𝓡𝓸𝓫𝓲𝓷 ★⋆˙

When I was reading ep 129, I noticed that Sara looked different from how she normally did in the flashback (once these episodes become free I'll add images but for now just bear with me). It was most obvious in her hair, with how it was constantly blowing in almost unnatural ways and obscuring her face. Then, in ep 131, again, she looked different (in the same way) for most of the episode. Episode 131 has a TON of symbolism and characterization for Sara Lee, so obviously her strange appearance must mean something. I think Sara and her hair look like that when she's unknowable to Wolhye.

The first time Sara has her odd appearance, Wolhye had just asked her why she joined the Sea Wolves. Both of Sara's answers were clearly joke answers, and told Wolhye absolutely nothing about Sara's motivations.

The second time, in Beach Episode, Sara:

Claims that magic is real and did in fact have a tangible impact on the world

States that Wolhye isn't capable of perceiving her, only knowing her

Both of these confuse Wolhye, and make her doubt her knowledge of Sara as a person. It's possible that the chronological order of events in the flashbacks shown recently is Kill the Oracle -> A Hopeless Dream -> Beach Episode. If that order is correct, as it has been heavily implied to be, then Sara gave Wolhye Penitence and then immediately started saying things that made Wolhye doubt her knowledge of Sara.

Once Wolhye slaps Sara, her appearance returns to normal. She goes from all black, constantly in shadow, more of a silhouette than a person, to being shown in a panel with her full, unobstructed face for the first time in the entire series. All this is shown immediately after the words "it was as though the clouds parted. And for the first time, for a single heartbeat, I really saw Sara Lee."

When Wolhye believed she knew Sara, Sara's appearance was normal and human. When Wolhye doubted her knowledge of Sara, Sara appeared distinctly inhuman. This all ties back to what Sara said a third of the way through the episode: "Perception is reality."

This duality of Sara Lee, human vs inhuman, is a huge theme in the episode. The panel where Sara says "It won't be my story anymore. And I'll leave behind one hundred thousand Sara Lees" demonstrates this the clearest. Sara's face is split in two in this panel: half of it is covered in shadow, unknowable and dubiously human. The other half is clearer, far more human than the side in shadow. Who was Sara Lee? Sara Lee was whoever and whatever you perceive her as.

Her children viewed her as something other, something pretending to be human. So, in their flashbacks, she was always depicted as human looking, but her eyes were always hidden. "The eyes are the window into one's soul", as the saying goes. Sara's children didn't think she had a soul, so they never perceived her eyes, and her soul may as well have never existed.

Sara needed to make Wolhye understand this critical lesson before she died, so much so that she was willing to destroy a very expensive trench coat for it (merino is a breed of sheep known for its high quality wool. Articles of clothing made out of merino wool are very expensive). Sure, Sara was rich and could certainly afford it, but the specific mention of her coat must matter. Every tiny bit of information matters in Hand Jumper. Clearly, Sara is preparing Wolhye for Sara's death, but I don't think Sara was preparing her for the emotional impact of her death, but rather the practical skills on Sara could teach Wolhye, that Sara knew Wolhye would have to have after Sara died.

The lesson Sara taught would shape Wolhye's entire view of people. In ep 129, to her perception, nobody existed except for her (or she was the one who didn't exist). It took a shift in her perception, her becoming aware of Lilith, for her to exist again. Now, she's remembering all of these things as she prepares to do... something. We don't know what yet. I think that Sara's gift, assuming it's Foresight, extended past her death. How else would she have known to prepare Wolhye in the way she did, when Wolhye's actions in the present day are clearly ones Sara Lee would like and approve of?