byakkoyagirl | ✯ Seventh Session ✯ [Voice]

[Through the weeks Paprika has been noticing more people coming through, signalling another cycle. It seems that most of the arrivals have already come and still no Atsuko. Well, that's probably for the best anyway. She can't say she would be happy to see the woman stuck here. For some reason she's been thinking about it. Probably because of the rain. The cold, dim demeanor reminded her of her creator. Kind of sad actually.

In the morning, she flips open the journal and begins. She has something she wants to address and given the rain, more people will probably be inside reading to see it.]

So, I see we got some new arrivals in the village. I'm sorry that you all got stuck here. ...Well, only half-sorry. If you actually want to be here, that's fine too. [A small smile.]

My name is Paprika and I'm a psychotherapist. For anyone who doesn't have 'people doctors' in their world, psychotherapists help people cope with certain issues they feel they can't resolve on their own. Like mental stress or the like. Specifically, my specialty is dream therapy. Psychotherapists are known for having interpersonal relationships, so it's like getting to know the person inside and out and not just talking to them for an hour a week.

I'll get to the point: if any of you have things you want to talk about, but don't feel like you have anyone who will listen or want to keep a matter private from others, I'm willing to lend an ear. Everything we speak about is confidential between us and I won't force it on you. I already learned to make unhackable filters on this system. Or, if you prefer, we can talk in person.

It's just an offer I'm willing to give to anyone who needs it. We have plenty of medical doctors, but sometimes the deepest wounds come from within the psyche. This goes for current residents too. Luceti can be a stressing environment and no one would blame you for getting stressed to a point where you need help, if you can acknowledge you need it. I'll be here all day to answer in.

[ooc: replies come when I wake up.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No problem!

[She gets to work on the filter right after. It takes her a few minutes, but eventually she gets it up to a perfect 100.]

Alright done. Go ahead and ask.

Thank you for that. My main question is how does this work? Looking at what some of the others said, I'd hate to get to the point where I cannot function in battle. We don't get a choice here.

Well, my main tool is going into your dream while you sleep and observe what you dream. You can also interact with me there too. You should be able to function in combat even if I do merge with your subconscious temporarily.

...

Wait, you can go into people's dreams?

Yeah. In my world we developed technology that lets people go into other people's dreams. It's all still in the research stages, but it's how therapy will be done in the future, for those who specialize in dreams.

What about you? Wouldn't you be affected by seeing all that?

I've been trained not to be. It's important that someone using the techniques I use knows how to keep a leveled head.

[Plus actually being a dream means not being as affected by anything seen in one. Kind of hard to be weirded out by what you see if you know that you can easily be the same.]

I wish I could say the same for me. I know you can't do anything about the memories I've lost thanks to that last draft, but I guess I won't know how much this will or will not help until I give it a try.

Draft...

[Oh. She quickly puts two and two together. No reason to lose memories from a draft unless--]

Sometimes memories stay locked away in the mind. Rarely does one permanently forget something. It's like a case of amnesia you can say. I'm not sure how the death penalties affect dreams or memory loss for that matter, but I'm willing to give it a shot if you are.

Yeah, and it's only in a place like this where you get a living person who is affected by having died. I don't know if my losing memory from it is making things worse, but if you can help me put that last draft in the past where it belongs, I'll be grateful for it.

It could be just the shock of the memory loss, but given the death experience it could be just the latter alone. I'll do my best to help you, but you're going to need to wait until you fall asleep. That's when I can begin.

That makes sense. Your help will be greatly appreciated and I can definitely wait until then.

Great. I can't promise any quick fixes though. Some people go to therapy for months, some even years, before they start seeing real results.

At this point, I'd accept about anything. Pretending nothing's wrong like I normally do isn't helping.

Most people come to that conclusion at some point. So, tonight is good?

It would be. Thanks.

Alright, I'll see you in your dreams.

[She waves and turns off the feed.]

[Later that night, Paprika will slowly enter Asad's dream and begin looking for him. What will she see?]

[It starts off not too bad. He's leading a bunch of soldiers to take back a stone fortress on a river that used to belong to his home. The group that took it had taken prisoners of his fellow men and his group of men along with their allies were going to take it back and release the prisoners.

Marica can be recognized as one of the allies. If Paprika met Sieg, Liu, Jale and Roberto, she'd also likely recognize them. Their group (minus Roberto, since he's with others in black clothing like him) is leading the assault since they have provided the strategy being used this time.

It's won quickly enough, the gates open and the enemy flees. Time passes pretty quickly as they all settle in to make their next move to free the prisoners. Then the prisoners return.

And soon after that, the place is hit with an earthquake trapping them all inside.]

[Paprika watches the scenes unravel carefully, still staying in her small form. It was better for now to observe before seeking out Asad himself. She only recognizes Marcia, not seeing the others before, but doesn't have much time to think on it before the earthquake hits and shakes even her slightly.

Though at this point she decides it's time to seek Asad out. So she flies toward the large fortress, flying overhead and looking for him within.]

[He'll be inside there and probably easy to find since that red hair of his sure is a beacon. He's trying to help a young boy get out of some rubble.]

[She notices him soon enough and transforms herself again once she gets onto the ground. Rather than speaking to him, she quickly takes some parts of the rubble and tries to move them out of the way alongside him.]

✯ Seventh Session ✯ [Voice]

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[Action] sorry for my lateness!

[Action] no problem!