[ that's fair enough! Dia has proven herself to be a responsible young lady in his eyes, and he knows how tough it can be to be the only one from your world in the city. he wants to make sure she's doing alright, too. ]
Please do. I'll have it ready for when you arrive; we'll be waiting for you.
[ and he'll send her the approximate directions for the cafe in question. when she arrives, he and Aron will be waiting at an outdoor table with two cups. ]
[She waves to them in greeting before sitting herself down at the table.]
Steven-san, it's good to see you again. Aron-chan... hello.
[She isn't shy of Pokemon anymore, and she doesn't recoil anymore. She thinks she has grown a lot fonder of these creatures since hanging out with Steven...and May before she left.
She's going to pet Aron, not quite able to pick the cutie up.]
[ using -chan... that is... so cute. Steven definitely agrees, and he's more than happy to see her so comfortable with Pokémon when she was wary of them only a short time ago.
upon being pet, Aron coos and nuzzles right up into her hand. ]
She was excited when I mentioned your name. It seems like she's become fond of you.
A-ah, really? I'm glad she can be so comfortable with me. As I feel myself being much more comfortable around Pokemon because of you... and the rest of your team.
[More pets being applied currently, and coos. Dia is so happy.]
Considering you haven't spent your life with them, I'm pleasantly surprised that you've adapted. You should be proud.
[ not everyone is so good with understanding Pokémon, even if they're from his world. he appreciates Dia's openness to something that he sometimes takes for granted. ]
If it weren't for the encouragement and the patience, I wouldn't have adapted at all. Things like this... if you were to have told me they were real at home? I would have laughed.
[Her pets on Aron don't stop, she finds comfort in them in this moment.]
I have discovered that overworking myself between two restaurants isn't quite cutting it to fill the hole I have in my heart from missing home. Did you ever cope with feelings like this?
[They're so negative and frankly she dislikes it a lot.]
I think the same could be said of most people. This world has a knack for introducing concepts into reality that would normally be thought of as impossible.
[ returning from the dead into a world governed by emotions, for example. he's seen it happen over and over, to several different people. ]
I'm afraid that "coping" is the best way to describe it. Unless you've resolved that this world is more advantageous to live in than the one you came from, I'm afraid that hole will remain unfilled to some extent. As the saying goes, "home is where the heart is".
[ he wishes that he had a more clear-cut answer for her, but Steven is something of a realist. this is the truth of the matter. ]
Still, that's not to say you should strive to forget where you came from. It's what made you the person that you are, and our goal during our time here is still to return to our worlds. I try to think of it as a motivating goal to keep me moving forward.
I feel like I am somewhat discrediting the people I have met here by feeling homesick so often. You and Ignis-san for example. I don't want to discredit meeting the both of you and the things that you have done to help me feel more comfortable in this environment.
[She guesses this is the best way to explain how she feels.]
I haven't quite gotten used to people leaving either. Like May-san for example. I felt myself getting close to her, and then she disappeared. It makes you sort of wary to trust anyone too much or get too close to them.
I promise you, we all understand and feel the same way to a degree. You aren't alone.
[ even as someone who would really have to think about staying here voluntarily if given the choice, Steven still misses Hoenn. despite how much he enjoyed travelling and learning about new places, the region is still home for him. ]
It's unfortunate, but you may never get "used" to people leaving. You can certainly accept it as a reality of this world, but it doesn't necessarily get easier. The best way I've found to combat it is to simply live in the moment. Try not to worry about what may come tomorrow, but focus on the relationships you're making right now.
[Aron sure is a good distraction from how conflicted she is. Petting her and processing all that Steven is saying. She appreciates the reality check, mostly. She appreciates how honest and real he is.]
I suppose living in the moment can be hard for me sometimes. There are a lot of good things here I don't wish to lose... and I won't. I will stop overthinking things from now on I think.
Thank you, Steven-san, you have really been insightful.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Please do. I'll have it ready for when you arrive; we'll be waiting for you.
[ and he'll send her the approximate directions for the cafe in question. when she arrives, he and Aron will be waiting at an outdoor table with two cups. ]
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Steven-san, it's good to see you again. Aron-chan... hello.
[She isn't shy of Pokemon anymore, and she doesn't recoil anymore. She thinks she has grown a lot fonder of these creatures since hanging out with Steven...and May before she left.
She's going to pet Aron, not quite able to pick the cutie up.]
I'm glad you came.
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upon being pet, Aron coos and nuzzles right up into her hand. ]
She was excited when I mentioned your name. It seems like she's become fond of you.
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[More pets being applied currently, and coos. Dia is so happy.]
Hey, Steven-san? Can I ask you for some advice?
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[ not everyone is so good with understanding Pokémon, even if they're from his world. he appreciates Dia's openness to something that he sometimes takes for granted. ]
Of course you can. My ear is yours.
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[Her pets on Aron don't stop, she finds comfort in them in this moment.]
I have discovered that overworking myself between two restaurants isn't quite cutting it to fill the hole I have in my heart from missing home. Did you ever cope with feelings like this?
[They're so negative and frankly she dislikes it a lot.]
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[ returning from the dead into a world governed by emotions, for example. he's seen it happen over and over, to several different people. ]
I'm afraid that "coping" is the best way to describe it. Unless you've resolved that this world is more advantageous to live in than the one you came from, I'm afraid that hole will remain unfilled to some extent. As the saying goes, "home is where the heart is".
[ he wishes that he had a more clear-cut answer for her, but Steven is something of a realist. this is the truth of the matter. ]
Still, that's not to say you should strive to forget where you came from. It's what made you the person that you are, and our goal during our time here is still to return to our worlds. I try to think of it as a motivating goal to keep me moving forward.
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[She guesses this is the best way to explain how she feels.]
I haven't quite gotten used to people leaving either. Like May-san for example. I felt myself getting close to her, and then she disappeared. It makes you sort of wary to trust anyone too much or get too close to them.
But I can't really help that.
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[ even as someone who would really have to think about staying here voluntarily if given the choice, Steven still misses Hoenn. despite how much he enjoyed travelling and learning about new places, the region is still home for him. ]
It's unfortunate, but you may never get "used" to people leaving. You can certainly accept it as a reality of this world, but it doesn't necessarily get easier. The best way I've found to combat it is to simply live in the moment. Try not to worry about what may come tomorrow, but focus on the relationships you're making right now.
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I suppose living in the moment can be hard for me sometimes. There are a lot of good things here I don't wish to lose... and I won't. I will stop overthinking things from now on I think.
Thank you, Steven-san, you have really been insightful.