oh god. okay. spoilers for ch 8 ahead. if you want the bg info on the rats you can read the first few paragraphs, there's a big warning when the spoilers start.
background! i'm gonna gloss over some things that aren't important to the topic bc otherwise we'd be here forever
so. phlunt has (at that stage mostly one-sided) beef with a teenager (hanni) for the sole reason of said teenager being born by their biological parents. he's a supreme asshole about it bc he's a bitter man who can't deal with scratches to his ego and makes sure it looks like they're a fuck up in asuran society and don't get a good job at all ever. while zojja can't really do anything about it bc the arcane council is the arcane council and would rather shove her in a meatgrinder than take any sort of action against scientific misconduct and whatever else, she does take notice of hanni and later offers them a job within her krewe. it does come a bit too late though, and hanni has already made up their mind about leaving the city behind for good and just travelling the world as a wandering mechanic. they weren't close, far from it - zojja's just doing what she thinks is right, and trying to support someone she sees potential in. (and give a giant metaphorical middle finger to phlunt but that's beside the point)
when the time comes for professor gorr's theory about dragon magic, she does send out a letter to them. that had always been the topic they excelled at, and while they aren't working as a scientist anymore, they never left their curiosity and drive to document weird magic shit behind. (even if that documentation sometimes amounts to Eat It and see what happens) they stop by and help and it's fun! but hanni hasn't suddenly turned into a less abrasive/dismissive person, reminders of rata sum don't suddenly taste sweet rather than foul. and zojja is mostly occupied with her own machinations and toxx, perfectly shining beacon. he's everything the world will need to get through the trials it will face - a brilliant scientist with a kind heart, a charming public speaker, someone who stands up for those who can't do it by themselves, a good person and an even better friend. they stay in contact this time, although much more through toxx rather than directly and it's... okay. they aren't friends - they don't need to be! - but they're colleagues, connected through one man's desire to save the world and maybe help both of them in the process and be their friend goddamnit. (he's succeeding. (at least for now))
but things get worse and worse and orr... it tears at everyone, takes whatever it can and sucks the life out of you even if you haven't died. the war drags on, supplies dwindle, people die. toxx dies.
he'd been the world's hope, but more importantly - he'd been zojja's and hanni's hope. zojja found someone who could fix destiny's edge, who gently took all their broken shards and gave them the glue to piece themselves back together. who saw the same problems she did and did something about it instead of turning away. who saw her - and still strongarmed her into being friends. and for hanni he was the first real long-term friend they made outside of home. the first person they'd let in again, whom they let themselves trust.
that wasn't a blow their relationship could really weather. they don't fight or have a big falling out - no time for that, no energy. but they don't talk for a long while. avoid each other without making it obvious that that's what they're doing. maybe zojja blames hanni a bit in the privacy of her own mind. the grief lingers over everything, even when they start talking tentatively again. it's easier through taimi. she's new, no stain of a shared loved one's death looms on her, and she brings science back into their relationship, moves them away from the drudging horror of war and grief.
and then. maguuma. zojja looses her footing in the world while hanni can't seem stop running. hanni visits while zojja's still in coma but... it's too much, seeing her of all people like that. zojja never calls. the commander is definitely busy and really, she has so much to do too.
!!!! spoilers start here !!!! the real big spoiler is only in the third paragraph but better safe than sorry
they'd been... stilted when they first ran into each other again. unsure. treading lightly. a lot had happened for both, many years had passed and they didn't really know where they stood with each other anymore. besides, there was too much to do, a world to save once again.
ch8 is the first time they really get to talk and. it's good. it's necessary. they talk far more and longer than canon, finally open with each other about kind of everything. they start with maguuma and its aftermath, the lingering guilt on both sides of just leaving. they reminisce about toxx, the good times instead of getting stuck on the clawing despair, talk about taimi. shit talk phlunt, the impact the fucker still has on hanni's life. finally let go of the grief that had weighed them down for over a decade. forgive each other, and mainly themselves. start anew.
hanni stays with zojja for another day. she talks about her life with the wizards. hanni does their best to comfort her once the grief for mabon really settles in. the world can deal for a few hours.
and maybe. at the end. they finally step out of that room as friends.
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Hey pals !! Please tag your moon knight spoilers at the top of your posts!!
Some people haven't seen the moon knight episode four (4) yet!!! Like me!!
I got a big character spoiler yesterday morning with absolutely no warning that there was an MK spoiler in the post!!
I dont have a lot of Moon Knight on my dash and it was about 10 cdt or so. The episode had been out for 6? 8? hours.
Please tag your spoilers!!!! You dont have to hide them under a cut if you dont want to, but please be kind!! Just a bolded or bigger font first line saying there are spoilers would be appreciated!!
Thank you!! :D
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