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

[forestofglory]

So there's pretty big contrast between bb!Shen Wei and older Shen Wei in terms of how open they are. Bb!Shen Wei says no one has ever tried to get to know him before Kunlun but when asked questions he does answer them. But by the current time he's gotten much more closed off. So something happened between times. The something might just be that he's been passing as human for such a long time and thus has very hard time opening up. Plus as others mentioned he takes lot of responsibility on to himself. Or it could be something a little bit more dramatic -- he has been working with humans who are very hostile to Dixingren. So there could have been an incident -- or you know just that constant hostility could have had a long term effect.

[extrapenguin]

Indeed, he isn't bb Weiwei anymore! I think that in the interests of not having this erupt into a monster, I'll keep it at just the secrecy taking its toll. Do you think that he'd become more like bb Shen Wei again if Zhao Yunlan invited him over, fed him with takeout, and asked him questions about himself, then gradually that blossomed into love?

[forestofglory]

I hope he would. Maybe if ZYL stuck another lollipop in his mouth:) Also a situation where SW gets to do some of the caretaking might help him open up more.

In cannon SW lets his guard down a around ZLY a lot but he's still very secretive. Hopefully with the whole soulmates thing he's a bit less worried about the timeline.

[extrapenguin]

Hmm, I actually discussed wit phyrry elsethread that the best thing for Shen Wei might actually be not having to do any caretaking, because then he can at least momentarily give up the "taking care of everyone and not telling anyone anything" schtick and return to his bb Shen Wei mindset. Also, he's still worried about the timeline, but the personal questions Zhao Yunlan is now asking are timeline-unrelated.

[forestofglory]

Ok, yeah I can see that. I guess I was thinking that seeing some vulnerability from ZYL might help SW be more trusting -- but there's lots of ways that could go that don't involve caretaking.

Also I'm someone who find it easier to socialize if I have something to do with my hands so I like cooking for people. But I do see the point about Shen Wei taking that as being in charge and closing off.

Is the fic going to include the YOHE meeting? Because I'm curious how that went in this scenario

[extrapenguin]

I guess I was thinking that seeing some vulnerability from ZYL might help SW be more trusting -- but there's lots of ways that could go that don't involve caretaking.
Zhao Yunlan will be a positive example and be honest and open with his feelings, and also genuinely inquire after Shen Wei. A hint of emotional vulnerability and genuine caring about Shen Wei should be a winning formula. Shen Wei can fuss with a teacup. :)

Is the fic going to include the YOHE meeting?
This one won't, but if I end up writing the sequels, the third part of the trilogy would contain the meeting. Basically, bb Shen Wei doesn't consider Kunlun his soulmate, but Kunlun tells him that people can be positive influences on each other even if they're not soulmates, and xiao-Wei should chill a bit and let himself be befriended. Also, here Shen Wei asks Kunlun how to best spell his non-Han name in hanzi, instead of Kunlun being a spontaneous renaming service.

[forestofglory]

Aww... That sounds very sweet. And I love your twist on the naming.

[extrapenguin]

Ngl, I was actually a lot meh on the scene in canon, since Zhao Yunlan just up and tells Shen Wei he should change his name, and I find that uncomfortable and Not Okay. So in this AU, Kunlun merely offered Shen Wei solicited advice on name Sinicization. (The whole "soulmate's name" soulmark would also make the prospect of changing names more fraught.)

[forestofglory]

That's a really good point about the name scene in canon.

[phyrry]

I think that could do a very good job of breaking down some of his walls. ZYL demonstrating care and concern and interest would be extremely novel, and he wouldn't have much in the way of defenses for that approach. (Beyond hiding behind a teacup of course, that one's a 'flustered SW' classic.)

[extrapenguin]

Zhao Yunlan can give Shen Wei some tea in a teacup to hide behind! :P It'd also bring to mind baby Shen Wei being all excited and a bit flustered at Kunlun asking all those questions of him as the first person ever to be interested in him as a person.