castaside | Seasons Inbox

But there would be no them without you. I've told you this before. If you hadn't have helped me open up, I'd still be a loner with nobody. Thinking I didn't need anybody and self-destructing slowly. A little cocoa can't compare to that.

I appreciate the warning, and I'll try to be careful.

It can be no different to anywhere else you go and still be the wrong thing for me to go. I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I'm willing to go so far as to promise.

Maybe not, but I felt alone. Being in the middle means feeling that way, I think. But I wasn't in danger, that's true enough. I have people who would have supported me if I had asked, that's also true. But I didn't ask, because I was afraid of also putting them in the middle.

You said before that we can't talk about MK. It does leave us with a few things. Max and Esme, I suppose. Whatever strange things happen to Ellipsa as a whole. My past, your past. The reason so much is locked away is because there are things that we can't be talking about, at least for now, if we want to be able to talk neutrally. It'll be a good starting point.

I've never been terribly good at just being. But I'm willing to try. No promises that I won't be terrible at it.

It wasn't the cocoa I was sharing. It was home and safety. And I believe you when you say that, but the problem is what do we have now besides me giving you stress? Or was the problem since we know what we want.

I'm not going to push it.

But you were talking to some people through it. Me before I set that boundary and stopped trying to fix things, and Eash at least. And maybe Candid a bit based on his reactions back during the dreamsharing, but only maybe. And you came out overall better from it. There was no one I could talk to. I know that you can do that and still feel alone still. But there was no help for me until last year. And I was also in the middle for most of it. And I stayed in the middle until I fully knew you didn't really trust me.

I did, I was confused why that somehow extended to Wukong or anyone else is all. And if you seem like just being on nightmare nights is too much, I'll siggest you head off.

You're not giving me stress. I make up the stress all on my own. I did that long before I ever met you.

The Candid thing is still complicated, but I know he cares about you. And I wouldn't say that I came out better from it. A lot of things converged to make things better for me but I'm not so sure that contributed much positivity.

Because Wukong and MK are a matched set. They're everything to each other. And I can't talk about Wukong without there being implications about MK.

Just let me be there. Please. Let me get through the discomfort. I can't change it otherwise.

Alright.

I don't doubt that he does. But he's also proven twice that I was expendable in all things where you're involved. So caring isn't enough for me to let him in again. He got close and I was more comfortable with him than anyone not you or MK. So he has to earn it, if he can. I told him I'll watch through the journey though.

You came out of it with a lot of strong foundations and understanding of yourself. That's good. It just also came with more pain than it should hae.

You're asking me to let you do something you won't let me do. But I'll agree to that so long as you do leave if you're truly uncomfortable. Because I can't wind down if you're fully on edge.

I wasn't saying that you should give him more of a chance. It took me a long time to let him back in even a little. I was just pointing out that he's more than one thing. I've made terrible errors in judgment just like Candid did. I tried to kill MK before. I've been given more than one second chance. So I understand where he is and I want to help him through it. That's all.

I'm still unclear on how strong my foundations are, they haven't really been tested. I always understood myself, I just didn't always like what I saw. I'm still struggling with that.

If you were or are uncomfortable around me and wanted to push through it, I wouldn't tell you not to do it. All I said before is that I am not going to make you uncomfortable for the sake of getting to know people that you're not interested in getting to know. To me, there's a difference.

We'll keep the sessions short at first, how's that?

There are few people I'm not willing to help through these things. But as long as I'm not sure that it won't keep happening it'll be in other places and neutral. I'd be less upset if he had just tried to kill me or something.

Your foundations are willing to bend over backwards to help and support you. That's very strong. But I understand not liking the you that you understood. You're more open and you know better ways to deal with most things. That's not nothing.

I am always uncomfortable Macaque. And I didn't say I'm not interested. Just that there's going to be a long time before I even consider lowering my guard because of how things are with us. You wouldn't be pushing anything on me by wanting a day together with none of us at odds and I can at least say I wouldn't be the one at odds if things started to go badly. If they also won't put things at odds then there shouldn't be anything more awkward than people who don't know each other well being in a party.

Short might work.

Edited 2025-12-16 23:42 (UTC)

Listen, I get it. I'd just feel like a hypocrite if I wrote Candid off. I understand your position.

They shouldn't have to bend over at all. I should be good enough at dealing with whatever shit comes along at my age. I just never dealt with anything before, not really. Unless it was via rage.

I'm done, and that's that. If anyone wants to get to know anyone else, it's a finite city, they can go for it. But no more pressure from me. It this point I'd just feel guilty for asking, for pushing. I'd rather everyone stay separated than feel like this another minute.

I'm just being clear that I haven't.

Everyone says it doesn't matter what age you are you're not supposed to have to deal with these things on your own. A lot. So I'm going to assume that if we care and can be there then it's normal to.

Like I said, I'm not pushing. If you're not going to I'm not going to try to make you. I just want no misunderstandings on where I am on it. That it's worse that it is or anything.

Okay, then. But I said I wouldn't push, and so I'm not going to about this. You have your own relationship with Candid, such as it is, and your own problems. Unless you ask for my help with it, which would be a terrible idea, it's not my business.

You can assume that, and that's fine. I don't agree when it comes to myself. Especially when all I do is make things worse.

I'm not going to. All it's done is cause problems and I'm well and truly over it. Everyone can barely tolerate each other until the end of time and I won't mind. Better that than anyone being hurt again.

That'd feel more true if it wasn't so wrapped up in each other. But I appreciate you leaving helping to being asked simply because I don't think there's anything you can do even if you want to help.

You keep saying you make everything worse. My thoughts on that haven't changed. And I'll leave that there.

Like I said, if that's your comfort zone then I'm not pushing. I'm just removing my lack of comfort from that reason.

What do you mean by 'wrapped up in each other'?

Best to leave it there, we won't get anywhere by arguing the point.

You can't remove your lack of comfort from my considerations. You've said that it's not a factor, but it is one for me.

If MK and you hadn't fallen out and two years ago hadn't happened then things would have gone differently with Candid. If Candid was even who he became since he wouldn't have been out so often. I probably wouldn't have gotten close to him as fast if I did at all. If none of what went bad had happened then he wouldn't have hated MK to the point he had tunnel vision like that. The only thing that makes no difference here is me dating MK or not and my feelings about what happened. The rest of it is all still wrapped up together. Just...Candid is the only one who can prove that he's safer again.

You can feel like it is, but that doesn't mean it needs to be. The fact is that I would be fine, so if you need to do this it needs to be for you and not you choosing what you think is better for me. Or for them. Better for you is enough.

Are you saying that you blame me at least somewhat for what Candid tried to do in MK's heart game? It would be fair if you did. I"m just surprised since you'd be the first person to agree with me.

You say that like I can separate the two. It being better for you would be enough reason for me.

Candid made his own choices. But like everything else that happened it was for a reason that was connected to everything. That's not me blaming anyone for his actions. And it's too close together for me to just consider it a thing between me and him. Too many feelings, too much personal experience.

We're not going to agree it is, so the only one we know it will be is you. Which is all I want at the moment.

He made his own choices, but I should have seen it. I let things go because I was too comfortable to ask.

All right, if you say so.

You'd have blame if you did see it and didn't do anything. And even if you had, you didn't him the idea that a person who has had his life stolen away by a copy would just watch him do the same thing to someone else and then forgive him because love. He doesn't even have not knowing as an excuse and even if it was because he loves you so much, that isn't your responsibility. It's only connected to you because we're all connected to each other.

If I had seen it I would have stopped it, absolutely. I don't know what he was thinking that any of us would ever forgive him. I only forgave him as it is because I'd be a hypocrite of I didn't give people second chances.

But all the same, I knew he resented MK. We only talked about it the once, where he actually had something legitimate to be resentful about. It never came up again, but I should have asked. This is where me being dumb about feelings comes into play, I suppose. All I know is that... I liked it. I liked being the center of someone's attention for once. And it haunts me that because of that, I might not have delved into things as I should have, and we all almost lost MK because of it.

That still doesn't make it your fault. Him resenting MK could have shown in many ways. There's no reason that you would have to think that he'd choose that one. No reason you should have to assume the worst situation of people you care about when they seem normal.

I've only forgiven him because he didn't succeed and the bullying he was getting wasn't helping him. Told him to remind the others that tearing him down won't make things right with anyone. That I'll be waiting for him to prove he won't repeat home again, but I won't trust more than that he sees the problem and wants to change it.

You know what it like to not feel seen or to share more than you're getting. It's nice to have. That's not your fault and I doubt anyone would say you should feel bad for enjoying attention and not doing anything with what you couldn't see coming..

Thanks. I'll try to remind myself of all that.

One dramatic thing did help me to forgive him, though. During the blackout, MK must have been effected by the veil, knowing him, because I saw him running away from a group of humans that he should easily have been able to take in a fight. And Candid jumped in to save MK. Even took a bullet for him. That helped convince me that Candid was on the right path. And we've done a fair bit of talking about MK since and I haven't seen anything that concerns me. I'm keeping my ears open, that said.

But obviously you have to deal with him in the ways that are right for you, I'm not telling you this to try and change your mind. I'm just explaining my thinking.

That's all I can ask.

That is a good sign overall and tracks with my last talk with him. Though I'm sorry he got shot. It's not my issue with him though. I'm genuinely glad he's doing better anyway.

I appreciate the explanation. And it makes sense. If it wasn't so personal to basically everything about who and what I am along with everything else maybe I'd be further into forgiving him or able to ask for your help. But I don't think anyone here even can so this is the best way.

He was fine. We did learne that he can't pop anymore unless he's the subject of enough to kill someone.

Forgive him or not in your own time, you have your reasons. I've thought before that maybe I was too quick in doing so. Max was right, I do have a swiss-cheese heart sometimes.

Asking for my help would be a terrible idea so probably avoid that whenever possible.

MK told me about that when he asked me to be around when he brought Candid back.

That's a term I've never heard. But like I said, he's been forgiven. We're on the hard part.

We're never going to agree on that.

Did you tell him what happened when he died? What a mess.

I hadn't heard it either. He said that about having a lot of partners. It's not like I'm coupled up with half the population. Nine people isn't so many.

I guess not. But if you ever ask me for help and I hesitate, that's why.

He did. It's another messy situation. But it sounds like he's got a better grasp on the scary part than he had before.

Pretty much all of you have more than I'm ever likely to have, so I'm not a good judge of "a lot". Two is a lot to me and I technically have that many.

I'll be more surprised if you ever don't hesitate.

Candid was telling MK about being able to be hurt without popping, and also that I kissed him, when Azure took over. I keep hoping it was only the first thing and not the second that tripped the wire. Either way, I'm glad he told you. I told him that he should. Keeping that a secret wouldn't be good for MK.

I really only ever expected to have Wukong, and when that went to shit I expected nothing. But I'm much happier now than I was then, so I guess that's something.

I mean, if you told me that you needed someone's ass kicked I wouldn't hesitate. It's just all the rest of it that I'm not very good at.

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