#of the way wu xie understands

[ghost-kings-court-jester]

I find it so interesting that time and time again Jun Wu never considered other peoples kindness and how that foiled all his plans.

Like originally he wanted Xie Lian to fall apart and break like him but Wu Ming was there to be sure he wasn’t alone and to take on all that resentment.

The man with the bamboo hat was there making sure Xie Lian remember that people can be kind.

Like even 800 years later after Jun Wu failed he tries to cause rifts for Xie Lian so that he has no one and becomes isolated and hopefully insane like him.

Except Pei Ming who would have lied and manipulated the situation doesn’t blame Xie Lian for figuring everything out, he knows it wasn’t personal and he’s able to work with him later despite Jun Wu constantly pitting them against each other.

Shi Wudu is the strongest elemental master and while he didn’t ever warm to Xie Lian, Shi Qingxuan did and they loved him for who he was. They always came to Xie Lian defence to give him backing in heaven because they were friends. (Which honestly might be why the Shi Wudu plot was revealed starting the Black Water Arc.) then even after leaving heaven and Xie Lian losing a popular gods backing. Shi Qingxuan is kind and doesn’t hold a grudge and even when they have nothing and can’t be an ally in heaven they still care about Xie Lian and help him when they are literally crippled and mortal.

Ling Wen is shrewd and could have been a very strong antagonist against Xie Lian except he was always polite and kind to her and she respects that. She has no real desire to do him harm outside of protecting herself and doesn’t really consider him an enemy in any way.

Lang Qianqiu should have turned against him and all of the heavens against too except he only wants the truth. He hears the whole story and immediately clears Xie Lians name and makes sure the heavens know it was Qi Rong so Xie Lian can’t be banished again.

He pairs Xie Lian with Quan Yizhen a god known for being confrontational and picking fights except Xie Lian was kind to him and that makes him a for lifer in Quan Yizhen’s mind he literally wouldn’t turn against him or even think about it because Xie Lian proved himself to be a good person and that’s all Quan Yizhen needs to like you.

Yushi Huang happily tried to help Xie Lian with the drought and gives him her spiritual device as a show of kindness. Then she helps him hide Banyue, helps in Tonglu and helps Hua Cheng infiltrate Heaven because she’s a kind woman who gave up her life for her people and understands Xie Lian is the same.

Jun Wu assumes this whole time that Feng Xin and Mu Qing would be resentful because that’s what happened to him with his friends except Feng Xin and Mu Qing are insane and deranged and just want Xie Lian to be their friend again so they make little disguises to help all the time and take some of the scrutiny of Xie Lian because they were there too. Feng Xin pays of Xie Lians huge debt to smooth things over for him with the other Gods. When Xie Lian is “kidnapped” they follow him to get him back immediately because hey wait that’s our friend. Jun Wu tries to bring suspicion between them by making them assume the worst about each other but Mu Qing literally takes a shackle over betrayal. Then both of them go to Mount Tonglu to protect Xie Lian and begin to mend their friendship because that’s how they roll.

And of course we have Hua Cheng who is Wu Ming that constant loyal thorn in Jun Wu’s side because through all of these events he is with Xie Lian. He offers comfort and support and insures that Xie Lian never even begins to spiral down the same dark path by helping him in every situation, acting as a buffer and a confidant and reminding Xie Lian he isn’t alone and he will be there loving Xie Lian more than Jun Wu could ever hate him.

There’s probably more instances but I just love how this all kinda plays out like yes Xie Lian is truly kind and hopeful and that’s why he’ll never fully be Bai Wuxiang anyway but other people are kind too! There is so much more to people than Jun Wu expects and that’s why his plan is foiled over and over again. Not by smarts or by fighting but by simple human kindness and compassion.

[jungle-fae]

Can we talk about Ruoye for a second.

Like, it’s a sweet, wholesome, playful little spirit that loves Xie Lian to pieces, yet its backstory is so fucked up. It only came to life because of the horrible evil acts it was used to commit, and I’m just thinking that poor baby Ruoye has got to be just as traumatized as Xie Lian. The book notes that in its very first moments, it doesn’t understand the suffering that birthed it, but I hardly think that means Ruoye wasn’t aware of what caused it to gain consciousness. It was a lil baby spirit, so it just didn’t understand the implications yet.

And Ruoye had the misfortune of coming to life during Xie Lian’s worst moments. Of course it wasn’t XL’s fault, but it still hurts that Ruoye, innocent little spirit that it was, just wanted love from the person it saw as its creator and wasn’t able to get it. My guess is Ruoye probably quickly understood the circumstances surrounding its birth because of XL’s initial attitude towards it. I almost imagine it had to feel some sort of guilt for its part, albeit involuntary, in XL’s suffering.

However. As we know, no matter what mistakes Xie Lian made in the past, he ultimately chose kindness. I cannot imagine how painful it must have been for him to see Ruoye for a while, given what it must have reminded him of, yet he welcomed and cared for it regardless. He gave it the love that it so desperately wanted. And I can’t get over that. He realized that no matter how much pain Ruoye had caused him, it wasn’t the little spirit’s fault. In a way, I can draw parallels between that and Xie Lian’s treatment of Hong Hong’er, who he always took care of no matter how much others warned him that he would cause misfortune. Xie Lian ignored the warnings because Hong Hong’er didn’t deserve to be punished for something he had no control over. He deserved to be loved like anyone else.

Now, the scene that really got me thinking about all this? When Jun Wu uses Ruoye to tie up Xie Lian in Quan Yizhen’s palace, Ruoye is distraught. I don’t think that is purely because it has been tied into knots, as is explained in the book, but also because of the resurfacing trauma of again being used to hurt Xie Lian, whom it loves so much. And again, like little ghost fire Hua Cheng, it can do nothing about it.

All this to say, I love precious little Ruoye and I love the relationship it has with Xie Lian even more. Despite the trauma and pain, they found companionship in each other, choosing to love. It’s like, one of, if not the main theme, of TGCF, and I never realized how much Ruoye, with all its parallels to Hua Cheng, embodies that.

[sisislair]

Man I love Shi Qingxuan's friendship with Xie Lian. It doesn't come quite as naturally as his connection with Hua Cheng, but I honestly like that! They start off with decently favorable impressions of each other's moral standing, but they both have to work at really understanding the other person.

The shenanigans these two get into when investigating together are also fucking hilarious. Shi Qingxuan providing some much needed levity and his resources, while Xie Lian is usually able to remain fairly collected in stressful situations. Granted that's because of, you know, horrendous amounts of trauma, but it does make for a good team up!

He's one of the few heavenly officials who can call Xie Lian out for things and not sound like a dick. I've mentioned previously that I love him telling Xie Lian that he should never have taken this mission, and he was right! Ghost king or not that's his friend, and it's shitty that Xie Lian would accept this mission. And more importantly, he says that it's even shittier that Jun Wu would ask that of him! So this is the first criticism of Jun Wu that we ever get from someone in the heavens.

He truly gets that Hua Cheng is Xie Lian's friend, and that Xie Lian is in a terribly awkward position right now. He expresses guilty for starting the fight and fanning the flames! Because even if the mission ended up being rescuing his friend, he's also capable of recognizing that the heavens are in the wrong here. Hua Cheng has every right to deal with a spy as he sees fit! And he sees Xie Lian as a friend, and knows that Xie Lian's deeply hurt by having to stand in between his friends like this.

And the way he defends Xie Lian from Lang Qianqiu's accusations! That's his friend, how dare you accuse him of a massacre?! And you can tell Xie Lian appreciates the sentiment, even if he doesn't want the defense.

Xie Lian asking Shi Qingxuan to watch over Lan Ying and Banyue while he's under house arrest is such a big show of trust! But even though he does think Shi Qingxuan is a bit ridiculous at times, he's always trusted him to try and do right by other people.

[theredcuyo]

More of the au with Sqq deciding that he's had Xie Lian for a few months but if anything happens to him he's killing everyone in heaven and then Jun Wu

"Ah, so you did like the new robe we got the other day!" Xie Lian was rather embarassed on this kind of topic, but really, it had been a gesture of good will and Sqq was just so happy to see him wear it "Yes, it's rather beautiful, Shen-Ge"

"Isn't that right? The butterfly motif really brings it out, it's good that we got that spell that keeps it from getting dirty, it would be a shame if not, don't you think?" It would surely sound normal, if Sqq wasn't glaring daggers at every single official they came across from behind his fan while he said it

"It's good it'll stay like this but i still think Shen-ge shouldn't brother himself with things like this" Xie Lian, appreciated the gesture, he really did, but this much for his sake wasn't necessary "Nonsense! Our A-Lian is so pretty, he should be allowed to shine even brighter, ah, but it is true that even if something happened we will be able to clean it up perfectly, not a trace left, i'm sure Chengzu would know what to do even if i didn't"

Covering his face with his hands, Xie Lian didn't know wheter to laugh or cry with such a direct treat to everyone else "Shen-Ge, please..."

"Fine, fine, i'll stop" Sqq conceided, happy to see the other officials squirm on their places and quickly run away. "After all, i wouldn't want A-Lian to get mad at me and sent me away, ah, what would i do then? I would get so worried about A-Lian"

"Shen-Ge..." Xie Lian had to look away, although he knew it was a joke it reminded him of old things, but well, Sqq patted his head again, like he did everytime he was feeling down "I know, i know, our A-Lian has a kind heart, there's almost nothing he could get angry at and if there is, it's surely deserved"

Xie Lian hadn't told him about that person, and didn't plan on doing it anytime soon, little did he know, there was no need, for his brother in law knew already and had experience dealing with abandonment issues, and had also, decided he was to be protected since he reminded him so much of a white lotus he had once helped bloom and decay "But still, even if A-Lian got angry at me and told me to leave, i wouldn't"

"Huh?"

"Ah, i mean, that wouldn't work, i would get too worried about you, so i would stick around and wait so we could solve it out" Xie Lian kept his gaze down, a memory catched on his throat. "After all, if i did something to anger A-Lian, then i should find a way to apologize and make amends, since i care about you, i would much prefer that you feel happy"

"Even if you didn't do anything wrong?" Sqq sighed, what was with him having this heart to heart conversations lately? Ah, really, married life was making him into an emotional old man "Then A-Lian is not mad at me, and i should help him out, you know? My Binghe wasn't at his best before either, when i died, and it took me a while to understand that. That kind of pain, really, i wouldn't wish it on anyone, much less if i can help"

"But... What if i hurt Shen-Ge?"

Sqq opened his fan, the faint memory of Binghe's face in the roof flashing before him "... I don't think A-Lian is the person to do it without reason, whatever it could be"

Not for the first time, Sqq lamented the lack of modern psicology advancements, he wasn't exactly a psycologist and all he knew came from his sister's rants about it "And... if it was a bad reason?"

"Everyone makes mistakes" Xie Lian thought it was probably easier for him to say it, not knowing what he had done, and much less knowing of the regrets Sqq couldn't possibly tell him about "And we learn from them, we fix what can be fixed"

For the first time in a while, Xie Lian lifted up his head, and just for a second, he found that in Shen Qingqiu's gaze was an all familiar guilt "... Is there something Shen-Ge regrets?"

Sqq's hand around his fan tightened "...many things, A-Lian, maybe not enough"

Ah, so it was like that. Maybe it wasn't the same, and they're really weren't the same, but at the same time, he felt like perhaps, there was someone who did understand, as those were thoughts he often had too.

And so, they kept on walking, a topic much softer came, while Sqq hoped that the intention of derailing their path to walk by certain generals' palaces was worth something, he might not like them too much, but Xie Lian deserved friends, friends who could share things with him, that he could not with them, a friend from the same Hometown was a rare gift. "Ah, Shen-Ge i've been meaning to ask... Did ah... Shang Qinghua use to be a heavenly official?"

Sqq huffed. "Someone like him could only wish such thing"

"Ah, then it wasn't a secret inmortal language he was talking in?" Xie Lian had never been one to interact with other inmortals, or even heavenly officials back in his first ascension, so, of course he wouldn't know, or so thought Sqq, but he didn't know either, or he hoped for Airplane's sake that he didn't "Perhaps it's a foreign language? May i know what he said?"

"He said uh... Something like 'buddy, you're awakening Cucumber-bro's daddy instincts, or is it mommy instincts since he takes the heavenly pillar back there?, is he a milf now?, you made Cucumber-bro into a milf' i think...?" Xie Lian's broken try at English didn't make the words less clear on Sqq's brain "Ah, i see, didn't you ask him what it mean?"

"He said it was something about a deal he was working on" Xie Lian's innocent smile didn't betray that he had conveyed this information on purpose, for he hadn't ignored the path they had been walking on, he didn't really know what it meant tho "A-Lian cover your ears"

"Ah... Shen-Ge-"

"Cover. Your. Ears." And Xie Lian did, because those eyes reminded him a little bit too much of Guoshi, when he sent him to copy the sutrhas for a whole night.

The heavens were shaken, just enough for Ling Wen to wonder if someone had ascended again.

Shang Qinghua, on the northen palace, sneezed and felt a sudden urge to hide under Mobei-Jun's bed.

--

Lil' extra on Wwx's imput on this, because Sqq is not leaving him out of seudo group therapy:

"Wuxian, may i ask you something?" Sqq asked when the three of them were drinking tea, as they recounted the latest heavenly gossip for Wwx "Yes, Shen-Ge?"

"... Do you have something You regret?" Wwx kept his smile, and waved his hand around his body, of course, he'd rather joke "What do you think Shen-ge? Do i?"

Sqq sighed "You know that's not what i meant, do you remember that which you regret?"

Wwx kept his smile as he scratched his head "Aiyah, well, my memory is never been that good, you know! I couldn't even remember my own little radish and the love of my life, how could i remember that?"

Sqq and Xl blushed a little at his wording, really, only Wuxian would be capable of saying 'Love of his Life' with such a straight face, even if that was the only straight thing about him. Xie Lian tho, could feel in his smile something familiar "Wei-Ge... I know you said that now you stay for Wangji and Sizhui-er but..."

Wei Wuxian, who had not long ago convinced Xie Lian to call him ge, was still a little bit weak to it. "I know, i know, but there are things that can't be fixed, right, Shen-Ge?"

Sqq sighed, it was like they were birds of the same feather, and he knew that, but still he didn't want such a sad face into someone he cared for, so he reached out to pat Wwx's head, and he, who had been expecting to get hit with the fan again, froze "We fix what can be fixed, but sometimes when we want to put back together a bowl, we get cut with the pieces, so we should also bandage ourselves and not just think about the bowl"

"I..."

"Since you're a mess, i'll bandage it for you if you wanted to" Wuxian huffed something similar to a laugh "And My Binghe would try to heal you with his blood, again"

"Shen-Ge, i think San Lang's butterflies work well for those too" Xie Lian smiled at both of them, a supporting hand on Wwx's shoulder "Ah, but i also know some ways! Rouyue wouldn't mind helping you too, Wei-ge!"

Hearing its name, Rouye popped up from Xie Lian's sleeve, rolling itself friendly on Wwx's hand "Ah, but, you know, A-Lian? I think Wuxian would much rather have Wangji kissing it better"

At that, Wwx actually laughed, his usual shamelesness back with him "Aiyah! Shen-Ge knows me too well, Lan Zhan's kisses are truly magical even when he makes a fuss about it!"

-------

I think the metaphors are pretty on the nose for this one? And not me again considering to write a damn fic already, tbf, i wanted this one to be short, it didn't ask me when it decided to keep on going

Sqq deciding he's going to protect the others because they're his family now is my second favorite thing about this au, the first one is Hua Cheng having a family that loves him-

[xiaogesword]

I'm reading DMBJ Vol. 10 - Sand Sea, and I just now realized the reason for something - in volume 1 when Xiaoge mercilessly killed King Shang of Lu, it was because he was the one who cause Xiaoge to end up in the situation he did. He was the reason Xiaoge's life was miserable from the moment he could remember.

Because the three thousand year old baby was all a little scheme set up by King Shang himself, and Zhang Qiling was the one who had to endure such hardship and pure despair due to this ancient man's selfish desires and ambitions. Xiaoge's merciless killing of King Shang was the closest to retribution a person could ask for -- yet, one could only wonder if it only made him feel all the more alone and empty in the end.

As they say, the thoughts, feelings, and emotions one feels after taking revenge are rarely ever fully positive.

This just solidifies the idea that Wu Xie was truly the one thing Xiaoge could see in a positive light, and keep close and protect by his own will and with all of his strength. Protecting him is the one thing he had true control over in his life. So in a way, protecting Wu Xie is his true form of retribution that maybe even he himself hasn't fully realized yet.

And this got me thinking: perhaps this is the true meaning of love -- protecting someone not because you have to, but because you can choose to by your own will. And to get something in return -- in this case, Wu Xie's continued support and gratitude -- might just be the thing that one would continue to love and live for.

The kind of pure human love, that isn't always romantic, doesn't come from appearance, whims, or desires, but from emotional and physiological understanding and comfort, and the interpersonal sharing of pain/hardship, and happiness/contentment.

[budd-ie]

The way it has JUST dawned on me exactly why Mu Qing is so smug all the time about Xie Lian. The truth is that any time someone does something good for others, it ALWAYS comes back to bite them. Nobody is grateful, nobody is thankful, and most of the time you get physically hurt even trying. Mu Qing’s conclusion about this is “there is literally no point in being a nice person because it will only get you hurt.” He sees this pattern and he knows he’s right, and he especially sees it with Xie Lian. Think about how fucking smug Fu Yao is in the sinners pit when he finds out about “General Hua” and Xie Lian’s “death.” This is just another instance of Xie Lian’s efforts for good only ever going to waste and him getting beat to death and back for thinking he can still save the common people. What’s his problem? Won’t this idiot ever learn his lesson? When he sees the dilapidated shrine and sad excuse for a living arrangement Mu Qing looks joyous. What joy could he possibly find in another man’s suffering? It’s because it proves that trying to play good guy gets you nowhere. Mu Qing left all those years ago to focus on himself and it got him to a top martial god spot in heaven. He’s clearly right about this! This proves it!

It’s so obvious he’s right. If you want to get anywhere in life, you have to stop worrying about being “good” or “kind” because it will never bring you good returns. That’s true….so why can’t Xie Lian understand that? If every single time he gets kicked down for trying to do something nice, why bother getting up and trying again? What is he trying to accomplish?

The difference is that Xie Lian is kind not for the returns but because it is innate to him. It’s not that he never thought about himself in the past, it’s just that he’s never had a second thought about people deserving kindness in the world. Getting shot down never breaks his spirit like it breaks Mu Qing’s. Mu Qing can’t fucking stand that. He can’t stand that Xie Lian is so genuinely selfless, that he was wrong about his perception of him all those years ago. He can’t stand that Xie Lian is still trying to help him even though he knows he won’t appreciate it. If he really was only doing it for merit and to feel good about himself then everything would be fine! But now he has to grapple with the fact that he’s looking at a really, genuinely, good person and he’s just another person who shot him down. He realizes he’s looking at someone who’s stronger than him, physically and emotionally, better than him morally, despite all his talk about how they’re not that different when really they’re leagues away.

(Some book 8 spoilers below)

It messed with the flow of the paragraph so I didn’t mention it earlier, but in that second paragraph, Mu Qing’s mindset sounds a lot like Jun Wu. Jun Wu is trying to prove to Xie Lian that his path of kindness and selflessness is stupid and that when people knock him down he can choose the other (lesser) path. I always say That Mu Qing is like a foil to Xie Lian (I think this is that explanation) but if Jun Wu and Xie Lian are connected in this way then it’s almost reasonable to bring Mu Qing along too. And it makes sense that he doesn’t shine as bright in this point of view between the three of them, just like he always has. There’s something here but it was a wake up in the middle of the night with a cold sweat and a revelation kind of thing so it’s not really fleshed out at all. We’ll deal with it later.

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

Thoughts on “How Jiang Cheng treats Jin Ling is normal because that’s just Chinese parenting”?

I was explaining to someone why I considered the way Jiang Cheng talks to Jin Ling to be abusive, and got hit with that.

I have noticed that parents and guardians in xianxia works sometimes speak quite harshly to their children in punishment scenarios specifically (plus there is frequently corporal punishment involved), but Jiang Cheng’s way of talking to Jin Ling feels like it’s on a whole different level. I can’t think of any time he speaks to Jin Ling like a normal adult.

Am I being gaslit here?

This argument in a gif.

First: There is no excuse to say that corporal punishment is a necessity to use against children and has lasting trauma against those that have had it used on them in the form of consistent psychological maladjustment including depression, unhappiness, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, use of drugs and alcohol and can alter dopaminergic regions of the brain which hinders long term mental well being and inhibits behavioral responses emotionally and cognitively for themselves and social interactions. Up to some themselves beginning to engage in aggressive and physically abusive behaviors themselves.

Two: Verbal abuse is still... abuse. Some have defined it as the production of psychological and social defects in the growth of a minor as a result of behavior such as loud yelling, coarse and rude attitude, inattention, harsh criticism, and denigration of the child's personality. Other examples include name-calling, ridicule, degradation, destruction of personal belongings, threatening the torture or killing of a pet (and doing as such),excessive or extreme unconstructive criticism, inappropriate or excessive demands, withholding communication, and routine labeling or humiliation. 36.3% of children experience emotional abuse globally.

A consistent usage of this is not something to continue to normalize or excuse in parents, guardians and figures of authority of children. Verbal abuse is also not seen as a pressing issue as it is not physical harm enacted and still considered something that cannot be lawfully punishable despite the widespread statistics of its repercussions on the development of children and their adulthood life interactions.

At any rate, the author of the three novels condemns the abuse of children by several adults that engage in this behavior from Shen Jiu abusing his position of teacher and master over Luo Binghe because of jealousy. To Jiang Cheng and Madam Yu for physically and verbally degrading children they are guardians over and said children participating in dangerous antics to be praised for their skill or continued loyalty theyare said to owe. Jun Wu for trying to groom and gaslight another child (Xie Lian) to become another abuser and killer simply because he did not like the way said child interacted with the world with the position he had socially.

We also see from all three of these same works, is that these characters do also begin to physically abuse these same children as well as engage in isolation and negligence of them more than once. Enough that the audience should understand that these adults are not misunderstood AS THE ADULTS WITH CHILDREN UNDER THEIR CARE.

And as I have said before, whatever love may exist in Jiang Cheng for Jin Ling (and he desperately does, that isn't in dispute at any time unless someone who reads this is that stupid to come to the conclusion and say JiangWanyinscatmom is saying Jiang Cheng never cared or loved his nephew at all), does not negate the abuse that he has exhibited from the start of his very introduction when he threatens Jin Ling with abandonment when he says this:

江澄话中带刺，又是一转：“还站着干什么，等着猎物自己撞过来插|你剑上？今天你要是拿不下这大梵山里的东西，今后都不必来找我了！”

Jiang Cheng's words were full of thorns, he turned around and said, "Why are you still standing there, waiting for the prey to bump into you and pierce itself on your sword? If you can't hunt down that creature in Dafan Mountain by today, don't you ever come back to me again!"

[potatosaresweet]

tgcf spoilers btw

i keep thinking about how jun wu was convinced that xie lian's last believer(hua cheng) would leave him in that final battle since his own last believer(mei nianqing) also left him but to be fair to mei nianqing the situation is completely different.

xie lian was all hua cheng ever had, the god who saved him as a child, who protected him, whose shrines offered him shelter and comfort. xie lian is the literal reason he refuses to leave this world, as he wants to help and protect him just like he did so many years ago-he's what ties his existance on earth because he had no one else. his family seemed to despise him, no other friends, nothing. of course he'd follow xie lian anywhere, of course he'd do anything for the ONE PERSON to ever care about him, the person who held him while he cried and told him it wasn't his fault.

but mei nianqing? he had friends other that the prince. he had the other perceptors-all five of them were incredibly close. and then they turned against jun wu(for understandable reasons) and he killed them. his friends. THEIR friends. of course mei nianqing got scared,wouldn't you? seeing his prince slowly fall into madness, going as far as to kill people he cares about,people they both held so dearly in their hearts, it makes sense why mei niangqing fled.

the situation was completely different and yet jun wu failed to see that. he was so desperate to draw or forcibly create parallels between him and xie lian he ignored how big their differences are. yes junmei paraller hualian in a more tragic, messed up way but the dynamics are not identical and part of why jun wu failed is because he assumed not only that xie lian and him were the same , but also that mei nianqing and hua cheng's circumstances were identical

[yasssbassss]

Xie Lian thought of mine

You ever just think about the fact that if Hua Cheng found Xie Lian much earlier, it would've saved them both a lot of pain? Xie Lian alone for 800 years and not even his old friends thought to check up on him (love them but they should've at least check up or something)

I sometimes like to think that Xie Lian kept Wu Ming's mask and that way, he wasn't totally alone. Xie Lian was a bit cruel (though can't blame him, he didnt have it in him to be kind, with everything he went through) you ever think that if Xie Lian had the chance to see him again, he'd would apologize. (throughout his years since he didn't know about Hua Cheng)

Xie Lian is a tragic character and i just feel like if he was found much earlier by Hua Cheng, he would have someone with him all those years. Like during his coffin time or literally any time.

I would like to say that though I don't hate Mu Qing and Feng Xin, they certainly could've been better. Mu Qing had every right to take care of his mom, good on him. But I just don't get what was going through his head when he turned his back on him.

I do understand Feng Xin more, devoted to Xie Lian, things were stressful. Your friend/prince has been acting different and yells at you to leave, you leave. I do understand him.

Mu Qing had the mindset of everyone looking down on him and thought the worst of him. So I get it, but bad moment from him altogether. Anyway, I just wish that they at least tried to check up on him.

I mean, they went to volunteer helping him (posing as junior officials) so that has to mean something. It just makes me a bit sad for Xie Lian that they never knew what he went through or how bad his mental health was at a certain moment.

All together I'm saying, I wish he was found earlier. He's my favorite tragic character because honestly nobody deserves the kindness they get from him. Except Hua Cheng (he deserves everything)

Sorry if this was too deep, I get way Xin o my head sometimes, so if this sounded cheesy, my apologies. I loved the books as they are, they hold a special place in my heart but I just wish he was found so much earlier.

But I'd like to think that Xie Lian can finally let go or properly emote everything once he's comfortable with Hua Cheng. Also, maybe the Xianle trio could finally talk about everything. Though in the extras, it seems like they're working things out.

(There should really be a therapist god, cause they need it)

Anyway thanks for listening to my rant and hope everyone has a nice day or night😁

[thatlittlemouse]

Southern Archives propaganda post!

(or I read Southern Archives recently and have mild brainrot so here's this)

Southern Archives is a DMBJ side story that takes place in Southeast Asia around 1916-1919. It focuses on some members of the Zhang family that are active in that area as part of an organization called the Southern/South Sea Archives.

The story starts with two members of the Southern Archives investigating a mysterious appearance of ghosts on an island on the coast of Malaysia and escalates from there into fun sea adventures and conspiracies.

The story is fun to read because it takes place in a location and time frame different than the main DMBJ story and expands its universe. In addition and I think most importantly, it has a protagonist that is quite different from Wu Xie and is very fun to read about.

Enter Zhang Haiyan (left). Originally Hailou, he goes by at least 3 different names, this will be explained in the book. Zhang Haiyan was adopted into the Zhang family, is part of the Southern Archives and is stationed in Malacca, Malaysia together with Zhang Haixia.

Zhang Haiyan is impulsivity personified, he always finds himself in Situations and is basically the "if I can't find trouble, I will create it" bird meme. He doesn't shy away from violence and will commit murder in many different ways (it's not his main job he says, it's incidental). His secret weapon is a set of small metal blades that he hides in his mouth and can shoot at very high speeds to kill people. Yes, that is the edgiest thing ever. He's a capable fighter and great at disguises and deception (he will try and bullshit himself out of any situation). Bottom line, he's a delight.

Zhang Haixia is Zhang Haiyan's best buddy / boyfriend / better half, who grew up together with him. He's the level headed one that stares into the camera like on The Office whenever Zhang Haiyan gets up to his usual nonsense. He's a very skilled fighter and very intelligent, he can understand what's behind a complicated situation in just a few minutes. His special skill is that he can smell Real Good. Nothing bad happens to either of them :)

Other characters: little guy who has his life derailed forever by meeting Zhang Haiyan, hot Zhang mom, some white people, Fo Ye, Xioage in spirit only, and much later some guy from the mountains that can do magic tricks.

The story of the Southern Archives isn't strictly finished, but the first "volume" of it is concluded. Find it on merebear's site here:

https://merebear474765851.wordpress.com/the-southern-archives/

Zhang Haiyan also appears in the 2014 and 2017 New Year's specials + the 2018 New Year's special is an unfinished Southern Archives sequel but it's already included in the Southern Archives epub/pdf, as opposed to the other 2 which aren't.

[cursed-angelic-art]

Key Themes in TGCF

Posted this to reddit, but I want to save it here as well, because I've been seeing an uptick in people coming from SVSSS or MDZS fandom to TGCF and being disappointed. Either they find it boring (fair criticism for the first two volumes honestly), or the plotting is incoherent, or they don't understand the ending, or find the plot twists too predictable. I think the key thing to keep in mind while reading TGCF is that it's about an abuser controlling the narrative surrounding a victim, and the victim coming to an understanding of the depth of that abuse and wresting back control of the narrative. So here's my rambles on that: SPOILERS AHEAD

Going to expound a little on why I love TGCF. Xie Lian's progression through the story is not the typical character arc for a protagonist. He doesn't exactly go from point A to point B, where he starts off with a huge flaw that he works on and overcomes by the end, but rather he meanders from point A through points B, C, and D, and finally back to point A. This is not because he has no flaws. He certainly does. His inability to look at the past and have an open dialogue about it with the people he loves is one flaw he overcomes. But it is not the pivotal tragic/heroic character flaw we are sold at the beginning, which is his "naive" belief in the goodness of others. This is because he is was right in his forthright and honest beliefs from the start and it's his long degradation at the hands of the abuser that makes him question and doubt and go seeking for different answers, constantly holding that belief in goodness as the mirror for all the other deeply flawed people he encounters.

Even the audience is bamboozled by Jun Wu's control over the narrative. Each MXTX novel has a "false start" in the first chapter. In Scum Villain, we get Luo Binghe's story in PIDW, which Shen Yuan carries as the "truth" about the world and people he encounters when he transmigrates. He comes to understand he was deeply wrong, and by holding the original works narrative as the truth, he failed to see and understand the people around him.

In MDZS, we get a false start in the way the cultivation world has spun the story of the Yiling Laozu and his evil deeds. This whole book is about lies and rumors and how easy it is to join the bandwagon and make someone an outcast.

In TGCF chapter one we get the story of the naive god-pleasing crown prince, who comes to realize he can't save everyone and is cast out of heaven because of his foolishness, a prince who grew up "coddled and pampered" and unable to understand reality. We are told this inability to understand reality, that people are innately evil and will always choose to do evil things, is his flaw that led to his degradation as an outcast God.

This, too, is a false narrative that Xie Lian and the book itself seek to disprove over the next several thousand pages, as we are shown story after story of gods' wrongdoings and evil choices. And where we land at the end is with this: every person we saw make evil selfish choices because it seemed the easier way out, comes to the realization that they can make a good choice, a pivotal choice, and they can make it without much ado or any acknowledgement and it was that simple all along. We see Yin Yu choose right, Pei Ming choose right, Mu Qing choose right, hell we even see Qi Rong do something good in his last moments. And none of it is to any of their benefit, but it was something good. And Xie Lian is proven right. Despite what Jun Wu did to him, despite how much he tried to force him to change, Xie Lian never needed to change his core beliefs (and he literally says that over and over as he bashes his abusers head into a wall at the end there). We see this grand epic scale battle of all the gods against this heavenly tyrant, and it's juxtaposed against Xie Lian running back and forth alone with Yushi Huang's hat to make the rain. If all of the gods had helped back then, couldn't Xianle and Yongan have both been saved?

It was never Xie Lian who was wrong. It was the complacency of those who had the power to do something if they had not written him off as naive. And it was an abuser who controlled the narrative surrounding him for so long, that he drowned in self-doubt before he was finally able to cast off his shackles. He just needed someone to believe in him to help him believe in himself again.

Tldr: I think a lot of people are expecting a standard hero narrative where the hero has one great flaw he overcomes, and that's not the story of TGCF. It's the narrative and everyone upholding it that needed to change, not the protagonist. So it's an odd story to get into in that respect.

[lunarriviera]

the huo daofu round-up post i have been threatening for a really long time now

Thinking about this man, I was just admitting to chat "honestly cannot believe how much life energy i have invested in such a minor character" but the truth of the matter is, I was mildly obsessed with Huo Daofu from Reboot alone; his odd unresolved backstory in Sha Hai just cemented my mental formation. Because let's be real, in a world of overly earnest tomb raiders, this man is a goddamn catty delight. The dainty bitterness! The barely concealed eye-rolling! So many impeccable That Bitch vibes. And his unimpressed snark is honestly such a refreshing antidote to Wu Xie's whole everyone-loves-him Marty Sue thing that even when you discover Huo Daofu secretly ALSO loves him, you don't mind, because by that point Dr. Youtiao is a savage queen who can do no wrong.

And He Longlong clearly made this guy up. In the novels he's just sort of a vaguely beardy guy who drives a truck, that's literally all I remember him ever doing. But someone cast this man, and they gave him some rubber bands and pizza coupons and chewed gum of a script to work with, and he promptly decided: I will make him extremely gay. And staggeringly bitchy. AND IT WORKS. He devours every frame he's in, he steals every scene. It's a performance worthy of Alan Rickman and yes I will die upon this hill.

We all know the bitchy-ex-boyfriend scenes in Reboot—"oh my god I literally can't wait for you to perish from lungs" and then Huo Daofu spends like every moment trying to keep Wu Xie alive, sheltering him uselessly from the rain with his hand, rubbing his back when he coughs, looking (when no one's watching but the camera) like he's maybe going to stop breathing himself, when Wu Xie does.

Apparently Huo Daofu's name sounds very silly in Chinese which I think is appropriate for someone who apparently (?) grew up in Germany (?) and went to the University of Heidelberg (?) (honestly don't waste time trying to figure out DMBJ canon, NPSS has thoughtfully ensured that will only be exhausting and futile). Spurious medical qualifications aside, he's super handy in fanfic, too, when you need a sketchy doctor, as all tomb-raiding mob families invariably do.

[someone once pointed out to me that this combination of degree topics basically translates into "how to dispose of bodies"]

I could also hold forth on him and Yang Hao—like, Su Wan alone makes it REAL clear that Huo Daofu's interest in the kid isn't just avuncular or entrepreneurial:

"Are you working for him, or are you working for him?" And Su Wan should be protective, because Yang Hao is honestly kind of an idiot, and probably doesn't realize he's being assiduously groomed not just as a mob boss but as a potential boy toy. (NB by the way that there are 44 fics in the Huo Daofu/Yang Hao tag, and disappointingly, not a single one of them is in English. Western fandom needs Jesus.)

But the thing is, Huo Daofu SAVES his ass in Gutongjing. Everyone forgets that. There's easily half a dozen times where he grabs Yang Hao's shoulder and hauls him back from danger. And Huo Daofu is the one Jiumen member smart enough to get out ahead of disaster, and to take Yang Hao with him. Here he is looking fabulous in a completely unnecessary but dramatic scarf.

And, at the end, he lets Yang Hao go. Because he's secretly decent.

Sure, he has some vaguely sketchy take-over-the-Huos plans, plans that clearly go awry at some point no matter how dramatically and villainously he makes tea. Sure, he exudes a scurrilous sort of evil. But he's COMPELLING and that's all I care about. Look at his pretty little face here, sourly plotting things, in a windowpane-checked suit which should be ridiculous but just winds up looking snazzy as fuck compared to the rest of the Jiumen. This is a man who understands the value of a pocket square. Thank you so much, He Longlong, we didn't deserve you putting your entire snatch into this very minor performance but some of us are extremely grateful.

So here are seven ficrecs, with a podfic and a meta from AO3. Please let me know if I should add anything (Tumblr meta?)—this post WILL be updated, because I have too much time on my hands and care unreasonably about the mean-spirited little bastard.

‡

Remember how this used to be (3569 words) by achray Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu/Wu Xie (DMBJ Series) Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi Additional Tags: Missing Scene, Angst, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Background Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling, Wu Xie being a gremlin, Canon-typical references to illness Summary:

“That wasn’t a no,” Wu Xie said, his smile widening. “I thought you still wanted me.”

Notes: How is this both hot and sad? I don't know, that's the magic of fanfiction. This was the first Wu Xie/Huo Daofu fic I ever read and frankly the genre needs more entries, but this is a good one.

‡

the rime dictionary of Wu Xie (7433 words) by scherzanda Chapters: 6/6 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling, Wang Pangzi/Ye Piaopiao, Wang Pangzi & Wu Xie & Zhang Qiling Characters: Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi, Zhang Qiling, Ye Piaopiao, Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Xiao Mei, Wu Erbai, Li Jiale (DMBJ Series) Additional Tags: Piaopiao lives, Post-Canon, Canon Flashbacks, canonical illness, fun with the common cold, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Handwaved SI Recovery, Canon-typical Ershu Infodump, Quasi-History-Compliant, Yuletide Treat Summary:

This is why (even now) Wu Xie shouldn’t be let out alone—one trip out to the provinces, and he comes home with a bad cold and an unsolved mystery.

Notes: this is one of my very favorite Huo Daofu writers and here's why—read this little excerpt. The angst. The PAIN. Wu Xie absolutely broke this man's heart at some point and honestly Huo Daofu is really only himself if he's suffering, love that for him:

“Easy,” he said, when Wu Xie couldn’t seem to stop coughing. “Here—” and reached for the rest of the tea, except that it wasn’t on the table any longer.

Zhang Qiling was holding the mug; he had somehow gone around to the other side of the bed, moving in that flowing now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t way that never seemed quite human, to sit down cross-legged on the bed by Wu Xie so that their shoulders touched. Huo Daofu snatched his hand away from Wu Xie’s back as if an electrical current might flow through the double contact.

“Wu Xie,” Zhang Qiling said, and then something else so quiet it was inaudible, holding the tea so Wu Xie could drink.

Looking at the open tenderness on that remote, beautiful face, utterly focused on Wu Xie, made Huo Daofu feel as if his flesh was trying to part ways with his bones. It was a pain his medical texts didn’t have a word for, deeper and more primitive than jealousy or resentment.

Wu Xie, getting his breath back, looked sideways at him with one of those sudden grins. “Sorry, Xiao Huo. You’re still out of luck when it comes to watching me die. Maybe next time.”

Huo Daofu’s voice would not quite leave his throat. Instead, Xiao Mei said crossly “Tianzhen-shu, that’s dumb.” Most of her attention was still on her phone screen. “Why would Dr. Huo want to watch you die.”

Wu Xie looked at him, still smiling.

“It’s a long story,” said Huo Daofu, “and it doesn’t matter now.”

‡

even through hesitation (10407 words) by naiwong_bao Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV), 沙海 | Tomb of the Sea (TV), 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu & Huo Xiuxiu, Hei Xia Zi/Huo Xiuxiu/Xie Yuchen Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Huo Xiuxiu, Yang Hao (DMBJ Series), Hei Xia Zi (DMBJ Series), Xie Yuchen, Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi Additional Tags: Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Character Study, Alternate Universe - Fantasy Series: Part 3 of this is where we live Summary:

He’s a boy so Huo Daofu knows from the beginning that there are no expectations for him, he can do as he likes. So he plays, he cries, he does what children do.

Then his parents die.

No one wants him, no one has time for him, so his family sends him to Germany for school. It’ll be a good opportunity, his family says. He can do whatever he wants, be free of the family business, they’ll take care of him over there. He doesn’t want to go, he doesn't know who they are, but he doesn’t get a say.

So he goes to Germany where the language is strange, the food is strange, the people are strange, and he wants to go home so badly that his teeth ache.

Huo Daofu builds a life for himself, but at the first sign of trouble, years and years and years later, he rents out his apartment to an acquaintance, and flies home.

But.

The language is strange, he doesn’t know the slang, the food is strange, the people are strange.

His family is cold and he still doesn’t get a say. --- Huo Daofu between the end of Tomb of the Sea and when he reappears in Reboot. AKA Huo Daofu learns to care a little.

‡

The Mark of a Man (2279 words) by JhanaMay Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 沙海 | Tomb of the Sea (TV), 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu & Yang Hao (DMBJ Series) Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Yang Hao (DMBJ Series) Additional Tags: Loneliness, Found Family even when it makes you want to scream, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Huo Daofu is a mediocre role model Series: Part 8 of The Art of Conversation, Part 7 of The Art of Conversation Side Stories Summary:

When Huo Daofu inducted Yang Hao into the Huo family business, he wasn't expecting to become the boy's de facto babysitter.

Notes: a poignant little vignette in which Huo Daofu has a heart.

‡

[META] Huo Daofu's Youtiao Stand (739 words) by Thimblerig Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei, 沙海 | Tomb of the Sea (TV), 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu & Huo Xiuxiu, Huo Daofu & Wu Xie (DMBJ Series) Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series) Additional Tags: Meta, Worldbuilding, Huo Daofu's Delicious Fried Snacks Series: Part 2 of DMBJ Meta Summary:

Huo Daofu is a supporting character in Sand Sea. Ambitious, wily, hungry, he’s far from one of the main villains of the story but he’s not nice, either. By the end of Sand Sea Huo Daofu has exploited the chaos caused by the ill-founded expedition to Gutongjing to take over various of the Huo Family operations.

When he appears in Reboot: Sound of Providence, he is a purveyor of delicious fried bread snacks. He’s clearly not hurting for money, so why…?

Notes: this is one of my favorite little HDF explorations, theorizing that Huo Xiuxiu busted him down a rank, and I think that's beautiful.

‡

starting in darkness, like a pure line of light (10167 words) by scherzanda Chapters: 5/5 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu/Bai Haotian, Bai Haotian & Wu Xie, Liu Sang & Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Bai Haotian & Liu Sang Characters: Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Bai Haotian, Liu Sang (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi, Zhang Qiling Additional Tags: background pingxie, background Iron Triangle, past Wu Xie/Huo Daofu, Post-Canon, hurt/sarcasm, Fade to Black, Dialogue Heavy, meta-adjacent, Self-Indulgent Use of Chinese, Emotional Hurt/Comfort Summary:

Some emotional loose ends are never going to be tied up, but at least they can be recognized and shared. Or, a selection of the worst best only ways to comfort one another in the aftermath.

Notes: absolutely nothing makes me, a Huo Daofu stan, happier than scherzanda's fics featuring him. You would think this is an odd pairing, but it's really not—the two people who love Wu Xie most and are left behind by him? They have so much in common. Also, this fic has a podfic!

[PODFIC] starting in darkness, like a pure line of light, by scherzanda (701 words) by Thimblerig Chapters: 3/3 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV), 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu/Bai Haotian, Bai Haotian & Wu Xie, Liu Sang & Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Bai Haotian & Liu Sang Characters: Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Huò Dàofū, Bai Haotian, Liu Sang (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi, Zhang Qiling Additional Tags: background pingxie, background Iron Triangle, past Wu Xie/Huo Daofu, Post-Canon, hurt/sarcasm, Fade to Black, Dialogue Heavy, Meta Adjacent, Self-Indulgent Use of Chinese, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Podfic, podficcer not a native chinese-speaker but is doing her best, Podfic Length: 1-1.5 Hours

‡

do the work, love the work (1616 words) by scherzanda Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi, Zhang Qiling, Liu Sang (DMBJ Series), Bai Haotian, Wu Erbai Additional Tags: Mid-Canon, Missing Scene, Character Study, Post-Canon, Yuletide Treat Summary:

It doesn't always look that way, but Huo Daofu is doing his best.

Notes: once again I just have to excerpt, so you'll GET IT:

The train had nearly reached Hangzhou by the time Wu Xie spoke to him beyond the commonplace. He was still sitting in the corridor, staring dreamily at the growing suburbs, while Zhang Qiling gave Wang Pangzi a hand in the cabin. He looked up as Huo Daofu came back from the hot water dispenser. “Xiao Huo, xinkule. Sorry you never got that chance to watch me die, eh?”

Huo Daofu closed his eyes and looked away from Wu Xie’s smile, unshadowed now with death, brilliant and painful. “I’m sorry too,” he said, eyes still closed, and did not say any of the things he was sorry for.

‡

not only the sugar, but the days (3000 words) by A Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV), 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Bai Haotian/Huo Daofu Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Bai Haotian Additional Tags: Mentions of Death, Healing, Getting Together, Youtiao as a Metaphor, Also Actual Youtiao Summary:

His gaze meets Bai Haotian's, who's trying so hard to keep it together, and he knows that Wu Xie will break her heart when he dies, and it won't even be his fault. He never fucking means to.

Notes: another recent entry in the HDF/Bai Haotian post-canon and I love it unreasonably. They both love Wu Xie SO MUCH and it's just taking them OUT. Their subsequent connection is natural and it's funny as hell, the author loves them both and it shows:

"Are you really sure?" Bai Haotian says softly, and Huo Daofu looks up.

"What?"

"About the week."

"At best," he says, then winces. Fuck it. "It'll be three days," he says, loud enough to carry through the bedroom door, "if he keeps pulling these stunts!" There's a muffled noise and some very clear profanity from Pangzi, which Huo Daofu ignores. "See if I care!" he adds, but it's just not the same without Wu Xie there to grin at him, unrepentant.

He can feel Bai Haotian's hand covering his own, just loosely, where it's half curled into a fist against his thigh. He turns his head. The look she gives him is so full of unquestioning kindness, of understanding, he almost has to close his eyes against it.

"I'm sure," he says quietly, not really looking at her. "But he's proven me wrong before."

He can see her nod as she takes that in, and then they just sit there in silence, her hand over his, not moving.

‡

In conclusion, just because I can, from some of my favorite posts:

[ohyka]

[jeong-guwon]

[januaryisnotanartist]

Please also do not fail to check out the magnificent Dr Mal Practice post, as well as "it's not his fucking birthday" and "I'll fucking do it but christ alive." These users truly understand the essence of Huo Daofu.

PS also don't sleep on Huo Daofu and Liu Sang having a fabulous bitch-off in Hua Mei, a Sha Hai side story ft. haunted Wushanju. Another side story, Ran Gu, also has a swooning Kan Jian. Quality entertainment!

[one-flower-one-sword]

As for Jun Wu, he stood up. "Xianle, calm yourself!"

Xie Lian was falling apart. "I...I..."

Had it all really been his fault?! If it truly was, then what should he do? He didn't know!

Just as he was drowning in confusion, a voice rang out in his mind. "It's not possible! I can swear that you are you. You're no one else. Trust me."

"..."

San Lang. San Lang!

Hua Cheng had told him that this couldn't be - it could never be his fault!

Xie Lian's mind instantly cleared. He steadied himself, finding his footing once more.

Jun Wu, however, had already descended from his throne and come to his side. "Xianle! Calm down first -"

TGCF Volume 7, page 106

another one of those small moments that really goes to show not only how much Xie Lian trusts Hua Cheng but also what an immensely positive effect Hua Cheng's support has had on his mental health. by this point, not only has Xie Lian started to seek Hua Cheng out for physical and emotional support and comfort when previously he used to severely neglect himself and his needs, here Hua Cheng isn't even present and just by remembering his words Xie Lian is able to calm himself down, all on his own.

it's also kind of really romantic in the sense that like... Hua Cheng really is always with him in some way, isn't he? even when separated, they're never truly apart, not now that they both know they are loved by the other.

also notice the contrast with Jun Wu repeatedly telling Xie Lian to calm down and it doing absolutely nothing to help him actually do so. at this point, Xie Lian still trusts and admires Jun Wu but the fact that it's Hua Cheng's remembered words and not Jun Wu's spoken ones that actually steady Xie Lian and make him trust himself again speaks volumes about which of the two of them is actually acting in a way that is helpful and supportive to Xie Lian's well-being and to his understanding of himself - in this scene but also throughout the whole story

[turbulentscrawl]

Poly Potential (IDV x Reader)

These are just my personal musings on some potential x reader polyships with the IDV characters. Some characters, in my opinion, would be okay with it only in specific dynamics.

(I’m fine with writing poly that goes against these HCs and, as an extra note, Ada and Emil have a ridiculously unhealthy relationship so I’m 100% good to do xreader stuff where they’re not together.) I’ll likely remake this later, when I’m familiar with more characters.

Using Luchino's header bc I havent had a chance to yet

Characters who I think are poly themselves:

Luchino (Hunter&Survivor)

I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. Most reptiles aren’t monogamous, and Luchino has other things to concern himself with than being his partner’s only source of affection and vice versa. He doesn’t really care who else you spend your time with and expects the same courtesy in return. As long as you respect the plans you make together, there’s no issue.

Fiona

I’m not sure about the extent of her eldritch worship, but I think her focus on that makes her a more open to atypical relationship dynamics and a less open to hard legal commitments like marriage. Poly works out well for that particular combo.

Patricia

She just strikes me that way? She yearns for a sense of belonging, and having multiple lovers means multiple “homes” for her heart. She’s a bit picky about her partners, though.

Some situational poly opportunities:

Norton x Naib x Reader Triad

Norton and Naib get one another on a level they don’t even have to voice. They’re kinda in their own little bubble away from reality and, while I think they’d both be okay sharing the other with a 3rd party, they’d both strongly prefer to like the same person. That way you would also be in their bubble rather than one of them stepping out. This triad would work best if you’re more laid back. Norton has to step away when his personality swings, and Naib does his own thing behind the scenes, so there will be times when neither can hang around. Don’t let that make you doubt their love, though.

Wu Chang x Reader…Triad?

This one is pretty depressing because I think Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu were lovers before, but they can’t have direct contact anymore. That said, they are aware of one another’ presence and have implicit trust in one another. So if one of them fell for you, there’s a very good chance the other would fall for you too, and they have no issues sharing. It’s both sweet and sad because you’d be important to them both as a lover, and as a messenger for them to speak again.

Luca x Reader x Victor

This one’s pretty straightforward, I think. They have a good rapport with one another, and are generous about sharing. They’re also both pretty straightforward communicators—though Victor may take a bit longer to address things—so any jealousy issues can be easily resolved. There’s room for this to be a triad, as well.

Reader x Emil x Ada

This set up would be very difficult to get into, and more than a tad hostile. Emil loves Ada, and he very much could love another, but Ada is possessive and controlling. This would only work if you had an established friendship with Ada before you met Emil, AND if you were susceptible to her manipulation. This is the only way she trusts you enough to let you around Emil—she knows you’ll accept her guidelines for not interfering with their ‘treatment progress’—and then Emil develops feelings quickly because you already have a rapport with Ada and you must be as nice as she is. This could potentially be a triad, but it somehow gets even more unhealthy that way as Ada’s laser-focus for Emil would leave you to be neglected by her a lot.

Joker x Reader x Margaretha

Under normal circumstances, I don’t think either of these two are willing to share a partner. But since they both still have feelings for one another on some level, they can understand why you would too. there’s potential for this to become a triad as well, if you’re a good enough wingman and can convince Margaretha to stop burying her feelings so much.

Edgar x Reader x Frederick

Under normal circumstances they’d both prefer you be exclusive with them, but there’s a unique exception when it comes to each other. They both think their respective art mediums are superior to others, and strive to reach perfection in their work. While they don’t share appreciation for the same art form, they respect one another’s discernment and tenacity. And, clearly, you have wonderful taste to have picked them both out. This set of relationships works in the long-run too, as Frederick is concerned with appearances, reputation, and family names, so he would want to marry. Edgar doesn’t care nearly as much about such things, and is content to be in your life without a ring and a vow involved.

Kevin x Reader x Emily, Fiona, or Patricia

It’s a bit of a mixed bag here, as I think each of the three ladies have different likelihoods of engaging in poly relationships, but Kevin is the more important element here. He would be okay with having a poly partner, but only if the other partner(s) was a woman. He’s too competitive with other men, and it would turn toxic if left to fester. Additionally, one of these three women would be best because he’d feel weird if your other partner was too much younger than him.

Characters who would never, under ANY circumstances, be okay with you having more partners:

Ithaqua

He. Does not. Share. This guy is as close as it gets to yandere that I’m willing to write, and he really toes the line.

Freddy

Let’s be honest, he’s just a bad person. He’s possessive and will do anything to keep you all to himself. If you’re very charismatic (or very gullible) he might be convinced long enough for you to get another partner…but then get toxic. He will go out of his way sabotage your other partner(s) just like he did Leo. And he WILL do his best to make it look like everyone but him is the issue to convince you to give up polyamory forever.

Andrew

You could convince him to let you have another partner, but it would doom your relationship. Andrew’s insecurities would eventually get the best of him, and he would break up with you, unable to take seeing you with someone “better” while he gets “strung along like a fool.”

Anne

She’s too untrusting of people now. Loving one person enough to overcome the betrayals she’s suffered is already remarkable for her, but loving more than one, or loving someone who has other lovers that might be scheming behind her back is too large of a trauma-based roadblock for her to overcome.

[lotusarchon]

"oh, you hate mu qing cause he left xie lian-"

I get that the fandom tends to bully Mu Qing for that a lot, but I don't hate him because of that because by that logic I should hate Xie Lian for how he acted, Hua Cheng for his favoritism, Feng Xin for also leaving etc.

I don't hate Mu Qing for leaving Xie Lian because I get where he was coming from. If I was in that situation, i wouldn't be prioritizing Xie Lian, important as he may be, over someone else who's far more important in terms of bond.

I can't speak for other Mu Qing haters tbh, but I hate Mu Qing because of his actions in book one, where he looks down on Xie Lian like he's some kind of toad. Maybe he does evidently change as the novel goes, but first impressions and appearances mean a lot to me, and with the way Mu Qing acted towards Xie Lian in the beginning irked me off, especially with the whole point of looking down upon Xie Lian just because he ascended for the third time and had a lower class than him (memory's foggy it's been a whileeee since I read TGCF)

And me hating Mu Qing doesn't mean I don't understand how his character is. Don't misunderstand that, but I'm not obliged to like him with his shitty ass attitude towards Xie Lian in the first book. Yes he changed but I genuinely don't care, however, that doesn't mean I'm going to yell at Mu Qing fans for liking him.

Me personally, if I had to choose between shooting Jun Wu in the head and Mu Qing, Mu Qing's getting shot twice. [I don't approve of what JW did but at least he was charming on first introduction and not a snobby bitch.]

Edit: someone said it was rude to tag character hate. Twas'nt my attention for people to mildly be aware of me not liking Mu Qing, just kinda to point out that I'm irked by how the fans that hate him only focus on the fact he abandoned Xie Lian. My problem is his attitude but overall I know his character doesn't depend on everything Xie Lian does, and it's absolutely annoying watching people shit on him for THAT alone as if other characters haven't done worst.

[budd-ie]

I always see people talking about Mu Qing and how he did bad things and how some of those things we’re moving on from, how his thought possess is justified, etc. and this is all true. But something that I think gets overlooked is that yes Mu Qing is not a perfect person, but his main argument is neither is anyone else.

Mu Qing grew up HOUNDED by people trying to nitpick every single little thing he does and antagonize him just because they don’t like him. Every good thing he does gets ignored, every bad thing he does gets amplified tenfold. And, Mu Qing KNOWS that he is not a perfect person and he KNOWS that he has done bad things and he acknowledges his major mistakes and he apologizes.

But his whole Deal is not that he’s trying to convince anyone he’s a good person, but that he wants people (like feng xin) to understand how hypocritical they are for criticizing him when they too have done bad things, have had bad thoughts, have hurt people, are not perfect. It’s a clear double standard and he’s sick of it! One major theme of tgcf is that not a single one of us, even gods, are perfect, real “perfection��� is an unattainable thing, and that what matters is accepting this and choosing to live in spite of this. I think Mu Qing and Xie Lian represent this point best, and this is also one of many reasons why I think Mu Qing is a bit of a foil to Xie Lian (among other reasons, have we all seen their parallels?). And that’s why he’s so fixated on Xie Lian’s suffering. He isn’t happy that he’s suffering, he’s happy because he feels vindicated. It’s proof that Xie Lian isn’t the perfect little godling prince who can do anything and is loved by everyone that everyone (feng xin, from mu qing’s perspective) seems to act like he is. It’s proof that Mu Qing is right, and that nobody has any right to criticize him. It’s a shitty thing for him to think given the circumstances, of course, but I also think it’s an important distinction to make.

(Some plot spoilers under the cut)

So Mu Qing clearly isn’t a saint, but he’s not a demon either. People who Specifically give Mu Qing a hard time for being a bad friend, for leaving, for being a dick, etc. forget that Feng Xin left too (and also criticized him unjustly). As if someone like Pei Ming didn’t cheat on every woman he’s ever seen. As if Yin Yu didn’t tell Quan Yizhen to go die. As if Jun Wu, Heavenly Emperor, the god of gods, didn’t help destroy a nation in the most painful way possible, physically and psychologically torture a kid, commit a TON of murder, inflict biological warfare at LEAST twice…..etc……..out of all the characters who have done bad things Mu Qing is one of the normal ones.

Not better, not worse.

It’s not that what he did wasn’t bad, it’s that everyone else has done horrible things too, and it’s unfair to call him out specifically when everyone else has just as much if not more baggage to check first.