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#nmj for best dad!
criticalrolo · 11 months
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finally finished some designs for the nie parents!!
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a-schrodingers-fox · 2 years
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His father’s death, after those agonizing three months, felt as a relief. At least now, Nie Mingjue thought, their father was not in pain anymore. He squeezed his didi’s hand tighter and stood straighter, but the wouldn’t stop the tears from falling…
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restingdomface · 1 year
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Meng Yao: *selfie shot of his blitzed out face in the middle of the club with Xichen and Mingjue on either side* ‘When that last shot tastes a lot like you’ll be feeding ✨stray kitties✨ in a half hour~’
*scene change to Meng Yao passed out in the middle of a colony of very confused raccoons he keeps feeding outside his apartment*
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stiltonbasket · 1 year
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I'm wheezing at the idea of Jin Zixun being run out of the cultivation world at large by being bullied by baos? He shows up and most of the important people just leave the room because they say that his rancid vibes are upsetting their kids? What can you even say to that?
Jin Zixun: I don't understand why this is happening! It's not fair!
every baby in the building: *bursts into tears*
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wangxianficfinder · 3 months
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In the mood for...
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1. Itmf best brother nmj/nmj is everyone’s da ge.
🧡 Where's Your Emergency? by trippednfell (M, 64k, WangXian, 911 Dispatcher WWX, Single dad LWJ, Kid fic, Modern AU, D&D Games, Angst with a happy ending)
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2. I randomly came across this video recently of the Japanese Rabbit Hopping Assc. today, and I immediately felt compelled to ask if anyone has written (or possibly is inspired to write) 'actually very serious rabbit agility racer Lan Wangji'
Video link if anyone wants it lol:
youtube
Tumblr story by @/mondengel2 I took it as a prompt
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3. Hii!! I am really looking for fics with angst with happy ending (happy ending for wangxian mostly) coupled with Jiang Yanli betraying Wei Ying if there are any? Thanks!! @yilinglaobunny
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4. Hiya!!! I've got an IIMF request: fic where Wen Yuan is actually a blood heir of the Wen and that somehow factors into the story importantly (like, he's Wen Rouhan's grandson, has special Wen powers, etc). Thanks for all the hard you you all do! @kimboo-york
sami's 'Dream of Youth' and 'Hand in Hand Together' has A'Yuan as Wen Xu's bio son. It's a minor plot point though.
The Dreams of Youth by sami (E, 85k, WangXian, YZY/TLJ, Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Fix-It, Family, Not Lan Sect Friendly, Bad Dads, good dads, JFM's A+ parenting, Qingheng-Jun's F- Existence, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Sort Of, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Some People Live/Not Everyone Dies, Canonical Character Death)
Hand in Hand Together (All Your Life) by sami (T, 41k, WZL/JC, WangXian, Queerplatonic relationship, Implied future MingLi, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, Time Travel Fix-It, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Healing, Slow Burn)
When Flowers Spring from Killing Things by windsweptice (B0redaf) (Not rated, 100k, wangxian, Wen WWX, Demonic Cultivation, WWX Has No Golden Core, he's got a resentful one instead, Yīn Iron, WRH pov, LWJ pov, WWX pov, WWX Isn't Adopted by the Jiāngs, Sentient Burial Mounds, XY Is A Little Shit, WQ pov, Protective WWX, Protective WQ, Cinnamon Roll WN, Protective WN, LXC pov, BAMF WWX, Burning of the Cloud Recesses, Fall of Lotus Pier, Cultivation Discussion Conferences, BAMF LWJ, BAMF WN, BAMF WQ, Good Person WX, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, Weddings) might not be everyone's cup of tea cause he's literally wen ruohan's son
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5. Hello! ITMF a fic where WWX survived the siege at Burial Mounds and remembers that LWJ saved him that night at Nightless City. Then WWX finds out about the punishment LWJ had to go through because of that. And WWX takes LWJ to Burial Mounds to mend his scars and they end up together.
I saw a fanart of wangxian with Yilling Patriarch!WWX treating LWJ's scars and that was all I could think about.
❤️ A Myriad of Blossoms by Itszero (E, 56k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Forced Marriage, YLLZ WWX, Hurt LWJ, Cruel wwx, he's cruel until he's not, Protective WWX, Caring WWX, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Eventual Smut, Bottom LWJ, Dark WWX) pls pls read this because based on ur request this is amazing (pls don't hate wwx in the beginning)
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6. Hello! I'm in the mood for fics where wwx is experiencing some kind of delusion or psychosis and lwj (or other characters) try to help him through it. I don't mind wether it's canon universe with the demonic cultivation being the cause, a curse or even modern au.
Thanks!
From Underneath by steppjes (M, 15k, wangxian, Character Death, Major Character Injury, Modern, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Mystery, Supernatural Elements, Demons, Ghosts, Hallucinations, Grief/Mourning, Blood and Injury, Depression, Hospitals, Mutual Pining, The Troubles of Baby Acquisition, Very on brand self hate from wwx, he's going through a lot okay)
Mud on Your Feet by AvoOwO (Not Rated, 59k, WangXian, Nightmares, Sentient Burial Mounds, Possession, Panic Attacks, Night Terrors, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Good Sibling JC, Hurt WWX, Soft WangXian, Blood and Injury, Hallucinations, Delusions, JC Loves WWX, Insomnia, Good Sibling WWX, Sleepwalking, Sleeptalking, Protective JC, POV LWJ, PTSD, Post-Canon, YLLZ WWX, resentful energy, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Soft JC, Yúnmèng Siblings Feels)
let me sing to you by greybird_crookedbranch (T, 61k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Canon Compliant, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, adorable Juniors, Minor Original Character(s)for plot purposes, Minor Violence, Demonic Cultivation, resentful energy, Trauma, Guilt, Protectiveness, BAMF WWX, Hurt wwx, Protective WWX, Protective LWJ, Baby Lans, WWX loving and being loved by tiny Lan babies, LWJ being utterly whipped for WWX, Mental Instability, Possession, Angst with a Happy Ending, POV LWJ, a tasteful seasoning of Yunmeng Bros Reconcilliation, CQL canon except LWJ is not chief cultivator, Nightmares)
out in the garden, there's things you hid away by saltyfeathers (E, 121k, WangXian, Possession, Animal Death, mass death event, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt(s), lotta hurt lotta comfort, wwx-centric, unfortunately there's also a bodily fluids warning, just like a lot of bodily fluids, there is sex and it is all in the last chapter, Serious Injuries, Angst with a Happy Ending, Post canon)
Something at the Door by Pip (Moirail) (E, 50k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Modern Cultivation, background 3zun, Background Yi City trio, Intrusive Thoughts, Horror, Suicidal Thoughts, Temporary Character Death, Blood, Explicit Sexual Content, Mutual Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Mystery, Urban Fantasy)
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7. Helloooo mods! It’s been a while! 💜 for the next itmf can i get some completed fics that explores wen ning in a romantic way? Like fluff and falling in love? Aside from JC , i don’t mind who he’s shipped with.
Thank you! 😊 @jikcf
the height of summer by la_dissonance (G, 8k, WN/LWJ/WWX, Getting Together, Romance, Accidental Courtship, On purpose courtship, Polyamory, Fluff, a small amount of pining, Love Confessions, WN/Happiness forever otp, Gift Giving, Secret Admirer)
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8. Can you please find a au marvel or Wwx as Wanda or black widow ! Thank you 😊 @brighterthanmagicalfluff
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9. Ok guys, I'm in the mood for your favorite Good Uncle LQR fics. I don't care for any other details besides that, please & thank you
小兔子 | Little Bunny by dragongirlG (T, 6k, LQR & LWJ, LXC & LQR & LWJ, LSZ & LQR, minor wangxian, POV LQR, love language: acts of service, Caring LQR, Character Study, Canon Universe, References to Canon, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Comatose QHJ, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Hopeful Ending, Podfic Available, Good Uncle LQR)
🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 742k, WangXian, WIP, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Feelings Realization, Getting Together, Sexual Tension, Supportive LQR, Light Angst, Internalized Homophobia, Period-Typical Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, WWX learns about his parents, First Dates, First Kiss, First Time, LWJ is confused, Then he is 100 percent on board, Kink Discovery, Kink Exploration, Bisexual WWX, Dual Cultivation, Slow Burn, Fix-It of Sorts, Not JFM friendly, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fluff and Angst, Blood and Gore, Supportive LXC, Protective LXC, Canon Divergence, Inventor WWX, Eventual Smut, Possessive LWJ, Genius WWX, Cultivation Sect Politics, Scheming NHS, Cultivation Discussion Conferences, Pre-Sunshot Campaign, Minor Character Death, NHS gets himself a beard (not the facial kind), POV WWX, Fluff and Smut, Burning of the Cloud Recesses)
Lessons relearned by Iamnotawriter (T, 44k, WangXian, LQR & WWX, Not Madam Yu Friendly, Time Travel Fix-It, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Inventor WWX, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, No Golden Core Transfer, YZY Bashing)
Skate Happy by cinder1013 (E, 12k, wangxian, Modern, Meet-Cute, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Skate disco waiter outfits, booty shorts, Inappropriate Marriage Proposal, secret wedding plans, Good Uncle LQR, Good Friend JGY, not entirely evil XY, wwx has low self-esteem, but it works out in the end, They buy a farm, wwx wears what he likes, Panties, Anal Sex, A+ parenting all around)
🔒 Baby, Beard and Birds by mondengel (G, <1k, LQR & LWJ, Fluff, Babyfic, Family)
🔒 An old kettle, a tiny teacup, and a new pot. by mondengel (G, 2k, LQR & LWJ)
Between the rotten apples lies a fresh grave by hamlets_ghost (T, 12k, LXC & LWJ, WangXian, NieLan, Modern AU, Twin Jades of Lán Dynamics, Canonical Character Death, (Madam Lan), child LXC, Child LWJ, Child Neglect, implied kidnapping, (madam lan), Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, (also madam lan), this is not a happy fic so mind the tags please, passive suicidal thoughts (but not really?), Angst with a Happy Ending, non-linear timeline, semi-explicit discribtion of a corpse (chapter 3), Slightly hinted 3zun)
When we were small by deliciousblizzardshark (T, 7k, LXC & LQR & LWJ, Implied WangXian, Modern AU, Kid Fic, Good Uncle LQR, Neurodivergent LWJ, Baby LWJ, Baby WWX, Parenthood, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, POV LQR, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Grief/Mourning, Emotional Hurt/Comfort)
Discordant Rhapsody by nirejseki (T, 49k, LQR & WWX, wangxian, JC & WWX, WQ & WWX & WN, LWJ & LQR & LXC, canon divergence, fix-it, hurt/comfort, trauma, politics, protective LQR, protective LWJ, protective WWX, LQR centric, whump, angst)
through the eyes of elders series by Fleetling (T, 13k, LXC & LWJ, LXC & LQR, wangxian, LXC & WWX, LQR & WWX, CQL Canon Compliant, LQR's perspective on wangxian, mainly him being frustrated at wwx wasting his talents and then realising that oh no that backfired wangji's in love, the homeoroticness of sword fights, wangxian DOES NOT get together there's just ust and longing glances like in canon, LQR isn't bad he just wants the best for his nephew, LQR pov, LQR is a good uncle, LXC recovering from the whole JGY thing is a major part, Wingman LXC, good brothers!!!)
Good Guy Lan Qiren series by thunderwear (T, 28k, wangxian, LQR & WWX, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Golden Core Reveal, LWJ's POV, Fluff, Everyone Lives AU, LQR finds out about WWX's core, wwx and lqr are friends?? In My Fic? its more likely than you think, lwj in the bg like whats happening?, WWX goes to Gusu, Mutual Pining)
The stuffed bunny, the beautiful nephew, and other gifts from Lan Qiren by deliciousblizzardshark (G, 8k, LQR & WWX, wangxian, Modern, Single Parent WWX, Good Uncle LQR, Accidental Uncle Acquisition, Found Family, Fluff)
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10. OMG I REALLY WANT TO READ REVERSE ROLES LZ AND WWX (ex: cold WWX and troublemaker LZ, Top WWX and Bot LZ) IDK 😭 @naoenowa
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11. hi! I'd like to make an itmf req for canon era fics that feature a dark(ish) gusu lan/lan zhan, such as "hoards and treasures" by apathyinreverie which i loved. for instance, fics where the gusu lan interpret their rules with a darker lens, and where they might turn to manipulation/deceit to achieve what they consider right.
i know about "A Matter of Time", which is on my read list! but I'm also esp interested in seeing the dark gusu lan/lan zhan trope explored without time-travel elements. thank you very much! @potatokunst
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12. Hola :) , For the next In the mood for, I'm really, really interested in Lan Sizhui fics centric, specially related to Gusu Lan or his relationship with Clan Lan.
you are my chosen family by jinyinhua (T, 14k, LSZ & LJY, wangxian, LJY & LSZ & LWJ & WWX, 5+1 Things, Good Kid LJY, Good Kid LSZ, Blood and Injury, Night Hunts, Drinking, Age Regression/De-Aging, Married Wangxian, Fluff and Humor, Found Family, Gūsū Lán Juniors Dynamics)
Revolution by mrcformoso (T, 8k, WangXian, ZhuiYi, Light Angst, Happy Ending, POV LSZ, Found Family, Toxic Elders, Fatherhood, Growing Up, The Lan Juniors, LWJ Adopts LSZ, WWX is LSZ's Parent, LSZ is a polite menace, Canon Compliant, Canon Divergence, Good Uncle WN) You might need to read the other stories in the series but if you just want LSZ feels then this can stand alone :)
this blood in my mouth by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 3k, WangXian, POV LXC, Post-Canon)
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13. Hi!
For the next IMTF, I'm looking for fics where LXC finds himself a new passion and is hilariously bad at it, much to others' amusement & secondhand embarrassment. Especially lwj or lqr is suffering.
His partners, be it jgy, nmj, jc or anyone, is very supportive of lxc's passion. It could be baking, gardening, cooking, dancing etc.
For example, "The evolution of the heart" by Uglybeautiful, Radiencia..(lxc takes up magic/the art of illusion and joins a circus) @imstillthinkingaboutithmm
Magic Mishap by Regency_Bunny (T, 8k, WangXian, NieLan, Modern AU, Single parent WWX, Fluff, Humor, Kid Fic, Meet cute, Love at first sight, Himbo LXC, Magic tricks)
The Shape of Your Love (is Horny) by Vamillepudding (T, 25k, WangXian, XiYao, Urban Fantasy, Getting Together, Romantic Comedy, WWX is Bad at Being a Demon, LWJ is definitely a Monsterfucker) had a running gag about LXC taking up new hobbies that he is horrible at, including ceramics, perfume-making, knitting, etc. JGY is very supportive and LWJ and LQR try to ignore it out of politeness
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14. Hi! I’m itfm
a) tattooed lwj agenda. Specifically when his arms are tattooed and they show when he pulls up his sleeves, but anything and everything is fine
b) Ceo lwj where his employees find out he’s married or dating wwx or regular office worker lwj and his coworkers find out
Thank you! @wangxian-is-my-life
14A)
(our friendship) up against the ropes by daltoneering (E, 36k, WangXian, Modern AU, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, lan zhan FUCKS, Fluff and Smut, Experienced LWJ, Oblivious WWX, Mutual Pining, Friends With Benefits, Pining while fucking, Oral Sex, Anal Sex, Masturbation, Spit Kink, Dirty Talk, Light Bondage, Praise Kink, Dom/sub Undertones, Kink Negotiation, Pride and Prejudice 2005 (dir. Joe Wright), mentions of Wei Ying/others and Lan Zhan/others)
🔒 Craquelure & Coverups by Inessencedivided (E, 27k, wangxian, Modern, Tattoo Parlor AU, Reincarnation, Tattoo Artist WWX, Tattooed LWJ, Dreams and Nightmares, Past Lives, trauma discussions, Mutual Pining, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Chronic Pain, First Kiss, First Time, Body Worship, Non-Penetrative Sex, Happy Ending, further tw in the notes)
Tattoos for Broken Hearts by TriviasFolly (G, 1k, WangXian, Modern AU, LWJ has a Tramp Stamp Tattoo, that's the fic) lower back tattoo
14B)
like strawberries on a summer evening by ritualist (E, 15k, WangXianChengYi, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Modern AU, Accidental Voyeurism, Office Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Choking, Light Dom/sub, Light BDSM, Bratting, Light breathplay, Wei Ying says no when he means yes (and everyone understands this to be the case), Mild S&M, Spitroasting, Rimming, Porn with Feelings, Polyamory) lawyers, poly 4some
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15. Hi! For ITMF, could you recommend me a heavy plot fic in canon era before WWX died and revolve around him. It can be fix it/time travel/canon divergence/etc. No bashing except several character like YZY, JFM, LQR, JGS, WC, WLJ. You can bash them but i prefer not.
Thank you @idontknowwhattowriteforusername
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16. I saw a lwj whump in the itmf some time ago but I can't find it.
I believe it was physical lwj whump specifically, can u help please?
hope you're having a nice day
Alter by Solmae (E, 162k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Drama & Romance, Slow Burn, Canon-Typical Violence, Rape/Non-con Elements, Gang Rape, Forced Prostitution, PTSD, Top/Bottom Versatile | Switch WangXian, Explicit Sexual Content, Sexual Slavery, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Torture) LWJ is taken as a sex slave by the Wen, so definitely counts as whump
Bring Your Wonder (Lose Your Faith) by kianspo (M, 75k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Different Sunshot Campaign, straight boy wwx, Feelings Realization, Protective LXC, Protective WWX, BAMF WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending, Twin Jades of Lán Feels, POV Multiple, LWJ Whump)
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17. Hi! I know this isn’t your normal ship, but could I itmf WWX/NMJ fics? I recently read “Better Things To Do With A Flute In Wartime” (a WWX/NMJ/ eventual also LWJ fic) and really liked the dynamic between WWX and NMJ. Particularly how blunt NMJ was, how he valued WWX’s mind and strength from a kind of unbiased viewpoint as a sect leader and war general, and also that they bonded over unorthodox cultivation methods. Would love to see more of this couple! Thank you so much!
An Elegant Solution by giraffeter (E, 205k, niewangxian, canon divergence, arranged marriage, friends to lovers, fix-it, everyone lives au, courtship, polyamory, smut)
Crowned in Glory (fear no more) by Pip (Moirail) (E, 19k, NMJ/WWX, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Multiple Orgasms, Overstimulation, Loss of Virginity, Size Difference, Sunshot Campaign, Sexual Tension, Certified dage fucker, Dirty Talk, Oral Sex, Rimming, Canon Divergence, Butterfly Effect, Canon-Typical Violence, Blood and Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Dubious interpretation of resentful energy)
Resent & Blossom by manaika (T, 26k, NMJ/WWX, JC & WWX, LWJ & WWX, NHS & NMJ, NHS & WWX, Love Triangles, Pining, Arranged Marriage, Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, eferences to Fatal Journey, Strangers to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Murder Attempt)
Pastime (With Good Company) by nirejseki (Not rated, 25k, NMJ/WWX/LWJ, Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, WWX is very thirsty, and not straight at all, same for LWJ, WIP)
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If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***
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thatswhatsushesaid · 1 year
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jgy stans talking to other jgy stans about jgy: oh bestie(s), the social acceptability of violence in the jianghu vis-a-vis who is perpetrator and who is the victim!! the throughline of sexual violation by jgs that defines jgy's core interpersonal relationships (his mother, his sister, his brother, his son) and compounds the intensity of his vengeance when he finally kills jgs!! the classism of the jianghu, and the deeply internalized classism that jgy inflicts upon himself even as he struggles to overcome it!! meng shi and filial piety, and how much of what jgy struggles to do throughout his life is to honour her wishes!! jgs and filial piety, and how the depth of jgy's devotion to a father who will never love or respect him is directly proportional to The Horrors jgy chooses to inflict upon him!! the ritualized language of emotional openness and honesty that jgy and lxc have learned to cultivate (hah) between themselves so that jgy can avoid outright dishonesty and deception as much as he is able, and the double-edged sword this turns out to be for both of them!! the inherent homoeroticism of that teacups/box scene!! wangxian and xiyao as narrative parallels of each other, wwx and jgy as mirrors of each other!! the fundamental disconnect between jgy's understanding of his obligations to his sworn brothers and nmj's understanding of what jgy owes to him--
jgy stans talking to jgy antis about jgy: yeah we mean it actually, jgy paying sex workers to fuck his shitty dad to death was his best public works project
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woobifiedvillain · 6 months
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Something that kinda bugs me about discussions about NMJ and his support of state sanctioned violance is. Well. That's not the best comparison actually. Because to say NMJ "supports" state sanctioned, anything, you have to be able to meaningfully differentiate him from the state ™. Which I'd argue that you can't. And that's the problem. That's also why framing his actions as support of social ideas of punishment and justice is just? Wrong?
In part, because this world is not our modern one and the whole structure doesn't work the same! For one. Cops don't exist. They just don't. That's a bad comparison. But also.
The question is actually whether you can support or disavow something you are seen as (and so effectively are in this case) a physical manifestation of. By default. Whether you want it or not! (Not to come back to the cops thing but like. Cops can quit their job if they realize the system is fucked and that is a good thing they can do. Sect leaders can't just *stop* in the same way, even if they realize the system has problems™, and really, even if it were possible or easy, I don't think it's necessarily the responsible choice. ALSO in NMJs case specifically this involves passing off a deadly curse to someone else prematurely so. Uh).
So re:NMJ and the feelings he may or may not have regarding the systems he is a part of. It doesn't. Really matter if he supports them or not really. Like their existence at least. Because he IS the determiner of what is right, to some extent, in most circumstances. I'm not the one saying this. He doesn't need to claim it. People just. See it that way because of how status and reputation function at this point in this world. Whether he wants to be or not. Like. Ok he's wrong about the Wen. Why does he have the authority to make a decision on this to begin with. Can he decline to have an opinion, and is that actually a helpful thing for him to do?
No. The thing people want is for him to simply not be wrong about the Wen. It's not actually criticizing his choices so much that he makes them, but "figures of authority should magically always be correct" doesn't make sense, neither does "figures of authority should decline to exercise their authority" especially if they view it as a situation of injustice. The thing about NMJ is that you have to consider all the other themes about power and authority and reputation in the novel.
NMJ is a figure (by virtue of cultivated reputation based in and made possible by virtue of his social position) of righteousness and justice. Anything he calls for will therefore be seen as such, because of who he is. Because of how reputation works, and how power works. This is arguably not something he can lose (the power not the reputation)- it's definitely not something he can give up all at once or meaningfully counter. Or like. Lose willingly? It can be taken from him but he cannot simply stop yk. Public opinion and reputations and what people think they know mattering more than the truth applies to everyone, not just the people who's reputation or background make them look bad.
Just like how I don't think "NMJ has a grudge against the Wen" is correct. Not because I think he secretly loves them. But. Yes WRH (according to the Nie) killed his dad. NMJ wants vengeance. But is that how it actually works?
The actual phrasing is often that the Nie have a grudge against the Wen. And it wasn't just two dudes, one of whom happened to be NMJs dad, and a murder happened. They're both! Sect leaders! That's like. A King kills a King, in a shady ass way at that, everyone tries to pretend it didn't happen because it's more convenient for them. I'm going to wager a guess and say the Nie, the sect at large, wanted revenge. The sect, which NMJ became a figurehead of, as a young teenager. Again. I am not claiming NMJ doesn't hold a grudge or forgave his dad's death or does hate the Wen even. Just that. There's no good way for us to know the nuances! Because if NMJ wanted to give up his grudge, do you think he'd be able to? If his sect still wants to? For the unjust murder of their old leader?
I just! Don't like that "has overwhelming privilege and power in some respects" seems to be taken as "character can do literally whatever the fuck they want, make decisions freely, and it would work". If you think NMJ can or would let himself act against the desires and/or best interests of his sect, if you think his decision making or his values can be meaningfully separated from duty or always reflect what he personally wants and believes. You're just. Not even wrong about blorbo just wrong about how. Positions of power work. (Especially king-like ancient fantasy world building positions of power. These people are not CEOs - NMJ is literally cursed by and because of his position his doom is inextricable from it he's a cursed tragic knight soldier king figure he's kinda. He's not a cop because that's the wrong word building system)
Especially when said person in position of powers is notably unwilling to go against the ideals of said position. When their dedication to honor and honesty is so all encompassing they will cling to it beyond reason and even to their own detriment. You think that if NMJ held a personal opinion significantly different than the Nie sentiment, or what honor codes dictate he should call for, or what he's been raised to believe is right. You think that man who is literally killing himself to uphold a traditional is going to go against that tradition because he thinks it might be unfair to some people associated with the person who killed his dad? Or one guy? Or? Any comparatively minor issue?
As for the State sanctioned vs personal violence. Unfortunately, any violance NMJ commits, or calls for, or backs. Inherently becomes state sanctioned lmao. He can sanction stuff and he is leader of a state. He *is* "state" in this world. That's what sect leaders kinda. Are.
So while again I'm not saying NMJ is secretly critical of justice systems or something (though he is.... sometimes. I guess I'm not arguing whether he's right or like enlightened ™ about them that's also not the point). I am saying you can only meaningfully talk about NMJ while acknowledging how he is a walking embodiment of structures of power whether he likes it or not.
And how if you stop and think about what it would look like for NMJ to meaningfully not support state sanctioned violance? You run into this issue of. Well is he allowed to want justice at all. Is he allowed to condone or enact any violance? Because again. That's state sanctioned. And if he was fine with doing it but not calling for it frankly that feels more hypocritical than what he does.
Well he should speak out against society? He's a bit busy being a sacrificial animal to uphold some of the value systems of said society.
Also. He does. He does try? Repeatedly? He's defined by repeated attempts to uphold equality and justice and listen I agree that he is bad at it I agree he is blind to certain things but the fact that he fails is distinct from whether he tries or wants to? For character reasons?
Part of why he's so fucking stubborn about what he is is a distrust of social norms in certain ways. And being willing to go against them. He promotes JGY as a kindness but also as a statement and he reiterates this several times - hes doing things because he thinks it's the right thing to do. And does not like the idea that people could owe him for it.
The fact that he's wrong about what the right thing to do isn't actually a meaningful criticism to me because. They literally all are. He's wrong for wanting any justice for his dad? There's collateral damage to his vengeance? His lashing out is misdirected? Join the fucking club that's the whole book basically.
The extent of the harm he is capable of in being wrong is due to the power he wields more so than his intention in wielding it. And as for the "he needs to learn to emphasize and bend sometimes" yes but you see the tragedy of that is that he's not inherently incapable he's just. Dying about it.
Like LWJ and XXC also have similar rigid moral and rules stuff going on it's just that they are younger brothers who can make individual choices with it reflecting less on their sect. They're rogue cultivators. They're allowed to be individuals who learn and grow and make mistakes and when they fucking shatter well at least LWJ gets to learn and live on. XXC. Doesn't ultimately but he does have a breaking and re-evaluating moment earlier on.
The narrative parallels are there for a reason and there absolutely are things to criticize about him but I just don't feel like some of the stuff which is literally a product of being resigned to dying in the name of honor is like. The type of flaw or inherent trait that people make it out to be.
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aoxue · 8 months
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no but also 3chen 3zun and songxiao 💖💖💖
Ask game
Going in reverse order! 💖
Ship: SONGXIAO
Ship it? I am a songxiao fan first and a MDZS fan second
1) What made you ship it? Those like, two minutes in CQL where it is revealed that Xiao Xingchen dug out his eyes and gave them to Song Lan and then immediately proceeds to kill Song Lan. And then after, watching XXC kill himself and destroy his soul after learning what he's done to SL, and SL going off to care for and nurture what's left of him for the next eternity. It is peak drama out here for these men. Shakespeare kind of nonsense. It did take reading up on details from the novel, since CQL does miss out on some of the key details (as most of the adaptations do), for all the pieces to come together. But then after that, also reading a lot of fixit fic! I have been gone for them ever since
2) What are your favorite things about the ship? It's about the mutual love, trust, and respect. It's the terrible selflessness. It's the devotion that transcends death itself. It's about having your own life with your own tasks and motivations and morals, but being so lucky as to find another person who understands you and is in sync enough that you can walk your paths side by side and work together toward the dreams you create together. And yet it's also about literally losing pieces of yourself for the sake of another person. It's about horrific acts done out of love with only the best intentions at heart. It's the way none of this tragedy would have befallen them if they didn't care about each other so damn much. It's two very attractive and extremely competent and good-hearted men in the most yin/yang relationship I've ever seen. It's the purported universal touch aversion with one (1) special exception. (This is fanon, but I really love the explicit conversations about consent and boundaries that these two have in fic, even for something as simple as holding hands. Aspec songxiao, also a great flavor.) It's the watching, dumbfounded, as the guy you like splits his sides laughing at wuxia China's most mediocre joke. It's home being another person. It's A-Qing getting to have two dads. I could go on.
3) Is there an unpopular opinion you have about this ship? As much as I think about these guys, probably multiple! I disagree when people say the relationship was weak to have fallen apart so easily, or when people vilify Song Lan for acting the way he did in the aftermath of the Baixue massacre. It's as if an outside entity carried out extreme acts of violence specifically tailored to ruin these guys' lives in the most hurtful way possible. I think that'd put, like, at least a little strain on any relationship between two people, probably. It might also make the direct victim of some of this violence a little upset, and perhaps liable to say a thing or two he doesn't mean in the heat of the moment. Seeing as he is a human person. Who knows.
---
Ship: 3ZUN
Ship it? Yes, but only casually, I admit
1) What made you ship it? As a CQL native, the dynamics are clearly worked into the show, especially xiyao, as well as some nieyao, and they make an impact, for sure. But honestly, a large part of it also comes from the 3zun fanwork I've seen people produce? There is some STELLAR stuff out there about these guys. It's helped win me over.
2) What are your favorite things about the ship? It's the way all three of them would like to make things work, and all three of them care about each other, but each have their own approaches to life that are so in conflict with the others. This post sums it up really well for me: NMJ was raised to live honorably and die young, JGY was raised to survive and be secure, and LXC was raised to take responsibility for everyone around him. I really like the xiyao dynamics of "I've done every evil thing someone can do, but you are the one living person I hold sacred" and "you helped me at my lowest and I see you the way nobody else does (which is simultaneously a truer version of you and STILL ALSO an awful facade)." The utter betrayal while still genuinely caring for a person and then dying in front of them, leaving them to unpack all of that on their own for the next however many years. nielan presumably hit the sect heirs to friends to lovers/sect leaders thrust into power too young and dealing with the heavy weight of what their fathers left behind beats. nieyao had something going for them before it all went sideways and pretty soon you're monologuing to your ex's severed head in your secret evil lair/closet. Not a great look, Yaoyao
3) Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship? I know that's part of the appeal for some people, but once we move from Meng Yao to Jin Guangyao, the nieyao leg of 3zun gets a pretty dicey and it becomes a harder sell for me. When JGY's main objective becomes maintaining a secure position in the Jin clan (including defaulting to JGS's opinions, which NMJ is known to disagree with, vocally, and semi-frequently), it's hard for me to get them to a place where I'd find them compatible enough to ship. And certainly when JGY starts to sabotage NMJ, that's a total no-go for me :/ I'm keeping them away from each other
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Ship: 3CHEN
Ship it? Yes!
1) What made you ship it? I don't actually remember an inciting incident, exactly? I am sure it had to do with happenings on the lanlan discord. Probably comes down to being a lanlan appreciator, but also songxiao being my #1 at the end of the day, and wanting, as ever, for Song Lan to catch a break, perhaps even some slack. I really do think these three would work very well together, especially after all they've been through by the end of MDZS. There is so much healing they can do together. They've all been dealt a really rough, but kind of similar, hands. Lan Xichen and Song Lan have the grief and survivor guilt over their respective dear friends/bfs that they can process together (and for the ship to work, I think this step needs to come first before XXC reenters the picture). Lan Xichen and Xiao Xingchen both had their good faith taken advantage of, which led to the deaths of innocent people and men they loved, and they have similar guilt to process. Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen have their shared history (see: everything above), and they're dealing with different sides of the same traumatic events; they also have a lot of work to do to learn how to exist around each other again comfortably. Put all 3 of these guys in the same place, and you have a lot to work with, I think. Also, Song Lan has two hands (let him have two beautifully kind and loving boyfriends)
2) What are your favorite things about the ship? The dynamics and healing potential explained above! But also, I think the characters are fun together. They're all good boys who would all love and support each other. They're all enormously skilled cultivators, and would be a match for each other in that regard. None of them care about social status in their judgements of people. Xichen is well versed in sect politics and policy, while songxiao are the type to effect change through direct, small-scale action, with Song Lan being the more practical and Xiao Xingchen being less limited by societal expectations; working together, they could improve things for a lot of people more effectively than they could apart. I like Song Lan's steady, serious devotion with Xiao Xingchen's softness and light silly streak and Lan Xichen's good humor and patience. I like Song Lan being able to step outside when he's had enough touch for the moment while his bfs can keep getting their cuddles in, and then blushing as hard as a fierce corpse can when he comes back indoors and gets one little kiss on the cheek from each of them.
3) Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship? It's a small ship, so I'm not sure… But I think A-Qing should be in the 3chen picture. (I also think this about post-canon Yi City fixits generally.) If you're working in canon conditions, and you're doing the work to resurrect Xiao Xingchen in some creative way or another, why wouldn't you bring A-Qing along, too. She's probably easier to bring back than XXC. She also deserves better. She could have THREE dads. Imagine
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khattikeri · 21 days
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Mdzs for the shipping grid? 👀👀👀
YESSS here we are! v surprised at how strong my opinions are for this fandom but probably shouldn't be sldkfjlksd
**I COMPLETELY FORGOT THE YI CITY CREW ON THIS BUT I DON"T WANT TO DELETE THE IMAGE AND RE-ADD IT INKLDSFHKLDSJ so
- xue/xiao compels me and is in the middle of the makes sense line - song/xiao is closer to makes sense but compels me a bit less - song/xue/xiao is somewhere in between them.
further explanations of all other pairings under the cut!
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quadrant by quadrant bc my explanations are Long for this one
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out of the way: wang/xian undoubtedly peak! xuan/li v cute, love em. xi/yao is my favorite of the possible 3zun pairings, they're just too juicy and such good narrative foils to wang/xian...
nie/yao is also fun to me because of how much tension and strife they have.
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i like nie/lan the least of all possible 3zun pairings just bc i like the conflict jgy brings to the table LOL
even though zhui/ling is the most popular junior pairing i... am not a huge fan of it? they're not blood relatives at all but both are still family to wwx in ways that make me feel weird about them romancing each other. in no war/wens are good aus i'd be more into it...
jingzhui isn't on the chart but they're also both inner lan clan members. so. weird to me! i like ling/yi best. they banter a lot but still get along well as friends
i can see why people are compelled by wen ning and wwx. i love their fucked up codependency too. i just don't see it romantically
i also see why people might ship cheng/xian, i just sincerely think their relationship is most compelling as siblings or pseudo-family due to the social class tensions.
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chang/mian is quite rare just bc both characters are so minor but like... god can you imagine all the jiang cheng & wwx parallels. pointing. those are their dads
sang/cheng is like... most of the time it feels very pair the spares-esque. BUT. they both have a lot of similarities underneath the surface and if people tap into that i do like it. BUT (again) i just really prefer it platonic. jiang cheng is like peak "this man is aroace and does not know what either of those words are" to me. celibacysweep and all that
sang/yao. honorable mention to my favorite fucked up ship that literally nobody ships (including myself!). i can't like em romantically, only enjoy the dynamic, but it's so fun to think about. like spy x spy but worse.
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and finally stuff that i don't like
no real reason for sang/yu, i just don't see em that way. i'm too novel-only to like wen qing/jc.
LWJ/anyone else feels too much like blasphemy. similar to shipping hua cheng tgcf with people who aren't xie lian LOL
AND FINALLY. THE MDZS SHIP I LIKE LEAST. <3 </3 xi/.cheng
this is like peak pair the spares to me. they're literally coworkers. they're just two people who lead clans and only talk business with each other. they aren't friends, they don't even make smalltalk. their relationship is the equivalent of sometimes bumping into a linkedin connection at the grocery store. come on. COME ON. they have zero personal ties except for the fact that their brothers are deeply in love and have a torrid romance spanning decades
for lxc especially this just feels like such a weak ship to me bc you have TWO whole other people he has fascinating, actually existing dynamics with (nmj and jgy), and xi/yao especially has so so so many parallels to wang/xian. 3zun ships have so much angst and what-ifs and there's so much more meat to it.
see also my thing about jc just... honestly i cannot see him romantically working out with anyone. nobody. whatsoever. this is a man for whom romance is not the solution, ever
so i can't. it literally drives me crazy. i cannot make sense out of xi/cheng whatsoever it doesn't compel me one bit and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say i hate it when there are other ships right there ahahahghdskljfdslk
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eleanorfenyxwrites · 10 months
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WIP Wednesday
A little fluff from Hope Is Home and the Heart Is Free, the epilogue to All Dreams Were Worth Keeping (the one where NMJ [and the other two to a certain extent] has to come to grips with his grief over losing his father while navigating fatherhood himself). Right now Nie Mingjue has recently accepted the fact that the best thing to do with Lao Nie's old clothes is to incorporate them into his own wardrobe.
--//--
“I look just like him already even without all this,” Nie Mingjue says to the room at large. Meng Yao is sitting on the floor pulling things out from under the bed one at a time and he doesn’t look up from where he’s attempting to carefully extract a bundle of loose papers as he replies.
“Yes, I’ve noticed. Huaisang showed me some old photos from his mother’s scrapbooks; he was handsome, though I can very un-objectively assert that you’re much sexier.”
Nie Mingjue snorts at that and lets the amusement distract him long enough to shrug out of his own t-shirt and into the one in his hands. It’s plain, utterly indistinguishable from one of his own except for the fact that the fabric is downy soft and worn thin, the texture of it a far cry from the thicker weave of his own (likely much more expensive) clothes. He picks up the next thing he spots to go with it and shrugs into a stiff button-down, the Hawaiian print in shades of blue and green not nearly as obtrusive as some of the other pieces he distinctly remembers Lao Nie wearing regularly, laughing and larger than life either at the kitchen island or out in the back yard where they used to have a massive gas-powered grill for summer evenings.
Meng Yao looks up at him when he goes still again and Nie Mingjue watches his husband clamp an utterly blank mask over whatever it is he’s thinking – he hasn’t done that in so long that Nie Mingjue’s first instinct is to get defensive, but he forces himself to breathe through it instead of getting irritated.
“What’s that face for?”
“I’m not making a face.”
“Exactly.”
Meng Yao’s resolve visibly wavers for a moment before he covers his eyes with one hand and sighs. “You were wearing something almost identical to that the first time we hooked up, that’s all.”
Nie Mingjue blinks at that and glances down at himself, picking up the hem of the Hawaiian shirt between thumb and forefinger to study it and try to remember if he owns something like it. He’s never bought a Hawaiian shirt that he’s aware of, but there’s no doubt at all that Meng Yao’s memory is infinitely better than his so there’s very little chance that he’s wrong.
Still, that small hint of doubt pushes him to double check, “Are you sure?” which rightfully earns him a little pouting glare for daring to question Meng Yao’s ability to recall just about anything.
“Yes, and I distinctly remember spending most of the day wishing you didn’t look so good in what I would generously call ‘dad clothes’ even back then, and I’m feeling particularly vindicated in my assessment now that we’ve started this project. You already dress like an old man, I’m just glad we can save money on buying you a whole new wardrobe to facilitate that.”
“A-Yao if you have a thing for dads you can just say so-”
“Oh we are absolutely not having this conversation right now. Go back to your sorting, I’m busy.”
Nie Mingjue laughs at the blush in the apples of his husband’s cheeks, but he generously doesn’t press him on it, hopefully to bank a little good will for when he will inevitably irritate him again later. With Meng Yao unwilling to help him stall any longer, Nie Mingjue takes a deep breath in and turns to face the mirror in the wardrobe, long enough to capture most of his tall frame.
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llycaons · 6 months
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nmj in canon is not as easygoing or warm or affectionate as he is in the AUs I've read but I really enjoy reading about him because hes usually in the background for stuff I read but it seems like he's always living his best life, which I can see happening if his dad hadn't been killed and he wasn't thrust into a position of power at a young age in a dangerous world. but whenever I see him in an AU and he's out drinking, or being a camp counselor, or babysitting little kids and having a blast, or playing dnd, or going to leather bars, or working out at the gym, I'm like. aw yeah buddy that's exactly what you should be doing
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amokslime · 2 years
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MDZS fencing AU! They're on different teams, they fence Epee, and they're utterly insufferable because they only care about outdoing each other.
I'm physically restraining myself from writing a big info dump about fencing. Here's some AU info instead:
I'm basing everything off of the fencing environment in my country/region, just because that's what I know best. I don't have a good grasp on international fencing because I never did it. But if you do, I'd really love to hear your thoughts!
Ok, here's some general background info: Each of the sects is a different local fencing team, either at private schools (Gusu Lan, Lanling Jin, Qishan Wen) or at independent fencing clubs. (Yunmeng Jiang, Qinghe Nie) Everybody sees everybody else repeatedly at tournaments and they all live in the same city, so there's team or personal rivalries that range from friendly to vicious. Many of the characters including Wangxian are aiming for college scholarships, the national team, or even the Olympics so things can get rather fraught and intense. Of course, you've got characters like JYL who are fencing just for funsies, characters who got gatekept out of the sport by their horrible dads (JGY) as well as former champions turned refs and coaches. (LQR, YZY, NMJ)
Wei Wuxian
Affiliation: Yunmeng Sword Club
Main Weapon: Epee
Wei Wuxian started fencing in middle school, shortly after being adopted by Jiang Fengmian. JFM and YZY are both former olympic fencers who started their own fencing club. They do not get along but both refuse to yield the club to the other. This creates a chill and healthy environment for everybody involved! They also compete by proxy through WWX and JC, so that's fun.
Despite this, WWX truly loves fencing with all his heart. He's a natural talent with an intuitive grasp on fencing strategy. He tends to goof off at tournaments unless he's actively in a fencing match. This earns him a reputation as a slacker that he doesn't truly deserve. One time he spilled a bag of skittles on the floor while watching a match and they rolled all over the strip. So now LQR, who was reffing that match, permanently hates him.
He's aiming for the national team! He loves winning and wants to see how far he can go. Attempt the impossible and all that.
Lan Wangji
Affiliation: Gusu Lan Private Academy
Main weapon: Epee
LWJ has been fencing since early childhood. He's good at all three weapon types. He's one of those people you kinda despair to face off against because he's strong AND fast AND his guard is good AND his attack is good AND he parries really hard AND when you shake his hand after the match it's not even sweaty. He's aiming for the national team because it's expected of him. Being from a fencing family, it never really occurred to him to do anything else. But fencing against WWX ignites his passion for the sport (for the SPORT) and he finds himself really, really wanting the victories he used to take for granted so he can fence (with WWX) as long as possible.
Gusu Lan is a famous private school with an excellent reputation & tons of resources. So Lan Wangji is an immovable object born out of the combination of privilege, hard work, and talent.
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Thought a bit more about the "Shen Yuan transmigrates into mdzs as jgs au" and like hear me out.
Like I imagine when SY does his sacrifice thing to enter his plant body something goes wrong and oh no! Now you are suddenly jgs! Imagine he actually read mdzs (for the monsters obviously not for the gay romance) and of course he also thinks it was super trashy and bad or smth. And now he's jgs right? Pre-Nmj death so yeah Jgy isn't completely on his bad side yet so SY is just panicking and trying to be a good dad tm who definitely shouldn't be murdered.
Could you imagine how CONFUSED Jgy would be?
Just so much comedic potential. SY just trying to do his best fixing the plot from all the bad stuff happening.
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poorlittleyaoyao · 2 years
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re the mountain hunt
i don't know if you know the fic lynchpin (it's a time travel fix-it) but it had a very interesting take/spin on jgy's move to bring out the prisoners for the archery competition.
"It could be a power play, to show the Jin were so powerful they could be publicly terrible with no consequences, except by his own admission this had been Jin Guangyao's idea and he didn't do that kind of loud, pointless display.
Maybe it wasn't to make the Jin look good.
Maybe it was to make them look bad. Maybe he was flaunting the atrocities the Jin were committing because he couldn't do something about it but he thought that someone should. Lan Xichen, for all that he was a formidable warrior, was gentle too. He loved Jin Guangyao, and if he'd thought Jin Guangyao was the kind of person to keep war prisoners as slaves and then brag about it, he wouldn't love him. But he had. Probably he does. Which means that whatever is happening, it can't be that.
Lan Xichen had looked away just now as if he were ashamed. Possibly because Jin Guangyao is asking for his help, is asking him to do something about this, and he doesn't think he can."
Obviously this is from an AU so i'm not trying to say that this is what happened, but it's such an interesting scenario to contemplate bc you know what? jgy IS not the kind of person for pointless displays like this. he's much more subtle. i mean there's always the possibility that jgs told him to say it was his own idea to avoid backlash in case it came but still. fun
I'll begin with a possibly silly question, which is: does it ever state that it was his idea? In the subtitles, JGY steadfastly uses "we" when addressing the crowd (ex: "we have designed a special activity to delight our guests"). Which makes sense regardless of who planned what; JGY's acting as the Jin clan's spokesperson, and the ambiguity of "we" lets JGS avoid the blame for failures while taking credit for successes. The only time in that episode that I remember JGY being singled out as individually responsible by others or himself is when he's getting castigated for WWX catching too many monsters.
That said, I agree that LOUD OBVIOUS CRUELTY FLEXES aren't really JGY's way of doing business! Morality aside, he's more politically savvy than that. The overwhelming reaction to the prisoners being led out is one of shock and concern--which I have my own issues with, narratively speaking (because BOY are they all complacent in practice!!), but in the moment it means that this was a bridge too far, the CQL equivalent of Octavian Augustus marching Cleopatra and Antony's children through the streets in chains as part of his triumph parade. Furthermore, since it's ostensibly inviting all the participants to fire on the captives, it doesn't function as a show of strength either. At best, it's forcing them to be complicit in crimes that, whether due to support or ignorance, they weren't opposing in the first place. It's hamfisted in a way that reeks of JGS and his whole "if I'm pushy enough people will do it" MO. JGY as sect leader wouldn't play that way.
My personal reading for JGY's involvement here--what he'd get out of it from a utilitarian standpoint--is that the display is SO EGREGIOUS that it erases all doubts about his true loyalty during Sunshot. NMJ nearly chopped him in half over being WRH's lackey, after all, and NMJ can't possibly be the only one suspecting JGY of opportunism. Facilitating that POW archery contest show everyone that he super duper doesn't have any Wen sympathies whatsover. (WWX being the one to make a spectacle of himself at the contest and then immediately piss everyone off right before he busts the Wen out of prison is an added bonus.)
For all that the whole thing is his fault to some degree, JGY actually isn't one I get frustrated with in that scene, because the show undoubtedly means us to think that he and this action are Bad. He threw a shitty evil party in tandem with his shitty evil dad. That's it. I feel that we are not meant to have the same reaction to, say, JZX (who AT BEST is so clueless he had no idea what was happening at HIS OWN FAMILY'S PARTY and at worst knew and went "woohoo! showoff time!") or JYL (who's just so proud of her crush and her shidi doing cool tricks! no lingering concerns about the human targets!), or LXC (so gentle! so compassionate! so silent this whole scene!) or many of the other onlookers... which is really too bad, because that's absolutely the kind of thing that makes for fun complexity.
Which I guess is what fic like the one you referenced is for--to explore those possible complexities, for good or for ill!
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stiltonbasket · 1 year
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JueYing is a tiny warrior of justice! She hears someone smack-talking her beloved diedie and she's seeing red? Her diedie is the best! Fear and terror upon anyone who says bad things about her diedie! There will be vengeance!
The first thing Jueying does is tell dad NMJ; her vengeance will be swift and sweet.
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leatherbookmark · 1 year
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no, but
seriously WHERE do people get it from that either 1/ nmj cared about meng yao so much, or 2/ they both cared so much about each other. where. was it the (added in cql) scene of banishment? in which nmj cried and didn’t execute my on the spot, so the obvious conclusion is that he’s just the biggest, smooshiest softie with the marshmallowiest heart, said heart softly plopped in the palm of my’s hand?
cql, why.
(my suspicion is that if they made nmj anything like his novel self, people would actually know and understand why jgy shanked him, and the villain wouldn’t be villainous at all lmao.)
no, but really -- “gave him a new life”? “few people cared more about jgy than nmj”? yeah i guess you could say few people cared more about wwx than lqr, going by this standard. i feel like people saw nmj defend my and immediately assumed it was because he deeply cared about his wellbeing and was sensitive to the plights of the underprivileged, which. was obviously not the case? it was IN THE TEXT that he was bein insensitive and only ensuring the soldiers would give meng yao even more shit for that? he didn’t even wait for my to actually tell him about the situation, he just said ‘follow me’! the hell would he have done if the soldiers weren’t shit-talking meng yao?! given them a goddamn stern talking to, thus making meng yao even more obviously look like a snitch!?
and then later during sunshot he once again doesn’t even consider meng yao’s actual wishes, just writes him a letter of recommendation and sends him off to the jin. like, sure, perhaps if he hadn’t done that jgy would’ve never gone off to become a spy, since he says he betrayed wen ruohan for his father, but like. the fact that he meant well doesn’t excuse the disservice! not when he has all the power to tell meng yao what to do, and meng yao has none of the power to tell him no. not to mention that in that moment, nmj is -- and he WILL do that again! -- eavesdropping on a conversation between my and lxc. NOT A GOOD LOOK, BRO
taking these incidents into consideration, imo it’s not that nmj feels particularly strongly about the fate and wellbeing of one meng yao, or even the Underprivileged layer. rather, he’s ~righteous~ -- he does what he thinks is the right thing, the morally correct thing. but he does so blindly; he doesn’t consider that a common soldier, or a poor, weak son of a sex worker might have different principles than he does. he thinks everyone is “equal”, but in a sense that they should all adhere to the same rules, not that they all deserve the same kind treatment and respect.
and then meng yao tricks him, and nmj Instantly enters the kill mode. he says he’s going to kill him the next time they meet, he constantly either finds faults in everything jgy does or tries to kill him -- how is that the behavior of someone who cares about jgy as a person? if i had to compare it to anything, i’d say he’s like a parent who had all those expectations of their child, and when said child turns out not to be daddy/mommy’s perfect little plaything, they turn to mistreatment and abuse. except nmj isn’t even jgy’s dad, he’s his PAST employer and then a sworn brother who’s supposed to help and not terrorize him.
this is not comparable to, say, jiang cheng, who’s an asshole and would rather eat his shoes than say something nice, but sacrifices himself to the wen for wwx, smuggles jyl and suggests she let wwx name her future child and gives wwx his flute back. aside from the aforementioned well-intentioned disservices, nmj doesn’t really do anything that would show that he cares for jgy as a person, that he wants jgy the person to live well rather than meng yao, the vice-envoy he’s put so many hopes in.
and it’s not like jgy was attached to him either and tried with all his might to mend their severed bond. he realized nmj doesn’t like him at best and actively wants him dead at worst, and if lxc didn’t insist on swearing brotherhood he would’ve spent the rest of his days carefully avoiding him. like yes, he felt grateful and indebted for nmj’s clumsy kindness, and because jgy was jgy, he probably didn’t necessarily want him to die even after all the times his da-ge nmj exhibited un-da-ge-like behaviors, but it wasn’t as deeply personal as people think it was. like he didn’t go from “oh, my dearest da-ge, however else can i help you” to “fuck that guy in particular” in the moment when nmj kicked him down the jinlintai stairs. he knew the relationship was unsalvageable before; that incident was just a concrete proof of it as well as proof that nmj was too far gone.
like. ugh
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