The Akuma relief group meets after the Pixelator's rampage to talk through some fresh trauma.
A/N: Heyyyyyy... I'm back?
I've gotta be honest, I've always hated the Pixelator as an akuma. Since childhood one of my greatest fears was being trapped somewhere I couldn't escape from, and watching the episode amplified that fear into one of being trapped in an endless white void until someone rescues me. If you were pixelated by yourself, you're gonna be the only thing in that specific pocket dimension, and no matter how much you scream, no matter how much you try, no matter how much you run, you're not getting out until the akuma is purified. You will be in an endless white void forever alone with no one for company until you go mad from the isolation.
I know not everyone believes in a Hell, or even an afterlife, but that exact scenario feels the closest to what actual Hell would be. Well, maybe not the closest - I still have other akumas to work through. But that one ranks in the top ten. It's terrifying to think about that power being used on innocent people, and children, no less.
That macabre thought aside, I hope you enjoy some more minor characters!
"Aurore, you mentioned something about an 'emergency group meeting' last night?"
That was the first thing out of Nathanael's mouth as he walked into the therapy group's spot in the infirmary that next morning, book in one hand and a takeaway drink in the other.
The blonde looked up from her spot at the table, Ange conspicuously absent. A tight smile and shadows under her eyes greeted him, and she nodded. "I did," she confirmed.
She took a shaky breath, swiping her bangs away from her face and going back to tapping through her phone. The silence blanketing the room was so thick it was almost suffocating, yet the boy swallowed his questions and made his way in anyway. Taking a seat across from her, he set the sketchbook down on his lap and pulled out a pencil, flipping to a new page.
He had to admit, it was a little startling getting the group text after classes ended. The nurse had responded immediately, agreeing and setting up a time before classes began so they could check in with each other, and despite his annoyance at having to get up earlier his stomach was doing flips. Being trapped in a picture by that freaky paparazzo hadn't been pleasant, but he didn't think he was so upset he had to talk about it with other people, let alone girls.
"Look at me," he mused to himself as he began the swoopy waves of a certain hero's hair around a pair of cat ears. "I can't talk about my feelings around my friends, let alone some girls from other classes. I thought this year was gonna be less chaotic..."
"I'm back," Ange's voice suddenly chimed from the doorway, and Nathanael flinched for a moment in surprise before looking up. The girl seemed a little better off than Aurore, but there was a stiffness to her demeanor that felt very much the same. "I met with Nurse Sissi in the corridor; she'll be here in a minute."
Right behind her was the newest recruit, the timid girl who attacked their school photographer. Colette flashed a nervous smile at the redhead before hurrying towards the empty spot on the other side of Aurore, who patted her back while scrolling on her phone.
Colette seemed nice enough when she wasn't twiddling her thumbs or staring at the wall. She didn't tend to speak much - but was it because of what she'd done as an akuma, or was she really that intimidated by them? He still wasn't sure. A flash of pink caught his eye as she ran her fingers through her messily-braided hair and the jacket she was wearing opened a bit - was that something Marinette had made? In the middle of the pink jacket lining was something in white embroidery, something that looked like Marinette's signature. How had she gotten the girl to make her something?
"Sorry to keep you waiting, children," the nurse's voice made them all turn to see the woman smiling pleasantly as she shut the door and made her way to a chair one of them had left open for her. "To start things off, let's go through our affirmations."
Almost in unison, the kids recited with her, "Whatever I am feeling is a normal response to pain. I am not unworthy or a monster. I am not alone, and I am not defined by my akuma."
Nurse Sissi clapped her hands. "Now. How are we all doing after yesterday?"
A couple of murmurings of "fine" or "not good" filled the room, and Nathanael put the sketchbook aside and folded his hands in his lap.
"Aurore, you sounded panicked when you messaged the group yesterday. Would you like to be the first to talk about how the akuma affected you?"
The blonde girl let out a shuddery sigh, and Ange's hand on her back seemed to steady her. "Well, I was helping out at the delicatessen near the school with my class, and I stepped outside for just a minute to water flowers. I stepped out, and- and the akuma guy said I was pretty and asked if I wanted to take a picture." A frustrated sigh, and her hands clenched into fists. "I was stupid enough to agree to it, and the next thing I know I'm trapped in this... endless... white void. There was nothing but me. I was trapped and no matter how loud I screamed, nobody came to help. I was... I was alone. And scared."
Nurse Sissi nodded sympathetically, a silent bid for her to continue.
Aurore swiped at her eyelid with her thumb. "I know Ladybug saved everyone, I know that - but I just keep going back to when I was trapped. I had no idea I was trapped in that picture frame for an hour. An hour. Nobody even knew I was gone until I was free. Not even Ms. Mendeleiev."
"... I know what you mean," Colette spoke up quietly, catching everyone's attention. She ducked her head under their gazes, playing with her fingers. "I was coming back from a dentist appointment with my dad. One minute we're walking, the next there's this weird guy and my dad is pushing me away and he's gone." She bit her lip, and some unshed moisture was gathering. "I couldn't even find him when I was zapped. I thought I was never gonna get to see my dad again."
"I was lucky to get trapped with our class deputy." Poking her thumb towards the door, Ange's smile grew tight. "I wasn't really scared, since we were together, but... I swear he was gonna have a panic attack when he realized his sister didn't get zapped with us."
Nurse Sissi kept nodding her head, frowning solemnly, until she turned to Nathanael. "What about you, Nathanael? You've been quiet this whole time."
"Oh, I was just... thinking," he answered with a shrug. "I didn't really get zapped... I just hid the whole time."
"Ah, that's right, your class was at the hotel where this started, right?"
"Yes, ma'am." His cheeks flushed pink and he looked away. "It's kinda stupid... but I hid in the bathroom with Max. The only reason I came out was because Ivan came in saying Miss Bustier was looking for us."
"Well at least one of us had a good experience!" Ange joked, and a ripple of weak laughter went through the group.
"The first step to dealing with trauma is getting to walk through it." Nurse Sissi recited with a smile. "Acknowledging how you felt and how it affects you are very important steps to overcoming the damage. Aurore, would you say getting to talk about it with others who were also hurt is helping you?"
The pigtailed girl shrugged her shoulders loosely, wiping her eyes again. "I... I guess so. I feel a little lighter."
"And Colette, does it help to know you aren't alone in dealing with your trauma?"
The girl nodded hesitantly, fingers clenching around the silky gray skirt she wore.
"Nathanael, even though you weren't a victim of the akuma, you still had to deal with the attack, right? Having a companion certainly must've helped - but what were you feeling?"
The pit in his gut that had closed since yesterday afternoon suddenly opened again, and he could practically smell the floral air freshener in the hotel bathroom and the sound of Max's robot friend chattering away about this or that. He swallowed, trying to push down the anxiety that reared its ugly head - and he said, "I guess I was... kind of afraid. I couldn't stop wondering if he would check the bathrooms for us. It all happened so fast I was a little dizzy. Every time I heard footsteps aside my stomach felt like a rock."
The girls nodded, murmuring among themselves. Nathanael's flushed cheeks grew darker with embarrassment at how easily he'd admitted it.
The nurse hummed in thought. "I'm glad you're able to share your side of the situation. Remember, sharing your feelings isn't something to be ashamed of at all - in fact, the ability to talk it out with people you trust - or even a group that's gone through the same things - can help you more than you think."
Glancing at the clock, she clicked her tongue. "Classes are about to start in ten minutes - but I have a little assignment for all of you. It's nothing big, don't worry!" She chuckled at the sour looks that she got from the children. "What I want you to do is start keeping a journal. Pick a notebook you like and I want you, every time an akuma attack happens, I want you to document how you felt during and after the attack. Especially if you got caught up in it. I won't look through them, rest assured; the words you write will be just for your eyes. When I was growing up, I often had to vent my frustrations about my life in my diaries, and looking back I realized it helped me cope with what was happening at the time."
"And... do we have to bring them to our group sessions?" Colette raised her hand timidly, her brow furrowed.
"Not if you don't want to. Remember, I won't be reading through them. What you write is between you and your journal." Then her face pinched, and her voice grew serious. "But I must add that if you happen to start feeling suicidal, I want you to let someone know. Your parents, your friends, your teachers - you can even come and tell me. I don't want any of you to suffer in silence when you deserve support networks that lift you up. Alright?"
"Yes, ma'am," the teenagers chorused.
"Alright." Getting up from the chair, the nurse gestured to the door. "Think about what we discussed, and I'd like for yesterday's akuma to be your starter entry. Don't feel bad if you can't put many words on the page - being able to talk about it at all is a good first step. You're free to go, and remember we've got a group session this Friday!"
A/N: Also I just realized, this is the first time I've mentioned their therapy sessions. This is the first time I've remembered Colette! I'm sorry, Colette!
I do hope this wasn't too heavy or boring. I've been meaning to take a peek at Nurse Sissi's sessions with the kids (as well as pick an adult to meet with them - honestly I kind of forgot about who would supervise, but she felt like the perfect pick given the representatives have Madame V). Therapy really helped me deal with my childhood trauma, and I firmly believe we should have had at least passing mentions of the kids getting the support they deserved with all of this ridiculousness going on. (Especially Marinette and Adrien - for heaven's sake, give these kids some damn counseling already!)
Please tell me what you thought!