#lan wangji and wwx. obviously are also struggling with this

[micamicster]

My favorite thing in the untamed is how at their core all of the relationship conflicts are about fighting for the right to care about each other

[gay-disabled-characters-showdown]

LGBTQ+ Disabled Characters Showdown Round 4, Wave 2, Poll 3

A character being totally canon LGBTQ+ and disabled was not required to be in this competition. Please check qualifications and propaganda before asking why a character is included.

Check out the other polls in this wave and round here.

Korra-Avatar: The Legend of Korra

Qualifications:

Korra is not only bisexual, having dated both Asami Sato and Mako, but was and still is disabled by the end of the series. She doesn't magically get better from being poisoned, she's forced to relearn a lot of things: how to walk, how to do things for herself, and even how to fight properly. Her physical disabilities are mixed with extensive trauma and PTSD that prevents her from doing her job as the Avatar throughout Book 4: Balance.

Canonically bisexual, has PTSD, and spent a while partially paralyzed and using a wheelchair.

Bisexual badass who ended up going through about 5038309340 traumatizing events, one of which involved mercury poisoning that had her unable to walk for about a year and left her with lasting PTSD and depression (though again the depression is a little less clear wheras the PTSD was obviously intended to be read as such). There was also her shadow self, but it's unclear whether that was a form of psychosis or a literal spirit. In short, she's bi and has PTSD if you want to stick with the more long term, obviously canon bits.

Propaganda:

She's the Avatar, you gotta deal with it! But, seriously, Avatar Korra was the first onscreen LBGT+ character in the Avatar franchise alongside her girlfriend Asami Sato. While limited in what could be shown onscreen, the two were explictly portrayed as a couple in the 2016 Dark Horse comic "Legend of Korra: Turf Wars". Likewise, her disability never quite went away. She still struggled with trauma, PTSD, and learning how to do things for herself again for two to three years in the time between books 3 and 4 that were shown off in flashbacks during her solo episodes.

She's canonically bi and has PTSD, and disability was an incredibly important theme for her in her show's final season.

i dunno I think i covered all my bases in the qualifying bit but also its 3am and i dont feel like typing more

Anything Else?:

The creators of Korra, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, fought long and hard for their show, including taking a massive budget slash circa book 4 to avoid firing half their staff. Likewise, they took to Tumblr and other social media in 2014 to state firmly that Korra and Asami were both bisexual and in love. Here's a link: https://bryankonietzko.tumblr.com/post/105916338157/korrasami-is-canon-you-can-celebrate-it-embrace

The qualifications and propaganda paragraphs correspond, @foulfirerebel is the first submitter and also did the ‘anything else?’ section.

Lan Wangji-The Untamed / Mo Dao Zu Shi

Qualifications:

Canonically gay, pretty heavily coded as autistic (esp in the show)

Additional qualifications by @lovewanxian : I would like to add that Lan Wangji also has extremely extensive scarring on his back from getting whipped 33 times and spent an extended amount of time bedridden because of it

Propaganda:

He's an absolute badass - in a series full of morally ambiguous or outright immoral characters, he's one of the only people around to consistently show he's reliable, honorable and strong. Some examples include Lan Wangji defending Wei Wuxian, his love interest and eventual husband, against his own clan and other clans because WWX went against their rules and tried to save innocent people, or LWJ raising WWX's adopted son for years and being a great father and mentor to him. While LWJ isn't *technically* canonically autistic, (not that this word would exist in the setting), he has flat affect, fixates on rules and his difficulty in understanding people's emotions is explicitly brought up and a minor plot point.

[lewiscarrolatemybrain]

Wangningxian Fake Dating where they all three are... idk, spies maybe? Taking down Wen Ruohan's evil empire from the inside? It doesn't really matter.

What matters is that one night Wen Ning and Lan Wangji get caught Suspiciously Close to the entrance to the Extremely Off Limits Secret Dungeon/Library/Mad Science Lab/Whatever and, in a moment of absolute static-brained white-noise panic, Wen Ning just kind of--

Pins Lan Wangji to a wall and kisses him?

Oh, haha, Wen Chao, didn't see you there! As you can see I'm sneaking around to have an illicit affair with my secret lover, no acts of spying or subterfuge going on here! Just so good old unfaithfulness! Ahahaha...

So obviously they need to tell Wei Wuxian. And then it turns out that "Wei Wuxian's boyfriend is hooking up with his best friend behind his back" is an Excellent cover story and explains Wen Ning and Lan Wangji doing all sorts of otherwise too-risky-for-their-cover things, so the two have to. Keep kissing in dark hallways.

At first WWX thinks its hilarious and is having a ton of fun getting fake offended whenever anyone tries to tell him he's being cheated on. How dare you!! As if Lan Zhan would ever be unfaithful! As if Wen Ning would ever do something like that!

(Wei Wuxian's reputation for being oblivious and kind of delusional Also comes in handy for the mission, but it's also just a blast getting to fight with people over how wonderful his boys are.)

At some point Wei Wuxian does end up "catching" them in the act and he and Wen Ning stage this whole ridiculous (extremely homoerotic and UST-filled) fight over which of them gets to have Lan Wangji. In the wake of it Wen Ning is dabbing blood from his lips like "You know there's such a thing as being too committed to the bit, right?" and Wei Wuxian, who got to feel All Up on Wen Ning, is just like "I disagree."

(There is of course also the potential for a ton of angst where they all struggle with wondering where they stand with each other and what this means for their relationships and where the line is between acting for the job and actually being unfaithful but I don't have angst brain right now so you'll have to imagine that part yourself)

[ultfreakme]

Danmei ask, what are your top 5 (or top 7) favorite moments from MDZS? Also, can I ask why you love those 3 (JC, WWX , XXC)?

(Riki, I'm so glad when found out you also love Jiang Cheng. You must know how many haters on his character in tumblr and twitter. Like, I was blocked 4 times by MDZS lover blog, when they knew I love Jiang Cheng.)

I love reading your MDZS/ SVSSS crossover, they're so in character.....And yes, SQQ must love Sukuna and Jogo if he ever read JJK...

Thanks for the ask Anon!!

Top 7 moments:

When we find out the Jiang Cheng sacrificed himself to the Wens to save Wei Wuxian. It was dropped so casually and I had to backtrack and go "wait, wait, WAIT! DISCUSS IT PLEASE!!"

The juniors in the Yi City arc, they were so adorable, I loved reading them putting on a brave face and investigating.

Wei Wuxian murdering the crap out of Wen Chao with his sexy undead ladies. Him and Jiang Cheng together torturing him while Lan Wangji was sent out and it's like, LWJ is confused, shocked, and horrified.

The scene where Wei Wuxian's roasting Jin Guangshan at the conference post-war and everyone's scandalized. I love it when Wei Wuxian gets bitchy.

Jiang Cheng's intro scene in the donghua where he emerges from the shadows of that tree, pushing aside the leaves. That's so hot of him.

Wei Wuxian covered in blood in the second siege of Burial Mounds and Lan Wangji is defending him. That scene's so cool and romantic in all its iterations. The donghua went above and beyond and made it seem like a wedding.

Jiang Cheng giving Zidian to Jin Ling ;_; It hurts me. It's so much worse knowing that MXTX was planning on killing Jin Ling soon after to really hurt Jiang Cheng.

Reasons I like:

Jiang Cheng-

He's so complicated! You can't immediately look at him and say he's the good guy or the bad guy. I personally think he leans more towards the good guy category.

He's the perfect opposite of Wei Wuxian, he's not a genius cultivator like wwx, he had to work for every bit of progress he made. He started off simply wanting to keep his family together and at peace, but the war happened and his priorities shifted. He's duty-bound, he's always fighting and scraping to be recognized but no one ever does. He wanted so bad to help wwx, but duty made it so that he was forced to pick between his sect and wwx. Forever chained, closed off.

He's jealous and vicious and so, so angry. I get it, I understand the worst parts of him and relate to it.

Wei Wuxian-

Again, super complicated as a person. Wronged at every turn. He wanted to do good and protect people, and for that he kept sacrificing himself over and over again with little value given to himself as a person. He's got his sharp edges and cruelty too, and I feel like people often forget that Wei Wuxian's traumas and his lack of self-appreciation and value on himself show in ugly and vicious ways.

His story obviously shows a key message of MDZS, which is that when people sacrifice themselves thinking that they're protecting their loved one, they only hurt them in another way. I understood his desire to do good, protect people, but there's no one to stand at his side. The loneliness and fear that comes with fucking up so bad that no one even tries to hear you out, no one's listening no matter how loud you shout.

Xiao Xingchen:

He's like Wei Wuxian but 100% times worse and more self-sacrificial. Too trusting, too good, and everyone kept taking advantage of that without bothering to guide him or be honest with him. Like legit, no one told him what they were truly thinking.

I love that xxc wants to be a good person, i hate that he was ruined for it. God I really wanted him to have a happy ending because he's just, he's so NICE. In a world filled with betrayal and deceit, xxc wanted to spread goodness. And yet.

AAHHHHHH

I think these characters made me see the point of MDZS in a very clear way, or in a way that impacted me most. So they're my faves.

Being a Jiang Cheng liker is a struggle! I was getting into MDZS even before the donghua started airing, like around 2018 and back then Jiang Cheng hate was so bad. I kept waiting year after year for the hate to go down but it just got worse the more popular MDZS got. The misunderstandings built up too. I got black and got into a million arguments too ;_; We have to stick together!!!

i have so many thoughts about Jiang Cheng specifically because, okay I read and watched everything about 3 years ago, so I don't remember much other than my fav, so I'm always thinking about everything he did.

nbsdhfb SQQ's monster-loving ass would go gaga for Sukuna. Four armed man wrecking people??? Yes sir! (side note; big tall powerful man who is called king who is only nice to his close servant and confidante???? SQH come get your boy!)

[trans-xianxian]

hello ben been following u for a while love the content great stuff. rewatching cql and wanted to know ur opinion on whether or not u think wwx knew he was in love with lwj b4 his death, after his resurrection, or post-canon? and talking like, IN LOVE. crush he probably knew like idk. during or after the schooling portion as teenagers ?

idk what the book says but cql specifically i think he knew pretty early on. there are a lot of fics about him JUST figuring out his feelings post-canon surprisingly so i wanted to ask u abt it lol

u've probably already said in the past but i either forgot or didnt see when uve all discussed it. thank u much love hope the hair comes out cool as shit

here's my timeline for how I think wei wuxian felt about lan wangji throughout the series/how aware and comfortable he was w those feelings:

I think that wei wuxian knew almost immediately that he was at the very least Attracted to lan wangji. he makes that stupid gay face the first time he sees him. throughout the cloud recesses arc it's pretty clear that wei wuxian has himself a little crush, and I think he definitely knows it. I've seen a lot of interpretations saying that wei wuxian had a crush but wasn't aware of his own feelings, but all of his clumsy attempts at flirting w lan wangji and trying to get his attention make it obvious to me that he knows very well how he feels and is not uncomfortable or in denial of those feelings

I don't think that wei wuxian was necessarily In Love with lan wangji by the time he's thrown into the burial mounds, but I think he's moved on from silly teenage crush to something more. the thing that makes him finally sit up and keep going in the burial mounds is him imaging lan wangji saying his name for fucks sake

during/around the sunshot campaign I think he is somewhere between Very Strong Romantic Feelings and In Love, and the fact that they spend half of that time at odds w each other only complicates his emotions and how much he is able to accept his own feelings. he obviously feels very strongly for lan wangji in a romantic way and is pushing and prodding to see if lan wangji feels the same but a lot is happening and he has just experienced intense emotional and physical trauma, Every emotion he's feeling is intense and complicated and repressed

as for post sunshot campaign pre yiling laozu era wei wuxian... I think this is where his feelings for lan wangji become more complicated. wei wuxian is pushing Everybody away post burial mounds and trying to separate himself from all of his attachments. he went through unspeakable trauma and now the war is over, he is left with a lot of time and space to fester in his trauma in a way he wasn't during the sunshot campaign. wei wuxian is conflicted about All of his relationships, including his relationship with lan wangji. I think he's struggling with being close to and vulnerable with anybody, and accepting new, intense, and, honestly, dangerous emotions for lan wangji is difficult for him. at this point he is very much shutting down emotionally and he very well may be In Love by then but I certainly don't think he's processing it fully. I think their conversation on phoenix mountain speaks to both wei wuxians uncertainty about their relationship and the intensity of his feelings for lan wangji

now. by the time "at least I could be killed by you, that would be worth it" happens, I Do think that wei wuxian is in love if only because that's the most batshit insane romantic thing I've ever heard in my life no other evidence needed. I think by then he's started to process his emotions more but also there's like. a lot going on right now. I don't think it's high on his list of priorities

By The Burial Mounds Arc, I 100% believe that wei wuxian not only knows that he is in love with lan wangji, but is fully aware of the fact that lan wangji is in love with him. for me, part of their tragedy is that by the end they both Knew, but they had simply run out of time. what is the point of saying it now, at the end? what good is that? maybe if they do not say it outloud the fact that they cannot act on their feelings for each other will hurt less

but part of the joy of their relationship post res Is the tragedy that came before it. they thought they had run out of time but they didn't! wei wuxian gets a second chance! they have been given more time!!

[llycaons]

hi!! i hope you're having a great day!! i wanted to ask if it's okay i asked for some writing advice? (if not, that's totally okay you can ignore this) <3 i want to write a fic specifically with cql characterizations where wei wuxian comes back as qin su after 13 years and he has to act as qin su while getting revenge for her (kind of like the double i guess? hehe). i thought it would be a fun plot but im kinda struggling on how to involve lan wangji without making it obvious that they're close with jgy in the picture. also i feel like wei wuxian would come up with so many schemes to expose jgy but i dont think im as smart as wei wuxian to come up with them loll so any ideas/advice would be amazing, i'd appreciate it so much!! idk if this fic will see the light of day but its fun writing some of it

also thank you sm for compiling links with palestine donations <3

Hello, anon! Thanks, I'm home tonight making food and catching up on errands :) I hope you're doing well too! answer got long hehe

I'm always happy to get fic asks, and of course I'll chat this question through, but I should disclaim that I'm not a writer, either by inclination or training. I like to read, and give my opinions on what I read, but I'm much better and more comfortable reacting to what I've been given than generating any new content or ideas myself. So while I'm more than happy to guide you through these questions, I'd also suggest reaching out to other fic writers, and looking through tips and suggestions geared towards writers as well. And maybe something will come to you in the middle of it, too! Feedback from friends and discussion on what you've already done is another great way to spark ideas!

i want to write a fic specifically with cql characterizations where wei wuxian comes back as qin su after 13 years and he has to act as qin su while getting revenge for her (kind of like the double i guess? hehe).

Okay! so cql characterizations with qs instead of mxy. I really like this idea, how exciting! qs is such an underdeveloped character and this is an opportunity to explore her and get her some justice. And yess THE DOUBLE MENTIONED!!! I've just hit episode 28....big things happening in the jiang household.

I've actually read something with this concept before, but it was....not executed so well. I don't know much about writing advice, but I can tell you what I thought didn't work for that one. The writer was bizarrely fixated on qs's 'soft' body and breasts...just breasting boobily all over the place leaking milk it was SO weird 😭The obsession with her body felt extremely creepy and misogynistic and bioessentialist and also just, besides the point!

Obviously the body that wwx comes back in is important, but it's not the single defining feature of his new life and it won't determine his identity, he might have some feelings about it either way, but it's HIS, and he can now do as he pleases with it. And he knows it used to belong to someone else who had a whole life and motivations and fears and griefs too, and I love it when he respects that and honors that, much like xff does for jl.

The double, much like cql, is very much about reputation, and if wwx comes back in qs's body and needs to remain undercover, he might care about maintaining her reputation as part of his caretaking of her body and her legacy, or he might not. Those are themes you could pay with!

I also like fics that have wwx look at his new body and see the marks on it and think about what mxy went through and what kind of life he might have lived...old scars, aches in his joints, a crooked finger, internal likes and dislikes that don't align with wwx's own...they tell you something about mxy/qs without them being in the picture any longer. It's a really neat character building device!

I'd say this could run into some very sensitive territory very quickly, so if you aren't trans I'd suggest looking into how to respectfully and authentically write trans men, and/or find a sensitivity reader. Tho this wwx isn't...exactly? trans, it's something I think is worth thinking about anyway. (Unless he was trans in his first life of course!)

and he has to act as qin su

so let's focus on this part - the great thing about wwx is that he contains absolute multitudes. the wwx in mxy's body came back, figured out his personality, and immediately started playing it up, and it worked with his personality bc he IS a silly prankster, but he's also an extremely intelligent and socially intuitive survivalist capable of being quiet and understated. if he had to act like qs for a BRIEF amount of time in order to figure out the situation and get out, he probably could. though the conduct training he'd received as a young master wouldn't be the same qs would have received, he could probably figure it out, think quick, observe, etc.

moving on to our next question!

how to involve lan wangji without making it obvious that they're close with jgy in the picture

the thing is though, wwx really couldn't be himself and stay in disguise or very long. the big joke in cql is that wwx came back as 'mxy' then immediately dressed in his classic colors, starting hanging off lwj's arm, acting confident and charming, knowing a suspicious amount of the ghostly path, PLAYING THE FLUTE...which is why someone clever like jgy would immediately realize that 'his wife' is actually the yllz come back.

I personally don't think it would be as satisfying to keep it a secret for very long because wwx is always at his best when he's unencumbered, and because hiding doesn't really suit him anyway, but for an AU where wwx MUST be at koi tower, or MUST maintain that facade...hmm...honestly I think having jgy recognize it's wwx almost immediately would make more sense anyway. and then it's jgy's word against wwx's acting skills which would also be kind of wild...OR then maybe there's a reason he can't say anything to reveal it? maybe wwx finds the letter qs's mom's maid sent and holds it over him, and then lwj is there to back him up should jgy threaten wwx, so jgy has to rely on tricks.

basically I don't think there's any way jgy wouldn't realize the truth, even without lwj around. he's too clever, and wwx doesn't know qs at all, and the circumstances around the sacrifice summons are so violent and bloody as to be hard to conceal. presumably qs does it while jgy is traveling? that would give wwx some time to gather himself, figure out the lay of the land, meet the maids, etc...then jgy comes back, and maybe wwx fools him? ah, but even if lwj comes, then only having wwx and lwj talk as qs and lwj in jgy's presence wouldn't be very fun! either qs or jgy has to leave if the facade is to be maintained! and even then jgy would be suspicious!

maybe 'qs' could insist on lwj coming in as like, an impartial observer for whatever 'she' claims is happening? and then 'qs' could travel with lwj on their investigations for the wangxian and lwj could rely on his reputation as a peerless untouched jade etc. etc. and 'qs' could bring 'her' maids along to 'chaperone' but then they'd be in on it so wangxian could continue unimpeded? or impeded! up to you hehe! but the maids knowing might be helpful to get in jgy's way

also i feel like wei wuxian would come up with so many schemes to expose jgy but i dont think im as smart as wei wuxian to come up with them loll so any ideas/advice would be amazing, i'd appreciate it so much!!

unfortunately I'm not so good at idea either I'm sorry 😭 but I'd definitely suggest looking to canon - the suspicious music cultivation, nmj's death, the theft of the musical scores from the lan secret library - in wwx's investigation. if you follow canon wwx's thought processes, it'll be more in-character too! ALSO if you're inspired by the double, lean into that! it's a marvelously intelligent show, and xff is a brilliant social strategist, and in this AU you can absolutely have wwx act like xff in her investigations as well! wish i could be of more help....

idk if this fic will see the light of day but its fun writing some of it

Well I may not be a writer but I really do admire and appreciate the courage and vision of all the creatives in this world. Whether or not your fic makes it, I hope you have a great time planning it out and crafting it! I hope some of these ideas helped or inspired you, and I cannot recommend enough getting a friend who also likes the show to sit down and read through what you've got, to provide feedback and suggestions, and for you to bounce ideas off of. Based on what my friend says, it's part of what's making their fic happen. Like I said, I'm happy to offer my ideas on these one-offs, but it's probably more helpful when it's someone who knows you, and who knows your writing style and tastes and preferences :) even the ao3 reddit might have helpful ideas if you ask!

also thank you sm for compiling links with palestine donations <3

ah of course! we all do our part <3

In conclusion, I'd say

do research and be proactive in depicting wwx in qs's body respectfully. it's an exciting idea, and I love trans wwx, and it'll be cool to see more of these works out there if it happens

look for ideas from multiple sources, including writing blogs, other fic writers, canon, and other media you're drawing inspiration from

remember that wwx is capable of self-control BUT isn't really much of an actor longterm (outside of his masking bc of trauma reasons)

jgy is VERY perceptive, but wwx is very socially intelligent as well

your best bet for jgy not knowing is literally having them in physical proximity as little as possible. maybe qs needs to take a road trip to gusu. for her health.

maids and servants are invaluable sources of support and insight! qs's maids will be wwx's best allies, against jgy (and maybe for wangxian hehe)

that if you want jgy to know about it and to stay quiet you'll need wwx to be able to blackmail him or control him somehow

social pressures and conventions definitely matter to the su family, so they'll need a story for appearances, but won't really matter to lwj, so if you want a dramatic reveal of wwx being a heretical liar who 'stole the body of an innocent woman' lwj will be RIGHT there with him. romance <3

wwx is concerned for lwj's reputation but not his own

wwx MIGHT be concerned for qs's reputation, but might not be

wwx hasn't been able to smile politely and act nice to his open enemies for a very long time, but he's also very flexible

you have an exciting and dramatic challenge in front of you! should this fic ever be published I'd definitely love to take a look <3 I hope this helps - good luck!!

[roses-are-blue16]

Ummmm can we please talk about the latest chapter of GDC??? Like that kiss Lan Zahn landed was so fucking hot???? I just 😶😶🙊🙈

Also it was his first kiss??!!! 😰🙊🙊

Also this just kinda like idk changed how I'm seeing the present timeline and knowing what shortly happens in the past. That's so heartbreaking 😣💔

[grewlikefancyflowers]

Okay, people blame all the miscommunication on LWJ but have they ever considered how the situation may look from his pov? WWXs enormous crush is obvious to the readers but not to LWJ. His behaviour might seem confusing from the outside pov.

I think WWX's behaviour caused LWJ a lot of confusion and frustration.

I mean, WWX flirts with him pretty much in all their interactions across both his lives*. LWJ is very aware of this because he tells him, 'If you do not have those intentions, do not flirt with others. You are doing as you please yet others will be in turmoil.' (ch.54). He's not 'in turmoil' because he's jealous that WWX had been flirting with Mianmian (or at least, that's a minor part in it). WWX flirts with girls all the time, LWJ is aware of this, he's aware of the fact that WWX doesn't feel anything towards her (or any of the others), this is precisely the thing that frustrates him, because WWX behaves this way with him too (or at least appears to, LWJ has no way of knowing that WWX actually has real feelings for him. WWX doesn't even know this).

*Notable examples of flirty behaviour in his first life since there are somehow people who miss his planet-sized crush — Constantly trying to get LWJ's attention and calling him er-gege (not inherently flirty but is when taken in the context of everything else), drawing a portrait of LWJ & winking at him, seeking him out and saying 'did you miss me~' and giving him gifts, finding LWJ in the cold spring and draping himself over the rocks and murmuring 'lan zhan' in his ear then stripping, then purposefully trying to move closer to/touch LWJ while they're both nakey, throwing flowers for him at Phoenix Mountain & in Yunmeng (while knowing he is imitating how girls behave with their crushes), pretending to faint to 'trick' LWJ into catching and holding him when he visited Yiling.

When WWX is flirting with the jiejies in Caiyi town, JC comments that he is 'flirting around again,' (which carries a double meaning because WWX had just been flirting with LWJ too), so it is evident to LWJ that WWX casually flirts with whoever. WWX seems barely aware of what he's doing, which only frustrates LWJ further,

'Lan WangJi looked at him quietly, “Do you behave in such a frivolous way towards everyone?”

Wei WuXian thought for a second, “I think so?”

Lan WangJi looked at the ground. He only replied a moment later, “How impudent!”

The word was spat through gritted teeth and tinged with an inexplicable bitterness'.

As well as that, WWX several times suggests, or outright says, that he is straight.

When he gives LWJ straight porn — '“What kind of person are you?!” “What kind of person could I be? I’m a guy!” Wei Wuxian said. Lan Wangji’s tone was cutting. “You have no shame!” “I have to be ashamed? Don’t tell me you’ve never looked at these things. I don’t believe it.” Evidently, in WWX's view, looking at straight porn is just the standard expected thing for him to do, as a guy. He evens expects LWJ to have done so too. Obviously this is comphet talking, but to LWJ is simply comes across as if the boy he's crushing on is straight, and cannot even fathom being anything else. LWJ never appears to struggle with any expectation that he should be interested in women, nor does his family find his queerness unusual, so it's probable that WWX's struggles with his sexuality are hard for LWJ realise and understand at this point, esp because he's so young and preoccupied with his own feelings.

In the cold spring scene, WWX's flirting reaches unhinged levels, he also starts complimenting LWJ, and says, '“Lan Zhan, did you figure out what I was trying to do earlier?” “No,” Lan Wangji replied. “Really, you didn’t know? I was kissing up to you so you’d be my friend.” Lan Wangji side-eyed him. “What are you trying to accomplish?”' LWJ asks WWX what exactly his intentions are, clearly he thinks just trying to be friends is not a good explanation for the things WWX does. But WWX insists he really just wants LWJ to be his friend, he says if he's his friend he'll share his porn books (btw the word used is 春宫图 which refers exclusively to het erotica), then WWX goes on to insist that girls won't like how LWJ is behaving, then tries to convince him to come to Yunmeng with the promise that there are pretty girls there. So WWX really does just repeatedly flirt with LWJ, in this situation he does not only reiterate that he is attracted to women, but also just operates under the assumption that LWJ is too. LWJ again can only reasonably take from this interaction that WWX firmly identifies as straight and isn't generally open to anything else.

(Yes bisexuality exists but I do not think characters within the text (or perhaps the text itself) have much awareness of that. Eg, it is decided based on MXY's cutsleeve behaviour that he cannot possibly be WWX, because it was widely 'known' that WWX was attracted to women. Aside from that, imo MXTX repeatedly wrote all these examples of WWX's supposed attraction to women with the purpose of it coming across to LWJ as if WWX could not possibly return his feelings because LWJ's unconditional love of him with no expectation of anything in return is a key part of his character. From a storytelling perspective there isn't really any other reason for these scenes to exist.)

And then there is that infamous scene in Xuanwu Cave when WWX strips and pulls LWJ's clothes off too, pretending that he has certain intentions, though his real purpose was obvs to help LWJ. (Also I think 'Wei WuXian took off all of his clothes and tore them to shreds, “What do I want to do? Right now, we two are the only ones here. I’m already making it so obvious— what do you think I want to do?”' (ch.54) echoes the cold spring scene — 'Wei Wuxian kicked off his boots, removed his clothes, and threw them everywhere. “I took off all my clothes and you’re still asking me what I’m doing here."' (ch.18), implying that WWX was on some level aware of how his actions came across back then, though couldn't consciously address it). The exchange ends with LWJ asking WWX not to do things like this, 'Although he knew that it was out of good will, Lan WangJi still seemed a bit annoyed, “… Can you not make this kind of joke again?!”' He's still annoyed in large part because this is not the first time WWX has pulled this exact trick, 'good will' is not all there is to it. WWX misunderstands and decides to placate him by assuring him that he is straight, '"Don’t worry—I don’t like men, I won’t take advantage of the opportunity and do anything to you.”' Unsurprisingly, this only seems to annoy LWJ further. Probably because WWX has constantly been making these types of 'jokes' and the fact that WWX seemingly has no real feelings behind them is precisely why LWJ reacts badly to it.

LWJ isn't someone who lacks empathy and understanding, when it comes to WWX he is always watching him. So, it probably does occur to him that WWX's insistence that he is straight can perhaps not be taken at face value (especially when they spend a lot of time together in WWX's second life). Actually, after the Phoenix Mountain flower throwing, LWJ is quite insistent that WWX admit to being to one who did it, 'Holding the flower, Lan WangJi seemed to be quite cold. His tone seemed cold as well, “Was it you?”' Then in Yunmeng, LWJ asks WWX why he did it 'Lan WangJi, “Why?” Wei WuXian, “Why not? I just wanted to see how you’d react to such a thing.” Lan WangJi, “Ridiculous.”' (LWJ responds here with his signature '无聊', which carries a connotation of doing something pointless, because you're so bored you have nothing else to do, which I think is reflective of how he takes WWX's flirting overall.)

So, LWJ probably considers the possibility that there is actually something more to WWX's flirting, and wants to get him to admit he does it and asks him why he does it. But I think LWJ is also hesitant to dwell on this possibility too much as he is very fearful of violating WWX's boundaries, I think he's very concerned about wishful thinking or making assumptions or inadvertently projecting his feelings onto WWX. All this is also reflected in how LWJ warns WWX several times in his second life to be aware of his actions/words ('Mark your words', 'are you sure you want to do this', 'do not fool around', 'you reap what you sow'), he sincerely wants WWX to think about what he does, he doesn't want to allow or reciprocate WWX's advances if there's a possibility he's just messing around and doesn't mean it. Basically, he really wants to avoid a situation where they do anything together for any reason other than that's what WWX truly wants.

[vrishchikawrites]

Could I have a prompt? 🥺🥺 So WWX is taking bath in the Cold Pond to heal from the wounds by the discipline paddle (which I assume he was punished being clothed in his Black robe or in his Gusu Lan disciple robes or Head disciple Jiangs robes whichever fits). Before going to CR, wwx is whipped by mdm yu and LWJ notices wwx’s raw red scars and many scars across his back kinda overlapping and not yet being healed because maybe MDM yu sealed his core or something. LWJ, or with LXC saw WWX’s many crisscrossing scars and realize they’re still raw and kinda risking for infection because when mdm yu unseals his spiritual energy before going to CR, WWX never thought of healing it. Cue LWJ and LXC gets horrified and ask WWX why he had many scars on his back (or other parts of his body can also be included!) no pressure 💕 I love your writing! ❤️❤️

Anyway, it is set during the period in which WWX studies at CR. Lån Qiren, who is obviously not eyeing Wei Wuxian just in case the boy creates some trouble ends up realizing that he is too non chalant about  not eating (because the food there is for rabbits) and WWX is like "Oh, yeah. Nah its fine, I've been worse".

This one has trigger warnings for child abuse, negligence, and issues related to eating habits. Keep that in mind before proceeding. Nothing graphic, but I wanted to warn nonetheless.

I've merged two prompts here.

Please remember that prompts are closed. Also, remember I do not write self-deprication. All prompts that require WWX to have low self-esteem are not going to be written, apologies but the subject is very uncomfortable for me and I don't believe it is canon accurate anyways.

On to the prompt fill.

"That Wei child is entirely too careless." 

Lan Qiren closes his eyes and prays for patience. That boy has been a menace ever since he stepped into Cloud Recesses. Brilliant but wily and mischievous with absolutely no regard for rules. 

"What has he done?" He asks gruffly, reading over the reports from the kitchen staff. Cloud Recesses always monitors the food intake of their guests to make sure everyone is well-fed and no one is consuming more than their due. It wouldn't do for young cultivators to fall ill in their care, after all. 

The primary healer, a matron of some age, had brought the reports instead of the kitchen manager, which was quite unusual, "He forgets meals. Goes without food for days. Survives on small bits of fruit."

Xichen, who has been working on his own reports, raises his head and looks concerned. 

Lan Qiren crosses his arms, feeling a growing sense of ire, "He dislikes our meals." He's not the first one to skip meals because he considers them 'bland' and 'boring'. It's likely the child has been sneaking down to Caiyi town to have more extravagant meals. 

"I checked with our ward team. When he goes days without eating, he doesn't make any trips to Caiyi town either."

Lan Qiren pauses and studies her. Lan Mingyun nods curtly, "When I first noticed this behavior, I immediately put him on my list." Her list of children with food-related issues, he assumes, "His eating habits are very erratic, erratic enough that I wish to assign one of our senior disciples to keep an eye on him."

"You're that worried?" Lan Xichen asks in surprise while Lan Qiren frowns. It isn't unusual to do so but he wonders if it is really necessary.

"As far as I know, the child lived on the streets for quite a few years," She says and Lan Qiren narrows his eyes, inwardly reprimanding himself. He had forgotten about that aspect of Wei Wuxian's history, "The link between early childhood trauma and behavioural problems are well known to us."

Lan Xichen frowns, "I'll ask Wangji to keep an eye on him."

He glances at his nephew sharply, "Why Wangji?" He demands because surely someone else would be better.

"From what I understand, Wei-gongzi will not welcome an assigned senior. He seems to be someone who brushes injuries or illnesses off. He likes Wangji and will be more willing to accept his company."

While the argument is reasonable, Lan Qiren is loath to involve his precious nephew in this. He's already so bothered by the boy. 

But.

He thinks of Wei Wuxian with his sharp eyes and lingering smile and nods. 

---

Wangji listens to Xichen patiently even as his fingers curl into fists under his sleeves. 

He doesn't like Wei Wuxian. The boy is too disruptive, too bold, too distracting-

Too beautiful.

He doesn't like him, but that doesn't mean he's content to ignore his well-being. When Xichen asks him to keep an eye on Wei Ying's eating habits and general behavior, Wangji agrees. 

It will be taxing for him, but he agrees.  

What he doesn't anticipate is… everything that follows. When he starts consciously looking for them, the signs are alarming. Wei Ying doesn't just skip meals whenever he gets too distracted, he picks at the food even when he is eating. While Wangji is comforted to know the boy frequently seeks something richly flavored at Caiyi Town, he doesn't do it often enough to compensate.

There are also some concerning behaviors in the Jiang contingent. Upon closer inspection, it is clear that while Wei Ying does break the rules, the other Jiang Sect disciples are often complicit. Including Jiang Wanyin. 

They not only let their da-shixiong take the blame for all of their actions, but also encourage it. Wei Ying seems disconcertingly accustomed to it. He makes a scene while being punished but seems alright within an hour. 

Jiang Wanyin encourages mischief and reprimands him in turns. 

Wangji doesn't understand this.

"Xiongzhang, I am concerned," Xichen looks up from his tea, his attention immediately on Wangji, unwavering and comforting, "Wei Ying," He takes a moment to form his thoughts, "I am uncertain. I believe he is in an unsafe environment."

Xichen sets his tea aside, "How so?"

"I happened upon a conversation," He grimaces because it is eavesdropping even if his intentions are noble, "Jiang Wanyin and Nie Huaisang requested and encouraged him to get alcohol into Cloud Recesses. When he complained about the punishment, Jiang Wanyin said 'at least, it wasn't Zidian'."

His brother sucks in a sharp breath, "Zidian? Madam Yu? Spiritual weapon? A high-grade weapon typically used against enemies?"

Wangji dips his head. 

"I'll ask uncle to stop assigning corporal punishments." Lan Xichen says, "They won't have the desired effect in any case and we don't want to damage him permanently. Tomorrow, ask him to practice Cultivation in the Cold Pond as punishment."

Wangji nods, "I'll assign Jiang Wanyin and Nie Huaisang proper punishment as well."

"Wait until we have a better grasp on the situation." Xichen says solemnly, "If we act too quickly, things will escalate and may cause more harm to Wei-gongzi."

Wangji is reluctant because his sense of justice is not satisfied. He remembers how the Jiang disciples encouraged Wei Ying to accept punishment on their behalf. And then to know Jiang Wanyin was also complicit…

"We must approach this cautiously, Wangji."

He nods.

---

Red, irritated, scarred.

Wangji swallows as he sees the state of Wei Ying's back as the Jiang disciple steps into the Cold Pond. There are so many whip scars on his back, so many that have barely begun to heal, that he feels nauseous. 

"Wei Ying," He struggles to keep his tone neutral, "Your back." He cannot imagine the agony that Wei Ying would've suffered when he took more punishment on it the other day. 

Wei Ying glances at him and grins, "Aiya, Lan Zhan, is that concern I see on your pretty face?" He asks, spinning around eagerly, "Concern for little old me?"

His back is out of sight and the way Wei Wuxian is leaning towards him is meant to distract and fluster.

Wangji… suddenly understands. Wei Ying is naturally playful and mischievous, but he uses his personality for disguise and manipulation as well. Not maliciously, but in a way that harms him.

"Wei Ying," Wangji refuses to be moved. There is a significant shift in his mind. He no longer feels annoyed by the person before him. If anything, he feels furious. 

He feels protective.

"Wei Ying, your back."

The Jiang disciple shrugs, "Punishment, you know how it is." 

"For what?" He demands, catching Wei Ying's elbow and turning him around. The willingness to touch him stuns Wei Ying momentarily, enough for Wangji to get a good look at the brutal devastation written on Wei Ying's back. 

Wei Ying clears his throat and shrugs, "It's more of a preemptive punishment? Madam Yu knew I would cause trouble here, of course." He chuckles.

"Preemptive punishment?" He asks softly, the very notion troubling him. 

Wei Ying shrugs again but doesn't attempt to explain when it is clear Wangji isn't willing to indulge him.

"Wei Ying,"

"Lan Zhan," Wei Ying starts to move towards the shore, "Don't worry about things that don't concern you. Your head will forever be burdened if you do."

Wangji feels something in him recoil at such a blunt dismissal. 

"Doesn't concern me? How can it not concern me?" He wants to ask but is unable to. 

Wei Ying has made him very uncomfortable with his forward personality and near constant teasing, but Wangji has seen the genuine offer of friendship underneath it all. 

He has always spurned it. 

As Wei Ying climbs onto the shore, his wounds red against his naturally pale skin, Wangji makes a decision, "Would you not feel concerned if it were me?" He asks but he already knows the answer.

He already knows this man enough.

"Of course," Wei Ying says and shrugs on his robes, hiding a wince but unable to help his body's reaction to pain, "But you and I are different." He glances over his shoulder at Wangji, "I consider you my friend," He says, "But you don't consider me yours."

His breath stills at the acceptance in Wei Ying's tone.

"And that's alright." The Jiang disciple waves and walks away, "Don't worry too much, Lan Zhan. This one isn't weak. The wounds will heal within a few days."

---

"The facts are these - Wei-gongzi is punished preemptively with Zidian, often enough that there are deep scars on his back," Lan Xichen explains, "I assume it is his Golden Core keeping him from sustaining permanent damage."

Lan Qiren is still bristling at the very thought of preemptive punishment. What a ridiculous notion! Of course, the child doesn't care about rules and upsetting people! He has already been punished enough to excuse everything but outright treason.  

How is such a method effective? How does it correct a child's misbehavior? 

"The Jiang Sect disciples are accustomed to their da-shixiong being punished in their stead. They actively encourage it. Jiang Wanyin has asked Wei-gongzi to sneak in alcohol. And he refused to come forward when Wei-gongzi was punished." Xichen takes a deep breath, "I believe any lingering issues he may have because of his early days as a street orphan-"

"Are ignored," Lan Qiren concludes grimly, "It is no wonder the child has such strong cultivation. He is facing strife constantly."

"Is there a way to rescue him?" Wangji asks after being grimly silent for the entire meeting, "Get him away from the Jiang Sect?"

Lan Qiren eyes him, "Wangji, the situation is complicated. He's still the Jiang Head Disciple and sects don't just part with their high ranking disciples."

Xichen smiles sympathetically, "We'll find a way to pressure Jiang-zongzhu into taking action. He'll lose face if the other Sects know how his lady is treating their Head Disciple." He shakes his head at Wangji's expression, "Let us think about it. Meanwhile, you just need to be there for your friend, Wangji."

Lan Qiren arches a brow, "Friend? Wangji, I thought you disliked the boy."

Wangji purses his lips, a stubborn light entering his eyes, "Wei Ying is my friend." He insists, resolve lining his every word. 

He looks at Xichen, who just looked amused, "According to Wei-gongzi, he considers Wangji a friend and will be very concerned if Wangji was in a similar situation," He huffs, "But Wangji doesn't consider Wei-gongzi his friend, so there's no need for Wangji to worry."

Lan Qiren closes his eyes and rubs his forehead in an uncharacteristic display of frustration, "That boy is a singular menace."

---

Wangji pursues friendship with all the dedication in his being. He learns to cook savory dishes and gives them to Wei Ying every day. Wei Ying, unable and utterly unwilling to deny, eats it all. 

He glares the Jiang disciples into submission whenever they attempt to draw Wei Ying into mischief. The Jiang Head Disciple is fully exempt from corporal punishment. Instead, he spends hours in the library either copying rules, rewriting classics, or transcribing Buddhist texts. 

All of these activities prove to be much more effective punishments.

Meanwhile, Lan Qiren attends a Discussion Conference and has word with Jiang Fengmian. 

The response is a gentle order from the Jiang-zongzhu for Wei Ying. He asks his disciple to remain in Cloud Recesses for Musical Cultivation training. He also mentions it is time for Jiang Wanyin to take up Head Disciple responsibilities and learn true leadership. 

Wei Ying eyes the smiling Lan Xichen and impassive Lan Qiren sharply but doesn't say anything.

In two years time, the distance between Wei Ying and the Jiang Sect grows. The distance between Wei Ying and Lan Zhan ceases to exist. 

Just like that, Wei Wuxian's destiny changes.

[gay-snom]

contextualizing lwj’s coming to terms with his feelings subplot!

i wanna talk about the role of confucianism in this subplot because i think it’s something some western fans might not pick up on. basically, the sociopolitical climate of confucianism in his character arc, and a little bit about his interaction with the public image theme.

disclaimer: i’m not chinese but i do have a double minor in chinese and asian studies and have written a few papers on confucianism.

we’re gonna be talking about the novel bc i feel its a little more in-depth and nuanced than lwj’s “what is black, what is white” monologue in cql. namely the tension and misunderstanding in wwx’s first life and how lwj got his scars. i feel like it’s pretty well accepted that wwx made lwj reconsider his world view, so i’m just gonna expand on it. also i want to point out it's pretty unspoken in most of the text, but lwj is also affected by/used to explore the public image themes, as his image the is ideal confucian scholar.

confucianism is centered around the ideas of how to behave “good” in sociopolitical contexts. basically it boils down to a belief system on how society should be run. if everyone follows confucian beliefs, you will have an ideal society. the main text is the Analects, which you can read here. it’s been around for a few thousand years (like around 200 BCE ish), had a huge revival in the tang dynasty (618-907 CE). it was put on imperial exams, the emperor’s cabinet had confucian scholars, etc. this is just to say confucian values are important to historic society, especially upper-class scholars, which seems to be a role cultivators commonly fill in xianxia. here are some basic tenants:

being a gentleman/scholar/superior man (君子 jūn zǐ) : partly being learned in the arts, literature, music, poetry, etc., mostly behaving righteously and dutifully.

filial piety: usually described as obedience. it's not simply obeying everything elders tell you, it includes doing it with reverence and thankfulness for their sacrifices for you.

leading by example: if leaders/the government is righteous, the people will follow. lwj has his flock of juniors that are all strong cultivators and the lan sect is just generally known for being moral and good.

rites/rituals: a focus on politeness and holding proper ceremonies, sacrifices, and funerals

speech: there’s some great meta about the register he speaks in here, i just want to touch on think carefully before you speak, only speak sincerely, etc.

tldr; lwj is THE perfect gentleman (even his title contains the character suffix 君 -jūn, like lxc. which, while this character is not uncommon for cultivator titles, it wasn’t chosen carelessly either. also not to be confused with 尊 -zūn). seriously, look at almost all of book 10 and you'll see don't do/consume in excess, don't talk during meals, sit only when your mat is straight, etc.

okay, so Why is understanding his feelings for wwx so troublesome?

1.2 "They are few who, being filial and fraternal, are fond of offending against their superiors. There have been none, who, not liking to offend against their superiors, have been fond of stirring up confusion... Filial piety and fraternal submission! - are they not the root of all benevolent actions?"

in other words, people who are filial will never create political tension. so like, morally, wwx should be considered horrible person! he’s not only snubbed the jiang sect. he was a head disciple who undoubtedly had younger students looking up to him. and then he goes and stirs up some huge political issues! he is now a bad role model for the people below him and disrespected the people above him. lwj has an entire image to uphold, he has poured his entire life into following these rules and beliefs, and then wwx comes along. would continuing to be in wwx's life taint lwj? there are some contradicting teachings in regards to interacting with wwx:

15.4: "Do not take counsel with those who follow a different Way"

15.28: "When the multitude hates a person, you must examine them and judge for yourself. The same holds true for someone whom the multitude love."

15.36 "When it comes to being Good, defer to no one, not even your teacher."

this is part of the reason lwj had so much trouble accepting his feelings. he didn’t know how to handle this situation, making him appear distant during/directly after sunshot. if he judges wwx's intentions to be pure, it's then not wrong to be friendly with him. but wwx still is morally wrong by society's standards. now, lwj has to not only figure out his feelings, but also reconcile this with how he still thinks wwx is Not a bad person, despite everything. what if he does get "tainted" by wwx? will it hurt the reputation of his sect? that would be un-filial, right? he spent his whole life memorizing rules that are probably extremely similar to sections in the Analects, and now these mixed messages (coupled with the relatable gay panic) are overwhelming.

onto the next! there’s something unspoken in the scene where wwx discovers why lwj has the whip scars. as other posts have mentioned, lwj taking wwx back to the burial mounds and nursing him is high treason. however, this action is also extremely un-filial. also his entire image is built around being a perfect gentleman, if this were to get out to the public he would lose absolutely everything. he would be just as irreparable as wwx.

“I was worried if those from another sect found you first, WangJi would be considered your accomplice. The best scenario was his name being forever tainted, and the worst was his life being taken away right then. Thus, along with Uncle, we chose thirty three seniors who had always thought highly of WangJi... ”

there’s no way lwj didn’t know what would happen if he did this. obviously as lxc says, if this got out, he would lose basically his entire face. and even though lxc didn’t mention this, it would definitely lose a lot of face for the lan sect as well since lwj is so prominent. the decision about what elders to bring is also notable.

“...As if he knew all along he would be discovered by us, he said that there was nothing to explain, that this was it. Growing up, he had never talked back to Uncle, not even once. But for you, not only did WangJi talk back to him, he even met with his sword the cultivators from the Gusu Lan sect...”

so yeah, he obviously knew they would come for him and what the consequences would be. and he still talked back! that’s already not a good look for the lan sect. but attacking them? totally unforgivable! lwj gives up how he was raised and the importance of filial piety, what he has held on to until this major plot event. since it's basically the biggest "fuck you" to his uncle and his clan, this was not a decision he made lightly. lwj shows them he cares more about wwx and His Own ideas of right and wrong than the sect’s or society’s.

Wei WuXian dug his hands into his hair, “...I-I didn’t know... I really...”

when was the last time wwx was at a loss for words? wwx spends a few paragraphs after this lamenting how he hurt lwj, but he's not unaware of the gravity of what lwj did. it's an underlying assumption from being raised in the culture. i would argue his first instinct is "oh god he gave up what for me?" since those lamenting paragraphs are after lxc finishes speaking.

"But he said... that he could not say with certainty whether what you did was right or wrong..."

this is something thrown around a lot in the Analects, that not even confucius can say for sure what is right or wrong. what better way to show lwj is still a perfect confucian than have him paraphrase confucius himself?

“...WangJi was a model for the disciples when he was young, and a prominent cultivator when he grew up. In his whole life he had been honest and righteous and immaculate--you were the only mistake he made!”

here’s the confirmation that the world and even his family thinks of him as a perfect gentleman, the top tier of society, and it was all thrown away for wwx. this is just so heavy. the mistake thing? thats not only because lwj is fraternizing with an enemy. lxc and the rest of the sect who knew are terrified this will forever corrupt lwj personally, not just publicly. lwj was so devoted to believing this was the right thing to do he offered up everything he had. the gravity of this decision is insane. it’s very obvious that he loves wwx, it’s just that he struggles a lot internally to accept everything that is happening.

as for helping wwx leave after the massacre, is this gentleman-ly of lwj? was it actually in-line with his image? is it more honorable to save someone who is dying, at the cost of your own health, than to look away? isn't looking away a form of resentment? i wasn't able to find a specific passage about bystander-ness, but personally i think it qualifies as "bad intentions." there is also this passage for what it's worth, originally it was about government suppression:

12.19: "...What do you say to killing the unprincipled for the good of the principled?" Confucius replied, "...why should you use killing at all?..."

lwj is always more actions than words, and he was not fucking around. his core beliefs really haven't changed, and remain very strong throughout his life. he is still righteous enough to accept his punishment, graceful enough to search for wwx's body since there was no one else to do the funeral rites (10.22/10.15), caring enough to take in a-yuan, upright enough to still spend his years going where the chaos is.

just with this one action, the audience knows he has come to terms with realizing that authority isn't always just, and neither is the public opinion/opinion of other gentlemen. he has reconciled. this is him standing for what he believes is right. this is his devotion. this is his own choice. just. poetic cinema...

anyway that's it for my first meta post! i would love to hear your thoughts, feelings, opinions, discussions, other meta ideas, whatever! thank u for reading! <3

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 09 first part

(Masterpost) (More Canary Funsies)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

This episode features so many eternal minutes of zombie shambling that I thought I could fit everything into a single post. HA HA HA HA nope. 

Zombie Temple

The trio do their best to fend off the not-zombies in the temple. Lan Wangji tells Wei Wuxian that he can’t go carving them up because they’re not actually dead, and drops a callback to their very first meeting at the gate of Cloud Recesses, when Wei Wuxian caught his attention with his pillowy lips comment on the not-dead cultivator. 

Lan Wangji: You said it in that golden moment that will be seared into my memory for eternity, where I heard your voice and laid eyes on your angelic face and lost my heart forever, remember? Come on, babe, it was our very first zombie! How baked were you?

Wei Wuxian: I jerk off to the sword-fighting memory, not the zombie memory, you weirdo.

Nie Huaisang’s fear of the definitely not undead has apparently gotten him the rest of the way over his fear of Lan Wangji, because he’s now yelling “Lan-Xiong!” right along with “Wei-Xiong!” as he struggles. Note that although he later mentions that his fan is made of some fancy metal, we don’t see any evidence that he wants to fight with a fan any more than he does with a blade. I don’t hate anyone’s fan-fighting NHS headcanon, but my take is that he just isn’t a physical fighter, and that’s ok. 

This is a good time to remember that our entire experience of the Nie clan so far in this story is 1. Clever but hopelessly combat-unready tiny artiste Nie Huaisang 2. Quietly helpful, absurdly pretty sidekick Meng Yao. 

We don’t know yet that Nie Huasang’s gege and Meng Yao’s sugar daddy is literally the toughest motherfucker in the entire cultivation world. But his friends do! Which makes me love these dynamics even more, because not one of them criticizes Nie Huaisang for being the person he is. 

(more after the cut!)

Never Let Me Go

This scene is where Wei Wuxian gives his tacit consent to being used as the eventual agent of Nie Huaisang’s vengeance....ok not really.

But he does make it clear what Nie Huaisang should do when he’s in a pickle. And NHS doesn’t forget things.

Priorities 

Meanwhile, Lan Wangji isn’t nearly as patient as Wei Wuxian, and he drops a silence spell on Nie Huaisang basically out of annoyance. It’s not like they’re trying to be sneaky. 

Lan Wangji: How about you have an exquisitely crafted ceramic cup of shut the fuck up?

Flute Girl

Wen Qing comes to the rescue by summoning all of the not-zombies, who happen to be her extended family, to come toast some marshmallows. 

She’s another person who unwisely demonstrates, where Wei Wuxian can hear her, the power of flutes over zombies. 

This move doesn’t seem to do anything important but it looks cool. 

Brother Dynamic: Bad. Really Bad. 

Jiang Cheng shows up in the temple and trolls everyone, because this is a great time for childish antics. Wei Wuxian is super happy to see him and runs over to hug him, which earns him a shoulder slam. 

This is a regular part of their body language with each other. Wei Wuxian covers his hurt reaction very, very quickly, with a smile that doesn’t involve very much of his face. 

Ow

Wei Wuxian is so good at pretending his feelings aren’t hurt, he probably convinces himself. 

Then he gives a too-honest answer when Jiang Cheng accuses him of...daring to enjoy himself, basically.

That’s more truth than Jiang Cheng was looking for, and he raises a hand to Wei Wuxian, who hides behind Nie Huaisang. This move is interesting because on one level it’s just clowning; obviously Nie Huaisang can’t protect WWX from anything, and WWX doesn’t need protection from Jiang Cheng. 

WWX can easily beat JC in a fight, as he’s let us know before. On another level, this retreat signals WWX’s harmlessness, his childlike-ness, in a semiotic dance that has been playing out for over a decade between the brothers.  NHS is taking on Jiang Yanli’s role in the choreography, this time.   

All of this troubling hostility doesn’t make Jiang Cheng a bad person. He’s young and he’s still under his parents’ control and subject to their abuse at home. It takes time to develop mindfulness about this stuff and learn to treat people beneath you differently than the way you are treated. 

Jiang Cheng isn’t ready for that yet, any more than he is ready to say out loud that he cares about his brother. 

Leave My Boyfriend Out of It

This interaction is noteworthy for Wei Wuxian defending Lan Wangji to his brother, before Jiang Cheng even has a chance to blame Lan Wangji. 

Wei Wuxian says that following Lan Wangji was his own idea, and then gives LWJ the sweetest, warmest smile.

Lan Wangji also gets a pair of totally unearned, delighted smiles of thanks from his two besties when he lifts the silence spell on Nie Huaisang. 

Being mildly dickish all the time works out fine, I guess, if you only make friends with people whose brothers are legendary grouches.

Grilling Wen Qing

Wei Wuxian finally decides he’s had enough of Wen Qing’s crap, and gets slightly aggressive in questioning her.

He’s not actually roughing her up but he is approaching her as a near-enemy for the first time, rather than as someone who wants to be her friend. Once Wen Qing tells him what’s up and agrees to a sort of temporary alliance, he goes back to being his normal slightly awkward self with her. 

I don’t romance-ship WQ and WWX, except maybe as corpse-mountain era FWB, but I do like their chemistry. And their friendship is really refreshing and interesting, based on sharing goals and working together, not on emotional intimacy. It’s nice to see people with a lot of barriers around their hearts, building a strong, trusting bond without having to actually open up very much.

The idea of perfect sharing between people is a nice one, but it’s pretty alien to many of us who are recovering from trauma, or people who just aren’t wired that way, and it’s good to see other models of friendship and love. 

Wei Wuxian, at Lan Wangji’s direction, parts the Red Sea drops a cage on the other 3 cultivators before going to hunt the dire birdy.  

Jiang Chang is, predictably, pissed off about it, in spite of Wei Wuxian’s “you’re good at this” parting words, and says, according to the subtitles, “you bastard!”

“Bastard” is a pretty specific epithet, in English. In the current century, it’s generally used to mean “asshole,” more or less. But it still does carry the meaning “of illegitimate birth,” and since The Untamed is often concerned with legitimacy it seems pretty strong for JC to use with someone who is rumored to be his own Dad’s by-blow. 

Let’s have a look and see what he really is calling him... 你混蛋 =  Nǐ húndàn = “you bastard” per Google translate. Wow, Jiang Cheng, you really went there, huh. 

Wen Granny

Wen Qing and the others in the golden cage watch as the not-zombies try half-heartedly to get to them. Wen Qing is super sad about it, as opposed to the two guys who are just annoyed (Jiang Cheng) or scared (Nie Huaisang).

The first time I saw this, it was just - oh, Wen Qing sympathizes with this poor random woman, she feels bad about what's happening, this is to show us she has a heart.

Now though --  that's HER granny. Maybe not her bio-grandma but clearly a granny of her clan, who she knows well, who later cares for A-Yuan when he's a child, so may very well have cared for A-Qing and A-Ning when they were small, too. Owie.

Dire Bird Hunting

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian run off to hunt the smoke bird together. They are quickly trapped in cool-looking fog. Kudos to the Director of Photography.

They spend some time being confused and also being peak Wangxian 1.0 as they help each other out. 

Lost in the fog and unable to summon talismans, Wei Wuxian is mainly about checking on Lan Wangji, making sure he’s ok, making sure he’s near.  He doesn’t spare any worry for himself.

(We get a rare instance of seeing an actually glowing sword here, instead of just having a character say “I saw the beams of swords!” to save money on VFX.)

Lan Wangji, meanwhile, understands the mental attack they are under, explains it to Wei Wuxian with only a little snark about Wei Wuxian’s overly busy mind, and teaches him how to handle it.

Lan Wangji is super disciplined in mind, body, and sword - his fight moves don’t change, really, throughout his life, but he gets better and better at execution. Wei Wuxian isn’t exactly undisciplined, but he’s super creative and busts out a new skill in nearly every encounter. Lan Wangji sees this and is learning to make use of it.

After Lan Wangji helps Wei Wuxian overcome the confusion that is blocking his talisman use, he tells him which talisman to use. 

This isn’t a talisman that LWJ uses himself, it’s just that he’s paying very close attention to WWX’s battle moves, and has a great memory, so he knows which ones will work. In a pretty short timespan he’s moved from thinking like a solo swordsman to thinking as part of a team with a broad range of battle skills. Very soon, he’ll be starting to use Wei Wuxian’s talismans himself. 

WWX takes a hit from the flying death chain, but uses it to his advantage, as in so many encounters. He’s not just self-sacrificing--he is definitely that--but he’s also a chess player, knowing how to use a sacrifice or an injury to his advantage. Cue Lan Wangji being worried for the entire rest of his life.

Part Two is here!

[yea-baiyi]

thing i want to ramble about one day:

lan wangji in the book mdzs and in the show cql/the untamed are two separate characters, with very differing emotional styles, mannerisms, and character arcs. they share a storyline, obviously, and have a lot of superficial similarities given that they’re meant to be the same character, but cql!lwj is notably kinder, and more accepting of his own emotions than book!lwj.

i realised that the whole “lan wangji’s face only make microexpressions” thing comes purely from the drama — in the novel, he makes plenty of expressions, they just tend to be on the more negative side, he is genuinely just more gruff, cold and lashes out negatively. in contrast, cql’s lwj seems to struggle to convey how he’s feeling, but never seems to struggle to know HIMSELF the true nature and extent of his emotions. the boy feels immensely and it’s obvious to the people who know him.

lwj in the untamed knows early on that he’s in love. he’s in love and he doesn’t know how to express it and he doesn’t think wwx likes him back, but he himself knows it early on. you can see it as early as the cloud recesses, he already loves this stupid annoying boy. you see that look of vulnerability and wonder that wangji shoots wwx when they set off the lanterns and you know this boy is in love. the problem is he struggles to show it, or he thinks his intentions are obvious, but to the people around him, they really aren’t.

which is why the fandom tends to read wwx as a dumbass, wilfully ignorant or in denial, because how could he not realise that lwj cared for him?? when lwj and him have already been side by side looking out for each other all along?

whereas in the novel it is GENUINELY unclear how lwj feels — even in the xuanwu cave scene, when he has already written wangxian, from wwx’s perspective lwj has only been dismissive, angry, and stern. at the time lwj has a lot of reasons for behaving that way, but compared to cql!lwj at the same time, there is way less textual evidence to point to that lwj liked even wwx at that point. he acts erratically and lashes out at wwx because he doesn’t KNOW how he feels, he just feels SOME WAY for wei wuxian, and he doesn’t realise that it’s love, he wants to protect and cherish this boy, until it’s too late. book!lwj is a story of denial, and coming to terms with his feelings too late, and regretting it.

so they’re fundamentally different characters - i think some of it is down to the adaptational challenges — since cql couldn’t explicitly show romance, they doubled down on the friendship and bond between lwj and wwx, leading to fundamental changes in both their characters to better suit that Deep Bond Of Mutual Understanding angle. i could do a similar analysis of wwx from this angle as well since his character was changed SIGNIFICANTLY to make him capable of carrying the show in a chronological timeline. it would also be pretty interesting to break down the characters from a thematic perspective, and how the show centres the idea of zhiji and emphasises the shared GOALS of wangxian. man i just have so many ideas.

[cnovelssirmeower]

Hi.....if you don't mind me asking, can I ask your top 5 favorite characters from MDZS? And your top 5 (or top 3) favorite moments from the novel? Sorry if you've answered this question before....Thanks....

Thank you for asking! Actually, this is my first time anyone asking me anything (I’m a bit reclusive), so it made me very happy.

It was difficult for me to choose only 5 characters, because all significant characters have been obviously made with care and feel like real people. Anyway, here I go!

_

1)      Jin Guangyao

This one was obvious from the beginning. I find JGY extremely fascinating and I can understand his situation and empathize. He can be interpreted by various ways, so take it with a grain of salt, but I loved his tragic desire to be acknowledged and loved by his father. It was destined to fail simply because JGS is unfit to be a father and terrible person. Anyone would see that it was futile, but JGY still struggled to prove his mother right and Meng Shi couldn’t wish for more filial son.

At the same time, you can see that he committed the crimes of his own free will because his wishes and aspirations to better the world and find his place in it would be impossible by legal means. He is one of the few antagonists I acknowledge that had to die in the present timeline because any less would be insult to his intelligence and determination to be acknowledged by the world, if not JGS.  

2)      Lan Wangji

I struggled to decide between LWJ and WWX, but in the end LWJ won. Intelligent, stubborn, kind, passionate behind his cold exterior, amazing father and husband… And extremely cute when flustered. I can also relate with his trouble with communication with people and his apathy to making a lot of friends. Meeting too many people at once is simply exhausting! And, of course, bunnies…

3)      Wei Wuxian

Wei Wuxian is an amazing protagonist. His optimism and innovative streak helped to motivate me a lot and I envy his shamelessness, sense of humour and detective skills. His story with LWJ warmed my heart.

4)      Wen Ning

Eeee, in this case, I just find him, really, really cute. And who wouldn’t want loyal, kind and undead best friend? He also stirs in me my big sister instinct.

5)      Jin Ling

This one was the hardest. At first, I wanted to write here Wen Qing, then I remembered Sizhui and in the end it was a hard battle between father and son. Jin Ling won simply because he had more screen time and consequently bigger character development. His relationship with his uncles also played a part. He humanizes Jiang Cheng as well as Jing Guangyao. He starts as an entitled, selfish brat hiding his loneliness, but thorough the story he opens up to his peers and even manages to forgive WWX and JGY. He, like Sizhui, manages to break from the circle of revenge and accepts that he can grieve for or forgive whoever he wants and it’s his own decision, independent of the society’s expectations. He also realizes all of them had their own reasons and circumstances, even though they unintentionally hurt him. He’s very kind, unexpectedly so.

I also like a lot Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng, so they get honourable mention with Wen Qing, Jin Zixuan and Sizhui.

_

Next are the favourite moments!

1)      LWJ and WWX’s moment at Dusk Creek Mountain hiding away from Tortoise of Slaughter.

LWJ finally letting out his suppressed sadness, fear and grieve about what happened at his sect was powerful. It really shows how much he loves his sect and family.

2)      “Thank you and I’m sorry…”

… Just, the guilt, the despair, you could really feel it seeping into you. From that moment, you just knew it was over, all of it.

3)      Guangyin Temple, I confess in place of my brother

I just love how LXC and JGY took the time and energy to help LWJ with his love life. Also, I appreciate how LXC and JGY still held deep affection towards each other, despite everything.

4)      Jin Ling breaking down crying after JGY’s death and remembering how JGY gifted him Fairy.

5)      Xue Yang’s hand clutching the candy

_

Those are the most memorable, but I think one of the novel’s strongest points is how even the most ordinary moments seem so meaningful and important (because they are, shh). I enjoyed WWX and LWJ’s journey and how obviously loving they were towards each other and their ducklings.

[inessencedevided]

Rly the big difference w LWJ and Jiang Cheng in terms of their arc w WWX is that we get to see the changes LWJ goes through in real time, while JC’s pivotal decision (how he lost his core) isn’t revealed til the end. They both spend wwx’s first life misunderstanding him bc he’s hiding the truth, and like secretly trying to help him while miscommunicating about it, and struggling with responsibilities and loyalty to their sect over helping him openly. But ok jc is just evil I guess? 😂

Lmao how did you sent that on accident? 😂 but I'm not angry op because I completely agree. (Don't ever hesitate to send me an ask as long as it's not anon hate btw. I'm always happy to ramble ;))

Jiang Cheng is a very flawed person but so is kind of everyone in mdzs/cql and i think that's kind of the point. So I'm just baffled when people entirely glorify or vilify any of them. (Maybe except wen ruohan+sons and jin guangshan.those are pretty flat villainy characters ^^) In my opinion that just misses the entire point of the story. I mean sure, there are acts that in real live i would never forgive, but in a story where practically everyone has blood on their hands, it's pretty hard to definitely state "oh yes I can forgive wei wuxian for murdering millions and making wen chao eat his own fingers but I draw the line at jiang cheng torturing demonic cultivators." Like sure, if you can forgive one but not the other, that's absolutely fair. People have red lines in fiction and that's normal. But you can't claim the moral high ground here when objectively, both actions are very gruesome and amoral. I wish people would recognise more often that when it comes to their taste in fiction (or fictional characters / ships etc.) their judgement is really mostly due to preference and not some high and mighty ethical stance. Then they could recognise that people disagreeing with their opinions aren't actually morally wrong, they just have different preferences.

About jiang cheng: honestly I think his and lan Wangji's journeys are very different but as you said, they both don't communicate their feelings very well. I think the main difference after wei wuxian's resurrection is that while his death and subsequent return caused lan wangji to finally be sure about his feelings and priorities, the entire mess of it caused jiang cheng to go deep into denial about his love for wei wuxian and mask it all with 20 layers of very destructive anger.

Does he cause harm because of it? Yes he does. To wei wuxian, himself and others. (In the novel definitely more overtly because of the whole torturing demoic cultivators thing 😬) and I kind of get that some people think that their relationship is too destructive to be mended. Personally, I can empathise with this (having cut ties with family members in the past myself) but in the case of the twin heros I just don't feel that way. Maybe it's because the roots of their problems are ultimately not their fault. Everything from their differing social status over the jiang parents to the war came in between the brotherhood they shared and while they were of course active choices involved that drove them apart, none of them were ever made because they did not love each other. Obviously their inherent characters also play a role but I honestly don't think that jiang cheng would have felt he had to constantly compete against wei wuxian without his parent's behaviour towards them or that wei wuxian would have sacrificed quite as much and as readily and without even asking if he was not raised to ultimately sacrifice everything for jiang cheng if the need arose. Obviously there is nuance to which of their actions were even right or wrong and I'm definitely not the best person to analyse the social aspect of it, but I will still say that I think it's ultimately the best example of how the social hirachies as they are presented in mdzs hurt people.

Anyway, to get back to why i can't hate jiang cheng: as flawed as I think he is and as much as I am part of team "no, sometimes love is not enough and that needs to acknowledged in stories as well", I think he is ultimately one of the most damaged characters in mdzs and I find the prospect of him going through a journey that ultimately leads him towards a less destructive and "all or nothing" kind of love very cathartic.

[ouyangzizhensdad]

Where did it come from that LJY is the loud obnoxious "unlan" Lan and that he has so much hatred towards himself ?

Who says that LJY has hatred toward himself? Since when? What? What???

I mean, it is not untrue that LJY is very loud and very “un-lan” in his behaviour. His dialogue is often described as “shouting” or “yelling” instead of “saying” or “asking”. There are a lot of exclamation points in his dialogue as well. That fact is reflected in how voice actors portray the character across adaptations. We even have LSZ describing him in the following manner in one of the early chapters:

Lan Sizhui knew that Lan Jingyi had always been careless and straightforward, not thinking twice about anything or suspecting anyone.

One of the first thing we see him say in the novel is yell at WWX that if he doesn’t give back the flag he’s going to hit him (yelling and threatening bodily harm are not the most Lan behaviour): “还不还？不还我打你了！” 

Then, when WWX!MXY makes his exit from the courtyard, LJY laughs and says that he is really a lunatic, which prompts LSZ to give him a tiny lecture ( 别这么说。)

LJY talks back to seniors/elders:

Lan Jingyi spoke straightforwardly, “Isn’t Jiang-Zongzhu here as well?”

Jiang Cheng replied grimly, “Tsk, do you really think that you should butt in when your seniors are conversing? The GusuLan Sect has always been known for its respectful conduct. Is this really how it teaches its disciples?”

He doesn’t mind talking behind other people’s back (especially if Hanguang-jun doesn’t tell him to stop).

Lan Jingyi spoke. “That is right. You have seen Jiang-zongzhu’s methods, have you not? They are quite cruel…” He paused here, remembering the rule that stated “talking behind other people’s backs” was prohibited, and secretly glanced at Lan Wangji. Seeing that Hanguang-Jun didn’t show any means to chastise him, he was bold enough as to mumble on, “It is all because of the unhealthy trend that the Yiling Laozu started. There are so many people who copy him and cultivate that foolish method. With Jiang-zongzhu being so suspicious of everyone, is it even possible for him to catch all of them? Just look at you and your flute skills… Heh.”

Or speaking behind their backs.... while the person is there.

Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi wriggled their way over. As Lan Jingyi heard this, he raised his voice, “Of course they do not have a good relationship!”

“The MolingSu Sect was a branch of the GusuLan Sect,” explained Lan Wangji.

“What?”

Lan Sizhui covered Lan Jingyi’s mouth, whispering, “Wei-qianbei, you might not know this. The MolingSu Sect was the sect that a foreign disciple built after he broke away from the GusuLan Sect. But because of where he studied, his sect’s techniques tend to be similar to the those of the GusuLan Sect’s. They cultivate through music as well. Even the Su-zongzhu’s first-class spiritual weapon is a seven-stringed guqin like Hanguang-jun’s.”

Quite speechless, Wei Wuxian turned around to look at the dark-faced Su She. Lan Jingyi struggled his way out of Lan Sizhui and grumbled, “Not only that, it gets even more peculiar! Su-zongzhu… Fine, I know I have to be quiet! Su-zongzhu not only learns everything, but he is also quite annoyed by others saying that he is imitating our Hanguang-jun—he gets angry at once. How could such a person exist in this world?!”

Hearing him become louder and louder, Lan Sizhui could only interrupt.  “Jingyi!”

After Yi city, he tries alcohol and then tries to hide it when Hanguang-jun comes in (luckily for him, Hanguang-jun is too drunk to care!). In short, LJY breaks many a rule during his appearances in the main text of the novel. And shows no remorse doing it, although he reigns himself a little bit when Sizhui reminds him of the rules.

At the same time, LJY is someone who is incredibly honest and willing to learn, and ready to come at the defense of others. He’s also described as someone who has a “tolerant personality” in the novel. He showcases a lot of the virtues valued by the Lan clan, although he certainly does not present himself as a the ideal Lan disciple. Look at this pure boy being the loudest even while crying. 

Lan Jingyi cried the loudest. He looked awful, but this time, nobody reminded him to keep his voice low, since Lan Sizhui’s eyes were red as well.

The novel also highlights that while LJY might be quick to make judgements, he is also quick to reevaluate them. While LJY seems at first to resent WWX!MXY for suggesting that Hanguang-jun might be a cut-sleeve and for flirting so overtly and crassly with him, he changes his mind quite readily and then starts being upset when WWX is not being moony enough at Hanguang-jun during the Yi City arc.

Lan Jingyi approved, “Well, obviously. Of course Hanguang-jun is good. He just never likes to show it off. He is very low-key, right?”

The “right?” was directed at Wei Wuxian, who replied in confusion, “Are you asking me? Why are you asking me?”

Lan Jingyi was on the verge of being angered, “So you think that Hanguang-jun is not good?!”

[...]

After running for a while, Lan Jingyi spoke up, “So we are just going to run off like this?” 

Wei Wuxian turned around and shouted, “Hanguang-jun, it’s up to you now. We’re gonna go ahead!” 

The strings of the guqin vibrated, as if someone was saying “mnn”. Wei Wuxian cracked up with a pfft. 

Lan Jingyi hesitated, “That was it? You are not going to say anything else?” 

“What else do you want me to do? What else should I say?” 

“Why did you two not say ‘I’m worried about you. I’m staying!’, ‘Go!’, ‘No! I’m not going! If I’m going, you’re going with me!’? Is it not a must?” 

Wei Wuxian was left agape.

Similarly, he begins the novel believing that WWX was a “big villain” but once shown the reality of who the man is, he believes in him and comes to his defense. 

But the idea that this means that LJY hates himself for not being the perfect lan disciple comes out of nowhere for me. LJY does not appear complexed in any way by the fact that he is loud and gets punished often (although he doesn’t enjoy the punishments). And while Sizhui is often reminding him to be careful about his behaviour, or is often remining him of the rules, LJY does not seem to find these comments from his friend a form of censure. He doesn’t even appear really bashful when he’s reminded not to speak ill of others. At no point in the novel is it hinted that LJY must or intends to learn to be more Lan-like. So unfortunately, anon, if you wanted me to explain where this (apparently popular?) bit of fanon came from, I am of no help!

[radishtears]

obedient

Post-canon; WangXian. Not for the first time, nor the last, Lan Wangji gets mad at his incorrigible husband. 

... ... ...

“Wei Ying, come here.”

Wei Wuxian stops in his tracks, smile frozen on his face. The kids facing him have also become paralyzed, gazes fixed on something over his shoulder, and he can almost see the nervous sweat breaking out on their foreheads. He turns slowly.

A tall, white-clad figure is standing there. The sight sends a shiver down Wei Wuxian’s spine.

“Lan Zhan. Haha. Um...”

“Come here.”

He goes. In fact, he runs. There’s no other choice.

When he’s within arms reach, he lifts a hand to tug on his husband’s sleeve. Lan Wangji steps back before he can make contact, stalking away without another word. His elegant Gusu Lan robes swirl gracefully around him.

Wei Wuxian knows he’s expected to follow and he does so without hesitation, struggling slightly to keep up with Lan Er-gongzi’s long strides. As he picks up his pace, he doesn’t forget to wave a frantic hand behind his back. The kids immediately scatter and scurry away.

“...bad this time...”

“...did I tell him? I told Wei-qianbei that was...”

“Shh!!”

Lan Wangji turns his head a fraction and Wei Wuxian swears that single sweep of amber eyes pierces through him like a thousand arrows. His heart skips a beat. He doesn’t know whether to swoon or cry.

...He’s so screwed.

... 

It’s quiet in the Jingshi. Wei Wuxian is seated upright and proper in front of their small tea table. His fingers betray his restlessness, the cup clutched between them spinning around and around and around…

A minute passes. And another. He takes a breath.

“Lan—“

“What did you promise me?” Lan Wangji’s words are monotonous.

“I...”

Wei Wuxian’s reply dies in his throat, drowned in a rising tide of guilt. Swallowing, he looks up but Lan Wangji shifts away the second their eyes meet. The tightness in Wei Wuxian’s chest increases. Finally, he catches sight of Lan Wangji’s clenched fists, half hidden beneath his sleeves, and he can no longer stand it.

He jumps up from his seat and wraps both his hands around one of Lan Wangji’s. This time, Lan Wangji doesn’t dodge his touch. Wei Wuxian gently, carefully, uncurls those long, slender fingers, smoothing them out until they lie straight. They rest there in the palm of his hand and, for a moment, no one moves. Then...

“I came back and you were not here.”

Wei Wuxian’s own hand trembles. He can hear hurt in Lan Wangji’s voice, a tiny wisp of a thing, but it’s enough to take his breath away. He has the sudden urge to slap himself. Instead, his fingers find and intertwine very naturally — subconsciously — with Lan Wangji’s which instinctively tighten around his.  

“I...didn’t think...” Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian’s thoughts are darting around wildly, trying to find a good enough reason. Something, anything that can make up for his actions. “But there’s no way I would’ve put the kids in real danger! And everything turned out fine, didn’t it?”

“You didn’t know that!”

Lan Wangji’s fingers disappear from between his and suddenly strong hands are clamped tightly around his arms. The two of them stand there, face to face, with Lan Wangji’s eyes fixed on Wei Wuxian’s widening ones, full of an intensity that Wei Wuxian can barely withstand.

“Why didn’t you wait for me?” Why did you leave me behind?  

He has no good enough answer. There’s nothing left for Wei Wuxian to do except throw himself into his Lan Zhan’s embrace. Lan Wangji is stiff beneath his arms. Then, all the tension drains out and Wei Wuxian feels his husband relax around him, enveloping him in the faint scent of sandalwood. When Wei Wuxian speaks, his words are muffled against Lan Wangji’s chest.

“It’s my fault. Er-gege can punish me however he wants. The Yiling Patriarch won’t dare to resist.”

“Mn.”

The deep baritone tickles against Wei Wuxian’s neck and the corner of his mouth lifts. There’s a hint of rare childishness in Lan Wangji’s voice that Wei Wuxian can detect even from that single syllable. And indeed only Wei Wuxian would be allowed to hear it. Somewhat inappropriately for the moment, a thought rises in his mind: cute!

He sighs and snuggles closer, if that’s even possible. The moment is over; they both know that. As if Lan Wangji could possibly stay mad at him — Wei Wuxian snickers quietly. Yet when he leans up for a kiss, Lan Wangji thwarts him again. Wei Wuxian blinks. He pouts.

“Lan Zhan~!”

“Your arm.”

Wei Wuxian is blindsided for a split second before realizing what Lan Wangji is talking about. It didn’t escape Lan Wangji’s sharp observational skills after all. Resigned, Wei Wuxian sticks out his left arm and even rolls up his sleeve on his own, all without further prompting.

Lan Wangji is no longer exuding that scary ice-cold aura from before but he’s still clearly unhappy as he begins taking care of the long but shallow cut. His touch is feather-light.

To be fair, the wound is very minor and is already mostly healed despite the short amount of time. Wei Wuxian sends a silent prayer for small mercies.

“Next time, you must not do this.”

Wei Wuxian nods frantically. “Whatever Lan Er-gege wants!”

Lan Wangji shoots him a sceptical look and is met with a shameless grin. He sighs. With a final tug to secure the cloth bandage, Lan Wangji leans down for that long-awaited kiss.  

... ... ...

Why was LWJ mad? Firstly, I figure this is still pretty early on in their post-canon life. My intention was: it’s not that LWJ doesn’t trust WWX’s abilities — he completely trusts WWX to be responsible and protect the kids at all costs. But this is also his worry. He knows WWX wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice his own safety for others. And they’re just humans. They can’t predict every single thing that might happen no matter how skilled you are. Obviously, the other aspect is that LWJ is still deathly afraid of losing him, and especially that he might fail to protect him (yet again, in his view).

And why did WWX go off on his own? Well, we all know how one-track minded he can be...this little asshole...lmao... He was probably just like: hey look, now’s a perfect time. No sense in wasting this opportunity! Lan Zhan’s not back yet? Ah well, I’ll just bring him a present back. Or something.

... ... ...

#wangxianfights

buy me a ko-fi