'bulgaria? is everything alright?' romania asks. wtf romania I thought u were smarter than that of course something is wrong if he's crying alone in some dark room

'go away, I don't need you' bulgaria thinks but doesn't have the strength to say it. part of him wants him to be rude to romania and to alienate himself from him (and from everyone) but another part wants to stay friends with him, disregard his dad's advice and tell him about everything that happened.

'...romania...' he sobs. 'well my dad just appeared cuz he got his hands on that ghost summoning book and he told me that I shouldn't care about anyone and anything and that I should love myself only and that I should see people as accessories or as flesh and bones only but idk if I should or if I can do that' he feels stupid and weak for saying that. for being unable to overcome his empathy for others and his attachment.

romania rushes towards him and pulls him into a hug.

bulgaria buries his face into his friend's shoulder and makes his decision.

there's no way he'd tear his humanity away, ever.

no matter what his father advises him to do.

maybe old great bulgaria doesn't know the pain of rejection. the pain of failure. the pain of being unwanted. the pain of loneliness. but he'll also never know the joy of being accepted. of having friends. of succeeding. of being comforted. of being loved.

'wth this sounds so sociopathic besides if ur not unempathetic already there's no way u could cut out ur concern for others and ur desire for socialization without feeling even more miserable btw I'm not mad at u for what happened at the occult club and I'm sorry for not greeting u today it was cuz I was talking on the phone not bc I was upset at u for something but when I tried to say hi to u u were already going away from me with ur back turned against me and u couldn't hear me'

bulgaria thinks. well he's not gonna give up on his friends who enjoy having him in their lives. he enjoys having them in his life too. but those who hate him and reject him? so be it. he's not gonna beg them to be his friends. he's gonna enjoy what he has instead of craving what he doesn't have, thinking about that constantly and failing to notice and enjoy what he has.