jin ling

[soba]

:/

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[soba]

Deity... what? No.

[ jin ling please,,, ]

It was... so I can leave with my brother. He wouldn't have to worry about me anymore if I could provide for myself.

[goldpeony]

Oh...

[Oh. Figures, he thinks, Toi would have something like a brother. Some kind of family. "Jiang Cheng is right there," an absolutely seemingly wholesome brother.]

If he was your brother, wouldn't he just worry anyway? That's all Ayabe does. He worries about all his brothers and sisters so much that's all he does ever.

[soba]

I'm pretty sure I get in his way.

[ more like, he knows that he gets in the way. ]

But as long as I was useful... that didn't matter.

[goldpeony]

[Both brows furrow. The sentiment doesn't exactly fall short for him. Surprisingly.]

I probably get in Uncle Jiang's way, too.

[More like, he knows he gets in the way.]

[soba]

[ an uncle...

he looks down at the tea. ]

Is it frustrating?

[goldpeony]

Mm. [His eyes drop, and he's quiet for a moment or two.] ...Sometimes.

He wants me to do something great, but then he just yells at me when I try.

[soba]

He sounds like an adult.

[ although, some of jin ling's personality makes a little more sense now. ]

But you do keep trying?

[goldpeony]

[Proudly, he juts his chin up.] Yeah! [Like it's obvious. Like there would really be no other way.]

I'm not letting anything stop me from defeating a great beast during a Night Hunt, or from doing anything else. Even Uncle's yelling.

[soba]

[ toi, who has no idea what a night hunt or a great beast is: cool ]

... then you'll be fine.

[goldpeony]

I know. [Maybe it's good he doesn't have to be told certain things.] Nothing is going to stop me from proving everyone wrong.

You're going to make money, too, right? And then go with your brother. [A pause.] Why are you leaving?

[soba]

... we can't stay in that town anymore.

[ it isn't big enough for them.

there's too many eyes looking out for them. ]

[goldpeony]

[Hm.]

Why? Can’t you do something about it? You can make your own money. And you can shoot a gun. [He saw and remembers that.] Why should you have to leave if you don’t want to leave?

[Clearly, someone is......spoiled.]

[soba]

The world isn't that simple. What you want doesn't matter.

[ he isn't sure when the last time something he wanted mattered. ]

Sometimes you just... need to deal with what happens to you.

[goldpeony]

What you want does matter! [He isn’t yelling so much as simply insistent.] As long as you aren’t hurting anyone else, or controlling others. If you act like the Wens, then you’ll be stopped.

But if it’s what you want, you’re a coward if you don’t try to take it. Like being... the Jin Sect leader. I’m going to do it. I’m going to lead it better than any others, just... just like my dad would’ve done. I’m not going to be like any Wens, and I’m not going to trick others by pretending I’m someone I’m not!

[soba]

[ there is a lot toi can respond to here.

so instead of focusing on himself, he goes for a very obvious opening, considering jin ling keeps saying things and toi has no idea what the FUCK he is talking about. ]

Who are the Wens?

[goldpeony]

[While not directed at Toi, Jin Ling's whole face sours considerably.]

The Wens were once one of the Five Great Sects, and they became terrible people. They were hungry with power, and tried to control all of the other sects. They destroyed Lotus Pier, Uncle Jiang's home, including his family and his sect brothers and sisters.

[soba]

Oh.

[ that sucks.

he frowns even more. ]

That was before you were born?

[goldpeony]

...Yeah. Uncle Jiang and some others formed a resistance, and they stopped the Wens, then got rid of them. Well--most of them. Wei Wuxian, the Yiling Patriarch, protected some of them. He...

[Jin Ling shakes his head.]

I was a baby then.

[soba]

[ jin ling is still a baby, he thinks, while also ignoring that he is younger than jin ling ]

... I'm guessing all of that completely changed things for you guys.

[goldpeony]

[Stop. But that's fair. He's a baby.]

It changed everything. Uncle Jiang had to rebuild Lotus Pier by himself. [He frowns at the counter.] Wei Wuxian... he made the Ghost General out of a former Wen. And then he...

[A pause.]

And then they were the ones who killed my parents.

[soba]

[ what the FUCK is a ghost general ]

... hm

Then you'll definitely accomplish everything you want to.

[goldpeony]

[gestures at all of wen ning who is not here]

I said I know already. [But he has a funny look on his face when he glances up.] Stop. You sound like her.

[soba]

[ he tilts his head ]

Like who?

[goldpeony]

...Anya.

[soba]

[ ... ]

Is that what the two of you talked about?