[open post] NEW USER: Shang Qinghua

[greatmasterairplane]

Look, this clearly isn't Proud Immortal Demon Way. Shang Qinghua might not remember all the details of what he wrote—that's what his most devoted fans are for, to point out inconsistencies in the comments section so Shang Qinghua can bullshit some mystical explanation, hahaha—but he's sure he didn't write this Western-style mansion. The System, when he tries to question it, is silent. So maybe it's some kind of test?

If so, not fair! Arranging the invasion of the Immortal Alliance Conference was supposed to be his last thing. The original Shang Qinghua died shortly after that, so how much plot relevance could he have?? He was meant to be retired, living life in the lap of luxury (or drudgery in the employ of his king, but whatever). Why doesn't the System just reward him for all his many years of loyal service? Can they have a "being hand-fed melon seeds by a group of big scantily-clad men" event, please???

He skims through the welcome table materials. Okay, so a world between dimensions, people pulled in from disparate worlds and trapped for eternity, sure. Classic stuff. His king is bound to show up at some point and drag Shang Qinghua away by his collar like a tiger scruffing a kitten. Until then, he'll just try to stay out of trouble.

Comments

[wickedwit]

Claudius has flowers, the same showy dahlias he never found a use for when Luo Binghe confronted him in the garden, and he still has no idea how to make them blend in with other blooms. They're centerpieces. So be it. Pink and yellow and near-black purple. He'll clear out the last bouquet on the welcome table, a delicate thing of willow-branches and autumn crocuses, and let the dahlias have their time. "Oh, hello," he says. "Welcome. I see you're catching up."

[greatmasterairplane]

Now that Shang Qinghua knows Cucumber-bro is here, apparently acting super fucking OOC with no consequences, he can relax a little. "Are those for me?"

[wickedwit]

"They could be," he says, with a casual, flirtacious smile -- more friendly than a sincere attempt to woo. It's simply too obvious a line. Claudius takes one dahlia from the rest, a pink one, and presents it. "They're for newcomers. To admire, rather than take, but I think it suits you."

[greatmasterairplane]

Well okay, Mr. Sexy Short King! Shang Qinghua is pretty, um, liberated, but he rarely gets flirted with. His love life is more of a "going upstairs with whoever's still drinking at the inn at the end of the night" situation. "I didn't expect such a congenial welcome," he says, flicking his gaze over the newcomer—not suggestively, but just to show that he's looking. "I'm Shang Qinghua. Should we find some wine and get acquainted?"

[wickedwit]

"Oh, I like you already," Claudius says with real delight. More men should come into this mansion with lines like that. "My name is Claudius, and -- as it turns out -- I enjoy few things better than getting acquainted over drinks. Any preferences in wine?"

[greatmasterairplane]

Shang Qinghua has read Hamlet, but as he's not thinking about it right now, he does not make the connection. But Claudius looks European. "Have you ever had warm rice wine?" He takes the dahlia and tucks it behind his ear.

[wickedwit]

Oh, that dahlia is very charming there. Claudius doesn't hide his admiration, taking in Shang Qinghua's face and the fall of his hair, before depositing the rest of the dahlias in a vase. "You know, I don't believe I have," he says. "But I do know where we might find some. Come with me."

[greatmasterairplane]

"Gladly." Shang Qinghua ventures to take Claudius' arm.

[wickedwit]

Claudius lets him, cozies up to him and holds him near -- it feels as natural as any courtly flirtation, only a little more daring because they're in a place where propriety doesn't matter. Neither does gender. He's going to file that away, if Shen Qingqiu and he ever return to their discussion about the predominance of bisexuality. "You'll find there's few things the mansion won't provide for, if you know where to look," he says, in confidential tones. "But there's a limit, without the imagination of new company. I'm quite glad to be in your company."

[greatmasterairplane]

"I'm glad to be in yours." The baijiu Shang Qinghua already drank with Crowley is affecting him; he didn't really notice until he started walking. He's not tipsy, though, just pleasantly warm and fuzzy. It gives him an excuse to cling to Claudius.

"The men I spend time with are rarely so charming. My king has me setting him up with other men." At least, Shang Qinghua thinks that's what he's supposed to be doing. Mobei-jun told him that his bed was "cold and empty" (isn't cold good for an ice demon?) and that Shang Qinghua should "take responsibility." And yet every prospective spouse or concubine Shang Qinghua has found has only seemed to anger him! So spoiled and temperamental!

[wickedwit]

Claudius laughs at that, enjoying having a pretty man cling to his arm and speak what sounds like familiar gossip. My king could be any king, of any country, and it would take the same scurrilous tone. "Oh, do tell. Even when there's a face as pleasing as yours in front of him?"

[greatmasterairplane]

"I know, right?" Shang Qinghua says cheerfully. "He's utterly spoiled. You know—he was the little princeling who was never denied anything. Doesn't know how to ask nicely, either." There may be some exasperation in his voice, but no malice.

[wickedwit]

"Princes," he laughs. "We're never raised to be nice, even when we're charming. It sounds like you've seen sparks of charm behind those spoiled demands, though."

[greatmasterairplane]

Well, Shang Qinghua did not know Claudius was royalty, which already speaks to better manners than Mobei-jun. "Where there's beauty there's always some charm, despite everything," he admits. "You know that—you must have met Luo Binghe."

[wickedwit]

"Oh, I've met Luo Binghe," Claudius says, with eyebrows raised. At once, he is paying far closer attention to Shang Qinghua, closer than the casual and pleasant attention to a pretty face -- but he keeps his voice light. "His first day here, in fact. Are you well-acquainted?"

[greatmasterairplane]

"Ah, well." Is he well-acquainted with Luo Binghe? He thought so, but apparently Binghe had a whole sexuality he didn't even know about! It's probably best to keep things vague, in case he ends up being held responsible for whatever his terrible son has done while he's been here, even though Shang Qinghua would kind of like to brag about his literal only success in either lifetime. "My king is the demon lord of the north. He works for Luo Binghe, and I work for him, so Luo Binghe and I are not on close terms. I'd be surprised if he could even put a name to my face—but of course I know him." This is all true, except that Mobei-jun hasn't allied with Luo Binghe yet—but he will in another year or so.

[wickedwit]

Claudius quickly considers and discards a few options. He could carry on in tones of gossip, lean in and tell the story of their flirtation in the kitchen, or of Luo Binghe's romance with Shen Qingqiu, hinting at his personal hand in it. He could roll his eyes and complain, while trying to strike a sympathetic tone for whoever has to work for a king who works for an emperor like that. He could say they've only met a few times, which is true, and that he's not at all interesting, which is less true. He could even pretend to be friends with Luo Binghe, which he discards quickest of all. "Luo Binghe's charm," he says, "is that he's a fascinating wreck of a man. Just an absolute ruin of flaws, of self-denial and excess, of self-hatred and pride, of all the vices and vulnerabilities a man can have, from the sympathetic to the monstrous. He's unrepentant and petty yet pitiful, and his feelings are so easy to hurt. We can't stand to be anywhere near each other. But he is very beautiful, I'll grant that, and very pleasant to kiss." Fine, so he did mention the flirtation.

[greatmasterairplane]

Ahhh, that's not fair! Who could possibly fail to swoon after such an incisive and flattering critique of a character you worked hard to render! This is much more gratifying than Shen Yuan's hilariously indiscriminate praise—no author wants to hear that their character is the ultimate badass who can do no wrong, and should defeat every challenge without conflict. A fascinating wreck of a man would make Shang Qinghua's day if he'd read it in the Zhongdian comments section. He's not at all surprised to hear Luo Binghe hates this guy—and loves Shen Yuan. Shang Qinghua so wants to take credit.

"Well," he hedges. "I have—some information about him that you may find interesting. But I absolutely shouldn't tell you. If you'll find me that drink, though, who knows what I might say by accident?"

[wickedwit]

"Who knows indeed?" asks Claudius, with an appreciative look. One needn't twist Claudius's arm for him to ply a charming man with alcohol in exchange for information. By now, they've reached the room with one of the bars outfitted with the most conveniences, some of which Claudius even knows how to work, like the soda gun that shoots carbonated water or the highball machine. There's even an electric sake warmer among the accoutrements.

[greatmasterairplane]

Perhaps the baijiu is hitting Shang Qinghua harder than he thought. It's just too easy for words to appear in his brain and immediately tumble from his mouth, which explains why he immediately reaches for the sake warmer while enthusing, "Electricity! I've missed it so much!"

He's forced to drop handsome Claudius' arm while he familiarizes himself with what's behind the bar, but he quickly fills it and plugs it in (plugs! outlets!!). He sets two ceramic cups down on the bar, and then leans over it like he's tending it, resting his elbows on the bar and his face in his hands. Claudius, why is that so familiar, Shang Qinghua would surely remember if he'd seen him before—wait! "Are you Prince Claudius of Denmark?"

[wickedwit]

It’s quite satisfying to watch someone who knows what they’re doing at work, whatever they’re doing. Plugs and outlets are still quite beyond Claudius, so he takes a seat at the bar and observes with fond curiosity — until Shang Qinghua asks his question.

“Yes, from the play,” he sighs, prepared to head this off at the pass. “The one on which The Lion King is based. Yes, I’m aware that it isn’t a history play, but a fictional drama, originating in England —” Wait. England is common to many worlds, with Crowley and Nightingale both being based in London, and he knows there are translations into the French and Chinese — that’s all well and good. He’s made his peace with it. But Claudius would have bet anything those nations and their literature weren’t in the area of Luo Binghe’s fictional empire. “How do you know the play?”

[greatmasterairplane]

"Oh, you don't have to worry that I'm going to judge," Shang Qinghua says quickly. "I have nothing against villains. They're always the best characters. And, well. Shen Yuan's told everyone his name is Shen Yuan—which he never told me, actually—so I'm guessing you know he started in one world and ended up in the other. And if he's said so, then there probably won't be any consequence if I say so as well—did he mention if there were consequences?"

[wickedwit]

Claudius doesn't know a Shen Yuan, he knows a Shen -- Claudius doesn't even finish the thought before it feels too obvious. He knew Shen Qingqiu wasn't Shen Qingqiu, but somehow expected for the original name to be utterly different.

"Yes, well, I think the only time we ever talked about consequences was when we were both under the influence of a truth spell. And those were emotional consequences. He told me that he'd been forced to follow the plot of the book he was in, and that he harbored some regrets about it. But no one is forced to do the same here -- that's one of the place's charms." After a moment's pause, he adds, "However, if you encounter a jurisfiction agent named Aornis¹, don't tell her anything about changing plots or you might incriminate yourself."

¹ Ping!

[greatmasterairplane]

"He did mention that person. But I haven't changed any plots—that was all Shen Yuan, with his total inability not to pamper Luo Binghe. That's not the one here, by the way. The Luo Binghe you know is from the original story, who was meant to be terribly mistreated by Shen Qingqiu, but our Shen Qingqiu couldn't do it. Since you've met him, I doubt that surprises you. I've always done exactly what I was supposed to, not that it's gotten me anywhere." He touches the side of the sake warmer and finds it pleasingly hot. "Alright. Try this, Prince Claudius."

Shang Qinghua pours him a cup of sake, and he can't deny the little thrill he gets from it. He's used to interacting with fictional characters, but only his own, not William Shakespeare's. "So, that's how I know Shen Yuan—from being the only two people in our world who know that it's fictional. But I'm surprised you've heard of Hamlet?" Actually— "Does Luo Binghe know he's fictional?"

[wickedwit]

Claudius swirls his ceramic cup a few times to release the sweet aroma, satisfied that it works the same as with other wines. The first sip is sweet, too, but not in a way that Claudius can easily place. "It's pleasant," he says. As for the other, perhaps more troubling matter, he waves his hand. "I doubt Luo Binghe has that much self-awareness. An angel told me I was in a play, but I kept denying I was fictional for as long as it seemed feasible. I had to listen to multiple people, compare viewpoints, and reflect." He's not saying Luo Binghe can't do those things.