fiddlestick | IC Inbox (Kaisou)

[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]

[At least he's given his friend some ideas. That's the best he can do.

Jusis is glad to hear that Elliot's been to therapy. It's not surprising, all things considered, but it's still good to know that the redhead takes his mental health seriously.]

I'm glad I could give you some ideas on a way forward. Let me know if there's anything more I can do to help with that.

[That's about when their dinner arrives. Jusis will be a gentleman and bring it in from the porch. Judging by the label on the bag, it's from a more high-end restaurant. He starts walking over to the table they'll be eating at.]

If you don't have wine glasses, I'll keep my horror to a minimum. [His tone is wry, so clearly he's joking.]

[He'll give him a nod]

Yeah, you've possibly been a big help! Thanks Jusis, I'll let you know how it goes.

[He'll have to make some arrangements and formulate a plan, but...it's a way forward he hadn't considered before.

As Jusis gets the food, Elliot will get up and get the utensils needed and bring them to the table. He laughs at Jusis's joke.]

C'mon, Jusis, you know I'm a teacher. I drink my wine straight from the bottle, just like Instructor Sara! [He's obviously joking, as he's saying this as he's pulling down some wine glasses from his dish cabinet]

You're quite welcome.

[Jusis just hopes that it'll help mellow Varian out a little bit, if only for Elliot's sake. Good Lord.

He scoffs, looking slightly aggrieved.]

Good grief... I haven't remembered much about her, yet, but I'll consider that a good thing for now.

[Considering Sara is absolutely the most feral gremlin out of Class VII. He'll start setting out the food and transferring the steaks to their plates. Everything else is easier to eat out of the takeout containers.]

What's your preference for wines, by the way? It occurs to me that I should make a note of this for future reference.

[He gives a small laugh, rubbing the back of his head]

Yeah, that's probably for the best.

[He's got plenty of memories thanks to teaching association but....yeah he can't imagine Jusis getting anything but a headache from the memories.

He'll move to sit at the table. Jusis insisted on handling all this, so he'll let him do that]

Wines? Well...I can't say I know very much about them at all, but I do prefer sweeter stuff! Is that okay? I know that's one of those things people get strong takes about.

[Jusis getting a tension headache from Sara is definitely a normal occurrence for him.

He towels off the wine bottle before pouring them each about half a glass.]

There's nothing wrong with that, personally. I prefer a dry wine myself, but I'm certainly not going to shame you for having different tastes.

[The blond sets their glasses before taking his seat. Just two friends having expensive steak and wine for dinner.]

This one isn't super sweet, but it has a lovely flavor. I hope it's to your discernible taste.

[He can't help himself from poking a little fun.]

Dry wine huh? I'll keep that in mind... [He's not sure he could afford a bottle that'd be up to Jusis's usual standards, but you never know! The lottery exists] And that's a relief to hear. Your mercy is truly remarkable.

[He is definitely teasing him on that last part, as he settles in for this just friends steak dinner on a friday night alone]

Oh, I'm sure I'll like it just fine! [he holds up his glass for a toast] To friends and food delivery apps.

[Oh, Elliot... it doesn't even need to be pricey as long as it tastes good. Unfortunately, Jusis has zero clue just how fancy his friend thinks he is.]

Isn't it just?

[Judging by the small smile, he's finding this whole thing amusing. He holds up his glass and clinks it gently against Elliot's.]

Cheers, Elliot.

[Jusis sips the wine before setting it back down.]

IC Inbox (Kaisou)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject