Things that Tui can do with Kinkajou's character in book 17 that could change my mind on hating her:
So we know how RainWings barely pay any mind to their own eggs, right? They just keep all the eggs in one place and check to see if any hatched from time to time. The dragonets are then raised by the village as a whole rather than their parents. Tui could explore how that tradition could've affected Kinkajou from an early age and how that made her feel disconnected and frustrated
Kinkajou is constantly yellow and pink, which are happy colors in RainWing society. Tui could write Kinkajou as someone who goes through a lot of effort to come across as a happy dragon but she is struggling with internal insecurities
She idolizes Glory so much because she proved that RainWings are not lazy, not stupid, not weak. Kinkajou never had anyone to look up to growing up because she was always viewed as a nuisance and everyone would rather laze around, so that's why she worships Glory; because she's the first dragon that actually treated Kinkajou like an equal
In Arc 2, all of Kinkajou's PTSD from the events of Arc 1 were nonexistent and she magically healed from her trauma. Tui could portray her PTSD in a more realistic manner that actually affects her in ways that we as readers could not see because we never got to see the world through her perspective
Kinkajou being aware that many dragons find her annoying and internalizes that. She worries that her friends also can't stand her secretly and she feels like no one truly understands or likes her
She struggles with her feelings about the love spell Anemone put on her in Arc 2 and how she feels about Turtle. I don't like Turtle x Kinkajou, but I find it hard to believe that she would just brush off such conflicting emotions after being under a spell for some time
She has difficulty with her attention span, her inability to stop talking, and her childish antics and it frustrates her that she can't be more like Glory. She wants to be cool, unbothered, and serious but she just can't. She's just annoying little Kinkajou and no one will take her seriously
The RainWings not noticing her disappearance still haunts her to this day and she develops a fear of everyone leaving her or not noticing her when she's in danger
She thinks about how Tamarin fears for her safety and regrets that she is so reckless enough to make her own best friend worry about her
Make her regret that she doesn't think before she speaks and wants to take back some things she said in past books
Tries to keep a positive, upbeat attitude no matter what, even if she is crying inside
Include a moment when she breaks down and admits her insecurities, her fears, her regrets, the things she hates about herself and how she wishes she could change more than anything
She acts out and behaves so immaturely because she feels it is the only way others will pay attention to her. Any attention is good attention for her
Have her be plagued by nightmares, whether it be caused by her trauma, her secret fears, or both
Bring back her claustrophobia and pyrophobia. As someone who struggles with a phobia myself, I know those kinds of fears don't go away easily, especially if they are caused by traumatic experiences during childhood
Have her habit of talking too much bring consequences. Maybe she says the wrong thing to the wrong dragon, or she makes someone else uncomfortable, or others find her too overwhelming. She realizes this and feels ashamed, or embarrassed, or fearful that she will slip up again in the future
Make her regret just running out after Glory unprepared and without a plan and write consequences for such an impulsive move. Have Kinkajou feel daunted by such a difficult task of finding her beloved queen and have her struggle in the process because she left without thinking
If I think of anything else, I'll add more. I came up with all of this in one sitting, so hopefully more will come up later on. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, feel free to comment. I love to see what others bring to the table.
