GG - Guiding to a better perspective (STORY) by Angeltheleo on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Small warning for Sexism

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"It's lovely to see you again, Aradell!" Treasure greeted with a hint of enthusiasm in her voice.

A welcoming smile was sent to Aradell, who greeted her back with a nervous stare that held a tint of uncertainty. She clawed through her thoughts of why Nana had even sent her here… but decided it was best to not find an answer nor dwell on it any further. She already considered herself a burden to the both of them for this odd visit…

"I'm… t… terribly sorry for tr… troubling you with times… l… like this..."

"Oh it's quite alright, I've honestly been wondering how your progress was going."

Treasure gestured at two seats. One was a singular chair that they made their way over to, and beside it was a different looking long curved seat. The timid girl went over to the lengthy seat and carefully sat down. Her mind was already harassing her with unwanted thoughts that led to her stiffening up and hunching over.

“So, what brings you here today? I heard Nana’s concerns about a recent mishap. Would you care to elaborate what happened for me?”

Treasure watched the rabbitfolk’s face freeze as a wave of fear washed over her, making her curl into herself even more. She darted her eyes away, as to not make any eye contact. Treasure took notice of how even the poor girl’s hands were starting to tremble as she clutched at her dress, as if she was a child in trouble, ready to face the possible outcome of their actions.

Aradell dared to open her mouth to speak. Her voice came out quivering, very quiet and low, though Treasure was able to pick up the faint mumbling, listening very carefully to her words.

"I… I… w… w… was… t… tending… e… errands… and…"

Aradell thought back to the event that led to her coming here, after being unexpectedly ordered to by Mama Nana… fear nibbled at her constantly throughout yesterday at the thought of what she might face at this visit… she knew this was bound to happen. She had already become such a nuisance here. She wouldn't put it past either of them to turn the other cheek and throw her out.

In her opinion, it would be a good riddance for the both of them.

Knowing that her trailing off of words was often perceived as a pathetic recreant use of her voice… she pushed herself to continue.

"An… and… I… I was j-... just c… coming back… b-... before I… b… bumped into a… a… fo-... folk that… was a m-... man… but… w-... was m… mocking his l… looks by l… looking l-... like a girl… I w-... was… b-... baffled… I'm… I'm sorry…"

...

"..Well my goodness, that does sound like a scary event to have gone through."

Aradell's face twisted into a puzzled look at Treasure's reassurances, tilting her head to the side as they continued.

"I mean… there is nothing wrong with how you took it. You're right, this is strange and new." She paused, speaking to herself under her breath, "I would be more concerned if you didn't react that way…"

Treasure cleared her throat before Aradell could even begin to pick up what she had said. They continued to speak after a small moment, "Now, however, considering the other folk's feelings is important too. I don't think it's very fun to be gawked at because of how they stick out from the crowd, now is it?" They said, eyebrows lowering together with a look of pity.

Aradell felt a pang of guilt begin to creep into her heart. Her mind trailed off to some very faint, but embedded memories where she… was in a similar position. Cast aside by everyone else in the crowd, ridiculed and excluded… How shameful of her to even burden Treasure with all of this. Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"I… I’m… s… s… s_orry_… I… I'm… s-… so sorry…"

The therapist's eyes widened in surprise at Aradell's words. They were quickly turning into a choked off whimper as the girl continued to curl more into herself, dropping her head down in shame.

"Oh- no! You're perfectly alright!" Treasure said gently, trying her best to reassure her as she dismissed Aradell's apology with a frantic wave. "There is no need to blame yourself! This is just something we'll be working on together, okay?"

Aradell warily lifted her head, eyes carefully wandering back to Treasure, blinking owlishly in response to those… unusually comforting words…? Aradell wasn't particularly familiar with this.

"We'll focus on ways to deal with that, and how we can examine these emotions and practice observing your external view."

Knowing this process wasn't going to be easy, and Aradell's perspective wouldn't be changed instantly, Treasure prepared beforehand. With help from Mama Nana's letter which help a brief explanation of the situation, she had time to write down and get ready for her session with Aradell. She had a few techniques prepared that she wanted to coach Aradell with that would hopefully help her learn away from this mindset overtime.

Treasure reached out, grabbing their notepad filled with written notes based on yesterday's urgent letter from Nana. Flicking their eyes down, they read their notes before bringing their focus back to Aradell.

"So, let's start out small. When you feel those thoughts and feelings coming, be aware of them and interrupt them. Try to figure out the reasons for why they might be happening based on your internal thoughts. Try not to focus on the external reason for those feelings. Try not to judge a folk from first impressions. There might be more going on with them than you know."

Aradell listened attentively to each piece of advice they gave to her. She felt indebted to Treasure after her time at the hospital, after all. She owed them her attention, though some areas in the conversation left her rather baffled… it took the rabbitfolk a moment to wrap her head around it all.

"Which brings me to the question; What were your internal feelings during the moment?"

After taking a moment to recollect herself, her mind wandered to the event and what she felt during it. The answer soon sprouted out meekly.

"Sc… scared… a-... and… c… con… confused…?"

"Feeling scared and confused is a valid response. With the advice I've given you, maybe try and use that tactic to reflect on it next time something like this happens. They could also be scared, or maybe also be going through something entirely different! Who knows what someone is going through in their daily lives."

A smile stretched on Treasure's face once more, and she let out a chuckle.

"And believe me, It's okay to be confused, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Our society's concept of gender norms is a very complex range, and it would be very surprising to someone who had never experienced such a thing." They paused for a moment, before continuing, "But, yes, moving on. For now it's best to follow the steps I've given you. Stop yourself and think about why your feelings are there, where they come from, and why, before reacting."

Aradell didn't feel confident in herself enough to follow Treasure's words, but a piercing fear deep down drove her to listen attentively.

A couple minutes passed as they continued to talk. After addressing the issue, it was clear that Aradell will attempt to pursue and fix it, for the sake of Treasure… now the conversation leaned toward asking how the girl's life had been since the last time they'd seen each other. The session slowly came to an end though, and soon Treasure was sitting up in their seat with a sigh of accomplishment.

"Well, I think that'll be it for today! I'll be expecting a report on our next session on how you've done with the advice I've given you. I want you to work on it, while also pushing yourself to meet those types of folk."

The slight uncertainty painted over Aradell's face at the mention that she would need to expose herself to those kind of folk was eased slightly at Treasure's encouragement.

"You'll be okay. In fact, all travelers go through this. Adjusting to our society is hard, and this is just part of it."

Making their way over to the door, Treasure grabbed the handle and turned to Aradell. "It was lovely talking to you, and I'm always happy to learn that my clients are doing well. I'd like for us to keep chatting, so I'll have Nana Flowers schedule more appointments for us, okay?"

Once Aradell nodded, they both proceeded out through the door, and were soon greeted with a familiar face outside.

1,462 Words

FRICKEN SHOUTOUT TO MY FRIEND @Lass1e FOR HELPING ME WITH THE EDITS,,COULDN'T DONE THIS WITHOUT EM'

Character Info Unlocked: For the sake of Treasure and Nana Flowers, Aradell will now slowly but surely work on her interactions with Male/Male Presenting Folk(Still with hesitancy and cautious behavior in the beginning). She's working on it, and hopefully with each positive experience she gains will improve her viewpoint toward them.

7/1201 Acorns