imagine your only surviving family member is your dad who can’t even be the dad he wants to because there’s a goddamn demon possessing him that hates you, meaning that the nice girl you met in high school who vowed to be your friend so you two weren’t alone was quite literally the only reason you weren’t completely alone anymore. And of course when a guy a little older than you with the social skills of an alpha male podcaster starts trying to teach you how to flirt you’re gonna stick around, as unintentionally bad of an influence as he is, because who else do you have to turn to? Your dad acts strict and mean out of nowhere but at least this kid can act as a friend and mentor. And then you’ve been shaped into someone completely unlike the person you once were mistaking ignorant confidence for some kind of charm or charisma. You can’t hold a healthy relationship, only getting a second chance with the love of your life as part of a fake-dating charade as part of a lie towards your suddenly unequivocally loving dad. And as you start to lose the gross act over the years, learning from your mistakes, and become the kind, caring kid you once were, you get a taste of family before the same GODDAMN DEMON of all things that you now know stole your childhood steals your dad’s life as he tries to at the very least accompany you so you don’t die alone, has you steal the souls of hundreds of people temporarily, kills and injures people you love or their loved ones, objectifies and turns your girlfriend (and good friend) into a soldier, has that same girl from highschool be driven to stabbing you literally in the back, causes your witch friend to lose her magic, causes your other friend to go blind and lose all memories of people he loved, and this all happens in front of your eyes and you can’t stop it because now he’s possessing you. And now you’re the last member of not just your family but your entire bloodline. And you’ll never know that you were meant to be the reincarnation of yourself who was given a second chance. Because in another life centuries ago you and your mother sacrificed everything— your freedom, your acceptance, a chance at community— to stop the same demon that would outlive and plague your family despite everything you gave. All your mother wanted was for you to be free. She died for that. You didn’t want to wield a relic, you didn’t want to scare anyone. You just wanted to protect them and do good, even if it took a toll on you socially, mentally, and physically. And yet despite it all, you were always doomed to be lonely and filled with guilt and grief you were never at fault for because of the demon whose last name you carry. You’re finally free of him, but the burden he placed upon you may take the rest of your lifetime to heal.
Still, that nice girl is there healing with you. Maybe you’re destined to be lonely, but when it comes to people who love you, family by blood or not, you won’t be alone.
2087
jacobvanloon
dededos
kianamaiart
annaxmalina
