the lightning hope parental-sibling (not ship, fuck off) dynamic is so insane. Light leaps at the first opportunity to do over her entire life with serah. to include someone in her world and let them feel valuable and seen. and she still fucks it up, hard. so when she gets hope back in palumpolum it's her third do over and she's very aware of that, and she's thankful. she's happy to do it. I think it's notable that Hope doesn't hug her back. of course it's bc he's 14, but his relationship to parental figures and authority is so strained he can't even embrace someone he looks up to showing him, for a split second, unconditional affection. for him parental affection from a sort of father figure is rarely given for free. I wonder if he even thinks he deserves it, like when he speaks to his dad *later in the chapter, who sternly but unequivocally supports him as his son. that might've been the first time he'd ever spoken that way to hope. (only took the end of the world lol) Snow gives him affection, he carries him without really even being pressed bc he's just that kinda guy, his mom obviously loves him very vocally and unconditionally. I think Lightning and hope's dad's actions also parallel each other very nicely in that way. Hope comes to apologize and they both say no. forget that. you're my kid.
