[video] Hundred years, hundred more

[four_quarts]

So.

[He pauses, thinking on how to word this. Well, no sense in beating around the bush, is there?]

Thanks to the events of the previous two months, it has come to my attention that many, if not the majority of you have some likely rather deep rooted issues that the Queen is prone to picking at, and that she is unlikely to stop until we destroy her or she breaks our will to fight.

In light of this, I am offering my services as... shall we say a councilor? I know that it's difficult to trust someone whom most of you hardly know, but this is in fact something I have trained for. I can't and won't promise a complete lack of judgement, but I can assure you that you will be treated fairly if you seek me out for help.

Rest assured, anything you say that doesn't pose a direct threat to the other members of this little army will be held in confidence.

Feel free to speak to me at any time about anything that ails you, from minor complaints to feelings of loss to - [Subconsiously, he rubs at the edge of where the purple scales meet the rest of his face.] - traumatic events you may or may not have survived.

[He stops again, realizing something, and then breaks into a smile.]

Oh, but where are my manners? I am Ghaleon.

Comments

[Text]

[helborn]

i think i might

need to talk to someone

[Text]

[four_quarts]

Of course. Where would you like to meet? I assume you would prefer a place we're unlikely to be overhead.

[Text]

[helborn]

maybe near that locked door on the spiral staircase? unless you can't get out of the safe area.

[Text]

[four_quarts]

With others around to look after the medical needs of everyone, for the first time in some time I can move about freely. I assume you'd like to meet as soon as possible, then?

[Text]

[painful_finish]

Fascinating approach to recognizance.

[Text]

[four_quarts]

If the Queen continues to use psychological warfare as one of her major tactics, I for one am not about to sit around and simply hope that she doesn't manage to hit enough emotional powder kegs at once for it to destroy our will to fight.

Trust me, looking after the mental health of an army is vitally important.

Re: [Text]

[painful_finish]

I'm well aware of the consequences of a demoralized or distracted army. I just think offering to listen to their woes is an interesting, if not cunning way to learn the weaknesses of your fellow soldiers.

[Text]

[four_quarts]

[Ah, so he's dealing with this sort of person is he? Interesting...]

It's not just about weaknesses. It's learning strengths too. Nevertheless, I do applaud you on figuring out part of my motivation for this.

text

[bliptech]

I've never spoken to a therapist counselor before.

[The Garrison had an on-site psychologist, but Pidge had always done everything she could to avoid talking to him. It was hard enough keeping her true identity secret while trying to investigate what happened to the Kerboros mission.]

text

[four_quarts]

Truthfully, I haven't taken the role in any professional capacity since I was in my early hundred-fifties. [One of the many duties of the Magic Guild's Premier, of course. Teenagers can be volatile even without teaching them to do things like throw fireballs and the like, after all.] It's not a skillset easily forgotten though, and it's always nice to be able to get things that weigh upon you off your chest.

[Not to mention that analyzing yourself back to being a sane, responsible adult from being batshit insane while you're dead is a hell of a way to practice. Granted, he had nothing better to do for a long time, but still.]

text

[bliptech]

[Oh goodie, another ridiculously old person who doesn't actually look like a ridiculously old person.

At least Allura had never offered to be Pidge's therapist. That would just be awkward.

This is awkward.]

I can't really see how it's going to fix anything.

text

[four_quarts]

Trust me, even if you might not need to speak with someone yourself, I'm sure you can appreciate that we have a lot of people with highly destructive powers with a lot of unresolved issues. Leaving it be would be like leaving flour near an open flame.

voice

[springlocking]

[Unconsciously, she scratches at the scar on her own face. It's awkward, she's not used to reaching out to others, she's scared-

But...she wants someone to know, doesn't she? She never dealt with it, and she needs to stop running from it.

So it's in a quiet tone that Charlie that replies to the post.]

I'm scared, but...maybe talking to someone about - everything, might help.

voice

[four_quarts]

It likely will do some good. Even if you don't wish to do so right away, knowing that you can speak to someone without dire consequences is an incredibly freeing feeling, I've found.

[Perhaps it's a bit hypocritical of him, given that there are still a number of parts of his own past, even as recently as a year ago, that he still can't bring himself to speak of to others. Still, better to not speak of your own volition than to need to hide all trace of your true intentions for the sake of survival.

...Well, maybe he should think about that when not in the middle of assisting someone else with their problems.]

voice

[springlocking]

[...No, the truth is, she's not scared. She's just nervous, and awkward, and doesn't want to change. She doesn't want to reach out.

She's not...sure what she wants. But maybe it would be good to ask for help with that. That would probably be the right thing to do. That was what her Shadow was saying, and she'd accepted that as herself, so...]

...It's something I gotta do.

voice

[four_quarts]

[Ah yes... The satisfying feeling of someone actually taking offered help is sweet indeed.]

In that case, just name the time and place if you would prefer this in person. I'm available whenever you're ready, my dear.

[ video ]

[martelapproves]

Please. She can't get to me. I don't need a councilor.

{ A conspicuously specific denial. The only reason he's even speaking to Ghaleon is because those ears make him look like a full-blooded elf. He's not a fan of those, either, but they're better than humans, at least. }

Her little mind games won't work on me.

[ video ]

[four_quarts]

[The accusation from seemingly nowhere has Ghaleon deadeying the camera. Right. Because that's a great way to speak to someone you've never met before to convince them that you definitely are perfectly sound of mind.]

Given that I haven't the faintest idea who "she", or for that matter you are, your insistence that I'm part of someone's mind games comes off as slightly paranoid. Granted, because I don't know you, this could be a completely logical conclusion for you to come to and I'm off mark. I wouldn't know.

Either way, if you don't want to, I'm not about to bother tracking you down for it. That would be far too much trouble.

[ video ]

[martelapproves]

The 'Queen?' Isn't that who you're talking about? The one controlling those weird monsters?

{ It felt like for every one he killed, two more took its place. He and Alice eventually had to retreat; it was hopeless with just the two of them, even with his Angelic artes. }

I don't know you, either. Call it paranoid if you want, but I've been betrayed way too many times to trust anyone that easily.

Quick Audio

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

Eh. Maybe sometime or whatever.

[four_quarts]

Just contact me whenever you think you're ready.

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

Right. Noted.

[Aaaand Rita will probably forget about this entirely, if not pressed later to actually talk about her issues.]

Text, Private

[freedom_engineer]

I could probably use a tune-up. Fates only know how my thinking has degraded without my weekly check-ins for over a year.

And since you've got more than a century under your belt, I know you can at least appreciate the long game.

Re: Text, Private

[four_quarts]

Considering that I had to talk myself back to sanity after the little taking over the world episode I'm sure you recall I mentioned, I'm sure I can appreciate it more than most in this case.

Re: Text, Private

[freedom_engineer]

You know, my sister recommends against that...

[He's teasing, naturally.]

So long as you're up for it, I could definitely use some head shrinking. ... Psychology, pardon me. I really MUST stop saying things that can be taken literally in awful ways.