Title: Diverging Paths
Fandom: Guardian
Rating: G
Words: 478
Summary: In one universe the SID arrives in time to protect a terrified student and her teacher. That universe is not this one.
Notes: Canon divergence right at the beginning, because why not.
In one universe the SID arrives in time to protect a terrified student and her teacher. That universe is not this one and Li Qian finds herself summarily... teleported? Or something? Into Professor Shen's office, the last thing she sees before she recognises the familiar surroundings is a human shaped shadow turned to ice and a glaive appearing out of nothing into Professor Shen's hand. What the hell?
"Stay here, please." Professor Shen rests his hands against her shoulders, a brief squeeze of reassurance and she nods slowly, brain still trying to come to terms with everything that isn't sheer terror. Then her professor is gone again and she's alone in the room, breathing slowly and trying to will her heartbeat to stop jackrabbiting in her chest. It works eventually and she sinks down onto the chair in front of Professor Shen's desk, relieved that her fingers are no longer trembling.
On the one hand, she thinks, she should still be terrified, because Professor Shen is certainly not as human as he appears. She could walk out of here right now and he probably wouldn't comment at all. On the other... On the other, this explains so much, and even if she walked out the door there was no guarantee something else wouldn't come after her, even if Professor Shen deals with the shadow.
She stays where she is. She's a scientist after all, curiosity has always been a weakness of hers.
Oh, that looks more like a portal of some kind, not actual teleportation. Interesting.
"Is that why you can't use computers?"
The words spill out before she stops to think and Professor Shen blinks at her in bewilderment.
"Computers?"
"Or any kind of technology," she adds. "Like the projectors. Or mobile phones."
He winces, moving carefully towards his desk and the chair behind it. Giving her space, she thinks. Room to run, if she wanted. If she wanted that, though, she wouldn't still be here. Besides, she knows there are stranger things in the world that what you can see. Her grandmother's life is proof of that.
"That... In a sense, yes." He sits down and just looks at her. It's his evaluating look, the one he gets when he's turning over things in his mind, looking for the weak spots in your arguments so he can poke holes in them until you reach a more comprehensive conclusion. "You're taking this very well, Li Qian."
"I think I hit the sheer terror barrier and came out the other side, Professor," she says honestly. "But I do have questions, if that's okay?" Really though. So. Many. Questions.
He stares at her again, then the corner of his mouth quirks up and he ducks his head slightly, the way he only does when he's truly pleased or happy about something. "Of course. Where would you like to begin?"
Fandom: Guardian
Rating: G
Words: 478
Summary: In one universe the SID arrives in time to protect a terrified student and her teacher. That universe is not this one.
Notes: Canon divergence right at the beginning, because why not.
In one universe the SID arrives in time to protect a terrified student and her teacher. That universe is not this one and Li Qian finds herself summarily... teleported? Or something? Into Professor Shen's office, the last thing she sees before she recognises the familiar surroundings is a human shaped shadow turned to ice and a glaive appearing out of nothing into Professor Shen's hand. What the hell?
"Stay here, please." Professor Shen rests his hands against her shoulders, a brief squeeze of reassurance and she nods slowly, brain still trying to come to terms with everything that isn't sheer terror. Then her professor is gone again and she's alone in the room, breathing slowly and trying to will her heartbeat to stop jackrabbiting in her chest. It works eventually and she sinks down onto the chair in front of Professor Shen's desk, relieved that her fingers are no longer trembling.
On the one hand, she thinks, she should still be terrified, because Professor Shen is certainly not as human as he appears. She could walk out of here right now and he probably wouldn't comment at all. On the other... On the other, this explains so much, and even if she walked out the door there was no guarantee something else wouldn't come after her, even if Professor Shen deals with the shadow.
She stays where she is. She's a scientist after all, curiosity has always been a weakness of hers.
Oh, that looks more like a portal of some kind, not actual teleportation. Interesting.
"Is that why you can't use computers?"
The words spill out before she stops to think and Professor Shen blinks at her in bewilderment.
"Computers?"
"Or any kind of technology," she adds. "Like the projectors. Or mobile phones."
He winces, moving carefully towards his desk and the chair behind it. Giving her space, she thinks. Room to run, if she wanted. If she wanted that, though, she wouldn't still be here. Besides, she knows there are stranger things in the world that what you can see. Her grandmother's life is proof of that.
"That... In a sense, yes." He sits down and just looks at her. It's his evaluating look, the one he gets when he's turning over things in his mind, looking for the weak spots in your arguments so he can poke holes in them until you reach a more comprehensive conclusion. "You're taking this very well, Li Qian."
"I think I hit the sheer terror barrier and came out the other side, Professor," she says honestly. "But I do have questions, if that's okay?" Really though. So. Many. Questions.
He stares at her again, then the corner of his mouth quirks up and he ducks his head slightly, the way he only does when he's truly pleased or happy about something. "Of course. Where would you like to begin?"
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chasethestars
chasethestars
Comments
In terms of what could change, there's a thread here where me and
https://mekare.dreamwidth.org/124089.html?thread=659897#cmt659897
And yes, it explains *so many things*. XD
And Lin Jing is a bit o_O over the idea because that's not how phd student-thesis advisor relationships work? XD
The investigation into Shen Wei's dodginess is based at least 50% on Lin Jing finding his relationship with Li Qian dodgy, yes. Then Shen Wei keeps being super overinvested about it. It even gives Wang Yike a more plausible motive for going after Shen Wei! She'd think that Shen Wei is being an ass and being sexually inappropriate with Li Qian, then try to kill Shen Wei as well. (An interesting option would be if Li Qian were present for the confrontation and Wang Yike accidentally touched her, so the SID came to a scene of Wang Yike being dark energy blasted to the other side of the hallway and Shen Wei pouring all of his healing energies into Li Qian. And because I'm a wuss, Li Qian would be completely 100% fine, but Shen Wei's secret would be out to the SID, Wang Yike, and Zhang Ruonan.)
...I like this idea a lot. Also, this probably avoids Wang Yike accidentally sucking the life out of Zhang Ruonan, too. And yes, of course Li Qian is going to be fine. By the power of the BCE I declare it. >.>
Hm, would they talk to Prof Zhou about it? I mean, probably not, but also looking into that relationship could explain a lot about why Shen Wei is all MUST ADOPT AND TEACH etc.
Yes! She will be fine, and so will Zhang Ruonan, and Shen Wei will decide that since his Envoy-ness is already out, he might be persuadable to plead for Wang Yike's behalf if Li Qian and Zhang Ruonan ask for it enough. (Zhao Yunlan is very confused about how many Dixingians there are at the university.)
Professor Zhou doesn't already know, and he's part of the same research thingy as Ouyang, which is sort of presented as ethically dubious, so Shen Wei might hesitate. He must've been a very good influence on young Shen Wei/probably done a very thorough and passionate job mentoring him (basically adopting and teaching him all about life), so Shen Wei probably has a good view of him that he doesn't want to jeopardize. (Because I'm me, I want Professor Zhou to find out and be fine with it. And appreciate his academic granddaughter.)
Hm, I was thinking more of the SID checking in with him in terms of Shen Wei's possible shadiness regarding his grad student rather than anything else and them then realising that Shen Wei quite possibly adopted Prof Zhou's methods of Raising a Phd Student Properly from his own time as a phd student.
And yes, I also want Prof Zhou to know and be fine with it and also appreciate his academic granddaughter. XD
Ooh, that has a lot of potential! And then Professor Zhou informs them that Shen Wei is the most honorable of honorables, hdu accuse him baselessly! He's just a bit more out of touch with social mores than the average academic, Professor Zhou practically had to raise him, but he raised him well! Insert a rant that's a bit too revealing about Shen Wei's non-present-day-Haixing upbringing.
Prof Zhou is part of the Shen Wei defense squad and very appreciative of his academic granddaughter! After all, this is Shen Wei's very first PhD student, Prof Zhou should probably be on call in case he wants advice.
And yes, definitely part of the defence squad, which was probably founded by Jiajia or something. >.>
...I should write this, shouldn't I.
And yes, yes you should. Along with everything else you're working on XD
Great AU!
Thank you. <3