@Irateastartes you know it's fked up when you can say at least Ras got to live vicariously through people she believed loved her back.
But I agree, of course ML is how he is, his "role models" were psychos and people who bullied or resented him. He has difficulty identifying his feelings of love and affection and he only expresses his approval and appreciation through maniacal laughter and stereotypical, yet awkward, courting maneuvers. All of his flashbacks paint a messed up picture. The one in ch 39 is pretty bad, where he's doubled over on the ground after healing and then his dad pulls him back up by the back of his shirt collar. The flashback this chapter is different because we see he felt something new, aside from the previous fear and pained exhaustion: anger lmao.
But I agree, of course ML is how he is, his "role models" were psychos and people who bullied or resented him. He has difficulty identifying his feelings of love and affection and he only expresses his approval and appreciation through maniacal laughter and stereotypical, yet awkward, courting maneuvers. All of his flashbacks paint a messed up picture. The one in ch 39 is pretty bad, where he's doubled over on the ground after healing and then his dad pulls him back up by the back of his shirt collar. The flashback this chapter is different because we see he felt something new, aside from the previous fear and pained exhaustion: anger lmao.