Every day is a day of love, if only you believe it so

I don’t know why some people think it’s so contradictory for Belos to like. Genuinely MISS his brother but also hold a lot of deep-seated anger and resentment towards him. I feel like that fits the modus operandi of a canonical abuser, and it’s really not so unfeasible for unresolved emotions to be complicated and downright contradictory like that.

We already have Lilith as a frame of reference- As someone who LOVED and missed Eda and went through everything to cure her curse… But also never confessed, repeatedly mocked and belittled Eda over her condition and lifestyle, leapt at any chance to one-up her, and even screamed “Then why were you so easy to curse?!” as some sort of attempt at a triumphant gottem.

Like… the statements “Belos deeply misses and loved his brother and would do anything to be with him again” and “Belos has unresolved frustration and spite towards his sibling and blames him for a lot of things” are, sadly, not mutually exclusive statements here.

This fits if Belos had a falling-out with his brother, wishing his sibling had simply agreed and gotten along with him. Especially if Belos is also struggling with this idealized version of the past that he wants to get back to, his idea of a perfect brother without the flaws that complicated things, and could theoretically just be cut away!

It’s not like these traits are reflective of fundamental parts of his sibling’s personality that he HAS to accept as a natural part of them and unconditionally, wholly love- Again, also like Lilith, which is topical with the Wittebane brothers likely being parallels to the Clawthorne sisters, and even outright ancestors too!

Belos and Lilith probably want to go back to the ‘good old days’ without confronting nor resolving what actually made them go bad to begin with, especially if those issues are related to their OWN personal shortcomings; Seems this type of flaw is genetic, huh?

Also, it’s possible Belos could’ve been abused by his brother, even- Or they at least had a toxic, codependent relationship with one another. This would again explain his desire to stick with his sibling, while also taking out his anger for being ‘left behind’ or any other grievances of varying validity, if any, he might hold onto innocent Hunter.

Happy one year anniversary to Agony of a Witch

Damn Luz is just able to make friends with everyone she meets for the first time

I think Eclipse Lake also helps us appreciate even more just how Belos messed with Lilith’s head- Like she was with Belos for THIRTY years, that’s about twice as long as Hunter has been alive! And obviously Lilith has had an actual family and background to remember, but she was still in the Emperor’s Coven for most of her life, and struggling with the guilt over the curse, as well as her parental issues and abandonment.

Unhealthy as it was, Lilith’s connection to Eda was still the most positive relationship she had… And that desperate lifeline was what kept her alive and sane for thirty years. That connection to Eda, that hope of being with her little sister again, was the only thing that kept Lilith from fully deep-diving into Belos’ mind breaking abuse and indoctrination, becoming fully and truly dependent on him, wrapping ALL of her entire existence around the dude!

And even then, Lilith’s connection to Eda wasn’t perfect- Hence her actions in Agony of a Witch, which are SO much like Hunter and Kikimora in Eclipse Lake, it’s unreal. Those two might’ve looked down upon Lilith’s insecurity, but really, they were just as vulnerable and next in line, too…

Being in the Emperor’s Coven really DOES just utterly destroy and shatter your mind, and leave you incapable of functioning properly on your own without Belos constantly guiding and praising you- Not to mention all of his twisted mind games and gaslighting. Your soul and entire sense of identity is just ground and cooked into ash, until there’s nothing left besides the empty void that Belos fills in with whatever he prefers.

Aww this is sweet I hope Belos doesn’t find out-

Oh.

Right.

“I will know.”

Belos can see what happens in his castle, regardless of whether or not he’s physically present. And honestly, maybe he IS always physically present, because maybe the castle is a part of him...!

I can see Belos giving Hunter a few days to do the ‘right’ thing and confess, out of some twisted sense of patience and leniency... Give his nephew a chance to be honest, to be mature! Unlike that Lilith, who waited forever to tell Eda about the curse... Surely Belos’ own nephew will be better than that!

He should be.

Because like with Lilith, Belos will give people the chance to do the right thing, maybe even a FEW chances! Because he’s hoping they’ll pick the right side... They’d better.