#makes the protag seem quite egoistic

[whumpbby]

I agree 100%, and also would like to add that the difference in how HC/LWJ treat the protags, compared to their 'friends/family' is that both of them suffer from a massive ✨Hero Complex✨.

They are the Saviour of their beloved who has to be protected from everything and everyone else. And it works perfectly when the danger is ongoing, and I can easily see how a person may fall for someone who saves them when needed and wants nothing in exchange.

Because real, established, long-term relationships aren't this. They are messy and weighted, between people who know you and people you know, and sometimes you just think you do. And, paradoxically, you have to communicate even more in them, because closeness makes it easy to assume shit that isn't true - like Wei Wuxian assuming he knows JC the best of all, or XieLian assuming he understands his friends, because they're friends. Of course they know them, they've known them forever! (I am looking at XieLian here, who kinda seemed to forget the fact his friends were first his servants - and always first and foremost his servants when the chips were down - and for a long time didn't seem to grasp the actual true complexity of their relationship.)

Now, is it surprising that a new relationship subsumed the old ones? New relationships are exciting, fresh, there's no expectations, no weight of the past. And with a partner that is so smitten and subservient, and caring only about what's best for you? A partner who doesn't expect explanations and doesn't know your flaws and won't pull you to task? Jackpot!

I mean, until the danger passes and the freshness goes away, and the realisation settles that one isn't a princess in need of saving and the other doesn't need to be the knight. What do you do then?

I am forseeing some long and needed conversations in the post-canon future, where both WWX and XL will attempt to explain to heir partners that, you know, I'm a real grown up person, not some damsell in distress that needs to be supervised. I can talk to people and make friends, and sometimes be alone. And can you tell me fucking once what you want for dinner, instead of "whatever you like?!"

I SIMPLY THINK (as my friends approach to restrain me) that the Xianle Trio is (to a slightly lesser extent) the Twin Prides of TGCF in that both relationships are way more consequential to the story than the size of their roles suggests and in fact reconciling that relationship (or failing to, for WWX) is completely essential to the main character's narrative and emotional resolution

[beardedhandstoadshark]

Which character is not very bright, ruled by emotion instead of intellect, too shortsighted, too quick to anger, too quick to act without considering consequences and too unpredictable?

In a "hotheaded“ sense or "chaotic neutral“ sense? It’s probably the first one and I‘m over-complicatting things right ^^

In which case! Pretty much half the characters who got fire as their theme. Especially if it’s a protag. Oh man hotheaded protags are the definition of "crashing headfirst into a wall“ lol. Makes for very good drama when something really serious happens because of their actions though.

(Y‘know, I‘m…actually never sure if this means characters in general or ocs because characters in general doesn’t quite fit with the wording because the "which character“ sounds like choosing from a specific group to me? And without any previous establishment of that the closest thing that seems to make sense is my ocs, but just assuming that that’s the case from the get-go low-key feels very egoistic and self-centered XD

Idk, is this language differences? Only instead of wording it’s in alluded tone? I‘m sorry if this seems weird or the ask was misinterpreted :( )