As always, Skitty, I am incredibly impressed and floored by your writing ability. The descriptions of the actions, the scene, and most importantly Lear's feelings were incredibly well done. Your choice of words for things is always stellar and incredibly heartbreaking at times. And of course your little foreshadowing tidbits Get Me every time. This chapter was a set up chapter as I very well know but unlike in other set-up chapters or sections of stories I've read, this one flowed and was fun and engaging to read. Each character was introduced in a way that made a clear statement of who they were or were perceived to be by our narrator, and the explanations of MonHun specific things such as certain weapons and dragons felt very natural and easy to grasp even if I hadn't known much about MonHun itself.
The emotions especially in this are as devastating as always, and you can feel every single one Lear feels incredibly deeply. The tidbits referencing Lear's father ached and smarted terribly. Each time Rowan was mentioned it felt like a harsh, stinging wound was reopened for Lear, even when knowing so little about thier situation. Especially so with Scottie and Bettie's clear adoration for him as the Admiral, the well-put-together and approving face he puts on to Astera and the hunters, being in such stark contrast to Lear's more intimate and clearly more damning knowledge of him. The parts referencing Lear's brother that was eventually revealed to be Hoopa were full of wistful hope, the cave scene at the end really tying it all together and showing how deeply Lear is affected by the absence of his brother. The pink rathian fight scene where we get to see Lear genuinely feeling so much joy obliterated me in its own right as well. What with the parallels I know are coming later and also how incredibly terrible for Lear I know this will get, how this might be the last time we see him genuinely enjoying himself before Shit Happens To Him.
Speaking of Shit Happening To Him, his lack of fitting in, of things being assumed about him because of it, of Sawyer and Rachel explaining away and apologizing for him all punched me in the gut hard. His subtle but apparent longing when he looks at the dragons, the rathian when it flies and the entire tzitzi-ya-ku at the watering hole scene. How disappointed Lear clearly was that the tzitzi-ya-ku didn't recognize him as a threat, how he mimicked its movements when drinking, how he longed to be able to catch the scent of friend or foe on the air. His clear sense of Otherness because of who he is and how isolated it makes him is heartbreaking to see. How he feels so right but every other interaction with others is deemed as Wrong and Different. How he longs, not to fit in with these people that judge and assume and explain him away, but to be free. I really can't wait to watch this flesh out more, and more apparently. I'm going to cry over it at some point, I fear.
The relationships each character has with Lear are also starkly defined and really intriguing. His refusal to call Rachel and Sawyer friends and perception of them as an extent of his father aches terribly. The unwanted mentor/mentee relationships with Scottie and Bettie, and the way Lear showed he cared at least a little by saving them when the pink rathian almost took them down despite the clear distaste and venom on both sides towards each other. His odd relationship with Cheren is something I highly look forward to seeing explored in future chapters, I like how incredibly blunt Cheren is here and thier interactions made me giggle. Of course I am so incredibly interested in his terrible relationship with his father, and what could've been the root cause of such a terrible rift, especially considering Rowan wants him home and he does Not want to go. And ofc. I am soooooo incredibly excited to find out how Lear and N go from clearly being not fond at all of each other to evidently having some level of romantic attraction towards each other.
Overall, I really loved this so much. Entirely well worth the wait and the teasing snippets lol. I can't wait to see the relationships and characters fleshed out more. I can't wait for The Lake Scene. I really can't wait to see Hoopa, though i know the reunion likely won't be as joyful as Lear hopes. Above all, I'm so incredibly excited to see more of this story, more of your writing, and to finally know what the hell is going on LMAO. I really should get to work on that conspiracy board <3
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eyestraintopia_nds on Chapter 1 Sat 10 May 2025 03:44AM UTC
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