Psyche's Musings

FoF: TJR is the older brother

VoS: TJR is BOTH THE OLDER AND THE YOUNGER BROTHER

I'll definitely end up walking ahead that day if I don't practice now. Because I'm always a trendsetter, leading the way.

The first time it happens is Lu Wuyi erasing Ji Ling's first memory of her. It's the horror of having your perception of the world changed without your consent, and the horror of what kind of life she must live that this is her response to the barest hint of happiness and understanding. Something about Ji Ling staring at a bouquet of flowers with his eyes glazed over as she leaves him there to recalibrate alone once he eventually wakes up.

The second time it happens is just after Long Shen has killed the puppet Ji Ling. It's the horror of encountering someone so much more powerful that anything you do pales in comparison. He takes away her ability to fight back with nothing but his words, and when she tries to do the same all it does is blow back onto her. Something about Long Shen as an entity whose power is so far beyond her comprehension at that moment.

The third time it happens is after they leave the Star Stone illusion. It's the horror of both of them realizing that she's put her trust in him, she's let her guard down for the first time, and the way that gets repaid is through his betrayal, his abuse of the trust she gave him. Something about the tears in both of their eyes as they realize that it worked and realize why it worked.

The fourth time it happens is when they're alone in her room and he's trying to understand what happened. It's the horror of realizing that someone you thought you knew has changed right before your eyes. There's also a parallel here, with both of the times we've seen the Word Magic backlash like this being a request for information that the other party is unwilling to give. Something about Ji Ling's loss of control over the narrative to Lu Wuyi.

And then the last time it happens (so far) is at the top of the steps, when Lu Wuyi is about to sacrifice herself in Ji Ling's place. It's the horror of saving the life of the person you love at the cost of taking their autonomy. So caught up in the end result of her mission, in making sure that he lives above all else, that she turns her own magic against him. And the fact that it works, which means that he either trusted her not to do it, or was too powerless to stop it and still stood up to her. Something about Ji Ling's lifeless eyes as he is forced to step away, his personhood stripped away and only her command left in its place.