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[WIP] sidequest (1/21)
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Shen Yuan & Shen Jiu & Yue Qingyuan
Summary: A Shen twins AU. When a botched ritual traps Yue Qingyuan into a dream made of his own memories, it’s up to Shen Yuan and his brother to dive into his mind to find him - and, maybe, reconcile with their shared past in the process.
Content Notes: Canon-typical child abuse and assorted backstory traumas.
So, this fic. This fic has overshadowed my life for almost a year. It started life as a little file titled ‘my 5k love letter to Qi-ge’, and then it kept growing and growing until the full rough draft pushed past 20k. I really want to use this summer to get the bulk of the edits done, and I figure sharing each scene as I go is as good a way as any to give myself some structure.
The fic has 21 scenes of various lengths (seriously - some, like this one, are just a couple hundred words. Some are a couple thousands). The plan right now is to post one of them every week until I’m all caught up with what I have, at which point I’ll just start posting them whenever they’re ready. Note that this is still a WIP/draft - I’ll definitely be looking for beta-readers once I get the full thing done, but in the meantime don’t hesitate to point out typos and internal inconsistencies.
***
According to every book, scroll and treatise Shen Yuan had ever read on the subject, not to mention the ultimate authority, the myth, the legend, Proud Immortal Demon Way itself, someone's dream world was meant to be almost indistinguishable from reality, a trope-filled, plot-enabling representation of a rich inner life.
Qi-ge's dream world, in three simple words: bland.
Bland.
No, seriously, why is it so bland?! Airplane, are you there? Is this your shitty writing at play, or do I need to be worried?
A small, desolate slice of empty street, fading into blunt nothingness after just a few steps! Smooth, featureless houses looking right out of a bad photoshop job! Not a single dream construct in sight!
Shen Yuan decided to go ahead and worry.
Beside him, Shen Jiu sniffed and needlessly adjusted the folds of his outer robe, like he thought the dream's obvious rough draft state might somehow spread to him. If so, he needn't have worried. Straight-backed, straight-faced, elegant as always in all his aloofness, he looked every bit the poser he was always destined to be, though Shen Yuan knew it was hiding concern.
Hoped it was hiding concern.
He looked around.
***