Therapy Session - Gabriel

[Brad]

<Doctor_Covenant> Downtown Salem, MA. A nice, high class small office building. The first floor is dominated by reception and a temp agency, the second, a law firm, and the third is devoted to the practice of one Dr. Abraham Covenant, psychiatrist extraordinaire, bestselling author, and healer of broken peoples. It's very swanky. All mahogany furniture with shiny brass accents, classy paintings and plants (all fake, of course, to prevent allergic reactions), lush carpeting, a pretty young receptionist, and of course, the ever present hulking form of Robert, Covenant's personal valet and bodyguard.

<Doctor_Covenant> He's had three appointments today, and each of them proved... fruitful. One last soul in need of his special brand of healing to go, and he could call it a night and get onto business. He's in his office, adjusting a framed diploma that hangs slightly crooked. Satisfied that it's as straight as it's going to get, he awaits his last appointment.

<bush_baby> It's all so upscale and nifty! But in slinks in what looks to be a mutant vagrant, dressed in old clothes and tattered sneakers. Just a plain t-shirt that's seen better days and jeans that are so worn it's almost fashionable. Almost. The leather belt around his waist is just as beaten, the buckle a large one that screams 'rednekck', bearing a cross with a flame motif around the edge. Into the upscale office he heads! The law office one! Because really, he can't fucking read English. But the receptionist there is kind enough to let him know Convenant's place is a couple over. So he winds up in the correct place soon enough, and heads to that receptionist. The look on his angular face is the usual serious one, like he's showing up to apply for a security gig and not to get his head shrunk.

<Doctor_Covenant> "You must be Gabriel!" The perky young blond chirps, smiling somewhat vacantly. "I'll go ahead and buzz you in." She presses a button on her intercom. "Doctor Covenant, your four o'clock is here." For the sake of argument, it's four o'clock when this is happening? Okay? Okay. The intercom buzzes in response. 2"Excellent. Send him in, Sherry." Damn, he even sounds smooth over the intercom. Sherry smiles that vacant smile at Gabe, and gestures to the double doors behind the desk. "Go right on in, Gabriel."

<bush_baby> Gabriel can't help but stare at the vacant smile, studying it. But hey, she's blonde. He nods to her and wanders over to the doors. A hand reaches out and he gives it a nudge to make sure he's pushing the right way before giving it a better push. And he heads inside! His head is poked inside and he looks around, half tempted to just bolt out and go the fuck home. Maybe pick up one of those strange yellow fruits Conrad told him is evil...they can't be that bad, can they?

<Doctor_Covenant> The big man watches Gabriel enter the office, permanent scowl affixed to his face, then goes back to his Sudoku puzzle in the newspaper. Inside the office, Covenant is practicing his putting, of course, and smiles brightly as Gabriel enters. He sets the putter to the side and smoothly moves over to the man, hand already thrust out. He doesn't even wait for reciprocation, simply taking one of Gabe's hands in both of his for a long, hearty shake, looking right at the other man's eyes. "Gabriel, glad you came here. Sherry's a real peach, isn't she?" The handshake goes on for a bit too long, but there's something oddly... comforting about it. Soothing. And it's hard to look away from the man's face. He breaks it off eventually, and gestures to two chairs, facing each other in the center of the office. One, obviously is, has a small stool next to it with a notebook and pen. "Come on, take a seat and we'll go ahead and get started."

<bush_baby> The big man is spotted and stared right back at. But he notices Convenant, looks at the putter, then the hand thrust towards him. Of course he reaches out to return the handshake but his own is nabbed and...shaken for him? A quiet, confused chirp can be heard and his head jerks back a bit. His blue eyes raise and he stares at the doctor, not quite sure how to post a greeting. His head tilts. Confused! So easily confused. It's somewhat adorable. "Y...yes?" he replies, agreeing that Sherry's a piece of fruit. But not the spikey one that keeps entering his train of thought. When the chair is gestured to, he heads over to it and...stares at the seat. Tail. But the chair looks expensive and he prooobably shouldn't perch on it. The stool catches his attention and he points at it instead, "Can I have that one?"

<Doctor_Covenant> "Sure, we'll just go ahead and move this chair out of the way." He stands, and pushes the other chair away, then sets the stool up in his place. "I like to get face time with my patients. I find it really helps me to connect." As he speaks, he maintains eye contact with Gabriel almost constantly, only breaking when he has to. He reaches over to pat him on the shoulder and guide him to the stool so he can sit down. Again, that calming, soothing touch. He must be a very good therapist. He moves to sit back in his own chair and takes up his notebook and pen. He clicks the pen once and sets it to paper, then looks over eye to eye at Gabriel, charming smile on his face. "Now first things first, what brings you here, Gabe? I can call you Gabe, right?" The change in the tone of his voice is all but imperceptible.

<bush_baby> Gabriel, of course, looks right back into the other man's eyes. It's hard to look away for some reason. He nods and settles down on the stool, letting his wings and tail drape off the back. It's easy for him to get comfortable and doesn't take more than a wiggle or two. "Alright." he states, bobbing his head to the bit about facing the doctor. The smile is briefly mirrored but it doesn't last long, fading away within seconds. "Yes, Gabe." he replies in his usual quiet tones, and nods again.

<Doctor`Covenant> "Good," He jots something down on his notepad, not even looking down. "So Gabe, how are you feeling today?" He smiles at the man, unblinking. It's weird how he doesn't blink, but you just sort of don't notice it much when you're talking to him. "Anything you want to talk about?" He clicks the pen twice, then taps the ballpoint tip against his notepad.

<bush_baby> "Fine." he replies, "Better than I have been." there's a brief pause, "A friend got me a cinnamon loaf. I had some and it was tasty. And I saw a durian fruit. I plan on getting one even though he says it is the devil's fruit." a simple man, Gabe is. Like a kid retracing their steps through the day. "Talk about? Er. I am here because a different friend accused me of having anger problems. I disagree but I have tried to seek retribution for his mocking me and failed. He bounces away and is difficult to catch. I will, one day, and make him lick the floor." he nods once, looking certain he'll be doing this sometime in the future. Mmm. Floor.

<Doctor`Covenant> "Anger issues." He says, nodding a bit, and smiling. He jots something down on the notepad. "That's good, Gabe. We can work with that." He clicks the pen again, twice. "This friend of yours, why do you think he's mocking you, Gabe?" He taps the tip of the pen against the paper and cocks his head slightly, awaiting an answer.

<bush_baby> "He says I smell bad and am dirty. I am not. I shower daily and keep my feathers as clean as I can. He calls me Duckula, Bert, Icarus and all other manner of names. I thwack him with my wings and smack the back of his head he continues. When he called me dirty is the day that I tried to catch him. I would have persisted but another mutant grabbed my leg and kept me from flying any higher."

<Doctor`Covenant> "So you can fly, Gabe?" He jots something down on his notepad, still looking directly at the other man. "Do you like flying? How good a flyer are you, Gabe?" He clicks the pen, taps it, and waits for an answer, smiling all the while.

<bush_baby> "Yes, I can." he replies and spreaaaads his wings out as far as they'll go. Now they're sparkling clean and beautifully groomed, it's quite the sight to see. At fifteen feet from wingtip to wingtip, it's extrodinary. Even if they aren't parrot colored. They look strong, like they're not the frail things some lighter weight mutants would be graced with. "I enjoy flying, yes. It is difficult to get off the ground from standing still. But with an adequate sprint, it is possible. Or leaping from a height can help as well. I can navigate well but I cannot carry a passenger. Unless it is gliding. I am working to strengthen my wings. But I am heavy and I don't know how much I can carry."

<Doctor`Covenant> "Hmmm." He scratches something out on the notepad. He thinks for a moment before asking his next question, never blinking, keeping his eyes on Gabe's. "You look like a pretty capable guy, Gabe. I wish I was in as good shape." He chuckles softly. "What else are you good at, Gabe?" He smiles again.

<bush_baby> "I do not work out often but I try to get it in a couple times a week. The place I stay has the equipment. And a chamber to practice things like flying through obstacle courses, too." being called capable brings a faint smile to appear. The question makes him tilt his head owlishly, "Erm. I can fight. I have been practicing the use of a mace or club in close combat. I defend. I prefer to defend people, and have done so fairly often lately." he laughs, "I take bullets well. And I paint." he holds up his hands and wiggles his fingers, "With these. I play guitar and sing. And I preach. I try to steer the wayward to the light, or better their lives. Like you."

<Doctor`Covenant> "That's good, Gabe. It's good that you like helping people." He makes more notes on the pad, never once looking down. He's clearly writing something legible, not just scratching away, but he's trained himself to write without looking. "Is it just your friend, Gabe? The one that makes fun of you?" He clicks the pen, taps the paper. "What else makes you angry, Gabe?"

<bush_baby> "I do." he confirms that he likes helping people. The question about what makes him angry makes his head tiiiilt the opposite direction. "Doctors. But that anger arises from fear. They hurt me in the worst of ways. And restraints. I have flown into a blind rage from them before and fear I will again. But I cannot imagine a situation where they would be used that wouldn't consitute an assault that requires fighting back. Whistling. It grates on my nerves and makes me want to pull hair out. And itchy wings. I had fleas." he narrows his eyes with thought, "And being illiterate. Everyone assumes everybody else can read. If they find out I can't, they assume I'm stupid. I am not." his tail flicks from side to side, "And scorpions. They hurt. I've put on boots with them inside."

<Doctor`Covenant> He quirks an eyebrow, and clicks the pen again, then taps the paper. He writes down another note. "You certainly don't seem stupid to me, Gabe." He smiles again, that winning, charming smile of his. "Doctors? I've met a lot of mutants that are afraid of doctors, Gabe. It's not as uncommon as you might think." He makes a soft 'hmm' sound, then asks another question. "Tell me about the doctors, Gabe."

<bush_baby> Comforting ambiance or not, the request for him to talk about the doctors causes Gabriel visible stress. Well, to someone as astute as this doc, yes, but most wouldn't be that observant. "I don't like the doctors. I have lashed out at good ones for what they did. My parents sold me to them. I was taken in a black car to the hospital. It was a small room and white. They shackled me to a small bed and hooked many tubes to me. I was left there for a long time. I don't know for how long. It hurt. It left me with these wings, tail and scars on my wrists and ankles. I have nightmares every night and barely rest because of them. I remember the girl who set me free. I believe she was a beserker. She was bloody. So much blood." his voice trails off and he wants to look away but can't, his eyes affixed on the other man.

<Doctor`Covenant> "It's okay, Gabe. This must be very difficult to talk about." Even to someone like Covenant, that's pretty rough. He reaches forward, and takes both Gabriel's hands in his own, and leans in close. NO GIGGITY SO DON'T EVEN START. He looks straight into his eyes, and clears his throat. "Just forget about it, Gabe. Forget it until I say otherwise." A bead of sweat crawls its way from his temple and down his cheek. This isn't an easy push, but Gabe doesn't seem like he's got the strongest mental defenses out there.

<bush_baby> The birdbrain slowly nods, his partially ruffled feathers settling down when his hands are taken. His mouth opens a touch to respond but he doesn't come up with any words. Not even a nod, nor a blink. He just stares back into the other man's eyes as two years are blotted out of his mind. It's a lot for his little brain to process, and it will, in just a moment. Just wait for Windows 95 to boot up first.

<Doctor`Covenant> He lets go of Gabriel's hands, which he'd been squeezing to the point of whiteness, and leans back in his chair to take a deep breath. Something like that, it takes a lot out of him. It seems to have taken, though, and he smiles as the boy 'readjusts'. He writes something down on his notepad, then tears off the page. He reaches for the intercom on his desk. "Shelly, send Bob in, please." "Right away, Dr. Covenant!" There's a brief pause, and then the thudding of heavy feet before the door opens again, and the brute from the lobby enters the office.

<bush_baby> Gabriel continues to stare at the doctor, not looking away. The supersized brute isn't noticed or is deemed less interesting than Convenant, for he just keeps staring forward. It might take a couple of minutes for his brain to finish booting up but it does! Eyes fluttering, he reaches up with a hand to rub at one and it soon flops down into his lap. "Is the session over?" he asks, his brows furrowing as he tries to recall what the time is. Wiiithout looking at his phone, or the clock in the room.

<Doctor`Covenant> "Just about, Gabe." He smiles, then gestures to the big guy. Gabe could look at him, but only for a moment or two, to make sure he remembers. "This is Robert, Gabe. He's my assistant. He's very trustworthy, Gabe. You trust Robert, don't you?"

<nefarious> Gabe is finally able to tear his eyes away from the smarmy doctor to look Robert over. He nods, "Yes. He looks trustworthy." Gabriel replies. But he looks a bit sad! That the visit'll be over soon. The ambiance around this guy is nice. Relaxing, comforting! Warm! Kind of like when he gets hugs from nice people! His blue eyes sliiiiiide back around to watch the doctor again and he tilts his head. "When can I come back again?" going from I hate doctors to this? Man, this guy got skills.

<Doctor`Covenant> "You can come back whenever you like, Gabe. But I need you to promise me something first." He leans forward, eyes still on Gabriel's smiling. "Robert might come see you. He might call you. You might get a letter. Do whatever Robert tells you to do." He leans back again, and hands the torn off piece of notebook paper to Bob. The huge man looks at it for a moment, then tucks it in his pocket. He grunts. "Got it." Then the hulking man looks down at Gabriel. "I'll be seeing you, kid." He says, his voice is like gravel fucking an avalanche, with a bit of a southern accent thrown in just for texture. He thuds his way out of the room, and Covenant speaks again. "Tell your friends it was a good session, Gabe. I was very helpful."

<nefarious> "I will." he states with a curt nod, the reply a blanket one to...pretty much everything Convenant just said. "Thank you for the session." there's a pause that's almost dramatically long, "I feel...good. Thank you." oh, he feels great now, like a great weight has been shoved off his chest. He rises to his feet and takes a moment to straighten the bag hanging from one of his shoulders, fingers wrapping around the strap. "Is there anything else?"

<Doctor`Covenant> He stands, and shakes Gabe's hand with both of his, that charming smile plastered across his face again. "Just have yourself a great night, Gabe. And you've got my number, so you come back and see me any time you want to talk." He gives him a friendly slap on the shoulder and then leads him to the door. He opens one of the doors and helps Gabe out. "Sherry, get Gabe here some water, and call him a cab home. Put it on my card." He closes the door behind him, and moves to his desk. He plops into his big leather POWER CHAIR, and opens his drawer, retrieving a glass and a bottle of fine whiskey. He pours himself a little, and takes a sip, then smiles as he looks out the window. "And let the good times roll."

<nefarious> The shake is returned, as is the smile! Too bad it doesn't last more than two or three seconds. "I will. Thank you." he says, his tone a genuine one. The slap makes him quietly chuckle and he heads out the door. And out he goes! A cab! Oh dear. Well, he'll find a way to get in one without ruffling up his gorgeous plumage. That doesn't seem to bother him now, as he's feeling soooo much better now.