Mustang Was Very Brave To Build His Team With A Chronically-single French Man, A Guy Who Was Born For

Been rereading the httyd books lately

pe ru so na

You know, genuinely, the transmigration setting of svsss fascinates me. Shen Yuan adapts remarkably quickly (makes you want to explore exactly how attached he felt to his home in the first place? An interesting thought for another time.) but I have to wonder, how does his past shape his psyche?

I'm sure most people are familiar with nature vs nurture, and that the situation you were raised in shapes you fundamentally as a person (It doesn't define you though.) . Moreso, the culture you were raised in, and participated in, contributed to and perpetuated.

I think it can be easily argued that the world of 'PIDW' moves differently to Shen Yuan's modern day China. I think there is some bleed-through or carry-over, but the cultures are different. (Perhaps with Modern Day as the 'mother culture' to PIDW, seeing as Shang Qinghua may or mayn't be the creator of said world.)

If you take the same culture at different points in time even, the cultural mindset and cultural awareness ( I like to think of it like a portfolio lol), there will be a marked difference. You just have to wonder the difference of perspectives, not even from a character point of view, but culturally.

And! You have to marvel at the fact that Shen Yuan adapted as well as he did! He was speedrunning integrating into a new culture! I mean sure, he had foreknowledge of the world, but knowledge of, say a different country is not the same as learning to truly live there.

I can have knowledge of a foreign country, know it's stories and songs, it's celebrities, traditions and way of governance: the climate, the flowers and the pathways of its waters.

Yet, that would not make integrating into the culture any less eye-opening and educational. It would not make me any less of a student to that culture I'm learning.

This isn't even bringing up that there are multiple cultures in Shen Yuan's PIDW.

I won't argue that Shen Yuan could navigate all these cultures well or easily, but that he did at all is fascinating. Shang Qinghua does have a few legs up, being the author and getting a PIDW childhood.

Shen Yuan's different cultural perspective, I would like to posit, is another reason the Cang Qiong Peak Lords got suspicious. The difference in personality could only be highlighted by Shen Yuan's different cultural foundation. He's operating from an absolutely different place than Shen Jiu!

Anyway, this contrast and concept, this facet of svsss delights me and I enjoy rotating it in my mind.

It seems that this just turned into a SY appreciation post. But what can I say? The funky dude deserves it.

Yoo Joonghyuk suddenly thought. If so, where do I live in those countless hours?

Grian and scars new videos reminded me of something...

his ass finally got fired (and rehired)

yoohankim is kim dokja laying in bed thinking god im a dogshit human being and soon these two will figure it out and leave me and han sooyoung laying in bed thinking god im a dogshit human being im so lucky that ive managed to find these people willing to be with me and i will never let them go and yoo joonghyuk laying in bed thinking well we might have enough onions for that onion soup i wanna make tomorrow night but i should probably stop by the store in the morning and grab some extra just in case. also if either of these people leave me i will kill myself

So we know that the White Star split the Dominating Aura and left a portion in the Forest of Darkness, right?

So imagine if the voice inside the Dominating Aura is NOT Choi Jung Gun (or some other ancestor) but rather the White Star's younger teenage self (before he becomes a Dragon Slayer/goes crazy), like Jour Thames is in the Rings of Life.

Dude has no idea what sort of maniac he becomes, is just a little shit constantly mouthing off against the other ancient powers in Cale's mind & keeps dissing/shitting on the White Star whenever they fight because he has no idea it's him. You know, cuz of the whole reincarnation thing.

Like I know the logistics here are a bit wonky (since I assume only Dragon Slayers inherit the Sword of Disasters and Dominating Aura once they inherit the title) but bear with me, it's such a funny scenario.

Barrow (lets call him that for now) would just be cheering Cale on the entire fight, thirsting for blood and suggesting pranks to play on the White Star. The funniest scene could be him rolling his eyes (metaphorically, since he's ghost) and shitting on the White Star for being melodramatic with terrible fashion sense. Masks? In this day and age?

Imagine him being horrified when he finds out what he's become, especially since he's firsthand interacted with Raon and the rest (courtesy of haunting Cale).

You know what would be even more hilarious? Imagine him just providing Cale some VERY intimate, embarrassing and awkward details that Cale brings up during battle just for shits and giggles to throw off the White Star.

Cale & the White Star fighting: Barrow, internally: Did you know I used to pee in bed every night until I was eleven? Cale, with a shit-eating grin to the White Star: So how did it feel to have such poor bladder control growing up? Eleven? Tsk, tsk. White Star, half-offended, half-terrified because this is just reinforcing his hare-brained theory about how the Gods sent Cale to kill him because how else would he know this: WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? Barrow, the little shit: During training, I once farted so loud the instructor called me ‘Thundercheeks’ for a month. Cale, visibly pausing mid-battle and incredulous: "Thundercheeks?!" The White Star, screaming in horror: Shut up shut up shut up!!!!

Every time Cale opens his mouth, Sayeru and Dorph lose a bit more respect for their master. Conversely, Raon thinks Cale is possessed (he is). Also White Star, babe, no Cale is not a reincarnator. Your archnemesis is literally you.

Just tinier, more gremlin, spiteful and hormonal. You know, a teenager.

Edit: more scenarios because this is funny:

Barrow, rubbing his imaginary hands: See that slight twitch in his shoulder? He’s about to dodge left. Cale: “Oh? So I aim right?” Barrow: “No. Compliment his hair. He'll blush. // Barrow: “Mention the mole. He hates the mole.” Cale: “What mole?” Barrow: “Inner thigh, left side. He’s irrationally sensitive about it.” Cale (literally yeeting a thunderbolt at him): “Still trying to hide the mole?” White Star screaming: “WHAT THE FUCK.”

//

red and vee :)