voidtreckernet | Orchestra 31

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Orchestra 31 | Voice

[She wishes they could just post text but here they are with just voice and video. So. Voice it is]

Hi, um, I was wondering if anyone on the train is like. A therapist? Or a counselor or something like that? It's nothing to do with the whole thing that happened recently, it's more that... Well I promised a friend back home that I'd speak to someone about this--thing that happened back home. But there's not really been a way to do that here. And it keeps coming back to bother me.

I guess failing any professionals, maybe just someone to talk to about it.

Um, I don't want to talk about what incident was on here but maybe I could try to explain in private? [Why do you have to talk about things to actually talk about things, this is the worst.]

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I'm not a therapist... but I'm used to talking to people when they're in a pretty bad situation.

[His response is...quiet.] Does this have anything to do with... with what you thought was waiting for you in the Cave of Mind on that temple world?

[In the end, just being able to step towards facing that fear had been enough for both of them to succeed that test, so neither of them had actually needed to confront their fears directly. Whatever her thing that happened back home is, he doesn't know the details-- but he is, at least, aware of how much confronting it had scared her back on that wet world.]

It's not that I'm in a bad situation. You know, in general. Something happened and it kind of. Like I said it still bothers me.

[Silence for a moment] I--um--What sort of things are you comfortable talking about?

[Long pause] ...Yes. It does. A lot to do with that.

[Still, quiet, almost diffident, the tone of someone who's exquisitely aware he's entitled to no one's pain:] If someone more suitable doesn't step forward, you're welcome to talk to me. Any time.

I couldn't--I don't really know what you're comfortable talking about and all. [Her words are rushed, like she's still trying to make excuses to not talk about any of this. Which she kind of is]

Persephone, I used to be World Guard; I can handle talking about pretty much anything. Even got some mental health crisis training through the Guard. I'm not a therapist by any means, but I can definitely talk.

[She almost asks what a World Guard is, just to have something else to talk about and distract from this]

I--right--I just can't assume that someone who's willing to talk someone through one thing is going to be okay with doing it for something else entirely. We all have things we're not comfortable with.

I'm ten billion years old. Whatever it is, I've probably run into something like it.

[Pause. Okay well yes probably. Ten billion]

Can I ask you a few things in person?

Of course. Where are you?

[It's not like distance is a great concern for her]

We do. I can tell you that if you do want to talk and it turns out that this is something I'm not-- comfortable discussing, I'll let you know right away. Fair?

I can't promise I'll be able to help, but I can listen, and I can promise I'll keep it a secret.

[There's a pause and the sound of rustling fabric]

Um--I'm going to one of the quiet booths. I don't really want to do this here. I'll be there in a little bit. The one upstairs with all the flowers or the one to the right.

I--thank you. And I know I can talk about a lot of things with you, I'm just not sure this...If this particular thing is one of them.

Not that I think you couldn't help, I just don't know if I'm comfortable with it.

That's fair. Um. Look, if I don't try to get someone to talk today I'm going to lose all my nerve and never try this again. So could we maybe talk before I decide this is stupid and stop replying to people?

[Boy, he knows that feel.]

Absolutely. Where do you want me to meet you? One of the quiet rooms?

Yeah--that works. The one with the flowers or the one to the right. You know, in case Than is the flower one, I did that one for him.

A-Anyways, I'll see you in a little bit. Right.

I had a suspicion you had something to do with that. [His voice is gently appreciative as he says that.] I'll see you there. Or in the one to the right.

[Sure enough, he hurries right there-- well, via a detour through the kitchen, first. The room with the flowers is vacant, at least until he plants himself in there, placing a tray with a kettle and fixings for tea on the table. He drops some herbal tea in to steep before sitting down to wait.]

[Persephone takes a little while to get there, trying to avoid certain people on the way and spending an amount of time just standing in front of the door. Opening the door means being in person. Which means actually talking about it--or at least having to mention what it's kind of about. Which sounds awful. It sounds like the last thing she wants to do.

She's not sure why she still opens the door, but the smell of steeping herbs is comforting. She quickly closes and locks the door behind her, glancing up at the light to part the flowers a little and brighten the room up.]

Um--hi. [She sits down, then fidgets with one of the cups laid out.] You didn't have to go to all this trouble.

Maybe not, but I wanted to. I can tell this is really hard for you. [He glances at her and offers a faint, knowing smile.] Talking about painful stuff usually is, yeah?

Yeah...yeah--some of it is way easier than others. Like some things hurt but in a way that you can share. And some. Some aren't.

[Her hair has been growing through this whole call and all and now it's creeping down her back and over her shoulders.] Um. I guess I should ask if you're comfortable talking about like. Like. I don't know what to call it. I know what my friend called it but I'm sure there's some professional term that I don't know. [Persephone pokes at the cup]

[His eyes keep flickering to her hair. This is the first time he's ever seen it do anything like that, and it's hard not to be fascinated. Hard-- but not impossible. He was a real good first responder in the Guard before he got moved into the combat division.

As soon as the discrete timer ticking down in his Interface goes off, he picks up the teapot and pours into his cup. He holds it out to her.] Can you give me just a hint what it is?

[Persephone accepts the pot, pouring a cup and holding it in her hands. It takes a great deal of concentration not to awaken those herbs in the pot, to not send the flowers around them into overdrive. Her power itches as her emotions heighten and it's all she can do to hold it back.]

Um. Um--[She dips her head, her longer hair falling in her face] Sex. It's okay if you don't feel comfortable--I can go.

Edited 2021-12-31 06:01 (UTC)

[He-- laughs, a harsh, humorless laugh. He can't help it. He puts down his cup with a click and slaps a hand over his mouth to stifle it, because he knows that's probably the last thing she needs to hear right now.] Fuck-- sorry-- you have no idea--

He forces a deep breath and looks right at her.] You can talk to me about sex. What happened?

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Orchestra 31 | Voice

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[warning: talk of sexual trauma is imminent in this thread]

[big CW going forward, yep yep yep]