#not loving him; and why he cheated on him many times with lxc Just Because. i didn't think jgy would do something like that but everyone

[leatherbookmark]

an interesting thing abt jgy antis is like. where is the source of their, shall we say, negative opinion of jgy? like, 1. jgy is a villain, he does horrible things with no remorse, he’s willing to do everything to achieve his selfish, egotistical goals. --> 2. the source of this claim: this, this and this scene. --> 3. alright, but to me -- says someone who’s not an anti -- this reads differently. that he did all those things, and did them on purpose and without remorse, is not that obvious to me. why do you think that? --> 4. well, obviously because he’s a villain and does horrible things with no remorse.

like... he’s evil because he does bad things, and he does bad things because he’s evil. i’m interested in how antis came by those opinions, but a, unfortunately i have them all blocked, and b, even if i or someone else made a poll, it wouldn’t be authentic because no sane anti is going to say “well, people hated him and wrote all those things about him on twt, so i started hating him as well”, or “i only care about wgxn, you could sell me anything about other characters if your arguments were convincing enough because i zoned out during the parts when wgxn weren’t on screen/pages of the book”. it’s all “written in the book/shown in the show” and “logical arguments you’d agree with if only you could read”.

[princeofvelvet]

Hi..If you don't mind me asking, what are your top 5 favorite moments from MDZS novel? And why? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....

Sorry for the wait! There are soso many great moments in this novel, it's hard to pick just five!!

The prologue. I can't think of a better opening for a book than killing off your main character through dialogue. We learn so much on the very first line alone: the fact that wei wuxian is dead isn't just news, it's GREAT news. Already we learn that he's famous and many people wanted him dead! Not to mention the prologue ties so well with the novel's themes, in my opinion. The fact that our introduction to our main character is through rumors and gossip, and that the author will then go on to spend the entire novel telling you the other side of the story! As if to let you know right off the bat be careful not to believe everything you hear!!

The pledge conference at nightless city and the second siege at the burial mounds. Cheating? Cheating! But I think it's worth looking at them side by side. We essentially get two "the Apology of Wei Wuxian"s, with him defending himself against accusations and slander. The first time, he's rightfully enraged that him and his family were scapegoated. He's calling out hypocrisy. The second time, he's tired. He's resigned himself to the fact that there's no changing the mind of a crowd that's already decided youre irredeemable trash. So he defends himself, apologizes for his wrongdoings, and argues against false accusations, but the doesn't really "fight back" this time around. He isn't trying to convince anyone, just clear his name.

The confession! Everything everything everything about this is amazing. The drunk dry (wet?) humping that happens right before, wwx's regret, jgy stopping everything at the temple to be like wait why arent you with lwj, lxc getting mad at wwx for playing with his brother's feelings!!, jgy threatening wwx to trap lwj!!!!, AND WWX CONFESSING HE WANTED TO SLEEP WITH LWJ AND THE CONFESSION AND- man, okay. I dont really read slow burn, so by this point i was beyond burnt and reduced to ashes and this scene alone phoenix'd me back to life.

Yi City! MXTX really went a gave us a full tragedy in the middle of an epic romance + political novel huh. Like "oh jsyk! I'm Actually this good." like damn. you are!! Im counting it as a "moment" despite the fact that it takes up several chapters because most of it happens in Empathy, but the moments that don't are so good also!! The echoes of the past in Yi City of the present, chilling! The juniors being good lil ducklings learning from WWX, WWX in this arc was SO hot. I can't pour all my yi city thoughts here because this would get long so i leave you with another parallel of the bigger story in that the first information we get about it is through word of mouth, from people who weren't there, and only later start getting the pieces to the other side of the story.

The ending! God, okay. "From then on he was never able to look away" are you KIDDING me, you didn't have to kill me this hard but you slaughtered me, mxtx. What an ending! What a perfect way to succintly express how much LWJ loves his husband and that they'll be together for the rest of their lives! It's so earned, and so good. Bonus: The "original" ending (the one mxtx ended up scraping) "on and on the WangXian melody drifts; the song ceases yet the figures persist" there's no faster way to bring tears to my eyes. And while I adore the ending MXTX ended up choosing, this one hits different. One says "happy ending!" the other one is like "their story is not over", and I love them both to death.

[lan-xichens]

what's your favorite thing about lan xichen if you have to pick one?

This ask has been burning my inbox for some time now, but I have so so many thoughts about this. Thanks a lot for the ask!!

I’m going to cheat: my two favourite things about Lan Xichen are his kindness and his fairness.

Kindness

When we are first introduced to this character, it is with this shot: someone looking down over an affected corpse with gentle concern. After this, Wei Wuxian is brought in by Lan Wangji--silenced, complaining, feeling wronged--and Lan Xichen tells him he understands Wei Wuxian has not visited Cloud Recesses before, so might not know of their rules, but they can’t put aside their principles either. It’s almost apologetic.

And when he tells WWX that his siblings have already entered Cloud Recesses, he wears this little smile:

Yeah, I’m done, this is where I fell in love. This is not the face of a strict man constrained by principles. This is someone who cares. 

But what truly did it for me was when he implicitly defends Meng Yao in front of all the sect disciples. Some background disciples give us some relentlessly vicious exposition about Meng Yao’s character, which everyone else hears too, and that’s when Lan Xichen decides to step in, and to give him praise.

“I have heard that Sect Leader Nie has a helpful assistant.”

I’m not surprised this is the moment Meng Yao starts worshipping the guy.

He does not hold Meng Yao’s background against him, and doesn’t accept his thanks simply for the courtesy of standing up for what’s right. He judges Meng Yao for his actions--and sees a bright, fair-spoken man, and tells him so.

Writers are often advised to avoid writing overly kind characters--because in a narrative, you’re looking for conflict, and a character who is willing to help for no other reason than being helpful, who is accepting and accommodating, is essentially a “pushover”, and not narratively interesting. That’s why I think in general, kindness as a character trait gets three narrative treatments:

Kindness is a weakness which the character needs to overcome, or which the character will be exploited for

Kindness is a disguise for ulterior motives (the cynical approach)

Kind characters have no function or role in the story other than being emotional foils; they are hurt/killed to advance another character’s story

Sadly, I think The Untamed has examples of all of these. Lan Xichen is the first, Meng Yao/Jin Guangyao is the second, and Jiang Yanli is the third.

I was wholly convinced when first watching The Untamed that Lan Xichen would not survive the story. He is, after all, the only emotional connection to Lan Wangji. His death would surely have meant a lot to LWJ. So, up until the final ten episodes, I was ecstatic that LXC apparently avoided the kindness stereotype--until, you know. Which is why I seriously detest Jin Guangyao’s actions.

Fairness

I could weep with how understanding this man is. His every conversation about judging what’s right and wrong, his search for balance, and his ability to consider other people’s perspectives are what make him very special to me.

In a critical conversation with Lan Wangji about Wei Wuxian and his actions, LWJ asks: “Are there rules already set for everything in the world?” 

LXC answers he has read many books in search of the answer, but:

“There wasn’t a clear line between right and wrong.” He adds that judgement of character is not found in rules, as you can’t label people black and white:

After the disaster at Carp Tower, Lan Wangji leads Wei Wuxian back to the Cloud Recesses with Lan Xichen’s approval. Here, too, we get a glimpse of Lan Xichen’s morality, because they’re at a stalemate. While LXC trusts Jin Guangyao’s word, LWJ trusts Wei Wuxian’s. Lan Xichen questions who is right, because:

“... and how much we trust his words.” After all, he taught LWJ to judge with his heart. But how that both their judgements are called into question (because surely one of them must be wrong), he urges LWJ to be reasonable:

“You believe in your judgement...”

Then, when they’ve discovered what Jin Guangyao’s method of murdering Nie Mingjue was, he does listen. But he wishes to test the method on himself first, to confirm that he was truly wrong. He won’t let anyone else get hurt, but still, he begs:

I can understand why this is frustrating to some people, and it would have changed the narrative if Lan Xichen had been more decisive. But I don’t think his contemplative nature--of weighing every option and perspective--is a weakness. He’s simply on the wrong side of the narrative, because we’ve already seen through Wei Wuxian’s eyes what Jin Guangyao has done. We already know, so his hesitation seems to just slow the narrative. But if Lan Xichen had been any less himself, he wouldn’t have allowed LWJ to take WWX back to the Cloud Recesses in the first place.

I’m beyond relieved this character survives this story, but it’s still sad to see he had to fall victim to one of the tropes of kindness, which I hope he doesn’t take that to heart too much. Because I think it’s one of his greatest strengths.

[a-very-fond-farewell]

The forbidden crack! Untamed prompts: 19/?

Wedding Planner AU [xicheng edition]: “Chickens on the Loose”

[let me have this]

Jiang Cheng doesn’t believe in love and that’s precisely the reason why he plans other people’s special day. The most extravagant, the boldest, the loudest, the better. Because if there’s something he got to accept over the years is that people aren’t willing to pay for something realistic, but for something unattainable instead. Over-compensating bland, ordinary reality with fantasy and dreams is his job and he’s well aware that no one can compete with his genius. Not with his father owning a catering and food chain company. Not with his mother being the most sought out wedding gown fashion designer on the market. They taught him everything there is to know on how to make other people’s dream come true before the inevitable envelope of a dainty, innocuous divorce application can make its way in a once happy household. Better make the satisfaction last, because Jiang Cheng will only accept advanced payments in cash, no monthly installments allowed.

His sister YanLi may have married honoring tradition over useless exaggeration, but what did her love bring aside from suffering and neglect? Marrying into the richest family in the country to the heir of a textile empire has given her nothing but sorrow and a husband too proud and distant to even visit her regularly. Jin Ling growing up without a father, spoiled rotten by the wrong side of the family who lured him into their shining world of nothingness day after day. At least Jiang Cheng’s family did rise from nothing and learned to trick the rich into relying on useless services soon enough. But Jin ZiXuan and his family had never worked once in their life and didn’t know how to take care of their loved ones. Not that Jiang Cheng’s parents could do any better, their marriage a wasteland where no love could grow, but at least they were honest about it. Better enjoy a dream while it lasts.

That is why if even Wei Ying’s marriage were to turn out to utter shit like YanLi’s, at least it will not be Jiang Cheng’s fault. Everything needs to be perfect, from the vows to the tea ceremony, from the food to the color scheme, from the seat arrangements to the music. Hell, some of his stepbrother’s requests may be too much to handle for most, but not for Jiang Cheng and if Wei Ying wants a parade and a whole week worth of celebrations, Wei Ying will have exactly that.

Hence he will not, under any circumstance, allow anyone snooping around as he plans the wedding of the century. No, not even the fiancée’s overprotective older brother asking people for blackmailing material on Wei Ying behind Jiang Cheng’s back. Not even if he pays him in nature, no ma’am.

... . ... . ... . ...

Lan Huan is the best divorce attorney in town precisely because he believes in unconditional love. That’s why he doesn’t see the point of two people (or three people, on one memorable case in Europe) spending the rest of their life together if change is inevitable and something to be expected. He would much prefer to get the best deal out of it for his clients and prevent children to suffer from it in the process.

Judges fear him and his diplomatic smile that can never hide his tunnel vision drive for victory. His trusty private investigator Nie HuaiSang is equally terrified by his assets, but still feeds him with the juiciest details whenever Lan Huan asks for favors, discreetly requesting the younger man to do background checks on this or that subject. Settlements may be nice, but not if the (soon to be ex) husband or wife in question can be easily found guilty of adultery, gaslighting, or even violence. Not on Lan Huan’s watch.

That’s why his world gets completely turned over the moment his younger brother Lan Zhan announces his intention to marry a man he hasn’t known for a full three months yet. Truth to be told, Lan Huan had never seen him this happy: glowing with something akin to adoration, affection dripping from every pore, love spilling all over just by mentioning one name, Wei Ying. In case this rascal happens to crush his precious baby brother’s heart, Lan Huan needs to find dirt on this man and squeeze everything he has out of his dead cold hands the second his brother files a request for a divorce.

But for some reason Nie HuaiSang cannot seem to be found for the job this time around. Not unlike most of his other contacts and informants, who have seemingly disappeared at the mention of his brother’s fiancee’s name. If this Wei Ying is such a big fish in the sea to make even Lan Huan’s most loyal colleagues dissolve into thin air, then he must find the answers by himself.

And if it means to bomb the wedding preparations to get shit done, oh he will. He’s not above flirting to get what he wants, but if this Wei Ying turns out to be a good person in the end... well. Lan Huan prays things won’t get too messy to proceed with the celebrations in the end. Hopefully, that is.

[fun stuff under the cut.]

NHS went to uni with Wei Ying and he knows LXC won’t find anything on him bc WWX himself is a blackmail master and will 100% diss you in front of your children calling you out on your deepest secrets so no. NHS will not mess with that and he urges to do as much to all LXC’s informants and sources.

JC looks scary but his staff loves how dedicated he is and they make bets on when he’s going to lose it and sleep with someone out of frustration. although they think he gets more turned on by going over every point in his check-lists at times...

LXC’s colleague always ask him if he’s dating anyone, clearly to set him up with someone (who will not be of LXC’s liking, he’s sure). to which he answers by smiling and lying saying he has a terrible personality. since nobody believes him, he asked his friend Meng Yao to make a scene at the firm once: (all too pleased to mess with his bestie’s reputation) Meng Yao murder-walked into the office and demanded to meet LXC, only to cry in front of everyone and smack him across the face for cheating on him. THEN his sister A-Su made her sudden appearance and smacked LXC’s other cheek lamenting the same, ridiculous thing. the two siblings gaped in fake horror at each other before spitting on LXC and storming off of the building.

NMJ laughed his ass off for weeks after the sharade. he started dating A-Su not long after (with both JGY and LXC’s blessings) bc he was mildly impressed by her willingness to jump on the opportunity to make a fool of both LXC and her brother at once. LXC thinks they are a good match, but he worries A-Su might be too tiny and full of undiluted mischief for NMJ to be able to handle her antics.

NMJ used to date LXC, but they were too driven and competitive to let their relationship get in the way and in the end they stopped seeing each other. they still care deeply for one another, but they love their jobs at the firm too much and making things messy at the office wasn’t worth it. A-Su knows about it and doesn’t feel left out because of it, glad that they settled into their respective lives while still being loyal friends to each other.

JGY tries to set LXC up with a new woman every week, saying he would benefit from having a cute wife taking care of him. but LXC doesn’t know what business JGY has to talk about women that way when Meng Yao’s been a raging homosexual since the first time he has landed his eyes on another boy in kindergarten. too many crushes on boys to even be aware of how many hearts he has broken in his life. all those pretty girls falling for his looks, poor kids. only JGY’s younger brother Mo XuanYu could rival his victim count, but barely so.

ZiXuan is secretly keeping an eye on his half-brothers and half-sister while he works as a representative for his family company and this is mainly the reason why he has distanced himself from YanLi and Jin Ling in these past few years. he would like to approach his three half-siblings and maybe have a chance to rekindle lost relationships, but by stressing over it he is losing sight of the found family he actually has. YanLi wants him to come around, eventually, but she knows how lonely ZiXuan has been with no siblings and how secretly jealous he is of the bond that she has with her family. so she won’t pressure her husband, but she feels lonely nonetheless.

the two wangxian lovebirds are too happy to notice the mess LXC is making and they don’t even realize he’s there until like, three days before the actual wedding.

LXC may be a shark but he’s not subtle. JC doesn’t know what he does for a living but he assumes he has too much time on his hands, hence not someone worthy of his time. but LXC always causes troubles on the venue or messes up with the flower arrangements or prods for information to the wrong people and JC is over it.

“if you don’t have anything better to do help me find the sommelier so I can ask him what’s wrong with him and if he studied anything at all” or “if you have so much time to waste be useful and learn how to make flower crowns for the children to play with” or “if you can sit on your ass all day at least look over my nephew while I go look for someone to emotionally bully to let off some steam.”

Jin Ling is five and even more bossy than his uncle and orders LXC around to be his pony when JC should babysit him at work. LXC discovers the boy is JGY and A-Su and Mo XuanYu’s nephew and that JC doesn’t what any of them to interact with Jin Ling. but LXC secretly lets them hang out with the boy when JC is too busy to notice.

JC and LXC get closer the more the latter understands that there’s not much dirt on Wei Ying (aside from some questionable pictures taken during a university party back in the days, but that’s beside the point). LXC appreciates how crafty and ingenious JC is, always helping others around instead of just shouting orders...even if his temper is atrocious at times.

JC forces LXC to take dance lessons with the lot of the main family members and LXC meets JC’s mother for the first time. she is competitive about her dancing skills and Wei Ying tries to win her over by asking her to show everybody how it’s done by leading her ex-husband in a tango. after publicly humiliating her ex-husband (and making him fall in love with her once more), she insists on practicing a waltz with LXC and basically threatens him to cut off his balls if he dares to lead JC on with his charms.

LXC realizes he’s been playing and flirting too much with the man for him not to notice, but JC seems oblivious. no. he’s completely oblivious and kind and beautiful as he dances with Jin Ling and twirls him around in delight. LXC played too hard and now he’s in too deep.

the only source of drama in this would be JC finding out LXC let Jin Ling hang out with his other uncles and aunt despite the warnings. JC was starting to trust the man... and LXC stabbed him in the back. he would have much preferred not to discover it from his nephew (who let it slip that LXC “told him not to speak of his uncles and aunt to Jiujiu”), because he would have given LXC a chance to explain himself otherwise. but no. JC cannot have good things apparently and now he’s heartbroken without even knowing why.

without the lucky charm that is JC (holed up in his flat eating junk food to forget the pain of being an afterthought in other people’s lives), everything goes to shit three days before the wedding: the chef quits, the tea set for the ceremony breaks, one of the maids has accidentally torn apart one set of wedding robes and so on.

the venue gets flooded with live chickens when a truck transporting them breaks down in front of the building and the chicken escape. Jin Ling is loving every second of it, but everything gets destroyed in the ruckus and JC’s hard work is ruined.

Wei Ying is heartbroken and Lan Zhan silently accuses LXC of being the cause of this and urges him to fix the mess unless he wants to receive the cold shoulder for the rest of his days. but LXC is a cowards and spends his time actually fixing the broken things or replacing them or finding seamstresses to help with the garments and so on himself. anything but facing JC and be rejected.

ZiXuan comes to his senses and blurts out that “he really just wanted to have a loving family” the moment JGY, A-Su and Mo XuanYu come check on LXC. they hug and cry and laugh and YanLi gently reminds them that this is not about them right now and that they should help with the preparations if they have so much time on their hands. her mother is very proud of her and nods appreciatively at ZiXuan’s shocked and weirdly intrigued expression after being humiliated so boldly in front of everyone. the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree indeed.

the day before the wedding Wei Ying threatens to call the wedding off if JC doesn’t show up for his big day: not because he’s the planner, but because Wei Ying wants him close on his happiest day and he will not have it any other way.

LXC goes to fetch JC in his apartment himself the night before the wedding and they yell and they make peace and then they make love and then they woke up late the next day and they have to rush to the venue.

Wei Ying is livid until JC appears and then they celebrate the wedding of the century. A week of celebrations later Lan Zhan deadpans that they actually got married already like, one month in after meeting each other, but Wei Ying wanted a big wedding and he didn’t want to deny his husband a single thing.

JC tries to strangle his brother as the last family picture is being taken.

give me an award already.

[theuntamednarrator]

Shenanigans on the High Seas

from @trensu​, the blog that brought you WangXiantics, and from that other blog that just, like, screams a lot in the tags, comes the AU that we all desperately need because, frankly, we’re a little dehydrated from crying over the Nie Bros (drumroll please)

PIRATE AU!!!

You know you want it

the Zidian is Jiang Cheng’s ship. he inherited it from his mother, who was known as the Violet Spider, Scourge of the Seven Seas

before she retired, Captain Yu had two first mates she’d trained since childhood, Wen Qing and Luo Qingyang

after Captain Yu retired they got married and are now Pirate Wives with an-all female crew aboard the Yiling Matriarch

her bright red sails are just as feared as the purple sails of Zidian or the sable sails of Ghost General

any man who sets foot on the Matriarch best be prepared to lose it, and the leg it’s attached to

rumour has it that every carpenter from beijing to budapest pays the Matriarch a commission, for keeping them in work making peg legs, but that’s just a rumour

JC captains the Zidian alongside his first mate Jiang Yanli

the rumours about her say that she’s the reason there’s so little murdering done by those aboard the Zidian

but the crew know she once ordered a captive tied to a chunk of bait and thrown overboard near Shark Reef Bay

granted, she let the crew fish him back out after the first bite, and Jin Zixun never said another word about Captain Wei Wuxian until he was ransomed

but still

speaking of WWX, he captains the Ghost General, though far from doing any actual captaining he’s usually to be found up in the crow’s nest with a bottle of rum and his flute

luckily, his trusted first mate Wen Ning is more than capable of handling the General

his very favourite targets are the Jin Company’s slave traders, and most of his crew are former captives who chose to stay with him after their rescue

regardless of how drunk he might be, no one can fight like Captain WWX, except perhaps JC and JYL, they did grow up together after all!

because WWX was a foundling fished from the wreckage of a vanquished merchant ship by the Violet Spider at age 6 and taken to the island hideaway where her lover, former merchant sailor turned stay-at-home-dad Jiang Fengmian, is raising their two children

because this is a HAPPY AU DANGIT, and we deserve ONE AU where these two don’t traumatise their children

Captain Yu and JFM are in fact very, very happy together and raise little WWX together alongside JYL and JC

Captain Yu and JFM met when she raided his ship

he offered himself and all the gold aboard in return for his crew’s lives

she thought him rather striking and went about setting him up on a little island she knew, very out of the way, where she can visit as often as she likes

JFM is DELIGHTED by this turn of events, which he loudly denies has anything to do with Captain Yu’s famed skill with a whip

while JFM was settling into his sugar baby life, his crew were returning back to their home port to report to JFM’s business partner, Lan Qiren, that the Violet Spider had killed JFM and taken all their gold

LQR, who had secretly been in love with his best friend and business partner for years, declares the Violet Spider his ARCH NEMESIS and sets about trying to destroy her

when his brother and sister-in-law die and leave his two nephews in his care he ropes them into the feud

the Lan Brothers both join the merchant navy and are the very most eligible bachelors polite society has to offer

they hate all pirates of course but especially the unholy trio of Zidian, Ghost General, and the Yiling Matriarch

this makes it VERY awkward when Lan Wangji finds himself THROWN OVERBOARD during a terrible storm, rescued by WWX, and dragged aboard the General

at first, recognising the uniform, WWX keeps LWJ under his eye by tying their wrists together with a length of rope for absolutely no other reason definitely not cause he’s cute, nope, no sir

later, LWJ manages to snatch a sword and an EPIC DUEL ENSUES *cue he’s a pirate (main theme) from PotC here*

they’re in the rigging, they're sliding down the sails, they’re fighting up and down the deck

LWJ is HORRIFIED to realise at one point that WWX is laughing

even worse, he, LWJ, is having fun??? wtf he’s never had fun in his life how dare

after the fight ends in a draw LWJ and WWX come to an Understanding and have many deep and meaningful conversations as they sail back towards port

both of them fall madly in love of course, but Pirate!WWX and Midshipman!LWJ are just as emotionally dense as the OG varieties so there’s A LOT of pining

Seriously- so. much. pining

they probably battle a sea monster at some point because that’d be sick

finally, they arrive back at the port and WWX asks (sadly, because pining) where he should leave him and LWJ says (sadly, because pining) that any of the Gusu Cloud piers is fine

and WWX laughs because how funny! my dad used to be a merchant sailor for the Gusu Cloud Company

which is how LWJ discovers that the ‘dad’ WWX has been telling stories about for literal WEEKS is actually his uncle's now not-so-long-lost-love!because they are both Disaster Drama Gays™ they decide they simply MUST do this Right. After all, it’s an Epic Reunion™!!!

LWJ convinces his uncle to come out sailing with him (even though LQR has not boarded a ship since JFM was lost, cue sweeping nostalgic music and distant stare into montage of the two of them in their Youth)

they row him blindfolded out to the island where JFM and Captain Yu live and the moment LQR sees JFM it’s jaws to the floor.

there are tears

JFM puts his hands on LQR’s shoulders and says ‘my old friend. you never said’

they hug

it’s adorable

don’t roll your eyes it’s adorable and you know it

Captain Yu and LQR still Do Not Get Along

their Epic Rivalry™ continues but now it’s just morphed into them trying to outdo each other in displays of affection

JFM’s little island house soon holds more jewels, gold, fine silk, and artwork than half the royal coffers of europe

family dinners are a DELIGHT

JC freaking runs whenever his father hosts Captain Yu and LQR for dinner

because 1) god dad, you're so embarrassing, and 2) HE DOES NOT WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING THEY GET UP TO BEHIND CLOSED DOORS THANKS

JYL thinks it's sweet and loves seeing her dad so happy

WWX does the pirate-time equivalent of a bro fistbump with JFM, like, NICE.

LWJ is very quiet but secretly loves it because he, as we all know, is That Bitch

‘A wedding! I love it! drinks all round!’ – WWX, probably, when the three finally announce they’re getting married

the wedding is WILD

there’s a whole lot of dancing, WWX is in the thick of it of course

LWJ wants so badly to ask him to dance but he still hasn’t told him how he feels (because emotionally dense disaster gays, remember?)

he finally has to go outside after WWX somehow convinces LQR to dance a jig with him which means WWX has officially asked everyone to dance except him

he goes and sits in the tidal rockpool, and his billowy white shirt is all wet and see through when WWX comes stumbling out of the party calling for him

WWX sees LWJ silhouetted by an endless horizon of ocean and stars and dies. he's quiet for the first time in his whole life

then LWJ turns and sees him so of course WWX has to go down and talk to him. he may be a pirate but he’s not a barbarian (unlike some certain nies we could name but won’t he’s definitely not still salty about the arm wrestle incident with Captain Nie’s ‘little brother’ eh he’s not much of a fighter but he’s great with languages yeah right his wrist still hurts sometimes bloody barbarians)

‘ah lan zhan lan zhan! you aren’t allowed to run away; we haven’t had a dance yet. even your uncle danced with me surely you can’t say no!’ *pouts*

lwj.exe has stopped working

but of course he can’t deny WWX anything so he makes to head back inside

now wwx.exe has stopped working

because to HELL if he’s sharing wet LWJ in a see though white shirt with the rest of those imbeciles

‘ah, um lan zhan lan zhan we can hear the music from here just fine can’t we? let’s just dance right here?’

and of course LWJ says yes

so the two of them just dance together on the edge of the ocean, waves lapping over their bare feet

until a particularly big one knocks them flat (listen, it’s a trope for a REASON dagnabbit)

WWX ends up sprawled over LWJ’s chest and he’s laughing and apologizing

but LWJ is just looking at him, wreathed in stars, eyelashes so wet and glittering, the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen

WWX notices how still he is and they just pause for a moment and stare at each other

doesn’t really matter who kisses who but they are kissing and it’s wet and salty, there is sand in their teeth, and they absolutely do not give a flying dutchman

they don’t even register the cheers and catcalling until JC runs up and dumps a bucket of water over their heads

because dammit he hasn’t spent months running out of every room his parents and LQR are in just to watch his big brother pop his cherry get it on on the beach

the rest of the gang are all watching from the porch

WN and LXC look very awkward and embarrassed

JYL looks fond and is shaking her head

JC meanwhile is having a heated argument with WQ because there were bets on you see

WQ ‘pouring a bucket of water over them is cheating I’m not paying you one penny JC’

JC ‘I’m a pirate why on earth would you expect me to play by the rules pay up Captain’

WWX and LWJ sneak away while they’re all arguing

The General has one new crew member when she next sails out

ANYWAY married gay pirates wangxian having adventures AU is what we’re saying

Also for your consideration other delightful Pirate!AU options include:

naval officer!lwj chasing down pirate!wwx (think norrington/sparrow if Disney weren’t COWARDS);

high society!lwj in love with blacksmith-turned-pirate!wwx (the Elizabeth Swann/Will Turner dynamic, except with Swann in the forge fight because we said so);

davy jones!lwj pining for calypso!wwx (carving your heart out = chest brand anyone? seriously, just imagine LWJ setting foot on dry land for the first time in 13, 16, 10 YEARS, playing the song he’s composed for his love and WWX IS NOT THERE!!!!) 

[crossdressingdeath]

I noticed that there is this really hilarious tendency among the pro-YM reconciliation to use only fully fanon proofs to show that JC loves and cares about WWX post-resurrection, like JC did get any dogs during 16y! We don't know, but he sure didn't wait before setting a dog on WWX. He kept Chenqing all the time as a memento and polished it everyday! First, lol, but also the Jins kept Suibian in their treasure vault and they don't like WWX at all? He never told anyone that WWX is back! He's 1/4

known for obsessively looking for WWX while LWJ and many other people have witnessed that Zidian failed to banish WWX's soul, so if he insists that the rando twink hanging out with LWJ is WWX, it'll make him look unhinged. I sometimes wonder if I have missed big chunks of the story hearing them speak bc if one looks at all JC canon actions post-resurrection, they all are about to inflict harm, mental or physical on WWX, safe a few moments where he indeed controls himself and stop short from 2/4

stabbing WWX in the face. I mean if WWX wasn't resurrected using the array he invented himself that no one save him, JGY and NHS knew about (we stan a man who can see himself out but also shuffle himself back into this mortal coil), JC hitting him with Zidian would have killed him as certainly as a blade to the heart and MZDS would have been much shorter! I don't think that he was so sad and only wanted his brother back is the right framing. It's true that he processes his feelings and is3/4 

less murderous later on, but it's like insisting that if JGY didn't die, LXC would have to make up with him; JGY loved him so much! Even then he still manages to resent WWX for deaths in his family WWX isn't responsible for (and book JC knows that!) and for having been gifted a GC in less than ideal circumstances and absence of communication directly caused by JC own character traits, and let's not speak about feeling like WWX stole his achievements (w/out WWX GC, JC just wouldn't have any). 4/4

Yeah, the proof people pull up does always seem weird. “He didn’t get any dogs!” No, we don’t see any dogs. WWX wasn’t in Yunmeng for very long, and while you can headcanon JC didn’t get any dogs that doesn’t make it automatically canon. As you said, if he really didn’t get dogs after WWX was dead because WWX was scared of them, why did he set a dog on WWX the first chance he got? And we’re explicitly told why JC kept Chenqing: it was bait. He thought if WWX did come back he might not look for his sword, but he’d definitely look for Chenqing. JC kept Chenqing specifically to lure WWX back to Lotus Pier. It’s bizarre to me when people insist it was out of love when we know for a fact that it wasn’t. Not that keeping bait in his home stopped JC from going out and hunting down anyone who reminded him of WWX... Also, I’m pretty sure he did at least mention that “MXY” was actually WWX; JL knows exactly why JC is hunting him, if nothing else. But when someone spends 13/16 years claiming every demonic cultivator he sees is WWX, it becomes... a little hard to believe.

And yeah, literally the first thing JC does on seeing WWX is try to kill him. I... really don’t see how people can argue that JC didn’t really want his brother dead when one of the first things we see (after him being a dick, cheating at night hunts, and berating his 13-year-old nephew for not being a god-tier cultivator...) is him attempting to re-kill WWX. This is his introduction! JC is a cultivator, he knows what Zidian can do, it’s pretty clear that WWX is a spirit in someone else’s body... and he still tries to whip him. Knowing it would kill him. That alone destroys any theory suggesting he didn’t want WWX dead. And it continues throughout the story, with JC consistently tormenting and attacking WWX, minus a couple cases where he decides to leave WWX alone. Do those cases have a connection to the fact that LWJ is always there and clearly very ready to throw hands with anyone who dares do anything to hurt his beloved? Maybe, maybe not, but even if JC is 100% acting out of affection for WWX, that doesn’t invalidate how awfully he treated WWX throughout the rest of the story! A few acts of kindness that mostly boil down to sitting down and shutting up, not even actively saying anything or apologizing, do not mean WWX has to forgive him for treating him like shit his whole life. So much Yunmeng bros reconciliation stuff seems to boil down to “JC didn’t actively antagonize WWX on this one occasion and felt bad about WWX being dead in my headcanon, so WWX has to forgive him!” which just... isn’t how this works.

(If nothing else, LWJ wouldn’t allow anything less than a full, formal apology with evidence that JC really does plan on changing his ways before he’d even consider trusting JC to be anywhere near his husband without very close supervision.)

[ibijau]

30 day otp - day eighteen: Rain

18. R - Rain. Are the otp+ caught up in the bad weather, cozy inside, or are they somewhere like on a space ship or in the middle of the desert yearning for a good storm?

warning for mild alcohol abuse and jealousy 

set after lxc and nhs became a couple, but before nhs discovers his brother’s death wasn’t an accident

It’s stupid to be walking in the rain like that, and it’s needlessly dramatic, and Nie Huaisang doesn’t care because he is, maybe, quite possibly, a little bit drunk. There was too much wine available at this stupid Conference. There’s always too much wine, especially when they’re held in Carp Tower, but it’s the first time Nie Mingjue isn’t there to stop him from overindulging when he’s bored.

And heavens help him, but he has been bored all day. It’s the first time he has to actually pay close attention to what’s been discussed, and his mind spent the entire revolting against the inane conversations around him. Disputes about territories and taxes and petty personal disputes treated as if they’re great scandals. Nie Huaisang doesn’t know how he survived this until the banquet where finally wine was served. He’s tempted to sneak in some wine tomorrow, so he can get drunk in the morning and not have to hear all this drivel. The only thing that can stop him from doing that is if Lan Xichen asks him not to, but… Lan Xichen has better things to do than to pay attention to Nie Huaisang.

The gnawing feeling in Nie Huaisang’s chest is nothing new, but it has been growing stronger since Lan Xichen kissed him for the first time.

He has always envied the close relationship between Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao, the affection and respect these three shared (tainted by distrust and resentment, yes, but still Nie Huaisang believes his brother would never have been so furious if he hadn’t still liked Jin Guangyao). He still envies it, but there’s only two of them now, and sometimes Nie Huaisang sees Lan Xichen smile at Jin Guangyao or touch him with easy casualness, and he wonders…

Shivering because of the rain (or perhaps not just the rain, but he won’t admit to anything else) Nie Huaisang gives in and finds shelter under a tree. It’s cold, and it’s lonely, and he regrets not having some more wine with him to make him forget the way Lan Xichen’s hand was on Jin Guangyao’s shoulder when he ran away, the soft smile his lover (his lover) directed at his sworn brother as they chatted.

Lan Xichen who has barely spared a single glance for him since the conference started.

(Nie Huaisang knows, logically, that Lan Xichen cannot show him too much preference, not in such a public space, not when they are supposed to be friends and nothing else.)

(He’s drunk though, and this feels like rejection, especially when Lan Xichen has no problem showing a lot of preference for Jin Guangyao)

Around Nie Huaisang, the night gets darker. The rain gets worse. It occurs to him that he can’t see shit, doesn’t know where he is in those too big gardens, and probably won’t be able to find his way back.

It wouldn’t be his first time spending the night outside, cold, wet and drunk. It happened twice when he was studying in Cloud Recesses, and Wei Wuxian’s antics got him and Jiang Cheng stuck outside past curfew. Back then, it had been a fun experience. Nie Huaisang doesn’t expect this to be, but it’s his own fault for being stupid, so he’ll deal with it.

He’s just starting to look for a less wet patch of grass to sit down and fall asleep on when he stops something approaching through the rain. A pale silhouette, carrying what appears to be a large umbrella. Nie Huaisang hesitates, but eventually shouts to get that person’s attention. Embarrassment is better than sleeping in the mud.

A statement he starts to reconsider once the person gets closer and he recognises the white robes of Gusu Lan. Of course that’d be just his luck to be found by his lover when he is in such a pitiful state.

Lan Xichen lowers the umbrella as soon as he’s under the shelter of the tree, and pulls Nie Huaisang into a tight, warm hug.

“I was so worried! A-Sang, why did you disappear like that?”

Nie Huaisang, clinging to his lover’s robe like a child to his mother, knows that he should be happy that Lan Xichen came looking for him. If he were a little less drunk, if the last few months had been a little less harrowing, he would be happy.

“Didn’t think you’d notice,” he grumbles instead. “You and A-Yao were having such fun.”

He can feel the slight jolt in Lan Xichen’s frame at his bitter tone. He can also feel a hand carding through his wet hair, as if to comfort him.

“Of course I noticed you were gone,” Lan Xichen gently tells him. “You’ve looked like you were in such a bad mood all day… why didn’t you join us to chat?”

“Why would I bother? When the two of you are together, I might as well not be there.”

The hand in his hair stills. Nie Huaisang feels Lan Xichen move and guesses the other man must be trying to catch his eyes, but he resolutely looks down.

“I’m sorry if we’ve given you that impression,” Lan Xichen says, slow and careful, as if Nie Huaisang were some sect leader he’s trying to pacify. Which he is, really, and he hates that. “A-Sang, we really do enjoy talking with you. I value your opinion, I hope you know that.”

Nie Huaisang huffs. “What’s there to value? Listen, it’s fine. Talk to Jin Guangyao, I don’t care. I’d rather talk to him than to me, too, if I had the choice.”

For a moment, the only sound is the rain around them, still heavy and loud, isolating them from the world. Nie Huaisang feels warm fingers leave his hair to push against his chin and force him to look up. While he tries to resist, Lan Xichen leaves him no choice. Still he keeps his eyes down, refusing to see whatever anger or pity is sure to be on his lover’s face.

“A-Sang, look at me.”

Nie Huaisang shakes his head.

“A-Sang. Please. Look at me.”

He shakes his head again, but there’s something in Lan Xichen’s voice that he can’t resist and he does look up after all.

It’s pity, not anger, that he sees on the other man’s face.

He’s not sure that’s the option he prefers.

“A-Sang, I really do enjoy your conversation, your company,” Lan Xichen insists. “I love you.”

“Only because he won’t let you love him,” Nie Huaisang retorts, quickly looking down again.

The fingers on his chin tighten for a second before letting go, and suddenly Lan Xichen isn’t touching him at all. Nie Huaisang shivers, but he can’t blame the rain alone for how cold he suddenly feels. No matter what happens after this, he’s never drinking again. Or at least, not around other people. If Lan Xichen ends whatever exists between them out of anger at being discovered, there is no force in the world that can stop Nie Huaisang from locking up in his office once he’s back in Qinghe and drinking every single drop of alcohol that can be found in the Unclean Realm.

“That is not true,” Lan Xichen whispers at last, the words almost drowned out by the rain around them. He sounds hurt, but Nie Huaisang still refuses to look up. “I have never once in my life had such thoughts for A-Yao. He is like a brother to me, he has always been. You might as well accuse me of having untoward thoughts for Wangji.”

“You don’t touch Wangji like you touch A-Yao,” Nie Huaisang hisses furiously.

“Of course not. Wangji hates being touched by anyone, while A-Yao welcomes it,” Lan Xichen points out, the slightest hint of irritation piercing through.

“I’d welcome it too, yet you’ve never done it. Even before… before this started, you’ve never…”

Lan Xichen quickly wraps his arms around Nie Huaisang’s body and pulls him close against his chest, holding him tight.

“I think I’ve touched you plenty in recent times,” Lan Xichen claims in a strangled voice. “Not in public but… with you, I’m never sure how much I could get away with, who will guess what we have if I am too familiar. I don’t have to worry about that with A-Yao because I’m not hiding anything when I’m talking with him. With you… I don’t want people to guess. I don’t want people to know and tell us we need to stop.”

If Nie Huaisang’s face is wet, it’s no longer just because of the rain (but he can still blame the wine for making him emotional, and he will if questioned).

Damn Lan Xichen for being so good, for never getting angry, for being kind even when Nie Huaisang is doing everything to make him realise that he has settled for someone who will never be good enough for him.

“I love you,” Lan Xichen says again. “Please don’t doubt that.”

“I love you too,” Nie Huaisang replies, half convinced that he’ll always doubt the other man really cares as much as he does, no matter how many years they get together.

A little less distressed now, Nie Huaisang rises on his toes to claim a quick kiss, just a peck at his lover’s lips to remind himself that no matter who Lan Xichen really wants, for now he’s the one who gets to do that, him and no one else.

When he pulls back, Lan Xichen wrinkles his nose.

“How much did you drink?” he asks, not quickly scolding but ready to get there if necessary.

“A little too much,” Nie Huaisang admits. “I’m… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Not because he doesn’t think it’s true. Given the choice between him and Jin Guangyao, it’s obvious who anyone would prefer… but he’s lucky that Jin Guangyao is married, that he’s never shown any interest in men, that his life history would make him unlikely to cheat anyway. Nie Huaisang can only ever come second best, but a lifetime in his brother’s shadow has taught him to live with that.

Still, it was a cruel thing to say to Lan Xichen, who must suffer from this one-sided business. And the last thing Nie Huaisang wants, ever, is to be cruel to the man he loves.

“All is forgiven,” Lan Xichen replies, too kind as always. “Let’s go back now, and get you something dry to put on. You are so unreasonable, running into the rain like that without even an umbrella.”

Nie Huaisang nods, and presses himself against his lover’s side so they can share Lan Xichen’s umbrella. It doesn’t fully protect them, not when the rain is still so intense, but Nie Huaisang isn’t going to miss a chance to be touching his lover.

[leatherbookmarking]

SITS UP WITH A THUNDERCLAP OF REALIZATION

I HAVE BEEN TAGGED 27 years ago..

(by @ameliarating, thank you so much!!!)

Top 3 Ships: at the moment all i have in my brain is cql, cql and also cql, so, in no particular order:

lan wangji/wei wuxian - I MEAN. everything is here. the “why am i so attracted to you again”. the mutual “does he....? or.... not.....?” -- listen, everyone and their grandma loves to call wwx out on his idiocy re: not figuring out that lan zhan doesn’t like mianmian, but i’m just sitting here, tender and sad, over this poor stupid boy for whom “being loved” is such a goddamn foreign concept. being SOULMATES -- actual soulmates, not government fate assigned first love. us against the world! the yearning. the fact that they got another chance and a thirtysomething lan wangji, the hanguang-jun, is making heart eyes at a loon, and committing theft and minor vandalism for him. “i still am”. THE way they say each other’s names. paradoxically, the fact that they part at the end of the series, and then meet again, because now they both know they’re going to meet again and i... am just... emotional, thank

lan xichen/meng yao - 「二哥，你陪我一块儿死吧」do i. do i need to say more... they hurt me, and i love it. the contrast between how, excuse the naive words, pure and sweet they seemed at the beginning and how they were at the end is ruining me, and as much as i love to think about and read aus where things go differently and they have their happy ending, at the back of my head there’s that awareness that a lot, a lot would need to change and 99% of that lot would be my’s worldview, and that’s. well we sure wish it would happen, don’t we. but (and this is what kind of makes their story so devastating, i have a feeling) even after everything jiggy’s done, even after he literally drags lxc off to Create Chaos and Death-Causing Environment and says stay with me, let’s die together -- this could have gone differently, with lxc having a very unfun realization that it’s over now! he isn’t what he used to be! and yet. and yet, or perhaps because, he does stay, ready to die with jgy. and that’s precisely why he doesn’t, in the end. idk man, that just fucks you up on many levels!!!

can i cheat and say it’s a draw? between xue yang/xiao xingchen and jiang cheng/wen qing

the former because yeah! it’s fucked up! but at the same time, the epic romance elements are like the fattest, wiggliest worm on a hook, and i am but a stupid hungry fish. also, xue yang’s theme song. fuck that shit, man!!! (i said, adoringly)

and the latter because again, it started so innocently, and then look what happened. the fact that despite being a proud bastard and hating the wen sect, he still wanted to save her, offered her help? i die.

now that i think about it, all of these could be summed up with, like, “you’re good, and i want to keep you away from everything that could hurt you (so you could be mine and mine only)” and :-)

Last Song: be my doll by adrian von ziegler, from this playlist; it’s v nice

Last Movie: dear god, probably fatal journey, in late march.

Currently Reading: from things that aren’t thesis-related or fanfiction, does the flower bloom?/hana wa saku ka by hidaka shouko. big rec, best bl manga etc etc

Food I’m Craving: mcd’s cheese bites :’( 6 months left :’(

People I’d like to get to know better: ok so i am very bad at tagging people due to my ᴏʜ ғᴜᴄᴋ ᴀᴍ ɪ ʙᴏᴛʜᴇʀɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ illness, but if you haven’t done it before, if it’s not a problem, if i’m not being rude etcetc etc @bilboo, @sweetlittlevampire @meng-yao-murderbaby @paradife-loft ?

[saezutte]

Dear Yuletide Writer

Dear Yuletide Writer,

Happy end-of-the-year season! Thank you for writing for me!

This is my first time signing up for Yuletide, though I’ve been reading Yuletide fic for 14-15 years and it’s one of my favorite yearly traditions. Now I’m turning over a new leaf of active participation in my old age! I guarantee you I am much more worried about what I’m writing than what you’re writing—I’m pretty easy-going about the fic I read and I am going to try to help you out as best I can with this letter. If there’s something you’re unclear about, feel free to contact the mods or stalk me to find my preferences.

My AO3: saezutte

My public twitter: juncassis

My tumblr: here but I do not use tumblr much anymore, sorry.

Do Not Wants

[note: I have no actual triggers, nothing you can write for me will make me any more depressed or anxious than I already am]

Death (of major/important/beloved characters)

Suicide attempts

Rape

Angst without a happy ending, really too much angst at all

University/college settings

Established relationship

Cheating

Actual Unrequited Feelings

Pregnancy (the actual process; breeding kink is fine)

Scat or watersports

Hard BDSM or any kink complicated enough that the characters would have to discuss it ahead of time

Non-canon cisswapping or gender change (it’s ok if they do it in canon, e.g. HX/SQX)

Homophobia as a plot device

Excessive attention to sexual identity or queer politics

Note on AUs: I am ok with the usual popular AU tropes (except, see above, university settings) but I do not want them combined, e.g. A/B/O is fine and coffeeshop is fine, but I don’t want an omega barista getting his scent all over the lattes he makes for some alpha lawyer who comes in every morning. (Ridiculous example, but you get the point.) For AU/modern settings of fandoms with magic, I often like it when the magic is still there in the AU setting. I also like AUs which maintain the general outlines of the character’s relationships, like if the characters are childhood friends in canon, I like to keep that intact.

General preferences:

I am a pretty basic bitch when it comes to fanfic: I like it when two clueless boys pine for each other through some shenanigans and then lock eyes/lips/dicks.

If you fed a neural net every fanfic written in Stargate Atlantis fandom between 2005 and 2010, the result would probably be some nonsense I’d enjoy.

I love many tropes. Tropes! Bed-sharing. Sharing an umbrella. WASHING EACH OTHER’S HAIR? Confessions where they are having an argument and then one of them yells “Because I love you!” 

I love situations where characters are forced to spend time in close proximity and find themselves with feelings.

I love fakeness: fake dating, fake marriage, arranged marriage, marriage of convenience, fake lust induced by sex pollen or heats, aliens make them have sex, whatever. 

I’d prefer story/romance/build-up to PWP but you are welcome to write porn

Tian Guan Ci Fu

Requested characters: He Xuan, Shi Qingxuan

Note: If you don’t want to write those two, I would be happy with Hualian! There are other pairings I like as well, like Fengqing. I requested these two because they are the ones I want the most, but I like almost all of the characters in TGCF so if you want to write me something that sells me on your pet pairing, go for it. Caveat is that I don’t like Qi Rong (sorry cousin)—he makes me anxious, haha.

Why I like the canon: Tian Guan Ci Fu is my favorite of MXTX’s novels, which took over my life this summer. What I love about it is the gods/mythology angle. The different story arcs remind me of reading myths about gods going out on adventures—I love folklore and myths! I love Xie Lian, I respect him so much, and I love Hua Cheng. I love how dark the story gets and I love that I could read it while being relatively assured of a happy ending. But with MXTX, you only ever get that happy ending for the main pair, hence why I requested my side pair.

Why I like these characters: I was in love with these two when He Xuan was pretending to be a grouchy Earth Master who reluctantly goes along with whatever Shi Qingxuan wants. When it turned out to be ABOUT REVENGE and they have FATES WHICH ARE ENTANGLED TOGETHER, I promptly lost my mind. I like the contrast in personalities.

I love Shi Qingxuan as a happy gossip god who is friends with everyone and yet also still pretty good at his job (unlike a lot of the gods around). I like his struggle with realizing he wasn’t meant to be a god and I honestly like where he ends up at the end of the novel—but personally I’d like it better if he re-qualified as a god, haha. I love his sex switching and you are welcome to play with that, though I would prefer if it weren’t a straightforward switch where he (she) settles as a woman. With He Xuan… I love that he’s on this dark completely-justified vengeance quest but he is also kind of a mess? How in debt is he to Hua Cheng? Has he totally neglected his ghostly duties to play Earth Master in heaven? How did he feel starting to be friends with SQX when he’s still planning on ruining his life?

What I would like for these two is something between pure fluff / all the issues are solved / “decapitated brother who?” and angst. I think they mirror Hualian in a lot of ways and I wish they had a chance together!

Prompts:

Them meeting again post-canon: He Xuan not knowing what to do with his (after)life now that he’s got his revenge and not being totally sure what’s keeping him around now that his business is over. SQX living his happy beggar life and HX not sure how he’s still so energetic.

A canon divergent AU where He Xuan doesn’t pull off his revenge plot ? Instead something else happens?

A soulmate AU would work well for these two IMO

Modern AU where HX is infiltrating the company that destroyed his family business and falls in love with the heir to the company president

SQX reascending to godhood as a beggar god and HX suspecting he will come for him in revenge but he just wants to be friends again

The Untamed (RPF)

Requested characters: Wang Yibo, Xiao Zhan

Why I like the canon: Uh, it took over my stupid life this summer. I haven’t liked an idol in years. I have frequently said I don’t like RPF because the canon is too diffuse to keep up with! And yet look at my twitter. I’m living in a hell of my own making.

Anyway, I got into the RPF side for The Untamed initially because the fictional canon here was very overloaded with its status as an adaptation of a novel where the characters are already together and where there aren’t many points for a writer to jump in and add to it. So I got more interested in the actors’ dynamic particularly because it’s different from Wangxian—WYB is a gremlin! Xiao Zhan is the serious professional one! And then I fell in love with them and now this is my life.

Why I like these characters: I just love their stupid handsome faces, I can’t help it. Don’t look at me. I am more of a Xiao Zhan fan but I want to be Wang Yibo’s best friend and bully him.

With Xiao Zhan, I love his smile and I love that he can write a whole essay on Wei Wuxian’s character and I love that he was a regular person who worked in an office before deciding to join one of wjjw’s basically-a-scam idol raising shows and then accidentally becoming the most famous man in China. He’s so professional and serious in interviews and it’s a great contrast to how we see him goofing around with WYB and the others on set.

With Wang Yibo, I like that he’s a wild boy who will run off to race motorcycles at any minute. I would like to shove him a little bit, in an affectionate manner. I love that he’s always looking at XZ and smiling and doesn’t seem to care if anyone notices.

Prompts:

Fooling around on set leads to love? The most basic of basic  

AUs with different settings/meetings—maybe XZ is still a designer and his company ends up working with WYB (who is still an idol)? Or WYB is a pro motorcycle racer and XZ is a sports photographer?

They drift apart now but meet again in 10 years with Regrets

Porn star AU

Having to share a bed

WYB is scared of something! XZ comforts him!

Any dumb AU you want but I would like to veto ABO for this, it’s too weird for me when they’re real people.

The Untamed (TV)

Requested characters: Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian

Note: There are other CQL/MDZS pairings I like, namely Jiang Cheng/Nie Huaisang. I also like the junior trio (as OT3 or as various twosomes.) Also, one night I read a Jiang Cheng/Lan Sizhui fic and suddenly I got all these ideas for inappropriate uncle pairings JC/LSZ and LXC/JL. If any of that speaks to your heart instead, go wild.

Why I like the canon: So obviously I read the novel and plunged into this MXTX abyss for 100 years. With this adaptation, there are a few things I don’t like versus the novel but I’m happy to ignore them because I love what they did with the visuals and music and the acting choices. Some of the changes I also do love—I love how WWX seems to be so much more into LWJ from the beginning! I love seeing them goof around, I love drunk!WYB in the drama.

I also don’t like established relationship fic for the most part, so the censorship in this adaptation means I have more to play with in fanfic!

Why I like the characters: They invented love!!! They did. I particularly like them both as kind of messes… It’s easy to forget with how great Hanguang-jun is but he’s also bad at expressing himself and it gets him into trouble. Then you have WWX the deviant genius troublemaker with a heart of gold (even when he doesn’t have his golden core). They’re immature kids who can’t figure their shit out before things get serious and then 16 years later, they are emotionally stunted 30-somethings and (tbh) I feel that. These two are meant for each other and meant to wander the country following the chaos and getting into adventures together while fucking a lot.

Prompts:

How do Wangxian get together in this universe? Was it as teens? During the war? Did they split up? Did LWJ give in to temptation earlier than in the novel? When did WWX realize his feelings?

Fix-it for the ending where they separate!! Duh! Does anyone think them being apart is going to last?

Star Trek AU with the Lans as Vulcans

Uh, I really like A/B/O fic for these two.

MAGIC SEX CURSES. Fuck or die! Sex pollen! Particularly if they’re not a couple yet and this leads to awkwardness and getting together.

Nirvana in Fire (TV)

Requested characters: Mei Changsu, Xiao Jingyan

Note: I also love Lin Chen so if you want to write some MCS/LC or LC/Fei Liu or LC/MCS/JINGYAN OT3??? go for it. I am also a Nihuang/Xia Dong shipper so if you want to put that in… somehow… my gay little heart would be happy. I also like Nihuang/MCS/XJY or MNH/MCS + MCS/XJY but I’d like the focus on the men in that case! 

Why I like the canon: I watched this show because someone recommended this show to me as, like, Chinese Game of Thrones but good. I think it’s genuinely one of the best TV shows I’ve ever seen. I love plots and revenge and good people doing bad things for justice. Even the ending is good for me though obviously it left me unsatisfied on several points.

Why I like the characters: I am deeply into sickly doomed genius MCS and every time he got even more deeply ill, I fell deeper in love. Every time he coughs up blood, my heart would race. I love his terrible schemes and stupid self-sacrificing choices. I find watching this show very soothing because I knew he would always come out on top in his schemes. I trust him. I love handsome clueless Jingyan and how he’s just so good (it’s terrible.) I love his mom and how much he cares for her. I love him but he is useless, he needs his Xiao Shu and I need fanfic to restore him to him.

Note: So my limited research on this says that male/male sex practices were accepted and well-known in this time period in history, so I really don’t want them thinking “oh no what are these weird gay feelings.” There are other barriers to them being together, like a ruler or official being overly attached to one person was considered very bad. I am also a big supporter of the socially-approved polygamy of this time period, so I don’t need Jingyan to refuse to sleep with his wife or something out of loyalty to MCS—he has to do it! Or all their plans are ruined! And he can enjoy spending time with her or the concubines without affecting his feelings for MCS—you could explore that complexity in fic if you like.

Prompts:

Mei Changsu isn’t dead, he’s hiding again, Jingyan searches for him

They start having sex during the series, the ending is averted [somehow]

Post-canon, MCS is alive and Jingyan hides him in the palace with his consort/concubines to keep him on as an advisor without anyone objecting

AU where male/male marriage is customary (maybe aristocratic men are expected to have one male and one female consort?) and so MCS decides the best way to influence and help Jingyan in the capital is by becoming his wife or one of his concubines

anything just get them together and happy.

Promare

Requested characters: Galo, Lio

Why I like the canon: I love this film but I also find it to be… not enough? I wanted more character development, I wanted more plot, I wanted the goddamn Burnish to stay burning things. So I requested it because I want more! Please help me.

Why I like the characters: I love freedom fighter idealist Lio who will kick everyone’s ass for what is right. I love idiot idealist Galo who wants to fight all fires and learns to love exactly one fire. I think now that they aren’t saving the world by punching global warming, they should have a nice romance. I also like they points where they clash in the film, so I’d love to see them adjusting to “normal life” and having to deal with not having the crisis to make sure they get along.

Prompts:

Galo and Lio rebuilding the world together

Lio regaining Burnish powers?

AU where the Burnish are still a thing but it’s not a big crisis/battle and they just have normal jobs and there are integration programs and Lio is an angry Burnish teen and Galo volunteers at a community center helping Burnish control their powers. Like a world that’s more everyday X-Men than X-men in full adventure war mode.

This is the one request where I’d probably enjoy gen fic with lots of worldbuilding.

I would also enjoy lots of horny porn, preference for Galo topping with his giant stupid dick? I’m sorry I’m like this.

I do want to note ahead of time that I might be traveling (as in, possibly literally on a plane) when fics go live, so please do not be upset if I do not comment on the fic right away! But I definitely will! I know this can be a sore spot for authors so I wanted to give some warning. 

I think that is all! Thank you very much and I’ll see you at the end of all this. 

[ibijau]

Ok so time to go unanonymous. I think that both LJY and LSZ knowing would be hillarious. But they dont know that this one knows. LSZ just always misses those moments when LJY talks about it. And LXC and his trust in JGY is always there to bite his ass and chew his heart. Thats why Im waiting for a fic where both LXC and JGY are in love with NHS and world burns. And it just get to me that when WWX gets back he should watch out, because LXC to the end would think that WWX is fucking up LWJ marriag

ok first, before I get distracted: We’re In The Same Night is a cool fic that has dark!LXC and JGY competing for the affections of NHS, all while mostly following canon, and it’s fucked up and I love it (warning that LXC and JGY fuck at one point)

with this said, the idea that both Lan Juniors KNOW and just somehow never managed to discuss it with each other is hilarious. LSZ tries to be respectful of his family’s complicated situation and keeps it to himself (this boy now has three dads btw. Everyone is LSZ’s dad, just like everyone is Jin Ling’s uncle). 

Meanwhile, LJY discusses his theory with anyone who will listen, but he’s also respectful of LSZ and doesn’t want to imply to him that one of his dads wants to cheat on his other dad with his uncle. He likes LSZ and doesn’t want him to be hurt by those adults’ funny business!

As for WWX

gods yeah, that’s gonna mess with things. I always picture LXC as resenting WWX (I think novel!canon more than support this) but for him to come back when LWJ had (apparently) gotten over him and moved on... LXC doesn’t want any of this. He doesn’t want LWJ to be tortured again by a love that cannot be, and he doesn’t want NHS to lose the man he OBVIOUSLY loves to someone who isn’t and never will be worthy of LWJ

poor WWX is SO CONFUSED as to why LXC hates him so much. But in fairness, WWX is confused about a lot of things. He didn’t know LWJ was into guys?? (he was aware NHS was into guys though) He didn’t know that LWJ and NHS were into EACH OTHER??? His memory is bad and he doesn’t pay attention, but he’s shocked that he missed that? when did it happen? how did it happen? why do they not live together? Why is nhs constantly pushing for wwx to sleep in the same room as LWJ while they travel together to gather NMJ’s body parts, while taking another separate room for himself?????

WWX has many questions and he’s too emotionally damaged to realise the answers