Love is a burning thing,
It makes a fiery ring.
Bound by wild desire,
I fell into a ring of fire.
They say love is a many splendored thing.
A bond that holds two people together, which comes in many forms. Lovers, family, friendship.
But what many call love is anything but.
A bond that is built upon dependency and control can feel like love, but holds one party trapped in that ring of fire.
The Lovestruck Man was infatuated by a young girl. Their relationship was built upon the bond of protection. His love was keeping her safe and watching over her.
But she grew stronger, learnt to stand up for herself. She needed his protection less and less. Soon, that protection had turned to control.
The Lovestruck Man could not allow her to be put in danger, not to explore or grow, he held her in a spiral of control.
Control that turned to abuse.
Abuse that ultimately held her trapped until Death claimed her.
I fell into a burning ring of fire,
I went down, down, down
And the flames went higher
It burns, burns, burns
The ring of fire.
Many in the world of Arcadia see themselves acting out of a bond of love, when what they have truly created is a protective dependency, mi amigos.
They see their love as bandages wrapped around their relationship, protecting loved ones. But what they are truly creating with their wrap of bandages is not love… It is the need to control and protect.
Dependency, is the true ring of fire.
And it ultimately burns, burns, burns.
Until the bandages themselves melt to the skin, burned through flesh and done more damage than protection.
Kpavio seeks out those that need to be wrapped in his protection. It is that which drew him to Gemini, their bond created like a protective brother looking out for his little sister. Watching over her in the interests of keeping her safe.
Wrapping her up in bandages of love.
You know what that feels like, don’t you Burned Man?
That constant reminder of how life can turn from love to fire in an instant.
How your bandages of love cannot protect from one constant that never changes.
Death.
And It burns, burns, burns
The ring of fire.
Protection and control creates a situation that appears to be love, but is ultimately a one-sided dependency, mi amigos.
Kpavio, Burned Man… Your bond ultimately leads to your respective dependents becoming trapped in cycle of control. Where Gemini and Destructo Boy ultimately spiral around your ring of fire trying to break free of the bandages you’ve placed over them, O’Death forms its bond over something that runs deeper than love.
Death.
The only fair, impartial bond.
Death casts no judgement. It burns through all protection, all bandages, until it claims everyone in their due time.
O’Death is that fire that burns.
The ring of death that closes in.
Death comes… And your bandages can only hold out so long before their protection becomes useless.
And death will embrace you like love never could.
Forever.