#i don't talk abt this particular feeling much bc i'm not entirely convinced it's a value-neutral sort of incompatibility— | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

vermillioncrown · 3 years

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I said I was going to write you an essay to make you question what I do with my free time, and I follow through on my promises! So, making my case for Jiang Cheng, as well as some comments on why I think ot3 is cute but ultimately wouldn't work. Obvious caveat that we haven't had all the major character interactions and canon changes in dbd yet, so my opinion is subject to change according to how the story develops. I talk a big game but I actually don't mind who zyx ends up w bc I know it'll happen due to Character Development. Our thoughts on romance are fairly similar.

Why wangxian+zyx doesn't (yet?) convince me:

I'd have to really, really be sold that it isn't, in fact, wangxian+zyx but instead wwx/lwj/zyx, and I think zyx would too. You recently made a post on zyx feeling like an intruder in their relationship, and it would take so much work for wangxian to convince her that she wasn't an afterthought, not bc they think so abt her but bc wangxian is basically the founding principle of the canon she's inhabiting and girl can only handle so many mind-blowing paradigm shifts and that quota is filled by transmigrating. I also feel like wangxian have so much work to do w themselves in canon before they're ready to be in a relationship, and asking zyx to join in is like asking them to do a lot of emotional heavy lifting on their behalf. Like, she knows all their hangups, and she might be able to help one (1) romantic partner w that stuff but two is asking kind of a lot? Also she just knows too much abt them. She knows too much abt everybody, but them in particular. (zyx's reaction to the Horny Gripping, anybody?) Also, that insight seems to be a major reason why she even knows how to interact with them/interpret their behavior, and she's still baffled half the time lmao.

Not to mention, these two are Dramatic. Like, they are That Couple, and are prone to dramatic displays of love and romance and great personal sacrifice and zyx is way too lowkey and easily embarrassed for that shit. (zyx, if someone did the equivalent of giving the whole cultivation world the middle finger on her behalf: First of all, I would never put you in that situation, and second of all *perishes*) (zyx, if someone proposed in public and made graphic comments abt wanting to bang her: I don't know you. Also, I'm going to beat you to death.) (Alternatively, these are the two with enough combined chaos energy that they're the ones most likely to find out abt zyx's reincarnation/transmigration bit.)

Now About Jiang Cheng:

Of course, he is my bestest angry boi and I'm not-at-all-secretly in love w your Lan Wenhui au, so I'm biased. And let's be real, their relationship would have to have elements of politics. But I love their dynamic and how they seem to intuitively understand each other and have similar responses to situations. I don't think they'd have wangxian level Romance, but I also don't think zyx is built for that. (Not a criticism, bc I'm certainly not either.) But I think they'd have an excellent sense of comradery and companionship and respect, and would definitely be a cultivation world power couple bc they're both just so damn competent. Also they'd be roasting everyone the entire time. (Basically, I think they'd make each other laugh, and that's my gold standard.)

I think they're similar enough that they can understand each other without letting their worst qualities and habits dominate? Like, they both deal with feelings of inadequacy and are hyper competent to compensate, and can come off cold but definitely aren't. zyx wouldn't let jc get too caught up in his own head and family feelings, etc., and jc would see zyx on a research bender and be like 'eat food, you gremlin'. (He grew up w wwx, he knows.) jc is also p charismatic to my mind, in a way we both see and don't see in canon, mostly subtextual in how he rallies Jiang Sect during the war and rebuilds it. You don't do all of that solely through the power of being an angry asshole everyone's scared of. Also, jc has a major thing for ppl being loyal, and if zyx and he were to become an item, ie for political reasons, I think she definitely would be and I think he'd find that enormously attractive. And I think having someone on his side who shares his goals would really allow jc to grow and mature in ways that zyx would find appealing. (Returned confidence and trust in the other person?) Plus, imagine zyx/jc interacting w jzx/jyl, I feel like there are so many opportunities for comedy gold.

Idk I like some of the other pairings suggested--whoever put forth jzx/jyl/zyx is Big Brained. Anyways I've written some and would love to chat w you if you ever want to, and also maybe someday I'll write up my thought on lxc or Mianmian as potential love interests. (I feel like I could really be into something w Mianmian 😉)

if i questioned what anyone did with their spare time, it's "glass houses and cast stones" on this end. thank you for following through, love reading write ups that prove i've dragged others into this hellhole. it's especially nice when a reader catches onto what i'm trying to convey in the fic, and agrees (two braincells in resonant frequency across the land).

on wangxian+ot3:

you've brought up something that very few have brought up before, even as a joke. like, haha yeah we know zyx's a potty-mouthed transmigrator, but the emotional and mental toll on someone to be constantly reminded they don't belong, they don't fit in, there's nothing they can do about that, and they cannot be themselves wholly... it's a lot. there's only so many braincells left to do other mental heavy-lifting. and yes, zyx is willing to handle most things as they come, but they tend to establish ground rules and assumptions before operating, and wangxian is one of those gr&as, thought immutable.

they're also on a different level of emotional maturity than wangxian (for as much of a mess zyx is), there is self-awareness and understanding that sets them apart from the teenagers around them (let alone the emotional messes that are wangxian). it'd be too imbalanced, one person helping the other person develop to their level rather than mutual growth (not saying it can't happen. it's currently unlikely). and knowing too much about a person, not some faceless character - to know someone, move onto liking them, respecting them; the 'DISGUSTANG' response is played up for laughs, but that's masquerading the guilt/discomfort one would feel when unintentionally violating another's boundaries. and it's even worse bc the affected party doesn't know it.

(i'd like to argue on zyx's behalf/my behalf that the Customer Service/Professional at Work face is good enough to interact with most people, and there's a reason ppl irl ask me to read others to filth. the bafflement is only when the interpretation must involve the self.)

(in a "fuck, dude - i exist in other people's thoughts???")

the Drama is def another con in the wangxian category. nice to read about, but don't you fucking dare bring that into the house. each reaction you've written is 100% true: it's more like zyx would never want to put their partner in the position of performative displays of affection and romance (bc it means they've fucked up themselves, and it's time to exit life). the reflexive reaction to raunchy declarations would likely be a bellow and a punch (the thoughts are as you've written).

but, yes - the gravitational pull of wangxian's chaos -> they're getting into the business of those they hold dear, whether the other party likes it or not -> it will probably happen. i answered that 'potential crossover ask' before, and that's the case where wangxian are the only mfers with the least responsibilities such that they'll get into a mess w zyx that will bust that secret wide open.

(also, toying w a side-plot during ssc, involving demonic cultivation + inquiry)

on jiang cheng:

it's no surprise - from the lwh au and zyx's thoughts in dbd, jc is the character they identify most with. not in a 'aww little meow meow' but a 'uh the reflection in this mirror is... i don't want to think about this bye'. i'm happy you like what little i have on their dynamic in dbd so far; it's difficult to get them to interact in depth at this point of the fic bc it's in the nature of both jc and zyx.

if they do get together, it's as you said: not wangxian level of true love romance, and neither are built for it. it'd be like the lwh au, except less funny and much messier (the fact that wwx has a crush on his shidi's ??? being one thing, and the fact that jc has to consider his position/appearance rather than pursue romance or even consider zyx a romance option). it'd have to develop from strong friendship first, which is exactly like your thoughts on comradery + companionship + respect. a partnership on multiple fronts.

it's two girlbosses dating each other.

(i def have more interactions with the two building up via snark, and yes - how can you date someone that doesn't make you laugh? minimum requirements right there, you have to find each other hilarious)

also true on similar but different: they deal with their fixations and hurts in different ways. there's always the possibility that two people like this would start a cold war of posturing that'd keep them from reconciling, but the little differences of the sources of their issues/how they manage their issues gives room for coexistence. very much agree w your examples.

jc has to be charismatic - not only did he rebuild the jiang, he did so when he was on the losing side, and it'd probably looked better for his recruits to stay out of cultivator business and hope it'd blow past. he has yet to pull out the jc charm on zyx yet. it's not as bombastic as wwx's, but it's something.

while zyx would never say their defining trait is loyalty, they are stubborn as fuck. "fuck it i'm not doing this" *does it anyway* "i don't need to be here" *is still here* <- the thing w shuangfeng all through part 1. so yeah, if they deliberately chose to stand with jc, it will likely be followed through to the end. jc doesn't have many people that are straightforward and stalwart with him, and as shady as zyx is they aren't that complicated of a person. at least, i don't think so lol, but i 'might' be biased.

(i tend to introduce myself as a 'single-celled organism'; like, i'm kinda shady but only for fun)

you want the most awkward family dinners, don't you? unfortunately for jc, it's a case of "we're best friends that were so homie we dated siblings" when it comes to jzx&zyx.

jc & jyl eyeing each other from across the table like 😶😶

(i do not know how that type of interaction would work out, and i will leave the future a mystery)

wrapping up:

i would love to talk more about jzx/jyl/zyx throuple bc it's so galaxy-brained, but bc jzx is instrumental in the plot near-future, i do not want to spoil anything until the things have happened.

when more lxc interactions happen (some upcoming in the discussion conference, a lot in the ssc), i'd love to see it.

BWEW BWEW BWEW!!!!!

[LUO QINGYANG ROUTE - prerequisites fulfilled]

^ if people find things (if you find things) in dbd, she's now available to be discussed :)

also, from pm's:

> "Ooh another pt of interest that can apply however you like: zyx doesn't *trust* love as a sentiment on its own. She's like 'feelings? How unfortunate, how can I get out of this.' I don't know if she would be able to view romantic love as lasting and therefore worth investing in seriously unless there was other stuff underpinning it. But reliability and competence? Mutual respect? I feel like that would go much further to winning her over, would be what makes her catch feelings."

< "you fucking got it"

< "like, zyx is not one to deny feelings exist. but that's a whole separate animal."

< "you can't get assholes off your lawn and away from your sect through ~true love~"

> "Lmao zyx viewing their emotions with a 😒 'that's a little irritating but whatever'"

< "rational zyx to emotional zyx "we'll get through this""

#electricalsheep #on dbd #dbd love shack #inquiry #thanks for the essay i loved it #submitting to the journal of fanfiction lmao #i was wondering if anyone would catch on with lqy at all 🤭

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kayvsworld · 7 years

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Could u convince be not to hate Steve 'Hypocrite' Rogers? I'm really trying not to hate him but whnever I think about anything to do with him I just get even angrier at him. MCU Steve is a repentless fuck up and I wanna know what u have to say about him? U don't seem like u hate him and u also love Tony so I figure u probably see stuff I'm not seeing and I wanna know what ;u; (mostly so I can stomach stony fics to widen my range of reading material) :p

steve rogers is a stubborn emotionally-constipated asshole. i also love him very very much. here are some post-cacw thoughts on why i still love him:

flawed characters are good, and the only reason we expect Perfection from This Particular Human Character is bc other people (and…the narrative….) put him on a pedestal. I can’t be mad at him for doing what he thought was the right thing, because as a fan of tony stark, i know that sometimes things that seem like a good idea at the time are maybe actually not always that great

issue: banking on the fact that your rich genius teammate and his team of lawyers will still get you and your friend out of a bad situation After you let him know that the friend in question murdered his parents a week before christmas and that you’ve lived in his house and looked him in the eye while Knowing Abt This for several goddamn years is uh. a v scary situation and potentially a bad plan for 19 reasons. prioritize the people you know are ride or die & cut ur losses

some people are emotionally constipated assholes who do their best and fail miserably,,,,To Cope™

ok but seriously have you ever had 6.3 billion Terrible Things happen to you in rapid succession, and then One More Thing comes along (to take away the only remaining thing in your life you can control and the only semblance of normalcy you have left) and you just. dig your heels in automatically and go “absolutely fucking not”

like i will personally bet you 5 canadian dollars that steve has been crossing his arms and glaring at the tv for months like “listen what else do they want us to do. we’re helping. we’re the good guys. they Have To See That we’re good people and we’re doing our best and we saved the world Come On if we just wait…maybe…….it will…..Be Fine without us having to do anything? maybe?”

he’s been fighting to keep People™ safe for a While and it’s Apparently still not enough and he is probably tired and bitter and frustrated. also, last time he was working for/with a third party they turned out to be nazis and while i get that that 100% isn’t the same as a UN Panel (noT THE SAME, STEVEN) at some point you have to take a quote out of context, plant urself like a stubborn asshole tree, and say “actually no fuck you please just let me do the only thing that is giving my life meaning right now in a way that doesn’t make me feel trapped and afraid for myself and my team”

peggy (steve’s last connection to his life before waking up in the future) had just died, and bucky (steve’s surprise Actual last connection to his life before waking up in the future) has been having a Hell Time and is being targeted. sometimes when you find out your best friend has been brainwashed and tortured for 70 years, your bullshit meter maxes out and you (steve rogers, “fight me” personified) want to give the finger to anyone who wants to do absolutely else to that person. yes, getting him help was an option (the other option being some kind of prison?) but also, it still would have been someone else making that choice for bucky, and at some point yelling “can you please just leave him alone” with ur fists becomes a default reaction

as someone who regularly avoids things when i should really deal with them, i 100% believe that there is a large part of steve that genuinely thought he was protecting tony. sure, he was protecting himself and bucky, too, and he admits that openly, but i can buy that steve had been sitting on the couch for months listening to tony talk about Processing His Grief Through Technology and screaming internally like “would it truly and genuinely make it easier on this guy to know that his parents were brutally murdered by my friend and i’ve known abt it for 2 years when he’s still this messed up over it already oh my god”

the problems i have with a lot of steve’s choices really just come down to the film not giving him room to put up a legit argument. a lot of it was banking on me assuming that captain america & the team were correct bc they’re cap & the team in a captain america movie? if they had given steve a speech instead of a shitty letter, i’m sure i would have initially understood his side a lot better

some people are emotionally constipated assholes who do their best and fail miserably,,,,To Cope™ Part 2: The Letter

steve is not great at feelings. steve is not great at processing and expressing his feelings in a healthy way. steve is an all-or-nothing prickly bitch (see: every film he’s been in) and taking these excellent canon facts into account, i do actually genuinely believe that this dude forced himself to sit down while in hiding to write 12 different drafts of this letter by hand in cursive and eventually ended up with the monstrosity tony received

he can’t apologize for the accords situation, because he doesn’t think he’s wrong, so he can only apologize for hurting tony. “i’m not sorry for what i did but i’m sorry that it hurt you” is a shitty thing to read and say but i guess at least,,,he,,,was honest? steven why didn’t you get a friend to proofread this letter

by saying that the avengers are more tony’s family than his, he probably thinks he’s acknowledging that tony cares about them and was doing what he thought was best. im personally for my own sanity choosing to believe that.

“i’ve never really fit in” aka “okay i definitely didn’t talk enough about where i was coming from at all for the past few…..years….and this was the only draft that included my ‘i’ve been lowkey struggling’ admission and didn’t sound vaguely pathetic or directly mention my friend who involuntarily murdered your parents”

this entire thing is actually imo a fairly decent “listen i know things are really messy right now and i hurt you and we’re both still upset, but here’s some effort on my part. if you ever need anything, here’s how you can contact me & i promise i will still drop everything to come help you with what you need” gesture considering the situation & time frame

anyway, steve for sure messed up with his approach to this and put a lot of people in danger, but as someone who is a fan of tony stark i have to take The Context into consideration and also understand that sometimes people do questionable things even while having the best intentions. it was a really rough situation and i think mr evans did a great job of showing steve emotionally shutting down and struggling for the past few films? i can see where he was coming from from an emotional standpoint, & bc of these and 130 other reach-y reasons including me just enjoying him as a person, i forgive him. it’s 2:30am this is so long oh my god

#kayvswords #L O N G P O S T #long post #holy shit i'm sorry i just have a lot of feelings abt steve???#seibir

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