#wxs fans don’t hurt me

[lyn-ne]

thought this was cool

[ssruis]

A good sekai can’t be made alone.

The wonderland sekai was obviously manifested by Tsukasa alone, there’s no arguing against that. However I think a lot of people understate the connection the rest of WxS has on it - whether it’s due to Tsukasa’s strong bonds with emu/nene/rui or them actually influencing the sekai, they do have an impact on it. After all:

Rui: (For Tsukasa-kun, his friends’ happiness is his own happiness.)

(Pandemonium - TL Tsukasa’s #3 fan)

Additionally, the first time Tsukasa experiences anything to do with the sekai (that we know of), Miku appears to already know of emu/nene/rui despite Tsukasa having never met any of them before.

KAITO: Also, if you ever find this SEKAI somewhat nostalgic, please...hold on to those feelings.

Tsukasa: Nostalgic? Why would I find it nostalgic?

Miku: Come with everyone else next time, Tsukasa! Let's all sing and dance in a show together☆

Miku: I'm sure everyone else has the same feelings as you too!

(WxS Main story - Opening)

Rui:

Rui’s impact is probably the easiest to see, given that the wonderlands sekai has to spoonfeed him his own emotions in the form of an easily digestible conflict one of the plushies is experiencing.

There’s the disagreement between the kitty and doggie plushie in Wonder Halloween:

Len: I organized a show for the plushies, but they all started fighting again!

Doggie Plushie: I want to make the show better! Why aren’t you letting me?!

Kitty Plushie: But you’ll get hurt if you do something like that!

(Wonder Halloween)

Kitty Plushie: I want to be friends, but I'm worried that I'll say something weird and end up being an outcast... That would hurt me more than being alone...

Kitty Plushie: That's why I...I just can't bring myself to speak my mind...

KAITO: Ah… you’re afraid of being alone.

KAITO: But you shouldn’t worry, because you already have a friend right here, don’t you?

Kitty Plushie: I do?

Doggie Plushie: …

KAITO: Doggie's always trying to get you to speak up because it wants to know what's on your mind. This means that doggie is concerned about you.

KAITO: That also means that it wants to get to know you better, don't you agree?

(Wonder Halloween)

The fact that Tsukasa had no idea why Rui was holding back in Wonder Halloween but the concerns of the kitty plushie mirror emotions Rui himself wasn’t even aware he was feeling is probably the strongest case for “yes wxs themselves impact the sekai as opposed to it being a result of their impact on Tsukasa and his feelings about it. KAITO even mentions this connection:

KAITO: Yes. At the time, I felt like Rui’s solitude was somewhat connected to the kitty plushie.

KAITO: That’s why I wanted kitty to realize that it had a friend who was concerned about it.

(Kaito’s Wonder Halloween 4*)

The situation with the birdie plushie could have just been a coincidence, given that its struggles aren’t too similar to Rui’s, but I think that with the context of Wonder Halloween you could make the case that it’s another instance of Rui influencing the sekai.

Birdie Plushie: But I can do it!

Birdie Plushie: I don’t care if no one else can! I’ll do it by myself!

[…]

Rui: As much as they want to do a show, no one else is willing to participate…

Rui: That sounds like the old me. I wish I could help out somehow…

(Curtain Call)

On the surface that doesn’t seem to have much to do with Rui + the Arkland offer, however:

Birdie Plushie: *Sob* If only someone would help me...

Miku: Bird…

Birdie Plushie: No! Now's not the time for that!!

Miku: …!

Birdie Plushie: I said I'm gonna do this show! And only I can do it because it's too dangerous for the others!

Birdie Plushie: I have to do it! I have to show everyone just how much fun it is to fly!

Birdie Plushie: It's so sad that only I know what it's like to fly. So, I'm gonna show everyone how great it is!

Birdie Plushie: I wanna show them how great it feels to rip through the air! I wanna tell them about how fun it is when you become so light as you fly really high into the air!

(Miku’s Curtain Call 2*)

I think there’s probably some parallels that can be drawn between the birdie plushie’s mindset and Rui’s mindset as a kid in RMD and the mindset he probably carried with him when he began doing solo shows.

Little Rui: Everyone, what’s the matter?

Classmate A: Rui, doing such dangerous things all of a sudden is really strange, you know…

Little Rui: Eh?

Classmate B: That’s right! We can’t do those kind of things!

Little Rui: B-but…!

[flashback]

Nene’s Mom: H…hold on, what are the two of you doing!? You’re dripping wet!

Rui’s Mom: Just when I was wondering what you wanted to do with a vinyl pool… Hey, Rui! Don’t put Nene in danger!

[end flashback]

Little Rui: (Certainly, it might be dangerous, but…!)

[flashback]

Little Nene: It’s fine! I want to do it!

Little Nene: I’m the little mermaid, so in order to meet the prince, I have to swim!

[end flashback]

Little Rui: (The scene I came up with that time, it really improved because of that… and Nene was super pleased too!)

Little Rui: (Together, with everyone, just like that—)

Classmate A: Rui, why do you want to do something that dangerous?

Little Rui: — I want to create an interesting show!

Little Rui: If we made an interesting show together, I’m sure everyone will��!

Classmate A: I can’t do that just because it looks interesting!

(RMD - TL Arvon Oven)

Regardless of how connected the birdie plushie’s issues and Rui’s issues in Curtain Call are, the birdie plushie’s situation still leads to him having a realization:

Birdie Plushie: And… it was kinda lonely.

Rui: What?

Miku: Yeah, I bet…

Miku: Putting on fun shows is a really wonderful thing…

Miku: But it’s gotta feel so lonely when the people you care about aren’t there with you.

Rui: Oh.

Rui: (That’s it…)

Rui: (Despite already having an answer ready, the reason I’m still dwelling on this is because…)

Rui: (I still want to…)

Rui: (I still want to keep doing shows with them.)

(Curtain Call)

Also, for a lack of anywhere better to put it, Luka is sleepiest when everyone around her is happy:

MEIKO: This is somewhat unrelated, but I think I've figured out when Luka tends to fall asleep...!

KAITO: You have?

MEIKO: I think so. She seems to feel sleepiest when everyone around her is smiling.

MEIKO: When they're having fun or enjoying themselves, she starts falling asleep.

Rui: I see...

MEIKO: The opposite seems to be true as well since she's almost never sleepy when something is bothering someone.

MEIKO: She'll attentively listen to what someone has to say.

(Luka’s doll festival 3*)

And one of the first instances we see that confirms this is when Rui is struggling in the cheer squad event.

Luka: The thing is... I haven't been able to sleep much lately.

Luka: Zzz... See? I just can't seem to fall asleep.

MEIKO: What?! But you've always been able to fall into a deep slumber given ten seconds!

MEIKO: Why didn't you tell me this sooner? Are you okay? Do you not feel well?

Luka: No, I don't think I'm sick or anything.

Luka: However... I've been getting this strange feeling in my chest whenever I try to fall asleep.

MEIKO: A strange feeling...? Hmm... You certainly don't seem sick or unwell…

MEIKO: Is something on your mind by chance?

Luka: On my mind?

Luka: Oh…

[flashback]

Luka: Hmm... Something you want to say, but can't... That's a tricky one...

Luka: But you told us about it, didn't you, Rui...?

Rui: Well…

[End flashback]

MEIKO: I see… You’re worried about Rui.

(Luka’s Cheer Squad 4*)

& then after everything goes well and Rui has a good time:

Luka: <Zzz...♪ Zzz...♪>

MEIKO: <Hey, Luka! Wake up!>

Luka: <Mhm?>

MEIKO: <Don't give me that... We were definitely about to lose you there. What happened to you having trouble falling asleep?>

Luka: <Hehe. But it looks like everyone’s having so much fun.>

[…]

KAITO: <Hehe. You have that look on your face, Rui. I'm looking forward to what you have in store for us during the cheering competition.>

MEIKO: <Hehe. You seem just as happy, Luka.>

Luka: <Yes, that's because...>

Luka: <It looks like Rui found a way to break that spell.>

(Luka’s Cheer Squad 4*)

Off the top of my head, Luka is also the one to speak to Nene when she’s thinking about having to leave WxS behind one day (Mermaid Admiration) and she helps Meiko comfort Rui during his gleaming stars card story - both instances occur at night (prime sleeping hours).

& then of course there’s his chapters in the WxS WLE, which includes a bunch of Zombie Plushies that mirror Rui’s conflicts in Wonder Halloween and RMD.

Zombie Plushies: We can tell you’re just pretending to be friends! Deep down, you’re probably scared and disgusted by us too!

[…]

Zombie Plushies: We’ll never fit in with them anyway…

Rui: …! (Never fit in with them, huh…)

[…]

Rui: When I look at them… I remember how things used to be.

(WxS WLE, Rui’s section - TL Haruka’s penguin)

Rui: I was the same a long time ago... I gave up on fitting in with anyone.

[...]

Rui: If they don't understand me, that just can't be helped, if they disagree with the way I think, that just can't be helped... I would think like that.

Rin: Rui-kun...

Rui: - in reality, I really did want to put on a show with someone else. But people didn't understand the shows I was making. On a subconscious level, I convinced myself it wasn't going to work out and gave up on the idea.

(WxS WLE, Rui’s section - TL Haruka’s penguin)

Nene:

As a disclaimer, emu and nene’s sections will be shorter because they have self awareness wrt their emotions & therefore don’t need the wxs sekai’s help to puzzle things out with plushies. said fondly. there are less examples to pull for them. For no specific reason.

The virtual singers all adore emu/nene/rui and I dislike the implication that they show blatant favoritism to Tsukasa just because he made the sekai (which is a take I’ve seen quite a few times.) Just look at Emu’s relationship with Miku, Nene’s relationship with Rin, or Rui’s relationship with Len.

One of the best examples that proves my point is this conversation between Nene and Miku:

Nene: Okay, well... I've been wondering about this for some time...

Nene: This world was created based on Tsukasa's feelings, right?

Nene: You and KAITO have been inviting us here to see your shows, so that Tsukasa would remember what his true feelings were, I guess...?

Miku: Yup, that’s correct.

Nene: So this is what I don't get...

Nene: Tsukasa's already discovered his true feelings, and I'm just performing in the same troupe as him so...

Nene: Why do you and KAITO care about me at all?

Miku: Hehe, that's simple! It's because we want to see you blossom as an actress!

Nene: Huh… that’s it?

Nene: But you do so much for me and encourage me every time I visit...

Nene: It's not that I'm worried about Tsukasa getting annoyed with me getting so much support from you, but I feel like you're spoiling me with this being his SEKAI and all...

Miku: We’re absolutely not, Nene!

Miku: And besides, you have a connection to SEKAI too!

Miku: Tsukasa's wish of bringing joy to everyone with your shows is also your wish!

Nene: Oh…

Miku: Tsukasa also needs you, Emu and Rui to create the shows he dreams about!

Miku: You can't make great shows alone after all!

Miku: Don't you think so too, Nene? Don't you need your friends to create really special performances?

(Miku’s On This Holy Night I Sing 4*)

Miku specifically points out that the rest of WxS *are* connected to the Wonderlands sekai, not just because of their relationship with Tsukasa, but also because they share the same dreams.

Her chapters in the WxS WLE have a Turtle Plushie that reflects her previous issues with stage fright, so there’s also a case to be made that Nene’s struggles are capable of being reflected in the plushies like Rui’s are:

Turtle plushie B: … That one’s always over there. Even though it’s afraid to get in the water… I guess it can’t seem to give up.

Nene: Can’t seem to give up… What do you mean?

Turtle plushie B: it always used to say “my dream is to carry someone on my back, but —

Turtle plushie B: A while ago, there was a terrible storm, and this river flooded over. After seeing that, it became completely terrified of going in the water.

Luka: Is that right…

Nene: (… It became terrified…)

[…]

Nenerobo: … Is something the matter, Nene?

Nene: Um… I was just thinking about that turtle.

Nene: Somehow, I can understand how it feels…

Nene: When I was too scared to do anything, I also had that feeling of being unable to give up.

(WxS WLE event, Nene’s section - TL haruka’s penguin)

Emu:

Notably, Emu has a lot of similarities to WxS Miku in both personality and speech. There’s also something to be said about the Wonderland’s Sekai being an amusement park - something Emu has always big connection with, but Tsukasa didn’t until he began working at PXL. I think that’s fitting. Emu was present when Tsukasa discovered Untitled on his phone, and she was also the one to actually press play.

In a grander sense, without Emu pulling him for the wonder stage after he flopped in his audition, Tsukasa not only would not have remembered his true feelings but also would not have had the many opportunities to grow closer to achieving his dream he’s had as a part of WxS.

Just like Nene and Rui, some of her issues are reflected in a plushie during the WxS WLE:

Emu: What’s the matter?

Leon: Ah, um… you might laugh at me, but…

Leon: One day… I’d like to fly in the sky with Phoenix.

[…]

Emu: That’s… a suuuuper wonderful dream!

Leon: Eh?

Emu: Flying in the sky with Phoenix… somehow, even listening about it makes me excited too!

Miku: Miku too, Miku too!

Leon: T… thank you very much.

Leon: But… a dream like that, it wouldn’t ever come true, huh

Emu: Eh? Why?

Leon: I mean, Phoenix is rarely seen… and I’m not a soft toy bird, so flying in the sky is impossible.

Leon: And besides — everyone around me tells me I can’t ever accomplish it.

Emu: Ah…

Leon: …Even I myself know that it won’t come true. I’m sorry, please forget everything I just said!

Emu: Leon-kun…

Emu: (…There was a time where I, too, thought “maybe it won’t come true,” huh)

[flashback]

Shousuke: Emu, if you want to look at dreams that much, then look at them yourself. Don’t involve us any further!

[end flashback]

Emu: (My big brothers, too, had said “don’t just keep spouting on about dreams”…)

(WxS WLE, Emu’s section - TL Arvon Oven)

But I think it’s especially interesting that the plushie that parallels her is the same plushie that parallels Tsukasa. Her importance to WxS is inarguable:

Rui: Indeed. If it weren't for you, Emu, none of us would be here today.

(SOAD)

Tsukasa: Emu, listen!

Tsukasa: Your “ability to dream” is an absolutely essential part of Wonderlands×Showtime!

Emu: huh?

Nene: H-He's right...! We've been able to do what we have because you never stop dreaming.

Rui: If anything, we wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for big dreamer, Emu.

Rui: Even when it was all run down, weren't you the one who wanted to bring smiles and laughter back to the Wonder Stage more than anybody else?

Rui: Your dream gave us a place where we could belong.

[…]

Rui: Simply put, Emu, you're the engine that drives us all. You have this remarkable ability to turn reality on its head...

(Popping in My Heart)

So I don’t think it would be a stretch to say she also had a massive impact on the way the Wonderlands Sekai.

Tsukasa*:

*Well. This part is sort of about Tsukasa. More so about his bond with his friends.

I think Tsukasa would be the first to say that Emu, Nene, and Rui are very connected to the Wonderlands sekai. Tsukasa even considers the sekai’s song as WxS’s song, not his own.

Tsukasa: That's why, Kaito, would you let us sing the song [The World Hasn’t Even Started Yet] that was born from our feelings once more?

Rui: Oh? I heard that song and Wonderland SEKAl were born from your feelings, though...

Tsukasa: Well, in truth, it seems to be that way, but...

Tsukasa: Even with the help of Miku, KAITO, and the others, I would not have been able to face SEKAl or remember my true feelings if I had not met all of you.

Tsukasa: That's why I think that song was born from our feelings and not just my own!

(JP sekai anniversary live show)

And it’s true that he wouldn’t have remembered his true feelings without WxS, although KAITO suggests that he was aware of them somewhere deep down.

Nene: This place is made from Tsukasa's feelings, right?

Nene: I would have expected a place like that to have a loud and conspicuous self-proclaimed star who's just like him...

Nene: Everyone here takes part in shows, but nobody tries to claim to be a star the way he does. I wonder why?

Emu: It must be because everyone in this SEKAI is a star♪

Nene: Everyone is a star? How does that work?

Nene: Remember how he was like before? Back then, it felt like he always wanted to be the one to stand out the most.

KAITO: Well... I would say that Emu's thinking is actually quite accurate.

[…]

KAITO: I'm sure that somewhere deep inside, Tsukasa always knew a lone star couldn't shine brightly or do a show by himself.

KAITO: A good show is the product of many people who work hard to fill different roles.

KAITO: Each one of them has to shine in their given positions.

KAITO: A real star can only shine brightly when his companions do the same with a smile. He must have felt that somehow.

(KAITO initial 3*)

Even if he was aware of his true feelings subconsciously, up until he actually remembers the origin of his dream, the only people who are consciously following something aligned with his true feelings are the rest of WxS.

Tsukasa: I only decided to become a star because I wanted to be like the stars there, who made me and Saki so happy.

Tsukasa: But at some point I forgot about all that, and all I cared about was making successful shows and becoming a star...

Tsukasa: How could I have…

[flashbacks]

[Nene through nenerobo]: I hope our audience enjoys the play.

Rui: Well then. Let's work together to put on some unbeatable shows!

Emu: It's my dream to have people come to see a show here at this stage and love it!

[End flashbacks]

Tsukasa: …

Tsukasa: They’re the real stars, not me…

(WxS Main story - the feeling that day)

You know how Tsukasa had to understand Torpe and Rio to recognize parts of himself? The main story is sort of like that, but instead of a character in a play it’s Emu/Nene/Rui, and instead of having a breakthrough that improves his acting it’s Tsukasa recognizing that he was being a huge dick. Anyways.

The sekai’s expansion in the WxS WLE is stated by KAITO to have some relation to Tsukasa’s own feelings:

Tsukasa: For sure. I mean, how is it even possible for such place to even show up here?

KAITO: … Indeed, I can't say for sure myself either.

KAITO: But I think it's somehow connected with Tsukasa-kun's feelings.

[…]

KAITO: That's right. This SEKAI is born from your feelings, right?

KAITO: That's why, if there is a change in those feelings, it's possible for the SEKAl to be influenced and changed as well.

(WxS WLE, Opening - TL Tsukasa’s #3 fan)

And I think it’s pretty clear that this shift in feelings involves the rest of WxS as well, given that

1) Their signature colors are all over the boat

2) Their quest to get to find the Phoenix (to get the map. so they can go to star island.) required WxS to encounter Plushies that were reflections of themselves. He needed the rest of WxS to find the Phoenix, just like he needs the rest of WxS with him to chase his dream.

Rui: I can't help but think there seems be a connection between that island and the show we were a part of.

Luka: That does seem to be the case~ But I wonder what all of that means~...?

KAITO: …This is just my guess, but...

KAITO: It's possible that this ship has made progress on its own journey as well.

KAITO: Just like Tsukasa-kun and everyone, navigating through each island, to steadily make your way towards Star Island.

Tsukasa: This ship...... is just like us?

KAITO: Yes. Perhaps this ship itself is a manifestation of Tsukasa-kun's current feelings and thoughts.

Tsukasa: My feelings…

Tsukasa: (This ship has traveled to numerous islands, forging its path towards the stars..... And surely, its journey will only continue from here on out.)

Tsukasa: (Indeed, it is just like me. I've come this far, and have been non-stop pursuing my dream of becoming a star.)

Tsukasa: (Has my desire to pursue my dream taken the form of a ship....?)

Tsukasa: (No, that's not quite right.... I couldn't have made it this far solely on my own)

Tsukasa: (It was thanks to meeting Emu and everyone, and putting on countless shows together. It's because everyone was by my side that I was able to make it this far)

Tsukasa: (If that’s the case…)

Tsukasa: … That’s it!

Emu: Wassup, Wassup!? Tsukasa-kun, did you figure something out?

Tsukasa: Yeah, this place is probably…

Tsukasa: It is my … "Aim for Stardom, and together with my friends, we will embark on our journey of growth to many places" aspiration.

(WxS WLE, Ending - TL Tsukasa’s #3 fan)

In conclusion:

[aroace-poly-show]

okay i swear to miku i had a screenshot of my thoughts on emu specifically but i cannot find it. so lets hope i remember it well enough

anyway. tsukasa. who just doesn’t think about the fact that he never really thought about romance. people will talk about it around him and he just doesn’t think about it too hard. cause its tsukasa. the idea of dating forever seems like something he’ll worry about in the future, and keeps thinking that even when he’s at the age when most people around him start dating. marriage just seems like an eventual future thing. he doesn’t feel much towards it, it’s just what he’s expected to do, so he’ll probably get to doing that eventually. probably. and the way people gush about crushes and how attractive they are made him a just a bit uncomfortable, but that’s okay! he’s probably just not used to it yet! thats a future problem! (he’s been saying that for years. he keeps saying it’s something for the future not noticing when the future comes) and he never really thinks about it until wxs and the terms brought up and he’s like. “oh.”

i might be projecting tbh. but emu who is so so affectionate with her friends and doesn’t understand why certain things are deemed only for romantic relationships, and why she shouldn’t be acting a certain way with her friends. it’s frustrating honestly. she loves her friends, she’s happy to be around them, what was so wrong with expressing that? just holding hands got certain looks, why do people keep insisting that she must be dating them or interested in them, because “you don’t do that with someone who’s just a friend.” why is it always just friends? she loves her friends, why are they lesser? but well, it’s emu, she doesn’t let it get her down that much. i dont think she thinks about her lack of crushes much either. stealing from my friend aroacewxs, she learns the term aroace and goes “oh!! that’s me :D” and kisses her friends cause she does that

rui and nene time. nene to me has always found romance and sex uncomfortable and noticed it pretty early on. i think nene’s the most repulsed of the group. back when they were little, anytime someone implied nene had a crush, she’d always have a super grossed out look on her face. people attributed it to the whole girls hating boys and vice versa thing that so many kids do though. the idea of dating felt weird to rui, but not quite to the extent that it did for nene. anyway nene being chronically online, and rui being rui (i like to think he goes on random research binges on various topics all the time, it’s how he learned so much about platypuses and fell in love with them) they definitely go on some deep dives eventually and figure it out quickly. i think its during when they were more distant though, so neither told each other for a while.

side note about rui. before he found out it absolutely adds to his feelings of isolation and being broken and a weirdo. the deep dive helps a bit in asssuring him he’s okay, but its not until he finds all of wxs is the same that he truly feels whole and not like a broken human being.

i think they all find out about each other during some planning for a new show. they pick up a script recommendation and find it has a romance in it, and nene seems uncomfortable about it. nene mentions her dislike of romance, tsukasa is like “oh don’t worry nene, i’m not the biggest fan either” and goes on about liking the action scenes better, nene mentions her being aroace, rui is surprised and they have the spider-man pointing meme moment, cue explanation of it to emu and tsukasa and their own realizations. what are the chances.

bonus stuff: i like to think when they were little nene rewrote stories that had romance with rui so they were best friends in the end instead cause that was cooler. oblivious babies. (tsukasa also did this btw)

emu grew hesitant to be as affectionate with her friends after all that, bc she was a bit worried about being misinterpreted and hurting people’s feelings, but with wxs shes so so affectionate bc now she doesn’t have to worry about that yayy

i think nene’s the most uncomfortable with kissing, especially on the lips. she gets grossed out. wxs always always asks before they kiss her on the cheek, even if she’s already said its okay. and i think rui does that kiss on the hand thing. he does it dramatically a lot. he’s silly.

rui casually flirts a lot. i dont think he realizes it half the time.

on a scale from most favorable to least emu leans closest towards favorable, rui and tsukasa and right in the middle at neutral, and nene at the other end at the most repulsed. the scale’s the same for how like physically affectionate they are too btw but w/ rui leaning closer to emu there. nene has her ways of showing affection but a lot of it is not physical stuff yk.

for pride tsukasa makes the biggest fucking aroace flag and they hang it at wonder stage.

qpr polyshow real to me forever and ever but i dont think they ever labeled it. they just went from getting to know each other to just. feeling so safe and warm and happy when they’re all together. they never asked each other to be in a qpr, never made it official, never gave what they are a “proper” name. they’re just wxs. whatever they are isn’t very important to them. they love each other. thats all that really matters to them.

would you believe me if i said this was meant to be short

do i post some of my own aroace wxs thoughts

[plan-d-to-i]

Sometimes im on Twitter where i don’t talk with other fans but i follow writters and artists that are supposedly WX stans and they recommend cics and go yeah that one’s legendary such a clasic and i click on the fic and it usually goes like this:

WX get in trouble, must go to the LP, LWJ doesn’t like it, WWX feels hurt, LWJ goes i know it’s your home wei ying I’m sorry, WWX proceeds to defend JC and tells LWJ that he’s changed and trying, LWJ promises to respect JC and treat him well, a WX smut scene, rinse and repeat

I’m TIRED 😫

I feel your pain. Nothing says "fix it fic" like taking WangXian and making it toxic. "LWJ you have to accept the abusive homophobe into your life if you love me >:-/". This is totally not emotional blackmail that Wei Wuxian would never subject Lan Wangji to. Especially since in the book WWX's patience for the venomous pustule that is jc ends when he has the gall to go after LWJ at which point he snaps at him. He does this decisively in the ancestral hall towards the end, but even earlier when he's kidnapped and terrified w the dog WWX says no LWJ slander.

[jiang cheng] quickly modified his words. “No. The person Lan Wangji was protecting may not have been you. After all, the Gusu Lan Clan wouldn’t forget what you and your loyal dog did. How could someone everyone lauds as solemnly righteous like him possibly tolerate you? He may have had some intimate relations with the body you stole instead.”

His speech coursed with hot poison—every sentence was backhanded praise. Wei Wuxian couldn’t bear to listen to it any longer. “Watch what you say.”

[ssruis]

I once saw a fic where rui made an invention that like almost put tsukasa into a coma with how bad it hurt him? And then tsukasa angrily quit and then akito saved him from them and they kissed etc etc . I think the funniest thing is the tags "not wxs bashing but they need to be more careful.. someone is going to get hurt 😕" like dude . You made up this scenario and now you are getting mad about it . Anyway no hate to them just made me go ???

CRYINGGG… yeah I’ve been told abt this fic existing before & i literally erased this fact from my head because just being given the basic summary made me so mad its existence I was like “you know what I’m not going to think too hard about this or seek it out. for my own sanity and peace of mind #choosehapiness 😊” which is how u know something really got on my nerves (known hater who loves to complain & bitch about things). & also I dislike hating on random people because I have zero desire to get in online fights and I’m a firm believer in “do whatever u want if I don’t like it I will just block you.”

That being said, RESPECTFULLY I think that person should read wonder halloween/rmd/the mafuyu focused festival event again and reevaluate their take. Rui is incredibly thorough with safety and will check the safety of his inventions *on himself* first, so that he’s the only one who will face consequences and be hurt in the very unlikely chance that he miscalculated something. He won’t ask tsukasa (or nene, or emu, or anyone else for that matter) to do something that he wouldn’t do himself. In RMD it’s shown that he tested the jump himself before showing it to his classmates, in the festival event he tested the jump pad out to recalibrate it (so that he wouldn’t be putting tsukasa on something that could hurt him) and fucked up his leg. “Someone is going to get hurt” gestures at wonder halloween.

Rui canonically was ostracized because people *thought* he would put him in situations where they would get hurt - actually doing so, whether it’s on purpose or through negligence, is something he’s terrified of. If he actually got tsukasa hurt so severely he was in a coma I 100% genuinely believe he would either quit wxs himself or just never suggest any stunts that were even slightly dangerous ever again. & if tsukasa got that hurt, Tsukasa would blame himself for both the injury and also upsetting Rui. People act like tsukasa has no agency in this when he literally 1) got mad at rui for holding back on him 2) agrees to stunts knowing the risks. Gestures aggressively & unblinkingly at wonder halloween for a solid 5-10 minutes.

“Someone is going to get hurt” HELP… there is literally an entire event where that happens. It’s like the third fucking event in the game. The most evergreen tweet anyone has ever made about this game is “don’t fuck with pjsk fans we don’t read the stories” because good god. some people really don’t.

[eirenical]

AH, YAY, I’m glad you liked it @elenothar​! :D Since it was your gentle prodding that got me to start putting it down on paper.  ^_^

‘no one can let Wu Xie go, not even the people actively trying to kill him‘

...TRUTH.  SERIOUSLY.  XD

And, yeah, Wu Xie really does swing wildly between oblivious and observant and now that I’ve met him in TLT1, that is starting to make much more sense, too.  XD  But yeah, this is one of those cases where it’s swinging more towards ‘observant, but maybe if i don’t say anything, it will go away.’  ;D  Because I got the distinct impression during the entire back half of TLTR that HDF and WX were sharing some pretty intense and knowing looks.  Like, there was a lot unspoken there and most of it had to do with feelings and reconciliations and regrets, so Wu Xie is Very Much Aware that Huo Daofu doesn’t hate him nearly as much as he professes to, but it doesn’t matter because he’s dying.  And now he’s NOT and it’s a Whole Thing and maybe if he just doesn’t say anything, then neither will Huo Daofu and he won’t have to deal with the massive pile of awkward building up there.  ^_^

But YES, I absolutely intend to keep working on it, but unless I get it done in the next four days... (unlikely) ...it may have to wait a while.  Because teaching summer classes are INTENSE.  :P  But it WILL get written!  Especially as there are apparently quite a few more people interested than I thought there would be.  XD

(And @xcziel​, gonna respond to your tags under a cut because this is already getting very long.  XD)

#i am a HUGE fan of the 'huo daofu is wu xie's ex' fanon and i love everything about this#but did their break-up occur before or after the bronze gate??? does huo daofu even know 'not-pining' wu xie?#bc i think he might be surprised by a wu xie who isn't wounded either emotionally *or* physically?#this is just too good#everyone being sympathetic bc ofc who *hasn't* had a fixation on wu xie and huo daofu internally like 'but he was *mine*'#'and now he's *his* and we all know wu xie has a big heart but ...' thinks the man who followed his ex through hell#caring for him the whole way - like *who's* got a big heart huo daofu? oh you're just a hard-hearted curmudgeon huh? riiight#SUCH bones/kirk/spock vibes - i bet huo daofu can even do the eyebrow thing#i am dying to know what happens bc my crack!brain wants wu 'what me talk about things like a mature human?' xie#to keep acquiring weird and stupid injuries as a dumbass way of persuading huo daofu to talk to him - casually trying to chat#as he gets sewn up or dosed or something while huo daofu inside is just like 'how is this my life' and 'he can't realize how cruel it is#to make me keep *touching* him right?' until finally xiaoge has enough and is just like 'he's getting injured bc of you' and then to#wu xie goes 'you can't make huo daofu treat you anymore stop it' in his minimalist communication style and they're both stricken#and upset and finally he just drags wu xie to huo daofu's place - he answers the door like 'where is he hurt?' - and shoves them both#in like one room and blocks the door like 'talk'#bc only wu xie would be using like insect stings or minor skull fractures as awkward 'date' attempts and xiaoge needs him#in one piece when he gets back from this next trip! huo daofu with wu xie in his arms watching him go: ????#wu xie turning to him hopefully like: 👀💖?!!#but GOD this gorgeous prose with all the familiarity and unspoken understandings the quiet heartache it is a whole different level#i went back up to re-read again and just ... his little moment of sort of wistfulness and rue and then getting up to#keep soldiering on despite it all - that's *very* reminiscent of wu xie himself - a way they're alike underneath it all#i swear one of the fandom's mottos should be 'dmbj: so many ships - never enough time' (via @xcziel​)

First of all, I LOVE IT when people write me novels in their tags.  XD  Being an excessive tag writer myself, I APPRECIATE THE ENTHUSIASM.. :D  :D  :D

First off, a disclaimer: I have read exactly 2 1/3 of the translated novels, watched almost all of TLT1 (I think I have 1 1/2 episodes left?), and most of TLTR (I have about 10 episodes left or so), and I know VIRTUALLY NOTHING ELSE about DMBJ canon.  I am flying totally blind here for everything that happens in between TLT1 and TLTR except for the most broad of strokes.  (I know... there IS a Bronze Gate?  And Xiao-ge was gone for A Long Time behind it in Wu Xie’s place?  And that is... that is really about it.  I know absolutely nothing else.  OTZ)  So, I’m probably not going to go THAT much into detail about those events.  BUT, I’m envisioning that Wu Xie and Huo Daofu’s entire relationship was within the span of time that Xiao-ge was gone.  And that maybe this was a bit of a rebound/pining-for-someone-else kind of a situation on Wu Xie’s part and that’s a good part of why they exploded into a bad breakup.  I’m also thinking that, as you pointed out, on some level they’re just TOO similar, and that kind of thing is always going to chafe just a little bit.

There is going to be a little bit of “Wu Xie gets hurt and Huo Daofu has to come back to take care of him” going on because I am a SUCKER for hurt/comfort and because that’s how Huo Daofu fell half back in love with him during TLTR to begin with, but it’s not going to happen as something done on purpose.  Because when Huo Daofu said he was going to wish Wu Xie well and just... walk away, he actually *meant it*.  And Wu Xie is so glad to not have ended up in the middle of a Very Awkward Situation that he just lets it go.

...it IS Xiao-ge who’s going to be the one to get involved to bring them together, though.  Just... a bit more subtly than that.  ;D  I HAVE A PLAN.  I PROMISE.

But awwwwwwww, I’M SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT and that you liked it enough to immediately re-read it.  ^_____^  I am very, very flattered and seriously thank you so much for telling me so!  :D  :D  :D  I am inordinately excited to get back to work on this.  Now if I can just finish wrestling my summer syllabus into shape... MAYBE I’LL EVEN HAVE TIME TO DO IT.  XD

*drops by to yell about "post-canon Huo Daofu and Xiao Ge… time-sharing Wu Xie"*

AHAHAHA-- RIGHT. So, @elenothar when I told you I wanted to hold on to this ask and let the fic percolate, I didn't think it would then CONSUME MY THOUGHTS for the next several days until I had to get some of it down on paper. O_o;;; So, this is shaping up to be longer than originally intended, and this bit is still on the rough side, but here's the first (1200+ word) scene? To gauge interest, maybe? (...oh who am I kidding; interest or no interest, I'm gonna write it anyway. XD) Enjoy? ^_^

*

It was quiet. The party that had raged and roared like a living beast for hours before now slumbered. Huo Daofu threaded his way carefully through the sleeping and unconscious bodies it had left in its wake to take up a careful perch on one of the few remaining upright pieces of furniture. As he settled in, the bench's occupant lifted his bottle to clink aimlessly against his, then briefly raised it before taking a pull. Huo Daofu obediently took a sip from his own bottle; there was little enough left in it.

Lowering his bottle, Huo Daofu let it dangle loosely from his hand as he leaned over to brace his elbows on his knees. It had been a long time since he'd indulged himself this way. A very long time. Beside him, Wang Pangzi leaned back to rest his elbows on the table behind them, tipping his head back. He was smiling. "Now *that* was a party."

The corners of Huo Daofu's lips pulled up in an answering smile before he even realized they had. They'd been doing that a lot lately. Smiling without his express permission.

They used to do that often. Before.

The smile fell from Huo Daofu's lips as though it had been washed away by a bucket of cold water. He'd been down this road before. He'd been down this road before, and it had only led him to heartbreak. He had no desire to travel it again now that he knew where it led. He looked up, gaze catching on the only other upright person in the room. Zhang Qiling. Xiao-ge. Wu Xie's Menyouping. Wu Xie's—

Huo Daofu tore his gaze away, closing his eyes to the sight and finishing off his bottle in one long pull. By the time he had finished, Pangzi's leg was a heavy line of warmth against his own, his outstretched knee lazily nudging into him. He laughed. "Now, where have I seen that look before, I wonder?"

Keep reading

[ssruis]

You should read wonder halloween anyways. wonder halloween is the event of all time & here is why:

> the black knight show they’re doing in the beginning is referenced again in a tsukasa2 card story. Over a year later.

> immediate foreshadowing of emu’s fight against her family’s new policies & how that’s going for her (badly) before it’s brought up again in SOAD

> carrying over emu being willing to set aside her own emotions and hide them so the people around her will 1) not worry 2) continue being happy, like we saw in the main story with her giving up on the wonder stage and later in SOAD when she tries to hide how she’s feeling

> tsukasa bulldozing over emu’s reservations about the show contest vs the reversal of this in WMS where he really wants to win the contest but is more than willing to throw away the chance to do what emu wants & refuses to let emu feel bad about this or change the plan.

> the wonder stage has spider web decorations but no spider decorations because tsukasa vetoed anything spider shaped

> tsukasa falling & getting hurt (funny) (unless you’re rui)

> despite all of his complaints about how crazy’s rui’s stunts are when he gets hurt during one tsukasa lets it go pretty much instantly

> Rui is actually the one to be the most torn up about tsukasa getting hurt to the point where he starts toning himself & his ideas down (subconsciously)

> this is made more insane when you remember that rui has, in the past, never once compromised on who he is or what he likes for other people, but he’s willing to do it now for people he’s only known for a few months

> which has a big pay off in curtain call when Rui realizes that he values wxs over achieving his life’s dream (in that he wants to stay with them more than he wants to make choices that would put him on the fast track for his goals).

> and it only took him 3 more event rotations to piece this together. This guy is allergic to analyzing himself and his behaviors.

> despite this event emphasizing that Rui is terrified of hurting others and takes every step to prevent this from happening many fans still think he’s some crazy & malicious guy. This is the third event in the game. Maybe we should gate keep Rui.

> in the same vein as that ^, this event explicitly confirms that tsukasa wants rui to suggest insane stunts. He gets mad that rui is holding back. *He* suggests fighting off the zombie robots and when Rui suggests changing the scene to be safer he suggests fighting off TEN zombie robots.

> “You’re a crazy person these stunts are insane!! I don’t want to die you madman!!!” (Rui starts pulling back and making boring safe decisions) “no danger? :( ? No risk taking for tsukasa? :( why isn’t he threatening me with challenging stunts :(“

> “the audience will love it if it seems dangerous” ok tsukasa.

> just a weird tendency of some fans to act like tsukasa has zero agency in this situation. This is what tsukasa wants this is enrichment for him this is like those border collies on the agility courses. If he didn’t feel like he survived a near death experience every week he’d start tearing up the furniture and pacing in circles.

> another fight between rui and tsukasa, but this time it’s very evident that tsukasa has learned from the main story when he apologizes for yelling and leaves to cool down. Kind of a neat reversal of the main story actually where this time Rui is the one who hasn’t realized something.

> the wxs sekai has to spoon feed rui’s own issues to him via simplified plushie conflict that reflects the current situation so he can realize what’s happening. King of zero self awareness.

> rui and nene lore….

> expands on rui’s childhood experiences with isolation

> expands on nene’s guilt over not being able to help Rui in middle school & how she’s determined to change things by nudging him in the right direction now, as well as giving him advice.

> more spelled out confirmation that a lot of Tsukasa’s anger in the main story came from him being mad at himself (not an excuse), and also showcasing that he’s a lot harder on himself than the whole “I’m so great I’m a future star etc etc” act would have you believe. He blames himself for falling and rui being upset.

> the wonder stage despite being old and run down has a perfectly functioning trap door that rui discovered

> rui also installed a big wall that rises out of the floor AND wind machines. & it is entirely possible that he did this in a single night. Less than a single night actually given that the conversation he had with nene + kaito takes place around sunset. Did he sleep at all. Was he even allowed to do this (probably not).

> this part of ch.7 which I think is like. Keystone moments for understanding the rks dynamic:

> as I have said before and will say again the thing about rui and tsukasa is that their whole relationship is built on trust. Despite having understandable reservations tsukasa trusts Rui and encourages his ideas. He refuses to accept anything less than Rui’s authentic self. And this is huge for Rui after spending so long being ostracized for being too much and having ideas that were viewed as too dangerous or crazy. This relationship, & the way it shifted from solely being “director and actor” to them being actual friends (imo tsukasa already viewed rui as a friend but rui needed longer to see it as a relationship that could exist outside of the context of shows), is a massive part of what made Rui open himself up to forming friendships in the future.

> this event does the same for nene in her 2* card story, with her realizing that emu wants to be around her and spend time with her. It is also a hysterical card story because it showcases one of nene kusanagi’s top ten stupidest and gayest moments. “Why does emu wanna spend time with me” you are so fucking dense. love and light.

> nene: I’m glad you’re having so much fun with tsukasa :)

Rui: well I’m glad you’re having so much fun with emu :)

Nene: I have no idea what you’re talking about. Shut The Up.

Whenever I remember that there are people who for realsies think tsukasa is in any danger with rui or that he is not doing exact what he wants to be doing I almost lose the idgaf war again but at this point I would just be posting the entire transcript to wonder halloween