I Cannot Express How Much I Love This. I'm In Love With This AU! Is Lan Zhan Doing This For His Clan?

I cannot express how much I love this. I'm in love with this AU! Is Lan Zhan doing this for his clan? Is it the Lan curse?! Several Generations of Jiangs gone missing! I'm so in awe of this ficlet! Yanli being fierce, Wei Wuxian in pain, Jiang Cheng being Protective! Oh man I want more of this! Fingers crossed! But JSYK I LOVED WHATS HERE AND ITS BEAUTIFUL!

Hello yes this is a skit based on the Maleficent AU over on @angstymdzsthoughts because I am sad and I enjoy making my favorite characters sad when I am sad:

It is dark in the Cloud Recesses when Wei Wuxian loses his wings.

He stumbles through this darkness, because his legs are shaking so bad that he cannot run or walk properly, and he must run because he can no longer fly. His hair is wild and messy, spilling over his back without anything to hold it up. He’s only partially dressed, because he was only wearing his under robes when it happened and his hands were shaking so bad that he couldn’t manage to pull on his outer robes before he heard the sound of Lan Zhan’s footsteps returning, and then he lost all semblance of logic and ran.

Now, the wind rustles through his inner layers and he shivers, even though with his level of cultivation he isn’t cold. Wei Wuxian has made the journey from the Jiang guest disciple quarters to Lan Zhan’s Jingshi so many times after dark that he knows the path by heart, and that is the only reason why now, with his mind in a total state of panic and his legs barely functioning, he doesn’t get lost on the journey back.

It’s barely past five in the morning, so his siblings are both fast asleep when he throws open the door and falls to his knees. But Jiang Cheng is a light sleeper, and he stirs at the noise.

“Wei Wuxian?” Jiang Cheng says blearily, voice rough with sleep.

When the only response is Wei Wuxian’s heavy breathing, as if he’s just run a marathon, Jiang Cheng rolls over and rubs his eyes. Without sitting up, he lights a talisman. The light illuminates Wei Wuxian, frozen in the doorway, cheeks stained with tears he doesn’t remember shedding, shaking like a leaf. Missing his signature black wings that make–made–him the crow spirit.

Jiang Cheng bolts upright, all traces of sleep gone. He unfurls his massive white wings, tossing the blankets off. “What happened?” Jiang Cheng demands loudly. Without giving Wei Wuxian a chance to answer, he turns and runs to the other side of the room, past Wei Wuxian’s bed which he hasn’t been in more than a handful of times since he got engaged, to where Jiang Yanli is sleeping. “A-Li. A-Li! Wake up!”

Jiang Yanli wakes slowly, but she too bolts upright when she hears the panic in her brother’s voice. “What’s wrong?” She asks.

Jiang Cheng lights another tailsman. “Look!”

Jiang Yanli follows his pointed finger to where Wei Wuxian is still kneeling on the floorboards, shivering and shaking and wingless. “Oh no,” she says tremulously. She almost falls out of bed in her haste to get to Wei Wuxian’s side, and when she does, her hands flit helplessly over his shoulders, unsure of how to comfort him without hurting him further. Eventually, she grips his shaking hands in her own steady, warm hands, and peers into his bright silver eyes. “A-Xian, what happened?”

Wei Wuxian closes his mouth and tries to summon words from his dry throat. When he opens his mouth, his lips are shaking so bad he stutters over every word. “L-Lan Z-Zhan…”

“Lan Wangji?” Jiang Cheng repeats. He stands over his siblings, brow drawn in confusion. “Did something happen to him?”

Wei Wuxian shakes his head jerkily. “N-no,” Wei Wuxian says weakly. “L-Lan Zhan, he…” Wei Wuxian swallows hard and tries again. “He c-c-” His teeth clack together, and he can’t get the words out. His eyes squeeze shut, and more tears escape. “H-he c-c-cut–”

Jiang Yanli actually gasps in horror at that. “He cut off your wings?”

Eyes still closed, all Wei Wuxian can manage to do is nod miserably, tears falling anew.

Jiang Cheng makes a snarl nearly incoherent with rage. “He did what,” the youngest Jiang demands, while Jiang Yanli squeezes Wei Wuxian’s hands tighter and presses their foreheads together. “Why?” Jiang Cheng continues furiously. “He’s your fiance!”

Wei Wuxian can’t even shrug with his shoulders shaking so much, so instead he remains kneeling there on the floor, still wracked with sobs.

“I’ll kill him,” Jiang Cheng snarls, already grabbing Sandu.

Wei Wuxian flinches at the sound of Jiang Cheng unsheathing his sword. In his mind he’s back in Lan Zhan’s bed, face down when Lan Zhan rolls him over, half-asleep and dimly hearing Lan Zhan unsheathe Bichen, and then–

“A-Cheng, wait,” Jiang Yanli says, before Jiang Cheng can go running off in the dark to challenge the Second Jade of Lan to a duel to the death. “We have to take care of A-Xian.”

Jiang Cheng stops, albeit grudgingly. He sheathes Sandu and watches as Jiang Yanli carefully peels the top half of Wei Wuxian’s robes off, revealing his bare back. All that’s left are two black mounds where his proud wings once were. Jiang Yanli’s own white swan wings instinctively unfurl when she sees this, automatically going to wrap her A-Xian in them.

“But why,” Jiang Cheng says, frustrated. “I thought he–I mean, you’re–you were going to get married!”

Wei Wuxian shakes even harder at that. “I d-don’t k-know,” he sobs. “I don’t know.”

Jiang Yanli makes the connection first, eyes widening in horror once more. “A-Cheng,” she says. “What was the name of Qingheng-jun’s wife?”

Jiang Cheng frowns, thrown off by the seemingly random question when all he can do is stare at the horrifying scars on his brother’s back. “Madame Lan,” he says uncertainly. “I don’t…why?”

“What about the Sect Leader Lan before him?” Jiang Yanli presses. “And before that?”

Every generation, a Jiang has gone missing. Some on night hunts, some from their rooms in various sects, but always in the human realm. And every year, the heavenly Jiangs send a delegation to keep up relations with the human cultivation sects. Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian warned the delegation this year to be on their guard, because it had been about one human generation since the last Jiang, a rogue cultivator from Yunmeng named Zhang Jue, disappeared. But Wei Wuxian and his siblings had never imagined that it was the Lans all this time who’d been making the Jiangs disappear.

Jiang Cheng thinks back to all the lessons Lan Qiren has given on the history and the rules of the Gusu Lans, during which he must have at some point mentioned those names. “I don’t know,” Jiang Cheng realizes, stunned. “Do you mean…this was all a plot?” He grows furious again, shaking with rage on behalf of his brother. “The only reason Lan Wangji proposed was so that he could do this?!”

Wei Wuxian sobs even harder in Jiang Yanli’s arms, devastated by the thought that his love for Lan Zhan had never been returned. Jiang Yanli cradles his head in her arms, desperately trying to soothe him.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Jiang Yanli says. Her voice shakes but her tone is stone-cold resolute. “A-Cheng, get all of our disciples out of the Cloud Recesses,  now. I will fly A-Xian up to Lotus Pier and explain everything to Mother and Father.”

She helps Wei Wuxian to his feet, and pulls his robes back over his shoulders. Gradually, his breathing evens out, and he wipes the tears from his face with his fists.

“And then,” Jiang Yanli continues, once both of her brothers have nodded, “we’re going to get A-Xian’s wings back.”

Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren don’t die. Some things change.

Some things don’t.

~

Lan Xichen had told himself not to worry when he and his brother had been summoned to their uncle’s chambers just as the foreign sect’s children were arrive in Cloud Recesses. Looking at him now, he’s wondering if that was a mistake. Uncle looks moments away from pinching the bridge of his nose to stave off a headache.

“I didn’t tell you earlier because I thought there was a decent chance that he wouldn’t even show up,” he sighs. “But I just received word that he’s passed through the gate. Wei Wuxian is going to be joining the guest disciples.”

It’s unusual for a rogue cultivator to be invited, but not unheard of, especially considering the friendship between Uncle and Cangse Sanren that he’s almost certain actually exists and isn’t just rumors. “Do you foresee a problem? He’s a very accomplished cultivator.”

Despite being Wangji’s age and not being allied with any sect, Wei Wuxian had made quite a name for himself. He learned to cultivate under his parent’s tutelage, had been a guest disciple of the Jiangs, traveled for several years with the famous rogue cultivators Xiao Xingchan and Song Lan, and there were rumors that he’d even somehow snuck up to Baoshan Sanren’s mountain and convinced her take him on as a pupil, although Lan Xichen thought that had to be a just rumor.

While that was all impressive, what truly distinguished him had only happened last year. Yiling had come under near constant attacks from fierce corpses and resentful energy that most cultivators had refused to deal with.

Wei Wuxian had walked into the Burial Mounds, which of course was certain death. Three months later he’s walked out, somehow still alive and only slightly worse for wear and now wearing a flute alongside his sword. He’d gathered his parents, Xiao Xingchen, and Song Lan and they’d erected a barrier of glittering resentful energy around the base of the mountain, containing all the miserable and frightful things that had plagued the area of the Yiling. It harnessed the natural resentful of the energy of the mountain and channeled it through several complicated talismans and arrays.

Copies had been sent to the heads of every sect so to avoid rumors of demonic cultivation, something that reportedly had been Wei Changze’s idea. The arrays were deceptively simply, barely different than what most sects were already using. It’s just that no one had thought to use them quite like that before. Rumors credited everyone but Wei Wuxian, which surely meant he was the one truly responsible.

They called him the Yiling Patriarch and that he was still a teenager hadn’t seemed to matter much to anyone.

“Do you really think he’s here to learn?” Uncle asks, and Lan Xichen has to concede that it’s unlikely. There is little in their cultivation classes that Wei Wuxian would not be able to learn on his own or from his many mentors. “No, that little brat is working on another invention and he wants use of the library without having to go through formal channels. Little hellion. No matter what he pulls or what mischief he starts, you mustn’t get caught up in it, understand?

Even Wangji seemed taken back at Uncle’s vehemence. They hadn’t known that Uncle knew Wei Wuxian personally, but it seems he must, to be this disgruntled. “Disliking Wei Wuxian will not stop us from upholding the Lan practice of courtesy and decorum,” Wangji says.

Uncle stares. Wangji breathes like he wants to shift his weight, but doesn’t. “I never said you’d dislike him.”

Whatever either of them have to say to that is cut off by a loud, boisterous voice outside the door shouting, “UNCLE QIREN!”

Uncle grips the bridge of his nose.

The door slams open and in comes who must be Wei Wuxian, black and white robes with hints of purple along the edge and his hair bound up in purple silk ribbon much finer than anything else he’s wearing. He doesn’t bow or pause, instead crossing the room and throwing his arms around Uncle in a hug.

Lan Xichen wonders if perhaps he hit his head and this all a dream or perhaps a hallucination.

Uncle turns a shade of red he hadn’t previously known him capable of and a vein twitches in his forehead, but he doesn’t push him away. “Wei Wuxian!”

He laughs and steps back, going into a picture perfect, formal bow. “This is from my father,” then he darts forward to yank on Uncle’s beard. Wangji’s eyes have widened in horror. “And that’s from my mother!”

Uncle rubs at his chin and glares. “Who was the hug from then?”

“Me,” Wei Wuxian says shamelessly. “I missed you, Uncle Qiren! We’re going to have so much fun, aren’t we? We should go to Caiyi so I can drink Emperor’s Smile and you can yell at me for being right in ways you don’t like, that always cheers you up.”

Lan Xichen can’t be seeing what he’s seeing. Uncle’s lips are pressed into a firm, tight line, like he does when he’s trying not to smile.

“Hi!” Wei Wuxian says, very loudly and right in front them. “You must be Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji! I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“And us you,” he says, after only a half second’s hesitation.

Wei Wuxian isn’t paying attention to him, instead focused on Wangji. “Aw, don’t look so disapproving, it’s good to keep Uncle Qiren on his toes.” Wangji’s face is in fact almost perfectly neutral. Lan Xichen can’t help but be impressed, since most of the clan elders wouldn’t have been able to pick up on that. His admiration quickly turns to horror when Wei Wuxian reaches out and uses his fingers to push his brother’s lips into a facsimile of a grin. “Don’t be mad, Lan Zhan!”

Lan Xichen has to resist the urge to gape. Using his brother’s given name like that, when they’ve just met! What’s worse is Uncle doesn’t even look surprised, just resigned.

Wangji scowls and he reaches for Wei Wuxian’s wrists, but Wei Wuxian slips away, just out of his reach, still laughing. “You’re going to have to be faster than that to catch me, Lan Zhan!”

He’s then darting out the door, which he hadn’t even closed in the first place, like he actually expects the Second Jade of Lan to go chasing after him.

Wangji takes a stop forward before remembering himself and freezing.

“Wei Wuxian!” Unfamiliar voices are calling the boy’s name. They all step outside to see a crowd of guest disciples grinning and waving.

“A-Cheng!” Wei Wuxian waves back. “A-Sang!”

He runs down the steps toward them, still grinning. “No running!” Uncle barks.

“Okay, Uncle Qiren!” Without skipping a beat, Wei Wuxian tucks his sword into his best and launches himself forward, doing continuous cartwheels down the steps even quicker than he’d been running. The guest disciples are cheering, and even Lan Xichen has to admit that it’s an impressive display of strength and balance.

Technically, there is no rule against cartwheeling in Cloud Recesses.

Uncle sighs. “The problem,” he says mournfully, “is that if I make a rule just for him, he and his mother will be far too pleased with themselves, and then he’ll just put even more effort into not breaking the rules in ways that make me add more rules.”

Lan Xichen notices how Wangji hasn’t taken his eyes off Wei Wuxian and thinks that perhaps they have bigger problems, actually.

what a week huh?

I don’t hate the concept of ebooks per se but what bothers me is how our society is shifting from actually owning entertainment in tangible forms like books and CDs and DVDs and game discs, to having to download everything so basically we’ll get to the point where everything is intangible and all of our property can be taken away by a website crash.

so i’ve seen this around a lot and i always felt like the version i listened to just. didn’t have everything? sO! i edited together my three favourite versions of the tik tok sea shanty! enjoy!!

(listen with headphones if possible!)

(yes i know the ending is bad oKaY-)

Throwing his head back, he shouted.  “I give prayer and beg the protection of Yiling Patriarch, Wei WuXian!”

Lan Wangji jolted with the crowd.

“You dare!” Jiang Wanyin shouted, rising from his seat with a crackle of purple lightning.

“You think a dead man will give you aid?  Wei WuXian was ripped to shreds, body and soul!”

Lan Wangji flinched at the shout, then froze. 

The air in the room chilled, the incense smoke curled, not toward the ceiling, but inward toward itself.  Slow at first, then quickly.  Thicker and darker, then with a grinding, squeaking noise like sand being crushed under a pestle and some deeper, empty note like the aftermath of a scream of horror, it took form.

Wei Ying.  Wei WuXian.

_______

Inspired by @mondengel s amazing fic!

https://mondengel.tumblr.com/post/187410308633/calling-heaven

Untitled

Calling Heaven

His brother had promised this would be a simple gathering.  Coaxing him to Lanling Jin with promises of a relaxing time and celebration at t