AUDIENCE: KANO

[retellers]

Comments

[suddenlybees]

Haha... you'd be surprised.

[ We'll see if Swan still thinks the same after trial ]

[retellers]

[ uh. honestly yes. they're terrible. they put their hands on their hips because they will die on this hill ]

If someone doesn't like what you do, they should talk about it, not hurt you.

[suddenlybees]

[ I am going to bulldoze that hill ]

Sometimes people are bad at talking, you know? They're bad at expressing themselves, or understanding themselves, and they act out... and regret it, and apologize, and isn't it okay? Bones heal, after all. They don't mean to hurt me. They're just a little awkward.

[retellers]

[ kano you sound like an abuse victim ]

It's not okay. If you do something to hurt someone-- really hurt someone-- you can't just apologize and make it okay immediately! Friendships is something you have to work at, and sometimes it's hard, and people are complicated and feelings are difficult, but you have to be willing to do the work. If they hurt you, over and over, how do you really know they don't mean it? They have to learn to control themselves.

[suddenlybees]

[ gestures vaguely at canon ]

Because we're friends, and— ...family, too. I know they love me, just as much as I love them.

[ Which is a whole lot. So no, his family would never hurt him on purpose, wow, the sheer audacity of suggesting that. ]

[retellers]

[ hrm. there's a twist to their mouth ]

... You can care about someone and still hurt them.

[suddenlybees]

...Yeah. Isn't that what I've been saying?

[ Friends break bones sometimes. Physical hurt means nothing to Kano. ]

[retellers]

Yeah, but that doesn't make the hurt okay.

[ physical hurt is bad ?? emotional is too. hurt is bad. ]

[suddenlybees]

Sometimes the hurt is worth it.

[ Especially when you aren't worth anything. ]

[retellers]

[ hrmmm. they lean a bit, peering at him ]

Is it? Why?

[suddenlybees]

[ He leans away, because why ]

What do you mean why? Because the other person is more important, right?

[retellers]

[ they have no concept of personal space ]

Why are they more important than you?

[suddenlybees]

[ He blinks, unsure, like he has never really thought too much about it. Everything and everyone is more important when you're worth nothing at all. ]

Because I love them. I would do anything for them, even at the cost of my life.

[retellers]

And do you think they'd do the same for you?

[suddenlybees]

No.

[ Straight up: no way, that's insane ]

I wouldn't want them to, anyways.

[retellers]

But you think they'd want you to? Sacrifice everything, even your own life?

[suddenlybees]

No.

[ Again: no way, that's insane ]

[retellers]

At least that's something... [ it's more muttered than said, but they sigh ] You still shouldn't let others hurt you just because you care about them.

[suddenlybees]

It's sorta like... ugh. It's hard to make an analogy when I don't know what you remember? Do you know what a dog is?

[retellers]

[ immediately, and outraged: ]

You shouldn't hurt dogs, either!!!

[suddenlybees]

That wasn't what I was going for!!!

[retellers]

Wasn't it??

[ people who hurt dogs are bad, kano ]

[suddenlybees]

No!! The other way around! I'm talking about the other way around!

[retellers]

Like... a dog biting someone?

[ ??? ]

[suddenlybees]

Yeah, but like... So you have a pet dog. A very overenthusiastic puppy, and sometimes it gets too excited and it bites you when it's trying to lick you. And it's, like, not its fault, right? It's a puppy! You know it doesn't mean to hurt you, and that it loves you, and you love it back, so that bite, it's, like, fine?

[ It's fine. Abusive family members are like sweet little puppy dogs. [