#who thought jiggy was a good idea

[ghost-bleus]

what is a jalph. is it some kind of bug

[danielt1985]

An analysis of Billie Eilish’s ‘WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?’

Written by Daniel T. Gaming - 3/29/24

Today marks the 5 year anniversary of Billie Eilish's debut album, ‘WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?’.

To celebrate, I want to make this thread that analyzes each song for what it's about & why it exists. I've actually done an analysis on this album before, so this is just gonna be a summarized version.

!!!!!!!

This 14 second monologue of Billie pulling out her Invisalign was actually the first thing her & Finneas EVER recorded for the album. Fittingly enough, its length matches the amount of tracks on the album (14 seconds = 14 tracks). Also, the track’s title is officially pronounced ‘Seven Exclamation Points’.

bad guy

The biggest single on the album. It's a track that Billie wrote to mock at people who put on fake personas & make themselves look more important than who they really are. The title is actually a reference to Scarface, in which Al Pacino's character, Tony Montana, says "Say goodnight to the bad guy!"

xanny

Billie wrote this track after her & her friends went to a party. She noticed afterwards that they started acting rather unusual. Smoking, drinking, vomiting, acting up on her, it made them feel like different people, and that was something Billie wanted to represent. Especially in the chorus, where the distorted bass & Billie's textured vocals really imitates that of second-hand smoking.

you should see me in a crown

This is the first single off of the album. It's actually written off of a line from BBC's Sherlock!

"We wrote this song ‘cause of Sherlock, actually, 'cause there’s a scene where Jim Moriarty says, 'You should see me in a crown’ and me and my brother were like, ‘Hey, that’s jiggy as f*ck.’ Then we just sorta made the song about being jiggy I guess, and you should see me in a crown, so there it is." - Billie during the premiere of the song on BBC Radio 1.

all the good girls go to hell

Billie's take on Christian symbolism & climate change, even taking key notes from Ariana Grande & continuing the indication of God being a woman. This song is in reference to the California wildfires that happened around the time "you should see me in a crown" was being released.

wish you were gay

Also a very early track Billie wrote. It was written when she had been rejected by a guy she liked. She was hoping for other reasons that weren't about her to be the reason for his rejection, and she thought of the idea that he could've been gay. Ironically enough, when the song dropped, he got in contact with Billie, and told her that he turned out to be gay after all!

when the party's over

A song about distancing one's self from romantic interest, Billie wrote this as more of an angry perspective, rather than sad. It's also based on a story in which Finneas had drove away from this girl he was dating with. It's a feeling you're not happy about, but it needed to be done.

8

Flipping over to Side B, we have a song about feeling regretful for being rude to a friend. Billie shows a lot of sympathy to her friend, and regrets hurting them as is.

"When people hear that song, they’re like, ‘Oh, poor baby Billie, she’s so hurt.’ But really I was just a dickhead for a minute and the only way I could deal with it was to stop and put myself in that person’s place."

my strange addiction

Written off of the TLC series, 'My strange addiction', Billie finds herself taking on another person when she should be taking a break for herself. The interludes & opening are also sampled from The Office episode, 'Threat Level Midnight' (S7:E17)

bury a friend

Sleep paralysis. Demons. Fear from what's beneath. All of which combined makes up the creepiest song on the album. It's about the idea of a monster being under Billie's bed, and the confusing relationship she has with this monster. It's also where the title of the album comes from.

What also adds to this unsettling tension is dentist equipment that was recorded for the album. This song also transitions smoothly into...

ilomilo

Going from fearing somebody, to fearing loneliness. The song's idea also comes from the video game of the same name, in which you control both Ilo and Milo, as they are separated apart, solving puzzles in order for them to reach each other. That concept of escaping loneliness plays into this song incredibly well. The lyrics for it would also be used in the documentary, ‘Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry’.

listen before i go

By far, one of the saddest songs on the album, Billie writes a heart wrenching story of a woman who is ready to end her life by jumping off of a building, writing her final message to her friends & her partner.

The track really pulls at you, with how openly depressing its structure is. It even has these bass jabs that appear in the middle that really make you feel like you have like an instant panic attack. The track ultimately ends with a bass thump, with ambulance sounds and screaming, ultimately leading us to believe that she had actually done it.

i love you

Toxic dependency is a tragedy as old as love itself. In the penultimate song for the album, Billie sings about two emotionally distraught lovers trying to find peace in each other.

This guitar-eccentric “love” ballad is also the longest song on the album, clocking in at almost 5 minutes. The title for her longest song would later go to ‘Happier Than Ever.’ And with this track being the penultimate song helps wrap the album into a nice bow. A bow covered in blood, tears, sadness & spiders.

goodbye

To finish off the album is a one minute melancholic medley. It samples the bridge from ‘xanny’ and recites all of the album’s songs in reverse order. From ‘i love you’ -> ‘bad guy’, and ending it off with a tape stop.

Billie wrote this because she didn’t want the album to just end inconclusive. She felt like albums ending with a random song from the track list doesn’t make it feel like it actually properly ended. So she wrote this ending piece as a way to cap off the album. She also uses this track to end off her concerts too, even to this day.

Conclusion

When I first picked the CD up for this album in June 2019, I was honestly not knowing what to expect. I did hear a few of the singles before the album released but I wasn’t expecting something as intense as it did. And I LOVED it.

I know that Billie has evolved a lot since this album’s release, and I know she’s had even MORE critical and commercial success since, but I will be forever grateful for this album’s existence. It got me through some of the darkest times I’ve ever had, and every listen to this album gave me a fuzzy experience that I don’t think will ever be replicated again.

To Billie, Finneas, and the WWAFA,WDWG crew… thank you. Thank you for giving us one of, if not, the GREATEST album of 2019, and for the 2010s as a whole. May Billie continue to seek success and continue to be one of the most important pop stars in the music industry.

-❤️ Daniel

[maniacal-butterfly]

Thoughts on Sheogorath: 1) The other Daedra thought he would be harmless, being the antithesis of the most powerful Prince, but they failed to account for the fact that Jyggalag’s power was not purely a part of his sphere 2) The Aedra and the Daedra had an arrangement, where the Aedra would give the Daedra a piece of Lorkhan to use as a foundation for imprisoning Jyggalag, so long as they promised they would keep that piece of Lorkhan in check. Sheogorath was grown from that piece.

Hi anon! Thanks for the asks! I want to prelude this by saying, I'm not in any shape an expert in TES lore. Which is why, before I answer your ask about kalpas (I'm guessing it's from you as well?), I'll take a refresher dive into uesp.

Now about the Sheo thoughts. Hope you don't mind the resulting wall of text you're going to get.

I always thought Jiggy to be closer to madness than he'd admit to be honest. There's insanity in wanting the world to follow perfect order and he'd need a crazy amount of denial not to realise mortals will not follow whatever statistics he may have planned for. In a world where people can become gods and twist reality from thousand of years in the future, you're bound to go batty if you want things to follow order. I find there's a comical level of hubris to the other daedric princes when they decided to curse Jyggy with becoming what he "hated the most". As if madness and chaos didn't reach all minds and realms. It's just good fortune for them that Sheo seems to be happy with simply having a foothold everywhere and doesn't share Jiggy's expansionist plans.

While I know Sheogorath is said to be the "Sithis-shaped hole" who came to the world once Lorkhan's spark was removed, quite frankly, I have little knowledge about what that would mean. So your idea about the Lorkhan piece is as good as any other in my opinion. But then I have a question for you: have the Daedra failed their part of the bargain with the Aedra? Because, especially after getting rid of the Greymarch, Sheogorath isn't what I would call "kept in check".

Going to combine 3 and 6. I like the parasite/butterfly/mushroom theme you have going there. Got me thinking about the body snatcher wasps that lay eggs into caterpillars and other insects; the larvae turning their hosts into living cocoons as time goes by. Or the fungus that takes over ants; its spore first digging itself through the exoskeleton til it forces its victim to find a good spot to die and allow the fungus to grow to adulthood. It makes the Greymarches an attempt to eradicate the infestation but as we all know, "you cannot kill [mushrooms] in a way that matters". Even after the Isles are bleached white, there would remain a root, a spore, and from it the spread would start anew. Allowing Sheogorath to regrow from the husk of his realm. As for the screaming plants... they'd hold the key to a network of information if only you knew how to connect to it. Maybe they could talk if they wished to. They'd tell you what's the best route to follow. Go that way, or the other. We never said the information was truthful however.

Did Sheogorath sneeze or blinked when Cyrodiil went from being a Jungle to a fertile land? Or did that not count as an impossibility? What would count as impossible and is Sheo having a loose grasp on the concept why some things just make no sense in Tamriel? How much of a headache would Jiggy get during a Dragon Break? While we are talking about Aedras, there are two others I'd imagine Sheo would work with. Dibella and him both have artists and musicians in their "sphere". They may compete over the methods of inspiration but I can see them working together for more awe inspiring, revolutionary, projects. A more "obvious" one, so to speak, would be Kynareth. I was going with the simple path of her bringing rain and storms, both phenomenon giving a chance of calling onto Sheogorath while wishing for another deity. But, after some research, and I’m quoting uesp here, “She is associated with rain, a phenomenon that is said not to have occurred before the removal of Lorkhan's divine spark.” Here is that spark again. The one which disappearance brought the Madgod to the world. And sure it doesn't mean much, a simple coincidence probably, but I appreciate the idea of those two being close. There is a wildness to the elements and the wind after all.

Anon, why matcha? Sure it's toxic green but it's also extremely bitter. though it is usually balanced by the sweetest treats. Is that why you chose it? Sheo and Jiggy's relationship is bound to be an odd one. And you're right to say they are opposite spheres. Which makes me wonder. They are like two sides of the same coin, and the Shivering Isles is represented by a flat land. Could Jyggalag's realm simply be on the other side of that land? Not "beneath" it. Though as far as one is concerned, the other's realm is basically in their basement. None is upside down, there is no real up or down in Oblivion anyway, given what you see is how the daedric prince wants it to be. And well, I'd guess there's still a few spores on Jiggy and tiny sandlike shards of crystal on Sheo once they separated.

Sheo being Sheo and doing what feels like a good time to him despite of, and to spite, the other daedras is such a Mood. May he continue to do so over time.

Whether it's lore friendly or not, I do not know, but I tend to see Aedras and Daedras as neither good nor bad, rather as being closer to Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Some may be cruel and hate mortals, sure, but they also sometimes interact with mortals and just end up breaking them. For instance, the lady who got turned into instruments had a gruesome fate, but the intent wasn't evil. I'm not saying Daedras are all good, just pointing out that both Aedras and Daedras have used mortals as tools and taken sacrifices. I also wish we'd have more insight as to how the different cultures impact the way Daedras interact with mortals. For instance, the Reachmen have the "Spirits" a lot more integrated in their daily lives and, while mistakes can lead to dangerous outcomes, are not worse from wear from it. Would different races or cultures perceive daedric realms differently given their different beliefs?

Anyway. I don't know if you expected the length of the answer. I'm sorry if you weren't. Feel free to send me other thoughts on the topic (sorry if it takes a while to answer, I'm away from home often). I'll be answering the Kalpa one in the next few days.

[hulijingemperor2]

In the study.....

Yao: *reading through files*

Meng Shi: *enters* A-Yao.

Yao: *smile* A-niang! Please, have a seat.

Meng Shi: sure. Now what are you up to?

Yao: reports from various cities.

They're going good so far.

Meng Shi: as it must. Because of my extraordinary Yao'er.

Yao: *smiling* I want to strengthen the bonds a little more, for A-Song.

Meng Shi: that's a great idea, Yao'er. I'm always proud of you.

Yao: means so so so much.

Meng Shi: *smirks* Yao'er.

Yao: tell me.

Meng Shi: how are things with you and A-Su?

Yao: going well, A-niang.

Meng Shi: I can tell, because you're blushing.

You're look so happy.

Yao: yea, I'm glad she's back. She's lovely actually.

Meng Shi: i agree, little dimples.

A-Su is so poise, and she loves her family a lot. She's also devoted to you.

Qin Su: *walking in with some attendants* Yao huangdi! Tea is served.

I borrowed your staff.

Yao: lovely dear. My staff is yours.

Qin su: good to know. It's ginger tea, Huangdi.

Yao: ah, delightful.

Qin su: taihou, would you like some?

Meng Shi: certainly do, darling.

Qin Su: and it's very herbal too. So Huangdi would have extra energy.

I learnt this recipe from our guest, Wen Qing.

Yao: you're too kind *sips*

Qin Su: Yao Huangdi, you look really cute today.

Yao: thank you. You also look pretty.

Meng Shi and A-Yao: *communicating with their eyes and expressions*

Meng Shi: (isn't she the sweetest. Serving tea.?)

Yao: (yes. I miss these days)

Meng Shi: (Yao'er propose to her. You two are already bethrothed.)

Yao: (all of a sudden?)

Meng Shi: (duh)

Yao: (I'll do it when the time is right.)

Meng Shi: ( Yao'er, I want a daughter-in-law. Do something with your dimples at least)

Yao: ( A-niang. Don't make me blush. And what to do with my dimples?)

Meng Shi: ( the thing you normally do)

Yao: (*blushing* A-niang)

Meng Shi: (you and Rusong are the same.

You and Qin Su were married before. Propose.)

Qin Su: do you have a meeting today?

Yao: yes. *shows dimples*

Meng shi: (good. Show the dimple)

Yao: do you want to come accompany me? To see your people as well.

Qin Su:  I would love that.

Yao: great to hear.

Qin Su:  for these pass days, I enjoy being by your side.

Meng Shi: *gasps* REALLY???! you love my son?

Qin Su: always!

Meng Shi: awww!!!! *grabs her hand, then placed it in A-Yao's* my daughter-in-law. You're A-Yao's responsibility now.

Yao: are you sure you want to marry me?

Qin Su: obviously! Why wouldn't I?

Yao: because of the rumors. I thought I ruined your life.

Qin Su: don't say that. *kisses* I'm head over heels for you. You would never ruin me.

What about you? Huangdi? Would you marry me.

Yao: yes. I want to make you mine again.

Qin Su: *caresses his face* I was always yours.

Meng Shi: ah, my heart!

My Yao'er would take good care of you.

Today is such an auspicious day! This must be announced.

Yao: not yet, A-niang. I got to tell A-Huan and team dimple.

Meng Shi: ok! Ok. Please do.

I'll get some jewelry to gift A-Su.

~~~

Later that day,

Xue yang: where's Jiggy?.

Mo xuanyu: in my heart.

Xichen: *waiting as well*

Yao: *walking in with Su she, who was holding A-Yao's outer robes in his hands. * guys I got to talk to you.

Xichen: what's that A-Yao?

Yao: I'm going to get married to A-Su again.

Xue yang: waw, Jiggybun. Congrats.

*kisses* everyone gets weak when they see your beautiful face.

I still ship you and Wen Qing though.

Mo xuanyu: awww Congrats on your new harem member, Yao gege.

Su she: so is she going to replace Lan xichen?! Well Xichen, go pack your things. It was nice knowing you. I won't miss you at all.

Have a safe trip back to wherever the hell you came from.

Xichen: *glaring at him*

Yao: noo she's not going to replace him, lol.

Su she: dang it.

Xichen: *hugs* A-Yao I'm so happy for you.

Yao: thank you, A-Huan.

And team D!!

Mo xuanyu: congrats Yao gege! I love you so much!

Yao: thank you!! I love you too!

And A-niang was also pushing us to get married!

Mo xuanyu: awww

Xue yang: she's a boss.

Su she: that's great. Taihou likes Ms Qin more than Xichen.

Xichen: she never said that.

Su she: ohh, look who's jealous.

Mo xuanyu: Yao gege loves all his harem members equally! So I'm not bothered by HER.

Yao: right.

Fuying and other attendants: *entering with bouquets of flowers and other gifts* Huangdi, Huangdi.

Congratulations.

Yao: awww. What a beautiful surprise, guys. Thank you.

Huangdi, may you continue to have a happy harem.

Yao: *smiling*

Xiying: hulijing Huangdi, may we groom your fox tail?

Yao: of course you can. That sounds lovely.

Our adorable Huangdi needs a facial.

Not that his skin isn't already flawless.

Yao: *sits* well my dear attendants. Pamper me here.

Xiying: yes Huangdi.

Yao: *makes his floof appear*

Fuying: Huangdi, the announcement was made.

Yao: oh great.

Su she: *massaging A-Yao's arm*

Mo xuanyu: *rests his head on A-Yao's lap.

Xichen: *plays liebing*

Yao: delightful. *relaxing*

Su she: Huangdi you're so gorgeous.

Yao: so are you.

Su she: m...me?

Yao: mhm.

Xue yang: Jiggy, Lan lips pulled out a whole flute to serenade you.

Yao: and it's beautiful.

Su she: I find he should play it better. Like you're playing the flute for my Huangdi.

Yao: A-Huan's music is always very elegant and ethereal.

Su she: hmm.

Yao: *closes his eyes*

Su she: once you're pleased, Huangdi.

Xiying: you're the cutest of all hulijings, Huangdi.

Yao: *smiling*

Mo xuanyu: will she be the empress?

Xue yang: obviously.

Xichen: I think that mother-in-law ships them as well.

Su she: really?

Xue yang: do you blame her tho!

Mo xuanyu: aww that's cute.

Qin Su: *entering* Huang--

Yao: *opens glowing golden eyes*

Qin Su: *speechless*

Yao: A-Su. *stood up*

Qin Su: why are you so hot?

Yao: it's a hulijing thing. Don't mind it.

Xue yang: it means chokehold time!

Su she: I gotta write a whole essay on Huangdi opening his eyes. *nosebleed*

Mo xuanyu: I'm. I'm a simp.

Qin su: *confused about team dimple*

Yao: they're very passionate. Don't listen to them.

I came here to tell them the great news.

Qin Su: delightful.

Yao: do you want to hang with us?

I'll make you some tea.

Qin su: sure Yao Huangdi. I would love to.

And you have some beautiful eyes.

Yao: thank you.

While yours is like rich ink.

Qin su: aww.

Yao: *supports her* have a seat.

Qin Su: mn.

Yao: do you see, the attendants sent us flowers to congratulate us.

Qin Su: they're so friendly.

Taihou wants to go out with me later. And I'm a bit nervous.

Yao: why?

A-niang is chill.

Qin su: it's like, I'm engaged to you, who's the handsome, dimpled, hulijing Huangdi. And I haven't really met your mom before.

Yao: A-Su A-niang already likes you. Don't be nervous.

Qin Su: ok then.

Yao: here's your tea.

Qin Su: thanks.

Mo xuanyu: how wasn't Xichen nervous.

Su she: cuz he's full of himself.

Qin Su: if he steals someone's husband then he won't be nervous about anything else.

Xue yang: ouch.

Mo xuanyu: slayyyy, other woman! I mean Su jiejie!

Xichen: guys, because I know that she's friendly like A-Yao.

Qin Su: yes Xichen, MY mother-in-law is friendly.

Mo xuanyu: dude I was Shy to speak to her. Like what if she thinks that I'm a yandereous creep.

Yao: yandereous? What a new word.

Su she: I was also shy. And respectful. Cuz she's my Huangdi's mom afterall.

Xue yang: I don't know whats shy. I just told her that I'll throw people in a brothel with a severed tongue if they insult her and Jiggy ever again.

Yao: see. The harem survived A-niang. You can too.

Qin Su: ah, that helped.

Su she: good thing you're not Huaisang. He's not allowed to sneeze.

Qin Su: *laughing* oh my goodness.

Mo xuanyu: I heard that she twisted Mingjue's ear.

Xue yang: you're in the clear. DW. Because you're not a Nie.

Su she: cuz she's not a scheming brat like Huaisang.

Qin su: hahaha, thanks for the info, team dimple!

Qin Su: your tea was delicious, Yao Huangdi.

Yao: please. You can call me A-Yao, A-Su

Qin Su: *blushing* but you're my Huangdi, and I'm a middle classed hulijing.

Mo xuanyu: you're a hulijing???

Qin Su: half.

Mo xuanyu: wow.

So Song'er is rightfully Yao gege's successor. Two parents being hulijings!

Su she: little Dianxia is awesome as always!

Qin su: A-Yao grew Song'er to be powerful.

Am I right, Yao Huangdi.

Yao: yes.

Xue yang: ah, Susu. You can call him Jiggy if you want.

Qin Su: *blushing* Jiggy?,

I'm not like you, xue yang.

And I'll definitely not call him Jiggy.

But if he wishes.

Yao: call me anything, darling.

Qin Su: I rather have respect for my Huangdi husband.

Su she: right.

Qin Su: team d, A-Yao. I gave to go meet taihou, alright. Bye.

Yao: no prob, and have fun.

Qin Su: mn. *exits giggling*

Xue yang: Susu is head over heals for Jiggy.

Mo xuanyu: she's getting a lot like team dimple.

Su she: lol.

And she hates Xichen.

Xichen: I'm right in the room.

Su she: I know that.

Xue yang: I'm left in the room. Hehehehe.

Mo xuanyu: and I'm bored!

Xue yang: we'll show jiggy and A-Su the fierce corpse training ground, when she gets back.

Mo xuanyu: great!

Xue yang: and yes Jiggy, it is a date. I asked myself out on a date for you.

Yao: ah, *sarcasm* thank you yangyang.

Were you feeling lonely?

Xue yang: hell yea. How did you know? *grabs waist* Jiggy, baby.

Su she: flirtatious much.

Xue yang: nosy much.

~~~

On the other side, Meng Shi carries Wen qing to a bazaar.

But this wasn't like any other bazaar, as it sold things that had a high quality.

There had fans, fabrics, hair accessories and other trinkets. Also, this bazaar came with its own music.

Meng shi: you're very graceful and elegant, and quite much deserve the best.

Choose anything you like.

Qin su: mn. Thank you Miss Meng.

I'll inform you when something catches my eyes.

Meng Shi: tell me about your achievements.

You must have moved mountains by now.

Qin su: my laoling Qin sect has spread to Dongying and Korea, along A-Yao's empire.

We're a mixture of fox spirits and cultivators.

Meng Shi: excellent. That's so delightful to hear! You're a boss.

Qin su: thanks. Song'er had worked in Laoling too.

I just hope he becomes the sect leader as well.

Meng shi: he will.

I'm so pleased with you and Yao'er, giving Song'er such a bright and rich future.

Qin Su: it's our duty as parents.

Meng Shi: Song'er is so lucky.

Qin Su: mn.

Meng Shi: how come Minshan didn't talk about you being in the sect conferences?

Qin Su: running that sect alone, is so tiresome.

So at times I rather do my work and build my sect members than attend anything.

Meng Shi: you're so brilliant.

And you deserve to relax and be pampered. Be married to a handsome emperor as well.

Qin Su: as in your A-Yao. *laughing*

Meng shi: *smiles* who else.

Do you like this design? Look at the patterns on the fabric

Qin Su: aww, that's pretty! And unique.

Meng Shi: mhm. Very exquisite.

Qin Su: I think I should get them.

Meng Shi: as you wish.

Get some fans too.

Qin Su: sure.

Meng Shi: so. What are your plans later?!

Qin Su: maybe spend some time with Huangdi.

Only if he permits. *blush*.

Meng Shi: I love that!

Qin su: I hope team dimple doesn't intervene.

Meng Shi: never.

A-Yao will be yours for the evening.

Meng Shi: ohh right! What about your staff and maids?

Qin su: I have a personal maid named Bicao.

Meng shi: lovely.

You know she must do some sword training.

Qin Su: yes, I'm aware.

Meng Shi: Now come on, let's continue shopping.

Qin su: certainly.

[rubiesintherough]

💔 What was my muse’s first heartbreak? 💑 What are my muse’s requirements for a potential partner? 💋 How many people has my muse slept with? - page, aedus

@escapedartgeek

💔 What was my muse’s first heartbreak?

P: She had a girlfriend in highschool named Trisha. They got along great, really clicked, had a ton of fun, and Page genuinely thought she was falling in love... still thinks about her sometimes. Unfortunately, Trisha didn't believe Page about her family's... unusual abilities, and came over for a sleepover, only to flee, screaming, from the house in the middle of the night when a ghost woke her up. Ironically, Trisha ghosted Page after that. Changed schools, might've even moved away... Page isn't sure about that last part, but she didn't see Trisha around town after that, so she suspects that's what happened.

A: It's hard to pin down which was his first. His memory doesn't stretch back that far... but, from what he can vaguely recall, there was a woman he met back in Rome. Everything about her is extremely hazy, can't even remember her face, but there's a very deep sadness when she pops into his head. There's little snippets of her telling him they couldn't be together, or that she didn't love him in that way. I think that could be counted as one of his first heartbreaks, even if he doesn't fully remember it. Had a lot of strong feelings for her that weren't reciprocated...

💑 What are my muse’s requirements for a potential partner?

P: She's got a little bit of a list, actually... they have to be willing to be silly, have a good sense of humor --- similar enough to her own --- and/or be witty, be down for giving her a nudge when she's overdoing it --- 'cause she doesn't always realize it --- so she rests. The biggest, though, I think comes down to accepting her, and her medium-ness, for who she is. Not shying away, or being scared, of that part of her. Doesn't mean they need to join her on investigations, or be comfortable with ghosts popping in at random, unfortunate, times... but, just letting her be herself.

A: I once would've said he was easy to pin down... but he's gotten real complicated over the course of writing him. The other muses he's meshed with have been wildly different. And each relationship has been so different, too?? People I never would've thought he'd even want to be friends with, he's ended up falling for. It's wild. I guess... maybe saying people who are passionate? He likes that. Someone who he can look after in a way, just because he's very much wired to be a caretaker, and also be looked after in turn? Someone who respects him...? Idk, his bar fluctuates wildly.

💋 How many people has my muse slept with?

P: Canonically, she hasn't, yet. Furthest she's ever gotten was heavy making out... and a spirit popped up and scared her partner away before the relationship could progress any further than that. And she hates that fact. She really just wants to get frisky, but nobody she's dated has stuck around long enough for that. They get freaked out by the whole ghost thing... and there's no way in hell she's giving that part of herself up just to be in a relationship, so she's kinda just made peace with the idea she might not ever be able to be in a long-term relationship and actually find someone to get jiggy with.

A: Considering how long he's existed in his current form, the number is low. He needs a really close connection with someone he loves before he's comfortable having sex, and he's only gotten to that point with under a dozen people. He can count the total number of partners he's had, throughout his entire existence, on just both hands.

[marvus-xoloto]

Marvus Pale Headcanons

I'm going to do my best to keep these organized, but ngl I have so many thots abt marv. Head empty, heart..... full :) So... Let's start broad and narrow it down?

Marvus to me reads as somebody who has a hard time differentiating his feelings between concupiscent and conciliatory. He's got enough of an emotional IQ to understand when a relationship isn't working for him or is entering unhealthy territory, so black romance tends to be a little easier for him to navigate than red romance.

Within red romance, Marvus's experience with intimacy is sexual. I mean, the man exudes sexuality and he's kind of the face of sexual desire on alternia just in general. When people get to know him, it's usually flirtatious, implicitly sexy, and invasive.

So with all of that in mind, when I think of Marvus and red romance, I do think he struggles with: a. differentiating sexual intimacy vs non sexual intimacy b. opening up and letting go of his persona completely and c. commitment in general.

For these reasons, I do think he's prone towards gravitating towards an all in one red quadrant; I would say rails with pails, but I really think he'd struggle to keep his feelings all sorted. Marvus is not exactly the kind of person who likes to keep things in boxes, anyway. Not only is it easier for him to navigate intimacy- sexual or not- when there is no boundary, I think Marvus dislikes the idea of romantic boundaries at all with people he has feelings for in general. Quadrant vacillation isn't his thing for these same reasons.

Okay, so with all of that out of the way, let's get onto the specifically pale romantic fluff 😎💕

Marvus's favorite way to be touched is firmly; some people like to escape reality a lil bit when they're getting pale and jiggy with it- and sometimes Marvus does, too- but he generally prefers to be grounded. He's a very intelligent person and he likes to think and strategize his way through problems rather than let them sit and stew.

So with paps, he likes the standard shoosh-pap, but he also likes (and I wrote this in my fic, read it love it reblog it praise me for it etc) when his moirail goes thumb to cheekbone, fingertips to spine. He has sharp angles to his face and he enjoys when his moirail traces them. He also understands intimacy very well this way: he loves feeling your hands around his throat, and the trust between you two in that moment.

He's a very thoughtful person, and his love languages are both quality time and gift giving. He learns all sorts of minutiae about your hobbies, and always picks up small little things that make him think of you. He's also really good at reading people; I've spoken about this before so I won't go in depth here, but he's very good at talking you out of your bad mood.

I argue that Marvus, while he doesn't like feeling idolized in his quadrants, does like to feel special and praised in redrom specifically. Celebrating his albums, or working on songs together, or even just showing up at his studio make him feel like you care, and let's him feel connected to you.

Marvus does like his secrets, and there are times where you dig and you dig and you dig and you still can't unearth them. It takes a while for him to trust that you won't run to the press with it.

He can be a little hot and cold at the beginning. Because Marvus is out on tour a lot, or on interviews, or just generally got damn busy, he sort of like. Lives out of his limo and party bus a lot. In his mind, this isn't exactly the environment for a deep romantic bond and it's a very difficult environment for trust to grow. But he does crave that closeness and unconditional love from another! And honestly, his space is his biggest blessing: he needs a lot of distance in all of his relationships in order to not feel smothered. He likes to feel as if he desperately misses someone and he plays up the pining soo much lol. He wants your attention.

Yeah that's all I got right now! I feel a little unfocused, but if y'all want me to go deeper or clarify on anything specific, just ask! (Please ask me abt marvus my blorbo love of my fucked up mind. I'm begging.. Asks are also open for other characters <3).

[stiltonbasket]

quick question for the saberverse-why did lxc agree to keep jingyi hidden from the world if he didn't know jgy killed nmj?

I've touched on this in other ask posts, but his reasons were mostly political. Everyone beyond NHS's inner circle of trusted associates thought of him as a good-for-nothing, and the last thing Lan Xichen wanted was for anyone to pit uncle and nephew against each other in the hope that Jingyi would replace Nie Huaisang as sect leader sooner rather than later.

Lan Xichen also didn't want to upset the balance of power between the sects, because everyone (minus the Jins) was still recovering from the war, and he believed Nie Huaisang was struggling in his new position.

Re: the balance of power, it’s basically “every clan for themselves” after the war. The Jin-Jiang marriage alliance did nothing for the Jiang sect, because the Jin sect leader at the time was Jin Guangshan, who a) did not care about Jiang Cheng and b) openly disregarded Jiang Yanli’s wishes to have WWX visit Lanling safely, even though she had just given birth to a grandson for him. Plus, considering that the Jin sect casually set up an ambush on the day of Jin Ling's full-moon celebration without anyone saying a word to JZX about it, knowing he would have tried to stop them, I don't think Jin Zixuan had much power in his sect either. Even Jin Ling was poorly treated by his extended family, meaning that any long-standing benefits the Jiang got by JYL marrying in were probably meager ones that suited JGS as well.

The Jin and Jiang clans are still very much separate, acting with their own interests in mind. Jin Ling is being raised between both sects, but neither clan particularly likes or cares for the welfare of the other. This wouldn't be the case for the Nie and Lan sects if Nie Huaisang claimed Lan Jingyi as his heir. Nie Huaisang grew up thinking of Lan Xichen as a second older brother, so a child of Nielan’s would unite the two clans in more than name.

Furthermore, LXC’s closeness to the Nie family is known to be genuine; the Jin sect can talk about being as close to the Jiang as “hands and feet” as much as it wants, but the Jiang still had to take its own revenge on Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu during the Sunshot Campaign. Nie Mingjue took revenge on Wen Xu on Lan Xichen’s behalf, and Wen Xu’s head is still mounted up in front of the Unclean Realm as a warning to anyone who might get ideas about messing with the Lan sect. There are real benefits from both sects if you court the favor of just one, which does not happen with the Lan-Jin alliance (Jiggy isn’t that invested in the Lan as a whole, just in LXC) or with the Jin-Jiang alliance (JC and Jiggy don’t like each other enough for that).

[robininthelabyrinth]

"The Untamed", but Jiggy has a white cat whom he tells everything.- May or may not be sentient or 'spiritual' like Fairy in the book. (From an idea I've thrown around with my friend @yraelviii)

ao3

He found the cat in Qinghe.

“What are you doing here?” Meng Yao said, crouching down to try to scoop out the little handful of white fluff underneath his cabinet only for it to bare its infantile fangs and him and hiss, moving its butt around as if it thought his fingers ought to be running in fear from its fearsome pounce. “How did you even get in here?”

The cat – a kitten, really, small and scrawny, dirty and covered in ashes as if it had just run out of a forge, but no less passionate for it – squirmed in his hand as he picked it up.

“Who owns you?” Meng Yao asked, and the cat hissed viciously as if to shout no one owns me!

Something about that echoed in Meng Yao’s heart – no one owns me, he thought – and so he fished up some extra meat from his plate, filled a small platter with water, and used the sleeve of an old outfit that needed to be taken to be laundered anyway to wipe the grey ash off of the cat’s white fur while it was distracted by sniffing suspiciously at the food and water that it ultimately declined to consume.

“Just this once,” he told it.

-

Doing good work will often only bring you more work, Meng Yao reflected, and so it was with the cat as much as with anything else. He still didn’t know how the cat managed to get into his rooms, and he sometimes dwelled on paranoid suspicions that there were hiding-holes in his chambers designed to allow others to spy on him, just as there had been in certain rooms in the brothel – though even at his worst moment of uncertainty and doubt he didn’t really think so. He knew that it wasn’t Nie Mingjue’s style even if Meng Yao had been someone important enough to care about, and anyway he didn’t question his own ability to discovery such a thing if it had really existed. He’d checked.

At any rate, however it kept getting into his rooms, the cat was now a regular presence there, lurking around.

It didn’t want to be petted and greeted all attempts to feed it with utter disdain, but despite its general standoffishness it seemed to like being in the same vicinity as Meng Yao, enjoying nothing more than to settle haughtily by the window in his room and watch over Meng Yao as if it thought he might get lost without its supervision.

Meng Yao thought it was probably someone’s pet gotten lost, or maybe even just a feral cat from outside (Qinghe had a fair number of them) that had figured out that it could access the good life by going inside, but it was very hard to sincerely worry over the ill-intentions of a cat, and he was already very busy.

If he didn’t need to care for it, then it wasn’t adding to his troubles. Let the cat sit where it liked!

Meng Yao had found that life in Qinghe was both different and similar to life in Yunping, the only life he had to compare it to, and it amused him to think of the great and righteous Nie sect as an overly large brothel, with the main difference being that they sold their strength where women sold their bodies. In both places there needed to be order, someone to sort things out and tell people where to put things and what to do; in both places Meng Yao, with his quick mind and excellent memory, his sense of understanding people and anticipating their needs, was utterly invaluable in arranging such things.

He had, admittedly, expected it to take a little more time to climb up to the top – the only person he couldn’t understand in this place was Nie Mingjue, who was far too easy to deceive and smiled at him like he really thought they were friends instead of just being master and servant, who appreciated his talents and told him so, who shrugged off his mistakes and had faith that he would do better, who ignored his status instead of lording it over him the way Meng Yao had expected him to. Even when he was angry, when he shouted and slammed his hands against things, Nie Mingjue never once mentioned Meng Yao’s background, and the only things he seemed to hold against him were his own mistakes.

Meng Yao still didn’t know why Nie Mingjue would act so rashly as to promote someone he had just met to a position as high as viceroy, much less actually trust him, but it didn’t really matter. However quixotic his method of reaching a place of power, he was here and his next task was to keep his place until he’d made a reputation for himself.

Part of that he did through his work, good critical work that people needed and which had always won him gratitude even if not respect, but the other part of it was in cultivation. That was the way in which the Nie sect was not like a brothel: you couldn’t just be clever, you couldn’t even just be beautiful - to be respected, you had to cultivate.

Not that wanting to cultivate was a problem for Meng Yao.

He’d always had a memory like a sponge and a body that obeyed his every wish, his childhood of mimicking the beautiful dances of his mother and her ‘sisters’ serving him well in transitioning to learning the sword even if he was years behind everyone else; his mother had bought a thousand fake cultivation manuals for him and he’d learned them all, each one of them more useless than the next, and now that he was here in the cultivation world at long last, he was finally, finally, finally able to cultivate for real.

Using Nie sect methods, of course, even if that wasn’t what he really wanted.  

He’d started as soon as he could when he arrived, endlessly grateful that the Nie sect provided training sabers without cost, and he’d snuck one away back to his room so that he could practice on his own time, knowing it would take a long time to form his golden core. He’d debated with himself for a long time as to whether or not it was worth it to invest in a real one – if the training sabers were free, then real proper Nie sabers were somehow three times as expensive as the swords you could buy in the marketplace, and you could only put in a deposit without any notion of when you’d actually get the saber, apparently subject to the contrary dispositions of the spiritual weaponsmiths that made them.

In the end he decided to go for it more or less on a whim, emptying out his hard-built savings to place the order, even though he knew he would one day need to discard whatever they made for him in favor of a sword.

The Jin sect would accept him one day. He would make them.

(If the Nie sect cultivation style was good for one thing, he thought as he went through endless drills of slashing and thrusting, it was that you could work out your anger while you were doing it. There was nothing quite like imagining the face of someone you hated and then bringing down the practice saber in a vicious slash, and oh, but Meng Yao hated so very many people.)

The cat liked watching him train most of all, although Meng Yao suspected it was because seeing him jump around panting was funnier than watching him sit at his desk and gracefully write out letters. It would occasionally start purring, a sound a little like a crackling fire, and eventually Meng Yao got into the habit of going to run his fingers through its fur as a reward for himself when he successfully completed a training sequence.

After a while, he started talking to it, too.

“That commander,” Meng Yao said as he brought the training saber down. His real saber was still on the order, probably stalled purposefully; the smith assigned the task was probably one of the people that thought they were too good to deal with him because of who his mother was, and it’d all been a waste of money in the end. Completely a waste, even if Nie Mingjue had smiled so happily at him when he’d heard about Meng Yao placing the order, his eyes warm and soft and how had that man survived so long in this wretched world of politics and pain, didn’t he know he would always be deceived and betrayed?

Why should he be the exception to the rule, when everyone else had to suffer?

Meng Yao threw away the unhelpful thoughts and thrust the saber forward, as if piercing his invisible opponent straight through the chest.

“That commander.” He minutely corrected his form and stabbed again, this time as if piercing through the belly: a gut wound, a slow and awful way to die. “He’ll regret what he said to me.”

The cat’s purring intensified.

Meng Yao briefly had the wild thought that it approved.

“I just –” Another thrust. “– need to figure out –” An overhead slash. “– how.”

-

Meng Yao ended up taking the cat with him when he left Qinghe.

It probably was someone’s pet and he was opening himself up to a charge of stealing, a charge he wouldn’t be able to defend himself against now that he no longer had Nie Mingjue’s protection –

(Nie Mingjue who had wept tears and blood at what Meng Yao had done, betrayed at last after having finally encountered a deception he could not swallow, who had banished him from the Unclean Realm even after everything Meng Yao had done for him – who had, despite it all, still hidden an entire bag of gold and Meng Yao’s favorite Qinghe snacks in Meng Yao’s things with a short note claiming that it was for unpaid wages. As if Meng Yao had ever let a single pay period go by without claiming exactly what he was due. As if Nie Mingjue still cared despite throwing him out, as if he worried about how Meng Yao might live, as if he hadn’t given up the privilege of caring about things like that – )

He didn’t really care.

He wanted the cat, so he took it. It was the least Qinghe could do for him.

The cat spent all its time in his new rooms in the hotels he stayed out as he traveled: in his bedroom and study, the little gardens that, when available, he liked to use to train in the mornings and evenings. It would even follow him when he took a bath (although that was with great reluctance on the part of the cat, and only if Meng Yao were taking an especially long time in the bath and the cat was worried he’d drowned, yowling angrily as if it could revive him through the power of its voice). If it had once belonged to someone else, it now belonged to Meng Yao, and Meng Yao didn’t give away anything that was his.

“I’ve made worse mistakes,” he said defiantly to the cat, which blinked at him from its side of the carriage he’d used some of the gold to rent. “It’s only that I don’t want to review them in order to think of which ones those might be.”

The cat got up, stretched its back, and walked over to butt its head against Meng Yao’s hand before turning and going back to its spot by the window.

Meng Yao wasn’t sure if that was a sign of agreement or if the cat just thought there was a treat in his hand. Not that the cat had ever accepted treats from his hand.

He still wasn’t sure what the cat ate, actually, but he was sure the cat would make its feelings known now that they weren’t somewhere with a dependable kitchen, though he supposed there was always the possibility that it would start picking up hunting.

“Wen Chao said that they’d aimed at the Cloud Recesses,” Meng Yao said, deciding not to dwell on the things of the past. There was nothing he could do about it. Nothing he could do about Nie Mingjue’s betrayed eyes or the snacks he hadn’t even known Nie Mingjue had known he’d liked, about the hand-me-down guans and trinkets that Nie Huaisang had insisted were part of his wardrobe when he’d helped him pack even though he knew Nie Huaisang still wore them sometimes, about the fact that he should have been ordered to take the Nie sect’s braids out of his hair when he passed by the gates for the final time since he didn’t deserve them anymore but the two disciples there had just nodded at him and let him pass without a word – nothing to do about the saber he’d ordered, still on the list to be made, and maybe if he made something of himself out in the world alone he would one day come back to claim it at last. “That’s where we’re going now. Lan Xichen might be in danger. I have to help him.”

The cat made a sound like it was considering hacking up a hairball.

“He was kind to me,” Meng Yao said, feeling defensive. “The only one who never judged me –”

Since he’d decided to forget about Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang, wiping it out of his mind as if it had never been, that was even true.

“– and he’s a proper gentleman, a good man. I’ll help him.”

That Lan Xichen was also a powerful man was something he wished he didn’t think of, but he couldn’t help the way he was.

“After I help him, I’ll figure out what to do next,” Meng Yao said, like a liar, and the cat looked at him like he was stupid – which he was being, because of course he’d already planned out what to do next, figured out his next move, and there was no point in lying to a cat about it. Meng Yao had skills that were only useful in management, not labor, and the only thing he left to sell was information about the sect from which he’d just been ejected. “No one owns me, right? Let it be the Wen sect.”

The cat did not purr, but it didn’t condemn him, either.

That would have to do.

-

It was a good thing that Meng Yao’s cat was self-sufficient, he thought, because he had neither the time nor the stomach to feed it during his time at the Wen sect.

If he had thought he had worked hard at the Nie sect, he now knew differently: at least there the worst he had faced from his colleagues had been disdain and not outright murder attempts, back-stabbing and undercutting to try to show off to Wen Ruohan, and all the while the man himself demanded more and more from him without the slightest care for his own well-being. He was grist to the mill for Wen Ruohan, no matter how much the Chief Cultivator enjoyed having another man’s prized deputy as his own – Wen Ruohan might had been very nearly driven insane by the Yin Metal, but he still remembered old grudges – and it was night and day away from Nie Mingjue’s reliance on him that was based on trust, rather than reluctantly satisfied suspicion and paranoia.

Meng Yao had hidden the cat as best as he could from the start, thinking rightfully that people would try to use it against him, and to his relief it seemed that no one else had yet laid eyes on it and identified it as his own, despite its white fur standing out like a beacon to his sight. Unfortunately there were some people that had managed to figure out that he had a cat, even if they didn’t lay eyes on it themselves, and he’d had more than a few incidents in which someone had left poisoned meat out on the floor by his room in order to catch it.

The cat seemed as unimpressed with that as anything else.

Instead, the cat seemed to have taken up hunting as its pastime. It brought back the corpses of small birds, the Yin Metal-infused little spies, full of resentful energy, that Wen Ruohan had developed for his sons to use. At first Meng Yao worried about the cat getting somehow poisoned by them, but time went on and it seemed to be fine, even thriving. It had grown into a proper cat now, no longer a kitten, and it enjoyed licking its white and shining fur until it was gleaming.

It didn’t like Meng Yao’s training sessions as much – he trained with a sword now, two-faced just like him, and in a dozen different styles, Wen and Jiang and Jin, always Jin – so sometimes Meng Yao would go back to doing the old Nie sect style again, knowing the cat would recognize the familiar movements, and it was a surefire way to get the cat to purr.

The Nie sect style was also still the best for getting out anger, all aggression and sharp movements, and Meng Yao still had a lot of anger inside of him. He was starting to think he always would.

At least here in the Nightless City he could kill the people he hated, as long as he did so in low and dirty ways that didn’t trouble Wen Ruohan or interfere with his plans, and yet every time he did it, he felt no relief, only a vile and wretched stickiness that came, perhaps, from that awful Yin Metal that he had schemed over yet couldn’t seem to escape.

The cat didn’t like the Yin Metal one bit. It hissed and scratched, and in one notable incident seemed like it was going to pounce on it directly if Meng Yao hadn’t caught it mid-leap and shoved it into his sleeve before anyone had noticed it.

“You’re going to get me into trouble,” Meng Yao told the cat next time he trained, using the soft sword he’d hidden away for a time of need to hack and slash in the Nie way, which didn’t work with a soft sword at all but which made him feel strangely better. He was currently imagining Wen Ruohan’s head underneath a saber, his head and the heads of all those corpse puppets he’d created. “I will cut you loose if you do that.”

The cat rolled onto its back and showed its soft and fluffy belly, which only the truly unwise would seek to lay a hand on – Meng Yao still had scars – and Meng Yao rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, I know,” he said. “No one owns you, not even me. But do me a favor and don’t screw this up for me. Not when I’m so close.”

Lan Xichen had been accepting his letters and feeding them to Nie Mingjue, who trusted as blindly as he ever did. Meng Yao wished sometimes that he didn’t, that he would learn, that he would put some defenses up on that stupid reckless heart of his, but on the other hand it suited his plans very well that he didn’t.

Soon, he thought. Soon.

Soon he’d know what he needed to do.

-

“Now he chooses not to trust people,” Meng Yao complained to his cat. “Now. Now!”

The cat purred.

It wasn’t that Meng Yao (damnit, Jin Guangyao, he had a new name, he was Jin Guangyao now) couldn’t understand Nie Mingjue’s reluctance to trust him – fool me once, fool me twice, but three times seemed to be the other man’s breaking point – and in some ways he understood it more than ever now that he had been accepted back by the Jin sect, clothed in the gold he’d always deserved to wear.

Jin Guangshan hadn’t lost much in the war, not like the other sects, and the second it was over he was already scheming. Meng Yao – Jin Guangyao – was pulled right into the thick of it at once, less for his spying capability than for his sheer disposability, the fact that Jin Guangshan wasn’t willing to burden his pure and righteous heir with black matters that he was more than happy to taint the son of his whore with. With Nie Mingjue, general and hero of the Sunshot Campaign, representing the only real threat to the Jin sect’s domination, even if he didn’t want to be, Jin Guangyao was bound to be in opposition to him.

It made sense for Nie Mingjue not to trust him.

It irritated him regardless.

Still, lack of trust or no, Nie Mingjue had succumbed to Lan Xichen’s impassioned arguments and had agreed to swear brotherhood with him, even if Jin Guangyao suspected that Nie Mingjue’s primary motivation was to keep a better eye on him and scold him the way he did Nie Huaisang. It would be politically beneficial to Jin Guangyao to be tied in such a way to Nie Mingjue – it would suit his own desires as well, though that was less important – and so he had of course agreed as well, and he was planning on going to their oath ceremony in the outfit he had chosen for himself, gold from neck to foot, a sword he’d taken from the treasury since no one would order him one of his own, and a hat on his head like the ones his mother so admired to make up for his lack of height and to hide the Nie sect braids he still habitually wore underneath.

An old habit, and one he really ought to break, really. Ideally before Nie Mingjue figured it out and told him to cut it out.

There was a knock on the door, a familiar pounding, and the cat looked up, intrigued, even as Jin Guangyao sighed voicelessly to himself. Perhaps he had waited too long.

Perhaps it would be better to make a clean cut in this way, too.

He opened the door.

“Sect Leader Nie,” he greeted, thinking to himself that it would only be a few more hours before he was entitled to call the man da-ge as if they were nearly equals and how strange that would be. “Can this humble one help you?”

“Can I come in?” Nie Mingjue asked gruffly, his eyes lingering on Jin Guangyao’s uncovered and Nie-braided hair, just as he might have expected. Had expected.

Jin Guangyao nodded and stepped back, allowing him in, and closed the door behind him. “Could I get the sect leader some refreshments?” he asked politely, but Nie Mingjue seemed to have come to a stop right in the entranceway, surprise written all over his features. “Sect Leader Nie?”

Nie Mingjue was staring at Jin Guangyao’s cat.

“…Sect Leader Nie?”

Did Nie Mingjue not like cats? There were an endless number of feral cats in Qinghe, so it seemed implausible, and yet, here Nie Mingjue was, looking at the cat like he’d never seen such a thing before in its life.

Of course, at that exact moment, Jin Guangyao’s cat, the traitor, hopped off its pillow and went straight to rub itself against Nie Mingjue’s leg, purring like a little maniac.

Jin Guangyao stared at it, feeling thoroughly betrayed by what he would have previously said was his thoroughly unsociable cat, who had taken years to warm up to him enough to give him half the attention it was now bestowing freely on Nie Mingjue. Was this the heavens deciding to mock him for his earlier betrayals?

Alternatively, Nie Mingjue might just be very good with cats, which Jin Guangyao could believe. Perhaps he even carried in his pockets some of the Qinghe vine that cats were said to be so enamored of, although certainly Meng Yao’s cat had never once before shown an interest in such things before.

“…what’s its name?” Nie Mingjue croaked, voice hoarse. He was still staring fixedly at the cat, looking as though his entire world had shattered around him. He hadn’t even looked so unsettled when Jin Guangyao had so viciously mocked him at the Nightless City, and at the time he’d thought he was going to die and be turned into a corpse puppet to murder all his loved ones.

Jin Guangyao was tempted to say something rude or facetious, something like ‘I just call it Cat, why, do you name random cats?’, but the cat had been a good companion of his for a long time now and he couldn’t do that to it, even if he was currently planning on taking an extra long bath to force the cat to miserably linger by the door to the bathing room, screeching in unhappiness at the wet, but bravely (if grumpily) supervising him to make sure he didn’t drown.

“Hensheng,” he said, because that was in fact what he’d named it – it meant hatred for life, which was not exactly an auspicious name but which had stuck from the very moment he had thought it up – and waited to hear Nie Mingjue’s judgment. “It’s not normally quite so sticky,” he added in an attempt to save some face. “With most people.”

“Well, it’s me, that’s different,” Nie Mingjue said, and maybe the man really was just the human incarnation of the plant cats liked so much. Meng Yao really wouldn’t put it past him. “You...you cultivate in the Nie sect style? Still?”

Jin Guangyao blinked, surprised by the change in subject.

“Yes,” he said, a little hesitantly. He cultivated many styles now, although it was always the Jin sect style when he was in public. But he still had all the anger in his belly to vent – even more so now than before, anger at his father, anger at Madame Jin, anger at his brother born to a blessed life, anger at all those disciples that sneered at him even after he’d been legitimized, anger, anger, anger – and the Nie sect style had always been the best for that.

And anyway, it made the cat purr.

“Is that a problem, Sect Leader Nie?” he asked.

“Not at all,” Nie Mingjue said, and when he turned to look at him his eyes were warm and soft the way they’d been all the way before the fiasco with Xue Yang, shimmering with tears of joy and a smile that seemed to come straight from his heart, the foolish easily deceived man. It was so unexpected that Jin Guangyao actually took a full two steps back, his jaw dropping a little. “I’m happy for you. Very happy.”

He actually wiped at his eyes with his sleeve, dashing away the tears.

“You should come back to the Unclean Realm to pick it up when the brotherhood ceremony is done,” he added nonsensically. “I can’t imagine how long it’s been waiting for you.”

“…what?” Jin Guangyao said. “Pick up what?”

“Hensheng,” Nie Mingjue said, which – what? “Your saber. Hensheng.”

His saber?

The saber he’d never gotten, having been banished from the Unclean Realm before the order was finished, the one he’d spent all his savings on just in putting in the deposit, the one he’d never actually finished paying off? He remembered it, of course, and sometimes it still itched under his skin that he’d never gotten what he was owed because everything that was owed to him he deserved to get in the end. But…

“Hensheng is my cat,” he said.

Nie Mingjue blinked at him. “That’s not a cat,” he said. “That’s a saber spirit.”

Jin Guangyao’s gaze dropped down to the cat.

The cat that never seemed to eat anything or drink anything, that never once fell for the poisoned meat or accepted his offers of treats, that no one in the Nightless City had ever seen with their own eyes; the cat that could consistently get into his rooms despite there being no holes for it to enter, as if it had simply passed through the walls like a ghost.

Like a spirit.

The cat, which purred whenever Jin Guangyao practiced the Nie sect forms, swinging a saber with rage in his heart.

The cat to which he had confessed all his anger, all his frustration, all his rage, all the feelings he never gave to any human being around him – the sabers of the Nie sect thrived on such emotions, those feelings that encouraged them and strengthened them, developing the saber spirits that made each one of them a spiritual weapon unlike any other, with power and rage infused into the very blade.

Saber spirits, which only those born into the Nie sect or adopted early, raised in their ways, one of them, could form.

“A saber spirit?” Jin Guangyao said weakly, and his knees suddenly didn’t seem strong enough to hold him; he swayed and Nie Mingjue stepped forward quickly, catching him by the shoulders to steady him. “I cultivated a saber spirit?”

“The saber is back in the Unclean Realm,” Nie Mingjue said, not without kindness. “It was only ever waiting for you to pick it up once you developed the spirit, so that you could introduce the two.”

“It hasn’t been – I would have thought it would have been thrown away, or repurposed –”

“It’s a Nie saber, Meng Yao. It won’t obey anyone else ever again, not in this life; it is yours, yours alone. When one day you die, it will be buried with honor in our saber halls, just like all the others.”

The cat looked up at him and purred.

No one owns me, Jin Guangyao thought – the first thing the cat had said to him, and he’d always had a good understanding of what the cat wanted from the very first. No one had owned that wild spirit then, but it had stayed by his side, at first from curiosity and later from habit, and it was his now.

His, and no one else’s.

“Will you come pick it up?” Nie Mingjue asked, hope in his eyes. “Will you come home, if only for a little while?”

“Yes,” Jin Guangyao said. “Yes, I will.”

-

Later, Jin Guangshan told his son to kill Nie Mingjue, that fool who trusted too much and didn’t know when he was being deceived, finding him in his rigidity and righteousness too much of a burden on the power he planned to wield.

Jin Guangyao bowed as deep as he could, a smile on his lips, saying nothing, and the next day, when Jin Guangshan went to the brothel as he always did, drinking tea served by his son the way he always did, he never did figure out why his heart had stopped.

(The saber Jin Guangyao began to wear openly after the funeral – a gift from his sworn brother, he said with a smile, in remembrance of his time at the Nie sect – purred in pure satisfaction.)

[your--isgayrights]

how do you feel about jiggy now that you've finished the book? curious lol he's usually the most divisive

I assume Jiggy = Jin Guangyao?

I think I said this in an earlier post but I think he's a good villain and I think he's funny. The conflicts on his end are good, he mostly stuck with that concept of choosing the ideas of what he should want before his love for other people, and I like his whole changing his mind at the last minute about dragging LXC down with him I thought that was so juicy.

ALSO I stated this in a reblog of my last post but I believe with my whole heart that Jin Guangyao is like. A gay Ally for the Clout. Like that scene where he puts his whole being evil thing on pause to help LXC sort out WWX about LWJ's feelings was literally so funny.

Like.

"Wei Wuxian it's vital to me that you understand that I'm not holding you hostage because I'm homophobic and disapprove of your same sex relationship but rather I am taking you hostage in a way that acknowledges and even takes advantage of your very real homosexual relationship. No need to thank me, it's enough for me that you feel validated while I prepare to slice your throat at a moment's notice. Gay rights."

He's obviously a villain but I like how he was written as a guy with bad priorities who was still. A Guy. and I see why he made the choices he did.

The Nie Huaisang mastermind reveal was also like... Sooo juicy like... Wow NHS like asking this guy for advice and pretending to be manipulated like a helpless younger brother when really he's plotting the demise of the person whose arms he's crying into to avenge his real brother... Juicy, love that. Girlboss moment.

[vegastalker]

MY+JGY Time Travel + Fuck It AU

Let me offer you another entry from my dreamwidth dot com, it should be Fix-It but i'm not really sure it fix anything? anyway .

he concept is very simple and concrete (?)

Young Meng Yao whose mother had just died and has come back from being thrown down the stairs of Lanling is healing from his wounds in a cabin in the forest, when he founds a badly wounded man, who wears golden robes and has a smudged red dot on his forehead, the man also seems to lack a hand and is bleeding from a wound in his chest.

The man stumbles infront of Meng Yao and says "i found you" before collapsing into the ground.

Meng Yao like the confused good soul he is takes care of the man, eventually this one wakes up and presents himself as 'Jin Guangyao, but that is a name that has faded in the wind like all the ones i had before'

This is a time-travel + fix it or fuck it + meng yao gets a mentor figure + jiggy gets to heal

JGY let's MY know that he is himself from the future a one that went pretty good until it didn't, so he asks MY to let him lead his life from now on in order to have a better and more favourable future. MY being quite horrified accepts.

First thing first JGY, now called Lianfang to avoid confusion and Meng Yao get to heal their respective wounds and acclimate to each other. Lianfang creates a plan of simple steps for them both.

Take the kid to Laoling Qin to be a discipline ( he doesn't want them anywhere near the Nie and maybe the Qin could be a good ally )

Climb Ranks and make himself seen in the cultivation word as a discipline rather than a deputy (This way his cultivation will grow)

Get Qin Su and Meng Yao to be sent to Gusu for classes (To make them bond as friends and to put Little Meng Yao in Lan Xichen's path to see what happens...)

Wait for the war and be prepared

That's all i have, I have some sparse dialogue between little Meng Yao and Jiggy, because they do talk a lot

Meng Yao comes up with the idea of Jiggy being his uncle, because "You are way older than what a-niang was when she died"  Meng Yao gets to be refered as Xiao Di and Jin Guangyao as Lianfang-ge <3 

And Jin Guangyao has a lot of mental dialogue from being a stranded person in a time that isnt his. He was supposed to reincarnate in his past self, not to appear in front of him! So the plan didn't work like he wanted it to work, but when has something worked out for him? Never! Not being part of the Jin, not his marriage, certainly not his nebulous relationship with his sworn brothers! Nothing works

I want this to be a MY+JGY fic, but I think I could throw Xue Yang into it and maybe Su She too eventually. JGY gets his past self the besties he never thought he would need. 

[wwjgyd]

AU of the day: Su She and Lan Xichen cooperate to help Jin Guangyao (I’m just shoving some of these posts into the queue) This one actually has the beginning written, so notes under the cut are only for the parts that happen after the fic https://archiveofourown.org/works/31011974

Fun Fact: I saw this prompt for the rarepairfest and since I had the idea for this AU already before I was not sure if I had submitted this prompt and forgotten I did or if someone else just had the same excellent taste and the only way to find out was quickly writing a fill while internally screaming.

This makes him more stubborn, telling LXC he should ask JGY directly. So LXC is like „I already tried“, (MS surprised LXC doesnt know much either and asks him, cz part of the reason he didn’t bug Jiggy more was assuming he has someone else as confidant aka LXC, but of course he’s not going to admit that.) MS smug about LXCs assumption that Jiggy could’ve told him smth/trust him more; calling LXC out on how he’s going behind LFZ back, no wonder JGY doesn’t trust him. Is not gonna admit his surprise at LXC assuming them to be close enough either, but wants to hear it from LXC so he’s „what makes you think I know more than you“ cue LXC telling MS about how Jiggy said he’s loyal (but making it sound a bit nicer than it was actually said) ) What would make LXC assume Suyao are close tho? LXC brought up the awkward topic with JGY who pointed out how loyal/dedicated MS is to him and that this means JGY can keep him on a leash. JGY words it meaner than it actually is to appease LXC.

(MS pretending he knows more, might allude to the breakdown, being like „ But yes, you are indeed right/observant he really seems very/unusually distressed, lately, the other day…“ intentionally doesn’t continue, making it look like he accidentally spilled smth he shouldn’t, teasing LXC with the thought of that Suyao might be closer than Xiyao+ rubbing it in that unlike LXC he’s totally respecting LFZs privacy/wish to not tell other ppl)

They agree on it’d be best to keep Nieyao apart, assuming this to be the main problem LXC tells Jiggy he’ll handle that(tell NMJ to back off). Also means LXC has to admit making a mistake, Suchen bonding, Minshan seeing a Lan brother as more human, not the perfect ideal. Should feel gleeful but it just feels bad. MS does indeed forget to address his demands again that day.

good development, Suchen meeting up again discussing the results and how at first they think they solved the problem, by keeping Nieyao apart. Maybe even celebrating it a bit, drinking together MS, being „u drink?“ but this time it’s more cheeky.

Jiggy makes unannounced surprise visit at Moling Su(was gonna ask MS for helping with the JGS-murder) catching LXC and MS „conspiring“, so upon his question how it comes not only LXC is there but they seem to be enjoying themselves(JGY decides to delay asking MS, he’s still in the early planning phase + trying to assess if MS is trustworthy enough, he doesn’t wanna blackmail him over the hole curse cz he knows MS might lash out instead), LXC hastily brings up they’ve decided on reconciling (reminding Minshan of his ridiculous demands) It’s just an excuse but by that time they have genuinely bonded and could seriously consider about becoming amicable again. Jiggy leaving saying it’s not that important, he just happened to pass by (obvious lie cz then he wouldn’t have come in person unannounced)

Suchen ending up in the classic we had to quickly hide in a space thats too small so we are squished together now

Tips off Suchen that smth is still off. Minshan asks LXC if he had already asked QS, reminding him he’s noticed smths off between QS and JGY They try to pinpoint since when, conclude the wedding wondering what could’ve gone wrong. Speculation that RS isn’t Jiggys son, might’ve „found out“ she’s not a virgin cz they do correctly pin down RS birth date indicates she was already preggo, or that Jgy just married her because of that and his behavior being more off since the birth off Rusong cz they think he’s not Jiggys son (wild speculation cz neither of them knows she’s already preggo from Jiggy before, and it’s not like they could guess the reason)

One of them does adress the matter with Jiggy(MS most likely to be blunt and stupid enough for that) and while they think they are asking JGY about if he suspects his wife cheating, it’s phrased vaguely enough so JGY thinks MS knows that it’s incest, and cz uncomfortable topic Jiggy just vaguely replies à la“ oh you know, idk how you found out…“

so he’s like „if he already knows might as well help me kill my dad“, misunderstanding leads to confusion and Jiggy horrified when he accidentally tells MS about the incest, cz it’s only then MS is like „wait what (I thought she cheated on you)“ (if Jiggy didn’t assume MS knew he wouldn’t have told him)

Jiggy asks MS for assistance killing JGS. MS does not tell LXC, but LXC can tell smth is off but confronts MS about it instead of JGY(he’s the easier target and more likely to crack under the pressure(that’s what LXC thinks) ) but MS is just „I know what’s up but I can’t tell you, I promised LFZ, pls don’t get involved in this). By that point the first official steps for reconciliation have been taken.

[maniacal-butterfly]

I guess I’ll answer the matcha question first. Sheogorath strikes me as more of a tea drinker than a coffee drinker (mad tea parties and all) but matcha is a particularly intense tea. It’s the whole leaf, rather than just an extract. I feel like Sheogorath would appreciate that matcha is a “particularly tea sort of tea.” It helps that matcha powder also looks a little bit like greenmote. Honestly, I have thoughts about Sheogorath’s fondness for tea in general.

Hi Anon, hope you are well? Sorry, answering was delayed way more than I intended. But now that I’m neither sick nor at work I should be able to focus on answering this properly; it probably won’t be as long an answer as last time though. I hope I haven’t missed or accidentally deleted one – I wish tumblr could give an option to select multiple asks to answer in one go as having to create a mosaic of messages isn’t exactly the most practical of tasks. Anyway.

Tea wise… You know those blooming teas that are served from glass teapots? That’d probably also be a staple of the Isles. Each side having its favoured flower (and potential effect; like one is invigorating while the other is calming etc). Plus it makes an excellent centrepiece to any tea party table. I guess those parties would have very different vibes depending on if you are in Mania or Dementia.

You’re probably right in saying that the other Daedric Princes have little knowledge of the mantling process (if only because they have little interest in it) though I’m guessing they all know mantling itself is a thing. I’ll fully admit my knowledge on the matter is more than limited – shouldn’t all who have read Vivec’s 30+ books know all about CHIM and that reality isn’t exactly stable? Do you have to actually dwell on it for it to cause an issue? I digress. Sheogorath had at least one test run (maybe) for the mantling, and that’s good old Haskill. Though I wonder what went wrong there. Maybe when that attempt was made, Haskill was already from the Isles and already too much part of them (as in, he had an assigned “role”) or he was too devoted to Sheo to actually become him. Given we were talking about Spirits etc interacting with each other. Peryite and Jyggy have a distinctively different idea of what order is, but given Peryite also has to organise the “lower planes” of oblivion, I imagine they’d have to talk before Jiggy just carves a new space for himself. Especially since his version of order is so much more rigid than whatever natural order could be. I wish we had the 13 missing stories of the “Sixteen Accords of Madness” to see more interactions between Sheo and the others. The tales from “Myths of Sheogorath” are thoroughly interesting, as he is… I hesitate to say “helpful” as I don’t see the woman turned into instruments or the servants eaten in a stew being particularly happy with the outcome… But the initial intent wasn’t negative. He’s a bit like a monkey paw; be careful about what you say/show him or the meaning of it might be interpreted wrongly. (I also tend to imagine that, like fae, if Daedras ask for your name, you better not give it to them. After all, they don’t give their true name either.) Somewhat feel the only game in the series that really shows how dangerous he can be is Legends (the card game one). He is the antagonist and loses (kickstarting the oblivion SI quest in the process) but there is a lesson learnt from it by Talym Rend (the acceptance of loss and grief for one). But it is also a Monkey Paw situation: [SPOILER of legends if you don’t want that skip] Talym asks for his memories of his involvement in his son’s death to be erased, and that’s exactly what happened: but he was led to believe his son was insane instead and that it was why he was seeking in the first place. So, sure, Sheo fucks him over… somewhat… but he also only does what was asked. [END OF SPOILER] Speaking of the tree. I hadn’t had a proper look at it before: Aside from mushrooms it is rather bare in game; but I’d imagine it to bloom and bear fruits (any and all at the same time but I wouldn’t advise eating them) depending on Sheo’s moods. It’s somehow even covered in snow sometimes. And the Gnarls echo the state of the tree, head heavy with flowers as they tend to it. The feral Gnarls will be more or less aggressive depending on sheo’s disposition. About Sheo being “Prince of Metamorphosis”… hopefully nobody will get offended… well, as far as I’m concerned, I headcanon that he’s the Prince people call for their transitioning to go well, and he has a soft spot for queer people. Okay I’ll stop there I think. This whole thread made me wish I could draw better coz some of your ideas would be fun to illustrate. Have a good day!!

[hulijingemperor2]

~~~~~~~~♡♡♡♡♡♡~~~~~♡♡♡♡~~~

Yao: *in his office*

Rusong: *points to a file* what's this?

Yao: an immigration bill, to grant fellow fox spirit with adequate places to stay.

Already stamped.

Rusong: ohh.

Su she: hardworking Huangdi. Here's some rice cake, to give you some energy.

Yao: aw thank you darling.

Mo xuanyu: Aw sweet that Song'er is learning again.

Xue yang: finally. This kid keeps snooping around in my knife collection.

Yao: what?! Song'er. *laughing*

Rusong: I find his daggers are cool. And I can fit them in my pocket.

A-Die, you can't only be the one to hide a weapon.

Yao: haha, you have a point.

But don't get hurt, ok. Be careful.

Rusong: sure A-Die!

Su she: Huangdi, let me organize your papers.

From more important to less.

Yao: marvelous. Just like how you do.

Su she: should I play the guqin after, so that you can relax.

Yao: sure.

Xue yang: diva.

A-Qing: *skipping in* xue yang! Jiggy! Rich gege!

Yao: oh hi A-Qing.

A-Qing: oh my. Look at paperwork!!

Xue yang: maybe you should go help!

A-Qing: hell no!

Xue yang: you have to learn how to work, A-qing.

A-Qing: rich gege! Help!

Xue yang: Dianxia can't save you.

Rusong: *laughing*

Mo xuanyu: xue yang, stop teasing her.

A-Qing, you don't need to lift a finger.

Xue yang: don't go easy on her! It's a tough world out there.

Do you think that you get the leeway because you're in love with Rusong.

Rusong: *almost faints*

Yao: *chokes on his rice cakes*

A-Qing: *face turns red* XUE YANG!!! I'm not in love with Rusong!! Who told you that!

Xue yang I'll kill you!!

Xue yang: you can't kill me!

A-Qing: do you want me to dispose of your candy?!

Xue yang: A-Qing. Who thought you those secret tricks of tackling your opponent.

A-Qing: you!

Xue yang: oh right.

Good girl.

Xue yang: *rolls eyes*

Fuying: *enters* Huangdi.

Yao: tell me.

Fuying: just reminding you that you and Dianxia have to go to Dongying. To check on your districts and Kitsune citizens, and the Guanyin temple.

Yao: ah right, thank you so much for reminding me. *smile*

Team d: *whispering to each other*

Xue yang: Jiggy has a hella sharp memory. Why does his attendant have to remind him.

Mo xuanyu: yea, I know right.

Su she: I love how Huangdi thanks him. Huangdi is so perfect.

Mo xuanyu: I agree.

Yao: Rusong and I will prepare for the trip.

Fuying: yes Huangdi.

Yao: team dimple, do you guys want to come.

Xue yang: nah, I rather stay here and cause chaos! Hehehehehe.

Su she: I would love to! But you two should go to meet your people.

You look stunning as always.

Mo xuanyu: I want to cause chaos with xue yang!! And dream about you.

Yao: oh my! Well ok then, team d.

Rusong: A-qing. Do you want to join us?

A-Qing: ahhh Dongying is so far! Anyways I'll stay here with xue yang. Plus, these rude Kitsunes might assume that I'm your girlfriend.

Rusong: alright.

Xue yang: is that what you want! Hehehehe. Little simp.

A-Qing: shut up.

And, I don't want anyone to spread rumors about rich gege.

Look how cute he is.

Yao: awww.

Yao: Song'er, you can invite someone. To do some hunting with.

Rusong: oh cool! Then I'll ask Ling gege to come.

Yao: perfect.

Su she: that's a cute idea.

Mo xuanyu: Yao gege, we will miss you.

Su she: yea Huangdi.

Yao: aw. I'll miss you guys too.

Xue yang; I promise we won't do anything to Xichen.

Mo xuanyu: if we do, it would he harmless.

Su she: why?

I mean, rest assured, A-Yao. Xichen is safe with us.

Yao: lol. Please, don't trouble Xichen.

Xue yang: right Jiggy! That's why we'll harass him.

*hugs* jiggybuns, I'll miss your scent. *kisses delicately*

A-Qing: what a simp.

Yao: I'll be back darling.

Su she: *blushing*

Mo xuanyu: *hugs* Yao gege.

Yao: *smiles*

Mo xuanyu: you have the cutest little dimples.

Xue yang: Jiggy. Can you leave your illusion Jiggies here to party with us?

Yao: ohh, you want to party?! Well I don't see why not.

I'll give you four Yaos each.

Mo xuanyu: awwwww. Thank you so much Yao gege! You're so fun.

So who's the fourth one going to?

Yao: to Xichen.

Trio: *growling* Lan lips!

Xue yang: anyways, let's forget about Lipsy.

Can one of the Jiggies wear Wen robes? The super tight one?

Su she and mo xuanyu: *wiping up their nosebleed*

Yao: sure.

And my illusions are more savage, so look out for that.

Xue yang: bring it on!

Su she: they can step on me if they want.

Mo xuanyu: ah how hot!

A-Qing: xue yang and team D are so weird, lol.

Rusong: I, I love their randomness.

~~

Next Day....

Yao and Rusong: *stepping out, wearing outfits with Dongying patterns.

Su she: wow!

Mo xuanyu: aww, Yao gege! You look stunning!

Yao: *opens fan* thank you darling

Su she: always gorgeous.

And you look handsome too, Song'er.

Rusong: thanks uncle Su.

Xue yang: I know you look hella hot, but why do you have to adapt to their style?

Yao: To show some appreciation, of course.

Su she: you're an icon.

Yao: *smiles*

Yao: *adjusts Rusong's clothes* my darling must be neat.

Rusong: mn

Yao: handsome Dianxia.

Do you have your fan?

Rusong: yes A-Die. Noble gentlemen should always have a fan.

Yao: awww, you remembered.

A-Qing: rich gege.

Rusong: oh hey A-Qing.

A-Qing: *hugs* I'll miss you so much!

Rusong: *strokes through her hair* I will miss you too. But I will be back after a couple of days.

A-Qing: ok rich gege!

I got to go lock my room, before xue yang puts a fierce corpse on my bed.

Rusong: *laughing* oh no.

Did he really do that?!

A-Qing: no. But I feel he might.

Rusong: *smile* I hope he doesn't.

A-Qing: same.

Anyways. Have fun, rich gege.

Rusong: thanks.

Oh. A-Die would bring back gifts for team D and Shizun. Maybe I can bring something for you.

A-Qing: *blushing* that's not necessary. But you sure can, since you're filthy rich.

Rusong: ok sure. Take care, Xiao Qing.

Jinling: *entering* Xiao shushu! I'm here.

Yao: A-ling! *hugs* My sweetheart.

Rusong: Ling gege.

Jinling: Rusong hey! Looking neat.

I'm excited to come on the trip..

Rusong: same. I haven't been to Dongying in a while.

Jinling: ohh.

I remembered going with you one time.

Does Xiao shushu still have an archery field? And a hunting ground?

Yao: of course I do. In the backyard.

Suddenly someone was seen peeping through the window.

Jingyi: Huangdi......Huangdi......Rusong!

Rusong: lol, is that Jingyi?!

Jinling: did he sneak into my caravan?

Yao: ahaha, *signals him to come in*

Jingyi: Huangdi.

Yao: oh my. I thought it was an assassin.

*joking*

Pleasant surprise Jingyi.

Jingyi: can I hide out in your mansion? I don't want to be punished again.

Jinling: what did you do this time?!

Jingyi: I didn't do my homework, also I accidentally set Master Qiren's guan on fire.

Team Dimple: *laughing in the corner*

Rusong: omg what?!! How?!

Jinling: what a disaster!

Su she: did he smell like barbecue?

Jingyi: not really. He smelt like burnt vegetables.

Mo xuanyu: oh my goodness.

Yao: *pats head* Jingyi. You should be careful next time.

Jingyi: Huangdi, I got to escape punishment. Can I hide in your palace?

Yao: I have a better option.

What if you come along with us to Dongying.

Jingyi: WOW!!! Of course!! But I didn't bring any clothes with me.

Yao: darling, I'm a filthy rich cool uncle. I'll buy you clothes when we get there. And don't worry, they will be in accordance to the Lan aesthetics.

Jingyi: Huangdi you're awesome!!

I think you should rule the world.

Yao: *laughing* you flatter me.

Anyways, speaking of packing. A-ling, A-Song, you packed your things right?

Rusong: yup. Also i have clothes over at our mansion in Dongying.

Jinling: yea Xiao shushu. I have them here.

*peacock attendants holding them in boxes*

Yao: lovely. Now let's go.

Goodbye my team dimple. I love you a lot.

Team Dimple: we'll miss you too, Jiggybun.

*taking turns to kiss his hand*

Xue yang: have a safe trip. And bring back some candy.

Yao: of course, and thank you.

Su she: be safe, Huangdi.

Mo xuanyu: see you soon, our glamorous A-Yao.

Yao: see you soon. *blows kisses*

Team Dimple: *almost fainting*

~~

A-Yao, Jinling and Rusong boarded their caravan, whereas three more caravans followed~ with their personal guards and luggage.

Thereafter, along the way, they teleported with the use of a teleportation talisman.

Dongying 📍

They arrived at one of the most beautiful cities of Dongying, which held A-Yao's Guanyin temple.

To be continued......

[enbyleighlines]

I’m unable to sleep because of a cold and I just watched episode 30 of the mo dao zu shi donghua so I’m just gonna share my thoughts

Firstly, it was super painful to watch the breakdown of the venerated triad relationship. I’m glad the donghua didn’t rush through it like they did with the Yi City Arc.

That said, I wish the donghua had kept Jin Guangyao’s motivations and feelings more ambiguous like they are in the novel. Like he doesn’t need to secretly do a little evil smile every time he does something bad? Not only is that out of character (Jiggy would never let his mask slip in public) but it also is just unnecessary. Let viewers come to their own conclusions about what he’s really feeling and thinking. That’s what his character is all about: he’s so good at acting and playing the part that even the reader never learns to what extent he feels remorse in the end.

As someone who has had a sibling who often lost their temper and threw a bunch of verbal abuse at me, the way Nie Mingjue treats Nie Huaisang is just really painful to watch. I recognize that Mingjue was being poisoned by the saber spirit, so I don’t place all the blame on him, but then again, my sibling was suffering from mental illness. It’s just an uncomfortable personal connection.

Lan Wangji’s moment where he’s like “I want to take a man to Gusu and hide him away.” Fucking painful every single time. Young Lan Wangji looks so fucking young and it breaks my heart.

I love that they included the moment where Mian Mian stands up for Wei Wuxian and gets laughed at by the men for it! Like obviously it sucks that it happened to her but it shows her strength and also the extreme prejudice that taints the cultivation world. And Lan Wangji saluting her for having the courage to speak up! *Chef’s kiss* If your fix-it au doesn’t include Lan Wangji and Mian Mian becoming badass bff’s, then is it really a fix-it at all?

Also, Mian Mian, congrats on being the last surviving female character. RIP Qin Su. I wish we had learned more about you.

Lan Wangji being present in the empathy flashbacks is a nice addition, I do love seeing the contrast between past wangxian dynamics and present wangxian dynamics being laid out so clearly.

Jiang Cheng trying to stand up for Wen Ning and Wen Qing was nice. I do not believe that happened in the novel. Maybe the donghua is hoping to add some yunmeng bro reconciliation to the end? I understand and respect the opinions of people who say that the idea of yunmeng bro reconciliation is unrealistic; however, the idea feeds my soul, and I want it, no matter how unrealistic.

Poor Jin Ling! I was a little upset at him the first time I learned he stabbed Wei Wuxian, but this time all I felt was immense compassion. Like, damn. He really was starting to trust and love this uncle he thought was irredeemable trash, only to learn that it was his other uncle, who Jin Ling thinks is responsible for the death of his parents, because that’s all he’s been told all his life. The donghua really showcased all of that in his expression, the hesitation, the confusion, the betrayal. It hurts even more because he earlier stood up for the man he thought was Mo Xuanyu. Poor baby. Jin Ling deserves the world.

Wei Wuxian’s smile when he tells Lan Wangji his reputation will be ruined forever and Lan Wangji just does not care?? It’s so great. It looks like Wei Wuxian had already expected that response, he’s just so happy and he trusts Lan Wangji so completely.

[drwcn]

Not to bring up the distasteful teenager memory of Twilight LMAO, but yall remember that part of the story where it is revealed after Rosalie turns into a vampire she goes and devours every single one of the men who r*ped her.

Fierce Corpse!Qin Su coming for Jin Guangshan’s life.

JIGGY was always looking for ways to make a fierce corpse wasn’t he? Well consider this.

Madam Qin confronts JGY, but it was already too late. Qin Su was already pregnant. JGY, being the dumbest smart person, realized he has fucked up, but what to do? It’s not like he can tell Madam Qin he knocked up his own sister accidentally. Unknowing of this, Madam Qin then went to Qin Su to tell her the truth. Surely even if that degenerate won’t stop this marriage, once Qin Su finds out they are related, she wouldn’t go through with it.

Well, little did Madam Qin expect, once Qin Su finds out, she’s so overcome with disgust she takes her own life (canon compliant, I think? idk what that episode was about to be honest. I always assumed Jiggy drugged her to keep her quiet, but Qin Su was the one to take her own life. Jin Rusong is at best a ball of cells at this stage and abortion is a staple trope of cdrama don’t @ me. I take no criticisms.)

Well shit, now Qin Su is half a step away from death. Jiggy discovers this first, and is like O.O oh feck, but also... opportunity????  He recruits evil gremlin extraordinaire Xue Yang, and beginner’s luck takes them to a successful resurrection.

*cue Mary Shelly shaking her head from beyond the grave or... in the future....technically.*

Qin Su is rightfully like wtf JGY, but Jiggy is like aight sis i know you’re mad, but hey now that everyone knows what’s the deal here, I think we have a common enemy: Jin Guangslut. Should we kill him or should we kill him?

Xue Yang: yo so .... you still gonna get married or what?

Qin Su: if you even think about getting married i swear to god -

JGY: ....okay, how about “fake” marry. Once dear old Dad is dead, we can...idk have an amicable separation. I can even set you up on a date with a guy I know in the fierce corpse community. His sister is still in my basement come to think of it -

QS: what

JGY: what

QS: you are a fucking nutjob, Jiggy, you know that? I can’t believe I was attracted to you.

JGY: first of all that’s hurtful, but... hey at least you didn’t insult my mother.

QS: why would i? our mothers are innocent. *deep sigh* okay fine, how should we kill JGS, I vote for castration. Also *points to the black veins on her paste-y complexion* this is gonna be a problem.

XY: *quirk an eye brow* realllly starting to see the family resemblance now. Don’t worry I got make up to cover that up. Also gotta find you some blush, so you don’t look so ... undead.

~

JGY “so we get prostitutes -”

QS “No. Jiggy, I’m sensing some internalized classism. Let’s just sic Xue Yang on him and be done with it.”

JGY “....you were less bossy before.”

QS “I was also less dead before. Also, Xue Yang doesn’t mind, do you dear?”

XY *eating the candied pastries QS got him* “Nah, not at all, jiejie. I can wear a dress and get dolled up if you want, but I want silk and the dress needs to be tailored. Bespoke. *points to his plate* These are great. Do you have more?”

JGY: *facepalm* what have done.

QS: created a fierce corpse you can’t control. Karma’s a bitch, isn’t it brother?

~

QS “I feel bad for Chifeng-zun. If I had to sit and watch you and Lan Xichen make eyes at each other over the guqin day in and day out....”

JGY “Oi, you’re not even my real wife.”

QS “Doesn’t mean I can’t nag you. Also, you have an issue, you know. You can’t just murder your way to the top.”

JGY “I wasn’t -”

QS “Save it. If you give Xue Yang enough candy, he’ll tell you anything.”

JGY “NMJ is a problem. He disrespects -”

QS “You think maybe the reason he thinks you’re a untrustworthy little shit is because you are...an untrustworthy little shit? Also he’s always violent and aggressive towards you...yeah ‘cause you’ve been playing Terrible Temper Tango on repeat for weeks.”

JGY “.....................” *well sis does have a point, maybe i should re-evaluate my strategy “Then what do you suggest I do?”

QS:  I believe Xue Yang calls it “when it doubt, fuck it out.” 

JGY: ...............................you two need to stop hanging out together. 

~

Jin Guangyao and Qin Su spend many nights in the secret chamber plotting together. Apparently the Jin crazy can both be inherited and developed. Qin Su decides her second life is rather nice, and having power is nice too, but she’d rather have some friends. 

*Jiggy and Qin Su’s Ten Step Plan to Un-Fuck the Cultivation World*

Aka Jiggy’s illegal but necessary emergency U-Turn. 

Step 1: Start playing some nice music ffs, and maybe when NMJ is in a better mood, the venerated Triad can be the venerated Triad. ;) 

Step 2: start treating MXY better. He could be useful as a loyal brother. 

Step 3:  Sic him on Nie Huaisang. They seem like they could do well together. Also, the easiest way to get through to NMJ is through his little brother.  

Step 4:  Make Jin Guangshan disappear.

Step 5: Speaking of little brothers, they’re gonna have to eventually deal with Lan Wangji. Even Qin Su’s 78 year old grandma with cataract can see he’s just a liiiiittle hung up on Wei Wuxian, who is unfortunately....dead. 

”How do you suppose we fix this particular problem?” 

”Isn’t there some cultivator prisoner found guilty punishable by death in your single minded cleansing of your political enemies?” 

"Of course. Go on I’m listening, mei-mei.” 

”So while you were off being shady, I did some research. There is a spell. I think a potential trade off could be made if we bargain right. Their soul, which was forfeit anyway, in exchange for a lifetime of protection and financial stability for their families.” 

“>:) dear sister, where have you been all my life I’ll never know.” 

Qin Sun, “Just make sure they’re not too hard on the eye. Lan Wangji doesn’t seem to be the shallow type but one never knows.” 

Step 5: Jiang Wanyin needs an emotional laxative like... last year. Look into resurrecting Jiang Yanli. Once she’s alive, all that Yunmeng Bullshit will resolve, and you will also have a Lotus Pier forever grateful for Jin Guangyao and Qin Su’s kindness. If that doesn’t work...idk get Jiang Wanyin a dog. 

“Okay, hooow are you going to get a woman to give up her soul to -”

“Can we fierce corpse her? Wei Wuxian had a bunch of undead ladies hanging around right?” 

“........worth looking into.” 

Step 6:  Jin Zixuan. Yikes -

JGY “I didn’t kill Jin Zixuan. Wei Wuxian did.” (note: CQL washed WWX of any responsibility for the deaths of others by making it so that the Song of Turmoil caused him to lose control. This, in fact, is not what is written in book canon. WWX did lose control by himself without external influence. I can cherry pick the plot points I want to keep.) 

QS “..........but you sent him to his death.” 

JGY “..........”

QS *Deep sigh* “Who can we throw under the bus this time for Jin Zixuan’s death, Jigs? Someone that won’t be missed...got it. Su She.” 

JGY “He’s loyal to me, he’s an ally -” 

QS “Listen here, once you resurrect Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian, you will have the eternal gratitude of Yunmeng Jiang and Gusu Lan. Who gives a shit about Su Minshan that simpering turd.” 

JGY: True. *he’s understood by now that he could get rid of those who would talk shit, belittle, and disrespect him...but he could always do more with a couple of important influential people who would spread words of his goodness. Stubborn righteous cultivators like the Jiangs, Nies and Lans.* “Also Jin Zixuan’ll be an undead, not able to inherit. We’re safe.” 

QS: “Exactly.” 

Xue Yang: eating candy......... *eye roll* 

Step 7: Because Step 6 didn’t work out, forget about Jin Zixuan. 

JGY: “you know... maybe Jin Zixuan moved on.” 

QS: “Would explain why we couldn’t call his soul back the way we called back Jiang-gu’niang.” Qin Su glances back at Jiang Yanli’s soul-infused clay body in the process of being reanimated (lifted this idea straight from Inuyasha - ahem- kikyo.) “It’s probably better this way. I don’t like the thought of sharing the control of Lanling Jin with more people.” 

JGY:  “Ah, blood of my blood you are indeed.”

Step 8:  Reveal Jin Guangshan’s evil deeds. Once they kill Dear Ol’ Dad, they can just blame EVERYTHING on him and have him be the disgrace of the entire cultivation world, and them the unfortunate children left to do his bidding and trying the best they could to salvage what they can from his trail of ruins.

Step 9: Reunite Wen Ning and Wen Qing. Lie. Blame it all on Jin Guangshan who is too dead to argue in his own defense. If Jiang Wanyin finds out about Wen Qing...well, information gets around. 

JGY “So about that Date.” 

Qin Su: “Yes I distinctively remember you promising me eligible young men of the Fierce Corpse Community.” 

JGY: >:) I’m here to make good on my words. 

Step 10: Reap the benefits of a world restored. 

[veliseraptor]

if you're still doing the five headcanons meme, how about character-defining quotes for a character of your choice from the untamed/mdzs? (I know I said your choice and IT IS!!! but personally I'd love to see JC or JGY, or hardmode maybe Jin Ling)

oh man, anon, you’re giving me hard mode regardless purely because I can’t...look up quotes, so I have to go off my memory and then go hunt them down episode by episode. 

decided to go with Jin Guangyao because I love him and I feel like I don’t write enough about him myself (as opposed to just reblogging other peoples’ writing about him and yelling about it in the tags).

Two things that came out of this: 1. this got really long, so sorry about that if that’s not what you wanted, and 2. I now have so many Jin Guangyao screencaps. (This is not a problem.)

finally I am coming at this as a certified Jiggy Apologist™ so heads up there.

(Using Viki subtitles because I can’t screencap from Netflix anyway.)

1. "How can I be the same as you? You want me to not be afraid of the sky or afraid of the ground? I am exactly afraid of the sky, afraid of the ground, and even afraid of people!”

I mean, okay, this whole speech is one big Jin Guangyao Manifesto, but as I was going through it to pick a specific bit for this response this was the part that stuck with me - because in many ways Jin Guangyao is a man driven by intense and inescapable fear. The entire world feels as though it is against him and always has been against him, or at least as though it is just waiting for an excuse to tear his throat out the second it sees weakness. This ties in to #2 (and Jiggy’s ‘then bite first’ instinct, but this one I think is particularly defining because of the way it emphasizes specifically fear. 

“Afraid of the sky, afraid of the ground, and even afraid of people.” Set against Nie Mingjue’s earlier words, too - listed as a bonus on this post - this is also Jin Guangyao confessing to what he knows Nie Mingjue will judge as cowardice. 

There’s this great post about how this whole scene is very Jin Guangyao Speaking His Truth - to the person he knows will reject it. He admits this - this fear that drives him, that is his constant companion, the fear that quickly becomes paranoia as his world spirals out of control (control, that he hangs onto so tightly because either he has all of the power or none of it, and without power he can’t protect himself) - with at least some knowledge that it won’t matter.

Because of course it doesn’t matter. How can I be the same as you, he asks, and his entire answer to that question will always be I can’t - I have to make my own way, however ugly that looks.

2. “In this world, everyone began with no grudges. Someone will always come forward with the first stab.” 

I wrote a bit of a post about this one the last time I watched this episode! Basically how he’s talking to Wei Wuxian here, but I think he’s also talking about himself - and, obliquely, explaining himself. He began with no grudges, like everyone else here. Someone was always going to strike first - as his father did, to him, when he kicked him down the stairs of Jinlintai. He went there to get his acceptance, grudge-free, and limped away having come off the worse. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t done anything to Jin Guangshan. 

Everyone begins unstained, but nobody stays that way. It’s sort of a race to the bottom way of looking at things, maybe, but given how much time Jin Guangyao has spent with people stepping on him, it’s pretty understandable that he looks at people with fear (see above!) as those who will potentially kick him down a flight of stairs. 

Eventually someone will hit first, and in Jin Guangyao’s experience if he doesn’t do it then the other person will. Why lie down and let them go for it? Why not at least try to fight back?

3. “'Abhor evil as one’s deadly foe...’ Am I exactly that evil then?”

So this is in response to Lan Xichen’s attempt at being comforting by telling Jin Guangyao that it’s not him! Nie Mingjue is just like that about people he thinks are evil!” and Jin Guangyao is like. “So let’s examine that for a minute.”

It doesn’t just function as pointing up to Lan Xichen what he just said/implied, though (and Lan Xichen clearly realizes he said something wrong, as he stumbles over responding to this question), but it’s also, I think, to some extent a genuine question - both internally and externally directed.

I think about this great breakdown of this scene, and how Jin Guangyao is trying to balance three powerful people and keep them all happy(ish) with him. He is, here, about to do something awful - possibly unforgivable. And I think there is a hesitation, a desire to know (am I evil or am I just doing what I have to?) but also to be reassured. Jin Guangyao isn’t someone where questions of right and wrong, good and evil, don’t matter or don’t concern him. And especially here, it matters very much in the context of Lan Xichen, specifically.

Am I evil? And if I am, what does that mean: for me, for you, for us?

But it’s not just about Lan Xichen, either. It’s posed at himself, too. Is this the line that’s too far? Is this the place where I cross a point of no return? Is it?

Does it matter, if evil is what I already am?

4. "”Under the circumstances, doing one more or doing one less, what’s the difference?”

This one...oof. I resist, to a certain extent, the retroactive “Jin Guangyao was responsible for literally every bad thing that happened after the end of Sunshot” that the Guanyin Temple scenes present. It feels a little too neat. And I’m not quite saying ‘I reject this canon and ignore it because I want to’ but I do feel like...this line interests me because it illustrates not just where Jin Guangyao is at this point (’there is nothing I can say, you’ve made up your minds about me and there’s no point arguing details anymore’) but also, more generally, how he got here.

Because it’s very easy to see how incremental Jin Guangyao’s actions are. Starting out doing things for his father - following orders, getting his hands bloody on Jin Guangshan’s behalf. And escalating. Because once he’s done one bad thing - once he’s already crossed one moral line...what’s another? Or another? Once he’s already stained, how much of a difference does it really make if he does worse?

And besides...he was never going to be virtuous. He was never going to be clean.

5. “In my life, I have lied countless times, killed countless times. Just like you said, of all the evil deeds in the world, what haven’t I done? But I...I had never thought about harming you.”

So I like pain! And this is very. Very ouch. I feel like I see a lot of people arguing about whether this is sincere, or how sincere Jin Guangyao’s feelings for Lan Xichen were, or whether he was just lying to/manipulating him all along - but I think this is a very real, truly honest moment. Because he’s admitting to everything - admitting to a kind of hideous monstrosity that he avoided claiming before this moment, even as he was truthful about what he’d done and why. And he’s doing it to contrast it with that last line: I had never thought about harming you.

Lan Xichen was the cleanest part of his life. Lan Xichen was the person with whom he got to be his best self - the self he wanted to be (at another point in this scene he says it’s not that I didn’t want to be a good person). It’s not his truest self because Jin Guangyao doesn’t really have one of those (who does?), but a self that he doesn’t get to be with anyone else (to a certain extent, also with Qin Su, but there’s a different kind of reserve there however much he cares about her; a consequence of what he knows to be true about their relationship, particularly after Rusong’s death). That’s precious to him. That’s priceless. And here, after everything else is ripped away, their relationship shredded, there’s still this to lose: he never thought about harming Lan Xichen (he did, of course, but never directly). But Lan Xichen is killing him.

BONUS: “A real man can stand up straight and do what’s right. The more these people spout a stream of rhetoric nonsense behind your back, the more you must do things to the point that they have nothing else to say.”

So this is a bonus instead of one of the five because it’s Nie Mingjue speaking and not Jin Guangyao himself, but the level to which this is - how Jin Guangyao approaches things for a long while is really...pretty intense. And in some ways the tipping point for Jin Guangyao is the realization, constant and unending, that it doesn’t matter what he does, or how much he does, or how hard he works - people will always have something to say. There will always be more insults, more snide comments, more judgment. There is no possible way for him to be a real man; the opportunity to stand up straight is, as far as Jin Guangyao is concerned, one he lost the moment he was born in a brothel. 

But I think there is a period of time where he wants to believe in this kind of merit-based success. That if he pushes himself hard enough, he’ll be able to better himself, to make enough gains that he can stand up straight, to make good of himself. That’s an encouraging thing to believe! And for someone like Jin Guangyao who prizes his control - the idea of having that much control/agency is a very appealing one. But he keeps running into the fact that in a rigid, hierarchical society where rumor is king, there’s no real such thing as merit-based success, or at least not the kind where they’ll let you forget where you came from. 

I think that’s a big part of Jin Guangyao’s breaking point, actually - not just the knowing he’ll never be good enough to be more than the son of a prostitute, but the disjunction between people claiming that if he just tried harder then it would be better (notably, Nie Mingjue, here, who I think does believe it to some extent), and his lived experience of trying very, very hard all the time and always eventually running into the ‘son of a prostitute’ glass ceiling. 

There’s no way out, he says in Guanyin Temple; I think in some ways Jin Guangyao’s life has been a succession of closed doors and narrowing paths where it feels, again and again, like there’s no way out - or at least, no right way. No clean way. 

The only way to win was to do terrible things.