"Oh my -- where have we left off with Haley? So many of these new Menudian playthings to keep track of, I hope you'll forgive me for finding myself a bit lost. Ah, yes. That was certainly a nice foot-focused prelude for our closeted young ginger, but I get the sense that we've only... scratched the surface. Danielle, your thoughts?"
"I see much work to be done with her, Menudia. Particularly in terms of her inner psychology, repressed thoughts, discomfort with her own sexuality..."
"As I'm sure you would. Not to discount all that time she had with Angela in the massage room (and a couple of other girls who might have made an appearance), but I think she would really benefit from... what is that thing that she and you used to do, back at the college? Where she sits in an office and blabs and blabs and it's supposed to help her get better or something?"
"I assume you're referring to therapy?"
"Therapy, yes, that's it! You non-Menudians and your customs, I'll never understand it. But one look at you, and I'm guessing you were a good one."
"Physical appearance isn't generally considered a basis for evaluation in our profession, but thank you. The variety of attractive and/or unattractive practitioners in the field of psychology runs the gamut."
"Modest, so modest. I'm sure none of the students ever complained once they got a glimpse of who they'd be sitting across from when it came appointment time. But back to the question at hand, I'm right there with you. It would be nice and cathartic for her to really talk things out, get it all off her chest. Preferably with someone she trusts."
"And that someone would be me, I assume?"
"Really, Danielle, think how terrible it would have been if you'd stayed home and missed that picnic. You're an asset among assets. But yes, start her out gently, maybe treat it like a normal therapy session, and then if certain avenues for exploration present themselves, I trust your instincts in implementing them. Honestly, after the way you've been handling Mason, I leave it up to you. I'll give you a pleasant facsimile of an office to use -- or any other location you think might come in handy. And be sure not to neglect your own pleasure as well."
"My sole purpose is to do as you wish, Menudia."
"Great. Begin when ready."
*****
Haley yawned, stretched, and opened her eyes, only to find herself in a room that seemed strangely familiar, and yet slightly "off."
Two grey couches flanked a table covered with magazines, framed paintings hung on beige walls, psychology textbooks lined wooden bookshelves...
Still wearing her satin cream-colored robe -- any residue of massage oil having long been absorbed into her skin -- and adjusting her thick black glasses, she had to wonder just what Menudia might be up to now. Slowly, it started to hit her.
No wonder the room seemed familiar.
If was as if she were sitting in the waiting room back at the old college counseling center. Or was she?
There was an AI-generated, "uncanny valley" aspect to it all -- not an exact replica, but rather a surreal riff on the waiting room back at school, the room where she used to nervously scroll on her phone while waiting for one of the doors to open and for her name to be called out by...
Hammered into a door to her left was a small brass plate that said "THERAPIST" on it. Her heart began palpitating the way it used to back at the center when her appointment time was nearing and she was about to find herself in a private office, sitting face-to-face with...
The door opened a crack, and a familiar voice emerged.
"Haley?"
It was time for her next "appointment."
Danielle popped her head out, just like she would have done at the old center, with a serene "I'm ready" expression on her face, her black hair tickling her shoulders.
A trickle of moisture formed against Haley's robe between her legs as she entered what appeared to be a semi-accurate recreation of Danielle's counseling office. She sat down on a grey velvet couch which rested against the wall. Danielle calmly closed the door behind them and sat down in a smaller black leather armchair across from her.
As the initial seconds passed, Danielle could feel the redheaded girl cautiously checking her out.
And why not? Danielle was looking cozy and maternal in a white long-sleeve button-up blouse (in a similar style to the button-up flannel shirt she'd worn to the picnic, except this one appeared to be made of finely woven cotton), a long black skirt (similar in length to Angela's floral-print skirt, except this one sported several pleats which made it almost resemble a poodle skirt), and black ballet flats
sans
socks. The bottom of her blouse, instead of being tucked into her skirt, was cinched around the waist by a tiny red belt.
"So! How are you?"
Haley stared back mutely.
Funny, Haley would have thought she'd have felt more comfortable about this sort of stuff after those first experiences with Angela. Instead, as if through a touch of Menudian psychological manipulation, she felt more like her previous, formerly closeted self, the one terrified of divulging her secrets during one of those fruitless sessions with Danielle.
"Weren't expecting to see me here?"
Haley couldn't help but detect a newly mischievous quality underneath Danielle's usual tone of voice.
"That's right, I've been taken too. No matter how much we all tried to avoid it, we were all going to fall prey to Menudia one way or another. Isn't it so silly how afraid we were?"
She gave Haley a sportive wink.
"Oh, in case you're wondering, everyone who was at the picnic has been taken by now. I think back to those first moments when I succumbed..." Danielle's hands fiddled with the fabric in the middle of her skirt for an instant, then pulled back. "... well, that's neither here nor there."
Danielle leaned forward and clasped her hands together.
"The point is, we've got something very special in store. Basically, I'd like you to think of this as just another therapy session between us, OK?"
"Yes, Danielle."
"With one crucial difference. Well, aside from your attire, perhaps. But in our earlier sessions, before we were really free to be ourselves, before we no longer had to wrestle with our inhibitions and things like that, I always got the impression that you were holding back your true thoughts and feelings from me. That you weren't being terribly... forthcoming. I think you understand?"
Haley hesitated before responding.
"... Yes, Danielle."
"Very well. I have a bit of an intuition when it comes to these things. However, given that you've succumbed to Menudia, when I ask you a question
now
, you'll have no choice but to answer honestly. No matter how uncomfortable the question. So tell me, what sort of feelings come to mind as we get ready to begin?"
"I'm scared. Excited. Turned on."
"Mm-hmm. I just want you to be true to your feelings, Haley -- which is what I wanted in our old sessions anyway! But never mind. So, to circle back a little bit, during some of our prior appointments, you were telling me about your disappointment with boys. I believe there was even a boy you said you ended up dating for a little while, but you didn't really find yourself that attracted to him, correct?"
"Yes, Danielle." Haley could see where this was going.
"I think you said you lost your virginity to him, but that it you didn't find it sexually gratifying, or anything you'd look forward to again?"
Haley sat there nodding as she stared into Danielle's searching green eyes and thought about how pretty they were and that these kind of questions were making her blush. She didn't know if she wanted Danielle to stop or continue.
"There was one session, I think -- I'd have to check my notes -- where we were dancing around this topic, but I could see you were uncomfortable. I believe you said that boys didn't really 'do it' for you. Which is perfectly OK, if that's the case. I know other people might judge you -- your family, your peers -- but you can share your real thoughts with me. If I say that you haven't really found yourself attracted to boys, at least the way you assume other girls do, am I telling a lie?"
"No, Danielle."
"Mm-hmm." Danielle shifted her hips in her seat to get more comfortable. "So, I think I asked you this before, but again, we're in a judgement-free zone here, just tell me honestly, have you ever had any thoughts of that nature... about girls?"
The counselor raised her left eyebrow on the word "girls."
After a long, excruciating pause, Haley gave an answer in a quivering voice.
"... Yes, Danielle."
Danielle smiled and nodded. "What sort of thoughts?"
"Like... that girls are pretty. That I like looking at them."
"Mm-hmm. Why do you like looking at them?"
"I don't know. I thought all girls liked looking at other girls."
"Well, that's true to some extent, but maybe they wouldn't prefer to look at girls more than they'd prefer to look at boys. But if that's who you like looking at more, that's perfectly OK. Are there other things you think about when you look at girls?"
