A Bitter Being (Bushroot x Reader)

Ch. 12: Getting Help

A week goes by. You and Bushroot are going to see a therapist today. Right now, you will. And in about a few hours, Bushroot will see the therapist. The therapist is Clara Owlson. She turns out to be the younger sister of St. Canard's mayor, Zan Owlson. 

Clara Owlson is in her late twenties, but she is great at her job and one of the best therapists in St. Canard. So, Liquidator set you guys up to see her. So, Clara is more like a relationship counselor.

You're driving. Bushroot has a bottle of booze in his hand. You have a cigarette in your mouth. You may have both made up, but your nasty smoking and drinking habits didn't stop, yet. And that's why you're the one driving. You don't have the alcohol.

Bushroot says, "I want to stop drinking. I really do. It's just... since our terrible breakup, I couldn't stop drinking." You get the cigarette out of your mouth and you exhale the smoke. You say, "Believe me, sweetie. I'm trying to get off nicotine, myself. It's just... so tempting, sometimes. Believe it or not, there are foods worse than cigarettes." 

He says, "Yeah. Artificial sweeteners." You say, "Yeah." He sighs and says, "All the fattening foods I've been consuming nonstop cause a lot more deaths than cigarettes do." You say, "Mostly due to heart attacks or strokes." 

He says, "I'm just happy we're getting help. We really need it." You say, "Yeah. I admit I do. I'm so sorry, baby." You hold a hand towards him and you have the other on the steering wheel and your cigarette in that hand as well. He takes your hand. You smile and he smiles back.

You sigh and you say, "I've been such a horrible piece of shit since the breakup. I was ruining other people's relationships including a wedding that would've been perfect if it wasn't for me. I'm lucky Splatter Phoenix had my back, no matter what." 

He says, "I blame myself for that. All of those breakups, especially ours did a number on you. I couldn't blame you for how you turned out afterwards... Part of me feels like I had it coming." You sigh and you feel tears stinging your eyes. You let go of his hand and you grab the steering wheel. You puff your cigarette.

You exhale smoke and you say, "I hate what I've become after that ambush. I really do, Reggie. I was so blinded by anger and pain that it just... got to me. I was so kind. Too kind. But I don't want to be the horrible piece of shit for a tyrant that I was for a while. I really don't. I still had a soft spot for kids while in that sociopathic tyrant stage. I've warned Gosalyn about relationships because I just... I don't want her dealing with what I did. I care about her. I babysat her."

He sighs and says, "Nobody's perfect. I've been bullied and ridiculed my whole life, babe. My dad hated me and left. I was left with my mom raising me on her own. She started drinking a lot by the time I was eleven years old. I feel like I've become my mom in that scenario. I was horribly bullied in school. At least both your parents loved you. I'm sorry none of your relationships went well... a-and I wasn't any better with that ambush. I regret every second of it. I should've realized it then that the previous ones weren't good for you. I guess I was paranoid. I didn't receive much love, myself. I met you and had hopes. You're just so pretty... my darkest thoughts told me you'd abandon me, too." 

You put a hand up to your (mouth/beak) and you try to prevent more tears from falling. You sigh and you say, "The whole being bullied in school is no different with me either, Reggie. It really isn't." 

You both get to the mental health center and you park right outside. You and Bushroot get out of the car and you say, "Wish me luck. You're next after me." He nods. You say, "You can take my car and do some shopping for your plants in the meantime. I'll be here for at least an hour." 

He says, "I'll be back for you. I'm next after you." You both lean in and you kiss. You pull away. You say, "I'll see you in a bit." You look at the car and back at him and you say, "On second thought... You've had a couple of drinks. I would suggest you walk or use your plant powers to bring a tree to take you instead." 

He says, "Hey yeah. Better idea." You stroke his face and you smile and say, "It's good to have you around, Reggie. Don't ever do it again, alright?" He says, "I just love you so much, (Y/N). I'd rather be dead than to live without you." You say, "I'll be back." You step away and you walk inside the building. 

Bushroot looks towards a nearby tree and he summons it with his powers. The tree comes to life and pulls itself from the ground. It approaches Bushroot and Bushroot says, "Take me to the nearest store. I'm getting more fertilizer for my plants and my pet flytrap, Spike. Poor guy misses me." The tree picks him up and they take off.

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Moments later, you're in Dr. Clara Owlson's office and you're laying back on a couch. She's sitting in a chair and has a clipboard, form and pen in her hand. She says, "And tell me Miss. (L/N). How did this all get started?" You say, "My breakup with Reginald Bushroot. We went to a garden because he knew how much I loved flowers. Roses, especially." 

She says, "Go on." You sigh and you say, "This is how my hostility started. After that ambush in the garden Reggie had for me, something inside of me had finally had enough of taking crap from men. I started hating plants after that. And men. I still had a soft spot for kids, though."

You sigh and she says, "It's alright, Miss. (L/N). Say what you need to say." You say, "I've turned a lot of people against me after my drastic change. All of those breakups from being cheated on by previous guys. Those were nothing compared to the setup Reggie had for me. I thought he was going to propose to me as his fiancée. I was wrong, Dr. Owlson. It hurt me so much that it turned me into a sociopathic freak. I started smoking cigarettes. Drove two to three friends away from me. I started destroying other people's relationships." 

She says, "And why did you do such a thing?" You say, "I felt as though if I couldn't be in a good relationship... nobody could. I was lucky to have had Splatter Phoenix by my side." She says, "Art based female super villain whose ability is to bring her art to life to do her schemes?" You say, "Yes. Her." 

She says, "I've had Miss. Amelia Winston as my patient. Did you know that was her real name?" You say, "Yeah. She told me before..." You sigh and you say, "I just loved Reggie so much that when he did that whole terrible setup for me, it destroyed all the love and care I had for anyone. I was lucky to still care about kids and animals, though. Kids and animals still have their innocence until adults corrupt them later. I just hated plants and men, mostly. And good relationships. I've made fake cheating schemes on that wedding and at a club between two co-workers of mine. I didn't regret a thing... Now I do." 

After all of this, Dr. Owlson says, "Miss. (L/N). Might I suggest that you take medication for your anger issues? It turns out dear... you've been dealing with anger issues. I wouldn't exactly call you a sociopath, though. You have your regrets. I have Reginald in a couple of hours. You have bipolar schizophrenia, Miss. (L/N). Ease up on the cigarette smoking as well." 

You say, "I'll try and stop that, but it's so hard to quit an addiction." She says, "Trust me, Miss. (L/N). I know from experience as a teenage girl. I got help at twenty and studied to be a therapist to help others. Especially those that are in a bad relationship. I've helped my mayor sister out of a bad one." 

You say, "Wow. Zan Owlson was in a shitty relationship, herself?" She nods and says, "I get that relationships aren't as great as they used to be. Trust me. This was my almost brother-in-law that cheated on her with a college girl who wasn't even nineteen years old. They're lucky they never had kids, together. She's got a nine-year-old daughter with her new husband, now. Luckily, he's great with her and Stacey. Stacey's my niece." 

You say, "Wow. I'd love to have kids of my own at one point. With Reginald Bushroot, nonetheless. I was just so angry and devastated with him that time that it turned ME into more of a monster than all of the super villains in St. Canard." You continue talking to Dr. Owlson until your time is up and you head out.