Operation: Family Reunion

A month or two ago I had the unpleasant experience of noticing a substantial amount of frustration echoing from Alex's end. As if this weren't concerning enough, some of the frustration appeared to be directed at myself, and so naturally I was anxious to understand the cause of this unhappiness and what I could do in order to alleviate it. Alex was not initially cooperative - I think he may have had some doubts regarding my ability to help, largely centred around my age - but eventually we managed to find time and, a touch grudgingly, willingness to talk.

It turned out to be largely a positive thing. As far as our relationship goes, I (like to) think it assisted in at least providing some proof that I do care, and that I am capable of seriousness when it is called for. We did also manage to locate the source of the tension.

Unfortunately, it was here that we struck a problem. If the issue had been merely boredom, the potential solutions would have been vast - options abound both inside and outside the headspace. However, what Alex missed was the one thing I did not, and do not, feel certain I can provide: his sister. It is not only her absence that he is all too conscious of, but the fact that while he is here there is no chance to do anything towards finding and helping her, and for someone as dedicated as Alex it is a position that gradually grew to near-unbearable levels, thus sparking the frustration.

For the most part, I would be more than happy to have his sister here. There are a few small worries that come up, some more selfish than others, and also the very real problem that it may turn out to be an impossibility. I do not adopt headmates to the degree of Alex frequently or easily, and not every character I connect to makes it to a potential stage, let alone a fully-fledged one.

Nonetheless, I believe we aim to try. It's hard to deny him this when I'm more than aware of just how much she means to him, so as of yet our main problem revolves around how. Discussion with friends has lead to several potential starting points, and Alex himself has abruptly become absent - I can only hope he is doing some investigation of his own, for although he is within his rights to, I must admit I'd be sad if he chose to vacate for good.

As for myself, there are a few exercises I'm going to try, namely around the headspace and the character of the sister; in a sense, trying to make the former accepting of the latter. I have not interacted with my headspace a great deal, so this exercise is clumsy at best, but hopefully will get easier as I go on.

Operation: Family Reunion is go.