Not for the first time, Leia had the desire to give those in charge of a world's metaphysics a piece of her mind. She wasn't certain what specific cosmic force or entity had been responsible for setting in motion the constant cycle of reincarnation that Link and Shadow were subject to, but she was fairly certain that they were an idiot. There had to be a better way of handling the situation than repeatedly forcing the same few people into lives of violence and suffering. But if there was a good place for discussing such a thing, this wasn't it, so she kept her thoughts on that matter to herself.
In the present, Clef's unabashed love for his boys was wonderful... but it was also part of the problem, in particular with Shadow. Loving him to the point of being blind to his faults was just as damaging, in its own way, as seeing only those faults would be. "It's good that you love Link and Shadow as much as you do," she said to Clef, "but for all your sakes, you can't be blinded by it."
"Love and compassion are wonderful and important things, but don't fix everything. Nor are they all that's needed for a stable relationship. Trust is just as necessary. As is understanding. And being able and willing to communicate with each other and actually hear what's being said is crucial in any relationship, especially in a family. Which is also part of the reason we're all here."
"Link is right regarding you and Shadow. It's one thing to think that someone is a far better person than they give themselves credit for, but constantly viewing them through rose-tinted glasses isn't helpful to either of you. You need to love someone with your eyes open, to get to know and understand all of them- or at least as much of themselves as they're willing to share- not just an idealized version of them."
"Clef's also right about you too though Link. All joking and mildly disturbing metaphors aside, saying no- drawing reasonable boundaries for yourself- isn't something you've really been allowed to do in many situations, and that's not your fault. But as you grow, it is a skill you're going to need to learn. Being willing to help people who need it is a good thing, but there needs to be balance."
no subject
In the present, Clef's unabashed love for his boys was wonderful... but it was also part of the problem, in particular with Shadow. Loving him to the point of being blind to his faults was just as damaging, in its own way, as seeing only those faults would be. "It's good that you love Link and Shadow as much as you do," she said to Clef, "but for all your sakes, you can't be blinded by it."
"Love and compassion are wonderful and important things, but don't fix everything. Nor are they all that's needed for a stable relationship. Trust is just as necessary. As is understanding. And being able and willing to communicate with each other and actually hear what's being said is crucial in any relationship, especially in a family. Which is also part of the reason we're all here."
"Link is right regarding you and Shadow. It's one thing to think that someone is a far better person than they give themselves credit for, but constantly viewing them through rose-tinted glasses isn't helpful to either of you. You need to love someone with your eyes open, to get to know and understand all of them- or at least as much of themselves as they're willing to share- not just an idealized version of them."
"Clef's also right about you too though Link. All joking and mildly disturbing metaphors aside, saying no- drawing reasonable boundaries for yourself- isn't something you've really been allowed to do in many situations, and that's not your fault. But as you grow, it is a skill you're going to need to learn. Being willing to help people who need it is a good thing, but there needs to be balance."