Anger Management Support Group

[Valentina Queen]

The Sacramento Dharma Center was a space much, much nicer than most that Dr. Valentina Queen had had the opportunity to visit, though in most ways, it was also exactly the same. There were the standard array of metal folding chairs, and there was the little folding table loaded down with burnt coffee, donuts, and a deli meat and cheese plate, with some cardboard bagels to round things out. All of which, it happened, had been purchased with about half of her food money for the month. Not to mention the 'generous donation' she'd offered to reserve the space...

Before she'd had children, she could have afforded something like this without hardly even noticing. Now, it felt like she'd just emptied her bank account for what might turn out to be a giant garbage fire. She needed to attract clients. Needed to get some press, some anything, or she'd have to start meeting clients in an hourly motel room.

Just the thought of being mistaken for a hooker made her blood boil, her fingers tensing around the back of the metal chair she was carrying, the screech of her nails against the metal foretelling of the death of her painstaking, DIY manicure.

Shit.

Fucking great!

Now she was going to look like a slob, and just when it began to matter the most that she looked put together and professional.

Great.

Hopefully, the fliers she'd put up around town had actually worked...

This scene is open to everyone! Feel free to join and talk about your problems

[Emily Makerith]

You're not here just to heckle. You're not here just to heckle.

You're trying to show Val some support. And snag some free food.

Youre NOT here just to heckle.

The Carillon Call Ithaeur strolls quietly into the building. Her make up is sharp and pointed, eyeshadow in electric pink to synch strangely with her clearly re-dyed electric-blue hair. With her black t-shirt with ANARCHY across the front in dripping red letters and her studded leather jacket she can't help be smirk at the irony of an embodiment of the stereotype punk going to an anger management class. The denim shorts and fishnets have shin-high industiral leather boots with heavy leather straps, and a spiky leather bag is on her hip.

Even from outside the scent of coffee and sweet things are making her stomach growl. Putting her cigarette out on the wall and flicking the butt into the trash outside, Emily "sneaks" in (her heavy footfalls echoing in the hall) and grabs a donut. She takes a huge ungraceful bite and strolls over to where Val seems to be... examining a nail like it just slapped her?

"Hey!" She says thickly through her donut. The shorter wolf swallows quickly and cocks her head. "Hey, uh... What's up, Doc?" She grins. Hi-larious. She takes another bite of donut, blissfully unaware of the jelly now on one cheek.

[Winter]

Why would a Guardian ever entertain the thought of joining an Anger Management Group? Knowing the Awakened of Sacramento, do you really need to ask? He pondered, slipping the crumpled flyer into one of his backpockets.
Besides, having the pulse on the local population of psychopaths could provide its uses. So, when the magus stepped inside, clad in an anonymous white shirt and a pair of blue jeans, and carrying just a cup of green tea and a newspaper like an otherwise normal folk, his first reaction was of annoyance. Annoyance at the mane of electric blue hair that had been part - even if briefly - of his private life; this exploration was meant to be a business trip, he had even cleaned out for the occasion, and now his car mechanic was here.

[Freya]

Freya had found the flyer on the community board of a local supermarket. She doubt it could help, but the years following the Durance had always troubled her with frequent bouts of Wrath. Her time under Matron of the Black Wood had left her Changed and now, beneath her charitable face, paced the Stalker in the Woods, the darker side of her nature. Though she wished to forget it, it had surfaced a few times in Chicago. It made contact with the Freehold there... difficult at times.

She was determined not to let history repeat itself.

Freya had stood outside of the room reserved for the class for some time before entering. She knew she couldn't be entirely truthful, but that didn't mean something like this couldn't help. Right? Time would tell.

Uncertain what to expect, the Lost had selected to dress casually. She had told Megan she was going to the bar, it seemed less shameful to her somehow, and the outfit had just enough flair to make that option a possibility if this didn't go well. Her hair cascaded down to her shoulders and her makeup was modest, serving to highlight her natural features.

Having entered the room, Freya smiled softly to those who had gathered. "Hey, um... is the place for the Anger Management class?" Of course she knew it was, but she wasn't sure how in the hell she was supposed to 'break the ice' with complete strangers that had gathered to discuss their issues.

[Bacchus]

Bacchus saw the flyers around town for anger management and decided it was time.

He wasn't an angry person normally, but something about dealing with the Diamonds at Concilium left his blood boiling. The way they barely acknowledged him or his ideas, the way they disrespected the Libertines, all of it had affected his favorite hobby. Suddenly drinking alone wasn't fun, and the realms of doubt and rage had plagued his debauchery and by extension his rituals. That was a problem for him, and even if he couldn't talk about everything, he had to talk about something.

So he made his way in jeans, a t shirt and black hoodie, and mostly clean boots to the meeting. He tried to force a smile as he crossed the threshold of the room, but then he locked eyes with Winter. For a fleeting second his lip twitched down into a frown and looks like knives were tossed once again.

And then it was gone, mostly. He forced his smile back into place as he scanned the room for faces. He quickly grabbed a cup of coffee, procuring a flask from his pocket to pour an unknown yet totally obvious liquid into the cup. He took a sip, cringed, placed the cup down again, and poured more of the flask until the cup was almost overflowing. He then sipped again and smiled in approval.


"Doctor Queen?" Eyes watched for the person who responded to the name. The smile was still being forced as he made a point to look to everyone but Winter. "I'm Leo."

[Valentina Queen]

Just when she thought no one was going to come, a familiar voice sounded behind her and she turned to find a certain blue haired lil chipmunk grinning up at her.

"Oh my gosh, Em, you came!" Val exclaimed, stepping forward to trap wrap the mechanic in a hug. Which...some could claim was questionable, ethically, but technically this was a friend, not a client, and it meant so much to see her there! Of course, she had to remind herself not to lick the jelly off of Emily's cheek, since that would be 100% unethical, but the Wolf wanted to do what the Wolf wanted to do.

Stepping back from the embrace, Queen turned to find a woman about her own age, pretty and surprisingly well put together entering and asking if she was in the right place.

"Hi, yes! You're in the right place, settle in and we'll get started in a few moments," she called to Freya .

Then a man approached, handsome enough to inspire thoughts that might also be labeled questionably ethical, though the thought police could go kill themselves. Besides, Queen was practiced at this, and so she simply shook the man's hand and offered a warm: "So nice to meet you, Theo , go on and have a seat".

Another man entered, also handsome, though in a much more rugged, primal way, and she gave him a taste of her professional smile. "Yes, Leo, welcome! Feel free to grab some snacks and have a seat." Bacchus

The lurker in the back of the room didn't startle her, either, though it had taken her unfortunately long to notice him. Still, he was treated to a jaunty wave and a bright: "Hello! Welcome." Winter

Now that they'd gotten a good group of people, it seemed like a good time to begin, and anyone filtering in later could always join them.

"It's so wonderful that you all came," she shared, stepping back and addressing the group. "Let's go ahead and have a seat, or stand if you'd like, though we're going to be making a circle. Since we're all new to each other, as a group, I'll start by giving a small introduction for myself, and then we can around share a little bit about ourselves, or what brought us here today."

So saying, Dr. Queen grabbed a chair and set it in the circle that she'd already set up before taking a seat.

"So, as I'm sure most of you know by now, I'm Dr. Valentina Queen. What you might not, know, however, is that I've been going to Anger Management support groups since I was a child. Yes, that's right! I was not always the smiling person you see before you. And no, smiling is not always a sign of a healthy emotional life, but it is one of the strategies that I learned works for me. We all face different challenges in life, we all have different triggers, and stressors, and likewise, we'll all have different strategies that we can use to help us overcome, or channel and use, the anger that we feel.

"So! Who would like to go next and tell us a little bit about what brought you here? Remember, we're not here to judge, we're here to share, and to help one another."

Queen's eyes landed on Emily, and then Theo, since he did seem to be in a hurry, after all.

[Emily Makerith]

"Val! Donut...donut!" Emily squeaks, trying desperately not to get powdered sugar on Val's suit. She sort of squeezes her arms in on Val's sides to show an attempted reciprocation of the hug and still smiles as the Storm Lord lets go. "Look, don't... read too much into this okay? I'm here to be supportive. And to heckle." She shrugs as Val gives her a Look. "Okay, okay! I'll try not to heckle! No promises..." She grins, wipes her cheek gently and sucks powered sugar off her fingers.

She writhes slightly as Winter enters, whispering to Val. "Well. This could be a little awkward. Lucien's a client, and this is, y'know, kinda personal stuff." She heads over to the dour man. "Hey, uh, Lucien. Look, if you want me to get outta here, just say, and I'm like, a ghost, man. I don't need to be here." She squirms a little - it's obviously not quite true.

She smiles and nods as the cute soccer-mom-type and the roguish conman suited guy come in, and then she perks up at the tall slightly rough-looking guy that comes in.
"Hi, I'm Leo." "Yes you are. rawr." She smiles flirtaciously and nibbles a little more of her donut. "Emily. Hi." Her eyes run over the broad shoulders the big hoodie doesn't quite conceal before looking him in the eye.

People begin to take seats, and Emily swallows the last of her donut. The blue-haired punk grabs a cup of coffee and a second donut, and deliberately picks the seat next to Leo as Val does her introduction, half listening, half watching him with a hungry smile. When Val stops talking, she drags herself mentally back to the circle only to give Val a deer-in-the-headlights look as she realises Val is hoping she will start.

"Wha..? Uh...." Her eyes narrow just a little at Val. You owe me, Doc... "Um, well, Hi guys! I'm Emily. I guess I've always had a bit of a fierce streak since I was a teenager. My dad was kinda glad since he knew I'd take no shit, which was fine, but, y'know, sometime it can be, sorta, problematic, causing problems at work and stuff when people don't always listen to you because your a hundred-twenty soaking wet and you get mad and yell because you're still their boss and they ignore you because of course they know better when they don't... um. Or whatever. Y'know. random things like that." She looks around, almost daring someone to challenge her, and takes a bite out of her donut.

[Winter]

"Fuck's sake, should have known that a drunkyard would have plenty of other issues", he murmured between his teeth, thinking about Bacchus. "Don't worry", he told Blue, "besides, my ride told you everything you needed to know".
He took the seat the farthest from the doctors and Bacchus, ignoring the buffet. Plenty of pretty people, he hoped he wouldn't have to gulp down two hours of shameless flirting between loonies. When Emily spoke, he crossed his legs and listened attentively.

[Freya]

Freya didn't register many of the others and their entry, instead smiling to Dr. Queen. At her instruction to take a seat, the Lost absentmindedly seated herself, a move which placed her next to the man who's name she had overheard as Lucien. As the remainder of those gathered began to take their seats, Freya merely gazed at the floor. Her nervousness was easily read on her face, but it changed to annoyance as she raised her head to look at the Blue-haired woman who shamelessly flirted with some of the others.

Really? Here?

Then the meeting began and Freya looked up again, looking first to Dr. Queen as she gave her opening. Then the blue haired girl was signaled to start everyone off, speaking to her struggles of people not taking her seriously because of her stature. She had implied it often happened at work. Earlier conversation had signaled she was associated with cars. A mechanic? Despite the woman's combative glances around the room following her statements, Freya's face was painted instead with sympathy. She regretted her earlier anger towards the girl.

THen a pause followed and, after a deep breath, Freya began to speak.

"My name is Freya. I work as a house manager and only recently moved here. Um... I'm originally from the Chicago area." Her background out of the way, Freya paused for a moment as she thought about the way to phrase why she had come, "I came because I've been dealing with some pretty intense episodes of anger for about the last, uh... five years or so? I don't want it to destroy my relationships and it's gotten to the point that I feel I need to try and get some help."

That is what they got for now. It was clear there was more to say, but Freya had no intention of oversharing right away. SHe had to think more about how to relate what had caused her shift. She needed to think on it more as the meeting progressed. How was she supposed to explain the Stalker?

Hey all! I'm Freya and I was torn away from my child by a thing of nightmare to serve as the den mother for its offspring! She made me hunt and kill people for years. And what scares me most is that I started to like it...

Regret. Shame. Sorrow. Those were just a few words to describe the expression now present on the Beast's face.