A LITTLE BREAK FROM OC CONTENT!!!! I've been obsessed with this story recently, Klay is literally the character ever man I need a Klay in my life. I only listened to like 60% of my lectures for el noli but when I do recognize something that happens in the story I go like THAS THE THING!!!!
part of liking elibarra is acknowledging the uncomfortable truth that they would never work out in their universe. not just bc of the obvious real world implications but bc they simply clash too much. ibarra may try to look past that (as seen in him inviting elias to run away with him abroad) but elias knows its simply not possible. they are worlds apart.
ibarra has caused elias so much pain, even if he had no intention of doing so. he hurt him by being part of the eibarramendia family, by thriving at his family's expense. he hurts him by being dismissive of his pleads for reform, by siding with his oppressors, by chiding those who he deems below him- people that are just like elias, reduced to criminals. and he will hurt him again by being capable of change, by being someone worth saving. if ibarra continues down the path of violent retribution, he will hurt the many eliases of the country. elias knows this, and jumps off the boat anyway.
ibarra will hurt elias again and again and again. but elias will always choose to save him. because it's the right thing to do. because he has a real chance at sparking the revolution, even if their ideas of how it should happen differ massively. because unlike elias, ibarra was not made to suffer.
what im saying is jose rizal was a pioneer of toxic doomed yaoi
Since they left Basilio and Isagani's fate up for doubts, you ever wonder if Rizal ever planned to turn Basilio into a full parallel of Simoun and Isagani into a full parallel of Elias?
Like imagine, in the middle of Makamisa it's suddenly revealed that Basilio, who was somehow not implicated in Simoun's plot, finished his degree and is now ingrained within the community of San Diego. He works as a community doctor, giving free treatment to the poorer people.
Imagine Isagani, realizing that trying to reason with those in power never works, decides to join the more underground militant groups, hell maybe we can even sneak in Penitente, Penitente family lore, and a little Penilaez angst.
Maybe we could get a quick look back at the other students too, Sandoval turns into a mini Don Custodio; maybe Makaraig follows Sandoval, or maybe serve as a rival to the Pelaez family in the world of business; Pecson enters the legal world, following Senyor Pasta's philosophy of "Bah! Who cares? All that matters is that you have a good life!," and Paulita? Paulita turns into a kinder version of Victorina, sure she's still somewhat matapobre, but her opinion on Indios are better, no doubt thanks to Isagani.
And maybe at the end we could see Isagani and Basilio meet up again, ending the Elibarra/Basigani angst by finally having a happy ending. They begin the revolution, but this time without the flaws Simoun's revolution had. This time, it was a revolution founded on justice; truth; equality, and not founded on rage; hate; and angst.
Sketch of the last post + Elias if he lived till el fili!!!!!
Aughghfh i just know they'd get freaky as hell (they hate each other)
OKAY BUT SHIT WOULDVE BEEN WILDD IF ELIAS DID LIVE TILL EL FILI (coming from the perspective of someone who hasn't fully read el fili and only knows a few chapters rn, so im sorry if my characterization of simoun in my head is kinda messed up!!) like if elias were to see what ibarra had become, he'd obviously be fcking horrified and he knows he should kill him but he FUCKIDNGCANTTT BECAUSE HES HOPING THAT THE WHOLE SIMOUN THING ISNT WHAT IBARRA HAS BECOME, BUT RATHER IS STILL JUST SOME ACT THAT HE'S VERY COMMITTED TO 😭😭😭