The thing that irritated Erebus the most was when he witnessed Suna and Hana together. They didn't make sense, their codependency disgusted him. It wasn't as if he found the idea of siblings being that close gross inherently, but their relationship felt wrong. People shouldn't rely on one another as much as they did, or so he currently believed. People were, at best, burdens. Loving someone made you vulnerable to what life did best; taking. If Suna died, or Hana, the other would fall apart at the seams, and that was too much. There was too much reliance on the belief that the world wouldn't flip itself over and swallow one of them whole.

He could never do that.

His nose wrinkled as he watched the sisters, eyes trailing to their partners, who were off in their own corner. How did they live with such strange and needy partners? How did Yoko and Aiden manage? Wasn't it creepy? Granted, Erebus' family thrived off the spooky vibe, but this was different. He'd be entirely put off; he really would! His eyes trailed back to his aunt and mother, tail lashing lazily.

He didn't know what he wanted in the future, but he knew for sure he didn't want that. Whoever he would become, it'd be someone independent. Someone strong. Stronger than them. Someone who could protect them when life ultimately did what it knew best. They were weak, but they were his family, and their poor choices and dependency were something he needed to protect because he could. One day, he was sure they'd experience the fall out from relying so heavily on one another, but Erebus would be there to handle the damage caused. It made him weak, he knew that. He believed it deep in his bones, but... everyone had their faults. His family was his weakness, and maybe one day he'd outgrow it and become even stronger, but until then....

He'd be there.