trobadora (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
trobadora) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
sid_guardian2025-04-20 11:53 pm
trobadora) wrote in sid_guardian2025-04-20 11:53 pm
Entry tags:
Guardian Readalong: Vol. 2, Chapters 17 & 18
Welcome aboard for this week's chapters of our Guardian readalong!
Here are last week's chapters. You can find all previous discussions on the schedule post (vol. 1 part 1, vol. 1 part 2, vol. 2), or via the !readalong tag.
This week's chapters:
- Chapter 17: Chu Shuzhi is freed of the merit shackles; Zhao Yunlan catches up with the Emissary at Kunlun Mountain and takes everyone to the peak, Daqing transforms into human shape, and Shen Wei and Ghost Face battle, and the Merit Brush makes an appearance.
- Chapter 18: Shen Wei returns Daqing home, Zhao Yunlan talks to his father, and Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei have sex for the first time. Zhao Yunlan is unwell in the aftermath.
The corresponding part in the Chinese version on JJWXC/the fan translation starts with the last third of chapter 71 and goes up to the end of chapter 75.
Excerpts:
1) At the foot of Kunlun Mountain
Zhao Yunlan found a passably flat rock, took a seat, and drained his cup of coffee. Using his canine teeth, he plucked the cheese slice out of his burger and discarded it. There was no outward sign that he realized he'd made the Soul-Executing Emissary swell into a balloon filled with rage.
Shen Wei moved to shield him from the wind. "What did I tell you?"
Zhao Yunlan wiped his mouth. "Don't agree to anything the Netherworld says and wait for you to come home."
Enunciating so crisply that there was a pause between words, Shen Wei said, "Then what are you doing here?"
After a quick look around to be sure they were alone aside from the black cat, Zhao Yunlan got up and hugged the Emissary. It was like embracing an ice sculpture. "What's wrong? Are you angry?"
Daqing silently turned aside to avoid witnessing the train wreck.
Shen Wei pushed Zhao Yunlan away. "Will nothing satisfy you until I die of anger?"
2) Shen Wei's greed
As Zhao Yunlan stood there in his mismatched windbreaker and boots, his short hair whipped into a snarled bird's nest by the wind, another silhouette overlaid him in Shen Wei's vision: that of a man whose green robe brushed the ground, an image from impossibly long ago.
He was unable to contain himself a moment longer. Black mist rose from his sleeve and enveloped Zhao Yunlan, cutting him off from everyone else's view. He was for Shen Wei's eyes only, as though they were the only people left in the world.
Shen Wei laughed bitterly at himself. Thousands of years ago, he would have gladly died in exchange for one more look from that man...and yet, at the same time, he'd felt himself unworthy of sullying those eyes. But now his greed was bottomless. He wanted nothing less than to be his beloved's one and only, and to be the only one who could so much as lay eyes on him.
All without him realizing it, the seed planted in his heart millennia ago had blossomed into a demon-one from which he couldn't break free.
Shen Wei had been fighting both nature and instinct for all he was worth since the day he entered the world. Yet in the end, a single unexpected meeting had been enough to be his undoing.
3) Shen Wei vs. Ghost Face
Ghost Face reached out again with the same hand, now holding a huge axe. He swung it mercilessly downward.
Someone harshly shoved Zhao Yunlan aside. The fierce wind, reeking with blood, blew into his eyes. He was unable to force them open. As a great clang rang out, everyone turned to look and saw that the mountain of an axe had been stopped in its descent by a thick blade three chi and three cun long.
Below the axe, the Soul-Executing Emissary was like an ant holding up a behemoth. Fierce wind ripped at his sleeves, revealing slender, pale hands. There came a small crack as the Emissary twisted his wrist, and a corner of the huge axe chipped off. Then, as he turned to the side, another sharp clang sounded. The axe was driven a meter up in the air, and a thin crack started to spread from the chip through the rest of the weapon. It hit the ground with such force that a gigantic hundred-meter chasm opened at the peak of the snowy mountain. Countless youchu died under their master's axe before they could even crawl out of the earth.
"The Soul-Tempering Cauldron," the Emissary said quietly. "You're crazy."
"I'm not crazy. You've already taken the Mountain-River Awl, so you can have it. Sooner or later, you'll come to me with it. But the Merit Brush will be mine no matter what, and once two of the Four Pillars are broken and half the sky is overturned, nothing in the world will be able to stop me." Ghost Face's dark, heavy gaze swept around. "Why did you bring such an odd bunch with you? Were they afraid you'd jump ship on the spot?"
This was an indiscriminate attack, a slap delivered to almost everyone present in one fell swoop.
4) Zhao Yunlan and his father
Zhao Yunlan gave him a tired glance. Wasn't a brawl involving all Three Realms enough for one day, never mind the severe physical and emotional trauma he'd been through? Now he had to come out of the closet to his dad? But then, at least he couldn't get any more miserable. He let out a half-dead grunt of acknowledgment. [...]
"First, the clichéd question: will you break up with that teacher?"
"Absolutely not."
"Let's discuss this rationally," his dad said. "Tell me, what do you like about him? What's so special about him that he's irreplaceable? What about him is worth facing societal pressure and public opinion, never mind the issue of not having a legal marriage? Why is it that, even with all that stands between you two, it has to be him?"
"Mom's not as pretty as Zhiling-jiejie,20 so what made you give up on all the fish in the sea just to be with her?" Zhao Yunlan replied, impatience creeping into his tone. "To hell with public opinion. And what's the big deal about legality? I can draw myself a marriage certificate. There're all sorts of official seals sold near University Street carved out of white radishes. They're only five yuan apiece. I can put as many seals on it as I want."
"I'm trying to have a civil conversation here," said his dad. "What's with your attitude?"
Zhao Yunlan lowered his head and gave his brow a firm pinch.
5) Zhao Yunlan vs. Shen Wei's plans
"They all want Kunlun-jun to return. In order to awaken his spirit, they went as far as destroying your vision to pry open your Heavenly Eye and then demanded that you ascend Kunlun Mountain to face the Great Divine Tree," Shen Wei said softly. "I want him back too. I miss him to the point of madness. But I can't bear you going back to how he was. Kunlun-jun bore the weight of ten thousand mountains and rivers on his shoulders, and more-the natural order of things, the Great Seal, the Reincarnation Cycle... There's no room to breathe. I don't want you to live with that pain. All I want now is for you to be mortal and content."
Voice muffled, Zhao Yunlan said, "You were the one who sealed Daqing's memories and severed the connection between me and the Soul-Guarding Order."
Shen Wei shut his eyes piously.
"So I'll be a content mortal while you shoulder the weight of the Great Seal? Who are you to decide that?" Zhao Yunlan's voice rasped painfully, barely a wisp of sound despite his best efforts. "You accepted me that day because you thought a mortal life lasts barely a hundred years-over in the blink of an eye. Next time I reincarnate, I'll just forget you again, right? Were you going to accompany me on this last stretch and then...then follow in Nüwa's footsteps...?"
Zhao Yunlan dragged Shen Wei down by the collar, fingers trembling almost convulsively. His teeth gritted tightly together. "I'll never allow it! Not even in death!"
Questions:
How did you like the battle between Shen Wei and Ghost Face? How cool is it to see Daqing change shape? What do you think about Zhao Yunlan's relationship with his father? Any thoughts about the parallels in the drama? Do you like how Weilan's first time turned out? How would you have liked it to go, if not like this?
And the big one: I understand exactly nothing of what happens on Kunlun Mountain, or what's going on with Zhao Yunlan afterwards. Help?
(As usual, these are just conversation starters - feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like!)
Our schedule (which is also where you can sign up to host a post - please do if you can!)
no subject
"I understand exactly nothing of what happens on Kunlun Mountain, or what's going on with Zhao Yunlan afterwards. Help?"
Anything specific? I can't say I understand everything, lol, but I'm confident about probably 70% of it, so maybe I can help. :)
(Also I especially love that you chose the first excerpt, and the others are awesome too!)
---
"Unable to release him from the Soul-Guarding Order, all Guo Changcheng could do was tuck a throw blanket over him and put earphones on him so that he could watch movies and not be too bored."
"With a start, he realized that Chu Shuzhi was standing up—and the blanket was covering him now."
AWWWWW, this is so damn sweet and soft, and also I love how this book is just really, really, extremely in favor of putting blankets on each other. :D ♡♡♡
"Keep an eye on your Chu-ge and tell him to remain calm."
The fact that Zhao Yunlan trusts GCC to do that = ♡♡♡! (Except he has no time to do that, lol, and I don't think CSZ can hear the phone call? But he's still calm, so it works out!)
"The paper person bowed at him. Guo Changcheng hastily tried to return the gesture, only to accidentally bonk his head into Zhao Yunlan’s monitor."
Always so much love for GCC being awkward and clumsy in the cutest damn ways. :D :D
"Hearing that, the Emissary whipped around and found himself looking at Zhao Yunlan. He was dressed in hiking gear from head to toe, with a black cat trailing close behind, and carrying a cup of coffee and a burger, which he bit into as he spoke. With a wave, he said, “Have you eaten, my lord? I still have a hash brown.”
For a moment, the Soul-Executing Emissary—Shen Wei—wanted nothing more than to pound him into a hash brown. The fury that washed over him made even the black mist surrounding him tremble.
Zhao Yunlan found a passably flat rock, took a seat, and drained his cup of coffee. Using his canine teeth, he plucked the cheese slice out of his burger and discarded it. There was no outward sign that he realized he’d made the Soul-Executing Emissary swell into a balloon filled with rage."
I'm just quoting all of this because this is A++++ comedy and definitely one of my favorite parts of the whole book. :D :D :D I absolutely love Zhao Yunlan's entire vibe (dressing like he has any idea what he's doing, waving and offering hash browns, plonking on a rock in the middle of nowhere, removing cheese with his TEETH and yeeting it away, what the hell ♡♡♡), and the way Shen Wei's reaction is described made me snort out loud even on the re-read. xD Like, I feel for him and all, but the description is the funniest thing. :D
And then it continues being hilarious for a few lines more, but 1) I'm not gonna quote THIS MUCH lolol I need to stop somewhere, 2) THIS: "Shen Wei moved to shield him from the wind." This is literally immediately after the 'filled with rage' line. I can't with them and how soft they just are out of nowhere, in the middle of everything. ♡♡♡
"“Magistrate” sounded like a weighty title, but he served at the pleasure of the Ten Kings of the Yanluo Courts. By the time matters fell in his lap, he didn’t have all that much power. The Magistrate himself sometimes felt like his real job was to serve as a scapegoat."
I love how they nailed this vibe in the drama! (And everything else about him too!)
"Lightning and wind crashed together in the heavens. Looking up, one could glimpse a shape like that of a black dragon flickering in and out of sight."
The large-scale imagery being impeccable again. ♡♡♡
"Past here is the Kunlun Mountain Pass. My apologies, but we must trouble the Guardian to take us up there."
This confuses me a bit: They seem to be actually unable to enter the mountain without Zhao Yunlan. But Shen Wei was there to go with them to the mountain, while being sure that Zhao Yunlan wouldn't be there. So how were they going to enter? (Or does Shen Wei not know that it's not possible to enter without Zhao Yunlan? Or maybe the Magistrate is still lying, I don't remember what comes next. xD)
"In Shen Wei’s eyes, there was only one person in the world.
As Zhao Yunlan stood there in his mismatched windbreaker and boots, his short hair whipped into a snarled bird’s nest by the wind, another silhouette overlaid him in Shen Wei’s vision: that of a man whose green robe brushed the ground, an image from impossibly long ago."
Who was also a chaos gremlin in his own way ngl. :D :D (Which I know is the point. :D Also this part is just really lovely. ♡♡♡ And ALSO Shen Wei should be judging him for not wearing a hat. xD)
I love the illustration of Daqing's human form, with his cat eyes and fangs, but also I just see his YOHE self from the drama in this scene - it just fits so well. :D
"Holding Daqing’s ponytail in one hand, Zhao Yunlan dug out a cigarette with the other."
I love this ridiculous man's entire vibe SO MUCH.
"He pulled out a napkin, carefully wrapped the cigarette butt and ashes in it, and stuffed it all back into his pocket—very environmentally conscientious."
This is really sweet, and also such a contrast with him throwing cigarette butts on the floor in his new place, lol. At least here he's careful, and the mountain is his home too after all. :)
"As he thought those words, something brushed his fingers. Zhao Yunlan froze, then realized that a tiny, vivid green leaf had sprouted from the Great Divine Tree’s trunk, right between his fingers. It slowly grew into a stalk as thin as a strand of hair and curled gently around his finger."
Soooo lovely and soft, the idea itself and how it's described. ♡♡♡
"Meanwhile, Zhao Yunlan sat on the swollen roots of the Great Divine Tree. He had no place in the chaotic battle"
This (and the battle going on in the background) has a gorgeous piece of fanart! ♡ (And also I love Zhao Yunlan just chilling there and occasionally playing dumb at giant-ass Ghost Face just like he does at everyone else. :D)
"Ghost Face raised a hand and took the attack. There was a soft clang as Daqing’s blade ricocheted off—was his wrist made of iron?"
!!! We were just talking in this comm about the Dixingren who have this power. :D
"Though he could barely stand upright against the fierce wind, Zhao Yunlan successfully maintained his pose like a wise master."
Not even the worst wind can stop Zhao Yunlan from looking like the coolest person around who doesn't have a care in the world. :D
"Ignoring the pain in his wrist, Zhao Yunlan feigned a lack of surprise. All smiles, he said, “I tried to stop you so you wouldn’t get hurt, but you really don’t know what’s good for you, huh?”"
Damn, he really just uses EVERY opportunity to his advantage immediately. ♡
“Whoever gets home first, remember to leave the door unlocked and the lights on. Love you.”
This is so mundane-sounding in such a non-mundane situation, awwww.
"Daqing had to meow delicately and nudge the phone toward him before he even took notice. A jolt ran through him as he seemed to reanimate."
Oooh, so this is why Shen Wei can sit for hours and hours on Zhao Yunlan's bed and not do anything else - he kinda just turns off while waiting? :P (Also I adore DQ's shy meow! Like, he has to talk to the Emissary, but using actual words would be too much. :D)
*casually SETS ZHAO YUNLAN'S FATHER ON FIRE and proceeds to ignore pretty much everything about his scenes because I have better things to focus on* Damn, the fact that it later turns out that there were ulterior motives for the few moments when he's NOT a flaming asshole in this chapter just makes it even worse, which I didn't believe was possible on my first read. :P Moving onnnn...
"“I’m fine.” Zhao Yunlan pressed his forehead into Shen Wei’s shoulder."
AW. This, and the pitiful stomach holding, and the neck kiss, and the brush gift, it's all so casual and soft. ♡♡♡
"…And came face-to-face with a reminder that no one showered with their clothes on."
This was for some reason one of the most memorable lines from my first read, lolol, like, I know Shen Wei is too worried to think about that, it's extremely understandable, but um, duh, Zhao Yunlan is not gonna be clothed if he fell in the bathtub. :P
"Still not looking, he extended his arms and flung the towel over Zhao Yunlan. Blushing right to the tips of his ears, with the thick towel between their bodies, he carefully got Zhao Yunlan out of the tub, half helping and half carrying him."
This is so sweet and adorable in a way that is kind of pathetic of both of them. :D ♡♡♡
"Shen Wei’s throat felt like it was on fire, and his Adam’s apple bobbed."
I can only think of the 'you need to repay me' drama scene here, ngl. :D
"Slowly, he sat on the edge of the bed and gathered Zhao Yunlan close, still bundled in the blanket. He patted Zhao Yunlan’s back softly."
I'm gonna stop quoting every line where they're TOO SOFT FOR WORDS right now because it's gonna be ALL OF THEM. ♡♡♡
"Lowering his head, Shen Wei pressed trembling lips to Zhao Yunlan’s eyes. He kissed that stray droplet, tasting its faint saltiness and bitterness."
Except this, I need to flail about this because I just love eyelid kisses so damn much, and this is a gorgeous one, ahhh. ♡♡♡
“You were the one who sealed Daqing’s memories and severed the connection between me and the Soul-Guarding Order.”
Yeah, so when Daqing blamed being a yao for his memory issues, it really wasn't the case. :)
“You accepted me that day because you thought a mortal life lasts barely a hundred years—over in the blink of an eye. Next time I reincarnate, I’ll just forget you again, right? Were you going to accompany me on this last stretch and then…then follow in Nüwa’s footsteps…?”
This is just heartbreaking, damn.
"It seamlessly blended with the memory of countless intimate, tender midnight dreams from which Shen Wei had bolted awake"
I'm clinging to the word 'tender' here because it means it actually is what both of them want. ♡♡♡ If tenderness is what Shen Wei wants on the deepest, most hidden level, then everything else can in fact be blamed on the 'can't control his violent nature well enough' thing - it's not something that Shen Wei actually wants and has been hiding until now.
Um, so, the sex scene? I really REALLY love the lead-up to it, all the soft touching and cuddling and eyelid kisses, and even on the re-read the one thing that upsets me about the actual sex is not the violence or the dubcon (which are 100% perfectly valid reasons to be upset about it, for the record!), it's the fact that Zhao Yunlan is upset afterwards. And I know he mostly got hurt by the energy drain and not by the sex itself, he just doesn't know it yet, and I know he started out very very distraught already before anything even happened, but damn, if you upset Zhao Yunlan then you upset me too, it's just a thing. :P And Shen Wei really REALLY should be the one to do that. (Even if it can count as unintentional imo.) *sighs a bit* Still love them otherwise tho, a whole lot.
“Yes, you.” Zhao Yunlan said stubbornly. “Lie down and let me ravage you.”
Shen Wei lowered his gaze, the tips of his ears burning. He licked his lips awkwardly and asked, “What nonsense are you going on about in broad daylight?”
I just realized that deflecting Zhao Yunlan plays dumb and clueless, and deflecting Shen Wei plays shy and innocent, really enthusiastically and stubbornly and semi-convincingly, both of them. (I know he can't say 'not doing this again when you're still dying from the first time', but actually, why not? Zhao Yunlan is going to find out about the energy drain, and it's going to work out in the end.)
no subject
Hee! :D
Anything specific? I can't say I understand everything, lol, but I'm confident about probably 70% of it, so maybe I can help. :)
I honestly just don't understand what any of them think they're doing, much less what actually happens, but most of all Zhao Yunlan. What is he trying to do? What does he do? What does he find out, and how, and why? *tears hair in frustrating*
AWWWWW, this is so damn sweet and soft, and also I love how this book is just really, really, extremely in favor of putting blankets on each other. :D ♡♡♡
I really liked this bit, and GCC taking care of Lao-Chu!
I'm just quoting all of this because this is A++++ comedy and definitely one of my favorite parts of the whole book. :D :D :D
It seems like great comedic contrast, but I feel like I'm missing too much to properly enjoy the scene. SW doesn't want ZYL to be there and the Magistrate wants him there, and ZYL for some reason decided he needed to be there, but why? Is he just bluffing his way in to find more info? But he already talks about getting the Merit Brush in the previous chapter, and I have no idea how he thinks he'll accomplish that, especially in this company. Or why SW goes along with it all.
THIS: "Shen Wei moved to shield him from the wind." This is literally immediately after the 'filled with rage' line. I can't with them and how soft they just are out of nowhere, in the middle of everything. ♡♡♡
Yeah, so much of the description of SW's rage and darkness and whatnot is always immediately undercut by his gentleness, and I always feel like that's SW's self-image vs. his actual self.
I love how they nailed this vibe in the drama! (And everything else about him too!)
A lot of it, yeah! My first reaction was that the Regent is a lot more powerful than the Magistrate, but on second thought I don't think that's actually the case, it's just that a lot of the Regent's power is much more mundane, and therefore hits harder than it does when it's ghosts and such. Abusing power in the Netherworld is a horrible worldbuilding set-up, but abusing power in mundane ways is too much like real life, you know? (I hope that made sense!)
The large-scale imagery being impeccable again. ♡♡♡
Yeah, all this scene is like the CGI centrepiece of an epic fantasy movie, except no current CGI could do justice to these visuals. So cinematic!
This confuses me a bit: They seem to be actually unable to enter the mountain without Zhao Yunlan. But Shen Wei was there to go with them to the mountain, while being sure that Zhao Yunlan wouldn't be there. So how were they going to enter? (Or does Shen Wei not know that it's not possible to enter without Zhao Yunlan? Or maybe the Magistrate is still lying, I don't remember what comes next. xD)
All very good questions, I wish I understood that as well!
I love the illustration of Daqing's human form, with his cat eyes and fangs, but also I just see his YOHE self from the drama in this scene - it just fits so well. :D
100% agreed on both counts!
This is really sweet, and also such a contrast with him throwing cigarette butts on the floor in his new place, lol.
Haha, right???
This (and the battle going on in the background) has a gorgeous piece of fanart! ♡
Oh, that is lovely, thank you so much for sharing!
!!! We were just talking in this comm about the Dixingren who have this power. :D
Right? I immediately thought of SW's blade glancing off the Attendant's/Deacon's arm in the drama. And when ZYL says, later in this chapter, What is that brat made of? Why is he so hard?, that's like Da Qing complaining about the Attendant's foot. :D
Damn, he really just uses EVERY opportunity to his advantage immediately. ♡
Yeah! He's really really good at bluffing. I just wish I understood what he thinks he's doing, or what the point of it all even is.
“Whoever gets home first, remember to leave the door unlocked and the lights on. Love you.”
Except ZYL doesn't go home when he returns. Does that mean that he finds out stuff after this, in between where we don't see? Because I found that so confusing, but was that deliberately withheld from the reader?
Oooh, so this is why Shen Wei can sit for hours and hours on Zhao Yunlan's bed and not do anything else - he kinda just turns off while waiting? :P
Haha, yes, apparently! Awwww.
AW. This, and the pitiful stomach holding, and the neck kiss, and the brush gift, it's all so casual and soft. ♡♡♡
I think it would work better for me if could tell how much of it is real and how much is ZYL's usual playacting. Like, he's obviously genuinely depressed about something, but ... *shrugs*
This was for some reason one of the most memorable lines from my first read, lolol
It's a fantastic, hilarious line! :D
“You were the one who sealed Daqing’s memories and severed the connection between me and the Soul-Guarding Order.”
Since you're quoting this line, do you know what he means by "severing the connection"? That baffled me too.
Yeah, so when Daqing blamed being a yao for his memory issues, it really wasn't the case. :)
Yeah, good point. :(
This is just heartbreaking, damn.
It is, but I wish I understood literally anything about how ZYL arrived at that conclusion.
I'm clinging to the word 'tender' here because it means it actually is what both of them want. ♡♡♡ If tenderness is what Shen Wei wants on the deepest, most hidden level, then everything else can in fact be blamed on the 'can't control his violent nature well enough' thing - it's not something that Shen Wei actually wants and has been hiding until now.
I'm not even sure what "everything else" is - like, does anything not-tender even happen between them, apart from the involuntary energy drain? And I know this is withheld deliberately at this point, but I don't think it's ever actually answered either.
and even on the re-read the one thing that upsets me about the actual sex is not the violence or the dubcon
Is there violence? I'm not even clear on that point! ZYL is intoxicated and emotionally overwrought, and it's not the best idea at this point, but that's all I'm really clear on.
it's the fact that Zhao Yunlan is upset afterwards. And I know he mostly got hurt by the energy drain and not by the sex itself, he just doesn't know it yet, and I know he started out very very distraught already before anything even happened, but damn, if you upset Zhao Yunlan then you upset me too, it's just a thing.
Yeah, it's an incredibly depressing aftermath, and 1000% not what I want in a sex scene for a ship I care about!
But one thing that occurred to me this time that didn't before is that I don't think we're meant to take ZYL's complaining about the top/bottom roles seriously. This is all muddled by the danmei trope where bottoming has to hurt (which I hate), but I think it really may be just a misdirect here, and wasn't as dubconny as ZYL makes it sound. ZYL, suffering from the energy drain and not knowing why he's feeling so awful, is just latching on to something to complain about now, even if he was 100% into it while it happened. So that's making me feel a bit better about it all.
And Shen Wei really REALLY should be the one to do that.
Should be the one to do what?
I just realized that deflecting Zhao Yunlan plays dumb and clueless, and deflecting Shen Wei plays shy and innocent, really enthusiastically and stubbornly and semi-convincingly, both of them.
Wow, that's a great observation! So true.
(I know he can't say 'not doing this again when you're still dying from the first time', but actually, why not? Zhao Yunlan is going to find out about the energy drain, and it's going to work out in the end.)
I have no idea either. In the drama I have a good grasp on SW's secrets and why he's keeping them, but in the novel I feel like I'm still missing something crucial.
no subject
What he sees in the tree (and what he's reacting to when he's back from Kunlun Mountain) is the entire chapter 19. If that's what you mean, then it's just not spelled out yet. :)
"SW doesn't want ZYL to be there and the Magistrate wants him there, and ZYL for some reason decided he needed to be there, but why? Is he just bluffing his way in to find more info? But he already talks about getting the Merit Brush in the previous chapter, and I have no idea how he thinks he'll accomplish that, especially in this company. Or why SW goes along with it all."
The way I see it - he went there to help Shen Wei (in the previous chapter he starts deflecting instead of explaining exactly how though), and he thinks he can get the Merit Brush because he's going to try his best and doesn't see himself fail? And why SW goes along with Zhao Yunlan being there is explained: "Having the Soul-Executing Emissary see Zhao Yunlan alone first had very much been part of the Magistrate’s plan. If they were already at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, the Emissary would never allow Zhao Yunlan to head back alone, leaving him no choice but to take Zhao Yunlan up the mountain with them." (And why SW goes along with the whole thing to begin with is because of the message - the clouds that appeared are worrying, and he needs to check what's happening/do something about it.)
"Yeah, so much of the description of SW's rage and darkness and whatnot is always immediately undercut by his gentleness, and I always feel like that's SW's self-image vs. his actual self."
Oh, I love this! ♡ His self-image is based on who he actually was in the past, but yes, he doesn't seem to be able to leave it in the past where it belongs.
"Abusing power in the Netherworld is a horrible worldbuilding set-up, but abusing power in mundane ways is too much like real life, you know? (I hope that made sense!)"
It does make sense to me, and I definitely see that, yes!
"Yeah, all this scene is like the CGI centrepiece of an epic fantasy movie, except no current CGI could do justice to these visuals. So cinematic!"
That's one of the reasons I would love the novel as a Ghibli movie - CGI can't do that, but this style of animation can. :D
"Yeah! He's really really good at bluffing. I just wish I understood what he thinks he's doing, or what the point of it all even is."
In this case I think he's just pretending to know more than he does, so that he actually finds out the things that he doesn't know in the process.
"Except ZYL doesn't go home when he returns. Does that mean that he finds out stuff after this, in between where we don't see? Because I found that so confusing, but was that deliberately withheld from the reader?"
That's chapter 19. :) (Him not going home doesn't have any particular reason other than him being too upset to do that, though.)
"I think it would work better for me if could tell how much of it is real and how much is ZYL's usual playacting. Like, he's obviously genuinely depressed about something, but ... *shrugs*"
This is all very, very genuine in my book. He's specifically not himself, even SW can see that: "On the upside, Zhao Yunlan’s brain was still so sodden that he wasn’t making things worse with his smart mouth." And literally just saying "A gift." while giving SW the brush is so not him either, like, I would expect so much bragging and self-aggrandizing and smugness, and there's none of it.
"Since you're quoting this line, do you know what he means by "severing the connection"? That baffled me too."
I assumed it refers to Daqing not being able to find him for 500 years, but I may be totally wrong.
"It is, but I wish I understood literally anything about how ZYL arrived at that conclusion."
Again, it's not spelled out yet, but I feel like this specific part (how Zhao Yunlan knew than Shen Wei was planning to die) is never spelled out all that clearly, even later.
"I'm not even sure what "everything else" is - like, does anything not-tender even happen between them, apart from the involuntary energy drain? And I know this is withheld deliberately at this point, but I don't think it's ever actually answered either."
"Is there violence? I'm not even clear on that point! ZYL is intoxicated and emotionally overwrought, and it's not the best idea at this point, but that's all I'm really clear on."
I'm kinda just assuming from "Even if you didn’t check with me first, couldn’t you have been a little nicer about it?" (But maybe he only thinks SW wasn't nice because right now he physically feels like shit and doesn't know why.) And the scene before Shen Wei yeeted himself out of his body is not particularly tender either.
"But one thing that occurred to me this time that didn't before is that I don't think we're meant to take ZYL's complaining about the top/bottom roles seriously. This is all muddled by the danmei trope where bottoming has to hurt (which I hate), but I think it really may be just a misdirect here, and wasn't as dubconny as ZYL makes it sound. ZYL, suffering from the energy drain and not knowing why he's feeling so awful, is just latching on to something to complain about now, even if he was 100% into it while it happened. So that's making me feel a bit better about it all."
Oh, yep, I definitely agree with all of this! I never gave the top/bottom thing much credence at all because it very clearly is not the thing that matters. Not checking with him is the iffy part imo, but otherwise he is definitely just looking for something specific to whine about in a situation he doesn't understand. And he was into it, I have no doubt about that either.
"Should be the one to do what?"
Ack! I meant shouldn't. :) Shouldn't be the one who makes Zhao Yunlan upset.
no subject
Oh, great! That takes care of all my confusion for chapter 18. :)
"SW doesn't want ZYL to be there and the Magistrate wants him there, and ZYL for some reason decided he needed to be there, but why? Is he just bluffing his way in to find more info? But he already talks about getting the Merit Brush in the previous chapter, and I have no idea how he thinks he'll accomplish that, especially in this company. Or why SW goes along with it all."
The way I see it - he went there to help Shen Wei (in the previous chapter he starts deflecting instead of explaining exactly how though), and he thinks he can get the Merit Brush because he's going to try his best and doesn't see himself fail?
So basically, he knows nothing concrete, goes in without a clear plan, and bullshits his way through? While entirely confident the entire time that he'll not only be fine but also somehow gain the Merit Brush, just because he wants it? That sounds like him, but also, OMG, I wish he didn't get away with this stuff every time! /o\
Seriously, poor Shen Wei! He deserves someone who doesn't put him through this kind of stress!
the Emissary would never allow Zhao Yunlan to head back alone, leaving him no choice but to take Zhao Yunlan up the mountain with them
Oh, you're right, it does say that! Not that it clarifies much, because why would SW think that ZYL heading back home on his own was more risky than being taken into that? *boggles*
Oh, I love this! ♡ His self-image is based on who he actually was in the past, but yes, he doesn't seem to be able to leave it in the past where it belongs.
For all that the violent instincts get repeatedly hammmered home, the tenderness seems to be at least just as instinctive to me, you know? It wasn't in the past, but this is the person he is now.
That's one of the reasons I would love the novel as a Ghibli movie - CGI can't do that, but this style of animation can. :D
I haven't watched much animation (not my thing, generally), but I can definitely see how that might work for something like this!
In this case I think he's just pretending to know more than he does, so that he actually finds out the things that he doesn't know in the process.
I wish we had even a little bit of him feeling out of his depth here! But that's something I wish often about the novel - that it gave us more of ZYL's interiority, so I'd have a better grasp on where is head is at in any given moment. (Somehow the drama manages to do that! Even though prose as a medium is much more suited to that!)
Him not going home doesn't have any particular reason other than him being too upset to do that, though.
Oh, good to know!
This is all very, very genuine in my book. He's specifically not himself, even SW can see that: "On the upside, Zhao Yunlan’s brain was still so sodden that he wasn’t making things worse with his smart mouth." And literally just saying "A gift." while giving SW the brush is so not him either, like, I would expect so much bragging and self-aggrandizing and smugness, and there's none of it.
Thank you! All good points, that makes sense. And he definitely does very genuinely have a breakdown in the bath.
I assumed it refers to Daqing not being able to find him for 500 years, but I may be totally wrong.
Oh, I see! That would never have occurred to me, LOL.
(But maybe he only thinks SW wasn't nice because right now he physically feels like shit and doesn't know why.)
Yeah, that's what I was thinking - that he thinks it must have been rougher than he noticed in the moment, because otherwise why would he be feeling this wrecked?
And the scene before Shen Wei yeeted himself out of his body is not particularly tender either.
True! But SW was drunk at that time; this time, he's not.
Oh, yep, I definitely agree with all of this!
Yay, very glad that makes sense to you too!
And he was into it, I have no doubt about that either.
♥ ♥ ♥
Shouldn't be the one who makes Zhao Yunlan upset.
Oh yeah, 100% agreed abouit that. That's something that bothers me both way with them; ZYL shouldn't be the one to upset SW either. And from what little I remember of the rest of the novel, I'm not really confident this is a character arc where it gets better. *g*
no subject
Lolol, in a nutshell yes. :D Technically he didn't get away with it when he got blinded, but it was easily fixable, so I guess he kinda did in the end.
"Not that it clarifies much, because why would SW think that ZYL heading back home on his own was more risky than being taken into that? *boggles*"
Damn, that's a fantastic question! He got there on his own and he's clearly fine, so yeah, it does sound like it's definitely safer to go back than to continue.
"For all that the violent instincts get repeatedly hammmered home, the tenderness seems to be at least just as instinctive to me, you know? It wasn't in the past, but this is the person he is now."
ITA! ♡ It is very instinctive at this point, and clinging so much to the past at this point is much more about his self-esteem issues than about current facts.
"I wish we had even a little bit of him feeling out of his depth here! But that's something I wish often about the novel - that it gave us more of ZYL's interiority, so I'd have a better grasp on where is head is at in any given moment. (Somehow the drama manages to do that! Even though prose as a medium is much more suited to that!)"
I think he specifically doesn't feel of his depth on the Kunlun Mountain, he feels at ease partially because of where he is and the actual connection to the place/power over it that he has. The other people don't belong there, but he does.
But in general, yeah. I think the narration is intentionally hiding his thinking process the way it's hidden from in-world characters? Which sometimes is really cool too me, but sometimes it's a bit too much and makes things harder to understand.
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking - that he thinks it must have been rougher than he noticed in the moment, because otherwise why would he be feeling this wrecked?"
Yep, exactly!
"But SW was drunk at that time; this time, he's not."
Yeah, I was more referring to 'everything that is not tender is not what SW actually wants', not only in this scene specifically. :)
"That's something that bothers me both way with them; ZYL shouldn't be the one to upset SW either."
Hah, yeah, they both do a lot of upsetting each other by putting themselves in danger (Shen Wei has done relatively little of that so far, but oh boy, is he going to!). Upsetting each other in other ways... I would go into major spoilers if I tried to analyze who does it when and how much, so I'll skip that, but I think these are the cases that personally affect me more. Either way, yeah, they could just stop. *pokes them*
"And when ZYL says, later in this chapter, What is that brat made of? Why is he so hard?, that's like Da Qing complaining about the Attendant's foot. :D"
Also I entirely forgot to say anything about this (from your previous comment), but lolol yes. :D I loved how much they took from this scene when it's so completely unrelated to the drama, and I love that I most likely wouldn't have noticed any of the references if it wasn't for the discussion about powers in this comm! :D
no subject
Yeah, it confuses me so much!
I think he specifically doesn't feel of his depth on the Kunlun Mountain, he feels at ease partially because of where he is and the actual connection to the place/power over it that he has. The other people don't belong there, but he does.
Yeah, that's a good point! I'm very bad at taking that into account, LOL.
I think the narration is intentionally hiding his thinking process the way it's hidden from in-world characters?
Yeah, agreed! And it's a valid narrative choice, and as you say, sometimes it's very cool, but it can also make things needlessly confusing sometimes.
I loved how much they took from this scene when it's so completely unrelated to the drama, and I love that I most likely wouldn't have noticed any of the references if it wasn't for the discussion about powers in this comm! :D
:D :D :D
no subject
I presume it's a "there are untrustworthy people around, and quite possibly youchu, and I want you where I can keep an eye on you and protect you" situation. If SW can't trust the Magistrate (which he can't), then he can't be sure there isn't a trap if ZYL tries to leave early.
I wish we had even a little bit of him feeling out of his depth here!
He does tell DQ that he's feeling a bit nervous, at one point. I thought that was a pretty startling admission.
I wish often about the novel - that it gave us more of ZYL's interiority, so I'd have a better grasp on where is head is at in any given moment. (Somehow the drama manages to do that! Even though prose as a medium is much more suited to that!)
Ohh, you're right. The drama is amazingly good at it. *hearts*
no subject
Ooh, that's a fantastic point! It's not that it's inherently more dangerous to come back than it is to get there, it's that these people could intentionally make it more dangerous. That makes sense!
"He does tell DQ that he's feeling a bit nervous, at one point. I thought that was a pretty startling admission."
And I totally forgot about that, thank you for pointing it out! I just focused on how at ease he feels there because he's ~home~, but the events still make him nervous enough to say something which kinda means 'more than usual'.
no subject
Which is also an excellent and important point which I totally overlooked because ZYL is always so performatively chill and provocative that I find it hard to distinguish between that and "actually feeling settled and... being provocative." :D
(no subject)
(no subject)
no subject
Yeah, I suppose that makes sense! It just utterly wasn't clear to me at all.
The drama is amazingly good at it. *hearts*
Seriously!!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥
no subject
Ahh, I'd forgotten that. Thanks for the reminder! <3
I'm kinda just assuming from "Even if you didn’t check with me first, couldn’t you have been a little nicer about it?" (But maybe he only thinks SW wasn't nice because right now he physically feels like shit and doesn't know why.) And the scene before Shen Wei yeeted himself out of his body is not particularly tender either.
Yeah, that was my reasoning, too. Both of those things.
Not checking with him is the iffy part imo
That too. (Thanks for saying that so succinctly! *deletes unnecessary paragraph* ;-p)
no subject
I think he's decided he needs to get to the bottom of the mystery, especially since SW knows so much more than he does. He's ZYL, he needs to have all the answers to operate, and right now, the answers he needs (to be able to understand what's really happening between him and SW, what it signifies, and why SW is the way he is) are about Kunlun.
Abusing power in the Netherworld is a horrible worldbuilding set-up, but abusing power in mundane ways is too much like real life, you know? (I hope that made sense!)
Yes, agreed.
So glad the Danmei trope angle has helped you feel better about the sex scene. \o/!
no subject
Yeah, that has to be it! I just really wish the narrative was a bit clearer and gave us a little more of a look into ZYL's mind.
no subject
no subject
Hee! *hearts you so much*
and also I love how this book is just really, really, extremely in favor of putting blankets on each other. :D ♡♡♡
Haha, so true! It's a universal love language, aww!
I'm just quoting all of this because this is A++++ comedy and definitely one of my favorite parts of the whole book. :D :D :D
Yes! That was my favourite part of these two chapters, for sure. :D :D :D
"Shen Wei moved to shield him from the wind." This is literally immediately after the 'filled with rage' line.
Shen Wei is such an unreliable narrator about his own feelings. Or... it's always more complicated than he'll let on. *pets him*
This confuses me a bit: They seem to be actually unable to enter the mountain without Zhao Yunlan. But Shen Wei was there to go with them to the mountain, while being sure that Zhao Yunlan wouldn't be there. So how were they going to enter?
Ghost Face (and presumably Shen Wei?) can enter because they have some of Kunlun's soulfire, apparently. Maybe the others were going to watch from below, or maybe Shen Wei could have escorted the others, and the Magistrate was lying when he said they needed ZYL there. Idk!!
Who was also a chaos gremlin in his own way ngl. :D :D
LOL, so true!! Also, hahaha, you're 100% right about the hatlessness -- that didn't even occur to me. :D :D :D
I love the illustration of Daqing's human form, with his cat eyes and fangs, but also I just see his YOHE self from the drama in this scene - it just fits so well. :D
Yessss! <3 <3 <3
This is really sweet, and also such a contrast with him throwing cigarette butts on the floor in his new place, lol. At least here he's careful, and the mountain is his home too after all. :)
I really love that contrast. Home is (unfinished) home, but the mountain is sacred. <33333
Ahhh amazing fanart! Thank you for linking!
Damn, he really just uses EVERY opportunity to his advantage immediately. ♡
Ohh, you're right! He totally does. (I'm trying to think of drama equivalents, but I can't off the top of my head. I'm sure there are some.)
> > “Whoever gets home first, remember to leave the door unlocked and the lights on. Love you.”
>
> This is so mundane-sounding in such a non-mundane situation, awwww.
I thought that was one of the most romantic parts of these chapters. Like, ZYL knows SW is mad at him, and everything is so epic and magical, but they're still partners who live together, and ZYL is never ever letting go of that. It's like the epitome of his quiet-domesticity dream. <3
Oooh, so this is why Shen Wei can sit for hours and hours on Zhao Yunlan's bed and not do anything else - he kinda just turns off while waiting? :P
I don't know about that? I feel like SW would want to be present when he was with ZYL. That this is his "turn off while waiting to be together again" mode, you know?
I can only think of the 'you need to repay me' drama scene here, ngl. :D
After the Envoy reveal? I can see that. :D
Yeah, so when Daqing blamed being a yao for his memory issues, it really wasn't the case. :)
True! I really hope someone tells DQ that!! (And presumably this confirms that SW was also the one to excise all the Kunlun info from the SID library?)
I'm clinging to the word 'tender' here because it means it actually is what both of them want. ♡♡♡ If tenderness is what Shen Wei wants on the deepest, most hidden level, then everything else can in fact be blamed on the 'can't control his violent nature well enough' thing - it's not something that Shen Wei actually wants and has been hiding until now.
Oh, that is a GREAT point, and gives me hope for their future. I didn't even notice that. Thank you!!! <333
it's the fact that Zhao Yunlan is upset afterwards.
Yeah, I hate that. Like, "one party is dejected and reproachful afterwards, and the other is behaving all weird" is the literal opposite of what I want for my pairings, you know? Thank goodness for all the unrelated-to-sex -- and meta/genre -- contributing factors that help to explain his reaction away!!
I just realized that deflecting Zhao Yunlan plays dumb and clueless, and deflecting Shen Wei plays shy and innocent, really enthusiastically and stubbornly and semi-convincingly, both of them. (I know he can't say 'not doing this again when you're still dying from the first time',
Ahhhh, that's such a good point! Both of them! Both great points, yes! Yes to their deflecting modes (fantastic observation!), and yes to the reason Shen Wei is being evasive.
but actually, why not? Zhao Yunlan is going to find out about the energy drain, and it's going to work out in the end.)
Because then he'd have to admit he's feeding ZYL his heart's blood, and ZYL would get upset about that and refuse to drink any more? Or maybe he's (irrationally) afraid ZYL would blame him, and like anyone, he wants to put that off for as long as possible.
no subject
Ikr? ♡ He must be SO tightly wound on the inside at all times, and to me the constant interweaving of the natural violent tendencies and equally natural tenderness highlights it even more than if it had been just a cycle of 'have an impulse, suppress it'.
"Maybe the others were going to watch from below, or maybe Shen Wei could have escorted the others, and the Magistrate was lying when he said they needed ZYL there. Idk!!
Yeah, either of these I guess, and also idk in the end. :P *shrug*
"Like, ZYL knows SW is mad at him, and everything is so epic and magical, but they're still partners who live together, and ZYL is never ever letting go of that. It's like the epitome of his quiet-domesticity dream. <3"
Ahhhh, ikr, SO SWEET. ♡♡♡
"I don't know about that? I feel like SW would want to be present when he was with ZYL. That this is his "turn off while waiting to be together again" mode, you know?"
That's definitely possible too, but also when Zhao Yunlan is asleep there isn't really a way to be with him? So maybe this sort of 'being on stand-by'/'speeding up the perception of time' thing would explain why he doesn't pick up a book or anything. He'd still be watching him and having all the feelings but without the awareness that he just did nothing but sit in one place for 12 hours. xD
"> I can only think of the 'you need to repay me' drama scene here, ngl. :D
After the Envoy reveal? I can see that. :D"
Lol yeah, I read "Shen Wei’s throat felt like it was on fire, and his Adam’s apple bobbed." and I see:
In this case I don't even think it was in any way an intentional reference (though who knows, maybe xD), it's just my mind happily in the gutter. xD :D
"I really hope someone tells DQ that!! (And presumably this confirms that SW was also the one to excise all the Kunlun info from the SID library?)"
Oh, yep, it probably does, though I don't remember where this goes (or if DQ finds out).
"Oh, that is a GREAT point, and gives me hope for their future. I didn't even notice that. Thank you!!! <333"
Aw yay, I'm glad it helps, it definitely helped me too! :) ♡
"Like, "one party is dejected and reproachful afterwards, and the other is behaving all weird" is the literal opposite of what I want for my pairings, you know? Thank goodness for all the unrelated-to-sex -- and meta/genre -- contributing factors that help to explain his reaction away!!"
Same, on both counts!
"Because then he'd have to admit he's feeding ZYL his heart's blood, and ZYL would get upset about that and refuse to drink any more? Or maybe he's (irrationally) afraid ZYL would blame him, and like anyone, he wants to put that off for as long as possible."
Yeah, I guess it was more of a rhetorical question because of course he has many emotional reasons to just put it off, just not really any practical reasons because it WILL be revealed, and he will have to deal with that, and it will be okay in the end (as much as he doesn't know the last part, obviously). The first part gets more complicated later, re: whether or not he wants Zhao Yunlan to know about the blood, but yeah, for now the assumption that he definitely doesn't is the obvious one.
no subject
Aww, I like to think he has some moments of peace and relaxation, like in chapter 12 in ZYL's office when he was reading and ZYL was making talismans, and at the SID party with the thigh pillow, and -- oh, I wonder if part of the appeal of academia is that is absorbs SW enough mentally that he's not conscious of that internal tension.
Lol yeah, I read "Shen Wei’s throat felt like it was on fire, and his Adam’s apple bobbed." and I see:
Awwww! I thought you meant the first time:
I love both those scenes so much (and then, one time Trobadora and I had a conversation about what it would take for SW to ask ZYL for compensation in return, and of course that led to ficcage :D)!
(Random aside: I am so wedded to the original subs' translation of that as "I will need some compensation", in both those scenes, that I have to mentally translate "repay me" for it to work for me, lol.)
Same, on both counts!
*high fives you*
I know you said that last question was rhetorical, but I had another thought about it, which was: maybe SW would just rather have that convo when ZYL isn't feeling sick and miserable? *pets both of them* (ZYL feeling sick and miserable the morning after their first time must be so heart-rending for SW, now I come to think of it! Ugh! This whole physical incompatibility is so unfair on both of them. :-((( )
no subject
Aw, yes, I think he finally gets to have some of these moments, and it's wonderful to see. ♡♡♡ And that's a really cool idea about academia - I hope so! I hope he picked something that makes him feel better. :) (There's a scene later in the novel where I went 'oh, so this is why he chose literature!', which I have no idea how to find anymore, lol - I don't remember enough to get the right keywords. But it was never clear to me why he chose this job in the first place, other than 'it's refined and that's who he wants to be'.)
"Awwww! I thought you meant the first time"
Oh, hah, this one also has very dramatic swallowing (I just rewatched for science :D :D), it really could be either! :D
"(and then, one time Trobadora and I had a conversation about what it would take for SW to ask ZYL for compensation in return, and of course that led to ficcage :D)"
!! Gimme gimme?? :D :D
"(Random aside: I am so wedded to the original subs' translation of that as "I will need some compensation", in both those scenes, that I have to mentally translate "repay me" for it to work for me, lol.)"
Hmm, I have the old subtitles (the ones with Snack Tribe and Deady Cat xD), and it's "repay me" in ep 15 for me, but it is "compensation" in ep 14. :D
"maybe SW would just rather have that convo when ZYL isn't feeling sick and miserable? *pets both of them* (ZYL feeling sick and miserable the morning after their first time must be so heart-rending for SW, now I come to think of it! Ugh! This whole physical incompatibility is so unfair on both of them. :-((( )"
Oh, that would also make sense! And yeah. :( This is one of the main reasons he hates himself THIS much, I think - when the only choice is harming someone he loves or staying away, and this time he didn't manage to stay away... Ouch. (I am so, so glad that they reversed it in the drama, and Shen Wei's energy is actually good/helpful for Zhao Yunlan. ♡)
no subject
Me too! No one should have to live wound that tightly all the time!!
!! Gimme gimme?? :D :D
<3 <3 <3 This one. (It's a longfic that boils down to "ZYL vs cooking." I wrote it before I'd read the novel, so it's pure drama characterisation.)
Hmm, I have the old subtitles (the ones with Snack Tribe and Deady Cat xD), and it's "repay me" in ep 15 for me
Oh, ha, it is too! I have no idea why I thought they were both "compensation". I guess I imprinted on the first one and have been importing it everywhere else ever since, lol. (Just ignore me. :D)
This is one of the main reasons he hates himself THIS much, I think - when the only choice is harming someone he loves or staying away, and this time he didn't manage to stay away...
Yeah, ZYL has successfully (and rightly) convinced him that staying away will also harm ZYL (in a breaking-his-heart way), so SW is trapped in a lose-lose situation. :-(((
(I am so, so glad that they reversed it in the drama, and Shen Wei's energy is actually good/helpful for Zhao Yunlan. ♡)
Yesss! I love that, even when ZYL's energy is really badly corrupted, SW tries to heal him with his power because his power is HEALING. <3333
no subject
:( :( :(
Yesss! I love that, even when ZYL's energy is really badly corrupted, SW tries to heal him with his power because his power is HEALING. <3333
YES! This is so good! :D
(no subject)
(no subject)
no subject
♥ ♥ ♥
ZYL feeling sick and miserable the morning after their first time must be so heart-rending for SW, now I come to think of it! Ugh! This whole physical incompatibility is so unfair on both of them. :-(((
Seriously! It sucks so much!
no subject
♥ ♥ ♥
In this case I don't even think it was in any way an intentional reference (though who knows, maybe xD), it's just my mind happily in the gutter. xD :D
I think it's just a case of excellent acting that completely embodies the character. *g*
no subject
no subject
I figure SW could probably have brought them, but whether he would have ... It's not like he wants witnesses to his confrontation with Ghost Face!
And presumably this confirms that SW was also the one to excise all the Kunlun info from the SID library?
Good catch! Yeah, looks like it.
Like, "one party is dejected and reproachful afterwards, and the other is behaving all weird" is the literal opposite of what I want for my pairings, you know?
Seriously!!!!!!
no subject
Oh, excellent point, yeah!