fourth chain ✯ text

[redigere]

The first person I'd ask for help about problems among friends is gone now...so I'd like to ask for help here instead.

What should I do about a friend who keeps pushing me away because he thinks I don't care about him anymore? Every time I talked with him it seemed like he misunderstood more and more of my feelings...to the point that he left home in anger. I don't know what to do or say anymore. I'm afraid I'll make things worse.

Kagami, if you're reading this, just come home. Please. We should talk this over.





And...does anyone know of some self-defense trainers? I meant to ask last month, but the black out happened before I could. I'd like to learn more. I need the distraction.

Comments

[oceanthief]

You don't have to ignore him. You just can't expect the same things from him anymore.

[redigere]

Expect...you mean, I shouldn't expect his friendship anymore?

[oceanthief]

It's not something that he wants to give right now. Even if you make up with him eventually, those cracks won't disappear.

[redigere]

I think I understand what you mean.

[Sora and Riku's friendship is the one she looks to as the ultimate example of mutual respect, sacrifice, and redemption, and she knows that Riku still has his hang ups about the things he's done even if he and Sora are fine now.

She wants to believe she can reach out to Kagami in the same way Sora did to Riku, but she doesn't have his remarkable capacity for optimism.]

Thank you for writing to me. You've given me a lot to think about.

[oceanthief]

People don't realize that forgiveness doesn't just magically put people back together again. It's better to know now instead of trying to push too hard and breaking everything later.

[it wasn't anything worth thanks, Lapis thinks. it was just something that she'd learned from her own experiences; things change, and you'd be a fool to expect them to fit in the same old places again.]

[redigere]

[She broke him once already so yes, she wants to avoid doing that again at all costs. Literally or figuratively, or both.]

Right. I guess I'll just...give him time, then.

[oceanthief]

You should start thinking about what to do if he lets you go during that time. Just in case.

[redigere]

You mean how to act around him if we have to end this friendship?

Someone else said it might come to that.

[oceanthief]

No. I mean how to keep yourself from trying to hold onto something that doesn't exist anymore.

It's always going to be awkward if you see him again. What's harder is actually letting go, not just saying you have.

[redigere]

...oh.

I didn't even think about that.

[She's been trying so hard not to think of that worse case scenario, after all.]

I know myself well enough that I know I'd feel incredibly guilty no matter what happened, though.

[oceanthief]

Then you need to start working on that. It helps to focus on something that makes you feel like you're actually being productive, anyway.

[redigere]

I guess there's always my art.

[oceanthief]

Just don't fill it with him.

[redigere]

I

I won't

[oceanthief]

[that's certainly not confidence-inspiring...]

It'll only be one more thing that hurts you if you do.