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Calliope ([info]spacelike) wrote in [info]marinanova,
@ 2015-09-07 10:47:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags::mingle, angelina burnett, calliope, charlotte charles, kitty pryde (aoa), loki laufeyson, neil dylandy, spike, tieria erde, wally west

[DAY 340] "DEAD BACK HOME" GROUP THERAPY MINGLE
[This group therapy session takes place in an appropriately-sized study room in the Education Center. There is one large oval table for everyone to sit at, and a smaller snack table off at the side.]

[The session is divided into two parts.]

PART ONE: Mourning Yourself
Discussion
— Did you harbor any regrets before your death? And if so, is there anything you can do for them with your newfound time?
— Do you know how you died? How did you learn? Did you arrive near-death, or did you hear about it from a friend? How do you feel about the particular details of it?
— Who or what killed you? Have you forgiven it or them? Why or why not?
— Is there anything you wish you could change? Why? Discuss.

Activities
— Write your own obituary or eulogy. Once you've read it out loud, you'll be invited to burn it with a bot-offered candle. (The bot will not hand over the candle.)
— Picture yourself attending your own funeral. When it's your turn to pay your respects to yourself, what would you say? What thoughts occur to you?
— Write a letter to at least one of your loved ones. What would you say about your death to them?

[After this, there is a break. Coffee and tea are provided, along with both savory and sweet snacks. You're still not allowed to leave, though.]

PART TWO: Moving Forward
Discussion
— What dreams and hobbies did you have before? Can you pursue them now?
— Discuss what your previous goals were. What are similar things you can do to achieve them here?
— What kinds of relationships have you made, or would kinds would you like to have?

Activities
— Write down your plans for your future. Partner up and discuss them in-depth to flesh them out better.
— Come up with a daily routine, emphasizing your interests. Refer to others to help you find relevant resources or activities.
— Draw yourself 5, 10, or 25 years from now. Share it with a partner or the group.

-
((OOC: You're also welcome to come up with any of your own activities/therapeutic discussion topics! Everything offered here is just a starting point.))


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[info]spacelike
2015-09-13 09:21 pm UTC (link)
Whoa...

[ Despite herself, she leans forward. ]

I've read about your sort! Does this mean you rode a horse? Did... you die saving a princess, or a king?

[ Even as she asks it, it's clear that she's half unsure and half regrets saying it. She thinks it's an indelicate question, but it's not like there's any sense in pretending they're there to make arts and crafts. ]

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[info]valiantsteed
2015-09-13 10:21 pm UTC (link)
A manner of horse, certainly! [Feathered, but, you know.]

And, I did, actually. She was somewhat of a princess to me, at least.[He laughs, genuinely, for the first time since stepping into that room. Yen would laugh harder than he did if he heard her referred to vaguely as a princess.] Nay, she's a warrior of much greater import than myself. I do not regret forfeiting my life for a moment.

[He folds his hands and smiles a little.] I was there because we were rescuing our Lord Commander from the Archbishop- but, you could call him a king, easily.

[He is a little wary of asking her since it seems like she's had a rough go of things. He keeps his questions in his pocket. Maybe later.]

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[info]spacelike
2015-09-13 10:29 pm UTC (link)
[There is such an enormous and dramatic story in those simple words alone. Her eyes go wide and she clasps her cheeks in her hands.]

That's amazing! I'm in the presence of a proper hero! [She can't help but gush over him a little. Calliope has always had a soft-spot for heroes.]

I don't know if it comforts you the way it comforts me, but heroes—especially heroic knights!—live on forever in stories.

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[info]valiantsteed
2015-09-13 11:25 pm UTC (link)
[He looks down at her with surprise. He laughs in slight embarrassment and realization.]

I had always wanted to be a knight, ever since I was a little boy. [He pauses and closes his eyes for a moment.] That does offer me some solace, thank you. Mine is a tale that my father will grieve, but one that I hope his grandchildren will celebrate.

[His lips tighten, he's been avoiding thinking about what must have happened afterwards. He really, really hopes that it was all okay. The thought suddenly hits him that there might be a reason Yenyoji is here, and his stomach drops. Panic is visible on his face as he grabs Calliope's shoulder with urgency.]

Calliope! Is everyone who is here— Is this everyone here in the prison who has died?

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[info]spacelike
2015-09-13 11:46 pm UTC (link)
[Calliope blinks in surprise at the grab, looking down at his large hand and then back up at him. Haurchefant is clearly worried, so she wants to comfort him, but it's hard when this is something she isn't completely positive about.]

I- I don't know! But I'd imagine so? There isn't another group scheduled right now, as far as I know...

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[info]valiantsteed
2015-09-13 11:56 pm UTC (link)
[His eyes are still wide, but he manages to take a breath. He removes his hand from her shoulder]

Mine apologies, I was just... Very worried about something for a moment. [He folds his hands and glances down at the paper before he looks at her again. His discomfort is finally enough to broach the subject. He crosses his ankle over his knee and bounces his leg.]

We are meant to talk about what has happened to us... If you would like, I can stand to hear your tale. I have heard and seen a great many things, you needn't worry about offending my sensibilities.

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[info]spacelike
2015-09-14 12:02 am UTC (link)
No, it's quite alright! But... er...

The first time I died was actually not much to talk about. My brother had me killed in my sleep by an assassin. Stabbed to death. [She touches her chest.]

I was taken to a place called Demeleier after that, along with him. It was sort of like this place, only it wasn't a prison, exactly. The faeries wanted to keep us as pets. And death didn't... mean anything there, really. Your body was mended, and you were brought back after a day or two.

So... my brother killed me a lot, or had someone else do it. Or sometimes, it was just the fae being fae. Some were really scary, I admit.

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[info]valiantsteed
2015-09-14 12:27 am UTC (link)
[Checkmate, that's the most horrible thing he's ever heard.] Oh, by the Fury! How terrible. I've only suffered death once! And I have only been terribly marred that once. Sure, there are a few burns... But—

[He lifts his t-shirt a bit, revealing the soft, pink scar tissue.] It's still fresh. But it is nothing in comparison to your wounds.

Are you free of him now?

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[info]spacelike
2015-09-14 12:40 am UTC (link)
[Calliope made a soft rumbling sound of pity in her throat, but anything she had to say about it immediately vanishes in a fog of confusion.]

My- wounds?

I am, but- what do you mean?

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[info]valiantsteed
2015-09-14 12:46 am UTC (link)
My lady! Have your mental resources been so thoroughly taxed; have these assaults on your person been so numerous and long-reaching that you consider them simply part of your being?

[He takes her hands in his, placing his forehead on her knuckles.]

He's left you without hair or face, the terrible demon of a brother!

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[info]spacelike
2015-09-14 12:51 am UTC (link)
[Calliope opens her mouth, and then closes it again. She looks away slowly, out of simultaneous humiliation and amazement.]

[Of course, now that he's actually touching her, he may notice her skin is rough and reptilian.]

I know that I'm monstrous-looking, and it's not something I expect anyone else to easily accept, but this is... this is just how my kind looks.

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[info]valiantsteed
2015-09-14 12:58 am UTC (link)
[He looks up quickly, a flush radiating from his cheeks to his ears. He gapes, realizing his absolutely horrendous error. He hadn't considered that she were some sort of beastman. ]

But your speech is so clear and precise—

[He is still holding her hands, so he gives them a squeeze.]

Pray forgive me if you are able. I forget every time that I wake that this is not my realm.

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[info]spacelike
2015-09-14 01:03 am UTC (link)
[She looks back, realizing that he's blushing incredibly brightly. At least he appears to feel genuinely bad about his heckup, which is something not everyone always does. Some people get defensive, or don't feel all that bad about messing up.]

[And the fact that he didn't tear away helps, too. Mammalian contact warmth is always nice.]

It's- it's alright. It was an honest mistake. [Probably.]

Honestly, my kind would rarely interact with humans or others at all. I'm a cherub—we're usually a very solitary race. [She's a bit weird, is what she's saying.]

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[info]valiantsteed
2015-09-14 02:28 am UTC (link)
I've never seen someone quite like you, that much is true. All of the scalekin- Rather, scaled people I have met have all been much more draconic looking. I suppose met is the wrong word, I've hardly traded words with them.

[He finally lets her hands go. He still pities her a lot and feels really bad about what he said. It doesn't make her appearance that much more pleasing, however.]

I can relate somewhat, my countrymen are isolationists and tend to be of few words to outsiders. It has been such a shock to feel so foreign.

[He squeezes his shoulder muscle, noticing that he was still tense.]

I rather like others and their company, though I find it difficult to relate with nearly everyone here.

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[info]spacelike
2015-09-14 02:40 am UTC (link)
[Calliope nods, listening to him speak carefully and with a patient look. In Demeleier, she'd had a friend who studied the stories of others, and how sometimes even things they don't say can say a lot about them.]

[So, finally, she smiles.]

It's alright! Give it time. I had trouble when I finally began socializing with others. I didn't even want to show my face, because I knew how ugly I was compared to other people.

But I eventually came to make plenty of friends who loved and cared for me, and I even had a few sort-of boyfriends and girlfriends.

[She really isn't sure why she's being so frank with that last bit, but it also doesn't worry her.]

If I may give you advice, it's good to push yourself! Not so much that it hurts, but enough that your boundaries spread wider!

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[info]valiantsteed
2015-09-14 02:54 am UTC (link)
[He is completely taken aback by how frank she is with all of it, really. He almost starts to work out denying her ugliness in his head to offer to her, but it's so dishonest that he cannot being himself to say it.]

Push myself... [he looks back down at his mostly blank paper.] That is good advice. I cannot seem to guess your age, as unfamiliar with your people that I am. But I guess that you are young, but intelligent and kind beyond your time. I can see why you've made many friends and suitors.

[Though he can't imagine himself kissing a lizard.]

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[info]spacelike
2015-09-14 03:03 am UTC (link)
[It's fine, Haurchefant. You don't have to kiss the lizard.]

[Calliope scrunches up her shoulders and looks away in embarrassment, but she's still smiling very brightly. Really, she thinks he's being flattering, but Calliope can't help but appreciate being flattered for things like that. It's much better than having people insist she's actually good-looking when they have no actual basis for thinking so.]

Thank you so much! You're terribly sweet to say so.

And for the record, I don't know how old I am exactly. [Demeleier was weird.] But I am a teenager!

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[info]valiantsteed
2015-09-14 03:35 am UTC (link)
Ah, but it is you who managed to pull me from my childish pouting. I owe you quite a lot for that! After all, this queer gathering seems mandatory and I would prefer not to suffer through it.

[He looks mildly at the refreshments.]

Honestly, they want us to perform such painful tasks in front of strangers and haven't the courtesy to allow us a drink or two. I wonder if I could be granted leave for a moment.

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[info]spacelike
2015-09-14 03:38 am UTC (link)
Drink? But there's soda, and water-

Oh. You mean alcohol. [Calliope immediately thinks of Roxy. For the longest time, she had no idea that being inebriated was bad for humans— but she'd learned better. She puts her hands on his.]

Please don't get reliant on that stuff. It's poisonous.

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Hate when browse doesn't work >:(
[info]valiantsteed
2015-09-14 03:48 am UTC (link)
[He looks at their hands with a bit of surprise. Her generosity was startling, really. But alcohol wasn't poison as far as he knew.]

That's an exaggeration, surely! I'd need a butt of wine to poison myself.

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[info]spacelike
2015-09-14 03:53 am UTC (link)
[Calliope has no idea how much a butt is, but she assumes it's probably a lot. At least two bottles. She shakes her head, insistently.]

It's not! My best friend Roxy had so many problems because of it. Emotional ones, not just physical! Though she did have those, too.

I- I know we've just met, so I don't want to seem like I'm ordering you around. But please think about what you're doing carefully! There are other things you can do.

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[info]valiantsteed
2015-09-14 04:05 am UTC (link)
Aye, I know, I try to spend my days with the horses, but the reduced responsibility is stressful for me. I feel like a dolt without my sword. My hand hovers at my belt for nothing, and I would feel like a madman carrying a a kitchen knife.

[he makes eye contact, really trying to focus on just the eyes. his gaze shifts to her eyelashes. ]

I do not intend to drown my sorrow forever. That is too pathetic to consider

[He rubs his temples with his free hand. ]

Just for the week, I think. To mourn.

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[info]spacelike
2015-09-14 04:19 am UTC (link)
Th- there are practice swords you can get.

[It's like trying to put out a house fire with a cup of water, but she tried it anyway.]

[Calliope gently drums her fingers on his hand, trying to think of anything else. Her claws tap-tap against the skin gently. They're not so sharp that they'd hurt, at least.]

Okay, but... I'm going to check in on you after a week! And if you aren't better, I'll- um- do something! [It's clear she has no idea what.]

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[info]valiantsteed
2015-09-14 04:29 am UTC (link)
[he laughs about the practice sword quietly. ]

Ah, that will take me back to when I was twelve, it will. I haven't held an improper sword in over a decade! I am sure my companion will have a good laugh. Still- I may pick one up.

[He smiles at the drumming. It's an unusual sensation, but still one that he enjoys. ]

I promise that your concern is misplaced. I can take are of myself well enough. How did your friend fare? Roxy, was it?

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[info]spacelike
2015-09-14 04:33 am UTC (link)
[Good. A small victory. Practice swords.]

Right. Roxy had a really hard time. When we had no alcohol in the village, she was sick all the time. And when she did, she was... still sick all the time, actually. [Calliope frowns.] Just in a different way.

I care about her no matter what, but it was very difficult to watch her suffer like that.

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