Owner	Pose
Georgie Goodspeed	It's been a long day for Dr. Georgie Goodspeed. It might be technically be between semesters, but between his volunteer sessions and training for an upcoming MMA fight, he's been regretting all the champagne at the veteran's benefit last night. As luck would have it, the doctor is in his office. His hair is still damn and keen senses would suggest that he's recently showered. The receptionist is gone, Georgie being a pretty good employer. Not -everyone needs to stay late on a Friday.
Greenjack	Knock Knock Knock! And just like that, there's a knock without! Without what, you might ask? Why, a knock without the door, of course. No, this isn't one of those 'Zen' things*. The interesting thing will be that, when the good therapist opens the door, there will be no-one darkening it. Not even the slightest bit of shade to provide a mild demi-light.
Georgie Goodspeed	There is a sigh as the door is opened, followed by a long pause. The doctor looks around, chewing on his lower lip a moment. He doesn't feel any malevolence, so he just smiles and leaves the door open. He moves back into his office, opening his minifridge and taking out a bottle of water. He takes a long pull from the bottle, keeping half an eye on the door. More and more curious.
Greenjack	"I thought doctors weren't supposed to drink on the job?" a playful voice passes through the room, although its origin is hard to pinpoint. The empath, of course, knows there's a presence in the room. As far as emotions go, it's hard to get a pin on it, because there might be the impression that there's more than one person there. There is a strong 'whiff' of gleeful mischief, though. On the wall right above the leather couch, a depiction of Vorpal appears lounging on the wall. Two dimensional, as if it were a decal someone had pasted there, thinking the cat's fur would go well with the sunset colors. It looks decidedly cartoony, too. He grins, crosses his arms, and says "I knew there'd be a couch. There's always a couch. Nyeee, what's up, Doc?" At that, the cat's fur turns decidedly grey and his ears elongate a great deal. He might be nibbling on a carrot. *footnote: With apologies to Terry Pratchett.
Georgie Goodspeed	"More like doctors learn not to get -caught-..." Georgie starts. He turns and doesn't see anyone though. It gives him pause and he glances at his bottle of water, lifting it up to smell it. When he sees the cat, morphing into the bunny, his head cocks, eyes widening even more. He sniffs his water again before putting it down with a scandalized look. He flicks his attention back to the cat and he murmurs, "People don't really trust a therapist that -doesn't- have a leather couch." He flashes a smile and winks. "I don't use it for date nights. Promise." He pauses a moment and then Georgie has to ask, "So, may I help you?"
Greenjack	The cat smirks andn steps out of the wall, landing on the couch in full three-dimensional splendor. Unlike his outfit at the gala, he's just wearing his standard spandex suit with the logo across the chest. "Well, hope I wasn't interrupting anything. I don't suppose you've got time to take on a new patient, do ya?" He leans back on the couch and smirks, patting the leather. "Hey, it's not bad leather. Not a bad candidate for date night, but you need to have a special... kind of outlook to do it in the office. I mean... what do you do if the cleaning crew comes in?" He laughs.
Georgie Goodspeed	Georgie Goodspeed draws in a deep breath and lets it out with a puff as he sees the picture become the real deal. To his credit, his eyes stay mostly in his head. He shifts from foot to foot, until he finally starts to register what Vorpal is saying again. He clears his throat and bobs his head. "Um, yeah. Sure, dude." He laughs a little, just a hint of nervousness left as he focuses on the job. "Yeah. I have loads of time. Just got back to Gotham, so it's mostly walk-ins yet." He crosses to his desk and starts tapping at some keys. "Would you like it to be anonymous? As far as the school and government is concerned?"
Greenjack	"If you don't mind? I am not terribly forthcoming with my identity. Hence it being 'secret.' You, though, I don't mind knowing- because of the whole doctor-patient confidentiality thing. Just don't put my name down in any documents." The cat readjusts himself and sits cross-legged on the couch, rather negating the purpose of having a couch. "Actually, I guess you could say I have a -triple- identity. Name's Thomas Hunter, but you can call me Tommy. I'm also -the- Cheshire cat. For real." He thinks about this for a second, and adds, "If I weren't an actual cat wearing tights in your office, you'd probably think I'm delusional, no?"
Georgie Goodspeed	Georgie Goodspeed bobs his head and affirms, "Easy peasy. Most students opt out too. It's fairly common." He types a few more things and then moves his chair away from the desk so he can focus on Vorpal. He listens and at the end, says "Good to meetcha Tommy. Even in here you can still just call me Georgie." He pauses at the question of delusions and shakes his head. "I tend not to dismiss much. I mean, with mutants and wizards and aliens, it's better to just listen. And, to be honest, I'm not here to give you any judgments. I'm here to listen and help if I can." He pauses a moment and asks, "You said triple. The Cheshire Cat, Tommy, and what's the third that you consider important, Tommy?"
Greenjack	THe cat pauses, and hehs, "Funny that, I guess you could call 'Vorpal' the third one. I didn't realize I was saying it when I said it, but I guess... it's ... Okay. Origin story time." He leans forward, resting his chin on his hands, "I used to be just a regular boy, and then I died when I took a plunge through a magical mirror. My soul got merged with the Cheshire cat's, and I came to life like this. So.... I guess this is a Zizek kind of thing? I'm this compound person over here, and when I put on the tights, I'm Vorpal. Even if I *am* Vorpal, there are some things I'd say and do out of costume that I wouldn't do in costume." He pauses. "Ok. Not THAT many. But still... there are some."
Georgie Goodspeed	Georgie Goodspeed nods as he listens. And he truly listens. He doesn't take notes or doodle while pretending to. He doesn't think about his golf game. He fully engages, for all the world, like Vorpal is the only person that holds meaning in the entire universe. He turns thoughtful when he hears about the origin story, but nods just the same, taking Vorpal at his word. After a moment he asks, "When you say compound person... could you describe what you mean by that? Are we talking... symbiont? Does the Cheshire cat whisper to you in the back of your mind?"
Greenjack	"Nothing as exciting as that," the cat says. He lays down on the couch, stomach down, stretching the whole length of it as he explains. "I remember being two different people before. Though I remember being Tommy better than being... the cat. His memories are all blurry... some sort of trauma. I know bits and pieces, here and there. Personality, though... is intact. It's like I'm myself, but suddenly I ..." He tries to phrase it, "Have you ever developed... like, new appetites at some point or another? Like you didn't use to like something and then you develop a taste for it? Sudden cravings that you didn't have before?"
Georgie Goodspeed	Georgie Goodspeed blushes a little at the question, but remains mostly impassive. He gives a little nod. "Okay." He beams a bright smile and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I think I getcha." He wets his lips and asks, "Now that I have the basics, what do you feel that you need to work on? Not to completely plagiarize Nip/Tuck, but, What is it you don't like about yourself, Vorpal?"
Greenjack	The Cheshire chuckles and closes his eyes, flipping onto his back on the couch. "That's the question, isn't it? I guess..." He hmmms. "Do you ever wonder why people do what I do? I mean, I am sure you have theories about it. But.. "
Georgie Goodspeed	Georgie Goodspeed leans back in his chair, the leather creaking with a warm sound. "Are you asking if I wonder why people put on tights and, presumably, fight crime?"
Greenjack	"More or less... I mean, it's a valid question, right?" Vorpal opens his eyes and then turns to look at Georgie across the room.
Georgie Goodspeed	Georgie Goodspeed shifts in his chair and lifts a shoulder in a shrug. "That would presuppose that you're the first guy in tights I've had on that couch," he says with a smile. "I think it is as dangerous to try and codify a superhero's reasons for taking up the mantle as it would be to pretend I understood villains." He bows his head a little and confesses, "I'll be honest. I don't really think about it any more than I wonder after why someone would be a cop or a soldier or a whore. People try to make the best of what they have." He gives a shrug. "I am, however, interested in why you've decided to." His eyes narrow as he observes, "In all that I've read, the Cheshire Cat isn't especially heroic. Given your chosen moniker, however... The Vorpal Blade was used to kill the Jabberwocky or Bandersnatch or something like that, wasn't it?"
Greenjack	"Well, yeah, that, and someone told me there's this assassin woman who goes by the name of 'Cheshire' already and is super-dangerous. No way in hell I'm going to get in a trademark war with HER, am I right?" He smirks and props up on a shoulder. "It's kinda funny actually. This all sort of just... fell on me. Mind you, I was big into heroes. I used to write for HeroWatch before Moon bought it and it turned into a sleaze rag. Heh... I kept writing for them sometime after that, too. But... I didn't exactly mean to fall into the life. It's just that suddenly I was in a museum and statues came to life, and then Wonder Girl was beating the crap out of them. What's a guy gonna do if he can actually lend a hand, you know?"
Georgie Goodspeed	Georgie Goodspeed laughs softly and nods, agreeing to Vorpal's point. He pauses for a moment after Vorpal is done speaking. He offers, "Most guys, regardless of power, feel no responsibility or general compunction to help anyone. Things like that simply aren't important to them." He pauses and says, "Danger and violence are things that most people tend to be fairly hardwired to run away from. It's why basic training has to be so long for the military. It takes a special sort to actually be able to do anything confronted with danger, let alone do something heroic." He pauses a beat. "Or villainous for that matter."
Vorpal	"And then you've got cats, who don't have the sense to be afraid, right? And we gleefully go into danger if our curoisty is piqued. So... we make good superheroes. Or supervillains. Sounds like a hypothesis?" Vorpal smirks.
Georgie Goodspeed	Georgie Goodspeed laughs and shrugs. He holds up a hand and asks, "Well, I dunno. I've not seen you all heroic. Do you think you make a good superhero? Or villain?"
Vorpal	"I'm pretty good at what I do. Whatever it is I choose to do," the cat grins broadly, taking a moment to boast. "But I have to tell you... it's not easy. I mean, aside from the saving the world thing. You don't get paid for doing that unless you're, like, an Avenger, so you've got bills piled up. Eventually you start thinking 'Can so and so handle this, because I am going to get fired if I just step out of work without an excuse?' and then you run the risk of... what if they do get hurt, or worse, and you could have done something about it? And what about the people that get hurt?" He sighs. "I mean, it's easier now 'cause Beast Boy hired me to do his PR stuff, and that's good money. Working for a superhero while being a superhero means you don't really have to come up with an excuse for skipping out, you know what I mean? But still..." He grows quiet suddenly, looking at the ceiling.
Georgie Goodspeed	Georgie Goodspeed leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees again. He gives Vorpal a moment before he urges, "But still... what, Vorpal?"
Vorpal	"Well, sometimes I wonder if I'm doing this for the right reasons. I jumped into it, yeah, and I am not -bad- at it. But I've found out I kinda like going online and... looking at what people say about me. I like it when people admire me. I've kind of started looking forward to it..." He smirks. "The cat, worried about being vain. The world is coming to an end."
Georgie Goodspeed	Georgie Goodspeed thinks on what Vorpal has to say for a moment and challenges with, "You worry because, for the most part, you're Tommy and Tommy needs to reconcile the curiosity and pride that isn't entirely his. At least that's what I'm hearing." He pauses a moment and asks, "Doesn't a little pride make you a little better though? If you care enough to do the heroics and then you care enough to help with your own -and- another hero's PR, doesn't that make you better than, say, Batman who, by most accounts, doesn't seem to give a damn about that?"
Vorpal	"But maybe that's how it -should- be? Shouldn't we just do the right thing even if we don't get much satisfaction out of it?" The cat exhales. "I also worry. Kinda. What someone would think of me if I decided to not do this someday..."
Georgie Goodspeed	Nodding with some real connection to Vorpal's struggle, Georgie offers, "Speaking as your therapist, what anyone else thinks isn't nearly as important as what you think. According to the logic of doing the right thing even if you don't get much satisfaction out of it, would basically revert us all into monks. No time for enjoyment because, let me tell you, there is -always- someone out there that needs something." He pauses and lowers his voice. "Every time you sleep, you're letting -someone- down. Have to use the restroom? Not helping someone." Georgie pauses for effect and trudges further with, "The simple truth is that the better your life is, the less worry there is in your life, the better able you can help some people. Making a living and not being stressed out by bills and rent and lawnwork that's all overdue... that's what helps define a hero from a villain. The desperate... they're far more likely to resort to villainy, wouldn't you say?"
Vorpal	"And the vain. And the unhinged." The cat smirks, "So that's two strikes for me, isn't it?" He slides off the couch now and walks a bit, to stretch his legs. "Thing is... I DO care about what this particular someone thinks. I wasn't planning to. Heck, I wasn't planning to do -any- of that, and then suddenly now I have a boyfriend." He raises an eyebrow, "I mean, you -have- to care about what your boyfriend thinks, no?"
Georgie Goodspeed	Georgie rises too and moves over to sit on one of the other, more comfortable chairs. He nods a little and says, "Well, yeah. Other than what -you- think, what a partner thinks is pretty much the most important thing in life." He backs up then, offering, "I don't think you're either vain or unhinged. If you were either, you wouldn't be here." He winks and says, "Let the badguys beat up on you. You don't have to do it yourself." He pauses and then asks, "You mentioned that a boyfriend wasn't in your plans. Is an attraction for males something new? Something Cheshire related even? Or was it something you had just written off given your lifestyle and being in danger so often now?"
Vorpal	"Oh gosh, no, I've always been into guys as far as I could remember. I just... didn't really dare much. My family was very Catholic when I was growing up, at least until my grandparents moved back to Ireland to help my aunt raise her my cousin after uncle Brian died. But for a long time after that, too, I was pretty much 'look, don't touch." The Cheshire cat sits on one of the comfy chairs. He does so by sitting on the arm rest, not the actual seat, because of course he does. "The Cheshire just helped me... be bolder. I have this friend. Adrien Agreste, from France? He's moved back to Paris, but he was here for a while. Gorgeous. Male model, blonde, blue eyed. Nicest guy you could ever meet. I also thought he was into me." The cat shakes his head and chuckles, "Boy, was I wrong. He was just being polite, and he really didn't get I was hitting on him. So, one night, I kissed him. In front of the girl HE liked, who liked him back but had never managed to work up the nerve to tell him." He rubs his forehead and shakes his head. "That? That was a shitshow. Oh boy. But it was eventually fixed in the end... but that's when I decided I wasn't going to have any of that, because it hurt, man. So there I was, determined to not waste my time, as I put it, with any of that." He crosses his arms and leans back against the seat. "Gar Logan can be an annoying little shit sometimes. He makes jokes, he's cheerfull most of the time, he sees the good in everybody and has an almost permanently sunny disposition. Next thing you know?" the cat snaps his fingers. There's no sound, because he's covered in fur. "Next thing you know I am working for him, we're hanging out. Then we're talking. And then we're going camping. THEN we end up swimming, and the next thing you know I am walking into his tent." He closes his eyes and shakes his head with a light smirk, "Suddenly there's someone I *don't* want to disappoint. Disappointing Gar probably feels like kicking a puppy. I mean, he IS a puppy sometimes, when he goes out to do charity outreach for the kids in the hospital."
Georgie Goodspeed	Smiling, perhaps with a touch of wistfulness, Georgie listens as Vorpal talks about his journey. He nods now and then, as engaged as he's been from the beginning. He glances at his watch and says, "Well, on that note, I think our hour is long since up." He reaches over and gives Vorpal's arm a little squeeze. "Would you like to schedule another session? It sounds like you have some stuff you're eager to sort through and I think I might be able to be helpful to you."
Vorpal	"... already? Man, I do have a big mouth," the cat says, pushing off the arm rest. He reaches into a hole that appears out of nowhere, in the middle of the air, and pulls something out. A wallet. "Sure, we can definitely make this a regular thing. How much do I owe? I've never been psychoticanayzed before," he grins at Georgie.
Georgie Goodspeed	The doctor waves a hand and offers, "If you want to pay something, feel free to make a donation to the University, but we don't accept money here. It's one of the ways the little people like us get to be heroes." He stands up and says, "Before I see you next, I want you to think on a couple of things. First, I want you to consider some goals for what you want us to work on. Second, I want you to think of four virtues that you hold dear. I don't mean what you think others expect or what ... umm... Gar... holds dear. I mean in your heart of hearts. What's important to you. Sort of like the boyscouts and their Trustworthy, Honest, Brave sort of thing." Georgie smiles and and whispers conspiratorially, "Time does fly when good work is being done. Some sessions, that fifty minute hour will leave you exhausted though."
Vorpal	"Sounds like fun. Maybe next time I can have a breakdown!" the cat says, patting Georgie's shoulder. He's kidding. Totally. Right? "I'll send that donation in the morning, then, and here's my card." He takes out a card. From where? Hard to tell, that costume doesn't allow for pockets. "You can call me here to tell me when you're free next. Secret number, don't share with anybody!" He grins and hands it to Georgie before opening the Rabbit Hole leading to Metropolis. "Thanks for the talk, Doc. I'll see you soon, I hope!"