Work Text:
Pangi stared hard at the ticking clock in front of him, and then back at the family of five sitting awkwardly on the sofa and armchairs (with one on a beanbag). This was going to be a heck of an hour.
On the sofa, there was a man with soft white hair and tired purple eyes who looked to be in his 30s. Next to him was a taller man in slightly gothic red and black attire, his mouth hidden by a face mask. The armchair with the taller frame was claimed by a teenage boy whose eyes seemed glued to his phone, while on the smaller-framed armchair sat a boy in a yin-and-yang cardigan whose leg was constantly shaking as he scanned the clock with every passing second. The beanbag was claimed by a boy who seemed to have just started middle school. He seemed to be the angriest one here.
Well, he might as well get on with it.
“Alright so—”
“Ash get off your phone now,” the man in the red and black clothes commanded. “Wifies sit still, and for goodness sake Wemmbu sit up!”
“Shut up, Mom, I'm tryna talk to Squiddo here! If it wasn’t for our godfather booking this crappy therapy session…”
“I was so close to beating that escape room challenge! Now Parrot’s stuck there without me…”
“I want Egg-Chan here..”
“ Okay, guys, calm down now, it’ll be alright…”
“If you kids don’t learn to show respect…”
The whole room within seconds exploded with various noises of shouting and complaining. Pangi felt so fucking grateful the walls were sound proof. There was no way he was risking losing his job because of some loud, dysfunctional family. Ferre did tell him that they were a difficult bunch. He slowly reached for the bell on the side table and tapped it twice.
The ringing tore through the noise and the five immediately froze.
“So guys let’s start! Here’s how it’s going to work…”
🛠️ 💜 ⚙️
Patient One : Branzy
“So you are Mr Branzy Pierce-Craft?”
Branzy shook himself awake and faced the man in front of him. The rest of the family were back in the other room. The rooms were interconnected so anyone outside the rooms would hear no sound but the people in the rooms could still hear each other through the walls, and sure enough Branzy could hear muffled arguing.
He was now in a light cream room sitting on a small two-seater sofa, decorated with soft pastel pillows with positive quotes embroidered on them. One end of the room was a large open window that let in the warm light of golden hour. The therapist sat next to an unlit fireplace in an olive green arm chair. The wallpaper was beige with a pastel rainbow painted on it with some bookshelves, normal shelves with plushies and some positive/motivational posters sprinkled around.
It was very comforting just being there. Just soaking in the glow of golden hour and melting the softness of the sofa was enough to make his raging headache fade away. Fuck. The side effects of staying up to un-godly hours and constantly breathing in all that Redstone was getting to him.
“Y-yes that’d be me!” Branzy sputtered, trying to direct his attention to the therapist.
“Mr Ferre has told me about your amazing Redstone works. That amusement park you built was an absolute masterpiece! Say Mr Pierce-Craft, how has work been going for you?”
The therapist’s voice went well with the room. It felt ok to speak without stress here.
“Branzy’s fine. Work’s been alright, just some new demanding projects coming in and the schedule’s kinda messy but it’s fine!”
“Mr. Ferre has said that your partner has seen you stay up late at night also that you have been on…” the therapist turned the page on his file. “ Some medication due to over exposure to Redstone and severe–”
“Y-yes. Yeah.”
Just what had Ferre told them.
“Is everything ok at home?”
“With the usual chaos of the kids and my husband’s support, it seems fine. I do worry about my kids though. They are at that age where…They tend to hide things more. I remember when they used to tell me everything. Wemmbu still does–” Branzy bit his tongue mid sentence. He was spilling out like a broken dam.
“It’s ok Branzy, it’s a safe space.”
“I talked to Clown about it… -and he helps. I just sometimes feel like I'm too into my work to actually be there for them.”
“Maybe take a holiday for a few days.”
A valid suggestion. Plus, the summer holidays are coming soon, so the kids will be at home. Maybe he could take some days off.
“Not a bad idea.” Branzy laughed.
“Anything else I can do for you?”
“No. That’s all. I better go check on the rest of them…T-thank you.”
Branzy got up and made his way towards the door.
“Ask Mr Clown Pierce-Craft to come next please.”
Branzy ducked his head in a quick nod and made a hasty exit.
🎭 🤡 🩸
Patient : ClownPierce
The room was sickening. It felt like some five year old girl’s fever dream. The next thing to expect would’ve been a herd of dancing unicorns to fly into the room talking about the power of friendship or some shit like that. Clown felt like a gargoyle in a dollhouse.
Worst of all were the posters : ‘Smile’ or ‘It’s Ok to be Not Ok” greatly ticked him off. Them being everywhere on the wall wasn’t helping.
“ Take a seat, Mr Clown Pierce-Craft.”
Clown could sense the nervousness in the man in front of him. He tends to make people get like that.
“Mr. Ferre has told me—”
“Yeah, Yeah. I’m fine,” Clown sliced through the sentence. He knew Ferre cared about the family, but did they really need this.” Ferre’s worked up over nothing.”
“ Mr Pierce-Craft you work as a…?” the therapist tried to ignore Clown’s sudden remark. The therapist had also gotten quite shifty in his seat.
Clown really had to play along, didn't he?
“House husband.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You know, like a housewife, I’m a house husband.”
“So, a stay at home dad?”
“I prefer ‘house husband'. The gremlins call me Mom though. Just something they think is real funny. I don’t really care.”
“That’s interesting–”
“Just get on with it or Ferre will complain about how much of his money we wasted.”
“R-right, so how has your husband been p-putting up… I mean with work! Home is fine, it’s p-perfect. Mr Ferre seemed to be concerned—”
“What did my husband tell you?” Now it was Clown’s turn to be the nervous one– though he’d be caught dead before he showed it. “Is he alright? Anything I can do for him?”
The therapist's fingers blurred over the folders, snapping the pages with urgent care.
“ His mental and p-physical state seems a bit…O-off. He’s,er, facing high stress l-levels and f-fatigue…O-ofcourse you know! Just mister Ferre-e told me…”
The rest of the therapist's words drifted off in a quiet, stuttering mumble. Clown just sat there un-moving.
‘Why didn’t Branzy just tell me?’
“So the medical reports say what?” Clown reeled his mind back into the room. What mattered was Branzy's current state and knowing more about it.
“H-he just n-needs to catch up on s-some…R-est. I-I-I suggested to him a few days-s off work,” The therapist had now glued his eyes to the folder. “Y-your kids…How are they doing?”
Clown was still concerned about Branzy. His husband would work like a steam engine pushed past the red line and he wouldn’t give in. As much as he loved his fierce determination and hard work, he knew full well that Branzy would run himself dry but still pretend he wasn’t exhausted.
He didn’t want to pry too much. He’ll ask Branzy himself.
“God knows what those kids are up to!” He sighed, leaning back into the sofa. “ Ash is glued to his phone texting this Squiddo girl, his attendance used to be rough but now he attends school daily cuz that girl goes there too, probably one good impact this relationship has. Wifies… always running around with this Parrot kid and weirdly addicted to weird,occult game stuff. He’s a very smart kid but he’s drowning himself in games most of the time. Somehow his grades still remain above average. Wemmbu, on the other hand, I have no idea if he’s getting bullied or the bully or who the fuck this Egg-Chan kid is!”
“S-sounds rather di-f-f-icult.”
“I mean they’re at that age where they’ll keep things from their parents. Believe me I was worse.”
“W-would you like me to t-talk to them?”
Those gremlins probably did need help. Back in his days, mental health wasn’t that big of a concern than it was now. Maybe… It was for the best.
“Start with Ash.”
📱 🎧 🟪
Patient : Ashswag
Ash pinned the therapist with a lethal stare as he dug his hands in the pockets of his hoodie and sat down.
“H-hello Ash—”
“Just get on with it,” Ash grumbled as he sunk into the sofa. It was awfully soft but made him feel like a drop of ink in milk. In fact the whole room did. “Mom said he’ll gimme my phone back after this so hurry up.”
The therapist straightened up and cleared his throat.
“How’s high school going for you? Anything fun–”
“Yeah it’s alright.”
“So, Squiddo is–”
“My girlfriend and no, there are no issues with us whatsoever.”
“That’s nice…Your parents—”
“Dad’s drowning in work while Mom’s either at home or with Ferre. He says he stays at home but I know he does have some job he just never mentions…”
“That’s,uh, what about your brothe–”
“Wifies is a weirdo nerd and Wemmbu’s a little shit.”
“Ash.”
The therapist’s eyes softened with a tight, anxious crease. That made Ash’s situation appear even more pathetic. He wasn’t some lost puppy looking for comfort.
“Calm down, just take it slowly.”
Ash sharpened his glare.
“I’m not trying to pity you, but it’s ok to talk about your feelings once in a while.”
Fuck this therapy session. Ash had to admit though, it would be best if he did let it out. He usually told his dad about his concerns but he was so suffocatingly absorbed in his work, Ash barely saw him at home. His mom was a nice guy but not really type he’d look for to vent to. His brothers were quite young. Squiddo…
“You won’t tell my parents?” Ash slowly sat up. “Not even Ferre?”
“I promise.”
Ash always found that hard to believe.
Right now, looking at the man in a pangolin t-shirt, scruffy jeans and an oversized coat hung on his shoulders , he didn’t look much of a threat. Considering the layout of the room, he also seemed to specialise in children’s mental health.
Ferre was usually right about people. Maybe it was ok to trust some, just this once.
“I sometimes feel like I’m not enough for Squiddo.”
Ash bent his head to look away from the therapist and face his shoes instead.
“Why?”
“It’s just… She’s so sweet. Cares for everyone and fun to be with. It’s just, I want to be more confident in our relationship and you know be there for her more.”
“What does Squiddo think?”
“She says everything is alright but…I just,” Ash took a deep breath. “ I keep doubting myself.”
The therapist’s hand came into view with a ‘love hearts’
candy pack.
“For you and your girlfriend, believe me these are the best for couples.”
Ash hesitated but quickly snatched it out of the therapist’s hands and looked up.
“ You should talk to Squiddo—“
“I don’t want to burden her over this.” Ash snapped.
To that, the therapist just put the folder down on the side table and smiled.
“You will never be a burden to someone who loves you.”
That was a hell of a twist. Ash knew Squiddo loved him a lot. There was no doubt in that.
Ash nodded
“Anything else?”
“No, I’m fine, thanks.”
“Right then, get Wifies to come next.”
☯️ 🎧 🎮
Patient : Wifies
“Ah-ah chooo!”
A chill crept into the room as the evening breeze snaked inside. Wifies swiped the sleeve of his cardigan across his nose and kept drawing, his pencil scratching against the paper.
Ferre must’ve told the therapist that he liked drawing. A simple hobby he’d picked up besides gaming. He didn’t do it a lot but sometimes at lunch break he’d just doodle in his diary as Parrot –his best friend– would either rant or just casually yap to him. It wasn’t as fun as gaming but it was relaxing.
“Who are those characters you’re drawing?” the therapist asked. “Are they from a popular show?”
“No, I made them myself.”
“Ah, that’s quite creative of you! Would you mind telling me about them?”
Wifies looked up from the paper. He’d only ever shown Parrot his characters. He wasn’t quite sure what to do. The man in front of him was obviously trying to gain his trust by getting him to share things about himself, or well his characters in this case. A common way to get people comfortable around other people.
Wifies scanned the man for a good thirty seconds. This was the very man who got his rebellious brother Ash to open up. A man in a funky pangolin shirt in a room with a rainbow painted across with tooth-achingly sweet decor.
If his brother seemed alright with him. It wouldn’t be too bad to show him some drawings.
“Here.”
Wifies leaned from his seat on the sofa and held up the notebook to the therapist. The therapist carefully took it.
“Let’s see what we have here,” A spark of intrigue lit the therapist's eyes, even as his face tightened with a confused frown. “Nicely annotated…A knight, a human slime and the King in Yellow?”
“Yep, the knight is called Derek, the slime is Avery.”
“Right…Your parents let you read The King in Yellow…”
“It was in the school library, I thought it was interesting.”
“Really do wonder what middle schoolers are into reading now-a-days…” mumbled the therapist as he passed the notebook back.”Great sketches though!”
“Thanks.”
“So, Wifies, how are you?”
“Alright, I just really wish I was back home, gaming.”
“You really seem to like gaming.”
“I do.”
Wifies shot his answers sharp and direct, like an archer hitting a perfect shot at every target. He still remained polite and restrained with no outburst of emotion in sight.
“So…” The therapist licked his finger and flipped the page of the folder. “ Mr Ferre has told me that you’ve been seeing the school counselor.”
Wifies’ eyes flared, a split-second break in his composure. He put the notebook near him on the sofa and took a deep breath.
He liked Ferre. He was a good godfather and always spoiled him and his brothers presents. His parents liked him. Wifies could tell he cared for them.
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“ A few months or so.”
“Has it been helping?”
“Not sure.”
“What was it about?” The therapist pressed on. “That is, if you don’t mind me asking.”
Wifies closed his eyes and put his hand inside the neck of his cardigan. His hand shuffled back up to reveal a safety pin necklace.
“Oh…Right—”
“I would prefer it if you didn’t ask me about it.” Wifies hardened his voice.
“That’s fine. So shall we move on?”
“I would appreciate that.”
The therapist had seemed to grow increasingly worried. Heck, his features were knotted in concern for Wifies.
At least Wifies was fine despite whatever he was potentially going through, right?
“How’s home?”
“I miss Dad, Mom’s,well,uh, dunno how to explain him…Ash just mainly ignores us all and Wemmbu’s always in bruises and scratches.”
“That’s…Awfully graphic.”
By now, Wifies had turned off all emotions. Just dryly answering what was thrown at him. On the other hand, the therapist was just trying to catch his eyes, trying to understand the boy in front of him. Wifies gave him no luck.
“What about school?” The therapist quickly changed the subject to break away the awkwardness in the room.
“My grades are fine. Parrot’s fine. Everything is fine.”
Wifies had grown to trust the school counselor. The therapist seemed like a good guy but not the type he’d personally go for. Other than him, Wemmbu was a more concerning topic. Despite being in the same school, Wifies still barely got to interact with him.
“Wifies you can talk to me, I’m here to help.”
“Thanks but no thanks.” Wifies simply replied. “My brother Ash needed it and Wemmbu does too. I have the school counselor so I’ll be fine.”
Wifies got up from the sofa and thanked the therapist.
“I’ll go get Wemmbu.”
💥 🥚 👑
Patient : Wemmbu
Two minutes into the session, Wemmbu had done nothing but look down from the window. The moon was creeping up from the horizon to its place in the centre of the sky but Wemmbu didn’t pay it even a speck of attention.
“Egg! You can come up now!” Wemmbu suddenly yelled.
The therapist returned with the cookies and orange juice Wemmbu had requested, slamming the plate onto the table before rushing to the young boy's side.
CREEEAAKK.
The squeak of iron filled both of their ears followed by footsteps climbing up.
“Wemmbu…Whatever you do…S-stay back.”
Wemmbu stood his ground and got in front of the therapist in a protective stance.
“Relax, it’s just Egg!”
“N-no it’s…”
Sure enough, a pale boy around Wemmbu’s age climbed out the window and immediately slipped behind Wemmbu after looking at the man in front of him.
“See, it’s just Egg!”
The therapist’s legs seemed to be glued to the light brown wooden floor and jaw showing no sign of closing anytime soon.
“I need to take a seat.”
Stiffly, the therapist made his way to the arm chair. He just sat there for a whole minute and stared at the rainbow wall blankly as the two boys stared at him from across the room.
The therapist let out a breath.
“Take a seat boys.”
He guided the pale boy by the elbow, steering him gently toward the plush, beige sofa and both sat down.
“Mister Therapist are you ok?” The pale boy whispered.
A faint smile tugged at the therapist's lips before he dropped his face into his hands, chuckling softly.
“Yeah, yeah! I’m doing great! You must be Wemmbu’s friend?”
“Yes, this is Egg Chan.” Wemmbu announced. “And he’s my BEST friend.”
“I see.”
Egg Chan had crawled to sit slightly behind Wemmbu onto the sofa with a star shaped pillow tucked near his chest while Wemmbu sat in front of him, reaching out for the cookies.
“So, Wemmbu and Egg Chan, how has school been treating you?”
“It sucks!” Wemmbu immediately scoffed, passing Egg a cookie. “I hate it there!”
“I-I mean it’s not that bad…” Egg Chan faltered.
“You cannot be saying that after getting trapped by Arachind and Yungy in the bathroom stall for two lessons!”
“Wemm…C’mon.”
“He better know what’s coming for him!” Wemmbu bit into his cookie.
The therapist had been observing the two boys carefully and just as Wifies had stated, Wemmbu’s arm had faint bruises and right leg had a large plaster on the knee. Egg on the other had an eye-patch across his left eye with a few scars on his legs.
“What have you boys been going through? Egg, where are your parents? It’s seven thirty!” The therapist pressed, his voice rising in apprehension.
Egg was now sipping on the orange juice, still cuddling the pillow as Wemmbu rolled his eyes.
“Oh it’s just some kid who thinks he’s some ‘big shot’ to pick on Egg. That roach has negative aura from this, and he doesn’t even get into trouble! All Egg was told was to see the counselor and get on with it.” Wemmbu spat as Egg shifted further behind him.
“So have yo–”
“Parents are too busy with their own ‘important’ work, school is useless.”
“Has your Da– sorry I meant Mom not noticed?”
“He just told me to stay strong and fight back.”
“So, you…”
“Fought back.”
“He practically lives in the nurse’s office now.” Egg awkwardly let out a laugh. That earned him a light pillow smack from Wemmbu.
“Wemmbu, this isn’t good.” The therapist said,his voice tightening with an earnest weight.
“S’alright the holidays are coming soon.” Wemmbu chugged the rest of the juice from his glass.
“Listen, I can’t exactly help you… At school,obviously, but do try to tell your parents. Bullying is a serious matter and—”
“Didn’t Ferre tell you this? And if it was so ‘serious’, why isn’t anyone doing anything?”
“Wemmbu…” The therapist slowly began. “Promise me you’ll try. This isn’t good.”
“Does that mean more cookies and juice?” Egg asked, his voice laced with a cheery undertone.
“Tell you what, you boys can ask your parents to drop you here if you ever need it!”
Egg came forward and beamed at Wemmbu.
“Free cookies and juice bro!”
The corners of Wemmbu’s mouth twitched,when he saw the pure joy on his best friend’s face. Wemmbu turned to the therapist.
“Okay then, I promise.
🦔 📋 🔴
The family were once again lined up in the spots they were at when they first came in, Egg Chan being the only addition.
Clown did proceed to interrogate Wemmbu on where the other boy had come from but all he got was Wemmbu’s smirk and his finger pointing towards the other room.
Many emotions had painted themselves on the family’s faces, all different and softer. Ash was showing Wifies something on his phone, Branzy was leaning on Clown’s shoulder with Wemmbu talking to Egg on the bean bag they were sharing.
They seemed to have gotten closer in an hour, the huge cracks that caused the distance seemed to be a step closer to start closing in.
Pangi clapped his hands and confidently faced the room.
“Alright guys, this will be the end of your session! I’ll let Mr Ferre know it went alright! Have a nice evening all of you!”
With that, the family thanked him one by one and made their way out.
“That was, somewhat, a success.” Pangi smiled to himself as he put the folder away into his drawer.
All he had to do now was tell Ferre.Damn. This really was one heck of a …
Pangi looked back at the clock.
The session had started around five and now it was almost eight.
They really took three hours, didn’t they?