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]

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...)

[facethestrange]

"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..."

Oh wow, now I really, really want to read that, I'm gonna need to see if it exists! (As much as it sounds like something I would do, I haven't read every single YOHE fic yet. ;D) I've only seen fics where he gets hurt later, not any where it happens before they even properly meet. That would be SO interesting, and I honestly don't have much of an idea how it would go.

[china_shop]

Yeah, I feel like Shen Wei would need to take care of him, then, so it would upset their canon dynamic quite a lot. (Which might mean I don't like it as much? But it would be fascinating to see!)

[facethestrange]

Yeah, it's probably why it doesn't get written much? And I wouldn't want it in canon either. Like, it's still them, they would be fine in the end, but it is SUCH a different place to start from. I've seen a lot of stories with either of them getting hurt in YOHE after they've already bonded or got together, but an obligation to take care of a total stranger (who also happens to be pining for you for some reason) is... a lot. I'd love to see someone try to navigate that, though (and actually I'm pretty sure people already did, I just haven't found it yet).

[china_shop]

but an obligation to take care of a total stranger (who also happens to be pining for you for some reason) is... a lot. I'd love to see someone try to navigate that, though

Yeah, exactly. And same! It would be such an interesting needle to thread.

[trobadora]

(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...)

Huh, that would have been such a different start!

[china_shop]

I actually have a different plan to change their start (which I won't say in case I ever get around to writing it) -- I was thinking more that a ZYL hurt protecting SW would arouse SW's duty and protective instincts, and then ZYL would feel like One More Responsibility on top of all the others, and ZYL would have to work harder to balance things. (But I might not like that, idk.)

[trobadora]

Oooh, very curious now!

But as for this version, yeah, I don't know if I'd like it either. It'd introduce a whole new level of guilt and obligation and responsibility, and it'd skew the dynamics a lot - it'd be difficult to balance it.

[china_shop]

It'd introduce a whole new level of guilt and obligation and responsibility, and it'd skew the dynamics a lot - it'd be difficult to balance it.

Yeah, exactly. (But if someone could pull it off and still get them to the "right" place, that would be pretty amazing...)

[trobadora]

Yeah, it's a great concept, just difficult to pull off in a way I'd like. *g*

[facethestrange]

"I actually have a different plan to change their start (which I won't say in case I ever get around to writing it)"

*eyes light up* :D :D

[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]

♥ ♥ ♥