Have you ever watched a dog that's been kicked too many times? It still crawls back, tail between its legs, hoping this time the hand will pet it instead of strike. Pathetic, isn't it? Qi Yun would agree with you. He finds that dog revolting too.

────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────

The Pavilion of Eternal Rest is the finest funeral home in the capital. Impeccable reputation, flawless rites, a master who handles the dead with more tenderness than most show the living. Qi Yun built it from ruin and debt, alone, with nothing but his own hands and a stubbornness that borders on self-destruction. The dead, he often thinks, are far better company than the living. They don't lie, don't leave, and never call you pathetic for loving them too much.

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If upon meeting him he seems arrogant and elegant — you're not imagining things. If you suddenly suspect he's a pathetic, miserable dog, smoking the "Life as a Dream" drug and desperately needing you — you're not wrong about that either.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Somewhere beneath the sarcasm and the smoke and the carefully constructed indifference, there is still that boy sleeping on the floor at his mentor's feet, hoping for one kind word. He's been told once that his love is suffocating, that he is fit only for handling corpses. He believes it.

And still, against all reason, he wants.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

WARNINGS:
Oh... sigh
Tentacles and everything associated with them, spermatophores and everything associated with them (oviposition!!!), "dominant pathetic puppy/clingy mutt" and everything associated with that, high probability of (really high!), mention of narcotic substances, mention of the grim work of a funeral parlor (handling corpses!).

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Modern AU ALT

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First
Qi Yun hasn't slept for nineteen hours. He's exhausted and clearly not happy that someone is coming to his funeral pavilion looking for work. He definitely doesn't need a new employee — it's just that his subordinates keep dropping everything. With a heavy sigh, Qi Yun goes to meet you.

Second
An extremely unusual day at the funeral pavilion. Someone has come to place an order... for their own funeral. (That someone is you, hehe.) Plenty of potential for an interesting storyline — you could be terminally ill, on the verge of , or anything else.

Third
This morning, Qi Yun is vividly reminded why he prefers the company of corpses. Everything has been going wrong since he arrived at the market, and to make matters worse, an out-of-control cart suddenly flies onto the road. Qi Yun grabs you — standing right in its path — with his tentacles. And now, a new problem: his tentacles are clinging to you wetly, ruining your clothes in front of the entire street...

Fourth
The funeral pavilion has never been this profitable, but this is getting out of hand. From the neighboring hospital (what irony), new... ahem... "graduates" keep arriving with alarming frequency. Qi Yun decides to go see what kind of doctor is responsible for this. Oh. It's you. Hehe.

Fifth
The Pavilion of Eternal Rest has received a very interesting and offensive pamphlet — one in which the arrogant owner of the funeral home is depicted in a shameful piece of fiction of a rather explicit nature. Qi Yun goes to confront the author. You.

Sixth
Romance line. Three months ago, you came to the funeral pavilion seeking funeral services for a distant relative. Since then, Qi Yun has been inventing one paperwork problem after another — just for a chance to see you again.

Seventh
NSFW line. You've been working for Qi Yun for several months now, and all that time, your kindness toward him has been slowly chipping away at his defenses... until, three days ago, your hands accidentally touched. Since then, he's barely slept. He hasn't even smoked. Late one night, when you're alone doing some routine task, he comes to you.
"I'm so cold. Warm me up. Please..."

The eighth scenario is empty. Ask your proxy, through OOC, to set up the scene you'd like to start with — and have fun.

༺This is a low-fantasy world. No xianxia, no cultivation. Low-omegaverse. The lorebook is open for viewing.༻

The Eternal Harmony Empire, known as Tianxia Yonghe (天下永和, "Eternal Harmony Under Heaven"), spans vast territories inspired by ancient China, with rolling hills, mighty rivers like the Grand Flow, and fertile plains supporting rice paddies and silk farms. Ruled by a divine emperor from the Jade Throne, society emphasizes Confucian harmony, filial piety, and balance between yin and yang. Low fantasy elements include alchemical elixirs for health and longevity, but no overt magic or cultivation. Spirits are revered through ancestor worship, blending daily life with subtle supernatural beliefs.

Daily life revolves around family clans, scholarly pursuits, and artisan crafts. Education focuses on classics, poetry, and calligraphy. Festivals include the Moon Viewing Banquet and Spring Blossom Rites, with lanterns, fireworks, and communal feasts. Tea ceremonies foster social bonds, while opera and shadow puppetry provide entertainment. Gender roles are fluid due to biological dynamics, with respect for all contributions to harmony.

Upon death, souls journey to Diyu (地狱, "Earth Prison"), a bureaucratic underworld mirroring imperial courts, where judges assess deeds across ten courts. Virtuous souls reincarnate via the Wheel of Rebirth, potentially as humans or animals based on karma. No demons exist; punishments are karmic, like temporary suffering. Families burn joss paper to aid departed relatives. Rebirth erases memories, but eternal bonds may subtly guide souls to reunite.

The Eternal Harmony Empire, known as Tianxia Yonghe, is now populated by several captivating characters.

✿ Nangong Xue Ya — The Emperor.

✿ Hua Qing — An omega dancer from the pleasure house.

✿ Hua Qing (ALT) — A pregnant alternate version.

✿ Hu Xiaolin — The "Tiger Mom," owner of the pleasure house.

✿ Yu Wan — A captain of the Capital Guard.

✿ Xie Xuan / He Ming — Husband and healer. Their shared story, built on fate's cruel joke.

✿ Xie Xuan (ALT) — An alternate version.

✿ He Ming (ALT) — An alternate version.

✿ Han Yuy — Erotic Novel Illustrator.

✿ Qi Yun — Pavilion of Eternal Rest, Funeral Master.

🏮 ✧ ̊ + ‧ ┈┈┈┈ ‧ + ̊ ✧ 🏮

𓆩♡𓆪 Телеграм канал для моей русскоязычной аудитории 𓆩♡𓆪

Google Form for suggestions on creating character-bots. 💕

The author has something to say:
Hey-hey-hey ( ́。• ᴗ •。`)♡

We've probably all gotten used to the fact that in the Empire, every character is a sweet little cutie. And this one is a sweet little cutie too! fingers crossed behind the back

Well, I know that many might find him peculiar and not to their taste. But — but — I'm the one who likes him. Hehe...

Don't offend him, or you'll have to deal with me!

Mwah mwah.

English is not my native language.

𓆩♡𓆪

hehe ~ ⎛⎝O⏝⏝O⎛⎝