#deer lan xichen

[feralcrybaby]

for anonymous for @xiyaogotcha4gaza

[r95irth]

New chapter of JIaoren is up ! Alongside the new art and Wen Qing's form reveal :D Hope you'll like it. As you can guess Wen Qing's form is inspired from Lord Satori in Zelda BOTW/TOTK, but also from Princess Mononoke deer god...I could not find the origin of that myth anywhere though uu except that deer are supposed to be god's messengers in Japan (a bit like moon rabbit in china?) so it fit her.

LXC is wearing purple because he had been given clothes from the Jiang sect...Also WWX's first appearance in the illustration!! Wouhou!! In the bakcground ! (it's to make up for one future chapter /illustration where he will probably be the star)

The more I write about due Yang the more I want him to have a beast form reveal like IZma in Kuzco.

Hope you'll like this chapter and this illustration :D

[wangxianswuji]

[thatswhatsushesaid]

obvs i’d never harsh on any jgy fans who do find something inherently gothic horror romantic about the get-along crypt ending for jgy and nmj, like nie//yao being a personal yuck for me does not mean someone else is not totally allowed to eat that up to get their daily allotment of shipping calories

but i do just feel pretty strongly that in canon, the text conveys The Horrors of that moment to such an extent that there is no justice in that ending. certainly not for jgy, who is denied justice for all wrongs done to him at every turn in the novel, but not for nmj either. neither of them are granted peace, either, which i suppose is something that, on some level, nhs had been *hoping* this would give to nmj?? (maybe?) and of course we have to acknowledge that, in addition to jin ling’s gut-wrenching reaction to jgy’s death in the novel—what a horrible thing for a child to witness happen to one of his two principle caretakers—this is what happens in cql:

like… god, look at how distraught jin ling is. how he goes to his knees as the temple collapses atop his shushu. how gutted jiang cheng is for the pain his nephew is in. the resignation in wei wuxian’s eyes, because he knows this is not a triumphant moment for everyone, and it is in part a consequence of his own investigations. (hello huaisang, i see your deer in the headlights stare.) i’ve already talked about lan xichen at this moment; i’ll leave out lengthier discussion of him for now just because i want to keep the focus on jin ling specifically, but i think framing jgy’s death with both lxc and jl’s grief and anguish really provides good evidence for how much of a tragedy this moment is.

[daffodilsinspring]

GIVING MDZS CHARACTERS FAIRYTALES

Wei Wuxian - The Boy Who Spoke to the Birds

Lan Zhan - The White Snake

Jiang Cheng - Bamboo and Turtle

Jiang Yanli - When the Sun Hid in her Cave

Jin Zixuan - Papa Bois Save the Deer

Lan Xichen - The Oak and the Reed

Meng Yao - The Golden Goose

Nie Mingjue - The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor

Nie Huaisang - The Watermelon Prince

Wen Qing - Urashima

Wen Ning - The Steadfast Tin Soldier

Lan Sizhui - The Blind Man's Daughter

Lan Jingyi - Why Cats and Dogs are Enemies

Jin Ling - How Anansi brought Stories to the World

Ouyang Zizhen - The Ugly Boatman

[achilleasfury]

from the WIP ask game: 3zun mythical creatures sound FASCINATING please talk more

okay so!!

Currently im very undecided about what specific creature they are, because i keep moving it around lol

But tbe first idea is; Jiggy is half a fox spirit, half human. My notes on rhat are "BIG MAMA MENG is the fox spirit, a-yao is the precious treasure" i think im gonna stick with fox spirit, bc yes, but also?

NMJ was supposed to be like a bull-hybrid or something, but Im making him a minotaur/msht like that now bc I Can. (Shout out to NPC Bluud the minotaur from my dnd campaign who pushed me into fixation on minotaurs and centaurs. Love the guy.) Also i think i really want to give him the labyrinth symbolism. Like the haunted saber flesh cave thing from [nie-centric movie] but specifially for Him.

LXC is a dragon. I love dragons. I have zero (0) notes on him except "DRAGON, MATE MATE MATE" and half a note on egg-children. Love them.

The fic starts with a Xiyao meet cute with vaguely reversed dynamics? A-Yao is getting chased and caught by hunters and Xichen eats them :) what is one supposed to do, when a pretty, hurt fox is near your cave?

>>

It felt like his spine would snap any second. It was bent and twisted in impossible directions. His joints were pulled apart and squished together again, like he was just a tiny stress toy, for someone so much larger than him.

His innards were sloshing around, being made to fit all positions he was forced in.

Voices were screaming at each other, yelling commands, or maybe encouragement. He couldn’t tell anymore, for his ears had long since given up on functioning, trying to shield him from the cruelness of the hunter's words.

A high pitched sound came from somewhere above him.

He tried to get his eyes to open, to figure out which threat would come for him now. His eyelids fluttered, but refused to open correctly, for dried blood was gluing them together.

The sound stopped.

No more screeching.

The hands on his body pulled away and he could feel his body trying to snap together again.

A presence still lingered above him.

It seemed to bask him in shadow and cold, in silence and fear.

Something sharp tapped on his back, somehow caressing his body carefully.

“Are you alright?”

<<

(Again, just a draft And god i hate the word sloshing but i also refuse to look up synonyms out of spite.)

now that i think about it, Hydra!LXC is a fascinating concept. Or Hydra!JGY. He fits a hydra nicely maybe. Or hydra!wrh. Ohh, that'd be funky.

-

After LXC saves MY they spend Yunping-like time tgt in the cave :) cave buddies. They discover the joys of companionship and homoerotic woundtending. Technically also homoerotic companionship but i typed out the word cock once and had to close the tab, so.

i do really wanna get into the nesting instincts of both dragons and *handwave* fox-ish creatures because boy do i love a good nesting.

>>

Meng Yao watched with half lidded eyes as Lan Xichen moved around. The dragon was collecting softer material and piling it atop the bed.

It ranged from blankets, over robes to simply linen sheets, that were softened from being washed a lot.

He carefully made his own way across the room, running his fingertips over the blankets, then the pillows, already at the headrest of the bed. He could feel his own instincts lurk under his skin, begging to be let out. Begging to be let loose, free to arrange, mix and match the fabrics, make his own nest, a safe spot for what was to come.

Slowly, Meng Yao lowered himself onto the mattress, immediately drawing his legs closer to his core, when he was seated.

Lan Xichen shot him a short glance, his gaze softening, impossibly full of affection, before turning away again, just to press a robe - light blue, with fine embroidery - into Meng Yao’s hand.

When the fox spirit regarded the robe further without doing anything with it, the dragon made a slightly unhappy noise. Immediately after he looked like a deer in the flashlights, frozen, surprised with himself.

“My apologies, A-Yao.”, he muttered, gaze falling to the floor in embarrassment. “I simply meant- will you maybe -”, he closed his eyes and took a breath, unsure of his own desires and ability to express them. “Would you wear the robe? I think you’d look splendid in them.”

An almost mean little smile flashed over Meng Yao’s lips, but he nodded and began unceremoniously to strip himself and exchange robes.

“If that is what the almighty Zewu-Jun wishes, who am I to decline?”

<<

(I do feel like i have to add that both exerpts were written like. In september LMAO its been a bit, whoops)

I was originally planning for them to just. Have a neat little fluff thing going on, where egg-nant jgy meets nmj and they bond somehow and *handwaving* wuuh 3zun, but now its more of a. Xiyao finds NMJ in the Labyrinth/Castle thing and either they play curse breaker (which actually would be a fun thing to get into, if one goes into the direction of "dragon blood solves/cures everything" or they get trapped there for a long time all tgt, and its like. Forced proximity but because they all have like. Specific things which i forgot cause its 8pm and my bedtime (/hj i need atleast 10 hours otherwise i hit a downphase agter 3 to 6 hours of being awake LMAO).

they get eggs. Rusong. Children. I need Xichen (who did NOT give birth to the eggs, rip him) to be likem. Snake-style coiled aroind them all the time. But not in snake-egg version, im goinf with hardshell eggs bc snake eggs are so cool and fascinating but im not having them "need to be up and not too close so they dont stick tgt and also dont flip bc otherwise the babies die"- thing going on. Snakes <3 so interesting and cool. Hensheng should be a snake that 'imprints' on MY and gets into hissy fights wirh lxc. They deserve it.

[warriorgardener]

March 9th

Lan Xichen clasped his hands behind his back just like his uncle, following his every step through the dark forest. During night hunts, Lan Qiren focused on managing the efforts of the Lan sect disciples and serving as a point of communication for any questions or concerns. His little nephew kept his eyes and ears open to absorb as much information as he could. Even though he was not yet old enough to go on night hunts himself, he knew that someday this would be his job as well.

A high-pitched scream pierced his ears. A crack resounded in the sky, illuminated a glowing red. Lan Xichen looked up with wide eyes. “A signal flare?”

Lan Qiren frowned. “A junior is in trouble. Stay here until I return.”

Lan Xichen started forward, about to say that he wanted to go with him, but quickly shut his mouth and stopped in his tracks. If he disobeyed, he would not be able to go with uncle in the future. Besides, he was not strong enough to help if someone was in trouble.

So he remained alone in the dark. After a while, his mind became disquieted, so he sat down to meditate. Not long after he closed his eyes, a rustling in the bushes disturbed him. Standing before him, tall and majestic, was a white deer. Its antlers shimmered in the faint moonlight as if carved from opal. Warm breath steamed from its nostrils. However, two things took away from Lan Xichen’s awe of its beauty: the forest had gone completely silent, and the creature’s eyes glowed with spiritual energy.

If Lan Xichen had sensed a demonic presence, he would have sprung into action. But no resentment radiated from the deer as it slowly approached him. Lan Xichen reached out a hand. The deer lowered its head and touched its nose to his palm. Everything went black.

***

Meng Yao swung a basket as he walked The first cresting of dawn touched the tall, dewy grass with gold. The narrow trail, stamped down by herds of deer rather than human footfall, wandered along the edge of the forest to a patch of sweet berry bushes. If he reached far enough into the bushes, ignoring the thorns, he might find a few juicy, ripened berries to bring home to his mother today.

The trail dipped into a steep ditch, which Meng Yao almost slid down in eagerness to reach his destination. There he stumbled upon a white ghost. No, not a ghost, but rather a solid body. Unafraid of death as it came to others, he knelt down by the pale figure. He was surprised to see that it was a boy his own age, breathing faintly but evenly as if asleep. His face was as slender and clear as jade, his eyelashes long and dark. His silky hair spilled around him, as black and smooth as the finest ink.

Meng Yao wondered if he had come across a fallen immortal, a young god that had been somehow struck out of the sky by a loose star in the night. It was like the beginning of a story, the kind of tale sung in songs late at night as the pleasure house ladies entertained their guests. Then he chided himself for these fantastical thoughts and gently shook the boy’s shoulder.

He awoke gently. As his dazed expression turned to Meng Yao, he gifted a small smile, his eyes now clear and unafraid.

“Are you okay?” Meng Yao asked. His soft tone was almost reverent. To him, this boy seemed as if he belonged in a palace in a sky.

The boy sat upright and arranged himself into a proper kneeling position on the wet ground to greet him as if in a formal meeting. “Yes. But I do not know where I am.”

“This is the forest outside of Yuping. If you’re lost, you should come home with me. My mother knows all about the families around here. She can find your parents for sure.”

At this, a faintly pained expression flickered across the boy’s face. It did not escape Meng Yao’s notice.

Tentatively, he asked, “Unless…are you alone?” How could a boy wearing such fine clothes be an orphan? Perhaps he really was a lost immortal.

The boy had fisted his hands into his white robes, but as soon as he looked down at himself, he released his grip and smoothed out the wrinkles. “All I remember is riding a white deer. But such a thing…surely it was a dream.”

Meng Yao’s heart softened even more for this beautiful, ethereal person in trouble. He had never held the power to help anyone before, not even his mother, but now it seemed that he was the only person in the world who could be this boy’s savior.

“Don’t be afraid.” Boldness filled his tone now. “I’ll help you.” He extended his hand and felt a thrill as the boy reached out without hesitation. Although he made no complaint, his palm was cold in Meng Yao’s hand. He had no gloves or extra layer to give to the one now suddenly under his wing, so he could only hold his hand tighter and hope to impart some warmth that way.

“My name is Meng Yao,” he added as they climbed from the ditch.

“I don’t know my name.”

“That’s okay, I can call you—“ Meng Yao blinked up at him. Because he felt so protective over his unexpected charge, he had already decided this was his little brother, but now on even ground he realized that his so-called little brother was much bigger than him. Rather than being disappointed, a new flutter of excitement filled his chest. “Er-ge?”

The boy smiled warmly at him. Some of the worry and confusion that seemed to weigh on his shoulders melted away. “Mm. Okay.”

***

Meng Shi was not surprised when her little boy ran into their quarters first thing in the morning with the faint, fresh smell of pine and morning air blowing in with him. She was, however, forced to school her expression into one of careful delight when he exclaimed, “Mom! I brought a friend from the forest!”

She mentally prepared herself for a small bird, a large bug, or a medium-sized rodent. Instead, Meng Yao tugged in a boy nearly a head taller than him. Although a little shy, the young master had the upright bearing of good upbringing. He was dressed in fine quality silks which appeared to have been dragged through mud. Moreover, his robes were that of a cultivation sect, though apparently not one that acquainted itself with her line of work, so she had no idea which one it could be.

“He’s lost and can’t remember anything,” Meng Yao explained, a little more cheerful than the circumstances warranted. “So I promised to help him!”

Meng Shi rubbed her brow. Whatever cultivation clan this young master came from might not take kindly to their involvement. However, abandoning a lost child was out of the question. And there was a small chance that this situation could help advance Meng Yao’s education as a cultivator before he was introduced formally to the Jin sect.

“That’s very virtuous of you, A-Yao.” She knelt down at eye level to to the boy. “Little one, do you really not remember anything that could help us find your home?”

He shook his head, his gaze clear and unafraid. “No, Madame, I remember nothing before waking up in the forest.”

Poor dear. Even at his young age, he had fine, straight features and a noble countenance. He was surely cherished by his whole family and bound to grow into a great beauty. She hummed thoughtfully. “I have many friends in the city. I will ask them which sect has white robes like yours, and then I will bring you to them straight away.”

A slight pout had formed on Meng Yao’s face. She turned to him with a faint, knowing smile and clasped his hands as if in dire supplication. “A-Yao, you must continue taking good care of your friend while I’m gone. We don’t know who else he can count on right now. Can you do it?”

“I will!” he said, his enthusiasm bordering on fierceness. The determination on his small face was so cute, she resisted the urge to pinch his cheeks and quickly prepared to leave.

***

Lan Xichen looked at Meng Yao for a long while after his mother left. He was small and had a cute face with bright eyes, but he seemed far more capable and clever than many at his age. A lot of Lan Xichen’s unease upon waking had faded simply by being held under his attention.

After a moment, he hesitantly said, “A-Yao?”

Meng Yao flushed pink in the face. “…yes?”

“Can I not call you that?”

“Only my mother calls me that…”

“I see.”

“But you can say it too. I’ll make a special exception.”

Lan Xichen smiled and A-Yao smiled back at him, revealing a dimple on each side of his face. “Er-Ge, do you like music? My mom can play a lot of instruments. I can show you them.”

“I’d like to see them. Can you play?”

Meng Yao shook his head as he led him into another room. “No, she won’t teach me.”

Lan Xichen slowly looked over the instruments. His gaze rested on one in particular. Without realizing it, he had drawn nearer and even reached out to touch it before quickly withdrawing his hand.

“The guqin? You can play it if you want.”

“I don’t know if I can…” A tension was building in his temple, as if something was being stretched or pulled from within.

Meng Yao sat on the floor in front of it and idly plucked a few strings. “Sure you can. Look, it’s easy.”

He swept his robes neatly behind him and sat next to Meng Yao to watch him pluck at random notes for a few moments. Then he lay his hands to the strings and did the same. A simple, airy melody filled the room as he played. Then he began to tremble with a discordant fear, not knowing how or why or what he played. Lan Xichen ripped his hands away and folded them into his sleeves, ducking his head.

“Er-ge, it’s really beautiful when you play. Will you teach me someday?

Lan Xichen’s quaking heart began to calm as a hand reached over and touched his sleeve. There was no way he could know whether there would be a someday between them, but somehow Meng Yao knew that just the faint, hopeful promise of a familiar future would soothe him.

“I will.”

Meng Yao leaned in and bumped his shoulder. “It will have to be our secret then.”

Lan Xichen had never had a secret before, he was sure of it. The excitement he felt was entirely new. It felt like hiding a flame behind his cupped palm to stay awake reading at night.

***

However, Meng Yao soon carried the secret alone. When his mother returned, she was accompanied by several men in white cultivation uniforms. A man with a thin mustache and beard announced that he was Er-ge’s uncle and took him by the arm.

Meng Yao was afraid of their grim expressions and the swords at their sides and the way they wanted to take him away so quickly. He clung to Er-ge’s other arm and begged to go with him, even as his mother hushed him and tried to pull him away.

“Cease your foolishness, child. There is no time to waste,” said the man.

To Er-ge, he continued, “The demonic beast that stole your memories is trapped in a spiritual array, but your memories will soon disperse if you are not placed into an array as well. You must obey at once.”

Er-ge’s eyes widened. He looked back at Meng Yao once. “A-Yao…”

His grip slowly dropped away. He nodded. He knew he had no choice but to go.

Er-ge obediently followed his uncle’s quick steps, but then wrenched free to run back to Meng Yao, hugging him tightly. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll come back soon to thank you properly.”

Meng Yao had also told him not to be afraid that very morning. The same words handed gently back to him like a borrowed coat, washed and folded neatly upon its return, only made him more anxious that this was goodbye.

He watched Er-ge leave through the door, then ran to the window to watch with amazement as his uncle and the others flew away with him on their swords.

“Who are they?” he asked his mother.

“The Lan clan of Gusu.” She sat with him by the window, looking pensive.

“Is Er-ge’s name also Lan?”

“They did not deign to tell me his name. But the situation was quite urgent. Perhaps we will learn his name when they return.” She stroked his head to comfort him, but Meng Yao did not need any more comfort. Er-ge had already promised to come back.

Only he never did. Over the years, Meng Yao had come up with dozens of reasons why, but he never learned the truth until they happened to meet again. The boy he rescued so long ago was none other than Lan Xichen, future head of the Lan clan. And he did not remember Meng Yao at all.

Meng Yao burned inside. The memory of their meeting had somehow been eaten up in exchange for those which had been restored. The pain of being so completely forgotten after bearing the weight of remembrance for years stung him like a fresh whipping atop old scars. But beneath that pain came a cool balm, restoring him to a thin sense of peacefulness. Lan Xichen had never returned to him because he had no way of knowing his own promise. He had not been betrayed as he once thought.

This was enough. He could start over again.

“Are you okay? Don’t be afraid. I’ll help you.”

[grandmaster-of-gay-cultivation]

Xiyao Spring Tea 🍵🌸

Click for better quality or check my twitter

[mienwhile-doodles]

[jackal-tabaque]

Lan-deer and Yao-fennec

[sailuncharted]

Happy 七夕🎋🌠🌌🎋

[theuntamer]

I swear he's the most benevolent looking deer I've ever seen

[scardiemon]

Here, have some MDZS characters as animals, because I just finished The Untamed and I’m not entirely ok.

[sweetlittlevampire]

Chancellor of the Morning Sun

I know, I am (more or less) fashionably late, but nonetheless - happy birthday, Zewu Jun!

I was browsing through the MDZS/CQL elves that I drew way back when for @perkynurples 's Mirkwood AU (← that's the tag, btw), and I came across Lan Xichen and was like "Poor guy. You really did him dirty with that stiff pose, huh? Let's try that again, shall we?"

Hence this. He is very deer to me (get it? Deer? 🦌)

It's been ages since I drew a deer, or a deer-like creature really, so please forgive me any inconsistencies and anatomical weirdnesses,

Lan Xichen / The Untamed / Mo Dao Zu Shi © Mo Xiang Tong Xiu