#wang cen

[randomtwinkinthetomb]

Wang Cen: I think it would be in your best interest to give in and listen to me.

Wu Xie: I'd rather eat a lemon.

Wang Cen: I-- what?

Wu Xie: You heard me.

[justawanderingbabbit]

Been thinking about Wang Cen's treatment his trainees vs his treatment of Wang Can lately.

More beneath the cut because the Babbit Babbles get long and there will be spoilers.

Watching Sand Sea I noticed a distinct difference in how Wang Cen behaves towards the people in his command during his assault on Gutong Jing and capture of Li Cu, versus how he behaves towards Wang Can.

During the assault, several of his team ask questions about why they're doing what they're doing and what it means. There's questions about trust and certainty, all of which involve speculations that maybe the plan could be wrong.

And while Wang Cen is firm about "We Are The Righteously Right Who Are Right" theme that permeates Wang thinking, he is patient with his team, explaining things without simply dismissing the question. Uses their questions as a teaching moment and seems generally kind about the whole thing.

Contrast that to the one question Wang Can asks during their raid on Fo-ye's treasury. Wang Can has just finished demolishing Fo-ye's traps and is wanting to be sure they're not making a mistake, following Li Cu's advice when Li Cu isn't - yet - a fully trusted member of the family. Instead of acknowledging it as a good question, he's told not to question authority and to get to work. He also pretty much ignores the raw competence Wang Can displays during this scene.

Now there's several possible reasons for this.

Reason 1) Wang Cen's command are his particular command, the kids he trains himself and has a long-standing connection to. Wang Can is old enough to have been sent out on a mission and might be high enough in the echelon to be expected to perform without encouragement and to know better than to Question Authority.

Reason 2) Wang Cen is kinder to whomever is on his team ordinarily, but Wang Can is in the doghouse because of the Pangzi incident. Competent and talented though he might be, until he proves himself worthy again, he's on probation and Wang Cen owes him no patience. His expression on being told off suggests weary acceptance, as if he should have expected that sort of answer.

Reason 3) Wang Can's own personality is part of the problem. What little we see of who he is suggests he's sternly disciplined and more than a bit rigid about how he reacts to situations. His inability to hide himself among the Chen, his expectation that Wang Xiaoyuan would perform the way she was supposed to in the black test, his inability to understand why they'd accept the word of someone still under probation... all point to someone who doesn't adapt well and probably doesn't make many friends. Wang Cen may regard him with some impatience because of this.

I have a feeling the actual reason - aside from The Writers Said So - is a combination of the above.

(I also wonder what would have happened if his nerve had broken during that fight with Su Nan and he actually tried to stop fighting. It'd depend on Su Nan, of course, because she wasn't holding back for anything.)

[schuuyes]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

После погрома базы Ван в сибирской глуши Ли Цу возвращается в Пекин к обычной жизни. Он зализывает раны, поступает в университет, а из хобби у него ― грызться с У Се, Чжан Жишанем и избегать новых ловушек стариков из разваленной Девятки семей. Последнее он с треском проваливает, когда узнает, что Панцзы с базы Ван утянул шкатулку с остатками чудом уцелевших феромонов, хранящих секреты древности. К несчастью для Ли Цу прочитать память предков почти без угрозы для жизни может только он. Почти ― ключевое слово. Потому что однажды у Панцзы пропадает шкатулка, а у Девяти семей ― Ли Цу.

Черные демонические глаза дают Ли Цу силу, кратковременную способность к нечеловеческим рефлексам. Ли Цу знает, что войти в это состояние сложно, но также знает, что в змеиных феромонах может быть ответ на этот вопрос. А узнать правду он хочет больше всего на свете.

[randomtwinkinthetomb]

Wang Cen: As you can see, you are outnumbered

Wu Xie: I usually am

Wang Cen: Your situation has become quite untenable

Wu Xie: It usually does

Wang Cen: You are within moments of being ripped apart by lightning channeled through a ritual created by wiped out civilization thousands of years ago

Wu Xie: …okay, that’s a new one for me

[randomtwinkinthetomb]

Li Cu: I’m here for the cult stuff.

Wang Cen: How did you find us?

Li Cu: I saw your ad on craigslist

[justawanderingbabbit]

Wang Cen: Join us. We have meat sticks.

Li Cu: I noticed and they're fucking awful.

Wang Can: I'll take them if you don't want them.

Li Cu: Damn, you'll eat anything, won't you.

Wang Can: Sorry, can't hear you over the chewing.

Wang Cen: Why did I sign up for this again?