Today is Thanksgiving
…In the United States, which, as we all know, is the only country that matters.
But today is a day we all can take joy in, around the world, for it is a day of comfort and harmony, of love and togetherness—values we all share. It is a day we give thanks to the universe for the bountiful harvest of fall, and ignore the looming death promised by winter.
It is today that we celebrate the unifying spirit of our nation’s history, as we look back and remember the day the earliest pilgrmis dined with the native peoples of this land. Thus, this is a day of differences put aside and camaraderie found in unexpected places—just as the MC has found unusual companions in Callum and Charlotte, bonds that surely will never break.
I’ve heard that there are some other historical details about the relationship between colonists and native tribes that I’m omitting here, but I’m sure they’re not important to the point I’m making.
Today is also a day for family! It is a day we refresh our familial bonds, come together as one, and remind ourselves that together, we are stronger. Just as Charlotte has found solace and safety in her beloved uncle’s arms, so too do we find comfort in our own families, where one never has to fear of division, hostility, or betrayal. This is, of course, the ideal that Thanksgiving so richly embodies, as anybody who celebrates it will tell you.
Finally, today is a day of gratitude. It is a day we look out to the world, and give thanks (hence the name!) out to the universe for all the grace we’ve been shown—just as our beloved protagonist must naturally feel thankful for all the myriad good things that have been happening to them recently, and all the happy memories yet to come.
And of course—what better animal to represent these themes than the turkey? A large bird, to represent contentment; a flightless bird, to represent groundedness; a bird who travels in flocks, to represent the feeling of togetherness. Truly, a majestic creature.
And, just like Charlotte, one destined to be hunted, slaughtered, and forgotten by history.
Today’s update is ~38,500 words long, which brings the total wordcount to ~293,500 words. In this update, we conclude the second flashback chapter, finally resolving the seven and a half month long cliffhanger from the last update!
As a reminder, when discussing the events of this update, please remember to use spoiler tags for the foreseeable future (we’ll say a week or so), for the people who can’t play it right away.
Next update will see a return to the present day in Chapter III, where we’ll finally meet another RO, Kira Watanabe, an antisocial witch with a razor-sharp wit—as well as her imp familiar, Qolvar, who I’m excited to announce is the secret RO you’ve all been waiting for!
Not sure how long it will take for this update to come—I’m hoping less than this one did (maybe January?), but no promises.
Finally—as you might have seen above, I recently had a significant death in the family (the irony of posting this on the family holiday of the year is not lost on me), which has left us with a lot of family matters and tribulations to deal with, including—for some of us—having to find a new place to live.
With that in mind, I don’t usually do this, but if you like this update and have a few bucks to spare, please consider offering a tip at my ko-fi. Obviously, this won’t be enough to cover the moving expenses all on its own[citation needed], but every little bit would help.
Thanks!