#petri

Pe leaned forward, sniffing both tentatively.

“These aren’t meat.” She stated flatly, not attempting to enjoy either.

“Is this human food?” Large eyes questioned along with her words at her teacher.

but petri doesnt know that. and he gets SO MANY opportunities to go a different path in pursuit of a restful, peaceful life but he never takes the offered hand because he’s convinced he’s the only person who can fix the world. but everyone he’s ever loved and who has loved him wants him to just Stop and he won’t. he Can’t.

petri and radah are like soooo unfortunately similar and it pisses the both of them off so bad. at their core they are both very scared and selfish people that are Desperate to feel safe and in control. and they wanted what they thought was best for their loved ones but ended up being the thing that harmed those loved ones anyway. and they fucking Hate each other because it’s self recognition through the other, and they also end up being each others only companion for like over a century trapped in petri’s castle.

specifically in petri’s case he hates radah because she’s a tiefling dwarf and he has human supremacy issues (<- literally not human himself but pretends to be) and thinks she needs to learn to be more humble (crazy thing for petri to think but he’s a hypocrite lol). he’s also jealous of her intelligence and power and thinks that she doesnt respect him which pisses him off.

for radah it’s her slow descent into paranoia and madness that she knows from watching it happen to petri & lanneus that it’s like. inescapable. but she’s in far too deep at this point having helped petri stage his coup and ascend to the throne, killing the kingdom’s actual heir, trapping amphorn in the bottle, etc. etc. that the concept of losing herself so completely, only being a husk to be puppeted around by something greater while the world burns around her, is actually really comforting. finally the hard parts will be over and she wont have to take accountability for her actions because there will be no one left to expect anything from her. and she hates petri for putting her in this situation but she’s So tired. and she misses santiago so bad.

and in the end radah cracks under the pressure (who can fucking blame her) and “willingly” gives up control of her life and bodily autonomy because she’s burnt out from the fear and pain that is every day life, so it’s easier to give into her greatest fear (being used) and just accept it was “inevitable”

while petri hits rock bottom over and over and never gives up, to the horror of everyone around him, and digs himself deeper into this pit of despair and hatred and drags as many people down with him as he can.

and MAN the thing Is. they both ADORE santiago like he was the glue holding this trio together and he straight up cant understand that because he views himself as so inherently unlovable and evil, he just assumes that all his friends are tolerating him and tries to soak up as much of their [he thinks] misplaced affection as he can before he sacrifices himself to bring his sister back