Rowan-555

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At some point over the last few floors, over the last couple of months after meeting each other, both Carl and Katia decided that protecting Donut and protecting one another was worth dying for.

Book 6

Even while withdrawing Katia is willing to fight a level 200 creature to protect Donut.

Carl doesn't want Mordecai to ever mention letting Katia self-implode, acknowledging that his commitment to keep her safe makes him willing to self-sacrifice himself.

Book 7

Once again, Katia is willing to die to protect Donut if the plan doesn't work, which also protects Carl from potentially losing Donut and protecting him from the pain she felt when she lost Annie. Carl can't deal with the idea of her dying (also I have a pet (pun intended) theory that Ren is an empath).

I wonder if Carl has ever had a protector before, other than his mother? Katia has tried to protect him from physical and emotional harm time and time again. In book 2 when she tells Carl and Donut to leave the floor without her, or when she steps between Carl and danger two times on the Iron Tangle, taking his form to distract the god on the same level, or stepping up to volunteer to kill a possessed Chris so Carl wouldn't have to.

Carl blew himself up, basically liquifying himself up in order for Donut and Katia to live. He's comforted by the knowledge that even if he dies they'll both live.

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A comic panel I made of one of my favorite Book 7 scenes.

I'm going to pair it with some musings.

I found a post on Instagram that really summed up the dynamic I see between Carl and Katia as the books progress. I will try to paraphrase here.

IMO there are scenes (such as this one illustrated above) that show that the connection between Carl and Katia is more nuanced than strictly platonic/non-platonic.

Carl has almost no ability to recognize the interpersonal dynamics between people (including himself and Bea) until he clocks that Katia and Bautista have become an item. Carl is an unreliable narrator when it comes to himself and his emotions, but other people see the dynamic between Carl and Katia and expect there's something between them. Donut sees it. Daniel see it. Mordecai see it. Imani and Elle see it. Even Huanxin Jinx sees it.

There is an abundance of familial love between these two, but I think they also carry a flame for one another. One that maybe they are both scared to act on as to not jeopardize the family they've already built together. Or because they know that due to their circumstances it would only further complicate their situation. It could be either of those things or it could be mostly because Carl is oblivious to his own emotions and suppresses them while he's in survival mode. Katia is more aware of her feelings as she clearly wanted him to be the father of her child. I think these feelings snuck up on Carl, and maybe even Katia too. I'm going to quote this next part directly from the post bc I love it:

"When all you've known are hurtful, harmful relationships (in both of their cases familial and romantic) I think it's hard to recognize what healthy, stable love is until you're deeply in it."

The love that blooms between Carl and Katia isn't possessive or frantic. It doesn't demand to be acknowledged. It blooms slowly and steadily over time.