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connectjump · 2 years

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okay modern-day au with the MDZS characters, but make it a ghost-hunter au because it's been rattling around in my head for a while.

the unlikely four-man squad starting: wwx, jc, nhs, and lwj.

wei wuxian -

the unofficial leader of the group made it after a night of drinking and eating snacks with jc & nhs where he brought it up and they all went "sure why not".

wwx is the dude who always has something funny to say and jc is always ready to throw a response that others will quote or make fan art of.

makes a lot of equipment since he likes making things, and tinkering with whatever they do own to make it even better.

even better meaning it'll annoy the living hell out of jc.

is a bit of a spirit magnet. this is both good, and dangerous due to nhs's sensitivity to spirits.

he picks the places that the group will go to and is always ready to drop extra history of the place at the worst time.

aka the things, a ghost or demon might have done to a living person.

wwx : SO! it was in this very room that this one dude died [very horrible death]. jc is very much on the side of team, "stop talking before you freak out nhs anymore than he already is."

may or may not have talked lwj into joining their group. he may or may not also tease lwj any chance he gets.

jiang cheng -

jc is the voice of reason on the team. for every three ideas wwx has, jc has four ready in response of why, no, and absolutely not.

in charge of finding places to stay, and finding local shops in the area to interview folks.

probably hates the sound of the spirit box.

jc very much seemed the one whose not so easily startled when something happens, and usually has a logical explanation to keep himself and others calm.

jc can repel spirits to a small degree, the zone is about a 5mm radius around his person and those near him are safe and unaffected by the spirits. he isn't aware of this skill.

the designated driver of the group. can read a map, but uses the GPS that was gifted to him.

He's also the one who comments on the layout of everywhere they visit because if nobody is going to mention how POORLY thought out these old haunted buildings are. he will bring it up.

"these blueprints fucking suck. i would come back to haunt this place and the son of a bitch who made it if i died here." - jc

nie huaisang -

nhs joined the group because what's more fun than doing something with your friends after doing things you do not want to do.

poor nhs.

nhs is very much the sort of guy in the group who is like "i know a guy, who knows a guy and that guy knows something really interesting about this place."

wwx and jc never ask how nhs knows people or the more cryptic things about the building because nhs's only response was "the ghosts told me" in the most serious voice and they've been too scared to bring the question up again.

how and what nhs knows can be for nhs to know only.

wishes that he wasn't the one left alone in an area all by himself without the lights on, a mag light, a radio, and a spirit box.

spirits like the little guy, but nhs does not care much for them.

the one who's the most sensitive to spirits. but lwj is helping him with training to better resist the push & pull from spirits.

lwj and nhs are an unlikely duo when working together and outside of ghost hunting. the two know one another prior to ghost hunting due to their families, but never really interacted much more than was needed of them.

lan wangji -

the fourth member of the group! a surprising addition to the ones who know him and a fan favorite.

lwj is good with the equipment that they use and watching cameras when at base camp.

his family has knowledge of spirits, how to handle them, bring them peace, and help them crossover.

lwj makes sure that the group is well-protected and safe if the location is truly dangerous to them. wwx is always happy to show off whatever little charm (sometimes a little rabbit is often doodled on the charms!!) or a talisman lwj has made for the group.

he helps to round the group out, and fans enjoy how monotone he sounds and how unaffected he seems by the supernatural occurrences happening.

lwj is often paired with wwx when the group splits up into pairs. fans seem to enjoy their interactions, especially seeing how close the two of them become since lwj is very much still lwj.

lwj finds himself impressed with the group as a whole, everyone works well with one another, and their personalities mesh well.

when on break from ghost hunting wwx gifts lwj two rabbits, he will often post pictures of them online or send pictures of them into the ghost hunting group chat. the rabbits are spoiled rotten, most of it is lwj, but jc is also the next biggest spoiler of the rabbits with wwx and nhs being tied.

#i DonT cARE ABOUT tHE rABBits #mdzs au #mdzs modern au #mdzs ghost hunters au #the ghost hunting quartet #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #nie huaisang #lan wangji #I WASN'T SUPER SURE OF HOW TO TAG THIS BUT TAKE IT #GET THE RATTLING OF THIS AU OUT OF MY HEAD!!!#sorry if it's ooc!!! i just want this to be free of my brain #jc my beloved #in this au lwj get's friends and by golly does he care about them #trust me the ghosts are scary but nhs is even more scary #- jc when asked if he likes lwj's rabbits while holding bags of rabbit goods #wwx is very much a chaotic loveable goober as per usual and you can believe when he realizes his feelings for lwj #he is very much like :0 and is a very cute mess #if anyone else finds joy in this bless you i just want these goobers to have some good fun silly times #feel free to babble or yell if you enjoy this!#papaya mumblings

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eleanorfenyxwrites · 2 years

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The Sculptor

Chapter 1 - The Ad

[Masterpost] [AO3]

This whole fic was inspired by @ceru-draws' incredible fanart (here) - which I'll be embedding with permission in the appropriate place in the fic over on AO3 once we get there - as well as in part by the original painting by John Koch that the fanart is based on (here's my reblog of ceru's post that includes a bit of context and a link to the original piece). Koch's painting is from 1964 but I've set the fic in the 70's instead just because I wanted to.

A quick housekeeping note: this fic heavily features a lavender marriage between Wen Qing and Lan Wangji, so if that bothers you give this one a pass - they're platonic, of course, but they do love each other very much and are still married at the end of the fic because I mean. It's a lavender marriage in 1970's suburban America. Also, I wrote this entire fic legitimately in the span of three days, so research was uhhhh very loosely done, don't look at anything too closely and just roll with the vibes (as per my usual). Anyway - I hope you enjoy!

-/-

From the moment his new model steps into the studio, Wei Wuxian knows that this is a man unaccustomed to this line of work.

It’s not impossible, he supposes, for someone to read his ad in the paper - worded somewhat delicately so as not to offend any good ol’ bread and butter types and their prudish sensibilities over their morning coffee and bacon - and not understand exactly what it is he’s looking for.

Wanted: Subject to pose as reference for neoclassical academic commission. Tall-ish height and muscular physique helpful, but not necessary. 3 months’ pay at min. Enquire at Yiling Fine Arts Collective if interested.

The man who steps into the studio could very well be the very god Wei Wuxian has been asked to portray in his newest piece, though the true shape of him is a little difficult to make out under the prim cut of his suit, well-tailored and clearly expensive. He’s got the height Wei Wuxian had wanted, anyway, and perhaps then some; and when he catches sight of the man’s hands holding the brim of his hat he wonders if it’s too late to ask his client if he wouldn’t want to perhaps commission something specifically dedicated to such an incredibly lovely feature.

“Hi,” Wei Wuxian says a few beats too late. “Hey-“ he stands from behind his easel that currently contains nothing more than an extremely vague sketch to help plan the layout of a potential piece and steps forward to stick a hand out.

The man - God? Angel? Man - hesitates a brief moment before stretching his hand out and taking Wei Wuxian’s carefully in his warm, smooth grip.

“My name’s Wei Wuxian,” he offers when the man just continues to watch him with honey-gold eyes, his gaze intense though whether that’s from the strange color of his eyes or the sharp cut of his brows - or something else entirely - it’s hard to say. “Are you here about the modeling position?”

“Mn. My name is Lan Wangji. I wish to ask for further details.”

Wei Wuxian is fairly sure that if he were still near his stool he’d sink right down onto it. Lan Wangji’s voice is deep and smooth, resonant without being overbearing, and between the suit and that voice he can’t help wonder just what it is this Lan Wangji does for a living. He’s never seen an artists’ model dress like that, for one, and he’s also fairly sure that he’s been around the local art scene more than long enough to know if any of them had such a handsome man for their muse.

“Sure, sure,” he says easily instead of voicing any of his own questions. He gestures for Lan Wangji to sit on the stool behind the easel and hustles over to the sink in the corner to empty out a tin bucket full of canvas scraps and nubby charcoal sticks so he can overturn it and use it for a makeshift stool in front of him. “What do you want to know?”

Lan Wangji settles his hands on his knees and makes Wei Wuxian’s humble wooden stool seem like a throne for all his poise and gravitas. “I am..uncertain how these commissions work. You say it is..academic?”

Wei Wuxian nods quickly - and then grimaces a little as he raises his hand palm down and gives it a bit of an uncertain waggle. “Well..sort of. It’s an academic subject anyway, and like it says in the ad it’s neoclassical in style-” he pauses to check Lan Wangji’s expression, but he doesn’t seem confused so Wei Wuxian is just going to assume he’s familiar enough with the movement to know what that means, - “so it’s perfectly acceptable for stuck-up scholarly, professor types.”

Lan Wangji stiffens minutely and Wei Wuxian laughs just a bit, fidgeting with his hands between his knees.

“Ah…Don’t tell me you’re a professor, Lan Wangji?”

“Mn. I am not offended.”

“Oh good,” Wei Wuxian exhales in a rush with another laugh, less nervous this time. “Apologies anyway, but you know what I mean. Oxford types, British museum types - not that my work is going to end up in either of those hallowed halls, but that’s what the client wants, for it to look as if it could have made it there had they not snatched it up first.”

“Mn. The length of the contract?”

“Three months minimum, yes. Ideally I’d like it to be longer, but most people who’d respond to an artists’ ad around here aren’t really looking for long-term work. Are you?”

“No.”

“Right. Professor. Probably with a lovely tenure and everything?”

Lan Wangji hesitates for a moment before he nods, just once, and a long lock of hair slips over his shoulder to fall gracefully on his chest as if it was always meant to be there. Wei Wuxian has the strangest urge to stand up and tuck it behind his ear for him.

“Just looking for a way to keep occupied over the summer, then?” Wei Wuxian teases with a little smile and props his elbow on his knee, his chin in his hand.

“I find myself…requiring extra funds,” Lan Wangji says delicately, as if waiting to be made fun of.

“You have my sympathies, any artist understands that situation very very well,” Wei Wuxian reassures him with a smile and thinks he sees something like relief in that inscrutable but beautiful face. “Luckily for you, my clients have paid half the commission in advance, and I had a very generous benefactor for my last two projects who have left me comfortable enough to be able to give the whole of what I’ve received for this one so far to my model. I can pay you fair wages for your time for three months at the least, and when that’s up we can see where we’re at.”

Lan Wangji nods again after another brief hesitation. Wei Wuxian, normally not used to keeping quiet, feels like there’s another question incoming so he denies his usual instincts and waits.

“Your..preferences,” Lan Wangji eventually prompts, and now he won’t quite meet Wei Wuxian’s eyes. There’s a long pause while Wei Wuxian waits for an actual question about them, but all Lan Wangji does is clarify, “...In physical attributes.”

Wei Wuxian can’t help but grin. “Yeah, I knew what you meant, don’t worry. You’re definitely tall enough for what I’d like, but it’s a bit hard to tell your physique until you undress-“

Wei Wuxian cuts himself off as Lan Wangji’s eyes widen when they snap abruptly to his. He sits up straight and drops his grin, nerves jangling down his spine at the sight of Lan Wangji’s clear alarm.

“Undress?”

“Yes,” Wei Wuxian replies with a sinking heart - it had been a misunderstanding then, though how that actually happened he has no idea. In all of history hasn’t everyone known that artists need nude models? Particularly for the western style? Isn’t that a whole thing?! “That’s a requirement. Not all the time, I suppose, and definitely not right away…but a neoclassical piece means a nude or mostly-nude figure, Lan Wangji. I’ll need a nude model.”

“I…Yes, of course,” Lan Wangji prevaricates. He’s too well-disciplined to fidget, Wei Wuxian would guess, but it’s painfully clear that he wants to. “I understand.”

He doesn’t get up to leave or else seem like he’s trying to cut the conversation short all the sudden, so after a beat too long Wei Wuxian forces himself to relax again back into his slightly slumped posture. “So…Have I answered all of your questions?”

“There is one more.”

“Alright, go ahead.”

“When would you like me to begin?”

Wei Wuxian blinks and a slow grin spreads across his face. He’d only put the ad out on Sunday - it’s now Tuesday morning and already he’s got the perfect specimen sitting in front of him asking when they can get started. It’s far too good of an opportunity to waste.

“I’m just working on some general beginning sketches for now, but everything is better with a reference to work from. You can start today if you’d like, or…maybe tomorrow? It’s not like I need you to get totally nude from the start or anything but I’m not sure if being dressed in a suit will work for the poses I’m thinking of...”

“No need. I will start now,” Lan Wangji states and stands to shrug neatly out of his suit jacket. Wei Wuxian blinks up at him for a stunned moment and then hurries to his feet to take the jacket out of his hands so he can take off his waistcoat next. Wei Wuxian takes that from him too, tries not to be overly distracted by the warmed silk slipping against his fingers. “Acceptable?” Lan Wangji asks when he’s rolled up his shirt sleeves to above his elbows, each flip of the cuffs neat and perfectly aligned.

“Yeah. Great,” Wei Wuxian says despite the fact that he, at least, wouldn’t exactly want to lounge around a studio for a day in pressed trousers and suspenders, but he supposes Lan Wangji looks comfortable enough. Wei Wuxian takes his jacket, waistcoat, and hat over to the coat rack near the door to hang everything up neatly with a care he never shows his own garments (then again it’s not like he owns anything nearly as precious as Lan Wangji’s things).

“What is the subject?” Lan Wangji asks once Wei Wuxian returns and begins cobbling together a set-up that’s comfortable enough that Lan Wangji hopefully won’t mind sitting around on it for a few hours.

“Ah? Oh, Prometheus,” Wei Wuxian says distractedly. “We haven’t settled on the exact scene yet, but he’s certain he wants him for the piece, so it’s enough to start with.”

“Mn. There is much there to work with,” Lan Wangji agrees smoothly, calm as a lake.

“Ah, you know it, then? That’s great. What do you teach, Lan Wangji?”

“Chinese classical literature.”

“Ah of course, of course,” Wei Wuxian laughs as he tries to soften the too-hard wood of his sturdiest bench with a few blankets and pillows layered over a few yards of spare canvas folded into a rectangle for a bit of padding. “That makes perfect sense, I’m sure you’re great at it.”

“In what way does it make sense?” Lan Wangji asks, but not like he’s offended by the comment as Wei Wuxian assumes he might be if it came from ah…others around their lily-white town.

“You’re the perfect image of a scholarly gentleman, Lan Wangji! Of course you’d teach something so dignified.”

Wei Wuxian glances at the man over his shoulder to spot him looking quietly pleased and maybe a little pink around the ears before he schools his expression into neutrality again. Wei Wuxian just grins widely at him before he thumps the last pillow a few times to fluff it and steps back from his handiwork. It’s a rough-and-tumble sort of seating arrangement, he supposes, but he’ll admit that he wasn’t exactly prepared to have a handsome man lounging around his studio so soon. It’ll just have to do until he can manage to find an acceptable sofa somewhere within his network of contacts. Perhaps Nie Huaisang has a spare one laying around the endless storeroom of his theatre that he can persuade his friend to let him borrow.

“Alright, I’ll start with just sketching you for now, I need to get familiar with you before we move on to anything too complicated,” Wei Wuxian says as he steps back and gestures for Lan Wangji to take a seat. “Just sit however is most comfortable for you, and I’ll tell you if and when I’d like for you to move, alright? You don’t have to stay perfectly still, but try to pick a pose you can hold for a while, and of course I’ll understand if you can’t last very long just yet. Stamina comes with time and practice.”

Lan Wangji’s gaze is intense again, maybe even more so than before, as he meets Wei Wuxian’s eyes for a long moment and then nods with one of his little hums that Wei Wuxian is quickly becoming sure are his usual method of talking if he has to.

He leaves Lan Wangji to get settled in and bustles over to his easel to set out a clean sheet the color of fresh cream and arrange his favorite pencils in the tray in front of him. He takes a moment to sharpen a couple of them with the penknife he keeps in his apron pocket and when he looks up from his task it’s to find Lan Wangji sitting as still as a statue perched just on the edge of the hastily-padded bench, hands on his knees and shoulders loose as he looks right at Wei Wuxian.

“You sure that’s going to be comfortable enough for you?” Wei Wuxian checks and he’s treated to the slightest upward twitch of one of Lan Wangji’s severe brows.

“Mn.”

“Alright,” Wei Wuxian chuckles. “It’s your back, not mine.”

Wei Wuxian takes a couple minutes, pencil hovering just over the page, to study Lan Wangji slightly more objectively than he has so far.

He’s beautiful, of course, that much is obvious, but Wei Wuxian takes the time to figure out why. What is it about this man that makes him so arresting? Is it his eyes, sharp and distant as a hawk’s? His nose, the tip of it a surprisingly soft contrast to his gaze? His lips, equally full and soft beneath it? His brows are heavy, but not so much that they overwhelm - they’re a good anchor for the rest of his face, a harsh line above his equally-intense eyes.

Wei Wuxian’s gaze travels further downward and he realizes that even though Lan Wangji is still dressed in at least two layers - undershirt and crisp linen button-down - it’s still clear that he’s muscular. There are faint hints of a tightly toned figure through the neat tailoring of his shirt, and Wei Wuxian shamelessly studies the strength in his arms, across his chest, before his gaze dips down to the narrow trim of his waist, caught neatly by his trousers’ unforgiving waistband. From there he lingers over his powerful thighs, his elegant hands curled into loose fists on his knees so that his knuckles stand out in sharp relief; the faintest hint of veins along the backs of his palms thread a few inches up his bared forearms, drawing the eye back up towards his chest again.

Wei Wuxian begins sketching, half his attention on the paper and half on Lan Wangji sitting there like he’ll never move again.

His eyes haven’t left Wei Wuxian throughout his study, and Wei Wuxian doesn’t let himself wonder what Lan Wangji makes of him in return.

He’s a professional, and Lan Wangji came to him in his capacity as an artist, as someone willing and able to pay him for his services - entirely on the up-and-up. Wei Wuxian won’t take advantage of that trust, no matter how much he wants to find out if there’s anything that can make that stoic facade crack.

#the untamed fanfic #Wangxian #Lan Wangji #Wei Wuxian #I will also be using 'outdated' terms in places and I will not accept unnecessary criticism for my choices #In my opinion there's absolutely nothing 'unwoke' about using queer or transsexual to describe people particularly in queer history #and I will not apologize for my use of them here both for historical context and because they're legitimate words #Nothing but respect for my queer fore-parents #and the words they used to define themselves

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