Chapter 2 Page 4 - Wild Life

Evil Emperor Nick on June 4, 2008

Wow. The last page has seen more specialtion then I ever expected. Now I know what the writters of Lost must feel like. :P Thanks everyone for the comments! They are always appreciated.

Link of the week

Parent Issues

Written by E.E. Nick
Edited by Amelius

“Hi Doctor Elistrea, everyone, I'm Alex Du' Wych, mage at large and I have parental issues.” Alex began.

“Yea we all do.” Vance,a large man with black hair, cold green eyes and a trenchcoat added.

The host cast Vance a sidelong glace to silence him but Vance didn't take notice. Doctor Elistrea, a modest dark elf woman who was hosting this group session added softly. “Vance be nice.”

“That was nice.” Vance muttered and looked away.

“Welcome Alex.” Doctor Elistrea said ignoring Vance. “Why don't you tell the group a little bit about yourself.”

“Um, thanks, Well I grew up kind of well off. My father is an important wizard back home you see and my mother…I'm not really clear on what my mother does. Well that isn't important. What is important is that my dad is sort of ”traditionalist“ and apparently part this means that he is apprently morally obligated to raise girls as if their incapable twits and male children like they can do no wrong! Yea sorry to cut to chase but that is pretty much the heart of my problem there.”

“Ditto, except reversed or gender swapped. However you want to call it.” Vance said and then unsatisfied with how he said it added. “My mom doesn't like boy children! Except for my brother.”

Xan the short creepy warlock child with golden eyes, spiky white hair, no eye brows and an air of intelligence and sophistication unatural for his age added only. “I just want my father to respect me and my mother to accept the fact that I am boy not a girl.”

Doctor Elistrea interjected. “Gentlemen we're here to talk about Alex today. Lets save our stories or another day alright? Now Alex I apreciate your frankness but why not try and expand on that a little for the group.”

“Well,” Alex started followed by a deep breath. “see when I was kid my dad never apreciated I had the knack.”

“knack?” Vance asked.

“You know.” Alex said.

“No, I don't. That is why I said ‘knack’ question mark.” Vance responded with a roll of his eyes.

Alex glared at Vance for a moment but then tries to be the bigger person. “The knack, the gift, the oneness with the universe. Whatever you want to call it I was good at magic and my brother, not so good. Not that he cared, he never wanted to be a wizard anyway. He…I don't really think he thought about his future much.”

“Did he like bubble wrap?” Xan asked.

“Yes! Yes he did!” Alex said excitedly.

“Yeaaaa. I thought so.” Xan said and slouched a little in his seat.

“See so you know what I'm talking about.” Alex continued. “So anyway I'm growing up with this crap from my dad and my brother doesn't even get it! He just didn't get it and that drove me nuts! Meanwhile my mom was no help at all. She was all about telling me that I have to make my own way when what I needed from her was to tell my father that!”

Doctor Elistrea interjects. “How do you know she didn't tell your father that?”

“Please doctor, do you think I'd be in group therapy if my mom had done a good job raising me?” Alex complained.

Vance leaned over and whispered to Xan. “Heh. She's doing a pretty good job of raising me right now.”

When Xan only stared blankly and unamusedly back at Vance he settled back down in his seat and muttered. “Never mind.”

Doctor Elistrea asked. “So what did you do?”

“Well I decided to stick it to my parents by actually following their advice and showing them up. I ran away from home when I was old enough, and started my life as an adventurer.” Alex reported.

“And this sudden choice had nothing to do with your familiar?” Doctor Elistrea said pointing at the fox at Alex's feet.

“Hey!” The fox said lifting her head off the floor. “Leave me out of this, I didn't even want to come to group therapy. My parents were saints.”

“What does Cinder have to do with anything?” Alex asked and then added to Cinder. “And your parents were NOT saints. Your dad took off after you were born and your mom booted you in like 7 months. You probably spent more time inside her then you did with her!”

“So? You probably wish your parents had done the same. If humans did we probably wouldn't all be in group therapy now.” Cinder said with more then a touch of snark.

“Touche.” Vance observed.

“Alex you cannot deny that your familiar influences you and vice versa. I find it interesting that you seem to be solitary and obsessed with wander lust and you have a fox for a familiar.” Doctor Elistrea said.

“I don't see what you're getting at.” Alex said.

Doctor Elistrea paused for a moment and then changed her approach. “Alex when you were younger, before you met Cinder, did you feel the need to dress in all red?”

“No of course not. I was a kid, I wore whatever my parents told me to. Now that I am a lovely young woman my tastes have matured and I can pick out the clothing I want.” Alex replied.

“So then why did you choose almost exclusively red?” Doctor Elistrea responded. “It is an impactical and expensive color. I suggest it has something to do with the fact that you have a red fox.”

“Well of course.” Alex said back and held up Cinder. “This way we look cute together.”

Doctor Elistrea heaved out a small sigh. “Yes but surely you'll admit it is a bit obsessive to always wear red isn't it? What reason would you have to wear red all the time?”

For a moment no one said anything as Alex thought about it then Xan said. “I like red because I think it makes me look more intimidating.”

“That is so cliche.” Vance observed. “You've got to be a real bad ass to have green as your supporting color.”

Vance tugged on his black and green duster to emphasis the point.

“Well he has the real ass part down.” Alex wispered to Cinder.

“Alex I think you're parental issues are unrelated to your current life style.” Doctor Elistrea said.

“So your telling me I can't settle down and have a normal life not because my parents did such a bad job rasing me but because I'm bonded to crazy fox?” Alex asked.

“Yes.” Doctor Elistra said simply.

“Huh.” Alex said digesting this small epiphany then after a small moment. “Do I still have to pay for a full session then?”