#so I look with envy upon the Lan bros

[hiddenawayforme]

Re your tags on a LXC and LWJ gifset - very interested to hear your interpretation of their relationship! Or which takes you don't particularly vibe with? (of course no pressure if you'd rather not 😊)

(The tags in question: #The Untamed#Lan Xichen#Lan Wangji#I just love their relationship so much#weirdly it's like my biggest NO point when dealing with fandom#I can tolerate a lot#but if someone doesn't get this relationship or misrepresents this relationship#I have no patience for it#I have blocked for bad takes before and I'll do it again)

Nonny, I know this is several days late at this point, but I hope you're still around. I didn't have a chance to properly answer this question, but here's some 2am incoherent rambling

So out of all of The Untamed's sibling dynamics, it's the Lan siblings whom I adore the most (here I'm focusing on CQL, but even in the novel they're my favorite). Their love for each other in the wreckage of their parents’ consequences and the trauma inflicted on their sect really matters to me not just on a personal level but also on a storytelling level.

Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji both stand apart from their peers in ways that we don't see the other sect heirs and cultivators behave. They have essentially been placed on a pedestal, living paragons of virtue and perfection. They carry the lofty expectations of others, not just from their sect but from the entire cultivation world. This separates them from their peers in ways that are not easily overcome. Even though they manifest very different reactions to those expectations, they are still the only two suited to understand the other's burdens.

And they both want so hard to ease the other's burdens! We see this in the way Lan Wangji insists on assisting Lan Xichen with sect issues. We see this in the way Lan Xichen tries so hard to foster Lan Wangji's friendship with Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji doesn't want his brother overwhelmed by the expectations. Lan Xichen doesn't want his brother to be alone. They know each other so well, can read each other with a single glance.

Lan Xichen loves his brother so much he puts down his sect duties to visit Wei Wuxian in Yunmeng. Lan Wangji feels comfortable asking Lan Xichen for guidance when he is struggling to make sense of the world. Lan Xichen allows Lan Wangji to bring Wei Wuxian back to Cloud Recesses and then he actively investigates Wei Wuxian's allegations against his dear sworn brother. He trusts Lan Wangji so much during the events at Jinlintai when Wei Wuxian is revealed. Even when they are in disagreement, they still so clearly care about each other. In all the years that Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao were sworn brothers, it does not appear as though Lan Wangji made any effort to befriend Jin Guangyao (again, someone very important to Lan Xichen). Lan Wangji didn't trust Jin Guangyao and yet when it was evident in the temple that things were going to end badly between Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao, all of Lan Wangji's focus was on his brother and making sure Lan Xichen made it out safely. He was committed to making sure Lan Xichen was supported in that moment.

I am interested in how their shared childhood trauma has manifested in different ways, but they are both so sensitive to how the other has adapted. While Lan Xichen is friendly and polite, Lan Wangji is cold and aloof. But despite these personality differences, they love each other so much! Lan Xichen even tries so hard to give Lan Wangji the space he needs to be himself, to the extent that he neglects to protect himself (hey, it's almost like older sibling sacrifices backfiring is a theme or something!). Lan Wangji also wishes he could protect Lan Xichen, whether that's through taking on sect duties or making sure Lan Xichen leaves the final confrontation with Jin Guangyao alive.

So any take that does not acknowledge the love these two have for each other is a take I do not vibe with. Like, any take that has a post-canon Lan Wangji only focused on Wei Wuxian while ignoring Lan Xichen's pain is not a take I can get behind. Of course Wei Wuxian's return was important to Lan Wangji. Of course he has lost time to make up. But he's not going to neglect his brother. On the same level, I do not understand any interpretation of post-seclusion Lan Wangji hating or blaming Lan Xichen for what happened. 

Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji grow up in rather terrible circumstances and that only makes their love for each other stronger. Even though they are very different people, they make the attempt to understand the other and provide the support and space they need to be themselves. Which is not an easy task among the Lan Sect. 

[razberryyum]

The Untamed/陈情令 Rewatch, Episode 10, Part 1 of 2

(spoilers for everything MDZS/Untamed)

[covers MDZS chapters 29, 30 and 48…again, only kinda because things happen differently in the drama...I guess that’s why they call it an adaptation….]

WangXian meter: 🐰🐰🐰+ 🐰🐰🐰+ 🐰🐰🐰🐰+ 🐰🐰🐰+ 🐰🐰+ 🐰🐰+ 🐰+ 🐰🐰+🐰🐰🐰🐰+🐰

(Each WangXian scene automatically gets one 🐰 even if they’re just thinking of each other; one scene can earn up to five 🐰 depending on intensity of WangXian-ness. Each scene is separated by an “+”)

When I first watched this scene where Wei Ying was equating himself and Lan Zhan to Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen, I simply thought Wei Ying was just being flirty and adorable and didn’t attribute much significance to it beyond that, but now, after all that’s happened, it’s become so much more meaningful, especially to Lan Zhan, that not only do I love the moment so much more, but it also makes me feel that much sadder for Lan Zhan because of the almost careless way Wei Ying made the association.  Originally I think he did it as a means to gain Lan Zhan’s favor because Wei Ying sincerely wanted to be his friend and break through that cool exterior that Lan Zhan put up all the time. The romantic in me would like to think it’s also because Wei Ying was also starting to crush on him, butat the same time, realistically, I really don’t think Wei Ying in this point in time was even aware of his true feelings yet so while I don’t doubt his sincerity, his intentions were probably more simplistically platonic.  However, in contrast, for Lan Zhan, who was already “falling” for Wei Ying, the idea automatically embedded itself into his mind, so naturally he began to see Song Lan and XXC’s partnership as a goal in life.  Not only did the two cultivators embody their ideal of living without regrets while helping people, but growing up in a highly regulated environment, Lan Zhan probably also envied their freedom to live freely as they wanted.  

I really appreciate how Team CQL steadily lays down the bricks early on for the foundation of not only Wei Ying and Lan Zhan’s relationship but also for Lan Zhan’s character development so certain moments can build upon each other over time. This scene is a prime example of that: even though Lan Zhan didn’t react much to Wei Ying’s words at first, later on, as they were bidding farewell to Song Lan and XXC, the wistful expression on his face as he watched them leave followed by the deliberate way he looked at Wei Ying, again with that same expression, was a pretty good indication of just how much of what Wei Ying said earlier actually resonated with him.  

As time went on and he started to question the principles of his own sect and the cultivation world, I can only imagine how much more he longed to live the life that Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen did, with Wei Ying by his side. Therefore, when everything went so horribly wrong for the two cultivators, it’s no surprise that Lan Zhan took it to heart since it no doubt reminded him of happened to him and Wei Ying.  

Staring Contest

I just love all the many little times the two of them make eye contact, especially since, again, we went from Lan Zhan not even wanting to look at Wei Ying to this, where he almost can’t stop himself from looking his way. Again, brick building. Love it.  

You’re on your own, bro

Wei Ying instinctively protecting Lan Zhan from Xue Yang’s poisonous powder wasn’t surprising, but what did surprise me a little was the fact that he completely left poor Jiang Cheng to fend for himself. Didn’t even attempt to reach out to pull him back. If Jiang Cheng was keeping track of all the times Wei Ying was choosing Lan Zhan over him—and he probably was—that would definitely make his list (along with the aforementioned moment since it did sound like Wei Ying was giving up his place in Lotus Pier to go cultivate with Lan Zhan).  

SongXiao

When I first watched this episode, I remember thinking, “wait, they’re a couple too? How many gay couples are there in this show??” Seeing the way Song Lan swept down to protect XXC, how they called each other by their first names and referred to each other as good/close friends, naturally made me wonder if there was more to their relationship than meets the eye.  Of course the official MDZS answer is no, WangXian is the only gay couple in the story, but obviously Team CQL either didn’t get that memo or decided to ignore it so they can ship to their hearts’ content, or supply enough fodder to let us ship to our heart’s content. Whatever the reason, bless them for giving us these precious morsels which were unique to the drama since by the time we met the two of them in the novel, their lives had already gone to hell.  

I spend most of my time lamenting the suffering that WangXian had to go through before they were finally able to get their happy ending but truth of the matter is Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen probably suffered much more, especially since their ending was so much worse. Because they are called dao zhangs, I have to assume they live as Daoist priests and therefore have the vow of celibacy imposed on them as well, so whatever feelings they have for each other can only be emotionally consummated through chaste companionship and never through carnal fulfillment of any kind. Basically, unlike Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, everydaying could never be an option for them because of their lifestyle and beliefs. Being of much higher cultivation mindset (or so I assume since they’re much more revered), just being able to enjoy each other’s company was probably more than enough for them, and yet, even that they were denied. It’s like, they’re asking for so little and yet they are deprived of that in the most absolute way possible. So now, seeing the image of them walking away together, only fills me with immense sadness for them—I actually got a little teary-eyed over it tonight—knowing they will never be able to even enjoy something as simple as walking side by side with each other like that ever again.

Xue Yang

For how much I feel for SongXiao, again, I really should HATE Xue Yang, but dammit this evil monster is so damn hard to hate. If he was Lucifer in human form, my soul would be totally screwed. Every time I see Xue Yang again I can’t help but like him and want to see even more to him. Wang Haoxuan is very easy on the eyes, so that helps a lot, but it’s not just his looks, it’s also his very effective performance. He just looks like he’s having so much fun and by osmosis Xue Yang becomes fun to watch as well; it’s almost as if his joy at murder and mayhem is infectious. Everything he does works for me, like, I even got delicious excitement chills from just how he appears on the scene at the Yue Yang Chang sect...

...like some kind of sexy, malicious gargoyle of doom. The only other time I felt the same way is when Wei Ying first appeared as the Yiling Patriarch when he returned from the Burial Mounds. I said before that Xue Yang constantly has this DTF aura about him that makes him shippable with just about anyone and everyone, which makes this moment one of my favorites because I think his sexy evil energy was at maximum output while Wei Ying was feeling him down. It’s almost unfair how alluring he is, like all the time. I know his detractors absolutely don’t feel that way, and honestly, I envy being able to so resolutely dislike him.  

XueXiao

Considering all the pain and suffering he caused Xiao Xingchen I sometimes think Xue Yang doesn’t deserve to even be shipped with such a pure angel, but the two actors have such good chemistry it’s hard to resist. I mean, when Xue Yang said that to XXC, I seriously couldn’t wait until they met again and I was hoping we would get to see their future interactions (again, this was when I hadn’t read the novel yet and didn’t know what horrifying things were in store). And I felt this way even though I was already fully supporting SongXiao. I seriously don’t want to know what would have happened if Xue Yang had more interactions with Wei Ying; my WangXian-devoted heart is too afraid to even go there.

To be continued in Part 2...posted