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shanastoryteller · 5 months

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Happy holidays!! More Fem WWX Mo pls!

a continuation of 52 53 54

He was not brought back to kill Madame Jin.

But perhaps making a clean sweep of it all is simply for the best. He'll have to ask Jiang Yanli what her opinions are about her mother-in-law. He assumes there nothing good.

"Stop looking like that," Jin Guangyao says, somehow without moving his mouth at all and bland smile still in place.

That's a neat trick.

"Look like what? This is just my face," he says then rubs at his nose when Jin Guangyao raises an eyebrow. "Why is she - it's hardly like you're an outlier!"

"Xuanyu-mei," he says mildly, voice low enough that they won't be overheard.

He scowls and crosses his arms. In these robes it has the unfortunate effect of pressing his breasts front and center but he's refusing to acknowledge that.

There's the sound of a scuffle and he glances to see Jingyi attempting to beat an Ouyang disciple with his sleeves and Sizhui putting in a half-hearted effort to stop him. What's that about?

They're going to have to tell Sizhui. He hopes he'll be excited. It'll be quite a bit of an age difference, but he still wants Sizhui to be happy about having a sibling. Or at least not upset about it. Or not upset about it for long, he amends, because Jiang Cheng hadn't exactly been thrilled at first. To be fair, Wei Wuxian hadn't been either.

"You're pouting like a child," Jin Guangyao says. "Can you at least pretend to have some decorum?"

"No," he says, eyes drifting to where his siblings are speaking with the Yu sect leader. How had Uncle Jiang told them about him? From his memory, he thinks that he didn't and just showed up with him one day.

That probably won't work on Sizhui. There are a couple things he might notice.

Uhg he's just gotten used to this body and it's going to start doing new and different things. He hopes this doesn't mess with his core too badly - he's worked hard on it!

"When are you coming back to Gusu?" he asks. That would be an ideal time for him to kill some people, because anyone with half a brain cell is going to suspect Jin Guangyao when Jin Guangshan dies.

Granted, getting him away from the scene of the crime won't do much to alleviate suspicion. It's not like he's not perfectly capable of orchestrating a high profile murder from half a world away, after all.

"When Xichen can devise an excuse, I suppose," he answers, mouth twisting.

Wei Wuxian leans so he can use his stupidly ornate robes as a cover for briefly grasping his forearm.

This whole marriage thing is so stupid and he understands that now in a way he hadn't when he'd first arrived. Mo Xuanyu had killed herself rather than marry and Lan Zhan had been stoic and furious and uninterested.

It was supposed to be Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen.

Making two of his favorite people miserable for no reason is more than enough reason to kill him, surely. He's done more for less.

#prompt answers #prompts are closed #asks #gayandfullofdismay #untamed

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mdzs-fics · 2 months

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ridiculous future bullshit by sami

Future Fic 19 works 61K words

While rereading through works related to Author sami's And Time Is But A Paper Moon, reviewed here and here and here, I remembered reading the ridiculous future bullshit series. Through 19 short works of fiction, Author sami creates a reasonable facsimile of what the future looks like if six Immortals survive into the 21st century, forming the Five Nations.

Note: Author sami tells us "So this is the actual first-ish entry in the ridiculous future bullshit series, which of course means it is still the purest trash, it's bullshit and any complaints will still be met with you were warned."

Let's take a quick look at a few of the tales.

Now Showing: Hanguang-Jun And The Yiling Patriarch

Wei Wuxian rubs his nose. "Look, I'm guessing you're okay with your movie being, like… complete bullshit, right?"

"They are okay with that. They are so very fucking okay with that," Steve snaps.

"Okay." Wei Wuxian grins, and Dennis suddenly absolutely believes that he is talking to a trickster god. "You don't want to put Sandu Shengshou in this movie, trust me. And if you make this about sh- Jiang Yanli's actual marriage, then she might cry, and then Sandu Shengshou and I will have to raze this place to the fucking ground and salt the earth on which it stood, nobody wants that kind of hassle. But you can have a poor girl named Mo Fan - she has a terrible family, make it a bit like Cinderella, that was an okay movie."

Wei Wuxian has seen Cinderella.

Dennis notices that a sparkly princess crown has fallen out of Wei Wuxian's shopping bags.

"Mo Fan," he croaks. "Got it. Cinderella."

Wei Wuxian nods earnestly. "And a handsome prince named Jin Guangyao meets her and falls in love with her. He's in town to… try and help the villagers rebuild after the famine that drew the monsters there," he says. "Because he's just a really good guy. You can say it sends messages about how not all heroes are stabby fighters."

In which an animated movie Hanguang-Jun and the Yiling Patriarch is discussed with its Producer while the poor, ignored Five Nations consultant recognizes the two Immortals in the Producer's office.

Let's just say the original premise featuring "the story of Hanguang-Jun, a noble prince, who defeats the monsters terrorising the city of Yiling with the help of the grizzled old Yiling Patriarch, and in the process falls in love with a local maiden, Princess Lotus Blossom." is not appreciated.

Flick of the Wrist

Dernier is famous. He's been on television in sixteen countries. She's bound to be impressed.

He skips actually attending the afternoon session in favour of writing and then recording a long YouTube video about the Symposium. He titles it Inside the Top Secret Medical Conference You've Never Heard Of, and uploads it with a smirk. That'll show them for not actually inviting him.

In which a Famous Medical Researcher attends a Symposium held by Wen Qing. Once.

Lan Zhan's University Days (JAFFY)

Ziyuan gives him a look. "Last I checked, you weren't in charge of the computer science department, shushu, and this is what I have to do if I want to pass."

Jiang Ying scowls. "We'll see about that," he says darkly. He leaves the room briefly and comes back with a laptop of his own. It looks like it was probably sleek and expensive once, but now it's covered with glitter stickers. He sets it on the table and turns it on; when he clears away the windows he did have up, Jordan thinks she sees a browser tab open to YouTube frozen on a still frame of a Hanguang-Jun and the Yiling Patriarch fanvid.

Jiang Ying really seems to like that movie. He wears Hanguang-Jun and the Yiling Patriarch t-shirts at least once a week.

"You run Suibian?" Peter, one of the other students, sounds impressed. Jordan has heard of it - it's an open-source operating system, which is apparently important. Her sister is Very Into Computers, and talks about it a lot, apparently it's way better than other operating systems. Ava keeps trying to get Jordan to let her install it on her computer.

"I wrote Suibian," Jiang Ying says absently, typing rapidly.

"Holy shit," Peter breathes. "You're Axian?" He pronounces it Axe-ian.

"A-Xian," Jiang Ying corrects, still typing. "But you can't call me that, stick to Jiang Ying. I wrote it for my brother and sister, they needed something with actual security for their… work."

"Why does the source code say my sword is always at your service?" Peter asks eagerly. "Everyone has so many theories about that. Do you play D&D?"

"I don't. It says that because for them, it is. Hush now, do your work, I'm busy," Jiang Ying says, tossing a smile over his shoulder. Text is scrolling rapidly through several terminal windows.

In which Lan Zhan goes to veterinary school and the entire class is adopted for the semester after failing their first exam because Students Were Distracted.

Characters encountered here are met again and again in other tales. Some characters become more important than others.

And there are kittens.

The stories are not canon and are definitely not to be taken too seriously. Still … they are an exceptionally enjoyable read.

And yes, I enjoy YouTube "The Untamed" themed crack videos as well.

#mdzs fic recs #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #the untamed #Wei Wuxian #Lan Zhan #Jiang Cheng #Jiang Yanli #Lan Huan #Wen Qing #Lan Sizhui #and a large number of OCs

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add1ctedt0you · 2 months

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I really love the little moments you choose to gif. What inspires you to pick the ones you do?

Hiii! Thank you! It makes my heart warm! It makes me happy! <3

The question is quite interesting, because I hadn't never thought in detail about my reasons for choosing specific moments, it's the moment that draws my eyes.

Overlooking how this blog supports women's rights to do wrongs, I like to compare the source material with the web adaptation: like with jiang cheng' dream. Or the gifset I am most emotionally attacked to: this. I still remember that the first time I read jiang cheng smiling looking at his mother (he's the only one who seems truly happy to see her) and it caught my attention: he loves her so much! And she loves him too! I have a soft spot for mother & kid relationship, and I enjoy how their relationship is played in the drama, so, that's how the gifset is born. (the quality is so bad though. At the time I still was using YouTube videos :-/)

Other times, cql and the cast acting choices/interpretations have caught my attention. Like here: the camera shows us, even if briefly, jiang yanli's expression while lan xichen is congratulating jiang cheng: she opens in a little smile only to immediately drop it... What is she thinking? I had in mind another moment to add to the gifset, a parallel, but I felt it was unbiased/leaning toward an exact interpretation, and decided to focus on her expression during jiang cheng's speech to his disciples. Another gifset born due cql choices, is jiang yanli mourning jin zixuan: jin zixuan saying 'I'll take care of you' is a great foreshadowing! I like to think about jiang yanli, looking at jin zixuan's coffin, and remembering that specific moment (or, I've written scenes like this in my jiang yanli survives au lol). the jiang siblings inability to deal with rejection is still so funny.

Other times, mostly born from spite, my gifsets are about themes: love and hurt, jiang cheng protecting his family and being protected, deaths - 1, 2 (initially, I wanted to gif all mdzs's characters' deaths including novel quotes to enlighten the differences between the canon source and the web divergence. I still want to do it! I just need time).

Or I'll do a whole gifset because I want to gif one moment lmao. As in this ao3 tags gifset, I just wanted to include granny wen and wen yuan under the 'rated t for trauma' tag, because I think their past is quite overlooked! (if not to underline who is good and who's bad...) (like, seriously, the wen clan is *great* and I'll obsess over them all more if lotus pier and its dysfunction wasn't there too). Even retelling of jiang cheng and wei wuxian relationship is born due a gif... That I didn’t include because I felt it wasn't fitting the tone of the gifset :-/ ( the gif was lotus pier burning + tag: Lotus pier is a metaphor for chengxian)

Then, to motivate myself to keep reading svsss (I have almost finished the first book), I decided to make this gifset: honestly, parallels/references to mdzs stand out lol. Mxtx, the writer you are.

Uh, I think that's all! Like, I'll honestly make fun of cql too ( sorry, I am mean :-/). Hoping the answer is coherent enough. Still, thank you for the ask!

#about mar #ask answered #Anyway. I am evolving. I have like 4 gifset of mdzs's characters plus novel quotes/ atla quote #I just... need to understand how everyone makes their gifset so artistically pleasing #In the end I think it boils down to me loving details and obsessing over them lol

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silverflame2724 · 2 years

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Wei Wuxian is killed in Path Qionqi's ambush and Lan Wangji decides to marry Wen Qing and pass off A-Yuan as his son to protect the remaining Wen.

There were too many of them. And Wei Wuxian knew this was where he would meet his end. But that doesn't mean he would go without a fight. But first things first, he had to get Wen Ning back to a conscious state and send him off to Wen Qing with the Seal to protect them. Now that it had come to this, Wei Wuxian thought back briefly.

Perhaps this situation could have been avoided if he had been careful about breaking out the Wens. If he had been covert and not made a big spectacle out of this, perhaps things would have been different.

It was too late for regrets now.

He tossed the suppression talismans on Wen Ning and called out to him. Told him to use his arrays to protect the Wens long enough so that they could escape somewhere. Perhaps they could blend in with the townsfolk if they changed their clothes. The elders could, at least. Wen Qing and Wen Ning, on the other hand, would have to run far, far away, if they could.

Wei Wuxian didn't know. He had no time.

With one last command to Wen Ning, forcing him to flee, Wei Wuxian snapped the two halves of the Seal together. He planned to destroy the damned thing along with everyone here.

As he poured every last bit of energy he had into the Seal and felt himself get sucked into the ensuing explosion, his last thought was........ that now, finally, he could rest.

..................................................

The news broke out soon enough. Jin Zixuan limped back into his son's one month celebration and announced what had happened. His stupid cousin Jin Zixun had ambushed Wei Wuxian with members of both Lan and Jin and forced him to use the Seal to protect himself. No one except Jin Zixuan, who had arrived too late, was only able to witness the explosion and death of everyone there.

Jiang Yanli cried out in despair, pleading Jin Zixuan that it wasn't true, that her A' Xian, her brother couldn't be dead. Jin Zixuan didn't know how to comfort her, but merely replied that he saw his broken body among the many others littering Qiongqi Path.

When asked about the Seal, Jin Zixuan shook his head, it had completely crumbled to dust. The many greedy faces of the sect leaders looked dismayed, including Jin Guangshan.

In the corner, Lan Wangji stumbled back, whispering a heartbroken "no" and simply left the place. But no one paid attention, all they could think about was the defenseless Wens.

...................................................

No. No, no, no, no.

Lan Wangji begged any god that ever existed. This couldn't happen. This didn't happen. Wei Ying wasn't dead. It was a joke. A cruel joke that Jin Zixuan said, right? Wei Ying and Jin Zixuan never got along, so of course it would be like that.

Lan Wangji didn't lose his chance. Wei Ying was alive. He was alive. He had to be alive.

Cause if he wasn't.....

He landed at Qiongqi Path.

If he wasn't.......

He desperately searched the desolated place, ignoring the implications of the many Lan members with weapons in their hands.

If he wasn't---

He collapsed beside a broken, torn body. Chenqing was in pieces by her master's side. Lan Wangji lifted up a trembling hand to the vacant silver eyes, perhaps the only intact thing on his face.

The cry that left him was silent and desolate.

What was Lan Wangji supposed to do? How could he go on? How could he.....when it was his fault, his letter that led Wei Ying to this place. To his death.

Numb to everything, he lifted Wei Ying's body up, tucking him safely by his side, ignoring the blood staining his clothes. He had to get to the Burial Mounds.

........................................

Wen Ning wanted to cry. He wanted to sob, to rage, to tear them all to shreds. Wei-gongzi died. He died, alone and hurting and there was nothing Wen Ning could do about it. He couldn't even go back to get his body. Because what if A' Jie and the others were attacked while he was away? He couldn't risk that. Not when--Not when Wei-gongzi gave his life for them.

But what could they do? They could, perhaps look for a place for the elders to settle down somewhere, but he and A' Jie were too well-known. They had to leave far, far away. But where could they run to? And....how far? Would there ever be a day when they could be safe?

Wen Ning didn't know.

But he didn't have to know.

Hanguang-Jun soon arrived with Wei-gongzi's body. But....something was wrong. Hanguang-Jun’s expression....it looked.......dead, somehow. It looked wrong.

“Hanguang-Jun, thank you for bringing him back.” A’ Jie said, her voice trembling. “But, why....why are you here?”

Wen Ning suddenly remembered the various Lan disciples that had attacked them and tensed. Lan Wangji had been amicable to them in their previous encounters but who could say that his mind was changed, considering how many Lan disciples were killed.

“I....I had a plan.” He whispered, to no one in particular. “I had a plan. I could hide you in a town near Caiyi and bring A’ Yuan in as an war orphan. Then, bring Wei Ying to Gusu under the guise of healing him and bringing him back to the sword path. We could lock the Seal away and find a way for Wei Ying to live peacefully. But.....”

Wen Ning acted quickly and caught Hanguang-Jun as he seemed to collapse in on himself.

“Why.....Why did this happen? I just....I just wanted him to see his sister. He was so....so sad the last time I was here. I just wanted to see him smile. Why? Why?”

Wen Ning yelped even though he felt no pain. Lan Wangji’s spiritual energy seemed to spiral out of control at that moment.

“This is-- Damn it, he’s going into a qi deviation!” Wen Qing panicked. “A’ Ning, get my needles! I need to knock him out before it’s too late!”

“Y-Yes!” He quickly scrambled away and got her medical supplies.

Without hesitation, she transferred spiritual energy into her needles and knocked Lan Wangji out. She pulled Wei Wuxian’s body away and couldn’t help the tears that fell down her face at his condition.

She turned her attention away and used it to calm Lan Wangji’s energy down. They didn’t need another death on their hands.

..........................................

Lan Wangji woke up.

Why did he wake up? Why should he be in a world where Wei Ying is no longer there? What is even the point? He was too late. Always so late.

He shouldn’t have been so scared of rejection, of his own feelings, of Wei Ying’s response. He should have just gone for it, confessed, perhaps even courted the other until he fell for him. But he didn’t do any of that.

Like a coward, he said nothing. He didn’t convey his feelings, he never corrected Wei Ying about his supposed “hatred” towards him, he never did anything.

He couldn’t do anything right.

Why was he still here?

Why--

“Rich-gege?”

Lan Wangji got up with a start, “A’ Yuan?”

“Mm.” A’ Yuan nodded. “Rich-gege, you’re back! Xian-gege said you wouldn’t come, but he was wrong! Hehe. Are you staying for dinner this time?”

Lan Wangji’s lips trembled. He should have stayed for dinner that night. He should have stayed forever that day. If he had, would Wei Ying still be alive? Or...if he had showed his support more outwardly, had given him food, water, even crops to give him strength, would things be different?

So many what ifs come to mind and what did Lan Wangji do?

Nothing. He bought a toy - not that A’ Yuan didn’t deserve it - and a meal and thought that was enough. Thought that nothing would go wrong.

Oh, what a fool he was.

“Rich-gege, why are you crying? What it something A’ Yuan said?”

Lan Wangji shook his head and bent down to hug the boy. “It’s nothing. I...just need a hug.”

“Okay! I’m good at hugs. Xian-gege told me so!”

Lan Wangji took a shaky breath at the mention as he hugged the boy.

Because Wei Ying was no longer here.

..................................

They buried him in the spare ragged blankets they had and put whatever flowers they could around his grave. Lan Wangji wanted to take Wei Ying’s body to Gusu, but he didn’t know what his uncle or others like him would do should they discover Wei Ying’s grave. He couldn’t risk it.

They decided to settle the elders in the abandoned village near Caiyi and decided to “show proof” that Wen Ning was put down. In actuality, he would be a guard for the Wen village, though they would do their best to disguise him as a human.

Wen Qing and Wen Yuan on the other hand, were tough decisions. They could leave A’ Yuan in the village, but the elders were all on their last legs and weakened from their time in the Burial Mounds. They couldn’t really take care of A’ Yuan. And even if Wen Qing were to disguise herself and run away, it was only a matter of time before she was caught considering her well-known medical skills. The Wen elders too. Even if they were old, if they happened to be recognized, there was little Lan Wangji could do to prevent the Wens from being murdered without implicating his clan.

“You could....” Wen Qing gritted her teeth. “You could...marry me. Pass of A’ Yuan as our child.”

Lan Wangji stopped breathing for a moment. “.........What?”

“Look, I don’t like it either, but this could be the only way to grant us immunity. Besides, I remember one of A’ Yuan’s parents being from the Lan clan, at least a distant relative of one. Some of his features resemble you, so it could work.”

“I....” Lan Wangji was conflicted. He had never wanted to marry anyone but Wei Ying, but if this method helped protect the people Wei Ying gave his life for, then.... “Okay.”

..............................................

It didn’t go down well with the elders. The demanded seclusion and the discipline whip for his slight, but Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren managed to calm them down, opting to give him a couple hundred strikes with the discipline ruler, three strikes instead of the thirty originally suggested with the whip, and seclusion for a few years, at least until the storm of rumors died down.

In the end, the Wens were protected and were able to live out their last years peacefully. Wen Ning migrated away from the sects after their deaths, occasionally popping by Gusu to see A’ Yuan grow up. Wen Qing contributed to the Lan sect with her skills and the originally wary Lans, warmed up to her, though not too much. Lan Wangji recovered from his punishment quickly with Wen Qing’s help though he was still stuck in seclusion.

A’ Yuan grew up to be Lan Sizhui, a calm and gentle person who occasionally showed a mischievous side. And Lan Wangji.....well, he never quite recovered from Wei Wuxian’s death, but found companionship in Wen Qing, who shared stories about Wei Wuxian with Lan Wangji.

Everything seemed fine, until Nie Mingjue’s violent death and the resurgence of demonic cultivation.

In a shed near the Mo residence, a bloody array shimmered. The body in the center of it woke up, disoriented.

“Wasn’t I dead?”

________________________________

Sooooo, wasn’t sure whether you wanted more details out of the repercussions of Lan Wangji taking in the Wens, but I did my best, haha.

Hope you enjoyed it!

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cranberrytaboo · 9 months

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4, 8, 12, 15, 17, 21, 24, 33, 25 for whatever ships come to mind for each!

Katya voice: THAT WAS A LONG ONE

all under the cut!

4 - Where it hurts WangXian "Wei Ying... Why did you let yourself be branded?" If Lan Wangji had expected Wei Wuxian to take his question seriously, he would be seriously disappointed. Wei Wuxian smiled, still dazed and drunk from the agony of his burning flesh. "And let poor MianMian be marked forever? Such pretty skin as hers should always be protected. It was not such a great sacrifice in the defense of true beauty."

But the only true beauty here is you, Lan Zhan wanted to say. He forced his tongue into stillness, so as not to let the errant thought run out of his mouth. Instead, he continued his ministrations, tending to the angry raw skin on Wei Wuxian's chest, letting his eyes sharpen with hate as he beheld the Wen crest tainting his Wei Ying's perfect body. As Wei Wuxian drifted in and out of consciousness, Lan Wangji bowed his head, pressing his lips tenderly to the wound.

The smell of burning flesh branded itself likewise into his mind.

8 - In secrecy HarryKim

Kim rested his elbows against the balcony at the Whirling-in-Rags and looked out towards the bay. There, the sun was slowly climbing down from the sky, painting the ice and snow soft pinks and creamy oranges. He lifted one hand to rub the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"It is... difficult, to try and balance your love life with secrecy. I'm sure you remember just how *avoidant* your friend, the Smoker, was, even in his own apartment. It's called the Homo-sexual Underground for a reason. You have to keep it quiet, you can't *show* it. I don't know... Do you think you're ready for a life like that?" He finally turned to face Harry fully.

Harry, who had only just recently remembered what homo-sexuality *was*, stood looking nonplussed. "So, if I wanted to hold you, or kiss you, I couldn't do it in front of everyone?"

"That's what I'm saying, Harry. In public, you have to act as if nothing at all is going on. There are *tells*, yes, signals, but it all has to be discreet." Kim wondered briefly if Harry was even capable of discretion.

"That seems like an awfully painful way to live."

"It is." Kim turned his head away again, not wanting to show his partner that much vulnerability. Thus, he was surprised when Harry approached, guiding his chin with one hand to press a kiss to his mouth. The sun itself slipped beneath the horizon at that moment, as if to give them privacy.

"But painful sounds worth it, if it's you."

12 - In grief ChengXian

The reeds in all directions whispered in the wind and crackled under the weight of Jiang Cheng's body, rustling as his shoulders racked with great, heavy sobs. As quietly as he could muster, so as not to disturb the tension, Wei Wuxian knelt beside his sworn brother, eyes reddening.

"Mother...! Father!" Jiang Cheng's teeth gnashed bitterly, lips pulled into a wrathful snarl for a brief moment before he continued to wail, unable to even hold on to anger in his grief.

Wei Wuxian lowered beside Jiang Cheng and turned to face him, hands gripping at the arm nearest him as tears finally spilled past his lashes. Everyone in Yunmeng Jiang is gone. You, and Yanli, and Jiang Cheng, are all that is left. It was not a vacuousness that Wei Wuxian was unfamiliar with, but one he had prayed night after night that he would never feel again. And now, Jiang Cheng was feeling it too.

He leaned on his elbows to lift up his own weight, drawing close to Jiang Cheng and kissing away the tears, not caring when the other flinched.

Jiang Cheng seemed at a loss for a moment before gripping at Wei Wuxian's back and pulling him close, desperately, like Wei Wuxian would turn into smoke and dissipate if he didn't.

15 - Passionately JohnnyV

Before V met Johnny, he didn't think such an intense form of self-love was possible. But now, with an entirely separate psyche hanging out in his head, V was finding creative ways to show Johnny just how much he meant to him, even as they cohabited his body.

He knew Johnny could interact with him physically, at least in theory- the punch Johnny had thrown when they first spoke had sent him flying- but it was awkward to try and show affection to someone who nobody else could see.

Thus, he asked Johnny to work with him, to try new things. Johnny could take over control of V's body- so surely, he could take control of just a part of it, right? His legs, or a hand, for example. They tested this theory-- then tested it again, and again, with satisfying results each time.

And every time, V would lean in to feverishly kiss the palm of his own hand, showing appreciation for the specter that lingered with him.

17 - To distract MariAli

"I know what you're here for, and the answer is no." Alice folded her arms and frowned, her foot tapping impatiently.

Marisa flashed her a winning smile. "What do you mean? How could you possibly know why I'm here, when I haven't said anything?"

"You don't have to say anything. Every year, I make plum wine when the season turns, and every year, you and Reimu come and steal it to drink back at the Hakurei Shrine." Alice's Shanghai and Hourai dolls stood before the jars of honey-colored liqueur, guarding them with their tiny lances.

Marisa folded her arms and grumbled, making a show of frustration while cutting her eyes to Reimu, her partner in crime. The witch's eyes sparkled with an idea, and Reimu slowly nodded her head in recognition.

Recklessly, Marisa swept Alice into her arms, dipping the magician low to the ground. "Now!" She crowed, before pulling Alice into a deep kiss. Alice's limbs tensed, then slacked, her head spinning.

Flustered and high on a giddy sort of energy, Alice's mind muddled until she was finally released. As she collected herself, she looked to the window, where Marisa and Reimu were beating a hasty escape, arms laden with jars of plum wine. The Shanghai doll moved to give chase, but Alice simply lifted a hand.

"Ugh... Let them go, this time. If Marisa is willing to go that far, she must really need it." Alice couldn't help but entertain the idea of making more plum wine, this time to be traded instead.

21 - On a place of insecurity CyGate

Cyclonus had noticed, in even the short time he had known Tailgate, that he had a great number of insecurities. Surely, Cyclonus thought, anyone would recognize this in him, but he seemed to be the only one who really paid attention to how Tailgate clung so desperately to any sort of validation, any sense of belonging or being a part of something greater.

And one of the places where Tailgate's insecurity most manifested was in his Function. On his forearm were carved carefully the words "Waste Disposal," and it apparently caused Tailgate no end of resentment. On a quiet night, Cyclonus resolved to confront the little bot about it.

"It's so degrading," Tailgate finally admitted, his optics gleaming as he averted his gaze. "Everyone else has such grand purposes, but me? I'm just a janitor!" He held his head in his hands. "Every time I look at my arm, I feel so humiliated that I just wanna tear it off." He sniffed. "I would, if I weren't such a coward."

"Wait, listen to reason." Cyclonus tried to force himself to speak gently, knowing just how jarring his voice could be. "First of all, there's nothing wrong with cleaning waste. It is a necessary task like any other, and we wouldn't be able to live in a place full of garbage." He paused, realizing that might not have been what Tailgate wanted to hear, even if he needed it. "And two, your Function is not indicative of your worth. I have seen you, Tailgate, and your intense spirit, and you are worth far more than most any bot on this ship."

"You really think so?" Tailgate finally looked back up at Cyclonus.

"I know it." Cyclonus carefully took Tailgate's hand, lifting his arm and brushing his mouth across the lettering. "And I will keep telling you so until you believe it."

24 - In danger Sufferer/Disciple

Each day in hiding, the Sufferer grew more distraught. Even as many times as they relocated, however many of their pursuers they killed and however often they covered their tracks, he knew it was only a matter of time before they were caught. He watched as his beloved mother, the Dolarosa, retreated to a place of solitude in the cavern they inhabited, lifting her hands and praying under her breath. To his side, the Disciple sharpened her claws, dragging them against the rocky floor and watching them file down to shape with marked intensity.

"Why is it that you continue to follow me?" He looked to the Disciple with a mix of sorrow and resignation. "If I asked you to run, to let them hunt me while you escaped to live your life safely, would you?"

"Never." She replied plainly. "I have chosen this path, knowing it would be hard, because of my endless devotion to you. Why do you think I would flee now, just because we're nearing the end?"

The Sufferer lowered his head, teeth grit. So, she was aware, just as he was, that they did not have long. "I only wish that... that my actions here had caused any change."

"They did." The Disciple moved close to his side, nuzzling her cheek against his. "You may not have changed the highblood's minds, but you have moved the hearts of those who struggle like us. It won't be immediate, but you have invited a wave of change."

"I would have liked to be around to see it." The Sufferer laughed, bitterly, before pressing a kiss to the Disciple's cheek. "Thank you. I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me one day for bringing you into this."

"I already have." And yet, she could not help but wish that they could remain curled together in the vague warmth of that cavern until the end of days.

25 - As a Yes HecaJun

Junko couldn't remember half of the catalysts of her pure rage. She couldn't remember the faces of her husband and son, nor the face of Chang'e, who took them from her. She couldn't even remember her name from before she became a vengeful spirit. All she could remember was the concentrated rage that boiled in her throat.

But she was slowly making new memories, and most of them were of Hecatia. Hecatia, smiling and agreeing to fight at her side. Hecatia, laughing and playing with Clownpiece, dancing across the crater of a dried-up lunar lake. Hecatia, pushing back a lock of Junko's hair and asking her if she would be interested in trying to love again.

Junko didn't quite know how to answer. She wanted to say yes. Desperately. But her lips threatened to betray her, as they quivered behind years of near-forgotten heartbreak. So instead, she closed the distance between Hecatia's mouth and her own, agreeing in a silent sort of way.

33 - Forcefully HarryJean

"Jean, please look at me."

Rather than give in, Jean continued to stare daggers at the floor in front of him. It was all he could do to keep his attention focused on that one spot, eyes burning as another wave of despair welled in his chest and threatened to crush his lungs.

"Listen! I want to apologize, but I need you to stop acting like I'm not *here*, can't you even pretend to hear me?" Harry pushed a hand through his own hair, his initial repentance giving way to frustration he knew he didn't have the right to feel.

Jean's fists gripped at his knees where he sat, teeth digging into the inside of his lip until he could taste blood. "I get you feel like shit. I can sympathize. But that doesn't mean you get to treat the rest of us like shit till you feel better..!"

"This isn't about the others. I'll talk to them later, but right now, this is about me and you." Harry's fingers twitched. "You knew what you were getting into when you started getting closer to me, I warned you about the kind of man I was becoming."

"Is that supposed to be an apology?!" Jean's eyes snapped upward to stare at Harry hard. "Because that sounds like excuses."

"I'm *getting* to it!" Harry exhaled, too harshly, trying to force out the anger in his stomach. "I *am* sorry! I hate hurting you!"

Jean's eyes narrowed, and he looked back down at the floor. "Then stop hurting me."

The same frustration that Harry tried so hard to repress flared back up. If only it were so *easy.* Why was Jean convinced that he could just change in a day? And why was Jean not looking at him? The aloofness made him *sick*.

It was so easy to stride across the floor, to grab Jean by the jaw and to turn his head upward, to lock their lips.

He wasn't sure what he expected in return, but it wasn't a hand tangled into his hair, keeping him close, as Jean's mouth worked against his own. He could faintly taste blood on Jean's tongue. When he pulled his head back, Jean chased him, briefly, before leaning back again.

Harry let out a ragged breath. "Let me start from the top."

There was a moment's silence before Jean nodded. "Yeah. Please do."

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br-disaster · 4 months

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Hmmm i don't much know what ships you do or don't ship so.... Wen Qing/Jiang Yanli?

Although I haven't thought about them in a while, I've read fanfiction and I've seen beautiful art of these two together <3 I'm a casual enjoyer, I think

Ship It!

What made you ship it?

Definitely fanworks! Beautiful people creating beautiful art about them <3

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

I think there are many possibilities to explore their characters when you pair them together like this (and also when you give them the spotlight!). I love that they can bond over being older sisters and perhaps free themselves of this burden a little when they're together.

And I love that Wen Qing is a doctor when Yanli is at least implied to have some health issues (at least in CQL, but if I'm not mistaken, the book also suggests something like that, however briefly). It makes for a good way for them to meet in AUs or even in canon settings, like CQL, and even grow intimate (since doctor-patient ethics doesn't need to matter in this context lol)

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I don't think it's unpopular for the shippers, they surely spend more time thinking about them than I do, but Yanli doesn't need to be a 'badass' to be with Wen Qing (or anybody else). She doesn't need to be secretly strong or anything.

#thank you for asking! i'm sorry it took me so long to answer #my big exam happened and then i was too worried about it to focus on writing a proper reply until now #ask game #yanli x wen qing

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marquisguyun · 4 months

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if you're still procrastinating - B and P?

I got one exchange deadline handled but I still have more so yes, I'm still procrastinating! 🤡 Thank you for the ask!

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or sexual–that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

Hmm my first thoughts are Jiang Cheng/Lan Qiren or Jiang Yanli/Xue Yang, both of which I never would have considered without some great fanfics!

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).

Okay so this isn't new per se but I haven't shared it & I was just thinking about it: In A League of Nobleman, Lan Jue's son is mentioned briefly/out of no where in the last episode. The kid's mother isn't mentioned. This feels to me like one of those "this was based on a novel and we didn't include this plot but let's hint at it for the readers" type of things. So at one point it occurred to me that in an AU where mpreg is a thing (Omegaverse? Something else? idk), Lan Jue could have been the one to have given birth to his son! Who is the other father? Plenty of options, but I think it would be really interesting he'd found out he was pregnant after Gu Qingzhang left...

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shanastoryteller · 6 months

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Happy Halloween Shana! Perhaps some Lady Mo or anything in The Untamed universe. (Sorry, I’m new at this.) 💜🎃

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

"That's not," Lan Zhan start then he presses his lips together. "Of course, if that's what you want, then-"

Wei Wuxian flinches.

Lan Zhan goes silent, looking at him with his hands loose at his sides and a helpless expression that Wei Wuxian last remembers seeing as he fell off a cliff's edge.

"Brother," Lan Xichen says gently, "have you asked Xuanyu what she wants?"

"It's fine," he says quickly, "It doesn't matter what I want."

Jiang Cheng's eyes narrow but before Wei Wuxian can head off the temper he can see see brewing, Lan Zhan has crossed the distance between them, grabbing his hands and holding them in almost too tight grip, and Wei Wuxian can't focus on anything but Lan Zhan's dark eyes. "It matters to me."

His mouth goes dry. He's so close, and they used to be the same height, and one of the only things he's not quite used to in this body is how much shorter he is, how he has to tilt his head back to meet Lan Zhan's gaze.

He wants this baby.

It's not fair. It's not right. This isn't his life and isn't his child, not really, it's all stolen and borrowed and nothing he'll have to keep. If he brings this child into the world, he's sentencing them to a life with a dead parent. He knows that life.

But a life as the child of Lan Zhan is a good life. He knows it. Look at Sizhui, at how wonderful he is, at how kind and loved.

"What do you want?" he asks.

Lan Zhan shakes his head. "That's not important."

What a ridiculous thing to say. "It is to me."

He stays perfectly still and then his eyes dip down to Wei Wuxian's stomach, where their - where his and Mo Xuanyu's baby grows. His grip on his hands briefly tightens to the point of almost pain before he says, "I want our child." He slowly pulls up his eyes to meet Wei Wuxian's once more. "If that's what you want."

Lan Zan wants their baby.

This makes everything more complicated, if he's to have this baby and still fulfill the purpose Mo Xuanyu died to give him. His life is about to get so much harder.

He's so relieved he's nearly dizzy with it.

"Me too," he says. "I want that too."

"Okay," Lan Zhan says softly. "Okay, Xuanyu."

"XUANYU!"

He startles, pulling back to see Jiang Yanli standing there, panting as she holds onto Jin Guangyao's arm in support.

"Yanli-jie!" he says in concern, rushing over to her. "Are you alright?"

She waves a dismissive hand, which doesn't answer his question. "Never mind that. Are you alright?" She glares over his shoulder, he assumes at Lan Zhan.

It shouldn't be endearing, but of course it is. Thirteen years as a Jin and she's still so perfectly Jiang, so perfectly herself, that it's enough to make him homesick even when he's right in front of her. "Yeah, Yanli-jie. I'm alright."

She huffs and grips his wrist, pulling him to her side and then not quite sure what to so with him, but he settles a hand at her elbow and says, "Let's get ready for the banquet, okay?"

"Fine," she says, scowl finally melting into something softer.

He glances behind him as he leaves to find he still has Lan Zhan's full attention and has to keep himself from flushing.

Lan Zhan hadn't had a sip of alchohal, but just then, before Jiang Yanli arrived -

Wei Wuxian had thought that Lan Zhan was about to kiss him.

#prompt answers #prompts are closed #asks #vagabondareads #untamed

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aitchnkay · 9 months

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Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 13

Jiang YanLi briefly visited the injured Jin disciple to ensure he was recovering from his ordeal before looking for Wei WuXian to say goodbye and to take care. She found both him and Lan WangJi near the Jiang kitchen packing food into qiankun pouches.

Wei WuXian was serious as he packed. "Lan Zhan... you really will have to change into normal clothing before we leave. If you go out like that, everyone will know you're a Lan disciple."

"Mmm."

"And that means removing your forehead ribbon, too. Do you want me to carry it for you?" The younger boy smiled widely at his friend. Jiang YanLi could detect no trace of embarrassment in his visage.

"Mmm."

Oh, no you don't. Jiang YanLi had received several letters from her youngest brother while they were at Cloud Recesses. Including a note about what those ribbons meant. Given that Wei WuXian was not embarrassed to carry one meant he had not paid attention during that part of the lectures. "Lan Er Gongzi? May I have a moment of your time?"

The younger jade left his packing to stand before her. "Lan Er Gongzi. You will not be giving Wei WuXian your ribbon," she informed him quietly so her brother wouldn't hear. "I know what it means." She noticed the jade's ears reddening, and felt her own face flushing as well, but she soldiered on. "XianXian doesn't know what it means. I won't have him taking your ribbon until and unless he fully agrees with everything it implies."

"Wei Ying has copied our rules many times. Listened to Shifu discuss the rules many times."

She cocked her head at the jade. "What makes you think he was paying attention to any of that? If a lecture is not something he's interested in, he's not going to listen. he might pretend to listen if the consequences for not are dire enough. Also, my little brother would not spend his time copying three thousand rules and read what he's copying. I suspect he just looked at the next character and wrote it down.

"Look at him, Lan Er Gongzi? Does he have the countenance of a man who knows that carrying your ribbon for him is basically a symbol of your engagement? If this ends up being something you both want, I won't stop him. I will negotiate the betrothal contract with your brother. I will support him even in the face of my parents' disapproval and A'Cheng's teasing. If, Lan WangJi, if marriage with you is something he chooses freely. Until then?" She made her face look as stern as possible. "Until then you will keep your ribbon to yourself. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Jiang Guniang."

"You may call me LiJie, if you wish."

"Yes, LiJie." Lan WangJi's ears were nearly apple red.

"Have a safe trip," she cautioned. "Don't let him get in too much trouble."

"I promise, LiJie."

"Good boy." She nodded, satisfied that the younger Lan would keep his word. He might seduce her brother along the way, but.... Looking at Wei WuXian's face as the jade returned to his side, she didn't think Lan WangJi would have to try all that much to get exactly what he wanted.

She walked away, mentally adding another line in her never ending to-do list: discuss marriage arrangements with Lan ZongZhu.

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #jiang yanli #wei ying #cql #lan zhan #wei wuxian #lan wangji

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crowns-of-violets-and-roses · 9 months

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Short thoughts on the 2023 Hugo Short Stories Finalists

On the Razor's Edge by Jiang Bo: Caveat that it's noted that due to the short time frame the work is AI translated.

Chinese astronauts launch a rescue mission. Feels somewhat reminiscent of golden age SF - men saving lives with their technical knowledge and sheer gumption. A feel good message about how space is for all mankind.

I've only read one other story by this author Face Changing which I enjoyed a lot more. I think the machine translation probably hurt this one but even beside that the characters felt rather simplistic.

D.I.Y. by John Wiswell: The Youth™ find a solution to a drought whern the magical establishment have failed to.

Two years running of Wiswell getting nominated for something that isn't even the best thing he wrote that year. If anything by Wiswell got nominated this year it should have been The Coward who Stole God's name.

I read this when it came out and instantly thought it would get a bunch of award nominations which was accurate. It was too pollyannaish for me but lots of people loved it.

The White Cliff by Lu Ban: SF short story where the central SF conceit is used to explore grief and death. I liked this one!

The translation is awkward in places (I'm not certain whether it's machine translated or just done in a rush) but it's an enjoyable story and the relationship between Yanli and An was compelling enough to keep me interested.

Zhurong on Mars by Regina Kanyu Wan: An AI alone on Mars after humans have abandoned their physical forms.

I appreciated the translators note explaining the choice of pronouns/the Chinese mythology the story is inspired by/scientific background (complete with a footnote linking to a relevant Nature paper).

It's a really engaging story - the type of one you keep reading because you want to find out what happens next. I would have liked to have seen the conflicting viewpoints of Zhurong and Gonggong explored in more depth and I would have liked a little more detail on the new life at the end but other than that it was great.

Resurrection by Ren Qing: Another story using technology to explore grief and death but while The White Cliff was focused exclusively on those Resurrection has a broader scope - war, trauma, politics, societal prejudice.

It's great at quickly establishing characters. We get a sense of the personality of even briefly appearing characters. There's only so much complexity you can build even for the main characters in the small page count but the story makes good use of the space it has to develop them,

It's the only story included which had a line that made me laugh out loud even though it's not in any sense a comedic story which has to count for something.

The ending is haunting and feels as if it is the inevitable conclusion to the story.

Good characters, interesting themes, a sprinkling of humor and a fitting ending. What more could you ask for?

Rabbit Test by Samantha Mills: A story about abortion rights in the USA. Unsurprisingly it resonated in a post Dobbs landscape and has already won a Locus and Nebula. I wouldn't rate it among the best short stories I read in 2022 but it's a solid timely story.

I'm personally tried with SF about American politics which probably makes my judgement a a little harsh. I'd probably have appreciated it more if it was about abortion rights in literally any other country.

My ranking:

Resurrection

Zhurong on Mars

The White Cliff

Rabbit Test

D.I.Y.

On the Razor's Edge

First and second could flip as could third and fourth but otherwise I don't expect these to change much.

It's a reasonably solid list of stories with nothing quite outstandingly good or bad. Most recent years had stories that were worse than everything on the list but also stories that were better than all of them.

#hugo awards #I'd already read the Wiswell and Mills and read through the rest of them yesterday #no guess on who will win - Rabbit Test has won lots of awards but isn't translated into Chinese which might cut it off from a lot of voters

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aiyexayen · 2 years

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pridewrite day 2 let's gooooo

day 2: plaid/cuffed jeans, ft. jiang yanli/wen qing/wei ying

"Not to be a lesbian but oh my fucking god. Oh my god. Jesus fuck-ing Christ."

Wei Ying looks up from the frog he's been inspecting and turns to the other end of the pier where Jiang Yanli--his best friend in the entire world--sits with her phone gripped close to her face, her bare feet dangling in the water.

(The fact that he has no fewer than seven people he would call his best friend in the entire world does not make it less true. Anyway, he's known A-Li the longest, since they were little kids playing out on this same pier together with A-Cheng. Sometimes when they come out here the two-decade-old memories of the three of them racing to be the first to jump into the river, wearing even less than they are now, layer over reality to the point of distraction. Today is not, however, one of those days.

Today is a day for crouching by the shallows and peering under lotus leaves, sketching the frogs until something of clearly much gayer importance is brought to his attention.)

Just as Wei Ying looks up, so does Yanli, peeking over her phone to make sure he heard. Wei Ying will swear later she had actual hearts twinkling in her starstruck eyes.

Emphatically she adds, directly to Wei Ying, "Oh my god."

Grin flashing, Wei Ying stands up and pads over with a quick little hopping gait across the sun-heated boards, ignoring the creak of joints that let him know just how long he's been hunched in the same position. They'll get over it.

"Show me, show me!"

He drops down right up against Yanli and gratefully sticks his feet in the cool water, abandoning his sketchbook and flopping sideways into her so she can do just that.

Yanli giggles indulgently at his nonsense and leans her head over against his, holds up her phone.

It's a photo. And another one, as Yanli swipes a delicate thumb across. And a third, and a fourth, and they're, well, really fucking hot. Wei Ying inhales sharply.

All of them are of Wen Qing--his best friend in the entire world--set against some kind of empty parking garage. And she looks like a goddess. A goddess in plaid and cuffed jeans and blood-red eye shadow.

Not just any cuffed jeans, either, but fancy fashion jeans: almost obnoxiously wide-legged, briefly hugging her hips to hint at curves and then dropping straight down to make her look longer than she really is. The cuffs on the bottom are wide, too, only rescued from trailing on the ground by the spiky heels just peeking out from underneath. Oh, and they're notched open right next to the dangling red silk belt for a thigh window, under which Wei Ying can just see hints of her tattoo.

It probably wouldn't be nearly as bad without the black plaid shirt, four sizes too big, thrown on and hanging open over nothing more than a slash of red lace across her chest. The sleeves are, Wei Ying notes with despair, rolled up to the elbow, showing off forearms which he's always known were unfairly built. It's bad enough in the first shot of her lounging seductively against a concrete wall; the one where she's crossing her arms and staring down at the camera with her trademark quelling look--caught impeccably in high definition--is much, much worse.

"God in heaven," Wei Ying agrees, feeling his mouth go dry.

He knew, technically, that Wen Qing had started her modelling gig last week, taking advantage of her looks to see her through medical school, but he hadn't really thought about it, and definitely hadn't remembered the first set was dropping today.

"Right?" Yanli sounds vindicated. "Holy fucking shit, A-Ying--the one where she's sitting on the yellow beam? I have never before in my life been so envious of a chunk of steel."

Wei Ying laughs and agrees. "Maybe you should put on a raincoat and go knock on her door, ah?"

Yanli elbows him lightly and then they sit there together in the summer sun, bare arms and thighs sticking together, hunched over the little screen of her phone for an incredibly reasonable and normal amount of time, flipping back and forth between the images. Whether it's the fact that Wen Qing is so drop-dead gorgeous or just the novelty of seeing someone they actually know dolled up and posed like a real model, like she's art, Wei Ying isn't sure.

Eventually Yanli pulls back, sits upright, and breaks the silence with a long, soft sigh. "Wei Ying," she announces. "I might have to ask your girlfriend out on a date."

Wei Ying takes a slow breath, sitting up himself, and turns to give a solemn nod, looking up at Yanli with big eyes. "I understand, A-Li. I'm afraid...that I feel the same way about your girlfriend."

After another beat where they just manage to hold eye contact, they dissolve into giddy laughter and fall back together.

"We'll ask her together, ah?" Yanli says, setting her phone down and reaching out to flick a stray hair out of Wei Ying's face. "These turned out stunningly well; she deserves a celebratory dinner."

Wei Ying beams and catches her hand, swinging it like a kid. "In the meantime--"

He doesn't get the chance to finish his sentence before Yanli tackles him into the river.

Spluttering and laughing, they surface and Wei Ying splashes her in retaliation. She beat him to the dunking by a full ten seconds at least!

"No fair!"

"That's for the terrible pun you were about to make about being hot and bothered," Yanli says smugly, and splashes him back.

In truth, Wei Ying can't even try to pretend he's offended; it was a terrible pun. He spends the rest of the afternoon making worse ones, though, just because he can.

He's pretty sure at least the frog appreciates them.

#pridewrite #pridewrite2022 #pw2 #pwalt2 #the untamed #wei ying #wen qing #jiang yanli

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veliseraptor · 1 year

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18 for the wrapped?

The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

Hmmmm. I mean, I wrote a lot of it not this year, but writing Jiang Yanli's POV was, while not the hardest I've ever done, definitely new and different from a lot of other characters I've written. Xiao Xingchen often gives me fits when I'm writing from his point of view.

But honestly I feel like the character that I had the hardest time getting a handle on writing in a way I felt good about (and I know this is not relevant to you specifically) was Porsche, who only appeared in fics I wrote relatively briefly and every time I was like "am I doing this right at all." Still feel that way.

#conversating #gloriousmonsters #lise memes

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satonthelotuspier · 2 years

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Allcheng and Jiujiu & A-Ling ficlet! This was written for valentines. Feel free to guess which MC sent which present if you'd like!

It started that morning, when Jiang Cheng awoke to find the lotus flower on the table in his room. It was made expertly out of paper, but the petals and stamen swayed slightly, magically, as if in response to some ghostly wind.

It was a very clever and beautiful piece of work, and Jiang Cheng filed it away as a task for later, to try and find out who had left it, and for what purpose.

The next odd item to turn up was a carefully folded fan on his breakfast tray, which the servant who brought his meal from the kitchens couldn't tell him the origins of.

He dismissed the servant, and began to eat. But curiosity did get the better of him briefly, and he opened the fan. It was exquisitely painted with several small birds, made bright with splashes of red and yellow.

He spent the morning in training with the newest group of disciples, and then, as he made his way back to undertake the paperwork piling up on his desk, he passed the main hall.

The loud chatter drew his attention, and he entered. Several of the disciples were clustered around the Lotus Throne, talking excitedly. He pushed to the front of them, to see what had them in a tizzy; a jar of the finest sword oil sat in the middle of the seat.

"Another gift for Zongzhu!" One of the disciples tittered excitedly.

"What do you mean, another gift for me?" He demanded in irritation. At his temperful demand the disciples all suddenly remembered this task or that training they needed to see to immediately, and dispersed like smoke.

He picked up the jar, looking at it in confusion; it was a good, useful oil, but were all these little trinkets and so forth gifts for him?

Why?

Who from?

He was neither getting married, nor was it his birthday.

He sighed, and took the oil with him as he completed his intended journey to his office.

There was a box on the middle of his table, and he hardly dared to open it. What was going on today?

Jiang Cheng did investigate, however. How could he not?

It was a painting, showing a scenery of beautifully rendered piers and buildings on a lotus lake. After looking his fill of what was an excellent work, he rolled up the scroll, and got down to his own tasks.

His favourite snacks and drinks were brought at regular intervals throughout the afternoon, each placed down proudly by disciple after disciple, telling him to enjoy. He thanked them sincerely, as they each seemed to be waiting for some response from him excited and eager as puppies, and they each left happily, and each time he heard excited whispers from outside his door as if a group of the others waited outside for each new courier of treats.

Was he losing his mind?

What day was it?

Why were all these gifts and treats turning up today of all days?

He didn't know, however, and so filed it away as something to worry about later, and continued to work.

That evening, as he returned to his rooms to bathe, before he sent for a dinner tray to be brought, he found another suspicious box. This one was smaller, however. He opened it; it contained a stunningly wrought jade and gold hairpin. This was absolutely too much, and too confusing. He really had to find out who had gifted this and return it. All the items, really.

Had he hit his head and was this some unusual dream he was dreaming? There was a serious, yet unusually soft knock on his door, then, and he put the pin away, hurried over to door, and opened it, to find his six year old nephew, Jin Ling, the one seeking entrance. Jiang Yanli stood behind him, bearing a tray.

He could smell the famous soup his sister always made for them from the tray.

Jin Ling looked up seriously. "I came to have dinner with Jiujiu, to show we love him!" Jin Ling declared seriously.

Jiang Cheng stood aside to let them in, and Jiang Yanli moved over to the table, setting the tray of soup and tableware in the middle.

"A-Ling wanted to eat with you tonight, and I was more than happy to take advantage, to spend some time with my husband." She said it softly, so Jin Ling, busy making an amazing amount of noise while sorting out the dishes and utensils, didn't hear her, but there was a mildly amused smile on her face. "A-Ling, let your Jiujiu serve the soup, I don't want you to scald yourself."

Jin Ling nodded, "I know, Mama."

With Jiang Cheng’s silent nod of agreement to look after Jin Ling for the evening, Jiang Yanli left the pair together. Jiang Cheng finished serving the soup, and they settled down to eat.

Jin Ling was a wealth of chatter over the meal, and Jiang Cheng was happy to remain mostly quiet and respond only when required. Afterwards they played with Jin Ling’s toys, and went for a short swim in the lake.

Later that night, as he was putting Jin Ling to bed in his rooms, located next to Jiang Cheng’s, where he stayed when visiting Lotus Pier, Jin Ling caught his sleeves, and sleepily said, "Jiujiu liked my gift the best? Of all the ones he received today? A-Ling’s love is the best, yes?"

"Of course, A-Ling. Your love is the best." He agreed, and ruffled Jin Ling’s hair fondly, accepted the other's scolding for doing so, then left his nephew to his sleep.

#allcheng #jiujiu and a ling #fanfic #mdzs #valentines

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foularcadebanana · 4 years

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Food, Fights(,Fever) and Brotherly Love (Part 2)

Day 26 Prompt for the Untamed Fall Fest 2020 is ‘Remains’.

Summary: Wei Wuxian finds out that Jiang Cheng has a fever and takes care of him.

READ ON AO3

Jiang Cheng had a fever. It was a mild fever, Shijie had told him, but Jiang Cheng never got a fever. Wei Wuxian was not worried, of course, about Jiang Cheng. He wasn’t supposed to be worried because he wasn’t talking to Jiang Cheng. And he wasn’t talking to Jiang Cheng because they had sort of had a fight two days ago.

Wei Wuxian hadn’t been acting reckless and he hadn’t asked to be drowned in the water. He had thought he’d seen a lotus pod floating somewhere near the docks. How could he have known that it was just overgrown seaweed and waste? And how could he have known that he would get his leg stuck in it? He had tried to be as careful as he could have been, but according to Jiang Cheng, it hadn’t been careful enough.

Jiang Cheng had pulled Wei Wuxian out and then given a lecture about being more careful and asking for help and about how sick and tired he was of saving Wei Wuxian’s stupid ass.

“Fine! Then you don’t have to save me any longer. I didn’t ask you to save me this time either. You could have just let me drown,” Wei Wuxian had angrily yelled back.

“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng had fisted Wei Wuxian’s robes in his hands, with a rage that Wei Wuxian had never seen before. Then he had pushed Wei Wuxian away roughly. “Next time you need help, don’t call for me. Die, and see if I care.”

Jiang Cheng had walked away with those words, leaving Wei Wuxian at the docks. They hadn’t spoken since then. And Wei Wuxian had stayed at the docks until his shijie had called him for dinner. He still wouldn’t admit to wiping the tears in his eyes as he had followed her.

Now here he was, brooding as he sat in the middle of the training grounds and stared into the distance. He was angry about the fact that no one had told him that Jiang Cheng was sick. He had found out when he had loudly asked the teacher and the disciples why Jiang Cheng hadn’t come for training. Jiang Cheng never missed training, not that Wei Wuxian cared.

That was when he had found out that Jiang Cheng had spiked up a sudden fever the night before and it made sense to him why he hadn’t seen his shijie for breakfast this morning. He hadn’t seen Madam Yu or Uncle Jiang, but then he never really saw them during breakfast. He always woke up a little too late for that.

So, Wei Wuxian stood up, wiping dirt off of himself, and decided to grudgingly stomp his way Jiang Cheng’s room. When he opened the door to the room, Shijie was sitting at the bedside, wiping sweat off of Jiang Cheng’s forehead just as Wei Wuxian had predicted. As Shijie turned to him, she seemed slightly surprised to see him, and Jiang Cheng tensed up when he spotted him.

Wei Wuxian didn’t care. He made his way over to his brother, who he had to admit didn’t look too good, and loomed over him. Wei Wuxian crossed his arms and frowned at Jiang Cheng, the same way Jiang Cheng did in front of him sometimes.

After a few seconds of observation, and complete silence (they were all holding their breaths, even Wei Wuxian), Wei Wuxian reached out and gently lay his hand on Jiang Cheng’s forehead. Fucking hell! His brother was burning up! Wei Wuxian would damn whoever had told him that Jiang Cheng was only slightly feverish.

Wei Wuxian’s then held his hand against Jiang Cheng’s cheek and neck, and they felt even hotter.

“Jiang Cheng, you’re really sick,” Wei Wuxian said, worriedly seating next to Shijie at Jiang Cheng’s bedside. Jiang Cheng huffed out a breath and looked away. Wei Wuxian turned to his sister. “Shijie, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I just found out this morning when Mother told me,” Shijie told him. “A-Cheng didn’t tell anyone that he wasn’t feeling well for a while, did you A-Cheng?”

Jiang Cheng continued to look away, his cheeks red. Wei Wuxian couldn’t figure out whether it was from the fever or something else. As Shijie’s words sunk in, Wei Wuxian’s frown deepened. Jiang Cheng’ hadn’t been feeling well for a while? But he had been fine when—

Wei Wuxian suddenly gasped. “Jiang Cheng you— you— you fucker! You asshole! You absolute—!” He shook his brother, with a violence and anger he had never felt towards him before. Jiang Cheng stared at him in shock, eyes widened and mouth gaping slightly.

“A-Xian!” Shijie called out his name alarmed, pulling him away from Jiang Cheng. But Wei Wuxian didn’t care. He was just so— so fucking mad at his brother!

“You fell ill after you jumped into the water to save me, didn’t you?!” Wei Wuxain exclaimed. “You arrogant bastard, you— you—! Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded to know.

Jiang Cheng blinked at him, and then, to Wei Wuxian’s surprise, a small smile grew on his face. Why was he smiling?

“Now you know how I feel,” Jiang Cheng said softly, and Wei Wuxian wondered how high Jiang Cheng’s fever must be for him to talk nonsense, “every time I have to watch you get hurt. And you never ask for help. I always have to run after you and save you.”

“It’s not the same thing,” Wei Wuxian mumbled, taking the wet cloth from his shijie and sitting where she had been. “You can go Shijie. I’ll take care of this stubborn idiot.”

Shijie nodded, ruffled Wei Wuxian’s hair, gave Jiang Cheng a soft kiss on the forehead and whispered for him to feel better before she walked away.

Jiang Cheng spoke as he watched their sister walk away. “Why is it not the same thing?” he asked. “Is it because you think my life is worth more than yours?”

Yes, Wei Wuxian wanted to scream, your life is worth a lot more than mine. But what he said was, “It’s because you are a future sect leader.” And my brother. Jiang Cheng looked away bitterly. “The Yunmeng Jiang Sect needs you.”

“And what about you?” Jiang Cheng asked. Wei Wuxian swallowed as he put the damp cloth in his hand on Jiang Cheng’s forehead, wiping away new sweat that had gathered there. “Don’t you need me?”

The vulnerability in Jiang Cheng’s voice made Wei Wuxian freeze and finally meet his eyes. I need you more than you could ever know, A-Cheng. “Jiang Cheng,” he said softly, “of course I do. You have no idea how worried I was when I didn’t see you at the training grounds today, and when I heard that you had a fever…. You should have told me.”

Jiang Cheng looked away again and muttered something that didn’t reach Wei Wuxian’s ears, but Wei Wuxian held Jiang Cheng’s chin and tilted it towards himself, careful not to hurt Jiang Cheng in the process. Wei Wuxian gently rubbed the damp cloth against both of Jiang Cheng’s cheeks and then presses it lightly against his neck.

“I wanted to tell you, but I knew you were mad at me and I— I didn’t think you would care.” Jiang Cheng spoke up quietly.

Wei Wuxian looked at Jiang Cheng with disbelief. “You didn’t think that I would care about the fact that my didi had a fever?”

Jiang Cheng refused to look at him. “I—”

“Especially that you had a fever because you had to dive in and save me the day before yesterday?” Wei Wuxian felt like a dam ready to burst, a volcano ready to explode.

“I just thought—” Jiang Cheng hesitantly spoke.

“Well, you thought wrong,” Wei Wuxain interrupted, “and if you ever think like that again or keep things from me, then I’ll— I’ll— I’ll tell Shijie to never make our favourite soup again. Or worse. I’ll tell her to make our favourite soup and then I’ll drink it all up!

Jiang Cheng gasped. “You would never!”

Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Try me.”

When Wei Wuxian joined his shijie in the kitchen, it was already mid-afternoon. Jiang Cheng had fallen asleep some time after having lunch, and Wei Wuxian had stayed by his side for some more time, checking his fever between intervals, before finally letting him get sleep on his own.

“Shijie, are you making lotus root and pork ribs soup for Jiang Cheng?” Wei Wuxian asked. He could already see the water boiling in a container, and his shijie was popping lotus seeds out of their pods. She looked at him and nodded her head. “I want to help,” Wei Wuxian said.

When Jiang Cheng woke up, Wei Wuxian was by his side keeping a tray of soup in front of him. “Drink up,” he said.

Jiang Cheng looked suspiciously at the soup kept in the bowl for him. “Who made this?”

Wei Wuxian tried not to feel too nervous. He had made the soup entirely on his own, but Shijie had been there all along, instructing him on what to do and exactly how to do it. After all, it was his fault that Jiang Cheng was sick.

“I did,” he said.

Jiang Cheng snorted, “Yeah, right. Tell A-jie I said thank you.” He took a spoonful of soup and then froze after he had taken a sip.

“I really did make it,” Wei Wuxian muttered quietly. “Shijie helped.”

Jiang Cheng slowly looked up from the bowl, his eyes meeting Wei Wuxian’s. He swallowed and then took another spoonful of the soup. Wei Wuxian watched silently as Jiang Cheng finished half of the soup, and then groaned.

“Jiang Cheng.”

“Wei Wuxian, I can’t.” Jiang Cheng admitted, and Wei Wuxian leaned forward with his hand already outstretched to check his temperature. Jiang Cheng swatted away the hand.

“It isn’t that bad,” Wei Wuxian teased, but his brother didn’t take the bait. “Look if you don’t drink up the remaining soup, then I’ll have to go throw it in the lake and let it all go to waste. Would you like that, Jiang Cheng, hmmm?”

Jiang Cheng looked down at the soup in his hands and kept it on the tray. “Maybe the fish will have it,” he replied.

Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes, giving up on convincing his brother. He took the bowl into his own hands and took a spoonful of the soup. Blowing on it once, he pushed the tray away, sidling up next to his brother. “Open up.”

Jiang Cheng groaned. “You have to be kidding me.” But he did as his brother told him to and kept his mouth open.

Wei Wuxian put the spoon into his mouth and watched as Jiang Cheng chewed a bit before swallowing the soup. He pulled the spoon out of his brother’s mouth and repeated the motion until all of the soup was in his brother’s stomach and the bowl was empty.

“There we go,” Wei Wuxian wiped Jiang Cheng’s mouth with his sleeve and kept the bowl aside on the tray.

Jiang Cheng stared at Wei Wuxian, his entire face, neck and his ears red. “Thank you,” he said, so softly that Wei Wuxian wasn’t sure he had heard him correctly at first.

“Don’t be ridiculous, A-Cheng. What are you thanking me for?” Wei Wuxian demanded.

“For making the soup. It was delicious,” Jiang Cheng spoke, his gaze faltering and shifting to his fidgeting hands.

“Was it more delicious than the soup Shijie makes?” Wei Wuxian asked. It was a long-standing joke between him and his brother, ever since the first time Wei Wuxian had made something for him.

But Jiang Cheng’s words were genuine as he made eye contact with Wei Wuxian. “You know it was.”

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