and Marcel now played chess while Sebastian loomed over them, likely trying moderate the two notorious cheats.

To the right, Beron Vanserra sat at his desk, glancing above the rim of his glasses as Eris and Lady Lorien entered.

Eris glanced up to find Ash and Oak leaning against the railing of the upper loft, where their father kept a small library. They waved in unison.

As usual, Eris tried not to dwell on Apollo’s absence.

An ivory furred pup which had been asleep at Marcel’s feet popped it’s head up and hurried over. Eris bent down to lift the little creature up and cradle it against his chest as his mother floated towards the lounges, draping herself across an empty one with a loud sigh. It seemed whatever had been whispered between his mother and her butler was about to be revealed.

For a moment, united in mischief, no one spoke. Lady Lorien sighed again. Louder. Finally, Beron seemed to be at the end of whatever he was penning, set down his quill and addressed his wife, “Something the matter?”

“I have, just now, received word from cousin Edgar that Celeste Hugard is engaged to William Aisling.”

“A congratulations are in order then,” Marcel said dryly, still not risking lifting his eyes from the game.

Their mother ignored him, “It is a terrible shame. Miss Hugard is said to be the most handsome woman of the Court, and as the Hugard's only child, is to inherit a fortune.”

“And?” Beron cocked his head, his face as inscrutable as always. Their father was the opposite of his lady wife in everything from temperament to physical appearance. Beron favoured the East of Autumn: brown hair so dark it was almost black, evergreen eyes and the pallid tone and stoicism of someone who had been born under near constant cloud cover.

“And,” Lady Lorien sat up, flustered, “Well it is a waste, isn’t it? When we have five handsome boys with no lack of talent or manners among them?”

Eris almost laughed. Ash and Oak did laugh. Their father shot them a look, “If your assessment of their manners rings as true for their beauty and talent, then perhaps Celeste Hugard has made a prudent choice.”

“You are missing the point, my Lord.” Lorien Vanserra ploughed on, “As you’ve refused to host a ball here at the palace, the Hugard-Aislings will have the honour of throwing the first party of our new era – one which I will have to attend, and there be accosted on my failing to have any of the boys marry. And make no mistake, this humiliation will set a trend; if the handsomest woman at Court could so easily overlook a Vanserra then what of the second or third? Our boys will be made beggars, my Lord.”

Eris slid his gaze to his father, who seemed almost contemplative for a moment before the ghost of a smile graced his lips, “I see, then you will have to impress upon the court, before the Hugard-Aislings can, that the Lady Lorien is the handsomest woman at Court and that her sons are – in equal measure – ‘handsome boys with no lack of talent or manners among them’.”

She pouted, “Buy it is too late now to-"

Beron interrupted her with a hand on the papers piled on his desk, “The Aislings, the Darrows, Lady Birchwood, Lord Bellecourt, Sir and Lady Dechamp, the Ivermont Harwoods, the Davenport Harwoods, the Archerons, the Lavilleine Du Ponts, Celeste Hugard, all of the Rowans and that new boy from Lafon – the painter – have all already confirmed their attendance.”

*

Odd place to end, yes. But that's cause I'm mainly posting this snippet to bully myself into finally taking on the Neris pride and prejudice fic as an active project.

As with all my longer fic I will start posting it on ao3 when I get to 3 chapters.

Please do not mind the use of man/woman/people - I tried to use male and female and I gagged, sorry

Also, I don't know if my English is up to the task of this formal style but I'll try 🥲

[factsilike]

I don't know why so many people are coming to LXC's defence recently, like he never did anything wrong or never had a choice or that he was only manipulated, because 'JGY was just that good of a manipulator.'

Like no, the novel makes it clear that at several points that he was being willfully blind and ignorant of JGY's and the cultivation world's faults. The fact that LWJ and WWX found out about JGY killing NMJ after only a little bit of digging because they thought to suspect him, which Lan Xichen somehow didn't think to do despite spending close to twenty years working with him. That's a very long time, and that says more about his tendency to turn a blind eye, to not look deeper, to look away from the uncomfortable truth, than any good about JGY's manipulation abilities.

That is not to say Lan Xichen isn't a good person. He is. The problem is that he's not willing to put in the work to be good. He's unwilling to stand up to anyone. When WWX rightfully calls out JGS for trying to be the next Wen Rouhan, (about which JGY was like 'I mean, you're right, but you're not supposed to say it...."), he convenienly ignores that, opting to irrelevantly comment about how 'his heart had changed'. (Which made no sense?? LXC barely knew anything about WWX at that point!)

He's content to stay in his comfort zone, to go with the easy solution of letting others decide. If there's a problem, he'll go with the flow, and if there's a deeper ugly truth to it? He doesn't want to know about it. The situation of his parents is a perfect example. He says it himself: he doesn't want to know, and thus doesn't want to understand what happened with them.

Also for someone whose whole thing is being nice, he can be unbelievably tactless. Look at the ending events of the Guanyin Temple, where JGY is missing a limb and LXC, without thinking, asks Nie Huaisang of all people to give him medicine to heal. You know, the same Nie Huaisang who, at least to LXC's knowledge, has just learned that this same man is responsible for the death and dismemberment of his brother's body, as well as many others. And he now wants his help. To heal his brother's killer. Yikes. It's a wonder that NHS didn't immediately plan to kill LXC right then and there. And even if LXC was physically and mentally exhausted, it was still an incredibly thoughtless move.

Look at the way he laughs about NMJ (a member of the gentry) taking a third of the prey on Phoenix Mountain- "Oh typical Dage, that's just like him!"- while ignoring accusations against WWX (a son of a servant) doing the same, because he's subconsciously agreeing that it was a problem when WWX did it. He's being blatantly hypocritical and it's frustrating that he doesn't even realise it, or acknowledges it.

One of his redeeming factors can be his love for LWJ, but he's frustratingly careless about that too. For all his teasing (in which we never see LWJ indulging, he just unhappily and sulkily endures that. Teasing is not supposed to be fun or amusing if it's only one sided. Compare that to how he responds with snarky remarks to WWX's teasing, meaning he enjoys their banter) and pushing and advocating for LWJ's happiness, he never seems to deeply consider what actually makes him happy.

Everything he does for LWJ turns out to be the very opposite of what Lwj actually wants; inviting WWX and the others for the Caiyi hunt? Not what Lwj wanted, LXC merely convinced himself of that. His pushing LWJ to go talk to WWX at any chance? Doesn't ask or seem interested in why exactly LWJ would want to talk to WWX, nor help him in not letting their conversations constantly devolve into arguments. Shutting LWJ's protests at how WWX was right at the banquet with the 'his heart had changed'? Convenient for him to say, both hurting (even if it was unintended) his brother and changing the subject. And somehow everyone forgets that it was LXC who led the thirty three Lan elders to the cave after the Nightless City for Lan Wangji to fight against, for 'his own good.' And of course his whole angry, projection and deflection fuelled rant at the Guanyin Temple, where he tries to make WWX feel guilty about his brother's confession (which, you know WWX didn't remember because of the trauma clouding his memories), and make him think that he owed LWJ a relationship, which was exactly what LWJ was most afraid of.

His failings hit harder for me than any other character, because unlike JGY or XY or JGS who have no qualms about their immorality, he's supposed to be one of the good guys, a righteous clan leader who abides by honour and dignity. And yet he fails to do anything of sustenance all throughout the novel, and is a painful reminder of how easy it is to go with the wrong crowd, and that how so many 'nice' people like him exist irl, people whose willful ignorance comes at other's expense, people who want to be good but are too afraid of conflict, too set in their comfort zone to speak up against injustice, people who are all too willing to turn a blind eye and do nothing if the injustice or tragedy to others doesn't affect them.

[yiiyiiwrites]

Taming the wolf

Cassian x winter warrior

Summary: you’ve been mated to cassian for a while now, but part of you is still tethered to the winter court army. You’re still expected to fulfil your purpose in the winter mountains and keep the beasts away from the heart of the winter court for three of the coldest months of the year.

Your time in the winter mountains however bring back some habits that Cassian thought you tamed months before. Hurt/comfort

[part two][Acotar masterlist]

Three months in the snowy mountains of your home had stripped away all the work you’d done previously in Velaris.

You couldn't remember how many days you'd been in the forest, the hem of your coat weighed down, clumped with ice. For you the highest region of the woods and the open planes of rugged mountains were your home. Far from the heart of the court and away from everyone you knew.

This was your purpose, your birthright. A wolf protecting the lands.

The winter court blessed the spirits of the snow. Parents planning when to give birth, choosing more favourable spirits so that their child could draw upon a specific energy.

You however were the youngest sister, born to fill a role most parents didn’t want to bring a child into. Veyna your eldest sister was born the year of the dragon, the highest of honours and she frequently made you aware of her status, war strategist. Senna your other sister was born the year of the phoenix and she went on to be a healer, kindest person you knew.

The warriors in the mountains, kept to themselves and when they did have a child they'd either be the year of the wolf or the bear. Babes died in the harsh conditions, forcing your parents to have to you.

Growing up your mother would visit you in the mountains, telling you to feed the wolf within. It didn't matter what fuelled the spirit or the energy, she encouraged you to strengthen the bond through whatever means necessary. So you fed into the fear they instilled in you as a child and the anger when they tried to tame you as you got older.

They looked at you as an animal, someone to unleash on the creatures threatening their court and then they punished you for not being able to control it. The bite remained, you snapped at every hand that tried to reach for you. Not knowing if they wanted the wolf or the warrior.

Cassian was different though, he wasn't afraid to meet the wolf and the warrior. Knew that you were one and both, that at times there was a need for each one. He didn't make you feel ashamed to bare your teeth.

You wondered how long it'd be till you saw your mate.

The cold seeped into your bones, a heaviness dragging your body to the edge of the forest. You legs ached as you trudged through the deep snow, wind nipping at your cheeks the moment you met the open planes of the mountains.

Your breath faltered as you stared at the figure across the frozen lake. Part of you felt like you were meeting him for the first time again, the hunting wolf and the lord of bloodshed. He moved with ease over the ice, long wavy hair dancing behind him in the morning breeze.

His calloused hands framed your face, thumb smoothing over your cheek and that's when you noticed the grey stain transferring to his palm. The coppery scent telling you it was blood, the wolf's vision still remaining. Your mind still on the hunt, ears twitching for movement beyond what you know.

A flock of crows darted from the icy peaks, their screeches increasing the beat of your heart, blood pumping in your ears. Your head snapped to the right, gaze locked on the cave expecting something to appear.

"Hey," Cassian's palm patted your cheek, "it's done." He pried the dagger from your grasp, wiping the dirt on his trousers and slipping it back into the pocket of your bag.

"What are you doing here?" Your voice a hoarse whisper, Cassian's brow furrowed as he took your gloved hand in his. "You're early, I still have a few days."

You followed him down the narrow pebbled slope, his hand holding onto yours like you were about to bolt at any given moment. He didn't speak, the warmth of his touch enough to keep you going till you reached your hut.

It wasn't much, but it was your home before you considered him one. You shouldered the door open, the fire lighting the open living place. Cassian knelt down in front of you and started to unlace your frozen boots, you stepped out of them shaking the ice from your thick socks.

"I take it you heard about my outburst then, is that why you're so early?" You leant against the wall, eye's fluttering shut for a moment to try and shake the wolf. It still stirred, vision perfect but it lacked the colour of your fae sight. Your back still ached from the lashings you received from lashing out.

Cassian rose from the floor, he shook his head. "You've been running around the forest for days, we were supposed to leave for winter solstice yesterday." He didn't glance at you, his hands hovering over the stain matting your white fur coat, inner fabric torn and gaping over your right shoulder.

The adrenaline coursing through you started to wither, the three gashes on your shoulder burning as Cassian slipped your coat down your arms. It fell to the floor like a dead weight, the metallic tang of blood clinging to your teeth.

You stumbled through to the kitchen, flinging your menders bag on the worn dining table. "I killed four nagas," you snarled, collapsing in the chair and delving through the scraps of bandages in your medical kit. "Forgive me for being late."

"I've been running through the damn mountains trying to find you, I thought you dead," he snapped, he rubbed his bloodshot eyes. The dark rims beneath them deepening.

"And I had to hunt," you seethed, a wave of nausea hitting you as you swayed in your seat. The bandage in your grasp too short to cover the wounds on your shoulder, so you flung it across the table.

Cassian pulled out the chair beside you, wings tucked in and hands moving slowly to the mender bag. "I know," he said ,catching your cold hands in his. "I know what they make you do." His voice soft and low, touch feathery light as he wiped the blood from your hairline.

You hadn't even noticed him filling the bucket with warm water or wringing a washcloth before it was pressed to your face. You leant in to him, savouring the stinging heat against your scraped skin.

"You can't," you whispered, pushing him away from you. Taking a shaky breath, you stole the wash cloth from him and dragged it down the three slashes scored into your shoulder. You tried to bite back the groan, but the blinding pain seared through to your back. Another reminder of aches from days before.

Cassian shushed you, he helped you peel off your shirt trying not to pull too hard where it stuck to your dried wounds. "I don't follow the rules of your mountains, my mate is not going to fend for herself when I am here to take care of them." He dipped the cloth back into the water and dabbed your shoulder, your eyes following his every movement.

There had been many arguments where you'd refused his help in the past, raised to fend for yourself and tend to your own wounds that you didn't understand his need to heal you. It wasn't till you saw his own pain that you understood the agony of not being able to help. You tried your best to be more accepting when he offered you care, but there were still somethings you were trying to work on.

This being one of them, allowing him to tend to your wounds. No matter how many times you protested, he'd got through to you and spoke you through it all. His calm voice speaking of the last three months, how he missed you and what had happened in your absence. Stories of the inner circle and that one mission he thought would never end.

"If we go home tomorrow, we'll still get a day to shop for solstice gifts," he said, smile tugging his lips. He rambled on about the gifts he'd already got, anything to fill silence and distract you from the surge of pain crawling through you.

You, however were half numb and tired, but you kept your gaze on him. The warmth of his bronzed skin, the stray strands of hair falling into his face as his head dipped to cut the bandages in his lap. The flicker of flames reflecting in his hazel eyes.

"Winter warrior, don't wander," he said, cupping your face in his hands. You don't know how he managed to keep you grounded, but the weight of his touch drew you back to the room. Nose nudging yours and you hummed, leaning in to press your lips to his.

"There you are," he said, his forehead resting against yours.

Colour bled back into your vision, jaw aching as you came back to yourself. You glanced to the red tinged water in the bucket, the blood matting your fur coat on the floor still. "I'm sorry."

"There is nothing you need to apologise for," Cassian shook his head, lips pecking the cut on your hairline. He combed his fingers through your hair, untwisting what was left of the braid you'd styled days ago.

Cassian repacked your menders bag, rolling up the bandages and wrapping the small clinking bottles in a cloth. He didn't say much else, his gaze flitting back and forth to you and the blood stained coat still discarded by the door.

"You were worried, I'm sorry," you said, his back to you as he rinsed blood soaked cloth in the sink.

He turned to face you, leaning against the kitchen counters. "I just wish I were here sooner, but you warned me not to." You felt the pang of pain shoot through your chest, his worries pulling on the bond between you.

"This court, I do not want you to see what it makes me do." You'd never told him that you were scared to unleash the wolf within whilst you were with him. Afraid to lash out at him, like you had days ago at your sister. He'd seen your wolf plenty, but he'd never witnessed the way you hunted and how you struggled to come back down from it.

You heard the stomp of his heavy boots, gaze following his shadow as it loomed over you. He crouched in front of you, finger lifting your chin. "I know what they make you do," his voice a soft whisper, eyes glassy but he did not look away. "You do not need to hide parts of yourself from me, your spirit is just as important as the rest of you."

Spirit, the part of you homing the wolf. You nodded, tears trailing down your cheeks. He had a strange knack of calming you, coaxing you back to the present. Your wolf normally met with loud booming voices and heavy hands. The only way the court had taught you to tame the wolf.

He wiped the tears from your face, sitting back in the chair beside you and placing his hands on your knees. "Rest, my love. We will go home in the morning."