NiF, Guardian and first impressions

[marycrawford]

Somewhere in the summer of 2019 I was watching Guardian for the first time, and fell back into fandom as a result - I wrote a story before I'd even seen the last dozen episodes of the show. And I'm still there: I've been working on a Guardian AU for the past year which I want to get off the runway and into the air, even if it feels like I'm attaching wings to an elephant sometimes.

I wish I'd taken notes while watching Guardian for the first time, because it's always fun to come back to those later and see what my first impressions were. I've mostly forgotten them now, though I do remember thinking that Shen Wei's pendant had to be one of the Tools that he was hiding for some reason.

And now with Nirvana in Fire I also feel like it would be fun to write down my reactions, but I just don't have the stamina for any detailed recaps. So instead please hold my hand, for I have about 10 episodes left, and what a ride it promises to be. Without spoilers: the last few episodes felt like being on a rollercoaster that was cranking up slowly but surely from day 1 and now we're going downnnn, baby.

As a monofannish type, I don't currently think that I will want to write any fic for Nirvana in Fire, but I'm deeply worried and concerned about basically everyone on Mei Changsu's side, and at the same time I feel like their competence ought to be rewarded. This show and the competence porn, I swear. Although I also love Meng Zhi, who is extremely competent in his areas of expertise, and in other areas a bit of a Jam Watson.

I already know I will want to rewatch, and to continue drawing the hair ornaments and facial expressions for practice. (Consort Yue is my favorite, she is so expressive and so delightfully awful.)

Comments

[sakana17]

I cheer you on with getting your AU off the ground! \o/

Why, what makes you think the final episodes of Nirvana in Fire will be anything other than puppies and kittens? And relaxing with tea and snacks. *innocent blink*

LOL, I'd forgotten about Jam Watson - that was delightful to see again! Awww, Meng Zhi. ♥

[marycrawford]

Thank you for the cheer!

relaxing with tea and snacks

Yes, that is OBVIOUSLY what will happen. I'm hoping for fancy moon cakes and fragrant green tea for all. :D

[naye]

*squeezes hand*

[marycrawford]

Aw, thanks!

[marycrawford]

I really needed that today, watching ep 49 - (HE ENTERED THE PALACE, NAYE)

[trobadora]

Waving the pom-poms for your AU!

Good luck getting through the rest of NiF!

[marycrawford]

Thank you for both! I watched ep 45 last night, which went in ...very unexpected...directions, but I am looking forward to the rest of the cliffhanger ending.

[umadoshi]

Somewhere in the summer of 2019 I was watching Guardian for the first time

The time has flown! (I mean. In some ways. *eyes world*)

*holds hand*

[marycrawford]

Seriously, time is either moving at breakneck speed or dripping like molasses, depending on the day.


*holds hand*
Thanks :) I'm at ep 45, which was a very odd episode but I can't wait to see what happens after this.

[elenothar]

I do remember thinking that Shen Wei's pendant had to be one of the Tools that he was hiding for some reason

Well, now that would've been fascinating. Cursory thinking doesn't really get me any reason why he would that doesn't go very AU, but the thought of already overpowered Hei Pao Shi also having access to one of the hallows all the time? Well, you could do stuff with that, is all I'm saying. Or perhaps it's more of a 'sentient hallows' situation, where one of them chose to attach itself to a newly reawakened Shen Wei for Reasons.

... Don't mind me, my brain is just running away with me again, apparently.

[marycrawford]

Story speculation always welcome here!

I do like the general idea of the Tools being sentient, and I love the idea of one of them just attaching itself to Shen Wei. That starts to feel like a cursed blessing - maybe, for all his power, he can't actually take it off?

[elenothar]

And then has to make up a story about a keepsake from an ex lover so Zhao Yunlan stops asking why he never takes it off? XD

Could be the hallow is basically going 'I have a quest you have to fulfill, you're the likeliest person to make it happen and to make sure you actually do it I'm gonna hang around and commentate your efforts'.

Or the hallows really like/resonate with Zhao Yunlan and Zhao Yunlan is totally fixated on Shen Wei, hence Hallows turning up around Shen Wei all the time.

Or or being held in magical stasis by the hallows changed something fundamental about Shen Wei, like, say, intertwining his powers with theirs, which has side effects if he doesn't have a hallow on him to balance his energies.

The possibilities are endless, apparently.

[umadoshi]

All of these ideas are fascinating! *^^*

[elenothar]

Feel free to nab them, if anything sparks! I'm getting quite intrigued by the last option, but I already have a pile of wips my arm long, so...

[umadoshi]

but I already have a pile of wips my arm long, so...

I am very much in that boat too, and making zero progress. -_-

[elenothar]

I am posting things fairly frequently (for me) at the moment, but the problem is that whenever I finish one fic, two mote wips have taken its place already in a hydra sort of arrangement, so I'm not really making any dents either...

I hope you get back in the groove of it though! I'd love to read more of your fic.

[umadoshi]

whenever I finish one fic, two mote wips have taken its place already in a hydra sort of arrangement

Ohhh, yeah. >.< That'll happen.

I hope you get back in the groove of it though! I'd love to read more of your fic.

Thank you! *crosses fingers a little desperately*

[marycrawford]

I love these ideas! Especially the one where Shen Wei gets unwanted commentary from the opinionated jewelry around his neck XD

[elenothar]

Cue the hallow having opinions about Shen Wei's 'courting efforts' where Zhao Yunlan is concerned, never mind that Shen Wei hasn't got as far as doing any proper courting yet since he's still lowkey panicking over time travel and lies, or that a sentient piece of jewelry's ideas of what constitutes successful courting are... Strange at best, and not any more likely to succeed than Shen Wei letting Zhao Yunlan do most of the work.

[mekare]

>>the last few episodes felt like being on a rollercoaster that was cranking up slowly but surely from day 1 and now we're going downnnn, baby.


Oh how well I remember that feeling!

Also very cool that you‘re drawing faces and hair ornaments! I agree about Consort Yue, she has such beautiful jewellery and great facial expressions! If you ever feel like posting your efforts to nirvana_in_fire, we‘d be very happy to have them!

[marycrawford]

Aw, thanks for the encouragement! I'm pretty shy about posting art, but we'll see how brave I feel at the end of this rewatch. :)

[mekare]

No pressure and have fun with your rewatch!