#listen i love modao but like

[agendratum]

GOD I hate the feeling of finishing a story you've been with for a while

the emptiness that takes its place!!!!

[wangxianficrecs]

They Say by ChilianXianzi

They Say

by ChilianXianzi

T, 3k, Wangxian

Summary: "If anyone were to finish off the Yiling Patriarch once and for all, of course it would be Hanguang-Jun!" Lan Wangji's step stutters, halts. Perhaps on any other day, he would have ignored the stray jibe, when Wei Ying's presence is not so keenly missed after weeks of separation. On any other day, when it's not so close to the anniversary of Wei Ying's death, perhaps Lan Wangji would simply walk away. Brush off the outlandish hearsay like water off a duck's feather coat. But not today. Kay's comments: OK. So. Rumours and how they can lead to destruction are a core theme of MDZS, however, I never really thought about how rumours and their continued existence can be almost traumatic for certain characters? So this story really gave me something to think about, with Chief Cultivator Lan Wangji really suffering due to people still whispering about how he will conquer the Yiling Laozu. At the end of the days, Wangxian have each other, but even they cannot ignore the rest of the world completely. Great story, absolutely loved it! Excerpt: There were all manner or rumors as Lan Wangji weaved through the jianghu and the land, of the Yiling Patriarch's evil deeds, of his betrayal to his Sect, of the curse he left on the world upon his much-deserved death. Already, the memory of Wei Ying's voice was blurred in his mind, the curve of his smile smudged with time and Lan Wangji's own pain. He wanted to lash out, wanted to scream at the people who handled Wei Ying's name so callously, so cruelly, staining the last of his memories with careless hate. To be free from worldly matters. Perhaps it had been a prayer, his mother's fervent hope for her son's life to not be dictated so by the words and made-up stories of others. But in his avoidance of worldly opinions and the judgement of others, Lan Wangji thought that perhaps he had lived no life at all. Had circled neatly around the things that would have made him himself, until Wei Ying had challenged all of his caution and distance. And so Lan Wangji endured. Broke more of the rules etched in his heart by his Sect as he tried to do what he could for the people the Cultivation world ignored and neglected. He spoke his mind, showed his distaste of the corruption and greed of the Sects, stopped going to the lavish conferences his fellow Cultivators were so fond of. He tried to listen more to ones who were often unheard, to understand more why people did the things they did. Raised A-Yuan with the freedom and abundance of visible love he was denied in his own childhood.

pov lan wangji, post-canon, canon modao zu shi & the untamed combination, chief cultivator lan wangji, established relationship, married lan wangji/wei wuxian, rumours, implied/referenced character death, grief/mourning, fluff and angst, good parent lan wangji, lan family feels

~*~

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

[chrononautintraining]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks for the tag @lindirs-gaze!

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

78

2. what’s your total ao3 word count?

1,216,174

3. what fandoms do you write for?

My current hyperfixation is The Untamed/Modao Zushi, but I write for whatever. I've got a lot of one shots for properties I think are neat like Welcome to Nightvale or Parks and Rec.

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A Passion for Mushrooms, Mountain Flowers, The Seedling, Family's Just Another Word for Something Left To Lose, and In Town for the Wedding. Four in Hobbit/LotR fandom and one Naruto.

5. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I really try to. I appreciate feedback so much. When I'm in a funk it really brightens my mood, so I want to respond and build community with readers not just drop a story. And sometimes I go months without checking my inbox which makes me feel awkward about replying. It's a mix.

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Interestingly, Family's Just Another Word For Something Left To Lose, according to some readers. It's ambiguous at the end and *a lot* of people think Kakashi dies, which is not at all my intent. I was paralleling the same scene with Iruka in the anime, and Iruka survives. It did not occur to me that the ambiguity would be what so many people took away.

The one I wrote that's intentionally angsty at the end is all i hear is your gear, which has no happy intentions and is all just about Crowley being a demon in hell.

7. what’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

So much of my stuff is romance with a traditional HEA ending, but weirdly the ending I like most is A Spy in the Shire. It's a happy ending for this one oc dwarf, but in the broader context of the series I think it both emphasizes the Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies AU happiness as well as justifying the many sacrifices made in canon.

8. do you get hate on any fics?

yeah for sure. And I am sensitive about it. If it hits me when I'm already feeling low, I usually have to stay away from fandom spaces for a while and I often lose the motivation to write at all. It sucks. Some of it I can brush off more easily, like the Iruka/Kakashi shippers who come onto my fic to make fun of the way Mighty Guy looks and try to pick a fight. They are likely children and I just don't engage. But the people who criticize my writing or a specific story for reasons they are happy to detail can be harder to ignore.

This is of course a very different thing than the helpful folks who point out that I've once again mixed up desert and dessert. Y'all are lovely and I appreciate the help.

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

Yes, as the mood strikes. ...the kind I'm in the mood for? Almost always romantic stuff between a major pairing.

10. do you write crossovers? what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Listen. Ron Swanson and Wolverine would be very good friends, actually. My Parks and Rec / X-men crossover is not crazy.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! One of my Naruto fics is available in Chinese and two of my Modao Zushi stories can be read in Russian. As I speak neither language, I can only assume the translators did an awesome job of making my writing smarter, funnier, and sexier than it is in English.

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but I find the idea of collaborating interesting.

14. what’s your all time favorite ship?

This is not how my brain works. I pretty much constantly have a Current Obsession and then pairings I still enjoy. Right now, Wangxian invented love, but I'll always enjoy revisiting a certain romance involving Mister Spock or the Leverage Pretzels and Beer OT3.

15. what’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I desperately want to finish my Zombie Criminal Minds series, particularly because being able to revisit it will mark the end of my pandemic / outbreak related brain gremlins.

16. what are your writing strengths?

speling

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

I'd like to do more with humor. I feel like I frequently manage to provoke a sensible chuckle, but I've read fics that make me crack up. Someday, I'd like to write a really Terry Pratchett style laugh-a-minute story.

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Sometimes you gotta do it, because it's in keeping with the canon, but it's always best to do sparingly. If it's longer than a greeting or an honorific, I like to translate directly within the narrative or use a footnote.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

Slayers. Yes, I was that anime kid in high school.

20. favorite fic you’ve written?

My favorite child? Well, I've never really cared for Pit Stop...

I suppose, back against a wall, I enjoy the world building in None So Blind. We just don't spend enough time in dwarven spaces that aren't complete ruins in the canon. Coupled with thoughts on fantasy accessibility and the classic trope of tripping a romantic lead into a pile of literal pig shit, I just like it. Good work, 2018!me.

If you'd like to play, please pretend I tagged you! For the meme, I'll invite @youhideastar, @primtheamazing, and @sunshine304

[twilightarc-gm]

tag someone you want to get to know better

🧡Very honored and loved to be tagged by @iri-vail and @incarnadinedreams 🧡

Favorite color/s: In nature; orange. In clothing and personal style; purple. In general or for the vibes; red. Color combo; orange and purple, followed close second of purple and red.

Last song: Punching Bag by Set it Off is so catchy I have been listening to it alot. 🎶So say goodbye / to your mister nice guy / you got your wish / he's rotting in hell🎵

Last movie: The second spiderverse movie. It was too fast for me, but it seemed cool. Good vibes. I do enjoy animation and stylized cg over live action, so I am glad these movies are doing so well, but I think this is it for me on watching any more.

Currently watching: Just finished binge watching The Good Place. An extremely solid show. Well rounded, funny, great acting. Cathartic ending. Cried about it a lot thinking of the message it's trying to convey. Eleanor and Michael were my favorites, but that's no surprise that I like the Arizona trashbag and the fire squid demon in a Ted Dansen suit.

Currently reading: Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, by Pu Songling. And as always, Modao Zushi every time I have to check something for my donghua rewatch. And slowly catching up with The road to reunion by Onomatopoetikon (prequel movie xmen ff)

Currently working on: Still in the process of my Extensive Note Taking rewatch of the Founder of Diabolism (mdzs) donghua. I am mostly done with notes up to s2, but I binged s3 again because I wanted to write instead of take notes (WIP doc available on the CX Heaven discord). s3 continues to make me so angry I am not sure how I'll convince myself to do the full note taking. Comparing each episode to relevant novel sections is also emotionally taxing, in the sheer damage that the donghua does to the Twin Heroes relationship... so! This will be a while... but this an underlying project for my fem-mxy!wwx fic which ... may... take the place of "mainfic" for ever getting published? Jury is still out on that.

Current obsession: MDZS themed brainrot continues to make a marshy bog of my psyche. Chengxian, Twin Heroes, and Jiang Cheng in that order, but surprisingly I seem to be writing and thinking more about WWX in all my WIPs and I just noticed? Predominately, I have been writing these stories from his perspective 😅 Zoids au, naga!jc au, majority of fem!mxy au, jc wolfcurse post-canon, White Hair Wuxian smutty oneshot... Maybe it's just easier to write him because the novel is a baseline but also I think I understand and respect his multiverse shidivision.

As always, ignore me if you already did this and no worries if you're not up for sharing 😘 Tagging @ohmybookshelves @fanfictiongreenirises @sonik-kun @limonath @thestarlitrose @elliekayy @ruthlesscalculuss @miss-fiery @sailuncharted

[ao3feed-xicheng]

Cruel Fate (Xianwang FF)

by ROSE_S7B Lan Wangji can't talk. When he was a child then he lost his ability to speak. Since then Lan Qiren has bitterness towards Lan Wangji because everyone was backbiting about Lan sect and about Lan Wangji's future. It's Lan Wangji's cruel fate that his parents died in his childhood. He can't speak and always he has to listen to the taunts of his uncle Lan Qiren. Lan Wangji wants to live a life without no rules but in Gusu he has to follow all rules. He doesn't have any friends. How Lan Wangji's life is going to change or he will always suffer from difficulties? How Lan Wangji is going to affect Wei Wuxian's life? How Wei Wuxian is going to suffer because of Lan Wangji's one mistake? Lan sect and Jiang sect are enemies of each other. There is always tussle in between two sects. Wen sect always takes advantage of it and they increase the tension if both sects. I hope you will like this FF ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Words: 7354, Chapters: 4/?, Language: English Fandoms: 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 山河令 | Word of Honor (TV 2021) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage Categories: F/M, M/M Characters: Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin, Jiang Yanli, Jiang Fengmian, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Lan Huan | Lan Xichen, Lan Qiren, Zhou Zishu, Wen Kexing, Wen Chao (Modao Zushi), Wen Xu (Modao Zushi), Wen Ruohan, Wen Ning | Wen Qionglin, Wen Qing (Modao Zushi), Wen Zhuliu, Jin Guangshan, Jin Zixuan, Meng Yao | Jin Guangyao, Madam Jin (Modao Zushi) Relationships: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin/Lan Huan | Lan Xichen, Wen Kexing & Zhou Zishu Additional Tags: Bottom Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Top Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Mute Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Yílíng Lǎozǔ Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Top Wen Kexing/Bottom Zhou Zishu, Hate Sex, Forced Marriage, Forced Pregnancy, Forced Relationship, Cruelty, Fate & Destiny, Hate to Love, Conspiracy, Bitterness, Bittersweet, Lost Love, Mistakes, Forgiveness, Suffering, Pain, Romance, LGBTQ Themes, LGBTQ Character, Inspired by The Untamed (TV), Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Loves Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji Needs a Hug, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji is So Whipped, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji Loves Rabbits, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Creates a Sect | Yiling Wei Sect, Pregnancy, Third Wheels via https://ift.tt/c4GB7e2

[plan-d-to-i]

I've read a fic recently and it reminded me of the way other people (or maybe only LWJ, I can't remember) in the cultivation world saying that there will be a steep price for using modao bc it's so dangerously powerful. It got me thinking about the so called righteous/sword path. From what I know, WWX did mentioned that traveling by sword wasn't actually a thing back in the day, so I assumed that spiritual cultivation itself was also something someone invented among normal people/non-cultivators.

I originally see modao as the yin to the jiandao's yang, and perhaps have some side effects on the user, but this is disproven by post-resurrection WWX's behaviour . So it's safe to assume that both modao and jiandao are not dangerous to the user if used correctly.

Anyway, the point is that my big brain decided that 'hey, the so called orthodox path was probably in the same position as modao in the past'. So, what are your thoughts on spiritual cultivation when it was first invented in mdzs? Do you think back then people also said that spiritual cultivators have to pay a steep price for using this power?

I really love the stuff you post btw ❤️

That's very kind, thank you (◕‿◕)♡

So this is the passage that you're referring to I believe:

Changing the topic, he said, “If only there was something like fishing bait that could draw the water ghosts in. Or, something that could point in the direction they’re hiding, like a compass, that sort of thing.”

“Lower your head and watch the water,” Jiang Cheng said. “You’re letting your fantasies run wild again. Concentrate on looking for water ghosts like you’re supposed to.”

“Hey, mounting swords and flying was also only a fantasy once!” Wei Wuxian said.

But that just means that people who cultivated didn't think of using their spiritual energy to fly on their weapons from day one. Someone had to invent that particular use for it and technique. Not that it was taboo at one time. Naturally there are risks w cultivating w spiritual energy as well- depending on mistakes made as someone is advancing, or particular techniques used to cultivate (like the Nie Clan). Or how Sizhui picked up another sword technique from the other juniors and had to be corrected because it was not safe:

Lan WangJi listened for a moment, “Excessive.”

Wei WuXian understood what he meant. From the sounds of the sword and the footsteps, he could tell that Lan SiZhui’s swordplay was swift and fierce, lacking in firmness. It wasn’t that it was inadequate, but rather that it wasn’t consistent with the GusuLan Sect’s sword way. If his vigor wasn’t in harmony or if he used many different methods, he might reach a dead end once he cultivated to a higher level.

Unlike spirit cultivation, resentful energy is viewed as going against the natural order of things:

Everyone inside the elegant room stared at them in shock. The old man suddenly shot up. “The purpose of subduing demons and exterminating ghosts is to alleviate suffering! Not only have you forgotten this, you want to incite further resentment! You are inverting the means and the ends, without a care for humanity!”

“If some people’s suffering can’t be relieved, why not make it useful?” Wei Wuxian replied. “When Yu the Great tamed the floods, redirection was the superior strategy, and obstruction the inferior. Suppression is like obstruction, it can only be worse—”

Lan Qiren flung a book at Wei Wuxian, who quickly ducked out of the way. The color of his face unchanged, he continued to run his mouth. “Spiritual energy is energy, but resentful energy is also energy. Stored inside cores, spiritual energy is able to cleave mountains and drain seas, and is available for human use. Why can’t humans use resentful energy too?”

Another book flew toward him. Lan Qiren roared, “How can you promise that it will obey you and never bring others to harm?”

Now WWX is trying to rile LQR up here but he makes an interesting argument. And LQR doesn't seem to have a rebuttal for it and instead asks, how he can make sure it won't harm others?". Perhaps WWX is uniquely equipped to handle resentful energy because he himself doesn't hold on to resentments and he doesn't crave and cling to power (we know with something like the Yinhufu that people like JGS craved, WWX became weary of its reach and influence and decided to destroy it). But it's also an ironic question because it's not like someone like Wen Ruohan wasn't using spiritual energy to do fucked up things to people. So not unlike most things it's harmful in excess and dependent on who wields it. Resentful energy involved tampering w the dead. But within this particular story this is not framed as criminally immoral. A careful contrast is drawn between WWX's practice and the way someone like Xue Yang works:

Standing before the collapsed He Su, Xue Yang tossed something bloody in his hand, snapping at two of the walking corpses beside him, “Shut him in the cage.”

Jin GuangYao, “You shut them in alive?”

Xue Yang turned around, curling his lips, “Wei WuXian never used live humans, but I wanna try.”

Under his command, the two corpses dragged the legs of He Su who was still screaming and threw them inside the steel cage in the middle of the corpse training ground.

This obviously condemns tampering with the living over tampering with those who are already dead. And again this is in the context of this particular fantasy story. Which maybe shouldn't be surprising when the book is called the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation whose mc and moral ideal is WWX the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation... If the author had wanted to condemn WWX's practice and castigate him for using it, WWX's could easily have come back in his second life as a changed man who would never touch this path again! Regretting! Repenting! blah blah blah... However we see him quickly mobilize the Mos to help save the innocent, overwhelmed Juniors! We also see his techniques being used all over... the compass of evil! the flags being set up by the Lan Juniors themselves! The reader is guided to be in awe of the Summoning of Painted Eyes, just like the juniors observing it.

The disciples inside the room were shocked speechless.

They had only seen and heard the descriptions of improper cultivation methods from books and their own seniors. At the time, they couldn’t understand it, If they were improper methods, then why would so many people still want to learn them? Why would the YiLing Patriarch still have so many imitators? And, now, after they had seen it with their own eyes, they finally realized the fascination around these sorts of practices. Moreover, this was only the tip of the iceberg—the “Summoning of Painted Eyes”. Thus, after the boys got over the initial shock, there were no signs of repulsion on their faces, but instead excitement that couldn’t be concealed. They felt that it enriched their experiences, allowing for more conversations between their juniors and them.

We're especially shown clearly how cultivation society didn't actually get hung up on WWX's use resentful energy and fierce corpses when it served them:

A sect leader spoke, “Sect Leader Nie, I don’t think you’ve heard yet. Yunmeng’s Sect Leader Jiang is quite powerful in the area.”

Another person added, “How can he not be? Wei WuXian alone can face millions, so who’d he be scared of? He can just sit there controlling his area, unlike how we’re always running for our lives. With such luck…”

...

Someone spoke, “From my opinion, HanGuang-Jun really doesn’t have to do this. Even the living are close to being dead, so why should we care about those corpses?”

Another person agreed, “Yes, we’re in harsh times, right? Sect Leader Jiang is right. In terms of evil or not, who’s more evil than the Wen-dogs? He’s on our side anyways. I say it’s fine as long as he’s killing the Wen-dogs.”

Wei WuXian thought, Well, that wasn’t what you guys said when you brought the siege on me.

and it's even used for humor:

Lan WangJi looked behind him. There were rows of black pits, the piles of dirt beside them tall and neat. Wen Ning maintained his ‘smile’ as he added, “I do this kind of thing a lot. I’m experienced. And fast.”

On the topic of who it was that often made him ‘do this kind of thing’, no explanation was needed.

After some silence, Lan WangJi finally spoke, “There is no need. You can help…”

Before he could finish, he suddenly realized that Wei WuXian didn’t move at all. He had been squatting on the side, watching them. When he left the farm, he casually took with him a melon, and now he seemed to be trying to figure out how to open it.

Meeting Lan WangJi’s gaze, he protested, “HanGuang-Jun, don’t look at me like that. I have nothing in my hands and my spiritual powers are low, am I right? For every field there are professionals, it’s true. Digging graves, he’s the fastest. Why don’t we talk about how to eat the melon? Bichen had gone into the dirt and we won’t be able to use it as of now. Does anyone have anymore knives or swords or those kinds of things on them?”

Wen Ning shook his head, “Sorry, I didn’t bring any.”

Wei WuXian, “HanGuang-Jun, uh, is Suibian with you?”

Lan WangJi, “…”

Eventually, he took Suibian out of his qiankun sleeve. Melon in one hand and sword in the other, he showed off a sword routine and cut the little watermelon into eight pieces. After he finished, he squatted on the ground, watching them dig graves diligently as he ate melon.

On the other hand, within half an hour, Wen Ning had dug an entire row of pits exactly the same in size. He lay the corpses that he had broken up inside as he rambled on, “Everyone, I’m really sorry. I can’t tell anymore which of your corpses belonged to whom. If I buried anyone’s wrong, please excuse me…”

Having finished the melon and buried the rest of the corpses, Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi set off again.

So love and light but people who are like: "ghost path cultivation is evil. WWX is wrong/the worst for using it. You have to undErstand why everyone turned against WWX and condemned him bc what he was doing is so wrong >:-/" -they are really not reading it as it's portrayed in the story & are missing the message- that it only became a problem when WWX spoke up against those in power and against the mob. jiang cheng is a sheep, so he's a good insight into their mentality. When WWX was practicing DC to procure him his revenge he happily told LWJ off and didn't give a damn about "morality" or how it might be affecting WWX's health and wellbeing etc. When WWX wanted to use it to save ppl, he turned his back on him and called him the enemy of the entire cultivation world... :

Wei WuXian! Don’t you understand? When you’re standing on their side, you’re the bizarre genius, the miraculous hero, the force of the rebellion, the flower that blooms alone. But the second your voice differs from theirs, you’ve lost your mind, you’ve ignored morality, you’ve walked the crooked path.

The novel repeatedly highlights this concept- that a moral person cannot base their morality on the multitude. What's right and wrong has to come from within you and be unswayed by public opinion, by those in power, or by the baying mob, not reliant on their censure or adulation because that shifts with their interests.

"But, let the self judge the right and the wrong, let others decide to praise or to blame, let gains and losses remain uncommented on. I, too, know what I should and shouldn’t do."

[ouyangzizhensdad]

Hi! I don't know if you have already talked about this before, but what are your thoughts on the scene in CQL where WWX says something along the lines of "If I have to be killed by them in the end, I prefer to die by your hands" to LWJ? It is considered one of the best and most significant moments between CQL!WangXian, but I personally don't see novel!WWX saying something like that. What do you think? (I love your blog, btw!)

Hi anon,

The line, as I understand it, is meant to convey: "if people hunt me down, it does not necessarily mean I deserve it; but, knowing you, if you end up hunting me down, it would mean I deserve it and so I would accept it". I am not sure that I would call that inherently romantic as some people do since it is a line that makes as much sense in the context of a platonic relationship, simply demonstrating a strong sense of trust and connection and understanding (which I guess is why it fits with zhiji which is itself not an inherently romantic word). It also speaks to wwx's perception of lwj as a righteous person, and his own desire to be righteous.

Out of context, thus, I have no issue with that line and it could be very effective and powerful within the narrative! That being said, I find that it is muddied by the context before and after since it creates a certain sense of confusion in regards to lwj's motivations during that portion of the story: until then, when lwj does not step in to offer more proactive assistance to the man he called his "zhiji", is it because he thought wwx was not being righteous? Moreover, it makes the situation at Buyetian more confusing; if wwx said he trusted that if lwj wanted to stop him it would be for the right reasons, why does he get so upset thinking that lwj is there to stop him? In cql he says: "Lan Zhan, I knew it. That one day we would have a real fight" which is a line that is partially in the novel, since there it is followed by "You’ve always found me disagreeable no matter what". Even the production realised it did not work with the new narrative they had created, although they failed to see how much the first sentence depended on the second to make sense from wwx's perspective. In the novel, wwx thinking lz and him would clash makes sense; in cql, especially after that declaration at Qiongqi Dao.... it doesn't. If he trusts that lwj would only stop him if he were going down a wrong path, why did he expect a fight? Why is he not listening to lwj? Why is he fighting him? And the short answer is.... because the fight happens in the novel and they seemingly did not stop and think whether it still made sense with the stuff they changed in the adaptation, or whether they needed to add more to the story to make it make sense.

I also want to expand on the former point. In the novel, it is made very clear that one of the reasons lwj does not do more until buyetian to help wwx is because it is 'not his place'. Having pushed away wwx at many points during his youth, when he finds wwx using modao and wants to proactively understand and help him, a line ends up being clearly drawn by wwx and jc, something which obviously upsets him but which he can only accept:

“It is not that I want to denounce him,” replied Lan Wangji.

“Then why do you want him to go back to Gusu with you?” Jiang Cheng asked. “Lan-er-gongzi, why is it that, at such a point in time, GusuLanShi is not working with the other sects to kill the Wen-gao and is instead still hanging onto its inflexible ways?”

[...] Seeing how unconcerned he seemed to be, Lan Wangji lowered his voice. “The path will affect not only your body but your heart as well (此道损身，更损心性。)”

“Damage or not, or how much damage, I am the one most aware of its cost,” replied Wei Wuxian. “As for my heart, it’s my heart after all. I know what I’m doing.”

[...]

Lan Wangji stepped closer. He seemed to be about to speak again when Wei Wuxian closed his eyes.

“After all, on the topic of my heart, what could other people know about it? Why should other people care about it?”

Lan Wangji paused.

“……魏无羡 [Wei Wuxian]！” he yelled, suddenly angered.

“蓝忘机 [Lan Wangji]！” Wei Wuxian had been angered as well. “Do you really have to make things difficult at such a point in time? You want me to go to the Cloud Recesses to be confined and punished by GusuLanShi? Who do you think you are? What right does GusuLanShi have?! You really believe that I won’t refuse?!”

Hostile energy formed between the two of them. Over Bichen’s hilt, Lan Wangji’s knuckles turned white.

“Lan-er-gongzi, right now, the chaos with the Wen sect hasn’t been stopped yet.” Jiang Cheng’s voice was cold. “We desperately need forces on our side. People do not even have the time to care for themselves, why would GusuLanShi be concerned about a matter so removed from their sect’s? Wei Wuxian is on our side. Do you want to punish our people?”

[...]

“Apologies for saying something so blunt, but even if we get to the bottom of this, Wei Wuxian is not from your sect. It’s not in GusuLanShi’s place to punish him. No matter whom he goes back with, it wouldn’t be you.”

Hearing this, Lan Wangji’s expression froze. He looked up at Wei Wuxian, his adam apple fluttering.

“我……[I….]”

I have seen people point out that lwj had his own sect matters to attend to during that period which meant that he was not free to just up and leave his life to help wwx, which is of course not untrue, but I think that saying that without considering the importance of this exchange we will end up missing the point. From the first time he realises wwx is using different methods, lwj wants to bring him to the CR to figure out what happened and offer him help. We also know from little details such as during empathy with nmj that he did go out of his way during the sunshot campaign to offer support to wwx in his on way, within the line that had been drawn. And, on his end, wwx continued to draw this distance between them such as with his 'thank you and sorry'. It is not coincidental that the two chapters where lwj is in yiling are called "汉广". Literally, "the han river is wide" it is translated by ExR as "Distance" to capture in one word the metaphorical/literary meaning of it; that there is a distance so vast between them that it cannot be crossed. In short, the novel goes out of its way to reinforce this sense of distance between them at this point of their lives.

As the tide of public opinion starts to turn on wwx, lwj also clearly wants to hide him away from the dangers of the world, to protect him. He wants to bring wwx back to the CR; but wwx is not willing. He wants to protect wwx; but it is not his place. It is only at Buyetian, where the stakes and risks are so high, that he disregards this distance, and does something more drastic to try and protect wwx--although, in the end, seeing how vehemently wwx refuses his help, he brings him back to Mass Grave Hill and goes back to his own sect to receive punishment, alone.

However, in cql, this idea that wwx thinks no one knows his heart sort of falls apart since he volunteers that he thinks of lwj as his "zhiji", setting the ground for that later line about being fine dying by his hand. Moreover, does this admission that they are zhiji not knock down this sense of distance, this idea that it is not lwj's place to care and worry for wwx? Does it not negate everything wwx told him when he first discovered him after he started using modao and make them start afresh? Is wwx saying that he'd be fine dying by lwj's hand not implicitly bringing him as a agentive presence in his life?

Moreover, in the novel, their past interactions make it easy for wwx, especially a wwx surrounded by resentful energies, to mistake lwj’s intentions, thinking he only seeks wwx for judgement and condemnation. This is why the fight between them at Buyetian makes sense, why wwx's perception that they would always end up in a real fight and that lwj always found him disagreeable holds up even though there are plenty of proof to the contrary. Yet, after his rebirth, we are shown that wwx would have been open to receiving lwj's help if he had only understood him better, something that happens only after they get to spend more time together. After all, just after the flashback quoted above, an half-awake wwx urgently grabs onto lwj and tells him: "“I’ll go with you, take me back to your sect! (我跟你走, 快把我带回你家去！)”. We can wonder of course if wwx would actually have risked putting lwj in danger or in trouble by acting on this desire, but it is clear that he would have wanted lwj to be by his side just as he does after he is reborn, now that he has had the chance to spend more time with lwj which allows him to understand him better--something however cql!wwx gets to do in his first life enough to consider lwj a zhiji by then.

If cql!wwx considered lwj a zhiji, and lwj confirmed they were, why encourage this sense of distance between them and keep pushing him away? Of course, if the script had provided us with new context to bridge this line at Qiongqi Dao and the distance that continues to linger between them, it would have been fine--after all, characters can act in contradictory ways, can have multiple and conflicting motivations, can act irrationally for a number of reasons. But instead we only have this sort of vague emptiness, that of course most cql viewers are more than happy to fill with extrapolations that are hardly supported by the 'text' of cql, but which help them believe that the series is extremely deep and intentional.

In short; the cql production team is able to think of good lines and ideas but really suck at keeping all the balls in the air and connecting all the dots especially when it comes to what it takes from the novel in the context of the changes it made, which ultimately makes the story weak because a story is always more than just the sum of its parts.

[oficmag]

Contributor Spotlight: JJ

Now that Issue #1 is live, we at OFIC Mag are excited to shine a light on some of the amazing contributors from our inaugural issue. We hope you all love them as much as we do!

Today’s spotlight is on JJ | @JJLinwood and @trickybonmot, who wrote “The Attended” for Issue #1.

Tell us a bit about yourself!

I'm a mother of two and a slow but passionate fanfic reader and writer. I've had many a hyperfixation over the years, from spinning wool to baking macarons. I'm currently really into photographing moss. I'm also finally getting into vidding, after years and years of listening to songs on repeat and thinking "Who can I get to make a vid of this???"

How did you find fandom?

My first brush with fandom was the snailmail newsletter for Queen's Own, the Mercedes Lackey fan club. I definitely had my own self-insert character and privately wrote fic about her being lifebonded—I mean, soulmates—with angsty side characters, without mailing in a release form, which I felt very guilty about. Once the internet came along I fell into fannish things so gradually that I really don't remember how it happened. Usenet and Livejournal were involved.

What fandom are you in now and what brought you here?

I'm STILL deep in Modao Zushi aka MDZS aka The Untamed aka CQL fandom. I was brought here by...a tumblr gifset! I could probably dig up the exact one. It hit me like a lightning strike. I mainlined the series as fast as I could and never looked back.

What’s your favorite book of all time and what do you love about it?

I'm so excited to tell you that my favorite book is The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin. I love it because it is so gentle, a story of monumental events told through the most humane, compassionate lens. The conflicts are so delicately wrought, the characters so carefully chosen. There's no violence in it, not one fist or sword or even really a spell, although it concerns magic deeply. Not to mention that the prose is absolutely pure, and the landscape is so beautiful and familiar to the heart. The epigraph is a poem that belongs to the book's world, and it makes me cry all by itself. This book sent me on a journey of reading Le Guin's early works, and it's an absolute delight to see how her approach changed over time, the things she got good at, the things she came to believe were important. 

What projects are you working on right now?

I'm working on a fantasy novel that has been with me for a long time, about two boys who discover they can do magic together and how they change each other's lives (spoiler: they're in love). Also, a fanfic inspired by “Papa Don't Preach,” some simmering ofic short stories, and did I mention I'm learning to vid??

What are your aspirations as a writer, big picture or small?

I want to express myself honestly, and I want to have my stuff out there being read by the people who need it in that moment. I think that's the best I could ask for.

If you could give one piece of advice to beginning writers, what would you tell them?

I sort of still feel like I am one, even though I've been at it for a while! I learned a lot about writing from knitting. I learned that as long as you keep going little by little, it will get done. If you don't, it won't. And mistakes are part of the process.

THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THE OFIC FAMILY, JJ! WE’RE SO THRILLED TO SHARE YOUR WORK WITH THE WORLD.

[sunshinewarrior11]

tag game :D

tagged by @hi-raethia​ AW KAI I love you xxxx

rules: tag 9 people you’d like to get to know better/catch up with

last song: Currently listening to Top of the World by the Carpenters and All Star by Smash Mouth as I write this hoping it puts me in the mood to stop procrastinating and actually write my essay

last movie: I went and saw the Croods 2 in cinema (yeah, those are open where I am) a couple weeks ago and it was amazing

currently watching: Brigerton, which I like but ugh, I really want the lead to just choose the really nice second lead for once, so I don’t know if I’m gonna continue, as well as Handsome siblings bc I love Chinese wuxia shows lol

currently reading: Archaeology site reports :( lol but

fiction: I just finished MoDao ZuShi (Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation), and am gonna start the Poppy War, Circe and A Gentleman’s guide to getting lucky as well as a million fanfics

non fiction: TaoTeCheng and Anthropology of the North Pacific Rim, SO MANY JOURNALS FOR SCHOOL AND MY FICS

currently craving: writing my fan fictions, I’m honestly so annoyed that I basically didn’t have a Winter Holiday, I just want my assignments to be done

tagging: @kokummoon @incorrectzukka @orenji-glad @oldpotatoe @jothzuko @galindadaae @the-hot-zone

[pumpkinpaix]

The audio drama is the best mdzs adaption 🍵

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree

look. y’all know my agenda. audio drama is so fucking good. and!! more to the point, because why not make a small rhetorical exercise out of this--I do believe it’s the best adaptation of the source material that I’ve consumed. it’s as faithful as it can within the bounds of the medium, they add little details that just elevate the whole experience into Something Else like GOD. the sound design? look, the way they engineered the sunshot campaign was just. i love it so much. the voice acting? the editing?? and all the extras and the commentary and the stellar outtakes, and by GOD the fucking MUSIC

i finally received the modao audio drama merch box i preordered back in like?? february?? march?? of 2020 and it is just. AAAAA. really above and beyond. this isn’t to shit on the other adaptations, Im just like. audio drama. *A* i can’t wait to burn all the CDs onto my laptop so i can just lie in a catatonic state listening to the OST on repeat.

🍵 ((un)popular) opinions meme

[zu-is-here]

Hi Zu!

A bath or a shower? And what temperature of water — cool, warm, hot?

Sounds like your bed is very cosy, good for you 💞 And I've got one big pillow, one small, and two blankets that I use in rotation (warmer one for when it's cold, lighter one for when it's warm, and in summer there's usually no blanket at all, because it's too hot here). Also a small handmade fox to cuddle and fall asleep with, I absolutely love him.

What a relief (x Sleep is good in right amounts, more or less can be harmful, just like anything else, after all. And thanks for the interesting comparison, it's indeed something like that!

Again, thanks for the support 🌻

Uhhh, that's a difficult question. Changes made me nervous and anxious since forever, but I can't tell if it's really me or just my depression. In any case, it is a bit better now. Especially when I'm with my beloved. It's not as scary to try new things and change something when she's there for me. That's how I tried coffee, and that's how I started traveling by plane, and so many other things.

Thank you so much for sharing this! It really means a lot to me, and now I love these places as well — merely for existing. And for bringing back good memories, of course.

And thank you for listening! It's nice to tell this story to someone who listens so attentively, and it's even better to get another person who believes in us 💜

Oh, that's much better! I guess everybody needs a change of scenery, perhaps it'd be easier to get burnt out if you wrote both for work and pleasure. We definitely don't want that. Besides, you still can write a thing or two if you ever feel like it. Or not. You're amazing at drawing nonetheless, and it's even better that you're comfortable with this way of expressing yourself. Perfect, isn't it?

Oh, but I don't like them, I love them! Absolutely adore! Broomie!Papyrus is something I desperately needed without even knowing it, so thank anons for the idea and you for the embodiment 💗 You all are the best. (Also I might or might not need to dig into it and find the possible lore behind this new character so I could maybe find Multiverses with him and perhaps even finally write about Ink without deep hurt in my soul.)

What a funny and random way to hear about something! Although Zu in Modao zushi is pronounced dzu, not just zu. As a passionate Chinese learner, can't help but add this (x And, unfortunately, you misunderstood about the obscene scenes. What I mean is, the way those are written is absolutely, extremely awful. There's no exaggeration here. I was so shocked and disappointed when I first read it (and I didn't even finish), and then angry, because what the hell, that's not how it works. I'd like to give you a warning as well, but that's for DMs, since the topic is rather sensitive. Hopefully it will help to make your experience with this novel more pleasant!

Anything good you'd like to share about today? Nothing much happened to me yet (I'm writing and sending this in the morning after all (x), but yesterday I worked a bit on one of my poems. There is still much to do, but it definitely got better!

Take care! *hugs*

Hi anfie╰(*´︶`*)╯

At every possible chance — a bath! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵) Preferably very hot and foamy ♪ Isn't it such a pleasure to warm up to the bone, getting all mushy and sleepy before going to bed,,, I usually have enough time for a shower only though :') What about you? ☆

Awww what a lovely place to fall asleep! (ㅅ´ ˘ `) It must feel so good to have such an option with pillows (which one is the most preferable?) and a couple of blankets for any weather (or mood heh)~

That's the spirit! (òwó) It's so nice to have someone who you can be yourself with but it's much better to also improve with them ♡

Guess you're right, thanks a lot (ówò) And I'm really happy to know you liked the concept of Broomie!Papyrus that much <3 Oh wowie— that would be amazing! You know, I'm always looking forward to more of your ideas and works *^*

I know right! I don't understand Chinese at all and even more so its pronunciation so all thanks to the spelling that's mistakenly confused with my name by Tumblr XD And thanks for the clarification! As for the scenes, oh... I'm so sorry you had to run into that while reading, hope that negative experience doesn't cloud your subsequent perception! By the way, how did you find this story? (・∀・)

Lately the days are flying! ٩( ᐛ )و So many things to do even though it's just holidays %) Hope I can breathe as soon as I finish my diploma so that I can have two weeks off before the judgment day... Oh! Any luck with the poem? *^* I'm sure you're doing amazing, keep up the great work! ☆

Take care *hugs* ♡

[worthlessnepenthes]

Hey so I REALLY REALLY like TCGF MDZS AUs. That’s a lot of letters. I really like Heavenly Official’s Blessing AUs of Modao Zushi. But like...it’s always WWX is the Supreme and LWJ is the god! Listen. Listen. Look at Wei Wuxian. Now look at Xiè Lian. (Now this is an old spice commercial.) Do you see these boys? These boys that went against orthodoxy and what everyone TOLD them was right in an attempt to do what was ACTUALLY right, only to fail miserably and be stabbed a lot for it? And blamed horribly? And there are SO MANY parallels here between the two that can be drawn. Now, take a look at Hua Cheng and Lan Wangji. See these two, for whom literally no one matters other than their soulmate? (Okay FINE and their soulmate’s kid but if gege had a kid you know San Lang would love it) Yeah. SO.

Wei Wuxian ascends instead of being ripped apart by his corpses when he destroys the Stygian Tiger Seal (also he manages to fully destroy it). He is then thrown out of Heaven because, you know...he just. Disagrees with basically everything about how it’s run and gets kicked out with a power binding shackle, but jokes on them he hasn’t used spiritual energy in years! ((Alternatively, he ascends after being thrown in the burial mounds and escaping, that being his heavenly calamity ((because I feel like it can be a situation and not just a monster to fight??)) to overcome, and he just. Plonks himself right the fuck back out of the heavens because FUCK YOU that he is going to stay out of the war! And then ascends a second time with the destruction of the seal, only he is even madder that time and literally fights the god emperor and gets kicked a second time? Depends on how much you want to mirror TCGF)) Once kicked out of Heaven he wanders with a donkey and a new flute (because JC has Chenqing) doing his best to help the common people and doing scut work. There was no AYuan or he died in the siege, sorry I don’t make the rules. Actually I couldn’t figure out how to save him in this.

Meanwhile LWJ is whipped after trying to protect Wei Ying, because either he wasn’t a god yet or no one knew he was a god, and dies from it, because with no AYuan to live for, why should he? He dies so full of anger and resentment his spirit stays, despite the soul soothing spells cultivators go through in childhood. His soul/ghost fire wanders, gathering strength as he hears rumors of a wanderer with a donkey and a flute, who helps the common people as best he can. He keeps hearing snippets of a special song...

He gains more power, and starts punishing the cultivators responsible for Wei Ying’s death. Innocents are safe, but no others. A certain Jin is said to have died stuttering, ‘what is black and what is white? What is wrong what is right?’ (Or whatever that quote is) He needs to become stronger so he can find the wanderer. He starts fighting other spirits, gradually making his way to mount tonglu (however that’s spelt). He enters, and thirteen (or sixteen) years pass. He escapes, and there is a new devastation.

More time passes, WWX just traveling the world with his donkey. LWJ becomes ever more impressive, but a bit of an anomaly. (I don’t have a good ghost name here, come up with one, or like. The light bringing calamity? Because he tends to shine light on corrupt cultivators and then...violently kill them? Maybe he didn’t have huanggunjun as a title in life?)(I mean, Hua Cheng had a terrifying reputation but like...other than fighting some gods we never really saw him do anything super bad? And those were jerk gods anyway?)(maybe LWJ ALSO fights gods, especially ones he hears disrespect WWX?) LWJ figures out that yes, the wanderer is WWX and that he became a god was was kicked out, but doesn’t remember a lot of what happened to him in life (sort of like Xiè Lian!)

And then...*waves hand* TCGF plot happens but it’s MDZS? Maybe the god emperor is JGS? Ling Wen is Meng Yao? No tragic beefleaf side story? He Xuan is Nie Huaisang? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Alter as you see fit, I mean if JGS is the god emperor then maybe sect leader Jin was like his patsy? I dunno. I feel like WWX is not gonna have the relation with the emperor that Xiè Lian did, but neither would LWJ if he was the god.

I am too tired to think of more but if I do, I’ll part two this. Uh. TCGF wangxian is gonna be the tag.

[unforth]

So I have no idea what The Untamed is, but I keep seeing it show up on my dash. So I kinda want to check it out. Can you tell me if there's actual queer representation in it? Or is it more of a destiel kind of situation right now? (Love your fanfic btw)

ALRIGHT ANON I hope you’re ready to listen to me go the fuck off cause I’m so gonna because I fucking love this show!

Right off the bat, to answer the “is it more of a destiel kind of situation” the answer is absolutely fucking not, nor will it ever be, because The Untamed is 50 episodes long and complete, so where it is now is where it will always be. And where it is now...okay, so The Untamed is based on a novel called Modao Zushi (variously translated but the most commonly accepted is “Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation”). MDZS exists in five different versions - the original novel (complete), an animation (in progress), a comic (in progress), a radio drama (...actually I have no idea if it’s done...) and The Untamed (the live action TV show). 

What it is...it’s originally a Chinese BL danmei (a novel, in this case published serially on a subscription website) by an author who writes under the pseudonym Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It’s xianxia, which is a genre of Chinese fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology, religion, martial arts, and all kinds of other stuff...as a Westerner coming in with no experience, it’s been a LOT to learn the genre tropes and I’m still getting the hang of it, but you don’t need to know anything to appreciate the show - I didn’t, and nor did many of my friends, and we’ve all loved it. It has a wonderful ensemble cast (...okay, well, full disclosure, it has a wonderful male ensemble cast, the women in the novel leave something to be desired, they’re much better fleshed out in The Untamed but I could still wish for more in that regard...) with tons of side shipping potential...like, my favorite character isn’t even one of the two in the main ship, and I’d honestly be hard pressed to even name a top five because I love them all so much, and there’s a side ship I love almost as much as the main ship, and is also so close to canon as makes no difference, at least imo. The plot is pretty well fleshed out (or at least the points that are nonsensical are surprisingly easy to ignore...if you’ve seen Jupiter Ascending it had some of the same feel in that regard, like “parts of this writing are a trash fire but I’m enjoying the overall effect so much that I don’t even care any more”). The sets and the costumes are absolutely fucking gorgeous and if the CGI for some of the monsters made me want to weep it was so bad...well, I was a fan of Hercules the Legendary Journeys in the 90s so I’m prepared to forgive a lot to watch hot guys kick some ass, and speaking of the hot guys...

The main ship is composed of this guy, Wei Wuxian...

He is a quintessential disaster bi and I love him and would die for him. The novel is told primarily from his PoV and even The Untamed tends to focus more on his angle than others.

His other half is this guy, Lan Wangji...

(okay the glasses are NOT canon but how am I supposed to resist that line??). He is rule-following, law-abiding, and I totally didn’t get him at first and now I adore him.

This is full enemies to lovers in the best possible way.

From a Destiel PoV, I basically write Wei Wuxian the same way I write Dean, and I basically write Lan Wangji the same way I write Castiel, and people tell me pretty often that they love my characterizations so...the personality parallels, they are strong.

Their ship is most commonly called WangXian. Are they canon? In the novel, yes. They are canon. They are literally married. They have actual explicit sex that you can read in all its glorious detail (actually I shouldn’t talk it up that much I didn’t personally enjoy the canon sex all that much but that’s a totally different topic). They are the most canon of canon, no holds barred, mano-a-mano, god I wish they’d use lube, I can tell you who canonically tops and bottoms and what their main kinks are, and they are so in love and there are ridiculous declarations at the worst possible moments and there’s a wedding...it’s canon. 

Now, China has some pretty crazy censorship laws that include making it an arrestable, punishable offense to make the queer explicit in the TV show. Thus, there is no explicit moment where, in The Untamed, they say, “yes we are a couple and we are in love.” However, the following things are canon:

-they are soulmates (link to gif set by @ohsesuns - the source for these two gifs, I hope you can forgive me just embedding them but someone asked me for a guide and I think just linking might not get the point across/require too much expectation of people clicking through...)

-they have their own theme song...which is called the portmanteau of their ship name (link to gif set by @wangxiians, with two used for demonstration purposes...again, my apologies for embedding them like this, I’ll pull them if you’d prefer) And mind you, in this scene, Lan Wangji just sang their song out loud while a montage played of important moments in their relationship with each other it is the gayest most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.

-THIS IS LITERALLY HOW THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER

-neither has a female love interest or any other romantic subplot or any kind of “fake out” and this is the way Lan Wangji looks every time Wei Wuxian is like, “you’re never gonna get a girlfriend with that attitude” (labeled as by someone named mabomanji on a website called tenor that I’ve never used before...)

-DID I MENTION THIS IS HOW THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER

-oh and they have a son...sort of...close enough...okay it’s way more complicated than that but whatevs I don’t want to spoil all the fun...

-OH MY GOD I ALMOST FORGOT TO MENTION THE HANDFASTING? Lan Wangji constantly lets Wei Wuxian touch the “sacred headband that only family members and loved ones can touch” and at one point to protect Wei Wuxian he wraps it around each of their wrists (source for this screen cap is a set on twitter by krayziewes)

I’m sure at least three people will look at this and be like HOW DID YOU LEAVE OUT THIS OTHER THING and all three things they name will be DIFFERENT because the show is just that fucking gay.

So you ask me, is it like Destiel?

With Supernatural, with Destiel, the show writers, producers, everyone, strings us along, giving us just enough to think we’ve got a chance. The only risk they face in making it canon would be a drop in rating and alienation of some of the fanbase and yet they refuse to do it. I do not believe and have never believed that Destiel will be canon, and my reaction is constant disappointment, because seriously, what would it cost them to show it? Absolutely fucking nothing, especially now that it’s ending now, but they won’t. (okay, that’s just my opinion, I guess the last few episodes will show...but I at least have zero hope.)

With The Untamed...with Wangxian...literally everyone involved in The Untamed risked being disappeared by the Chinese government and actual imprisonment to make the show as gay as humanly possible without quiiiiiiiiiiite crossing the line into explicit queerness. Behind the scenes footage makes it clear that the entire cast and production crew have read the novel. The crew jokingly refers to Wei Wuxian as Lan Wangji’s wife (yeah, sorry, there’s some splashes of misogyny especially in the novel) and the looks on any of the actors’ faces when they’re interviewed and asked about (female) love interests are honestly fucking priceless...but no one can say it out loud, no one can make it explicit in the purest sense, because they risk their livelihoods, their families, their futures, their lives, if they say in reply to that interviewer, “um are you a fucking moron didn’t you realize there WAS a romance in the show and it was between two men?” But everyone with a half a brain knows. It’s not subtle. It’s not a secret. My straight cis male friend who is watching keeps screaming at me about how gay it is and he’s only on like episode 10.

Would I kill for a canon kiss or an actual traditional love declaration?

Yes, of course, I’d love that. 

But do I think WangXian isn’t canon in The Untamed just because it isn’t shown in those most simplistic terms?

Oh my god it is so canon WangXian are husbands and they are in love and they live for each other and it’s amazing and I adore theeeeeeeeeeeem. 

Wangxian. Are. Canon.

[callunavulgari]

Yuletide Letter | 2020 edition

Dear Yuletide author,

Hi there! First, I’d like to apologize for the fact that parts of this is almost entirely copy/pasted from last year’s yuletide letter. I’m aware you probably had no idea, but I’m gonna feel weird about it unless I say something. Secondly, thanks so much for telling me a story! My most sincere wish is that you have fun writing this. I trust that I’ll love whatever you come up with. :) 

Fandoms:

The Locked Tomb trilogy, Wolf 359, Rolling in the Deep, Stormlight Archive, Spirited Away, Modao Zushi.

Over all, I’m pretty sure I’ll be pretty happy with whatever you decide to throw at me. I’m not particularly picky, and enjoy a variety of ratings, themes, and genres. I have a list of over 2000 bookmarks on Ao3, which I would like to say might help you find the things that I like, but odds are you’d just get stuck in it.

General flavors on things: I really love atmospheric settings, stories that you can really feel. A great example of this is A Cornstalk Fiddle. Or wild peaches. I enjoy alternate universes in almost every variation, from soulmates to daemons to canon divergence (I really like canon divergence). I’m super fond of slow burns, though it’ll be hard to convey that in a yuletide fic unless you’re REALLY inspired and/or bored and decide to make it 20k+. 

Other things I like:

sun/moon trope

enemies to lovers

poly

YEARNING

AUs that are almost entirely canon except one of the characters is secretly some kind of creature (vampire, demon, selkie, etc)

magical realism

post-canon fic

found families

I do tend to prefer a fic to have some kind of ship to it, but that’s definitely not required. I am fully on board with explicit fics, but do ask that if there is smut, it’s not just smut. I like how introducing sex to a story changes various character dynamics, and I really, really like the sexually/emotionally charged lead up, but when it really comes down to it, I’m reading the story for the characters.

Dislikes:

Non-con 

Dubious consent is usually okay, but varies based on the circumstances and the pairing. My anon box will be on for the duration of the holiday season, so if you feel the urge, just ask me.

Most hard kinks. Again, it varies, and you can ask me, but I’m not particularly interested in any hard smut for the above fandoms.

Mpreg and/or omegaverse

And then more specific info on the fandoms below the cut because this is already long.

The Locked Tomb trilogy

This series has basically wedged itself right up under my ribcage and made itself at home. I’m okay with a variety of the characters in the tag set, but I mostly would love to see a story centering around either Harrow and Gideon or Augustine, John, and Mercymorn. I am super, super weak for enemies to lovers AND all things yearning and tragic it’s really no surprise I seized onto both of these. I would love a fic exploring the relationship between the above three (the more pining and tragic, the better). But like, that fic would also probably delve into some dubious consent, which again. Is fine to a point. But I mean? Two characters who are torn between loving the third and hating him (and at least slightly torn between two different feelings with each other? Poetic cinema.

If you go the Harrow & Gideon route, I’m actually kind of interested in the idea of an AU that still keeps the necromancy? I mean, necromancers in space is a great concept and I LOVE it, but I also love the idea of necromancers who work in a flower shop! Or a morgue! Or who have a shitty kiosk job at the mall and keeps raising rabid undead squirrels and setting them loose in the food court for fun.

Wolf 359

This podcast. Haunts me. It has basically ruined me for all other podcasts. I adore all of the characters, so you can feel free to write about whoever you want. Favorites are Eiffel, Jacobi, and Hera, so if you throw something at me that has the three of them interacting I could probably die happy. I’m good with gen fic, but I’m also a fan of Jacobi/Kepler, Eiffel/Jacobi, Hera/Eiffel, and would honestly probably fully embrace any other ship you could possibly throw at me.

I like the idea of Hera getting a body after the series. I like the idea of Eiffel finding himself again. I like the idea of Jacobi finding a new family (cough, Hera and Eiffel). I like the idea of Jacobi and Hera becoming best buds. I like the idea of Jacobi working through his grief over Maxwell and Kepler. I like the idea of Hera learning how to be herself in a big wide world that isn’t entirely on her side. I like the idea of every single member of the crew who touches back down on earth learning how to be people afterwards. I like the idea of Minkowski and Lovelace getting closer, especially if Minkowski’s husband is a part of that dynamic.

I just really like found family and people holding each other up when the going gets tough, and this podcast has that in spades. Also? Have you listened to Zero Hours? Because if you want to introduce some of that dynamic I would be forever in love.

Rolling in the Deep 

I honestly wasn’t sure whether to include this one in my list of wants or not, but ultimately decided on it because I think that anything you wrote for it I would be happy about. I’ve left the character section blank because I’d be okay with whoever you wrote about. This is one of those books where I don’t have many shippy feelings, but love the concept. Though, if you want to write about the mermaid they brought back with them and ANY of the characters, I would be particularly cool with that. 

I just really liked this book a lot, so yeah. Anything. Bonus points for post canon. Bonus bonus points for mermaids.

Stormlight Archive

Kaladin/Shallan/Adolin. I know Sanderson said that thing about how Adolin and Shallan would be down for it, but Kaladin would balk and just - listen to me: forget all that. My default reaction to love triangles is usually to happily ship them in a poly setting and these three are no exception. 

You want to write me an AU? Sure! Throw it at me! Canon and/or canon-divergence? Even better! Daemons? Yes, please. 

Alternatively, if you’re not really crazy about poly, I would be okay with something exploring the relationship between Shallan and Jasnah. I really adore Jasnah’s character and wish we had more of her headspace. 

Spirited Away

Spirited Away is my ultimate comfort movie. It is my go-to when I’m sad or sick or upset, and let’s be real here. It’s been a particularly upsetting year. And I would really love post-canon content with either Chihiru, Haku, or both. 

I would love fic where they find each other again. Where they keep finding each other. Where Chihiru walks from her new house down through the forest and just, stares at the entrance for a while. Where Chihiru is haunted by that place through the years, where she both yearns for it and marvels at how like a dream it felt. Where it’s changed her fundamentally, like walking into the fae realm. Where she meets spirits in strange places and speaks to them, only to realize no one else can see them. A fic where Chihiru is twelve, and then fifteen, and then twenty-three, and then even older, and is still just so taken by that place she disappeared to when she was a child and the people she found there.

Above I mentioned wild peaches as an example of a story that I really like, which is a fic of Sarah in the aftermath of the Labyrinth. That is almost precisely the feeling I’ve been craving from a Spirited Away fic, basically since I first watched the movie.

Modao Zushi

I’m weak for Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. That is basically all it comes down to. The yearning. The rivals (kind of?) to friends to enemies to friends to lovers concept in this had me really messed up, let me tell you. I am particularly weak for Wei Wuxian as the Yiling Patriarch. That could tread close to the dubious consent line if you want it to, or it could not. Don’t worry about it. As long as it’s not non-con, I will happily accept whatever you have to offer.

I am also pretty okay with basically any AU for this. Not really picky. I will say though that I am particularly enamored with the idea of a dancer and/or composer/musician AU for this one. I’ve written about it twice and it still hasn’t scratched the itch. I just really want them to dance with each other. 

[captainsiegrid]

Storytellers, a rec list

GodOfLaundryBaskets

- [Podfic] Intrinsic and [Podfic] Contingent - One Piece

I am absolutely floored by these. All the voices brought life to an already fantastic work, but these podfics are GodOfLaundryBaskets' babies and I am giving this rec to them for their absolute god-level narration and absolute perfect edit job. It makes me hate the moment it ends, I could listen to GodOfLaundryBaskets' voice forever.

Man, it makes me want to keep recording! It's an absolute honour to have been included in this project.

Kudos to Kawaiibooker for writing more-than-side-character-Bepo into an actual LIVE character with emotions!

- [Podfic] This Tornado Loves You - 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù

My first ever Modao Zushi podfic. Actually...my first time ever listening to a podfic. I was very sceptical at first because I had so many reservations about the proper pronunciations of the character's names (never mind I also suck at those because, well...Chinese. BUT! I fell in love with GodOfLaundryBaskets' voice instantly! Their intonation is just so beautiful!

- Hang in there - 镇魂 | Guardian (TV), Untitled Goose Game (Video Game)

Hilarious brought to you by GodOfLaundryBaskets' literal God's voice. The delivery of Lao Zhao's distress was flawless and absolutely hilarious, I swear!

Oceantail Podfics

- [PODFIC] Let it Flow Though You - Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: Legend of Korra

Oceantail's voice is so sweet and cute, but she manages to surprise me every time with her dynamic approach to intonation. Even the serious and emotional parts felt all the more serious for it, her voice made Zuko's emotions feel even more real!

- [PODFIC] Day 1: Past and Present - Tales of Zestiria

Ok, so I'm gonna be painfully honest here: I hate this fanfiction, even though I wrote it (particularly because I wrote it!) so I thought I'd podfic it to try and hate it less.

Didn't work.

The only things that made me not hate this horrific, mistake riddled thing are Sorey and Mikleo's voices. Seriously, I wanna rewrite the whole thing so that Oceantail and lysandyra can speak more!

When I set out to podfic this, I had certain voices in mind, like anyone would. Someone must have heard my plea, because I got the best cast I could ask for. Working with them was so good I want to do it again soon!

lysandyra

- [Podfic] the sound of your heart - 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS

The work that made me go listen to BTS! While recording this I was completely confused.com! But when I listen to it I am SOOTHED! lysandyra's narration and God-like pacing is quintessentially smooth that you could spoon out a dollop and use it to sweeten your tea.

- [Podfic] an approach - Marvel Cinematic Universe

I love how lysandyra goes from smooth to expressive at the drop of a (hat) line so seamlessly! Specially Betty's lines!

Akaihyou

- [PODFIC] Feeling Blue - Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe

Akaihyou's tone sets a dramatic and emotional pace to this work that makes you wanna curl up in a blanket burrito and listen to it in a loop in spite of the words being said and I have absolutely no clue how she does it!

Also, sound effects! Absolutely genius!

- [Podfic] The Sunburn Squad - Captain America (Movies)

This podfic + blanket burrito + bucket of popcorn = an equally satisfying experience as watching a film.

No more saying is needed. Go listen, now!

P.S.: ""Bullshit," Clint coughed." ---- I'm never getting over this!

cheshiretears

- Feeling Blue (Podfic) - Voltron: Legendary Defender

I absolutely HAD TO include this one!

It isn't just voices you hear in podfic works. You hear also the sound that "blood, sweat and tears" make when editing is done as beautifully as this!

- Jelly - Haikyuu!!

No, I have not forgotten how to read silently and no, I have not forgotten about my beautiful volleyball babies.

I had actually read this before VOICETEAM and totally forgot until I was working on these recs. I love how she keeps the poly alive by mentioning the Kuro and Kenma through the fic and I adore how she nailed adorable chaotic and hyperactive owl baby!

eafay70

- [Podfic] Mrs. Pollifax and the Family Connection - Mrs. Pollifax - Dorothy Gilman

THE. MOST. ADORABLE. NJ GRANDMA. EVER! How even!!!

- TOS OT3 - Star Trek: The Original Series

I didn't know what a "filk" was...now I know...AND I CAN'T GET OVER IT! Hilarious doesn't even begin to describe this. 2:55 minutes of artfully arranged lyrics and 10 minutes later I'm still in stitches!

P.S.: Baskets, you narrate, you do characters and now you sing?! Leave some talent for us mortals! X'D

- In Which Kirk Speaks German - Star Trek: The Original Series

She has 3 recs because ADORABLE!!!! That "Please~!" AAAAAAHHHHH

minnabird

- [Podfic] Sunlight - Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)

HER SHERLOCK ACCENT! I CAN'T! LOVED!

I can't emphasise just how fun this was! I wish to work with minnabird and Akaihyou again!

Also: The Bloopers! X'D

- almost, but not always - Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

This will hurt you! And it will be ok because minna wrote it so wonderfully sweet you would easily believe she's also a mother...

alstroemeria_thoughts

- Let if Flow Through You [PODFIC] - Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: Legend of Korra

I chose this podfic because, like Oceantail, alstroemeria_thoughts' voice is small and cute and I was very inclined to see how she managed it. I sear, talent comes in small voices! I don't know how she does it, but she 's a master at keeping a clear pronunciation in spite of her speed! I was always advised to read slowly because fast is an enemy to clear reading, but astra is just excellent at reading fast and making it sound pleasant!

- [Podfic] (un)Official Marine Rules and Regulations - One Piece

My first ever live recording session and it was FANTASTIC!

We already know I worship GodOfLaundryBaskets, but you HAVE to listen to alstroemeria_thoughts' list off rules like you're a peasant if you don't follow them! It's bloody hilarious! I mean "Justice does not have a concrete shape, and if it did, it would not be something as pedestrian as a triangle. Get it right." will make you beg her to step on you. Literally!

Halbereth

- Google says WHAT?! - Marvel Cinematic Universe

My dudes, I'm making this a podfic. It is criminal that it isn't one yet. This is absolutely hilarious!

P.S.: "his dad had had a bad habit" ---- I wanna read this sentence!

- local / regular - Marvel Cinematic Universe

The intonation here is beautiful! It's is like listening to the actual person telling her own story?! I wanna meet he Mamma!

EXTRA:

lunatique

- [PODFIC] 10/10 WOULD MARRY - 镇魂 | Guardian - priest, 镇魂 | Guardian (TV)

The biggest full cast and most ambitious podfic I have EVER been part of and it's INCREDIBLE!

This thing pushed me down the Guardian rabbit hole with a kick and no parachute and I'm cackling all the way down.

Go. Listen. Now!

[luukeskywalker]

What's modao zushi about? You post abt it so nicely but i have no idea about what the plot may be. you've piqued my interest (even if i have enough shows to finish as it is)

HEH, THAT’S A BIG QUESTION, but i can do my best to answer bc mo dao zu shi is really really good!!

okay, so it takes place in ancient china, where there are cultivators and monsters and magic! the protagonist is this cultivator named wei wuxian. he was the creator of demonic cultivation, which involves raising corpses and doing lots of creepy black magic type stuff. he died thirteen years prior to the start of the story, but he’s brought back to life through a ritual that he created when he was originally alive. 

after being resurrected, he quickly runs into a lot of the people he used to know - and most of them don’t like him very much anymore, because of the things he did before he died. one person alone seems to want to protect him: lan wangji, another cultivator who, in that previous life, always seemed to hate wei wuxian.

they get sucked into a huge mystery where they have to find and put together the pieces of a mysterious corpse to find out who killed it, and during their journey we find out a lot more about what happened leading up to wei wuxian’s death, while he and lan wangji find out about the dark underside of the cultivation world. also they fall in love! 

luckily, there’s lots of different adaptations, so you have plenty of places to pick from if you want to check it out :3

there’s the anime, which is just called “the grandmaster of demonic cultivation” (or “mo dao zu shi” lol) and you can watch that here! they also have a live action adaptation, called the untamed, which you can watch here! a note about these though - since this is a chinese show, they had to censor the explicitly gay bits between the two main characters, but imo the way the live action show gets around the censorship is really fantastic. the first few episodes can be kind of cheesy since the visual effects aren’t super high quality, but the boys are cute and the story is fun, so what more can you ask for?

there’s also the audio drama, which you can download and listen to (with english subs!) here, and the manhua (manga), which you can either download and read here (you will have to make an account to download the files, but it’s free and usually updates weekly!), or you can wait for the files to be uploaded to kissmanga a day later, since kissmanga has all the chapters up too.

THEN!!! there’s the novel, which is the original source! you can read the translation here, and you don’t have to make an account for this one! i recommend the novel, just because i really like reading the original source material and then taking a look at all the adaptations to pick apart the differences (adapting is an art and BOY do i love all the different ones for mdzs), but it’s not for everyone, and i’ll be the first to admit that it’s written by a straight woman and it Shows. however i think the author does an excellent job creating mystery and showing their relationship, and she writes pining so fucking well it’s astounding. also, her writing is really funny and i am always laughing when reading her novels (usually in a good way lol)

if you’re interested then i suggest reading the manhua first tbh, it helps set a visual for all the characters and gets you used to all the names you might need to know (it’s ancient china so there’s lots of names and titles and whatnot!) the manhua is a little less than halfway finished, so it’s still got a long way to go, but if you like what you read there then you’ll like the novel itself, since it follows the novel pretty closely so far. i also really recommend the audio drama if you have the time and patience, since that follows the novel to a T (minus the explicit sex scenes which is probably a good thing for my sanity) and everything about it is perfect, but that’s just my personal opinion lol.

anyways!! thanks for asking skjhgf i hope this wasn’t too much, i just have a big love for this series so i’ve. watched and read and listened to it all.. please join me in hell @ everyone