#and his collection of fierce corpses | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

devotedfem · 4 months ago

Text

Isn't a threat a promise? - Part I

Synopsis: Where you're an assassin hired to finish the mysterious and poweful gang of seven eccentric men, but you're oblivious of how unpunishable and untouchable they were. You were bred to kill, but they were bred to rule over the mafia. They will break little by little your mind, reminding you that not even a hired assassin can beat them.

BTS OT7 x f. Reader

4.8K words.

Genre: Mafia and hitman au | Enemies to lovers | yander-ish.

Tags and TW: Organized crime, mafia BTS, hired assassin reader, german reader, hidden identity, a lot of lies, fake identity and name, fierce and intelligent reader, really sassy and brave reader but Bangtang will slowly break her mind and turn her into a fragile mess (you've been warned), adrenaline rush, murder, typical criminal violence, unhealthy relationships, unhealthy coping mechanism, they're all morally ambiguous, a lot of death, past traumas, manipulation, obsessive tendencies.

Series masterlist.

Navigation Masterlist.

Chapters: I, II, III, IV.

FIRST BULLET:

. . . . .

Your heels clicking were the only noise in the huge living room. You hummed a song walking towards the luxurious bathroom, washing the blood off your hands. You always have your nails painted red, so the blood won’t stain under them. And red looks so good on you, so it's like killing two birds with one stone.

You took your phone to make a call, fixing your hair and your maroon lipstick that was smudged on the corner of your lips.

“Yes?” Greeted the husky voice.

“Work’s done, I want my money in cash. I also want to go to Paris this weekend, so I’ll need a new passport.” You said removing your red lipstick, concealer and black eyeliner, putting some gloss on your lips instead.

You look cleaner with your face bare. Less messy, less suspicious. More innocent.

The man at the other side of the phone sighed deeply, as if he was dealing with a spoiled brat.

“Y/n, we can’t give you a new passport every fucking week. You’re too messy and too attention seeker. Learn to be more discreet and you’ll earn your little trips.” The broken English of the man made his words sound angrier.

You snorted at him. Learn to be more discreet? What would be the fun of that?

“Can you not be a boring prick for five minutes? All of my targets always get killed and the police’s incompetence never fail to be on my favor. Doesn’t it?”

You said with your also broken English. You cleaned the doorknobs with isopropyl alcohol, and burned your target’s slit neck with a lighter, to erase any kind of fingerprints. You also cleaned the bathroom sink and the floor where the corpse lay with acid.

You felt like the cleaning lady of the house, vacuuming the floor to collect hair and clothing fibers. Every detail must be taken care of.

“Y/n,” the man warned, with that tone of voice that was supposed to intimidate you, but the both of you know that it never works. “You have a new target, so move your trip to Paris to another day.”

You stopped vacuuming with a gasp.

“You’re giving me more work!? But I just finished killing this one, and he was so annoying,” you whined, looking at the corpse of the old man with disgust. That man was a sexist sexual predator and a pain in your ass.

“Oh but you’d like this one. They’re seven men, a secretive gang, pulling all the strings from the shadows. It took us years to find their whereabouts. They’re a big deal in this business.”

Business. Big deal. That took your attention very quickly.

You said nothing for a couple of seconds. He knew that you were considering it, he knew that you love challenges.

“Prize?” You asked, checking your red nails out.

“Five.”

“Five fucking what? Dollars? Hundredths?”

“Millions.”

Oh. You hummed to yourself.

“How dangerous?”

“Very dangerous. In fact, the odds of killing them are very low. You’re more likely to get killed instead of them.”

You bit your bottom lip trying to stop your mischievous smirk from curling in your lips. You tasted the sweet savor of challenge in your tongue, imagining yourself spending those 5 million on trips in Europe.

“You’re so mean, giving me such a difficult task. You’re not trying to get rid of me, aren’t you Bruderherz?” You purred, grinning like a starve wolf. You took your Birkin bag and switchblade with you, walking out of the mansion towards your sport car.

“Oh, I would never my Schwesterlein. How could I lose my golden star? You’re irreplaceable.”

“Good to know that we’re on the same page, after all, it’s going to cost you more than seven men to get rid of me,” you hummed, lighting a cigarette, driving away. “I want vacations after I finish this target by the way, long vacations.” You made him sigh again.

This is going to be so fun.

|||||||||||||||

NEW YORK STATE

LAST NAME: NOVIKOVA

FIRST NAME: ANN

COUNTRY OF BIRTH: RUSSIA

DATE OF BIRTH: 15 AUG ****

SEX: F

CARD EXPIRES: 05/08/2034

RESIDENT SINCE: 01/12/2024

You pursed your lips reading your new fake id card. He always makes you Russian, you think you can hide very well your broken English, you weren’t that obvious. But in this kind of business, it’s pretty common to see Italians and Russians, no matter how stereotypical it sounds. You were proud of your German roots, but it is in fact stupid to let people know where you came from.

Your targets were Korean, you don’t see a lot of Koreans in this business, they were ruthless. That’s why you have to be even more careful.

You can do a lot of things wrong, like wasting your money in bags and shoes (not in your rent and bills), or playing a little with your targets, testing how quick they found out they’re falling into your trap. But the one thing you prohibit yourself from is to underestimate your prey, oh boy, that’s a huge mistake. You always have in mind the possibility of them outsmarting you. So, you do a long list of 100 ways they could find out who you are, and a quick plan to solve each one of those outcomes.

You weren’t the golden star of your Bruderherz for nothing.

You pin your hair up away from your face, securing it with grips, putting on a short wig that reaches your jaw. Wearing a dark trench coat and red lipstick.

Your new identity this time is a Russian heiress of a gang located in many countries of Eastern Europe. You’re supposed to be rich, spoiled, a little dumb and ruthless. Your daddy’s money gives you all the wonders in the world, even if the money it’s stained in blood.

You’re supposed to meet the Bangtang gang to “talk” about business. Convince them to unite both gangs for their best interest. You wanted to live in New York, but you couldn’t without the protection of your daddy’s men, so you’ll give him a good deal in this city. In your opinion, it’s a good drive for your character.

Your siren’s charm this time won’t be your body. Bangtang were young and rich, used to women throwing themselves at them expecting something in return. This time you’re the one with the golden bait.

The greed for money and power is stronger than temporary lust or infatuation.

That’s what you thought, watching Bangtang’s mansion from the car, the driver leaving you in front of the huge place.

You grinned to yourself, already smelling the scent of the five millions of dollars, in cash of course.

You walked towards the entrance of the mansion with your heels clicking, your chin was up and your gaze fixated on the big doors. You weren’t surprise when three men armed to the teeth and dressed in black stopped you.

“Wait here.” One of them said rudely, making you arch a brow.

“I’m not waiting outside the doors like a fucking dog. I have a business appointment with Bangtang, so if you don’t want to end dissolved in acid, I suggest you to take me inside to them.” It was and order and a threat. Your voice didn’t quiver and your gaze was steady, burning on the man. You were dressed in expensive clothes, all of you screamed luxury and power.

Fear flashed the guard’s face for a moment, nodding at your words and leading you into the mansion.

The decoration and furniture were classic, all here screamed old money; discreet but expensive.

You stopped when the man halt in front of a mahogany door. He looked nervous for a second, but his face turned expressionless again, opening the door and bowing to the men inside of the room.

It was an office, very chic and expensive-looking. You could smell the money.

There were seven men watching you both with frowns, looking almost startled at your presence. A tall man with bulky body and nice clothes looked at you from head to toe, arching a brow and crossing his buff arms.

“Who’s this? And why is she in my office, without my permission? I gave strict orders to make any guest wait.” The man’s jaw was clenched, and his words were grunted between teeth. He looked beyond displeased by your presence.

The guard at your side flinched a little by the cold stare of the other man, clearly intimidated by his boss scold.

“I-I, I uh, i mean, she-she said it was… She looked important…”

You felt a pang of guilt and pity by looking at him, the poor guy was about to piss himself.

“I am indeed, very important. Let me introduce myself; I am Ann Novikova, heiress of the Eastern Europe biggest gang. And please, don’t be hard on the guard, although it isn’t clever to ignore your boss orders, I wasn’t very easy on him either.” You said with a charming smile and a wink towards the guard, standing tall in your spot, watching all of them in their eyes. You can’t show an ounce of insecurity.

They were wolves, but you were a panther, circling their den from the distance.

“You’re fired. Get out of my sight.” Barked the bulky guy, looking straight into your eyes while speaking.

The guard’s face fell, turning around to leave you alone in the wolves’ den.

“You have 5 minutes to explain why you think you’re important enough to come here, to our house, almost breaking in, and clearly uninvited.” Another tall man stands up from a couch, nursing himself a glass of whiskey without averting his gaze from you. He has such plump lips, but an arrogant presence.

“Hurry up!” Thundered another one when you kept silent. His hair was black, curling at the nape, he was so handsome and so fucking rude.

You blinked, clenching your fists with fire rising to your lungs. You never let anyone speak to you in such way, not without consequences. But you have to keep calm, a prize is sweeter with a good chase.

Breathe. Act. Kill. Easy Peasy.

“Important? I have the blood of one of the most powerful and ruthless men of Europe. One call to my daddy and all of you are going to literally war,” you phrased calmly, even when your words were shot to kill. “But I don’t want to. My time is too precious to waste it on war gangs just because. I came here with a proposal, one that will benefit us all.”

And there it was, the golden bait.

The room fell silent for a moment, there was a growing tension and interest.

“Tell me, why a girl like you, that came out of nowhere, that is rich and spoiled would want to make business with us of all people?”

That was a great question, one you anticipated.

“I want to give my daddy a good deal here in New York, a good reason for him to send his men to this city so I can have their protection, he’s very protective of me. You guys are very discreet and also my dad is enemy with half of American gangs, so I don’t have many options.”

There was silence again, and then a giggle from the pretty blonde boy looking at you with mischievous eyes.

“You’re doing all of this just because you want to live in New York? I mean there’s nothing special here. There are a lot of rats though, nothing you don’t have in your homeland.” He sneered, running slowly his eyes on your body from head to toe, but unlike the buff guy, the blonde’s stare glinted with interest.

“Well, what can I say, I like New York and I want to live near my new friends. I’m bored in Russia.” You shrugged, as if your answer was enough reason to convince them.

“It’s so fucking disrespectful to have a spoiled brat thinking she can waste our time.” Growled a deep voice, catching your attention. It came from a cat-eyed man with raven hair. His face was pale and his gaze burned on you, full of contempt.

At least they believe you’re just a spoiled rich girl. That’s good.

“I said I came here with a proposal that will benefit us all. Don’t you want to hear it? If so, I’ll find another gang. Time’s money.” You stand your ground, hoping they fall for your act. It will make your job easier.

Uncomfortable and deep silence surrounded the office again.

“Let the girl speak.” Said gently a man with a heart type of smile. He seemed nice, too nice. You noted to be careful around him in the future.

“Continue.” Ordered the buff man with a sigh.

You started to explain the fake but very well thought out plan. You gestured while explaining the details, pacing around the office as if it belongs to you; as if you were one of them.

But beyond your act, you were scared. Your stomach churned, your heart beat increased and your hands sweat and trembled, that’s why you hid them inside your coat’s pockets. You can’t show them fear, you can’t show them insecurity.

Predators smell fear.

The buff guy’s name was Namjoon. He stared piercingly at you while you were talking, leaning on the edge of the desk. His brows were slightly furrowed in concentration, nodding slowly to himself at your words. The drumming of his fingers on the desk made your heart beat spike.

The other tall man, named Seokjin, has his steady dark eyes fixated on you. He was straddling a chair, with a glass of whiskey in one of his hands. You tried not to look at him for too long, getting distracted by him drinking whiskey and keeping the liquor swimming in his mouth, tasting it slowly, while looking straight into your eyes.

Braced himself against the wall was the handsome boy with dark hair curling on his nape. His name was Taehyung, and he has his arms crossed defensively over his chest, glaring at you with his jaw clenched. You didn’t know why your presence pissed him off so much, he looked like a wolf on the defensive, ready to pounce and kill at any sign of danger.

You were a threat for him, that means that your acting skills aren’t that bad. Because if he knew how powerless you actually were, he would devour you whole.

Jimin, the pretty and mischievous blonde, was sitting cozily on the couch. He looked up at you through his beautiful eyelashes, smirking and tilting his head at your words. He seemed innocent and dangerous at the same time, you knew his kind very well. He’s a snake charmer.

You can’t be charmed by him, or you’ll get eat.

And the cat-eyed man named Yoongi, resembles Taehyung’s posture, although he seemed colder and calmer than the other. He was sitting on the arm chair of the couch, with his arms crossed and his deep and intense gaze studying you. He was just watching you intently, with analyzing eyes drinking in every detail of your posture and choice of words.

You have to be careful with that one, the dullness and lack of shine of his eyes tells you that he has too much experience.

Hoseok. The smiling and gentle guy that was sitting on the edge of the couch beside Jimin, stared at you with his eyes sparkling with curiosity and something else. His elbows rested on his knees, smiling every now and then but never looking away from you.

Something about him made you feel shivers, because his smile felt a little bit fake. You knew damn well that the smiley ones are the most dangerous.

And then, there was Jungkook.

It surprised you how quiet he was, sitting in the desk chair behind Namjoon’s body half hidden from your view. But you observed him in detail anyway. He was a buff guy, not as buff as Namjoon but bulky enough. He has piercings and tattoos all over his arm, dressed in baggy black clothes. He looked like a biker guy, and that didn’t take you by surprise, what you didn’t expect was to see such big doe eyes looking at you with pure innocence sparkling in them.

His eyes took your breath away, and you tried to hide it. It was so rare to find people with clean eyes in this type of business, in this type of world. Everyone has some darkness staining their eyes, but not this one. He looks kind-hearted, not faking it like Hoseok and not using it as a weapon like Jimin. He just seemed genuine.

That’s why you mentally noted to bond with him later, to find out what is he doing here. Maybe he is Bangtang’s weakness. Their Achilles heel.

You finished talking with your hands behind your back, rubbing them in anxiety and adrenaline. You felt your heart beating fast against your ribcage and your senses getting sharp as if you were fighting a dangerous predator. It was just your anxiety talking, but you knew damn well that you were playing with fire.

There was silence. Deep, uncomfortable silence.

And then Seokjin stands up from the chair, walking towards you with his squared shoulders and firm steps. You hold his gaze, not showing fear.

You got your gun hidden in your hip, ready to risk it all if you’re forced to.

He stood inches from your body, making you look up at him. His eyes dropped heavily on your lips and then back up to your eyes again, watching you intently.

“I like you. And that’s worse than my dislike. I supposed your daddy already warned you about big bad guys like us, but I’ll warn you anyway; you better not be disloyal to us, because you’ll wish to die before getting into our bad side.” He threatened lowly and fiercely, curling a lock of your hair in his finger, staring down at you like you were an insignificant bug under his shoe.

But you knew you weren’t harmless, and he knew it too despite his indifferent façade. They will have their eyes on you, watching your every move.

“Don’t worry, I’m more than used to threats,” you hummed, smiling at him and holding your head high.

Seokjin widened his eyes for a second, and then he clenched his jaw, getting out of the office without another word.

You watched Namjoon, Yoongi and Hoseok walking towards you, feeling a rush of distrust.

“You heard him loud and clear, don’t test us, and you’ll stay with all of your limbs intact. We don’t care about your daddy’s power, as long as you’re working with us, under this roof, you’ll follow our rules.” Said calmly Namjoon, with his hands in his pockets, watching your every expression.

“Guys come on, stop being so dense with the poor girl. I mean, she has more balls than all of our guards and enemies together, she came here alone looking so… strong and pretty,” Hoseok paused to drop his gaze on your body, and then he looked up at your eyes with a smile, “I must say that you took me by surprise, I like your boldness.”

“You mean audacity.” Interrupted Yoongi with his arms crossed. His cat eyes were calculating over you. “I don’t know if your little act it’s brave, stupid or suspicious, but I do know that you have a hidden intention, and it better don’t affect us, or you’ll pay the price.”

Yoongi’s voice was deep, and his gaze dull of light. He knew you were hidden something; he has the experience of a veteran written on his face. But he doesn’t know what you’re hiding exactly, so his wariness didn’t bother you too much, at least not for now.

“If I were you, I’d be unsure too. I promise that the only person I want to bother it’s my daddy, with a new penthouse on New York,” you grinned mischievous.

“God, I love her,” purred Jimin behind the three of them, devouring you with his gaze.

The four of them walked away towards the door, but Jimin stopped at your side, leaning close to your ear, as if he was about to tell you a secret.

“Be careful little bunny, I can see right through your tough girl act.” He mouthed lowly and quietly near your ear, chuckling before getting away from you, disappearing as smoke air.

You blinked, gulping your anger and fear.

Fear? You never felt fear in your life. You were ruthless, your Bruderherz teach you better than to let some gang guys get into your head. You had face worse than them.

You were alone with Taehyung and Jungkook, the latter walked towards the door but you stopped him.

“Hey, what was your name again?” You faked confusion, making Jungkook bite his inner cheek.

“Jungkook,” he said, his voice deep but quiet.

He seemed pretty shy.

“You didn’t say much while I was talking about my plan, what do you think about it?” You asked with a soft smile and gentle tone.

Jungkook stared at your smile before looking up into your eyes, something glints in them.

“I’m not sure what are your… intentions, but if my hyungs agreed to your plan, then you must worth the… risk, I guess. They know better,” he shrugged, throwing glances at the door.

“Right, can I have your number? Just in case Namjoon doesn’t pick up his phone so I can speak with one of you in an emergency.”

Jungkook raised his eyebrows taken aback, closing and opening his mouth, looking unsure if it was okay to give you his phone number.

“You’re quite direct, aren’t you?” He said with a timid smile, giving you his number.

“What can I say? You look trustworthy,” you smiled triumphant.

“Let’s hope I don’t disappoint you,” he muttered before walking away, leaving you puzzled by his words.

Your gaze followed Jungkook’s body walking away, frowning by his cryptic response. Maybe you were misjudging him?

You startled when you turned around facing Taehyung’s body too close for your comfort. He was staring at you with narrowed eyes.

“Don’t let Jungkookie fool you, he’s not that innocent.” He remarked, stepping closer to you, inches from your face. You can feel the warmth of his body and his hot breath brushing your cheek.

“I think you’re too close for my like,” you said about to move away but he didn’t let you, gripping your waist with his hands and pulling you roughly against his chest. You gasped with surprise, not knowing if you should laugh at his audacity or punch him in his face.

But before you could do anything, he put his hand inside your coat, with his fingers brushing and running slowly your hips. You stayed freeze in his grip, with your heart beating wild.

His hand found your gun, taking it away and putting it in his pocket.

Your mouth was parted and your heart was pounding in your ears, you look up at him with fury. He didn’t release his grip on your waist, tightening it instead.

“Give me back my gun, and let go of me,” you warned, but your voice quivered a little, making Taehyung smirk like a wolf.

“Or what? In this house, our guests aren’t allowed to carry weapons,” his lips were too close to your face. You felt his hot breath brushing your lips.

You broke free from his grip, leaving a big space between you two.

“You don’t want to get on my bad side so quickly, Taehyung,” you said, trying to compose yourself.

“Oh, isn’t this your bad side already? I think you’re not that scary.”

His mocking words made your heart stop, you didn’t like how this conversation was going.

“No. But my daddy is, so watch your mouth,” you spat before walking away from the office, feeling Taehyung’s gaze burning on your back.

Your phone rang in your pocket, you looked at both sides before answering it.

“Y/n?” Asked your Bruderherz.

You bit a smile at the sound of his voice, finding it comforting after dealing with wolves.

“Who’s that? I’m Ann Novikova, remember?” You teased, getting out of the mansion to wait for your driver to pick you up.

You heard a laugh on the other side of the phone.

“Did you convince them?”

“Did it,” you crooned lightly, breaking a proud smile on your face.

A muffle sound took your attention from the call. You frowned watching your surrounds with your senses heightening.

“Make the driver hurry,” you ordered before hanging up the phone.

You followed the odd noise coming from behind a bush.

And then, your heart stopped and your eyes widened at the sight before you.

The fired guard lay on the floor with his neck slit, drowning in his own puddle of blood. But that didn’t disturb you, you were used to death. What you didn’t expect was the perpetrator behind the kill.

Jungkook looked at you with his face sprinkled with blood.

“I-“ you didn’t know what to say. You were taken aback.

Jungkook grinned with his nose wrinkling, resembling a bunny.

“Why you look so… surprise? Doesn’t your dad kill in front of you?” He asked with his head tilted to the side, frowning at your shocked expression.

There it was again, that glint of innocence flashing his doe eyes. But the fact that those eyes belong to a murderer, fucked up a little your mind. But it shouldn’t surprise you that much, after all, he was part of a criminal organization.

But still, it was confusing.

“No, you’re right, I am… used to death,” you said, watching the guard’s eyes lose the spark of life.

“Did I disappoint you?” Jungkook’s desperate voice startled you. He walked towards you with crazed and worried eyes, making you take some steps back.

Before you could say or do anything, Namjoon’s voice stopped Jungkook from coming closer to you.

“Jungkook, get inside. You did a good job,” he dismissed the bunny boy.

Jungkook glance between you two, looking indecisive. But he chose to follow Namjoon’s orders and leave you two alone.

“Do you need a ride?” Asked Namjoon, making you blink.

“No, my driver is on the way. Thank you though,” you said, averting your eyes towards the gates when you heard a car nearby. “And there he is, goodbye Namjoon, it was a pleasure to meet you.”

Before you could turn around to leave, he stopped you grabbing you by your arm.

“Are you sure you want to do this? You can change your mind right now, because the moment you’re out of those gates, there will be no turning back.” His eyes were intense and fixated on you, expecting an answer.

You won’t dare to say that he was worried about you, because you were a stranger to him, one that can even be considered a threat. But a tiny bit of concern did flash his gaze. Maybe because you looked like a naive woman, one that acted like a spoiled kid, not mature enough for this world and for this deal.

He didn’t know you, but you knew him well.

“I am sure, don’t worry about me,” you said smiling at him, holding his gaze.

He blinked taken aback, and then his grip on your arm tighten.

“I have this odd feeling since you came to our office, that my boys will bond with you very quickly, they already like you too much. That’s why you better not play with their trust, no tricks or games. Am I being clear?” He growled lowly, his features hardening at the thought of you betraying them.

The driver honked the car’s horn behind you, you glanced back at him and then back at Namjoon again, grinning wider.

“And you?”

Namjoon frowned at your words.

“What about me?”

“Do you trust me? Would you ever bond with me like your friends?” You asked leaning towards him, biting your bottom lip with Namjoon’s dark and heavy gaze following the movement.

He let go of your arm as if the touch of it burned his hand.

“I don’t trust you, not now and sure not ever. You can keep your performative charms to yourself when you’re with me, I won’t fall that easy.” He said lowly, like a promise, like a threat.

Excitement and adrenaline rushed to your veins. That sounded like a challenge.

“You said it; not that easy but not that impossible either, let’s see what happens Namjoonie,” you purred, turning around to walk towards the car. Feeling Namjoon’s eyes burning on your back.

You watched from the car Namjoon standing tall at the entrance of the mansion, with his hands in his pockets and the breeze moving his hair.

You recognized that glint in his eyes, he saw a challenge, he saw a threat, but also a chance to success in this business.

He bit the bait, as you planned.

But you felt something odd too, a little voice at the back of your head whispering a warning.

You’re playing with fire, says the voice, you’re not in a wolves’ den; you’re in a nest of starved python snakes.

But a catch is sweeter with a dangerous chase, isn’t it?

Taglist:

@demonshauntingthedoves @pynkgothicka @itlover8000 @monochromaticfawn @devilzliaison @11thenightwemet11 @deluluisdasolulu @shailari @queenc22x

220 notes · View notes

wangxianficfinder · 6 months ago

Text

In the mood for...

Dec 29th

Link limit has been reached, but please still leave any suggestions in the comments or replies 😊 - Mod C

~*~

1. Hey this is for itmf! I want to see A) any bodyguard au's either wwx or lwj could be a bodyguard? Or B) Non a/b/o mpreg that could be modern au or normal timeperiod

Bodyguard king by 74243 (E, 8k, WangXIan, F/F, Modern, Idol WWX, Bodyguard LWJ, Female NHS, Platonic D/s, Loss of Virginity, Not NOT inspired by KUWTK s05e04, When u do what u love u never work a day in ur life)

lightning in a bottle by nighimpossible (E, 12k, WangXian, Bodyguard, Modern, Mutual Pining, Blow Jobs, (light) Rope Bondage, Scientist WWX, Bodyguard LWJ, Kitchen Sex, Anal Fingering)

the old-fashioned way by Anonymous (T, 1k, WangXian, Body Dysphoria, Gender Dysphoria, Mpreg, Trans MXY, body fluids, references to canon suicide, this is a funny crack ficlet, despite the rest of the tags, trans WWX, Post-Canon, Transphobia mentioned, Trans Male Character)

The Amazing Adventures Of Jiang Xiaolian And Family by bumbledees (T, 71k, WangXian, JYL/JZX, JC/WN, Mild to Moderate Pining, lotus pier siblings quietly also have a penchant for chaos, WWX will make LQR like him whether the old man likes it or not, WWX just wants to have fun and not be killed and also to go to his sister’s wedding, Mutual Pining, WWX is more stubborn than a boulder and twice as dense, Everybody Lives, nobody who matters anyways, except for WN, you’re an angel and we’re delighted you’re here, WangXian canon is sad bitch let’s get you some fun, “WWX fools the entire cultivation world”, “and kicks up drama in front of their salad”, testimonial from reader Vapid_Girl and a good summary of this fic, warnings for sexual harassment due to JGS, and for the canonical behavior of the jin clan ie war crimes, forced labor, human trafficking, etc., hello naughty jin cultivators it’s revenge time :), jiang “rolling gay crisis” wanyin, wen “deserved better” qionglin, yunmeng bros feelings, copious use of bad language grace à JC, my oddball collection of headcanons concerning fierce corpses, WN has a playful streak, anyone friends with WWX has to have one on some level, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, extremely brief mention of something approaching a conversion camp but it’s just two sentences, Happy Ending, Let JC Experience Happiness, WN is technically undead in this so uhhh warning for that, he’s far more like a vampire than a zombie honestly, so JC gets his own YA supernatural romance novel basically, at least WN doesn’t sparkle????, Crack Taken Mostly Seriously, like many of WWX’s best ideas it starts as a joke!, purposeful baby aquisition, WWX when will you learn that there are consequences to your actions) arguable whether this counts as mpreg if the "m" stands for "melon", but the later fics have a lot of focus on pregnancy and child rearing if that's a plus

All I Want by Selenay (E, 47k, WangXian, Modern AU, No Powers, Mpreg, Post Holiday Romance, Consequences, Reunions, Idiots in Love, Teacher WWX, Rating earned in later chapters, Handwavey Biology)

🧡Brilliant Mistake by brooklinegirl (E, 53k, WangXian, Modern AU, Sex Pollen, Mpreg, dubcon, Modern Cultivators, Dubious Medical Science)

On The Way Home by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 58k, WangXian, Modern AU, Mpreg, Non-a/b/o mpreg, Unprotected Sex, Unexpected Pregnancy, Friends With Benefits, Getting Together, Pining while fucking)

They Have a Son series by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 79k, WangXian, ZhuiYi, Mpreg, overly indulgent nonsense, Curtain Fic)

in a river you wade by bleuett (M, 20k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Mpreg, Postpartum Depression, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Good Uncle LQR, Family Feels, Happy Ending, Kid Fic)

~*~

2. For INTMF do you have any recs based on the untamed version. Where wy comes back from the burial grounds and treats lwj with indifference. Basically lwj wanting to help wy but wy taking it the wrong way and tells lwj to mind his business kind of vibes. Thanks!

Lynchpin by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 103k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Time Travel, Fix-It, Lynchpin [PODFIC] by Opalsong, [PODFIC] Lynchpin by Gwogobo)

Standing Engagement by x_los (M, 18k, WangXian, ChengQing, Misunderstandings Accidental Engagement, Sunshot Campaign, Golden Core Reveal, Canon-Typical Violence, Accidental Relationship, WQ Lives, Everybody Lives, Episode 19, Episode 21).

~*~

3. Hello, hello, hello! Good morning/afternoon/evening! For "I'm in the Mood For" - LWJ spoiling WWX. like full on indulging WWX's wants and needs no matter how crazy they are. WWX doesn't even have to say anything for LWJ to just shower him with gifts because LWJ just wants to see WWX happy!! let WWX be a kept man/trophy husband!!

bonus points if other characters call out LWJ's favoritism lol

no sugar daddy au pls. don't want their relationship to have any kind of transaction. modern au are also welcome :D

thank you!!!

my rivers tilt towards you by perfectlyrose (T, 26k, WangXian, Canon, Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Fairy Tale Elements, dragonji, mentions of, Madam Yu's A+ Parenting, First Meetings, Romance, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort)

Life before you was tragic by covalentbonds (Not Rated, 4k, WangXian, Fluff and Humor)

🔒a garden, a tenderness by butterflylungs (E, 16k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Modern Cultivators, Getting Together, casual hook up to friends to lovers, Pining, Hurt/Comfort, Wound Tending, Happy Ending, Age Difference, Power Imbalance, wwx's canon problems with the jiangs, mentioned past wangxian/others, top LWJ, slightly undernegotiated kink, gege kink, Spit As Lube, Overstimulation)

The Misunderstanding by kisahawklin (T, 9k, WangXian, Modern AU, Misunderstandings, POV Outsider) "Sugar Daddy" is a term used in the last two fics but Lan Zhan is NOT actually a Sugar Daddy in them (other people misunderstand Wei Ying and Lan Zhan's relationship).

~*~

4. Happy holidays to the admins of my favorite blog! My ITMF request: fics with more serious consequences for Jin Ling stabbing WWX. I'd like more drama and more reaction from the people who were there (bonus points if Sizhui is there!) Maybe WWX dies or at least tries to lmao, and LWJ and JC lose their shit in a major way. Jin Ling POV welcome!

~*~

5. Hello I’m in the mood for any canon divergence, time travel, fix it, or sort of do over where they prevent people from dying. Thank youuu🫶🏻 @djalexdask

Devotion of Love by SaiaiSaiko (M, 47k, WangXian, 3zun, WWX & LSZ, WWX Lives, NMJ Lives, MXY Lives, Servant WWX, WWX in MXY's Body, Sentient Burial Mounds, Healer WWX, BAMF WWX, WangXIan Adopt LSZ, POV Alternating, Canon-Typical Violence, Petty LWJ, Petty WWX, Self-Harm, Canonical Self-Harm, LWJ Plays Inquiry, WWX answers Inquiry, Golden Core Reveal, Family Fluff, Family Dynamics, Good Sibling JC, Good Person JGY, The Yin Tiger Seal, Domestic Fluff) It doesn't prevent all of the deaths but some are prevented. It diverges after the Masacer of Nightless City

Fowl Play by Alwritey87 (G, 2k, JYL/JZX, JZX & WWX, JC & JZX; JZX & JL & JYL, JC & JL, Everyone Lives, JYL & JZX Live, Awkward JZX, JZX & WWX Friendship, Good Person JZX, JZX Tries, Married JYL/JZX, JL Loves JC, JZX & WWX recreate the scene from the titanic but on a sword, JL & WWX Bonding, WWX makes it to JL's 100th day celebration, Happy Ending, JZX's happy family, Ducks save the day, JZX loves his wife) Jin Zixuan accidentally saves the day by being awkward

A Life Without Regrets by naqaashi (M, 163k, WangXian, XuanLi, SongXiao, Canon Divergence, Time Travel Fix-It, Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Crack Treated Seriously, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Murder Husbands, Happy Ending, BAMF WWX, Cultivation Sect Politics, Genius WWX, Sentient Burial Mounds, Grief/Mourning, Angry WWX, No Golden Core Transfer, BAMF LWJ, Angry LWJ, Idiots in Love, Requited Love, Requited Unrequited Love, Soft WangXian, Married WangXian, Soulmates, Not Cultivation World Friendly, Immortal WWX, Canon-Typical Violence, Not JC Friendly, Not Yunmeng Jiang friendly, not gusu lan friendly, Immortal LWJ, WWX is Loved, WWX Deserves Better, WWX Isn't Adopted by the Jiangs)

And They Lived Happily Ever After… by Morgana_avalon (G, 51k, WangXian, JL/LSZ, JC/WQ, JYL/JZX, JC & WWX, A-Yuan living with his family at the Burial Mounds, Time Travel Fix-It, JL gets his happy ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Taking care of WWX, LJY grows an attitude, set before the ambush happens at Qiongqi Path, Canon Divergence, Bunnies, LWJ will always protect WWX, Good brother JC, Good JZX, LWJ can heal WWX's injuries as it is AU, WWX is pardonned, Wen Survivors are offered a way out)

🔒 无别无离 | Without Farewells, Without Parting by dragongirlG (M, 30k, Junior Quartet, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Fix-It of Sorts, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, POV Alternating, Jin Ling’s Hundredth Day Celebration, qiongqi path, Family Feels, Hopeful Ending)

Even If It Breaks Time by WhiteSoul (T, 178k, WangXian, JC/LXC, Angst with a Happy Ending, Time Travel Fix-It, Reconciliation, Yunmeng Bros, Hurt WWX, OP WWX, Injury, Fighting Against Time, Blood and Violence, Implied Sexual Content)

Family by Quiet_crash (G, 57k, WangXian, JYL/JZX, JLY & WWX & JC, LXC & WWX, JYL & LWJ, Time Travel Fix-It, Grief/Mourning, Loss of Parent(s), Established Relationship)

This Time Around by KouriArashi (T, 83k, JGY & NHS, NHS & WWX, JGY & WWX, Time Travel Fix-It, Kid Fic, Families of Choice, Angst, Grief/Mourning, Politics, Class Issues, Past Child Abuse, Moral Ambiguity, Everybody Lives, Eventual Happy Ending)

these colours fade for you only by doodlebutt (T, 36k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Everybody Lives, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, ...eventually, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, bed sharing, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Sunshot Campaign)

Always walked a very thin line by tucuxi (T, 22k, NHS & WWX, JYL & WWX, WangXian, Depression, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety, Canon-Typical Behavior, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives, except JZn and JGS, Self-Worth Issues, Slow Burn, Oblivious WWX, Golden Core Reveal, WWX Has No Golden Core, Chronic Pain, Chronic Illness, Yin Iron, Baxia Saber, baxia as mental health barometer yikes, Pining, everyone is morally grey, life is not fair and that's kind of the whole point of mxtx books)

a bow for the bad decisions by curiositykilled (T, 154k, Yunmeng Siblings, WangXian, ChengQing, Angst with a Happy Ending, eventually, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Except WWX, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Canon Divergence, POV WWX, POV JC, Golden Core Reveal, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Canon Temporary Character Death, Heavy Angst, Eventual Happy Ending, Body Horror, nmj still dies (sorry))

A Moment's Warning by Neery (G, 8k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Misunderstandings, Golden Core Reveal, JL Gets His Bracelet)

Lynchpin by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 103k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Time Travel, Fix-It, Lynchpin [PODFIC] by Opalsong, [PODFIC] Lynchpin by Gwogobo) (link in #2)

The Same Moon Shines series by sami (E, 851k, 52 works, tags and rating varies, WangXian, Asexual XiChengQing Relationship, XuanLi, NHS/OFC, The Same Moon Shines [Podfic - Cold Read] Series by kisahawklin) especially the time travel fics in that series

~*~

6. Hi! I love reading fics that are in Lan Zhan’s POV. I’m in the mood for a fic that is from his POV. Specially a longer fic that is canon-compliant or canon-divergent (so nothing modern/different universe). Time travel is good but if there are just straight forward canon-divergent that’s even better @understand-your-everything

🔒 The Price of Old Wishes by SoManyJacks (E, 67k, WangXian, Minor canon divergence, Angst, POV LWJ, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, Slow Burn, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, semi-verbal LWJ, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Suicide)

A Narrow Bridge by FrameofMind, Jo Lasalle (Jo_Lasalle) (E, 700k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Getting Together, First Time, Pining while fucking, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Angst with a Happy Ending, CQL Verse, almost everybody lives/almost nobody dies, epistolary-ish, canon-ish side pairings, radishes)

🔒 in the shadow of moonlit flowers by Reverie (cl410) (T, 56k, wangxian, LXC/NMJ, Cloud Recesses, LWJ & NHS Friendship, Developing Relationship, POV LWJ, Minor Injuries, Autistic LWJ, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, aka the Madam Yu warning, Genius WWX, Light Angst And Hurt/Comfort, WWX Protection Squad, Gusu Lan Sect, Slow Burn, Protective LWJ, LWJ-centric)

sweet chaos by eachandeverydimension (G, 86k, WangXian, Arranged Marriage, Canon Divergence, Fluff, Romance, Light Angst, Falling In Love, Different First Meeting, Qīnghéng-jūn’s A+ Parenting, Night Hunts, Chinese Language, Good Sibling LXC, Good Sibling JYL, POV LWJ, Getting Together, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Chinese Culture, Slow Burn, No Homophobia AU)

I Have Arranged to Tie You to Me by xxxMiaHikarixxx (G, 82k, WIP, WangXian, Lan protective team, Time Travel, Past, LWJ oriented, Arranged Marriage, Boys In Love, Soulmates, Fix-It, Jiang siblings, not jiang parents friendly, JC is slowly becoming a good sibling, Soft LWJ, Protective LWJ, Genius WWX)

🔒 The Second Hand Unwinds by trulywicked (E, 75k, WangXian, JYL/JZX, WIP, 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)

Turn Left by kianspo (M, 204k, WangXian, NieLan, Canon Divergence, Fix-It of Sorts, Friends to Lovers, eventually, references to child sexual abuse, not main characters, Neurodivergent LWJ, Slow Build, Lán Family Feels, specifically, Twin Jades of Lán Feels, lwj-centric, Twin Jades of Lán Dynamics, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Angst with Happy Ending)

the heartlines on our hands by occultings (microcomets) (E, 47k, WangXian, Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Mutual Pining, First Time, Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death)

💖🔒 love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, YLLZ WWX, Arranged Marriage, political scheming, Gratuitous Domesticity, Mutual Pining, EXTREME SLOWBURN, the inherent eroticism of the forehead ribbon, The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known, neither wwx nor lwj want to be Perceived, but sorry kids! it’s gonna happen!, rated E but the the NSFW stuff doesn’t begin until chapter 19!, bottom LWJ in chapter 20 and 27)

🔒 the thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break by RoseThorne (E, 105k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Soulmates, Self-Esteem Issues, Fix-It, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, PTSD, Handfasting, Sleeping Together, Panic Attacks, Love Confessions, Getting Together, Bathing/Washing, Hair Braiding, Sex Education, First Time, Aftercare, Morning After, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Torture, Hand Jobs, Chronic Pain, Biting, Adoption, Ancestor Veneration, Golden Core Reveal, Top LWJ/Bottom WWX, First Time Blow Jobs, Multiple Orgasms, Switching, sex-related injury, LWJ Stays at the Burial Mounds, LSZ is a Wei, Good Sibling JC Dissociation, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Disability, Scheming NHS, Disabled Character, Somnophilia)

~*~

7. Hi!! This is for itmf. Is there any fic like this? Wei Wuxian protect his husband from his clan. Or any protective wei wuxian @chibiizzy

💖 the field meets the wood by astronicht (T, 7k, WangXian, BAMF WWX, slight whump, Ritualistic Self Harm, Canon Era, Tang Dynasty style, Blood Loss, Blood and Injury, salt economics, Post-Canon, [Podfic] the field meets the wood by semperfiona_podfic (semperfiona), [podfic] the field meets the wood by jellyfishfire)

🔒 Echoes, Feelings, Yet to Disappear by GravityWinsAgain (M, 1k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Married WangXian, Protective WWX, Angry WWX, descriptions of LWJ's whip scars, descriptions of YZY's abuse of WWX, Discipline Whip, but like only in the context of the scars it left, Hopeful Ending, that feel when you're processing trauma in the middle of the night, while your husband sleeps peacefully next to you, but like in a good way) feature Wei Ying being protective of Lan Zhan against the Lans.

The Meaning of Silence by The Silverfish (ZephyrAndTheSilverfish) (T, 14k, WangXian, Mind Manipulation, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Pining) feature Wei Ying being protective of Lan Zhan against the Lans.

seeds by antebunny (G, 3k, WangXian, SS & LWJ, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Identity Porn, Dramatic Irony, identity theft, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, the Inherent Romance of Being Known, BAMF WWX, protective boyfriend WWX, simp LWJ) features Wei Ying protecting Lan Zhan against Su She and the Jins.

~*~

8. ITMF where Lan Zhan is in seclusion after that punishment he received after Wei's death. I wonder if there is any fic that covers his time there and reflection in Cold pond cave. And his punishment of 300 whipping by iron rod. A lot of fics seem to take the novel/anime way of whipping by celestial whip (and seclusion in his house) and that's not what I am looking for. I look for series version of Lan Zhan's punishment because it is quite different. I haven't seen any fic that would cover it like it was in live action.

~*~

9. ITMF outsider POV, SI/OC, or transgmigrator into the MDZS-verse. I will take anything, but would prefer to go without romance as the focus for the OC. @br0therw1ves

i told you when i came i was a stranger by Caramelized (M, 50k, OFC/LXC, minor WangXian, Isekai, Transmigration, Fix-It, Canon Divergence, Amateur cartography, Butterfly Effect, Sunshot Campaign, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, No Golden Core Transfer, Dimension Travel, Politics, LXC the politician, Self-Insert, Foreknowledge, Angst with a Happy Ending) seconding the rec for Carmelized -- it does have romance later in the fic, but the story is really excellent.

Wait a minute! by Anonymous (T, 45k, WangXian, World Travel, Dimension Travel, Canon Divergence, Transmigration, I'm Going To Create a Fic That is So Self Indulgent, you guys know the story u make up before you sleep? yeah this is it, Crack Treated Seriously, Everyone Lives, Fluff and Angst, Attempt at Humor, Isekai) no romance in this one!

🔒Dream Before Daybreak by vermillion_crown (M, 189k, JZX & OCs, MM & OCS, WWX & OCs, LWJ & OCs, LXC & OCs, WIP, Major Original Character(s), Canon Divergence, Worldbuilding, Xianxia, Transmigration, Reincarnation, Isekai, Self-Insert, POV First Person, POV OC, Unreliable Narrator, Potty Mouth Protagonist, (narrator has a temper), JZX is going to have a friend, Drama, Dark Comedy, Gender Roles, (are turned into breakfast rolls), Genderfluid Character(s), Liberties taken with Imperial Chinese History and the Chinese Language, (家族祖先饶命...), Political Intrigue, Magic and Science, Physics, Mathematics, (a surprising amount of STEM concepts for a fantasy genre), The bilingual/diaspora experience as taken to the extreme with transmigration)

mary sue alert by victortor (T, 5k, Self-Insert, Language Barrier, Bad Ending, Brief mention of a hand in a stomach, Character Death, its technically not a major character death? hmm) this one is really short and kindof a downer but i found it very interesting

~*~

10. Hellour! I had another ask for an imtf which shows wwx's connection with his sword and flute. Like i saw the fanarts of the spiritual weapon spirits interacting and suibian self destructing after wwx's death( sealing itself) and i just really wanna see its connection with its master. Maybe even wangji guqin and bichen with LWJ or something. Thank you^-^ @just-troy0-0

Your love gives me Wings by SaiaiSaiko (M, 27k, WangXian, WWX Lives, MXY Lives, Winx Club Fusion, Enchantix Form, Sirenix From Winx Club, Believix From Winx Club, Fairy WWX, Witch WWX, Curses, Bad Health through Curses, Spiritual Tools are Pixies, Accelerated Aging, older looking WWX, Fairy NHS, BAMF WWX, BAMF NHS, WWX in WWX’s Body, JZX Lives, NMJ Lives, JYL Lives, The following tags contain spoilers, Evil JGS, Trans MXY, Self-Discovery, Misgendering, Victim JGY, Curse Breaking) Ok hear me out. They are not weapons here but they are kind of existend and important. And do shit and all. But yeah, this may be strange, but maybe you'll enjoy it.

💖 Intervention of Spirits by Vrishchika (T, 4k, WangXian, Pre-Relationship, Canon Divergence, Golden Core Reveal, WWX Has a New Golden Core)

🔒 We’ll Build This House on Stone (Altars) by FluffyHippogriff (E, 279k, WangXian, WIP, Romance, Supernatural Elements, Old God LWJ, Dumb Baby WWX, Friendship, WWX Finds an Ancient Altar, what happens next will shock you, Hijinks & Shenanigans, YLLZ WWX, There’s Always a Price, But For Once It’s Not WWX’s Sweet Bod, Angst with a Happy Ending, Explicit Chapters Will Be Individually Tagged, Bichen Sword, Wàngjī Guqin, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Bichen) features Bichen and Wangji (qin) personified.

🔒the world passes by but for me there is only you by beeswaxing (E, 82k, WangXian, NieLan, Canon Divergence, Fix-It of Sorts, Accidental Marriage, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Horny Teenagers, Mutual Pining, Fluff, Everybody Lives, First Time, Wedding Night, Emotional Sex, Golden Core Reveal)

~*~

11. Hi I'm looking for fics with the ghost girls (you know who). Just fics where they play some part, maybe not a big one, but you know they are there and present. Although if you do know fics where they are explored, then please rec them. @secretartquotes

To Wake Giants by Alwritey87 (T, 3k, JC & JL, JC & WWX, Assassination Attempt(s), Major Character Injury, Twin Prides of Yunmeng Feels, Angst, WWX's ghost brides, WWX your YLLZ is showing, JC has no chill when it comes to his nephew, Mild Gore, Mild torture, JC & WWX Reconciliation, (kinda through revenge for their nephew), Good Uncle JC, BAMF WWX, off screen death of assassin) The ghost brides aren't super prevalent but wwx does use them to get revenge post Canon 🫶

A Future Family In A Broken Past by Hauntcats (T, 121k, wangxian, WWX & Wen Remnants, Jiang Family & WWX, WQ/MM, JYL/NHS, LXC/NMJ, Not Jiāng Family Friendly, Not Cultivation World Friendly, WWX Needs a Hug, Family Dynamics, What is a good family?, Fear of emotions does not excuse abuse, Not Jiang Clan Friendly, Angst with a Happy Ending, Time Travel fix-it, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, LXC needs a hug, Everyone Needs A Hug, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Not YZY Friendly)

Blossoms of Yunmeng by villainousfriend (katzenfabrik) (T, 5k, WangXian, resentful energy, WWX's ghost ladies, ghost bondage, Kissing, canon-typical undernegotiated kink, LWJ kisses a ghost lady)

🔒 Ad Oblivione by Baph, HikariNoHimeWriter (M, 70k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, POV Multiple, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Identity Reveal, Golden Core Reveal, Cultivation World Critical, Not JC Friendly, Abusive YZY, Angst with a Happy Ending) features a female ghost who becomes Wei Ying's companion although I don't think she technically was one of the ghost brides.

A Long Road by Vathara (T, 175k, WangXian, Valdemar Series by Mercedes Lackey, Fluff and Angst, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Scheming NHS, Necromancy, Fire, Ghosts, Accidental Child Acquisition, is it an accident if the ghosts keep bringing them?) This is a crossover and I can't promise it'll make much sense if you don't know the source material, but it does have the ghost girls as friends and helpers of WWX

🧡 Don't Wanna Fall by nekojita (M, 111k, WangXian, Mpreg, A/B/O, Fix-it, Lots of pining, Angst with a happy ending, Canon Divergence, Child thief WN) (link in #16) the ghost girls are very active in this one!

~*~

12. Hey, so my holidays just went down the Yilling Laozu route and I could use some distraction. Any fics with interesting worldbuilding? Thank you and at least to you all merry Holidays @saiaisaiko

🔒 In Imitation of Life by travelingneuritis (E, 70k, WangXian, Android WWX, the tone is: neon seedy, Smut, rich people are bored and terrible, Illustrations, post-apocalyptic landscape, Happy Ending, Modern Cultivation, Science Fiction, Shower Sex, severe injury to a major character, time loss, BDE (big devotion energy)) if you like xianxia -> sci-fi AUs. This one was very well done, as is everything by travelingneuritis. The worldbuilding stands out to me <3

Interesting/Good Worldbuilding pt. 1 (Canon Era only)

Interesting/Good Worldbuilding pt.2 (AU’s only)

Twelve Moons and a Fortnight by stiltonbasket (M, 290k, WangXian, Humor, Slow Burn, Post-Canon Fix-It, Long-Distance Relationship, Epistolary, Love Letters, Family Feels, a-qing lives, teenage romance, Adoption, Romantic Comedy, Happy Ending, Weddings, Case Fic, Parenthood, Politics)

It's Not The Destination (But The People You Save Along The Way) by Arcxus (T, 65k, WIP, WangXian, WWX & MXY, JC & WWX, JL & WWX, LQR & WWX, LWJ & LSZ & WWX, Major Character Death, Fix-It of Sorts, character death is WWX, MXY Lives, God of Death WWX, WWX is a Little Shit, Mutual Pining, Demon WWX, LWJ humour agenda, Angst, For Want of a Nail, BAMF WWX, Sentient Burial Mounds, Twin Prides of Yunmeng Feels, JC & WWX Reconciliation, Canon Divergence, YLLZ WWX, BAMF JC, BAMF LWJ, Worldbuilding, Politics, WWX is Good With Children, WWX is a Jiang)

journey of no envies by spicymooncakes (T, 104k, WIP, WangXian, NHS & WWX, NHS & NMJ, WWX & WQ, JYL & WWX, burial mounds family, Fix-It, Everyone lives, Worldbuilding, Inventor WWX, WQ Deserves Better, NHS loves his brother, an attempt to make sense of demonic cultivation, Everyone has their own agenda)

The Shade of Old Trees by Kryal (T, 363k, WangXian, History, Canon Divergence, Modern, Slow Burn, Worldbuilding, Slow Life, Action/Adventure, Magic Returns, BAMF WWX)

Flowers Blooming in the Dark by TheLegendOfChel (T, 65k, WangXian, LSZ & LWJ, LSZ & WWX, Gods & Goddesses, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, but it's still in a xianxia/wuxia setting, Mutual Pining, Courtship, Forbidden Love, Kidnapping, Kind Of, Smitten LWJ, Smitten WWX, Fluff, Courting Rituals, Secret Relationship, references to WWX's canonical kinks, Child LSZ, Tooth-Rotting Fluff)

💖 symmetry by bleuett (M, 44k, WangXian, Space, Science Fiction, Happy Ending, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Holding Hands, Blow Jobs, Hand Feeding, Cultivation in Space, Yearning, Reunions, Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Canon-Typical Violence, Minor Injuries, Grief/Mourning, Unconventional Time Travel, Burial Mounds)

Stars bring us apart (Stars pull us together) by Sixlayerhouse (sixlayerhouse) (E, 124k, WangXian, ChengSang, Hurt/Comfort, (Vaguely) Star Trek AU, Psychological Trauma, PTSD, Body modifications, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Recovery, married!wangxian)

one hundred, twenty thousand, thirty million series by Mikkeneko (M, 160k, WangXian, JYL & WWX & JC, Non-Linear Narrative, Space, Science Fiction, Cybernetics, WWX's memory issues, Politics, Xianxia IN SPACE!, stranded in space in a broken spacesuit, Flashbacks, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-typical flirting, Canon-Typical Pining, Implied/Referenced Torture, Angst, WWX Whump, Brain Damage, Head Injury, Burial Mounds, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, all offscreen though, first arc of the series on speedrun, Sunshot Campaign, Fun with Nanobots, War & Politics, WC and WX are both canon-typical pieces of shit, Blood and Torture, Artificial Intelligence, Supportive NMJ, Good Sibling JC, Traumatized WWX, it would be PTSD except it's ongoing, really cruel and unusual methods of killing, Space Horror, Space Opera, Competent JYL, Aftermath of Torture, hand-holding, Heterosexual Soup Drama, Bath Sex, handjobs)

🔒 when we end the war by spookykingdomstarlight (E, 41k, WangXian, Science Fiction, Psychics/Psionics, Robots & Androids, Intimacy, Artificial Intelligence, Science Fantasy, POV Multiple, Major Character Injury, Canon Temporary Character Death, Glove Kink, Fingers In Mouths, Getting Back Together, Self-Sacrifice, Strangers to Lovers to Estranged Lovers to Lovers Again, LWJ is a psychic, WWX is resurrected in an android body (it's complicated), Background space politics because wangxian get to sit out space sunshot, Dubious Science, dubious medical ethics, Sexual Dysfunction, Sometimes a family is an exiled psychic an android and their AI-enabled house, What do you do when your dead boyfriend shows up and he's a robot, Mild Breathplay, Murder by a technicality, Is it still breathplay once one of the characters doesn't have to breathe?, In the background Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze are still alive because I say so)

🔒 when the sun goes out by travelingneuritis (E, 176k, WangXian, Modern AU, Modern Cultivation, tech cultivation, Necromancy, Angst with a Happy Ending, insecurity around adoption, Dad!WWX, dad!lwj, Grief/Mourning, Mistaken Identity, Mood Whiplash, Body Swap, sex tears!, Falling In Love, Consensual Somnophilia, apocalypse (localized), Smut, unrealistic sexual stamina, Flashbacks, Time Skips, Illustrations) Not to sound like a broken record but I will never tire of reccing "when the sun goes out" by travelingneuritis -- in this case, for it's excellent modern AU cultivation politics and Weird Shit Going On in the Burial Mounds

~*~

13. Heya!

I'd love a fic with a heavily featured Huaisang in the role of bestie, either to WY or LWJ. I'd prefer only complete works, but don't mind setting otherwise. He just never gets enough screentime for me :(

KILF (Knits I’d Like To Fuck in) by ScarlettStorm (E, 168k, WangXian, Modern AU, Established Relationship, Porn, onlyfans au, sex worker WWX, Fashionista LWJ, in this house we support sex workers, Fluff and Smut, they're horny and in love, mental health, therapy is good actually, Domestic Bliss, tender kink, Fiber Arts, autistic LWJ, neurodivergent WWX, switch rights, Nonbinary NHS, a soupçon of gender, get in losers we're introspecting about queerness, Genderfluid Character, Gender Exploration, Hurt/Comfort, past trauma, But They're Working Through It, aggressive mutual caretaking, 2nd in series, [Podfic] KILF (Knits I'd Like To Fuck in) by shash_reads (sunkitten_shash))

🔒 your problem as a mountain. by cupofwater (E, 31k, WangXian, WWX & NHS, Epistolary, Canon Divergence, No Sunshot Campaign, Getting Together, Misunderstandings, Pen Pals, Erotica Pen Pal Book Club, One-Sided LXC/NHS, NHS just thinks he's neat, Sexual Fantasy, sexual self-discovery, Smut, Letters, POV Alternating, WWX's Cottagecore Fantasies, Humor)

🔒 shades of grey spill from my veins (bleeding ink all over the page) by Reverie (cl410) (M, 58k, NMJ/LXC, wangxian, NHS/WN, POV NMJ, Canon Divergence, Joining the “Wei Wuxian raised by the Nie Sect” Club, Mentions of WWX’s life on the streets, Hurt/Comfort, Accidental Sibling Acquisition, Single Dad NMJ, NHS & WWX Friendship, Fluff, Humor, Happy Ending, Everyone Lives AU, Protective NMJ, Sunshot Campaign, Some angst, Blood and Injury, Kidnapping, Protective Siblings, Found Family)

Green-gege Saves a lot of Lives by Eternal_writes (T, 11k, WangXian, WWX & WN, WWX & WQ, YLLZ WWX, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Burial Mounds Ensemble as Family, Wen Remnants Live, Everyone Lives, Soft NMJ, POV NMJ, POV WWX, Supportive NMJ, Protective NMJ, NMJ solves all the problems unintentionally, NHS Knows Everything, NHS's spies are talked about alot, NHS manipulates from the shadows like the best friend he fucking is, NHS & WWX Friendship, Sworn Brothers NHS & WWX & WN, BSSR makes a small appearance at the very end, Immortal BSSR is the best grandmother, Golden Core Reveal, JC & WWX Reconciliation, Good Sibling JC, Soft JC, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, WWX Lives, WWX Loves LWJ, WWX is not as oblivious as canon, WWX gets the help he deserves and his family back, Featuring WWX's inventions)

🔒 Serendipity by luckymoonly (T, 6k, WangXian, LJY/LSZ, Post-Canon, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Family Feels, The Juniors and their lack of knowledge of where babies actually come from, Fluff, First time parenting a baby, Mentions of WWX's canon mpreg kink, Adoption, WWX and NHS are BFF, Happy Ending)

while covered in mud by merthurlin (T, 12k, NHS & NMJ, NHS & WWX, NNHS & Wen Remnants, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, NHS Goes Farming And Hates It, Weird Horse Girl NMJ, NHS joins WWX's goth farming commune, and fixes everything)

history will call us wives by silvermarie (E, 17k, WangXian, JL & LSZ, JC & WWX, Arranged Marriage, Post-Canon, Family Feels NHS & WWX Friendship, NHS Knows Everything, Pining, Jealousy, Scheming NHS, using your shadow-broker level spy powers to hook up your friends, NHS is a bro, Misunderstandings, Family Drama, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fix-It of Sorts, Playing Your Friends Like Chess Pieces - the NHS Story, Requited Unrequited Love)

🔒 the language of flowers and silent things series by Reverie (cl410) (M, 107k, WangXian, LXC/NMJ, LWJ & Madam Lan, NHS & LWJ, LWJ & LXC, LWJ & NMJ, LWJ & NHS Friendship, Developing Relationship, POV LWJ, Minor Injuries, Autistic LWJ, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, aka the YZY warning, Genius WWX, Light Angst And Hurt/Comfort, WWX Protection Squad, Gusu Lan Sect, Slow Burn, Protective LWJ, LWJ-centric, Politics, Canon Divergence, No Sunshot Campaign, Cultivation Sect Politics, Protective WWX) features a Lan Wangji who is cursed to hear when people tell lies, which is a truth spell of sorts

~*~

14. Heyo, once again, its me. Are there any really like heavy HEAVY Wei ying fics like that deal with a lot of trauma and his fear of dogs and Lan Wangji is there for him and maybe the juniors? Thank you and have a great Christmas eve😁 @yasssbassss

🔒 Life is Like a Stranger by through_shadows_falling (T, 69k, wangxian, Kid Fic, Child LWJ, Child WWX, First Meetings, Canon Divergence, Cute Kids, Orphan WWX, Autism Spectrum, Fix-It, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Canon, POV LWJ, Growing Up Together, WWX raised at Cloud Recesses, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Puberty, Growing Up, Coming Out, teenage angst, Wet Dream, Pining, This fic gets a little raunchier as the kids become teens, But it won’t get too explicit, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Spanish Translation, Brief mentions/moments of WWX kissing others in chapter 22 but only on the cheek, also characters kiss WWX on the cheek in chapter 23, but his real first kiss is with LWJ, Перевод на русский | Translation in Russian) these aren't really heavy fics but address Wei Ying's fear of dogs

❤️ in case of fire, break glass by Jenrose (T, 65k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Post-Canon, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, unless I hate them, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, Genius Inventor WWX, NHS Finds His Calling, No Women Die) these aren't really heavy fics but address Wei Ying's fear of dogs

Five Dogs, One Cat by ryfkah (G, 13k, JC & WWX, Accidental Dog Acquisition, taken to an extremea classic 5+1 fic, Background WangXian) these aren't really heavy fics but address Wei Ying's fear of dogs

🔒🧡 rain falls and soaks into the earth series by RoseThorne (T, 60k, WangXian, WIP, Near Death Experience, Attempt Drowning, Madam Yu Bashing, Recovery, No war AU)

See Me, Feel Me (Listening to You) by Ghost_Honey (T, 29k, WangXian, POV WWX, WWX Needs a Hug, WWX’s Abyssmal Self-Esteem, Emotional Healing, Angst, The Juniors love their Senior Wei, Curses, WWX is an Unreliable Narrator, JC & WWX Reconciliation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Cuddling)

Scars of Lightning by The_peregrine_falcon (T, 6k, YZY & WWX, WWX & WRH, WangXian, YZY’s A+ Parenting, Canon Divergence, Not Canon Compliant, Wen WWX, zidian, YZY is a bitch, Canon-Typical Violence, Blood and Injury, Major Character Injury, Heavy Angst, Lotus Pier, Nightless City, Young WWX, Muteness, Hurt kind of comfort)

🔒💖 in payment, a hand series by justdoityoufucker (M, 10k, WangXian, JC & JYL & JFM & YZY, Canon Divergence, Fall of Lotus Pier, Pre-Sunshot Campaign, Amputation, Injury Recovery, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Self-Reflection, Families of Choice, Not Jiang Clan Friendly, Physical Abuse, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Abusive YZY, Not for Madam Yu fans, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Dysfunctional Family, Canon Jiang Family Relationships, Weddings)

🔒 Without end by barisan (M, 69k, WIP, WangXian, Time Travel, Suicide Attempt, Hurt/Comfort, Depressed WWX, Good Uncle LQR, Bad Parent YZY, Bad Parent JFM, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Yunmeng Jiang bashing, Sentient Resentful energy, Medical inaccuracies)

Lucky to have a sister by Beginner9to5 (T, 50k, WIP, WangXian, WWX & WN, WWX & WQ, WWX & Wen Remnants, LQR & WWX, WN & WQ, WWX & NHS, NHS & WQ, NHS & WN, Time Travel Fix-It, No Golden Core Transfer, Burial Mounds Ensemble as Family, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, WWX Leaves the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, Canon Divergence, No resurrection, Failed soul summoning, Protective WQ, Good Sibling WQ, WQ is So Done, Adoptive Parent WWX, Protective NHS, Inventor WWX, Protective LWJ, Protective LXC, Jiang Family Bashing, JC Bashing, Hurt WWX, Scheming NHS, Bad Parents JFM & YZY, JC Has Issues, Homophobia, Morally Gray LWJ)

~*~

15. Hii, can you recommend some fics around like wei wuxian's protection squad where everyone is really protective of him. But he doesn't have any regards over his own health and wellbeing and always keeps on convincing everybody else he's fine when he isn't? I just want to read wei wuxian getting all the love he deserves (even if he thinks he doesn't deserve it). No jiang sibling bashing pleasee, i want to see some yunmeng bros moments, but bashing the parents are fine. Angst is definitely welcome but only with happy endings. @scorpionical

bespoke by cafecliche (G, 3k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Fluff, LSZ is a very good boy, which is specifically a tag for the fic but also just true in general)

one of our own by glitteringmoonlight (G, 7k, WangXian, Post-Canon, POV Outsider, 5+1 Things)

Revenge is a Side Dish Best Served With Tea by merakily (G, 7k, WangXian, LQR & LWJ, JC & LWJ, JL & LWJ, Post-Canon, Canon Compliant, Protective LWJ, Petty LWJ, Fluff and Humor, LWJ walks around using tea as his modus operandi for revenge)

Rotten Work by ShanaStoryteller (Not rated, 63k, wangxian, JL & WWX, post-canon, Protective WWX, Protective JL, POV JL, JC & WWX Reconciliation, eventually, Reluctant Matchmaker JL, this kid is doing his best, Pre-JL/LJY if you squint)

🔒 The Absolutely True Story of the Yiling Patriarch: A Manifesto in Many Parts by aubreyli (T, 19k, WangXian, In-Universe RPF, Romance Novel, LJY’s sense of justice, OYZZ’s sense of romance, Featuring a surprise appearance by WWX’s oft-absent sense of shame, Look the ducklings just want their sort-of dads to be happy okay?, And it’s not like WWX or LWJ are doing a good job of ensuring their own happiness, LJY rejects canon reality and substitutes his own, highly relatable actually, Post-Canon Fix-It, primarily drama-canon with cameos from novel-canon, Podfic Available, Russian Translation Available)

the stone-filled sea by yukla (T, 9k, LSZ & WWX, LSZ & LWJ, WangXian, Post-Canon, senior wei defense squad, a study of the way prejudice and injustice and anger trickle down from generation to generation, [Podfic] the stone-filled sea by yukla by Beria1021, the stone-filled sea [Podfic] by BrickGrass)

🔒Cultivating immortality by KizuKatana (E, 231k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Mutual Pining, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, unreliable narrator, Found Family, First Time, novel canon relationship dynamics)

~*~

16. hello!! so I just really got in a/b/o, so I wanna ask for some of your favourite a/b/o fics :))

For the request for a good selection of quality a/b/o fics for #16, I just shared a list on X of some of my (many) bookmarked titles

and the calm is deep where the quiet waters flow by izanyas (M, 303k, WangXian, off-screen rape, oppression, violence, sexual assault, grief/mourning, unwanted pregnancy)

🧡 Don't Wanna Fall by nekojita (M, 111k, WangXian, Mpreg, A/B/O, Fix-it, Lots of pining, Angst with a happy ending, Canon Divergence, Child thief WN)

🧡 in flagrante delicto by synonemous (E, 39k, WangXian, Modern AU, Serial killer WangXian, A/B/O, Mpreg, Smut, Wangxian's Canon Kinks, Modern Yi City arc, Angst with a happy ending)

🧡 OMEGA GRAD STUDENT GETS PREGNANT: YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT HAPPENS NEXT by attackofthezee (noxlunate) (E, 21k, WangXian, Modern AU, A/B/O, Omega WWX, Alpha LWJ, Graduate School, Unplanned Pregnancy, San Francisco Bay Area, Pining, Falling In Love, Kid Fic, Fluff, WWX gets pregnant by an unnamed character that's only briefly mentioned)

~*~

17. Hi! This is for ITMF. A bitter WWX fic? Well, not exactly bitter. But more that he swallow his anger and say it didnt affect him but in fact it did affect him. And then someone (LWJ) say or did something wrong too many times to WWX that he finally snapped. Thanks! @idontknowwhattowriteforusername

the dock of the bay by Haysel matches this. It's deleted, but available on the Wayback Machine

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

#wangxian #mdzs #wangxian fic recs #i'm in the mood for a fic #the untamed #wangxian fic search #wangxianficfinder #long post

172 notes · View notes

right-there-ride-on · 4 months ago

Text

Gyro’s Just as Bad: A Gyjo Essay

its generally understood that gyjo is important to each other, but since sbr is from Johnny’s pov we get his thoughts on the ‘why’ more than gyro’s. Johnny’s side of things also tends to get more emphasis in fanon, which I just wanted to try and illustrate the development of their relationship from Gyro’s pov since I think that’s the part of gyjo that seems the most underexplored.

First thing to note, and something that’s pretty funny, is that Gyro is an asshole to everyone at the start of the race. Through the first stage hes basically this ‘lone rider’ character. Before the race starts, Gyro helps Johnny out by helping him get on the horse, but during the race itself he’s pretty brutal to his competitors. It’s Johnny who chooses to chase him, which Gyro didn’t ask for. But by the end of the stage Johnny’s proved his grit and Gyro allows him to accompany him. It’s cute how quickly he takes Johnny under his wing, especially since he’s still so hostile to everyone else.

Gyro presents himself as this very confident figure, and carries them through the attacks of Mrs. Robinson, Strohiem, and Oyecomova. The Boom-Boom family was more of a team effort between Gyro, Johnny and Tim, and they mostly won thanks to Tusk awakening. It isn’t until Pork Pie Hat Kid attacks and Gyro gets taken out of commission that Johnny is forced to be the one doing the quick thinking and rescuing. I think both Johnny being the one to rescue him and his newfound determination to collect the corpse tickles Gyro, similar to how he was interested in Johnny at the starting line because of Johnny’s stubbornness with Slow Dancer.

I think a big part of the reason Gyro is initially attracted to Johnny is because Johnny has the fortitude to go after what he really wants; unlike Gyro, who, as revealed in True Man’s World, remains to some extent paralyzed by his family’s traditions. So far the only thing Gyro has ever done to differentiate himself from his given role as executioner and eldest son is join the race, supposedly for Marco. Yet as demonstrated with his continued correspondence with Naples and their delivery of the Zombie Horse thread, Gyro did not cut himself off from his country and family entirely. He doesn’t know how to exist without it. Johnny meanwhile is fiercely independent; by contrast Gyro is still dependent on his tradition, country and family to guide his decisions. That’s why I think Marco was only an excuse / smaller factor in Gyro’s choice to join the race than what was initially presented. Gyro left to join the race because he’d never had a chance to develop himself as a person outside of his role as eldest son and executioner. That’s why his question about Marco’s death is about ‘consent’. Marco was supposed to be Gyro’s first solo execution. Marco was imprisoned as a traitor to the crown and by law would need to die. As a prisoner he has no consent to give, and Gyro knows that. The consent Gyro needs is his own. Gyro needs to understand, for himself, who he is and what his actual values are before he ‘consents’ to being the executioner.

In the Third Stage, Gyro admits to himself that “maybe the corpse hunt will help me grow a little.” Like I said, I think that to an extent Marco’s unjust execution was not necessarily the entire reason Gyro came to the race. Gyro may not have recognized it himself, but what he’s looking for is an opportunity to define himself outside of what he knows. Marco isnt what he’s thinking about when he loses the Third Stage; Gyro is thinking about how much he himself is pissed off by the loss. Unconsciously, Gyro recognizes that he’s not just racing for Marco, but to prove something to himself. Moreover, easily winning would prove that he’s fine as he is, and he can back to Naples, ignorant but having in a sense ‘gotten it out of his system’. But losing forces him to reflect, not just on the loss, but on what he’s racing for. That’s why Johnny’s advice is for him ‘to hunger’. Because Gyro still doesn’t really understand his own motivations for racing.

That’s why Ringo’s words about his being a conformist in True Man’s World bother him so badly. Because Gyro knows that, up until that point, he has been a conformist. He still relies on Naples for guidance and Gregorio’s teachings still echo in his head. But his friendship with Johnny is what allows him to break the first of the family traditions he’d so strictly adhered to, and give in to ‘sentimentality’. This is the first ‘new’ value he explicitly chooses to define himself by, and the first part of himself he discovers outside of his ‘conformity’. Gyro risks a lot by going back to confront Ringo. He’s challenging not just Ringo, but himself. Only a ‘true man’, or someone fighting for ‘something’ that they desire for themselves, would have the ‘dark determination’ necessary to beat Ringo. And Gyro finds it. Ringo welcomes him to the true man’s world because he recognizes that Gyro has found something to fight for.

In Catch the Rainbow, Gyro takes Johnny’s advice from the Third Stage and creates another value to define himself by - a hunger to win, for himself. That’s why he tells Diego to gtfo of the way; Gyro’s chasing himself on the Golden Path. Supposedly it’s a path for him alone. Ironically, it’s Johnny who interrupts Gyro and Diego’s battle on the Golden Path. Textually, Johnny realizes Diego is cheating but Gyro is so desperate to win that he doesn’t realize it. Metaphorically, Johnny interrupts to demonstrate that Gyro isn’t done growing yet, and is not yet ready to truly walk the ‘golden path’ of the True Man’s World. He doesn’t yet have the self-definition or subsequent selfish hunger necessary to do it. Only together are Gyro and Johnny able to defeat Diego and continue their pursuit of self-improvement (the corpse parts). However, afterwards Gyro lashes out at Johnny for interrupting, further demonstrating that in many areas he is still immature, childishly taking his feelings out on Johnny instead of waiting for an explanation of why Johnny interfered, and not really listening when he does.

In A Silent Way, Johnny is again what enables Gyro to find his second area of self-definition: mentorship. It’s heavily implied that Gyro is the first one to break Zeppeli tradition and teach the Golden Ratio to someone outside the family; however, he won’t teach Johnny any other way but the Zeppeli family way (‘I can’t do it’ four times), demonstrating his continued struggle between tradition and independence.

Sugar Mountain is iconic, but just as a refresh: at the end of the arc Gyro sees again how much Johnny is willing to give up for him. I think that this shapes his approach to Johnny afterwards; he’s much softer, and more protective. Because of Johnny’s actions in Sugar Mountain, he’s realized that finding his ‘golden path’ isn’t something he can do alone; and that he really does need Johnny as much as Johnny needs him. As noted before, Johnny gave up everything for Gyro. This is the impetus for Gyro to really embrace his role as friend and mentor, no longer afraid that his newly discovered ‘sentimentality’ is a weakness, but embracing Johnny as a trusted companion and deciding that he doesn’t need to be a ‘lone rider’ to win and find the independence and self-definition he’d been looking for. Johnny, not the race, is what pushes Gyro into reflection, soul-searching, and adaptation, embracing the world as it comes instead of adhering to everything he’s been taught.

Gyro defeats his narrative foil in Wekapipo. Wekapipo has abandoned his homeland entirely, and been abandoned by it. He hopes to find a new beginning in America. He too is looking to define himself anew. However, Gyro, now having reconciled what he’s been taught with what he’s learning with Johnny, is able to pull off a miracle. He doesn’t need to be someone new entirely or abandon who he was; he just needed to understand himself. Note that this is also the arc where he finds the golden rectangle in Johnny’s eyes - literally melding where he came from (Golden Ratio, Zeppeli traditions) with what he’s chasing now (self-improvement, alongside Johnny). That’s why Gyro’s allowed to win this stage, and he and Johnny get their one-two finish. Gyro earned his victory against Wekapipo and he earned first place in the stage, he and Johnny finding the best path forward (the golden path) by combining Tusk and a Steel Ball to create their own. Furthermore, Gyro reconnects Wekapipo with Naples by revealing his sister is still alive; thus Wekapipo too is allowed to live and try to reconcile where he came from with where he’s going, starting the journey Gyro now realizes he’s been on.

Frankly I’m tired so I’m not going to get into D4C arc but by the time sbr reaches its climax most of the heavy relationship work for gyjo is done anyway. I hope anyone who questions Gyro’s side of things finds this essay helpful!

#I’ve had thoughts like these before but this is the first time I’ve been able to really articulate them lol #this is a bit similar to my Gyro + True Man’s World post but I think it’s different enough to stand in its own #sorry no sources cited I typed this on mobile #gyro zeppeli #johnny joestar #gyjo #steel ball run #sbr #this is unedited unpolished and probably awful to read but yeah I’ll post it anyway #my posts #sbr analysis #ppl joke that johnny hates everyone but im sorry to inform u thats actually gyro…he’s rude to everyone but his shawty (johnny)

101 notes · View notes

mxtxfanatic · 9 months ago

Text

The Most Un-Lan-Like Lan (Junior) vs. The Most Un-Lan-Like Lan (Married-In Senior)

Lan Jingyi is such an interesting character. He is very opinionated and often speaks his mind without considering how his words will come across. He is cowardly about the supernatural despite being a cultivator but brave against those in positions of power despite being a child, always willing to stand up for what he thinks is right. Lan Jingyi starts off the story with a low opinion of "Mo Xuanyu," usually acting rude, hostile, or dismissive:

When he turned his head, he saw the Lan juniors tailing him. “Children!” he shouted. Lan Jingyi said, “Who are you calling children? Don’t you know which clan we’re from? Just because you’ve washed your face, you get to act like our senior?”

—Chapt. 9: Pride IV, fanyiyi

Wei Wuxian went to the youngsters. “Am I seeing things right? Each of you is a disciple of a prominent clan. Haven’t your moms, dads, and uncles taught you that the dead can’t receive the paper money you’re burning? They’re dead, what do they need money for? They won’t be able to collect it. Plus, you’re burning the money right at someone’s door—“ Lan Jingyi waved his hand dismissively. “Move aside, move aside, you’re blocking the wind. The fire will burn out at this rate. Anyway, it’s not like you’ve ever died—how do you know whether the dead can collect the money?" ... Lan Jingyi knifed him in the heart again. “Even if you’ve been dead before and didn’t get any, it has to be because no one burned any for you.”

—Chapt. 42: Flora X, fanyiyi

It doesn't help that Wei Wuxian, playing into his "gay lunatic" persona, is intentionally trying to put everyone off:

Lan Jingyi said, “Why are you crying? You’re the one who said you like Hanguang Jun! Now he even brought you home. So what are you howling for?” Wei Wuxian’s eyebrows were wrinkled, his lips frowned, and his face was the perfect picture of misery.

—Chapt. 11: Elegance I, fanyiyi

Wei Wuxian took out the apple from the breakfast they had given him and offered it to the donkey. As expected, as soon as the animal bit in, it stopped braying, and began smacking its lips and crunching the fruit with its teeth instead. Wei Wuxian touched the back of its neck and thought about the jade passage tokens the juniors carried while pointing at the round, white rabbits covering the ground. “I’m really not allowed to cook them? So if I cooked them, I’d be chased off the mountain?” As though facing a major enemy, Lan Jingyi opened his arms and stepped in front of him immediately. “These are Hanguang Jun’s rabbits. We just help watch them once in a while. Don’t you dare cook them!”

...

“I can’t get up,” he said sincerely. “Uh, what’s happened to you now?” Lan Sizhui said. “What’s happened to me? Your clan’s Hanguang Jun ravished me!” Lan Jingyi piped up louder and fiercer. “If you keep spouting nonsense, we’re not going to let it go. Come out!”

—Chapt. 19: Sunshine I, fanyiyi

Yet despite all this, once Wei Wuxian sheds his "Mo Xuanyu" cover and begins to seriously lean into his mentorship role, Lan Jingyi becomes one of his most vocal followers amongst the juniors, seeing the man as both a steady pillar to rely on—on par with his idol, Hanguang-jun—and someone whose safety he is concerned with, so much so that he can even cast aside his fear of the supernatural to volunteer himself as bait in Wei Wuxian's stead:

Wei WuXian said to them, “When the second group of fierce corpses rushes in, I will lure them towards the Pool of Blood, and HanGuang-Jun will be in charge of slaying them. With this target here,” He patted himself, “They won’t bother you. Don’t be tempted by battle, just run.” For once, Lan SiZhui’s raised his voice, “No! We can’t do that. There’s no way!” Sect Leader OuYang had given up trying to hold his son still. OuYang ZiZhen, “Senior-Wei, we will slay the corpses too! I can slay a hundred more!” Meanwhile, Lan JingYi had already started to undress, “I’ll draw a flag on myself too!”

—Chapt. 81: Core Part 3, boat-full-of-lotus-pods

OuYang ZiZhen, “HanGuang-Jun, why did Senior-Wei collapse?” Lan WangJi, “Tired.” Lan JingYi was astonished, “I thought that Senior-Wei would never tire!”

—Chapt. 84: Core Part 6, boat-full-of-lotus-pods

Soon, he began again, “Speaking of it, why didn’t I see SiZhui and the squad this time back?” In the past, these juniors would’ve crowded around them and begun chirping all the way from the entrance of the mountain. Hearing him mention SiZhui and the juniors, Lan WangJi’s brows relaxed somewhat, “I can take you to see them.” After he led Wei WuXian to find Lan SiZhui, Lan JingYi, and the others, the juniors didn’t do anything apart from calling out in delight.

—Chapt. 114: Banquet Extra, exr

With such a fierce and impressionable personality, it's no wonder he's one of the few juniors whose name Wei Wuxian can remember 😂

#xiantober #mdzs #human metas mxtx #happy bday wei-qianbei from your duckings ��#fandom says that ljy is 'wwx if he were a lan'#i am here to say that this is a wildly incorrect take #ljy is actually closer to jin ling in personality #or a lqr if lqr had less impulse control in his communication and wasn't obsessed with the rules if we're getting real spicy #but ljy represents an ability to go with the flow and accept change #whether in circumstances or his core beliefs #and that's what makes him different from (and better than) lqr

115 notes · View notes

faithfulpuppy · 9 days ago

Text

So having read mdzs now in addition to watching the untamed I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything

The Yin iron subplot didn't exist in the book and Xue Yang (and Xiao Xingchen/Song Lan) weren't relevant during WWX's first life - WWX and LWJ did not go questing with Huaisang and meet the dancing fairy statue back then

The war with the Wen clan was only ever really brought up in support of other plot points and we never met Wen Ruohan except as a presence offscreen in Mingjue's Empathy - none of LWJ's offers to help WWX control the Stygian tiger amulet happened in the book

There were two battles with WWX as the enemy - the final siege of the Burial Mound and WWX's death were only mentioned as past events in the book, and LWJ wasn't there to see it (though he did rescue him from the fight at Nightless City and nurse him back to health)

The time spent 'studying' with the Wen clan was a lot shorter in the book and WWX did not spend that night in jail with bad animatronic wolfie

No cover of WWX's first time in the Burial Mound in the book (as opposed to the ten seconds in the show)

In the book WWX took on Mo Xuanyu's appearance rather than keeping his own face (totally get why they did that from a filmmaking perspective)

Rather than accompany Ning and Qing to be executed at Carp Tower, the rest of the Wen clan remnants were killed in the siege where WWX died and later came out of the blood pool to defend the cultivators attacked by Jin Guangyao's puppets (meaning they didn't abandon A-Yuan)

Yanli appeared much more in the show, accompanying them to Cloud Recesses in the beginning and in the boat after the attack on Lotus Pier

There was no other flautist who caused WWX to lose control of his puppets in the book

LWJ did not get drunk as a teenager (but still arranged punishment for both of them. as a treat)

WWX spends a lot of time trying to get away/harassing LWJ after his resurrection in the book rather than sort of immediately accepting their reunion in the show

Xichen clocks the returned WWX a lot earlier in the show

They have to fight Mingjue's fierce corpse in the Guanyin temple instead of Wen Ning being possessed by Baxia (and follow the blade spirit around rather than collecting body parts)

Book LWJ does not intercept WWX at Qiongqi Path and cry in the rain 😢

In the book LWJ does not become the chief cultivator 🙌 and they do not separate after seeing Wen Ning and Sizhui off 🙏

Aside from these plot points, the show was surprisingly faithful to the book in terms of dialogue/scenes, a lot of it felt directly lifted (which I appreciate).

Should I watch the donghua next or read the manhua?

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #the untamed #cql #this is partly for my own understanding and partly because I've seen comparisons of themes/characters but not the major plot divergences #also totally ignoring the difference in romantic moments such as the kiss in the forest and the bite in the cave #I love the show and the book both extremely much I think they're both good in different ways #I took six weeks to watch the untamed because I only had access to Netflix on the weekends #but read mdzs on a little under 36 hours without sleeping Oopsies #I'm so obsessed with this story I'm sorry every other story

39 notes · View notes

safsunderc · 3 months ago

Text

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

There are probably a lot of films out there that don’t get made, for lack of funding, support from producers/directors, a lot of artistic direction which goes unused, untold, uncared for; one of the miracles of life is that Brokeback Mountain, of it all, is something that exists.

For Annie Proulx’s short story to have been so widely acknowledged and both praised and criticised in 1999, for Ang Lee to be able to direct a feature length film adaptation of it in 2005, starring two young talents whose careers would be defined by these beautiful performances, for it to win three academy awards, to be nominated for five more: every bit of it comes to me as a miracle.

My favourite element of Proulx’s collection is that she so starkly characterises the Wyoming state as though it can’t possibly exist, entirely fantastical, an extremity, a farce. Namely in People in Hell Just Want a Drink of Water, wherein a disabled, mute young man dies from an infection because his neighbours castrate him with a dirty knife. My personal favourite is The Mud Below, all about a short, smart-ass rodeo cowboy who throws his life away in pursuit of 8 second glory, destroys his body for, nothing, he finds in the end. The collection ends with Brokeback, arguably the most normal and human story, of course the novelty being in the protagonist’s sexualities. And you can feel the fantasy in this film still, the setting, the huge, empty, middle-of-nowhere places Jack and Ennis sneak off to, in Ennis’ recollection of Earl’s corpse as a boy, even in Jack’s death, which we do not truly know the reality of: these all provide some myth to Brokeback, that make you consider perhaps no one lives like this, no one has ever been beaten to death with a tire iron, because Wyoming is not a real place. Interested mostly in geography, Proulx does not hide that the sparsely-populated state comes alive through her stories, and Ang Lee I think does an impeccable job of translating the sentiment. The gushing rivers, empty roads, fierce and strong animals, the unbelievably tiny population, clunky vehicles, characters’ accents, the costuming - each of these factors express the importance of location cleanly. It’s Wyoming that prevents the two coming together as much as it is the thing which puts them beside one another: Wyoming’s storm forces Ennis inside the tent, Wyoming’s hardened landscape keeps his mind small and heart afraid.

Wyoming does something else, too: it condemns them both. That was Proulx’s prime concern in writing the story and surely Lee’s interest in it, too, since Ennis’ fear and internalised homophobia dominates the narrative so intently. What’s not interesting is the external homophobia they face, because no one is interested in bigotry. The film’s charm is how brazenly homophobic Ennis is, both to himself and Jack. No matter how many times I read or watch Brokeback, I can hardly reconcile just how staunchly familiar the shame, guilt and self-loathing Ennis is so practiced in. His quick and easy violence, the minimal speech, how low he keeps his head: it’s obvious to anyone he loathes himself. But he’s self-righteous, too, and prideful, and determinedly masculine, while strikingly curbed by this self-hatred - it’s a hell of a job from Heath Ledger to have performed so beautifully, an eternally moving piece of art from an insanely talented actor. I think part of what makes Ennis feel so real is this multi-faceted denial and guilt, his queerness and masculine identity coming to a head over his bursting desire and love for Jack, and if you can’t fix it, you’ve got to stand it; Ennis stands it by making himself tough, being gruff and hard, just like Wyoming likes its men, can hardly even keep a woman to stick around, because he is too hard to make love to anyone.

Wyoming makes Ennis rough, but Brokeback Mountain itself softens him completely. The entire film is freezing cold, the snow storms and frosted rivers and chattering teeth, but that first night Ennis willingly goes to Jack, the glow is warm and he is unclothed and there is heat for once, heat and desire. This intimate scene is my favourite of the whole film, one that doesn’t exist in the original story, and conveys so solidly what is it about Brokeback that gets me so wound up. The pair are only 19 when they go up on Brokeback, but they look younger in the small glow of the tent, namely Ennis of course, whose bashfulness and fear make him so young and sweet. While Jack lies there shirtless, whispering “Its alright, it’s alright,” Ennis yearns to be held, and that is what he cannot reconcile, that he desires comfort and closeness, he doesn’t want to be lonely anymore, and Jack can provide him with that. But a man isn’t supposed to feel lonesome or tired, he is supposed to endure. But "the imagined power of Brokeback Mountain” isn’t strong enough to reach him once he comes off that mountain long enough to fix it, so he stands it, and lives alone in his trailer as an old man, dreaming endlessly of Jack Twist. Although an intimacy scene, Ennis remains clothed, likely because his connection to Jack is not solely sexual; perhaps if it was he would not have been so afraid and ashamed. That scene brings a lurch to my stomach no matter how many times I see it because, in all, shame is almost a pre-requisite for desire, and there’s a staunch hesitation that surely coexists alongside vulnerability.

#film #movie review #cinema #letterboxd #media analysis #queer media #brokeback mountain #ennis del mar #jack twist

42 notes · View notes

blueridee · 7 months ago

Text

jjk second years

author's note- i loveee the second years sm and there's not enough hcs about them so i had to add some lol

Yuta

We know how much this man loves his friends, always asking if they've had their lunch or keeping up with their missions. So he's definitely the type to keep emergency snacks or water bottles on hand.

Unintentionally flirty due to his kind nature, but when called out, he turns red and starts rambling, “No, no! I didn’t mean it like that—I mean, not that you’re not—you are, but—ah!” Cue more teasing.

To ease his nerves, he tries different crafts or hobbies like crocheting or building model kits, but he's terrible at most of them. Surprisingly, baking actually worked out(?) and now everyone at the dorm gets cupcakes whenever he stress bakes lol. They're probably ridiculously over-decorated because he overthinks the designs.

I hc that he has insomnia or at least has trouble sleeping. So although it doesn't help much, he has a collection of different tea bags-green, chamomile, ginger, tulsi, lemon, anything you say, he has it.

About the unintentional flirt lol, toge made a joke on a gc once and now panda and maki love teasing Yuta about his "pretty boy" reputation, often telling strangers that Yuta is a famous model or something equally ridiculous.

Maki

Total gym rat. She’ll 'gently' scold the others if they don’t push themselves during workouts, "If you can’t finish this set, how do you expect to survive a curse attack?”

Has a secret stash of sweets she claims are "for energy". Some of Gojo's sweets randomly go missing, but no one suspects her lmao

Shows affection through roasts and training sessions, but she’s fiercely loyal and will stand up for her friends no matter what.

After the incident with her ass father, she might not show it but she'd be a little insecure about the burn marks. Not because of how they look but more so that they showed that he had managed to overpower her. So whenever she has those thoughts i can see her training extra hard, pushing herself on the field till she collapses. Yuta and toge got her some scar cream, there wasnt an explanation but the silent support made her treat herself a little more kindly

She’s surprisingly patient with toge and probably was the one that suggested that they should all try and learn basic sign to surprise him, she'll never admit to it though.

Toge

I mean we all know he's a total troll and a menace online, he definitely speaks in gen alpha slangs. Has spammed the gc with memes at 3 am so they all have it permanently on silent notifs now.

Has quite the... interesting music taste lol, ranging from lo-fi to heavy metal and loads of video game soundtracks. Everybody dreads it when toge gets the aux cord on long rides but they dont point it out. He knows about their suffering but he doesnt care, prolly even gets joy out it lmao.

Doesn't like signing unless he absolutely has to, like if he was talking to a stranger, that too most ppl dont know sign lang so he either texts them or writes it in his notes app. Plus he’s expressive enough to rely on context and vibes most of the time.

They had a sleepover during their 1st year and this shit decided to set the mario cart coin sound as the alarm. for 5 am. on a sunday. highest volume. and proceeded to sleep through it. Yuta and panda had to hold maki back from suffocating him with a pillow.

Panda

If someone’s upset, he’ll offer big bear hugs or sit quietly next to them until they’re ready to talk.

Comes out with random nuggets of wisdom at the strangest times, leaving everyone wondering how a cursed corpse got so philosophical.

Loves hosting movie nights and insists on popcorn fights during action scenes. Would insist on themed snacks for each movie (“Kung Fu Panda”? Dumplings!) lol ofc it's kung fu panda

The peacemaker between the group but also eggs on all off toge's or yuji's dumb ideas, “It’s for their character development.”

A shameless dancer- panda is always the first one to bust a move when music plays. He’s not particularly good, but his enthusiasm is infectious.

#jjk hcs #jjk #yuta okkotsu #maki zenin #toge inumaki #panda #jjk second years

34 notes · View notes

trenchcoatmccalcium · 26 days ago

Text

Claudia was the best of his vampiric self

In season one, we see her be a fierce and ravenous killer, hundreds of victims, collecting souvenirs, laughing at death in the face, perverting it, obscuring it, reclaiming it as her hobby. A true beast of the night. Death is collateral, death is the by-product of her descent into madness, death is her only friend. And she's the best at bringing death, kills with the appreciation of the vigour of life, sweet kill juice. To look at it with such glee. A monstrous glee, but that of an adolescent with just enough superego to know she is fundamentally wrong but with that childish id still intact, so strong and playful, teasingly, actively alive. She is the perfect monster. The hunger of a child, teenage metabolism, adult retrospection. She is a killer, a beast, a savage, she is ruthless, she is untamable, she is hungry. She is the fiercest vampire, they have no idea of her strength. She is a vampire, and like Lestat, she pulls it off like a fabulous catastrophe. She has his panache, his style, wears his rings, plays chess twisting his cruelty, plays the piano as his daughter, she understands him best, understands his yearning for love from Louis, understands his pettiness soulfully, in a way she is smart enough to weaponize, winning against him in this game only the two of them know how to play. The evil of his evil. She is the best of his vampiric self.

And then, season 2 comes along. Much like Lestat, she escapes her abusive home for Paris, saving her parent and bringing them along (the parent who will abandon her) and in Paris she finds the love of her devastatingly short life, Madeline. The comparison of Claudia and Lestat's faces covered in blood looking up at their at the time mortal companions holds true, but it is in the difference we find truth. Yes, she is her father's daughter, revealing the worst parts of herself before asking for love like a plea, but the differences are what elevates it. Back then Lestat was a threat to Louis who stabbed him thrice in the church, but here Claudia is Madeline's saviour. Claudia reveals her nature not to trap Madeline with her in the savage garden, but to rescue her from it. Lestat says come to me, Claudia says come with me. It is a desperate attempt, much like Lestat's, but Claudia asks nothing of Madeline. She is not turned that night. There is time, there is patience, there is tender tension, and Madeline gets to choose. Claudia, who never gets chosen, watches Madeline choose this wretched existence because it means she will get to be with Claudia forever. She chooses Claudia over and over again, in front of Louis, in front of Armand, in front of the coven, in the face of death. She loves Claudia, more than anything. Louis says Madeline's turning was beautiful. The choice was beautiful, and love was able to bloom from the hands of the corpse. Love, delicate and steadily, strongly, faithfully, determinedly alive. Determined to live, to bloom, to thrive. Her situation was a mirror to Loustat, but it became a healthy, beautiful thing. Vampirism was not a curse for the two of them to suffer together with, here it truly was a gift like Lestat intended, a dark gift but Madeline saw Claudia in a light she never could've survived in. It was a gift, a blessing. She made it a gift. She was amazing at being a vampire. She is the best of his vampiric self. She is a better vampire than he could ever be, in every aspect of a monster, of a companion. She is the best of his vampiric self.

Could u imagine the shame he felt? Armand felt? Seeing Madeline be so brave, choosing Claudia even when it meant death? Do u think Lestat was proud of Claudia, for being a better vampire than he could ever be, for being a vampire the right way? Or was he jealous, the jealousy a mother has for her daughter when she sees all she could've been? Could u imagine the guilt? The exquisite, dreadful, sludgy, suffocating guilt? Could u imagine that last look, when he has just seen her for all she has become, seeing her strong, defending her strength, her fight against the trial, overcoming the mind control and telling her truth, forcing the audience to be uncomfortable, god, her last words were a fucking threat, how proud he must have been, and he is forced to see her last look at him as she dies as all the things he cursed her to be? A child, built like a bird, a poor fragile thing. The vampires in europe are cruel, says the european vampire. They will break you, and they did. He must have hoped she'd escape it like he did, he must have hoped because he knew she was strong enough, and when she needed him most, he did nothing. The woman of immeasurable strength reduced to a little girl looking to her father for help. The great ravenous monster found crying for its mom, a shameful mother who did not have the strength to save her too.

Claudia was the best of his vampiric self, and he had to watch the best of himself die, and live out the rest of eternity as what he had to become to survive. Claudia was a ghost before she died. Claudia was the best of his vampiric self.

#claudia iwtv #iwtv lestat #amc iwtv #iwtv #madeline eparvier #lestat de lioncourt #claudeline #claudia de lioncourt #claudia deserved better

15 notes · View notes

morelostthanwintermoon · 13 days ago

Text

Jin Ling- The connecting thread

MDZS is actually an amazing and a very sophisticated story regarding the themes of karma and ancestral debts.

Jin Ling, heir to the Jin clan, stands precariously at the heart of Mo Dao Zu Shi, ensnared by the sins of his ancestors. In most of the arc's final climaxes we see Jin Ling being trapped in a life ending situation, only to be saved by the skin of his teeth. Every single thing that harms him is really actually the sins of the past haunting him and asking him to pay their dues. He is the literal embodiment of the concept of the younger generation inheriting the consequences of the actions of the older gen.

1. His parents die because of the collective power struggles, greed, tyranny of the cultivation world and Wei Wuxian's demonic cultivation spiralling out of control, again due to the Jin clan's greed and Wen clan's actions.

2. The Dafan Mountain Goddess is the perfect metaphor for the society, where it is past gen who creates a goddess out of a stone, which from a few hundreds of years of worship without any reason, becomes filled with greed and malice of the collective and gets ventured to the wrong path, the price of which is ultimately paid by the younger generation with their souls being consumed for the twisted fulfillment of their wishes.

3. The man eating castle which is the Qinghe Nie Clan's ancestral hall full of hostile energy and vengeance of the past. Jin Ling is buried in this hall with the sole motive of suppressing the killing intent of the ancestors. This is also a premonition of how Nie MingJue tries to kill Jin Ling in the GuanYin temple because he was a relative of Jin GuangYao.

4. He is trapped in the Yi city, the grounds of Xue Yang who is again the byproduct of society at large.

5. The second siege of the Burial Mounds: The Burial Mounds are the dumping grounds of the society. Jin ling along over one hundred junior disciples are held captive as bait for the corpses. Again a perfect metaphor for how the older gen uses the younger gen to settle old scores. Also how JGY uses the younger gen to cause a complete massacre of 80% of the cultivation world, the blame of which would then rest on the shoulders of wwx, however which fails because the past deeds of wwx protect them all.

6. GuanYin Temple: Firstly he is used by JGY as his chance to escape by wrapping a guqin string he had hidden in his abdomen around Jin Ling's throat. And then again is about to be murdered by Nie MingJue as due to his blood relation, the fierce corpse mistakes Jin Ling for his enemy, JGY.

And the people who actually help him in bearing this load, pay the dues of his ancestors and get out of the cycle are Wei Wuxian, Wen Ning and the Wen Remnants and all of them actually go through this cycle themselves as well. Inspite of this all of them remain pure at heart, and most importantly understand the importance of past and their responsibility towards the future and hence are able to pass on the torch to Jin Ling.

They save him countless times from the sins of the past and imo it is JYL's spirit that actually keeps his heart devoid of any hate, thus making him the character who is able to reconcile the past with the future, where he himself is the connecting thread, someone who eats up all the grief, pain, the loss of the past, but does not blame anyone for it, not does he pass it on to someone else. And imo this is how he pays off all their debts, because the society needs a vessel, or rather a Burial Mound for all the resentment and sorrow that can destroy the entire world. And Jin Ling doesn't become that vessel or that Burial Mound, but instead becomes a river in which everyone dumps all their waste, but which still retains the ability to constantly self purify itself, thereby emerging untainted for the future generations.

He honestly reminds me of Ashitaka from Princess Mononoke who is also dealing with a curse put by angry and vengeful spirits all around him. Jin Ling perfectly embodies the quote, 'To look with eyes devoid of any hate'

In Jin Ling, MXTX offers a very powerful message: redemption lies not in erasing the past but in forging a path that honors it while building a better tomorrow.

#mdzs meta #mxtx mdzs #mdzs #jin ling mdzs #jiang cheng #jin guangyao

13 notes · View notes

dartxo · 6 months ago

Text

Nosferatu (2024)

(beware of spoilers)

I have watched Robert Eggers' Nosferatu two times now, after waiting excitedly for its release for many months. Needless to say, it lived up to my expectations, and exceeded them even. I loved it. It was a masterful, artful blend of Bram Stoker's novel, the 1922 film, a bit of the 1979 film, and other iterations of the Dracula story, whilst feeling authentic, fresh and original at the same time.

The overall atmosphere in the film was terrific. Everything, from the performances, the cinematography, and the set design, all contributed to an oppressive, claustrophobic, rank feeling.

Count Orlok looked and sounded amazing. The deep, guttural, heavily accented voice; the raspy, sickly breath; the disgusting noises he made as he gorged himself with blood; you felt all that in the stomach. I love the nods to early vampire folklore, like him being a rotting corpse, or him feeding by biting the chest instead of the neck. And perhaps most of all, I love that they gave him a big, bushy, fierce looking mustache. A source of deep annoyance for me in most Dracula screen adaptations I've seen is that the Count almost never looks like he's described in the book. I can't explain how much I appreciate that they made more of an effort this time. Admittedly though, this vampire, like Max Schreck's version, looks a lot more foul than the Dracula from the book. But I'm not complaining. He positively oozed with evil, and I loved it. And I really liked that, until the sun shines on him at the final scene, we never see his full features all that clearly. He is always shrouded in darkness and shadow. Maybe I would have liked if they had done something to his eyes, either making them cloudy and dull like a corpse or shiny like a predatory animal at night. But Bill Skarsgård's fixed, intense stare does the trick just fine. He wouldn't be out of place in a silent horror film.

I loved the callbacks to the 1922 film. A lot of the shots mirrored the ones in the original very well, like the carriage coming to collect Hutter in the forest, and of course Orlok's shadow creeping across Ellen's house. And I also loved the little homages here and there to the original cast and crew: Ellen's cat is named Greta after the 1922 actress, and the Van Helsing character is named Albin after the 1922 producer and production designer. The contract that Orlok makes Hutter sign is also written in the same strange, occult language as the contract in the original film. Great attention to detail. And I appreciate that Ellen's psychic connection to Orlok, hinted at but not really explained in the 1922 Nosferatu, got expanded upon here.

The nods to the book were great too: the Count's command of the wolves, and his pride in his heritage; the old innkeeper giving Hutter a crucifix and begging him not to go; Hutter trying to kill Orlok in the castle crypt, and later committing himself to destroying him to protect and free his wife from his influence. And I also really liked that in contrast to the 1922 film, but more in line with the novel, the side characters have more of a personality, and more to say and to do. The original film centers more on Hutter at the beginning, then he takes the back seat and the focus shifts to Ellen, with Orlok and Knock serving as antagonists, but the other characters not doing or saying much. In this Nosferatu, like in the book, the characters form a small vampire-hunting crew, and that was very neat. And the scene with Harding at the crypt felt somewhat reminiscent of the scene in the book where Arthur stakes Lucy, in a morbid, macabre sort of way.

Maybe I wish there had been more scenes at the castle and on the ship (hoping we get those in the announced extended edition). Some inclusion of the three vampire sisters from the novel would have been interesting, but not really necessary. And part of me wishes Orlok had burst into flames, or vanished in a puff of smoke after being hit by the sun. But blood bursting out of his body as he died, and him reverting to a lifeless, inanimate corpse is in tune with folklore too. And in any case, that final shot of his dry, shriveled body lying on top of Ellen, with flowers on the bed, was a beautiful way to end the film. It looked like a painting.

All in all, it was a beautiful, amazing, haunting film to watch. To me, it's probably the best vampire film since its 1922 predecessor. True to the spirit of the original Nosferatu, and the original Dracula, and I really couldn't have asked for more.

#nosferatu #nosferatu 2024 #review #dracula #vampires #gothic horror #robert eggers #count orlok #dartxo

22 notes · View notes

somekindofadeviant · 2 months ago

Text

thank you for the tag, @little-tayy !!

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written less than ten, don't be shy and share anyway!

Soteria (Drusilla/Spike/Angel)

“Will you love me when I’ve turned to glass?” she asked. Inside, Drusilla felt her organs start to crystallise, the little pathways harden and crackle. Shiny-bright, endlessly cold. Her heart couldn’t race but still she felt stabbings of panic along frostbitten trails at the knowing of how easily she’d soon shatter at the simplest push.

Sin Eater (Drusilla/Darla/Spike)

It’s been winter for years and a great fat worm has taken up residence in Drusilla’s belly. Swollen from gorging on all the secrets she swallows. In-between meals, it snacks on her belly. Munch munch munch. Grandmum’s face is worry-drawn. Never asks what Drusilla saw. Never will. That’s their pact. Drusilla’s supposed to tell her anyway so Grandmum can pretend it’s all a-bother while, really, she always pays heed.

Flesh and Blood (Angel/Spike aka Angelus/Will)

The first time was an absolute disaster. Asking for help had felt like anathema, so Will stood in the little bathroom before an empty looking glass, clumsy straight razor guided by memory and stubbornness. Dripping curses and blood into the sink.

Principled Approach (Angel(us)/Spike/Drusilla)

Angelus was halfway past peeved when he burst in on the two of them in the nursery, a bit rich considering the lack of knocking.That irritation came to boil fast as he did the maths at the sight before him. “The pair of you have exactly five seconds to tell me just what it is you think you’ve been up to.” “You see,” Spike offered up in panicked haste from where he was on the floor in a grim puddle of tepid blood, whiskey, and black paste. Vampire a la fond, now with ritual chest carvings. “There’s an explanation for all this, somewhere, around about. A damn good one, too.”

Latreia (Drusilla/Spike)

She looks like nothing so much as a martyred innocent. Dinner was messy, the post-meal play messier. Between dried blood and slackened limbs with birdlike bones hiding such terrible strength, her absolute stillness, beautifully wounded expression painted onto porcelain features; Dru’s the sort of corpse that sparks mystic cults and grisly revolutions.

Fly Soup (Fanged Four)

Drusilla lifts up from the bed just enough to ruck up her fine shimmy. Except that it’s not fine at all, being so sticky-wet and not from any of the usual fun games. It’s like she’s been dunked in a mug of piping hot tea while she had her eyes closed. She smells like prey. Worse, she smells like the leavings that weren’t even appetising enough for dinner, filling the room all sour and bitter; blood that she wouldn’t lap up even if she was forbidden from leaving the table til all was finished. She could be dying again. Her body’s throbbing with fierce rabbit kicks, perhaps it’s what a pulse feels like, she can’t recall. No, but that can’t be it.

Mouthfuls of Thaumaturgy (Drusilla/Spike)

Tonight has been a night of mischief. Just a girl and her boy and all the fun things they rustled up down by the docks and brought home as playmates. Here in the aftermath, the sailors’ blood fizzes up like sherbet in their veins and turns time into treacle. Turns silly thoughts into plans and plans into plots. So it is that Drusilla’s marvelling over painted corpse-skin, tracing a fingertip along the fuzzy lines of skull and anchor on the hollowed out husk they lay their naked bodies against, turns to Spike being caught up in wide-eyed wondering as he licks her clean of their comingled juices. He pauses in his devotions to rest his chin on her bruised thigh and poses to her, his voice languor-thick, “What if I got one done, right? One for every hulking goliath I tear down to size? Instead of collecting their teeth or somesuch like a ninny with an incurable case of the morbs.”

Swallowed Whole (Angel/Spike aka Angelus/Will)

“You’re not scared are you, boy?” The touch to his cheek must be Angelus’s hand, patting as if he’s a horse that needs gentling. He wants to bite back, ‘Of course I’m not, you great bloody barn-stormer,’ bright with piss and vinegar, but the gag turns it into mushy mumbles and the bastard’s just laughing. It curdles sour in Will’s belly and burns his ears, because he isn’t nervy, really, and he’s no meater. This is just a stupid ‘lesson’ that could have been a telegram. The trembling is just from restless anger, see, on account of how the pair of them could be out making fine sport of hunting dinner together and those other unspoken things such as can come from dark alleys and rum-soaked blood but instead he’s trussed up like a sunday roast for the latest spot of fledgling tuition. Really, that’s all it is.

Dreamt of Drowning (Drusilla/Spike)

The sand’s slipping through Drusilla’s fingers as she runs into the woods. She’s been trying to hold onto the grains since she saw what would happen, shoved a handful in her pocket to stop it getting away from her. It was supposed to give space while she hid in cargo holds and under bodies in mouldy train carriages, making her way as fast as she could. Silly thing, the sand’s smaller than the gaps in the stitches and it trickled out all the while. Now the stars are out in force, peeking out between the canopy of wet leaves high above her head to laugh and tsk and mock in singsong, ‘Too slow, little girl, too slow. What if that was no time in your hands, only dust? What if dust’s all you’re rushing to meet? Better hurry.’

Blackout (Interlude) (Darla/Drusilla)

It’s raining, and isn’t that always the way at times like this. The whole street’s so dark that with human eyes it may as well just be a windtunnel of bricks and rain in some lonely faraway universe with nobody in it. The stars have painted themselves out, in solidarity with the streetlamps, and fat rain droplets the size of vinegar bonbons bounce off the paving stones. They soak into Drusilla’s oxford shoes, stockings, and the wool of her smart green coat. She re-sets her drooped hat just-so and checks herself over, so as to make herself ready for inspection and not even a little bit just for something to do to shush her too-loud wasp-buzzing mind. Clicks her shoes together, then takes a deep sigh she feels from her belly. She raises her hand, the one not holding her suitcase, and sharply raps the door. Shave and a haircut, two bits. It’s not fair, you see. This weather’s followed her, sat beside her on the train and boat all the way from Madrid. Nasty storm clouds. Nasty boys.

Tagging: @myboyknows @mamabewear @reallyreal-madeingold @dustyfics @bigbad1880

@higgystar @cosmictuesdays @toutes-les-routes @ashmaenas @evesock

#ask game #my fic #buffy the vampire slayer #angel the series #fanged four #sprusilla #spangel #darla x drusilla

12 notes · View notes

wayofcloudbrain · 7 months ago

Text

Lotus Pier Games (a headcanon)

Back when they were kids in Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian used to have a game called “Resentful Energy”. The game was invented by Wei Wuxian, as he would never let anyone forget, having always styled himself as a great inventor.

Jiang Cheng secretly thinks that there isn’t that much to the invention – if anything, Wei Wuxian can take credit for the name, and the rest is just a glorifiied making a mess. But he does have to admit that it is great fun.

Resentful Energy, the game, consists in diving to the bottom of the stagnant ponds around Lotus Pier, down to where the mud and sludge collects. That mud is sometimes a greenish brown, but sometimes it is magnificently, surprisingly black. It's that type of mud that you have to find to play Resentful Energy: You have to dive down, grab a handful, carry as much of it as possible to the surface and then you make your attack, hurling it at people with great force, aiming for a huge splat.

Important rules of the game include a) whatever Wei Wuxian thinks of on the spot and b) never ever letting Yu Ziyuan catch you at it (if you are attached to the idea of keeping your legs in working order). Special techniques include letting yourself sink to the bottom, digging your feet in to catch some mud between your toes and then shoving your feet AND the rotten-egg scented black goo into the face of your unsuspecting shidi, demonstrating great capacity for evil.

There are also less martial variations of the game, particularly for times where your limbs are already sore from training or punishment or growing pains and the summer heat is sweltering so you really wouldn’t deliberately seek out more physical activity other than lazily rolling around on the pier in advanced states of undress and occasionally toppling into the water to cool off or to procure a quick snack of fresh lotus seeds. For that purpose, Wei Wuxian invents the version of the game that consists of turning your shixionng into a fierce corpse by drawing craggly veins on his face and chest with your finger dipped into a reserve of Resentful Energy heaped on the edge of the pier.

Jiang Cheng thinks this one’s a little weird, and it becomes weirder the older they get, so he complains about it a lot, but even though they’re fifteen and almost grown up and should be beyond such silliness, Wei Wuxian is relentless, and okay, maybe it’s actually a kind of calming activity … meditative, similar to but less stressful than calligraphy. The mud dries into astonishing sparkly silver lines that stand out against Wei Wuxian’s brown skin, and habitually, Jiang Cheng will point out that it doesn’t look that much like the blackened veins of a fierce corpse, but he will grumblingly submit when Wei Wuxian tells him to lie down and let him paint the same lines on him.

If Jiang Cheng actually thinks it feels kinda nice, if half the reason he always struggles against it at first is that he thinks it may feel a little too nice, in fact, then that’s absolutely nobody’s business. Probably not even his own.

#cql #the untamed #chengxian #a lotus pier headcanon

22 notes · View notes

chromatic-lamina · 1 month ago

Text

I opened with the following for a LawZo hanahaki fic featuring the corpse flower. No wonder the punters stayed away in droves 🪰. It is a love letter, though. They are supportive. It's not all mild body horror.

Zoro belched. Rotten meat drenched in milk curdled via sulphuric fire coated his pharynx and tongue. At least, that's how it tasted. Death by any other name. He'd faced it enough times to know, but hadn't eaten at its table before. Even his sake was off. To survive, animals sensed what was good to consume, or not, and this was not good. Worst of all, he coughed up cluster after cluster of tiny purple stalks. Topped with orange caps, they tapered into orange ovoids. Nami wrinkled her nose and gagged into the crook of her elbow at the spoiled-fish-stink layering the ship after every choking fit, and even Luffy commented. But the flowers wouldn't stop. Flies, then bees, sniffed him out, then Robin, followed by Brook, the skeleton's cane tapping across Sunny's flooring. "Yohohoho! You smell like crewmates six days unburied." Not that Brook

Not that Brook knew. By the time he'd returned to his body on the ghost ship that had been his graveyard home for fifty years, his flesh and that of his comrades was picked clean. Smaller skeletons of—he'd guessed at the time—petrels and gulls lay scattered across the deck. And near those, a few transparent wings, an insect leg or two, and casings. Cradling flutes, guitars and mandolins, the Rumbar pirates should've had a sea burial, wrapped or sewn into favoured blankets or flags. But the ambush had been fierce and their foes' weapons poisoned. Once their enemies had disembarked, Brook's brothers-in-arms greeted their fate with song on their lips, music in their fingers, and toxins in their blood until only a piano was heard. And only Brook heard it. He was glad he'd recorded their farewell; that no scavenger had flown away with the tone dial while he'd circled the world trying to regain access to his remains. Once back on board, Brook had collected the skulls of every lover of music and marine life, and placed them in a coffin for current and later respect. A mustiness had hung in the air then despite the yearlong break. Something to do with the thick fogs of the Florian Triangle. It wasn't pleasant, and so he supposed he hadn't been either. And neither was Zoro lately. The young man rarely took a bath but, presently, liquefied organs held more appeal.

The corpse flower bloomed once every very dark seven-to-ten-years. Kali of the night, and a healer and harmer like her, the flower's stench was strongest in the morning leading into the early light. Heat and human warmth radiated from its core, attracting nocturnal carrion beetles and flesh flies for the twenty-four hours of its opening. The Polar Tang was moored next to the Sunny, and Usopp (and Robin) had let anyone who'd listen know all about the plant invading Zoro's lungs. Usopp lent Law a botanical guide, and it now lay flat on the table in Law's quarters as he heaved up yet another bundle of soft, spongy yellow kernels. He brushed pollen from the cluster on the desk onto his coat, trying not to stain the book. Law's fingers traced illustrations of the plant's reproductive system.