“It’s allowed,” Dr. Marin said. “And you’re allowed to keep Kharon. He can protect you and still have boundaries. This is about negotiation, not eviction.”
Berz1337 (they preferred the handle because it felt less like a name and more like armor) sat with elbows on knees, shoulders tight. Beside them, folded in a way that somehow made room for both menace and melancholy, was a hellhound: coal-black fur that absorbed the light, eyes like molten brass, and a single scar running from snout to shoulder that seemed to map an entire life. The dog’s breath came out in warm puffs, ash-scented, as if it had been exhaling embers for years. hellhound therapy session berz1337 new
Dr. Marin wrote, then set the pen down. “When he protects you by pushing others away, what does that protect you from?” “It’s allowed,” Dr
Berz1337’s fingers worked a rhythm against their knee. “He’s part of me. Not metaphorically — I can feel him. When I’m about to snap, he sits up, ears pricked, and the world tilts.” They glanced at the hellhound. “He eats the shame so I don’t have to. He keeps people away. He… protects me by destroying things.” He can protect you and still have boundaries
If Kharon had a thought about the whole affair, it was this: fire can warm a room without burning it down, if someone shows it how.
Dr. Marin’s voice stayed steady. “What does being unrecognizable look like? What would you lose?”