#btw i know u submitted this almost a week ago and i deeply apologize for the delay

[sea-buns]

On the chance.of things getting 'messy' with Orym. I think they already sort of have started hitting a building crisis point, if we're truly at the point that even among his friends he's now resorting to losing still more sleep just so he can sneak off in the middle of the night to genuinely pray to a light aligned being in order to ask for help without feeling like he'll be judged for or otherwise condescended to for it. That's actually kind of alarming honestly in how it shows another way he's feeling isolated/set apart from the rest of them and I am very curious is Tal made Ashton's perception role and caught he was doing so because I want to see how they in particular will respond to that decision, not because of what it says about about how Orym feels about the Gods but because of what it says about how isolated emotionally Orym still feels from them.

He and Ashton have a great restart at supporting each other from their chat last week...I loved it. But they are no where near done with the things they need to discuss. I mean I very much doubt Ashton or Laudna understand the breath of what happened back there with Vax and what it means to Orym personally just yet...

Yes, god, there are so many moving parts and concerns that I am constantly re-remembering another heartbreaking detail about how he's doing. And specifically the "feeling the need to isolate/not feeling safe enough to express yourself" hits home so hard. It rings like a kid who hides their totally normal interests from their friends and family, out of fear of being ridiculed or punished for it. It's that distinct paranoia you get from strict parents when they make any sort of acknowledgment about your hobbies or views.

It is devastating that he's resorted to secrecy and private moments in the dead of night. Always looking over his shoulder. Tensing up at the start of every gods-related conversation. Discussion and debate are fine and normal, in fact I think it'd be insane if nobody was talking about or questioning literally everything right now. But the constant reminders he had to give to Bells Hells were weighing on him enough. Now, more than half of the group that should have been a safe-space for him have been replaced with complete strangers. And his two remaining companions are dealing with a lot in their own right. Introspection is important, but he has no way of knowing what "coming to a conclusion" is gonna look like for these people. What if they side with Ludinus? What if they turn violent? What if they keep him from getting back to his family?

All of that is why Ashton reaching out has been SO goddamn important to me. Out of everyone right now, they've been the least oppositional and argumentative towards Orym's takes on the situation. I really can't think of a moment where they made a comment, not even directly at Orym, that had any sort of underlying hostility towards believing in the good of the gods. They've expressed that it's the people who are the problem, while still leaving that door open for the belief that good worshippers exist. I love that Tal is making those perception checks. It's the absolute perfect way of saying "if my character sees this something is gonna get done" without like metagaming or anything. It makes even more sense cuz we've already established that Ashton is actively keeping on eye on him and Laudna. They understand more than anyone that no one is the "stable" one anymore, and all they can do is help each other.

Orym very clearing feels backed into a corner right now and he would have NEVER said "if you see me fall, pick me up" if Ash wasn't purposely trying so hard to make sure he knows that they are a safe-space for him.