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#like you can tell that jgy and jc do not have a great relationship but it is also clear that that is not Jin Ling's problem
truly-morgan · 7 months
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[Possessive & jealouse LXC, feat. Wen brothers]
XiCheng | Mo Dao Zu Shi Modern AU 29-08-2021
[#xicheng, modern cultivation, possessive and jealous lxc]
Set where Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng have been turning around each other for a certain time now (believing they are discreet when everyone knows about it). It takes months before they finally start officially courting (of course two sect heir cannot just start dating like that without following traditions! Who do you think they are?)
things are going great, his courting goes smoothly and it is even close to an end! They can soon start an "official" relationship! But then jc is sent to one of the lectures given in qishan, where he will stay for at least three months. This makes lxc a bit sad because it will make it hard for them to meet, but jc does sound rather excited to go study over in qishan so he will support his choice to do so. ("The wens might have enormous egos and be arrogant, but they are still strong, plus they are not as bad as centuries ago," jc told him).
Plus! He will go with nhs, wwx and lwj, he knows he will be in good hands anyway. He is a bit nervous because it is the first time in months that they won't really be able to meet as often as they did (although they can still Facetime, call and text each other.) and well even if the wen are not as bad as they were in the past, jfm didn't have the best of relationship with wrh in the latest years. He simply hopes everything will go alright for his boyfriend.
The three months session starts, and everything goes well, jc let him know how everything is going and he is reassured. Then he notices nhs socmed post. He knows the young man is rather active on them (contrary to lwj and jc), so he isn't surprised to see him post about what happens (he is even happy to see jc happy with his friends.) but then he notices that wrh boys are often around in the latest updates. He is a bit surprised and curious because he knows wc can be a bit to handle sometimes.
"Wen heir showing us around Nightless City, this boy is not as bad as we first thought 😜 even my best friend agrees for once"
accompanied to the post is a picture of the group at a restaurant, nhs and wwx making peace signs to the camera, lwj drinking tea on the side while wx seems to be showing something on the menu to jc. They are rather close, even for the small booth they have, although he tries to let anything bad come from it.
"A-cheng is having a good time trying qishan specialities, it alright," he tells himself. after all, who's better to suggest good qishan dishes other than someone who grew up there?
He thought it would be a one-time thing, yet as the days go by, more and more posts made by nhs include either or both of wrh sons. and the more it goes, the closest they seem to be to jc too.
He tries not to care, not to let that possessiveness in him make him fly all the way to qishan so he can kidnap his boyfriend. "I think you need to stop stalking a-sang account" jgy suggest when he met up wth his best friends, "I doubt jc will suddenly decide to marry one of the wen".
"All I see is nhs not studying enough" nmj mentioned (although he takes note to ask his didi not to post as much maybe, it would be bad to have to deal with lxc if he loses it fully because of his post).
yet, after that dinner, nhs seems to post even more!?
"Training is nearly as strict as back home 😩😭 though chengcheng seems happy to train with wen xu"
added to this a video of jc and wx fighting "Finally the weekend, out with our new friend for good food and drinks😋🫕"
added to this is a group picture, jc sitting between wc and nhs while wc has an arm around jc.
(Also are they letting a-cheng drink?!?)
"poor wen, believing they had a chance against chengcheng in a swimming competition 🤭"
added is a video of them swimming showing jc win, joined soon after by wx and wc who mess around a bit with him in the water and it goes on and on like this, where he sees his boyfriend slowly getting closer and closer to wrh sons. Even when jc talks about his days it drives him crazy how much they seem to be around him so suddenly (obviously this is all internally, he couldn't force jc to stop hanging out with friends because of his own issue).
but the more it goes, the harder he can channel out this jealousy and possessiveness. things are going great with jc, but he wishes he could share all these more /with/ jc too. He doubts any of the wen would even try to get jc after the news of their courtship went around the cultivation world.
but the three months are coming to a close soon and lxc suggests being the one to go get lwj (lqr doesn't object as he assumed it will give him a small break from lxc acting weird all the time). So he goes to go get lwj, although the first person he goes looking for is jc. He finds him walking outside the wen residence with wx helping him carry his bags.
he doesn't hesitate when he walked quickly to him, calling out to him so jc will turn in his direction, hugging him and lifting him. he is happy that his arms quickly reciprocates the hug and to hear jc calling to him happily surprised. when he finally puts him back down he keeps an arm around his waist, keeping his boyfriend close to him (he missed that so much).
he doesn't miss the smirk on wx lips, as though the young man knows what he is doing.
lxc is quick to fully kidnap jc, helping him with his bags. he won't leave jc side for a good while for now. He catches up with jc, the man happily telling him how the last days went by (also lots of kissing, which jc is happy to give).
they do eventually join wwx and lwj, ready to take jc back home with him even after wwx protest (thankfully jc agrees to it so the head disciple cannot say anything 😌).
jc somewhat already know why lxc seems so needy suddenly and he will happily indulge in erasing all his jealousy and possessiveness by letting lxc do everything with him too as he stays a bit in cloud recess.
also, a 100% nhs was trying to tease lxc to see if the man would run back to his beloved after seeing all this (he is impressed by lxc self-control).
also, a 100% wx was in it and was a bit more touchy on camera than he would be normally, just to annoy the lan heir
I don't why, I just like the idea of the wen boys not being /that/ bad and friendly once you get past all the arrogance and ego they might have.
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kikimochiiiii · 1 year
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My personal take on MDZS kins based on what I've seen (which is almost nothing)! Understand that this'll be very biased n uninformed, but it's just for fun and I cherish all kins! Please and thank you!💕
WWX: Fiercely protective over their homies/mother bear type; Live for the drama though, so they WILL pitch homies against each other; They will state that their opinion is ALWAYS right to assert dominance; They never feel silly enough; "What do you mean people don't have a bi panic every 20 seconds?"; The life of a party, for better or worse
LWJ: They are very accomplished and orderly; But ask them about that and they'll say that they hate how boring they are; They can recite all of their unrequited loves in detailed, dramatic stories; They have at least 1, if not multiple crushes where they hate the fact that they love them; once they hyperfixate on one thing, they'll never be able to tell you anything about anything else; Shy n sweet, we protecc
JC: "I HATE THAT I KIN THIS MAN, YOU DONT UNDERSTAND-"; Their family sucks so much and they absolutely deserve better; They always want affection but can't help but act grossed out by it; will fight WWX kinnies in a gas station parking lot; prayed to all the gods to be asexual because they hate hormones, but they couldn't be more thirsty; have killer fashion that makes everyone double-take; A fierce, chaotic beauty ppl don't forget
JYL: The mom friend; Is always the therapist/advisor/caretaker/friend/mom for everyone else; Girl, are you okay? You are overworked for real; Wishes they could be intimidating once in a while; LOVES ALL THE GIRLY FEMME AESTHETICS; "I'm so average TT TT" (is actually talented in so many areas wth); everyone is protective over them and they don't know why, but they like it💕💗
LXC: Oh my gosh, ARE YOU OKAY-; Have an emotional wall higher than Mt. Everest; The person with the most propriety; Perfectionism is their worst enemy; Have definitely dealt with toxic friends in their life, so please handle with care; the best listeners; Extremely artistic in some form or another; Are kind to all other kinnies, but will bloody take a bullet for JC kinnies on sight; No one shall ever know their music playlists...
NMJ: "I am who I am, and don't mess with me"; If people aren't genuine with them, they can't stand it; An open book at all times; Their face WILL show what they are feeling; They are just aiming to find a himbo or cute twink for their love partner (or both!); generally nice, but can whip out insanely painful insults, so don't test them; They are confident, and therefore, they are H O T
JGY: GOSH, WHY ARE THEY SO PRETTY??; Definitely were the reason for someone's bi or gay awakening; soft aesthetic e v e r y w h e r e; "A-Yao never did anything wrong!🥺"; Will 100% not snitch on you if you give them a favor or are just hot; Are all about optimizing their situation, if you catch my drift; They are the most loyal of loyal friends if they cherish you💗💕
NHS: "I was born to be petty."; They can recall everything they have a grudge against in worryingly great detail; They will exact revenge on you, so be nice; They have the absolute maddest make-up skills; Work in tandem with WWX kinnies to make chaos, but take a backseat more often; Either habe the highest standards or none at all with no in-between; Bring them to ALL of your sleepovers
WQ: Queen energy 24/7; "I fUCKING TOLD YOU SO-"; They are forever suffering from the incompetent, irresponsible people around them; They have dealt with creeps thirsting after them, and they all wound up missing, oops-; Will be a full-on bodyguard for JYL kinnies and MM kinnies on sight; They just hate men in general; Extremely smart and/or street smart
MM: Also constantly suffering from idiots around them; They are so pretty, but very modern n with the trend when it comes to fashion; They are so stable and sure in themselves, we love to see it; Definitely witnessed friends go through VERY cringe romantic relationships; Doesn't talk much in a group context, but if you start talking with them, they are an awesome friend💕💗; When protected by WQ kinnies, they'll insist that they didn't need up, but they'll secretly like it👀
WN: Classic shy and sweet TM; People were absolutely attracted to them before because they thought they fit a trope, and it was deeply upsetting to them; They are SO INDECISIVE; Their fear over making core decisions is immeasurable; They have an intense fear of emails; "Please don't perceive me..."; Can pop off when defending a friend, and it's very hot of them
XY: "Okay, but like, I'm just saying...a pocket knife would be good for self-defense because-"; They joke about concerning things in discord vcs at 3 am that everyone mutually chooses to ignore; Are adorably extroverted; "Omg you like candy too?! LETS BE BESTIES!!💕🎵"; Are oddly sweet considering they relate to Xue Yang; Definitely tried the goth look once, but they still looked like a cupcake; The hugging type of friend; Occasionally bratty for attention
SL: "Why do all these people lack common sense?"; Had 1 (one)(uno) crush and then never liked anyone ever again; Everyone calls their lifestyle dull, but they just say that they value consistency; You have to plan a meet-up with them 2 weeks in advance or else they will PANIK; Their form of love is helping you manage your finances; Are actually quite mature and wise once you get them talking
XXC: YOU ARE SO PURE, WHY ARE YOU ON THE INTERNET; Weirdly aged and ageless in personality; Also the mom friend, but they aren't burnt out, unlike JYL kinnies; Wear super cute, oversized sweaters, I don't make the rules; sweater paws HNNG; Sometimes a bit out of the loop, but they're doing their best; Jump around in a conversation; Found family is their absolute jam; An extreme empath, so they have to protect themselves from too much depressing stuff, like the news
Okay, that's it for now! I just picked out some of the MDZS people that stood out the most to me for now bc man, this is long, but lemme know if you want my take on any other MDZS character!
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llycaons · 5 months
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ep49 (3/3): lwj dismembering a man and looking so so cool diverts attention away from the true man of the hour (👀👀👀)
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and he's also calling out in concern for wwx now, not just jl! man, this is great. a lot of postres meta relies on them having this horrible twisted relationship after the temple, and they ABSOLUTELY need to work on shit, but jc trusting wwx and being openly concerned for him is huge compared to their previous dynamic
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they love him!!!! his uncles!!! give him open affection and physical comfort!!!
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this panning up was done SO well god he is so fucking cool 😍
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ik wen ning isn't in control of his body but there's something a bit delicious about him stepping on the arm of the man who helped murder his entire family
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ohhh another juicy scene! jc trying to protect jl from wn, and in front of both their eyes they see 1. wwx try to stop him and 2. wn grsab a blade with his bare hands to try to stop himself. he wants so much not to hurt this boy after killing his father 🥺 I'm sure he remembered jyl giving him soup too. I'm sure he did
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lwj's eyes are so pretty...dark brown forever
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and here! lxc warns wwx off about using the STA, but lwj intervenes. convinces him to step back, then gives the green light to wwx. lwj trusts him, and supports him, and will back him up 🥺
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and here!!! jc returning chenqing! wwx's old friend and strongest weapon. it's about trust!! wwx can do what he needs to do and his closest friends and family won't turn on him for it
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pied pipering this sword over here
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uh oh. get some cleansing on ya bud
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it's so funny that ss accuses nhs of doing this to himself because he's literally right, but he looks like a maniac for it
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this is so dramatic and romantic...WAIT THIS IS HOW THE JIANG PARENTS DIED WTF!!!!!
these scene always reminded me (tonally) of the one in iasip where liam was about to fall off the roof and ryan grabbed his wrist like "i've got you, brother" and then frank comes behind him and goes 'no you don't!' and pushes him off the roof with a piece of plywood and ryan screams 'NOOOOOO', obviously it mirrors the cluff scene very closely but the absurd tone is so different I never associated them. this though. this is a kind of pathetic guy dying and his employer using his courtesy name for the first time in like. 30 episodes. a bit silly
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ooof. ough. wwx rubbing his thumb slowly over this powerful tool that saved him and cost him so much. another goodbye, to another part of his former life
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I love you sooo much nhs ♥♥♥♥♥♥
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NHS HORSE MOMENTS god I love saying that. what a great shot
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aww jc patting jl's neck
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nhs tearfully: I'm just a little guy I can't fight I'm just a little birthday boy GOD he's such a good character I love him he's so funny
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oh right significant Look At wwx time
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aw man this fucks
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THE HALF FACE SHOTS!!!!! I go crazy every time I love then so much. they've never been used wrong in this show
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oh god help that is so fucking funny. why was jgy behind them and not tied up at all anyway. also lxc immediately turning and stabbing without realizing jgy was completely motionless and no threat??? a high-level cultivator like lxc didn't even register he had no sword to parry? and why was he working with his back to jgy anyway!!! I mean ik it's all for plot and that's fine but stil. lmao
personal highlights:
all of jgy's excuses are so insane and absurd and infuriating but they contrast wwx's actions and behavior SO nicely. if there was a way to prove wwx is The Good Guy to the gathered sect leaders, this is it. not that he has many people to convince who are here
various asides about lxc's relationship with jgy
"I don't deny it'/"You can't deny it!'
the creepy wedding scene was really well done
jgy making a fake tell for jzx to pick up on is truly a masterstroke
yayyy physical affection and comfort for jl from wwx (and jc)
jgy mockingly bowing after being kicked down the steps really did fuck severely
"I've done so many bad things, yet I still hope for pity' *half face shot 'PSYCH!" *takes jin ling hostage by ripping a string out of his body* what a scene
jc calling on wwx for guidance, trusting him, seeing him protect jl, returning him chenqing. nature is healing. they'll never be exactly what they were before, but that's okay. it's a start
'clan leader, abandon me' 'sure thing lmao'
slow shot panning up from jgy's severed arm to lwj standing tall with bichen fucked SO hard god lwj looks so good esp postres they nailed him
wn stepping on jgy's arm
lwj beautiful dark brown eyes <3
jgy and su she's absurdly dramatic reaching-to-each-other deaths. yes kind of jiang parents of them
wwx bidding farewell to the STA. I love closure and acceptance
all of nhs's shenanigans including eating like a horse from lxc's hand and then the half-face shots
everyone turning around like that meme of the girls at the party but it's because lxc just STABBED jgy
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person-behind-books · 2 years
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mdzs harry potter au
jin ling is harry potter
wei wuxian is voldemord who killed his parents and hundreds of wizards when his new dark magic got out of control
nie huaisang is like idk malfoy and steals the sorcerer's stone and ressurrects him. (not because he’s loyal to him like og!malfoy the elder was but because he is usefull to him)
oh and the jiangs.
jiang fengmian is petunia and yu ziyuan is vernon. and jiang cheng and jiang yanli are a nicer version of dudely because the kind of abuse their parents do is pretty harming to all of them. anyways wei wuxian is also harry potter.
wei chanze is jiang fengmians (adopted) brother and a muggleborn while cangse sanren is a child of the baoshan sanren, the first wizard who ever reached immortality.
they die in maybe a car crash or sth you think of something (but not because of any dark wizard or a war). so the jiangs take wwx in and he has a kinda ok childhood with his two cousins and aunt and uncle. there is however the problem of his “freak accidents” and him always being compared to jc and jyl with how he’s always better than them in school work.
anyways then he gets his letter to hogwarts letter (at the age of fifeteen because canon mdzs and because those children need a basic education about the world and not just how to use magic) and begins going there.
he makes friends with that cute girl mianmian (griffindor) who he flirted with her girlfriend wen qing (i’m not sure yet about her hause because she would fit in any) who he flirted with after she caught him flirting with mianmian. jin zixuan(griffindor), mianmians best friend. wen ning, his hufflepuff dorm roomate and wen qings brother. and nie huaisang, wen nings slytherin - how he got there is anyones wonder - friend and potions partner.
and has a crush on that cute but stoich ravenclaw who got them in detention for some rule wei wuxian broke.
then over summer he tells his cousins all about his school year and how great he is at magic. 
(btw ages during wwx’s first year at HW are: wwx is 15, jyl is 17, jc is also 15, nhs is 16, wn is 14 (wq refused to leave him at home with their guardian wrh for another year so he changed schools early), wq is 17, lqy is 16, jzx is 16, lwj is 15)
(also their school time is spend with friends and studying because let those kids have some peace and education)
then during after their second year wwx decides his two worlds should meet and introduces his friends and cousins on a trip to london (jfm and yzy wouldn’t approve) jyl and jzx have a lot in common so they keep in contact over the next years and eventually get married (four years after they met - jyl is 22 and jzx is 21).
because jzx is from a prominent pureblood family (you can imagine him like he was at the start of canon but by the time he meets he’s significantly more chilled out because of lqy and his other friends) so he gets disowned because jyl is a muggle and jfm and yzy don’t approve of her relationship with a “freak” so their meetings are always tense and jyl distances herself from them but her and jzx live pretty happily and six years after they met they have baby jiang ling)
meanwhile the minister of magic wen ruohan decides to pull a grindelwald and to erradicate all muggles (wwx is 21 - xuanli are married but no jl yet).
some wizards don’t agree with him so there is a war.
wrh does something to wwx when he is captured that twists his magic in a way he becomes unable to use it. wwx being the idiotic genious he is twists it further so it becomes a new and corrupted form of magic and wins them the war.
after it’s over he is however struggeling with controling the magic and most of the wizarding world feares/hates/wants him/his power so he’s in a pretty shitty situation.
then jgs and jgy begin manipulation the situation to his detriment and his mental space get’s more and more instabil. 
the wizaring world is controlled by jgs the new minister of magic so when he orders it they folllow manipulated by the words of jgy and they all are trying to lynch wwx for the good of the world.
lwj can’t really do anything because he already had a hard time convincing his powerful family to shelter wen qing’s family and her wife (lqy) and nhs is running himself ragged trying to find a way to help wwx and to help his brother who is slowly but surely declining because of a magic eating disease that runs in their family. (in the end he manages to help neither because nmj dies 7 months after wwx did)
jzx also can’t do anything because he lost all his power when he has disowned and jyl/jc, as a muggle, doesn’t have any say in the magical world.
that whole wwx smear campaign takes over about two years and in the third it’s basically only the gathering of an execution squat. hundreds of wizards are called to fight and in the end wwx doesn’t have a choice but to fight.
but he looses controll of his magic the second he uses it for the first time in years and with how stressed he is and every living being within a radius of like maybe two hundert meters is killed by and explosion of his magic that ripped wwx apart.
jin zixuan was there is a last attempt to dissuade his father and jian yanli because for some reason she was there on the battle of nightless city and there wasn’t a good reason for that either.
jin ling was left with jc because of her rift with her parent’s and jc becomes and only child and a single-dilf (uilf) in one night.
they five years later nhs find out jgy’s part in his brothers death and still missing wwx and acknowledging the help wwx would be after years of planning and sceming he steals the philosopher’s stone in jin ling first year at HW and resurrects wwx and gives him the name and face (with consent) of mo xuanyu, a fake identity he created.
wwx when he learns jyl died is destroyed and blames himself because he is atleast partially to blame for what happened.
then together they sneak around and cause the fall of the jin clan, not many people die but a lot ore imprisoned and almost no one from them has any political power after that.
he reconnects with jc and meets jl’s boyfriends ouyang zizhen, lan jingyi, and luo sizhui and he’s really happy his friends are happy and surviving and they probably don’t need to know who he really is.
but lan zhan doesn’t seem truly happy. he seems content and confident with who and where he is but there is a tragic air around him.
so mo xuanyu stays around him and they slowly fall in love. but there is so much about mxy that reminds lwj about wwx so he need’s to tell him that. he won’t have mxy lower himself to not being the first choice he values him to much for that.
when wwx learns how lan zhan feels about him currently and how he did in the past he tells him the truth and they start dating and they get married within the year. they still have some issues and a lot of trauma (wwx especially) to work through but they manage.
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winepresswrath · 3 years
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I remain astonished at people who apparently believe that Madame Yu or JFM, upon watching one of their kids have a sobbing breakdown in front of everyone and Sect Leader Yao, would angrily demand who made them cry and offer cranky comfort(okay JFM might for WWX). Jin Ling is loved unconditionally and knows it! He believes jiujiu arriving in a bad situation will automatically improve things in some way! He's not always right but jiujiu tries his best
In my old age I'm becoming fond of Madame Yu but honestly remember that time Jiang Cheng got down on his knees and begged her not to hurt Wei Wuxian and she had her handmaidens hold him back but he broke through anyway... honey. I don't know! I really cannot imagine Jin "my uncle will hear about this" Ling sadly confiding in anyone that Jiang Cheng doesn't like him and wishes he had a different nephew.
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heavymetalchemist · 2 years
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Hi....., if you don't mind me asking, can I ask your top 5 favorite characters from MDZS? And why? And your top 5 (or top 3) favorite moments from the novel or drama? Sorry if you've answered this before....Thanks
I forgot about this ask >_< sorry!
Okay so top five characters... I'm going to mention some of my favorite moments in here!
1) Jiang Cheng, I can't get over this dude. The reveal at the end slammed into me like a freight train and I was lost. Suddenly everything had this whole different context, and I think that's why I can't stop thinking about him. His fucked up family relationships, his inferiority complex, his arrogance hiding his insecurity, how deeply he loves his family and his people, how seriously he takes his duty, the fact that he rebuilt an entire sect from the ashes to still be one of the great sects, he was literally some teenager and he became a war hero, how he's so protective of Jin Ling and how he's basically a surrogate father even though as a maternal relative he wouldn't necessarily need to be involved at all, I just love him! But especially when he gives wwx the octopus hug, and when he yells, tears in his eyes, if you protect them then I can't protect you! oh my poor purple boy.
2) Nie Mingjue! I personally relate to him a lot as someone who is also tall and intimidating and, like, I've worked on my anger issues but I can still be scary if I don't control it, and so his whole qi deviation thing resonates with me. Also I like that he's in this dual role of both upholding the status quo (he's the one who brings up filial piety to JC when JC tries to defend WQ and WN) but also wanting to evaluate people based on merit (gives MY/JGY a high position because he recognizes his competence, despite his background). He's destroyed both by his insistence on doing the right thing and by extending his trust to someone that others would say he was foolish to trust, and I just have a lot of thoughts about it!
3) Nie Huaisang, mister fan man, the man behind the mask. I especially like Ji Li's portrayal in cql because nothing will ever beat that *look* he gives to JGY when LXC stabs him. I love Fatal Journey for giving us more Nie Bros in general (bc as I said I also love NMJ) but also for letting us see NHS being competent and clever and how much he loves his brother. He played the long game and he won against the man that had cleverly killed everyone who crossed him so far. And he's so funny! "you solved that problem, but more problems appeared!"
4) Wen Zhuliu. What did WRH do for you, dude??? WHAT WAS IT???? what was such a big favor that you'll put up with Wen Chao????? I want to know! Also how and why does someone develop a technique like core crushing, and then just let someone else dictate how he uses it? He is a mystery and I think it's interesting.
5) Lan Qiren. I do not understand how people don't like him, he's tried so hard, he's a good teacher, he cares about his nephews, is he a perfect dude? No, obviously not, but no one is in this story. He wants the best for his nephews and I can't help but wonder how he really feels post-canon, with LWJ somehow against all odds happy again! But with that chucklefuck WWX? and then poor LXC... he must be having flashbacks to his brother and how his brother threw everything away for love (I don't really ship xiyao but platonic love is still love y'know). Favorite scene hands down is when WWX is like "oh shit I better play my flute badly so No One Knows It's Me" and LQR wakes up just to tell him his flute playing sucks. Iconic. Masterful. How can you read that scene and not love LQR??
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watch-grok-brainrot · 4 years
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Wei Wuxian and Chinese Virtues of 忠孝仁义
There’s a lot of conversation about Wei Wuxian and how he struck out on his path without a concern for the Jiangs; about how he’s reckless and not giving a sh*t about his role within his society; about how he had a family and siblings and threw it all away for his sense of right and wrong. But the way I read his actions is within the context of the virtues of 忠孝仁义 (and how the virtues, especially 义, is ingrained in him via the Jiang sect motto). WWX’s major decisions can all be read as him acting in accordance with one or more of these virtues. Even when WWX is being his most irreverent self (and yes he’s rude and bring about a lot of second hand shame) he still remembers the we-self (to borrow from baoshan-sanren’s post) context as the head disciple of the Jiang Sect. Even when he seems to abandon everything, he didn’t abandon his understanding of these virtues. 
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First of all, let’s talk about 忠. 忠 (zhōng) is loyalty, devotion, fidelity. I usually associate the concept with loyalty towards your country but it can be applied to other units too. In the case of CQL where we don’t see an Emperor or country, it would only make sense that this concept be applied to either a person (e.g. SuShe at JGY) or a sect. 
Tangent, feel free to skip: An (maybe THE) embodiment of this virtue is 岳飞 (Yue Fei), one of THE MOST famous Chinese generals. Yue Fei lived during the second half of the Song dynasty. He loved his country so much, he wrote poetry about drinking his enemy’s blood and eating their flesh (壮志饥餐胡虏肉,笑谈渴饮匈奴血) and taking back his country’s lands and saving the two previous emperors from being POWs. He is famous for the tattoo of the words “尽忠报国” (exhausting all loyalties to replay country aka i will be loyal and fight for my country until i die) on his back bestowed by his mother before he left home. When he was unjustly executed for treason, the executioners saw that on his back and the people knew a great man was wronged.  
(if anyone wants a translation of the poem and a rambly share about some of my favorite Yue Fei  related facts/stories, let me know. Otherwise, i’m gonna get back to our favorite necromancer)
So back to WWX. His loyalties are very much with the Jiang sect.  After JFM and YZY dies, within the structure of 忠, Jiang Cheng is effectively who he needs to be loyal to because Jiang Cheng is the sect leader and essentially the symbol of the sect. The act of giving up his core to JC, then, embodies the idea of loyalty within the context of 忠. (I’ve seen memes about how WWX gave consent, WQ gave consent, but JC didn’t. drwcn has a great post about consent. For this post, i’m not going to go into it because this is outside my defined scope.) Furthermore, 忠 compels WWX to protect the Jiangs. I’ve read meta that thinks WWX was trying to get himself killed based on the crossing of his hanfu and his mouthing off at Wen Chao. I’m inclined to believe that reading because if dying means JC would never find out, so be it. And as long as WWX is dead, there will be no evidence of the core transfer so JC would never lose face before other cultivators. It would mean the Jiang sect can be rebuilt to its old status without being tainted by WWX’s sacrifice. 
Ok, next is 孝. 孝 (xiào) is most often translated as filial piety. I don’t think there is a good sense of it in western culture. In chinese culture, it is the expected deference younger generations need to display to elders in their direct lineage. [Note: i use lineage because you can be 孝 towards your biological parents and grandparents, your kungfu master and their master, your adopted/honor bound parents, etc but not to everyone who is in a higher generation. It’s very family/lineage based.] 孝 is complicated because it’s ingrained into Chinese kids at a really young age. Go pour your grandparents tea. Go give your grandparents a back rub. Listen to your parents. When your parents get old, you’ll take care of them. Respect your elders. Even if your elders are wrong, don’t talk back. It’s a set of emotions that tie you to your ancestry. To turn your back on it feels like turning your back on your culture and identity. 
Tangent, feel free to skip: Ok, this is really cool and I had to share. In looking up 孝 in the online xinhua dictionary, it says about the etymology: “形声。从老省,从子。” This is so cool! We have two characters: 老 (old, as in Yiling Laozu) and 子 (child). You’ll notice 孝 is a character where to top part of 老 is taken and 子 essentially follows. This character is a style of character where the meaning comes from the structure of the character. So 孝 is where the children follow the old, often blindly and with disregard of their own needs. 
WWX, as an orphan, can only direct his 孝 towards Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan. 1) No matter how awful they were as parents, JFM and YZY raised WWX. 2) WWX is the head disciple. That means JFM is his shifu. [He calls JC his shidi and JYL his shijie for that reason.] That teacher-disciple relation is often described as “一日为师,终生为父” (a teacher for one day should be treated like a father for life). Both 1 and 2 bind WWX to the Jiangs regardless of his adoption status. So, when on the boat YZY and JFM tell WWX to take care of JC and JYL, it’s the order of an elder in his direct lineage. To not listen, to not defer to that order would not be 孝. Considering they perished at Lotus Pier, WWX was obligated to execute those orders to their fullest whatever the price (i.e. golden core). 
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Along those same lines, out of 孝 (and human decency, tbh) WWX and JC had to retrieve JFM and YZY’s bodies. Wen Ning helping them out in that situation is a HUGE favor. Not to mention all the other things WN and Wen Qing does for them. I will get to the favors and their ramifications later. 
Ok, moving on to 仁. 仁 (rén) is most often translated as benevolence or humanity. (I want to say I find the translation of humanity very interesting from a bilingual child’s perspective because the chinese character for person/human is 人 which is also rén. I got the concept confused a LOT.) 仁 is found in the love and kindness shown towards fellow humans. Ctext often translates it as virtue, which is a bit too broad, IMO. I think this line from Confucian Analects explain the concept succinctly: 
樊遲問仁。子曰:”愛人”
Fan Chi asked about benevolence [仁]. Confucius said, "It is to love all men." 
WWX embodies this love better than everyone else in the story (except maybe LSZ but LSZ probably gets it from WWX). WWX meets stuttering WN and acknowledges him, offers to give advice, and truly sees the younger man. He treats WN with kindness and friendship (and yes, he takes advantage of WN’s willingness to push him around in a turnip wagon but that’s more shenanigans). WWX also sees the Wens at Phoenix Mountain as human and steps out of line to help them.  His blindfolded five arrow show stems out of his 仁. His saving Mianmian is also an expression of his 仁. So many of WWX’s actions stem from 仁. A lot of the fandom see it as his empathy and I agree! It is that! But it can also be viewed as his internalization of the virtue to love humanity. 
Finally, 义. 义 (義,yì) is actually the reason this ENTIRE post came to be. 义 is the same 义 as  Yi City. I offer the traditional version of the character above so you can see how it compares to the stone on the way to Yi City. You will recall when WWX says Yi City, LWJ asks, “Yi, which means chivalrous?” And WWX explains same character but for coffin/mortuary in this case. 
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Actually, 义 is used in a lot of words: 
正义- correct/rigit + 义 =  righteousness
意义 - ideal + 义 = meaning
侠义 - knight -errant + 义 = chivalry
义气 - 义 + air = personal loyalty; code of brotherhood
名义- name + 义 = nominal
义父 - 义 + father = sworn father (this is a difficult to translate idea that sometimes i translate as godfather for simplification and cultural parallelism. it’s a parent figure that you acknowledge via vows. If the character for father is replaced with brother, then it’s the relationship that the 3zun have. And OMG i want to talk about the 3zun and romance of 3 kingdoms and how much of a awful un-义 person JGY is… but also holy out of scope batman)
In the case of virtues/morality, we’re looking at 义气 - the 义 that means loyalty to people and a code of brotherhood. The Jiang Sect ancestor is described as a 游侠 (yóu xiá, wandering hero). The ancestor’s identity as a 侠 (xiá), which indicates a highly skilled martial artist/fighter who will defends others (à la wuXIA and xianXIA), places him within the world of 江湖 (jiāng hú, sometimes translated as rivers and lakes or “pugilistic world” in some wuxia subtitles). In 江湖, 义 is the most important virtue. Based on 义, you help those in need. You stand out and do what is right. You are an outlaw that follows a strict moral code. 义 is the foundation of the Jiang Sect’s motto. Furthermore, the idea of 义气 can in some ways be viewed as currency. You do me a favor, I owe you one. You treat me with decency, I return the favor. You DO NOT return kindness with ill intent. It is taboo. 
WWX exemplifies 义. 义 is part of what makes him so lovable and reckless. For 义 , he sticks out his neck for LWJ during Wen Summer Camp. For 义, he follows LWJ to search for the Yin Iron. Under 义 , he is free to be the hero who lends a hand whenever it’s needed. Oftentimes, 仁 and 义  go hand in hand because to stand up and stand out for other requires love of others and seeing their humanity. 
So let’s get back to the Wen remnants: for 义, WWX must protect WN and WQ. As I mentioned before, WN and WQ had done WWX and JC (and thus the Jiang Sect as a whole) MULTIPLE HUGE FAVORS. 1) saving JC from Wen Chao at Lotus Pier. 2) retrieving JFM and YZY’s bodies. 3) transferring the golden core against WQ’s best judgement. All of these actions are so vital to the survival or the reputation of the Jiang Sect. WWX knows it. I’m positive JC knows it.  To turn their backs on WN and WQ would be 不仁不义 (neither 仁 nor 义). Really, the ONLY thing they should be doing from the perspective of 义 is helping the Wens to repay their kindness. But WWX knows, as the head disciple, that JC cannot afford to align the Jiang Sect in sympathy with the Wens because it’s political suicide. The Jiang Sect WILL NOT SURVIVE if Nie, Jin, and Lan all turn against them. Even if Lan stood neutral, Nie and Jin would still be able to wipe out barely rebuilt Jiang. 
So what does WWX do? He has already painted himself as a rebel, as rude, as ill bred. And from an outsider looking in, WWX is in alignment with his slippery descend into darkness. WWX knows if he steps just a little more out of line, he can accomplish everything else his morality dictates. (We could talk about WHY WWX feels like it’s ok for him to give up everything and analyze WWX’s self worth and what not. But that’s also outside the scope of this post and i’m pretty sure other people have done a better job of it than I could.) 
Save the Wens, run away to the Burial Mounds, and defecting are all aligned with WWX’s morals. Defecting protects JC and the Jiangs sect in an act of loyalty (忠). Defecting also protects JC and JYL, thus fulfilling the filial piety toward YZY and JFM’s instructions (孝).  Saving the Wens returns the debt of 义 that JC and WWX owe to WN and WQ. Saving the Wens also appeal to WWX’s sense of 仁 towards the non-cultivators. Lastly, protecting the Wens means JC does not end up 不仁不义. From WWX’s perspective his actions are the only option for him to really have no regrets when he asks his heart. 
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dyketanger · 3 years
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i’m in the mood for some messy disaster relationships, so...xuanxian?
this is less an emotional messy disaster relationship and more a “one person has rampant untreated adhd and the other grew up too rich to function” messy disaster relationship but i hope you still like it anon
falls asleep on the couch: wei wuxian collapses there face down ass UP after two all-nighters in a row. jin zixuan takes pics and posts them. the responses:
jc: “dfdjkshkdjdb what a mess” and then two seconds later “if you don’t make sure he gets a full eight hours i WILL come break your legs”
nhs: “lmao slap those asscheeks like bongos”
jyl: “oh good! you managed to get a-xian to sleep! i’m proud of you both 🥰🥰”
lwj: “That sleeping position will cause a backache. Carry him to bed.”
mianmian: “congrats on the hatesex you’re gonna have when he finds out you posted this”
jgy: *screenshots for future use*
makes friends with the neighbors: wei wuxian doesn’t exactly make friends with the neighbors so much as he sends a metaphorical freight train crashing through their quiet lives that half of the time makes him their favorite person and the other half of the time results in jin zixuan needing to make apology rounds. at least they’re not in an apartment anymore, so the explosions are slightly less neighbor-disturbing
is the adventurous eater: wei wuxian would eat glass if it was a) for science or b) had enough chili oil on it
hogs the covers at night: when he actually sleeps, wei wuxian hogs the covers, but it’s okay bc he also hogs the boyfriend. he’s a serial cuddler. jin zixuan cannot escape the tangle of blankets and limbs
forgets to do the dishes: wei wuxian never remembers to do dishes, but it’s okay, bc he isn’t allowed to cook either after he made himself extremely spicy food and then kissed his boyfriend one too many times. jin zixuan isn’t great at remembering the dishes either, bc he’s still adjusting to actually having to do dishes himself, but he never lets more than a day’s worth of dishes accumulate before remembering
tries to surprise their partner more often: if you count the inventions gone wrong, then wei wuxian is surprising jin zixuan on a daily basis. if you don’t count the explosions, then... well, he’s still surprising jin zixuan on a daily basis, but with PDA instead
leaves dirty laundry on the floor: wei wuxian would leave not only dirty laundry but also clean laundry on the floor. jin zixuan makes sure it doesn’t stay there. the closets are his domain
stays up til 2 AM reading: wei wuxian stays up WELL past 2 am focusing on his inventing and his latest hyperfixations. sometimes these involve reading! when he crawls into bed between 4 and 5 am (on the nights he remembers to sleep), he always makes sure to stick his cold feet up against jin zixuan’s legs
sings in the shower: wei wuxian belts out meme songs at the top of his lungs in the shower at 4 am (and when this inevitably wakes jin zixuan up and he stumbles groggily into the bathroom, wei wuxian drags him into the shower with him)
takes the selfies: wei wuxian is always taking selfies of them. he only bothers to tell jin zixuan that the camera’s open about half the time. he sends the funny candids to his siblings and keeps the cute candids to himself
plans date night: they don’t “plan” date nights. date nights are something that happens organically, spontaneously, and can range all the way from cuddling on the couch while they look at their respective phones after a long hard day of working in the garden... to dropping by the fanciest restaurant in town without a reservation and still getting a private room (even though wei wuxian is extremely underdressed) bc the restaurant doesn’t dare turn away a jin
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sweet-potatoq · 4 years
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ok i really wanna dive into this xicheng gymnast au ive got going on because its self-idulgent a really cool idea and ive been really interested in gymnastics recently (little angst bc im a weak bitch)
here are jiang cheng, nie huaisang, wei wuxian designs; ill add more as i draw
so jc, nhs, and wwx are popular rhythmic gymnasts and are a fan favourite in the fandom (?)
jc loves the ribbon but can also do club and rope; nhs does ball, ribbon and club; wwx can do all five (ribbon, ball, hoop, club, and rope) but he likes doing hoops the most
the three of them are pretty close since they have time to chitchat at the small louge area for resting; theyre also often called the powerpuff girls (ppg) since they wear red, green and purple (ik bubbles is blue but just roll w it)
jc has a no. 1 fan, like the biggest jc fan ever, and its a famous musician, lan xichen; literally his social media is filled with jc photos, fancams, and videos (sometimes he posts selfies with his jc merch that me probably made on his own)
ppg knows about lxc and teases jc about him so much
"did you see his face lighting up once it was jc's turn? he even brought a handmade light up banner for him omg"
jc is both flattered and annoyed (mostly because he gets teased a lot for it) but every gift lxc gives him (read: yeets on the floor) is treasured
its mostly bouquets of lotus flowers and teddy bears (there are times when he throws heavily a box safely wrapped in thick bubble wrap and tons and tons of tape and inside is just cute bracelets, necklaces and rings)
secret: jc wears it under his clothes and costume
secret secret: it sometimes comes out and lxc screams about it on twt
anyways, one day at a competition, ppg makes a bet that if jc gets a score higher than 18 in ribbons, then he has to go to lxc and ask him out
jc is torn bc he really wants a high score but is too shy to ask lxc out
spoiler: jc gets a 18.5 and now he has to approach lxc
jc's too shy to do it in person so he reaches out thru twt and dms him a
"hey uh i know ur like a big fan and i appreciate ur gifts but sometimes they look expensive anyways can i treat u to dinner to compensate"
LXC FREAKS OUT AND MESSAGES EVERYBODY HE KNOWS
lwj: do it, nmj: coward accept it, jgy: once in a lifetime opportunity, fucking do it pussy
spoiler #2: lxc accepts and jc takes him to a nice restaurant on a nice night out
its super awkward at first but once lxc takes over the conversation (mostly gushing about jc's techniques and routines) they find a nice flowing convo
"i had a great time" "me too!! im honoured to have had a dinner with my idol" "gay panic"
jc and lxc keep talking thru twt dms until they finally exchange numbers
"huan-ge" "CHENG CHENG 😭🥺💖"
they eventually go out again, and again, and again, until finally lxc gets brave and asks him out ON A DATE!!! as if the other hangouts arent dates 🙄
now theyre B O Y F R I E N D S ~ ✨
but secret bc jc is still new to everything and is lowkey overwhelmed by it, lxc agrees and does his best to make jc more comfortable and make him feel loved
they do fight over how jc's still being cold after months of dating and the fact that their relationship is still a secret doesnt help AT ALL
after numerous fights about it, lxc breaks and unloads all of HIS insecurity
"ive been feeling like ive forced you into this relationship, that my love and adoration for you made you feel as if you needed to compensate for that like how you did when we first went out. you've been cold and reject my affection and it hurts me even though i know you've said that you're just not used to it, but jiang cheng, we've been dating for 8 months now and i was so sure that by this point you'd be more comfortable. i love you a-cheng but i feel like you dont love me back."
something in the lines of that but you get me right?
ANYWAYS lxc keeps his distance from jc and jc does the same bc shit he feels bad that he made lxc think and feel that way
ppg notice that jc has been acting weird and asks him abt it and jc opens up to them about his relationship with lxc and ppg just go from 👁️👄👁️ to 😬☹️😞 because yikes
nhs and wwx obvi helps him brainstorm ideas as to how to apologize and show lxc that jc truly loves him the same way but theyre so busy with training and practicing for finals wHEN SUDDENLY NHS GOES
"what if... you dressed... in a blue and white costume... and wore the gifts he gave..."
BOOM jc gets the same costume from his routine tailored in white and blue and gets a pearlescent ribbon, shining blue to purple and wears pretty cloud earrings and replaces his zidian ring with a matching cloud ring
he goes to his finals in that costume AND ALL HIS FANS RIOT
"holy SHIT jc is wearing blue???" "what happened to the old costume??" "its the same one but in blue??" "hes so handsome tho"
lxc is obvi there at the finals because he is first and foremost, jc's no. 1 fan
nmj and lwj are with lxc bc lxc needs emotional support, and with the added bonus of jc's beautiful costume and accessories, he just LOSES it and cries on the spot bc hes a softie
jc performs his routine, gets an unbelievable high score and wins a gold medal (deserve) and on the podium, he asks for a mic and tells the whole fucking world his feelings for lxc
"ive been dating lan xichen, my no. 1 fan, for 8 months and its been the best 8 months of my entire life. its been a secret to everybody we both know because i was too scared to say something, too scared that everybody would reject it and judge us. but now that i realized it has put a strain on our relationship, it made me think. why should i worry about this? why should i be scared? why, when i have him by my side to support me and love me? im so sorry huan-ge that ive made you feel unloved and unwanted because i do love you. i love you so fucking much and it hurts me that you feel this way because of me. i hope that you're here somewhere in the audience to hear this, maybe not since we're not okay, but know that ill do better. ill let myself love you wholy and freely from now on if you'll let me."
cue jc crying and lxc also crying (harder) and probably the whole world crying with them even lwj lets out a tear or two
cue cue lxc fucking jumping out the barracade, fall on his ass, running towards the podium, tripping and landing on his face, standing up and limping, then tackling jc and almost making them fall over bc lxc is chaotic like that
cue cue cue lots of crying and hugging and screaming from the audience and probably the medical team rushing in because holy shit lxc did that and jc is still hitting him for almost dying??
social media fucking blows up with numerous photos of jc, videos of jc's speech, photos and videos of lxc and jc and loads of support messages for the two of them
it ends with lxc posting numerous selfies of him and jiang cheng being lovey dovey with a really cheesy caption that probably goes like
"HE HAS NO RIGHT TO MAKE MY KOKORO GO DOKI DOKI" or "i love one (1) man and its my boyfriend- oops i meant fiance"
the end sksks theres other couples in this like wangxian and nieyao but really minor so i didnt put them in BUT how is this story? is it worth writing out? or is it ok as is?
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leatherbookmarking · 4 years
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hello! as you might have noticed i changed my icon. it’s a-yao now
celebratory headcanons/concepts™ from twitter (mostly xiyao/sanzun):
1. after the first occasion jgy gets to kiss him as much as he likes, poor lxc has to wear a face mask because he looks... concerning.
someone’s like oh, did you catch a cold? lxc (thinking about his boyfriend passionately committing to his "someone tried to eat my face" look): haha yes, one iced coffee too many ^__^
2.  a concept: jgy, a person who absolutely intertwines his legs with lxc's when they're about to sleep, to the point that lxc isn't entirely sure which legs are his, only to disentangle himself away 15 minutes later because Hot
a-yao is Small and thus automatically a pre-sleep wiggler. one leg under the cover, the other on top of it. no, gotta change them. the cover is too hot, hot move. turn over. spread legs. bend leg. dangle one feet over the edge of the bed. hmm, walls are cold. leg on wall
lxc, hoarsely: a-yao. love of my life. my sun and stars. my little goldcrest. I am going to tie you to the bedpost in a non-recreational way
jgy, who has melted away after "love of my life": (gently wraps the vines of his person around the post of lan xichen's sexy torso)
3. sometimes (always) i think about modern jiggy being a dancer and sometimes (always) i imagine him moving something like mr taemin out there. like this kind of... fluid grace. he traces an arc in the air with his hand and it's like drawn with a protractor. every minuscule movement is planned. add his controlled expressions to this and you've got a What The Fuck How Is He Real
4.  in a scenario where xiyao elope (no i will not shut up. ever), what do people think about the situation? gotta be "jgy, the EVIL FUCK, has kidnapped our beacon of light and goodness, zewu-jun!"
"but two men similar to them have been spotted in some places, and they appear friendly with each other... so..."
"witchcraft! jin guangyao has controlled zewu-jun's mind! who knows if he didn't turn him into a fierce corpse!"
the first person to find them fucking under a tree sure is in for a, let's say, surprise
5. thought of the day: meng yao deserved a big ass head piece. and silver in his hair. those little chains like jin ling had, that clink quietly when he moves his head. meng yao deserved to be as decked out as possible in gusu lan sect! and for people to look at him and see just how precious he is to sect leader lan!
lan-fujun... when he walks into the room, it's like a silver-white river nymph came to live among humans 
(on the other hand: meng yao thinking about his mother. and about himself, as a child, dreaming of being accepted by his father, a powerful cultivator. they'd be free, and meng yao would become a great cultivator too, and give his mother the prettiest rooms, the best clothes, the most delicious food, anything she wants. she would never need anything, because she'd have everything. that's how it would be, and he, meng yao, will make sure of it!)
6. MODERN AU BUT BAXIA IS A POMERANIAN.
i was thinking black/tan because nie colors, BUT if she was white, it would add to the wonderful contrast... or sable. you know, because sabre... sable... not funny? sorry. look at the cute dog though
i'm not saying nmj is from the 'hey i am a big burly man with a tiny dog' school of hitting on people. BUT it is a fact that when he's having someone over for a fuck, he likes to see confusion and terror flash in their eyes as he tells them he wants to introduce them to the most important woman in his life just. i just think that would be neat (he likes to observe people before he invites them over. just to figure out if they would be that kind of person who has to be reminded why they're here. not that he's against baxia getting love! just,)
something something maybe he got her to learn to be more gentle because his early life left him a blunt and unapproachable. OR MAYBE it was a gift from huaisang? so he can have someone to take care of when he moves out? (nmj: oh, so you ARE moving out? nice! when? nhs:          )
anyway they often converse. as in, nmj always kindly asks her not to nibble on things and in most cases, she obliges. but sometimes someone forgets to take their socks out of their shoes and they smell SO DELICIOUSLY, a lady has to have her pleasures, alright? "buy her chewing toys" oh? so she graces them with one scathing look and ignores them forever? this woman's most precious item is mingjue's old sock, with holes on both the toe and heel area. he's tied it in a knot. she usually carries it to her preferred places of Chewing but always remembers to bring it back to her bed for the night. one night jgy gets up to get a glass of water and sees nmj, with baxia on the countertop, two socks in front of her. "THIS one is good", nmj says patiently, pointing, "and THIS one is a no" she bites down on the latter
nie "i get nothing but disrespect from small dogs and people under 180cm" mingjue
if baxia doesn't like someone, he automatically Doesn't Trust Them. baxia has a very love/hate relationship with jgy. initially she was very waggy about him. then at some point she grew cold
is it a new cologne she doesn't like? he tries bringing her snacks. she nibbles at them for a minute then abandons them w/ no care. she walks away from him when he's using a cute voice and feigns deafness when he's speaking normally. there can only be ONE tiny thing in this house
(sometimes nmj Squints at jgy but jgy is Trying, and it's rather entertaining to see him on the floor, dog hair on his pants, ruthlessly ignored by 2kg of Fuck You. so)
(xichen, of course, has her unending adoration, although, of course, she loves mingjue the best)
...how does she treat huaisang? i'm thinking With Enthusiasm. he looks friendly! he makes fun noises when you surprise bark at him! truly a man worth playing with. she expresses that opinion by lovingly biting his toes. sometimes he accidentally walks into her. woe! woe!! Father, help!!! Violence! Hate!!
@xiyao-feels: I just have this image of like. Her being out with NHS and seeing another dark and starting to bark furiously and try to attack because she must! Defend! NHS!
(making her stop is a work in progress, nhs is very protectable) i had a dog that, due to Circumstances, wasn't socialized properly, so she'd bark at every dog she met. she was small but she DID scare some friendly big dogs away. "why is this tiny thing shouting :("
....sometimes when she yaps at jgy, jgy... yaps back, mockingly. and then it BEGINS (at some point nhs records it and posts on yt as "pomeranians having a shouting match")  oh, no, it's fine! jgy understands. it was quite funny indeed. and the fact that for a month after that she gets into nhs' room to wake him up, or that his favourite t-shirts somehow are covered with dog hair? it's the draught, and the power of baxia's love :-)
xiyao-feels: He convinces NMJ that NHS really needs to learn more about how to handle a dog, and enrolls him in some training
"it's important that all household members get along :-)" he also blissfully records her doing her best to steal nhs' sock from his foot
nmj: see, that means she likes you!
nhs, sadly: no, da-ge. that means my toe hurts, and that i am one sock poorer
xiyao-feels:  JGY starts deliberately vanishing NHS' socks when doing laundry, blames Baxia They're probably really fancy. I don't know what really fancy socks even look like but I bet NHS does
probably very smooth and pleasant to wear. nhs likes to live fancy, after all. well, baxia likes that too now!! whatcha gonna do!! at some point someone (xichen) notices the whole house is just four grown up men giving regular sacrifice to a tiny bitchy dog. incredible
at some point they introduce her to jc's gals. it looks like this
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sleepymarmot · 4 years
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Re-liveblog: eps. 4 & 10
Here's something I've been planning to do for a while -- rereading the liveblog of The Untamed I wrote a couple of months ago and looking at my own initial reactions to Jin Guangyao's storyline with new eyes. Returning to old liveblogs is always fun, but particularly when the perspective on something changes so much by the end of the story!
Of course, this turned into a monstrosity with word count in thousands that sat in my drafts for about a month, and involved rewatching most of the scenes the liveblog mentioned, and some that it didn't. Please be warned: this series of posts is not meant to be a comprehensive analysis, and will jump from one point to another or highlight only the things I have changed my mind about, or haven’t talked on this blog before. It is going to include some very personal interpretations and opinions, sometimes possibly (or definitely, in the case of this very post) unpopular or negative. I am here to reflect on my own experience of watching the show almost as much as to write meta about the show itself.
[All re-liveblog posts]
[ep 4]
is this shy illegitimate son the same person who summoned WWX in the first episode, or are they two entirely unrelated bastards? I don’t think the ages match up…
Oh, so that's what I was thinking during Meng Yao's introduction scene: trying to figure out whether he was the same person as Mo Xuanyu or not. That's funny.
[negativity ahead!]
Of course, I was also admiring Xichen's elegant way of Using His Privilege For Good, but I thought that was self-explanatory enough not to put in the liveblog. It didn’t occur to me this scene could be interpreted as a sect leader openly hitting on a disadvantaged youth, or that such an interpretation would be popular, especially in a literal and positive way as opposed to a dark or subversive headcanon. So even if this is ever confirmed to be an intended message of the scene, I’d just say “I recognize the council has made a decision...” and continue to disregard it. Kind of incredible how it manages to squick me in at least five ways -- and xiayo is one of my main ships in this fandom! And not only squick -- in my eyes, sexualizing LXC’s intentions in this scene not only adds something that I don’t like, but actively detracts from the textual, surface meaning and narrative function of LXC’s actions (establishing LXC as a Model Authority Figure who masterfully manipulates the social power dynamics not for self-interest, but for justice, kindness, and peaceful conflict resolution; see also the following scene with the Wens). And from the other side, I think Meng Yao is shocked and impressed specifically because someone like LXC would do this for someone like him without an ulterior motive; I suspect that if he saw this as LXC making an excuse to touch someone attractive, he would only be turned off: a sect leader who can’t keep his hands to himself is nothing new and nothing good from the point of view of JGS’s illegitimate child.
But if this brief brushing of hands holds any in-universe significance in addition to a possible foreshadowing of this relationship’s future importance -- I think I just finally realized what it must be! This interaction is an adaptation of the following scene from the book (which, to be fair, happens when MY and LXC already know each other, not during a first meeting):
Meng Yao had been a famous joke for a certain period of time, which was why a few recognized him. Likely thinking that the son of a prostitute perhaps also carried some unclean things with him, the cultivators didn’t drink from the cups that he had presented with both hands. Instead, they put the cups to the side and even took out white handkerchiefs. As though it felt too uncomfortable, they repeatedly wiped the fingers that they’d touched the teacup with, either intentionally or not. Nie MingJue wasn’t someone mindful to such things. Wei WuXian, though, caught sight of this through the corners of his eyes. Meng Yao acted as if he didn’t see anything, his smile unfaltering as he continued to pass around tea.
As Lan XiChen accepted his cup, he looked up at him and smiled, “Thank you.”
He drank a sip of the tea immediately afterward. Only then did he continue to converse with Nie MingJue. A few cultivators began to feel uneasy as they saw the scene.
(Chapter 48)
So CQL!Meng Yao’s eyebrows twitch in pleased surprise because the sect leader not only personally approached to verbally support him, but took something directly from his hands, not even trying to avoid him or flinching at skin contact. As if it didn’t even occur to the majestic Zewu-jun to think of Meng Yao as dirty or disgusting.
I don’t know if this is an intended interpretation either, because I don’t remember anyone specifically avoiding physical contact with MY in the show, and on the contrary, there were examples of both friendly (from Huaisang) and unfriendly (from the commander) touch. But I certainly prefer it to the other interpretation, and ignoring the interaction altogether seems a bit intellectually dishonest.
[/negativity]
On another note, much is said about JGY’s performativity, but check out LXC’s! Someone’s being bullied in his classroom? Not on his watch! Time to descend from his pedestal like truth coming out of her well, Very Pointedly and at length explain how this person Has His Official And Personal Approval And Is Very Welcome Here, then take the gift from him personally instead of letting a disciple do that. Note how in the following scene, he also personally accepts the gift from Wen Qing as a peacemaking gesture. I love how LXC’s character establishing event is about defusing not one but two uncomfortable situations in a row. Of the two brothers, all social skills went to him...
I have no comment on the goodbye scene. Just sadness.
Oh wait, after rewatching the entire show and coming back to the post, I do have something to say. This episode is the only time I can say with all certainty that all of Meng Yao’s words and reactions are fully sincere. After this point in the timeline, it will never happen again. :(
It’s a shame that the gifs I’ve seen of this scene end with the iconic stopped bow, because the final shots are also great! As soon as MY turns away, his face becomes clouded again, and seconds after the Sect Leader himself held his arms and assured they were peers, he felt the need to bow and lower his eyes as some unnamed disciples walked by. And the bitter look he sends after them tells the viewer how much he is aware of falling from the dreamland where a nobleman would compliment him like three times within three minutes, back to the regular life where it is better not to be noticed at all. Meanwhile, Xichen looks him in the back like “I want it to grow strong and healthy, I want to tell my friends and neighbors about it”.
[ep 10]
Alright, when 10 minutes ago I thought “Meng Yao, sweetie, kill that clown”, this is not what I had in mind
SOMEBODY GIVE MENG YAO A HUG (after some emergency medical care) HE HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG IN HIS LIFE. Can Xichen adopt him now?
Ah, the joys of the first viewing. 
At this point, I was thinking of both Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue exclusively as of father figures for Meng Yao. For LXC I think I slowly started to notice the romantic tension later but made a complete flip to the romantic interpretation only during the "late light talks... no sign of curse on his body" conversation. For NMJ it was during the head flashback. And as much as I like these pairings, it does feel like a loss that their existence displaces the very different pseudo-family dynamic. I think a story in which NMJ, LXC, WRH and JGS are all openly presented as competing father figures would be interesting; has anyone written that?
On rewatch, I was outraged by all of the blatant manipulation that I bought completely on the first viewing. MY is very good at playing a wounded bird -- especially when he's literally wounded. I had wondered why he just limped away without treating it, but now it's obvious he is using Stoic Suffering to invoke pity and admiration. Just like, a few minutes earlier, he showed NMJ that he was ready to be struck down, and it saved his life. He tells NHS with a sad but brave face “I won't be able to take care of you anymore” and on first viewing it worked on me just as he intended -- I thought “Poor boy, so trained to serve, he puts his duty to others above his own feelings even in this situation”. Ha...
And NMJ is only helping his case. He had the chance to explain everything and share the truth of MY's actions. And in the novel, he does take this chance, retelling the incident to Xichen (who chooses to turn a blind eye). Instead, NMJ basically confirms MY’s narrative: by hiding the reason for the exile, he makes it seem like there was no respectable reason at all. NMJ, all by himself, makes himself look like an irrational tyrant, and MY like a victim of an arbitrariness. And he does it in front of Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian, no less -- an heir to a major clan and his brother! By trying not to discuss internal problems with outsiders, he achieves an opposite effect. Luckily for him, JC and WWX don't give a shit... But imagine how different the plot would be if they had this information from the start?
What I still don't understand is -- what was Meng Yao’s plan in this episode? Who was he working for? Who was his accomplice, whose feet we saw in the later flasback -- surely not Xue Yang himself, he’s supposed to be under arrest! Was he working with the Jin secretly already? (I don’t think so: in a later scene, JGS asks him about this incident, seemingly ignorant.) Or with the Wen (I don't remember -- did Xue Yang go back to the Wen afterwards)? Or just with Xue Yang directly, setting him completely free just on the promise of future cooperation? This seems most plausible -- but to risk and lose everything over such an uncertain gamble doesn’t make MY look very smart.
I have some other things to say about the events of this episode, but they’ll be in the post about the flashbacks in episode 41.
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llycaons · 8 months
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ep24 (pt 2): wwx and lxc best brothers in law and I stand by it
I was worried this ep would be boring but it has not one, not two, but THREE great character-driven conversations, and this first one coming up that's one of my favorites scenes in the whole show. it's time for LAN XICHEN'S INTERVENTION TALK
people call this a shovel talk, and that annoys me because 1. they are way more popular in fanfic than I think they are in real life and 2. he's not threatening wwx, he's reminding him that people care about him and try to keep that into account and whatever is going on it's bad for you and we can HELP you!. it's not quite an intervention, and it's undertaken as much for lwj's sake as wwx's, but it's close. and I believe that lxc is fond of wwx. he likes him!
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wwx taking liberties with the actual sect leader is really funny esp since lxc is so polite about it and wwx is like super embarassed immediately after. he doesn't overreact like lwj, so wwx is properly chastened
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famous foreshadowing line
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YES YOU DO??!!!! this is coming immediately after jc's scene lamenting that wwx isn't there to help lmao
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very funny of him. he's like 'oh hehe I'll come to him if he can't come here! visiting my friend who's copying texts and just watching him will be super fun!' boy you are so far gone you're happy at the idea of just sitting there watching him write...
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the double meaning here really slams you in the chest. I can see why people consider it a shovel talk but it's really not! he just wants wwx to understand people (lwj) care about him and are trying to help him
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it feels like this is THE most direct acknowledgement of what wwx and lwj have going on, at least as of yet
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he is but. buddy. buddy
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oh and this short argument is enthralling. ALL their issues piling up
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jc pushes wwx down expecting him to be able to defend himself, and when he can't he's confused and blames him...and the kicker is, when he actually goes to try to help him, wwx tells him to stay away. another microcosm of their relationship...
wwx is being super frustrating but jc really can't wrap his head around not knowing something huh. he just can't accept a change without understanding why it happened
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this scene is sooo sad...jyl crying in the shrine, wonderinf ig wwx will leave them, wwx reassuring her of course not, where would I go? but that's not really an answer, is it? I don't think wwx wants to leave LP, or ever truly wanted to, but he can have conflicting feelings about his home as a site of great trauma for him, a place he no longer feels he can contribute to, and a place where he faces verbal attacks daily. after jyl left, it was really not a healthy environment for him...
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you wound me!
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he is her little boy...she will forgive him anything *flashes forward* well almost anything
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probably for the best
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from wwx pov it was as if a large purple savior descended from the clouds with the most delicious food he'd ever eaten in his life and offered him a permanent home. of course he's attached
...given how trusting he was of strangers giving him food, it's a good thing nothing else bad happened to him. well, maybe he had good intuition even back then for people he shouldn't trust. he's been a really good judge of people overall excepting his initial judgement of lwj, and of jgy
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crossdressingdeath · 4 years
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Okay I’ve had a very long day and people are being super defensive of JC on my dash so uh. I’m gonna talk shit about him for a bit. Because it’ll make me feel better. And I don’t want anyone arguing with me about this so I’ll put it behind a cut and if you don’t want to read someone talking shit about JC in a super unstructured manner then... don’t click read more, I guess? 
So here’s one thing, to start. In The Untamed specifically, I can argue with near-absolute certainty that JC killed WWX. LWJ had him, and that guy is insanely strong; I don’t doubt for a second he could’ve pulled WWX up if he’d been given the chance. Maybe JC didn’t put a blade through WWX’s heart himself, but if he had stayed out of it WWX probably would’ve lived. I don’t know how long he would’ve lived, and I doubt he would’ve thanked LWJ for saving him, but he probably wouldn’t have died on that cliff. Hell, killing him quickly might have been a kindness; I’m not an expert on how far you have to fall to die instantly on impact and I don’t know how high that cliff was, but depending on how he landed and if he bounced off anything on the way down it’s possible (though maybe not likely) that WWX wouldn’t have died right away. If I had to choose between a quick death via a blade through a vital part or a more lasting death via serious internal damage from a very long fall... Yeah, I’d take the stabbing. Obviously I’m not saying that not being able to go through with killing his brother makes JC a bad person; I’m just saying that when his choices were doing nothing (which, reminder, here means letting LWJ pull WWX up (or at least try to)), helping LWJ save his brother, finishing WWX off quickly (JC is trained in combat, I’m sure he knows where to stab for the most merciful death possible under those circumstances), or letting WWX fall to his death... I just find it interesting that JC chose the latter.
Hell, even before that, if JC had done something sooner a whole lot of pain could’ve been avoided. (We’re out of the Untamed-exclusive stuff, by the way.) Now, I get that as a very new sect leader of a sect that was almost obliterated JC’s position is... precarious, to say the least. However! An awkward position doesn’t automatically mean he can pretty much abandon his brother! That is not how familial ties work! Especially when he never takes WWX’s position (which was equally precarious if not more so) into account while talking about how WWX abandoned him.
Put yourself in JC’s shoes for a moment, here. Most of your family is dead. Your brother, you know, was thrown into a hell pit and hasn’t been seen for three months. Then, joy of joys, you find him again! Except now your ever-cheerful, ever-kindhearted brother can raise the dead and, oh yeah, has spent all his time since escaping the hell pit that no one survives torturing people to death with demonic cultivation. What do you do in this situation? I’m fairly sure your answer was not “Throw him on the front lines as your most valuable weapon without giving him so much as a chance to come to terms with all the horrible things that have clearly happened to him”. Yes, yes, they were in the middle of war, but you don’t get to throw your very obviously messed up brother onto the front lines and then be shocked when there are serious consequences for doing that.
Also, going back to positions: People talk a lot about how JC’s position was so difficult, and I’m not saying it wasn’t, but... here’s the thing. WWX’s position was so much worse. JC is the sect leader of an old and powerful sect. The Jiangs might have lost a great deal, but there are still alliances he could call on, favours he could probably cash in, treasures reclaimed from the Wens he could use... He’s not exactly helpless. He has to be careful, but he’s not entirely defenseless. Meanwhile, WWX is the incredibly powerful demonic cultivator with a dangerous weapon everyone wants to get their hands on and a brother he’s known to have a somewhat strained relationship with. We see in canon that the sects are actively hunting for a chance to get their teeth into him after the Sunshot Campaign wraps up. All WWX has is his own power and JC’s support. I keep coming back to what JGY says at the temple, about how JC made WWX an easy target by making it obvious their relationship was rocky, and... he’s right. I doubt JC intended to do it, but he made it very easy for the sects to split WWX off from him. And while JC was still a sect leader and largely untouchable, WWX was infinitely more vulnerable. Again, I doubt he meant to paint a target on his brother’s back, but the fact that he missed it in favour of getting pissy about WWX being better than him yet again says something about him.
The fact that he says there’s nothing he can do after WWX absconds with the Wen remnants says... something else. Now, I’m terrible with politics; while he definitely should have supported his brother in a perfect world, with a sect to look after and JGS hunting for weak points I genuinely don’t know if he could have at that point. (Again, I really do think he should’ve tried to step in before things got to this point, but... well, he didn’t. No use crying over spilled milk and all that.) So okay, he couldn’t do anything. I’ll take him at his word; if nothing else, I can believe he was too bad with both politics and people and too inexperienced to find a way to step in. But he then takes his brother’s request to remove him from the Jiang sect to avoid any trouble coming to their doorstep and goes off and tells the sects that his brother is a traitor. Let me put that another way. He tells the people who are looking for an excuse to murder his brother and take his writings and inventions for themselves that his brother has betrayed them. I think we have reached the point where malice and stupidity become impossible to tell apart. Honestly, I can only see two possible thought processes for this: Either he actually wants to bring the sects down on WWX’s heads (unlikely) or he’s so terrible at politics that he genuinely didn’t realize what the logical result of his words would be (more likely, but means his parents did a terrible job of teaching him how to be a sect leader). Although, given he apparently spent enough of the 13 years between WWX’s death and resurrection spending so much time torturing demonic cultivators to death because either he thought they might be WWX or they just reminded him of him that most of the citizens in his territory are too scared to go to Lotus Pier for help unless they’re in imminent life-threatening danger I don’t think you can argue he was a good sect leader by any stretch...
Oh! Speaking of parents and teaching: Jin Ling. Now, part of this might be a cultural thing that I’m not familiar with, but JC is an absolutely god-awful guardian. Pretty much all he does is insult JL, belittle him, or threaten him. Yeah, he cares in his own way, but take it from me: When your parents (or uncle, in this case) spend most of their time insulting you but also keep you safe from any external danger and do their best to help you grow, you don’t end up a happy, well-adjusted adult; you end up miserable and confused because you can’t hate or like the person raising you and get stuck between love and resentment. JL is clearly desperate for affection, but he can’t admit that to anyone. It’s no surprise he mourns for JGY so deeply even after everything; the guy was pretty much the only one in the poor kid’s life to treat him with open, honest affection before he met WWX! The comparison between him and Sizhui (as the only other child raised by the main cast) is striking; even though LWJ seems like he should be just as bad a parent, he raises Sizhui with love and kindness, and so did WWX before him. And the result is... so very different. Sizhui is the very goodest of boys and I love him with all my heart. Anyway, it’s no wonder JL gravitates towards WWX and defends him once he’s gotten past his initial reaction of stabbing the guy; WWX is so open and explicit with his affection! Is he a perfect parent? No, probably not. But he focuses more on making it clear to his army of juniors that he loves them and respects them as people and wants them to be happy with where they end up in life than he does on making them fit his image of what they should be. Of course someone who’d be raised with JC copying his mother and constantly getting on their case about not being good enough would gravitate towards someone like that.
Okay, this is getting long. Last point: WWX has to put in so much emotional labour in their relationship even before everything goes tits up? The best example for me is the scene where WWX promises they’ll be together forever, Twin Heroes of Yunmeng, the huge promise that both JC and an annoyingly large portion of the audience think he should’ve kept no matter what. Yeah, out of context it’s very sweet, but in context? WWX has just barely recovered from the fight with the Xuanwu. He’s been conscious for... maybe an hour, at most? He nearly died. And yet he has to drag himself out of bed to chase JC through Lotus Pier to comfort him because JFM was paying more attention to WWX. Who, again, almost died. JC is so busy being pissy about this that he forces his brother, still recovering, to chase him through Lotus Pier to comfort him for something their parents did. Most of the time, JC has a right to be upset that JFM so obviously prefers WWX. Looking in from the outside the situation is clearly more complicated than he paints it, but I don’t blame him for not seeing how bad things are for the rest of the family. ...I know that sounds sarcastic, but I do mean it. His siblings are very good at hiding how badly their family situation has hurt them. Anyway, though, on this one occasion I am entirely on JFM’s side here. WWX threw himself into danger so JC wouldn’t have to go to the indoctrination camp alone even though he didn’t have to, then some time later JC returns alone and informs him that WWX is trapped in a cave with the Xuanwu of Slaughter, then when JFM finally manages to reach him the Xuanwu is dead and WWX is all but dead. I 100% do not blame him for focusing on WWX in this situation! He did something fully-grown cultivators with far more experience failed at and almost died in the process! Given JC must be... what, 16 at the youngest, probably older by this point? I would expect him to grasp that. He’s old enough to have developed empathy. Hell, he should be right there with his father and sister, proud of WWX’s accomplishments and relieved to see him awake and recovering. Instead, WWX has to drag himself through Lotus Pier and swear to stay by JC’s side for the rest of their lives just to get him to stop sulking because WWX was better than him yet again.
...Yeah, as you might have grasped, I don’t think WWX had any obligation to uphold that promise. He shouldn’t have been expected to be tied to Lotus Pier by a vow he made as a teenager to get his brother to cheer up. In fact, a very large part of me wishes he’d broken it sooner. Comparing the way JC treats him to the way the Wens and LWJ treat him (setting aside that those are of course very different kinds of love) I can’t help but think things might have gone infinitely better for him if he’d found a different family a lot earlier.
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razberryyum · 5 years
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The Untamed/陈情令 Rewatch, Episode 2 (spoilers for everything)
(covers MDZS chaps 6 - 10 and a bit of 13)
WangXian meter: 🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰
(a 🐰 is earned every time there is a WangXian scene or even when they’re just thinking of each other)
I always tell people when I’m trying to get them to watch The Untamed that when they get to this particular scene in the second episode, they’ll know if they will be into the show. To me, this is the game-changer moment: you’re either in or out after this. If this scene doesn’t emotionally move you enough to at least continue on with the drama, nothing else will.  It is seriously one of the most romantic scenes I have ever seen captured on screen. This was the moment that made me realize not only was I now fully committed to CQL, but that I had also found a new obsession and was ready to devote myself to Mo Dao Zu Shi.  After all, something that can lead to the creation of such a beautiful scene MUST hold other invaluable treasures. So into the MDZS rabbit hole I went, happily diving head first.  
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Even now I’m still amazed that this scene exists in the intact form that it does. I started The Untamed with little to no expectations, especially knowing the restrictions it was under AND having just finished Guardian and experiencing how poor creative decisions can arise due to censorship (or at least, using that as an excuse for their dumb story choices). As I mentioned previously, the first episode was a hard sell since they definitely did not put their best foot forward first, but I liked Xiao Zhan immediately and Wei Wuxian as a character was interesting enough that I wanted to learn more about his past that led to his death and rebirth. The small glimpses we saw of his relationship with Lan Zhan also fascinated me, but then with this second episode, the weak points of the pilot still remained: there was still bad CGI (the statue) and very amateurish technical mistakes (in the recognition scene, at one point, in a close-up shot they’re holding onto each other, but in the next far away backside shot they’re clearly standing apart from each other, only to return to holding each other once again once the camera cuts back to a close-up...whoever the editor is on CQL probably should dunk their head in the toilet every time these editing errors pop up) that made my initial viewing of this episode a frustrating one for most of its runtime. I think I spent most of my initial viewing just distracted, playing on my phone or something, until the big WangXian moment happened and then I was shocked and awed.  I know I wasn’t paying close attention that first time because when I rewatched the episode later on, I realized I missed a lot of dialogue and details. I have since revisited this second episode numerous times more, and I do feel bad about how dismissive I was initially. It’s a pretty loaded episode: it has funny, poignant, creepy, mysterious, and cool moments while still feeding us bits of the overarching plot. I definitely have developed an affection for it since my first viewing and it’s become one of my favorite episodes in the series.
Of Pining & other Heart-achy Things
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This simple line from Jiang Cheng is enough to make my eyes well up with tears: I can’t help but imagine Lan Zhan traveling around the world for sixteen years, most likely all alone, stopping at different places to play Inquiry, fervently hoping that maybe one day he’ll finally receive an answering chord from Wei Ying, only to be confronted by a deafening silence again and again and again. How utterly sad and disappointed he must have been every time, and yet still, he never gave up and just went to the next location to do the same thing and experience the same heavy disappointment all over again. If that doesn’t make your heart ache, I’m sorry to tell you, your heart is no longer functional.
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It’s a detail I don’t remember if the novel covered, but I’m assuming that Lan Zhan was the one to bring Wei Ying’s inventions like the spirit attraction flag and the compass back to Gusu and incorporate them for use in his sect’s normal cultivation practices.  I know other people have use his tools as well since that nameless cultivator at the start of the episode was also using the spirit compass, but I feel that with Lan Wangji, he probably purposefully acquired and adapted WWX’s techniques so that every time they’re used, they can serve as a reminder of Wei Ying for him. Though it does make me wonder how Lan Zhan managed to get those approved by his uncle; I can’t imagine Lan Qiren being ok with using anything that was created by the man whom he blames for the corruption of his beloved nephew and model student. Did LWJ just pretend he created them instead? That doesn’t even sound right. Maybe Uncle Lan decided to be merciful and just let Lan Zhan win this one since he was probably obviously miserable after Wei Ying’s death.   Yeah, I can buy that scenario, especially since the flag and compass are pretty useful tools.  
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I wondered did LWJ already suspect “Mo Xuanyu” was Wei Ying before he started playing Wuji on his flute. It’s curious that he happened to be in that part of the forest at that time. I’m guessing his Wei Ying senses were tingled when he heard about Mo Xuanyu’s skills from Sizhui and the boys so that’s why he was hanging around the vicinity just in case MXY reveals his true identity. After waiting 16 years for this reunion, it’s no wonder Lan Zhan had no qualms about holding onto WWX’s wrist in public for much longer than socially appropriate.  
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I actually get a little emotional every time I rewatch this episode and watch Jin Ling display his mad archery skills because I would always think of how much he takes after his dad. His parents would’ve been so proud to see him all grown up like this; Shijie would’ve been so happy she probably would get teary-eyed as well every time she saw her boy in action. Sure, he’s a spoiled little princess, but he is also a pretty skilled princess with a heart of gold and I just wish they had more time together as a family.  
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They looked so happy, look at all those smiles. It really makes me so sad that Wei Ying will probably never be able to hug JC like that again, and of course he’ll never be able to hug Shijie period. Great now I want to cry again.
Lan Jingyi Appreciation Section
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I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this precious boy by name so far, so I wanted to take this opportunity to show him some much deserved love. Lan Jingyi with his resting bitch face and steady stream of snark was really the MVP of this episode. He actually made me laugh out loud a few times...in fact, he almost always makes me laugh as soon as he scrunches up his face like he’s smelling something bad. I recently saw someone mention that he’s really the most un-Lan of the Lans (sorry, I forgot who posted that so I apologies for not giving proper credit) and that is really the perfect description of him. I love this kid as much as I love Sizhui and Jin Ling, and I am also sincerely fascinated by him. I mean, who raised him in the Gusu Lan sect? Cuz I cannot imagine Lan Qiren being the one since Jingyi undoubtedly would’ve had all his snark driven out of him at an early age. Hell, the amount of disciplinary action he probably had to have gone through would’ve probably killed him at a young age.  Did he join the sect when he was already fully formed so that’s why he’s still breaking Lan sect rules right and left? He threatened an old man and is like rude to everyone. I don’t know all 3000 rules but I’m pretty sure being mean to the elderly and insulting to supposedly mentally unstable people are probably not allowed. If anything, his disposition would make him more suitable for the Lanling Jin sect and yet he’s with the stuffy Lans. WHY? I could watch a whole spin-off series with just him and the other juniors as long as we get to learn about how he came to be with the Gusu Lan sect. He’s hilarious and adorable, and among the many the reasons why I wish we had more episodes for the present-day arc, one of them is because I wanted to spend more time with the juniors, especially Lan Jingyi, even if it meant the screenwriters would’ve had to go off book and create new scenes for them. It would’ve been well worth it to hear LJY throw more shade at people.  
Random Bits of Randomness
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It’s kinda crazy how WWX just stood there with his back turned, oblivious to Jin Ling’s attack. If Lan Zhan’s blade hadn’t blocked JL’s sword, that would’ve been the end of our main protagonist. I just thought that was such an odd scene...I would’ve felt just a little better if Wei Ying had at least had a little more awareness that an attack was heading for him and made some attempt to get out of the way.  
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Ugh, that mask. First of all it’s ugly AF, and secondly it’s so freaking ill-fitting it was distracting. Would’ve been nice if the production team gave him a mask that actually fit his face. I mean, did it HAVE to be THAT damn big? I’m amazed they don’t have bts clips of Xiao Zhan tripping and hurting himself because the stupid mask blocked his vision.
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Other than being a brilliant mastermind and Oscar-worthy actor, Nie Huaisang has got to be one of the greatest cultivators if not THE greatest cultivator of all time to be able to conjure up an illusion like that. That thing was doing real damage to people. If it was just a phantom, what the heck was holding up those two cultivators in midair like that? And what kicked Jin Ling around? I know Wei Ying was able to drive people crazy with his flute during his Yiling Patriarch phase, but his handiwork still felt more grounded and reasonable than this.  
Questions I still have (please feel free to answer them):
- Who was that old man at the grave? Someone NHS paid to just hang around the graves until the juniors and WWX came by?  
- So NHS basically fucked up Yan’s entire family and God knows how many other people just to get WWX to eventually play his flute to lure Wen Ning out from wherever he was hiding?
- How did JGY not know Wen Ning escaped? Or did he just leave those details to Xue Yang so he didn’t really care about what happened to Wen Ning?  I’m trying if this was addressed in the book but my mind is coming up empty. I don’t think it was brought up in the show though, or I just completely missed it.
Overall Episode Rating: 9 Lil Apples out of 10
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axelsandwich · 4 years
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Sorting The Untamed characters
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In which I have a lot of feelings about sorting The Untamed characters into @sortinghatchats​ classifications because I’m a LOSER NERD WITH FEELINGS : D
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Wei Wu Xian - Gryffindor primary/Gryffindor secondary
WWX’s Gryff energy is like….what are you so LOUD for. There’s nothing he can do other than stick to his morals and principles and what his gut is telling him is the right thing to do, no matter the cost. Even if it makes him public enemy number one of the cultivation world, even if it exiles him from his family and clan, even if it goes against everything he was taught and involves helping and saving his worst enemies - see: Wen clan in Xuanwu cave, the cultivators in Burial Mound after losing their spiritual powers due to Su She. This is someone who adheres brightly and with his all to his principles simply because it is the RIGHT thing to do and he knows this with unshaken conviction and is steady once he discovers this, which has its own power. 
Honestly I was actually initially thinking between Slytherin with Claw and Claw secondary because WWX has an improvisational streak to him, managing to thrive even when thrown into the worst of circumstances with a combination of his own prodigious skill and flexibility when it comes to drastically relearning the dark arts to compensate for a lack of golden core. But here’s the passage that convinced me otherwise: “it is a Gryffindor’s stark, direct honesty makes them them feel the most secure. Lies, or even misdirects, are slippery footing. For a Gryffindor Secondary, their blunt honesty is a facet of their personality and their morality—lying about who or why you are taints the victory. A Gryffindor Secondary can and will lie if the cause is important enough— but it will leave a bad taste in their mouth the same way trusting a stranger with their honesty might terrify a Slytherin Secondary.” The blunt honest is self-evident in…well, WWX’s entire existence lmao but even when young in the Gusu Lan sect. But what convinces me is after WWX gets Chenqing and the way the great lie about why he doesn’t use Suibian anymore is framed afterwards. It kills WWX to lie about all that he is, it’s presented as one of the fundamental tragedies of his story - the ultimate betrayal of himself that he makes for a greater purpose and in pursuit of his Gryff primary ideals. The fact it’s not treated lightly or as a tool to be used to achieve his goals is what makes him a Gryff secondary. 
He models a Claw’s curiosity and intellectual fascination with questioning the world order and a Slytherin’s keen eye for motivations and people, but ultimately it comes down to that red thread of charging when backed into a corner - quite literally, he charges towards the Xuanwu, out of Chiongqi Road with the Wen prisoners, into the plaza of cultivators calling for his ashes, directly into Guanyin temple where Jingyi is in danger; he puts himself in harm’s way without a second thought when his gut is telling him he’s right to do so. He also has the classic Gryff secondary trait of amassing an accidental army in his wake of the most unlikely people, all transformed by his draw and that irresistible quality of truth to him. 
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Lan Wang Ji - Gryffindor primary/Ravenclaw secondary
LWJ is a quiet version of the Gryffindor primary, raised in a culture that forces him into like…the strongest of all Ravenclaw models. He adheres strictly and obediently to the Lan clan’s system of the world because in his mind, it was the right thing to do… until WWX forces him to re-examine his morality, about what he was taught and everything he believed was right. And when his model of the world is challenged, what he ultimately goes with is…his heart. Not necessarily because his morality is guided by how WWX is his in the same way of Slytherin/Hufflepuff’s personal morality, but because WWX embodies the new insight that nothing is truly black or white in the way his clan’s system has taught; because LWJ feels that WWX is good, even when every other rule he’s been taught is saying otherwise and, little by little, he rebels quietly by dismantling those systems that once shaped his worldview. 
LWJ wrestles visibly with this the entire flashback arc of the drama, unable to bring himself to denounce WWX despite all the ‘bad’ he had done all the way until the Nightless City battle and when push came to shove, at the very end, he still chose to clutch onto WWX’s hand until WWX made the choice for him to let go. I do think he was ‘stripped’ by the experience - his internal compass, sense of purpose, and even sense of worth broken by the loss of WWX and that’s what he spends 16yrs atoning and suffering for. After WWX’s revival, he accordingly sets himself up against the cultivation world with no hesitation because he’s had 16yrs to regret not following his Gryff primary heart that said WWX’s way of seeing the world is right and he’s not going to falter again. 
Ravenclaw secondary bc……his first instinct when his boyfriend was changed by demonic cultivation was to flip the library upside down trying to find a cure and try to invent a whole ass song to cure him nghghghshf. But yes, he’ll fall back on systems, skills and knowledge he’s carefully built from the ground up when backed in a corner, drawing on what he’s known and carefully cultivated, looking through resources to try and gain more knowledge. 
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Wen Qing - Slytherin primary/Slytherin secondary
Wen Qing’s morality and driver is very simple. It’s her brother at the start, her family, and gradually expands as people help him and - by extension - her: WWX, LWJ, Jiang Cheng. For them, she’ll betray the wider clan with very few qualms because they’re not her people and those who are hers come first. She connects with Jiang Cheng on the basis of both their Slytherin primaries, but understands immediately that he would never have gone with her to rescue Wen Ning because while she may tentatively be one of ‘his’ people in his mind, Wen Ning isn’t, and so any future with him is tragically unaccepted. When it comes down to sacrificing even the brother she holds so dear, she does it in the hope that her people - WWX and her wider family by proxy - may be saved from the cultivation world’s wrath. She’s a Slytherin secondary because she’s adaptable and able to draw on whatever skills she needs and be who she needs to be to achieve her goals, with a knack for zeroing in precisely on people’s true motivations and what will and won’t work with a cultivation society looking to find a bad guy. You can bet she’s the one who figured out how to trick Jiang Cheng into believing he could get his golden core back. It’s telling that her most emotional moments are when she lays down all her defences and sincerely speaks from the heart - whether it’s crying over Wen Ning’s body or thanking Wei Wu Xian and apologising. ; _ ; Wen Qing is a good egg. 
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Jiang Cheng - Slytherin primary/Gryff secondary
It’s clear from the start that Jiang Cheng’s morality revolves around his family who are his and come above everyone else, along with his pride (but we’re not gonna talk about thatttt...). His impassioned plea of ‘it was enough to just save ourselves, why did you have to save them’ re: bringing the Wen clan wrath upon the Jiang clan proves he could never see eye to eye with WWX’s Gryffindor primary that demands what is right be applied to all, and therein lies the source of their feud, when we get to the pointy end and doing what’s right involves a lot more sacrifice and hardship. Jiang Cheng’s very specialised loyalty is tested over and over throughout the beginning of the series by outsiders casting suspicion on WWX’s motivations, pricking at his pride and his deep set insecurities about his own position and whether he’s actually loved by the people he’s claimed as his own and also on their priority list (see: his father, WWX). 
What truly makes him give up and cut WWX out of his circle is when WWX himself says ‘I exile myself from the tribe’. In Jiang Cheng’s eyes, to betray the people who are yours is what is unforgivable and impossible to understand, and that’s what comes out as the most deeply buried point of pain in Guanyin temple and what’s driven JC’s anger the last sixteen years. That doesn’t make him any less of an extreme Gryff secondary than WWX, whether it’s charging straight into the feared Burial Mound where no one’s ever come out alive just to drag his brother out and confront him about all the problems directly, to confronting WWX directly in Lotus Cove, to marching into Guanyin temple’s front door. Which is probably why they fight. We also find out in the end that Jiang Cheng is fully capable of the same dumb self sacrifice that WWX made for him. Ironically, both of their actions boil down to ‘I must protect my brother’, except where WWX does it because it’s right, Jiang Cheng does it because that’s his brother. 
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Jin Guangyao - Slytherin primary/Slytherin secondary
WWX’s diametric opposite. I do think he seems like a petrified Slytherin - Guanyin temple arc reveals that his world once comprised at least of himself and his mother, and perhaps the idealised image of who his father would be, and he strove and strove until his father shattered all his dreams, until his world narrows until it’s ultimately and dangerously comprised of just himself. I do think Nie Mingjue, Su She, Qin Su and Lan Xichen came the closest to who he would consider ‘his’ people, but even that falls away as they ‘betray’ him and because his actions are ultimately guided by his loyalty only to himself, and warps exactly what he interprets as ‘betrayal’. This is what allows him to betray them when they ultimately fall out of line with JGY’s priorities and give them such cruel endings despite how much he professes to treasure them. It’s what creates his resentment against NMJ that festers until it leads to NMJ’s demise - in JGY’s eyes, to throw aside everything in their relationship for the sake of some lowly, subhuman captain who’s always treated JGY with contempt and to keep holding it against him is incomprehensible, unforgivable. It’s also why LXC stabbing him is met with such choking disbelief and anger - because JGY, true to his word, would have never entertained the concept of betraying a person who was proving to be his and LXC was his last hope. His secondary Slytherin allows him to transform and shift with the wind, shedding personas and layers as easily as water, the same way it pains WWX to do the same. 
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Nie Huaisang - Slytherin primary/Slytherin secondary 
Jin Guangyao’s equal and foil, ironically also putting up a very self-entered front in the world where it seems like he only cares about his own self interests but quietly loyal to a select number of people who are his - WWX, his elder brother - and will quietly work in the shadows playing the long con to systematically dismantle everything about the person he despises. Slytherin secondary allows him to make himself a fool without any qualms about it not being a reflection of his true face or authentic self, and pull the puppet strings on even those he cares about until he gets to where he wants to be. 
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Lan XiChen - Ravenclaw primary/Ravenclaw secondary
Xichen sticks much more closely to what his clan’s systems are and his carefully constructed understanding of the world and that’s what both blinds him to JGY and shakes his worldview so heavily when JGY reveals himself to be a villain. But his felt morality, guided by the system of being just and fair is also what allows him to reject JGY and entertain the possibility of his betrayal. A Slytherin primary may stubbornly cling to faith in a person that he sees as ‘his’ person, but a Ravenclaw primary will feel guilty and immoral to be sticking with them despite knowing they’re betraying the system of justice that he prides above all. It’s what allows him to be an ally to both WWX/LWJ and JGY for the latter half of the series, trying to understand and question the logical holes in WWX and LWJ’s arguments. Where WWX and LWJ don’t have evidence for JGY being evil, they can feel it in their guts and they charge towards getting that evidence based on those convictions. LXC on the other hand may sense something in his gut but he will not act against JGY without being convinced of said evidence, until he is certain of what the real truth is and will methodically keep digging and questioning the evidence being presented to him until it becomes undeniable. It’s also telling that his anger when Huaisang manipulates him into stabbing JGY is not so much about the fact he betrayed his friend (which is the key pain point that JGY angrily latches onto) but that Huaisang may have been lying, that LXC may have acted on something that was not true and he had been unable to see through that. It’s a subtle difference I think, but what separates his primary. I think his Ravenclaw secondary is pretty obvious in the thoroughness of his methods and the ways we’ve seen him dodge the Wen clan, to be willing to work with JGY during the Sunshot Campaign. It requires flexibility of thinking and drawing on a range of resources and that’s what LXC quietly excels at. 
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Jiang Yanli & Wen Ning - Hufflepuff primary/Hufflepuff secondary
Both are honestly quite similar — they’ll hold onto their belief in the basic goodness of all people, regardless of allegiance and regardless of their past history and that’s the source of what endears them to people and why they manage to build an army of people who would die and care for them when push comes to shove. 
The little we see of both Yanli and Wen Ning’s way of operating from a secondary perspective revolves around being of service to others, being a source of reliability, support and consistency, quietly building, strengthening and contributing to their little community. Wen Ning quietly and diligently attends to WWX’s protection at all times, reliably taking on the roles allocated to him with a genuine commitment to performing them to his best ability. 
When they ‘fight’, they fight by drawing on their resources, through a thorough, systematic and relentless persistance. A Li’s approach to the battle of words on Phoenix Mountain is an example of this - she draws upon her position, her knowledge of what is ‘proper’ to do within the community and the goodwill she’s built with Madame Jin to subtly dismantle Jin Zixun’s arguments while still pleasantly entrapping him in the niceties of the community she’s a part of without alienating herself the same way WWX can’t help but do with his bluntness. When JC threatens to push WWX to the limits of his endurance, Wen Ning defends WWX through words, standing up again and again despite being violently thrown back and systematically dismantling all of JC’s defence mechanisms by thoroughly and sincerely pushing back on every false claim and even urging JC to call on the community to verify the truth of his words. They’re indomitable, stubborn and effective and that’s Puff/Puff energy right there.
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Jin Ling - Gryff primary/Gryff secondary
Gryff primary…why are you so LOUD for Pt 2. Poor Jingyi, two Gryff secondary uncles and father…he had no chance lmaaaao. Impulsive, reckless, absolutely a ‘charge first and ask questions later’ kid and screaming Gryff secondary. Will bash a hole in a wall when he’s denied entry and get caught by the skeleton demons than like…find another way around, you know? Or charge into Guanyin temple without much second thought. His Gryff primary and his gut morality of what is right - aka. trusting WWX and treating him with fairness - ultimately wins against him being pushed hard into the whole ‘pride in your clan only’ angle by his Slytherin primary uncle, and that’s what allows him to become a WWX duckling (begrudgingly) despite all his puffery and objections. It’s also what lets him survive and accept the betrayal of seeing his other uncle revealed as a villain and how he’s able to reject JGY when his misdeeds become undeniable. I also think it’s super cute he’s the same type as WWX, honestly...it’s why I love their dynamic. He’s the young, unjaded version of his uncle.    
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Lan Sizhui - Puff primary/Gryff secondary with a Claw model?
There’s a kindness to Shizui that he extends to Mo Xuanyu, Jin Ling and Wen Ning against convention and despite - in Jin Ling’s case - how hard he tries to create distance in that relationship that makes me think Puff primary and his determination to see everyone as people to be respected. I feel like we don’t see enough of Sizhui in action to really be able to determine his secondary - he has something of secondary Puff/Claw vibes in the way he comes across as quietly diligent, reliable and insightful, but he’s also got a certain amount of fire when he needs to - grabbing people’s legs as a kid, making a move towards possessed Song Lan in Yi City despite WWX telling them all to get out, brawling with the other ducklings when tied up, rushing recklessly back up the Burial Mound path to find WWX and LWJ who were holding back the ghouls etc. Maybe a secret Gryff secondary that’s normally held in place by a Claw or Puff model. 
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lansizhuis · 5 years
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I saw your post abt reading "and the calm is deep where the quiet waters flow" and now I'm obsessed with the idea of JZX/WWX. Do u have any hcs abt how they'd be like in a relationship?
if i wasn’t so in-love with LWJ/WWX and JZX/JYL, they’d actually be a pair i’d love to see (wiw there you go now you see another guilty pleasure ship of mine) OKAY SO IN THE UNIVERSE where LWJ and JYL doesn’t exist as their partners (nooooo i love them /sobs):
- WWX would have a roll on teasing JZX bc the latter is such a tsundere and he blushes easily and reacts so much- JZX would forever try to deny that he has a crush on WWX back in cloud recesses but he’d do all those tiny things when one has a puppy crush aka 1) he sits beside WWX in classes (“there’s no other space!” “bruh only wuxian-xiong and wanyin-xiong were in the room”); 2) he’d hope to get partnered w/ WWX well actually he’s looking forward and dreading it on activities; 3) he’d “grumpily” eat lunch/snacks/etc with WWX and JC much to JC’s annoyance - imagine JZX telling his parents that he’s not marrying anyone and then in a smaller voice go in a ramble about “so uh hey we need to make connections with other sect right what if well you know not that i really really want it but what if we do it with yunmeng jiang sect? so uh obviously not jiang wanyin bc he’s sect heir and well not lady jiang as well bc she’s taken so hmm how about wei wuxian? listen i know he’s not jiang by blood but he might as well be with how he’s adopted and so yeah not that i want him specifically but you get me right”- ofc this can go either angst route or more on a comedy one and since this is me - obv we go to the comedic angle of this - WWX would still be dense af and so during the hunt where WWX is all super protective of his shijie bc he thought JZX was after her the whole time then JZX shouts “it’s not her! it’s you! I LIKE YOU!” and then ofc he still runs away (he should be JC is readying zidian whilst JYL has her passive and very aggressive smile in place)- and the heir issues but since as i said, we’re going the comedic route, WWX would accidentally find a way for them to have a child and the child is super like JZX so now WWX gets to pick on the two even more (he isn’t laughing anymore when his kid says that JC is his fav uncle)- you know what’s great about this au? we can fix a lot of things - JGY is dragged by JZX as a recognized son bc of WWX’s influence on him regarding being more attentive regarding these matters and so he doesn’t end up being the recyclable trash that he is ohhhh and JZX also gets MXY and well almost every half sibling he has to koi tower- but the thing is the norm for them would be arguing in public over anything and everything and then when they’re in private and the day is done, they get to be more soft around each other- WWX never lets JZX forget about his crush on him when they were younger and spins (50% fake and exaggerated) tales during that time and when JZX was courting him
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