My mask is: quiet, lazy, and smart, with a cutting wit if somebody starts something. I come off like I don't care about things, but my environment is generally chuddy so I don't share my deepest concerns with people who would not adequately address them. The mask is made of the jokes I tell about things so I'm okay with the possibility of loss. I come off as perceptive and discerning, but that's only because I play diplomat and work off the assumption that someone may be lying. I speak cautiously and deliberately with the people present in mind.

The real me is caring to a fault where I perceive the pain of others and just wish they would understand they're good enough and that they don't need to impress me or anybody else. I don't care, but in the sense that I accept what people tell me and try to accommodate however I can. I'm painfully trusting and if somebody asked me for a favor I'd usually do it without being manipulated or lied to. I'll also tell the truth about anything you want to know, assuming you actually want to know, but it hurts people sometimes to hear it.

There is still a lot I don't know about myself, but I'm getting better at separating myself from my pain and the defenses I've put up to avoid more pain.