Poll: What would Shen Wei do? (+ Chinese endearments)

[mekare]

So, inspired by a comment by teaotter in extrapenguin china_shop's poll, I have started four different sketches of Shen Wei writing on Zhao Yunlan with his calligraphy brush. I still have to figure out a lot of perspective stuff and anatomy but I ran into a problem for one of the sketches showing Yunlan's back: what the devil would Shen Wei write? I know that Chinese endearments are a topic that I only have a hazy idea of (double part of the name, add xiao- or Ah-, that's as far as I got). I found this interesting post on livejournal which may be useful to some of you. Maybe some of you could refresh my memory of what Shen Wei calls Zhao Yunlan in canon? I only remember him using the full name.

Of course, what he'd write depends to some extent on which vision you have of him as a character (e.g. level of possessiveness).
So, here's where you all come in. What do you think?

Poll #21534 WWSWD - What would Shen Wei do?

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 23

View Respondents

If Shen Wei wrote on Yunlan with his calligraphy brush, he would write...

View Answers

His own name
4 (17.4%)

"Mine"
4 (17.4%)

Zhao Yunlan's name
2 (8.7%)

A love poem
16 (69.6%)

Ah-Lan
2 (8.7%)

XĪNGĀN (Heart and liver)
0 (0.0%)

another endearment (which I'll tell you in the comments)
0 (0.0%)

something else (which I'll tell you in the comments)
1 (4.3%)

Comments

[solo]

I think he'd write a love poem, and then in another place, "Property of Professor Shen Wei, Department of Bioengineering, Dragon City University. Please return to my office if found wandering the streets of Haixing in a drunken fug."

IIRC he calls him Yunlan sometimes in the later eps but I'm blanking on when precisely just now.

[mekare]

The love poem certainly seems to be a popular option! Your second idea makes me laugh and want a fic where someone finds Yunlan with this writing.

[mecurtin]

He would write an incredibly appropriate classical love poem that I am in no way qualified to suggest. It would be super beautiful, that's for sure.

[mekare]

I like this option too. Now where are the students of Chinese literature? *looks around*

[trobadora]

He'd write something beautiful and classic that would seem innocuous to outsiders, but that would probably scream "property of Shen Wei" to anyone in the know. *g*

(He does call him Yunlan a few times, but I don't think he's really the endearment type.)

[naye]

Oh, I love that! Beautiful poem that doubles as MINE.

[trobadora]

Not that I have even the slightest idea what that "something" should be, LOL.

[naye]

No but we all know Shen Wei's educated and possessive enough to come up with just the thing!

[mekare]

But where will I find such a poem? I love the idea but now I'm still back where I started, art reference wise.

[trobadora]

Sorry for not being more helpful!

[mekare]

This was no criticism, you understand, but me wailing for my lack of knowledge....

[naye]

I think the only time we for sure hear Shen Wei say "Yunlan" is in 38, after Yunlan's already fled, when Shen Wei's desperately repeating his name... So canonically Shen Wei never calls him anything but "Zhao Yunlan" or "Chief Zhao' (and this hurts my heart).

There's a chance Shen Wei said "xiao Yunlan" in episode 13, but that's more of a fan theory - it's not in the Chinese subs or anything, but some people swear they hear him say it as he's trying to catch up with Zhu Joy (as he's spitting blood).

[trobadora]

Ha! I feel so vindicated now, because I could have sworn I heard him say "Xiao-Yunlan", but it's neither in the subtitles nor in the transcript, so I was doubting myself. But it's not just me!

(Was this discussed anywhere you could possibly find again?)

[naye]

It took a bit of digging, but I have it from 0:18 in this YouTube video! :D

[trobadora]

Thank you! ♥

[naye]

I forgot to double check and the theory is that it's Xiao Lan, even! Awww. (I am going to go with that. Sure. I hear what I want!)

[trobadora]

I've listened to this approximately ten million times just now, and I can't make up my mind if it's "Yunlan" or just "Lan", but I still definitely hear "xiao".

And either way, he's definitely saying SOMETHING, so it's very conspicuous that there's nothing in the subtitles!

[mekare]

Thank you, that is an excelletn video!

[naye]

And now that I've actually watched it again it's even "Xiao Lan"! Possibly. :D

[mekare]

<3 <3 <3 AWWWWW

[powwie]

I litterally just finished watching (again) the episode in which this happened... except is Ye Zun who calls him Xiao Yunlan!

episode 33, 20:33

[trobadora]

That's not what we're talking about here, though - we're talking about the moment in episode 13 after Shen Wei coughs up blood, where he says something that isn't subtitled.

[powwie]

Oh, I guess I lost track of the conversation thread while I was getting the pic ^^'

[china_shop]

I still can't get over Ye Zun's choice of clothes there! /off-topic

[extrapenguin]

I think you mean china_shop's poll? I tried looking through my most recent DW posts and saw zero polls, so unless you teleported in from an alternate dimension, the poll was not mine. :P

Shen Wei calls Zhao Yunlan "Zhao Yunlan", "Yunlan", and once "Ah Lan". (Ye Zun tries to mimic this, and refers to him as "my xiao-Yunlan".) Dramaverse Shen Wei doesn't seem very possessive, so he'd likely go for something other than "mine" or his own name – some suitable poetry, or Zhao Yunlan's name, would be the likely candidates imo.

[mekare]

Ack, I'm sorry! Got confused there.

Really? When does he call him Ah-Lan? I’d love to rewatch that! Unless you are talking about the novel.

Also, Ye Zun! Oh man.

[extrapenguin]

Really? When does he call him Ah-Lan? I’d love to rewatch that!

I can't remember! It was once only, and IIRC Zhao Yunlan was out of it a bit? Argh, my memory.

Ye Zun is Ye Zun is occasionally inadvertently hilarious.

[mekare]

Appropriate icon is appropriate. (That gold mask gives me the giggles every time)

[naye]

Sadly Ah Lan didn't make it to the show, but is novel only. (And there Shen Wei only actually calls Yunlan that once, as far as I know? That part has finally been translated, but as the rest hasn't I can't swear that it doesn't happen again!)

[lynndyre]

I feel like his most possessive "mine" moments are when he's annoyed, so while he definitely thinks it, he might not be thinking it at the right time for leisurely erotic skin-writing. That's not to say he wouldn't write 'property of Shen Wei' though, because Zhao Yunlan would like it, and Shen Wei would write things to make him smile.

....but what he writes on ZYL's back where he can't see, or what he writes once ZYL is asleep? Protection sigils. Health, long life, defense, anything he can think of.

[trobadora]

....but what he writes on ZYL's back where he can't see, or what he writes once ZYL is asleep? Protection sigils. Health, long life, defense, anything he can think of.

Oooh. Yes. Especially while ZYL is asleep. :D

[mekare]

Now I want a fic where he overstimulates Yunlan into oblivion for the purpose of getting some secret writing time. *headdesk*

[trobadora]

OMG. You have the best ideas.

WANT. *grabby hands*

[mekare]

I set the bunny free over at the plot farm!

[bellemainec]

Sends the bunny all the carrots

[mekare]

I feel like his most possessive "mine" moments are when he's annoyed

Oh yes definitely! And Yunlan would really really get a thrill out of having ' property of Shen Wei' on him. Where is my kink fic? *looks around inquiringly*

Mmmh your idea with the sigils makes so much sense! So there’s another art I have to do (it's starting to look like a series now) where we get the 'secret writing' one. Aaaand now I have to research sigils... damn. I know some symbols for luck, but health etc. are a mystery to me.

[lynndyre]

Zhao Yunlan's whole ...everything. I'm a badass free spirit! Take me home and be domestic and possessive at me. XD

I don't know- I was thinking of Japanese omamori, something like these but I don't know what the equivalent would be for China.

[mekare]

ETA: I forgot to mention your FANTASTIC magical-Envoy-transformation-icon!

[lynndyre]

Heeee, thank you! It pleases me greatly. XD

[teaotter]

With the caveat that I know NOTHING about Chinese poetry except what I can google (on this page):

死生契闊，與子成說；執子之手，與子偕老。

In death or life (we are) separated and far apart; with you I made an agreement: I grasped your hand, Together with you I was to grow old.

(There are a lot more there, mostly sad, but apparently that's most of Chinese love poems.)

[mekare]

This is great thank you! I spent quite some time reading through all those entries. I think Shen Wei would atill have a bit of sadness about their history and the time spent apart, so that’s okay.