#both literally and in the sense of cultivating a life i can love and i can be proud of
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*everyone at the farmers market wishes to know me carnally meme voice* I'm the most eligible person in this apartment
#the duality of fran#im!!!!!!!!! cooking!!!!#both literally and in the sense of cultivating a life i can love and i can be proud of#btw im making pesto pasta w asparagus mozzarella and sundried tomato. jsyk#also the cad apron fucks. its actually better quality than my prev. which i uh. accidentally burned a hole in (put it on a hot stove burner)#oops!#i even said nice things abt my thighs this weekend#sure it was in a joke with a school friend about being able to kill someone with them#but!!!!! i have to embrace that my genes are strong girl farm???? meme. and not like. androgynous vampiric waif#im in LOVE with the vamps. i personally. would be a werewolf. beefy and stout and hairy. yknow .#dwarf in love with an elf type situation
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hello :D can you tell me why you like chengxian?
A Non-Comprehensive Guide to Twi's Love of ChengXian
Yes I spent time making this edit. I love them and I'm not an artist so sue me.
Short Answer: I love these two self-sacrificing assholes and their aesthetics and I think they should kiss and get a happy ending for once. If MXTX doesn't want to do it, I'll write it instead! 😤
Long Answer: Click the Read More
"As long as we both live in this world, we'll meet sooner or later." -- Vol1 Chap6
👏 MDZS literally doesn't happen without Yunmeng Shuangjie, it doesn't happen without the huge sense of debt and love and envy and pride and duty that comprises everything about the relationship between Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng. They must meet because their stories are so wrapped up in each other that where one ends and the other begins is a blurred line at best.
MXTX put in so much work to separate these two for the happily ever after she wanted and if you think about it too much you start to wonder if the Wei Wuxian we grew to love with this story, that says this kind of line, is ever going to be really happy without Jiang Cheng in his life.
💗It's not incest, but the boys wish it was. I am half-joking about this, but also absolutely serious. The vague labels on their relationship is a very big part of the point!
They are very much the Shixiong/shidi(mei) xianxia/wuxia romance trope. The talented and wonderful shixiong. The shidi(mei) that adores their shixiong but can't be honest about it. Childhood friends to sweethearts. MXTX uses this trope and subverts it by not making it endgame or letting the story just end with the tragedy of the First Siege.
She uses the power of this trope to feed into everything in and around the secret of the Golden Core Transfer. It ends up affecting the entire cultivation world as the greatest token of love, of devotion, of sacrifice, of consequence, of dubious consent, of the crux of the very story itself... which is just incredibly powerful.
And the rest of MDZS flows from that.
He had always thought Jiang Cheng would be the one standing with him, and Lan Wangji against him. He'd never imagined that reality would be the complete opposite.
This is literally errata from vol1 official pg 262 and I swear it wasn't put in the first time because it feeds ChengXian too much. You say that Wei Wuxian thought Jiang Cheng would always be by his side? He couldn't imagine a world where that wasn't true?? That now he's in a reality where it's the opposite??? Omg???? Like this is the sum of the ChengXian tragedy right here because MXTX made a reality where they couldn't be together! 💔😭
Like LOOK!
“When you become the family head, I’ll be your subordinate. We’ll be just like our fathers. Who cares about the Twin Jades of Lan? Our Yunmeng has Twin Heroes! So—just shut up. Who said you’re not worthy of being family head? No one’s allowed to say that, not even you. Say it and you’re asking to get beat.” --Vol3 Chap12
You see for me it's about the strain between love and duty and all the points where those two cross.
My actual favorite romance trope is king/lionheart - lord/devoted - leader/subordinate - patron/agent - master/servant - 知己 (zhiji)
this relationship of knowing is one that is worth dying for
“So when Wei-gongzi returned to seek us out, my jiejie was reluctant to even attempt the procedure, at first. She warned him that writing an essay was one thing, but actually doing it was quite another. She wasn’t even confident she’d have a fifty percent chance of success.
“But Wei-gongzi kept pestering her. He said fifty percent was fine; the chances of success and failure were equal. Even if it didn’t work out and his core was wasted, he wasn’t worried about his future—but that wasn’t the case for Sect Leader Jiang. He was too competitive, too focused on what he stood to gain and lose in this aspect, since cultivation was his life. And if Sect Leader Jiang could only ever be an ordinary, mediocre person, his life would be over.” --Vol4 Chap19
Wei Wuxian was willing to risk his life on a 50% chance if it meant Jiang Cheng would Live. Yes yes Wei Wuxian's patent assholery here about how Jiang Cheng is so competitive etc, classic fooling himself. The point is that Jiang Cheng wouldn't be Jiang Cheng anymore and Wei Wuxian would rather die than experience that. Would rather cut himself apart than fail to protect his shidi.
Speaking of failures...
Perhaps there was this:
“I didn’t get caught by the Wen Clan because I insisted on returning to Lotus Pier to retrieve my parents’ bodies.
“When you went to buy rations in that small town during our escape, a group of Wen cultivators caught up to us.
“I noticed them early and left the spot where I’d been sitting to hide in a corner of the street. I didn’t get caught, but they were patrolling, and they would have surely bumped into you while you were getting us food.
“So I ran out and lured them away.” --Vol5 Chap22
Jiang Cheng never wanted Wei Wuxian to die, let alone die for him. He breaks down at the shrine coming to terms with what he will ultimately think of as his fault. We know this because when he feels at fault he doesn't speak of his good intentions. So, he distracts the Wen-dogs from Wei Wuxian > Gets caught and survives, broken > as far as he knows he's miraculously healed > only to find out that Wei Wuxian was taken by the Wen-dogs anyway 3 months later > Jiang Cheng never speaks of his failures, so will never say how lost his core in the first place > a war and 13 years later he finds out that not only did he fail to protect Wei Wuxian from Wen-dogs, but now also knows unequivocally that Wei Wuxian's descent into heretic cultivation was his fault... again.
As tears streamed down his face, he hissed through gritted teeth, “…Why…why didn’t you tell me?!”
And he begs to know why Wei Wuxian would do this!
“Consider it a repayment of my debt to the Jiangs,” Wei Wuxian added.
Jiang Cheng raised his head and looked at him with bloodshot eyes. “…To my father, my mother, my sister?” he asked in a hoarse voice.
Not him. Wei Wuxian won't admit it's for Jiang Cheng--the shidi he meant to protect as a good shixiong, the master he was meant to support, the heir and symbol of the clan and sect he loved so much he would readily lose a hand to protect.
The way Wei Wuxian tortures Wen Zhuliu by leaving him whole and standing while his charge Wen Chao is torn up bit by bit... The delicious parallels of -- you made me a failure, now see how you like it, watch the one you are meant to protect be torn asunder.
...
Hold on I need a moment...
...
How about some cute stuff?
Wei Wuxian waved him off and then hooked his arm around Jiang Cheng’s shoulders. -- Vol1 Chap4
He put his arm around Jiang Cheng’s shoulders and dragged him over to the veranda railings to sit down.
[...]
Jiang Cheng was quiet, but he seemed to have calmed down a little. Wei Wuxian put an arm around his shoulders again. --Vol3 Chap12
💗Wei Wuxian is always all over the person/s he likes and loves. Jiang Yanli might have been the first to carry Wei Wuxian but Jiang Cheng's were the first shoulders he chose to hang off of. Jiang Cheng stands so straight because he is used to bearing Wei Wuxian's weight! (Also he's of the gentry, and you can make arguments about a rod in places where the sun doesn't shine, but Wei Wuxian benefits regardless!)
Among all the kicks and shoves and rough housing and sparring, they are just so tactile.
Gif from this post.
… Jiang Cheng, walk slower, you’re gonna throw me off.”
Not only did Jiang Cheng want to throw Wei Wuxian off, but he practically wanted to bash his head into the ground to create a human crater. “So fussy even though I’m carrying you!”
“I didn’t tell you to carry me,” Wei Wuxian reasoned.
Jiang Cheng flew into a rage. “If I didn’t carry you, I think you’d hang out at their ancestral hall all day, rolling around on the floor. I can’t afford this embarrassment! Lan Wangji took fifty more strikes than you, but he walked away on his own, and you’re not embarrassed, pretending to be an invalid? I don’t want to carry you anymore. Get the hell off!”
“No, I’m wounded,” Wei Wuxian said. --Vol1 Chap4
💜 Yes I am bringing back this quote from my Jiang Cheng appreciation post.
Hnng, I am trying to be more concise, but like one of the things I also enjoy in romance is how two imperfect people choose to be together and that choice that they make is the gold and solder that fits the pieces together into art. Sure MDZS didn't want to go there even though that's where it started, but to me it will only ever be the story of Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian.
Honestly even Yi City arc is YMSJ | CX to me.
Song Lan = Jiang Cheng
Xiao Xingchen = Wei Wuxian
Baoshan Sanren is involved
Eyes = Golden Core
Baixue Temple = Yunmeng Jiang
GUILT
RUNNING AWAY
Xue Yang = Yuan Qi (Resentment) Modao/Guidao
CORRUPTION
A-Qing = lwj being obsessed with WWX and fighting his use of guidao like a-Qing is distrustful of XY and XXC being friends with him.
XXC kills SL = WWX kills JC (figuratively, JYL's death destroyed the last of the JC from their childhood and all the trust he had in WWX (you cannot tell me that WWX doesn't feel like he caused JYL's death (he couldn't control the corpse that hurt her, he didn't sense the sword coming for him and she had to protect him)))
XXC's suicide and shattered soul is thus my grounds for headcanon to what actually happened to WWX at the First Siege, just sayin'
...
Anyway that's a bunch of canon stuff how about the realm of fanfiction/art?
Meme Format Reasons Twi is unwell about ChengXian:
From this post (yes that's my same edit)
Art Commissioned (So Far, more on the way and some I can't share yet) for ChengXian:
Happy ChengXian with Wei Wuxian in Purple by @robinade
Supportive ChengXian in pretty clothes! by Sugar_Shoal
Some more points for consideration:
💗 Point 1: They can't be normal about each other, due in large part by the people who raised them being unable to be normal about them either.
💗 Point 2: Their opposing ideologies, duties, and priorities make for the best drama, but in a better narrative, would balance each other.
💗 Point 3: Martial sibling romance ➡ tragedy! They fought together! Thought the future would be them together always! Then everything in the narrative tears it apart and all they're left with are the ashes of their choices and the lies that buried them.
💗 Point 4: Every AU where they end up happy instead!! 😭 I can't wait for @twinclownsoflotuspiers next CX Happy Ending event! Thankfully there is also @omiixcx coming up this APR 21st-27th! 👀 Yes that was a promo and prod.
💜 Point 5: ChengXian Pros = Zongzhu-shidi getting to love and protect his shixiong fully and truly without restraint.
🖤 Point 6: XianCheng Pros = Overprotective shixiong merciless in his affections for his Zongzhu-shidi.
💗 Point 7: Ship them for tropes based on miscommunication, acts of service, there was only one bed, boundary issues, genderfuckery, soul bound by choice, bickering, bantering, finishing each other's sentences, married-divorced-never-were, childhood shenanigans, cutting oneself on the other and denying the blood ever was...
...
I am not even getting into the monster/monster-maker aspect, am I? They are both at the same time!
JC makes WWX a monster by being the recipient of the golden core and believing WWX has control of guidao so encourages its use.
WWX makes JC a monster by lying to him until their relationship is broken irrevocably at the Bloodbath and years after JC is known for hunting demonic cultivators.
If you want to get really dark with it, there's also the cannibalistic aspect. WWX becomes a part of JC with the transfer. JC unwittingly consumes WWX and his fortune. The golden core is in the lower dantian, the belly, behind and below the navel. The symbology..! XianCheng is really good for the more gothic themes of the ship.
Let's be real, the vibes are straight up Wuthering Heights in multiple facets. MXTX recently admitted to that novel was one she read so insert conspiracy theory red string board meme here!
...
I spend a lot of time readdressing the themes introduced with the YMSJ dynamic and are exacerbated by the golden core transfer and the way Wei Wuxian handles and fails to handle that situation. I like how destructive they are about each other. There's a lot of potential there to create something together as well, but they were never given the chance.
Ideally, after the Jiang parents were gone and not influencing them anymore, or if they aged up enough to just stand on their own—and Wei Wuxian has his cultivation intact... Well in that scenario they could have easily stayed the Twin Prides/Heroes of Yunmeng and they would have been so happy being in the home they both loved and making the most of their lives one step at a time and arguing the whole way.
...
That's what fanfiction is for! 💜💗🖤
Hey, you made it to the end! I hope that was entertaining at least there is so much going on with this ship sometimes my brain just goes brrrr about it, y'know? Take care! Happy CX thoughts to you!
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The Twin Jades
dude sometimes I just come across such bad meta. it's even worse if it starts off good and turns bad.
Good Meta Points:
• The Lans really love younger child Wangji (no pets allowed, but wangji can have them. Wangji wants lotus pod seeds and gets them etc.)
• Instead of giving agency to his actions and thoughts, they think he's being influenced or corrupted by others to act in such ways (especially Lan Qiren.)
Bad Meta Points
• Lan Wangji is spoilt, similar to Nie Huaisang or Jin Zixuan.
• Gets the lowest punishment at all times (pfft.)
• "I get it you waited 13 years but you fucked off into the sunset with your husband leaving your emotionally unstable brother and duties"
• "Good to see people talking about Lan Wangji's flaws" - mentions him being spoilt and demanding instead of his actual flaws.
Like... you cannot seriously point out how he gets to have rabbits as a point of him being spoilt. Lan Wangji has made like one error in his life in his studies. He's assigned himself punishment for stuff that wasn't even done by will (coughs, wwx). He's made his decisions and lived with the consequences.
Despite what you say, Lan Xichen isn't a terrible brother to Wangji. Neither is Lan Wangji a selfish brother.
Sibling relationships are complex, and between two individuals with their own set of values. Lan Wangji is totally righteous, even more than Nie Mingjue. He can't stand exaggerated, political loopholes and unrighteous acts. He does what he can do, working on the ground level.
Lan Xichen isn't Lan Wangji. He knows the world is filled with corrupted people, and challenging each and every one of them would lead to your own devastation (read: Wei Wuxian's biography). Thus, he tries extending his sympathy to all, and draws conclusions that allow the least possible damage. He does think Lan Wangji made a dire mistake with Wei Wuxian, because if not, he will have to face the fact that the world punished his brother for his righteousness and it would shatter his whole foundation (like it does).
But despite that, both of them share similarities. They both want the better of the world. Lan Wangji is brave enough to challenge the whole foundation of the cultivation world. Lan Xichen is brave enough to lay down peace even when it's so painfully obvious there's no option of it.
Lan Wangji trusts his brother enough to bring Wei Wuxian back to Cloud Recesses after getting stabbed at Jin Tower. Lan Xichen lives up to this trust and helps them investigate the matter. Lan Wangji even assures Wei Wuxian that his brother would not stand for Jin Guangyao if his crimes were true.
See, you don't have to completely have the same sort of sets of beliefs to be siblings. Sibling relationships are complex. Both these brothers know each other, their strengths and their weaknesses well. They may be exasperated at each other's insistence, yet they are well aware that they both have to walk their own paths.
Lan Xichen could never take away Lan Wangji's pain or fix him. Neither can Lan Wangji fix Lan Xichen.
But both of them will always have each other's backs. They are each other's families. Each other's brothers for life.
But at the same time, they have each their own paths to walk. People need to understand that it's not about a lack of sense of responsibility on Lan Wangji's side, but the realization that if he went back home, he may lose Wei Wuxian again. His uncle wants to take him back, lecture him and lock him into seclusion. His uncle wouldn't accept his proposal to be married to Wei Wuxian.
He doesn't give his uncle the chance to "accept" or not.
And he literally returns three months later.
I can't help but feel that those who say he was selfish do not have siblings. Or have bad sibling relationships. I'd say Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen have a perfectly good relationship if despite their differences, their terrible parentage, their opposing personalities, the roles they both played in each other's life (with Lan Xichen being sworn brothers to Jin Guangyao who played a major role in Wei Wuxian's fall, and Lan Wangji being Wei Wuxian's husband, who in turn, set the case back onto Jin Guangyao, thus hurting Lan Xichen), the things they couldn't help each other out of, but yet, they do trust each other and love each other.
And I trust that Lan Xichen will one day figure stuff out. There's a lyric in this MDZS song called unfettered. It is like:
The past is akin to dew in the morning. Even if it can be comprehended, it lays under layers and layers of fog.
In the end, hatred, love, resentment, debts and regrets all come to pass.
Just like how Lan Wangji is not his father, Lan Xichen will also not be his father. I don't think both of them had hurtful intentions towards the other at any point.
It's not like "Yunmeng bros" where JC intentionally wishes to cause pain to Wei Wuxian. It's not like the Nie bros, where NMJ has to be super over-protective of Huaisang.
It's just two siblings with their own lives choosing to be with each other, in happiness and in grief (mostly in grief uhm) in a terrible world where the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
#Lan wangji#lan xichen#twin jades#twin jades of gusu#my meta#mdzs#mo dao zu shi#mdzs meta#mdzs essay#my essays#my thoughts
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Thoughts on ketu in purvashadha. I read your post on ketu's association with creativity but also any other observations. It's in 6h saggitarius with sun and mercury in mula. Thanks ❤
Hii
Again, rambled a lot 😭 but it's worth it.
Basically, you can read my post about ketu, I also talk about my ketu in jyeshta there but you just apply that to purva ashadha and its themes.
A good way to understand purva ashadha (and any other nakshatra) is to compare it to other nakshtaras ruled by the same planet, in this case, venus.
Bharani is venus channeled through mars(active mars, aries/1st house), which means that it takes the energies of venus and protects/defends(mars themes) them. This is mostly the origin of developing/cultivating beauty and abundance and the neccessity of gatekeeping in order to achieve that. It's also focused on self, because it's in aries, so, bharani is the nakshatra connected to physicality and the rules of the material world(in every sense), and how the female body itself is what birthes and manifests life into the material, and how its THE thing to be worshipped. I have a long post about bharani and yet I still have so much more I want to say about it 😭 but you get the gist.
Purva Phalguni is venus channeled through sun(leo/5th house) but it's more laid back, relaxed and more actively focused on enjoyment. Bharani is more passive and more focused on self-preservation than Purva Phalguni. Purva Phalguni finds pleasure in giving(Bharani is the yoni, P. Phalguni is the phallus). It's venus integrated into the identity/ego/self(sun). Bharani's self-focus is more about the literal body and basic self-awarness, P. Phalguni is about love, pleasure and art as enjoyment. Both Bharani and P. Phalguni are very sexual in nature, in different ways, but in my experience, even if natives of those two don't have much in common they still get along well, or at the very least genuinely appreciate and respect each other. Their yoni animals are said to have a special relationship(elephant and rat).
Now to Purva Ashadha, which is not as sexual(not usually and not overtly at least) as other venus nakshatras. It's venus channeled through jupiter, so, venus here is focused on expansion and philosophies. This is venus energies being idolized, moralized and "promoted", so to speak. It's literally what it sounds like. Purva Ashadha is about gaining alliances to secure your victory, about determination. I think out of all venus nakshatras purva ashadhas have the most potential to be snobbish, just because it has a tendency to moralize beauty and art. There obviously is a lot of truth in one thing being superior to another, but unevolved purva ashadhas are the ones that fail to realize that some things they claim to be objectively good might just be enjoyed by them, but they don't back down easily. I just realized how propagandist this nakshatra can be omg. Anyways, aside from that, evolved ones know when to be not bother with trying to prove their superiority and realize that the oens who are meant to share their ideals and be their true allies will naturally reveal themselves.
The thing about ketu is that you yourself know it best. It's verrrryyyy personal. It's literally yoir past lives stored together, your most primal and familiar part, so, if you're asking someone else what its about you're kinda doing it wrong, cause no one else can tell you about that part of yourself(any part of yourself, actually, but this part esp. so). I think you already have an innate understanding of your ketu, I think everyone does. It's what you've known since very early childhood, it's what you think your past life was like, it's those themes and energies you know too well. Ketu is stillness, the hidden, the transcendental. It's your foundation, it's the conqueror, it's where YOU set the rules, because you have a clean slate. It's about liberation.
Btw, if you see a lot of posts nudging you towards rahu cause it's the future and your destiny, do the opposite cause rahu is already a very high-alert, hyper-aware, anxious place in a chart and since rahu is always connected to ketu, ketu is what gives you the power to achieve your destiny. Rahu will make you aimlessly chase different things, thinking it's doing a good job, but ketu has the real power, in a sense that it has a real knowing understanding of what its doing, without being aware that it is. Rahu thinks it knows and it does not, Ketu does not even know there's anything to know and it just naturally moves. So, I'd advise to not fall into the trap of looking oitside of yourself, thinking there's something to do. Find the stillness within yourself and you'll discover things you probably did not even know were there. Be natural, be detached, be yourself and I think you'll connect to your ketu.
I'd love to know if this has resonated with you.
#vedic astrology#astrology#nakshatras#astrology observations#sidereal astrology#astro notes#astrology tumblr#ask#purva ashadha#purva ashadha nakshatra#ketu#ketu in purva ashadha#venus#bharani#purva phalguni#venus nakshatras
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undiscovered country
(reposted from Twitter)
When I have the emotional bandwidth to look at Christians and ex-Christians flailing at Jews and Jewish stuff rather than just wishing they’d tend to their own process and practice and leave us alone, the thing I want most for them is to learn to encounter cultures and traditions and practices that are different from theirs without immediately trying to force them into an analogy or paradigm with something that’s familiar to them.
Sometimes I wonder if there’s even any actual spirituality in authoritarian Christianity, because the one thing I understand about engagement with the sacred is that it’s a way to cultivate awe and learn to face mystery without rushing to reduce it to something comprehensible.
And that matters in every area of life. It matters for loving people. Every other person you encounter will always in some ways be a mystery, and if you can only love what you fully understand about them, you love a reflection of yourself, not them.
It matters for learning—ESPECIALLY in science. If you rush to force what you’re seeing into a paradigm you’re familiar with, you often end up with either incomplete data or bad interpretations of data.
It matters for engaging with cultures you’re not part of. If you’re not willing to stop demanding that they immediately make sense to you, you end up misapprehending them and, often, disbelieving people about their own worldview and experiences.
I remember the first time a massage therapist worked on my psoas muscle.
I immediately tensed up and literally started involuntarily crawling across the massage table away from her.
She asked me, “I want you to take a moment and think about whether this actually hurts or whether it’s just an intense, strange sensation and you expect pain.”
It’s hard, when it feels like someone’s touching an internal organ or something to relax, back up, and just be receptive and feel rather than trying to categorize and react. But she was right. It didn’t hurt, I didn’t need her to reduce the pressure. It was just new.
It’s really, really okay—I promise, you can take the time and space!—to encounter something in another culture and just absorb without immediately trying to understand. I don’t know that I can explain how to get there beyond, just let go for a minute and be.
Like when you taste something new, you don’t immediately have to categorize, oh, this tastes like chicken! You can just sit there for a moment and let it be new. If you don’t, I don’t think you’ll actually fully taste it.
When I have a sensation experience like that and I can just sit and absorb for a bit, I feel like I can feel parts of my brain that didn’t talk before connecting. If it’s something like a wine tasting where I'm supposed to describe and compare immediately, I don’t sense that.
And I just wish people deconstructing Christianity, who often seem really prone to demanding Christian paradigms for everything, would try that. You can do it with people things as well as sensation things.
I think sometimes that you can’t really perceive other people, both on an individual level and on a cultural/societal one, if you expect to fully understand them. You definitely can't have an I-Thou encounter with them, in the Buber sense, or be face-to-face, in the Levinas sense. Understanding usually grows, but it has to have space to do so.
It’s not easy, of course, and it’s not something any of us can do all the time. There are important reasons our brains look for patterns and analogies and categories.
We can't constantly be in an I-Thou relationship with the Other and we don’t need to. But I dunno, I think it’s important to learn to
oscillate, maybe?
just let go sometimes and perceive absorptively rather than categorizingly?
There’s that infinitesimal moment before you put a concept or understanding into words and you can learn to extend it and not make what you’re encountering into something. Just MEET it, you know? And this is sort of like that. It’s how you actually listen to another.
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I purposefully waited a little before posting this so hopefully people have seen the big reveal of Aster and Morvay in the Sunburst Fever event (either by playing or by people online). I just want to share a few feelings about the entire scene.
First: Please... please give me cards of these forms. I am begging on my knees. We are constantly denied Aster and Morvay content because they aren't clan members (which is still bullshit because they are still characters in the game who Eiden spends time with and they supposedly build a bond/relationship with him so it would be nice to see that buildup the same way we see it with the clan members), but having some cards of these forms would be a nice treat. I want to see how these forms change (or don't change) the way they act or how others interact with them. I want to see them recounting their past. I shamelessly want to see them being extra sexy.
Second: These forms are the result of having enough essence from Huey, the man who made them. They have a confirmed three forms so far, each one consuming a different amount of essence for them to maintain. This form consumes the most essence and is the equivalent to having a fully charged battery. Eiden literally cannot support these forms. This is the result of Huey's leftover essence flowing into them. It is a reminder of just... how far apart Eiden and Huey are in power level. Huey made Aster and Morvay like this, which means he likely supported them in these forms constantly. Eiden still struggles to consistently maintain their middle forms and they can easily get low on essence. We hear all the time how much Eiden doesn't live up to Huey and we've seen it with his trouble to maintain the crystal, but this is more personal. These are his friends. These are the people he loves and trusts, staring him in the face, and showing him that he cannot provide them with the same quality of life that Huey could. This is in spite of the fact that Eiden still has more latent essence than other laypeople. It's just not as much as Huey.
Third: This scene makes me so sad and angry. We have seen several times that both of them are sensitive to Huey's essence signature (and it makes sense since they were created by him), but this time... they straight up couldn't even recognize him. Even after they were defeated, they still didn't see Eiden for who he was right away. Eiden needed to touch them to break through the fog of Huey's influence. That makes me so sad, because, even after all the time they have spent together, it is like Eiden is always living in Huey's shadow and his individuality falls away if even a hint of Huey appears. And I am angry because everything we hear about Huey paints him as an asshole, including to his familiars, but they are still devoted to him when push comes to shove (willing or not is another matter, see point 4). It's heartbreaking to watch the relationship they are all carefully cultivating be broken so quickly because of a monster who seemed not to care about anyone beside himself and his plans.
Fourth: Aster and Morvay do love Eiden and Eiden loves them too, which is why this sucks so much more. They were the first people he met when he started/got whisked away to his new life. They were his first support system and they are arguably his most loyal one. Or, they are when Huey isn't still pulling on their strings like puppets. Every time they sense Huey, it is like a switch flips inside of them and they are compelled to act in his favor. Being near his essence makes them act differently in a way that seems to override their own freewill or choices at times. I need an arc for Aster and Morvay to break through the fog, because this is just getting sad and terrifying. It is clear they do not have complete control of themselves. They deserve the opportunity to leave Huey behind, especially because they have Eiden now. He's not a replacement. He is someone they care about and they should have to ability choose the present with him rather than being controlled by Huey's past.
Closing Thoughts: The reveal of these forms just gave me a lot of emotions. The events wasn't about them, but their presence says so much more than the rest of the event plot. It just breaks my heart to think of the implication these forms unearth. Thank you for reading my incoherent thoughts.
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i figured out why Declan is my go-to blorbo, and it's because he's one of those characters where i can find common emotional/experiential ground between him and practically every other significant character and that just makes him fascinating to me and so so versatile
Declan and Gansey: repression, repression, repression!! so much anxiety rolled up into a tiny little ball and stubbornly ignored because feelings are unseemly and have no place here. they will feel things when they're dead, thank you very much. responsible beyond their years, on their own/taking care of themselves long before they should have been. tending to other people or the practicalities of the moment take precedence over themselves, at all times. unfortunately, Ronan is very important to them and they will go out of their way to protect him. also the insomnia and the autism vibes.
Declan and Adam: ruthlessly practical people. hard working and ambitious but for a reason, not for its own sake (Adam to get out of the trailer park, Declan to camouflage his other activities). they would rather die than admit to weakness or vulnerability in front of another human being. Do Not Let The Emotions In Or You Will Never Stop. feeling alienated and fundamentally from their peers, and distrustful of/disillusioned by the idea of help from authority figures -- if you have a problem, solve it yourself. both very very accustomed to lying, constantly and about everything, in order to disguise their home situation and deflect attention from anything that might cause people to ask questions. complicated relationships with their mothers, at least partially rooted in negligence and not stepping in wrt the situation with their fathers. and of course, there's a difference in scale and severity, but feeling unsafe due to the aforementioned fathers.
Declan and Blue: the particular brand of resentment that comes with being the only unspecial member of a special family. being the sensible one and stubbornly proud of how well they manage to get by without any of the ✨ super specialness ✨ that everybody else has. torn between wishing and wondering what it would be like to be special too and being desperately grateful that they're not. wishing that somebody would understand how fucking lonely it is knowing that you and your loved ones will never truly understand each other. being too proud to ever admit as much out loud.
Declan and Noah: this one's more nebulous, but the idea of being not fully real, not fully a person, and definitely the idea of not being seen. of being invisible and looked through. Noah's is because he's a literal ghost, obviously, and it's through no fault of his, but Declan has gone out of his way to cultivate that experience, to make himself as overlookable and forgettable as possible, for safety and security. but it doesn't feel good. the erosion of the sense of self as time goes on, worn down by the life they're living. and a shared understanding of being the victim of extreme violence (Noah's murder and Declan's attack by the Grey Man, at least).
Declan and Henry: the children of criminals. burdened with the knowledge of a world -- two worlds tbh, the criminal and the magical -- that they can't speak about to anyone else. socially isolated and starved for emotional connection. uncomfortably comfortable with the violence that has permeated their lives and always acting under the assumption that it can and will find them again.
Declan and the Gray Man: business is as business does and it's not personal. ✨ depression ✨ and going through the motions because this is just their life and they don't have the emotional or mental capacity right now to think of how their life might be changed. making themselves as dull as possible and then not being able to find their way out of the hole they've dug themselves, at least not until someone comes along to remind them of what it feels like to feel things.
Declan and Jordan: repression of self and lack of identity. not being allowed the space to be their own person, always forced to cram themselves into a tiny box for the sake of others. bursting at the seams with dreams that they're not allowed to chase and feelings they're not allowed to express. feeling truly seen for the first time when they meet each other.
Declan and Hennessy: being preceded by the reputation of a parent they resent. living in Niall and JH's shadows, always compared to them, even when they suspect that they may actually be better than their parents at what they do. the struggle not to let that bitterness swallow them whole before they can grow into their own reputations and make names for themselves.
Declan and Farooq-Lane: young professions who have worked very hard, thank you very much, to be as competent as they are. logical thinkers with a brewing storm of emotion that they try not to let interfere with their logical thinking because they know it makes them impulsive and they don't like that loss of control. loss of control is the enemy. they are the only grown-ups in the room and they would rather die than acknowledge that they are actually scared kids in way over their heads. both with complicated feelings about dreamers and deep-seated issues related to their dreamer brothers. also they have very similar taste in women.
honestly, the only people that Declan doesn't have common ground with is his brothers, and that's what makes his relationships with them so interesting and so fraught. there's something to be explored between Declan and Ronan wrt their suicidal ideation (though they have very different flavors of it) and perhaps with them both feeling insecure compared to each other, but so much of their conflict is about just how different their experiences and perceptions and personalities are.
and Declan being unable to relate to Matthew on a personal, empathetic level is probably part of why he finds it so hard to really think of Matthew as a fully independent PERSON in his own right. though, if Declan's experiences with the bag of Niall's memories had gone a little differently, there could have been a connection over the experience of being denied full personhood by a well-meaning but ultimately overbearing and neglectful guardian. 🤔
anyway, these have been my musings on Declan and why he continues to fascinate me. he has the range, darling.
#Declan Lynch#Gansey#Adam Parrish#Blue Sargent#Noah Czerny#Henry Cheng#Mr Gray#the Gray Man#Jordan#Hennessy#Jordan Hennessy#Farooq-Lane#Ronan Lynch#Matthew Lynch#TRC#TDT#tags by me
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Warm, Soft and all the other things that I can only be with you
Kanene's notes: Ok, I just had NO IDEA that I would come to like Jiang Cheng as much as I do when I first watched mdzs. Maybe I should've realized when his first apparition is LITERALLY coming right when Jin Ling is being defeated by Wei Wuxian and calls him saying that >:[[ his jiujiu will kill him and aaaaaa Wei Wuxian asks who his uncle is and then KJHGFDEFGH JIANG CHENG LITERALLY APPEARS FROM NOTHING SAYING "I'm his uncle. Any last words?" BRUHH. He just breaks me. aughhh ALL OF THEM MAKE ME GO INSANE!!!
Anyway this story isn't about any of this. It's about Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen being absurdly in love and playful and cute and silly <3 All the thanks and applause and hugs for @squeaky-n-blushy for spending literally HOURS screaming about mdzs+tickle scenarios with lil ol me because it helped me so much to brainstorm kjhgfdfghjk
Warnings: This is a bit of more intense story than the usual that I write, so be warned. There's angst and lots of fluff. Also a suggestive joke (LOOKING AT YOU WEI WUXIAN) and some making out in the fic but it's really not the main focus here and a quick thing. Lots of teases, tickles, kisses and more teases. Especially about losing control. Romantic setting. Around 13.000 words. Mainly Ler!Jiang Cheng and Lee!Lan Xichen.
[~*~]
Jiang Cheng was not jealous.
He was fine. Great, even.
He was just... curious.
There were a plentiful of words that could be used to describe Wei Wuxian.
Insufferable. (Strong). Troublesome. (Joyful). Annoying. (Smart). Stupid. (Traitor). Stubborn. (Sacrificial). Careless. (Mischievous). Impulsive. (Brillant). (Genius). (Caring). (Important). (Family). (Stupid). (Stupid). (Stupid).
(Brother).
And, if needed, Jiang Cheng had all of those and much more that he used on a regular basis every time they got stuck in one of their usual bickering matches, both of them still learning how to tip toe the lines between hurt and healing, family and enemies.
It was hard. Confusing. Good. Exhausting. Raw. They would fight and punch each other across the bonds during a heated match - that were actually growing less and less frequent, thankfully - or extend an olive branch in each other’s direction and not comment on how small it looked in the ocean between them.
But both of them grew up in the Lotus Pier and no water body could ever scare them. Bandages and cuts decorating their hands as they kept building the bridges and boats to forgive and find each other someday.
Day after day.
Jiang Cheng shook his head, dissipating those overly sensitive thoughts. All of that was irrelevant and not at all where he wanted to get. Unfortunately, by doing so there wasn’t anything else left to distract him from the little lightheaded, annoyed (flustered) feeling that was taking over all his senses after what happened.
(What just happened?)
He clenched his jaw and huffed, still confused, still annoyed. His steps sounded firm and clear as he kept his determined stride to the room he already knew so well, not even glancing at the young cultivators that knew better than to interrupt him when he looked like this, even if they seemed much more relaxed with his presence at the Cloud Recess after seeing it so often.
Never, ever Jiang Cheng could describe Wei Wuxian, the Patriarch Yilling, one of the most feared cultivators across all the sects, the black spot in Lan Quiren's golden record, the most irresponsible uncle and brother this world had ever seen, as embarrassed.
The scene had hit him like a brick and Jiang Cheng didn’t even mean to see it in the first place! He could pretty much actually go on with the rest of his entire life without ever picturing for a single second what Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan liked to do in their freetime together.
Nowadays, however, both of them spend more time over each other than away, absolutely shamelessly, with no care about who was watching or where they were. With Wei Wuxian drapping himself over his husband's lap during dinners and conferences and Lan Zhan spending every night when the other is away in a hunt or a visit to the Yunmeng sect playing his guqin melancholically through the night and the early hours of the morning to express his deep feeling of longing and pining.
(Thanks everything that Jiang Cheng was never actually there to witness the last one, being an information that Lan Huan shared with him recently with an amused smile on his lips. Because he was pretty sure that if he was living in Gusu Lan and had to endure their constant show of unyielding affection for each other he would end up breaking that damn instrument into pieces.)
So, it was no surprise that Jiang Cheng was forced to witness his brother’s love life first hand again. Because he had been a fool who accepted to have a tea over Wei Wuxian’s house and even more of a fool to believe that his brother, the very one who called him in the first place, would be actually prepared to receive him on the time he himself choose and perhaps be there to show him at least a hint of respect and hospitality that the leader of Yunmeng Jiang Sect deserved and open that goddamn door at once!
(And, yes, maybe he was still jittery about Wei Wuxian’s death. Maybe when he heard the cultivator of resentful energy shout - even though loud noises are forbidden in the Cloud Recess - and the sound of something heavy falling following suit his mind got somehow clogged and his knocking louder and more incisive the longer no one answered him. Maybe he forgot for a moment that they were in the Gusu Lan Sect and, for the first time in a long while, it was only him and Wei Wuxian against the world again. This time he would not run the fuck away.)
However, when the door opened - a better description would be “was forcefully ripped away from his path, but that was irrelevant - the scene that greeted him had absolutely nothing to do with blood or pain or any kind of danger.
(Not one that Wei Wuxian wasn’t more than used with, at least.)
“What” his voice trembled, no longer with a jittery feeling, but with a barely concealed annoyance. The electricity cracking from Zidian danced now in his arm for an entire different reason than getting ready for a fight. “Is happening here?”
Wei Wuxian squealed on the floor, squirming on the ground like a worm on a rainy day as his husband’s hands danced dedicatedly on his torso at a tickly pace.
“Punishment.” Lan Zhan answered, stoic and direct as ever, totally impassive under Cheng’s blasting glare. Especially because he didn't see it, not even bothering to look up from his position, gaze clued on Wei Wuxian’s face almost hypnotized, as if it was the only image that could ever matter in the world.
(Urgh.)
“A-Cheng!”
It was ridiculous, really, how only that (and who knew he still had in him to call Jiang Cheng in such an affectionate form) was enough to make his eyes immediately snap into Wei Wuxian’s direction, something relaxing in him when he acknowledged the usual playful tune he already knew too well.
“What.”
“Hehehelp me!”
Jiang Cheng could feel an artery pulsating in his forehead, they both falling easily in their usual push and dance. “Stop being dramatic, he is barely touching you. Get up and use your hands!”
“No, I can't!” His whine was quickly taken over by more giggles, his entire body contorting in protest at the playful attack as he kept his dramatic wailing. “I will rip Lan Zhan's forehead ribbon! Please, A-Cheng!”
Jiang Cheng almost had a whiplash at how quickly his head turned to look at Lan Zhan’s naked forehead and then at Wei Wuxian's hands, seeing that they were in fact bonded by the delicate, white band that the Lan Sect was known for.
The forehead ribbon. A sacred symbol of resilience and restraint, an extension of yourself that could only be touched and freed by your close family and your significant other, being used as an illusion of a bondage in a meaningless punishment of a childish game.
Lan Zhan’s expression continued just the same as it always did, impassive and serious. Yet, he managed to look extremely smug all the same. He was fully aware of the trap he just put his husband into, knowing Wei Wuxian would rather endure far worse tortures than tickling instead of giving the ribbon left in his care a single strain or tear.
Shameless.
He scoffed.
(Jiang Cheng ignored how he himself felt when Lan Huan let him touch his own forehead ribbon. He took the ends of the white fabric and freely gave them to Jiang Cheng in one of their quiet evenings, only so they could be woven into the braids of the Yumneng Sect he was occupied in replicating, eyes focused and movements certain as he styled the other’s long, beautiful black hair. How soft and small it felt in his palms. The meaning of that act. How reverent and careful Jiang Cheng was during the entire process, holding the white fabric into his calloused hands while his fingertips and soul trembled with emotion.)
And then those two were just playing around with theirs. They really have no shame!
“Always asking me to clean up your messes, fight for this one yourself! Don’t you remember that you called me here to have tea in the first place? Have you really lost all the sense of respect?”
Wei Wuxian only giggled harder. Whether it was because he always thought it was fun how upright Jiang Cheng was about both of their reputations and how easy it had always been to rile him up about it or because Lan Zhan now changed his absolute nonsense of a tickle attack to focus on his sides, it was uncertain.
“Don’t be so grumpy, A-Cheng!” He squeaked loudly when Lan Zhan tweaked his lowest rib (of course he discovered about that specially ticklish spot, Wei Wuxian had always been so obvious about it, crackling and squirming like crazy when Jiang Cheng did no much than just glaze over it). It didn’t take long before the new sound was completely engulfed by a new round of even more uncontrollable snickers, his legs kicking desperately with energy. “Your face will get stuck in a frown forever! Like a sour plum!”
And, of course he would use his every ounce of oxygen to tease him. Jiang Cheng opened his mouth to replicate.
“Mn.” Lan Zhan interrupted. (Was that an agreement?!) “You’re early.”
The leader from the Yumeng sect crossed his arms defensively, refusing to look too much into the meaning of the other’s words. Another scowl formed in his face. “Of course I am early. Like an actual adult that has more responsibilities and matters to attend to than to get into childish games like tickle fights.”
If that could even be considered a tickle fight at all. It was nothing like the wars he and Wei Wuxian used to get when they were kids, far away from their parents and with too much energy, time and laughter to spare. More often than not they would be rolling on the soft soil or giving the other a surprise ambush in the middle of the piers, squeezing, digging and tickling anywhere they could reach. Teasing, taunting and threatening each other with every sound and laughter. Using all the tricks and pages on the book to get the upper hand for at least a few giddy, breathless seconds. Big smiles, warm hearts and adrenaline running freely in their bones for hours with no end until they both laid exhaustively on the ground, accidentally rolled into one of the lakes or Shiejie came to call them for dinner.
Jiang Cheng watched as the delicate hands rested on the other’s sides and continued to softly scribble non stop on the lowest ribs over and over again, taking turns before quickening their pace and making We Wuxian trash from a side to another with a high pitched ‘eee’ sound until it slowed the rhythm to a light plucking of strings, lightly pressing each spot and barely vibrating there before jumping away.
“Not a tickle fight.” The Lan enlightened. “Punishment.”
“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan! No! Please, have mercy. Take pity on your poor husband!”
It was like Jiang Cheng couldn’t pry his eyes away, watching as Lan Wangji calmly run the tip of his fingers up and down the others’ ticklish sides, repeating the cycle for a couple more of times, like a boat letting itself being dragged by the slow pace of the river in a calm day, completely unfazed by his husband’s increasing maddened snickers, his tune starting to border on hysterical.
For a moment, the fingers curled into claws and Jiang Cheng thought that he would actually use an efficient, honest and true tickle attack, finally kneading on the skin and letting the crackles and squeals fill the air with their cacophony.
His hopes, however, seemed unfounded when the Lan just continued his soft touches, now using more of his nails to create an unbearable, ticklish feeling than only his fingertips and successfully pull more squeals and squeaks with such a move.
(And, if his own ticklish sides tingled in sympathy that was literally nobody's business and a secret that will die and be buried with him.)
Jiang Cheng finally snapped.
“That is not even the proper way you do it!” He did not get close and demonstrated his point, of course. Because he… (surely wouldn’t be welcomed to) he wasn’t a kid anymore and knew he was right.
Yet, his hands still gesticulated around, antsy.
(Wanting to grab, wanting to dig, wanting to squeeze, to attack and win and listen and never let go again. To feel the taste of the victory of a brawl that is meaningless and only in playful fun, again. To hear screams of laughter and not of fear, to perform with the crackles and shrieks and giggles as the only instrument he was ever actually skilled. An especial melody of affection that needed no words and even he could learn how to play.)
Jiang Cheng pushed those thoughts deep down and continued.
“You’re not even giving any attention to his hips! It’s his most ticklish, weak, defenseless and easy spot ever!” He ignored the protesting, giggly shout from Wei Wuxian and continued, forcing himself to focus on his words and not on the natural answering smirk trying to take over the corner of his lips. “You just need to knead there for a few minutes and then he will be gone. Besides, when you add raspberries to it he’ll laughs so much that you will actually be able to shut him up for once. That is a proper tickle attack. With this, you’re just being lazy!”
Purposely, he pointed to Lan Zhan’s administrations that now consisted in sweetly rubbing his thumbs on Wei Ying’s highest ribs, happily following his torso as it shook with the barely concealed chuckles and tried to wiggle away from the touch. A lazy job indeed. “You’re barely even touching him at all! That is not even tickling!”
“Oh, it tickles!” Wei Wuxian whined, words were almost completely lost with how much he was giggling. His arms trembled with the force to not slam down when Lan Zhan used a single finger to calmly poke and scratch his armpits, more than unfazed at both of the Yunmeng siblings' outburst.
Actually, if Jiang Cheng squinted his eyes, he could actually imagine a challenging glint when those golden eyes quickly stared at him for a second.
“It really tickles! It tickles so, so much!”
For a flash Jiang Cheng saw himself marching determinately at him, sitting on the ground and then diving to dig on Wei Wuxian’s hips non stop. Remind him what is actually a tickle attack so he would actually agree with his point and not poke fun at him just this once. Use the techniques that he took years to perfect and his muscles still remembered perfectly even when his mind refused to. Watch as that smug air in Lan Wangji changed to surprise when he got Wei Wuxian to really laugh and show all of them how right he was.
He crossed his arms even tighter around himself, growling harder and looking in another direction. His feet continued locked on the ground.
Unfortunately, Lan Zhang took the silence as an opportunity.
“Wei Ying is very cute and beautiful like this. Red and happy.”
“Lan Zhan! Warnings! You can’t say things like that without warning me first.”
Jiang Cheng stopped right in his tracks and slowly turned to look at Wei Wuxian, time slowing as he realized what Lan Wangji had just said, barely processing the rest of their conversation.
“Besides, I can think of something else that makes me very red and happy- Lan Zhan, no!”
“Shameless.”
“Husband, please, you’re killing meee!”
“Wei Ying.”
“Wait, wait, not there!”
It was true.
Jiang Cheng's eyes widened, but the image in front of him didn’t change. The other was right.
Wei Wuxian was blushing in embarrassment.
The color was not a fruit of his loud, unrestrained laughter, because for the last minutes all he did was giggle and snicker non stop, with plenty of oxygen and teases filling his lungs. It was not the result of any kind of flirt because Wei Wuxian took those as a challenge that he knew he would always win. It was not a make up he tried with Shijie. A natural consequence of spending an entire day under the sun training with his sword. It was nothing else. No other explanation besides the fact that, after thirty years, Jiang Cheng finally saw his brother get flustered.
Embarrassed.
Shy, even.
For the second time in his life, Jiang Cheng found Lan Wangji leaving him without words.
With a whoosh, he was out of the room.
[~*~]
“Good afternoon, Jiang Cheng.”
As it always did, a pleasant shiver ran on his body when Lan Xichen called him. All of his previous thoughts disappearing immediately from his head, his usual frown naturally losing the heat and annoyance as he looked at the other.
Lan Huan looked as ethereal and beautiful as ever, the white robes and blue hues pooling like waves at his feet and around his straight posture as he wrote on his desk, probably answering letters from other sects and solving administration matters. His hair was slightly messed and he was only in his inner robes, completely comfortable and domestic, not batting a single eye when Jiang Wanyin barged right in.
Even after being together so long, the scene still looked gorgeous as it always did. Like it came right out a scenery painted in a fan that you hid in your robes and carried close to your heart. A picture drawn straight from the purest jade. He had seen it plenty of times before and hoped to continue to do so for much more.
It left Jiang Cheng breathless.
“I see you’re back early.”
And just like that, his breath and frown were back again. The one in purple robes scoffed and closed the door. He headed to the bed, sitting there with a grunt.
“Not in the mood to watch Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji declare their undying love for each other for the hundredth time of the day.”
Lan Huan chuckled. It rang sweet like the bells the Yunmeng sect used to expurge curses and clean the mind. “I see. Perhaps it’s time to start closing your eyes, then?”
But the light tease didn’t actually register for him, because for a moment he looked at the other and another scene appeared in his mind as a flash.
Lan Xichen’s smile growing bigger, wobbling at the corners as his controlled chuckles were transformed into bubbly giggles and loud snickers, his entire face covered by a layer of red that spread in a beautiful hue from his cheeks to the tip of his ears, his eyes - teary and brilliant and so full of love and feelings - watching him in excitement, protests that held no true meaning falling freely from his lips and locking Jiang Cheng’s gaze forever on him with how melodious it was.
As it was usual, his body and mouth were already acting even before his own mind catched up with it.
“I want to try something new.” He listened his own voice saying. Steps steady and determined carried him to the sect leader Lan and pulled him to his feet, basically dragging him back to his bed.
Lan Xichen didn’t yelp, but let out a tiny surprised sound when Jiang Cheng shoved (much gentler than anyone could ever believe him of being) him on the mattress, quickly straddling him and sitting on his thighs, storming gray eyes looking at him intensely, watching his every twitch and expression in search for any kind of discomfort.
Of course, realizing that only made Lan Xichen melt, following the other’s lead easily.
(Not blindly, of course. )
(He sometimes wonders if he will ever be able to do so, ever again, but those are thoughts for other moments.)
So he tilted his head and questioned to those brilliant eyes. “What do you have in mind?”
“I want…” And his face morphed, never losing its lines of determination and decision, but now being tinted in red as Jiang Cheng looked away from him, a very lovely blush taking over his face. His jaw locked and words quieter, as if they were being pushed through his teeth. There was shyness in his tune. “To tickle you.”
“Oh.”
Lan Xichen tried to not sound too teasy, but he couldn’t really hide the playful amusement taking over his tune, his expression, his gaze, his everything after such an adorable admission.
He didn’t really know what sputtered his lover’s mood all of sudden, but interacting with Wei Wuxian and his own brother always left Jiang Wanyin’s emotions all over the place. If what his beloved needed after this afternoon was to have him laughing hysterically until he was a mess, completely putty and willing under his strong and trustworthy hands, Lan Xichen hardly had any opposition to this.
(Which wasn’t to say that he wouldn’t look into some sweet… justice, later. Revenge is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses, afterall.)
Tickling was always a concept that interested him immensely. The laughter full of joy and the touches that were both incredibly warm and completely unbearable, together with the playfulness of the teases and the care intertwined in every note of those steps made his heart softer and his stomach flutter pleasantly everytime such bonding activity was involved. Especially when it came to Jiang Cheng.
“Alright.” He said. “I won’t hold back, then.”
“You better not.” The one in purple bit back, but his words held no heat and there was a grateful line softening all of the hard edges in his body. He positioned his hands on Lan Huan’s ribs - a good starting point, not too ticklish so he would lose all his energy right in the beginning and yet effective enough that just with a few moments of drilling his laughter would already be bubbling out of his lips.
Jiang Cheng felt how Lan Xichen tensed instinctively under him and he curled his fingers close, just enough for his nails would graze on his skin, actually giving him a reason to tense up this time and successfully pulling a squirm out of the Lan.
Perfect. He just needed to keep going like that. Soft and light. See for himself what is so special about this technique that it’s worth giving up the adrenaline of seeing someone become undone with only a few touches, to watch them get hysterical, loud, free with the more effective and energetic tickly ministrations. See how long would it take for his lover to become a total mess, to completely lose the battle against the sensations and just let himself be lost in a sea of giggles and blushes.
Exactly. Just like that.
Soft and light.
Simple and clear as water.
His fingers didn’t want to move.
That was the thing, wasn’t it?
Jiang Cheng wasn’t gentle. Nothing about him was soft, or light, or caring. His fingers were calloused and his skin thick after years of handling Zidian and its electricity, of carrying oars and rowing around the countless rivers in Lotus Pier and holding his weight in fights since he was a child, not at all skilled in the finest arts such as playing instruments skillfully like Lan Huan or painting beautiful landscapes as Nie Huaisang.
His hands were the reason of more pain and tears than laughter and happiness. He was Sandu Shengshou and he carried that mantle with pride. It's what made him survive after the Wen’s massacre of his clan. It's what brought his entire sect rising back again, strong and new from the ashes and fire as he maintained every building, every alliance, every battle to prove their worth with his own sweat and blood, clawing, tearing and snarling his way up, up, up. Until Yunmeng was back to be one of the four most powerful and influential sects again. Until him, A-Ling and the entire world of cultivation had more than smoke and destruction to remember his family by. Until the other’s pity became respect and fear. It was what had been necessary at the time. He did what he had to.
(It was what destroyed one of the last remnants of his family and pushed his brother far and away. What left him angry and frustrated behind, hitting back at anything that got too close, completely alone in the world except for a nephew that he had to raise, too young to even remember his parents. It was what consumed his every action and every thought and every lashing until there was nothing left except hope and resentment.
And yet… He was still here. Trying. His nephew was now the leader of his own sect. Yet, he was blessed with Lan Xichen. Yet, his sect respects and grows under his direction and the rivers continue to flow and the lotus to bloom totally uncaring for the tribulations of his mind. Yet, his brother is finally back and they are still trying to fix all of that.)
(Trying.)
A hand pulled him right out of his merciless thoughts, smothering the hard lines of his frown. Lan Xichen’s eyes immediately found his own, staring at his surprised face for some seconds before lifting his torso and placing gentle kisses on his front, following the path of warmth and electricity that his touch had already started.
The care and intimacy made Jiang Cheng scoff and frown again but now for an entirely different reason, momentarily rendered unable to move to hide his flaming face until the other decided that all the lines of his expression had been thoroughly kissed and smothered enough, no more darkness or doubt filling his gaze.
Clear enough from his previous thoughts, that only made him get even more determined about his decision, not shying away from the leader from Gusu Lan’s sect when those brown eyes focused on him, plenty comfortable to just lay there and exchange silences until Jiang Cheng could gather and organize his thoughts.
“I want to be gentle.” He finally spit, words tumbling out of his lips before he could take them back.
The eyes crinkled on the corners and seemed to shine brighter in understanding and then something else, so strong that made it impossible for him to keep holding his gaze, feeling strangely bashful under it. The feared Sandu Shengsou humphed and turned away his gaze, again.
…That wouldn’t work. He had to be able to watch and analyze his Lan Huan’s every tiny reaction, every quiet sound and every hint of movement to map all his best spots and what tickling worked best, with this new technique. He may not be totally sold to this entire idea of “soft touches” yet, but that was no excuse to not do a decent job.
Jiang Cheng had never half assed any of the things he set his mind to do and he isn’t about to start doing that now.
He wasn’t sure of how successful he would be in that, however, when Lan Huan’s gaze kept capturing and rendering him defenseless with those beautiful stares again and again.
“Close your eyes.”
Lan Xichen arched an eyebrow, more amused than questioning, but he hesitated for half of a second. It was enough to make Jiang Cheng’s brain disconnect from his lips and words fall, blunt and true, from his mouth before he could stop them.
“I can’t do it with you looking. It’s frustrating and distracting.” (Mesmerizing. Beautiful. The only thing I could look at for hours and hours at the time.)
Once more, the other’s brown eyes got filled with fun and something before he complied.
“Alright. I will be sure to give you my oral report in the most detailed and thorough manner as possible afterwards, of course.”
“Shut it.” Jiang Cheng digged on his ribs momentarily, a hot flush of pride spreading on his soul at how that made Lan Huan immediately jump, a surprised squeak filling the air and almost convincing the one in purple to throw away everything else and just dig more and more until those and other delightful sounds ran loud and free across the room.
But, no. Now, he had another objective.
He stopped pressing so firmly on the skin, leaving his fingers only resting on the spot before slowly running them up and down on his ribcage.
Holding his breath, Lan Xichen waited. When no other attack came besides the soothing rubbing, his body inevitably relaxed little by little, melting with the ministrations.
“That is very nice.” His words came out less jokingly than before, shining with genuinity. Of course, lying was forbidden in the Clouds Recesses, however, a direct honesty was a rare threat that Wanyin was more than happy to enjoy. “Mm.”
Jiang Cheng hummed in acknowledgement and continued with his touch.
With no hurry, he took his time to let his fingers wander, lower enough to caress the dip of the other’s hips and then back up, deviating from his torso to massage his arms and shoulders and slightly press his thumbs in circling motions on the base of his neck.
For a moment he mused letting his hands go even higher to cup his face so he could kiss it. That idea was fastly discarded, though, since Jiang Cheng was pretty sure he could quickly be dissuaded from his new experiment if they were to follow this path. Lan Xichen knew how to be very distracting when he wanted to.
His hands continued to wander on that very same path for a few more minutes and soon enough Lan Xichen felt himself even more relaxed, as if floating in clouds, not even bothered by the small sounds that kept being fished from his lips again and again as the soft touch kept slipping and brushing on every sensitive part of his body before continuing with its path.
It was like Jiang Wanyin was mapping every single weak spot on his torso and purposely focusing on them with tiny scribbles and light scratches more and more.
With each new repetition, Lan Huan could only feel the tingles spreading further across his nerves, teasing and tickling them for seconds after the caring, a tad unbearable touch of the other went away, only barely starting to subside before those playful fingers were back to alight them once more, making the tickly sensations grow stronger and never really end.
Therefore, his relaxed sounds quickly began being interrupted by huffs of laughter and tiny notes on the back of his throat that were starting to sound too much like high pitched giggles to be ignored or pushed away.
Lan Xichen was so lost in those thoughts that he barely registered as the hands came to a stop on his ribcage, spreading across his ribs and on those awfully sensitive places in between them. Not until small, extremely controlled and tiny sparks of electricity made him jump, pulling a surprised, and uncharacteristically loud shriek from him, his mind and body falling too quickly from the clouds for him to try to stop its escape.
Jiang Cheng chuckled darkly.
“Oi, what was that?”
When he pressed his lips and didn’t answer, another spark of electricity teased the spot, and then another and another and another. Lan Huan felt himself grow giddier, not being able to help but squeak and yelp at each new attack on his poor ribs.
“To think that only Zidian could have so much effect on the very own Zewu Jun. Maybe I should have tried to use it earlier if I knew it could make you squeal like that.” The feeling of giggles in the back of his throat came back with full force. He bit them back. “Tell me, Xichen, how much longer do you think you could take it before descending into madness? You’re barely surviving those few sparks as it is. What if I decided to wrap the Zidian around you and unleash all this new power. How much time do you think you would be able to hold your laughter back, then?”
His eyes were closed but Lan Xichen could feel the other’s gaze on him, staring unblinking and attentively, drinking up his every reaction. He knew he could see how the light burn of blush started to take over his ears and spread lower in his neck, how his torso squirmed instinctively with each word. In a desperate attempt of defense, he scrambled for anything before his brain, who was trying really, really hard to not think about Jiang Wanyin’s words or otherwise he would die, caught up into a cute, very special detail about this new tactic of his.
“Have,” he gulped, taking a few tries before his words could come out with just a slight tremble on them, hiding the persistent joyful energy that kept trying to take over. By the way that Jiang Cheng’s fingers digged on his ribcage and began vibrating in a low, warning pace, he wasn’t very satisfied with this.
Still, no one could overcome a Lan in a battle of self control, even the most stubborn of their lovers. He continued.
“Have you been training harmless ways to use your Zidian lately, Sandu Shengshou?”
The fingers on his ribcage froze, and a very pointed silence followed his question. As a result, his smile got even bigger, making him want to open his eyes just to see the delightful effect of his words on his beloved.
Lan Huan decided to push his luck a tad further, putting all the fondness and warmth he was feeling in his words and tune until it spilled in every syllable and letter.
“To think my dear Jiang Wanyin could be so attentive and cute. Must have taken a lot of time and practice to achieve a fine skill like this one.” Then, with a more innocent tune. “I would love to hear all about how you accomplished such a dangerous feat to perfection all by yourself. How much restraint it must have taken.”
The implications were clear, even if he didn’t say anything else out loud, pulling his sleeved hand up to cover his playful grin.
Jiang Cheng felt his entire body, from his tip of his nose to the end of his fingers, burn, flustered, when he remembered all those times he had to test the technique on himself, learning how to control the power he could use in each attack. It took weeks until he had perfected the new tactics and made those tiny sparks spread a maddening, tickling feeling across every sense and a giggle sprouted in his mouth.
Only then he allowed himself to try it on others. Sneaking a few electric pokes and jabs to hit his disciples once or twice while correcting their forms during the training and watching them or jump away surprisingly or try to hide their initial squeaky reaction, especially under his usual frowning, serious gaze. It was the only way to be sure that it worked, of course.
So much work only so he could surprise his family in a future tickle fight, having now a new trick under his sleeve to put in good use.
Jiang Cheng growled in answer to the tease and his fingers crawled higher, filled with electricity while poking and prodding all their way up the other’s torso until it stopped just a few inches from his armpits. He watched with satisfaction the way that just the hint of his hands there made Lan Xichen wiggle like a worm from one side to another. Plenty of poorly concealed snickery titters filled the room the entire time, his hand shooting down again, showing his smile once more.
(Really, who did Lan Xichen think he could fool with this? Hadn’t he been the one to say he wouldn’t hold back? And yet he kept concealing smiles and holding up his laughter in every way. Hmph.)
(Nevertheless, Jiang Cheng couldn’t really say that the prospect of breaking his barriers bit by bit until he could no longer hold back his every giggle, chuckle, crackle and squeal didn’t fill him with new fierce, unwavering determination to keep going.)
“You want to talk about restraint, then?” Jiang Wanyin snarked, getting closer and feeling incredibly smug when that succeeded in turning Lan Xichen’s grin much wobblier and shakier.
His smirk shone, taking over his entire expression, sharp enough for the other to feel it without needing to see.
“I have a challenge. To see how much of your giant and stubborn self control will save you when you’re completely at my mercy.”
His words were taunting and, still, Lan Xichen couldn’t even pretend to feel truly threatened by them.
Somehow, his thoughts must have shown on his face because Jiang Wanyin let out those fond huffs he always did when he thought someone was being too cute for no reason and his tune got into a mix of soft and exasperated.
“But, if you’re already giddy and giggling like this-” to highlight his words he suddenly pressed on the pits, making a snort explode from him, his bubbly snickers that the other just described jumping on his throat and begging to be set free. The burn of his ears was back. “When I have barely even done anything? Maybe it won’t be a challenge at all. I didn’t even get to start with the real tickling and you already look so close to losing.”
Maybe it was the playfulness. Maybe it was how at ease and safe he felt around the other. Maybe it was the adrenaline of the new game. The joy of seeing how much fun Jiang Cheng was having, how vocal he was being about it. However, for once, Lan Huan didn’t even think twice about the words that were falling from his mouth.
“I am still not laughing right now, though. Am I, Jiang Cheng?”
There was a quick, sharp intake of breath and some seconds of dangerous silence. Lan Xichen felt the hair on the nape of his neck standing and a small hum of electricity charged the air.
A low, raspy chuckle that sounded so close to him made a kind of energy that had nothing to do with the Zidian run like crazy across his spine, sending all his nerves into a frenzy and his mind to tip the abyss of incoherency. Two hands laid on his wrists and started to pull them upwards until they rested nicely above his head, leaving his entire torso free from any form of defense.
His voice was really, really close.
“Don’t you dare to put them down or I won’t hold back.”
Having already played too much with fire, Lan Huan only nodded, letting the other concentrate once again in his attack. He took a deep breath and buried his reactions and snickers deep inside, relaxing his muscles and reining his expression and soul back into a calm and serene appearance, as if he was just getting ready for another afternoon of meditating.
Very well, if this was a challenge, he might as well give his best.
(No one could overcome a Lan in a battle of self control, afterall.)
Jiang Wanyin went back to a more upright position and stopped for a few seconds, eying the arms in front of him with a concentrated consideration.
Unexpectedly, he remembered a game that his Shiejie used to play with him when he was being too grumpy as a kid, which was, non-surprisingly, more often than not. The pang on his chest that always came when he thought about her didn’t feel as painful as it normally did, not when he was surrounded by Lan Xichen’s warmth and presence, when there was too much joy and happiness going around. It did, though, gave him an idea.
He laid one finger on the center of the other’s slender palm, and slowly started to swirl his digit over its lines and curves. The muscles under it trembled and his sharp attention was quick to capture how it made Lan Huan’s breath hitch for a moment before it went back to normal, face as calm as ever.
Jiang Cheng felt like a predator, slowly backing his prey into a corner.
Carefully, he continued drawing spirals on the skin, doing a couple of them before going up to lightly scribble at each finger, being careful to keep the touches light and soft as he went descending to the wrist. Every single inch of it got a good skittering and a few more swirls, dancing fingers continuing to follow their path.
Getting to the forearm, Jiang Wanyin changed the pace of his fingers and the pressure of his touch, now focusing and curling more his fingers and letting his nails drag themselves freely across his skin. Goosebumps follows his tickles, especially as he decided to take a break on the inner part of Lan Xichen’s elbow and dance, scratch and scribble on the most sensitive spots he found until now, quiet as ever as he used every ounce of his attention to catch and internally cherish every surprised, barely audible huff and puff of snickers from his lover with the breakeaned pattern.
The path across his biceps was even slower, with him doing everything to drag the moment for as long as he could before arriving at his primer destination: the armpit. His hand rested there, not even twitching as he saw Lan Huan hold his breath, waiting in expectation for his next move.
Because it would be foolish to think he wouldn’t have another one prepared. That he wasn’t as expectant as Lan Xichen himself for the moment that the dam would finally break and his usual merciless and energetic tickle attack would be unleashed upon every single tickle spot.
But Jiang Cheng was feeling mischievous. The game had barely begun, afterall.
So, with his other free hand, he started repeating the same tickly treatment on his other palm, and thinking that was it, Lan Xichen allowed himself to exhale, gathering his strength to keep up with the challenge, feeling a bit more confident for it, since now he already had an idea of what was going to happen.
That was until the leader of Yunmeng sect began pinching his armpit and a sharp gasp was suddenly ripped from him. His arms twitched downwards and his head turned just half of an inch to the side, cheeks puffing just the tiniest bit with barely concealed sounds before it all turned back to normal, his face going back to a serene, unbothered mask.
Still, no small details escaped Jiang Cheng’s attentive gaze: the way that his fingers curled every time he hit a sweet spot, how the skin around his eyes crinkled when a playful poke hit his pit, and, especially, how red his ears were getting, the color starting to spill to his neck with each passing second.
This was fine.
Jiang Wanyin could be patient. Precise. Unwavering.
There was one yet to be born who was able to win against him when it came to stubbornness.
Therefore, he continued his double attack, assaulting the defenseless armpit with gentle, quick pinches that felt like tiny kisses on his skin at the same time that his other hand concentrated all the skittering and dancing on the other ticklish arm.
The longer he went, the more his tranquil façade began to slip, each and every single occasion being followed by way too smug chuckles that made Lan Huan both want to kiss his lover, let everything go and let himself giggle non stop or even worse: whine in protest.
The thing that Lan Xichen failed to consider when accepting this challenge was a very simple one: he did not realize how absolutely maddening and unbearably quiet this all would be.
Silence had never bothered him, of course. Yet, right now it only left him with no other option but to concentrate on everything happening around him: on the way his lover kept scribbling, pinching and poking his tickle spots calmly without ever, ever moving away. On the soft tingling touches following his every twitch. In those attentive eyes that kept watching his every reaction, every move and smile. All of his sharky intakes of breath, gasps, yelps and quiet snickers seemed to resonate in his ears and across the room like they were being amplified. There was only one thing that interrupted them:
Jiang Wanyin’s teases.
“What?” Said one taunted as he finally, finally decided to move on from his poor armpits. His relief, though, was very short when he pressed on his higher ribs and vibrated. Lan Huan’s back arched and a snort almost broke his barriers. “You thought it was over? Not so soon, I still have much, much more places to explore. Is the challenge getting too hard for you already?”
He didn’t answer, too much concentrated in keeping his composure as those horrible, unfair and worming fingers quickly scrambled to wiggle on the base of his spine, their light scratches making him want to jump from his skin. His body tried to move both far away and much closer from the sensation.
“I can see your arms coming down, Lan Huan. Keep them up, I said. Have you forgotten about my promise that quickly or are you testing me? Do you really want me to destroy you with tickles that bad?”
Lan Xichen held his breath and squirmed lightly in the same place. Usually Jiang Wanyin’s merciless teasing was accompanied by an equally ruthless tickling that would leave him laughing hysterically, too occupied with his own inelegant and extremely loud crackling to even think too much about his words. As they were right now, however, he was just unable to tune every provocation and every tickle out.
Even if he stopped pressing his lips so tightly and let his control crumble, the leader of Lan Sect was pretty sure that his bubbly giggles and childish squeaks wouldn’t even come close to subdue his lover’s sentences. No one could ever dream of being able to outshout the very own Sandu Shengshou, afterall.
Those hands crept higher, jumping from his spine to press on each and every rib on its way for so quickly, so, so fast that the touch only lasted a few seconds before the fingers scrambled away as if his skin was made of fire. The pokes came one after the other in a rapid succession that teased and left more ticklish sparks across every nerve. At this point he couldn’t even distinguish if Jiang Cheng was using the Zidian or if all the anticipation and gentle scribbles made him infinitely more ticklish, muscles tensing and trembling with every touch.
Lan Xichen found himself on the brick of letting his control go and his snickers and chuckles free. His arms and armpits still tingled from the previous attack and every instinctive twitch of his torso made a new wave of phantom tickles tease them, his entire body feeling just like a giant, ticklish spot.
His lips were wobbly and a smile was finally able to blossom on them.
His arms went down.
“Lan Huan,” Jiang Wanyin warned once more.
A single finger began scribbling and prodding at his spine, way too close from his shoulderblades too be a coincidence and Lan Xichen wanted to kick out the pent up energy that didn’t stop flooding his veins. His back once more arched a piece of time longer than the previous time. Lan Huan caught himself and forced it to relax again into the laying position, bringing it right back to the assaulting finger. It was quite counterproductive, since it made him want to squirm away all over again. “Put your arms back up.”
Lan Xichen felt like he had all the reason for the pout he showed the other, still he hid it all the same behind one of his sleeves.
There was simply no warning before the hand on his spine pressed on and drummed in a full attack on the spot, making his entire body spasm with the force of the crackle he had to hold, torso squirming away but unable to truly escape from the tickles.
Jiang Cheng’s previous other free hand latched on his side and began squeezing. His entire body now bounced, cheeks puffed out with all the laughing being held inside. Still, no sound left him. Thoughts and feeling zig zagged in his mind in a totally undignified frenetic manner that would certainly make his uncle and the elders of the clan go into qi deviation if they knew.
“I told you, didn’t I? Arms up, Lan Huan.”
Lan Xichen kicked, pressed his hand firmly on his mouth and squirmed on the same place, feeling like laughter was about to break and fill the entire room in any second now. He managed to endure a total of half of a minute before his arms were shooting upwards again and, just as fast, the hands there were just now mercilessly assaulting his ticklish with all the kneading and drilling of an energetic tickle attack, went back to caressing softly at his skin.
He quietly muffled a tiny, surprised squeak. Somehow the light, sweet scratches felt even more awfully tickly now than before and Lan Huan barely had any willpower left to keep his bubbly, high pitched reactions inside as he tried to take his breath back.
“I can see your barrier cracking.” Jiang Cheng’s voice was suddenly horribly close and he hummed in response to the teasy words. No matter how giggly and silly he sounded now or how fireflies batted their wings like crazy in his belly or how his lips couldn’t stop curling upwards and his face started getting redder than ever. It was only a hum. “I can see how your eyes crinkle and how your smile grows bigger and bigger with every tiny, smallest move of my fingers. I can feel how your muscles tremble under them, before you regain your control and force them to relax. I can hear your giddiness and how you hold your breath every time I find a new defenseless, sensitive spot. I know how it’s taking longer and longer for you to gather your restrain and hide all of these little details.”
At that, he purposely focuses his attention in prodding and wiggling his fingers in the place where Lan Huan’s stomach and side meet, pulling another loud snort from him.
“And,” Jiang Cheng continues, his usual rough tune coming out like a pleased purring of a predator that circles his prey. “Above it all, I can see how you try to move your face away from me, Lan Huan. But you’re not getting away. No. Not after all the effort I used here and not until I get to see how much of a laughing, blushing mess I can make our elegant Zewu Jun to be. Until you won’t be able to look at me without feeling giggles filling your throat and a smile taking over your face. Until I get to hear every squeal, every snicker, every delightful, uncontrollable reaction you have to offer.”
Lan Xichen felt like he was going to explode. The gentle tickling continued as slow and as light as always, sweet and lovely as if nothing had happened at all, in a total contrast from the absolutely unmerciful and on point that it was every tease. Each word seemed to hit his sensitive ears and coax him closer to giving up from a challenge that he never really cared about in the first place.
Jiang Wanyin seemed very aware of all of this. The leader of the Lan Sect wondered when did they become so crystal clear to each other.
“And then, when all of your barriers break, when your self control and restraint can no longer save you from me, I will keep on tickling, keep on teasing and keep on getting all of your smiles, squirms and giggles, over and over and over again.”
A quick pinch kissed his hips and Lan Huan let a giggle escape from his lips.
And then another and another and another. Suddenly, the room was filled by a high pitched, quick and loud giggling fit that he hardly indulged in his daily life, making his ears feel like they were on fire when, with each passing second, they only continued to grow more uncontrollable and ring louder, being interrupted only by a couple of snorts before continuing their song and dance.
A white flash suddenly appeared in Jiang Wanyin’s field of vision and in a blink those long sleeves were concealing his lover’s smile again.
Jiang Cheng huffed, rolling his eyes at the sudden bashfulness of the other and Lan Xichen didn’t need to open his to see the fondly exasperated grin that always accompanied those moments.
After a few pieces of second when he saw that the other wouldn’t really move, the one in purple robes tried to take his arms away from his face. However, the Lan simply dodged from his grip, giving Jiang Cheng only a glimpse of that full dazzling smile before it was gone again, sleeves fluttering skillfully in and out of his hold when he kept trying to push them out of the way.
"Stop hiding your face!" For once his exclamation didn’t even pretend to sound annoyed, the threat hidden in his words losing any and every heat as it got mixed with a bark of laughter. “Wasn’t you the one who was all about not holding back just minutes ago?”
Lan Xichen merely chuckled. Jiang Cheng kept fighting to pin, once more, his energetic arms.
In the end, he was successful, of course.
His lover had been barely trying, afterall.
Still, he felt a tad breathless, little from the quick roughhousing and much more because he was suddenly hit by the full image of Lan Huan’s handsome, gorgeous face. He could feel his own skin heat up as he momentarily froze in the same place.
Lan Xichen lightly pulled his arms in protest, unaware of the other’s struggles. "It's stronger than me!" He giggled a defense and the way that it sounded like it was only two seconds from becoming a screech broke Jiang Wanyin out of it.
Once again, a huff left his mouth.
The hands stopped their dance on his hips. It took three heartbeats, but Lan Xichen felt his pinned wrists being pressed a bit stronger on the mattress and the weight on his thighs shifted forward. If that hadn’t indicated that the Yumeng sect leader moved closer, the voice hitting his absurdly red ear certainly would.
“You know who else is stronger than you?”
There was a hint of a growling in his tune that made bells ring in alarm in his mind, nerves getting alight with electricity.
For a moment he almost gave up and opened his eyes, wanting to see what was happening, but the anticipation on the air was already stronger and Xichen wanted to hear where it would go if he didn’t tip it any further. The hands on his wrists gave them a squeeze that was both too much of a warning to be a purely comforting touch and way too soft to match the threatening tune that fell from Jiang Wanyin's lips.
“Me.”
His breath now teased the skin of his neck, making electricity to fly across the tickle spots to his mouth, expanding his smile. "So I will repeat myself just this last time: keep your arms here, nice and far away from that pretty face, or I will do it for you. Deal?"
Lan Xichen’s snickering now had less to do with the tickles and, just for the fun of it, he tipped his head to the side, as if thinking about his answer.
(If that opened the path of his neck for more attacks, it was simply a coincidence. He hummed a not-so-controlled giggle when his lover caved to the cute sign and laid a quick kiss on the base of his jaw. Good, he was starting to think he would have to pout for it.)
He could feel those gray eyes glued on him as the silence stretched and the squeezing of his hands quickly changed to a firmer hold of his wrists in an answer of a question that hadn’t even been voiced in the first place.
"Oi, I am going to break your legs!” This time, Lan Huan really couldn’t help the playful tilt of his tune as the snickers grew to full chuckling, his reactions being totally unleashed and all over the place. They sounded just the tiniest bit hysterical, but the teasingness of it couldn’t really be ignored. Jiang Wanyin made it too easy. “Tsk. I thought it was against the great Gusu Lan's rules to be impolite. Disrespecting and leaving another Sect Leader without an answer is an offense that is not taken lightly."
Truly, the words had slipped from Lan Xichen’s lips even before he could truly ponder about them.
"Maybe some people just like to think before answering, Wanyin."
(Lan Xichen ignored the irony.)
Before the other's growl could become stronger and his hands got free for the only purpose of absolutely destroying him with tickles until he took every single syllable back, Lan Xichen quickly lifted his torso and planted a giggly, placating kiss on his cheek, opening his eyes just about time to see that lovely red blossoming across Jiang Wanyin’s entire face.
With his expression completely relaxed, the surprise and fluster successfully whipped away the frown that naturally appeared anytime he was provoked.
With this, truly, Lan Huan couldn't really be blamed for the other couple of pecks he stole before the feared Sandu Shengsou came back from the surprise and turned away, hair falling in front of his face in a poor attempt to hide it while his hands continued to rend him immobile.
"I will keep my arms up." He chipped, because even with his pokes of fun, the feeling that he would never be able to see Jiang Cheng’s hands getting close again without breaking into a sea of crackling snickers and the phantom tingling that kept playing with his nerves like a guqin, he was still having too much fun playing with this new side of his lover and he would actually hate to take the teases too far.
"Feeling very confident today, aren’t you?" Lan Xichen felt his eyes widen. There was simply no other way to describe it, but when the other’s gaze fell on him, it could only describe them as hungry.
"Let's see how much breath you'll have to tease me when we're done."
Just like that, those hands were back, making him want to curl into a ball when, even after everything, no energetic, quick and destroying tickle attack assaulted his hips in a kneading, clawing and drilling dance that he knew so well and prepared for. A kind of attack that would have him lose control and laugh immediately, not caring at all about rules or pretenses for minutes at time.
Instead, this touch was light, traveling across his sides. It wiggled and scratched at any and every inch of skin, careful to not forget a single spot.
Remembering Jiang Wanyin's first request, he closed his eyes, trying his best to not take the other's example and try to hide his own blushing face behind the curtains of his own hair. The tiny, unusual giggles flooding and spilling from his lips hysterically were back.
They continued like that for a couple of minutes, Jiang Cheng actually feeling impressed with how Lan Xichen kept his arms - shaking in a far image from the how composed they were in the beginning of the game - up the entire time, especially as his pokes and pinches now deliberately focused on the most ticklish spots, wiggling and skittering more and more frequently as the seconds ticked by.
It didn’t take too long before he started feeling antsy. With all his lover’s most sensitive and weak spots being successfully mapped out so he could focus entirely on them and with the challenge no longer running there wasn’t a lot to focus besides the extremely cute reactions of his beloved, which was something he could indeed watch forever, but also something that he knew he could make it become even more adorable. That nagging feeling that he just needed to do something kept him agitated.
Usually, with his usual ruthless attacks, that would be the moment he would find himself spilling how precious and important Lan Huan was to him. How his presence warmed the coldest of the nights and his smiles brightened the greyest of his days. In those moments, though, his words were accompanied by a loud crackling or hysterical laughter, making it impossible for the other to even see how much vulnerable he decided to be.
It was easier this way, when he was sure that his beloved wouldn’t take the chance to start praising him and make him freeze, or even worse, stutter over his words, quickly turning the tables about who the blushing mess was.
(Gods, Huan was simply merciless when he stuttered, throwing one praise after another in a quick succession before he could even think of getting his footing again, refusing to not let the full extension of his own affection to show with his, as well.)
Jiang Cheng was definitely not a fool to even think to start, in that sweet, calm pace of the melodious giggling fit, a battle he knew he would not win.
Technically, he knew that Lan Xichen in no way minded the silence, he was the brother of Lan Wangji, after all. Yet, he found himself thinking about some other tease, a game or anything he could say or do to see which more reactions he could get.
At the sudden thought of his brother in law, an idea appeared in his mind. A kind of… provocation he saw him using earlier, if he could even call it that.
It was silly, but it was worth a try.
He lowered his voice in a tune he knew that it affected the other immensely, raspy and paused.
“Lan Huan.”
“Yes?”
The answer was as quick and eager as ever, no tilt of playfulness of flustering falling from it. Embarrassedly, Jiang Cheng felt his face get on fire.
(How would he know that this wouldn’t work! When he himself still felt as defenseless and soft as the first time Sect Leader Lan used his given name when he continued using it every single day?)
“Wanyin?” Lan Xichen tried again when no answer came, opening his eyes only to see the other quickly deviate his gaze, blush deep in his face, a giant pout resting on his lips. It only made him laugh harder, albeit confusedly.
“Nothing.” He grumbled. “Doesn’t matter. It’s not important.”
Lan Huan opened his mouth to disagree that there wasn’t anything unimportant when it came to Jiang Cheng when the assaulting hand decided that this was the perfect moment to claw on his belly, drumming and scratching fingers way too close to his bellybutton to be a coincidence. A shriek cut his thought process and opened the gates for all the high pitched series of squeaks that left his lips, snickery fit growing up a notch.
“Jiang Wanyin!” He protested at the clear attempt of distraction, refusing to break contact and close his eyes again.
That is how he managed to see the exact moment Jiang Cheng faltered for a second with his words. Suddenly the redness of his face was painting from the tip of his ears to the tip of his nose and a shudder clearly went through him. Tiny pinches, much quicker and persistent than before, as if demanding his attention, began traveling all across his stomach.
He giggled hysterically. Yet refusing to stop until he discovered what was that about.
“Jiang Cheng!”
His eyebrows furrowed in pure concentration, which gave the Lan a fun contrast with the giant smile plastered in his expression.
“Sush. It was nothing.”
Why was he reacting like this? Nothing had happened in those last moments and all Lan Xichen did was…
Wait. Could it be…
“Jiang Cheng?” He pushed the words through his high pitched giggles again, not caring how each syllable was completely consumed by his giddy, bubbly and quite silly reactions.
Jiang Wanyin couldn’t stop the way that his blush worsened at this crawling to his neck. His lover’s entire face brightened in understanding.
“Jiang Cheng!” Lan Huan looked like a kid being presented with his favorite toy as a gift. His voice was absolutely delighted, joyful and completely unbothered about how adorable and sweet he made Jiang Cheng’s name sound like this. His tittering and chuckling painted every syllable and sound in a maddening manner that made Jiang Cheng feel like he could keep tickling and listening to it forever.
It was a dangerous weapon.
He sticked his finger on his bellybutton in retaliation, scratching the walls and prodding the spot in a way that he knew would make the other go insane with ticklish sensations.
Those chuckles quickly evolved to a loud, belly laughter.
Lan Huan’s back arched with the new attack and slammed back on the mattress, legs kicking uncontrollably at the sensations. In an alarming sign, Jiang Cheng saw him opening his mouth and quickly sent his other free hand to dig and drum on the rest of his stomach, spidering, squeezing and kneading everywhere he could touch in hopes of making him lose his breath.
And still…
“Jiang Wanyin! Jiang Cheng! Cute Cheng!”
Each word was shouted in joy, nothing like the usual calm and proper way Lan Xichen usually held himself. With his heart melting and his chest feeling just like it would explode, Jiang Cheng decided, he has no other option, truly.
In a swift and quick movement, he freed his hands and turned around, latching on his knees and squeezing.
The sound that came out of the other’s mouth cut across the entire mountain chain, a mix of a shriek and loud crackling filling the air immediately. Jiang Cheng almost stopped right on his tracks with the sheer volume and force of it, quickly turning back to see Lan Xichen completely boneless on the mattress, head thrown back, mouth open wide and eyes crinkling in the corners as squeals and chortles mingled with his unstoppable laughing fit.
It did nothing to stop the warmth filling his soul.
Lan Huan could barely think about anything else but the tickles, how they demanded every ounce of his attention, took over his every thought and danced in every nerve, especially when those playful hands decided to wiggle their way to under his knees and scribble on the horrible, awfully sensitive soft skin there as if their lives depended on it, drumming and scratching non stop.
Well, he had quite asked for this.
Still, when a couple of curious tickly sparkles touched his knees and made all of his senses explode in tingles and laughter and tickles and snorts and tickles, his body automatically jumped to a sitting position and his arms engulfed the other, face immediately hiding on his back in a poor attempt to muffle a loud screech.
The sparkles, squeezing and drumming continued for gods know how long. Lan Xichen could feel his entire body bounce with the force of each one of his crackles, giggling and squeaks. Jiang Cheng’s own amused chuckles accompanied his, even if the Lan wasn’t really able to make out the teasing words he uttered from time to time and made his back rumble, too occupied in feeling like he was going mad with tickling.
His body moved before his mind, once more. In a blink he was crackling too much to keep himself upwards and in the other he was smashing his lips against Jiang Cheng’s and muffling his laughter until the assault of his worst spot stopped and his reactions lowered to a string of non-stop snickers.
Jiang Cheng scoffed, but turned himself around and adjusted his pose so they could continue the new activity more comfortably.
Lan Xichen jolted and grinned in a truly ungraceful manner when those two hands came to rest on his sides, but they only rubbed firmly on the skin, the new giggles created by the scare being quickly kissed away as the other refused to let Lan Xichen be distracted by anything else that wasn’t him.
It didn’t take long before he melted completely again, his arms coming to rest on Jiang Wanyin’s shoulders and the blush painting his ears now for a completely different reason.
They separated to take a few gulps of air, lingering smiles and shining gazes focused on each other for a few moments. Already recovered, Lan Xichen found himself diving right back in, locking their lips together and pressing closer and closer.
That is, until the traitors, lying hands on his sides, digged on the sensitive spot with all their might. His arms came crashing down and his body tried to curl in a defensive ball, but it was already too late. A new round of loud laughter spilled from his lungs and jumped excitedly from his tongue, filling the room once more in a high pitched tune.
He couldn’t really help the squeal and trashing when Wanyin made sure to whisper the teasing growl next to his ear, again, voice still breathless from all their kissing. “You really thought that that would work, huh? That it would be so easy to distract me? Just a few pecks, then I would forget everything and you would be free to go and be a teasing bastard all over again.” He chuckled and rested his mouth on the base of his neck, every word rumbling and tickling. “I told you before, didn’t I? You will be at my mercy until you have no more breath left to provoke me ever again. I never go back on my word.”
And then he promptly began delivering a giant, unending raspberry on his neck.
Lan Xichen laughed and laughed and laughed for some more minutes until there were tears prickling the corner of his eyes and hiccups began ringing together with his giggles.
The very moment those appeared, though, the playful hands immediately stopped their playful assault to massage and rub softly until the leftover tingles disappeared. The raspberries metamorphosed to pecks and kisses all over his face that got him melting on the spot in no more than a couple of seconds, shoulders still lightly bouncing with the ligering tittering that followed them.
Silence stretched across them like dogs and bunnies usually do, on their lazy days.
“Jiang Cheng.”
“Hm?”
Lan Xichen waited until those gray eyes were on him and let his smile shine unashamedly. His lover huffed, fond.
“Should this one give you the report now, Sandu Shengshou?”
“Oh, shut up.”
The sect leader Lan chuckled.
That was the only warning Jiang Cheng had before, in an elegant flash of white, he found his entire world spinning until his back hit the mattress and his hands were firmly held above his head. A weight settled on his thighs, pinning him on the spot. Those brown, crinkling eyes were now just inches from his face.
He tried to squirm and pull his arms down, but the grip was as moving as the mountains that surrounded the Cloud Recesses.
“Since my report won’t be necessary, maybe I can explore other… techniques to show you my observations and feelings?”
Jiang Cheng’s eyes widened with understanding. He tried harder to free his arms to at least have a lieu of a shield to protect his currently defenseless tickle spots. His mouth was already betraying him, his lips wobbly turning upwards.
Lan Xichen kept watching him, serene, no hurry at all.
“They do say that there is no stronger way to bond than to share similar experiences and I would be happy to assist in yours .”
“Lan Huan! Don’t! Do not dare!”
He trashed and buckled, squashing as much as he could the already bubbling titters filling his chest, the kind face above him seeing right through his frown - in the way that he called Lan Xichen by his birth name, how the Zidian didn’t crackle or activate like it did when his master was in danger, in the softness still lingering on him, the excited glint in his gaze, in the very same way that they already had this song and dance plenty of times before - and so effortlessly continued to pin him on the mattress, winking before starting to lower his face, bit by bit.
“Lan Huan, I’m warning you! I will-”
“I love your smile.” The sentence was calm and playful, but Jiang Cheng’s voice still got caught in his throat, frozen. Both because of his words and the tiny, careful and light nibble that hit the ticklish back of his ear, barely pecking the skin over and over again. “I love how beautiful and cute it is, when it’s tiny or big,” Another nibble. “When it’s soft or determined.” Another one. “When you’re aware of it or not.” Another. Another. Another.
“Shuhuhut up!”
Amidst his demand Jiang Cheng let out an uncharacteristic snort.
An answering chuckle rang like a bell and set his cheeks ablaze, stretching his grin wider as he turned his face to press it firmly on his shoulder. The other’s breath made him lift his shoulder in an attempt of defense, only for the ministrations to change to his other ear, more praises and loving teases pouring like rain and making him feel more and more silly, tickly, shy.
(Loved).
He endured exactly three more compliments (he had to put a stop when Lan Xichen started to point out how he went out of the way to take care and make little nice gestures that should go unnoticed because they’re not a big deal at all!) before snapping, again, with no heat.
“Why don’t you stop saying nonsense,” he tried squirming and scrunching his neck, but the other only hummed dangerously in warning, making tingles and tickly shocks spread like flames on his nerves. He attempted to control the snicker painting his words, unsuccessfully. “And put your mouth to good use?”
“So demanding…”
Still, Lan Xichen acquiesced and took a deep breath. Jiang Cheng closed his eyes, preparing for the killer raspberry that would come and finally put him out of his suffering.
Only for a continued, light gush of air hit his skin, pulling those low, anticipatory giggles from him.
“Soon, Wanyin. First, I must tell you all the endearing, lovely things about you that keep making me swoon and fall in love all over again while I watch this blush take over your beautiful, adorable face. Then, after I’m done, you're going to tell me all of your favorite spots for the day and I will tickle every single one of them, maybe using that delightful technique you just spent so long teaching me all about today, maybe testing how loud and carefree I can make you sound. What do you think?"
Lan Xichen yelped and jolted away when harmless sparks hit both of his hands, making them tingle and automatically let go of the other, which was enough for him to dislodge the Lan from his spot with a hard buckle, throwing him back on the mattress and quickly turning around to run away from the bed.
Before he succeeded, however, Lan Huan jumped and locked his hand on his wrist, maintaining his grip even when Jiang Cheng twisted it left and right and pulling him closer and making the one in purple robes lose his footing.
He then quickly adjusted himself on the bed so the other would fall right on his side and Lan Xichen could quickly finish this game of cat and mouse.
However, Jiang Cheng used the impulse to turn around and barrel him on the mattress, limbs getting entangled as both of them get lost in giggles, playful growls and some non heated pushing and pulling each other around.
It took a few minutes until he finally had the opening he was waiting for. Brown eyes shone when Jiang Cheng got distracted, too proud of managing to get on top of him during the brawl. With a fast swipe, one of his hands captured the other’s wrist and pulled upwards. His legs did a quick word in locking themselves around the other’s one pair. Unbalanced, Jiang Cheng fell on his chest with a shout and his free hand held his waist close, body rolling and putting Lan Xichen right on top, again.
Hair fell on his face in a mess of untamed strands as his erratic breath matched Wanyin’s, smiles shining bright. He could feel the way that his ribbon was crooked on his forehead and his usual pristine robes got wrinkles. None of those details went unnoticed by Jiang Cheng, who smirked at him with a sharp smugness, even if his general state was just as bad.
Lan Xichen almost kissed him again.
Instead, though, he took a deep breath, reigning the joyful smile in his face and the childish snickers playing in his throat.
When he opened his eyes, there was now a honed resolutioness on them, his smile became a smirk and his face got closer to the other.
"Do that again and I will have to put my sect’s ribbon and spells to a good use.” As always, his voice rang light and sweet, but with an undertone of something low and dangerous that made the very own Sandu Shengshou shiver. “Alright?”
It was not a question.
Lan Xichen nuzzled his neck sweetly. “Thank you for expanding my collection even more with all your wonderful reactions.”
Oh, gods, Jiang Cheng realized with wide, excited eyes. He was going to die, wasn’t he?
“Shall we begin?”
[~*~]
Random Thoughts:
Jiang Cheng, watching Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan: urg, look at them, so head over the heels for each other, absolutely shameless, no respect at all for anyone who is near. It’s like they have no sense of self preservation at all
Lan Xichen: a
Jiang Cheng: Oh my goddd it’s Lan Xichen hi hi hiiiii <3 <3 :3 <3
~~
Jiang Cheng to me is just aaaaa! The fact that he hates Wei Wuxian and keeps guarding his flute even after 13 years. The way that he follows Jin Ling in his every night hunt. How he was the only one to not chase Wei Wuxian when his identy was revealed. He handing Jin Ling the Zidian just like his mother did to him
I keep thinking about a continuation where, while they're still starting to get closer, Wei Wuxian start having more tickle fights in front of Jiang Cheng - both attacking Lan Yuan, Lan Jingyi or his own husband - until he finally has enough of him looking so gloom and doom everytime he does so and decides to take the matter into his own hands <3
Look, I'm going to be honest, I just need more of everyone in mdzs laughing, playing and being silly, okay? I need more of that happiness and if for that I need to write my own content and spend hours daydreaming about them in cute tickle scenarios so be it <3 <3 peace and love on planet earth
Maybe I will write something with the juniors in the future? Add some pure, playful and joyful fluff in the story. They are just way too precious and def deserve some more laughing in their lives. And Wei Wuxian just have such perfect, amazing tickle monster vibes iugtfrdefrgyu
Also, enjoy this amazing video of Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen that I can't stop thinking about.
#Maybe I got some names wrong jugfdedfgh I am still getting used to them and it's been very interesting so far!#Ticklish!Lan Xichen#Lee!Lan Huan#Lee!Lan Xichen#Ler!Jiang Cheng#Brief Lee!Wei Wuxian and Ler!Lan Zhan#Brief Ler!Lan Xichen and Lee!Jiang Cheng#Kanene's fic#Kanene's fanfic#THAT ALMOST COSTED MY SOUL BUT IT'S FINALLY DONE LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOO#Gosh. Everytime I think about Jiang Cheng I just remember that quote that is like 'there ws love. it didn't change anything. it didn't save#-anyone. but there was love and that is important.'#dead on the floor sobbing#ANYWAY DID YOU REALIZE HOW AFTER JIANG CHENG JUDGED WEI HE ALMOST ENDED UP RESTRAINED LIKE HIM??? TEHEE THE HYPOCRESY TEHEE#The Lans are simply something else indeed. how much stamina can a single body contain#Wei and Lan wasn't even supposed to appear for so much but I started thinking about Wei giggling while Zhan looks at him in complete awe#and then when I woke up there was like 3000 words on the doc. crazy how life happens fr fr#mdzs tickles#mdzs tickling#The way that I had to hold myself from writing Lan Xichen getting his revenge you have no idea-#Xichen and Cheng show each other ur smiles without covering your faces new year challenge
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something about bingqiu/bingyuan
i read mdzs first, followed by svsss, and then tgcf
i like all of them but there was always something that bothered me about svsss and that was the main cp, bingqiu/bingyuan
because, when i read mdzs and tgcf, i could more or less understand why wangxian and hualian were couples. because despite their vastly different personalities, their core values more or less aligned with one another. and i think that's neat and i love them for it.
but bingqiu/bingyuan always confused me because i couldn't make sense of their core values/why were they attracted to each other. i mean. i guess we can take the "shallow reading" route and say that it's because shen yuan has always adored binghe-the-white-lotus-protagonist and luo binghe loved shen yuan because he consistently chose him(?). their relationship is complicated and kind of a mess but like it's theirs so im not gonna bother too much about it.
but maybe because i like over-analysing, i still want to confirm to myself if they have a shared "core value" like the other two mxtx couples.
which leads me to my theory that their core value is their shared sense of self-preservation.
it makes sense to me because, from the moment shen yuan woke up as "scum villain shen qingqiu", he was predominantly motivated by his desire to keep living. many of his actions can be explained by this. which makes shen yuan's decision to NOT push binghe into the abyss very much an act of love, because he was essentially sacrificing what he holds dear (his own life) for his disciple. this was all ruined by the system, of course, and shen yuan was forced to push binghe into the abyss. he then became a grieving widow master.
so shen yuan's following actions were very interesting because he was very much expecting luo binghe to come kill him, but also, he kind of didn't want to die? but luo binghe kind of also has a right to murder his traitorous self? so he concocted the mushroom body plan. this way, binghe can get his closure by murdering his scum master, and shen yuan can continue to live! win-win amirite?
SQH: why are you like this cucumber-bro
and we all know how well that plan went
anyways, i went off on a tangent, BUT BASICALLY. shen yuan has very strong self-preservation instincts, but specifically when luo binghe is out of the picture. around LBH he just has the self-preservation of a lemming.
now binghe is harder to analyse (for me) because the novel is mostly in shen yuan's pov and he's an Unreliable Narrator so i'll be mostly focusing on binghe's life events and actions.
which are basically:
he survived the cold waters of the luo river as a baby
he survived a poor childhood when his adoptive mother didn't
he survived until he reached cang qiong mountain sect
he survived shen qingqiu (version shen jiu) and the bullying of his martial siblings
he survived being pushed down into the abyss
basically, binghe is a survivor. no matter what happens, he has a very strong desire to survive and is, more often than not, willing to pay any cost. the cost he isn't willing to pay, however, is shen yuan.
off the top of my head an example would be how bingge (he-with-no-shen-yuan) took a harem of beauties so he could control xin mo but bingmei (he-with-shen-yuan) decided to just... cripple people's cultivation. they're kind of both equally bad (let us never forget that bingge is a rapist) but it seemed that bingmei did not want to be intimate with anyone because he had shen yuan in his heart. i dunno if this makes sense but what i'm getting at is that binghe was willing to pay other people's lives just so he didn't have to be intimate with anyone except shen yuan.
so there's something poetic about how shen yuan would pay his life for binghe and binghe would pay literally anything else except shen yuan (and i guess the things/people he cares about and are related to him).
and im really not here to discuss morality or anything but looking at bingqiu/bingyuan, i still get the feeling that, if shen yuan hadn't been born with "modern standards" and "modern sensibilities", he would be a little more callous and uncaring of other people's lives. because, at his core, he would prioritise his own life over other people's. like, you know, his husband.
that's not the shen yuan we got tho so oh well
#svsss#svsss meta#scum villain self saving system#bingqiu#bingyuan#something something two sides of the same coin#word vomit express#shen yuan#shen qingqiu#luo binghe
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happy true take tuesday 🎊 here is some stuff that is objectively true:
jin guangyao did the most good for the most people over the longest period of time in the jianghu. evidence:
his time embedded as a spy in wen ruohan's court allowed him to share crucial intelligence with lxc and nmj, and enabled him to maneuver himself into the perfect position to assassinate wrh--the war would not have been won without him;
see the sections of the text where the impact of the watchtower project is revealed to save the lives of common people who would not have been able to afford the protection of cultivators otherwise;
see wwx's own observations about the safety of the jianghu under jgy's tenure as chief cultivator, thus allowing the juniors the privilege of growing up in a peaceful and stable world;
see jin ling's observation that no one in the gentry would dare try to bribe a jin sect disciple while jgy was jin-zongzhu;
whether you think the relationship is romantic in canon is immaterial: lan xichen loved jin guangyao and is mourning his death, not the metaphorical death of his ~worldview~, while he is in seclusion. his feelings for jgy are not just about his sense of obligation, and there is absolutely no evidence in the text suggesting that he ever would have abandoned jgy--because he clearly does not do that even during the final guanyin temple confrontation. evidence:
lxc's worldview is actually pretty intact during and post-guanyin temple confrontation. @xiyao-feels provided one of the most thorough analyses I've read on this point over here, so I won't repeat or try to paraphrase what someone else has already illustrated so eloquently, you can go check it out for yourself;
see the literal years of their friendship that lxc spends calling jgy "a-yao," rather than "meng-gongzi" or "jin-gongzi," or "jin-zongzhu," or "lianfang-zun," or literally any other name/title combination that he could have reached for instead of the affectionate diminutive that indicates the level of emotional intimacy between them. if his feelings for jgy were rooted exclusively in a sense of debts owed, there are so many other forms of address for him to utilize instead;
lxc devotes literal years of his life to supporting jgy in both his efforts to reconcile with nmj (please miss me with the bad faith takes on this, I have already written about how four years is a long-ass time for nmj to spend un-murdered if jgy was always planning to off him for daddy) and in his efforts to distinguish himself as a competent member of the jin sect; the watchtower proposal was something they were working on together while jin guangshan was still jin sect leader, and jgy was risking a lot of his hard won political capital trying to push through an expensive plan that would not make money for jgs. give lxc some credit for god's sake, he's not an idiot, and he would not have supported this proposal if he thought it would do more harm than good;
in nearly every scene jgy and lxc share with each other, they actively gravitate towards each other or seek each other out, to the exclusion of other people around them because--and this may be a little complicated to unpack, so bear with me a moment--they just fucking like each other.
we know what lxc looks like when he has decided to turn his back on someone and isn't interested in what they have to say anymore: he does this to nhs post-guanyin temple when it becomes clear that nhs is going to provide him with neither clear answers nor closure. contrast this against his dogged determination to understand why jgy did the things he did, even when he is furious, even when he is devastated by what he hears. this is not the conduct of someone who has decided they are done with a relationship; this is someone determined to find a way through to the other side.
#mdzs meta#jin guangyao#lan xichen#he did crimes??? good for him 😌#flute solo 🎶#today we choose chaos
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Donatello and Shigeo being pitted against each other for the @autismswagsummit is so, so funny to me because they’re both kings of the ‘tism dripping in swag—but are also on opposite ends of the (sometimes literal) spectrum.
Donnie is touch-adverse, but is fairly confident in expressing himself. Mob is the inverse of that, struggling more with emotional regulation and social cues.
On that note, Donnie can sometimes be inconsiderate of others, but always tries to make up for it by showing his affection in other ways, like gift-giving. By contrast, Shigeo often feels like he has little to offer his friends, but has a wellspring of compassion that has time and time again proved to be his biggest strength.
As anyone familiar with the series knows, Donnie is a super genius and his greatest love is ✨ science ✨. Mob struggles academically, even with elementary grade math.
Donnie takes a long time to come around to accepting mystic powers, and hates that science can’t explain them. Shigeo seems to develop new psychic abilities every time he sneezes, with a shrug of “well, guess I can do that now”.
Wildest fantasy? Donnie dreams of the day he can get his hands on some uranium (don’t worry about it). Meanwhile, Mob is like: the courage to confess my feelings to my crush would be nice. Also 6-pack abs?
Fashion! While he normally doesn’t wear much, a fashion montage episode demonstrates Donnie has the fashion sense of a JoJo’s character. As for Shigeo, uh. Well. No one but him could pull this ensemble off. We hope.
Donnie has his carefully cultivated ~bad boy image~, whereas Mob can only be described as a card-carrying Good Boy™.
Both characters can defend themselves and then some in a fight, but their approach is... a little different to say the least. Donnie is the physical manifestation of the kitten in that “father, I crave violence” meme, and god help you if the intrusive thoughts win when his impulse control brothers aren’t around. Meanwhile. Shigeo has cried more than once because he didn’t want to hurt people who were actively trying to murder him.
Donnie is a textbook middle child, with all the competitive energy that comes with it. Mob is a big brother and could not be prouder of how amazing his little brother is, stopping just shy of Will Smith posing at him.
Last but not least: Donnie craves approval and attention from adults. Mob has that. In fact, some days he would like a little less of that, so he could have a social life with kids his own age.
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So I have a theory about sex pollen. There's all of these fan fictions about sex pollen and I never thought much of it until I became a fan of Mu Qing. When it comes to fucking or dying I'm pretty sure Mu Qing would rather die than break his cultivation path, just because he's a stubborn brat like that. Plus while I love him I respect his decision to keep his virginity because he really hates to lose. So how could Mu Qing be saved from deadly sex pollen?
Well we know in the real world that any time our bodies are infected with viruses or bacteria that our immune system tries to kill it or get rid of it. Fever, throwing up, feeling dizzy, etc... are all signs of our immune system fighting it. Sex pollen makes you feverish and gives you the almost unresistable urge to mate. Now why would a pollen have this effect on our body? And why is the only known cure to have sex?
Now we could look to the animal kingdom. There are in fact certain species that will go into heat and die if they don't mate. Perhaps the sex pollen reactivates long dormant genes in the human genome, but I do not believe this to be the case because as far as I'm aware only females can die from going into heat without mating. The fact that both males and females can be killed by sex pollen rules this theory out.
Another theory could be that the sperm/vaginal discharge is a cure but I don't think this is the answer. It doesn't seem to matter who you have sex with, you don't have to have sex with the opposite gender and you possess at least one of the two naturally in your own body. It's not like you have to seek out a certain type of person either. Literally anyone will do, unlike with blood donations or fecal transplants were someone has to be specifically selected for the donation based off of criteria.
It also probably isn't the mix of chemicals your brain releases when you have sex either, or else you could masturbate it away but you can't.
However everything in nature/the Supernatural exists for a reason. What is the purpose of a sex pollen ever coming into creation in the first place? Why is it not sexually transmissible? This question is what lead me to my theory. It was created to throw your spiritual energy out of balance and make the host weaker to drain their spiritual power more easily. The pollen itself is very aggressive and fast acting, it will weaken your spiritual power and demons can take your spiritual power like stealing candy from a baby. We don't really know where or how these sex pollen creatures come from so what if after absorbing all of the spiritual power from their victim they just grow from their corpse? That would make sense from a natural perspective since some fungi do the same thing to ants. They'll sprout from the body of their victim and release spores that the wind will carry away so the babies can grow and carry out the rest of their life cycle elsewhere. This would explain the motivation behind attacking humans in the first place. Humans probably have the most spiritual power out of any living creature and they need that spiritual power to procreate.
The cure for it is sex but only because sex is the fastest way to transmit spiritual power. Your body will naturally do whatever it takes to try to fight off invaders, and in this case your body knows that it is in so much trouble that it needs more spiritual power or else it's game over. There are two possibilities here. Either the other person's spiritual power keeps you alive long enough for your own spiritual power to recover after being so badly depleted so you don't die or the other person's spiritual power will help your own spiritual power fight off the sex pollen that it wasn't strong enough to handle on its own or maybe both?
So how could Mu Qing beat this without having sex? Well in the modern world I think a blood transfusion would work (though the amount of blood needed would have to be found out). You are literally putting someone else's spiritual power inside the effected body so it can use the spiritual power immediately. But Mu Qing isn't in the modern world. However a strong and skilled cultivator might be able to do this. Cut a deep wound on their hand and the hand of the effected. While holding hands the cultivator could send every bit of spiritual power they have to spare into the other person. This should in theory give the victim the boost that they need in order to fight off the sex pollen because the skin barrier has been removed and similar to sex the spiritual power is able to immediately go to work since it's inside the body. We have skin to keep things out of our body that aren't supposed to be there so I do not believe that basic touch alone would be enough, especially not for the average person. The spiritual power would decrease too much trying to fight its way inside to help. I do think that you could probably kiss your way out of it too, but because sex pollen causes the body to crave sex because it wants to get rid of the sex pollen ASAP it would be a risky move for Mu Qing because he might end up accidentally having sex and ruining his cultivation. So for Mu Qing the blood route is pretty much the only way to go.
#yes this is my castiel and the pizza man moment#thinking way too long and hard about cliche sex plots#land of the tenders#sex pollen#mu qing#tgcf#heaven officials blessing
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Do you have a favorite headcannon for cultural differences between Hobbits and Dwarves? I love cultural differences for the Hobbit and am always down to hear others opinions on what those might be.
*Asks are sent for fun, no pressure to answer within a certain amount of time or at all.
Let’s see, while I don’t claim to be an expert on the canon depictions of either races, I have a few things I like that I’ve seen other people write about.
I do enjoy how both hobbits and dwarves are good examples of how environments affect culture. Dwarves wearing thicker, hardier clothing because they live in the mountains and partake in a lot more mining and smithing. Their written language being more angular because they probably started off writing things down on stone. Dwarves having a harder time cultivating crops because of the rocky soil and unpredictable weather conditions, so they import from local towns and researching what can be grown in high altitudes. That kind of stuff.
Hobbits are interesting because even though they are the species of the main characters of the most popular books in the Middle Earth universe, there aren’t very many texts that extensively go over their culture and lifestyle. I mean, we learn that there are three types of hobbits and their general classifications and that they might be an off shoot of man, but that’s about it. They’re connected to nature because they do a lot of farming and live in housing that are literally built in the side of hills, but what else?
I see hobbits as being slightly more conservative. Maybe it’s me falling for the whole rural life equals conservative lifestyle, but I think it helps establish Bilbo and his lineage as being outliers in the general culture of hobbits. I like to see them as a people with a very closed off culture, with their own language and customs just like almost every other non-human race on Middle Earth (WHY DON’T THEY HAVE THEIR OWN LANGUAGE?!). I also like that they might be way stricter with raising children because they have so many and have particular rules to follow. I know people like to think of hobbits as these easy-going, nature spirit type of people, but what if they were really high strung, rule-following nerds? To the point where it’s SUPER annoying?
One thing that I’ve seen others headcanon is that hobbits were created by Yavanna, the goddess of nature in middle earth lore. I know that it’s mostly because they like the depth it brings to hobbit-dwarf relationships because Yavanna and Aulë/Mahal were married, and I enjoy that too. But I also like that it gives hobbits a genuine origin and opens up the space for a lot of interesting pieces about supposed festival, customs, and rituals that hobbits could partake in.
All of this rambling! I hope this made sense.
What about you? Do you have any cultural headcanons?
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Hey @maeve-on-mustafar, thank you for the ask! Unfortunately it's trapped in my inbox omfg so I guess I have to answer it like this instead. Functional website.
Anyway, I love to chat. ❤️
Up front, my answer to this is informed by my own take on canon, which may differ from some other interpretations bc I'm a Legends fan and not super into the Filoniverse. I feel like I need this little disclaimer bc I won't be discussing TCW, I'm mostly interested in what we see in the PT.
But based on that, I personally think the answer to the first question is yes, he is aware of that. Not to sound pithy or dismissive or anything, but I can't imagine Anakin not knowing that about himself-- if he knows anything, he knows that. I believe in the tags you're talking about here I make a reference to his comment in TPM where he says to Padme that he "wouldn't have lasted long" on Tatooine if he hadn't been so good at building things-- he was born into slavery, his entire existence violently delimited by the labor his enslavers could forcibly extract from him, and even the values Shmi instilled in him ("the biggest problem in this universe is that no one wants to help each other "), righteous and selfless though they may be, were predicated on this idea that your worth as a person is dependent on what you can do for or give other people. This is also a core tenet of Jedi ideology-- a giving over of the self to serve the greater good in the galaxy. "What can we do for each other? What do we owe each other?" seem to be questions that George was trying to explore in the six-film saga, and he grapples with this questions using a protagonist who spent his formative years hideously abused and exploited as a child slave. Insane btw. Insane man. In the PT, Anakin is flanked by two supporting characters (Obi-Wan and Padme) who both define themselves by their service to the galaxy. From his point of view, this is ALSO how he would describe Palpatine, regardless of our knowing that Palpatine was only ever projecting a false persona to pursue his own ends. And these are three of the four people who are most important to Anakin (the fourth ofc being Shmi, a slave, also inescapably defined by what she can do and give), the three people whom he idolizes above all others. What you can do for other people-- your usefulness, your utility, and how far you'll go to prove it-- is central not only to Anakin's sense of self, but the entire concept of goodness as it exists in Star Wars.
To get to the crux of it, do I think Anakin only "lasted as long as he did" with the Jedi bc he was especially useful to them?? Absolutely yes. Regardless of the actual validity of that, it's what he believed. This is a guy whose brain was borked from infancy into believing that his survival is dependent upon his exceptionalism, his productiveness, his cultivation of valuable skills and his ability to serve-- his personality formed around this, and it wasn't simply a "belief" to him, it was a fact, it was a component of the actual material conditions of his life on Tatooine, and he knew that if he failed to exceed the expectations of his superiors, there was always some worse fate waiting for him just around the corner, whether it was death or violence or being sold to a worse enslaver, and when I mentioned in my tags that his usefulness is a matter of existential security, it's very literal, this is what I mean. And a person doesn't shed this mindset just bc he goes to live with new people somewhere else-- no matter how nice the Jedi may have been to Anakin, you can't reset a child to factory settings, the only personality he has and has ever had is the one that formed under the horrific and violently-enforced conditions of slavery, there is no unfucked version of himself that he is able to fall back on or reconnect with once he's free. This is the identity he's got.
And what do we know about the Jedi permitting Anakin's training? We know that in the span of like 24 hours we go from Qui-Gon telling Anakin "I'm not allowed to train you" to Obi-Wan telling him "the Council has granted me permission to train you." What changed? No character ever outright states what made the Council reconvene on a settled matter, though we do know it must have been a controversial move based on Yoda's uhh dissatisfaction ("agree on you taking this boy as your padawan learner, I do not") with the outcome. I don't think Qui-Gon's death alone was enough to sway the decision, and I don't think it was done out of pity or a sense of obligation or doing right, I think we're meant to believe it was because of Anakin's participation in the destruction of the blockade of Naboo and the plausibility of the Chosen One prophecy coupled with the threat of the return of the Sith. Like half the time we see the Council, they're bandying about the question of Anakin's Chosen One status and the validity of the prophecy, we know they view him in a different light than they do all the other Jedi. After his initial assessment and rejection, Anakin certainly knows that he was only later admitted into the Order under extraordinary circumstances, having failed to pass the ordinary test. I'm not sure if as a nine-year-old he knew anything about the prophecy, but he definitely knew that destroying the Trade Federation command center ended the Naboo crisis and saved the day. And that is uhhhh one hell of a special exception to win over a group of people who wanted nothing to do with you the day before.
So he uses his Skills and decisively (explosively) ends a planetary occupation and the Council does a complete about-face and decides that maybe they can train him to be a Jedi after all, that the advantage of that may outweigh the perceived danger he poses to them (lol). This is setting a precedent. This is, to use extremely simplified logic, "as long as I can go above and beyond to solve other people's problems, people will want to keep me around." We don't know the conditions underlying Anakin's tenancy with the Jedi Order-- we don't know what would happen to him or where he would go if being a Jedi Just Wasn't Working Out; the one time he asks, Obi-Wan simply tells him, "You will be a Jedi, I promise you." Presumably they wouldn't just send him back to Tatooine to fend for himself but that still leaves a whole galaxy of alternatives lol, and when this character's path to self-actualization begins with "I had a dream I was a Jedi. I came back [to Tatooine] and freed all the slaves," any of these alternatives would be, from his perspective, the something worse that's waiting for him just around the corner should he fail to prove his exceptional value. It's a failure that threatens what he believes, with a child's conviction in fairytale heroes, is his only way of accessing a power great enough to overthrow the oppressive establishment on his home planet (appealing to the political process for justice is useless when the entire political process is mired in self-serving corruption, as the entire PT lays out) and heal the damage that was done to him and pretty much everyone he knows. This failure is obvs unacceptable. He can't live with himself if he's not a Jedi capable of saving the slaves (his mother), the moral injury is too deep. So he has to keep proving himself to these people so they keep wanting to keep him around. Certainly no Jedi ever said to him, "Anakin, if you don't become the best and strongest Jedi ever, we're going to send you to the glue factory and everyone you know will die in terrible agony and it will all be your fault," but it was nonetheless the reality imposed on him by his being unsalvageably clinically fucked up. Children exist at the behest of the adults who accept responsibility for them-- following a major life upheaval involving even a voluntary separation of a child from his only (and vital) support system, there is little stability in the knowledge that your new guardians (essentially strangers) could send you away on a whim if they suddenly decide you're too much of a burden to continue dealing with ("Qui-Gon sir, I don't want to be a problem"), especially when you have no recourse to appeal that decision. Therefore, it's up to Anakin to cobble together his own sense of stability the only way he knows how.
To address the second question, I guess it's difficult to imagine if Anakin would still feel the same in a galaxy without Palpatine bc a galaxy without Palpatine is unrecognizable to the universe as it was established in TPM-- Palpatine orchestrated the entire plot, he laid the whole foundation and set all the players into motion, how Anakin might have come to the Jedi Order without Palpatine is entirely up to individual fancy. But if what you mean is, would Anakin still have felt the same if Palpatine hadn't been involved in his personal life?, I still think the answer is yes. I don't think this was an idea planted in his head by Palpatine at all, I think it's an idea that pre-dates Palpatine as an influence on Anakin, even if Palpatine later exploited and manipulated it for his own gain. And honestly, I think the whole Jedi ethos probably did more to reinforce this idea in Anakin's brain than anything else-- the Jedi teach selflessness to the point of self-sacrifice, and it's easy to see how this teaching, while rooted in dedication to justice and public service, could feed into Anakin's pre-existing anxieties about needing to be useful, and how usefulness is analogous to goodness/worthiness. To say nothing on how self-sacrifice can tip so easily over into self-destruction, when pushed to extremes. It's not that Anakin's life as a Jedi is in any way equivalent to his life as a slave, and I def don't think the Jedi were demanding Anakin be their Super Specialest Boy or else they would cast him into the Outer Darkness, it's just that his worldview will always be impacted by his enslavement and the lessons he integrated into his lived reality during that period. This is exactly why training him was "too dangerous"-- he would never be able to "purely" assimilate the Order's teachings, they would always be filtered through the lens of his prior experiences in ways the Jedi could not anticipate or control.
HOLY SHIT. Sorry this got so long. There are a lot of half-baked ideas here I didn't fully explore, so sorry if my points aren't coming across. I just find this to be a huge and interesting topic and it's hard to condense all my thoughts down into something readable bc I've uhhh spent a lot of time thinking about it and trying to wrangle that into coherency is. Challenging. Lol. 💀 If you have any thoughts you'd like to share, or if I missed your point entirely lol, I'd love to hear from you!!
#star wars#i've been trying to answer this ask for so long tumblr please don't fuck this up again#my beloved gf has advised me to put this under a read more bc it's physically painful to scroll past. god forbid a woman have an opinion!
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hii i want some meenah (and or kankri) analysis >:3 love the way you explain things
HEARTTTTTTT thank you mio <3333 you will have to forgive me because the beforus trolls really really are not my wheelhouse outside of, like, talking about the ways that they represent (generally) interpretations of the beta trolls that hussie found shitty and obviously the whole obsession he had with owning the teenage SJWs for being messy about their critique of him as if he did not create the confines and energy of that space in the first place.
that said meenah is one of my favies of the bunch and i think i already have said a little bit to you about why i find her compelling on twitter before but UHMMM cracks knuckles
okay so i am a big fan of the characters whos isolation plays into the ways that make them harder for the rest of the cast to sympathize with. isolation is obviously an element of homestuck that is generally relevent to every characters story but for some of them that makes the friendgroups they have cultivated a source of empowerment and for some of them it functions to magnify why they hold whatever particular place in the narrative they do. why the narrative, as something alive and malicious to the characters living within it, grants some of them agency and denies others. and in some ways meenah gets agency, i mean she is the catalyst for every major decision that ensures the outcomes of her session! she has massive influence and control of her own future and is very strongheaded in her refusal to give that up, i love it for her.
that said she also is another victim of fitting into a character slot influenced by hussies biases. i think it is a little bit too simplistic when people try to paint the hemospectrum as just racism flipped on its head (plus that doesnt really account for the lowbloods who are written to be brown), but the makaras and the peixes get the worst of the messiness that IS there, where both on individual levels their characterizations end up saying some extremely fucked up things and revealing a lot about what hussie thinks black culture, like, is. and in a more general sense they invoke the uncomfortable undercurrent of antiblackness and anxiety surrounding black culture becoming a dominating cultural force that troll society is built upon. ive seen this spoken about better, and by actually black fans, so i wont try to hard to restate it all, but the ways that alternia (and beforus by extension) invoke black culture especially in the trolls we are meant to understand as holding societal privilege is like, so so so fucking weird!, and the choice to insert meenah the way that he did, long after discussions about this had started to really permeate the sphere of critique to me cant really feel like anything but a conscious decision, and retroactively erased any chance at him claiming ignorance with what he was doing with gamzee. the decision to double down on the concept that any of these behaviors are instinctual is also the bane of my existence. all of these characters who are loaded with blatant racism and then forced into roles of antagonizers are the ones i feel the most need to align myself with forever no questions asked.
to roll back around to meenah's isolation though, i think a lot of people kind of forget that for as much as she idolizes her post-scratch self, she felt so trapped by the prospect of ruling on beforus that she literally chose to run away and go into hiding and live! all by herself! this is so sad to me and especially drawing back on that metanarrative string of being a marginalized girl we are supposed to read as privileges (eugh!), i think it speaks so blatantly to her want for a nice life where she can be with her friends, even if i think her own conditioning makes her not entirely aware of that because shes spent her entire life being told she is meant to want power and her attitude of embracing that in the least-beforan way possible is so clearly the escapist fantasy of a teenager whos been told all her life how to be who hasnt quite unlearned the idea that power and riches and status are what makes you important.
even despite our entire view of her through her active role in the story being basically hussie telling us over and over and over again what a violent and selfish person she is, everything we hear about her actions in their session point more to meenah just being an abrasive girl who doesnt really know how to express her feelings, especially the ones that make her feel vulnerable or forced onto equal footing with people when shes always been told that isnt what shes meant to do. she bakes them a cakeeee for their anniversaryyyy come onnnn :o(((( i love her. even the stuff she does to damara is all only ever done with the intent of making sure her team can survive the game she has brought them all into (their dynamic is my favorite part about the beforus trolls one day i will speak on it). and ofc her entire plan to kill all of them to make sure they dont all end up wiped from existence!
ok um i am admittedly losing steam with my thoughts here so i will end this there but tldr she is everything to me
#also admittedly i dont think about kankri much outside of like how i wish he couldve been utilized and how much i hate most of what we got#but for you....... i will do my research and get back to u#also i love what u do with their dynamic big fan of vantas wifeguy trutherisms#meenah#ask#meta#<- feels a bit sillay to tag as usual idk if im actually saying anything not surface lvl here lol
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Tell me three HCs you have about the Triclopses (is that the plural? idk man). These can be ones you haven't gotten to talk about yet or ones you've mentioned before but have thought more on and have more to add. How do these apply to Amita, specifically?
!!!!!!!
So I've talked about how neat I think it is that the Triclops are canonically (as canon as outside official sources are) descended from alien life. I've struggled to add more to that in a way that doesn't come off as contrived or...overpowered-ish? But hell, Saiyans are the only alien race in canon who has transformations & power-ups & history worth a damn, so why not show love for a different race that's gotten literally nothing? Here's some of what I have so far:
1) The Triclops are descendants of a race - the Selenians - who were humanoids but had many draconic affinities, mainly out of symbolism as they worshipped their own Eternal Dragon. Or rather, the "Shadow" Dragon fragments of it since those dragons saved their civilization from total collapse because of their constant in-fighting & eventual abuse of their dragon balls; which resulted in the "Shadow" Dragons being created in the first place.
I got the label Selenian from this: Selenicereus ("Selenicereus, sometimes known as moonlight cactus, is a genus of epiphytic, lithophytic, and terrestrial cacti. A number of species of Selenicereus produce fruit that is eaten. The fruit, known as pitaya or pitahaya in Spanish or as dragon fruit, may be collected from the wild or the plants may be cultivated"). It's a roundabout pun for dragon fruit and them having dragon gods basically.
There's also the "selene" aspect of it that applies to them / the Tricolps in the abstract sense that they're otherworldly to Earth yet they're closely associated with it, like the moon's relation to Earth. This is part of the reason why I've added the moon as an aesthetic to Amita's kit.
2) Some remnants of their ancient culture still exist in Dagi Village (my headc Triclops' sole dominant domain since they apparently live very secluded from Earth's general population - also I got Dagi from "dagian") through their mythology, but primarily in how they have a mysterious orb that no one knows the origin of, but it's always been their greatest "sacred treasure". It's regarded as holy and villagers occasionally pray to it - Amita once having done so herself as a child.
3) The Triclops' ancestors, when they touched down on Earth, are who primarily brought the existence of ki and ki control to earthling awareness. Harnessing one's life force was like second nature to them, and through mingling & osmosis, knowledge of ki was slowly spread around the planet. Only those who both believed in it and could actually achieve it kept the art alive, which were the minority, so it's become a "paranormal" belief nowadays and isn't openly practiced. The knowledge has persisted throughout generations for the Triclops though, so children are given far greater lessons than they would find anywhere else on the planet. For this reason, Amita has a very potent degree of ki control that probably even rivals high levels like Goku's, and the strength of her ki is in fact greater than her physical body's strength (in her current canon). This has been a sharp double-edged sword for her in her life.
#/ some of this is spoilers for the amito fic but. triclops lore isnt the focus of the story so its fine \#/ ty for the asks momo!! \#worldbuilding.#amita // ❦ meta ❦#answered.
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