‘ IF YOU SECOND GUESS YOURSELF ALREADY— DOES THAT NOT POTENTIALLY SHAPE YOUR FUTURE DECISIONS IN A WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW A PATH THAT WILL CONFIRM YOUR FEAR ANYWAY ? ’ & even though he leans against the back of the wooden chair with arms crossed over his chest & a single shoulder shrug that breaks quickly, ivar speaks in a quiet voice upon voicing his first thoughts regarding her worries. he is not entirely insensitive at sharing in another’s emotions, both eyebrows pulled down in concentration as resumes to carve in wood. ‘ what about your gods ? your culture ? is that not why people tend to have traditions and beliefs— to have something easing their worries about the future ? ’ maybe it’s his neurotic habit & desire for knowledge to need to know & touch & understand, as well as his inquisitiveness, why he keeps asking questions. or maybe it’s simple wonder & interest how spiritual things such as faith and traditions take a place within her life. ‘ i think you look at your future the wrong way, ’ & though others may consider his way of speaking far too blunt as well as insensitive, he continues to speak with a softened voice and a lingering gaze towards her as he stops carving once more. ‘ IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE, you must take one step after another and eventually you must decide how far you’re willing to go or what compromises might work for your ultimate goal. TAKE MY LEGS, FOR EXAMPLE. no one thought i’d be able to walk, but i put my mind on it and learned crawling first. i accepted that people would compare me with a snake and that everyone would always look down on me until i figured out a solution. i might not be able to walk very far, but i can meet people on an equal eye level if i want to now. ’