Thinking about that part in the Moomin series where after getting transformed by the magic top-hat Moomin has to convince everyone that it's actually him.
Specifically the version from the 90s anime where he's crying and sobbing to his mother, who treats him with tenderness as she searches the supposed stranger's eyes, as if trying to find Moomin's very essence within this new monstrous form. And Moomin's getting really desperate because the long silence makes him think nobody believes him and he's ready to break down completely and give up knowing he's stuck in this new body.
Until Moominmama determines that yes, this is her darling child, and through the power of a mother's love he is transformed into his former self. Her love is what allows everyone else in the room to see that this is the same Moomin they've always known and loved.
Like, I know that entire novel and its subsequent adaptations are one big queer allegory, but that part really fucking hit hard for me as someone with a very tenuous relationship with their own mother. When I come out to her, will she be blinded by her ignorance and distaste for "alternative lifestyles" and antagonize me? Or will she too be able to see in my eyes that I am the same child she has always loved and that she will continue to love in this odd new form?
