May Support Group Thread

[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

Bail Organa | Star Wars | OTA

[consortofalderaan]

This was just insulting.

The passive expression on Bail's face and the relaxed way he crossed his fingers in his lap with one foot up on his knee despite his well stitched suit might lead someone to believe that he was perfectly content with everything in the room. But underneath it all, the part of him that clung to the code of ethics of his profession seethed at this farce of a meeting.

He'd come out of morbid curiosity.

If it hadn't been for the fact that no one around him when his memory had hit remembered what he saw despite watching all those people attending to them and that he still had the business card that Mr. Martin had given him, he would have brushed the memory off as... sleep deprivation? Not that he'd been having trouble sleeping recently.

But he was here, none the less, empty chairs on either side. And his opinion of the Bureau was sinking by the minute.

[bearshermark]

Elliott dropped into a chair next to him holding a pair of muffins.

"Hello," he said, offering the man one of them. "I don't think I've seen you before. I'm Elliott."

[consortofalderaan]

Bail was both drawn in by the young teen's forwardness and also alarmed that there were children here, too.

"Hello," Bail said, offering a friendly greeting and a hand to shake while accepting the muffin with the other.

"I'm Bail- I- you're also one of..." What had Mr. Martin called him? "The Different?"

[bearshermark]

"Yeah," Elliott grinned, accepting the shake and equally glad that the guy- Bail?- had accepted his offering.

His grin faded a few degrees. "Kind of wish they'd chosen a less isolating collective name, but I guess it's stuck. How are you?"

[consortofalderaan]

Bail had to nod. Elliott had a point. 'The Different' was a very alienating name to collectively call them.

"I have been better." Bail was honest, but he didn't elaborate. Talking about his experience required trust - which was what this whole meeting lacked - and Elliott was kind, but he was also a kid, not someone to dump his feelings onto.

"If the Bureau changed the name, what would you suggest for a replacement?"

[serpentinthegarden]

Anthony slid into the seat beside the stranger. Really though, many people here were still strangers to him. He hadn't stayed at any of these meetings for very long. This time however he was sitting and listening, trying to act the role of good little follower so it appeared he was staying out of trouble. Besides, he was curious what one of these meetings looked like.

"You think," he turned slightly in his seat to regard the fellow he was sitting next to, "They are going to have us all stand up and introduce ourselves like this is an A.A. meeting? Garrhhhh...."

His head rolled in dramatic fashion.

"I hope not. I don't mind introducing myself to a person or two but that sounds a little too Kumbaya, campfire and trust exercises..."

[consortofalderaan]

Bail listened. "Yes," he nodded. "I expect that is what they plan to do. There really isn't much variation with these kinds of meetings. But," he tried not to sound judgmental, but he found it difficult. "This is my first meeting, they could yet surprise us."

[serpentinthegarden]

"Technically, its my first meeting too."

He pouted faintly as the Bureau lady in charge of this evening's meet and greet made a threatening glance towards a white board. Not a getting to know you game... anything but a getting to know you game...

"I never actually made it to the meeting bit before. I left both times before it had actually started. Lot's of good bars and restaurants in the area..."

Anthony left that last sentence hang temptingly as if asking this new guy to give him a reason to skip out on it again.

[consortofalderaan]

"What was the reason you left before?" Bail was curious if the reason was because the man just didn't like support groups or if it was more personal against the Bureau.

Re: Bail Organa | Star Wars | OTA

[neverjedi]

"You look... remarkably unhappy," Ben said, quietly and sympathetically. "I'd suggest you try a cup of coffee, but I doubt the stuff would improve your mood much."

He held a hand out. "I'm Ben Kenobi."

[consortofalderaan]

Bail accepted Ben's hand and offered his own with his name. "Bail Organa."

He looked over at the coffee skeptically and shook his head. "I can smell from here that it's toxic... Do you want to take a seat?"

[neverjedi]

"Sure." He took the seat, but he was frowning faintly. "Do you want to tell me what you mean by toxic?" Not that he disagreed exactly but that was a really strong word.

[scotch_egg]

He's there too, reluctantly, arms folded, brooding. He hates it still. The piss poor excuse for food, the people milling about and looking uncomfortable-- or else sitting on the edge of the proceedings and just watching. He understood the latter, but it didn't really help get things going.

After a moment he realized he'd been giving the man across the room a steady look for ten minutes and was suddenly unsure what to do. It would seem like he was guilty of something if he looked away, but he didn't want the attention of staring at him either. Maybe he could just casually glance aside?

[consortofalderaan]

Bail noticed the man across the circle staring at him, but at first paid him no mind. He was focused on the Bureau official there tonight and in listening to the other attendees. It was useful if you knew what to listen and look for, which Bail, having extensive experience with group therapy, did.

But the man continued to stare. Bail wondered if it was because he looked like his brother who was a state politician. It didn't happen often - usually people didn't know that states had politicians. But it happened, on the rare occasion.

He kept a watch on the man, and it was clear after a while the man really wasn't staring at him... Bail just happened to be in the direction the man was staring. Which made Bail a lot more comfortable about the whole thing. And from that point forward, it was easy to graciously leave the man staring in peace. Bail didn't see a need to bring attention to what was going on.

[scotch_egg]

Actually now Alec was staring in earnest. There was something about him familiar somehow. Not exactly, but Alec felt as if he'd seen someone who looked somewhat like him before. On the news, maybe? At a school board meeting? It reminded him of something official and annoying that put a sour feeling in his stomach.

But then he remembers-- It fits into place-- and if he's right--

Without much preamble he gets up, hand in his pocket, the other clutching his shitty coffee, and approaches the man.

"You related to Riley Organa?" Blunt, he knows, but if he's right then things are just a jot more concerning. If this man is a Different, and Alec is pretty sure he is, then there's a chance that Senator Organa might become one too-- What that means, Alec doesn't know. Nothing good. He doesn't know too much about Riley Organa except he was pro-funding public schools. Not that schools got funded, because you'd have an easier time finding a needle in a haystack then convincing anyone in the fucking government to raise money for the benefit of the people they supposedly served. Especially in urban schools.

Nevertheless he appreciated the man for trying, and would hate to see anything happen to him.

Wei Wuxian | The Untamed | OTA

[chenqing_player]

Wei Wuxian wasn't exactly sure why he agreed to come to this support group. He didn't fully believe that what he saw was some sort of weird vision of a past life. Honestly it was too disturbing of a flash to think that anyone would have had to live through that, especially not himself. But he came..for some reason.

Perhaps it was the free food. There was a decent spread laid out on the table and he was currently helping himself to several of the cookies. He didn't have to be at the club until much later since his shift didn't start until after the sun was down and this was cutting into his free time where he could be out enjoying himself..but at least he was getting fed. He was never one to turn down a free meal, even if that meal was mostly snacks. He would have to make sure he didn't eat too much though so he didn't get sick when he was trying to perform.

He glanced back at the people sitting in the chairs but didn't join them. Instead he just tried to ignore everything and enjoy his food. He really hoped that no one here recognized him from the club. All he needed was for someone to start spreading rumors about him having visions and then his career would really take a hit.

"This is dumb.." He really needed to just leave and pretend he was never here...

Re: Wei Wuxian | The Untamed | OTA

[darkforcerising]

"I know," Anakin said, stepping up next to Wei. He was also shoving his own cookie in his mouth.

After picking up a selection of treats, he'd scouted the crowd for any new faces and found one not standing far off.

He bit down on the cookie to hold it in his mouth and shifted his backpack around so he could get to a pocket and then he popped out an air pod - that was still blasting music loudly - and put it in the pocket. To be polite and give the man one free ear.

He took the cookie out and finished what he'd started to say. "They don't even have skittles or nerds." And he shook his head to show how disappointed he was in the Bureau.

[chenqing_player]

Wei Wuxian glanced over when someone walked up next to him. He knew he should have just left..He just hoped this guy didn't try to get him to talk about what he saw. He really didn't want to relive those seconds.

He listened to the others music blasting, thinking at least this one seemed to have some good taste in tunes. Might as well make the best out of the situation now. He could no longer just blend into the scenery and hope for the best. Not that he had ever been good about blending in.

He smiled a little as he heard the disappointment over the lack of candy. "I guess they were trying to give us more healthy options. But honestly..if they really expect us to talk about our feelings or whatever the hell this is, they need to give us something a little more engaging then bagels."

[darkforcerising]

"Oh," Anakin snorted, shaking his head. "I wouldn't share my emotions with them for all the skittles in the world." He looked pointedly at the Bureau official here conducting the meeting.

Anakin held up his right hand - his robotic prosthetic hand - for Wei to shake.

"I'm Anakin."

[serpentinthegarden]

This had been his move on his very first meeting, hang out near the wall and stuff his face... it hadn't gone to plan but he recognized the same M.O. and mayyybe just a touch more. Crowley stared at the new arrival. Now he didn't often stare people down like this, he had always been taught doing such things was rude, but this guy played a strand of deja vu for him.

Naturally he approached and asked the dreaded question, "Have I met you some where before?"

[chenqing_player]

Wei Wuxian immediately started to panic. Was this a customer of the club? Was it one of his fans? Certainly not..He couldn't possibly be that unlucky. A small uncomfortable laugh came out as he glanced at the other man, wondering if he might be able to figure it out.

"Probably not. This is my first time here and I work a lot so I don't really go out much." He was lying through his teeth but he didn't want to come out and say, 'you probably saw me perform, I'm pretty well known in some scenes'. He wanted so much to pull that hoodie up over his head. He wasn't a shy person but this whole support group thing has him on edge after that pretty terrible vision he had.

[serpentinthegarden]

It might have been a lie but there was no reason to think it was. They had just met. Anthony stepped around the other fellow as if seeing him from all angles might jog the memory as he launched the dreaded second question.

"Where do you work?"

Re: Wei Wuxian | The Untamed | OTA

[neverjedi]

"This is really, really dumb." He smiles as he says it, though. "The food's a kind of sad consolation prize, too." He didn't recognize the new guy at all, of course, but he was trying to follow the lead of others and force himself to be welcoming and social in at least the confines of the meeting. "Maybe if they increased their budget it would be at least a little less painful."

[chenqing_player]

Looking over he offers an awkward smile before looking back at the cookie in his hand. "Yeah..I mean bagels are okay if you are in a stuffy business meeting but if they expect us to pour out our feelings I expect a three course meal."

[neverjedi]

"If they really want us to pour out our feelings, I want a champagne brunch with unlimited champagne. Or maybe happy hour with margaritas... Horrible idea for the teenagers present, though." Against all the rules and all the laws.