#and i also did kill wwx but i needed the Drama
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have i actually said here that i made an au of canon so my players can play a wen sect member but still be in the 13 years? i made the war a cold war, called the Unlit Flame, and of course i had to end it on a suitably dramatic note with Wen Ruohan dissappearing mysteriously and the blame being placed at Yling Lazou’s feet- who had been joined by the best healer in the world, Wen Qing, for reasons nobody knows.
#then i faked her death and made the jin still kidnap wen ning#and i also did kill wwx but i needed the Drama#also this is a nice au i left jzx alive but too injured to rule his sect#so jyl is also alive#untamed campaign#mdsz
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Fic finder
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1. Hello! Me again, thanks so much for the past help!! I was wondering if you’d help me one more time? I’ve been searching for another specific fic for the last three weeks and no matter the tag combos I can’t seem to find it. Essentially: it’s a one-shot where WWX is having a sort of flashback into being at the burial mounds and hallucinating lan Wanji and Jiang cheng speaking to him. He reveals some things about the three months in the BM, but in the end it turns out he wasn’t actually at there and they where trying to get him out of being influenced by resentful energy. Also lan suzhi is there at the end to help too. If you could help that’d be amazing! @spacy-thoughts
FOUND! warmth by antebunny (T, 3k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Canon Compliant, Heavy Angst, lots of mentions of dark stuff, the burial mounds as a sentient evil mountain, Temporary Amnesia, Misunderstandings, Hurt/Comfort, lots of trash fire angst, Mistaken Identity, Whump, Angst with a Happy Ending)
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2. Hello I am looking for a specific fic where WWX and LWJ get into a fight. WWX comes back from needing some to find LWJ crying because he thought they were done after the fight. The rest of the fic is them making up after the fight. I hope I gave you enough info to go on.
It’s Post cannon, hurt/comfort and not in modern setting. Sorry for the vague description.
NOT FOUND! this is me trying by queen_gee (T, 4k, WangXian, Modern AU, Angst with a Happy Ending, Breaking Up & Making Up, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Sad with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship)
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3. Hello!!! For the next fic finder please help me find this two fics:
A) A fix it au in which JFM and YZY has a steady relationship, all I remember is a scene where when the wens(?) attacked Lotus Pier madam yu was preggo and gave birth in the middle of it. I think Bicao or SiSi was the one who helped her gave birth.
B) An au from a k-drama that I forgot the title of in which wwx(not him but I aint gonna spoil) accidentally run over a pregnant mxy that ended up in the death of him and the baby, lwj was the baby daddy and decided to have his revenge.
Thankiee~
-♥️-
3A)
FOUND! Yearning for Miles by Murahi (M, 378k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst, Fluff, Slow burn, Mutual Pining, seeing the future)
3B)
FOUND! Lie for Love by sether1n3 (E, 69k, WIP, WangXian, WangYu, implied LWJ/Others & WWX/Others, Modern AU, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, endgame wangxian, Mpreg, NOT OMEGAVERSE, hit and run, WWX Goes to Prison, Hurt WWX, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Depressed WWX, Panic Attacks, Bisexual WWX, Grief/Mourning, Minor Character Death, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Lawyer JC, Not JC Friendly, Bad Sibling JC, Violence, Insecurity, Body Dysphoria, forced seperation, Attempted Sexual Assault, Revenge, Blackmail, Artist WWX, Court, Rich LWJ, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Body Worship, Secret (2013) AU, Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn)
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4. hi! i’m looking for a specific fic on A03; it is a casefic and has got to do with the jin watchtowers, specifically this one by the sea which is haunted by the woman ****SPOILER START**** whose husband was killed by the contractor (for demanding worker rights) and LWJ falls into the sea trying to stop WWX from getting killed, and gets very hurt in the process ****SPOILER END***. It has a lot of sea imagery, and involves all the juniors +JC. @thatficwheretheprotagisadog
FOUND? And I Will Call You Home by Spodumene (E, 42k, WangXian, Case Fic, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Love Confessions, Canon-Typical Violence, Blood, Ghosts, Suicide, Explicit Sexual Content, Attempted Sexual Assault, LWJ whump, Original Character Death(s))
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5. hello! I wasn’t sure if this has been asked, and I did try looking but sorry if I missed it! I’m looking for a fic that was a modern setting, wangxian friends with benefits, only it was more like enemies with benefits bc lan zhan was dead set on not catching feelings for him and he hated that he was starting to. i remember that it opened on a sex scene but that was as far as I got! please help!!!
FOUND? Honesty is the Best Policy (Except if You're an Asshole) by piecrust (E, 22k, WangXian, Porn with feelings, College/University)
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6. Hi! I'm looking for a fic where Wei Wuxian wakes up in Lotus Pier after being injured on a nighthunt (?) that he went on with Lan Wangji and he finds out from Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli that Lan Wangji has died.
However, we later on find out that Lan Wangji is not actually dead but instead someone sent false letters to Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen. The letter Jiang Cheng received had said that Lan Wangji had died and the letter Lan Xichen had received had said that Wei Wuxian had died. So somebody purposefully made Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji think that the other was dead.
I believe there was also a part in the fic where some guy at Lotus Pier kept calling Wei Wuxian 'Wei Ying' and Wei Wuxian kept telling him to stop because only Lan Wangji was allowed to call him that but the guy did it again and Wei Wuxian snapped.
Thank you for your help!
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7. I’m looking for a similar story to one somebody asked two fic finders ago but this one has a little twist
Is a fic where JC managed to wish WWX out of existence (I think it was with an array) and JC and LWJ are the only ones who remember WWX, LWJ tries to confront JC about it but JC won’t tell him how he did it, things happen (I think SSC) and JC needs WWX again, so he asks LWJ to help him bring Wei Ying back, they bring him back and so the story continues
FOUND? The Way It Wasn't by KouriArashi (T, 72k, WangXian, XiYao, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fix-It, (eventually haha), Slow Build, Family Feels, Moral Ambiguity, Eventual Happy Ending)
FOUND? Not This Time by Marinelifeclub (M, 93k, WIP, WangXian, SangNing, NieLan, Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Angst, Dark LWJ, Protective LWJ, YLLZ WWX, Resentful WWX, Established Relationship, POV Alternating, Sunshot Campaign, Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, Minor XuanLi, not for jc fans, eventual 3zun, Kid Fic)
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8. I am absolutely boggled trying to find this fic that I *thought* I'd downloaded onto my reader. Was reminded of it recently by another user who was looking. Basically, it's a modern wangxian AU, where WWX reappears after X time gone/cloud hanging over his head bc of something ppl thought he causes and the Jiang sibs who are some sort of celebs (models? actors?) help him (as does LWJ.) I remember a pool scene where all were hanging out & performing normalcy while press were milling about. @thelima
FOUND! so hot out the box (can we pick up the pace) by sami (E, 20k, XiCheng, WangXian, NHS/JZX, QingLi, Modern AU, Enemies to Lovers, Thirsting, Pining, mostly thirst and dick jokes, a little smut)
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9. Hola! Hope you guys are doing well. This request is for the FicFinder.
I don't remember much, but I think WWX was a Lan probably? There was a scene that I remember: during a lecture in Hanshi, LQR was talking about always being prepared or something like that. It was a topic on talismans I think? So Jin Zixun or someone like that said something about talisman being cheap trick and as cultivators, they don't have much use of it or something? Then LQR asked WWX to show how many talisman he carries on him normally (like everytime everywhere) and the later pulls out bundles after bundles of talisman. Then he's says something like : this is the normal I carry with me every moment. If it's a night hunt, I carry much more than this. @utxqia
FOUND! From the Warm Sun by sunshine_sparrow (T, 58k, WangXian, CSSR & WWX, CSSR & LQR, Discussion of Rape, Period-Typical Sexism, Mostly CQL but probably some MDZS too, Cángsè Sǎnrén Lives, Madam Lán Lives, Qingheng-jun lives, But WCZ Still Dies, Fix-It, Happy Ending, All Soft and Very Little Angst, the wens live, Yīn Iron, Good Person MY, Good Person LQR)
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10. I’m looking for a dimension travel fix where Wei Wuxian is a doctor/engineer in his OG modern dimension but his life goes downhill. He gets transported into a dimension a lot like MDZS time, where cultivation exists and the old Wei Whxian was evil and despised. He doesn’t know Lan Wangji, but over time they fall in love. It’s kind of a time-travel/fix-it in one.
FOUND? Transverse by Kytrin, Mslead (E, 192k, WangXian, ChengSang, ZhuiLing, ZhenYi, Canon-Typical Violence, Dimension Travel, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Enemies to Lovers, Transmigration, Past Lives, Canon-Typical Death, Don't worry - he gets better) although im not 100% on that since i havent read it, i just scrolled through the "dimension travel" tag for a few minutes lol
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11. hello, my lieges. once again, i am looking for this fic where wwx rates sex toys and lwj sends him a lot and he's the only one who got five stars. thank you kindly
FOUND! This Ain’t a Stream (It’s a Goddamn Arms Race) by feenwitch (E, 5k, WangXian, Modern AU, Getting Together, Pornstars)
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12. I remember a fic, where post war LWJ is struggling and is accompanied by a a friendly Ghost (aka WWX) or something like that. I’m not exactly sure, but i still know that WWX was dead and LWJ still saw him.
FOUND? asymptotic by chinxe (T, 26k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Slow Burn, Misunderstandings, Pining)
FOUND? The Cruelty of Fate by Procrastination_Sensation (T, 15k, WangXian, Canonical Character Death, Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Minor NieLan) Or Asymptotic like the previous recs say, though I'd personally lean for asymptotic, since wwx is described as a friendly ghost
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13. Hello! I need help finding a Wangxian fic. It was kinda post cannon and in it A-Yuan got cursed if I’m right and was turned into a toddler. He spend a week like that and Wei Wuxian gets his chance at seeing Yuan being a happy child. That’s all I can remember, any help would be appreciated @casslastheaven
FOUND? The Heart Always Remembers by thelamespaceace (G, 45k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Deaged Sizhui, Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Fluff, Angst, They Love Their Son and He Loves Them)
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14. Hi, can you please find the fics that I think at that time I read at AO3.. I'm not remembering much, only the fact that Wei Wuxian already gave his golden core to Jiang Wanyin, and later Nie Mingjue give Wei Wuxian his Saber, Baxia. Since Wei wuxian can actually control Baxia without qi deviation. I've been searching for months now.
FOUND? Lynchpin by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 103k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Time Travel, Fix-It, Lynchpin [PODFIC] by Opalsong, [PODFIC] Lynchpin by Gwogobo)
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15. For the next fic finder, I’m looking for a fic that’s set from a Lan Xichen POV. It’s A/B/O, and he goes to get some paperwork from the Jingshi, only to find a naked omega in his brother’s bed, (Wei Wuxian, though LXC doesn’t know who he is because the author heavily implies this is outsider pov of a time travel fixit) then LWJ comes back. LWJ growls for the first time in LXC’s hearing, who comes to the abrupt realization his brother is terrifying & just didn’t care about growling previously @any-mouse
FOUND! 💖 Disruptions by mondengel (logged in only) (M, 3k, wangxian, ABO, mating cycles/in heat)
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16. Hi! Could you help me finding this fic? In this fic, a-yuan is sick and wen qing said that only cultivation gentry have resource to heal a-yuan. So wwx walk to cloud recesses to beg them heal a-yuan. Lwj meets them (wwx and a-yuan) and he take care wwx while wwx take care of a-yuan. Long story short a-yuan is healthy again and wwx ask lqr and lxc for them to adopt a-yuan but his request refused and instead the lans bring the wen remnant to cloud recesses
There is a quote that make want to read it again. More or less it was like this "in the absence of hanguang-jun, he (a-yuan) is my light".
I have a feeling that fic has been deleted. But i still hold a hope for the reverse. Thank you
FOUND! the kite string and the anchor rope by fleurdeliser (M, 38k, WangXian, Canon Divergence)
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17. Hello! 😊 Please will you help me find this fic? I have vague memories of it being AOB and WWX was at an omega training school(?) but he wasn't very good at it so never expected to be picked? Then LXC comes to find a match for his brother. There's a dance test that wwx messes up but I think LXC found it endearing? Then WWX played the dizi for the talent portion. Not sure if it was a WIP but the last thing I remember was WWX having a private chat with LXC in the school office.
FOUND? Rattling our cages by danegen (E, 69k, WangXian, A/B/O Dynamics, but like polite, Slow Burn, Pining while fucking, so much hair combing, wwx has a vagina, POV WWX, no yin iron or wars or plot really, Canon Era, spiders--see the notes)
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18. Do you know an AU about wei ying being adopted by hualian and then if I can remember lan qiren, yu ziyuan, jiang fengmian, and others went to ghost city together with lan zhan and jiang cheng and then after they came back hualian tasked the other gods to remove their memories of their trip to the ghost city and only lan zhan fully remembers it because he was the so called wife of the prince wuxian?
Hello Fic Finder! In regards with the story that I was asking for help to find which is #42 on your list. I already know the title and author of it but it is already deleted. The title of the story is Crown Prince of Heaven and Ghost City by bluemoonstarlight if you have a copy of it can I ask for a copy because I badly want to read it.
SIMILAR! Crown Prince Hua Wuxian by Bluemoonstarlight (G, 19k, WIP, WangXian, Bottom LWJ/Top WWX, JFM and YZY Bashing, Bad Parents JFM and YZY, JYL Lives, Cultivator JYL, Supportive JYL, Protective JYL, Good Sibling JC, Protective JC, HuaLian Adopt WWX, Canon Divergence, Fantasy, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Sunshot Campaign, Grandpa JW, Grandma MNQ, Abusive JFM, Abusive YZY, Grandma BSSR, BSSR is WWX's Grandparent, WWX is BSSR's Disciple) good news! Bluemoonstarlight has posted a revised version of that story under the title Crown Prince Hua Wuxian. (Whether the revision is to your liking is your call, but at least you’ve got *something*).
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19. Please help me find this fic.
Wangxian are soulmate or engaged i can't remember but wwx wear a mask all his life because there is a prophecy or something that he is supposed to remove after marrying lwj but lwj tell wwx that he should never remove it. Qingheng-Jun is alive and being creepy. Wangxian have a soul bond. Lwj act very distant towards wwx who keep trying to make their relationship work. There is war and wwx adopt twin son a-yuan and a-yi. Wwx returns to cr they pressure him into a ritual to remove resentful energy wwx asks lwj to do it. During ritual he start bleeding and is about to die. When he wake up after lxn scold him and accuse him of hurting lwj they kick him out and forbid him from seeing his children. He goes to yilling and take in mxy and xy. It's a ongoing and very angsty.
there is a scheming lan or jin woman who keep provoking wwx. Jin zixuan is lwj's best friend. There is some secret that everybody knows but don't tell wwx. @anee-choudhary
the-last-d-boy: i think #19 was a deleted story by wangxianist :/
imstillthinkingaboutithmm: #19 is price to pay by wangxianist. It is deleted.
I have a copy of the fic, if it is okay i can share it
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20. hello mods! i am looking for a canon divergence wangxian fic, where lan qiren is evil. he loathes wei ying and wants to hurt (kill?) wei ying. if i remember correctly, he traps wei ying in a room by acting as if he is cursed. wei ying tries to help him but instead he hurts wei ying. lan zhan finds out about what his uncle has done. in the end wangxian end up together and lan qiren is punished by being isolated. i read this fic around feb to march 2022. thank you in advance! :)
hello! i am number 20 in the Jan 26 2023 fic finder. thank you for these evil lan qiren fic details! yes that is the fic i am looking for! hope someone can help me find it :)
Ahh I know #20 on the most recent Fic Finder but I can't recall the name. iirc Lan Qiren lures Wei Wuxian to the Hanshi by saying Sizhui was in trouble. WWX sends LWJ an image of a butterfly, their symbol for LSZ, through their mental link. Hope this helps someone find it!
FOUND! And Be the Moon That Moves Your Tide by Milk_Tea_Fantasy (E, 17k, WangXian, Non-Traditional A/B/O Dynamics, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega LWJ, Alpha WWX, Panic Attacks, Pining, Weddings, Praise Kink, caretaking kink, Bathing/Washing, Subspace, Bottom LWJ, Submissive LWJ, Service top WWX, PTSD, Loss of Virginity, Porn with Feelings, Enthusiastic Consent, Begging, Multiple Orgasms, Edging, Crying During Sex, soul bonds, angry wedding planner JC, Nesting, Non-Consensual Touching, it's not sexual don't worry, Intersex Omegas)
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Hi! Popping in here again for something completely unrelated.
In the asks about books, you mentioned reading the new translation of MDZS.
I did too this year, so I was wondering.
Not counting the censored stuff, what scene do you wish had made it to The Untamed? And why?
Rose💜
Oh god, what a question! I could go so many ways with this answer. Aside from the censored romance content, one of my dings on the show is the need to make WWX more of a wronged hero and provide excuses and additional villains to cover for his very real mistakes. I recognize that those changes are also due to the censors but I prefer the more morally complicated version of him we get in the book.
That said, if we’re talking scenes? I would absolutely kill to have Wei Ying’s big, messy, embarrassing public confession actually depicted on screen. I just love the comedy and the chaos of that scene in the book and would have loved to see the drama cast play it out. I also would have loved to see the Burial Mounds sequence, including Lan Zhan’s failed confession just before WWX’s death, because I am an angst monster at heart.
What about you?
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ep38 (2/3): heartbreaking: the worst person you know just came out
man I feel like xxc is SUCH a romantic. he likes being in love he likes having a partner he's drawn to those idealized fairy-tale romances he doesn't look too deeply below the surface (consciously or not) because he just loves having that kind of connection with someone. and ah he and song lan were perfect for each other. if not for that foolish mistake...! but tragically he's not a main character so his suffering will lead not to a happy ending but to death
anyway. scream? I assume these are yi city residents? fuck, but that's so many. an entire city
he just loves giving those expressions to xy for no reason. unhinged menace
this is honestly hilarious. obviously 'all he wanted was a domestic life with famer's market trips uwu' is a patently absurd claim because look what he DID with that life but I cannot lie this is very funny to me. like sure maybe DEEP DOWN that's all he wanted but my sympathy for him is like. nonexistent because look what he chose to do
also. this man is gasping in fear. does xxc not notice?? willfully ignorant, perhaps
SONG LAN!!!! thank god you're here there is such bullshit going down here xxc needs you. he just lit up so much when he heard about xxc
she's such a little survivalist <3
omg remember that translation meta that described sl's answer as like 'he is world-endingly beautiful' or something? first of all he was right. they casted xxc perfectly, second of all how the hell did she write this and not make them canon gay. insane.
this kills me bc at this point SL KNOWS but I don't think he even considered approaching this with the care he would have needed to. and why not just confront xy? it's not like he knows xy has a tool to make xxc kill him
also sl is standing here in broad daylight and xy just walks past him? I mean his back is to sl but that's weird, I feel like he'd notice him just STANDING there esp if a-qing jerks away and hides
damn I hope she hasn't been hiding every time xy is around. that's her home too. she could technically leave but I doubt she wanted to abandon xxc. and she's not likely to trust any of the sects to intervene either even if she told them. and I don't think she understands that xy is making xxc kill living people
witnessing sl see how xy treats xxc (familiarly, cruelly, lying) is like. that IS a man watching someone he loves involved with someone else who's hurting them. not even jealousy, just heartbreak and righteous anger. li bowen NAILED it
I don't think sl and xxc were ever actually together which just makes this entire thing more exquisitely painful
THE SINGLE TEAR
oohh and the BLOOD
at this point a-qing is distressed enough to grab onto wwx for comfort :(
it's not often that I see the xxc/xy situation described as abuse but xy DID abuse his power over xxc to trick him into murdering people (and then the heavy implication that they were in a relationship too 😬)
I love this expression from SL. no detached justice here. this man is furious and ready to kill
this fight scene is actually good? so many fight scenes in this show are bad and this one just rules. the chemistry, the action, the drama, the tragedy. what a neat and tight little narrative
ohh double-meanings. KILL HIM SONG LAN
this was so insane of xxc to do. man had one great love of his life and he dug out his eyes for him then walked away 😭
this is so funny though. he is the worst. oh SHIT THERE'S THE CHEETAH-PRINT ROBES. what a slay
also now xy won't stop rubbing it in his face and playing on sl's insecurities. deflecting from his own crimes. as jgy does, later in the temple. xy probably learned from him honestly. but don't fall for it song lan!!! he is literally using xxc to murder people!!!
this is a taunt eerily reminiscent of wwx. his voice goes up all high, like 'awww, were you SAD? huh?' wwx taunts like this, all sarcastic. but also he's not like, evil
BITCH YOU'RE THE ONE LYING AND MANIPULATING HIM
when sl's tongue gets cut out, a-qing gets all this splashed on her. ugh
NOOOOOOOO XIAO XINGCHEN!!! THAT'S THE MAN YOU LOVE!!!
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TGCF First Read Reactions - Ch. 24
**Spoiler Warning**
Scene of mud face eating someone's... brain(?). - Oh... this is ... very unpleasant.
Scene of mud face getting pulled out of the ground and being shocked about his body. - Well this is... traumatic.
SL getting real dark all of a sudden.
Mud face being in denial about no longer being human. - Well this was traumatically sad...
Despite whatever is going on with SL and seemingly giving XL the cold shoulder, he is still ready to be XL's handy dandy Baike <3.
All the planning and strategizing XL does as they climb up the Sinner's Pit. This man's mind is an incredible and impressive place. Every god who looks down on him is a straight up fool.
'But he also heard "B****" and paused. He didn't catch what was said before that, but it still made him feel a bit glum.' - Sweetie. Honey. Is this really the time? X-D
XL thinking of asking SL to save him if the need arises - XL clearly aware that SL is way more powerful and capable than what SL is letting on.
'Hearing his call, San Lang looked over and smiled softly, "Don't Worry."' - AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! *Stamping my foot and flailing one of my arms* This is so soft! >.<. Kill me now.
'"Come back here. Come back here and I won't be scared." Xie Lian said.' - F*** me. I just got 'LWJ gently trying to coax WWX back off the cliff edge at Nightless City' vibes. Why did I do that to myself? T.T
Ruoye immediately shooting out the moment SL jumps.
'Xie Lian fell to his knees at the edge of the wall and yelled, "SAN LANG!!!"' - WEI YING!!! ... seriously why am I hurting myself like this?
'In the past they had to catch their prey and throw them into the pit before they fall, but tonight their prety took turns fighting to jump down themselves, and when held back, they jump anyway??' - and then we switch to a moment of levity. Love you, MXTX.
'he didn't take the time to think before taking a leap off the wall himself.' - And back to our regular programming of heartbreaking drama. But the level of freaking out XL is doing at thinking SL might be in danger. Again... boy is so in love without realizing it.
'as if this person was made just to catch him at the bottom.' - swoon!
'Xie Lian dazedly continued to feel up the person holding him.' X-D
So this recap basically ended up just being me going absolutely ape sh** over HuaLian. Ahem...
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*pats my OCs gently on the head* these bad bitches can fit so many headcanons in them
#and trauma#listen I am just lazy at this point#i have ao many thigs to do and so many ideas that i want to see but never create#Mo Xuanyu's friends have almost as much drama going into their lives as him and that's just how it is#it started off with me thinking about Mo Xuanyu and what would have happened if he had a childhood friend and they lost touch#around the time that he left for Koi Tower#before or after idk abt details don't ask me about that but yeah the idea was that I wanted it to be a woman because we need more of those#ANYWAYS i was like wouldn't it be funny if WWX not only had to deal with everything that happened in canon#but was also being tracked down by a woman who thinks he's her deceased friend because I felt sad that MXY didn't get anyone to mourn him#but then she needed some closure so I gave them another friend because i felt bad if she had to suffer alone#then i thought what if Madam Lan had a sister? What if Wei Changze had other non-cultivator family?#like the Wen did any other Wei families out there get killed by resentful cultivators?#anyway that's how my half-finished au was born and these OCs were put together with a bunch of tape and love and chaos#i made two and the other one is when mxy is alive and thriving and feral
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Hello :) Here's another prompt if you're still taking them? WWX & LWJ met as children and declared that they would marry upon their first meeting. Their guardians just thought that it was cute, and that they will forget about it over time. (They don't)
(SOFT. SO SOFT. AU without SSC and GC transfer)
They first meet when Cansge Sanren and Wei Changze are still alive. The wandering cultivators find themselves in Caiyi town and Lan Qiren is reluctantly dragged from his duties to have lunch with a cheerful Cangse Sanren.
He brings little a-Zhan along.
His nephew has just recovered from a fever and is feeling a little clingy. Lan Qiren will never admit it, but something is in his chest softens when his little nephew clings to him with a pout, refusing to let go.
Cangse Sanren's son is exactly when Lan Qiren expected him to be; excitable, curious, restless, and frustratingly intelligent. Bright silver eyes track everything, fascinated and eager to know more.
Lan Qiren reluctantly nudges a-Zhan forward at Cangse Sanren's pointed stare. She's a protective mother and if he so much as implies her son is unworthy of making acquaintance with his nephew, she will cheerfully gut him.
a-Zhan is reluctant at first. He has never been the most social child, rarely interacting with anyone but his immediate family.
But Wei Ying, also a bit shy and reluctant, peeks from behind his father's robes and smiles.
Lan Qiren has to admit it is a pretty sight. The child is plump and healthy with bright eyes and a wide, sincere smile.
a-Zhan is enamored at first sight.
Lan Qiren is astonished when a-Zhan steps forward and grabs Wei Ying's hand, pulling him from behind Wei Changze and towards Lan Qiren.
Wei Ying comes willingly, curious and entertained by the unusual situation. Lan Qiren doesn't doubt he has had even fewer interactions with children his age than a-Zhan, being the son of traveling cultivators.
"Shufu," He pulls Wei Ying's arm up as though presenting him to Lan Qiren, "a-Ying."
"Indeed," He says, secretly amused but refusing to show it, "I am Lan Qiren, Wei Ying."
Apparently, the child doesn't lack manners because he attempts to bow even with his hand still firmly held in a-Zhan's grasp.
Lan Qiren is somewhat charmed.
He is less charmed when their lunch comes to an end and a-Zhan reaches for a-Ying's hand once again, refusing to let go.
"a-Zhan, it's time to go home. Don't you want to see a-Huan?"
"Show a-Ying to a-Huan." a-Zhan insists, "a-Huan sees too!"
"a-Huan can meet a-Ying later." Lan Qiren says patiently but he feels his eyebrow twitch at a-Zhan's stubborn pout, "a-Ying is staying in Caiyi for a few weeks, a-Zhan, I'm sure we can bring a-Huan next time."
"a-Huan see pretty now."
Lan Qiren winces when Cangse Sanren muffles a laugh in her husband's shoulder and the man looks at the sky, amused but too dignified to react.
a-Ying tugs at his hand, trying to free it only to pout when he can't escape.
The scene is too adorable for Lan Qiren's poor heart. He sighs.
"Alright, let's show a-Huan the 'pretty'."
---
The little wandering cultivator family stays in Caiyi for three weeks to rest, replenish their supplies, and give their child some time to play with others.
a-Huan, of course, is just as enamored by a-Ying as his little brother. Lan Qiren is getting accustomed to the sight of a little white-clad Wei child lead around Cloud Recesses by one nephew in the morning and another in the evening.
a-Huan is at least gracious enough to let Wei Ying walk on his own. a-Zhan is stubborn. If he's in a-Ying's company, he's holding the child's hand.
Wei Ying is a free spirit and being dragged around annoys the child at first. He tugs and pouts but eventually starts reaching for a-Zhan's hand on his own accord.
There's not a single person in Cloud Recesses that doesn't adore the sight.
---
"a-Zhan," Lan Qiren sighs, "a-Ying must leave with his parents. He belongs to them."
a-Zhan is red-faced and angry, his eyes wet with frustrated tears, "a-Ying stay. a-Ying stay, stay, stay!"
Oh goodness, a tantrum.
It is, unfortunately, a drama with three actors.
a-Huan is weeping with a tragic appearance of a love-scorned maiden; eyes wide and imploring, lips trembling, and face wet with silent tears.
a-Ying is burying sobs into his father's shoulder, his little body trembling with acute distress. "a-Ying not leave," He wails, "a-Ying wants stay with a-Zhan!"
"a-Ying," Wei Changze is compassionate instead of amused, his expression soft with sympathy. He rubs his son's back in gentle motions, rocking the child soothingly, "Baba promises we'll return. We'll be back before you even have a chance to miss your friends."
"Aiya! What a mess," Cangse Sanren says, amused, "a-Ying, do you want to leave us and stay with a-Zhan? We must go so you need to choose."
"Xingan," Wei Changze chides as Wei Ying looks up with wide eyes and shakes his head, looking heartbreakingly distressed, "Be gentle with our child."
Lan Qiren huffs in disapproval, glaring at her as she smiles sheepishly and presses a kiss to Wei Ying's head, "Aiya, baobao, you'll break your mother's heart. It's alright, little treasure," She plucks him from Wei Changze's arms, her face incandescent with love, "We'll bring you to your a-Zhan every two months, I promise! We would never keep you from your friends!"
Perhaps she knows something about raising children, after all. The definite timeline goes a long way to soothe all three children.
There are still many tears at their parting. a-Zhan and a-Huan sulk for days. Sometimes Lan Qiren catches a-Zhan looking at his hand with a forlorn expression.
"a-Zhan," He sighs one day, when his nephew spends an entire evening pouting and staring at his hand, "He'll be back soon."
a-Zhan doesn't say anything, just nodding gently and tucking his hand away.
The expression on his face melts Lan Qiren's heart, "I'll convince Cangse Sanren to stay a bit longer." He thinks about asking her to just let the child attend Cloud Recesses for his education. He's very bright, possessing a native intelligence that must be nurtured.
"Mn."
"Missing a friend is natural," He says softly, "But you must understand that everyone has their own life and obligations. a-Ying belongs to his parents. He must live with them."
"Mn. Will marry a-Ying so he belongs to me."
Lan Qiren chokes on his tea, "What...?"
"a-Ying promised he'll be my wife," a-Zhan nods solemnly, like he isn't nudging his uncle towards qi deviation, "a-Huan saw."
Lan Qiren turns to his older nephew, who nods with a cheerful smile, "They bowed to me and each other. I told them bowing to ancestors can wait until they're older!"
... what?
---
Tragedy strikes and Lan Qiren sees his nephew's heart break. Once. Twice. Three times.
Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren are killed. a-Ying is nowhere to be found.
Madam Lan perishes, and his little nephew deals with the weight of grief again, silent and solemn at her doorstep.
His brother retreats entirely and his nephews are left without a father.
They don't see Wei Ying again for well over a decade.
---
Wei Wuxian arrives at Cloud Recesses like an unstoppable storm.
Lan Qiren takes one look at him, sees the jaded edge in his eyes, watches his appeasing smile, and feels nothing but wrath.
This isn't the boy he remembers, raised under the boundless love of his parents. This one has faced injustice and doesn't trust the world.
The first time the boy challenges him in class, silver eyes sharp and assessing, he throws a book at him and assigns punishment with Wangji.
Let his nephew handle his cherished friend. He needs to look at the situation at the Lotus Pier.
He keeps assigning him lines, even for offenses that warrant the cane. Wei Ying doesn't remember much of his childhood but it is clear that the connection is still there.
The three children fall into their old friendship quickly. Xichen being amused and indulgent. Wei Ying being annoying and lively. Wangji never letting go.
Lan Qiren investigates.
What he finds doesn't please him.
He pens a scathing letter.
'She entrusted you with her treasure. You've made a hash of it. What do you mean by sending that child here in such a state? Did you think I would ignore it? Will you tell me the scars on his back are warranted?
Your audacity appalls me. You swore on your honor that you would raise him as your own son. I offered to take him in when you found him but you swore he was happy with you and his martial siblings.
My nephews love him. Your son only berates him.
You have deceived me.
I swear on my honor that I will find a way to wrest him from your sect, Fengmian.
You do not deserve him.'
---
Wei Ying is a naturally good-humored child. It takes just a month of being in Wangji and Xichen's company to soften all of his edges. His mischief no longer has a jaded edge to it.
He's still far too unruly for Lan Qiren's liking but he supposes that is a symptom of his youth.
"Jiang Yanli is betrothed," Xichen says as he serves them tea. He has a solemn expression but his eyes are sharp. He's almost as fond of Wei Ying as Wangji, after all, "I see no reason why Wangji and a-Xian can't be too."
Lan Qiren stills, staring at his nephew, "Betrothal." He repeats flatly.
Xichen dares to shrug, discarding his habitual poise in his anger, "Wangji has never loved another. It's unlikely he ever will." He looks up to meet Lan Qiren's gaze, "We wouldn't be able to separate them now, Shufu, not after Wangji saw-" He grimaces.
Lan Qiren looks away with a scowl, combing his beard furiously. His youngest nephew had discovered Wei Ying's scars, after all.
"We have letters from Wei Changze," Lan Qiren says, "Discussing a-Ying and a-Zhan's formal marriage arrangements." It had all been in jest, of course. When they found out the children had 'wed' with Xichen as a witness, their amusement had known no bounds.
Lan Qiren had quite enjoyed carrying out mock betrothal negotiations.
He clears his throat, "Very well."
---
Wangji and Wei Ying are officially betrothed before the lectures at Cloud Recesses come to an end.
Yu-furen's wrath knows no bounds. Soon enough, Jiang Fengmian sends Wei Ying back to Cloud Recesses with a letter full of excuses.
Wangji takes one look at his beloved's ashen expression and turns to Lan Qiren, "No more."
Lan Qiren nods.
It is difficult to negotiate but they pull it off. It helps that Wei Changze's letters speak of the marriage as an inevitable fact rather than a joke between parents.
The Jiangs lose their Head Disciple by the time the boy is seventeen. Lan Qiren arranges their marriage by the time they're twenty.
Wei Ying never leaves Wangji's side again.
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I have to say, seeing the mess in the mdzs fandom (still relatively new here!) has me genuinely worried for any possibility of tgcf (main fandom!) ever blowing up in popularity like that (hopefully not). There are already many shitty takes around, especially wrt HC (is it just a black-red character thing? Ppl are so desperate for them to be actually evil or morally grey 😐), we don't need any more... I guess I'm mainly wondering if MQ stans would ever get as bad as JC stans. MQ as a character is definitely better than JC with actual redeeming qualities as you've pointed out yourself in the past (and he admitted to his faults in the end, ergo he is aware that he has them and made mistakes), but you still see many stans trying to take away his flaws and make him a purely soft but misunderstood poor boy who gets antagonized unfairly by everyone. Wwx and lwj barely even did anything to JC and ppl act as if they are devils incarnate, compared to that HC is fully hostile to MQ (with good reasons, imo, and I actually try to see both sides) and XL often points out MQ's shortcomings and ofc, FX's... everything, lol.
I think for svsss, SJ would be this specific character? (More extreme than the other two, though.) Ngl, I was actually surprised how much sympathy and love SJ gets in the fandom (Bing-ge doesn't get even half of it).
Anyway, sorry for rambling! The drama in the mdzs fandom and how much stans villanize actually good characters to defend their flawed favs shocked me, lol. And it's just confusing to me how ppl try to sympathize with their meow meow but never try to understand why other characters treat them the way they do. But blind stans...
ah ramble away!! We're absolutely on the same page. Truly nothing had prepared me for this fandom. I don't really project on characters when I read. I just want to be entertained, so to see so many ppl stan these underwhelming (to say the least) side characters so hard that they feel the need to change canon to make them into uwu soft babies and shit on the genuinely heroic characters!!? can't relate.
Shen Jiu has been almost totally ruined by his own stans 🥲. They just turned him into a generic YA heroine. rip Shen Jiu, you were so much cooler as you were written.
So I can understand the trepidation w tgcf's adaptation. There are already people bitching about how Xie Lian isn't "really that good! and his relationship w HC is toxic"🙃. I don't even think it's Mu Qing stans you have to watch out for. As you said Mu Qing is demonstrably better than jc and is thus rewarded with a reconciliation with the mc. I don't exactly vibe with that personality type but even I had to admit by the end Mu Qing was not in fact a shitbag. Just the fact that he broke the rules to take supplies to Xie Lian means something. All jc gave WWX when he was helping the Wens was a gut wound. Anyway, welcome to my theory : Qi Rong will be JC 2.0 sad angry uwu baby green grape 💚. The "eating people thing" was just mean rumors. He just wanted Xie Lian's love and attention >:-/ they were CoUsinS!! Xianle Bros! Cousins! Look at the way he cared for Gu Zi! # 1 DAD! Also he's known as the Green Ghost! DUH OBVIOUSLY this means he's Aromantic. And the way he helped Xuan Ji get revenge by killing all those women! Can you say FEMINIST KING!
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Hey, I just found you from that AWESOME meta about LXC's and LWJ's outlooks on life! I tried searching Jane Bennett and your tag #eldest sibling feels, but I didn't see anything else on that topic? Just wondering if you had anything else about LXC / JYL / Itachi Uchiha / Jane Bennett?
Thanks!
I have definitely rambled about Itachi and Jane at least once each in fact and I am. Staggered and on the floor laughing about Itachi being in this lineup because. Because you're not wrong????? You're. Not wrong. He is that Type. He is! You are correct.
But also he. He very much killed his entire family. 😂 I mean, okay, he participated and took the blame. Still.
Imagining Jane Bennett in a circumstance where she stabs Mr. and Mrs. Bennett to death in order to protect Elizabeth, Mary, Lydia, and Kitty from the government. I'm doing that now. That is my current occupation.
Okay. Sorry to say I'm not any more able to navigate my own blog than anyone else, so I cannot direct you to these posts! Except the Itachi one was an ask for 'unpopular Naruto opinion' I think. I am very Moved by your interest though, thank you so much for complimenting that meta! 😄💖🌻😊✨💕🌺 Feeling good about my rant's reception.
This is totally reinforcing my Be On Tumblr Too Much patterns lmao.
I do want to go off about Jiang Yanli a bit at some point because like. Her actress in the drama did such a good job but she's a systematically under-written character, a bit, and I've seen a good bit of work done in the fandom to cover the many ways she is, could, or should be epic and imposing within the bounds of her nature, so I want at some point to sit down in that sandbox with a big bucket of water and dig into the ways she is covertly a disaster person like everyone else in the book in general and her family in particular.
Because you can admire someone for the graceful way she manages her Eldest Daughter Syndrome all you want but dang it I have been that idiot who makes everything worse by walking into the middle of the shitstorm trying to patch her own feelings and sense of worth together by Helping The Younger Ones. That's genuine disaster energy!
That compulsion to make soup and peace doesn't come from a deep well of serenity, this is a reaction pattern rooted in need. Yanli also has mental health problems as a result of her parents' whole deal and I think that's very stylish of her actually.
Points to her for a like, relatable and human Getting Dead For Backstory motive, even if it's largely implicit.
Would love to see her kick her own ass for being a bad example to Wei Wuxian of How To Be A Good Person--not that I'm blaming her I just think it would be really interesting if she blamed herself, for encouraging the self-destructive end of people-pleasing.
But also I think she gets too much credit for self-awareness sometimes, no one with that much conflict-avoidance behavior is going to consistently face the uncomfortable parts of her own motives or the flaws of her attachment objects, so it would be a little tricky to set up without like, resurrecting her in the aftermath of wwx's slaughter meltdown and death. Hmm. Little dark.
...use the sacrificial array, put her in an unsuitable body. Oh no Jiang Cheng please do not. The fucking irony of Jiang Yanli running around in Jiang Cheng's body with Wei Wuxian's golden core tho????
I do like that per Phoenix Mountain incident we know that her conflict avoidance is something she can set aside in favor of weaponizing her own no-chill chill, and it's interesting to contemplate the ways this might generalize.
She and Lan Xichen are both weak to their families, in certain ways, and both appear primarily in the context of these families (+their respective Jins) but their spheres of responsibility are so different that it seems almost mean-spirited to compare them.
#ask#i am a sparkly princess eldest rat daughter with anxiety satchel#eldest sibling feels#jiang yanli#uchiha itachi#cherryblossomshadow#hoc est meum#mdzs#ramble#here is me with wet sand clinging to my hands and face
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why the untamed has made me lose my mind, in point form
hmmm, trying to put into words why the untamed makes me so crazy. really trying to understand why I’ve gone so nuts over it. literally i haven’t been this obsessed about something in years. im losing my mind. why is this happening.
Probably it’s,
reframing of devotion story.
listen...this dynamic isn’t new. there’s tons of stories of two people, one on a crooked path, or on a path leading to their destruction, and the person they leave behind, who is constantly chasing after them. i mean....yes naruto and sasuke, but also most romantic dramas.
but the protagonist is always the person doing the chasing. the story is always on the person who’s following, the person who’s devoted, the person who never stops believing in the one they’re chasing after. we’re used to sympathizing with them, and their struggle, and also being like ‘man naruto, you can do better than sasuke, why do you have to keep chasing him?’ or ‘man, she needs to stop chasing after that werewolf/half-angel/brooding male hero of choice, it’s not her responsibility to save him’.
but in the untamed we’re in the shoes of the one being chased after! the one who’s receiving that unrelenting devotion! and i dont know! it hits different! no longer are we sighing wistfully at our protagonist’s relentless quest to save their loved one, and maybe thinking they should give up on them, or they could do better. in the untamed it’s like, god, you want to take wei wuxian by the face and be like ‘stop running, you deserve to be loved, stop running, you’re not as bad as everyone says, stop running, let him catch you, you deserve his devotion, you deserve to be loved’
shit hits different!! when the protagonist is the one being chased!!! i don’t know!!! it drives me insane i can’t stop thinking about Them!!
also it’s
grumpy/sunshine, but slightly to the left
self-explanatory. usually grumpy is the one on the path to hell and sunshine is steadfastly trying to pull them back. but in the untamed sunshine is a necromancer using armies of undead, and grumpy is lawful good trying to save them. i just think that’s neat
did i mention the grumpy/sunshine dynamic?
but it’s like!! listen, lawful good paladin, who, in a certain light, is actually chaotic neutral, because as it turns out, love trumps law, or maybe, love is its own law? and god, isn’t that always the best. when a person from a rule-ordered society meets a chaotic ray of sunshine who tells them to break the rules, follow their heart, and then they huff and say ‘no way!’ until sunshine is in danger and then lawful grumpy breaks every rule over and over to keep them safe???
this shit drives me nuts. im telling you.
and we also have a bard who is chaotic good, maybe, but also perhaps, lawful evil? and how can we frame that anyway, in a society where the winners rewrite history, and kill whoever they have to in order to make sure they stay on top?? sunshine bard who’s chaotic good because justice must always be upheld even if justice means raising the dead and killing the unjust with them...but who gives you the right to be jury judge and executioner?
(as an aside, im pretty sure that untamed wei wuxian is chaotic good, but absolutely novel wei wuxian might be lawful evil. i love it.)
hrngrhgrhf found family
you know what really made me lose my mind about this? watching vine and tiktok compilations for mdzs and the untamed. it really highlights
Nie HS, Jiang Cheng, and wwx being dumbass frat idiots before shit hits the fan
the juniors meeting each other like, twice, and then being ride or die with both each other and wei wuxian
wen qing and wen ning and wei wuxian and all adopting each other
asdgjh lxc thought he was doing a found family thing with Nie MJ and Meng Yao but actually NMJ and Meng Yao were doing a hannibal thing, maybe a killing eve thing, possibly just a regular murder thing,
who lives who dies who tells your story as political commentary
this shit hurted but like, it’s really all in on ‘the winners write the history books’, from the treatment of the wen remnants, to the actions of the Jin sect, to everything that happens to WWX after his death. like, romance aside, that is a good narrative to watch. a painful one, but the show is pretty firm in that the difference between an atrocity and an act of heroism depends who wins and writes the stories at the end of the day.
hrgdfgdn let’s talk about wwx leaving at the end of the show and NHS refusing to take responsibility...removing themselves from the hero narrative? knowing how easy it is for the story to go the other way? maybe, who knows
endless possibility for time travel fix its
there were so many different points in this story where shit hit the fan it’s made AO3 an absolute paradise of time travel fix its. I love it. no that’s the whole point, I dont have anything else to add that’s it
can i talk about the devotion narrative again?
y’all....I can’t get over it...wei wuxian was a ball of sunshine who also set himself on fire to keep everyone else warm and then died terribly and lwj never ever gave up on him! oh my god, the way the story flips. wwx happy and full of justice always chasing after lwj trying to catch his eye, trying to help him, and then when everything shits the fan and wwx starts going down a dark path and lwj is like. he turns around and wwx is no longer following after him happily. and so lwj has to chase after him, for like the next twenty years. god.
hrghgng he did his pining! sixteen years of it! I weep, honestly
#the untamed#mdzs#the grandmaster of demonic cultivation#nat watches the untamed#mo dao zu shi#wei wuxian#lan wangji#wei ying#lan zhan#im sorry im just obsessed with this story#natchat5
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Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 16 part one
(Masterpost of All the Recaps) (Canary’s Pinboard)
Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes
All righty, this one is going to be a laff riot...not. Let's do it.
The first half of this episode is like a beautifully executed standalone tragedy, while also threading together all sorts of themes and paying off all sorts of relationship building that's happened in the previous episodes. My hat is off to the writers, while I also shake a fist at them for making me cry an unreasonable amount.
We’re Sailing on a Strange Boat
The episode starts right off absolutely DESTROYING me with the Yunmeng brothers holding hands, fingers interlaced, in the first of many hand-touching moments that punctuate the episode.
Jiang Cheng has to be pretty far gone to accept this degree of comfort and tenderness. I think, from their positions, he is also holding Yanli's hand out of the camera's view.
Zidian finally lets the trio go, and they immediately turn the boat around and head back to Lotus Pier. Wei Wuxian gets the clever idea to turn the benches into makeshift oars but nobody gets the clever idea to use magic to push the boat like they do literally every other time they are in a boat.
Their emotional need to go back to Lotus Pier is understandable, but they are being disobedient and irresponsible by doing it. Jiang Cheng is the future of the clan, and should not risk his life, particularly after his mother chose to sacrifice herself to protect him and after both of his parents told him to go hide with his sister and personal bodyguard brother.
On the other hand, Jiang Fengmian, as clan leader, probably had a duty to go into hiding himself rather than go home to die romantically, so his authority is questionable at this point. Anyway, this is the Jiang Clan, they get to kind of do what they want, except when that pisses Jiang Cheng off.
Lotus Pier Massacre
Back at Lotus Pier, the Wens are kicking Jiang ass. The fight choreography is pretty good, taking full advantage of walkways, railings, pools, and other features of the environment.
Using the set this way always makes fights feel more kinetic and real, as opposed to simply sparring in an open area.
(more after the cut)
Yu Ziyuan is fighting adequately with a sword, having given her preferred weapon to her son. She's clearly been at it for a while, and is tiring; the Wen soldiers are starting to land more and more sword blows but no critical hits yet.
Wen Zhuliu is kicking ass and possibly melting cores, although we don't see him do it to anybody yet. Later we'll hear from Jiang Cheng that he crushed the cores of his parents, but it's not clear when that happens.
Sixth young master replays Jiang Fengmian's entire archery lesson in his head while he waits, and waits, for Wen Zhuliu to finish strangling a dude the right moment to shoot an arrow at Wen Zhuliu.
Homicidal tart Wang Lingjiao notices him lining up a shot, strolls over, and stabs him in the back while he's still thinking about what Jiang Fengmian said. One could wish that JFM's archery lessons weren't quite so wordy.
Wang Linjao normally doesn't carry a sword because of her low spiritual power, but apparently can use one just fine when she's killing kids.
If you start feeling like this episode is unreasonably painful, just think of it as building up calluses so you can handle Yi City when the time comes.
Jiang Fengmian to the Rescue
Jiang Fengmian shows up very far past the nick of time, although he is not actually useful, so it's questionable whether arriving earlier would have helped. But his wife is glad to see him.
Netflix subtitles say that Jiang Fengmian calls Yu Ziyuan "My Lady!" which sounds courtly and romantic in English. His actual words are "San Niangzi" which hunxi-gullai breaks out here. I might render this as "lady wife!" rather than "my lady" but I don't think English really has a perfect equivalent.
Jiang Fengmian sails across the courtyard, knocking down a few Wen soldiers and becoming a young, slender man in the process.
I mean, come on, that stunt double does not look like a boxy middle-aged man from any angle.
The Dying Bit
The episode splits up the big death scene for dramatic effect but I'm recapping it all together to keep things simple.
Within moments of arriving, Jiang Fengmian gets shanked by Wen Zhuliu like Scatman Crothers in The Shining (or Groundskeeper Willie in The Shinning).
Wen Zhuliu stops a Wen soldier from finishing JFM off, just so that a different Wen soldier can deliver the killing blow from the back, which is kinda harsh. With all this spin-fighting there is probably not an implication of cowardice when someone dies from a stab in the back, but still. Too rude, Wen Zhuliu.
Yu Ziyuan sees Jiang Fengmian fall, and after having a moment of sorrow and despair, she stabs herself in the heart, falls down, crawls to him and interlaces her hand with his. He revives just enough to give her hand a squeeze and say "San Niangzi" one last time before dying.
She dies next, with a smile on her face at the end. The soundtrack plays that amazing "horribly emotional death scene" music that isn't one of the tracks available on the OST, argh. This same music appears at the end of Xue Yang's story.
Of the many things I love about the Untamed, the complexity of all the minor characters is possibly my favorite. These two people suck at parenting, and suck at being married, and ultimately suck at protecting and leading their clan, making stupid, selfish choices at every step of the building conflict.
And then they have this incredibly romantic death scene, in which they both face the inevitability of failure, and find comfort in failing together. Yet their death scene is totally in keeping with who we know them to be, and who they are to each other; the drama doesn't cheat by making them ideal lovers or great people at the end. But they have a great, great moment.
Jiang Yanli, waiting in the woods while her brothers are presumably running toward Lotus Pier, drops her lotus pendant, which is made of the loudest jade ever discovered, and it breaks with a crash.
Yanli, who is a well educated young lady, knows a moment of doomy symbolism when she sees it.
Jiang Yanli: Who put a giant rock out here in the woods? What are the odds I’d drop my pendant directly on it?
It’s all Over Except for the Crying, Running and Choking
The brothers climb up on the roof and are shocked to see nothing but Wen soldiers and piled up Jiang corpses...
...including one child who is either about to become a zombie or who is being played by a young actor who can't control their curiosity, judging by the way this eye is sneakily opened while the camera is running.
There's a moment where Jiang Cheng is saying they must have spared his parents, they must be okay, where Wei Wuxian's face is just...wow. You can see right here the gulf in life experience between these two.
Wen Zhuliu roams around looking troubled while searching for more people to kill. He’s an interesting villain; someone who believes his loyalty to his boss makes him a good guy, but knows his boss is a bad guy.
Then we are treated to a hell of a camera move, where it tracks over Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian together on the floor, heroic in death and still holding hands, and then sweeps up to show their killers sitting on the lotus throne.
The dead couple were at odds for their whole lives together, while the evil people who killed them are acting like devoted lovebirds. It's a stunning shot and a terrific thematic contrast. When Wei Wuxian eventually comes to take his vengeance, he will spend some time turning Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao against each other, before ending them.
The camera shows us JC's reaction, then shows his mother, then WWX’s reaction, then JF; each reacting to the death of the person who loved them. Some folks may feel that Jiang Fengmian actually did love Jiang Cheng but was just bad at showing it. But Jiang Cheng doesn't think so, and I don't think it's a given that parents love their children.
Side note: Macroexpression king Wang Zhuocheng is able to open his eyes so far that a giant strip of white shows above his irises, and keep them like that, which is quite a trick. Try it yourself.
Meanwhile Wang Lingjiao and Wen Chao gossip about YZY and JFM's bad marriage. Wen Chao admires YZY's beauty, and Wang Lingjiao insults her character, and announces that she's going to stab YZY's body a few extra times. Jiang Cheng briefly faints at this, taking a page from Wei Wuxian's book, and rolls off the roof.
Run Run Away
Both young men run, and run, and run away from Lotus Pier while Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao mistreat the bodies of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan
The stabbing happens off camera, because it's ok to stab a live child on camera, but not a dead adult. (As always, there are cultural reasons for "what's ok" in any country, and I'm not saying anybody's wrong about these choices).
Wen Chao follows this up with pouring a cup of wine across their faces. He does this in the style of a libation for the dead, but as a desecration, combining mistreatment of bodies with profaning a ceremonial rite. In a world where ghosts are real and have sharp fingernails, this is deeply, deeply stupid.
Yu Ziyuan’s actress Zhang Jingtong is able to have liquid poured INTO HER EAR without flinching. Mad props.
The brothers eventually finish running and arrive in a field with an extreme purple photo filter on it. Which I've done my best to remove for these gifs, with variable results.
Jiang Cheng wants to turn around and go back to Lotus Pier. He says he wants to retrieve his parents’ bodies and to take revenge, but he's devastated and it seems likely he just wants to die with everyone else.
Wei Wuxian pleads with Jiang Cheng to calm down and stay safe, while Jiang Cheng gives himself over to anger and shock as the brothers shout at each other.
Punching and running ensues, and Wei Wuxian tries to hold his brother back, grabbing him around the shoulders him in a gesture that painfully echoes the many hugs he's given over the years.
This time Jiang Cheng doesn't just push him off. He turns around and chokes his brother for nearly a full minute, while screaming at him and blaming him.
Just as when Madame Yu beat him, Wei Wuxian doesn't fight back; he pulls on Jiang Cheng's wrists but doesn't hit him or try to break his hold.
Finally Jiang Cheng lets him go, and cries out for everyone he's lost, while Wei Wuxian weeps silently next to him. Eventually they fall asleep in the grass together, their bodies curled up in the form of a heart.
Damn, this episode really brings it.
Side Note: during their argument, Wei Wuxian says, among other things, that "revenge is a dish best served cold," according to subtitles. It's a French saying from the 1800s so it's probably not precisely what Wei Wuxian is saying. More importantly, as a longtime Star Trek fan I can't help but hear James Kirk yelling "KHAN!!!!!" whenever I encounter that phrase.
There’s Got To Be A Morning After
When they wake up in the morning, Jiang Cheng is still in his feelings, but now his feelings have moved along to despair, from anger.
I feel bad for noticing how handsome they both look in this scene. Let's all feel bad about this together.
Jiang Cheng is free to have this level of emotional breakdown because Wei Wuxian is there keeping his own shit together and focusing on what matters.
When Jiang Cheng refuses to get up, Wei Wuxian reminds him, very, very gently, that they have a sister, who has waited all night to know what happened.
At this, Jiang Cheng gets up, but won't look at Wei Wuxian, continuing to blame him for everybody else's actions, as he walks onward to find Yanli.
Wei Wuxian follows, hurt and bereft, as he gets to work internalizing everything that he's being accused of. This is good practice for his future as a widely reviled bogeyman.
Part two will be slightly less awful! Coming soon!
#fytheuntamed#the untamed#the untamed gifs#the untamed meta#wei wuxian#jiang cheng#restless rewatch the untamed#canary3d-original#my gifs#yu ziyuan#wen zhuliu#jiang fengmian
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not to bring up the wei qing discourse again, but i was reading your yiling wei au again and i thought of an explanation that better fits both canon and chinese naming traditions, and i'm pretty sure no one brought it up during the discourse itself. iirc you cited madam jin as a reason to change wq's name, but the thing is that when you use furen (madam), you're supposed to attach your husband's name, which means that madam yu is actually the odd one out skdhskf. an argument could be made for how it symbolises the fraught tension between yzy and jfm, but yeah.
however, your name still stays the same. so madam jin's name would have stayed the same. she just would've been referred to as jin-furen. you can see this with jyl, who's referred to as jin-xiao-furen (young madam jin). also, i'm pretty sure cultivators keep their name regardless of their sect (see: su she and luo qingyang). it's just that most of the disciples we see are clan (familial) disciples, not sect (outer) disciples, which is why their family name is the same as the sect name.
so what i initially thought, upon reading your au, was that wq changed her name to emphasise her declaration of loyalty to wwx. family names in chinese culture is incredibly important, and to change your family name is to essentially turn your back on your ancestors. so what i read was wq turning her back on the wen legacy and declaring her loyalty to wwx in a way no one can refute. even marriage can be written off as political, but the changing of a family name hits a lot harder and more irrevocably.
her marriage to wwx, then, would've been inferred from her position in the entourage and her proximity to him.
btw, if you're comfortable with it, could you publish this publicly so more ppl are aware of this? it's okay if you're not skdjjs but i know a lot of cql fans don't have a lot of knowledge of chinese customs and stuff so yeah this might be helpful
hi! it’s nice of you to point all this out, but it was where i was going to begin with
my point with madam jin wasn’t that she changed her name after she got married because she got married. i’ve written people getting married in the untamed universe before i made that tumblr fic, and i didn’t have them change their name, because i was aware that that isn’t really a thing in chinese culture. and tbh i find character name changes to be a little jarring as a reader, so i avoid them when i can.
my point with madame jin - and at the time i thought she had a jin last name that she used outside of the madame title but i’m pretty sure that’s incorrect - and others is that in canon it seems like people are running around with clan family names without actually being part of the main family. this could just be because of messiness of the drama or because i’m just bad at keeping track of everyone’s names
so how i handled this in lynchpin was i had it being a thing where people take on the clan name while they’re apart of the clan. except for the jiang, who are little rebels.
so it would be like, for example:
birth name: wei ying; courtesy name: wuxian; clan name; jiang wuixan
so like, anyone could refer to any disciple in gold “young master jin” without knowing their real name. and people could either use their clan name or not, but most would as a sign of status and allegiance, but doing so wouldn’t be giving up their name
I UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT CANON
the point is that i thought it would be interesting and a fun and useful convention to throw into fic. even though it’s not historically accurate, i think that that’s fine because there’s no historically accurate way to address large governing clans of magic knights because those didn’t exist
so when wei wuxian clarifies wen qing’s name is now wei qing, it’s to show he’s gone against the jiang practices he grew up with and in his clan people use a clan name.
it’s significant for the wen especially, because there’s a reveal in that universe (that, in all fairness, i never got to because after everyone got so upset about it i really didn’t feel like getting into) that they give up their birth name wen to only go by wei.
i’d had this scene that i really liked where someone claims all the wen have to be killed and wei wuxian was just like “what wen? there are no wen here. there are only wei.” but again, this whole thing caused so much drama that i just wasn’t interested in getting into it again
even though i didn’t go into that, when we see wen ning later in the fic, he’s going by wei ning
it was never about wen qing getting married. that’s why she’s introduced first as madame wei - to show that’s she’s married to wei wuxian, the clan leader of the wei - and then wei wuxian gives her name as wei qing. they’re signifying different things. if the point had just been to show they’re married and her name is wei now, he wouldn’t have clarified her name in front of everyone, since people obviously already know who she is
jiang yanli is in the same fic, married to jin zixuan, and i don’t refer to her as jin yanli. it wasn’t a marriage thing
did i expect that everyone who read my tiny tumblr fic would have also read my 100k monster fic and know i was bringing in similar ideas?
of course not.
but i also hadn’t expected everyone to jump down my throat about changing her name because she got married when i at no point ever claimed that was why she changed her name, nor had i had literally any other married character change their name
i thought i could just do what i usually do and go on to fill in worldbuilding and reveal in other installments so i didn’t feel the need to go into a deep dive of my motivations from page one
anyway
thank you for the information. i like the idea because it’s similar to the idea i already had. great minds think alike.
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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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ep28 (2/2): you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll sigh dreamily, you'll grit your teeth in hopeless anger....this one has it all
the drama of the duel is kind of silly if you know it's a ploy so idc for it but this is very real hurt wwx is expressing and jc just doesn't care I guess!
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS. THIS IS SUCH A DUMB PLAN
also why did he do this. just for the drama....
prettyyy
oh my god so this scene had me sobbing. real tears. she was so happy to see him! her brother!!! but he's going away from them and it's breaking her heart and she's begging jc to do something but he's just standing there and wwx is getting smaller and smaller in the distance 😭 wwx people love you so much!!!!
and this look afterwards...devastating
oh shit did jc give him money? it's implied that lwj gives wq money but following that same logic, maybe jc did too. less in-character for him tho
OUR ICON. HETEROPHOBIC WEI WUXIAN
this is a joke im literally bisexual please dont come for me
im such a sap for their romance...an arrogant rich boy getting into muddy water to personally build you a pond that reminds you of home so you won't be homesick...mud on his face and hiding the lotus behind his back as if he could hide it....I AM charmed!!! I am!!! he may not have any principles either but fuck if he doesn't love his wife!
🥺
and she is CRYING!!!!! she misses her home!!! she wants to be with her brothers!!! this is hard for her!!!
I love that the show teaches you how to watch it. they're saying, look at this romantic couple. jzx is committing to supporting and taking care of jyl. jyl is saying jzx's name with no formalities attached. they're staring deeply into each other's eyes. they're on a bridge (ahh!!! I just noticed!!!). this is what couples in this universe do! dw about kissing. staring intently at each other from an arms-length is the height of romance. and you know what they're right
not that I wouldn't kill for one good wx kiss in ep50. but they're right. sometimes romance is in all the littler things
they call jc 'little' huh. to indicate his youth, and accentuate his helplessness and victimization? don't think that was his goal during the duel
oh my god this scene is fucking hilarious. the poor 19 year old with zero history of working with kids. thrust into this position, a child wailing on his leg, beset on all sides by concerned well-meaning strangers. usually so poised and confident, he's shrunk into himself so much he can barely speak. HE DIDN'T GO TO SCHOOL FOR THIS!!!! he doesn't know SHIT!!!
and ofc wwx in the corner laughing at him
that's like nine people...help
this scene is ALSO funny bc wwx is obviously watching lwj for a minute before making his presence known to him and lwj lifts his head and it's pov now so he's suddenly all 🥺😍😮 but all in one face and the frames slow down as we go slomo and wwx looks so handsome and powerful walking over to rescue him from this disaster. his hero <3
forgot he said this and then said he has a bitter expression. very xie lian to mq of him lol
I love this moment bc it's one of the first gifs I ever saw and I remember the commentary was like 'lwj suddenly realizes he has a burning need to have a family with wwx' etc. etc. and they're right he does wants that desperately. sorry, lwj. give it 20 years
this is rich kid behavior. I thought wx was being mean and teasing a-yuan, but he was just being practical. there are toys there, so he'll use them to distract and calm down a-yuan, then they'll leave. they don't have the money! and a-yuan isn't even that upset
still, lwj 0.2 seconds after meeting his very first baby, can't bear to see one not spoiled. so we get this very cute scene
personal highlights
that first convo was so good but THEN I'LL BE THE PRECENDENT and then jc's monologue ough
wq returning the comb. sad but also lmao. fail jc moment
jyl's dream broke my little heart...
jzx all covered in the mud offering jyl a piece of her home he built with his own two hands (mostly)
lwj frozen and panicking and trapped by well-meaning nosy market-goers. because of a toddler
lwj reprimanding wwx for not buying all the toys. he is so silly
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Some of the best quotes of my friend and I starting “The untamed” pt. 3
Soph: Also Xue Yang's debut it took one sentence and I was a goner
I don't fear death, I fear boredom
He's the resident obvious!psychopath and I love him
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Soph:Also accidental child acquisition happens so often in this show it's criminal really
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Me: I just stumbled across the ao3 tag "no beta we die like WWX" and im in hysterics
Soph: Thats so morbid I love it
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Me: how did the burial mounds go from "scawwy don't go there" to everyone just marching in? Did they become less... Corpsey?
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Soph: @chaos2go0 have you watched ep 38/39 yet?
Me: Nope
I slipped into a yaoi
I'll make it out by this evening tho, then I'll keep watching
Soph: I need to scream about it
Me: This groupchat is based on all of us screaming over our hyperfixiations, so please do
Soph: Not until you can scream back
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[20:48, 21/10/2021] Chaos: Drunk Lan zhan is hilarious
[20:48, 21/10/2021] Chaos: Just stealing a fucking chicken, what a mad lad
[20:50, 21/10/2021] Chaos: Lan zhan: Gifting chickens to my crush
#isthislove
[20:53, 21/10/2021] Darling❤: But still being kickass
[20:54, 21/10/2021] Darling❤: Lan Zhan is like half the reason I love this so much
[20:54, 21/10/2021] Chaos: Yeah, just fighting that dude and then going back to being a fucking dork
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[21:27, 21/10/2021] Chaos: @Darling❤ the way wei Ying runs from dogs reminds me of you with Benjie (my dog). Except you're of course more graceful and pouty while doing it
[21:42, 21/10/2021] Darling❤: And I don't scream like a girl thank you very much
[21:42, 21/10/2021] Darling❤: And it's not running it's backing off
[21:43, 21/10/2021] Chaos: You do hide behind me like him though
[21:43, 21/10/2021] Darling❤: I can't hide properly behind you because you are smaller than me
[21:43, 21/10/2021] Chaos: Never stopped you before
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[21:44, 21/10/2021] Darling❤: I love how Wei Ying makes roasting people seem like a lesson
[21:44, 21/10/2021] Chaos: Yes
[21:44, 21/10/2021] Chaos: He's so done with the kids
[21:44, 21/10/2021] Chaos: I love him
[21:45, 21/10/2021] Darling❤: Young mistress Jin had me cracking up
[21:45, 21/10/2021] Chaos: YES
[21:46, 21/10/2021] Chaos: Letting them see the girl and just rolling his eyes when they call her pretty like: bitches, I'm gay. I'm getting fucked by your second young master
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soph: Teenage rebellion everywhere
Soph: It's beautiful
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Soph: Jin family drama is like watching morbid trash tv
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[20:04, 22/10/2021] Chaos: The kids having a mental breakdown over Lan zhan getting alcohol is hilarious
[20:13, 22/10/2021] Darling❤: He is a safety hazard when drunk
[20:14, 22/10/2021] Chaos: Yeah, he is
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Me: Did the untamed just pull a cassandra Clare on us?
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Me: Wei Ying is so done with the other clans
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[24/10, 00:23] Darling❤: But Xue Yang is just insane
[24/10, 00:23] Darling❤: He just wants a murderously good time
[24/10, 00:23] Darling❤: And his boyfriend
[24/10, 00:24] Darling❤: And his boyfriend's boyfriend to die
[24/10, 00:41] Chaos: And candy
[24/10, 00:41] Chaos: Which are all valid
[24/10, 00:41] Chaos: Exept killing zichen
[24/10, 00:42] Chaos: Cause that's just passing up the chance for a perfectly good threesome
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[30/10, 13:12] Darling❤: I feel the very strong urge to rewatch the whole Untamed
[30/10, 13:12] Darling❤: Somebody stop me
[30/10, 13:12] Lucy: Maybe don’t
[30/10, 13:12] Lucy: Just for the remnants of your emotional stability
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Me: I hate how we never got to see the twin gossip of yunmeng back together, judging the new juniors.
Soph: yeah, really passed up the chance to do that
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[30/10, 19:01] Chaos: I can't belive my sweet boy was the mastermind behind it all
[30/10, 19:01] Darling❤: He was
[30/10, 19:02] Darling❤: And I'm so proud of him
[30/10, 19:02] Chaos: Yessss
[30/10, 19:02] Chaos: Finally got revenge for his brother
[30/10, 19:02] Darling❤: I also love how he's girlier than Jiang Yanli and Wen Qing combined
[30/10, 19:03] Chaos: RIGHT?
[30/10, 19:03] Chaos: And he's so dramatic too
[30/10, 19:03] Darling❤: The fainting
[30/10, 19:03] Darling❤: The fan
[30/10, 19:03] Darling❤: The "help I don't know"
[30/10, 19:03] Chaos: Minor inconvenience happens: Nie huisang: *faints*
[30/10, 19:04] Darling❤: Did it work? Does everyone believe I'm just the innocent damsel? Oh my god Zewu jun he has a knife save me!
[30/10, 19:04] Darling❤: Nie Huiasang in a nutshell
[30/10, 19:04] Chaos: Yessss
This is it guys, all the comments we made over the untamed. I hope you enjoyed it. The next show we'll watch is "word of honor" so I might make a part or two on that show too.
PT: 1
pt. 2
#The untamed#魔道祖师#mo dao zu shi#mdzs#the grandmaster of demonic cultivation#nie huisang#jin guangyao#lan xichen#wei wuxian#wei ying#jiang yanli#jiang cheng#lan zhan#xue yang#song lan#xiao xingchen#lan sizhui#wen qing#wen ning#wen yuan
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I just re-watched THAT scene and a thought hit me: Lan Wangji just stands there watching Wei Wuxian fall from the cliff... Why doesn't he jump onto his sword and swoops down to at least try to save him? Or is he all out of spiritual power? Or does it simply take to long to start and rev the sword? Not saying it's a plothole, I was just wondering...
I mean, I think this is a fair question and I know I’ve seen it discussed elsewhere. I just can’t seem to find the post or remember if any conclusions were reached, so I’m excited to dive into this. As always if anyone has insights or headcanons they want to add on to this, please do.
Because I like pictures, here’s ep 33 Lan Wangji holding his sword and staring in horror as Wei Wuxian falls (what is Jiang Cheng thinking? Who knows.)
Why isn’t Lan Wangji doing anything? He just stands there for long enough that Jiang Cheng backs away and leaves him on the outcropping, all alone.
Poor guy.
Okay, moving on. I think there are at least two ways to approach this, and one is from the production perspective (since this cliff encounter is a thing that only happens in the drama) and the other is from the in-universe perspective (aka, Doyalist vs Watsonian), so I’m going to look at both.
For the production pov, there’s really only one scene (I think) where we see anyone actually riding a sword in the drama, and it’s when they’re confronting the water demon/abyss in Caiyi (ep 5). At that point there’s no prep time, everyone just jumps up and then steps onto their swords (which is actually even more ridiculous to me than the image had already been in the novel because I thought they were at least riding on the scabbard but no! Riding the bare blade like a skateboard. I love it.)
How majestic.
Lan Xichen is the only graceful and cool person here. The only other sword-riding shot in this scene that shows more of a person’s body than their head and shoulders is when Lan Wangji drags three people into the air at once and we get a brief glimpse of Su She’s feet kicking wildly.
So, based on this scene’s execution and the general scarcity of other sword-flying scenes (even with the Nightless City confrontation, Lan Wangji just flies in with his quqin, no sword under his feet), my out-of-universe theory would be a combination of budget and aesthetic at play. If the production can get by on wire work with super extra long jumps that don’t seem to require actually riding the sword, they will. It’s logistically simpler, and it frankly looks better on screen. It’s also a staple of the entire film genre, whereas this sword thing is not, so the crew and effects people would have more experience with it as well. (In-universe I have a lot of questions about Wei Wuxian’s retained ability to do those jumps. Do they not use spiritual energy? Does he still have spiritual energy, just not a golden core? Is he using resentful energy instead? How does this work?)
From a more story-side view on the production, they’re working against the fact that they changed the plot to add Lan Wangji’s presence at Wei Wuxian’s death and they want to capitalize on that relationship, so having Wei Wuxian knock himself over the edge as he destroys the seal (or something where he steps back as Jiang Cheng rushes him or any other number of possibilities) no longer fits with the emotional beats they’re trying to hit. Also they really need Wei Wuxian to die here for the plot to function. Having Lan Wangji mount a sword and swoop down to try and save him again just adds extra complications and delays the desired outcome of WWX = dead and LWJ = distraught. In that sense, it really does start to look like a plot hole, because it feels like they’re ignoring the capabilities of a character in order to get the result they need. I do think they try to address this, but since multiple people have this question and I personally had to watch the scene more than once while actively thinking about it to notice all the relevant details… the efficacy of those efforts is maybe questionable. (Also like.. why does Jiang Cheng wait three days to go look for Wei Wuxian’s remains? Why is anyone waiting at all? Why is anyone surprised they can’t find a corpse when the visual we get implies Wei Wuxian is falling into lava? There are many, many questions that can be asked here and for a lot of them the out-of-universe answer is probably going to resemble “because the plot/original source material demands it” without much helpful in-universe support.)
In-universe (and probably more pertinent to your question), yeah, Lan Wangji could be low on spiritual power (and upon rewatch, I think he genuinely is). He could be physically exhausted as well as injured, too. For someone who carried three people in two hands 2-3 years ago and canonically has only gotten stronger since, he sure is having trouble pulling one person up over the side of a cliff. And that exhaustion really isn’t outside the realm of possibility, no matter how strong and powerful he is. He just traveled pretty far! If the theories that he found A-Yuan before coming to Nightless City are true (since he’s not injured in those flashbacks), he likely spent a ton of spiritual power even before getting into this battle where he first confronted Wei Wuxian and then started fighting pretty much everyone on the field by himself. Then, in a moment of fear-induced distraction, he gets injured! He’s actively bleeding! So yeah. He could definitely just be physically exhausted.
All that blood loss is not a good sign, and it actually speeds up (visually) as he expends this effort. We can see his arm trembling all throughout this scene, and then his grip slips (thus the face). Even after that he slips again, not losing his grip, but losing the strength to hold himself up at all. In the end he’s literally just lying on the rock depending on gravity to keep him in place and putting everything else he has into holding on to Wei Wuxian. He can’t do more than glare in Jiang Cheng’s general direction and tell him to stop.
Bichen is right there. If he had spiritual power left, I think he’d probably be sending his sword out to block Jiang Cheng’s angle of attack. That, or he needs two hands to accomplish such an action (It doesn’t require hand motions later/in the future, but maybe he develops that skill precisely because of these events). So yes. He’s physically exhausted. He’s spiritually exhausted. But I think there’s more going on here, too: He’s also at the end of his rope emotionally, and that’s how he ends up standing there, horrified and unmoving.
He’s had a rough time recently: Everyone hates his best and only friend/love of his life, and he has to listen to them call for his death/judgement at fancy dinner party meetings on and off for over a year. No one will listen to him when he tries to present a different view. Even his own brother is (not unreasonably) much more concerned about Lan Wangji’s personal safety than what his silence on this issue is costing him emotionally, and his uncle is distinctly unsupportive of the friendship from the beginning.
I think Lan Wangji spends a lot of time questioning his upbringing in those months (we see him actually verbally do so when he’s punished after Wei Wuxian’s death, but I think it starts well before that). What is right and wrong? Who decides it, and how? When does justice and holding people responsible for their actions turn over into unjust persecution? What is true, and what is a lie, and how much does that matter when weighed against social/political/spiritual harmony? These are concepts that are buried pretty deeply in the Lan Sect’s teachings but the world is twisting all of them before his eyes, and I have to think that takes a toll on him. Additionally, just as things start looking up (they let him write the letter to invite Wei Wuxian to Jin Ling’s celebration! They listen to him, other people support his idea!), he has to deal with the facts that:
1) His best friend who he’s in love with just killed a bunch of people, including Jin ZiXuan and some of Lan Wangji’s own Sect brothers.
2) Wei Wuxian is clearly losing control of his resentment-based cultivation path, and is thus personally in danger on a spiritual level, and
3) Everyone now wants to kill Wei Wuxian again, possibly even more than they did before, and anyone who supports Wei Wuxian is an enemy of the entire cultivation world.
Later in the series, Lan Wangji says he regrets that he wasn’t at Wei Wuxian’s side at Nightless City. That he didn’t support him, despite what we see of him trying to help Wei Wuxian find Jiang Yanli and then, after she dies, stop him from killing himself. To me, this could very easily imply that Lan Wangji is still trying to walk a tightrope in those scenes, or perhaps trying to be a bridge. He’s deliberately not choosing a distinct side, because he refuses to hate and reject Wei Wuxian, but he’s also refusing to declare open support. He’s acting entirely on his own, in a balancing act between friendship and love vs his family, his entire life’s teachings, and all of his society. Certainly I find that sort of situation exhausting, and I’ve never had to do it for something so high-stakes or large-scale.
Then there’s the actual cliff scene itself, where he’s visibly desperate. How intense does an emotion have to be for Lan Wangji to so clearly show it?
Wei Ying, he says, come back. He knows Wei Wuxian is breaking down. He at the very least guesses that he’s going to do something wild like step off that outcropping, which is why he follows him in the first place. But he has no idea what to do, so he tries the same thing he’s been trying for years: Come with me. Let me help you. This is a bridge, and he’s offering to help Wei Wuxian cross it. But just like every other time he’s tried it since the Sunshot Campaign ended, it doesn’t work.
Note that Lan Wangji actually is flying here, without the sword, so if he doesn’t have any spiritual power when Jiang Cheng shows up, this is probably a last, desperate burst to go with this last, desperate act.
I don’t think he really has a plan here. Not a new one, anyway. This is a still a plea of Let me help you. And, notably, Wei Wuxian doesn’t accept his help.
Not once during this whole scene does Wei Wuxian reach up with his free hand or try to help Lan Wangji help him in any way. He smiles, and he says: Lan Zhan, let me go. Because he doesn’t want a bridge. He doesn’t want to go back. Honestly it’s a pretty explicit and heartbreaking message: Lan Wangji’s offer of help is not enough to make Wei Wuxian want to stay alive. Not right now. He needs more than that. He’s lost too much to believe, right now, that anyone is going to choose him and his side, or that he’s worth that effort. And to be clear, Lan Wangji isn’t even offering that in this situation. Wei Wuxian is one slippery handgrip away from death, and Lan Wangji is still not saying “You, I choose you.” From anything Wei Wuxian can be expected to infer, his offer here is no different than it’s ever been: let me show you the way back to the right path. Let me help you fit back into the world the way you used to. And Wei Wuxian can’t do that; he has no golden core, it’s literally impossible even if the rest of the world would let him try. But at this point he doesn’t want to go back either. He doesn’t even want to try. That world hates him, and willfully misunderstands him, and has taken too many people from him now for it to be worth staying in. He wants to die.
And then Jiang Cheng arrives.
Wei Wuxian’s reaction to his brother’s presence is to smile, say his name, and just–accept his hatred. He closes his eyes and waits for the sword to fall even as Lan Wangji calls for Jiang Cheng to stop. The only time he shows distress between stepping back off the cliff and his actual death is when Jiang Cheng twists his sword and compromises the stability of the outcropping so that Lan Wangji is also in danger.
I think it’s possible that if Jiang Cheng had also reached for him and tried to pull him back up, things might have gone differently. Maybe that would have been enough to alter Wei Wuxian’s thinking. But as it is, when Wei Wuxian falls, he falls with his limbs relaxed and a smile on his face. There’s no flailing and screaming like when he was thrown into the Burial Mounds (in ep 33. There’s some arm-waving in ep 1). And I think that moment of him pushing Lan Wangji back and then letting go, more than anything, is what stops Lan Wangji in his tracks, because Wei Wuxian could have saved himself. He had strength and energy left. Enough to push Lan Wangji up and back and nearly to a standing position. He could have accepted Lan Wangji’s help, easily. But he didn’t, because he wanted to die, despite all the effort and inner turmoil Lan Wangji has gone through on his behalf (most of which Wei Wuxian doesn’t know about but, still).
That’s a pretty serious emotional kick in the head. Lan Wangji cannot ignore, at this point, that even if he did have any physical or spiritual energy left, Wei Wuxian doesn’t want to be saved. And that’s when we get this face (actually from ep 1):
He has nothing left. He has at this point spent over a year, maybe two, trying to save someone who, when it came down to the final moment, didn’t want to be saved. There’s nothing more he can do, in this state of exhaustion and despair, and it wouldn’t matter if he tried.
Personally, I think he looks like he’s about to be sick, and I don’t think it’s just the image of Wei Wuxian falling and dying that’s working on him here. It’s also the knowledge that he fucked up. He didn’t do enough, or more accurately, didn’t do the right things, in order to encourage Wei Wuxian to keep fighting for himself or anyone else (I’m not saying this is a healthy or reasonable thought, I just think it’s a thought he’s having). And I think this realization plays directly into how he treats Wei Wuxian when he comes back sixteen years later. He knows that questioning Wei Wuxian on his path of cultivation doesn’t go where he wants it to, so he doesn’t do it. This time is going to be different. He’ll break rules. He’ll drink alcohol. He doesn’t scold Wei Wuxian for making dumb, selfless decisions like transferring the curse mark from Jin Ling’s leg to his own, he just accepts it and expresses concern over Wei Wuxian’s well being. He stops asking if he can help and starts just doing it: Wei Wuxian can’t walk so he’ll carry him. Wei Wuxian needs someone to speak for him, so Lan Wangji will do that, with his brother and with the whole cultivation world. And then we come to this:
This is exactly the same move. Wei Wuxian will protect Lan Wangji, but not himself.
But.
Lan Wangji is no longer trying to be a bridge. He’s not going to hold out his hand for Wei Wuxian to accept or disregard. He’s crossed over to be on Wei Wuxian’s side. And that’s what makes the difference.
#lakritzwolf#cql meta#the untamed#chen qing ling#wangxian#lan wangji#wei wuxian#possibly i got a bit carried away#but this was fun#tw: blood#tw: suicide#in the novel lwj makes that change before wwx dies#and is thwarted by a combination#of wwx's breakdown and his own clan#but the drama cut that scene#so it had to happen after#long post#so long#seriously
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