#mianmian hangs out with the boys and that's a fact

[uweiy]

For the prompt 143. “You really don’t know how to talk to women, do you?” Jiang Cheng awkwardly (trying to) flirting with Wen Qing eue (tbh so many of these fits wangxian but I just cannot handle more angst rn)

prompt 143. from this prompt list

“I’m impressed, you fight pretty well for a girl” Jiang Cheng pants.

Wei Wuxian had said something about ‘practical training’ to the Lan Sect Leader,  and since then they had been invited on night hunts more often, along with other students.

Wen Qing sheathes her sword and glowers at Jiang Cheng. “Yes. Girls can be more resourceful than you think.”

And she just strides away, leaving Jiang Cheng wondering what the heck just happened.

He sits down on the grass and Wei Wuxian immediately joins him, snickering.“You’re so hopeless. To seduce girls you have to, ” he draws closer and whispers in Jiang Cheng’s ear, as if he was going to tell him a well guarded secret “treat them like princesses.”

Jiang Cheng shoves him away “Who’s talking about seducing a girl ??”

“I’m just sharing my advice. Trust me, I’m an expert.”

“I think you have to give them gifts. And then bat your eyes verrrrrrry prettily” Nie Huaisang chimes in from behind and Jiang Cheng jumps.

“Wow.”

The three of them turn their heads towards the owner of that incredibly judgmental voice.

“You guys really don’t know how to talk to girls do you ?”

Mianmian is standing a few meters in front of them looking exasperated.

“I’m feeling generous today” she sighs, mostly to herself. “Make way” she gestures at the three boys with her sword and they scoot aside to leave her space to sit down.

“All right. What do you gather from what just happened.”

Jiang Cheng stares at her for a second. But he wouldn’t take his brother’s obnoxious advice in a millenia and really he’s at loss.

He sighs “I just don’t get it ? I was paying her a compliment wasn’t I ?”

Mianmian thinks for a second. “Trying to pay compliments ? Wow you’re pretty soft hearted, for a Jiang.” she says in a mocking tone. “Shouldn’t you be more brash and direct ? You know, like your family motto says  ?”

“Hey !!” Jiang Cheng immediately snaps back “Not everyone can be as irresponsible as my useless brother just because–  ”

“Why are you dragging me into this ?? ”

Mianmian interrupts them looking at Jiang Cheng, all traces of mockery gone. “See ? You’re offended.”

Jiang Cheng frowns. He doesn’t get it.

Mianmian continues. “Why should you be careless and adventurous like Wei Wuxian over there, just because you’re a Jiang ? That’s what you were thinking, right?”

Jiang Cheng stutters “I… That’s not”

“And don’t you hate that everyone throws the family motto at you and expects you to comply with it  ?”

“I… Yes but”

“You have a lot of strong points you know.” Mianmian relentlessly presses on. “I’ve seen you. You’re dedicated, caring and you’re ready to take on a lot of responsibility. And everyone overlooks that because of one stupid sentence and stupid expectations.”

Jiang Cheng blinks. It wasn’t her point, but he hadn’t expected such honest praise from her.

“It’s the same here. Wen Qing learned how to fight. There is literally no reason she wouldn’t know how to fight.” Mianmian continues her explanation.

“And yet you ignore all that and expect her to be weak, fragile and unable to defend herself just because she’s a girl. One heck of a compliment.”

Wei Wuxian and Huaisang exchange astonished glances. They had never thought about it like that.

“One more thing Jiang Cheng. You. are. a real mother hen.” ‘Miss Wen this is too dangerous for you. Miss Wen you shouldn’t be out there’.“ She mimicks.

Jiang Cheng is too busy trying to take in everything she is saying to be offended.

Mianmian smacks her sword twice on Jiang Cheng’s chest. “Wen Qing is Wen Qing. Once you stop seeing what you expect her to be you’ll notice… Just like you’re perfectly capable of handling yourself, she is too.

“So. Let me tell you the correct formulation. It’s ‘you fight well.’“

She crosses her arms "That’s all. Why would the fact that she’s a girl matter ?”

All three of them are gaping at her now.

She stands up. “Well. Nice talking to you boys.”  

She thinks a little. “Next time we’ll go over how strength comes in different forms. Because oh boy, do I pity your sister if you don’t realize this.”

“No no.” Wei Wuxian shakes his head. “Shijie is the strongest person I know.”

“Good.” She nods. “See you around then”

She leaves them mulling over everything she just said, waving from a distance.

___

The next time they fight together Jiang Cheng observes Miss Wen’s moves, precise fast and deadly. Mianmian is right. She would take him down in the blink of an eye.

“You fight well.”

She answers a curt “Thanks.” without sparing him a glance.

“I mean it.” Jiang Cheng says, open and honest. “Would you… Would you mind teaching me ?”

This gets her to halt. She turns around, scrutinizing his face probingly.

“I’m not a soft teacher” she says finally.

Jiang Cheng shrugs.

“All right then. Just so you know, I’m not someone you’ll beat easily.” She still sounds unconvinced he wasn’t looking to prove his own strength.

“I… don’t expect you to be.”

A.N : I didn’t expect this to turn into a Mianmian teaches the boys how to respect women lesson but here we are lmao

JUST LISTEN. what if Mianmian was actually hanging out with the one braincell trio back in Gusu. the shenaningans that would happen I’m telling you

[silenteyes]

If Wei Wuxian Grew Up In Different Sects (or with our lovely Rogue Cultivators)

ft. fanfictions I’ve read for each of them - excluding Yunmeng Jiang Sect

Warnings: Spoilers for MDZS, Canon-typical Yu Ziyuan and her treatment to WWX, a few uncensored cursing

Yunmeng Jiang Sect

Clearly, we know that he and the Jiangs have a- complicated relationship. With Jiang FengMian it’s on a thin line, and though it’s clear he cares for WWX - JFM still sees WWX as just a disciple, not a son because the last words he says to WWX are “A-Ying, A-Cheng... you must look after him.”

With Madam Yu it’s clear that their relationship is unhealthy, she basically abuses him. With Jiang Cheng it’s also unhealthy - as much as I loathe to say it, they will NEVER get the reconciliation we want because WWX has done too much for JC to forgive and JC and his anger issues are not safe for WWX. The only ACTUAL healthy relationship he’s got in the Jiang Sect is with Jiang Yanli. She forgives a lot and it’s clear she loves WWX.

Gusu Lan Sect

Ah - yes, this one. In all honesty, if he WERE to be found by the Lans he would’ve probably be well-behaved since he was just a child and easy to, how do I say it - teach. 

He might still have his playfulness but it would be toned down quite a lot. I also like to think that he would get along with Madam Lan and most probably prevent her death. This may be an unpopular opinion, but he and Lan Xichen would get along well, and LXC would be the one to make him comfortable first. WWX would still grow close with Lan Wangji of course, but if anything happens he would not go to LWJ first.

If they grew up together, I’m sorry - but I can’t imagine that he would date LWJ then. But, you can think the other way around! I don’t boss you and tell you who to ship and who not to ship! 

Fanfiction: ‘Some call it kidnapping. The Lan Clan call it adoption.’ by IceBreeze 

Summary: “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, look!” Wei Ying did a twirl. “I’m the same as you now! Am I pretty? Say Lan Zhan, am I pretty?”

Huan muffled a laugh behind his sleeve as A-Zhan said “Mn,” eyes never once leaving Wei Ying. There was something a little like awe in his stare, like Wei Ying was the only one in the world to him at that moment, and if Huan hadn’t already known that his little brother cared deeply for Wei Ying then that look would have been all the confirmation he needed.

(If A-Zhan knew what marriage and romance was beyond the vague explanations he’d heard then he’d probably already be courting Wei Ying, with all the dogged determination he shows everything he puts his mind to. It’s adorable, and Huan supports it wholeheartedly, no matter what direction it heads in the end).

Or: an AU Wei Wuxian is taken in by the Lan clan instead of the Jiangs.

Qishan Wen Sect

Hm, this one is quite complicated. To be honest, WWX would probably fit in well in the sect, and Wen Ruohan most possibly cares about power, and WWX is powerful so he’d care for him AND Wen Xu. Wen Chao is just there in the background being bullied, I like to think.

WWX would make Wen Qing their head doctor and give her more power, while he would also help Wen Ning with archery. All and all he would be alright in the Wen Sect, but there would still be a couple casualties here and there, because of Wen Chao’s jealousy.

Fanfiction:  ‘ He was brighter than the Sun’ by AncientOceanmelody

Summary:  Wei Wuxian was the head disciple of Yunmengjiang Sect, he was the pride of Yunmeng. Jiang Fengmian see him like a son, everyone (except Madam Yu) love him.

He would do everything for those who were dear to him.

So why do is feel horrible when Uncle Jiang didn't hesitate when he offer himself to the Wens instead of Jiang Cheng?

Why is he crying?

After all, he was just the son of a friend, the son of a servant, is was obvious his Uncle would prefer his Sect over him.

Qinghe Nie Sect

Again, I’m gonna be honest, but this sect would be the BEST one for WWX to grow up in. Nie Mingjue would get along great with WWX (we’re ignoring canon GROWN WWX) and Nie Huaisang has another brother :D

NHS and WWX would use their time to cause mischief and plot stuff while NMJ is like “These are my brothers. They’re annoying. Don’t you fucking dare lay a finger on them.”

Just - THEY WOULD BE THE HEALTHIEST RELATIONSHIP EVER IN ALL THE SECTS! NMJ taking care of WWX and NHS, NHS constantly worrying over WWX and NMJ because they fight (you know- war I mean) and WWX just being the self-sacrificing moron he is and protecting NMJ and NHS

Fanfiction: ‘shades of grey’ by cl410

Summary: This was why he didn’t like to leave the Unclean Realm, Nie Mingjue thought with dismay. Guileless dark eyes blinked up at him, tiny hands clutching at his robes.

Or: Nie Mingjue comes across Wei Wuxian before Jiang Fengmian, and decides Nie Huaisang could use a friend.

Lanling Jin Sect

OH BOY! I just love Jin Zixuan getting along with WWX and being an older brother to him. I would think that if JZX (Not Zixun, I despise him) grew up with WWX they would definitely get along and have a healthier relationship than the Yunmeng Bros. Jin Guangshan would definitely not see the point in having WWX in there, and Madam Jin is much more empathetic and she would be the on to take care of WWX.

You may be wondering - Jin Zixuan is Jin Zixuan. Wouldn’t his pride get in the way of things? He’s not called a peacock for no reason, and yes! I can see why you think that! But look at MianMian! She’s JZX best friend BECAUSE she probably grew up with him, and it’s clear in terms of temperament she’s better than JZX and she might even rival him in swordsmanship. If given the choice to grow up with him, WWX would have an amazing brotherly relationship with JZX, and would most likely accept the fact that WWX is amazing and would be PROUD of him. 

Also JZX’s relationship with Jiang Yanli may improve JUST BECAUSE WWX is there

(I might just be biased, idk)

Fanfiction: ‘Twin Treasures’ by crossdressingdeath

Summary: When Madame Jin happens to come across Cangse Sanren's orphaned son on a trip to Yiling, she can't bring herself to leave him there. Wei Wuxian finds a somewhat different family. Jin Zixuan finds a little brother. The course of history changes accordingly.

(Some things are written in fate, but even fate itself changes.)

Rogue Cultivators - Song Zichen and Xiao Xingchen

Let me point out first that Xingchen is ETHEREAL! HE’S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PERSON ON THE PLANET! (Song Jiyang is amazing istg I’ve never watched The Untamed but I’ve SEEN clips of them like 哥你怎样那么美). 

ANYWAYS, BACK TO THE POINT! Xiao Xingchen and Song Zichen would be amazing parents, don’t deny it. SZC would be rocky at taking care of WWX at first but he would get the hang of it and be the most over-protective person on the planet and would KILL ANYONE who hurts his family. Xiao Xingchen on the other hand would be the doting and loving parent. He spoils WWX but not as much as SZC (though he would never admit it). SZC and XXC would be the best if you want WWX to have parental figures.

Fanfiction:  ‘Frost moon's sun’ by RenaFair

Summary: Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan had dreamed of founding a sect together, that is until Xingchen heard what happened to his shijie. The two then decides to put their little dream on hold as they care for a pair of tiny hands between them, protecting the little boy with a sunshine smile as best as they can.

Alternately; Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan adopted Wei Ying after his parents' death.

[agendratum]

parties ruined by wei wuxian: ranked

(spoilers ahead!)

1. lantern ceremony (that counts as a party)

what was damaged:

- nie huaisang’s expensive lantern - jin zixuan’s pretty face - everybody’s mood

pros:

- ruined lantern was kind of lan wangji’s fault - ruined pretty face was kind of jin zixuan’s fault - resulted into a called off engagement (which was a good decision in the moment) - the party itself actually wasn’t ruined, the fight happened after it ended

cons:

- jiang yanli was sad - mianmian was disappointed - the whole thing with wei wuxian getting mad at jin zixuan and attacking him and jiang yanli and mianmian getting in between them kind of became a pattern that culminated into a very unfortunate event, but we don’t have to worry about that right now

on a scale from an actually good party to a double murder:

0/10 that was an actually good party!

and the fact that it got slightly ruined by the end isn’t even really wei wuxian’s fault! good job!

2. we shot down the sun banquet

what was damaged:

- lan wangji’s mood - jin guangshan’s smugness - jiang cheng’s self-esteem

pros:

- actually it’s impossible to ruin a party for lan wangji because being at a party is already a ruined party for him - wei wuxian tried really hard not to ruin that party by drinking outside alone like an emo he is - jiang yanli got to voice her opinion on her own life, which isn’t something that happened a lot - fuck you, jin guangshan

cons:

- why do you have to be so rude to lan wangji, wei wuxian, please (i know why, but still) - everyone’s idea of wei wuxian being an arrogant, cocky boy who didn’t respect his sect leader was being solidified (that definitely wasn’t going to backfire later)

on a scale from an actually good party to a double murder:

2/10 jin guangshan got fucked, so that’s a good enough party for me

also most of the people there were feeling pretty uncomfortable even without wei wuxian interfering, so does it really count

3. wen ning is back party

what was damaged:

- wei wuxian’s health - wen qing’s peace

pros:

- wen qing actually noticed wei wuxian’s problem with alcohol - for a moment it seemed like wei wuxian was too drunk to be depressed

cons:

- wei wuxian could never be too drunk to be depressed - wei wuxian was probably depressed - and slowly killing his health - and wen qing knew she couldn’t do much about it - but she was determined to try her best to help wei wuxian even if it killed her (oops)

on a scale from an actually good party to a double murder:

3/10 it’s that type of a party that’s pretty nice in general, but then later you’re the only sober person left, and your friend that got too drunk starts crying and talking about all the terrible things happening in their life, but you can’t really do much about it, so you just hope that they will fall asleep soon enough and you’ll get a chance to finish cleaning in peace

so like… just a normal party

4. nie huaisang’s banquet

what was damaged:

- wei wuxian’s reputation - nie huaisang’s plans for the evening

pros:

- it prompted both jiang yanli and jiang cheng to try to talk with wei wuxian about whatever the hell was going on with him

cons:

- he’s a stubborn idiot so he kind of lied to their faces instead of talking about his problems - old sect leaders got opportunity to gossip about him - jin zixun got opportunity to be an asshole - nie huaisang didn’t get opportunity to hang out with his friend

on a scale from an actually good party to a double murder:

4/10 that was lame as hell but not a total disaster

on nie huaisang’s scale tho it’s probably at least 8/10

5. post phoenix mountain hunt banquet

what was damaged:

- jin zixun’s smugness - a table - jiang cheng’s self-esteem (again) - everybody’s mood (again) - jin sect’s reputation (if only)

pros:

- jin sect was rightfully called out on their bullshit - everyone forgot the terrible time they were having before wei wuxian arrived and only remembered the terrible time they started having after he arrived - lan wangji got to enjoy his 10 seconds of thirst before everything went to shit

cons:

- most of the people there didn’t really notice jin sect being rightfully called out - they did notice wei wuxian threatening to murder people and black smoke coming from his flute - wei wuxian ruining jin guangyao’s parties kind of became a pattern and that wasn’t making jin guangyao any happier or less murderous

on a scale from an actually good party to a double murder:

6/10 a disaster for sure, but at least no one died, right?

6. discussion conference at jinlin tai

what was damaged:

- qin su (in more ways than one) - jin guangyao’s peace - jin ling’s psyche - wei wuxian himself

pros:

- what happened to qin su can’t really be blamed on wei wuxian, but really we will never know - the truth came out - wei wuxian and lan wangji got to have an extremely romantic moment to everyone’s annoyance

cons:

- qin su fucking died - the truth only came out to wei wuxian and lan wangji - wei wuxian got stabbed by his own nephew, who thought that he was responsible for his parents’ death - jin ling was having a really bad time - jin guangyao basically didn’t have anything to lose anymore (that definitely wasn’t going to backfire later) - the whole cultivation world found out wei wuxian was back and they all wanted him to be dead again

on a scale from an actually good party to a double murder:

8/10 only one murder happened! and not even because of wei wuxian (probably). but now someone had to pay for jin ling’s therapy

at least everything was going more or less accordingly to nie huaisang’s plan (let’s pretend he had one)

7. jin ling’s one-month celebration

what was damaged:

- jin zixuan - jin zixun - lan sect juniors - many sects' disciples - wei wuxian’s already not so bright future - wen ning’s already not so bright future

pros:

- technically didn’t ruin that party, as he didn’t even get to that party - didn't actually commit (some of) the murders himself, was set up

cons:

- nobody cared - many people died - his sister’s husband died - everything was kind of falling apart - that was the bad place

on a scale from an actually good party to a double murder:

10/10 a double murder!

with an added bonus of a bunch of other murders. what fun!

bonus!

8. afterparty in nightless city

what was damaged:

- many cultivators - jiang yanli - wei wuxian - jiang cheng (in more ways than one) - lan wangji (in more ways than one)

pros:

- not all of the cultivators there were hurt or killed by wei wuxian (good!) - most of the people there were happy that wei wuxian died (good?..)

cons:

- people fucking died - some of the people there were extremely not happy that wei wuxian died - jiang cheng was left alone with a child on his hands - lan wangji was left alone with a child on his hands - you would think having so much in common after that they would at least have something to talk about - wrong, they haven’t talked to each other in 16 years

on a scale from an actually good party to a double murder:

100/10 when the only word that you can describe your party with is a “massacre”, that’s a bad sign

[eldritch-elrics]

nie huaisang!

How I feel about this character

MAN i love nie huaisang. he’s just such a fun character! literally all the details we get about him contribute so well to a hilarious image of him as a person. he has the guts (or, is stupid enough) to sneak a bird into class. he’s the cloud recesses porn dealer. he expresses multiple times how beautiful he thinks various men are. he cuts class to do art. he’s lazy and a coward but in a very likeable way. and he likes hanging out with his bros, and he really respects meng yao, and he loves his da-ge very much (even if they don’t always see eye to eye) and is willing to do so much for his sake...

and then nie mingjue is murdered. and huaisang, who feels things way too strongly, who puts effort into art and fishing and everything he’s not supposed to, suddenly refocuses his efforts into the task of getting the best - and most convoluted - revenge ever. (because that’s how his brain works.) and the fact that it all goes according to his “plan” (plan in scare quotes because i don’t think he had a full one from the start) is terrifying.

he’s so complex! he contains multitudes! he cares So Much and when it comes down to it he’s willing to do some really horrible things for the sake of the people he loves. and the way he uses his reputation of incompetence to shield him from blame!!! ugh he’s just so clever and i love characters who are manipulative like that. plus, it feeds into the running theme in mdzs about how reputation/hearsay isn’t a reliable way to learn about who a person truly is...

All the people I ship romantically with this character

so nie huaisang is my fandom bicycle which means i have a LOT of possible answers to this question..

as you all know i’m a huge fan of sangxian. but not really romantically? and i don’t think there’s much in canon to suggest they’re anything other than Just Good Bros but i love their dynamic (and how touchy-feely they are lmao) and i love the idea of them being FWB/QPPs. underrated ship!

sangcheng is also really good. excellent silly x serious vibe! and - yes this is a huge rarepair but i’ve gotten quite into it - sangning? two sweet anxious nerds who care a lot about their older sibs!

if you’re looking for a more fucked up flavor of nhs ships, sangyao is delicious. the fact that they cared about each other so much! and jgy still thinks nhs cares about him, even when nhs is plotting! breaks my heart

sangyu is in some ways even more fucked up and it’s great

other nhs rarepairs i’ve considered are nhs/jzx and nhs/xy (the first features in my current wip!) ... this post is long enough though so i won’t talk about those

My non-romantic OTP for this character

well. wei wuxian. they are bros!!! the whole gusu trio is great. i’m also a big fan of nhs being friends with mianmian! i think their personalities would bounce off each other in a really fun way

as much fun as sangyu is, i think my preferred personal headcanon for their relationship is a strictly platonic one. i think they were really friends!!

oh and of course the nie bros <3 can’t forget those family feels!!!!

My unpopular opinion about this character

i don’t think he’s a villain. that is to say - he is 100% a morally grey character who does some truly awful things, but i just don’t think he fits the right role in the story to be labeled a villain

on a lighter note - i sort of headcanon nhs as alloaro! as in, allosexual (gay) but also on the aromantic spectrum. i’ve seen tons of other good nhs hcs but this is the one stuck in my mind lol

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

i wish he and wwx had had more time to hang out in the middle of the story. i wish we’d seen more of them hanging out in general! then again, the part where wwx (post-golden core transfer) is in qinghe, and pushes nhs away - that really struck me. and it’s a sad moment, but i think it’s an important moment, because it shows how much wwx has grown (in a bad way, i think) and how nhs is beginning to lose all his connections...

WOW THIS GOT LONG but thank you!! love talking about my boy

[smiting-finger]

Bin AU Headcanons

Part II of the (〃ω〃) 500 followers! unwritten-headcanon amnesty (some given in response to AO3 comment questions, and others given unsolicited, lol), this time for Out of the Bin and Into Your Heart and from me to you, my heart to yours

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian

Pre-Wei Wuxian’s first arrest, Lan Wangji was quietly volunteering as general legal aid (helping old migrants with their internet/other service contracts, helping women with their domestic violence paperwork), and then Wei Wuxian gets arrested at a protest and Lan Wangji is not there and he doesn’t know this area of law so he signs up to get involved with Activist Legal Support the next day.

Relatedly: Lan Wangji’s approach to helping Wei Wuxian has always been to turn up, do what needs to be done for Wei Wuxian to achieve his goals and then silently leave again. So when the two goobers eventually move in together (and are finally fully in each other’s space, and fully across each other’s movements), Wei Wuxian goes through a period of constant realisations like “Oh, Lan Zhan, you’re the one who’s been doing this? This as well?! THAT, TOO???”

Pre-fake dating, Lan Wangji knows that Wei Wuxian won’t keep any gifts given by secret admirers, but will shamelessly accept anything that Lan Wangji gives him outright as a friend (”friend”). He derives a petty satisfaction from that, and so has responded more than once to a gift-incident by giving Wei Wuxian a corresponding gift of his own:

So if he heard about the gift socks, he’d go out and get Wei Wuxian a pair of novelty There’s No Planet B! socks, which Wei Wuxian would naturally wear both immediately and proudly with his shortest pair of 4/5ths pants. (And Lan Wangji would stand next to him and somehow radiate smugness without making any change to his expression.)

Needless to say, Wei Wuxian has received a lot of Lan Wangji chocolate (chilli, fairtrade), lunches (homemade, nutritious) and other small items.

Wei Wuxian never even considers the possibility of not putting all his fake-dating eggs into the Lan Zhan basket. And also never stops to think about why that iss.

In re kungfu practice: when sparring against normal people, Lan Wangji does annoyed-leg-sweeps because of “I’ll bring you down every peg to the floor” reasons he’s too well-bred to voice. 

Past recipients of this treatment have included:

Wen Chao, 

Xue Yang at his most obnoxious

Jin Zixuan when gossip about his comments in re Jiang Yanli not being pretty or successful enough to date him (”I can’t believe my mum set me up with someone so mediocre”) is at its height.

This is pre-Wei Wuxian onstage-punch. That comes during the second round of gossip.

With Wei Wuxian (and only Wei Wuxian), however, it’s always leg sweeps and pinning, which is because of ... “irritation”.

The Phoenix Mountain Reserve photo has been Lan Wangji’s favourite shot of Wei Wuxian since it was made publicly available, but he couldn’t use it as a wallpaper for obvious reasons.

Then he agrees to the fake-dating, sees how far Wei Wuxian was going to take it and realised: chansu!

At some point during the fake-dating, Wei Wuxian escalates from the phone entry of Oppa to calling Lan Wangji “Oppa~!” in real life, and then from there to a full “Oppa! Saranghaeyo~!” with the arms-on-head love heart. 

After n iterations of this, Lan Zhan responds with a mirror arms-on-head love heart and a deadpan “Saranghaeyo.” with his face still like (• _ •) and it’s an instant, supereffective K.O. for Wei Wuxian.

Every so often, when another one of his romantic overtures has soared right over Wei Wuxian’s head, Lan Wangji considers Jin Zixuan’s over-the-top demonstrations of affection and thinks (bleakly) “...Jin Zixuan got a singing telegram. Must I also resort to a singing telegram? ; _ ; “

In re: the concert hip-hop number, shirtlessness is the goal all along:

A-Qing (who is also a troublemaker on Lan Qiren’s radar - as soon as he receives the form that says that she and Wei Wuxian will be working together, his spidey senses start tingling) has been constantly referencing it throughout all their practices like: 

“Well, because you’ll be shirtless, you’ll have to make sure to-”

“Yeah, that’s a great idea, totally do that, but remember that you’ll be shirtless too, so-”

Even Song Zichen and Xue Yang know about it and have been visibly bracing themselves for the dress (or undress, lul) rehearsal

Wei Wuxian has missed all of this because of his amazing tunnel vision.

Speaking of Song Zichen and Xue Yang, while they’re having their Moments:

Xiao Xingchen is swanning around like “But do you think the performance had artistic integrity? A-Qing, I’m a little worried that the choreography didn’t do full justice to the abilities of all our members! I hope they don’t think I’m hogging the limelight!”, taunting them with his half-nakedness while he earnestly tries to make sure that all the other dancers are comfortable and happy with the final arrangement

A-Qing fully notices the heart-eye beams shooting over from the wings (and fully notices the same heart-eye beams shooting over during various practices), briefly thinks about saying something to put the two losers out of their misery (because Xiao Xingchen is not the special level of oblivious that Wei Wuxian is), but then thinks ... nah.

During practice back-painting, Wei Wuxian is so focused on Not Looking that his mistimes his ~sexy stretch~ and gets it in precisely when Lan Wangji has turned his back to get the towel, so it really is all for nothing, RIP.

In the reprise back-painting session (and there definitely is one, what with Lan Wangji’s love for marking and the fact that Chinese calligraphers usually sign their name on their work), the levels of both shamelessness and trolling shoot through the roof on both sides:

Wei Wuxian suddenly feels the need to do a lot more whimpering and moaning, and his flinches of “surprise” and wriggling to “get comfortable” suddenly happen a lot more in the hip area than they did before.

Lan Wangji does a lot more touching of the skin he’s about to paint to “warn” Wei Wuxian that the brush is coming (do warnings have to be quite so ... lingering? Only Lan Wangji knows), discovers a sudden need for wrist-pinning to “hold Wei Wuxian still while he works” and his blowing on ink to get it dry suddenly gets a lot more ... sensual ...

Lan Wangji is the teacher that all his babies are always proposing to. They lOvE him with every inch of their tiny baby hearts, and after they get together, Wei Wuxian watches on with a knowing nod, like “My fam, I getcha. Gege will support you in expressing your feelings and we can ALL win!”

Wei Wuxian doesn’t know it, but he has a group of grannies and grandpas wringing their hands over his happiness, too: It’s all well and good that he’s seeing the Lan boy now, but when are they gonna get married, huh? HUH?! WHAT’S THE POINT OF SAVING THE PLANET IF YOU’RE NOT GONNA FILL IT WITH BABIES, WEI WUXIAN???

So once they officially start dating, Wei Wuxian steps into the Cultural Centre like “Ah, our fresh new romance! Even after all this time of fake-dating, I’d better give people some transition time to get used to this new state of affairs!”

And in the background, 73 aunties and grannies are thinking “Look how behind schedule you are, Wei Wuxian!” (because it’s definitely his fault, and not Lan Wangji’s). “Where are the babies? WHERE ARE THE BABIES??”

The wedding advice Wei Wuxian got from the grannies during Mianmian’s wedding prep is liberally flavoured with real life anecdotes like:

“Don’t be like XX’s son. He made the mistake of trying to skimp on the dowry - so disrespectful to people who’ve poured so much love and energy into raising a daughter - and it poisoned the entire relationship.”

“That venue is no good - YY’s daughter had her reception there, and we all had diarrhoea after eating the prawns.”

(And Wei Wuxian is like: “How can you retain all of this bullshit detail about every wedding the Cultural Society has ever witnessed, but still not know how to say the phrase ‘Excuse me, what time is the bus coming’ in English?!”)

Mianmian definitely also gets strong-armed by her excited mother into some glorious(ly terrible) Chinese-style studio wedding photos (with industrial-strength airbrushing and wedding costume changes that span many cultures and many Chinese time periods).

Mianmian swears to never let Wei Wuxian get his grubby hands on that album, on pain of death.

But then her parents host something, and Wei Wuxian goes, and right there, hanging in their living room, is a floor-to-ceiling calendar, featuring Mianmian and Mian-man dressed as Chinese emperor and empress (because Mianmian certainly didn’t want it in her house, but it came with the package.)

Wei Wuxian makes a noise that Mianmian previously thought only dolphins could produce, and proceeds to take SO MANY photos with his phone.

At some point after Mianmian’s wedding, Lan Wangji comes out of the shower to find:

1 pair of pyjama bottoms waiting for him on the bed; and

Wei Wuxian in the corresponding top (which doesn’t cover his butt after all, but whatever, he’s committed), shooting him a double-thumbs up and wearing an expression like 8D!

(And Lan Wangji decides it’s not worth fighting and just goes with it.)

Lan Qiren

Lan Qiren is totally the kind of parent who never boasts about his children directly, but will listen politely to you telling him about how your son scored 86 in his maths examination, and wait for you to obligation-ask about his kids before casually saying, “Oh, Wangji? He scored full marks” and smiling thinly.

He’ll add “Sounds like your son worked really hard” for extra fuck you value if you were being particularly obnoxious.

The greatest tragedy in his parenting life is realising that if your children are The Best, it’s only possible for them to marry down.

His initial feelings regarding Wei Wuxian dating his nephew can probably be summed up as: “Wei Wuxian, I did not lovingly raise my precious Lan Wangji just to give him to you!!!” 

(The problem is that his nephew (inexplicably) likes Wei Wuxian so much, mumblegrumble.)

For weeks after The Resentment of Lan Qiren, every time Lan Qiren sees Wen Ning, he shakes his head sadly to himself and mutters “What a shame, what a shame.”

When Wen Ning responds with a slightly panicked “?!”, Lan Qiren just pats him on the shoulder, like, “No, no, it’s not you. We can’t choose our relatives. And isn’t that the greatest shame in the world?” - and then DOESN’T EXPLAIN ANYTHING.

And after many bouts of thinking and rethinking still lead him to the conclusion that Wei Wuxian is the best choice in comparison to all the other available options, Lan Qiren may or may not visit Cangse Sanren’s grave to burn some incense for an excuse to stand there and offer a sullen, “You fukken got me again, you bastard. I can’t believe you.”

He doesn’t know who he hates more:

Wei Wuxian for being himself and yet still the best choice

Cangse Sanren for not letting being dead stop her from continuing to be a thorn in Lan Qiren’s side

Wen Ruohan for being undesirable enough to disqualify the only valid competitor

The other parents for failing to produce children who are better than Wei Wuxian 

(Like: Surely it can’t be that hard if he (+ his brother + his sister-in law) managed to produce two)

So he settles for hating everyone.

For his next birthday, Lan Xichen sends him a box of blood-pressure-lowering supplements.

Lan Qiren is like “!!!” but he still takes them because just because his nephew is being impudent does not mean there is not also a Need.

In re 3zun:

Lan Qiren goes around determinedly Not Thinking about Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao. Every time his eyes approach something he doesn’t want to see, he just turns his head like NOPE.

He eventually realises that he and Wei Wuxian have this in common and that Wei Wuxian is therefore his most valuable ally - both in terms of having someone to pivot to and have very loud, very enthusiastic conversations about anything else whenever the 3zun do something they don’t want to see, and also having someone to commiserate with about Not Wanting to Know. (But because they’re them, they alternate between teaming up for self-preservation and using their mutual weakness to take petty jabs at each other.)

"-If two of them are dating, then where does that leave the third one?!"

"RIGHT? Imagine finding out that they were silently pining away, forced to third-wheel for their unrequited love and best friend - unrequited LOVES AND BEST FRIENDS? What would you say to that?!"

"That's not even considering which one the third wheel would be - I honestly don't know which option would be the worst, they're all terrible."

"I'm almost ready to say that I'd rather they all be dating each other, except then I'd have to think about how that would work, dynamic-wise, like - who calls the shots? Do you think Nie Mingjue is domineering all the time, or do you think it’s a public front, and he then goes home to be dominated by-"

“STOP.”

Even before 3zun get together (both Lan Qiren and Wei Wuxian have chosen to Never Know when this is), Jin Guangyao is throwing out suggestive comments left and right and then immediately whipping out his (◔◡◔✿) face for anyone’s double-take:

50% to test the waters of public sentiment before he makes a move and it actually becomes his problem

50% because he’s a troll who likes dominance displays

Knowing this factoid, one of Wei Wuxian’s mental 3zun Dynamics possibilities features Superdom!Jin Guangyao, but he does his best to avoid thinking about that.

After Lan Qiren mentally accepts Wei Wuxian into the fold:

He still internally responds to at least 50% of the things that Wei Wuxian does with “Why, that little shit”, but it’s also implied that Wei Wuxian is their little shit now.

And for Lan Family! Qiren, this means: If you shit on him, WE shit on you.

“Shufu” 

Lan Qiren definitely Notices when Wei Wuxian calls him that, but it Doesn’t Do to make a fuss.

He probably has a conversation with Lan Xichen sometime around the first family dinner that goes:

LQR: You've noticed that he's still calling me 'Uncle Qiren' like we're nothing to each other.

LXC: ...If you want him to call you Shufu, should you perhaps not mention that to him?

LQR: What? No, he should already know these things!

And then after the wedding:

LQR: Your brother's boyfriend is finally acting like one of the family. LXC: Haha, oh my.

Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan

Although their mothers have been friends for ages, Jin Zixuan grows up in a different city, so they don't see each other growing up. The Jins later move for Jin Zixuan's high-flying corporate job, Madam Jin joins the Culture Society at her friend's behest and immediately falls in love with Jiang Yanli as a daughter-in-law. 

After a lot of cajoling (in both directions), she gets them to agree to one date, which is a disaster (I have more headcanons about this but they won't fit in here) 

Jin Zixuan has a lot of money and zero sense of proportion, which does not generally result in tasteful things. (Where Jiang Yanli is concerned, his desire to keep up a "cool" image is completely overpowered by his desire to please, so that doesn't help either. Like a golden retriever who wants people to think he's a cat.) 

After they get married, Wei Wuxian sometimes thinks about the peacock's peacocking rituals, like: "It's good that he's gotten more reasonable now that they're married - no, wait, what if he hasn't gotten more reasonable, but there's just no one around to see it because they're married?!" and never gets brave enough to ask his sister about it. 

After Jin Ling's birth, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng (and maybe even Jin Zixuan) get locked in an ongoing battle for Jin Ling's affections. Jiang Yanli is the clear favourite, as she should be, but they all want to be #2, and their constant jostling is how he ends up with no chill despite being raised by one calm mum and one aloof (but secretly disaster) dad

But because Jiang Yanli is around, he's very polite about it: the kind of kid who barrels in screaming blue murder, skids to a halt and says "Auntie", and then tears out screaming blue murder again

Wei Wuxian tones it down a lot after he and Lan Wangji adopt A-Yuan because he’s got better things to do, but it’s still A Thing (during visits, A-Yuan spends a lot of time in Auntie Yanli’s lap being gently fed things while his dad and shushu yell at each other over the top of his cousin’s head)

Lan Xichen and Jiang Yanli

Initially brought together by their brothers, they now meet up for regular, peaceful, wholesome tea-dates where they discuss the lives of their mutuals and gently exchange advice (and strategies on how to keep their angry-angry parent/proxy-parent's blood pressure down.

Whereas Jiang Cheng gets closer to coughing up blood with every year that passes by without Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji getting their shit together, Lan Xichen and Jiang Yanli take the more optimistic view of "Look at how well-prepared we are, we've just run another year ahead of schedule!"

Dinner Crew

Jiang Cheng has been the unwilling audience to years of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji’s bullshit. 

If asked, he would say: “And you wonder why I’m so angry?! What do you mean ‘dating’, you’ve been fucking married for the last five years!” but no one ever does :’D

Every so often, he thinks about how happy their sister is about the dating situation because she doesn’t know that it’s fake, and he grinds his teeth because why can’t he also not-know!?

To this, Nie Huaisang says, “If we didn’t know we couldn’t help!”

And Jiang Cheng replies, “WE’RE NOT HELPING ANYWAY, LOOK AT HIM!!!”

Meanwhile, Jiang Yanli continues to gush about how happy she is for Wei Wuxian and all Jiang Cheng can do is laugh really unnaturally because he has to “Be strong, Jiang Cheng! Be strong for A-jie! ╥﹏╥”

He goes to read the comments on the Society Facebook after the fujoshi conversation, and gets so angry at all these people who are like “Ah, their love is so beautiful!” that he has to uninstall his Facebook app, and go and shout into a cupboard somewhere.

The non-Wei-Wuxian members of the dinner group have set up a separate chat to act as a support group, where they all go to:

Wail and gnash their teeth after Wei Wuxian does something particularly dumb

Scheme ways into getting Wei Wuxian to get a clue

Console one another when someone’s brave attempt at getting Wei Wuxian to face the truth fails miserably (because while they play by the rules of ‘what a normal human would do’, Wei Wuxian lives by the principle of ‘lol norms are for losers’.)

Relatedly: for every resigned Nie Huaisang face or enraged Jiang Cheng face that Wei Wuxian notices, there are at least three desperate-yet-silent exchanges that he doesn’t. 

Wen Ning is always really optimistic about it, nodding encouragingly like “He’s gonna get it - he’s gonna get it! - oh no, he’s not gonna get it. Oh. Oh no. Ó╭╮Ò”

Wen Ning always has at least one small child hanging off him at all times when he’s at the Cultural Centre because they know he can always be bullied into playing with them and they think he’s great.

Past bullshit dinner group projects have included Getting Jiang Cheng a Date and Making a Picture out of Jin Guangyao’s Forehead Dot While He’s Sleeping

(In re the forehead dot, they end up settling for making it bigger every time he nods off during a movie night at Nie Huaisang’s house, and Nie Mingjue comes home to what’s basically a Japanese flag on Jin Guangyao’s forehead and is like ಠ_ಠ)

Future dinner group projects include providing Wei Wuxian with support for Grand Plans like Getting Along with Uncle Qiren and providing Jiang Cheng with unwanted support for things like Workshopping Jiang Cheng’s List of Partner Requirements

A-Yuan

After A-Yuan’s adoption, Wei Wuxian and Lan Qiren redouble their efforts in Can we divorce an in-law?! because although they couldn’t save themselves from being related to Jin Guangyao, for their PRECIOUS BOY--

Therefore, when A-Yuan is five or six and starts to sound out how he’s related to people and why:

A-Yuan: So if Jin-yeye is Uncle Guangyao’s dad, then that makes him my-

Wei Wuxian: NOTHING!

Lan Qiren (springing up from the other side of the room): NOTHING!

Lan Xichen: lol

At around about this same time, Wei Wuxian, who is never gonna stop trolling Lan Qiren about ruzhui until the day he dies, runs A-Yuan through the “You see, my son, my family is not so well-to-do, and since your Uncle married into the Nie family-” talk, and then proceeds to reference it at every opportunity:

1: Despite A-Yuan almost certainly not asking, and

2: despite (/especially because of) Lan Qiren shouting “DON’T TEACH HIM WEIRD THINGS!” in the background.

(Lan Wangji probably lets it happen or encourages it because he thinks it’s funny)

[re-rencc]

The untamed in highschool headcanons

-okey so let’s start with wei wuxian as a sophomore, he has the highest score in his generation, he is the popular guy, like everybody likes him, but they have good reasons to like him, he’s kind funny and good at everything, he met lan Shan when he was going to annoy his little brother and just saw him there and thought, “mmmm, I want to be friends with him” so he starts trying to talk to him but the boy only says “mmn” which makes everything more difficult, he tries to get jiang Cheng and nie huisang to help him but it seems like jiang Cheng has his own boy problems and nie huisang just doesn’t want because he is lazy, so he is by his own, when his sister ask him if he likes the boy, he is like “no, no, obviously not”, you know, like a liar

-lan Wangji, so he is a freshman,he plays the piano as a extra activity and just as wei wuxian he has the best grades in his year, he is a little bit of a new sensation in the school, he is mysterious and his big bro is super popular so everyone thought that they were going to get another lan xichen, when they realize he was in fact nothing like his brother they stopped trying to talk to him expect for this sophomore who is kinda annoying but he thinks of him as a friend (he likes him obviously, his brother made him aware of this fact)

-big bro lan is popular as hell, no matter what year you are, you know who he is, he tries to remember everybody’s name but is kinda difficult when there is so much people, even though he is trying to remember the freshman names because his little brother is in there, whenever he goes to talk to his brother or any other freshman they all seem to act different expect for this other freshman, Jiang Cheng, he quickly learns that he is the younger brother of Yanli but the boy doesn’t seems to know him, so he tries to talk to him as much as possible, it’s easier than to talk to someone who acts different with him

-jiang Cheng is a freshman, he doesn’t take any extra curses because he is shit at music instruments, he can sing, actually he is amazing at, but he is shy (and way to harsh), because of this he doesn’t have many freshman friends, he often hangs out with Nie huisang, he would hang out with his brother but there is always so many people with him a lot of them who said really bad things at him so he doesn’t, one day this senior starts talking to him, again everyone starts to threaten him, but he doesn’t know who this boy is, just that he his kind to him, he doesn’t get mad at him when he rambles, he is handsome and fuck, he has a crush (real moment of realization “fuckin me, thinking basic kindness is romance”)

-nie huisang is a junior and the gym coach little brother, he is smart but doesn’t care enough to try and have good grades, he goes to art clases and sometimes he skips gym class cause no matter how much nie mingjue screams at him, he never fails gym, he is friends with wei wuxian since the last year and this year he made jiang cheng his friend, he soon realized that the brothers are dense as fuck so he normally tries lo let them with their soon to be boyfriends and talks with jiang Yanli and Wen Qing

-wen ning is a sophomore and is best friends with wei wuxian, even if he is super shy he likes to be around him

-wen qing in a senior heading to medicine school and is such a badass, she is a badass lesbian, she is dating junior mianmian, a soccer player, and they are ICONIC

-jiang Yanli is a senior as well as is friends with lan Xichen, she is dating thundere Jin zixuan, a junior who took a month to ask her out, but he is cute and she likes him so it’s okey, she is in charge of make his like brothers not die alone with how dumb they are

-Jin Guangyao is Jin zixuan half brother but they have a good relationship, he is lan Xichen bestie and oh god, can that dumb boy just realize that he is in love with the freshman idiot or does he have to keep pushing him

-the juniors (lan yuan, lan jingyi and Jin Ling) are still in middle school and they do the best they can at setting their (the lans) cousin with the boy he likes but nothing seems to work, they are just tired

[drwcn]

I really do think mianmian and lwj deserve to be like, close friends. from their meeting in the show it doesn’t seem like they ever saw each other after jinlintai and i have no idea when they would’ve gotten the chance, but just afterwards, you know?

yes, I think they definitely deserve to be friends! One of things I always found troubling about these novel based xianxia dramas is the lack of sustainable friendship beyond the main romance line. I guess in order to create angst and emotional investment for the audiences, a lot of times, friendship get sidelined or destroyed when characters die or betray each other. As well, most non-romance relationships that we see lasting to the end of the story are family relations and sometimes servitude (aka a lackey that hangs on until the end). Real friendships where both parties are roughly on equal footing and station rarely last in these epic adventure dramas. You couldn’t even say Wen Ning is Wei Wuxian’s friend of equal station, not when Wen Ning doesn’t call Wei Wuxian by his name, just “young master”. Perhaps this is to isolate the main character, who knows.  Even so, friendship between men is portrayed more frequently than friendship between women, or men and women. 

So with your prompt, it inspired me to write a little something Luo Qingyang centric, ft our Hanguang-jun and juniors.

~~~ 

Lanling Jin’s entourage stood by the gates of Cloud Recesses, patiently waiting for their admission. What seemed like a life time ago, Luo Qingyang had been on these same steps with Jin Zixuan. She’d been a girl then, barely bloomed, barely grown. Life had been simple, and she had thought she knew what the future would hold. 

So much had come to pass, yet these grand arches, white granite stone pulsing with spiritual aura, never seemed to age. 

She glanced down at her Jin Clan robes, the pale yellow and white, embroidered with peonies and a strip of blue accentuating the lapel edge. She never thought she’d wear these colours again. Her mother had been a Jin, first cousin of Jin Guangshan. Once upon time, she’d been proud to be one of them, to be part of a powerful and wealthy clan. Then the war came and went, like the debriding of a wound upon their world that revealed the flesh underneath had caseated to the bone. She’d been so disillusioned, so aggrieved by her elders and disappointed by her peers. 

Even Zixuan.

He had been a good man, her cousin. But he wasn’t strong of heart nor clever of mind. She was sorry to know he had died, but she wasn’t surprised. If he could not see the game his father had been playing, then there had never been any hope for him.

Luo Qingyang glanced towards the youth in front of her just slightly to the right. From the view of his back, she could almost picture his father, standing there with Suihua in his clutch, a proud son of the house of Jin. Time seemed to fluctuate, the eighteen years between then and now barely a drop in the ocean. If she breathed deeply enough and closed her eyes, she could almost be Mianmian again, could almost see Zixuan again. 

This was the first time Jin Ling had come to Cloud Recesses without his jiujiu. The boy was rightfully nervous, but this push towards independence was necessary. Sooner or later, baby bird had to learn how to fly. Like his father, Jin Rulan had a kind nature, even if he was awful at expressing his feelings. He was young, but the burden on his shoulders were heavy. For the mess that was the Jin Clan post Jin Guangyao's demise to fall into Jin Ling's lap was the best and worst case scenario. If he hadn’t risen to occasion, the subsidiary sects - vultures circling a carcass- would’ve torn Lanling apart. 

Perhaps that was why Luo Qingyang had agreed to return to her mother clan.

Wei Wuxian had arrived at her doorsteps one day some months after the incident at Guanyin Temple. Even on the outskirts of Yiling where she had lived, she had received news of what had happened. Wei Wuxian explained he’d been travelling, but between his subtle hints and unsubtle nudges, she had understood his intentions. 

Jin Ling had no one to help him man the helm. Jiang Cheng could only do so much without the other sects accusing him of overreaching into businesses beyond Yunmeng’s jurisdiction. Jin Ling was Jinlintai’s heir, not Lotus Pier’s, a fact that most people had slowly forgotten over the last decade. Childless, Jiang Cheng’s seat would one day go to his prime disciple, but not to his nephew.   

“Lan Zhan had written a decree for you, in case you encounter trouble going back. It’s a lot to ask for, I know. You’ve got such a lovely home here. But...you are needed, Mianmian, if you could forgive them.”

Forgive them? Luo Qingyang sighed. What’s there to forgive? She had left of her own volition, married well, and had a wonderful family. Her husband grumbled a bit about moving to the big city, but in the end he followed her back to her clan, just like he did to her night hunts. Her husband had been a merchant once, and she had no doubt he would thrive in Lanling. So far, she had not been proven wrong.  

“I am Jin Rulan’s biao’gu*. He is as much your nephew as he is mine. Tell His Excellency that I will return to Jinlintai shortly. He can be assured Sect Leader Jin will not be alone.”  

Lan Sizhui, Gusu Lan’s Head Disciple greeted them at the gates with a deep bow. Like his de-facto cousin, Sizhui had grown taller and more mature. 

“Welcome, Jin-zongzhu, Luo-zhangshi*, and honored guests. Cloud Recesses thank you for your patience. Please, come with me.” 

He gave Jin Ling a private smile, and the latter perked up immediately. “Lan-gongzi, you’re too kind. It’s been some time since we last spoke. I trust His Excellency is of good health and spirit?”

“Hanguang-jun is very well, thank you Jin-zongzhu.” In a lower tone, Sizhui commented. “I would’ve visited Lotus Pier with Wei-qianbei last harvest, but I was sent to Qinghe for sect business.” 

Boys playing at being men. 

Luo Qingyang hid a smile, slowing down her steps to give the youngsters some privacy from the party that followed them. 

Such innocence. How lovely it was. The boys she’d known were forced to grow up amidst fire and chaos, and did so in such brutal, unimaginable ways. So many had died, and those who had lived would never get to experience their ‘what-could’ve-been’s.

~

After, when the official businesses were settled and the disciples were dismissed, Luo Qingyang and Lan Wangji sat together in a quiet pavilion. Sizhui and A-Ling were some distances away down the lang, standing a reasonable distance apart and conversing politely. Though, it was more than obvious that they were itching to shed their gentlemanly exterior and scurry off to whatever shenanigans boys their age got up to when their guardians weren't looking.

Lou Qingyang observed the man sitting across from her and found some irony in the fact that they were strangely similar. Though talented in cultivation, Lan Wangji was not the type she would’ve imagined being Chief Cultivator, and certainly she herself could’ve never imagined that one day she would be chief of staff of Lanling Jin. 

Life dealt them both a funny set of cards and all they could do was keep playing. 

“I know Wei Ying had delivered my message, but I want to thank you properly in person, Luo-zhangshi, for agreeing to come back. Those early days after Jin Guangyao’s death was...precariously to say the least. The situation at Jinlintai is much better now thanks to your efforts.” 

“Hanguang-jun, we’ve known each other for a long time. Your husband has a scar on his chest from saving me from a Wen branding iron, and my daughter has received lucky money from the both of you. I think you can call me Miamian, if you’re comfortable with that.” She smiled, taking a sip of her tea. The scent of jasmine was calming after such a long, arduous morning.

Lan Wangji nodded, turning to his own cup. “We used to be classmates, now we are colleagues. Perhaps you are right. Formality in private is unnecessary.” 

“As for coming back, it is my duty. Jin Ling is bright and kind. With the right guidance, Lanling Jin Sect will recover. I knew him, Jin Guangyao. He was... nice to me, most of the time anyways. Whether that niceness had any truth behind it, I don’t know, but even then he’d been so unreadable. I only wish I’d seen through it all sooner. So you see, there is no need for thanks, Wangji-xiong. We Jins have done enough wrong against your family. Pray, how is Zewu-jun?” 

 “Brother is still in seclusion, but he is no danger to himself. He is better now. Time heals all wounds. Though...” 

Though knowing Lan Xichen, knowing what Lans were like when faced with tragic love, Lan Wangji wasn’t sure what his brother’s future would hold. 

Luo Qingyang nodded, understanding. Suddenly, their tranquility was interrupted by a disciple rounding the corner, footsteps heavy and voice decidedly too loud. 

“Sizhui, did you meet up with Young Mis -” 

Lan Jingyi’s holler aborted immediately when he saw who was sitting in the pavilion. “Erm... Hanguang-jun, Luo-zhangshi...” Smiling sheepishly, he bowed. 

“Sizhui.” Lan Wangji gave his son a pointed look, which the youth instantly understood. 

“Ah, Jin-zongzhu. Perhaps you would like for Jingyi and myself to you show around? Cloud Recesses’ scenery is really one of a kind this time of year.”  

“Yes, yes!" Jin Ling leaped to his feet from where he was sitting on the bench. He paused, casting a cautious glance towards his aunt, before clearing his throat and continuing in his most ‘adult’ voice. “Yes, I would like that. Lan-gongzi, Jingyi-xiong, if you wouldn't mind leading the way.” 

Luo Qingyang and Lan Wangji focused their attention back to their tea cups, both turning a blind eye to the way Sizhui and Rulan all but ran to join up with Lan Jingyi. 

They were out of sight in a heartbeat. 

“Do you know who they remind me of?” Luo Qingyang tilted her head as a sense of deja-vu washed over her. 

“Mn?” 

“Wei-gongzi, Nie-zongzhu, and Jiang-zongzhu, during our guest disciple days.” 

Our long summer. 

“Mn.”

“Remember when they got drunk on Emperor’s Smile? They really were audacious even then.” Luo Qingyang reminisced with a fond chuckle. 

“Yes. Uncle was furious.” The corner of Lan Wangji’s lips tilted upwards. 

Was that amusement she detected?! 

Mianman blinked, suddenly realizing, “Oh but you were amongst them too, if I recall correctly.” She gave him a sly smile. “The girls said you were discovered in a drunken coma in Wei-gongzi’s room the next morning. Is that true?” 

“Yes.” 

Oh the scandal! “How did they rope you into it?”

“I was willing,” confessed the venerated Hanguang-jun without so much as a blush. The shameless scoundrel! 

Luo Qingyang laughed, the sound ringing like a clear bell that cut through Cloud Recesses’ tranquility. 

“I suppose it doesn’t matter anymore; he’s your husband now. For the record, we all saw it coming.”

Lan Wangji raised a quizzical brow. “Oh? I did not think it was obvious.” 

“Well, not to the male disciples perhaps, but the female disciples, we all knew.” Luo Qingyang took a deep breath and sighed. “Sometimes I miss those days. Simpler times.” 

“Mn.” 

“My daughter has started cultivation lessons with the other children at Jinlintai. Someday she may visit here as guest disciple, as I once was. I hope her future will be a better one.” 

She met his gaze steadily, and the understanding in between had no need for further words. 

Lan Wangji smiled. 

“That is my wish as well.” 

  ~

biao’gu 表姑 = a type of aunt, a distant female cousin of one’s parent that’s in the same generation as them.

zhang’shi 长史= an antiquated government position that’s akin to Secretary General. 

[veliseraptor]

Your Jin Zixuan lives AU ❤️

I need to get back to writing this, she said, while also working on her five million other AUs and thinking about starting at least four more. (Lise! Finish something first, at least, please, I’m begging you.)

anyway though!

so one of the things I’ve been thinking about going into this fic is the idea that Jin Zixuan kind of-sort of actually would’ve liked to have a relationship with Wei Wuxian, who treated him like a person in a way a lot of other people didn’t (in the sense of...not like the pampered Jin heir, but sort of like Mianmian did, I think, if more insultingly/aggressively). I think Jin Zixuan wanted a weird-but-positive relationship there, not least because Jiang Yanli’s Beloved Didi, that’s important in and of itself. so genuinely like. upset! that Wei Wuxian died and everyone seems to think he should be happy about it. 

also that he should be happy about it and not more upset about the fact that, you know, Jiang Yanli died. that seems like the bigger deal here, to him! 

you know who is going to try to bond with Lan Wangji about single fatherhood in awkward silence? it’s Jin Zixuan. it’s not going to work great but he’s going to try! at least for a little while before giving up, probably.

I think this AU also features a Jin Zixuan who is much more...disillusioned and pessimistic? about the world he lives in. like, he led a very sheltered life growing up, and I think remained more sheltered than most of his peers even through the Sunshot Campaign (which if I recall the Jin joined late and stayed out of the major battles for a while). but after nearly dying, after Jiang Yanli’s death and the whole fiasco of Wei Wuxian’s downfall...a lot of the shine has worn off.

I feel like this might lead to him leaning more on Jin Guangyao, too - because I do feel like Jin Zixuan is actually open to Jin Guangyao being a part of his family! I mean, he calls him a-Yao and he seems to respect him. In a universe where he’s still the sect heir but is also tired and lonely and more cynical than he ever was in canon, I can see him turning to Jin Guangyao as a resource. 

(I feel like he would also let Jin Guangyao hold the baby Jin Ling, which is important, thank you.)

also I think he and Jiang Cheng do bond more via Jin Ling because Jiang Cheng is going to aggressively uncle that boy no matter what and they’re still family though there is this weird tension there because Jiang Yanli was the link between them and while she still sort of is she’s also very gone and both of their presences remind each other of that, which hurts. and with Jin Zixuan around, it is much easier to keep Jiang Cheng at more of a distance, I think, than it is in canon. (which I think Jin Guangshan, at least, would want to do - not too much because alliance there is important, but also having him hanging around/interfering would, I think, irk him.)

[wangxiangiftexchange]

Winter Solstice Gift for garsideofthemoon

Hi! From the prompt I was inspired by @garsideofthemoon’s   Likes: AUs, friends to lovers, shippy fluff, stuff about being queer or being trans/nonbinary. I hope that I did the characters enough justice in your eyes and you enjoy reading this!! Happy Winter Solstice!

Read on AO3

*****

Not Your Boyfriend, Still Your Love

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian called across the lawn of central campus, waving their arms frantically to get the other’s attention, “Lan Zhan! Wait up!”

Wei Wuxian’s brother, Jiang Cheng punched his arm, “Shut up, idiot, he’s clearly on his way to class.”

But Lan Wangji stopped his walking and turned back slightly to face Wei Ying, face impassive but the fact that he stopped was invitation enough for Wei Wuxian, who ran across the quad and pounced onto the taller man, wrapping both arms around his shoulders and hanging on. Lan Wangji took his weight easily.

“Good morning, Wei Ying.”

“Morning Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian chirped, pressing their face happily into the back of Lan Wangji’s neck and smiling against his skin.

Jiang Cheng caught up with them and the three continued their walk through the campus, “Aren’t you tired of this idiot yet, Lan Wangji?”

Wei Wuxian pouted at his brother, “He didn’t tire of being my friend after ten years so it’ll be at least another ten years of being my boyfriend before he gets tired of that, right Lan Zhan?”

“That sentence makes no sense,” Jiang Cheng said, “And you’ve been together for three years, what happens in seven years?”

“Husband,” Lan Wangji said, in the solemn way of his.

Wei Wuxian internally winced, and instead danced away from the other two, “Haha, maybe,” he sung, “You have to ask me first, Lan Zhan! You don’t know I’ll say yes!”

Lan Wangji twitched an eyebrow at him as if to say don’t I?

Wei Wuxian chewed on his lower lip all through class, worrying it like the creeping self-doubt worried at his brain. The problem wasn’t Lan Zhan. He loved Lan Zhan. Had loved him since they were seven and Wei Wuxian pushed an older kid off the swings when he tried to kick Lan Zhan as the quieter kid walked by.

Back then, Lan Zhan was the Absolute Best Thing that had ever happened to Wei Wuxian, nevermind that when they first met a year before Lan Zhan kept tattling on him drawing little comics during class instead of paying attention to the teacher.

“Books are so boring!” Wei Wuxian exclaimed at him across their four-kid table, “I pay attention during math, don’t I? And we don’t have a learning time for drawing so I do that when the rest of you talk about books! It’s more fun than reading dumb old words anyway, look, I drew you!”

Now, fourteen years later, Wei Wuxian still thought that Lan Zhan was the Absolute Best Thing ever, but they were less sure that they were good for them. Lan Zhan was gay. Had always been gay, since forever. At their first party that Wei Wuxian dragged Lan Wangji to when they were fifteen, playing spin the bottle and during Lan Wangji’s turn landing on their friend Mianmian. His face had screwed up distastefully as the rest of the group hooted and said, rather primly, “I’m not interested in kissing any girl.”

Wei Wuxian turned and was about to apologize to the girl in question, but she just rolled her eyes and responded, “Well I’m not interested in kissing any boy either.”

Wei Wuxian had wondered why those were the only two options, and in his slightly drunken state wondered why he felt between them. (He didn’t kiss Lan Zhan that night, even when Lan Wangji’s next spin landed on him and with no protest his friend leaned over and pressed his lips to Wei Wuxian’s cheek.)

Much later, at Mianmian and Jiang Yanli’s engagement party they regaled Yanli with this tale, everyone shouting their version at each other over champagne and music. Lan Zhan had pressed a kiss to the same spot on Wei Wuxian’s cheek.

By then Wei Wuxian had a much better understanding of who they were. He had a much less clear idea of how his boyfriend would react. They bit the inside of their cheek and kept quiet. At the confused look their friend Huaisang shot them, Wei Wuxian promptly burst into tears and flung himself at Jiang Yanli, sobbing dramatically about their precious big sister getting married and how Wei Wuxian was so happy for her.

“Wei Ying,” a welcome and familiar voice coaxed him out of his thoughts and he looked around him to realize that class had ended and they were the only two left in the room.

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian responded, smiling at him. The man blinked at him, thinking.

“Are you all right?”

“Aiya, Lan Zhan, you don’t have to worry about little old me! I was up late working on a piece for the gallery opening in a few weeks.”

Lan Zhan nodded, “Yes, my brother and uncle will be in attendance. I thought you could do with the warning.”

Wei Wuxian winced, “They don’t know I’m showing, do they?”

“Uncle does not, I told my brother that I already had a reservation when he offered to get me in as well. He guessed.”

“It’s not Xichen I’m worried about,” Wei Wuxian grumbled, “I’m the feature! I’m going to have to talk to him! They’ll make me, I know he’s one of the bigger doners.”

“The Jin’s will be there as well.”

Wei Wuxian slumped in his seat, sliding down until he chin was pressed into his chest, “Fuck,” he said, with feeling, “I’m going to have to dress extra fancy now. I can’t afford to upgrade my closet – I need new canvases!”

“I’ll buy you something to wear.”

“Lan Zhan, no. You don’t’ have to do that, I’ll figure something out.”

Their boyfriend leveled them with a stubborn gleam in his eyes, “It is as much for my benefit as it is yours and the art program, Wei Ying. Uncle has reason enough to dislike you, let’s not add ‘under-dressed’ to the list.”

“You’re right, of course you’re right, my Lan Zhan is already right. It’s just…” he trailed off, thinking about red dresses and sparkling ribbons. They wondered if they could get away with wearing some makeup, they were out as gay, they were an art student (the top art student, not that any of the adults in their life talked about that), it wasn’t outside of the realm of possibility for a cis gay guy to wear makeup.

“Wei Ying?”

Wei Wuxian jerked out of his thought again and bounded up, “Nothing, nothing! I’ll let you take me shopping tomorrow okay? I gotta go, I’m gonna be late for class.”

Lan Wangji knew that Wei Ying didn’t have class for another three hours, but as his boyfriend rushed past him, pressing a quick goodbye kiss to his lips and slipping from the classroom, Lan Wangji didn’t call him on it. He frowned to himself, tapping the tips of his fingers together in an uncharacteristic display of anxiety.

Wei Ying was lying to him. Or was pulling away from him. Keeping things from him. Lan Wangji respected his boyfriend’s life, understanding that having a life and friends outside of their romantic relationship was healthy and he didn’t begrudge Wei Ying at all.

More and more recently, however, Wei Ying wasn’t having friend dates or art-weekends. Or if he was, he was lying about it. His boyfriend was terrible at lying, at least to him, they grew up together, grew into themselves adjacent and holding hands. He loved him.

And Wei Ying was pulling away. Lan Wangji didn’t know what he was doing wrong. On one of his own friend dates with Mianmian he haltingly expressed his concerns. His friend had frowned at him and tried to reassure.

“Yanli only ever talks about how happy Wuxian is with you. If he was at all unhappy, you know she’d be the first one he’d talk to.”

“If he ever talked to anybody,” Lan Wangji countered, morosely.

Mianmiang patted his hand, “Talk to him, since you’re so worried about it. You two are meant to be. I firmly believe that whatever it is, you two will work it out.” She sipped her coffee and added, “There’s no way he’s cheating on you, anyone with eyes can see how disgustingly enamored he is with you.”

“Says the woman who’s marrying his sister,” Lan Wangji said, rolling his eyes, “If he is cheating on me, who’s side would you take?”

“Moot point. Like I said, there’s no way. Besides, Wuxian can’t live with guilt. We all remember what happened in history 703.”

Lan Wangji’s lips twitched into a small smile at the reminder.

“How’s wedding planning?” He changed the subject.

“Terrible,” Mianmian said cheerfully, “Our future in-laws are insane.”

“You sure you want to go through with this?”

“’Course. And you?”

“Always.”

They clinked mugs in mutual commiseration.

The gallery opening reception started well. Wei Ying, in all their tailored glory, was standing at ease, holding a glass of champagne in one hand and Lan Wangji’s hand in their other. They greeted people who made their way towards them as they stood in front of the first of Wei Ying’s featured pieces.

Everything went downhill fast when The Jin’s rolled in. In a cloud of ostentatious gilt and cologne Jin Guangshan and Jin Zixun entered the room like they expected a royal announcement and (in)appropriate fanfare for deigning to grace the rest of the plebs in the room with their presence.

With quick thinking and a thorough lack of etiquette Wei Ying and Lan Zhan dodged their greetings by ducking behind sculptures and canvases until they found themselves out on the patio. Giggling, Wei Ying wrapped their arms around Lan Zhan’s neck and pressed a series of bubbly kisses across his lips and jaw.

Lan Zhan held him tightly by the waist, enjoying the warmth of his boyfriend’s lips alongside the cool freshness of the outside air. They swayed together until the adrenaline faded and they were left leaning against the railing looking out over the small garden below.

“Will you get into trouble for that?” Wei Ying asked, eventually.

“Uncle is still upset at me for switching to a music major,” Lan Zhan told him, “This will not cause more strife than that ever could.”

“You wouldn’t have been happy in board meetings your whole life.”

Lan Zhan kissed his boyfriend’s hair, “I know. He’ll learn to forgive me for that.”

Their peacefulness was disturbed by the unwelcome edition of Jin Zixun swaggering out onto the balcony. He scowled at the two when he saw them.

“Christ, who invited that low-bred orphan,” he sneered, looking directly at Wei Wuxian.

Lan Wangji bristled, “He happens to be the feature artist, which you would know if you could read the program.”

“You-!” The Jin’s face turned red, it was well known secret that Jin Zixun failed the entrance exams and Guangshan had to pay for him to get into the university’s business program.

“He’s also the Jiang Cheng’s brother, which you well know,” Lan Wangji said, glaring at Jin Zixun. Jiang Cheng was currently top of the business program that Jin Zixun failed to get into on his own merit. “And he’s my boyfriend. So far he has much more reason to be here than you.”

Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but wince slightly at the proud way Lan Zhan called him his boyfriend, unfortunately the Jin noticed and grinned, smelling blood.

“Is he your boyfriend by choice,” he taunted, so venomously that Wei Wuxian actually took a step back, and only belatedly realized how that looked to both Jin Zixun and the love of his life.

“Lan Zhan,” He started to say, reaching out to grab his sleeve.

“I guess not,” Jin Zixun sneered, “I knew the Lans were a bunch of snobby ill-breds, no wonder you were forced to be with a man. Your uncle knew he didn’t want his disgrace of a nephew passing on the family genes.”

He didn’t see the fist that connected with his nose with a sickening crunch. He fell back heavily and looked up dazed. Wei Wuxian was standing over him, gripping their right hand protectively with their left and glaring down at him.

Jin Zixun, for the first time in his life, wished that someone wouldn’t pay attention to him.

“No one is forcing me,” Wei Wuxian said, “I love Lan Zhan. The day he asked me to be with him was the best day of my life. His uncle loves him for more than his career choices, but I guess you wouldn’t understand that, would you? Your uncle would drop you with hardly a thought if you strayed from the path he set.”

Jin Zixun knew that was true, after all, Jin Guangshan had dropped his own son when he confronted him about some of his more lecherous business practices, and Jin Zixun had assumed that that was how it was for Lan Wangji too. He pulled himself to his knees and fled with as much dignity as he could.

Wei Wuxian turned to Lan Wangji, who was staring at them with guarded eyes.

“A’Zhan, what he said wasn’t true. I know you’re not forcing me. I love being with you. I just…”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said when Wei Wuxian hesitated for too long. “Are you… not happy with me?” he fumbled too. And the two stared at each other, the tension between them felt insurmountable, but neither wanted to walk away. Neither could walk away from the other. There was tension and confusion, but there was love there too.

“I don’t want to be your boyfriend!” Wei Wuxian blurted, and instantly he knew that was the wrong thing to say because Lan Wangji’s face fell, his chin trembled for a moment as he forced himself to maintain control.

“No, wait! Lan Zhan that’s not what I meant. I love you, I want to be with you I do! More than anything.”

“Then why can’t you be my boyfriend?”

“Because I’m not a boy!”

Lan Wangji blinked. Of all the things he had expected Wei Wuxian to say, that was not one of them. He was caught completely by surprise and all he could do was gape (though elegantly) at his love.

“You’re not…” he repeated.

“A guy. Right.” Wei Wuxian smiled at him, though it was forced, a learned defense mechanism.

Lan Wangji closed his eyes and breathed. When he opened his eyes he saw his Wei Ying staring at him, hope and fear mingling in his gaze and Lan Wangji suddenly didn’t care about anything else.

“Girlfriend…?” he offered.

Wei Ying shook their head, “No. No Lan Zhan, I’m not… not a girl either. Most of the time I feel more masculine than I do feminine, but… not always. And like tonight, to spent so much money to get the suit tailored for me – and I love it and I love how you look at me when I’m wearing it. But tonight I felt more feminine and I really wanted to wear a dress and I couldn’t because you didn’t know and it’s a formal event and everybody would be here and no one really knows, not that it’s a sure thing and it might change and I know that’s a lot for you-“

Lan Zhan reached out and rested his fingers against Wei Ying’s lips.

“I want to be with Wei Ying, too.” Lan Zhan told him, “If he is a boy, or girl, or neither, or both. You are Wei Ying and so you are who I want.”

Wei Ying’s eyes teared up, he couldn’t help it. “Lan Zhan,” he whined, “You’re being too nice to me. It’s not allowed!”

Lan Zhan quirked an eyebrow, teasing, “Am I not allowed to say nice things about my boy- about my Wei Ying?” He quickly corrected himself and met Wei Ying’s gaze guiltily. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine, we can figure out vernacular later.”

Lan Zhan nodded, whatever his Wei Ying wanted. He should know that Lan Zhan would do anything in his power to make happen.

Wei Ying fell forward, knowing Lan Zhan would catch him. “We can go home if I want? We don’t have to stay? You’ll make up something about being sick and I’ll just have to take you home and take care of you?”

“Mn.”

Wei Ying snuggled into their boyfriend’s chest and thought about it for a minute. “We should stay. The school put so much work into the event and I don’t want to disappoint them.”

Lan Zhan ran his fingers through Wei Ying’s growing hair, “You are not a disappointment, to anybody.”

Wei Ying laughed wetly, “Yeah, sure. You know both your uncle and my mother are out there, right? They’re going to hate me so much more when this comes out. He’s going to try to disused you from seeing me, again.”

“I will not let him. Besides, at least he can’t complain about me dating a man anymore.”

Wei Ying pulled away and wiped at his face, he laughed now, and smiled a true smile at Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan’s breathe caught in his throat as he stared at the gorgeous creature before him. How had he gotten this lucky? What deeds had he done in past life to deserve someone like Wei Ying to choose him.

“He’s not gonna know how to complain about me now,” he laughed, “His face his going to get so red.” He straightened up and mimed stroking his beard, “Wangji,” he mimicked, “You cannot publicly date a man, your name is attached to the company and it will hurt our image. But ha! Jokes on him! I’m not a man!” He clutched his stomach and bent over he was laughing so hard.

It was, admittedly, an overreaction. But Wei Ying had told his boyfriend, his best friend since they were kids, that they weren’t a boy or a girl, and Lan Zhan had just.. accepted them. It was more than Wei Ying had dreamed about, to be honest. He was giddy with it. He finally collected himself enough to look up at Lan Zhan, he saw a small smile on his love’s face as he watched him.

“I love you,” he said, feeling it truer in that moment than any before because now they knew that Lan Zhan accepted their love, would accept their love fully.

“I love you,” Lan Zhan replied, equally earnest, and they wrapped each other in a caress of a kiss, tender and chaste and so, so loving.

Slowly, friend by friend, person by person, with the support of Lan Zhan, Wei Ying came out. To some it was casual, a dropped joke or teasing comment letting some of their friends the new norm.

(“My little brother came to see me,” Jiang Yanli teased gently, hugging Wei Ying tightly for a moment.

“A’Cheng’s your brother, Jie, can’t I just be your younger sibling?” His voice was light, all teasing and laughter, but his eyes watched Jiang Yanli carefully. She studied them for a moment before breaking out into a welcoming grin.

“Of course! I’m so lucky I have a younger sibling to help me pick out my wedding dress!)

(Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng were over for an all-nighter video game and dumpling party. After winning Mario Kart for the forth time in a row Wei Wuxian got up and stretched out their fingers to go refill their drinks so they wouldn’t get any controlled thrown at them.

They came back into the room while their friends were complaining, “-the worst!” Nie Huaisang finished saying.

“I swear to god he cheats,” Jiang Cheng replied, voice coming out muffled through the pillow he had pressed over his face.

Wei Wuxian cleared their throat, “Excuse you,” he said lightly, “That’s ‘I swear to god they cheat’, if you please.”

Their eyes met Nie Huaisang who raised his eyebrows at him in question. Wei Wuxian nodded back and Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes at them.

“What? What do you mean? Who’s they?” Jiang Cheng said, emerging from the pillow-land-of-failure.

Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes again and smacked Jiang Cheng upside the head, “Your sibling just came out to us, idiot.”

“What? We already knew he was gay!”

“They still are!” Nie Huaisang said, and at Jiang Cheng’s confounded look, explained.

Wei Wuxian, after recovering from their laughing fit, said, “Now are you ready to have your ass handed to you, little brother?”

“Gods, fine. Fuck, you’re so annoying, I hate you.” But he smiled at them over the rim of his glass.)

On Lan Zhan’s and Wei Ying’s wedding, seven years later, Lan Zhan pulled Wei Ying into a swaying embrace at the reception, the red skirts of their dress glowing in the fairy lights surrounding them both, and murmured, “I am so lucky to be yours, Wei Ying.”

[a-very-fond-farewell]

The forbidden crack! Untamed prompts: 18/?

University AU: “Negative Space”

[ok so, self projection is a bitch, but I am petty to myself on a regular basis so it’s ok]

[title is from the Japanese concept “ma”, which Wikipedia describes as:

“a Japanese word which can be roughly translated as ‘gap’, ‘space’, ‘pause’ or ‘the space between two structural parts.’ In traditional Japanese arts and culture, ma is more carefully defined as the suggestion of an interval. It is best described as a consciousness of a sense of place, with the ‘intervals’ suggested often being more than simple gaps, instead focusing on the intention of a negative space in an art piece.

Ma is not necessarily an art concept created by compositional elements, such as the literal existence of a negative space. Instead, the intention is often to create the perception of an interval in the viewer experiencing the elements forming an art piece, making maless reliant on the existence of a gap, and more closely related to the perceived experience of a gap.

Ma has also been described as ‘an emptiness full of possibilities, like a promise yet to be fulfilled’, and as ‘the silence between the notes which make the music’.”

Fun fact: “ma” also means “but” in Italian, which is what usually follows whatever intrusive thought may plague my mind. Eg: “I may be useless now, BUT just you wait until I get some dopamine to get me through this shitty times.”]

*

Wei Ying never asked for much in his life. He’s content with cleaning classrooms and toilets and nobody can beat him at wiping the marble floors if he works hard enough. Granny Wen, his supervisor, is slightly impressed with his ability to make the wood shine for ages to come. His nephew Jin Ling sometimes comes to check on him when he’s done with senior classes or cram school in the evening, and together they sit down and listen to whatever his older friends in music production came up with during the day. Jiang Cheng occasionally would ask him to keep him company while he grades papers and they bitch about ZiXuan and his inability to dote on their sister. The cafeteria ladies are always nice to him and they give him extra congee because they worry for his questionable consumption of spice products.

He’s fine, really.

So why can’t he stop wandering over to the science building these days? Looking for a clean board to use, for an equation to finally solve? Even if in the end he just takes the chalk in hand and simply stares down at the inky surface in front of him, unable to write. His mind working on a software too advanced for the hardware that constitutes his brain.

Thirteen years. It has been already thirteen years and yet it feels like yesterday, or like it never happened at all. Like it has yet to be. Time blindness is a bitch to deal with, yet dyscalculia and ADHD makes a joke out of you when you love math on a visceral level... but you burned too bright too fast and now you function on no data and with an even shittier signal. Having a burnout at 23 should have taught him humility instead of pride, but Wei Ying has always worked out of spite and certain habits are difficult to forget.

Couldn’t put the number in the right order, switching digits left and right since he was young? Fine. Numbers were concepts anyway, entire civilizations working their magic without even knowing what “zero” stood for. A brain steaming with a million ideas per second? Good. New connections brimming with ideas he could use to better the world.

It worked fine until he let himself down. Until he became a useless empty lighter, a wet match tossed out, carbon monoxide in the air.

Dropped out before finishing his very ambitious, highly dangerous for his psyche, thesis project. Aunt Yu never forgave him for that, not after paying for his advanced classes, not after trusting Uncle Jiang and supporting him despite his many flaws. What good is being first of your class every year, poster child of a teaching system done right, graduating bachelor at 21, if you can’t finish your master at 23 and get your PhD at 25 and start teaching by 27 and drive yourself insane in the process?

Wei Ying dropped out and didn’t finish his master, didn’t enroll in the teaching program, and let everyone down. His Uncle and Aunt looking down on him, whether out of pity or shame. Jiang Cheng may have been the one leaving him behind, but he used to be the one saying “you should have tried harder”. YanLi worrying over him when she should have focused on her career first. Jin Ling growing up with stories of his uncle “not being worth the money put into his education”, taught to not disappoint and make his family proud. The Jin side, that is.

And now the kid comes crawling in defeat to him instead of Jiang Cheng after bombing a test in high school. And they chat of what he would like to do and how much he likes sports and how much he despises the idea of getting a scholarship for that and being called stupid or something by his classmates. And he cries when he thinks Wei Ying cannot see him as he leaves the campus late at night.

Wei Ying didn’t even want to solve that impossible theorem he fixated on in his early twenties. His thesis project was inconsequential in the great scheme of things and his professor only wanted him to be his one trick pony in the end. No. Wei Ying wanted to teach math in elementary school, hell... even in kindergarten. He wanted to change the approach to the subject. Because numbers cannot be taught like language is and there are many ways to teach how to sum up digits and divide quantities and there are no rules on how to make sense of space either.

But how can he teach when even time eludes his senses?

Something that nobody can define, but certainly most perceive as linear... but not him. Not since his brain fried up in his attempt to function like a normal human being.

After thirteen years nothing has changed.

Until one day he hears something else aside from his usual intrusive thoughts and burdensome memories. A melody so quiet he almost mistakes it for the wind, coming from the music building.

He walks slowly, night surrounding him like the embrace of a friend as he makes his way to the traditional musical instruments room. The one where Jin Ling’s friends meet sometimes as they wait for the younger boy to join them. Wei Ying holds his breath as he spies through the gap of the door left ajar, neon light slicing his face like moonbeams as he peeks in and recognizes Jin Ling’s friends and another figure sitting on the ground, guqin on their knees.

But before he can lean in and breathe in the vibrant sounds all around, the door opens and music theory Professor Lan finds Wei Ying clutching his mop for dear life.

They said the man could see colors within the notes, that he despises language outside of his class or office and that only his brother, the history of art TA, could convince him to talk every now and then.

If numbers were created to measure space, Wei Ying firmly believed music had been invented to make sense of time and count its seconds in rhythm and notes, pauses and beats. Yet, time seems to stretch to a stop as the janitor focuses all of his attention on professor Lan’s stern face and his heart quickens its pace.

Wei Ying takes a rushed breath and dives right in with a weird sense of hope pumping in his veins. A small, timid voice whispering that life is not made to be atoned, but to move on and grow.

One step at a time.

“I’m Wei Ying, Professor Lan. May I listen while you play?”

Yes, maybe it will be enough just to let time flow at its pace.

Whatever rhythm that may be.

*

[some hcs down below]

WWX does not magically solve the math theorem. he may or may not help kids figure out how to use numbers on the long run tho. no, he will still work as a janitor and there’s nothing wrong with that.

yes, LWJ is autistic and stimms and finds WWX’s honesty soothing. yes, you can add your hcs on the matter. he has synesthesia, but more on the grapheme-color side of the deal than anything else and he sees certain letters/numbers/notes in different colors. people think he can see colors in music, but they misunderstood and thought he could recognize different hues while listening to music instead of reading it.

JC has grown since his uni years and doesn’t resent WWX anymore. he teaches astrophysics as a TA and doesn’t pressure his brother to pick his studies up anymore. WWX has mixed feelings about this: he feels he’s a lost cause, to the point not even his brother spurs him to best himself anymore, but he is grateful for the patience anyway.

LXC is the official LWJ translator of the campus along with their cousins SiZhui and JinGyi. he bonds with WWX and JC over how tired they are, seldom staring at flies roaming above them in the cafeteria bc none of them can even move. he lives on caffeine and regrets, but he’s getting better as he develops a love for his plant babies and tries to not let them die on a daily basis.

Wen Ning and Wen Qing are little overachievers and adrenaline junkies, hence their competitive streak on their way to their third master degree just for funsies. they scare people with how driven they are, but the juniors love them.

NMJ is the one to go to if you need to get away with murder, but JGY will actually be the one helping you dispose of the body. the fact that they both work in criminal law is somewhat both reassuring and disquieting. they hate each other and yet cannot stop hang out, they are close to 40 and need the rivalry to keep going anyway. nothing beats a good nemesis. not even sex. maybe.

NHS has failed his entrance exam to become a nurse too many times to count, but he is determined to see the end of it. even if he could potentially work in the family business, but he doesn’t know anything about managing an empire of bricks and he doesn’t care. if NMJ could run away, well, so can he.

MianMian is Wei Ying’s bestie and has the biggest crush on JGY’s sister A-Su the kindergarten teacher, but since they are childhood besties she doesn’t know how to approach her. she is Jin Ling’s idol and a certified boxer and refers to herself as a useless bisexual. Wei Ying boxes with her sometimes, she always win.

YanLi is an equestrian mum, but in the best way possible: she coaches children for shows and teaches them horses should be loved and feared equally and that if you want to shoot arrows from a running horse you should always, ALWAYS let go of the stirrups the moment the beast gets too unhinged to ride. JC fears her, WWX is only glad she didn’t train police dogs for a living.

ZiXuan actually loves his wife, but WWX and JC question his career choices and the fact that he’s a retired lawyer spending his family fortune while he’s a stay-at-home dad and does all the housework. WWX and JC believe he should give their sister a better life and work his ass off to deserve her, but he does make amazing rice cakes and keeps up with Jin Ling’s studies and is very supportive of his dreams.

A-Qing and Song Lan are siblings and sometimes bring JC food from the campus cafeteria where they both work at, while Xiao XingChen and his carer Xue Yang work with LXC for a project on accessibility for visually impaired visitors of the local museum. JC and LXC work to make Song Lan and Xiao XingChen fall for each other, but the youngsters are too protective to let them play matchmaker so easily.

[this is all for now. please, if you want, add your own headcanons!]

[inessencedevided]

I hope I am at least a Lan Wangji, a Lan Sizhui or a Lan Jingy, the unLanest and still Lanest of Lans :D

MianMian is my personal hero, her whole vibe is just impeccable, Wen Qing, Jiang Yanli and MianMian hangout when

(also her friendship with the Bi Disaster is just beautiful and I wanted Lan Wangji and her to hang out more. Jiang Yanli, Lan Wangji and MianMian friendship? Chefs Kiss, they would all hang out in ye olde knitting and cooking clubs together plus my boy could teach them some moves with the sword, hell yeah)

But yes, I Shall Create Something for the 27th 👀

Also: Happy Pride Month, my dear, sorry for the ramble 🏳️‍🌈

- 🍄 anon

YOU NEVER HAVE TO APOLOGIZE FOR RAMBLING IN MY INBOX!!! In fact i'm happy to ramble back XD

when it comes to relating to characters i'm a weird mixture of wei wuxian and lan xichen. maybe that's why lan wangji is my favourite character those two are arguably the two people who love him the most so of course he's my fav! ^^

and YES i am a strong proponent of the "give lan wangji friends" agenda and our girl mianmian is my number one pick. she doesn't take any shit from him or other people and i feel like she would really get his dry sense of humour and provide a bit of a social buffer for him (like she does for jin zixuan ^^ poor dear she'd definitely also be friends with people like wwx and jyl in this au, only so that she isn't the only non-awkward one :D) but at the same time i think she would love how straight-forward lwj's sense of justice is. Like, in any scenario in which she spent a lot of time with the jins, i feel like she would call him up every couple of days to bitch about all the gossiping and back-stabbing to someone who hates it as much as she does

and wwx is her fellow bi disaster so she'd have a front row seat to the wangxian drama unfolding until she bands together with jly and lxc to set them up or smth ^^

i also have a bit of a soft spot for lwj and jzx developing a friendship once both of them have matured a bit. in their teens they'd never be able to strike up a conversation because their combined awkwardness level would be up to the moon and back but once they are adults and married to 2/3 of the jiang sibs they can bond over being the quiet ones™ and having to endure the awfulness that is dinner at the in-laws house

see? now i rambled way more than you :P feel free to ramble back ;)

happy pride month to you too fav anon! 🥰❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤