deuceoftears | TLV IC Inbox

Jedao? Are you busy?

Should I come home?

It's nothing that I can't say over the communicator. That man with the mask on the network -- he's an ancient ghost from Xie Lian's world. He's been stalking Xie Lian for eight hundred years.

And he has a history of finding ways to hurt people Xie Lian cares about. Since you and I are family, and Edwin...

It's something we should be careful about.

Ah.

He does - have that feel.

[An ancient ghost. Jedao had been - not exactly drawn to him. But he'd wanted -

He wants to reach him.]

Alright. I'll be careful.

All right. I promised Xie Lian I'd keep an eye on his important people.

[He offers a little smile.]

... and mine, of course.

Did Xie Lian say anything about his preferred tactics?

['Hurting people' could cover a wide range.]

Not directly.

[A long pause.]

But from what I've gathered... he's obsessed with Xie Lian. In the past, he's arranged events to isolate him and drive him to violence and despair. To... make Xie Lian like himself.

So I don't think he'll do anything immediately. But he'll probably go looking for information.

I see.

Hard to isolate anyone in here. We're crammed in like marines in a boxmoth.

[But if he wanted to hurt Jedao and Hakkai - Eiffel would be the most vulnerable connection physically. Probably Edwin, emotionally.]

It really is. But I've seen people manage to withdraw quite effectively, at times....

[Eiffel, Hakkai hopes, is far enough from Xie Lian to be safe. A friend of friends. Edwin is -- closer, and as much power as he has, can be easy to hurt.]

Well, it's something we should be careful about, anyway.

[Jedao nods.]

I've spoken to him, and I can see how he might just as easily isolate himself.

I want to...try with him. But I'll be careful.

Maybe just avoid the topic of Xie Lian.

[Jedao's feelings about troubled immortals are something that Hakkai is familiar with, but... well. He'd rather not see Jedao hurt for it. He lets out a breath, after a moment.]

... I trust you.

[Jedao smiles at him, appreciating it.]

Thank you, Hakkai-shei.

I...he's similar, but also very different. Kujen was happy and petty and bored. He didn't feel despair at all.

[Anger and obsession and despair are still ways of caring about the world, of reacting to things other than selfishness. The barge thinks that Jun Wu can change. Jedao wants to give him - an open hand, a chance. But it's nice to place him firmly in the category of beautiful, but my father-in-law's problem, as extra surety against becoming too entangled.]

Despair is easier to cure than carelessness.

[It's true that the inmates brought here are people who can change. Hakkai might be a little concerned, but -- well. He isn't about to tell Jedao not to get involved.]

I think I'm a little less worried about his presence than Xie Lian is. No one can really be objective about their own nightmare.

Is he...alright?

[Well, Xie Lian did say it was all right to tell Jedao everything--]

No. But I think he has a lot of practice not being alright.

I don't really know how to help. Although I did tell him, if he needs to come here so that he's not alone, we have a couch he can stay on....

Edited 2024-06-29 22:24 (UTC)

Maybe we should put Xie Lian, Godric, and Shen Wei in the kennels together. A bunch of old stoics forced to have a nice playdate.

Xie Lian's not that bad! I think he'll take me up on the offer.

And if not, I'll make him. [His voice brightens with a cheerfully threatening lilt. He will kidnap his mentor and force him to have a nice dinner and stay with company. If it's necessary.]

He is that bad, he's just better at smiling to throw everyone off the scent.

I think Shen Wei and Archer are stoic on purpose.

Xie Lian just forgets that he has other options sometimes.

[It's totally different.]

I am not sure if that's better.

At least it means that if we remind him that he does have options, he won't fight us about how it's fine.

[It also means it's much harder to get around the habit to actually offer help, but-- well, everything good comes with the bad....]

There is that.

I suppose it means we don't want to make the book ceremony too public, but we will need space for, what, at least ten people? Would Gojyo like to come, do you think?

I'd like to invite him.

[He has no idea whether Gojyo would like to come or not, but as a marker of Hakkai considering him family, the invitation is necessary.]

You, myself, Edwin, Xie Lian... Idia too, I think. He's also Xie Lian's student.

[It might have to be more than ten people if everyone on Jedao's side of the family table is invited.]

Plus Arthur and John, since John is his brother. And Hunter.

[There's three sides to invite. Four with Idia, if Hakkai and Xie Lian count separately.]

And Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei and Godric. I don't know about Archer or Eric. They're Godric's family but not really mine, yet.

[But he does want those three. He wants to - show them that Edwin is his, and give Edwin the family he's worked to build here. A gift, a welcome.]

So it does have to be the Enclosure, maybe? I mean, we could use the deck or the dining Hall, but that's even more public.

... And Sebastian, maybe. But I think with him, I'd like to ask before I consider giving out an invitation.

[Gojyo is his family: there's no question about that. Sebastian might or might not appreciate the implications, and he would most certainly pick up on them all.]

I think it would have to be the Enclosure. That's a few too many people for our cabin, and it's definitely too many for Xie Lian's.

[And if they're keeping it private, then holding it in a public place is asking for trouble.]

Re: [after Jun Wu's post and talking to Xie Lian]

deuceoftears - 2024-06-30 04:28 (UTC) - Expand

Re: [after Jun Wu's post and talking to Xie Lian]

reformedsinner - 2024-06-30 04:38 (UTC) - Expand