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Calling out my biggest mdzs/cql fanfic pet-peeve: Hanguang-jun washing and brushing his hair everyday AND/OR getting sexy disheveled hair during sexy times.
This is not how waxed hair works. Let me explain!
This is not how waxed hair works. Let me explain!
The top half of Hanguang-Jun's hair is always waxed throughout the show. Historically it serves two purposes: to create fancy hairtstyles, of course, but mostly to protect the hair from tangling and getting in people's faces. Those guys never cut their hair ever!
I need to point out that the half-up hairstyle isn't historically accurate though, as men would tie all their hair up once they're adults.
What I want to focus on is what it means to have waxed hair everyday. What it feels like.
What I want to focus on is what it means to have waxed hair everyday. What it feels like.
Waxing hair takes time. Once the hair has its waxed shape, it won't easily take another shape for a different hairstyle. So you need to wash it all out before arranging your hair into something different = no changing hairstyle in the middle of the day.
Their hair was F*CKING long at that time, and there was no blowdryer or anything. Imagine having to wash your hair everyday during winter, in cold af houses? Yeah, they didn't do it. Or even in summer, because they wouldn't want to wax their hair again everyday.
So they would set their hair for like, a week at a time, maybe more, and they would sleep on their back, maybe holding uncomfortable positions, being extra careful not to ruin their hair.
(I'm speaking only about people that actually cared for that shit, btw. Peeps with unwaxed hair were much more free to sleep however they wanted.)
Hanguang-jun probably takes out the jewelry pieces before he sleeps, but under it? There's a piece of fake hair.
Yes the Hanguang-Bun™ is fake! You can see the texture difference quite easily. It's probably horse hair.
Yes the Hanguang-Bun™ is fake! You can see the texture difference quite easily. It's probably horse hair.
Most of Hanguang-Jun hairstyles are sort of doable with real hair, even if it's a wig in the show. But that bun? It's way too high and full to be anything else than a separate hairpiece. Hairpieces were SUPER COMMON in Ancient China, and all throughout human history, actually.
So this means that when Hanguang-Jun undresses for sexy times, if he removes any of his hair jewelry, there's a high chance that the fake bun will fall. That wouldn't be very sexy, would it?
So here is my advice for writing fanfic: if you want sexy Hanguang-Jun with over the shoulders cascading hair, you need to give him a long bath beforehand, and a lot of hair brushing because wax doesn't come off with water, it needs to be brushed out completely and it takes time.
If you're writing him on a nighthunt, there approximately 0% chance that he would undo his hair at all. Mayyyybe he would take off the jewelry and fake bun, but that's it.
And that scene in CQL where we see him with his hair down, in Cloud Recesses? The man has taken a long long bath. I quite like that scene, bc with the way they did his make-up, he looks fresh out of the bath!
This thread is meant as advice for writing a more coherent piece of fanfic, it's not meant for anything else really. Take it into consideration or don't, I just hope that maybe you learnt something today!
I'll happily add a list of historically accurate hgj's hair-compliant fanfics under this thread, if you have suggestions and/or you want to promote your fic, dm me!
