Support Group - March 2021

[tramitem]

Who: OPEN (Including to all the new characters who app throughout the month)
What: Bureau Run, Non-Mandatory Support Group
When: There are meetings at various times during the week, whatever works for your character between 8 am and 10 pm
Where: There are meetings at various locations around NYC, whatever works for your character
Rating/Warnings: We ask that players put appropriate warning labels in the subject lines of their threads as they become necessary


There’s a generic spread of food on a table off to one side of the room: donuts, muffins, bagels, and cookies; coffee, lemonade, water, and because one of the Different asked for it, hot chocolate. Maybe you’re hungry enough to try it—it’s free after all.

Or maybe you can’t stomach anything, given the event you’re attending.

The space is a local rec center. The beige-painted cinder block walls and the fluorescent lighting are a terrible combination. Maybe they are reminiscent of the public school you attended in your youth?

Why are you here? Curiosity? Maybe the Bureau official will say something that will help you make sense of things? The meeting was interesting—who knew there were so many people like you, receiving memories of a past life? The group was led by someone from The Bureau—the Department of Medical Services. Some people are staying in their chairs and chatting—they must know each other from previous meetings. Some of them are gravitating towards the food.

How do you feel about tonight? Has it helped you come to terms with the dream of memories you’re having? Maybe it’s time to talk to others, get an understanding of their experience.

Comments

[darkforcerising]

Anakin had spent this whole time telling himself that he shouldn't assume the woman sitting next to him was Padme, just because she looked and sounded like Padme, that when she turned out to be Padme (there was no way this was a coincidence), that he stared at her for a few moments before catching himself.

"That's- that's an interesting name," he tried to recover. "Not that I have any room to speak."

[no_applause]

What a strange man. She wondered why he'd paused after she told him her name. Was something the matter? Why else would he react that way? Trying not to think too hard about it, she ducked her head, chuckling.

"I think it's an old family name. Anakin's not a bad name though. I like it, it's unique.

[darkforcerising]

"I think my mother was really into Greek mythology around the time I was born," Anakin said, trying to just roll with this botched recovery.

"Uh, coffee, right?"

[no_applause]

"That's great! I love a name with a bit of history attached." Wow... that was an awkward joke. Ahem.

"Yes, right." She stood, picking up her jacket, "It's not far, do you mind walking?"

[darkforcerising]

Okay, good, they were moving past the fact that Anakin had made things awkward. And he was trying very hard to not make it more awkward now by looking at Padme to see all the ways she was Padme. He was trying very hard to just keep his focus now on picking up his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder.

He didn't have an additional coat to put on so, he just said, "I'm ready." And started heading for the door.

"Which direction was the shop?"

[no_applause]

If he was staring at her, she didn't notice. She turned to nod goodbye to someone as they passed, and paused to thank the Bureau Official for their time. They might not like her too much, but that's no cause to be rude.

She shrugged on her coat, looping the strap of her bag over her shoulder. Glancing over at Anakin, she smiled. "It's just this way." Gesturing, she started down the sidewalk. "I don't usually spend a lot of time in this area of the city. It will be nice to try some place new."

[darkforcerising]

Though Anakin didn't look dressed for it, it was still cold out in the not-quite-yet-spring night of New York City. Breath still puffed white in front of them.

"I've been over here before because of the," and he gestured with his shoulder back at the community center's door to indicate the Support Group.

"So..." he started. "The Bureau... what are they? What's happening? That's what you want to know, right?"

[no_applause]

If she thought his attire was questionable, she didn't show it. She had no way of knowing if he was more tolerant of the cold or if he just couldn't afford a coat. It would have been rude to ask, either way, so she chose to remain silent on the matter.

She nodded, glancing up at him as they walked. "Yes. To all of a sudden have some supposedly new memory is very concerning. They've given so little information. I just want to understand what's happening."

[darkforcerising]

"Okay," Anakin said, they could talk about this while they walked to the shop. "Something happened about two years ago. That's our best guess because the Network only goes back that far, and someone who goes by the name M-M-F confirmed it. What that something is... Do you wanna know my thoughts?"

[no_applause]

M-M-F... interesting. She took mental notes while he talked, reminding herself to write these things down once they were sitting down. His question drew a smile and a nod from her. "Yes, please. I'd love to hear your thoughts."

[darkforcerising]

"I think... people have been getting these memory event things for a long time, but until two years ago, the Bureau was able to magic-erase the minds of anyone who got them... like they do with the people that are around you when you get it. None of them even remember it, if you ask them. But then, two years ago, something happened and now they can't magic-erase our brains.

"One of us ask Mr. Martin a question and his answer- it wasn't super informative, but it just made me think... I have notes. I can find them when we get to the shop."

[no_applause]

"Two years?!" She nearly tripped as she looked at him, horrified. "This has been going on for at least two years? That's awful!"

She shook her head, letting it sink in. How could something like that go on for so long? It boggled the mind. But there was another question that nagged at her. "How are they wiping memories? That shouldn't be possible. And why can't they wipe ours?"

[darkforcerising]

"That..." Anakin said. "I don't know how they do that."

"Is this the coffee place?" he asked, as they were now next to a place that clearly sold coffee and hot drinks.

The cold didn't seem as if it bothered him, but he very much preferred being out of the cold.