Neverwinter Forest Paradise on the right, hell on the left

Simmik stopped, and he slowed, paused, and turned to look at her. What was the issue? Oh. Well. He hadn't really thought about it, I mean I doubt it? I'd never abandon a kid. Aibreann already said she didn't care as long as I was there for the kids. I thought Miriam wanted the same, but now I dunno. And Cupid -- well, you know that story. It wasn't the way he might want things -- again, going back to the whole Mal wanted everyone to like him thing -- but whatever. This was his life. But hey, the fact he was somewhat sour about the whole thing (no matter what he had decided to do) wasn't entirely hidden -- he tried, but how many times had he been rejected in one way or another? Look. He was completely clueless on how relationships worked, and maybe eventually someone might actually like him (besides Hua, who came with her own set of problems, thanks distance) but for now it was just kind of frustrating. Hell, he hadn't even been able to get a no-strings-attached thing going.

Then she brought up another thing he hadn't thought about. Through the whole conversation he'd been sort of not necessarily defensive, but certainly on the back foot. After all, he wasn't sure about any of it. They all know at least of some of them for sure... I think? Aibreann does. But I don't know if she did go see Miriam -- but obviously she knows about Cupid. And Caerus probably told Cupid. I dunno what Cupid gets up to when he wanders around, so who knows. It's not like any of it's a secret or anything. It just seemed likely to him that none of them really cared. For whatever reason nobody saw him that way.

Mal had some issues. Or baggage. Both?