I don't know why so many people are coming to LXC's defence recently, like he never did anything wrong or never had a choice or that he was only manipulated, because 'JGY was just that good of a manipulator.'
Like no, the novel makes it clear that at several points that he was being willfully blind and ignorant of JGY's and the cultivation world's faults. The fact that LWJ and WWX found out about JGY killing NMJ after only a little bit of digging because they thought to suspect him, which Lan Xichen somehow didn't think to do despite spending close to twenty years working with him. That's a very long time, and that says more about his tendency to turn a blind eye, to not look deeper, to look away from the uncomfortable truth, than any good about JGY's manipulation abilities.
That is not to say Lan Xichen isn't a good person. He is. The problem is that he's not willing to put in the work to be good. He's unwilling to stand up to anyone. When WWX rightfully calls out JGS for trying to be the next Wen Rouhan, (about which JGY was like 'I mean, you're right, but you're not supposed to say it...."), he convenienly ignores that, opting to irrelevantly comment about how 'his heart had changed'. (Which made no sense?? LXC barely knew anything about WWX at that point!)
He's content to stay in his comfort zone, to go with the easy solution of letting others decide. If there's a problem, he'll go with the flow, and if there's a deeper ugly truth to it? He doesn't want to know about it. The situation of his parents is a perfect example. He says it himself: he doesn't want to know, and thus doesn't want to understand what happened with them.
Also for someone whose whole thing is being nice, he can be unbelievably tactless. Look at the ending events of the Guanyin Temple, where JGY is missing a limb and LXC, without thinking, asks Nie Huaisang of all people to give him medicine to heal. You know, the same Nie Huaisang who, at least to LXC's knowledge, has just learned that this same man is responsible for the death and dismemberment of his brother's body, as well as many others. And he now wants his help. To heal his brother's killer. Yikes. It's a wonder that NHS didn't immediately plan to kill LXC right then and there. And even if LXC was physically and mentally exhausted, it was still an incredibly thoughtless move.
Look at the way he laughs about NMJ (a member of the gentry) taking a third of the prey on Phoenix Mountain- "Oh typical Dage, that's just like him!"- while ignoring accusations against WWX (a son of a servant) doing the same, because he's subconsciously agreeing that it was a problem when WWX did it. He's being blatantly hypocritical and it's frustrating that he doesn't even realise it, or acknowledges it.
One of his redeeming factors can be his love for LWJ, but he's frustratingly careless about that too. For all his teasing (in which we never see LWJ indulging, he just unhappily and sulkily endures that. Teasing is not supposed to be fun or amusing if it's only one sided. Compare that to how he responds with snarky remarks to WWX's teasing, meaning he enjoys their banter) and pushing and advocating for LWJ's happiness, he never seems to deeply consider what actually makes him happy.
Everything he does for LWJ turns out to be the very opposite of what Lwj actually wants; inviting WWX and the others for the Caiyi hunt? Not what Lwj wanted, LXC merely convinced himself of that. His pushing LWJ to go talk to WWX at any chance? Doesn't ask or seem interested in why exactly LWJ would want to talk to WWX, nor help him in not letting their conversations constantly devolve into arguments. Shutting LWJ's protests at how WWX was right at the banquet with the 'his heart had changed'? Convenient for him to say, both hurting (even if it was unintended) his brother and changing the subject. And somehow everyone forgets that it was LXC who led the thirty three Lan elders to the cave after the Nightless City for Lan Wangji to fight against, for 'his own good.' And of course his whole angry, projection and deflection fuelled rant at the Guanyin Temple, where he tries to make WWX feel guilty about his brother's confession (which, you know WWX didn't remember because of the trauma clouding his memories), and make him think that he owed LWJ a relationship, which was exactly what LWJ was most afraid of.
His failings hit harder for me than any other character, because unlike JGY or XY or JGS who have no qualms about their immorality, he's supposed to be one of the good guys, a righteous clan leader who abides by honour and dignity. And yet he fails to do anything of sustenance all throughout the novel, and is a painful reminder of how easy it is to go with the wrong crowd, and that how so many 'nice' people like him exist irl, people whose willful ignorance comes at other's expense, people who want to be good but are too afraid of conflict, too set in their comfort zone to speak up against injustice, people who are all too willing to turn a blind eye and do nothing if the injustice or tragedy to others doesn't affect them.
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Hey so. I was thinking about Wyll's clothes... The default camp clothes, I mean.
They're kinda weird right? The shirt is all torn up and shows a bit of midriff. And the pants are like, capri length? Why would he wear something like that? So I was thinking about it and...
What if those are the clothes he left home in? He was only 17, so he's grown since then. The shirt probably used to have sleeves, but they got ripped up enough he eventually just tore them off. He's got decent armor, but maybe he just like... Can really only afford to maintain his armor and weapons, so his casual clothes just end up being a mess?
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Imagine Luz waking up in the in between realm and seeing the fight with the cubes. Seeing Hunter’s desperate fury and Belos’s struggle to finish him off 👀. The fight could probably be big enough to alert some people. Perhaps… even Lilith and Amity? Who just arrive and see Luz lying there…? Belos being like “he killed the princess, get him”, while Amity and Lilith know that’s not possible and are just shellshocked. All the while Luz is in the in between watching everything go down and desperately wanting to go kick Belos’s ass and tell everyone she’s actually ok and the titan is cool.
When she eventually comes back as Titan Luz, Belos’s christian puritan ass being so freaking shocked he’s like wait a minute you were dead. What did you see? How are you back? And then she delivers the final blow, “i can talk to the titan bish and he hates you” and bam destroys him.
What would even go on in Hunter’s mind? Belos’? Amity’s? Luz as she wakes up and realizes she’s dead? OooOooOoo goodness I LOVE THIS
HELL YEAH, LET'S GET LILITH AND AMITY IN HERE. always need as many people to witness the temporary character death as possible. Maximum Drama Baybey
belos going from trying to kill hunter to an immediate "he's MURDERED my POOR SWEET DAUGHTER" as soon as there are witnesses.... jesus christ. yeah that's on brand.
i think lilith would freeze and not know how to react, at first. but amity.....
this is back early enough in the timeline that amity and hunter aren't yet friends -- if anything, they're the Opposite of friendly. so hunter shouts at amity that he's Lying, he's making it up, he killed luz, don't LISTEN to him-
but he doesn't expect it to Work. because amity is a coven soldier before she's anything else. and amity only knows hunter as someone who can be violent, and nasty, and cruel.
except, like. amity has Seen hunter interact with luz. she knows he loves her, even if she doesn't exactly Get It. and more importantly, hunter is clearly out of his fucking mind with grief. and pain. while belos is clearly trying to save face.
so amity is like. yeah. alright. the emperor is full of bullshit.
time to wreck my entire life for a guy i hate!!
and she jumps into the fight. to protect hunter. i'm particularly fond of the idea of her dragging him across the room with teleportation magic & hunter being like "no, blight, you've gotta believe me, LISTEN to me" while she's like SHHH. SHUT UP SHUT UP DUMBASS. LET ME GET YOU OUT OF THIS
except belos makes it clear that he intends to execute hunter on the spot. and amity is like. well. unfortunately i will Not be holding him still for you. so. i guess we have to fight :/
and you Know that the moment belos lashes out at amity, lilith is going to go apeshit. the luz situation might make her freeze in horror/uncertainty, but when amity is threatened, lilith can move So Fucking Fast.
SOOOOOO fucking fast.
Delicious. touches the soil.
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