“cultivator in white/cultivator in black” this and “orphans on a morality spectrum” that - you know the real sexiest narrative foils in The Untamed?
Jiang Cheng, constantly defined by/acting according to his desperate need to live up to societal standards, as well as by his older brother and the death thereof; makes a loud and furious show of his own power and authority at all times but is actually in control of maybe…half a scene, once, when he corners Wei Wuxian with Fairy, and then Jin Ling of all people takes it from him
VS
Nie Huaisang, constantly defined by/acting according to an absolute apathy toward what’s socially expected of him, as well as by his older brother and the death thereof; makes a loud show of his own helplessness and uncertainty at all times but is actually in quiet, deft control of every scene he’s in for present-day events
”Men think about the Roman Empire” “What’s the female version of the Roman Empire” SHUT UPPPPP. SHUT THE FUCK UPPPPPP. AS A WOMAN I LOVE THE ROMAN EMPIRE. AS A WOMAN I LOVE ANCIENT HISTORY AND BATTLES AND POLITICAL INSTABILITY. THE “GIRL VERSION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE” IS THE ROMAN EMPIRE. IM GOING TO STAB YOU 23 TIMES
imagine: you are chilling in front you your house getting high. along comes an old family friend who you last saw when you were six, you are now in your 50s. after a brief convo where he is kind of a dick to you, he’s like damn you’ve changed :/. and your like yeah bestie it’s been five decades why the fuck are you here. he leaves. later that night a shit ton of people show up and trash your house. just throw and absolute rager. halfway through the family friend from earlier shows up. he announces in full earshot of everyone that he wants you to come with him to rob a bank. you of course say wtf??? one of the people who broke into your house calls you a pussy. another person shoves you a contract which declares if you get shot robbing the bank they will not pay for your funeral. you pass out. when you wake up you find the contract on your table and your house almost completely back to normal. you stare at the contract for a moment and decide, fuck it this is just as a good a midlife crisis than anything.