#bonelesstextpost

[bonelessicecream]

(part 2 here)

The narrative that Jietong was a tyrant and only a tyrant must have been pretty pervasive throughout Penglai, right? After all, that's the narrative that Yi recounts. So then, for Jiequan to have idolized his ancestor so much...

It could have been a simple, desparate fantasy for control from a weak, bullied child. But to desire so much as the revival of the Jie Kingdom? Where did Jiequan find his narrative of history? He seemed rather alone in his memories...

Headcanon that Ji told Jiequan stories of Jietong with such fondness that the young boy who idolized his guoshi wanted to give them a whole kingdom. That Ji only found Jiequan later in life— that upon their first encounter at the shattered statue of Jietong, Jiequan cried bitterly and hated the ancestor who could not protect him, regardless of whatever else his legacy held. That Ji who appeared before him like a hero became an object of admiration and the revival of Jiequan's belief in the Jie Kingdom. After all, heroes are forged in agony. Here was a solarian who saved him, and yet carried centuries of untold sorrow upon his thin shoulders. But when Jiequan made his childish declarations that he'd revive the kingdom of his ancestors, Ji would smile just so and pat his head ever so fondly; melancholic in his joy and seeming to look far, far away. It was almost as if they were seeing someone else from a long, long time ago.

That was fine, too. As long as someone stayed by his side. As long as he had some greater purpose to aspire for, some dream to achieve... Jiequan would never be that weak, lonely child again.

And maybe someday, someone would talk about him with as much fondness as Ji talked about his ancestor. Wouldn't that be nice?

[bonelessicecream]

Tagged by @crazymistahj. Thanks for the tag :D I too do not have editing skills, but if you want, make a 3X9 of your fav comfort characters. Please keep in mind that I have the memory of a goldfish so these may not be the most accurate response... I. I had to google "popular manga series" after #1 to give my brain a jumpstart...

1. Kim Dokja: Worst coping mechanisms known to man, actively walls himself into a hell of his own creation, absolutely unreliable narrator. The furthest and closest one can get to being Just a Guy.

2. Riza Hawkeye: Has seen the horrors of war, will risk life and limb for a better future. Clever, strong, and loyal. Will pull you back from the brink of no return.

3. Diluc Ragnvindr: Born into a comfortable life, lost what matters most. Lost himself, probably. Doesn't know how to talk to his ex-best friend except through bickering, but will come with claymore blazing to save him. There is friendship between them that is old but new, so beloved that each treats it like it will shatter if spoken into existence.

4. Himeno: Probably an unusual choice. I think she would have been happy in a different world. Loved and loved and loved and lost. (And lost).

5. Liu Qingge: Chronic second male lead syndrome. Will fight losing battles for the sake of people he cares about. As with most characters who aren't SQQ, the story is a tragedy from his perspective.

6. Portgas D. Ace: Good brother. Can't spell.

7. Frieren: Doesn't understand humans. Tries anyways, and gets better at it. Not particularly skilled at expressing her emotions, but has undying trust in and clearly cares for her companions. Very powerful but also silly at times, which I appreciate.

8. Koro-sensei: funny yellow octopus haha but also a person who was saved amidst desperate loneliness and chose to spend the brief remainder of his life helping people trapped in that same despair. An excellent teacher.

9. Julius Monrey: Debated between choosing him or Ace, but I think Julius is a little more doomed by the narrative. Grumpy but for good reason. The only person who cares about life in a world where death is as common as stepping outside. Probably very tired.

My first textpost... what flood will this unleash? We'll find out!

Tagging: I don't know anyone yet, but hopefully one day I'll have people to tag ^^

[bonelessicecream]

As a bonus, you can think about Jiequan losing himself in his quest for power and glory. Master of both transmutation and martial arts- the figure of the forlorn child he once was is nowhere to be seen. Consolidating power gives way to maintaining power, which at last gives way to expanding power.

And Ji witnesses this.

(It's because of their stories, Ji thinks to himself. As damning as a prophecy. Perhaps they should never speak again.)

Ji's fond tales soon turn into careful counsel, which in time becomes barely concealed pleading. As Jiequan morphs into a cruel and unrecognizable figure, as he puppets legions of Red Tiger Soldiers in a sickening imitation of an empire, as he decides to torture and fight Yi— desperately, fruitlessly, Ji asks him to turn back.

Jiequan hears his pleas but thinks nothing of it. Guoshi is too cautious, haunted by a bygone era; Jiequan will overcome this. He looks in the mirror and sees a king in the making. A sprawling empire, his to claim.

Ji looks at Jiequan and sees a child.

A small, lonely child that fed himself on too many dreams to face the inevitability of death, of collapse... of the ashes from which life at last springs anew. They have seen this story play out too many times. They know that Jiequan will neither listen nor retreat. Not until he is wholly destroyed.

And once again, Ji feels how terribly powerless he is. They thought he accepted the uncaring nature of the Tao, the relentless forward march of time— the inevitable template of fate. And yet, they think, what he should curse above all else is his own bleeding heart. He can't save Jiequan. They know that well enough by now. And yet, they cannot simply stand by.

He goes to Jiequan, again and again. Each time chips away at a little more of his hope. Each time they leave finding the crack in their heart has grown wider still.

"Jiequan, this will not end well. You will unmake yourself. The hexagrams have foreseen it."

"Jiequan, isn't this enough? Will you not live your life rather than spend the whole of it fighting?"

"Jiequan— No, Xiao Quan— please. If you ever cared for me or the stories I told you... If this title of guoshi should have any meaning now, after all these years... won't you stop? I beg of you. Won't you come listen to another story?"

But Jiequan had grown too old for fairytales.

At least this time, Ji would die by the same blade as his charge. This, too, was preordained. As they card their fingers through the soft grass that springs from the remains of Jiequan’s body, Ji finds himself muttering out loud. An old habit, from years upon years spent in isolation.

"Ah, Xiao Quan... if I meet you again in the afterlife, I'll have to give you a good scolding then."

The narrative that Jietong was a tyrant and only a tyrant must have been pretty pervasive throughout Penglai, right? After all, that's the narrative that Yi recounts. So then, for Jiequan to have idolized his ancestor so much...

It could have been a simple, desparate fantasy for control from a weak, bullied child. But to desire so much as the revival of the Jie Kingdom? Where did Jiequan find his narrative of history? He seemed rather alone in his memories...

Headcanon that Ji told Jiequan stories of Jietong with such fondness that the young boy who idolized his guoshi wanted to give them a whole kingdom. That Ji only found Jiequan later in life— that upon their first encounter at the shattered statue of Jietong, Jiequan cried bitterly and hated the ancestor who could not protect him, regardless of whatever else his legacy held. That Ji who appeared before him like a hero became an object of admiration and the revival of Jiequan's belief in the Jie Kingdom. After all, heroes are forged in agony. Here was a solarian who saved him, and yet carried centuries of untold sorrow upon his thin shoulders. But when Jiequan made his childish declarations that he'd revive the kingdom of his ancestors, Ji would smile just so and pat his head ever so fondly; melancholic in his joy and seeming to look far, far away. It was almost as if they were seeing someone else from a long, long time ago.

That was fine, too. As long as someone stayed by his side. As long as he had some greater purpose to aspire for, some dream to achieve... Jiequan would never be that weak, lonely child again.

And maybe someday, someone would talk about him with as much fondness as Ji talked about his ancestor. Wouldn't that be nice?