dendroculi | [homophonic] catchall for valerie

[ Wow, she really thought this through. ]

...I still wish you'd just come out swinging from the start.

But...[ heaves a sigh and sags ] Man, I can't really hate you now that I know what you were thinking.

[her ears droop.]

...I'm sorry. I didn't tell you all of that to make you feel or not feel a certain way. Your feelings are yours to feel as you will.

But... You deserved the truth. And since you asked, it felt like it was okay to share it.

[running at her and telling her all of this first thing would have felt like she was telling her not to be mad.]

No, it's...I'm glad you told me.

...sorry for being such a jerk to you this past week.

[she shakes her head]

I don't think you were being a jerk. Being angry with someone who did what I did to you is a very natural reaction.

...I hope no one gave you any trouble about it. I tried to make it clear that I was accepting it, so no one should fight with you on my behalf.

No, they didn't. The only time people gave me trouble was when I brought it on myself.

[I don't think that's quite true...]

...Valerie... [...] ...were you out for a run? Would it help to have a... mm, what's the phrase. A "jogging partner"?

[ just stares at her confused for a moment ]

I...sure, I guess. I've never had one before.

...then let's go for a run together. I'll try to keep up.

[with her wimpy little legs]

...I'll go a little slower.

[ she starts jogging, at a slower pace than she normally would. How much stamina does she even have...? ]

Hehe. Thank you.

[she runs after her! ...her stamina is pretty decent when she's not sprinting, so she's keeping up okay - she just has to take extra steps to keep up because her legs are short.]