Fake it ~ [Sean]

[Leiken Chu]

Leiken yawned, stretching his arms over his head briefly, folding them behind his head as he walked to the office of Dr. Sean Neville. He'd heard the man was the psychiatrist within the school and immediately it seemed as though the pieces of his game were falling into place. He'd met that trainer regret choosing to train him. This he was determined to see through. The man had gotten to far under his skin already and he did not like it one bit.

However, Leiken would not willingly let anyone know of this plan, no. In fact, the reason he made the appointment with the man was said merely to determine how to deal with his own mental health; it was a lie. What Lei really planned to do was to get information out of this man, information that would help him better understand how to get under someone's skin, especially someone who was a trainer. He believed that the psychiatrist would prove to be the best source for that information, but he had to be careful that this was not discovered as his true intention else it would prevent him from gaining that very knowledge.

Leiken reached the office at last and dropped both arms back to his side. Taking in a deep breath to calm his own nerves as well to make sure that none of his own abilities decided to act on their own in the process. He pulled his dark blue hoodie straightened, smoothing out the fabric of his jeans, then he would raise his hand. Giving a firm knock upon the door to announce his arrival. "Dr. Neville?" he questioned. Not really paying mind to whether or not he was supposed to check in with someone else. He'd pranced right up ignoring all else more or less.

After the knock had passed his hand rose to his hair, rubbing at his head, messing the strands of his hair up once more as if it would make his own appearance more intimidating to do so. He stood up straight to show off his height the best he could, not knowing how tall the man was he was meeting, to make himself seem bigger. His eyes staring at the door as if he expected it to open immediately to his knock.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean had never felt the urge to become a trainer. From a young age, he had wanted to be a doctor (and that had been expected of him as his father’s son. When his telepathy manifested, he knew that he wanted to become a mental health professional, which was how he came to be a psychiatrist, and years later, how he had come to work at Hammel.

Despite never wanting to be a trainer, he had nothing but the utmost respect for the trainers at Hammel. Both because of his relationship with his own mentor, as well as because he knew how stressful the job could be.

Moreover, the psychiatrist spoke to the trainers and was kept apprised of any major issues. In addition to what he gleaned from the telepathy and from reading the student files, and whatever came up at staff meetings.

As a result, Sean knew a bit about Leiken Chu.

Their arranged meeting came on the heels of what had sounded to be an unpleasant, if not wholly disastrous, training session. The type that illustrated why he was glad that he wasn’t a trainer. Even ifhe occasionally had to deal with the fallout.

When Lei arrived, he called for the boy to enter his office. “Come in!”

When the boy had, he gestured at the chairs around the room, not merely the ones in front of his desk, but the ones at the other end of the office near the sofa. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

[Leiken Chu]

Leiken sighed heavily almost wondering why he was even waiting for an answer. Though he supposed it was the right thing to do given the fact that he'd bypassed everything else to get to that point. His hand messed in his hair a bit, smoothing down the strands that he'd managed to disturb on the way to that point, though it didn't seem like a wait at all.

Leiken smirked when he heard the voice from the other side of the door calling for him to come in. However, the expression faded as he opened the door. Proceeding into the office with a placid look upon his features despite going into a place where he put himself at risk of someone being nosy.

At least there was a law that prevented the sharing of that information in this situation, so he didn't have to worry too much, he hoped. He didn't know too much on the details of such things. Leiken had no idea the man knew anything of him, though it wouldn't come as much of a surprise given that the school had records on him, saying who knows what about his life.

He entered the room casually, closing the door behind him, immediately moving to the gestured chair and flopping down on the surface of it. "Good day, doc." he greeted the man. "Comfortable? I doubt that I can be in here, but I'll try." he noted as he wiggled himself down into the seat a bit. Pulling on the collar of his shirt to loosen it's placement a bit.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean waited for the boy to enter his office. Leiken was off to a good start, in that he closed the door behind him without being prompted. Since he chose to sit in front of the desk, rather than further back in the office, the psychiatrist was able to remain where he was, instead of moving to another chair.

However, they were off to a less than ideal start, in a more substantial way. There was little reason to be uncomfortable in this office, given that the boy had made this appointment of his own volition. He hadn’t been forced to come here by a relative arranging it behind his back; he hadn’t been forced to come here by a staff member, and he wasn’t here for a disciplinary meeting.

Because he had arranged the meeting himself, he was the only one with direct knowledge of what he needed. Unless Sean chose to probe, but he tried not to do that absent permission from the student or a reason to probe directly. He might overhear, as was the nature of telepathy, but he didn’t probe.

“What can I do for you today?”

The direct approach would likely be the best with Leiken. Given what Sean knew of his personality.

[Leiken Chu]

Leiken had no idea that closing the door behind himself was something that was right to do. He merely did so out due to it being the best way to keep others from overhearing what was spoken about behind those doors. Leiken knew little about the man other than the jist of who he was so he had little idea of what to expect of him.

"I am having a bit of trouble with training." he explained. Thinking over within how to best speak his words before he did so, not wanting to let anything slip that might hint to what it really was about, after all it would ruin his plan if he did. "I am not sure I am capable of understanding my trainer, or his methods. He wants me to see that I am not a monster, but I don't trust him. " he stated plainly. "I'm here because I was hoping that you could help me figure out a way to deal with the things he's caused me."

He explained a little further, "he's brought up alot of bad memories and I don't like that. I don't understand the kind of man he is or how to understand him enough to accept those methods." he stated rubbing at his head a bit. "I just know that if this continues i'm going to go mad." he wondered if his 'show' would convince the man of his reasoning. Though some of it was true it was not the entire purpose of his visit.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean leaned forward in his chair, demonstrating that he was listening attentively as Leiken described what had brought him to this office. Unsurprisingly, his concerns were also related to his training and relationship with his trainer. Given what the psychiatrist had learned of that training session, he would be concerned if either party wasn’t somewhat unsettled by it.

Sean waited for Leiken to finish his explanation, as he didn’t want to interrupt him. Only when he was sure that the boy had nothing further to add on the topic, before he took his turn to speak.

“I’m not in charge of the training program,” he began. There was nothing in his position or job title to indicate that he was, but given his somewhat eclectic collection of tasks, and his rather ubiquitous reputation, it was possible that the boy believed he had more direct authority than he did. “Mrs. Morgenstern, the Headmistress, has final say over anything involving personnel assignments. I could arrange a meeting with her, if you’d like.”

She was busy, but he was sure they could find a time that would work for everyone involved.

“If you don’t want to meet with her, I could always set up a mediation meeting. A low-pressure situation where you could each talk with the presence of a third party.” That was within the psychiatrist’s job description, both for his position at Hammel as well as his training as a mental health professional.

“I’ve found the best way to understand someone is to talk to them directly,” he explained.

[Leiken Chu]

"No. I do not want to meet with her." he stated rather firmly. Leiken exhaled heavily, thinking on the matters at hand, he was trying to figure out a way to get the man to tell him what he needed to know without outright asking him 'hey what will screw with my trainer's head the most so he freaks out and embarrassed himself too'. That was not something he could do in this situation.

"I know you're not in charge of the training program. I thought, though, that you would be able to make me feel better about this or understand why he thinks this is a good thing to do. Because of him I will not be able to sleep again. " he stated with a strong tone of irritation. "I wish he could feel the way i did when he did what he did." he stated looking to the other man.

"I doubt that would work. It won't help for when those third parties are not there. " he stated with a shake of his head. "Don't you know anything about this man? He's a prick." he stated plain and simple. Hoping that the man bite on the statement and slip something useful to him out.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean could hardly fault Leiken for not wanting to meet with Yvette. She was a stern and imposing woman, and while he knew that she had Hammel’s, and the students’, best interests in mind, it could still be nerve-wracking to meet with the Headmistress. Particularly if she decided that the best course of action was to reassign Leiken, where he might find himself with Chase, who was easy to get along with but also didn’t put up with backtalk, or Honor who...was Honor.

“The purpose of mediation is to help the two of you to come to an understanding, so that you don’t need a third party there in the future,” Sean explained. There were often misconceptions about meditation, and so he wanted to explain fully the goals of such an arrangement. Particularly since this wasn’t a situation that involved an abusive spouse, for instance, and thus he thought it could be beneficial. In other situations, he didn’t bother making the suggestion, because it was inherently doomed to fail.

He then turned his palms upward, before settling his hands before him on his desk. “While I understand why you might say that, I can promise you that he isn’t. Most of the trainers can come off a bit stern at first.”

Honor and Chase could equally be called that at first look, if they were using their powers. But it wasn’t true. Well, not for Chase.

[Leiken Chu]

"I know that. I just don't want him to know that he's gotten under my skin. " he stated firmly. "So I would prefer not to go to that method." he state emphasizing key words so that the other man would understand better that mediation was not something he wanted. What he wanted he was beginning to believe the man could not provide him.

"You can assure me of this how? What do you know of the man? I wonder if he has you fooled." he stated folding his arms across his own chest. "What kind of man intentionally sends his students into hell but a prick?" he stated firmly.

"I don't think he will ever understand what he's done." he stated looking around the office. Leiken clicked his tongue lightly against the roof of his mouth. Observing his surroundings. He was starting to get frustrated, he wasn't getting the information that he needed, and it sounded as though the solution the other man wanted to give was to replace the man with someone else. At least that is how Leiken was taking those words.

"Maybe so, but he says he won't go away like the others in the past. He's annoying. " he stated as he bounced his leg a bit. A habit he had of doing when his anxiety was heightened.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“Training isn’t a competition,” Sean remarked. Training was highly individualized, and a student couldn’t compare his progress with that of any other student. Likewise, training wasn’t a zero sum game, where the trainer and the student each tried to score points off the other. Sean might have little to do in the arena of training, but he knew that was a disastrous way to view the sessions; such an outlook would only stall progress.

“I’m sure that he doesn’t want to get under your skin,” the psychiatrist continued. Vincent was a mature adult, and he wasn’t in the habit of tugging people’s pigtails to irritate them or to get their attention. “Talk to him about how you feel about training, so that the two of you can reach common ground.”

As Sean had said, in his experience, people responded better to direct communication.

“He’s your trainer,” the psychiatrist reminded him. “The relationship you develop with him is for your benefit, and it will be unlike all other relationships you have. He won’t disappear after the semester, like an English teacher, and he won’t fall away like the kid you don’t like in homeroom. If he annoys you, talk to him. Find common ground. If you don't think you can find common ground, bring in a third party. But learning through second and third parties disorts information."

[Leiken Chu]

"Yes he does." he stated with a slight tone of irritation. "The all did. Prying their noses in and making things worse. How can i learn control when it's them making me lose it?" He stated as he raised his hand to rub at his head; sighing heavily.

"Maybe, I should, but he would only say stupid things like he did before. " he stated firmly. "Like that he wouldn't give up on me. Tch. He will, they always have, but that's not what I am here for." he stated after realizing he was talking too much.

"Do you think so? I've found that certain things are better learned through others. How else can you find truth?" he stated as he looked to the man. "not everyone shows their true colors to your face, you should know that, Doc." He stated still bouncing that leg a bit.

"I'm not sure if he can be trusted and i don't know how to learn whether or not he can be." he stated clenching his fist. It was true, what the other man was saying, but none of this was getting him any closer to the information he wanted.

"What do you even know about him anyway?" He questioned as he stared at the man with that lazy gaze. Lei was having a hard time keeping on track with his reasoning for going to see this man. He didn't really even know why he was still there. Though it was at that point he began to feel more defensive, "I don't know what i thought to gain from talking to you. " he stated aloud.

Leiken second guessed his decision. He was starting to get more anxious over the fact that he was talking to someone about matters that upset him. This was not something Lei often did or would consider pleasing to him. At least it was quieter in there.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

While in one sense, Sean could sympathize with that perspective, in another, larger sense, he knew the folly (and the danger) in blaming one’s imperfections on others. “If interacting with other people makes you lose control, then that means more training, not less, is necessary.

For better or for worse.

“People who expect not to bargain in good faith ensure that they never will,” the psychiatrist replied. He knew better than many other people how often humans could be dishonest; he also understood the reasons behind the dishonesty, and how a lack of open communication led to more misunderstandings. And how misunderstandings were far more common than intentional, malicious lies.

“Again, I’ve found that being open about my needs and honest with people while willing to listen to them goes farther in learning to trust than testing them does.” Tests were suspicious, since many people who tested others expected the others to fail. If the other person passed, rather than feeling reassured, the tester had a tendency to create ever more hoops to jump through, until the other person inevitably failed because the hoops were impossible. The tester remained suspicious, and it was a waste of time and energy for everyone involved. “You might feel vulnerable for a bit, but your trainer is in a position to see you vulnerable. It’s part of training.”

Unbridled powers created vulnerabilities.

The psychiatrist steadily met the boy’s gaze. “I know that he genuinely cares about the students. I know that he’s open to discussion. And I know that when he says he won’t give up on you, he’s sincere. He won’t, even if others have in the past.”

Sean knew other facts about Vincent: about his relationship with his wife, about his history before Hammel, about his children, but none of those were matters for discussion with a student. None of that information belonged to the psychiatrist to divulge, and he had a strict code about what information he disclosed and to whom.

Sean turned one hand palm upward, a gesture that substituted for a shrug. “I would presume you wanted to gain my insight.” Leiken had scheduled this appointment, not the other way around.

[Leiken Chu]

"Tch. " he stated slightly. He knew the other man was correct in saying so, but he would never admit that. Or at least not right at that moment. He wanted to be less of a monster, but first he needed to be a monster to get his revenge.

"That's easy for you to say. " he stated with a roll of his eyes. He didn't really care to hear the whole 'you're your own road block' speech that he'd heard a million times. Even if it was true, he was sure of one thing, that people were more often than not quite dishonest.

"Why would i want him to see me vulnerable? If he sees me that way then quits training me like the others then he'll have all my weakness on a silver platter to hand over to whomever the hell he wants." he stated as he smacked his hand against the palm of the other.

"How do you know that? People are decieving, for all you know, it could be a show. " he stated with a wave of his hand. "Tch. As if i would waste my time for that purpose." he lied. That was the whole reason he had come in the first place. However, he was getting nowhere, fast.

Leiken sighed, standing up from the seat, "screw this. I'm out of here." Leiken stated shoving his hands into his pockets. Moving toward the door without really saying much to the man beyond that. It seemed like he would have to do things the hard way after all.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“Because not everyone who is aware of someone’s weaknesses will exploit them,” the psychiatrist replied, matter-of-fact. The boy’s remark also made it plain, and telepathy confirmed, that Leiken was wholly unaware of Sean’s abilities. Perhaps he wouldn’t have come had he known that the psychiatrist was a psychic, and an exceptionally strong one at that.

But mentioning that he was would likely do more harm than good at the moment. Given how paranoid and suspicious the boy was, adding “By the way, I can hear your thoughts and know all of your secrets by virtue of your proximity” would only worsen his opinions of others. Mentioning it might give him an upper-hand for a moment but the lasting damage could be devastating.

No, best to keep that to himself for the moment.

“Some people are deceptive,” the psychiatrist conceded with a slight nod. “But not everyone is. Expecting everyone to be means living in a constant state of dissatisfaction without allowing others close to you. One misses out on the best parts of life that way.”

And while Sean had better insight, he would take the risks without it.

The psychiatrist didn’t sigh when the boy rose to his feet, although he did correct him reflexively. “Language.” While it wasn’t as profane as some remarks, Leiken did need to remember that he was speaking to an adult and a staff member.

“But if you want to leave, you may do so.” Leiken had come here of his own volition, which meant that he could leave when he wished to. “My door is open, should you change your mind.”

[Leiken Chu]

"You'd be surprised how many people would." he stated with an almost saddened expression. however, he sucked it up. he couldn't show weakness right now. It was important for him to make sure noone thought he was weak.

Leiken tensed suddenly as the man stated such a thing. he made a small 'tch' of a sound to the man's words. "bullshit." he stated plain and simple. There was no way. Did people like that really exist in this school? He'd met people who could move things with their mind before, obviously, but as far as people who could read them that was another story.

"I've heard that alot lately." he noted to the man's comment missing out on alot in life due to his expectations. he shook his head a bit. When he was scolded about his language he rolled his eyes.

If it was true this man could read minds then his plans were surely ruined from the start. It was no wonder the man had given him nothing to work with. "I'll be leaving then. " he waved a hand over his shoulder. "I won't change my mind." he assured the man as he left the office behind him. He wanted out of there before the man dove to deeply into his mind if he were truly capable of that.