#keeb!tsunami

the first crack in this view is when tsunami gets to know her many brothers. coral insists they aren't "as important" as tsu, because they can't take the throne - tsu doesn't really like this, but she grew up with unhealthy parental figures, so she can't quite put it into words. parents always have favorites, that's just how it is, right? she also feels some sort of way about anemone being kept on a literal leash (and how anemone is often told she needs to be "like tsunami"), but again, she believes coral's defense that she does everything for her chicks' safety. tsunami wants to trust her mom; she wants to believe that coral is good and kind, and that she's everything tsunami didn't have growing up.

there's also a moment in here where tsunami visits the royal hatchery and coral tells her about orca. coral remembers orca as a perfect daughter who just snapped one day. coral compares tsunami to her, in a bittersweet way... also, all throughout the lost heir coral tends to treat tsunami like a child, insisting she be More Formal but also laughing when she messes up social norms & insisting she's Just Fine How She Is. tsunami is clearly her favorite kid, but tsunami also doesn't feel totally enough, like her youth under the mountain left coral disappointed in her.

what really cements tsunami's doubts is when coral pulls out a hatchery guard's teeth for failing to protect the eggs (the egg of auklet's clutchmate is smashed). tsunami is horrified - this is the kind of baseless violence she saw (and hoped to leave) in the sky kingdom. coral says it's only fair, though, and says that tsunami will have to make "tough decisions" too when she's queen.

tsunami meets with her brothers afterwards but it doesnt really help, because they just share more of coral's flaws. after this she goes back to the surface and finds the rest of the prophecy dragonets & fills them in on everything that's been going on. they understand immediately and she finds more comfort in them than she ever has in the sea kingdom.

this is a major realization for tsunami! coral is not a perfect mother, and there was never a dream family waiting for her in the sea kingdom... but that's okay, because she already has her family: the other dragonets.

so overall, tsunami does love her mom, but she's also very aware of coral's flaws and how she hurt her other children. coral treats tsunami better than anybody else but also tends to baby her, as if she's catching up on lost time or doesn't see tsu as her own person. its hard to summarize their relationship but i hope you like the block of text anyway!