hello. thank you for asking. this is a big question. i'm sorry this took me a week?! i think i had aspirations to reread some materials but i've accepted that just isn't happening as long as i'm in school. it is ... what it is.

i think, to begin with, a lot of my big asks for rutile upon my completion of the initial materials around september of 2021 have actually been answered or seem to be in the process of being answered.

1. my number one request was one really good story about rutile and mitile's relationship that wasn't interrupted by or filtered through the grown ups. even in south-focused stories, the flores brothers are often--but not always--flattened into a single entity for their adults to interact with. the "easter" story last year, to me, was perfect. it was sweet, mithra was present but didn't hijack the story, it had named and well-characterized NPCs, the beauty of south country as a place where life blooms was showcased, bunnies were there... but mostly it was a story about rutile's kindness, his creativity, and how that combines to create an enduring legacy. very sweet. loved it. also: so much cute sweet floreses art came out of it the likes of which had not been prompted since, like, their little exchange in south prelude. thank you bnnuy.

you can read this event here: https://xuebingcode.dreamwidth.org/25690.html

1. in terms of just "silly low stakes character interactions" and "themes i want rutile to be the vehicle to explore" my half-joking ask after finishing south prelude was, "i want rutile to go on a wine tour with the western wizards!" ...asked and answered...!!

in all seriousness, it wasn't answered to such a great extent--the thematic reasoning behind my ask, of course, is that alcohol is a symbol of "growing up" and... the wine event made some gestures at that theme, but was mostly about "creativity" "inspiration" and "artistic integrity". this is also a very rutile-like theme (see: the previous event i discussed). but it wasn't a rutile event, it was a shylock event, and that's fine, because as a loving patron, shylock really is the queen of the artisans. i really liked it.

you can read it here: https://flowerinyourcare.tumblr.com/post/695397283658924032/reminiscence-of-the-unfinished-wine-chapter-1 or here: https://odorekijin.dreamwidth.org/27363.html

1. for "my favourite rutile relationship" it is and always has been rutile and figaro. my favourite south relationship, the first one i fell in love with and am still in love with. rutile is a teacher because of his father, but it's very clear that his teaching style is influenced by figaro--and that figaro's style in turn is influenced by rutile. i love this. i wish i could talk about this in a little more detail.. i mean, i could, but i don't want to do it without being able to source the snippets of story that i want to discuss.. so maybe that's a question for another time. but the "asked and answered" story bit i'd reference specifically is the discussion figaro and rutile have in anni2, about what the best way to help someone learn is. figaro, who in the past--and honestly, sometimes now--teaches through scolding and nagging, reminding the bright and kind but frustrated rutile that the best thing to do is to praise, not to scold, as is rutile's own style... something like that. i love that.

2. lastly, and what i think is the actual answer to your question: of course, i want rutile to cry and cry and cry about everything he's lost...!! much like the western wizards perform to survive, south wizards will perform to maintain the peace. i always think of the story rutile tells of trying, and failing, to cheer his father up, by smiling--performing--like his mother. fucked up..!! i love the little hints we get that rutile, despite growing up in a place where loss is inevitable and frequent, is not at all prepared to handle it to the extent that his little brother has shown himself capable of. that he's staring down the barrel of 2000 years of loss and can't cope with it, maybe at least in part because he's never gotten a handle on what it meant to lose his parents...??

i... can only assume this is at least gestured at in the latest main story update. it has to be. i'll go nuts if it isn't. jk no i won't. but i have hopes and dreams like anyone...................................................

ok that's all. i mean that's not all but this is the best i can do without quitting school for a month and devoting myself to mahoyaku scholarship. or at least wasting several hours backreading my liveblog logs LOL. sorry this isn't very good....?!