Aaaa, such a bittersweet story, Chim! I was teary-eyed all the way through ( especially with such soft, lovely art!! ). Fearing the judgement of god despite how non-sinful our queerness feels is something I can relate to fr 🥹🥹🤲🏻
There's a lot to unpack due to how well-thought out the narrative is ( glad the other reviews already touched on them! ✨ ), so I'll just focus on this; Though I feel Romaine and Juliet are one of the lucky few to be accepted by those around them regardless, I like this narrative design choice to focus on the internalized religious homophobia instead; that no matter how much society accepts us, the believes and fears we grew up with is still hard to shake off. When I still believed in God, it really did feel like someone was judging my every thought, my every move. It was paranoia-inducing. Even now, I still have some flashes here and there, especially the verses I was forced to memorize, coming and going like intrusive thoughts.
Romaine and Juliet are really strong to keep holding on to their believes whilst also staying true to themselves. Doesn't make the rest of us weak, of course. They simply decide to undertake this heartbreaking mission, a purgatory of their own making. I don't agree with it since it can do a number on your mental well-being, but I do respect it nonetheless. We have to live our own paths, after all.
And with Romaine and Juliet by each other's side, I'm sure they can make that path as sweet as can be. Maybe even forget that watchful eye for one brief blissful moment at a time. Together 🥰💞