please come tl;dr at me about Shen Wei

[extrapenguin]

I need to figure out stuff about Ye Zun, and [spoilers], but also stuff about Shen Wei! Since having other people say things about the thing is in general a productive way for me to acquire thoughts, I now invite your opinions on Shen Wei and secrecy. He's trying to tell Zhao Yunlan the absolute minimum to protect him and also the timeline, yes, but in a divergent scenario where he was unavoidably associated with Zhao Yunlan, how much would he tell? What do you think is the core of the (over)protectiveness and secrecy? What is the root of his nondisclosure?

Comments

[extrapenguin]

I personally don't see that he'd have a reason even in his own head not to come clean, unless he somehow considered his Shen Wei persona not "really him" and a footnote, and something that would never concern Zhao Yunlan again, but I don't think he does. (And your phrasing that Zhao Yunlan would have to "figure it out" also implies to me that this isn't a story about 'Zhao Yunlan and the Black-Cloaked Envoy' and Shen Wei is an abberation that stops appearing after the set-up...)
Well, this is a story about Zhao Yunlan's soulmark having unreadable text, and I need a story with an endpoint. Figuring out the double identity would be a good stopping point, but I want that to happen after some awkwardness about dating, first. And some general difficulty of the Envoy persona being hard to bring on dates in public because too much attention.

I was answering more... structurally, with "would Zhao Yunlan have to figure it out for himself" in mind, and I'd find it very strange if Shen Wei actively kept the secret (as opposed to maybe being clueless and out of his depth in a specific situation, like a first date) for... I don't know what reason he'd do it for, really.
I mean, I wasn't sure if he'd keep the secret for Reasons, either, so idk! This has been clarifying in at least one sense. Argh, couldn't my brain have produced more clear opinions on this AU?

[jo_lasalle]

Oh, if you'd actively LIKE the Envoy not to tell him, then giving him Reasons sounds like the logical next plotting step. *g* I mean, you run this show. :D

[extrapenguin]

NOOO I just want to write something short-ish that showcases Dixingese: the Conlang yet also has at least something of a plot (and preferrably includes Zhao Yunlan and the Envoy's super awkward dates at least somewhat). Giving him Reasons would only make it longer and more involved!

[jo_lasalle]

Giving him Reasons would only make it longer and more involved!

Ah, you are resistant to the root of all writing evil. Go you! (I know where my problems come from.)

[extrapenguin]

There will be no excess plot in my fun worldbuilding times! Only one Dixingian who's bad at being on dates being taken on them by his human soulmate.

(I also need to research what sorts of takeout is popular in China, and types of dates one can do in the comfort of one's apartment, and try to figure out what the Envoy would be like on said dates...)

[trobadora]

I mean, if you don't want plot to intrude, ignore this, but one reason for the secrets has to be that early-days Zhao Yunlan isn't yet the guy he's going to become, and he's just starting to move away from "arrest all Dixingren", right? So surely Shen Wei would want to make sure they're on the same page about that first? I mean, if he's willing to date the Envoy that's a big thing, but not the same as being able to empathise with the random Dixingren on the street ...

[extrapenguin]

The dating thing kicks off after the Butler Wu bit, because only then does Zhao Yunlan have the inclination to summon the Envoy and add a personal question to the end. Some on-the-same-page feelers could still happen, though. I'll also have to mull on how wary/horny/touch-starved Shen Wei would be. So many considerations!