It seemed like such a good idea at the time

[clevermanka]

Thank you to everyone who weighed in on yesterday's conundrum! I appreciate everyone's thoughts.

For those who missed it, I somehow completely failed to realize that Haixing is the name of the planet where Guardian takes place, not their country. So that means a plot point in Deconstruction took a hit and I'm all whoopsie! I mean, it's just a tiny minor thing. You know, like the fact that apparently, this is a world with a planetary government of sorts? and I'm...trying? to send them? to a different country? with a different language? and... stuff? Because the whole idea was putting Shen Wei into an environment where he's completely out of his element and forced to confront his resistance to asking for help. Getting plunked into a different culture and language--Kind Of A Major Part Of That. *cries*

I told naye in a comment yesterday, When I started Ghost Story, I was all "woo! figuring out the ghost sex is gonna be so fun" and then I realized It Was Actually Not All That Fun in fact It Was Kind Of Exhausting and now I'm looking at my "woo! figuring out how to write a Canadian Shack fic for Guardian's gonna be so fun" and I realize I'm a complete fucking idiot and waaaaaay more of an unconscious masochist than I ever dreamed.

trobadora reminded me that we see multi-language signage in the show so that was helpful.winter_blossom came in with the succinct summation of "Haixing is the name of the planet, Dragon City is capital of that planet's version of China, Haixing inspectorate is a higher (UN-like) authority because it deals with Dixing" and xparrot  followed up with "Haixing is the name of the planet and that Dragon City is a city-state deal, like Singapore; it's not part of any larger nation. And it has a Haixing Inspectorate because it's the only sovereign nation on Haixing that deals with or really knows about Dixing. So that one bureau in Dragon City basically serves as the planet Haixing's representation. It's like if Area 51 had a "department of Earth affairs" - it's not that the US would be all of Earth, but that the department were the only people on Earth who knew that there was something else in contrast."

I think I'm gonna go with Dragon City as a sovereign nation and Haixing Inspectorate as a semi-secret entity of Dragon City's national government. The S.I.D. would be a highly-kept secret, known only to top brass. Side note, this makes ZYL's ascendancy to directorship a little more believable for me--better to keep that shit in the literal family than risk more people knowing about it. Now I have a headcanon that ZYL is a descendant of Ma Gui...

So now I just have about, hmmmm, 10k words to massage instead of 22k unusable ones. I'll call that a win,

Here's a snippet that doesn't need massaging! They're finally in not!Canada!

“Already breaking hearts, I see,” Zhao Yunlan murmured in his ear as she departed.

Shen Wei couldn’t repress a shiver at the soft exhale on his sensitive skin. Zhao Yunlan’s breath caught at the small movement and they both froze for a moment in the glaring brightness of the store. Exposed and unbalanced, Shen Wei began to tremble.

“Shen Wei,” whispered Zhao Yunlan, still so close, so tender.

His nose barely brushed the hair behind Shen Wei’s ear and it took every bit of willpower to keep from leaning into the promised touch. Near panic, Shen Wei stepped out from under Zhao Yunlan’s arm to push the cart down the aisle in a necessary tactical retreat. Heart hammering, he ignored the sigh behind him and resolutely walked away, toward the check-out lanes. His control was wearing thin and he suspected he’d need what little he had left for the arrival at their new residence.

Comments

[bonibaru]

I made Haixing a country and no one minded :) I see people do that a lot in fic. It really is OK! It's an AU and you can do what you need!

[clevermanka]

Is it considered AU if it's a post-canon fix-it fic?

[bonibaru]

OH derp I thought you were talking about Ghost Story because brain fog.

[clevermanka]

Tragically, no. This is for Deconstruction. *cries*

ETA: Oh god if I'd just now realized this was an issue for Ghost Story I would have crawled into a hole.

[rlyqueer]

That discussion was so helpful! I tend to ignore parts of drama canon I don't like, so I hadn't given as much thought as I really needed to in regards to the government setup and such. I've definitely got my head wrapped around things much better because of everyone's awesome input!

And I'm so happy you don't have to completely rewrite 22k, oof. Massaging 10k seems much more doable, best of luck with the adjustments!

This snippet is making me feel things, it's so good hhg. Shen Wei's vulnerability and panic! It's always thrilling when he gets to those points. And Zhao Yunlan's off-screen reaction to Shen Wei's conceal don't feel — frustration? disappointment? concern? These poor guys. Also, having a Moment in a grocery store is such a Thing. You captured that really well!

[clevermanka]

I've definitely got my head wrapped around things much better because of everyone's awesome input!
Yay, fandom!

It's always thrilling when he gets to those points.
It really really is *evil grin*

So happy you like the snippet! Positive words from one's planned audience are so incredibly rewarding and motivating.

[rlyqueer]

Yesss I feel you! Can't wait to see more heheh. :D

[trobadora]

The S.I.D. would be a highly-kept secret, known only to top brass.

Right at the start of the show, when Zhao Yunlan first goes to the university to investigate, a) the police knows about the SID, and one policeman explains it to another, and b) all this happens in front of a whole bunch of students, so it can't be that super-secret. I always assumed the Dixing part was super-secret, but they were known to exist as a "deals with weird stuff" department. (Which would also be a decent cover for them having to go around investigating, right?)

I hope you can make it all work out!

[clevermanka]

God, I hope so, too.

Being a known agency but most people don't know the particulars is pretty easy to handwave, at least. I mean, that's not even handwaving, really, that's just people's general acceptance of not knowing what's going on and not caring if it doesn't affect them.

[glymr]

Even within a single large country, you can have very different languages and cultures. Canada is a good example; there are parts where French is the primary language and parts where English is. Or you could have something like the European Union where "Haixing" is basically "Europe", with different countries having their own government/language/cultures, but also under an umbrella set of shared laws. Heck, even China has multiple languages and a variety of very different cultures, from very rural areas to very urban ones. Look at all the difficulties Hong Kong is having.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that even on Earth there's plenty of precedent for what you're trying to do. :)

[clevermanka]

Thank you! I'm feeling so much more reassured, now. *whew*

[asya_ana]

I missed this crisis, but glad you resolved it in a way that works for you! Personally I'd be fine with Haixing as a country. AUs and all :D I mean, even if Haixing is a planet, Dixing is still... on (in?) the planet and it is its own universe/country, so, that idea of discrete and sovereign land areas in canon is still a thing. I'm always happy for whatever fun changes writers want to make :D

[clevermanka]

I'm grateful that people in this fandom (at least the ones I care about) are chill about this sort of thing. <3

[naye]

I'm glad you've figured out a version of world-building you're happy with! I feel the show gave us so little to go on that any take you want is fair game in fic.

And that snipped - oh, Shen Wei...! Shen Wei is so not doing well even with Zhao Yunlan right there and ready to comfort him? Oh no?!

[clevermanka]

I'm glad you've figured out a version of world-building you're happy with!
SAME oh my god I was about to meltdown, for real.

Shen Wei is not doing well AT ALL right now but I swear most of this fic is gonna be fluff and comfort. Once Shen Wei finally gets with the program that Zhao Yunlan's trying so hard to soft sell. XD

[naye]

GOOD LUCK ZHAO YUNLAN. We all need that fluffy and comfort. ♥ (But Shen Wei in particular needs it bad.)

[write_out]

Give me all of the hammering hearts! LOVE IT

[clevermanka]

Poor Shen Wei's heart gets put through the ringer all over this fandom. I LOVE IT TOO.

[xparrot]

I think this works fine... There's a lot of evidence in the show that other cultures exist (the use of English, also Zhu Hong has a Big Ben souvenir on her desk, I think!)

The snippet though, ow...is Shen Wei just avoiding Zhao Yunlan's touch in public, or entirely...!

[clevermanka]

So relieved that bit of the world building is gonna work. *whew*

Shen Wei is still being a dumbass with martyr issues here, sooooo... OH SHEN WEI

[xparrot]

I'm so glad you asked the question, I hadn't really thought that hard about it and I like having some clearer headcanons worked out!

A dumbass with martyr issues...yep sounds like our Shen Wei! 💗

[elizacake]

The sensations--external and internal--are so wonderfully vivid. When Shen Wei is like this, I'm always torn between wanting to wrap him up and cuddle him or wanting to cuff the back of his head and tell him to stop being a dumb-ass.

[clevermanka]

torn between wanting to wrap him up and cuddle him or wanting to cuff the back of his head
SAME!

Vivid sensations, yay!

[umadoshi]

Exposed and unbalanced, Shen Wei began to tremble.

Oh, sweetheart. *pets him*

This fic is going to HURT me.

[clevermanka]

IT GETS BETTER! It really will be more C than H overall, promise! I know this is difficult to believe, coming from me, but... *nods* Pinky Promise!