#rrff!memory

Me:

Hehehe I need to reread rrff but I’m also scared to reread it🧍cause i can only remember this, but i wanna draw other scenes. Preferable the ones that DONT make me wanna curl up on the ground and cry✨

They live in my head rent free, mainly cause I'm a lousy landlord and let them-

When I was plotting out RRFF, I was listening to those two songs a lot, especially when I was figuring out Memory's plan to bring back Void >:)

When I first planned out RRFF, I didn't know what to do with Memory's character arc, besides the fact that Illusion and Void would play major roles in it. Eventually after a lot of brainstorming, I got this one idea - and this idea later became Chapter 41: An Illusion Void of Reality. At that moment, I knew that was going to be Memory's most important character moment.

Back then, I didn't know why I was so passionate about this idea, even though I was so committed to making it happen. But now, I think I know why Chapter 41, and why this entire fic, means so much to me.

Ultimately, I wrote RRFF to be an exploration about love and acceptance. More specifically, I wrote this story to be a conflict between conditional love and unconditional love.

Memory was raised by a father who denied him love and acceptance, and he thought he had to be perfect and push himself to earn that affection. Memory's cousins love and accept him unconditionally, even though Memory believes his actions, failures, and weaknesses make him unworthy of it. Because of that, he spends his entire life rejecting or doubting in his cousins' love, in favor of constantly trying to win Void's acceptance. Often to the point of doing horrible things to win Void's favor. In Chapter 41, Memory breaks when he realizes he was wrong about Void.

I loved using Memory's friendship with Illusion to explore this conflict about love. I loved how Memory and Illusion helped each other, while also being at war with their inner issues and hidden agendas. Showing a best friend that you love and accept them unconditionally, even when you disagree with their actions and intentions, is a daunting challenge.

I believe this topic resonates with a lot of people. We all deal with people whose love and acceptance of us is only conditional. These are the people who say "you have to be xyz before I can -- " and "you would be so much better if -- " Those comments and attitudes can hurt and break down self-esteem.