#but the wens’ black looks like a true black

[greenandhazy]

So it turns out I am now physically incapable of watching any media in a historical-esque setting without obsessively wondering how the characters would have dyed their clothing.

[wheeboo]

the secret life of jun | wen junhui

SYNOPSIS. in which jun gets set up on a blind date by his best friend. PAIRING. zoolinguist!wen junhui x gn!reader (ft. minghao, gyu the golden retriever, boo the duckling, and lil mentions of some members as their representative animals. not hybrids.) GENRE. fluff, humour, kinda strangers to lovers, magic-realism au WARNINGS. cursing, jun just being a very cute awkward shy boy :(, my first attempt at something remotely magic/fantasy WORD COUNT. 3k

notes: this is for the caratlibrary secret gift exchange event! and therefore, this gift is for @phenomenalgirl9 who also gifted a fic for me hehe. i hope you enjoy <3 this is also my first time writing something remotely fantasy/magic, so... feedback is welcome! ty to my lovely moots who read this over for me ^^

"Jun! Can you tell your dog to get the fuck off me?" Minghao attempts to shove away the ever-persistent golden retriever pawing and licking at his face, but Jun doesn't seem to hear, seemingly engrossed on something else entirely in the kitchen.

Minghao just groans annoyedly, and just as he's about to call out for his best friend's name again, a thought crosses his mind. A sort-of stupid one that he knows won't work, but he'll try it out anyway.

He brings a hand up, watching the dog follow it with curiosity, and he points to the ground while firmly saying, "Down."

Unfortunately, the dog only tilts his head inquisitively, as if dazed and confused by the action, before relentlessly pouncing on the boy again, and all he could do is surrender himself to the attack of excitement. Right, he thinks, these animals don't exactly understand him normally.

Jun finally emerges from the kitchen after what feels like an eternity, a black cat cuddled gently in his arms, lightly running his fingers through its fur carefully. When he picks his head up, he could only chuckle at the sight in front of him. Minghao only rolls his eyes, shooting a playful glare to his best friend who only seems amused.

"Your dog is a menace," Minghao declares, wiping away the slobber from his face.

"Come on! Gyu just likes you."

"I'm not sure I share the sentiment right now," Minghao replies almost coldly, perhaps even half-jokingly, attempting to regain his composure.

Jun just sighs and sends out a whistle from his lips to get the dog's attention. And with a subtle look from just his eyes, as if sending a silent signal, Gyu hops off the couch and trots over to Jun, letting out a few barks in response.

"He says he doesn't like your attitude today," Jun translates, setting the cat in his hands down on the floor. "but he's forgiven you."

"Gee, thanks," Minghao scoffs and crosses his arms together, still trying to maintain a façade of irritation, though it's quite easy to see right through it.

He watches for some time as Jun crouches down to the dog's level, the two of them communicating in a way he knows he can never understand, but is grown to be amazed by every time. It isn't a secret that he knows that his own best friend can communicate with animals, as strange as that might sound (because... it's true), but it's a fact he's fully accepted.

Jun probably has more animal friends than human friends at this point. He's made friends with the birds at the park, the stray cats that roam the streets, a deer that comes to visit occasionally behind his place, an otter that frequents at a nearby pond, hell even one of the tigers at the zoo𑁋the list goes on.

And not to exactly complain, but he also really wants Jun to find a fucking partner.

Not that it's a bad thing Jun isn't seeing anyone, and it totally isn't the entire reason why Minghao is here right now. He has tried to set Jun up on dates, but the older boy almost always manages to find some excuse or simply doesn't show up, claiming he got caught up in a conversation with a stray cat or a butterfly on the way. Or the date ends up in disaster with a chase down the street of the neighbourhood raccoons stealing food.

But then again, that's Jun for you𑁋unpredictable.

"One more date."

Jun raises his head, and the moment he sees that particular smirk to Minghao's face, he groans.

"No."

"Oh, come on, just one more," Minghao insists. "I promise you'll like them. They're an animal lover."

"Just because they're an animal lover doesn't mean𑁋"

"You're either going to be drinking 'till you're absolutely couch-ridden on new year's because you're single and lonely again, or you could be celebrating with someone special. Your call, dude."

Jun finds his face flushing out of embarrassment, scratching absentmindedly behind Gyu's ears as Minghao's words wash over him. Then his features soften, and he lets out a sigh.

"Fine," he relents. "One more."

Shit, he's screwed. The minute Minghao told him the date would be happening in the middle of the park where he often chatted with the local squirrels and ducks, Jun knew this already wouldn't end well.

He also had quite the love-hate relationship with blind dates𑁋or dates in general, to be honest𑁋and the thought of meeting a stranger made his palms sweat even with the cold threatening through his thick coat (he's convinced that Minghao is pulling anyone out of his ass at this point).

The park is covered with a light blanket of snow, the trees standing tall and glowing with strings of fairy lights against the grey winter sky. Jun shivers in place and adjusts the scarf around his neck, partially from the cold and partially from the impending awkwardness he anticipates.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for being late! The traffic was awful coming here and I got a bit lost..."

The voice is frantic and panicky to Jun's ears akin to his equally panicking heart, who turns around to a figure rushing up to him, covered in layers and letting out misty breaths that appear in the air.

"It's okay," Jun says, voice coming out a bit awkward. He offers a reassuring smile. "I'm, uh... Jun, by the way."

"Y/N," You say, relieved as you finally catch your breath and look up at him with a cute grin. "I'm so sorry for being late. I hope you weren't waiting for too long."

"Oh, not at all. I... just got here as well." It's a bit of a white lie𑁋he was beginning to worry you ditched him, honestly. Jun feels his hands fidget in his pockets nervously, yet he sees the ease that washes over your features at his words, and he relaxes slightly. There's something about the way you carry yourself and the slight blush on your cheeks from the cold that eases some of his tension.

And maybe, just maybe, his heart stutters a little at your smile, like a startled butterfly in his chest. Did the lights at the park grow brighter?

"Would you like to, uh, maybe grab some hot chocolate?" Jun suggests, gesturing towards the small, lit up kiosk nestled in the corner of the park that seemed quite busy with customers. "It can help... warm you up."

Your eyes light up to his words, grinning. "That sounds perfect, actually."

As you both walk towards the kiosk, the air seems to crackle with a nervous energy Jun hadn't expected. Despite the awkwardness gnawing at him, he can't deny the strange sense of hope fluttering in his stomach, somewhat like a small bird unsure of its flight. He's not the best at dates and probably never will be, but for some reason, feeling this sort of apprehension is unlike anything else he's felt. It's not uncomfortable per se, but more... exciting?

The two of you stand in the back of the line, shoulder-to-shoulder, hands tucked deep in your pockets and sharing silences punctuated by the occasional nervous giggle when your eyes meet. The line at the kiosk is surprisingly long, a mix of bundled-up families with laughing children and young couples warming their hands around steaming plastic cups.

When your shoulder brushes against his, Jun freezes for a moment, feeling a warmth spreading through him that has nothing to do with the hot chocolate. He steals a glance at you, finding your gaze already on him, and there's a shy smile that you both share before you look away first.

Then Jun notices it𑁋you're shivering.

It's almost imperceptible at first, a slight tremor running through your shoulders as you shift your weight from foot to foot. He hesitates for a moment, then a nervous breath leaves him. Fuck it.

Without a word, he unravels the wooly scarf from around his neck and drapes it over you, fingers lingering for just a moment longer than necessary as he adjusts it comfortably. You blink up at Jun with wide eyes.

"Sorry I, uh... noticed you were cold," he mumbles, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

You glance at him, surprise evident in your eyes, and then you chuckle. "Are you sure? I don't want you to freeze."

"I'll be alright," Jun just assures calmly, though the chill creeping up his neck is a bit hard to hide now.

The line moves forward, and soon you're ordering hot chocolate for the both of you. Jun pays for both, insisting with a small nod when you attempt to pull out your wallet.

As Jun and you clutch the steaming cups, the warmth radiating through the thin plastic felt almost comforting. The park bustles around you, but with each sip, the outside world seems to fade away, leaving only the diffident hum of conversation and the fluttering hope that dances between you.

"So, uh, what kind of animals do you like?" Jun asks, trying to break the ice as you both trail down an empty path close to the icy pond nearby. He's not exactly smooth with conversation, but he figures asking about your supposed love for animals is a safe bet. "I've been told you like them."

Your eyes light up as you take a swift, long sip of the hot chocolate, the warmth quickly spreading through you.

"Oh, all kinds!" You answer eagerly. "I volunteer at an animal shelter not that far from here and take care of the injured ones. I have a lot of pets at home too𑁋a hamster, a dog, a few cats, a rabbit... How about you?"

You spoke so quickly that Jun could barely register it all, but he can't help but grin at your enthusiasm. It’s almost infectious.

"Wow, I have, uh... a dog and a cat at home... Gyu and Woozi are their names," Jun replies slowly, almost unsurely.

"That's really cute!" You tell him, catching the way the corners of his lips crinkle up just slightly and how he has to angle his face down just to hide it. "My hamster's name is Hoshi! My dog is Minnie, my rabbit is Hannie, and my cats are Wonu, Nonie..."

Listening to you list your pets' names and some of the ones you've taken care of at the shelter makes Jun feel just a tiny bit lighter with each step he takes with you, and also from the way your eyes sparkle with every word you spoke. He finds himself letting out giggles at your stories of Hoshi's escape attempts and Min's stubborn streak, and for the first time in a long time, he feels truly comfortable, truly seen in a way that didn't feel fake.

Yet it doesn't take long for that feeling to falter just slightly. He doesn't know what Minghao exactly told you about him, or if anything at all𑁋how does he explain to you that he can quite literally talk to animals?

He knew that spilling the beans could go one of two ways: either you'd think he was crazy, or you'd be amazed (and maybe even a little scared). He's never exactly revealed it to any person he goes on a date with because, in the end, after a handful of mishap encounters with animals that don't mean to ruin the date, they end up leaving anyway.

Should he tell you? The words dance on his tongue, ready to tumble out, but that unwanted fear of rejection holds him back once again.

But before he can say anything, a squeaky quack pierces through the air, snapping Jun out of his thoughts. He looks down to see a small duckling waddling towards them, its tiny yellow head bobbing with each step. It stops in front of you, tilting its head inquisitively as it looks you up and down curiously, before heading to Jun's feet and quacking loudly.

It's Boo, one of the park's young resident chatterboxes who loves nothing more than socialising and the occasional spread of gossip. Jun had befriended Boo a while back, often sharing stories and snacks by the pond. But what was Boo doing here, and why does he look so worried? Jun could almost hear a frantic heartbeat echoing through the duckling's chest.

Boo lets out a series of rapid quacks. Jun strains to decipher the splurge of words, picking up snippets about stolen food and a local raccoon, and... how one of his siblings is stuck somewhere.

"Oh my gosh, you're so cute!" You exclaim, kneeling down upon noticing the young duck in front of Jun and extending a tentative hand. "What are you doing out here, little one? You're going to freeze."

Jun could only listen as the distraught duck spills its frustration on you. Yet you didn't understand anything, only continuing to coo about how cute the duckling is, and Jun watches as Boo looks up at him with pleading eyes, urging him to do something. He knew he had to act, but he glances at you, still kneeling with outstretched hand at Boo, and his mind races.

Should he explain his... ability to you and risk making you uncomfortable? Or maybe try to handle it on his own, somehow decipher Boo's instructions and lead you on a cryptic animal rescue mission that might look completely bizarre, delusional, and psychotic?

"Do you think it's lost?" You ask worriedly, glancing back up at Jun. And when his gaze catches yours, warm and hopeful in the glow of the fairy lights surrounding you, a surge of determination pulses through him.

Jun only quietly chuckles at Boo's attempts to tell you his name, his tiny feathered body vibrating with slight annoyance, but your gentle cooing and outstretched hand seem to soothe him a little. The sight stirs something deep within him, a warmth that spreads beyond the simple comfort of the hot chocolate from earlier.

"He's not lost," Jun says, his gaze meeting yours. "He's... a friend. And he's telling us a story. Oh, and his name is Boo, by the way."

Your brow furrows in confusion, a tiny crease appearing between your eyes. “You… understand ducks?”

Jun offers a hesitant smile, a knot of anxiety twisting in his stomach. There's no going back now.

“It’s a bit more than that,” he admits sheepishly, watching your expression shift from curious to intrigued. “I can, um, like... sort of talk to animals, I guess. Or they sort of talk to me, basically, yeah..."

The silence that follows is deafening. Jun braces himself for a wave of disbelief, rejection, maybe even a startled shriek. But instead, your eyes widen with awe, a growing smile forms on your lips, and Jun can't quite bring himself to tear his gaze away from you. He'd taken a leap of faith, and you, instead of running for the hills, were looking at him with... wonder?

"Wow, that's..." You breathe, voice hushed with wonder. "I-I mean I always knew that... sort of existed? Like, in research papers and ancient history, but meeting someone who can actually do it is just..."

Jun blinks, a bit taken aback by your reaction.

"You're not... freaked out or anything?" he asks cautiously. "Like... you actually believe me?"

"Jun." You turn to him, shifting so that your knees are slightly touching in the snow. "Minghao told me like... a lot of things, or tried to at least. I mean, at first I found it ridiculous, then I realised that this is Xu Minghao telling me this, and if he's vouching for you, it must be true. And, well... I really wanted to get to know you too."

Oh. "Oh," Jun mutters, cheeks flushing and face burning. Minghao, of course. He should have known his best friend with a 'credible' reputation wouldn't simply set him up on a blind date without throwing him under the bus a little bit. "I mean, it-it's nothing too fascinating. No mind-reading or telepathy exactly, just… understanding their gestures and stuff. It's kind of like learning a new language, you know?"

"Well, can you tell me what Boo is saying then?" You quirk up expectantly, and Jun swears he cannot handle more than five seconds of you peering at him without melting completely. His heart does a little double flip in his chest, landing somewhere around his ankles.

Jun chuckles, a warm sound that feels right at home amidst the snowy air. Then he takes a deep breath, steadying himself under your gaze, before turning his attention back to the little duck at his feet.

"Alright, alright," he teases, ruffling Boo's feathers playfully. "Don't get jealous, little guy. Spill it."

Boo then goes on an insistent frenzy of quacks, and you could only watch in awe as Jun listens carefully, nodding and humming in response. There's a certain magic in the air that you can sense, as if you've stepped right into a fairytale of some sorts. The small duckling then looks up at you with begging eyes, as if seeking your help as well. Jun shoots you a quick glance, and you can see the uncertainty in his eyes.

"He's pretty worked up," he admits, clearing his throat. "He's telling me about a raccoon that stole his flock's food, and... um, one of his siblings is stuck in a log somewhere. I have some food with me, but he wants to find his sibling first. He knows the way."

"Then let's do it," You say, rising to your feet and dusting off the snow on your pants.

Jun hesitates again, staring at you in slight disbelief𑁋you want to come with him? He glances at Boo, who lets out a frustrated quack, urging him to make a decision. Then he looks back at you, your kind eyes holding his own, and suddenly the choice becomes clear.

"Do you trust me?" Jun asks softly, his heart pounding in his chest.

You hold his gaze for a moment, a thoughtful look on your face. Then a smile blooms across your lips, one that reaches your eyes and seems to chase away the worry.

"I trust you," You answer, stretching an open hand towards him.

Jun feels a warmth spread through him, and he grabs your hand in his. Relief and something else courses through him, like excitement and perhaps a bit of fear. You were in, and that was all that mattered.

Boo lets out a triumphant quack, and with him waddling excitedly at your feet, you follow Jun deeper into the park, the fairy lights casting long shadows against the snow-covered ground. It's a strange sight𑁋you walking on one side of Jun and a duckling trotting on the other𑁋but with every step, whatever awkwardness that was lingering seems to melt away.

And maybe, just maybe, something else was blossoming too.

taglist (open) ʚɞ @enhazen @haowrld @icyminghao @slytherinshua @jeonride @lockburn-castle @vrnism @weird-bookworm @mhlsymlysn @ryuwonieebae @yeonjuns-redhair @wonwooz1 @woohaeyo @mark-geolli @caramyisabitchforsvtandbts @aaniag @wootify

[fiftysevenacademics]

Episode 28 reactions.

Zhuo Yichen, my sweet summer child! Wen Xiao has absolutely read those kinds of novels.

Now that he's a demon, ZYC gets to wear those little fur pompoms and the soft, textured fabrics all the demons wear that make them look so touchable.

"I told you everyone in the Wilderness knows me."

My girl Pei Sijing! "Wen Xiao, don't blame yourself. Not everyone is as kind as you. Don't let others' wickedness change your kindness." I love to see a brave, strong lesbian helping her girlfriend stay strong.

Zhuo Yichen is ready to choose Zhao Yuanzhou over Bai Jiu!

To be fair, it must be confusing to suddenly become a great demon and zhiji with the demon you once swore to kill. His priorities are a little unclear to him right now.

Ying Long/Zhao Yuanzhou always makes the hard choices so Bingyi/Zhuo Yichen doesn't have to.

The sound quality is a bit off during Ying Lei's speech?

"It's not 'we.' It's just you and Zhuo Yichen." Pei Sijing keeping it real like a true soldier! I love her.

"Anyone who wants to take Zhao Yuanzhou's inner core has to defeat me first." Honey, you don't even have a sword anymore! But I guess your demonic energy alone is enough to defeat most challengers.

Inner cores look like giant gumballs.

How can they not smell the handiwork of Chongwu Camp in all this? They're the ones who've been hounding ZYZ for his inner core.

Oh, never mind. They're on top of things.

THIS is Wen Zongyu's villain origin story? When people lose it in cdramas, they really go all out, don't they.

Poor Zhuo Yichen! He walks right into every joke and I love it. He's so honest they can't even let him in on their act.

"Let’s not alert them." My good demon daddy, sir. There is literally a demonized human with one of PSJ's demon-zapping arrows sitting up right now. WZY even recognized her arrow. Exactly what do you think not alerting them means?

ZYZ and WX finally kiss and we don't even get to see it clearly. Holding to the rule that if we can't see the MM pair kissing, we can't see the MF pair, either. Fair and balanced! All love is equal here.

The way WX and ZYZ react to ZYC pouting has me screaming. ZYZ is concerned and wants to make things right at first but WX is like, "Xiao Zhuo, stop being a little bitch. We'll let you in on the act next time." And ZYZ smirks. I am SCREAMING! This throuple is too perfect!!!

I am loving ZYC's new demon attire. Although, I gotta say, this black, gold-beaded outer robe number looks suspiciously like a ZYZ hand me down. Or like he's doing the classic cinema thing of wearing the boyfriend's shirt to suggest they've been physically intimate. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Is it really a good idea to let Ying Lei be in charge of the dragon scale? Sure, he loves Bai Jiu like a little brother, but he's also the kind of guy who would lose his head if it weren't attached.

I was right. *shakes head*

"Thanks Ao Yin. As a little treat I'll give you the Truth Eye so you can see my on point eyeliner and sultry smile."

Just kidding. They wouldn't really put YL in charge of the dragon scale.

Or, can Li Lun extract it without opening the box?

[bloopitynoot]

13 WangXian Social Media Au's

This list was requested by @yiling-laozu-is-loml and is all about WangXian social media stories. NOTE: All of these fics are tried and true! They include fics I have read an enjoyed and wanted to share.

Request:

WangXian

Social media can include; group chats, online forums, blog, tweets, OF, youtube etc really the public eye (I included some actor/famous/reality tv with fans fics too) or chat based fics.

if applicable Bottomxian only

book canon only if applicable

If you want a specific rec list for WangXian dm me! I love putting these together :)

Enjoy the list!

1 Welcome to Pepper & Bun! (9560 words) by PaidSubscription

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dating Advice Columnists, Relationship Advice, Demisexual Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Bisexual Disaster Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Mastermind Nie Huaisang, Inspired by Twitter, Autistic Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Has ADHD, Getting Together, Fluff and Humor, Those Who Can't Do Write Advice Columns, Idiots in Love, Mainly Wei Wuxian Because Canon, Podfic Available Summary: Wei Wuxian: Did you catch our first letter? Shall we meet up and discuss it? Lan Wangji: No need. Sent draft just now. Wei Wuxian's email pings with 'Column Copy- Final Draft.' It contains two words.   "Dump him." OR: Gossip Editor Nie Huaisang strikes gold when he picks Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji to be co-writers of a new dating advice column. The only slight problem? Lan Wangji has never dated.

NOTES: Okay this fic was so damn sweet!!!! If this was a real advice column I would be invested in an unhealthy way- the two of them are adorable. It gives a little bit of frenemies to lovers and I am always here for this dynamic- the duo who seemingly has nothing in common falling for one another. My heart! Also Nie Huaisang is a marketing genius.

2 For a Good Time, Call (170842 words) by ScarlettStorm

Chapters: 21/21 Rating: Explicit Additional Tags: Modern AU, Getting Together, Pining, Porn, like in the writing and also as a plot point, onlyfans au, repressed lan zhan, sex worker wei ying, in this house we support sex work, Minor Angst, major shenanigans, hornt(tm), way too many details about onlyfans probably, they say write what you know, No beta we die like wei wuxian, mental health, therapy is good actually, in which I reveal my true otp and it's anyone in the untamed/therapy, okay so actually more angst than I was expecting, a surprising amount of genuine feelings, whoops?, Background Jiang Cheng/Wen Qing - Freeform, background lan xichen/nie mingjue, background Jiāng Yànlí/Jīn Zixuān, Nonbinary Nie Huaisang Series: Part 1 of See all this and more for just ten dollars a month! Summary: The picture is of Wei Ying, that much is clear. It’s of a lot more of Wei Ying than Lan Zhan is used to seeing. He supposes that, technically, Wei Ying is dressed. It’s a bare technicality, since one of Wei Ying’s hands has rucked up his black tank top practically to his collarbone, showing a long expanse of abdomen and one nipple. Sweat beads on his sternum, catching the light like jewels. His other hand is--Lan Zhan feels his eyes widen, as though unable to look away from a train wreck--on his hip, one thumb tugging down the waistband of a pair of red briefs. Wei Ying is biting his lower lip and looking directly into the camera, sultry, his eyes dark and inviting. His erection is obvious, outlined against the red of the briefs and framed carefully with the hand on his hip. Lan Zhan’s brain goes wildly, screamingly blank. Or: Lan Zhan accidentally finds his best friend's OnlyFans account and has an ongoing emotional crisis.

NOTES: I love an OF plotline and this one is exceptionally good. Poor Lan Zhan going THROUGH the moralities of not only finding your besties OF account but also subscribing and also finding it too hot to handle. The amount of tears and cash this poor boy spends. It has a happy ending so no stress with his moral angst! ALSO the sequel is so so good KILF (Knits I'd Like To Fuck in (pls note the sequel has them tagged as switches so full disclosure there if it is a deal breaker for you).

3 兔's Clues | Tu's Clues (12296 words) by Anonymous

Chapters: 2/2 Rating: General Audiences Additional Tags: Crack Treated Seriously, Single Parent Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Minor Jiang Yanli/Jin Zixuan, Fluff and Humor, Misunderstandings, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Minor Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén/Niè Míngjué Series: Part 2 of AUs only a mother could love Summary: Most childrens’ show hosts are cheerful, energetic people who wear eye-catching clothing. The man on-screen is none of those things. This man (“that’s Lan-xiong!” A-Yuan says helpfully) is eye-catching for completely different reasons. When A-Yuan had started talking about 'Lan-xiong' and rabbits, Wei Wuxian had briefly recalled 18-year-old Lan Zhan sitting back on his heels with two baby rabbits in his lap, but the idea of his high school crush hosting a childrens' show had been so ludicrous that Wei Wuxian had chalked it up to coincidence. So either Wei Wuxian is hallucinating or that is indeed Lan Wangji on-screen, talking to two rabbits. As the host of a childrens' show. --- or: A-Yuan's new favourite thing is a show about solving clues left by rabbits… or something like that. Single dad Wei Wuxian is very much not prepared to see his high school crush hosting a childrens' show.

NOTES: So listen, this is tagged as Crack Treated Seriously and honestly the energy was not so Crackish. It was a surprisingly adorable and very cute fic. Lan Zhan WOULD be a stoic AF bunny handler as a children's tv host.

4 shoot your shot -- hot or knot (51435 words) by defractum

Chapters: 5/5 Rating: Explicit Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Canon-Typical Violence, Extremely Dubious Consent, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Humor, Additional Warnings In Author's Note Summary: "Hi, I'm Wei Wuxian. I'm a Career Omega and this is my fourth season on the show. I like spicy food, archery and alphas who are funny. Or maybe I don't, I haven't rolled over for one yet." On-screen, Wei Wuxian winks at the audience laughter. Hot or Knot is the world's most popular reality TV show. Part dating show, part survival show, Hot or Knot is everyone's guilty pleasure - and Wei Wuxian is a fan favourite. - The Love Island/Hunger Games reality dating tv show A/B/O au

NOTES: Okay, but here's the thing. This is S tier crack fic and no one can change my mind. Did I think I would be out here reading a Love Island/Hunger Games/ ABO reality show fic- absolutely not but let me tell you *slaps fic* this baby has so much good shit in it. Just pls trust me and go in with open energy LOL

5 episodes (34947 words) by kasunn

Chapters: 8/8 Rating: Mature Additional Tags: Fluff, basically all fluff, Youtuber Wei Ying, Social Media, Actor Lan Xichen, Artist Jiang Cheng, Chef Jiang Yanli, Babysitting, lowkey kidfic, Surgeon Lan Zhan, Canon typical feels, Taiwanese Wei Ying, Copious amounts of Chinglish, pets!, Secret Relationship, Kind Of, bad pet names, Established Relationship, wen yuan is a wen Summary: “Lan Zhan-gege,” Wei Ying sighs when he reads the tweet and Lan Zhan pats his knee. “I said hello,” Lan Zhan says. That he did. The tweet simply reads ‘Hello’ with a waving hand emoji. Terrible. Wei Ying is ashamed of himself for not teaching him better. “Your brother is going to kill me,” Wei Ying says. (or just a lot of domesticity between Wei Ying the Youtuber and Lan Zhan (his husband) + a mild, mini mystery for Wei Ying's viewers)

NOTES: I love this fic so much. The wholesome domestic energy is everything. WY is a youtuber and quite popular online in this and his husband is a mysterious man no one sees or knows anything about- obviously fans get curious and oh, Lan Zhan gets twitter.

6 you are safe / loved / worthy / enough (150003 words) by everythingispoetry

Chapters: 28/28 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - College/University, Social Media, Mental Health Issues, Healing, self-care, Anxiety, Hurt/Comfort, the mortifying ordeal of self-acceptance, Falling In Love, Depression, Slow Burn Summary: One of the more timid-looking posts, in pale greens and creams and yellows, says Hello, I'm managing to be fairly high functioning right now but I'm really not doing as well as it may appear, and Lan Zhan feels as if someone sneaked into his mind and read his most secret thoughts, the ones he's never even dared to admit to himself. (Lan Zhan falls apart and finds himself through the most unexpected means.)

NOTES: So a few things with this fic; first it takes the prompt social media a little lighter as in social media is used for healing and there are social media talks but it isn't the forefront of the fic, second CW if you struggle with depression this fts that heavily and in a descriptive way. So heads up there. This fic is stunning, it's about healing, recovery, autonomy and love. That being said, your boy Wangji really goes through it in this fic. The poor guy is Not Okay. It is a beautiful fic though and he does get better.

7 Badreads (37442 words) by arabii

Chapters: 8/8 Rating: Mature Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Writing & Publishing, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Bullying as a Flirting Technique, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian in Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian's Body Summary: Lan Zhan rated it ★☆☆☆☆ August 12, 2022 shelves: should-have-abandoned Picked up solely because I thought that a book release clouded with so much controversy would at least be entertaining to read. I was wrong. How does Wei Wuxian manage to make a book containing cannibalism, necromancy, and a sex cult boring? Lan Xichen and Wei Wuxian are romance authors with large social media followings. Nie Huaisang sees an opportunity to get publicity by faking a relationship between them. This action will have consequences.

NOTES: I absolutely LOVE when Lan Wangji is a Bitch and this is peak Bitchiness. WY and LXC are romance writers and LWJ is a book reviewer with 0 fucks to give. The brutality in which he makes a point to read and review each of WWX's books brings me so much joy. and OFC they fall in love.

8 Falling to the Rhythm (128916 words) by Selenay

Chapters: 14/14 Rating: Explicit Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - Dance, Alternate Universe - Strictly Come Dancing Fusion, Ballroom Dancing, Dancer!Wèi Wúxiàn, Violinist Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Pining While Dancing, Oblivious Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Gratuitous Costume Descriptions, Gratuitous dancing descriptions, Slow Burn, Rating applies to later chapters, The unbearable romance of being cared for, Podfic Available Series: Part 1 of Wangxian Strictly AU Summary: "So it's a bet?" Jiang Cheng said. "Dance the showcase if you get him, fancy coffee machine if you don't?" Wei Wuxian considered the machine. "Fine. You're on. I want it in red." "Don't start planning your caffeine overdose yet." "It's in the bag," Wei Wuxian said cheerfully. "There's no way they'll match me with someone like Lan Wangji."   Teaching Lan Wangji to dance in front of the nation for twelve weeks, how hard can that be? Wei Wuxian is about to find out.

NOTES: I love everything about this fic. It was so good and light (a tiny sip of angst because competition and some pining). The Strictly Come Dancing (basically Dancing with the Stars for North America) is *chefs kiss*. Also the fact that WY went in on it for a bet because he wanted a coffee machine I cant.

9 Gusu's Drag Race (55079 words) by DizziDreams

Chapters: 15/15 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Additional Tags: the gang's all here, Drag Queens, Drag Race AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Nonbinary Character, Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, whistleblower, There Was Only One Bed, Alcohol Abuse, ambiguous setting, American political system - Freeform, Big Bang Challenge, Background jyl/mianmian Summary: Meet the Queens of Gusu’s Drag Race Season 5! by QIN SU Oh my god, we’re back again. Hot on the heels of the shocking finale of season 4, Gusu’s Drag Race is back, with perennial judge Lan Qiren, Gusu’s grumpiest shufu, and featuring the return of the grandmother of drag Baoshan Sanren. And this season is already promising one. “We’ve never had such a strong cast of refined, professional queens. It has the makings to be the greatest season of Drag Race yet.” Big talk for the Emmy-award-winning show that has shot dozens of queens to fame, bringing drag to the mainstream. “The mainstream may be taking notice, but there’s nothing mainstream about drag done right,” says co-host Baoshan Sanren. “Drag is about disobedience. It’s rebellious and anti-mainstream by its very definition, and we’ve got some queens this season with the chops to prove it.” With all that to look forward to, let’s Meet the Queens who’ve already captivated our judges.

NOTES: I know I said that Hot or Knot was PEAK Crack, but this one is up there too! We have the MDZS ensemble, we have Drag, we have unionization and the fight for working conditions, OH AND INCLUDED ART. This was so fun to read.

10 Yesterday Once More (22725 words) by Sweetlittlevampire

Chapters: 7/7 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Long Lost Family AU, Adoption, Family Reunions, Reunions, Lost Love, Getting Back Together, Family Feels, Found Family, Angst with a Happy Ending, Mild Angst, Happy Ending, Podfic Welcome, Podfic Available Summary: „I remember him as…sunny,” Sizhui tells her. “His whole personality radiated sunshine and warmth. He was always smiling, always cracking a joke. He loved playing and rough-housing with us kids, but he could also be very gentle if he wanted to. Looking back, he couldn’t have been older than twenty-five; he was probably even younger than that, now that I think about it. But despite the short time we’ve spent together while he was looking after the kids at the orphanage, he always felt like a father to me.”   In which Lan Sizhui goes on a TV show, to find the man he saw as a father figure while he was in the orphanage, and who disappeared one day. …and who just so happens to be his adoptive father's long-lost love.

NOTES: Okay way less crack, this fic actually made me tear up. A wholesome journey Sizhui centric in which he goes on a reality TV show to find his Xian-ge. The "show" was so beautifully narrated and "produced" and the ending ultra sweet.

11 Love at Second Sight (49893 words) by flowerofgusu

Chapters: 17/17 Rating: Explicit Relationships: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Characters: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Luo "Mian Mian" Qingyang, Wen Qing (Modao Zushi), Wen Ning | Wen Qionglin, Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin, Lan Yuan | Lan Sizhui Additional Tags: Background SongXiao, background mianqing, Romance, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Reality TV, Musicians Wangxian, Comphet Wei Wuxian, Coming Out, Demisexual Wei Wuxian, Rated E for the Small Amounts of Smut, Eventual Smut, Romantic Comedy, Falling In Love, Misunderstandings, Rivals to Friends to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage Summary: Popstar Wei Wuxian agrees to go on Nie Huaisang’s reality TV show, wherein celebrities play an arranged married couple for a month. His manager, Wen Qing, insists this will be good publicity—plus, the funds raised will go to a children’s music school. He’s excited—he’s never been in a relationship before, let alone a fake-arranged-marriage. But when he finds out that he’s been arranged to be married on the show to his rival Lan Wangji, he doesn’t know whether to grin and bear it, or run the other way. How much can he act smitten for the cameras?

NOTES: On a good day I am already too invested in real life trash reality tv so it's no surprise that I am here to include yet another reality tv dating show au. This one was so good. I love a good "fake it till you accidentally actually fall in love" trope and this one does that plus a solid slowburn to realization exquisitely. These poor babes so oblivious- such messes.

12 cookin' up a storm, piece of cake (9562 words) by livinginaworldofnoise

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: General Audiences Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Social Media, Baking, the dumbest comments u have ever seen, wei wuxian being a troll for nearly 10k words, lan wangji suffering the most that any recipe blogger has ever suffered, Baker Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian is a Little Shit, Crack, content warning for absolute unhinged nonsense, told in the form of recipe comments and emails, Epistolary Summary: yiling_patriarch: first time making a cake with alcohol! it’s still in the oven but it smells great so far ↳ Gusu Lan Kitchen: There is no alcohol listed in the ingredients for this recipe. yiling_patriarch: i didn’t have any oranges or orange juice so i replaced those with a can of orange sparkling margarita! tasted super weird [★★☆☆☆] ↳ Gusu Lan Kitchen: Are you being deliberately obtuse? OR: life is tough for baker!lwj when online troll!wwx won't stop commenting on his recipe blog

NOTES: I know @yiling-laozu-is-loml has already read this (and the next fic) but I legally (not actually) had to include this one on this list. This fic is so damn cute- flirting through bad baking, trolling, and blogs??? What is there not to love. It is extra sweet how they end up together in the end.

13 don’t threaten me with a good time (60023 words) by livinginaworldofnoise

Chapters: 11/11 Rating: General Audiences Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Reality TV, Alternate Universe - The Great British Bake Off Fusion, wwx is a chaos demon determined to make gbbo more exciting, lwj cares about the Integrity of Bake-Off, who will win????, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, gbbo au, content warning for absolute unhinged nonsense, Enemies to Lovers, by enemies i mean BAKING RIVALS of course, the last two chapters are the twitter reactions to the show so, Social Media AU, Podfic Available Summary: “I’m using orange liqueur to make my cake more interesting. Give it a bit of a kick, you know?” Lan Wangji’s expression has only changed minutely—not a lot of range there, it seems—but Wei Wuxian can tell he is perturbed by this information. “Alcohol? In cake?” “Honestly, I’m not sure any cake should even be made without alcohol,” Wei Wuxian says, offering another beatific smile that Lan Wangji does not return. OR: the great british bake-off au???

NOTES: Bake off AU! BAKE OFF AU! It's got cakes, scandal, disasters, enemies to lovers, and clothing so distracting WWX bluescreens. A very wholesome social media + reality TV competition. I highly recommend for good vibes. Bonus with the juniors idolizing Lan Zhan- such little cuties.

[spooky-bunnys]

Hear me out peh yah meets gothic reader and at first peh assumes that the reader is a vampire and peh just does everything in his way to protect his “vampire” crush. I mean him always holding an umbrella for the reader, make sure there is no garlic near him (can just imagine pah offering the reader garlic bread only for peh to slap it out of pah hand), crosses and stakes are thrown far away from the reader and whenever the reader says “I’m kinda hungry” peh immediately shows his neck and replies with “make it quick”

If that’s alright with you

So sorry for the late reply. A lots been going on and as excited as I was to write this I had no idea how to go by it to be honest. But here you go! Also I hope you guys like my new theme!

When Peh-yan met (Name) he was surprised. Very surprised. He had never seen anyone like him. He looked....different.

He had extremely pale skin. He had a pitch black parasol covering him from the sun. Clothes as dark as his umbrella. But it was the Rosari stood out the most.

So he immediately knew this guy was a Vampire. Cause what human would be like that?! (Literally me if I could man) But he was confused on why he was so nice to him.

Vampires in books and Manga were said to be beauitful but rude and uncaring. (Name) was different though, while yes he was beautiful. He was kind and caring.

Peh-yan watched carefully from behind the corner, as (Name) was playing with a small black cat. The soft smile on the male's face made Peh-yan's heart skip a beat.

He looked so sweet and gentle. Peh-yan had leaned a bit too far and fell. Startling not only the cat but the "undead" male.

(Name) looked at the fallen male then turned to where the cat was. He was a bit sad he couldn't play with the animal for longer but he needed to get home anyways. He turned and slowly made his way home. Completely forgetting about the fallen male he left behind.

Peh-yan looked around noticing the dark male disappeared. So it was true! He even had the speed of a Vampire! (No hun you were just stuck in a gay day dream) No matter though he will keep the male's real identity a secret! He will protect (Name) with his life!

~

It's been about a month since (Name) met Peh. The taller male had been acting extremely weird in his opinion. Like how on their walk home Peh steered him away from the church. While also scared away the kids that were playing outside of it. Yelling about keep him safe from being hurt.

(Name) didn't know how a church or a group of kids with sticks can hurt him. He sighed petting another cat as the tall male held his parasol. Keeping him protected from the sun.

That was another thing. Whenever they see each other, Peh immediately takes his parasol away and always covers him. While (Name) found this sweet, he just didn't know why the male was so keen on keeping him "safe". He knows Peh doesn't mean any harm its just.....he's acting weird wen "protecting" him.

Like how at school earlier, Peh literally slapped a piece of garlic bread out of his best friends hand! Going on and on about how garlic can harm him. (Name) had tried explaining to Peh that while he didn't like garlic, it doesn't harm him. But he wasn't able to since he had scared off a few girls. Who had been praying for their food.

(Name) picked up the cat. Smiling softly. He loved animals. Cat were his biggest weakness. After giving the cat some more scratches, (Name) let the cat go before looking over at his "protector". "Hey Peh I'm getting kind of hungry."

Now what (Name) expected was for the male to led them to a restaurant. Not for him to pull (Name) into an alley and tell (Name) to be quick.

"Huh?"

(Name) was stooped. Peh leaned close and showed his neck. His face serious and ears red. (Name) had never been so confused in his whole life. What was he doing?

"Peh?"

"Go ahead (Name). Just please be gentle. This is my first time."

Okay what the hell is going on?

"First time for what?!"

Peh stuck his neck out more, pulling his shirt slightly down. "Go ahead. I made sure to wash my neck in case this happens."

"Peh why would you need to wash your neck?" (Name) tilted his head confused. He didn't understand what was going on here anymore.

Peh pulled away and shyly looked to the side. "S-So if you needed blood I could give you some of mine." (Name) choked on air. Even more confused. What is going on?

"Why would I need blood?" Peh looked confused. "Do you not need blood to live?" "Doesn't everyone?" "Well not everyone is a Vampire though!"

Vampire? Who the hell was a vampire?Vampire?! "I'm not a Vampire though." Peh stared at him. "You're not?" (Name) shook his head. Quietly laughing. "No Peh. Is that what this has been about?"

The taller male wouldn't meet his eyes. (Name) gave a soft laugh. Peh looked confused at the (hair color) male's reaction. (Name) smiled brightly and wiped away the tears that had came to his eyes.

"Peh, I'm not a vampire. What made you think that?" The taller male the began explaining how (Name) acted like a vampire. Which (Name) expained how he wasn't one.

"You always use an umbrella to stay out of the sun!" -Peh

"I get sunburned easil." -(Name)

"Your extremely pale!" -Peh

"I got my pale skin color from my grandmother." -(Name)

"You're always wearing dark clothes!" -Peh

"The color black is my happy color. I'm also goth Peh." -(Name)

"Then what about that cross thing you're always wearing?!" -Peh

"It's a family heirloom. Its also a Rosari." -(Name)

Peh looked stooped. He had to admit. Those were good reasons...or maybe (Name) really WAS a vampire but he had to keep it a secret. But he wouldn't take his blood though....maybe he didn't like people blood?

Peh nodded looking determined. "Don't worry (Name)! Your secret is safe with me!"

(Name) groaned and face-palmed.

[wangxianficrecs]

Black and white by apathyinreverie

Black and white

by apathyinreverie (@apathyinreverie)

T, 10k, Wangxian

Summary: The thing is, Sizhui knows that nothing in this world is ever truly black or white. Kay's comments: This story is giving me something I'm always craving: Lan Sizhui pondering over his place in the world and in the Lan Sect after everything that happened in canon, after he learned of his true identity and after he learned what happened to the Wen remnants. It's bitter, it's honest, it's absolutely perfect. Lived for the part where he was roasting Lan Qiren for his hypocricy and I loved the ending of the story - very satisfying! Also featuring outsider POV on Wangxian's developement post-canon in a mostly The Untamed-verse with Chief Cultivator Lan Wangji and them not being together yet, very heart-breaking and heart-warming in equal measures. Excerpt: However, he also sees the shadowed caution, the uncertainty so briefly flitting through Xian-ge’s eyes at Jingyi’s enthusiastic invitation, mixed with something else, something that would be impossible to read for Sizhui if he didn’t already know about the longing Xian-ge usually hides so successfully. It is a little devastating to realize how unexpected the invitation apparently seems to Xian-ge. Because, even several months after his return, he still isn’t certain of his welcome in Gusu, of his welcome with A-Die, and it has been barely three weeks since he last left and to return now would certainly break the pattern of only returning every few months which Xian-ge seems to have set himself for his visits. ‘Not unless he is explicitly told’, Wen Ning’s voice once more echoes in his mind. Sizhui chooses to interject softly, “Please, Wei-qianbei,” leaning forward the slightest bit, still a little jarred at their ever-decreasing distance in height, now barely needing to look up to meet Xian-ge’s eyes any longer. “You would most certainly be welcome. This one would be very happy if you were to join us on our way back.”

pov lan sizhui, post-canon, mo dao zu shi & the untamed combination, the untamed compliant, chief cultivator lan wangji, pov outsider lan wangji/wei wuxian, getting together, hurt/comfort, adorable juniors, gusu lan sect rules, cultivation sect politics, good parents lan wangji and wei wuxian, mutual pining, oblivious wei wuxian, protective lan wangji, protective lan sizhui, communication

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

[he-is-lightning-in-a-bottle]

Favorite BL Antagonists

I was tagged by @my-rose-tinted-glasses (thank you!) and quickly realized that as far as currently airing BLs go, we all have the same faves! So to switch it up, I'm opting to have you guys pick from my favorite (least favorite? most hated? most annoying? most beloathed?) antagonists. They aren't necessarily villains (though some may be), and the show may or may not have redeemed them. But they definitely stirred up shit. These are the characters that at some point, I wanted to punch in the face or toss off a cliff.

Plern Pleng - Together With Me

Just saying her name makes me want to slap someone. I wanted to slap her every time she was on my screen. She invokes a really visceral need see her slapped. She's the OG of BL Witches-With-A-B, and to this day I still find myself comparing newer characters (like Eun Ji in The Eighth Sense) to her and find they don't usually measure up to her level of audacity.

Todd - Not Me

Whatever twisted situationship he had going on with Black, he rocked having a gun pointed to his face. And the confidence that Black couldn't kill him any more than he could kill Black looked sexy as hell on him. But he unapologetically put Black in a coma, deceived White and used him as an unwitting spy, and worked against our ragtag team of anti-establishment protesters.

Tawan - Kinnporsche

He came back into Kinn's life with his sad puppy dog eyes acting like a victim, and it's true he was a unknowing pawn in Vegas' 4D chess match with Kinn and ultimately got outplayed. But he put a gun to Porsche's head and for that I will not forgive him.

Kit - Never Let Me Go

Yeah, yeah, I'm using a gif from The Sign. That's because I spent a half hour searching for gifs of him as the hot uncle in a suit from Never Let Me Go and while I did find some they weren't of him alone. When I looked for gifs of the actor, Nat Sakdatorn, they were mostly of him in The Sign, in 609 Bedtime Story, and kissing Singto in FriendZone. So I figured I'd grace your dashes with him shirtless because... well, you're welcome. Anywho, in Never Let Me Go, Kit was greedy and fucked up and a shit father. But he was smoking hot while doing it!

Uea's Mom - Bed Friend

How evil do you have to be before absolutely no one on this hellsite is willing to gif you? As bad as this lady, apparently! I searched high and low using the actor's name, every combination of description of the scenes and episodes she was in, even used Google. And let me tell you, people only giffed Uea's reactions to her (I don't blame y'all. He's legit that pretty) or her in passing. So... Thida. Is a shit mom. And a criminal. And a child abuser. And a homophobe. And she's one of the only Bad Parents in Thai BL who got what was coming to them.

Anyone else want to play? Tag! You're it. No pressure tags to @lurkingshan @respectthepetty @slayerkitty @bengiyo @wanderlust-in-my-soul

And also: @wen-kexing-apologist @twig-tea @waitmyturtles @spicyvampire @stefanyd

[kittyhuii]

𝙇𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙃𝙖𝙯𝙚

"I just wanna stay, in that lavender haze"

inspired by Taylor Swift's 'Lavender Haze'

genre: smut

pairings: celebrity!jun x gn!reader (Jun calls reader Angel)

word count: 1,056 words (barely proofread)

synopsis: Being in a relationship with such an a-list celebrity was definitely one of your wildest dreams. Of course, such a dream come true has its drawbacks, but both you and Jun are determined to stay in that lavender haze.

a/n: hey yall ik i haven't been active in a while, its just that school is actually school-ing rn and i been busy with it, but here's a draft that i've been working on before school even started, enjoy!

A white limousine came to a halt just in front of the red carpet that was welcoming only the most known celebrities in the industry. The car door was opened by a man in a suit, probably a butler of some sort. And as the door opens, the flashes of the cameras beside you intensified, taking pictures of the fine man who immediately graced the red carpet as he stepped out of his car. You look through the camera lens, admiring the purple–coated celebrity who was causing flashes of light and screams all around the venue – Wen Junhui.

It’s rare to hear from someone who has not at least heard about Wen Junhui, he’s always the talk of the town – considering his phenomenal acting skills ever since he was just a child he himself earned such a reputation – getting nominated for ‘Best Actor’ in any award show and winning the said nominations, going home carrying gold on his arms and a smug smile on his face. 

“I’m going to be a famous actor one day!” the child with spiky bangs next to you exclaimed. You giggled playfully at his adorable antics. “Yah, you mustn't forget about me then” you joked half-heartedly, what you weren’t expecting was how much your friend looked offended. “Of course, I won’t! We should be actors together!” the boy suggested, like he always does. Sure, you loved the idea every time he brought it up but you were just not cut out for that. Noticing your silence, the self-proclaimed future actor continued nagging you. “The only closest I will be to a celebrity is probably being part of a paparazzi or something…” you replied, hoping it will shut him up for now, but soon that idea was scratched out when he only kept nagging you the entire day. 

“How can you keep admiring that photo when I’m right in front of you?” Jun inquired, snapping you out of your thoughts. He went closer to where you were seated and peeked at the photo that was displayed on your camera, seemingly mimicking the pose that he had on the said photo, earning a giggle from you. “So,” Jun started, “... date tonight?” he asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, especially since people know that you’re staying in this part of the city”. As tempting as it was, you knew you had to reject it. Having such a large fan base as an artist can be a bit of a burden sometimes, especially during times like these – where it seems like a fan could pop up at any moment, busting you two. 

Rejecting Jun’s idea of going on a date surely didn’t atone to the fact that you were in front of him, sprawled on the bed of your shared hotel room. 

You lifted your head up and gazed at the man in front of you, the bright light from the ceiling seemingly hitting the back of his purple sweater, emitting a lavender aura around him. In one swift motion, the black necktie wrapped around the collar of his sweater was undone and thrown across whatever corner of the room. The thick and plush purple fabric of his sweater was soon lifted off of him, revealing the toned muscles covering his lean body. “Like what you see?” He asked, a smug look evident on his beautiful face – God, you hate him, you hate how he’s the only one who can you have wrapped around his finger. A nod was all you could respond before he leisurely walked to the side of the bed. As he makes his way to you, his smoldering gaze never left you – who is growing tenser and flustered with each passing second. 

“Strip.” was all he had to say before you went down your knees on the bed, unbuttoning your clothes and taking off the thin fabric of a cloth that wasn’t really hiding the lust that has long been pent up deep inside you. “So pretty for me…” Jun whispered, brushing his cold and slender fingers on your heat–covered cheek, admiring your petite and delicate features. As he was doing so, you were down to the last piece of clothing that was covering your entirety. However, you felt hesitant – your fingers stopping on the waistband of your underwear, fidgeting with it. Jun, who was growing impatient, now had both his hands on your waist. “Don’t be shy now, Angel” he teased, as he started to pull on the waistband of your underwear himself though he soon stops. “May I?” he asked, making sure he wasn’t crossing any boundaries, and so, you nodded in response.

“Jun…,” you cry out as you felt your high quickly approaching. “Yes, Angel?” he grunts, all the while he was filling you up with length, hitting your sweet spot with every thrust. “…I’m close” your voice, almost as inaudible as a whisper, but Jun knew just from the way your cheeks flush red and you clenching around the girth of his cock. “Fuck…” he grunts again, “…if you keep doing that I’m gonna cum”. Jun’s words flipped a switch inside you, one that had you arching your back as you blissed out. Meanwhile, the sounds of Jun’s thrusting only grew more lewd, now with your arousal acting as lube. Your climax had you dizzy, unable to fathom the fact that Jun was practically pounding into you as he rode himself to ecstasy. Jun thrusts into you one last time as he felt shockwaves sent through his entire body by his climax before he pulls out of you in one quick motion, jerking his cock before strings of white liquid erupts from the tip of his cock, the white liquid pooling on your stomach as you two lay on the bed, side–by–side, completely disheveled.

You look to your left and you see Jun with a smile on his face. “What’re you smiling about?” you ask, amused. “Nothing really, you just look beautiful”. “Oh please” you cringe at his cheesy remark as you smacked his shoulder as a joke, earning a hearty laugh from him and you doing the same. That’s when you realized that you would do anything in your place to stay, to stay with him in this lavender haze.

a/n: this has been in my drafts for more than a month now istg, but now it finally sees light hehe, hope yall liked it and ill try to be more active despite of school.

[chirpycloudyrobin]

Hi! I just realized that I could send an ask if I keep having brain rot about your Calamity!WWX AU and might have a chance of getting an answer (beyond leaving a comment on AO3 I mean)!

If WWX died in the three months he was in the burial mounts, do you think he still aged after that because he didn't register he was dead? Or did he just seem to because of lack of food and sleep getting rid of the left over baby fat?

I think it would be some sort of heartbreaking if current WWX were to wear his old visiting disciple robes, tie his hair up and look exactly like the boy LWJ fell in love with. The boy he watched become less of himself each day in the war until he lost him.

Or maybe that's too angsty and WWX just accidentally shape shifted himself older without noticing, that's the much funnier option. I think I got sidetracked, sorry. My question was supposed to only be "did WWX age during the war", ignore the rest of you want?

oh haiii glad to know im not the only one constantly brainrotting over my AU 🥰🥰

pretty sure he still showed small signs of visible aging before he figured out he was, yknow, dead like he was subconsciously updating his look via ghost shapeshifting. but that halted when he figured it out 😔 if wwx looked like he stopped aging at some point, ppl wld just connect it to his golden core bc no one aside from the wen sibs know hes missing one and wwx was certainly powerful enough to supposedly gain that "slowed aging" benefits from his golden core early

oh ! and lil fun fact: current wwx doesnt look exactly like his old alive self anymore owo in his mo shanxi disguise, he looks more like mo xuanyu since theyre supposed to be closely related. hes still freakishly tall tho im not letting his height go. in his true calamity ghost form, his features look more androgynous in a sense that he now looks more like his mother than he does his father. yin energy body things and all, since yin represents the female aspects and i figured having a body of pure yin energy wld surely enhance all the features he got from his mother. im also still debating if i shld give him white hair or keep it black 👁️👁️ or add white 👁️👁️ who knows

BUT he can definitely shapeshift to his old disciple body for nostalgia and angst purposes if he wants to OWO

[evolutionsbedingt]

WIP Wednesday

The He Xuan ascended after all fic (I really should come up with a better title than that) took a turn for the angstier and I decided to inflict the pain on you for this lovely WIP Wednesday! <3

Previous parts

★★★

He Xuan breathed a sigh of relief when Ling Wen concluded the meeting and yelped when he looked up to find Hua Cheng sitting right next to his desk, cheek leaned on his fist and his eyes fixed on He Xuan. Immediately he felt tense again and busied himself with putting his desk back into order. 

“So He-dafang saw Dianxia two hundred years ago,” Hua Cheng remarked, studiously calm voice offset by the glint of anger in his eye. 

He Xuan realised that he was back to wearing his true form and he wished he could feel that it was a show of trust. Instead, it felt more like a warning, a reminder what Hua Cheng was capable of if He Xuan should dare to upset him. 

“Why did you not tell me about a cultivator who didn’t age visiting your shrines?” Hua Cheng asked, his fingers tapping impatiently on He Xuan’s desk and leaving small, charred pits behind. 

He Xuan stood from his seat, dropping to his knees before Hua Cheng, and pressed his forehead to the ground. “This unskilled scribe deserves to die for keeping Tanhua-jun from his beloved for two more centuries. I should not have failed to recognise him or his immortality. Tanhua-jun must punish me severely.”

The biting tip of Eming came to rest against the juncture of He Xuan’s throat and shoulder, dragging up slowly and forcing his head along. Warm blood trickled in its path and He Xuan could tell that the resentment of that blade was lapping it up. He understood with some horror that Eming at least considered him to be an enemy of Hua Cheng’s now. His heart froze from the inside out and cracked, indubitably about to shatter if it were to encounter another blow.

It took more courage than usual to meet Hua Cheng’s eye and when he did, there was a red glow to it that only appeared when Hua Cheng was truly incensed. 

“Tell me, did you hide it purposefully so you could keep me to yourself? After all, it’s only through my support that word of your cult spread throughout the plains and beyond.” He leaned in, Eming digging dangerously into the soft underside of He Xuan’s jaw. “Or did you want to keep him to yourself? Do you think you’re better than me? Taizi Dianxia would never choose rubbish like us. You may be a god, but your hands are just as stained by sin as mine.”

He Xuan knew Hua Cheng. He knew the deep-seated fear of being a monster, of being detestable and undeserving of love. He knew that it must be Hua Cheng’s fear driving him to say these things and yet his heart shattered under the onslaught. His apology had meant nothing to Hua Cheng and he’d lost centuries of trust, simply because he’d failed to realise that the white-clothed cultivator was special. He Xuan wanted to cry, but his body refused to let him seek that relief. It was something that hadn’t happened since he was freed from Water Manor and He Xuan recognised it for what it was: a sign that he too had lost his trust in Hua Cheng now. 

Closing his eyes, He Xuan said, “This unskilled scribe would not dare to interfere with fate like that and his failure to do what was asked of him is unforgivable. Tanhua-jun’s happiness is most important to him.” Calling forth the arrays protecting his house from unwanted visitors, He Xuan raised a trembling hand to pluck four characters out of the array. It felt like he was ripping out his own veins, the power in them pulsing like a heartbeat as they dissipated, and when he opened his eyes, Hua Cheng was nowhere to be seen. 

The next thing He Xuan did was to change his private communication array password and then he sent his cats hunting for the butterflies the array may not have been able to excise while he took down the distance-shortening array to Paradise Manor in the pantry. 

He hesitated over the black butterfly that still fluttered around with Hua Cheng’s flock and finally couldn’t bring himself to destroy it. He closed his mind to it though and, summoning his blade, He Xuan descended into the mortal realm without so much as a word of goodbye to Xie Lian. 

Wrapping the scabbard of his blade in rags and dampening talismans, he followed the mountain road he’d landed on and did not allow his thoughts to stray anywhere other than the vibrant nature and harmonious bird calls surrounding him. He slept under the stars, his mind shut to any connection the heaven may try to make to him, and when he rose in the morning he decided to wander for… a while. His methods may not be orthodox, but cultivators were always needed and people in need were rarely picky about where the help came from.

[wangxianficfinder]

Fic Finder

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1. hello im looking for a fic where wwx and lwj are married but wwx died. wwx is interred in lotus pier and wangxian's kids go to see him and ask him to wake up, iirc. also it seemed unfinished or part of a series bc at the time i read it, the fic ends with wwx still dead. thank you so much for all that you do i hope your dinners are always good ♥️

FOUND? A Baby Dragon's Guide To Seducing Your Huli Jing by sweetlolixo (M, 87k, wangxian, fantasy au, dragon LWJ, fox WWX, younger LWJ, older WWX, fluff, humor, happy ending, WIP)

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2. Hi! I want to ask about a fic I read some time ago. 

It was about a Canon Divergence where WWX and the Wens disappeared and years later they come back. They have formed a new sect and were hidden in the Wen territory. And I remember they had as a kind of dome with a fog or something in the Wen territory. And something happens that WWX and the Wens has to return and at the beginning doesn't want to talk to LWJ and always the one that speaks for him is WQ.I hope you can help me find this fic, I'd love to read it again. Thank you for everything 🤗💜 @wangxiansgirl​

FOUND! 💖 Echo, Murmur, Dream, Here by bluerainmist (M, 51k, wangxian, canon divergence, WWX survives, sect leader WWX, yiling wei sect au, slow burn, angst w/ happy ending, getting together, pining, love confessions, reunions, mind all the tags)

Not FOUND! Identity Porn AU by ShanaStoryteller

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3. Hi! I've just watched the trailer for the movie "red, white and royal blue" and I remembered reading a wangxian fic based on that novel too!! I cannot find it anymore tho? Does anyone remember that fic? Thank you all guys for your amazing support!! @jaecomments

FOUND! History, Huh? by BaconnEggs (M, 53k, WIP, WangXian, Modern AU, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, RWARB AU basically, Modern Royalty, First Son, International Relations, Diplomacy, Multimedia, Miscommunication, Mischief, Royalty, First Kiss, Implied Sexual Content, Friends With Benefits, Oblivious, Sexuality Crisis, Non-Graphic Smut, Secret Relationship, Fade to Black, YZY is a Good Parent, WangXian Being WangXian, Chatting & Messaging, First Time, Twitter) could it be this one? i haven't read it but it's the only one i could find that fits.

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4. Hii! I'm looking for this fanfic where Wei ying got cursed or something like that. Because of that he can't see (and feel? hear?) Lan Zhan, Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, Jiang Cheng (and Jin Ling?). To break the curse they have to admit their true feelings towards him and wei ying  has to acknowledge and accept them. He thinks they all hate him, but that is obviously not the case ^^

I hope you can find it.

FOUND? See Me, Feel Me (Listening to You) by Ghost_Honey (T, 29k, wangxian, JC & WWX, LSZ  & WWX, JL & WWX, LJY & WWX, WWX pov, WWX needs a hug, and gets several, WWX’s abysmal self-esteem, emotional healing, angst, curses, JC & WWX reconciliation, hurt/comfort, cuddling)

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5. Hi!!!! I'm looking for a texting fic, it's set in the regular mdzs verse (not modern, but like they just invented a version of texting) LXC is like a massive hoe in it. Please help, I'm getting desperate here, Thanks @sad-stucky-shipper-107​

FOUND? Grandmaster of Meme-onic Cultivation by Hades_the_Blingking (T, 75k, LWJ/WWX/MXY, chat fic, canon compliant, memes, polyamory, not everyone dies au)

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6. Hey, I have been looking for this fic for a very very loooong time, and still unable to find it. I hope you can find it for me

Here is all the things that I remember of that fic:

- modern setting

-lwj is an actor or singer (not sure which one 🤔)

- established wwx/lwj-i think wwx is a reporter/paparazzi 

-there is a part where other reports think that lwj is dating mianmian

That's all I can remember so far. Hope you can find it 🤞@mayavsworld

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7. Hi! Please help me find this fic. It was post canon. LJY night hunting with LSZ, but only LJY come back to Gusu with LSZ's head ribbon. WWX took the news hard that i think its mentioned that he fall sick after that. I think LWJ went to where the night hunt happened and kill the snake yao to at least find LSZ body to have a burial but come out empty. I think it was chaptered fic but im not sure. At near the end of the story, in LP, LSZ turn up and make JWY shocked. He than tells JWY that the snake yao didnt killed him and he get lost when he is trying to go home. Thats all i remember. Thank you! @idontknowwhattowriteforusername

~*~

8. a fanfic where wei ying's parents aren't married and he gets turned into a slave @lydiablackrose​

FOUND? To Be Known by kat8cha (M, 4k, LXC/JGY, pre-3zun, wangxian, mildly dubious consent, Captive Prince fusion, sex work, master/pet, something made them do it, non-con situation, emperor NMJ, WIP/discontinued)

FOUND? Leash the Wind by ladyshadowdrake (E, 71k, wangxian, LXC/JGY, NHS/JC, Captive Prince fusion, emperor LXC, fluff & angst, slow burn, dub con, extensive world building, WIP)

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9. Hey, I was hoping you could help me find a wanxian fic where wei wuxian gives himself to the Lans to be cleansed from resentful energy in exchange for the Wen's safety. The wens move to cloud recesses, I think. Lan wangji uses his qin to purge the resentment and unknowingly nearly kills wei wuxian. His body starts to deteriorate back to when he had injured himself in the fall to the burial mounds.

FOUND? decay by antebunny (G, 15k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst, Misunderstandings, Miscommunication, Fix-It, Angst with a Happy Ending, the fluffiest ending, Hurt/Comfort)

~*~

10. There’s a fic I can’t track down. It was a bottom Lan Wangji one. I think wwx had been fantasizing about oral sex for a while and I have a rather distinct memory of Lan Wangji sitting down next to him at his desk and sucking on his fingers. The situation may or may not have had something to do with some p0rn Huaisang sent them, my memory is very hazy :’D

~*~

11. Hello! Jealous lwj au. Wen ning and wwx are friends. wwx loves making lwj jealous because he gets railed so hard when lwj is jealous and angy. then one time it got too much, wwx suggested hugging or doing something sketchy with wen ning during a party. wwx promised wn that it'll be the last time. then lwj saw it, but sadness was seen in his face not the usual anger that wwx wants from lwj. lwj runs away from the party and lwj throws their ring. then wwx ran after him crying begging. THANK YOU! @jamebyeol-blog​

~*~

12. hello!

there was a particular fic where wei wuxian learns how to weild his sword all over again and sword fights with lan wangji under the moonlight and lam wangji is extremely turned on by it.

wei wuxian tries to pick up sword fighting and challenges lan wangji

this and any other wangxian sword fighting fic works too!! @lalalalan​

REC:  与其身后名 | immaculate by auberjing (E, 15k, wangxian, wuxia au, courtesan LWJ, angst w happy ending, revenge, pining, virgin LWJ, getting together, major illness, blood & injury, martial arts, cottagecore, ritual sex, alcohol, mutilation, near death experiences, recovery, implied/referenced torture, bottom LWJ)

~*~

13. Hi, sorry to bother, I have two requests for finding a fic. I wanted to know if anyone remembers A) a fic where A Yuan goes with Wei Wuxian to Jin Ling's A one month celebration. This someone changes the way things go. B) Also another one where A Yuan shows up with Wei Wuxian when he's discussing the Wens being prisoners so people see that there are children in the prisoners camps!! Any story where A Yuan changes things for the better before Wei Wuxian's death. Thank you, be well @monicaop21

Hi, thanks for your help but is not the fic I'm looking for, I think it was complete and I do remember A-Yuan is in Koi Tower, he arrives with Wei Wuxian there. Be well!!

13A)

Not FOUND I whatever you, I will stand by your side by Lizziewriter07 (M, 63k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, YLLZ WWX, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Slow Burn, Happy Ending, Canon JC, Bitter WWX, Cultivation world Bashing, dadxian, Sexual Tension, Pining, Protective LWJ, SongXiao Get a Happy Ending, Protective WQ)

Not FOUND! The Core Issue by Hauntcats (T, 21k, WangXian, Angst with a Happy Ending, Not JC Friendly, Canon Divergence)

~*~

14. Looking for a fic that was on ao3. I remember there was two versions, one where WWX was a man and another where he was a woman and he decided to fake his death I think? And leave the cultivation world behind. He/she had twin sons that were A-Yuan and Jingyi I believe and then in the end LWJ who is the father of the twins but he doesn’t know it, fakes his death and finds them by an anonymous tip *cough cough* NHS who had tried to get WWX to rejoin the cultivation world earlier when NMJ died. @bigmeatycl0ws

~*~

15. y’all are doing the gods work with this blog and this is coming from an atheist XD

anywho i’m looking for a specific fic (or was it series?) where the premise is the swords are spirits that can manifest in a human body. wwx is one such sword called suibian, as is lwj. the story starts (i think) with wwx being jc’s sword and they don’t really get along/harmonise (big surprise)

there’s some world building of a story of xxc being a self wielding sword and getting tricked by xy and either doing bad stuff and then dying or just dying.

uh it ends with wwx and lwj proving to the golden tower (the peeps that hold the swords because they’re too innocent or whatevs to be alone out in the wild) that they can handle their own. there’s a line in there about how they’re not self-wielding swords, but swords that wield each other.

wwx was previously lwj’s human under the name wwx something one or both of them forgot.

there’s some scene after about wwx meeting jc’s new sword and there being some antagonism between them (new sword throwing tantrum and wwx being chaotic but solving the problem as usual)???

think author said it was inspired slightly by touken ranbu? or some other sword person anime/game thing?

this is so detailed it’s bothering me so much but i can’t find it and i’m at the point where i’m doubting if it existed ;-; @tabbycallie​

FOUND! swords, i guess by victortor (T, 26k, wangxian, swords au, asexual character, asexual LWJ)

~*~

16. Please help me find a fic! I think it was a WWX's Parents Live fic, but I can't be sure. I remember that LQR had a good opinion of him at the start of the guest lectures. There's a scene where LQR is talking about talismans, and has WWX take out all of the talismans he has on him. WWX has a whole system set up for combat talismans in one sleeve and general use talismans in the other, and he lectures about their unique uses and value and a bunch of sect heirs get angry at him for showing them up, and I think there's a fight later? But I really don't remember much beyond that. @lewiscarrolatemybrain​

FOUND! From the Warm Sun by sunshine_sparrow (T, 58k, WangXian, CSSR & WWX, CSSR & LQR, Discussion of Rape, Period-Typical Sexism, Mostly CQL but probably some MDZS too, CSSR Lives, Madam Lán Lives, Qingheng-jun lives, But WCZ Still Dies, Fix-It, Happy Ending, All Soft and Very Little Angst, the wens live, Yīn Iron, Good Person MY, Good Person LQR) The scene with the talismans is in chapter 4.

~*~

17. Hello, thank you guys for all of your hard work! Don’t remember if this was book or cql canon but im looking for a fic where post WWX death lwj travels to another world where wwx is still alive during the cr lectures and older lwj, young WWX and young lwj end up sleeping together and then nhs comes and brings lwj back to their og world fulfill his grand plan

~*~

18. Hi! I have already asked this before but i can't remember the title again. So i am asking for your help once again.

So like, the cultivation world needs yiling laozu's help and they tried to summon him using mo xuanyu but they failed since yl Iz appeared in his own original body and not in mxy. Anyway so history repeats itself, wwx knows everybody especially lan zhan cuz he his "friend" that time. They became curious about wwx, they found his journal and he kept talking about this certain friend eventually they found out the friend's name is lan zhan lan wangji. Time skip they found out that Iwj reincarnated, he looks exactly the same as wwx's friend. Lxc said it was impossible cuz all their ancestors died because of an explosion that was caused by wwx back in the day.

There is this spefic scene, wwx kept blaming himself because he was the reasom why Iz died, ok so Iz married a woman (arranged marriage) and had child with her, wy was heartbroken and told Iz that he has feelings for him, Iz also has feelings for him, so when Iz heard that the sects will have a siege in burial mounds he went there and protected wy then something happened and the surroundings explode.

Anyway, they have come to a conclusion that wy is an immortal, he took care of Iz's child, Iz reincarnated he fought really hard to keep his body and appearance the same @hellothere9597​

I know I’ve read this one but I can’t remember the name and all the tags I think should be in there aren’t :’) ~Mod L

FOUND? Old Foreshadows by protos_metazu_ison (M, 15k, WangXian, YLLZ WWX, BAMF WWX, War, Universe Alteration, Sunshot Campaign, [Podfic] Old Foreshadows by Saint_tuesday)

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19. Ok I'm looking for a fic I read years ago where we have amateur porn channel, lwj is submissive full time and wwx calls him bunny, he's the Dom in the relationship but lwj is the top. It's all lwj pov and he's alone at home and horny but holding back bc he's not allowed to cum without permission even when he's alone. Idk I'm just needing some sub lwj in my life. Thanks so much!

FOUND? The impatient rabbit by BCat13 (E, 3k, WangXian, Somnophilia, BDSM, Dom WWX, Sub LWJ, top LWJ, Bottom WWX, Soft Dom WWX, Service Sub LWJ, Bunny LWJ, Emotionally overwhelmed LWJ, Breeding Kink, Exhibitionism, Art)

~*~

20. ​hey! can anyone help me find this wangxian fic set in the burial mounds days where jgs (?) found this one artifact that would enable him to see inside of the burial mounds, called a meeting with all the sects and everyone saw that they were harmless or something among those lines, thanks!

FOUND? A Step in the Wrong Direction by pupeez4eva (Not rated, 4k, wangxian, canon divergence, humor, everyone realizes WWX and the wens are innocent, the Jins have a lot of answering to do, JGS pov)

FOUND? Through A Looking Glass by Purplepulu (Not rated, 21k, wangxian, canon divergence, Families of Choice, Wēn Remnants Live, Fix-It of Sorts, Creepy JGS, JZX Tries, Cultivators with One brain cell, Crack Treated Seriously, Humor, Angst w Happy Ending, Oblivious WWX, Pining LWJ, Matchmaker LXC, Mastermind NHS, Traumatized A-Yuan, Fluff, NMJ Lives, Soft NMJ, BAMF WWX, POV LXC, POV JGS, Protective JYL, JZN Being an Asshole, Everyone Lives au, Except for JZN, Good Sibling JC)

FOUND? Revealing Truth by DreamNightmare (G, 2k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It)

~*~

[lousypotatoes]

Make Me Burn The Candle Right Down

Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt 3 Pt. 4

Song Recommendation:

Dirty Laundry - Don Henley

Y/N watched from the corner of the couch, a worried frown etching itself onto her face as she watched Charlie pace back and forth, ranting about the new date for the extermination.

Y/N could tell that Vaggie was just as worried as she was.

"Okay. So the extermination is coming in six months instead of a year." Charlie babbled. "No big deal. Just a little setback. Nothing we can't handle. Just angels cutting our timetable in half. But who needs a whole year to save souls? Am I right? And next time wen they cut the time in half again and again, we'll just handle it, right!?"

"Yes, we will, sweetie," Y/N cut off, grabbing Charlie's shoulders.

"Oh, please," Angel said, scrolling on his phone. "Ya had less than half a chance when you started all this salvation bullshit."

Y/N sent him a nasty glare.

"And now...ain't no silver lining this time, toots." Angel finished.

"Just 'cause you don't think it's there doesn't mean that there isn't any," Y/N glared. "We just have to look a little harder."

"Well, while you bitches are lookin', the rest of Hell is goin' nuts," Angel said. "People are already freakin' out about the news. Look at what's happening in the Doomsday district."

Angel showed Y/N, Charlie, and Vaggie his phone. On it, it showed destruction, fire, and people killing each other left and right.

Basically another day in Hell.

But just a little bit worse.

Suddenly, a message popped up on Angel's phone.

"Uh, what is a donkey show?" Charlie asked, confused.

"Ah, heh, nothing!" Angel stuttered. "My boss, Val, is just freaked out about the news too."

Y/N suddenly felt like she wanted to leave the conversation.

"Like I said, everyone's losing their shit," Angel finished.

"Yeah that's true. Sinners are desperate," Vaggie thought. "Maybe desperate enough to try anything to escape the extermination?"

Charlie gasped. "This is the perfect time to recruit sinners for the hotel!"

"Cute idea and all," Angel said. "But you're really going to go out in all this?" he showed them his phone once again.

"How else are we gonna do it, huh?" Y/N asked. "It's not like anyone is just gonna show up at our doorstep."

As soon as she stopped talking, there was a loud explosion, knocking a big chunk out of the wall.

"Alassstor! Show yourssself!" cried a voice from outside.

"I'm going to commit some genocide, what the fuck?" Y/N snapped, going outside to see what was going on.

Hovering above the hotel, was a steampunk looking blimp being piloted by a snake demon.

Y/N saw that it was the demon who tried to attack them last week.

"Oh, for fucks sake," she mumbled, everyone else coming outside to join her.

"Face my wrath!" the snake demon shouted.

"Who are you?" Alastor asked.

"Who am I? Who am I?" the snake demon repeated. "I am the great Sir Pentiousss! Inventor, architect of dessstruction, villian extrodanaire!"

Niffty gasped, crawling onto Alastor's head. "Oooh, he's a bad boy!" she grinned wickedly.

"Huh, well if all that's true you'd think I'd have heard of you," Alastor said, putting Niffty back on the ground.

"I attacked you literally last week," Sir Pentious said. Alastor didn't show any sign of recognition. "We've done battle like...twenty times?"

"Well, you must have been really bad at this," Alastor smirked.

"Silence!" Pentious cried out. "Now cower! For when I've ssslain you, the almighty Vees will finally acknowledge me as their equal!"

Y/N rolled her eyes, already tired of this snake guy's bullshit.

"Ooh! Wait who are the Vees?" Niffty asked, appearing on Alastor's head again.

"Oh, nobody important," Alastor replied.

"Quiet!" Sir Pentious shouted again. "I will not hear anymore of your nonsenssse!"

In the blink of an eye, a portal opened up from the ground in front of them, long, black tendrils coming out of it. They grabbed onto the steampunk blimp and started to shake it around.

Alastor began to laugh very loudly and very manically, making Y/N move a little bit away from him.

She could hear Sir Pentious crying out for help.

"Oh! Please stop!" he cried out.

"Um, Alastor?" Charlie intervened. "I think he's had enough."

"Yeah, I agree," Y/N said, a worried look on her face.

"Nah, he's got a few more hits in 'im!" Angel smirked.

Alastor ignored all three of them, continuing to laugh manically and control his tendrils.

The blimp started to shake around more sloppily, making Sir Pentious fall out, screaming as he fell, landing flat on his face.

"Thanks for another forgettable experience!" Alastor smirked, twirling his cane.

A weird little egg creature splattered onto the ground, staining Y/N's boots, making her sigh and grumble.

"Thank...you..." Sir Pentious weakly said. "For letting your guard down!"

Suddenly, using his tail, Sir Pentious managed to rip a small piece of fabric off of Alastor's coat.

"Haha! Yeah! Oh shit,"

Suddenly, Sir Pentious was blasted away, screaming as he flew.

Y/N, along with everyone else (besides Niffty) looked at Alastor with their mouths open.

"Well, it looks as though I need a visit to the tailor," Alastor said cheerfully before turning to leave. "Best of luck chums!"

"Hold on a minute, you can't leave!" Y/N said. "We need your help. You need to do your fucking job!"

"We need a wall," Angel gestured to the giant hole in the hotel wall.

"Of course! Can't let my new project fall into disrepair already," Alastor said. "What would the papers say?"

Snapping his fingers, he summoned some construction worker demons, and some tools for them to use.

Angel laughed flirtatiously and pushed Y/N out of the way, heading to one of the shadow demons Alastor conjured up.

"Hey sweetcheeks, whatcha doin' later?" he purred. "I love me a man with a giant...tool."

Y/N grimaced and headed back into the hotel, making her way towards the bar.

She felt that she had been drinking a lot more since more people started living here at the hotel

In no way was she an alchoholic.

But she was coming damn close to becoming one.

"What'll it be?" Husk grumbled as she sat down on one of the barstools.

"Surprise me," Y/N groaned.

"You should take a break from all this drinkin' you've been doing lately," Husk advised as he made her a martini.

"Says you," Y/N talked back. "Every time I see you, you're either getting drunk, or passed out drunk."

Husk didn't say anything, continuing the make the martini.

"I know I need to stop," Y/N said quietly.

"Then why don't you?" Husk handed her her drink.

"You of all people should know that stopping isn't as easy as it sounds,"

"Doesn't mean you shouldn't try,"

"Have you ever tried?"

"..."

"Exactly,"

Husk and Y/N stayed silent, not saying a word to each other.

"You got some problems you need to put behind you, huh?" Husk said.

"What do you mean?" Y/N asked, sipping on her drink.

"The look in your eyes," he replied. "I've had that same look before."

"Everybody has problems that they need to put behind them,"

"Yeah, but your problems run deeper,"

Y/N stayed silent, thinking about all the past trauma that she absolutely needed to put behind her.

It's not like she never tried.

She just was never successful.

"Thanks for the drink," Y/N said. "I'm gonna see if Charlie needs my help with anything"

The barstool scraped against the floor.

"Hey, uh," Husk said. "Fuck, I can't believe I'm sayin' this, but uh, if you ever wanna tell me about your problems, I wouldn't be opposed."

Y/N had to bite back a small laugh. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind,"

Y/N walked away from the bar and up the staircase.

She wasn't aware that a certain bartender was staring at her as she walked up the staircase, a small (very small) smile on his face.

Y/N was lounging around on the couch, watching Sinstagram reels.

Charlie and Vaggie had been gone for about two hours, out in Pentagram City trying to recruit new Sinners for the hotel.

Y/N would have gone with them, but she decided to stay and let them have their alone time, since they hardly got any.

Also lounging around the couch was Angel Dust.

It wasn't like she hated him entirely, she just hated how he acted, and how he was horny almost all the time.

She didn't like how he made being a porn star his whole personality.

She hated to admit it, but being around him brought up unwanted memories.

Unwanted memories she tried so desperately to bury deep within her over the years.

Y/N sat straight up when she heard the front door open.

Charlie flopped onto the couch next to Y/N, a disappointed look on her face.

"How did it go?" Y/N asked.

Vaggie sighed. "Not a single new recruit.

Angel shrugged. "Yeah. Well, who want to use their days not fucking and fighting,"

Y/N glared at him with distaste.

There was a knock at the door, Vaggie went to go answer it.

"Cheer up, Charlie," Y/N said, rubbing Charlie's back. "Things will get better, I know they will."

There was a loud thud, and the sound of Vaggie yelling.

Y/N and Charlie both got up from the couch, deciding to see what the problem was.

"Vaggie, what's the problem?" Charlie asked.

On the floor was Sir Pentious, cowering as Vaggie held a spear to his throat.

"Oh! Hello again!" Charlie said.

"What are you doing here?" Y/N hissed.

"I didn't come looking for a fight," Pentious said, getting off the ground. "I uh, I heard that you're helping people. People who want to be better?"

"You heard right!" Charlie exclaimed, running up to Pentious and grabbing his hands. "Welcome to our home of healing, our resort of restoration, our-"

"Are you fucking nuts?" Angel interrupted, standing in the doorway. "This chump was trying to kill us like literally six hours ago! And now you want to bring him in here to live with us?"

"Absolutely! This place is about second chances, and who deserves one more than this slithery...slippery...special little man?"

"Aren't you supposed to protect this place?" Angel asked Vaggie.

Knowing that Y/N was going to deny letting Sir Pentious stay at the hotel, Charlie looked at her with puppy eyes.

Y/N sighed. "I guess he isn't that much of a threat without that war machine,"

Sir Pentious grinned.

"Or even with the war machine, to be honest."

Pentious' grin turned into a frown.

"Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Charlie cried out, hugging Y/N. "Sir Pentious! Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel!"

"Oh no darling, thank you!" Sir Pentious said. Everyone began to walk into the hotel. "You won't regret thisss."

"Eh, I give you a week, tops,"

Charlie walked around the inside of the hotel, giving Sir Pentious a tour.

"This is the bar, and this is the bartender. This is the curtain! And this is the new wall after you broke the last one. And oh! This! This!"

"Babe, you don't have to show him every detail," Vaggie interrupted.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so excited to have our first real guest!" Charlie said.

"Uh, what the hell am I then?" Angel asked.

"Well, you're an important part of our family here, Angel," Charlie said. "But you, um,"

"You always make the hotel look bad, constantly sexually harrass our bartender, and literally have never once tried to get better?" Y/N listed off.

"What Y/N means is, it's just nice to have someone interested for once," Charlie said.

As Y/N walked away, she saw a small frown on Angel's face.

Trying to ignore that guilty feeling inside her, she followed Charlie.

"Over here, we have our maid Niffty,"

Niffty gasped. "The bad boy is back!"

She then hopped on Sir Pentious.

"Never leave me again!"

"We're about eighty percent sure she's harmless," Charlie said. "And over here we have-oh! Uh, Alastor! Our gracious facility manager!"

Alastor was standing very menacingly on the staircase, staring Sir Pentious down.

"You've met our newest guest! Sir Pentious," Charlie laughed nervously.

"Ah yes. You're the one who ruined my coat!" Alastor said.

"I definitely remember you now,"

Charlie gulped. "Well, I guess this is a great time for your first lesson!"

Charlie cleared her throat. "How to apologize! The first step to becoming a better person is to admit when you are wrong! Why don't you give it a try?"

"Yes, um" Pentious stuttered. "Mr. um, Radio Demon sir, please forgive me for attacking you and ruining your very lovely coat. Um, here."

With shaky hands, Sir Pentious handed Alastor the piece of fabric that he ripped off.

"Ohh! Not many people have been able to take even this much off me!" Alastor remarked. "It must have meant quite a lot to you."

He then set the piece of fabric on fire.

Charlie, Y/N, and Sir Pentious stared at Alastor, while he just smiled.

"'Oh, I'm a bad man on the streets who never got enough hugs,'"

Y/N was sitting in between Charlie and Husk on the couch, watching as Angel read off of a script. He was dressed in a large trench coat and a tiny little hat, while Sir Pentious was licking a giant lollipop dressed in a yellow and white sailor outfit.

Y/N was trying her hardest not to laugh at the scene in front of her.

"'Now, where's an innocent kid I can sell crack to?'"

"Wow. Who wrote this?" Angel asked in disbelief.

"It's great right?" Charlie smiled. "Keep going!"

Angel sighed. "'Hey you,'"

"'Who me?'" Pentious said, batting his eyelashes.

"'Yeah you look like a kid who could use some...devils dandruff?'" Angel read. "Oh, for fucks sake."

"'Not me,'" Pentious shook his head. "'I have to go home and study!"

"'Come on kid, it'll make you cool like me...the crackhead."

"'The only cool thing here is to say no to drugs. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to not have sexual intercourse before marriage!"

"Yes! Oh bravo, bravo!" Charlie clapped, giving Pentious a standing ovation. "Wow Pentious, at this rate you'll be redeemed in no time."

Everyone started to crowd around Sir Pentious. Y/N looked behind her and saw that Angel Dust had an upset look on his face.

She wasn't used to seeing him upset, he always had a flirty smile or a lazy smirk on his face.

"I...I'm going to bed," he said, walking up the stairs.

Y/N debated whether or not she should check on him, but decided against it, already knowing he would just pretend nothing was wrong.

"I am so proud of you Sir Pentious!" Charlie said, ignoring what Angel said. "That was amazing!"

"You like me! You really like me!" Pentious exclaimed.

Y/N yawned, deciding that she was also going to head up to bed.

"I'm also going to bed," she said. "Night everyone."

As she was walking to her room, she was thinking about the day's events.

She couldn't help but think of what Husk told her.

"Fuck, I can't believe I'm sayin' this, but uh, if you ever wanna tell me about your problems, I wouldn't be opposed."

Thinking about him made something inside her stir, but she didn't know what.

She decided to ignore it.

For now.

IM BACK FROM DISNEYLAND

it was so fun

i miss is already

stay safe and drink lots of water <33

xoxo, Izzy

Taglist 💃

@mysticwitchcraftco @diffidentphantom @wendigonamecaller @barrythestrawberry041 @jx3-xd

@froggybich

[little-svt]

GENDERNEUTRAL | FLUFF | JUNHAO x reader

Wc: 1.5k+

Taglist: @pastel-princess-please @kiki-woo @fishsquishh

My I

“Come, Bāobèi.”, Minghao held out his hand this time, patiently (with all of his willpower) waiting for you to get tired of petting some poor woman’s fluff of a dog so the two of you could continue the task at hand.

The two of you were on your way to the bakery, taking a more scenic route through the neighborhood to admire the beauty of such a perfect day. Minghao was on the fence about his decision, but he had to admit your tendency to get distracted by anything small, cute or fluffy was beautiful in itself.

What was at the bakery? Something special for a very special day. It took forever for you and Minghao to agree on the perfect cake for Wen Junhui. Nothing would ever be good enough for you when it came to your Daddy. It was just a few days earlier when you were there last, bickering with your Bàba about flavors and colors.

“I’m very sorry.”, Minghao had said as he bowed to the employees who would soon be victim to a little outburst if the two of you didn’t find a compromise soon.

“Why can’t it be pink, like me??”

“Bāobèi, you’re not pink. And Jun Ge doesn’t like pink as much as you do, does he?”

Choosing a color was somehow much harder than choosing the flavor, the both of you immediately agreeing on lemon for your lemon-loving-catboy (at least that’s how Minghao would tell it). Jun had never been very adamant about his favorite color. Colors were swell and all, but usually, he just stuck with black and white. But while Minghao thought the combination was classy, artistic, maybe perfect, you wouldn’t stand for the lack of color.

“That’s true…”, you frowned, crossing your arms in front of you.

“How about we have a snack, hmm? Everything looks really tasty, doesn’t it?”

It had been thirty minutes easily, and Hao was worried the two of you would never get out of there. And even worse, he was worried you would get overwhelmed and have a tantrum right there.

“Look Bàba!! The pudding is a kitty just like Daddy!!”, you turned to the glass, pointing at the cute little dessert with shiny brown eyes and creamy looking texture.

“We’ll take one of those and if you have any cake samples.”, he nodded to the bakery clerk with a tight smile before breathing out in a silent sigh.

Between spoonfuls of custardy pudding, Minghao fed you nibbles of the cake sample platter, still trying to keep at the task at hand.

“What did you think of that one, Bāobèi?? I think Jun Ge would like the chocolate.”

“Bàba would like the chocolate.”, with a giggle, you shook your head and rolled your eyes playfully before reaching for a pretty slice of thin, yellow cake.

Sitting back in his seat, Minghao let you feed yourself, glancing over at the display cakes. Neither of you had really settled on a design either.

“Bàba! It’s lemon!!”, you squeal, kicking your feet happily. You didn’t love lemon. But your Daddy did. He was infamous for his lemon jellies and eating lemons as a party trick.

“It’s good, huh? Should I try some?”

“Yes, yes. It’s perfect for Daddy!”, you insist, lifting your spoon to his lips with a nicely sized scooped piece of lemon cake.

Letting it melt in his mouth slowly in thought, he pressed his lips together firmly after swallowing, having made up his mind.

“Jun Ge would like the chocolate better.”

“No, Bàba like the chocolate better!”, you huffed, standing and walking around the table so you could dig through Minghao’s bag, grumbling under your breath.

“What are you up to now, kiddo.”, he smiled, propping his chin on his hand.

“Calling Daddy.”

Hopping back up on your chair, you tapped on your Daddy’s photo, a call screen soon popping up.

“Should we be bothering Daddy while he’s at work?”, Minghao raised his eyebrow, but his competitive streak kept him still, allowing you to make the call.

“Hello, what is it?”, Jun answered the phone seeming a little surprised to receive a call from Minghao while he was on set.

“Daddy, Bàba is being silly again. What’s your favorite candy??”, you narrowed your eyes and the man smirking at you confidently across the table.

“Yep, I’m silly.”, Minghao grinned to himself, imagining Jun’s response in his head.

“Hmm… what a question. Easy. Lemon Jellies. How is he being silly, baby?”, Jun chuckled, only interrupting your call for a moment to tell someone on the other end that he would be only another few minutes.

“HAH!! Told you, Bàba! Daddy, tell Bàba.”, you beamed triumphantly, handing the phone across the table, and grabbing your spoon to finish off your dessert.

That settled it. It was Hao’s turn to be grumpy. Though, he wasn’t too bummed. The best part was teasing you, after all. The colors seemed to follow quickly after you’d decided on the flavor. White with a lemony yellow trim and “It’s Jun Day” lettering along with green leaf accents went perfectly with the lemon flavor.

~

It was finally the big day and no one at the bakery could say they were disappointed to see you go, not having to deal with the two of you again until your next celebration. You held onto the cake for dear life, insisting you take responsibility for it, afraid your Bàba would drop it as if you weren’t the clutz of the two of you.

“Are you sure, Bāobèi?”, Minghao winced, reluctantly releasing the box into your arms. But there was no saying ‘no’ to his little one. Unfortunately, both he and Jun spoiled you a little too much to turn back now.

“I got it! I wanna keep it safe for Daddy…”, you pointed, your puppy dog eyes always doing the trick.

Sighing out his nose, he opened the door for you, eyes shifting rapidly between your arms and feet, ready to support both you and the cake at any second if he had to. Despite his paranoia, the three of you (cake included) made it home safely, Minghao scoping the scene to make sure Jun hadn’t made it home yet.

After setting the cake on the counter, he turned to you and kissed your forehead with his upturned lips, “Well done, sweet pea. Are you ready to decorate? Junnie will be home soon.”

“Can I hab another kissie??”, you stood up on your toes, just to make it a little easier for him to press his lips to your head again with an airy giggle.

Quickly, the two of you got to work, digging out your hidden party supplies and gifts. A banner here, some ribbon there and a well written card from the two of you were set out with the cake and Minghao got to work on Dinner which could cook on its own in the oven until after Jun arrived.

“Bāobèi, it’s time.”

~

You had to hold your breath and keep yourself from bouncing around excitedly and squealing when the door handle turned. And even more so when the door opened, the man of the day shutting it behind him as he came inside.

“Wahh….”, Jun grinned, popping off his shoes at the door and stepping toward the colorful display set out for him, “I thought you guys might be planning something.”

As he got closer, you and Minghao began singing happy birthday, setting the pleasant scene for him with all of your love. With shining eyes, he admired the decorations, easily picking out which ones were chosen by you. Your tastes were sweeter, cuter, while Minghao liked things simple or abstract, artistic, organized chaos was all that was allowed.

“Yayyy! Happy Birthday! You’re old now, Daddy!!”, you giggled, crashing into his arms. Warm arms squeezed tightly around you as he exhaled, giving you all of his appreciation in return. He’d had what felt like a million parties in his life but none of them would ever compare to something sweet and simple, planned by the two people he loved the most.

Minghao snorted quietly at the comment, putting his arms around the both of you and squeezing as tight as his recovering collar bone would let him.

“Thank you, guys. Is this my lemon cake?”, Jun peeked over your head.

“Hey!! How’d you know??”, you frowned, blinking up at him with pouty eyes.

“Daddies always know.”, he whispered, pressing his finger to his lips while glancing with smiling eyes toward Minghao.

It wasn’t as if you’d been cryptic when you called him, arguing with your Bàba over Jun’s favorite flavors.

“What’s that smell??”, Jun’s eyebrows suddenly shot straight up, his mouth watering as he sniffed the savory scent filling the air.

“Something I think you’ll like.”, Minghao snickered, pulling himself from you two with one last kiss to Jun’s cheek, then to your temple.

“You two spoil me.”, he smiled softly, resting his head against yours as you turned around in his arms to face the kitchen.

It wasn’t much. But quiet, simple and sweet was the perfect combination of three flavors and three loves.

🧸Endnote: Guys I know I’ve been talking about Seungkwan and I promise I have been working on it when I have the time and energy but you know I had to whip something up for my special boy (and my other special boy) JunHao 🥹 and idc if you like it because I wrote it for me okay ㅠ ㅠ there really aren’t enough words in the dictionary to describe how I feel about Wen Junhui. He my husband, my parasocial support boy idc ㅠ ㅠ no one will ever replace him in my heart I would die for this man. Okay anyways… I’ll shut up now. For your sake because I could talk about him to no end 🥹💖💖 Happy Birthday my love ~ 🐶🐰🍓

🧸Masterlist🧸

[cosmic-starfall]

"Harmony Rings True"

MDZS Orchestra AU

I started writing this au last year, but never got very far with it due to having zero musical experience. Here's the segment I wrote, along with my notes, for anyone who might like the idea of this au.

Notes: 

Orchestra:

Wei Wuxian = conductor

Lan Wangji = vocalist, guqin 

Nie Huaisang = bass cellist

Wen Qing = violinist

Wen Ning = pianist

Lan Xichen = composer, vocalist, pianist

Lan Qiren = orchestra director

Non-orchestra:

Jiang Cheng = music critic

Nie Mingjue = retired cellist, injury related

Xue Yang = music critic, disgraced vocalist

Xiao Xingchen, Song Lan = retired musicians, xiao and vocalist. Retired, due to the actions of Xue Yang. (A scathing review ruined their careers.) 

Fic:

There is no earthly reason that Wei Wuxian would be here: The Cloud Recesses Concert Hall. But they let him in the door without calling the police, so maybe miracles really do happen. He was hired as a last minute conductor when the last one was fired unceremoniously right before a big concert. 

That doesn’t make it any less surreal to walk through those grand doors and stand in the lavish lobby like he belongs there. Every bit of decor is light and airy, and it makes his simple black outfit stand out like an ink stain. 

But no one stops him. No one is there to scold him for believing he belonged there. The people passing by largely ignore him as they bustle silently in and out of nearby corridors, or work behind the front counter. 

Self consciously, he fumbles for his phone to check the instructions he was given one more time. There’s a detailed note with directions to the orchestra director’s office, and he quickly scans it once again. 

Then with one last awed glance around the vast atrium, he finds the correct corridor and walks as confidently as he can manage down it. The hall is dimmer than the lobby, with less windows and more softly lit lamps as it continues. Wei Wuxian takes the instructed turns down each one, feeling like he’s walking deeper and deeper down a branching cave system. 

The director’s office door is identical to the two bordering it, and he almost walks past. But the plaque next to it says “Director: Lan Quiren”, so he steels himself with one last deep breath and knocks. 

“Enter.” 

Wei Wuxian opens the door and hardly makes eye contact before he’s bowing much deeper than needed in greeting. “Director, sir. I’m here for my interview.” 

His satchel nearly slips from his shoulder and he readjusts it. Lan Qiren is perfectly dressed to blend into the overall aesthetic of the concert hall, with a neatly groomed mustache and goatee to top off his look. He is stone-faced as he says, “Sit down.” 

So he sits across from his desk and sets his bag on the floor. Wei Wuxian resists the urge to wipe the nervous sweat he can feel appearing on his face. 

The director shifts papers around on his desk, not looking up as he speaks. “The position is last-minute, I apologize.”

“No need to. I can easily pick up the program in a few weeks.” He smiles. 

Lan Qiren frowns in response. “You will only have a week.” 

Oh. “That’s fine!” 

“Your resume states that you have over a decade of experience in conducting. Care to elaborate?” 

“I was the conductor for my high school orchestra. And I studied music for four years in college, while conducting for their orchestra as well.” Wei Wuxian leaned back in his seat, his smile only growing. 

The director was unmoved. “That is what it says on your resume. I want to know if you can truly put in the work it takes to memorize an entire concert program. You were the only conductor available, and in fact your resume indicates a gap in employment for one year. How do I know you will be qualified?” 

Wei Wuxian sat up straight, projecting a mask of absolute professionalism. “I unfortunately was dealing with a family emergency during that gap in employment. My…grandmother was bed-bound and I was the only one able to take the time off to take care of her.” 

Lan Qiren raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? Well I don’t see any other issues with your resume. The lead vocalist will help you memorize the program, he has been assisting with the production while we are missing a conductor.” 

“Thank you, sir.” He suppressed a victorious grin down into something polite. 

Lan Qiren pressed the intercom button on his desk. “Lan Wangji, to my office immediately.” 

Wei Wuxian blinked, hiding his shock– surely he didn’t mean the famous Lan vocalist, the one who had just accepted several awards for his performances? But of course, this was the Cloud Recesses Concert Hall, his home venue. Why wouldn’t he be here? 

The office door swung open behind him, and Wei Wuxian twisted to face it. The man who entered was undoubtedly the famous Lan Wangji. Though he was not as dressed up as he had been on the TV award shows, he was still excessively prim and proper. He wore a high collared white shirt, free from even the tiniest wrinkle. His pants were a pale blue, also pressed and creased to perfection. 

Wei Wuxian had to crane back a bit to see his face, and was unsurprised to find it as blindingly pale as the rest of his appearance. The only respite from his colorless complexion was the slight blush of pink at his lips. 

He realized he was staring at them when Lan Wangji subtly cleared his throat. His eyes snapped up to meet him, and he nearly shriveled at the disapproving laser-focused gaze. 

Wei Wuxian forced his face into a presentable expression. “Hello!” 

“The practice room is this way.” Then he left back down the hall, not giving Wei Wuxian a chance to even get up in time. 

With a rushed goodbye to Lan Qiren, he scrambled to catch up. 

If he thought the route to the director’s office was confusing, getting to the practice room was even worse. This time, there were stairs involved. Lan Wangji kept up a brisk pace that never wavered, even when climbing up flights of stairs. 

By the time they reached the floor with the practice rooms, he was struggling not to pant. The nervous sweat had turned into an actual sweat. He silently cursed at the fact that Lan Wangji was entirely unaffected. 

The soundproof practice rooms surrounded a central open space for musicians to practice together and discuss the programming. Several were already lounging there, stands with sheet music and open instrument cases scattered about. 

Wei Wuxian waved. “Hello everyone! I’m Wei Wuxian, I’ll be your new conductor.” He hoped desperately that the sweat wasn’t visible. 

He received a few polite greetings in return, but one musician seemed to recoil at his presence. “Oh no, not the new conductor! I thought we still had time to learn our parts! I’ve been practicing and I still sound awful, I’m so sorry you’re going to be so disappointed.” 

“Whoa, slow down.” Wei Wuxian came over to him, looking at the sheet music over his shoulder. “What was your name? And what part are you having trouble with?” 

“I’m Nie Huaisang, I play the bass cello. And it’s just–here let me show you.” He stood, retrieving his instrument. The bass cello was almost too tall for him, but he balanced it neatly against his shoulder and consulted the sheet music before laying his bow to the strings and beginning to play. 

Every conversation in the room fell silent, the haunting melody taking over. The pitch was deep enough to vibrate in your lungs at close range, and it was clearly the foundation that other instruments in the orchestra would build upon. It was also exactly the same as the bit of sheet music Wei Wuxian had read over. 

“That was perfect! Are you just struggling with memorization?” He asked, once more stepping to Nie Huaisang’s side to read the music. 

“No, I swear it just doesn’t sound right!” He protested, letting his bow drop from the strings with a final somber note. 

“Of course it doesn’t! You need the rest of the orchestra to complete it. The bass instruments are the valuable support that the rest of the music rests on.” He was gesturing emphatically as he spoke, half-slipping into actual conducting motions. 

Nie Huaisang looked doubtful. “That is true. But I don’t think I’m doing my part as well anyway.” 

Wei Wuxian clapped him on the shoulder. “Then keep practicing! What I heard was wonderful, you just need to add some confidence.”

“Ahem.” Lan Wangji had not moved an inch, and his blank expression had gained an annoyed wrinkle between his eyebrows. 

“Shall we?” Wei Wuxian said, no longer feeling intimidated by the job he was taking on. 

Lan Wangji answered with an affirmative hum, and led the way into an empty practice room. Well, not entirely empty. There were two chairs facing each other and a stack of sheet music on a stand, an empty one beside it. 

The soundproofing instantly descended upon his ears, and he resisted the urge to click his tongue to hear the lack of an echo. With how quiet this famous vocalist was, he had no doubt the room would remain unbearably noiseless. 

Lan Wangji took a seat, picking up the sheet music. Wei Wuxian took the other, shifting to find a comfortable way to lounge on its unyielding surface. 

There was one long moment where the only sound was the shuffling of sheet music. Lan Wangji’s carefully tied back hair slipped over his shoulders and he leaned over the papers, finally breaking his perfectly styled appearance. Wei Wuxian smiled at the crack in his professional mask.

“So, what’s the theme of the program? Is it just a medley of classics or is there a specific tone?” 

“It’s a collection of compositions written in memory of the souls lost in the Sunshot Campaign.” Lan Wangji looked up, plucking a few sheets from the stack and laying them on the stand. “The style is classical but the compositions are modern.” 

Wei Wuxian looked it over. The sheet music was for the choir, which made sense since Lan Wangji was the lead vocalist. Wei Wuxian hummed the melody under his breath. “I see, so it’s a bit like a memorial concert. Very somber, like a funeral.” He gave Lan Wangji a knowing grin. “Which means you’re already on theme.” 

He was returned a stony expression, completely void of humor. Tough crowd. 

“Do you think you could demonstrate what you’ve practiced so far? I’ll know how to adjust the other’s parts if I have a place to start from.” 

“No.” 

“No?” 

“I do not practice in front of others. My technique cannot afford distractions.” 

That was odd. But he didn’t want to be rude. “Right. We should call in another musician then to demonstrate–” 

“No. The director has assigned me to the task. It would be unproductive to take practice time away from a musician.” 

“Then how do you expect me to get a feel for the programming?” Wei Wuxian couldn’t believe the inflexibility of this man. 

“Read it. Then the orchestra will practice together this afternoon.” He moved to stand and leave the practice room. 

“Wait! Don’t go, I won’t be able to get these compositions down without someone to bounce ideas off of. I’ll lose my mind trying to figure it all out on my own.” 

Lan Wangji slowly sat back down. “Very well.” 

Wei Wuxian stood up instead, tracing the lines of music on the stand with one finger as he nodded along to a beat inside his head. He really should ask for a metronome next time. 

With his other hand he started to feel out the music. Every conductor has a unique style, and his involved wide sweeping motions with subtle flicks of his wrist. 

He stopped and started several times, muttering “That’s not it.” and “Almost, but not quite.” 

Once he had run through the first composition once this way, it had completely solidified in his memory. So with the image of the music firmly in his mind, he stepped away from the stand. He closed his eyes and let the room fall away, imagining the sound of a full orchestra. Both of his hands danced through the air, one foot tapping the beat. 

A hum rose in his throat, a little off-key, but it was serviceable. The composition wasn’t exactly rousing, but it was meant to invoke a feeling of national pride, so it was more uplifting than an actual funeral march. 

The final hummed note hung in the air and he opened his eyes once more. He found that Lan Wangji was staring at his right hand, which was curled around an imaginary baton. He smiled, “I forgot! I have it in my bag.” 

Wei Wuxian crouched to sort through his satchel, producing his thin black conductor’s baton. A shiny red ribbon was tied to the base, and it fluttered as he gestured with it. 

“Frivolous.” Lan Wangji commented. 

He shrugged. “No one in any orchestra I’ve worked for has had an issue with it.” 

Lan Wangji simply cast him another disapproving look. So he spun the baton between his fingers, the ribbon trailing jauntily after it. 

“We don’t have practice with everyone else until later, right? It’s about lunchtime, why don’t we get a bite to eat?” 

The vocalist stood. “There is a teahouse nearby where I usually take my lunch.” 

“Perfect! It’s a date!” Wei Wuxian said with a wink. 

Lan Wangji did not honor that with a response, sweeping from the room without a word. 

[ripeteeth]

fragments: 01 (wangxian)

[I'm clearing out my incomplete wips and posting fragments that might stand alone as a bit of an amnesty of old projects. This is the first of that series.]

“He was important to you,” his brother says, and Lan Wangji considers the trouble of language. Is, he thinks, not was. There is no end limit to love. Wei Wuxian may not exist in the world, but Lan Wangji still loves him, and someday, when he himself is gone, his love will still be true. It is a fundamental rule of the world, just as gravity keeps his feet on the ground.

There are moments when he forgets: when a dark figure passes through a crowd, at the first notes of a flute, at the flash of laughter bright as a forest fire. Each time, his breath stops, and his knuckles whiten as he forms a fist, digging the half-moons of his nails into his palms, reminding himself of this break between desire and truth: Wei Wuxian had died in the Burial Mounds and is no longer here. 

Some griefs are deeper than others. This one cuts like a fresh lash each time. 

He wakes each morning at five, his breath shallow. Sometimes he dreams of Wei Wuxian, sometimes he does not. When he sleeps deeply, he wakes briefly uncertain which reality is the truth. Did he wake from a dream of this loss? Each morning, he presses his palm against his own chest, feeling the ridges of the Wen brand, and knows that no, the proof is borne on his skin. In no world with Wei Wuxian did they share this. He likes the feeling of it now, the way the scar tissue on his chest and back bears proof of his devotion.

(He remembers a boy, age seventeen, caught in a cave and laughing at his own fresh branding. A man should get scars for love, Wei Wuxian had said, dark eyes glinting. Now she’ll never forget me. He wonders if, wherever Wei Wuxian is now, if he has forgotten him.) 

Habits prop up the days. When he passes a shop selling jars of Emperor’s Smile, he cannot resist buying one. Each time, for a few moments, he might pretend that he is buying it for Wei Wuxian. When he pries up the floorboard, concealing the jars within, he might imagine that someday the other man might be here, filling the room with hot laughter. You thought of me? Wei Wuxian would say, and Lan Wangji would feel warm. 

No one comes. Sometimes he pries up the floorboard and stares at the jars, little pieces of Wei Wuxian that he might have. Like a magpie, he steals pieces. The brand, the wine, robes he orders in black and red. As if Wei Wuxian were a lover away for a week, a month, a year, and just waiting to return home. 

[rated e (explicit) below the cut]

He has never known Wei Wuxian’s touch as a lover. (Once, he had fumbled and pressed his mouth to the other man’s, but that was taken. Wei Wuxian had not reached back, had not kissed back.)

His nightly habits have not changed since he was seventeen. Retiring to his rooms, he slips the robes from his body like a peel from a fruit. Inside, he’s ripe already. He bathes, efficiently and with purpose. It’s only once he is alone, settled into bed, concealed beneath blankets, that he allows one hand to wander south between his thighs. He is thirty now and has long since ceased trying to fight his own mind. What he wants is impossible, except in the corners of his imagination, so he fucks his own fist, teeth clenched, imagining that this skin is Wei Wuxian’s golden own, and that this slick is his beloved’s. Some information is known. Again, nightly, he remembers how Wei Wuxian had looked, blindfolded and leaning against a tree, how the sinew and muscle of his chest had pressed into Lan Wangji’s own. His lips had been wet and soft and when Lan Wangji had bitten in, he had moaned and his hips had stuttered, as if he might have wanted it. 

So he imagines this again. Wei Wuxian, disheveled, pressed sharply into a tree or a wall, rutting against Lan Wangji’s thigh, his hair wild and dark, like treebranches in winter. He would take that cock in hand, redder and fat with blood, (like his own, now. In his mind, his cock is both his own and not his own. In his mind, his hands are both his own and Wei Wuxian’s.) and stroke them together until Wei Wuxian would shudder and break apart, all for him, here in the palm of his hand. 

He comes, spilling across his own sword-rough palm. His eyes squeezed shut, his breathing is his own and not his own. Again, as he has done each and every night, he drags his come-covered hand out from beneath the sheets. Self-abuse is forbidden in Cloud Recesses, and there is nowhere to wipe this, nowhere to wash it off, without potentially being discovered, so he drags his palm across his tongue, swallowing the spill of himself down.

The taste is his own, and not his own.

He sleeps alone. This is not new. It never has been.

[mxtxfanatic]

Love how mxtx chooses to reveal devastating information. Take for instance, this statement that Lan Wangji takes as a boast:

Wei WuXian thanked him, mocking himself along the way, “I’ve reincarnated but somehow I’ve become even weaker. I couldn’t keep going after just a single stab.”

Lan WangJi’s voice was tepid, “Nobody would be able to keep going after a stab through the body.”

Wei WuXian, “That’s not true. If I was in the body from my past life, even if half of my intestines were dangling out, I’d be able to stick them back in and continue fighting.”

Seeing that right after he woke up he began to speak nonsense again, Lan WangJi shook his head and turned away.

—Chapt. 63: Tenderness, exr

...being revealed as frank truth, here:

Although he was stabbed in the stomach by Jiang Cheng, Wei WuXian wasn’t concerned at all. He stuffed his intestines back into himself and like nothing ever happened, he even got Wen Ning to hunt down a few malign spirits as he bought a few large bags of potatoes.

—Chapt. 74: Distance, exr

Or this scene being introduced as something light and funny:

After flipping the wooden board open, a mellow aroma had filled the air, unnoticeable when it was mixed with the sandalwood scent. Seven or eight black jars were packed into a small, square cellar.

Sure enough, Lan WangJi had changed—he even started to hide liquor!

—Chapt. 11: Confinement, exr

... when later, Lan Wangji's reason for holding onto those jars of Emperor's smile is revealed:

Wei WuXian, “You finally came to Yunmeng for once, and you won’t even try the delicious liquor here? But, though the liquor is delicious, it’ll never even compare to the Emperor’s Smile at Gusu where you live. It really is the best of all liquor. In the future, if I have the chance to go to Gusu again, I’ll definitely save half or a dozen and drink them all at once..."

—Chapt. 71: Departure, exr

Look how many chapters apart the setup is from the reveal.