#in the book? sure. but not the drama. not this wwx

[llycaons]

'wwx didn't know he liked men before dying' he almost started crying when lwj tore up his gay porn, which he referred to as a 'precious treasure' and then later his buddy promised to get him more of the same. I think he was aware

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

WWX gets up to no good

[First] Prev <--> Next

[classygreydove]

Read a comment bashing lwj...

This is a very long rant about why I love lan wangji's character and why I think his behavior towards Wei Wuxian pre-sunshot campaign make sense. Some events I talk about might be out of order, because I'm rambling. Spoilers for scenes from Audio drama, cdrama, and the other mdzs canons.

So I accidentally read a comment bashing lwj and it made me so mad. Mostly because I found it incredibly inaccurate in interpreting his actions and his relationship with WWX. I can understand not liking LWJ just because his personality isn't one everyone would click with, but hating on him for inaccurate assessment of his character?! It feels like an injustice. So I'm going to share why his character is so fascinating to me, and why his actions make sense.

LWJ is one of my favorite characters for a reason, and there's a reason WWX likes this guy. Was LWJ's behavior as a teen towards wwx dumb? Yes. He was a teenager, lashing out because he had all these feelings and he was scared of being like his parents and scared of the idea that the things he'd been taught about the world was wrong, and he was angry because he couldn't control anything or make it align with that worldview, and he was so full of attraction and fascination and desire that frightened him, because the world and his clan had taught him it was wrong. And it was all happening because of this beautiful, bright boy, who wouldn't obey any of the rules LWJ had been taught made someone "good", but who was somehow so good anyway (which he learns from the Waterborne Abyss incident, when WWX rescues Su She). LWJ has been thrown into a hormonal, existential chaos.

He's never learned to communicate because he's never had a single friend in his life, and he hadn't had anyone to teach him all the ways love could be good, could be healthy, could be a blessing. Only that it was a sin, and that he was bad to have those feelings. He hadn't had anyone to teach him how to manage his emotions in a healthy way, or how to trust his own sense of right and wrong even over what others told him.

And here's this boy, who laughs at, disregards, disrespects LWJ's home and the wisdom he's been taught to look up to all his life. His clan's history and methods. And he's so beautiful, but it feels like this boy is laughing at him. And this boy is so charming, and every time he flirts or is friendly he must be making fun of LWJ because no one has ever teased him like this, or treated him in such a friendly way. Of course WWX doesn't actually want to be friends, or isn't really flirting. He has so many other friends, why would he want to be friends with LWJ? He just wants to get out of punishment, or be entertained. And he likes girls, so of course his flirting with LWJ is only to make fun.

And LWJ feels so vulnerable when WWX flirts, because he wants WWX to look at him and call him handsome, and maybe he's scared WWX sees that. So of course he's going to ignore him, avoid him. Of course he's going to respond with "Shameless!" and "Boring!" He thinks WWX is making fun of him. He thinks WWX is going to hurt him, if LWJ softens. And these emotions are so strong. What if they grow out of control, to the point his love becomes something that poisons, stifles, or hurts? That's a recipe for textbook anxious avoidant attachment style right there (I would know lol i am also this way).

And No wonder he reacted so strongly to the spring book prank. I think bro felt terrified/furious WWX had perceived, in some way, his own desires. And thought WWX was making fun of him. To me, this hits a lot more strongly in the cdrama, especially as the spring book cdrama!WWX used was of the cut-sleeve variety.

And when WWX knocks him over the wall, so sure LWJ will reveal that he's just like the rest of GusuLan, who just want to have rules to feel morally superior over others, enforcing them selectively but not applying them if it suits them (see: LQR) LWJ is determined to prove him wrong, and takes punishment along WWX for being outside the walls after curfew. And here's where WWX's (more negative) opinion of LWJ's character begins to change. He sees that LWJ is genuine in his desire to do good, to be morally righteous. And that makes LWJ stand out against so much of the rest of the cultivation world.

But LWJ still thinks WWX is teasing him maliciously, even when WWX announces that his opinion of LWJ has changed and he wants to be friends. LWJ is still heavily on guard, and again, WWX is approaching him when LWJ feels very vulnerable, given he's undressed in the cold spring, and WWX is also getting undressed in the cold spring. And then WWX says he'll introduce LWJ to girls. Again: he's vulnerable, feeling wrong, feeling made fun of, so he pulls away.

I don't think LWJ really starts to let down his guard until after WWX brings him the rabbits as a gift. Because WWX brought them, and even if he felt vulnerable and teased during that exchange, they were still a gift, proof that WWX had thought of him outside of just their exchanges during WWX's punishment. It is a much kinder feeling of being perceived than the spring book was.

And then WWX is kicked out of lectures, and LWJ doesn't see him again until indoctrination, but even though he was hoping-not-hoping with WWX gone the feelings would fade, instead he writes a love song because he can't get WWX out of his head. All his pulling away and guarding himself seems to be for naught. In the audio drama (the lotus seed pod extra) he even goes to a lotus pond to pick the seed pods with the stems attached because he missed WWX and was thinking about the things he'd shared about his home. He wanted to know about the things WWX liked, the things WWX experienced in his home, even if he wasn't brave enough to go to Lotus Pier directly. [EDIT: It was pointed out that this extra appeared first in the novel.]

And then there's the Discussion Conference, where WWX pulls off LWJ's forehead ribbon. I imagine this event caused LWJ to feel humiliated, ashamed, angry, (and even more horrifyingly to LWJ, pleased on some level that it was WWX) and exposed in front of the entire cultivation society. It might not "seem like a big deal" to a lot of fans because to us it's just a strip of fabric no matter how symbolic, but in this case it is very important that we imagine the gravity of this to understand where LWJ is coming from. For better understanding I would compare it to a lot of modern spiritual practices that use clothing in similar symbolic ways, and we would never want to disrespect someone by disrespecting that clothing, even if it is not a practice we personally follow. And WWX pulling the ribbon off in front of pretty much everyone (many of whom went to lectures at Cloud Recesses), including LWJ's own clan, who understand perfectly what it meant that WWX did that? Mortifying. And then his own clan reassures him that "it doesn't count" because WWX is a man, which must have been really invalidating to LWJ in its own way. So any progress on the friendship front/ideas of softening his guard on LWJ's part is gone. Toast.

And then his home has been burnt to the ground, his brother in hiding, and his leg broken. It's no surprise he's going to spurn WWX at indoctrination. He's grieving, stressed out more than he's ever been, in so much pain. LWJ probably feels really overwhelmed, overstimulated, and unsafe. He just cannot deal with All the Emotions About Wei Wuxian on top of that, and how would he even begin to tell WWX what had happened? He'd prefer to just avoid, avoid, avoid. (In the cdrama, I think he's also trying to distance himself so WWX won't draw the attention of WC.) And when WWX flirts with Mianmian, LWJ has had it up to here. He has no idea WWX is just trying to get medicine for him. And when WWX wants to carry him, the last thing LWJ probably wants is to be vulnerable with wwx in this very unsafe situation, where the Wens are constantly looking for weakness. So he brushes him off.

Then in the cave, LWJ is one of the first (along with JZX to resist the Wens and protect Mianmian. And then he stays behind with WWX and pushes him out of the way of the Xuanwu to get bitten instead. That speaks volumes about his character.

And then there's the whole debacle where LWJ is furious about the branding scar. I know he's of course jealous about the whole Mianmian thing, and WWX trying to lighten the mood/distract LWJ the way he distracts the Jiang siblings by going on about being a dashing hero protecting a maiden, but that just pisses LWJ off more, and I believe it's because LWJ is mad that WWX is treating the matter so lightly, because to him, love and devotion and self-sacrifically pushing people out of the way of danger is so powerful it feels like he's drowning, and WWX is over here like "haha she'll always remember me isn't that nice" and "it doesn't matter that i got hurt because it would have hurt her worse bc of beauty/reputation/the consequences of a woman losing her beauty" (which, kudos to WWX for understanding the ways women are affected by patriarchy, and beauty as a form of power/a tool for a future)

But LWJ is over here, viciously reminded he's not special and WWX would help and flirt with anyone and (seemingly) not think twice about it. Another thought process he could be having could be: but you got hurt. and that is unacceptable, and I hate that you're trying to say it like it is acceptable, bc it's like you don't care, and I care so much it feels like it could kill me. (I'm extrapolating a bit about this thought process here, but it seems plausible enough to me)

And then there's the whole thing where earlier WWX had made LWJ gay-panic hard enough to spit up blood, and then promptly reassured him he doesn't like guys. LWJ didn't need this on top of all the stress, and WWX just took off his headband to make a splint again, and so its presence isn't there to press him into restraint, and now the Mianmian thing, all the stress and adrenaline just come crashing down and bro just can't take it anymore and bites WWX bc maybe he he's mad that WWX has made the impact of a meteor strike in his life and it seems like WWX doesn't take more than a passing thought to those he impacts so deeply. So in all his deep and torrential emotions, bro is just like "I'll make you remember, even just a little bit, the way I remember you." I think in any other circumstance, LWJ wouldn't have lashed out in this way. It took so much for him to reach this point. Should he have bitten WWX? No. Do I understand why he did? Yeah.

And then LWJ tells WWX about Cloud Recesses and cries, for obvious reasons.

And so to call his behavior "abuse" towards WWX at any point in this timeline makes literally no sense at all (though unfortunately that was what the comment called it), and it tore me up to think about it. This is a very long post, and I have a lot to say about LWJ's actions during and post sunshot, but I'm tired so I'll just leave this here. Feel free to share your insights and what you love about LWJ's character. Also, if you have fic recs for favorite LWJ characterizations, please share! I'd love to read them.

TL;DR - Lwj's behavior and treatment of WWX pre-sunshot makes sense in context of his pov. He's flawed, but that's what makes him such a great character, and I love him for good reason.

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

May 10th

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1. Hello! I have an ITMF request when you have the time. I was recently thinking about the fic, "Heaven Has No Rage" by flipfloppandas and I particularly like how it developed the relationship between WWX and YZY. Do you/the community know of any other fics where she is able to reconcile her role as his mother by going through something difficult with him? Thank you! @balleyboley

some things go forward by everythingispoetry (T, 73k, WangXian, Modern AU, Hospitals, Teenage Drama, Slow Burn, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Happy Ending)

🔒❤️ the thing with feathers by RoseThorne ��(G, 43k,wangxian, Transmigration, Time Travel Fix-It, Illnesses, Family, Scars, Memory Loss, Angst, Fear, Recovery, Sharing a Bed, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Good Parent YZY, Referenced Sexual Slavery, Blood and Gore, Sexual Tension, Arranged Marriage, Grief, Adoption, POV Third Person, POV Alternating, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Good Parent LQR, Clairvoyance, Butterfly Effect)

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2. for the next itmf: are there any fics where wangxian just enlope and leave everyone behind to deal with it? where there are actual, something that makes the characters actually feel the, im not sure if this is the right word, consequences of an enlopement? or that wangxian just gave up making other people accept their love and just do what they want? like they don't care that they don't have approval.

i have seem many fics where they say that they want to get married expecting the disapproval of everyone, and magically no one has anything against it or at least not the characters that matter, or the ones that are against it are won over. the enlopement are usually used as a last resource not actually needed

thinking about everyone's book canon characterization, does anyone know a fic that resembles what anything about what im talking about?

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3. Howdy! Wondering if you had any pirate or siren au would love any especially longer completed works thank you mods!!!!

luminous by azuresummer (E, 50k, WangXian, WIP, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Dom/sub Undertones, Dominant LWJ, Submissive WWX, Modern, Merpeople, A/B/O, Dark LXC, Dark LWJ, Possessive LWJ, Protective LWJ, Crime Boss LWJ, Omega WWX, Siren WWX, Merperson WWX, Hurt WWX, WWX Whump, Precious WWX, Spoiled WWX, WWX Has a Fear of Dogs, Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, Nesting, Scenting, Power Imbalance, Obsession, Kidnapping, Organized Crime, Mild Gore, Minor Character Death, Excessive Amounts of Tenderness, Pining LWJ, Dark WangXian)

The Ocean Between Us by catbrainedschemes (M, 41k, WangXian, Modern AU, Historical, Reincarnation, Inspired by K-Drama | Korean Drama, legend of the blue sea, Fairy Tale, Fluff, Pining, Eventual Smut, Happy Ending, Childhood Sweethearts, Siren!wwx, Human!LWJ, Romantic Comedy, star-crossed lovers, Past LWJ/others (brief mentions), Slow Burn, Angst, Finding each other again)

💖 oceans, drowned in starfire by stiltonbasket (T, 30k, wangxian, LXC/NMJ, modern, novelist LWJ, merman WWX, accidental baby acquisation, family secrets, domestic fluff, happy ending)

melt away (in your arms) by saccharinings (M, 32k, WangXian, Siren WWX, Prince LWJ, Fluff, Inspired by Legend of the Blue Sea (TV), The Little Mermaid Fusion, Mermaid WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending, Amnesia, with a twist ;), Hopeful Ending)

In Whispers, In Songs, In Silence by JessicaMDawn (T, 20k, WangXian, LXC & LWJ, LSZ & LWJ, Sirens, Siren WWX, Canon Divergence, Blood and Violence, Implied/Referenced Torture, Canonical Character Death, but not as many as canon, Sign Language, WWX is a Good Guy, Creature Fic, Перевод на русский | Translation in Russian)

🔒 He's a Pirate by GrimmShadows (T, 23k, WangXian, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death, Pirate AU, Siren WWX, King WWX, Canon-Typical Violence, Captain LWJ, Angst with a Happy Ending)

🔒 Secrets of Yunmeng's Lotus Lakes by Cy_an_Blue (M, 73k, WangXian, one-sided SS/WWX, A/B/O, Omega WWX, Mermaid WWX, Cultivator LWJ, Younger WWX, Younger LWJ, teenage WWX, teenage LWJ, No War AU, Non-Traditional A/B/O Dynamics, Falling In Love, Getting Together, Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Awkwardness, Injury Recovery, Injury, Blood and Injury, accidental injury, Accidental Stabbing, Cultivation Accidents, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, waterborne abyss, Kidnapping, Non-Explicit Torture, Mentions of major injury, People are evil, people are greedy bastards, Fluff, Attempted Sexual Assault, SS being ick, Courtship, Courting Rituals)

The Treasure of Maroon Bay by fenaly (M, 30k, WangXian, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Pirates, Fantasy, Romance, pirate captain LWJ, merman WWX, first encounters, minor character death in the subplot, mentions of magical things)

Still Waters by WiseDawn13 (E, 21k, WangXian, Modern, Merpeople, POV WWX, Human WWX, Merman LWJ, Light Angst, wangxian's parents are alive and well, speedrun, WWX is Loved, Chaotic Bisexual WWX, LWJ is a Confident Gay, Happy Ending, Art Embedded, Hand Jobs, Oral Sex, what you doing out here with all this cock? double dicked up on a thursday afternoon, merji has two dicks, Double Penetration in One Hole, Anal Sex, wangxian are horny and in love, Getting Together, Marriage Proposal, Implied Switch WangXian)

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4. Do you know a fic where with we have a lot of friendship moment between Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang and where Huaisang is a protective friend (and a Wangxian shipper)?

Story-Shaped by lingering_song (T, 13k, NHS & WWX, wangxian, Post-Canon, Chief Cultivator LWJ, Inventor WWX, Found Family, NHS needs a new hobby, And apparently that’s spoiling his Wei-Xiong, Mentioned Character Death, Alcohol, Protective NHS, WangXian Endgame, Not JC Friendly, Not particularly gentry sects friendly overall tbh)

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

Hold on to the reason that you stayed series by tawaen (M, 63k, WN & WQ, WN & MXY, WN & WWX & WQ, WangXian, Ghost General WN, Ghost WQ, Eventual WAngXian, Canon Divergence, WQ comes back to haunt the cultivation world, Bad idea to kill the one person who didn't kill anyone, Cultivation World Critical, Not JC Friendly, Wen Remnants Deserve Better, Sīsī Deserves Better, MXY Deserves Better, POV WQ, Discussion of Golden Core Reveal, Anti-reconciliation, Outsider POV on Jiāng dynamics, POV NHS, Martial God WWX)

I Have Arranged to Tie You to Me by xxxMiaHikarixxx (G, 51k, WIP, WangXian, Lan protective team, Time Travel, Past, LWJ oriented, Arranged Marriage, Boys In Love, Soulmates, Fix-It, Jiang siblings, not jiang parents friendly, Soft LWJ, Protective LWJ, Genius WWX)

🔒 like mayflies wandering series by RoseThorne (E, 21k, NHS & WWX, WangXian, Assassination Attempt(s), Introspection, Regret, Travel, Post-Canon, POV Third Person, POV WWX, Ghosts, Reconciliation, Exhaustion, Pining, Pre-WangXian, Pining, Feelings Realization, Illnesses, ennui, Found Family, Porn Reading, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Manipulative NHS, Memories, WWX Needs a Hug, Post-Canon, Pining WWX, Friendship, NHS is a Little Shit, Qi Deviation, Resentful Energy, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Triggers, Fainting, Anal Sex, Getting Together, Love) ConfessionsGrief/Mourning

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5. Do you know stories where Wei Wuxian's parents are not dead but send into the future so they arrive after the events of the canon and try to find their son?

The Return of Cangse Sanren by milesofheart (T, 52k, WIP, WangXian, CSR/WCZ, Canon Divergence, CSR & WCZ Live, Angst with a happy ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Burial Mounds days, BAMF CSR)

An Inch of Grass, and All The Sunshine of Spring by ChilianXianzi (T, 1k, WIP, wangxian, CSSR/WCZ, CSSR & LWJ & WCZ, canon divergence, time travel, grief/mourning, parent-child relationship, found family, fluff & angst)

The Long Winding Road Homeby Admiranda (T, 13k, CSSR/WCZ, wangxian, flash forwards, Time Travel, Post canon, WWX’s parents come to post canon mdzs, not for JC fans, fluffy family reunions, mocking LQR to his face, mocking JC to his face, wild rumors abound)

Wei Changze's weird day by Weiyingbestboy (Not Rated, 1k, WangXian, Time Travel, Canon Divergence, WangXian babies) this is actually the opposite if you're interested! WWX + juniors appear in the past and freak Wei Changze the fuck out

The lark and the willow by Mhalachai (G, WangXian, CSSR/WCZ, Time Travel, Angst with a Happy Ending, Chief Cultivator LWJ, More parental issues than you can shake a stick at, make time travel have consequences you cowards, yunmeng bros reconciliation)

Love you always, in any form you come in by YumichanHamano (G, 7k, WangXian, CSSR/WCZ, Time Travel, Fluff, happy birthday wei wuxian!, he can have his parents back as a treat :) )

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6. I would like to find a fic where Jin Ling learns more about his parents death because the boy didn't have had a accurate version in his life and he want to know the truth.

🧡 Vow by draechaeli (E, 216k, Canon Divergence, BeliefGod!WWX, Adoption but WWX birthed them all, Pregnancy Kink, Mpreg, minor male lactation, Consensual Non-Consent, Light Bondage, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con because JGS, Mentions Canon Typical Incest, Canon Typical Violence) Chapter 8 of Vow has Wei Wuxian's spirit tell Jin Ling the truth about how his parents died.

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7. Hey! Have you ever read a book which is reacting to the book or series but it has covered the part where the golden core reveal is done? All the other books in this type are WIPs even before covering half of the book and never reaching that part T^T

💖 The Path by Seastar98 (Not rated, 279k, wangxian, JC/WQ, JYL/JZX, watching the series, Fix-It of Sorts, Canon Divergence, Golden Core Reveal, CQL Verse, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF NHS, check chapters for specific warnings)

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8. Hi! Itmf LXC takes care of WWX, not just in a sick fic sense, but also as a good gege, supportive brother that doesn’t have anger issues, caring brother in law looking out for his chaotic didi @vi-sky

🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 803k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement) long af, LXC is pretty supportive in this

💖🔒 Hoards and treasuresby  apathyinreverie (T, 21k, WangXian, Siblings, Family, not particularly Jiang friendly, YZY Bashing, slightly darker Gusu Lans, LXC being the   best brother, Some manipulation, But with the best of intentions, and   not between wangxian, Dragon LWJ, Fox WWX, Smitten LWJ, Fluff, perfect happiness, adorable WWX, Romance, Some worldbuilding, courting) supportive in a slightly dark way but still supportive

how a smiling homeless child melted jade hearts and got a home by anxiouswreck0_0 (T, 41k, wangxian, canon divergence, lan WWX, childhood friends to fiances, fluff & angst, fix-it of sorts, character death, possessive LWJ, dark LXC) WWX grows up in the Lan sect, mother hen LXC

🔒 Unstoppable by Netrixie (T, 149k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Eventual Happy Ending, Unreliable Narrator, Slow Burn, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Wolf-shifter WWX, Resolved Sexual Tension, Resolved Romantic Tension, Fix-It, Werewolf, Shapeshifters) love the brother/brother-in-law relationship in this series - in another part, WWX is the protective brother for LXC

A Fortuitous Bad Encounter by VividestList (E, 26k, WangXian, LXC & WWX, A/B/O, Omega WWX, Alpha LWJ, mild dubcon mentioned, in that WWX thinks that he used his heat to get LWJ to have sex with him, but we all know that’s a lie and he just can’t take a hint, LWJ was drunk tho, but that dubcon was also canon, mentions of mpreg, Mpreg, Misunderstandings, Mating Bites, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Kid Fic, Dirty Talk, Possessive Sex, possessive LWJ, Riding, Praise Kink, Rough Sex, Hair Pulling, Breeding Kink) LXC supports WWX when he gets pregnant and keeps the secret for him

there are pieces of you, of us by MusicPlotter (T, 4k, WangXian, LXC & LWJ, LXC & WWX, Canonical Character Death, Minor Canon Divergence, They don't get eloped, That's it, Angst, Fluff, LXC Is A Good Brother, WWX Deserves The World) LXC looks at chaotic WWX and says "that's a free didi"

I Made My Choice and It Was You by merakily (G, 10k, WangXian, LXC& WWX, Fluff and Angst, Domestic Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Baggage, PTSD, Nightmares, In-Laws, Post-Canon, Family Bonding) post canon bonding

I'll Protect That Pretty Smile by legendlanzhan (T, 16k, WangXian, LXC & WWX, LQR & WWX, WIP, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Fluff, Some angst, Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, No Sunshot Campaign, Good Uncle LQR, Good Sibling LXC, WWX is a lan, LQR finds WWX a week after his parents die and brings him to the cloud recesses, LQR is trying his best actually, LXC is the best big brother, every single lan loves WWX bc that's what he deserves, WWX and LWJ get to make lots of friends! not even JZX is off the table!, head disciples WWX and LWJ) incomplete, but LQR finds WWX before JFM, good older brother LXC

Nursery Rhymes by manaika (M, 96k, WangXian, NieLan, Modern AU, Inexperienced WWX, Experienced LWJ, Reconciliation, Budding Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Unreliable Narrator, Medical Inaccuracies, Slow Burn, Past Character Death, Childhood Trauma, Found Family, Past Injury, Nurse! WWX, Doctor! LXC, Teacher! LWJ, Character With A Heart Condition (Major), Past Incarceration (Major Character), Underage Character With Leukemia (Minor)) wonderful friendship/found family relationship btwn WWX and LXC

Please Let Me Take Care of You by incidentallyWangxian (G, 9k, WangXian, LXC & LWJ, LXC & WWX, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Sexual Assault, ish, kinda assault, drugged WWX, big brother LXC, Nightmares, the horrifying ordeal of being known, Modern, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Hurt WWX, crying WWX) WWX gets roofied, LXC comes to pick him up

🔒 Calling out for justice by marhikit (Not Rated, 10k, WangXian, LXC & WWX, LQR & WWX, JC & WWX & JYL, QHJ & WWX, WIP, Not JC Friendly, Not Jiang Family Friendly, canon JC characteristic) LXC uncovers scars/abuse WWX has suffered

O Moon, My Midnight Lover by stiltonbasket (G, 2k, WangXian, LXC & WWX, married wangxian, Introspection, Character Study, best bro-in-law LXC, Parenthood, Mild Angst, just a smidge yknow, Happy Ending, wangxian have babies, they are the cutest things) LXC and WWX bond while waiting for LWJ to come back from a night hunt

🔒 the thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break by RoseThorne (E, 91k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Soulmates, Self-Esteem Issues, Fix-It, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, PTSD, Handfasting, Panic Attacks, Getting Together, First Time, Aftercare, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Torture, Scars, Chronic Pain, Golden Core Reveal, First Time, Switching, sex-related injury, LWJ Stays at the Burial Mounds, LSZ is a Wèi, Good Sibling JC, Dissociation, Burial Mounds Settlement Days)

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9. I'm in a mood for a fic where a modern LWJ somehow ends up in the past, where he meets WWX (preferably if the modern day is no cultivation while the past does have cultivation, though that isn't a requirement.)

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10. hiiii itmf fics where wwx is very affectionate but lwj reacts rudely then misses it and grovels when wwx stops and/or starts hanging out with someone else. arranged marriage would be a nice plus! @nalalie

the river and the sea by sasamelons (T, 7k, WangXian, Soulmates, Arranged Marriage, Misunderstandings, Angst with a Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Falling In Love, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Mutual Pining)

much sweeter than by mellowflicker (T, 3k, WangXian, Royaltyish, Arranged Marriage, a little bit of, YLLZ WWX, Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending)

True Gold Fears No Fire by defractum (nyargles) (M, 69k, WIP, WangXian,  Royalty AU, Ancient China, Wuxia, Historical Inaccuracy, Arranged Marriage, Identity Porn, Mutual Pining, Emperor!LWJ, empress!wwx, Eventual Happy Ending, Misunderstandings)

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11. hi! itmf fic where lwj becomes a member of the jiang, either before or after wwx’s return; i’ve read Delight in Misery by njreseki but i’m interested in other takes on the idea!

The Price of Freedom by meyari (T, 32k, WangXian, JC/LWJ, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death, Past Character Death, Grief/Mourning, PTSD, Post-War, Children In Danger, Past Rape/Non-con, Warning: Jin Guangshan, Physical Abuse, Chronic Pain, Canon-Typical Violence, seriously a lot of grief and loss, no resurrections (yet), Not LQR Friendly, Execution, excessive discipline, Platonic Relationships) note that the LWJ/JC tagged is actually platonic, this is JC POV, and there is significant Lan Sect-bashing

this blood in my mouth by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 3k, WangXian, LSZ & WWX & LWJ, Post-Canon, POV LXC)

~*~

12. hi, thank you so much for this! i’ve wanted something just like this in other fandoms but never actually found one before! i’m in the mood for time travel fic, but with one of jiang cheng or wen qing as the time traveler, and with chengqing as one of the endgame ships alongside wangxian. thank you again!!!

For Both Of Us (And Time Is But A Paper Moon) by sami (E, 65k, wangxian, JC & WWX; JC & LWJ, LWJ & LXC, Canonical Character Death, Mentions of Rape, not explicit but definitely referenced, Time Travel, Not Everyone Dies au, Canon-Typical Violence, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, WWX/babie tendencies, WQ is a queen in any reality, Healing, Yunmeng Shuangjie, Canon Divergence, Asexual JC, First Time, Getting Together, BAMF JC, BAMF LWJ, WWX finds new ways to be oblivious, seriously it surprised even us)

Lynchpin by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 103k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Time Travel, Fix-It)

The Stranger Inside My Son by Mademoiselle_A (T, 65k, JC & YZY, JC & JFM, JC & WWX, JC & JL, JC & JYL, WangXian, JC & JGY, WIP, Time Travel Fix-It, But from an outsider's POV, JC is So Done, JFM's A+ parenting, YZY's A+ Parenting, Both are not great but this is not a bashing fic, JC-centric, But from JFM's POV lol, POV Outsider)

💖 With Surgical Precision by metisket (T, 20k, WQ & WN, WQ & WWX, WangXian, Time Travel, Families of Choice, sibling bonding through murder)

~*~

13. Itmf wangxian fics with wen ning? He feels such a background character in many fics, I want some wwx and wn together!! Their dynamic is so cute like, wy: " you there wen ning? " wn: " for you young master? Always"

Ps: I'm not asking them in a romantic sense

Pps: no moder fics please

break by justdoityoufucker (T, 3k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, LXC Critical, JC Critical, Canonical Character Death, Guānyīn Temple Scene, BAMF WN, Protective WN)

~*~

14. Are there fics with actually head disciple wwx in action? Like not just mentioning but actually doing??

🔒 The Water's Right, It's Sinking In by GravityWinsAgain (T, 9k, WangXian, Fluff and Angst, but the angst is all in lwj's head, seriously nothing outside of his own internalized panic is happening, LWJ visits lotus pier, And has a breakdown about it, Canon Divergence, No Sunshot Campaign, da-shixiong wwx, Repressed lwj, But they figure it out in the end, Happy Ending, lwj has emotions and is not pleased, Location: Lotus Pier)

~*~

15. Please find fics where wwx is a very influential person across the cultivation world, not post canon, but when everyone (EVRYONE) is alive . Thankyou.

Become Tomorrow by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 39k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, WWX is BSSR’s disciple)

Debts of a Child series by Hauntcats (M, 115k, WangXian, dark, YZY Bashing, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Angst and Feels, lots of anger, JC Bashing, not Jiang friendly, Angst with a Happy Ending, Content warning for icky spiders in later chapters.)

Field Trips with Wei Wuxian by antebunny (G, 42k, WangXian, WQ & WWX, NMJ & WWX, JZX & WWX, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Found Family, Angst with a Happy Ending, Misunderstandings, Miscommunication, protective Jiang siblings, Unreliable Narrator, due to WWX assuming ppl hate him, JYL is gonna dropkick her baby bro into having friends)

Dispersing Clouds by dreamingofcake (E, 166k, WangXian, WIP, Canon Divergence, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Abusive YZY, Canonical Child Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Eventual Sex, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm (Background Character), Background Character Deaths, child deaths, Canon JC, Good Uncle LQR, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Cultivation Sect Politics, Homophobia, Heteronormativity, Feelings Realization, WWX is Not Oblivious)

~*~

16. Hii! There was this itmf post where someone asked for inventor wwx! Can you please find the post? I've scrolled down for like 5 times already but I can't find it , please help

Lay my body down by tawaen (M, 48k, WWX & WQ, WWX & WN, WangXian, WWX & JYL, Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Eventual WangXian, No Golden Core Transfer, Not Cultivation World Friendly, Canon-Typical Violence, Not JC Friendly, Tagged just in case because there is no redemption arc here, What if WWX saw the first siege of the burial mounds and said Nope to the war, Original Character(s), OC point-of-view for one chapter for plot reasons)

In My Defence, I Have None (For Never Leaving Well Enough Alone) by SemiLocalCryptid (T, 73k, WangXian, WIP, Time Travel Fix-It, Established Relationship, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, POV NHS, but only for the first chapter, POV Alternating, between Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi for the rest, WWX may have no sense of self preservation but he does have a husband, No one touches LWJ’s husband, NHS has no more fucks to give and will save his brother just watch him, WN is very confused about needing to breathe again, but is ultimately happy about it, BAMF WN, WN needs a hug, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, WQ is a queen and everyone should fear her, Fluff, Inventor WWX, Gratuitous amounts of Wangxian fluff)

🧡 One Can Keep A Secret (If He Does Not Know It’s There) by H_Belle (T, 5k, WangXian, Modern Cultivators, Inventor WWX, Secret Identity, Identity Reveal, YLLZ WWX, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Pining LWJ, POV WWX, Background Wangxian Getting Together, Jiangs are only mentioned in the passing, inspired by a tumblr post)

🧡🔒Truth Will Out (when caught on video) - End_OTW_Racism! by KizuKatana (E, 178k, WangXian, WN & WWX & WQ, graphic depictions of violence, modern cultivation, canon divergence, YZY abuses WWX , caught on camera, partial core removal, WWX kicked out of Jiang sect, livestreamer WWX, meet ugly, dual cultivation, smut, no war)

There's An App For Everything by Sweetlittlevampire (G, 4k, WangXian, Modern Cultivation, Rivals to Lovers, Friends To Lovers, Competition, Demon fighting, Getting Together, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Night Hunts, Wangxian x Caves is the real ship here, Happy Ending, puns, Humour)

~*~

17. Hi! 🤗

This is for the ITMF. Lately I've been looking for some good time travel fix it fics.

A) WWX, LWJ or both traveling together to the past.

B) The juniors travel to the past and fix everything. (WWX protecting squad would be awesome!).

Long fics would be appreciated. Happy Endings, please.

Thanks for everything! 🥰💕 @wangxiansgirl

17A)

A Matter of Time series by mrcformoso (E, 70 k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, POV LWJ, POV JC, Dark LWJ, Manipulation, Grooming, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Consensual Underage Sex, Except problematic please read warning in first chapter, Blood and Violence, Insane LWJ, Manic LWJ, Conditioning, WWX is a Lán, Minor Character Death, Confused JC, Golden Core Reveal, Good Friend NHS, WWX Isn’t Adopted by the Jiāngs, Abusive Jiāng Family, Jiāng Family Bashing, Jiāng Family Critical, POV NHS, Dark NHS, Anal Sex, Marathon Sex, Dual Cultivation, Qīnghéng-jūn Lives, LWJ Has a Big Dick, WWX Self-Lubricates, Plot Twists, Porn With Plot, Scheming NHS, Manipulative NHS, BAMF LWJ, BAMF WWX) Dark!LWJ travels into the past

A Narrow Bridge by FrameofMind, Jo Lasalle (Jo_Lasalle) (E, 700k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Getting Together, First Time, Pining while fucking, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Angst with a Happy Ending, CQL Verse, almost everybody lives/almost nobody dies, epistolary-ish, canon-ish side pairings, radishes) Is 700,193 words long enough? ;)

Ad Oblivione by Baph, HikariNoHimeWriter (M, 70k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, POV Multiple, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Identity Reveal, Golden Core Reveal, Cultivation World Critical, Not JC Friendly, Abusive YZY, Angst with a Happy Ending)

Regrets by antebunny (G, 38k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Time Travel, Fix-It, Temporary Character Death, Explicit Descriptions of Love, and other squishy feelings, Angst with a Happy Ending) Both WWX & LWJ time travel in this one

Here With Me ‘verse Series by iamwish (T/G, 80k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, wwx turns this into a no war!au, Canon-Typical Violence, Period-Typical Homophobia, Bad Parent YZY, POV WWX, POV LWJ, POV JC, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, WWX Has PTSD, and also depression sometimes, Unreliable Narrator, Character Death, Blood and Gore, BAMF WWX, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, there’s some elements of, Grief/Mourning, Character Study, POV JYL, Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death)

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

The Wild Geese’s Tomb by The Feels Whale (miscellea) (T, 66k, WangXian, Time Travel AU, fixit, Temporary Character Death, all women live no women die, LWJ’s canonically intense feelings about everything all the time, WWX’s clinical depression gets treated and blamed on resentful energy, navigating gay marriage in ancient china by utiliizing class snobbery for your own ends, if you’re not sure whose fault anything going on in here is then blaming NHS is probably a good bet, WWX plays ‘summon LWJ’ it’s super effective!, the ‘unexploded cow’ approach to dealing with your enemies)

Time and Time Again by Jammingjackelopes (M, 115k, WangXian, WIP, Canon Divergence, Time Travel Fix-It, Husbands, Established Relationship, Temporary Character Death, BAMF LWJ, Consensual Kink, Domestic Fluff)

17B)

Time, Time, Time by skeletonofaplant (G, 44k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, LSZ & WWX, JYL & JL & JZX, LJY & LSZ, Time Travel Fix-It, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Identity Porn, Identity Reveal, Angst, Fluff, Junior Quartet Dynamics, Time Travelling Junior Ensemble, Junior Ensemble Shenanigans, Humor)

❤️ Tragedy is Not the End by Hobbsy3 (T, 358k, wangxian, Time Travel, Torture, Hurt/Comfort, Golden Core Reveal, Canon Divergence from Qiongqi Pass, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Yunmeng sibling bonding, good dad wwx, good dad lwj, JZX Lives, JYL Lives, Junior Quartet Dynamics)

~*~

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

[dearmyloveleys]

@trade-of-fairies interesting that you also brought Hua Cheng and someone absorbing so much negative energy that they become demonic… to me, it sounds kinda like Wen Ning. I mean, at the same time, i also can sense that it probably is not the same…? Would you mind thinking aloud at me on this one, please?

—

Hello! Long essay ahead. I think it all boils down to the differing character type semantics of TGCF and MDZS as fiction in different genres.

So where does the difference between HC’s transformation into a Ghost/Demon and WN’s transformation into the Ghost General lie?

We need to understand that while there are similarities because both are written from baselines of Chinese fantasy stories, we cannot apply fantasy concepts for TGCF and MDZS interchangeably. Their types of xianxia differs: TGCF is a high level xianxia (Gods, ascension, wars, magic, Demon kings). Think in terms of Western media, sort of like like the Illiad and other Greek Mythology. In C-novel and C-drama realm, think Til The End of the Moon and Three Miles of Peach Blossoms.

MDZS is low level xianxia, with a bit of wuxia mixed into it (differing martial sects, with differing cultivation manuals and gongfu training). There is a larger focus on styles of mortal Dao cultivation and intersect politics. Think Mortal Instruments or even Avatar The Last Airbender (not so good examples because this genre is very unique to Chinese fiction). In C-novel and C-drama realm, think Mysterious Lotus Casebook and Blood of Youth.

Where these two books share similarities is that the in-world characters often separate “good” and “evil” as themes for characters. Anything involving “demons” or “demonic” are viewed as bad. HC = Demon King, bad. WN = Ghost General, bad. As mentioned previously, this is probably where everyone goes wrong and pins modao on WWX, because they are more familiar with mo compared to guidao, which he newly pioneers.

HC is so decisively a Demon/Ghost is because of the nature of his path of becoming one. In TGCF, it’s clearly stated that in order to become a Ghost King, one has to be the surviving ghost in the battle of Tonglu Mountain. This battle was written precisely for Ghosts/Demons only, which is also why it can be more directly inferred that HC is a Demon/Ghost. Also, as TGCF is more of a fantasy story rather than a cultivation sect based story like MDZS, the characters do not have their transformation, whether into Gods or Demons, from explicitly stated “sword path” or “demonic path”. It is never explicitly mentioned that HC is a Demon/Ghost because he “cultivated a demonic cultivation path/manual”, as what characters from MDZS are likely to say. We only know for sure that he is a Demon/Ghost because 1) everyone says he is the last Ghost King 2) He was victorious in the battle of Tonglu Mountain. Most importantly, he holds his own consciousness. This is usually the case for most Demons in a lot of higher level xianxia stories.

Comparatively, Wen Ning was almost always under WWX’s control as a fierce corpse, to reduce or increase his brutality in battle with Chenqing. He is unique because WWX precisely manages to save his consciousness and part of his original personality, compared to other fierce corpses.

Okay, to add on even more confusion (for me as well when I was reading the book), what we know about WN’s change into a fierce corpse is that according to WWX (feel free to correct me here):

1) WN wasn’t completely dead even though he was literally skewered by the Jins

2) The Zhaoyin Flag that they used to stab through him not only severely injured him, but also lured resentment and negative energy into him. WN was already susceptible to such negative forces, and now being so injured, his soul/spiritual consciousness/ghost was waaaaay more gone and likely to turn into a fierce corpse like other dead prisoners/soldiers.

Despite WN being unique and retaining his consciousness as a fierce corpse, he is at the end of the day, a product of WWX’s pioneered guidao as a cultivation manual/style. I doubt there’s a similar concept of guidao used in other novels/dramas to control fierce corpses, which makes WN all the more unique to guidao and MDZS.

When you’re looking at how both HC and WN transformed into “demonic” figures, yes they’re similar. It’s a commonly used character development device in all kinds of fiction; the good character turning dark. But at the end of the day, they’re different because of the nature of how they transformed, the book stating how they transformed, and the two different genres of Chinese fiction that they belong to. Guidao is unique to MDZS and Demons/Ghosts are unique to TGCF. If WN was written in the same genre of TGCF, perhaps we could term him under a product of modao. Semantics, semantics. Hope this helps! 🫡❤️

[loomka]

always found it weird that wei ying wasn't wearing the yunmeng 'uniform' in neither the donghua and drama when he was a teen - like, he's an important clan member. he's the clan's leader's adopted son and represents the clan alongside jiang cheng too

i'm pretty sure there's no description in the book regarding his clothes in the past - maybe expect for his iconic red rubon - but i've read it a while ago and could be wrong

anyway i know for a fact wwx would still rebel and wear mismatch clothes and colours to piss off the grown ups tho

thinking about that makes the trio's downfall even more painful tbh

[lwjsbedtime]

Sometimes my grandmother just comes up to me and starts gossiping in her native tongue, and all I can do really is stand there blinking like some kind of idiot until she remembers I have basically a toddler's level of comprehension of said language. This can take upwards of half an hour in some cases. Often, it doesn't happen at all. So like...that, but LQR with WWX.

When WWX married into the influential Lan family, he'd known things would change in the near future. He just didn't expect them to become this level of complicated! He'd expected to be forced into designer suits, maybe even to be put through etiquette lessons. Never in his wildest dreams could he have conceived...this!

Before him stood his husband's uncle - his new uncle - speaking about...something? Honestly, WWX was trying to listen but the old man just talked so fast. Too fast!

Lqr: WWX, you're a modern fellow. Have you ever heard of the slang term 'yeet'? One of my students...

Wwx: 😅😅😅

WWX hadn't lived in China since he was ten years old. Years of disuse after being adopted by the Jiangs combined with LQR's particular dialect left him completely clueless as to what the man wanted.

Not for the first time, WWX cursed himself for skipping Mandarin lessons as a child. He was so certain he wouldn't ever need them, having been a native speaker for the first decade of his life. How wrong he was. How arrogant! He could kick himself.

Sure, his listening skills weren't terrible. He could understand the basics of most dramas without reading the subtitles. But those dramas were also dubbed! And to be completely honest, he mostly watched xianxia and wuxia so his vocabulary was probably a bit off.

WWX at last found his salvation after half an hour of intensely concentrating on (and failing to follow) LQR's rant. By the time his husband walked in the door, he felt as if his brain had melted from the effort of translating each word spoken, half on fire and half ooze.

LWJ cruelly watched his uncle speak with WY for another moment without intervening. When he did interrupt, it was in perfect Mandarin.

Lwj: Uncle, WY can't understand you.

Lqr: Nonsense, we've been conversing for over an hour already! 😤

LWJ turned to his husband.

Lwj: WY.

Once he'd ensured WWX's attention rested firmly on him, he spoke again.

Lwj (in Mandarin): You are beautiful. Stunning. Gorgeous. I want to devote myself to worshipping at your feet.

Wwx blushed.

Wwx: LZ! Not in front of your uncle.

Lqr: See! He understands perfectly how shameless you are.

Lwj (in Mandarin): A poor example. He's been conditioned to assume I'm complimenting him.

He turned once more to WWX.

Lwj (in Mandarin): WY, today I ate a store bought steamed bun for lunch. It was unbearably dry, and oddly crispy.

Wwx: LZ! 😳 I said not in front of Uncle!

LWJ faced LQR once more, an expectant look upon his face.

Lqr: ...I see your point.

From that day onward, WWX found himself somewhat...bamboozled. First, LQR sent him a bunch of children's books written in simplified language, then LWJ began reading them to him before bed!

Sure, his sleep hygiene was poor, but not so bad he should be coddled like a child!

(The book with the little bunnies was his favourite.)

----

Bonus - Wangxian's first meeting:

WWX has been trying desperately to impress the super smart, really pretty guy in his music class, and now he's found the solution. LWJ is Chinese. To woo him into friendship, WWX will simply have to show off his mad Mandarin skillz! 😝🤟

Unfortunately for him, the only phrase he can recall at that particular moment in time is 我愛你 - which he can't quite recall the meaning of.

He says it anyway. He's certain it's something positive, after all! Mama would say it to his father often, and it made him grin. He wants to see LWJ's face light up in a smile...

LWJ sits staring at him afterwards, as if stunned into silence.

WWX worries. Did he mispronounce it? He decides to try once more, slowly. With more emphasis.

"LZ? I love you."

WWX watches as LWJ returns to life. The glint in his eyes looks pleased, which WWX takes to mean is a good thing.

Unfortunately, when LWJ replies it's in Mandarin. "Okay, let's get married."

"Uh... Okay?" He smiles, internally wondering if that means they're friends now. He wants to ask, but LWJ is already distracted by his phone, having immediately called to notify his brother of his change in circumstances.

LWJ feels light listening to the phone ring, his vision buzzing slightly at the edges. Uncle had said travel would be good for him, but he hadn't expected it to go so well. WWX was the most handsome, wonderful boy he'd ever met. And now he'd proposed, not yet a month after meeting! He must be the luckiest person in the world.

LXC's voice was dry when he answered the phone, hoarse and brittle from sleep. "WJ? What's going on? What time is it? I-"

He is interrupted by a yawn, then by his brother's voice announcing, "I have found a wife. We will be home for the holidays. Make certain that Uncle is prepared."

And Lxc is suddenly wide awake. "WJ, what-?"

"Class is starting. I'll talk to you soon."

The call ends abruptly, leaving him listening to the dial tone in disbelief. Unable to do anything, he slips back under his covers, and goes to sleep.

By the next morning, LXC believes the conversation to have been a dream brought on by an overindulgence of plain rice at dinnertime.

When LWJ shows up with a very nice - if not confused - young man for the winter holidays, the dream comes back to him with startling clarity.

----

Wangxian's first kiss:

LWJ's palms are sweaty.

Across from him, WWX sits perched atop the arm of his apartment's couch, humming as he dips a hand into the snack bowl on the coffee table. With his other hand, he sketches dark lines onto a sheet of crisp, white paper.

They've been engaged for several weeks now, and have yet to kiss. LWJ plans to change that.

Today.

Right now.

Once he musters up the courage to move.

Suddenly, WWX turns to him, his sketchbook held up.

"Do you like it, LZ?"

He cocks his head as he asks the question, eyes sparkling in the afternoon light.

"I like it."

LWJ hasn't so much as glanced at the picture yet. He does so now, and inhales so sharply it's almost a gasp.

The picture is of him. Sketched in WWX's expert hand, LWJ's face is soft, warm, and beautiful. Nothing like the icy coldness he's been accused of cultivating within him.

In that moment, LWJ no longer feels nervous.

His whole body lurches forward in an instant, hands wrapping around WWX's wrists, pulling him closer.

LWJ needs him closer.

"LZ! What-?"

His words are silenced by another mouth on his. WWX's lips are soft, and taste slightly of chicken salt rubbed off from his snacks. LWJ licks across them, lapping the artificial flavouring off to get to the pure, plush base of him. His tongue teases the seam of WWX's mouth, begging entrance as a worshipper before the temple of their patron god.

For a moment - infinitely long, astoundingly short - WWX's lips tremble against his own.

Then...

...

...They part to allow him entrance.

LWJ moans as his tongue slips into the heat of WWX's mouth, warmer and wetter than he'd dreamt - a thousand times more blissful.

He runs the tip of his tongue behind WWX's upper teeth, along his palette. WWX's body shudders, and suddenly arms are wrapping around LWJ, thighs trapping him against the back of the couch, holding him captive.

If WWX is a god, then he is a cruel one, for he will not so easily let this mortal go. Little does he know, LWJ would never dare to leave him now. His soul is owned, wholly and completely, by the boy before him.

When they at last part, panting for breath, drawn to pepper the other's face with soft kisses, WWX speaks.

"Wow."

LWJ presses a chaste kiss to his mouth; presses their foreheads together. He smiles, a small, precious thing that takes away WWX's breath.

"I love you."

WWX laughs. He kisses LWJ as he does, the mirthful vibrations coursing through them both.

"Yeah, I can see why Ba always smiled."

LWJ's brow furrows.

"I don't understand what you mean."

WWX shakes his head. "Nor do I, but if you keep kissing me like that, maybe I'll get it."

So LWJ does. WWX thinks he might be getting the hang of this language...

[thewhitehairedwitchgirl]

I just read part of a fic that claimed to be writing a more "critical" version of Jiang Cheng, and I'm usually wary of such because when ppl say they're going to be "critical" of JC (or indeed any character) they usually mean they're going to turn him into YZY 2.0 with no redeeming qualities aside from being the absolute worst version of himself 24/7. Every JC/Jiang Bashing fic I've ever read is just the most one dimensional portrayal of MXTX's extremely complex characters, even if the author has to make up crimes and drama that actively contradict canon traits (rip yanli)

And that's fine. It's fanfiction. You're allowed to write whatever you want and if readers don't like it the exit button is free. However, it just irks me because I don't even really like JC and some of these portrayals make me want to defend this man in court.

For one, branding him as a mass murderer for being at the siege. Okay sure, but in that case so is literally everyone who persecuted the Wen Remnants even if only through wilful ignorance and passive allowance. The Lans, the Nies, and every minor sect. Yet why does LXC get a pass when he also was involved with the death and slaughter of the Wens? The primary message of the book was the dangers of mob mentality tyranny, and that all the great clans and leaders were at fault.

I see JC as a victim. As a child he was punished for acting familiarly with WWX while also punished for not being as skilled. Then as an adult he witnessed the death of his entire family and sect, and lashed out badly. Yet why is that his sole defining character moment? As if he didn't spent the end of the war wanting to protect his family, INCLUDING WWX. Of course he blamed WWX for Lotus Pier burning. Everyone did, including the Wens. They were obviously always going to attack, but WWX was a convenient scapegoat.

I won't pretend their relationship was healthy, but it also wasn't monstrously abusive. The reason JC lost his core was because he was trying to protect WWX from a patrol of Wen soldiers. Even after their fight, JC still snuck JYL into the city to see WWX and was the one who suggested that WWX be the one to choose the baby's courtesy name. It's explicitly stated that a lot of the reason their relationship went so sour was because the other sects (namely the Jins) manipulated/preyed on his insecurities.

TLDR: stop making me defend this man.

[touchlikethesun]

i super extra don't want to get involved in mdzs discourse, but i did see a post in the jc tag earlier today that was like "jc fans shouldn't pretend like jc wasn't physically abusive towards jl because why else would jl flinch away from him in this one scene it's like you guys don't even know canon" and i blocked that person bc i didn't like their tone and just moved on, but the post did bother me a bit because i was pretty sure i would have remembered a time where jc had been genuinely violent with jl. but who knows, i'm new here, i don't have a photographic memory, maybe i did forget.

except now i am watching the untamed and jin ling says basically word for word "my uncle's never hit me, he's all talk." and ik drama canon is not book canon, but i'm pretty sure in book canon one of the things people constantly say about jiang cheng is that, when it comes to his loved ones, he's all bark and no bite. (wwx being the only sorta exception but even then...) idk i'm not saying jc has never done anything wrong, i'm not saying he's an uwu softie just the cuddliest of teddy bears, but like there is a swath of difference between having a bad temper and being abusive and like that's a distinction i find important and one i will keep making when dealing with jc

if you disagree with what i've said here, pls feel free to block me that's what that button is for x

[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!!

[zaynes-nieve]

Attention Fanfiction Writers

I have a request for the MDZS fandom that literally came from a dream.

So essentially it's like wife swap but there is no second parent. The stars of this episode Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji who swap home and rules for however long wife swap does, I don't know I never watched it before. In place of the second parent the family assists so for Wei Wuxian you could either do the Jiang/Jin Family (JYL and JC, JZX and JL) or The Wens (WN, WQ and all the aunties and uncles) or maybe even a mixture and for Lan Wangji you obviously have his brother Lan Xichen and probably Lan Qiren just for the drama of it. Y'all are gonna have to be creative with how Lans got on TV because I'm sure it's against one of those rules they have, maybe LWJ is doing a favor for another character idk. As for children another two suggestions, Wei Wuxian and A-yuan or Wei Yuan/whatever courtesy name Wei Wuxian would give him and Lan Wangji and Lan Shizui now I know what y'all are thinking. They are the same people, but what if they weren't like instead they are related somehow like long lost twins for some shit separated by the system. The second option is Lan Jingyi for Lan Wangji lol, I think it would just be interesting to see them interact. So essentially WWX goes to Gusu and LWJ goes to Yiling or Yunmeng or wherever WWX is living honestly it's up in the air. It's like the most coolest and also the most chaotic episode of this show ever. WWX getting the stack of rules LWJ leaves him and he tries at first and then just yeets them out the window. LWJ trying to make structure in WWX chaotic household. But then they find themselves endeared with this man they haven't even met yet through the people around them, stories and what they see themselves and maybe when it's all over they contact eachother for a date.

Now a few nesscary scenes

WWX throwing out the rule book

LWJ trying spicy food cause that's all WWX has in his kitchen

If you're doing Lan Shizui and Wei Yuan/??? then like maybe LWJ and WWX realizing oh shit this is literally my kid?? And Maybe instead they do the swap back somewhere else so they can meet at the end

If you're doing the Lan Jingyi route, I just need the instant connection between him and Wei Wuxian and Lan Qiren having heart attacks as they wreck chaos.

If y'all find any fics like this hit me up, I always like to read good fics. If y'all decide to use this just credit me for the original idea.

[llycaons]

well that's certainly a reading but like. this was canonically a character kidnapping a lucid, independent adult who at the time barely knew him and deeply distrusted him. and it's really weird to see wwx compared to a child or a literal animal for his (very reasonable!) resistance to being fucking abducted by people he does not trust after a lifetime of alienation and hatred

he doesn't need anyone to feed him or bathe him, he was a very-self-sufficient traveler and a literal genius who can survive perfectly well on his own! and he wasn't even angry at 'the indignity of being loved' he was pissed about having his movements restricted and being forced to stay in a place he disliked with people who clearly thought poorly of him and disregarded his wishes. and it doesn't even matter what lwj's true motives were, it's not like his whims supercedes wwx's wishes for himself. like how paternalistic. but trust an mxtx fan to reframe kidnapping and imprisonment as ~love~

[youhideastar]

I'm still thinking about Concord (so! compelling!); I saw your post about Lan Qiren, and I'd love to hear similarly about Lan Xichen. Early on, he thinks WWX will be an asset to the sect, so if he's fine later with not letting WWX contribute, does he think he was just mistaken? Has LXC already seen that WWX won't be allowed to parent, and is fine with that (vs that being a breaking point for LWJ), or has LXC just not thought ahead that far? (Or did he have some other hope for their future?)

Oh, man, such a good question, and thank you for asking (and for your kind words about the fic): my answer could be many thousands of words! Lan Xichen is such an interesting character, and I want to acknowledge that there are many ways to interpret what we see of him in canon, and that Concord deliberately takes the least sympathetic of those interpretations. But even so, he has reasons for what he does… and what he doesn’t do. I’m way more comfortable commenting on the writing process than writing meta, so forgive me any infelicities! But here are some overall forces at work:

Lan Xichen doesn’t know what’s going on with Wei Wuxian. He views his brother’s relationship with his husband as their private business. He doesn’t know what Wei Wuxian does with his time; for all he knows, Wei Wuxian has found some way to be useful other than teaching. In fact, he has! And in the back half of the fic, he sees Wei Wuxian in the library, sees him sparring and night hunting and going on cute little dates to Caiyi Town with Lan Wangji – things look normal. Nothing to be concerned about. So in response to your question about whether Lan Xichen is okay with Wei Wuxian not being an asset to the sect—the truth is, Lan Xichen doesn’t see it that way. After all, Gusu Lan Sect already has a head disciple. They weren’t expecting Wei Wuxian to fill some kind of gap there.

Lan Xichen doesn’t see himself as being in charge (and he may be right). Lan Xichen is the sect leader. But he’s also Lan Qiren’s nephew, and his duty as a filial nephew is to defer to Lan Qiren—and perhaps to the Lan elders as well, who are, let’s remember, mostly Lan Xichen’s older relatives. Officially, he has the final say over Gusu Lan Sect; but as a matter of filial piety, it’s arguably not appropriate for him to overrule the elders or his uncle. On this point, consider the scene in the drama when he tries to send Lan Qiren away with the books when Cloud Recesses is under attack – this is actually very irresponsible on his part! As the sect leader (as Lan Qiren points out!), even if everyone else dies, he has to survive… but instead of acting like a sect leader, Lan Xichen prioritizes the role of the filial nephew.

Lan Xichen is all about avoiding conflict. The side of Lan Xichen we see in Concord is the go-along-to-get-along, sure-I’ll-drink-that-wine-Jin-Zixun side. For most of the fic, he’s presented with situations where defending Wei Wuxian would cause conflict (with the elders or other sect members), but not defending him won’t cause conflict (because there’s no one on the other side standing up for Wei Wuxian). His choice is easy.

Lan Xichen is justifiably disturbed by Wei Wuxian’s resentful-energy speech. This is an area where I think I, as the author, failed. I’ve heard repeatedly from diaspora fans that Wei Wuxian’s ideas about heretical cultivation are intended to be understood as, in the words of one excellent post, “many levels of holy shit that’s not okay my dude.” So I tried hard, in Concord, to get across how horrifying Wei Wuxian’s ideas really are in the culture in which he’s operating. I wanted to convey that suspending Wei Wuxian from teaching in response is kind of harsh but totally justifiable. Like, it’s probably not what I would do, and it shouldn’t be permanent, but the ideas he proposed are truly awful. Like if a high school biology teacher got up in front of class and was like, “I think medical experiments on unconsenting human subjects are actually fine, because it advances the cause of human knowledge!”

But I can tell from comments that I largely did not succeed. (Which I appreciate! This is one of the great things about getting comments - you can LEARN from them! 🥳) Many of those who commented clearly believed that removing Wei Wuxian from his teaching responsibilities was an overreaction at best and cruelly punitive at worst, which then affects how those readers view the Lan elders and Lan Xichen (and Wei Wuxian) throughout the rest of the fic. I took a risk in trying to change readers’ view of an interaction they’ve probably seen/read/thought about a million times, and the risk didn’t pay off – that happens! But as a result, I think most readers view Lan Xichen in a more negative light than I intended.

All that being said… Lan Xichen needs to pull his head out of his ass. You asked specifically whether Lan Xichen has played the scenario out to realize that there’s no way Wei Wuxian would be allowed to raise Lan Wangji’s children. He hasn’t. (If he had, he’d be a lot more active in trying to change Wei Wuxian’s situation, because the thought of re-enacting their mother’s fate is just as horrifying to him as it is to Lan Wangji.) But he should have. The reasons I’ve outlined above are real, and hopefully understandable. But I don’t mean them as excuses.

Being so conflict-avoidant that you fail to stand for your principles or protect those who are being harmed is not okay. And if Lan Xichen is such a poor politician that he can’t figure out how to advocate for Wei Wuxian without violating the rules of filial piety, he has no business being sect leader. Wei Wuxian expressed some horrifying ideas… but, like, once, and it’s not like he said them as a teacher. Ignorance is not an excuse: Wei Wuxian is a member of his family (and the family of a key political ally), and Lan Xichen should be taking an active interest in his welfare.

But Lan Xichen is going to do better. The fic ends where it ends, and after that, it’s a choose-your-own-adventure! But in my mind, the “Wei Wuxian locked up and visited by his kids once a month” endgame, when Lan Wangji lays it out for him in the near future, is as much a wake-up call for Lan Xichen as it is for Lan Wangji. Lan Xichen isn’t just a collection of flaws: he’s empathetic and kind, unusually flexible for a Lan, and he loves his brother very much. When Lan Wangji seeks allies and advocates for Wei Wuxian, Lan Xichen will be the most important member of that group.

I hope that answered your question, and thank you again for asking!

[bi-turtle-enthusiast]

thinking about how jiang yanli is probably the only reason why wwx and jiang cheng never ended up hating each other. like she's the only one who actively tried to stop them from fighting instead of comparing them to each other and pitting them against each other. they learned to love and support each other because she made sure that they understood the importance of loving and supporting each other. she's super duper underrated in the book and i'm so happy she got more screentime in the drama!!

[wangxianficfinder]

Hey! I saw that ask about other ship requests and it made me wonder, what are the mods' favorite pairings other than WangXian and what are your favorite fics for those pairings?

Hello~~ Other than WangXian, I would have to say my favorites are WangXianSang, XiCheng, XiSang, ChengSang, ZhuiLing, XueXiao, MianQing and QingLi. I'm sure I am forgetting one or two but those are off the top of my head.

Though I will admit the only ones I would actually go out of my way to read as a main pairing would be WangXianSang, ZhuiLing, XueXiao, and on occasion, XiCheng. But I still adore the others as side pairings ^^

As for my favorite fics for those pairings? I'm not sure, I'll have to check my bookmarks/memory lol 😅

A few fics I remember I enjoyed reading -

Of Dolls and Bowerbirds by Ibijau (T, 9k, XueXiao, XiSang, WangXian, Crack, Modern AU, Museums, Humor, Out of Character, Paris, Dolls)

Carry Me Home by MarsDiogenes (T, 1k, WangXianSang, Post-Canon, Established Relationship, of a sort, they're working it out still, Hurt/Comfort)

Misalignment by Kasasagi (M, 118k, XueXiao, Time Travel, Modern AU, Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It, amnesia of sorts, Angst and Humor, Slow Burn, Psychological Drama, Mental Health Issues, Domestic, Post-Canon, Fix-It, Pining, Jealousy, Falling In Love, Fluff, Healing, Redemption, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort)

- Mod C

~~

I honestly do not seek out many fics with different pairing, mostly stumble upon them if they're side pairing 😂

I have a certain fondness for WangXianNing if I come across it. I have read a few LXC/NHS and LXC/NMJ that I have liked, and WQ/MianMian or WQ/JYL have been good. I also like JYL/NHS though that's a rarer one.

I couldn’t find the WangXianNing fic that I remember liking but for other pairings:

from the other side of sorrow series by Sour_Idealist (E, 127k, JYL & WWX & JC, JC/WQ, wangxian, JYL/NHS, canon divergence, golden core fix-it, torture, secondary character death, smut, sect leader JYL, JYL pov, sect leader WQ, spiritual weapons, sunshot campaign, politics, trauma, reconciliation)

I Married A Snake! by Ibijau (G, LXC/NHS, comic, modern w/ magic, animal transformation, fluff, romance, marriage, body image)

For LXC/NMJ I really like stiltonbasket ‘s fics for them. Much of the other fics I have they’re a side pairing OR y’know canonical  :’)

Book Club by Anonyma (T; 48k, WWX & WC & MM, wangxian, MM/WQ, canon divergence, fluff, family bonding)

The Yiling Matriarchs by mercyandmagic (T, 17k, JYL/WQ, JYL/JZX, wangxian, canon divergence)

~Mod L

[draugrbite]

i've been doing some thinking (alt: wwx meta)

so, for some background, i was really, really into the wei wuxian/lan wanji (if there's a ship-name i've forgotten it) pairing for a good while. i'm talking from the time there were only 200 fics on AO3 to the time there was about 8000. i would refresh that page literally every single day and devour all the new fics i could get my grabby hands on.

i hate strongly dislike wei wuxian —and also lan wanji by association— with a ridicoulsly fierce passion now, to the point i even filter them out on my socials. and i think i finally have an answer for why.

wei wuxian is a trashfire (affectionally). he just is. if you pre-date the mdzs fandom from before the Untamed, you probably agree with me. if you joined the fandom through the Untamed then... i don't know, that's when i hit exit.

but, to put it simply, it's about accountability.

because wei wuxian is a trashfire. he makes poor choices born out of low self-esteem and a big ego. he thinks nothing of himself, and he thinks everyone else also thinks nothing of him because he thinks that and he's practically a genius, so he must be right, right?

he walks out on jiang cheng because he's certain it's the right thing to do and he expects jiang cheng to go along with it because he thinks it won't hurt jiang cheng that much, because low self-esteem.

wwx is a trashfire—he's flawed to his core. saying he's a straight-up good person is a lie, and it's one that damages his kind of fascinating characterization. he's a good person in the sense that he has strong morals, sure, but he persistently hurts others, even those he loves, out of a disregard for the consequences of his actions. he's kind of hilariously unable to plan long-term (which is also why he would be a horrible sect leader).

he's a flawed, complicated character and that's what i loved about him. and then... the Untamed happened.

and i don't wanna be petty (though i definitely can be) because to be fair i haven't watched that show—i got through the first 10 eps or so on jiang cheng but to be honest it was boring. it was dull, and it didn't catch my interest, and i moved on. simple.

but a lot of people liked it, and wwx in the Untamed is, to put it kindly, a way better person than in the book. or, well, he's framed as a much less flawed version, and the narrative supports this by making every one of his bad choices, and their consequences, somebody else's fault. it's a much less critical view of his part in his own actions, and where the blame lies. everything is a part of a conspiracy, and wwx is now an uncomplicated good guy who just got fucked over by The Evil Person™.

(note, i'm generalizing here and i'm aware of it. again, i haven't watched the full show, but this is what i got out of all those fanfics i read, and all that drama that was going on in the mdzs fandom before my interest popped like a balloon and i stopped paying attention)

and now we're back at the accountability part of it. because when you take away all of wwx's agency, when you deny him the ability to make his own choices, when his bad actions and the worst consequences are always somebody's elses fault, you're changing a core part of his character—the one i loved so much in the days of yore.

the narrative in the Untamed never held wwx accountable, and the wider fandom that built around the Untamed never did either, because uncomplicated good guys that are the underdogs despite the fun necromancy powers are like, cool, you know? (and wwx is cool, i'm not denying that.)

but... idk, i just have a lot of feelings about it. and i think a lot of it boils down to, when you're taking away wwx's ability to make poor choices out of his own volition, you're taking away his agency.

and characters with no agency are just boring.