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[le_mat]

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Comments

[familyproblem]

Right.

[And then a much longer pause here. The backspacing is copious.

It's not like Gladion is a stranger to Just Saying Things, but the resistance to it runs deep in him, and when it surfaces it's so silent that he barely notices the source of his uncertainty. The closer he gets to admitting something he feels, the more frivolous it seems. This problem isn't even a problem, now that the question of where he stands relative to...murdercannibalism is sorted. More sorted than it was.]

I'm nothing but proud of it for how it's been doing. If you'd known it before I brought it here, you might be shocked by how quickly it's adapted to a very different lifestyle.

[God. How does he...where does he take this from here. How does he, like, dislodge the thing that's stuck in his throat about this.]

It sets quite the example to live up to.

[Mmmmmmmaybe??]

[le_mat]

[hmm]

from what you told me, adapting is what pokemon DO- it's more natural for them than it is for us humans, right? still, it's something to aim for, as best we can.

[familyproblem]

[another glacially long pause]

I don't think we could fairly say anything is that "natural" for Silvally.

[i stick my hints and implications under your door]

[le_mat]

...i'll admit i thought it looked kind of... well, i've never seen a pokemon so it's not like i know what they look like normally. but kinda mishmash?

[familyproblem]

Not many people would know. It's the single upside of coming to a world without them.

[as if some people haven't already noticed but like. there's a layer. plausible deniability.]

That's just to say that the credit lies with Silvally for whatever path it forges.

Anyways, for clarity, I'm not jealous of Silvally, and I'm not saying that I haven't adapted to Ryslig at all. What I'm [agonizing over?] thinking about is more specific than that.

[le_mat]

yeah?

[Sorry gladion, you're going to have to use your words. He's glad to hear that's not what this is though]

[familyproblem]

[Once again: a long, long pause.

More than enough time for Gladion, in front of his own screen, to work himself up into a churning frustration over not finding something adequate to say about this. And to raise the point with himself that this might just be really stupid.


It is a really fucking long pause.]

I might have to come back to this some other time. [things liars say] This is a lot less simple than it seemed at first.

[le_mat]

if that's the case you can text me whenever.

though i mean, i get being frustrated about this place. i feel... well, it's this tug of war between if you adapt to it it feels like giving in? or accepting it? but if you fight it you just make things worse. i'm not used to not having a solution that I can work towards.

[familyproblem]

[Uggghhhhh he feels bad.]

That's not what has me turned around, but it is true. I don't want to give the Fog an inch without a fight, but there is a lot of blood on the path of full resistance.

[...]

And I refuse to accept hunting as a normal part of life in a moral sense, but obviously life right now depends on accepting it in a practical sense, and [. . .] I'm not disgusted with you or the twins or anyone else for having to do it. Or for having to treat it like it's mundane.

[le_mat]

and we don't judge you for not having to. it's a balance- we're here to help each other.

[familyproblem]

[Still feels bad. But good. He wants to curl up on these messages like a cat on warm laundry. But also they kind of worry him abstractly.]

I still don't feel like I know how to help you.

[le_mat]

you already have

1/2

[familyproblem]

2/2

[familyproblem]

[akira......



pls]

I'm glad for it but that doesn't keep me from wanting to know.

[le_mat]

[Akira is so embarrassing]

you're my friend, that's enough.

[familyproblem]

It's fine, I'm not actually going to sit here and keep pressing about it. Just trying to be honest.

[le_mat]

I'm not trying to blow you off, I mean it. What else can any of us do?

[familyproblem]

[...

This is frustrating but maybe he can just allow that he is the one with the hangup here and if he Figures Something Out somehow then this will suddenly make sense.]

That is the question.

[le_mat]

Hm. We're talking in circles, and I DO want to help. Maybe you just need to get out of your head for a bit. Busy right now?

[familyproblem]

[Embarrassed but he can suck it up.]

Normally I'd be settling in for the night but you know how well that's going. So, no, I'm not busy.

[le_mat]

coming over

[familyproblem]

[Two of the most heartwarming words Gladion has ever heard, tbh.

Like in general not just right now.]

Porch light will be on

[And so it will. He'd offer to meet him at the bus stop or something but the whole rain and mud situation seems like it's not actually a hassle for a wet horse.]

action

[le_mat]

[Indeed, his kelpie horse form is built for this kind of weather- so he takes the bus out of town to save energy and just gallops the rest of the way. Once he reaches the porch he shapeshifts back, shaking off his boots and hair before trying the door. He'd rather not knock if he can avoid it so as not to wake the twins if they've managed to sleep]

[familyproblem]

[Emmet is nocturnal anyways and Ingo just vibes. Neither of them will make an appearance, though, because RP REASONS and also Gladion doesn't want to make a whole household production of this. It's casual.

The front door is unlocked! Gladion steps around the corner from the kitchen to check that it is Akira when he hears the door open.]

Were you thinking we'd be going outside, and are you staying overnight?

[Both things he thinks he should have clarified before Akira left, in retrospect.]

[le_mat]

Up to you. I left a note for Goro that I was going out so no issue if I stay out all night. Don't want you to get root rot from the rain, after all.