#Wei Wuxian's parents who have been dead the whole time

[winepresswrath]

new toy!

[tossawary]

Wei Wuxian's first meeting with teenage Jin Ling just gets funnier every time. Especially because, by this point, he should have a rough idea of how long it's been since he died, and he immediately recognizes Jin Ling as a member of the Jin Sect, clearly an important one if he's bossing other people around and spending absurd amounts of money on spiritual nets. If Wei Wuxian had spent A SINGLE MINUTE actively trying to guess this kid's identity, he probably could have worked out that this kid has a high chance of being his nephew.

But Wei Wuxian does not take the time (thirty seconds! WWX, you could have made an educated guess!) to figure out this kid's specific identity! He's just been wrestling with an incredibly stubborn donkey all day and he's probably hangry again because they had to share an apple. He just thinks to himself, "Wow, this Jin kid is a real spoiled brat," and goes from there!

"Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners?" he says obliviously to JIN LING, his own fucking nephew. When Jin Ling is FAMOUSLY ORPHANED. Like, you could go up to literally anyone on the street and be like, "What happened to that rich kid Jin Ling's parents?" and they would immediately tell you, "Oh, the evil Yiling Patriarch killed them, evilly." Very high chance that no one has ever said this particular insult to Jin Ling - extremely rich young master, most famous orphan in the cultivation world, in possession of some very scary uncles - before.

And from Jin Ling's perspective, this outrageous comment is coming from his OWN UNCLE, Mo Xuanyu, his late grandfather's bastard son who was kicked out of the sect for being gay and crazy. There is NO WAY that Mo Xuanyu could somehow not know that Jin Ling has no parents, so of course, this has to be an intentional low-blow insult bringing up and disparaging his dead mother. So, of course this brat tries to start a fight! Mo Xuanyu started it with words like that!

And then Wei Wuxian trips him and essentially sits on him (using a talisman), there's the whole "My uncle is going to kill you!" & "Who's your uncle?" exchange, and Jiang Cheng immediately interrupts them. And Wei Wuxian has to do the sudden, incredibly simple, damning mental calculation of: "Jin kid + Jiang Cheng for an uncle = Oh, fuck."

It's funny every single time.

[whetstonefires]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

he regularly goes out of his way to protect Wei Wuxian

he's extremely fond of Wei Wuxian

he cares a lot about ethical behavior

he's conflict-avoidant and gentle

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

his communication skills are mediocre at best

he doesn't understand jiang cheng

he has a dumb sense of humor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[loosingmoreletters]

take an AU haunting me for ages now: the “sects go to the terrifying Yiling patriarch to ask for his help in the war, WWX ends up demanding LWJ marry him” fics?

Yes, that, but kinda in reverse.

The Sects go to meet the Yiling Patriarch and he’s as expected: arrogant, bold, careless, demanding. And using heretic powers to keep his Burial Mounds untouched by the world.

They negotiate, he smirks properly wicked, and and says he wants to name a bride and a marriage to the Lan.

The Lan talk, outraged, but they have a war to win so the agreement is struck: marriage to the Lan and the Yiling Patriarch is allowed to name bride and groom. They write it down exactly like that.

The war happens, but with the Yiling Patriarch’s army of the resentful dead, they lose less soldiers, win more battles. The Lan wonder why they were chosen, perhaps because they hold enough moral sway that any hostage of theirs wouldn’t result in another war? Regardless, Lan Wangji makes it his job to stick close to the Yiling Patriarch, as close as he will let anyone. He has a whole entourage of ghost brides, though only one stays close to him at all times, veiled whenever they have company

They win the war. “Bride and groom,” the Yiling Patriarch says and swears to return in three months. There is talk of taking him down now that Wen are gone, but no one wants to go to war in the Burial Mounds.

The Yiling Patriarch arrives in three months as promised, dressed in red, followed by a parade of people. “I’ve come to collect my debt,” he tells them. “I will name Lan Wangji as the groom,” he says, sparking confusion and outrage. Does he intend to name one of his ghost brides next? And indeed, he reached for one, lifts her veil, revealing living woman, but takes the veil for himself instead. “And I, myself, will be his bride.”

The story goes a little like this:

One. Wei Ying’s parents die and he follows them. Only he is young and alive and curious and the Burial Mounds are very hungry. They devour him skin, flesh, bone, teeth. And they spit him out again. And again again and again.

Two. Wen Qing is her uncle’s favorite, but she’s her brother’s only sister. She fears what war means, what the retaliation might mean. Young Masters go to the Cloud Recesses for study on invitation, Wen Qing goes to the Burial Mounds to beg.

Three. There is very little begging to be done in front of a boy her brother’s age, who hasn’t been hugged in years and keeps the company of murdered brides as though they are his mothers, aunts and sisters. She asks for protection, he asks for a meal.

Four. They cannot stay in the Burial Mounds forever. It is not a place for children even Wei Wuxian realizes that one morning and promptly disappears in his childhood bedroom, a cold cave filled with trinkets of the dead. He survived on the cost of skin, flesh, bone, teeth. They cannot all pay this price.

Five. The Sects knock at his door, a solution presents itself. He dressed Wen Qing like his older sister, veil and all, and hides her among his undead. They strike a bargain.

Six. They could keep a hostage, but a hostage will not keep them fed. Brides, he knows from childhood on, marry out. One of his sisters would’ve taken with her all her servants, had her unwilling husband not killed her on the wedding night.

Seven. “This is why it has to be a Lan,” Wen Qing tells him. Your husband would not kill you like this. They might keep him in some other way, but what could be worse than skin, flesh, bone, teeth? A wedding night of death? Nothing. And if he can help his family by making them servants and himself a bride, he’ll stay locked up in the Cloud Recesses. At least this prison will not spit him out.

What Lan Wangji knows is this: the Yiling Patriarch is mocking them, but there is a debt and a debt must be paid.

They marry in name, no matter how much the Yiling Patriarch taunts him about the contents of a proper marriage, and then they live separately. They keep an eye on him of course, him and his servants, who keep to themselves, settling in Caiyi and the Cloud Recesses, wary, hungry, terrified people - not of their master, but of everyone else.

And then, on accident maybe, a slip of the tongue, one of those servants soak a different name. Within a second, the Yiling Patriarch is in front of them in protection, though he looks less arrogant, less bold, less careless, less demanding. He looks, Lan Wangji thinks, like someone who has more too lose than he’d ever admit. He looks terrified like no one in the Cloud Recesses ever should.

So maybe he should ask him why

[chirpycloudyrobin]

Previous || Masterlist || START || Next

it's in the dead of night when wei wuxian meets hua cheng and xie lian again right in the middle of the jingshi

to wwx, hua cheng was. hm. how shld wwx describe him ?

",,, dad ,,,?"

"... do i LOOK—"

okay but in all seriousness wwx never wouldve fully pieced his soul together back in the burial mounds in the amount of time he did without hua cheng and xie lians help. so hua cheng is kind of like wwx's ghost dad ? maybe ? and xie lian's his ghost/god mom who gently coaxed his soul pieces back together while hua cheng glared at him for stressing his husband out

anyways

wwx gets scolded pretty badly for immediately jumping into shenanigans not even a day after his emergence from the kiln. hell, his injuries from the decade-long brawl probably havent even healed yet and does he even have a decent grasp on his new devastation ghost abilities yet ?

the scene in the jingshi truly looked like two parents scolding their unruly child for scampering off at the first opportunity despite being barely an adult in age

wwx is not three this time around, thank u very much !!

they talk abt the demonic left arm from mo village and how it has garnered the attention of the heavenly capital because apparently it belonged to someone who was supposed to ascend to the upper courts but their soul was chopped up before they could get their heavenly calamity.

huh, wwx thinks. what the fuck happened while i was in mt tonglu

hua cheng warns wwx to be careful bc the heavenly capital is sending two local deities to investigate the demonic left arm on the non-mortal side of things and he doenst want xie lian to be worried for wwx

(hua cheng is absolutely worried for him too, wwx is very sure)

"pls dont get urself punted into jail ur gnna stress out gege and if u stress out gege ill-" "ill be fine ! ive got thee hanguang-jun w me lol !" hua cheng raises an eyebrow at the thought of a mortal cultivator guarding a ghost king. one of the best of his generation, sure, but still a mortal. wwx pouts at him, "u cant judge me ur protecting a whole thrice-ascended god"

after all the serious talk was done (and insane inspection of wwx's [surprisingly perfect] human disguise), hua cheng hangs around to watch wwx make a fool of himself.

his pseudo-dad is enjoying his torment apparently. he'll tattle on him to xie lian later for sure.

but for now wwx focuses on getting out of there !! and mxy too !! he wonders if the kid is doing okay in the guest quarters. he hopes hes not bored

wwx's attempts to get himself and mxy kicked out of the cloud recesses by scandalizing the shit out of lwj fails spectacularly (what the fuck lwj is EVEN MORE RIPPED than the last time he saw him what the-) and he spends the night in a body-bind spell on lwj's body and he ??? cannot make sense of the entire thing

he can still hear hua cheng's cackles into the next morning

but thats fine because a while later the mingshi is going crazy with resentful energy and wwx's ghost instincts are like "FINALLY SOME GOOD FUCKING FOOD (literal) (hes been craving to eat resentful energy)" and he barges into the room, plops his ass down, and does an impromptu duet w lwj

the arm is subdued. wwx was able to feed without drawing anyone's suspicions. the mystery is getting uncovered bit by bit because the hand is pointing to their next destination

wwx leaves mxy in the care of the lan sect while he and lwj go out and solve this murder mystery

absolutely nothing is going to go wrong ! :D

[robsterskellington]

Okay, so I've read all of Mo Dao Zu Shi, the novels and manhua, and watched the donghua three times. Safe to say the brainrot is real. So, I wrote a little something. My brain always comes up with the same scenario for every fandom I'm interested in: what if one character woke up back in a specific point in time, but with all the memories of what will happen? Would or could they prevent certain things, or make the same mistakes?

Anyway, here's a piece I wrote earlier:

Wei Wuxian slowly opened his eyes, feeling dreadful and very confused- he had been in bed with Lan Wangji, hadn't he? They'd celebrated their wedding anniversary in Yunmeng, then went to bed. It was a fun celebration, even Lan Xichen had come out of seclusion to join. Wei Wuxian ate good food and partied with the people he loved; he'd finally patched things up with Jiang Cheng, Jin Ling had called him *Uncle Wei* for the first time, and Lan Sizhui tried to make him happy by trying the spicy foods. Lan Wangji also seemed happy, he'd started smiling more so it was easy to tell. Once the party was over, they had their intimate moments and fell asleep curled in each other's arms, happy and in love.

So... why was Wei Wuxian lying on his stomach, surrounded by resentful energy, in what looked like the bottom of the Burial Mounds? His body hurt, like it had done when he was thrown down by Wen Chao. He scowled at that memory before managing to get his arms to move, forcing himself to sit up, wincing. "Ow..."

He looked at himself and froze- he was back in his old body, but back to when he was about 17 or 18? He opened his robes a little and felt his blood run cold. The Wen brand on his chest was still fresh, as was the stitching on his abdomen from when he had his Golden Core extracted. It was a miracle that the stitching didn't split when he fell. His robes were the same, though his Clarity Bell was missing, obviously.

Wei Wuxian felt dizzy, hearing the whispering of the dead, their souls unable to rest, the resentment being the strongest here. This was the perfect place for someone to become a wielder of the dark arts, though only if they truly had no other choice. Wei Wuxian's options were to absorb it, or die... and after what happened to Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan and the rest of the Jiang Clan, how could he choose death for himself? No, he'd take all the resentment, and use it to carve his own path- after all, to secure Jiang Cheng's future, Wei Wuxian sacrificed his own. Once he absorbed it, he could walk around with no pain, only power. That was when he'd find a cave filled with scrolls- people who fell here had tried to do what he did, but with no success, dying and joining the resentment.

That was when Wei Wuxian became the Yiling Patriarch, the Founder of Diabolism, the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. Someone who's strength couldn't be beaten or tamed, and someone who was feared by all.

Why was he going through all this again? It couldn't have been a result of the incense burner, they'd left that behind in Guzu. He had all the memories of everything that happened after this, and frowned. If this was a second chance... how much could he change? How much *should* he change? What if he made everything so much worse?

This thoughts immediately went to his Shijie, her husband, and how her son grew up, with no parents to guide him. Wen Ning's death, and Wei Wuxian being unable to let him go since he'd died with his eyes open. Hell, the Wen Clan remnants truly didn't deserve what they got, it was a miracle that Wen Yuan was given a second chance as Lan Sizhui. Nie Mingjue absolutely didn't deserve what fate gave to him, and while Jin Guangyao was a piece of shit, it was only because of his unfaithful father. That just brought up the whole mess with Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan, as well as Xue Yang.

Wei Wuxian didn't know what to do. Interfere? Would that just make things worse again? Besides, *how* could he interfere with some things? Could certain things even be prevented or caused? He can't exactly claim he knew what was going to happen without sounding like a madman, and he couldn't even blame that on Mo Xuanyu this time! A depressing part of him then wondered: how much could be prevented if Wei Wuxian simply chose the second option? If he died here, would that be better? Without his talisman, his inventions, his knowledge... all of which were a double edged sword.

Resentful energy continued to pour into him, not caring about what choices he made, and no longer giving him time to think. Wei Wuxian had forgotten how bad the pain was, and couldn't help but scream in utter agony, as he was stabbed, had resentment shoved down his throat, and had his memories replay every bad moment in his life, stirring up his rage and sorrows. For a brief moment, he remembered the images of the past, and what would be this version's future. Tears streamed down his face, as he went limp, just allowing what happened to happen. If he lived, fine. If he died, fine.

*****

"..."

*...where are you?*

"...huh..?" Wei Wuxian's soul was in some kind of white space, and he could hear soft music playing. His mind was fuzzy, so he couldn't quite recognise the tune. There was no voice, yet he swore he heard a question. He focused a little more, taking advantage of the fact that be wasn't in as much pain.

*...Wei Ying..? Where are you..?*

Wei Wuxian's mind kicked into high gear- that was Inquiry!! Lan Wangji was trying to find him!! He grinned from ear to ear. Knowing what he did now, he understood that Lan Wangji never hated him, never wanted him to come to harm, that right from the beginning, all Lan Wangji wanted was to have Wei Wuxian as his partner. To marry him, bed him, have a future with him. To make sure that every day meant every day.

This was good, but also terrible. Wei Wuxian wasn't able to go down a normal cultivation path now, and with this new power, he would always scare Lan Wangji, who would always worry about his health and sanity. What the fuck could he do? He couldn't risk Lan Wangji coming after him, what if he got hurt or worse?! But he also couldn't just ignore him...

*Wei Ying... please... are you still alive..? Please... any sign... give me a sign...*

He wanted to call out, but didn't know what to say. All words died in his throat. Closing his eyes and calming down, Wei Wuxian did as he was asked and gave a sign that he was alive: he knew that Lan Wangji would be able to hear the response, and only Lan Wangji would understand as he started to sing that same beautiful song that Lan Wangji wrote for him and performed in that disgusting cave. Wei Wuxian knew that hearing wangxian would be enough to tell Lan Wangji that he was still alive. But because he didn't answer any questions directly, he knew Lan Wangji wouldn't ask. However, he still responded...

*I hear you... Wherever you are, please be safe... I want to see you again... I swear to try to look after Clan Leader Jiang and Lady Jiang in the meantime...*

Wei Wuxian's breath hitched as tears streamed down his face. Lan Wangji clearly didn't go through what he just did. Obviously he couldn't change that, but he wanted to have his husband as soon as possible. So he decided to stop resisting, and allowed the beginning of this darkened path to stay the same. The next time he saw Lan Wangji, he'd be the Wei Wuxian everyone would fear, though if he could change that, he decided that he absolutely would.

He woke up once more, and stood up. He knew what to do, his glowing crimson eyes filled with a new sense of purpose.

****

In the previous life, he'd hunted down Wen Chao and broke him little by little. He wanted the prick to suffer, but maybe he would look less evil by not reducing him to a burnt and broken skeleton this time. Besides, he was Jiang Cheng's to kill. Some things, he kept the same. He slowly attacked Wen bases and slaughtered their soldiers, but this time, he was far more careful. When he sensed some of the people wanting to escape, or switch sides, he'd test them:

It was a very simple test. He would leave for them plain grey robes baring no official Clan colours. An easy to understand message of 'If you want to abandon the Wens, discard their colours and insignia, and run while you can'. Most people did exactly that, and the test was far more effective than Wei Wuxian could ever dream; he wanted to protect the same people he once had, and they had turned out to be more than willing to turn their backs on their own Clan.

The one person he was most surprised about was Wen Qing, who had encouraged Wen Ning to do the same. The Supervisory Office in Yiling had quickly grown into a safe haven for any Wens who decided that their morals and lives weren't worth participating in this war. Wen Ruohan had been furious and sent Wen Chao to deal with it personally, but unfortunately, the coward couldn't get close- something about the traitor's camp being surrounded by feral zombies who refused to let them pass? In the end, they were left alone.

News spread, and at first, none of the main participants of the Sunshot Campaign knew what to make of this development. The Jin Clan thought it was better to annihilate the Yiling Camp, in case the Wens changed their minds and decided to attack. The Nie Clan also thought it best to kill them, since all of them were dogs needing to be put down, in their eyes. However, the Lan Clan disagreed, as these people had proven that they wanted to live and weren't willing to fight or kill people they considered innocent in all of this, just wanting peace- Lan Xichen also argued that most of the people were elderly, crippled, children or doctors who refused to bloody their hands unless healing.

It was that comment that made Jiang Cheng confess that Wen Qing and Wen Ning had saved the lives of himself and Wei Wuxian, so refused to have them killed. He came up with a solution, then: "Why don't we take in those Wens who have proven to be better than the ones we fight? They've discarded the name of Wen, really- so how about they bare our own names?"

The Hall was in uproar, everyone shouting their disagreements. But ultimately, a choice was made. Once the Sunshot Campaign was completed, and those Wens had been monitored for long enough to prove that they wouldn't turn and attack, restarting the war, then they would be integrated into the four main Clans instead. Nie Mingjue wasn't happy at first, but he also knew that in actuality, his anger came from Wen Ruohan's actions. Plus, he couldn't blame those Wens for their inaction, they'd already been threatened and some killed before they could escape. Unwilling to kill, but willing to die to escape.

After listening in, Wei Wuxian was ecstatic! He had no idea that his plan would work, and yet it did. He prayed to the Gods that the Jiang Clan would take in Wen Ning and his sister, and that the Lan Clan would take in Wen Yuan and his dear granny. He just wanted his friend and his little radish to be safe.

Things seemed to proceed similarly to how it did before, but now the Wens that abandoned the main Clan were now helping in different ways. Some were soldiers and blacksmiths who swore their loyalty to the Nie Clan, and managed to help with their fighting and weaponry. Wen Ning was recognised for being a talented archer, and in exchange for not having to fight in the war, he helped Jiang Cheng train the new members of the Jiang Clan in archery. Wen Qing was a talented doctor, so unfortunately she was very overworked, but she admitted that it was far better than standing aside.

Wei Wuxian stayed in the shadows, using his tricks and dark arts to kill off any loyal Wen Clan soldiers he could. Originally, he'd scared Wen Chao and his bitch so much that she killed herself, while he was a broken, unrecognisable husk. Now that Wei Wuxian had prioritised other's safety first, he didn't have time to torture them... scaring them, however?

It was almost embarrassing how confident Wen Chao was that he could prevent anything from happening to Wang Lingjiao, setting up spirit warding talisman all over their safe house. But the fool didn't notice that Wei Wuxian had added four extra strokes to each one with his own blood. The spirit lure talismans were what ultimately lead to her death, though Wei Wuxian being in the area and playing his flute didn't help matters. He couldn't deny himself a smile when her screaming finally silenced.

But then, he felt guilt. Not for killing her, she got what she deserved for trying to hurt Luo Qingyang and branding him. Killing for pleasure, that was what made him a monster. He never did, or so he thought, but this single moment proved him wrong. Wei Wuxian sighed, then frowned and looked up in the sky- a firework baring the Wen insignia...

"Wait. That's where Jiang Cheng-! Hold on, I'm coming!"

****

"Where is Wei Ying?!" Lan Wangji had never shouted with such anger before in his life. He knew that when he used Inquiry a while ago, Wei Wuxian was still alive. Only he knew the song he wrote for him, after all. But it had been so long, over three months at this point, and he had been too busy with rebuilding the Cloud Recesses, fighting in the war, while also helping that sweet old lady with that adorable toddler who called him 'daddy'. He knew he was making up excuses at this point, he should have tried harder.

But his thoughts shut off and his heart shattered to pieces when Wen Chao scoffed, "I threw him into the Burial Mounds months ago. I doubt even his bones will be left now. So you can stop looking for him, and join him in Hell!"

Jiang Cheng sank where he was forced to kneel, shaking. Wei Wuxian was gone? He'd been gone this entire time? What would his sister say? Even Wen Ning was excited about possibly seeing him again. They couldn't even lay him to rest.

Lan Wangji had a very different reaction. His fingers were bleeding, his spiritual energy was all but depleted, but the thought of Wei Wuxian being all alone and suffering filled him with unbridled rage. Was this why Wei Wuxian didn't tell Lan Wangji where he was? If he was trapped in the Burial Mounds and already weakened from being attacked by Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu, then maybe he was dying and didn't want Lan Wangji to come and find him. Wanted him to remember him as he was. Lan Wangji screamed his pain and grief, lashing out one last attack that obliterated the strings of his zither, but to no avail.

In the end, both Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji were forced to kneel, swords at their necks, with none of the soldiers daring to attack in fear of the two strongest men losing their lives. Neither of them had much will to fight after that, anyway.

Just as Wen Chao was about to give the execution order, a strange sound caught everyone's attention. Crows had begun flying overhead, their sharp caws loud enough for everyone to hear. It was strange, but whatever. However, that was just the beginning. The flames that burned throughout had changed from their bright yellow hues to a sickly green, the lighting significantly dimming. The Wen soldiers shuffled on their feet before looking up at the main watch tower at the sound of a piercing flute.

Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng watched the newcomer standing confidently on the tower, playing a strong melody. They couldn't make out his face, but the glowing red eyes were impossible to miss, along with the long, free flowing hair. Wen Chao quickly called back his guards, just as the bodies of the fallen slowly rose to their feet as feral zombies, attacking the Wen Clan and giving the Jiang Clan time to regain their senses and join the fight.

Jiang Cheng grinned, but Lan Wangji looked uneasy. Jiang Cheng looked at him and scoffed, "Whatever you're afraid of, put it aside for now. His methods are unorthodox, but he's very obviously on our side. So let's not waste his efforts!" That was when Lan Wangji finally nodded and unsheathed Bichen, while Jiang Cheng brandished Zidian.

When the Wen army was severely crippled and downsized, the figure on the tower floated down using what looked like a cloud of resentful energy. Wen Chao immediately ordered Wen Zhuliu to attack, but the figure was a lot faster. Nobody could see what happened; from their perspective, the figure simply ran past Wen Zhuliu, and the barer of the Core Melting Hand was suddenly on his knees, coughing up blood.

Wen Chao stared in horror as the figure then held up what he had taken: Wen Zhuliu's Golden Core. The figure looked at it, as if contemplating something, before putting it in his sleeve, as if he was saving it for something. The mist around the figure faded, revealing a wicked grin that made Wen Chao choke on his own gasp, "W... Wei Ying?! You're supposed to be dead!! G-ghost!!"

"It's been some time, Wen Chao. Didn't I tell you I'd come back?" Wei Wuxian smirked, but then decided he had better things to do. He whistled, then turned his back to Wen Chao, "I need to talk to the people I care about. I trust the lady you left to die can keep you entertained?" Wen Chao went pale as the feral zombie who looked exactly like Wang Lingjiao slowly approached him. Wei Wuxian then snapped his fingers, and some of the soldiers that Wen Chao lead to their deaths attacked Wen Zhuliu, to stop him from rescuing his master.

Jiang Cheng smiled brightly at seeing Wei Wuxian, and when he watched Wei Wuxian smile and open his arms, he ran in for a hug, "You bastard, you scared the shit out of me!" He felt Wei Wuxian hold him, and felt the slightest of trembles. Jiang Cheng teared up and completely lost his composure, "...I thought you were dead, *big brother*."

Wei Wuxian tensed- how long had it been since he was called that? It made him tear up and hug him tighter, "I'm sorry, *little brother*. I wanted to come and find you and Shijie as soon as I got out, but... I was scared. I'm not the same as before."

"You really think that matters? It's still you. And I'm so damn happy to see you." They held each other a little longer, calming down a little before eventually pulling away to see each other smile again.

"...Wei Ying."

"Huh?" Wei Wuxian turned to see Lan Wangji's stoney expression, and tilted his head, "Lan Zhan?"

"Was it you who killed the Wens along the way?" A nod in response. "Did you also create those talisman?" Another nod. "Wei Ying... this path you're on, it destroys the mind and body. That's saying nothing of what it does to your temperament. There's never been any exceptions. It's a heretic path for a reason."

"...Lan Zhan, I didn't have a choice." Lan Wangji froze at those words, and noticed just how exhausted Wei Wuxian truly was, "Believe me, I don't actually *want* to be on this path. But at the time, my options were become like this, or die." Wei Wuxian took a calming breath and faced him properly, "I know what I'm risking. And I'll do whatever I can to go back to normal, if I can. As for my temperament, I've been trying to keep it under control by not allowing revenge to blind me. Lan Zhan, *I* was the one saving the Wens who just wanted out of this shitty situation. I'm not going around slaughtering mindlessly." He looked ashamed and pointed to Wang Lingjiao, "She was an exception to that, I admit that, and I'm not proud of it. I understand if you don't want to believe me. But I promise that I never asked for this, and I don't want this."

As if to prove that he was truly in control, Wei Wuxian ordered the feral zombies to step down, and freed what was left of their souls. Aside from using resentful energy, how he brought the spirits to rest was exactly how he was taught in the Cloud Recesses. Lan Wangji stared at him, his eyes full of despair, "...return to Guzu with me." Wei Wuxian looked at him; last time, he didn't hear him out, and it lead to a horrible argument. This time, he indicated for Lan Wangji to elaborate, which he did: "If you're truly trapped on this path and we can't help you, then we'll find a way for you to have some semblance of normality. I swear, I will never let anyone harm you, nor will I let you be forced into seclusion. I just... believe me when I tell you that I just want you to be safe. Let me help you, Wei Ying!"

Wei Wuxian watched as Lan Wangji was fighting back his tears, and simply turned to Jiang Cheng, "Clan Leader Jiang. I ask that once I've played my part in the Sunshot Campaign as a Demonic Cultivator, once this war is over, I request to go to the Cloud Recesses with Lan Wangji. If I'm wrong, and I can go back to a normal cultivation path, I'd very much like to. I believe that the Guzu Lan Clan can help me with that, just as I believe Lan Wangji's words are sincere."

Lan Wangji stared at Wei Wuxian in disbelief, but could slowly feel his heart repairing itself. He was being given a chance to help, and Wei Wuxian trusted him. While he was impatient, he wanted to take Wei Wuxian back now, and maybe try to hide him away if he could be talked into it, he also didn't want Wei Wuxian to feel trapped or obligated to stay. Plus, he could no longer deny the effectiveness of the dark arts, and couldn't doubt that Wei Wuxian was in full control.

Jiang Cheng hesitated before nodding, "Very well. But I'm adding to this compromise: on every Night Hunt, you join me and represent the Jiang Clan as my right hand. Besides, I don't think sis would be happy with you if you didn't come home from time to time." With Wei Wuxian's new power, the Lotus Pier would be theirs again, so there was no issues in stating that it was their home once more.

"I agree with the compromise," Lan Wangji stated, "especially when you're still part of the Jiang Clan. I just want to..." he trailed off, unable to confess what he was thinking, but it didn't matter.

"Then it's settled. I'll come back with you, Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian gave him a warm smile, looking like the man he'd grown to love. It made Lan Wangji's ears tint red. Wei Wuxian looked over to see that Wen Zhuliu had stopped moving, but Wen Chao was surprisingly still writhing in pain, bits and pieces bitten off of him. He turned to Jiang Cheng, "He's all yours."

Jiang Cheng unsheathed Sandu, but then looked towards Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian shook his head, he already got his revenge. But Lan Wangji held Bichen once more. Wen Xu had lead the attack that killed his father, and since Nie Mingjue had already decapitated him, Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen couldn't get revenge. At first, he didn't mind, revenge was a disgusting thing, but now he had the opportunity, he couldn't deny wanting to just make sure Wen Chao couldn't come back. He still hesitated, so Wei Wuxian chuckled and held up his flute. He'd had his fun, but if this helped Lan Wangji, so be it.

In the end, all three of them took the life of Wen Ruohan's youngest son that night.

[thatswhatsushesaid]

i think it is extremely weird that parts of this fandom have just definitively decided that the principle antagonist is an irredeemably evil monster because he has his minion burn down a brothel (where said antagonist was born and abused and watched his mother suffer and die) with people still inside it, then hires a bunch of sex workers to rape his rapist dad (who raped so many women that he lost track of who his victims were, and ended up approving of a marriage between said antagonist and his own half-sister as a result) to death

when the protagonist’s chosen means of killing the people who razed the only home he’s ever known and murdered his foster parents involves 1) choking a woman to death by forcing a table leg down her throat, 2) forcing that dead woman to bite off a man’s genitals, and 3) forcing that man to eat his own legs. this plus the protagonist’s multiple day-long murder-torture bender where he kills and tortures a bunch of other wen sect disciples in front of each other, and owns doing this because it was fun and would have been too boring to kill then quickly. like jiang cheng and lan wangji find wwx by following the trail of bodies he leaves in his wake ok, that’s pretty awful

if wei wuxian can do these things and and still be considered good, then that only makes it harder for me to understand why jin guangyao is denied goodness

fun fact: when i describe both of these characters to people who are totally canon-blind and know nothing about mdzs, cql, or any of the other adaptations, the initial response from most people isn’t “hmmm but what was the protagonist’s interiority while he was making that woman’s corpse eat that man’s junk? was he very sad about it? that will surely tell me whether his corpse desecration and autocannibalism is morally defensible or not.” most of the time what they say is “ray what the fuck are you reading, both of those guys sound like evil people, i don’t care what their motivations are! also get help”

it just seems weird!! that certain corners of this fandom have decided that goodness is not only a quality that wwx intrinsically possesses (something i don’t necessarily disagree with fwiw), but that he gets to be defined by this goodness above all else. wwx gets situated at the centre of all subsequent discourse as the moral lighthouse of the whole novel—even though he has done objectively heinous shit entirely to satisfy his own desire for vengeance. doing all of those things does not detract from his fundamental goodness, in their estimation. or if it does, it doesn’t detract enough to significantly impact his role for them as the goodness barometer in the novel.

and that’s fine with me actually! if this is where the bar for what it means to be good in this novel is set, then it should logically follow that jin guangyao’s heinous actions can similarly be ‘offset’ by paying the appropriate ‘goodness tax’ through his other canon actions (e.g., loving and remaining filial to his mother, saving and protecting lan xichen, saving nie mingjue, funding the rebuilding of the cloud recesses, caring for his orphaned nephew, etc). he has done yuckydisgusting things, yes, but so has wwx! and as we all know, wwx is not evil! so jgy isn’t evil either!

…but this isn’t what happens in these conversations, because jgy seems to begin all fandom discourse at a goodness deficit that is depressingly reflective of the goodness deficit he experiences in the novel post-canon. (or, honestly, at the beginning of his life as meng yao.) and unlike wwx whose character gets to be defined principally by his goodness in spite of his genuinely horrendous acts of violence, jin guangyao’s whole character becomes defined by his horrendous acts of violence in spite of his goodness, even though the text demonstrates clearly that their capacity for both good and evil is evenly matched.

tl;dr it would be nice if the goodness goalposts would stop moving around so much in these discussions. maybe we should just get rid of them entirely.

[lgbtlunaverse]

hi i'm off work and love pointless discourse, so i've been summoned lol but definitely delete if you dont find this fun! RE the poll about jc's best partner and co-parent though, i hear the argument for mian mian but still dont agree that being a good parent of one kid equals being a good parent of a future sect leader with so much trauma AND partner to a current sect leader with so much trauma lollll but More importantly than that!! who did you vote for 😂

I'm including a sceenshot that you can check against the current number of votes and remaining time so you can see i'm not lying because I have, in fact, not voted in the poll because I wasn't sure.

Listen, everyone in mdzs has trauma. Mianmian's probably got a shitton of trauma from that one time people literally tried to use her as live bait. No one's gonna fix jiang cheng's trauma, at least no one on this list.

Wen qing's a great doctor but no therapist, though she would make for a great co-leader of a sect and having another 'strict parent' involved (rather than jgy's more indulgent gentle parenting style) might help jc chill out a little.

Ofc jgy himself is also an option: proven to be good at leading a sect, also proven to be a good coparent to jl... are we including the part where yknow he is hunted for all his crimes and dies, though? Because that kinda disqualifies him as ideal candidate.

Xiao xingchen is kind and good with kids, but he is also like... 17 a year after wwx's death which means ahe-wose he's more 'older brother' range to jin ling than "parent" and also he explicitly does not want to stay put. Mianmian only left because of grave moral differnces xxc literally hates the concept of being stuck in a major clan. (Unless the fact that jin ling is heir to jinlintai+jc having no other heirs means he gets to convert yunmeng jiang to that merit-based sect he was dreaming of. Then he'd have a great time.) Unfortunately being stick with a strict idealist tends to not go well for jiang cheng, and if the whole xue yang situation still happens (i do not mean yi city, i mean the part where xxc is the one who hunted him down in the first place) could politically get... very uncomfortable. Especially for jin ling.

Nmj did also already help raise a child buuuut he's proto-suicidal and let's not make jiang cheng a widow.

Wei wuxian already knows and loves jiang cheng, the jiang, and jin ling and would be an ideal candidate if nit for... you know.

Lan wangji is also good at handling a sect plus kids, actually i've read fics with this premise, it's just you do need to dedicate 10K words of plot to get them to stop hissing at each other.

Wen Ning isn't great with politics but likely pretty good with kids, but he has lwj's problem except Even More so cause he genuinely hates jc. Also if jiang cheng is parenting jin ling here that means zixuan and yanli are in fact still dead which means he's out of the running.

Lan Xichen is good at politics plus pretty good with kids and yeah if canon plays out as it does that's pretty rough, but it wouldn't be quite as retraumatizing as what happened to jgy (considering that was lxc has is also just... the trauma of being a part of what happened to jgy) and he and jin ling could bond over that if they were closer. And unlike the previous two options he is at worst neutral to jc in canon.

For all that fanon has Song Lan as A-Qing's second parent he only knew her for like... a few minutes total. Same problem as xxc on the xue yang thing too.

I don't think huaisang or xue yang should raise a child. So I guess congratulations to the xichengers because he's looking like the best option here.

[jetkast]

I picked up rereading MDZS (first time with the official English release) after resisting the urge for hella months. (I both want to and desperately don't want to move on from these series LOL.) I never picked up on the Nie brothers having different mothers?? And I don't think the impact of that is clear on the plot? But I wonder what the story is there and if it explains why (beyond the whole fake incompetence thing) NMJ is how he is with NHS. I wonder if NHS internalizes something about what happened to his mother in a similar way to how LWJ does with his. I want to KNOW.

Also, I think this means that the Lan brothers are the only fully blood related sibling unit? We spend so much time focusing on the chaos of offspring brought about by JGS that I feel the rest of the sibling dynamics are understated. Potentially the Wen siblings as well, though I don't recall if any detail is provided about their parents. I wouldn't be surprised if they were half siblings as well. The Jiang trio has its own dynamics, blood relation between JC & JYL but none with WWX, yet intense care and affection all the same (among other spicier details).

These tiny details of chaos and instability do so much to set up this world that has been at war for over a hundred years (this story being the conclusion of it... or one part of it, or a hopeful continuation of temporary peace). A generation of parents lost or disconnected (or just shitty). A generation of youth parentified and sent to war too young. Terrified elders fearing the ways the world could get worse or established power could be threatened.

MDZS from Lan Wangji's perspective is a disillusionment. A interrogation of the status quo created out of survival, firm and unquestioning, but simultaneously lifeless. Wei Wuxian comes in representing pure resilient joy in the face of tragedy, a wine stain on pristine white fabric an artifact of the revelry the night before in the face of darkness. Wei Wuxian the bonfire during the long night, promising life and warmth and chaotic joy and a future that is worth living and fighting for. Lan Xichen's disillusionment strikes also through relationship, but much differently.

(Of course I start this post just pondering family relationships and end up waxing romantic yet again about Wangxian because I HAVE THE BRAINROT SO DEEPLY.)

A generation of orphans raising a new crop of hope, rambunctious and resilient and curious. It's not the blood relation that matters, but who cares for your future, who fans your flames with love and wisdom. Who strokes your hair and makes you soup or fits you to sect colors regardless of how you were found sick in a tree trunk.

Who protects you from whatever Nie Mingjue was protecting Nie Huaisang from, the sturdy older sibling shielding their baby brother while also grumbling about their need to toughen up. A protection and expression of care that drove NHS to devise a plan so extensive it involved bringing someone back from the dead for justice.

The tiny details, ugh. They drive me insane.

[fondofeveryprickle]

My AO3 Wrapped

Happy new year for us all, and that 2023 brings us again many good fandoms, fics and friends! <3

I saw some people doing an ao3 wrapped of fics they wrote and things like that, and I decided to make one of recs.

I cannot count how many fics/words I read in 2022, but it was *a lot*. According to my ao3 page, I have 1200 fics in my History, I know I haven’t read them all, some of them I opened and saw it wasn’t for me, some of them I tried reading and didn’t like, but still, those are 1200 fics there.

have bookmarked 120 fics/series just this year.

Here are my top 12, one bookmark for each month of the year:

January:

anteros, punish me (leave me to bleed) by sakutsu - Haikyuu!!

I usually read Hinata centric fics, but this one was something else. It’s a Sakusa Kiyoomi centric fic, and it made me cry. It’s about his understanding and acceptance that he is aro, and how he sees the world. It is beautiful. Have tissues in hand.

February:

In Between by vetiverdreams - MDZS/TGCF crossover

This fic has *promise*. The first chapter alone has Xie Lian’s pov, of him meeting Wei Wuxian, and it’s great. There’s just so much there. I love how they wrote Wei Wuxian, and Hualian both. It’s a wip, but so worth it!

March:

Swaying Close by vetiverdreams - SVSSS

Liushen goodness! This was the year I discovered them, and this fic is just the sweetest!!!!! The fluffiest of fluffs. 5+1 times that LQG thought SQQ was cute. And SQQ was so cute, and the whole story is adorable! I loved the banter they had going on! This is also about SQQ being himself, having some modern attitudes.

April:

By folly or fickle fate by Vrishchika - MDZS @vrishchikawrites

First of all, this fic was written for me by my favourite writer, so need I say more????? Modern Au with cultivation. WWX is a cultivator, and one of the best ones, LWJ is not a cultivator, nor does he know this world exists. And they meet when WWX saves LWJ’s son, a-Yuan from an Abyss. This is so good. If you know Vrishchika, you know her characterization is *good*, and we have absolute BAMF WWX. Amazing!

May:

Burn your Wings by oWhiteKiwibird - BNHA - @crowbird-kamakse

Ohhh, this was also the year I discovered BNHA. And this was one of the first fics I’ve read. Canon divergence, and Izuku actually has his parents quirks (but because of how abused he and his mother were by his father, he doesn’t want to use it). He still gets OFA, and then when he gets to UA things start changing. It’s a beautiful story, it’s sad, and Izuku suffers a lot in the beginning, but there’s so much growth. And his and Todoroki’s relationship is beautiful.

June:

A Secret Never Shared by Vrishchika - MDZS - @vrishchikawrites

This fic should be on the list much earlier than June, because I had the privilege of betaing, and I had read it long before and reread it and loved every word of it. BAMF Wei Wuxian, who ascended instead of dying on the first siege. As always, perfect characterization, WWX is still WWX but also more, because he is a god now, and it changes people. This is a story of those 13 years where he would have been dead in canon. Also, the best a-Yuan. 

July:

Hero Class Civil Warfare by RogueDruid - BNHA - @roguedruid

BAMF Izuku!!!!!! On my bookmarks notes I say: “The teachers quickly realize how glad they should be Izuku has always wanted to be a hero.”. UA has an activity they have every year where they divide the hero classes into heroes and villains and they have to compete. Izuku is chosen to be the villain leader, and Bakugou the hero leader. This is a story about how intelligent and smart Izuku is, and how he can be a very good leader. 

August:

Bonnie & Klein by surveycorpsjean - BNHA 

Where the porn is the plot. Izuku and Bakugou, already pro heroes, are sent 10 years to the future, where they meet their future selves (who are married). The smut is fantastic, but it’s all about the feelings, and about loving yourself, and accepting who you are (in very literal ways sometimes). Super tender, loving and also very hot.

September:

Razzmatazz by xylophones - BNHA - @xyloophones

A love letter to Izuku (is what i’ve written on my bookmarks). This is a story where All Might chose Izuku so much earlier, when he was still a kid, so Inko is also involved. The relationship between them all is wonderful, they are really a family. This is a Izuku who is prepared and well-trained. Wonderful.

October:

Half-Truths by kibosama - Not Me the series

This is a canon divergence fic, where after White decides to take over Black’s life, he leaves home. Things change accordingly, he has to come clean a bit before . SeanWhite is perfect, good communication.

November:

but you’re everywhere (yes you are) by fortunehasgivenup - Kinnporsche - @fairhairedkings

Canon divergent because Porsche remembers the first kiss at the pier, and decides to tell Kinn he does. Everything changes from that conversation forward. Absolutely gorgeous story. Great communication. Porsche stands his ground, and they learn to separate Kinn boss from Kinn boyfriend. I love their relationship very much. Really good communication, I need to say that again. The relationship is very healthy. And the smut is scorching.

December:

Erased Potential by theslytherinpaladin - BNHA

It’s a wip, but there’s over 230k words to read, and it is that good. Izuku knows that being quirkless will make becoming a hero much harder, that’s why he decides (when he’s in middle school) to ask Eraserhead to train him. He does, and things change accordingly. Smart Izuku, Dadzawa (without All Might bashing). Great fic!!!

.

It was not easy to make this list. So many good fics I’ve read this year!!! Thank you so much to all the authors who put time to write these masterpieces and share with us. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

If you want to check my other bookmarks, they are here.

Remember to always leave some love to the authors <3

[lansplaining]

I saw someone the other day doing a read through of MDZS and saying they were having a hard time deciding if they can like JC because he keeps bringing up his dead family to WWX even though it been 13 years. Man, I wonder why some one who’s entire family and everyone that grew up with died might not have let go of that 13 years later. It was just so incomprehensible to me.

there are so many reasons to feel like the way Jiang Cheng talks to Wei Wuxian, especially in regards to the Jiangs, is maybe not ideal but-- because it's been 13 years.........!

get over it man, your parents had their corpse bar mitzvah!! their dead bodies can sign up for a neopets account! your sister's orphaned baby is a whole-ass annoying teen! time to move on!!!

[robininthelabyrinth]

My fandom5k requests/prompts (all MDZS variants)

Request 1: MDZS novel

Characters/Pairings:    Cángsè Sǎnrén/Lán Qǐrén/Wèi Chǎngzé (MDZS) Character: Lan Qiren (MDZS) Lán Qǐrén & Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn (MDZS) Lan Qiren/Nie Huaisang (MDZS) Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén & Lán Qǐrén (MDZS)

Prompt:

I would love some Lan Qiren-centric hurt/comfort or darkfic, though with a happy (satisfying?) ending. Just about any pairing would be good! I typically prefer canon-divergence plots, but whole shift AUs other than mundane modern AUs are also OK (if they're cool).

General LQR notes: I like him with both good aspects and bad: he's rigid, hierarchical, and conservative, often kind of boring, with a temper he can't always control, but I read him as someone who genuinely loves his nephews and wants them to be happy, who is a good teacher when he's given a chance to be, and who is always trying to do the right thing. Personally, I tend to headcanon both LQR and LWJ as being on the autistic spectrum with a special interest in Lan rules, but you don't need to go with that. Feel free to go wild with backstory or sidestory here (for instance, in canon he is very good with the sword and trained LXC and LWJ; feel free to lean into that, or lean away from that! give him something else he's good at! give him additional character traits or hobbies or whatever that were only not mentioned because they weren't relevant to Wei Wuxian's journey!) ALSO: feel free to give him any relationship you want with Qingheng-jun and the whole getting married

However, please do not portray Lan Qiren's devotion to his sect rules as being wrong or something he has to overcome - he is following the instructions for being a good person left down by his ancestors, they are important to him, and the idea should be treated generally with respect; even if you want to have him disagreeing with one of the rules, it should be in a specific context, not "everything I grew up valuing is wrong actually". Similarly, his dislike of WWX should not be treated as "oh because he's conservative he's homophobic and that's the only reason he dislikes him", but based on his experiences with WWX and what WWX has done.

H/C: I would love, love, love something where LQR gets hurt and someone has to rescue him, but in a way that is centered around worrying about and caring for LQR. I've seen too many "WWX rescues LQR with his demonic cultivation thereby forcing LQR to admit he's not that bad" scenarios! or "LQR is hurt but the other person is so worried about him that the entire fic is now about the other person's trauma about people they love being hurt"! Do not want! Give me "wow guess I really do care about LQR" and "ouch LQR has been through so much I never realized I want to give him good things"!

Suggestions: - LQR gets captured and tortured after the burning of the Cloud Recesses or during the Sunshot Campaign, and either needs a rescue at the time OR never really had time to deal with the aftereffects of that and needs help after - something based on him coughing up blood and falling into a coma in canon when he heard WWX's bad flute music? is he super sensitive to sound? was he hurt by something in the past to cause it? something happens in post-canon that aggravates old issues he had? bad memories? - the hurt doesn't have to be something physical, could be emotional - something when he was younger and suddenly a parent to two kids and leading a sect? something about being unappreciated or undervalued? Darkfic (interpreted as "dead dove" style "I am reveling in bad things" fic, NOT angsty/sad/bad end): Similar to the above, just darker, I am fully here for "character is obsessed with LQR and is willing to do anything it takes to make him theirs" plots.

Suggestions: - CSSR and WCZ decide they've seen enough and it's time to kidnap LQR and teach him a new set of rules - NHS gets hold of the ability to hypnotize people, decides to fuck with LQR for fun, then ends up developing feelings - LXC, being old enough to see more of the dynamics between LQR and his father/his mother, decides he loves his uncle so much he's willing to destroy everything else to ensure his uncle's happiness (and maybe has a very twisted idea of what constitutes happiness) - WWX in a full Yiling Patriarch Dark Emperor AU who after marrying LWJ grows fond of the rigid rule-abiding uncle that LWJ brought along and decides to get to know him better? - Gangster AU (fantastical/not modern)? LQR as the only non-gangster Lan with LXC taking care of him? mob princess NHS deciding he wants his old ethics teacher? new mob boss WWX deciding the best way to deal with DA!LQR is to parent trap him together with his mob boss parents CSSR and WCZ?

DNW: no adultery/infidelity, no permanent limb/sense/memory loss, no unhappy ending for characters (it can be "bad end" as long as it is satisfying - i.e. original LQR would be horrified but current version LQR is OK with it), no LQR bashing, no character bashing generally, no generic modern AU (only specific AUs OK), no Lan sect rule bashing, no "Madame Lan did nothing wrong/did something justified and was unjustly imprisoned for it"

Request 2: MDZS Donghua

Characters/Pairings: Lan Huan & Lan Zhan (MDZS)

Prompt:

I love the Twin Jades - the way they love each other, the way they understand each other, the way LWJ is allowed to be a little spoiled in his way, the way LXC wants to make LWJ more friends. They have their shared trauma with their parents, but they each take away fascinatingly different meanings from it. They're so much fun! especially in the donghua, where we get to see them fight side by side in such a beautiful, flowing, coordinated fashion - love that, would love to see more of that.

Notes: Please write them having a good relationship with LQR (especially in donghua-verse, where we see him backing LWJ up against a sect elder and helping LWJ recruit people, talking with LXC as an equal when he returns from Qinghe in season 1, etc.) Also please do not write the Lan sect rules as something wrong or bad that they need to overcome, or as something they feel trapped by, but as a tradition that they've been raised in and respect, and voluntarily as adults choose to continue carrying on and passing down. For what it's worth, I headcanon LWJ (and LQR) as being on the autistic spectrum with Lan sect rules as a special interest, which must have been super interesting for LXC, but don't feel like you have to go with that.

Honestly, for this one, I'd really love a genre shift AU of some sort (but NOT modern/mundane AU). The donghua is so vividly designed, I'd love to imagine the aesthetics carrying over to another setting. Suggestions: - pirate AU - space opera AU - mob bosses AU (fantastical, not modern) - cyberpunk robots/sentient ship AU - historical non-magic setting AU - everyone is a dragon AU

As for plot, anything will do - slice of life, procedural/case solving, interpersonal drama, hurt/comfort, whatever! Just as long as LXC & LWJ continue to love each other and be good brothers to each other. No darkfic for this one, please.

DNW: no bad parent LQR, no Lan sect rule bashing, no "Madame Lan did nothing wrong/did something justified and was unjustly imprisoned for it", no adultery/infidelity, no permanent limb/sense/memory loss, no unhappy ending for characters, no character bashing generally, no generic modern AU, no permanent breach of relationship between LXC and LWJ (or with LQR)

Request 3: the Untamed

Character/Pairings Character: Lan Qiren (CQL), Lán Qǐrén & Niè Huáisāng (CQL), Jiāng Chéng | Jiāng Wǎnyín/Lán Qǐrén (CQL)

Prompt:

I would love some Lan Qiren-centric hurt/comfort or darkfic, though with a happy (satisfying?) ending. Just about any pairing would be good! I typically prefer canon-divergence plots, but whole shift AUs other than mundane modern AUs are also OK (if they're cool).

General LQR notes: I like him with both good aspects and bad: he's rigid, hierarchical, and conservative, often kind of boring, with a temper he can't always control, but I read him as someone who genuinely loves his nephews and wants them to be happy, who is a good teacher when he's given a chance to be, and who is always trying to do the right thing. Personally, I tend to headcanon both LQR and LWJ as being on the autistic spectrum with a special interest in Lan rules, but you don't need to go with that. Feel free to go wild with backstory or sidestory here (for instance, in canon he is very good with the sword and trained LXC and LWJ; feel free to lean into that, or lean away from that! give him something else he's good at! give him additional character traits or hobbies or whatever that were only not mentioned because they weren't relevant to Wei Wuxian's journey!) ALSO: feel free to give him any relationship you want with Qingheng-jun and the whole getting married

However, please do not portray Lan Qiren's devotion to his sect rules as being wrong or something he has to overcome - he is following the instructions for being a good person left down by his ancestors, they are important to him, and the idea should be treated generally with respect; even if you want to have him disagreeing with one of the rules, it should be in a specific context, not "everything I grew up valuing is wrong actually". Similarly, his dislike of WWX should not be treated as "oh because he's conservative he's homophobic and that's the only reason he dislikes him", but based on his experiences with WWX and what WWX has done.

H/C: I would love, love, love something where LQR gets hurt and someone has to rescue him, but in a way that is centered around worrying about and caring for LQR. I've seen too many "WWX rescues LQR with his demonic cultivation thereby forcing LQR to admit he's not that bad" scenarios! or "LQR is hurt but the other person is so worried about him that the entire fic is now about the other person's trauma about people they love being hurt"! Do not want! Give me "wow guess I really do care about LQR" and "ouch LQR has been through so much I never realized I want to give him good things"!

Suggestions: - LQR gets captured and tortured after the burning of the Cloud Recesses or during the Sunshot Campaign, and either needs a rescue at the time OR never really had time to deal with the aftereffects of that and needs help after - something about coughing up blood following his fight with Wen Xu? - the hurt doesn't have to be something physical, could be emotional - something when he was younger and suddenly a parent to two kids and leading a sect? something about being unappreciated or undervalued? - OK with certain types of AU - mob AU where mob boss Jiang Cheng or Nie Huaisang look up their old teacher? emperor harem drama style conflict (preferably with LQR marrying in rather than being the emperor)? cyberpunk LQR and NHS team up to solve a mystery?

Darkfic (interpreted as "dead dove" style "I am reveling in bad things" fic, NOT angsty/sad/bad end): Similar to the above, just darker, I am fully here for "character is obsessed with LQR and is willing to do anything it takes to make him theirs" plots.

Suggestions: - NHS secretly worked with LQR to help get his whole plot against JGY moving. Now that it's over, he finds he's not willing to give up the one person who supported him in all that time. - JC had only one acknowledged older male role model/authority figure approve of him and like him better than WWX, ever, and that fact has just been there rotting away in his brain for years until he decides to take matters into his own hands - mob AU (fantastical/not modern)? emperor AU? reverse sugar daddy AU where someone is paying for LQR (in canon setting!)? - some other character of your choice/LQR, same idea

DNW: no adultery/infidelity, no permanent limb/sense/memory loss, no unhappy ending for characters (it can be "bad end" as long as it is satisfying - i.e. original LQR would be horrified by where he ended up but current version LQR is OK with it), no LQR bashing, no character bashing generally, no generic modern AU (only specific AUs OK), no Lan sect rule bashing, no "Madame Lan did nothing wrong/did something justified and was unjustly imprisoned for it"

[eyes-of-mischief]

weekly fic recs | 43

prompt: resurrection

fandoms: bnha, dc, hq, mdzs, tgcf, tua, tw, yoi

bnha

help me leave behind some (reasons to be missed) by intheeveningsunrise

(mature)

The darkness had learnt not to swallow him whole, had learnt to dance with him as he felt the warmth enter his veins, and learnt to give him back.

Or, five times Izuku Midoriya kills himself, and one time he... well.

What the Fire Withheld: the Renaissance of Midoriya Izuku by orkestrations

(mature)

Toga, Twice, and Mr. Compress sneak into a morgue. This is the setup to the cosmic joke that is Izuku's life. Or, his re-life? His undeath? What's the proper term for his condition?

Maybe it's actually a bit earlier than that, when he bleeds out beneath Sir Nighteye's hands while Overhaul escapes with Eri.

-

or, the jason toddification of midoriya izuku

RE: Izuku by thecozydragon

(graphic depictions of violence)

Wheezing through the pain, staring down at the body of an opponent Izuku should reasonably never have been able to take alone at his current level, Izuku realizes he just discovered a latent quirk.

“Fuck.” Izuku hisses. “That’s the worst fucking quirk I’ve ever heard of.”

It only activates on death. You have to die first.

OR... Midoriya Izuku's Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day.

dc

Banshee In A Well by liverobinreaction (bugbee)

(graphic depictions of violence)

Tim is five years old when he drowns in his parents' pool. He dies quietly, waiting for parents who love him, but will never be there, to realise that something is wrong. They never show up, and he sinks into oblivion.

When he wakes up and claws his way out of the water, the sun has set, and the lights of his house are on. He is cold and wet and his lungs burn.

But most of all, Tim is alone.

(If you die and no-one is there to see it, were you ever alive in the first place?)

The Next Life by spqr

“I don’t need an exorcism,” Tim says.

“I beg to bloody differ,” Constantine mutters.

Nobly, Tim elects to ignore him. “I want you to teach me.”

“Teach you what? Manners?”

“I already know manners,” Tim says, then barrels on as Constantine snorts in disagreement, “what I need to learn is necromancy.”

Never What You Were Before by Romiress

(mature)

Bruce Wayne is dead, and Gotham has moved on. Slade, for the most part, tries to stay out of it. He has enough work to do without having to take jobs near the Bats.

Until Red Hood calls him in to help, refusing to explain what he's found.

Maybe Wayne isn't as dead as he seems.

hq

one day i'll die by doxian

(major character death)

"What's happened to me?" Bokuto asks, confused.

Akaashi sits with his face in his hands for a long time. Then he straightens up and asks Bokuto: "Would you like to see where you were buried?"

Moon in Water, Flowers in a Mirror by PlumTea

(mature) (graphic depictions of violence)

When Oikawa turns up in the corner of his garden, crouched behind the bushes, Iwaizumi couldn't be happier. He'd lost Oikawa months earlier, but the long days of mourning are gone. Now he's back. Still, there's something odd about Oikawa, something that just seems wrong.

mdzs

in the land of gods and monsters by rikke

(mature) (major character death)

Lan Wangji was never supposed to die. Thirteen years later, the Yiling Patriarch rules the world with his corpse bodyguard.

Somewhere Sits an Empty Throne by Siamesa

(explicit) (major character death)

There is a dead man in the mountains.

A corpse in mourning robes, a ghost with bleeding fingers.  A power beyond measure, with too-pale eyes and red blood dripping down his throat. - In which Wei Wuxian finds himself brought back to life as a very confused god, stumbles into a revenge plot, and wants to know what's up with all these ghostly rabbits. - TGCF fusion, god!WWX/calamity!LWJ

tgcf

carousel: an endless cycle by potatopersonal

(mature) (graphic depictions of violence)

Frustration builds in his chest, an angry sob leaking from his mouth. It hurts, agitates his destroyed torso, but does it really matter?

His wishes don’t matter. His actions only hurt others, only cause suffering and misery. Even with four centuries spent atoning, he hasn’t learned.

(Xie Lian can't die. This is something he never truly learns.)

lion's tooth by curiositykilled

(mature) (graphic depictions of violence, major character death)

The second time he dies, it’s almost funny. He laughs—or well, he tries to. It catches on his broken ribs, comes out a rasping gasp instead. It’s funny. Really. The Flower Crowned Martial God, dying of a broken neck amidst the wildflowers.

tua

And When I Look In My Window, So Many Different People To Be by CowgayKermit

If you were to go looking for Klaus, you wouldn't look to the alleys where drugs are bought, or to a rave where you could lose yourself in dance, no. No, you would look to his garden full of protective herbs, to his bedroom at three in the morning where he tends to make magic amulets. Klaus grew into his power, both as a witch, and as the Séance.

The End Times Are Blue by Jumblejay

Klaus’ skin is cold as death, just like the rest of his siblings had been. Five lets his hand linger for a moment, steeling himself, preparing to grab on tight and haul the corpse to its grave.

What he’s not expecting is for Klaus to suddenly take in a deep, shuddering gasp, cough harshly, and flail around until he slips off the mound of rubble he’d been lying on with an abrasive clatter.

Five snatches his hand back with a shriek and stares wide-eyed as Klaus props himself up on his hands, blinks hard, and glances around at his surroundings until his eyes catch on Five.

“Oh, shit,” Klaus says, looking almost as shocked as Five feels. “Five?”

Five promptly bursts into tears.

OR

Thirteen year old Five time travels to the future and finds himself trapped in the apocalypse, surrounded by the dead bodies of his siblings. Klaus, however, happens to be immortal. They figure it out from there.

tw

i am addicted to death (so remind me what it’s like to live) by cywscross

Stiles is sixteen years old. He has already died seventy-eight times.

yoi

Triptych by feelslikefire

(explicit)

Victor is a human; Yuuri is a fae. Relationships between the two are always doomed to end in disaster, but true love is stronger than any magic — even death.

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

Keep it alight

Little fic based off this post.

"Wei Wuxian... why won't you tell me what happened?"

There was no reply. Wei Wuxian continued to stoke the tiny flames of the fire he had just managed to light up, in the little cave he had found for himself and Jiang Cheng to take shelter in.

It was useless to seek shelter in a cursed place like the Burial Mounds, of course - but it was instinctual, human nature, to at least attempt to find some form of safety, some illusion of it. Soon, night time would come and they'd be torn apart regardless - yet, what else could they do? Await in open space for death to take them?

"Wei Wuxian... what's the point in keeping secrets now? We're dead anyway. No matter what you did or didn't, it's pointless now."

"There's nothing to say." Wei Wuxian finally spoke, uncharacteristically flat. "I came to rescue you, I got caught and Wen Zhuliu melted my core too. What else could have happened?"

"That's not what I remember..."

"What could you remember? You were delirious. You are now too."

"Maybe..."

The fire struggled to stay alight in the damp cave, flickering light and trace warmth into the little space, but it was slowly starting to succumb to the darkness. Wei Wuxian stubbornly insisted on keeping it alive - at least he had something to do that way.

"You're bleeding again."

Wei Wuxian knew, but there was so much he could do, hoping that applying pressure on the area would temporarily stop the blood flowing out. Wen Qing had stitched him well - he knew, he had to be awake and entirely feeling for the whole procedure - but he had no time for recovery because that bastard Wen Chao just had to show up. Of course his stitches had torn.

"Which one of us do you think will die first?"

"Shut up. What's the point in you saying things like that?"

"Since when are you telling others to be quiet? Are you turning into a Lan now?"

Wei Wuxian's thoughts briefly shifted towards Lan Zhan and he suddenly felt even worse than before.

"You should give up."

Wei Wuxian's head almost whipped in Jiang Cheng's direction, angry.

"The fire." Jiang Cheng clarified, "it's not going to stay alight. Give up."

"No."

"Why are you so difficult? We're dying. What's the point of a fire? It won't keep anything away."

"Why don't you shut up? I'm trying to think."

"Of what?

"A solution, Jiang Cheng. I'm not just going to sit here and wait to die."

"What else is there to do? We have no swords, no spiritual powers, nothing. And when we die, because it's inevitable, our souls will be trapped here forever."

"And I'm trying to fucking avoid that, if you would just shut up for five fucking minutes!"

The outburst only served to make Jiang Cheng laugh, more unhinged than amused. Wei Wuxian could only glare at him in return, colder than he had wanted to. After all, it hadn't been Jiang Cheng's fault that they ended up in that situation, it had only been Wen Chao's. Or... his own. For agreeing to the surgery. If he hadn't, at least he would have had the power to stand up to that bastard. But he had to try that surgery. If it had worked...

But the way Jiang Cheng was so ready to give up, throw his life away... it angered Wei Wuxian more than anything Wen Chao could have possibly ever done.

"Even if you find a way, what are we going back to?" Jiang Cheng pressed. "I can't lead the sect anymore. You can't cultivate either. A-Jie is weak. With no Jiang leader, there is no Jiang sect. We'll be swallowed up by the Jins. Do you want to go back to a life like that? Sucking up to Jin Guangshan?"

"And it's better to die here then?! Jiang Cheng, what the hell happened to you?!"

He laughed again in reply. "I'm just accepting the reality of it all. It's you who's being ridiculous."

The fire finally extinguished, plunging the two into absolute darkness.

"Anyway, at least I get to see my parents again..."

"I won't let you die."

"As if you can do anything about it."

Jiang Cheng couldn't see it, in the dark, how Wei Wuxian closed his eyes and slowly allowed the dark energy around to absorb into his body. How it hurt, how it ate away at his wounds, seeking blood, seeping into his veins. How, as night fell, he fell asleep but was not awoken by monsters wanting to kill him.

How Wei Wuxian was slowly attempting the impossible.

[llycaons]

ep17: lots of crying in this one. including me

this one is sad but kind of slow and I was hungry the whole time so now my best liveblog perhaps. the end REALLY got me. ough

this memory is so sad...look how happy and inventive he was! only to see his home destroyed and his efforts shat upon. also this name rules I love you wei wuxian's naming ideas

I was mean to jc earlier today so I will say now: this was a truly horrific thing for him to go through and wwx clearly is very concerned and gentle for him right now

that may be a reason they don't go to the meishan yu sect

also this drug is called hundred days drink! who knew. hope it split wen chao's head open

and this granny...WHO IS SHE! she's clearly alarmed by wwx trying to bow to her, her clothes are not too finely made, and she speaks of the jiang parents with respect, so I assume she's a servant of some type or maybe a family friend of a lower rank? I doubt she's their biological grandma, but she obviously knows the kids and is familiar enough to call them a-cheng etc...she can't seem to offer them much more than a brief safe place to stay. and we don't see her again! mysteries

imagine being wq in this moment seeing your younger brother has brought home three fugitive refugees and one of them is looking dead and the other one is looking really fucked up and like he could stab you and you know their home has just been destroyed by your sect but if you betray your leader your family will be murdered like jesus I do not envy her this decision and I appreciate the few seconds they lingered on her clearly grappling with it before ending - as we know she does - on the side of her principles

this cloak rules so much. I assume he just had extra clothes in his pouch but the idea of him going clothes shopping while his brother is dying is really funny to me. it's all shimmery too god I love his taste

THERE'S THAT DEAD-EYED STARE

one of those things that's fine in the moment but then you think about it and it's like. oof buddy. but I'm not criticizing jc here I think he should have room to feel what he feels and that's alright because what he's been through is really awful and he's actually not even violent towards anyone this ep for it he's just miserable and probably suicidal

and it's really sad!!! because if not for jc's birth he wouldn't have to worry about this. he's not...a strong person. he wouldn't recover from this. and he's young, that's not a bad thing or a reason to dislike him. but because of this weakness, wwx put himself through hell. and he doesn't even blame jc, not once! and that's just how it is! jc would have been so much happier as a normal person without these pressures but unlike wwx he couldn't adapt, and that's just. it's sad. none of them should have been in this position

god I know this is sad but I love his sockies so much. we never see anyone's sockies

what a nice smile!! wq is proud of her brother and loves him!

messy boy....

there's the facial hair. if you squint

sweetheart I know you're trying to help but I feel like reminding him that he's failing yet again to be a proper jiang disciple is not the most helpful rn

I love jyl so deeply and she does her best but I don't think all of her comforts are useful? I think she tends to reinforce a lot of the issues jc and wwx both have (you were born with a smiling face comes to mind) and that's not all her fault it's just that she had to raise her brothers and she's like. 19 or 20 and she doesn't always know the right thing to say. which is okay! she's a person, not a human-shaped manifestation of therapy. as is lwj which is the point of many of my posts about him at this point...and yeah on the other hand what else is she supposed to say? it's not like there's much that can help at this point

wwx getting so excited about lwj here is so sad....interesting that since leaving CR in the first arc, he's really only had positive things to say about it. he'll say, the food was nourishing, it has a wonderful library, it's a safe place. CR may be the last place outside of his home that he has good memories, where he was (relatively) safe and innocent and free. all those rules and punishments pale in comparison to the actual war he's undergoing now

I love this scene a lot...wwx is so quiet and tentative in admitting this - he never would to anyone else. jyl is special, he trusts her and she's honestly the only person he feels comfortable being this vulnerable with. and jyl's response isn't quite as direct as 'it wasn't your fault' which...it may have helped, maybe not. idk if it would have changed his mind about the core exchange later on. but she expresses that she cares about him no matter what, and that she loves him and doesn't want to lose him, and maybe that's all you can ask from a very young woman who's just lost her entire world besides these two boys

and jc crying hearing his siblings cry....dude

this shot is so important to me. wwx crying in his sister's lap is like. very sad but he NEEDS that catharsis and that comfort and she does too! she does too

here's jc now with the mustache. it looks slightly fake to me but what do I know

hard to see here but wq's desk is so neat. and wwx brought her food earlier, and put a blanket on her 🥺

see I know chengqing fans who are obsessed with how similar they are don't know what they're talking about bc in what universe does jc sit down and commit to aiding someone helpless like this

I had to cut some other pics for this next sequence but it's all really important imo

I fucking love that we see an actual image of the transfer. it makes the world feel even more real and lived-in. take a HINT, crazy ex-girlfriend

and this sequences here...wwx is so excited to find something, almost tears is open, he's smiling so big and then it slowly fades as he realizes what it will cost. this may be a quick decision for him, even an easy one, but it's not painless

this is the shot that had me tearing up over this scene. wwx looking up at the trees, the sunlight, basking in the day before turning to wq and asking her to do this for him. he knows he could die, and even if he doesn't it's a slow fadeaway. he won't be able to fly on his sword anymore, or spar with the person he was so excited to call his equal. he'll barely be able to defend himself. and he's feeling the full weight of what he's giving up, and it really hurts. he's been cavalier about his own death before, but I think this is the first time it really sinks in for him

and wq, asking him 'what about you?", I love her for that. she's one of the few who knows about this, and she wants wwx to think about himself as well

I think the way this was set up and shot made it very clear what was going to happen. I assumed that wwx gave up his core for jc and we just didn't see it, and because everything I saw seemed to support that then I was pleasantly surprised when the reveal rolled out

but you know, as much as this hurt wwx, I can see that he found an equivalency in it. it sucks that he feels like the massacre was his fault, and that he has to die for jc. but I can't see any way that could ever have been repudiated for him, and this is a very firm and final way to repay what he perceives as a debt. and of course he didn't want to leave the jiangs, but I think in the long run this decision allowed him to do a lot with a clean conscience. and that counts for something

personal highlights: haven't done these in a while

Lotus Wind Wine

those sockies

wwx being able to admit his fear about LP being his fault and crying it out with jyl. it's healthy!

scroll with the gc transfer images!

that shot of wwx looking at the trees. so gorgeous and heartwrenching

[thatswhatsushesaid]

i feel like, as with so many other things in the text, this is one of those mysteries that 1) we'll just never get an answer to, and 2) was not originally intended to be that much of a mystery in the first place. i say this because even after her death, the only person who seems to experience any real grief in her passing is literally jin guangyao, and he also later claims responsibility for her death! (even tho the novel makes it clear that her death was a suicide rather than something jgy had a direct hand in, I think he counts her name among his victims because he feels responsible for what happens to her. just fwiw.)

jin ling doesn't seem to have many thoughts or feelings about qin su at all; she was his shushu's wife, and then she was dead, and he is understandably more preoccupied with the revelation that all this time, he's been palling around not with his shushu's whackadoodle half-brother who sexually harassed him, but with wei wuxian, the person who he has believed all his life to be solely responsible for the deaths of both his parents. but i think even if he hadn't discovered that mo xuanyu was really wei wuxian all this time... he probably would not have had many complicated feelings about the passing of an aunt who was maybe emotionally unavailable to him. his complete non-reaction to her death is weird whether they had a close relationship or a very detached one, imo. it doesn't seem like even mxtx put much thought into what their relationship would have been like in the intervening years. which sucks.

btw none of this is a criticism of what you've written about qin su, OP, i just saw your post and felt compelled to springboard off of it with some more thoughts, because i do often come back to qin su again and again as one of the most tragic characters in the whole novel, intentionally and unintentionally. she seems to exist for two reasons: 1) to be one of the three people in the novel who loved jin guangyao unconditionally (the others being lan xichen, however you choose to interpret that relationship, and of course meng shi), and 2) to suffer once she discovers the truth of her relationship to her husband. after that, her voice literally vanishes so completely from the text that she's barely even a ghost. so while i would otherwise agree that it sucks for jin ling to have grown up without receiving any affection from his aunt, i'm just not inclined to blame qin su for it. the narrative does her dirty enough.

One thing that always makes me pause for a moment is that it's insinuated that no one has ever cuddled JL (poor kid 😭)

Like receiving a hug from WWX is alien to him, it's something he finds so strange (but probably obviously love's it) and it always makes me stop and frown for a moment. Because if no one gave this poor kid a hug, it's not only JC or JGY didn't (and JGY does like to put on a good show so that did surprise me a little) but it's the fact the apparent "sweet and innocent" Qin Su did not even cuddle the child either. It makes me feel a little off about her.

I'm sure there are numerous reasons people will blame her lack of physical affection towards the boy as something to do with her son being murdered by his father/uncle dying, but personally, I think that's a bit of a crap excuse to have never hugged a lonely orphan child.

And before anyone says a word, I and a fair few others I know have lost children in different circumstances and we all cuddle our nieces/nephews and friends kids still.