The Therapy Room

In here, we have a very relaxing and peaceful therapy room, decorated with thought-provoking shindigs such as trippy paintings and complete with a leather armchair. Here is where I try test-driving my therapist character handling your character(s) deep-rooted psychologies and relationships. Walk-in sessions are free.

To the moderators, I do feel this belongs in Writer's Block instead of the Role-Playing/Forum Games section — it is place for character development in the guise of a play-by-post thread.

—-

The spacious room smells faintly of sweet lavender from the flowers atop the desk. A calming scent that would surely ease the ailing nerves. It did for Noriko, whose first day's queases as an apprenticing psychologist were quelled upon stepping inside. She would be on her own today; the Doctor is out sick with the flu though she suspects it's an excuse for a long-waited vacation.

Noriko takes a quick glance through the desk drawers — likely to check whatever gidgets inside would suggest how to go along with it. Then she shoves the drawers back in, with a crack, quite harder than she has intended.

With the last moments before opening hours, Noriko gazes over herself, wondering worryingly if she is too formally dressed for such the job. The Doctor always wore light and playful clothes like you would see at the beach, and her? She has the clinical white-coat wrapped around her petite self, with pen and notepad in the pocket to take notes with. It would be quite the change of pace for the patients.

The apprenticing woman takes a seat behind the desk — the rays of morning light sifting through the shut blinds behind her.

She can feel the quease in her heart, unsure if she really could handle the mental stress of connecting. She tells herself in the end, it is definitely worth it to have another person happier, and that in turn would lift her spirits in emotional symbiosis. But last things last, there's nothing like another relaxing whiff from the lavender petals, and the anxiety goes away dormant.

As she taps a finger to a half-remembered tune, Noriko takes a glance at one of the encouragement posters atop the wall:

I feel, therefore the world is.

The little guy trapped there projects his thought bubbles around the world in his skewed perception of reality — raining clouds galore on grim horizons. He really needs some sunshine.

edited 16th Oct '10 11:17:40 PM by QQQQQ

The door creaks a few inches, bringing into view a pair of peering eyes. Noting the room is indeed occupied, the eyes owner, a slim, mid-sized teenager with black hair, shuffles in. His boots make a crisp crunch on the carpeting before stopping.

Not quite knowing how to introduce himself, the kid just stands there for a second, before abruptly blurting out, "My name is Albion." After a second or two of fumbling, he finds his words and continues. "Dr. Brotch told me to come see you. Something about an evaluation for the program."

Uncomfortably, Albion slinks into the armchair facing the desk. The leather was quite comfortable, worn but not tattered. The wafting aroma of the flowers arranged on the woman's desk provided some comfort, but it did not soothe his nerves. He'd never been all that good talking to authority. The Captain didn't really help with that. Albion shuddered a bit, his mind running with all the ways the Captain could continue to make his life "interesting". She was particularly fond of that euphemism. Others included "fun", "entertaining" and "spontaneous".

He focuses himself, moving away from that line of thought. Going in to a psych evaluation anxious would certainly not help him.

"So, where do we start?"

edited 17th Oct '10 3:53:57 PM by KSPAM

Uhm, I've always wanted to try one of these...is...is that OK? I have horrible prose...

Sure. Only one way you'll improve.

Erh, ok...I have two characters I am interested in seeing in this interaction, so I will do them, but if I can only do one, I will just edit one of them out. Feel free to crit me either over this thread or PM

Nicholas Cuantine is not happy. He swings his legs, letting them thump the ground loudly each time. He has a magazine out in front but is not really paying attention to it.

He did not need therapy. There was nothing wrong with him. Nothing wrong with him! He scratches his head a bit, and looks back down at the old magazine, trying desperately to amuse himself with the bad jokes.

At the front desk, the much older Rab talks to the receptionist. He attempts to smile nicely, but his large scar makes him look rather creepy.

"Hey listen. Walk ins are free here right?" Rab says roughly, making sure he did not curse. He had been strictly informed that too much cursing would be considered rude here.

Ja! Do join — I find no need to be so self-conscious of your prose.

She hears a bumbling chatter outside the doors — another patient's just arrived and waiting. Oh ho. "It's FREE!" she shouts out at the door. "You'll have to wait, there's someone else inside right now."

Then to Albion — "Never mind that now."

Noriko brushes aside her neck-length hair, scratching her soft cheek, and makes an evaluating glance to Albion. He seems very nervous, about something — fidgeting around. Perhaps the lavender flowers aren't working their magic on him? (Everyone's got different tastes.)

Nobody's gonna open up and share themselves if they're this anxious. So let's relax and enjoy ourselves for the first few minutes, shall we?

She offers a gentle, reassuring smile to welcome, and waits a silent beat to let it sink in. Then she slides up a chair beside the armchair where Albion lies. "I'm Noriko. The regular doctor's out with the flu today, so I'm here with the job of taking in your angst and churning out good news for the soul. (hehe.) How're you feeling right now?"

She sits demurely, her eyes seemingly tranquil and peaceful and inviting. All the while, her heart is in a nervous rush itself pounding her chest, and the moist sweat of her skin clinging inside her clothes.

edited 17th Oct '10 4:55:50 PM by QQQQQ

"Not that bad, I guess. Life's been different, sure..." He demurs, but quickly adds, "But not bad!"

Continuing, he adds, "Working in the program is certainly a positive. It's what I've always wanted to do ever since I was little. My coworkers are really friendly, they've all been real nice to the new guy. But the Captain... my Captain, that is... she's a little rough. She can be hard to work with."

Albion looks down. This was not going as planned. He was painting the wrong image! He didn't dislike the Captain, she could just be... abrasive? No. Difficult? Maybe. Batshit insane? Possibly.

edited 17th Oct '10 5:01:47 PM by KSPAM

"Stop kicking short fuse" Rab mutters at Nicky.

"No" Nicky hisses back, stomping even louder just to spite him.

"You're making people f-...stare." Rab says in a very low but threatening voice, grabbing Nicky's arm roughly and twisting it a bit. "In my pocket is a knife. It's one of those blades that you don't know you've been cut for about ten seconds until you see all the blood. Now, unless you want this-" Here Rab gestures to the jagged scar that ran diagonally from the left side of his jaw to the right side of his forehead, "- you will shut the effin frig up. Got that?"

Nicky jerks his arm back, but he remains quiet, and stops stomping.

It was not like Rab could tell what Nicky's expression was. Nicky's hair was so thick and long, it completely covered his eyes. If Rab had not been so badly farsighted, he would have wondered how Nicky could see anything.

"For the love of Christ, Nicky. You're 15."

edited 17th Oct '10 5:11:39 PM by A_H_R

Albion has this cringe to him upon mention of this 'Captain,' Noriko notices. She thinks for one second of reaching for her trusty notepad in her pocket, but relents.

"You are.. working in a sort of group project, I presume?" she asks him. "It seems you don't like this Captain fellow all too much in your line of work.. tell me more—"

A burst of vocal argument outside interrupts her once more. Something's up. Something ugly.

"Hear that?" Noriko says, notioning to the door. "I'll be just a moment. But stay tuned!"

She bursts outside, and sees two men being a violent centre of attention with their rabble in the reception room. Dear.

She doesn't take it like any Doctor would though, no, there's opportunity for some fun handling this. So she walks up to them unnoticed, until she's right behind one of the two.

Noriko gently taps Nicky by the shoulder.

"Hello there."

edited 17th Oct '10 5:19:55 PM by QQQQQ

Nicky yells from the sudden attack and almost falls over in his chair. "What? What do you want?" he yells, before realizing who was talking to him.

Nicky feels his heart start pounding wildly. He mustn't think of that. He must not think of stuff like that. Nope. Not think of stuff like that at all. Do not think do not think do not think DONOTTHINKDEARGODWHYDIDHEALWAYSTHINKOFSTUFFLIKETHAT?

Rab yawns and pushes up his glasses. "Ignore him. Retarded. Dropped on the head as a kid. Should have been fed to the wolves. Or me." He says with a smirk, mostly lying.

edited 17th Oct '10 5:23:20 PM by A_H_R

Blade waited outside the room. He was here for some court ordered therapy that Kato had gotten him into for violating on of the 'rules' of their operation's headquarters namely, no drinking.

"Fuck you Tekton" he growled to himself. The man should know that this was risking a lot if the therapist found out about his power. He want any help despite how everyone said he seemed to need it. His father had once told him "Our family affairs are no one else's fucking business and opening your mouth about it only causes trouble". Granted this was the man that slapped around his wife spent late nights drinking and clobbered Blade with a golf club when he was drunk enough.

Still it was an attitude that was drilled into him by his family. Not just his father but everyone told him that therapy didn't work and he had no serious problems to warrant it. "as long as you're loyal to the family"

Besides, he was from a wealthy family, he should be happy, right? Right. He had clung on to that idiotic ideal until he was driven to drink himself nearly to death, which got him arrested by Tekton in the first place. The man loopholed some Psi defense laws to put him under probation claiming "it's for your own good"

edited 18th Oct '10 1:10:53 PM by JewelyJ

Noriko shoots a cold, piercing glance to Rab, right in the eye. 'Retard,' sadly, is still in the circulation of today's vocabulary, and it would please her oh so much for people to move beyond this barbaric word.

Then she looks to Nicky, who seems intimidated by her sudden presence (which is what Noriko has aimed for). "I think it would be better to save up your anger for the therapy room. Eh? Sound like a good idea?"

knife

Noriko glances down at Rab's pockets — her intuitive feelings etching on her mind to check it out. She reaches down his pants pockets (Don't look like a pervert in the process.) and finds the cold metallic edge of the butterfly knife.

She pulls out the folded-up knife like a magician would a rabbit from a hat, and shows it in front of the two with a disapproving face. "I also believe that this," she crushes it in her fingers, "would be better off out of grasp. Violence is never a good thing to share between each other."

Noriko pockets it.

"I have someone eagerly waiting for me to get back, so.."

And she closes the door without further ado, and comfortably sits right back beside Albion. "Now where were we?"

edited 17th Oct '10 5:42:42 PM by QQQQQ

Rab rolls his eyes. Big deal. He still could take down any one of these cu-...losers down with just his fists. Or, he could just eat them. Either way.

"You know you're acting like a fag, right short fuse?" He snidely remarks to the convulsing Nicky.

Nicky takes several deep breaths, and gives Rab a painful look. Rab feels a bit of sympathy. Nicky had always had trouble with accepting his hormones. Rab couldn't relate in the slightest, due to never feeling a sexual urge in his entire life, but he did know what it was like to have uncontrollable urges.

Ugh. Empathy. Rab hated that feeling. It was a tiny little reminder in the back of his head that screamed at him, he was human. He was mortal. He had feelings. He could be hurt.

Speaking of being hurt, he would have to moniter his word choice. This time period, using a certain n word was grounds for a lynching. Especially if he used it unironically. That would be bad. That would be very bad.

It beat him why though. They were just words. If they didn't react to them so much, he probably wouldn't say them so much.

edited 17th Oct '10 5:48:16 PM by A_H_R

I have problem finding one of my characters needing terapy, so I will play the receptionist if no one mind. As @AHR, I don't feel very confident with my prose to...

Heather was standing front the door, she didn't know what to do. It was her first time being late for work, she never did something so irresponsable. She couldn't help herself but feel angry at the Doctor for not telling her that Ms. Noriko would supplant him today. But there was nothing she could do now, no excuse would save her for this, and she had a job to do. She enters the room hoping there wasn't any patients there yet.

As she enters, much to her dismay, 3 pacients waiting. She was feeling gulty now. She always tried to be perfect at her work and now thanks to the Doctor she failed to get in time for work and give Ms. Noriko a hard time alone. "Good morning." She said at the patients in the room, then she knoks at Norikos room and enters "G-Good Morning Ms. Noriko, I'm sorry if I interrupting... but I just wanted to apologise for being late and let you know that I'm already here." She said embarrassed.

Blade listened to the conversations around him crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. He had tried to fix his hair before but he still felt self-conscious wondering if he looked like he had just rolled out of bed with a hangover. He might have been able to hide what he had done if he had stopped at a bottle and a half. But as he drank more he got sloppy.

He looked at his watch for a moment. "ugh how long is this waste of time going to take" he muttered to himself.

Ja! Always nice to have a receptionist handling all the quarrels outside. Especially a foreign, exotic, English-as-a-second-language type (if you don't mind my saying so.)

Noriko gives a courteous nod to Heather. Where had the receptionist been all morning when she first arrived? Was she supposed to handle everything by herself?

But now that Heather is here..

"Awesome!" Noriko says, smiling. "No worries about the lateness. I had everything under control."

She looks past Heather's shoulder — noticing the line of waiting patients pile up, and they're getting really impatient for her to attend to them. "Listen, if you don't mind, would you kindly keep them busy while I work my healing magic on Albion? Entertain them, if you will? I'm afraid there's only one of me here.."

edited 17th Oct '10 5:55:47 PM by QQQQQ

"Uhm, not as long as it would have taken your priss-ass to maybe take a shower." Rab chimes in a high pitched mocking voice towards the other people waiting. Damn, it was a good day to hate people.

Nicky shoots him a look. Rab might be here to look after him, but he was also here to look after Rab from doing something even more stupid than Nicky could do in his wildest dreams.

"Rab..." Nicky falters.

edited 17th Oct '10 5:58:07 PM by A_H_R

Blade rolled his eyes and flipped off the person who had spoke. "Well aren't you funny" he sneered, "I did take a shower you stupid prat." Ugh he already had a headache he didn't need this.

Rab smirks and gives the bow finger. "Bukakke don't count dude." Today was a REALLY good day to hate people.

Nicky pales a bit. He immediately jumps up. "OK!" he yells out, "WE'RE NOT GOING TO FIGHT GUYS!" His voice becomes slightly high pitched. "FIGHTING IS REALLY REALLY REALLLLLY BAD!"

He pauses and looks around. "Uhm...So...so don't! Yeah. That's bad." He blinks through his bangs, and smiles at the other person waiting and sits right next to him.

"Hiya!" He says in an attempt to be cheerful. He leans over, so that there is only an inch or two between them, not realizing the lack of personal space that most people enjoy having.

edited 17th Oct '10 6:01:50 PM by A_H_R

QQQQQ looked up from her laptop. She had no interest in the goings-on around her. She was too busy blogging. QQQQQ went back to her laptop.

^ Jajajajaja. QQQQQ has come back to this thread.

The outside rabble is heating up again.. Noriko silently prays to God that they could all calm down automagically for her to focus.

She tries to pay it no heed.

There's also another all-too-familiar sound in the mix as well; Albion is snoring on the armchair — having fallen asleep in her absence.

Jeez, this skit is much tougher than she had expected.. she prays as well for the good Doctor to come back and give her advice what to do in this chaotic mess.

"Hey. Hey!" Noriko shakes Albion's shoulder. "Wakey wakey there, buddy. Don't you fall asleep on me! I'm no innskeeper, I'm here to help you. C'mon."

edited 17th Oct '10 6:08:03 PM by QQQQQ

It took him a few minutes to figure out what the person said but when he did he looked disgusted and affronted for a moment. "Oooooh Classy" he said, "I'm sure you're a hit at parties. and FYI I'm straight"

"Yeah, everyone wants to bang the psycopathic asexual cannibal." Rab says grimly.

"Hiiiiiiii. My name is Nicky Cuantine and I have a sister but she's a loser. I also have a best friend but he's the one that made me go to therapy so he's not that great of a friend. He's also dating my sister so that's TWO reasons he's a loser. My hair used to be blond too, like Rab's but now it's grey but I liked it better when it was blond I looked much cooler that way like a hero. You're not a girl in disguise are you? I knew a guy like that who said he was a girl but I think he was lying his name was Tyler and he was kinda cool. He was going to be my best friend until he started lying about his gender." Nicky frantically babbles.

edited 17th Oct '10 6:09:08 PM by A_H_R

".....lovely" Blade said making a face. "I feel like shit today and I'm not in the mood so piss off"

This is strictly noncanon for my book, if my main character had therapy before or during the plot of the book the events would have gone differently and after the book he's dead.

Rob Roams enters the room, his business suit making it quite apparent that he came straight out of work. Looking in, he glances behind him before saying "Are you doing this as a group, or should I come back later?"