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coffeetailor · 9 months

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GTober - Day 8: Vintage

(A/N: Is it late? Yes. Do I care at this point? No. Enjoy.)

Deep in the inner-most parts of the Northern Palace, where the king could allow himself to let down his guard, in the room that would have housed his queen had he shown inclination to marry, there was a shrine. If anyone but the king were to lay eyes on it, they might find it odd. curious, or rare. But the only one allowed through the doors was a single servant who had raised the king and was above suspicion. But not execution, should they betray his trust.

It wasn't strictly forbidden for a demon to worship a god if they pleased, but they so rarely did that it was more unheard of. And if they were to choose one to pay tribute to, surely it would be a god of destruction, war, or conquest.

But the little shrine hidden away in the palace of the Mobei clan of ice demons was dedicated to a single god of creation. A god that very few ever knew about from the start, and even fewer remembered. A near powerless god.

But the only one that Mobei-Jun considered worth giving his worship to.

He pulled the door open quietly, only his composure keeping him from making a face at the warm radiating from one of the only fireplaces in the palace. Ice demons and those they kept around them tended to thrive in the cold. But his favored god liked the warmth, and there was little that the little god could ask for that he would deny, except to leave him.

Mobei had set the shrine up where the vanity had once been, close enough to the fire for warmth, but far enough away that he didn't have to worry about something catching while he had to be away from the room. It was a simple little set-up, but had everything that he could get his god to accept. A silver bowl for his offerings, a small hand mirror for him to use when combing out his hair. Small little scrolls, brushes, and ink sticks by the dozens, because even here, the creator god wanted to keep creating. (How often had he had to bring him a bath after he got ink all over his hands?) Places to store all the small treasures that Mobei brought him. And in the center, a curious antique of a writing chest, once plated in gold and encrusted in jewels. So much of both was long gone before Mobei had found the unassuming treasure.

And it'd been a treasure. At least, its contents were. However much he'd stuffed the lidless box with soft furs and silks since, sleeping in the chest now as then was his little god.

Looking down at him, he couldn't completely hide his smile, even as his heart clenched at the reminder of that day. At how frightened the little god had been when he awoke in Mobei's hands upon his removal from the chest. It'd taken time to convince him that Mobei would never bring harm to him, knowing so quickly that he couldn't bear to see that fear, and couldn't bear to think of him leaving. Neither were acceptable.

"Qinghua," he whispered, sliding a finger under one soft and tiny cheek to nudge him awake. He kept his claws trimmed carefully short to remove the risk of hurting him, and kept his voice gentle to ease him awake. His god had nightmares when sleeping unaided, the remains of the spell that'd kept him asleep helping him sleep dreamlessly now. A hidden blessing for them. But one that also meant that the god would sleep until he was woken up again as long as he laid in the writing chest.

His little god's face scrunched up with displeasure as he curled away from the finger, grumbling in soft protest and clearly intending to go back to sleep.

Mobei snorted, giving him another nudge before simply scooping him out of the bed to hold in one hand, bringing him over to the table. There was a second, much smaller one that he'd ordered made just for his god, set up on the surface so they could eat their meals together. Without making his god eat from the edge of his dishes like a mouse stealing scraps.

He deposited the sleepy god down onto his cushion, moving the similarly tiny dishes from his tray over to Qinghua's table, kept warm by a stasis spell he'd had to ask the emperor's permission to be taught by the empress. The latter man had been curious, but didn't ask questions. The spell came in handy for keeping the small pieces of food that his god could eat from cooling immediately. Likewise for the cup of tea he liked to have in the morning.

Once he could open his eyes, that was.

The tip of a finger was carefully employed in keeping his god from falling back asleep where he sat and faceplanting into his bowl, another rubbing little circles on his back.

After Mobei's discovery of the god, even before he'd truly known what he was, it'd been a delicate process to calm Shang Qinghua's initial fear of him, and it'd taken time still after that before he was truly comfortable with being touched and handled. They'd started with a box. Not the one he slept in, just an emptied jewelry box that was about the right size. His god could sit inside it, and Mobei could move it where needed. Without direct contact. The nightmares, in that aspect, had been a blessing in disguise, if only because they'd sent Qinghua into his hands for comfort before either of them truly realized. They'd progressed from there, and later still figured out that the magic on the writing chest could be useful.

The only thing about that discovery that Mobei regretted was it meant that his god could no longer sleep on his pillow beside him. (The matter of sleeping temperature tolerances could have been dealt with. But furs didn't keep away the dreams of lightning.)

"I'm awake, my king," Shang Qinghua finally murmured, still not pushing away the finger giving him a soothing back rub. It made a very nice start to the day, and Mobei continued until the god was finally actually awake enough to reach for his breakfast and start eating. "What's the schedule today?"

"Breakfast, morning court, then training," Mobei said, watching him a little longer before picking up his spoon to eat. He had never asked his god to help with his duties over the kingdom, but Qinghua got twitchy when he had nothing to do, as much as a part of him would like to see him simply lounging in luxury all day. "Lunch and time to work. The emperor and his consort will be coming to sit for evening court and dinner."

"Hm, good. I have a new draft I want to show my bro," the little god said, half to himself. Which was part a confusing mystery, the way he referred to some people. The empress was given a litany of nicknames, some of them familiar enough to make the emperor twitch, some of them just... odd. The most confusing of them often being 'son-in-law,' which Shen Qingqiu always denied vehemently. It was a nickname that the emperor would have (and had gotten) been upset over, if it weren't his own occasional nickname of 'my son.'

Mobei could only assume that it had to do with his creation of the world, even though he was very selective over those he claimed. It was something of a relief that the ice demon had never heard it being directed at him. He wanted a close relationship with the little god, yes. But he didn't want to be his child.

Perhaps he'd get to call Luo Binghe his son-in-law some day. If just to see how he responded. Secretly of course. Never let it be said that Mobei-Jun could have a petty sense of humor.

Mobei did, however, believe in returning slights. And the empress tended to yell at his favored god, and wave those fans of his a little too close to the tiny deity.

Said god put down his empty bowl, finishing the rest of his tea before getting to his feet with a stretch. Perhaps not the picture of dignity and propriety, but Mobei didn't care. As far as he was concerned, he was a handful of perfection. And rather literally a handful as he stepped up onto the hand that the demon offered, allowing himself to be carried back to his 'room.' As he settled in front of the mirror and began to take out his hair to comb through, Mobei found himself wishing he trusted himself enough to comb it for him. Or that they were the same size, just for the mornings, so he could dress him.

Given the choice, he would even put himself in the vulnerable position of being as small as his god. But the only methods that he'd found in his research tended to be much more permanent, or needed a heavenly demon to cure. There was one available, yes, but not in that way. And a permanent shrinking would take away much of his ability to protect his god.

"My king, maybe I'll be big enough to do your hair someday," Shang Qinghua said, looking up at him. Mobei realized that he'd been staring. Already, the god had his hair tied up into a tidy bun, stuck through with a jeweled pin that the demon had insisted he accept as an offering. It was, admittedly, one of many. There wasn't much use in giving him the large jewels he deserved, but small, rare, and precious ones would have to stand in for them. Another gem sat on the hint of the sword that'd been specially craft for him, and some of his furniture pieces before he'd said enough. "Then I can spoil you."

Mobei raised an eyebrow. "Shang Qinghua will still be my god, regardless of size."

"Right, meaning that you should let me do as I want, right?" the god asked, waiting for the nod. "Including spoiling my favorite creation utterly rotten."

The tips of Mobei's ears flushed blue, a kind of heat swelling up in his chest.

Emperor Luo Binghe might be thought of as the god's son, but he was his favorite.

#fanfiction #mobei jun #moshang #svsss #gtober2023 #shang qinghua #writing #Coffeetailor is typing...

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coffeetailor · 9 months

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GTober Day 2: Acorn

"Nuts in a Tree"

To die and be reborn in the world of his own novel, Proud Immortal Demon Way, was bad enough luck as it was. To be sent into the frozen northern wastes by his ever uncaring system was even worse. Add that all to the steaming dung heap that was the fact that he'd been reborn tiny, and Shang Hua was having a very bad time!

[Mission: Retrieve northern frozen acorn. Time limit: twenty-nine minutes.]

"I know!" he whispered angrily under his breath, waving a hand at the floating blue square that'd been counting down since he'd been given the stupid quest. The screen flickered before growing brighter out of spite. "Don't you give me attitude."

[Host is running out of time.]

"Only because you took off two days for 'punishment,'" Shang Hua hissed. "I'll get the acorn. Just give me a moment. If I go out now, I'll get seen!"

[...]

[Twenty-eight minutes.]

If he ever got his hands on a keyboard and computer, he was going to find a way to uninstall that stupid system. Or give it a virus! He'd invented this world, so why couldn't he have been born into a good position?! Like some lofty immortal cultivator, or a wealthy lord who could have tearfully sent his beautiful sister off to join Binghe's harem and gained his benevolence in return. But no! He'd been born as some kind of demon borrower, with a tail even!

He'd thought about writing about tiny people once or twice in the story, but it'd never won the polls. Readers couldn't imagine a proper papapa scene with a woman smaller than the heavenly pillar, so they weren't interested. (Unimaginative rocks, all of them.) But other than one or two silly scribbles, he'd never even drafted them, so why were they in his story?!

Trouble with needing to get specially a northern frozen acorn was that they only grew in a few places. The trees were very slow to grow, because they only grew in the northern desert. Shang Hua only knew of three places they could be found. One, the top of a mountain even further north, which was probably full of monsters who'd love a snack, and was even colder. Second, in Huan Huan Palace, growing in sealed container of never-ending winter in the Old Palace Master's lab. Third, within the walls of the Northern Palace of the Mobei clan.

Somehow, because he'd pissed off the fates at some point, the third was the most accessible. Especially after he'd asked for a scenario pusher to help and nearly been eaten by a demon hawk before it'd dropped him inside the walls. And into the tree he was now clinging to, holding as still as he could.

Because he wasn't the only one in the small courtyard he'd fallen into.

Pale skin, dark eyes, long, blue-black hair twisted into braids, and a face to stop anyone with fear or desire, the demon didn't need an introduction. Shang Hua knew his own favorite creation. None of the fan artists had been able to do him justice. He was beautiful.

And he was excruciatingly deadly, especially when you were six inches tall and intruding into his personal garden.

Still, Shang Hua couldn't resist the urge to learn forward, trying to get a better look at him as the leaves of the tree he hid in blocked part of the view. Arguably the best part, as his king walked beneath the tree, his chest out and exposed.

He heard the twig he'd put his weight onto snap a moment too late. His eyes flew wide and as if in an old cartoon, he felt weightless for just long enough to realize what'd happened before he plummeted down towards the ground. Nooo, he was too young to die, spattered on the stones below!

The tiny demon's scream was abruptly cut off when he hit something. It felt about as hard as the ground, but was a whole lot closer, leaving Shang Hua to bounce off and land in a softly, spongy surface and lay back, dazed. The tree wavered far above, looking so harmless considering it'd just dropped him to his probable death. When a face leaned in to block his view of the traitorous branches, he smiled. "Pretty..."

The curious expression abruptly vanished, the tips of pointed ears darkening blue. If he'd died, maybe this was actually heaven, if he got to look at such a pretty face all day.

[Twenty-five minutes.]

Shang Hua jerked at the sudden count down reminder blaring in his ear, brought back to sharp reality in an instant. Which brought his attention to some very, very dangerous facts. He'd landed on Mobei-Jun's chest. He'd bounced off that chest. And he'd been caught in the demon prince's hands. The very hands that were olding him now as Mobei stared down at him.

The author scrambled to his feet, ready to try and jump the rest of the way. If he died, oh well. Better than being killed by a pissed off ice demon who'd been violated in his own garden!

Or, at least, he tried to get to his feet. The moment he tried to sit up, a claw tipped thumb stretched across his chest and pushed him back down to lay across that palm.

"Who are you?" Mobei-Jun demanded, studying him with narrowing eyes that Shang Hua felt with every sweep over his tiny body.

"I'm no one!" Shang Hua sputtered, his heart pounding under the trapping finger. "No one important at least, worth spending any of your attention on. If you let me go, I'll go and you'll never have to lay eyes on me again!"

[Host must still attain the acorn.]

You think I don't know that?! I can't retrieve anything if he decides to pop my head off as easy as picking a grape!

Somehow, that face was still handsome as Mobei's frown deepened into a scowl, his fingers curling around Shang Hua's whole torso, holding him tightly. Tight enough to make him gasp before those fingers relaxed just enough to keep his ribs from creaking.

"Please be more gentle, my king! I'm small and fragile, and my bones break easily," he begged, arms trapped at his sides. "I'm sorry for breaking into your garden. I didn't take any of the magical herbs, I promise!"

System, if I can have another pusher to let me survive this, I promise to talk nice to you. For... a week!

[...]

[Scenario pusher activated. Punishment for not upholding payment will be a loss of 10,000 B-points.]

One handsome eyebrow arched as Mobei continued to look down at him, and Shang Hua could feel a cold sweat running down the back of his neck. Of course it was cold. Everything was cold here.

"What were you doing here?" the ice demon asked at last, apparently willing to listen to his excuses before deciding whether or not to kill him.

His brain spun as he tried to figure out a plausible reason that wouldn't sound like the bullshit it was. Because not having written these tiny demons, he'd already figured out that no one, practically no one knew anything about them!

"It's for a courtship ritual!" he blurted out at last, before Mobei ran out of patience. "My people, we gift little items for the home when we want to court someone! Dishes, tools, that kind of thing. And we make bowls out of acorns! The rarer and harder to find ones the better! I don't have anyone, but that doesn't mean I can't be ready! And your garden is one of the only places where the northern frozen acorns grow! The other places, I'd get eaten or used in some cultivator's magic potions! Please forgive his lowly one for intruding without asking!"

Squeezing his eyes closed, Shang Hua waited for the inevitable decision that'd determine just how much longer he lived.

And waited.

And waited some more.

When there was a rustle of branches, he peeked his eyes open cautiously. Mobei-jun brought his free hand down from the low hanging branches with something held in his hand. The demon relaxed his grip a little more, which allowed Shang Hua to free his arms carefully. When that other hand came near, however, he felt a flash of worry that he was going to get slapped between them, right up until the point where Mobei-Jun opened his other hand.

He was holding an acorn. Specifically, a large northern frozen acorn, and one of the clearest one's he'd ever seen.

"Will this do?" Mobei-Jun asked when his tiny handful didn't respond.

"Will- what- Oh! Yes, it's a very nice one!" Shang Hua sputtered as his brain caught up. He reached for it, missing the satisfied smile and nod from the demon looming above as he took it. "Thank you, my king!"

"Then you accept this lord's courtship."

"Well of course I- wait, what?!" If he hadn't still been being held in place, he would have dropped the acorn and fallen on his ass. As it was, he turned a bright red as Mobei's words sunk in. "You don't mean- you can't-"

"This lord has presented you with your people's gift of courtship. My father's court has been bothering me to line up a mate. You will do nicely. Unless you find this lord ugly?"

"Of course not! Anyone with eyes can see you stand far above the rest in looks, and I'm not just talking literally! But we only just met and I'm not nearly important enough for someone like you!"

System!!!

[Mission: retrieve northern frozen acorn is complete. Reward: chance an easy life.

Good luck, host!]

You're not helping!

#fanfiction #shang qinghua #mobei jun #svsss #gtober2023 #moshang #Coffeetailor is typing...

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coffeetailor · 2 months

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Title: The Small Matter of Divinity Chapter Ten: Learning to Knock

Series: Scum Villain's Self Saving System

Rating: E (eventually)

Main relationships: Mobei/Shang Qinghua with background established Binghe/Shen Qingqiu

Tags: Established Luo Binghe/Shen Yuan | Shen Qingqiu, Identity Reveal, Deity Shang Qinghua, Macro/Micro, Size Difference, Mild Gore, Post-Canon, Shrinking, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Weird Sex, Shang Qinghua's inability to realize people like him

Summary: The story was done. Binghe and Shen-bro were off on their honeymoon, Mobei-Jun was finally the actual king of the Northern Desert, they'd had their big fight and actually made some progress, and Shang Qinghua had even been allowed back into the sect. So happily ever after, right? At least, if survival and paperwork counted as happy. Then what was this shit?! Being in some rip-off 'Honey I shrunk the Cultivator' fanfiction wasn't part of the deal!

In other words, Shang Qinghua, the great master Airplane Shooting Into the Sky, overworked and underappreciated god of this universe, accidentally accepts an optional quest with no cancel option and ends up even shorter than usual. Wasn't his life dangerous enough as it was?

#fanfiction #svsss #moshang #shang qinghua #g/t #small matter of divinity #coffeetailor is typing...

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coffeetailor · 9 months

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GTober Day Three: Candle

(A/N: Took some time off for my birthday. So that's why this is posting late.)

Sure, opposite day wasn't really a thing in Ancient China. Wasn't even really a thing in modern China unless you counted on the internet, but sometimes an author got bored or ran into writer's block and started researching random shit, okay? It kept the words going and that meant it kept his rent paid and food on the desk. (Because be realistic, he never actually ate at the sad excuse for a table he'd shoved into the corner of the 'kitchen' part of his apartment.) He'd had the idea of a silly little spell that could flip things around for a limited period of time, good for a rare reverse harem scene where Binghe had gotten a little taste of his own talents for once until the cursed necklace broke and the orgy reversed course. Not really a fan favorite, but there'd been a lot of fanart drawn of the scene.

Shang Qinghua hadn't counted on running into it while looking for an entirely different cursed necklace that his king wanted for some reason. And to be fair, nothing had happened when he'd picked it up and hauled it back to the northern palace. The one he'd been looking for was supposed to drink your blood if you wore it on the full moons, but in return would direct you to a treasure trove. Pretty light in terms of curse territory, really. And surprisingly non-sexy. And who would have guessed that... he might have re-used the same design on at least a dozen magical pieces of jewelry over the years he'd been writing the book.

His king had put on the necklace, Shang Qinghua ready to jump if it drank too much blood. But nothing happened.

At least, not until his king vanished between one heartbeat and the next, his empty clothes dropping to the ground without a body to support them.

He stared in horror at the place Mobei-Jun had stood. Had he just killed his king?! A curl of smoke rose up as if to drive in the point, and the author followed it down to the pile of royal silks and furs... Which had started to burn.

"No no no..." Shang Qinghua whimpered, diving forward. He slapped at the flames to put them out before they could engulf Mobei's clothes, but every time he put one part out it seemed like another would start to burn as he panicked. And then he felt a burning on his hand itself and jerked back with a yelp, tears coming to his eyes. "Noo..."

"Qinghua!"

He froze, still clutching his injured hand. "My king?" Did he become a ghost right away? Was he trapped in an alternate world? "Where are you?"

"Down. Here."

Shang Qinghua looked down, but all he saw were the still burning clothes.

"I don't see you, my king," he said with a hiccup, shaking his head. "Are you haunting me?"

A sudden flare of heat to his kneecap made the author let out another yelp and swat at his knees to put out what had to be the flames moving to his clothes. He didn't want to die too!

But when his hand landed, there was something small and solid between his palm and clothed knee. Small, solid, and moving. And strong, shoving his hand up before Shang Qinghua lifted it himself to face the angry blue eyes of his king.

"My- my king?" he whispered, forgetting the pain as disbelief and relief fought over his nervous system.

Mobei-Jun had been changed. Where the demon had been large and cold... he was now small and hot. So very small, and very hot. Standing in the middle of a little flame that burned around him kind of hot. Staring at him, the realization of what he'd just been trying to do sunk in and his eyes flew wide.

"Please, I beg your forgiveness my king! I didn't know it was you setting the fires! The necklace must have been switched with the cursed charm of opposites at some point, or I never would have presented it without warning. Please forgive your worthless servant for this oversite. I do happen to know that the effects should only be temporary and will wear off after a day or two."

"A day or two?" the demon repeated with a growl, staring up at him. Being surrounded by fire was... terrifying. No matter that he would never put such a thought to words. He was an ice demon. There were reasons why his servant's deception had worked so well against his uncle before. And then being so small on top of it. How was he going to rule his kingdom or protect his cultivator and future spouse like this?

"Yes, I'm sorry my lord, but of the ways to break the curse of opposites, that's the only one I can think of as viable! You'd burn anyone who tried to cure it physically," Shang Qinghua said. He started to wring his hands before flinching as he was reminded of the burn.

Seeing the flinch made Mobei feel a little guilty, even though the wound had been made trying to survive. He'd promised not to hurt him again. Taking a deep breath (that made the little flame flicker larger for a moment), he reached for the calm that usually served him well. "What do we need to do?"

"Well, you're a flame demon until it wears off it looks, so we have to keep your flames fed. Bigger the fire, bigger you. But if it wears off early, it wouldn't be safe to make a bonfire and have you return to your ice demon self in the middle!" Shang Qinghua said, talking them both through it at the same time. It kept him from panicking, which would not be useful for his king. "But rest assured, I have an idea that should keep you going for hours at a time."

A candle. His idea was a candle, bringing it to the little flame demon and tilting it down so the wick could be reached. Mobei-Jun studied it wearily before grabbing the wax-stiffened wick to pull himself up. The little flame around him flared as Shang Qinghua brought it back upright before settling into what would have been a normal, if maybe somewhat large, candle flame. Except for the demon in the middle of it, that was.

"I'll find you a better candle as soon as I can, my king," the author promised, cupping his hand around back of the candle as he climbed up to his feet, protecting it from any stray breezes that could risk blowing it out. He didn't want to find out how quickly a flame demon died when put out when said demon was Mobei-Jun! "This was just the first one I saw when I was looking, and this servant didn't want to make you wait too long."

Mobei scowled up at him. Which... wasn't quite as intimidating as it normally was. His king was smaller around than his fingers after all! And now that he had enough focus to actually study him... completely naked.

The realization made him blush and look away, telling himself the excuse that staring at fire too long was obviously bad for your eyes, and he had to watch where he was going as he slipped out of Mobei's study and headed right for his rooms. One of the few places in the northern palace that actually was built for heat and had a good supply of lamps and candles! And some of the best locks in the palace, which had been for his safety originally, but now Shang Qinghua activated them once they were inside to keep anyone from coming in and seeing his king in a vulnerable position.

Setting the candle down carefully, he hurried to start digging into his chest of supplies. "One moment, my king. This servant should have something with a longer burn time. Or even multiple wicks! Those have bigger flames so you won't have to stay so small. Though you're kind of cute like that..." The last part, of course, he muttered to himself as he continued to dig. "And a prettier holder!"

"Qinghua."

It was just too bad that he couldn't touch him without getting burnt, because he just bet that Mobei's skin would feel all soft like this, and he could poke and prod him without fear of being turned into a popsicle.

"Qinghua."

On the other hand, he couldn't give him any clothes either, because he didn't have anything fireproof and anything else would just burn off as soon as it was given over.

"Shang Qinghua!"

He jumped, hissing when the lid was jostled enough to bring it down on his head. Shang Qinghua turned around, rubbing what was sure to be a lump soon. "Yes, my king?"

The demon pointed across the room towards the bed piled high in furs. Or, more precisely, at the glass lantern that sat on the table beside it, a deep blue candle sitting inside. "That one."

Shang Qinghua blinked, looking between them. "That one, my king? But it's an old lantern and not even a fresh candle. Surely this servant can find something better for you."

Mobei-Jun shook his head. "It's the most suitable. I will rest on that candle. And no other. Will you deny this king?"

The author sighed. He'd liked that little lantern! It'd been one of the things he'd actually brought from his leisure house when Mobei had given him a room in the northern palace. Even if he didn't quite remember where he'd gotten it from. It wasn't exactly shiny and new, but there was a pretty frost and flower pattern in the metal and etched into the glass. And the glass sides had meant he didn't worry so much about falling asleep reading to its light. "Of course, my king."

He fetched the lantern from his side table and brought it over, opening the little glass door so Mobei could move from one candle to the other, watching to make sure he was settled before putting out the first candle. "Where would you like this servant to place you for the night, my king? Some privacy can be arranged if you'd like."

"Back where it was," Mobei-Jun said after a moment. He wouldn't say it, but he wanted the cultivator close. Even if he couldn't touch him without hurting him at the moment. And he'd promised himself he wouldn't hurt him again. "You should remain close until I return to my correct form."

Shang Qinghua felt a warmth climbing up into his cheeks, nodding his head as he picked up the lantern, king and all, to bring back to his bedside table. "Can this servant get you anything else, my king?"

"No. This king will meditate for now. You may rest."

"Thank you, my king." Permission given, he gathered together his sleeping robes, stepping behind a privacy curtain to change. Obviously he wouldn't be returning to his office to do any more work that night. Perhaps tomorrow he could carry Mobei with him? Or bring his paperwork in to work at his personal desk. Wrapping his hand before taking down his hair to comb out for bed, he felt eyes on him from across the room with the kind of intensity that made him squirm even without needing to look over his shoulder. Shang Qinghua quickly braided his hair and returned to the bed. "If you feel yourself growing, please wake this servant. I would hate for you to have to break out of the lantern. It's my favorite."

Mobei-Jun nodded his head, eyes closed as if he'd never been watching him. Ha. You aren't that subtle, my king. "This king will do so."

"And if you need anything else too! Especially if the candle gets low," he pressed on, pulling back the thick layer of furs so he could slid under. "Anything my king needs."

The small demon huffed, his flame flaring. "Sleep, Qinghua."

"Right, right, of course," the author said quickly. He automatically started to reach to blow the lantern out, jerking his hand back as his brain caught up. Right, can't do that. Instead, he laid down and turned his back to Mobei-Jun, closing his eyes to further block out the light. "Goodnight, my king."

Mobei didn't answer, watching the back of his servant's head, the only part he could see, until Shang Qinghua's breathing finally evened out. Despite the situation, he once again felt a little smugness. Clearly, he'd been wise in his choice. Both in giving the gift, and choosing his place to rest for the night. While it was a pity that he couldn't touch the human, the chance to watched him so close, and see him so unguarded...

Perhaps he would have to become cursed more often.

#fanfiction #shang qinghua #mobei jun #moshang #svsss #gtober2023 #gt #Coffeetailor is typing...

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coffeetailor · 9 months

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GTOber Day 7: Sweater Weather

(A/N: Yep, out of order and off date. Have some cute.)

Shang Hua, also known as Airplane Shooting Into the Sky, still couldn't believe his luck. Who would have thought that a single chance encounter with his biggest hater... would actually improve his life. starting with the improvement of his 'great' life's work. For being such a vicious little angry bean, the kid had a good heart. And enough spare change to not only pay his rent, but move him into a better apartment!

And without the risk of eviction and starvation on the table, he'd been able to stop pandering to the incel brigade that had made up so much of his paying audience, and actually take his time to write the story he'd wanted to at the start.

It was in visiting his old, long-buried notes, that he first saw the little figurine on his desk blink.

There hadn't been very much merchandise made from PIDW, and only a fraction of it actually featured his king, but he'd lived on expired noodles rescued from the bin for a month to get his hands on this one. Cast resin with a cheap paint job that he'd redone himself (why did they keep making his king's hair white? Yes, he was an ice demon, but he'd never described white hair!), he'd touched every inch of it. No part was meant to be able to move. Especially not the eyes.

But the figurine had blinked anyway. and then turned its head. And glared at him before threatening the author if he didn't release the 'spell' he had on him to seal his powers.

It took days to convince Mobei-Jun (alive! In his apartment! And as heartbreakingly gorgeous as he'd ever imagined in writing out his descriptions) that he hadn't actually done anything to him. At least not on purpose! By the end of that, the little figuring somehow got it into his head instead that Shang Hua was a god, and he couldn't be convinced otherwise. At least it meant that he could sleep without fear of the demon clawing his eyes out. It didn't prevent him from ordering him around like a servant, however.

So they'd come to a peace. The living figurine didn't get hungry, but he snitched from Shang Hua's plate every day anyway. And demanded a room stocked with ice all summer, which was made with an opened cooler left in the living room. By the time that fall rolled around, Shang Hua was almost used to his tiny roommate.

Which wasn't to say that Mobei was entirely used to Shang Hua or the world he lived in.

"What are you wearing?"

Blinking at his tiny roommate, Shang Hua looked down at his sweater, a big chunky thing that was two sizes too large, but was also one of the coziest things he owned. "This, my king? It's just a sweater. We wear them to keep warm in the colder seasons. We don't do so well as you in chilly weather."

Mobei-Jun frowned, studying his outfit with cat-like judgement before motioning him over to the table they'd set up his room on. Obediently, Shang Hua walked over and offered him a hand. The demon hadn't been particularly enthused about being carried at the start, but after figuring out that his teleportation powers were gone with the rest, he'd decided that the author was going to be his own personal carriage whenever he wanted to leave the desk.

Spoiled brat.

This time, instead of climbing up into his hand, Mobei grabbed it and pulled him closer, Shang Hua barely avoiding falling on his face by catching himself with his free hand. He was tiny and his powers didn't work, but that didn't mean that he wasn't still strong! "My king?"

Mobei-Jun poked at the cuff of his sweater, examining the fiber and the pattern like he was judging it. Which... he probably was. He'd already made his opinion of most of Shang Hua's clothes known (namely that they were strange and indecent, and this from a man who kept his chest bared to the world), so there wasn't much hope that the sweater would meet his standards either.

"What is this fiber?"

Shang Hua rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Eh... I'm not actually sure. Probably some poly blend? All I know is that it was dryer safe so I don't have to wait for it to air dry."

Mobei eyed him. "You don't use the 'dryer' on this king's clothing."

"My king, you wear fur and silk! Which is absolutely not safe to use in the dryer! And even if it was, the stitching is so fine that I'd be worried about it getting torn in there! Besides, they dry a lot faster than a sweater does," he said, trying to shake the idea that his king was pouting. "I'm happy to keep washing your things by hand. There isn't much here to get them dirty in the first place anyway."

"Then we should leave this place," the living figure said, lifting his chin to stare the author down. Which would have been easier had he been taller than him.

Shang Hua had been about to protest that he had writing to do all day, when he remembered that he'd actually sent his last chapter off to Cucumber last night. And that he wasn't posting at breakneck speed anymore. Besides, with the colder weather, maybe his king would like to get outside.

Smiling, he once again offered his hand. "Okay. You'll have to stay out of sight though. I don't think people would react well if they saw you."

Not to mention that his king was so small... he could get hurt. Something that he knew would utterly break his heart if it happened.

He was wise enough not to mention that, however.

This time, Mobei stepped up onto his hand, using his arm as a ramp up to his shoulder from there. His hands when he touched the side of Shang Hua's neck for balance were ice cold of course, but how could he complain when having him there was just more adorable than he was willing to risk saying. But that didn't keep him from shivering when the icy little figure burrowed his way inside the collar of his sweater to lean against more skin!

"Comfortable, my king?" he asked, trying not to shiver too much and bother him. Powers or not, Mobei was perfectly capable of stabbing him in the neck!

There was a small sound of agreement from just below his ear and he smiled, grabbing keys and wallet before going for the door. Maybe if he thought about this right, it could almost be like a date. The idea of it, a date with his favorite creation, put a spring in his step. What a lovely, chilly day.

#writing #fanfiction #mobei jun #moshang #svsss #gtober2023 #shang qinghua #Coffeetailor is typing...

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coffeetailor · 9 months

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GTober Prompt: Cozy

(A/N: Strayed a bit from the prompt on this one, but it was also late at night and I had fun anyway. So there.)

"Shoulder Hamster"

Sometimes, Shang Qinghua really hated his system. All the shit it'd put him through had left plenty of mental scars even if his cultivation had healed up most of the physical ones over time. Missions to do the impossible, with short deadlines and deadly consequences if he failed. And don't even get him started on the wife plots.

But this? Maybe he might be able to keep his complaining down to a minimum for this.

'This' being the chance to ride Mobei-Jun's shoulder, bundled up in the fur that lined his cloak. It was like living in a freaking cloud, the fur trapping the warmth of his body quite nicely. And the view wasn't bad either.

Of course, without explanation that made no sense. Sure, his king was tall, much taller than he was, but not so much bigger that he could just ride his shoulder like that! At least, not normally.

Would have been nice if Cucumber could have warned him that the herbs he'd asked them to go grab for him usually grew in amongst ones that could shrink a human with a single taste of their pollen. Dude usually had a steel trap memory for those little details that he'd long forgotten. But no. And Qinghua had tripped and fallen face first into a patch of flowers, spitting out petals. And then yelping when the ground rushed up at him, flowers looming.

A shrinking flower. When had he written a shrinking flower? Why had he written a shrinking flower?! Donor request, it had to be. But the main point was that it left him six inches tall and staring up at the quickly moving skyscraper that was his husband.

"Qinghua!"

He scrambled back as a boot landed far too close to where he was laying, Mobei-Jun looking for any trace of his human who had, to all appearances, suddenly vanished as he hit the ground. Heart pounding, Shang Qinghua stomped (oh, wrong word to use) on the instinct to run away from the giant, waving his arms over his head instead. If Mobei saw him, he wouldn't be able to panic and run, and also wouldn't be stepped on. Which was the point!

"Down here, my king!" he shouted. Pointed ears twitched, trying to figure out the direction of his voice. "Look down!"

Slowly, Mobei turned his eyes downward, dark blue widening in shock. Normally, Shang Qinghua would have been proud to surprise his unflappable husband, but he wouldn't have gone this far to do it!

With the full force of that gaze on him, Shang Qinghua felt frozen to the spot, staring back up at him. Holy shit Mobei was huge. Like taller than his old apartment building huge.

"My king, be careful with the flowers! Don't let any of the pollen get in your- eek!"

The author let out a little scream (or maybe not so little) when his mountain of a demon suddenly moved, bending down on a knee and scooping him up off the ground without warning. He clung to cold fingers tightly in fear as Mobei stood up with him in hand. Literally in hand!

"We're going," Mobei said abruptly before opening a portal and heading towards it.

"W-wait, what about the herbs!" Shang Qinghua protested, choosing to stick to that idea to keep himself from gibbering in panic.

"Consort Shen can wait." And he stepped through.

The moment they came out in the Northern Palace, Shang Qinghua was hit with a wave of cold. He gasped, pressing himself into Mobei's fingers because even his chilly skin was warmer than the air.

Mobei noticed, his frown deepening as he looked down at him. After knowing him for so long, Shang Qinghua was one of the very few who would see the worry in his face. "What's wrong?"

"It's cold," the shrunken cultivator said with a full body shiver. Duh, of course it was cold. It was the palace of an ice demon. His ice demon. But he was tiny. Meaning he had absolutely no insolation. "Colder than normally. I think- I think it's my body."

Not long ago, the scowl that found itself on Mobei's beautiful face would have had him ducking to avoid a strike. But things had changed, and while it still made him shiver, Shang Qinghua could see that it was directly towards him, yes, but not at him.

"My king, can we go someplace warmer to figure this out?" he asked, rubbing his hands up and down his arms through the fur cloak Mobei had gifted him just last week. Normally, perfectly enough for a chilly day out in the woods. But oh it wasn't enough when he was tiny. "Our rooms, maybe? Please?"

"Hn," the demon said without answering, looking him over with narrowing eyes. Which brought him to make a decision it seemed, because Shang Qinghua was being moved again without warning, lifted up higher and deposited on one well muscled shoulder. More precisely, among the fur that covered that shoulder. "You should be warmer there."

The cultivator latched onto the thick fur of the cloak, marveling at how soft it still felt even with the difference of scale someplace under the freak out that was going on over the fact that he was freaking tiny! Tiny and just carried along for the ride when Mobei started to walk.

"You can't just keep moving me around like that!" he protested. "My heart can't take the shock."

Mobei-Jun tilted his head to look down at him. "Are you warmer?"

Shang Qinghua was about the respond when he realized that yes, yes he was. The fur was soft and dense, and already starting to warm up with his body heat. "Oh! Um, yes, I guess I am."

His nod in response was satisfied, having proved himself caring for his mate once again.

He also hadn't told him where they were going.

Shang Qinghua huffed softly and used the fur like a climbing line to find a more stable place to sit than out near the point of admittedly lovely shoulders. Which ended up being just shy of the junction between neck and shoulder.

Settling down into the fur as Mobei walked, gently rocking him like he were on a great ship, he could admit that maybe, just maybe this wouldn't be so bad. He was certainly cozy when he was. And who else could say they'd ridden the great King Mobei-Jun's shoulder.

No iceberg would be sinking this ship, no sir! Full speed ahead!

Now if he only knew where they were actually going...

#gtober2023 #moshang #giant/tiny #shang qinghua #mobei jun #svsss #fanfiction #Coffeetailor is typing...

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coffeetailor · 2 months

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Title: The Small Matter of Divinity Chapter Nine: A Walk in the Park

Series: Scum Villain's Self Saving System

Rating: E (eventually)

Main relationships: Mobei/Shang Qinghua with background established Binghe/Shen Qingqiu

#fanfiction #moshang #svsss #shang qinghua #coffeetailor is typing...#g/t #giant tiny #small matter of divinity

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coffeetailor · 3 months

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Since the wait for six was kinda long, posting chapter seven a little faster than usual.

King and servant finally reunite!

Title: The Small Matter of Divinity

Series: Scum Villain's Self Saving System Rating: E (eventually) Main relationships: Mobei/Shang Qinghua with background established Binghe/Shen Qingqiu

#giant tiny #fanfiction #moshang #svsss #shang qinghua #g/t #Coffeetailor is typing...#small matter of divinity

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coffeetailor · 8 months

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GTober Day 13: Scary Movie

(A/N: It was hard to keep this one as short as I did! Still ended up being 3k.)

"This movie is crap."

"Shh. I'm trying to listen."

Shang Hua blocked the elbow that tried to dig into his side, sticking his tongue out at his grumbling friend, only to have a big chunk of popcorn shoved into his mouth. "Mmph!"

Still keeping the rest of his piece for himself, Shen Yuan settled back into his seat. Kind of a seat, anyway. The open box stuck, on its side with a stack of napkins tucked inside for padding, wasn't exactly furniture. But it was comfortable and kept anyone who might glance up at the projection window from seeing two miniature silhouettes sitting there watching the movie. Shang Hua still wasn't sure about the other man's friendship with the human projectionist, but it had its perks.

Because when you were six inches tall, you couldn't exactly just go buy a ticket to watch a movie like normal people did.

"If they had a collective IQ of more than eight, they'd have figured out it was a vampire ages ago," Shen Yuan muttered, frowning at the screen. "Or if they just listened to the expert!"

Shang Hua rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't have a story if they caught onto everything right away. And it's Dracula. First story of the genre. You can't expect the characters to be all genre-savvy."

"Still! You have one girl dead, and then the other starts-" The oncoming rant abruptly cut off as Shen Yuan went still. "Shit."

"What is it?" Shang Hua whispered, taking his cue from the other's reaction. There were reasons for people like them to freeze in place, and they generally weren't because of good things.

"Someone's looking at us," Shen Yuan hissed back, pointing with his chin. "In the audience."

Following his friend's indication, Shang Hua looked away from Dracula advancing on his victim to peer down into the seating below. And sucked in a breath at the two pairs of eyes looking up at them. Were… they glowing?

"They shouldn't be able to see us, right?" he said, half asking and half trying to convince himself. Surely they couldn't. There was the bright light of the movie projector shining right over their heads, and they were way up here. But he couldn't shake the feeling that they were staring right at them.

Shen Yuan swallowed. "They shouldn't."

Shouldn't didn't mean couldn't, they could both hear without it being said.

"They can't get in here though," Shang Hua said, wishing he sounded more confident. "The door's locked."

Swallowing, the other man nodded his head firmly. "Not unless someone let them in. And Qi-ge wouldn't."

Right. Shen Yuan's human friend. Who, more reassuringly than it'd been before, was a big wall of muscle and knew exactly where they were. And had promised the two that no one else would be allowed inside.

Shang Hua moved slowly to peer around the edge of the box, but he already knew the big human wouldn't be there. He'd gotten them set up, started the movie, and moved on to the next screening room to get it ready. When he turned back around to check the dark room below them again, the eyes were gone. Replaced by two empty seats.

"Where'd they go?" he whispered, jumping up from his seat. If no one was looking at them, there was no reason to hold still anymore.

Shen Yuan was already ahead of him, grabbing his coat and throwing it on in a hurry. "They got up and left. I don't think I want to wait around for the movie to get over."

"Read my mind, bro."

Together, they hurried across the projector table to where the power cord hung down to the floor, taking turns sliding down. Shen Yuan could apologize for ditching without telling his human friend later. Right now? They were going to do what folk like them always did when they were seen. Vanish.

Feet hitting the floor, Shang Hua looked frantically for a place to hide. They'd been carried in by pocket, and the door wasn't exactly an option! But seeing him stop, Shen Yuan grabbed his hand and began to pull him towards the wall.

"This way. There's a hole," he said, turning to look towards the door when there was the sound of footsteps. And a shadow cast on the frosted window. "That's not Qi-ge."

Shang Hua turned his head to see what he meant, meaning neither of them were looking where they were going when the shadows rose up and a man stepped through. Just in time for them to run directly into the side of his boot.

Crashing back onto his ass with a yelp, Shang Hua stared up at the giant of a human in horror. Icy blue eyes fixed on the pair before flicking towards the door. "Junshang."

A sword sliced a gash into the air, a second figure stepping through into the supposedly locked and safe room. He looked down at them, face splitting into a bright smile. "Shizun, Shishu. We found you."

"Sorry, you must be mistaking us for someone else," Shang Hua said, his mouth running on automatic just to keep his brain from shutting down in terror. A detached part of it marveled at just how beautiful they both were, looking like freaking supermodels with shiny hair, muscles, and the prettiest faces he'd ever seen. The rest firmly pointed out that they were huge and could see them! "Don't think either of us have ever taught anyone, even if that was a pretty cool trick with the sword thing, so we'll just be going. Good luck finding your friend!"

He tried to pull Shen Yuan the other way, but the moment they took so much as a step, a wall of ice rose up in front of them.

"No," the first human (though that ice trick had him seriously starting to question that part) said as the wall expanded to encircle them, trapping the pair inside. "There is no mistake, Qinghua."

"Um… that's not my name." It was close to his name though, scarily close.

Almost as scarily close as blue eyes were as he knelt down to get a better look at them. He nodded as if coming to some conclusion by himself before glancing up at the other. "The witch told the truth."

"In another world, only changed. could the memory problems be part of the curse?" the man with the sword said with a nod of his own. "Shi- no, Shen Yuan, do you remember me?"

Named correctly, Shen Yuan froze, his eyes wide as he clung to his friend's hand like it could protect him. "H-how do you know my name?"

"This is what happens when you start making friends with humans, A-Yuan," Shang Hua hissed, surely too softly for a human to pick up from that far away. (Not far enough!)

But apparently not quiet enough for these two to hear, because they both looked right at him, blue-eyes raising an eyebrow to give expression to his otherwise coldly expressionless face.

"Shishu, are you suggesting that the two of you aren't human?" the one with the sword asked slowly. Shang Hua absently noticed that there was definitely red in the pretty dark eyes. Maybe he should call them red-eyes and blue-eyes until they gave their names.

"Isn't that obvious?" Shen Yuan answered for him, snapping at him. "And for someone who called me shizun, you're being a very poor disciple, trapping us like this!" He swatted at Shang Hua as he tried to shut him up. "I order you to release us immediately!"

"You're going to make them mad!" Shang Hua hissed, even if they'd already shown excellent hearing. He peeked up at red-eyes heart pounding at what he was sure he'd see.

Only to have to stop and look again, because surely he was hallucinating. There was no possibility that the man who'd just cut through space with a fucking sword was tearing up after a little scolding from Shen Yuan. And yet, big red eyes were turning glassy as big fat tears started rolling down handsome cheeks.

"Shizun…"

"Junshang," blue-eyes said, stressing the title like he was scolding him for the behavior. "We've been here long enough."

Trying to reign back his tears, red-eyes nodded his head. "Shizun, I beg your forgiveness, but we have to go."

"Yes, go," Shen Yuan said quickly. "And I'll forgive you for scaring us."

Shang Hua nodded in agreement, looking between them. But not so intently that he didn't notice to ice pen growing to spread under their feet and arching to close up the top. "Hey! You were supposed to let us go!"

"Apologies, Shizun, but we can't do that until you're yourselves again," red-eyes said, sounding apologetic like he wasn't picking up the cage even as he spoke. "You'll be kept safe with this one, I promise. Mobei."

Blue-eyes (Mobei-Jun, my king, something in his memory whispered) raised a hand and shadows gathered once more in the room, red-eyes holding their cage and taking the lead to step through.

The pair inside the cage clutched at each other in fear, shuttering at the bitter cold they passed through before the shadows split… and they were nowhere near the theater they'd visited. They couldn't be. Because the gilded walls and painted ceilings stretched high overhead could only belong to a palace.

"Where are they taking us?" Shang Hua whispered. Being seen was bad enough. You had a chance at getting away when you were seen. But there were barely even stories of what happened when someone was actually captured. Because no one ever heard from them again.

"How should I know? You're the one who's always watching humans and making up stories about them," Shen Yuan hissed back, trying to pretend he wasn't completely plastered to his friend's side as they were carried down the hallway.

"You're the one who actuallye talked to one! Maybe he told them we were there!"

"Excuse me? Qi-ge would never-"

"Shizun," red-eyes said, making them shut up and look up at him motionlessly, no matter how deliberately gentle his tone was. "We're here."

Here was an outside space, where tall bamboo stalks shot up towards the sky. A red sky. Their captor gave them an encouraging smile that didn't quite reach his eyes (which had no right to look so sad when he was in the process of kidnapping them), carrying the cage into a house that looked quite humble in contrast to the palace hallways. But as they went inside, Shen Yuan couldn't quite shake the feeling that it looked… familiar. And comfortable.

"I'm going to let you out, but please don't run," he said as he placed the cage down on a low table. "Give us a chance to explain."

"Explain why you broke into the projection room and kidnapped us against our will? Yes, I'd like to hear how you're going to explain that," Shen Yuan snapped, looking away from the room to glare at red-eyes. Who still had the nerve to sulk. "And how did you know our names?!"

As the cage around them melted away like it'd never been there in the first place, Shang Hua found his attention drawn to blue-eyes again, even though he'd largely remained quiet. The way he was silently studying him made his heart race.

"It might be a long explanation, Shizun," red-eyes said before perking up. "Perhaps I could get you some tea and snacks to enjoy while you listen. As an apology for scaring you."

Shen Yuan eyeballed him, reminded strongly of a puppy who had been raised around them. Big, still dangerous, but trying so very hard to be harmless. And he was hungry. They both were. A piece of popcorn was not a meal.

"Fine," he said at last, folding his arms. "But it doesn't mean we're agreeing to do anything but listen." Trying not to tense up when red-eyes sprung up to his feet, he scowled at him. "And for fuck's sake, at least tell us your names! Since you already know ours!"

It was a little gratifying to see their giant captor blanch, his cheeks going red. "Oh! Forgive me, Shizun! This one is Luo Binghe, and my companion is-"

"Mobei-Jun," Shang Hua said automatically. When three pairs of eyes looked his way, he ducked his head. "You said his name earlier."

Red-eyes, now titled Luo Binghe, raised an eyebrow as he reclaimed his composure. "Right. Of course. This one will return shortly with food."

He ducked out of the rooms, leaving just the two on the table and Mobei-Jun as their quiet watcher. Though despite how hard his face was to read, there seemed to be a kind of… satisfaction in the still expression. The kind that made Shang Hua want to squirm in place right where he stood, especially since it was specifically aimed at him. Like Shen Yuan wasn't even there.

Not that anyone could ignore Shen Yuan for long, especially not when he demanded your attention.

"You aren't actually humans, are you?"Shen Yuan asked, pointedly stepping between his friend and the possibly-not-human-but-still-large-man staring at him.

Mobei-Jun frowned at having his view obstructed before simply opening a flap of his jacket and grabbing something inside. The two tried not to jump as a piece of yellow paper rippled into existence between his fingers, followed by the rest of him just shifting.

If Shang Hua had thought he was good-looking before, it barely compared to the beauty that sat in front of them now. Blue eyes turned into chips of dark ice. He could probably cut himself on his cheekbones. The xanxia-style robes he wore half open to expose a chest that he could die happy against did not hurt. Nope.

Neither did the very distinctly pointed ears that stuck out from his hair. Which were, frankly, adorable.

"Do you have fangs too?" he blurted out before he could stop himself, stepping around his friend for a better look. Hey, they were just watching Dracula. Who could blame him?! (Other than Shen Yuan. He could find an excuse to blame Shang Hua for anything.)

Beside him, Shen Yuan groaned and covered his face with a hand. "A-Hua, you are an idiot."

"What? He's not human," Shang Hua defended. Humans were the dangerous ones, after all.

"Do I really need to point out that he's even bigger than one and already kidnapped us?"

"Kind of noticed that on my own, bro."

"And you don't think that makes him even more dangerous?!"

"This king has promised not to harm you already. Qinghua, more than once," Mobei-Jun said, interrupting them before Shen Yuan could start hair-pulling. Shang Hua's hair may not have been particularly long, but he still had enough to keep in a ponytail. "And yes, for your question." He raised a finger when Shang Hua's mouth opened to obviously ask another question. "I do not suck blood."

Called out, Shang Hua pouted. So maybe that was going to be his next question.

"Forgive my friend," Shen Yuan said dryly. "The things he's written have rotted his brain. I'm afraid he can't help it. But I have questions as well. Beginning with where you have taken us. I can tell it's nowhere in Beijing. The city may get polluted at times, but I have never seen the sky that red."

"Mm. This is the Demon Realm, in the Underground Palace," Mobei-Jun said with a nod. "It is under the rule of Emporer Luo Binghe."

Shen Yuan blinked, turning to look back at the way Luo Binghe had gone. "That guy is the Emporer? With how easy he cries?"

Mobei-Jun snorted but didn't respond verbally, just giving another nod, though Shang Hua could definitely see the amusement in his face.

"So, this is the demon realm and Binghe is the Emporer, meaning I should be correct in assuming that you are both demons?" Shen Yuan continued, starting to pace. "You've claimed to intend to keep us safe, so if we take the risk of believing you, why?"

"That's part of the big explanation," Luo Binghe said from the doorway, bringing in a tray and waiting for the two tiny men on the table to move aside before he set it down. They were almost distracted enough by the delicious smells coming from every dish to miss the fact that his appearance had changed too. No pointed ears, but he'd had his own glow-up (and Shen Yuan didn't want to admit how pretty he was) and his own change of clothes. He smiled at them before starting to serve them each a bowl. "I hope the dishes are good enough. We didn't know when we would find you, so I couldn't cook ahead."

"You were looking for us before you saw us at the theater?" Shang Hua asked, surprised. That didn't stop him from accepting the bowl from clawed fingers. When had they stopped being scared of them?

Binghe nodded his head, somehow still managing to resemble a puppy even with claws, fangs, and, apparently, the title of demon emporer. "We've been looking for years. Though some of that was finding the witch who made the trap."

Shen Yuan paused, frowning with a miniature dumpling halfway to his mouth. "… what trap?"

The story and explanation Binghe had to tell them was unbelievable. The pair of them once being human, from another world that, as far as the demon could tell, closely resembled the one they'd been brought from. Except they had been human there too, and had died before being brought to Binghe's world. Shang Hua as a baby, and Shen Yuan taking the place of Binghe's once cruel teacher.

After all of the adventures wrapped up and they were (married!) living happily, the two of them had run into a cursed booby trap that hadn't even been set up for them, their souls flung from their bodies into another timeline. The one he and Shen Yuan had lived in the last twenty years, growing up as members of the hidden ones. Twenty years during which the two demons had been jumping from universe to universe to find them.

It was a wild story, and they could tell that the demons were leaving things out, yet… it didn't feel like they were being lied to. Especially with the way they were being looked at, with a fragile kind of hope. It made Shang Hua squirm in his seat on the table, feeling the way that Mobei-Jun's eyes never strayed from him.

When Luo Binghe wrapped up his impossible story, he fell silent and waited for them to respond. Well, for Shen Yuan to respond. For all that he'd been talking to both of them, Shang Hua could tell that his friend was really the one he worried about the most.

"If… if we choose to believe you, what do you intend to do next?" Shen Yuan asked slowly. "We have no memories of our life here, and even if you try to protect us, we're used to staying hidden. That doesn't exactly sound like royal consort material."

"Shizun…"

"The witch who laid the curse and led us to you suggested that it would be possible to merge your two lives together," Mobei-Jun said, speaking up for the first time in a while. "The effect of the difference in form will still have to be seen."

"So, you'll be using us in an experiment," Shen Yuan said flatly, folding his arms over his chest only to immediately unfold them to accept another treat from Luo Binghe.

"We will not allow any harm to come to you," Mobei-Jun reminded them again before turning his attention entirely away from Shen Yuan and the emperor falling over himself to pacify him. "Qinghua."

"Yes, my king?" Shang Hua responded without thinking. As it sank in what he'd said, he stared up at the demon with wide eyes.

Mobei-Jun looked down at him with satisfaction just oozing from his gaze. He brought his hand up, offering his large palm to the tiny man. "Trust this king."

Shang Hua swallowed, staring at the hand, at the claws that tipped each finger. He wasn't Shen Yuan, who was brave enough to make friends with a human. He'd been nervous enough when Yue Qi had let them climb into his pocket to transport them into the theater. But even then, the human hadn't actually held him!

Pulling his eyes away from Mobei-Jun's waiting palm, he looked up into the blue set patiently waiting for him to decide.

"Promise you don't suck blood?" he asked when he found his voice.

The demon's lips curved into a small smile. "Qinghua has my word."

Taking a deep breath to brace himself, Shang Hua moved forward and hauled himself up into Mobei-Jun; hand before he could chicken out. "Okay, let's see if your husband's hiding in the back of my head someplace. So, how do we do this?"

Before Mobei-Jun had time to answer, there was a shriek from across the table, where a red-faced Shen Yuan yanked hard on the lock of Luo Binghe's hair he'd managed to get hold of.

"You think the cure is what?!"

#fanfiction #gtober2023 #mobei jun #moshang #shang qinghua #svsss #giant tiny #gt #Coffeetailor is typing...

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