The Great Guardian Kink Poll

[mekare]

It's been that kind of week (also I partly blame the Iguana festival). I spent a happy commute thinking of all these options and how Shen Wei would react to the concept of kink. My main headcanon is that anything that requires trust, or expresses their mutual besottedness could be a kink for these guys.

The answer options I've chosen are not in any way exhaustive, just what first came to my mind. I do think some kinks are more likely for them than others (e.g. I can't believe that Shen Wei would enjoy any sort of pain, he's too stoic about it). It was a lot easier to come up with kink ideas for Yunlan *g*.

In the novel I believe Yunlan has a kink for BB Shen Wei's long hair? People with novel knowledge - I'd love to hear how the novel deals with kinks!

Poll #21582 The great kinky Guardian poll

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 19

Does Shen Wei know what kinks are?

No. Yunlan has to teach him (such a hardship...).
8 (44.4%)

No, and he doesn't understand the concept.
1 (5.6%)

Yes, he has heard of it.
6 (33.3%)

Yes, he knows about kinks because they are accepted and normal in Dixing.
2 (11.1%)

Yes, he has heard of underground kink clubs in Dixing but never been there.
4 (22.2%)

Something else which I'll tell you in the comments.
1 (5.6%)

What kinks have you encountered in fic/vids/art so far?

What kinks do you headcanon for Zhao Yunan?

oral fixation
17 (89.5%)

historical roleplay (aka Kunlun/BB Shen Wei)
4 (21.1%)

Black Cloak Envoy roleplay (maybe with powerplay)
17 (89.5%)

Professor/student roleplay
10 (52.6%)

dirty talk (receiving)
7 (36.8%)

dirty talk (giving)
13 (68.4%)

powerplay (obedience, submission)
11 (57.9%)

powerplay (playful disobedience and punishment)
12 (63.2%)

powerplay (collars)
5 (26.3%)

massage
5 (26.3%)

somnophilia
2 (10.5%)

bondage
9 (47.4%)

praise kink (receiving)
12 (63.2%)

voice kink (for Shen Wei's voice, or his Black Envoy voice)
14 (73.7%)

Shen Wei's suits (including ties and their various uses)
16 (84.2%)

body worship (optionally combined with bondage)
10 (52.6%)

shaving kink (receiving)
3 (15.8%)

knifeplay
5 (26.3%)

wet&messy
11 (57.9%)

rimming
8 (42.1%)

phonesex/sexting
12 (63.2%)

orgasm delay
9 (47.4%)

making Shen Wei blush or blink in that cute way he has by any means possible
16 (84.2%)

some other kink which I'll tell you in the comments
3 (15.8%)

What kinks of Zhao Yunlan's do you think Shen Wei would agree to (for love of Yunlan)?

oral fixation
13 (72.2%)

historical roleplay (aka Kunlun/BB Shen Wei)
4 (22.2%)

Black Cloak Envoy roleplay (maybe with powerplay)
10 (55.6%)

Professor student roleplay
6 (33.3%)

dirty talk (giving)
5 (27.8%)

powerplay (obedience, submission)
10 (55.6%)

powerplay (playful disobedience and punishment)
9 (50.0%)

powerplay (collars)
2 (11.1%)

massage
11 (61.1%)

somnophilia
3 (16.7%)

bondage
8 (44.4%)

praise kink (giving)
11 (61.1%)

voice kink (Black Envoy voice)
13 (72.2%)

suits (including ties and their various uses)
11 (61.1%)

body worship (optionally combined with bondage)
10 (55.6%)

shaving kink (giving)
5 (27.8%)

knifeplay
1 (5.6%)

wet&messy
5 (27.8%)

rimming
10 (55.6%)

phonesex/sexting
4 (22.2%)

orgasm delay
10 (55.6%)

some other kink which I'll tell you in the comments
1 (5.6%)

ANYTHING for Yunlan
9 (50.0%)

What kinks do you think Shen Wei would enjoy himself?

certain outfits of Yunlan (tight jeans and shirts....)
7 (36.8%)

powerplay (dominance)
9 (47.4%)

powerplay (submission)
8 (42.1%)

foot kink (for Yunlan's bare feet)
4 (21.1%)

praise kink (receiving)
9 (47.4%)

receiving body worship (optionally combined with bondage)
10 (52.6%)

giving body worship (optionally combined with bondage)
14 (73.7%)

giving service (household tasks, dressing, ...) maybe combined with praise
16 (84.2%)

massage (receiving)
8 (42.1%)

Yunlan's hands
14 (73.7%)

Yunlan's mouth
18 (94.7%)

sensation play (no or little pain)
12 (63.2%)

rimming (receiving)
4 (21.1%)

blindfolds
5 (26.3%)

bondage (optional: with his own ties)
7 (36.8%)

some other kink which I'll tell you in the comments
2 (10.5%)

Comments

[rheasilvia]

I think I am in the minority in that in my headcanon, Zhao Yunlan is neither very sexually experienced nor particularly kinky. :-) I do think he would be open to and interested in exploring a large variety of things if his partner wanted, since he is pretty much shameless. He'd also likely come up with quite a few experiments over time, but most of what I'd imagine isn't really in the realm of kink, and more regular shaking things up.;-) I don't see him going for anything that involved giving or receiving pain or injury.

Shen Wei does know what kink is in my headcanon, and isn't ignorant of the twists and turns sexuality can take. Is he interested...? I could see him being dominant in some ways. He'd agree to many things if Zhao Yunlan wanted it, but not anything, and not pain or injury, either. And BTW, this goes the other way around, too - Zhao Yunlan would also agree to a great deal if Shen Wei wanted, and might actually be far more likely to push his own boundaries than Shen Wei's.

That Shen Wei likes praise and needs to be pampered? Zhao Yunlan knows that already! :-) And he'd probably be very quick to catch on to Shen Wei's slightest hints in body language, and realize what his lover wants before Shen Wei knows himself. :-)

[lynndyre]

I agree with you. I think Zhao Yunlan talks a lot! And is super forward! But he does a lot of flirting and not a lot of consummating, until he gets to Shen Wei.

I also don't think he'd be much for pain or injury - and especially after episode 23 anything that hurts Shen Wei is going to be a serious no. OTOH, I think he might be more likely to try blindfolds after being blind- giving over and trusting himself in Shen Wei's hands is nice.

Shen Wei's kink is Kunlun/Zhao Yunlan. Liking him back. Paying attention to him. Loving him, touching him- 10,000 years of touch starvation and he was desperate for loving contact even before that. Praise kink, for sure. Being seen for who he is, instead of what he's pretending.

I think Zhao Yunlan has pinned those down- the one he's refusing to see is how much Shen Wei will give over to Zhao Yunlan's choices/commands/decisions. That aspect of Shen Wei frightens Zhao Yunlan, so he keeps laughing it off or using it to get food, but if he ever took hold of it I think Shen Wei could end up melted into the bed very easily.

[mekare]

OTOH, I think he might be more likely to try blindfolds after being blind- giving over and trusting himself in Shen Wei's hands is nice.

Oh headcanon accepted!

[rheasilvia]

especially after episode 23 anything that hurts Shen Wei is going to be a serious no

I agree completely.

And yes, I could see the blindfolds! They might well both enjoy that a lot. :-)

Shen Wei's kink is Kunlun/Zhao Yunlan.

YES to all of this! That's exactly how I see it, too. He wants to bask in Zhao Yunlan seeing him for who he truly is, and loving him for it, and being as close as possible in every possible way.

Zhao Yunlan is very careful not to push Shen Wei, I think, because he respects Shen Wei's boundaries and issues. I see that in canon in a lot of non-sexual ways, and I think it carries over.

And since Zhao Yunlan knows that Shen Wei sees himself and his wishes and needs as unimportant in some very deeply ingrained ways, I see him as trying to build Shen Wei up and teach him that it really *does* matter in the sexual realm, too. (NO, Shen Wei, not just because Zhao Yunlan enjoys himself more when he knows you *like* being covered in raw eggs, but because you should be enjoying yourself for your own sake. :-) )

[mecurtin]

Zhao Yunlan is neither very sexually experienced nor particularly kinky. :-) How does your headcanon get there from "shamelessly flirting 30-something"? I'm not doubting you, I'm just asking for your headcanon backstory about how ZYL could be "not very sexually experienced" at his age.

A lot of us look at how relaxed he is in his body and think he probably worked out his basic sexual issues years ago, through dedicated experimentation.

[rheasilvia]

This got very long, for which I apologize! :-)

Age is not in itself an indicator of sexual experience, so it never really entered my mind as a factor. As for the shameless flirting: Zhao Yunlan doesn’t actually flirt with anyone but Shen Wei. He does often try to charm people, win them over, invite them to open up to him, or tease them – but none of this is flirting, let alone flirting with intent. Take his behavior with Minister Gao in ep 12 as an extreme example; this kind of behavior is charming/ingratiating, not flirty, even when it occurs in less massive form. ;-)

There are multiple instances of Zhao Yunlan being called „cold“ – clearly a reference to his impenetrable heart, because he is not cold at all in any other way. Most importantly, Zhao Yunlan himself says (in ep 20) that he was born with a lack of love, which is his fate that he’s submitted to. This means that Zhao Yunlan has never been in love. Someone who has never fallen in love can certainly have had plenty of sex, of course. Since Zhao Yunlan is not the kind of person who would carelessly break hearts by dallying with people who have feelings for him, I am convinced he has never been in a relationship of any kind. So that leaves one-night stands and other purely sexual encounters.

It’s certainly possible that he goes this route. However: Not *once* in the entire series does Zhao Yunlan ever look at anyone (except Shen Wei) with sexual appreciation. I use the word „appreciation“ because I’m not talking about actual interest – I mean that there is not even a sign of awareness that this or that person is attractive. Not even before he truly grows interested in Shen Wei.

This, combined with the lack of other indications that Zhao Yunlan is having sex / has had sex with anyone in the past, gives me the impression that he is not very concerned with sex in the usual run of things, and perhaps not particularly interested.

So as comfortable in his own body as he is, and as free of hang-ups and inhibitions, I simply don’t see a lot of interest in seeking out casual sex – and by extension sexual experimentation - in him.

(In fact, to take it one step further, my own favored theory is that he is demisexual. But this answer is long enough already, and I kind of think I should make a post on that in my own journal rather than hijack mekare’s post. ;-) )

[mecurtin]

These are EXCELLENT points! It may be that a lot of our assumptions about Zhao Yunlan's sexuality are bleed-over from novel!ZYL, who is both quite sexually experienced and kinky.

Not *once* in the entire series does Zhao Yunlan ever look at anyone (except Shen Wei) with sexual appreciation. I use the word „appreciation“ because I’m not talking about actual interest – I mean that there is not even a sign of awareness that this or that person is attractive. Not even before he truly grows interested in Shen Wei.

And this is a *major* difference from novel!ZYL.

What do you think is going on, then, in the scene (arrgh can't remember the ep) where Shen Wei is in the lab for tests, lying there in his black singlet, and Zhao Yunlan almost kisses him?

[rheasilvia]

It may be that a lot of our assumptions about Zhao Yunlan's sexuality are bleed-over from novel!ZYL

Possibly! And I know that a lot of people simply enjoy this version of Zhao Yunlan for fanfic reasons, which is perfectly legitimate. :-) It's just not something I personally see reflected in drama canon. I'm glad my interpretation makes sense to you!

What do you think is going on, then, in the scene (arrgh can't remember the ep) where Shen Wei is in the lab for tests, lying there in his black singlet, and Zhao Yunlan almost kisses him?

That is a good question, because to be honest, I have no idea what either of them thinks they are doing in that scene (it's ep 12, btw). Why does Shen Wei let Zhao Yunlan manipulate him into volunteering when he knows the non-human readings will both torpedo Lin Jing's efforts, and provide evidence of his lack of humanity? And does Zhao Yunlan think he can still smell the beasties the Envoy splattered on Shen Wei, or is he totally dazed by Shen Wei in his sexy undershirt and just *needs* to be closer, or what...? (It doesn't look like he's going in for a kiss to me, but hey, maybe he is? Who knows!!)

I do have a headcanon on why Zhao Yunlan immediately and massively begins to flirt with Professor Shen - because I don't think he's actually hitting on him at this point, but is basically deploying a tactical response to the Professor's immensely dramatic reaction to Zhao Yunlan.

I think I really should post on this, shouldn't I. ;-)

[mecurtin]

Yes, you should post!

I do have a headcanon on why Zhao Yunlan immediately and massively begins to flirt with Professor Shen - because I don't think he's actually hitting on him at this point, but is basically deploying a tactical response to the Professor's immensely dramatic reaction to Zhao Yunlan.

This is pretty much a 180 from novel!ZYL, which is why IMHO most people haven't thought that way. But I really want to see a full post about it!

[demitas]

I would also love a post on this! I got a lot of demi(-sexual and -romantic) feels from the show in general, although because I am aroace myself I felt like maybe I was just projecting, lol.

[mekare]

I kind of think I should make a post on that in my own journal rather than hijack mekare’s post. ;-) )

No worries I don't mind comments going off in other directions! It's all super interesting to me, to explore all these possible versions of them.

[rheasilvia]

There is just so much to explore! :-) I love that, too - and I love the fandom for being so open t this kind of discussion.

No worries I don't mind comments going off in other directions!
<3

[mecurtin]

I use the word „appreciation“ because I’m not talking about actual interest – I mean that there is not even a sign of awareness that this or that person is attractive.

Possible counter-example: I'm watching ep 5, and from 10:03 on there's a convo about Jiaqi, where ZYL says "She's pretty good-looking" with a smirk. And old-Chu implies that ZYL notices because he likes women ("It's animal instinct")

eta: scratch that. goodgriefcharlie has convinced me it was a performance to get info out of Butler Wu, and that lao-Chu was teasing him about it--possibly precisely *because* it was out of character.

[rheasilvia]

I just checked the scene and I concur with goodgriefcharlie; I also think this is just part of Zhao Yunlan trying to get Butler Wu to explain why his employer's son doesn't want to marry her, when she is such an attractive woman (which, yeah, he can't actually see from where they are, as Little Guo then points out to his annoyance *g*).

I love his answer to Little Guo: "If you were a director, you'd be able to see, too." Unassailable logic! ;-) And I think that Old Chu's annoyed "what a pervert" reaction is at least partly fuelled by annoyance that Little Guo is admiring Zhao Yunlan so much. :-)

[firestar]

Oooh, I like this idea. I look forward to any post you might make on this subject. <3

[rheasilvia]

<3 I am working on it! And I'm glad you find this take on Zhao Yunlan plausible. :-)

[firestar]

It makes my little ace heart happy. <3 I mean, demi!Shen Wei can be pried out of my cold, dead hands but demi!Yunlan also works really well for me, now that the thought's in my head. XD

[extrapenguin]

Huh, interesting! IMO he has to have been in at least some relationships before Shen Wei, though – his relationship communication skills (see: that argument he has with Shen Wei after Shen Wei goes to talk to Zhao Xinci behind Yunlan's back) are much too good for someone who hasn't practiced. Some of it would come via other things, of course, but he just seems like he knows what he's doing. Given romance being a very common thing to engage in, I always supposed he discovered the impenetrability of his heart by trial and error. I await your post!

(Drama ZYL is definitely not as scandalous as novel ZYL, but given his general personality, he'd at least have gone through Haixing Pornhub's categories to check out his responses to everything.)

[rheasilvia]

Hmmm, communication skills are a more general thing, though - there's no specific communication skill applicable only in the context of a certain type of relationship. Zhao Yunlan has remarkable people and communication skills across the board (including conflict resolution), combined with almost eerily accurate insight into people's motivations and emotions. Given this, it makes absolute sense to me that he has no problems with constructive and effective communication in the context of a romantic relationship. To me this does not point to previous experience with specifically romantic relationships at all.

given his general personality, he'd at least have gone through Haixing Pornhub's categories to check out his responses to everything

I could absolutely imagine that! :-)

[extrapenguin]

Hmmm, communication skills are a more general thing, though - there's no specific communication skill applicable only in the context of a certain type of relationship.
They're general, true, but their manifestations differ in different sorts of relationships, if that makes sense? I have observed in my circle of friends that even a dude who's a good communicator in a friendship will suddenly become kinda crap when embarking in his first romantic relationship, and needs some time to figure out how to apply those skills in the new context. (Admittedly, my sample size is 2-4, depending on the communication skills threshold, and they were all younger than Zhao Yunlan is.) We didn't see that sort of learning curve with Zhao Yunlan, so he must've at least had a casual dating thing that fizzled out to exercise those muscles.

[shirasade]

It hadn't really occured to me to look at Zhao Yunlan that way (I think I've been subconsciously influenced by the widespread fanon characterisation of him as a king of one-night-stands) - but I'm always, always up for ace rep!

[rheasilvia]

He does seem to be widely regarded as the king of one-night-stands, and I understand the appeal of that kind of character! ;-) It's not something I see in drama canon, though.

I'm always, always up for ace rep!

<3 :-)

[mekare]

Zhao Yunlan is neither very sexually experienced nor particularly kinky.

I can definitely see a version of Yunlan like that. It's just, that my favourite headcanon has him experienced and kinky. But him starting to explore thinsg along with Shen Wei is also very appealing.

He'd agree to many things if Zhao Yunlan wanted it, but not anything, and not pain or injury, either.

Agreed.

[rheasilvia]

Experienced and kinky is definitely an interpretation I can go with, too! I have the impression that most people tend to go with that version of Zhao Yunlan.

But him starting to explore thinsg along with Shen Wei is also very appealing.

I do think so! :-) And this way there's also the possibility that the time-loop means they not only both fall in love with a version of the other that already loves them, but that they both have their first sexual experiences with a version of the other who already knows just what they like. :-)

[trobadora]

And this way there's also the possibility that the time-loop means they not only both fall in love with a version of the other that already loves them, but that they both have their first sexual experiences with a version of the other who already knows just what they like. :-)

Oh, I love that idea!