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[hythlodaeus]

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"Oh? Yes, how can I help you?"

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[fingersandteeth]

Something Armin said about him. He didn't say it straight out. But some things he said, taken together... I asked what he meant by what he said but he hasn't-- but I was able to make a few guesses and--

I doubt Jack would have wanted her to. He loves her as much as people like us are capable of loving anyone.

But I know how people like us can hurt the people we love because we can't love the way people are supposed to. And I think he must have. And I think she must have killed herself because of it.

[hythlodaeus]

People like us can still be responsible for our actions and choose to refuse to hurt our loved ones in ways that they will not recover from.

This is no easy situation, yet we are not oft blessed with the ability to ask those who have already taken their own lives. ...Yet I spoke with her just recently. It sounds as if you could use some more information.

[fingersandteeth]

I know.

I'm waiting on the details.

I think

It's not that I don't love him at all anymore. But if what happened is anything like what I suspect, I think I might love him less than I did.

I'm so *disappointed* in him.

[hythlodaeus]

It is a difficult position to be in... Needing to be accepted in spite of and for your more violent qualities, yet only finding it in those that are much worse than yourself.

Unfortunately, if he's anything like I am, disappointment won't mean much. Yet if he values your love, that is quite another thing. Do you believe yourself to have any leverage in this respect? Would he be able to admit wrong-doing?

[fingersandteeth]

I might have some leverage, but Jack never admits to wrong-doing, no matter what. It's one of his least attractive qualities.

I don't particularly want to bring this up with him.

It just hurts to realize something like this, you know? Which is why I'm talking to you about it, since you're my ad hoc therapist.

But you're right. It's a hard place to be in.

[hythlodaeus]

...You seem to be more empathetic than you originally thought. Which is not bad, of course, but I fear that you are in quite over your head.

And I’ve studied people for hundreds of times longer than any therapist. I am hardly ad hoc anything, save for Hythlodaeus himself.

Shall we form a strategy?

[fingersandteeth]

Empathy is *hard*, but it's not... I mean, I've been working on it. Trying to get back what limited capability I *had* for it. It still doesn't come naturally, Hythlo.

It's just... you're supposed to take care of Your People, you know? Not drive them to... that.

But yeah. We should form a strategy.