#lwj is just confused

[bnnywngs]

i like to think that if (no sunshot campaign) lan wangji went to study at lotus pier after cloud recesses classes, and he still treated wei wuxian like that ™, the shidis would go from star-eyed polite kids to little shits that would glare at lan-er-gongzi and play childish pranks on him because he's breaking their da-shixiong's heart

[ivorysodapop]

Design stuff!!! It's a little more drastic bc WWX is DEAD but differences between them also

AU Masterlist

[bimyself06]

You know it'd be pretty funny? To read a fic where Wei Changze is When Rouhan's son and WCZ look's eerily similar to WRH. The kicker here is for A-Yuan to either be Wen Xu or Wen Chao's kid perhaps even WRH I don't care so long as he to resembles WRH, and since Wei Wuxian looks like his dad(at least from I remember in the flashback from the donghua, I haven't seen a description for WWX parents yet in the books) this causes people to often think they are father and son. When Lan Wangji returns to the Cloud Recesses with A-Yuan and claims him as his, many had to wonder when LWJ and WWX slept together and how WWX got pregnant.

Lan Sizhui grows up being told he looks like his other parent and that side of the family while the Lan clan keeps on trying to find features he shares with LWJ, there are quite a surprising few(wink wink, genetics work mysteriously esp when mdm lan 's fam is so unknown, wink wink) without also adding most of LWJ mannerism with WWX friendliness.

[flowersdiceandlove]

The burial mounds, a place of mystery, the place of the dead, cannot be comprehended by humans. It is a place warped by time and resentful energy and the intentions of those who inhabit it and who knows what else. It is sentient and has a strong will of its own. It’s said that no one can leave the Burial Mounds, and that is true as much as it’s not. The burial mounds keeps what is theirs; protects what is theirs. No one can escape from the Burial Mounds bc more often than not, once you enter, the Burial Mounds see you as theirs. It does not take well to people hurting and taking what is theirs. (And, maybe this is why a certain demonic cultivator was able to survive and leave that place. Maybe he understood this will and resentment bc he too would do anything to protect those he loves. For him as well, once he considers someone family, they are family. And nothing will change that. No matter what happens, his family is his family, and those under his protection are fully under his protection. They can see a kindred spirit in each other, and so the Burial Mounds let him go, knowing that he will always carry part of the Burial Mounds with him. The souls in his sleeves and the resentful energy he welcomes into his body. The boon that the Burial Mounds grants him.)

It is for these reasons that WWX knows to bring the Wen remnants there. Not only does he know he can defend them if needed in that place teeming with resentment, he knows the Burial Mounds themselves will protect them. It protects its own, and the Burial Mounds knows these people that WWX brought are his, so they are its. It’s as simple as that. And, the Burial Mounds likes it. It likes having these people here, milling about and carving a life on it. It likes how they turns its soil from barren to fruitful. It likes how they are happy and content. It likes being their home and haven. It will do anything to protect them.

When the first siege comes, the Burial Mounds try to protect what is theirs. These people who have made a home on it. But, they are all grieving deeply, and it’s beautiful child, the first to even understand them and want to make peace with them instead of destroying them, is breaking apart. He is breaking apart with the weight of someone who could not protect that which is most precious to him. And he has been breaking with this weight for months now, every day chipping another piece of himself away, every day pulling further and further into himself, every day driving him just a little more insane. The Burial Mounds have no problem with madness. They will still embrace him fully and without question, but it pains them to see him like this. They are all breaking under the pressure of what the world outside its borders do. This is no longer their haven, but now their place of imminent doom. It is only a matter of time until the cultivators attack. The Burial Mounds fights back as it always does to protect those that are its. But, some of these living cultivators attacking are family of WWX and it cannot attack family. And, it knows that even should he wipe all these harmful intruders out, that will not stop more from coming, and more after that. The Burial Mounds would fight every wave they send, but that is not the issue. The issue is that its people are grieving and breaking. The issue is that it cannot do anything to fix that and every attack will break their spirits just that much more.

So instead, the Burial Mounds decide to change it. As the cultivators pour in, the Burial Mounds pulls its energy from defending and into charging its intention.  Some of its people get cut down, but that is fine, it will still work, they do not have to be alive. Just as WWX is about to destroy the Stygian Tiger Amulet (oh, and look at their brave boy, but don’t do that, my child, it will tear you apart) a large pulse of resentful energy ripples out over the battlefield, shaking the ground and seeping into all that is theirs. The air and ground starts to ripple, unstable and warping like swirls of marble, until none can stay standing in this odd happening, toppling over, nauseous from the swirling. Those that are theirs are sucked into the soil, deep into its power, and it embraces them into its depths.

Then—

They open their eyes.

WWX is seven, on the streets of Yiling, and turns his head to the Burial Mounds so close by, calling to him. Come home, my child, it whispers. Come to me; I will protect you.

Wen Ning is eight and Wen Qing 14. They also look in the direction of Yiling—of the Burial Mounds. They too hear the call. There are gasps rippling around their home, and people bursting through doors, embracing each other, crying in joy. Eyes flick around at everyone. They know. All those that were on the Burial Mounds, as well as Wen Qing and Wen Ning remember. They know what Wen Ruohan is planning. They also know what will happen to their real family.

They go to Yiling. Just a few at first. They lost many people in their branch before they were saved by WWX, and those people are more than hesitant to go to that cursed place. Those that remember can’t simply leave them to their fates again. So, some go, while some stay. They will convince the rest later. When they arrive at the base of the Burial Mounds, there is already a large collapse in the wall surrounding it looking to be made recently. The paths open up for them as they start their ascent. The path is just as they remember, the corpses and spirits howling, but leaving them be. They know they are already part of them. Granny Wen and Wen Qing are at the front of the group, leading the way. Wen Qing wishes her brother was there, but that was not something their parents would budge on. They barely let her go, and only because Granny was insisting as well and promised to look after her.

They reach the clearing where their homes were, and there they are. Their little shacks that barely stay standing. The patches of land they’d tilled and toiled over. And there, perched on a tree stump by the side of the road is a boy, even smaller than A-Ning, covered in dirt and grime that can’t all be from the Burial Mounds, spinning a black, bamboo dizi in his tiny hands. He watches them with shining eyes and a large smile they’d know anywhere breaks out on his face, then—

He laughs. The boy laughs loud and clear and bright as he topples off the stump in his joy. Many of them join in the laughter as well. Amazed and in disbelief. Wen Qing, granny, and a few others rush over to the little Wei Wuxian and pull him into a crushing embrace. The laughter soon turns to wracking sobs as they all cling to each other and let it all sink in. 

They are alive. They are together.

And, they will make sure it stays that way.

The Burial Mounds hum around them, welcoming them home.

[happypeachsludgeflower]

The funniest thing about reading mdzs royalty au’s is when Lan Wangji is the emperor, but there’s zero explanation why he was chosen over his older brother, Lan Xichen.

Like, I don’t know much about Asian royalty dynamics, but I’m pretty sure the eldest of full siblings is before the younger in line for the throne…

[touchlikethesun]

so when i first said that wangxian are the type of couple to pretend like they don’t know each other, just so that they can flirt and experience the thrill of the chase all over again, i would like it to be known that i hadn’t read the novels at that point i had no idea that that was actually canon but boy am i glad it is

[llycaons]

kills me to see homophobic lqr in fics. his favorite nephew ran off with a heretic and got married to him and came back MONTHS later like 'we're in love 😊 we still live here btw' and he was like. alright 😔 come to the banquet as husbands then. not enthusiastic bc he doesn't like wwx but not homophobic!!!

[sunbunnyyy]

lan xichen is not a perfect human being. he is an older brother who is Going Through Some Shit by the end of the novel. did he always make good choices?? no!! have you????

[twistedappletree]

sorry but i’m actually just gonna start blocking people who put zhuiling hate in tags bc yall will ship every incest ship in the book then trash on the one ship where they’re genuinely NOT related and it’s getting so fucking old

[poorlittleyaoyao]

LWJ actually wasn't involved in inviting WWX to Jinlintai in the novel, that was all Zixuan

WAIT WHAT

Man, I thought I was on to something with finally thinking of a reason why WWX might think LWJ hated him! So you’re telling me that the last interaction WWX has with LWJ prior to Nightless City 2.0 is the visit to Yiling, in which LWJ pays for WWX and A-Yuan to enjoy a nice meal at a restaurant and then accompanies them back to the Burial Mounds settlement? That’s what he’s going on when he comes back?

Yes, I can totally see why WWX thinks LWJ hates him more than anyone else on the planet. I know when I super duper hate a person, I definitely buy them dinner and come to their house at personal risk to myself. For sure.

[bnnywngs]

wwx: ok, now i'm back in time! what time is it, actually

wwx: ok, i'm gonna hunt wen chao again exactly like the first time, BUT ☝️ i'm going to be better on my reunion with lan zhan!!!

wwx: i'm going to be smooth and say something sweet and romantic so he blushes and his heart will skip a beat! i got this!!!

lwj: wei ying! come to gusu with me!

wwx:

wwx, bursting in tears: lan zhaaaaan

[stiltonbasket]

modern toddler Jin Ling goes through a phase where he's convinced that he's a hamster? He's eating lots of veggies, at least?

Yanli, hugging two-year-old Jin Ling: I wish I could keep you in my pocket all day like a little hamster. ^_^

Jin Ling, who barely knows what a hamster is: *goes into turbo hamster mode*

[connectjump]

thinking about wangxian where lwj is unable to handle his injury after the BM and wakes up in the past. he makes it his goal to become wwx's friend, to make sure that he has a happy and full life.

to keep him safe, to keep him whole and himself until the very end. so lwj learns more about wwx, allows wwx into his space & just tries to hold onto wwx's warmth whenever he can. lwj shows a bit more of himself, a small smile or a joke here or there, anything that will make wwx smile, or laugh.

fast forward to just a moment where lwj gets to hold this worlds wwx close. to feel his warmth, to hear his breathing, see that boyish smile up close on those full lips (he could kiss him, lwj WANTS to kiss him so badly, but this time wwx will know it's him) and lwj freezes.

he's trying to save wwx, but this wwx isn't his wwx.

the wwx in his world wasn't even his.

he has no right to see this worlds wwx as his.

lwj tries to shove down the memory of the peony he has pressed in his last life, how he held wwx's hand trying to heal him, eyes burning while he admits his feelings.

self-restraint. lwj removes himself from wwx's space, missing wwx's warmth like the hopelessly in love fool he is and walks away.

lwj doesn't notice the look of absolute confusion, doubt and sadness that takes hold over wwx. nor does he hear the smack wwx settles across his cheek and the warbled tone of "he doesn't like you... nobody would like me."

[kachawo]

A scp/magnus archives-esque au where Lan Wangji and Jiang Wanyin discover old cassette tapes of status entries, the voice in those tapes... none other than Wei Wuxian, who had gone missing 6 years ago.

This was not the strangest part alone, the entries, the contents-- it all sounds like a madman's dream.

Wei Wuxian spoke about objects or living beings in such a frightening perspective all the while maintaining a calm tone.

"Entry 0096 Subject: 4. Species: Type AD. Further observations have concluded--

Entry 0109 Subject: 12. Species: Type 0. It seems that The Busker is able to mutate--

Entry 0013 Subject: 25. Species: ???. The subject we call "Dean" has shown very interesting-- "

It's all a mystery to the both of them.

What's worse is this-- both Lwj and Jwy know that the man was not some sort of mad-scientist,

He was-- he was a doctor! Wei Ying held down a job in a rehab institute in Yiling for people who where born with deficiencies.

The same Yiling Institute that burned down after the said man had gone missing.

Jiang Wanyin was convinced this was some sick trick that his brother left behind, some fantasy story Wei Ying thought was cool. He knew his brother so well he--

He wasn't the person that Jiang Wanyin heard in those tapes, the voice is different. It's not cheerful or bright-- the Wei Wuxian he knew would not have such a dead voice.

Jiang Wanyin gave up on the hope of finding the man very quickly. 6 goddamn years, and all he got was this.

But Lan Wangji never did.

He hoarded those tapes like a lifeline. Listened to all 26 tapes over and over and over and over-

He felt like he had something. An answer, it was here somewhere he just couldn't find it!

Wei Ying was here, that voice over the recorder was him he knows it.

But Lan Wangji doesn't know why.

Listening to the tapes repeatedly, his hope started to wane. But he held out-- even when his brother called out to him, even when his uncle barked that he was finding a dead man-

And it ended up being very fruitful.

"To the dearest boy I knew, with him my heart grew...

Lan Wangji knew this song, had immortalized it in his heart.

When the voice in the tape sang this... he sounded soft.

How could he have missed it? So eager to devour every word that came out of that voice, he never really stayed long on one tape.

If the recording ended, it usually spared a few minutes of utter silence. He never waits until the end of that silence to switch to another tape.

Which was an utter mistake.

"He sent me to the Lotus Lake, held my hand all day.."

It was such a silly lullaby, and it kept changing depending on its singer's mood.

Oh, how Lan Wangji loved it.

"Oh how it makes me woe, to see my dear boy go.."

"With him my heart stays, while here my body lays."

"Beneath the Lotus Lake."

Shortly after a sad chuckle follows the song.

"Or... should I say beneath the Yiling Lake?"

Lan Wangji's heart dropped.

Once he was sure the recording truly finished, he fished it out the holder and examined it.

"Entry 0123. Clouds." The title on the tape says. It was just the same as the others, Wei Ying would start by describing the subject and go on like he always did.

But now Lan Wangji looks closer.

The date underneath it says 08/24/1997. Exactly 6 years before Wei Ying went missing.

His eyes grow large at the realization--

Lan Wangji remembers very clearly, in the recording Wei Ying had said--

"It is currently 12 pm of January 23. I do realize that I've missed the chance to greet a Happy New Year but oh well--

Who am I kidding? It's not like anyone will find these tapes anyways. Devices like these are old to the new generation. In the 21st century no one's even gonna recognize these silly things."

21st century

Wei Ying had gone missing in the 20th

It filled Lan Wangji with hope and fear.

He's still out there.

But then how did this tape get here? These were retrieved from Wei Ying's old apartment, which has been restricted from being accessed ever since he had gone missing.

Jiang Wanyin and Lan Wangji were allowed to retrieve his stuff only 3 months ago.

The date today was October 30th, 2004.

Why is it that, of all the tapes Wei Ying had recorded, this one was the most up to date?

Especially when the other recordings were within dates that they knew he was still present in their lives?

This was the only recording of him during those missing 6 years.

And it's fresh.

Lan Wangji stumbled, he grabbed his phone on the desk and contacted the only person he knew at that moment.

The phone rang

And picked up.

"Jiang Wanyin, I've found him."

[leatherbookmark]

actually i have discovered the only true and correct reading of md/zs: wgxn are the true Evil Men of mdzs. just look at how they’re dealing with lxc post-guanyin

[llycaons]

I have a lot of love for xl as a character his arc is so wonderful and neatly written and satisfying in ways I haven't seen in very many other pieces of media