#yes but also i am right

I hope people know that when Stede told Mary he objected to the word whim, he was just objecting to the word whim. I think a lot of people who are used to implicit communication, which very much includes Mary, hear that comment and think he’s making some passive aggressive dismissal of everything Mary just said, but I promise you he is literally objecting to the word whim. He spent the whole time away feeling guilty for the way he left, and he is hurt by the insinuation that he didn’t care.

I’m not saying it’s a good response in this situation (you gotta do the apology sandwich, Stede! First you apologize for your actions — be specific! — and then you can offer any necessary context/explanations, which then needs to be followed by acknowledgement of the harm caused and another sincere apology for your actions). I’m just saying don’t take it for more than what it is. With Stede, if he didn’t *literally* say it, then he didn’t say it.