[o] [SE] everything that we should be

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

"Hey, there's no way you could have known that it would end up the way it did," she soothed, seeing the discomfort on Soh's face. "If it's any comfort, I've been on the opposite side of such a suggestion - it might not be as rare or unusual as we're led to believe growing up. It simply wasn't for me, and in hindsight I wish I had responded differently to the proposal. But youth doesn't usually come with that sort of wisdom... What I'm trying to say is, if there were three of you involved, then the falling apart was the responsibility of all three. Not you alone."

Talking herself hoarse, Maea drained the glass and got up to refill it, her footsteps quiet on the kitchen floor. While Sohalia pondered the question, the Ancient settled back into her seat and focused on navigating the path of needle and thread, checking back occasionally to ensure that the stitches would hold.

Then came the soft response, and she found herself smiling back at her, warm and encouraging. "Sounds to me that it's the friendship route you should be taking," she said. "Can I give you a bit of advice? Why don't you shelve the idea of relationships for a while? Give yourself a break from the concept of love, and take a proper look at the people around you from the perspective of a friend instead. Maybe, instead of trying to match them against your wishes, you can start from the other end. Just get to know them properly without expectations - and see what happens from there."

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay