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theeyeofeverything · 1 month ago

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"Out of Spite" The Nine Sols AU TEDtalk time. The Path of Trials, part 2

Quick reminder what this is post about: All of the Sols saved by Yi need to go trough a trial, tied to their biggest flaw or fear. Two key figures to help them on a spiritual journey is Yi himself and ShuanShuan!

Sols will redeem themselfs, but only some aspect of them change a little. This path of redemption exist not to abolish their sins to apeman or fellow solarians, no.

This is their way to clear karma to oneself, before they join the great tao... or will they?

3. Jiequan - " Trial of Agony"

Listen, guys like Jiequan...well...they can be redeemed. This is their kind of shtick. He is a sadomasachist and this needs more then help from his friends (he also doesn't have any and would NOT listen to any advise!). However, what I like to do with this type of character is giving them a chance to socialize. This is my genuine belief that giving a murderous character a friend circle they can socialize with is a way to show them that they ARE able to act differently. And they will be rewarded for it.

Yet still, Jiequan for me is not that level of bad (not Overlord mtmte level of bad). I think at this point he might learn how to interact with people normally still... i don't think he would change much. Remove his obsessive behaviour - and this is not Jiequan anymore.

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Jiequan life is always about to proving a point to someone, troughtout all means nessesery. To prove that he can revive the Jie Kingdom. To prove that he is strong. To prove that you deserve your place at the palace, as the Jie heir.

In his childhood the only way to prove that you worth something is violence. Violence is the only way he resolved all of the problems. Not matter was he enduring it or doing it. It was a way to show that you are strong. That you are the leader. To make people respect you. To listen to you. To bring their attention to you.

Jiequan was a lonely kid. The weak kid. Now? He's no more.

He learnd to love violence. When he was a kid, he tried to prove that he would be а better ruler, he would guide Jie Kingdom to the former glory not only through war campains, but through other means. He endured one beating under the other, always managing to stand back. He survived the pain.

Then he embraced it.

He learnd that many of his peers don't understand the way of words. Only the way of pain. You change or you die, so is the life's rule.

And he changed. He changed all right!

He suffered only to become stronger. Every faliure, every drop of his blood and sweat is a way to become a stronger man. He suffered only to bring pain to his enemies. And enemies of his was the enemies of the Jie.

The pain teached him that he should never give up. The pain is effective way to communicate to everyone because all of the living beings understand it. Well, not like him. They don't learn from the pain, they don't understand that life is an embodiment of the agony itself. And heroes are forged in agony.

Vital interaction with Yi: Yi... Yi understands Jiequan. He feel no guilt over using apeman as a power resource. Yi is rejecting the comfort, working himself hard. He is willing to do anything that matters, if it will secure survival of their race. Jiequan liked that in men.

Yi was a living example of his philoshophy. Everyone turned blind eye to his cold cruelty, they liked the guy anyway. Not that much, yeah, but he had his trusted circle of friends and admirers. Eigong, his mentor, was proud of him. He had a loving family. Colleagues are listening to his advice.

Yet Yi was looking a him with disdain. One night they had a chance to talk about the affect of suffering on brains. It's the fisrt time Yi ever talked to him properly, listend to him. It was a good debate, almost civil, when Yi acknowledged that Jiequan has a point. Started non-stop talking about brain research and whatnot. The more Jiequan listen the more he taught that he was right all along. That severe pain makes people think clearer, show who they really are underneath this facade of a person. He wondered: How Yi looked under his coat of cold blood?

It was point of no return, because this is where his obsession with Yi started to grow big. Jiequan wanted to disect him, simultaneously make the man worse and better at the same time. Bring him pain, make him to finally understand how it would change Yi. Make Yi acknoweledge him. Understand his pain.

And when the opportunity came, after 500 years of trying to piss of Yi for good, he did exactly that. He showed Yi the way of the pain. He saw his eyes burning with hate and agony. This was THE moment of his life. Point of no return.

Yet, the result of the torture was...strange. He expected Yi to fight like a beast (and he did so!), but not to...show mercy. Yi said that he's not like Jiequan and tried to prove it. Still, they both know what he did to poor Goumang.

Yi is a cruel, selfish man. They are alike. Jiequan never stopped to prove this to Yi even after his rescue. Even after he brought little birdie to the pavilion. He even brought the Feng girl, whos only good use was being a money bag for his endless endeavours. Heck, he didn't thought that asking to say hi to old guoshi would grant him an opportunity to do that himself.

And Yi? He tried his best to prove Jiequan wrong. Being patient with him, not breaking his legs when he convinced Abacus that he can be of use. Jiequan even worked with fucking Kuafu (who was strangely happy that "such a cool guy" needs his services, ugh) to make for Yi new rhizomatic weapons. Yi thought Jiequan training with him was a ploy. Made Yi to drop his guard to stab him in a back, because by surviving the fight Jiequan "lost his honour" or some shit.

What Yi didn't like that he enjoyed beathing Jiequan to a pulp. Their trainings were bloody, messy and kind of extatic. After their spars Yi felt himself calmer, strangely calmer. Like they both quench their thirst for blood for a present moment, only to surprise each other next time.

Yi didn't catch the exact time he would offer to help to tend Jiequans wounds. The man always was going to the highest point of pavilion to lick his wounds. Saying that this' but a scratch. Still, asking was worth it. Jiequan looked at him like a scared deer on the road. He refused Yi's attemps to help, quitely bleeding in his corner. Looking like a man on the bring of the death, but strangly happy.

He didn't notice when they became closer, enjoying more quiter moments. When Jiequan tried to sooth his pain, bandage his wounds, saying that it must be hurt everytime to return from the dead, maybe he should kiss it better to...

Wait, what the-

Vital interaction with ShuanShuan: I think at first Jiequan saw ShuanShuan as a tool. A mean to get closer to Yi, his get free from jail card. He really did convince Ruyi that he can teach kid how to defend himself.

ShuanShuan was...reluctant. Their training often ended in agrument that apeman child can make people wish to not fight with him. It turned worse when Yi slipped up and said that thanks to Jiequan Yi stopped to beat bad guy's up and brought more friends (that kid obviously adored). It made Jiequan pissed but he can do nothing about it, because if something happened with little brat Yi would bring down all of the New Kunlun with him. Besides there was a little problem. When kid get hurt he started to cry and Jiequan just...starred at him. He was confused. Jiequan long forgot how is it to cry when you feel the pain. Pain of failing, pain of loosing someone, pain of rejection. It's like... it didn't hurt anymore. Or so he convinced himself.

Because everytime Jiequan fights with Yi ends, ShuanShuan is gently tugging his pants and asks: Does this hurt? Jiequan smiles and says that it's not, he'll manage. Kid was in fact the first who offered him compassion, despite Jiequan hurting Yi. Who seen him nervously waithing for root node to spat ot Yi's bruised body. Share their quiet moments, talking (more like barking at each other, but bickering and being annoying is his way to show affection) or reading toghether. Of how Jiequan follows Yi like a shadow, trying to pry emotions out of him.

One day he lets kid stay. Sleep beside him, while Jiequan trying to stop blood gushing out of his guts.

He might understand why Yi is so protective over the kid. He might understand that maybe, just maybe, it hurts when he sees Ji playin with ShuanShuan more often, then with him in his childhood. It hurts when Yi let someone touch him gently, but not him. It pains him to be alone. It pains there is no one to ease the agony. Both his and Yi's.

They are the same. Isolating themselfs from the others to lick their wounds alone. Jiequan hoped that enduring the pain will make him a better person when, in fact, well, it just isolated him. Sometimes pain is just a pain, it just leaves a scar that never stop hurting. It hurts like hell to be alone.

He wants to be comforted and understood. He wants someone - no, Yi - to tend his wounds. He yearns for Yi to touch him out of the battle, to acknowledge his suffering and say that Yi...that Yi... that Yi loves him. The way he is.

So, he will suffer for Yi. Leaving bloody trail of Dusk Guards behind him, so Yi's path become little easier. So the only person to draw Yi's blood would be Jiequan himself. Enemies won't tend Yi's wounds but he will. He will be the only pain Yi needs to expirience in his life EVER. It's his way of protecting Yi. Besides... Yi is the only one who will make Jiequan's pain feel a little bearable.

4. Ji - " Trial of Apathy"

Before we start talkin about Ji let's get one thing clear: I support the headcanon that Ji was somewhat of the parental figure to Jiequan. This will play a role in this au, so, please keep this information in your head. And also, I belive that at somepoint Ji left Jiequan, probably when he was 15 or 18 y.o. to live in Grotto. ____________________________________________________

Ji lived a long life. Maybe, someone less apathetic to the twists and turns of solarian history would say he had a very exciting life. He's a living piece of history, witnessing the rise and end of the empire of Jie, being on both sides of the war in Turbulent Era. He saw the rise of taosism. He saw the new era of technological advansments on the bring of their civilization last breath. He saw death. He saw life. How people he loved come and go, leaving their mark in history of Penglai, but all of them end up joining tao when the day comes. He mourned, at first. He cried, he felt his heart skip a beat everytime hexagramm shown a grimm future of his loved ones.

Then, he stopped to care. He is not just a seer, but a scribe. Scribes are humble observers of the world. Collecting and preserving history, though, Ji always found it humorous. Doesn't scribes tell story through their own perspective? Well, that was a reason he never became a scribe himself.

Why should he? He is just a "lucky guy". He never wished to live that long or forsee future. He never wanted to build an empire or have his own guild. So, he became a silent observer of life, but, he never found a reason to stay and enjoy it. Not anymore. What people call time is just passing by, like a river that flushed every year no matter was there Ji to witness it or not.

He grew tired of life. It was always twisting and turning, but he lost interest in it long ago. The people he loved are no more here, only remnants of them exist in the books of history. And even this remnants are twisting and turning trough the time and lense of the ones who tells the stories of the past.

Truth is: he's a coward. He could end it a long time ago but he was too apathetic to save someone, what about himself. So, he just waited in Grotto. Writing about memories of the past. Preserving what's left of the Lear's and Jietong's legacies.

Vital interaction with Yi: When the Yi arrives to the Grotto, Ji offers him an insight into the future. Ji sees their battle but not the ending of it. It's unclear. What he see is his own shocked face.

And so, when the time comes Yi refuses to finish his job. He says that someone is waiting for him at the pavilion of Four Seasons. Yi says...that Jiequan waiting for him. Alive and well.

And so, the hexagramm was right. His face, after all those years show his shock, because when he checks the fate of his student, the kid he help to raise, he's death...changed. No longer by the hand of Yi but... well. That is interesting.

Ji smiles. He remembers a sertain someone also was able fool his hexagramms. Yi is reminded him of an old friend so...he might stay. Just for a little longer.

Vital ineraction with ShuanShuan: At the pavilion Ji doing the same as in Grotto. Studying others. Observing how they ineract with each other. Living they daily and monotone lives. It's peaceful, like a meditation. Sometimes he even feel nostalgic when Yi and Jiequan yelling and pining at each other. But he is unaware that someone observing... HIM! Kids are curious by nature and so is ShuanShuan. They just silently observe each other from afar, until the day Yi and Ji having yet another late night philosophical debate. ShuanShuan joining them, saying that they both are the two sides of the same coin. They both can't enjoy what life gives them, cherish it and accept that all people must go one day. That it will always hurt to loose. Ji smiles. Kid is smart for his age and very empathetic. It almost like he magicly can read people like an open book.

And so, Ji start thinking. Then talking to ShuanShuan more, giving him one life riddle after the other, discussing it and debating. They both playing with hexagramm predictions, but it seems like ShuanShuan is actually not taking them seriously. Not because he is not beliving in it, no, quite the opposite. It's just... kid belive that fate is not set in stone. He don't care much about future, living a moment and enjoying company of his new big found family.

Getting more comfortable in pavilion make him pick up the pen again and start writing. Kid is also intrested in it, always watching how Ji's pen making simple words in a beautiful construction of sentences. He practicly pealds Ji to teach him how to write like a proper man of the letters. One day, ShuanShuan propose Ji idea of starting a personal journals and share their notes every evening. When they finally finished their reports ShuanShuan is counfused. With the child's proximity he asks: Why there is nothing written about Ji. Not feelings, not even what happened with him. Why collect notes about others life? This is not what ShuanShuan wanted, he wants to know what happend to Ji, not around the pavilion. He wants to know what he thinks, what he likes, who he cares about. He wants a glimpse of his life.

ShuanShuan says that he's not blaming Ji. Kid thinks Ji's just scared to open up because death hurt him. He understands that feeling, but says, the people around is what make pain sooth a little. They will never replace the ones you loved, but they can bring you joy and happiness too.

Ji laughs. Kid is right. He become so passive that he forgot about himself. Slowly dying inside, becoming the living corpse of a man. Library of the memories and nothing more. Maybe he needs to actually talk to the fellow Sols more. Become friends. And embrace his connections to people.

Still, he can't stop looking at his hexagramms. Asking again and again the same question: How he would die? And the hexagramm only showing him a puddle of blood.

When he asks about the others the hexagramms are adamant they will die. And the New Kunlun will go with them.

He know who will survive and who will die, yet, his own fate is unknown. It's like the hexagramms saying to him that, in fact, he is the one who should decide how his own life ends.

Death is always a surprise, after all. So, until then, he will wait - not in the way of stillness, but making it a last story to tell to his dearest friends - Jietong and Lear - when he too join the great Tao. His own story.

Next time, we will talk about the endings of this au. Feel free to ask me anything about this au, I would gladly answer to you!

#nine sols #nine sols au #out of spite au #jiequan nine sols #ji nine sols #others mentioned #but not tagged #beware: MANY MANY HEADCANONS THAT ARE UNEXPLAINED #holy shit this is a long post #and sappy one #why it's suddenly written like a piece of literature you ask #IDK MAN #I checked my grammar at 4 a.m. so probably I would reread this at morning and cring hard #please be patient with me my B2 eng is showing strongly i am sure

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