#is Binghe ooc? who cares

[coolshadowtwins]

PT 1

PT 3

“This disciple greets his Shizun-“ Luo Binghe began, surrounded by a gaggle of Huan Hua Palace disciples, all glaring, before trailing off in confusion. “…there’s two of you.”

“What an observation.” Shen Qingqiu said with a scowl. He looked Luo Binghe over, before looking away with a huff. “Still the same, I see.”

“Don’t talk about Luo-Shixiong that way-“ One of the disciples behind Luo Binghe snapped, only to be cut off.

“Now now!” Shen Yuan cut in, stepping between Shen Qingqiu and everyone else. He had spent this long trying to fix Shen Qingqiu’s reputation, and it was like dragging a feral cat, kicking and screaming.

Having made up with Yue Qingyuan helped. A little.

“There is no need for this hostility.” He continued, lightly waving his fan. “We’re all here to fix the plague that has descended here, are we not?”

“…there’s two of you.” Luo Binghe said again, eyes wide as he looked back and forth. Shen Yuan paused, confused, before continuing.

“Yes. I’m Shen Yuan, his brother. …And the one that has been acting as Shen Qingqiu for the past few years, while my brother was in seclusion.”

“There’s two of you.” Luo Binghe said a third time, eyes starting to shine. Shen Qingqiu blinked, before making a face and turning away.

“I am not dealing with this.” He snapped as he walked, robes flowing. “You deal with your disciple.”

“Oh, well, uh,” Shen Yuan stammered, losing his ‘Peak Lord Composure’ for a moment, without Shen Qingqiu’s natural bitch face. “Of course this Shizun greets his disciple-“

“I can still be your disciple?” Luo Binghe asked, excitedly. Shen Yuan could almost see his tail wagging. A disciple behind him started to argue, only to be shushed as Luo Binghe held up a hand. “Be quiet for a moment. Shizun is speaking.”

“Binghe!” Shen Yuan snapped, without thinking about it. “Don’t be rude!”

“I’m sorry Shizun!” Binghe said, not sorry at all. A different disciple scowled.

“Shen Qingqiu did something to Luo-Shixiong-“

“Nothing has been done to Binghe-“

“I told you to stop talking-“

“Don’t speak to Master Shen that way!” Gongyi Xiao spoke up at last, scolding his fellow disciples. “Show him some respect!”

Shen Yuan sighed as he saw the dark aura starting to form over Binghe. Well, on one hand, he was afraid of dying violently, but one the other, there was only one thing he could do here.

—————-

“What did you do.” Mu Qingfang asked, deadpan, as he finally looked up from his workstation. Shen Yuan laughed nervously, holding up a marked hand.

“I might have gotten infected?”

“Shen-Shixiong.” He said, exhausted. “I’ll get to that. I was referring to the man behind you.”

“Oh.” Shen Yuan glanced behind him. Binghe was sitting at a table, staring down Shen Qingqiu, who was glaring at him darkly. “It’s my old disciple. He’s not dead after all.”

“That’s a demon.” Liu Qingge said, eyes narrowed.

“No, that’s my disciple. Jeez, Liu-Shidi, I know children can be heathens but to call them demons? No wonder you don’t have any-“

“He has a mark on his forehead!” Liu Qingge snapped.

“A tattoo. Quite the rebellious phase, really.”

Mu Qingfang sighed, and then went back to work.

[mccromy]

I've seen sometimes people arguing that Shen Yuan as Shen Qingqiu is constantly performing, faking his personality, and therefore Luo Binghe fell for someone who doesn't actually exist.

And fortunately that is wrong.

Shen Qingqiu has to act like an aloof immortal to keep his image, but he hasn't acted anything remotely like og!Shen Qingqiu since the skinner incident. And even with the OOC locks on, he kept losing points for acting OOC.

So, he's not acting as Shen Jiu, he behaves in a way he thinks an immortal cultivator should, which is basically himself but more calm, with Shen Jiu's muscle memory helping him to keep a blank face.

The thing is, that's how most people act. If you're as thin faced as he is, as easily embarrassed you tend to avoid embarrassing situations, refrain yourself from saying embarrassing things, constantly trying to pretend you aren't embarrassed at all.

His internal monologue is different to what he shows, but that's how it works for most people. Put yourself in a situation in which a friend asks you about something you absolutely don't care about, you think inside your head something along the lines of: " I don't caaaare" "I don't give a shit" "THIS AGAIN. WHY. I DON'T CARE I DON'T CARE." etc, and depending on your personality you might answer differently. If you're blunt you'd say something like "Couldn't care less", if you're cruel you'd say "Nobody gives a shit" if you're kind you'd consider what they asked and answer even though you don't care, if you're assertive you'd answer and also say something like "please don't ask about it again" and that's without taking into consideration how much you care about said friend, how you behave with this person in particular.

Shen Qingqiu, would say to Shang Qinghua. "I don't give a shit," he feels comfortable enough to be crass and doesn't care much about his opinion of him, to Liu Qingge he'd say something like "Liu-shidi really focuses on the strangest things" doesn't want to hurt his feelings, but feels comfortable enough to hint that he doesn't care about it. To Ning YingYing he'd answer and then change subjects, cares enough to not hurt her but doesn't feel comfortable enough to show he doesn't care about whatever she said. To Luo Binghe, he'd take the time to answer and then add something like "This master really doesn't care about such things" because he doesn't want to hurt Binghe, but he is comfortable enough to confess how he really feels about it, he answers and then kindly informs him about his feelings on the subject.

That's not faking, that's something everybody does.

Shen Qingqiu doesn't lie more than the average person (who has a nightmare AI clinging to their soul) to others, but does constantly lie to himself (even though when you read you can tell he's aware of the truth, but actively convinces himself that it can't be, that that's what a less informed person would think, but not him who knows PIDW like the palm of his hand and therefore knows better etc, etc.) If he obfuscates his real thoughts or feelings, it's not in an attempt to deceive others, but a result of his constant inner gaslighting and paper thin face.

"But he didn't act like that as Peerless Cucumber!" If you behave the same way irl as you do online you need to spend less time online.

Logically, it's impossible to keep a facade 24/7, so it can be argued that Luo Binghe saw him in a more relaxed state, consolidated his love for him when he got to know him while sharing a home for two years. I don't believe that Shen Qingqiu kept his Qingqiusona on at all times, but I do believe he would've been more reserved in front of his disciple. And, as I said before, you behave differently depending on who you're with, and of course never say out loud all the things running inside your head.

I believe that if Shen Yuan transmigrated into some random NPC and not Shen Qingqiu, he would have behaved pretty much the same, but would've been far more easier to read and less formal, although formal enough as according to whatever station he belonged in such a case.

It can also be argued that, after acting for almost a decade as how he believed an immortal should act, it became an actual part of his personality, being aloof and reserved, keeping quiet when in doubt instead of spouting a cutting remark (as I picture he would pre-transmigration).

People do change, they can become louder or quieter, kinder or crueler, less or more confident. Such changes happen according to your choices, choices that become easier and easier to make as time passes, until the choice to be loud or quiet, kind or cruel, becomes your instinctive response.

So no, Shen Qingqiu hasn't put on an act beyond what's normal (trying to appear calm when you aren't, trying to seem unbothered when ashamed) since the skinner arc.

So, does he keep acting like a cold master after he and Luo Binghe got together? No. He doesn't. He's never been cold to Luo Binghe, unless forced by the System or when he was scared out of his mind with fear in Jinlan City. In fact, after they got together Bingqiu acts very much like any other couple would (... When the couple is bingqiu.)

For example, we can see them being playful in the extras, like in the Honeymoon Chronicle:

Shen Qingqiu feels comfortable enough to fool around with Luo Binghe, as long as It's the two of them alone.

Shen Qingqiu is not putting on an act, and hasn't done so since the first year after he transmigrated. This is his real personality. Would he have behaved differently had he not transmigrated? Yes, of course. And had he transmigrated as someone else? Yes, obviously. Our experiences shape us. He would've been different but not unrecognizable. To become drastically different, he'd have to also live through some drastic experiences. But, in the same way you can recognize yourself in the person you were 10, 20, 30 years ago, despite all the glaring differences, despite all the ways you've changed, Shen Qingqiu would've remained the same at his core.

[zykamiliah]

Tell me about Shen Yuan's mental gymnastics

oh boy where do i start

there are various sides to sy's mental gymnastics:

-his sexuality, that directly correlates to his feelings for binghe; we know how he projects his desire for lbh into the Women/Wives characters, he is in complete denial and actively suppressing his own sexuality, for quite a while and even before he transmigrated, since he has some "skeletons in his closet" in regards to past crushes. he frames his feelings for lbh and his responses during sex as submitting to lbh's charm and "technique" as if to imply he doesn't really have a choice or is being convinced into loving and having sex with lbh, which is one of the biggest misunderstandings for readers in the whole novel. for him admitting that he likes gay sex is tremendously embarrassing, and a consequence from being raised in a homophobic/queerphobic culture.

-his self-image, not in the sense that insecure or lacks confidence, but in that he perceives himself as inconsequential-- he doesn't expect much to come from his good actions except maybe that people will spare his life (lbh, lqg) and instead weighs his bad actions as worse than they are. even if he doesn't think about it a lot, he expects lbh to hate him and kill him for pushing him into the endless abyss, yet doesn't take into the equation everything else he did as a shizun for lbh and the other qjp disciples. this probably comes from his fandom-agreed third child syndrome, in that as such he grew up thinking his actions don't have any impact in the people around him (not taking into account the impact of his death in hua yue city, for example, in lbh and his martial siblings and disciples); related to that, is the part where he doesn't ever talk about his own accomplishments because he thinks that's too cringe or something, so he's always downplaying himself and the stuff he does, like being a good damn teacher, and liking it! he describes himself as a lazy guy who just wants to lead a no-effort life but that's what he actually wants or does; he's always doing something post-transmigration and if fact gets antsy and restless when he's forced to stay inside doing nothing

also related to him downplaying his good actions, is that he sketches himself as a selfish person when his actions completely contradict that characterization.

he also downplays or completely hides from the narration how much being cool matters to him lol he wants to distract the reader and himself from the fact that he's not an easygoing person, who will take anything life gives him; no, no, that man taught his disciples about payback; he gets reeaally pissed off when mbj dismisses his cultivation at the immortal alliance conference. i've talked about how he projects on shen jiu here to go around those feelings .

overall he's unreliable when talking about himself and you have to look at everything he says really carefully and contrast it with his actual actions to understand what's real and what's a lie.

and one of my favorites: he tells us he's pretending at being a lofty immortal cultivator, when in truth the transmigration has allowed him to become the best version of himself (ok there's still room for improvement but he's getting there!) the moment the OOC was off, and later when he's in the mushroom body, he thinks of himself as shen qingqiu all the time, going so far as to put finding a folding fan as a top priority, saving people just because he was around, and being unable to let cqm disciples be in danger to the detriment of his own survival. he tries to sell you a picture of himself where he's pragmatic and selfish and self-serving, but in truth, despite having a bad temper and sometimes resorting to anger as a coping mechanism (the tsundere allegations are true), he's a big softie and unconditional when it comes to the people he cares about.

[esamastation]

Part sixty-one of Shizuroth, aka, the SOLDIER General's Self Saving Shizun.

Ao3 link.

Previous parts: fifty-seven, fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty

-

"There, wasn't that so much faster?"

If looks could kill, Tseng's answering glare would've had him six feet under. He doesn't object, though, and Sephiroth grins smugly. He knows might've given the Turk a perfect opportunity to observe his new abilities and that might come back to bite him in the ass, but Sephiroth doesn't care anymore.

He's already fucked everything up! He's killed the protagonist! Maybe! Possibly!

Though true enough, Final Fantasy VII has a weird relationship with mental illness and death and coming back from both, so brain dead is probably nowhere near permanent - but then again, it might be a gateway to who knows what kinds of shenanigans. Especially where Cloud Strife is concerned! The guy was mind controlled left and right, literally swam through the Planet, came out with a major case of broken brain, had someone go into said brain, and recovered! Like. Cultivators could go through some weird stuff too, but that is really something else together!

And the worst thing is, Sephiroth doesn't know how reliant this world is on its protagonists. Back in PIDW, if something happened to Luo Binghe, it might've very well led to Game Over for the rest of them. It definitely would've been Game Over for Shen Qingqiu! Their Protagonist was literally the lynchpin holding everything together. What if Cloud Strife is the same?

And what if Sephiroth's sloppy approach to transmigration this time led to his death?

So, yeah. He doesn't really care about what he reveals. Between accidentally leading to Protagonist's death and becoming the Big Planet-Killing Bad, he's probably got some leeway here. He's already OOC, he already messed stuff up. Who cares!

Plus… Tseng's face was really funny.

Tseng adjusts the front of his suit jacket, giving him the side-eye. "Faster, maybe. Necessary…?" 

"It was very necessary. There's barely a signal at the house!" Sephiroth says innocently and brings out his phone, opening it with a decisive snap. "You can send messages, sure, but to make calls? Besides, you're the one who insisted on tagging along."

Tseng gives him a bitchy face. "I appreciate your accommodation for my wishes, then," he says acerbically. His tone suggests he wouldn't be insisting again.

Sephiroth grins and then turns his attention to his phone. Genesis' number is the third on speed dial, after Mission Office and Angeal.

He answers on the third ring.

"Someone had better be dying," Genesis groans, voice sleep-rough and stretched by a yawn.

Oh, oops, time zones. "Ah, Genesis, did I wake you?" Sephiroth asks, wincing, and turns to walk away from Tseng, following the mountainside and keeping to the clear, where he knows the connection works.

"Sephiroth," Genesis answers, and nothing else. Oh dear, he's really not happy.

Leaning his head back to look at the sky as he walks and hoping he wouldn't be paying for this later, Sephiroth clears his throat. "I'll, uh, just get to the point, shall I? You know about the new injection trials?"

"Yes," and again nothing else. Sephiroth is on very thin ice, it seems.

Walking away from Tseng is more for his peace of mind than anything - he's pretty sure Tseng is wiretapping him somehow. Still, he checks back to make sure there's some distance in between before speaking. 

"There's one candidate that went brain dead," Sephiroth says, and looks away. "I need to know what you know about him."

Genesis is quiet for a long moment before a sigh sounds through the connection, and then there's a sound of bed frame cracking and a heavy breath as Genesis stands up. "Hang on a moment."

Sephiroth waits, biting his lower lip, watching the clouds drift over the forests below.

"Cloud Strife, fourteen years of age, originally from a little town called Nibelheim on the middle continent," Genesis says, accompanied by the sound of papers rustling. "He signed up for the SOLDIER candidate trials a little under a month ago and was pulled into the new project five days ago. He got two injections, both on the same day, and flatlined almost immediately after the second one," Genesis trails away. "They managed to rez him, but by then the oxygen deprivation wreaked havoc on his brain. He'd been on life support in a Mako tank since."

Sephiroth falls to sit on a rocky outcropping sticking out of the mountainside. "Shit."

"Mmhmm," Genesis says. "Hard to say who has it worse, him or the ones who have fallen. You do know that this mess has already led to deaths, right?"

Well, now he's angry. "I know, I know," Sephiroth sighs, running a hand over his face. "I'm sorry."

"Tch," Genesis answers and there's a sound of papers being thrown. "Madness of the beasts leads to the corruption of good men. I'm guessing Strife has a chance of ending up like you, then?"

"... What?" Sephiroth asks.

"Oh, don't play coy, I'm far too tired," Genesis scoffs. "You got overdosed, flatlined and changed. The injection did something to you, gave you knowledge. Is the same going to happen to Strife? That's why Hojo is dragging it out keeping him alive, but if you think so too…"

Sephiroth clasps a hand over his chin. He hadn't even thought about it. Could it happen? Another transmigration, in style similar to his? PIDW had two transmigrators, but they were very different. Shang Qinghua began as a baby, Shen Qingqiu inherited a full life of an established scum villain.

If Cloud Strife died - which he might've already… does that make him open for transmigration? Who would transmigrate into him? Shang Qinghua was slated to die, just like Shen Qingqiu was, but… Airplane, in a Protagonist? Why would he?

Why had Sephiroth?

"I… don't know," Sephiroth admits. "I can't… deny the possibility."

"Damnation," Genesis sighs. "What should we expect?"

"I have no idea," Sephiroth says and looks up. It could be anyone - or might not even be someone he knows! It could be someone from Earth! 

"Well, that's just great," Genesis sighs. "Do you have any idea when, how, what we should look out for, anything?"

"Um," Sephiroth says and then shakes his head. "I think it might be best if I just come there."

"Oh, wonderful idea! That's just what this situation needs, you giving the scientists new ideas!" Genesis groans, muffled as though against a palm. "Just do me a favour: when you next lose it, feel free to finish Hojo off, alright?"

"I -"

Genesis hangs up on him. 

… Rude.

Sephiroth lowers the phone, eyeing the scenery for a moment. Then he turns to his watchman who's pretending as if he didn't hear everything. "Oh, Tseng?"

"I don't know if i can arrange you a transport to Midgar at this short a notice," the Turk says, very bland and noncommittal. He's absolutely lying.

"Oh, you can't? I must've overestimated you Turks," Sephiroth says and jumps up to his feet, walking back over to him. "Isn't your job getting me back to Midgar as soon as possible?"

"Back to work, and only once we're sure you're not still unstable," Tseng says, wryly, giving him a very dubious look. "Something I'm still not so sure of."

"I had one mental breakdown, and I've been level since, haven't I?" Sephiroth cajoles him. "I promise I won't lose it again. And this will let you observe me more, in a different situation, reacting to stress!"

Tseng doesn't look convinced.

"I'm going to Midgar one way or another. At least like this you'll be in charge."

The Turk shakes his head. "I don't think that's a good enough reason to arrange intercontinental transport on a whim." Tseng says dryly. "If you feel fit for duty, I can certainly arrange some missions for you. Until further notice, you're stationed here."

Sephiroth gives him a look. "I'll fly under my own power if I have to," he threatens.

"Even over the ocean?" Tseng asks sarcastically, but pulls out his phone. "And what's your plan when you get to Midgar - walk up to Professor Hojo and just demand he releases a research specimen to you?"

"You know, that might not be a bad idea. Who knows, he might actually do it," Sephiroth says brightly and then, at Tseng's judgemental look, snorts. "I'm kidding. I'll think of something."

"... Very reassuring," Tseng shakes his head and punches in a number from memory. "You'll owe me, Sephiroth," he promises, putting the phone to his ear. "And don't think I didn't notice that you reacted to the name, rather than the status of this Cloud Strife."

Sephiroth smiles at him sweetly. "You're my favourite Turk, Tseng."

Tseng sighs, and gets him a flight to Midgar.

-

You've heard of Liuber, now get ready for...

[patheticpeoplesupreme]

Luo Binghe and Shang Qinghua headcanons

Probably OOC I like it when people get along

but also I like it when there’s conflict

I like it better when they fix that conflict

I can’t explain what I want their friendship to be like, but Binghe’s more than a little mad at SQH

Cuz like, he probably overhears SQQ and SQH conversations and how SQH’s always like “I’m so proud of my son” “and ahh he’s so cool” or something

And Binghe knows he’s not related to the man, and they interact really stiffly in reality, so why is this weirdo acting like this??

And if SQH has these delusions, why hadn’t he stopped SJ’s abuse and all that stuff, or even why hadn’t he helped him when he was obviously in pain

Since SQH obviously knew more than he should

And he remembers that in his childhood, that SQH did try to help him with little trinkets although he didn’t understand why SQH didn’t fully just take him away

And so their relationship with each other is still just super awkward with a bit of slight dislike towards the smaller man

he tries to tolerate him since SQH makes SQQ smile and then eventually they can talk to each other without SQQ in the room

—

Shen Yuan has shown a picture of his old self to Shang Qinghua as a mercy from the System

Qinghua doesn’t have a picture of himself though because he doesn’t like how he looks

—

“Beat him three times daily” mobei Jun told him as advice

And Binghe just looked at him incredulously but thought nothing of it until months later, he’s in the room when SQH talks to SQQ about Mobei Jun

“Oh yeah… he used to beat me up a lot.” Cue SQQ’s horrified and murderous look. “Not—Not anymore!!”

And then Luo Binghe stares at him intensely thinking like, is he serious?

And when SQH leaves he goes to his shizun gloomily like : “Shizun, is Shang—shishu usually this dense?”

SQQ: ?

“Shizun…” Binghe whined and then reminds him of the demon courting rituals

SQQ: oh shit

SQQ looks at Moshang and goes: simps, all of you!

SQQ gives Mobejun the shovel talk anyway, SQH is his to bully

—

Why does Mobei Jun just does anything SQH wants bro is super funny

—

“I created your world. As a story…. I created you.” Shang Qinghua bites his lip before admitting it. He usually wouldn’t say anything, but the System had given them permission to. And fortunately, Shen Qingqiu had stayed by his side while he admitted it.

Shen Qingqiu would usually be on Binghe’s side but he cared about both of them. He doesn’t want it to end badly.

Luo Binghe faces him with a murderous glare, “You’re the reason I’ve suffered so much?”

SQH gulped as Luo Binghe pushed forward threateningly over him. He shivered.

“P—Please have mercy Junshang— Uhm, this slowly servant hadn’t… hadn’t realised that you had become real.”

SQQ reached his hand infront of SQH, “Binghe.”

“Shizun, he’s the reason—!” “Binghe.” SQQ repeated, gesturing to the other door, signifying he wanted to talk in a different room.

He huffed. “Shang Qinghua, who ever you are, leave this place immediately. If you ever dare to step inside my territory this one will rip you to shreds. You are not a god. You are not my god. Leave.”

“Binghe!” SQQ frowned but before he could say anything, SQH bowed, hiding the fear in his eyes.

“Of course Junshang.” SQH flees away

[hayateart]

Now I have a Mermaid Moshang Au going around in my head.

So, let's say, Airplane still wrote a book, but it was about mermaids, and the main protagonist, Luo Binghe was half merman, half human. With the exception that mermaids are the obvious good guys, so the sects and cultivarors are the mermaids, and the demons are humans, with demon lords being researchers.

Rest is under the cut, because what I wrote could be a fic on its own.

Airplane dies and becomes a merman Qinghua. He saves young teenage Mobei Jun, Little Mermaid style, and falls in love instantly. However, he knows they cannot be around each other, so he leaves Mobei safe on shore.

Years later, Mobei becomes a scientist researching oceanic life, all in search for a merman he is not sure is even real. Maybe he has only dreamt about him.

Since he is so accomplished and clearly inclined to believe in the existence of aquatic mythological creatures, he gets a job in secret research facility where they already research real life mermaid.

And this is where my angst love popped in.

Mermaids cannot speak human language. They communicate in chirps and screeches like dolphins. Their teeth are sharp, their eyes alien. They are treated at best as objects, at worst as potential threat that needs to be researched, studied, cut open to see how it works and how best to kill it.

Mobei cannot let others know he has sympathy for these creatures or else he would be banned from research. He finds a kindred spirit in one of the research leads, Shen Qinqiu, who appears to be the most ruthless person he ever met but is surprisingly gentle with the creatures they handle, and proposes that maybe, just maybe they are not malicious at all. No more than people, at least.

[I needed Cucumber to be human for this one, for better BingQiu purposed. In the original novel that Airplane wrote, Shen Qingqiu was the most heartless of the scientists, doing research on a captured, teenage protagonist. His abuse caused the young merman's ancient powers to awaken. He learned how to control water Aquaman-style, how to speak the human language and thanks to his ancient magic - his father was half water-dragon - how to change shape to appear human. But that is all irrelevant, because Shen Yuan does not want to capture and operate on Binghe at all.]

However, as it happens, the plot must make its appearance.

Shang Qinghua was careful. Was very, very careful, He never had OOC function to unlock because he has always been Shang Qinhua. So he thought, he can avoid original Shang Qinghua's fate which was being captured by humans, implanted with a tracking, which led the humans to his colony, and to Binghe. He as so careful! But the system tricked him, and Qinghua gets captured anyway.

He is panicking. This is the worst! He will be experimented on, forced to out his kin, or, if he is lucky enough, just killed. What sort of world he wrote?! What sort of fate he created for himself!

He deserves it, of course. He wrote mermaids to be peaceful, hunted, tortured and killed. Of course, he deserves it for condemning an entire race. At least, he gets to see his favourite creation one last time. Because, Mobei Jun is here.

In the original story, Mobei blamed mermaids for the sinking of the ship, from which Qinghua saved him in this storyline. He did not become a researcher but a whale hunter with a penchant for mermaids. Only meeting Luo Binghe changed him, and he became the fiercest fighter for mermaid cause afterwards.

Qinghua is sure Mobei is there for revenge. Mobei recognizes Qinghua but he needs to keep up appearances. However, Shen Qingqiu recognizes the character of Shang Qinghua as well. He knows how the story goes. Qinghua is 'researched' and then let go with a tracked. He cannot let that happen but the other scientist would be suspicious if he was kind to a merman. Instead he proposed to kill him, and research the body - in his mind, it would be a mercy killing, after all.

Mobei keeps his cool, but underneath, he is boiling with rage. On one hand, he sees the kindness in Shen QingQiu's decision. He sees the mermaids in their tanks every day. How sick they are, how empty and unhappy. It would be a mercy killing. On the other, that us the marman that saved him all these years ago. In a small tank, terrified and crying, and shaking, and begging them with his eyes only to please, please, don't hurt him. Just let him go, please.

Mobei suggests waiting with the decision to the next day. Clearly, they caught only a runt, a shrimp. it is weak and won't do much for research but maybe it is more valuable alive. They should consider their options. In reality, he plans to free Qinghua over night, when nobody is watching.

He is not the only one with the same idea. Cucumber gets to Qinghua first. Under the assumption that mermaid cannot understand human language - they could not in the book - he breaks Qinghua out cursing all the while - at stupid plots, at stupid authors and at pointless characters who turn out to be so much bother!

Except, Qinghua understands him. Of course he does! He is the author. He gets Cucumber's attentions, drawing characters with water on his coat. Cucumber at first thinks nothing of it, until he notices the pattern. It is the title of the novel!

Cucumber immediately understands that Qinghua is a transmigrator, just like himself! He gets him paper and pen and they communicate.

And then Mobei Jun steps in. Qinghua and Qingqiu are caught red handed. Qinghua is panicked at his sight. In a desperate attempt to save himself, he grabs the pen and Cucumber, and holds him as a hostage, pressing the pointy end of the pen to the other's neck.

It would be terrifying if it weren't so sad. Qinghua cannot hold himself up out of the water very well. He is shaking from fear and his hold is lose - if Qingqiu wanted to break out, he could with no problem. It is clear that Qingqiu is shielding the merman.

There isn't much that Mobei can do except lift his hands in a peaceful manner and promise:

"I want to help. Please, let me."

TBC? Maybe?

[danmeiconfession]

I don't care what people like to claim, but Shen Yuan is lazy and never really does any of his work as a Peak Lord, and it is getting annoying that everyone claims differently. During the whole novel it is always made a point that he doesn't do anything unless he has to and that Luo Binghe and later on Ming Fan does all the work for him. He didn't even do any of the work of cultivating his own plant body, which was the key element to his survival plan, and left all the work to Shang Qinghua.

I beg of you, just finally accept that Shen Yuan has flaws! Because I am so sick and tired that every time I depict any of his canon flaws in my fanworks, that someone comes in and throws a fit that I am apparently writing him OOC because I don't write him as this holy mother who can do no wrong.

.

[sheepishmastectomy]

10 Characters, 10 Fandoms

rules: list your ten favorite characters from ten separate fandoms, then tag ten people!

hi @sasheneskywalker! thanks for tagging me ^^ i will be so good and not use all dc

Joey Wilson Current obsession. I think about him so much… He really can do it all. I think he should have another ooc villain arc (as a treat).

Ryou Bakura The OG… I know he wasn't explored that in depth in the manga but he's so important to me. Really love that he is a huge nerd.

Nanami Kiryuu She is the calf bringing herself to slaughter, unknowing… She's so special to me. Her rivalry with Anthy is my everything.

Luo Binghe This guy, on the other hand, is bringing himself to slaughter with a knife and begging for it (but also doing the cutting… Complicated young man).

Rock Lee He never stopped believing, and I love him for that. My man!!! I miss him sometimes. He was cute in Boruto, too.

Spinner Done a great disservice by Horikoshi but HE LIVED BITCHHHHHHHHHHH. Okay sorry I am just so happy he didn't die. MHA spoilers ig. Ultimate gamer who I have to stan.

Lorenz Hellman Gloucester I told myself I would not fall for his dubious charms when I started playing. That was a lie. My man is so complex… Number one guy I miss roleplaying.

Zack Fair Wahhhhh he is destined for a terrible fate but he cares so much… IDK man I imprinted on him as a teenager like a baby duckling.

Jean Moreau Reading the Sunshine Court over and over because I'm so invested in his journey. Literally jumping out of my skin banging on the door for the next book.

Hideyoshi Nagachika

HE LOVES KANEKI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the way he came back was so so so cool and he's so dedicated and he's so SMART and he's such a badass and he is THE SPECIAL GUY OF ALL TIME!!!! ppl did not believe me when i said signs were pointing to him being alive... they said it was wishful thinking... FOOLS!!!!!! FOOOL!SSSSS!!!!

okay anyway :) if you'd like to play, i'd love to see ur faves! @myriadism @vagueconfusion @beemotionpicture @dennydart

[truly-morgan]

[Roleplaying PIDW online]

CumPlane | Scum Villain Self-Saving System Modern AU 13-10-2021

[modern day #cumplane roleplaying PIDW]

okay, but what if Airplane enjoyed doing rp about his own novel? usually staring mobei-jun. It's annoying when people say he's ooc (he created the damn character!!).

Then he meets this person who plays platonic luo binghe only. and damn! he is pretty good at it, pretty in character, better than all the other people who tried doing so and couldn't grasp the essence of who lbh was supposed to be.

And so they roleplay in a totally platonic setting, just two bros demons going around the place making quests.

sometimes they nearly enter ooc territory but never quite, it's got to a point where the rp is simply too good to really care if the other one is a bit ooc sometimes.

It's all fun and thing until the to rp slowly turn less sfw.

involuntarily, they turn that rp into a BL, which is not necessarily something Shen Yuan wanted but hey, it is better than his binghe getting another wife. Plus it's totally not gay if the one attracted is /the character/ and not him. him getting hard in more steamy moments is not him not being straight 😤 it's him emulating what lbh would feel like.

although sometimes it is hard to say whether the way his roleplay partner is writing is really meant for lbh or for him (but he assumes it's just his imagination, they are two straight bro enjoying some rp).

I imagine airplane figuring out this cool roleplayer is actually his biggest critic by following sides conversation they have, especially when new chapters drop and sy leak some of his opinions.

there is a confrontation no long before they died, where they truly reveal who they are.

not imagine when they are living in a PIDW that is totally different from before, just hanging out with their husband only for Shang Qinghua to quote one of their replies. His memory may be bad after so long in here, but he still remembers.

it has Shen Qingqiu laughing as he quotes back a replied, often since they were inside jokes from the rp.

This leaves them sometimes laughing uncontrollably, sqq trying to hide against sqh with his fan trying to hide himself, leaving their husbands extremely confused.

maybe cumplane can start doing rp again, or try to rope their husbands into it too

Original

[svconfessions]

speaking of sy, i feel like he's also mischaracterized. and i don't mean the mother teresa thing (although that is another thing also). i don't think he was a shut-in incel. although he literally never talks about his past life or his family, judging by the way he acts in the novel, he's a social butterfly who enjoys talking to his friends!! the one time system house arrested him during the skinner incident because it would be OOC for sj, he was upset because he wanted to go outside. even though he considers himself lazy, if he's idle for a few days he starts getting fidgety. he's an outgoing person, it's his nature !! might i even say he's an extrovert. he probably just didn't have many friends because none of them shared his interests (i.e aggressively hating on a cliche novel) and he canonically had a good relationship with his family. news flash, you can be chronically online and still go out and do things. plus i doubt he "showers once every blue moon", he does care about his appearance, judging by how he's like when he becomes sqq, and he's a rich chinese boy so his parents would have probably killed him. and for the incel thing: it's true that he does give a little incel vibes... but he isn't actually one. i won't deny that his mind isn't a little misogynistic, iirc in one line, he thinks about sneaking to xian shu to "take a peek" but he never did it because he didn't have the guts. however, his external mannerisms come off as polite and well-mannered, and he's never disrespected any of the female characters. when shl got her clothes ripped off, he mentally censors it + he respects qqq and is a little scared of her, and when lmy got kidnapped, sy didn't think twice about putting himself in danger to save her (consequently immediately ruining his years long plan to escape from binghe.) he isn't a flawless person by any means, but i don't think he intentionally did anything bad. he's a good person at heart, just ignorant and his brain is a reddit-poisoned mess.

[llycaons]

surprise! I read volume 1 of svss

conclusion:

okay, on a serious note - I know, I know, but the curiosity was really getting to me, and I like to know what I'm dealing with when I criticize something (if you were following me when I decided to read the mdzs novel, you'll remember I did the same thing then). anon who asked me if I'd ever read it because they wanted to hear my thoughts and I said no - well, if you're still out there, you got your wish. but only volume one (1/4 of the full story). read on for my impression and review.

many thanks to jana @neixins for being my discord reading buddy for this project! her support, insights, and companionship made this far more entertaining than it would have otherwise been

fun fact before we start: I don't know why svss is exclusively referred to by its english acronym, but the acronym for its mandarin title would be RZFZX (full title Rén zhā fǎnpài zìjiù xìtǒng). I suppose svss (or SVS, or SV) is snappier

this is the official translation I'm reading, and the writing style is fine. definitely easier to parse than orv. and the art really is lovely

tw for discussion of grooming, abuse, and rape

brief overview of the plot: protag shen yuan, a modern-day young adult, is reading a long, terrible male power fantasy/stallion novel and complaining about how contrived and stupid it is. he dies at the moment he finishes reading and is transmigrated into the novel in the body of the infamously cruel and sadistic teacher of the protag, shen qingqiu. he knows that the young protagonist of the novel (luo binghe) will enact terrible revenge on the teacher when he grows up for all the abuse he suffered under sqq's hands, so he tries to make nice and get the lbh to like him

shen yuan (now sqq) has to navigate the rules of the system while trying to save his own skin, avoid acting ooc while trying to be nice to the mc, advance the plot, get 'badass points', and resolve the issues that led to the work being of such poor quality. his modern, internal monologue contrasts with his scholarly air in very funny ways, and his constant critiques of the writing are likewise fairly humorous commentaries on lazy and stereotypical writing

however, the parodies of contrived, cliched, and foolish writing tropes do not stop mxtx from writing these very same tropes into later works like mdzs or tgcf, nor does her pointing out those tropes automatically make her book good, so it's an incredibly exasperating experience. I thought she improved since writing mdzs, but it seems like she knows that what she's doing is cliched or pandering but she does it anyway. much like sy, we're exasperated because this could have been a really cool work and the execution is just not what it could have been

this book also has the dubious honor of being the only mxtx book to reference incest without condemning it or recognizing it's disgusting

I do think mxtx has a genuine talent for critiquing sexist and absurd romance tropes for straight couples, but she writes as if whatever gay people do to each other is fine. readers of tgcf and mdzs will know....in fact as much as I hate to say it, the moment in mdzs where wwx apologizes for assaulting lwj is one of the better ways she's handled these things. of course it's ruined later because lwj literally doesn't care he's been raped and they move past it immediately etc. but I would be shocked if the inappropriateness of the svss relationship is EVER addressed, so mdzs may actually be the one where it's handled slightly better. we know the age gap never comes up in tgcf, of course

anyway mxtx makes fun of the idea of a female love interest providing the mc with free therapy while she constructs a scenario in which sqq has to take on a love interest's role of support/inspiration

examples: this is a character that's presented as poorly-wriiten

this is LITERALLY how xuan ji tgcf was written except she hates pm instead of being obsessed with him like was in the past!! don't critique shitty writing for female characters if you refuse to do better!

the characters are not especially noteworthy, and unlike in tgcf or mdzs the mc has no real distinctive style, either visually or personality-wise. almost everyone was either very one-dimensional, unlikable, or just boring imo. I get that we're very early into the novel, but I don't really care about these characters at all. shame because it sounds like the side characters are really fun later on

the modern-day origins of sy make for some funny references - there are mentions of harry potter, and the book he gets isekaid into apparently has a ton of fanfiction

the horror is quite good - some of those monsters are freaky as hell. she always did have a knack for horror

much like mdzs has a ton of literary references, svss has a lot of references to modern films and tv shows, and to things like chinese ads or websites that a modern-day chinese reader would recognize, but that a translator would need to explain. it also does have some proverbs and wordplay as well

as for the elephant in the room: I consider the relationship in this novel to be grooming rather than csa/pedophilia. they may not get together until they're adults, but the mc is 14 years old when sy is isekaid in and there is absolutely already some kind of mutual something going on as early as chapter 1, despite sy criticizing other characters for being creepy with their students and referring to lbh as a child repeatedly. while sqq doesn't act on any of these feelings, it is impossible to ignore in their interactions and it did give me a helpless sense that I was in a horror movie

mxtx toes the line and tries to get away with as much as possible - adult/child relationships and grooming are a joke to her and her readers, something exciting, something fun, but like in tgcf, nothing actually happens

they would have had a much better relationship as simply master and student. or if the romance needed to be there, sy could have been isekaid into one of lbh's peers, as he had plenty of bullies his age - gay love changing the course of the narrative is a fun trope and if they'd been the same age, I genuinely would have enjoyed it. but lbh venerates and hero-worships his teacher, and this kind of power dynamic doesn't just cease to matter once he hits 18. he was an abused and vulnerable child offered kindness and support, and he latched onto and became obsessed with his teacher. getting a crush on a teacher is fine, but it shouldn't have turned into a romance. like tgcf, the issues with the main couple are foundational, but they could have been eliminated by the author just not being a fucking creep

also, sqq is vain and self-centered, and while he treats lbh kindly and praises him, he also treats him like a servant and shamelessly exploits his hero-worship to get good food and manual labor out of him. he's out for his survival so I understand him acting selfishly, but he internally talks down to all the characters he meets if he thinks they're poorly written, and it makes it a nightmare to be in his head for very long bc he's so mean. he is funny, but but he fucking sucks and I dislike him as a main character. compared to wwx and xl, he's the worst main character in terms of personality (even if he's much better than the original sqq)

for specific examples for the inappropriate writing of their relationship, all in this volume:

there are several vague descriptions of ~feelings~ on both sides when they see each other (lbh is 14)

at one point, sqq is poisoned in a way that he knows can only be cured by sex with lbh, and he thinks of it briefly before laughing it off like 'wow that would be CRAZY' as always mxtx, jokes are a great way to handle statutory rape. excerpt:

💀💀💀💀💀

lbh overhears that sqq praised him, and the character he overhears it from is described as a wingman (lnh is 15)

one of the disciples is angry that sqq suddenly favors lbh. excerpt:

after lbh 'dies' at age 17, sqq scolds himself, saying he's acting like a widow who's husband has died

so while nothing romantic or sexual happens this volume, the groundwork is there. see this screenshot from chapter 5 of the novel (originally chapter 30), at the very end of this volume:

if sqq had no attraction to his student, there would be no reason to be so panicked

it's like...nobody acts normally about this. lbh and sqq have the weirdest quasi-flirtatious conversations that skirt the edge of being explicitly romantic/sexual. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that this was written to appeal to people who are into age gaps and grooming, if not outright csa. have some more excerpts

like...what IS THIS?

at the end of this volume, lbh is sent away for five years by sqq (he was forced to drop him into a demon abyss bc he needed to advance the plot) so when lbh returns he will be 22 and presumably VERY angry with sqq, and will probably use his newfound power to...torture him? or something? I don't know how their relationship will go from now on, but I have no interest in reading it when I know it's going to end with them as lovers. yeah, even if it does happen when they're both in their late 20s

otherwise, the first few chapters of the novel are extremely funny. it and has a lot of original ideas. but it's difficult to ignore such a premise, and I don't think it's worth it to grit your teeth through unless you have a particular interest in reading this book, to either critique it, enjoy the humor and creativity, or try to figure out why people are so hell-bent on defending it. and honestly by chapter 4 (around ch25 in the original novel), it's not even that funny anymore and the parody aspect has worn out since there's so little of substance to replace it. the og novel is mocked for being a cliched mess, but these are mxtx's actual characters now and she doesn't really seem to do much better with them

the age gap in tgcf is creepy too and I definitely don't like that hc became fixated on xl at a young age, impersonated a little kid, and then reverted back to a little-kid form, but xl not actually knowing him or forming a relationship with him back then is part of why I'm less grossed out about it than I otherwise would be. xl didn't know who hc was when they met and they had barely any relationship when hc was a little kid. he was just a fun guy and they started hanging out together. hc wasn't a young boy placed under his care who he started developing feelings for oh my god I hate sqq so much

there was a side character that sqq describes as 'beautiful' who he had a somewhat antagonistic relationship with who would have been a PERFECT love interest for sqq if he wasn't a fucking creep and im so mad that they didn't become lbh's gay dads instead of whatever the fuck went on

tl; dr: an engaging and original premise with a lot of humor. clever and insightful in many ways, with some great horror scenes, but as in other novels, unable to be normal about gay people and inescapably, unnecessarily ruined by the grooming between the main character and his love interest and the abuse that apparently comes afterwards. also ignorant to its own faults, sexism, and illogical stances even as it parodies others

spoilers for the rest of the book

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-

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according to a beloved mewtual who has provided me summary for the rest (thank you for the info!), the relationship is fucked up for the remainder of the book for completely different reasons

ready? after lbh comes back, sqq is freaked out and doesn't want anything to do with him because he thinks lbh is going to kill him. lbh in fact doesn't want to kill him, but has apparently undergone a complete personality change and is now just a bitter and VERY yandere asshole and proceeds to torment, stalk, harass, torture, and sexually assault sqq until sqq agrees to be in a relationship with him. this abuse and shifting of power dynamics could have been handled in an interesting way, but it isn't, and who's surprised

later in the story lbh is risking qi deviation, so sqq reluctantly (and painfully?) dual-cultivates with him. I heard years ago about some kind of rape torture porn scene and I assume this is what it was referring to

I cannot imagine the appeal this romance holds for fans because this sounds completely fucking miserable and victim-blamy as hell, but uhhh they get married in one of the extras

as for the side characters, a lot of them are kind of doing their own thing? they sound like a ton of fun compared to the main guys. there's a demon snake guy, they're a cool demon lady who's kind of in lesbians with another disciple, there's another gay couple who are like insane and assholes but seem perfect for each other so 👍

anyway bingqiu is abusive but surprisingly not because of sqq, though I haven't forgotten him being creepy about his student this volume either. I can't believe svss was just proto-killing stalking this entire time. aside from glorifying abuse and victim-blaming, that's just so fucking boring. what a disappointment. for all their faults, mdzs and tgcf had legitimately magnificent scenes, complex relationships, interesting plots, heartfelt emotional moments, and compelling characters. no wonder this is the unfavorite of the batch - it's absolutely the worst in every way and it sounds like it doesn't get much better

if you're going to send me anon hate about this like 'your interest is problematic too' or 'let people enjoy things' just save yourself the time and block me first. I absolutely do not care about your opinion and I'll just delete it unless you're explaining something I've misunderstood in good faith. and even then I think so lowly of the fans of this novel I might just delete it anyway, after screenshotting it and sharing it with my mutuals to laugh at. get some fucking taste. that's all

[hyperboleigh91]

I've decided to explain why and how the plot of Proud Immortal Demon Way (PIDW) changed in The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System (SVSSS) because I saw that some people were confused about a few points.

Shen Qingqiu enters the novel and is forced, for a time, to behave the same way the original Shen Qingqiu behaved. When he tries to do anything else it's considered out of character (OOC).

But Shen Qingqiu wants to behave out of character because the original version died at the hands of the original Luo Binghe due to extremely bad blood between the originals.

Shen Qingqiu begins to earn points through the system and eventually has enough so that he can behave OOC and this is when he starts to fundamentally change the story.

Shen Qingqiu, as a reader, loved Luo Binghe and felt that he was grossly mistreated, even though he was still the main character.

So, now, Shen Qingqiu wants to save his own skin, but he also genuinely wants to be much kinder to Luo Binghe than the original Shen Qingqiu was in PIDW.

Original Luo Binghe suffered at the hands of original Shen Qingqiu and only really felt love from female characters he was intimate with; he was known for being rather possessive over these women.

The current Luo Binghe is met with a Shizun (Shen Qingqiu) who's being kind to him and taking care of him; one that looks at him with fondness and harbors no (intentional) ill will.

The Luo Binghe we see becomes his Shizun's head deciple and is clearly favored until the system forces Shen Qingqiu to 'betray' him.

Once Luo Binghe falls into the Endless Abyss, Shen Qingqiu continues to act OOC; he's fixing plot holes and developing deep connections with other characters.

It's a butterfly effect. Shen Qingqiu has completely changed the world of PIDW and in doing so, has also altered many characters, including the stallion protagonist - Luo Binghe.

Where the original Shen Qingqiu was jealous, insecure, easily offended, manipulative, among many other things; our Shen Qingqiu is kind, a bit clueless at times, and mostly just wants to live happily.

Our Luo Binghe still feels protective over whoever he loves, but that love has been transferred exclusively to Shen Qingqiu. Instead of having a large harem of women who he has a shallow connection to, Luo Binghe has a deep, emotional connection to Shen Qingqiu.

Luo Binghe doesn't want to be a stallion demon lord who wipes out everyone who crosses him, he wants to live happily ever after with the person who looks at him with love and adoration.

[songofclarity]

After 100 years, I finally watched (more like marathoned) the SVSSS donghua and I'm kind of obsessed now?? That moment in ep 8 when the young Luo Binghe runs to Shen Qingqiu's bedside all concerned and innocently says, "Shizun," and then it flashes to an older, Dark Protagonist™ Luo Binghe saying, "Shizun," in a sinister yet somehow provocative fashion with that look...

Yeah. That moment rightfully frightens Shen Qingqiu but it's also sexier than anything that happened in MDZS if I'm being completely honest here LOL

(Dark Protagonist™ Luo Binghe vs Sunshot Campaign Wei Wuxian, fight!!)

Shen Qingqiu is also hilarious and delightful as a protagonist and I love him?? I've heard season 1 only covers up to ch 27, so I don't know the whole story yet, but it does feel like perhaps MXTX cut Nie Huaisang from the same cloth? They just want to survive the story so yeah, they're going to finagle things and play some tricks to get what they need, but they aren't stepping up in the story to win it. They don't actually have any ambition to become a person of importance! A passing grade is OK! They are fine being supporting characters!

But Nie Huaisang lives in his story while Shen Qingqiu has genre awareness since he has been isekai'd. Shen Qingqiu knowing VERY WELL that he is a supporting character/backstory antagonist makes him completely oblivious to how he is slowly setting himself up to become the future love interest is a grade A dining 10 course meal.

Shen Qingqiu: [Subconsciously keeps glancing over at Luo Binghe while trying to figure out how to achieve the next plot point without 1. the system deleting him for messing up and 2. without giving Luo Binghe another reason to put him in The Pot™]

Meanwhile, the sweet and impressionable Luo Binghe who doesn't think he's of any importance: 'Why does Shizun keep looking at me 😳'

and

Shen Qingqiu, to himself: 'Hopefully my good advice just now will make Luo Binghe reconsider putting me in The Pot™ later on!'

Meanwhile, the earnest and hardworking Luo Binghe, to himself: 'Shizun is the best and kindest person I know. I need to get stronger so I can protect him.'

Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe are having such wildly different experiences to the same moments and just. It's strangely wholesome. I'm super into it. Shen Qingqiu also going from hating on the story to appreciating/empathizing with Luo Binghe in small moments are also quite sweet.

But of course it also comes back to this element of Inception (like the movie lol) in how our Shen Qingqiue is reworking the story. Luo Binghe experienced horrible abuse at the hands of and by the will of the original Shen Qingqiu. That negative experience is destined to help drive Luo Binghe in the future to get his revenge on Shen Qingqiu. Our Shen Qingqiu can't fix what happened before he was isekai'd. But the shift in meaning behind the abuse is obviously setting the stage to make the difference. Slowly the abuse isn't seen as cruel and meaningless harm by a jealous man, but by someone who wanted to push the weak and tragic Luo Binghe to get stronger.

Which still doesn't make the abuse OK, but I actually really like what SVSSS is doing with this. Our Shen Qingqiu didn't do what the original Shen Qingqiu did, so it's not like we should feel like he deserves to be punished. It also doesn't feel like Luo Binghe has yet grown to resent or hate the original Shen Qingqiu for what has happened. He's still young (14!) and at that age kids are more focused on their social group and trying to fit in. So Luo Binghe has been taking the abuse and bullying in stride and showing great mental strength. It's still quite sad how quickly and eagerly he is to grab onto the hints of kindness and acceptance that our Shen Qingqiu is suddenly able to offer him (even when Shen Qingqiu is trying to fight the OOC system lol), but it's also quite endearing that even after how much he has suffered, he gets the opportunity to feel like someone cares about him.

Plus, we already know what happens when Luo Binghe views all the abuse and bullying as negative (Dark Protagonist™ Luo Binghe, smacking the top of The Pot™: 'This can fit so much Shizun in it.'). Now I get to see what happens when he views it as, at worse, tough love. Best of both worlds, let's go!!

What did betray me though was the donghua's ending! The characters finally found a chance to run away from some monsters and it felt like the episode was cutting to a commercial break but then... it's the credits? Hello!? Excuse me!??? I didn't care at all for them awkwardly tacking on the cliff scene after the credits, like they included that scene in the opening and Shen Qingqiu talks about it as one of the big story moments, so I expected the season would at least to build up and then finish with that dramatic moment... But they skipped the build-up! So I'm going to pretend I didn't see it for now lol

In any case! I bought the first SVSSS book way back when it was first released to throw in my support for the genre getting English translations, but I never got around to reading it. Something I need to remedy as soon as soon as possible.

[esamastation]

Shizuroth, part nineteen

Previous parts: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen

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Finally, finally, finally, after the shopping has been done, and his stupid signature leather jacket has been adjusted, and Genesis has given his final bitchy warning about not acting out of character, finally… Sephiroth can have some peace and quiet.

Some day off! Not that the sparring wasn't great, and the clothes were frankly desperately needed, even if he couldn't make his usual colours fit right. All that aside though, he really needs time to himself! There's still so much to figure out! And he really needs to meditate. He needs to sort himself out! And he also, probably, needs to make use of Shinra's archive and records and study some history.

He also really needs a proper mirror in his little single room apartment. The bathroom mirror isn't enough to appreciate the new clothes. To think he used to hate dressing up formally as Shen Yuan. The difference of a few years as Peak Lord makes! And admittedly, Shen Yuan could've never looked anywhere near as good as Sephiroth in a suit like this. Sephiroth, really, looks just too good. Fit for a thousand magazine covers. Which is fitting because he's pretty sure Sephiroth has been on magazine covers back on earth! Which is kinda weird from this perspective! Famous in another world sounds like a damn isekai light novel title. 

Ah, but then his whole life is a mockery of the genre.

Dropping his shopping bags by the wardrobe and his new coats over its door, Sephiroth throws himself on his couch and sighs, running a hand through his long bangs.

He has clothing, his room still needs some improvements and will never be Qing Jing Peak, but it will do. Those were the easiest things to cover, really, and now that they're done, now that he's spent several hours getting used to this body and how it looks and who he's supposed to be… the world he's now part of…

Is he really just going to be Sephiroth from here on out? Is he supposed to forget PIDW and Binghe and Cang Qiong Mountain Sect? Just go on being Sephiroth, and put Shen Qingqiu behind him?

… He really isn't sure he can, actually! In a way, Shen Qingqiu had suited him better than Shen Yuan had. Well, once the OOC restrictions had come off and he was free to be himself, anyway. Being a soldier, a super SOLDIER at that, with alien DNA and the lifeblood of the planet in his guts… 

Resting a hand on his stomach, Sephiroth tugs at the blood red shirt he has on.

It's… really a bit like he's Binghe now. He's an alien hybrid thing here, so it's kind of like being a half demon! Or, ah, weirdly accurate biblical angel? What with the angel wing motif these games have going for themselves… Sephiroth's final form was kinda eldritch, from what he recalls. Wings sticking out every which way. Ridiculous and over the top in a way only Final Fantasy can be!

Damn but he hopes he can grow wings at some point. That would be just so cool, he doesn't even care how ludicrous it would get. The whole thing about wings being cause for existential monster angst is a thing he probably would need to consider, but, seriously. Wings! Yes, please, thank you!

It's the lifeblood of the planet that bothers him the most. Not just because of the oil allegory.

It's also how the local reincarnation cycle works. Though it's more like a spiritual composting rather than straight up reincarnation - but still! The energy pumped into his veins comes from the souls of dead things.

Yeah, he can't ignore that anymore.

Sitting up, Sephiroth gets out of the dress pants he'd bought and the button up shirt, switching back to the more comfortable pyjama pants and t-shirt he started the day with. He takes a moment to put purchases away and tidy his room up to peak Feng Shui before sitting down on his bed.

The energy in his gut is thick, massive and near immovable. He'd read up on Mako as much as there was to be read on his phone. The cycle went something like Lifestream to Mako to Materia - so, in the right conditions, the stuff actually crystallises. So, in a way, Materia is spirit stones! And that's kinda what it feels like in his gut - like his energies are condensing, hardening under pressure… crystallising. Except not into a golden core, nah, just one big shapeless lump of dead-weight-energy.

Well, not on his watch!

Relaxing and breathing in and then slowly out, Sephiroth thinks about all the Cultivation tricks he learned cultivating with damaged spiritual veins and incurable poison. Here he kind of has the opposite problem than with Shen Qingqiu, though - Sephiroth's spiritual veins aren't worn and fragile, they're hardened, like… scar tissue. He really feels a bit burnt on the inside!

Shinra's method was all quantity over quality where it comes to this stuff. Brute forcing their way into a semi-functional magic system, and who cares if it scorches the earth when there's instant profit to be made!

What a truly subtle metaphor.

Well… Shen Qingqiu has worked with worse - and at least there's a lot to work with! So as long as Sephiroth manages to avoid the Qi-deviation of the century, he will have one hell of a golden core! Just gotta not burn himself inside out! No pressure!

Qi Condensation stage - done! He couldn't have done better himself.  Foundation Establishment, however… yeah. Sephiroth really has a great body, but it is not prepared for a Golden Core Formation. His energy flow is all whack.

No wonder he cracked like an egg at the slightest bit of mental pressure… a bit like the original goods Shen Qingqiu, really, with his many Qi-deviations.

Right. Never mind that! He has a lot of work and not all the time in the world, alas. No seclusion training in this world!

Time to get to it.

[holygroundgone]

Okay I have to get into it

I see uncountable hordes of people misunderstanding binghe for the unstable and frightening (narratively heightened by sqq thinking he's going to kill him) way that he acts when contextually if you consider everything up to and including the fall to the abyss it makes sense.

He was clinging to signs of survival in his abuser (sj, who explicitly intended to kill him with the manual) after he suddenly changed and started showing favor to him (sy).

It's not necessarily sy's fault when the OOC filter forced him to stay at arms length but can you imagine how confusing it was to be given this constant hot and cold treatment for binghe?

Going from abuse to subtle favoring to open spoiling- i have to wonder if binghe thought his fawning up to sqq was paying off.

Then being put in situations where from his perspective he was very close to death multiple times only to be told that it was because sqq believed in him?

Accompanied even in his dreams, being shown care that no one else had given to him in so long, being told that demons aren't necessarily evil just as he learns he is one...

And then being thrown down into the abyss.

I think a svsss from binghe's perspective would read a lot differently and people wouldn't misunderstand him so badly

[piosplayhouse]

i don't know if this is discourse but i recently saw someone make the argument that shen yuan is shen qingqiu's dead name and anyone who writes it as shen yuan in fanfiction is disrespecting mxtx herself and is writing ooc. huh.

Haha omg I actually think oomfie was the one who posted this. I dont really think they meant it that strongly and they do raise some good points with how Shen Yuan's development throughout the story is heavily intertwined with him growing into his role as "Shen Qingqiu", but I can see how comparing it to a dead name and tying in authorial intent could step on some people's toes.

I think it's also significant to note that the narration in sv is 3rd person limited, not 1st person, and there is a specific turning point very early in the story where the narration deliberately stops referring to Shen Yuan as Shen Yuan and refers to him as Shen Qingqiu (and it's not immediately after his transmigration) which very much feels like the narration is just prioritizing clarity in the story. I saw some discussion of comparing it to mdzs's treatment of courtesy names vs birth names and such but I also think it should probably be noted in that the names in SV are. Well airplane named most of the characters LMFAO. Mobei Jun, Tianlang Jun, Linguang Jun never even get actual names they just have titles, Luo Binghe's name is icy river, there's not a huge amount to be said about the names imo.

as for my personal opinion uhh I just don't really think sqq gives a shit LMFAO. He doesn't really care what body he's in, he doesn't really care where he ended up, he doesn't really care what he's called. He just kind of adapts as he goes and hits the ground running. He's already not really a deep reflections guy and this esp comes into play with his identity (cough cough sexuality and gender). I highly doubt mxtx cares at all either and she definitely wouldn't be able to complain because she calls wangxian wifi and bluetooth and hua cheng fafa LOL.

Overall it's just someone's personal analysis and I respect it even though I disagree!! Pls don't send hate to anyone about it for sure, it's all a light-hearted discussion after all ^^