#jethrault

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Jethrault's affliction

Using FFXIV's lore, I imagined Jethrault's disorder. Since the inhabitants of AEterys live off the aether in their bodies, and aether potions exist, it's theoretically possible to live off it. Theoretically, because there are side effects, and the life of a person living on aether alone is difficult.

You don't really get used to the taste of the potions, and most people only stay on the diet for a few days to a few months, to avoid nausea, dizziness or the difficulty of managing your aether needs according to your activity, as well as the loss of body mass. And with no reserves in the body, the risk of discomfort or coma increases tenfold.

But for Jethrault, these effects are minimal compared to the idea of touching food. He began this strange diet in his mid-teens and has adapted to it, for better or worse. His uncommon powers of calculation have protected him from bouts of withdrawal. Those who don't know him won't suspect his disorder, except that he's very thin, even for an elezen. As a WoL, his body is much stronger than that of a normal human, and for a long time, this was perfectly bearable. His kitchen is never used and is purely decorative ! But...

But with the adventures and challenges that followed, Jethrault felt the ill effects of potions more frequently, both when he took them and when he didn't. What's more, the Scions have often urged him to stop, causing much disruption to his diet. Yet he remains unable to change his lifestyle, and for what little he suffers, he's still content.

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"Shitty weather..."

"Oooh ! Bad mood, lil'princess?"

"Fuck off."

"Nah, you haven't finished your last punishment, kid. Now c'mere. Food doesn't make itself. And don't forget to taste it this time !"

"Still a pain in the ass, huh?"

As a child, Jethrault was often punished by helping the ship's cook prepare food. One stormy day, the cook disappeared during this time. The kid didn't say anything, claiming he went out and didn't come back, but he was neither surprised nor saddened by the old man's disappearance. He was declared dead since then. Despite this, Jethrault still hates food, he still cuts his hair short, and he's still moody and speaks to himself on stormy nights.

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It's his nameday today ! I tried to make his new presentation but it's not ready yet, so I made a little gpose !

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Working on my new house decoration

I'm exhausted, didn't sleep last night, head hurts.

I'm happy with this part of the house, although I'm still wondering about the color of the windows... I still have many items to craft and place. Maybe after a nap.

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Little innocence

6.0 spoiler I guess? Inspired by miqomischief's post reblogged by arinaxiv ! Thanks for the motivation and sorry for my English !

Jethrault is difficult for me to imagine as Azem. Like, I don't see him get along very well with Ancients. Maybe Hythlodaeus ? I think Emet and Azem would have been close only because Emet was powerful enough to contain Azem if he broke too many Ancient laws.

Yet I have one headcanon about Azem!Jethrault. He already had his ferocious nature but his endless curiosity too. Not fond of the creation politic, he didn't make any concept. But he created some creatures, gifted by a soul since he designed them for for the first purpose to live. Since this kind of creature were highly regulated, and because he never presented his concepts, he was advised to stop creating more of them. An Ancient, member of the Concile, and watched to prevent any of his creation, in a world everybody can create, no matter how silly or dangerous or vicious the concept is? Of course he created one more ! He put all his mind and ether and creativity in this creation. It took him a whole year to create it, thinking of every detail of it. He wanted not only to create something the Concile could never get, but his first motivation was to recreate something he thought his people lost, a too long time ago. He used his admiration for the young Themis, got inspired by the joy of his mentor Venat, by the wonder in Hythlodaeus' eyes in front of new concept, even the tenderness within Emet when he witness success despite his pessimism. But most of all, he gathered all his knowledge about the whole planet and its inhabitants. To form his creation, he used the most fragile and powerful ether he could form, produced by his soul itself. The process alerted Emet Selch who rushed but arrived too late. Azem was exhausted, but smiling at the creation. Even if it hadn't a physical form, made of pure aether, Hades saw that the planet had also granted a soul to it, a will and life by itself. If he had to, he would have described it as a laughing boy, floating and gasping at everything he saw. Ancient had lost this concept for a long time in two different ways : They didn't believe in superior entities beside the planet, and their cycle of life prevent them to bear such naivety. So Azem crated a little God of Innocence. And even the stoic and stern Hades was bewildered by the entity when they slid past him to escape hiding itself forever as a nice breeze of air. A remembrance of the imagination, and happiness guided by the ignorance of harm and fear and consequences.

Azem regretted his creation, not for itself. He was happy to see more creatures and Ancients having some moments of wonder, of playfulness, influenced by a minor god. Innocence enhances hope and dreams, imagination and creativity, it might lead to problems, but isn't Azem's role to solve them? Yet, it didn't prevent the apocalypse. It wasn't its role. Perhaps even because the creatures had this renewed innocence, their return to the ether was made more difficult for Hermes to bear. It inspired the Zodiarch project, and Azem couldn't stop it since he was the creator of "a successful prototype". But Azem knew his creation stripped him of a part of his soul, the very one it encourages in others.

That's why Azem, and later his reincarnations, never believes in gods, and lost their innocence at a young age. That's why Jethrault hates Vauthry in particular, even though he wasn't really powerful. That's also why the innocent Meteion trusted him in Elpis, influenced by the little god. Maybe the repressed memory of this creation led Jethrault to be scholar, mimicking this very moment when he summons Selene. This nameless God might have disappeared at the fragmentation of the world, and even their creator has no memory of them. Yet, they might still exist ? Following him, unable to interact with him, but capable of maintaining his companions innocence and hope ? Helping in the creation of - other - miracles.

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I have this idea of my WoL and Zenos against the idea of having kids. They talked about it, and both of them refuse to have children in their life.

Yet, they encounter a young miqo saved from slavers but deeply marked by months or years of bad experience. The kid is totally feral and he hurts or screams at anyone near him.

And Jethrault firstly doesn't care and let the kid snarls at him. Then, the miqo bites him hard. But he's the WoL with stupidly high resistance, so it didn't affect him at all. So the feral miqo bites and scratches and kicks and fights harder, the best he could, using all his anger and strength. Jethrault is like "heh, not bad" and shows him to Zenos saying "look, he has great potential." So both of them take and train the kid. Almost taking the kid from the orphanage without asking because what could the orphanage do for him?

No one can really refuse the training: the miqo was really feral, trusted no one, and was considered a lost case. Being able to express his wrath and animosity, even being praised for that and learning to defend himself, all of this helps the kid to learn how to live properly again. Maybe a bit too much pride on the bad side, but heh. Jethrault and Zenos are not sweet dads, but they care the good way for a kid who was tricked. He can respect them as he gains their respect, too. And the two men don't let him be illiterate either.

So, yeah, not a real adoption/family trope, but I liked the idea.

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Finally

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The Soldier, the King or the Poet?

Jethrault : The King

« Duty. Strength. Resignation. You were told to do things and you did them. The world is something that was put into your hands and that you must deal with - so you will. You have a rigid back and steady hands, either metaphorically or physically. Is it nature or nurture ? You don't know. You are tired of being steady. You dream of feeling alive. Not that you aren't, but, sometimes, it's hard to remember that there is a heart between your ribs. Your love is where you breathe. Come on, breathe. In. Out. It starts now. »

Accurate ! Jethrault is burdened by the duties that his Echo imposes on him and he is less benevolent than his title suggests. He feels that he has lost his freedom through the adventures and expectations that the Scions have placed upon him. And he no longer feels like himself when he is called a hero.

Link to the quizz !