Thread by @cicerfics

So, it's WIP Wednesday!

And I'm here to threadfic a Certain Concept I actually got 15k into writing.

Then I realized I was in over my head, and I dropped it.

In order to do this concept justice, I would need to:

a) Commit to writing another fic that's at least 100k
b) Have way more knowledge of stan culture than I do
c) Have way more knowledge about Chinese media and culture than I do

So I shelved this one.

But I'm still very attached to the concept and I just...want to talk about it for a while? Can y'all humor me for a minute?

It's a modern AU, naturally. WWX is the adopted son of the Jiang family.

They are extremely wealthy, and they made their fortune in real estate. Their biggest competitors are (a shocking departure from canon, y'all!) the Wens.

WRH is up to his usual shenanigans. He's trying to bump off competitors and stage hostile takeovers so he can consolidate power. He actually succeeds in killing off JFM and YZY.

Then the weight of his own crimes buries him.

The rest of the real-estate world joins forces, and they take him down.

It's the usual story:

WWX had just made friends with WQ and WN. He thinks it's super unfair that their lives and reputations are being torched alongside their uncle's.

He wants to help them.

JC is officially Opposed.

It becomes a particular point of contention, actually.

Naturally, JC is resentful of anyone even peripherally associated with the dude who killed his parents.

But JC (like many people in his industry!) is also busy buying up the subsidiaries and assets WRH left behind.

WWX thinks this is pretty hypocritical, and he says so. Clearly JC is NOT disgusted by All Things Wen?

But JC says that's just business.

Besides, what does WWX think he should do? Miss out on deals that could rebuild Jiang Corp?

Does he think they should just close up all the Wens' business and put thousands of people out of work? Who would be served by THAT course of action?

WWX doesn't think much of this argument.

So JC can justify helping random Wen employees. But he's getting his knickers in a twist over WWX helping WRH's extended family?

Really, what is the difference?!

Spoiler alert: JC thinks there's a HUGE difference. Particularly since WWX is using his own trust fund (money that came directly from JFM) to help the Wens.

It turns into a huge, ugly fight.

In the end, public opinion gets so hostile that WWX takes the Wens and moves overseas.

He gets quite a few people out, including A-Yuan and Granny. But between the immigration attorney fees and the housing expenses, relocating takes every cent WWX has.

He and the Wen Sibs do their best.

They've all had to drop out of college/med school, and that fucking sucks.

But they're coping. They're together. There's a roof over their heads and food on the table.

So they scrape together a living off a bunch of shitty jobs. They try to make the best of it.

And for the sake of having a creative outlet, they decide to start a garage band.

(Yes, yes. I KNOW everyone and their nana's dog has done a band AU. But every writer is entitled to a band AU. This one is mine!)

They are not expecting anything from this band!

It's just for fun. It helps salvage their sanity as they DoorDash, bartend, and change adult diapers at nursing homes.

But they all have some classical training in music, and they're pretty good!

They just do covers at first. Then WWX starts writing original songs for them to play, and he's great at songwriting.

They find a couple gigs, just at backyard barbecues and graduation parties. They slowly get their foot in the door in the local music scene.

The pay is not great. Sometimes there is no pay at all. But they're having fun and the band helps keep their spirits up.

...Now, you didn't think I'd create an AU where NHS DOESN'T play a pivotal role, did you?

Yeah, he's totally a gossip columnist in this universe. And he has not forgotten his old friend! Particularly because WWX is making music that's actually does not suck!

So NHS pesters WWX to record a demo. Then he shops the demo around and finds someone who's interested.

Things change FAST after that.

In January, WWX and the Wen Sibs are slaving away at their shitty little jobs.

By March, they're meeting with producers and doing live auditions.

By May, they've signed a contract.

By July, they're in the studio recording their first album.

(Is any of this how the music industry actually works? I have no fucking idea, and that's why I'm NOT attempting to write 100k of this concept!)

They've got a publicist. They've got an agent. They've got NHS, giving them favorable press and stirring up interest.

And before they know it, WWX and Wen Sibs are bona-fide celebrities.

Their debut album absolutely SLAPS. It gets lots of attention, and the label wants another album ASAP. They also want the group to go on tour.

Within a breathlessly short space of time, they're touring and recording and seeing their faces on magazine covers.

It's...weird.

Being a celebrity is weird. WWX is not actually sure he likes it.

He loves songwriting. He adores performing. He enjoys meeting fans who are passionate about his music.

He definitely likes the money.

The Wens are now financially secure. A-Yuan's college fund is thriving. Granny doesn't have to worry about paying for her prescriptions anymore.

That part of being famous absolutely ROCKS.

But being a tabloid staple is extremely fucking weird.

WWX is coping, though! He mostly enjoys his bizarre new life, and he's just trying not to take his "celebrity" status too seriously.

But then his agent wants him to do a magazine shoot for a new designer clothing line.

A bunch of different celebs (actors, musicians, and whatnot) are in on this. His agent thinks it would be a great way to "expand into new audiences" or whatever.

WWX has zero modeling experience. But whatever, right? He'll try anything once! Twice! Three times, to make sure he doesn't like it!

So he says yes, and that.

That.

That is how he ends up on set with Lan Wangji.

Like, THE Lan Wangji.

Switching gears here for a minute. We need to discuss LWJ's backstory.

His family has been in the film industry forever. Mostly, they do Serious Important Work.

LQR was a famous documentary director who won many Prestigious Awards.

There are other Lan aunts/uncles/grandparents who did artsy films that have Cultural and Historical Relevance.

Quite a few famous musicians and sound engineers in the family, too. Stuff like that.

LWJ and LXC were brought up to be artists and musicians. They were taught to have a profound respect for the Medium of Film.

...So anyway, LXC stars in romcoms and LWJ is a model. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It was an accident, really.

LXC was an innocent nineteen year old trying to buy a coffee on a cold, windy morning.

That's when a particularly aggressive talent agent spotted him, and swooped in for the kill.

"SIR. Your cheekbones. YOUR. JAW. LINE. Do you model? Act? Sing? Do you have any talents whatsoever? Please don't worry if the answer is no. I can definitely find work for you either way."

She shoved a business card into LXC's hand

"CALL ME," she begged.

Then she swooped away, and LXC was left very confused.

But he did call, and she did get him work.

It turns out, he's pretty AND he can act. So after college, he moved to LA and the rest is history.

He's now the go-to romantic lead for charming, wholesome, lighthearted romance films.

When LXC landed his first full-length film role, LWJ flew out to visit his brother on the set.

Everyone took one look at him, and smelled blood in the water.

"Fucking HELL," the producer thought. "There are TWO of them? Well, we're just gonna have to scoop up BOTH. We need the SET."

...This turned out to be quite difficult, unfortunately.

LQR was Not Happy that his oldest nephew was squandering his talents on frivolous romantic comedies.

But LXC had graduated from college. He was technically an adult who could do as he pleased.

Besides, LQR was hoping his nephew would have a little jaunt in Hollywood and get it out of his system. Maybe then he'd settle down to making some Serious Art.

But either way, LQR absolutely will not allow LWJ to drop out of college to star in a goddamn Hallmark movie.

Fortunately for him, LWJ absolutely does not want to do that!

He cannot act to save his life, and he is HAPPY about that, so NO THANK YOU.

LXC's agent is a bulldog, though. She's not going down without a fight.

How about modeling? Does LWJ want to try modeling? He absolutely has the looks for it. And he wouldn't have to memorize any lines or anything!

Much to LQR's horror, LXC supports this idea!

LXC worries that his darling little brother is about two steps away from becoming a shut-in. He does nothing but study! He needs to socialize, and LWJ clearly isn't clicking with any of his classmates.

So if LWJ isn't going to attend any keggers or go backpacking through the Australian outback, then he should try this modeling thing. Maybe then he'll meet some new people and get out into the world a bit more?

LXC's hope (for his precious didi to develop a social life) truly springs eternal.

Spoiler alert: LWJ is Not going to socialize. You cannot Make Him.

But LXC pesters him to just TRY modeling.

Meanwhile, LXC's agent is ready to chew off her own arm to get him to agree.

So LWJ agrees to do one (1) modeling job, just to appease them.

He figures it will not go well, and he won't get invited back.

Tragically (for him) the shoot goes GREAT.

He is beauty, he is grace, he is extremely photogenic and takes directions beautifully.

The resulting pictures are breathtaking. LWJ isn't getting out of this NOW.

The agent has to grovel before LQR, promising that she'll schedule all the jobs around LWJ's school schedule.

She will only schedule jobs in LA, so LXC can chaperone and supervise LWJ while he's on set.

She will MAKE SURE LWJ is safe and continuing to excel academically.

With many misgivings, LQR agrees. Once again, he assumes that both his nephews will lose interest in this frivolity very quickly.

But LWJ's career SKYROCKETS, just like his brother's.

They are both extremely in-demand.

Their agent is ACHING for the day LWJ graduates. She wants to send him to shoots in Hong Kong, London, and everywhere in between.

This kid is supermodel material, and she is NOT letting that slip through her fingers.

LWJ doesn't intend to follow through with any of this, by the way. He does, in fact, intend to stop modeling after college.

He will apply to grad school, and he will arrange for one (1) social interaction every fortnight. His brother will be placated, and LWJ will be Free.

But then.

LQR dies.

...I keep killing him off in my modern AUs.

I'm sorry, dude! It's nothing personal! I am not a LQR-anti!

But sometimes his death is necessary to advance the plot, so here we are.

He dies quite suddenly.

It's a huge shock and a huge blow to both of the Twin Jades. Particularly since both of them were having some Difficulties with their uncle right before he died.

LXC was trying to navigate the murky waters of, "Actually, Uncle, I am going to continue acting in 'frivolous' romcoms indefinitely."

LQR did not support that decision one bit, and he was starting to make his objections known.

Meanwhile, LQR had his heart set on seeing LWJ go into directing/filmmaking/music performance.

Unfortunately, LWJ didn't want to do any of that. He didn't really know what he wanted to do. But he didn't want to do that.

But he didn't want to disappoint his uncle either. Especially since LQR was already upset about his brother's Life Choices.

So it was just. Hard.

And then LQR dies.

There will never be any closure whatsoever, not for anybody.

And the Twin Jades officially have no more family left but each other.

LWJ basically has a quarter-life crisis at this point.

He scrapes through his last semester of college, not giving a single fuck about his GPA. Then he immediately moves to LA to be near LXC.

His agent wants him to model full-time?

Fine! Why not! Does any choice we make in life really matter! Is any life choice actually right or wrong! What is black and what is white!

...He's on the struggle bus for a while there.

But he's actually great at modeling. His agent is smart enough to lean into his whole standoffish personality.

He shows up on sets, speaks to nobody except the photographer, and then disappears.

He makes an appearance at major industry events for five (5) minutes, looking sleek and gorgeous, and then vanishes.

LWJ is mysterious, enigmatic, fascinating.

Who is he, really? Nobody knows, and the tabloids eat it up!

In the meantime, he does a lot of charity work and that helps him feel useful. He reconciles himself to his strange life.

Then he gets invited to do this run-of-the-mill shoot for a new clothing line. He shows up, flawlessly punctual, and that.

That is how WWX and LWJ meet.

...I have more of this lurking in my brain.

A lot more, really.

Maybe I'll type up a bit more next Wednesday. 😭

...You know what, I'm just gonna toss the bits of this I've already written on my tumblr and then threadfic the rest.

Why the fuck not! This concept will give me no Peace unless I write it in some form. And I'm not up to the task of properly "writing" any more than I've already written.

So a combo real-fic-plus-threadfic it is! Here we gooo!

Warning: this was unearthed from the depths of my WIP folder. I did an extremely rough proofread, and that is ALL. You are truly getting minimum effort on this particular project. Sorry, y'all!

Also, this takes place in that magical homophobia-free universe I set all my stories in. ✌️

cicerfics.tumblr.com/post/642255148…

Next installment will be up...uh. At some point!

Sorry, but I have to turn my attention to 'love, in fire and blood' for the next few days. Sit tight, y'all!