#i don’t even think he’s trying to desensitise mosk to it

[not-poignant]

For those wondering how writing is going, here’s a list of things I’ve been working on! 

Chapter 11 of The Ice Plague - complete Chapter 12 of The Ice Plague - complete Chapter 20 of Eversion - complete (as of like 5 minutes ago!) Oneshot Augus/Gwyn kinkfest (urtication) - ongoing

Words have been happening! Slowly, but they have been happening. :D Also The Ice Plage #2 has grown yet another chapter and I’m just beginning to think that’s how this book will be. I’d rather it be longer and do justice to Mosk and Eran’s journey, than cut emotional corners because plot keeps on getting in the way. 

I get back home on like the 7th of May, and The Ice Plague will ideally recommence on the 11th! I know it’s still a long wait, and I’m really grateful to everyone for being patient, but I am working on content and I hope you’ll all enjoy it! 

Love from Orkney

[not-poignant]

It felt really good to read what you said about how horribly Eran treated Mosk in the beginning of The Ice Plague. I know that Eran has clearly knows he behaved horrendously, but it still feels like so many of the other characters don't get it, including Mosk. It just felt really good to see that written out so directly.

It’s definitely going to be addressed more significantly (by Eran) in book 3.

I think part of the issue is that Mosk himself still continues to see very little wrong with what Eran did to him. And none of the other characters much care because the Unseelie really don’t give a single shit about being the morality police (and Gwyn captured and raped Augus for like 6+ months).

But Eran won’t be able to escape the reality of his situation and what he’s done, especially as he grows more...aware of how Stertes traumatised him, he won’t be able to avoid seeing some of the parallels. It’s going to take a little while for him to get there, but he very much has more than one moment specifically around his actions and what he did. Because I don’t even think Eran is fully cognisant of what he did? Like he knows he did the wrong thing, but I don’t think it’s really hit him yet, just how damaging those actions were.

And I still don’t think Mosk will ever really understand, because to Mosk on the spectrum of how everyone had treated him, he just can’t really comprehend why he should feel particularly bad about that, given what Olphix and Davix did, or all the people he met before Eran. Mosk doesn’t really have the capacity to kind of...get that, and I don’t plan on him ever really growing that capacity (in the same way that Augus kind of knows Gwyn did something monstrous to him in a detached way, but he was so desensitised to monstrousness by the time Gwyn started in on him, he sort of...knows it was bad but is also like ‘well meh after everything else...’ about it.)

Thankfully, Eran does have a strong moral compass, which means he can’t escape his own...ability to recognise the truth forever. It was really important to me that Eran kind of understand what he did, because he is Seelie, and his moral compass is important to him. But also because I think it will stop him from lashing out as often towards Mosk as he’s doing in book 3. He really needs to understand that he can’t sort of use his emotions as an excuse for bad, destructive and harmful behaviour (Mosk does too, but he’s already learned this to a degree, which is why he’s trying really hard not to be this way).

But yeah, anon, I’m glad it resonated! I feel like it’s possible to love Eran (though it’s okay if you don’t!) while being fully aware of how badly he behaved in the beginning. I want good things for him, but I also need him to take responsibility for himself (and that will make me love him more, lol).