fiddlestick | IC Inbox (Kaisou)

[Jusis is the most thoughtful man alive. His date canceled so he could take care of other things thanks to Varian and Fern, he wasn't expecting a package like this.

He'll send him a text]

Thanks for the wine, Jusis. I can't say I have much experience drinking wine this fancy, but I'm sure I'll like it!

Though, I think I'd probably like it even more if I could share it with some good company, if you're inclined.

[That's rough, buddy.

Jusis is, fortunately somehow, not working overtime, so he's able to send a text back.]

It pairs well with steak. Any cut, truthfully, so I'm certain it'll still taste just fine with dollar store steak as it does with Wagyu.

It sounds like the privilege will be mine, in that case. I'll be over in a few minutes. I need to change out of my work clothes.

[He wants freedom from the suit and tie!!!]

Haha...well, I might be the one to test that theory about the dollar store stuff. I'm pretty bad at cooking steak, so the idea of working with something like wagyu would be stressful.

[Elliot is a great cook so long as it does not involve slabs of meat ok]

Great to hear, I'd be happy to have you!

I can cook an edible steak, but I wouldn't expect more than that.

[If he had more time to practice, maybe he'd be better.

Jusis's idea of 'casual' definitely needs work, though, when he eventually shows up at Elliot's door. Button-up, white shirt with a green sweater vest over it and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He doesn't even change out of his tan slacks. He rings the doorbell and waits patiently.

You know what, at least he doesn't look like he's about to take Elliot to court.]

Hehe, in that case, maybe we should try our luck with delivery.

[Which was fine, after the evening he had he wasn't really in the mood for cooking.

When Elliot answers the door, he's dressed in more comfortable clothes, a t-shirt and some legging with a oversized yellow sweater thrown over. He probably threw those on one he got home, knowing he wasn't going out.

He doesn't comment on Jusis's attire. He knows overly fancy clothes is just part of his friend's vibe]

Hey Jusis! Come on in!

[Somehow, Jusis can't help being a fancy bitch. He also does his best to keep his face straight when he says:]

Guten Abend, Elliot. Thank you for inviting me.

[Living in Germany made it easy to remember something about a hit radio talk show from their past life, at least. He steps inside and toes off his shoes in the foyer.]

I got your text about delivery. I have no objections to it, but I'm going to have to insist on paying for the meal, too. It's a nice Friday evening, after all.

[Totally not because Jusis wants to help Elliot salvage the end of the day by doing something nice. Nope. Definitely not that.]

[Elliot doesn't speak much german, but he can still grasp the meaning from context. He'll grin]

Of course! You're always welcomed here!

[He'll shut the door behind them, leading them to the living room. The wine bottle is chilling in a bucket of...well okay it's a mix of ice from the freezer ice trays and snow he got outside HE HAD TO IMPROVISE.]

What? Are you sure? I mean I was the one who suggested it, so it feels like I should pay for it.

[Elliot is way too nice and Jusis doesn't know how to handle kindness on the regular. He can be polite, but he's also ???????]

That's very kind of you. Thank you.

[For once, Jusis won't judge. It had been kind of sudden, after all.]

I'm quite sure. A good experience is, in my opinion, the best pairing for wine. Not to mention, I think this is the least I can do to repay and acknowledge your hard work and kindness.

[Bro..............]

[Jusis that..is so sweet. Elliot can't help but be touched by the sentiment, smiling with a bit of red in his cheek]

Jusis....

[Ah right, shake it off. He'll rub the back of his head]

I'm pretty sure all I did is something any teacher would do, but...alright, you win. In that case- I'll let you handle the ordering! [He'll grab his tablet and open up the food delivery app.]

Here, it should be set to this address so it should be all the restaurants in range. [Here's hoping theres...something]

[Jusis takes the tablet and does a bit of searching.]

You say that as if it tried to deliver your order from Europe.

[He misses German cuisine, but definitely not enough to get it airdropped by the delivery app of the week.]

Do you have any preference for side dishes?

[he snorts as he sits down on the couch, making himself comfortable]

I wasn't suggesting that! Though is that actually a thing rich people do?

[He's curious okay!!]

Hmm...maybe a soup of some kind? That'd be nice on a cold night like this.

[Jusis glances over at Elliot.]

I certainly didn't, and neither did my brother, but I wouldn't put it passed my father or other insanely rich CEOs with nothing better to do. Or eat, for that matter.

[Just because he's never seen his father order food doesn't mean it doesn't happen.]

Not a bad idea. [Tap tap tap on the tablet. He's getting himself a salad. Once the order's put in, he closes the app and joins Elliot on the couch while handing it back to him.] Did the rest of your day go well?

[Jusis certainly hopes it did.]

Aha...good point. Those guys would probably view it as some weird power move rather than completely ostentatious.

[Billionaires are all insane

He snorts] You mean besides my students blowing up their apartment? Yeah, it was a pretty run-of-the-mill day up to that point.

There's not a doubt in my mind.

[Jusis may be a fancy person, but he's got his limits.

💧]

Yes, besides that.... [He's still glad that's not his legal problem to untangle. Jusis is also finding that he's way out of his comfort zone, but he's trying. Elliot's a very good friend and deserves him actually putting forth the effort of being a good friend in turn.] I'm happy to listen if you need to vent, but we can talk about something else if you'd rather take your mind off of it.

[He's so uncertain of if he's nailed it or not, but he keeps that uncertainty off of his expression. It's mostly seen in how he's not exactly looking at Elliot.]

[Aw Jusis ... he can see that his friend is trying. And even if he's trying to hide it...yeah, the lack of eye contact is pretty telling. Still, he appreciates and lets out a sigh]

...I'm mostly okay, really. This isn't the first time those two have caused an incident, and at least no one was actually hurt this time. Sometimes you gotta play it up a little with the kids so they remember not to do it again, you know?

[For whatever reason, explosions don't faze these kids but the disapproval of one short music teacher is apparently a source of fear. Does Elliot understand it? Not in the least. ]

Though...days like this do remind me how in over my head I am. I know as their teacher I'm supposed to help guide these kids, but I barely know what I'm doing myself.

[Jusis would ask himself what Rean would do, but he knows damn well he's not even on the man's level when it comes to cheering people up. Still, he knows when to shut up and listen, and this is one of those moments. In a way, the blond can sympathize with Elliot's feelings. Jusis has definitely felt that some days.

Because of that, he doesn't think this is a time for empty words of encouragement. Honestly, coming from Jusis, that'd probably feel very disingenuous, if not condescending.]

That's more than understandable, especially when a lot of those kids have unusual powers or come from entirely different worlds. [He leans forward a little, looking Elliot in the eyes.] To be honest, I doubt even retired teachers knew what they were doing with their kids. Sometimes there's simply nothing you can really do except watch over them as they play it out. But if you ever need advice, you always have your coworkers to help you. I'm here, too, if you just need to talk it out or have some sort of distraction.

[Jusis sits up a little straighter with a small smile.]

I'm much better with younger kids than teenagers, Millium notwithstanding, so I don't know how helpful any advice from me will actually be.

[It's the right choice of encouragement. Elliot had Rean if he wanted to hear endless encouragement. Rean always believed in him even when he didn't believe in himself, and that was a blessing. But Elliot was also one that valued honesty, and just to hear the truth of the matter. So...hearing this from Jusis helps]

Yeah...I guess you're right. It's pretty easy to be hard on myself and forget that stuff...but it's good to have the reminder. [That it's not just him that'd be clueless, that he wasn't alone]

And honestly, I think your advice would have it's uses. A lot of them come from backgrounds closer to yours than mine, unfortunately... [Put aside all the freaky powers, and a lot of them were just kids that came from broken homes. Pretty depressing really]

[Jusis relaxes somewhat since it looks like he didn't screw that up too badly.]

Even I've forgotten that at times, and I'm certain I'll need reminding again in the future. We're only human.

[That... Somehow doesn't surprise him, but it's no less sad to hear. Considering the only background he can see having in common with most of them being his family situation.]

Then I'll do what I can to help give you that advice. Or at least help prepare you, especially when they'll most likely look to you and other teachers to fill a missing role in their life.

[Whatever Elliot needs, Jusis will sure as hell try to provide.]

Eheh, yeah. It's easy to forget that stuff when pressure is put on you. [And a LOT of pressure is put on Jusis, always] But hey, if Instructor Sara did this and we all turned out mostly alright... maybe that's a sign I should give myself a break.

[Because seriously, Sara set that bar in hell for what a good teacher is]

Yeah, that's what I noticed. Varian in particular is constantly looking for approval. Unfortunately he's equally not at good at figuring out what people want and...just goes overboard instead.

[It's tough]

[It really is a wonder that Jusis doesn't already have a full head of white hair, especially in his past life.]

Most certainly. You're head and shoulders above that she-demon's teaching skills.

[He may not remember much about Instructor Sara, but what he does is damning.

Jusis thinks about that.]

Is it that he doesn't understand what people want or how much is too much in order to get it? I can see that his heart is in the right place, but....

[It seems like overcompensation about something to Jusis, if that's Varian's goal.]

Hehe, awww. Thanks Jusis.

[He'll smile at that, being able to accept the compliment rather than downplay it because...yeah, even he can't defend Sara here.]

Um, both? [He rubs his head and gives an awkward laugh] To give you an idea, a few months I held auditions for a solo part in a concert. He really wanted it, but instead of practicing his piece as much as he could, he thought the better use of his time that'd make him stand out was to strap fireworks to his piano.

[He sighs at the memory]

Well, it did stand out, I'll give him that. But he didn't get the part and I now have the fire department on my speed dial.

Edited 2023-02-06 19:59 (UTC)

It's nothing to thank me for.

[He's just telling the truth!

Jusis stares at Elliot in silence for a few seconds, and then sighs deeply. He leans back, hanging his head over the top of the couch, and pinches the bridge of his nose. Now he sees why they have a whole filing cabinet drawer dedicated to Varian. Still....]

Some of it can possibly be attributed to being a typical teenage boy. Lack of foresight and all of that. However... It may be that he doesn't see why it's a problem. He's too smart for his own good, and perhaps thinks that showing he's intelligent or inventive is the best way to get people's approval, especially from an adult he's attached to.

Ha...you hit the nail on the head.

[Jusis's is a perceptive guy. No wonder he does well as a prosecutor in this life. Elliot rests his own hands in his lap, clasping together]

He's a scientific genius. One of those one-in-a-generation types you'd hear about in the news. Which means ... he'll try to apply science to solve all his problems, instead of working on stuff he's less confident in. But since he's mostly self-taught with science, he never learned proper safety procedures, and...

[he sighs]

He's a good kid, really. And I know he wants to do the right thing, and really regrets the mistakes he does make. I just wish I knew a better way to guide him.

[He's had to make very good use of it. Half of his job is making sure to entertain the jury, quite honestly.

Jusis thinks about that for a moment. Given Elliot's personality, and with Varian's precocious nature....]

What you're doing now is very important, though I'll admit I'm only making some guesses based on what little I know of your relationship with him. You're giving him support and you're reassuring him that just because he makes a devastating mistake, that doesn't mean he's undeserving of that support and care. However, since he's as science-minded as you say, it's entirely possible that he doesn't realize that he's stuck in a cycle. Numbers or charts of what he's doing may drive the point home better.

[He gives a light shrug. It's not dismissive, but it looks almost helpless.]

Barring professional help from a therapist he probably doesn't want? I don't see much else that you can do that'll help him more than you've done already. That's not to say it's not important. It very much is. I'm simply presenting a possibility that you've hit your limit, if this last attempt doesn't work.

[Not that Jusis likes telling Elliot that, but he wants to be honest.]

[He sighs and leans back against the couch cushion, looking up as he listens to what Jusis has to say. Maybe it's not the most positive thing in the world, but it was realistic and Elliot did appreciate that.

Besides, it's not like it doesn't give him some ideas]

...Therapy actually might not be a bad idea. [From the look in his eyes, the wheels are turning] I've been in it myself since I was 18, so I could vouch for it's validity. And if he needs more convincing, there's lots of scientific data out there...

[Yeah...yeah. That's definitely an angle he could use. Varian would never turn away a science]

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