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After the battle with Father, the Elric brothers ask their teacher to find Colonel Mustang. She never could say no to Alphonse, even if it meant turning up the whole military camp to find him.
Mem posting Hagaren fic in 2023? It's less more likely than you think. So I wrote this fic ages ago, but with AO3 being blocked in China and vpn always cutting out when I was actually up to posting, it kind of just never got posted? Anyway, have a fic based on the manga, because I felt like Roy never got the chance to really process the fact he was now blind. So I'm giving him time to process. And fluff, because Alphonse demanded cuteness. You don't say no to Alphonse.
And yes, despite all of that really having nothing to do with everyone's favorite amazing housewife, it is actually Izumi POV. The found fam that's sacrificed together stays together! Or something. Anyway, Gate of Truth gang is together and will help each other move forward.
I also finally reposted the only fic I've ever taken down, but that one you'll have to go looking for yourself.
Finally finished typing what I have written, so back to word production.
Which means it's finally time for some demonic cultivation.
No, Lan Xichen will not be taking Wei Wuxian's return well. He is absolutely going to make that Wei Wuxian's problem, which honestly, is for the best.
More Gusu trauma parties!
Great Firewall still being a bitch, so sadly still no teaser passage.
Do I know how I'm even going to post fic if this keeps up since ao3 is blocked in China? No.
Not even sure how I'm getting part two to my beta since none of my emails can work. If all else fails, I'll at least be in Hong Kong at the end of February. Hopefully.
Honestly it's a shame I can't post a teaser passage, because writing Wen Qing and Meng Yao having to work together was Interesting.
120k was actually my estimate for how much I'd written so far. Considering I tend to lowball my word count when guessing, it shows how much I threw out. I had to rewrite a lot more than usual for this part, though I couldn't tell you why.
Meng Yao seriously took one look at half-dead Lan Xichen and said he's only had Zewu-jun for five minutes but if anything happens to him he'd kill everyone there and then himself.
And he regrets that so so much.
He also regrets a lot of his previous life choices. Wen Qing is making sure of it.
Meng Yao is really just trying to stick with his neutral alignment. It's not his fault Lawful Good is just so damn pretty.
Nothing is his fault, really. (Yet.) He is so screwed and kind of hates his life now. At least until Lan Xichen smiles at him.
Honestly it was such a fun scene to write. Send your complaints to the PRC for keeping your local fic writers from sharing.
Back to word production because it's Still Not Done. 🙃
It wasn't a dream, it turned out. Either Lan Xichen had just woken up from a decade long nightmare, or he was suddenly and inexplicably in the past. He wasn't sure which theory he preferred.
If he was cursed, there was no one he knew who could have done it. He'd been in seclusion for months, only seeing his brother or uncle on occasion. Wangji's husband was the only one who might have managed such a feat, and despite Lan Xichen losing his temper at the Guanyin temple, Wei Wuxian hadn't seemed to harbor ill-will towards him.
But here he was, in the Cloud Recesses before it burned down, not allowed anything remotely sharp in his rooms (sword included), with both his brother and Uncle hovering constantly after his breakdown. Whenever he tried to speak of the coming war or other things from the future, they looked at him like his wits had been lost on a nighthunt.
So since I’m typing this monstrosity up before continuing writing, I thought I’d post little tidbits as I get to them? It’s been a while since I’ve actually posted anything, so like... we’ll see how it goes. I’m pretty sure no one is actually following me for potential Mo Dao Zu Shi fic, but hey.
Anyway, I might actually use bits of this part for a summary if/when I ever actually post anything. Spoiler alert 1: He’s suddenly and inexplicably in the past. Spoiler alert 2: It’s most definitely his brother-in-law’s fault. Really, who else has a ton of good intentions and history of those good intentions blowing up in everyone’s faces?
I’ll probably be tagging this Time Traveled and Traumatized (not an actual title for the fic, but very apt for a working title, I thought), so if you want to block, that’s the tag to go for. It features Lan Xichen being Even More Traumatized so that he can get the Most Hugs and Gusu Trauma parties galore. It’s also currently written to 89 pages in my notebook and only just now finishing the Cloud Recesses arc. Yeah, it’s gonna kill me. But damn it, the scene I want to write is at the end, so here I go.
A general note: I’ve lived in China for years now, but I’m still a foreigner who will get things wrong. Please do let me know if I do end up fucking up culturally, because it’s certainly not intentional.
Second note: Lan Xichen is ace. It’s my fic and that’s how I’ve decided to roll. You don’t like it, please block the tag. Though if you’re follow me and you don’t like ace fics, that’s probably on you by this point.
Also, I think I’m going for a very, very different Lan Xichen then a lot of fandom seems to write. Mostly going to be a Frankencanon of the novel and donghua, with a few details of other canons thrown in based on personal preference (example: I love a tiny, fierce Wen Qing from the live action, just because). Don’t expect regular updates on this, as I’ll just be posting as I’m typing and will eventually go back to Writing Mode which is writing by hand. I also won’t post any actual chapters until I’ve completed the whole damned thing, because that’s how I roll.
This is mostly just something new I thought I’d try. Is it promoting? Is it just me sharing bits to keep my sanity? Will it Ever actually be finished? Your guess is as good as mine. But enjoy?
"I've looked at your core," she said finally, sitting beside his bed. "It's unusual."
"My core?" He reached for his lower dantian, but it felt normal to him.
"There's some kind of energy surrounding it. Not a curse, but... I'd almost say it was a blessing, if it weren't for how it affects you." She stared at his hand, like she was trying to solve a particularly intriguing puzzle. "It's not malicious, but I don't think it did what the caster's intent wanted."
Though he had previously disregarded Wei Wuxian as the culprit for his time travel, that sounded particularly like a Wei Wuxian Experiment. "It's not here to hurt me?" he asked, just to be sure.
"No, she said, meeting his eyes again. "As I said, it feels more like a very strong blessing, though I'd need a lot more time to study it to find out its true purpose. But that's not the only strange thing about your core."
"It's not?"
"How old are you?"
"I... right now?" This was the year before the fateful lectures that would bring the probable source of his grief to the Cloud Recesses. "Sixteen, I think?"
"You're really terrible at this, aren't you?" she said.
"At what?"
Wen Qing sighed, shaking her head. "Are you aware you have a core that is over a decade older than you?"
He immediately closed his eyes, focusing on his core. Of course it felt normal to him, but he hadn't thought of it like... It was definitely stronger than it had been when he was this age in the past.
"Oh! So when I traveled to the past, my core came with me?" That would make a certain amount of sense, especially if the energy surrounding his core was what caused this. "But this proves what I've been saying, right? If you tell everyone about this, they'll believe me?"
"You're much more naive than I expected," she said.
Lan Xichen flinched at the description, though accurate. It was the flaw everyone seemed to take advantage of.
If you want to go through previous posts about this eventual fic of mine, just click on the tag Time Traveled and Traumatized at the end of the post.
Wen Qing and Lan Xichen talking. She’s been begrudgingly allowed into the Cloud Recesses to see if she can do anything about the PTSD and dreams that Lan Xichen shouldn’t have. As Lan Xichen expected, she can’t do much to help with that. But she can confirm that Wei Wuxian is, in fact, the person who probably sent him in to the past.
It’s the start of their new relationship in the fic. Lan Xichen had never actually met her in the past time line, and only found out about the Jin clan burning her after the fact, since in this fic, at least, he had his hands full trying to keep Lan Wangji from not doing something disastrous. Obviously, he failed on that last account, but hey.
Let’s just say Lan Xichen is really not enjoying being a teenager again. He may have decided to allow Wei Wuxian to meet his little brother and eventually become his brother-in-law again, but he definitely will have some Complaints once Wei Wuxian actually enters the fic. XD
Anyway, Lan Xichen and Wen Qing will eventually become friends. Quite unwillingly on her side, because she really did Not want to hear so much about how cute and adorable Lan Wangji is (This is a requirement for being Lan Xichen’s friend. He loves his little brother, okay?). But friends they become, and she’ll even start writing him back with stories about how cute her little brother is, much to his delight.
This fic is going to be a nightmare to tag, ngl, but it’s not all angst.
HI NEW FRIEND! Have some gay Chinese sword boys, which I don't know if it is relevant to your interest as you are a new friend, but hopefully it can pass as my thanks for your interest in my fic!
"Besides, I didn't just intervene because Wei-gongzi asked," he said smiling as he stepped back, giving Jiang Wanyin space.
"Then what other reason do you have?" he asked suspiciously.
"I've heard a great many things about your sister," Lan Xichen said, ignoring the flash of protective anger in Jiang Wanyin's eyes. "If even half of them are true, then Jin-gongzi may have deserved the black eye."
Because honestly, if you’re going to insult someone who’s superpower is making soup, even Lans will get a bit cheeky.
Send me a 🌹 and I will give you a sentence (or more) from my current WIP!
"You got your little brother a play date. Are you happy now?" Wen Qing asked, her sharp eyes watching Lan Wangji like a hawk.
"He won't hurt your brother," Lan Xichen said mildly, knowing it was just as much of a 'play date' for Wen Qionglin as for Wangji.
"You're right. They're equally terrified of each other," Wen Qing said dryly.
Lan Xichen looked over to where his brother and Wen Qionglin were practicing archery and it was indeed the case. Wangji was afraid of growing too close, and Wen Qionglin was sadly intimidated by Lan Wangji's disposition.
He sighed and said, "It'll be good for them." Wen Qing raised an eyebrow at him, but she also hadn't protested too much when he approached her with this idea. "Besides, they're..."
They both watched as Lan Wangji effortlessly hit the target. Wen Qionglin's nerves made his own shot go wide, to which Lan Wangji attempted to help awkwardly.
"They're really adorable together," he finished, knowing Wen Qing's scowl was covering how cute she found her little brother too. He was admittedly very cute, with his stutter and generally sweet disposition. Obviously not as cute as Lan Wangji, but definitely a very close second.
If you want to go through previous posts about this eventual fic of mine, just click on the tag Time Traveled and Traumatized at the end of the post.
Wen Qing and Lan Xichen watching their little brothers. XD And yes, Wen Qing does agree that they are cute (eventually, even Lan Wangji grows on her), though she won’t admit that here. And, obviously, her little brother is the cutest.
Who has the cutest younger brother/shidi is definitely going to be a bit of thread that will continue to crop up occasionally. There are five separate and distinct opinions on this, though I don’t imagine it would surprise anyone which are the big sibling’s favorites. It’s a pity no one will ask Qingheng-Jun, because he’d definitely say Lan Qiren and that would definitely blow some minds.
Lan Wangji is a bit scared of getting close to someone due to some internalized homophobia from rumors (and some canon repression from him, poor dear), and some internalized abandonment issues. In his own words:
This part of him that was attracted to men terrified him. Being attracted to anyone was scary enough as it was, even without that. What if he was attracted to the wrong person? What if one day, he went to see them and they no longer wanted to speak to him?
(What if the door stayed closed, no matter how long he waited?)
Poor dear. Lan Xichen talked him through some of that in the previous scene, but it’s gonna take him a bit to really come to terms with it, so he’s still a bit flighty for this ‘play date’.
It occurred to me if anyone might be interested in this future fic of mine, they might want to know the word count as I’m typing. So I’ll start adding that to these posts.
As of this post, it’s currently at 13,905 typed words, and I’ll probably go a bit longer tonight. And that’s at about 17/89 pages in my notebook I’ve typed up, to give you some idea its length. And I only just wrote the end of the Cloud Recesses arc, this fucker is too long. Anyway, in terms of my first fixit fic, it’s not convincing me to ever attempt another, but I always was a sucker for time travel, so who knows.
He hadn't really left his rooms since he'd come back in time. Uncle and Lan Wangji had tried to cajole him many times, but he'd stubbornly stayed. They both came by multiple times a day and the physicians visited as well, so it wasn't like when he was in seclusion. He just... knew what kind of rumors he'd hear the moment he stepped out.
Lan Xichen wasn't sure how Wei Wuxian did it, if he was honest. He couldn't handle the hushed voices with words like 'fragile' and 'broken' anymore than he could hear all those things said about Jin Guangyao. Lan Wangji and his husband were much stronger than he could ever be.
But now he waited until Lan Wangji had begrudgingly left for studying to sneak along the lesser used pathways. He almost started going towards the rabbit field to have some comfort of his own, before he remembered it didn't exist yet.
He missed the rabbits.
If you want to go through previous posts about this eventual fic of mine, just click on the tag Time Traveled and Traumatized at the end of the post.
A little scene of Lan Xichen needing to go out and having anxiety for it from time travel fic. For reference of what’s going on, Lan Wangji was having a Very Bad time of being a baby gay, probably because of rumors that started from Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue’s ill-fated teen romance (and oh, yes, Lan Xichen feels guilty about that And that he never noticed his little brother going through it the first time). Anyway, he’s got to Fix Things, which means actually Dealing With People, and while he’d 100% been down to murder everyone in a ten km radius when he realized what was going on, now he’s... He’s not good at anger, okay? And he actually has to go out and talk to people.
Actually, I’ll go ahead and share a bit of that, because it’s always good to remember that Lan Xichen will always support his little brother and you in being gay and doing crime. Seriously, if you haven’t watched mdzs q episode 20 on youtube do it. You deserve it.
Tensing, Lan Wangji looked up at him with wide eyes. Lan Xichen loosened his grip in case Wangji wanted to move away at that admission, knowing this wasn't easy for him to go through. It seemed like he'd really managed to shock his little brother quite thoroughly, however. "You really didn't know?"
"You and Sect Leader Nie..."
He was definitely blushing now, his ears hot and his cheeks no doubt giving him away as well. Then he remembered the time in the past he was, and looked down. "It... didn't work out," he said, trying not to think of Nie Mingjue's awkward smile as he said there really wasn't any spark between them, was there? That had been the first time he'd realized...
"But Uncle said you didn't look at anyone?"
...that what he felt and wanted was different from other people.
Lan Xichen felt as if the air had been knocked out of him. Lan Qiren knew? How did Uncle know? Lan Xichen hadn't even known at this time when he was a teenager, unable to tell what was wrong with him or why he hadn't liked when Nie Mingjue's hands got him worked up.
"Brother!"
He remembered to breathe, packing that thought down when he saw Lan Wangji was distressed again, but this time with the familiar worry that had set in these past few weeks.
"I'm sorry, I..." Lan Xichen started, his voice shaking more than he wanted it to. "I never realized Uncle knew."
"I didn't mean to over hear it," Lan Wangji admitted. "Grandfather was arguing with Uncle when I brought them tea. Grandfather said that they should start looking at suitable brides so that you..."
Wouldn't have the chance to become like Father. Lan Xichen heard what wasn't said, the phrase that was so ingrained in both of them by now.
"I never heard anything about an arranged marriage," Lan Xichen said. He certainly hadn't heard anything in the past time, though thinking about it, it certainly made sense. It also made him slightly sick to remember he was supposed to create an heir. Once Lan Wangji had brought back A'Yuan, that ceased to be a problem he'd had to consider.
"Uncle said it wasn't necessary because you weren't attracted to anyone. He refused to hear more."
Uncle had... Lan Xichen's throat started to close up, and he coughed to clear it. "I... What Uncle said is true. But it's complicated and... I can tell you about it later if you want to know more, but right now I want to be sure you're okay."
"Mn," Wangji said, his hands balling into fists in his lap. Lan Xichen re-tightened his hug and his brother finally relaxed against him.
That wasn't an affirmative, however. "You're my little brother and I love you," he said again.
This time the responding Mn sounded less overwhelmed. Hesitantly, like he wasn't sure Lan Xichen would allow it, he rested his head back against his elder brother's shoulder. It would probably take a while to really sink in, and Lan Xichen was going to find out who had put that notice in his little brother's head if it killed him, but Lan Wangji wasn't pulling away and that was enough for now.
As you can see. Again, Ace Lan Xichen. Which may or may not be based on personal experiences. No hate for Nie Mingjue for that, btw (I remained friends with both of my exs, and it’s not either of their faults none of us were really aware of asexuality at the time).
I’m having Lan Qiren be very empirical when it comes to his nephews and their sexuality. For one, someone needs to talk Lan Xichen down from Ace Trauma when that gets bad. And for another he himself miiiiiiiiiiiiiiight be bi-poly with a crush on both of Wei Wuxian’s parents (which is going to blow pretty much all of their minds when that bomb drops. Lan Xichen was not prepared as it was to hear Lan Qiren had a thing for Cangse Sanren, and when he gets Lan Qiren to talk a bit to Wei Wuxian about his parents, Wei Ying comes out of that convo being like, really, it sounded like he had more of a crush on dad. They both agree after a moment to completely erase that epiphany from their minds once they connect the dots, because the world is Not Ready for that.)
Yes, I’m pushing queer headcanons on Lan Qiren too. Because I can. And Lans are tragic in love. I don’t make the rules.
And yes, they’re spending the whole of that scene hugging, because all of these children need a good cry and therapy, and Hugs are important. Lan Wangji may have ended the previous scene crying out against Lan Xichen’s shoulder, so they both deserve hugs.
But um, yeah, a bit side tracked from the original point, which is that Lan Xichen misses the bunnies. Hurry up, Wei Wuxian and gift the snowballs so Lan Xichen can have bunny therapy. He really misses the bunny therapy. You’ll probably get a bit more of that later on too. XD
