in conversation about white people who go to Japan and expect their knowledge of anime to culturally carry them, I was once posed with “it’s like if there was a Japanese guy who was obsessed with spongebob and came over here and thought he could get by just communicating in spongebob quotes.” This is a false equivalence because if such a man existed we would crown him king. We’d love him. Americans would fucking love that. sometimes I get sad that this isn’t a real guy I can invite to a party.
Lowkey a major fan of Luo Bing-ge receiving a 'kind Shizun' before the Bing-ge v bing-mei extra and fucking up that relationship (bonus points if Shen Yuan is a wife) and scrambling to fix it post extra. Very funny when he's begging and crying while trying to keep his pride.
Anyways about the siren twins SY & SJ w/ harpy LBH.
bbbbackground 4 SY & SJ
SY & SJ were laid on the side of a trade ship, and ended up imprinting on it when they hatched. They weren't expected to survive, their clutch only had 13 eggs hatch--and even less survived the "migration." (Where they just followed the ship along the trade routes sometimes starving for days at a time because they were worried their "mother" would leave without them if they stopped to find something to eat.)
The count from the clutch dwindled down to two. Shen Jiu and Shen Yuan. Right well SY & SJ went undetected for a few months, adapting to the way of their 'mother' and being able to go on long stretches of time without eating as they grew. Life wasn't...good, but it was enough. Up until Shen Jiu caught himself tangled in a net.
He had been able to slice through with his claws, there was no way that flimsy thing could survive his claw-work. He wasn't rattled by it or anything, just noted it down and let his brother know to avoid that area in the future. Unfortunately, his little escape proved to be more detrimental than just getting himself caught. Once whoever owned that net pulled it up saw the gaping hole in it, they made it their goal to catch just whatever it was that made such a hole. Unfortunately for the inexperienced clueless siblings, the person was very much a professional and ended up catching them with relative ease.
Shen Jiu still remembered the day. He felt stupid looking back on it now, calling for his “mother” as if the ship would magically come to their rescue. The first time they’d been captured, they escaped with ease—nobody expected the siblings to be able to grow legs, not even them. They’d been taken quite far from the sea though, there was no returning to it. So they lived in the streets, learning human words, mannerisms, trying their best to adapt to human life as children living on the streets.
They weren’t the only non-humans on the street, no. Qi-ge was there. Yue Qi was a tiangou (cool little funky dog guy). Yue Qi’s fortune didn't make life on the streets easier, but with 3 people instead of two life was bound to get better somewhat. Life still wasn’t good, but they all had each other… Until Shen Yuan got sick. His skin was itchy and his scales were popping off like there was no tomorrow (he’s just going through puberty but they don’t know that) and eventually SY just turns into a straight up fish and it’s up to Shen Jiu and Yue Qi to find something that’ll help him.
Disaster strikes when in canon compliant format Shen Jiu gets captured (he sends SY off with YQY). He spends three grueling years at the manor, waiting for the duo to return and save him… This time when Shen Jiu snaps his first thought isn’t “they’ve abandoned me.” No, Shen Jiu knew his brother would never do such a thing. His first thought is “something’s happened to them.”
Anyways in typical SJ fashion he tries to get stronger, meets his shitty master, is saved by YQY and joins the peak. (SY’s been living in a spiritual stream and has been learning how to switch forms for a while.) Upon seeing YQY fine and dandy SJ now starts to think they’ve abandoned him and is very prickly until he confronts SY about it (YQY told SJ where SY was) and he learns that SY & YQY did search for him but they were a day late and by the time they got there the manor was gone.
It’s from his brother that SJ learns what’s happened to YQY. Instead of letting go of his grudge now SJ’s mad that YQY can’t find it in himself to give SJ the reason why they were late. SJ’s not even upset that he was late, he’s upset because YQY kept it from him and if SY hadn’t told him SJ would be living with misplaced resentment for the rest of his life.
At my own graduation and that's not about to stop me from writing yaoi (but these press ons might)
SVSSS omegaverse spinoff mamaLIU where Shen Yuan is the result of a one night stand between omega SQQ and omega LQG (false mating, it's super rare to get pregnant though).
SQQ isn't aware of the child until one day LQG drops off a child that is the spitting image of him to the bamboo hut. He's like "Shen Qingqiu I'll be gone for a week" and SQQ's jaw is on the floor.
Mu Qingfang asked, messing around with Shen Yuan’s hand. The claws of his hand seemed to extend when he flexed his fingers, similar to a cat in functionality but different in useage. While a cat’s claws are primarily for climbing, Shen Yuan’s claws were jagged at the end, most likely to tear enemies and prey apart.
“No? And what does this have to do with my claws?”
Shen Yuan spoke as Mu Qingfang squeezed a joint on his finger, watching the healer extend and retract his claws with the help of his anatomy.
“What are your claws for? I assumed that they were for climbing due to how similar they are to the claws of a feline, but these jagged edges hint at a more combat oriented focus, no?”
Shen Yuan pulled one of his hands away, squinting at his own claws in inspection.
“They are mostly used for scaling the sides of steep volcanoes and transversing volcanic terrain but… Since I came to the human realm I guess I haven’t really been taking care of them.”
Shen Yuan rubbed his nails together, grinding away at the jagged edges of his nail. Mu Qingfang looked surprised for a brief moment before he gave Shen Yuan a disapproving stare, watching the demon sheepishly retract the claws of one hand with a soft ‘click.’
“In my defense, I haven’t really needed to use them. There’s no need to climb much here, nothing tough to grind it on.”
Mu Qingfang raised an eyebrow, and met Shen Yuan’s gaze.
“Shen Yuan, are you asking for a scratching post?”
Shen Yuan snorted yet didn’t seem too opposed to the idea, turning his focus back to grinding his nails until they were even.
“I’m not saying I need one..”
“Yet you’re not saying you don’t,”
Mu Qingfang replied, finishing Shen Yuan’s sentence as he pulled what seemed to be a nail file out of his sleeve.
“Do you just carry that around?”
Mu Qingfang took Shen Yuan’s hands into his own, testing different angles with the file pressed to the nail.
“Something small and inconspicuous like this can be useful in times of need. You should be well aware of that fact.”
“Well I suppose—No, lower. If you do it like that they’ll be crooked…I suppose you did always have a way of escaping your bindings.”
Shen Yuan thought back to their first meeting. It had been on much less-friendly terms. If it weren’t for his chilling curiosity Shen Yuan would have probably died by now.
“Here?”
Mu Qingfang’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. Shen Yuan looked at his claws and squinted his eyes, adjusting them himself before giving Mu Qingfang a nod.
"There's good."
Mu Qingfang just got to work, a domestic silence falling between the two of them as Shen Yuan found himself lost in his thoughts once again, this time wondering what other tools Mu Qingfang might've had on him during their first meeting.
Disciple au MuYuan where (head disciple) MQF is kidnapped while he’s on a mission and is held hostage by a group of demons. SY (not transmigrated) is a young demon underling who’s only there because his special interest is now humans instead of beasts. Growing up with the demonic culture means that Shen Yuan’s standard for common sense is different. All Shen Yuan knows about humans is through novels (shitty novels in his opinion, if it were him in these scenarios then…)
Anyways so cut to MQF locked up in a room, bound by immortal binding cables. It’s been about a week of him being kidnapped (he won’t be kidnapped for much longer) and MQF is rather surprised to find that one of the demons is rather pleasant to be around. Of course MQF’s guard is still up but… Looking at the demon jotting down notes about the things Mu Qingfang has helped clarify about humans, MQF doesn’t really think it’s necessary.
“No way that’s true, I’m not that naive”
Shen Yuan said as his charcoal pencil stopped moving in his notebook, looking at Mu Qingfang with an accusatory stare. Mu Qingfang just nodded his head in response, clarifying that yes, humans can eat rocks. Shen Yuan looked as if he’d never heard of a more absurd lie.
“Open your mouth, let me see”
Shen Yuan leaned forward, watching as Mu Qingfang complied and let Shen Yuan peer into his mouth.
“Your teeth are way too flat for that, there’s not even a chip. You absolutely don’t eat rocks!”
This debate had been sparked by Shen Yuan bringing Mu Qingfang some herbs and Mu Qingfang requesting a bit of meat in return. Shen Yuan’s eyes sparkled as he asked if this was one of the weird herbivore-meat-cravings that humans seemed to have. He looked baffled when Mu Qingfang said that humans were omnivores. This of course spiraled into a long chat about what humans can and can’t eat, and Mu Qingfang absentmindedly mentioning salt.
“Of course, not only are they special rocks, but there’s also a special way to eat the rocks. The rich especially enjoy eating them in particular.”
“How would you digest that? Do the rocks not sit in your stomachs?”
“Of course not, the acid—”
“Acid? I wasn’t aware that humans could spit acid…”
“Spit? I mean maybe if one was unwell. No, the acid normally sits in our stomachs.”
“All the time?”
“For most of our lives.”
“You’re definitely lying now!”
Shen Yuan shut his book and looked at Mu Qingfang as if he’d grown two heads. Humans are such interesting creatures.
…
Anyways when MQF is saved he practically begs to bring this young demon back to “study.” Eventually the pls cave and let SY into the sect with the conditions that his demonic power is bound at all times and always escorted by MQF or someone else. It’s a win in SY’s book because he didn’t die and is learning a ton about humans.
Further context : SY’s race of demon is very heat orientated, with a high body temperature (with heat focused points such as the mouth and genitalia xd)
This species of demon doesn’t have stomach acid. They do have fluids in the stomach, but rather than acid it’s something more of a hot water-liquid that helps rid anything they eat of parasites and/or impurities. They have a high body temperature and normally eat fire and meat.
This bodily function does mean that the species tends to prefer raw meat since most cooked meat ends up burned by the time they’ve finished chewing it and the taste of burnt stuff isn’t as good as the taste of cooked food. Fatty meat is also preferred since muscle protein doesn’t really melt.
Oh since most of their food melts in the stomach without needing to be disposed of they’ve evolved without the waste-removal aspect of the digestive tract.
This makes them the ideal henchmen for other demon because the cost of keeping them is low, they don’t really need to feed them food since they can eat fire, and they grow up pretty fast. Does this mean they don’t have buttholes? Well originally I’d say yes but then I was like meh that’s so weird to think about so like…
No they don’t have buttholes, but instead has another reproductive organ there (all demons of the species are intersex)
I love the idea of Shen Yuan wrongly interpreting the original goods Shen Qingqiu's appearance and replicating it wrong.
He wore eyeliner around his eyes -> Shen Yuan wears it on his lower eyelids, it opens his eyes a little more and makes him look kinder, but the original goods wore it on his upper eyelids for a sharper, meaner look;
His hair is neatly tied back -> Shen Yuan has bangs, but the original goods didn't let a single hair strand escape to his forehead;
He has an aloof and cold exterior -> Shen Yuan expresses very little emotion, but the original goods actually scowled and frowned a lot, cold was what people felt whenever he looked at them.
We have canonical confirmation that Shen Jiu pretended to read most of the time while not actually reading (going so far as to not even realize a book was upside down), so I think it would also be funny if Shen Yuan started talking to people about Qing Jing Peak's books and everyone kind of looked at him, because since when does he do that?
Very silly SVSSS AU/fic prompt just thought of, that if LBH was one to escorts SQQ to prison he takes one look at Shizun in immortal binding cables about to put in dark dank cell (when he's clearly not well, he's so thin) and also surrounded by acid when LBH knows SQQ gets into situations and could end up getting hurt in some way.
He wants Shziun somewhere he can't escape that he can talk to him..... but starts having second thoughts standing there with him, especially because of the disrespect and whispers of Huan Hua cultivators who will be guarding him.
Then realizing.... the noble cultivator thing isn't working, Shziun still ran from him... what good is Huan Hua/ or any of this charade?
He can clear SQQ name at trial but then SQQ may leave to Qing Jing peak.... maybe without him.
And he already has Shizun in immortal binding cables... unable to escape...and with charges unable to return to human sects...
The Huan Hua guards confused as LBH is just standing there before scooping SQQ in bridal carry demon mark revealing itself as he cuts a hole and reality and walks though.
LBH deicdiding the best rooms in the palace are a far better worthy prison for SQQ to stay in while they talk and with not having to play part of human cultivator LBH can focus on dotting on SQQ and getting him to talk to him. Making him food, getting him gifts and robes....maybe planning a wedding.
Bonus no annoying rivals or Huan hua disciples.
Just him and Shizun.
SQQ not sure what's happened to the plot, system seems oddly happy though so he's worried... at least Binghe is taking his time maybe the mushroom body will work and bonus he gets to eat Binghe's food again. Who cares if he's poisoned it he's going to die anyway and already has blood parasites.
While the weirdest courtship is happening human cultivation world in shambles as Cang Qiong is convinced Huan hua killed SQQ, no one believes magic portal sword.
All out chaos... while LBH is staring at SQQ with heart eyes while SQQ sits anxiously staring at pile of courting gifts doing mental gymnastics worthy of a gold medal
Bonus: LBH tells MBJ he's done with sects lets secure demon realm so no cultivators can stumble in and find Shizun.
MBJ:...so you don't need anything from sects.
LBH: Nope
MBJ:*Creating portal to pick up SQH and bring him to demon realm as spying no longer needed now Qinghua can spend all his time here*
Dante moves to Gotham for a fresh start and opens a bakery called
"Dante's Infer-dough" (because he's a pun-loving, quippy dork, no matter how cool or mysterious he acts). He uses his powers to do most of the work (heat core/pyrokinesis for baking & duplication to run the place single-handedly where no one can see).
He also gets ingredients from the Infinite Realms that you can't get on Earth, from Realm-exclusive ingredients to things that are extinct. Super cagey about his recipes, for obvious reasons, but tries to be accommodating to people who need to know the ingredients for health reasons.
Has a sign that says, "START SOMETHING AND I'LL END IT." He doesn't care if you're a civilian, vigilante or rogue, if you cause problems he will HAVE a problem. There's a "NO CLOWNS OR CIRCUS/CARNIVAL SHIT" rule, but he'll allow Harley in if she's not dressed up in her costume.
Red Hood decides to check out the new business, make sure it's not a cover-up for something sinister. I'm a sucker for the whole "gives ecto-infused food to liminal who doesn't know they're liminal" thing, so let's have Dante warm up to the guy and start adding ectoplasm to his orders because he clearly needs it.
Does Red Hood start to fall for the mysterious beefy baker who makes heavenly food? None of your damn business! Do you know who else should mind their business? His family! They noticed his shift in demeanor and are now "subtly" investigating Dante and the bakery out of curiosity. Dante is kinda annoyed that all these vigilantes are sniffing around, because he has to be more careful to not be caught using his powers, but holds to his rule of not starting conflicts.
Just ending them.
Things I can see happening in no particular order:
The Batfam losing it when they realize they can't identify some of the ingredients, or that the only match is a food that doesn't exist anymore. Who is this guy and where is he getting this from???
Red Hood trying to strike up a convo about books (the bakery name is literally a reference), only to be heartbroken when Dante admits to not like reading. He bounces back when Dante explains that he struggled with it in school and an asshole English teacher ruined the subject for him. Red Hood is now determined to fix Dante's relationship with literature
Maybe afterwards he installs a little bookshelf in the bakery and Red Hood falls even further
Dante getting to square the fuck up with someone who breaks his very simple rules of "be chill & no clown shit". No one's really shocked by it, this is Gotham and the guy is clearly jacked. People are still impressed by his clear fighting skill. Mostly Hood. The Batfam are adding this to the list of "BAKERY MAN ODDITIES"
Dante side-eyes Nightwing whenever he's in the bakery, because he may not be in the circus now, but Dante can practically smell it on him. If he does anything too circus-y Dante glares at him and taps the sign. The guy is on thin fucking ice.
Anyways, that's what I've got for now, I might come back to this later.
SY transmigrates into a timid NPC who was supposed to be set dressing to prove how cruel Bai Zhan disciples could be. An "initiation" for a new outer disciple turned hazing turned "unfortunate mistake" ... the poor kid couldn't keep up with the rowdiness of the other disciples and died due to a mishap.
The worst thing was that the kid wasn't dead on impact. The other Bai Zhan disciples didn't realize he was injured, and the kid died due to not getting medical attention in time.
How nasty, how cruel... SY had been furious when he read about it at the time, but it had been presented as an event from the past, a "one time the Bai Zhan disciples even did this," so it wasn't like he knew any details.
Now that he had transmigrated in... with a dull throb in the back of his head, SY understood how the Bai Zhan disciples "accidentally" left the kid alone.
The Bai Zhan disciples were still horrible terrors and hazing the newbies is a bad thing to do, don't get him wrong, but ... it might be understandable why the other disciples mistook their strength on a very new, barely cultivating new disciple.
After all, the only reason such a timid guy made it onto Bai Zhan was because he possessed freakish superhuman strength. Even without cultivating!
Too used to others with that kind strength being more durable, how could these dimwits realize that a simple knock on the head could kill him?
Of course you couldn't, they're too dumb ... not that SY was going to let them get away with it now that he was here!
Getting up, SY started sullenly walking away from the rowdy rabble.
"Hey, where are you going?! How do you think you're going to last on Bai Zhan if you're running away so easily?!"
The rest of the disciples began to jeer, and SY's head was throbbing. From the fall or the noise, didn't matter.
With an oh so sinisterly sweet smile plastered on his face, SY turned.
For some reason, a shiver ran down the belligerent disciple's spine. This annoyingly timid guy was suddenly ... a little terrifying.
"Where am I going? Why, I'm going to Qian Cao Peak, Shixiong. After all, I haven't started cultivating yet, I can't take so many hits. It would be terrible if Bai Zhan's newest disciple died because his shixiongs didn't know how to control their strength - how terribly would that reflect on the abilities of Bai Zhan Peak?"
Everyone involved in the outer disciples' impromptu initiation gets in major trouble, especially as SY, bandage on his head and a doctor's Qian Cao healer's note on extreme disapproval of the situation, points out that "making a mistake" like this again would be a disaster on a mission.
"Certainly they forgot that I am still no more than a mortal because of my strength, but what if it's a demon or beast they're hunting? Will they let down their guard because it seemed weak? Or if a target they're escorting is decent with a sword, would they forget to guard him properly because they think he can handle himself? Lord of Bai Zhan Peak, please consider that as righteous cultivators, the mind should be as agile and sharp as the sword. Or should we wait until our own swords tear through our bonds as martial siblings and shred Cang Qiong's righteousness to pieces?"
Bai Zhan Peak Lord: ... Did a kid from Qing Jing end up here by mistake? And why is this ball of potential relegated to an outer disciple?
(The original kid was too timid so he was dismissed as a fringe disciple despite his strength. In this au, only the Peak Lord's personal disciples can call him Shizun, since outer/fringe disciples would likely never be taught by the Peak Lord. Only when they showed promise would they be selected by a shizun, and even then it might not be the Peak Lord but another elder.)
The BZ Peak Lord is intrigued by SY's demeanor and makes him an inner disciple, although still not one of his personal disciples.
With better resources and guidance, SY's own exceptional abilities in cultivation (cough*transmigratorcheats*cough), and the original's superhuman strength, SY grows to be one of the strongest and craftiest Bai Zhan disciple in less than half a year.
You bet the BZ Peak Lord snapped him up as a personal disciple before any of the elders could.
SY gets used to, and even has some fun with BZ's culture. Growing stronger and training his own body to be more efficient is fun! And sparring is even more fun! Messing around with the boys (and girls omg; BZ shijies are as bad or worse than the guys) and causing mischief is fun too! He never got to be an irl gremlin in his past life.
Buuuut he still finds some parts to be too barbaric for his tastes. Just like jokes are only funny when both parties laugh, spars, roughhousing, and pranks are only fun when both sides are into it, okay?
SY never participates in his martial siblings' hazing of the other peaks, preferring to go night hunting instead (such cool monsters!).
Most of the time his fellow disciples understood, since SY is the youngest disciple (13) almost ever to be allowed to go solo night hunting (he's the only young disciple the BZ Peak Lord and elders have agreed won't run out and get himself killed immediately), but it's weird when he never participates in this pastime.
Eventually some jealous, but not overly malicious, disciple decides to heckle and make fun of SY for being too chicken or too much of a goody two-shoes (which is the worst thing you can be in a group of rowdy boys), and SY puts down his monster-spotting journal and raises an eyebrow.
(The kid understood he'd made a huge mistake the instant he sees it.)
SY eviscerates him and all the other jealous or more ill-minded disciples hanging around trying to pressure him into raiding An Ding. They feel like even their ancestors in their graves felt it.
Not to mention, SY is widely known throughout all of Cang Qiong as a Qing Jing disciple clad in a Bai Zhan disciple's skin (and yes the QJ Peak Lord tries to poach him from time to time), so no one else on BZ Peak can match SY's abilities in tongue lashing.
The short (and more pleasantly worded) version of his scathing review of their behavior is that SY wasn't going to stop them from doing it, but he's looked down on them for their infantile hobbies for a while now. Since BZ Peak is known as the strongest in swordsmanship and fighting, how uncouth was it to go around forcing fights on others to prove a point.
Like rogues on the street with no future, they can only prove their worth by beating everyone up and smiling to say, "See? I'm still strong," but the only motivator is truly their own insecurity at their worthlessness.
Trying to tear down others with brute force because they can't compare to their other martial siblings in anything else... what dreadfully dull people. This sort of exercise in futility only serves to form them into those petty tyrants whose only form of existence is to be hated and disgusted by their very presence.
They want him to raid An Ding? Sure. Then let him show them how it's really done.
(Again, this is MY version of SY's tirade. He's really let his inner internet gremlin out in his time at BZ, so HIS words are a lot more crude and uh... yeah. Several of the disciples are now crying from how rudely and thoroughly he tore them down.)
SY takes the whole group to An Ding and grabs an An Ding disciple, asks the terrified disciple if he has time, and then proposes that the An Ding disciple pick something, anything, and they would compete.
The An Ding disciple is confused, but doesn't look like he's gonna be beat up so he goes with it. With a bit of a petty streak, he has this overconfident BZ brat compete with him in inventorying the storehouse the entire peak's been avoiding for ages.
SY: are you serious.
SY, a bit more politely than he is with his BZ martial siblings (although not by much), explains why this is not a good competition, since there will be no definitive criteria to finish by.
Another passing An Ding disciple, an older inner AD disciple, is intrigued and he and SY draft up the rules.
The original An Ding disciple and SY each get half the storeroom. Whoever can produce an organized inventory list that makes it possible for this inner An Ding disciple to confirm the contents in the least amount of time possible is the winner.
SY, with his modern table-making knowledge for clarity and super strength for reorganizing everything easily, smokes the An Ding disciple.
This leads to a bunch of challenges by An Ding disciples (since there's a crowd of them now) who are a little butthurt that a Bai Zhan brute of all people could beat them at what they do best.
SY entertains a few of them (math, accounting, a footrace), before losing to a high-level formation carving contest. He politely thanks An Ding Peak for this informative Peak Exchange and takes his leave.
(SY's competitive streak has been ignited after his years at BZ; he wants to learn formation engraving now!)
Seeing the An Ding disciples frustrated that they could only best SY in a very unfair contest (BZ doesn't teach formations or even stone carving) despite competing in things they were confident of, the BZ disciple tagalongs can't help thinking that SY is SO COOL. (Except for the ones who are bitter and jealous of SY.)
He was right; forget just overpowering their other peak martial siblings, it's way cooler to beat them at things they do best!
Now sure, they can't just march in like their shi(di/xiong) and say, "Pick any contest and I'll win," but with some preparation...
The BZ Peak Lord returns from his latest mission to find his peak... a little different.
The rambunctious little radish heads are... studying things?
It was too much to say that they were "scholarly," but the younger disciples, even the outer ones, are no longer just fighting and causing trouble with no direction.
He looked at SY: "...What did you do?"
"Why does Shizun assume I did anything?"
"..."
SY just chuckled. "Shizun, I know BZ Peak believes that finding the limitation of the flesh and constant tempering among the disciples will cause them to mature and grow as people, but that only works for those who are committed to The Way in cultivation. Even among the elders, who can truly admit to never desiring power over others? A little bit of education outside of constantly fighting won't hurt their chances of becoming righteous cultivators."
BZ Peak Lord: Are you sure you're just 13?
A very young XF/SQH(6), not yet Head Disciple, is surprised a BZ disciple knows modern accounting, and the cumplane "Wait a sec, you're..." meeting happens a lot earlier.
Less SY bullying SQH than normal though, on the account that SQH is 6.
At the age of 16/17 SY starts running around off the peak a lot more, indulging in his desires to make a detailed and thorough monster journal (the beast peak lord has joined the QJ peak lord in trying to poach SY. The BZ peak lord is so tired...)
He gets in a tiff with a group of slvers who were also poaching and ruining a very valuable ecosystem, inadvertently freeing several groups of children who were forced to beg for them.
Uh... crap, he can't just leave them by themselves...
SY irresponsibly just drops them off at Cang Qiong, and although not all of them will be suitable for cultivation, his martial siblings and elders will figure it out.
He books his ass as far away from Cang Qiong immediately after dropping the kids off and sending a transmission, eager to avoid his shizun's constant subtle implications on making him Head Disciple.
SY continues traveling far and wide, only returning years later when he's satisfied. Like a decade later.
SQH is now 19 and Head Disciple of An Ding (and had rescued MBJ earlier than in the book, allowing the kid to avoid HHP altogether), the QJ Peak Lord is smug while showing off her own smart Shen disciple (who recognizes SY as that guy who freed them and brought them to CQ), and his own Shizun had reluctantly appointed a new Head Disciple, who is now obsessed with fighting him.
Aw geez, Shizun, you gave him a complex and now he feels like he has to defeat me to earn the right to be the Head Disciple! That's terrible for his mental state in his formative years!
LQG: Does not actually have a complex, he's just heard about this elusive smart and strong shixiong this entire time and has become inexplicably obsessed with seeing SY for himself. Doesn't help that SY showed up with a pseudo wyvern 4xs SY's size, still alive and trussed up as a gift for the beast peak, slung over his shoulder.
LQG's obsession only grows after fighting SY and he wants to fight all the time, win or lose.
The demon war and TLJ/SXY situation still happens like PIDW, but the story is derailed when LBH makes it to CQM.
SQQ without his Qiu manor arc is a lot less interested in being petty over every little thing (he's still petty, but more for personal amusement now), so he basically doesn't even notice LBH since he's looking for potential scholars.
LBH ends up on Qiong Ding (this absolutely does cause a tiny bit of drama between YQY and SQQ some years later, but more of a jealous wifey spat, nothing major), and SY and SQH are left confused.
With SQQ choosing to keep all the details of his past hidden and pretending he doesn't recognize SY as their rescuer (anyway SY forgot about that incident), the two transmigrators can't figure out what happened.
Eventually they're too busy dealing with their persistent suitors (not that either of them realize) to dig into the situation and everyone lives happily ever after.
(LBH gets a crush on YQY during puberty, but feels terrible ruining the relationship between YQY and SQQ (he didn't, it was the best make up sx YQY had ever had) so he tries to reign it in. No one gets dragged into his dreamscape, and when the Immortal Alliance happens, SQQ is shocked but fights off the Old Palace Master, because dammit that's his husband's favorite disciple, half demon be damned, and only his husband gets to decide what happens to him! LBH gets a Shimu now.)
(MBJ just shows up, makes a fuss, and leaves very anticlimactically. SQH is confused, but a much less bitter MBJ with a hamster supporting him just sneaks over and cuddles him, telling him it was sooo hard and he hates HHP.)
(SY does take to LBH, of course, but he is SO much older than everyone so there isn't even the slightest hint of romantic inclination - from SY's end. LBH is horrified that he's such a horndog (it's ok baby, it's just puberty), and he keeps going after Peak Lords's love interests (but damn Peak Lord Liu is also fine...) ... but without Xin Mo he is able to grow up well and safely, falling in love with Shen Shimu's Head Disciple. Oh yeah he realized he was gay pretty easily when he wasn't confusing kindness for love.)
Normally I just ignore yaoi from fandoms I'm not in but when Spirk crosses my dash I always take a moment to appreciate it out of respect for our founding fujoshis
1. The court holds Google responsible for statements made by its AI, considering them Google's statements (search engines have limited liability for results in their engine as they're the words of other sites/companies/people), meaning when their AI lies/hallucinates they're liable for the defamation/harm resulting from those statements.
2. Google's defense that customers are generally aware of the lack of reliability and are responsible for fact checking was dismissed. As the court pointed out, that would "significantly diminish" AI Search's stated purpose and it can't be distinguished from Google's business practices/statements as a search tool.
3. Studies have found about 91% of Google's everyday AI responses are accurate, leaving millions of searches per HOUR with potential liability for falsehoods. 56% of correct responses weren't supported by the sources the AI listed. Both of which mean Google is now liable for a LOT more AI "errors."
4. Google was held liable for 80% of court costs in this case and this precedent is expected to reverberate around the world. This is a massive shift from the 3rd-party search provider role Google has previously played and it comes right as they've tied ALL searches to their AI search.
So, I sent this to my partner (works in tech, uses AI heavily for work, has seen a large number of coworkers let go for not using AI heavily enough), who was very pleased to see Google stepping in it like this.
The Justice League was too late. The cult had successfully completed their summoning ritual, and a figure began to emerge from the crackling green rift in the air
A teenage boy in a black jumpsuit, holding a clipboard and a pen.
The figure barely seemed to pay attention and just launched into a rehearsed speech, tone bored. “Thank you for summoning the Ghost King. Due the influx of summonings, he is unavailable at the moment. I’m Phantom, and I’ll be serving as your intercessor for the time being. I am authorized to act on His Majesty’s behalf, but any larger scale actions may have a short wait time before they can go through—just a few decades at most.” His voice then picked up, tone casual. “So… whatcha looking for?”
Then he did a double take, the chaotic scene he’s appeared in finally seeming to register in his mind.
“…Err, which ones of y’all specifically performed the summoning? I need it for the file.”
Reformed Pariah Dark, with adopted Danny. Look, you try doing the paperwork to rule an infinite set of realms. Let's see how long before you go mad from having to mediate territory disputes and annexation paperwork. Phantom refused the crown that he earned, and instead fixated on a bit of star-dusted paperwork (look, it had an accurate diagram of the Cassiopia constellation and all the astral bodies within. What did you expect?)
In exchange for regulations on how many ghosts can come through the portal to cause problems, and a better system for keeping track of who just wants to visit the living rralm for non-problem-causing reasons, Danny is doing a decent chunk of paperwork, including aiding with sorting summons. Bonus, he gets all the space stationary his heart and core could ever desire!
So... Pariah Dark got an assistant to help with paperwork, access to amateur therapy, and someone to thin out the stress-inducing unpredictable summonings, for the low, low price of getting his ass beat by a baby ghost who then DID NOT want the crown.
