--As far as character preferences go -- I very often do have them! Though it can be hard for me to predict, because it's not always my favorite character that I want to see hurt; sometimes I prefer my favorite to be the caretaker. And then sometimes I don't have a favorite. For a variety of reasons; sometimes it's the aesthetics of seeing the hurt, sometimes it's more the emotional side. Sometimes I want to see one character hurt because the other character isn't good at expressing themselves and I want to see their love shown in their caretaking; other times a stoic character I want to see their walls broken down.
In Guardian I definitely lean more towards wanting Shen Wei hurt, both for the aesthetics and also for the emotionals reasons -- him being vulnerable, and also wanting to see Zhao Yunlan taking care of him. Though I like it both ways (and a number of my favorite scenes in the show are Zhao Yunlan hurt and Shen Wei taking care, though it's the interactions I like there, while as Shen Wei I enjoy seeing hurt and coughing up blood even when no one is around for it...)
There is the case for me sometimes that I have characters I like who I'm not especially interested in h/c for, or only want them in the caretaking role, never the hurt? Guardian's not like that for me, but there have been others. I think some of it depends on the nature of the characters, and how I read them...I like h/c best when I perceive it will help develop or advance the character in some way. Like, characters who have poor self-esteem, getting affirmation that people care about them can be really good for them; characters who are extremely self-sufficient can learn to entrust themselves to someone else. I kind of think this might be the difference between liking h/c vs whump -- whump characters are more those who need different lessons, like, they need to know they're strong enough on their own? (which for me is why Shen Wei especially is such a good h/c target, because he knows how strong he is, he knows he can do things on his own; what he needs to learn is that he doesn't have to...)
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In Guardian I definitely lean more towards wanting Shen Wei hurt, both for the aesthetics and also for the emotionals reasons -- him being vulnerable, and also wanting to see Zhao Yunlan taking care of him. Though I like it both ways (and a number of my favorite scenes in the show are Zhao Yunlan hurt and Shen Wei taking care, though it's the interactions I like there, while as Shen Wei I enjoy seeing hurt and coughing up blood even when no one is around for it...)
There is the case for me sometimes that I have characters I like who I'm not especially interested in h/c for, or only want them in the caretaking role, never the hurt? Guardian's not like that for me, but there have been others. I think some of it depends on the nature of the characters, and how I read them...I like h/c best when I perceive it will help develop or advance the character in some way. Like, characters who have poor self-esteem, getting affirmation that people care about them can be really good for them; characters who are extremely self-sufficient can learn to entrust themselves to someone else. I kind of think this might be the difference between liking h/c vs whump -- whump characters are more those who need different lessons, like, they need to know they're strong enough on their own? (which for me is why Shen Wei especially is such a good h/c target, because he knows how strong he is, he knows he can do things on his own; what he needs to learn is that he doesn't have to...)