This is a side blog dedicated to the collection of Non-Ao3 fanfiction and sequential fanart for the fandom of Mó Dào Zǔ Shī/The Untamed. If you are aware of any such fanfiction/sequential fanart, please send the recs to me. You can also contact me on my main blog elijahdnorth. [Please note I am having some bugs with my main blog at this time, so I can only respond via reblogs on a side account.]
Polyamorous relationships are not for everyone. Monogamous relationships are not for everyone. Romantic relationships are not for everyone!!! We are all different people with different needs, maybe just stop trying to condense the human experience into a homogenous gray monolith!!! aaaaaaaa
based on @lilnasxvevo 's post here because I COULD NOT RESIST. where is the subgenre of 3zun reconciliation fics where xiyao have to fuck nmj back to health???? where is it???? wen qing is here because reasons. don't question it.
doubly hilarious if this is an AU where jgy has already begun to try and use Music Makes You Lose Control - nmj has to go to his sworn brothers and explain that his doctor thinks bottoming might fix him better than music, and whilst lxc is smiling politely and doing worldslongestyeahboi.mp4 in his head, jgy is sitting there frantically trying to figure out how he could poison nmj with his dick instead.
(he doesn't kill nmj because jgy is so fucking touch-starved that after one midweek sex break with da-ge and er-ge he's full of so much serotonin and so de-stressed that he goes back to Koi Tower like :) :) not giving this up :) :) patricide time :) :) ......also the alternative is to try and explain to his dad why he's not playing Evil Music anymore and what he's doing instead, and there is a non-zero chance his dad will respond to this by trying to make him a fulltime sex assassin. so yeah! :) PROMOTION TIME ZIXUAN-GE :) )
and obviously, when the new "treatment" clearly begins to work...
I can now recreate most of chapter 8!!! / bonus features below the cut / follow for more cool stuff
Jin Ling's sprites:
His share code is MVDLXY :)
Congrats, Jin Ling! You have 3 different poses, showing three different levels of irritation, making you the most complex character so far.
His sprites were traced off of Cody Hackins from 1-2. His little puffed-cheek sprite screamed Jin Ling.
(NASA announcer voice) Aaaand we have soundtrack. I thought Luke Atmey's and Furio Tigre's themes both suited Jin Ling pretty well. Other contenders before I decided on Moderato 2004 were Allegro 2002 and Investigation - Middle 2002.
Will take a break from these for Art Fight probably but they have been sooo fun to make. Plus I get to show off my objection.lol skills outside of stupid discord arguments.
that scene where lxc is like "wangji why are you still here?" and lwj goes "xiongzhang is here, naturally i am also here" and lxc is like "why don't you go talk to your friend wei-gongzi? :)" makes me believe that in a modern AU lxc would want to go with his friends to the movies but shufu would tell him to take lwj with him, so it's now teenage 3zun trying to have a have a nice hang out while being followed by the most miserable 10 year old you've ever seen
i really really want more modern cultivation au secret genius wei wuxian who just drops mind-blowing revolutionary theories and innovations anonymously under a stupid ass middle school pen name like yLlingla0zuxX
comical plot twist:
lan qiren has a secret hobby ever since he discovered the joys of Online Cultivation Forums, especially one where he can scout for people with Massive Potential and/or Brilliant Ideas and offer to help them formalize their ideas into actual Papers (or discover Horrible ones and send them better reference materials).
of course, Internet etiquette sanctifies anonymity so lan qiren doesn't press for personal information from the few brilliant minds he meets. he has a good instinct for identifying the younger ones from the tried and true experts, and this yLlingla0zuxX clearly is an esteemed veteran.
his methods may seem scattered, but lan qiren is Most Willing to Invest in the Time to help this esteemed cultivator get the merit and proper consideration his ideas deserve. under the very proper alias: GrandArchivist.
GrandArchivist reaches out to yLlingla0zuxX offering to help him flesh out his innovations so yLlingla0zuxX can get it published and patented as Proper.
yLlingla0zuxX is reluctant at first, but agrees to do it. he shares a gee doc link.
it takes a while, but - between lan qiren's initial bafflement at real-time collaboration and yLlingla0zuxX's erratic and rambling thoughts - they manage to publish it.
offscreen:
GrandArchivist reaches out to his nephew A-Huan how this gee doc works and if he's Sure it's not a bad virus or phishing scam link or anything.
he opens the link to see. bulleted paragraphs??? paragraphed bullet points??? either way, the most horrible draft he's ever seen... typing itself???? a-huan, are you certain this yLlingla0zuxX has not hacked my computer?
GrandArchivist: have you submitted it to the Committee for peer review yet?
yLlingla0zuxX: nope
yLlingla0zuxX: been busy
yLlingla0zuxX: hellweek has been 💀
GrandArchivist: Hellweek?
yLlingla0zuxX: ykno exams? end of term papers n stuff
GrandArchivist: Ah. I, too, am experiencing Hellweek. That is why I insisted editing before this month
yLlingla0zuxX: yea thnx thnx
yLlingla0zuxX: i'll get 2 it promis ✌️
~ ~ DINNER AT THE LANS THAT WEEK ~ ~
lqr: ah, it's hellweek for both of you too, isn't it?
lxc: *spewx tea all over his plate*
lwj: *freezes w chopsticks in mid air, broccoli dropping on to the plate*
lqr: you will both do fine, i'm sure.
lxc: uhm. thanks...?
~ ~ 2 WEEKS LATER ~ ~
yLlingla0zuxX: *sends a screenshot of submitted page*
yLlingla0zuxX: done!!!!
yLlingla0zuxX: also, look at this !!!!!!!!!!! *sends cute bunny gif*
GrandArchivist: 💙 Adorable. My nephews have two. *sends photo of two giant Loafs*
wwx's paper (to his surprise) gets published. he gets emailed to do a proper bio write up thingy which he doesn't take too seriously. he refuses to send a proper photo. he Does make sure to credit GrandArchivist for all the help, and insisting he publish his work in the first place.
no harm done, it was fun, so wwx shrugs and decides to do it again. and gets published again. and so do the next, and the next, and the next. his silly talismans get patented, and he has to ask his parents for help to set up his own bank account cuz he's theoretically getting money for those silly talismans. he tries not to think about it or he'll risk going insane.
even tho GrandArchivist messages like a boomer at first (and still kinda does, but he's stopped nagging at his shortcuts and typos), he does eventually learn to keep up with the memes.
and they have fun dissing bullshit papers.
and thus their friendship grows.
cut to: 10 years later, wwx finally managed to get lwj's number.
wwx: haha ykno sometimes the way u text reminds me of my friend
lwj, stewing in jealousy, barely stopping himself from saying you text other friends: ?
wwx: of course ur still my fave er-gege 😘
lwj: ...mn.
wwx: still, wouldn't it be funny if ur Internet name was GrandArchivist
lwj: ...
lwj: GrandArchivist is my uncle
wwx: what 🧍♂️
Alternatively, wwx and lqr find out about each other's real identity in detention.
bcuz wwx snuck in his manuscript for final edits based on GrandArchivist's notes, instead of working on the standard detention assignment.
lqr confiscates his materials, mouth open for another tirade about age-appropriate reading materials. and doubletakes.
lqr: where did you get this?
wwx: it's mine, duh. gimme that, it's just a dirty fanfic, old man lan-
lqr: this is a manuscript for a summoning array written by yLlingla0zuxX to be published next month.
when lan qiren clocks in that his nephew and this brilliant but mischievous (but kind but restless – you get it, there's a lot of mixed feelings here, but not really because it is in fact quite humbling to realize you can be wrong even after decades of teaching) wei ying are. attracted to one another.
which all things considered is a boon. should be a boon. his taciturn and lonesome (in qiren's private thoughts) nephew may yet to find companionship – and who better than a brilliant, kind at heart boy like wei ying? but still, the idea that his nephew evidently feels... strong desires for another person, in general... he's not quite ready to accept it just yet. (are they not still kids?!?!? too young for such...?!?!?!?)
and so. lan qiren may resort to some... underhanded tricks. to ensure that the boys are. not getting into trouble.
wwx: hey old man lan, since i finished reviewing the last article, i was planning on taking a breather this term break so lan zhan and i could—
lqr, setting down a thick stack of maniscripts and reference materials: go over these in time for the next issue's submission period? yes, i thought so.
wwx: but !!!! it's term break!!!!! you can't just unload this on me, i had plans!!!! with lan zhan!!!! i was gonna take him to this new bunny cafe!
lqr, torn between wanting them to have fun As Kids Should, but also, aren't they too young to date???: ...fine. but at least go through this one article before you go. i would like to know your thoughts on it.
Consequently, lan zhan, who has, for the longest time, been wanting to eviscerate this Mysterious Internet Interloper and Monopolizer of wei ying's time, now has to deal with the fact that he sometimes gets blown off. for writing dates with his uncle.
Of all the people, he has to compete for wei ying's attention, with his uncle!?!
I heard there's a new Tumblr immigrant wave coming, so time to shout out the danmei art source blogs again!
Do you love danmei?
Do you love art - official art and fanart?
Do you want a dash covered in your favorite Chinese sword gays?
Well, have I got the blogs for you! I run six* side blogs dedicated solely to reblogging the amazing art that people make for these fandoms (with a splash of signal boosting fandom and multifandom events). If you want a dash full of shinies, you should absolutely check these out!
@mdzsartreblogs - for all your MDZS art love needs!
@svsssartreblogs - SVSSS here to complete the MXTX trio!
@erhaartreblogs - deceptively named, as this Meatbun sideblog includes 2ha AND Yuwu!
@tykartreblogs - another deceptively named one, my only active priest-centric sideblog includes Tian Ya Ke, Qiye, and Shan He Ling/Word of Honor! Each conveniently tagged so you can focus on whichever one(s) you love best!
@cnovelartreblogs - the catch-all for everything else! cnovelartreblogs even includes baihe, m/f and gen titles (such as f/f by Please Don't Laugh and all works by priest!), and I also will sometimes reblog c-dramas that aren't novel adaptations (such as Couple of Mirrors). Titles by priest, Meng Xi Shi, Fei Tian Ye Xiang, Nanpai Sanshu, and Mu Su Li are especially well represented, but there's lots of stuff - basically anything I can find, as I have the time!
SO COME ON OVER AND GET YER ART! And don't forget to like, reblog, and comment to tell an artist today that you love them!
*it used to be 8 art sideblogs but my life has gotten crazy busy and I am no longer maintaining @zhenhunartreblogs and @dmbjartreblogs as separate blogs, and I am slowly, slowly reblogging the content once in those blogs to cnovelartreblogs. So, follow cnovelartreblogs for Guardian and DMBJ content!
Don't forget to reblog this to help spread the word!
There are certain things that one cannot do unless they have reached a certain degree of maturity. There are stages to life, there are things that must be done in a certain order, in a certain manner, in a certain rhythm.
There are duties that generations must fulfill towards one another. The young must respect and obey their elders, and their elders must teach, protect and discipline them in turn.
There are things that the young cannot do, no matter how courageous, audacious or powerful they might believe themselves to be.
Lan Qiren knows that this is one of those things.
There are duties that elders must fulfill towards their young, there are things that parents must do for their children.
Lan Qiren never had children of his own, but he had helped raise his brother's. That made him a fatherly figure for them, to an extent - even if he heard neither of his nephews address to him as anything other than uncle. He doesn't know what he would have said if they did, anyway.
But even so, he has always seen Wangji and Xichen as his own, his pride and joy, his hope that the mistakes of the past could be erased by the brilliance of the future.
They have grown well. He doesn't tell them often. If he thinks about it, he probably never has. But he is proud of them. They are strong, intelligent and capable, and despite their transgressions, they've remained pillars of righteousness and power in their sect and beyond.
Perhaps he hasn't always agreed with their choices. This is more the case when it comes to Wangji, but, much like his father (and, if he is to be honest, like Lan Qiren himself) he has always been relentless in the pursuit of what he wanted - and Lan Qiren was powerless to stop him.
Of course, he voiced his opposition at every occasion - but fact of the matter is that Wangji did choose well in the end. He was happy, married to Wei Wuxian, raising a gaggle of juniors that Lan Qiren has always been secretly proud of.
Lan Qiren has had his own issues with Wei Wuxian - but he is not going to pretend that he has always been right in his assessments of the man. He is old enough to recognize his own biases, and he knows he hasn't always been fair towards his nephew's husband.
Yes, he's never going to accept his unorthodox cultivation practices, his propensity for loopholes and rule-breaking, or his shameless displays of affection towards Wangji (not to mention the beard shaving incident a few decades ago) - but Lan Qiren is an honest enough man to admit that he cannot imagine Lan Wangji with anyone else but Wei Wuxian.
Perhaps he will never understand - to willingly take a near fatal punishment for a man draped in sin, to raise a child that bore the blood of your clan's murderers (because Lan Qiren has always known, from the moment Wangji brought the boy in) - but Lan Qiren is aware of the limits of his knowledge. He is not so arrogant as to think he understands everything, much less the breadth and depth of something as complicated as love. After all, he has never experienced it. Not in that way, at least.
But he does love Xichen and Wangji, and he loves Sizhui, the bright, powerful boy that he is, and he even loves that little troublemaker Jingyi that's so much like Wei Wuxian that Lan Qiren himself used to wonder whether he was Wei Wuxian reincarnated sometimes.
And, with all his gripes about the man, his past and his methods, Lan Qiren realizes that he loves Wei Wuxian too, even if only a little bit. He loves him because Wangji does, and if he were to lose Wei Wuxian again, he would die.
And so, Lan Qiren has decided, it is his duty as an elder, as a relative, as a parent, even, to prevent that. It is his duty to save Wangji's life, so he saves Wei Wuxian.
It was a stray shot - a really thin, sharp arrow slicing through the air with incredible speed and a much too obvious target. After all, Wei Wuxian still has many enemies, and even despite the high security in the Cloud Recesses, nobody is infallible.
Lan Qiren hasn't been on a night hunt in a long time. He has spent much of his life among books and treatises, teaching and learning altogether.
Still, his reflex are sharp and his senses honed to near perfection.
He hears the threat before he sees it, and he reacts before he thinks about it.
The pain isn't as sharp as he's expected it to be, but he can feel the arrow - well, technically, it's more of a long, thick needle coated in poison - pierce through him in its entirety, lodging itself right into his heart.
His golden core vibrates in distress under his skin, and he's so distracted with the feeling that he almost doesn't hear Wei Wuxian's scream.
It echoes into the Cloud Recesses, late enough into the night that there's nobody else around. Quite ironic of him to die like this, alone save for somebody he has never hidden his disdain for.
"Let's sit." Lan Qiren says, calm as ever, ignoring Wei Wuxian's tearful, panicked fretting. There is no point for any of that - Lan Qiren knows he is dying, and he wishes to do so peacefully.
They sit underneath a large willow tree.
"Don't cry." Lan Qiren tells Wei Wuxian, "There is nothing to cry for."
"Why... why did you do that?" He manages, levelling his voice enough so that the knot in his throat doesn't obstruct his words entirely. He's shaking, the shock of what just happened drumming adrenaline into his veins, and the realization of what would come next dawning on him like a heavy weight on his shoulders.
Tomorrow, when Lan Wangji returns alongside Lan Xichen, who is finally going to be back from seclusion, they will find their uncle dead.
Tomorrow, they will find their uncle dead because he took a hit that was meant for Wei Wuxian.
"I did it for Wangji." Lan Qiren replies, closing his eyes with a heavy sigh. "If you died again, he would too. I would not be able to bury my s- my nephew."
Wei Wuxian looks at him, fists balled tightly into his robes - Lan Qiren appears entirely unaffected, serene almost. There is only a single droplet of blood on his robes, where the needle had penetrated the skin - otherwise, he looks as elegant, pristine and imposing as always.
"But," Lan Qiren continues, opening his eyes and turning to look at Wei Wuxian, "I did it for you as well."
He stares, eyes wide and unblinking. Lan Qiren distantly notes he looks a lot like his mother now.
"For all the grief I've given you, I would hate it if you died as well." And Lan Qiren finds himself wanting to smile. "I may not agree with much of what you do, but I know you have never been ill-intentioned. And as much as I trust Wangji's judgement, if I did not believe there to be good within you, I wouldn't have... tolerated you here."
Tears fall freely down Wei Wuxian's face and his head hangs low. Lan Qiren clicks his tongue, disapproving. "You have nothing to feel guilt about. This has been my choice and I do not regret it."
"Tomorrow... what should I... they-"
"Wangji and Xichen will understand." And Lan Qiren wants to smile again, feeling only the slightest prickle of tears in his eyes. "They are good boys - no, great men. They would have done the same."
"I thought I was done having my family die for me..." Wei Wuxian manages, squeezing his eyes shut to stop his tears from flowing any more.
"None of that. Didn't I tell you not to blame yourself? Listen to me for once."
A wet, tearful laugh escapes Wei Wuxian at that. "I'm sorry I've been a difficult student."
Lan Qiren finds himself reaching to pet Wei Wuxian's head. "You weren't that bad. If you'd obeyed the rules a little more, I think you would've been one of my best."
He sighs, leaning further against the tree. He feels his extremities slowly going numb, a warm nothingness in place of his legs now.
"There is something that I wish you to pass on to my nephews, Wei Wuxian."
"Anything."
Lan Qiren reaches into one of his sleeves and pulls two envelopes out. "Hand them these letters. I have written them a long time ago, when the Cloud Recesses burned and I did not believe I would survive. I changed some things as years passed, of course, a lot changed since then... But I suppose one could consider these letters to be my... last will."
Wei Wuxian feels himself overcome with emotion again, taking the two letters in hand reverently. He hopes his tears haven't wet the delicate paper.
"The council of elders might give you grief about my death for a while, but do not mind them. They have always been like that. Xichen will need help leading the sect, so I ask you not to leave the Cloud Recesses for a while. I know he will be... fragile now."
Wei Wuxian nods, a few sobs escaping him. He doesn't want to think about that, about everything that will come once Lan Qiren is gone.
"Wangji will be shaken as well. He grieves quietly, which means he tends to isolate himself. Don't try to coax it out of him, he will come to you when he is ready. Take good care of him meanwhile, make sure he eats and sleeps properly, no matter how much he fights it."
Lan Qiren has lost feeling in his arms as well now. The warm numbness is slowly climbing up his torso, with a clear destination.
"I will try my best to respond to Inquiry whenever called upon, so if either of you ever need me, I will be there."
Lan Qiren looks over whatever he can see of the Cloud Recesses from his seat beneath the willow tree, glances up at the starry night sky, and listens to the distant thrill of running water and night birds.
"I have one last thing to ask of you, Wei... Wei Ying."
"Yes, shufu."
Lan Qiren smiles, tearful at last as he feels his heart slow and his breathing heavy. "Tell my nephews... I love them... won't you? And... I'm proud of them... have always been, even if I never said it..."
Two stray droplets fall down his face as his eyes flutter closed, lips drawn apart around his final breath. "And... Wei Ying... you've... done well..."
The moon shines pale on his face like a halo.
Non-AO3 Fic Recs for The Untamed/MDZS @nonao3ficrecs - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
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