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Gelphie on Wicked Brazil, If you even care

Ohh yess I 100% agree with you, it is also quite baffling for to me (as someone whos been marinating in different danmei fandoms for quite a while) that mdzs is the novel that ended up with the fandom that refuses to admit antagonistic characters faults; especially since the novel basically spells it out for you multiple time; and fans always chalk up this stuff as like "Oh it's just how I interpreted the novel" and it's like their is nothing wrong with differently assessing smth; but when it comes to stuff that is spelled OUT for you you really have to to start thinking "am I going about this wrong?"

And yk the worst part? It's always the scenes that are SPECIFICALLY showing you the red flags that they use as evidence, Oh Jc kidnapping a wwx (who he already had enough evidence to fall under the impression that it was NOT wwx?) "That's because he missed his dear brother!" Oh... *insert Literally anything jgy did within the novel* "Ugh! He came from a bad background.... *and than they usually continue to degrade wwx I'm favor of jgy*

And I've said this before, (I am unsure if you've watched the cql yet) But the reason for such major misinterpretation could also majorly do with the cql, Since in the cql a lot of the blame gets directly put onto the Jins, And tbh... the cql kinda villianifies wwx a bit, and weirdly enough it clashes with some of the novel themes of having the wens (specifically wn&wq) innocent as they turn them into spies for wrh (Which to be fair, they use the excuse that wrh is forcing them into the role, but it still feels icky) and let's not forget the softening of jcs general character (Tho I could argue he's even worse in the cql because of the whole Wq/Jc plotline they tried to force) I am unsure if some fans have just completely confused the untamed canon with the mdzs Canon, or if its just them being willingly blind (actually i feel like thats probably also a part of it, literally had someone tell me "Jc turned Jl into a spoiled and rotten person! Out of love!" The other day , but honestly I've read a majority of fics where the jins are the "Complete bad guys" so I honestly do believe the untamed may have had a hand in it.

Though yes I agree with everything you've said so far, it's super infuriating for me and I'm not even usually a person that gets angry or upset over fanon misinterpretation, but the mdzs fandom just takes it to another level.

the myth of helplessness and the “hands-tied” rhetoric for authority figures in mdzs

i’m pretty sure every one of us has seen this notion echoed around for atleast one of the clan/sect leaders when it came to their compliance and/or active participation in the wen remnants’ genocide as well as their prior lack of help/refuge for the wen remnants once wei wuxian had rescued them. while this goes beyond just the way the cultivation world’s leaders handled the aftermath of the sunshot campaign (namely, their lackadaisical approach to helping civilians, exploiting those weaker than them, etc.), i’ll start with the genocide because that’s the crux of it all. that’s the nail in the coffin, that’s the biggest proof of why i feel so fucking angry whenever i see this sentiment of excusing/justifying/or even explaining why the sect leaders did what they did.

and like most skewed interpretations of mdzs (and i don’t mean this in a haughty superior way of only MY way of reading the text being THE right way but i feel like this is something we all have noticed after traversing the fandom waters for a while), this too begins with jiang cheng.

now, let me clear: jiang cheng, in full sobriety and clarity of thought, led the siege of the burial mounds to kill a group of innocent people, which included elderly women and men and a child. you would think this should be obvious but i’ll retierate: NOTHING justifies this, nothing excuses this. the same applies to every single sect leader and sect affiliated member who went for the siege that day and participated in the killings, whether directly or indirectly. this isn’t a nuanced situation and i personally feel that a discussion that begins with the premise of muddying the culpability of the people involved in the genocide shouldn’t even be entertained because the reasons do not matter. they just don’t. it doesn’t matter that nie mingjue’s personal philosophy stemming from his upbringing and loss gave him a narrowminded view of the “wen-dogs”. it doesn’t matter that jiang cheng was sunken in grief and rage after losing his sister. it doesn’t matter that the lans were convinced of wei wuxian’s deviousness and found it paramount to put an end to him and his affialites. it doesn’t matter that some were operating on half the information because when you march into the temporary residence of your supposed foes and kill them all in cold-blood despite them being unarmed and untrained—the weight of ensuring that your violence has a meaning, a justification is on YOU! if you’re committing this act, you have to make sure you aren’t being led blindly by manipulating rumors and ideals.

even before the genocide, before the nightless city massacre, before the qiongqi path ambush—the way i’ve seen handwaving of jiang cheng’s mindset regarding the wens is a little baffling. “he had the burden of being a sect leader” “he had to protect his clan, his hands were tied!” jiang cheng wielding power and authority are often repackaged as baggage that his poor self is so tragically saddled with. it genuinely puzzles the shit out of me. have we all forgotten about “with great power comes great responsibility”?? jiang cheng’s responsibility as a cultivation sect leader goes beyond just the immediate thought about his sect and towards the cultivation world as a whole and how injustice was taking place by a fellow prominent clan. we know this is extremely important because the whole reason the sunshot campaign happened and why it came down to a war was because of prior negligence by the clans towards the congregation of power by the wens. to recognise the same methods now being employed by the jins was, infact, part of jiang cheng’s responsibility. just saving your own neck doesn’t work, when the larger picture is considered. besides, giving the wens the backing of the jiang clan would NOT have brought down instant doom upon the jiangs. that was the whole point. that was why jin guangshan felt it necessary to put ideas into his head and lead him to a path of hostility towards wei wuxian (which is still a choice jiang cheng made, mind).

also, while we’re at it, you’re telling me that the jiang clan rebuilt in part due to wei wuxian’s insane gravitational pull towards aspiring cultivators, would NOT have stood behind wei wuxian if jiang cheng had only tried? hell, i would go far as to say that some jiang disciples would have WANTED to join wei wuxian’s side. there was risk. there would be trouble. but that doesn’t mean jiang cheng had no option. the path of least resistance leads the crooked men, does it not? besides, being a leader is not about tucking tail and keeping your head down. it’s about making the difficult choices and yes, for jc, in this scenario, refusing to help the wens and wei wuxian was the easy choice.

also this whole myth about the sect leaders not being able to do anything because their clans would become targets is sort of antithetical to the whole premise of them being sect leaders in the first place. they’re the only ones who can do something with comparatively less risk to their person and those they’re “protecting” because they have the power of organisation. if the holders of authority cannot make decisive lines in the sand and push for change and resist, who can? the disciples or civilians would have an easier time opposing the clans individually or in groups, you think? they would have less to lose? (we already have an example in the form of mianmian; the waves had to be made from the top in this time-sensitive situation).

these fanon tropes originate from somewhere i know. it’s interesting to think of how these authority figures perceive their power as burdens, how the prince doesn’t want to become king but is forced into the role, how inheritances, even the ones that favour you, can feel like shackles around your neck.

but this kind of sympathetic view of the antagonists and the wrong-doers in mdzs leaves a bitter taste in my mouth because time and again, we have been shown how these sect leaders are blissfully happy to reap the fruits of their inherited power and generational wealth and are the ones most protected by the system. jiang cheng was perfectly fine being the sect leader by default and his grievance was moreso that wei wuxian wasn’t around to be his subordinate. the less that is said about jin guangshan the better. even lan xichen’s troubles didn’t come from him holding power but from his prolonged semi-wilful ignorance regarding jin guangyao. nie mingjue, while alive, used his influence to make his voice heard and condemned the wens because that was his unshakeable opinion on the matter.

now, this isn’t to say all the sect leaders were the same brand of callous and incompetent. yes, they had their problems. yes, their positions didn’t automatically make them immune to harm. but they were not the poor little burdened leaders with “pragmatic” point of views, trying to keep their boats afloat.

the ones with their hands tied were these: the lower classes in the pyramid. the ones who relied on the clans for shelter and food. the civilians whose requests for help were denied by the cultivation sects. the wen remnants who couldn’t do anything to save themselves. wen qing and wen ning. wei wuxian, whose every avenue of help was closed. mianmian. and even, imo, lan wangji.

there’s another similar notion towards wei wuxian that because he was a subordinate and because he has lesser social standing, he had more “freedom”. what ass-backwards logic is this, to be honest? when has having lesser social status, political power and monetary resources given a person more freedom? more freedom would mean that wei wuxian could do anything he wanted and go unquestioned. more freedom would mean that he would be able to practice the ghostly path without every second person accusing him of demonic activities. you know who had more freedom? the nie sect! their resentful energy dabbling went unquestioned because they had more freedom, they were protected by the reputation and might of their clan. nie mingjue’s hypocritical stance went unquestioned because he had freedom, precisely because he had more power. wei wuxian having a big personality, being flirtatious and not being a picture-perfect version of properness (he had good manners regardless) is not having more freedom. if he had that personality and no one accused him of being arrogant and if it wasn’t used against him as means to sully his reputation, then yes, that would be true freedom. this last part is probably redundant but hope the point of it was relayed. just because wei wuxian’s able to authentically be himself despite the backlash he receives for it does not make his social standing somehow a more advantageous position to be in compared to the literal leaders of the cultivation world.

in conclusion, the sect leaders did not have their hands tied by some inherent circumstance, their thrones of power were not ill-begotten curses they were trying to escape from but all the tying was done by them and their ropes which they gleefully tied around the necks of the wens to silence them forever. and if that sentence makes you uncomfortable, great. because that’s the reality of what these people did.

Every once a while I will cross paths with a another sect! Wwx au and yk that's cool and all, but these aus always (understandably) revolve around the Great sects, but that's got me thinking of a wwx being adopted by the sect leader of a relatively new sect!

Here I go:

Wwx is picked up from the streets by the sect leader when he's 6-7(? I can't remember how old wwx was when jfm found him) originally for selfish purposes to increase the disciplines in his sect, but unfortunately for the man wwx grows on this man and his wife like fungus (also wwx being a genius prodigy makes him even more favorable)

I'd imagine by the time wwx is 15 the sect had grown a decent size... not big by any means but wealthy enough to afford an invite to the cr classes, ofc wwx and like a humble amount of disciplines from the sect are taken and wwx meets lwj blah blah.

So ik alot of u are asking. What would be the difference to canon? Difference is Wwx actually has a good support system in this universe, also lwj being the petty man he is marries INTO the small sect just to piss off all the big sect leaders (and his uncle+ brotherl)

(Actually tbh he also has valid reasons, but its funny to think of those as reasons too)

Feel free to add to this as it matinatez.

Wangxian daughter doodles cause Wangxian are girldads #canon(inmydreams)

Tragic canons gives fan fic writers much more freedom! And makes fix-it fics much more interesting especially those newtmas time travel fics heheh

I love newtmas so much genuinely one of my favourite ships and their relationship has LAYERS and I wish Newt could've went with Thomas to safe haven and spent their future together

BUT

If I had the power to somehow change Newts ending I'd keep it the same Wait! Wait! Put the pitchforks and torches down

Now hear me out Newts death was IMPORTANT and honestly to ME atleast what makes Newtmas so much more tragic is the fact that they were frankly doomed from the start (ESPECIALLY in the books) Newt was never gonna be happy he was never gonna be truly "free" something he'd always wanted.. and the fact that Thomas went to the maze after Newts attempt only for Newt to die by HIS OWN hands later on!

Newtmas is good because their ending was written in stone no matter what lengths thomas went for Newt... although they should've kissed 🙈hhehe

Still love those fix-it fics where Newt gets to live tho fan fic writers keep em coming

explaining canon yunmeng jiang dynamics to someone outside the fandom is crazy

like imagine youre the victim of a hit and run and the culprit is this rich asshole you pissed off by standing up for one of his other victims. and then you wake up in the hospital and your clan's heir blames you for getting hit by the car because he's pissed off that his dad, the clan's patriarch, told you "good job" for standing up to that rich asshole. except he happened to say that right in front of his dad, and his dad is like "that's not the type of attitude i expect from a future clan leader." just when you think things cant get any worse, the clan's matriarch barges in and yells at you for inviting trouble, insinuates youre her husband's bastard, and insults your actual (dead) parents.

and now both clan patriarch and matriarch are arguing and have left the room, and your clan's heir is wallowing in self-pity. somehow it's your job to placate him, so you drag your injured ass out of bed and run after him and swear eternal loyalty to him because he's totally, definitely gonna be the best clan leader ever! btw he still victim blames you after all of that and at no point does anybody apologize to or comfort you for having to put up with this bullshit.

also did i mention that half the fandom still insists you were favored by your clan's patriarch and you owe this clan everything because they took you in when you were an orphaned kid living on the streets

Kirk being the exception in everything for Spock in this book is absolutely crushing.

Spoilers for The Entropy Effect:

Early on they establish that Spock maintains a strict distance from his other crewmates, and other beings in general as being a touch telepath means he has to maintain shields against their emotions and thoughts. Braithewaite shaking his hand is such a faux pas because of this, Vulcans are known to be touch telepaths and he should know better! Kirk and Spock are both irked by the gesture to the point that Kirk notices Spock is giving Braithewaite a hard time (politely).

Kirk is shot on the bridge and without a second thought Spock is there, already trying to staunch the bleeding, holding Kirk in his arms (using his first name a lot too…) and drops literally every shield he has. They’re so entwined that even dying Kirk recognizes that Spock’s going to follow him into death.

After Kirk’s death, Spock is in charge of the Enterprise as it was Kirk’s last request that he take care of his ship, but Spock’s already planning on transferring off as soon as possible- it doesn’t occur to him that he could stay there under a different captain, which would be the most logical course of action. Jim’s death ends that part of Spock’s life that takes place on the Enterprise.

Fic idea(cause i just watched the mirror ds9 episodes): Wangxian (and others) accidentally activate a mysterious artifact? Array? Whatever you want, and end up in an alt dimension where roles are flipped.

Here is how it plays in my head-

-The Wens won the war in this universe.

-Wangxian are in charge of one of the major outposts with Wwx in charge and Lwj as his loyal subordinate (who is in charge of the posts military)

-Characters such as wq and wn and Wen Yuan would also be alive and evil because.. yk edgy verse, (also maybe jyl is also evil just cause.)

-Nmj and Lxc are head of the resistance, Lxc absolutely hates lwj for betraying him and killing their uncle.

*The fic would mostly consist of the og!characters getting absolute whiplash at their opposites personality, and helping with the resistance while they're there basically just what happens in the actual st!mirror episodes lol!

I've had this mdzs au rotting in my notes for weeks I even drew a page for it but art/writing block is a beast >:(

Anywho since we're here drop your favorite mdzs aus mine is any ghost!wwx aus :)

Hi!

Hope you're doing well:D

Another curious question?

When it comes to the idw turtles how do you imagine them sounding like?

Any actor/character voices you can imagine them sounding like?

Thank you! Have a nice day

Hi! I've never really had any particular voices in mind for them, I confess! I guess other than Leo, I always imagine Brian Tochi's voice from the old live-action movies. And Jennika probably sounds something like Emma Stone.