#lwj has to be VERY quick to get ahead of him

[stiltonbasket]

I think i remember seeing somewhere that you take prompts, but if you dont, please feel free to ignore this! If you do, then how do you think a scenario would go where wei wuxian leaves the burial mounds, after being thrown in by wen chao, with his demonic cultivation but sans his memories? Ive seen several people do it before but i would absolutely love to see your take!

I think amnesiac!Wei Wuxian would just throw down on sight with anyone who was Behaving Badly, after he figured out who he was and what his goals were supposed to be. He does defeat the Wens and reunite with Lan Wangji and the rest of the squad, but he would no longer care about social norms at all, which means that the Jins had better watch out.

[drwcn]

《 Without Envy 》 storyboard 9 - concubine/sleeper agent!wwx & prince!lwj [Master List], you should also have read [6] [6.2]

Lan Qiren coming to visit Hanguang-fu effectively put an end to Wei Wuxian's time as Lan Wangji's servant. He wanted to send Wei Wuxian back to Jiang-fu, but luckily, Jiang Yanli interfered.

Jiang Yanli has been slowly recovering since her drug-induced miscarriage, and while Wei Wuxian had slowed her progress with sedatives, he's been careful to keep an eye on her intake to make sure Jin Ziyan hasn't been messing with her again. As well, with Wei Wuxian occupying Lan Wangji's time and keeping the Jiang family in his good graces, Jiang Yanli had the time she needed to recover fully without needing to push herself to entertain Lan Wangji for favour.

“妾身见过太师，给太师请安。” “阿离啊，听说你小产后一直身体不好，这下着雨，你怎么来了。起身吧, 孩子。” “承蒙太师与陛下惦记，殿下垂怜，阿离的身子已经大好了。阿羡本是妾身院里的，是妾身的陪嫁，一直都安分守己，对王府对殿下忠心不二。是妾身无用，身子一直不见好才让阿羡到王爷身边侍奉。刚见阿羡被太师训斥，相比是阿离平日里管教无方，无心顶撞了太师。有什么过错，都是妾身的错，还请太师责罚。” ~translate~ Jiang Yanli dipped into a proper curtsey, kneeling before Lan Qiren, "This humble concubine greets Taishi. I pray that you've been well." "A-Li, I've heard that you've not been well since your miscarriage. It's raining today, what troubled you to come? Rise, child." Lan Qiren's stance softened upon seeing Jiang Yanli. His late sister-in-law had no daughters, and so often summoned the daughters of nobles into court to dote on and mentor as her own. Jiang Yanli, gentle and proper, has long been known to be a favorite of the late empress. She may not be the greatest beauty in her generation, but was second to none when it came to etiquette and grace. "Thanks be to His Majesty and taishi for remembering, and thanks to dianxia's for his care, my health is much improved now. A-Xian was once a member of my court, my peijia. I've always known him to be obedient and conscious of his place, and loyal to wangye and this princely manor. It is only on account of my poor health that he's been summoned to serve at wangye's side. Earlier, I heard Taishi chastising him; surely it must be A-Li's fault for failing to teaching him propriety and thus causing his unintended offence. The fault is with A-Li, and so I humbly submit myself to your discipline, taishi." Lan Qiren sighed. He did not wish to stir up trouble over a servant. If Jiang Yanli was willing to stand up for this Wei Wuxian, then he must have his uses. At the very least, he'll be a confidant for Jiang Yanli against Jin Ziyan. Lan Qiren so hoped that one day Wangji would choose the Jiang girl as his legal spouse and secure his marriage once and for all. If sparing one lowly servant was the price then so be it. "Very well, A-Li. Since the servant is yours, then his training and discipline shall be your responsible. He is unsuited to serve at the prince's side. It is good that you have recovered; Wangji should not be without a caring partner."

And so, Wei Wuxian returned to Jiang Yanli's side as a servant. Lan Wangji had to watch him go and could not interfere. The next several days was depressing for both of them on multiple fronts.

Xue Yang was very unimpressed:

"So you're tell me that you got to spend quality time with Lan Wangji for months and then... didn't get anywhere?" "I was getting there okay? How was I supposed to know his stupid uncle was gonna barge in like some nosey busybody and ruin everything!? I haven't seen Lan Zhan in days..." I miss him. How horrifyingly embarrassing. He probably forgot me already. "Don't tell me you actually miss him??? That you - barf - fell for him? Whatever happened to standards??!" "You watch your mouth, Xue Chengmei! I'm still your shixiong! And I have standards; Lan Zhan is...very good." Xue Yang: ( ˘︹˘ ) whatever.

Lan Wangji, the sulky boy that he is, brooded for days until Lan Xichen finally sought him out for some good ol' brotherly heart to heart.

"I hear Uncle took away your shiny new toy." "Wei Ying is not a toy." "Wei Ying is it?" Lan Xichen wiggled his eyebrows. "Ah, didi, you have to think a little more creatively. So your Wei Ying has gone back to his mistress, but is his mistress not your concubine? Jiang-furen is still unpregnant, I might add. Visit her. Then surely you'll get to see him." Lan Wangji grimaced. The thought has occurred to him, but the idea of bedding anyone not Wei Ying is intolerable. "Yes, Yanli is lovely, but I'd rather not...you know..." His brother was too polite to roll his eyes. "You've done it before, Wangji." "I would not have had to, if xiongzhang simply did his duty." Lan Wangji bit back icily, and instantly regretted it. Lan Xichen's eyes widened, his cheerful-teasing expression stuttering and crumbling in seconds. "Yes...yes that's true." "My sincerest apologies, huangxiong - no - bixia." Lan Wangji rose to his feet and then bowed down deeply. "I forgot my place. I accept any punishment." Lan Xichen sighed and extended a forgiving hand to pardon him. "Not necessary, Wangji. You're right. I haven't done my duty for Gusu." He pulled the younger man to sit beside him again. "You are doing this in my stead, stepping up where I have let the country down. I should not make light of your sacrifice. The matter of a harem is inevitably complicated, which is why I never cared for one. Neither did Father. His harem had always been sparse, and his first empress was not one of his choosing. When she died in childbirth and our unborn sibling along with her, he elevated our mother's rank to Empress and visited no one else henceforth." "Mother was never popular with the ministers for that reason." "Yes. They suspected that she had something to do with...well, in any case I imagine they were quite relieved when she passed." Lan Xichen shook his head. "The harem is not a happy place, Wangji. You were born after Mother was already Empress, you would not have remembered a time when she was consort. But I do. Like you, your concubines did not get to choose their fate. The fault, ultimately, lies with me." "Huangxiong -" "It's true, Wangji. The fault is mine." Lan Xichen patted him on the arm placatingly. "You cannot love them, and clever as they are, I don't think your concubines would expect you to. However, you can ensure their happiness in other ways. Jiang-furen seems the kind to very much want a child of her own. It will make the rest of her life in your harem more bearable."

After some deliberation, Lan Wangji went back to his routine of visiting different concubines regularly, but never more than just sharing a bed-space. With the exception of Jiang Yanli. Lan Wangji could see it in her eyes; she knew who he really wanted, but those words never needed to be said aloud. Jiang Yanli was kind to him, and he was kind to her in return. All things considered, it wasn't awful being with someone who wasn't your preferred, but who knew you for yourself and shared your struggles.

"Dianxia, you must've heard, that before I married into your wangfu, I was betrothed to Jin Zixuan." She mentioned one evening over a game of weiqi. Of all his concubines (which he has 4) and friends (which he has few), Jiang Yanli's skill on the weiqi board was unparalleled. Lan Wangji half wondered how the Marquis and Marchioness of Yunmeng could have buried this talented daughter of theirs under the shadow of their son for so many years. "Yes I am aware." "I loved him." "...." For a minute Lan Wangji did not know how to reply. He stared at the chessboard. Jiang Yanli's black pieces had surrounded his white ones and forced them into a corner. "Why are you telling me this?" "Your court, my clan: we are their creatures." Jiang Yanli 's smile was knowing. "I am not A-Xian; I can see what he cannot." "Which is?" "You've fallen for each other. Completely. He denies it, heaven knows why." Jiang Yanli took a delicate sip of tea. Fleetingly, Lan Wangji imagined that if he could not have Wei Ying, if he were forced to take a legal wife to make empress, that she would make a magnificent one. "Father loved Mother. Loved her as a wife even when she was only a consort -" "And his love spurred the hate of the royal court." "They blamed her for his loving a woman more than his country, as though she should have persuaded him to love her less. I do not want the same to happen to Wei Ying." "Nor I." "Huangshu says I would need a legal spouse one day, someone virtuous and from a strong pureblood family." "Is that what dianxia wants?" "I want it to be Wei Ying, though I know it to be impossible. Barring that, I'd want to keep him safe in the harem, the size of which will only grow after I succeed the throne." "For that, dianxia will need a spouse who will reign over the harem as you rule over the country." Lan Wangji contemplated his choices and the options available to him. After some time, he placed the white piece he fiddled between his fingers back into the bamboo bowl, conceding that he'd lost this round. Jiang Yanli waited patiently for him to come to terms with the offer she already knew he would make. He wondered how long ago she had foreseen this moment, whilst simultaneously realizing that if his uncle had any idea just how intelligent she truly was, he would not be so quick to suggest her as a candidate for princess consort. A weak emperor and a strong empress never boded well for the stability of the realm. This was dangerous waters Lan Wangji was wading into, but he knew beyond doubt that the only way to survive was to keep straight ahead. He had no other path to take, none which maximally balanced what he wanted with what he needed. Jiang Yanli was his only solution, his only ally. "Huangxiong suggested that we have a child together." He finally said, staring her squarely in the eyes. "You and I can agree that the son of Gusu Lan and Yunmeng Jiang would certainly be a strong contender amongst his brothers." "She could be a daughter." "Then I'd cherish her more. A child and a crown - would they make you happy, Yanli?" "If I said yes?" "Then they're yours." Jiang Yanli smiled.

Two months after Wei Wuxian was dismissed from Lan Wangji's service and the prince began visiting Jiang Yanli, good new was delivered to Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan. The message was this: Hanguang-wang's Jiang-furen was with child yet again.

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 08 first part

(Masterpost) (Other Canary goodness)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Rabbits

The Jiang kids have some quality time with the rabbits. Initially Jiang Cheng says it’s wrong for gentlemen to hold rabbits, which is definitely in no way related to gay-rabbit-god symbolism, but changes his mind when he discovers how fun men rabbits are to cuddle. 

Jiang Yanli says, in a moment with zero foreshadowing, that if they take one rabbit away from the others, it will miss its family and be lonely. Also if a rabbit were to watch from the rooftop while a mean enemy rabbit poured wine on the corpses of its parents, that would be extra upsetting. For a rabbit. So let’s leave all the rabbits where they are. Check. 

Speaking of cute fluffy creatures that are upset, we see this distressed look on Wei Wuxian’s face kinda often when he’s talking with Jiang Cheng.  

There are some sibilng relationships where you will always do anything to help each other because you survived a shitty childhood together, but as adults you find you don’t actually share values, and that your interactions are kinda toxic -- for both of you. This seems like one of those. 

Even though he’s younger, Jiang Cheng is in the role of the elder sibling who is being abused by the parents, and is handing the abuse on down the line to the “younger” sibling, in the form of constant criticism and casual hittings. Wei Wuxian isn’t actually younger, but he is lower ranked because he’s not a blood relation, and he gets plenty of parental abuse as well. It’s...not a healthy family. 

(more after the cut!) 

Lan Wangji has been lurking nearby during this conversation, and after the Jiangs leave, he looks at the rabbits and says farewell.  He clearly means farewell to Wei Wuxian, or else he has a really unhealthy level of yearning being directed toward the rabbits. At least, for a vegetarian.

Uninvited Gusu Guest

Lan Xichen is meditating, and because the Director of Photography loves us, we get a bunch of nice closeups of his exquisite face. He hears a noise thing and tells Wen Chao to come in, which results in a dire bird scream and Wen Chao’s muddy feet intruding on his day. Why did Wen Chao bring the bird with him? He’s trying to be sneaky, right? So...ok whatever.

Wen Chao acts like a dirtbag and menacingly reminds Lan Xichen that his didi just hit the road all by himself. Lan Xichen gets so upset he curls his fingers slightly. His beautiful, beautiful fingers.

Is it slapping time yet?

Road Tripping

Fortunately for the Lan brothers, Lan Wangji isn’t going to be alone for long. Wei Wuxian is determined to follow him, and where friend-maker Wei Wuxian goes, an assortment of other helpful cultivators will soon follow. 

Wei Wuxian leaves a note to say “I’m running away from home with the hot boy I met in summer school�� and signs it with a smiley face, the dork. Jiang Cheng is angry, as usual; Yanli has confidence in Wei Wuxian, as usual, and Jiang Fengmian is autocratic and doesn’t explain what he’s thinking, as usual. JF is aware of the Yin Iron, however, so he may understand that WWX will be useful in protecting it on the road.  

Lan Wangji has changed his hair, upgraded his crown, and put on the most absurdly beautiful outfit of the entire show to go on a solo road trip totally without any hot infuriating boys. 

Quick, Lan Wangji, catch this callback to that time you rejected my advances back in Gusu! This time Lan Wangji catches the offered fruit and keeps it, presumably to consume furtively when he wakes in the dead of night, restless with unslaked thirst for Wei Ying. Or, you know, to have with his lunch while they’re riding on the boat. 

This is a level of synchronized walking-with-shoulder-contact that would make the Guardian boys proud. Lan Wangji is all touchy feely now that he’s out from under the eyes at Cloud Recesses. 

He also has upped his troll game, actually smirking after he says “boring” to Wei Wuxian’s declaration of I’m-gonna-come-along-you-can’t-stop-me. 

He also...doesn’t seem angry? Like, he is still seriously on edge, but it feels like he left the boiling rage at home.  Lan Xichen is right; having a friend IS good for Lan Wangji. And for whatever reason, Lan Wangji is ready, now, to accept Wei Wuxian’s friendship.

We Rate Birds

Wen Chao has the weirdest fucking pet. This bird has a resentful energy problem, obvs, but it also seems to be invisible except for resentful energy, but it leaves random feathers behind at places, and then when Wei Wuxian kills it, it’s a regular bird corpse with a little smoke. “Imbued with Yin Iron energy” seems to be the explanation. But Nie Huaisang said they see a lot of these in their neck of the woods. Did he mean “just a regular bird” and didn’t notice the billowing black visual FX? Either way I want to see a nest full of baby dire Yin birds, I bet they’re hideous cute. 

Wen Qing has a new outfit and an elegant fiery golden crown. There’s probably some plot stuff happening here. Wen blah blah Yin Iron blah blah. She’s so pretty. I love her ears and her cool double hair parting. The girls’ hairlines are always nice and soft, presumably because they get to wear their own front hair instead of a lacefront like the boys are glued to stuck with. 

I Call it Bondage

After the fun they had in the ice cave, it’s only fair that Wei Wuxian gets to have a turn tying up Lan Wangji. 

One of the fun things in clipping The Untamed is that the show’s editors generally didn't drop any frames when they intercut the various scenes, meaning that some longer shots can be spliced back together by removing the other camera portions, as with these two string-pulling bits.

Lan Wangji totally lets Wei Wuxian put a leash on him, quickly declaring it boring and taking control of it, pulling Wei Wuxian along behind him. 

Incidentally, at this stage about half of Wei Wuxian’s talisman’s are blue. After he loses his core, they are 100% red, but nobody notices that. Well, maybe Nie Huaisang does because he notices a LOT, but nobody says anything. 

After they play around in the field for a bit, Lan Wangji’s magic bag of plot advancement goes off, sending them to Flower Town. 

He’s Leaving Home Bye Bye

Meanwhile, at Lotus Pier, we get a nice view of the rooftops. I’d hate to be the guy whose job it is to hang up bells and tassels at any of these places. 

Jiang Cheng sneaks out to go join his brother’s road trip. He gets caught, because his idea of sneaking is to walk out the front door in broad daylight and leave the door open behind him. 

Jiang Yanli tells him to go ahead, though and he scampers off to have...the last carefree fun of his entire life, actually. Sigh. 

Flower Town

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji go to Tanzhou and immediately run into Nie Huaisang, because sure, why not. China’s not very big.

Lan Wangji’s startle response

Wei Wuxian’s startle response

Nie-Xiong and Wei-Xiong are delighted to see each other, once Wei Wuxian explains that Lan Wangji isn’t there to bust them. 

While Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang squee over each other, Lan Wangji ...tries to deal with that. His reaction is probably a mix of jealousy and social anxiety. This town has got to be overwhelming for him after the order and quiet of Cloud Recesses; he even admits--aloud!--that it’s too crowded for him at one point. Add in his boyfriend’s travel partner’s number one enabler, and it’s not a comfortable situation.

Oh great now they’re going to want me to get high and make out with them, ugh

However, with Lan Wangji in the mix, the Nie-Wei dynamic shifts away from mischief making, and they very quickly become a friend trio sharing a serious purpose. When Wei Wuxian, in his second life, refers to NHS as “that old friend of ours” when talking to LWJ, he’s not wrong. Nie Huaisang and Lan Wangji become friends during this trip, and arguably remain friends, within the limits of Nie Huaisang’s revenge remit. 

From one point of view, Nie Huaisang is grown-up Lan Wangji’s very best friend (not counting his eventual husband). Everyone in the cultivation world knows what Lan Wangji’s heart desires most, after Nightless City, and Nie Huaisang gives it to him. By, uh, manipulating a crazy guy into ritual suicide. Hey, no gift is perfect.

Continued in Next Post! Soon!

[alice-in-wonderart]

Can I request a pregnancy hcs for Lan Wangji, Lan Xichen, Wei WuXian, Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen? Thank you!!!

Hello, hello, dear. These turned out a tad shorter, since it's 5 characters, (and pregnancy is Xtreme to write) but regardless - I hope you enjoy ❤️ One fluffy request coming right up~

Lan Wangji

"I'm pregnant" "Mn"

It's not like he isn't happy, he just needs some time to realise what you've just told him. And boy oh boy, does he realise it.

*cue smol content smile*

Lan Wangji has already taken care of a child, he raised Lan Yuan. But a baby? That would be a novelty to him for sure. But a novelty he's more than ready for. Even if he doesn't think so.

Despite that, he'd take great measures to make sure he'll be the best father possible.

His excitement would be hidden, but fully noticeable to you. His eyes would sparkle more, he'd generally appear more relaxed, he'd spend more time with you. (as much as possible, that is) The only other person who'd see the excitement in his icy stare would be Lan Xichen, who'd be the second to learn of the pregnancy, right after LWJ.

Now, he isn't the #DreamHusband™️ without a reason. He'd be fully prepared with anything you might need during those 9 months. He'd talk to his brother, albeit reluctantly, for any advice on how to deal with any side effects of the pregnancy, so he could make sure you are heathy and happy.

He'd silently watch over you, always making sure you are not in harm's way. His cold glares would double towards anybody who'd dare approach you about anything, outside of Lan Xichen, Wei Wuxian and Lan Sizhui.

He wouldn't necessarily stop you from going anywhere, although he'd want to but rather - he'd just tag along. You want to go down town? He'd escort you. Want to cook something? He'll help. Oh look, a puppy! Protective husband mode - on.

Sometimes, before the two of you go to sleep, he'd lay a strong hand over your stomach, gently rubbing your skin, basking in the joy, that you are carrying his child - the product of your love. And should the baby kick? A surprised, almost mute yelp would escape his thin lips, before he'd move to leave a gentle kiss on your stomach.

He never thought, never even imagined, that one day he'd have a family of his own, with a wonderful wife right next to him, and a child to call him papa. He didn't even so much as thought he could have one of those "happy endings". It seemed such distant a future, almost as if it was make-belief. Yet during those rare moments in the dead of night, he'd think, that perhaps a happy ending is possible. Perhaps he'd get to experience that normal, domestic lifestyle loving families have. And then sleep would come a little easier, knowing you'll stay by his side until the very end.

Lan Xichen

"Oh?"

What wonderful news! He'd be the most calm and collected out of everybody. He'd hug you, pouring all of his love into the hug, promising to be by your side until the very end, that he'll try his best to be a good father, to take care of you and your child and to love you unconditionally. (which he already does)

The two of you decided not to tell everybody just yet. It would be while before it became noticeable, so you decided to keep it to yourself to avoid unnecessary attention and possible bad omens or whatever. The only person who'd know would be Lan Wangji.

At first glance, nothing much would change. He'd still have responsibilities to get to, he'd still be your loving, kind, compassionate husband.

But every time he is left alone, his mind would immediately travel to you. In fact, such occurrences would begin happening while he's presumably busy too. Zoning out and day dreaming while working were pretty uncommon for Lan Xichen, yet the constant thought of you and your well-being would cloud his vision.

That, in turn, would be a dead giveaway that something was happening in his more personal life. The first to address this would be none other than Wei Wuxian, who'd turn to LWJ. Slowly but surely, more people would begin noticing the slight, yet unusual changes in Lan Xichen. He'd leave a little earlier, reply a little later and he could be spotted with you every second away from work.

When you decided to finally announce the pregnancy, a collective "I knew it" would be all but the response you'd expect.

Behind closed doors, he'd be so sweet and affectionate with you. And don't get me started on how much he'd play music to the baby you. He'd want your child to grow up with music, which included singing and playing different instruments around you before it was even born. And you wouldn't really mind - after all, Lan Xichen's music rivalled the gods' voices, or so it was said.

In fact, with time you'd realise, that your child would indeed react to his music. If the baby was exceptionally wild, kicking and moving around, Lan Xichen's calm melodies would put it at rest. (had this happen to a friend, it was crazy) Even his voice would act as a natural lullaby to the baby.

And you already knew, that the child would grow up to fall in love with music, just like his father.

Wei Wuxian

"Wait what? Really???"

*Happy pterodactyl noises*

The happiness. The joy. The love. The pride. Wei Wuxian would be beyond ecstatic! He'd be on cloud nine the moment your announcement hit his ears. He'd have the most OVER-THE-TOP MELODRAMATIC reaction to your pregnancy imaginable.

Imagine a tsunami. Now replace the water with joy. This is how EXTREME his happiNESS IS.

But then, he'd sit down and talk to you about it properly, about how this baby would change your life together, what you'd need to do, how you'd do it. Together you'd figure out your future, as much as possible that is.

He'd make sure both you and the baby would be well taken care of, well-fed, living a nice, domestic life. He knew poverty, famine and sickness. They were his old friends. He knew what is was like growing up without much on your plate. He knew of every struggle imaginable, which came with being less fortunate, so he'd be ready to do absolutely everything to provide for you.

Once he settled down, believing he's planned ahead well, the realization would finally kick in - Wei Ying, The Yiling Patriarch, Founder of Demonic Cultivation and the pinnacle of darkness and despair, was about to be a father. And with that came in the insecurities. He'd constantly worry whether he'd be a good father, whether he'd set a good example, whether his reputation would ruin his child's life. He knew how judgemental society is, how quick it is to draw conclusions and ostracise those, who stood out. In those moments you'd have to remind him of how far he's come and how much farther you'll go together - as a family.

And a family he's wanted all of his life.

He's had some practice when it comes to kids. After all, for a brief moment he'd taken care of little A-Yuan. But then again, he was already old enough to speak, talk and think completely on his own. Wei Wuxian had never had the chance to actually take care of a baby, a newborn. That thought both terrified and thrilled him.

He'd be quick to announce of the pregnancy to all of his closest friends, but try to avoid spreading the news. Even though he was no longer considered the villain™️, you can never know who's scheming from within the shadows. With that in mind, the Twin Jades, Jiang Cheng, Nie Huaisang, Wen Ning and the Juniors would be the ones he'd excitedly inform. Soon he was going to have his own progeny! Would it be a strong, fearless handsome boy like its father, or an intelligent, masterfully cunning and dangerously beautiful girl like its mother? Stay tuned to find out!

And boy, would he celebrate the pregnancy! You'd almost make him quit drinking just to sympathise with you. Almost.

Xiao Xingchen

"We're going to have a family? Together?"

Words wouldn't be enough to describe what he'd feel. Fleeting worry in between bouts of utter elation and delight, mixed with a hint of surprise and a whole lot of internally sappy thoughts occupied his better judgement. He'd pull you in for a gentle hug, before moving to rest a hand on your head, stroking your hair, whispering lovingly how delightful a family with you would be and how he couldn't wait to meet his child.

He'd want to teach his child everything he knows, everything he was taught and everything he believes in. You'd have to remind him, that there's still much time to go before he'd have a chance to do that. A toddler can only do so much, you see.

Of course, the question about his endless travels would come up eventually. Truthfully, Xiao Xingchen would be more than willing to set his travelling aside for the time being, at least until your child is old enough to travel with you. In fact, a domestic family lifestyle suddenly wouldn't seem so out-of-reach for him and that would bring him utter delight.

The thought of a having his own loving family with a wonderful wife and adorable children had rarely crossed his mind, seeming as nothing more than a distant thought. But as you stood beside him, with a small baby bump and a child on the way, he'd realise that indeed the gods had smiled his way in the best possible way.

He'd often rest his hands on your stomach, wanting to feel the baby kick. Of course, he'd also use that excuse to be ever-closer to you. Physical affection would double, as Xiao Xingxhen found himself attached to you whenever any of you had time.

You two would often joke around about the baby too, since laughter was something sacred to both of you. And Xiao Xingchen would absolutely never fail to make you laugh, whenever worry would overcome you.

" Maybe our child will be as tall as a giraffe" "A-Chen, my love, it's 3 in the morning. Go to SLEEP."

He'd never taken care of a child before, hell you were his first love, but you'd seen him around kids when passing through different villages. His caring nature and innocent heart made him a wonderful father.

He'd never expected to one day have a family, but the very thought that you were there and you were carrying his child, would make his heart swell with pride and love. After all, he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Song Lan

"..."

Tall, dark and handsome over here would be utterly starstuck. He never thought he'd get to a point in his life, where he'd actually become a father. He never thought he'd have children, who would become his legacy. And as all that raced through his head, worry swept over him. Did YOU want that?

"Are you happy...we're having a baby?" The first words he'd utter.

"Of course! Are you not?"

The moment he sees your worried expression, his eyes would soften and he'd pull you in, leaving a kiss on the top of your head. "I am surprised, worried, yet thoroughly overjoyed." he'd mumble into your hair and the world around you would melt away.

Song Lan is a man of a few words, but many actions. He'd become twice as protective, keeping a steady hand on your shoulder as you walked thorough town, going out of his way to make sure you're comfortable and content, safe and sound, and of course happy.

He'd try his best to spoil you, getting you absolutely everything you might want or need. He'd even cook for you! He'd put you as his number one priority. After all, you were all he had left.

Would he silently panic whenever your stomach hurt, or you were feeling sick, or just in general felt any discomfort? Yes. Has he read a ton about pregnancy to make sure he was prepared for anything? Yes. Did he imagine every worst-case scenario in existence? Yes. Did any of that happen whatsoever? No. But Song Lan - big scary, dark and broody Song Lan, would absolutely cower at the thought that something so much as MIGHT go wrong. Of course, he wouldn't show it.

Well into the later stages of the pregnancy, he'd try to spend as much time with you as possible, to make sure he was there when the baby was going to be born. You'd already have a few names planned out, no matter the gender. The two of you would be READY. Hands down the most prepared.

He'd often lie with you, imagining what it would be like, being a father. He'd wonder whether you'd have a girl or a boy, whether it would resemble you or him more, whether it would be quiet and stone-faced, or kind-hearted and cheerful. And your answer to all of his what ifs would remain the same. "We're about to find out."

And those exact words would make his heart swell, both with love and anticipation. Of course, he wouldn't show it. But you knew better.

Thank you for reading~

[three--rings]

MDZS, Sex and Consent, Part 2

Let’s talk about Consent in MDZS Part Two: Ch 111  (Part 1 is here.)

So right after WWX and LWJ leave Wen Ning and Lan Sizhui behind, they have a little conversation and then Wei Wuxian pulls LWJ into a kiss. LWJ just gives him a stunned reaction and WWX says “You’re so cold. Right now, shouldn’t you be pinning me onto the ground…” at which point, LWJ grabs him “roughly” and kisses him again, lifts him off Little Apple and pins him to the ground to kiss more.  

So, Wei Wuxian initiating, then specifically ASKING to be pinned down, which LWJ does.  So far so much clear consent.

 At this point there is a break while WWX realizes it was LWJ who kissed him on Phoenix mountain. (Like the other chapter, there are several different versions of this one, depending on what point in the editing process the raws were taken.)  During this discussion, they talk about how LWJ knew he was wrong for forcing the kiss on WWX and asking why WWX didn’t resist.  WWX laughs it off and kisses him.  

Then LWJ pushes him back down and they roll around until WWX strips off LWJ’s robes and kisses down his body. Right before WWX is about to start giving him a blow job, LWJ says, “No.” and WWX replies “Yes,” and goes ahead and does it.  Okay, this is...something I can see people disliking.  

Let’s look at other translations.  This one has LWJ say “Don’t” and WWX reply “Doing it”.   While this one has “Don’t” and “I want to”.  That last one gives the impression that LWJ’s “Don’t” is more “you don’t have to” but it’s unclear in the extreme.

This is something where I would imagine tone of voice is everything in determining whether LWJ is really refusing or if this is a result more of his sexual repression.  Either way, yeah, best consent practice would be for WWX to stop and check in.  Let’s move on with the blow job and see how it goes.

It’s a bit difficult, being his first time, and LWJ 

noticed his discomfort at once and reached out to push him away, worried that he was forcing himself, “Enough.” 

Here we have explicit explanation of LWJ’s meaning.  He is pushing him away because he is worried WWX isn’t enjoying himself, is forcing himself to it.  Remember that is what he assumed in the wake of their last sexual encounter, that WWX was forcing himself only to please LWJ.  So this is a continuing character theme.  

That context makes me think that his original objection was more in the vein of “you don’t have to do that.”  Particularly if you consider the act of sucking cock degrading or submissive, which this culture very well might, then I think it makes a lot more sense why LWJ is resistant.  AND why WWX brushes him off.  “I want to,” the one translation says.  I would have to leave it up to a Chinese speaker to comment on which is closer to the original, but I imagine the original is a bit vague as well.  The google doc translates this part as:

Sensing that Wei Wuxian was feeling some discomfort and afraid that he was forcing himself, Lan Wangji attempted to push Wei Wuxian away again as he repeated, “Don’t already.”

Anyway, after that LWJ stops trying to get him to stop, enjoying himself too much, and eventually comes in WWX’s mouth.  He is flustered and tells him to “Spit it out, quick.  Spit it out.”  WWX refuses and swallows it.  Once again the dynamic here indicates to me that LWJ is feeling shame about the bodily nature of all of this, and WWX is seeking to assure him, “Nope, I’m fine with it.  I’m enjoying it.”

After this, WWX kisses him and says 

“Good boy, don’t be scared. Next time, when it’s your turn to taste mine, you’ll need to perform as good as this, understood?”  

The important point here is the “don’t be scared” IMO because it again indicates what kind of distress LWJ is having.  He’s nervous, doing these things for the first time, and WWX is seeking to reassure him.  Immediately afterward, WWX tells him, “Lan Zhan, I love you so much.”  

At THIS point LWJ gets something like a “red haze” over his eyes and flips WWX over and presses him to the grass.  I’m going to run through the next events quickly and then discuss them.

LWJ bites and kisses WWX, then begins to finger him.  WWX is shocked, asks what LWJ put inside him.  LWJ adds a second finger, then a third. WWX speaks up, asks him to stop and/or wait and asks if this is really how it’s supposed to go. LWJ cuts him off and presses his cock into him then stops. He apologizes, saying he couldn’t hold back. WWX tells him not to hold back if he can’t and asks what he should do.  LWJ tells him to relax.  He does and LWJ pushes further in.  WWX winces and LWJ stops to ask if it hurts.  WWX says “of course it hurts, it’s my first time.” He feels LWJ get harder inside him. WWX laughs then says, “kiss me and it won’t hurt anymore.”  He begins teasing LWJ by calling him a bunch of different nicknames until LWJ pushes all the way inside him. WWX cries out, a few tears escape his eyes, and LWJ says sorry again.  WWX says there’s no need and they kiss and then they have a discussion of how LWJ got the burn scar on his chest.

OKAY.  So, this is the part I think people mean by calling Wangxian rapey. (I mean, I guess. Part of why I’m doing this analysis is cause I’m not even sure.)  My description above is my best attempt at describing exactly what happens, without any modifiers, only actions and words, after reading three different translations of this scene.  The reason for stripping it down is because I think the tone changes depending on the word choice of the translation, which I’ll get into later.

So, what are the problems with this sex as presented?  First, LWJ doesn’t ask for permission before beginning to finger WWX.  And WWX wasn’t expecting it, because he somehow has no concept of anal sex at all.  Now, I actually HATE that.  

The text explains that he’s looked at a lot of porn (and/or erotic novels, depending on your TL) but never GAY porn, so he didn’t know this was a thing.  So I find this HARD to believe and it really breaks my suspension of disbelief.  But without doing a in-depth study of Ancient Chinese porn, I can’t know how BS this is.  I DO know that homosexuality was a normal topic of humor in Ancient Chinese theater and sometimes literature, and I’d expect someone like Wei Wuxian to be familiar with more ribald humor that would give indication of sodomy.  But maybe I’m wrong.  I haven’t examined any primary sources.  Anyway, this comes off as a very sheltered and probably Modern Chinese attitude to me. Anyway, back to the main topic.

So they don’t discuss it before hand.  Honestly, I feel like that’s kinda normal for virgins?  And especially virgins without any education in sex ed or consent? So it’s not ideal, no, but, let’s keep going. After the first couple of fingers, WWX is actually amused and laughing.  Not asking LWJ to stop or expressing any opposition to what is going on.

The next problem is that finally after three fingers, WWX asks LWJ to stop and LWJ doesn’t and instead thrusts his cock into him.  Okay, I get why people have a problem with this.  But here’s the thing, this changes kinda a lot depending on which translation you read.

Exiled Rebels says WWX felt “sore and uncomfortable” with the three fingers but they were still smaller than LWJ’s cock.  He then says 

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, uh, s-stop for a bit. Is it really alright like this? You sure you didn’t get it wrong? It’s here? I think it’s a bit…”

Whereas this translation says he felt 

“bloated and uncomfortable yet the three fingers were still quite a few sizes smaller than what he’d been swallowing.” and “He said uncertainly, “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, er, wait, wait a moment, can this really work? Are you sure you didn’t get it wrong? It’s using this place? I feel like it’s a little……”

And a third translation: 

“He wavered, “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, um, you, cool down for a minute, is this really okay, you’re sure you haven’t gotten it wrong? Here’s right? It feels a little un…”

Stop versus Wait versus “cool down”.  I feel like the ExR translation makes WWX’s words more insistent.  “Can this work” certainly sounds less as if he’s not willing and more that he’s not sure it’s possible for LWJ to fit in him.  Either way, he’s definitely asking if LWJ is sure this is where it goes.  He’s not expressing unwillingness, but doubt.  @tonyglowheart looked at the original for me and said it is closer to wait or pause than stop.

(Although if I can interject, how big does a cock have to be to be several sizes larger than three adult male fingers?  Three of my fingers, which are slim, have a circumference of 4.5 inches at the base  That’s definitely at LEAST an average size penis. Okay, I just measured my husband’s fingers (that was a fun explanation) and got close to 6 inches. That means a diameter of 1.9″.  To get an idea of that, this dildo (NSFW LINK) is 1.96″.  I mean, this isn’t an ABO AU or anything....damn, y’all.  Okay, that was a fun aside.)

Now, LWJ’s only response is to block or cover his mouth and to thrust inside him.  Again there’s discrepancies in TL, where one had him kissing WWX quiet, while another says he covers his mouth with his hand, and another saying “roughly plugged up his mouth.”   So yeah I don’t know exactly what happens there.  Kissing feels less violent than using a hand, but I guess the end result is the same.  @tonyglowheart confirmed for me that the original CN doesn’t specify.

So how does WWX respond to the surprise of being penetrated suddenly?  He widens his eyes and lifts his legs.  He doesn’t cry out or make any sound of pain.  You know, if we consider the apparently canonical huge size and the lack of lube?  I think that means he was pretty damn well prepared.  

Immediately, LWJ apologizes.  He says “Sorry, I could not hold back.”  Now, this is the kind of line that some people are going to find hot and others are going to find appalling.  WWX notes LWJ looks pained, his eyes red or bloodshot, and says he know he brought this on himself.  He clenches his teeth and says something like “If you can’t hold back then don’t...What do I do now?”  

There’s another translation contrast here.  ExR reads “Only out of desperation did Wei WuXian ask him of all people.“  Which makes it sound like Wei Wuxian is, well, desperate, and also kinda annoyed or angry with LWJ.  But here’s another translation: “Lan Wangji was equally as clueless as him, yet Wei Wuxian still asked.”  This has a MUCH different tone.  In the second version they’re both clueless virgins.  The third version has no trace of “desperation” either but uses an idiom (fish out of water) to convey neither knows what they are doing. So anyway, I just found that interesting in terms of conveying tone.  Wei Wuxian isn’t necessarily panicked and desperate, he’s just not sure what to do.  LWJ suggests he relax and he mutters that to himself.

He DOES relax and LWJ pushes further in, which makes WWX tense back up.  All ExR has here is 

“Lan WangJi, “… Does it hurt?”Arms clinging to him, Wei WuXian couldn’t help from shivering, holding back tears, “Yes, it’s my first time—of course it hurts.”

Compare to: 

“......Does it hurt alot?” Lan Wangji asked, his voice tinged with concern. Wei Wuxian wrapped his arms around him as his body tensed uncontrollably. His eyes filled with tears, he said, “It hurts, this is my first time, of course it hurts.”

So again, what we’re seeing here depends a lot on translation, but it really comes down to two virgins trying to have anal sex for the first time. (Something that can honestly be challenging in the best of circumstances.) LWJ, other than his hasty penetration, is expressing concern, asking for feedback, apologizing when he causes pain, stopping and taking it slow.  

So when WWX says it hurts because it’s his first time, he feels LWJ get harder inside him.  I mean, I think this is ridiculous, but whatever, okay, the man has some kinks.  You could argue also that it’s the fact that WWX says it’s his first time that LWJ is reacting to rather than specifically the pain. But what I find significant is WWX’s reaction to this, which is to BURST OUT LAUGHING.  Mind you, this is at least the third time WWX has laughed during this whole sex process.  

WWX then starts to feel sorry for LWJ, imagining how difficult it is for him to hold back from thrusting.  He feels soft for him because of how considerate LWJ is being.  So he says  “Lan Zhan, my good Lan Zhan, Er-gege, I’ll tell you what to do. Kiss me right now. It won’t hurt if you kiss me…”  And LWJ gets blushy and flustered by the nickname and they go back and forth about it for a while.  And then they talk about his burn scar and how he got it.

So...IDK how to summarize all of that.  Wei Wuxian expresses some doubt, some hesitation about their sexual activity, but significantly never says he doesn’t want to do it.  Especially if you consider translations other than Exiled Rebels.  So, this isn’t best practices, no.  They should have discussed it more.  LWJ should have stopped and talked it through.  But honestly, what I feel about this scene is that it’s awkward and two people who are virgins and don’t know how anal sex is supposed to work trying it, while also being really full of emotions and desire. WWX’s reaction to some of the most painful and awkward moments is to laugh, which to me conveys a lot about his attitude towards what is going on.

 And yes, lube would help a lot, but I will say that anal sex with no lube was probably a lot more common throughout history than you’d think.  Yes, historical porn is an interest of mine.  I don’t find it that unrealistic that they didn’t know about lube at this point, though for their sakes I wish they had some.

PHEW, stay tuned for Part 3, where things get Less Awkward, More Kinky.  

[omnipah]

Okay so. Since I brought it up before and also @campanulaflora​ has been Encouraging me I’m gonna go ahead and yell about The Communication Of It All cus. it’s good.

So like. obviously this is another one of those things that develops over time cus when ur nd and communicate in ways people consider annoying or nonstandard, it’s gonna take some learning even if u are Also nd. But this is why it’s so cool to me that wwx is actively trying to understand, and of course it goes both ways, though it takes lwj a while to notice that that’s what wwx is actually doing and trust that it’s sincere, but it ends up being the foundation of their relationship. Like, wwx consistently shows affection by infodumping or just bothering people, cus his love language is primarily about giving attention, while lwj is the kind of person who’s like. if he thinks ur cool he’ll just. be near u until he doesn’t want to any more. And by the time the timeskip happens, both of them have kind of learned to adopt each others’ love languages (like, lwj finding things he think wwx would like is his way of showing attention, and I think the way they play music together is another way of just Spending Time together that doesn’t leave wwx unfocused and fidgety), while also accepting that even if they express it differently, that’s the intent behind it.

But there’s something very sweet and earnest about seeing the two of them be a bit abrasive and make communication mistakes in the beginning, cus its pretty clear that there’s no like. nd network for either of them to pull understanding from, and all their later understanding is based on that very active intent to empathise and meet each other in the middle.

And like. a decent amount of the flashback stuff is also pretty good communication-wise, the exception mostly being whenever they talk about their own feelings about each other. When they’re actually doing something together, there’s an implicit understanding of how to function as a unit, because they have the previous experience to tell them that they’re working towards the same goal and they understand each others’ strengths and weaknesses, while also presumably being just. very good at reading each others’ body language. And when they’re talking about political stuff, they’re both pretty clear and well-spoken. The only time when it starts to break down is when wwx is being deliberately obtuse to push lwj away, which is both a misguided attempt to keep him safe and an expression of his fear that lwj doesn’t actually approve of him the way he’d started to let himself think he did.

Like, as far as I can tell, 90% of their communication issues stem from wwx being in a bad mental place and misinterpreting lwj because lwj doesn’t use his words, and normally lwj can trust that he’ll be understood by wwx, which is why he doesn’t really seem to know how to handle it when wwx starts like. projecting. That’s another thing tho, that he seems to have picked up on after the fact, cus all the times he sees that wwx needs unambiguous validation or clarity post-timeskip, he makes sure to use words when he probably wouldn’t have before. And that confirmation is part of what allows wwx to see his other gestures of affection as they’re intended, cus lwj making the effort to speak his language gives context for the larger pattern of behaviour.

Both of them do seem to just. decide to understand each other at some point, though, presumably cus it matters to them that their second chance doesn’t go to waste – the second time round, there’s no hesitation or shying away from vulnerability, and they both pay active attention to each other. Like it’s very cute and funny that they’re always staring at each other and/or gently clinging, but I think there is an extra layer there that they just. really really don’t want to miss something important that the other is expressing.

Which brings us to. the expressions. Cus lwj is such an excellent case-study in how autistics can be incredibly expressive, but completely ignored because their methods of communication are things people aren’t used to paying attention to. And like, we, the audience, are encouraged to understand him, cus the camera’s always on him when we need to notice that he’s reacting to something, and how, and it always shows us his reactions on his terms, which is usually a matter of where he holds tension or whether he’s relaxed. But it’s easy to see how someone who doesn’t care enough to pay attention, like jc, or someone who’s actively interpreting in bad faith, like su she, would miss those things if they didn’t bother to learn that those were significant to him.

Like. I get soft over lwj’s microexpressions as much as the next guy, but those are very much a part of a bigger picture. A lot of how he expresses himself is through his actions, which is most obvious when it’s something like just moving out of the way when he doesn’t want to be touched, but with him it’s also about potentially months-long patterns of behaviour, like how he consistently chooses to be around people he likes and avoid people he doesn’t. And there’s that delightful meta post about his speech patterns as well, which is super interesting for other reasons as well obvs, but also very much works as an in-depth analysis of how he’s clearly autistic, cus what it comes down to is that he’s super formal (i.e scripted), well-spoken and has a good vocabulary, while also being essentially semi-verbal, especially when he’s stressed. And like, combining that with the fact that he doesn’t move his face unless he has something specific and probably relatively extreme to communicate, he doesn’t make eye contact, and has suuuper strong morals, it’s. Very Very easy to see how someone who already doesn’t like him would use that to call him rude, or stubborn, or arrogant, and other people who are more neutral might just. decide he’s too much effort to get to know properly. Which is why wwx is so special to him, cus he not only made an effort (despite his own insecurities and unacknowledged nd needs) but he also helped lsz to understand how to get to know him in the same way.

And wwx kind of has the same problem for the opposite reason, cus his face is so mobile and he uses so many words, that people often miss the subtleties of like. what comes up a lot for him, or what he’s doing while he says stuff, or even just why he does or says the things he does. Like, in the same way as with people assuming lwj is arrogant because he prefers to observe and listen before expressing himself, people often say the exact same thing of wwx because he’s ‘too’ quick to express himself, especially when it’s a moral thing; people are always accusing him of virtue signalling or whatever instead of genuinely believing what he’s doing is right. I think, again, the fact that wwx spends so much time around lwj, combined with the fact that lwj cares enough to learn what he’s about, means he often sees a side of wwx that people don’t tend to, and he learns to read between the lines of what he’s saying. There is also the fact that wwx just kinda seems to be a pretty good actor, and generally knows how to make people overlook the things he doesn’t want them to see, so it takes some trial and error before lwj realises how unhealthily selfless he is, among other things.

[trensu]

Episode 22: The One with ANOTHER Other Moonlit Rooftop Scene

WE’RE ON A ROOF, GREAT START! 

THERE’S MOONLIGHT, GREAT START!

BC WE ALL KNOW THAT THE BEST THINGS HAPPEN ON MOONLIT ROOFTOPS (except for that one time that we’re not gonna talk about rn bc it’ll give me the Sads)

OUR BOYS ARE SITTING TOGETHER ON A ROOF IN QINGHE

TOGETHER!! ON A ROOF!! IN THE MOONLIGHT!!!

WE LOVE ROOFS AND MOONLIGHT IN THIS FANDOM

Wwx: does this seem familiar to you? Weren’t we chilling on a roof like this together back in the cloud recesses during Ancient Fantasy China summer school?

And lwj is like, no, we were fighting with swords and stuff

Wwx: right, right, you caught me breaking curfew!

HE LAUGHS, REMINISCING. HE LAUGHS!!

Wwx: too bad there’s no emperor’s smile

Get help wwx, problems are not solved with copious amounts of wine

Oh god, and he just slouches back on the roof, leaning on his elbows and SPREADING HIS LEGS LIKE A SCARLET WOMAN

WWX WHAT ARE YOU DOING

MAKING YOURSELF LOOK ALL ENTICING LIKE THAT

And lwj has an iron will apparently bc he’s still sitting upright in a meditation pose

Oooh, now they’re going to have a Serious conversation

Lwj: things change. How could it be the same as before?

And wwx gives him this sad little smile

Wwx: lan zhan, thank you

Lwj: for what?

Wwx: thank you for not telling shijie

And then HE SMILES AT LWJ

SINCERELY. THAT’S A SINCERE SMILE ON HIS FACE

Like, okay, it’s not as big and bright as his usual sunshine smile BUT IT’S STILL THE HAPPIEST SMILE HE’S DIRECTED AT LWJ SINCE THE BURIAL MOUNDS

Ofc lwj goes and ruins the mood (why does he keep doing this)

Lwj: these tricks harm your body and mind as well

Wwx: i know, but i’m not using wicked tricks, i learned CRAFTY tricks

Lwj: crafty tricks?

Lwj’s tone changes here! It has a hopeful edge to it rather than the solemn note it carried before. THINGS ARE LOOKING UP, GUYS

Wwx: that’s what i learned in that sunless dingy place for three months

ah, guess i spoke too soon...wwx gets this faraway look on his face like he’s back in that awful place anD IT MAKES ME SO SAD

Wwx: anyway, i have to thank you for Lan clan’s Temperament Technique bc my crafty tricks require

HE USED LAN CLAN TEACHINGS TO DEVELOP HIS NEW CULTIVATION

LAN CLAN!!

LAN!!!!

EVEN AT HIS LOWEST, HE STILL CLUNG TO LAN WANGJI. LAN WANGJI STILL WAS ABLE TO HELP HIM EVEN THO HE WASN’T THERE

AHHHHHHHHH

And lwj is just watching him here, yearningly like always

Wwx: with my bamboo flute, everything can be controlled~! *twirls the demon flute*

But lwj is not gonna be distracted by his fancy flute twirling here

Lwj: do crafty tricks rely on the spirit?

Wwx nods in response

~Their Song~ starts playing in the background (the flute version of it, even!!)

Lwj: mastering it by mind is like taking a grain of rice from a fire. If not done carefully you risk falling into demonic cultivation. The consequences will be unimaginable

Okay, 1) pretty sure that’s the longest string of sentences lwj has made in the entire show so far, so kudos to you lwj. You used your words!! I’m so proud!!

And 2) THE CONSEQUENCES WILL BE UNIMAGINABLE?? LWJ DOES NOT WANT TO IMAGINE THOSE CONSEQUENCES FOR WEI YING. HE DOESN’T WANT TO THINK OF HIM SUFFERING THAT WAY. BC HE LOVES HIM

Wwx: i know. Lan zhan, i understand your concern.

OUR BOYS OUR COMMUNICATING. 

LOOK AT THEM!! 

COMMUNICATING ALL OVER EACH OTHER!!!! 

THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER

And here wwx does HIS LITTLE SCOUT’S HONOR THING AND HIS VOICE PICKS UP A CHIPPER TONE AND IT’S SO CUTE AND SO REMINISCENT OF BEFORE

Wwx: i, wei ying, promise you that i will never degenerate into demonic cultivation

STOP MAKING PROMISES YOU WON’T KEEP WWX

Wwx: do you believe me?

Lwj nods

AND OH, THE SMILE WWX HAS IN RESPONSE

IT’S ALMOST LIKE BEFORE

ALL OF THIS IS ALMOST LIKE BEFORE

Now wwx does a little floaty jump thing off of the roof (it doesn’t look ridiculous for once!! It actually looks pretty neat here!!) and starts to walk away

Lwj elegantly stands up (still on the roof!!) and says “Let me help you.”

Wwx freezes in his steps for a moment, not quite turning back, and says “okay.”

He says that AND HE SMILES AGAIN

Lwj is left standing alone on the roof

ALL THIS AND WE’RE ONLY 5MIN INTO THE EPISODE

MY HEART, MY HEART

GOD I MISSED MY WANGXIANTICS.

IT’S BEEN SO LONG, MY LOVE, I’VE MISSED YOU SO!!

Oh, and now it’s daytime

Plot Things are happening

Nmj is giving a rousing speech to the troops, very imposing, very stern, very soldier-y

AND TOTALLY DOES NOT MATTER SO WE’RE MOVING ON

Everyone’s leaving Qinghe for plot reasons. Jc and jzx go ahead on their swords but lwj and wwx are traveling by horse

They’re on horses!! Idk why that makes me happy but it does!! I don’t even like horses that much??? 

Wwx is twirling his flute!!

Lwj: why didn’t you go ahead with them?

Wwx: i don’t want to join in the fun with jc and that colorful peacock

Lwj: aren’t you the one who prefers to join in the fun?

GUYS, GUYS LWJ SAYS THIS WITH A TEASING TONE (well, teasing for him; it’s a very subtle change BUT IT’S THERE, I SWEAR!!)

HE’S TRYING TO BE PLAYFUL WITH WWX!! IT’S SO CUTE!!

OMG, OMG we get a brief moment of Jealous!LWJ. Courtesy of NHS, of course.

Nhs is at the top of a tower in qinghe waving goodbye, right? (he’s adorable, i love him)

BUT HE CALLS SPECIFICALLY TO WWX

Nhs: wwx, wwx, take care!

and lwj lets his eyes drift a little towards the voice but HE DOESN’T EVEN DEIGN TO LOOK AT NHS DIRECTLY before his eyes flicker to face forward

it’s such a disdainful little movement; IT HAPPENS SO FAST

BUT THE JEALOUSY IS SO POTENT HERE, OMG OMG

chill out lwj, nhs is just a friend!!

Ugh, evil wen lair time

WE DON’T CARE ABOUT THE PLOT DEVICE OR WEN RUOHAN

Oh, now we’re in the middle of a battlefield but no lwj or wwx in sight, how boring

Battle battle battle

Fight fight fighting

Ooooh demon transformation. That was interesting for like, two seconds

Gotta say, the makeup/costuming they use for those demon things actually looks pretty decent, all things considered

Actually, most of their group fight scenes are pretty good

UGH MORE EVIL WEN LAIR TIME?? Plot plot Meng Yao is revealed to be a wen flunkie suddenly plot plot 

Back with the good guys now! At soldier camp!! (or whatever those are called, listen, i’m not a war general, terms escape me)

Plot plot nmj, jzx, jc are inspecting puppets blah blah don’t care don’t care

OH WAIT, LWJ AND WWX SHOWED UP

THEY LOOK VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PUPPETS. I SUDDENLY CARE ABOUT THE PUPPETS

Nvm, we’re back at a boring strategy meeting blegh

Blah blah invinceable puppets blah blah kill wen ruohan blah blah

Nmj: I WILL SNEAK INTO NIGHTLESS CITY AND KILL WEN RUOHAN

I’m sorry nmj but you don’t have a sneaky bone in your entire body

That is a terrible plan. Jzx agrees with me.

Nmj: if i die, lxc can just take charge nbd

Suddenly lxc shows up with a Sneaky Map

Everybody’s excited about the Sneaky Map

I AM NOT

I AM NOT EXCITED ABOUT THE SNEAKY MAP

THIS IS BORING

LET’S MOVE ON NOW PLZ

Ah, we’re back with wwx and lwj who are inspecting the Suddenly Interesting Puppets

They’re being all clever together!! I love it

OH NO, SOME RANDO JUST INTERRUPTED SAYING JYL NEEDS HELP

WWX TAKES OFF IN A FLASH, OBVS

We’re at jzx’s tent!! WHERE JZX MADE HER CRY

I DEMAND BLOOD IN RECOMPENSE

Wwx: what happened? Don’t cry!

Wwx: was there someone who bullied you??

Omg his words are like, dripping with venom as he says this and turns to glare at jzx

POOR JYL IS SOBBING, OUTRIGHT SOBBING

Jyl: i’m fine! Let’s go, come on, come on

SHE SAYS THIS THROUGH HER TEARS. SHE’S HEARTBROKEN

I DEMAND BLOODSHED

Mianmian shows up to explain the situation

Details don’t matter

What matters is that we see Lwj about to join them in the tent

Like, he’s one step in and everything

But once mianmian starts talking, he steps back out? And just loiters in front of their tent thing?

HE DOESN’T WANT TO INTRUDE ON A FAMILY MATTER

BC LAST TIME HE DID, WWX SNAPPED AT HIM AND PUSHED HIM AWAY

AND THAT SHIT HURTED

WE DON’T WANT THAT AGAIN

We find out that jzx was a total utter DOUCHEBAG to jyl and HUMILIATED her in public BECAUSE HE’S A DICK AND DOESN’T DESERVE HER

YOU’RE LUCKY I’M NOT THERE RN JZX BC I’M READY TO MURDER

Oh look, wwx is ready to murder too

he punches jzx right in the chest AND SENDS HIM FLYING, HELL YEAH

then uses his demon flute TO SMACK DOWN THE JIN DISCIPLES with resentful energy

then goes and DECKS JZX RIGHT IN THE FACE

YESSS!!!!!!

HIT HIM HARDER WWX

But nooo, mianmian and jyl have to be decent people and try to hold wwx back

Lwj hears them cry out and rushes into the room!!

He grabs wwx’s arm, which was already poised for another punch

Lwj: wei ying, calm down

DON’T TELL HIM TO CALM DOWN LWJ

JZX DESERVES WHAT’S COMING TO HIM

DON’T YOU SEE YOUR SISTER IN LAW CRYING???

But it seems that lwj’s words cut through wwx’s rage (even tho he didn’t raise his voice at all!!) bc wwx lets his arm be lowered by lwj’s grip

He looks at lwj’s concerned face and turns to walk out of the tent

We cut to some Sect Leader Time featuring NMJ and LXC

Nmj: soooo, how’d you get the Sneaky Map

Lxc: ...I know a guy

Then they go on for awhile and i get the impression that they’re trying to Flirt but are doing it Badly

HA, losers! (they say, even tho their OTP consistently fails to communicate their Emotions well)

We’re on a battlefield again!

Kinda sucks how our guys get possessed and turned against us.

What a bummer

MORE BORING PLOT STUFF

Blah blah, nmj disappeared, blah blah our guys are forced into a trap blah blah

Oh wait, there’s a bit here

Wwx asks lxc who gave him the Sneaky Map and lxc is all “a good friend” and wwx is like oh okay and walks off

As he walks away, lwj turns to ~gaze longingly~ at him

It was kinda weird, bc contextually it doesn’t make sense for there to be a longing gaze here

BUT WHO CARES!

SINCE WHEN DO WE NEED A REASON FOR GAY YEARNING??

IT JUST IS, MY FRIENDS, AND WE LOVE IT

More evil wen lair time (at some point we watch nmj be a badass at this lair, but we’re not here for him. Sorry nmj, still love ya tho!)

MoVInG alONg

Battlefield has moved to the Nightless City

For real for real, these group battle scenes are pretty cool. I like them.

AHHHH!! AHHHHHHH!!! WWX NEARLY GETS A SWORD TO THE THROAT

BUT LWJ NOTICES IT AND IS BLOCKING THE HIT IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

THE WAY IT’S FRAMED MAKES IT LOOK EVEN MORE AWESOME!!

Bc he just swooshes into the frame from the right, all fluid movement and elegance

BLOCKS THE HIT LIKE NOTHING

And ends up on the opposite side of the frame, not even looking at the baddie he just blocked; he’s all straight-backed and regal

I am Shocked wwx didn’t swoon right there and then

WWX AND LWJ ARE NOW BACK TO BACK

FIGHTING TOGETHER

I AM IN LOVE

Ugh, we’re back at the evil wen lair

Gross

Can we not? Nobody cares.

BACK ON THE BATTLEFIELD!!

Everything stops suddenly, and lwj and wwx are side by side

Bc ofc they are

They’re soulmates!!

Uh oh, some of their guys get Literally pulverized

Aaaaand, here come the massive amounts of puppets

Wen ruohan - creator of the world’s worst puppet show

Omg, we just keep getting shots of lwj and wwx standing next to each other, or standing back to back

They’re not even doing anything AND IT’S STILL AMAZING TO WATCH

UGH, JUST HAVING THEM BE NEAR EACH OTHER ON SCREEN MAKES ME SO HAPPY

Wwx: lan zhan, what method can we take now to escape?

Lwj: Fight.

Wwx: *smirk*

GOD I LOVE MY BOYS

And the cameras give us close-up shots of their faces in that exchange and it’s amazing

THE EXPRESSIONS, MAN

GRIM DETERMINATION

LIKE, WE’RE PROBABLY DEAD, MIGHT AS WELL GO DOWN FIGHTING

THAT’S WHAT THEIR FACES SAY

I! LOVE!! MY!!! BOYS!!!!

They just look so awesome fighting here!!

Lol wwx is just whacking people with his flute

Very intimidating, wwx, very scary

One of the demon things just tried attacking wwx aND GOT BICHEN THROUGH THE CHEST FOR THEIR TROUBLES

THAT’S WHAT YOU GET, DEMON THING!!

And then lwj goes and blocks another blow meant for wwx

Lwj is so awesome in battle??

I feel like shang from mulan trying to compliment lwj

“YOU...YOU FIGHT GOOD”

i mean, come on, he literally just now took out a demon thing with a BLAST from bichen

BICHEN DIDN’T EVEN TOUCH IT? 

AND THE DEMON THING WAS COMING FROM BEHIND HIM??

HE DIDN’T EVEN TURN AROUND TO LOOK!!

HE JUST HAD BICHEN BLAST SOME SPIRITUAL ENERGY BEHIND HIM TO KNOCK OUT THE DEMON THING

WHAT A BAMF

Uh oh

Wwx just did his floaty jump thing and perched on a winged creature statue overlooking the battlefield

Lwj has his eyes on him

He’s watching him all worriedly

WWX STARTS TO PLAY HIS DEMON FLUTE

listen

listen

i know the demon flute and resentful energy is bad for you or whatever

BUT HE LOOKS SO DAMN COOL HERE

ENSHROUDED IN BLACK SMOKE

HIS FACE A PICTURE OF CONCENTRATION

Meanwhile lwj is cutting down enemies left and right AND STILL MAKING TIME TO THROW WORRIED LOOKS AT WWX

WAIT A MINUTE, wwx has just TAKEN CONTROL of the demon things

Bc he’s BADASS

And the music gets INTENSE here

THIS IS SO EXCITING!!!!

LWJ still looks so concerned even tho the demon things start fighting for them rather than against them

Bc he doesn’t care about the demon things or the battle

He cares about how this will affect his wei ying!!

And the episode ends with wen ruohan throwing a hissy fit bc his demon things aren’t under his control anymore

WE DID IT GUYS, WE FINALLY MADE IT TO AN EPISODE WITH QUALITY NOT-COMPLETELY-HEARTBREAKING WANGXIANTICS

OUR BOYS WERE NICE TO EACH OTHER!!!

ON A MOONLIT ROOFTOP!!!

AND THEY FOUGHT SIDE BY SIDE!!

IT WAS ALL SO BEAUTIFUL

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