selfhelp | [Voice/Written/Action]

Hey out there, Luceti. Are we all more or less ourselves again? Pretty sure we are, uh... here's hoping.

Considering how crazy things have been lately, Teddy and I were talking, and we think it'd be a good time to run this. We all need a break. So courtesy of the LGBTQQA Club - um, I'm tentatively calling it "Alliance", for the sake of minimizing all the abbreviations, better name possibly pending - I'm happy to introduce: Luceti's first-ever (I think) Speed Dating.

If you don't know what speed dating is, it's pretty much exactly how it sounds. The idea is we'd all get together, pair up, you'd talk to someone you might not have talked to before for about ten minutes, and then afterwards decide how you liked it and if you want to see them again. First impressions count for a lot, and sometimes that's all it takes to find your true love or your new best friend.

We're going to run it next weekend - Saturday afternoon, we figure is a good time - and sign-ups are starting now so we'll have time to pair everyone up. Anyone can participate, not just club members or people in the LGBT spectrum, and you're not obligated to do anything if you don't like it. So why not give it a shot? ...And we'll have cookies. Teddy's making them and the recipe looks amazing. Anyone else want to bring some food and stuff? We can have a table for contributions...

Um, anyway. I'll be over by the plaza today, and on the journal network, too, if you've got any questions or if you want to sign up.

[The above message is also written out (albeit less informally). And there's a table with posters and some forms in the plaza, near the school, all day. Billy's just hanging out and drawing the passerbys while he waits, if anyone wants to chat him up about it in person.]

((ooc sign-ups here!))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[A Very Angry Mutant Turtle stalks across the plaza, veering when he sees the sign. Despite Billy's assurances in their conversation a few weeks ago, he still feels obligated to sign up for this. He can't manage to be all that friendly about it, though.]

Hi.

[Wow, who pissed in Donatello's turtle food this morning? Billy blinks up at him, trying for a moment to figure out what's got him so ticked off, but nothing comes to mind.]

Uh, hi. Is there a problem?

[Shortly:] Robert's been drinking again. Where do I sign?

[Who's been- what- huh? ...Donatello has an alcoholic boyfriend or something?]

Um- right here. ...Are you okay?

[Got it in one.]

[He scribbles answers on the sheet, his handwriting even sharper than normal, almost tearing through the paper.]

Should I be? [It's a serious question, and after a moment he looks up.] What would a normal person do?

Er... [He's not sure about that answer, but the sporadic behaviour just screams of issues.] There's no "should". Nobody can tell you whether or not you're okay, you just... are. Or aren't.

[He pauses, and then adds:]

You need somebody to talk to?

[He sighs, subtly glancing around the area.]

Yes.

[Billy purses his lips, lifting a brow, and gestures towards the extra seat at the table. He's offering...?]

[Don sits heavily in the chair and looks at the ground. Go on, lecture him about his issues.]

[Nope, sorry, that's not how it works. Billy leans on the table, watching him curiously.]

So what's going on? Who's Robert, and why is he drinking?

Robert is my partner, and he's drinking because he has a drinking problem.

Um. [Yes, he gathered that.] Do you know why? Is this new, or has it been going on for a while?

It comes and goes. He doesn't deal well with stress. [He slumps further.] I don't know what to do for him.

Have you tried talking to him about it? And if so, what does he say?

We just were. He told me he was also getting high off of Filial magic. I don't think he's even sorry.

[...Hold the phone]

Is that even possible?

[Don gestures at his head, though technically it might be more correct to point to his wings.]

It's his biophysics. [Yeah, okay, in English.] His world doesn't have magic, so it does weird things to his brain.

...Wow.

[Okay, uh. Dismissing that for now; weird as it is, it's not important now.]

Sounds like you need to have some kind of intervention, if it's getting that serious. That's no way to deal with his issues.

[A kind of "duh" gesture.]

How do I tell him that?

Well generally you don't tell the person about it. You get a support group together somewhere, bring him there, and other people can help you guys talk it out. If it's getting so bad that you're looking for alternatives, he needs to hear what kind of damage he's causing to your relationship.

Are you volunteering?

I don't know if I could be counted as part of a support group for someone I've never met, but if you need somebody to help with the whole process, I'll do what I can.

[Don gestures for another piece of paper.]

I'm going to sign him up for this. He deserves it.

[Well that's an abrupt derail. Evasion much?]

He deserves it for excessive drinking and quasi-drug abuse? Is this supposed to be a punishment, or do you just have unusual ideas about good behaviour?

[All the time. He's so good at it, most people don't even notice.]

He hates social activity, but he really needs more friends.

[Action]

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