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"But why do you stutter when they talk to you?"
"I don't know! Answering questions is easy, but I'm not really good at filling up the silence afterward."
A human is lying on a 'couch' made of two large piles of hay and a cloth on top of them. Their clothes are strange for a mill worker, looking like a strange version of an aristocrat's clothing, made by someone copying the aristocrat's fashion while clearly not caring for the pompous impression they are normally meant to give with their bright colors plastered without cohesion, and modified to be much more practical being meant for someone doing hard menial hard work.
The therapist looks like a normal mindflayer with hair made of tentacles and legs made of harder tentacles sticking together although uncharacteristically for her race she is wearing some comfortable human peasant clothing to cover herself while sitting on a wooden chair fitting the country style of the barn they are both in right now.
As the silence becomes longer, the human starts getting a little angsty, looking at their therapist with an annoyed face.
"You really think im going start stuttering with you, Ma-Mandy?" They don't waste time closing their eyes and covering their embarrassed faces.
The woman giggles a little but covers her mouth once the human starts grumbling.
"Sorry, sorry, but to be honest, I'm not sure how to fix that since it's barely noticeable."
"Well, im here, and i already paid for this session, havent i? Might as well try."
"At the very least, you are looking much better than on our first session. Now, I feel like I'm just trying to fix all your little quirks."
"Oh, don't remind me of that crap; I want to pretend like it never happened and I've always been this functional."
"Yeah, I think that's a common way to feel about it,"
"..."
"......."
"So why is your office now in a stinky barn?"
"Hey!" "Sorry, but I'm pretty sure you ain't one to love humble aesthetics, and I can even see hay sticking to your bottom tentacles right now."
The mindflayer immediately moves to swat the hay off her legs, but it simply swaps places, sticking to her hand before she has to get it off by rubbing her hand on her shirt.
"Ughh, this is just a necessary change; I couldn't afford the last place nowadays."
"Really? You said nobles were your main target, 'demograpig' whatever that means."
"Yeah, that plan went down the drain fast. If only I didn't waste all my savings on that stupid idea."
"Do Nobles also not know about therapy like we commoners? I thought they knew about all the new trendy stuff."
"Apparently, a healthy mind is not 'trendy', and they do know about me, but frankly, they lose interest once I tell them I'm not entering their brains and rewiring their mind."
"I thought you always made that clear on the first appointment; why do they even try that?"
"Those lazy, stupid! nobles think they can buy all the things in the world with cash, but if you ask them to put in any effort? Nah they change their mind, They would rather hire an assassin to kill their entire families rather than make peace with their brothers."
"Sounds like normal aristocracy stuff all right," the human smirks
"Forget it; I would rather talk about all your advances!"
"O god, no plea-" "I still remember the day we met like it was yesterday."
----------
A mindflayer stands by the door dressed as a human noble in big stuffy clothing made clearly for fashion and not comfort, while a fat nobleman is pleading with her.
"Are you sure you cant? I'm willing to increase the rewa-"
"I am not brainwashing your sister! Please leave this establishment, sir." She opens the door, clearly giving the message that she wants him gone.
"I'm not asking for much! Just make her forget we were fa-"
"I A-M N-O-T D-O-I-N-G T-H-A-T," she spells out louder while pointing outside the door.
"Fine! Fuck you, I'm sure I can get any mamono to help me out for free!" He shouts, slamming the door behind him.
... you wait a couple of seconds to pass before exhaling in relief. You seriously cannot handle this type of discussion. You should probably write a letter warning her sister.
How great! This is just the third time this week and the 16th time this month. How many people have entered through those doors? 120
How many actual sessions did you have? 6... and they were all mind-wipes, so you can't even say you actually use your education for anything.
You need a drink after this; maybe you should-
*Knock* *Knock* O for the Lord Offfff
"I SAID GET THE FU..." A short human is standing behind the door with enough hair on its head to make it impossible to even determine its gender, wearing dirty peaseant rags they speak in a low voice almost sounding like they are whispering.
"Is this the head-healing place?"
"What? No, this is my therapy clinic."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I leave then," they immediately start to walk away before you grab their hands.
"Wait," the human stops and looks back at you, seemingly scared of the sudden contact.
"A therapist heals people's minds if that's what you were looking for."
"Oh, yeah," you drop their hand and step aside to welcome them in.
They walk inside, and you get a strange scent from them. It smells confused and rare, but you can at the very least tell they aren't nobles. But maybe you can start making a good impression on commoners since nobles are clearly a lost cause.
"Sit down, and let's start." The human doesn't respond merely obeying by sitting on a very comfy white chair and closing their eyes.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm sorry, it just... I hear that it hurts." they open their eyes and look a little confused to see you sitting on your own comfy chair.
"Don't worry, I won't even touch you. All I need to do is hear exactly what your problem is."
"Um, can't you just open my head and fix it?"
"I could, but you have to tell me what you think needs fixing."
The human stares at you very distressingly while you keep a neutral face as you internally feel disappointment.
Yep, this is as far as they all get! The moment they have to open up, they accuse you of using magic and walk out the door.
"I don't like when people look at me."
Uh?
"I also wish I could speak with people without getting nervous."
Are they actually telling you their problems?
"I want to smile without looking weird! I feel like I need to be stronger, but only sometimes since I like to be pretty! IWANTTODISSAPEAR!"
This is an actual patient! A PATIENT! Oh, my dear! You can't help but get a massive smile on your face.
"WHY ARE YOU SMILING?" The human shouts clearly in distress.
"Im sorry! Oh, um, please take a big breath in 3! 2! 1!"
"huh?" "Cero!" The human does as told and takes a big breath.
Ok, so they just told you a bunch of points of interest. Maybe you should tackle the smaller one? or find the core of their problems? No! The first session should focus on building trust. That's right, they need time before you can start fixing their issues.
"You can breathe now," the human says, looking a little more calm.
"My name is Mandy. I'm a mindflayer. How would you prefer I address you?"
"Drew"
"Well, Drew, let's talk about your hobbies."
......... 4 hours later
"Mom never talked with Dad except about the sports team drama; they sounded so happy."
"I see." A tentacle is behind you, holding a pen and writing every single thing they tell you for further examination.
"Do you think thats why you-" "I'm sorry, miss, but I think it's late and I have a double shift tomorrow."
"Oh?" You look at the clock, and it is very late, so you stand up while they do the same, but suddenly grab your hand.
They hand you three golden coins, and you are a little confused before remembering the price plastered on the window.
"Oh! Very well, now when would you want our next session?"
The human looks confused. "Aren't I fixed already? I feel pretty good right now."
"No, silly we need more sessions to do this as it's a slow process."
"Oh..." they look very sad. "I think in like 3 months."
"What?"
"But... I'm not really sure I can keep my job at this rate, so maybe 5 months."
"Mi-Drew, wouldn't you rather have a session every week?"
"Im sorry, Miss Mandy, but I can't afford that I had to save up for a long time to afford this one session."
"Oh," the human excuses themselves and starts walking out the door, and you can feel your sanity leaving with them.
"WAIT!" You surprise both them and you by suddenly shouting.
"Here!" You hand him two of their gold coins, despite their confusion.
"That window price is old! My new price is actually 1 gold coin per se- per 10 sessions! You can come back next week... or earlier if you want."
The human's eyes widen as a big smile forms on its face.
"I will be back tomorrow, then miss Mandy!"
You wave them goodbye before getting inside and closing the door; it's 2 a.m., and yet you aren't tired in the slightest.
HELL YEAH! This is what you've been waiting for! Your head is bursting with ideas. Oh, you need to make and write down several treatments right now!
-----------
"I'm surprised you haven't had more patients despite lowering the appointment cost so much."
"Bah! Plebs will rather call me a witch and try to intimidate me to leave than give me a chance in therapy."
"Really? I find it hard to believe no one has come to you to get actual help."
"They are the same shit as nobless... only the desperate try, and even then, most of the time, they come already on the verge of mental breakdowns and need a full-on mind wipe."
"I thought you said you didn't do that?"
"I only tried it once in the village I used to live in, but it didn't go well.... The thing is, when someone is about to hurt themselves or others, I really have no choice but to do it"
"Hey, I'm not judging you, but do you like to eat their memories?"
"No, that's a whole different thing. That's what half my family excels at."
"Ohhh, you never talk about your family!" They make a smug face, befitting a gossip addict.
"It's just that half of them are basically just torture devices," working for the monster lord army, corrupting men and women alike for both money and 'love."
"I guess that fits the mindflayer stereotype pretty well."
"Do you know how many knights attacked me on my travels? 4! I'm very thankful no one had a fire weapon," she shudders as she recalls a memory.
"At least the stupid peasants are too scared to even approach me, with most becoming trembling messes, unable to speak in my presence," the human gives her a hurt expression.
"Wait! I didn't mean "Chill out, I'm joking, but yeah, I guess I used to fit that description quite well."
Silence returns for a moment as the therapist stares at a paper and finds it filled with scribbles and small drawings. She exhales.
"I don't think you need these sessions anymore, Drew."
"O come on! I'm still filled with problems.
"Drew, I'm not deaf. Everyone knows you have become the talk of the town, making your way into any social circle you want. You clearly don't need these sessions anymore."
"Well, what the hell! Is everyone else deaf? I always tell them it's all thanks to you and that no one gives you a chance."
"Ha! O believe me, plenty came here asking me to transform them into prime bachelors and bachelorettes."
"Oh? Then why are you talking about not getting any clients?"
"I'm not a freaking relationship coach! Im a teraphyst for lillim sake!"
"I know that, but you did pretty well with me. I'm sure it can't be hard to do the same with others."
"Drew, I didn´t make you into a social butterfly; I just made you more comfortable with being yourself, which is very different."
"And no one else struggles with that?"
"They do! but they don't bother addressing it until they reach rock bottom because they are all so st... proud! and believe they can do everything by themselves, and if it takes just a smidge of effort, they would rather ignore it."
"So if you excuse me, I have to pack my things." The purple woman stands from the chair, flinching as the hay digs into her tentacles.
"Wait, are you leaving town?"
"Well yeah, I'm living in a barn. I'm pretty sure the next step is homelessness, so I'm going home."
"Do they need therapy back there?"
"HAH! They do, but no, I'm just quitting this whole therapy thing too."
"WHAT? You can't be serious!"
"Drew, I tried this sh*t for years. You are my only patient. It's clear this is a lost cause."
"Mandy, you can't just give up just because humans don't appreciate what you do!" She closes her eyes in exasperation.
"Nice try Drew, but I tried with Mamono too. The dumb cunts just think love solves all problems."
"Well... maybe" She doesn't even let them finish before pushing them out the barn door.
"Goodbye, Drew," she whispers before closing the door behind you.
----------
You are home, looking at the small bag lying on your bed, wondering what to do.
*Knock* *Knock* You open the door and end up face-to-face with a purple-skinned woman, her lower being... badly burned legs.
"Mandy? What happend?"
"Oh, youuuuu knoow," she slurs her words, and you can smell the intoxicating smell of alcohol from her mouth.
"Rural peasants doooo lovve acting like moonsters slayerssss," she walks inside, waiting no time to sit on your bed.
"Did someone attack you? Who?" She sneers while lying down on your bed.
"Mattersss do NOT! matter at all; don't change a thingy."
"It does matter! this is Terri-" "Wanna fuck?"
"...what?" She opens her legs, her burned feet touching the floor. "I dont even care to know what you got under there, just lay it on me"
"Mandy, you don't look like you should be walking around much less doing that while drunk."
As if to defy you she stands up clearly in paint grabbing your shoulders "Don't you knnow loveee fixes everything?"
You force her to sit down while wondering how to treat burned tentacles.
"Hahahaaha, Mom said all a man needed was a hole and all a woman needed was a dildo to make world peace."
You stand there for a moment, unsure of how to even respond, before taking a page from her book.
"How does that make you feel?" She takes a moment to laugh before responding.
"Remember how I mentioned how my family split themselves between two greaaaaat options?"
"Yeah, but you sounded like you kind of wanted to avoid the..."
"Well, the other half just wants to keep being disgusting MONSTERS!" the drunk therapist shouts in a very angry tone.
"Forever leaving a trail of perfect lobotomized slaves who do everything they fucking want, and if they do find anyone that fits their criteria? FUCKING SQUIDS! They turn them into stupid dumb SQUIDS!"
"Sounds.... awful. Is that normal?"
"Yeah, it is!" she exclaims in excitement before suddenly bursting into tears.
"Do you know how fucking awful it is to look at my cute little nieces and know what they are doing to them?? I couldn't stand to watch them get groomed into that, so I left."
This... sounds a little beyond your capacity. Heck, most of your problems were internal, so this is really beyond you.
"They don't even know what they are turning on! They are so nice and gentle, playing with their toys and each other while they just get groomed into damn monsters!"
"I can't even hate humans for trying to set me on fire! We are disgusting!"
"Hey, don't speak like that!"
"It's the truth! Even if I'm one of the 'good ones', what does that change? I can't still wipe someone's mind and destroy their personality if I wanted to."
"SHUT UP," she flinches, surprised to see you actually angry.
"If I wanted I could murder someone today, does that mean I should be sent to jail or killed?"
"No... but"
"Then what is your excuse?"
"Im... im tired! I just want to curl into a ball and disappear."
"Then let's do that!"
"What?"
"Let's leave this shitty city and disappear somewhere."
"Would you really do that with me?"
You point to her side, and she turns her head to find a bindle (actual names for those sacks tied to sticks) with most of your things inside it.
"He.... you really are my savior," she responds before blacking out drunk and falling asleep.
You are quick to move her, so she is sleeping sideways on the bed without her burned feet touching the floor.
.........
The sun shines as a purple woman holds onto the back of a weirdly dressed human.
"Aren't you worried I'm in the perfect position for sucking your brain?"
"Hmm, I'm stuck between trusting you completely to not do that and not minding if you help yourself."
*Smack* "Don't joke about that!"
"Pfff is better than discussing our financial situation."
"Really? I would have thought you had massive savings from getting free therapy sessions."
"Sadly, all I have to my name is two mere gold coins," that gets a laugh out of the two of you while staring forward onto the path before them.
The world felt pretty bleak for a long time, but even if it becomes better for you, the least you can do is help your savior with her dream of making it even better for everyone else.
The end