wow, thank you so much for such a detailed description of my little entry! I'm sorry about the visual bugs especially, I was very rushed but that was my own fault. I knew the idea(s) I wanted to explore and try and make into a coherent entry with using my own assets and didn't get to polish it as much as I'd have liked aaa
Apologies for the spelling and such;; as for Var and his father's situation, I feel like he was so desperate for a feeling of acceptance that he wanted to use it as a beacon or a "see? Someone else can care about me and not make me feel bad.", more leaning into his own, self appointed "tantrum" or "childishness".
In all honesty, I didn't intentionally make Bora as ambiguous in relation to avian dimorphism, but that's really cool that it ended up being read that way- maybe a subconscious decision? Still-
I think I have a hard time making stories that balance both a type of "mythical" or "unexplainable phenomena" along with "but that wouldn't happen irl right?" Like I take it all too seriously and when exploring possible factors of supernatural cases (in the instance of say, monsters or what Bora was or represented) occur, it can be confusing or hard to grasp, as a story element, even for me while writing it.
I love hearing everyone's interpretation of it all, it makes me feel as if I've succeeded in making a story with some kind of meat to it, even though it ended in such a way.
In my mind, I feel if I were the one who seemingly found "happiness" in someone else for the first time, only to have it more or less be ripped out of my hands, and especially after having a mental confrontation like Var did with his father...I feel I'd also fall apart. I couldn't see a possibility of Var *not* feeling complete despair- like he had a taste of acceptance and love and it left as soon as it came. Maybe like snow melting, in a way.
Bittersweet in that, he was able to feel that warmth he'd always needed, but then it left so easily- it felt, to Var, like a cruel joke. Like he, in his mind, felt that "maybe my dad was right or cursed me.", like he never had much confidence and when he had a taste of it, he knew he'd want to be spoiled in that feeling- too fast, maybe.
I really loved these characters myself, and I'd like to draw them together sometime too- maybe Var, in some world or some universe, can be as happy as he felt in those few days just a bit longer.
Thank you again so much for your thoughts! I love hearing everyone's different interpretations! This was very pleasant to wake up to, and helpful for creating further, I feel :>