Excellent. Now that I have my guaranteed audience of 3, let's begin.
First off, this is an omegaverse au because the rituals of it tantalize me. Also mpreg reasons, I won't lie to you.
It's canon divergence at Jinlan City, post-abyss, pre-watee prison.
SQQ has never presented, the original goods in canon was assumed to be a pretty bitter beta, instead of what he actually was: so mentally and physically stressed that his body refused to make itself vulnerable by having a presenting heat/rut. Now, SY!SQQ has been more relaxed for awhile now, (excluding, ya know, the IAC and the widow years but even that is better than Mr. PTSD himself Shen Jiu) so when he runs into grown up Alpha Luo Binghe, smelling like cinnamon and warmth and comfort and honestly home-
Despite SQQ's fears, he slips into a presentation heat. He hurts and he feels alone and he has horrible cramps and he's not at home and he's confused-
By the time Binghe comes to his inn room that night, SQQ's so retreated into his instincts/nest that he doesn't care or notice Binghe's presence until he's close enough to smell.
And he wants. So, of course, Binghe is dragged into SQQ'S nest. He tries to be respectful (protect his maiden heart) by leaving but SQQ refuses to let him, just keeps growling whenever he tries and purrs when he stays. Binghe stays.
Nothing happens at first, just a lot of scent marking and cuddling. In the morning, SQQ wakes to find Binghe in his nest and panics, practically shoving Binghe out. Binghe, despite himself, is caught off guard so much that he bursts into tears on the spot. Which makes SQQ panic even more, his new scent of matcha tea desperately trying to soothe (his) Alpha. Which makes Binghe cry even more.
Eventually, words are said, SQQ half delirious in his heat begging for forgiveness and punishment in the same breath, Binghe sobbing because he's both so loved and so feared and he didn't plan for this-
To the rest of Cang Qiong Sect, it's all quite sudden, one minute Beta SQQ is constantly in grief and alone, the next, he's an omega smelling of pure joy and love, clutching to his miraculously alive disciple.
Binghe defends SQQ and offends the OPM when he tries to get SQQ arrested, using his charm and well pointed arguments (protagonist halo) to protect SQQ.
They return to Qing Jing and it's barely a season before they're married. Of course, to Bingqiu, their relationship didn't develop so fast, there was a lot of arguments and miscommunication along the road and they were not even close to the end of it but the important thing was that they were walking it together.
Now, before we get to the tragic part, let's check on Bingliushen part.
There's no five years of dead SQQ so no hate really grows between Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe. Talking his feelings out with his Shizun/husband makes Binghe realize the jealousy he felt as a boy was two sided; he wasn't just jealous of Liu Qingge and his closeness with Shizun, he also wanted Omega Liu Qingge's attention himself.
Binghe didn't just want Shizun, he wanted his Liu-Shishu and that delicious vanilla scent. Binghe is determined to do this right so he begins attempting to court Liu Qingge properly, his Shizun assisting (but insisting he was only gay for his husband (he still has some shit to work through.)).
Liu Qingge isn't sure what to do with this attention on him. Luo Binghe was just a boy, young and brimming with potential, and now he's here, a man with desire in his eyes and a sharp grin on his face. He isn't sure how to feel about it, so he doesn't.
Things officially start going to shit when Luo Binghe's demon status is revealed. SQQ does it as quickly and as casually as he can, tossing out the benefits of having the literal demon emperor on his side. Enough of the higher up peak lords react well enough to keep the entire sect from freaking out but YQY in particular is unsettled, having faced Tianlang-Jun himself.
Which is when the OPM inserts himself.
He acts like the wronged party, trying to help YQY save his Xiao Jiu Qingqiu-shidi, telling YQY about how manipulative alpha heavenly demons are, about how Huan Hua Palace lost their brightest star to the last one and how YQY must act swiftly and decisively before Binghe drives SQQ to the same end his father lead Su Xiyan.
YQY, of course, doesn't trust OPM completely but his own jealousy and genuine concern for SQQ overrides that distrust. It is odd, SQQ's sudden presentation, their quick relationship development, how LBH had started digging his claws into HHP only to switch to CQS, how he was going after, of all people, yet another peak lord, how accepting SQQ and Qing Jing are in general of a heavenly demon- and didn't SQQ's personality drastically change once he started taking Binghe under his wing?
YQY prepares to take down another heavenly demon, enlisting the help of his peak lords. Some refuse to help, insisting YQY actually talk to SQQ and Binghe (Mu Qingfang) and others accidentally revealing their 'true' loyalty (Shang Qinghua), but others agree to help (Liu Qingge).
The ambush is sprung when Binghe is visiting to try and court LQG, he usually came alone.
Binghe was caught off guard, what felt like all of Cang Qiong rising up to attack him. Despite Xin Mo's starved demands and his own honest fear for his life, Binghe still wasn't fighting at his all; he didn't want to hurt his sect or the people his Shizun considered family.
Despite YQY's best attempts to keep him out of it, SQQ arrived on the scene, warned by his system of a threat to his Happily Ever After, an achievement rewarded not long after Bingqiu's marriage.
SQQ's appearance admittedly worsens the situation, now both YQY and Binghe frantic to win.
When Xin Mo sends Binghe into a deviation, YQY gains the upper hand. SQQ tries to intervene but LQG holds him back as YQY practically tears Binghe to ribbons. SQQ collapses in LQG's arms as the system declares the mission failed and the HEA lost before going into hibernation.
Despite Binghe being in literal pieces, this isn't enough to kill a heavenly demon so YQY has the pieces spread far and wide and buried.
YQY eagerly awaits when SQQ wakes up, hoping the man has reverted to his old self, freed of the demon's influence.
The SQQ that awakens is bitter and snappy and altogether rather unpleasant to be around, just like the SQQ of old, but he is like that in defense of the demon. Either it takes more time... or YQY failed.
YQY refuses to believe that and has Mu Qingfang check SQQ for any ill influence. It is during this examination that it's discovered SQQ is pregnant, with Binghe's child. Well, that explains it, doesn't it? As long as the parasite remains, so will the demon's influence.
But SQQ refuses to rid himself of the child and Mu Qingfang refuses to participate in this whole thing, especially forcing an abortion on SQQ, and YQY isn't trusted or allowed in SQQ'S house so he ask LQG for help. OPM lends YQY the abortifacient, of course, don't ask why he had it on hand or anything.
LQG awkwardly agrees and visits SQQ with some totally normal tea, which SQQ stares at before drinking and then asking to tell LQG a story.
He tells LQG about a cultivator who fell in love with a heavenly demon and became pregnant. About how her master found out and trapped her and poisoned her, in the hopes of killing the fetus. How the cultivator escaped and died, absorbing the poison so her child might live. How when SQQ dies, due to the same choice, the same sacrifice for his treasure, he hopes LQG knows he killed SQQ.
LQG flees the bamboo house, ashamed.
YQY's actions have drastic consequences, beyond his grieving and furious shidi. The fragile peace SQQ and Binghe were building between the human realm and the demon realm shatters with the slaughter of their emperor.
Shang Qinghua renounces his sect for the attack on Binghe and then swears vengeance when Mobei-Jun is grievously injured (MBJ is on bedrest while his queen fights for him and assists the currently trapped empress.) Liu Mingyuan flees Cang Qiong for her own demonic mate, having one last teary fight with her brother before doing so.
YQY has all of SQQ'S food laced with the abortifacient and SQQ can't not eat it, inedia is not an option while pregnant and even poisoned food is food. LQG visits, often, and SQQ psychologically torments him purposely and on accident. His grief was hard to watch when SQQ refused to admit it and was trying to appear put together. The SQQ who realized and got everything he could ever want, only to lose it all, is worse, refusing to wear anything but his husband's robes, even as his cinnamon scent begins to fade from them. He taunts LQG with SQQ'S lost affections for him and for the slighted love Binghe felt for LQG as well. LQG is horrified but isn't sure if he believes it but he can tell SQQ isn't lying. As SQQ'S pregnancy's end approaches, Mu Qingfang begs him to call him for the birth.
SQQ gives birth alone in his nest, crying out subconsciously for a mate that won't come. The poison having weakened him plus the birth itself takes a serious toll on SQQ but he refuses to die before his treasure, a darling daughter with eyes and a huadin like her father, is safe. LQG catches sight of SQQ fleeing, with a basket in his inner robes, wobbly on Xiu Ya.
When LQG catches up, SQQ is preparing to place a seal over his daughter's demonic heritage, one that can only be broken by himself. Upon seeing LQG, he flies into a defensive, heartbroken, and betrayed rage, falling to his death despite LQG'S attempts, dying while clutching the now faintly cinnamon smelling robes.
LQG is now alone with a wailing baby. Luo Binghe's wailing baby. Shen Qingqiu's wailing baby. LQG hides her and then reports SQQ'S death to YQY, claiming the child must have died as well. YQY is shattered and goes into long term seclusion.
LQG is overcome with guilt, now believing that Cang Qiong was tricked and had done Bingqiu a grave injustice. He chooses to raise their child as his own, as penance, naming her Liu Yaobao, jade treasure. He seals her demonic heritage, with a far less effective seal then the one SQQ planned to use and introduces her as his daughter and disciple after enough time had passed where the idea of her being the lost bingqiu child didn't immediately come to mind.
Mu Qingfang and Qi Qingqi definitely know but considering their now increasingly unstable sect leader, the rising threat of Huan Hua Palace, and the burning anger of the demon realm, they ain't saying shit.
Yaobao grows up having no clue that's she adopted or part demon. While on her first night hunt, she is drawn to a mysterious stranger with a smell similar to her own, tending to a black and red lotus. Before she can confront him, however, she is pulled back to her group and returns home, missing the look of surprise and recognition on the stranger's hooded face.
History is a circle and when the IAC arrives, around when Yaobao is 12, her seal is broken and her heritage revealed, in front of the worst possible person; YQY. LQG goes to defend her but YQY is listening; Yaobao is so similar in appearance to her late demon father, only her hair is straight and silky, like SQQ'S. The physical embodiment of Bingqiu's love and how he lost SQQ. Fortunately, SQH shows up with MBJ and rescues the two of them.
Now, Tianlang-Jun broke free while Yaobao was in infancy, taking the role of Emperor, with a mysterious Empress by his side. Everyone assumes this Empress is Tianlang-Jun's wife but, surprise, surprise! It's Shen Yuan, mushroom edition!
He's not exactly pleased to see Liu Qingge but considering his daughter is alive and safe because of him and she's calling him, 'baba', he's not going to kill him or anything.
Shen Yuan has been trying to reassemble Binghe this whole time and had assumed Yaobao had been killed or left for dead, until he spotted her on that night hunt so of course he plotted to bring her home.
He knows that Yaobao has no idea who he is but that's his treasure!!! Alive!!! Now all Shen Yuan has to do is revive Binghe, kill all those who threaten his happiness and loved ones, and he can get his happily ever after back on track. LQG would like to be a part of it but he is more than aware he probably doesn't deserve it. Man's been having nightmares of Binghe's and SQQ's corpses taunting him for years.
And if I tell y'all about my mocumplane au that tears Bing-ge a new one, will y'all still love me? No? Okay, great
So, the idea is like mid-canon for PIDW, starts at pre-Bingge v. Bingmei extra.
Shen Yuan is reborn as a bird demon prince, his system is like, 'hey, try to make Binghe happy, good luck!' and low-key let's him go wild. Which he does.
When Binghe finally shows up in the demon realm and starts establishing himself as emperor, Shen Yuan is quick to establish himself as an ally by writing numerous letters to him choke full of advice. Binghe is grateful and is a little infatuated with the writer of the letters.
However, Shen Yuan only manages to convince his parents to officially offer a alliance with Binghe after the realms are united and Cang Qiong falls upon Yue Qingyuan's death. Binghe is happy to accept said alliance and asks for Shen Yuan's hand in order to solidify the alliance.
Shen Yuan's parents are low-key overprotective and aren't entirely for it but Shen Yuan is all like, "well, Binghe deserves everything he wants and if he wants me, he should get me (tooootally not into Binghe myself, no sir, you can't prove it)" so his parents allow it.
Unfortunately for Shen Yuan and his kingdom, he looks eerily similar to Shen Qingqiu, to Binghe at least. Liu Mingyan and Ning Yingying don't notice it because of the demon features but Luo Binghe very much does and he is pissed. Trauma/Xin Mo kicks in and convinces Binghe that Shen Yuan is probably a lot like his former master and he can't trust a bunch of letters or an alliance or anything about him.
Shen Yuan doesn't know why Binghe looked so horrified and then furious when they finally met. He is completely unprepared for Luo Binghe to suddenly start treating him like an enemy or prisoner. He's ordered to keep his face hidden at all times while treated worse than a servant, his kingdom destroyed and his family slain for treason. Luo Binghe doesn't even allow Shen Yuan an official wedding.
Some of the wives are sympathetic and Shen Yuan tries to strike up a friendship with them but it just goes. poorly. Luo Binghe sees a man trying to make the best out of a bad situation and gets really pissed (because he hates himself lol) and forbids Shen Yuan from speaking to any of the other wives about anything other than chores or emergencies.
Shen Yuan makes his home inside the library, no one really comes in there and if they do, he can easily keep an eye on them and avoid them. He gets along fine with the workers but there's only so much they can do to help him. He doesn't understand how things went so badly and Bingzu/the System is horrified it's happened at all. They give you a pristine free-will Shen Yuan and abuse him?! They're halfway to revoking the protagonist halo.
Meanwhile, Xiang Fei was reborn as a outer disciple of a little sect, barely noticeable in comparison to some of the other sects. Well, until Binghe either consumes or destroys the other sects. It's very anti-demon, which Xiang Fei is NOT on board for, he doesn't want his son to show up and kill him!
He decides to offer his services to Mobei-Jun, who is lacking a... secretary after OG! Shang Qinghua's death. Mobei-Jun accepts, honestly because he low-key misses the cat and mouse game he and Shang Qinghua use to play. Except. Xiang Fei is actually useful? And helpful? And cares about him, like as a person? and drags his uncle's corpse to him as a birthday gift?
Yeah, Xiang Fei might fall first but Mobei-Jun falls HARD. (no, system/Bingzu is not jealous that moshang is sailing while Binghe is fucking up binggeyuan, shut up)
Unfortunately, Xiang Fei's sect finds out and is like pissed and move to execute him. Mobei-Jun panics and wants to rescue Xiang Fei but Xiang Fei is like no wait. I can work with this.
So, Xiang Fei gets executed but, thanks to an artifact Xiang Fei begs Mobei-Jun to retrieve for him, he's just reborn as a flower/plant demon and can safely run away with Mobei-Jun. (Mobei-Jun slaughters his former sect and presents the severed heads to Xiang Fei while actually managing to confess. He's had years of LBH near him teaching him how to court but he still struggles on certain things. Xiang Fei does accept and they actually have the worst sex imaginable right next to the severed heads. Love wins.)
Now, Mobei-Jun does spend some time in the Underground Palace, as Luo Binghe's general, but not a lot, he doesn't like how crowded it is in there and how warm it is all the time. Thus, he kinda misses the whole Shen Yuan drama, except for going, 'oh, we have a new librarian who actually likes books and doesn't just eat them? How useful.'
But then he ends up going there more and more often, Shen Yuan helping him with one thing or another because God bless Xiang Fei, he just doesn't remember his own damn book. Over time, Mobei-Jun finds himself... not quite in love with Shen Yuan, yet, but definitely developing some feelings.
He panics and tells Xiang Fei and Xiang Fei hears about this male-wife of Luo Binghe's, who somehow knows everything yet can't give an easily accessible source and goes, wait a minute.
So Xiang Fei and Shen Yuan meet and have a Spider-Man point moment after figuring out they're both transmigrators. Both Xiang Fei and Mobei-Jun start spending a lot of time in the Underground Palace and Luo Binghe side eyes them at first before going, eh, they're gay, they won't steal what's mine. (Somewhat forgot he married a man.)
Shen Yuan, on the other hand, is struggling because he still loves Luo Binghe and he still has the mission to make Binghe happy. (The only reason Xiang Fei's system isn't trying to stop mocumplane from happening is they're trying to use jealousy as a motivator to realize how precious Shen Yuan is.)
Sure, Luo Binghe hates him and threatens him and killed his family and kingdom and only touches him in order to keep his wings trimmed too short to fly with and only remembers he exists when he wants to torment Shen Yuan... but that's just because he's lonely and unhappy! Shen Yuan can fix him!
Yes, he's starting to fall for stoic but sincere and romantic Mobei-Jun and genius but silly Xiang Fei but... well, he can't just give up on Binghe.
Then, one of the wives poisons herself and a few others in order to start an orgy and slip Shen Yuan some too, just as a prank.
Shen Yuan doesn't realize he's been drugged until it starts getting reaaally bad and Mobei-Jun scoops him up and rushes him to Luo Binghe. Luo Binghe is getting ready for his sevensome and is like, eh, I'll treat him later. However, that could end up killing Shen Yuan so Mobei-Jun decides to do something risky. Could someone else dual cultivate with Shen Yuan in that case?
Luo Binghe is like. sure. I don't care. And goes to fuck the seven women who he's using and are using him.
Shen Yuan is heartbroken, he wasn't going to force Luo Binghe to cure him, he deserves better than that, but to be so apathetic...? Ouch. Mobei-Jun, on the other hand, is kind of pleased. He rushes Shen Yuan back to his and Xiang Fei's chambers.
Mobei-Jun and Xiang Fei cure Shen Yuan, assuring him he is valuable and loved and if Binghe can't see that, well, they'll show him, in their own fucked up little way. Shen Yuan finally agrees to leave with them.
The system is pisssssed at Binghe and revoke the protagonist halo as soon as he's finished curing those women. Luo Binghe goes to bed, unaware how fucked up things are about to become for him.
Mobei-Jun challenges Luo Binghe for his wife's hand (he doesn't tell Binghe which one) and Luo Binghe accepts because he's an asshole and bored. Mobei-Jun whips the floor with him. Turns out! When one person is getting funneled a bunch of magic buffing ingredients and training constantly! and the other guy doesn't have the power of God and anime on his side with an overwhelming ego! it's easy to kick his ass!
Mobei-Jun and Xiang Fei take Shen Yuan and go and Binghe is just like, oh, okay, well, that's fine, even if it was humiliating. It's fine.
And then Bingge vs Bingmei extra happens. Binghe gets back and starts his search for someone like SY!Shen Qingqiu but it was already going to be an impossible search with the protagonist halo, it's more than impossible without it.
But then Binghe sees his ex-wife afterwards, hanging out in Mobei-Jun's palace, and is like. oh. Oh shit that's the kind Shizun I've been looking for. Fuck.
I don't think Yue Qingyuan believes that Shen Jiu can do no wrong -- I think Yue Qingyuan is actually far too accustomed with how much wrong he can do and therefore believes that what Shen Jiu does is wrong even if there isn't any proof (brothels + Liu Qingge).
Mostly I believe this due to the fact that Yue Qingyuan is overrun with guilt for not being there for Shen Jiu that he accepts that Shen Jiu turned out horrible because of him. And instead of correcting the behavior or doing something to stop it, he welcomes it as his own punishment. This is probably a massive part on why Yue Qingyuan is so quick to defend him, but so slow to believe him.
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.
And if I think of a vague pwp fic plot where SQQ starts trying to preserve Binghe's cum for... medical and scientific purposes, then who is going to stop me?
Actually is the like semen itself that does the healing or is it specifically whatever energy bullshit dual cultivation causes that does the healing? asking for a friend
Ya know, if we're making it a thing Omegas can like die of heartbreak or from being perceived as rejected from their pack, we should make it happen for Alphas too, it's only fair. Plus, if everyone is at risk of dying from 'no-bitches' or 'no-friends-or-family' disease, that makes things twice as dramatic, yeah?
Anyway, Omegaverse fic hurt no comfort where the Alpha dies because their knot fucking explodes after their Omega doesn't let 'em cum inside
Interesting take! What if blue ball were actually a deadly disease… The implications are terrifying and, boy, would that be exploited to the moon and back.
Anyway! To add on:
omegas (on the whole) have a bit lower 'die of rejection' rate because (as the ones expected to be community-makers) they actually form bonds and know shit about people around them
way too many alphas who maybe should get bio-booted out of existence don't because they suffer from I-think-everyone-wants-me disease (not a single being, alive OR dead, wants them, they're like our 'alpha males') maybe they survive off of sucking their own/other alpha-incels dicks (metaphorically? literally?) who fucking knows
Ya know, if we're making it a thing Omegas can like die of heartbreak or from being perceived as rejected from their pack, we should make it happen for Alphas too, it's only fair. Plus, if everyone is at risk of dying from 'no-bitches' or 'no-friends-or-family' disease, that makes things twice as dramatic, yeah?
Anyway, Omegaverse fic hurt no comfort where the Alpha dies because their knot fucking explodes after their Omega doesn't let 'em cum inside
Luo Binghe wakes up in the Endless Abyss. He doesn't remember how he got there, but as he struggles to his feet, a few vague moments come back to him.
He remembers...sword glares. Two. One he thought he vaguely recognized, and one he knew to be his beloved Shizun's. He remembers indistinct shouting, someone yelling, "I won't let you!" And then...warm arms?
He can't remember anything past that. He can't remember anything at all.
"Meng Mo?"
"Well, it's about time you woke up." Meng Mo sounds tired. There's something else in his tone as well. Something subdued. Almost...regretful? "Kid, look to your right."
Binghe looks.
He stares.
"I'm sorry, Kid. I really am."
Oh.
"...shi....zun....?"
It was Pity.
Binghe's legs give out. He lands on the ground hard, but he hardly notices, scrabbling forward on hands and knees until he's close enough to snatch up the dusty silk cloth.
"Sh-Shizun?" Air comes to him in ragged, heated gasps. He tugs on his master's sleeve. "Shizun. Shizun? Shizun."
"Kid..."
"Shizun!" Binghe releases the sleeve and starts pushes at a stiff shoulder. "Shizun! Shizun, wake up!"
"Kid. He's dead."
"NO!" The word tears free of him painfully; like ripping off a scab. "NO! SHIZUN! Shizun needs to wake up! Right now!"
"He died on impact,"
Binghe could remember warm arms. He felt like, maybe, he could remember screaming now, too- being tucked under chin, and hearing his shizun's voice saying- something.
"He took the brunt of it, but you knocked your head pretty good, too. I thought we were all going to die."
Binghe keens.
"He- he said something," He hears himself say. "Before we crashed, he said something. What was it? What was it?" And why- WHY- couldn't he remember it?
Meng Mo goes silent; and Binghe's attention snaps onto him so quickly that even he is a bit startled at the intensity of it- but that doesn't matter. Meng Mo- he knows something. He knows something about Shizun’s last- about what Shizun said to him. He knows.
"Tell me." The words hiss pass clenched teeth, "Tell me right now, or I'll- I'll-"
He doesn't know what he'll do, but the things that came to mind were definitely a start. A gross, messy start. None of it would stick, but it would at least hurt.
"Ah, geez! Would you stop with the nasty mental images?! I get it!"
"Then. Tell. Me."
"I will; just not right now!" Meng Mo does a mental equivalent of gesturing widely. "Look around, kid! You're in hell! Now's not the time to lose your head!"
Binghe finally did, and...Meng Mo was right. Terribly, awfully right.
Rage gave way to overwhelm. He looked on instinct to his shizun, seeking guidance as he always did, but Shizun-
Grief choked him. "I have to bury him."
"...fine, but take his sword. It's been trying to get your attention this entire time anyway."
Lesbingqiu AU where the time setting is somewhere in the 16-1700s Europe. Shen Yuan is the recently married off daughter of a minor noble to the wealthy son of a Duke, from a family bloodline that is old as well as deeply connected- A son who is...not so eager to know her. They have their wedding, but as their first night together approaches- as she readies herself alone in her room, surrounded by things that are not hers and walls that are far older than even her great-grandmother- he is nowhere to be found.
A maid eventually comes and informs her that her new husband will not see her this night. Shen Yuan goes to bed silently relieved, but as she lays there, sleep evades her. This new home is too strange, the shadows of night too unfamiliar. Like a child, she finds herself fearful of every creak and groan. She lifts the sheets to hide and finds their smell odd and unwelcome, their texture too stiff from disuse.
It begins to dawn on her with a growing, sickly realization that this night- and this empty, far too offputting room- could be foreshadowing for the rest of her life. That perhaps, from this moment forward, she can expect nothing more than this: a passing politeness from her new husband, quiet apathy from the staff, and the knowledge that nothing around her will ever truly be hers ever again.
She does not cry, she does not allow herself to, but it does not stop the corner of her eyes from burning or the hitch in her breath. She falls asleep staring at the decorated ceiling, forcefully contemplating the guilded ceiling tiles until sleep turns her thoughts into nonsense and saps away her maudlin mood.
Time begins to paint a picture for her as the days go by. She comes to learn that, indeed, her husband truly has no interest in her at all. They dine together at dinner, and it is the only time they meet; but she grows to dread this event with her whole heart. There is a coldness in her husband's eyes that steals the confidence from her spine. They glint with resentment at the sight of her, and she knows from overhearing staff that her husband had dearly hoped to marry someone else before this marriage was thrust upon him. She does not blame him for being disgruntled- she is much the same- but could he truly not stand even the sight of her? Could they not learn to be- if not friends then- at least civil towards each other?
With helplessness growing insurmountable in her heart, she begins to whisper a secret prayer at night. Nothing formal, nothing practiced, simply a single sentence of "Please, let this not be the rest of my life."
That night, months after her marriage, while Shen Yuan drifts uneasily into slumber once more, something deeply imbedded in the bones of the manor awakens. Something old, that feels her fear and despair and resonates.
A cold breeze rustles the curtains. A cloud drifts to hide the moon. The already dark room descends deeper into shadows, and eyes stare down at Shen Yuan's troubled face, so dark that only the whites define them. A hand reaches out, pale as death. It closes loosely, brushing up her warm cheek with the back of its elegant fingers before opening, cradling it gently in its palm.
"Recklessly sending prayers anyone could receive," the eyes speak, rich and low. "You are lucky I answered first."
The clouds depart. The pale moonlight once more reaches into the room, and as shadows part, a shape is formed: Curvaceous, tall. Hair impossibly long, curled, and impossibly strange. After all, hair did not simply meld into the shadows now, did it?
This is the story of Shen Yuan's encounter with a creature too malevolent and powerful to be a mere ghost, but too human and dead to be a demon. When she wakes in a few minutes, she will be terrified, but this time next year, there will be no other she would want at her side.
@transmigrationisunderrated "hey why is my house trying to eat me" made me cackle. Full supervillain style too. I like this idea actually. Someone- his father?- overhears that Yue Qingyuan is in love with a Shen, misunderstandings occur, and suddenly his a-jiu loving gay ass is married to a woman who looks weirdly like a genderbent Shen Jiu. She's basically bargain brand Shen Jiu and he's not having it. Shen Jiu isn't either; that's *his* stupid nobleman! Back off hussy!
Meanwhile, Shen Yuan didn't even do anything wrong- well, except accidentally wife beam a malevolent maybe-polturguist. But that's okay! That wasn't her fault! They're basically that moment in Lilo & Stitch where Lilo prays for someone to send down their nicest angel, and then she gets Stitch, except Stitch is a possible maniacal murder lesbian ghost whom sane modern people would call crazy and the less sane would call fucking metal. (<- me. I'm the one who would call her that.)
snowghoul
annaxmalina
vaporwave
andulkaphoto
blakekathryn
yousharknotpass
