#i imagined top!wwx being all that and going through about all the characters we know lol

[tbgkaru-woh]

sudden thoughts of wei wuxian being jin zixuan's first laid. wwx that gets around + the man who's always having an excuse of "waiting for the right person", except his ridiculous crush on the jiang siblings and the heat of the moment make up for the most wholesome hate sex that wwx ever experienced

[muqingapologist]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

this is such a hard question because i’ve gone through so many phases of obsessing over pieces of media in my life, and sometimes it’s really hard for me to parse which characters are lasting favorites and which are just part of that phase. but i’ll try! keep in mind, lots of sentimentality ahead…

and this is in no particular order.

1. wei wuxian (the untamed)

ok so this kind of goes along with a previous post i made discussing my feelings of the mdzs book vs. the untamed. when i first watched the untamed at the recommendation of a friend, it was so unlike anything i’d ever seen before. and wei wuxian was so unlike any protagonist i’d ever encountered before. his determination to do what’s right no matter what others do, but also not being above experiencing doubt and uncertainty about his decisions, really touched me. also of course his carefree attitude toward life is something i repeatedly try and fail to achieve myself. it might also have to do with xiao zhan’s acting choices, but he really touched me as a character. it’s hard for me to say if the wwx of the book did the same organically because i read it over a long period of time after watching the show, so im just going to count the untamed version.

2. shizuku tsukishima (whisper of the heart)

this one is probably pretty niche but allow me to give my most heartfelt recommendation of whisper of the heart, my favorite ghibli movie and one of my favorite films of all time. shizuku is the protagonist of the film. she’s a young girl, probably about 14, and so far, her life has been defined by satisfying her imagination by always reading fiction, immersing herself in stories. inspired by the love interest of the film seiji, she decides she wants to try to be a writer. the film is kind of like a slice of life over a few months of this time, and we see shizuku struggle with perfectionism and wanting to follow her dreams and inability to take criticism, etc. i rarely cry over movies but i cried at this one because i had just never felt so seen by a character. everyone please watch whisper of the heart!🙏

3. prince zuko (avatar: the last airbender)

i think 50% of the reason he’s on here is sentimentality since avatar was a show i watched so much throughout my childhood and of course again more recently with its resurgence in popularity, but also what can i say? his character arc is unmatched. i won’t rehash the details. i will say uncle iroh would probably be here instead if we knew any more about his past because he’s off-screen journey is just so fascinating to me.

4. percy jackson (percy jackson & the 12 olympians)

PURE sentimentality but ya know….also im only considering this character how he exists in the original series. he kind of lost me in heroes of olympus. but yeah percy jackson was the first character that really impacted me back when i was 9, and i think i still carry that impact to this day. i also think the original series still holds up reading it as an adult.

5. kim wexler (better call saul)

kim nation!!! reveal yourselves!! i watched better call saul a little over a year ago and damn, it’s so rare to find such interesting, well-developed, flawed within reason female characters in a tv drama like this. her intelligence and her tendency to get carried away with jimmy don’t contradict each other but work together. her emotional journey….UGH!! kim x post-prison jimmy, who else hopes?

6. xie lian (tgcf/heaven official’s blessing)

so this one is new and i’m not completely sure the deep impression will last yet, but i’ll explain. when i first read tgcf about two years ago, i kind of skimmed because it was so long, and the feelings i had toward xie lian were…not super favorable. i was kind of bored by him and….i saw him as a lesser wei wuxian. AND I WAS WRONG!!! because i reread tgcf finally a couple of months ago, no skimming, really thinking about what i was reading and now i love him. his journey from optimistic prince who had never before suffered to carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders to nearly collapsing under that weight but despite all odds, pulling through and once again finding that optimism, or at least hope. it touched me so much this time around!!! also i don’t know why i thought he was boring first time around. this guy is funny as hell! anyway, lots of lessons to apply to my own life and whatnot.

7. ninth doctor (doctor who)

guys….hear me out. notice im not saying “the doctor” because i think most of doctor who is just nonsense. but that one season with the ninth doctor (and okay i like the tenth doctor’s seasons well enough, or i did really love them. less so these days…). so much potential. so when i say he’s one of my favorite characters ever, i accept that it’s mostly the version of the doctor that lives in my head and isn’t subject to the bad writing decisions made later in the show. it’s a lot of sentimentality, but i am really fascinated by this traumatized alien guy who just lost his entire people, finding himself devolving into more violent, unforgiving tendencies, but meeting rose, jack, whoever else along the way is able to remind him of not who he was but who he could be. of course doctor who is forever ongoing though so character development can only go too far lol.

8. nozue (old-fashioned cupcake)

this is also brand new so not sure if lasting because i only just read and watched ofc, but man. this guy’s journey from being defeatist about getting older and turning 40, being afraid of trying anything new, to allowing himself to experience new things, one of those things being falling in love! his whole concept of using regret as fuel for happiness, transmitting that idea to togawa who transmits it back to nozue later!! ahhh!! so like my love for this character might actually just be love for the entire story but i can’t not mention it every five seconds rn so….

9. isabel archer (portrait of a lady)

so this is the protagonist of henry james’s portrait of a lady, which i finally finished reading last month. and gosh! well the book itself was amazing, but i was especially touched by isabel’s character, mainly because she just felt so realistic. her motivations, her goals, her shift, her sorrows, they all feel earned, creating an incredibly vivid character that i think most people can find something in there to relate to, especially other women who have always been told they are clever and imaginative and yet find themselves struggling internally to live up to those expectations.

10. natasha rostova (war and peace)

it’s been years since i read war and peace in my university freshman seminar, so it’s hard for me to speak on the details of why exactly this character is here. but also it’s no surprise because this is a character that continues to be the star of russian literature. what i can say, she’s another bright, carefree character (clearly symbolizing aspects of russian culture but even beyond that) who it’s impossible not to feel deeply connected to. she goes through some pretty life-altering stuff in war and peace (everyone listen to the musical called natasha, pierre, and the great comet of 1812 for those details!!) and as the reader, you just really feel for her. idk man she still stands out in my mind, but also this is also much thanks to the musical i just mentioned above.

i kind of came up with these on the spot so like…who knows how accurate this is, but i like to talk about the things i like so sue me. thank you for the question though!!

[icecreamkink]

watched all of the untamed / cql in two weeks after my friend 1 told me abt mdzs a hundred years ago and my friends 2 and 3 tried to get me into cql for like two whole years and there are.

feelings.

very first scene is a very dramatic death in the middle of nightmare battle on sith planet land . i will forget abt it in the next tenish episodes and then will be very surprised when it becomes Extremely Painful

anyway magic flying gays and possession and human sacrifice! we are off to a great start

in retrospect, chaos goblin wei wuxian must have had a blast pretending to be so cRaZy and be as disruptive as he could as mo xuanyu lbr

listen. why is fire always evil coded. cant a magic clan wear red, black and orange and have flame motif while being wholesome?

For Legal Reasons These Are Not Zombies

i wish the politics of the sect were a bit clearer, especially at the beggining when the wen clan had sm power, was wen ruohan the chief cultivator? is that why they were so slow in responding to the attacks? im v confused by the pre yiling patriarch politics

fighting in the roof by the moonlight as way of flirtiiiiiiing. as i understand this is a wuxia/xianxia trope and honestly...... thank u for ur service

slight bullying and being a nuisance in general, as a way of flirting we love to see it

wwx: if i drink on the rooftop, thats not inside the cloud recesses! hmmm check and mate :D lwj: i will fuck u up so help me god   wwx: :0

i lov them

through hell or high water (quite literally) wei wuxian rem ains a trashfire gremlin till the end and i love him with my whole heart

in the pt subs wei wuxian calls jiang cheng a stubborn duck and i dearly wish that had come back

my opinions on almost every character goes from love to hate u - Hmm Me Like U - BABY. ILY. and i am Very Pleased w that. its been a while since i loved such a complete cast so much i think

no really. i WONT go into a detailed rant abt what i love about each of these characters and each of their relationships to each other. but i COULD. 

some lan disciples in the loudest whisper ever: YEAH THATS THE JIN BASTARD MENG YAO HEARD THE GOT SUPER HUMILIATED BY HIS DAD LOL SURE HOPE HE DOESNT TAKE SLIGHTS TO HIS CHARACTER TO HEART

lan xichen, immediately: i must Love him 

being into problematic ppl is in the Lan genetics, we come to realize

wen qing deserves so many awards for so many things but not snapping and just stabbing wen chao is at the top 

that scene at lan qirens class where wwx talks about using resentful energy to fight a violent spirit. exquisite.

 It establishes Good Student lan wangji, wei wuxian as curious and questioning and not afraid of taboo,  lwj sees that wwx is not, in fact, a dumb ass hes just a Dumbass,  shows us the audience (esp. a western audience) how shocking the idea of disrupting the dead/dying and controlling resentful energy actually is,  the theoretical foreshadow arguing, everyone else like ‘shUT UP’,  “and how could you ensure that the resentful energy would obey you and not hurt other?” “well i havent thought that far” and of course, lan qiren just straight up lobbing a hard object at wwx head,. chefs kiss

fellas is it gay to bother the hot rule obessessed nerd from ur school and make drawings of him with flowers in his hair and then hide gay porn in his book to antagonize him and ask him to hold ur hand and be ur friend and talk to him all the time and get him drunk and give him bunnies bc you know he likes them and give him a lantern and always want his attention and dedicate yourself to getting him to smile-

and after all of that wwx rly said oh i Admire him, aksd like yeah we all were there in high school buddy

i have Learned. caves = gay.

 accidental marriage +beint physically tied together with the sacred married ribbon+ gay panic+foreshadowing+bunnies! in the cave (1)

the story abt lan yi and baoshan sanren tho. i would like to see it

early days wen bros pull my heart strings like a guqin 

EVERYTHING about the lantern scene; disaster hets jiang yanli and jin zixuan; how wwx made lwj a bunny lantern. how soft and touched lwj was. wwx gleefully pointing out he was smiling and lwj IMMEDIATELY PULLING HIW SWORD ON HIM LMAO. tragically foreshadowy promises to do right by pepople, living without regrets. lwjs 'oh no do i love him??' face. just. all of it. 

i have it on good acc that in the novel lwj is explicitly Repressed Gay Panicked Big Horny which is delightful and rly Adds to the performance

 baby lwj is really just conceal dont feel dont let them know u have EMOTIONS (derogatory)

jiang cheng rly went "why dont.u go play with HIM if u like him so much"

jc and wwx have big BIG annoying sibling energy dont think too hard abt it or youll cry

lotus pier is soo pretty :((((((((((((((((

up until episode 13 you could think this could be a magical ancient chinese gays pride n prejudice w swords and shenanigans ................youre just not prepared for the game of thrones of it all

seriously ha ha ha i cried so much w this show my eyes genuinely swelled up . like. physically. fun timez fun timez

that being said, its hilarious that wen xu goes to cloud recesses like 'come out or ill kill all these hostages' and then DOESNT WAIT FOR AN ASWER AND KILLS THEM ALL IMMEDIATELY. do u know how blackmail works sir

 would like to make it recorded that from day one i was like 'CALL A GODDAMN CULTIVATION G20 THIS ASSHOLE SECT IS LITERALLY MASSACRING YALL!!' and it took them like 3 or 4 massacres to do anything and they STILL sent their heirs into their territory  LIKE

when wwx cites the gusu lan rules to wen chao tho. that rebel/attention whore/cutie pie 'look lan zhan i DID memorize the rules after all' ‘also a big fuck you to the wen sect :D :D’ sweet spot that scene achieves . delicious

all the cultivator young masters being petty af even though they are practically prisoners at the cave is hilarious and i love them

hurt and comfort + gay mistunderstandings + watsonian gay declaration music + accidental evil acquisition! at the cave (2)

its like where do i start? the fact theyre both trapped and kind of heavily injured inside an isolated cave with a murder turtle? wwx gay panicking lwj into coughing up bad blood? lwj being jealous as wwx babbles abt mianmian? telling him he shouldnt play with people and wwx saying he never played him? wwx going Oh. I See what is happening. YOU like mianmian, and lwj absolute done face ??? (iconic) wwx touching the sacred married ribbon Again? the telepathic communication? the sword? WEI WUXIAN ASKING LAN WANGJI TO SING TO HIM AS HE IS PASSING OUT AND LWJ SINGING HIM. THE SONG. HE WROTE. FOR WWX. AND THAT HE CALLED. THEIR SHIP NAME????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

they are SO insufferable pleeeeease

in the words of my friend 1 : “CQL is so gay we were all amazed how it got past the censors Ofc unfortunately it can't be novel level gay But they did their best And we love them for it”

in the theme of songs THIS OST. WUJI HAS BEEN LIVING IN MY MIND RENT FREE SINCE I FIRST HEARD IT the whole ost is so so sO beautiful.

 the costuming in this is also soooo exquisite. the embroidery? the fabrics? the details? how every sect and clan has a distinct style and architecture? (also ik they based each off of dif periods in chinese history which is REALLY fucking cool) just chefs kiss

the direction too!. i enjoy the unusual camera movements and i think they give it that Vibe, also their composition is PARTICULARLY good when it comes to telling the subtext through position of camera/position of character (like nhs off to the side in scenes he at first glance doesnt need to be/ how lwj is often centered when hes Jealous Yearning at wwx being affectionate w other ppl, wwx return from burial mounds etc)

ik madam yu is like Badass Milf Check and shes not getting any mom of the year awards but im delighted at how messy she is. IMAGINE that woman on tiktok

you better have enjoyed gay cave (2) bc its Just Pain from here on out! 

jiang fengmian and madame yu win the Most Dramatic Way to show they do care about each other, actually ..... ever :)

i thought jiang yanli jiang cheng and wei wuxian forcing themselves to escape yunmeng barely holding on after their parents are killed was going to be the height of pain in this show. ha. 

the family dynamics in general on this showwwww, both blood/ adopted/ found families, brotherly bonds and lifelong friendships just. rly. truly. fucked me up. theyre all so important and complicated and well rounded and beautiful and tragic

and beyond being a Win For the Gays im so glad the relationships w wwx and jiang yanli/ wen qing were NOT changed from platonic bc they are so much better like that imo. like maybe if we didnt Live In A Society it wouldnt be so, but the fact wwx and others can love and value them so much and theres nothing romantic or sexual abt it is like. so refreshing. especially @ jyl, with the way he and jc are overprotective of her and shes such a nurturing/care taker figure for them, it would just not vibe as well if they made it romantic

i love that this is a story abt Wei Wuxian, the Yiling Patriarch aka Actual Satan/Boogey Man/Village With/Public Enemy Number One , my dude is literally a necromancer who only dresses in black and has evil smokey black tendrils wafting out of him, but the really edgy one is still jiang cheng, pastel purple fashion icon

and speaking of best/worst siblings wei wuxian and jiang cheng *immediately starts crying* 

The Golden Core Transfer i just. no thots only tears 

wen qing and wen ning putting themselves in so much danger just.... to help them. wn saving jc from wen chao. wq finding a way to get wwx to transfer his core. like thinking about the monumental work these two did to help wwx and jyl and jc... jyl trying so fucking hard to be strong and keep on moving and giver her little brothers comfort after losing everything... jiang cheng. losing his parents and his home and his ability to do anything abt it and his complete desperation and lack of self worth and turning on them with agression  when he didnt realize all that they did for him ... hhhhhhhhhhhhh

me, pointing at the whole cast “i just LOVE them mom!!!”

its sad tho, that BARELY ANY of the women have like.... actual important conversations let alone relationships with each other at all in the story. and like wq and jyl have stayed at the same place for extended periods of time, where wq actively took care of her TWICE,  and still! not one measly convo, nothing! ................ .𝓌ₕᵧ

everyone in this show need a good sip of Self Worth and Stop Sacrificing Yourself juice 

ngl the sword flying looks very dumb 

“a-cheng, please bring a-xian back.” “i will, i promise.” ;-;

the whole calling each other by the More Intimate Version of the name, first as teasing and later as true intimacy. mmmhmmm yes

untamed where everythings the same but wwx evil flute song is eoeo

related that scene when wwx comes back from the burial mounds for the first time w demonic cultivation and he acts all formal and calls lwj hanguang-jun and keeps being evasive and distant and mean and soooooo................. facetious 

and how hes kind of desperately trying to keep intense lwj at bay (A FIRST) and avoiding actually talking to either of them and its all tension ughhh and then he MOCKS his and lwjs relationship, he jokes w him in this like... mean echo of their usual ~banter~ oof 

 and like!!! uncertain but so relieved jc who just HUGS him w no reservations for once and its not like he isnt just as worried as lwj abt wwx and what hes doing, but he chooses in that moment to enjoy getting him back first and mmhmMMMmMm yes (maybe my favorite scene in the whole show? MAYBE SO. ) 

highkey hurt me but also. i might be into mean wwx. i will take no criticism.

lan zhans sad eyes tho :((((((((( 

on one hand i wish we could have seen what happened at the burial mounds but on the other the timeskip adds so much flair to his return so im hnnn

also i love that hes been missing for 3 months reappears kinda melancholic and bloodthirsty and knowing malign tricks and jc is like 'so. are u sad bc of lan wangji'

when ur bae survived the war but he thinks ur evil/ might be evil so you cant kiss :///

hmmm talking at the rooftop under the moonlight not mentioning everything that stands between usssss

they are the two jades of lan and we’ll be the two heroes of yunmeng is the type of line u dont even need to know whats gonna happen to know thats gonna be sad

when they fight wen ruoshan at the nightless city i thought that was the battle we see at the first ep and its not and its so easy and theyre all like ‘yayy we won go wwx!’ i was just. SCREAMS WHAT is gonna HAPPEN

so like. post burial mounds/sunshot campaign pre yiling patriarch wwx is like. ultra arrogant, ultra mocking, peak lil shit and it gave me e v e r y t h i n g i wanted

even tho having the wen prisoners at the targets at phoenix mountain and still having wwx and jzx shooting the arrows was???? so.... tone deaf 

wwx: fucking w demonic energy   jyl: he has never done anything wrong in his life, ever <3 <3 (mood)

the parallels between meng yao/wei wuxian (and even xue yang a bit?) are Seen and they are Valid

wwx post burial mounds: can yall SHUT UP abt the goddamn sword (suibian left the chat)

LIKE truly, we talk abt the angst and yearning with wangxian. but what abt wwx and suibian. xianbian / xianqing angst and comfort 100k

take a shot everytime someone coughs up blood

zidian is simply the coolest spiritual weapon rip to suibian and chenqing and bichen and sendou and baixa........ but tis the truth 

cons: everyones families died in a nightmare war! everyones homes burned to the ground! everyone is traumatized! pros: everyone gets cooler clothes and weapons!!

wen ning and a-yuan and yanli bestest babes squad dont touch me rn

everyone: brooding and fighting                                                                wq and jyl: why dont you try some acupunture/drinking some soup and calm down huh? how abt that bitch?? 

showing the battle/massacre at the nightless city first was genius actually bc then everytime we have a cute scene w yunmeng bros and theyre like 'we'll be together forever! uwu' youre like oh. oh no. oh no no no. 

justice vs lawfulness vs means and ends 👁

jc: stay in the right path and practice the art of the sword                        wx: yeah thats not gonna happen chief

my reaction to wwx renouncing to the sect politics to help the wens was just that elmo burning gif in succession

the dramatic rain. wen qing desperately calling out to wen ning. the ghosts/puppets killing the guards. how terrifying wn actually was while wwx was controlling him :( lwj goeing after him to try and stop him and then he just; he Sees him and understands him even if he cant actually do anything about it other than let them go. 

“there must be somewhere in this earth we can go to :(((((((((”

"IF I HAVE TO FIGHT THEM, I'D RATHER IT BE YOU. DYING BY YOUR HANDS WOULD AT LEAST BE WORTH IT." oh my god oh my god oh my goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooddddddd

also lwjs umbrella is white w black smoke.. .  . nice

yiling patriarch / demonic farming burial mounds settlement is like one of my favorite concepts. they an "EVIL" FARMING COMMUNITY LED BY THE VILLAGE WITCH COME ON

they planted TURNIPS and LOTUS FLOWERS and ONE (1) baby and made lanterns and a common hall :(((((((

wen qing and wei wuxian, baddest bitches and genius science best friends i absolutely LOVED to see it. they rly went ‘is anyone gonna sibling/project partner that’ and didnt wait for an answer

both wwx and jyl getting lotus ponds at the burial mounds and in lanling bc they miss lotus pier ;;;;;;;w

;;;;; wish jyl had actually gone into the burial mounds. we were robbed of jyl and wq meeting again and jyl meeting a-yuan and seeing the settlement and the homes and all ;w; at least jc did go, stab wounds and broken arms and all

wwx like... having thrown his whole life away to help the wens (yeah the sect leaders and jin guangshan in particular wanting his stygian tiger amulet was an Element but still) and not.... necessarily regretting it, but grappling with all of the consequences of it... becoming moody and drepressed at times, missing his family and lotus pier and his friends and probably simply missing being around people and causing trouble, extrovert that he is, lashing out at the wens and at a-yuan, just in general the whole messiness of that experience

the way the resentful energy does affect his temperament is rly nice bc its not too in your face,(i mean outside of the Shaky Hands of Rage) but like he clearly has a much lesser control on his anger and impulsivity (tall order) than both before bm and after hes ressurected

on that note A-YUAN BABIEST BABY BOY BEST BOY

lan zhan being like oh hey there wei ying fancy meeting u and our son here. just passing by u know how it is hmmmmMm and then PLOT TWIST having defied orders to go see him and being punished for it. oof;;

 they habent seen each other in like? a year? and now theyre tgt 10 seconds and are already parenting a child together

also lwj rly kneels down in the snow way too much to be healthy

wwx: calm down guyssss i wont lose control of demonic cultivation omgggg  .   spoiler alert: he loses control of demonic cultivation

did u enjoy cute children? good bc now the Real Pain Begins

jiang yanli and jin zixuan rly out there APROPRIATING both disaster gays AND bury ur gays huh ;w;

i KNEW jin lings birthday was gonna fuck something up but the GASP that left my body when wwx lost control of wn and killed jin zixuan .. . . 

im sorry and thank you aaaaAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaAAAAaAAAAA 

when wen ning and wen qing were telling wwx their plan i was saying NO NO NO NO NO NO out loud in despair 

also can we talk abt how wq is definetely talking about only the both of them surrending themselves but then? everyone else just surrenders w them? IT MAKES NO SENSE LIKE WHY WOULD THEY what would be the Point

 sometimes there are some pretty gaping jumps in logic and continuity that are just like                     ?          ?

wwx: oh so when you try to murder me its justified but when i survive through dark magic and murder all of you its a "war crime"

unsurprisingly, his most feral, most spiraling moment talking to the sect leaders on the roof and attacking them and even fighting lan zhan is among my favorite scenes... its like, so painful to watch but also   so       thrilling   (and maybe my wen bbs dying arose some resentful energy in me what can i say) 

and its JUST, all they ever wanted was to do good but then... war. and trauma. and hubris. 

jiang cheng on the ground clearly thorn between what to do and feel is a Mood, lets just say

i was already crying when jyl showed up, but if i wasnt-

 i suffered SO MUCH through this series trying to figure out WHY jc would kill wwx. and when i understood. its somehow not as bad as i thought and also MUCH MUCH WORSE

a look into my group chat during the last flashback episodes:

SO ANYWAY. after the BLOOD BATH and RIPPING YOUR HEART OUT and FEEDING IT TO YOU  the untamed goes ‘ayy back to the present!! tu du dud ud du’ 

literally it ends a quarter into an episode and then KEEPS GOING i had to pause and stare blankly at the ceiling for an hour

babie cultivators and detective soulmates . i do need some cute after All of That 

(not that the pain is over LOL)

lwj is significantly less emotionally repressed in the present and its delightful. hes just ALL IN with wwx. and not just in the ‘i would and have killed various men and risked my reputation for you’ but also ‘ur tired here have a drink i brought it up cause i know u like it and it want you to be happy, always’

“when everyone praised me and wanted my power, you were the only one that challenged me. now that everyone hates me and wants me dead, youre the only one that stands by my side.” hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 

and just filling in the blanks how lan zhan searched for him. for all of those 16 years he searched for him and was punished for it and raised a-yuan, the only survivor of the burial mounds settlement, as his own in gusu......

and jiang cheng.  being the tough love uncle . having raised the yunmeng jiang clan from the rubble all alone, his whole family dead, some of it on the blame of his own brother, his siblings, his closest friends gone.......and only jin ling there needing his guidance. 

THE PARALLEL BETWEEN JIN LING BEING A LIFELINE FOR JIANG CHENG AND A-YUAN FOR LAN WANGJI AFTER THE BATTLE AT THE NIGHTLESS CITY  

great now i made myself sad

and like . the fact! that lwj and jc dislike each other!!. jc projects blame onto him for wwx both “leaving” him and indirectly causing their families deaths and when hes so consumed by it he makes wwx an enemy, lwj is there now? trying to protect him?? and lwj, who can never understand the pain that wwx , indirectly or not put jc through, but who was right there when jc tried to kill him and will never allow him to hurt wwx again. and how they like. in a way project blame of their tragedies onto each other while dealing with some type of survivor guilt and in their own way still loving wwx through it all???  amd in way its kind of fundamentally selfish but also tragically understandable? and like when u put it against the fact that after he disappears during the sunshot campaign they were looking for him together and fought together??

JUST. THE CHARACTERS. AND THE RELATIONSHIPS IN THIS. MAN. UGH. GOD. 

and like i think thats what makes it so good? its such a sad and painful and violent story, edgy even, but its compelling bc at the center of it there are all of these relationships and different types of love and hope and. :( i love it

enough crying lets talk abt wwx sleeping at the jingshi with lwj and wearing his under garment for a minute 🙏

 jin ling just has that Was Raised by JC energy tho lmao i love him

babie cultivator squad is the perfect ammount of cute and comedic relief while still bearing the weight? of the narrative in a way, both from sizhui and jin lings existences, and also. like. how do i put this. they feel hopeful? they were born after a war, they came of age at a time of relative peace, they dont hold on so closely to the resentments of their parents/father figures, they are specifically shown as more accepting and open minded. and its like.... Hope for the future  

one of the ?? things  i love the most is the fact that the main cast are often in situations where theyre hunted/running but they like. never wear disguises... just going around in their gorgeous expensive clan clothes and hair ornaments and distinctive spiritual weapons.... maybe w a straw hat on, just for kicks

wwx teacher 🥺🥺🥺

so this is why its called Yi City Misery huh

a-qing is such. an icon. im so sad. my girl even knew to leave xys dumb self rotting by the road but no one listens to her thats why theyre all dead or sad 

her and xue yang measuring each other up was so entertaining lmao

 its the funniest thing when hes like. HERES MY SAD STORY. FOR WHY IM A SADISTIC MURDERER. I BROKE MY HAND ONCE. 

like ok someone broke his hand in a horrible way, and like Poverty, i get it but also like.......... that lost the brunt of a proper sob story like, 50 sadistic murders ago bby

and i love that xingchen does not entertain that for a second hes like ‘not ?????? good enough???’ and the best thing is he wasnt even like 'u hadto be the bigger person' or sth but ' well then break that dudes hand back, rip his arm off for i care, what do the rest of us have to do w anything???” 

anjo sensato :(

xue yang is like..... the sexy sadistic evil version of a himbo..... a meanbo...

the fucked upness of xy’s feelings for xxc/ xxc and sl feelings for each other... like my dude literally gave his bf HIS EYES. and xy getting so attached to xxc .... the fucked up fake domesticity.... having him hurt sl..... then desperately trying to bring him back ...................... oof

song lan........... literally had his eyes AND tongue removed, his bfs eyes put in place, was almost killed, turned into a puppet by his bf unknowingly, manipulated by xy, sees his bf killing himself in despair.... and STILL finds the strenght to get up from there, and keep on traveling and helping people and attempting to fix xxcs soul.......... like, my man. damn. 

wangxian looking at songxiao and seeing an Actually more painful parallel for themselves. ft. that Color Coding. 

THE A-YUAN/SIZHUI REVEAL PUNCHED ME IN THE HEART but in a good way for a change

should have know that he would be the Best Boy the cute one w all the braincells

the butterfly AND the bunny lantern. i see how it is

u know is very convenient that no one can see the stark black veins on wen nings neck, ever 

BAT WEN NING 

wns face when lwj comes into wwx room like ‘:0 omg did u two finally get your shit together? good for you master wei good for u’ 

(they didnt) (yet)

DISASTER DRUNK LWJ. JUST. THRUST SOME CHICKENS TO SHOW UR RESSURECTED BAE THAT U LOVE THEM.

i have absolutely no idea WHY they gave lwj the same punishment for fighting his own sect/allies to protect the burial mounds as when they got drunk on cloud recess class days.... like? its such a ... emotional continuity error again

also is lwj gonna get an actual friend besides wwx , ever

mianmian marrying and having a family and a cute life after saying FUCK U AND UR SYSTEM TOO in a much less unhinged and dramatic way than wwx......... fills me w joy

also lol the idea that like. her husband not knowing that shes friends w satan/the boogey man/the village witch is hilarious

i love nie mingjue bc hes the resident Though Guy but also the most dramatic bitch in this show and thats Saying Something

jin ling cant have one uneventful relative can he

the fact that everyone present already knew “mo xuanyu” was wwx at the stairs is so funny, their faces are like ‘oh............ wow. that. sure is a development. shock” 

in the tradition of extremely loud whispers wwx tells lwj with twelve guards standing like one meter away from them: HEY PSH LAN ZHAN PRETEND IM FORCING YOU TO STAY W ME DO IT

oh my god oh my god

the absolute Yearning on his face when he leaves wwx and a-yuan at the burial mounds and refuses to stay for dinner was already Enough but the fact?? they brought it back?? to this declaration of love?? their expressions??????? strike me dead right now just go ahead

lFor Legal Reasons We Cant Kiss but we will have a very sappy declaration of love and trust and look at each other in way that is the actualization of 💞💘💗💖💓💘💞💗💖💘💗💖💕💞

also icb all the sect leaders and guards are standing there watching them say they like like each other with a dozen swords pointing at their neck

i enjoyed the depiction of the fickle public perception and how easily it can be used to scapegoat people. when the sect leaders turn on jgy and wwx knows thats its more for convenience than anything else...

poor lxc is literally like 'oh so when YOUR problematic boyfriend gets called evil its a misunderstanding but when its MY problematic bf-'

ok like i cant get over nmj let jgy play a song that messed with his temperament at all, like maN u KNEW he might be shady wth

wwx: “hey dont say anything bad abt lan zhan hes not an arrogant dick, thats just his face. 

ME ON THE OTHER HAND"

the cultivators as wwx is poking holes in their narrative is literally *nazaré meme*

"wei wuxian-!" "what did i break your leg, too?" not to be problematic but i laughed so hard

not as hard as "you dont have the rank to talk to me " tho

i Enjoy that, over the course of story, wwx sees that... theres nothing truly to Do, but move on. he saw how his arrogance and his mistakes hurt others, and hes trying to fix what he can, but he already did die for his mistakes and there are things he cant fix and that's. just how it is. even towards jgy, the narrative doesn't go gleefully and completely with "lets make THEM pay bc theyre the big bad" bc its not that simple, and it wouldn't lead anywhere but more pain...

re him and jiang cheng and the wens and kinda. isnt that what nhs did? scheming to displace jgy out of revenge more than any justice and doing so in the most painful way?

idk if that actually makes sense im truly just babbling

i thought the scene at the lotus pond would be CUTE but the context was PAIN again

jiang cheng finding out about his golden core and his conflict with wwx at the guanyin temple .... destroyed me but in a nice way kinda.... same way it destroys him look at his face oh god

and. the fact??? he sacrificed himself for wwx?? first?? and he'll probably never tell anyone much less wwx???? keeps me up at night

i havent decided if the neckbreak transition between jgy does sth super Evil or does he he does OR Does He yes he does O R does heeeee is sth i dislike or not

jin guangyao and wei wuxians most interesting parallel is that... theyve both seen 'hmm hey this system is fucked up' and wwx went 'so fuck it all i will renounce it and challenge it' and jgy went 'so fuck it i will use all of it to my advantage and manipulate it to my goals and whims'

the fact jgys mom was actually great and he loved her and his whole issue w it was more than simply being ashamed of being a bastard kinda got me ngl

never trust a dude with a fan.

nhs and jgy: the first rule to a convoluted and decades spanning violent revenge plot is to have fun and be yourself! 

when a-yuan finally FINALLY remembers ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;-;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; wen ning has someone in his family back and a-yuan has someone to talk abt his wen family and wwx has him back bc he survived and lwj raised him anD HES THEIR SON. THEYRE MARRIED AND HAVE A SON. UGH.

and theyre allowed to heal. everyone is allowed to try and recover and be happy

netflix put all of the 3 endings on top of each other and it looks kinda weird actually BUT I DONT EVEN MIND :’’’’’’’’’)

the gasp that left me when lwj says ‘wei ying’ and wwx turns.........

there was also a screen with ‘thank you mxtx for creating these characters, we hope their wishes come true’ and i might. have cried then too. maybe. 

that was . a ride. as is proven by this behemot of a ramble clearly i just really needed and Outlet. i am currently trying to convince dumb monkey brain to not consume the other medias of mdzs immediately bc i REALLY need to like. live. a life. and take care of real responsibilities.  *longest oh boi ever*

[missholland]

The Ending

I need to put it out there. I love The Untamed’s ending. Well, I especially love the feeling that ending left me. Although the whole process was like having my heart taken out, chopped in 100 pieces, stick back together with Light Bearing glue, and placed back in my chest. I was happy, sad, confused, excited, anxious, upset, hopeful, and moved. 

I’ve watched a lot of Chinese historical fictions since a young age, as they were really popular in my country. It’s easy to end a drama with 2 main characters riding off to sunset together. What’s difficult is creating a final vision that stuck in the viewers’ minds for a very very long time. For whatever reason The Untamed crew decided to leave what we saw as the ending (I’d imagine they filmed a few different versions, and could only use what passed the censorship test set by the government), they’ve made it - they created an image that would stay with me as a viewer forever.

It would have made a bit more sense with further context. Lan Xichen’s isolation was not explicitly explained in the last episode. That might have kind of downplayed the importance of why LWJ had to stay back not only to take up the Excellency role but also take care of Lan clan - considering Grand Master Lan already retiring and just focusing on giving lectures and stuff now. But we all understand, although LWJ has broken quite a few rules just to stick by his soulmate WWX, it’s not that simple when it comes to walk away COMPLETELY from your family (and the family ‘business’ - typical oriental family pressure passed down from father/male authority figure to sons/nephews). On the other hand, WWX does not have the same problem. He already defected from Jiang clan in his previous life and parted way with Wen Ning (pretty much his other next of kin) in this life. So we would have thought the easiest solution is just for him to stay in Gusu - which, according to The Untamed Special Edition, was meant to be the ending despite the fact that the beginning of that episode (the ‘Aren’t you coming with me Lan Zhan?’ scene being re-arranged) made zero sense whatsoever.

Putting that aside, let’s just look at why it’s actually quite important for WWX to be away for a while. I’ve said this countless times and we all know very well, this man has been through SO FREAKING MUCH. If anyone deserves a vacation (apart from LWJ but I mean would the drama-version of LWJ actually going to take a holiday?), it’s him. Gusu retreat is not exactly ideal with all the rules and judgemental look/attitude from your boyfriend’s uncle. With LWJ being busy picking up with new role, WWX would be so BORED. Trust me, I did not gather all of this from my first watch because I was so emotionally confused by everything in episode 50. After a few more tries, this is more of a realistic view to justify why LWJ being pretty calm saying (temporary) goodbye to WWX on the mountain. The same man who hesitated chasing after NHS in Qinghe as he did not want to leave WWX’s side, and everything from that episode onward really. There’s NO way he would be THIS cool with letting WWX leave if he’s not confident that WWX will RETURN.

Similarly, after living through 2 lives being so dense about LWJ’s feelings, WWX has finally come to terms with how much he needs LWJ by his side - so much that he assumes it’s a fixed thing and completely forgets that LWJ has family stuff going on too - case in point ‘Where should we be going next Lan Zhan?’. It does seem like WWX cannot put a name to it yet though i.e. his feelings and everything. 

Some time apart would definitely do both of them some good, and when WWX figures out his feelings, they will reunite at the same spot which is obviously right above Gusu waterfall. I should have read into the whole ‘When we meet again, you better tell me the name of the song’ bit a little deeper, as it would have neatly justified my point above. By the time WWX comes back (which he did, we saw it, it’s real) and ready to let LWJ know how he feels (off-screen, thanks a lot Chinese censorship), LWJ will follow by revealing the song name - WangXian. If that doesn’t scream LOVE confession, I don’t know what is. If you know any pair of brothers or simply close friends who compose a love song using their ship name, please educate me as heterosexually speaking that’s not something I’d do.

If you look at the big picture of how the ending is executed in the drama, it does parallel the novel’s ending in a way. The only major change is that instead of WangXian going off for a honeymoon right after eloping at the end of the Guanyin Temple event, WWX goes by himself while LWJ stays behind to get his house in order. If I remember correctly, they return to Gusu in the novel and settle, like, explicitly confirming Jing Shi as their home. 

In the drama, WWX returns to the same meeting spot (again, just above Gusu waterfall), LWJ hears the signal song (his radar is as sharp as Google alert, let’s not forget episode 2 when he outruns JC to Dafan Mountain upon hearing WWX’s flute). He then rushes to the mountain top and reunites with his soulmate. 2 obvious facts: it was HIS VOICE calling Wei Ying, and WWX’s biggest happiest smile (NEVER saw him smile like this to anyone else throughout 50 episodes) as he’s overflown with joy.

We might have doubted ourselves watching this as we were just so emotionally invested in ROOTING for these two. But on a nice and calm day, watch it again and you will realize how OBVIOUS it is being a HAPPY ENDING. No hallucination nonsense, no need to zoom in WWX’s eyes to find the white figure. It’s as clear as day. They reunite, profess their feelings, and settle in Gusu. 

You’ll see what I mean about loving the emotional rollercoaster this ending leaves you, that no ‘driving off to sunset together’ type of finale can deliver. Happy, sad, confused, excited, anxious, upset, hopeful, moved, and... satisfactorily complete.

Thank you The Untamed cast and crew your incredible hard work to bring us such a well crafted production and story that will stay in our heart forever <3

[ryukoishida]

WangXian Week 2019 | Day 1 - Modern AU: In which engineer!WWX built an android that threatened to destroy the world. [Android AU]

Written for WangXian Week 2019

Title: Viral [Part One of Two] Day: 1 – Modern AU Summary: As a robotics engineer, Wei Wuxian wished to be the forefront of the movement that brought AI technology into military use, even if it meant going against the whole world — even if it meant going against Lan Wangji.  Characters/Ships: WangXian; featuring android!Wen siblings, Jiang Cheng, Lan Xichen, android!Lan Sizhui, android!Lan Jingyi Rating: PG-13 A/N: Prequel to “For Man and Machine Alike”. Even more android AU? HELL YUH. Posting the second part on day 8 because I’m no longer a productive writer. Sorry.

-

i.

“Hey… hey, isn’t that the younger brother of Gusu Robotics’ CEO?”

“Lan Wangji? He’s in our lecture?”

As soon as Lan Wangji sat down in his seat by the windows, the late afternoon autumn sunlight streaming in through the glass and casting the quiet figure with cold topaz eyes in a golden sheen, the whispers in the lecture hall started to rise and fall like waves as first year students of the university’s robotics department all turned to stare at the young man with a combination of awe and envy.

“Jiang Cheng, Jiang Cheng, what’s the deal with this Lan Wangji anyway? Why’s everyone staring at him?” Wei Wuxian followed the curious gazes of his fellow classmates as his brows dipped low in a slight, confused frown, and saw the man calmly ignoring the gossiping around him and concentrating on reading the book he had in his hands. His delicate fingers moved to flip a page, and the specks of dust wafted up from the slight movement, the particles fluttering in the sunlight. Honestly, who even read from actual, physical books anymore? Those volumes were practically ancient artifacts since e-readers and other more portable devices had become mainstream and affordable for almost all population.

Wei Wuxian continued with a harrumph, “I mean, I get that he’s very good-looking, but so am I!”

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes at his best friend and adopted brother’s shameless statement.

“Wei Wuxian, if you can maybe stop being so complacent for one moment and actually pay attention to things around you, you would’ve realized that that guy is the second young master of the renowned Gusu Robotics, who got into this program with the highest GPA in our year and is rumored to become Lan Xichen’s right-hand man after graduation.”

Wei Wuxian didn’t seem to be paying much attention to Jiang Cheng’s explanation, or if he did, he certainly didn’t express much interest in Lan Wangji’s distinguished background.  

“Quiet please, everyone. Class is starting.”

Behind the podium at the front of the lecture hall stood a tall, slender man with sleek, black hair, an impressive goatee, and an impeccably perfect posture that exuded an air of sternness and uptight attitude of a much older and stricter gentleman.

“Welcome to Ethics of Artificial Intelligence,” he began with a voice that rang strident and clear within the large hall filled with about 120 students, “I’m the instructor of this class, Lan Qiren. In this semester, we will be discussing various current events and case studies involving ethical issues surrounding the design and production of androids, as well as how our ethical ideals as human beings affect the artificial intelligence that we build…”

About half a minute into the introduction, Wei Wuxian’s attention was already drifting off to elsewhere, his fingers restlessly twirling the pen he was supposed to take notes with on his tablet. While most of the class were listening closely to the droning voice of the instructor, Wei Wuxian sneaked another look at Lan Wangji, the red in his irises brightening with pure curiosity.

As expected from the top-performing student in their year, even his posture was flawless: his back was straight and elegant, and his face was angled directly towards the front of the classroom, his eyes never straying away or distracted by his surroundings.

“…where should the line be drawn between teaching artificial intelligence to interpret and use the data so that they can make the most efficient solutions, and anticipating the unintended consequences of ethical rules and morality set and input by us, the creators?”

Even the whirring air condition of the lecture hall was unable to combat the warm Indian summer breeze drifting in through the open windows, and Wei Wuxian found his eyelids growing more and more heavy, until a loud yawn escaped from his mouth without much of his own awareness.

“Boy sitting in the very last row — you, in the red and black hoodie —” Lan Qiren’s droning voice suddenly turned a degree sharper as he looked towards the back of the classroom, “do you have something to share with the rest of the class?”

Jiang Cheng had to elbow him three times before Wei Wuxian jerked awake and finally realized the entire class and their instructor were staring at him expectantly.

Wei Wuxian cleared his throat, not a hint of embarrassment at being caught falling asleep in class could be found on his face.

“Notwithstanding the hypocritical and wasteful way with which we build and use androids that take care of the physical labour workforce and then pointedly ignore the ethical issues of not providing them any regular maintenance and dumping them out the moment they are damaged through misuse and negligence, or when newer models replace them,” Wei Wuxian started, the cruel humor in his brightened irises a sign of challenge to the gradual frustration displayed on Lan Qiren’s face, “this outdated philosophy of ethics is exactly what’s stopping the robotics community from moving forward and getting into new territories.”

“And what kind of new territory is that?” Lan Qiren asked darkly.

“Military and defense, of course,” Wei Wuxian replied, and he swore he could hear the entire class gasped in unity.

Jiang Cheng was pinching his forearm in an attempt to stop his best friend from digging his own grave, but Wei Wuxian pulled his arm out of Jiang Cheng’s grasp and continued, “just imagine the possibilities! If programmed correctly by installing core rules about engagement and treatment with civilians, the chances of mistakes made by human soldiers during adrenaline-fueled situations will be significantly reduced. Not to mention, the variety of autonomous weapons will be endless — land, sea, sky — we can even incorporate the technology we’re currently using on the bulkier tanks and aircrafts and make them more compact and lightweight.”  

Before Lan Qiren had a chance to respond to this outrageous idea, an idea that had been discussed and dismissed through the years due to its problematic implications, another voice — deep, cold rumbling like winter thunder bringing with it an oncoming ice storm — said, “you can’t be certain that we, as humans, can come up with rules that are applicable for every possible combat situation. The consequences from that alone are too hefty a price for humanity to pay to satisfy your wild fantasies.”

Lan Qiren actually looked proud of his nephew’s retort, and so he remained quiet for the time being to see how Wei Wuxian would respond.

When Lan Wangji turned around to face the other student, Wei Wuxian could, for a brief moment, focus on how the sun reflected off the man’s eyes, making the topaz turn golden.

“You know, Lan Wangji, for someone who got into this program with the highest GPA, your mindset is surprisingly old-fashioned,” Wei Wuxian tsked, a teasing smile lingering along the corner of his lips as he continued, “without risks, there will be no rewards or progress.”

To Wei Wuxian’s utter delight, Lan Wangji’s frown deepened, as if he was physically affected by the other man’s words, but he continued to murmur in the same calm, collected tone, though this time, everyone could see his fingers gathering into fists, “without precise algorithms and solid firewalls, these autonomous weapons can be lethal in the wrong hands. If we started using AIs on the battlefield, we are removing the human attachment to the moral implications of war; people will be more willing to start unnecessary conflicts.”

“This industry is meant to bloom as our technology gradually evolves to fit our lifestyles that have become heavily-dependent on artificial intelligence,” Wei Wuxian refused to back down. He knew the majority of — if not the entire — robotics community was hesitant in integrating AI technology in military usage, but this was precisely why Wei Wuxian was so adamant in becoming the person to initiate the trend and inspire other talented robotic engineers to do the same. “We can’t let it remain stagnant just because people like you are scared to take a chance.”

“You just have to start shit on the first day of school, don’t you?” Jiang Cheng sighed as they made their way towards their next class after they got dismissed from their ethics lecture.

Wei Wuxian, whose attention had already been dragged far, far away from his current conversation with his best friend, said with a mischievous grin as his gaze settled on Lan Wangji’s retreating back. “Oh, I was hoping I’ve started more than that.”

ii.

“Wangji… Wangji, what’s wrong?”

“Brother,” Lan Wangji jerked back into the present as he pulled his gaze away from the article displayed on his tablet and glanced up at Lan Xichen, who greeted him with a concerned smile and sat down at the dining table to join him. “It’s… nothing.” He put the tablet to the side and continued to eat his breakfast, though the eggs had turned cold and rubbery.

Glancing briefly at the screen of the tablet before it flickered off into black, Lan Xichen caught the image of a young man with fierce, determined eyes and a self-assured grin that was bright and contagious, and he immediately thought of the boy that Lan Wangji brought home one day several years ago; he’d came over to their place for a school group project. From what he could recall, however, the meeting neither ended well, nor was it productive; all Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian had accomplished since Wei Wuxian had stepped into the Lan residence was endless unresolved disputes, agitated shouting, and torn plans all over the floor.

Lan Xichen hadn’t seen the boy since, and his younger brother, though reticent with most people, was reluctant to mention his classmate after that incident.

“Isn’t that your old schoolmate from university?” Lan Xichen took a sip of his tea before he asked, his tone casual yet masked with mindfulness.

“Mn,” Lan Wangji nodded once, paused, and then added quietly, “he quitted after the first year.”

And it shouldn’t have affected him so strongly back then, when Wei Wuxian had skipped over to him after their last exam of the semester and nonchalantly told him that they wouldn’t see each other anymore, that he was quitting school to work on his own projects because he was so sick of the university’s suffocating rules and hypocritical values.    

I’m going to miss you, Lan Wangji, he’d said with a teasing grin, and Lan Wangji had wanted to snap at him — for being so frivolous with him that it was impossible for the usually composed man to ignore his presence, for being so indifferent about throwing his own future away.

Seeing his face on the news today shouldn’t bring such an onslaught of emotions, either, but the waves just came and came, each time towering higher than the last, and Lan Wangji felt like he couldn’t breathe for as long as his mind remained rooted to this man who seemed fearless as much as he was rebellious.

Many of the university’s professors had been doubtful of Wei Wuxian’s abilities, claiming that he was a fool to abandon his education in order to pursuit a dangerous fantasy.

Yet to the disappointment of many of the older generation in the robotics community, Wei Wuxian succeeded in what he’d set out to do. Two years after he dropped out of school, the talented engineer — from a combination of self-learning, experimenting, hard work, and infinite sleepless nights — designed and sold prototypes and production rights of two of his own android creations to a private security company, which had earned him enough money to operate his own lab and concentrate his research and invention of the elite WEN series.

Today was the day Wei Wuxian was officially revealing the first prototype of the WEN series androids.

And Lan Wangji wanted to avoid seeing or hearing anything related to that man, for he had long given up on him four years ago. Or at least, that was what he’d tried to tell himself.

That same night, exhausted from work but unable to fall asleep, he attempted to let the news channel lull him to slumber.

“‘Warfare Engagement Noblesse’ is the official name of the series that 23-year-old robotics engineer Wei Wuxian has developed over the last two years, and it is the first of its kind,” the reporter introduced the young man sitting on the couch next to her. “Mr. Wei, would you like to tell us more about your prototype unit? I heard that you’ve already named it.”

“With pleasure,” Wei Wuxian grinned, and the camera panned to the young engineer and his creation, which, at first glance, looked nothing more than an extremely polished version of a household or workplace android: his clear green irises reflected intelligence and understanding, his dimpled smile expressed open honesty and kindness, and his well-designed body proportions granted him inhuman strength and physical abilities. Yet, nothing about his exterior features advertised the kind of danger or lethal characteristics that the WEN series supposedly boasted of.

Wen Ning, the android designed for warfare and violence, looked like he couldn’t hurt a fly, let alone a human being.

At the reporter’s slight bemusement, Wei Wuxian continued, “this, here, is Wen Ning. I’ve coded his personality to make him look and act more approachable, less intimidating. In his non-combat mode, he’s just like any other household androids: friendly, helpful, obedient.”

“H-hello, everyone,” the android spoke for the first time, his voice surprisingly gentle as he introduced himself, “I’m Wen Ning, Master Wei’s personal assistant and companion. It’s a pleasure to be here.”

“I presume Wen Ning has the same software and hardware that many of the household and workplace androids already have, so what makes him so different from the rest?”

“Correct. He can certainly function as your average household or workplace android,” Wei Wuxian’s grin grew a little wider as he continued, “but he also has the most up-to-date military strategy and tactics, logistics arithmetic, battlespace interpretations and calculations programmed into his central processing unit and memory storage.”

“And what does that entail?”

“It means that Wen Ning has the ability to gather all the available data during a battle — geography, numbers and functions of involved personnel, logistics — process them with its ingrained algorithm based on logic, and come up with the most efficient solutions that would grand the ally the highest rates of success. In short, you no longer need to depend on a group of stuffy, middle-aged men fueled by bloodthirst and adrenaline to make idiotic decisions that would impact a large group of soldiers’ lives.”

The reporter didn’t want to touch on the political part of Wei Wuxian’s statement, so she cleverly steered away from that topic by asking her next question, “the software sounds impressive, but what about the hardware?”

“Thought you’d never ask!” Wei Wuxian laughed. “We can’t do a demonstration here for obvious reasons, but earlier in the day, we recorded a test run of Wen Ning’s hardware implements.”  

“Let’s take a look,” the reporter smiled pleasantly and the screen switched to another scene of an open field in the middle of which stood Wen Ning.

Lan Wangji felt his stomach lurch at the sight of the seemingly gentle android transformed at the command of Wei Wuxian, currently the only human being who had control over him through the use of the highest quality voice recognition program.

His jade-green eyes glazed over, turning it grey and dull. An opening revealed itself on the nape of his neck, and the gap widened along his spine, ripping the flesh-like material apart to expose the cold, eerie shine of metal alloy beneath, blue glowing beams of flaring energy hovering just above his steel bones and wiry tendons. His limbs were decomposing, too, pale flesh peeling away to be swallowed by silver, until no parts of him looked human anymore.

Wen Ning, the android designed for warfare and violence, had transformed from a perfect, angelic being into a creature that could only be found in apocalyptic stories and hell, if it existed.

With Wen Ning presented so publicly, Wei Wuxian had made his intention known to the world, and Lan Wangji felt his heart growing heavier and heavier with each breath he took even long after he’d turned off the news broadcast.

iii.

“Oi, Lan Wangji!” a familiar voice called him from some distance, and he turned to see a man with chaotic black hair, loosened silk tie hanging limply around the open collar of a slightly wrinkled shirt, and an infectious smile making his way towards him. “Fancy seeing you here!”

“Wei Wuxian…” Lan Wangji nodded once as greeting, and then his gaze shifted over to the man and woman standing a small step behind the young robotics engineer. His lips tightened just a minuscule, but Wei Wuxian caught the expression of aversion all the same. Still, his grin never faltered as he made some quick introductions.

“You must have known about them, Lan-er-gege,” Wei Wuxian casually used the nickname he used to called Lan Wangji by when he wanted to annoy him in school, but now the tone was merely teasing, with a hint of mischief and flirtatious aftertaste. “Wen Ning, first prototype of the WEN series, my personal assistant and good friend. And this is Wen Qing, Ah-Ning’s sibling unit. She’s a combat medic android who specializes in providing medical support during battles.”

Wen Qing stared at the other human with dark, distrustful eyes, and when Lan Wangji seemed unperturbed by her openly scrutinizing glare, she nodded stiffly before turning her head to the side, an obvious sign that she didn’t want any part in this conversation anymore.

“Master Lan,” Wen Ning greeted him with a polite smile, “Master Wei has told us so much about you. It’s good to finally meet you.”

“Ah-Ning! You aren’t supposed to tell him that!”

“O-Oh, sorry, I-I didn’t realize, Master Wei…”

Lan Wangji turned his gaze towards Wei Wuxian and one of his eyebrows quirked up in question.

Wei Wuxian sighed and said to his android companions, “Ah-Ning, Ah-Qing, why don’t you two wander around the convention for a bit? We’ll meet back at the entrance of the conference hall in three hours.”

Outside the downtown conference hall, the sun beat down on them ruthlessly. Wei Wuxian had long discarded his tie and suit jacket, the top buttons of his shirt undone to expose the clean lines of his collarbone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows so that his forearms — lined and dotted with old and new scars — were bared to the heat of mid-summer. Walking beside him in stark contrast, Lan Wangji was still meticulously dressed and groomed, as if the summer heat couldn’t affect him in any way.  

“I heard that the government is purchasing the production rights of the WEN series,” Lan Wangji began, his gaze never straying away from the path that lay before him.

“Aren’t you going to congratulate me?” Wei Wuxian grinned up at him as he twisted around to walk backwards so that he could have a better look at the other man. Even after so many years, and despite his irritatingly conventional perspective on the robotics industry, Lan Wangji was an enigmatic puzzle that Wei Wuxian was still fascinated and intrigued by. Whether it was a silly, irrelevant squabble between friends, or a fervent discussion concerning a more serious topic, Wei Wuxian had always been the type determined to have the last word, and so when he encountered Lan Wangji on the first day of university in the ethics class, he knew he had to break him down, to convince him to see things his way.

If nothing else, he wanted to prove to Lan Wangji that it was possible for the robotics industry to go even further; all it needed was someone in their generation to take that daring step.

It was a shame that he had to drop out of school early, at least in that regard.

“It’s a dangerous game you’re playing,” Lan Wangji said after a prolonged pause, as if he wasn’t sure whether he should say it.

Uncertainty, coming from someone like Lan Wangji, was strange — almost unnerving.

“I wouldn’t be here if it were otherwise,” Wei Wuxian said, his grin collapsing a little.

“You don’t get it, Wei Wuxian,” Lan Wangji’s voice tightened a degree, his lips straightening into a firmer line. “Now that you are so closely involved with the government, who knows what other projects they are planning to have you make for them?”  

“Hey, that just means more profits for me, isn’t it? That’s a good thing!” Wei Wuxian laughed it off. Both of them knew he wasn’t doing it for the money, but having the extra financial means would certainly help with furthering whatever research Wei Wuxian was interested in, and that was what Lan Wangji was afraid of the most. “Come on, Lan-er-gege, don’t be such a downer. What do you say we go get some late lunch, hmm? My treat?”

To Wei Wuxian’s utter surprise and secret delight, Lan Wangji agreed with a quiet nod.

And this would at least partly explain why, two hours later, with their stomachs’ appetite completely satiated and Wei Wuxian marginally intoxicated by the wine he’d consumed during the pleasant meal, the two engineers found themselves stumbling into Wei Wuxian’s hotel room, limbs entwined, their lips seeking for each other’s tastes and swallowing each other’s ragged breaths, their bodies hungering and craving for something else that’d been planted within their hearts since the day they met.  

“Lan-er-gege, you… ah… you’ve been keeping secrets, haven’t you?” Wei Wuxian’s husky chuckle was interrupted when he hissed as the other man nibbled him lightly along the sensitive part of his neck, his teeth leaving marks that would remind him of what they could have been in days to come.  

“Not from you,” Lan Wangji breathed in the scent — his scent — and his arms tightened around the solid warmth of Wei Wuxian’s body as if he would dissipate like a trail of smoke if Lan Wangji didn’t hold on to him for dear life. “Never from you.”

Like a vow.

Wei Wuxian froze at those honest words, his lips quirking up into a sad, gentle smile that Lan Wangji would never see.

Only later did Lan Wangji realize how naïve he’d been that night — to think that Wei Wuxian would be willing to let go of everything he’d achieved merely because they’d spent the night together.

iv.

“Come with me,” Lan Wangji said, desperate, though his voice remained its usual calm and poise. “Come with me and join Gusu Robotics. They can’t touch you there.”

“Now why would I do such a thing?” Wei Wuxian laughed, the sound hollow and without any trace of his usual good-natured humor or lightheartedness. Only bitterness dripped from his voice like acid, burning everything it touched. “So that you and your goddamn corporate regulations can tie me down and force me to relinquish the research that I’ve been conducting over the past few years?! To throw away everything I’ve worked so hard for, just like that? I thought you, of all people, would understand!”  

“You have the entire robotics community in the country turning against you,” Lan Wangji had his fingers wrapped tightly around the other man’s wrist to stop him from going. “Do you even know what that means?”

“Let them,” Wei Wuxian spat, searing with anger. “Who the hell do they think they are? What right do they have to stop me from conducting my own research, just because I refuse to follow their damn conventions? I don’t fucking get it. I want to contribute to the community as much as they do, but if we don’t try creating something new, how would the industry advance?”

“Wei Wuxian…” Lan Wangji’s grip on him slackened, and Wei Wuxian pulled himself away.

At that moment, even more so than when Wei Wuxian announced that he was going to quit school with that infuriatingly carefree grin of his, Lan Wangji felt the cold distance between them grew even wider, the gap having pulled so far apart that he had no idea how to bridge it anymore.

“What? Am I wrong?” Wei Wuxian challenged the man before him, and he continued, his voice shaking in confined frustration with no outlet for release, “someone made the first household android, and the first sexual companion android. They had all met with antagonism from those who supposedly stood on higher moral ground, but did that stop them? Hell no. So, tell me again, why should this stop me?”

“The boycotting is only a start…” Lan Wangji said, his amber eyes darkening in solemnity. “I don’t know what else the Robotics and Automation Committee would do if you don’t stop.”

“And what is it to you?” Wei Wuxian didn’t address the other engineer’s concern when he stared directly into his eyes, but the twist of his lips was cruel — beautiful but cold. “Just leave me alone, Lan Wangji. You have no reason to be dragged down with me.”

-

A/N: I actually did some “research” on AI and morality/ethics for this lol, and I found this interesting article that goes into the philosophical aspects, if anyone’s interested in this sort of thing.

[inessencedevided]

Once you're done with the entire show, could you maybe do sorting for all the characters? I usually know the house for each character, but I have literally no idea with The Untamed. WWX for example I can equally see him as a Gryffindor, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff and my brain hurts trying to decide.

First of all: I'm so so sorry anon! This took ages to answer! I hope you're still out there to read this! I started answering ages ago and then trailed off because I had to think about it. So here goes:

Thank you so much for this opening! I LOVE sorting non-HP characters into Hogwarts houses!! And for some of these, I’ve already done so in my head ages ago :D

Disclaimer: I’m mostly going off live action canon here, but will make some comments about the novel from time to time.

Disclaimer 2: Obviously, these are extremely subjective. If anyone disagrees, I would love to hear your counter arguments! I love discussing these things!

Wei Wuxian

GRYFFINDOR!

I know you said you weren’t sure but in my book, he’s a textbook Gryffindor. I’m not saying he doesn’t have Hufflepuff or Raveclaw traits (his sense of justice and his “out of the box thinking” kinda genius come to mind), but those aren’t the main drive of his actions imo. WWX follows his confiction and he often does so without even considering a second option or a compromise, especially before his death. And he is not afraid of deviating from the law or societal expectations to do so. This alone could also make him a Slytherin. The reason I wouldn’t place him there is the way he acts very much in the open. He doesn’t try to bring about change by quietly working in the background. He openly calls people out on their bullshit, even when it is clearly to his disadvantage and might just come back to bite him in the ass. Imo, WWX is a brilliant example of how a gryffindor might be driven to doing some very questionable shit given the "right" circumstances.

Lan Wangji

Now, he’s a different story. I have a lot more problems sorting him, maybe because he is not our point of view character. And he's the reason why it took me so long to answer this ask. My conclusion might be controversial, so let me work up to it. Slytherin? His most slytherin trait, imo, is his determination and drive, which I think stems, among other things, from a desire to prove himself. However, I believe his main reasons for this were family loyalty and (somewhat headcanon territory) the rejection he must have felt at his parents absence. And I don't see him as cunning either, as that always carries a certain level of deceitful intent, even if it's not malicious. And deceitful? That's one thing lwj certainly isn't. So, Slytherin is not a good fit for him. Ravenclaw maybe? He is certainly very intelligent, but that intelligence is more due to his studious nature and his focus, imo. And wisdom and out-of-the-box-thinking are not traits I would associate him with, especially in his younger years. So gryffindor then? He is certainly brave in many ways. He is enduring and stubborn, both gryffindor traits. But he also someone who takes his time to arrive at decisions, unless he is under extreme emotional duress (losing his mother or the love of his live). His bravery, to me, seems to be deeply rooted in his deep deep devotion. He goes through extreme, long lasting pain for the few people he holds close to his heart. In the end it all comes down to his heart, his loyalties, his devotion. Ironically, even more so in the book than in cql. And that loyalty, that steadfastness, that devotion is extremely hufflepuff.

So here you go:

HUFFLEPUFF! (There is no yellow:/)

(And now I really wanna write that AU :D on first glance, lwj would make such an unusual hufflepuff, with his cold and aloof behaviour. I want to play with this idea now!)

Lan Xichen

HUFFLEPUFF!

Aaaahhh! Now I really like the idea of the twin jades of hufflepuff. :D and Lan Xichen is a bit more obvious right? He certainly has the intelligence of a ravenclaw, but his defining characteristics are his devotion to his duty, his kindness, his fairness and his willingness to carefully consider all sides. A hufflepuff to boot. No wonder, I love him so much.

(And now I can't help but imagine lan Xichen, welcoming his little brother at the hufflepuff table, beaming with pride. And later, making sure that they eat at least 1 meal per day together because he knows his brother doesn't make friends easily, even in a house as theirs. Until there's a certain rebellious and bright eyed gryffindor, with a penchant for DADA ...)

Jiang Cheng

He, too, gave me a hard time sorting him. Ravenclaw, I discarded immediately. Gryffindor came next. He's definitely brave in his own way. Going on after the devastating loss of his entire family is brave beyond anything I can imagine, but his motivation why he did it, I believe, was a mixture of family loyalty and his competitiveness and drive to prove himself worthy. Thise are hufflepuff and Slytherin traits, respectively. I would tip the scale towards the latter, simply because his inner conflict is so defined by his feelings of inferiority, his feelings of never living up to his parents expectations. He's in that weird place of being both extremely privileged and emotionally neglected. It reminds me of Draco, come to think of it. So, my favourite angry grape, I'll place in ...

SLYTHERIN!

(He's even rockin' the snake aesthetic already :D)

Jiang Yanli

With her association with cooking and motherly love she seems to be a rather obvious hufflepuff. She is certainly brave, too, enduring her family's near destruction and moving on, or standing in front of her adoptive brother and defending his place in her family and in society. But again, it's very much tied to the people she loves. So yeah,

HUFFLEPUFF!

Nie Mingjue

The jock to end all jocks and still he's got a heart of gold. He's kinda the cliche gryffindor and I can't find a reason to not place him there. So *head barely touches him*

GRYFFINDOR!

Nie Huaisang

SLYTHERIN!

If the twist at the end didn't happen, I'd have placed him in Ravenclaw, as it is, he is such a quintessential Slytherin and also, just ... my favourite kind, especially in cql, where he just fuvjs off to paint his fans and leaves others to do the heavy lifting. He got what he wanted, revenge for his beloved older brother. It reminds me a bit of Horace Slughorn (minus the people collecting). He doesn't want to be at the top. He just wants a comfortable enough life and the possibility to reach his very specific and not at all mainstream goals. A legend. (In mdzs, where he becomes chief cultivator, he's still a Slytherin, albeit a slightly less interesting one.)

Wen Qing

Now, she is another hard one. Another fiercely loyal person (although that's a common trait in mdzs/cql), she also had to show incredible resourcefulness to survive and still stick to her principles throughout her life. But to mention that she invented and su subsequently performed the first core transfer in history. (In the book, it is specifically mentioned that the essay on this subject was written by her). In short, this woman is s genius in her field and forward thinking and incentive. All of those are textbook Ravenclaw traits. So, with her we have ...

RAVENCLAW!

Wen Ning

Puh, he is hard. I know, with his timid behaviour and gentle nature, hufflepuff comes to mind BUT ... he strikes me as a neville. As in, his bravery lies in the fact that his own insecurities hinder him constantly and yet he overcomes them every day in a hundred small ways. He is brave precisely because he is afraid of so many things. And, like Neville, when his sense if right and wrong demands it, he takes a stand. His rescue of wwx and jc extremely dangerous circumstances and the core reveal come to mind. So, even though he probably argues with the hat to place him in hufflepuff, I'll place him in ...

GRYFFINDOR!

Jin Guangyao

SLYTHERIN!

Do I have to explain this?

Luo Qingyang

I know, she's a much more minor character than the others but I love her and this is my post, so she's in it. Do i have to say it? I hate to be the "Gryffindors ftw!!!"-one (as a proud snake), but yeah, Nie Mingjue was goddamn right when he said that she's got more backbone than half the cultivation world combined. My queen snapped and removed herself from the narrative and I love her for it!

GRYFFINDOR!

Let's get to the juniors:

Lan Sizhui

Now, maybe the hufflepuff does run in his family because I do think he belongs there, too. His defining characteristics are shown to be kindness, fairness and filial piety, even though he also has a mischievous streak and does not shy away from confrontation when he thinks his warranted (politely defending "Mo Xuanyu" in front of the Mo clan comes to mind). So yeah

HUFFLEPUFF!

Lan Jingyi

His brash and outgoing nature would make him a good gryffindor fit, certainly. However, the trait I associate with him the most is his nonconformity and that in a sect where that is highly unusual. He might not be as much of a social butterfly as Luba, but he still reminds me more of the kind of eccentricity associated with ...

RAVENCLAW!

Jin Ling

Now he's hard. Maybe because he postures a lot though that's something that's true for a lot of these characters. He tries to imitate his uncle but has non of the trauma to back it up, though he is an orphan and,in his position, probably pretty lonely which leads to the kind of breakdown we see him having over his confrontation with the person who killed his parents and he can't even really blame and so he just... crumbles. And non of that really helps me in my search for a house for him. I don't really see him as a Slytherin because while he loves to posture and play his privileges, he mostly crumbles under pressure and I don't think there's conviction behind it. He's certainly not sly either. Rabenclaw? Nah. I see neither outstanding amounts of eccentricity or wisdom. Gryffindor? Maybe. He's certainly impulsive. And he displayed bravery both in Yi City and even more so in the Guanyin temple where he had to face the fact that one of his uncles, the men who raised him, would kill him to achieve his goals. Still, what left the biggest impression on me was how, after his own world had just completely changed, he send his dog away because wwx would fear him. And how he then tried to get his uncle to talk to wwx. So I'd tentatively go with

HUFFLEPUFF!

Ouyang Zizhen

Another hard one because we don't know him very well in canon. But what we do know is that he is very emotional (passionate one might say) and has no qualms going against his father in a fit of teenage rebellion. I love him for it but that's not that much to go on. Both of these point to gryffindor however, so that's where he goes. :D

GRYFFINDOR!

So ... that's where I'll leave it. I know I missed the Yi city arc but it's getting late and I'm tired. 😅 If anyone wants to add them, feel free!

Congrats of you've made it this far down! :D

Please, do come and discuss these with me!