Filtered from the Bureau - text

[consortofalderaan]

I have a proposal I want to make.

To put it diplomatically, I do not think the Bureau-run support groups are helpful. Meeting others dealing with new memories of past lives is good, but the way the Bureau runs their meetings has no other benefit.

I am a therapist; this is an area I’m well trained for.

But I would like to know if this worth pursuing.

How many would be interested if we started our own support group, completely separate from the Bureau?

Comments

[consortofalderaan]

More a listening ear to hear about a larger plan.

[not_as_i_do]

That, you most certainly have. Over drinks or coffee? Dinner, even? I can get us some pretty good reservations at places with private tables. Perks of having a couple of clients in high places.

[consortofalderaan]

Dinner. That should provide us enough time to discuss all that we need to. I am free any evening this week.

[OOC: action spam?]

[not_as_i_do]

Alright, then. There's a wonderful steakhouse I haven't been to in a while, Gallaghers ... not far from Broadway. They've got seafood and a raw bar too, if you're not up for red meat. We could meet on ... let's say Tuesday, 7 PM?

[OOC: yes, let's.]

[consortofalderaan]

[ Bail is punctual, arriving with five minutes to the hour. The host greets him with familiarity, because Bail has been here before, and leads him to Martin's table.

After sitting, the host hands Bail the menu but Bail only asked for water first because he was unsure where Martin was in the ordering process. He also knew what his favorite was on the menu already. ]

Have you ordered yet?

[not_as_i_do]

That'd be a little impolite of me... not yet, no.

[he gives Bail one of his trademark wooly smiles and raises his own glass of water in amusement]

First round is on me if you'd like something a little stronger.

[consortofalderaan]

In that case, I'll have a glass of the Syrah on offer.

[ He taps the menu. ]

Do you want to order first before we get right to the topic we're here to discuss?

[not_as_i_do]

Sure, then we can start talking while we wait for it.

[he nodded a little, glancing over his own menu. the specials are tucked in as an insert, and he considers them with a slight frown of concentration.]

... quail eggs on steak? ... No, I don't think so. Not for me.

[consortofalderaan]

Alright, I'll get right to it. I want to do more than organize support group meetings. I want to create a practice that will help us Different.

[not_as_i_do]

A full practice!

[Martin's eyes widen in surprise and delight. this is certainly something. the waiter breezes in and he orders Bail's wine and a glass of it for himself, as well. it seemed a good choice, after all. once the waiter's gone, he continues]

Purely psychiatric, or ...?

[consortofalderaan]

I'm not sure how comprehensive the services could be.

But we Different experience things an average therapist is unequipped to address.

[not_as_i_do]

I couldn't agree more. Especially some of the things I've heard about from others: those sudden scars and old injuries... you can't exactly wave your hand at that when you're in the middle of a physical.

[consortofalderaan]

[ Bail nods his head. He has seen Ben's scars first hand. ]

A clinic that addresses all of that would be... large in scope. Which would mean we would need a large staff. And funding. Lots of funding.

[not_as_i_do]

I don't suppose the Bureau itself would be amenable...? I mean, there are some people here who'd sooner cut off their arms than go to them, but I feel that's a little ... extremist, considering how little we know.

[consortofalderaan]

[ Bail has to nod at that. Tensions between the Bureau and the Different were not low.

He is choosing his words carefully. ]

Transparency should always be key. And so should privacy. But... I don't see how we could get the funding otherwise. And, for many of us, we'd run into a problem we're facing now - we can't exactly tell our current health care providers what we are going through.

If the majority of staff are actually Different, perhaps it could help both those who need specialized care and convince those with misgivings about the Bureau.

[not_as_i_do]

[he's impressed by Bail's diplomacy with the subject: how he meets it straight on yet handles it gently]

Well ... that means before we go to them with the idea, we should know what sort of staff we need. And if they'd agree to helping. Then we could tell them "so and so is already on board for this", and I'd help with the physical aspects, and you'd do the other. I've written enough grant applications to know a solid proposal is half the work done already.

[consortofalderaan]

[ And this was why he was bringing this planning to Martin. Martin really was the only other one who understood the bureaucracy of starting a practice. ]

Then let's get to work.