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ouyangzizhensdad · 3 years

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Unfinished Meta #2

WWX is established in the text as observant, making it incongruous that he’d also somehow be at the same time ‘oblivious’

We all know that WWX is a genius and a prodigy, which is not that interesting (how many characters are geniuses and prodigies?). But WWX is not only smart--he’s very observant, which is already more interesting. It is not clear, to me, whether these observation skills come from WWX’s innate abilities, the way his parents brought him up in his early years, the challenges of surviving in the streets, or the result of having to negotiate the pitfall and tensions as a permanent guest of the Jiang household--or even a combination of all these. Whatever the source or reason, WWX’s quick wit and deductive skills is perhaps his most established character trait we get in our first introduction to the character. While the Mo Mansion arc is dense with characterisation (WWX kicking the door with his foot and then throwing the bowl to the side! WWX calling LSZ ‘xiao mianzi’ in his internal monologue 😭), there is a clear bias towards establishing very early this part of his character.

(here I wrote “add quotes” but you can just refer to the meta I actually wrote about the Mo Mansion arc lmao)

WWX is good at reading people, understands how to goad them into reactions or how to diffuse tensions (although is not a master manipulator like JGY or NHS, nor as good of a arbiter as JYL or LSZ). This is made clear even in the earliest memories we see of him, when he angers LQR into throwing him out of class, or angers LWJ into destroying the evidence of the spring book he brought into the Library. We see it in his treatment of other characters; for example, he realizes early on that Jin Zixun is a prideful prat who needs recognition, so WWX purposely pretends to forget his name to antagonise him.

But more often, especially as an adult, his ability to read others and guess their reactions is used to scrutinize them or assess a situation, to make people confess or say something they hadn’t meant to divulge. During Guanyin Temple, until the moment JGY brings up LWJ’s feelings, WWX is very clearly trying to make JGY reveal more about his plan and his past deeds, or trying to find ways to distract him and his goons. Likewise, he sees through JGY’s attempt to do the same (up until the moment he brings up LWJ, at which point WWX is too heartsick and heartbroken not to pursue that line of enquiry, even while knowing it is part of a ruse, of a means to best him), warning LXC against falling for his tricks, and having to witness JC falling hook, line and sinker later on when JGY goads him.

At times, he’ll play-act a character to achieve this goal, as we see in the Mo Mansion arc when he puts on the persona of a lunatic in front of the Lan Juniors so that they will not suspect him of being a skilled cultivator while he assess the situation and finds how to protect them from the unknown enemy. (here it said add more examples of play-acting lmao)

On top of it all, WWX is also established to be well-learned and knowledgeable about the cultivation world and politics throughout the novel, as well as being creative and inventive, coming up with a new branch of cultivation and many devices to help his endeavors, like the zhaoyin flags or the empathy technique.

Being observant and having good deductive skills should not mean however that the character cannot ever be wrong or misled in their observations and conclusions; in fact, most pieces of fiction including such a character will often use the character’s personal or internalized biases and prejudices to make them grow or to shape some parts of the plot; Sherlock Holmes was bested by Irene Adler because of his prejudices against the ‘fairer sex’; Lizzie Bennet, who prided herself on her abilities to read people, was fooled by Wickham both because she mistook his genteel manners for good nature and because she held prejudices against Mr Darcy and was already willing to believe him to be a villain. What is important in these examples is that there is always something that explains, something that contextualises why the observant character came to the wrong conclusion (and how they finally understood their mistakes).

The novel often puts WWX in a situation where he doubts his observation/thinking, and has to face conflicting or contradicting information in order to decide whether or not he’s sticking with his initial assessment or not. For instance, in Chapter 10, he starts questioning whether or not LWJ really is unaware of his true identity after surprising him in the Cold Springs, even he remains uncertain until LWJ tells him so (and then, it takes him a while to figure out how LWJ did realise his identity, but WWX does ultimately figure it out on his own).

He did doubt that Lan Wangji might have guessed who he was. However, the doubt was lacking in both sense and reason. As sacrificing one’s body was a prohibited practice, there were probably not a lot of people who knew about it. The scrolls passed down the generations were most likely partial pieces of the entire work, unable to reach their full potential. Things continued like this, and so there were less and less people who believed in it. Mo Xuanyu only summoned Wei Wuxian by looking at a secret scroll, wherever he found it in the first place. Anyhow, Lan Wangji couldn’t have recognized him just from the awful flute melodies that he played.

He asked himself whether or not he had a heartfelt relationship with Lan Wangji in his past life. Although they had studied with each other, went on adventures, and fought together, all of these experiences were like falling petals and flowing water—coming and going. Lan Wangji was a disciple of the GusuLan Sect, which meant that he had to be “righteous,” quite incompatible with Wei Wuxian’s personality. Wei Wuxian thought that their relationship wasn’t exactly bad, but it wasn’t that good either. The chances were that Lan Wangji’s opinion of him was the same as everyone else’s—being overly wanton and not virtuous enough, it would have been only a matter of time before he caused a disaster. After Wei Wuxian betrayed the YunmengJiang Sect and became the Yiling Laozu, he had a few significant disputes with the Lan Sect, especially during the few months before his death. If Lan Wangji was sure that he was Wei Wuxian, they should have already been engaged in a large-scale fight.

Yet, he wasn’t sure what to make of the current situation—in the past, no matter what he did, Lan Wangji didn’t tolerate anything, but now, even though he used whatever methods he had up his sleeve, Lan Wangji could still tolerate him. Should he be congratulated because of his progress?! [Chapter 10]

#unfinished meta #mdzs meta #wwx

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ibijau · 4 years

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mdzs worst engagement au!xisang! Would lxc save nhs from jalouse lxc admire ?

Worst Engagement

Warning for bullying and threats of physical violent

Stay toward the middle or end of Nie Huaisang’s first year in the Cloud Recesses, when he’s still trying to be a Good Boy TM

Another class finishes, and Nie Huaisang has no idea what it even was about. Talisman, he guesses, but it might very well be manners. Quite possibly, it's the etiquette for using talismans. He's been trying to concentrate harder on lessons lately, terrified of failing and getting scolded again by just about everyone he knows, but it's just impossible to focus on something so boring. His mind keeps wandering to painting, to birds, to that minuscule crack in the ceiling of the classroom.

He's not even sure what will happen if he fails the exam. He just knows that it'll be awful.

That's the only reason why when a group of boys encircles him as he exits the classroom and asks if he wants to study with them, Nie Huaisang actually considers it.

The group, sadly, is led by Jin Zixun. There's little love between him and Nie Huaisang, though in fairness there's little love between either of them and anyone else. Only the Jin disciples seem to like Jin Zixun, and they don't have much of a choice when his mother is the sect leader's sister. Jin Zixun is a bully and, quite frankly, an idiot, but he's still doing better in class than Nie Huaisang. That makes studying with him and his friends… tempting.

"What do you want in exchange for letting me work with you?" Nie Huaisang asks with justified suspicions. Just a few days ago, someone threw a wet inkstone at him, ruining of set of white guest robes, and Jin Zixun looked too amused to be fully innocent.

"It's just sad to always see you alone," Jin Zixun replies. "The heir apparent to Qinghe Nie should try to make friends."

That's rich coming from the one person who made sure to ruin all of Nie Huaisang’s efforts. But it's true also that Nie Huaisang can be shy. Some of the other boys did try chatting with him, early on, but they only wanted to hear about Nie Mingjue at best, about Lan Xichen at worst, and that quickly got old.

"Come with us, Nie gongzi," another Jin boy insists, his smile less sharp than Jin Zixun. "You seemed a little lost earlier when master Lan explained things, but together we can all figure it out."

Nie Huaisang shoots the boy a surprised look. Nobody usually pays attention to him, so this is pleasantly unexpected. Much as it pains him to admit, Jin Zixun isn't wrong: it'd be nice to make some friends.

"I am very grateful for your generous offer," Nie Huaisang says with a bow. "I hope we can all work hard together."

Happy with that answer, the other boys lead him away from the classroom, chatting about dinner and what they'll do for their next free day. Nie Huaisang doesn't say much, happy to listen and let himself be led along the way.

It's not until they pass the last cabin and step on a path to the mountain that Nie Huaisang realises something isn't right. Before he can ask about that, Jin Zixun gives a signal. Instantly, two boys grab Nie Huaisang’s arms and push his back against a tree, hard enough his breath is knocked out of him.

"I thought we were going to study," he stutters, immediately earning a few laughs.

"Who'd study with you?" someone says. "Has there been a single class you haven't failed?"

"Yeah, you're annoying," Jin Zixun adds. "You're a shame to the entire cultivation world already, but you had to make it worse by laying a claim on Lan Xichen?"

Nie Huaisang blinks a few times.

"It's not like I chose that!"

"I could have been the one engaged to Lan Xichen," Jin Zixun argues. "It was considered for a time! I would have been far more worthy of him than some stupid little cowardly mouse like you.”

“Go to your uncle and ask to have him then,” Nie Huaisang mutters. “Good luck. I don’t think Lan gongzi will want you.”

The slap is no surprise, but Nie Huaisang still cries out when the blow is sharper than expected.

“He doesn’t want you either,” Jin Zixun spits. “Everyone knows he’s ashamed of being engaged to you. Qinghe Nie is barely respectable to begin with, and then they had to give birth to someone like you? Everyone knows you don’t even have a golden core!”

“I do have one!”

It’s only half a lie. His core has almost finished forming. For better or worse, the discipline of Gusu Lan has actually helped quite a bit, which annoys Nie Huaisang to no end. He doesn’t want to owe that to the sect that will someday already own him.

“I don’t think that’s true,” another Jin boy says, the one who was so nice earlier and said he’d noticed Nie Huaisang struggling to follow the lesson. “Nobody with a core would squeal like a pig over just being slapped.”

“He did sound like a pig,” Jin Zixun agrees. “Maybe we should open him up like one and check? Maybe those Nie butchers messed up and raised a pig instead of a cultivator. Or maybe his mom’s a sow instead of a dancer. I mean, it’s the same in the end, isn’t it?”

Nie Huaisang shouts in rage at the insult, and manages to free himself from the other boys’ hold just enough to kick first Jin Zixun’s knee, and then his chest when he doubles down in pain.

"Talk about my mom again and you'll see what a butcher can do!"! Nie Huaisang roars, trying to launch himself at Jin Zixun only to be tackled on the ground by the other boys. "Fight me alone if you dare!"

A boot on his face silences him (still that nice boy, Nie Huaisang is never trusting anyone’s kindness ever again), pressing his cheek into mud and grass. Nie Huaisang still manages to look up when Jin Zixun stomps in front of his nose. He has one hand on the handle of his sword, and yet all Nie Huaisang can think of is how unflattering that angle is on the other boy. It’s a stupid thought to have, and it’s stupider still that it makes him snort, because of course Jin Zixun only gets angrier.

“Maybe I can’t cut open you like a pig,” he says, “but I can cut your face. If you really have a golden core, healing it won’t be a problem. If you don’t… it’ll just leave a scar and everyone will know you’re a fraud.”

Nie Huaisang cries out and struggles as hard as he can, but without the power of surprise he can’t free himself again. To his horror, Jin Zixun actually unsheathes his sword. When he puts it against his cheek, Nie Huaisang goes deathly still and closes his eyes, feeling tears of terror and frustration pool behind his eyelids. The blade is cold against his skin, the tip of it digging slightly, not yet hard enough to actually cut, but Jin Zixun starts to press down and…

“What’s going on here?”

Everyone jolts, but thankfully Jin Zixun is just smart enough to lift his sword and not leave any mark on Nie Huaisang.

Nie Huaisang who opens his eyes and sees Lan Xichen coming their way, radiating the sort of calm anger one might expect of a martial god. For the first time in their engagement, Nie Huaisang is sincerely happy to see his fiancé, so much so that the tears he barely managed to restrain before start spilling.

“Lan gongzi!” Jin Zixuan exclaims, putting away his sword. “How are you doing today? Isn’t the weather nice?”

Lan Xichen gives him such a cold look that Jin Zixun cannot help stepping backward. He then turns his gaze to Nie Huaisang, and frowns.

“Let him go,” he orders the boys still holding him, and is obeyed without hesitation. “Fighting is not allowed in the Cloud Recesses. Surely you know this by now?”

"Lan gongzi, we were just playing!"

"Where you?" Lan Xichen asks, his eyes still on Nie Huaisang who looks away.

"Yeah, we were playing," he mutters, carefully getting back on his feet and wiping the dirt from his face. "Sorry if we were too rough, Lan gongzi. It won't happen again."

It's a huge lie, and one Nie Huaisang isn't selling well with his red eyes and snotty nose. Lan Xichen rightfully pinches his lips, but can't say anything without calling both Jin Zixun and Nie Huaisang liars, which would be a serious accusation. Nie Huaisang knows he's making yet another bad impression on his future husband, but between that and alienating someone who's currently so high in the inheritance line for Lanling Jin… Lan Xichen's anger can be dealt with, but Jin Zixun's hatred would probably never be pacified.

"I see. Then please, play more peacefully next time, and in a more appropriate place," Lan Xichen notes with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "If you seek such an isolated place, people might think you are trying to hide mischief. Now go back to your cabins. I'm sure you have a lot to review after today's lesson."

They don't need to be told twice. Some of the boys are probably older than Lan Xichen, but he radiates such authority that nobody would dare to contradict him, especially not when they all know they're lucky not to be punished. Even Nie Huaisang could have gotten in trouble. He's not sure if the rules against fighting apply to self-defence as well.

"Nie gongzi, stay with me a moment," Lan Xichen orders. "I wish to speak to you."

Nie Huaisang freezes on the spot. In all the time he's spent in the Cloud Recesses, this is the first time Lan Xichen had asked for a chat. In fact, isn't it the first time for the all of their acquaintance? And by the look of it, it's not going to be a pleasant one.

But then again, when has anything about this engagement ever been pleasant?

"Do not pick fights you cannot win," Lan Xichen advises when everyone else is gone.

"I didn't start this," Nie Huaisang grumbles, feeling like a child being scolded. "They're the ones who attacked me!"

"Then be more careful not to give others the occasion and incentive to attack you," Lan Xichen said, never once dropping that kind, condescending smile. "Just because we are set to marry doesn't mean I will always be there to save you. If you can't defend yourself, if you can't make friends, at least have the good sense to stay away from bullies."

That hits a little too close to home. Of course Nie Huaisang should have known something was wrong, he should have guessed Jin Zixun couldn't have turned nice all of a sudden, but…

He just wanted someone to want to be around him. The other Nie disciples don't count, they have to be nice to him. But apparently, friends are too much to ask.

"I'm sorry, Lan gongzi. May I go now?"

"You may."

Nie Huaisang strides away, as fast as he can without running. When he reaches the cabin he shares with the other Nie disciples, he doesn't even get changed and just starts studying right away.

He has to pass his exams when the time comes, at any cost, so he can go home and be away from this fiancé who hates him.

#xisang #nie huaisang #lan xichen #jin zixun #mo dao zu shi #worst engagement au #jau writes #lxc is bitchy but plz consider that nhs just fucking lied to his face #and to defend jin zixun of all people #this prompt was sent at least a week ago lol #I'm not ignoring prompt but I got a lot and I gotta pick which to do first #as much as possible I want to fill a lot of them just plz be patient #this is a one birb operation after all #Anonymous

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amethystshipper · 4 years

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I was scrolling through my dash, as one does, and saw .gifs of the scene where the juniors are defending WWX to Sect leader Yao, and I was just smiling and thinking “ah, the kids are all right this time, it will be better”. And then I realized that ... the kids were all right the previous generation, too? And it would have been so easy to see them band together, especially after everything?

Hear me out. In essence, there’s no difference between the juniors and the ... OG juniors. (We need a name for them. Is there a name for that generation??? Cause we have the parents, and we have the juniors, what are WWX&co named??? Whatever, I’m sticking with OG juniors.) Each of these groups went through shitty situations, the OGs arguably through worse with the war and all. But before the war, we have 2 major bonding moments: the Cloud Recesses classes, and the Wen indoctrination. What if they actually bonded together, and their relationships were more flushed out? (Keep in mind I only saw the live-action drama, so that’s what I’m basing everything on.)

So, Cloud Recesses. You have the Jiangs, and then NSH, LWJ, WN and WQ added to the group, more or less willingly. JZX is still being a little bitch, but whatever, he’s there too, along with MianMian, who is arguably his biggest contribution. I will admit, there are ... levels ... of closeness. But you have the three gremlins getting together, and LWJ pulled in (again, levels), you have star-struck WN and tough WQ (who, need I remind you, took care of JYL at least once, which I bet the latter will not forget). You have LQR spitting blood because the boy is definitely his mother’s son, but LXC smiling indulgently, seeing his little brother finally make friends. (And LQR will remember that CSR was mischief made human form, and her son definitely follows in her footsteps, but both of them wanted always to help and not destroy, so there is definitely something wrong with the accusations that WWX wants to take over the world. And LXC will remember the Wen boy who stayed behind to save one of their own, and the Wei boy who dived in to help them both, and will not believe the grim tales of the fierce Ghost General and the Yiling Patriarch.)

After CR, WWX/LWJ/JC/NHS have their little murder adventure, with a WQ cameo. LWJ is added to the gremlin dynamic and sure, he might not feel like he fits in at first, but WWX cannot seem to stay away from him, and he suffers in silence with JC while WWX is being an idiot and risking his life, omg, stop that, get down you demented cat, and then finds that there’s a certain bond little brothers with big brothers larger-than-life have, and maybe having two more friends is. Acceptable. They’re all supposed to be 15-16 at this point, teenage boys that started this adventure fully confident, at least on the outside. And then Xue Yang happens. And this is, I think, one of the biggest turning point for these four. Because, to a certain degree, all of them rely on rules. Their own, if nothing else. And here is a guy who just ... wants to see the world burn. He kills with no remorse, admits it gleefully, and is just awful in so many ways. This is their first brush with how brutal the outside world is, when they start to doubt themselves and their convictions. But then! XXC and SL appear, and it’s a breath of fresh air! Because there are terrible people and worse situations, but as long as they hold fast in their beliefs and work together and trust eachother, they can beat them!

So they go to the Unclean Realm, and they meet Daddy NMJ. And he’s been watching them approach, and he sees his little brother laughing with the boy in black, he sees him cackling while the one in purple is swinging his fists around; he sees him share a smile with Xichen’s little brother while the other two are laughing so hard they’re bent over so far they’re almost falling to the ground. And he doesn’t show it, because the Red Blade Master is gruff, and tough, and mighty, but in his heart he’s already adopted these kids who include his baby brother in their circle with so much ease, it’s hard to imagine him on the outside. (And in the future, when people are yelling about WWX’s darkness, this is the image he will have in his head: four boys being innocent and happy and his, how dare you try to touch them?!)

Cloud Recesses burns. LXC is nowhere. And then. The biggest paradigm shift - the indoctrination. Everyone arrives in Nightless City. The three OG gremlins watch LWJ back to his jade statue default, they lose their swords, they are on the same side with JZX and WWX/JC don’t know which one of these frustrates them more. It should be the looming war. It’s probably the JZX part. Now, I assume they spend at least a few weeks there, I don’t remember if it’s mentioned. But WWX always tried to get in front, to catch WC’s attention. (Because he’s the disposable one, right? High enough in status that WC is satisfied when he gets to punish him, but not a sect heir, not someone who will bring down a whole sect if he dies. Little does he know.) So don’t tell me that the others don’t rally around him. (Discreetly of course. They learn fast that he just gets more protective if others are hurt because of him.) There’s nothing stronger than a common enemy, and the Wens and WC, specifically, are definitely that. So they watch, and they remember WWX being beaten, whipped, humiliated, all so that others will not be. Not to mention that one night that he doesn’t tell even JC about, because it would crush his little brother to know he couldn’t keep his promise. They remember him staying behind so that they have a chance to escape the murder turtle. (And after the war, when the adults will try to damn WWX for being too arrogant and too prideful, the OG juniors will remember the kid who stood up to the Wen clan and has the scars to prove it, and all to protect them. Where was Jin Guangshan? Where was Sect leader Yao?)

Lotus pier burns. WWX disappears. JC and LWJ look for him for 3 months. And then. And then he comes back. And he burns the Sun to the ground, using dark cultivation and corpses and no sword, and everything that they were taught not to do, ever. And he succeeds where everyone else fails.

Afterwards, when the dust settles but not really, when life comes back to normal but not quite, when things become too boring apparently, the young ones see their elders muttering. And gossip. And look a bit too much at WWX, too closely. But this was a generation forged in the fires of war. They were not like their parents, who had time to figure out their shit and then go to battle, no. They were kids when it all started. There are no more kids amongst them now.

So when the minor sect leaders, subtly encouraged by JGS and JGY, talk about the “young” LC being a leader at such a young age with honeyed words that hide rot, NMJ and LXC rise to his defense. Both of them became sect leaders at young ages, both of them know how hard it is. LQR rises as well and the older ones expect him to be on their side, but they forget LQR got entrusted with a clan and 2 children that he was not supposed to have, so he will never demean another who was in an even worse position, but rose to the occasion despite everything that happened. The Lans promote knowledge and learning above all, and many people can learn a lot from Sandu Shengshou, wouldn’t you agree Sect leader Yao?

When the Jin sect complains about the Stygian Tiger Seal, rumors begin to spread from behind hand painted fans that they are after the artifacts of other sects. After all, does WWX not belong to YungmengJiang? Therefore, do his creations not belong to the sect as well? Who’s to say they won’t go after the treasures of the other sects next?

When JYL destroys Jin Zixun at Phoenix Mountain, JZX steps up to the plate and stands behind his fiancee. WWX is obviously her little brother that she cares deeply about, he will be his future brother-in-law, and honestly Zixun where were you even during the war?? You have demands now because?? Go shoot some arrows and chill. (JC is just standing there with crossed arms, looking at Jin Zixun without blinking, keeping a tight grip over Zidian who is the definition of “lemme at him!!!” Jiejie doesn’t like it when he slices and dices people, although she’s not leaving much for him to chew on. It’s the most fun he’s had in years.)

When JGY sweetly suggest that there might be a viper poised to strike them in the back, NHS innocently asks “but San-Ge, didn’t your blow to WRH’s back help us win the war?” (NMJ has never loved his brother more than when he roasts JGY. Really, he could cry with pride. Here, A-Sang, there’s that fan you wanted. I ordered new birdcages to be build back home, you can have all the birds you want. Training is ... postponed.)

When news about the labor camps and the slaughtered Wens are revealed, many stay silent. A few of them cheer. But there are also a few that remember a boy willing to save someone from drowning, willing to risk his life to save the dead bodies of two parents. They remember the best doctor of their generation helping them heal, and rest, and save their loved ones. They remember that they are not the only children who were taken by this war, that they were not the only ones forced to make awful choices that haunt their dreams. They remember that it’s easy to stand back, but yet there was always one who stood up for the others, who would stand up for them, so how can they not stand with him now when he most need it?

WWX is not alone. The YungmengJiang clan is not alone. These kids went through hell and back in the past couple of years, and they will be damned if they will let another rise in WRH’s place. This ends now.

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