Another day, another Group.
@Harvey is as delighted to be here as he ever is to be in a session with Dr. Huang. Well, maybe a little less loathing than usual -- he looks like he just woke up. Hair sticking up at funny angles.
* Dr_Huang waits until everyone's in before speaking. He's holding a sheaf of papers and there are crayons already on the tables.
* Eddie is fine with everything right now. Hi, group therapy. Naptime?
@Harvey> "Arts and crafts again?"
* Jervis busies himself with standing his crayons on end on the table once he has his seat. "Little soldiers, all in a row..."
* SimonG is more awake than Harvey and Eddie. "Hello, doctor."
Dr_Huang> "Not exactly," Huang says seriously, starting to divide the stack into fours. "Hello, Simon. Would you mind sitting across from each other? --Simon, not across from Eddie."
* @Harvey will sit himself across from Eddie, then, if no one else rushes for the position. (And why wouldn't they?)
* Eddie wasn't really paying attention. He smiles at Harvey.
* SimonG nods, even if that means he has to sit across from Jervis. He's wearing his maaask.
* Dr_Huang gives them each a few sheets of paper, since he's noticed their tendency to start over. "Today we're going to be talking about perspective. I'd like you to draw the person you're sitting across from, to the best of your ability. We'll discuss what you've drawn when you're done."
* Jervis is very much not wearing a mask and smiles a big-toothed grin at Simon to show that off.
* SimonG gives Jervis a flat look.
Dr_Huang> Well, he notes the exchange between Jervis and Simon. Perhaps it's not exactly surprising Simon doesn't 'get along' with most patients...
* @Harvey would sigh, but that's really too much effort. "I'm really not an artist."
* Eddie looks up, slowly. Paper! And he gets the green crayon, right? His.
* @Harvey will take a green crayon too, thanks. And orange, and black.
* SimonG sighs, and picks up his crayons. Draw draw drawwwww he's crap at this.
* Dr_Huang also does not bother to sigh. Because really. "It's okay. You're not being graded." Hur hur.
* Eddie giggles. "Fortunate..." He draws!
SimonG> "Wish we were. It'd feel like there's a point."
@Harvey> "Can we write up case briefs of each other, next time?" He starts with a crude human figure, like a paper doll. And then starts assing green clothing, beginning with a bowler hat.
Eddie> "That would be fun, next time." He folds his paper in half.
Dr_Huang> "Let me clarify: you're being graded, but not on your artistic skills," he edits dryly. To Harvey: "Ah, if you wish. But we'll try to discuss the art primarily."
* Jervis uses a lot of black and red and hums as he doodles. He is neither fast nor good.
* Eddie looks from his page and up to Harvey. Oh, wait, flaw in plan is that now he has to look at that half of Harvey's face.
* Dr_Huang wanders about behind them, making some notes here and there.
* SimonG draws something a little better than a stick figure, wearing an origami hat, and visible resists drawing huge teeth. Barely.
* @Harvey draws what basically amounts to a little traffic-sign figure, in a green suit and a bowler hat with a question mark on it, and a cane. And red hair. Then two blue dots for eyes.
* Jervis has drawn a little cartoon boy with messy black hair and a huge smile of very sharp teeth; blood dripping all around.
Dr_Huang> Secretly, Huang is glad Harley isn't here. She makes group quite a bit more difficult, moreso than Eddie. "How are you coming along?"
* SimonG scowls down at his picture, having glanced across at Jervis's, and adds those big teeth. In yellow.
* Eddie has drawn a very basic image of the good half of Harvey's face, head, hair, dots for eyes, mouth, but he's pretty much just staring at Harvey's face.
* Jervis is proud of his own work. "Very well, I should say."
* @Harvey , at some point, realises Eddie's difficulty. He smirks (only a -little- bit) and meets Eddie's eyes. Straight on.
Dr_Huang> ... Harvey what are you. Huang nods at Jervis thoughtfully, then clears his throat gently at Eddie. "Are you having difficulties, Eddie?"
* Eddie makes himself meet his gaze, and he does look, and doesn't cringe, and that makes him grin.
* @Harvey grins back. That works just fine, too.
* Jervis giggles and amuses himself by adding in a leash for Simon .
SimonG> "Hey..."
Jervis> "If the leash fits... "
SimonG> >:|
Dr_Huang> "We can discuss what you feel about Jervis's depiction now, if you want, Simon."
[21:34
] * Eddie goes back to drawing. He approximates the scarring as best he can, which means he draws the other side of his face with the teeth showing and all that, and a lot of scribbling.
* Eddie is drawing scribbly lines for muscle structure, but isn't that great at this, so...
SimonG> "I'm not a dog."
Dr_Huang> "Why do you think Jervis chose to include this detail?" Well, besides what he said.
SimonG> "Because he knows I can't bite him right now."
* @Harvey hehs.
* Jervis huffs at Simon's assertion; seeming unconvinced. "Such bitey beasts are best kept tethered with leashes and cages!"
* Dr_Huang nods. "To provoke you, in other words. Jervis--" Oh. "So you see Simon as a danger." Disingenuous, there, doctor. "Is there anything you recognize in Jervis's drawing, Simon?"
* Eddie scoots his chair closer to try to figure out the muscles on Harvey's face.
* SimonG kicks him, lightly, under the table. "And maybe he knows I'm Other, and his tiny human brain can only imagine Other as an animal."
@Harvey> "As opposed to the rest of us, who only get one of the two."
* @Harvey turns a little, so Eddie can see better. ...oh Jesus, are those holes in his -neck?-
* Jervis yelps like a girl when kicked. "Tiny? Anything but! Or is it higher intelligence to chew on whoever wanders by?"
Eddie> "Well ~I'm~ not biting anyone, so..."
Dr_Huang> "Simon, please don't kick Jervis. Jervis, stop provoking Simon." Sigh. "We're trying to discuss perception, remember. Harvey, would you like to explain your comment?"
* SimonG retreats into his chair to sulk.
@Harvey> "Cages. To keep us in here. Separate from the rest of the world."
* Eddie watches Harvey talk, and draws more lines.
SimonG> "If that were all that mattered, we'd be in jail."
* @Harvey sighs. "Did I say that was all that mattered?"
SimonG> "Sorry."
Dr_Huang> "Moving on..." Huang suggested after a moment. "How is your portrait of Harvey coming, Eddie?"
* Eddie holds up his picture, dutifully.
* @Harvey sits up, stretching his legs, taptaptapping his feet against the floor. "It's the same general principle, but -- I see Dr. Huang doesn't want us to talk about that." Thin smile.
Dr_Huang> "Just trying to keep on track," he says, more or less amiably. "What do you think about it, Harvey?"
* @Harvey gives the picture a token once-over. Yep. It looks like that thing he sees in the mirror every morning. He shrugs. "It looks alright to me."
* SimonG tries to swipe Jervis's drawing.
* @Harvey , even beyond the chemical haziness, really doesn
* @Harvey , even beyond the chemical haziness, really doesn't sound like he feels much about it any which way.
* Eddie frowns a little.
* Jervis holds the paper down firmly and glares at Simon. "Tsk. Naughty naughty."
Dr_Huang> "Simon." He says sternly before returning to the subject. "Were you trying for realism, Eddie?"
Eddie> "I want to understand how it works. Been having muscle issues these days..."
SimonG> "I just wanted to fix it..." But he settles to watch Eddie.
* Dr_Huang switches focuses. "How would you like to fix Jervis's drawing?"
* SimonG WAS going to draw little humans being crushed underfoot, but since he's under scrutiny... "I was going to add my mask." :|
Eddie> "You don't want to talk about it, Harvey?"
Dr_Huang> "... mm." That right there's a non-commital monosyllabic answer, Simon. He quiets to let Eddie and Harvey talk.
* Jervis does not believe you at all, Simon.
* SimonG was going to also draw one with a tiny hat in his mouth.
@Harvey> "I look at myself in the mirror every morning. I'm not really sure what I can add."
* @Harvey may be being deadpan, here. Or sardonic. Or just... a little flat.
Eddie> "Is that why it doesn't matter that this is the first time I've actually been able to look at your face?"
* @Harvey raises his eyebrow. "Do you want a prize?"
Eddie> "Nah, that'd be pretty obnoxious."
Dr_Huang> Hmm. "Anyway. Jervis, what do you think of Simon's picture?"
@Harvey> "Just a little bit."
* Eddie scowls at Harvey.
* Jervis eyes it for a moment, frowning. "Could use a better hat."
SimonG> You're not wearing any hat at all.
* Jervis doesn't comment on the teeth. He knows how bad he looks.
* SimonG offers him the pic. Trade?
* @Harvey looks flatly back, challenging. You really want to take this up with him?
Jervis> "Still, if you're going to draw one...." He slides his paper over reluctantly.
SimonG> "What hat do you usually wear?"
Jervis> "A largish top-hat. Green."
* SimonG glances sideways at Eddie. He's biting your color, Eddie.
* Eddie doesn't notice.
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Eddie> "Seriously, Harvey..."
* SimonG will NOW draw his mask on. AND tiny people underfoot, in hand and in mouth.
@Harvey> Imitating his tone -- "Seriously, Eddie..."
Dr_Huang> "I think that's enough," Huang says mildly. "Would you show Eddie your picture, Harvey?" And then we can be done with this, is the unspoken addition.
* @Harvey lifts it up. Behold -- bowler hat and green suit!
* @Harvey is still giving Eddie that flat look.
Eddie> "I'd come up with something to say, but I'm really tired. I'm a little annoyed that apparently my getting over -my- problem doesn't matter to you, because I guess I'm always obnoxious to you? I dunno."
* SimonG holds it up to show Jervis.
@Harvey> "Don't. Put words in my mouth." An edge creeps into his tone, as he sits up. Coin betwen his fingers. "You want me to congratulate you on something, have it be something I don't do every day."
Jervis> "Pfft. Ridiculous. You're smaller than most people, not bigger. Silliness and nonsense."
Dr_Huang> At least nobody's bloody and screaming, he tells himself. "Perhaps we should call it a session. Leave your pictures behind; I'll put them in your files."
SimonG> "Can I have paper and crayons in my cell? And tape?"
Eddie> "No, I don't want to be congratulated. I was trying to understand."
Dr_Huang> "I'm afraid not, Simon." Prisoners have been known to make shivs out of freaking newspaper, they're not giving Simon anything with an edge. "Maybe in time?" Ha ha. Fat chance.
* SimonG slumps. Everyone else has paper.
@Harvey> That's pretty good, really. "Whatever you say, doctor." His expression softens. Just a little. When Eddie says that. Tiredly, not unkindly -- "Don't bother." He stretches his legs, and makes to rise.
* Eddie leans back in his chair and shuts his eyes. No further comment.
* Dr_Huang signals the guards. Oh god he signals the guards.
* Jervis draws a larger and better hat on his own drawing and considers thing quite done with for today.