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Tweak says, "Don't do drugs."

Charlotte "Chuck" Charles (pushedback) wrote in marinanova,
@ 2013-09-18 20:19:00

Entry tags:

:mingle, aradia megido, artemis crock, charlotte charles, dirk strider, mgann morzz, piter de vries, richie foley, seven of nine, sougo okita, spike

237 - Self-acceptance group mingle
[ The Accept Yourself Support Group is told to report to one of the rooms in the Sector 4 art center. The room is cosy and warmly lit with a bunch of plush armchairs set in a circle around a low table. On the table is a basket full of photographs, a stack of handheld mirrors and a card with the instructions. The photographs are all of inanimate objects, abstract patterns or landscapes, buildings or nature. ]

• Find a photograph that you feel represents you as a person. Take turns in the group to explain why you've chosen that card.

• Look at yourself in the mirror for five minutes. Take turns in the group to explain what it is you see in your reflection.

• Discuss why you see yourself this way. Discuss how you see those around you. Discuss the differences. Discuss how you can be more honest with yourself and your potential.

[ For those that are not yet ready to get going on the activities, there's plenty of delicious snacks and refreshing drinks available, as well as soothing music to ease the awkwardness. Let the self-examination begin! ]

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	put_it_in_gear 2013-09-27 10:08 am UTC (link)
	Yeah, last time they did this, it wasn't as bad, but... [This time feels different. Maybe the questions are worse. Too close to home.] But hey, at least we ended up in one together. Better than being stuck alone. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hello_mgann 2013-09-27 10:14 pm UTC (link)
	It wasn't quite as forced as it is now? Yeah, that's a good thing. We have each other here. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	put_it_in_gear 2013-10-01 11:20 am UTC (link)
	Uh...more like I got stuck in a group that didn't really fit me and ended up talking about things that had nothing to do with it. As long as we talked, they didn't care about the topic. [He looks at the questions again.] Guess this time, they're trying to keep up on task. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hello_mgann 2013-10-01 07:35 pm UTC (link)
	Oh... how odd. Compared to last time then it seems like they are trying harder to get us to do something useful this time. [She looks at the list and then looks down] Why do they have to make this so awkward? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

put_it_in_gear
2013-10-03 03:08 pm UTC (link)

"Useful" is relative when they're not really giving us much of a choice and no one wants to do it.

[At least that's how Richie sees it.] I don't think they really know how organic lifeforms think... If they did, half of their rules wouldn't exist. [And he's not even talking about the creepy ones related to sex that he doesn't think about.]

But we can probably talk about something and as long as we look involved, the robots won't bug us too much.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hello_mgann 2013-10-03 08:11 pm UTC (link)
	That's true. Well, they think it is useful. We think it is weird. Well, no, they are computers. Of course they don't. [Seemed obvious enough to her] What should we talk about? Oh, are you taking any classes at the school? Does that work? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	put_it_in_gear 2013-10-03 08:22 pm UTC (link)
	Computers can feel, but only if they're built for it. I'm not so sure the wardens here got that upgrade. [Which means they may be smart, but if they can't feel, then they aren't the same as a person.] I'd say it's close enough. I don't go to school, though, no. School back home was getting dull for me as it was, I couldn't take being that bored all the time. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hello_mgann 2013-10-03 08:33 pm UTC (link)
	They can, but I'd call them more artificial intelligence then. These ones don't seem that intelligent. Oh really? I always thought it was fascinating. Well, at least Earth school. My friend Conner and I enrolled in one near where he lived. Wally wasn't much interested in it so I understand. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	put_it_in_gear 2013-10-03 09:15 pm UTC (link)
	School can be fun! Back home I had a lot of friends and projects and Freida was always dragging us into things, like being on the party committees. I ran for president of the freshman class once. [Last year seems like forever ago now.] Classes are the boring part. If you ever need help I can help out, though, no problem. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hello_mgann 2013-10-03 09:28 pm UTC (link)
	Oh that sounds like it would be fun! I tried out to a be a cheerleader and I made it. The school also had a Halloween dance that Conner and I went to. Thanks. I'm doing fine so far. I think I'm going to start taking the history course though. Someone else pointed out if I was interested in Earth, maybe I should take that class. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

put_it_in_gear
2013-10-03 09:42 pm UTC (link)

History is really good to check out if you want to know about Earth, but you can't always trust the textbooks. They sometimes leave things out if they don't think it was important, or whoever wrote it doesn't want you to know. [The U.S. is good for doing the last one.]

Did you join the cheerleading squad here? There's been one around for as long as I've been here.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hello_mgann 2013-10-03 10:31 pm UTC (link)
	Do they do that? Why wouldn't they want to tell the whole story? I've been thinking about it. It would be fun. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	put_it_in_gear 2013-10-03 10:44 pm UTC (link)
	Because people like to try and decide what history should be. Even if it's not the whole truth--or even the truth at all. Ever heard the saying "history is written by the winners?" They like being the winners. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hello_mgann 2013-10-03 10:55 pm UTC (link)
	Oh... Yeah guess you are right. I could probably write a history of Mars and no one on Earth would know the difference except for my uncle. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	put_it_in_gear 2013-10-03 11:07 pm UTC (link)
	Pretty much how it works here, too. Especially when you start when kids are young. Good teachers get around that though. [He smiles.] But you should try for the cheerleaders! This is like the only place I know that has cheerleaders for baseball teams. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hello_mgann 2013-10-03 11:16 pm UTC (link)
	I don't know how well he teaches, but its got to be difficult. So many different worlds represented here. I'm curious. Yes! I'll have to do that! It would be fun and I'd get to see all of the baseball games. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	put_it_in_gear 2013-10-03 11:21 pm UTC (link)
	[He nods.] I think you'll see that they're really...diverse, too. You won't have to worry about feeling out of place. We're all pretty different around here. [And maybe he's loosening up even more now that he's been drinking and eating the snacks.] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hello_mgann 2013-10-03 11:31 pm UTC (link)
	[And now they slowly start shifting to the point of this therapy session] I guess so. It's just really hard to admit that you are different. And I've had people who didn't like me just because of what I am. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	put_it_in_gear 2013-10-04 01:29 am UTC (link)
	You're always going to have people who hate for the stupidest reasons. Even if you try, it still doesn't make any sense, but they don't want to give up on that too easily. [He runs a hand through his hair.] My dad didn't like my best friend, just because he was black. But V didn't let that stop us from being friends. He got that I wasn't the same way. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hello_mgann 2013-10-04 07:06 am UTC (link)
	They do hate for the stupid reasons. [she looks surprised at that] He hated him... just because of the color of his skin? That's not something that he can change or control. [And sounds remarkably familiar...] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

put_it_in_gear
2013-10-04 10:51 am UTC (link)

There are a lot of people like that on Earth. Man, in the U.S. alone. You'd think after so many years, people would let it go, but they still find reasons to hate others just because they aren't white.

[And man has he ever been ashamed of it.] But things changed. I got kidnapped by the leader of the biggest bang baby gang in town and V's dad helped my dad find me. He's not perfect, but at least my dad's trying now, you know?

So don't think it's hopeless just because some people won't understand. Most people will and even the ones that don't...they might come around.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hello_mgann 2013-10-04 08:18 pm UTC (link)
	Wow... That's...that's sad that people would think that. I am glad that your father is doing better at it now. [She takes a careful breath. It sounded like he'd be understanding] Then there's something else I should say. I am a Martian, but I'm not a green Martian. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	put_it_in_gear 2013-10-04 10:33 pm UTC (link)
	[Well, that was a surprise.] There is more than one kind of Martian? [This is news to him, because back home there is only one kind: Martian Manhunter.] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hello_mgann 2013-10-04 10:48 pm UTC (link)
	There are. At least in my world. There are green Martians and white Martians. I'm a white Martian. [Her tone probably indicates she doesn't think that's a good thing] (Reply to this) (Parent)

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