The witch made him hot chocolate.
"They say I'm strong," he said. "And I am."
He took a sip.
"They say I can overcome any hardship."
"Mm," said the witch.
"And I can. I do."
The witch said nothing.
"But I shouldn't have to!"
"No."
The witch held the hero as he wept.
"No, you shouldn't."
Shades of “surface pressure“ from Encanto
https://youtu.be/tQwVKr8rCYw?si=1ojDe7A_NlLH8e4A
A good vibe to remember on #InternationalMensDay. You don't have to carry the world on your shoulders. You can be held and loved for you just being you.
@MicroSFF That's a lot of our stories. Way too many.
Some peace and softness for you all 💜
@MicroSFF
Quietly magnificent. An absolute masterpiece.
@MicroSFF All I'm missing is the hot chocolate and someone who understands.
@MicroSFF
I think I've played this DnD module?
@MicroSFF This reminds me a lot of a scene in Ursula Vernon's "A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking", where the teenage heroine laments that everyone is praising her for her heroism when from her perspective it isn't good at all, because a 14-year-old shouldn't have to be a hero. There were multiple layers of grownups who had the job of protecting them, and they all failed so badly that she was forced to do it instead, and it really didn't sit well with her that people were celebrating that.
@CarlMuckenhoupt It is a good book, and it makes a good point about adults failing. Minor Mage explorers some of the same themes.
@MicroSFF I'm in this toot and I'm not sure if like it 😅
@MicroSFF Thank you for the reminder to allow ourselves to be soft <3
