i will also say, it was genuinely so interesting to see chat and nom's talk after he left the note for katie at their place. because, canonically, chat is a murder of ravens that follows him around, so you could argue it's him probably talking out loud and getting his thoughts together right? and like. chat was So Mad At Him at the start, but as he started explaining his reasoning it was so funny to see the "... ok i see your point" "chat i fear it makes sense"
like
we have no idea what was up with their parents in the past, but it's more than likely that bf nom was parentified from a very young age, ntm put on the "gifted child" pedestal from early on
and the thing is. we can be upset at nom all we want about not communicating and running away. but like. that's exactly what katie did to him 3 years ago. she was upset at something, and instead of going to him and telling him what it was and figuring it out together, she just left. she left their house, left their kingdom and just just expected him to go get her back. and she never tried to go back and talk to him at all, just putting on him the job to try and reach out to her again
and nom tried! those first few weeks it was him going up to her and trying to start conversations, and trying to get answers. and it worked! it worked well!! yes maybe she dodged the question of what she would do if they were in battle and she was told to fight him, even when he actively threatened a fellow kingdom member for herand could be liable for treason because of it; but that's ok because that's what big brothers do! right?... and then. well.
i can't blame katie for wanting to know more about nom, and why he is like he is now, what made him change. but going up to someone and interrogating them about something of their past they have not shared with you out of the blue is.... a choice.
and now this week, when their weekly meeting time comes, she just expects nom to be ok again. she looked at him, after having seen him spiral horribly at her questions, and just expected him to be up and ready to meet her again like normal. and nom looks at himself and realizes that actually, this week? he cant. he cant be the big brother. he cant be ok. he doesnt know how to be sure he wont lose it again, and he cant risk being that person he spiraled into last week towards katie.
and many could say "well, he could have told her in person" and i will seriously look at you in the eyes and ask you "could he?" because on one hand i dont think katie would have let him go without questioning him, and that's a whole 'nother can of worms. but on the other, i think he realized tha tif he saw katie he would have just slipped into the big brother role and end up staying just to appease her.
and like he said... he's going to start caring more about himself, and making choices for his own good, and no longer for other's sake.
and whenever a chronic people pleaser stops putting other's first, it will hurt those people a little
