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[nibs]

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11/5, evening

[doreimi]

Arnold and I are going out to see the firework show with a friend tonight. I know you're probably not interested in following along with us, but maybe think about going to see it yourself anyway?

It seems like there'll be a lot of people there...maybe you'll meet someone nice to talk to.

[nibs]

[...Ew. People. Definitely not the right angle to take with Rohan to convince him.]

I have better things to do with my time.

[AND ANOTHER THING:]

If I wanted to talk to people, I'm more than capable of finding people to talk to on my own. I don't need you trying to hold my hand or whatever it is you think you're doing.

[doreimi]

You mean encouragement?

Anyway, I thought I should let someone know where I'm going. So even if you don't go, have a good night, okay?

[nibs]

Your friend knows where you'll be. You don't need to tell me.

Goodnight.

[doreimi]

She's not the kind of friend you trust with something like that.

We're going to the stores around the obelisk, and then I think near the park. So you know.

[nibs]

I don't care. You're free to do whatever you want.

[doreimi]

What're you going to do instead, tonight?

[nibs]

That's none of your business.

[doreimi]

[...SIGH.]

Okay. Well, have fun doing your more important things, then. I'll talk to you later.

[nibs]

I'm sure you will.

11/17, evening

[doreimi]

Hey...just so you know, I might not be around tonight. Someone I met here is having kind of a hard time, and she's all by herself so I'm going to go keep her company for a while.

Don't stay up too late working, okay?

[nibs]

Stop telling me every time you're going out for the night. I already told you that I don't care what you do. But if you're that desperate for my attention and absolutely must tell me you're going out, spare me the details about what you're doing.

I don't care about your friend.

[doreimi]

You don't care about ANYTHING I do?

[nibs]

No.

[doreimi]

...How come?

[nibs]

You're joking, right?

[doreimi]

I'm not joking. I'm wondering what I did to make you not care.

[nibs]

What makes you think that this has anything to do with you in the first place?

[Wow, way to be so self-centered, Reimi, j e e z.]

I just don't need to be made aware of what you do. It has no impact on what I'm doing.

[doreimi]

...What ARE you doing? Have you been outside anytime this week?

[nibs]

Of course I've been outside. What sort of stupid question is that? I'm not a shut-in.

[Sure thing, Rohan.]

[doreimi]

I'm pretty sure you don't talk to anyone except to get on their case about using the pocketwatches to ask for advice, and I'm pretty sure you don't see or talk to anybody except me when I bother you.

I'm not telling you to change, I'm just saying there's a reason I don't want to up and disappear on you.

[nibs]

You're just implying it in a very heavy-handed manner every time you speak to me because you can't possibly fathom how it is I'm content to be left alone when you're so desperate for anyone to pay attention to you.

I understand not being confined with only a few people able to see you and even less than that willing to talk to you is a new experience for you, Reimi, but don't project your incessant need to be around people onto me.

[doreimi]

[...w o w. Boy, that sure is a text, all right. Enough of one that she ends up just sort of sitting and looking at it for a while, because this is one of those really aggravating things about little Rohan, the fact that regardless of the really asshole delivery...he's not actually wrong in his assessment, either.

Wow.

That...sure is a thing she's reading, isn't it.]

I do it because I care about you, you jerk.

And don't come back and say "if you cared about me, you'd leave me alone like I want", because they're not the same thing. It doesn't mean I have to agree with you all the time, or think that you're always doing the right thing.

So I'm sorry, but if you think being cold and nasty to me is going to make me go away, you're wrong. It'll make me miserable, sure, but whether you want it or need it or asked for it or not, you're too important to me for those feelings to just disappear.

[nibs]

[He almost tells her that she's not being fair. It certainly feels like she's not. It's not about making her go away, it's about... Well, okay. He doesn't have the exact words of what it's about and maybe to an extent it is about making her go away. But only some. Not all the way. It's not the same thing in any case.]

[He almost tells her that he never asked for it nor would he ever, but that reveals more than it pushes back against what she's saying. He almost chooses to ignore her outright because maybe it won't get her off his back, but at least it'd send a strong message. But she she says being nasty won't work either so what does he really have to lose here? Lashing out isn't something he has to think about once he's pushed the alternatives as unacceptable.]

I don't give a shit if you're miserable or not. That's not the point. I want you to stop. Stop bothering me, stop nagging me.

If you want to be miserable that's your right, but I would prefer not to be, and that's all you're doing for me acting like you have any say in anything to do with my life.

[doreimi]

[It'd be easy to be petty. Easy to say something that's probably unfair, too, and she almost does just for the sake of being petty, but in the end she deletes it because she knows she'll regret it if she goes through with it. She sort of regrets even entertaining the notion in the first place.

So, instead: ]

I'm going to my friend's house.

Don't stay up too late working, Rohan.