[right][h2]Jay’s Catharsis[/h2]
[@silver21] [@Stanifly] [@Tlazolteotl] [/right]
[color=8882be]“Why would you choose to come here?”[/color]

Disappointment settled, quiet and heavy, into the pit of their stomach like sediment finding the bottom of a glass. And with it came that old, familiar sensation of being gently, politely, inevitably edged toward the door without anyone actually pointing at it.

[i][color=8882be]“Why would you choose to come here?”[/color][/i]

They’d shown them Κάθαρσις’s exact words. [i]This is a place to unburden yourself.[/i] 

But if someone who was actually part of this was asking why someone like Jay—someone whose problems were six months stale and didn’t involve anything remotely life-or-death—would bother showing up, then... well.

Jay could tell when they weren’t wanted. They’d developed something of a sixth sense for it. And they knew how some people didn’t like to come out and just say [i]we don’t want you here[/i], so they found ‘softer’ ways. ‘Polite’ ways. Indirect enough to let everyone pretend no one had said anything of the sort. If and when you left, it was ‘on your own volition.’ 

Quietly, Jay stood.

“I came here because it was advertised that all are welcome to vent.” Their voice came out flatter than intended. Good. Flat was fine. Flat was better than cracking. “Obviously I’m not qualified to be here, though. Sorry to waste everyone’s time.”

A pause. A breath that didn’t feel like enough air. Then, because manners were manners: “Have a nice day.”

They turned and made for the exit—not running, because running would be dramatic, and this wasn’t dramatic, this was just leaving—but not dawdling either. The walk of someone who had somewhere else to be, even if that somewhere was just [i]anywhere but here[/i].

Heat gathered behind their eyes; their throat was constricting in a way that meant they had about five seconds before this was going to get dramatic.

Shame crept in alongside the heat. The kind that whispered [i]you shouldn’t have tried[/i] and [i]did you learn nothing from last time?[/i]

Apparently not.

[i]You’re so fucking stupid, Jay.[/i]