#lwj be like: so that's your confidante?

[stiltonbasket]

for the wrh raises wwx au,, what was the gusu lan sect's reaction to lwj becoming wwx's concubine? and what was jiang fengmian's reaction when he realized wwx was wei changze and cangse sanren's child?

The Lan sect (minus Nielan, who were both aware that Wei Wuxian would protect LWJ with his life if he had to) was mostly just relieved to learn that Lan Wangji had been rescued from WRH's torture chambers. They didn't particularly care about Lan Wangji becoming a concubine; the entire Sunshot alliance knew that Wei Wuxian had been poisoned and was likely too weak to pose any threat to LWJ, and Wei Wuxian was also believed to be deeply in love with Yu Zhenhong.

Jiang Fengmian found out about the Wei Wuxian's compulsion seals less than a month after he heard that WWX was living at the Nightless City, so he was very much not relieved to find out that his best friend's son had been adopted by Wen Ruohan. D:

[llycaons]

ep43 (1/3): literally nothing more romantic than defying the authority figure you've followed your entire life for your beloved to the point of physical punishment im dead serious this may be the most romantic scene in the series

this episode is so fucking good. easily in the top 5

that's a polite way to put it

oh yeah, I guess jgy is really good at music. didn't his mother play? I think so

wwx about to demolish this man:

seeing jgy from lxc's perspective is kind of 🥺 because you see exactly why he respects jgy, why he cherishes and cares for him and wants to protect him. he HAS been maligned by classism and he has borne humiliation and disrespect. and this is genuinely unfair. but it's also not the whole story

I don't even know if this is true at all. like obviously to some extent it's a lie but has every impulse of aid and compassion towards others been false? it's hard to say

oh, I like this scene. lwj ready to argue and wwx holding him back

the crickets are so pretty...goddamn this is a beautiful place

oh he fully thought they were together didn't he

YEAH I THINK HE STILL REMEMBERS

CLASSIC LAN WANGJI LINE. LOVE IT. for all the arguments about lwj not actually being a snob I do think he holds a lot of people in comtempt. it's just not for the same reasons other people do. so he is highly judgemental and cold to people but he's not a snob in the sense that he thinks being rich makes him better than other people

oh this section made my skin crawl. jgy forcing a smile, acting out civility. pretending to retreat in the face of lwj's resolve. and then tossing out as he leaves 'oh by the way, your clan is here to take your away' ugh that smug little bastard

three HUNDRED? was it not 33?

on god this scene is fucking unreal. absolutely one of the heights of the show - character-wise, romance wise, in visuals, in themes. wuji playing softly adds another dimension to an already excellent scene

oof there he goes. the raw physicality of this is part of what makes it so compelling - we've seen lwj hurt before, and bleeding and sweating and distressed, but nothing we've seen before was as unflinchingly violent, and painful for the sake of pain, as this was. physicality is something I find myself missing in wx when watching cql, and somehow even though wwx is dead during this scene it satisfies some of that craving for me. he's real, he bleeds, he grips his fist, he gasps - and he's doing this all for wwx

not much more commentary I just find this so masterfully done. rather than come off as cliche, the simplistic setup just hits all the harder. this is such a classic romantic act - sacrifice for your loved one. and for wx, it's at the core of what makes their relationship so profound - their moral philosophy.

his confidante!!! his zhiji!!! wwx knows now that lwj has trusted in him for over a DECADE. in one flashback we've gained so much insight, and we're about to gain more. do you know how well I was eating as an lwj fan when I saw this the first time

I don't think other translations have called it that? im glad they recognize it as such here

the saga of lan wangji - to be continued!

[besanii]

Aaaaaaaggh! The Paper Thin verse is so compelling exactly because no one did anything wrong and yet the knives are there anyway. I love it. I adore the glimpse of LXC having more feeling than he’d started with, I wonder if WWX would ever get there, or how LWJ would feel after seeing them be more than a little comfortable with each other.

[ part one (LWJ) | two (LXC) | three (WWX) | four (LWJ) | five (NQY) | six (WWX) ]

As a prince growing up in the confines of the Inner Palace, Lan Wangji did not have many he could call friends. He had his brother, of course, and the siblings born to the consorts and concubines were there in the schoolroom beside him for their daily lessons—but they were not friends. 

His brother may be family, and Lan Wangji may both love and respect him above all others, but as heir to the throne, there had always been an invisible gap between the two of them their whole lives. Lan Xichen had been training his whole life to shoulder the weight of the throne; likewise, Lan Wangji has spent his whole life training to support him. They are—have always been, and will always be—first and foremost a lord and his vassal, and brothers second. And as the Emperor's vassal, it is his duty to honour and obey him above all others.

Never in his wildest dreams did he think his loyalty would be tested like this. In this way.

"Wei--Wei-xuanyi." The title burns on his tongue. He forces himself to push past the lump in his throat to continue. "Paying respects to Wei-xuanyi."

Wei Wuxian. Wei Ying. His closest friend and confidante. The one, selfish desire he had ever held close to his heart. The one thing he had wanted for himself in this life of duty and service.

His brother's consort.

On the other side of the room, draped in layers upon layers of the finest Gusu silks in blue and purple, flanked on either side by four servants, Wei Wuxian drops the inkstone in his hand. It clatters back onto the well and splatters droplets of black ink over the desk; for a moment he is visibly torn between cleaning up the mess and the obligation to greet Lan Wangji, his fingers hovering in mid-air. Eventually obligation wins out and he ducks his head and bends his knee.

“Hanguang-wang.” He quickly straightens, eyes averted. “My apologies. I did not realise you were there.”

“The fault is mine,” Lan Wangji assures him. “Wei-xuanyi was merely focused on his task, and I was the one who caused a disruption.”

Wei Wuxian hisses sharply under his breath, as if suddenly reminded of his work, and hurries to inspect the damage. He holds out a hand and one of the maids standing behind him places a cloth into the outstretched palm without hesitation, ever attentive to her master’s needs. As they do their best to clean up the mess before it stains—the damage is thankfully not extensive—Lan Wangji cannot resist moving closer to catch a glimpse of what has Wei Wuxian so concerned. What he sees is not what he had expected.

“Dongying warships?” he asks before he can stop himself. “Are those...blueprints?”

Wei Wuxian freezes in mid-motion, his fingers tightening around the cloth until his knuckles turn white. 

“I’d quite forgotten Hanguang-wang would be most familiar with Dongying warships,” he says finally, voice clipped. He does, however, allow Lan Wangji to move closer so they are standing shoulder-to-shoulder, careful to keep at least half a desk’s worth of space between them. “Huangshang knew of my interest in them and so allowed me the opportunity to study their construction plans, in hopes of perhaps improving on them for use in Gusu’s navy.”

Lan Wangji swallows past the lump that has appeared in his throat.

“Wei-xuanyi has always been at the forefront of innovation.” he says. “Your studies and inventions are renowned throughout the Empire. It is only expected fpr Huangxiong to call upon your expertise on this matter.”

It is meant as a compliment, but it does not ease the tension in Wei Wuxian’s answering chuckle in the slightest.

“Huangshang is magnanimous,” he says. “The Inner Palace is not usually permitted to view such documents.”

The tone in which the last part holds the air of something repeated often and frequently and Lan Wangji’s heart aches to hear it. 

“It would be foolish indeed if they kept you from it,” he retorts, and is rewarded with a dusting of pink across Wei Wuxian’s cheeks and a look of wide-eyed surprise at his vehemence. “There is no one better suited to this work than Wei Ying.”

Their sleeves brush against each other as they turn, and Lan Wangji’s breath catches in his throat. They were close enough to touch—he only needed to shift his hand just so and he would be able to brush his fingers over the ink smudges over Wei Wuxian’s knuckles; already now he can feel the warmth of his skin in the air between them. 

Want seizes him then, fierce and hungry; the urge to reach out and grab him by the hand and take him far, far away from this gilded cage and into the vast world beyond its vermilion walls burns in the pit of his stomach. He could. He would. He would fight the Imperial army single-handedly down to the last man if it meant Wei Wuxian could be his once more. He would lay his life on the line to give Wei Wuxian anything and everything he desired—happiness, love, freedom. He would do it, if Wei Wuxian asked it of him.

But he doesn’t.

He pulls away instead, and leaves a wide, yawning chasm where the want had been only a moment before. Cold. Empty. He curls his hand into a fist, digs his nails into the palm of his hand, and pulls away.

“Huangshang has arrived!”

The announcement from the doorway startles them both. Wei Wuxian nearly jumps away with how fast he moves from Lan Wangji’s side, moving around the edge of the desk just as Lan Xichen steps through the door to the library. 

“Wuxian,” Lan Xichen says as soon as he spots Wei Wuxian, already stepping towards him with an arm outstretched.

“Your concubine greets Huangshang,” Wei Wuxian murmurs, sinking to his knees in greeting, only for Lan Xichen to catch his elbow before he can complete the gesture. “Huangshang has come at an opportune time. We were just discussing the blueprints from Dongying.”

“Oh?” Lan Xichen raises an eyebrow curiously. “We?”

The smile in his face flickers in surprise when he notices Lan Wangji’s presence; his eyes dart immediately to the flush high on Wei Wuxian’s cheeks and back to the tense set of Lan Wangji’s jaw, to the heads of the servants, bowed low to the ground. Surprise gives way to realisation, before it settles into a calm acceptance, the warmth in his eyes dimmed.

“Wangji, this is a surprise,” he says. “I was not expecting to see you here.”

Lan Wangji bows his head.

“Your subject greets Huangshang,” he says. “Your subject had come in search of Moling’s harvest records from the past decade as per your instruction. Wei-xuanyi was here when I arrived.”

“I see,” Lan Xichen says levelly. His tone is odd, stilted. Lan Wangji recognises it from countless court sessions against pandering courtiers. 

Wei Wuxian must recognise it too, because he steps in with a ready smile, one hand resting lightly on Lan Xichen’s arm.

“Huangshang, come see the modifications your concubine has made to the design of the ship,” he tells him. “I think you will be very pleased with the improvements.”

Lan Wangji sees the way his brother’s attention is immediately drawn to Wei Wuxian like a moth to flame, his eyes never leaving Wei Wuxian’s face as he allows himself to be led to the desk. His own gaze is drawn to their joined hands, to the familiar way in which their fingers intertwine, and the easy way in which Lan Xichen’s hand rests on the small of Wei Wuxian’s back as they pore over the blueprints together. 

Wei-xuanyi is most beloved. Most favoured.

Wei Wuxian catches his gaze in the middle of his explanation; there is gentleness there, a soft sadness in the corners of his eyes as he speaks. 

And then he turns back to Lan Xichen and the sadness fades a little, his eyes grow warmer, lighter. It pierces through Lan Wangji’s heart and sinks into the pit of stomach, heavy as lead.

He would never ask it of me.

He looks to Lan Xichen, to his brother, and knows in his heart—

I could never ask it of him.

--

buy me a ko-fi!

more paper-thin fic | verse

--

What? I managed to pull myself away from Stardew Valley long enough to write this??? :OOOO Amazing.

[ephemeralgalaxies]

TLDR: this turned much longer than I was expecting but anyways I'm crying over just how prepared WWX was to push LWJ away bc he does know him and knows what will hurt him enough (and that just happens to be convincing LWJ that they can never actually understand or be important to each other -- that they should stay within their own clan/sect boundaries.

IM SOBBING. Like, at this point idek how many times I've watched (and posted about. sorry mutuals) that one scene in The Untamed where wwx reunites with lwj (and jc) 3 months after he was thrown into the burial mounds. But somehow only TODAY did I finally understand a deeper cinematic meaning behind the words wwx says to lwj that stick enough to be repeated in lwj's head after he leaves.

It's the fact that WWX tells LWJ "this is a Jiang clan business" and "who do you think you are" and "who does your Lan Clan think they are" with that lovely rift between them when they call each other by their courtesy name instead (that emotional "Wei Wuxian!" and the heartless "Lan Wangji..." hurts every time my gOd). And for so long I just thought "oh yeah, that hurts. He's saying that there's a distance between him and LWJ. Of course that would hit LWJ hard enough for him to reflect on that."

But then after (finally) analyzing the scene where they say goodbye to Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen bro it hit so much worse. Because SL tells the others that him and XXC believe more in a bond between "like minded individuals" rather than "bloodline," WWX agreeing and smiling as he claims to everyone (including his brother) that he and LWJ are the same.

SO WHEN HE RETURNS AFTER THE BURIAL MOUNDS AND TELLS LWJ THAT THIS IS A PRIVATE JIANG CLAN AFFAIR OFC IT HURTS LWJ SO MUCH BC HE'S REJECTING THEIR PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIP/EXPERIENCES "even if you don't respect our student days..." bRO YOU DID IT FIRST YOU ASSHOLE (affectionate, bc I understand why he pushed LWJ away but still)

Like, he already pushed that "how can anyone else know my temperament," using the same character (知) as is in (知己, or the Netflix translation of "(life-long) confidante" but I cry bc the meaning is so much more than that) -- OF WHICH I DIDN'T REALIZE HE'S ALREADY CALLED LWJ THAT back in Cloud Recesses when discussing the yin iron (and Netlfix's translation into "confidante" as I sob) so LWJ is already crumbling bc WWX has basically just told him that he no longer considers them as this, PLUS the added pain of "I won't even try to let you worry about me or help me or know me bc you're not my family. I'm sticking with them." ("Gusu? Why would I go to Gusu? No no no. I prefer Yunmeng" with that malicious smirk bc he knows he's just driving the point even more that now he's only concerned with blood/clan family, a place LWJ never has and never will fit into).

[lanwuxianz]

So I saw in one of your tags that you don't read modern aus from which I kinda deduced that you do read fanfic? I don't know if you ever shared but would you mind pitching some of your faves?

I love fics and it’s killing me that i don’t have enough time to read EVERYTHING. I do tend to stick to canon verse but sometimes I do like fairytale AUs and such. Modern AUs tho...not my style, though i have one marked for later so i’m not strictly against them.

Some of my faves so far are:

Insecurities by bogliasco Lan Wangji may be the Second Jade of Lan, but he's only human. His confidante and companion as he works through the unexpectedly large number of emotional hurdles he faces is none other than his teenage crush, Wei Wuxian. It’s a series from LWJ’s POV and the characterization is so good.

the uncensored series (M) by lily_winterwood i. tempestuous: five times Wei Wuxian was shameless, and one time Lan Wangji was shameless back. ii. delicate: five times Wei Wuxian loved Lan Wangji, and one time Lan Wangji loved him back. I’ve read this early on in the fandom and it really stuck with me.

Can't Tell Me Nothin (T) by natacup82 Near the start of the Sunshot campaign, Baoshan Sanren learns of the death of Cangse Sanren and comes down from her mountain and changes many fates. This is a feel good fic. If you’re ever frustrated with how it all went down in canon and just want some deus ex machina to save the day - this is the fic for you.

Overcome (E) by thunderwear  “I don’t know if this technically counts as dual cultivation since I don’t have a core,” Wei Ying said as he lay sticky and sweaty, plastered to Lan Wangji’s side. “But it has to be in some way, right? That's why it helps so much.” This sent Lan Wangji’s heart into a series of complicated and unexpected flips. Every time Wei Ying couldn't think past the resentful energy swirling though him, Lan Wangji helped him through it. The best way to deal with resentful energy!

Just Say Yes (T) by edenwolfie Lan Qiren had never had a student he couldn’t improve and Wei Wuxian would not be the exception, especially not now that his nephew was in love with the troublemaker. He would not allow history to repeat itself. I’ve bookmarked this as “for once, Lan Qiren has rights“.

And right now i’m reading sweet chaos (G) by eachandeverydimension Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian get betrothed at the age of fourteen, and it is decided that Lan Wangji will spend a year’s time in Yunmeng to get to know his fiancé. It is a difficult time for Lan Wangji, who is used to the regimented lifestyle of the Cloud Recesses. He meets Wei Wuxian, who grabs him by the wrist to drag him to fun places, or to row boats down the lazy summer river, or to shoot kites. He grows closer to Jiang Wanyin and Jiang Yanli, and learns of their charms.Most of all, he learns about Wei Wuxian, who is thoughtful and bright and nothing like anyone else Lan Wangji has ever met before. He has a brilliant mind and a smile that rivals the sun, and Lan Wangji falls in love with him gradually, over bowls of too-spicy soup and lotus seeds. I’m on chapter 10 and it’s so sweet, i love it.

Also, I can’t recommend Jinko enough. The Survival verse and switch!wangxian fics save my life on daily basis.

[midshipmank]

*I don't know what The Untamed is and at this point I'm too afraid to ask* (would you mind giving me a quick overview/telling me what you like about it?) ((also you doing Howl's Moving Castle with your class is like the best thing since sliced bread))

Oh my gosh, yes! I’m sorry it took me a few days to get to this! I did try to keep this short. (And I’m so flattered you think my lesson plans are cool! Thank you!)

Okay, so in the simplest terms The Untamed* is a Chinese drama based on the novel Mo Dao Zu Shi (MDZS) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. I’m not that familiar with the novel, but as I understand it, it was originally a web novel, but may now have been traditionally published in China (and possibly censored? I’m really uncertain about this). “Mo Dao Zu Shi” is usually translated as “The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation.” The novel and all of its adaptations** are Xianxia, which is a genre of Chinese fantasy that incorporates a lot of elements from Taoism, Buddhism, Chinese mythology, traditional Chinese medicine, etc. 

For the plot, I’m gonna stick to The Untamed since it’s what I know! It’s about two cultivators who meet when they’re teenagers. Wei Wuxian (the titular Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) is the first disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect--he’s considered to be a genius, but he’s also a mischievous troublemaker. He was adopted into the Jiang family as a child and would 1000% die for his siblings and it kills me. Lan Wangji is the Second Young Master (Er-gonzi) of the Gusu Lan Sect, and is known for being one of the “Twin Jades” of the Lan Sect (along with his older brother). He follows all 3000 of the Lan Sect’s rules to the letter and he’s also an excellent cultivator and super repressed (at first!). They meet, fall in love (though, yes, it’s all subtext because of censorship), there’s a war, Wei Wuxian kind of goes to the dark side for Reasons, then dies, and comes back to life 16*** years later. The first two episodes of the show actually take place in the future/present when Wei Wuxian is resurrected, then there’s a 30-episode flashback. The pacing is 100% ridiculous and I 100% love it.  

As for what I like about it....there’s a lot. I’m gonna try to stick to the main things.

1. The romance is so well done. Even though the creators of every single version of MDZS have to contend with censorship, the subtext is there and purposeful, and I am just going to steal this quote from this excellent Vox article because I can’t put it any better: 

“Their bond — which Netflix translates as “lifelong confidantes,” but which alternate translations usually interpret as “soulmates” — becomes transcendent, a chaste but heady yearning holding them together across time and tragedy. Wangji exudes soul-spilling longing, which Wang Yibo conveys primarily through mesmerizing infinitesimal facial adjustments that somehow contain Grand Canyons of emotional depth that will leave you clawing the floor. It’s like watching an inflamed Victorian melodrama, except instead of North and South it’s 50 hours of Wangji pledging eternal love to Wei Wuxian with the smallest curve of his mouth.” 

As someone whose formative years were full of shows that were all queerbaiting, watching a show full of subtext that actually means what it’s implying is some seriously addictive wish fulfillment. 

2. The Untamed absolutely bulldozed me where I’m weakest, and I will never recover--aka, the adopted family content makes me lose my entire mind. For some reason, adopted families (in which I do include found families, but by which I especially mean families that involve adoptive parents and children) are one of those things that get me right under the ribs without trying. The Untamed has so much adopted family content--Wei Wuxian’s relationship with the Jiang family (please don’t touch me) is the largest part of it, but there’s also some quality angst between Lan Wangji and his uncle (who was his primary parental figure), and [SPOILERS] Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji also have a child that they adopt together. Kind of. Almost. Listen, it’s complicated, and I’m going to keel over just thinking about it.

3. The way it tackles themes of morality is astoundingly well done. There is so much complexity, so much grey space, and so much angst--I have seriously never been so delighted to have my heart ripped out of my chest and mashed to pulp. I love complex villains, I especially love anti-heroes. This show delivered in all fronts, and I feel almost spoiled to be honest. As I understand it, the novel is even more brutal in this regard, and that is the biggest temptation to me to read it (it’s currently only available in English through fan translations).

So, those are the top 3 things I love about it! I could go on. I’m not gonna lie, there was a steep learning curve at first, and I would not have made it without the character/sect/Mandarin honorifics guide my twin made for me, but it was so worth it. I have not watched (or read, or listened to) something so escapist and delightful and angsty in years, and it’s definitely my go-to distraction in These Dark Times. 

*It’s Chinese title is Chen Qing Ling, which is why some people call it CQL. As far as I know, Chen Qing Ling does not translate to “The Untamed” at all. 

**There’s also a graphic novel that closely follows the novel + has an official English translation, a donghua/animated show (unfinished) that follows the novel more closely than The Untamed, and an audiodrama that I know very little about. I’m forever fascinated by how many adaptations have been made in such a short period of time. 

***So it could actually be 12-13 years? The timeline of The Untamed is not exactly the same as the timeline of the novel, and seems to collapse almost everything in the past into a single year, whereas in the novel WWX and LWJ knew each other for several years before WWX’s death. It’s much less clear in The Untamed. 

[frizzyanya]

The Untamed Episode 25, My Commentary!

Spoilers below!

WWX and JYL hanging out with the kids and then secretly that demon JZX is meeting with JC.

I knooooooo wwe aren’t supposed to hate him, just the circumstances. But I just do. I refuse to forgive him for being mean to her.

Lol seems like WWX likes him exactly as much as I do.

That interaction between JZX and WWX was sooooo uncomfortable. WWX refused to acknowledge the question about where the 5th segment of the YI was, which means obviously he has it. And then JZX is also demanding he give up the STA too. Fat chance, bro!

I mean he can’t do good guy magic anymore, no way he gives up the only magic available to him, even if it is demonic and likely to destroy all of society!

Ohhhhh flags for every clan! So we’re already at the party!

WWX standing next to LWJ and they aren’t even hyper aware of each other or talking not-quietly-enough like usual!

I hate MY, that smug bastard. (What a reversal, I know.)

JESUS CHRISTMAS, THEY HAVE TO TARGET INNOCENT WEN CLAN CIVILIANS?!?!?!!?!? Okay not quite…...they have to try to miss them but shoot around them WTAF

WWX’s hand loosened on his demon flute. So, like, that’s good I guess. No all out war…….Yet.

This is so unnecessary and cruel.

“Who else dares to try?!” (after JZX’s bulls eye) I can almost hear WWX in Lindsay Lohan’s voice saying “I’ll take a whack at it….” (from the Parent Trap)

Then he turns to LWJ……….and asks him………..to borrow his headband. WWX, what are you thinking right now…? What tricks do you have up your sleeve…?

HE’S BLINDFOLDING HIMSELF

BEFORE SHOOTING A BOW AND ARROW

THROUGH A LINE OF INNOCENTS

AND SHOOTING FIVE ARROWS AT ONCE, ONE TO EACH BULLSEYE

LMAAAOOOOOOO

THIS BITCH BE LIKE

FUCK ALL OF YYOOOOUUUUUU

GOLDEN CORE OR NOT IM STILL BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU PUT TOGETHER

I want LWJ to be like “........boring.”

Everybody applauding, he’s gonna create trouble once again by showing off.

...but what did he want the headband for?

Everybody’s working really hard at hunting whatever, and then WWX just casually playing flute.

LMAO

“They all just plunged into our nets themselves!” 

TO HELP JC WIN

THIS SHOW IS PURE COMEDY

Okay now I’m at the “what do you take me for” scene and this HURTS

“You used to be my confidante.” “I still am.” Dramatic prolonged eye contact.

Aaaaaaand now we’re watching JZX and JYL walking together on the path. WWX’s eyeroll looked EXACTLY like mine.

“Do you not like watching the hunt…….or do you not like being with me?!” And then he turns away dramatically with “I’m never speaking to you again!” flair.

Poor JYL.

Aaaaaaand WWX being, well, himself, and he just flies out onto the path just as JZX was surely about to get things cleared up.

LWJ coming to his rescue, ohhhh I do like that.

“Who are you?” “How dare you not know who I am!” “But who ARE you?” LMAO, SAME, WWX, SAME.

“JYL, what’s wrong? Did my intractable son bully you again?!” Ohhhhhh yes, JZX’s mother is good.

IS SHE THE FIRST GOOD ALIVE MOTHER IN THIS SHOW!?!??

WWX is handling this……..better than I would have expected? (That’s a pretty low bar, of course.) Like he at least articulated why JZX was being the worst in that interaction.

“WWX has already collected 30% of everything!” LWJ, who has been with him this whole time and knows he’s done absolutely nothing legally allowed: “Say what?!”

JZX’s cousin: “That’s not capability, that’s just playing a flute! It’s too easy!” WWX: “Go ahead, play my flute.”

LOLOLOLOL

“I don’t know what’s called capability, please show me yours. Astonish me, please.”

This is like weirdly homoerotic and I do not like it (a la “my horse is bigger than your horse” (because yes, the princess diaries 2 is the only way I know how to reference that…))

I mean I probably half think that because while JZX’s cousin looks angry and ready for a fight, WWX just looks like he’s taunting/mocking/flirting in his way.

Okay now we’ve crossed a line…….he’s now like vibrating from anger. 

LWJ, DO SOMETHING.

IF YOU DON’T HE’S GOING TO FLIP OUT COMPLETELY.

I’M WORRIED FOR…….LIKE EVERYONE……..

The guy is goading him!! “You’re nothing more than the son of a servant.” SHUT UP, OR YOU MIGHT END UP AN ACTUAL HONEST TO GOD CASUALTY.

FUCKING FINALLY

LWJ TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH

THIS MAN IS LITERALLY VIBRATING

HE NEEDS HELP

LWJ: “Wei Ying, concentrate!”

JYL: “Wuxian! Wuxian!”

Lord help me, I hope this is enough.

But I mean, is there technically any rule that says “no demon flute magic to help you win?” Because I feel like this is so specific that it might not actually be against the official rules, right? lol

JYL apologizing to the Jins for WWX. YIKES. 

While LWJ holds him back. DOUBLE YIKES.

JZX’s cousin needs to STFU BEFORE HE GETS  HIMSELF KILLED

Hahaha! JYL said that what he did wasn’t against the rules.

“There are so few prey! It’s already a hard competition!” “It’s not his fault you’re bad hunters.” ZIIINNNGGG

JYL IS ON FIYA

NOW SHE’S ASKING JZX’s guy to APOLOGIZE TO WWX. THIS IS BRILLIANT.

I LOVE HER SO MUCH

ALL HAIL QUEEN YANLI

MADAM JIN SAID TO MAKE THE APOLOGY THIS IS TOO DAMN MUCH

ALL HAIL STRONG WOMEN 

Madam Jin being mean to MY. Okay. No good moms here. She’s just good to JYL. But like….I respect that.

JYL is like a tiger momma protecting her cub WWX. You do not disrespect him on her watch!

“Nothing about you is a problem for me. If my son has made you upset, I can give him a beating for you.” YES MADAM JIN IS MY NEW FAVE.

Okay she has JYL’s best interests at heart here, but she’s a bit mistaken on the nature of JYL/WWX’s relationship. 

However now that I think of it………...if I’d only seen what she’d seen, particularly this episode……..I’d likely be inclined to agree that it looked like they were framed as love interests. 

I mean….JYL loves WWX a lot. It’s just not in that way. And if you don’t understand her well enough to know the difference……..I can see the misunderstanding happening easily. 

“WWX is my younger brother. I’ll never leave him.” BRB SOBBING.

“Lady Jiang! It’s not what you think! I wasn’t forced by my mother, it was me, I wanted to invite you!” Awww he’s just bad at talking to girls but he does like her! SYKE NO. You can’t be rude/mildly abusive and then pretend it was you being cute/coy. You made her cry! Grow up and then come back and court her.

(I know they’re going to be on better terms now, I’m just bitter af.)

Aaaaaaand everybody is watching.

SO HE LITERALLY RUNS AWAY

He’s THAT shy and awkward!

JYL like “I’ll go with Madam Jin and JZX. WWX like BRING ON THE ABANDONMENT ISSUES.

JC like “come to the banquet with me later!” WWX like “nah imma go for a walk, goodbye LWJ and literally nobody else.”

JC like WWX wtf did you do.

Ohhhhhh I’M SO DUMB. 

OH MY LORD.

WWX doesn’t have the STA AND the YI. The STA IS the YI!

LADY WEN@@@@@ OMFGGGG!!!!!!!!!

That’s how I typed that in my excitement and I refuse to change it! Lol

They CAN’T miss each other! PLEASE stop each other and interact!

OMG! Someone pushed her to the ground rudely and he saw 

WWX WHAT ARE YOU DOING. GO TO HER.

Lady Wen is the only one on this show prettier than WWX.

The ONLY one.

LXC/LWJ: “What are you thinking?” “I want to bring a man to Cloud Recesses.” “A man…?” WHO DO YOU THINK, LXC?? 

[multsicorn]

@deadeyellentigh replied to your post “@deadeyellentigh replied to your post “@deadeyellentigh replied to...”

That’s a tough one. It’s easy to see changes in Wangji’s temperament when he’s so stoic, but Wei Wuxian is all affection all the time, so the moment that becomes real is...fuzzier. Turtle cave, when he covers lwj with his coat? I can only assume it’s before or during that incident based on how clearly he remembers a song sung to him while semiconscious.

It’s just hard to see because like - already at that point he’s saving his own pain medicine, that he really needs, for Lan Wangji, he’s taking stupid risks to try to save Lan Wangji’s leg, not to mention, of course, that he’s just obsessed with the dude and has been since they were in Cloud Recesses - so how could he not be in love? and know it?  When he’s being so very ~like that~?

But if we wanna say, yeah, okay, but he still thinks Lan Wangji’s just a friend to him, that Wei Wuxian thinks he’s just doing the sorts of things that friends do, even as he’s drawn to do constantly things that are way flirtier or far more serious than that, .... then I really like the idea that this is going till just about right after the ‘don’t flirt with people’ ‘I wasn’t flirting with you’ exchange.

@deadeyellentigh replied to your post “@deadeyellentigh replied to your post “@deadeyellentigh replied to...”

It may be better to pinpoint when he REALIZED he was in love, which you haven’t seen yet. I think it’ll be obvious. Yes, it’s WAY after Wangji, but poor Wuxian is very dense when it comes to feelings, especially his own (“LaN zHaN dO yOu LiKe MiAn MiAn!!!”) and for a long time he was too afraid lwj hated him like everyone else to think about it

Because that exchange doesn’t sit right with me if Wei Wuxian is conscious of the fact that he’s been flirting with Lan Wangji all this time, but at the same time, it’s hard to see how he could not be!  I know I know that in the novel, from inside his POV, he’s that dense and there’s no getting around it, but the fact is that in the drama at least, he doesn’t seem emotionally dense to me at all.  He can understand people pretty damn well, and he seems to understand himself just fine... except, possibly, for how he feels for LWJ.

And even there, there is NO FUCKING WAY that sneaking around watching LWJ and playing their song to himself post-resurrection, or the bit where he says ‘I had once taken you as my [soulmate]’ makes any sense with the interpretation that WWX doesn’t know that he loves LWJ!  He has to know at least before he says ‘you’re my soulmate,’ otherwise... how could he say that.

But I will see this REALIZATION and how I think it works out when it comes and have a real opinion then, lol.

In the meantime, as I was saying!  I really like the idea that Wei Wuxian is doing omg ALL THIS SHIT because he loves LWJ but doesn’t realize it, and it’s only just after he’s denied to LWJ that he’s been flirting with him, when they’re resting after a long hard day in the turtle cave, when LWJ has finally!! let WWX take some care of him for once!!, and now LWJ is sleeping next to him, and all the too many emotions and too much stuff are sinking in... that WWX thinks back over it all and realizes, damn, I was flirting with him.  And I do mean it, I really do love him.  And he’ll never love me like that so! it’s fien!!

@deadeyellentigh replied to your post “@4evermyavalon replied to your post “@deadeyellentigh replied to your...”

I can solve the soulmate issue for you RIGHT NOW! So per a couple of people who know the characters it’s a term with no english equivalent which indicates a very deep level of familiarity that can be (some would say exceeds) platonic or romantic. Essentially someone who knows you better than you know yourself. Soulmate is definitely a better translation than confidante or bosom friend (thanks for that one, wetv), at least imo

you said!  and it’s not like I somehow disbelieve you lol, but I feel with more deeper-dive explanations I could get a better handle for myself on more exactly what sort of relationship this word is supposed to describe, what it’s used for and what it’s not used for, etc.  that’s what i meant.

[hellofavillain]

in your gifset of the scene between lwj and wwx where lwj goes "what do you take me for" and wwx says "i had once taken you as my soulmate" is that the actual translation from the show or is that from the donghua? because i was watching the show on netflix and it said something like lifelong confidante and i was so confused 😔

It depends on the translation! I’ve seen “soulmate”, “confidant”, “bosom friend” etc :D Here’s a link to someone explaining it.

[kjmsupremacist]

Honestly someone just buy him some land in the middle of nowhere and let him build a skate park and a racetrack and leave him alone. The countless videos of him literally skating away from his fans and managers kills me. No fucks. Not one.

I can’t think of it either tbh. I think I full on cried when LWJ drunk proposed with the chickens. And the scene where WWX realized LWJ didn’t stop looking for him? Wow uncalled for.

I know i fucking love his vibes

ok i ranted so see under the cut

YEAH the scene that got me (which is what inspired my spiraling in ch 8 of gma) was the one where they’re arguing over wwx’s cultivation methods and how lwj is trying to heal him. at some point, wwx says, “can’t you just leave me to my business/leave me alone?” and lwj says “what sort of person do you take me for?” wwx replies, “Once, I thought you’d be my lifelong zhiji”--which we can translate to “confidante” as netflix does, or more generally, to mean “the person who would know me best”, but we all know in old chinese, this means my soulmate, the mirror of my soul, the person who will understand and execute my will. The person who sees me and knows me (and, in this sense, loves me). AND LWJ SAYS “I STILL AM”.

ALL WHILE A GENTLE PIANO RENDITION OF THEIR THEME PLAYS ....... i’ll be passing away... and lwj just... gazes steadily at wwx like he hasn’t said something wonderful and earthshattering, while wwx experiences the full range of human emotion in about 10 seconds flat.

but yeah the part where he realizes lwj never gave up on him like.... popped my heart like a balloon at a child’s bday party fr

ALSO oh the scene where wwx is leading the wen clan out of the slave camp and lwj comes to stop him?? (which is literally the episode after the scene i described above) first of all the cinnamon topography and color symbolism. second of all, so wwx kind of goes on detailing his motivations to lwj, and lwj still doesn’t reply, just stands in his way with his hand on his sword. finally, wwx pulls out his flute and holds it up in front of him and says, “If I will eventually have to fight against them [the other clans, etc], 那我宁愿和你决一生死.” which netflix translated to “i would rather fight with you” but it’s more along the lines of “then I would rather decide to die here with you.” he goes on, “If I must die, at least then I could die by your hand. that’d be worth it.”

and, shaking with grief, lwj steps aside and lets them pass. he stares at the ground as they go and only looks up after them once they’re long gone. he’s crying. I explain this in vivid detail because it’s seared into my BRAIN.

anyway, this goddamn show and ofc the book that it’s based on... it all makes me weep. maybe one of these days? i’ll write something for them??? i just... it tears my heart apart, all of it!!! lwj’s quiet devotion! his faith in wwx! AH!