Richie's Not Group Therapy Session

[mrsklover]

WHO: Richie and his band of depressed Losers(OTA)
WHERE: Cayde's Bar
WHAT: NOT therapy. Not therapy and not an AA meeting. Just hanging out.
WHEN: Few days after the Town Hall
WARNINGS: Probably some substance abuse/addiction talk.

Richie sent off a message to the whole network just a few hours ago:

It was for his Not Therapy session that he had proposed at the town hall meeting. Just a way for people to get together and to talk about shit happening here. Maybe get a support network that will keep some people sane. Richie knew how effective that was; his own Loser's Club had stopped him from being stupid after Eddie's death more times than they even knew about. It was important and, after learning that things around here could be just as randomly cruel, necessary, he thought. His mind kept returning to Tony at the bar with his sealed bottle of liquor. The talk of loss and all of that... 

Yeah. People around here seemed like they could use a social get-together that allowed them to talk about lost friends or loves. People came here and people left without warning. It was a hard way to live, being that powerless. But really, was it any different from where they came from? Really? 

Richie sighs as he gets to the bar early and grabs himself a drink of something strong and foul-tasting. He wants to make sure he sips it instead of slugging the whole thing down in one go. No chance of that with this. He sits down at a chair and drums his fingers on the table. Part of his brain is telling him this is stupid and pointless and that he looks stupid for even trying. He buries the thought under another sip and an off-tune humming rendition of 'I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts'.

If no one shows up he's still got his drink. That'll be just fine.
 

Comments

[heypartner]

Cobb had this habit long before coming to Tembra. He would make a sweep of Mos Pelgo as the miners came back and after they got settle in the cantina he would wander in for a drink and all the town gossip. He had kept the habit going in Temba.

After a hard day fixing up houses Cobb took a moment to clean himself up, grab something to eat and then made his way over to Cayde's bar. On the way there he got the message about a Not Therapy Session. He still didn't understand exactly what that meant but he figured it'd mean people in the bar to hear gossip from.

He sauntered into the bar with something of a tired swagger. Cobb was used to hard work but this much all day long took a little toll. "How's your little meeting goin'?" he asked Richie as he walked up to the bar. He got one of the bottles of spotchka from behind it and poured himself a drink.

Cobb leaned back against the bar, one foot up on the railing of the stool next to him. While he drank he studied Richie, the moisture boy who bought banthas without any knowledge of them. He was an odd one.

[mrsklover]

Richie looked over at the new arrival and gave him a smile. "I'll let ya know when more people show up. So far it's just you and me. But really, that's not so bad. Maybe everyone got over their trauma overnight. That would be pretty cool, right?"

Richie looked Cobb over and saw what was probably the residue of some hard work getting done. Richie sipped his drink a little, guilty that he'd neither really looked to help out in that way nor was likely going to in the future. His physical skills started and ended with throwing around bats and axes. He'd probably have an entire house fall down on him as soon as he'd fix it up.

"You look like you had a pretty rough day?"

[heypartner]

"It'd be a miracle." One Cobb wouldn't trust if it happened to him. Probably because there was alien information riding around in his brain and he'd assume any miracle cure was tampering.

He shrugged a shoulder. "Not a bad one, though. It doesn't get to be a hundred and sixteen in the day and there's always water on hand. Makes the hard work a lot easier."

There was a sense of satisfaction in the work as well. Cobb didn't like to sit idle and before the off planet trip that was exactly what he was doing. The days are a lot more tolerable doing something instead of not. "How are your banthas doing?"

[mrsklover]

Richie blinked, suddenly feeling like he had never had an honest day of work in his entire fucking life. "Is that...hyperbole? You can't really mean a hundred and sixteen degrees, right? With no water? Unless....uh. Are you really some alien that just looks human and is instead like a camel or something?"

He almost didn't even register the question about his banthas.

"But. Uh, yeah. Bantha are good. Being big and dumb but oddly adorable."

[heypartner]

Cobb was starting to get used to that reaction to Tatooine. Everyone outside his galaxy never believed the stories about his home planet. They all seemed baffled. "Yeah, a hundred and sixteen. And there's water. Just not a lot of it. No alien, just a human from a harsh planet."

Agra-10 was real easy in many ways compared to Tatooine. Cobb could tough out just about anything this place threw at him for standing water and a roof over his head.

"You should start brushing them," he offered helpfully. "Their coats might mat with all this moisture. It's not healthy for them if they get matted up. You're lucky they're still small. Once they get big it'll take you all day to keep them groomed."

[wearingthestars]

Billy's not sure if he's really the target group for this meeting, but...it's been a hell of a month, and he knows it's not healthy to stay holed up inside forever. So...sure, and outing. To a bar. Much healthier.

He tries to assert his belonging by knocking by a shot, only to cough and sputter. Was that gasoline???

"Ugh- God--!" That was so not going to help his case, was it?? His face was red hot, from the scene he'd caused coughing and the foul taste of that drink, and he eyes the door, very much wanting to duck out now.

[in_extremis]

Depending on the energy that developed over the course of the shit-sucks meeting or whatever Richie had called it, this could very quickly become the last place that Tony needed to be to talk about how much shit sucked. It was far more comfortable than that grand hall discussion that the kid had organized, though, and the bar itself hadn't proven to be a problem on its own, at least by Tony's estimation. He could easily sit in the quiet of it, on the floor at the far end of the room where he could stare a challenge at the whole array of bottles flickering in the strange light filtered through the water, and where he could keep his hands busy with a rare clarity of purpose instead of exploration.

It was that project that he sat on, still watching at a distance from the collection of booze, when he breathed a laugh at Billy turning desperately toward the door he had just come in through about ten seconds ago. Some of them really weren't supposed to be here. Tony tipped his head, not sure Billy would see the movement through his teary-eyed coughing, then reached between his legs to twist the dial on the amp, just a little bit louder. The guitar that he had ever so slowly been adding to with the audio components that enjoyed brief lives in the Iron Man or D.A.T.A. points before being ripped out and upgraded, it had a naked, flat sound even channelled through the amp, its body not entirely cohesive yet and perhaps never destined to be as Tony found excuses to stare across the Deep End. Tony tilted his head again at Billy when he was sure the few notes played caught his attention, and shifted up to cross his legs where he could cradle the guitar, plucking with one hand at the neck.

[wearingthestars]

"Mm?" Billy lifted his head with a bashful look of recognition when he caught Tony's eye, clearing those final coughs from his lungs with a grateful, if very embarrassed smile.

"Did you -kkk- did you build that?" he asked, crossing the bar to join him, apparently having not quite cleared the last of his coughs. "I swear, that wasn't an awkward first drink thing, I think someone served me gasoline by mistake. That should not be ingested."

[in_extremis]

The wheezing made Tony chuckle again, only giving the barest nod, of course he built it, and giving Billy a light, trickling melody to make his way closer to. "Sure, definitely," he absolutely did not accept Billy's claim with a lingering smirk, eyes narrowed like he hardly believed Billy drank anything much harder than Sprite. "And who are we trying to impress this evening?" he wondered for no awkward drink related reason at all, glancing around the bar and trying a new chord that was much smoother than anything Billy had done yet. He had seen that same move more than enough times at college to know what Billy was trying to do. That was why you had to start drinking early, obviously.

[wearingthestars]

"No one," Billy countered almost immediately, before finding a place to sit by Tony. He rested his cheek in his palm, wishing he could just...build stuff like that. He could barely follow IKEA instructions, and here Tony was building something that made actual music.

And okay- maybe he wanted to try and branch out a little. Teddy was gone. Tommy was always there for him, but- it was probably good to make some connections in this place, right? "You think everyone noticed?"

[beepbeepmotherfucker]

Eddie walks over, a concerned look on his face.

"Whoa, take it easy with that shit. You okay?"

[wearingthestars]

Billy coughs, shielding his mouth behind the back of his hand and trying to nod. Damn it. Why couldn't he stop??

"I'm -kkk- I'm fine," he insisted, "Just...I dunno, it's turned or something."

[beepbeepmotherfucker]

Eddie gestures to someone for a glass of water. "Hey, it's okay. Some of this shit is really strong."

The water arrives and he hands it to Billy. "Here. Drink some of this."

[wearingthestars]

Billy downs about half of it before the sting is really gone, and he looks embarrassed, but grateful as he can finally draw a proper breath.

"Thanks. Really. I should've know I couldn't pull that off," he added with a small self deprecating smile, "...You doing better? Settling in?"

OTA

[deal_me_in]

It would probably be stranger if he didn't stop on by his own bar at least just to make an appearance, maybe help serve up some drinks. Cayde's otherwise totally fine with people making use of the place, and he trusted no one would make a mess. He has a sign that requests as much, written very nicely and set on the counter.

The Hunter hops in through the window in the hall just across from the bars entrance, his usual way of coming in. He strolls on towards the bar, slips out the oversized knife he carries on his belt to slice open a bag of jerky he's brought along before setting it there on the counter for anyone to chew on if they wanted something more substantial than liquid. Who doesn't like dried meat?!

"How's the party going?" he asks everyone and no one in particular as he turns to study his growing assortment of drinks with pride and a finger pointing between them as he tries to decide on a poison.

OTA

[kyley_b]

Hey, he'd asked if he could come, and here he is: six foot two, frizzy red curls tucked under a green ushanka, looking around a little nervously before going to the bar to get a water.

He sits back, not entirely certain he's welcome in spite of it being an open invitation.

[beepbeepmotherfucker]

Eddie makes his way over when he sees the young man. He gives him a smile and a little wave, "Kyle, hi. This is some fucking change after Coruscant, huh?"

[kyley_b]

"Yeah. I landed here first, but I didn't get to look around much." He looks relieved to see Eddie.

"The dude who organised this, he's your best friend, right?" He bounces his leg a little nervously. "I, uh. Kinda think I might have pissed some people off at that meeting thing so I thought... I dunno, maybe I shouldn't come. You were great, by the way, cos we DO need doctors."

[beepbeepmotherfucker]

They bonded in Coruscant, okay? Eddie likes the kid.

He nods. "Yeah, Richie and I have known each other since we were kids." Ah yes, the meeting. Eddie pats him on the shoulder, giving him a tight lipped smile. "Hey, man, you brought up good points. Don't hide from people just 'cause not everyone agreed with you. You have every right to be here."

[kyley_b]

A nervous smile. "I'm, uhm. Not very good at making friends," he admits.

"Back home I knew the same people since I was born, basically. So it's not like I needed to know how to do it. I went away to university and found out I sucked."

OTA (and a closed bit)

[beepbeepmotherfucker]

Eddie still isn't sure about this. He's not sure about drinking and not sure about the whole 'meeting' idea... But he wants to support Richie.

As a friend. Fuck you, Tommy.

He's totally not still dealing with his own shit and the fact that this is his last chance at life. Noooooo.

So he's nursing a drink. Just one, or so he tells himself. Uncertain, he looks around at whoever has decided to show up. Anyone looking his way will get a nod of greeting.


Closed to Richie
At some point he walks over to Richie and gives him a smile. "Hey. How's it going?"

OTA

[hadthehighground]

True to his word, Obi-Wan shows up. Much like Cobb, he's tired after a long day of work on the temple and having to care for two newborn infants. But it was nice to step away from a bit. To get a breather.

However, the Jedi is quiet as he sits there with his Jawa Juice that he had brought back from Coruscant. He knows what they're here for, but Obi-Wan isn't feeling especially chatty. There's a lot of things he could talk about, but should he? He's not entirely sure.

So instead he listens. Giving an ear to anyone who might want to talk about their own problems. Nodding in understanding and given his own words of encouragement. Back at the temple he already had an... experience with some attempted therapy. So he's reluctant to come out with his own past traumas. Instead taking solace in knowing that there are others here not unlike him.

[mrsklover]

Richie sees Obi-Wan come in and grins. "Beej!" He walks over and slaps the man hard on the back before plopping into a seat beside him. "Dude! How's it going? Have you seen the bantha? They're doing great. Even Yoyo, dumb little guy."

Richie sips on his own drink and peers over at what the other is drinking. He tsks lightly. "So. What'll it take for me to get alcohol in your hands, eh? Not to get drunk. Just a little. Social drinking, ya know?"

[hadthehighground]

“This is alcohol,” Obi-Wan says with a touch of annoyance after having braced himself for that slap on the back that he knew was coming. He didn’t need the Force to predict Richie’s moves at this point.

“And yes I’ve seen the banthas lately. Had to make sure they’re still alive after all.”

Because with Richie, who knows.

[mrsklover]

"Hey! Look at that! You can party with the rest of us. Awesome!"

Richie punches his shoulder lighter and in a friendly way before offering a laugh. "And yeah. Yeah, I think that skepticism is pretty legit. I just found out from Cobb that apparently I need to get a big comb for their hair. If the next step is shampoo and full body massages, I am really gonna regret this purchase."