The Art of Dialogue and the kitchen knife scene

[china_shop]

I was watching a YouTube video about how to write snappy dialogue (banter) by heyjameshurst. The creator used examples from The Princess Bride, The Empire Strikes Back, His Girl Friday, and The West Wing to illustrate that good dialogue is like a tennis match, a playful competition, and in each volley the tension escalates to "a sudden, sharp reveal of truth."

Afterwards, I was thinking about it in terms of Guardian, and the first scene that came to mind was the kitchen knife scene. Wow, this is a stellar example of what the video talked about! It's dynamic because every line fires back in a way that is difficult for the other person to respond to. (Often they're reacting to the subtext -- or actually, what they perceive the other's subtext to be -- rather than the words, and sometimes slightly at cross-purposes, so lines that could be non-sequiturs feel seamless.) And the truth is forced out of them. It's so impressive!

ZYL: I woke up because I was hungry.
SW: *turns and drops the knife*
ZYL: *strides over and grabs his wrist* Don't you think of lying to me. What did you do in order to heal my eyes?
SW: *starts to leave*
ZYL: You used the Longevity Dial.
SW: *stops*
ZYL: *moves to his side* You shared your life force with mine. You used your power to neutralize the corrosion of my body. Am I right?
SW: My... My... My body's energy structure has suffered a severe blow. I need to exchange all my energy.
ZYL: It must hurt a lot.
SW: *ghastly smile* Fortunately... Fortunately, I'm used to getting injured.
ZYL: I do not deserve what you are doing for me.
SW: You're worth it.
ZYL: *explodes* Then, what do you want me to do? Be indebted to you? To bow to you? You are not immortal! Why should I so casually owe you a life?
SW: This life is what I'm returning to you.
ZYL: ??????
SW: You should rest soon.

There are so many truths here!! <3 <3 <3

Thinking about it also made me realise something about Shen Wei's initially trying to leave and his "Fortunately, I'm used to getting injured" line, which I will explain in six screencaps:













Newsflash, Shen Wei: Zhao Yunlan's tactics are no more reassuring or less infuriating when you try them.

Comments

[facethestrange]

"He has plenty of good things in his life too -- all the flavours, just like Kunlun promised him!"

Aw, I love this! ♡ (I don't need to like that the bad things are happening to like this. :D) And obviously Kunlun was right because he has already seen it, which only makes it even better to me.

"I think the "life" ZYL gave SW was hope-at-a-time-of-extreme-hopelessness and connection and love and fighting-at-his-side. And SW in return is giving ZYL self-care and his sight back and connection and love and fighting-at-his-side."

♡♡♡ ITA! I never even really considered the literal aspect of it, I just skipped right to this.

[trobadora]

And obviously Kunlun was right because he has already seen it, which only makes it even better to me.

EXCELLENT point. This is my absolute favourite thing about Guardian, the way things loop around between them and they each are a crucial part of what lets the other become the person they know.

[facethestrange]

Yessss. ♡♡♡ I feel like it must be one of the most personal time loops EVER, and it's so beautiful how them just existing and learning from each other is the thing that makes it work, it doesn't need anything else. :)

[trobadora]

just existing and learning from each other

YES!!!! That's the best part! :D

[china_shop]

Yessss! ZYL time-travelled TEN THOUSAND YEARS to sit in the moonlight with Shen Wei and feed him lollipops. <3 <3 <3

and it's so beautiful how them just existing and learning from each other is the thing that makes it work, it doesn't need anything else. :)

That's such a lovely way to put it. <33333

[facethestrange]

"ZYL time-travelled TEN THOUSAND YEARS to sit in the moonlight with Shen Wei and feed him lollipops. <3 <3 <3"

Asdfghjhgfdshjsdfgfdkl;; ♡♡♡ I'M DECEASED WITH GLEE. xD :D :D

I've been writing a YOHE fic again btw, I thought I ran out of those and I was kinda sad about it ngl, but apparently not. :D :D

[china_shop]

:D :D :D (Ftr, I'm pretty sure I got that from Gaywatch -- if not the exact wording, the general take. :D (I don't usually do watch-alongs, but their reaction to YOHE was just GOLD. :D))

I've been writing a YOHE fic again btw, I thought I ran out of those and I was kinda sad about it ngl, but apparently not. :D :D

Ahh, yay! That's awesome! *twirls you*

[facethestrange]

:D :D It's a flawless take, the wording included. :D ♡♡♡ Thank you for the link! I really don't do reaction videos, but if I ever do in the future, this is where I will go first. :D

(And aww, thank you! :D :D ♡)

[china_shop]

<3 <3 <3

[china_shop]

And obviously Kunlun was right because he has already seen it, which only makes it even better to me.

Yes, great point! Kunlun!ZYL is super convincing in that moment because he's speaking from a place of knowledge and truth -- it's not just empty platitudes. And that's a lot of what gives SW the hope and fortitude to go on. *hearts and hearts*

♡♡♡ ITA! I never even really considered the literal aspect of it, I just skipped right to this.

Heh, I always get tripped in YOHE because young!SW feels indebted so quickly, just from ZYL helping in that battle. He immediately starts calling ZYL "benefactor" and promising to repay him (which ZYL deflects with "take off your mask and smile" -- and omg, should we draw a line from that to SW's ghastly smile in this scene?? /o\ /o\ /o\). But I think over the years since, SW has had time to reflect and his perspective would have deepened, you know?

[trobadora]

and omg, should we draw a line from that to SW's ghastly smile in this scene?? /o\ /o\ /o\

OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH!!!!!

[china_shop]

Kunlun looked so affectionate when he said Shen Wei had already repaid his debt many times over! Why is ZYL getting so mad about this now? SW should have known that when it actually came down to it, it wouldn't be so straightforward.

[facethestrange]

Sooo I read this and went 'but doesn't Kunlun look heartbroken when he says that?', and it led to me going screencapping. xD And his expression is not all that different? (Before he gets mad at least. After is a different story.)




And then I just continued to see Shen Wei's expression, and I guess it isn't all that different either? (Excuse the subtitle from the next scene, this is one of the last frames.)




I don't have any points (other than maybe 'these conversations are even more similar than I thought'), I just have pictures. xD

[china_shop]

And his expression is not all that different? (Before he gets mad at least. After is a different story.)

Oh, huh, I see those as very different. The set of his mouth in those frames is similar, but the tension in his brow in the kitchen scene is completely absent in YOHE, and his eyes are pained in the kitchen scene, but shining and warm in YOHE. And I think it has to be different, because they're such different points on ZYL's character arc: in the kitchen, he is full-body absolutely "I'm not worth this" and unable to bear the thought of anyone loving sacrificing for him. But by YOHE, he's learned to accept love, and come to terms with the fact that love and sacrifice are intertwined (and specifically, that this is how things are between him and SW). He's no longer doubting his worthiness at all, not because he's masquerading as a famous general or even because he thinks he's so great, but because of who they are to each other up and down the timeline. You know? I think that's most evident in the way, after YOHE!SW says, "The life that I owe you, I'll definitely return it to you," ZYL stares up at him and gives the very very faintest of nods, like ohhhhhh I get it now, I get all of it, and then he laughs (at their fate and at his former lack of understanding, and the fact that now he knows what Shen Wei meant when he said it).

*watches this sequence, like, six billion more times* alksdfjalkdsfja;sdklfjas;dkfjas;dlfkjasd;fk

And then I just continued to see Shen Wei's expression, and I guess it isn't all that different either?

Ha, I see those as very different too: YOHE!SW with eyes widened in confusion, and kitchen!SW super deeply intensely staring, driven to admit part of his secret and ~willing~ ZYL to accept it.

(And then I compared YOHE!SW with kitchen!ZYL, and they're also different -- SW doesn't look upset like ZYL does; SW is just pure confusion.)

[facethestrange]

Yeah, as I said, I have no points, just pictures. :D I totally agree with pretty much everything, and your analysis is beautiful. ♡♡♡

"because of who they are to each other up and down the timeline"

!!! and

"he laughs (at their fate and at his former lack of understanding, and the fact that now he knows what Shen Wei meant when he said it)"

AW!! ♡

I think the one thing that I have specific feelings about is the one I started with - he still looks really sad to me when he says these specific words. After the look of realization and the laugh and the smile, he's just sad. (And his expression switches between the far crop and the close crop - I would love to see the progression of this instead!) But at the same time I can definitely also see the acceptance of it (the sadness and the sacrifice both, I guess, and the love too) vs the resistance to it in the kitchen scene! ♡

"*watches this sequence, like, six billion more times* alksdfjalkdsfja;sdklfjas;dkfjas;dlfkjasd;fk"

SAAAAAME. ♡♡♡

"(And then I compared YOHE!SW with kitchen!ZYL, and they're also different -- SW doesn't look upset like ZYL does; SW is just pure confusion.)"

Yeah, I looked at that too and decided they're very different from the beginning - ZYL is the most confused after he's already super agitated, and I think the only time anything could even be comparable at all is before that.

[china_shop]

I think the one thing that I have specific feelings about is the one I started with - he still looks really sad to me when he says these specific words.

Huh, it doesn't read sad to me, but that's just me. He's definitely having A LOT of feelings.

ZYL is the most confused after he's already super agitated, and I think the only time anything could even be comparable at all is before that.

*nodnodnod* It must help that neither of them is badly hurt in YOHE, and that young!Shen Wei is so trusting.

(Oh, imagine if ZYL had somehow managed to get hurt during that initial YOHE battle! I wonder what that would have done to their dynamic back then...)

[trobadora]

I see it the same way you do, very different!

ZYL stares up at him and gives the very very faintest of nods, like ohhhhhh I get it now, I get all of it, and then he laughs (at their fate and at his former lack of understanding, and the fact that now he knows what Shen Wei meant when he said it).

♥ ♥ ♥

[china_shop]

♥ ♥ ♥

[trobadora]

Kunlun looked so affectionate when he said Shen Wei had already repaid his debt many times over! Why is ZYL getting so mad about this now?

AHAHAHA OMG. /o\

[facethestrange]

"Yes, great point! Kunlun!ZYL is super convincing in that moment because he's speaking from a place of knowledge and truth -- it's not just empty platitudes. And that's a lot of what gives SW the hope and fortitude to go on. *hearts and hearts*"

Yessss, exactly. ♡♡♡ Like, 'I know your future and it's good, I just can't say it in quite so many words'.

"He immediately starts calling ZYL "benefactor" and promising to repay him"

I know the repaying part is there and I just don't really take it into account I guess, but the 'benefactor' part I just always took as 'idk your name and this is clear enough', lol.

"and omg, should we draw a line from that to SW's ghastly smile in this scene?? /o\ /o\ /o\"

Oh damn, I can see that!!

[china_shop]

Like, 'I know your future and it's good, I just can't say it in quite so many words'.

EXACTLY what Shen Wei needs to hear. <3333333

but the 'benefactor' part I just always took as 'idk your name and this is clear enough', lol.

Hee! That's fair. <3 (But I think the first thing he says when he recognises ZYL in the cave is "I'll repay you." *checks* Ahaha, no, it's "oh? why have you changed your clothes?" though not in so many words. LOLOL, this scene! How is it this flirty?!? :D :D :D Anyway, then he says, "I still don't know how to repay you for saving my life.")

[facethestrange]

"Ahaha, no, it's "oh? why have you changed your clothes?" though not in so many words. LOLOL, this scene! How is it this flirty?!? :D :D :D"

IKR? :D :D :D ♡♡♡ I would never expect anything less from them. :D :D

Btw I really really love the "Benefactor!" line as a parallel to the "Good name!" line from their other first meeting, like 'oh, so he definitely doesn't remember me, and for some reason we're being weirdly upbeat about that'. :P

[china_shop]

Ha, yes! It hits a little differently in YOHE because ZYL doesn't have the decades/thousands of years of waiting behind him, and he's in a whole surprise! new context. But that's a great point. *smishes them at both timeline points*

[facethestrange]

Hee, yeah, definitely, he basically only just saw ~his~ Shen Wei and hasn't been missing him for ages, but he still hopes that maybe SW will remember him here too, and then it's like 'oh okay, no, definitely not'. More lighthearted vs more punch-in-the-gut versions of the same moment. :D

[china_shop]

I don't know if either of them logically expect to be recognised (I think they both know about the timeloop), but yeah, there's still that irrational emotional hope/longing.

More lighthearted vs more punch-in-the-gut versions of the same moment. :D

Yes, exactly! (*laughing again at ZYL's hair shenanigans* :D :D :D)