list of my tentative headcanons for nyo!vietnam, at least in how he’s similar to/different from his counterpart:
they’re both reserved, quiet, and a little intimidating, unless they really fw you. she is kinda like the older sister friend (caring/concerned, acts of service oriented) while he opens up to be a nice guy who isn’t afraid of taking it easy. if they care about something, it runs really deep, ride or die!!
she definitely has a “sharper” personality than him, a little more straightforward and serious. definitely a bit of a chip on her shoulder. they’re both very stubborn and refuse to quit
they both enjoy the little things. he’s a bit more showy and image oriented than her, she’s kinda miserly
I feel like she’s more inclined towards writing, poetry, philosophy etc, while he’s more inclined towards music and drama/storytelling. both categories have rich traditions and catalogues throughout viet history!
he’s more attached to gender/sexuality norms and roles. she doesn’t care much for them herself.
she’s more spiritual (always conscious of energy and balance and vibes and whatever), he’s more religious (enjoys going to mass lol). both of them are more superstitious than they’d like to admit.
they value family as a concept and their people immensely. she has a soft spot for the elderly, and he particularly loves children.
@/firstpetal reminded me of the lạc long quân/âu cơ myth which partially inspired this: but I feel like she’s very connected to the land (mountains, fields, valleys), while he’s connected to the water? (rivers, the ocean, lakes) like vibes-wise I feel she’s the type who plants roots, he’s more on the move. he also loves to swim and fish and all that
in a similar vein, I see her as kind of a country girl while he’s a city boy? they both like going out to their favorite spots and being surrounded by their people, as well as being out in the countryside and having that closer community. but she’s a bit more of an introvert; she loves to be outdoors and just be one with the land. he likes being a face in the crowd, blending with a wide variety of people, living a fast-paced life.
he LOVES karaoke. also the viet pastime of drinking and eating with the lads just cuz (called nhậu) is his ultimate way to unwind. she joins him and quietly loves it just as much.
she has a really dry deadpan lowkey disturbing sense of humor. she would never say it but she rly doesn’t get why people don’t think she’s funny. meanwhile he’s funny in a basic smiley person way
she always wears this beat up old watch from the 90s (“it works just fine!”), meanwhile he is a Watch Guy TM (“so when are you removing that monstrosity.”)
they’re both light sleepers
she always ties up her hair haphazardly without a single fuck given, he has a whole hairstyling routine.
she’s pretty in her own way, although not particularly feminine. he definitely tries and succeeds at being handsome
he can be too confident at times, she is overly skeptical.
he’s more attuned to what’s contemporary than she is. music, fashion, news, etc. she is very practical and not about that
they’re both repressed closed off people who haven’t dealt with their baggage LOL