#merfolk are just. very interlocked into each other in their relationships.

[rxttenfish]

putting this over here and not on my rp blog because i just feel more comfortable talking over here lately and because this isnt even BAD or me complaining, just saying a thing i noticed and being entertained, but i worry that people will think im being rude

theres like, this bingo card meme going around in my circles lately, where you make one for your muse, specifically of their "type" when it comes to romantic partners

so i make one for miranda, as you do, and i include a box on there that says "respects her sister", because. you know. a vital thing to miranda.

and its funny that all of the other muses who have marked that off are ones who neither i nor bellanda nor miranda would say COULD mark that off

namely because like. why is respecting bellanda so important?

because shes miranda's sister. and even more than that, she has been, for all of miranda's life, both her only friend and her caretaker. bellanda is one of those people that miranda trusts with literally EVERYTHING, and is wholly incapable of thinking bellanda can ever hurt her, let alone hurting bellanda in turn. bellanda's opinion is final to miranda, she is what matters above everyone else, and either her potential paramours accept that theyre always going to be playing second fiddle to bellanda or they leave miranda's life. so much of what miranda does is dependent on bellanda and she is basically everything miranda has.

which is important context, because the reason why not just any single person can mark off themselves as respecting bellanda, is because bellanda is going to be mean as hell to them. bellanda doesn't trust landfolk, very seldom trusts other merfolk, and is highly suspicious of ANYONE who tries to get too close to miranda. for very good reasons, sure, but also this means she is going to try to drive them away as much as she can without upsetting miranda. and like, miranda knows bellanda is doing this. she knows she will insult, berate, and even try to physically hurt people who bellanda perceives as a threat, and miranda knows why bellanda does this, and thus she will give bellanda a very loose leash. again, miranda takes bellanda's side in everything that matters, and her loyalty to her comes first before everyone else.

as you can imagine, this is not an ideal situation to be sandwiched between. you cant even really DO anything, because trying to do anything against bellanda immediately sours miranda's opinion of someone, and bellanda is never really going to do something she knows would be over the line for miranda. the only option is winning bellanda's favor, and thats a tall order when she already mistrusts and suspects them for a full list of potential manipulations and careless blunders that bellanda won't be sharing with them. shes tough, shes strict, and shes very set into what she knows to be true and whats allowed her and miranda to survive this long.

hell, it's why aaravi is one of the very VERY few people to do well with bellanda, because shes already used to people hating her and suspecting her. already knowing that out of the gate and knowing bellanda's type (from her own experiences with gruff older slayers), getting the reassurance from miranda that she actually is good and sweet and funny was enough for her.

but you see the problem still. you see why this is such a dealbreaker for so many muses. you see why its specifically phrased as RESPECTING bellanda, because if you dont fully understand why she has to do all of this and be this way, then you arent going to make it.