Thought id tryout this by @orangepanic

He had his father’s directions to Gusu, but the journey was longer than he thought. He had gotten lost again and again, guided back by the weasel spirits Wen Qing and Wen Ning, had been given spiritual gifts from the tree spirit Xiao Xingchen, had been given food by the eager wolf-dog Jin Ling.

But when he arrived in the mountains, Lan Sizhui realized all that meant nothing, as he did not know how to reach the city in the clouds. He did not have Lan Wangji’s ability to summon clouds nor would Bichen respond to him the way it had to his mother. Helpless, he found himself staring longingly into the sky.

A great gust of wings and Wei Wuxian landed beside him in a whirlwind of black and white and scarlet. “Uncle! You followed me,” Lan Sizhui said in surprise.

The crane bent his long neck to look into the boy’s eyes. “Did you think I would not? I hatched alongside your father’s river, have guarded it and him, and cherish him like a brother. Do not think I would not protect his son when he is unable to.”

Lan Sizhui felt like a little boy again, taking his first steps with his hand fisted in his uncle’s feathers, wobbly and uncertain, and felt that all over again. Relying on Wei Wuxian’s strength to keep himself moving forward.

Lan Sizhui returned his face to the billowing, gold-touched clouds high above. Somewhere hidden in them was the great city his mother had left to see the world below, and had returned to a captive. “I have been given aid to get here, and gifts, but all of it would be for nothing if I cannot sprout wings.”

Wei Wuxian clacked his beak in thought.

“I will take you,” he decided. “It was I who first urged your mother to leave the Cloud Recesses to visit the world below, despite her being forbidden from doing so. Never before have I cherished the consequences of my actions so dearly.” The crane touched his scarlet forehead against Lan Sizhui’s.

The boy gripped Bichen tightly, steeling himself. His mother was waiting. “Very well. I do not know what waits for me above, but at least I have a fierce protector in you, Uncle.”

“Always.”

Gripping his shoulders securely, Wei Wuxian carried him into the sky. And with every great wingbeat, Lan Sizhui could feel himself grow closer to his mother, her presence like a bright beacon.

HTTYD Nine realms redesign ideas

I wanna fix these but I can't be bothered right now, and my memory is shit, so I'm posting them here.

I can't stop you from stealing these ideas but please don't. I'm trusting you guys here.

And before you ask: yes the are all real.

Thunder

Night Light/Skrill mix

Make the chest smaller

Fix the mouth so it doesn't look like a fugly duck

Make him grey with black patches on back and white patches below

Sharper Longer Spikes

Bigger pointier Wings and fins

Spikes on wing joints

Wu and Wei

Zippleback/Scauldron(?) Mix

Make the Faces Less racist (LOTS of people have said this)

Replace yellow body with purple body

Red and blue legs

Gold accents (fangs, horns, claws, Spikes)

Way more frilly fins

Plowhorn

??? Mix

Change the name to Gemma or something because what the fuck were they thinking

More crystals

Bigger eyes

Four eyes

Six legs

Feathers

Deathsong/Whispering Death Mix

Come up with a better name

No legs only wings

Add feet to wing joints

Make the wings bigger and feathery

Actually more feathers everywhere

Make the eyes freakier

More Aztec quetzalcoatl imagery

Webmaster

??? Mix

How do you fuck up this bad

Why does it look like that

You literally just had to make it a long spider with dragon wings and a dragon head

Why is the body a sphere

Just make the body multiple spheres

Colour palette is great but used terribly so gotta fix that

Definitely missed some stuff but I'm very sleep deprived and it's half 5am so ima sleeb

Might add more in the morning or something idk

So i decided to repost the original sketches [plus one i thought was appropriate to put with these, since its got a butt i put it under the cut] and delete the cringe original post- since it didn't get any notes anyway- after cleaning them up/adding a block of color behind them [plus me toying with demon wwx's colors] so i hope you enjoy them!! More about the fic under the cut :D

The extra sketch that has a bumbum which is why the read more line. [plus the extra info and all].

Scroll to the bottom for links! [up to date as of 3/25/2023]

“Clash of Immortals” / COI is an upcoming project I’m super excited about with Demon WWX and Angel LWJ. I use my own version of hell/heaven for this, allowing for lots of fun details and some creatures unique to my universe, including A-Yuan who is a “Garden of Eden” [not drawn yet].

Information i can share!

Demon WWX / Wei Wuxian - Demon type: A black-blue feathered “Captive” or “Fallen” - a type of demon caused by cutting an angel’s ascension short as they are being lifted into the heavens, caused by demons trying to prevent as many new angels from entering heaven as possible. This means originally he was supposed to become an angel, but his line was cut and he was dragged past hell’s gates, causing him to descend instead of ascend once he passed through the gate.

This leaves a nasty scar on his back from the hook used to pull him up [if ascended the hook will disappear harmlessly] and this is why they are also nicknamed "Hook Demons" as they will sometimes even go around with the hook still in their back, just filed down, because they are going through a vital area and can't be fully removed.

Angel LWJ / Lan Wangji - Nearly a white wing, shares a nearly identical wing color to LXC, His is white with minimal jade undertones; he has MANY piercings to compensate his abilities in order to prevent his body from tearing apart. He does however have a unique trait- two of his flight feathers [one on each side] are completely black [I will test this with his design so don't hold me to this]. After his descent heaven is a bit perplexed- they allow this type of movement but LWJ is a very important for heaven’s force of angels, as one of the most powerful.

Fun Facts ;]

When they see each other for the first time as angel/demon they bristle, [in my universe, angels and demons feel wrong when in each other's presence, even if they're very soft and sweet. It'd probably be a good mirror to how LWJ and WWX don't necessarily get along in the actual series when they first meet too.] but then it’s a cheery reunion- LWJ might be somewhat uncomfortable, but WWX tames the sensation more easily as he is nearly unrestrained in power.

Someone comes within 50 feet of A-Yuan and Wei Wuxian sends the person’s heart to their throat just by looking at them despite this being a bad habit he probably shouldn’t use around the "Garden of Eden."*

*original species invented which will be explained better in story, I don't wanna spoil too much

and then we have "BED" HABITS

WWX is aggressive as all hell with everyone else besides his kind [in hell anyway bc he doesn't like everyone's attitude] -not in an intimate way he wouldn't do anything with anyone else- but becomes tame with LWJ, it's like a switch gets flipped. LWJ is the growling demon in bed while WWX is the purring angel, despite their anatomy quite clearly showing otherwise; and let me tell u I love purring demons and growling angels

NO ONE believes him when LWJ says wwx isnt the aggressive one, thinking the demon is tainting their precious second jade despite wwx not having a choice about his demonhood. LWJ be like: we still husbands regardless of who's the more aggressive one anyway. Yes, I’ve just decided we’re still married no extra ceremony required.

my COI music playlist can be found here. My favorite COI song is this one: "Into Darkness" by Thomas Bergersen.

all art in this post drawn in drawpile and edited on clip studio paint

Here's all the sketches for COI in order! ♥️ They update regularly on my original COI post [you are here] / the mdzs ff masterpost.

OG POST - Demon WWX & Angel LWJ [you are here].

COI - MXY YLLZ WWX Demon WIP COI - Chibi kisses COI - Cuddles COI - Slumber COI - hugs COI - Hellscape Concept art [ficlet included in this post] COI - Er-Gege COI - Marks COI - Reunion COI - Thank you! COI - I'm Home! (Previews) COI - I'm Home! ...

Reddit Posts!

See the OG Reddit post here [contains 11 drawings] Rough Hellscape Concept art [has more art here that i didn't post on Tumblr!] Slumber Hellscape Concept art [same as Tumblr] hugs/hold er-gege reunion Thanks [separated drawings] Marks Reunion Thank you! I'm Home!

See the Explicit™ COI ficlet here [i can't post this on tumblr, so i posted this on Reddit, sorry!

See the first peek at Ch 1 of COI here!

You can find all my other projects here!

Did you get this far? :0 hello! Thank you for reading it all ♥️ ♥️ ♥️

💠🧡drag my teeth across your chest

By:ana_cp

Summary:

“What if we’re soulmates, Lan Zhan?” his voice is still hoarse from sleep. “What if it’s you and me?”

“It’s always you and me.” Lan Zhan says simply. “Things wouldn’t change.”

Wei Ying tries not to scream at how good those words feel. But Lan Zhan means something else, he means friendship, and that’s not what Wei Ying is asking. Because of course it would be a big change. Being soulmates would change everything.

He sighs, forcing himself not to curl into his best friend’s warm body, and tries again.

“I’m serious. What if I’m your soulmate? Would you… What would you do?”

His heart beats like a hummingbird’s wing inside his chest, the anticipation unbearable as Lan Zhan licks his lips and prepares for answering.

“If you’re my soulmate,” Lan Zhan pauses, thinking of his words carefully. “I will love you until the end of my days.”

--

Soulmate AU where, once you're an adult, you start sharing your senses with your soulmate. It starts with only one sense, such as sight or hearing, but eventually, as you get closer together, you start sharing everything.

Chapter:5/5

Words:60,044

Status:completed

I'm cried even though I knew it's happy ending, how can they be this stupid 😭

Something about this isn’t right, his still foggy brain thinks as he finds his window from the outside, and the only living creatures there are a dozen sleeping cats. There’s a thought right at the corner of his mind, banging on the front door of his brain, but Wei Ying’s head feels weird, the air feels too cold on his hyper-sensitive skin, and there’s a chance he might be getting a headache. He thinks back to the dream he had, the empty theatre, and as he does, the image comes back with full force. This time, as he’s watching, it moves a little, tilts down until he’s looking at his own pale fingers holding a bow, his other hand tight on violin’s strings. It’s blurry, shaky, but he can still recognize the place anyway. It’s his college’s auditorium. All of a sudden, the wave of understanding hits him, the knowledge that he’s been waiting to believe for what feels like his entire life. Lan Zhan isn’t here. But Wei Ying can definitely, for sure, hear him.

~~~

Somewhere in here, if he’s right, Lan Zhan is playing his song right now. Wei Ying runs.

~

He can hear Lan Zhan’s breathing, as well. “Wei Ying?” Lan Zhan whispers, and Wei Ying shouldn’t hear it, couldn’t possibly hear it, he’s too far, Lan Zhan’s voice is too low- He takes a step down. Then another. Slowly, he makes his way to the stage, trying to catch his breath, eyes focused on the man in front of him. Lan Zhan is shocked to see him there, Wei Ying can practically feel the confusion inside him as he stands there and waits. He has the violin on one hand and the bow loosely secure on the other, and when Wei Ying finally picks up his pace and starts running towards him, he moves. “Wei Ying, what are you-” Wei Ying climbs upstage and throws his body on him strong enough to take them both down, but Lan Zhan is strong, god, he’s so strong, and he wraps his arms around Wei Ying easily, steadying his feet on the ground. Lan Zhan makes a tiny sound as the air leaves his lungs, but there’s no time to say anything or even ask why, because Wei Ying is breathless, smiling and so in love, kissing him, his soulmate , for the first time. For the thousandth time. Wei Ying can feel the press of the violin on his back, but it barely registers. Lan Zhan’s lips on him are soft, but not gentle, and his body is a welcomed stone of warmth that feels exactly the right shape for him to curl himself around and make a home. They were wrong. They were both so, so wrong. He pulls back with a gasp, knowing he smiled the whole way through the kiss. “Lan Zhan.” he says, but the huge grin on his face makes it hard to even speak. He breathes in again. “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan. It’s us.”

~~

Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know by Cyan Wings -- a brief review (no spoilers)

80 chapters + 2 extras

My Rating: ★★★★★ / 5

I went into this story fairly blind / un-spoiled as to the plot and characters and I really enjoyed it. If you like The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System I think you'll like this one. It's a pretty quick read (I read it over the course of 2½ weeks) and it also feels a bit lighter of a read -- in the sense that there's not a bunch of twists and turns or faceslapping going around. There's still narrative weight to the characters' choices but it feels more focused on the emotions of the characters than on making a dogblood drama.

I also really enjoyed the cultivation meta in this book -- there were sections where we would get insight into why the main character did a certain thing and how he belived that would / could impact the universe / world / dao.

Check for content warnings under the cut.

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What kind of story is Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know?

This is a story that really breaks the fourth wall and doesn't take itself too seriously. Like Cyan Wings' other stories that I've read it is really funny and the characters are fantastic. If you like transmigration novels but dislike the trope of an all-powerful manipulative "System" that keeps that transmigrator in check then try this one! The main character is NOT a transmigrator but he does gain knowledge that breaks the fourth wall and there are times when he considers the people around them as if they were characters in a novel. Several of the main characters can also be read as asexual and / or aromantic which is really nice too.

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Throughout the story the main characters are growing and learning more about themselves and each other -- there's several times when a character reflects on how they had misunderstood another character or not known what was really in their hearts. This leads to the story feeling very emotional and tender as you slowly get to know the characters. This is mainly in regard to the main character and his love interest but its true for some of the supporting cast as well.

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Ultimately it feels like a story of two people (who whole-heartedly trust each other with their lives) slowly opening up and allowing themselves to be vulnerable with the other. There's also a good portion of the story that talks about heart demons and how that affects one of the characters -- it becomes a plot point even. It certainly takes the main pair a lot of work but once they are finally on the same page (ha) and treat each other as equals... it's very sweet and intimate.

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Who are the main characters?

Without going into details here's a little bit about our main squad:

WenRen E - Our main character. WRE is the leader of the XuanYuan demonic sect and an absolute badass. He somehow reminds me of both Yan Wushi from Thousand Autumns and Wei Wuxian from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. He is arrogant and prideful but also cares SO MUCH about the commonfolk in the world. He is absolutely ruthless when he needs to be but he has a line that he does not cross and he forbids his minions from crossing it either. There's also a lot of times where he's sussing out why or how something works a certain way and his understanding of the dao and the universe felt profound.

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Yin HanJiang - Our love interest. There's a specific post I've seen that is coming to mind but I can't remember how it's phrased... YHJ is loyal to WRE and ONLY WRE. He is submissive in the way a guard dog is -- he would follow WRE's every order and do everything in his power to protect him but at the same time he would not hesitate for a moment to attack anyone he viewed as a threat to WRE. At the beginning of the story he keeps a certain distance between himself and WRE but as the plot develops that distance becomes smaller and smaller.

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BaiLi QingMiao - the protagonist of the book that appears in WRE's hand which serves as the impetus for the story. WRE finds himself frustrated and confused at her actions a fair amount of time but over the course of the story she too grows up and gains a new outlook on life.

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Shu YanYan - a seductress demonic cultivator. She only dual cultivates with consenting partners and uses her cleverness to manipulate people. She also seems fairly uninterested in romance -- I think she alludes to not wanting to get her heart broken but she also seems very happy as things are with her various lovers.

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Qiu CongXue - hands down my favorite character in the story. I liked everyone but QCX is always speaking her mind and stirring up trouble. She has strong himbo energy and I don't want to spoil anything about her, just know that anytime she comes up it's going to be great.

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What is the plot of Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know?

One day a book suddenly appears in WenRen E's hand. This is notable because he is a very strong demonic cultivator and he didn't sense anything before the book appeared. So he looks at the book and decides to take it very seriously. He reads it. And he discovers that he is a character in a trashy romance novel, as is his most trusted subbordinate Yin HanJiang. He becomes very curious to find out if the other characters are real and if the events that happen in the book are destined to come true or if they can be changed. So he sets off and meets the protagonists of the novel and begins experimenting. Without spoiling things he is especially concerned about what happens to Yin HanJiang in the book. He also wants to know more about the novel's protagonists and their motivations.

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Click 'keep reading' to see trigger warnings.

ptsd, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, violence, manipulation and abuse, mention of torture, war, survivor's guilt, etc. The characters have some tragic backstories and there's some things in the novel that WRE reads that are disturbing -- but ultimately there's not "on screen" torture that the characters go through, the novel instead focuses on what's going on in the characters' psyche.

Fic Rec Friday - Short and Sweet

I like a four hundred thousand word epic as much as the next reader, but a well written short story can go so hard. Here are some of my absolute favorites in a thousand words or less.

radish roots by trickybonmot is just a shade over double drabble territory, and glorious. Domestic Wei Wuxian raising A-Yuan in the Burial Mounds, trying to give him brothers and sisters the way only the Yiling Laozu can. Absolutely beautiful.

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It by Dira Sudis is a Marvel/West Wing crossover that I read a lot when it was published in 2016, a lot more in 2020, and will probably be revisiting again this year. For something that's only 900 words, it's strangely satisfying.

A Letter from "Crawly" to Azirapil by mostlydeadlanguages because sometimes fics are short enough to transcribe on clay tablets in cuneiform and that's the point. This is art.

What Makes a Hero by Elsajeni is a character study to explain a discrepancy between the Tolkien novel and the Hobbit movies. It is also rather more than that. Because some fans suspend disbelief and some fans patch the cracked things they love with gold.

Fruitful by Resonant may be my favorite piece of fan writing in all the world. In a brief description of Cheery Littlebottom's wedding and subsequent domestic bliss told from the point of view of Sam Vimes, this story makes explicit what was always implicit in the Discworld novels. Terry Pratchett might have written exactly this, in a world where he lived long enough to see how much it would matter. Perfectly executed in less than six hundred words.

My AO3 Wrapped

Happy new year for us all, and that 2023 brings us again many good fandoms, fics and friends! <3

I saw some people doing an ao3 wrapped of fics they wrote and things like that, and I decided to make one of recs.

I cannot count how many fics/words I read in 2022, but it was *a lot*. According to my ao3 page, I have 1200 fics in my History, I know I haven’t read them all, some of them I opened and saw it wasn’t for me, some of them I tried reading and didn’t like, but still, those are 1200 fics there.

have bookmarked 120 fics/series just this year.

Here are my top 12, one bookmark for each month of the year:

January:

anteros, punish me (leave me to bleed) by sakutsu - Haikyuu!!

I usually read Hinata centric fics, but this one was something else. It’s a Sakusa Kiyoomi centric fic, and it made me cry. It’s about his understanding and acceptance that he is aro, and how he sees the world. It is beautiful. Have tissues in hand.

February:

In Between by vetiverdreams - MDZS/TGCF crossover

This fic has *promise*. The first chapter alone has Xie Lian’s pov, of him meeting Wei Wuxian, and it’s great. There’s just so much there. I love how they wrote Wei Wuxian, and Hualian both. It’s a wip, but so worth it!

March:

Swaying Close by vetiverdreams - SVSSS

Liushen goodness! This was the year I discovered them, and this fic is just the sweetest!!!!! The fluffiest of fluffs. 5+1 times that LQG thought SQQ was cute. And SQQ was so cute, and the whole story is adorable! I loved the banter they had going on! This is also about SQQ being himself, having some modern attitudes.

April:

By folly or fickle fate by Vrishchika - MDZS @vrishchikawrites

First of all, this fic was written for me by my favourite writer, so need I say more????? Modern Au with cultivation. WWX is a cultivator, and one of the best ones, LWJ is not a cultivator, nor does he know this world exists. And they meet when WWX saves LWJ’s son, a-Yuan from an Abyss. This is so good. If you know Vrishchika, you know her characterization is *good*, and we have absolute BAMF WWX. Amazing!

May:

Burn your Wings by oWhiteKiwibird - BNHA - @crowbird-kamakse

Ohhh, this was also the year I discovered BNHA. And this was one of the first fics I’ve read. Canon divergence, and Izuku actually has his parents quirks (but because of how abused he and his mother were by his father, he doesn’t want to use it). He still gets OFA, and then when he gets to UA things start changing. It’s a beautiful story, it’s sad, and Izuku suffers a lot in the beginning, but there’s so much growth. And his and Todoroki’s relationship is beautiful.

June:

A Secret Never Shared by Vrishchika - MDZS - @vrishchikawrites

This fic should be on the list much earlier than June, because I had the privilege of betaing, and I had read it long before and reread it and loved every word of it. BAMF Wei Wuxian, who ascended instead of dying on the first siege. As always, perfect characterization, WWX is still WWX but also more, because he is a god now, and it changes people. This is a story of those 13 years where he would have been dead in canon. Also, the best a-Yuan. 

July:

Hero Class Civil Warfare by RogueDruid - BNHA - @roguedruid

BAMF Izuku!!!!!! On my bookmarks notes I say: “The teachers quickly realize how glad they should be Izuku has always wanted to be a hero.”. UA has an activity they have every year where they divide the hero classes into heroes and villains and they have to compete. Izuku is chosen to be the villain leader, and Bakugou the hero leader. This is a story about how intelligent and smart Izuku is, and how he can be a very good leader. 

August:

Bonnie & Klein by surveycorpsjean - BNHA 

Where the porn is the plot. Izuku and Bakugou, already pro heroes, are sent 10 years to the future, where they meet their future selves (who are married). The smut is fantastic, but it’s all about the feelings, and about loving yourself, and accepting who you are (in very literal ways sometimes). Super tender, loving and also very hot.

September:

Razzmatazz by xylophones - BNHA - @xyloophones

A love letter to Izuku (is what i’ve written on my bookmarks). This is a story where All Might chose Izuku so much earlier, when he was still a kid, so Inko is also involved. The relationship between them all is wonderful, they are really a family. This is a Izuku who is prepared and well-trained. Wonderful.

October:

Half-Truths by kibosama - Not Me the series

This is a canon divergence fic, where after White decides to take over Black’s life, he leaves home. Things change accordingly, he has to come clean a bit before . SeanWhite is perfect, good communication.

November:

but you’re everywhere (yes you are) by fortunehasgivenup - Kinnporsche - @fairhairedkings

Canon divergent because Porsche remembers the first kiss at the pier, and decides to tell Kinn he does. Everything changes from that conversation forward. Absolutely gorgeous story. Great communication. Porsche stands his ground, and they learn to separate Kinn boss from Kinn boyfriend. I love their relationship very much. Really good communication, I need to say that again. The relationship is very healthy. And the smut is scorching.

December:

Erased Potential by theslytherinpaladin - BNHA

It’s a wip, but there’s over 230k words to read, and it is that good. Izuku knows that being quirkless will make becoming a hero much harder, that’s why he decides (when he’s in middle school) to ask Eraserhead to train him. He does, and things change accordingly. Smart Izuku, Dadzawa (without All Might bashing). Great fic!!!

.

It was not easy to make this list. So many good fics I’ve read this year!!! Thank you so much to all the authors who put time to write these masterpieces and share with us. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

If you want to check my other bookmarks, they are here.

Remember to always leave some love to the authors <3

What are your favorite Beifong family headcanons?

Oooh that's a great ask. I have a lot of headcanons and I'm pretty sure I've talked about them a lot at least a few times, but I've tried to condense them as best I could!

I've rambled about my headcanons surrounding seismic sense but here's some more. The twins and Huan learnt seismic sense very early on in their lives and were provably encouraged to lean into it. Huan particularly has very well developed seismic sense. To the point where it makes him uncomfortable and he tends to shy away from using it by wearing thick socks or shoes.

When Kuvira first arrived to Zaofu, she didn't really get along with Baatar Jr. I can see Baatar Jr being very protective of Opal, since they were the two nonbenders of the family. I can see him not looking too kindly at whom he saw as his mother's attempt at having a "better daughter".

Kuvira and the twins are permanent parts of Suyin's dance troupe. (Canon for Kuvira.)

Due to not having much interaction with people outside the family, the Beifong kids are/were super close. Which leads to even more pain as they slowly untangle and mature.

They were also very close with the staff that worked at the manor and other of their family friends, due to this being their only social interactions outside family. Aiwei and the Chef (he only calls himself chef and never reveals his real name cause he used to be a pirate and is wanted in all four nations) are basically surrogate uncles to the kids.

It having been just the six of them, i can see it being hard for them to fully interact with new people.

Huan wanted to be a doctor as a kid and pretended to do operations on his siblings. Their father, a renown architect, even built them a little play hospital. The other Beifongs... weren't fans.

Kuvira enjoys bubble baths. That's it.

Wei collects crystals and cool looking rocks, similairly to how Su collects meteors. He's a nerd about it too. He has several opals and whenever he's in an argument with Opal he will dramatically move them to the back of his collection.

One of my fave silly headcanons/theories is Baatar Sr being Suki and Sokka's kid. Like, I know it's very unlikely, but it is a lovely idea in my head and I could ramble about it all day. I don't see a lot of people talking about it. I see plenty of people using Suyin's sons looking like Sokka as proof that Su is a Tokka baby, however the Beifong boys actually resemble their father a lot. Also I have plenty headcanons around this idea and Suki would be an epic grandma. Kyoshi warrior Opal (and the twins). Living in my head rent free. Forever.

Wing and Opal formed a little book club and like reading together/talking about books they've read. Their siblings aren't allowed to join. One time Kuvira and Wei crashed the little meeting and Wing was so offended he pretended to run away and join the circus.

When they were children, Kuvira was the ringleader for sure. She'd take the much more well behaved Beifong kids on wild adventures, after which they'd come back to the house covered in mud.

Wing is hard if hearing. Comes from that one scene where he sent Lin and Su to their deaths after misshearing Mako.

Aiwei was the first one to encourage Huan to pursue his artistic talents and most of Huan's first works are still in Aiwei's house.

Wei is named after Aiwei, but they already had a Juniour in the family, so he was named an abbreviation of his namesake.

Aiwei ultimately regrets betraying the Beifongs, to teh point where his nightmares in the Fog of Lost souls are about the Beifongs.

Can't believe Zaheer sent the only confirmed gay man ever shown on screen to super hell. Homophobia at its finest

Ugh you don't know how happy getting asks about the Beifong family makes me. Sorry if these were more focused on the Zaofu crew, I know they're not as popular as Lin and Toph but they are my faves.

When You Wake, 怎能当梦一场 by acertainrogue

When You Wake, 怎能当梦一场

by acertainrogue

T, 39k, Wangxian

Summary: He lay there buried under rabbit ears of wires, warmed by a thin blanket, breathing, breathing, never truly still, but never animated, either. “A-Xian,” Jiang-gugu said with a forced smile. “Your son and husband are here to see you. And your nephew too. He will be coming very soon.” A-Yuan ran up to Baba and held his hand. -- Sizhui grows up in a changing world, but his comatose father can't change with it. His family is determined to give him the love and forgiveness they didn't give Wei Ying. Kay's comments: So, this is definitely the kind of story that keeps you hooked and forces you to finish it in one sitting and even then, it'll still keep you awake for nights. It's just so good and so painful. Phew, so many knives! But, there's a happy ending, so you can definitely look forward to that! It's also actually set in real-world modern China, which is too rare for my liking in the English-writing fanfic community and I really appreciate all that went into this story and am also so grateful for the author for writing a whole thread over on Twitter explaining the cultural nuances one might have missed. As for the story, it's mostly Lan Wangji suffering and raising A-Yuan for thirteen years while Wei Wuxian is a coma. Cue: The Covid19 pandemic and the collapse of the health system and what that means for someone who's been in a coma for thirteen years. Excerpt: He lay there buried under rabbit ears of wires, warmed by a thin blanket, breathing, breathing, never truly still, but never animated, either. “A-Xian,” Jiang-gugu said with a forced smile. “Your son and husband are here to see you. And your nephew too. He will be coming very soon.” A-Yuan ran up to Baba and held his hand. Baba must have slept with Father when he was still awake. A-Yuan did remember being cradled in a cloud that was Father and Baba both, remembered being held between them in bed. There was a time when he had not known how to sleep otherwise. Baba had been cool, cool like the springs of silver dollar water, warm just enough so lotuses could grow. Tem-per-ate, he learned in school for his vocabulary section. But now, Baba was just cold. “Baba,” he squeaked, peaking over the side of the bed, tall enough that he did not have to tiptoe or have Jiang-gugu carry him anymore. “It’s me. It’s A-Yuan. Did you know I’m getting a cousin soon?” He fished in his pocket and found the dried grass butterfly Father had bought him on the roadside, from a man who peddled swallows with tails cut into forks and a green penguin waddling into life. “This can be your cousin too,” he told Baba importantly, nestling that gentle flutter of wing grass into Baba’s cold palm, so he could hold something when A-Yuan, Father, and even Jiang-gugu weren’t around. That was what Jingyi was to A-Yuan when he was at school, away from Father. Everyone needed a cousin, a companion, like the one that was about to be born. When he turned around, Jiang-gugu was crying.

pov lan sizhui, modern setting, modern no powers, pandemics, coma, hospitals, hospitalization, angst with a happy ending, comatose wei wuxian, implied/referenced homophobia, jiang family dynamics, good parent lan wangji, grief/mourning, covid19

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

2022 Top Reads on AO3

I find it really hard to pick favorites when I have read so many good/great/fascinating stories but here goes (and apologies in advance to my lovely writers who I have not mentioned but adore all the same). Let me add that these are all in the #MDZS #MoDaoZuShi fandom, and almost entirely #WangXian centric

The one with the toast (or more accurately, no toast) the earthquake in the room - phnelt - 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù [Archive of Our Own]

Lan Zhan saves the Most Beautiful Man in the World (aka Wei Ying) from horrible dog and learns about love  leave all your love and your longing behind - Chapter 1 - ScarlettStorm - 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

Have a little post-apocalyptic wangxian as they figure out how to repopulate their world  When the Sky Settles and I'm Still Here - Chapter 1 - celerydragon - 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù [Archive of Our Own]

Grad school’s expensive, all the more so when your mother cuts you off - it’s duck research and sugar daddy for Jiang Cheng November Baby - Chapter 1 - astrophyllite - 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

Granny Wen gives the best presents in this comical wangxian tale A Game of Chance - thievinghippo - 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù [Archive of Our Own]

WWX and JC co-parent JL and run a grocery store, LWJ runs a martial arts studio where JL takes classes, they meet and it’s meet cute The Way of the Golden Lotus - Chapter 1 - DizziDreams - 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

Modern wangxian arrange a casual meetup that becomes something special cold green summer night - Chapter 1 - Pettecal72 - 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

Short 2-parter modern wangxian in which LWJ helps WWX understand why he’s accident prone

misunderstood 'verse - sysrae - 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù [Archive of Our Own]

Canon-ish AU in which ‘MXY’ copes with feelings for LWJ who was married (it seems) and is not certain how he can compete against a dead love

Love Song In Reverse - Chapter 1 - timetoboldlygo - 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù [Archive of Our Own]

Excellent long-running series concludes: beginning at canon-era meeting of LWJ & WWX and from there diverging with elements of magical creatures, even time-travel - all highly creative Magical Marriage Ribbons - starandrea - 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 魔道祖师 | Módào Zǔshī (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own]

Modern setting in which LWJ helps his mother post-accident paired wings soaring - Chapter 1 - typefortydeductions - 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

Post-canon, NHS can’t figure out how WWX turned up sad and alone in Qinghe & does something about it Story-Shaped - Chapter 1 - lingering_song - 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

Modern setting, LWJ arranges for WWX to house-sit for him and finds he likes the company All the ways that you remain - Spodumene - 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù [Archive of Our Own]

Medium WWX helps LWJ with his murder ghost in this modern AU come to the harbor of your longing - Chapter 1 - occultings (microcomets) - 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù [Archive of Our Own]

Highly evocative, SE Asian setting for this AU (made me want to try durians) 流连忘返 | cat mountain king - Chapter 1 - auberjing - 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù [Archive of Our Own]

Spooky little casefic with ghost-seeing WWX helping LWJ with his family history evening sun - Chapter 1 - grapesoda - 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

Koh the face stealer/Ming-Hua

Zaheer/Kuvira

Mako/Eska

Wing&Wei/Eska&Desna

P’Li/Kuvira

Korra/Mako/Kuvira

^_^

YES great ships!!

Koh the face stealer/Ming-Hua

Squick / Just nope / A trainwreck you can’t look away from / Mehh but they are bloody everywhere / Not interested but no negative feelings / I need to see how I could make it work / BroTP / Cute / I love them / They rented a room in my mind and are here to stay

Maybe a woman with no arms is the only one who can understand a spirit with no face? That's so dark, I love it.

Zaheer/Kuvira

Squick / Just nope / A trainwreck you can’t look away from / Mehh but they are bloody everywhere / Not interested but no negative feelings / I need to see how I could make it work / BroTP / Cute / I love them / They rented a room in my mind and are here to stay

Anarchist meets dictator... I admit, I'm not seeing how they don't murder each other in their sleep. But there's a glimmer in there about a pre-canon guard x prisoner AU where maybe they both aren't so set in their ways but instead are looking to reform a system they know is broken. That could be angsty AF.

Mako/Eska

Squick / Just nope / A trainwreck you can’t look away from / Mehh but they are bloody everywhere / Not interested but no negative feelings / I need to see how I could make it work / BroTP / Cute / I love them / They rented a room in my mind and are here to stay

This is somehow both "absolutely not" and "tell me more!" I think there's a big part of Mako that wants a strong woman who will tell him what to do. Korra and Asami both have some of those qualities. But Eska goes way too far, and I think he'd balk at someone who was full-on controlling. Eska, for her part, won't suffer someone who isn't a doormat. I think they'd explode. But I'd watch it happen.

Wing&Wei/Eska&Desna

Squick / Just nope / A trainwreck you can’t look away from / Mehh but they are bloody everywhere / Not interested but no negative feelings / I need to see how I could make it work / BroTP / Cute / I love them / They rented a room in my mind and are here to stay

So I have to split this up. Wei and Desna, no. I headcanon Desna as ace and I think Wei would want lots of sex. Wing and Eska, however, OMG. Yes. Love them. If you could bottle ambition it would be this couple. Wing is just pliable enough that he'd meet Eska's standards and Eska would understand Wing's desire to be more than just part of a pair in a large family.

P’Li/Kuvira

Squick / Just nope / A trainwreck you can’t look away from / Mehh but they are bloody everywhere / Not interested but no negative feelings / I need to see how I could make it work / BroTP / Cute / I love them / They rented a room in my mind and are here to stay

So. Interesting. Yes, please. Unlike Zaheer, I don't think P'Li was as much of a true believer in the whole anarchy thing so much as someone who wanted to blow up a system that treated her like shit. I think Kuvira could get behind that.

Korra/Mako/Kuvira

Squick / Just nope / A trainwreck you can’t look away from / Mehh but they are bloody everywhere / Not interested but no negative feelings / I need to see how I could make it work / BroTP / Cute / I love them / They rented a room in my mind and are here to stay

This is what I call a very hot disaster. I love them. It's great. So much sex. Also, at some point Mako and Kuvira are going to tear each other's throats out.

Crackship ranking

-

Chapter 1, Promise

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 (You are here). Part 5

Chapter 2, You Are My Home (Coming soon...)

To see warnings, go to part 1. No warnings for this part.

Mood song for Part 4

-

Ch 1, Part 4:

· ✦ A Century of Silence ✦ ·

Lan Wangji opened his eyes.

This place, heaven, had been his home for the past few decades. All he knew was this place, despite the emptiness that came from not knowing where he came from.

The god had assured him when he felt vulnerable and lost, and now, he was one of if not the strongest angels in her fleet. He was successful and needed…but he still felt off. wrong.

He knew that trying to remember his time on earth was discouraged as that was the whole point of his memory charm, but the pull was extraordinary for something he couldn’t remember. He sighed and stared out at the clouds, as if the longer he looked, the more likely someone would be to appear from the clouds to steal away this void in his chest.

“Your memories are being suppressed because they will bring you turmoil and vulnerability. However, I will remove the seal one day under the right conditions.” Baoshan Sanren gave him a sympathetic pat, “For now, darling, live like this. You have many years, we will fix things.”

He looked conflicted, but nodded. If she was already doing all in her power, there was no use complaining. Her spell was to help him stay happy after all, even if it did feel wrong.

“Lan Wangji! You’re here!” A feminine, familiar voice drew his attention away from the clouds. “You look well! We just arrived.” Jiang Yanli smiled, holding her hands together. Jiang Cheng walked alongside her, a bit more clumsy with his new wings than his sister. “Is A-Xian with you? It’s been so long!”

The man moved his gaze between the two, settling on the young woman though after taking a moment to reflect on the question, something akin to confusion flickering in his eyes. “Have we met before?”

While his sister was frozen in place, Jiang Cheng was instantly gripping the angel’s lapels. “What do you mean have we met?!” As if bottling anger for decades, it spewed from his mouth like poison. “You didn't say that to my shixiong did you?! He died in such a pitiful way and you didn’t even reunite here?! Are you telling me you…you-?!”

“Enough.” Lan Wangji frowned and pulled the other’s hands away from his lapels, stopping the man's angry rambling. “I have a memory charm sealing memories I carried here from earth. If we were companions there, I don’t remember.” Though, he’s not sure how he would have ever tolerated someone so angry like this.

A memory charm? Jiang Cheng froze too now, irises shaking. “Wait…I…If your memory has been sealed…He’s not here?”

“A-Cheng…let’s all calm down.” Jiang Yanli gently touched her brother’s arm, wanting to help him calm down and get information at the same time. “W-wangji, i’m sorry, this must be a lot for you. Do you know an angel named Wei Wuxian? Courtesy Wei Ying?”

The angel looked conflicted for a moment, the most expression he’d shown since they’d run into each other now, but he shook his head eventually. “There is no angel here that goes by that name. But maybe I missed him,” He adds, “Let’s ask Baoshan Sanren. She will know.”

· ✦ ·

The two siblings looked at each other and then the god, eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

“Baoshan Sanren.” Jiang Yanli stepped forward, swallowing softly. “What do you mean, A-Xian is not here? He died months after…” He glanced at the guard standing by the god’s side, the jade droplet hanging from the center of his ribbon glimmering in response. “...you know.”

The god frowned and slowly rose from her throne, flipping her sleeves and walking gracefully down the steps. “So this confirms it.”

Jiang Yanli stepped a bit closer, feathers fluffing up like a nervous bird. “Confirms-?” 

 “Wangji.”

The jade straightened, eyes narrowing slightly.

“Gather a team of angels. You’ll need a tracker…” She held out a hand, which shifted into pinks and golds like sunset on the ocean, glowing with fractals as she lightly touched the jade bead hanging from his forehead. “Your memory is not safe to be released yet, but I have triggered something that should allow it to weaken in the correct circumstances.”

“What does this mean?” Jiang Yanli asked quietly, holding her hands together nervously. “A-Xian…do you know where he was supposed to reincarnate?”

“Here.” Baoshan Sanren held her arms behind her back politely, but her eyes betrayed her concern. “That means for many decades now he has been missing. I didn’t have a way to confirm it though because you’re the first of his family to arrive.”

“But…What about A-Xian’s parents?”

The god shook her head. “They have left the reincarnation cycle.”

Jiang Cheng’s hands immediately flew to his hair and he closed his eyes tightly. “What happened?? How could he have gone missing on the way??” He didn’t know actually what happened during the ascension, he wasn’t awake. Did that mean they didn’t just magically appear there?

Baoshan Sanren gently touched Jiang Cheng’s shoulder, a calm flooding over him like water on a burn. That…felt weird. He relaxed regardless, slowly releasing his hair and opening his eyes again. “My…my shixiong, where could he be?”

“The most likely possibilities are not good ones. But I have connections.” She smiled, only letting go of Jiang Cheng’s shoulder once he seemed much better. “Wangji is highly trained and I trust he can find him, but I will be getting into contact with those.”

Of course, she left out telling them about the possibility of him being taken into hell, despite the likelihood. If he had become a demon, there was no reversing it, but it was better than him being captured by other groups. if he was captured by demons, there was a much higher likelihood he was alive.

“For now, we will hope for the best.”

Lan Wangji brought his hands together in a salute, and left the throne room quickly to do as instructed.

See other COI/MDZS content here on my masterpost. ❤Art for the banner is here.

[one snippet of a chengqing holiday romcom that is nearly complete!] [previous part] 

If Jiang Cheng learned nothing else over the past few years, it was how to fake confidence he didn’t feel. So he strode into Jin Guangyao’s living room without hesitation, Jin Ling on one hip and the other kid-- A-Yuan, apparently-- on the other. Thank goodness he’d bought two of that stupid toy dog. Jin Guangyao followed a step behind, his face plastered with the apologetic smile Jiang Cheng knew meant that he, too, was feeling somewhat overwhelmed. 

It was like a bizarre, live reenactment of what he’d seen on Wen Qing’s tablet screen. She sat talking to her brother, who looked wide-eyed at Jiang Cheng as he entered. An older woman sat beside them on Jin Guangyao’s couch, and perched on the arm of the couch, staring at Jiang Cheng with a slightly haunted expression, like he might bolt any second, was Wei Wuxian.

Also, for some reason, Lan Wangji was there. Even more inexplicably, so was his brother, Lan Xichen, whose habitual smile brightened as they stepped into the room. Jiang Cheng was a little surprised that either he or Jin Ling would elicit this response, but then he realized Lan Xichen was looking at Jin Guangyao. 

Well, that was emphatically not his problem. 

“Hi,” he said. 

“JIUJIU, THEY CAME FOR CHRISTMAS!” Jin Ling yelled in his ear, and A-Yuan yelled am indistinct agreement in the other ear. Jiang Cheng set them both down.

“Right,” he said. “I don’t know what the f-- heck is happening, but...”

“Lan Wangji sent a private jet,” Wei Wuxian said, sounding understandably dazed. Of course the Lans had a private jet. 

“Brother arranged it,” Lan Wangji corrected.

“Ah, it’s Nie Mingjue’s,” Lan Xichen hurriedly added. “I don’t believe in... the environmental impact...” 

“It was an emergency,” Lan Wangji said. 

Jiang Cheng looked to Wen Qing. “So...”

“So, I made Wei Wuxian explain what the h-- what on earth was going on,” Wen Qing said. “And as we were talking, this guy-- Lan Wangji?-- called. And somehow that led to everyone flying here.” 

“On a plane!!” A-Yuan supplied helpfully. “Like--” He stuck his arms out to represent wings and made a pretty respectable engine noise. 

“Right,” Jiang Cheng said. “All I know is that it’s way past some people’s bedtime, and this apartment is too small. Anyone who wants to have a conversation about something, let’s just... go back to my place, and then we can talk and just... all go to bed.” Seeing Jin Ling about to protest, he preemptively added, “After all, if we don’t go to bed, Santa won’t come.” 

“How many cars do we have?” Wen Qing asked. “Yours, Lan Wangji’s...”

“Do you have a car?” Lan Xichen asked Jin Guangyao with a smile. 

“Oh... well, no, actually, I don’t drive much--” (Lan Xichen’s smile widened) “--but I could get us a ZipCar if... but I don’t think Jiang Cheng meant--”

“Jin Ling would certainly want you to come,” Lan Xichen said. Jiang Cheng didn’t snort, which he thought he deserved some credit for. Sure, Jin Ling. 

“Okay,” Wen Qing said briskly, and began giving marching orders and seating arrangements at such a speed that Jiang Cheng hardly knew what had happened-- just suddenly, he was alone in a car with Wei Wuxian. 

'Cause I Don't Care if I Lose My Mind

'Cause I don't care if I lose my mind (I'm already cursed) by Potatoes Radishes

His mind wandered to how Senior Wei had commanded an inferno of it, almost as if he had sprouted wings with how the resentful energy emerged from his back -he had never seen anything like it before- and wrapped around the demons, killing them instantly. It was like a scene out of a legend.

He and Jingyi hadn't encountered a single living beast, but they hadn't seen Hanguang-jun either, the place had once been a forest, but now it was a complete burning pit of flames. The two came to a halt when an angry roar ripped through the surroundings, Jingyi cursed loudly, attempting to grab Sizhui as if to move back but he dodged his grasp and continued to run, eyes on the compass.

'No, no, that meant the large demon was still alive', Sizhui couldn't breathe, he couldn't lose him again, he couldn't lose Senior Wei again, in his panic he briefly noticed the corpses of the smaller beasts rising again, but the fear he felt in his heart wasn't for his own well-being.

Words: 1387, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 魔道祖师 | Módào Zǔshī (Cartoon)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Gen

Characters: Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, OC Lan Disciples, Lán Jǐngyí

Relationships: Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī & Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Lán Jǐngyí & Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī

Additional Tags: resentful energy, Hurt Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, BAMF Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn Deserves Love, Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī Needs a Hug, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji being the badass fighters they are, Panic Attacks, subtle tho, no beta we die like qin su, Prompt Fill, sorta, lan xichen arrives near the end tbh, POV Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī, Wei Wuxian has Wings made of Resentful Energy

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47605453

The Bridge Is Crossed (Excerpt)

I say ‘excerpt’ as if there’s literally any other piece of this fic that exists -- there Is Not. This is the first and so far only example of this fic, but this scene would not leave me alone so here we are. This is essentially a play-by-play of The Point of No Return as narrated by Raoul (Lan Xichen) having to watch his lover get felt up and like it very publically by the madman they’re all there to take down. So hot lol. I do recommend listening to the song (the Gerard Butler/Emmy Rossum version) while reading if you feel so inclined, but it’s hopefully not necessary to get the same sense of tension and rhythm and sensuality. But also: forgive me father, for I have thoroughly abused my repertoire of adverbs in my effort to make this feel like music lol.

ANYWAY, here you go @wishthatiwasnessiesgirl, @wincestielfttfwin, and anyone else who’s excited about this lol:

-/-

Meng Yao looks so…small down on the stage. Lit by gas lamps, eyes dusted dark and wide, face pale, cheeks rouged pink, he looks as innocent as he’s meant to be. Delicate, breakable. Positioned to be taken advantage of.

Lan Xichen’s heart clenches in his chest, his fist on the gold banister of the fateful Box Five, waxed and polished to gleaming save for where the sweat gathering on his palm has smudged the finish. Meng Yao’s performance thus far has been flawless despite the fear he’d wept out into Lan Xichen’s shoulder just fifteen minutes before curtain, but the longer the show goes on without any sign of their Phantom the more likely he is to break under the unbearable strain of waiting.

There is a brief lull in the space between the plan being agreed upon between Don Juan and his faithful servant and the beginning of the agreed upon seduction, and within that breath Lan Xichen feels the air change. Imperceptible, perhaps just a trick of his imagination, but the moment Meng Yao settles on his mark – downstage left, so brightly lit this close to the lamps he seems to glow from within, pure and untouched – Lan Xichen knows, deep in his bones, that this is it. The climax, the pivotal moment of this narrative their Phantom has concocted. There is no doubt in his mind, even before Don Juan returns to the stage suddenly taller, broader, and far younger beneath his mask than Wen Ruohan has been in quite some time, that this is the moment they’ve been waiting for through weeks and weeks of anxiety-fuelled rehearsals, and the slow terror of this horrible opening night.

Don Juan stage whispers his instruction to his servant, and for that moment he sounds enough like Wen Ruohan that the difference is likely not immediately obvious to those in the audience who aren’t nearly as familiar with their cast as Lan Xichen is. But then he opens his mouth to sing, and there is no room for doubt any longer.

An uneasy ripple passes through those in the know – the guards and the police stationed everywhere they possibly can be, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji in their Managers’ Box across the theater, the chorus dancers Lan Xichen can barely see huddled in uneasy clusters around the legs in the wings to watch – but no one yet makes a move. The Phantom is unpredictable after all, and the last thing any of them want is to see Meng Yao injured in haste, so they must let it go on until the perfect moment to strike.

The tension spirals upwards on the drifts of smoke from the torches that dot the set, and Meng Yao turns slowly to look over his bared shoulder, kneeling on the stage, a red rose falling from limp fingers back into the basket at his knees as he must register the arrival of his Phantom. Lan Xichen can no longer see his expression, but he can only hope that his perpetual mask – or his stage acting – is good enough to hide how petrified he must be.

There is no denying the magnetism of the Phantom, Lan Xichen realizes with a bit of a start. His voice is rich and warm, sweeping through the theater with a confidence, a power, that even Wen Ruohan doesn’t always possess. He sings of passion, and succumbing, and deep, dark desires that need not be hidden any longer – private things laid bare for the world to know in a way that makes Lan Xichen’s stomach clench in the hushed silence between phrases, in the rests of the rising sweep of the orchestra.

The urge to stop this all, to bundle Meng Yao off the stage into his arms and let law enforcement handle this madman they’ve all become servant to nearly overwhelms him. But the Phantom is gently, carefully, almost tenderly leading Meng Yao across the stage by the hand, slow, cautious steps further and further stage right, away from Lan Xichen, away from immediate help, and so Lan Xichen simply clenches his fist hard enough to leave imprints of his nails in his palm and stays silent.

A swell of strings, a building intensity in volume and tempo both. The lonesome, sweet call of violins rising above the orchestra to sing along and enrich the demands of the seducer. Coaxing, entreating, and Lan Xichen feels every beat of it in his chest while Meng Yao follows where he’s led, helpless. Innocent.

There is the briefest pause, a mere half-beat of rest at the end of a series of leading questions, and then Meng Yao’s sweet tenor is rising high into the rafters, a breath of fresh air sweeping through the haze of dark devotion delivered by his ‘Don Juan’. He turns back to where he began, feet bare under the uneven hem of his beaded sort-of-skirt as he crosses to his first mark and then closer still to the edge of the stage, seeming close enough to touch though Lan Xichen knows it’s impossible from this height.

For the first time since the Phantom stepped onto his stage, Meng Yao looks up to meet Lan Xichen’s eyes once again, his gaze clear and reassuring as his voice soars easily through the music written obsessively, lovingly, possessively just for him. There is a flicker in the corner of Lan Xichen’s eye, the turning of a masked gaze up to where he sits, piercing and intense, but Lan Xichen keeps his own gaze on Meng Yao and recognizes in him the silent signal, ‘Not yet. Wait.’.

Lan Xichen will trust Meng Yao a little farther, and he will have to hope he can save him in time.

Those present who are not nearly so versed as he in Meng Yao’s mannerisms misunderstand – behind him he hears the metal clock of a gun being readied, and when he glances across the theater it’s to see Wei Wuxian stumbling from his seat to bring the police officer outside their box inside, standing at the ready. Lan Xichen uncurls his fist long enough to lift his palm from the banister in the universal gesture to stand down, and everyone settles into uneasy attentiveness once again as onstage Meng Yao sings of fantasy, and of entwining bodies, and of how badly he wants to give into it all.

Meng Yao turns back to face the Phantom then, full of resolve, and Lan Xichen tells himself that it is not the rejection it feels like, it is simply the role Meng Yao has to play for all of their sakes. The caught lover, not so innocent as he first appeared, willing to lie down and accept the affection that was meant to be forced upon him. Lan Xichen knows this, but something looming and possessive takes root in his hollow chest as the gaping collar of Meng Yao’s barely-existent shirt slips down, both shoulders abruptly bared once again as he turns his back on Lan Xichen and the Phantom takes several breaths deep enough that Lan Xichen can see his chest expanding all the way from the balcony, his lips parted beneath the harsh line of his mask, clearly as affected as Lan Xichen would be were he the focus of such sensual attention.

The music swells again, Meng Yao’s voice skating effortlessly through his own rising tension as he climbs his set of stairs up to the catwalk high above the rest of the set, the Phantom rising with him, his mirror at stage right. Lan Xichen is drifting to his feet with them before he can think better of it, caught up entirely in the way they don’t dare to look away from each other as they ascend, as they agree through word and deed both to give into the passion blooming between them.

They reach the top, their positions now equal, actively engaged in to lift them to the same height, no more power imbalance now that they’ve knowingly chosen each other. The Phantom sweeps off the cape covering one shoulder and takes the few measured steps necessary to meet Meng Yao in the middle –

Lan Xichen gasps – inaudible under the deafening crescendo of the orchestra and the soaring, flawless twining of their two voices, tenor and bass – as the Phantom suddenly grabs Meng Yao by the narrowest part of his waist and yanks him closer, twists him by the hands to wrap his arms around him, holding him pressed tightly against his chest. Lan Xichen’s vision swims and he can’t seem to catch his breath through parted lips as he watches Meng Yao clutch onto the arm around his waist for dear life, his head tipped back and eyes closed in ecstasy as the Phantom drags his free hand up from Meng Yao’s grasping fingers to caress his chest firmly enough to drag at his thin shirt, to curl around his neck and hold him still, temple pressed to cheek in an unmistakable lovers’ embrace.

And Meng Yao wants it.

Lan Xichen knows him well, knows him intimately, and there is no doubt in his mind – jealousy aside – that right now, in this moment, Meng Yao wants to be nowhere else but in this madman’s arms. Held. Wanted. Adored and admired for all that he is. Lan Xichen’s heart aches but he finds he can’t begrudge his partner even this. His life has been so difficult, so lonesome despite the fact that he’s grown up in the crowded dormitories of the opera house. Is it any wonder he still loves the angel who’d come to him in the night, despite knowing now who his angel truly is?

Lan Xichen sinks back down into his seat as the music lulls, as the theater falls once again into a reverent hush to give the lovers a moment to breathe.

And then, so soft and sweet Lan Xichen doesn’t realize at first that the sweet tenor melody is coming from the Phantom : a plea. An entreaty. So different from the commands of before, the confidence, the power that he’s shown until this. Now instead he’s vulnerable. Tender. At the mercy of Meng Yao and his promise of returned affection. Lan Xichen’s heart aches again for his beseeching, the sweetest and truest desire expressed between them yet, and realizes a few moments too late that their Phantom isn’t singing the words he’d written in the script – they fit the same melody, but they’re the words that Lan Xichen himself had once sung to Meng Yao out on the rooftop, certain at the time that they had been alone in their newly blooming love.

He gasps again, audible this time in the quiet, and feels something twist loose in his chest, something he doesn’t have the time to identify before the music swells again, crescendoes – and Meng Yao rips off his Phantom’s mask with vicious hands that had just moments ago sweetly caressed that ruined face.

“Go!” Lan Xichen shouts, but the Phantom is, as ever, two steps ahead. He grabs Meng Yao once again by the waist and drops abruptly into a trap door built into the set, and through the pandemonium of the audience finally clocking that something has gone horribly wrong Lan Xichen launches himself from his seat and runs through the gilded, marble hallways. He skids to a stop when he reaches the ground floor as people begin to run screaming from the floor seats, and he watches in horror through the open doors and above the heads of the boiling crowd as the chandelier swings wildly from one side of the theater to the other, plaster and wood crashing down from the ceiling as the chain that holds the mass of crystal and flame aloft tears through it all like so much wet paper.

It crashes to the ground with a shock that Lan Xichen feels in every bone in his body, but he doesn’t have the time to stop and help – what can he do in the face of such horrible danger and panic? – and so as his brother’s beloved opera house begins to burn he continues his headlong flight into the wings until he spots a familiar face.

“Huaisang!” he shouts over the din of the opera house denizens screaming and running for their lives as the smell of smoke begins to choke from the roaring fire in the audience. “Where have they gone?!”

Nie Huaisang stares at him for a too-long moment before resolve strengthens his weak features, and Lan Xichen watches the mask of the simple but sharp-eyed ballet master fall away to quietly reveal a man with nerves as steady as his own.

“Follow me. I’ll take you to him.”

Without another word they run into the bowels of the opera house, down, down, down to where the gilding and the marble and the velvet all cease, where the walls are no longer the humble wood and plaster of the backstage areas, but are instead cold wet stone, flickering torchlight, and an endless staircase down, down, down into the depths.

Lan Xichen is going to end this once and for all, one way or another.