Therapy Session Take #1

[perfecttune]

WHO: Mari and you (OTA, characters are free to interact with others as well)
WHAT: Mari is hosting a therapy session! Come if you would like, or if you want to argue against it feel free to show up as well! This is more informal than it seems although she did invite some guest speakers.
WHERE: One of the large buildings that was most likely a common area for everyone, or just a super large bedroom.
WHEN: After First Crossing
WARNINGS Talk about death and violence, specific CWs will be in the text.

A message goes out on the server from Mari: Sorry for the delay everyone! I thought it best to wait a bit till after the meeting Kel thoughtfully put together for all of us! If you would like to come for the Therapy Session, please come to building X. If you would like to bring anyone or anything along please do! Special guest speakers/appearances include Makoto Naegi, Daniil Dankovsky, and Soo Won.

Mari put her tablet down and went back to straightening the chairs she was able to gather in a circle. Surely this would be welcoming? This way they could all see each other and seek comfort if needed... but just in case, she had set up private areas using curtains as a makeshift divider in case others felt the need for a one on one talk...

It still felt strange to her to not have refreshments so she had cups filled with water just in case, surely even if they didn't need to drink it still helped to make the session feel welcoming?

As people filtered in she would call out a greeting. "Welcome and thank you for coming! If you feel comfortable taking a seat please do so! There are also refreshments over there."

Comments

OTA

[knockingatthedoor]

Did he want to come? Not really. There's something lingering in the back of his head, a voice telling him 'it's useless' but Kel doesn't really remember why he thinks so (Because that's what his parents said when Hero got all depressed, but now that memory is gone, so...)- but it's an initiative from Mari, so he's actually stepping in.

The teen smiles widely in her direction, waving the hand a bit. "great job over here, truly. Feels super comfy!" He'd tell to her before looking around to see who also decided to come.

As for his looks- the massacred orange shirt has been (momentarily) replaced by a frilly, pink princess shirt and- he's accepting his fate. It was the only thing his size kel could find. He also looks... calm? Very much so.

"Hey, everyone! How are you all doing?"

He will approach people to greet them, of course. Even strangers. So don't be surpised when a random teen hops in your field of view with a big smile.

For the rest? He's... there mostly to listen.

[toilet_bound]

It takes Hanako a minute to place where the teen looked familiar from…

“Ah! You put on the other meeting, didn’t you~?”

Kel had been wearing a bright orange shirt last time, so the change in attire had thrown Hanako. The former ghost was used to everyone wearing the same thing (school uniforms were great that way), so it was something to get used to for sure!

[knockingatthedoor]

"I did! And now I'm preparing a party before we cross again! Gotta keep things lively around here!"

A finger gun in the other's direction. Ah, it was the kid who... died on a toilet or something? Kel still offered him a big big grin.

"Here to offer moral support since, you know, I have little to no issues to deal with. Yes, there were things that kept me awake at night, like knowing I couldn't eat all the cheese I wanted back home, but that ship has sailed the moment I arrived here. No cheese for anyone, right?" He did cross his arms, approaching the other. "So... huh... I'm not that good at this 'talking' thing but if you need, I'm at least decent at listening."

[toilet_bound]

“A party~?” That certainly got his attention! “What sort of games are we going to play? Have anything fun planned~?! If not, I know a few!”

He’s almost vibrating in excitement.

‘Here to offer moral support’ though…

Hanako’s smile turned sharper, almost leering. “Everyone has something, you know? Even if you don’t realize it.” The people here… even if they weren’t really into the therapy, they surely needed help, didn’t they? “Humans are fragile, after all.”

[solitarynote]

Sunny waves from across the room, writing Kel’s name down in his list of attendees and feeling… relieved that his friend is here? Another friendly face… even if this is a therapy session.

Sunny tries not to think about it too hard. He isn’t here for therapy, he’s here to take attendance. And to make sure Mari didn’t pout if the teen had decided to not show up.

[knockingatthedoor]

Kel would object that if someone needs Therapy it's Sunny before anyone else. And even a bit more, possibly- the teen did some pretty stupid stuff from Kel's point of view, even if Kel keeps blaming himself more than anything else.

"Oh, hey buddy. I am happy to see you here."

Just checking on him and approaching as he attempts to check the list.

"Gatherings sure are successful around here, huh?"

[solitarynote]

Sunny nodded in agreement.

“Not much else… to do…”

He said the words like he was repeating them - and really, he was. When he had went to show Frieda his new sunhat, they had seldom come up with a list of things to do around here. Just sleep.

Which was what Sunny preferred to be doing right now. His gaze slid over to his sister as she greeted the latest newcomer.

[knockingatthedoor]

"Yeah it's... pretty boring. I would give anything for a basketball and a full team of friends to play with, but alas we gotta make do, right? We should play tic tac toe one of those days, with all the sand around all we need is a stick!"

[Another game to add to the little list of games for the party, why didn't he even think about it before? Because it was lame, of course, but better lame than nothing.

He was silent for a moment before following Sunny's gaze and seeing Mari being busy with the little event.]

"She's doing amazing, isn't she?"

[solitarynote]

[Sunny was apt to think that they could just use their fingers with the sand - he had done that plenty so far - but… tic-tac-toe was a way to pass the time.

Leave it up to Kel, he always seemed to know the right thing to say.

His friend’s comment startled him out of his thoughts.]

Y-yeah… [That was Mari - able to do whatever she put her mind too. Even if it was difficult, even if others might try and dissuade her from it.]

[blindluck]

When Kel greets him, Nagito's eyes sweep briefly downward to the frilly pink shirt. Vaguely aware he shouldn't be blankly staring at it, he laughs a little. "Sorry, it's just I think this is the first time in a few months I've seen anyone wearing different clothes. I hope everybody is making sure to wash what they have!"

Not that Nagito realizes the others might not even have to worry about that. For Nagito, who pays close attention to the cleanliness of himself and his spaces, he expects to have to clean up regularly, and so he's stuck regularly having to do laundry.

[knockingatthedoor]

Kel is.. shameless. Does he hate his shirt? Absolutely. Does he choose to pose when he realizes the other is staring? Of course. One hand goes to his hips and the other behind his head as he swings his body to the side in what, in an old cartoon, would be an overly exaggerated flirty attempt gone wrong. He's there for silly reasons, really, no therapy needed. "It's okay! I know the shirt is absolutely stunning- I kind of had to pick what I could find that fit. Heh. Pink may be a gross color, but I look great in it."

He grinned widely, dropping his stupid pose and approaching.

"So, how are things holding up?"

[blindluck]

Nagito chuckles at the pose. "I don't think there's anything wrong with pink. Fashion is eighty percent confidence and twenty percent tailoring, or so I've been told." He says that, but for a brief moment looks troubled about it. It's like a spring breeze, though--there and gone.

"I've been holding up the same as always! There's really no need to worry about someone like me. I imagine you've been watching over Mari-san and Sunny-kun as usual?"

He's certainly noticed Kel tends to do that. If Kel is trying to be subtle about it, well, Nagito hasn't noticed that.

[knockingatthedoor]

"My nemesis's favorite color was pink, disliking the color is just one of the many things I'm contractually obligated to say it sucks!" He didn't really have any big preference for any color, actually, beside orange... that being said, he was not supposed to act serious at all, right? "It's a good thing I have plenty of confidence! You know, hot, muscular teenager levels of confidence-" He can't help but let out a small chuckle just after saying that, he does not believe any part of that beside the 'muscular' one.

"Oh well. It's good to hear you're doing well, I'm pretty much the same. Never need to worry about Kel, as my ma' used to say! I'm many things and 'resilient' is between them!"

If Kel was trying to be subtle, he failed. He wasn't really good at that, so why even attempting to hide the fact he wanted to keep an eye on both siblings as much as he could?

"Yeah. I don't need therapy, but I'm here to offer them some morale support, I guess? My parents weren't really... I don't remember how the discussion came up, but they were strongly against therapy, something about 'it being only good at locking people away and stealing the future from them' my ma' went full speech on for whatever reason. So I guess I'm curious to see how things play out."

A diversion not to make the whole point of 'I am here only because I noticed it was a message from Mari and had to come'.

[blindluck]

Nagito tilts his head at Kel's description of therapy locking people away and stealing the future. "I don't have a lot of experience with it, but I think therapy is supposed to do the opposite of that."

Of course, if it's bad therapy, then maybe... Well, Nagito is sure his reference points are all useless when it comes to the sort of therapy a normal person would be dealing with.

[knockingatthedoor]

"I'm just kind of repeating what my ma' said. I don't even remember how we got to that conversation since I am fine. Always been."

It was his brother who was not. Kel tried so hard to convince his parents to seek help, but now that memory is just gone. Like every other thing associated to Hero, even if his interactions with others regarding him somehow still stand, broken down to 'I guess that happened' without a real motivation.

"I guess we're going to get to see something new today? Both of us?"

[blindluck]

"It seems like it! It's sure to be interesting." That's part of why Nagito came at all, after all. But there's an even more important reason: "And Naegi-sama will be speaking! That should inspire everyone, whether therapy is involved or not!"

[knockingatthedoor]

"Well, at least it's better than getting bored in my lil hut, right? It's... like. Awful. Not having videogames, comic books or anything to do. Truly the end of the world.

[He did chose solitude for himself, at least for the moment, because he can't act happy all the time. He sure tries to but it's good to have a place where to just unwind. It's still... boring. Being alone and all.]

"Oh? Naegi... being your friend? Mh.. well, I do look forward listening to this speech? I'm not even sure WHAT it can be said..."

[blindluck]

"It's too presumptuous to call him my friend," Nagito says--it would be like calling a celebrity your friend just because you were their biggest fan! He looks starry-eyed just talking about Makoto. "He's the Super High School Level Hope, so this sort of thing is his talent! He can inspire anyone and destroy any despair! I've never gotten to see him speak like this in person before!"

[knockingatthedoor]

What... even was with THAT face? Kel blinked in Nagito's direction, why did he feel like he suddenly stepped in front of a crushing schoolgirl and not an adult?

"... I mean, we're all on the same level in here, aren't we? Since we are losing ourselves, step by step, shouldn't you still try to go 'hey, we're friends now? Friendship is beautiful. And it shouldn't really be affected by one's status or such."

It did, of course, but in an ideal world and ideal time it was not going to be relevant.

"As for Hope.. we could have used him back in Faraway, shame I'm learning all those talent related things only now. Haha. But you speak of him so highly, he must be great."

[blindluck]

"Oh, no, nobody is on Naegi-sama's level, and definitely not me," Nagito says, not like he's insulting everyone else, but like it's a simple fact of the world. "His talent shines through even in a situation like this! I'm sure you'll like him when you meet him."

[knockingatthedoor]

"Oh, I like a lot of people. Like Sunny and Mari. But back home there were others too- like Jay! Big, strong, we used to play soccer together. There was Cris- the girl living next door. She was... something. She beat my ass whenever we did any swimming challenge. So many cool people, Nagito. So many!"

And he really means it. The only reason he doesn't bring up Basil? He doesn't want that name to come up unless Sunny feels comfortable enough to share it himself.

"Well, I look forward meeting your 'not friend' then. Even if I think you should get the relationship upgrade to friend at some point, before we turn all into shadow of ourselves."

[blindluck]

"Really, someone like me being friends with someone as amazing as Naegi-sama, that's--I'd be asking far too much," Nagito says, waving his hands like he's trying to ward off some attack. But he hasn't thought about it in terms of them losing themselves before. Of course he knows that's what's happening, but he's had no doubt that Makoto will maintain his hopeful disposition no matter what memories he has. Nagito is sure he'll be a shadow long before Makoto has to worry about anything like that. "Making sure everyone gets to experience his hope and helping him if I can, that's--it's still a selfish desire that I really don't deserve, but as you said, we're going to lose ourselves before long."

[knockingatthedoor]

"You make it sound like I just suggested you to marry him, man. Calm down. It's... I'm sure everyone can use friends in a place like this, really."

He... didn't get what the big deal was there. Maybe there was something going on he wasn't aware of? Or maybe those talents put people in some kind of hierarchy order that couldn't be crossed? Considering they were all dead, though, Kel didn't think he mattered.

"Well, we'll all bask in his hope. And, hey, it's not selfish wanting to help someone... I don't think so, at least." A pause, then. "Since you two are... acquaintances? Couldn't you two help each other keep track of who you used to be, though? And yes, the future does look a bit on the grim side, but..."

[blindluck]

"I'd be honored to help Naegi-sama with something like that!" Nagito chirps; he did help a little with Makoto's family, though Nagito still doesn't know why Makoto forgot that in the first place. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to offer my assistance if he'd like it. I'm not sure how reliable my memory is, but I can always write down whatever he wants me to keep track of for him!"

Nagito is ignoring the marriage joke for his own health. He doesn't think he can safely deal with that without imagining it, and if he imagines it he might die. Again.

Re: OTA

[perfecttune]

"Aww thanks! I'm glad you came!"

[She was still worried about him. After all, forgetting your brother couldn't be easy, although Nagito's words replayed in her head. Maybe he wasn't as bothered by it as she was? After all, he couldn't remember forgetting him in the first place...

She took note of his new shirt, smiling.]

"Nice shirt! It looks good on you!"

[It looked like something Aubrey might wear but they again they didn't exactly have a lot of choices where here. Plus in truth pink did look good on him, she was just used to the normal orange he wore.]