remember in Shippuden how Sasuke being anti-murder was like. a big thing. like he's the only person in the entire show I recall showing actual regard for human life by default and going out of his way to avoid killing people unless it's absolutely neccassary (or he REALLY thinks they deserve it).
like. Naruto is not anti-murder. Sakura is not anti-murder. SASUKE is SO anti-murder that him killing people in the Kage Summit is meant to be read as a real negative character development that's genuinely shocking and sad to see instead of. another tuesday, like it would be for. any other shinobi.
Like theres people that point out how weird it is in the kage summit that suddenly everyone's commenting on Sasuke killing samuri and being all appalled and horrified 'even though you're all ninja! why is it suddenly so bad when sasuke does it!' BUT. It IS shocking and horrifying. Because SASUKE does it. sasuke being willing to go THROUGH the people that opposed him instead of taking the time to non-lethally dispose of them was a WELL WRITTEN CHARACTER BEAT to show how desprate he was to kill Danzou by any means neccassary (building up to even going through karin to do it!), and it was NOT him just. 'going crazy out of the blue for no reason'.
After EVERYTHING 'Madara' says, he STILL gives Danzo the chance to plead his case! He cares about having ANSWERS more then about blind revenge! He learned his lesson with known liar Itachi and super suspicious weirdo Marada!! Can someone! for once in his life! GIVE IT TO HIM STRAIGHT!
I’ll die on the hill of the ”joke” that Sasuke is one of the first male characters to experience misogyny both in canon and fanon because imo he’s a perfect example of:
-loss of bodily autonomy
-being blamed for that happening to him and how he dealt with the trauma
-being pursued by men without consent
-being objectified based on a physical trait
-exuding righteous anger towards a system that would rather let you die/kill you than support you
-characters like Sakura refusing to take no as an answer and her fanbase deciding she’s not getting what’s “owed” to her because he won’t just “consider her feelings” and say yes
-being demonized in general because he won’t play nice with people who just want him for their own benefit
-fandom wanting him to be reformed/put in his place through marriage/comphet
-ability to having contributed to having children in boruto viewed as more important than his own goals and desires from shippuden
-wanting approval from a father
-the minimization of his grief and kinda like the point above, the invalidation of his anger for what’s happened to him
I’m sure there’s more but I’ll leave it there for now
-treating him like a "fallen woman" when he's quite literally being groomed
-his remaining father-like figure kakashi dismissing his ambitions, telling him to give up on his plans for revenge, but being on board and helping with shikamaru's plans for revenge- double standards against him and his justified anger when the village has thus far planned nothing to bring itachi to justice
-itachi basically giving sasuke away to naruto like a father's marital blessing
-orochimaru simultaneously wanting his younger body while also making him change to be more mature, useful and therefore desirable to him (the curse mark transformation)
-fans of naruto essentially calling him hysterical and whiney which is stupid considering how he tends to bottle up his emotions and rarely ever admit how he's feeling to anyone, which is what makes it so impactful when naruto tells him in VOTE2 that he feels his pain and empathises with him. he refused to be vulnerable with naruto in VOTE1 by telling him what he's thinking by saying that they can communicate through fists instead
-fans constantly undermine him and downplay any of his victories (as if that's the point of his character but I digress), discounting anytime he fights on equal or even better grounds than someone else eg. "he only won against deidara because he killed himself" -if your trump card is killing yourself to kill your opponent then you lost. also "naruto could have killed sasuke in VOTE2 but he was holding back" well yeah and sasuke could have finished naruto off in VOTE1 but he decided not to. I don't agree with the notion that naruto was holding back anyway, he literally declared a suicide pact with him
-fans treating him like his sole purpose is to reproduce, raise said child, and be maternal and loving towards his family in boruto
“At fourteen, Percy had honestly believed she had outgrown true fear. Apprehension, nerves—those were familiar, unavoidable. But terror, real terror, was something she had thought died the first time she journeyed to the Underworld.
At fourteen, Wisdom had taught her otherwise.”
—
A little peak into chapter four which I‘m (finally) almost done with! It‘s time for Percy and Athena‘s first meeting!! :)
Forever obsessed with Apollo and Hector’s relationship in the Iliad. Like Hector barely acknowledges his existence, let alone his protection over Troy, at all. And yet Apollo will bend over backwards to protect his favourite blorbo at all costs. Two other characters remark on it on separate occasions.
There’s also this awful awful scene. Where Apollo pretends he hasn’t watched literally every second leading up to hector getting hurt and ran down to him as soon as Zeus gave him the go ahead and then basically goes: It’s fine I’m here now, get up again, you can die.
Athena says this before Hectors death?? Like I’m sorry is crying and begging something this guy resorts to often enough for her to anticipate it?
He also pleads Hectors case to the gods after his death, totally not projecting anything in the second one *cough cough*
And both the narrator and Hera remark on his loyalty to Hector after his death being unexpected/unreasonable
Like Apollo knows Troy is doomed and Hector will die but he doesn’t abandon him until the very last moment before his death, when Zeus literally puts his fate on a scale. And considering what Athena says he might just have run to Zeus to beg for Hector’s life. How am I ever supposed to get over this???
I’m really curious how others are planning on handling the whole “You are my favourite child, Percy” line in the Athenide AU?
Because, would a Poseidon who doesn’t know Percy is also the Athenide (his favourite child) actually say that to her?? Would that sentiment even exist in the same way?
In my version, I took it in another direction (because Poseidon is decidedly not over Perseia’s death in my AU lol), but I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts!!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Lilia had long since dismissed most human wisdom on raising adolescents. That is, until she overhears her ever-obedient Silvia conspiring with woodland creatures over a boy in the forest. It seemed as though this so-called “teenage rebellion” was not quite the myth she had begun to assume.
Lilia, needless to say, is utterly delighted by the discovery.
When Malleus had turned thirty, he had still been a tiny thing, all soft cheeks and stumbling steps as he toddled after Lilia through the palace halls, barely even able to maintain his humanoid form.
Silver was not so very different in that regard. He too chased after Lilia on unsteady little legs, determined and bright-eyed and hopelessly slow, his silver hair coming loose from its ribbons as he hurried after him with all the eagerness only a toddler could muster.
And yet Silver had only recently turned four years old.
Lilia had known, of course, that humans aged quickly. How could he not? Their generals changed every few decades while he remained where he had always been, watching one generation of men grow old and die only for the next to take up the same banners. He had understood this in theory long before Silver ever came into his care.
Still, the reality of it was another matter entirely.
It was absurd, almost, that there could be a creature so small, and yet changing so quickly beneath his very hands.
Malleus, he knew, found it deeply unsettling. Lilia had warned him well enough: humans were short-lived beings, and Silver would reach adulthood in less time than it took a fae child to properly outgrow its nursery. Yet witnessing it for himself had only made the prince increasingly… inventive in his suggestions.
More than once Malleus had looked at Silver with that dark, intent expression of his and spoken, in tones far too casual to be innocent, of spells that might preserve him a little longer. Suspend him, perhaps, in “a gentler season of life”. Keep him small, keep him safe.
Lilia, naturally, would allow no such thing.
Still, there was something strangely endearing in it too — this fierce, possessive fondness Malleus had already developed for the child he had once been so insistent on loathing.
(“You’ll tire of this creature quickly enough,” Malleus had snapped, shooting the silver-haired infant a venomous glare. “And once you do, I’ll kill this beast myself.” With that his royal highness had stormed out of the cottage imperiously, leaving an exasperated Lilia alone with his sleeping child. Rolling his eyes, Lilia had closed the door with a flick of his magic: children were already so terribly quick to anger, and Malleus had inherited more than just his mother’s appearance.)
It was only to be expected, Lilia thought, pleased.
After all, Silver truly was the sweetest thing in all the world — human or fae, it made no difference.
Content, Lilia ran his fingers through Silver’s hair, smoothing it back from his round little face before pressing an idle kiss to his forehead.
Silver giggled at once.
It was such a bright, delighted sound that Lilia felt warmth bloom through his whole chest, syrupy and golden, almost cloying — as though he had swallowed down an offering of honey and milk and found it had settled, molten, beneath his ribs.
For a brief, foolish moment, he thought that if Silver laughed again, he might very well give him anything he wished for, whether it ought to be given or not.
—
This is just my attempt at trying to figure out a voice for Lilia lol, he’s (surprisingly) fun to write!
“PJO ended with The Last Olympian.” I say into the mic. The crowd boos. I begin to walk off in shame, when a voice from the back speaks and commands silence in the room.
“She’s right!” someone says. I look for the owner of the voice. It's Percy Jackson, and he still has the curse of Achilles.
In my opinion, redemption for Jiang Cheng's character is impossible. It’s odd how most discussions about his potential redemption always solely centre around his relationship with Wei Wuxian.
While it’s true that Jiang Cheng wronged Wei Wuxian, his biggest crime isn’t his treatment of Wei Wuxian—it’s the massacre of the Wen Remnants. His redemption shouldn’t just be centred around his relationship with Wei Wuxian, it should focus on the Wen Remnants, who were brutally slaughtered under the siege he led.
Making peace with Wei Wuxian doesn’t erase the much larger moral crime of leading a massacre against innocent people. True redemption should be about confronting the full extent of one’s wrongdoings, and in Jiang Cheng’s case, that means dealing with the massacre, not just his wrongdoings against Wei Wuxian.
Jiang Cheng never reflects on the massacre, expresses any regret for the innocent lives lost, or takes responsibility. For Jiang Cheng to even have a chance at redemption, he’d need to show real remorse for what he did to the Wen Remnants—and honestly, I just don’t see that ever happening.
i have more problems with dc than there are grains of sand on the planet but god… GOD…. the points that they made w creating the relationship between dick and damian……. the one shining moment in dc history where they hit every single beat…….. they got it all right………
MDZS: analyzing the Cloud Recesses Lectures Brawl, and Jin Zixuan's uncaring attitude towards Jiang Yanli
I know a lot of people tend to think JZX's insulting JYL, and the subsequent brawl during the Cloud Recesses Lectures arc, isn't really a very big deal, and I sorta get why? his insult seems pretty lukewarm, and boys will be boys, and so on… but honestly, if you start reading more Chinese novels, you'll pretty soon pick up that the brawl had a very good reason to happen.
I was talking with a good friend about it, and we ended up breaking it down. They suggested I might as well post about it.
let's start with Chinese Historical Customs: a married lady would have near total reliance on the backing and favor of her husband to have any power whatsoever within her household, or even be able to live comfortably -- without his backing and support, she'd be cut off from money, essential materials such as winter gear and heating fuel, even good food; the servants wouldn't bother listening to her (she'd have a few of her own brought from her first home, but not many); and being bullied (read: anything from humiliated to actually hurt) by her new family wouldn't be uncommon (and we all know what a pit of vipers the Jin Sect was even then).
doublespeak, face, and reputation, all meant that, intentionally or not, JZX was setting JYL up for a MISERABLE future life: by badmouthing her in public so everybody knows that her future husband thinks she's mediocre and unsatisfactory, he's saying he doesn't respect her (or her family! more on that in the next bullet point). if he doesn't respect her, he won't support her or help her if she needs him, because he doesn't care about her reputation, and therefore neither does he care about her comfort, or, well, about her... anything.
more Chinese Historical Customs, or, the Natal Family's Protection: a married lady's last backup defense is the fact that disrespecting her means disrespecting her family, who the husband has allied himself with by marrying her. the more they care about her, the more the natal family will respond to slights to her. they respond through retaliation -- by making the husband pay for disrespecting their daughter.
thus WWX's and JC's immediate answer of punching JZX for his remarks may have seemed disproportionate, but was actually not incorrect.
(They even gave JZX the chance to retract his words first!)
Stressors and Magnifiers: JZX isn't just being this dismissive in front of the two of them, which is already grounds for STRONG retaliation -- he's disrespecting their family's daughter right to their face!!! -- he's ALSO saying this to every single important peer they have, all of whom will go back home and tell that JZX, whose mother is dear friends with JYL's mother, and who visit each other all the time, and who thus must know her best... thinks she's so worthless, she can even be badmouthed in public. he's not only saying he will allow her to be disrespected by others, he's also drastically lowering her value to every other gentry prospect!!!
punching him was a brute and unrefined response, but it was a tradeoff: it traded away "face" for JYL's sake and protection. which she desperately needed right then. it sent the answer that disrespect towards JYL would be met by the strongest and most immediate retaliation the Jiang could possibly make;
and JFM agrees with the whole thing, because he finishes the move and breaks the engagement: "if you don't value her, then you don't get to have her".
(obligatory note that WWX was not expelled for his actions that day, and chose to return to Lotus Pier with JFM on his own... after finding out that LWJ had gone into seclusion and would no longer be around for him to tease.)
(obligatory note that it's extremely unlikely JZX was a malicious mastermind doing anything on purpose during this scene. we don't get a lot on him, but he was probably, honestly, just being a stupid teenager about a situation he was upset with. unfortunately, the above consequences still apply.)
(final note that neither JZX, nor, apparently, JYL, learned anything from this whole debacle. the Wartime Soup Incident is the exact same damn thing, except about ten times worse, and with much greater damage potential to her prospects and reputation.)
this might just be a tiktok issue but every time i see someone say “shen jiu deserved a chance at happiness!” i explode. he had many. his entire life he could’ve made different decisions, he could’ve just not abused lbh, or spoken to yqy, but he never did. that’s his whole thing. he’s even aware of it, it’s like his WHOLE final speech in the extras. he would NEVER EVER take a chance at being better/happy, he’s far too comfortable in his own misery, he has absolutely no idea what to do without it. and he doesn’t want to find out either. THATS THE WHOLE POINT. it’s what makes him such a good character, because he’s realistic in his principles. he doesn’t just hate the antagonist, he hates literally fucking everything and everyone, especially himself. makes me scream idk lmao
ON GHOSTS AND DEMONS: Wei Wuxian's "demonic" cultivation?
There are a few big misconceptions I have repeatedly seen in English-speaking fandom about things that are fundamental to the story of MDZS. One of them is this—
Wei Wuxian is not a demonic cultivator.
To prove this, let's take a deep dive into the original Chinese text of MDZS.
(Adapted from my original gdoc posted on Twitter on May 27, 2022. All translations my own unless otherwise stated.)
Demon vs. ghost
Let's start from the very basics. In addition to orthodox cultivation using spiritual energy and a golden core, there are two other forms of cultivation that are mentioned in the novel:
魔道 (mó dào), or “demon cultivation/path.”
鬼道 (guǐ dào), or “ghost cultivation/path.”
To be clear, 魔 mo "demons" and 鬼 gui "ghosts" (and thus their respective cultivation/paths) are not interchangeable because of the in-universe worldbuilding within MDZS. Using the characters in the term 妖魔鬼怪 "monsters," MXTX created four distinct categories of beings, each of which has a strict definition in the novel. From chapter 4 (jjwxc ch 13):
妖者非人之活物所化; 魔者生人所化; 鬼者死者所化; 怪者非人之死物所化。
Yāo (妖) are transformed from non-human living beings; mó (魔) are transformed from living people; guǐ (鬼) are transformed from the deceased; guài (怪) are transformed from non-human dead beings.
And of course, WWX hoards all the ghost-type pokemon monsters at the Phoenix Mountain tournament, and he only exerts control over corpses, spirits, and the like (aka people who have already died). (As opposed to Xue Yang, who appears to have been actively trying to make 魔 "demons" out of living people with those "living corpses" of his, perhaps.) (And, ironically, in order to avoid showing necromancy / zombies on screen, CQL technically does show WWX practicing demon cultivation because everyone is "supposedly alive" even when they're corpses? Which is, funnily enough, far worse morally in the MDZS universe, lol.)
So, intuitively at least, we know that WWX must be practicing ghost cultivation—now let's look at some concrete examples from the book.
Running the numbers
1) 魔道 (mó dào) means “demon cultivation.” As such, it must use living humans.
魔道 appears one (1) time in the novel.
Yes, once. The only time it appears is in the term 魔道祖师 modao zushi, or the namesake of the novel, in chapter 2. This is a title the general public has given him through rumors:
魏无羡好歹也被人叫了这么多年无上邪尊啦、魔道祖师啦之类的称号，这种一看就知道不是什么好东西的阵法，他自然了如指掌。
Wei Wuxian wasn’t called titles like “The Evil Overlord,” “The Founder of Demon Cultivation,” and so on over the years by others for nothing—he knew these sorts of obviously shady formations like the back of his hand.
2) 鬼道 (guǐ dào) means “ghost cultivation.” As such, it must use dead humans.
鬼道 appears 12 times in the novel.
Here is the first instance that 鬼道 appears, which I believe is the first time Wei Wuxian's method of cultivation is properly introduced. From chapter 3 (jjwxc ch 8):
蓝忘机 […] 对魏无羡修鬼道一事极不认可。
Lan Wangji […] had never approved of the fact that Wei Wuxian practiced ghost cultivation.
Here's another quote from chapter 15 (jjwxc ch 71) for funsies:
蓝忘机看着他，似乎一眼就看出他只是随口敷衍，吸了一口气，道：“魏婴。”
Lan Wangji looked at him as if he saw through his half-hearted bluff. He took in a breath, then said, “Wei Ying.”
他执拗地道：“鬼道损身，损心性。”
He stubbornly continued, “Ghost cultivation harms one’s body, and harms one’s nature.”
3) 邪魔歪道 (xiemowaidao) means heretical path/immoral methods/evil practices/underhanded means/etc—e.g., lying, cheating, stealing, bribery, and so on.
It appears ~24 times in the novel.
I mention this last term because it is often used to refer to Wei Wuxian's cultivation, but as a pejorative. Every instance of 邪魔歪道 is said by or to quote someone looking down upon Wei Wuxian’s cultivation (Jin Zixun, Jin Ling, etc.) and referring to it derogatorily, whereas every instance of 鬼道 guidao/ghost dao is said by someone discussing it neutrally and/or factually (Lan Jingyi, Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian himself, random cultivators at discussion conferences, the narration, etc.). Here is a pertinent example with Jin Ling (derogatory) and Lan Jingyi (neutral) in chapter 9 (jjwxc ch 43):
金凌怒道：“是在谈论薛洋，我说的不对吗？薛洋干了什么？他是个禽兽不如的人渣，魏婴比他更让人恶心！什么叫‘不能一概而论’？这种邪魔歪道留在世上就是祸害，就是该统统都杀光，死光，灭绝！”
“We are discussing Xue Yang,” Jin Ling said angrily. “Am I wrong? What did Xue Yang do? He’s scum that’s lower than a beast, and Wei Ying is even more disgusting than him! What do you mean ‘don’t make sweeping generalizations?’ As long as those practicing this kind of demonic, heretical path are alive, they’ll continue to bring disaster. We should slaughter all of them, kill all of them, annihilate them once and for all!”
温宁动了动，魏无羡摆手示意他静止。只听蓝景仪也加入了，嚷道：“你发这么大火干什么？思追又没说魏无羡不该杀，他只是说修鬼道的也不一定全都是薛洋这种人，你有必要乱摔东西吗？那个我还没吃呢……”
Wen Ning shuffled around. Wei Wuxian gestured at him to stay still, only to hear Lan Jingyi also join the fray, bellowing, “Why are you getting so riled up? It’s not like Sizhui said Wei Wuxian shouldn’t have been killed. All he said was that people who practice ghost cultivation aren’t necessarily all like Xue Yang. Do you have to go around breaking things? I didn’t even get to eat any of that yet…”
Tl;dr—Wei Wuxian does not 修魔道 practice demon cultivation. When Wei Wuxian’s craft is discussed in a neutral and factual manner, it is referred to as 鬼道 ghost dao.
In fact, Wei Wuxian’s imitators are also referred to explicitly as 鬼道修士 ghost cultivators.
魏无羡早就听说过，这些年来江澄到处抓疑似夺舍重生的鬼道修士，把这些人通通押回莲花坞严刑拷打。
Wei Wuxian had heard a while back that over the past few years, Jiang Cheng had gone around snatching any ghost cultivator suspected of being possessed or reborn, detaining them in Lotus Pier to interrogate them using torture.
So why the confusion?
Of course, there is the matter of the novel's title, which I will get into in a second. But the real issue is a matter of translation.
The idea that WWX uses "demonic cultivation" is a misconception in English-speaking fandom due to issues with the translation of terminology. Of note, EXR actually did translate 鬼道 guidao as "ghostly path" most of the time, though there were at least 3 instances of "demonic" and 1 instance of "dark," especially regarding the first few.
However, this misconception was perpetuated (and arguably worsened) by 7S's official translation, which not only mistranslated additional terms as "demonic cultivation/path" (at least in book 1), but also consistently mistranslated every instance of 鬼道 as "demonic cultivation/path."
So why is this book called 魔道祖师, commonly translated as "Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation?"
One possibility is one posed in Chinese-language meta online, which often cites that WWX himself is a sort of 魔 demon. While this may be true—after all, he can hear the voices of the dead—it doesn't quite explain the fact that the title sets him up to be the 祖师 or "founder."
My take is that this novel is very much concerned with hearsay vs. truth. This is one of the many monikers WWX is given by the public, who collectively view him as evil. (Also of note is that the non-cultivator public is not aware of all the nuances that cultivators learn re: distinctions between the 妖魔鬼怪 monsters.) In the quote from earlier, note that the first title we're given is actually 无上邪尊 “The Evil Overlord,” then 魔道祖师 "The Founder of Demon Cultivation." Like, what can that be other than MXTX telling us, "please take both of these with a HUGE grain of salt, lol."
(And not only the title, but the very first line—"魏无羡死了。" / "Wei Wuxian is dead."—is a lie.)
I think the title is genius, honestly. It intentionally makes readers come into the novel with preconceived notions that Wei Wuxian practices 魔道 demon cultivation and evil techniques—just like the public in the story. What better way to tell a story warning about the dangers of how easy it is to fall for misinformation and jump to incorrect conclusions?
(Though, in our case, perhaps it worked a little too well.)
unironically i think we need to bring back computer labs because APPARENTLY some people WERENT taught basic computer literacy and internet safety in school
things about computers/the internet i think kids should be formally taught in schools because theyre important to know and the amount of soon to be grown adults i know who know NOTHING about any of these is quite frankly almost all of them (and resources to learn if you dont know these things, because its never to late to get better with computers)
how to troubleshoot by yourself when you have a technical problem
what common file types are
some very basics on how to use ""developer tools"" on your computer (because i cant think of a better way to refer to them) like task manager and command prompt (and their mac equivalents, terminal and activity monitor ofc)
how to read and understand a privacy policy and what your personal data is, as well as what it being collected actually means and steps you can take to keep it private
how to understand terms of service
(hey. if you have trouble with reading legalese and worry about being able to understand these policies anyways, here's a site that gives basic summaries of privacy policies and ToS)
what a cookie actually is
internet privacy and your digital footprint!! seriously i dont know why we stopped teaching people that they shouldnt be putting their entire real identity online in a world where your online actions can ruin you irl
basic safety measures like antivirus software (and why you should use it or if the built in one on windows or mac is enough for you) and backing up your computer (also a mac guide)
common keyboard shortcuts (and on mac)
as an additional note: things i think everyone should know on computers and the internet but schools may bit hesitant to teach about for whatever moral/legal standards schools pretend to operate on
vpns and adblockers! (btw for most of these where you can pay for things im purposefully not recommending any specific software but seriously just use ublock origin for an adblocker)
how to not get a virus while pirating something
what a temporary email is and when to use one
red flags that you shouldn't trust a website (and how to quickly check the security of a site)
what javascript on a website does and how to disable it to get around paywalls
ok one last addition! if you want to take it one level higher, i think learning the very basics of at least one programming language is good for people. it makes computers less scary and it makes you feel very cool, and a lot of people get discouraged about it because it seems overly complicated and hard to learn outside a formal classroom setting, so heres some resources for learning the very basics of python (because i consider it the easiest language to learn and knowing one language will make it easier to learn others)
an online compiler so you dont need to download anything or worry about running code directly on your computer if that makes you nervous
a basic video guide to introduce you to python and walk you through beginner steps
a guide to some syntax and commands you should know (this was literally my lifeline in my first CS class)
some performance tasks to give you things to code to practice and assess yourself
I feel like people still often think that Lan Wangji goes around helping people either because he was trying to find Wei Wuxian or "in honor" of him. But in canon, it was always his own thing. Even Wei Wuxian never adhered to it until he married Lan Wangji which he narrates in this excerpt from the Gate Crasher Extra:
One could say they had somewhat pulled away from the cultivation world. If they had nothing of importance to attend to, they would roam aimlessly for a few days, half a month, a whole month. Wei Wuxian had long known Lan Wangji’s reputation for 'appearing where there is chaos' and hadn’t thought it would be a tough job. But now that he was tagging along, he realized it was a test of patience—not because it was tough, but rather, it was too easy.
When he had gone on Night Hunts in the past, he’d favored strange and dangerous locations where he could experience a variety of adventures that were naturally full of turns and twists. However, Lan Wangji was not picky—he did what he ought to do, and it inevitably ended with some commonplace Night Hunt target that was unremarkable by Wei Wuxian’s standards. Case in point, this fierce corpse that had come knocking. Compared to the creatures Wei Wuxian used to hunt, it was boring indeed. Even other cultivators might consider dealing with it to be a waste of time and talent.
But even if the case itself wasn’t enticing, Wei Wuxian was with Lan Wangji. It was relaxing and idyllic to enjoy each other’s company.
This characteristic of his is also shown in the Lotus Seedpod Extra where he helps out an old woman to knock down a withered branch stuck on the eaves of her roof, helps farmers hold up a roof as temporary shelter from the rain, and takes note to report a harmless spirit for it to be exorcised later.
I think Lan Wangji's inherent kindness and heroism is still often overlooked in favor of the interpretation that he "learned how to be truly kind/genuinely righteous" from Wei Wuxian. But what people often fail to realize is that as Wei Wuxian was helping and protecting the Wens, Lan Wangji was fulfilling his own duty of helping and protecting his own people and the common people while also trying to speak up for Wei Wuxian and later on the Wen siblings.
I feel like people want Lan Wangji to have a character development where he does a complete 180, but what really happens is just that he becomes more comfortable in his own skin. He understands himself, his feelings, and his desires more. His morals, values, and principles are strengthened but they are the same as ever.
He had always had a mind of his own and had always been stubborn. This is the same person whom, as a child, against everyone's reprimands and scolding, kept visiting his mother's house and sitting outside of it for months. The same one who persuaded his sect leader brother and strict uncle to allow him to keep his rabbits despite pets not being allowed in the premises. The boy who walked a long way away from home and insisted on being allowed to pick lotus seedpods despite it being past the curfew for doing so. He protects an innocent girl and rebukes his own sect's disciple for trying to put her in harm's way even as his leg was broken, his home burned down, his father gone, and his brother missing. He bestows punishment upon himself alongside Wei Wuxian when the latter challenges if Lan Wangji would apply the same rules he enforces onto himself. Later on, after the massacre at Nightless City (in which he also tried to help as many people as he could), he implored to be punished for his actions as he knew, in the same way, Wei Wuxian was about to receive the consequences for his own. He's always understood that rules exist for a reason but are also made to be broken. And Lan Wangji's goodness, his righteousness, and his justness are the things Wei Wuxian admires and respects the most about him. It's what makes Wei Wuxian fall deeper in love with him over and over.
Lan Wangji in the present timeline is more decisive and a little less strict, a little more playful, but his pure goodness is all the same.
This meta on Lan Wangji & Lan An somewhat touches on what his character needed to go through. It's less of a moral change and more of him having to choose between staying on this path of asceticism that is believed to lead to spiritual immortality or to join the secular world and involve himself in worldly affairs, a choice between being godly or being human.
Side note: I like how in the donghua, many minor cultivation sects joined the Sunshot Campaign in gratitude and loyalty towards Lan Wangji who had helped them immensely in the past. In one or a few audio drama extras also, common people would thank Lan Wangji here and there for having helped them in the past. It's a nice illustration of how good and helpful Lan Wangji is, how he readily helps anyone no matter their status and no matter how big or small the problem.
“Percy didn’t want to join the Hunters of Artemis.
Honestly, they seemed kind of stuck-up, and nobody at camp could stand them—or their whole we’re-better-than-you attitude.
So, logically speaking, Percy really shouldn’t care that Artemis hadn’t offered her a place.
She shouldn’t care. Because it didn’t matter. Because she didn’t want it anyway. Because it was stupid that she felt this weird, irrational little twist in her chest about it.”
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chapter three is now out!!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
