Thread: Perception is Reality (ClearSight & SomethingEsoteric)

Miranda's grin had changed to a more curious expression as Meghan began to speak, once again proving she was quite different from the previous people sent to try and figure her out. Miranda had come to dislike psychologists during her stay at the Centre, they had proven to be a group of people who were looking for problems, people who wanted nothing more than to declare that she had this problem or that. It was humorous really, with each one of them they spouted off what was wrong with her and yet she could just as easily notice flaws in their character. Yet she wasn't allowed to do that, they got angry or redirected back to her, and all that while they got to walk around free, nobody made them go work out their problems and chances are they had outbursts as well. Not that Miranda would admit to any problems, she believed her 'flaws' were more personality traits than anything, parts of her that people disliked so they made them seem bad enough to require change. That was how people were though, anyone smarter or more successful than themselves was instantly an enemy, someone who needed to be out of the way and locked up. She wasn't sure if Meghan would be of that opinion but she doubted it, the woman didn't seem like the type to be intimidated by intelligence, though she could have been wrong. Miranda thought back on the first doctor that had been assigned to her upon arriving at the Centre, a younger man, sure of himself and sure of who Miranda was from the start. He had been intimidated by her, not because of what she had done to be sentenced but because of how easily she dismissed his education and field of study. Her intelligence had been his downfall, Miranda using it to make him feel small and insignificant, correct any mistake he made in grammar or word choice, giving him questions inside his field that only the most experienced of doctors would have been able to answer. He had been easy. That was when the game first came to Miranda, how fun it was to destroy the person trying to break her down and expose whatever they believed to be hiding behind her outermost shell. Ever since then she had played around with each doctor that came her way, pitting her wit against theirs and having always come out on top. She didn't think anything would change with Meghan, but of all the doctors she had come face to face with she was most cautious with the one who seemed different, studying each movement and word, eyes unwavering as they watched the gorgeous woman with fiery intrigue, like she could see everything going on in that pretty little head. The compliment to her intelligence swelled Miranda's ego, a fact was a fact but when it came to being complimented Miranda was always in a good mood, she liked it and that was especially true when it was genuine, when the person meant it. However the writing on the pad of things she could not see had always bothered Miranda, she knew what it was for, knew the type of information written, but she could never get herself to stop thinking about just what the doctor truly thought. However that was not what concerned her most, the question posed was. Did she want to leave? That was a question nobody had directly asked her before, some people insinuated she wanted to stay but generally her demeanor and their beliefs in what she was plagued by made that question remain a thought for the other doctors. So it caught Miranda a bit off guard, had her raise an eyebrow as she let her mind fight itself over an answer. Miranda had no asked to be put into the Centre, not asked to have her freedom forcefully stripped away, but there was a certain comfort that came with the new style of life. She didn't have to worry about business deals and board meetings, no reports or contracts to deal with, no waking up at 5 am after going to sleep only hours earlier. There was time to do what she wanted, to simply lay around in bed, and not have to worry about what the newspapers would say or how it felt to always be alone in that huge house she had bought. Miranda stopped herself, she didn't want to think about her old life, there was no real pleasant feeling to be derived from it, in fact the only thing she missed was the competition, having some way to entertain herself. There were other things she missed however, things that didn't necessarily involve her own life but the lost freedom. One such things was sex. Miranda hadn't been laid since she arrived at the Centre, she had her chances, especially with her assigned nurse being interested in her own way, not to mention the one or two doctors she knew wouldn't have been able to resist, but she had never acted on it. Perhaps she was looking for someone specific, perhaps she didn't want to get close to anyone, but it was probably just that she found each of them repulsive in some way, even if it was simply how they thought of her. She was use to being seen impartially or even for the successes she had managed, it turned her stomach when someone looked at her and so obviously thought she was crazy or violent, even if they were attracted to her. It made her lose all respect and thus none of them had ever been serious possibilities. Miranda knew she had to answer the question, knew she needed to stop pondering and make sure she didn't seem to avoid the quandary. First of all this is a game. Do you think I should take this seriously? If you know who I am you should realize what I've done, the challenges I've overcome, compared to my life before this place is a joke. They put me here, tell me I'm crazy, hah. Miranda took a deep breath and then shrugged, But guess what, regardless of the fact that I know more about your field then most of those who call themselves doctors and despite my accomplishments I'm not the one who gets to decide anything, I'm trapped here under the guise of mental illness. She looked into Meghan's eyes for a moment and then smiled, But you, you're aware of all that I think, and from what you've said you don't believe what they have said about me, decided more so, is correct. That should mean that I don't belong here, unless of course you do agree my mental health is in question? She didn't really expect an answer, in her mind no matter what people told her she could find a more reasonable explanation and explain it better than they could hope to, and it was obvious in her tone that she found others observations and decisions about her to be inferior, though part of her was just as scared that there was something wrong with her as anything else. But that wasn't a question, the question was whether I want to leave... She paused, not to think but to feel out Meghan and then she leaned forward, her beautiful face serious as she pushed a lock of wavy hair from her face. This place allows me no freedom, I will admit there is a certain desirable lack of responsibility here, it can even be fun putting arrogant fools in their place, but why would I want to stay? Outside of this damn place is a life for me where I can have anything I desire... Anything. A nicer home, entertainment, sex... 'Sex' it was emphasized more than any other word and the look on her face was meant to tease Meghan, to put an image in her head. So how about you tell me, do I want to leave? I think the answer is quite obvious Meg my dear... With that she gave a small little smirk, confidence oozing but truly only to bring attention from her lack of a real answer, the fact that she never actually said she wanted to leave. Miranda was quite self-aware, and she knew that her response, while exactly what was on her mind, was not one to be confident about. Yet she refused to show weakness, she would do whatever she could to hide her vulnerabilities.