5 ∅ [Anonymous Text]

[callbacks]

[You'd think Dave would have learned his lesson about anonymity, but maybe learning doesn't stick so well at ass in the morning when he can't sleep. At least it doesn't seem like he's really trying to mask his identity, here. It's just...a plausible deniability thing, maybe. Probably, given the content of his message.]

what was growing up like for you
like
how was your childhood
were you happy

Comments

[coolskeleton_95]

WHY, THAT'S WHAT EXP IS SHORT FOR! DIDN'T YOU KNOW?

[hashtagafreakingghost]

hold your horses dave
YES it was the zephyr badge
and no not yet
the order they gyms are listed in the handbook shows Azalea's next so I'm headed south
I'll be going around and then heading for Goldenrod finally

[callbacks]

oh right the bug one huh
i dont have that one yet
huh
wonder if i could meet you there
on the other hand johns birthday is coming up so i dunno if we wanna be on the road for whats inevitably going to be a ruckus

[callbacks]

uh
no??
thats not what exp stands for at all dude it generally stands for experience point
thats why you level up for finishing quests and shit or achieving certain objectives and not just gaining familiarity with combat

[text]

[charcoalfeather]

Maybe not right now
or here
I don't really want to talk about it with someone I don't know.
sorry.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

birthdays are important so that comes first :)
don't worry I'll be headed to Goldenrod after that
third badge after all!
if you'll still be there?

[callbacks]

i heard some rumblings among camp rwpy about going back to violet sometime to nab the flying badge now theyre tough enough
but i already got that one so i havent made plans
i kind of want to move on eventually just to see stuff
but thats sort of in a vague ehhhh who knows kind of future especially since goldenrods such a happening place and i like my job
or well i like making money anyway
i cant say food service is my ideal career

[text]

[callbacks]

thats fair
dont be sorry



people are kind of funny huh
you dont want to talk about your thing with people you dont know
and i dont want to talk about it with people knowing its me

[soundmind]

Dave.

Settle down, it's okay.

Things like that aren't acceptable for parents to do, not even parents in my world.

Would it help if we exchanged questions instead of just trying to let it all out?

[callbacks]

help how

[soundmind]

So you don't feel like all of the attention is on you? I don't know, personally I don't like being scrutinized even if someone's trying to help, it feels


weird.

And like, maybe they won't like what they'll find out?

[callbacks]

we cant just forget i said anything and act like everything is and has always been cool in strider kingdom
is there a taxonomy of false pretenses that makes allowances for emergencies
im kind of feeling like an emergency right now

[soundmind]

"I'm not comfortable talking about this, can we stop?"

That's all you have to say, "no" and "stop" are legitimate responses.

[She's not going to pretend that everything is "cool" though because...it's plainly not.]

Like I said, we don't have to talk about anything you don't want to talk about. I'm just making suggestions.

[callbacks]

you said
he was nice to you?

[It has a question mark, that makes it a question.]

[soundmind]

He said that





I was cool and strong and I shouldn't be down on myself

and he



put some clarity to something that happened when I was younger, told me it wasn't my fault it happened.

I took a lot of blame onto myself for things that happened to me. Like how the previous you was upset with him for treating me how he did? I blamed myself. I avoided it and just used it as an excuse to be down on myself. It was my fault 'cause if it was my fault I could theoretically make sense of what was happening and why.

But really it was just


I think he felt like if he started over instead of trying to own up for what he did before, he could pretend that he atoned for it.

[callbacks]

[Wow. Wow, asking was absolutely a mistake. He should've bailed when he had the chance, this hurts. He has to put his PokéGear down for a moment and bite his knuckle before he can manage a response.]

i mean
he was right
youre cool and a good person generally
and shouldnt be down on yourself about stuff

[soundmind]

[But it's not about her, it shouldn't be, it never was.]

Dave.

We can talk about something else. Whatever you want.

Are you in a safe place right now?

[callbacks]

im with karkat
at the hotel
yeah

[soundmind]

Is Karkat ready and able to help if you need to be consoled?

I'm not trying to ask and attack your manliness or something, it's a safety tactic.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

rwpy??

ruby weiss penny and yang? huh.
I understand what you're saying though.
the work at the pokemon center's pretty alright but giving my notice to leave was kind of satisfying.

[callbacks]

he kind of exists in a constant state of chomping at the bit to get his conciliation on at me yeah


safety tactic?

[soundmind]

In case you




End up somewhere else mentally

and


I don't want you to get hurt

[callbacks]

[He can't quite read the silent spaces between her words, and he doesn't know if that's because he shouldn't be able to or because he's particularly stupid right now. He feels kind of stupid, like there's some kind of delay on his thought process.]

is that a thing that happens
going someplace else in your head

[callbacks]

yeah its not bad
and i like drawing stuff in peoples lattes
but its not exactly scintillating fare either
good for getting book recs though

[soundmind]

Sometimes. Sometimes out of nowhere I'll be experiencing something that happened to me again. Even if I know it's not real and I have to ground myself, it still happens. I can't control it, just maintain it.

A friend of mine used to say "hell is in your head." I don't want that for you.