[Video] [Filtered from Lup Taaco]

[barold]

[There's a fidgety middle-aged man on your screens, a bespectacled man who looks like he has absolutely no clue what he's doing. Evidenced by the fact that only about half of his face is even in frame.]

Hello. Uh, no that's... G-Greetings! No that's worse...

[He sighs.]

Okay. Say that you, uh... completely hypothetically... haven't really seen your significant other in a while. Couple months. 'Cause of somethin' you did. Hy-Hypothetically. And you're hypothetically lookin' to get'em a little somethin' now that you're uh, back together again. Just a little present, like, nothin' special, j-just somethin' nice t'show y'love'em.

Your hypothetical significant other also already has everythin'. And they're magic.

[Barry hasn't gotten any answers yet, and he already looks demoralized.]

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Uh. Thanks for yer time. How do I make it stop record--

Comments

[barold]

['Adorably inept' is one of the more charitable ways Barry Bluejeans has been described, honestly.

Barry sighs, nodding softly at the young man's suggestion.]

Y'have a point... Gifts are just... easier, y'know? I mean, you know her. She's real tactile.

[braveoff]

[ Well it's a little less adorable with that comment. Drake looks vaguely displeased. ]

Yeah, I know her pretty well, and Barry? You should not be looking for "easier" right now. You should be really sitting down and thinking about something she'd appreciate from you, whether it's an item or action, because it means something. Not because it's shiny.

There are other "tactile" suggestions here, for later.

[barold]

[That's... unexpected.

Not entirely, of course. Barry knows Drake cares about Lup, that he takes her safety and happiness seriously. Knowing her friends would rally around her in protection if he slips up again is both terrifying and a relief. And knowing Drake is serious about Barry doing right by her is enough to give him pause, to hit the brakes on the goof and really internalize what the young man is saying.

He has the decency to look ashamed of himself.]

You're right. I'm sorry. [Barry would love something easier right now, after all the hardship they've been through, after all the tears and apologies. But he doesn't get to ask for easy right now. Or ever.] It should mean somethin'. I've just... been at a loss. I've done nothin' but think. I still dunno where to even start.

private video;

[braveoff]

[ The apology placates him, at least, and his stern tone softens back to conversational. He settles back in his seat (it looks like he's at home right now, the swirls of a mural visible on the wall behind him) and considers how to put this. There's already a straight up threat on this post and that's not his style, but considering he's had this kind of conversation with Barry before he feels it bears repeating. He'll switch to a private message, though, because this is personal and he doesn't want to totally air the other man's laundry on the network. ]

There's nothing wrong with asking for suggestions if you're stuck. It happens... sometimes when a relationship is new, but when it's really long, too. It's kind of a joke back home how an old married guy will just get his wife a perfume and jewelry combo every year because he's out of ideas. My concern is when it's somebody settling into routine instead of digging deeper because that's too much work.

I'm glad you guys fixed things, I really am. I was rooting for you because I want her happy, but a huge part of the problem there was that you ran away from it. That's "easy." Even with a kick in the ass she had to reach out first, so. Not great. I'm not saying you should've listened to me as a relative stranger but how long would it have taken you to come to the right conclusion yourself, and do something before you lost her? Could've been too long. I know it's hard, but when shit matters to you, you rally. No matter how scary it is.

You screw up again... you've got enough people who'd be on your ass for it already but when she breaks down on me I won't be encouraging her to fix it. So get it in gear. And start thinking good instead of easy.

[ You get all that, Barry? ]

Anyway, my suggestion? A pamper Lup date night where she doesn't have to lift a finger. She likes presents, sure, but she also really loves being treated like a queen. All the time and it'd get old, but for a night it's cute. If you really want an actual present to go with it, maybe something new to wear on a date? The woman at the sewing shop does custom work.

[barold]

[Barry appreciates Drake telling him this privately.

The younger man speaks, and Barry sits very quietly and listens, nodding softly at each of his points, unable to look at the screen. There's nothing he can add here. He did screw up. He did run away. Like the incurable coward he is, he bolted from something that frightened him and only managed to make things worse. It's what he's always done. Hid. Cowered. Waited for situations to resolve themselves, for the storm to blow over so he could return when it's safe. It's so easy to run away. But it doesn't fix anything. It never has. And this time, it almost cost him dearly.

He could've lost her. He knows that. He goes to bed every night thinking about that.

Getting back together has been so hard. Barry has had to bottle up and push past his fears, the swirling anxiety making his head cloudy and his heart clench painfully in his chest, to get even close to okay again. By some miracle, she has let him. But it doesn't stop at just reconciling, it doesn't stop at her letting him back in. It doesn't stop at just okay. He's going to be atoning for what he's done for a long, long time. He's going to have to keep working hard in order to even begin to make amends. To keep the love of his life by his side.

Lup is worth all that work, all that fear. He knows that.]

That's a good idea. Thank you. [He takes a deep breath. His chest hurts.] I'll uh, get in touch with her. Get her Lup's measurements.

... Thank you, Drake. I mean it.

[braveoff]

[ Barry might not have responded to the lecture itself, but seemed to take it in this time. Hopefully, anyway. He nods back at the thanks for his suggestion and is going to wish him luck and leave the conversation there, but then... Barry thanks him again, and it doesn't seem like it's for the gift idea.

Hmm. ]

You're welcome.

Look, you're probably feeling a little like nobody's in your corner at this point, huh? I know you're a decent guy, and you're trying. So if you ever need to talk to somebody, my phone's on and my door's open.

Being brave doesn't mean you don't get scared, it's just that you understand what's more important and push through anyway. Not everybody's gonna be manage it in every situation, and sometimes it never comes naturally, but you can always just start off thinking about this stuff in terms of payoff and consequences. Like whatever it took to make this post -- I'm sure it sucked to ask for help but you pushed through it to maybe get a good suggestion. That's payoff. Screwing up and getting your ass beat by that angry guy, or running away from your problems and losing your wife? That's consequences. Which things are scarier, and which are worth it?

[ It feels... pretty weird to be giving life advice like this to a guy who's something like 120 years his senior, but. He feels like good people are capable of far more than they think. God knows it took him awhile to get his head on straight. ]

From here it seems like you've got your priorities straight at least, it just takes work. Good luck, Barry.